A prolific animator and animation supervisor from Toei Animation who worked as key animator and animation director on Dragon Ball Z. Known for extensive work across contemporary anime franchises.
Hōjō contributed to Dragon Ball Z with three key animation credits spanning distinct portions of the series. Episodes 245, 252, and 261 represent his documented frame-by-frame animation work, primarily concentrated in Z's later sagas when animation demands intensified. He also served as animation director on episodes 252, 261, and 267, assuming supervisory responsibility for visual continuity during crucial late-series moments. Additionally, he contributed in-between animation to episode 102 of the Frieza Saga, demonstrating entry-level involvement early in his career at Toei Animation.
Hōjō built a remarkably prolific career across decades of anime production, with documented work on over 150 individual anime projects. His early experience came from Toei Animation and Kino Production, where he worked on classic series including Digimon Adventure and Cyborg 009. His animation direction and key animation credits span diverse franchises from Solo Leveling to Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan, and Samurai Champloo. His versatility across comedy, action, and drama demonstrates mastery of animation principles across multiple genres and production contexts, establishing him as one of anime's most consistently employed artists.
Looking for more on Naoaki Hōjō? The Dragon Ball Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Dragon Ball anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
Browse our episode guides:
Official resources:
Come listen to some Dragon Ball R&B.
Daddy Jim Headquarters maintains this encyclopedia across 13 languages. If you spot an error, a translation issue, or something that doesn't look right, let us know.