Osamu Kobayashi

Osamu Kobayashi was a Japanese animation director best known for directing the anime series BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and Paradise Kiss. He also guest-directed episode 4 of Gurren Lagann, handling its storyboards, direction, animation direction, and key animation.

Beyond his signature series BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and Paradise Kiss, Kobayashi contributed episode direction to Naruto Shippuden, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, and Dororo. BECK and Paradise Kiss were both produced at Madhouse, where Kobayashi built his reputation as a director.

Kobayashi died in 2021 from complications of kidney cancer at age 57, leaving behind a career defined by BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and Paradise Kiss. His loose, comedic redesign of the cast for Gurren Lagann episode 4 drew heavy criticism at the time but is now remembered as a well-known piece of trivia about the series.

Series director Hiroyuki Imaishi invited his friend Kobayashi to take over episode 4, giving him control of its storyboards, direction, animation direction, and key animation. Kobayashi pushed the episode toward his own loose, comedic art style rather than sticking to the show's established character designs, a choice that divided fans at the time.

Kobayashi's career took off after he made an eye-catching ending animation for the 2003 game tie-in Gad Guard. That work led directly to his breakthrough as a director, launching the run of anime credits that would later include his guest-directed episode of Gurren Lagann.