Motoaki Ikegami

Motoaki Ikegami served as the photographer on the original Dragon Ball anime, handling visual cinematography for 58 episodes across multiple sagas. His work directly shaped how the animation was lit and presented, contributing to the series' overall visual mood and clarity. Ikegami extended his Dragon Ball involvement to six theatrical releases including Curse of the Blood Rubies, Mystical Adventure, and Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle, where he served as director of photography, holding greater artistic control over lighting and visual atmosphere. Photography work in anime involves color correction, lighting adjustments, and compositing to achieve desired visual effects, making it crucial to final presentation quality.

Ikegami became one of anime's most respected photographers, handling cinematography for legendary films including Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion and Perfect Blue, as well as directing photography on the entire original Pokémon series for over 260 episodes. His technical foundation on Dragon Ball connected him to the franchise's early visual success while establishing expertise that influenced cinematography standards across anime industry.