Masahiro Hosoda

Masahiro Hosoda directed four episodes during the Cell Games saga of Dragon Ball Z, including episodes 173, 182, 188, and 193, which chronicle the tournament's most intense moments. His eye for dynamic staging helped bring the tournament arc's battles to dramatic life. Hosoda's work culminated in his direction of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, the first Dragon Ball Z film in 17 years, which premiered in March 2013. For that production, he pioneered the use of IMAX filming for a Japanese anime, pushing the visual spectacle and technical ambition of the Dragon Ball franchise to new heights.

Beyond Dragon Ball, Hosoda has directed episodes across numerous anime series including Fist of the North Star, Naruto Shippuden, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!. His work demonstrates skill with both character-driven moments and large-scale action sequences, establishing him as a reliable director for major anime productions across multiple genres and franchises.