Shusuke Kaneko

Biography

Shusuke Kaneko (born June 8, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter. Kaneko began his career at Nikkatsu and would serve as a writer for film and anime. Establishing himself as an up and coming director, Kaneko would win accolades at various film festivals. His film Summer Vacation 1999, would garner him his first award for best director at the Yokohama Film Festival. As a lifelong fan of the original Godzilla films, Kaneko would be chosen as the director for Daiei's revival of the Gamera franchise. Kaneko's work on the Gamera films were met with unprecedented critical acclaim. He would be honored with the Director's Award at the 17th Yokohama Film Festival for his work on Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. This film would also go on to top Kinema Junpo's best films of the year list and earn Blue Ribbon awards for best Director and Best supporting actress. Kaneko would go on to direct the most successful Godzilla film of the millennium series as well as the live action adaptations of Death Note. Kaneko has also contributed to various documentaries on kaiju films, particularly those of Ishiro Honda, championing their artistry and imagination

Directed

1. Death Note (2006) — Director
2. Death Note: The Last Name (2006) — Director
3. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) — Director
4. Azumi 2: Death or Love (2005) — Director
5. Necronomicon (1993) — Director
6. Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) — Director
7. Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999) — Director
8. Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996) — Director
9. Crossfire (2000) — Director
10. Summer Vacation 1999 (1988) — Director
11. Ultraman Max (2005) — Director
12. Office Ladies: Lesbians in Uniforms 3 (1984) — Director
13. When the Rain Falls (2022) — Director
14. God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand (2006) — Director
15. Gold Boy‎ (2024) — Director
16. Danger Dolls (2014) — Director
17. Haunted School 3 (1997) — Director
18. Mischievous Lolita: Attacking the Virgin from Behind (1986) — Director
19. Last Cabaret (1988) — Director
20. Eve-chan no hime (1984) — Director
21. Holyland (2005) — Director
22. Koichiro Uno's Wet and Swinging (1984) — Director
23. I'm All Yours (1985) — Director
24. My Soul Is Slashed (1991) — Director
25. Jellyfish (2013) — Director
26. Linking Love (2017) — Director
27. Kiken na Kankei (2013) — Director
28. Who Do I Choose? (1989) — Director
29. All's Quiet on the Recruit Front (1991) — Director
30. Matchmaking Cruise (2017) — Director
31. Hong Kong Paradise (1990) — Director
32. F (1998) — Director
33. Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy (2004) — Director
34. Pride (2009) — Director
35. Sacrifice Dilemma: Second Part (2013) — Director
36. 恋に唄えば♪ (2002) — Director
37. Graduation Journey: I Came from Japan (1993) — Director
38. The Idiots (2010) — Director
39. Kyoufu no Yacchan (1987) — Director
40. It's a Summer Vacation Everyday (1994) — Director

Also appeared in

1. The Family Game (1983) — Bookstore Clerk (uncredited)
2. Bringing Godzilla Down to Size: The Art of Japanese Special Effects (2008) — Himself
3. The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga (2019) — Self - Filmmaker
4. Project GMK: The Day Shusuke Kaneko Fought Godzilla (2002) — Himself
5. GAMERA 1999 (1999)
6. Gigolo: A Docu-Drama (1982) — Cameraman's assistant
7. What's a Director? (2006)
8. The Making of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
9. Making of Death Note (2009) — Self
10. Making of Death Note: The Last Name (2009) — Self
11. Cho Edogakeishi (2018) — Self
12. Ultra Q Monster Legend: Jun Manjome's Confession (2005) — Self