Photo: Iggy Drougge / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is an illustrator, animator and mangaka. Yoshiyuki Sadamoto was born in Shūnan-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan on January 29, 1962. That works out to 64 years old in 2026. Education on record includes Tokyo Zokei University. Notable works include Neon Genesis Evangelion and Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise.
My Take
If you have ever wondered why the faces in "Neon Genesis Evangelion" lodge in your memory the way they do, a large part of the answer is Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. Born on 29 January 1962 in Tokuyama, now Shunan, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, he studied at Tokyo Zokei University and became one of the founding members of Gainax, which put him at the centre of the most restless period in Japanese animation. His first major credit, "Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise," is still one of the most ambitious debuts any studio has attempted. What makes his character work distinctive, to me, is a tension in the drawing itself. The line is clean and controlled, almost cool, and yet the faces carry an unmistakable dampness around the eyes, a look of something being withheld. Paired with Hideaki Anno's direction, that quality did an enormous amount of the emotional labour. He also drew the Evangelion manga adaptation himself over many years, a long solitary job that deserves more credit than it usually gets.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
- Name (Japanese)
- 貞本義行
- Reading
- さだもと よしゆき
- Born
- January 29, 1962 (age 64)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Tiger
- Origin
- Shūnan-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
- Occupation
- illustrator / animator / mangaka / character designer / comics artist
2. Background
- University
- Tokyo Zokei University
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Neon Genesis Evangelion | — | |
| Notable work | Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise | — |
4. Links
- Xhttps://x.com/Y_Sadamoto
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshiyuki%20Sadamoto
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B2%9E%E6%9C%AC%E7%BE%A9%E8%A1%8C
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q282121
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-08-07
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Yoshiyuki Sadamoto born?
Born January 29, 1962 (age 64).
Where is Yoshiyuki Sadamoto from?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is from Shūnan-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.
What does Yoshiyuki Sadamoto do?
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto works as illustrator, animator, mangaka, character designer, comics artist.
What is Yoshiyuki Sadamoto known for?
Notable works include Neon Genesis Evangelion, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise.
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