Tomoo Haraguchi is a Japanese special effects makeup artist, sculptor, and director. He has been involved in the supervision, design, and model-making for the Ultraman Series, spanning from the Showa to Heisei eras.
Career[]
Haraguchi frequently visited the production sets of Toho's tokusatsu films from a young age, thanks to his grandfather, Hibashi Shimonaga, who worked as a sound and mixing engineer at Toho. Later, during his high school years, he joined the "Kaiju Club" organized by Hiroshi Takeuchi. During this time, he participated as an assistant in a fight choreography group and served as a temporary suit actor in several tokusatsu series.
After dropping out of Wako University, Haraguchi joined the modeling studio MONSTER'S in 1979. In 1984, he established his own special effects makeup studio, FUNHOUSE (now known as Chukyo Professional), where he became active in film and television. Since 1991, he has also taken on directing roles.
Prop Collection[]
Harauchi is renowned as a collector of props from special effects works. Since his youth, he has amassed a collection of damaged miniature models, including those from the Ultraman series that were discarded after filming. Among his most notable pieces are the Ultra Hawk No.1 from Ultraseven[1][2], Mighty from Mighty Jack[3], and the MAT Arrow 1 from Return of Ultraman.[4][5] These models have also been utilized in filming and related exhibition events.[6][7]
In 2012, Harauchi's collection of restored models was showcased in the exhibition "Director, Hideaki Anno's "TOKUSATSU" Special Effects Museum-Craftsmanship of Showa & Heisei eras seen through miniatures."[8] This exhibition subsequently led to the establishment of the nonprofit organization Anime Tokusatsu Archive Centre, which opened the Sukagawa Tokusatsu Archive Center in Sukagawa City to display Harauchi's restored model collection.[9]
Works[]
- Star Wolf (1978) - Art assistant[10]
- Ultraman 80 (1980-1981) - Assistant modeler[11][12]
- Andro Melos (1983) - Assistant modeler
- Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars (1990) - Special effects makeup
- Ultraman Mebius (2006-2007) - Director and special effects director, 5 episodes[13]
- Episodes 1 "A Fateful Encounter" (special effects director)
- Episodes 2 "Our Wings" (special effects director)
- Episodes 16 "A Sword Master from Space" (director and special effects director)
- Episodes 49 "Dark Clouds of Despair -Final Trilogy II-" (special effects director)
- Episodes 50 "Words from the Heart -Final Trilogy III-" (special effects director)
- Ultraseven X (2007) - Modeler
- Ultraman Ginga (2013) - Director, 2 episodes
- Episodes 3 "Two-Headed Flame Beast"
- Episodes 4 "The Idol Is Ragon"
- Ultraman Ginga Theater Special: Ultra Monster ☆ Hero Battle Royale! (2014) - Director
- Shin Ultraman (2022) - Ultraman No. 2 model coloring / materials cooperation[14]
Other Works[]
- Gamera the Guardian of the Universe (1995)
- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)
- Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999)
- Onmyoji (2001)
- Gamera the Brave (2006)
- Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters (2008)
- Death Kappa (2010) - Director[15]
Gallery[]
![[16]](/wiki/File:Tomoo_Haraguchi_2.png "Tomoo Haraguchi 2.png (1.58 MB)")
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.dreamnews.jp/press/0000242352/
- ↑ http://imaginerjp.livedoor.blog/archives/22869453.html
- ↑ https://tamashiiweb.com/t_kokkaku/5/
- ↑ https://imaginerjp.livedoor.blog/archives/562176.html
- ↑ https://imaginerjp.livedoor.blog/archives/562612.html
- ↑ https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/16289816/
- ↑ https://www.entax.news/post/202409201110.html
- ↑ https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/exhibitions/137/
- ↑ https://s-tokusatsu.jp/en/about/
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/news/n-2410
- ↑ https://x.com/shinichiwakasa/status/1300394097841070080
- ↑ http://www.generalworks.com/databank/movie/staff/thara.html
- ↑ https://note.com/vp_archive/n/n68327892af63
- ↑ https://twitter.com/khara_inc2/status/1526508250333556736
- ↑ https://www.monomagazine.com/72750
- ↑ https://m-78.jp/pressrelease/121001-tokusatsuhaku