Takeshi Koike

Takeshi Koike (小池健, Koike Takeshi) (born January 26, 1968) is a Japanese animator, illustrator and film director.

Something of a protégée of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, he was also influenced by Yoshinori Kanada, Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, and Katsuhito Ishii. He went straight from a high school education to beginning his career at Madhouse as an in-betweener on works directed by Kawajiri after being interviewed by him. His first professional work as director is the title sequence of the 2000 film Party 7; while his first feature film is Redline, which premiered in 2009 and was released in 2010. He served as character designer and animation director for 2012's Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, and directs film continuations of it starting with Lupin the IIIrd: Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone in 2014. Work outside of animation includes the artwork for the 2004 Dreams Come True single "Yasashii Kiss o Shite".