is a Japanese screenwriter and novelist. He was the head writer of anime series such as Serial Experiments Lain (1998), The Big O (1999–2003), Digimon Tamers (2001–02), Hellsing (2001–02), and Texhnolyze (2003), as well as the television drama Ultraman Tiga (1996–97).

Personal life

Konaka was born in Tokyo, Japan on 4 April 1961. His interest in filmmaking began at the age of 10, influenced by his parents' love for movies and the wide range of film genres he experienced as a child. Following this, he received a camera of his own, and by middle school finished a film called Invader.

Upon entering , Konaka joined the school's film club where he met Makoto Tezuka who was his senior. His films during this period adopted largely science-fiction themes, and it wasn't until watching The Exorcist and The Legend of Hell House that he began to garner an interest in horror.

He has previously worked as a screenwriting instructor at . He has cited Ghost Hound as his favorite screenwriting project.

DigiFes 2021

In 2021, Konaka wrote a stage drama for Digimon Tamers 20th anniversary that was performed at DigiFes 2021, an official Digimon event held annually on August 1. The drama featured the cast of the show being confronted by a physical manifestation of "political correctness" that uses "cancel culture" as an attack. This brought attention to his blog meant for retrospective commentary on Digimon Tamers, in which he also discussed conspiracy theories.

List of works

Anime

  • Air Gear: Series composition, script
  • Armitage III: Screenplay
  • Astro Boy (2003): Script (eps 1–3, 14)
  • The Big O: Series composition, Screenplay, script
  • Birdy the Mighty: Screenplay
  • Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040: Screenplay
  • Catnapped!: Screenplay
  • Despera: Script
  • Devil Lady: Script (episodes 1–5, 8, 12, 18, 25–26), series composition
  • Digimon Adventure 02: Scenario (episode 13)
  • Digimon Tamers: Series composition, script (episodes 1–3, 7, 13–14, 23–24, 34–35, 41, 44–45, 49–51)
  • Futari Ecchi: Script
  • Gasaraki: Script
  • GeGeGe no Kitarō (1996): Script (Episode 89 only)
  • Ghost Hound: Series composition, screenplay
  • GR: Giant Robo: Series composition
  • Hellsing: Series composition, script (episodes 1–6, 8–9, 11–13)
  • Magic User's Club: Script (eps 2–6), novelization (1, 2, 5, 6)
  • Mononoke: Script
  • Parasite Dolls: Script
  • Princess Tutu: Script (4, 9, 22, 23)
  • RahXephon: Screenplay (episodes 11–12, 17–18, 24–25)
  • RahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio: Screenplay
  • Serial Experiments Lain: Miniseries composition, script
  • Texhnolyze: Series composition, script, (episodes 1–4, 6, 12, 20–22)
  • Undead Girl Murder Farce: Script (eps 5-8)
  • Vampire Princess Miyu: Script (ep 20)

References