Atsuko Ishizuka

Director and writer · Born September 3, 1981 (45) · Okazaki, Aichi, Japan

During her education at art school, Ishizuka made a number of short animated films for her own enjoyment, often set to music. One of these films, Gravitation, which was later featured at the 2005 Tehran International Short Film Festival, caught the attention of both the Japanese broadcasting giant NHK and Madhouse. NHK quickly contacted Atsuko with an offer to have her animate a music video segment for the popular and long running short film program Minna no Uta (Everyone's Songs), which was designed to highlight upcoming independent animators and musicians. However, by this time Ishizuka had already been hired by Madhouse as a production assistant, and feeling that it would not be right to accept freelance work outside of the studio, she turned them down. However, the Minna no Uta staff was unwilling to give up, and they requested that Madhouse take on the music video project with Ishizuka as director. The studio agreed, and in 2004, Atsuko rose through the ranks for her first professional film, The Moon Waltz.

Where can I watch Atsuko Ishizuka's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Crunchyroll (4).

Also on these channels

HIDIVE2 titles, show their 2 titles on HIDIVE

Subscription and free streaming for Atsuko Ishizuka's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

16 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

Goodbye, Don Glees!(2021)
Director · Screenplay · Second Unit Director · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
A Place Further Than the Universe(2018)
Show 13 episodes · Director · Opening/Ending Animation · Series Director · Storyboard Artist · Writer
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
No Game No Life: Zero(2017)
Director · Second Unit Director · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Prince of Stride: Alternative(2016)
Show 12 episodes · Director
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows
Hanayamata(2014)
Show 12 episodes · Director
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows
No Game No Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Show 12 episodes · Director · Series Director · Storyboard Artist
The Pet Girl of Sakurasou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Show 24 episodes · Director · Series Director · Storyboard Artist
Chihayafuru(2011)
Show 4 episodes · Director · Key Animation · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows
Supernatural: The Animation(2011)
Show 22 episodes · Director
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
Aoi Bungaku Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Show 1 episode · Writer
Top Secret: The Revelation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Show 2 episodes · Director · Storyboard Artist
The Piano Forest(2007)
Assistant Director
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Nana(2006)
Show 9 episodes · Director · Key Animation · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
Gravitation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Director · Animation
The Moon Waltz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Director
Monster(2004)
Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Biggest box office

No Game No Life: Zero (2017)

$6.4M worldwide

Highest rated

Nana (2006)

Midcredits 97^th