Keiichi Hara (原 恵一, Hara Keiichi, born July 24, 1959 in Tatebayashi, Gunma) is a Japanese director of animated films.

Biography

What started Hara on his career as an animation creator was visiting an animation film company as part of his job hunting activities after graduating from Tokyo Designer Gakuin College (TDG). He recklessly left the tour, an act normally forbidden for visitors, and then begged an artistic director to give him a job. A few days later he returned with some continuity drawings he created, as requested. As a result he was introduced to a commercial film studio.

After working at the studio for eighteen months, he joined Shin-Ei Animation on the recommendation of the president Keijiro Kurokawa. At Shin-Ei he began working on a TV series Kaibutsu-kun as a production manager, then was moved to Doraemon. There for the first time he took on the role of animation director. In working on Doraemon, he was influenced by the chief director Tsutomu Shibayama. Since Hara admired Fujiko Fujio, Doraemon's original author, he worked hard and became known for improving quality. He appeared in an animation magazine as a new director to look out for. After Obake no Q Taro and Doraemon, he was chosen as chief director of Esper Mami and worked for this TV series for two and a half years. When Esper Mami ended, he took a break for ten months. Then he returned by working on 21 emon. After 21 emon, he worked on Crayon Shin-chan. For "Shin-chan" he did direction and continuity both for the TV series and the movies, becoming director in October 1996. The 2001 Crayon Shin-chan movie Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Adult Empire Strikes Back earned critical praise, and raised his profile. The following year's Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Battle of the Warring States was commended by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

As of 2012 Hara has began shooting his first live-action film, Hajimari no Michi, which was released in June,2013.