Ever see a salvo of synchronized missiles zooming through the air? Well, that’s all thanks to Ichiro Itano and his signature Itano Circus. This animation legend turned heads with his explosive work on Space Runaway Ideon and Mobile Suit Gundam before being recruited to serve as an animation director on Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Over the course of that series’ production, Itano fully developed the flourish he’s famous for today. In addition to his massive contributions to the Macross series, Itano stepped in to helm a handful of classic OVAs including Megazone 23 Part II and Angel Cop. These days, he occasionally lends his expertise (and signature technique) to series such as 2025’s Zenshu.