One Piece Director Is ‘Most Incompetent Person in the Anime Industry’, According to Himself

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Goro Taniguchi is a highly successful anime director, famous for directing the blockbuster film Film: Red and the popular Code Geass series. Despite his many hits and critically praised works, Taniguchi is surprisingly self-critical and doesn’t seem to think highly of his own abilities.

During the Aichi-Nagoya International Anime Film Festival (ANIAFF) in Japan, director Goh Taniguchi surprisingly described himself as the “most incompetent person in the anime industry.” He shared this during a late-night event where he showcased three of his works – s-CRY-ed Alteration TAO, s-CRY-ed Alteration QUAN, and Bloody Escape – and spoke about his career, explaining that he doesn’t have any particular specialized skills.

One Piece Anime Director Goro Taniguchi Labels Himself ‘Incompetent’

Taniguchi admits he doesn’t have skills in areas like voice acting, writing, drawing, or visual design. He explained that he started his career at J.C. Staff, which wasn’t a leading studio then, and didn’t have the benefit of support from major companies like Sunrise or Toei Animation, or guidance from experienced mentors. He described starting from a position of having no particular strengths or advantages.

Because of this, Taniguchi understood that putting in extra effort with his current skills wouldn’t be enough to move up and direct episodes or entire series. He acknowledged that while experts could be perfect in areas like animation or writing, he was only moderately skilled in any one area – perhaps scoring a 20 or 30 out of 100.

To stand out and succeed, he made a point of learning how every part of the company worked. He didn’t limit himself to creative skills, but also gained knowledge in areas like sound, photography, marketing, sales, production, and even how the business was managed.

Taniguchi became a vital link between different teams. He explained, “The special effects artists are very proud of their work, and the sound directors have their own specific way of doing things.” He realized that everyone – from mixers and sound engineers to voice actors – had unique needs and perspectives. He believed his strength lay in understanding those differences and helping everyone work together, something he felt he was uniquely positioned to do.

Goro Taniguchi’s Philosophy Fueled One Piece Film: Red’s Record-Breaking Success

I remember when Toei Animation gave me the challenge of working on One Piece Film: Red. They asked for something huge – a box office goal of 10 billion yen, which was around US$68 million at the time. It seemed almost impossible, because no Toei film had ever made that much money before. It was a pretty outrageous ask, honestly.

Taniguchi’s extensive knowledge helped him make sure every part of the film worked towards a successful outcome. He even got involved in how the movie was marketed, dismissing standard promotional strategies because he believed they would limit ticket sales to around four or five billion yen. He also made key creative choices, such as casting singer Ado as Uta. Even though some people within the production team disagreed with the choice – Ado’s previous song, ‘Usseewa,’ had caused a divided reaction – the director insisted she was the right fit.

With the backing of the series’ creator, Eiichiro Oda, Taniguchi’s risk proved successful, and the film ultimately earned over 20 billion yen in Japan. Despite this achievement, he modestly credited the audience with driving the film’s success, rather than his own planning.

The director is currently working on his next big film, set in Paris during the early 1900s. Arvo Animation is producing the movie, which is planned for release in March 2026. At a recent event, the director mentioned he’s collaborating with composer Takayuki Hattori on a complete orchestral soundtrack. He encouraged fans to see it in theaters, describing it as another large-scale project.

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2025-12-17 23:38