Seiji Muta

Seiji Muta
Profile
Gender:	Male
Location:	Japan
Position:	Character design Chief animation director Animation supervisor Animation director Assistant animation director Mechanical design Key animation Layout check Layout
Years active:	1979-2023
Aliases:	むた せいじ

Seiji Muta (牟田 清司 ,Muta Seiji) is a Japanese anime director and character designer. Along with Masatomo Sudo, he works as character designer for Detective Conan from episode 627 to 680, and he had been a regular animation supervisor for ten years.

Biography

Muta was from Studio Z5 (スタジオZ5). He debuted in the anime series Space Carrier Blue Noah (宇宙空母ブルーノア) in 1979. He then finally got involved in the production of Detective Conan anime in 1996, starting with Episode 1: Roller Coaster Murder Case, which he served as a key animator. After that, he constantly worked as a key animator under the episodes in which the animation was directed by Masatomo Sudo, Hiromi Muranaka, and Atsushi Aono.

In 2004, he started to work as animation director (and chief animation director occasionally), starting with Episodes 377~378: Momotarou Mystery Solving Tour. In 2009, he completely quit doing key animation for Detective Conan episodes. From 2011 to 2012, Muta worked with Sudo as character designer and animation director for openings and endings. Since 2014, Muta had been the regular animation supervisor: the role emerged due to unstable drawing that was caused by outsourcing. In 2023, after he finished supervising the 1st part of Episode 1077: The Black Organization's Scheme (Hunt), he stepped down and quit the production team.

In the Detective Conan movie wise, Muta was involved in the production of movies 1 to 18; allegedly, most of his key frames did not require any animation correction or supervision.

Works in Detective Conan

• See Animation directed by Seiji Muta

Anime

Participation in: 103 cases (107 episodes)

Jpn#	Int#	Episode title	Original broadcast	Role	Note
1	1	Roller Coaster Murder Case	January 8, 1996	Key animation
2	2	Company President's Daughter Kidnapping Case	January 15, 1996	Key animation
9	9	Tenkaichi Night Festival Murder Case	March 4, 1996	Key animation
11	11-12	Moonlight Sonata Murder Case	April 8, 1996	Key animation	1 hour
17	18	Hijacked Department Store Case	May 27, 1996	Key animation
22	23	Luxury Liner Serial Murder Case (Part 1)	July 1, 1996	Key animation
39	40	Wealthy Daughter Murder Case (Part 1)	November 25, 1996	Key animation
52	53-54	The Mist Goblin Legend Murder Case	March 17, 1997	Key animation	1 hour
58	60	Holmes Freak Murder Case (Part 2)	May 12, 1997	Key animation
63	65	Big Monster Gomera Murder Case	June 16, 1997	Key animation
67	69	Stage Actress Murder Case	July 14, 1997	Key animation
72	74	The Triplet's Country Home Murder Case	August 18, 1997	Key animation
76	78-79	Conan vs. Kaitou Kid	September 22, 1997	Key animation	1 hour
80	83	The Wandering Artist Murder Case	October 20, 1997	Key animation
84	87	Ski Lodge Murder Case (Part 1)	December 8, 1997	Key animation
89	92	Dracula's Villa Murder Case (Part 2)	February 2, 1998	Key animation
95	98	Kogoro's Date Murder Case	March 16, 1998	Key animation
96	99-102	The Cornered Famous Detective! Two Big Murder Cases	March 23, 1998	Key animation	2 hours
103	109	The Historical Actor Murder Case (Part 2)	June 1, 1998	Key animation
108	114	The Mysterious Mole Alien Case (Part 2)	July 6, 1998	Key animation
113	119	The White Sandy Beach Murder Case	August 17, 1998	Key animation
117	123	The Mystery Writer Disappearance Case (Part 2)	September 14, 1998	Key animation
122	129	The Locked Bathroom Murder Case (Part 2)	November 2, 1998	Key animation
129	136-139	The Girl from the Black Organization and the University Professor Murder Case	January 4, 1999	Key animation	2 hours
130	140	The Indiscriminate Stadium Threatening Case (Part 1)	January 11, 1999	Key animation
133	143	Magic Lover's Murder Case (The Suspicion)	February 1, 1999	Key animation
148	158	The Streetcar's Sudden Stopping Case	June 7, 1999	Key animation
153	163	Sonoko's Dangerous Summer Story (Part 1)	July 19, 1999	Key animation
154	164	Sonoko's Dangerous Summer Story (Part 2)	July 26, 1999	Key animation
159	169	The Legend of the Mysterious Five Storied Pagoda (Part 1)	September 6, 1999	Key animation
165	176	The Disappearing Detective Boys Case	October 25, 1999	Key animation
191	206	The Desperate Revival - The Black Knight	May 22, 2000	Key animation
195	210	The Significant Music Box (Part 2)	June 19, 2000	Key animation
199	214	Kogoro Mouri, Suspect (Part 1)	July 17, 2000	Key animation
202	217	The Tenth Passenger (Part 2)	August 7, 2000	Key animation
205	220	Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 3 (Part 1)	August 28, 2000	Key animation
208	223-224	The Entrance to the Maze: The Anger of the Colossus	October 9, 2000	Key animation	1 hour
218	234	Megure's Sealed Secret (Part 2)	December 18, 2000	Key animation
219	235-238	The Gathering of the Detectives! Shinichi Kudo vs. Kaitou Kid	January 8, 2001	Key animation	2 hours
234	253	The Evidence That Didn't Disappear (Part 2)	May 21, 2001	Key animation
239	258	The 3 "K"s of Osaka Case (Part 2)	June 25, 2001	Key animation
241	260	The Shinkansen Transport Case (Part 2)	July 9, 2001	Key animation
246	265	The Mystery in the Net (Part 1)	August 13, 2001	Key animation
250	269	The Celebrities' Secret (Part 2)	September 10, 2001	Key animation
255	274	The 14th Round of the Matsue Tamatsukuri Linked Verse Contest (Part 1)	October 29, 2001	Key animation	Mystery tour
260	279	The Shaking Restaurant	December 3, 2001	Key animation
265	287	Courtroom Confrontation: Kisaki vs. Kogoro (Part 2)	January 21, 2002	Key animation
278	300	English Teacher vs. Great Western Detective (Part 2)	May 20, 2002	Key animation
283	305	The Mystery of the Water-Flowing Stone Garden (Part 2)	June 24, 2002	Key animation
286	308	Shinichi Kudo's New York Case (The Case)	July 15, 2002	Key animation
292	314	Solitary Island of the Princess and the Dragon King's Palace (The Pursuit)	August 26, 2002	Key animation
295	317	The Smash of Determination and Love (Part 2)	September 16, 2002	Key animation
298	320	Courtroom Confrontation II: Kisaki vs. Kujo (Part 2)	October 28, 2002	Key animation
304	326-329	The Trembling Police Headquarters: 12 Million Hostages	January 6, 2003	Key animation	2 hours
320	345	The Art of Ninja Alibi Craft	May 19, 2003	Key animation
325	350	The Red Horse within the Flames (The Case)	June 23, 2003	Key animation
328	353	The Birthday Wine Mystery	July 14, 2003	Key animation
331	356	The Suspicious Spicy Curry (Part 1)	August 11, 2003	Key animation
333	358	The Similar Princesses (Part 1)	August 25, 2003	Key animation
338	363	The Four Porsches (Part 1)	October 20, 2003	Key animation
345	371-375	Head-to-Head Match with the Black Organization: A Dual Mystery on a Full Moon Night	January 5, 2004	Key animation	2.5 hours
362	393	Teitan High School's Ghost Story (Part 2)	May 31, 2004	Key animation
366	397	The Tragedy of the Pier in Plain Sight (Part 1)	July 5, 2004	Key animation
368	399	The Candy House the Witch Lives In	July 26, 2004	Key animation
375	406	A Code of Stars and Tobacco (Part 2)	October 25, 2004	Key animation
377	408	Momotarou Mystery Solving Tour (Part 1)	November 8, 2004	Animation director, Key animation
378	409	Momotarou Mystery Solving Tour (Part 2)	November 8, 2004	Chief animation director
382	413	Which One's Deduction Show (Part 2)	December 13, 2004	Key animation
399	433	The Strange Family's Request (Part 2)	May 23, 2005	Key animation
402	436	A Jewel Thief Caught Red-Handed (Part 2)	June 13, 2005	Key animation
404	438	The Mysterious Angel's Mansion (Part 2)	June 27, 2005	Key animation
405	439	The Man Who Called for an Ambulance	July 4, 2005	Key animation
409	443	The Simultaneous Stage Advance and Kidnapping (Part 1)	August 8, 2005	Key animation
413	447	The Half Completed Crime Mystery	September 5, 2005	Key animation
417	451	The Evil Spirit Appears on An Unlucky Day (The Resolution)	October 24, 2005	Animation director
423	457	The Detective Boys and the Four Caterpillar Brothers	December 5, 2005	Key animation
441	479	The Final "Ahh"	June 5, 2006	Key animation
444	482	Clam Digging With a Sigh (Part 2)	July 3, 2006	Key animation
446	484	The Sealed Western-Style Window (Part 1)	July 24, 2006	Key animation
449	487-488	Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story - Fake Wedding	August 21, 2006	Key animation	1 hour
450	489	Trick vs. Magic (Part 1)	August 28, 2006	Key animation
452	491-492	The Phantom of the Konpira	September 11, 2006	Key animation	1 hour
453	493	Preview Screening of Fate and Friendship	October 23, 2006	Key animation
456	496	The Mystery I Loved	November 13, 2006	Key animation
458	498	Sonoko's Red Handkerchief (Part 2)	November 27, 2006	Key animation
473	513	Shinichi Kudo's Childhood Adventure (Part 2)	May 21, 2007	Key animation
477	517	Genta's Certain Kill Shot (Part 2)	July 2, 2007	Key animation
482	525	Mountain Witch's Cutlery (Part 2)	August 6, 2007	Key animation
485	528	Whereabouts of the Dark Photograph (Part 2)	August 27, 2007	Key animation
486	529	Beckoning Cat from Right to Left	September 3, 2007	Key animation
488	532-533	The Devil of the TV Station	October 22, 2007	Chief animation director	1 hour
490	536-537	Heiji Hattori vs. Shinichi Kudo: Deduction Battle on the Ski Slope!	December 3, 2007	Animation director	1 hour
504	551	Clash of Red and Black (Killed in the Line of Duty)	May 19, 2008	Key animation
509	556	Red, White, Yellow, and the Detective Boys	July 14, 2008	Key animation
514	561	Coffee Aroma with Murderous Intention (Part 2)	September 8, 2008	Key animation
516	564-565	Furinkazan - The Mysterious Armored Warrior	November 3, 2008	Animation director, Key animation	1 hour
536	587	The Secret of the Vanished Masterpiece	May 30, 2009	Animation director, Key animation
539	590	A Fool's Inheritance	July 4, 2009	Animation director, Key animation
543	594	Ikkaku Rock's Disappearing Fish (Part 2)	August 1, 2009	Key animation
546	597	The Witch Enshrouded by Fog (Part 2)	September 12, 2009	Animation director, Key animation
554	605	Stork Mystery Tour (Ran's Search Chapter)	November 7, 2009	Animation director, Key animation
555	606	Stork Mystery Tour (Haruna's Pursuit Chapter)	November 14, 2009	Animation director
561	612	The Mansion of Death and the Red Wall (Empty Fort Strategy)	December 26, 2009	Animation director
578	629	The Crisis Beckoned by the Red Omen	June 26, 2010	Animation director
724	776	Kaitou Kid and the Blush Mermaid (Part 1)	January 4, 2014	Animation director	New Year's Greeting only
927	982-983	The Scarlet School Trip (Bright Red Arc)	January 5, 2019	Assistant animation director	1 hour
928	984-985	The Scarlet School Trip (Red Love Arc)	January 5, 2019	Assistant animation director	1 hour

Note: Seiji Muta served as animation supervisor in episodes 616-635, 663, 671-672, 680-683, 699-706, 708, 726, 738-744, 746-824, 826-926, 929-999, 1002-1060, and 1062-1077; which is not listed in the table above.

Openings and Endings

Participation in: 15 openings and 12 endings

#	Song name	Original title	Role	Note
OP
OP5	TRUTH ~A Great Detective of Love~	TRUTH～A Great Detective of Love～	Key animation
OP20	Namida no Yesterday	涙のイエスタデー	Key animation
OP23	Ichibyōgoto ni Love for you	一秒ごとに Love for you	Key animation
OP24	Mysterious	Mysterious	Key animation
OP25	Revive	Revive	Assistant animation director
OP26	Everlasting Luv	Everlasting Luv	Key animation
OP27	MAGIC	MAGIC	Key animation
OP29	SUMMER TIME GONE	SUMMER TIME GONE	Animation director
OP30	Tear drops	tear drops	Animation director
OP31	Don't Wanna Lie	Don't Wanna Lie	Animation director
OP32	Misty Mystery	Misty Mystery	Animation director
OP33	Miss Mystery	Miss Mystery	Animation director
OP36	Q&A	Q&A	Key animation
OP40	WE GO	WE GO	Animation director
OP43	Sekai wa Anata no Iro ni Naru	世界はあなたの色になる	Key animation
ED
ED1	STEP BY STEP	STEP BY STEP	Key animation
ED5	Negai Goto Hitotsu Dake	願い事ひとつだけ	Key animation
ED15	Mushoku	無色	Key animation
ED31	GO YOUR OWN WAY	GO YOUR OWN WAY	Key animation
ED32	Koigokoro Kagayaki Nagara	恋心 輝きながら	Assistant animation director
ED34	Hikari	光	Key animation
ED36	Tomorrow is the last Time	Tomorrow is the last Time	Animation director
ED37	Jūgoya Crisis ~ Kimi ni Aitai ~	十五夜クライシス～君に逢いたい～	Animation director
ED38	Tsukiyo no Itazura no Mahō	月夜の悪戯の魔法	Animation director
ED40	Your Best Friend	Your Best Friend	Animation director
ED41	Kanashii Hodo Kyō no Yūhi Kirei da ne	悲しいほど 今日の夕陽 きれいだね	Animation director
ED42	Overwrite	オーバーライト	Animation director

Movies

Participation in: 19 movies

Movie	Title	Original airdate	Role	Note
1	The Time-Bombed Skyscraper	April 19, 1997	Animation director, Key animation
2	The Fourteenth Target	April 18, 1998	Animation director, Key animation, Layout
3	The Last Wizard of the Century	April 17, 1999	Key animation
4	Captured in Her Eyes	April 22, 2000	Key animation, Layout
5	Countdown to Heaven	April 21, 2001	Key animation
6	The Phantom of Baker Street	April 20, 2002	Assistant animation director, Key animation, Layout
7	Crossroad in the Ancient Capital	April 19, 2003	Assistant animation director, Key animation
8	Magician of the Silver Sky	April 17, 2004	Assistant animation director, Key animation, Layout check
9	Strategy Above the Depths	April 19, 2005	Assistant animation director, Key animation, Layout check
10	The Private Eyes' Requiem	April 15, 2006	Assistant animation director, Mechanical design, Key animation, Layout check
11	Jolly Roger in the Deep Azure	April 21, 2007	Assistant animation director, Mechanical design, Key animation, Layout check
12	Full Score of Fear	April 19, 2008	Assistant animation director, Mechanical design, Key animation, Layout check
13	The Raven Chaser	April 18, 2009	Assistant animation director, Key animation, Layout check
14	The Lost Ship in the Sky	April 17, 2010	Animation director
15	Quarter of Silence	April 16, 2011	Animation director, Key animation
16	The Eleventh Striker	April 14, 2012	Chief assistant animation director
17	Private Eye in the Distant Sea	April 20, 2013	Animation director, Key animation
Crossover	Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan: The Movie	December 7, 2013	Animation director
18	Dimensional Sniper	April 19, 2014	Animation director

Other notable works

Anime

• Cat's Eye: Key Animation
• Kinkyuu Hasshin Saver Kids: Animation Director
• Fushigi Yuugi: Key Animation
• Magic Knight Rayearth: Key Animation
• Jarinko Chie: Key Animation
• Requiem from the Darkness: Key Animation
• Sonic X: Key Animation
• Space Adventure Cobra: Key Animation
• Tetsujin 28-go FX: Key Animation

Movies

• Akira: Key Animation
• Lupin III: Bye Bye Liberty Crisis: Key Animation
• Lupin III: Crisis in Tokyo: Key Animation
• Lupin III: Tōhō Kenbunroku ~Another Page~: Assistant Chief Animation Director
• Lupin III vs. Detective Conan: The Movie: Animation Director

See also

• Masatomo Sudo
• Nobuyuki Iwai

References

1. Page partially or completely translated from the Chinese version of June 27th, 2023.
2. 牟田清司 - Wikipedia (Japanese)
3. 牟田清司 - Atwiki (Japanese)
4. MyAnimeList
5. Anime News Network