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Zoologist, Essayist Masanori Hata Passes Away at 87
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
A Fukuoka native, Hata graduated from Tokyo University's Faculty of Biology. He joined publisher Gakken in 1960 as part of its Documentary Film Production department, and produced nearly 20 documentary films during his time there. His first book Warera Dōbutsu Mina Kyōdai (We are all **** Siblings to Animals) won the 16th Essayist Club of Japan Prize in 1968.
Hata is perhaps best known as the writer and director of the film Koneko Monogatari, which debuted in 1986, and centered on the adventures of a tabby cat and a pug. Columbia Pictures released an edited version of the film in the United States titled The Adventures of Milo and Otis. Within anime, his Donbē Monogatari story was adapted into a 1981 special, where he also voiced the titular character Donbe. He also wrote the Kyōryū Monogatari novel, which inspired a live-action film and CLAMP's Rex - Kyōryū Monogatari manga.
Throughout his life, Hata (under the pen name Mutsugorō) published books about his life with animals, and also produced television series centered on the same topic. His popular television series Mutsugoro and his Wonderful Pals debuted in 1980, and ran for 21 years.
Sources: Sponichi Annex, Mainichi Shimbun via Hachima Kikō, Masanori Hata's website
