Lin Zhiyan, the Supervising Director of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, also directed the highly successful Death Note, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, and Gurren Lagann. His exceptional talent across multiple roles—including director, script supervisor, Chief Animation Director, and music supervisor—earned him the affectionate nickname "Lord Hayashi" among fans. However, his tendency to kill off major characters and create emotionally devastating, soul-crushing stories also led to him being called "Old Thief Lin."
Today, however, we're focusing on another key figure in the production of Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Assistant Director Akiyuki Shinbo.
Many may not be familiar with Akiyuki Shinbo, but anyone who has seen the 2002 animation Soul Hunter can attest to his unconventional style. It wasn't until the 2004 series Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, and the 2005 series Mysterious Classroom, that he began to accumulate a dedicated fanbase.
Furthermore, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is less a reflection of Lin Zhiyan's style and more aligned with Akiyuki Shinbo's. It's as if Lin Zhiyan is teaching Shinbo how to animate in a similar style, and indeed, Shinbo drew many of the storyboards for the series. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was the most important person involved in its production after Lin Zhiyan.
Yet this same pivotal figure once operated under the alias Minamisawa Juhachi and directed several adult-only animated films.
"After watching those adult films, revisiting Puella Magi Madoka Magica becomes... well, it's hard to look at."
The post was lengthy and the author was a master of clickbait. They knew that simply revealing Shinbo's identity as Minamisawa Juhachi wouldn't generate much attention. So, they started by riding the coattails of the phenomenal anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, then jumped on the bandwagon of Lin Zhiyan's popularity, before finally introducing Shinbo.
After establishing the context, the author dropped their bombshell, listing Minamisawa Juhachi's adult filmography. The evidence that Shinbo was Minamisawa Juhachi was then presented: the identical storyboard styles, and the fact that Shinbo's apprentice, Shin Oonuma, was listed in the staff credits for those adult films.
The article concludes by returning to Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Lin Zhiyan, raising suspicions: How did Madoka Magica's Supervising Director, Lin Zhiyan, meet Akiyuki Shinbo? Could he also have worked on or participated in the production of Shinbo's adult animations?
Because the article was so well-timed and its angle so cunning, it immediately drew widespread attention, causing magazine sales to surge and nearly selling out on the first day.
Online, netizens quickly began discussing the matter:
"Minamisawa Juhachi, eh? I have some of his masterpieces in my collection, like Blood Princes, Pure Academy, and Inn ***. His style is indeed unique. I hadn't thought about it before, but now it seems entirely possible that it's Akiyuki Shinbo."
"Now that you mention it, looking at Madoka Magica again... it's kind of hard to look at, lol."
"Honestly, Shinbo's appearance always struck me as a bit sleazy. I had no idea he actually made adult animations."
"Actually, those animations were made after Soul Hunter failed. He couldn't find work and had to support his family, which is understandable. But the idea of someone like that being invited as the assistant director for Puella Magi Madoka Magica... it just feels strange."
"I agree that Akiyuki Shinbo is Minamisawa Juhachi. But the suspicion that Old Thief Lin also made or participated in making adult films... that seems unlikely."
"True. Old Thief Lin joined IG as a Key Animator in '95 and became a core part of their animation team in less than a year. After going independent, every anime he produced was a massive success. He had no reason to make adult films."
"I heard Old Thief Lin fully funded Death Note himself. He's not a rich second-generation heir, is he? Could it be that between '95 and 2000, he was secretly making adult films under a pseudonym while working as an animator at IG? Otherwise, where did all that money come from?"
In reality, the scandal surrounding Akiyuki Shinbo wouldn't harm the popularity of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. After all, he was only the assistant director, not the supervising director.
As long as the scandal didn't involve Lin Zhiyan, nothing else mattered.
Far from decreasing the animation's popularity, the scandal might even cause it to rise slightly.
So, it shouldn't have been a bad thing for Lin Zhiyan. However, Lin Zhiyan was the real hot topic, the focus of public attention.
Initially, people discussed Shinbo and Minamisawa Juhachi's actions objectively. But the conversation quickly shifted to Lin Zhiyan.
Some people even swore:
"I have Old Thief Lin's early doujinshi from Comic Market. I don't know if he ever made 18+ animations, but his doujinshi are truly masterpieces."
"Actually, Old Thief Lin did make 18+ animations, and they sold quite well. I won't say the titles, though—I'm afraid he'll send assassins after me."
"Old Thief Lin made 18+ animations? No way, that's absurd. But I do know where the money for Death Note came from."
"Lin Zhiyan used to be a gigolo in Ginza, the top performer at a certain bar. Rich women flocked there and gave him generous tips. That's probably where the money for Death Note came from, right? How do I know? Because I used to be his colleague at that bar, and I was even a little handsomer than him."
All sorts of rumors began to circulate, and netizens devoured them with relish, even believing they were true.
A wealthy woman even placed a substantial reward in the newspaper, seeking Lin Zhiyan's contact information.
For several days in a row, Lin Zhiyan received emails from women claiming to be wealthy patrons, each hoping to spend a "wonderful night" with him for an "in-depth discussion" about animation production.
It was utterly absurd.
Finally, Lin Zhiyan had to post a clarification online and give an interview to a reputable media outlet. He stated that while he had participated in Comic Market in his early days, he had only published legitimate art books.
He had never produced any adult manga, nor had he ever been involved with R-rated animation. He was certainly not the top performer at a Ginza bar. The funds for Death Note came from stock market investments, not some wealthy patron's tips.
As for the emails from self-proclaimed wealthy women wanting to "discuss animation production in depth," they all went straight to the trash bin.
Not only did he not need the money, but even if he did, he would never engage with these anonymous senders. After all, who knew what these people actually looked like—or whether they were even men or women? It would be insane to get "in-depth" with such people.
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