Yoshifumi Kondō

Though Kondō did not accumulate a shelf of personal trophies, his work on Whisper of the Heart earned the film Japan's Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film in 1996. The film also won the Excellence Prize at the 1995 Japan Media Arts Festival. His animation direction on Princess Mononoke contributed to that film's historic Japan Academy Prize for Best Picture. More than awards, Kondō's lasting accolade is the admiration of peers and fans who regard Whisper of the Heart as one of Studio Ghibli's purest and most heartfelt works.