My Favorite Anime: Joaquim Dos Santos’ journey from Macross to Sword of the Stranger

As an animator, Joaquim Dos Santos has steadily carved out a career boasting credits on some of the most influential American animated series of the past two decades. The 46-year-old animator and director has gone from directing episodes of Justice League: Unlimited and Avatar: The Last Airbender to co-directing one of the biggest animated features of last year: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Polygon recently had a chance to connect with Dos Santos, so we had to ask: What was your first favorite anime, and what’s your favorite anime now?

My Favorite Anime is Polygon’s column dedicated to collecting the stories of the biggest celebrity anime fans in the world, charting a path from their earliest introductions to Japanese animation, to the series and films they love today. Here’s what Joaquim Dos Santos had to say.

What was your first favorite anime?

Premiering on Japanese TV in 1982, Super Dimension Fortress Macross was co-produced by Studio Nue and Artland and based on an original concept by Shoji Kawamori, who would go on to become one of the series’ principal mechanical designers. Inspired by Mobile Suit Gundam, Macross is a sci-fi mecha anime that follows Hikaru Ichijyo, a civilian fighter pilot, who enlists to fight in a war between humanity and a technologically advanced species known as the Zentradi. During the Human-Zentradi conflict, Hikaru meets and falls in love with Lynn Minmay, an idol singer whose music inadvertently proves to be a critical asset in humanity’s war effort.

The success of the original 36-episode series not only gave birth to the Macross anime franchise, but brought fame to three members of the show’s production staff: Kawamori, who would go on to be credited for popularizing the concept of transforming mecha in anime; Ichiro Itano, whose eponymous animation technique would become synonymous with the Macross franchise and a widely recognized trope across Japanese animation; and Mari Iijima, the Japanese voice actress for Lynn Minmay, who successfully transitioned into a pop music career built in part on her character’s popularity.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross has gained a reputation for its notorious inaccessibility in the West. Licensed by U.S. production company Harmony Gold USA, the original Macross anime was re-edited and broadcast in the United States as Robotech in 1985. In 2021, an agreement between Studio Nue and Harmony Gold USA was announced that would allow the global distribution of most of the Macross television sequels and films.

What’s your favorite anime now?

Directed by Masahiro Ando, who was previously known for his work as storyboarder and animator for films like 1995’s Ghost in the Shell and 1997’s End of Evangelion, Sword of the Stranger is an action-adventure film known for its impressive fight sequences and cinematography.

Set during the Sengoku period, the movie follows the story of an orphan named Kotaro who, while on the run from a band of Ming warriors, crosses paths with a mysterious ronin who has vowed to never unsheathe his sword again. Desperate to elude his captors, Kotaro “hires” the ronin to act as his bodyguard. Meanwhile, Luo-Lang, the second-in-command of the Ming warriors pursuing Kotaro, remains relentless not only in his search for the boy, but for a worthy opponent.

Speaking to Polygon earlier this year, Dos Santos mentioned Yutaka Nakamura was one of his favorite Japanese animators. Nakamura is considered by many to be one of the preeminent action animators working in the anime industry, lauded for his work on shows like Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, My Hero Academia, and One Punch Man, among many others. Nakamura also worked on several key action sequences in Sword of the Stranger, including the climactic duel between the film’s nameless protagonist and Luo-Lang, one of the most impressive sword fights in animation history.

The impact of both Macross and Sword of the Stranger on Dos Santos’ sensibilities as an animator and storyteller is plain to see for anyone familiar with his work. His attention to detail and cinematography are heavily anime-inspired, as is his proclivity for character-driven stories with large ensemble casts and an emphasis on stylish action sequences. The gift of good anime keeps on giving.

Sword of the Stranger is available to stream on Crunchyroll. Super Dimension Fortress Macross is currently not available to stream in the US.