Yamashita Hiroyuki 山下宏幸 is an anime director, storyboard artist, animator and animation director. Displaying initial interest in becoming a background artist after viewing Princess Mononoke (1998) in a theater, he later decided on becoming an animator after watching Naruto (2002). Hiroyuki started his career at AIC before joining Studio Pierrot in 2007. Almost immediately after his 'genga' debut, Hiroyuki attracted the attention of Naruto's senior staff, most notably Masaharu Watanabe and Toshiyuki Tsuru. In 2008, Hiroyuki began a mentorship under Tsuru that has translated into him becoming an auteur-like director and animator for the series. In animation, his work involves sharp detailed drawings and animation that is both snappy and fluid; He is known for his well choreographed action animation.