kantoku

Kantoku (監督) is a Japanese term used to designate the person in charge of the artistic and logistical direction of a production. In film, television, theatre, and animation, the kantoku is the director who oversees the project’s creative vision, pacing, and coordination of departments such as script, casting, design, and post-production. In English-language credits, kantoku is typically translated as "director," though in some contexts such as anime, additional roles like "series director" or "episode director" may be specified separately. Beyond media, the word can also refer to the head coach or manager of a sports team, reflecting its broader sense of directing an overarching project.

Kantoku is also a pseudonym used by a Japanese illustrator and designer known within doujin, anime, and game art communities. Under this name, the artist contributes character designs and illustrations for various media, including light novels, visual novels, and online publications. Public information about the person behind the alias is limited, and the name is primarily recognized for the distinctive, soft-shaded art style associated with their work. The two uses—occupational title and artist alias—are unrelated beyond the shared romanization of the same Japanese term.