Shion Takeuchi
Shion Takeuchi is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, producer, and showrunner specializing in animated television series and films.[1] Takeuchi contributed as a storyboard artist to Cartoon Network's Regular Show and Disney XD's Gravity Falls, as well as Pixar feature films Monsters University (2013) and Inside Out (2015).[2] She advanced to writing and producing roles, including on Netflix's Disenchantment.[2] In 2018, Netflix awarded her an overall deal to develop original animated projects, marking the first such agreement for a woman in the company's animation slate.[3][1] This led to her creation of Inside Job (2021–2022), an adult animated series satirizing conspiracy theories and deep state elements, which premiered to strong initial viewership but was canceled after one season amid fan backlash and unsuccessful revival petitions.[4] Her work on Gravity Falls earned an Annie Award nomination for outstanding writing in 2017.[5]Personal background
Early life
Shion Takeuchi was born on September 5, 1988, in Northborough, Massachusetts.[6][7] She was raised in the suburbs of Boston by parents who worked as a technology company executive and a former translator.[6] Takeuchi's interest in animation emerged during her pre-college years after a registration error enrolled her in the School of Visual Arts program, which she later described as "the best clerical mistake."[7] Limited public details exist regarding her childhood beyond these family and locational facts, with no verified accounts of early hobbies or influences predating her animation exposure.Education
Takeuchi developed an early interest in animation during high school after enrolling in the School of Visual Arts' summer program due to a registration error.[8] Raised in Northborough, Massachusetts, she pursued formal training at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where she studied character animation.[1] She graduated from CalArts in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in animation.[1] Her thesis film, When the Time Is Ripe (2010), is a short puppet-animated comedy depicting a Jewish pear named Miles preparing for his bar mitzvah amid identity struggles.[9] The film employed Flash animation and motion tracking techniques.[10]Professional career
Entry into animation industry
Takeuchi graduated from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) with a degree in character animation, after which she secured an internship at Cartoon Network during the development of Adventure Time's first season in 2010.[11] This opportunity arose amid the show's pre-pickup phase, providing her initial hands-on exposure to professional animation production pipelines, including storyboarding and episode development.[12] Reflecting on the experience, Takeuchi described it as a pivotal moment that solidified her commitment to animation, crediting the collaborative environment for bridging her academic training to industry practice.[11] Leveraging connections from the Adventure Time internship, particularly with creator J. G. Quintel—who had contributed to that series—Takeuchi transitioned to her first full-time role as a storyboard artist on Cartoon Network's Regular Show, which premiered in September 2010.[13] In this position, she contributed visual storytelling elements to multiple episodes, honing skills in comedic timing and character-driven sequences that became hallmarks of her later work.[13] This early tenure at Cartoon Network, spanning roughly 2010–2012, marked her formal entry as a credited professional, distinct from unpaid internships, and established a foundation in television animation before advancing to feature films.[11]Film contributions
Shion Takeuchi's film contributions primarily occurred early in her career at Pixar Animation Studios, where she served as a story artist. In this role, she contributed to the development of visual storytelling through storyboarding, sequence revisions, and narrative refinement during pre-production.[14] Her first major feature film credit was on Monsters University (2013), a prequel to Pixar's Monsters, Inc., directed by Dan Scanlon. Takeuchi worked in the story department, helping shape the film's comedic exploration of college life among monsters, which grossed over $743 million worldwide upon release on June 21, 2013.[1][14] Takeuchi subsequently contributed to Inside Out (2015), directed by Pete Docter, as part of the story team. The film, which personifies human emotions inside a young girl's mind, featured her in the animation department credits and earned the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature on February 28, 2016. Her involvement included story material development, supporting the film's innovative depiction of psychological concepts, which led to global box office earnings exceeding $857 million.[15][11]Television writing and production
Takeuchi entered television writing through contributions to the Disney XD animated series Gravity Falls, marking her first credited writing role on the show during its second season in 2014.[16] She co-wrote episodes including "Sock Opera," which explored themes of puppetry and digital sabotage, and "Little Gift Shop of Horrors," an anthology-style installment featuring horror vignettes set in the show's universe.[17] These efforts built on her prior storyboard experience in animation, transitioning her toward narrative development in episodic television.[2] Following Gravity Falls, Takeuchi provided writing for Cartoon Network's Regular Show, contributing scripts that aligned with the series' surreal humor and interdimensional adventures during its run from 2010 to 2017.[2] She later joined Netflix's Disenchantment as a staff writer starting in 2018, supporting the medieval fantasy series created by Matt Groening by crafting story elements for episodes like "To Thine Own Elf Be True."[18][19] Additional television credits include story work on Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears, Amazon's Lost in Oz as staff writer, and story credits for the Hulu miniseries Long Live the Royals in 2015.[18] In production, Takeuchi advanced to executive producer and showrunner roles, notably creating the adult animated conspiracy series Inside Job for Netflix in 2021, where she oversaw writing and thematic direction centered on deep state machinations.[20] This marked her shift from staff positions to leading development, drawing on prior experiences in blending speculative elements with character-driven comedy across platforms like Disney, Cartoon Network, and Netflix.[16]Development and cancellation of Inside Job
Shion Takeuchi developed Inside Job as her first original series under a multiyear overall deal with Netflix, with the streaming service ordering the adult animated conspiracy comedy in April 2019.[21] Takeuchi served as creator, showrunner, and executive producer, drawing on her prior writing experience on series like Gravity Falls to craft a workplace satire centered on a shadow government organization handling real-world conspiracies.[22] The series' production involved a lengthy animation timeline, allowing Takeuchi to incorporate evolving cultural references to conspiracy theories while maintaining a focus on character-driven humor and interpersonal dynamics within Cognito Inc.[23] The first part of the series, comprising 10 episodes, premiered on Netflix on October 22, 2021.[24] Following positive initial reception, Netflix announced a renewal for a second season, which manifested as an additional eight episodes released as Part 2 on November 18, 2022.[24] These episodes expanded on the core premise, exploring rival secret societies and escalating absurd conspiracies, with Takeuchi emphasizing the show's intent to satirize rather than endorse fringe beliefs.[22] In January 2023, Takeuchi confirmed via social media that Netflix had canceled the series, reversing the prior renewal and halting production on further seasons despite scripts and storyboards already in development for Season 2.[22][24] Netflix provided no public explanation for the decision, which Takeuchi described as heartbreaking after years of investment in the characters and world-building.[24] The cancellation aligned with broader Netflix practices of evaluating performance via internal metrics shortly after release, though specific viewership data for Inside Job was not disclosed.[22] Fan efforts, including petitions, failed to reverse the decision, leaving the series concluded after 18 episodes.[22]Creative works
Filmography
Shion Takeuchi contributed to the story department at Pixar Animation Studios, serving as a story artist on the 2013 feature film Monsters University.[14][1] She continued in a similar capacity for the 2015 film Inside Out, where she provided additional story material and worked in the animation department.[25][18]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Monsters University | Story artist |
| 2015 | Inside Out | Additional story material; Animation department |
Television credits
Shion Takeuchi has written and produced for multiple animated television series, primarily in roles involving story development, scripting, and creative oversight.[2] Her early television work focused on Cartoon Network and Disney XD properties, transitioning to streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.[14]| Year(s) | Title | Role | Episodes/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2011 | Regular Show | Writer, storyboard artist | Contributed to storyboarding and writing episodes during the series' initial seasons on Cartoon Network.[2] |
| 2014–2016 | Gravity Falls | Writer | Wrote four episodes, including "Sock Opera" (Season 2, Episode 4) and "Not What He Seems" (Season 2, Episode 9), for the Disney XD series.[26] [18] |
| 2015 | Long Live the Royals | Story by | Provided story for four episodes of the Cartoon Network miniseries.[27] |
| 2016 | We Bare Bears | Story | Credited on three episodes, such as "Fashion Bears" (Season 2, Episode 19), for Cartoon Network.[28] [2] |
| 2016–2018 | Lost in Oz | Staff writer, written by | Wrote eight episodes for the Amazon Prime Video series.[29] [14] |
| 2018–2019 | Disenchantment | Staff writer | Contributed as staff writer across 20 episodes, writing two specifically, for Netflix.[18] [14] |
| 2021 | Inside Job | Creator, writer, executive producer, showrunner | Developed and led the Netflix adult animated series, which aired one season of 18 episodes before cancellation.[20] [22] |