Takuzō Nagano

Takuzo Nagano (長野 拓造 (Nagano Takuzō), born June 1, 1979) is a Japanese video game artist and character designer best known for his work at Level-5 Inc.. He is recognized as one of the company's principal character designers, having created the distinctive visual identities for several of Level-5's most successful multimedia franchises, including Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, and Yo-kai Watch.

Nagano was born on June 1, 1979, in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. He studied at Tama Art University before joining Level-5 Inc., a video game development company founded by Akihiro Hino, where he became one of the company's lead character designers and art directors.

Nagano's character designs for the Professor Layton series helped establish one of Level-5's most internationally successful franchises. His designs for Luke and Professor Layton, including the latter's iconic top hat, were required to be recognizable by form and color palette, particularly at small sizes. His work emphasized clear silhouettes and distinctive features that would translate well to the Nintendo DS's limited resolution.

He served as character designer for multiple entries, including Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (2009) and Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (2013). He also contributed original character designs and ending illustrations for the theatrical film Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (2009) and provided character designs for the anime series Layton Mystery Tanteisha: Katori no Nazotoki File (2018) and the video game Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy (2017).

The series had sold over 18 million units by March 2023, retaining the title of Level-5's best-selling game franchise.

Nagano created the original character designs for Level-5's soccer-themed RPG franchise Inazuma Eleven, which became phenomenally popular in Japan and Europe. His distinctive art style, characterized by expressive characters with dynamic poses and colorful designs, helped define the visual identity of the franchise across multiple games, anime series, and films.

His work spans numerous installments, including the original series, Inazuma Eleven GO, Inazuma Eleven GO: Chrono Stone, Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy, Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin (2018), and Inazuma Eleven: Orion no Kokuin (2018–2019). He also provided original character designs for several theatrical films. In 2024, Nagano returned as original character designer for Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road and its compilation film Inazuma Eleven: The Movie (2025).^[1]

In 2010, when Level-5 began developing Yo-kai Watch, art director Nagano was tasked by company president Akihiro Hino to design characters and settings. He worked alongside Miho Tanaka to create human characters and hundreds of yo-kai.

Nagano's first drafts drew inspiration from classic yo-kai manga like GeGeGe no Kitarō, but the final direction was adjusted to be more child-friendly, inspired by Doraemon. He focused on recognizable silhouettes and a "timeless" aesthetic blending modern-day settings with traditional yo-kai imagery.

He served as character and yo-kai designer for the entire Yo-kai Watch video game series, including Yo-kai Watch (2013), Yo-kai Watch 2 (2014), Yo-kai Watch 3 (2016), and subsequent entries. He also provided designs for anime series and films, including Yo-kai Watch: The Movie (2014) and the mixed live-action/animated film Yo-kai Watch the Movie 2016.^[2] Designs extended to spin-offs such as Yo-kai Watch Shadowside, Yo-kai Gakuen Y, and Yōkai Watch ♪.

In 2011, Nagano provided original character designs for Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, marking a collaboration between Level-5 and the long-running Gundam franchise. He focused on young-audience-friendly, easily readable characters, with Michinori Chiba adapting his concepts for animation. He continued through the compilation OVA Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Memory of Eden (2013).

• Danball Senki – Original character designs for the mecha franchise and its sequel Danball Senki W
• Megaton Musashi – Original character designs and animation supervisor (2021–2023)^[3]
• Wonder Flick – Boss monster design (2013)
• Fantasy Life – Character design contributions (2012)

Nagano's designs are known for clarity, expressiveness, and cross-media adaptability:

• Clear silhouettes
• Bold color use
• Expressive faces and dynamic poses
• Blend of contemporary and nostalgic aesthetics

Nagano shaped the visual identity of multiple Level-5 franchises, making him a key figure in the company's international success. His designs for Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, and Yo-kai Watch have been widely adapted across games, anime, and merchandise.

Nagano occasionally shares artwork on social media. Work requests should go through Level-5 Inc.

• Official Twitter Account
• Takuzo Nagano at Anime News Network
• Takuzo Nagano at MobyGames
• Takuzo Nagano at IMDb