Kōki Mitani

Mitani liked watching TV dramas and puppetries of NHK in his childhood. He was especially interested in works of puppetry such as "Shin Hakkenden" (新八犬伝) and Sangokushi (三国志), jidaigeki dramas such as Tenka Gomen (天下御免) and Tenka Dōdō (天下堂々), and Taiga dramas such as Kaze to Kumo to Niji to.^[2]

Throughout his life, he has expressed interest in works starring famous detectives, such as the Sherlock Holmes series.^[3][4] He has collected numerous novel volumes, pastiches, and DVDs related to Sherlock Holmes, and in 2014 adapted the story into a puppetry set in a boarding school. In his high school days, he planned to produce a film featuring a detective, loosely based on And Then There Were None, and went on location to Enoshima, Kanagawa with his friends, though this film was never finished.^[3]

Mitani has also stated that he enjoys foreign cinema, and is a fan of the films 12 Angry Men, The Wages of Fear, Columbo, and the director Billy Wilder. He has mentioned how he believes Hollywood comedy films are not as funny as those in the Golden Age and as Japanese comedy improves.^[1]

Mitani's work has primarily comprised witty comedies which are often parodies. In production, he usually writes scripts visualizing actors and actresses as close to the characters. Mitani is the author of a weekly column in the Asahi Shimbun daily newspaper^[1] in which he often discusses his favorite films, his writing process, and the actors and actresses with whom he has worked.

• Medal with Purple Ribbon (2017)
• Juzo Itami Award (2023)