Thomas Romain is a French animator, illustrator, and designer who has built a significant career in the Japanese anime industry. Born in Besançon, France, in 1977, Romain developed a passion for drawing early in life, influenced by French comics, Japanese anime, and video games. After briefly studying physics, he left to pursue art, studying 2D and 3D animation from 1998 to 2001. His dream of working in Japan began to take shape during this time, leading him to learn the Japanese language.

Romain first gained attention through his work on the French animated series Code Lyoko, on which he is credited as a creator. His entry into the Japanese animation industry came with the Franco-Japanese co-production Oban Star-Racers, which he co-directed and for which he moved to Tokyo in 2003. This project marked the beginning of his career in Japan.

One of Romain's most significant original creations is the anime series Basquash!. He co-created this series with renowned Japanese creator Shoji Kawamori, known for Macross. Basquash! aired in 2009 and was notable for being a Japanese anime co-created by a foreigner. In this project, Romain served as the original concept creator, art director, and mechanical concept designer, blending sports and mecha action.

Romain has worked extensively as a designer on numerous other anime projects. His credits include serving as art director on Symphogear, providing world design for Macross Delta, and spaceship design for Space Dandy. His versatility is demonstrated by his ability to design both mechanical elements like mecha and detailed background art and world concepts. More recently, he was responsible for character design on the short anime series Latair the Earth, which premiered in 2025. This project, based on a picture book, saw him collaborate again with Shoji Kawamori, who served as supervising producer.

Beyond his work for television, Romain has contributed to video games, creating background art for a spin-off of the Phoenix Wright series. He has also worked on international projects, such as the American-Japanese co-production Cannon Busters, where he served as supervising director.

Romain gained widespread public attention outside the anime industry in 2017 for a personal art project. He began reinterpreting simple sketches made by his two young sons, transforming them into fully realized, professional anime-style illustrations. This series went viral online, leading to the publication of artbooks and demonstrating his collaborative and inspirational approach to creativity.

Romain represents a notable example of a Western artist who has successfully integrated into the Japanese anime industry, rising from a freelance artist to a creator and lead designer on major projects. His work is characterized by a strong emphasis on world-building and mechanical design, often incorporating a distinctive style influenced by both French and Japanese artistic traditions. He remains active in the industry and has also worked to support other French artists seeking to work in Japan.