Ryuho Okawa was the founder and leader of the Japanese religious organization Happy Science. Born on July 7, 1956, in Tokushima Prefecture, he passed away on March 2, 2023. While primarily known as a religious leader and author of hundreds of books, Okawa was also a prolific creator of anime and manga, serving as the original creator, original story writer, executive producer, and chief production supervisor for numerous animated feature films.

Okawa’s first foray into animation came with the 1991 OVA Shiawasette Naani, a fifteen-minute children’s film based on his own children’s book. This short, which asks the question What is happiness?, was produced by Gakken and received animation assistance from a then-relatively unknown Kyoto Animation. It was directed by Tatsuya Ishihara, who would go on to become a significant figure in the anime industry. Following this debut, Okawa’s original works were adapted into a series of full-length theatrical anime films produced by his organization, Happy Science. These films include Hermes: Winds of Love (1997), The Laws of the Sun (2000), The Golden Laws (2003), The Laws of Eternity (2006), The Rebirth of Buddha (2009), The Mystical Laws (2012), The Laws of the Universe Part 0 (2015), and The Laws of the Universe: The Age of Elohim (2021).

One of the most recent productions based on his work is Dragon Heart: Adventures Beyond This World, a 2025 anime fantasy film. Okawa is credited with creating the original story for the film, which was written in 2019, and served as its executive producer. The film was directed by Isamu Imakake, who has cited Okawa’s lectures and writings as a personal inspiration. Imakake recalled meeting Okawa in his twenties and described his work as a way to transform anxieties into hope.

Recurring themes across Okawa’s anime works are deeply rooted in the spiritual and metaphysical teachings of Happy Science. The films consistently explore existential questions about life, death, happiness, and the nature of the spirit world. For example, Dragon Heart is explicitly described as a spiritually driven fantasy where characters journey through realms of heaven and hell to discover their true purpose. Director Isamu Imakake has stated that the film portrays how there are as many hells as there are evil minds, and as many heavens as there are good minds. The animation incorporates iconography from Buddhist, Hindu, and other spiritual traditions. Similarly, The Laws of the Sun, The Golden Laws, and The Laws of Eternity are considered foundational texts of Happy Science and form a trilogy of films that present the organization’s core teachings on history, spirituality, and the afterlife. Earlier works like Shiawasette Naani, while less overtly sectarian, carry a simple parable-like message about living brightly and maintaining cheerfulness.

Okawa’s significance within the anime industry is closely tied to his role as a unique patron and originator. He leveraged the resources of his religious organization to produce a substantial body of animated works intended to disseminate his worldview. While these films have received mixed critical reception, they represent a consistent, independent production stream outside the traditional studio system. The films also provided work for various animators and directors; Shiawasette Naani is notable as an early credit for Kyoto Animation and the directorial debut of Tatsuya Ishihara, while later films were directed by Isamu Imakake. Dragon Heart was considered eligible for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, indicating that these productions, while niche, have achieved a certain level of industry recognition.