Aruji Morino is an original creator known for his work in anime, primarily recognized as the director, writer, animator, and planner behind the 2006 television series Hanoka. He is considered a pioneer of the Japanese internet Flash animation movement from the early 2000s, having created several dramatic and emotional independent Flash animations, including works titled Tukinoha Shizuku, YUKINO, Majyo no Imouto (The Mage's Sister), and Etora's Wings (Sora no Etora).

Morino is credited as the sole creator of Hanoka, having handled the planning, screenplay, animation, and direction for the series. The show was produced by the now-defunct voice actor agency RAMS in collaboration with Fanworks and aired on the Japanese channel Kids Station from August to October 2006. Hanoka holds historical significance as the first non-comedy focused anime television series created entirely with Adobe Flash animation. Despite this distinction, the final product was received poorly, with critics citing low-quality animation and a generic narrative.

The production of Hanoka was troubled. Morino has publicly expressed strong dissatisfaction with the finished anime, stating that his original vision was for a compelling war story centered on an old man and a bionic girl. However, the production company RAMS allegedly demanded that the protagonist be changed to a young boy, a request Morino believes resulted in the series becoming generic and uninspired. Reports also indicate that Morino suffered from recurring health issues during production, which contributed to a drop in animation quality compared to his independent works. The series was produced by RAMS partly as a promotional vehicle for voice actress Sakura Nogawa rather than being treated as a proper anime production, and it ended with unresolved plot elements.