I first met anime director and mechanical designer Shinji Aramaki in Tokyo 12 years ago. He had just completed "Appleseed: Ex Machina," the second in a trio of epic CG-animated films based on Masamune Shirow's four-volume 1985 manga.

"Ex Machina" was a global collaboration: co-produced by Hong Kong/Hollywood director John Woo, costumed by Italy's Miuccia Prada and scored by Yellow Magic Orchestra's Haruomi Hosono.

Since then, Aramaki has become anime's go-to guy for Japanese franchise reboots and sequels targeting international markets. As the nation's domestic audience ages and its youth population shrinks, producers are scrambling to dust off older titles that might resonate both at home and abroad. That has them going to Aramaki a lot.