A protégé of legendary anime director Hideaki Anno and a longtime creative force at Gainax, Kazuya Tsurumaki has carved out a distinctive career as a director and animator known for his kinetic visual style and willingness to push narrative boundaries. Born on February 2, 1966, in the city of Gosen, Niigata Prefecture, Tsurumaki first made his mark in the industry as an animation director on the 1990 television series Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, where he also directed the humorous "omake" extra sequences that accompanied the main episodes. His early work included producing the "Nadia Cinema Edition," demonstrating a versatility that would define his later projects.

Tsurumaki's most formative collaboration came in 1995 when he served as assistant director under Hideaki Anno on the landmark series Neon Genesis Evangelion. In this role, he handled production duties, art direction, and setting assistance for several episodes, absorbing the intense creative energy that made the series a global phenomenon. His contributions deepened in 1997 when he directed episode 25', the first half of the cinematic conclusion The End of Evangelion, a project that cemented his reputation as a capable steward of the franchise's complex emotional and thematic legacy.

The year 2000 marked Tsurumaki's official directorial debut with the six-part original video animation series FLCL, a surreal, hyperkinetic coming-of-age story that became a cult classic for its inventive animation and unconventional storytelling. He followed this in 2004 with Diebuster, also known as Aim for the Top 2!, a sequel to the classic Gunbuster that showcased his ability to blend high-octane action with heartfelt drama. Tsurumaki then returned to the Evangelion universe as a director for the four-film Rebuild of Evangelion series, working alongside Hideaki Anno to reimagine the original story for a new generation.

In 2017, Tsurumaki directed the anime special The Dragon Dentist, a visually rich fantasy that further demonstrated his range. He has also been active in the international anime community, appearing as a guest at Otakon in 2001 and Anime Expo in 2016. Currently, Tsurumaki serves as series director for the airing Gundam series Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, a joint production between Bandai Namco Filmworks and Studio Khara, the studio founded by Hideaki Anno that produced the Rebuild of Evangelion films. Through decades of work, Tsurumaki has established himself as a key figure in Japanese animation, known for his technical skill and creative boldness.