Hiroaki Gouda is an anime director and character designer best known for his work on "Ah My Goddess."

Gouda started his career as a part-time animator while still in high school, eventually joining Anime International Company (AIC) in the 1980s. His big break came in 1993 when he directed the "Ah My Goddess" OVA—a project that almost never happened. The sponsors were initially against adapting the manga, but after original creator Kōsuke Fujishima saw Gouda's work on "Bubblegum Crisis" episode 8, he personally advocated for both AIC and Gouda to take it on. That endorsement made all the difference.

Over the following decades, Gouda became a reliable character designer across multiple popular titles. He handled character design for "Onegai ☆ Teacher" (2002), "Amagami SS" (2010), and "Love Election And Chocolate" (2012). In 2004, he returned to his signature franchise to direct the TV remake of "Ah My Goddess" at AIC/AIC Digital.

In 2015, Gouda co-founded Will Palettte alongside Naoto Kasahara. Three years later, the studio merged with TROYCA, which had been established by former AIC employees, effectively bringing Gouda's career full circle within the anime industry's interconnected studio ecosystem.