Yasuo Ōtsuka


Yasuo Ōtsuka is a Japanese animator who worked with Toei Animation, TMS Entertainment and Studio Ghibli.

Biography

Ōtsuka was born in Shimane Prefecture. During a visit to Tsuwano at the age of 10, he saw a steam locomotive for the first time. He began to take an interest in locomotives and their operation and would frequently sketch them. In 1945 his family moved to Yamaguchi Prefecture where there was a military base. He began to draw the array of military vehicles located there while also drawing a variety of subjects in different styles. Otsuka also collected cuttings of cartoon strips into scrapbooks to learn more about drawing styles. Otsuka later joined the Yamaguchi's Beurau of Statistics but wanted to become a political cartoonist in Tokyo. However at the time, permission was needed to move to Tokyo so he applied to the Health and Welfare Ministry. After passing the exam he was assigned to the drug enforcement division as an assistant who maintained the firearms of the agents. Around this time he suffered from tuberculosis.

Career

During 1956 Otsuka saw an advertisement in Yomiuri Shinbun where Toei were asking for applications for animators. After passing the test Otsuka worked with Yasuji Mori and Akira Daikubara on the Tale of the White Serpent and learnt their approaches. Wanting to learn more animation theory, he began to seek out textbooks and was shown a textbook on US animation written by Preston Blair. After working on Magic Boy in 1959 his animation of a skeleton was unintentionally considered comical due to its realism. This led to comical bad guy characters becoming Otsuka's speciality. He came to believe that genuine realism doesn't suit animation and "constructed realism" is more suitable. Hayao Miyazaki compared Otsuka to Kenichi Enomoto in the use of this approach. After completion of his next film The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots Otsuka left Toei to join A Production.
Otsuka has written several books about the anime industry. His is considered "a prime resource for the history of 1960s and 1970s anime".
In July 2002 an exhibition of his work and personal pieces was held in Ginza.
As of 2003, Otsuka is an advisor to Telecom Animation Film.

Works

1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
  • '
1963
1964
  • Samurai Kid
1965
1968
1969
  • The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots
  • Lupin III#Pilot Film
  • Flying Phantom Ship
  • Moomin
1971
  • Animal Treasure Island
  • Genius Bakabon
  • Lupin III
1972
  • Frog with Guts
  • Panda! Go, Panda!
1973
  • Panda! Go, Panda!
  • Samurai Giants
1975
  • Adventures of Gamba
1976
  • 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother
1977
1978
  • Future Boy Conan
  • Mystery of Mamo
1979
  • Castle of Cagliostro
1980
  • Lupin III
1981
  • Chie the Brat
  • Kao Expert Theatre
1984
  • Sherlock Hound
1987
  • '
1990
1995
2006
2007