{"id":202655,"date":"2021-03-15T18:31:23","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T15:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/yasuo-otsuka-legendary-animator-and-mentor-passes-away-at-89\/"},"modified":"2021-03-15T18:31:23","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T15:31:23","slug":"yasuo-otsuka-legendary-animator-and-mentor-passes-away-at-89","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/yasuo-otsuka-legendary-animator-and-mentor-passes-away-at-89\/","title":{"rendered":"#Yasuo Otsuka, Legendary Animator and Mentor, Passes Away at 89"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Yasuo Otsuka, Legendary Animator and Mentor, Passes Away at 89<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\"Future
Future Boy Conan <\/em>(<\/span>Image via Netflix<\/span><\/a><\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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While accepting his anime<\/a> achievement award at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2021 tonight, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki<\/strong> announced<\/span><\/a> that one of the pioneers of anime\u00a0and a mentor to some of the greatest anime creators ever,\u00a0Yasuo Otsuka passed away this morning at the age of 89<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Suzuki<\/strong> thanked his mentor in his speech, saying, “The person who has helped me get here the most is Yasuo Otsuka-san, who passed away this morning, which, for me, made today\u00a0deeply meaningful. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to him. May\u00a0he rests in peace.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Hayao<\/p>\n

Hayao Miyazaki (left), the late Daikichirou Kusube (former president of Shin-Ei Animation – middle), and Yasuo Otsuka (right) <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(<\/span>Image via Toyo Keizai<\/span><\/a><\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Yasuo Otsuka <\/strong>not only mentored Suzuki<\/strong> but was Hayao Miyazaki’<\/strong>s direct supervisor when Miyazaki<\/strong> first started in anime at\u00a0Toei Animation in the 1960s. Otsuka<\/strong> helped guide Miyazaki<\/strong>, and\u00a0Isao Takahata<\/strong>, through the early stages of their careers, eventually becoming a mentor to all budding animators at Studio Ghibli as well as the\u00a0Toei Animation Research Institute before he retired from it in 2007. He also taught at the\u00a0Yoyogi Animation Academy in the 1990s, where many graduates have gone on to make names for themselves in the industry.\u00a0

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Otsuka, who was born on July 11, 1931 in Shimane Prefecture,\u00a0started drawing\u00a0at a young age,\u00a0got his start in the anime industry after seeing a news<\/a>paper advertisement for animators at\u00a0Japan Animated Films in 1956 just before the studio was bought out and turned into the first interaction\u00a0Toei Animation. This is where he helped train up Miyazaki<\/strong>, Takahata<\/strong>, and others, while also being the general<\/a> secretary\u00a0of the Toei Animation labor union, before passing the baton over to Miyazaki<\/strong>.\u00a0Otsuka<\/strong> then moved to\u00a0A Production (now known as\u00a0Shin-Ei Animation) in 1968, and then Telecom Animation Film in 1979. After Telecom,\u00a0Otsuka<\/strong> decided to retire from animating full time and published books about his first love, military vehicles, with illustrations drawn completely by Otsuka.<\/p>\n

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\"Tale<\/p>\n

Tale of the White Serpent (<\/span>Image via Toei Animation<\/span><\/a>)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Yasuo Otsuka<\/strong>‘s credits include the landmark\u00a0Tale of the White Serpent<\/strong><\/em> as his first work,\u00a0Magic Boy<\/strong><\/em> in 1959, and then\u00a0The Wonderful World of Puss ‘n Boots<\/strong><\/em>, where Toei Animation gets its mascot character. Otsuka<\/strong> also worked on the first Lupin<\/strong><\/em> series<\/a>\u00a0Lupin the Third Part I <\/strong><\/em>(among many others),\u00a0The Castle of Cagliostro<\/strong><\/em> anime film, Takahata’s<\/strong>\u00a0Panda! Go, Panda!<\/strong><\/em>, Miyazaki’s<\/strong>\u00a0Future Boy Conan<\/strong><\/em>, as well as countless other anime series and films, well into the 2000s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Anime creators across the industry cite Otsuka<\/strong> as not only an influence but a mentor. These include; Whisper of the Heart<\/strong><\/em> director\u00a0Yoshifumi Kondo<\/strong>, Evangelion<\/strong><\/em> character designer\u00a0Yoshiyuki Sadamoto<\/strong>, Touch<\/strong><\/em> director\u00a0Gisaburo\u00a0Sugii<\/strong>, and so many more well-known and loved creators that wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Otsuka’s<\/strong> guiding force.<\/p>\n

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\"LUPIN<\/p>\n

LUPIN THE 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro (<\/span>Image via TMS anime<\/span><\/a><\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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There are only a few people who have touched the anime industry in such a big way as Yasuo Otsuka<\/strong>, and a majority of them were either mentored by Otsuka<\/strong>, or mentored by someone who was mentored by Otsuka<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Rest in peace Otsuka<\/strong>, thank you for everything you’ve shared with us.<\/p>\n

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Source: Movie Walker Press<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube<\/a> channel about Japan stuff called\u00a0TheDoctorDazza<\/a>, tweets at\u00a0@DoctorDazza<\/a>,\u00a0and posts photos of his travel<\/a>s on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/em>\n<\/div>\n