Anime fans are mourning by the loss of Yasuo Otsuka, the man who helped shape the contemporary anime industry. During the 2021 Tokyo Anime Award Festival on Monday, March 15, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki announced that Yasuo Otsuka had passed on.
He was 89.
He was born in Shimane prefecture on July 11, 1931. Otsuka discovered his passion for drawing at an early age, and he joined Toei Doga 'now known as Toei Animation' in 1956 where he started a newspaper ad for animators at Japan Animated Films.
He also served as animator director of "Horus - Prince of the Sun" by Studio Ghibli's co-founder Isao Takahata. He was known for his work "Lupin III," serving as animation diretorand character designer for his first television anime series that set the framework for the long-running franchise.
After having closed with Hayao Miyazaki, Otsuka collaborate several projects with the film director on "Future Boy Conan," "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro," and many other animes.
He also helped foster future generations of animators as an instructor at Tokyo's Yoyogi Animation Academy where he received a lifetime achievement at the 42nd annual Japan Academy Prizes in 2019.
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