# Yasuo Ōtsuka

Yasuo Ōtsuka (大塚康生, Ōtsuka Yasuo, July 11, 1931 – March 15, 2021) was a Japanese animator who worked with Toei Animation, Nippon Animation, TMS Entertainment, and Studio Ghibli. He was considered to be one of Japan's foremost animators, and he was an important mentor to both Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.

## 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 joined Yamaguchi's Bureau of Statistics but later 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

In 1956, Otsuka saw an advertisement in the Yomiuri Shimbun where Toei was soliciting job 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 specialty. 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 Sakuga Asemamire (作画汗まみれ) 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.
From 2003 until his death, Otsuka was an advisor to Telecom Animation Film.

## Works

| Year | Work |
| 1957 | Kitten's Scribbling (こねこのらくがき, Koneko no Rakugaki) |
| 1957 | New Adventures of Hanuman (ハヌマンの新しい冒険, Hanuman no Atarashii Bouken) |
| 1957 | Kappa no Pataro (かっぱのぱあ太郎) |
| 1958 | Yumemi Dōji (夢見童子) |
| 1958 | The Tale of the White Serpent (白蛇伝, Hakujaden) |
| 1959 | Tanuki-san no Ootari (たぬきさん大当り) |
| 1959 | Kuma to Kodomo-tachi (熊と子供たち) |
| 1959 | Magic Boy (少年猿飛佐助, Shounen Sarutobi Sasuke) |
| 1960 | Alakazam the Great (西遊記, Saiyuki) |
| 1961 | The Littlest Warrior (安寿と厨子王丸, Anju to Zushio-maru) |
| 1962 | Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures (アラビアンナイト　シンドバッドの冒険, Arabian Naito: Shindobaddo no Bôken) |
| 1963 | The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (わんぱく王子の大蛇退治, Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji) |
| 1963 | Wolf Boy Ken (狼少年ケン, Ookami Shounen Ken) |
| 1964 | Samurai Kid (少年忍者風のフジ丸, Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru) |
| 1965 | Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon (ガリバーの宇宙旅行, Garibā no Uchū Ryokō) |
| 1965 | The Amazing 3 (W3 ワンダースリー, Wandā Surī) - Opening title |
| 1965 | Hustle Punch (ハッスルパンチ, Hassurupanchi) |
| 1968 | Star of the Giants (巨人の星, Kyojin no Hoshi) |
| 1968 | The Little Norse Prince (太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険, Taiyou no Ouji: Horus no Daibouken) |
| 1969 | The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots (長靴をはいた猫, Nagagutsu o Haita Neko) |
| 1969 | Lupin III: Pilot Film (パイロットフィルム ルパン三世, Pairotto Firumu Rupan Sansei) |
| 1969 | Flying Phantom Ship (空飛ぶゆうれい船, Sora Tobu Yuurei Sen) |
| 1969 | Moomin (ムーミン, Mūmin) |
| 1971 | Animal Treasure Island (どうぶつ宝島, Doubutsu Takarajima) |
| 1971 | Tensai Bakabon (天才バカボン, Tensai Bakabon) |
| 1971 | Lupin III Part I (ルパン三世, Rupan Sansei) |
| 1972 | The Gutsy Frog (ど根性ガエル, Dokonjou Gaeru) |
| 1972 | Panda! Go, Panda! (パンダ・コパンダ, Panda go Panda) |
| 1973 | Panda! Go, Panda!: The Rainy-Day Circus (パンダ・コパンダ　雨降りサーカスの巻, Pando go Panda Amefuri Sākasu no Maki) |
| 1973 | Samurai Giants (侍ジャイアンツ, Samurai Jaiantsu) |
| 1975 | Adventures of Gamba (ガンバの冒險, Ganba no Bouken) |
| 1976 | 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (母をたずねて三千里, Haha wo Tazunete Sanzenri) |
| 1977 | Tenguri, Boy of the Plains (草原の子テングリ, Sougen no Ko Tenguri) |
| 1977 | My Name Is Teppei (おれは鉄兵, Ore wa Teppei) |
| 1978 | Future Boy Conan (未来少年コナン, Mirai Shounen Conan) |
| 1978 | Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo (ルパンvs複製人間, Rupan vs Fukusei-ningen) |
| 1979 | Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (ルパン三世　カリオストロの城, Rupan Sansei Kariosuturo no Shiro) |
| 1980 | Lupin III Part II (ルパン三世, Rupan Sansei) |
| 1981 | Chie the Brat (じゃリン子チエ, Jarinko Chie) |
| 1981 | Kao Expert Theatre (花王名人劇場, Kaō Meijin Gekijō) |
| 1984 | Sherlock Hound (名探偵ホームズ, Meitantei Hōmuzu) |
| 1987 | Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy (ルパン三世 風魔一族の陰謀, Rupan Sansei: Fūma Ichizoku no Inbō) |
| 1989 | Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (リトル・ニモ, Ritoru Nimo) |
| 1991 | Ozanari Dungeon: The Tower of Wind (おざなりダンジョン 風の塔, Ozanari Danjon: Kaze no Tō) |
| 1995 | Lupin III Esso Commercial (エッソ石油 ルパン三世篇｜Esso Sekiyu Rupan Sansei Hen) |
| 2006 | The Unbeatable Delivery Girl (無敵看板娘, Muteki Kanban Musume) |
| 2007 | Lupin III: Elusiveness of the Fog (ルパン三世 霧のエリューシヴ, Kiri no Eryūshivu) |