Yasuo Otsuka, Japanese animation giant, dies at 89

Yasuo Otsuka, a pioneering figure in Japanese animation and mentor to Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, has died. The news was announced by Toshio Suzuki, longtime producer of Miyazaki, during the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2021. Otsuka was born on July 11, 1931, in Shimane Prefecture. He joined Toei Doga in 1956 after impressing animator Yasuji Mori with his detailed drawings of vehicles and locomotives. At Toei, Otsuka trained newcomers and recognized the talents of Takahata and Miyazaki. He collaborated with them on Lupin III (green jacket series) and contributed to Miyazaki's Conan the Boy of the Future (1978) and Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979). Otsuka also created iconic covers for Animage magazine, including one featuring Fujiko Mine. His legacy includes books like "Saguga ase mamire" (2001) and "Otsuka Yasuo gashū 'Rupan Sansei' to kuruma to kikansha to" (2020), and documentaries "Yasuo Otsuka's Joy of Motion" (2004) and "Hyōhyō – Haikei, Otsuka Yasuo-sama" (2015). Otsuka's work is remembered for its technical precision and influence on generations of animators.