Portal:Studio Ghibli/Selected biography/16

Yasuo Ōtsuka (大塚康生, Ōtsuka Yasuo, born July 11, 1931) is a Japanese animator who worked with Toei Animation and Studio Ghibli. 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 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 (film) 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.

In July 2002 an exhibition of his work and personal pieces was held in Ginza.