Rest in Peace, Yasuo Ōtsuka
Yasuo Ōtsuka has passed away at the age of 89 years old.
If you are a fan of the Lupin III series, it is likely you will recognise Yasuo Ōtsuka’s name and work.
The legendary animator, character designer and mentor was an enormous part of the original Lupin III TV series’ development. In 1969, Ōtsuka left his previous job at Toei Animation after the completion of The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots to work on the Lupin III Pilot Film, mostly due to the temptation of animating guns and cars.
Alongside his art and animation work, Ōtsuka also took on more managerial tasks, hand-picking both Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata to aid in Part I’s development - an invaluable decision, in hindsight. He went on to work on The Mystery of Mamo, The Castle of Cagliostro, The Fuma Conspiracy and more.
During February 2020, Ōtsuka visited the Wonder Festival in Japan (pictured below). While there, he signed a Fiat 500, which was on display to celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 film The Castle of Cagliostro. It was great to see him again, delighting fans with his appearance at the show!
I’ll be honest with you all - this is an incredibly difficult thing to have to write. Ōtsuka’s work will undoubtedly live on well into the future - I hope we can all continue to celebrate it, and remember the the man he was.
There is an amazing article over on Washi's Blog, that details Ōtsuka's history and animation philosophies. It even includes some video snippets of his work in film. If you wish to read more about him, please take a look.
Rest in peace!
You can read the full news story (in Japanese) over at the Studio Ghibli news blog.
