Reiko Okuyama
| Reiko Okuyama | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 奥山 玲子(Japanese) |
| Born | Est. 1930 Japan |
| Died | May 6, 2007 (aged 76–77) |
| Other names | Reiko Kotabe Reiko Kitagawa |
| Occupation | Animator |
| Spouse(s) | Yoichi Kotabe (m. 1963) |
Reiko Okuyama (奥山 玲子 Okuyama Reiko?, died May 6, 2007), née, was a Japanese animator, notable for being one of the first female Japanese animators. She has also been credited as Reiko Kotabe (小田部 玲子 Kotabe Reiko?, on Hustle Punch episode 19) and Reiko Kitagawa (北川 玲子 Kitagawa Reiko?, on Belladonna).
Okuyama spent much of her early life confined to bed due to a series of illnesses. She developed her interest in drawing during this time. After the end of World War II she left her home town to attend university in Tokyo.
In 1957 Okuyama applied for a position with Toei Doga, mistakenly believing that they were publishers of children's books. Her drawing skills were enough for her to be hired as an in-betweener. Her first work was on the landmark feature-length anime Hakuja den (released in the US as The Tale of the White Serpent, 1958). She was promoted to second key animator on 1959's Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke (released as Magic Boy in the US), in spite of some sexual discrimination on the part of the studio heads.
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