Reiko Okuyama

奥山玲子

Wiki (jp) Reiko Okuyama was notable for being one of the first female animators in the anime industry. She spent much of her early life confined to bed due to a series of illnesses, and developed her interest in drawing during this time. After the end of World War II, she entered mission school. After graduation, she entered Tohoku University as per her father's wishes, but she eventually dropped out and left her home town to work in Tokyo. In 1957, Okuyama applied for a position at Toei Animation, mistakenly believing that they were publishers of children's books. Her drawing skills were…