Kazuko Nakamura
中村和子
Born
Kazuko Kato[1]

April 1, 1933
Kwantung Leased Territory
DiedAugust 3, 2019 (aged 86)
NationalityChinese
Other namesKazuko Anami
Mr. Wako
CitizenshipJapan
EducationJoshibi University of Art and Design
OccupationAnimator

Kazuko Nakamura (中村和子, Nakamura Kazuko, April 1, 1933 - August 3, 2019)[2] was a Chinese-born Japanese animator and was born in the Kwantung Leased Territory. Nakamura was would remain one of Osamu Tezuka go-to animators.[3]

Early life and education

Kazuko Nakamura was born in Manchuria, She began interested with arts from an early age and since there were no art schools in Manchuria, she intended to go to an art school in the mainland in the future. At the age of 12, she returned to Yamaguchi Prefecture to go to Yamaguchi Prefectural Ube High School and graduate there. After graduated from Yamaguchi Prefectural Ube High School, she entered Joshibi University of Art and Design. During there, she saw a French animated film The King and the Mockingbird and became interested in animators.[4]

Career and death

Nakamura was a pioneer of animation in a time where female animators were not treated the same as their male counterparts and not given the same opportunities and after graduating from Joshibi University of Art and Design, she started working at Toei Douga in 1956.[5] She soon transferred to Mushi Production in 1960 where she became the first female animation supervisor for an entire TV series, working on the first shoujo anime Ribon No Kishi (Princess Knight).[6] She was well known for making the female characters she worked on authentic in their femininity, devoid of the oversexualization often created by male animators.[6]

On August 3, 2019, she died at the age of 86.[2] In the 2020 Tokyo Anime Award Festival, Kazuko Nakamura was honored for Hakujaden.[7] Nakamura's family and friends held a private funeral about her.[8]

Works

Year Title Company
1963-1966 Astro Boy Mushi Production
1965-1966 Wonder Three Mushi Production
1967-1968 Princess Knight Mushi Production
1971 Andersen Monogatari Mushi Production
1971-1972 Marvelous Melmo Tezuka Productions
1976-1994 Manga Japan's Old Story Group Track
1978 Thumbelina Toei Company
1983-1984 Fushigi no Kuni no Alice Nippon Animation

References

  1. ↑ "[Mourning] Tezuka Heroine Taoyakani... Kazuko Nakamura (real name Kazuko Kato) Animator died of old age on August 3, 86 years old". Yomiuri Shimbun Online. December 15, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "女性アニメーターの草分け、中村和子さん死去…８６歳、朝ドラ「なつぞら」の「マコさん」モデル" [Kazuko Nakamura, pioneering female animator, dies at 86]. Natsuzora. September 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  3. ↑ Carey, Kirsten (2022-06-28). "What Was the First Anime?". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  4. ↑ "「なつぞら」貫地谷しほり＆伊原六花が演じる東洋動画の「モデル」人物がスゴイ！" ["Natsuzora" Shihori Kanjiya & Rikka Ihara's "model" characters from Toyo Douga are amazing!]. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019.
  5. ↑ Harding, Daryl (2019-09-27). "Pioneer Anime Animator, Kazuko Nakamura, Passes Away at the Age of 86". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  6. 1 2 Tupper, Carrie (2014-06-04). "History of Women in Animation Mothers of a Medium Disney". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  7. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (2019-12-18). "2020 Tokyo Anime Award Festival Reveals 9 Meritorious Service Award Honorees". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  8. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (2019-09-27). "Pioneering Animator Kazuko Nakamura Passes Away at 86". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
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