is a Japanese animator and character designer, best known for his work on classic anime of the 1960s and 1970s, the Super Mario video game series, and the Pokémon franchise in television and film. He was an employee at Nintendo for two decades doing illustrations, character designs, and supervision from 1985 to 2007. After that, he began to work as a freelancer for the anime and video game industry, including for Nintendo again.

Biography Kotabe became interested in animation after watching the short film Momotarō no Umiwashi as a child. He was fascinated with how the fighter moved in the film. His father, who was an oil painter, also influenced his decision to work as an artist. Kotabe found oil painting to be difficult, so he instead worked in watercolor painting.

In order to continue working with watercolors, he adopted the nihonga, or Japanese-style, of painting, and began studying at the Tokyo University of the Arts in the Japanese-style painting department. While attending, he was impressed by the film The Tale of the White Serpent and the animator Yasuji Mori, and immediately applied to work at Toei Animation.

His first project there was The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun where he met Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. He left Toei amid a labor dispute along with Miyazaki and Takahata in order to work at A Pro, where they began work on an adaptation of Pippi Longstocking. The project was eventually canceled, and work began on the two-film series Panda! Go, Panda!.

Kotabe then worked as character designer on two anime television series from Nippon Animation: Heidi, Girl of the Alps, and 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, with Miyazaki working on scene design and layout and Takahata working as series director and storyboard artist.

In 1985, he was scouted by Nintendo and assumed the position of game development advisor, where he created package illustrations for Super Mario Bros., which was his introduction to video games. He continued working as a character designer and illustrator on the Super Mario series, contributing to the design of Yoshi by drawing inspiration from a chameleon sticking out its tongue, which was adapted into Yoshi's character. He would also work on games in The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon franchises. His work on the Kuru Kuru Kururin series was his last role as a character designer at Nintendo. He left the company in 2007, although he had originally only intended to stay at the company for one or two years at most.

Works Film and television Year Title Crew role Notes Source Magic Boy Animator Alakazam the Great Animator Animator –65 Animation director (mid-term) Doggie March Key animation –65 Shōnen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru Animation director, key animation Also film –66 Animation director, key animation –67 Animation director –68 Sally the Witch Animation director The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun Key animation Puss 'n Boots Key animation Flying Phantom Ship Animation director Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Key animation –73 Akado Suzunosuke Animation supervisor assistant Panda! Go, Panda! Animation director Panda! Go, Panda!: The Rainy-Day Circus Animation director Heidi, Girl of the Alps Character design, animation director Also related films 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother Character design, animation director, animation Rascal the Raccoon Animation Tatsu no ko Taro Character design, animation director –83 Jarinko Chie Animation director , Character design film and TV series Serendipity the Pink Dragon Anime character design –85 Key animation Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Key animation –85 Adventures of the Little Koala Animation director –86 Bumpety Boo Animation director Sango-sho Densetsu: Aoi Umi no Erufii Character design TV special film Pokémon: The First Movie Animation supervisor Also Pikachu's Vacation short Marco: 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother Original character Pokémon 3: The Movie Animation supervisor 2001Kirby: Right Back at Ya!Animation supervisor –13 Pocket Monsters: Best Wishes! Season 2 Animation supervisor –16 Pokémon XY Animation supervisor Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction Animation supervisor Also Pikachu short Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages Animation supervisor 2016Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical MarvelAnimation supervisor

Video games Year Title Role Source 1986 Super Mario Bros. 2 Illustrator 1988 Super Mario Bros. 3 Illustrator 1990 Super Mario World Illustrator 1991 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Designer 1992 Super Mario Kart Illustrator 1993 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Designer 1996 Super Mario 64 Character design 1996 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars Character advisor 1998 Pocket Monsters Stadium Character supervisor 1998 Mario Party Character supervisor 1999 Super Smash Bros. Character supervisor 1999 Pokémon Snap Character supervisor 1999 Pokémon Stadium Character supervisor 1999 Mario Golf Character supervisor 2000 Mario Tennis Character supervisor 2000 Pokémon Stadium 2 Character supervisor 2001 Kuru Kuru Kururin Character design 2002 Kururin Paradise Character design 2004 Kururin Squash! Character design

Awards and nominations Animator/Animation Director award, Tokyo Anime Fair 6th Annual Awards of Merit, 2009. Special Achievement award, 19th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards, 2015.

References

External links

Yoichi Kotabe anime at Media Arts Database