Naoko Yamada — At The Entrance To The Universe

Between K-On, Tamako Love Story, and most recently, Koe no Katachi, Naoko Yamada has amassed a portfolio some could make a career out of. Her remarkably quick journey from in-betweener to studio leader is almost unheard of in the industry. Yamada’s unique style reminiscent of techniques you’d find in live action more so than anime gives her work a lifelike quality, which aims to display the emotion, thrill, and magic of the everyday. Today, I profile the career of my favorite active anime directer, Naoko Yamada, to see how her style has evolved over time. Huge thank you to Megax for providing the interview translations without which this video would not have been possible! For full transcriptions and all sorts of great industry/KyoAni interviews and info, you can follow Megax on twitter (@ultimatemegax) or check out his blog here: If you’re feeling generous and like what I do, feel free to check out my Patreon page: