Youichi Kotabe

While studying at Tokyo University of the Arts Kotabe was impressed by the film The Tale of the White Serpenthttps://anilist.co/anime/4513/ and the animator Yasuji Morihttps://anilist.co/staff/103602/ and immediately applied to work at Toei Animationhttps://anilist.co/studio/18/. His first project there was Magic Boyhttps://anilist.co/anime/4948/ the first ever anime to be released theatrically in North America. At the studio he also met Hayao Miyazakihttps://anilist.co/staff/96870/ and Isao Takahatahttps://anilist.co/staff/100579/ with whom he later left in order to work at A Pro and they began work on an adaptation of Pippi Longstocking. That project was eventually canceled and work began on the twofilm series Panda Go Pandahttps://anilist.co/anime/2611/. Kotabe then worked as character designer on two highly influential series directed by Takahata: Heidi Girl of the Alpshttps://anilist.co/anime/2225/ and 3000 Leagues in Search of Motherhttps://anilist.co/anime/1663/. Miyazaki also took part working on scene design and layouts. In 1985 he was scouted by Nintendo and assumed the position of the game development advisor. He worked at Nintendo for over two decades until leaving in 2007. Source: Wikipedia