Naoko Yamada is a renowned Japanese animator, television and film director, best known for her work at Kyoto Animation, where she directed the highly acclaimed anime series K-On! and Tamako Market, as well as the films A Silent Voice and Liz and the Blue Bird.
After initially intending to work in film, Yamada joined Kyoto Animation after being inspired by an advertisement, and began her career by drawing in-between frames for Inuyasha. She was soon promoted to key animator for Air, and later worked as an episode director for Clannad.
Yamada's big break came when she was asked to direct the adaptation of the slice-of-life manga K-On!, which was a massive success, leading to a second season and a film. She continued her success with the direction of Tamako Market and its subsequent film, Tamako Love Story, which earned her the New Face Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2014.
In addition to her work on Tamako Love Story, Yamada also storyboarded the entire film herself and wrote the lyrics for the opening theme song, Everybody Loves Somebody. Her next project was the feature film A Silent Voice, an adaptation of the manga of the same name, which tackled themes of bullying and physical impairment in Japan. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing ¥2.3 billion and earning multiple award nominations.
For Yamada, the key to her success as a director is her ability to observe people and understand the minds of her characters. She describes herself as a "method" director, emphasizing the importance of getting into the mindset of her characters.
Tragically, on July 18, 2019, a devastating fire broke out at the main studio of Kyoto Animation, killing 36 of Yamada's colleagues and wounding 33 others. Yamada herself was not injured in the fire. In 2020, she left Kyoto Animation to join Science SARU, where she directed the 2021 film The Heike Story.
