Tensai Okamura

岡村天斎

During his university days at Waseda University, Okamura was a part of Waseda's manga research society and together with other budding animators, produced his first independent anime there. Upon graduating from university, Okamura joined the animation production studio Madhouse as an animator through the recommendation of a friend. Lensman was the first series he worked on as an animator. The first anime movies that he worked on were Kamui no Ken and Bobby ni Kubittake.

In 1989, he made his debut as an episode director with Yawara! and soon made his full directorial debut in 1995 with Memories. He later left Madhouse and went freelance, working on several projects along the way.

In 1991, he changed his first name from Yutaka to Tensai.