Naoko Yamada

Naoko Yamada (山田 尚子 Yamada Naoko, born November 28, 1984) is a Japanese animator, television and film director. Working at Kyoto Animation, she directed the K-On!, Tamako Market anime series and the anime films A Silent Voice, Tamako Love Story and Liz and the Blue Bird.

Naoko Yamada joined Kyoto Animation in 2004 and was first tasked with drawing in-betweens for Inuyasha. She later made her debut as KA (key animator) on Air episode 9 and working as key animator on some episodes of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, followed by directing an episode on Clannad (episode 17 marked her directorial debut) and within a short time rose in the ranks to debut as director on K-ON! in 2009.

Naoko Yamada's most noticable signature direction quirk is using legs to show the spectrum of human emotion. Her contributions to series led by her peers are often considered some of the best moments in their respective series, like Hyouka #14, Free! Eternal Summer #12, or Violet Evergarden #5.

In 2020, Yamada left KyoAni to join Science SARU, where she directed 2021's Heike Monogatari.