Norio Shioyama

Perhaps most well known for his work as a character designer on the anime television series [Armored Trooper Votoms](https://anilist.co/anime/2582/). He was also one of the founding members of [Oh! Production](https://anilist.co/studio/234/), together with [Kouichi Murata](https://anilist.co/staff/191548/), [Kazuo Komatsubara](https://anilist.co/staff/129558/), and Koushin Yonekawa. In 1966, Shioyama joined Hatena Pro under the direction of [Bonjin Nagaki](https://anilist.co/staff/117141/). Shioyama later became a freelancer, doing work for [Tatsunoko Pro](https://anilist.co/studio/103/) and working on many projects for [Sunrise](https://anilist.co/studio/14/) as an animation director. Shioyama's first project as a character designer was for [Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3](https://anilist.co/anime/3305/), which anime director [Ryousuke Takahashi](https://anilist.co/staff/100957/) praised. He then worked on such shows as [Fang of the Sun Dougram](https://anilist.co/anime/2257/), [Panzer World Galient](https://anilist.co/anime/5153/), and [Ronin Warriors](https://anilist.co/anime/1264/) as both character designer and animation director. His and Takahashi's designs epitomized Sunrise's work in the '80s. On April 13, 2017, a fire occurred at Shioyama's apartment in Misato, sadly killing both him and his wife.