People like Mari Okada

Mari Okada (岡田 麿里, Okada Mari) is a Japanese anime screenwriter and, more recently, live-action screenwriter and anime director. She is one of the most prolific writers currently working in the anime industry. She won the 16th Animation Kobe Award for her work.

Born in Chichibu in 1976, Okada had a difficult early childhood. She was often bullied at primary school and began skipping days to avoid her tormentors and as a way to deal with increasingly crippling social anxiety. During middle school, she stopped attending and would spend most of her time confined in her bedroom, reading books and playing video games. In spite of this, her proficiency at writing helped to get her into high school, although her social anxiety remained a problem. Nobody had high hopes for her, and as she was nearing graduation, she was constantly told that she “wouldn't survive in the real world.” This made her determined to leave Chichibu as soon as she could. When she eventually graduated, she moved to Tokyo and enrolled at the Amusement Media School to study games scenario writing.