Tensai Okamura, born Yutaka Okamura on December 13, 1961, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, is an anime director and animator. Raised in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, he is a graduate of the Department of Science and Engineering at Waseda University. In 1991, he began using the professional name Tensai Okamura. His career in the animation industry began in 1984 when he joined the studio Madhouse as an animator, with his first credited work being on the film Lensman: Secret of The Lens.

Okamura's early career involved working as a key animator and storyboard artist on numerous high-profile projects throughout the 1980s and 1990s. This included key animation for films such as Ninja Scroll and Ghost in the Shell, as well as work on the television series Neon Genesis Evangelion, for which he provided episode direction, storyboards, and key animation. His directorial debut came in 1995 when he directed the Stink Bomb segment of the omnibus film Memories. He also made significant contributions to Cowboy Bebop, creating storyboards for nearly one-third of its episodes and later working on its film adaptation, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door.

As a creator, Okamura is known for developing original anime series, a path he pursued after leaving Madhouse to work as a freelancer. One of his most significant original works is Darker than Black. For the first season, Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha (2007), he served as director, original concept creator, and series composition writer. He also directed the sequel, Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor (2009), and the interquel OVA series Darker than Black: Kuro no Keiyakusha: Gaiden (2010). Beyond anime, he is also credited as the writer for the Darker than Black manga adaptation. Another notable original series he directed is Wolf's Rain (2003), which helped him gain international recognition. Other original directorial works include Project Blue Earth SOS (2006), World Conquest Zvezda Plot (2014), and Kuromukuro (2016).

Okamura has discussed his artistic identity and approach to creation in interviews. He has stated a preference for infusing action scenes with a sense of vulnerability and a touch of silliness to prevent them from becoming too serious or stressful for the viewer. He has also spoken about the challenges of producing original material, noting that unlike adaptations where the correct path is known, original works require the team to find a consensus direction without a predetermined answer. Regarding the notable tonal shift between the first and second seasons of Darker than Black, he explained the deliberate decision to change the narrative focus, in part to make the sequel accessible to new viewers who would then be interested in watching the first season. The idea for Darker than Black originated while he was working on Wolf's Rain, intending to create protagonists who were more flawed and violent in contrast to the more heroic characters of his earlier series.

Throughout his career, Okamura has also directed adaptations of existing works, including Blue Exorcist (2011) and The Seven Deadly Sins (2014), while continuing to contribute storyboards for many other productions. His long-standing relationship with Studio Bones began in the early 2000s, where he has realized several of his original projects.