ryo-timo is an illustrator and animator. His real name is Ryousuke Sawa (澤良輔).

He was born May 6, 1979 in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. ryo-timo started out as amateur GIF animator before turning professional. He initially failed an examination test for Gainax but was later scouted by Osamu Kobayashi for his television anime adaptation of the Beck manga. It was there he met noted animators Satoru Utsunomiya and Norio Matsumoto, the latter he continued mostly working with afterwards. His breakthrough as animator was Satelight's sci-fi series Noein: Mou Hitori no Kimi e, where he together with Matsumoto did some remarkable work, in particular the 12th episode was highly regarded by animation fans and other animators for the given display by the two.

ryo-timo's dedication for animation could be also seen in the Mainichi and TAF award winner film Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, where he did a minute long shot of the main character, Makoto, running, for which he actually went to the real world street that Makoto is running down in Tokyo, then filmed himself running it. He then studied this footage and incorporated his own feelings into the animation.