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News
In Memoriam

posted on 2024-01-01 04:50 GMT by Crystalyn Hodgkins

To those who left us in 2023

Shuji Abe
Producer
Robot founder, producer for Godzilla Minus One, Stand By Me Doraemon

Frank Agrama
Harmony Gold founder

Yasunori Arai
Drummer for rock band BAAD
Slam Dunk

Naoto Asahara
Novelist
Kanojo ga Suki na Mono wa Homo de Atte Boku de wa Nai

birthday3 — Image via The Birthday band's Twitter account

Yusuke Chiba
The Birthday band's singer, guitarist, and songwriter
The First Slam Dunk, Zombie-Loan theme songs

fclruijvqaapv4c — Image via Keijiro Cho's Twitter

Keijiro Cho
Manga creator
13 Dogs, Kiseki no Hito

Jiro Dan
Actor
Return of Ultraman

Masanori Hata
Zoologist and essayist
Koneko Monogatari/The Adventures of Milo and Otis writer and director, Donbē Monogatari author

Miyuki Ichijou
Voice actress
Detective Conan, The House of the Lost on the Cape

Shōzō Iizuka
Voice actor
Zendarman, Mobile Suit Gundam, Dr. Slump

Manabu Ishikawa
Producer and scriptwriter
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, Psycho-Pass 2, Fullmetal Alchemist

room — Image via Asahi Shōakusei Shimbun

Shōji Izumi
Manga creator
Jan-Ken-Pon

James (Jim) Kaposztas
Longtime Otakon staffer
Recognized in the U.S. anime fandom as the first known person to create an anime music video (AMV)

Hajime Kikuchi
eufonius composer
True Tears, Clannad, Futakoi soundtracks

A6704-7.1546415159 — ©SUNRISE/PROJECT GEASS • MBS Character Design ©2006 CLAMP

Takahiro Kimura
Character designer and animator
Code Geass, GaoGaiGar: King of the Braves

Haruko Kitahama
Voice actress
Mazinger Z, Osomatsu-kun

Ippei Kuri (birth name Toyoharu Yoshida)
Former CEO and co-founder of Tatsunoko Production

Junnosuke Kuroda
Rock band sumika guitarist

Maon Kurosaki
Singer
A Certain Magical Index II, Hakuōki, Dances with the Dragons theme songs

Yasumichi Kushida
Voice actor
planetarian, Demon Prince Enma, The aquatope on white sand

A14334-989842639.1337789480 — © GIRLS und PANZER Projekt

Shunpei Maruyama
Producer
Former president of Actas, producer for Girls & Panzer, Princess Principal

Leiji Matsumoto
Manga creator, illustrator, designer
Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, Queen Emeraldas

David McCallum
Actor
The Man from U.N.C.L.E., NCIS, Batman: Gotham Knight

Yousuke Naka
Voice actor
Doraemon, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These

Hisaya Nakajo
Manga creator
Hana-Kimi

Tohru Okada
Musician
Japanese rock band Moonriders member, also known for creating the iconic sound effect of the PlayStation logo.

A24372-2451912812.1620968547 — © 2021 IRH Press

Ryuho Okawa
Happy Science founder
The Laws of the Sun, The Golden Laws, The Laws of Eternity

Gosaku Ota
Manga creator
Mazinger Z, UFO Robo Grandizer, Mach SOS

Lance Reddick
Actor and voice actor
The Wire, John Wick, Castlevania, live-action Resident Evil

Image via Pee-wee Herman's Twitter account

Paul Reubens
Actor
Pee-wee's Playhouse, Voltron: Legendary Defender

William Ruzicka
Storyboard artist / animation director
High Guardian Spice, Onyx Equinox

1500x500-5 — Image via Ryuichi Sakamoto's Twitter account

Ryuichi Sakamoto
Musician and composer
YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra) founder, composer for The Wings of Honneamise, Appleseed

Toshio Sakata
Comedian and voice actor
Member of comedian duo "Comedy No1," voice actor in Mind Game

kumokaze — Image via Studio Pierrot's Twitter account

Kenichi Sakemi
Novelist
Like the Clouds, Like the Wind

Atsushi Sakurai
BUCK-TICK vocalist
Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective, Trinity Blood, xxxHOLiC

28068 — © Nami Sano, Enterbrain, Seven Seas Entertainment

Nami Sano
Manga creator
Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto, Migi & Dali

Takako Sasuga
Voice actress
Sazae-san, Dangonronpa

81618171_155226755776454_7970261044155121664_n — Image via Kenpachiro Satsuma's Facebook page

Kenpachiro Satsuma (real name Yasuaki Maeda)
Godzilla suit actor
1984 Godzilla film to the 1995 Godzilla vs. Destoroyah film

Mitsuo Senda
Voice actor
Kingdom, Gon, Golgo 13

d594b7_9ee890f785254d38b8e7e84750aee312 — Image via Peter Spellos' official website

Peter Spellos
Actor, voice actor
Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Digimon Adventure

screen-shot-2023-12-30-at-16.31.58.png — Image via Floyd Norman: An Animated Life's Twitter account

Leo D. Sullivan (Leo Sullivan)
Animator
1986 U.S. television series Transformers, Soul Train opening sequence

Yukihiro Takahashi
Musician
Drummer and lead vocalist of the group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO)

Hiroyuki Takizawa
Manga creator
Female Announcer Nanase, Secret night of a national qualified woman

ss_ef90f93b95055c78ac77b36389e7be10be4160a7 — Image via Steam

Yoshitaka Tamaki
Game artist
Shining Force, Shining Tears

alice-band-shinji-tanimura — Image via Alice's website

Shinji Tanimura
Singer, songwriter
Theme songs for Turn A Gundam, Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms

Buichi Terasawa
Manga creator
Space Adventure Cobra, Goku - Midnight Eye

Osamu Tezuka (no relation to the manga creator of the same name)
Toei Company Ltd. president and CEO

Yoshiko Tsuchida
Manga creator
Tsuruhime-ja!

Hiroe Tsukamoto
Producer
Samurai Champloo, Trigun, Serial Experiments Lain English dubs

Image via Clouds Over Goto: Nizo Yamamoto Art Museum

Nizo Yamamoto
Art director
Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke

A160-52 — ©1997 Hitoshi Yoshioka / Kadokawa Shoten / Tylor Project.

Hitoshi Yoshioka
Novelist
The Irresponsible Captain Tylor

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News In Memoriam

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In Memoriam