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Paradise Kiss, BECK Director Osamu Kobayashi Passes Away at 57

The Twitter account for animator and director Osamu Kobayashi (pictured right in image at right) posted on Sunday that Kobayashi passed away on Saturday evening. He was 57.

The Twitter post explained that for the last two years Kobayashi was battling kidney cancer. The post added, "it is regretful that there were more things he wanted to do, and more works he wanted to make, and when he is reborn he will surely make great works!"

Kobayashi directed such anime as BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, Paradise Kiss, Someday's Dreamers II Sora, Table and Fishman, End of the World, Digital Juice, and Ani-Kuri 15. He served as an episode director for such anime as Naruto Shippūden, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Gurren Lagann, Gad Guard, Dororo, and Lupin III: Part IV.

Kobayashi was also a scriptwriter, overseeing and writing scripts for such anime as Paradise Kiss, BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, Naruto Shippūden, and Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan. He was also a storyboard artist, designer, and animator for many anime.

Dennō Coil director Mitsuo Iso also posted about Kobayashi's death on Twitter, stating Kobayashi "was a benefactor who looked after me during tough times. He taught me that I should draw what I want to draw, and make the story I want to tell without worrying about how others might judge me. He had the crystalization of a creator's soul. Please draw whatever you want to your heart's content where you are now. May you rest in peace."

(Editor's Note: Another Osamu Kobayashi born in 1945 with the same name kanji is also an animator and director in the anime industry, and worked on anime such as Creamy Mami: Long Good-Bye and Lupin III: Secret Files. That Osamu Kobayashi is still alive.)

Source and Image: Osamu Kobayashi's Twitter account