News
Art Director Mitsuki Nakamura Passes Away (Updated)
posted on by Egan Loo
Color key artist Kunio Tsujita reported on Tuesday that the production studio Toei notified him that veteran art director Mitsuki Nakamura passed away on Monday, May 16. He was 67.
Nakamura was born in Tokyo in 1944. Starting with the Space Ace television anime in 1965, he was responsible for the background art, visuals, and mechanical designs for many classic anime at Tatsunoko Productions such as Mach Go Go Go (Speed Racer), Oraa Guzura Dado, Kurenai Sanshiro, Hakushon Daimaō, The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee, Animentari Ketsudan, Kaba Totto, Kaiketsu Tamagon, Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman, Kerokko Demetan, Casshan, Konchu Monogatari Shin Minashigo Hutch, Hurricane Polymar, Uchū no Kishi Tekkaman, Time Bokan, Paul no Miracle Daisakusen, Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman II, Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman F, Golden Warrior - The Gold Lightan, and Kaitō Kiramekiman.
Nakamura later branched out to other studios, including Toei and Sunrise. He worked on the first Mobile Suit Gundam series and movie trilogy, Densetsu Kyojin Ideon, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. He eventually led his own studio, Design Office MECAMAN.
A wake will be held on Thursday, and a service will be held on Friday.
[Via Tadashi Sudo]
Image © Sunrise
Update: Mushi Productions also reported on Nakamura's passing. Mushi noted that Nakamura worked on many of its titles, such as Raiyantsuuri no Uta, Pipi to Benai Hotaru, and as recently as 2008, Pattenrai!! - Minami no Shima no Mizu Monogatari.
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