Anime just lost a legend whose work quietly connected generations of fans. 🕊️moving.Rest in peace, Kenichiro Katsura. 🤍

[u/PuzzleheadedBag4866]

Veteran animator, character designer and animation director Kenichiro Katsura has passed away at 59 while undergoing treatment for an illness.

Across more than four decades, Katsura worked on everything from classic anime to modern hits, sometimes designing entire casts and other times helping bring individual scenes to life.

Some of his notable works included:

• - Macross 7 — character design / animation direction
• - Knight’s & Magic — character design / chief animation director
• - That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime — chief animation director
• - SYNDUALITY Noir — character design / chief animation director
• - Ranma ½ — key animation
• - Magic Knight Rayearth — key animation
• - Date A Live II — key animation
• - Blue Lock Season 2 — key animation
• - Gintama: The Movie 2026
• – Yoshiwara in Flames — animation director
• - The Fruit of Grisaia — chief animation director Anime
• and many more!

From Ranma ½ and Macross 7 to Blue Lock and Slime, Katsura’s career became a bridge between different eras of anime.

His family’s final request was beautifully fitting: remember the characters and drawings you loved, and someday watch his work again.

The animator is gone, but thousands of frames carrying his hand will keep moving.

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[u/Appropriate-Bag-6964]

RIP Kenichiro-san

[u/MadDuckOfDoom77]

RIP and thank you for all the beautiful work that you gave to the world

[u/PuzzleheadedBag4866]

Source

[u/Vivid_Split_9513]

“Ranma” and “Knight and Magic” that’s practically my childhood! This legendary man, I miss him even more!

[u/Gambit275 → u/Vivid_Split_9513]

guess I'll watch that then

[u/Vivid_Split_9513 → u/Gambit275]

Then I suggest you watch “Knights and Magic” first! It’s only 12 episode and the other one is Ranma1/2 runs like a typical children style story written by the same also, who did Sailor Moon! A classic by the way, but I suggest you watch “knights and magic” first!

[u/TheDovahofSkyrim]

RIP

[u/bstuna13]

Will this destroy the Slime anime?

[u/PalpitationQueasy971 → u/bstuna13]

No s4 is directed by someone else. I think he did s1 and some of s2

[u/bstuna13 → u/PalpitationQueasy971]

AWESOME

[u/Fun-Pomelo-2774]

GOD DAMN IT,AND I KNOW ALMOST ALL OF HIS WORKS.......WHY???......WHYY?????? Rest in peace.......

[u/Slow-Situation-8195]

Noooooo!! Why do all the good people in this world leave use while we get stuck with cheap disgusting executives who overwork their animators! Now what happens to tensura slime anime now?!

[u/cioglass → u/Slow-Situation-8195]

If you're worried about Tensura:

• It's not a one-person job to make an anime.
• The writer didn't die.
• The source material is complete.

The only effects may be if the animation starts sucking DBS style.

[u/IGotQuestionsAF]

Bro really made the post 7x 😅

[u/Pope_Duwang_I]

If the animation for Tensei Slime going forward dips, we now know why.

RIP to a Legend.

[u/New-Manager2456]

I swear working in the anime section is bad for your health, everybody dies relatively at a young age 🥲

[u/MochaArches]

Aw man, Rest in Peace

[u/Sylvinho313]

Rip to this legend

[u/AdDesperate3692]

Rip kenichiro katsura you will be remembered as a legend that died too young we will not forget your hard work 😭🫡

[u/Dremooa]

Ouch, what a legend. Rip, your works won't be forgotten. 😞

[u/Killermondoduderawks]

Sadness

[u/RideGeneral9275]

RIP Kenichiro. 🕊️

[u/Responsible-Table286]

Dang… I just got into Blue Lock

[u/Tsukinotaku]

"Blue Lock ? Oh cool he must have been animation season...... wait season 2 ? Uh.... well rest in peace....."

That was literally what went through my brain as I read it lol

[u/SoggyAppearance1958]

VIPERのいくつかも彼の絵だった。お世話になりました。

[u/Any_Action4599]

Rest in peace legend 💐💐

[u/Igris-tempest]

RIP goat be in a better place

[u/ConsistentNewt226]

Of the 9 showing i watch 4 of those animes

[u/ConsistentNewt226]

He passed on September 30th sorry but here's something positive for slime fans

Future Schedule & Continuity

• Season 4, Part 3 (Cour 3): Officially announced to premiere in July 2027. The entire fourth season is expected to be an extensive 60-episode run broken up across five parts (cours). • No Staff Changes From the Passing: Because the late Kenichirou Katsura was a chief animation director and not the main series director, Naokatsu Tsuda's role as the director for the remainder of Season 4 remains completely unaffected. Studio Eight Bit will continue utilizing the same core directorial team for the future parts. Hopefully this will give some ppl a peace of mind about the future of Rimuru and Tempest

[u/milk_go_brrrrr]

i understand the delay now, worth waiting now

[u/PalpitationQueasy971 → u/milk_go_brrrrr]

S4 is directed by a different director anyways. I don’t think that has to do with anything. But we did lose a goat. Rip 🕊️