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https://apnews.com/article/animation-and-comics-obituaries-tv-japan-tokyo-e74ddec2cc5d2f9cf50031cea5ed33ce>
"TOKYO (AP) — Leiji Matsumoto, the anime creator known for ”Space Battleship
Yamato” and other classics using a fantastical style and antiwar themes, has
died at age 85.
His manga works “Galaxy Express 999” and “Space Pirate Captain Herlock” were
adapted into television anime series in the 1970s and became huge hits in and
outside Japan.
Matsumoto, whose real name was Akira Matsumoto, died of acute heart failure in
a Tokyo hospital on Feb. 13, his office, Studio Leijisha, said Monday.
Born in the southwestern city of Kurume, Matsumoto started drawing at age 6,
and rose to fame with “Otoko Oidon,” a manga series telling the story of a poor
man from southern Japan who lives in a boarding house in Tokyo and struggles to
balance work and studying.
Many of his manga were in the “battlefield comics” genre with more than 150
stories depicting tragedy of war.
His antiwar theme comes from his father, an elite army pilot who returned from
Southeast Asia and taught his son that war should never be fought.
In his interview with Japan’s NHK television in 2018, Matsumoto recalled seeing
his father apologize to the mothers of his subordinates for not being able to
bring them back alive. His father also told Matsumoto that one had to be a
demon to not think an enemy has a family."
Via Frederick Wilson II.
RIP,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
