The anime world is in shock as Japanese animation director Tatsuya Nagamine, known for helming Dragon Ball Super, One Piece and Pretty Cure, passed away at the age of 53.
In an X post shared on 14 November, Nagamine’s family said that he passed away on 20 August at the age of 53. The tweet also mentioned that the director had been undergoing treatment for an illness since last year.
“The funeral was held with close relatives, and yesterday, on November 13, a private memorial gathering was hosted by Toei Animation,” the post further reads.
“To our family, he was the kindest, warmest, and most caring father and husband in the world. He continued to face his treatment with a positive attitude and truly did his absolute best, beyond what anyone could ask.
I believe my husband fought his illness with the motivation of returning home and resuming work,” Nagamine’s wife wrote.
“It's come to this, and I feel terribly disappointed and frustrated. However, I take pride in him and am grateful for how he always puts his all into work, childcare, and housework while enjoying them fully. Now, I imagine him resting leisurely up in the clouds, meeting with his seniors and fellow creators, chatting about things like ‘Let's make something again!’—and I hope that's the case,” she said.
The note ended with Nagamine’s family expressing their gratitude to fans who supported the director over the years.
The news of Nagamine’s passing surprised fans and the anime fraternity as he had been one of Toei Animation’s visionary and influential directors.
Anime music composer Kohei Tanaka attended the memorial gathering at Toei Animation Studio. “He is undoubtedly a key contributor to the anime One Piece. The achievements he accomplished in Ani-One were nothing short of extraordinary,” he wrote on X.
“Tatsuya Nagamine quickly became a standout name to me through his creative boarding and use of light and colour. May he rest in peace,” a fan wrote on X. Another user said that Nagamine changed the entire course of One Piece’s history.
Nagamine served as the director on several big Toei Animation series like Dragon Ball Super, One Piece’s Wano arc, the first half of the Egghead arc and One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga. He has also worked on titles like Beet the Vandel Buster, HeartCatch Precure, Saint Seiya Omega, and Ojamajo Doremi.
Among feature films directed by Nagamine are Digimon Savers: Ultimate Power! Burst Mode Invoke, One Piece Film: Z, and Dragon Ball Super: Broly.