Takahiro Kimura, Code Geass Designer and Director, Passes Away

Today, the anime community is saying goodbye to a special creator. Reports from Japan have confirmed Takahiro Kimura has passed away. The animator and character designer died on March 5th overseas after a battle with amyloidosis.

For those unfamiliar with the anime creator, Kimura was a veteran in the industry. The artist was known best for their work on Code Geass as Kimura brought the anime's colorful character designs to life. He went on to oversee Code Geass as an animation director in various roles and provided key animation in a number of projects.

Kimura also worked on franchises like City Hunter as well as GaoGaiGar. Other series also brought in the artist including Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Macross Plus, Mobile Suit Gundam, Snow White with the Red Hair, and Wolf's Rain.

Of course, the fandom is mourning Kimura's loss, and a number of anime fans are now raising awareness of amyloidosis. The disease is rather rare and is diagnosed when a patient begins building up a protein named amyloid in their internal organs. The excess can cause a decline in bodily functions as a slew of major orange is impacted by the disease. These organs include the heart, spleen, kidneys, and liver. At present, the life expectancy for someone with amyloidosis is 8-10 years after diagnosis depending on the build-up rate and production protocols.

Sadly, Kimura's passing is one of several to happen in the anime industry this year. In the last few months, Space Pirate Captain Harlock creator Leiji Matsumoto has passed alongside voice actors like Shozo Iizuka and Takako Sasuga. As for Kimura, fans are already revisiting their best work as a way to memorialize the artist. For those interested in joining, Code Geass is very easy to binge online. Services like Hulu and Crunchyroll have the show available for users, so you should go see what Kimura brought to the anime ASAP. 

Our thoughts are with Kimura's loved ones at this time. May he rest in peace.