Leiji Matsumoto has had a heavy hand in inspiring some of the biggest anime franchises to date, kicking off the modern age of animation with the likes of Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, and Space Battleship Yamato to name a few. As the creator has gotten older, he has struggled with some health problems in recent years, though fans of the prolific creator will be at ease knowing that he has recently been released from the hospital following a brief stay.
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Twitter User OtakuJPCalendar shared the good news from Japan with Leiji himself stating that he was in “very good condition” following his release from the hospital after suffering a health issue while attending an event in Italy which celebrated the 40th anniversary of his creation, Captain Harlock:
Leiji Matsumoto returned to Tokyo from Turin where he had been hospitalized. “I’m in very good condition”.
— otakujp (@otakucalendarjp) December 5, 2019
On the other hand , the seiyu of Captain Harlock, Makio Inoue, passed away 02 December. pic.twitter.com/dFrGc4SoFZ
While he was originally stated to be in critical condition following his admittance into the hospital in Italy, he had a quick turn around and recovery, bouncing back and continuing to celebrate some of his biggest accomplishments in the world of anime. Captain Harlock and the characters of Galaxy Express 999 have long been a tenant of classic anime, being one of the opening salvo in the world of Japanese animation and continuing a trend of successes that marches on to this day.
With Mobile Suit Gundam also celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year, it’s a testament to the worlds that anime creators such as Matsumoto put together that we are still talking about these amazing universes to this day.
What’s your favorite creation of Leiji Matsumoto? What’s your favorite interpretation of Captain Harlock? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Captain Harlock!
Back in 1974, the creator worked heavily on Space Battleship Yamato before making his own works. The first was Space Pirate Captain Harlock before Galaxy Express 999 followed. As his career continued, Matsumoto returned to Space Battleship Yamato to help co-creator Yoshinobu Nishizaki before the latter passed away in 2010. As of late, Matsumoto has focused on his own series by creating spin-offs set within their universes. With such an impressive body of work under his belt, Matsumoto stands as one of manga’s most acclaimed artists, and fans are wishing him all the best as he moves forward with treatment.
