For any anime, it takes the talent and dedication of countless animators to help bring some of your favorite stories to life and the Dragon Ball franchise is no different. When the shonen franchise made a comeback with Dragon Ball Super, it quickly became one of the biggest anime television series running today, thanks in part to the creatives working behind the scenes. One of the biggest animators for the sequel series was Yoichi Onishi, a long time veteran in the anime world. Unfortunately, it has been announced by one of Yoichi’s closest friends that the animator has passed away.
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Onishi’s passing was revealed by friend Eisaku Inoue, a fellow animator in the anime industry who might be best known for his work on One Piece, Saint Seiya, Tenchi Muyo, and Dragon Ball Z. In a sorrowful Facebook post, Inoue revealed that Yoichi had died and regretted missing a past opportunity to meet with his fellow animator. Here’s what Inoue had to say, “Yoichi Onishi has passed away. Every time I go to pour coffee since it’s in the neighborhood from my desk. I checked you in your seat but it’s been a couple days agoToo bad I didn’t show up.” Cause of death has yet to be revealed regarding Yoichi’s passing but fans are already mourning and celebrating the work of the legendary animator.
Yoichi Onishi’s Body of Work
Onishi worked on several episodes of Dragon Ball Super, getting his start on the sequel series in the 49th episode of the anime adaptation during the Goku Black Arc. The recent anime series wasn’t the first time that Yoichi entered the Z-Fighters’ long running story. The animator also took part in several of the feature-length films that helped populate the shonen series, first beginning with the original Dragon Ball movie, The Path To Power. From here, Onishi was a key animator for the likes of Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13, Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, and Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound.
Dragon Ball was far from the only anime franchise that Yoichi helped bring to life. His vast resume includes the likes of Assassination Classroom, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Saint Seiya, Edens Zero, Digimon Adventure, World Trigger, and many more. Spending decades in the anime industry, Onishi’s works won’t soon be forgotten.
Our thoughts are with Onishi’s friends and loved ones during this difficult time.
