Animator Kenichirō Katsura died on 30 September while undergoing medical treatment for an illness.
Animator Satoko Miyachi announced on Monday that her husband, animator Kenichirō Katsura, died on 30 September while undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness. He was 59. A private funeral was held with only close relatives in attendance.
Miyachi expressed her thanks to the fans who loved Katsura's work, as well as the animation studios and staff members he worked with throughout his career.
Part of the statement, through a machine translation, reads:
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the fans who loved the works and designs my husband was involved in during his lifetime, and to the production companies, staff, and everyone involved who worked with him.
Please note that the funeral service was held privately with only close family members in attendance. We apologize for this belated notification.
Thank you so much for all the support and kind words you've given me up until now.
A career spanning decades of anime
Katsura's animation credits stretched back to the late 1980s. He worked as an episode key animator on the 1989 Ranma ½ anime, as well as Oishinbo, Noir, Season 2 and 3 for Encouragement of Climb, Date A Live II, BLUE LOCK 2nd Season, and the 1995 Magic Knight Rayearth sequel.
He also worked on several Mobile Suit SD Gundam projects, including the first part of Mobile Suit SD Gundam Festival, as well as the OVA episodes of Mobile Suit SD Gundam Mk V and Mobile Suit SD Gundam: SD Gundam Legend.
Katsura also directed the Utawarerumono OAV and the Hi・Me・Go・To OAV, while also acting as the chief animation director for both seasons of Synduality: Noir, as well as The Fruit of Grisaia, and some episodes of How to keep a mummy, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Eden of Grisaia, and the second season of Shy. Katsura also served as character designer and chief animation director for Knight's & Magic.
Katsura worked on several entries in the Macross 7 franchise. He served as animation director for four episodes of Macross 7 and worked as both episode director and animation director for the third episode of Macross 7 Encore OAV.
He later served as character designer for Macross 7 Plus, and as character designer and animation character designer for Macross 7 the Movie: The Galaxy's Calling Me!.
Katsura's most recent credits include Gintama: The Movie 2026: Yoshiwara in Flames, where he served as animation director, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea, where he worked as a key animator. Both films opened in Japan in February 2026.