The news of Yūji Yanase's passing was revealed by two currently running productions he had been overseeing as director.
The X (formerly Twitter) accounts of the currently airing Summer 2026 anime, "The Insipid Prince's Furtive Grab for The Throne" and “The World's Strongest Rearguard” announced the news that their director, Yūji Yanase, passed away suddenly just this 22 August. He was 59 years old.
In an announcement shared on their website, the production team behind "The Insipid Prince's Furtive Grab for The Throne" stated, through a machine translation, that "Director Yanase made tremendous contributions to the production of the anime"," and that they “express our heartfelt gratitude for his deep affection and leadership in the production of this work.”
While the production team behind “The World's Strongest Rearguard” were “deeply saddened by the news of his sudden passing.” They further went on to say that “Director Yanase made tremendous contributions to the production of the anime,” and that he led the production side with “his passion and warm personality.”
The cause of his death was revealed through a different obituary post published by MAHO FILM, where Yanase was a company-affiliated employee, and was attributed to a myocardial infraction at the age of 59.
A funeral has already been held with only close relatives present.
Who was Yūji Yanase?
Yūji Yanase was a veteran anime animator and director whose career spanned more than three decades. He began working in the industry as an in-between animator in the late 1980s, contributing to major productions, including Akira and several Doraemon films.
Over the years, Yanase worked across a wide range of anime as a key animator and animation director, with credits on Macross 7, Tenchi Universe, Excel Saga, Hellsing, Chobits, Aria the Animation, and Symphogear, among many others.
He made his directorial debut with the 2014 television anime Himegoto. He went on to direct a number of fantasy and isekai series, including In Another World With My Smartphone, If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord, By the Grace of the Gods, In the Land of Leadale, My Unique Skill Makes Me OP even at Level 1, I’ll Become a Villainess Who Goes Down in History, and Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra.
At the time of his death, Yanase was serving as director of The Insipid Prince's Furtive Grab for The Throne and The World's Strongest Rearguard - Labyrinth Country's Novice Seeker, which both premiered in July 2026. Alongside his directing work, he continued to contribute to anime productions as a key animator, animation director, and episode director throughout his career.