Yuji Nunokawa, who brought to life brilliant anime such as Bleach and Naruto unfortunately passed away this Christmas at the age of 75. He not only was an animator and a director, but also a producer who found the company Studio Pierrot. The studio is responsible for animating two of the big three anime, Bleach, and Naruto, as well as Yu Yu Hakusho.
His death was a piece of sudden news to everyone and has taken the world of anime but surprise. His contribution to the industry will forever be remembered. The cause of his death is still unknown but his work will continue to be appreciated for its beauty and the evident effort in it.
Yuji Nunokawa; The Man Who Brought Naruto To Life
Yuji Nunokawa was responsible for establishing many initiatives that helped the anime industry evolve, this includes The Association of Japanese Animations collective. Out of the various awards that he won throughout his lifetime, he received the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award back in 2018. He was born on 11th February 1947 and began his career as an animator by the 1970s. His work got him the Japanese government Medal of Honor Blue Ribbon as well.
The original Naruto anime aired from 2002-2007 and became one of the most famous anime and an absolute fan-favorite. He grew up with a passion for drawing due to his familial background and his first animation project had been Space Boy Soran, but he got a bigger role in his other project, Robotan. His contribution to the anime industry had one of the biggest impacts and his efforts focus on training new animators and inspiring them to achieve more than what meets the eye. His loss would be majorly felt due to the massive changes he has brought to the industry in order to make it better and more appealing for the audience.
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Yuji Nunokawa And His Work On Bleach
Bleach is a popular anime following Ichigo Kurosaki on a journey of him discovering what a soul reaper is and how he gets pulled into their world after Rukia Kuchiki makes him a temporary soul reaper. From then his entire world changes as he not only becomes one of them but also is determined to save the world from Hollow, souls that grow hungry and feed on other souls to survive.
Yuji Nunokawa was an animator for the series with Pierrot Studios being one of its biggest animation studios. Not only has the anime been ongoing since 2004, but it has also had movies and live-action retellings of it.
RIP Yuji Nunokawa.
Source: Crunchyroll
