It has been revealed that animator and character designer Kenichiro Katsura passed away on September 30, 2026. He was 59 years old. His wife, animator Satoko Miyaji, announced the news on Twitter on October 5.
Passed Away on September 30 While Undergoing Treatment for an Illness
According to a statement released by Ms. Miyaji, Mr. Katsura passed away on September 30 while undergoing treatment for an illness. The funeral was held with only close family members in attendance.
In the statement, she expressed gratitude to production companies, staff, and everyone involved, as well as to fans who loved the works and designs Katsura created during his lifetime.
It also noted that for those who enjoyed Mr. Katsura’s artwork, animation, and designs, simply murmuring to themselves—"I love this character," "I love this franchise," or "I love this animation style"—would reach him and bring him joy. The statement also encouraged people to revisit the works Mr. Katsura was involved in whenever they have the time.
A wide-ranging career from “Macross 7” to “VIPER” and AQUAPLUS titles
Mr. Katsura is an animator who has been involved in numerous anime and video game projects over the years.
One of his most notable works is “Macross 7,” which aired starting in 1994. Based on character concepts by Haruhiko Mikimoto, he served as the animation character designer. He also handled animation character design for “Macross 7: The Galaxy Is Calling Me!,” released in 1995.
He has also been deeply involved in the gaming industry, working under the pseudonym “Katsura Shigeo” on the “VIPER” series published by Sonia. He served as character designer and animation director on titles such as “VIPER-CTR ~Asuka~” and “VIPER -RSR-.”
In the 2000s, he participated in the animation production of numerous AQUAPLUS titles.
He was in charge of character design for *Comic Party Revolution*, based on the original *Comic Party* manga. For the *ToHeart2* OVA, he served as character designer and animation director alongside Masahide Yanagisawa and Yasuhisa Kato, and also contributed to storyboarding and direction.He was also involved in subsequent projects such as “ToHeart2 adplus,” “ToHeart2 adnext,” and “ToHeart2 Dungeon Travelers.”
Furthermore, in the OVA series based on *Utawarerumono*, he served as director, character designer, and animation director.
He has also contributed directly to video game projects, such as serving as a key animator on *WHITE ALBUM 2: Beyond Happiness*.
He remained active until recent years on titles such as “Knights & Magic” and “SYNDUALITY Noir.”
He has continued to work on numerous projects since then, serving as character designer and chief animation director for *There’s One Little Sister Among Them!* and as chief animation director for *Grisaia no Kajitsu*.
He served as character designer and chief animation director for *Knights & Magic* and also participated in the *That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime* series as chief animation director, among other roles.
For “SYNDUALITY Noir,” which aired from 2023 to 2024, he served as animation character designer and chief animation director. This work is a media mix project that shares the same world as the video game “SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada,” and Mr. Katsura remained actively involved in animation production at the forefront of the industry until recently.
Mr. Miyaji concluded his written statement by saying, “Thank you so much for all the support and kind words I have received over the years.”
