Tsutomu Shibayama, the filmmaker best known for his work on the animated franchise ‘Doraemon’, has sadly passed away at the age of 84. According to reports, the news of his death comes after a battle with lung cancer.
Tsutomu Shibayama he dies
According to a release from Ajia-do Animation Works, he passed away on March 6. The official statement read: “Shibayama Tsutomu, the animation director who oversaw the Doraemon series for more than 20 years, passed away on the 6th due to lung cancer.”
Fans react to news of Tsutomu Shibayama’s death
Reacting to the post, fans mourned his death with a note that read: “RIP Tsutomu Shibayama sensei…” Another added: “RIP Tsutomu Shibayama, at one point Doraemon was his whole life and no one loved the director more than him, as if he and his crew were regular ‘rotating’ personal cartoons with Doraemon and friends, friends who would love him forever.One fan wrote: “Tsutomu Shibayama passed away a bit sad last year before the anime style announced art book was released. It’s almost finished apparently, still waiting on the content but was hoping to focus on his design!”Another wrote: “Rest in peace Tsutomu Shibayama Thank you for making our childhood awesome.”
About Tsutomu Shibayama
Born in Tokyo in 1941, Shibayama entered the animation industry in the early 1960s and became one of its most enduring creative forces. He was widely regarded as a leading figure in animation in Japan, and played a key role in creating one of the country’s most enduring characters in the 1979 TV series Doraemon. He directed 22 feature films based on the franchise, spanning more than two decades, from the early 1980s to 2004. He was also the executive director of the series, which defined its tone and storytelling style that led to worldwide recognition. Shibayama also worked on other titles beyond the ‘Doraemon’ franchise. He worked on anime titles such as ‘Chibi Maruko-chan’, ‘Nintama Rantaro’ and ‘Ranma ½’. He was also the co-founder of Ajia-do Animation Works in 1978.Throughout his career, Shibayama has received numerous honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Tokyo Anime Award Festival.
