Director Isao Takahata passed away yesterday early in the morning while struggling with lung cancer, according to reports. Takahata may not have been the most prolific of directors over the years but he produced some of the more outstanding works over the course of his career. As a co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he was involved from the beginning with Hayao Miyazaki and served as a producer on Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky while also working as the director for films like Only Yesterday and Pom Poko. His most recent directorial work was 2013’s Tale of Princess Kaguya but he’s going to be mostly known for his work on Grave of the Fireflies as writer/director.
And as much as that film means to me, I will also always have a very special place in my heart for his work on My Neighbors the Yamadas as the writer and director.
One of the giants that strode across the anime landscape has now moved onto a new journey. Rest in peace.