Mr. Isao Takahata – Co-founder of Studio Ghibli, passed away at the age of 82

He Isao Takahata – Co-founder of Studio Ghibli and the director of the legend Grave of Fireflies (Grave of the Fireflies) passed away in Tokyo at the age of 82. For fans of Japanese animation works in general and Ghibli’s in particular, Mr. Isao Takahata left his mark as an extremely talented director, producer and animator.

He started his career in 1959 at Toei Animation as an assistant. It was here that he met his friend and legend Hayao Miyazaki for the first time, began the journey to conquer the hearts of many generations with the founding of Studio Ghibli later.
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In fact, the early works of Studio Ghibli bear a lot of his imprint. There after standing in the role of producer for Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind in 1984 and Castle in the Sky in 1986, he stepped into the role of director for Grave of Fireflies – Grave of the Fireflies. Soon the Grave of the Fireflies has stolen the tears of many people, including the writer. Even after many years after watching, Tomb of the Fireflies is still imprinted with sad and painful images in the minds of fans.
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From 1991 to 2013, he continued to act as a director for many films such as Only Yesterday, Pom Poko, My Neighbors the Yamadas and The Tale of Princess Kayuga – one of the works nominated for an Oscar. He continued to work tirelessly until 2016, a year before his health began to deteriorate due to heart disease.

His passing is indeed a huge loss to the cinema industry in general and the animation industry in particular. It is no exaggeration to say that his and Hayao Miyazaki’s talents have contributed to nurturing the souls of many generations, letting them feel joy as well as sadness through colorful frames.
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