© 創通・サンライズ
Studio GONZO confirmed on October 26 that art director Shigemi Ikeda passed away on October 13 at the age of 69.
Ikeda's family posted a notice on his X/Twitter account on October 26 about his passing, noting that his funeral would be for close family members only.
Ikeda won the “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation” Primetime Emmy Award in 2009 for his role as art director on Spike TV and GONZO's television series Afro Samurai: Resurrection.
Ikeda's prolific career included serving as art director for the first Afro Samurai anime series, Bastard!!, Bokurano, Gantz, Gasaraki, Inuyasha, Library War, Mobile Suit Gunma: Char's CounterAttack, Mobile Suit Gunma ZZ — and many later Gunz projects including Mobile Suit Gunma Seed, Mobile SuitGundam: The Origin, Mobile SuitGundam UC, and the recent Mobile SuitGundam Seed movie FREEDOM — Phantom-The Animation, Planetes, Starship Troopers, Macross Delta, Fantasista Doll, Boogiepop and Others, all seven seasons of My Anime Hero AcadeKaren, all four seasons and movies of the Overlord anime, first two seasons of the One-Punch Man anime, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU, both seasons of The Promised Neverland , Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, Infinite Ryvius, Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, Bubblegum Crisis and more.
Ikeda is also a representative of the background art studio Atelier Musa, which he founded in August 1986.
Source: GONZO's X/Twitter account and X/English Twitter account, Shigemi Ikeda's X/Twitter account via MyAnimeList
