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    Japanese illustrator and animator Mutsumi Inomata has passed away on March 10, 2024 at age 63. A cause of death was not shared.

    Inomata is best known as one of the main character designer on a number of Bandai Namco's Tales of series. Her past works includeTales of DestinyTales of EterniaTales of Destiny 2Tales of RebirthTales of the TempestTales of InnocenceTales of HeartsTales of GracesTales of XilliaTales of Xillia 2Tales of ZestiriaTales of Berseria, and Tales of Crestoria.

    Within anime, Inomata worked as an animator at Ashi Production from 1979 until 1982, when she and some animators from Ashi Production left the company and founded Kaname Production. There, she worked as character designer and animator on such anime as Acrobunch - The Quest for TreasurePlawres SanshiroLeda - The Fantastic Adventure of YohkoOnce Upon a Time, and Watt Poe to Bokura no Ohanashi, among others. In her later freelance career, she drew character designs for such anime as Future GPX Cyber FormulaSaitama Bōsō Saizensen Flag! Shinimonogurui no Seishun!!, and Brain Powerd. She also drew the illustrations for the Utsunomiko and The Weathering Continent novel series, both of which later inspired anime adaptations.

  • Tales of Series character designer Mutsumi Inomata has passed away, as announced via her official X/Twitter account. She passed away last March 10 at the age of 63. 

    No words can describe how we feel right now. She will be heavily missed. 

    Mutsumi Inomata is a major figurehead for Tales, responsible for a big portion of character designs in the series, notably in Tales of Destiny, Eternia, Destiny, Rebirth, Tempest, Innocence, Hearts, Graces, and including Xillia/Xillia 2, Zestiria and Berseria alongside Kosuke Fujishima, Daigo Okumura and Minoru Iwamoto. She has also worked on several anime as character designer, animator and animation director, such as Brain Powerd, City Hunter and The Weathering Continent. She is renowned for her brilliant use of watercolors and the characteristic jewel-like eyes of her characters.

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    Famed manga creator Akira Toriyama has passed away on March 1, 2024 at age 68 due to acute subdural hematoma.

    Toriyama began his first serialized manga, Dr. Slump, in 1980, and it inspired two television anime and multiple films. Toriyama followed it up with Dragon Ball, which ran from 1984 to 1995, and is still inspiring manga and anime sequels and spinoffs today. The manga's Dragon Ball anime adaptation, its sequel Dragon Ball Z, and its other numerous sequels and anime films are equally as well-known as the manga, and its hero Goku has become a character known throughout the world.

    Toriyama is also well-known as the character designer for the Dragon QuestChrono TriggerBlue Dragon and Tobal games.

    Most recently, Toriyama was working closely with the production for the Dragon Ball Daima anime series, the most recent anime series based on Dragon Ball, and is credited for the new anime's story and character designs.