The world of anime and manga lost one of its most iconic artists last week.
On Monday, February 13th, Leiji Matsumoto passed away at 85 due to acute heart failure. The death of the esteemed artist was announced by his studio, Studio Leijisha.
Matsumoto paved the way for many of the world’s anime and manga creators. His 1977 seriesĀ Space Pirate Captain HarlockĀ andĀ Galaxy Express 999Ā are considered some of the most influential in the industry.
Even electronic dance music fans who are unfamiliar with the anime and manga realms have likely seen Matsumoto’s timeless collaborations with Daft Punk. When you think of a Daft Punk music video, it’s difficult not to conjure memories of the blue, animated robots featured in “One More Time,” “Digital Love,” “Aerodynamic” and later the duo’s short film,Ā Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.
With help from renowned director Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Matsumoto would ultimately bring Daft Punk’s sound to life in some of the most memorable music videos in the history of electronic music.
Originally reported by EDM.com.
