Today, the anime fandom is coming together to mourn the loss of an immense artist. Reports from Japan have confirmed the death of Shigemi Ikeda. The artist passed away this month just shy of his 70th birthday, leaving fans and industry pros alike to remember Shigemi.
If you are not familiar with the artist by name, you will know his works. Shigemi worked in anime for decades, and his resume includes dozens upon dozens of titles. From Afro Samurai to High School DxD and Overlord, Shigemi did it all. From art direction to art design, the animator brought tons of top-tier titles to life. But when it comes to notoriety, Shigemi dove into a few major shows like One-Punch Man.
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For seasons one and two, Shigemi worked as an art director on One-Punch Man, and he did setting artwork as well. Outside of One-Punch Man, the animator also worked heavily on My Hero Academia and Mobile Suit Gundam. For the latter series, Shigemi began work on season one, and he stuck with My Hero Academia through season seven. The animator also worked on My Hero Academia‘s OVAs as well as its third movie, World Heroes’ Mission.
And as for Mobile Suit Gundam, Shigemi worked on a number of series within the franchise. From Gundam Seed to Gundam ZZ and The 08th MS Team, the artist did it all. Overall, Shigemi worked on more than 20 Gundam titles during his career, so fans of the sci-fi anime have most certainly seem his work. Now, those fans are left mourning Shigemi’s loss as the prolific artist left a hefty legacy in his wake.
