Leiji Matsumoto made a name for himself with manga works such as “Galaxy Express 999” and “Space Pirate Captain Harlock”. The cartoonist has been one of the icons of Japanese animation for decades. He has now died at the age of 85.
Legendary Japanese manga and anime creator Leiji Matsumoto, who created classics like Space Battleship Yamato, is dead. Matsumoto, whose real name was Akira Matsumoto, died of acute heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on February 13, reports his office Studio Leijisha known.
Many of his manga works such as “Galaxy Express 999” and “Space Pirate Captain Harlock” have been adapted into anime television series and have won wide popularity both at home and abroad. Born in 1938 in Fukuoka Prefecture in southwestern Japan, Matsumoto was one of the first manga artists whose comic and animation work attracted fans outside of Japan.
Leiji Matsumoto was seven years old when World War II ended. His experiences at that time had a lasting influence on his works, which were often marked by conflicts. His anti-war stance dates back to his father, who served as a pilot during World War II and lost many of his comrades. He taught his son that war should never be waged. “War destroys our future,” Matsumoto said in a 2018 interview.
Matsumoto rose to fame while still at school in 1954 with ‘Otoko Oidon,’ a comedy manga series. This illustrates the story of a young, poor man from southern Japan who is preparing for an entrance examination for the university in Tokyo. Matsumoto has repeatedly been honored by the government of his homeland for his work. France also awarded the Japanese the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” in 2012. In a tribute, Matsumoto’s daughter Makiko wrote that he had “headed for the Sea of Stars”.