Departures of note

Kenichiro Katsura was a Japanese animator and character designer who worked across four decades of anime production. After early work on series such as Fist of the North Star and Ranma ½, he gained wide recognition as character designer and animation director for the 1994 television series Macross 7, a landmark entry in the Macross franchise, and its theatrical companion Macross 7: The Galaxy Is Calling Me!. He also served as character designer and chief animation director on Knights & Magic and SYNDUALITY Noir, and contributed to productions including That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Grisaia, ToHeart2, and the Utawarerumono OVA. Under the pen name Katsura Edage he also worked on adult animation titles such as the VIPER series. He was affiliated with the studio Gahōga. Katsura died on September 30, 2026, at age 59, while undergoing treatment for illness; his family announced his passing on October 5.