Shigemi Ikeda, the background art director for anime like Mobile Suit Gundam Char’s Counterattack and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom, has passed away at the age of 69.
Ikeda’s family made the announcement on his X (formerly Twitter) account on October 26 JST, saying that the veteran died on October 13 JST. A cause of death was not given.
A private funeral will be held for Ikeda.
In a reply to the post, Masami Obari (Brave Bang Bravern! director, Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture director and character designer) paid his respects and recalled the positive experience of working with Ikeda on the 1992 Bastard!! OVA. Obari was a storyboard artist and episode director on the OVA, while Ikeda was its background art director.
Ikeda joined the industry in 1974 and received his first background art director credit in 1980. In 1986, he founded the background art company Atelier Musa.
In addition to the aforementioned anime, some of Ikeda’s other credits include:
• Sentou Mecha Xabungle (background artist)
• Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (background artist)
• SOL BIANCA (background art director)
• Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (background art director)
• Genki Bakuhatsu Ganbaruger (background art director)
• Street Fighter 2 (mechanical stage design)
• Turn A Gundam (background art director)
• Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (background art director)
• Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny (background art director)
• GANTZ (background art director)
• Black Cat (background art director)
• Bokurano (background art director)
• Shangri-La (background art director)
• Mysterious Girlfriend X (background art director)
• My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, as I Expected (background art director)
• Rozen Maiden (background art director)
• Bayonetta Bloody Fate (background art director)
• One-Punch Man (co-background art director)
• My Hero Academia (co-background art director)
• Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom (co-background art director)
During the 61st Emmy Awards in 2009, Ikeda was honored with the Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation for his background art director role in Afro Samurai: Resurrection.
Source: @rgoRcTW1sMPMWBb
