Tsutomu Shibayama, Doraemon Director, Passes Away at 84; Career Highlights

Tsutomu Shibayama, a popular veteran anime director, has passed away. He was 84 years old when he died. Doraemon, which he directed, is the favourite animation of individuals aged 8 to 80. He invented and popularised Nobita and Shizuka, who battled lung cancer for a long time before losing their lives. Tsutomu Shibayama breathed his last on March 6.

On Wednesday, the Japanese animation studio Asia Do Animation Works, of which Shibayama was a co-owner, confirmed the director’s death on its website.

What exactly did the official note say?

The official statement read, ‘Former CEO Shibayama died on March 6th. Shibayama spent more than 20 years directing Doraemon’s TV animation and films. He was also the general director of the TV animated series Nintama Rantaro. We are grateful to him for his contributions throughout his life. We are sharing this terrible news out of respect for him.

Tsutomu Shibayama’s career and early life

Tsutomu Shibayama was born in 9 March 1941 . He is regarded as one of the masters of Japanese animation. Doraemon’s 22 feature films have been directed by him. During the last 20 years, he has also helmed the series’ 1979 TV anime.

Tsutomu Shibayama started his career at Toei Animation in 1963. The Gusty Frog and the Tensai Bakabon series are among his best early creations. These pieces were completed for Shin Ei Animation. He quit the company in 1978 and founded Ajia Do Animation Works. He served as the TV animation series Doraemon’s primary director from 1984 to 2005. He has directed a number of anime films, such as Doraemon: Nobita in the One Nan Spacetime Odyssey and Nobita and the Castle Undersea Devil.

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The last works of Tsutomu Shibayama

Additionally, he directed Majime ni Fumajime, Kaikesu Zorori, Nintama Rantaro, and Chibi Maruko. For his enormous contribution to the anime industry, Tsutomu Shibayama received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2012.

Fans of Doraemon began to feel sad as soon as they learned of Tsutomu Shibayama’s passing. On social media, many people offered their condolences.