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Animator Yoshinori Kanada Reportedly Passes Away (Updated)

The animators' resource site Anido reports that animator Yoshinori Kanada died of a heart attack. He was 57. Kanada's career extended from the Galaxy Express 999 and Toward the Terra science-fiction classics of the 1970s and 1980s, to the later robot anime titles and eventually the anime films of Studio Ghibli. Members of his profession considered him a "super animator" representing Japan. The animation styles he developed would influence many animators who still work to this day. The following is a partial list of his credits:

2001 Ya Monogatari (OAV) : Storyboard 
Birth (OAV) : Character Design , Animation director , Main Animator 
Castle in the Sky (movie) : Key Animation Supervisor 
The Chocolate Panic Picture Show (OAV) : Storyboard 
Cutey Honey (TV) : Animation 
Dororon Enma-kun (TV) : Key Animation 
Down Load - Namiamidabutsu wa Ai no Uta (OAV) : Character Design , Key Animation 
Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals (OAV) : Key Animation (ep. 4) 
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (US CG movie) : Layout Artist
Final Yamato (movie) : Animation director 
Fushigi Yuugi (TV) : Animation (OP) 
Gakuen Tokusō Hikaruon (OAV) : Key Animation 
Galaxy Express 999 (movie) : Animation 
Genesis Climber Mospeada (TV) : Opening Sequence Animation 
Getter Robo G (TV) : Animation 
Kiki's Delivery Service (movie) : Key Animation 
Kujira no Josephina (TV) : Storyboard , Key Animation 
Mū no Hakugei (TV) : Mecha Adjustment 
My Neighbor Totoro (movie) : Original Art 
The Phoenix: Chapter of Ho-o (movie) : Key Animation 
Plawres Sanshiro (TV) : Storyboard , Key Animation 
Porco Rosso (movie) : Key Animation 
Princess Mononoke (movie) : Key Animation 
Queen Millennia (TV) : Mechanical design 
Sailor Moon Super S (TV) : Animation 
Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars (TV) : Key Animation 
Talking Head (hybrid movie) : Key Animation 
Tottemo! Luckyman (TV) : Character Design , Opening Animation 
Toward the Terra (movie) : Key Animation 

Update: More background information added from animeanime.jp.