I was going to post this piece of sad news yesterday, but I wanted to wait for a number of hours after theOtaku.com changed its server.

Anyway, yesterday, ANN reported that according to Haruka Takachiho (co-founder of Studio Nue and creator of Dirty Pair) in his twitter, anime director Noboro Ishiguro had kicked the bucket on Tuesday. He was 73 years old at time of death, but the cause of death has not been indicated.

Ishiguro was the co-founder of Artland (with whom Studio Nue set up the story concept for 1982's The Super Dimension Fortress Macross). Additionally, he served as an animation director of Space Battleship Yamato (1974. Englsih dub title "Star Blazers: The Quest for Iscandar"), directed a few episodes for Space Battleship Yamato 2 (1978. English dub version title: "Star Blazers: The Comet Empire") and Space Battleship Yamato III (1980. English dub version title: "Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars"), and directed Shin Tetsuwan Atomu (1980. It's English dub version title "Astro Boy" is also that of 1963's Tetsuwan Atomu), The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982), Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984. Directed with Shoji Kawamori), The Super Dimension Century Orguss (1983), Megazone 23 (1983. Co-created by Ishiguro himself), and Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988).

Once again, the anime industry has lost a legend contributor.

11:09 AM Canada EST