Anime producer Masayasu Sagisu died on July 12 at the age of 93. His nephew, composer and P Productions president Shiro Sagisu, announced the news on his X account on July 31.
Shiro Sagisu wrote, “My uncle Masayasu Sagisu, a former Eiken producer, passed away peacefully on July 12 at the age of 93. In accordance with his wishes, the funeral was attended only by family members.”
Reflecting on his uncle’s career, he added, “From the days of TCJ, the predecessor of Eiken, my uncle Masayasu helped bring numerous anime masterpieces into the world, including Tetsujin 28, 8 Man, Super Jetter, Space Boy Soran, Sazae san, and many others.”
Shiro Sagisu Remembers His Uncle
Shiro Sagisu continued, “He was about 12 years younger than my father, Soji Ushio, which made him feel especially close to me. To the young Shiro, he was the person I was most proud of, and I spent so much time at Uncle Masayasu’s apartment that I practically lived there.”
“More than 60 years ago, his small apartment was already filled with items he had chosen to display. It was there that I first encountered a highly accomplished otaku and learned his way of doing things. That was the driving force behind the masterpieces he created. A toast to Uncle Masayasu, who remained a source of pride until the very end and will continue to be one forever.”
Masayasu Sagisu was born in Tokyo in 1932. He was a renowned producer who worked on many productions by anime studio Eiken, formerly known as TCJ, and helped bring numerous Showa era anime classics to audiences. His credits included Tetsujin 28, 8 Man, Super Jetter, Space Boy Soran, The Legend of Kamui, Sazae san, Glass Mask, and Captain.
Manga artist and P Productions founder Soji Ushio, whose real name was Tomio Sagisu, was his elder brother. Composer Shiro Sagisu was his nephew.
- Obituary
