On March 24th, character designer Kazuo Komatsubara passed away. Hospitalized for a malignant tumor in the neck, he passed away that Friday afternoon in the hospital of Yokosuka, Kagawa-ken. Better known for his works as a character designer of the animated versions of Captain Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, Devilman, Arcadia of my Youth, and Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, Kazuo Komatsubara had started working in the animation industry in 1963 as an animator on Ookami Shounen Ken (Ken, the Wolf Child) and soon became a character designer for series like Tiger Mask, UFO Robot Grendizer, Devilman, and Captain Harlock.

Kazuo Komatsubara was 56 years old. Those who knew him will remember him as being cheerful and friendly to his fans. A great loss for the world of anime.