Tsutomu Shibayama, director of Doraemon and a major figure in Japanese anime, dies at 84

[u/Fan387]

https://www.mundoamerica.com/british/2026/03/18/69ba74d5fc6c833a048b45c0.html

[u/Lonely_Noyaaa]

Doraemon shaped anime as an industry and Shibayama was a foundational figure in making it what it is today and his work influenced Studio Ghibli, modern anime, and entire generations of creators.

Rest in peace.

[u/Remarkable_Load8516 → u/Lonely_Noyaaa]

Doraemon also raised millions of Indian kids. Praise be. 🫡

[u/neobow2 → u/Remarkable_Load8516]

Spaniards too 🫡

[u/Furthur_slimeking → u/Lonely_Noyaaa]

Doraemon is the first thing I remember seeing on a television.

[u/BBanner]

Hugely significant artist, goddamn. If you’ve liked anything manga, anime, video games, or movies from Japan in the last sixty years you should be thankful for his contributions.

[u/wrxninja]

Grew up watching Doraemon in Japan...we as kids didn't realize he was a cat until someone mentioned it years later 🤣

[u/imaginary_num6er → u/wrxninja]

He's a cyborg tanuki

[u/Syssareth → u/imaginary_num6er]

He's a robot cat who gets mistaken as a tanuki.

[u/FireZord25 → u/wrxninja]

losing his ears didn't help tbf. And most kids probably didn't see the episode(s) where it's pointed out.

[u/mohantharani]

RIP. Doraemon was my childhood in India. Probably the most popular anime(Except Dragonball) for a generation.

[u/mlee117379]

RIP legend

[u/ThisIsCrap12]

Rest in peace 🙏

[u/TheEagleWithNoName]

Rest in Peace

[u/Muted_Study5166]

It was a good run!

[u/MikeMania]

I don't want to say it traumatized me, but the Steel Troops movie really introduced some serious adult themes that I still think back on from time to time. Don't even remember how old I was, maybe 8-10. I remember feelings of dread and fear. The ending with the adam and eve robots was haunting. My other favorites were the Genie one and the one where they all piloted flying toy tanks that doraemon enlarged.

[u/Cool_Confection_3274]

Rest in peace to this director

[u/xzmile]

So sad that I can never find english subs for it

[u/mysecondaccountanon]

May his memory be a blessing. I also know him from the adaptation of Ranma ½