Society

Animator, Studio Ghibli co-founder Takahata dies at 82

Apr 07 (Kyodo) - Isao Takahata, who co-founded Studio Ghibli and directed the award-winning animation "Grave of the Fireflies," has died of lung cancer at a Tokyo hospital, people close to him said Friday. He was 82.

Takahata co-founded Ghibli with renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki in 1985 and produced a number of films that earned widespread acclaim.

"Grave of the Fireflies," a 1988 film based on Akiyuki Nosaka's novel of the same name, depicted the struggles of a young boy and his sister in the final months of World War II and won many accolades, including the Animation Jury Award and Rights of the Child Award at the 1994 Chicago International Children's Film Festival.

A native of Mie Prefecture, Takahata is also known for producing Miyazaki's film "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" in 1984, a story about a princess involved in a war on a post-apocalyptic Earth where humankind is threatened by environmental disaster.

The animation movie director, known for his composition of layers of well thought-out shots, shed light on social issues including war and the environment in a number of works based on extensive research.

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