Yoshinori Kanada, perhaps better known as Iko Kanada, passed away on 7/21 due to cardiac arrest. I received the phone call the following morning, and by afternoon the news had spread like a tidal wave throughout the industry. The great Iko Kanada is dead. He was not only a genius, but like a god to us. He had single-handedly changed the anime style forever. Young anime viewers may not even recognize his name, but that action anime you are watching right now has his artistic DNA imprinted deep within it. Many of us won't even be in this industry if it weren't for his generosity and talent. I was very fortunate and honored to have been able to work closely with him during the Final Fantasy feature film production, as well as the many times before then when I worked on his projects as some anonymous staff member. This is such a sad, sad day for all of us who knew him.

Kanada-san, gomeifuku wo oinori itashimasu (may you rest in peace.)