The official Twitter accounts for the Dino Girl Gauko kids anime and anime production house ascension Inc. announced on June 2 that the creator of the series, veteran anime director Akira Shigino, had passed away on May 30. He was 70 years old. The tweet states a private funeral service was held with family members and acquaintances in attendance.
Shigino was born in Hokkaido in 1954. His entry into the anime industry came through Tatsunoko Production subsidiary Anime Friend where his first credit was on the Time Bokan series in 1979. Since then, he has worked on well-known anime such as the 1980s Osomatsu-kun, popular children’s show Shimajiro and Crayon Shin-chan, 2000s Kochikame, episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, Yo-kai Watch and storyboards on Sailor Moon Crystal, among many other works. He was a member of the Japan Animation Creators Association.Dino Girl Gauko was Shigino’s latest anime work, which he created and directed. The series ran for 39, nine-minute episodes over two seasons on Netflix from November 2019 to March 2020.Our condolences go out to Shigino’s family, and we want to thank him for his contributions to the anime industry.
Sources: Comic Natalie, Nikkan Sports
