Takahata, Isao

Date of death: April 5, 2018 Isao Takahata is one of the most famous directors of anime, or Japanese animated films. Born in Ujiyamada (now Ise), Mie prefecture, Japan, he is a long-term colleague of Hayao Miyazaki and co-head at Studio Ghibli. His five animated films at Studio Ghibli have spanned a remarkable range of genres: war-film (Hotaru no Haka), romantic drama (Omoide Poroporo), comedy (Tonari no Yamada-kun), ecological adventure (Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko), and historical fantasy (Kaguya-hime no Monogatari). Of these, Hotaru no Haka, in particular, is widely considered one of the greatest animated films ever made. (Source: Wikipedia)