Yuji Nunokawa, one of studio Pierrot’s founders and the former chairman, passed away on December 25 at the age of 75. The funeral will be private for family members, while the studio will hold a farewell ceremony at a later date. Studio Pierrot posted the announcement on their official Twitter in English:
Nunokawa as born in Sakata, Yamagata. After graduating from Nihon Design School he worked as an animator and director at Mushi Production, Studio Jack, and Tatsunoko Production. He worked on The Ultraman (storyboard), Time Bokan (episode director), original Urusei Yatsura, and more. He founded Pierrot in 1979 along with former employees of Tatsunoko Production and Mushi Production.
Over the years, Yuji Nunokawa worked as a producer on a number of titles: The Three Little Ghosts, multiple Naruto movies (including Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire), and Bleach movies (including Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody). He did the planning for Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie – Poltergeist Report.
Studio Pierrot made a name for itself through numerous adaptations of popular long-running titles such as Urusei Yatsura, Bleach, Naruto, Osomatsu-kun, Tokyo Ghoul, and more recently Black Clover, Boruto, and Kingdom.
Source: Natalie, Studio Pierrot’s Official Twitter Account