The anime and Japanese culture community mourns the loss of one of its founding fathers. Noboru Ishiguro passed away earlier this week.

There is somewhat of a disconnect from the manga and anime creators and their fans here and across the world. Very few people who are devoted to the genres we all know and love have any sort of recognition with the names who gave them life—Miyazaki-san being one of the few to gain notoriety almost as highly praised as Walt Disney here in the states, but very few creators are household names.

So when one who is passes, it’s a very surreal moment for our fandom.

Ishiguro-san was most well known for his creation of one of the earliest popular series, Space Battleship Yamato, and has worked on countless other series in his time. The community loved him for his spirit and dedication to the medium as well as his ability to relate to the fans. Every convention he attended heralded him as an inspiration and a personal joy to have welcomed. What he brought to the community was more than just creative expertise, it was love. He will be sorely missed by those who knew him, who knew his work, and who cherish the compassion of those who create anime.

Noboru Ishiguro was 73 when he passed. He is survived by his wife Yumi.