Studio Ghibli veteran animator Makiko Futaki passed away on 13 May, 2016 at the age of 57. She worked on all of Studio Ghibli’s biggest hits, including 2002 Oscar-winner Spirited Away.
Futaki, who died in a Tokyo hospital from an unspecified illness, worked for Studio Ghibli for three decades. The studio is known for its simple kind of traditional animation and Futaki enhanced this art and distinct feature of the studio to a great extent.
Born on 19 June, 1958, Futaki began her career with cine-calligraphy films. She dedicated her talent and skill as an animator for all of legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki’s productions including Howl’s Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and 2013’s The Wind Rises.
She also worked as a key animator on Akira, the iconic 1988 feature adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s cyberpunk manga, which the author directed. Her last work with the animation studio was When Marnie Was There by Japanese director Hiromasa Yonebayashi in 2013.
