Isao Takahata, longtime studio Ghibli director, has passed away

[Oniros]

Source is in Japanese but other news outlets have begun to report on it.

While it was inevitable for it to happen given his age, this is still heartbreaking. We just lost one of the greatest anime directors of all time. He leaves behind a monumental legacy however. His films spoke about the tragedy of war and mid-life crises but also about family, comedy, and fantasy. And this is only with Ghibli, as during the 60s and 70s he was among the industry's pioneering directors. His influence cannot be truly measured.

May you rest in peace, Takahata-san. While I cannot bring myself to rewatch Grave of the Firefiles, I will always say that it is the best war film ever made.