'Naruto,' 'Bleach' anime artist dies due to work fatigue

Kazunori Mizuno, who worked as a storyboard artist and episode director of some of the most well-known anime today, recently passed away at the age of 52. The cause of his death is troubling as sources alleged that he died due to exhaustion from working.

Although he died back in March, most people only heard of it recently, after his colleagues began posting tribute messages to him on social media. According to Wow Japan, animator Kazuyoshi Yaginuma was the one who first reported his passing on Twitter. A colleague of Mizuno, the animator said that Mizuno was already feeling poorly on the day of his death. He went to take a break from working by taking a nap at the Studio Pierrot offices and passed away in his sleep. His colleagues in the industry subsequently expressed their condolences. Twitter user liborek3 then confirmed that it was overworking that killed Mizuno.

His death has made people aware of the harsh conditions that workers in the anime industry have to deal with day in and day out. With more anime projects being produced every year, and with only a handful of people working in the industry, animators will need to put in long hours to meet deadlines, all for little pay, according to Otaku Vines. The website also mentioned that artists are paid based on their output, so this means they will need to work for several hours in order to make money. The website said that animators earn less than a million yen per year. The tough working condition meant a fast turnover rate. As such, those who chose to stay in the industry will need to do more in order to meet the demand.

While some anime fans may not be familiar with the name Kazunori Mizuno, they may know some of his works. He was one of the artists who worked on various anime, including "Naruto: Shippuden," "Bleach," "Yu Yu Hakusho," "Akira," "Steamboy," and "Zoids Genesis." He has been part of the anime industry for over 30 years.