Matt Schley
October 16, 2024 
Sad news from the world of anime art direction: longtime art director Yukihiro Shibutani has died at age 63.
Shibutani reportedly died on September 15 of this year following a long chronic illness. Aside from art direction, Shibutani was also known as a background artist and the representative director of GAKIpro Astudio.
Shibutani was born in 1960 in Tsuruta, a town in Aomori Prefecture. He joined the staff of Ishigaki Production in his 20s and worked on properties such as Akira, Lupin III, Detective Conan, Gintama and Natsume’s Book of Friends.
The official Twitter account of Natsume’s Book of Friends posted a tribute to Shibutani, saying that “he has been a pillar of the art department since the first season, bringing the story to life with warmth, tenderness, and beauty.”
Source: Yahoo
