Martian Successor Nadesico Director Tatsuo Satō Passes Away at 61
The anime world has been shaken by the loss of Tatsuo Satō, the name behind one of the legendary productions of the 90s, Martian Successor Nadesico. According to the official statement released on May 7, 2026, the master director passed away on April 24, 2026, at the age of 61 due to liver failure. This sad news, announced by the NAGOMI animation studio, revealed that Satō had been receiving treatment for some time but unfortunately could not be saved. At the request of his family, the funeral was held privately with the attendance of close friends and relatives.
Tatsuo Satō was known in the anime industry for his innovative perspective, particularly in the science fiction and mecha genres. The 1996 production Martian Successor Nadesico broke the classic molds of the mecha genre at the time, successfully blending both comedy and deep drama, and garnered a massive fan base. Satō's success was not limited to television series; he won the prestigious Seiun Award (Japan's equivalent of the Hugo Award) with the 1998 film Martian Successor Nadesico: The Motion Picture – Prince of Darkness. The director confirmed his mastery of the genre by winning this award for the second time in 2013 with the Bodacious Space Pirates (Mōretsu Pirates) series.
Starting his career at the Ajia-do studio and a graduate of Waseda University, Satō proved his artistic depth not only with action-packed scenes but also with surreal and award-winning short films such as Cat Soup (Nekojiru-so). The artist, who took on directing and screenwriting roles in productions such as Stellvia of the Universe, Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars, and Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed,
