Crunchyroll is sad to report that Nobuhiko Obayashi, the writer and director of decades’ worth of memorable cult films, has passed away today at the age of 82.
Obayashi has had a long career as a writer and director, abandoning plans for medical school to pursue his artistic endeavors.
In 2016, Obayashi was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and given three months to live—at which point he went on to direct and co-write the semi-autobiographical film Hanagatami.