This week, anime director Satoshi Kon, aged 47, died of pancreatic cancer. Normally I don’t get all emo over something like this but Kon’s passing is truly an important and sad moment for anime. With so many shows and movies just repeating the same memes, Kon always managed to bring something new to what otherwise has felt, at times, like a tired medium.
It probably hit me the hardest when I read some of his last words:
With feelings of gratitude for all that is good in this world, I put down my pen.
Well, I'll be leaving now.
Satoshi Kon
It’s hard to explain why the words affect me as much as they do. I think that if he hadn’t died he would’ve had much more to give to anime, but at the same time I think he was satisfied with what he’d given, and was at peace with himself. I hope that when it’s that time for me, I’ll be able to be half that cool.
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