Tatsuya Nagamine, 'One Piece' and 'Dragon Ball Super' Series Director, Dies at 53

Tatsuya Nagamine, the acclaimed director behind major installments of One Piece and Dragon Ball Super, has died. The news came to light after composer Kouhei Tanaka revealed that he attended a memorial gathering for the late director at Toei Animation's Ooizumi Studio on Thursday. Nagamine was 53.

Tanaka, who composed music for various One Piece productions, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he took part in a gathering to remember the late director, praising him as one of the key contributors to the One Piece anime and recalling their energetic creative discussions. "I wish I could hear that machine-gun talk of his just one more time," Tanaka wrote.

Further confirmation was provided by scriptwriter and entrepreneur Osamu Suzuki, who worked with Nagamine on One Piece Film: Z. Suzuki wrote that he first received word of Nagamine's passing at the end of summer, though he was unable to attend the memorial due to a prior engagement. A colleague who was present informed him of the gathering held on the same day.

Suzuki shared memories of their collaboration, describing Nagamine as a director who poured unwavering commitment into his work. He recounted how the foundational story ideas for One Piece Film: Z grew from Nagamine's proposals, including the concept of former admiral Z as the film's central figure. Although their early meetings were tense, Suzuki recalled being moved when Nagamine bowed deeply and thanked him after he completed the script. "He was someone who created not just by shaving away at his soul, but his very life," he wrote.

Born in Hino City, Tokyo in October 1971, Nagamine graduated from Nihon University College of Art, where he studied cinematography. He joined Toei Animation in 1995 and made his directorial debut with Interlude in 2004.

Nagamine's career at Toei Animation spanned multiple flagship titles. In addition to directing One Piece Film: Z and Dragon Ball Super: Broly, he directed numerous episodes of the One Piece anime series, and later served as a series director for Dragon Ball Super. His dynamic style and sense of scale made him one of the studio's most recognizable contemporary directors.

Source: Nikkan Sports