Osamu Kobayashi (illustrator)

Osamu Kobayashi (小林 治, Kobayashi Osamu) (January 10, 1964 – April 17, 2021^[1]) was a Japanese animator, illustrator, mechanical designer, and animation director primarily known for BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and Paradise Kiss; his guest appearance as director of episode 4 of Gurren Lagann, and, most recently, episode 15 of Dororo.^[2] After graduating from high school, he worked as a designer and manga artist, but following his participation in Grandia he was mainly active in the field of animation. He originally directed avant-garde shorts and music videos for Studio 4°C and has more recently done two TV series for Madhouse Studios.^{[2][better source needed]} Kobayashi was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2019, and died on April 17, 2021, at 57 years old, from a colon infection caused by the disease.^[3] His name is occasionally rendered in full katakana to differentiate from Osamu Kobayashi, an unrelated anime episode director.