Leiji Matsumoto, known for antiwar anime, space tales, dies

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Leiji Matsumoto, the anime creator known for ”Space Battleship Yamato” and other classics, has died at age 85. His manga works “Galaxy Express 999” and “Space Pirate Captain Herlock” were adapted into television anime series in the 1970s and became huge hits. He was known for a fantastical style and created many manga in the battlefield comics genre. His antiwar theme came from his father, an elite wartime pilot who returned from battlefields saying wars should never be fought. His office said Matsumoto died of acute heart failure in a Tokyo hospital on Feb. 13.