Hiroyuki Omori, who worked as the executive producer of the anime series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, has sadly passed away. Warner Bros. Japan revealed the news to Anime News Network on Sunday. The company did not provide any other details such as how he died or his age.
Hiroyuki Omori: A Distinguished Career in Anime
After working as a producer at NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan LLC, Omori joined Warner Bros. Japan in 2011. His career in the anime industry spanned more than a quarter of a century. He worked as a producer on several popular series, including Terra Formars, Highschool of the Dead, Casshern Sins and Hi Score Girl.
The series for which he is most remembered, though, is JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. An adaptation of the immensely popular Japanese manga series of the same name by Hirohiko Araki, the story focuses on the mysterious adventures of the Joestar family, beginning at the end of the 19th century, going up to the modern era. The show, which premiered in 2012, was an immediate hit both domestically and internationally. As well as being nominated for several awards, it was also included in Polygon’s list of “The Best Anime of the Decade” for the 2010s.
‘A Difficult Task’
Omori was initially unsure about going ahead with the project, admitting it would be “a difficult task.” Araki’s gekiga style was different from modern trends within the industry, and he was, therefore, concerned whether people who weren’t familiar with the manga would accept that kind of design. “There was the problem of what to do with the design,” said Omori. “But the power of the work itself has not faded, and above all, I am a big JoJo fan myself, so I decided to take on the challenge despite the difficulties.” It proved a wise choice.
