CherishedTales ofcharacter designer Mutsumi Inomata has passed away as confirmed by her sister on social media Monday. Her legacy includes working on multiple belovedTales ofRPG entries and anime series, with roles as an animation director and character designer.
As translated bySiliconera, the social media message from Inomata’s sister explained her passing was a “very sudden death.” No cause has been given. Unfortunately, Inomata has unfinished drafts she was working on. She added that Inomata is “probably surrounded by cats and creating more characters with strong eyes.”
ファン、関係者の皆さまへいのまたむつみの妹です。pic.twitter.com/yp6BCTzXcS
The end of the message gives thanks to the fans for appreciating Inomata’s work over the years. The open letter also asks not to send flowers to the grieving family.
Inomata has been associated with theTales ofseriessince its second entry,Tales of Destiny.She has worked on 12 of the series titles and has certainly left a mark on the RPG genre, including bothTales of Xilliagames. She’s known for her imaginative fantasy designs and watercolour-inspired art — a striking piece fans in the West may be most familiar with include her brilliant design on theTales of Gracescover. The artist also worked onBrain PowerandCity Hunteranime series among many others.
“I admired Inomata-san’s beautiful paintings, and eventually became a part of the industry, and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with her onThe Continent of the Wind,” saidSpace Battleship Yamato 2199character designer Nobuteru Yūki onsocial media.
“I am who I am today because I was fascinated by Inomata’s paintings, and she gave me a lot of encouragement,” saidSlayerscharacter conceptual designer Rui Araizumi. “Thank you very much for all your wonderful works.”
The last game Inomata worked on was 2017’sTales of Berseria.As of the time of writing, the game is currently 90% off onSteamuntil March 21.
