RIP Satoshi Kon

28 Aug 2010 1 Comment

by madsilence in Japan, Life Tags: anime, Movies, obituary, Satoshi Kon

Satoshi Kon, the amazing director and creator of films such as Tokyo Godfathers and Millennium Actress has passed away at the age of 46…. (as reported in The Gazette).  While Kon’s movies have never reached the epic popularity of Ghibli films, he made amazing things happen on screen.  His movies are deep and made with passion.  I’m sad to see such a creative mind leave the world, especially with his current un-named movie unfinished.

He wrote a rambling post about the end of his time here that was posted on his blog shortly after he passed, and a fan has lovingly translated it over at “Not A Nameless Cat.

There were so many people that I wanted to see before I died, to say even one word of greeting to. Family and relatives, old friends and classmates from elementary and middle and high school, the mates I met in college, the people I met in the manga world, with whom I exchanged so much inspiration, the people in the anime world whose desks I sat next to, went drinking with, with whom I competed on on the same works, the mates with whom I shared good and bad times. The countless people I was able to know because of my position as a film director, the people who call themselves my fans not only in Japan but around the world, the friends I’d made via the web.

There are so many people that I want to see at least once (well there are some I don’t want to see too), but if I see them I’m afraid that that the thought that “I can never see this person again” will take me over, and that I wouldn’t be able to greet death gracefully. Even if I had recovered, I had very little life force left, and it took a lot of effort to see people. The more people wanted to see me, the harder it was for me to see them. What irony. In addition, my lower body was paralyzed due to the cancer spreading to my bones, and I was prone on my bed, and I didn’t want people to see my emaciated body. I wanted most of the people I knew to remember me as the Satoshi that was full of life.

I hope you’ll go over and read it.  I was really moved by his words.  It’s important to be reminded how short life is and how many blessings we receive while we’re here.  I hope that when it’s my turn one day I can go with as much dignity as Kon did, and appreciate my life and the people in it to the very end.

~MS the Younger

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