The manga
industry is in mourning after the confirmation of a significant loss. The
editorial department of Comic Newtype officially announced on
February 13 the death of Ryuko Azuma, renowned author of works such
as Space Battleship Yamato NEXT Star Blazers Lambda. According to
the statement, the death occurred in September 2025.
The news
was shared through the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the media,
where it was explained that the death of the artist was sudden and occurred
while he was working on his current serialization.
Ryuko
Azuma Passing Details
The
editorial team expressed their deep regret in the statement, "We are
overwhelmed with deep sadness at the sudden news of his passing while he was in
the midst of writing Duffle Coat Army Episode 19."
It was also
reported that the funeral was held privately, with only close relatives
present. The editorial department offered its condolences and highlighted
respect for the creative achievements of the author, who had been actively
publishing ambitious works in recent years.
Notable
works
Ryuko Azuma
made his mark on the industry with sci-fi and action titles:
- Duffle Coat Army (Serialization in
progress in Comic Newtype).
- Space Battleship Yamato NEXT
Star Blazers Lambda.
- Iron-Armed Adam (Tetsuwan Adam,
published by Shueisha).
Future
of his works
Regarding Duffle
Coat Army, the publisher revealed that there are unpublished materials,
including uncompiled stories, draft manuscripts and concepts for the future
plot. Although the serialization will conclude with the chapters already
released, the publication of a book compiling these posthumous materials is
planned. Details on this release will be announced soon on the Comic
Newtype website and social media.
