Tatsuya Nagamine was a well–known director who created many memorable scenes in anime. Unfortunately, he passed away at the age of 53. On November 13, 2025, came the announcement as part of a memorial service at Tokyo's Toei Animation studio. Nagamine died on August 20, according to scriptwriter Osamu Suzuki and composer Kouhei Tanaka.It was strange not to see him work on One Piece and Dragon Ball Super for this year, though. Now people understand why. The anime community is heartbroken. Fans everywhere are sharing their favorite moments from his work.Many are calling Dragon Ball Super: Broly the greatest anime film ever made. And honestly? They have got a point. Nagamine brought something special to everything he touched. But his impact on Dragon Ball Super changed action anime forever.Tatsuya Nagamine's Dragon Ball Super LegacySon Goku (Image Credit: Toei Animation)When Tatsuya Nagamine became the director of Dragon Ball Super at episode 77, the show got a lot better. The animation looked nicer, and the fights were more exciting. He helped direct episodes 77 to 131. These episodes had the coolest battles in the Tournament of Power.The show looked smoother when he worked on it. The timing was better, and there were lots of amazing scenes that fans still love. But his best work was the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie in 2018. Many fans think it is the best Dragon Ball movie ever made. The new Broly story was really fun to watch. The fights were crazy and full of action. The final battle with Goku, Vegeta, and Broly was super cool. Every punch looked strong, and the characters moved really smoothly. The camera angles and shots in the movie made everything look even more awesome. That style was something Nagamine was really good at.The One Piece RevolutionMonkey D. Luffy (Image Credit: Toei Animation)Fans of Dragon Ball were aware of Tatsuya Nagamine's brilliance. But his One Piece work may be even more remarkable. The show got a makeover when he took over as series director for the Wano arc in 2019. The colors became more vivid. The animation got smoother all the time. Episodes had the feel of movies. Fans of Dragon Ball Super were unsurprised. However, fans of One Piece were taken aback. Ten Wano episodes, featuring Luffy's Gear 5 premiere, were directed by Tatsuya Nagamine. In 2012, he also directed One Piece Film Z.The screenwriter, Osamu Suzuki, even recounted a story about working with him on that film. The director was hard at the beginning of the making of Dragon Ball Super and One Piece. Nagamine, however, bowed and thanked Suzuki once the work was done. Suzuki nearly started crying. It showed what Nagamine was really made of. He may have looked gruff, but he would be touched.Beyond Dragon Ball Super and One PieceSome of his other projects (Image Credit: Toei Animation)In 2004, Tatsuya Nagamine began working with Toei Animation. He spent twenty years at the studio. He appeared in numerous more series before Dragon Ball Super: Broly. He was the director of HappinessCharge Pretty Cure! and HeartCatch PreCure! In addition, he produced a few Pretty Cure films. He also contributed to Saint Seiya Omega.Nagamine even worked on Powerpuff Girls Z. He could do almost anything. Whether it was magical girl transformations or the craziest fights in Dragon Ball Super, Nagamine brought that same passion.Composer Kouhei Tanaka called him "a key contributor to the anime One Piece" at the memorial. He remembered Nagamine's talk during meetings and said he wanted to hear it one more time. That energy defined everything Tatsuya Nagamine made for Dragon Ball Super and beyond.ConclusionTatsuya Nagamine still had so much more he could have created. But the anime he created will last forever. Dragon Ball Super: Broly is one of the greatest animated action films ever made. His input on the Wano arc also raised the bar for weekly anime quality. His impact can be seen in Dragon Ball Super, One Piece, Pretty Cure, and loads of others.One of anime’s greatest creators, gone. Fans are left without the creator who brought their favourite characters to life.Rest in peace, Tatsuya Nagamine. Thank you for all the amazing Dragon Ball Super and One Piece moments and everything else you gave us.