Reports swept Twitter early yesterday morning that acclaimed anime director Satoshi Kon passed away on August 24th, 2010 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Jim Vowles of Otakon confirmed his death after speaking with a representative of Madhouse, the animation studio where Kon directed several fan-favorite films. Kon was in the process of producing "Yume-Miru Kikai," (English: "The Dreaming Machine"), a feature-length animated film that he intended to be "a future folklore story."

Kon always made sure to add meaningful content to his films, elevating them to much more than simple and mindless entertainment. This had a tremendous effect on his fans and even people casually acquainted with his films, and the outpouring of grief and condolences following his passing has ranged from simple sadness to worries about how his death will affect the future of the anime industry. Many productions these days are carefully crafted to appeal to a die-hard audience of fans, and the loss of Kon's relentless and sometimes divisive creativity is going to be keenly felt in the years to come. Kon was never one to follow trends, and in fact often worked against the fads of the day.