Kadokawa’s Harta magazine recently announced that the creator of the Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto manga, Nami Sano, has tragically passed away at just age 36.
Details about her passing were released on the official Harta magazine Twitter account, including the cause of death as well as a letter from Sano which contains her last message to fans.
This passing hits especially hard for many manga fans, especially as Sano’s other manga was just about to release its anime adaptation later this year.
Nami Sano’s Untimely Passing Hits Hard
Nami Sano was a manga artist from Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, and she became well-known for her comedy series Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto, which was serialized in Harta magazine from 2012 to 2015.
After this series, Sano worked on another manga titled Migi to Dali. While this manga features her distinct art style, it is not a comedy like Sakamoto. Instead, it’s a mystery series following a pair of twins.
While the Migi to Dali manga ended in 2021, the series was picked up by studio Geek Toys (of Dead Mount Death Play fame) and CompTown for an anime adaptation.
Sadly, Sano won’t be able to see the anime for herself as she passed away just a few months before the show’s premiere this October.
Migi to Dali is Sano’s second manga to get an anime as Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto got an anime adaptation in 2016 by Studio Deen (the studio behind the Junji Ito Collection and the first two seasons of KonoSuba).
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Kadokawa Shares Details on Nami Sano’s Passing
Sano’s passing was revealed by Harta magazine through its official Twitter account earlier today. The tweet has a letter from the Harta editorial department along with Sano’s family.
It was revealed there that Sano passed away on August 5 due to cancer. While it wasn’t revealed what type of cancer she was diagnosed with, Sano was diagnosed just a month before her death.
During her battle with the illness, Sano has been in the process of planning her next manga.
The announcement also revealed that a funeral was held for Sano by her relatives on August 7 and 8.
Finally, Sano’s letter featured a farewell from the author to her family and supporters.
While she sadly won’t be able to watch it, fans can support the Migi to Dali anime when it premieres in October 2023.
Get the latest anime news and info by following us on Twitter @epicstreamanime.
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