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Yūji Kokai, a longtime Yu-Gi-Oh! mechanical designer, animator, and animation director, has died at the age of 57, The 21 of August of 2021

Born on November 5, 1963, Yūji Kokai lent his talents to every Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series from Duel Monsters through VRAINS. He was most frequently hired as a mecha/prop designer and a mecha animation director, but he also worked as a key animator, first joined the Yu-Gi-Oh! family in Duel Monsters episode 114, where he is credited as a mecha designer. He retained that position throughout the remainder of that series. In GX, he was invited as a guest mecha designer for the first 18 episodes of the show and also worked as a key animator for one episode.
But it was in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s where Kokai was most prolific, serving as the mecha designer and mecha animation director for the entire run of the show while also periodically working as an animation director and key animator.

As the mecha designer for 5D’s, Kokai had the privilege and the challenge of designing the show’s D-Wheels (Duel Runners), a job that came about thanks to his time on Duel Monsters.
The director of 5D’s, Katsumi Ono, was looking for someone who could adeptly draw motorcycles and their mechanics. Ono saw the motorcycle model sheets that Kokai had created during Duel Monsters’ run and liked his work, so he provided Kokai with a rough draft of the D-Wheel and asked him to refine and animate the drawing. Kokai submitted some new drawings of the D-Wheel, which were well received. Afterward he was invited by Gallop to be the D-Wheel designer and animation director for every 5D’s episode.

Kokai always wanted to animate a robot himself, he said. For him, that robot turned out to be a D-Wheel. The task was difficult, and agonizing even, but ultimately he was glad to have participated.

Kokai’s mecha-creation role continued in Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time. Although it was famed Yu-Gi-Oh! animator Takahiro Kagami who designed the transforming D-Wheel used by Paradox in the film, Kagami credited Kokai for taking Kagami’s rough drawings and turning them into the mechanical marvel seen on the big screen.

After 5D’s ended, Kokai almost didn’t get to continue working on ZEXAL after the entire 5D’s team was removed from that show. Fortunately, the producers brought them back. Kokai joined the show as a key animator, animation checker, and prop designer. His contributions include Esper Robin (The Sparrow), Akari’s (Kari’s) motorcycle, the WDC’s Duel Coaster, Shark’s motorcycle, Vector’s Master Key Beetle, and Kurage (Chironex) and his jellyfish. Kokai also took part in the show’s sixth ending animation, but his poor health prevented him from completing his work. Animator Momoko Makiuchi, who worked on the same animation team as Kokai, finished his work for him.

Kokai returned in ARC-V, sharing the role of prop designer with Makiuchi and designing the D-Wheels in that series. He also took on the duty of animation director for one episode.

Kokai’s final contributions to Yu-Gi-Oh! came in The Dark Side of Dimensions, where he was hired as one of the mecha/prop designers, and in VRAINS, where he served as a key animator for one episode.

Description
Yūji Kokai, a longtime Yu-Gi-Oh! mechanical designer, animator, and animation director, has died at the age of 57, The 21 of August of 2021

Born on November 5, 1963, Yūji Kokai lent his talents to every Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series from Duel Monsters through VRAINS. He was most frequently hired as a mecha/prop designer and a mecha animation director, but he also worked as a key animator, first joined the Yu-Gi-Oh! family in Duel Monsters episode 114, where he is credited as a mecha designer. He retained that position throughout the remainder of that series. In GX, he was invited as a guest mecha designer for the first 18 episodes of the show and also worked as a key animator for one episode.
But it was in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s where Kokai was most prolific, serving as the mecha designer and mecha animation director for the entire run of the show while also periodically working as an animation director and key animator.

As the mecha designer for 5D’s, Kokai had the privilege and the challenge of designing the show’s D-Wheels (Duel Runners), a job that came about thanks to his time on Duel Monsters.
The director of 5D’s, Katsumi Ono, was looking for someone who could adeptly draw motorcycles and their mechanics. Ono saw the motorcycle model sheets that Kokai had created during Duel Monsters’ run and liked his work, so he provided Kokai with a rough draft of the D-Wheel and asked him to refine and animate the drawing. Kokai submitted some new drawings of the D-Wheel, which were well received. Afterward he was invited by Gallop to be the D-Wheel designer and animation director for every 5D’s episode.

Kokai always wanted to animate a robot himself, he said. For him, that robot turned out to be a D-Wheel. The task was difficult, and agonizing even, but ultimately he was glad to have participated.

Kokai’s mecha-creation role continued in Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time. Although it was famed Yu-Gi-Oh! animator Takahiro Kagami who designed the transforming D-Wheel used by Paradox in the film, Kagami credited Kokai for taking Kagami’s rough drawings and turning them into the mechanical marvel seen on the big screen.

After 5D’s ended, Kokai almost didn’t get to continue working on ZEXAL after the entire 5D’s team was removed from that show. Fortunately, the producers brought them back. Kokai joined the show as a key animator, animation checker, and prop designer. His contributions include Esper Robin (The Sparrow), Akari’s (Kari’s) motorcycle, the WDC’s Duel Coaster, Shark’s motorcycle, Vector’s Master Key Beetle, and Kurage (Chironex) and his jellyfish. Kokai also took part in the show’s sixth ending animation, but his poor health prevented him from completing his work. Animator Momoko Makiuchi, who worked on the same animation team as Kokai, finished his work for him.

Kokai returned in ARC-V, sharing the role of prop designer with Makiuchi and designing the D-Wheels in that series. He also took on the duty of animation director for one episode.

Kokai’s final contributions to Yu-Gi-Oh! came in The Dark Side of Dimensions, where he was hired as one of the mecha/prop designers, and in VRAINS, where he served as a key animator for one episode.