[Obituary] Manga Artist Ryoichiro Kezuka Dies at 36; Record Journey Drew Attention from Music Fans

Record Journey (JP: 音盤紀行) manga artist Ryoichiro Kezuka passed away in late May at the age of 36. The editorial department of KADOKAWA’s manga magazine Aokishi announced his death on its official X account.

Aokishi Editorial Department Pays Tribute to Ryoichiro Kezuka

In a message addressed to readers, the official account stated:
“To our readers, manga artist Ryoichiro Kezuka passed away in late May. He made his debut with Record Journey, which appeared in the inaugural issue of Aokishi, and continued to contribute to the magazine thereafter. In addition to his serialized work Record Journey, Otomachi Records, a collection of works he created before his debut, was also published.”

The statement continued:

“Each of his works was filled with a love of music and manga, and was warmly received both in Japan and overseas. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who loved Kezuka’s work.

“We hope that the works created by Kezuka, who loved both manga and music, will continue to be read for many years to come by manga lovers and music lovers alike. We believe the brilliance of his work will live on forever.”

Kezuka was born in March 1990 and made his professional debut through KADOKAWA’s manga magazine Aokishi.

His interconnected manga series Record Journey, which centers on vinyl records, attracted widespread attention during its serialization in Aokishi. His first collected volume, Record Journey, was released by KADOKAWA in May 2022 and drew interest from manga readers and music fans alike.

Source : ORICON NEWS