Macross 7's current Yomimono coverage is defined by the death of character designer Kenichiro Katsura on September 30, 2026, and a December 2026 Max Factory model re-release of Nekki Basara and Mylene Flare Jenius.
Macross 7 coverage over the past months turns on two separate events: the death of the animator who shaped its characters and a model re-release built around two of those characters. Kenichiro Katsura, the character designer on Macross 7, died on September 30, 2026, at age 59 while undergoing medical treatment for illness. His wife, Akiko Miyaji, announced the death on Twitter, and news of his passing was carried by the bereaved family on October 5. The funeral was held with only close relatives in attendance. Katsura's work on Macross 7 was part of a longer career that also included character design on Knight's & Magic and SYNDUALITY Noir, plus work on the VIPER series, ToHeart2, Comic Party Revolution, the OVA of Utawarerumono, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. On SYNDUALITY Noir and Knight's & Magic he was also chief animation director. Both production committees issued statements on October 5, saying they received tremendous dedication from Katsura and expressing condolences to his family and staff.
The other thread is commercial. Max Factory will re-release plastic models of Nekki Basara and Mylene Flare Jenius from Macross 7 in its minimum factory series in December 2026. Each kit is 1/20 scale and comes with a dedicated base that connects to form a '7' shape. The re-release follows fan demand. Together the two stories put Macross 7 in a retrospective position: its lead characters are back in kit form, and one of the people responsible for their design is being mourned by the productions he worked on.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Oct 5
Animator and character designer Kenichiro Katsura died on September 30, 2026, at age 59 while undergoing medical treatment for illness, according to his wife, Akiko Miyaji, who announced his death on Twitter. News of his passing was carried by the bereaved family on October 5. The funeral was held with only close relatives in attendance. Katsura handled character design on Macross 7, Knight's & Magic, and SYNDUALITY Noir, and worked across anime and game titles over many years, including the VIPER series, ToHeart2, Comic Party Revolution, the OVA of Utawarerumono, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. On SYNDUALITY Noir and Knight's & Magic he worked as both character designer and chief animation director. Both production committees issued statements on October 5, saying they received tremendous dedication from Katsura and expressing condolences to his family and staff.
Jul 14
Max Factory will re-release plastic models of Nekki Basara and Mylene Flare Jenius from Macross 7 in its minimum factory series in December 2026. Each 1/20 scale kit comes with a dedicated base that connects to form a '7' shape. The re-release follows fan demand.