Films

A list of anime films that were released in theaters between January 1 and December 31, 2021.

Television series

A list of anime television series that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2021.

Original net animations

A list of original net animations that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2021.

Original video animations

A list of original video animations that debuted between January 1 and December 31, 2021.

February

• February 8: Shūichirō Moriyama, Japanese voice actor (Adieu Galaxy Express 999, Ninja Scroll, Porco Rosso), dies from pneumonia at age 86.^[293]
• February 25: Masako Sugaya, Japanese voice actress (Aim for the Ace!, Nobody's Boy Remi, Perman, Urusei Yatsura), dies at age 83 while undergoing medical treatment for an illness.^[294]
• February 27: Tasuku Saitō, Japanese animation producer (Gegege no Kitarō, Shōnen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru, Tiger Mask), dies at age 87.^[295]

March

• March 15:
  • Masahiro Anzai, Japanese voice actor (Sailor Moon, Urusei Yatsura), dies from acute heart failure at age 66.^[296]
  • Yasuo Otsuka, Japanese animator (Future Boy Conan, Lupin the Third, The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun), dies at age 89.^[297]
• March 16: Minako Shiba, Japanese animator and character designer (Black Butler, Hikaru no Go, Noir), dies at age 50.^[298]

April

• April 16: Fumio Hisamatsu, Japanese manga artist and animator (Bōken Gabotenjima, Shōnen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru, Super Jetter), dies at age 77.^[299]
• April 17: Osamu Kobayashi, Japanese animation director (Beck, End of the World, Naruto: Shippuden, Paradise Kiss), dies from a colon infection caused by kidney cancer at age 57.^[300]
• April 24: Shunsuke Kikuchi, Japanese composer (Doraemon, Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, Getter Robo, Tiger Mask), dies from aspiration pneumonia at age 89.^[301]

May

• May 6: Kentaro Miura, Japanese manga artist (Berserk), dies from acute aortic dissection at age 54.^[302]
• May 30: Haruka Nagashima, Japanese voice actress (Idol Incidents, Shiki, Sparrow's Hotel), dies at age 33 while undergoing medical treatment for an illness.^[303]

July

• July 1: Philece Sampler, American voice actress, dies from a heart attack at age 67.

August

• August 17: Masami Suda, Japanese animator and character designer (Fist of the North Star, Slam Dunk, Speed Racer), dies at age 77.^[304]

September

• September 7: Eiichi Yamamoto, Japanese animation director and screenwriter (Belladonna of Sadness, Cleopatra, Kimba the White Lion), dies at age 80.^[305]
• September 24: Takao Saitō, Japanese manga artist (Golgo 13), dies from pancreatic cancer at age 84.^[306]
• September 30: Koichi Sugiyama, Japanese music composer (Cyborg 009, Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, Space Runaway Ideon), dies from septic shock at age 90.^[307]

October

• October 18: Christopher Ayres, American voice actor and ADR director (Dragon Ball Z Kai, Dragon Ball Super, Gantz), dies from complications of COPD at age 56.^[308]
• October 21: Saori Sugimoto, Japanese voice actress (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Nintama Rantarō, Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō), dies from congestive heart failure caused by anorexia at age 58.^[309]
• October 29: Yoshiko Ota, Japanese voice actress (Himitsu no Akko-chan, Kimba the White Lion, Princess Knight), dies from heart failure at age 89.^[310]

November

• November 5: Kinji Yoshimoto, Japanese animation director (Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, Genshiken, Queen's Blade), dies at age 55.^[311]

December

• December 1: Keiko Nobumoto, Japanese screenwriter (Cowboy Bebop, Tokyo Godfathers, Wolf's Rain), dies from esophageal cancer at age 57.^[312]
• December 3: Jōji Yanami, Japanese voice actor (Dragon Ball Z, Inuyasha, One Piece) and narrator (Dragon Ball), dies at age 90.^[313]
• December 8: Mitsutoshi Furuya, Japanese manga artist (Dame Oyaji), dies from cancer at age 85.^[314]
• December 18: Sayaka Kanda, Japanese voice actress (Japanese dub voice of Anna in the Frozen franchise, Idoly Pride, Real Girl, Sword Art Online), dies from a suspected suicide at age 35.^[315]