Jun Maeda has been diagnosed with pharyngeal cancer after a thorough medical examination following more pronounced pain and swelling in his throat this summer. Maeda has chosen not to pursue active treatment and instead will focus on palliative care, wishing to conserve his strength and devote himself to his creative work. VISUAL ARTS president and CEO Genki Tenkumo has provided a statement detailing Maeda's plans as well as the status of his projects. nhp.visual-arts.jp/wp/wp-con…

Jun Maeda is a one-of-a-kind talent who co-founded Key, a visual novel brand synonymous with emotionally-gripping stories. Through writing stories and composing music, he brought to life so many unforgettable titles such as Kanon, AIR, CLANNAD, Little Busters, Angel Beats, and Heaven Burns Red. Before Key, he was at Tactics where he was known for MOON and ONE. ONE in particular inspired someone to become a game scenario writer, birthing a visual novel named "Tsukihime." Kinoko Nasu loved ONE so much that the prototype version of Shiki even had a more aggressive personality like Kouhei's. The PS1 version of ONE was what also led Nasu to use NVL format for his visual novels. It truly is incredible how beloved his works are globally through games and anime. These past few years alone I'm grateful we got official translations for the ONE remake, AIR, and Kanon which will allow easier access to his works and further solidify his legacy. And these final words in the announcement also shows his dedication to what he loves doing: "Maeda is currently hospitalized, but even under these circumstances, he remains strongly determined to devote himself to creative work through to the very end."