Novelist and screenwriter Jinzo Toriumi died of liver cancer on Thursday morning at a hospital in Shinjuku. He was 78. A funeral service will be held on the 20th.

Toriumi was involved in many television projects throughout his career, especially in animation. Until the late 1970s, he worked for Tatsunoko Production, planning and writing series such as "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" and "Yatterman."