http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=584245  

The link has an official statement from Media Factory in Japanese, if someone wouldn't mind translating.

He died at 41 of cancer.  If the comments are to be believed, he was close to finishing the volumes of the show.  Another poster had this quote from him on twitter in 2011:
"Novel author Yamaguchi Noboru posted in his twitter that he will be hospitalized tomorrow and will take a major surgery in August. He said he would have been dead if he had missed the chance to take the operation. "The 21st volume of Zero no Tsukaima novel will be delayed at least for two months. Please forgive me! Damn! I'll live on. I had been desperate, but I miraculously got an opportunity to take the operation. There is a possibility of survival. I really want to live.""

If you've never seen it, it's a pretty popular anime as well, I enjoyed it a lot.  One of the main characters are voiced by Rie Kugimiya, famous for her tsundere roles, such as Aisaka Taiga and Shana, as well as Louise in this show.  Just thought this was worth posting for anime fans, he was a bit too young for this. 

May he rest in peace. My best wishes for the family and friends.

It is really really sad. I frikin loved ZnT. One of the funniest anime out there and probably what defined tsundere for me with Louise. Not to mention, season 2 ending had to be for me the most touching ending to an anime I ever saw. I am not gonna lie, I think I may even have shed some manly tears over the last scenario when Saito rushes into the battlefield all by himself, against 70,000 soldiers. Epic doesn't describe the scenario properly.

So sad to see him go. My prayers and condolences go to him of course. What a great author he was.

rip

Ouch. That's really saddening.

We need translators for that.

rip I will start looking into your work. It seems great.

An ecchi harem? No wonder I've never read it.

Anywho still a sad loss.

Yeah I suppose it is that, but he never really considers anyone else outside the main character.  The comedy and innuendo definitely make the anime fun, but the romance is pretty good.  I'd say the anime is most notable for being one of the prime examples of a tsundere female lead, voiced by someone known for that kind of role.  The lead is also pretty badass most of the time, rather than the wimp that seems to pervade anime.

If anyone gives the show a shot and likes it, I'd suggest looking into Toradora! and Shakugan no Shana too, all the females are voiced by the same lady, she's really popular for her funny and adorable characters.  My favorite one of hers is probably Taiga.

Have you seen the final season?  I haven't yet, gotta get on that.  And yeah, the ending to that season was epic, he did a number on those troops with his trusty sword.

Yeah I watched the final season when it came out. If you think Derf was cool in the second season, wait till you get towards the end of season 4. I won't spoil it but there definitely was a wtf moment towards the end in regards to Derf. Final season was good and I really liked the ending to the anime but second season was still my favourite among them. In fact it was so good that it made me go and actually read fan translation of the visual novel, which is what the anime is derived from. I got to say the VNs are much MUCH more descriptive. The anime cut back on a LOT of stuff and changed many things. I would like to know how the ending in the VNs turned out but the final volume has not been translated yet. From what I hear, the final boss of season 4 and how it ended was completely different from what the original VN had. Nonetheless it was still good :)