Although we rarely see their faces, voice actors have brought many of our favourite characters to life through their skill and talent. Their contributions to animation, gaming and audiobooks should never go unnoticed. Sadly, one such talent has left us far too soon.
Over the weekend, it was reported that Japanese voice actress Tomo Sakurai (櫻井 智) had passed away at the age of 53. Her team announced on her official social media page that she had succumbed to cancer.
According to a statement from her agency, FEATHERED, Sakurai was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August 2023. She had been undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but sadly, her condition worsened this year. She had been scheduled to hold a solo concert on 17th August (Sunday), but it was cancelled following her emergency hospitalisation.
Her agency confirmed that she passed away on 13th August (Wednesday). “Sakurai was aiming for a full recovery from her illness and was always working hard with us on her treatment. However, we are deeply saddened by this turn of events. We sincerely apologise to everyone who has supported her,” the statement read. A private funeral will be held for close relatives, while a farewell event for fans is being considered at a later date.
Tomo Sakurai made her debut back in 1987 as a member of the idol group Lemon Angel before transitioning to voice and stage acting after the group disbanded in 1990. Her first big break was in 1994 when she voiced Mylene Jenius in “Macross 7”. Other notable anime characters Sakurai voiced include:
- Marin in “Akazukin Chacha” (1994-1995)
- Misao Makimachi in “Rurouni Kenshin” (1996-1998)
- Doll Licca in “Super Doll Licca-chan” (1998-1999)
- Chigusa Sakai in “Shakugan no Shana” (2005-2011)
- Azusa Miura in “Idolmaster: Xenoglossia” (2007)
- Cynthia in the “Pokémon” series (2007-2022)
- Hinowa in “Gintama” (2009-2015)
- Kaede in “Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again” (2024)
We offer our deepest condolences to her loved ones. Her legacy will live on, and she will be dearly missed by fans.
Sources: Twitter, Crunchyroll, Feathered
