In an absolutely heartbreaking development, iconic Japanese voice actress Hikaru Tanaka has passed away at the relatively young age of 61 following a battle with an undisclosed illness.
Tanaka, whose long and storied filmography notably includes the roles of Makoto Kusanagi in the various Ghost in the Shell anime productions, the titular and bespectacled heroine of the Bayonetta video game franchise, and the Ripple-wielding Lisa Lisa in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 2: Battle Tendency, was confirmed to have died on the morning of August 20th by way of an official statement shared by her son, fellow Japanese industry voice actor Hikaru Tanaka, to his personal social media pages.
“To everyone who has always supported me: On August 20th ,2024, my mother, voice actress Atsuko Tanaka, passed away,” wrote Tanaka, as per a machine translation of his statement provided by Google Translate. “On behalf of Atsuko Tanaka herself, I would like to express my deepest grattitude to all the fans who loved her and to all the people in the industry who helped her during her lifetime.”
“It is with great sadness that we have to announce our parent-child relationship in this way,” he then admitted. “Per her wishes, we will not disclose the specific name of her illness, but even during her nearly year-long battle with illness, she seemed to have lived a life that was so typical of Atsuko Tanaka – earnest, dignified, and a little bit playful. I am truly blessed to have such a great mother.”
Drawing his brief but heartbreaking announcement to a close, Hikaru ultimately asked fans, “Last but not least, please don’t forget the works that Atsuko Tanaka was so sincerely involved in, the characters that she poured her love into, and the voice actress that is Atsuko Tanaka.”
Born in 1962 in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, the elder Tanaka first stepped into the world of performance acting thanks to her love of theater and dance.
After graduating from the private Ferris Women’s University, Tanaka would go on to find employment as an office worker while taking dance lessons and performing with a dance troupe in her off-time.
And it was during her time with said troupe that, thanks to the urging of one her fellow members, that she would begin to pursue a career in voice acting.
Beginning in the field in 1985 with a handful of minor roles, Tanaka would soon find her big break by providing the Japanese dub voice for Madeleine Stowe’s Karen Carr in the 1992 Jonathan Kaplan-directed, Kurt Russell-starring action film Unlawful Entry.
In 1993, Tanaka would officially break into the world of anime voice acting, that year providing the voice of Shrike Team member Juca Mellasch in Mobile Suit Victory Gundam.
And the rest, they would say, is history.
From there, Tanaka would go on to establish herself as one of the most prolific voice actors in all of Japanese entertainment.
Though a full run-down of her roles would be far too long for a simple news article, some of her most notable performances, in addition to those related to the aforementioned trio of Makoto Kusanagi, Bayonetta, and Lisa Lisa, include:
- The Goddess of Flame Sulan in the 1997 Berserk series
- Caster in 2014’s Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works
- Mary Sera in the anime adaptation of Case Closed!
- Silene in Netflix’s Devilman Crybaby
- Poison Ivy in Batman Ninja
- Trish throughout the entirety of her speaking appearances in Capcom’s Devil May Cry series
- Konan, the only female member of the Akatsuki, in Naruto Shippuden
- Kainé in NieR/NieR Replicant
- And the Hades Wise God Gorgon in Mahō Sentai Magiranger
In honor of Tanaka’s legacy, and at the urging of her son, those wishing to honor the voice actress’ memory would best do so by enjoying any of the numerous performances she’s given over the years (and to be honest, in terms of quality, viewers and players can’t go wrong picking almost any of the anime or video games she’s appeared in).
Rest in peace, Atsuko Tanaka. The world has lost a true talent this day.
