Emi Shinohara, the cherished voice actor known for her iconic roles in Sailor Moon and various Naruto characters, passed away at the age of 61 on September 8, 2024.
This tragic news was shared by 81 Produce, Shinohara’s talent agency, on their official website. The veteran voice actor, who had lent her voice to numerous significant anime titles, succumbed to an unknown condition while receiving treatment.
The agency’s website states: “[Sad news] Shinohara Emi (real name Watanabe Emiko), an actor affiliated with our company, passed away on September 8, 2024, at the age of 61, while undergoing medical treatment. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness shown to us during her lifetime.”
This loss profoundly impacts the anime community, as Shinohara voiced many memorable characters, including Sailor Jupiter from Sailor Moon, Kushina Uzumaki from Naruto Shippuden, Mizuki Kaho from Cardcaptor Sakura, and Katsuko from Loveless.
It’s with a heavy heart we report that Emi Shinohara has passed away at the age of 61. She is mostly known for being the voice of Sailor Jupiter/ Makoto Kino in Sailor Moon, Kaho Mizuki in Cardcaptor Sakura, Nagisa Tsukikage in MIX, and Ryoko Komi in Komi can’t communicate,… pic.twitter.com/HWaTZFHEyu
— Weekly Shougakukan Edition ➡️ Anime NYC (@Wsstalkback) September 10, 2024
In addition to her anime contributions, Shinohara also dubbed foreign films into Japanese. Notable roles in dubbing include Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz (originally portrayed by Judy Garland), Taptip from The King and I (originally Rita Moreno), and Matilda from Leon (originally Natalie Portman).
In the wake of this announcement, fans are mourning her death and celebrating her impressive career on social media. One fan shared, “Rip Emi Shinohara, Kushina, Natsuhi, and Misuzu, thanks for voicing so many great mom characters.”
Another user expressed their sorrow saying, “My deepest condolences to families, friends, and relatives. Last month too, Atsuko Tanaka passed away. This is unreal,” drawing attention to the loss of another anime voice actor in August 2024. Interestingly, Tanaka also voiced a character in Naruto Shippuden – Konan.
“Rest in peace, Shinohara-san. She has more noteworthy roles than Kushina, like Natsuhi from Umineko, Biko from Project A-Ko, and Kekkou Kamen,” contributed a third user.
One user lamented, “NOOOOOO. 61?!! She was young, man. We are having an awful year with so many legends passing.”
As we honor Shinohara’s legacy and her significant contributions to the anime industry, it’s an ideal moment to revisit some of her exemplary works.
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