According to her son Hikaru Tanaka, Atsuko Tanaka, a beloved voice actress, passed away at the age of 61 from an undisclosed illness.
Tanaka is a highly prolific voice actor, renowned for her standout performance in the iconic cyberpunk anime series Ghost in the Shell. Her notable role as protagonist Motoko Kusanagi began with the beloved 1995 anime film.
In the 1990s, Tanaka began her career as a voice actress. She contributed her voice to numerous highly praised projects, such as Berserk, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Great Teacher Onizuka.
In addition to her previous roles, she has also lent her voice to characters such as Konan in Naruto Shippuden, Hanami in Jujutsu Kaisen, Flamme in Frieran, Lisa Lisa in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Caster in the Fate franchise, and Ryoko Tamiya in Parasyte: The Maxim.
On August 20, 2024, Hikaru Tanaka shared the news of his mother’s passing through a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). In his message, he expressed gratitude to all those who had supported him and his family during this difficult time. While the cause of his mother’s death was not disclosed, it was revealed that she had passed away due to an illness.
To everyone who has always supported me pic.twitter.com/rfzWhMbsIl
— Hikaru Tanaka (@HikaruTanaka_va) August 20, 2024
The passing of Tanaka has greatly impacted her fans and the anime community. Countless individuals are grieving her loss and expressing gratitude for her significant contributions to numerous beloved projects.
One user on X expressed their gratitude, saying, “Thank you for everything. Rest above and beyond and watch over us as one of the angels in heaven.”The comment was made in response to a post on the anime website, X.
Another person wrote, “Atsuko Tanaka, may you rest in peace. Thank you for bringing so many characters to life. Your memory will always remain in our hearts,”before quoting Frieran’s words: “‘Plant flowers around my grave.’”
“The performance of Konan by the late Atsuko Tanaka was truly exceptional. As expressed by a third individual, they hope she rests in peace, while a fourth person shared that she was their introduction to anime. Rest in peace, Atsuko Tanaka.”
In addition to her involvement in anime projects, Tanaka also lent her voice to various video game characters such as Hood in Azur Lane, Harumi Kiyama in A Certain Magical Index: Imaginary Fest, and Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2 and 3.
The anime community is greatly saddened by Tanaka’s passing. However, it provides us with an opportunity to revisit her exceptional works. Take a look at our comprehensive guides on Naruto episodes and filler as well as everything we know about Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3.
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