Popular voice actress Atsuko Tanaka has died at 61 from an undisclosed disease, as reported by her son Hikaru Tanaka.
One of the most prolific voice actors in the industry, Tanaka is most well known for her role in the iconic cyberpunk anime franchise Ghost in the Shell. It started with the beloved 1995 anime movie where she voiced the protagonist Motoko Kusanagi.
Tanaka started her voice acting career in the 1990s. She lent her voice to several acclaimed projects, including Berserk, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Great Teacher Onizuka.
More recently, she voiced Konan from Naruto Shippuden, Hanami from Jujutsu Kaisen, Flamme from Frieran, Lisa Lisa from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Caster from the Fate franchise, and Ryoko Tamiya from Parasyte: The Maxim.
Hikaru Tanaka announced his mother’s death on August 20, 2024 with a post on X (previously known as Twitter). In the post, he thanked everyone for supporting him and his family during the trying time. Though Tanaka died from an illness, he didn’t reveal what it was.
いつもお世話になっている皆様へ pic.twitter.com/rfzWhMbsIl
— 田中 光（Hikaru Tanaka） (@HikaruTanaka_va) August 20, 2024
Tanaka’s death has deeply affected her fans and the anime community. Many people are mourning her, thanking her for her contribution to so many beloved projects.
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“Thank you for everything. Now rest above and beyond, and be one of the eyes over heaven watching us,” commented one user on X.
“Rest in peace Atsuko Tanaka, thank you for giving life to so many characters, you will never leave our hearts,” wrote another before quoting Frieran. “‘Plant flowers around my grave.’”
“Tanaka Atsuko’s performance as Konan was truly excellent. May she rest in peace,” shared a third, while a fourth added: “She was my first exposure to anime. RIP Atsuko Tanaka.”
Aside from her anime projects, Tanaka also voiced several video game characters, including Hood from Azur Lane, Harumi Kiyama from A Certain Magical Index: Imaginary Fest, and Lara Croft from Tomb Raider 2 and 3.
Tanaka’s death is deeply upsetting for the anime community. But it gives us an excuse to revisit some of her best works. Check out everything we know about Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 and our guides to Naruto episodes and Naruto filler.
