Japanese voice actress Atsuko Tanaka passed away yesterday, August 20. Her son, Hikaru Tanaka shared the heartbreaking news on Twitter/X in a heartfelt message.

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

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The message translates as follows:

“On August 20, 2024, my mother, the voice actress Atsuko Tanaka, peacefully passed away.

To all the fans who loved Atsuko Tanaka,

To everyone in the industry who worked with her during her lifetime,

I would like to express my deepest gratitude on behalf of her.

It is with great regret that I must inform you of this parent-child relationship in such a manner.

As per her wishes, I will not disclose the specific illness, but she bravely fought it for over a year with grace, humor, and strength. I believe it was a life that was truly characteristic of Atsuko Tanaka.

I feel truly blessed to have had such a proud mother.

Lastly,

Please do not forget that Atsuko Tanaka poured her heart and soul into the characters she loved and brought to life. And Atsuko Tanaka, the voice actress, herself.

With love and respect for the woman and voice actress that was my mother,

I sign this message with love.

August 20, 2024

Hikaru Tanaka”

As per Hikaru’s message, Atsuko Tanaka’s cause of death will not be disclosed other than being an unspecified illness.

Atsuko is widely praised by fans for her versatile voice, which graced some of the most beloved roles in anime series, video games, and movies. Some of Atsuko Tanaka’s characters include Motoko Kusanagi from “Ghost in the Shell” and Lisa Lisa from “Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures. She also voiced Bayonetta from the game series of the same name.

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The news of Atsuko Tanaka’s death left fans heartbroken, with many of them taking to social media to share their tributes to the voice actress.

Rest in Peace, Atsuko Tanaka

You voice two of my favorite characters ever. pic.twitter.com/MzxylODvZO

— 🦍Ape of the Hour🦍 (@ApeOfTheHour) August 20, 2024

“Rest in Peace, Atsuko Tanaka,” one user posted and added how she voiced their favorite characters

Rest in peace Atsuko Tanaka, thank you for giving life to so many characters, you will never leave our hearts.

"Plant flowers around my grave." 💔 https://t.co/JTWoLcmQKF pic.twitter.com/NaNOSHkHfn

— Shey' (@SheyPV) August 20, 2024

“Plant flowers around my grave,” one user posted as they retweeted Hikaru’s post and quoting a line from Atsuko’s character Flamme in “Frieren: Beyond Journey.”

Atsuko Tanaka passed away at 61.

Source: (1),(2),(3)

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