Atsuko Tanaka, the Voice of Ghost in the Shell‘s Major, Has Died

Prolific Japanese dependable histrion Atsuko Tanaka, known for her relation as Motoko Kusanagi successful the Ghost successful the Shell anime, has passed distant astatine 61.

Tanaka’s son, Hikaru Tanaka, announced her decease connected Twitter, revealing that the dependable histrion passed distant connected August 20.

“I would similar to explicit my deepest gratitude connected behalf of the fans who loved Atsuko Tanaka, and to the manufacture radical who took attraction of her during her lifetime. It is precise unfortunate that we person to denote the mother-daughter narration successful this way,” Hikaru wrote, according to a instrumentality translation from Oricon News.

“At her request, we volition not uncover the circumstantial sanction of the disease, but including her year-long conflict with illness, I deliberation she lived a beingness that was emblematic of Tanaka, serious, dignified, and a small playful,” Hikaru continued. “I americium genuinely blessed to person specified a arrogant mother.”

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

Even if this is the archetypal clip you’ve work Tanaka’s name, chances are you’ve heard her dependable before, seeing however she made a vocation retired of voicing the coolest women successful anime and manga. Aside from her legendary relation arsenic Major Kusanagi, who she played since the archetypal 1995 movie adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s manga, including crossed Standalone Complex and its follow-ups, Tanaka besides voiced Konan successful Naruto, Bayonetta successful the Bayonetta series, Lisa Lisa successful JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Kaine successful Nier Replicant, and astir precocious Flamme successful Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, conscionable to sanction a fewer of her iconic roles.

アニメ『葬送のフリーレン』のフランメ役・田中敦子さんが2024年8月20日に逝去されました。
『葬送のフリーレン』へのご出演とその演技に改めて御礼をお伝えすると共に、ご冥福を心よりお祈り申し上げます。#フリーレン#frieren pic.twitter.com/JDBsH7S2Cl

— 『葬送のフリーレン』アニメ公式 (@Anime_Frieren) August 20, 2024

The societal media accounts of Frieren, Naruto‘s Studio Pierrot, Nier, and Ghost successful the Shell wrote obituaries successful her honor.

“Since the merchandise of Ghost successful the Shell successful 1995, Atsuko Tanaka has worked connected galore films, including Ghost successful the Shell: Stand Alone Complex,” the connection from the Ghost successful the Shell account reads successful part. “In the galore Ghost successful the Shell series, she played the unsocial quality The Major with a beingness that is some quiescent and almighty and afloat of charm. We would similar to explicit our heartfelt gratitude and our deepest condolences.”

A caller adaptation of the manga, developed by Science Saru and Production I.G., is presently successful improvement for merchandise successful 2026–it’s chartless if Tanaka would person reprised her relation arsenic the Major, oregon if the bid volition present person to recast 1 of the astir enduring performances successful anime.

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