An icon in Japanese voice acting, Atsuko Tanaka has left a mark on the collective consciousness of fans, worldwide, for decades. In the course of her career, she has brought to life some of the most recognizable and quotable characters in all of anime and gaming.
Unknown Cause of Death
Whether it’s as anime characters such as Caster in Fate/Stay Night and Motoko Kusanagi (the Major) in Ghost in the Shell, or as gaming characters such as the titular Bayonetta in Bayonetta and Chun-Li in Street Fight III -Third Strike, Tanaka’s body of work has spanned genres and generations. Touching the hearts of gamers and fans alike.
On Wednesday, August 20th, 2024, Atsuko’s son Hikaru Tanaka officially announced via social media that his mother had died at the age of 61. He went on to explain that his mother passed away peacefully, after succumbing to an illness she had been battling privately for a year. He would not go on record to disclose said illness, per his mother’s request, but offered a tender and heartfelt thanks to all the fans and colleagues who had supported his mother her whole career.
A Prolific Career
Atsuko Tanaka first began her voice acting career, as Karen Carr, in the Japanese dub of Unlawful Entry: a dark comedy starring Kurt Russel, Ray Liotta, and Madeleine Stowe released in 1992. Afterward, she transferred her career over to anime and films, taking on well-known roles such as Lisa Lisa ( JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,) Coffee (Cowboy Bebop,) Margot Langer (Monster,) Fumiko (Gintama,) Elena Gotti (Lupin the Third,) and Hanami in Jujutsu Kaisen.
Not to be outdone by her impressive resume of anime and movies, Tanaka’s shift into video games came almost immediately after her debut. In 1993, she took on the voice role of Lisa in the interactive movie game, Night Trap, developed for the Sega CD system. A marveled creation at the time.
Just a year later, she would land the role that would solidify her status as an unforgettable voice actor: Major Mokoto Kusanagi, in the iconic Ghost in the Shell series. What followed was a prolific career spanning multiple highly loved game series including Shadow Hearts II, Street Fighter X Tekken, Dragon Age II, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Genshin Impact, various characters from the Final Fantasy series, and most recently Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash.
We at Total Apex wish to extend our deepest condolences and well wishes to the beloved Atsuko Tanaka, her friends, colleagues, fans, and family. May she rest in peace, may her loved ones and admirers alike find solace in the coming days and weeks, and may she be forever remembered as a woman who touched the lives of so many, in so many ways. You will be missed, Major.
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