Tomoko Kawakami
Tomoko Kawakami (川上 とも子, Kawakami Tomoko, April 25, 1970 – June 9, 2011) was a Japanese voice actress.[1] Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, she was affiliated with Production Baobab at the time of her death.
Tomoko Kawakami | |
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川上 とも子 | |
Born | Rinko Kawakami April 25, 1970 Tokyo, Japan |
Died | June 9, 2011 41) Tokyo, Japan | (aged
Occupation | Voice actress |
Years active | 1994–2010 |
Employer | Production Baobab |
Notable work |
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Career
Kawakami debuted in 1994 as a role of a boy in Metal Fighter Miku. Her first regular performance was in 1995 as Chiriko in Fushigi Yuugi. Two years after, she landed her first starring voice role as Utena Tenjou in Revolutionary Girl Utena. Aside from Chiriko and Utena, her famous roles are in Air (Misuzu Kamio), Bleach (Soifon), Chrono Crusade (Rosette Christopher), Hikaru no Go (Hikaru Shindo), Sgt. Frog (Fuyuki Hinata) and Ape Escape (Natsumi).
Kawakami provided voices for young boys, girls and comical characters. The best-known genre of her roles are tomboyish characters (Soifon, Utena Tenjou). With such a powerful voice, she was often affiliated in paranormal and yuri-themed anime. She also made her name voicing the heroine in the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de series, based from the Neoromance game with the same title produced by Koei in 2000.
Illness and death
In August 2008, Kawakami was diagnosed with ovarian cancer,[2] which required surgery. During a three-year battle with cancer, most of her ongoing roles were replaced by other voice actresses, although Kawakami was able to do some voice work.[3] She died on June 9, 2011 at the age of 41.[4]
Filmography
Television animation
- Air - Misuzu Kamio
- Amaenaideyo!! - Sumi Ikuina
- A Little Snow Fairy Sugar - Sugar
- Angelic Layer - Madoka Fujisaki
- Aria - Athena Glory
- Ashita no Nadja - Shudefan
- Battle Athletes Victory - Chris Christopher
- Best Student Council - Cyndi Manabe
- Betterman - Sēme
- Bleach - Soifon (Episode 24 - 205)
- Brave Story: New Traveler - Yuno
- Cardcaptor Sakura - Rika Sasaki
- Chrono Crusade - Rosette Christopher
- Clannad - Girl from the Illusionary World
- Crush Gear Turbo - Yamano Kimomo
- Cyborg 009 - Cynthia
- Darker than BLACK - Amber
- Dear Boys - Yukiko Kawasaki
- Descendants of Darkness - Kazusa Otonashi
- Detective School Q - Kazuma Narusawa
- Di Gi Charat Nyo! - Chibi Akari, Kareida-san
- Doki Doki School Hours - Akane Kobayashi
- Elfen Lied - Mariko
- F-Zero GP Legend - Sasuke Reina
- Fullmetal Alchemist - Kyle (in episode 9)
- Fushigi Yûgi, Fushigi Yūgi Oni, and Fushigi Yūgi Eikoden - Chiriko
- Gakuen Heaven - Satoshi Umino
- Gaiking - Lulu
- Gakko no Kaidan - Satsuki Miyanoshita
- Genesis of Aquarion - Futaba
- Great Teacher Onizuka - Hoshino (in episode 28)
- Godannar - Luna
- Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Akane Motomiya
- Hikaru no Go - Hikaru Shindō
- I'm Gonna Be An Angel! - Noelle
- Jigoku Shōjo - Yoshimi Kuroda (in episode 1)
- Jibaku-kun - Pink
- Jinki: Extend - Elnie Tachibana
- Kanon - Sayuri Kurata
- Kara no Kyōkai - Ryougi Shiki (Drama CD)
- Magical Project S - Konoha Haida/Funky Connie
- Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - Miu Fūrinji
- Martian Successor Nadesico - Eri, Ai
- MegaMan NT Warrior - Princess Pride
- Mirmo! - Wakaba
- Mon Colle Knights - Fearī
- NieA 7 - Kāna
- Nodame Cantabile - Elise (main story in anime), Puririn (Purigorota)
- One Piece - Amanda
- Orphen: Revenge - Licorice Nelson
- Paranoia Agent - "Otokomichi/A Man's Path" manga heroine (Episode 4)
- Piano: The Melody of a Young Girl's Heart - Yūki Matsubara
- Pocket Monsters - Ayame, Takami, Hikari's Mimirol, Pokédex (Sinnoh region)
- Popotan - Mai/Konami
- Power Stone - Ayame
- Rune Soldier - Merrill
- Revolutionary Girl Utena - Utena Tenjō
- Saiyuki Reload series - Lirin
- Saru Get You -On Air- - Natsumi
- Sgt. Frog - Fuyuki Hinata (Episode 1 + 231)
- Shaman King - Pirika, Mini Mongomeri
- Space Pirate Mito - Mito Mitsukuni
- Steel Angel Kurumi - Eiko Kichijōji
- Tactics - Yōko
- The Law of Ueki - Ai Mori
- The Twelve Kingdoms - Rangyoku
- The World of Narue - Ran Tendō
- Those Who Hunt Elves - Annette, Emily
- Those Who Hunt Elves 2 - Annette, Pichi
- Tokyo Mew Mew - Ayano Uemura (in episode 34)
- Touch: Miss Lonely Yesterday - Kōchi
- Trinity Blood - Elise Wasmeyer (in episode 2)
- Uta Kata - Satsuki Takigawa
- VS Knight Ramune & 40 Fire - Trumpet
- Yakitate!! Japan - Princess Anne (episode 31)
Films
- Air - Misuzu Kamio
- Bleach: Memories of Nobody - Soifon
- Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion - Soifon
- Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection - Monica
- InuYasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time - Hari
- Keroro Gunso the Super Movie - Fuyuki Hinata
- Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2: The Deep Sea Princess - Fuyuki Hinata
- Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 3: Keroro vs. Keroro Great Sky Duel - Fuyuki Hinata
- Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena - Utena Tenjō
- The Doraemons: The Great Operation of Springing Insects - Momo
Video games
- Air - Misuzu Kamio
- Ape Escape - Natsumi, Charu
- Bleach: Blade Battlers 2 - Soifon
- Bleach: Heat The Soul 3 - Soifon
- Bleach: Heat the Soul 4 - Soifon
- Bleach: Shattered Blade - Soifon
- Bomberman Generation - Bomberman
- Brave Story: New Traveler - Yuno
- Growlanser II: The Sense of Justice - Charlone Claudius
- King of Fighters - May Lee
- Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil - Lolo
- Magical Drop F - Judgment
- Never 7: The End of Infinity - Yuka Kawashima
- Radiant Silvergun - Reana
- Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - Sasha (Japanese dub)
- SD Gundam G Generation - Rachel Ransom
- Sengoku Basara - Itsuki
- Skies of Arcadia - Aika
- Sonic Wings Assault - Mao Mao
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Fushigisou (Ivysaur)
- Tales of Destiny 2 - Nanaly Fletch
- The Law of Ueki: Taosu ze Roberuto Juudan! - Ai Mori
- The Legend of Dragoon - Meru[5]
- Thousand Arms - Sodina Dawnfried
- Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side (Konami Palace Selection) - Fujii Natsumi
- Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 1st Love - Fujii Natsumi
- Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side: 1st Love Plus - Fujii Natsumi
- Viper F40 - Raika Grace
- Viper CTR - Miki
Dubbing roles
- Blue Crush – Anne Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth)[6]
- Hearts in Atlantis – Carol Gerber (Mika Boorem)[7]
- Jumanji – Judy Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst)[8]
OVA
- Tokio Private Police -Noriko Ibuki
Successors
- Houko Kuwashima - Sgt. Frog as Fuyuki Hinata, Bleach as Soifon
- Sayuri Yahagi - Nodame Cantabile as Puririn - Season 2 (Kawakami returned in Season 3)
- Kumi Sakuma - Nodame Cantabile as Elise - Season 2 (Kawakami returned in Season 3)
- Yuki Kaida - A Foreign Love Affair as Kaoru Omi
- Satsuki Yukino - Pokemon Diamond and Pearl as Dawn's Buneary (Hikari's Mimirol), Pokedex, Momoan, additional characters
- Shiho Kawaragi - Desperate Housewives as Kayla Huntington - Season 4
- Akiko Kimura - Battle Spirits as Mama
- Yumi Kakazu - Tales of VS, Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 as Nanaly Fletch
- Omi Minami - Elemental Gerard as Ashea
- Yuki Matsuoka - Heroes Fantasia as Mileru
- Saki Fujita - Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card as Rika Sasaki
- Rie Kugimiya - Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple as Miu
- Miyuki Sawashiro - Sengoku Basara as Itsuki
- Ai Nonaka - Anpanman as Candle-Man
- Yuka Imai - Demonbane PS2 game, Super Robot Wars UX as Claudius
References
- Doi, Hitoshi. "Kawakami Tomoko". Seiyuu Database. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- 声優の川上とも子さんが卵巣がんで死去 『ヒカルの碁』主人公役 [Voice actress Tomoko Kawakami passes away from ovarian cancer, known for the lead role in Hikaru no Go]. Oricon Style (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Oricon. June 10, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
- Masutō, Tatsuya (March 5, 2009). 佐藤順一総監督 ロング・インタビュー [Long Interview with Junichi Sato, the General Director]. Kinema Junpo (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Kinema-Junpo. 1528 (March 2009): 140.
- "Utena Voice Actress Tomoko Kawakami Passes Away". Anime News Network. June 10, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- "The Legend of Dragoon (1999)(VG)". IMDb. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
- "ブルークラッシュ". Star Channel. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- "アトランティスのこころ". Star Channel. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- "ジュマンジ". Star Channel. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
Sources
- Nakagami, Yoshikatsu. "The Official Art of AIR" (October 2007), Newtype USA. pgs. 135–41
External links
- Tomoko Kawakami at Anime News Network's encyclopedia