The anime
industry is once again dressed in mourning to say goodbye to one of the true
architects of its golden age. Talent agency Aoni Production announced
on Wednesday that legendary and veteran voice actor, Yonehiko Kitagawa,
passed away on March 5 at the age of 94, due to complications from pneumonia.
Following his family's wishes, the actor was bid farewell at a private funeral
attended only by his closest loved ones.
More
than 70 years bringing anime history to life
To put
Kitagawa's monumental weight in the industry into perspective, suffice it to
say that his career as a voice actor began in 1951. We are talking about a man
who dedicated more than seven decades of his life to playing villains, gods,
fighters, and ordinary people long before anime became the global phenomenon it
is today.
Old-school
fans will remember him forever for his iconic work on the legendary 1983
wrestling anime Kinnikuman. There, Kitagawa lent his powerful voice
to unforgettable characters such as the villainous leader Akuma Shogun, the
imposing wrestler Big the Budo, and committee chairman Harabote Muscle (a role
he reprised in the 1984 and 1986 films of the franchise).
A legacy
that transcended generations
Throughout
his inexhaustible career, Kitagawa (who in his early years was also credited as
Kunihiko Kitagawa) participated in authentic classics in the history of
Japanese animation. He voiced Anderson in the iconic series Gatshaman,
played the sea god Poseidon in Umi no Triton, and was
Osamu Mihara in the baseball anime Samurai Giants.
His talent
was also no stranger to the video game industry, where he played warriors and
fighters in franchises such as Lupin III and the
Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix titles. Today, the community and its
colleagues say goodbye to a giant whose work paved the way for new generations
of seiyuus.
