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Voice of Sailor Jupiter passes away, son leaves heartfelt message of thanks

Casey Baseel Sep 11, 2024
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Anime voice actress Emi Shinohara also voiced Naruto’s mom and Cardcaptor Sakura’s teacher.

On Tuesday, Tokyo voice acting talent agency 81 Produce posted a statement on its website that Emi Shinohara had passed away. The Fukushima-born, Nagano-raised Shinohara was 61 years old.

Shinohara wasted no time making an impression on the anime world, with her debut role being regally scheming antagonist B-ko in 1986’s theatrical-feature action/comedy classic Project A-ko. Her biggest role wouldn’t come until six years later, though, when she stepped into the role of Makoto Kino, a.k.a. Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon, joining the landmark magical girl series as the fourth member of its core cast.

▼ A sample of Shinohara’s voice work as Sailor Jupiter

セーラージュピター（まこちゃん）はひとり暮らしでお料理も上手で家庭的、理想のお姉さんだったな https://t.co/uW7QlWMrJR pic.twitter.com/mTVfV8K5nP

— おがわん (@ogawamina) September 10, 2024

Shinohara may not have been regularly cast in lead roles (Kekko Kamen’s titular topless superheroine being an exception), but she was part of some of the most enduringly popular anime franchises in both Japan and overseas, often playing a reliable, supportive mentor or motherly/big sister type, such as Magic Knight Rayearth’s blacksmith Presea, Cardcaptor Sakura’s math teacher Kaho Mizuki, or Naruto’s Kushina Uzumaki, mother of the aspiring Hokage himself. She also played Ninja Scroll’s Kagero and Please Save My Earth’s Alice/Mokuren, a pair of 1993 productions that opened a lot of overseas’ fans eyes to just how visceral or emotional Japanese animation can be.

According to 81 Produce, Shinohara passed away on September 8, and had been receiving treatment for an undisclosed medical condition which proved ineffective.

In addition to the statement from 81 Produce, Shinohara’s son posted a message through her official Twitter account.

皆様へ pic.twitter.com/db53rEMQVF

— 篠原恵美 (@Emi_shinohara) September 10, 2024

This is Emi Shinohara’s son.

As explained in the statement from her talent agency, my mother, Emi Shinohara, passed away on September 8.

To all of the fans who showed her so much love for so many years, and to everyone in the industry who supported her, I would like to take this moment to, on her behalf, express my deep, heartfelt appreciation.

Taking my mother’s feelings into consideration, I will refrain from mentioning the name of her illness. However, having been by her side as she continued to act as she always did, so full of life so as not to appear ill at all, it is still hard for me to believe that she has passed away.

The characters my other played, and the works she was involved in, will always remain. As long as we all remember her, the actress Emi Shinohara will live forever.

And last, to you, Mom. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You did so much for me. Rest well.

– From your loving son

The mention of Shinohara staying emotionally strong in the face of adversity is completely keeping in character with the characters she played, who were so often a mix of resilience and gentleness. It’s sad that she won’t be able to reprise her role as Presea in the upcoming Magic Knight Rayearth remake, but like her son says, she’s still here with us as long as we remember her.

Source: Twitter/@Emi_shinohara, 81 Produce
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