voice actor
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talen ...
and narrator from Taitō, Tokyo. He was best known for voicing Medama Oyaji in nearly every adaptation of
Shigeru Mizuki
was a Japanese manga artist and historian, best known for his manga series ''GeGeGe no Kitarō''. Born in a hospital in Osaka and raised in the city of Sakaiminato, Tottori, he later moved to Chōfu, Tokyo where he remained until his death ...
During his life he had been attached to Gekidan Tōgei and then
Theatre Echo
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. He had a naturally deep voice but became famous for voicing characters with a high pitched voice. In addition to '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', he also had prominent roles in '' Tensai Bakabon'' (as the first voice of Honkan-san), '' Mazinger Z'' (as Mucha), ''
Paul's Miraculous Adventure
is an action-adventure anime television series created by Tatsunoko Productions in partnership with Topcraft. The series was broadcast on Fuji TV and various other local stations across Japan from October 3, 1976, to September 11, 1977, and la ...
'' (as Doppe), ''
Magical Princess Minky Momo
is a Japanese magical-girl anime franchise by Ashi Productions. The original series ran between 1982 and 1983 on TV Tokyo and inspired three OVAs between 1985 and 1987. A second television series, titled , ran on NTV between 1991 and ...
'' (as Sindbook), ''
Akuma-kun
is a manga series written and illustrated by Shigeru Mizuki. Several versions of the manga exist, one of which was adapted into a Tokusatsu, live-action TV show, and another into an anime television series. In addition, two movies were s ...
Gara
''Gara'' (Basque: ''We Are'') is a bilingual (Basque/Spanish) newspaper published in the city of Donostia-San Sebastián in the Basque Autonomous Community. The newspaper's target market comprises the area of the Basque Country, but its cir ...
and
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for his highly successful manga series '' Dr. Slump'', before going on to create '' Dragon Ball'' (his best-known work) and acting as a character des ...
In 1968, he was cast in the first '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'' anime as the title character's father Medama Oyaji, an anthropomorphic eyeball. He reprised the role, alongside co-stars Masako Nozawa (Kitarō) and Chikao Ōtsuka (Nezumi-Otoko), in the 1971 follow up
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
series. When it came time for the 1980s series the producers decided to go with an all new voice cast, but auditions for Medama Oyaji came up short so Tanonaka was asked to reprise the role yet again. From there he continued to voice the character in practically every adaptation made during his lifetime, the sole exception being the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
games from the early 2000s, in which the role was given to
Kazuo Kumakura
was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and theatre director. He was the head of the Theatre Echo agency at the time of his death.
Biography
Kazuo Kumakura was born in the Azabu district of Minato, Tokyo on January 30, 1927. In 1956, he joined the T ...
, and a single episode of the '71 series where
Hiroshi Ōtake
was a Japanese actor and voice actor, represented by 81 Produce. He was best known for his roles as Nyarome in ''Mōretsu Atarō'', Daisho in ''Himitsu no Akko-chan'', Boss in ''Mazinger Z'', Pāman 2 (Booby) in ''Pāman'', King Nikochan in ''D ...
filled in for him. Tanonaka even performed the voice of Medama Oyaji for the live action adaptations, and also appeared on many variety shows and in many commercials as the character. In 2008, he reunited with Nozawa and Ōtsuka to reprise their respective roles for the darker Kitarō adaptation ''Hakaba Kitarō''. As Medama Oyaji is actually the reanimated form of Kitarō's deceased father, the character was voiced by
Daisuke Gōri
was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. ...
when he appeared alive in the first episode.
Death
On January 13, 2010, he suffered a heart attack in his Tokyo home and was found dead by family members. He was 77 years old at the time of his death. His final performance was in ''
Marie & Gali
''Marie & Gali'' () is a Japanese anime created by Izumi Todo. It aired on NHK from March 30, 2009, until March 22, 2011, for a total of 70 episodes of five minutes each. It was the first anime (in over three decades) produced by Toei Animat ...
'' as the voice of
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on ...
. Memorial services were held in Tokyo Memolead Hall on January 19, 2010. He is survived by his older brother Hiroshi.
Roles
Television
;1964
*''
Zero Sen Hayato
0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. In place-value notation such as the Hindu–Arabic numeral system, 0 also serves as a placeholder numerical digit, which works by multiplying digits to the left of 0 by the radix, usuall ...
'' (Ichihisō Hosokawa)
;1965
*''
Kaitō Pride
A gentleman thief, gentleman burglar, lady thief, or phantom thief is a stock character in fiction. A gentleman or lady thief is characterised by impeccable manners, charm, courteousness, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to ...
'' (Scope)
*''
Obake no Q-tarō
is a Japanese manga series by Fujiko Fujio and later Fujiko F. FujioThe series was written under "Fujiko Fujio" initially. When Fujiko F. Fujio and Fujiko A. Fujio decided to separate, Fujiko F. Fujio took over this series. about the ...
Akane-chan
is a shōjo manga series by Tetsuya Chiba. It was serialized in '' Shōjo Friend'', published by Kodansha, from April to September 1968. It was adapted into a monochrome 1968 Toei anime series with the same name directed by Fusahito Nagaki, ...
'' (Kadomatsu)
*''
Animal 1
Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in ...
Sazae-san
is a Japanese yonkoma manga series written and illustrated by Machiko Hasegawa. It was first published in Hasegawa's local paper, the , on April 22, 1946. When the ''Asahi Shimbun'' wished to have Hasegawa draw the four-panel comic for the ...
Wansa-kun
is a mascot for Sanwa Bank designed by Osamu Tezuka. It was later turned into a manga series by Tezuka and an anime series from 1973.
The hero of Wansa-kun was Wansa, a puppy who is sold for a pittance, then escapes, and spends much of the ...
Maya the Honey Bee
is an anime television series produced first by Zuiyo Enterprise and Asahi Broadcasting Corporation of Osaka. After the first 6 episodes, Zuiyo Enterprise would split into Zuiyo Company and Nippon Animation, which retained the rights of th ...
'' (Max)
;1976
*''
Paul no Miracle Daisakusen
is an action-adventure anime television series created by Tatsunoko Productions in partnership with Topcraft. The series was broadcast on Fuji TV and various other local stations across Japan from October 3, 1976, to September 11, 1977, and la ...
Majokko Tickle
, also known as ''Magical Girl Tickle'' or ''Tickle the Witch Girl'', is a 1970s magical girl manga and anime by Go Nagai. Unlike Nagai's earlier (and more popular) ''Cutie Honey'', ''Majokko Tickle'' is closer to the more traditional mold ...
'' (Ago)
;1979
*''
Cyborg 009
is a Japanese science fiction manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different Japanese magazines, including '' Monthly Shōnen King'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'', '' Shōnen Big Comic'', '' COM'', ' ...
Yattodetaman
is the fifth installment in the '' Time Bokan'' series, produced by Tatsunoko Productions and directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa. In this series, two royal houses battle for the power to rule the Kingdom of Fir. In order to secure the Kingdom, two r ...
'' (Chairman)
;1982
*''
Gyakuten! Ippatsuman
is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from February 13, 1982 to March 26, 1983, comprising 58 episodes. It is the sixth entry to the ''Time Bokan'' series by Tatsunoko Productions and the second series to feature a super robot as th ...
Itadakiman
is the seventh in the ''Time Bokan'' series.
Plot
The story begins in the year 20XX. Oshaka School in Kamakuland is a world-renowned school where only those who are pure and clearheaded descendants of Priest Sanzo's clan may be admitted. The ...
'' (Nika)
*'' Manga Nihonshi'' ( Sesshū)
;1985
*''GeGeGe no Kitarō'' (third series) (Medama Oyaji)
;1987
*''
Dragon Ball
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters colle ...
'' (Gara)
;1989
*''
Akuma-kun
is a manga series written and illustrated by Shigeru Mizuki. Several versions of the manga exist, one of which was adapted into a Tokusatsu, live-action TV show, and another into an anime television series. In addition, two movies were s ...
'' (Youaltepuztli)
*''
Dragon Ball Z
''Dragon Ball Z'' is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise, it is the sequel to the 1986 '' Dragon Ball'' anime series and adapts the latter 325 chapters of the original ...
Peter Pan no Bōken
is an anime series by Nippon Animation, directed by Yoshio Kuroda, which first aired in Japan on Fuji Television between January 15, 1989, and December 24, 1989, and It is also popular in the United Kingdom.
Outline
An adaptation of the class ...
Moomin
The Moomins ( sv, Mumintroll) are the central characters in a series of novels, short stories, and a comic strip by Finnish writer and illustrator Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish by Schildts in Finland. They are a family of white ...
Bonobono
is a yonkoma manga series by Mikio Igarashi. From March 1986 to March 1987, the series ran in the Takeshobo manga magazine ''Tensai Club'' before the magazine was replaced with ''Manga Club'', where it had been serialized from April 198 ...
Digimon Adventure
, known as ''Digimon: Digital Monsters'' in English-speaking territories, is a 1999 Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation in cooperation with WiZ, Bandai and Fuji Television. It is the first anime series in the ''D ...
One Piece
''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...
Marie & Gali
''Marie & Gali'' () is a Japanese anime created by Izumi Todo. It aired on NHK from March 30, 2009, until March 22, 2011, for a total of 70 episodes of five minutes each. It was the first anime (in over three decades) produced by Toei Animat ...
'' (
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on ...
Dr. Slump
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1980 to 1984, with the chapters collected into 18 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series fol ...
Ultraman USA
is a 1987 American-Japanese animated superhero film jointly produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Tsuburaya Productions and animated by both Studio Sign and Ashi Productions. It is the second foreign Ultra Series production overall, and the se ...
Dragon Ball Z Sparking!
''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi'' (released in Japan as ) is a series of fighting games developed by Spike based on the '' Dragon Ball'' manga series by Akira Toriyama. The series was published by Namco Bandai Games under the Bandai brand ...
Dragon Knight II
''Dragon Knight II'' (ドラゴンナイトII) is a fantasy-themed eroge role-playing video game in the ''Dragon Knight'' franchise that was originally developed and published by ELF Corporation in 1990-1991 only in Japan as the first sequel to ...
Persona 3
released outside Japan as ''Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3'', is a 2006 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It is the fourth main installment in the ''Persona'' series, which is part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise. Atlus orig ...
'' (Igor, Mister Ekoda)
*''
Persona 4
released outside of Japan as ''Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4'', is a 2008 role-playing video game by Atlus. It is chronologically the fifth installment in the ''Persona'' series, itself a part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise, and was ...
'' (Igor)
*''
Persona 4 Arena
''Persona 4 Arena'' is a fighting video game co-developed by Atlus and Arc System Works for arcades, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360; the game is a spin-off from the ''Persona'' series, itself part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise. The game ...
'' (Igor, archived audio)
*''
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
''Persona 4 Arena Ultimax'' is a fighting video game co-developed by Atlus and Arc System Works. It was released for arcades in 2013, and for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2014 by Atlus in Japan and North America and by Sega in Europe. Versions ...
'' (Igor, archived audio)
*''
Persona 5
is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who transfers to a new school after being falsely accused of assault and put on probation. ...
'' (Igor, archived audio)
Tokusatsu
*''
Chouriki Sentai Ohranger
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series and the 19th installment in the long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries of superhero programs. It is the second ancient civilization-themed Super Sentai, preceded by ''Dai Sentai Goggle-V''. Its foota ...
'' (''Bara Baby'')
Dubbing roles
Live action
*''
Bewitched
''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...
'' ("Daddy Comes for a Visit", "Darrin the Warlock") (Silas Bliss Junior)
*''
The NeverEnding Story
''The Neverending Story'' (german: Die unendliche Geschichte) is a fantasy novel by German writer Michael Ende, published in 1979. The first English translation, by Ralph Manheim, was published in 1983. The novel was later adapted into several f ...
'' (Nighthob (
Tilo Prückner
Tilo Prückner (26 October 1940 – 2 July 2020Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (Grand Nagus Zek (
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...
Jar Jar Binks
Jar Jar Binks is a fictional character of the Gungan race from the ''Star Wars'' saga created by George Lucas. Jar Jar appears throughout the ''Star Wars'' prequel trilogy – as a major character in '' Episode I: The Phantom Menace'', with a ...
Alice in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
'' (TBS edition) (The King of Hearts, The Dormouse)
*'' Aladdin (TV series)'' (
Aziz
Aziz ( ar, عزيز, , is an Arabic male name. The feminine form of both the adjective and the given name is Aziza.
''Aziz'' in Arabic is derived from the root ''ʕ-z-z'' with a meaning of "strong, powerful" and the adjective has acquired its m ...
)
*''
The Flintstones
''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...
'' (
Barney Rubble
Barney Rubble is a fictional character who appears in the television animated series ''The Flintstones''. He is the diminutive, blond-haired caveman husband of Betty Rubble and adoptive father of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. His best friend is his next d ...
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (also simply known as ''101 Dalmatians'') is a 1961 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the 1956 novel ''The Hundred and One Dalmatians'' by Dodie Smith. The ...
'' (Old edition) (Pongo)
*''
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Leonardo, Michelangelo (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Miche ...
'' (Video edition) (Krang)
*''
Top Cat
''Top Cat'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and originally broadcast in prime time on the ABC network. It aired in a weekly evening time slot from September 27, 1961, to April 18, 1962, for a single season of ...
Fengshen Yanyi
''The Investiture of the Gods'', also known by its Chinese names () and is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (''shenmo'') genre written during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Cons ...
") (
NHK-FM
is the official music and news FM radio station of the NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation).
See also
* NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japa ...