Zeta Gundam, Digimon Adventure, Sailor Moon Crystal voice actress was 51

Aoni Production reported on Thursday that voice actress Yuko Mizutani passed away from breast cancer that same day. She was 51.

Mizutani is most well known in Japan for playing the elder sister character Sakiko Sakura in the Chibi Maruko-chan television anime series. The official website for the anime series posted a message on Thursday of condolences from the show's cast, staff, and original manga creator Momoko Sakura.

[Mizutani] has voiced the elder sister (Sakiko Sakura) in Chibi Maruko-chan since the show's first broadcast in 1990, and she certainly brought life to the show. We mourn her loss.

The voices for the episodes of Chibi Maruko-chan that will air on May 22 and May 29 have already been recorded. Fuji TV will announce a successor voice actress for future episodes at a later date.

Mizutani has also played Pinoko in many of the Black Jack television anime, OVA, and films, and also played the role of Mihoshi Kuramitsu in the Tenchi Muyo! franchise. Other notable roles include: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal's Ikuko Tsukino, Time of Eve's Naoko, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam's Cheimin Noa and Sarah Zabiarov, Super Robot Wars OG: Divine Wars' Excellen Browning, Inuyasha's Sōten, Arc the Lad's Kukuru, Digimon Adventure's Sora Takenouchi (as well as Otamamon and Yuko Yagami), Saber Marionette J's Luchs, Gravitation: Lyrics of Love's Maiko Shindo, Excel Saga's Great Will of the Macrocosm, Zillion's Apple, Sorcerer Hunters' Chocolat Misu, The Guyver: Bio-Booster Armor's Mizuki Segawa, Shiki's Kyouko Ozaki, Kasimasi - Girl Meets Girl's Namiko Tsuki, One Piece "3D2Y" Ace no Shi wo Koete! Luffy Nakama to no Chikai's Nightin, Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water's Marie, and Magical Girl Pretty Sammy's Mihoshi Mizutani, among many others.

In video games, Mizutani played Queen Minnie in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Iris in Project X Zone , and Militsa in Tales of Rebirth , among others.

Mizutani was married to director Mizuho Nishikubo (Otogi Zoshi, Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai, Zillion).

Source: Yahoo! Japan News via Otakomu