Voice actress Yukari Tamura announced on her official website on Saturday that she intends to continue singing, despite her contract with King Records ending on March 20.

Tamura thanked fans for their concern and said that the decision to end her contract with King Records was based on her own considerations. Her contract with King Records lasted nine years. She said she wished she could announce her new company, but she is not able to yet.

The voice actress gave special thanks to King Records and producer Akio Mishima for their support. Tamura noted that there have been times in her career when she wanted to run away, but Mishima's support helped her get through difficult periods. Mishima comforted her when she began to face the end of her contract with King Records.

She also said King Records and Mishima supported her radio appearances even when she had little experience with radio programs. Her "Tamura Yukari no Itazura Kuro Usagi" radio program debuted 13 years ago.

Tamura said she wants to keep singing and continue to grow as a person so that she can repay favors she has received. She thanked everyone for their understanding as she makes a "reckless decision" in the face of a turning point in her life as a soon-to-be 40-year-old.

Tamura's official fan club "Mellow Pretty," as well as her music record company King Records and her talent management agency I'm Enterprise announced the upcoming end of her contract on Saturday. King Records added that it had hoped to continue to work with Tamura and her official fan club, but stated that because it wants to respect Tamura's own intentions regarding her activities going forward, the company is ending its contract with her. The announcement added that it will provide more information about Tamura's future activities after the website reopens.

The three companies confirmed that the "Tamura Yukari 2016 Fuyu Live Kaisai" concert has been cancelled. The companies also confirmed that the "Tamura Yukari no Itazura Kuro Usagi" radio program, as well as her "Kissa Kuro Usagi ~Himitsu Kobeya~" radio program will both end.

Tamura posted in her blog last March that she thought 2015 would be a year of farewells for her, and made oblique references to "the beginning of the end" and a "slow countdown." She quoted, "Even though we're apart, it's not like we can never meet, so it's all right," but added that this was just a lie. She concluded, "I always lie to my heart."

Tamura is perhaps best known as the voice of protagonist Nanoha Takamachi in the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime franchise. She has also voiced characters from such anime as Galaxy Angel (Ranpha), Kanon (Mai Kawasumi), Clannad (Mei Sunohara), Tantei Opera Milky Holmes (Saku Tooyama), Kill la Kill (Nui Harime), and Schwarzes Marken (Beatrix Brehmer). She has performed theme songs for many of the anime in which she has voiced a role, including Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha , Katanagatari , Oreimo , No-Rin , and I Can't Understand What My Husband Is Saying .

She has released 35 singles and 12 albums, with her 33rd single, "Himitsu no Tobira kara Ai ni Kite" (featuring the theme to No-Rin ) being her 10th single that ranked within the top 10 in the Oricon weekly single chart.

[Via Hachima Kikō]