Voice Actress Eiko Masuyama Has Passed Away At The Age Of 89
Image Source: Otaku Art
Eiko Masuyama, the original voice actress for Fujiko Mine, passed away on May 20th at the age of 89 due to pneumonia. A private service was held by her close relatives.
Born on April 22nd, 1936, Eiko Masuyama was the youngest of four sisters. She spoke slowly when she was young, and she was told by her teacher that she couldn’t talk properly. Masuyama joined the Children’s Theater Company at age 12 to improve her speech, studying under Miyako Aso. She later became interested in acting and joined the Sanno theatrical company when she became too old for the children’s theatre. Masuyama joined Aoni Production in the 1960s and focused more on voice acting due to its scheduling flexibility and to balance childcare and work.
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Her first voice acting role was in the 1963 Astro Boy, where she played Lucia and Kipiah. However, it would be in 1969 when she would land perhaps her most iconic role: Fujiko Mine in Lupin the Third: Pilot Film. She would not reprise this role again, however, until Lupin the Third Part II. Masuyama voiced the character until the 2010 special Lupin the Third: the Last Job. She was awarded the “Anime Outreach Category” at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival in 2017 and the “Merit Award” at the 15th Seiyu Awards in 2021. Masuyama was the last surviving member of the original Lupin the Third cast.
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Sources: Anime News Network, Wikipedia
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