Atsuko Tanaka, who voiced Motoko Kusanagi in 'Ghost in the Shell,' dies at 61

Atsuko Tanaka, the Japanese voice actress who played Motoko Kusanagi in "Ghost in the Shell," has died. She was 61 years old.

Her son and fellow voice actor, Hikaru Tanaka, announced her death on X. He said Atsuko passed away on August 20 after almost a year of battling an undisclosed illness.

Prior to the announcement, Hikaru and Atsuko's relationship had not been revealed to the public.

"It is with great sadness that we have to announce our parent-child relationship in this way," Hikaru said.

The voice actor said he was blessed to have had Atsuko as a mother, calling her "earnest, dignified, and a little bit playful."

"On behalf of Atsuko Tanaka herself, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the fans who loved her and to all the people in the industry who helped her during her lifetime," he said.

"Please don't forget the works that Atsuko Tanaka was so sincerely involved in, the characters that she poured her love into, and the voice actress that is Atsuko Tanaka."

Aside from Motoko Kusagani, Atsuko Tanaka's roles include Hanami in "Jujutsu Kaisen," Flamme in "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," Konan in "Naruto," and Caster in "Fate/Stay Night."

Meanwhile, Hikaru played Golf in "Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway" and Tsukasa Mukai in "Skip and Loafer."

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— ?? ??Hikaru Tanaka? (@HikaruTanaka_va) August 20, 2024

—MGP, GMA Integrated News