Tomoko Kawakami Explained

Tomoko Kawakami
Native Name:	川上 とも子
Native Name Lang:	ja
Birth Name:	Rinko Kawakami
Birth Date:	25 April 1970
Birth Place:	Tokyo, Japan
Death Place:	Tokyo, Japan
Other Names:	Tomozou Cecilia
Occupation:	Voice actress
Years Active:	1994–2010
Employer:	Production Baobab

was a Japanese voice actress.^[1] She was also known by her pen-name Tomozou (とも蔵),^[2] and her Christian name Cecilia (セシリア). Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, she was a member of Production Baobab.

Career

Kawakami debuted in 1994 as a role of a boy in Metal Fighter Miku. Her first regular performance was in 1995 as Chiriko in Fushigi Yuugi. Two years after, she landed her first starring voice role as Utena Tenjou in Revolutionary Girl Utena. Aside from Chiriko and Utena, her famous roles are in Air (Misuzu Kamio), Bleach (Soifon), Chrono Crusade (Rosette Christopher), Hikaru no Go (Hikaru Shindo), Sgt. Frog (Fuyuki Hinata), Ape Escape (Natsumi),Yukiko Kawasaki (Dear Boys), Sugar (A Little Snow Fairy Sugar), Aria (Athena Glory), and Miu Fūrinji .

Kawakami provided voices for young boys, girls and comical characters. The best-known genre of her roles are tomboyish characters (Soifon, Utena Tenjou). With such a powerful voice, she was often affiliated in paranormal and yuri-themed anime. She also made her name voicing the heroine in the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de series, based from the Neoromance game with the same title produced by Koei in 2000.

Illness and death

In August 2008, Kawakami had ovarian cancer,^[3] which required surgery. During a three-year battle with cancer, most of her ongoing roles were replaced by other voice actresses, although Kawakami managed to do some voice work until her retirement in early 2010.^[4] She died on June 9, 2011. Her death was met with an outpouring of grief.^[5] Kumiko Watanabe, a particular voice actress and a close friend of hers prior to her passing whom worked alongside Kawakami for works such as the Klonoa video game series and Sgt. Frog anime, responded on her web diary with condolences just two days after her death.^[6]

Filmography

Anime series

• Air - Misuzu Kamio
• Amaenaideyo!! - Sumi Ikuina
• A Little Snow Fairy Sugar - Sugar
• Angelic Layer - Madoka Fujisaki
• Aria - Athena Glory
• Ashita no Nadja - Stefan (in episode 31)
• Battle Athletes Victory - Chris Christopher
• Best Student Council - Cyndi Manabe
• Betterman - Sēme
• Bleach - Soifon (Episode 24 - 205)
• Cardcaptor Sakura - Rika Sasaki
• Chrono Crusade - Rosette Christopher
• Clannad - Girl from the Illusionary World
• Crush Gear Turbo - Yamano Kimomo
• Cyborg 009 - Cynthia
• Darker than BLACK - Amber
• Dear Boys - Yukiko Kawasaki
• Descendants of Darkness - Kazusa Otonashi
• Detective School Q - Kazuma Narusawa
• Di Gi Charat Nyo! - Chibi Akari, Kareida-san
• Doki Doki School Hours - Akane Kobayashi
• Elfen Lied - Mariko
• Emily of New Moon - Emily Byrd Starr^[7]
• F-Zero GP Legend - Sasuke Reina
• Fullmetal Alchemist - Kyle (in episode 9)
• Fushigi Yûgi, Fushigi Yūgi Oni, and Fushigi Yūgi Eikoden - Chiriko
• Gakuen Heaven - Satoshi Umino
• Gaiking - Lulu
• Gakko no Kaidan - Satsuki Miyanoshita
• Genesis of Aquarion - Futaba
• Great Teacher Onizuka - Hoshino (in episode 28)
• Godannar - Luna
• Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Akane Motomiya
• Hikaru no Go - Hikaru Shindō
• I'm Gonna Be An Angel! - Noelle
• Jigoku Shōjo - Yoshimi Kuroda (in episode 1)
• Jibaku-kun - Pink
• - Elnie Tachibana
• Kanon - Sayuri Kurata
• Kara no Kyōkai - Ryougi Shiki (Drama CD)
• Magical Project S - Konoha Haida/Funky Connie
• - Miu Fūrinji
• Martian Successor Nadesico - Eri, Ai
• MegaMan NT Warrior - Princess Pride
• Mirmo! - Wakaba
• Mon Colle Knights - Fearī
• NieA 7 - Kāna
• Nodame Cantabile - Elise (main story in anime), Puririn (Purigorota)
• One Piece - Amanda
• - Licorice Nelson
• Paranoia Agent - "Otokomichi/A Man's Path" manga heroine (Episode 4)
• - Yūki Matsubara
• Pocket Monsters - Ayame, Takami, Hikari's Mimirol, Pokédex (Sinnoh region)
• Popotan - Mai/Konami
• Power Stone - Ayame
• Rune Soldier - Merrill
• Revolutionary Girl Utena - Utena Tenjō
• Saiyuki Reload series - Lirin
• Saru Get You -On Air- - Natsumi
• Sgt. Frog - Fuyuki Hinata (Episode 1 + 231)
• Shaman King - Pirika, Mini Mongomeri
• Space Pirate Mito - Mito Mitsukuni
• Steel Angel Kurumi - Eiko Kichijōji
• Tactics - Yōko
• The Law of Ueki - Ai Mori
• The Twelve Kingdoms - Rangyoku
• The World of Narue - Ran Tendō
• Those Who Hunt Elves - Annette, Emily
• Those Who Hunt Elves 2 - Annette, Pichi
• Tokyo Mew Mew - Ayano Uemura (in episode 34)
• Touch: Miss Lonely Yesterday - Kōchi
• Trinity Blood - Elise Wasmeyer (in episode 2)
• Uta Kata - Satsuki Takigawa
• VS Knight Ramune & 40 Fire - Trumpet
• Yakitate!! Japan - Princess Anne (episode 31)

Anime films

• Air - Misuzu Kamio
• - Soifon
• - Soifon
• Lupin III: Alcatraz Connection - Monica
• - Hari
• Keroro Gunso the Super Movie - Fuyuki Hinata
• - Fuyuki Hinata
• - Fuyuki Hinata
• Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena - Utena Tenjō
• - Momo

Video games

• Air - Misuzu Kamio
• Ape Escape - Natsumi, Charu
• Bleach: Blade Battlers 2 - Soifon
• - Soifon
• - Soifon
• - Soifon
• Bomberman Generation - Bomberman
• - Yuno
• - Charlone Claudius
• - Lolo
• Klonoa Beach Volleyball - Lolo
• Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series - Lolo
• Magical Drop F - Judgment
• - Yuka Kawashima
• Radiant Silvergun - Reana
• - Sasha (Japanese dub)
• SD Gundam G Generation - Rachel Ransom
• Sengoku Basara - Itsuki
• - Utena Tenjō
• Skies of Arcadia - Aika
• Sonic Wings Assault - Mao Mao
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Fushigisou (Ivysaur)
• Tales of Destiny 2 - Nanaly Fletch
• The King of Fighters 2001 - May Lee^[8]
• The King of Fighters 2002 - May Lee^[8]
• - Ai Mori
• The Legend of Dragoon - Meru^[9]
• Thousand Arms - Sodina Dawnfried
• - Fujii Natsumi
• Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 1st Love - Fujii Natsumi
• - Fujii Natsumi
• Viper F40 - Raika Grace
• Viper CTR - Miki

Dubbing roles

• Blue Crush – Anne Marie Chadwick (Kate Bosworth)^[10]
• Gumby – Goo (Gloria Clokey)^[11]
• Hearts in Atlantis – Carol Gerber (Mika Boorem)^[12]
• Heat – Lauren Gustafson (Natalie Portman)^[13]
• Jumanji – Judy Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst)^[14]
• The Secret World of Alex Mack - Alex Mack (Larisa Oleynik)^[15]

Original video animation

• Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman -Yumi
• Tokio Private Police -Noriko Ibuki

Successors

• Houko Kuwashima - Sgt. Frog as Fuyuki Hinata, Bleach as Soifon
• Sayuri Yahagi - Nodame Cantabile as Puririn - Season 2 (Kawakami returned in Season 3)
• Kumi Sakuma - Nodame Cantabile as Elise - Season 2 (Kawakami returned in Season 3)
• Yuki Kaida - A Foreign Love Affair as Kaoru Omi
• Satsuki Yukino - Pokémon Diamond and Pearl as Dawn's Buneary (Hikari's Mimirol), Pokedex, Momoan, additional characters
• Shiho Kawaragi - Desperate Housewives as Kayla Huntington - Season 4
• Akiko Kimura - Battle Spirits as Mama
• Yumi Kakazu - Tales of VS, as Nanaly Fletch
• Omi Minami - Elemental Gerard as Ashea
• Yuki Matsuoka - Heroes Fantasia as Mileru
• Saki Fujita - as Rika Sasaki
• Rie Kugimiya - as Miu
• Miyuki Sawashiro - Sengoku Basara as Itsuki
• Ai Nonaka - Anpanman as Candle-Man
• Yuka Imai - Demonbane PS2 game, Super Robot Wars UX as Claudius
• Aimi Tanaka - The King of Fighters All Star as May Lee Jinju
• Rina Hidaka - Shaman King 2021 as Pirika Usui
• Rina Sato - Aria the Crepuscolo as Athena Glory
• Inuko Inuyama - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as Ivysaur

Sources

• Nakagami, Yoshikatsu. "The Official Art of AIR" (October 2007), Newtype USA. pgs. 135–41

Notes and References

1. Web site: Doi, Hitoshi. Kawakami Tomoko. Seiyuu Database. February 26, 2015.
2. Web site: 川上とも子 . excite.co.jp . 9 March 2021 . ja . 26 January 2024 .
3. Web site: http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/confidence/88703/ . ja:声優の川上とも子さんが卵巣がんで死去 『ヒカルの碁』主人公役 . June 10, 2011 . . . Tokyo, Japan . ja . Voice actress Tomoko Kawakami passes away from ovarian cancer, known for the lead role in Hikaru no Go . July 7, 2012.
4. Masutō. Tatsuya. March 5, 2009. ja:佐藤順一総監督 ロング・インタビュー. Long Interview with Junichi Sato, the General Director. Kinema Junpo. 1528. March 2009. 140. Kinema-Junpo. Tokyo, Japan. ja.
5. Web site: Utena Voice Actress Tomoko Kawakami Passes Away. Anime News Network. June 10, 2011. June 10, 2011.
6. Web site: くれたもの - メリケンブロー海：楽天ブログ.
7. Web site: IMDb: Emily of New Moon - Full Cast & Crew. IMDb. October 21, 2022.
8. Web site: KOFキャラクター - THE KING OF FIGHTERS OFFICIAL WEB SITE. kofaniv.snk-corp.co.jp. ja. https://web.archive.org/web/20170404132751/http://kofaniv.snk-corp.co.jp/character/index.php?num=maylee. April 4, 2017. December 4, 2021.
9. Web site: The Legend of Dragoon (1999)(VG). IMDb. June 11, 2011.
10. Web site: ブルークラッシュ. July 10, 2019. Star Channel.
11. Web site: TVアニメ GUMBY ガンビー (1956～)について 映画データベース - allcinema.
12. Web site: アトランティスのこころ. September 30, 2019. Star Channel.
13. Web site: 「日曜洋画劇場」版日本語吹替音声を初収録『ヒート』製作20周年記念版発売. November 2, 2021. Tower Records.
14. Web site: ジュマンジ. July 4, 2019. Star Channel.
15. Web site: Tomoko Kawakami . www.animenewsnetwork.com . . 23 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20020817073408/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=526 . August 17, 2002 . en . live.