Emi Shinohara, the voice actress known for her role as Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter in the anime Sailor Moon, passed away on the 8th at the age of 61. Her agency, 81 Produce, announced her death on the 10th via their official website. Shinohara had been undergoing treatment for an illness. Following this, the official Sailor Moon X (formerly Twitter) account paid tribute to her.

In the post, they stated: “Emi Shinohara, who voiced Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter in the anime Sailor Moon, has passed away. Since the anime began airing in 1992 and continued until 1997, she delivered a graceful yet powerful performance that brought Makoto/Sailor Jupiter to life with warmth and strength. She was truly irreplaceable, and we express our gratitude for her immense contributions and achievements. We offer our deepest condolences.”

Many individuals involved with Sailor Moon also expressed their condolences on social media. Kunihiko Ikuhara, the series director, wrote, “I am deeply saddened by the loss of Emi Shinohara. I remember how happy she was about the flowers I sent during last year’s live event. Thank you for all the memories and for portraying Sailor Jupiter. Rest in peace.”

Megumi Ogata, the voice of Sailor Uranus, reminisced, “Emi Shinohara and I often laughed about how people confused our names because they were written the same way. She taught me so much. I always thought we'd see each other again for a future Cardcaptor Sakura sequel. I still can’t believe she’s gone…"

Kotono Mitsuishi, the voice of Sailor Moon, simply wrote, "Shino, Shino, Shino…"

Born on August 8 in Nagano Prefecture, Shinohara was also known for voicing roles such as Kaho Mizuki in Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Kaori Toyama in BanG Dream!, and Kushina Uzumaki in Naruto Shippuden.

Source : ORICON NEWS