Voice actress Tomo Sakurai passed away on August 13 at the age of 53, as announced by her agency Feathered and her official X account. In recent years, she gained renewed attention for voicing the popular character Cynthia in the Pokémon anime. Following the news of her passing, Rica Matsumoto, who voices Ash (Satoshi), updated her X account to share her memories and pay tribute.

In the 2022 broadcast of Pokémon, Cynthia faced off against Ash in the semifinals of the Pokémon World Championships, a tournament to determine the strongest Pokémon trainer. Ash, who went on to become World Champion, fought a fierce battle with Cynthia. As the Champion of the Sinnoh region, Cynthia is one of the most beloved characters in both the anime and games. Sakurai reprised the role after nine years, and her return generated great excitement.

In an interview with ORICON NEWS, Sakurai expressed her joy at Cynthia’s reappearance:

“It had been a long time since I played her, and part of me wondered if Cynthia might never appear in the anime again. So when she returned, I was truly happy. I also play Koharu’s mother in the series, and when I was leaving the studio after a recording, the director told me, ‘Cynthia will be appearing again, so please take care of her.’ I was so overjoyed that I couldn’t help blurting out, ‘Yay!’”

She went on to reflect on the significance of her roles:
“Every character I’ve played, not just in this work, holds a special place in my heart. Among them, the Pokémon anime is a series loved by people of all generations, especially as something children inevitably encounter while growing up. I’ve seen my nieces and nephews enjoying it up close, shouting ‘Pokémon! Pokémon!’ Being able to take part in such a series is already a treasure as an actress, and it was an honor to reprise the beloved Cynthia.”

After the news of her passing, Matsumoto shared a poignant memory:
“When Tomo-chan was being given a lot of criticism by the sound director and was struggling with Cynthia’s role, I told her, ‘It’s okay. You really are Cynthia. No matter what happens, only Tomo-chan can play her. Just throw your shoulders back and declare, “This is me!” and play her with confidence.’ I meant it as encouragement, but those words ended up being the last I said to her. I truly believed we would meet again...”

[Obituary] Voice Actress Tomo Sakurai Dies at 53 After August 4 Emergency Hospitalization

Source : ORICON NEWS