Today, theDragon Ballfandom is mourning the loss of one of its own. Following the death of series creator Akira Toriyama in 2024, the fan base is now grappling with the loss of a classic anime actor. Yoko Kawanami, an actor who starred in severalDragon Ballprojects, has sadly died. She was 67 years old.
The news comes fromKawanami’s talent agency as the companyposted a notice on its website earlier today. “Our agency’s own Yoko Kawanami has been in recovery due to an illness for some time, but she passed away on March 18… following ineffective treatment for peritoneal cancer,” the notice reads. “I would like to thank you all for your kindness before Kawanami’s death,” it continues. “The wake and funeral were held in private by close family… We apologize for our notice’s delay.”
Yoko Kawanami Is a Veteran Dragon Ball Actor
She Began Working On Dragon Ball In The Late ’80s
Kawanami may not be a well-known name to fans, but they will know her voice. Not only did the voice actress playBulma’s mom Bikini inDragon Ball ZandDragon Ball Z Kai,but she also starred inDragon Ballas Ranfan and Fanfan. As you’re able to imagine, these characters are very familiar to fans. While neither of these roles were major, fans of the originalDragon Ballanime will remember Ranfan’s martial arts skills fondly. And of course, Bulma’s mother is just as lively as her daughter. Bikini didn’t play as big of a role inDragon Ballas Bulma’s father did, but her presence marked one of the anime’s highlights.
Of course, Kawanami did not tie their career toDragon Ballalone. The Japanese voice actor also starred in series such asDr. Slump, Gegege no Kitaro, Sailor Moon,andArmored Trooper Voltoms. Hailing from Yokohama, the actress starred in more than 60 anime projects, and they continued working until recent years.
Dragon Ball Is No Stranger To Real-Life Loss
Akira Toriyama And Hiromi Tsuru Both Died In The Last Decade
Sadly, this is not the first death to impact the classicDragon Ballcast. In November 2017, the world learned of Hiromi Tsuru’s sudden death. The actress, who was 57 years old at the time, was found in her car unconscious in Tokyo by authorities. The vehicle was stopped with the hazard lights on where Tsuru was found to be unresponsive. After being taken to a local hospital, the original voice actress of Bulma was pronounced dead.
Dragon Ball Editors Condemn Shueisha For Disrespecting Akira Toriyama’s Death: “Too Sparse and Impersonal”
Long-time editors of Dragon Ball criticize Shueisha for how the death of Toriyama was handled and how he wasn’t celebrated.
The news was devastating to fans as Tsuru was a champion for Bulma, and sadly,Dragon Ballsuffered another loss a few years later. In March 2024, the belovedmanga artist Akira Toriyama died in Japan at the age of 68. The unexpected tragedy sparked a wave of mourning that continues to this day. Now, fans are taking time to memorialize Kawanami all the same as the actress helped bring the golden age ofDragon Ballto life.
