'Macross 7' Voice Actress Tomo Sakurai Dies at 53

Voice actress Tomo Sakurai, best known for her roles in Macross 7 and Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan (Rurouni Kenshin), died on August 13 after a battle with multiple organ cancer. She was 53. The news was announced by her agency, Feathered, through her official X (formerly Twitter) account. Sakurai had been urgently hospitalized on August 4 after her condition worsened, and subsequently canceled her "TOMO Natsu 2025 Live" concert, which had been scheduled for August 17 at Shibuya, Tokyo. "Sakurai Tomo was striving for a full recovery from her illness, and always worked hard and proactively with us on his treatment. However, this outcome has come to this, and we are deeply saddened and heartbroken," Feathered stated. The agency added that her funeral will be held privately by only close relatives in attendance, and they are considering organizing a farewell event for fans at a later date. Her official X account will continue to operate, sharing photos and memories from her life. Born in Chiba Prefecture in September 1971, Sakurai made her major debut in 1987 with her first role as herself in Cream Lemon: Lemon Angel (Lemon Angel). She also performed the third ending themes for Choujin Gakuen Gowcaizer: The Voltage Fighters (Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer) and Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai (The World God Only Knows). In September 2016, she announced her retirement from the entertainment industry due to vocal difficulties, but later returned in June 2019. Over the course of her career, Sakurai voiced many memorable characters including Mylene Flare Jenius from Macross 7, Misao Makimachi from Rurouni Kenshin, Shirona from Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, Hinowa from Gintama, and Meimi Haneoka from Kaitou Saint Tail (Mysterious Thief Saint Tail). News submitted by nirererin