Farewell, Mr. Black, Mr. Oak, Mr. Joestar… and so many more. You will be missed.
Earlier today, talent agency Aoni Production announced that voice actor Unshō Ishizuka passed away on August 13. He was 67.
Ishizuka was receiving treatment for esophageal cancer, which ultimately proved ineffective. He succumbed to the disease on Monday. Oricon reports that a small funeral and wake was held by his close relatives. A public farewell ceremony will be held at a later date.
Unshō Ishizuka began his career as a voice actor in 1984, when he played the narrator in Giant Gorg. Since then, he has gone on to perform numerous major roles, including:
- Mr. Satan (Dragon Ball franchise)
- Heihachi Mishima (Tekken franchise)
- Professor Oak (Pokémon)
- Jet Black (Cowboy Bebop)
- Joseph Joestar (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise)
- Sergei Smirnov (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)
- Ryōtarō Dōjima (Persona 4)
- Bunta Fujiwara (Initial D franchise)
- Fedok Wockam (Armored Trooper VOTOMS)
- Alex Rosewater (The Big O)
- Patrick (Blood Blockade Battlefront)
- Detective Nakamori (Case Closed)
- Van Hohenheim (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
- Quent Yaiden (Wolf’s Rain)
This season, Ishizuka was playing Dino Golzine in Banana Fish.
Outside of anime, Ishizuka has provided the Japanese dub voices for numerous prominent western actors, including Laurence Fishburne and Liam Neeson.
Sources: Oricon, Animate Times, Comic Natalie, Ota-suke
Cowboy Bebop, Pokemon Voice Actor Unshō Ishizuka Passes Away – Samantha Ferreira
