Tomoko Kawakami


Tomoko Kawakami was a Japanese voice actress. She was also known by her pen-name Tomozou, and her Christian name Cecilia. Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, she was a member of Production Baobab.

Career

Kawakami debuted in 1994 as a role of a boy in Metal Fighter Miku. Her first regular performance was in 1995 as Chiriko in Fushigi Yuugi. Two years after, she landed her first starring voice role as Utena Tenjou in Revolutionary Girl Utena. Aside from Chiriko and Utena, her famous roles are in Air, Bleach, Chrono Crusade, Hikaru no Go, Sgt. Frog, Ape Escape,Yukiko Kawasaki, Sugar, Aria, and Miu Fūrinji.
Kawakami provided voices for young boys, girls and comical characters. The best-known genre of her roles are tomboyish characters. With such a powerful voice, she was often affiliated in paranormal and yuri-themed anime. She also made her name voicing the heroine in the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de series, based from the Neoromance game with the same title produced by Koei in 2000.

Illness and death

In August 2008, Kawakami was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which required surgery. During her battle with cancer over the next three years, replacement voice actresses stepped into most of her ongoing roles, although Kawakami managed to do some voice work until her retirement in early 2010. She died on June 9, 2011. Her death was met with an outpouring of grief. Kumiko Watanabe, a fellow voice actress and particularly close friend of hers who worked alongside Kawakami in series such as Klonoa and Sgt. Frog, responded on her web diary with condolences just two days after Kawakami's death. Her mother Shizuko thanked all her fans for their condolences in an online letter on 29 June 2011.

Filmography

Anime series

Air - Misuzu KamioAmaenaideyo!! - Sumi IkuinaA Little Snow Fairy Sugar - SugarAngelic Layer - Madoka FujisakiAria - Athena GloryAshita no Nadja - Stefan Battle Athletes Victory - Chris ChristopherBest Student Council - Cyndi ManabeBetterman - SēmeBleach - Soifon Cardcaptor Sakura - Rika SasakiChrono Crusade - Rosette ChristopherClannad - Girl from the Illusionary WorldCrush Gear Turbo - Yamano KimomoCyborg 009 - CynthiaDarker than BLACK - AmberDear Boys - Yukiko KawasakiDescendants of Darkness - Kazusa OtonashiDetective School Q - Kazuma NarusawaDi Gi Charat Nyo! - Chibi Akari, Kareida-sanDoki Doki School Hours - Akane KobayashiElfen Lied - MarikoEmily of New Moon - Emily Byrd StarrF-Zero GP Legend - Sasuke ReinaFullmetal Alchemist - Kyle Fushigi Yûgi, Fushigi Yūgi Oni, and Fushigi Yūgi Eikoden - ChirikoGakuen Heaven - Satoshi UminoGaiking - LuluGakko no Kaidan - Satsuki MiyanoshitaGenesis of Aquarion - FutabaGreat Teacher Onizuka - Hoshino Godannar - LunaHarukanaru Toki no Naka de - Akane MotomiyaHikaru no Go - Hikaru ShindōI'm Gonna Be An Angel! - NoelleJigoku Shōjo - Yoshimi Kuroda Jibaku-kun - PinkJinki: Extend - Elnie TachibanaKanon - Sayuri KurataKara no Kyōkai - Ryougi Shiki Magical Project S - Konoha Haida/Funky ConnieKenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - Miu FūrinjiMartian Successor Nadesico - Eri, AiMegaMan NT Warrior - Princess PrideMirmo! - WakabaMon Colle Knights - FearīNieA 7 - KānaNodame Cantabile - Elise, Puririn One Piece - AmandaOrphen: Revenge - Licorice NelsonParanoia Agent - "Otokomichi/A Man's Path" manga heroine Piano: The Melody of a Young Girl's Heart - Yūki MatsubaraPocket Monsters - Ayame, Takami, Hikari's Mimirol, Pokédex Popotan - Mai/KonamiPower Stone - AyameRune Soldier - MerrillRevolutionary Girl Utena - Utena TenjōSaiyuki Reload series - LirinSaru Get You -On Air- - NatsumiSgt. Frog - Fuyuki Hinata Shaman King - Pirika, Mini MongomeriSpace Pirate Mito - Mito MitsukuniSteel Angel Kurumi - Eiko KichijōjiTactics - YōkoThe Law of Ueki - Ai MoriThe Twelve Kingdoms - RangyokuThe World of Narue - Ran TendōThose Who Hunt Elves - Annette, EmilyThose Who Hunt Elves 2 - Annette, PichiTokyo Mew Mew - Ayano Uemura Touch: Miss Lonely Yesterday - KōchiTrinity Blood - Elise Wasmeyer Uta Kata - Satsuki TakigawaVS Knight Ramune & 40 Fire - TrumpetYakitate!! Japan - Princess Anne

Anime films

Video games

Air - Misuzu KamioApe Escape - Natsumi, CharuBleach: Blade Battlers 2 - SoifonBleach: Heat The Soul 3 - SoifonBleach: Heat the Soul 4 - SoifonBleach: Shattered Blade - SoifonBomberman Generation - BombermanBrave Story: New Traveler - YunoGrowlanser II: The Sense of Justice - Charlone ClaudiusKlonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil - LoloKlonoa Beach Volleyball - LoloKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Series - LoloMagical Drop F - JudgmentNever 7: The End of Infinity - Yuka KawashimaRadiant Silvergun - ReanaRatchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - Sasha SD Gundam G Generation - Rachel RansomSengoku Basara - Itsuki

Dubbing roles

Blue Crush – Anne Marie Chadwick Gumby – Goo Hearts in Atlantis – Carol Gerber Heat – Lauren Gustafson Jumanji – Judy Shepherd The Secret World of Alex Mack - Alex Mack

Original video animation

Amon: The Apocalypse of Devilman -YumiTokio Private Police -Noriko Ibuki

Successors