Tomoko Kawakami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tomoko Kawakami
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| 川上 とも子 | |
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| Born |
Rinko Kawakami
April 25, 1970 Tokyo, Japan
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| Died | June 9, 2011 (aged 41) Tokyo, Japan
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| Other names | Tomozou Cecilia |
| Occupation | Voice actress |
| Years active | 1994–2010 |
| Employer | Production Baobab |
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Notable work
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Tomoko Kawakami (川上 とも子, Kawakami Tomoko, April 25, 1970 – June 9, 2011) was a talented Japanese voice actress. She was also known by her nickname Tomozou (とも蔵) and her Christian name Cecilia (セシリア). Tomoko studied at the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music. She was a member of a company called Production Baobab, which helps voice actors find work.
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Her Amazing Voice Acting Career
Tomoko Kawakami started her voice acting journey in 1994. Her very first role was a boy in an anime called Metal Fighter Miku. In 1995, she got her first regular role as Chiriko in Fushigi Yuugi. This meant she voiced the character in many episodes.
Two years later, she landed her first main character role. She voiced Utena Tenjou in the popular anime Revolutionary Girl Utena. Besides Chiriko and Utena, Tomoko was famous for many other characters. These include Misuzu Kamio in Air, Soifon in Bleach, and Rosette Christopher in Chrono Crusade. She also voiced Hikaru Shindo in Hikaru no Go and Fuyuki Hinata in Sgt. Frog. In video games, she was the voice of Natsumi in Ape Escape and Miu Fūrinji in Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple.
Tomoko was known for her ability to voice many different types of characters. She could play young boys, girls, and even funny characters. She was especially good at voicing strong, tomboyish characters like Soifon and Utena Tenjou. Her powerful voice made her a great choice for anime that had supernatural themes or stories about strong female friendships. She also voiced the main heroines in the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de series, which started as a video game in 2000.
Health Challenges and Passing
In August 2008, Tomoko Kawakami faced a serious health challenge. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and needed surgery. For three years, she bravely fought her illness. During this time, other voice actresses took over many of her ongoing roles. However, Tomoko still managed to do some voice work until she retired in early 2010.
Sadly, Tomoko Kawakami passed away on June 9, 2011. Her death brought a lot of sadness to her fans and friends. Kumiko Watanabe, a close friend and fellow voice actress who worked with Tomoko on shows like Sgt. Frog, shared her condolences shortly after Tomoko's passing.
What She Voiced
Tomoko Kawakami voiced many characters in different types of media. Here are some of her most notable roles:
Anime TV Shows
- Air - Misuzu Kamio
- A Little Snow Fairy Sugar - Sugar
- Aria - Athena Glory
- Bleach - Soifon
- Cardcaptor Sakura - Rika Sasaki
- Chrono Crusade - Rosette Christopher
- Clannad - Girl from the Illusionary World
- Darker than BLACK - Amber
- Dear Boys - Yukiko Kawasaki
- Detective School Q - Kazuma Narusawa
- Elfen Lied - Mariko
- Fushigi Yûgi - Chiriko
- Gakuen Heaven - Satoshi Umino
- Gakko no Kaidan - Satsuki Miyanoshita
- Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Akane Motomiya
- Hikaru no Go - Hikaru Shindō
- Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - Miu Fūrinji
- MegaMan NT Warrior - Princess Pride
- Nodame Cantabile - Elise, Puririn
- One Piece - Amanda
- Pocket Monsters - Ayame, Takami, Hikari's Mimirol, Pokédex (Sinnoh region)
- Revolutionary Girl Utena - Utena Tenjō
- Saru Get You -On Air- - Natsumi
- Sgt. Frog - Fuyuki Hinata
- Shaman King - Pirika
- The Law of Ueki - Ai Mori
- The Twelve Kingdoms - Rangyoku
Anime Movies
- Air - Misuzu Kamio
- Bleach: Memories of Nobody - Soifon
- Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion - Soifon
- Keroro Gunso the Super Movie - Fuyuki Hinata
- Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2: The Deep Sea Princess - Fuyuki Hinata
- Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 3: Keroro vs. Keroro Great Sky Duel - Fuyuki Hinata
- Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena - Utena Tenjō
Video Games
- Air - Misuzu Kamio
- Ape Escape - Natsumi, Charu
- Bleach: Blade Battlers 2 - Soifon
- Bleach: Heat The Soul 3 - Soifon
- Bleach: Heat the Soul 4 - Soifon
- Bleach: Shattered Blade - Soifon
- Bomberman Generation - Bomberman
- Brave Story: New Traveler - Yuno
- Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil - Lolo
- Klonoa Beach Volleyball - Lolo
- Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series - Lolo
- Never 7: The End of Infinity - Yuka Kawashima
- Radiant Silvergun - Reana
- Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - Sasha (Japanese dub)
- Sengoku Basara - Itsuki
- Shoujo Kakumei Utena: Itsuka Kakumei Sareru Monogatari - Utena Tenjō
- Skies of Arcadia - Aika
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Fushigisou (Ivysaur)
- Tales of Destiny 2 - Nanaly Fletch
- The King of Fighters 2001 - May Lee
- The King of Fighters 2002 - May Lee
- The Law of Ueki: Taosu ze Roberuto Juudan! - Ai Mori
- The Legend of Dragoon - Meru
