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Who was Nobuyo Oyama? Iconic Doraemon anime voice actress who passed away months after Nobita star's demise

Oct 11, 2024 10:03 PM IST

Armies of anime/manga fans and Nobuyo Oyama's co-stars/close friends paid emotional tributes after her agency announced the sad news on Friday.

The raspy voice of Nobuyo Oyama, who brought alive the anime's beloved cartoon robotic cat from the future, is no longer among us. Her agency, Actors Seven, delivered the unfortunate news of her passing on Friday, October 10. Oyama died on September 29. She was 90 years old. The voice actress’ agency said her relatives held her funeral privately.

Iconic Doraemon voice actress Nobuyo Oyama passed away on September 29, 2024, at the age of 90, from natural causes. The Japanese performer developed dementia in 2015. (X/Twitter)
Iconic Doraemon voice actress Nobuyo Oyama passed away on September 29, 2024, at the age of 90, from natural causes. The Japanese performer developed dementia in 2015. (X/Twitter)

The anime feline has won hearts aplenty, thanks to Oyama. Having lent her voice to more than 2000 episodes of Doraemon for over a quarter of a century (from 1979 to 2005), Oyama had been part of most of our childhoods. Much like Fujiko F. Fujio's creation from the ‘70s portraying a heartfelt friendship between Doraemon and Nobita, these character’s voice actresses also shared an unbreakable bond. Coincidentally, Oyama's close friend Noriko Ohara, who voiced Nobita, also died earlier this year in July. The pair have now been reunited as figurative stars in the night sky.

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The overly familiar manga and anime series see the titular robotic cat travelling back in time from the 22nd century to help the good-hearted, though lazy Nobita. The young boy’s whims find a quick remedy in the shape of Doraemon’s bottomless pocket that was home to a bazillion gadgets, including the unforgettable “anywhere door” and “take-copter.”

Who was Nobuyo Oyama?

The late anime icon born in Tokyo in 1933 was the chief Doraemon voice actress. According to the Associated Press, she made her acting debut in a 1956 drama on Japan’s NHK public television. She eventually landed her first voice acting role in the 1957 dubbed version of the TV series Lassie. Some other roles on her resume include Jin Kappei, the hero of the 1970s mecha anime Zambot 3, and Monokuma, “a walking, talking, psychopathic bear,” as seen in Danganronpa. The outlet also hailed her as a gaming enthusiast, who especially enjoyed Arkanoid.

Her unmissable and distinctly remembered voice became her point of recognition. Before taking on her most celebrated role as Doraemon, she lent her voice to one of three piglets in a popular children’s puppet show in the early 1960s. She also played a pivotal voice role as the teenage boy Katsuo in the longest-running family anime series Sazae-san.

Oyama ultimately hung up her cape as Doraemon in March 2005 and wished the character synonymous with her identity the best as the leading character’s voice actors were renewed. After her long-term contribution to what is deemed one of the foundational anime projects in the modern age, Wasabi Mizuta took over as the futuristic cat.

Ten years later, her husband, Keisuke Sagawa, revealed that Oyama had been diagnosed with dementia. However, that never hindered her practice as the head of a sound arts school, where she demonstrated her Doraemon voice with finesse and flying colours on the first try. In addition to unforgettable stance as a voice actor, Oyama was also a singer, screenwriter and TV personality. Japanese media outlet NHK reported that Oyama turned down all other voice roles during her stint as Doraemon, saying, “As long as I'm working with her, I don't want to do any other voice roles” (literal translation).

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Tributes pour in for Nobuyo Oyama

  • Nomura Michiko, who helmed the role of Shizuka-chan in the Doraemon series, paid her a heartwarming tribute: “Oyama-san was with me on Doraemon for 26 years. We got along really well, and I have a lot of fun memories of going on trips together with Oyama-san, Obara-san, and myself. For the past 18 years or so, I wasn’t able to meet her due to her health condition, but I always had her in my heart. I wish I could have seen her recently, even if it was just a photo, before she passed away. I pray for her soul to rest in peace,” as reported by ComicBook.com.
  • Masako Nozawa, the voice actor behind Dragon Ball’s Son Goku, also honoured her close friend: “Peko (Oyama’s nickname) and I have been fellow voice actors since the beginning and have known each other for a long time, so it still doesn’t feel real. Whenever we met in the studio, I remember her cheerful smile as she called out, ‘Mako?!’ like it was yesterday. I’ll miss her, but I hope we can get together with everyone over there and act together again.”

  • Wasabi Mizuta, who was Oyama’s successor for the iconic role, honoured her memory: “I am so deeply moved by the news of her sudden passing that I don’t know what to say or how to express it. She was such a great actor, and I have received an enormous baton. Even now, while performing, I remember Mr. Oyama’s back as she stands in front of the microphone. I will continue to adventure with Nobita and the others so that I can reach that back. Thank you so much for all these years.”
  • NHK also noted that Morita Yozo (Oyama’s talent agency representative) praised the actress in a tribute, highlighting how she would often erase foul language from the script. “We were surprised because the person in charge at the agency who looked after her said that they saw her almost every day and that she had a good appetite. On the evening of the 29th, we received a call saying that her condition had suddenly worsened and our staff rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately they were too late. They said that Oyama had died peacefully in her sleep. When Oyama was in charge of Doraemon, she was a serious person who would check the script to make sure there was no foul language. All I can say is that she did a great job.”

Also read | My Hero Academia series finale confirmed ahead of Season 7's last episode: Release window revealed

Fans honour Nobuyo Oyama’s legacy on X

  • “Nobuyo Ōyama's voice brought happiness to countless people through Doraemon. Her legacy will always live on in the hearts of fans worldwide.”
  • “Legendary voice left us.”
  • “That's really sad to hear. Nobuyo Ōyama brought so much joy to fans through her voice work as Doraemon. It's always tough to lose someone who made such an impact in the entertainment world.”
  • “RIP your voice will be heard and remembered forever.”
  • “Oh no. This is sad. One of the greatest voice actors of all time (the voice of the original Doraemon and Monokuma) has passed away :-( With no exaggeration Oyama was so central to Japanese anime it would not have been the same without her.”
  • “You made our childhoods.”
  • “2024 f***ing sucks we’re losing everyone. Rip to the goat.”
  • “RIP, thank you for bringing Doraemon to life.”
  • “Thank you for the childhood memories.”
  • “She single handedly carried my childhood rest in peace legend.”
  • “End of an era. She will be deeply missed.”
  • “Most of our childhoods were made because of her iconic voice and the character of Doraemon, rest in peace!”

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