Tomoko Kawakami

Tomoko Kawakami (川上 とも子) (Born April 25, 1970 - June 9, 2011) was a female seiyū from Tokyo, Japan. Having graduated from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, Kawakami was affiliated with Production Baobab until her death.

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 (Misuzu Kamio), Bleach (Soifon), Chrono Crusade (Rosette Christopher), Hikaru no Go (Hikaru Shindou) and Sgt. Frog (Fuyuki Hinata).

A versatile seiyu, Kawakami was capable of providing voice for a wide range of characters from young boys (Hikaru Shindo, Fuyuki Hinata, Chiriko), cute girls (Sugar, Misuzu Kamio, Sayuri Kurata) and comical characters (Ai Mori, Pirika). But the most known genre of her roles are tomboyish characters (Soifon, Utena Tenjou). With such a powerful voice, she was often affiliated in paranormal and shoujo-ai-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 1996

In August 2008, Kawakami became sick, requiring surgery. As a result, she took a 20 month sick leave, as of April 2010. During this time, most of her ongoing roles were replaced by the following seiyu:


 * Hōko Kuwashima: Bleach (Soifon), Sgt. Frog (Fuyuki Hinata)
 * Sayuri Yahagi: Nodame Cantabile (Puririn)
 * Yuki Kaida: A Foreign Love Affair (Kaoru Omi)
 * Kumi Sakuma: Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter (Elise)
 * Satsuki Yukino: Pokémon (Pokedex, Dawn's Buneary, Marian)
 * Shiho Kawaragi: Desperate Housewives (Japanese dubbed version, Kayla Huntington)
 * Akiko Kimura: Battle Spirits: Shounen Toppa Bashin (Mama)
 * Yumi Kakazu: Tales of VS (Nanaly Fletch)
 * Omi Minami: Elemental Gerard (Ashea)
 * Yuki Matsuoka: Heroes Fantasia (Mileru)
 * Saki Fujita: Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card (Rika Sasaki)
 * Rie Kugimiya: Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple (Miu)
 * Miyuki Sawashiro: Sengoku Basara (Itsuki)
 * Ai Nonaka: Anpanman (Candle-Man)
 * Yuka Imai: Demonbane PS2 game, Super Robot Wars UX (Claudius)

Kawakami played some roles during her sick leave, such as Fuyuki Hinata in Keroro Gunsō the Super Movie: Crushing Invasion, Dragon Warriors, Amber in Darker than Black: Ryūsei no Gemini, and Elise in Nodame Cantabile: Finale.

Death
Kawakami passed away at age 41 from ovarian cancer on June 9, 2011.

Television animation
Lead and major characters in bold


 * Air (visual novel) - Misuzu Kamio
 * Amaenaideyo!! - Sumi Ikuina
 * A Little Snow Fairy Sugar - Sugar
 * Angelic Layer - Madoka Fujisaki
 * Aria series - Athena Glory
 * Ashita no Nadja - Shudefan
 * Battle Athletes Victory - Chris Christopher
 * Best Student Council - Cyndi Manabe
 * Betterman - Sēme
 * Bleach - Soifon
 * Bucky - The Incredible Kid - Pink
 * Cardcaptor Sakura - Rika Sasaki
 * Chrono Crusade - Rosette Christopher
 * Clannad (visual novel) - Girl from the Illusionary World
 * Cyborg 009 - Cynthia
 * Darker than BLACK - Amber
 * Dear Boys - Yukiko Kawasaki
 * Descendants of Darkness - Kazusa Otonashi
 * Detective School Q - Kazuma Narusawa
 * Di Gi Charat Nyo! - Chibi Akari, Kareida-san
 * Doki Doki School Hours - Akane Kobayashi
 * Elfen Lied - Mariko
 * F-Zero GP Legend - Reina, Sasuke
 * Fullmetal Alchemist - Kyle (in episode 9)
 * Fushigi Yūgi, Fushigi Yūgi Oni, and Fushigi Yūgi Eikoden - Chiriko
 * Gakuen Heaven - Umino Satoshi
 * Gaiking - Lulu
 * Genesis of Aquarion - Futaba
 * Great Teacher Onizuka - Hoshino (in episode 28)
 * Ghost Stories (anime) - Miyanoshita Satsuki
 * Godannar - Luna
 * Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Akane Motomiya
 * Hikaru no Go - Hikaru Shindō
 * I'm Gonna Be An Angel! - Noelle
 * Jigoku Shōjo - Yoshimi Kuroda (in episode 1)
 * Jinki: Extend - Elnie Tachibana
 * Kanon - Sayuri Kurata
 * Kara no Kyōkai - Ryougi Shiki
 * Magical Girl Pretty Samy TV - Konoha Haida/Funky Connie
 * Martian Successor Nadesico - Eri, Ai
 * MegaMan NT Warrior - Princess Pride
 * Mirmo! - Wakaba
 * Mon Colle Knights - Fearī
 * NieA 7 - Kāna
 * Nodame Cantabile - Elise (main story in anime), Puririn (Purigorota)
 * One Piece - Amanda
 * Orphen: Revenge - Licorice Nelson
 * Paranoia Agent - Heroin
 * Piano: The Melody of a Young Girl's Heart - Yūki Matsubara
 * Pokémon (anime) - Ayame, Takami, Buneary, Pokédex (Sinnoh region)
 * Popotan - Konami, Mai
 * Rune Soldier - Merrill
 * Revolutionary Girl Utena - Utena Tenjō
 * Saiyuki Reload series - Lirin
 * Saru Get You -On Air- - Natsumi
 * Sgt. Frog - Fuyuki Hinata
 * Shaman King - Pirika, Mini Mongomeri
 * Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi - Fūrinji Miu
 * Steel Angel Kurumi - Eiko Kichijōji
 * Tactics (manga)- Yōko
 * The Law of Ueki - Ai Mori
 * The Twelve Kingdoms - Rangyoku
 * The World of Narue - Ran Tendō
 * Those Who Hunt Elves - Annette, Emily
 * Those Who Hunt Elves 2 - Annette, Pichi
 * Tokyo Mew Mew - Ayano Uemura (in episode 28)
 * Touch: Miss Lonely Yesterday - Kōchi
 * Trinity Blood - Elise Wasmeyer (in episode 8)
 * Uta Kata - Satsuki Takigawa
 * Yakitate!! Japan - Princess Anne (episode 31)

Movies

 * Air - Misuzu Kamio
 * Bleach: Memories of Nobody - Soifon
 * Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion - Soifon
 * Lupin; Alcatraz Connection - Monica
 * Inuyasha; Affections Touching Across Time - Harin
 * 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: 1000th Summer - Misuzu Kamio
 * Bleach: Blade Battlers 2 - Soifon
 * Bleach: Heat The Soul 3 - Soifon
 * Bleach: Heat the Soul 4 - Soifon
 * Bleach: Shattered Blade - Soifon
 * Brave Story: New Traveler - Yuno
 * Growlanser II: The Sense of Justice - Charlone Claudius
 * King of Fighters - May Lee (The King of Fighters)
 * Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil - Lolo
 * The Legend of Dragoon - Meru
 * Never7 - Yuka Kawashima
 * Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal - Sasha
 * Sengoku Basara - Itsuki
 * Skies of Arcadia - Aika
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Fushigisou (Ivysaur)
 * Tales of Destiny 2 - Nanaly Fletch
 * The Law of Ueki: Taosu ze Roberuto Juudan! - Ai Mori
 * Viper F40 - Raika
 * Viper CTR - Miki

Character Themes

 * Fushigi Yugi Vocal Collection Memories - Chiriko
 * Akai Iitsutae (Crimson Legend)
 * P.S.; Ai te eien desu ka? (P.S.; Is Love Forever?)
 * Hikaru Mura e - Hikaru Shindo
 * Hikaru Kaze (Shining Wind)
 * Sora (Sky)
 * The Law of Ueki:The Law of Songs - Ai Mori
 * Special na Everyday (Everyday is Special)
 * Shaman King Over Vocal Collection - Mini Mongomeri
 * Arabesque Carpet

Drama CDs

 * Air - Misuzu Kamio
 * Aria The Natural Drama - Athena Glory
 * Bleach; Hanatarou's Lost Item - Soifon
 * Cardcaptor Sakura; Sweet Valentine Stories - Rika Sasaki
 * Doki Doki School Hours - Akane Kobayashi
 * Harukanaru Toki No Naka De - Akane Motomiya
 * Kagetsu no Yoi Unmei no Meikyu Shuroku Video Tsuki
 * Momoji no Mai
 * Okibi
 * Toki Fuuin
 * Tokomidori
 * Tsuki no Shizuku
 * Uzusukiyo
 * Hikaru no Go: Sorezore no Toki - Hikaru Shindo
 * JINKI: EXTEND - Elnie Tachibana
 * Kanon Anthology - Sayuri Kinata
 * Mizuse-san Chi
 * Mita Sora no Koto
 * Itsuka Mita Yume
 * Kara no Kyoukai - Shiki Ryōgi
 * The Law of Ueki - Ai Mori
 * The Law of Drama
 * The Law of Radio
 * Piano Gakusho - Yuki Matsubara
 * Saiyuki Audio Drama - Lirin
 * Tactics - Yoko
 * Tales of Destiny - Nanaly Fletch
 * ZombieLoan - Yuuta

Live Action

 * Nodame Cantabile - Puririn (Purigorota)