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One of the most classic characters in the anime world is easily Doraemon, the futuristic cat that managed to win the hearts and minds of viewers over the decades. For decades, the role of the anime feline was inhabited by Nobuyo Ōyama, a long-time voice actor who had some big roles in the anime industry. Unfortunately, news has dropped that Nobuyo has passed at the age of 90 on September 29th with her fellow voice actors taking the opportunity to honor their friend.
Nobuyo Ōyama was born in 1933 and on top of being a voice actress, she also was a singer, screenwriter, and television personality. She was married to Keisuke Sagawa, another star in the television industry. Nobuyo took on the role of Doraemon in 1979 and continued voicing the popular anime character for decades over the course of the television series, video games, and feature-length films. Due to a dementia diagnosis in 2012, Ōyama handed the baton to a new voice actor, Wasabi Mizuta, for Doraemon but her time in the role and her influence on the anime industry won’t soon be forgotten.
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Honoring An Anime Legend
Fellow voice actor on the Doraemon franchise, Nomura Michiko (who played the part of Shizuka-Chan) released a heart-warming statement to honor Nobuyo, “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.”
Nobuyo was good friends with the voice actor responsible for Dragon Ball’s Son Goku, Masako Nozawa, who shared the following statement regarding her friend’s passing, “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,”
The New Doraemon Honors Her Predecessor
Wasabi Mizuta, the new voice actor portraying Doraemon, shared a touching tribute to Nobuyo, “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.”
Nobuyo’s talent agency representative, Morita Yozo, paid tribute to the anime legend while also sharing her commitment to Doraemon, noting that the voice actor would sometimes change the anime’s script to delete foul language, “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.”
Our thoughts are with Nobuyo Oyama’s friends and loved ones during this difficult time.
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