Yamazaki took hiatus from role earlier this year to undergo medical treatment; Akemi Okamura takes over role
Image via Aoni Production’s website
Talent agency Aoni Production announced on Friday that voice actress Wakana Yamazaki died on April 18. She was 61. Her relatives held a private funeral.
Yamazaki is best known for her long-running role as heroine Ran Mōri in the Detective Conan anime, which she has voiced since the anime premiered in 1996. Akemi Okamura, who voiced the character since episode 1,193 on March 14 while Yamazaki was undergoing medical treatment, will now take over the role. Notably, Yamazaki once voiced the character Nami on episodes 70-79 (May-August 2001) of the One Piece anime while Okamura, the role’s regular voice actress, was on maternity leave.
Yamazaki also voiced Meiko Akizuki in the Marmalade Boy series and film, Ruri-Hime in Mononoke, Koan in Sailor Moon R, and Nene in Samurai Warriors, among others. She also voiced Nojiko in One Piece, the One Piece Episode of East Blue: Luffy and His Four Friends’ Great Adventure and One Piece Episode of Nami: Kōkaishi no Namida to Nakama no Kizuna specials, and the One Piece Film Strong World movie.
Sources: Aoni Production, Detective Conan anime’s website, Comic Natalie
