Joseph Luster
December 20, 2021 
Over the weekend, reports confirmed that stage and voice actress Sayaka Kanda—known to anime and video game fans for roles ranging from Yuna in Sword Art Online to Kaede Akamatsu in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony—has passed away at the age of 35.
Local authorities in Chuo-ku, Sapporo reported that Kanda was found unconscious in a patio area on the 14th floor of a hotel at 12:55pm Japan Time on Saturday, December 18. She was then taken to a local hospital in critical condition, and sadly passed away shortly after. Her official website went on to confirm reports of her passing.
Kanda also voiced roles in anime productions such as Idoly Pride and Space Battleship Yamato 2202, and took her Danganronpa connection to the stage as Junko Enoshima in the Danganronpa stage plays. She is also known for her role as Sora in Kamen Rider Den-O, as well as the Japanese voice of Anna in Disney’s Frozen.
Our thoughts go out to her family, friends, and colleagues.
Source: Official website, Crunchyroll
