Joseph Luster
July 23, 2024 
A true legend of the voice acting world is no longer with us, as it has been announced that Noriko Ohara has passed away. According to the official website of 81 Produce, the 88-year-old Ohara passed on July 12 following an illness treatment that proved to be unsuccessful.
Ohara has voiced numerous memorable characters over the years, but for fans in Japan and abroad she will likely be most remembered for voicing Nobita in the Doraemon series. She served as the protagonist’s voice across TV series and films from 1979 to 2005.
Other roles for which Ohara is known include the title character of Conan in Future Boy Conan, the 1978 TV anime from Nippon Animation that featured a pre-Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki as director. She also voiced Doronjo in the Yatterman series, Oyuki in the classic Urusei Yatsura adaptation, Peter in Heidi – A Girl of the Alps and many more.
Since her passing, Ohara’s family has held a private funeral.
Our thoughts go out to all those affected by her passing, and her impact on the anime industry and beyond will be felt for a long time to come.
Source: Anime News Network
