Anime voice actress Eiko Masuyama has passed away, according to a recent official announcement by her talent agency, Aoni Production. Matsuyama is best known for her role as the first Fujiko Mine in the animated series Lupine III, beginning with 1969's Lupine the Third: Pilot Film.
Aoni Production revealed that Matsuyama passed away on May 20, 2024 due to pneumonia. The company said that the voice actress had been undergoing treatment for some time and that at the request of her family, her wake and funeral were only attended by relatives.
Masuyama was born in Tokyo in 1936 and has been professionally involved in the anime industry since the 1960s, with his first roles being the characters Lucia and Kipiah in one of the first television anime in history, Astro Boy (Mighty Atom). What followed were some of the most famous early titles in anime history, including an adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Kimba the White Lion, magical girl precursor Sally the Witch, and the female protagonist of 1973's Cutie Honey. , among many other films.
However, it is for her role as Fujiko Mine in the first Lupine the Third anime adaptation that Matsuyama may be best remembered by anime fans and industry professionals. As a result, a post on X (formerly Twitter) was also made by the official Lupine the Third anime account, which stated: “Voice actress Eiko Masuyama passed away on May 20. In Lupine the Third, she made a guest appearance in Season 1, and from Season 2 onwards, she has played Fujiko Mine in various television and film productions. We express our gratitude for her many years of service and our condolences.”
The voice actors and staff of the Lupine series also paid tribute to Matsuyama, including Kanichi Kurita, who starred in the series starting in 1995. “Fujiko-chan is truly the only one best in the world,” Kurita said. “She was always elegant and I admired her…It's a shame that Naya-san, Monkey-sensei, Inoue-san, Kobayashi-san and Masuyama-san from my first recording of Lupine have all left. I will continue to work hard to continue the love of Masuyama-san and everyone else at Lupin.”
Of the original main voice cast of the Lupine III anime, Matsuyama is the last member still alive. Rest in peace, Eiko Masuyama.
Source: Comic Natalie, Aoni Production
