Takako Sasuga

Takako Sasuga
貴家 堂子
Born
Takako Horiuchi (堀内 堂子)[1] (née Sasuga (貴家)[2])

(1936-02-04)February 4, 1936
Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
DiedFebruary 5, 2023(2023-02-05) (aged 87)
Tokyo, Japan
OccupationVoice actress
Years active1963–2023
AgentHaikyō
Notable credit(s)Sazae-san as Tarao Fuguta
The Genie Family as Akubi
Tensai Bakabon as Hajime-chan
Danganronpa as Usami/Monomi
Height1.53 m (5 ft 0 in)

Takako Sasuga (貴家 堂子, Sasuga Takako; February 4, 1936 – February 5, 2023) was a Japanese voice actress.

Her most notable voice roles were Tarao Fuguta in Sazae-san, Akubi in The Genie Family, and Hajime-chan in Tensai Bakabon.[3]

She is also well known for voicing Usami/Monomi in the Danganronpa franchise.[4]

Biography

Sasuga was born and raised in Tokyo Prefecture in a family that runs a hospital. Her career began after high school when, because she did not want to practice cooking and cleaning ready for bridal training, a friend invited her to audition for a radio drama, which she passed and made her debut.[5]

Sasuga then experienced opposition from her parents and actual marriage, and considered retiring from her career several times, but continued to work, as she had never lost any regular appearances since her debut.[5]

Sasuga specialized in playing the roles of infants and young girls, taking advantage of her cutie voice. Because most of these roles were performed with her natural voice, a recording staff member once told her, "You can't play adult roles," which troubled her for a time, but this became an opportunity for her to master such roles. In 2012, she said in a conversation, "My voice is weird. The truth is, I am not good at listening to my voice, but I am responsible for the work I perform in and I always check them out".[6]

In 1961, she took on the role of dubbing Jay North's Dennis Mitchell in the Japanese dub of Dennis the Menace, which became her breakout role. As such, she dubbed for the same role in the 1993 film by John Hughes.

In 1969, Sasuga was cast as Sazae-san character Tarao Fuguta, the son of the titular character Sazae. It became her signature character role and she continued to voice the role without ever being replaced.[5] In 2011, she, Midori Katō (Sazae), Miyoko Asō (Fune), and Ichirō Nagai (Namihei) were awarded the Merit Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards for their long running roles on Sazae-san since the beginning of the show's broadcast,[7] and in 2019, she was recognized by the Guinness World Records alongside Katō for having the "longest career as a voice actor for the same character of an animated TV series" record.[8]

In 2012, she played the role of Usami/Monomi in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. This was the first time in her career that she appeared in a video game.

Death

Sasuga died on February 5, 2023, at the age of 87.[9] The cause of death was undisclosed, but she was not ill and died suddenly in good health.[10][11] Her posthumous work was Sazae-san, which was recorded as usual three days before her death and was broadcast on February 26.[10][11]

Filmography

Television animation

List of voice performances in television animation
Year Title Role(s) Notes Source
1964Astro BoyPipi, Magnet-chan
1965Jungle Emperor LeoHippoEp. 6
1967The Golden BatTribal Boy
Kaminari Boy PikkaribeeCardan
Princess KnightTwinkMain role[12][13]
1968Star of the GiantsAdditional voice
Humanoid Monster BemBoy
1969Plum Star PrinceMiyoko Kawai[14][15]
Sazae-sanTarao FugutaMain role; First voice[16][17]
Ninpu Kamui GaidenHill Myna
The Genie FamilyAkubi, Mouse, Osaka Fair CompanionMain role; Osaka Fair Compainion in Ep. 45[18]
Fight Da!! PyutaAdditional voice
MoominThingumy
1970Attack No. 1Additional voice
The Secret of Akko-chanYoung Girl
1971The Adventures of Hutch the HoneybeeYukimushi, Tenko
Little Ghost Q-TarōAdditional voice
Tensai BakabonHajime-chan, Additional voicesMain role[19][20]
1972Akado SuzunosukeAdditional voice
New MoominThingumy
HazedonIcchinMain role[21]
1973The Gutsy FrogAka-chan, Additional voices[22]
Demetan Croaker, The Boy FrogAkako the Brown FrogEp. 26
1975Ganso Tensai BakabonHajime-chan, Additional voices[23][24]
Maya the Honey BeeLeaf-roller Beetle Larva, Locust
Reideen the BraveKoppepan[25]
1976Ikkyū-sanOtae
1977Rascal the RaccoonMartha Conway[26]
1979Anne of Green GablesLily Jones
1980Astro BoyGen HoshinoEp. 17
1981The Wonderful Adventures of NilsHenryEp. 43
1983I Am A Dog: Don Matsugorou's LifeChōtarōMain role; Television special[27]
The Call of the WildAdditional voice
2008Kannagi: Crazy Shrine MaidensShige KamimoriEp. 12
2013Danganronpa: The AnimationUsami/MonomiEp. 13
2016Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High SchoolMiaya Gekkogahara (Monomi)[28]

Theatrical animation

List of voice performances in theatrical animation
Year Title Role Notes Source
1963Gauche the CellistAdditional voice
1984Nausicaä of the Valley of the WindGirl B[29]
1986Open the DoorMise[30]

Video games

List of voice performances in video games
Year Title Role Notes Source
2012Danganronpa 2: Goodbye DespairUsami/Monomi[4]
Danganronpa 1 2 ReloadUsami/Monomi
2021Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer CampUsami/Monomi

Dubbing

Live-action film

Television

Animation

References

  1. ↑ 『芸能手帳タレント名簿録Vol.35（'00〜'01）』(in Japanese). Rengo News Agency and Ongakusenkasha Co., Ltd. 2000. page 115.
  2. ↑ 『TVアニメ大全科part2』(in Japanese). Akita Shoten. 1979. page 267.
  3. ↑ 貴家 堂子 (in Japanese). linkvod.myjcom.jp.
  4. 1 2 スパイク・チュンソフト、PSP「スーパーダンガンロンパ２ さよなら絶望学園」。予約特典も「しゃべる！モノミストラップ」に決定 (in Japanese). Game Watch. May 11, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Takako, Sasuga (January 2, 2022). "時代を創った声 貴家堂子". "ラジオ深夜便" (Radio). Interviewed by Kotaro Ishikawa. NHK.
  6. ↑ Takako, Sasuga (July 30, 2012). "An Interview with Takako Sasuga". "スーパーダンガンラジオ 緒方恵美の絶望学園放送部 第2回" (Internet radio). Interviewed by Megumi Ogata. Animate.
  7. ↑ "東京国際アニメフェア 功労賞にサザエさん声優陣ら決定". Anime Anime! (in Japanese). January 26, 2011. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Longest career as a voice actor for the same character of an animated TV series". Guinness World Records. October 6, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Sazae-san, Danganronpa Voice Actress Takako Sasuga Passes Away". Anime News Network. February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "貴家堂子さん所属・俳協関係者「2日の『サザエさん』収録に通常通り参加」突然の死に驚き隠せず". 日刊スポーツ (in Japanese). February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "「サザエさん」タラちゃん声優・貴家堂子さん死去 87歳 加藤みどりら共演者悲痛「大切な宝物を失った」". スポニチ (in Japanese). February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  12. ↑ リボンの騎士 (in Japanese). Osamu Tezuka Official site.
  13. ↑ リボンの騎士 (in Japanese). allcinema.
  14. ↑ ウメ星デンカ (in Japanese). TMS Entertainment.
  15. ↑ ウメ星デンカ (in Japanese). allcinema.
  16. ↑ 『声優事典 第二版』(in Japanese). Kinema Junposha Co., Ltd. 1996. ISBN 4-87376-160-3.
  17. ↑ サザエさん (in Japanese). allcinema.
  18. ↑ ハクション大魔王 (in Japanese). allcinema.
  19. ↑ 天才バカボン (in Japanese). TMS Entertainment.
  20. ↑ 天才バカボン (in Japanese). allcinema.
  21. ↑ ハゼドン (in Japanese). allcinema.
  22. ↑ 「富野由悠季フィルモグラフィー（原口正宏）」in『富野由悠季 全仕事』(in Japanese). Kinema Junposha Co., Ltd. June 9, 1999. ISBN 4-87376-514-5.
  23. ↑ 元祖天才バカボン (in Japanese). TMS Entertainment.
  24. ↑ 元祖天才バカボン (in Japanese). allcinema.
  25. ↑ 勇者ライディーン (in Japanese). allcinema.
  26. ↑ あらいぐまラスカル (in Japanese). allcinema.
  27. ↑ 吾輩は犬である ドン松五郎の生活 (in Japanese). allcinema.
  28. ↑ ダンガンロンパ３－The End of 希望ケ峰学園－ 未来編 (in Japanese). allcinema.
  29. ↑ 風の谷のナウシカ (in Japanese). allcinema.
  30. ↑ 扉を開けて (in Japanese). allcinema.
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