Legendary Japanese voice artist Junko Hori who has voiced several memorable childhood animated shows passed away on November 18 at 89. This week, her talent agency Production Baobab made a devastating announcement that shook the anime community. The veteran voice star lent her voice to several iconic anime. The list includes ‘Speed Racer,’ ‘Himitsu no Akko-chan,’ ‘Ashita no Joe 2,’ ‘Game Center Arashi,’ and ‘Taiyō no Ko Esteban.’
Hori’s management label released the notice of the actress’ demise late due to the wishes of her grieving family. Her close ones have requested privacy at this difficult time. Additionally, the official announcement also revealed that the funeral was only arranged for close relatives. Meanwhile, rhey have advised fans not to visit the funeral home or offer gifts.
Meanwhile, Junko Hori lent her voice to several popular anime television shows. These include ‘Speed Racer’, ‘Moomin’, ‘Ashita No Joe 2’, ‘Game Center Arashi’ and ‘Cinderella Boy’ among others.
The voice artist has also worked on numerous live-action projects as well including ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, ‘Friday the 13th: A New Beginning’, ‘Supercar’. Junko also holds the credits for the voice of Bart Simpson in the blockbuster animated show ‘The Simpsons’ and Jerry in the era-defining show ‘Tom and Jerry’. She is most popularly known for working on ‘Ninja Hattori.’
Meanwhile, Hori’s filmography doesn’t end here. The prolific artist even lent her voice to video game characters. These include Sunakake Baba and Sasuke in the ‘Gegege no Kitaro’ and ‘Ganbare Goemon’ game series, respectively. Reportedly, she also dubbed roles in popular films like ‘Tok Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome’ and ‘Get Your Gun.’
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Following her demise, several social media users posted messages remembering the veteran artist. Her demise comes as a shock to anime enthusiasts and several other viewers who grew up watching ‘Tom and Jerry’ and ‘Hattori.’ Fans are expressing their gratitude towards Junko Hori for playing a huge part in their childhood through her numerous shows. One penned, “Thank you for making my childhood Ninja Hattori. Hope you have a safe peaceful trip to heaven. Thank you Hori san.” Another wrote, “Rest in Peace, Junko Hori, Ninja Hattori will always be in my heart, and I will always sing the opening whenever I climb the mountain or sailing through the sea.”