Yoko Kawanami, a Classic Dragon Ball Z Actress, Dies at 67

Today, the Dragon Ballfandom is mourning the loss of one of its own. Following the death of series creator Akira Toriyama in 2024, the fan base is now grappling with the loss of a classic anime actor. Yoko Kawanami, an actor who starred in several Dragon Ball projects, has sadly died. She was 67 years old.

The news comes from Kawanami's talent agency as the company posted a notice on its website earlier today. "Our agency's own Yoko Kawanami has been in recovery due to an illness for some time, but she passed away on March 18... following ineffective treatment for peritoneal cancer," the notice reads. "I would like to thank you all for your kindness before Kawanami's death," it continues. "The wake and funeral were held in private by close family... We apologize for our notice's delay."

Yoko Kawanami Is a Veteran Dragon Ball Actor

She Began Working On Dragon Ball In The Late '80s

Kawanami may not be a well-known name to fans, but they will know her voice. Not only did the voice actress play Bulma's mom Bikini in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai, but she also starred in Dragon Ball as Ranfan and Fanfan. As you can imagine, these characters are very familiar to fans. While neither of these roles were major, fans of the original Dragon Ball anime will remember Ranfan's martial arts skills fondly. And of course, Bulma's mother is just as lively as her daughter. Bikini didn't play as big of a role in Dragon Ball as Bulma's father did, but her presence marked one of the anime's highlights.

Of course, Kawanami did not tie their career to Dragon Ball alone. The Japanese voice actor also starred in series such as Dr. Slump, Gegege no Kitaro, Sailor Moon, and Armored Trooper Voltoms. Hailing from Yokohama, the actress starred in more than 60 anime projects, and they continued working until recent years.

Dragon Ball Is No Stranger To Real-Life Loss

Akira Toriyama And Hiromi Tsuru Both Died In The Last Decade

Sadly, this is not the first death to impact the classic Dragon Ball cast. In November 2017, the world learned of Hiromi Tsuru's sudden death. The actress, who was 57 years old at the time, was found in her car unconscious in Tokyo by authorities. The vehicle was stopped with the hazard lights on where Tsuru was found to be unresponsive. After being taken to a local hospital, the original voice actress of Bulma was pronounced dead.

Goku frowning after using his Angry Kamehameha to defeat Frieza on Namek.

Dragon Ball Editors Condemn Shueisha For Disrespecting Akira Toriyama's Death: "Too Sparse and Impersonal"

Long-time editors of Dragon Ball criticize Shueisha for how the death of Toriyama was handled and how he wasn't celebrated.

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The news was devastating to fans as Tsuru was a champion for Bulma, and sadly, Dragon Ball suffered another loss a few years later. In March 2024, the beloved manga artist Akira Toriyama died in Japan at the age of 68. The unexpected tragedy sparked a wave of mourning that continues to this day. Now, fans are taking time to memorialize Kawanami all the same as the actress helped bring the golden age of Dragon Ball to life.