Anime voice actor Eiji Yanagisawa, known for his roles in series including Naruto, Gundam Seed And The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyaamong many others, died at the age of 57.

The news of Yanagisawa’s death was reported by his talent agency, Baobab productionon November 20, 2024. According to the agency, Yanagisawa died on November 12 following a brainstem hemorrhage. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness shown to us during Yanagisawa’s lifetime,” the statement read. “The wake and funeral was held for next of kin only. We apologize for the delay in communicating this news due to the wishes of the bereaved family.”

Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Yanagisawa had been involved in the voice acting industry for many years, with some of his biggest roles including in anime series. Naruto (Genzo), Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (Prof. Ulen Hibiki) and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Okabe-sensei). However, he has also played many roles over the years, such as Code Geass, Genshiken, Digimon Frontier, Black jack, Arc the boy, Do And Samurai Champloo.

Although smaller in number, Yanagisawa has also held notable roles in video games and live-action dubs; these titles include Naruto: Ultimate Ninja And Tales of Zestiria for the first, and Western titles like Lethal Weapon 3, Stargate Atlantis, Sectionand both The Experts: New York And Miami for the latter.

Rest in peace, Eiji Yanagisawa.

Source: Baobab production