Emi Shinohara, the Voice of Sailor Jupiter, Dies at 61

Today, the anime fandom is coming together to mourn the loss of a beloved talent. Emi Shinohara, a veteran voice actress, has passed away. The 61-year-old died on September 8 as she was undergoing treatment for an unnamed illness.

For those who do not know Shinohara by name, you will know her voice. The actress began working in anime decades ago. Her first role came through Dream Hunter Realm in 1986, but it was Sailor Moon in 1992 that put Shinohara on the map. In the original anime, the star voiced Sailor Jupiter (Makoto Kino) as well as several background roles.

Following her addition to Sailor Moon , Shinohara's career took off. She continued to oversee Sailor Jupiter on film for years before other actress like Mew Azama began filling in for the scout. As for Shinohara, she never lacked for work. From Ninja Scroll to Magic Knight Rayearth and Cardcaptor Sakura , the voice actress took part in a slew of popular series. She earned plenty of praise for voicing Kushina Uzumaki in Naruto Shippuden years after Sailor Moon took off. And as for her last anime credit, it can be found in A Whisker Away as she played Sachiko in the 2020 project.

As you can imagine, the anime fandom is coming together to share their best memories of Shinohara. Her work on Sailor Moon helped kickstart one of anime's most magical stories. Usagi led a colorful cast of scouts in the series, and Sailor Jupiter was beloved by many for her no-nonsense attitude. Loyal to a fault, Sailor Jupiter was as strong on the inside as she was outside. Shinohara brought that headstrong performance to life with ease. And in the wake of her death, the world is remembering all the good Shinohara is leaving behind through her work.

Our thoughts are with Shinohara's loved ones during this difficult time.