Keiji Fujiwara, Iconic Anime Voice Actor, Dies at 55

Today sees the world mourn the loss of one of Japan’s most talented voice actors. Reports overseas have confirmed Keiji Fujiwara has passed away after fighting cancer. He was 55 years old.

Fujiwara made a name for himself in the voice acting scene during the 1990s after working in theater once he finished high school. One of his first gigs was with. Crayon Shin-chan where he played the titular star’s father, and Fujiwara continued to enjoy success from there on out.

Once he booked a role in Crayon Shin-chan, Fujiwara went on to star in series like Ranma 1/2 before taking on the Gundam franchise and even Rurouni Kenshin. Other popular TV shows like Initial D and Hikaru no Go courted the voice actor as Fujiwara cemented his reputation as a top-tier talent.

Most notably, fans will recognize Fujiwara for his work in Fullmetal Alchemist as Maes Hughes as well as Leorio from Hunter x Hunter. These anime are considered classics within the shonen genre, and he continued to expand his career with other high-profile gigs. In season one, Fujiwara voiced Hannes in Attack on Titan. Fujiwara could be found in almost every major anime from Naruto to Fairy Tail and beyond which makes him one of the industry’s most versatile voices.

Within the anime industry, Fujiwara most recently worked on Dr. Stone and One Piece. The actor also had numerous video game credits on his resume as he provided the voice of Axel in Kingdom Hearts III and Reno in the Final Fantasy VII Remake. The measure of Fujiwara’s resume cannot be underestimated, and fans are truly at a loss today as they come to terms with his tragic passing.

Our thoughts are with Fujiwara’s loved ones during this difficult time.