One Piece Actress Minori Matsushima Dies at 81

By Megan Peters

Today, the One Piece fandom is mourning a loss within the anime's family. A new report from Japan has confirmed Minori Matsushima, the actress behind Vice-Admiral Tsuru, has passed away. She was 81 years old.

The news comes from Aoni Production, the talent agency that managed Matsushima. The actress passed away on April 8th after a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer.

For those unfamiliar with Matsushima's name, she was known in shonen circles for her work on One Piece as a revered marine. The star also worked on Dororo in the series' first anime run. Matsushima also voiced Meat-kun in Kinnikuman and Little Lulu in their titular series.

Born in December 1940, Matsushima began their career in voice acting in 1963. She got her start in anime with Mazinger Z before moving to other projects across all sorts of genres. From Ranma 1/2 to Honey Honey, Matsushima was a well-known voice in the anime industry for decades, and her talent will be greatly missed. 

Our thoughts are with Matsushima's loved ones during this time. May she rest in peace. 

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