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Doraemon, Danganronpa Voice Actress Nobuyo Ōyama Dies at 90

Talent agency Actors Seven announced on Friday that Nobuyo Ōyama (real name Nobuyo Yamashita), who was the original voice actress for the titular Doraemon in the Doraemon franchise, died on September 29 of senility. She was 90.

Ōyama was born on October 16, 1933 and is from Tokyo. She attended an acting school, and debuted in an NHK drama in 1956. She debuted as a voice actress in 1957.

Ōyama revealed in 2015 that she had been suffering from dementia since 2012. She suffered from a cerebral infarction in 2008, and originally thought the symptoms of dementia were the after-effects of the ailment. She continued voice acting work later in 2015, and her life inspired the dramatized television special "Zutto Issho da yo ~Seiyū・Oyama Nobuyo Monogatari~" (Together for a Long Time: The Story of Voice Actress Nobuyo Ōyama) in December 2015.

Ōyama is best known for her work voicing the titular character of the Doraemon TV series and movies from 1979 to 2005, before new voice actors replaced many of the roles in the show. She also sang the "Doraemon no Uta" theme song for the show. She also voiced Kappei Jin in Muteki Chōjin Zambot 3, as well as the titular character in Hazedon.

She also voiced Katsuo Isono in the Sazae-san anime in 1969 to 1970. She voiced Minota in the Oniku Daisuki! Zeushi-kun TV anime and the Oniku Daisuki! Zeushi-kun 2 ONA.

Another of Ōyama's major roles was Monokuma in the Danganronpa series of games and its 2012 TV anime adaptation Danganronpa The Animation, for which she also sang the show's second opening theme "Monokuma Ondo." TARAKO replaced her in the Danganronpa franchise in 2016.

Source: NHK News, Livedoor News via My Game News Flash