Tarako (たらこ, Tarako; December 17, 1960 – March 4, 2024) was a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and narrator.
Her debut voice acting role was as a preschooler in Urusei Yatsura. She is most famously known as the original voice actress of Momoko "Maruko" Sakura, the titular character in the long-running television anime series Chibi Maruko-chan from its debut in 1990 until its conclusion in 1992 and its subsequent revival, which premiered in 1995 and continues to this day.
Other notable roles of hers are as Monokuma in the Danganronpa franchise from 2016 to 2024, Frakenrobo in the long running children's anime series Let's Go! Anpanman, Kirara in InuYasha, the titular character of Magical Taruruto-kun, Melody in Hunter × Hunter, and Altena in Noir.
She was employed by the talent management firm Troubadour Musique Office.
Contents
Biography
Early life
Born in Japan in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo on December 17, 1960, and raised in Ōta, Gunma, everyone in her family loved music, with her older sister being a part of a choir.
As a child, she entered the Gekidan Nihon Jido theater troupe alongside her older sister. Ever since she was in the second or third grade of elementary school, she had been a member of the music club, and would play the recorder. In fourth grade, she performed a Junko Sakurada song in a local karaoke contest, but didn't end up winning.
In the fifth grade, she moved from Edogawa Ward to Gunma Prefecture. At that time, she was particularly fond of sports and would play tennis, table tennis, volleyball, badminton, and others.
In fifth grade, she took piano lessons for about a year and reached the Beyer level, occasionally performing on stage. During her time at Ota City Kuai Elementary School, she was a member of the boys and girls choir. From her days at Ota City Higashi Junior High School, she joined the basketball club and even served as its captain during her junior high school years.
She ended up quitting high school basketball because her mother got worried about her arriving home late, so then took up folk music. She already had owned a guitar and wrote her very first song during her first high school year. She independently managed and hosted music events at local venues and small halls. Around that time, she admired the television anime Lupin the Third and formed an anime club.
Thinking "I want to become an anime voice actress" and believing that "acting skills are necessary for that", she moved to Tokyo after graduating from Gunma Prefectural Ota Girls' High School and enrolled in the Acting and Voice Acting Department at the Tokyo Academy of Visual Arts, but ended up dropping out. During her student days, she was referred to as "Tara-chan" by a classmate because she acted, looked, and sounded similar to the Sazae-san character Tarao Fuguta, often referred to by the name Tara-chan. She made the nickname her stage name by adding "ko" at the end and romanized the name.
Career
In 1981, Tarako made her debut as a voice actress as a preschooler in the Urusei Yatsura television anime series. At the time, she couldn't make a living from just doing voice acting, so also worked in various part-time jobs.
While still in school, she got to sing at a pub where a friend of hers was working a part-time job. The president of the Troubadour Music Office, who was there as a customer and later signed her on, invited her, saying, "I'm producing a live show, want to be the opening act?", leading to her and the friend to perform together as a guitar duo. Troubadour's president and Urusei Yatsura sound director Shigeharu Shiba were acquaintances, she was invited with, "I want to audition people who aren't professional voice actors". She auditioned for the role of the female protagonist Lum, but failed the audition. However the staff took an immediate liking towards her distinct voice, so she appeared in nearly every episode in a supporting role.
In 1982, she got her first regular voice acting role as Chill in Combat Mecha Xabungle.
In 1983, she made her debut as a singer-songwriter with the LP album Totte Oki no Shunkan.
In 1990, she started voicing the titular character of Momoko "Maruko" Sakura in the Chibi Maruko-chan television anime series, which became her most popular and signature role.
Initially a different actress was selected to voice Maruko, but a second auditioning was held because the actress didn't match the image that original creator Momoko Sakura had in mind. Tarako was chosen to voice Maruko because her voice sounded just like Sakura's. In addition, Tarako also served as a screenplay director for the anime and wrote scripts for several episodes. It has been said that people would often tell her that her voice and appearance resembled and sounded just like Sakura's.
She also worked as a variety show host and handled plenty of narration jobs.
She was the head of the theater company WAKU, also writing, directing, and performing in numerous stage productions.
Death
Around November 2023, Tarako was diagnosed with a serious illness for which she was immediately hospitalized. At the beginning of her hospital stay, she was still well enough to continue voice acting. However, her condition gradually worsened to the point where she could no longer stand up and showed no signs of improvement.
Tarako died on March 4, 2024, at the age of 63. She had recorded her final lines for Chibi Maruko-Chan in the days before her death.
The producers of Chibi Maruko-chan, as well as her talent agency Troubadour, Fuji Television and Nippon Animation announced her death to the public five days later on March 9, 2024. At the 18th Seiyu Awards, held on the same day as the announcement of her death, a 15 second long moment of silence was held at the beginning of the ceremony in honor of her and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, who died on March 1, in recognition of their contributions to the anime industry.
At the beginning of the March 10 broadcast of the Chibi Maruko-chan anime that year, a memorial message from the entire voice cast and staff of Chibi Maruko-chan was shown at the beginning. Days later on March 15, Megami no Marche, a show that she had served as the narrator for many years on, had a memorial tribute message for her shown at the beginning of that day's episode broadcast.
In the eulogy written by the staff of Chibi Maruko-chan, they said she had been eager to continue voicing Maruko even while in the hospital and continued through her illness with "great love" for her work. The following day, a message board was put up at the entrance to Chibi-Maruko Chan Land in Shizuoka for guests and fans to contribute messages of commemoration and thanks for her years of work.
The last episode Tarako recorded as Maruko aired as a one-hour special on March 24, 2024 on Fuji TV and other FNS stations.
Following her death, Kokoro Kikuchi took over the role of Maruko in Chibi Maruko-chan after the show resumed with new episodes on April 21, 2024.
Filmography
Animation
Hunter × Hunter OVA (Melody)
NG Kishi Ramune & 40 DX (Hebimetako)
NG Kishi Ramune & 40 EX (Hebimetako)
Xabungle Graffiti (Chill)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Boy)
Castle in the Sky (Madge)
They Were 11 (Toto)
My Neighbor Totoro (Friend B)
Chibi Maruko-chan (Momoko "Maruko" Sakura")
Chibi Maruko-chan: A Boy from Italy (Momoko "Maruko" Sakura)
Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction (Debeko)
Commercials
Seiko Epson Colorio (Narration)
Drama CDs
Eiyū Densetsu III: Shiroki Majo "Wakatareta Mizuumi" (Ban Ban)
Kaze no Densetsu Xanadu II: Heroine-tachi no Tanjōbi (Kururu)
Popful Mail Paradise 4–5 (Nairu)
Tarako Pappara Paradise (Tarako-neesan, Kururu, Nairu, Ban Ban, Obāsan
Live action
Tsuribaka Nisshi 3
Video games
2nd Super Robot Wars Z: Hakai-Hen (Chill)
Chibi Maruko-chan: Maruko Deluxe Quiz (Momoko "Maruko" Sakura)
Chibi Maruko-chan: Mezase! Minami no Island!! (Momoko "Maruko" Sakura)
Chibi Maruko-chan no Taisen Puzzle Dama (Momoko "Maruko" Sakura)
Chibi Maruko-chan: Maruko Enikki World (Momoko "Maruko" Sakura)
Chibi Maruko-chan DS Maru-chan no Machi (Momoko "Maruko" Sakura)
Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams (PC Engine version) (Nata de Cotton)
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (Monokuma)
Inuyasha (Kirara)
Magical★Taruruto-kun (Mega Drive game) (Taruruto, listed as Taluluto)
Momotarō Dōchūki (Chibi Bonbī)
One Piece: Unlimited World Red (Pato)
Sakura Momoko Gekijō Koji Koji (Sūjī)
Super Bomberman: Panic Bomber W
Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden (Chill)
Super Robot Wars NEO (Hebimetako)
Super Robot Wars OE: Operation Extend (Hebimetako)
Super Robot Wars Z (Chill)
Tail Concerto (Panta)
Radio
Tarako Falcom Pīhyarara
Other voiceover
Fuji TV
The Judge! Tokusuru Hōritsu File "Korette Tsumi Janai no" segment (Narration)
Naruhodo! The World (Reporter)
Quiz & Game Tarō to Hanako (Host)
NHK Educational
Okome (Narration)
TBS
Shiawase Kazoku Keikaku (Narration)
TV Asahi
Zenigata Kintarō (Narration)
Other
Chibi Maruko-chan (Screenplay director)
Noozles (Theme song performance)
Discography
Listed chronologically.
Albums
Totte Oki no Shunkan (1983)
Kaze ga Chigau (1984)
Warawanai Koibito (1985)
Kokuhaku (1985)
Sukoshi Dake Ai ga Tarinai (1986)
Anata ga Daisuki (1990)
Kanojo (1991)
My dear (1991)
Tengoku yori Takai Toko Ikō yo (1993)
Wāi. (1995)