The Original Voice Of Doraemon’s Nobita Has Died

Sad news for classic anime fans out there: the original Japanese voice actor for Doraemon’s lazy-ass protagonist kid Nobita Nobi has passed away.

Voice actress and actress Noriko Tobe has died on 12 July 2024 (via NHK News). Apart from Nobita, she also voiced Doronjo in Yatterman and Conan in Future Boy Conan. She also voiced Peter in Heidi, Girl of the Alps and Claudia LaSalle in Super Dimension Fortress Macross, as well as the Japanese VO for Penelope Pitstop in Wacky Races.

https://youtu.be/xJ1bAuWn48k?si=0sFdHTo2xVmQLt0r&t=72

In video games, she voiced Doronjo in Tatsunoko vs Capcom and also Rouge and Shark in the Gunbird shmup series. She was also the winner of the Achievement Award int he first-ever Seiyu Awards in 2007 for her long-standing contributions in the anime industry for her iconic Nobita and Doronjo voicework.

Rest in peace, and thank you for your contributions, Noriko Tobe.