Takako Sasuga

was a Japanese voice actress.

Her most notable voice roles were Tarao Fuguta in Sazae-san, Akubi in The Genie Family, and Hajime-chan in Tensai Bakabon.

She is also well known for voicing Usami/Monomi in the Danganronpa franchise.

Sasuga then experienced opposition from her parents and actual marriage, and considered retiring from her career several times, but continued to work, as she had never lost any regular appearances since her debut.

Sasuga specialized in playing the roles of infants and young girls, taking advantage of her cutie voice. Because most of these roles were performed with her natural voice, a recording staff member once told her, "You can't play adult roles," which troubled her for a time, but this became an opportunity for her to master such roles. In 2012, she said in a conversation, "My voice is weird. The truth is, I am not good at listening to my voice, but I am responsible for the work I perform in and I always check them out".

In 1961, she took on the role of dubbing Jay North's Dennis Mitchell in the Japanese dub of Dennis the Menace, which became her breakout role. As such, she dubbed for the same role in the 1993 film by John Hughes.

In 1969, Sasuga was cast as Sazae-san character Tarao Fuguta, the son of the titular character Sazae. It became her signature character role and she continued to voice the role without ever being replaced. In 2011, she, Midori Katō (Sazae), Miyoko Asō (Fune), and Ichirō Nagai (Namihei) were awarded the Merit Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards for their long running roles on Sazae-san since the beginning of the show's broadcast, and in 2019, she was recognized by the Guinness World Records alongside Katō for having the "longest career as a voice actor for the same character of an animated TV series" record.

In 2012, she played the role of Usami/Monomi in Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. This was the first time in her career that she appeared in a video game.

Death

Sasuga died on February 5, 2023, at the age of 87. The cause of death was undisclosed, but she was not ill and died suddenly in good health. Her posthumous work was Sazae-san, which was recorded as usual three days before her death and was broadcast on February 26.

Filmography Television animation + List of voice performances in television animation Year Title Role(s) Notes Source 1964 Astro Boy Pipi, Magnet-chan 1965 Jungle Emperor Leo Hippo Ep. 6 1967 The Golden Bat Tribal Boy Kaminari Boy Pikkaribee Cardan Princess Knight Twink Main role 1968 Star of the Giants Additional voice Humanoid Monster Bem Boy 1969 Plum Star Prince Miyoko Kawai Sazae-san Tarao Fuguta Main role; First voice Ninpu Kamui Gaiden Hill Myna The Genie Family Akubi, Mouse, Osaka Fair Companion Main role; Osaka Fair Compainion in Ep. 45 Fight Da!! Pyuta Additional voice Moomin Thingumy 1970 Attack No. 1 Additional voice The Secret of Akko-chan Young Girl 1971 The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee Yukimushi, Tenko Little Ghost Q-Tarō Additional voice Tensai Bakabon Hajime-chan, Additional voices Main role 1972 Akado Suzunosuke Additional voice New Moomin Thingumy Hazedon Icchin Main role 1973 The Gutsy Frog Aka-chan, Additional voices Demetan Croaker, The Boy Frog Akako the Brown Frog Ep. 26 1975 Ganso Tensai Bakabon Hajime-chan, Additional voices Maya the Honey Bee Leaf-roller Beetle Larva, Locust Reideen the Brave Koppepan 1976 Ikkyū-san Otae 1977 Rascal the Raccoon Martha Conway 1979 Anne of Green Gables Lily Jones 1980 Astro Boy Gen Hoshino Ep. 17 1981 The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Henry Ep. 43 1983 I Am A Dog: Don Matsugorou's Life Chōtarō Main role; Television special The Call of the Wild Additional voice 2008 Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens Shige Kamimori Ep. 12 2013 Danganronpa: The Animation Usami/Monomi Ep. 13 2016 Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School Miaya Gekkogahara (Monomi)

Theatrical animation + List of voice performances in theatrical animation Year Title Role Notes Source 1963 Gauche the Cellist Additional voice 1984 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Girl B 1986 Open the Door Mise

Video games + List of voice performances in video games Year Title Role Notes Source 2012 Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Usami/Monomi Danganronpa 1 2 Reload Usami/Monomi 2021 Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp Usami/Monomi

Dubbing Live-action film Baby the Rain Must Fall (Margaret) Bunny Lake Is Missing (Bunny Lake (Suky Appleby)) Dennis the Menace (Dennis Mitchell (Mason Gamble)) Giant Now and Forever (Penny (Shirley Temple)) The Alamo The Lion (Tina (Pamela Franklin)) The Sugarland Express (Baby Langston)

Television Burke's Law Bewitched Dennis the Menace (Dennis Mitchell (Jay North)) Shane The Fugitive (Phil (Kurt Russell)) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Twilight Zone

Animation A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) - Sally Brown Groovie Goolies (1970) - Sabrina Woody Woodpecker - Chilly Willy