News
Voice Actor Kinryuu Arimoto Passes Away
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The Daily Sports newspaper reported on Friday that voice actor Kinryuu Arimoto passed away due to esophageal cancer on February 1. He was 77.
Arimoto was born in Tottori prefecture on February 11, 1941, and he attended Waseda University. According to Daily Sports, Arimoto's relatives told the newspaper he had been suffering from esophageal cancer for a year. His close relatives held funeral services for him. A farewell event will be held at a later date.
Arimoto is perhaps best known for his role as Edward Newgate/Whitebeard in the One Piece franchise. He also had roles in anime such as Psycho-Pass (Tomomi Masaoka), Fullmetal Alchemist (Priest Cornello), Baccano! (Szilard Quates), Kite (Akai), Elfen Lied (Chief Kakuzawa), Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor (Richard Guyot), Inazuma Eleven (Seigō Hibiki), Space Brothers (Eddie Jay), Initial D: Final Stage (Ken Kogashiwa), Chivalry of a Failed Knight (Ryōma Kurogane), Chihayafuru (Hajime Wataya), Street Fighter Alpha: Generations (Goutetsu), Future Card Buddyfight Triple D (Azi Dahaka), Macross Zero (Raizou Nakajima), Mobile Suit Gundam Seed (Patrick Zala), and Moonlight Mile (Steve O'Brien), among many others.
Arimoto was also involved in dub work for Western movies and television shows, and was also a stage actor.
Editor's Note: Daily Sports reported that Arimoto passed away at age 78, and Wikipedia also gives his birthday as February 11, 1940, but Arimoto's agency Hirono Keikaku lists his birthday as February 11, 1941, so ANN is using the agency listing and has reported his age of death at 77.
Image via Hirano Keikaku
Sources: Daily Sports, Nikkan Sports via Otakomu
