Izzy's Top 3 Favorite Atsuko Tanaka Roles

I said I was going to explore the sorrows of entertainment at some point, but I didn't expect to do it so soon. First Rachael Lillis and now this. What a shame.

For those of you who don't know, on August 20th, Japanese voice actress Atsuko Tanaka passed away at Age 61. The cause of death remains unknown, but she was believed to have been battling an illness that has yet to be disclosed.

While I'm not a particularly avid follower of Tanaka-san's work, I am a follower of voice acting in general (both Japanese and English) and I did see her name pop now and then. It wasn't until I got the news of her passing that I was shocked and saddened. I don't know why her passing affected me more than that of Rachel Lillis (not to say that Lillis' passing isn't tragic), but I think this is because I've seen more of Tanaka-san's work.

Therefore, to honor her work, I've decided to dedicate this post to listing my favorite roles of hers. Even if Atsuko Tanaka herself is gone, her work will certainly last forever, especially in these characters I'm about to list.

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3. Ultimecia

This was the role that first introduced me to Atsuko Tanaka. Ultimecia is far from my favorite villain, but Ultimecia isn't too bad compared to other villains in the Final Fantasy series (*cough* Xande from FF3 *cough). From possessing Edea to her time compression, I can forgive her late appearance in Final Fantasy 8.

In terms of her voice, Tanaka-san nails the regal empress vibe that Ultimecia certainly gives off in the Dissidia series. Compared to the other roles listed here, I also love how Tanaka-san gives Ultimecia a deeper and withered tone as if the character has gone through hell and back. Overall, I love Tanaka-san's performance as the Sorceress of Time.

If only we knew more about Ultimecia, though...

2. Flavia

As a character with more time in Fire Emblem: Awakening than Ultimecia in Final Fantasy 8, I have more time to listen to Tanaka-san's performance as the East Khan of Regna Ferox. As Flavia, she does sound somewhat similar to Ultimecia (which is to be expected), but she gives a rougher, tomboyish edge that emphasizes just how much she loves to fight!

Character-wise, Flavia is more rational than her fellow Khan Basilio, but she nonetheless knows when to wind down and chill. I don't use her too often since she and Basilio only become playable near the end of the game, but I do go out of the way to get her support conversations; Flavia's supports with Female Robin made me giggle because of how forward the former is, and I love how she can get the upper hand on Basilio so easily.

Maybe I should give Flavia another chance on the battlefield the next time I play Awakening...

1. Lisa Lisa

I'm going to get right to the point here: I fell in love with Lisa Lisa the first time I saw her. From deftly showing up Joseph upon their first meeting to just being calm and collected even in the most dangerous situations (with only one sad exception), Lisa Lisa is a hidden beacon of light in Joseph and Caesar's journey. She can teach me Hamon any time!

Tanaka-san once again strikes with her signature voice; it's more similar to Ultimecia's voice than Flavia's. But rather than sound regal yet sinister, she makes Lisa Lisa sound youthful yet mature, which makes sense given her appearance and personality. Even though I first found Tanaka-san through Ultimecia and despite not getting a lot of fights to her name, whenever I think of Atsuko Tanaka, I think of Lisa Lisa now. Tanaka-san didn't just voice Lisa Lisa, she was Lisa Lisa and I'm sure we all love her for it.

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So that concludes my short list of favorite Atsuko Tanaka roles. I had meant to post this last week, but work was killing me. I got overwhelmed by all the long hours I had to work and at one point, I just needed a day to myself.

But now that I've listed mine, feel free to comment on all of your favorite Atsuko Tanaka roles. She obviously voiced a lot more characters than the ones listed here, so even though she may no longer be with us, she did create a body of voice work that will last forever.