Dragon Ball Z Voice Actor Jouji Yanami Dies at 90

It’s never easy to replace or say goodbye to someone who has been important & has a special place in people’s hearts. On December 3, 2021, a piece of news broke out that Jouji Yanami had met his unfortunate demise. His legacy was far too great for anyone. He has been a part of anime culture from its rise till its golden era.

Jouji Yanami was born Shirato Shigemitsu on August 30th, 1931, in Tokyo prefecture. His first ever role was of The Boss from The Wolf Boy ken  which was released in 1963 & 

Then he appeared as the Father in Osomatsu-Kun TV series, which is an all-time classic.  Jouji Yanami stayed in the industry for more than five decades. Yanami last worked as a narrator and King Kai in the Dragon Ball Super anime. 

Jouji Yanami has done more than 200 different roles in different series, movies, CD drama, & video games. He has given his voice to many great series like Doraemon, Shin-chan, Inuyasha, One-piece, Cars, Kung-fu Panda, Dragon Ball, and many more blockbuster series. 

He is best known for his role as Narrator, King Kai, Dr. Briefs, Bobbidi in the DragonBall series. He also played Dr. Isaac Gilmore in Cyborg 009, Gennai in Digimon, Ittan Momen in GeGeGe no Kitarō, Dr. Yumi in Mazinger Z, and many characters in the Time Bokan series.

Jouji’s works are definitely an era & he will always have a special place in the heart of all the otakus. We wish our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Jouji Yanami. May his soul rest in peace.