

It was recently reported that [Matsuki
Miyu](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=444), a voice
actress, has [passed
away](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-11-01/voice-actress-miyu-
matsuki-passes-away/.94904), perhaps from [pneumonia or related
complications](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-07-14/voice-actress-
miyu-matsuki-goes-on-hiatus-due-to-pneumonia/.90429) (RIP). She voice-acted
key characters in as-yet-incomplete shows, including at least _Prisma Illya_
(Sapphire).

This surely can't be the first time this has happened. What is typically done
when a voice actor for an ongoing series (ongoing either in the sense of a
continuously-aired show like _One Piece_ or a show with future scheduled
seasons like [currently] _Prisma Illya_ ) passes away?

(I see three main options - put in a new voice actor for the character; write
the character out of the show; or, worst case, cancel the show altogether. But
all three options are imperfect. Historically, what has been done in these
situations?)


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anime-production voice-acting
What is typically done when a voice actor for an ongoing series passes away?


A similar thing happened with [Tomoko
Kawakami](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=526), who
voiced Soi Fong while Bleach was still airing. While she went on hiatus due to
ovarian cancer, she was replaced by [Houko
Kuwashima](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=281).
Once the news of her death broke, Kuwashima assumed the role until the end of
the series.

It's a sad day when a seiyuu passes, but the general trend has often been to
keep the production going. Characters are seldom written out of the anime if
they are based on an existing media (Bleach, One Piece, etc), so anything that
would involve the character not showing up during critical, canonical pieces
of content wouldn't be feasible.

The only times I've heard of series being _cancelled_ is when a major player,
such as the mangaka, passes away. This was done in the case of _Kaze no
Stigma_ , as [Takahiro Yamato had passed
away](http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-08-19/kaze-no-stigma-novelist-
takahiro-yamato-passes-away), leaving the series incomplete.


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I'd pretty much say that they just find someone else to fill the role. A
decent number of voice actors audition for a role, but of course only one gets
the part. If something unfortunate like that happens, the production companies
can, without much difficulty, find someone else to fill the slot.

It's kind of heartless to say that yeah, our favorite seiyuu is replaceable,
but unfortunately, it's how business works.

Anime production companies generally won't change how they do a story or
cancel a series because of something like this. When a voice actor passes
away, an anime studio may already have the next 2, 3, or so episodes already
animated in some form, and even more with a written script; to go back and
change all those drawings/animations to write out a character is time-
consuming and expensive. Frankly, it has to be someone much more crucial to
the show's production to die for the companies to begin even considering these
options.


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