Tomo Sakurai, Beloved Macross Voice Actress, Passes Away at 53
While not as broad as Bandai’s Gundam franchise, Macross is still a series beloved by many. I often think of it as a war epic, mixed with romance and music, set against the backdrop of the stars. Macross began with Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982), created by Studio Nue and Shōji Kawamori. The original series introduced the iconic Variable Fighters (transforming jets), while the character Lynn Minmay pioneered the anime idol phenomenon. The franchise rapidly expanded with films, manga, and video games, most notably the influential movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984). In the West, Macross was edited into the Robotech saga, sparking complex international rights issues that limited global distribution for decades.
Subsequent entries, including Macross Plus (1994), Macross 7 (1994), Macross Frontier (2008), and Macross Delta (2016), continued to evolve the franchise's signature mix of transforming mecha, romance, and the power of music across generations. Macross and its Robotech counterpart were the first animated series to introduce me to the heartbreak of loss on a cinematic level. After falling in love with the original Macross, it was easy for many fans to carry the torch forward towards later iterations of the Macross franchise. But there’s a caveat. With limited access in the West due to Legal issues surrounding Harmony Gold, many fans could only access the franchise through various creative means.
Even with Macross being a part of the Disney+ catalog, many of us had already soared amongst the stars and come to love the series as much as the fandom of the Rising Sun. So when news broke that the light had dimmed for one of its beloved voice actresses, the anime community did what it does best: celebrated her legacy both within Macross and her broader anime career.
Per Anime Corner, Tomo Sakurai, the voice actress best known for her roles as Mylene Flare Jenius in Macross 7 and Makimachi Misao in Rurouni Kenshin, passed away on August 13, 2025, at the age of 53, following a struggle with multi-organ cancer. Sakurai's career spanned three decades, as reported by Otaku No Culture. Her official website remains active through September 1st, according to her talent agency, Feathered Co., Ltd. The official statement from her X/Twitter page is as follows.
“Tomo Sakurai was urgently hospitalized on August 4 due to a worsening of symptoms from multiple organ cancer, which she had been undergoing treatment for. Regrettably, her condition did not improve, and she passed away on August 13.
We express our deepest gratitude for the many messages of support and well-wishes received during her lifetime.
Tomo Sakurai aimed for a full recovery from her illness and approached her treatment with unwavering positivity and dedication alongside us. However, we are deeply saddened and filled with regret that it has come to this outcome.
We sincerely apologize to all those who supported her.
The funeral will be held privately with only close relatives, so we kindly request that you refrain from inquiries or media coverage regarding the funeral.
We are considering holding a farewell event for fans at a later date.
Feathered Co., Ltd., Tomo Sakurai’s Agency
This account will continue for the time being, and we hope to share previously taken photos and anecdotes from those times.”
Tomo Sakurai has a lengthy body of work that includes Meimi Haneoka / Saint Tail (Kaitou Saint Tail), Shayla-Shayla (El-Hazard: The Magnificent World), Hinowa (Gintama), Azusa Miura (Idolmaster: Xenoglossia), and Doll Licca (Super Doll★Licca-chan), to name a few. She was also a pop idol singer affiliated with Pony Canyon, Warner Music Japan, Pioneer, and Victor. Originally part of the Lemon Angel pop idol unit, Tomo has released four singles and 16 albums throughout her career. - Otaku No Culture
Despite her roles and many pursuits, to me she will always be Mylene Flare Jenius. Mylene Flare Jenius, the bass guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Fire Bomber, is the daughter of Max and Myria Jenius, serving as the bridge between the old and new Macross series. Tomo Sakura will be missed but not forgotten by longtime fans and those now discovering her body of work.
