News ► Yū Shimaka, Japanese Voice Actor for Goofy, Passed Away on July 28th at Age 70

[Chaser]

Tohogakuen have announced that veteran voice actor Yū Shimaka passed away on July 28th, 2019 at the age of 70. His funeral was held on July 31st / August 1st 2019.

Yū Shimaka has been the voice of Goofy throughout many Disney projects, and has been with the Kingdom Hearts series since the release of the first game in 2002. Outside of Disney movies and television shows, he lent his voice to various animes such as Cowboy Beebop and Code Geass, as well as dubbing over voices for Western video games and movies such as Crash Bandicoot, Argo, and The X-Files.

In addition to voice acting, Shimaka was also a lecturer at Tokyo Announce Gakuin Performing Arts College and ran a private voice acting school called 'Goof Troop'.

Source: Tohogakuen via AnimeNewsNetwork

 

[okhi12]

That's so sad, this July has been a cursed month for KH voice actors. I loved Goofy's japanese voice as much as the english one. May he rest in peace.

 

[Phantom]

Sad news. I've only heard his voice in a couple of Japanese KH clips in YouTube, but I think he was a really fitting voice for Goofy. Rest in peace.

 

[blank points]

Verry sorry to hear this. His voice for Goofy in Japan always used to make me laugh. He did a great job at replicating the original English voice to Japanese.

I have to wonder what this will mean for Goofy going forward in the series, though. As we saw in KH3, if a Disney actor dies in Japan, the character may not appear again, in the case of Eeyore, or go silent, in the case of Phil. Granted, Goofy has a much different standing in Disney than the former two, so it may not apply to him, but still.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Verry sorry to hear this. His voice for Goofy in Japan always used to make me laugh. He did a great job at replicating the original English voice to Japanese.

I have to wonder what this will mean for Goofy going forward in the series, though. As we saw in KH3, if a Disney actor dies in Japan, the character may not appear again, in the case of Eeyore, or go silent, in the case of Phil. Granted, Goofy has a much different standing in Disney than the former two, so it may not apply to him, but still.

Disney hires new voices. They typically have a pool of voice actors that have been training to do the role that they have come in and audition following the prior VA’s death.

Goofy won’t be made mute or given a new character direction or not be shown at all. There is plenty of time between now and the next Goofy appearance for Disney to have recast the character.

 

[Zettaflare]

RIP. I always enjoyed hearing his voice whenever I watched Japanese playthroughs.

I couldn't bear the thought of Goofy being mute or cut from the next saga so I'm hoping he won't get the same treatment as Eeyore or Phil. He should be important enough

 

[okhi12]

There is plenty of time between now and the next Goofy appearance for Disney to have recast the character.

They will have time to recast Goofy before the next game, but Square confirmed Re:Mind will be out before the first part of FF7 Remake, they don't want to overlap them. That leaves less than eight months for Re:Mind.
What if Donald and Goofy are planned to have new dialogue? Maybe not, and even if they do, the voices for the new scenes could have already been recorded, but if they haven't... I wonder if they will have to change whatever plans they have for Re:Mind.
I guess they won't, because the new story content of the DLC seems to take place during the Keyblade Graveyard part of the story where Donald and Goofy don't show up, but who knows.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

They will have time to recast Goofy before the next game, but Square confirmed Re:Mind will be out before the first part of FF7 Remake, they don't want to overlap them. That leaves less than eight months for Re:Mind.
What if Donald and Goofy are planned to have new dialogue? Maybe not, and even if they do, the voices for the new scenes could have already been recorded, but if they haven't... I wonder if they will have to change whatever plans they have for Re:Mind.
I guess they won't, because the new story content of the DLC seems to take place during the Keyblade Graveyard part of the story where Donald and Goofy don't show up, but who knows.

I don't think they would have new dialogue, but it would really just depend on what they are expanding upon. I would expect it to focus mostly on the original characters with very little Disney character interactions, unless they make something that takes place after KH3's ending. THEN maybe it would be a problem.

And since we don't know how far into development they are with Re:Mind, we can't really make any educated guesses.

 

[Xickin]

Oh for fuck's sake! Seriously!? Ugh, I am NOT loving these past couple of months. I hope he passed on well.

 

[Soldier]

Verry sorry to hear this. His voice for Goofy in Japan always used to make me laugh. He did a great job at replicating the original English voice to Japanese.

I have to wonder what this will mean for Goofy going forward in the series, though. As we saw in KH3, if a Disney actor dies in Japan, the character may not appear again, in the case of Eeyore, or go silent, in the case of Phil. Granted, Goofy has a much different standing in Disney than the former two, so it may not apply to him, but still.

WHAT!?!?! That's why Eeyore didn't appear in KH 3!??!!? Jesu Cripso that's so sad, he was the best character in that world, helped balance out the overtly joyous tigger.
And as for Goofy's Japanese VA, it is sad, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess. I hope he passed away peacefully and that his family recovers from this.

 

[Twilight Lumiair]

Oh for fuck's sake! Seriously!? Ugh, I am NOT loving these past couple of months. I hope he passed on well.

Right?! It's so sad that all these people are passing away in such succession. This one in particular really hit hard for me as I always enjoyed the Japanese VA for Goofy, and honestly found his performance to be one of the most memorable in terms of that dub. In general though, it's always a shame to dedicate VA's who put so much time into their craft. Rest in peace Yū Shimaka.⚰

 

[Rydgea]

Given the timespan of the development of the Xehanort Saga, I remember truly wishing that the voice talent (for both NA and JP) would be in tact through its finale. With as many of these obituaries that we're seeing (at, quite frankly, uncomfortably younger ages than I would have expected), I'm glad as many folks were able to see us through while they were with us.

Peace be to these families.

 

[Absent]

Rest In Peace, legend.

 

[DizneyXBirds95]

Oh man, can't believe has been rough year for the KH3 voice cast. Not only did we just lost, Rutger Hauer and Russi Taylor, but now Yū Shimaka this year all in the month of July.

Coincidentally, he's actually the 2nd KH3 Japanese voice actor we lost after Kōji Tsujitani (Woody). For those who are unaware by the time I made this post, Kōji Tsujitani was a Japanese voice actor who voiced Woody in Kingdom Hearts III, he passed away last year on October 17 from a stroke just 3 months before the game came out.

Rest in Peace Yū and thank you for being the voice for Goofy in Japan and being a part of the KH franchise until the final chapter of the Dark Seeker Saga. "May Your heart be your guiding Key."

 

[Sakuraba Neku]

Rest in peace. Feels like the voice actors of this franchise have been cursed. It's one after another.

I couldn't bear the thought of Goofy being mute or cut from the next saga so I'm hoping he won't get the same treatment as Eeyore or Phil. He should be important enough

He is important enough. Just like they had to find new voice actors for Master Xehanort, they will have to find for Goofy. Disney will take care of this. It's sad but that's how life is, the show must go on.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Rest in peace. Feels like the voice actors of this franchise have been cursed. It's one after another.

They were elderly and sick. I think it is fair to say that nature might be more of the cause of this than some curse. There have been a ton of celebrity deaths this summer, in fact.

 

[Absent]

Honestly let’s try and stop using the word “curse” or “cursed” regarding the death of someone. I know you guys mean well but that word has a negative connotation.

 

[Recon]

Super sad. May he Rest In Peace.

 

[Yozora123]

RIP. So many great kh voice actors lost this year