Voice actor Hiroshi Tsuchida, star of Attack On Titan and Kakuranger, dies at age 54

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Japanese voice actor Hiroshi Tsuchida, known for roles such as Grisha Jaeger in the hit anime Attack On Titan and Saizo/Ninja Blue in the live-action superhero series Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, has died of heart failure.

He was 54.

Tsuchida's agency, 81 Produce, announced his death on Tuesday (Oct 20), adding that Tsuchida died about a week earlier on Oct 11.

"In accordance with the wishes of his bereaved family, the funeral service was held privately, attended only by family members," wrote the agency.

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness and support extended to him during his lifetime and respectfully announce his passing with profound sorrow."

In a career spanning over 30 years, Hiroshi Tsuchida has also voiced many iconic characters, including Kazuki in the Yakuza video game series as well as Feng Wei in Tekken.

He also gained viral fame after a scene from Kakuranger featuring him inspired the Today Is Friday In California meme.

Following the news of Tsuchida's death, his friends and colleagues have paid tribute to him.

Yuki Kaji, the voice of Eren Jaeger in Attack On Titan, praised Tsuchida for having "an unwavering strength and conviction" in his voice and performances.

"I admired and respected both your calm demeanour and your passionate spirit," wrote Kaji.

"Without your portrayal of Grisha, Eren at both the beginning and the end of the story could never have existed. I am filled with gratitude for the many lines you delivered that stirred the soul. Thank you, truly, for the irreplaceable time we shared."

Actor Teruaki Ogawa, Tsuchida's co-star in Kakuranger, paid his respects on his social media page and made a separate post sharing a heartfelt tribute from retired Japanese actor Shu Kawai, another co-star of the series.

"Man, you left us way too soon," wrote Kawai.

"We've truly been through so much together all this time – the fun times, the tough times, the happy moments and the sad ones. Even if you've gone up to the sky, the five of us will always be Kakuranger, so the bond between the five of us will last forever."

He added: "Someday, when I make my way over there, let's drink green tea highballs like we always did and laugh together until our stomachs hurt all over again! Until then, keep watching over the four of us, smiling and laughing along with us."