# Saori Sugimoto

Saori Sugimoto (杉本 沙織, Sugimoto Saori, 17 November 1964 – 21 October 2021) was a Japanese voice actress known for voicing Ramurin Makiba in Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō, Martina von Trapp in Trapp Family Story, Kisanta Yamamura in Nintama Rantarō, and Sanae Minami in Green Green.

## Biography

Saori Sugimoto, a native of Fujisawa, Kanagawa, was born on 17 November 1964. She was educated at Aonijuku's Tokyo campus, where she was part of the sixth graduating class. She voiced Asuka in Fist of the North Star 2, which she later said was her debut role.
She was nationally-known as a voice actress in children's programming. In 1993, she began voicing Ramurin Makiba in Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō and continued doing so afterwards; she also voiced Nyakkii Momoyama. She also voiced Kisanta Yamamura in Nintama Rantarō, succeeding Tomiko Suzuki. She also starred as Martina von Trapp in Trapp Family Story, Catherine Bloom in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, and Sanae Minami in Green Green. On 1 January 2003, she changed her stage name from Saori Suzuki (鈴木 砂織, Suzuki Saori) to Saori Sugimoto.
Sugimoto was a licensed chef and nutritionist. She collected spoons as a hobby and her special skill was flower therapy.
Sugimoto took a career hiatus from May 2017 until April 2018 due to health issues. Sugimoto died on 21 October 2021, aged 56, due to congestive heart failure associated with anorexia. Her family held a private funeral on 28 October. An in memoriam caption was added to the end of the 30 October 2021 broadcast of Shimajirō no Wow!.

## Filmography
### Animated television

| Year | Title | Role(s) |
| 1987 | Fist of the North Star 2 | Asuka |
| 1988 | Bikkuriman | Chakkun Cutter, Joshi Suisai |
| 1988 | Sakigake!! Otokojuku | Child |
| 1988 | Hello! Lady Lynn | Nancy |
| 1989 | Kariage-kun | Takashi Kimura |
| 1989 | Shin Bikkuriman | Besutaniya |
| 1991 | Chibi Maruko-chan | Natsumi Murata |
| 1991 | Matchless Raijin-Oh | Reiko Ikeda, Miki Mano |
| 1991 | The Brave of Sun Fighbird | Takashi |
| 1991 | Trapp Family Story | Martina von Trapp |
| 1993 | Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō | Ramurin Makiba |
| 1995 | Mobile Suit Gundam Wing | Catherine Bloom |
| 1995 | Romeo and the Black Brothers | Nana |
| 1998 | Sorcerous Stabber Orphen | Ruru |
| 1998 | Takoyaki Mantoman | Princess |
| 1998 | Fortune Quest L | Cathy |
| 2001 | Crayon Shin-chan | Kutsuzoko Atsumi |
| 2003 | Green Green | Sanae Minami |
| 2003 | Sonic X | Boom 1 |
| 2004 | Nintama Rantarō | Kisanta Yamamura |
| 2008 | Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō | Ramurin Makiba |
| 2010 | Shimajirō Hesoka | Ramurin Makiba |
| 2012 | Shimajirō no Wow! | Nyakkii Momoyama |

### Original video animation

| Year | Title | Role(s) |
| 1991 | Midori no Mamorigami | Weather girl |
| 1996 | Galaxy Fraulein Yuna Returns | Malina |
| 1997 | Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz | Caroline Bloom |

### Animated film

| Year | Title | Role(s) |
| 1993 | Sangokushi: Chōkō Moyu! | Singing children |
| 2011 | Nintama Rantarō: Ninjutsu Gakuen Zen'in Shutsudō! no Dan | Kisanta Yamamura |
| 2013 | Shimajiro to Fufu no Daiboken: Sukue! Nanairo no Hana | Nyakkii Momoyama |
| 2014 | Shimajirō to Kujira no Uta | Nyakkii Momoyama |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role(s) |
| 1992 | Galaxy Fräulein Yuna | Marina |
| 1994 | Kunio no Oden | Hasebe, Momozono |
| 1994 | Sotsugyō II: Neo Generation | Yurika Tani |
| 1995 | Galaxy Fräulein Yuna II: Eternal Princess | Marina |
| 1996 | Sotsugyō: Crossworld | Yurika Tani |
| 1997 | Dragon Master Silk | Lardy, Princess Sheila |
| 1997 | Sotsugyō: Vacation | Yurika Tani |
| 1997 | Galaxy Fräulein Yuna 3: Lightning Edition | Emelina Fairchild, Marina, Kaede Yumioka |
| 1998 | First Kiss Story | Miho Kasugano |
| 1998 | Galaxy Fräulein Yuna: Final Edition | Marina, Emilia Fairchild, Kaede Yumioka |
| 1999 | Pokekano: Hōjōin Shizuka | Shizuka Hōjōin |
| 2001 | Jade Cocoon 2 | Vanilla |
| 2001 | Green Green | Sanae Minami |
| 2003 | Green Green: Kanenone Dynamic | Sanae Minami |
| 2003 | Green Green: Kanenone Romantic | Sanae Minami |