On October 20, the voice acting agency 81 Produce announced that Dai Tsuchida, a voice actor and actor under contract with the agency, had passed away on October 11 due to heart failure.
He was 54 years old. According to the family, the funeral was held privately with only close relatives in attendance.
He gave passionate performances as numerous iconic characters, including Iguazu in *AC6* and Ikki in *Yakuza*
A native of Tokyo, Tsuchida was active as a voice actor and actor across a wide range of fields, including anime, dubbing, video games, and tokusatsu. According to his official profile, he voiced Grisha Jaeger in the anime *Attack on Titan*, Koichiro Ikeya in *Initial D*,Daikichi Kawachi in *Usagi Drop*, Torihai in *Kotobuki Flight Squadron*, and Lightning McQueen (dubbed) in the *Cars* theatrical anime series.
He has also brought many memorable characters to life in the gaming industry.In the mecha action game *ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON*, developed by FromSoftware, he voiced “G5 Iguazu,” a pilot belonging to “Red Gun,” the AC unit of the extraterrestrial corporation Bayram Industries.Her passionate performance and the character’s deeply human qualities—marked by a fierce rivalry with the protagonist—left a strong impression on many players.
He also played the role of “Ikki,” the owner of “Stardust,” the number one host club in Kamurocho, in Sega’s action-adventure series *Yakuza*. Possessing a strong inner resolve that refuses to yield even to threats from the yakuza, he has been a beloved and reliable ally to the protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, since the early days of the series.
Furthermore, as an actor, he had a recurring role as Ninja Blue/Saizou in the tokusatsu TV series *Ninja Sentai Kakuranger*.In an episode where Saizou was the main character, there was a surreal scene in which an assassin disguised as a police officer fired a gun immediately after saying in English, “Today is Friday in California.” Years later, this scene gained significant attention as an internet meme, particularly overseas, and became a catalyst for the series’ popularity across generations and national borders.Additionally, a “Middle-Aged Struggles” special commemorating the 30th anniversary of “Ninja Sentai Kakuranger” was produced in 2024, marking the last time all five original cast members appeared together.
We offer our heartfelt condolences and pray for the repose of the soul of Dai Tsuchida, who delivered captivating performances in countless productions.
