Reports have finally confirmed that Kingdom Hearts and Code Geass voice actor Yû Shimaka has passed away at the age of 70.

Though many fans know him for his work in both Kingdom Heats and Code Geass, Shimaka's career has been filled with amazing work. Shimaka started his voice acting career in 1983 as the voice for Stinger Bear in the television series Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman. From there, he would secure roles in shows like Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Cowboy Bebop. He would also become the voice for Goofy in Kingdom Hearts and Master Eon in various Skylanders games, among others. Additionally, he would reprise his role as Goofy in many animated Disney films.

His talent as a voice actor extended beyond Japanese animation and video games, though, as he lent his talents to many live-action productions over his career. Though official news of his passing has come almost a week later, the impact on his fans and the industry as a whole will be felt for many years to come.

Securing a job as a voice actor isn't an easy thing to do, but Shimaka was able to do just that and continue to do what he loved. While his passing may come as a shock, it's important to remember that his impact on the industry will be felt long after.

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via Inverse

The first official news of his passing came from Toho Gakuen, a vocational school that he once attended and continued to lecture at until his untimely passing. Aside from lecturing, Shimaka also headed a private voice acting school called Goof Troop. Shimaka passed away on July 28 and funeral services were held from July 31 to August 1, though the cause of his death has yet to be announced. He most recently played the voice of Goofy in Kingdom Hearts III, a game that released in early 2019.

It's unclear how his untimely passing will affect the Kingdom Hearts franchise as a whole, but given what movie producers have been able to do with pre-recorded voice-overs in recent years, there's a good chance that his role as Goofy will continue to live on for many years to come. It's clear that he truly enjoyed what he was doing and that he saw it as his duty to mentor others who wished to follow his footsteps.

His mentorship and talents will no doubt inspire others to do the same and his memory will live on forever thanks to the lasting impact that his work and teachings have had.

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