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Singer, Actor Hideki Saijo Makes Final Chibi Maruko-chan Anime Appearance on May 27
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Late singer and actor Hideki Saijō will appear on the Chibi Maruko-chan anime on May 27. Saijo was already scheduled to appear on the program before he passed away due to heart failure on Wednesday. The anime episode featuring Saijo will air one day after his funeral service will be held at Aoyama Funeral Home in Tokyo.
Chibi Maruko-chan manga creator Momoko Sakura is a fan of Saijo, and she posted a tribute message for his death on her official blog on Thursday. She said, "For our generation, Saijo was a true star." Saijo appeared in the Chibi Maruko-chan anime adaptation many times, and he is known for performing "Hashire Shōjiki Mono," the second ending theme song for the first series.
Saijo passed away one day before the two-year anniversary of the death of voice actress Yūko Mizutani. She played the older sister character Sakiko Sakura who is an enthusiastic fan of Saijo in Chibi Maruko-chan.
Saijo is also known for performing "Turn A Turn," the first opening theme song for the Turn A Gundam anime. He starred as the titular character in the 1980 Botchan anime, and the titular character of the 1981 Sugata Sanshiroanime. He played Junji in Kuroi Ame ni Utarete and played himself in Baby Baachan.
Source: Sports Hochi via Nijimen
