Celebrated voice actor Kōzō Shioya has passed away at the age of 71. Probably best known for his work in the “Dragon Ball” franchise where he portrayed Majin Buu in “Dragon Ball Z,” Shioya was a prolific talent who had hundreds of credits to his name across a career spanning several decades.
Kōzō Shioya Passed Away Last Week
His talent agency, Aoni Production, broke the news late on January 28, although admitted that the voice actor had actually passed away more than a week earlier. They apologized for the delay in reporting his passing, which was seemingly done to allow his family and friends to have a small private funeral without any unwanted attention.
According to the statement, he had suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage. This is a life-threatening condition where a ruptured blood vessel causes a bleed in the brain, often caused by an underlying health condition or trauma to the head.
Aoni Production’s statement reads, “Kozo Shioya (71), an actor affiliated with our company, passed away on January 20, 2026, due to a cerebral hemorrhage.”
“We sincerely thank you for the kindness shown to us during his lifetime and inform you of his passing,” it continues. “In accordance with the family’s wishes, the funeral was held in limited attendance only for close relatives. We apologize for the late notice.”
Kōzō Shioya Worked As a Prolific Voice Actor
Shioya’s best known role is as the antagonist Majin Buu in the “Dragon Ball Z” anime. Also known as Majin Boo and Djinn-Boo, he acts as one of the main villains to Goku and his friends thanks to his immense strength and abilities.
Shioya provides the voice for all of the character’s various forms, roles that were often split between multiple voice actors in international dubs of the series. He also voiced supporting characters such as Guldo and Totapo throughout the anime’s run.
He has also notably portrayed Abura Sumashi in the “Gegege no Kitaro: Jigoku Hen” anime along with several feature films based on the property. He returned to the franchise to take on the role of Konaki Jijii.
In the “One Piece” anime, he was responsible for a variety of characters, including Genzo and Edward Weevil. The voice actor also had roles in “World Trigger,” “Mazinger Z: Infinity,” “As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I’ll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World,” and “Akira.”
His most recent credit came in the video game “Super Robot Wars Y” and “One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga,” where he portrayed Pappag for six episodes.
