Noriko Ohara was a highly influential Japanese actress and narrator, best known for her extensive work in anime voice acting. She was born Noriko Tobe on October 2, 1935, in Tokyo, and passed away on July 12, 2024, at the age of 88. Her career began in the 1950s, and she remained active in the industry for nearly seven decades. At the time of her death, she was affiliated with the talent agency 81 Produce.

Ohara started her career as a child actor, appearing in stage productions and children's programs. After completing her schooling, she returned to acting and found work in the nascent days of Japanese commercial television. Her early career included not only on-screen roles but also providing Japanese voice-overs for imported Western films, a field where she would later dub famous actors like Brigitte Bardot and Jane Fonda. Her first major anime role was as the title hero in the 1965 series Marine Boy.

Throughout her prolific career, Ohara portrayed a wide range of characters, from young boys to glamorous women and iconic villains. Among her most celebrated roles are a number of the specific characters listed by the user. These include her performances as Miime in Space Pirate Captain Harlock and its film Mystery of the Arcadia, Hiyoshi Gou in Chōdenji Machine Voltes V, the title character Wansa in Wansa-kun, and multiple roles within the various Time Bokan series. Within this franchise, she played a succession of female villains, including Doronjo in Yatterman and its remake Yatterman Night, Atasha in Time Patrol-Tai Otasukeman, Yanyan in Itadakiman, Munmun in Gyakuten Ippatsu-man, and Princess Mirenjo in Yattodetaman. She also voiced Sinbad in the anime Sindbad the Sailor, Claudia La Salle in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Peter in Heidi, Girl of the Alps, Conan in Future Boy Conan, Oyuki in Urusei Yatsura, and provided the Japanese voice for Penelope Pitstop in Wacky Races. Her filmography also includes the role of Serge in the Kaze to Ki no Uta SANCTUS OVA and various characters in the franchise films and specials listed by the user, such as Doraemon: What Am I for Momotaro and Doraemon: Nobita's the Night Before a Wedding.

While Ohara's versatility was widely recognized, she became indelibly linked to two particularly iconic roles. The first was as the original voice of Nobita Nobi, the main character in the long-running Doraemon anime series. She voiced the role from 1979 until 2005, appearing in the weekly television series and over 60 feature films, defining the character for a generation of viewers. Interestingly, she had previously voiced Nobita's mother, Tamako Nobi, in a 1973 adaptation of the series. Her second iconic role was as the glamorous and comedic villainess Doronjo from the 1977 series Yatterman. Her performance as the leader of the Doronbo Gang became a cultural touchstone, cementing her legacy in the Time Bokan franchise.

In recognition of her immense contributions to the craft of voice acting, Ohara received two special honors at the Seiyu Awards. In 2007, at the first-ever ceremony, she was presented with the Achievement Award. Then, in 2013, she received the Synergy Award, which is given to individuals or works that maximize the appeal of voice acting as a whole. Following her passing in 2024, numerous tributes were made by colleagues and fans. The ongoing Doraemon series honored her 26-year tenure as Nobita by running a special tribute card at the end of an episode shortly after her death was announced.