Arihiro Hase's Death

[Ginrai]

I remember hearing back in the 90's that he died in a motorcycle accident or something, but now I read he committed suicide by jumping out of a window. Is that what actually happened? Did Hikaru's voice actor commit suicide?

[jenius]

I read both versions of that as well a while back.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Does anyone have any links to any stories or credible biographies notating the "motorcycle accident" death? Everything I read all over the web says he died by falling seven stories off of / out of a building with most calling it suicide.

[Ginrai]

Well, this was back in 1996, so the Internet has changed a lot since then. Most of the places I heard about it probably no longer exist on the web. Maybe just fan misinformation from back then, but I'd like to hear something definitive one way or the other. All I can find on the Compendium is that it was a tragic death.

[JsARCLIGHT]

ANN, IMDB and Wikipedia all list his death as fall from height / suicide. Several other sites recycle / reuse the same bios from those three. I have not seen anything so far hinting at anything other than this fall from height / suicide death scenario.

Perhaps his death was initially reported as a motorcycle accident to cover up a suicide? I don't know, just guessing.

Edit: or perhaps (with all respect) he was on a motorcycle that somehow fell off a building? From the sound of things either there is one heck of a misinformation program re: this guy's death in place or he really did fall off a building.

[The Flying Monkey]

In the commentary Mari Iijima does with Monica Rial, she sorta kinda implies (or I sorta kinda infer) that his death was more tragic than a mere accident. She does not say exactly how he died, though.

Vic Mignola then shows how classy he is in a later commentary with her when he does his "wing, wink, nudge, nudge" routine about how Mari Iijima and Arihiro Hase had a "thing" going during the original recording of Macross. You can can hear Mari Iijima's embarrassment, not to mention his as he flails about trying to wipe the egg off his face.

I guess to be fair to Mignola, he obviously did not know about it beforehand, and he did sorta sound genuinely sorry after she told him about Arihiro Hase.

[ly000001]

I remember hearing back in the 90's that he died in a motorcycle accident or something, but now I read he committed suicide by jumping out of a window. Is that what actually happened? Did Hikaru's voice actor commit suicide?

On his Japanese Wikipedia bio, http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%95%B7%E8%...%9C%89%E6%B4%8B, it says that he fell from his parent's apartment, but it's unknown if it was a suicide.

[terry the lone wolf]

Damn! That's pretty mysterious.....Any idea why people are so secretive about his death?

[Roy Focker]

Wikipedia is not a illegitmate source.

[azrael]

Wikipedia is not a illegitmate source.

i.e. Please do not quote Wikipedia. Ever.

[Hikuro]

I've always heard he was in a motorcycle accident.....and you can fall off a motorcycle if you hit something, you go flying and then fall

I'd think a motorcycle crash is alot more horrible then any other accident out there using a vehicle.

[s001]

I always thought that he had died by some disease or something less tragic!. I read a recent interview with Mari Iijima for latinoamerica, and she mentioned that Aihiro was her best friend of the macross cast, but she never mentioned anything about his death.

If he commited suicide I think is an example of what's happening in the comtemporary japanese society, it's a true pity.

[Ginrai]

So nobody actually knows?

[jenius]

Well it certainly seems like suicide by plunge from window is the most likely scenario.

[Ginrai]

Well, I was not looking for likely, I was looking for what actually happened. I wish Egan Loo or someone would speak up.

[The Flying Monkey]

Well, I was not looking for likely, I was looking for what actually happened. I wish Egan Loo or someone would speak up.

You could be incredibly rude and ask Mari Iijima.

[Ginrai]

You could be incredibly rude and ask Mari Iijima.

Yeah, I think I will pass on that one.

[Skullsixx]

You could always ask nicely.

[Valkyrie addict]

I think this is one of the reason why Kawamori doesn't want to make a new macross series featuring Hikaru, Misa and Minmey

I understand they were very close friend, and tying to find someone to replace a friend at that is uncomfortable enough

[Nightbat]

Js:

Maybe a suicidal motorcycle jumped off a building and killed him by accident

[Renato]

Earlier this week, I was browsing in the library of the university where I work, and I found an old issue of Comic Figure Oh which had an interview with Hase's parents, remembering the last couple of days before his death and the events leading up to it. It was indeed a suicide, he jumped from their 7th floor apartment. He visited his parents pretty much everyday and had dinner there. He had his own place in the city but said he "didn't want to go home" that night. He slept with his brother that night but got up and jumped in the early hours of the morning.

Anyway, I'm a bit too busy to translate the whole thing but that's the jist I remember from reading it on Tuesday. I'm putting it up here for anyone who's interested.

Oh, and please let us refrain from "smart" puns on bringing old threads "back to life", yeah all right, I get it, but let's please stay on the right side of the good taste line.

[yellowlightman]

Your school's library has anime magazines?

[Renato]

Your school's library has anime magazines?

It's Kyoto Seika University, the one that has the world's first Manga Faculty. So yeah, lots of materials there. Not enough for my purposes, though....

[VFTF1]

Ah - how sweet it must be to be a professor of Manga

Didn't know about Hase. RIP

VFTF1

[junior]

I think this is one of the reason why Kawamori doesn't want to make a new macross series featuring Hikaru, Misa and Minmey

From what I've heard, though, Kawamori decided that the Megaroad-1 fleet disappeared before Hase died.

[Renato]

From what I've heard, though, Kawamori decided that the Megaroad-1 fleet disappeared before Hase died.

Yeah, but don't forget that Hase had reprised the role of Hikaru in 1996 for "Macross Classic" just before he passed on.

And note that he was replaced by some random guy for that PS2 Macross game a few years back.

[Roy Focker]

Would of preferred the motorcycle story to be the truth.

[lord_breetai]

Yeah, but don't forget that Hase had reprised the role of Hikaru in 1996 for "Macross Classic" just before he passed on.

And note that he was replaced by some random guy for that PS2 Macross game a few years back.

And for the Super Robot Wars Alpha series as well I believe.

[polidread]

and all this time i thought Animerica's news blurb was fact: That he died from a lingering illness.

[Lindem Herz]

I don't know why, but I just read this and felt like if I had been hit on the gut, even though I've known it was a suicide for years. RIP, Arihiro Hase.

[darkrealmbahamut]

Wikipedia is not a illegitmate source.

Depends on the article but for controversy you might as well be stabbing in the dark with wiki.

[TheLoneWolf]

Earlier this week, I was browsing in the library of the university where I work, and I found an old issue of Comic Figure Oh which had an interview with Hase's parents, remembering the last couple of days before his death and the events leading up to it. It was indeed a suicide, he jumped from their 7th floor apartment. He visited his parents pretty much everyday and had dinner there. He had his own place in the city but said he "didn't want to go home" that night. He slept with his brother that night but got up and jumped in the early hours of the morning.

Thanks for clearing that up, I always wondered if the suicide was an urban legend, now I know it's true. Whatever demons Hase wrestled with, I hope he's found peace now.

By the way, could you please post the Comic Figure Oh volume number and year?

[ComicKaze]

and all this time i thought Animerica's news blurb was fact: That he died from a lingering illness.

That illness was depression.

[Ginrai]

While he is missed, I am glad to finally have a definative answer. Thank you very much!

Edited May 19, 2008 by Ginrai

[Gubaba]

While he is missed, I am glad to finally have a defintative answer. Thank you very much!

Ditto for me. Thanks, Renato!