Machiko Soga

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Soga as the witch Bandora (Rita Repulsa in the U.S.) from Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger of the Super Sentai Series. Scenes of her character were used for Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

Machiko Soga (曽我町子, Soga Machiko^?, March 18, 1938 – May 7, 2006) was a Japanese voice actor and actress. Her mother died when she was a child; she was raised by her father. She had two brothers and a sister. One of her brothers died during a war; the other is still alive. Her sister died in childbirth, and her father died of cancer in 1991.

Machiko had humble upbringings and was raised to be a singer, though her talents were with acting. She was "discovered" after doing a play in Tokyo Center. From that night on, her life would forever change as she met many important figures in the world of Japanese TV.

After taking jazz dance lessons for a number of years, her first roles were mainly radio and voice character roles. She made her debut on NHK's radio drama Chorinmura to Kurumi no Ki (1961), and later gained fame as the first voice actor to portray the lovable ghost Q-taro in Obake no Q-tarō (TBS, 1965-1968). However, she is best known to fans of tokusatsu for her villainous roles in the Super Sentai franchise such as Queen Hedrian in Denjiman and Sun Vulcan, as well as the evil sorceress Bandora in Kyoryuu Sentai Zyuranger, better known to audiences in English speaking countries as Rita Repulsa in the American version of Zyuranger, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Her last tokusatsu role was Magiel, Queen of the Sky Saints in Mahou Sentai Magiranger, which incidentally was her one of few and final non-villainous roles and her first female role as such since Bellbara in Go-nen San-kumi Mahō-gumi (In her memory, the producers of Power Rangers: Mystic Force used footage of Soga as Magiel in the two-part final episode of Mystic Force, "Mystic Fate."). Her very last role was in the PS2 game Space Sheriff Spirits as the voice and the "face" of Ankoku Ginga Jyoou (Dark Galaxy Queen), last boss and original character of this game inspired to the 80s Metal Hero series. Soga also played the voices of Cyborg 007 in the 1968 Cyborg 009 anime series and the sidekick Ball Boy in 1984 series Seiun Kamen Machineman. Machiko also ran her own shop, selling jewelery, antique clothing, and tapestry among other goods.

In 1973, she went to study in Italy for 2 years.

In early August of 2005, it was revealed that she had been fighting pancreatic cancer for almost two years. On the morning of May 7th, 2006, she ultimately lost that battle, and her body was found by a friend visiting her home. She was 68 years old.

1 Live action and tokusatsu and movies
2 TV anime
3 Movie anime
4 Games
5 Songs
6 Radio
7 External links

[edit] Live action and tokusatsu and movies

West Night
Hiroshima
Later It Fell
Forever
5-nen 3-kumi Mahō-gumi (Bellbara the Witch)
Battle Fever J
Denshi Sentai Denjiman (Queen Hedrian)
Domuraishi-tachi
Hikari Sentai Maskman (Raraba, ep. 30)
Jikuu Senshi Spielban (Queen Pandora)
Kamen Rider Stronger (voice of Doctor Kate)
Kugatsu no Sora (Yoshida's mother)
Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger (Witch Bandora)
Mahou Sentai Magiranger (Heavenly Arch Saint Magiel)
Miyo-chan no Tame nara: Zen'in Shūgō!!
Pretty Invader Milli (Steradian)
Warrior of Love, Rainbowman (God Iguana)
Seiun Kamen Machineman (voice of Ballboy)
Sekai Ninjasen Jiraiya (Yōnin Kumo Gozen)
Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan (cyborg Queen Hedorian)
Tōmei Dori-chan (Kikuko Shirakawa)
TV Champion
Uchū Keiji Gavan (Honey Manda (Double Girl disguise), ep. 21)
Uchū Keiji Sharivan (Shinigami Beast, ep. 22)
Zatoichi Kenka Daiko (AKA: Samaritan Zatoichi)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Rita Repulsa via Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger footage)
VR Troopers (Desponda via Jikuu Senshi Spielban footage)
Power Rangers: Mystic Force (Mystic Mother via Mahou Sentai Magiranger footage)