Naruto voice actor Chie Nakamura has taken an indefinite break from the franchise.
As reported by Crunchyroll, the Japanese talent agency Axl One announced Nakamura's diagnosis with ulcerative colitis. The diagnoses caused her to take a hiatus of an undetermined length from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The voice actor joined the anime franchise as Sakura Haruno, starting with the original series, and continued her role in Shippudden, Boruto and the various Naruto films and video games. However, her recent diagnosis has led to her break from Boruto and voice-acting work in general.
Nakamura’s Medical Condition Has No Cure
According to Axl One, Nakamura received a poor bill of health after undergoing multiple tests concerning her physical condition in the past month. The tests indicated she had tested positive for ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease. The lifelong illness causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract, particularly in the large intestine and colon. Additionally, ulcerative colitis can lead to abdominal cramping and loss of appetite.
As of writing, it's unclear when or if when Nakamura will return to Boruto as the voice of Sakura, or if they would have to recast the role entirely. Apart from the Naruto franchise, Nakamura also provided her voice to Mia Fey in the Ace Attorney anime and Matsumae in Tokyo Ghoul: re. Her other voice-acting work includes Wave the Swallow in the Sonic Riders video games and dubbing actresses like Amy Adams and Kirsten Dunst in various films, including Man of Steel and Dear Evan Hansen.
Naruto Fans Best Know Her as Sakura
Despite her ventures into the live-action film industry, fans best know her in her continuing role of Sakura -- most recently in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. The Naruto sequel series follows the kunoichi as the wife of Sasuke Uchiha, and the mother of their daughter Sarada. Sakura also assumed the position of Head of the Medical Department as one of the world's most skilled medical-nin. Boruto also includes the children of Naruto and Hinata Hyuga, Ino Yamanaka and Sai and other original characters.
Nakamura's diagnosis of ulcerative colitis is only one tragic event that happened to the anime's cast. In June 2022, Billy Kametz, the English voice actor behind Metal Lee and Ferdinand von Aegir in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, passed away from stage IV colon cancer at 35 years old. Previously, Michael Lindsay, the English voice actor behind Kankuro, died at 56 years old from unknown causes in 2019. Additionally, Toshihiko Seki, the Japanese voice of Iruka Umino, contracted COVID-19 in early 2020, which led to his hospitalization.
Naruto and its sequel series are available to stream on Hulu. The Naruto manga is available in English from VIZ Media.
Source: Crunchyroll