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Ultraman Actor, Voice Actor Masanari Nihei Passes Away
posted on by Alex Mateo
Actor and voice actor Masanari Nihei passed away on August 21 due to aspiration pneumonia (aspiration is caused by inhaling food, drink, vomit, or saliva into the lungs). He was 80 years old. His immediate relatives held a private funeral.
Nihei was born on December 4, 1940 in Tokyo. His real name and old stage name was Masanori Nihei.
He played Mitsuhiro Ide in the 1966 live-action Ultraman series after actor Susumu Ishikawa, who was originally cast for the role, left the production. Prior to this role, he played three minor roles in the Ultra Q series.
Nihei played Hiroaki Tobe in The Ultraman anime in 1979. He has also had roles in Mighty Jack and Ultraman Max.
Sources: Televi-Kun's Twitter account, Asahi Shimbun via Hachima Kikо̄
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