Sailor Moon Voice Actress Reveals Tumor Removal Surgery

Shoko Nakagawa is a talented actress, voice actress, singer, illustrator, and she also cosplays and keeps a YouTube channel. A huge Pokémon fan when she was a kid, one of her first roles in the entertainment industry was presenting the Pokémon Sunday TV show (2006-2010).

She later started working as a voice actress, getting a few major roles, playing Diana in Sailor Moon Crystal (and sequels), Alena in Dragon Quest Heroes, and she has been the Japanese voice for Disney’s Rapunzel since the Tangled movie (she also played the character in Kingdom Hearts II and Ralph Breaks the Internet). She has usually played minor characters in Pokemon movies since 2007. As a singer, she is most known for the Gurren Lagann opening song (“Sorairo Days”), but she has performed for many other series.

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In short, she depends highly on her voice to work. And she recently revealed she had a tumor in the parotid gland (for those not familiar with human anatomy, that’s a major salivary gland). In a video posted on her YouTube channel, she stated she even considered quitting showbiz:

Benign But Risky Tumor

The tumor was benign (so not a cancer), but it could become malignant. Even if it stayed benign, it could grow and cause paralysis in her face. She decided to go into surgery, but there was also a huge chance (80%) she would have facial paralysis too, because this part of the body concentrates a lot of nerves, and they could be injuried during the procedure. For someone who depends on their voice to work, that’s massively bad news. That’s why she thought about quitting showbiz.

On her X account, she gave additional information. This tumor was diagnosed five years prior, and doctors told her not to worry, but it kept growing. Despite the surgery usually leading to face paralysis, Nakagawa considers life and health more important than that.

去年一月ごろ手術した、耳下腺腫瘍。

完治してしばらくたったのでYouTubeでお話しましたが、

10万人に2〜3人、と聞いたけど、インターネットの世界だと同じ病気した方からのコメントがいくつもあり。。

ちょっとだけ補足します。…
pic.twitter.com/NWtRDExWHy

— 🍉中川翔子🍉🐈‍⬛ (@shoko55mmts)
December 8, 2024

She’s Glad After Undergoing Surgery

She underwent surgery in January 2023, but she still feels her ear numb and a bit of pain when she presses it hard. Furthermore, she urges people to take care of their health and that malignant tumors might be mistaken with benign ones even after needle tests. This kind of tumor might cause swelling in the face, difficulties with swallowing and loss of facial movement.

Source: ANN

Release Date

March 7, 1992

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Creator(s)

Naoko Takeuchi