Norio Tsukui's Brave Battle with ALS
Norio Tsukui, a voice actor known for his role as Nyanchu, a character on the NHK E-Tele program, wrote an essay titled 'Living with ALS with a Smile. The Ingenuity Factory of a Voice Actor Who Lost His Voice,' in which he writes about his daily battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was published by Kodansha today, April 27th.
ALS is a progressive, incurable disease that causes the body to become unable to move due to damage to the motor nerves that control muscles. It begins with the muscles of the limbs, throat, and tongue becoming thinner, and gradually the muscles of the whole body become unable to move, but one characteristic of the disease is that vision, hearing, and internal organ function generally remain normal. The cause and treatment are still unknown. Tsukui announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS in 2019, and continued to voice Nyanchu until the broadcast aired in March 2023.
The Book's Inspiration and Content
'Living with ALS with a smile. Ingenuity Factory' for voice actors who have lost their voices' is a book based on the articles that Tsukui has serialized on FRaUweb since 2020, with new manuscripts written using gaze input. It details the circumstances leading up to his diagnosis of ALS, how he became a voice actor, what it's like to be a voice actor, what he's been thinking and how he's been spending his time since the onset of the disease, and how he's trying to improve his day-to-day life. FRaUweb also features messages of support from fellow voice actor Mayumi Tanaka, animation director Goro Taniguchi, and Marumira Shiraishi, who played the role of Nyanchu's older sister.
