It's been 7 years since Yuko Mizutani passed away, and yet whenever I watch the OG Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02, it sometimes hurts to hear Sora talk, specifically because I know that Yuko is gone. 😢 She's still deeply missed. And I just love this fanart of Sora gaining angel wings while Taichi (her best friend) and Yamato (her future husband) gently push her towards Heaven.
And, since Yuko died from breast cancer in 2016...
And Toshiko Fujita (the original voice actress for Taichi Yagami in Adventure, Adventure 02, and Xros Wars) also died from breast cancer in 2018...
And Kouji Wada (the singer who performed all of the opening theme songs and some of the closing theme songs and insert songs for Adventure, Adventure 02, Tamers, Frontier, Savers, Xros Wars, and Adventure Tri) died from nasopharynx cancer in 2016, a month before Yuko...
And Takanori Arisawa (the music composer for Adventure, Adventure 02, Tamers, and Frontier) died from bladder cancer in 2005...
All I can say is: FUCK CANCER.
Additionally, since I first started watching Digimon via the English dub, years before I had access to the original Japanese version, I personally want to acknowledge and commemorate the staff members of the English dub who have also passed away:
Paul Gordon (the music composer for the English dub of Adventure, Adventure 02, and Tamers) died from heart disease/heart failure in 2016.
Bob Papenbrook (who played various voice roles for the English dub of Adventure, Adventure 02, Tamers, and Frontier) died from chronic lung problems in 2006.
Mike Reynolds (the original English dub voice actor for Old Gennai in Adventure and Adventure 02, as well as a screenwriter for a few episodes of Adventure) died from undisclosed circumstances in 2022 (although, considering he was 92 when he passed away, it was most likely due to natural causes/old age).
Philece Sampler (the original English dub voice actress for Mimi Tachikawa and Iori Hida in Adventure, Adventure 02, and Adventure Tri, as well as a few smaller roles in Tamers, Frontier, and Savers, such as Alice McCoy and Nanami) died from a heart attack in 2021.
Robert Axelrod (the original English dub voice actor for Wizarmon and Armadimon in Adventure and Adventure 02) died from long-term complications from spinal surgery in 2019.
Michael Lindsay (the original English dub voice actor for Jou Kido and Greymon in Adventure and Adventure 02, as well as Gottsumon in Savers) died from undisclosed circumstances in 2019.
May you all rest in peace. 🙏
