You know how it is: sometimes voice actors/actresses can’t do the job anymore and have to quite, and unfortunately, this seems to be the case for the voice actress for Nika Nanaura Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. All we can do now is hope that the new voice actress sounds close enough that it’s not too jarring.

Nika’s New Voice Actress?!

"Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury" image showing Nika Nanaura.
I’ll settle for just “Close enough” at this point.

The official Twitter account of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury has just Tweeted that voice actress Yume Miyamoto (Rikka Takrada from SSSS.Gridman) will no longer be voicing Nika Nanaura. Instead, Haruka Shiraishi (Kyōko Naraku from A Centaur’s Life) will be filling in for Nika. This change in voice actresses will be effective as of episode 10, which will air on Sunday, December 11, 2022. Thus, we can enjoy Miyamoto’s voicework for 1 more episode of this anime before we hear how Shiraishi does.

So why this sudden change in voice actresses? Well, the Tweet itself mentions that Yume Miyamoto will be taking a “temporary rest due to poor physical condition”. While the Tweet doesn’t specify, a previous article from Japanese talent agency Gekidan Himawari mentioned that Miyamoto had been suffering from an unspecified illness since the end of October 2022. Thus, she was prioritizing getting treatment for the time being. Neither source specifies what kind of illness she’s suffering from. However, given the sudden timing of her departure from Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, it’s safe to say that it’s very likely to be a fairly serious illness. We can only hope that Yume Miyamoto recovers from her illness soon, whatever it may be.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury ~ Synopsis

Still the best scene to show off this anime by far.

Want to know what Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is about? Well, Crunchyroll has an official synopsis on the anime‘s page on their streaming service. You can check it out below:

A.S. (Ad Stella) 122― An era when a multitude of corporations have entered space and built a huge economic system. A lone girl from the remote planet Mercury transfers to the Asticassia School of Technology, run by the Beneritt Group which dominates the mobile suit industry. Her name is Suletta Mercury. With a scarlet light burning in her pure heart, this girl walks step by step through a new world.

Want to also compare Nike’s old voice with her upcoming new one? Then you can do so only on Crunchyroll. You know, because Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is a Crunchyroll exclusive.

Source: Twitter, Gekidan Himawari