Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba voice actor Daisuke Hirakawa has announced that he will be going on a brief hiatus after being hospitalized for sudden hearing loss.
Hirakawa released the news via X, stating that the hearing loss appeared unexpectedly a few days ago. The voice actor announced that he will be taking a leave of absence to receive in-patient treatment per his doctor’s recommendation.
Daisuke Hirakawa's Anime Voice Acting Career
Hirakawa has worked as a voice actor primarily in anime for over 25 years, taking on notable roles such as Laito Sakamaki in Diabolik Lovers and Enmu, the leading antagonist, in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train. The latter was the highest grossing film internationally of 2020, as well as the highest grossing anime and Japanese film of all time. Holding a lead role in the film helped Hirakawa grow his platform as a freelance voice actor. He has upcoming features as Demon Lord Leons in The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, Mikaros in Helck and Ran Di Rhodes Stein Neubauten in BASTARD!! -Heavy Metal, Dark Fantasy-: Hell's Requiem.
In his statement, Hirakawa apologized to fans and colleagues for his abrupt departure and inability to attend an upcoming fan event for the Japanese comedy video series Super Stylish Doctors Story. The series' official Twitter account announced Toshihiko Seki, another Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba voice actor who portrays central antagonist Muzan Kibutsuji, will be attending in Hirakawa’s place. The event is scheduled to take place on Oct. 29 with no further changes expected.
Hirakawa has released a few follow-up announcements on X since his initial announcement, giving heartfelt thanks for the support he’s received on social media and assuring fans that his hospital treatment will not be long-term. He most recently stated that he’s planning to start making public appearances again in November and December and is working hard in the hospital to recover.
At present, there have been no further event cancelations or production delays due to Hirakawa’s condition. For further updates on his health, fans should check Hirakawa’s official X account. His voice acting in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train can be seen on Hulu, Netflix, and Crunchyroll.
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
