News

Megumi Ogata Plans Hiatus of 2-3 Days Due to Overwork

Voice actress Megumi Ogata revealed on Monday that she is taking a hiatus due to overwork, and she plans to return after 2-3 days. She reported that she had a fever on Saturday afternoon, and that she is not sweating despite having high body temperature. She confirmed that she has tested negative for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the flu.

She apologized for any inconvenience and stated that she will be back for her crowdfunding campaign for the "Precious Anime & Game Songs Festival," which begins on Friday.

She successfully underwent surgery for a herniated disk in April. She jokingly commented that she awoke from general anesthesia with a start similar to Shinji in Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo — but without the DSS Choker. She noted that the pain eased after she "had to" appear on the Radio Man Jack program and mused that having an audience is the best medicine.

Ogata had revealed in late February that she was undergoing emergency surgery for a recurrence of a herniated disk. She described then that the disk was pinching a large nerve bundle leading into her right lower leg, leading to severe pain in the leg that made walking and standing difficult.

After consulting with doctors and her staff, Ogata still performed in a concert in February, although she was in a wheelchair for the performance. She joked that since she would be in a purple wheelchair with a strong cane, she would look like she is singing songs from Neon Genesis Evangelion while riding on EVA-01 with a Positron Rifle. She also stated that there appeared to be no problems with her body from the waist up, and she was able to record audio after the concert (although she admitted that it was difficult the next day).

Ogata is crowdfunding for an event titled the "Precious Anime & Game Songs Festival," which would feature artists of anime and game music. The music festival is scheduled to take place March 27, 2022 if funded. The campaign will start on December 3.

Ogata made her debut as Kurama in Yū Yū Hakusho, and went on to play a variety of both male and female roles, including Shinji Ikari (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and Haruka Tenou/Sailor Uranus (Sailor Moon series). She has also provided the voices for ADA (Ingress), Tsubaki (Konohana Kitan), and Yukito Tsukishiro/Yue (Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card). She will play the main character Yuta in Gekijō-ban Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (Jujutsu Kaisen 0 the Movie).

Ogata established her own talent agency titled "Breathe Arts" in February 2019. The company offers management and training of voice actors, singers, and musicians, and will take on work for concerts, and events, as well as music, sound production, and voice work for commercials, videos, and games.

Source: Megumi Ogata's Twitter account via Hachima Kikо̄