Osamu Sakuta as Ken Takase in Seiun Kamen Machineman (Images: screengrab from YouTube/TOEI TOKUSATSU WORLD OFFICIAL)
Osamu Sakuta, star of the classic Japanese show “Seiun Kamen Machineman” (Nebula Mask Machineman) has passed away at 62 years old.
Voice actor Kazuhiko Inoue broke the news on Twitter yesterday, Dec. 7, as per Anime News Network on the same day.
NCISでヴァンス局長の声を担当していた佐久田脩さんが・・。今は、ただただ明るく元気だった頃の佐久ちゃんしか思い出せません。心からご冥福をお祈りいたします。
— 井上和彦（声優） (@inouekazuhiko) December 7, 2020
Sakuta’s good friend, fellow actor Hiroshi Watari, likewise paid tribute to the late actor through his Facebook page while sharing photos from “Seiun Kamen Machineman.”
“Seiun Kamen Machineman,” created by Shotaro Ishinomori and produced by Toei Company, ran from January to September 1984 in Japan. In the Philippines, a Filipino-dubbed version was aired in the early ’90s.
Aside from playing the role of Ken Takase, also called Nick (Nikku), the titular hero of the live-action show, Sakuta is known for voicing Shishinki in the anime “InuYasha: The Final Act.”
Sakuta also voiced Hokuto in the anime “B’t X” and Leon Vance in the Japanese dub of the American television series “NCIS.”
The cause of Sakuta’s death has yet to be revealed as of this writing. Ian Biong /ra
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