Breast cancer, same as Yūko Mizutani (Sora). They were both so young.I'd been worried about this for a few years now. When she didn't reprise her role as Taichi in the 2015CD Drama (the only cast member not to return), I started to suspect she might have been sick. In the years since, as her then-current roles started getting recast and she seemed to enter an unofficial retirement, I kept hoping for something,that would prove my suspicions wrong. What an immeasurable loss.For any fans who may not have done so, I encourage you to check out the original Japanese version of. It's an ensemble cast, but Ms. Fujita totally carries the show. And boy, could she SING! In total, she performed six character songs as Taichi Yagami. Even in a franchise like(where we have hundreds of theme songs, character songs, and image songs), the tunes performed by Ms. Fujita are not to be missed. I hate to let her role inspeak for the entirety of her half-century career, but sadly nearly all of her starring roles are in series that remain unlicensed and unsubbed (I've heard good things about, whichlicensed, so I'm excited to check that out). Of course, even taking her entire body of work into account, Taichi Yagami stands out.I'll end my post with this. Toshiko Fujita's performance as Taichi resonates with me on a very special level, separate from the rest of the cast. I had enjoyed Joshua Seth's portrayal, but it wasn't until I started watching the original version of the show that I felt I really "got" the character. He's since become one of my favorites, and in many ways, Ms. Fujita's voice represents the spirit ofeven more than that of Kōji Wada himself. It's hard to put into words how much my heart sank upon hearing this news. I remember very vocally objecting to the decision to recast the main characters for. I even felt a tad bitter, as if I'd been robbed of spending time with the cast I loved so much. Only now, upon learning about Fujita's (and Mizutani's) poor health in recent years, do I understand the logic behind the (presumably difficult) decision of the production staff to replace these actors going forward. I wish we could have gotten to hear the original group together one last time, but the original series isn't going anywhere and I take comfort in knowing Ms. Fujita's work is immortalized through that.