RIP Carranger's Yuka Motohashi

May 2024 ended on a sad note. It's not enough that Akira Toriyama passed away on March 8, 2024. Yuka Motohashi finally died on May 31, 2024, after being hospitalized on Wednesday. It was on Wednesday when her condition got worse. The battle against cancer was in 2021 and it ended in 2024. The type of cancer remained confidential presumably for privacy reasons. I respect patient privacy rights.

I got this detail from Orends Range telling us of her hospitalization and demise:

She passed away last May 31st due to a cancer of unknown origin. She was 46 years old. She's been fighting the illness for the last three years, but her condition suddenly worsened last Wednesday prior to her passing. Her funeral will be exclusive for family members only, which is why they can't announce it. 

Her last role prior to her passing was Sonona in Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. From all of us here, thank you for the memories. 

Some Toku alumni in Japan also died of cancer. Ichiro Mizuki died of lung cancer on December 6, 2022. Soga Machiko's death from pancreatic cancer in 2006 (age 68). Osamu Sakuta of Seiuun Machimeman died of cancer only in his early 60s. Man, cancer REALLY SUCKS. One of Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive's cast members Kenji Shibata currently has an INCURABLE brain tumor which was discovered in 2018. Is there something wrong with the neighborhood they're in? Japan might need a massive clean-up even after more than 10 years after the Fukushima Daiichi Accident. Could that incident still be having an ongoing impact in Japan? I'm afraid this is caused by environmental factors within some areas. I can't be sure but I assume these deaths were most likely caused by environmental factors. Serious inspections and clean-ups around Japan are needed more than ever! 

Yuka's death also reminds me of the late Thuy Trang. Thuy died in a car accident on September 3, 2001. Both Yuka and Thuy played well-loved Yellow Rangers namely Natsumi Shinohara and Trini Kwan. Even stranger, Thuy had a villainous role as Kali in Crow: City of Angels II (which the film franchise is said to be cursed especially with Brandon Emery Lee's demise) in 1998. Yuka also played the Queen Ant Amazon in Kamen Rider Amazons -- another villainous role before her last. That was the same year as Gekisou Sentai Carranger. More bizarre is that Chodenshi Bioman's first yellow ranger Mika Koizumi was killed off due to off-screen drama. Two female yellow rangers left the world too soon. Both deaths would forever leave a huge hole in their respective communities. 

I believe Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger needs to give a tribute episode to Yuka. Power Rangers Time Force's "Circuit Unsure" was dedicated to Thuy. "Circuit Unsure" showed how the future can be so uncertain. The footage was taken from Mirai Sentai Timeranger's 46th episode "Cut Off from the Future". 

From all the fans of Yuka, thank you for all the memories.