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Voice Actor Natsuki Hanae Plays All Three Roles In Anime Short About Gum Diseases
posted on by Choo Sum Lee
On April 18 (also known as "Good Teeth Day" in Japan), Cat Bites Mouse, a six-episode educational anime short about periodontal diseases, was released on YouTube. The shorts feature performances by Demon Slayer star Natsuki Hanae as all three characters and character designs by Kanahei. The short was produced in a collaboration between the Japanese Society of Periodontology and the Japanese Academy of Clinical Periodontology.
The first episode of Cat Bites Mouse depicts a scene in which the cat Nyan-chan catches a mouse. When Nyan-chan opens her mouth wide, ready to eat the mouse, the mouse points out that Nyan-chan has periodontal disease. In order to survive, the mouse lays out the horrors of periodontal disease to Nyan-chan, thus starting a story of friendship between Nyan-chan and the mouse.
Notably, all three roles in the short – the cat Nyan-chan, the mouse, and the dentist Kabayama Kabahiko – are played by Hanae. "Since the cat is a girl, I tried my best to do a cute voice. I think it is a good anime where you can learn about teeth in a fun, contrived way," Hanae commented.
According to the Japanese Society of Periodontology and the Japanese Academy of Clinical Periodontology, periodontal diseases are the leading cause of teeth loss (37%) in Japan; they affect more than 50% of people over the age of 45, and about 20% of people between the ages of 15 and 24. They hope that the anime can raise awareness among youths about the prevalence of periodontal diseases, the need for prevention and treatment, and the importance of dental check-ups.
Source: Comic Natalie
