Masanari Nihei was a Japanese actor and voice actor born on December 4, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan. His real name was Masanori Nihei. He passed away on August 21, 2021, at the age of 80. Nihei began his career in 1960 after joining the Toho film company, where he appeared in numerous films, including several kaiju movies such as Mothra and Gorath.

Nihei is best known for his live-action role as Mitsuhiro Ide, the weapons developer on the Science Patrol, in the 1966 television series Ultraman. This role brought him widespread recognition and established a long-standing connection with the Ultraman franchise. His performance as the humorous yet earnest Ide was a defining part of the series.

In the realm of voice acting, his most prominent role was as Hiroaki Tobe in the 1979 anime series The Ultraman. This series was an animated adaptation of the Ultraman franchise, and Nihei voiced the character Tobe, a member of the Science Guard, whose role as a mechanical specialist drew parallels to his famous live-action character, Ide. This voice role is a key example of his recurring collaboration with the production company Tsuburaya Productions and the larger Ultraman series.

Throughout his career, Nihee made numerous appearances in other works produced by Tsuburaya. He had roles in the live-action series Ultra Q, Mighty Jack, and much later, Ultraman Max, where he played Dr. Date. He also continued to appear in Ultraman films across the decades, including a cameo in the 2008 film Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers. His career was notable for the decades-spanning connection to a single, major franchise, transitioning from a beloved live-action television actor to a voice actor in its animated continuation, and later returning to live-action roles in the same universe.