Cory’s lungs are currently losing a battle with the Southern California basin. If you’ve been keeping up with the recent "One More Road" tour updates, you already know the vibe: CoryxKenshin is out here trying to live his best life, but Cory isn't reacting well to the LA air and the fans are definitely noticing the raspy voice and the occasional cough. It’s a weirdly specific problem that happens to a lot of people who move to the West Coast, but when you’re one of the biggest personalities on YouTube, every sniffle becomes a talking point.
LA hits different. And not always in a good way.
The city is a bowl of smog, pollen, and marine layer moisture that traps pollutants right at lung level. For someone like Cory, who is used to different climates and spends a massive amount of time talking—loudly—for a living, the shift in air quality is more than just a minor inconvenience. It’s a performance killer.
The Reality of the LA Lung Funk
So, what’s actually happening? Los Angeles consistently ranks as one of the most polluted cities in the United States according to the American Lung Association. It’s not just the "smog" we see in old movies. It’s particulate matter. It’s the stuff you can’t see. When people say Cory isn't reacting well to the LA air, they’re talking about a physiological reaction to ozone and fine dust.
His voice sounds a bit deeper, right? That’s inflammation.
When you breathe in high levels of ozone, it irritates the lining of your throat and lungs. For a content creator, your voice is your instrument. If that instrument is out of tune because the atmosphere is literally "spicy," it changes the energy of the video. Cory has always been transparent with the Samurai community about his health and his breaks, so seeing him struggle with the basic act of breathing clean air in Hollywood isn't shocking, but it sucks.
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Is it just the smog?
Probably not. LA is also a nightmare for "super-bloom" allergies. Even when the air looks clear, it's often packed with pollen from non-native plants that were trucked in decades ago to make the desert look like a lush paradise. If you aren't from here, your immune system basically goes into panic mode. You get the "LA Sinus" or the "Hollywood Hack." It’s a rite of passage for transplants, but when you're in the middle of a high-pressure tour or a filming schedule, you don't have time for a two-week adjustment period.
Why the Samurai are Worried
The community is protective. That's just how the Samurai are. When the phrase Cory isn't reacting well to the LA air started bubbling up in comments and on Twitter (X), it wasn't just memes. People actually care. They remember the long hiatuses. They know that if Cory doesn't feel 100%, he’s more likely to take a step back to recharge.
Health comes first. Always.
But there’s a specific irony here. Cory moves to or visits the hub of the entertainment world to do big things, and the environment itself tries to shut him down. It’s like a boss fight where the arena has a passive "poison" debuff. You can still play, but your HP is slowly ticking down the whole time you're standing there.
The Science of "New City" Sickness
It’s actually a documented phenomenon. When you move to a new geographic location, your body is exposed to a completely different microbiome. The bacteria in the air, the specific types of mold in the buildings, and the nitrogen dioxide levels from the 405 freeway all combine to create a "toxic soup" for a newcomer.
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- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels in LA are some of the highest in the country.
- The "Inversion Layer" traps cold air under warm air, keeping the junk at street level.
- The humidity is often deceptive—it's dry enough to parched your throat but damp enough to hold onto pollutants.
Honestly, it’s a miracle anyone there can hit a high note or scream at a jump-scare without hacking up a lung.
Navigating the One More Road Logistics
The tour life is grueling. You're in hotels with recycled HVAC air. You're on buses. You're meeting hundreds of people (and their germs). Add the LA air quality to that mix, and you’re looking at a recipe for a forced break. Cory has always prioritized his peace of mind, and physical health is a huge part of that. If the air is trash, the mood is trash.
People think being a YouTuber is just sitting in front of a camera. It's not. It's an athletic event for your vocal cords. If Cory isn't reacting well to the LA air, he's basically playing a game with a broken controller. You can see the effort it takes to maintain that signature "Cory" energy when your chest feels tight.
How to Survive the LA Atmosphere (The Cory Method)
If you find yourself in a similar spot—maybe you moved for a job or you're just visiting—there are ways to fight back. You don't have to just sit there and let the smog win.
First, get a high-quality HEPA filter. Don't cheap out. You need something that handles PM2.5 particles. If Cory is reading this, or if you're in his circle, tell him to get a Blueair or a Dyson running 24/7 in the studio. It makes a world of difference.
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Second, hydration isn't just about drinking water. It's about steam. Professional singers use personal steamers or nebulizers with saline to keep the vocal folds hydrated. When the LA air is dry and dirty, your throat becomes like sandpaper. You have to manually add the moisture back in.
Lastly, watch the Air Quality Index (AQI). In LA, there are "Purple Air" days where you genuinely shouldn't be outside exercising or doing anything strenuous. If the AQI is over 100, stay inside. If it's over 150, you might as well be smoking a pack of cigarettes while you record your gameplay.
The Long-Term Outlook for the Samurai Shogun
Is this a permanent problem? Likely no. The human body is pretty amazing at adapting. Eventually, your system stops treating the local pollutants like a foreign invasion and starts just... dealing with it. But for now, the transition is rough.
We want Cory at 100%. The videos are better, the energy is higher, and most importantly, he's happier. LA is a land of opportunity, but it’s also a land of environmental hazards that don’t care about your subscriber count.
Actionable Steps for Better Respiratory Health in High-Pollution Cities:
- Monitor the AQI daily: Use apps like AirVisual to know when to keep the windows shut.
- Vocal Steaming: If you speak for a living, use a saline-based steamer to soothe inflammation.
- Nasal Irrigation: Use a Neti pot (with distilled water ONLY) to flush out the LA soot before it hits your lungs.
- Air Purification: Run a HEPA filter in the room where you spend the most time, especially while sleeping.
- Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Load up on antioxidants to help your body fight the oxidative stress caused by breathing in smog.
The Samurai will be here regardless. Whether the voice is a little gravelly or the uploads are a bit spread out while he recovers, the community isn't going anywhere. Just keep breathing (the filtered stuff), Cory.