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Aya Hirano

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Aya Hirano is a prominent Japanese actress and singer.

FanimeCon 2019 127 (47956073941)(cropped)
FanimeCon 2019 127 (47956073941)(cropped)

She is recognized for her work as a voice actress in anime. She is also known as an "idol voice actor." This term describes performers who transition from voice roles to mainstream entertainment. Her career spans voice acting, music, television, and stage plays.

Hirano's professional journey began with early training and small roles. She joined the Tokyo Child Theatrical Group in 1998. Her first voice acting role occurred in 2001 in the series Angel Tales. At age 15, she voiced the character Lumiere in Kiddy Grade. After high school, she focused on voice acting and solo singing. Her career reached a major turning point in 2006. She was cast as Haruhi Suzumiya in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

This specific role led to significant professional recognition. Hirano won the Voice Acting Award at the 2007 Tokyo Anime Awards. She also received the Best Newcomer Award at the 1st Seiyu Awards in 2007. In 2008, she won the Best Lead Actress award at the 2nd Seiyu Awards. She earned several other nominations for her work. These included nominations for Best Supporting Character and Best Single. Her success with Haruhi Suzumiya helped define her as a "super idol."

Hirano's voice acting includes many diverse characters. She provided the voice for Misa Amane in the series Death Note. She also voiced Konata Izumi in Lucky Star and Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy Tail. Her work expanded into other media during the late 2000s. She transitioned into television and stage plays around 2010. Notable stage appearances include the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood in Tokyo. In 2016, she spent four months studying English and voice work in New York.

Her music career has involved several different stages and labels. She began in the band SpringS from 2002 to 2003. Her first solo single, "Breakthrough," was released on March 8, 2006. She released her first solo album, Riot Girl, on July 16, 2008. In 2011, she stopped performing music for the label Lantis. She later returned to music in 2012 with the label Universal Sigma. Her first release on this label was the mini album Fragments in 2012.

Despite her success, Hirano has faced significant personal and professional challenges. She has lived with a pituitary gland tumor since junior high school. This tumor is not malignant, meaning it is not cancer. However, it can cause temporary memory loss, vision loss, and slurred speech. She chose not to have surgery to avoid changing her voice. She has also dealt with intense criticism and death threats from some fans. These difficulties led her to step away from much anime voice acting.

Even with these obstacles, Hirano has made connections to modern culture. In 2020, she posted a video teaching the "Hare Hare Yukai" dance. This was intended to motivate people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The video sparked a trend of cover dances on social media. This helped the song reach number 6 on the Billboard Japan Hot Animation chart. Her career remains a complex example of navigating fame, health, and changing industry roles.

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