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Nana Mizuki

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Nana Mizuki is a prominent Japanese voice actress, singer, and narrator. She is a multi-talented artist managed by the agency StarCrew. Mizuki is widely recognized for her ability to bridge the worlds of voice acting and popular music. Her work brings life to animated characters through vocal performance. Simultaneously, she reaches massive audiences through her musical career. She has achieved historic milestones that few others in her field have reached.

Mizuki's professional journey began with musical training at a very young age. She started training as an enka singer when she was five years old. Enka is a traditional style of Japanese music. In 1993, she released a single under her birth name, Nana Kondō. Her path shifted toward voice acting after she passed an audition for the game Noël: La Neige. In 1997, she released an image song single titled "Girl's Age" using the name Chisato Kadokura. A major turning point occurred during a concert when she was twenty years old. Music producer Akio Mishima from King Records scouted her there. This led to her official debut as Nana Mizuki with the single "Omoi" in December 2000.

As a voice actress, Mizuki is famous for specific character archetypes. She often portrays female characters who are initially shy or soft-spoken. These characters typically undergo development and open up through social interactions. Notable examples include Hinata Hyūga from the Naruto series. She also voiced Fate Testarossa in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Tsubomi Hanasaki in Heartcatch Precure!. Many of her characters also express romantic affection for the story's protagonists. This includes roles such as Colette Brunel in Tales of Symphonia and Moka Akashiya in Rosario + Vampire.

Mizuki's musical career is defined by record-breaking success on the Oricon charts. The Oricon charts track the most popular music in Japan. Her 2004 single "Innocent Starter" was her first to reach the Top 10. In 2009, her seventh album, Ultimate Diamond, debuted at number one. This achievement made her the first voice actress to top the weekly Oricon album chart since its inception in 1968. Her single "Phantom Minds" also reached number one in January 2010. This made her the first voice actress to top the weekly Oricon singles chart as well.

Her talent has earned her numerous prestigious industry awards. In 2007, she won the Best Musical Performance award at the inaugural Seiyu Awards. The Seiyu Awards honor excellence in voice acting. In 2010, she received the Tomiyama Kei Award at the fourth Seiyu Awards. She also won the Top Pop Artists award at the 2010 Billboard Japan Music Awards. In 2011, she was named the Animation Artist of the Year by Billboard Japan. In 2014, she received the MEXT Art Encouragement Prize as a Rookie of the Year.

Mizuki has performed at some of the most significant venues in Japan and abroad. She was the first voice actress to hold a concert at the Tokyo Dome. This is Japan's largest concert hall. In 2016, she became the first solo artist to hold a concert at Koshien Stadium. This is the oldest stadium in Japan. She has also expanded her reach through international tours. She has performed solo concerts in Taiwan, Singapore, China, and Hong Kong. In 2022, she completed a tour to visit all 47 prefectures of Japan.

Mizuki's influence extends into various cultural and commercial sectors. She was named the first Tourism Ambassador for her hometown, Niihama, in February 2010. She also voices the unofficial Microsoft Windows 7 mascot, Nanami Madobe. The name uses wordplay involving her own name and the number seven. Beyond animation and music, she debuted as a stage actress in 2017. She played the title role of Carole King in the musical Beautiful. Her diverse career continues to connect the worlds of voice acting, pop music, and live performance.

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