Happy 37th birthday to Aya Hirano, the talented voice actress who has brightened the lives of fans over the past two years. Let’s review her most amazing roles since she got her big break in 2006’s The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya!
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How Did Aya Hirano Become A Voice Actress?
Aya Hirano has had an interesting life. On stage during her appearance at Staple’s Center, she explained that she was born in Nagoya but lived in New York from age two to three, essentially learning English as her first language. After returning to Japan, she forgot all the English she knew. She was bullied in high school and nicknamed “Ayanami Rei” because she didn’t speak much.
Aya fell in love with acting when she saw a live performance of Peter Pan and told her parents she wanted to become a stage performer. She played a few roles in dramas as a child actor, and the production staff told her she should consider voice work because she had a unique voice. After graduating from high school, she entered Tamagawa University in 2006 but had difficulty keeping up with her studies. The reason was the smash hit that was The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, which turned her into a media personality overnight.
Aya’s career encountered turbulence when a magazine article appeared accusing Aya of dating three of the four band members she was performing with. This caused a backlash from fans, who love to get twisted with jealousy whenever an “idol” behaves like a normal human. She lost some voice roles, including (according to rumor) the chance to voice Shinobu Oshino in the Monogatari Series.
Earlier this year, she announced her marriage with actor Kenshi Taniguchi. Sadly, last month she announced on Twitter that she’s in discussions to end their marriage. This is being labeled as a “speed divorce” in the Japanese media.
What Are The Best Voice Roles of Aya Hirano?
Nanael From Queen’s Blade
A fun ecchi role, Nanael the Angel of Light. She’s required to carry a bottle of “holy milk,” but because she’s so clumsy, she manages to spill it all over herself often.
Migi From Kiseijuu
One of her strangest characters in anime is Migi, an alien parasite that takes over the right hand of protagonist Shinichi Izumi, causing much weirdness.
Misa-Misa From Death Note
Another great role by Aya-chan was Misa Amane from Death Note, who wowed us with her Goth-Loli style.
Lucy Heartfilia From Fairy Tail
Aya Hirano’s voicing of Lucy is a sexy young woman with blonde hair, who offers fans lots of sexy eye candy.
Izumi Konata Was The Otaku Girl We All Wanted To Date
Lucky Star brought in many new fans into anime, and pretty much everyone wished they had a cool otaku girlfriend like Izumi. Imagine having a girl you could talk about hentai visual novels with?
Haruhi Suzumiya Will Always Be God To Us
Finally, the role which Aya Hirano will forever be famous for is Haruhi Suzumiya. The most influential anime of the 2010s made us all reconsider the kinds of stories that could be told in anime.
Writing this post made me get God Knows stuck in my head. So join me!
Thanks for reading this blog post about the birthday of the lovely Aya Hirano. What’s your favorite character she’s voiced? What do you think about fans who riot when their favorite voice actor is so weak as to have sex? Tell us in the comments below!
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Summer is winding down, and J-List is saying goodbye with a Sayonara Summer Days Sale! Through August 31st, take 15% off all in-stock products shipping from Japan. That means awesome manga and doujinshi from Japan, all JAV and hentai DVDs and Blu-rays, Japan’s best-selling masturbation toys for men, the best Japanese lube and lotion, and more. Start browsing now!
