Aya Hirano

Aya Hirano
Native name 平野 綾
Born October 8, 1987
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Occupation Voice actress, singer
Years active 2001-present
Website
ayahirano.jp

Aya Hirano (平野 綾 Hirano Aya, born October 8, 1987) is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan.[1][2] She was contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of the Space Craft Group, for her voice acting career,[3] and for her singing career, she was signed under Lantis.[4] She left both Space Craft and Lantis in 2011. Hirano moved to the voice acting agency Grick in August 2011, and into Universal Sigma in 2012.[5]

Biography

Hirano spent a few of her very early years of life in America before returning to Japan.[6] In 1998, she joined the Tokyo Child Theatrical Group division of the Space Craft Group company. Eventually, she began to appear in commercials and got her first role as a voice actress in Angel Tales.[7] From 2002 to 2003, she was a member of the band SpringS.[8]

After graduating from high school, she began seriously pursuing her voice acting and solo singing career. Her big break came in 2006, when she was cast as the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya, the title character of the anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The series' public success has greatly enhanced her popularity and career in Japan. Her CD single Bōken Desho Desho? containing the opening song of the show sold out in Japan the very day it was released. This success was followed by her voicing two lead characters in anime based on popular manga; Reira in Nana and Misa Amane in Death Note. Her popularity was confirmed at the first Seiyu Awards, where she won "Best Newcomer (female)", for her role as Haruhi Suzumiya;[9] the same role also won her a nomination as "Best Main Character (female)". At the same awards, she was also nominated for "Best Supporting Character (female)", and earned two nominations for "Best Single" (One of which is a solo, Bōken Desho Desho?; the other was a group nomination for the single Hare Hare Yukai).[9] In 2008, she won the "Best Main Character (female)" award at the second Seiyu Awards.[10]

She performed at the "Animelo Summer Live" concerts between 2006 and 2008, as well as the Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekisō concert on March 18, 2007. Hirano was a guest at Anime Expo 2007, along with other cast members from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Minori Chihara and Yūko Gotō.[11] In 2007, she continued to enjoy great success in her career, landing the role of Konata Izumi in the anime version of Lucky Star and launching three separate singles back-to-back monthly at year's end.

In November 2010, Hirano posted a message on her Twitter account that she has had a pituitary gland tumor since junior high school. While not malignant, the tumor exerts pressure on certain motor functions, resulting in temporary memory loss, loss of vision and slurring of speech. She decided against elective surgery because the surgery would alter her nasal cavity and permanently modify her voice.[12] To facilitate her care, she announced in April 2011 that she had been prohibited from taking on new voice acting roles in anime since some time the previous year. She still continued voicing characters for anime that received additional seasons or extended runs.[13] In May 2011, Hirano announced via Twitter that she was no longer performing music for Lantis and has discontinued her music career until further notice.[14] On August 2, 2011, Japanese magazine Bubka confirmed that Hirano was dismissed by Lantis due to a sex scandal involving her sleeping with several band members.[15] Citing a need for a new agency that was more ideal with her career wishes, Hirano announced on August 12, 2011 that she left Space Craft Entertainment.[16] On August 21, Hirano moved to the voice acting agency Grick.[17] Days later, on August 27, Hirano posted a message on her Twitter account, confirming that she has resumed new voice acting roles in anime.[18]

Hirano returned to music in 2012 and was signed to the record label Universal Sigma. Her first release on the label was the mini album Fragments on May 23, 2012.[19]

Filmography

Anime

2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Drama CDs

Film

Live-action dubbing

Radio

Video games

Live-action drama

Television appearances

Theatre

Bibliography

Discography

Albums

  1. Riot Girl (2008)
  2. Speed Star (2009)
  3. Aya Museum (2011)
  4. Fragments (2012)
  5. Vivid (2014)

Singles

  1. "Breakthrough" (March 8, 2006)
  2. "Bōken Desho Desho?" (April 26, 2006) (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya opening theme)
  3. "Ashita no Prism"[28] (September 6, 2006)
  4. "Love Gun" (October 10, 2007)
  5. "Neophilia" (November 7, 2007)
  6. "MonStAR" (December 5, 2007)
  7. "Unnamed World" (April 23, 2008) (Nijū Mensō no Musume ending theme)
  8. "Namida Namida Namida" (October 8, 2008) (Hyakko ending theme)
  9. "Set me Free/Sing A Song!" (April 29, 2009)
  10. "Super Driver" (July 22, 2009) (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya opening theme)
  11. "Hysteric Barbie" (June 23, 2010)
  12. "TOxxxIC" (February 20, 2013)
  13. "Promise" (October 9, 2013)

Other songs

Concert videos

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mizukami, Jiro; Kyuki, Akihiko; Onitsuka, Kanako; Fringe (October 2007). "Voice Actress Spotlight". Newtype USA 6 (10): pp. 142–143. ISSN 1541-4817.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Oochi, Yoko; Yoshida, Moichi (December 2007). "Death Note". Newtype USA 6 (12): pp. 50–51. ISSN 1541-4817.
  3. ↑ "Space Craft Produce official website".
  4. ↑ "Lantis profile". Lantis.
  5. ↑ Doi, Hitoshi. "Hirano Aya". Seiyuu Database. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Voice Actress/Singer Aya Hirano to Perform at Otakon". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  7. ↑ Manry, Gia (July 28, 2012). "Aya Hirano Q&A". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Recommended Eggs - Springs (「ユニット名未定」改め)". Scramble Egg. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Results of Japan's First Ever Seiyuu Awards Announced". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  10. ↑ "2nd Annual Seiyū Awards Announced". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Anime Expo 2007 Guests". Anime Expo. 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
  12. ↑ "平野綾がTwitterで持病告白「たまに目が見えなくなったりするけど慣れた」。" [Aya Hirano Confesses Her Illness on Twitter: "I occasionally can't see, but I'm used to it."] (in Japanese). November 3, 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Aya Hirano: Prohibited From Acting in New Anime Works". Anime News Network. April 7, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Aya Hirano Confirms She Stopped Performing Music for Lantis". Anime News Network. May 28, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Aya Hirano sex scandal". Yahoo! News. August 2, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Aya Hirano Confirms She Is Leaving Agency for Another". Anime News Network. August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Voice Actress Aya Hirano Moves to New Agency Grick". Anime News Network. August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Aya Hirano Returns to Voice-Acting on New Works Again". Anime News Network. August 27, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Aya Hirano's Musical Return Detailed". Anime News Network. March 24, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2012.
  20. ↑ Taniguchi, Hiroshi (November 2006). "The Official Art of Canvas2 ~Nijiro no Sketch~". Newtype USA 5 (11): pp. 101–107. ISSN 1541-4817.
  21. ↑ "スタッフ＆キャスト". TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on June 23, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  22. ↑ Maeda, Hisashi; Horiguchi, Yukiko; Tamura, Seiki; Ishida, Naomi; Miura, Rina (June 2007). "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya". Newtype USA 6 (6): pp. 32–35. ISSN 1541-4817.
  23. ↑ "Anime Expo® 2008 Announces the 2008 SPJA Award Winners" (Press release). Anime Expo. July 9, 2008. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Shinken Zemi Gets Anime with Miyu Irino, Aya Hirano" (Press release). AnimeNewsNetwork. March 23, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  25. ↑ ""Parasyte" Anime Staff and Cast Announced". Crunchyroll. July 29, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Aya Hirano Q&A - Otakon 2012 - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. July 28, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Hirano Aya dake TV" (in Japanese). Fuji TV. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  28. ↑ "The unstoppable Aya Hirano's third single "Ashita no Prism"". Newtype USA 5 (12): p. 119. December 2006. ISSN 1541-4817.

External links