Aya Hirano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aya Hirano
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| 平野 綾 | |
Hirano at FanimeCon 2019
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| Born | October 8, 1987 Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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Notable work
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Masashi Taniguchi
(m. 2024; sep 2024) |
| Musical career | |
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| Years active | 2006–present |
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Aya Hirano (平野 綾, Hirano Aya, born October 8, 1987) is a Japanese actress and singer. She started in entertainment as a child, appearing in TV commercials. Her first role as a voice actress was in the anime TV show Angel Tales in 2001.
In 2006, she became very famous for voicing Haruhi Suzumiya in the Haruhi Suzumiya series. She won several awards for this role. These included the Voice Acting Award at the 2007 Tokyo Anime Awards. She also won Best Newcomer in 2007 and Best Lead Actress in 2008 at the Seiyu Awards. Aya Hirano also voiced other popular characters. She was Misa Amane in Death Note, Konata Izumi in Lucky Star, and Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy Tail. Later, in 2010, she started acting in live-action TV shows and stage plays.
Aya Hirano was known as an "idol voice actor." This means she was a voice actor who also became a popular celebrity. She was one of the first voice actors to become famous in mainstream entertainment. Besides voice acting, Hirano also makes music with Universal Sigma. Her first song, "Breakthrough," came out in 2006. Her first album, Riot Girl, was released in 2008.
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Early Life
Aya Hirano was born in Nagoya, Japan, on October 8, 1987. When she was very young, from age 2 to 3, she lived in New York, USA. This was because of her father's job. She became interested in acting after seeing the musical Peter Pan on Broadway in 1990.
Career Highlights
Becoming a Voice Actress
In 1998, Aya Hirano joined a children's acting group in Tokyo. She started appearing in TV commercials. At 14, she got her first voice acting job in the 2001 anime series Angel Tales. When she was 15, in 2002, she voiced Lumiere, a main character in Kiddy Grade.
After finishing high school, Hirano focused on her voice acting and singing. Her big break came in 2006. She was chosen to be the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya. Haruhi is the main character in the anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. This show became very popular in Japan. It made Aya Hirano one of the first voice actors to become widely known in mainstream media.
After this success, she voiced Reira Serizawa in Nana and Misa Amane in Death Note. At the first Seiyu Awards, she won "Best Newcomer" for her role as Haruhi Suzumiya. She also received nominations for other awards. In 2007, she won the Best Voice Actor award at the Tokyo Anime Awards for her role as Haruhi.
Hirano performed at the Animelo Summer Live concerts from 2006 to 2008. She was also a guest at Anime Expo 2007 in the United States. In 2007, she continued her success by voicing Konata Izumi in the anime Lucky Star. In 2008, at the second Seiyu Awards, she won Best Lead Actress. She also won for Best Singing with the cast of Lucky Star for their opening song "Motteke! Sailor Fuku."
In 2011, Aya Hirano announced she was allowed to take on new voice acting roles again. She had changed to a new agency called Grick.
Music Journey
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Aya Hirano's music career began with a band called SpringS from 2002 to 2003. In 2005, she released two songs for characters she voiced. One was for the anime Itsudatte My Santa!, and the other was for her character Mamori Anezaki in Eyeshield 21.
Her first solo song, "Breakthrough," came out on March 8, 2006. It was used as an opening song for a video game. Her next song, "Bōken Desho Desho?," was released on April 26, 2006. This song became the opening theme for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It sold out in Japan on the day it was released! She also released a song for her character Haruhi Suzumiya on July 5, 2006.
Hirano released more singles like "Love Gun" (2007), "Neophilia" (2007), and "MonStAR" (2007). Her song "Unnamed World" (2008) was an ending theme for the anime Nijū Mensō no Musume. Her first solo album, Riot Girl, came out on July 16, 2008.
In 2009, she released "Super Driver," which was the opening theme for the second season of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Her second album, Speed Star, was released in November 2009.
In 2012, she signed with Universal Sigma and released a mini-album called Fragments. She also released the song "Zutto Kitto" in 2012. This song was the ending theme for the anime film Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Aya Hirano posted a video of herself dancing. She taught the moves to "Hare Hare Yukai" to encourage people at home. This started a fun trend where many people, including other voice actors, posted their own dance videos using the hashtag "#HareHareYukaiAtHomeWithAllYourMight." This made "Hare Hare Yukai" a popular song again on the music charts.
Personal Life
In November 2010, Aya Hirano shared that she has had a non-cancerous growth near her brain since junior high school. This growth can sometimes cause temporary memory loss, vision problems, and trouble speaking. She chose not to have surgery because it could change her voice permanently.
On January 3, 2024, she announced her marriage to actor Masashi Taniguchi. Later that year, on September 11, she announced that they had separated and were working towards a divorce.
Voice Acting Roles
Aya Hirano has voiced many characters in anime, films, and video games. Here are some of her notable roles:
Anime Series
- Angel Tales (2001) as Momo
- Kiddy Grade (2002) as Lumière
- Eyeshield 21 (2005) as Mamori Anezaki
- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006) as Haruhi Suzumiya
- Nana (2006) as Reira Serizawa
- Death Note (2006) as Misa Amane
- Lucky Star (2007) as Konata Izumi
- Zettai Karen Children (2008) as Kaoru Akashi
- Fairy Tail (2009–present) as Lucy Heartfilia
- Dragon Ball Kai (2009) as Dende
- Hunter × Hunter (2011) as Menchi
- Gintama (2011–2018) as Imai Nobume
- Girls und Panzer (2012) as Alisa
- Parasyte (2014) as Migi
- Dragon Ball Super (2015–2018) as Dende
- One Piece (2024) as Vegapunk Lilith
Anime Films
- The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010) as Haruhi Suzumiya
- Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess (2012) as Lucy Heartfilia
- Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013) as Dende
- Girls und Panzer der Film (2015) as Alisa
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) as Dende
Live-Action TV Series
- Muse no Kagami (2012)
- Wave, Listen to Me! (2023) as Madoka Chishiro
Theatre Performances
Aya Hirano has also performed in many stage musicals.
- Love Letters (2012–2018) as Melissa
- Les Misérables (2013–2015) as Éponine
- Lady Bess (2014–2017) as Lady Bess (Elizabeth I of England)
- Mozart! (2014–2018) as Constanze
- Spamalot (2015) as Lady of The Lake
- Chainsaw Man (2023) as Makima
Dubbing Roles (Foreign Films/TV)
Aya Hirano has also lent her voice to Japanese versions of foreign movies and TV shows.
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2008) as Haley Jones (voiced for Taylor Swift)
- Dragonball Evolution (2009) as Bulma
- Encanto (2021) as Isabela Madrigal
- Shazam! (2019) and Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) as Mary
Video Games
- Haruhi Suzumiya games (2007–2011) as Haruhi Suzumiya
- Lucky Star games (2008–2010) as Konata Izumi
- Fairy Tail games (2010–present) as Lucy Heartfilia
- Assassin's Creed 2 (2009) as Cristina Vespucci
- Granblue Fantasy (2014) as Beatrix, Alexiel, Prishe
- Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (2014) as Monaca Towa
- Octopath Traveler II (2023) as Ochette
Awards
Aya Hirano has won several awards for her voice acting and singing.
- 2007: 1st Seiyu Awards - Best Rookie Actress (for Haruhi Suzumiya)
- 2007: Tokyo Anime Award - Best Voice Actor (for Haruhi Suzumiya)
- 2008: 2nd Seiyu Awards - Best Lead Actress (for Haruhi Suzumiya)
- 2008: 2nd Seiyu Awards - Best Music Performance (for "Motteke! Sailor Fuku" from Lucky Star)
Images for kids
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Hirano at FanimeCon 2019
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Hirano in 2019
See Also
In Spanish: Aya Hirano para niños
