Aya Hirano

Aya Hirano first gained widespread notice for supplying voices to several blockbuster anime productions across Japan, yet she also pursued a modest parallel path in music much like other prominent voice performers. Although she had been active in voice work since 2001 and spent a short period in a pre-teen idol ensemble, regular singing did not begin for her until 2006, when she released multiple well-received tracks performed in the personas of the television characters she portrayed. After issuing nine such “character songs,” she moved forward to material that was not performed “by” an anime character but was instead created simply for use within an anime production. Several breakthrough successes during 2006 and 2007 led quickly to her first full-length album in 2008, Riot Girl, whose bright, buoyant pop sound entered the Oricon charts at number six and opened the door to additional projects along similar lines.