Megumi Ogata

1.1. Childhood and Education

Ogata was born into a musical family in Chiyoda, Tokyo, specifically in Sotokanda, Akihabara. Her father worked for Toho, serving as a conductor for the Takarazuka Revue, a trombonist, and a musical director during the era of Fubuki Koshiji. Her mother was a vocal musician. Their home was always filled with music, and it housed dozens of instruments, including flutes, violins, and cellos. From the age of three, Ogata began playing the piano and also took lessons in ballet and Japanese dance. Despite this upbringing, she was not particularly "girly" and preferred physical activities with her two younger brothers.

An incident during her childhood, when she broke her hand twice and was hospitalized, led her to discover a love for reading. Unable to move from her bed, she began reading extensively, becoming an avid reader who consumed about 10 books a week by upper elementary school. In the sixth grade of Yourin Elementary School (now Shohei Elementary School), she reluctantly took on the role of an old shaman woman in a school play after other girls refused it. This role, which included a long prophetic monologue, became a turning point. She applied her newfound love for reading and understanding of cadence to her performance, thinking about how to make the lines interesting. This experience, and the subsequent praise from her classmates' mothers and an unexpected offer of friendship from girls who had previously ostracized her, became a foundational moment for her understanding of acting.

During middle school at Toho Girls' High School and Junior High School, she initially considered joining the drama club but was scouted by the basketball team after being impressed by the handball team's shots. She briefly joined both before focusing on handball. A hip injury in middle school caused her to consider other paths in high school. She developed a love for Western music, learning to write lyrics and compose by ear, and performed as a singer-songwriter in part-time jobs. Secretly harboring an aspiration to act, she decided to pursue a professional acting career during high school.

1.2. Path to Acting

Ogata secretly took an entrance exam for a performing arts agency's training school and was accepted. Within two months, she started receiving offers for drama and stage work. However, she had to abandon these activities and leave the agency when it was discovered that her high school's rules prohibited students from engaging in entertainment activities while enrolled. This setback fueled her determination to become an actress, leading her to establish a drama club with friends in high school, where she immersed herself in acting. When their club advisor resigned, challenging them to improve their grades by 10 points in all subjects if they wanted him to continue, Ogata and her friends successfully met the challenge, allowing them to continue their theatrical activities.

Initially, Ogata's father opposed her professional acting aspirations, so she decided to study at university while pursuing acting. She self-funded her training by working part-time jobs since she hadn't received pocket money since middle school. She sought a university that allowed entrance based on science and math subjects, leading her to Tokai University's School of Marine Science and Technology. Upon acceptance, she unexpectedly discovered the campus was in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, and had to quickly arrange for a local dormitory. However, after a year, she withdrew from Tokai University without her parents' permission, driven by a strong desire to act in Tokyo. Her father, angered by her unauthorized withdrawal, forced her to leave home. She then lived in a difficult situation in an apartment in Minami Karasuyama, Setagaya, relying on her savings from part-time jobs. She recounted that her apartment lacked a bath, forcing her to wash herself in the kitchen due to the cost of public baths.

Her grandmother intervened, and with her parents' reluctant approval to study opera, she enrolled in Tokyo Voice Actors and Music College (later Showa Academia Musicae). Unbeknownst to her parents, she applied to the newly established musical theater department instead of opera. After moving from her previous apartment, she worked multiple part-time jobs while striving to become a musical actress. She joined the theater troupe "Neverland Musical Community," performing in their productions and commercial musicals. However, her middle school hip injury recurred and worsened, making dancing impossible for her. After the troupe disbanded, her producer suggested she try voice acting, noting her "glamorous voice" in boy roles. This led her to the world of voice acting.

At the age of 24, she enrolled in Aoni Juku, a voice acting training school, where her talent was recognized, leading to her affiliation with Aoni Production. During this period, she experienced her first marriage and subsequent divorce.

2.1. Early Career and Recognition

Ogata's voice acting debut in 1992 came with the role of Kurama in YuYu Hakusho. She was initially approached for the audition with a request for a voice that combined the "glamour of a Takarazuka male role" with the ability to portray a high school boy, regardless of the actor's gender. Despite her agency's skepticism due to her packed schedule of nine regular anime series and three radio shows, she accepted the audition after a direct appeal from director Hideaki Anno at a Sailor Moon wrap party, who stated that the first round of auditions for the protagonist's role in his new project had not found a suitable candidate. This led to her casting as Shinji Ikari, the protagonist of Neon Genesis Evangelion, in 1995.

Her impactful portrayals in these breakthrough roles coincided with the "3rd Voice Actor Boom," a period of increased media attention on voice actors. This exposure, through radio programs and voice actor magazines, quickly propelled her to popularity. In 1994, she received the "Voice Actor of the Year" award at the 17th Anime Grand Prix. During this same period, her associated works dominated all categories of the Anime Grand Prix, including Best Male Character (Kurama) and Best Female Character (Haruka Tenoh).

2.2. Major Voice Roles and Impact

Ogata's unique vocal qualities have often led her to be typecast as young men, boys, or tomboyish women, a characteristic that fans affectionately acknowledge by sometimes referring to her as "Aniki" (アニキ_{Big Brother}^Japanese, often used in gangs).

Her role as Kurama in YuYu Hakusho presented early challenges. Coming from a stage background, she initially underestimated voice acting and found the short turnaround between script and recording, as well as the lack of extensive rehearsal, difficult. More significantly, her voice quality posed a challenge. While she was chosen for Kurama's voice, the sound director noted a lack of balance when her voice was mixed with those of male voice actors. At the time, it was almost unheard of for a female voice actor to portray a male character past puberty, making her role a pioneering effort. To address the feedback, she consulted a vocal specialist, who advised that her relatively long vocal cords for a Japanese woman could produce a male-like voice if her "entire body's function as an instrument" was enhanced. This led her to intense physical training, including visiting the gym five to six times a week, which naturally deepened her voice. Before the anime aired, she received negative feedback from original manga fans who questioned why a female voice actor was cast for Kurama. However, by the first cast event, Ogata's appearance was met with overwhelming cheers, signaling acceptance from the fanbase. She reflected that her portrayal, projecting her ideals onto Kurama's glamorous yet male character, contributed to this positive reception.

For Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ogata was personally selected to voice Shinji Ikari. Her portrayal, delicately capturing the inner turmoil of a 14-year-old boy, cemented Shinji as her definitive role. Even years after the series' conclusion, she found it difficult to watch objectively. During the recording of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, a scene where Shinji screams for five pages while being "boiled" in hot L.C.L. (the fluid within the Evangelion units) resulted in a physical injury: her trachea became inflamed, resembling a mild burn, the day after the recording. Ogata has stated that the existence of Evangelion was immensely significant in her voice acting career. She felt a "curse-like strong responsibility" to not lose the "14-year-old soul" while playing Shinji for over 25 years. However, with the series' conclusion, she believes this "14-year-old soul" has become ingrained within her, no longer something that can be lost. She views her career as intrinsically linked to Shinji, stating it would not be an exaggeration to say she became a voice actor to play him and that playing Shinji allowed her to continue her career to this point.

Another notable role was Princess Emeraude in the first chapter of Magic Knight Rayearth. Having been consistently cast in male roles, she was surprised by the offer and struggled with how to approach the character. She later recounted anecdotes of her manager questioning the offer and the audience's surprise during the first episode's preview when her name appeared in the credits. Her co-stars, such as Konami Yoshida (Umi Ryūzaki) and Takumi Yamazaki (Ferio), also playfully teased her about her character's lines.

Her extensive list of iconic roles includes Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi in the Toei version of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Makoto Naegi and Nagito Komaeda in the Danganronpa series, Sailor Uranus in the Sailor Moon series, Hanako and Tsukasa in Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, and Yukito Tsukishiro/Yue in Cardcaptor Sakura.

2.3. Voice Acting Philosophy and Style

Ogata approaches acting with deep dedication, emphasizing the importance of internalizing roles and physical preparation. She believes that her background in musical theater and her continuous effort to expand her acting range are crucial. Even as of 2008, she continued to study and broaden her "drawers" of expression. She emphasizes that expressing intangible elements like atmosphere and timing, especially in silence, is vital for profound performances. She believes that real-life experience-based imagination is critical for realism in acting. For instance, if she were to voice a master swordsman, she would train at a dojo, or if she were to play a character who handles horses with ease, she would take horseback riding lessons.

Despite her ability to perform a wide range of voices, from male characters to princesses, she asserts that she can only produce the right voice when she truly embodies the character's emotions. She states that the fundamental principle of her acting involves shedding the "masks" and "armor" one acquires through age and experience to portray emotions authentically.

While she has undergone extensive training in her musical theater days, her current routine primarily involves going to the gym and participating in various dance lessons. She views these activities as an enjoyable part of her life rather than mere training. She has admitted to still feeling like quitting her job or questioning her suitability as an actress, but her unwavering desire to be an actor has always helped her overcome such moments. She recalls countless turning points, all driven by the powerful ambition to make a living as an actress.

3.1. Albums and Singles

Ogata began her music activities as an amateur, performing her own compositions during part-time jobs. Although she grew up in a classical music family and initially didn't consider a professional music career beyond opera, her success as a voice actress led her to pursue singing professionally. Initially, her focus was on character songs for anime, catering to her voice acting fanbase, and she prioritized singing over songwriting.

Her musical career gained new momentum after she transferred to Lantis in 2000. Under the encouragement of Lantis's president, Shunji Inoue, she transitioned into a full-fledged singer-songwriter, taking on more lyric writing and composition herself. While her early releases with Lantis still leaned towards pop, Inoue's support gradually influenced her shift towards a rock-oriented and band-focused style. She actively toured with bands in the 2000s, later realizing the importance of creative freedom in her music. Her 2012 album, Rebuild, felt like a "debut album" to her, signifying a fresh start. Today, she writes almost all her lyrics and some compositions, performing actively both domestically and internationally.

In 2016, she made her debut on Niconico with her cover of "Dappou Rock," which quickly garnered over 280,000 views, reaching #1 on both the category and overall daily rankings. Her 2017 original album, real/dummy, featured experimental recording techniques, including a first in Japan: she recorded tracks wearing a "real dummy head microphone," developed by Junnosuke Sato, for a single-take recording.

Below is a list of her major music releases:

3.2. Songwriting and Collaborations

Ogata has contributed to various projects as a vocalist, lyricist, and composer. She was a featured vocalist for "Starting STYLE!!" (2014) as part of "Lantis no Minna" for the 15th Anniversary Live Lantis Matsuri 2014. She also performed covers like "Get Wild" (2017) and "Miraiiro" (2017) for a Plastic Tree tribute album. More recently, she collaborated with Akari Kito and ANCHOR on "Manga=Cho Bible" (2023), the theme song for the "MANGA VIBLE" program. She also contributed vocals with Aya Uchida for "Radical Palm Dancers" (2023), the official theme song for the Electronic Comic Awards 2024.

As a songwriter, she penned lyrics for ELISA's "Contrail" (2016). For the anime Magical Girl Ore (2018), she wrote lyrics for the ending theme "Garasu no Ginga" (also contributing chorus vocals) and several insert songs including "Bucchaake Shoujo Janai," "Hachimitsu Flash - Kawaru wa ne -," "Ai, Shougeki!," and "Youchuui Kyoujo Kishi," along with other tracks like "Koi no Shout Is Number One!," "Fancy Funky Blues," and "Kaizo Ningen Aika." In 2019, she wrote the lyrics for "Circle-Lets Friends!", the ending theme for the anime Circlet Princess.

Her 25th voice acting anniversary in 2017 was marked by a series of special projects:

• First Project:** A birthday live concert titled "BIRTHDAY LIVE 2017 Ore Fes!!!!!! ~Soto no Hito Dai Shugo~" on June 6, 2017.
• Second Project:** A crowdfunding campaign to release her anime song cover album, Animegu. 25th, both domestically and internationally. The international release was managed via Miraimode and Tokyo Otaku Mode Shop.
• Third Project:** The return of her theater unit, ARMs, after a two-year hiatus, with performances of "Aisubeki Musume-tachi" on September 2 and 3, 2017.
• Fourth Project:** A domestic live tour to promote the Animegu. 25th album.
• Fifth Project:** The release of her self-cover best album, EARLY OGATA BEST, on May 30, 2018, accompanied by a special live radio broadcast.

4.1. Drama CDs and Radio

Ogata has an extensive discography of drama CDs, including roles in:

• YuYu Hakusho series (Zou-Ba)
• Rurouni Kenshin ~Meiji Kenkaku Roman Tan (Kenshin Himura)
• Tenba No Ketsuzoku (Aruto Jin)
• Time Leap (Kazuhiko Wakamatsu)
• Hana No Asuka Gumi Gaiden (Asuka Kuraku)
• Dear Series (Kisaki Sumeragi)
• Toki No Daichi (Jendo)
• Tentai Gikai (Mizu Hasu)
• Shōnen Shinka-Ron (Sana Fujisaki)
• Fushigi Yuugi ~Genbu Kaiden (Shitsu Yado)
• Kaze No Oukoku (Ri Suiran)
• Gakuen Kaku Meiden Mitsurugi (Chiruchiru Mitsurugi)

Ray Sweeper (Ken Shin)

• Shiritsu Kurearu Gakuen (Takaiku Hyōdō)
• Ginga Tetsudou No Yoru (Tadashi)
• Shuuen No Shiori Series (A-ya)
• Ima, Ai Ni Yukimasu (Yuuji Aio)
• Radical Hospital (Amerika Yonezawa)
• Love Cuisine ~Monster Recipe~ (Rubinou & Koruri)
• Grand Stage (Akihiro Akito)
• Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Sky Silver (Moses, Anro Isemi)

She has been a prominent figure in radio, notably pioneering early internet radio programs. Her regular broadcast radio programs include:

• Ogata Megumi no MUSIC COAST
• Ogata Megumi no Ginga ni Hoero! (1996-1998)
• Ogata Megumi no Ai daze!BABY!
• Kyou wa Ichinichi Anison Zanmai S.S.

Her internet radio shows, some of which ran for extended periods, include:

• Ogata Megumi no Himitsu no Ha・Na・Zo・N (2001, lasted 8 years)
• Ogata vs Domon MOEMOEWoo!toko-gumi! (M.O.Bay)
• Bara Iro Tengoku (M.O.Bay)
• Megumi Ogata's Yell ROCK
• Dangan Radio: Kibou no Guest to Zetsubou no Ogata (2010-2011)
• Koisen Radio Yumeshima Oboro [Ogata Megumi] no Shokken Ran YO! (2010-2011)
• Ogata Megumi no Seiten Hekireki! Monthly Talk Live Radio (2013-2018)
• Ishida Akira to Ogata Megumi no Gekijouban 'Persona 3' Kage Jikan Radio (2015-2016)
• Ogata Megumi no Otometeki Bishoku Kenkyuubu (2015-2016)
• Dangan Radio -The End of Kibougamine Gakuen- (2016)
• Ogata Megumi no Hoeru ROCK! (2019-present)

She has also conducted personal stage shows like "Love Letter" and "Ogata Megumi no Tsuki no Yoru ni Ai ma Show."

4.2. Television and Stage Performances

Ogata has made various appearances in live-action television and stage productions. For instance, she provided the voice of the AI in the 2022 live-action drama Teen Regime and the voice of Futon in the 2024 live-action film Saint Young Men: The Movie. In tokusatsu, she voiced Mateibea in Gridman the Hyper Agent (1993) and Dream Stone in Mashin Sentai Kiramager the Movie: Be-Bop Dream (2021). She also voiced AI characters for the official mascot "Polymaru" in the 2020 TBS drama MIU404. In 2024, she made her first credited live-action drama appearance as Kotoko Hiramatsu in the second episode of 9 Border.

Her stage performances include:

• Theater Troupe Kishinogumi** Mori no Ishimatsu Gaiden ~Youtou Kitan Soushi to Ishimatsu~ (2004), as Okita Sōji.
• ARMs** unit productions: Ten no Hoshi wa Mukashi no Hikari (2009), Aisubeki Musume-tachi (2010), Fushigi na Shonen (2011, 2023, 2024), Fireball Blues ~Hisako Chikada no Yuutsu~ (2014), Pieta (2015).
• Reading plays:** Love Letters (2014, 2024), Kagarizaka Kaikitan Sumu (2018, 2020), VOICARION: Joou ga Ita Kyakushitsu (2020), VOICARION: Nobunaga no Inu (2020), Sekai kara Neko ga Kieta nara (2022, 2023), VOICARION: Juunininme no Hattori Hanzo (2022), "HALF MOON 2023" (2023), "Kiryu Police Saya" (2023), "Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku unripe duet" (2023), "VOICARION: Spoon no Tate" (2023, 2025).
• Other stage work:** 15 Minutes Made in Honda Gekijou (2023), Ginga Senritsu -The Stardust Melody- (2024).

Ogata has also appeared as herself in several television programs, including AbemaTVs Seiyuu to Yoasobi (2018-2019) as a Monday personality, SWITCH Interview Tatsujin-tachi on NHK E-Tele (2018), and BS1 Special: Sayonara Subete no Evangelion ~Hideaki Anno no 1214-nichi~ (2021) on NHK BS Premium. She has also been a guest on various quiz and variety shows.

4.3. Narration and Commercials

Ogata's narration work includes:

• Columbus no Yude Tamago (TBS)
• Trivia no Izumi (2006, as Shinji Ikari)
• Nihon Kaidan Hyaku Monogatari (NHK General, 2009)
• DIR EN GREY Blu-ray & DVD "Average Sorrow" (2015, commercial narration)
• NHK Special: Watashitachi no Korekara (2015, as Hash)
• The Full-Time Wife Escapist (TBS, 2016, digest narration as Shinji Ikari)
• Crazys: Sekai wo Kaeru Monogatari "Coco Chanel" (NHK General, 2018)
• Heisei Net-shi (Kari) (NHK E-Tele, 2019)
• Seiyuu x Kaidan (2019, narrator for "Akane no Kaidan" and "Kuro no Kaidan")
• Neko Jiman (BS-TBS, 2021-present, as MC cat Ace-kun/Peace)
• Koi wa Deep ni (NTV, 2021, voice of a marine creature)
• 100-pun de Sekai wo Ouen Shiyou! Let's cheer for the world! (NHKBS1, 2021)
• Hana City ~10-dai ga Nandemo Hanaseru Machi~ (NHK E-Tele, 2021, as Pelican)
• Q-sama!! (TV Asahi, 2021, 2022)
• Mokugeki Nippon: 0-en Karaage Junrei (NHK General, 2022)
• Fushigi Taiken File: Shinjite Kudasai!! (Kantele/Fuji TV, 2022, 2023)
• Koku Drive ~Kewashisugite Utsukushii Kokudou no Tabi~ (BS Fuji, 2023)

For commercials, she has voiced Kurama for Namco's YuYu Hakusho Special (1994), Ku-chan for Japan Lottery Association's Jumbo Takarakuji (1995), and Monta for the Monster Strike 11th Anniversary campaign (2024). She also provides the COCORO VOICE for Sharp's Healsio water oven (2021), Hot Cook (2022), air purifiers (2024), and washing machines (2024).

5.1. Family and Relationships

Ogata was raised in a family of six, including her parents, grandmother, and two younger brothers. Her childhood home in Akihabara, Tokyo, was a unique five-story building combined with a two-story house, connected by a passageway. The family ran a business that had been in operation for 100 years, dealing with instruments for measuring sake alcohol content, and the building housed both company and living spaces. Her musical parents had a profound influence on her, with her father being a conductor and trombonist for the Takarazuka Revue and her mother being a vocal musician.

Her father later suffered from heart problems, which prevented him from playing instruments. He then took over the family business and, with his wife, opened a coffee shop on the first floor of their building. Ogata experienced her first marriage during her time at Aoni Juku. Her father's health deteriorated, and upon learning this, her then-boyfriend proposed, leading to a hasty marriage. Her father passed away shortly after seeing her as a bride, an event Ogata considers his "only act of filial piety." Following her graduation from Aoni Juku, her schedule became increasingly demanding, reducing the time she could dedicate to her marriage. After discussing the implications of her burgeoning voice acting career, particularly after securing her first major role in YuYu Hakusho, she and her husband divorced six months later.

After her divorce, she moved into an apartment in Nezu, Bunkyo-ku, close to her parents' home. In 1998, she left her agency to become a freelancer and rented a 2DK apartment and a private office near Shiinamachi Station in Toshima-ku. However, mounting stress led her to take a hiatus in 2000. During this break, she discovered that her family had accumulated significant debt. Her father, before his death, had rebuilt their family home into an apartment building as an inheritance tax measure, with her mother and brothers as joint guarantors. They had planned to repay the loan with tenant income, but the bursting of the bubble economy caused land prices to plummet, leaving the family with hundreds of millions of yen in debt even if they sold the building. To support her family, Ogata cancelled her apartment and private office, cutting short her hiatus to resume her voice acting career. The issues with her family's debt and property were resolved a few years prior to 2022. Ogata reflected that while psychologically challenging, this period ironically led to new works and encounters, ultimately benefiting her voice acting career.

On April 1, 2004, Ogata married for the second time to a first-class architect 13 years her junior. They continue to live in the condominium they purchased together. She is also a descendant of Ogata Kōan, a prominent physician and Dutch scholar of the late Edo period, and was encouraged by her family in the past to pursue a career as a doctor, following her ancestor's footsteps.

5.2. Hobbies and Interests

Ogata has several personal hobbies and interests. She is an avid viewer of television dramas, watching over 10 series per season (three months). In 2013, she announced on her blog that she had obtained a large motorcycle license, inspired by her role in the OVA One Off. Following this, she took a motorcycle trip to Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture, and shared her experiences on her blog.

5.3. Personal Challenges and Resilience

Ogata has faced significant personal challenges, including substantial family debt and periods of career hiatus due to mental and financial strain. Her decision to return to voice acting from hiatus was directly motivated by the need to support her family and address their considerable financial burdens. Despite these difficulties, she has consistently shown resilience. She reflected that while the emotional toll was immense, these challenges inadvertently led to new opportunities and connections in her voice acting career. She maintains that her desire to be an actor has always been far stronger than any hardships, allowing her to overcome countless obstacles naturally.

7.1. Positive Reception

Megumi Ogata is widely celebrated for her exceptional versatility and pioneering spirit in the voice acting industry. Her distinctive husky voice has allowed her to master roles traditionally reserved for male actors, particularly young men and boys. This unique vocal quality and her ability to portray complex male characters led fans to affectionately nickname her "Aniki" (Big Brother), acknowledging her impactful and often leading presence in male roles. She is recognized for breaking ground as one of the first female voice actors to consistently portray male characters older than high school age.

Her dedication to her craft and her ability to immerse herself deeply into characters are highly praised. This commitment has not only earned her critical acclaim but also a devoted fanbase who appreciate her authentic and powerful performances across a wide array of genres.

7.2. Criticism and Controversies

In 2016, Megumi Ogata became the subject of public criticism following a retweet on her Twitter account that appeared to be critical of the comfort women statue. The retweet was a signature campaign for the removal of comfort women statues, stating, "The number of signatures for the comfort women statue removal has surpassed half of the 100,000 required for official acceptance of the petition! (emoticon smile) Thank you to everyone who cooperated! Thank you to those who just read and thought about it! And to those who will continue to fight, please do!"

This action drew significant backlash from some corners of the public, particularly in South Korea, where it was perceived as a provocative statement undermining human rights and historical truth regarding the comfort women issue. Critics interpreted her retweet as aligning with a conservative, nationalistic stance and perceived it as one of several "provocative posts on the internet" directed towards South Korea. This incident prompted debate and discussion among her fanbase and the broader public regarding the social responsibility of public figures and their engagement with sensitive political issues.

8.1. Establishment of Breathe Arts

On February 1, 2019, Ogata established her own voice acting agency, **Breathe Arts**, becoming its representative. Concurrently, she founded "Team BareboAt," a completely free private academy for aspiring voice actors. Her stated goal for creating Breathe Arts was to build a supportive environment "for everyone," reflecting a commitment to nurturing new talent and improving working conditions within the industry. This initiative demonstrates her dedication to the long-term health and accessibility of the voice acting profession.

8.2. Industry Contributions and Commemorations

Ogata has actively contributed to the broader industry landscape through various events and initiatives. In December 2021, she organized a crowdfunding campaign for the "Precious Anime & Game Songs Festival," which took place in March 2022. The event aimed to celebrate anime and game music, highlighting her continued engagement with her community. On December 31, 2021, she participated in the "Colorful Special Project ~Songs that Give Courage for Tomorrow~" during the 72nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Festival). As Shinji Ikari, she delivered special lines tailored for the broadcast, including mentioning White Team host Yo Oizumi and the iconic phrase "You mustn't run away," creating a unique cross-media experience for viewers. In 2022, she celebrated her 30th anniversary since her voice acting debut, a testament to her enduring presence and influence in the industry.

9.1. Voice Acting Roles

9.2. Radio and Other Broadcasts

9.3. Complete Discography