Maaya Sakamoto

Maaya Sakamoto (坂本 真綾, Sakamoto Maaya^?</sup , Itabashi, Tokyo, March 31, 1980) is a Japanese actress, seiyū and singer. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime Little Twins, and became known as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in the anime The Vision of Escaflowne. Other well-known roles include Leila Malcal in Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, Ciel Phantomhive in Kuroshitsuji, Shinobu Oshino in the Monogatari series, Shiki Ryōgi in Kara no Kyōkai, Haruhi Fujioka in Ouran High School Host Club, Merlin in Nanatsu no Taizai, Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell: Arise, etc. Her recording career began in 1997. She is one of the most popular seiyūs in Japan, with vast experience as an anime voice actress. In 2011 she married her partner Kenichi Suzumura.

Biography

In the first years of his life, Sakamoto already ventured into the artistic environment, acting within a theater company. In 1988, at the age of eight, she debuted as a seiyū in the dubs of the North American series Our House, which in Japan was broadcast on the national network NHK. His first work in an animated series was later with The Land Before Time , a series of small animated dinosaurs based on the 1988 film of the same title, directed by Don Bluth and produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.

Sakamoto began lending her voice to various television shows and commercials, but never made an appearance as herself anywhere; She remained quite distant from the entertainment world. During this time in Maaya's early career as a dubbing artist, she dedicated herself mainly to non-Japanese series, especially in English, among which her dubbing stands out within the series My Girl, where she dubbed for the first time a leading role.

In 1996, having already reached his first 100 works as a series double artist, at the age of fifteen Sakamoto met Yōko Kanno, and under her support and musical production he debuted as a singer. Playing the leading role in the series The Vision of Escaflowne, whose music was in charge of Kanno, she was granted the opportunity for her debut single & # 34; Yakusoku wa Iranai & # 34; was the opening of said animated series. Yoko Kanno and the musicians close to her would completely advise the young woman's career, writing her lyrics - Yuho Iwasato for songs in Japanese and Tim Jensen for songs in English -, composing and producing each of her releases as a singer..

In 1999 their second studio album, DIVE, was chosen as the Best Pop Album of that year by the Japanese magazine Music Magazine. This same year he released his first hits compilation, Single Collection + Hatchpotch, where several of the songs were part of various anime series such as Escaflowne, Clamp Gakuen Tanteidan, Record of Lodoss War and Card Captor Sakura.

Since Escaflowne's success, the doors in this field were completely opened, and he made a sought-after name in the world of dubbing, mainly in anime. But contrary to what one might believe, Maaya continued with his studies, and upon leaving high school he entered university to major in Sociology, which he finished in 2002, obtaining a degree in that study.

After several sporadic releases in her career as a singer, in 2002 with the second compilation of singles, Single Collection + Nikopachi, she managed to enter the Top 3 of the Oricon charts for the first time. his country, which stabilizes his musical career. From here she begins to take this aspect of her career much more seriously, and she begins to participate in the adapted French musical Les Misérables, in the role of Éponine.

In 2004 their album Shounen Alice, without singles and only counting as mass promotion the song "Uchuu Hikoushi no Uta" As the theme song of the NHK show Minna no Uta, it managed to debut at No. 8 on the Japanese best-seller charts the first week of its release. This album is also the last one that featured the production of Yoko Kanno and her close friends, since from here their paths separate and Maaya begins to take a more leading role in her music. From here all of her works will be songs written by her, and she will participate as producer of her albums.

In 2007 the mangaka group Clamp, for whom Maaya has provided music for several of their animated series such as Card Captor Sakura, Clamp Gakuen Tanteidan and more recently Tsubasa Chronicle, chose the artist to perform the main opening (called action) from his special of all his works Clamp in Wonderland 2.

In 2008, Yōko Kanno contacted her to be the opening singer and a version of Aimo playing the mother of Ranka Lee from Macross Frontier.

In 2009 he released his new studio album Kazeyomi and later toured Japan WE ARE KAZEYOMI!!. On May 20, the DVD Maaya Sakamoto Live Tour 2009 “WE ARE KAZEYOMI!!” in which the artist performs several of her famous songs such as Platina, Saigo no Kajitsu, Mameshiba, among other new songs from her latest CD, it is worth mentioning that in this same year she releases her single Magic Number whose main theme is used as the opening of the anime series Kobato by the mangakas Clamp.

In 2010 he released an album called everywhere which is a compilation of his artistic career over 15 years, the limited edition of this includes a DVD with PV of the songs Magic Number and everywhere. The release of the album was on his birthday and during his concert. Later she releases a single called DOWN TOWN / Yasashisa ni Tustsumareta Nara that contains a DVD with the PV of DOWN TOWN in the limited edition, like everywhere. This is her first single in which she sings covers of SUGAR BABE, Yumi Arai and The Folk Crussaders. That single was used for the opening themes of the anime Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru and the Tamayura OVA. At the end of the year, Maaya Sakamoto 15th Anniversary Live "Gift" was released (in DVD and Blu-ray format, both in regular and limited edition), which is the recording of his 15-year-old concert at the Nippon Budokan.

In 2011, on January 12, she released her seventh studio album titled You Can't Catch Me, being her compositions entirely, and reaching #1 in the Oricon ranking. The limited edition album contains a special CD with live recordings from her 2010 anniversary concert.

On August 8, she married her co-worker Ken'ichi Suzumura.

In October he released two singles, one week after the other, on the 19th Buddy was released, which was used as the opening of the anime series Last Exile and had the collaboration of the band School Food Punishment, and on the 26th Okaerinasai was released, which was used as the opening of the anime Tamayura ~hitotose~ and was a joint work with Yumi Arai in which Sakamoto sang a song of hers and included it as a cover on the B side of the single called "A HAPPY NEW YEAR". The limited editions of both singles contain a CD with recordings of her concert LIVE TOUR 2011 & # 34; You can't catch me .

In November, their third mini-album Driving in the silence was released, which would be composed of a winter theme. The limited edition of this comes with a DVD with PV for Driving in the silence and Sayonara Santa. At the end of the year she performs a 5-day concert where she sings all three of her mini-albums from start to finish called LIVE 2011 & # 34; in the silence & # 34; which is later released on DVD and Blu-ray in regular and limited editions.

Filmography

Anime

1993

• Little Twins - Chifuru

1996

• The vision of Escaflowne - Hitomi Kanzaki
• Mizuiro Jidai - Natsumi Kugayama

1998

• The Hazard - Kauru Taurus
• Cowboy Bebop - Stella
• Nightwalker - Riho Yamazaki
• Record of Lodoss War - Reef

1999

• Omishi Magical Theater: Risky Safety - Mae Katsuragi
• Medabots - Karin Junmai
• Clover - Suu

2001

• Gakkō no Kaidan - Miyuki Watanabe
• Kokoro Library - Syune
• Geneshaft - Beatrice Ratio
• Detective Conan - Yuki Takeno

2002

• King of Bandit Jing - Mimose
• Kanon - Mishio Amano
• Megami Tensei - Athena
• .hack//SIGN - Aura
• Daigunder - Betty
• Barom One - Noriko Kido
• Petite Princess Yucie - Aries
• RahXephon - Reika Mishima / Haruka

2003

• Wolf's Rain - Hamona
• Saint Seiya - Pandora
• .hack//Legend of the Twilight - Aura / Molty
• Heat Guy J - Princess

2004

• Gundam Seed Destiny - Lunamaria Hawke / Mayu Asuka
• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Kodomo Motoko
• Fantastic Children - Mell

2005

• Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE - Tomoyo Hime
• Black Jack - Yuuko Mizuhara

2006

• Ouran High School Host Club - Haruhi Fujioka
• Kanon (remake) - Mishio Amano
• Sore Ike!
• Binbō Shimai Monogatari - Kyo Yamada
• Mushishi - Amane (ep 21)
• Naruto - Matsuri

2007

• D.Gray-man - Roufa
• Death Note - Kiyomi Takada

2008

• Hellsing Ultimate - Rip van Winkle
• Soul Eater - Chrona
• Kuroshitsuji - Ciel Phantomhive
• Macross Frontier - Ranshe Mei

2009

• Canaan - Alphard

2010

• Kuroshitsuji II - Ciel Phantomhive
• Arakawa Under the Bridge - nino
• Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge - nino

2011

• Appleseed XIII - Deunan Knute
• Usagi Drop - Masako Yoshī

2012

• Nisemonogatari - Shinobu Oshino
• Psycho-Pass - ⋅ryō Rikako
• Nekomonogatari: Kuro - Shinobu Oshino

2013

• Monogatari series Second Season - Shinobu Oshino
• Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Motoko Kusanagi
• Magi: The Kingdom Of Magic - Scherherazade

2014

• Captain Earth - Moco
• Kuroshitsuji III - Ciel Phantomhive

2015

• Arslan Senki (TV) - Falangies
• Go! Princess PreCure - Asuka Kitakaze
• Tokyo Ghoul √A - Eto
• Nanatsu no Taizai - Merlin
• God Eater - Alisa Ilinichina

2016

• Arslan Senki (TV): Fūjin Ranbu - Falangies
• Fune wo Amu - Kaguya Hayashi
• Joker Game - Miyoko Yasuhara (ep 12)
• Kizumonogatari - Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade

2017

• Owarimonogatari 2o season - Shinobu Oshino
• Re:CREATORS - Magane Chikujōin
• Made in Abyss- Lyza
• Fate/Apocrypha - Ruler/John of Arc
• Kekkai Sensen & Beyond - Luciana Estevez
• Kuroshitsuji book of the Atlantic - Ciel Phantomhive

2018

• Sword Art Online: Alicization - Quinella (Administrator)

2019

• Bem - Mysterious Lady
• Hoshiai no Sora - Kinuyo Kasuga
• Fire Force - Shō Kusakabe
• Fruits Basket - Akito Sōma
• Kimetsu no Yaiba - Tamayo

2020

• Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga - Marie "Lily" Antoinette
• Fugō Keiji Balance: Unlimited - Suzue Kambe
• Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu - Echidna
• Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon - Zero/Otsuyu

2021

• Ranking of Kings - Miranjo
• Fena: Pirate Princess - Helena
• Fruits Basket: The Final - Akito Sōma

2023

• Hikari no ⋅ - Akira
• Dr. Stone: New World - François

OVA

2015

• Kamisama Hajimemashita: Kako-hen - Kuromaro.

ONAs

2016

• Koyomimonogatari - Shinobu Oshino

Movies

2000

• Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Seal Card - Empty/Wait Card (Card Nothing/Hope)
• Tenkū no Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaea - Hitomi Kanzaki

2005

• Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - Aerith (Aeris) Gainsborough

2007

• Kara no Kyōkai - Shiki Ryougi

2009

• Gospeln: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance - Mari Illustrious Makinami

2010

• Trigun: Badlands Rumble - Amelia

2011

• Fullmetal Alchemist: the sacred star of Milos - Julia Crichton.
• Tekken: Blood Vengeance - Ling Xiaoyu

2012

• Gospeln: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo - Mari Illustrious Makinami

2016

• Kizumonogatari 1: Tekketsu-hen - Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade

2021

• Words that bubble like a soda - Maria.
• Gospeln 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time - Mari Illustrious Makinami

2022

• The First Slam Dunk - Haruko Akagi

Video games

• Black Rock Shooter The Game (2011), Black Rock Shooter
• Black Rock Shooter The Game (2011), White Rock Shooter
• .hack: Aura, Natsume
• Bujingai: Youka
• Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball: Lisa
• Dissydia 012 Final Fantasy: Lightning, Aeris Gainsborough
• Fate/Grand Order (2015), Leonardo Da Vinci, Shiki Ryougi, Jeanne D'Arc (with their respective variants)
• Kanon: Mishio Amano
• Magia Record: Shinobu Oshino (Crossover)
• Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven TR1: New Wave: EVA
• Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy Lightning
• Kingdom Hearts: Aerith Gainsborough
• Napple Tale: Pochi, Arsia
• Panzer Dragoon Saga: Azel
• Person 3: Aegis
• RahXephon: Sokyu GensokyokuReika Mishima
• RED: River Maura
• Tsubasa Chronicle: Tomoyo
• Tales of Xillia: Agria
• God Eater: Alisa Ilinichina
• God Eater 2: Alisa Ilinichina
• Tales of Xillia 2: Agria
• Final Fantasy Type-0: Diva
• Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning
• Final Fantasy XIII-2: Lightning
• Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core: Aeris Gainsborough
• Sonic the Hedgehog (2006): Princess Elise
• The 3rd Birthday: Aya Brea
• Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth (2016): Kuremi Kyoko / Alphamon
• Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017): Maki Harukawa
• Valkyrie Connect: Queen Hel
• Magical Girl Saeko: The Magical Decende: Michelle Kanagawa.

Dubbing

Discography

Albums

Singles