Voice actress and singer Aya Hirano performed her first Manchester concert on the second day of the British convention Hyper Japan Manchester last year. Among her activities, she participated in both a press conference and a Q&A panel, followed by her live performance.
With a long list of anime character roles, Aya Hirano is best known for giving voice to Haruhi Suzumiya in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006), Misa Amane in Death Note (2006), Konata Izumi in Lucky☆Star (2007), and Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy Tail (2009). Furthermore, she was selected as one of the six Vegapunk’s satellites (Vegapunk Lilith) for One Piece.
Linked to her voice acting career, Aya Hirano also performed popular anime theme songs, which fans sang along to during her concert at Hyper Japan. Among the fan favorites are her tracks for the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise, such as “Super Driver,“ “Bouken Desho Desho?,“ and “God knows…“ (performed twice during the convention!).
Moreover, Aya Hirano’s career extends beyond voice acting and singing. Drawing on her roots back to her time as a child actress, she continues to perform on the theatrical stage. One of her recent roles was Makima for the Chainsaw Man stage play (2023).
You can learn more about her in the press conference below.
Portions of this press conference have been lightly edited for clarity. This press conference was conducted with the assistance of an interpreter.
Q: This is your first time performing in Manchester. What’s your impression?
A: I arrived in Manchester last evening. This morning I already had the technical rehearsals, and I came to the venue. But before that, until lunch, I had some time to walk around, so I visited the museum. The city feels very comfortable.
Q: These years, you also had the chance to meet fans from China, Malaysia, Korea, and Russia. What’s your impression?
A: This year, I performed in many different countries. I was able to feel the power of Japanese anime, and I received a lot of energy from the fans who supported me.
Just before this press conference, I was at the Meet & Greet signing autographs, and one fan told me, ‘You seem to have a very busy schedule; please make sure you sleep enough.’ I thought it was very kind.
Q: You have performed in a lot of British films and plays. Do you have any favorites?
A: You might not believe this, but in Japan, I have played Elizabeth I. I feel like I have a special relationship with the British stories and culture. This year [2025], I’ve done a stage version of a British novel titled Chocolate Underground in Japan. Coincidentally, I’m also attending a performance of Miss Saigon tonight, produced by the Cameron Macintosh company.
Q: What inspired you to get into voice acting?
A: My original plan was to work in theatre. I thought that it would be nice to do voice acting as a one-time thing. I never dreamt that this career path would continue for so long. I want to thank all the staff members who recommended that I should pursue it.
When I was young, I wasn’t as outgoing as I am now. I was a very quiet kid who couldn’t communicate well with others. Voice acting was also a way to become someone else entirely. In anime, you aren’t limited by gender, world, or even species. You can be an alien or an animal. I was fascinated by that—I felt there was no other job with such infinite potential.
Q: One of your first roles is Konata Izumi for the anime Lucky Star. There’s a super memorable episode where she cosplays as Haruhi Suzumiya, and you have to flip between Konata’s and Haruhi’s voice. Was that hard to do for you?
A: That took only one take! In my mind, Haruhi and Konata’s voices are completely different, so I had to toggle a “switch” in my brain. I did some work for the anime Dragon Ball as well and saw firsthand the performance of Masako Nozawa. When she recorded, she did all the Goku, Gohan, and Goten voices in one go. I always thought it would be super cool to accomplish that.
Q: The 20th anniversary of the anime Haruhi Suzumiya will be celebrated in 2026. What do you think of Haruhi as a character?
A: Yesterday [in November 2025], the revival of Haruhi was just announced in Japan, which was popular on social media. It’s a great opportunity to be here in Manchester and see the fans happy with the news. When I first got the role of Haruhi, I was 18. I’ve been playing her for more than half of my life.
When I first performed Haruhi, I never dreamt of this job or that my relationship with the story would continue this much. After all these years, I can see passion and support from all over the world. It’s such a great position to be in.
Q: What was your first impression of Misa Amane from the anime Death Note when you read about her for the first time?
A: When I was told that there was going to be an anime audition for Misa, I was already a fan of the original manga, so I was excited to audition for it. But the character I was called to audition for wasn’t Misa. I asked if I could try for Misa, to show them my passion for the character.
I always liked the different elements of the character, including the costumes she wears. When I was reading the manga, I already voiced her. The directors said the way I read the character was exactly the way they imagined her.
Q: What do you think is the appeal of Japanese pop culture?
A: I think it’s very memorable and easy to access. When I’m working as a voice actress or singer, I’m very aware of that part. On the other hand, I think Japanese pop culture is the opposite of traditional Japanese culture. Nonetheless, this contrast is the appeal of Japanese culture.
Q: You performed many anime characters from popular franchises such as Death Note, Fairy Tail, and Parasyte. What’s your process for creating a new voice?
A: I get inspiration from the original work and the characters’ illustrations. I value this first impression. It depends on the voice actor, but I read all the primary sources in one go. Then I think about my acting.
Q: You are known for your multifaceted career, which goes beyond voice acting. This includes theater, and you even performed Makima for the Chainsaw Man stage play. Was it difficult to be in her shoes?
A: First, I need to tell you about the “2.5-dimension”. That’s a modern genre in Japan. Initially, I was hesitant about accepting “2.5-dimensional” theater work. I was worried about performing characters already voiced by other actors for the anime adaptation. It wasn’t an easy decision. But I’m in love with the original Chainsaw Man story, and I already knew how great Makima as a character is. That’s why I decided to take the opportunity.
Normally, when you play in a theater production, you must have a completely different approach in terms of how you use your voice, different from voice acting. However, because the story was already performed by other cast, I tried to incorporate some of the good elements from the original voice actress [Tomori Kusunoki], as well as put some of my own voice.
Q: I listened to your recent song “evolutions”, which you released this year [2025]. What is it to release music again? What are your musical goals? What is your creation process?
A: Thank you very much for listening to “evolutions”! I’ve been doing live tours in Japan and Asia since last year [2024]. I’d like to do a tour again next year [2026]. Maybe a new album.
As you know, I always write the lyrics for my songs, since I want to use my own words. I rely on what comes out from inside of me. A lot of fans say that my songs make them happy and energetic. It’s nice to see that those emotions are conveyed from my work across the world.
Q: How have your experiences in the industry developed you as a person and as an artist?
A: There are a lot of anniversaries for me. Next year [2026], it’s going to be my 20th year as a singer; then it’s going to be my 25th year as a voice actress. Next year also marks the 30th anniversary of my career as an entertainer. I’d like to talk about what I’ve been thinking about for these 30 years of my career.
When I started as a voice actress, I was only 14. Back then, there were no teenage child voice actors whatsoever around me. I started my voice acting as part of my child’s acting career. At that time, everyone thought it was very rare that I was doing that while acting for TV and commercials.
I didn’t have social media during that period, but when I performed Haruhi, Twitter had just started. Many people were saying a lot of things about my career path, both positive and negative.
But precisely because there wasn’t any precedent for my career path, I decided I’d follow Haruhi’s lead and set the precedent myself.
We want to extend our thanks to Hyper Japan Manchester’s organization to be part of Aya Hirano’s first concert and press conference in Manchester.
If you want to have the opportunity to enjoy your favorite Japanese’s artists, don’t miss the upcoming Hyper Japan edition in London on Friday 24th, Saturday 25th, Sunday 26th July at Olympia London. Tickets are already available, and you can choose your preferred date.
In the meantime, you can read our interview with singer Yukka at Hyper Japan Manchester 2025!
Photos courtesy of Hyper Japan Festival organization.
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