Aya Hirano 平野綾

Aya Hirano (平野綾 Hirano Aya, born October 8, 1987) from Aichi Prefecture, Japan, is a seiyū and J-pop singer who has had roles in several anime, visual novels, and TV commercials in Japan. She is contracted to Space Craft Produce, a branch of Space Craft Group for her seiyū career. For her singing career, she is signed under Lantis. Her blood type is O.

Career
Aya spent a few of her very early years of life in America before returning to Japan. In 1998, she joined the Tokyo Child Theatrical Group division of the Space Craft Group company. Eventually, she began to appear in commercials and got her first role as a seiyū in Tenshi no Shippo. From 2002-2003 she was a member of the short-lived girl band "Springs."

After graduating high school, she began seriously pursuing her seiyū and solo singing career. Her big break came in 2006, when she was cast as the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya, the title character of the anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. The show's public success has greatly enhanced her popularity and career in Japan. Her CD single Bōken Desho Desho? containing the opening song of the show sold out in Japan the very day it was released. This success was followed by her voicing two lead characters in anime based on popular manga (Reira in Nana and Misa in Death Note). Her popularity was confirmed at the first Seiyū Awards, where she won "Best Newcomer (female)", for her role as Haruhi Suzumiya; the same role also won her a nomination as "Best Main Character (female)". At the same awards, she was also nominated for "Best Supporting Character (female)", and earned two nominations for "Best Single" (One of which is a solo, Bōken Desho Desho?; the other was a group nomination for the single Hare Hare Yukai). In 2008, she won the "Best Main Character (female)" award at the second Seiyu Awards.

She performed at the "Animelo Summer Live" concerts for both 2006 and 2007, as well as the Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekisou concert during March 18, 2007.

Aya Hirano was a guest at Anime Expo 2007, along with other cast members from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Minori Chihara and Yuko Goto.[4] In 2007, she continues to enjoy great success in her career, landing the role of Konata Izumi in the anime version of Lucky ☆ Star and launching three separate single albums back-to-back monthly at year's end.

Personal
Her popularity was increased significantly thanks to her breakout role as Haruhi Suzumiya in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
She began her seiyū career during her junior high school years. Many of her roles demanded someone who could portray "maturity with a young voice" in roles such as Lumière in Kiddy Grade and later, as Yoko Sasakura in School Rumble (2nd Season) since there were many teacher roles to be filled.
She was able to utilize a very mature and adult-sounding voice by the age of 10. However, as her appearance and the aforementioned mature voice did not match, opportunities for roles were often given to others instead.
She attended the same junior high school as fellow seiyū Erika.
Her profile has sometimes been mistaken with fellow seiyū Mei Shimizu's, as they have both debuted with roles in Tenshi no Shippo.
Her personal hobbies include learning to play the guitar and reading novels. Her favorite novel is Gamou-tei Jiken, by Miyuki Miyabe.
Her favorite quote is "It is the presence of a creative self" (存在するということは、自分を創造することだ Sonzaisuru to iu koto wa, jibun o sōzōsuru koto da?).
Some of her talents include playing the piano and precognition. She was said to have had accurate dreams, and that her mother seemed to have been able to do the same before. Her piano skills were developed under the Suzuki method, and she played the organ during high school. She is also skilled at calligraphy.
Her parents did not allow her to handle a kitchen knife for cooking from elementary school through high school.
The cat-men motif sometimes seen throughout The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was originally drawn by Aya on the backside of scripts. Staff members discovered the sketches and incorporated them into the anime. Various variations of the cat-men illustrations could be seen throughout Haruhi Suzumiya merchandise (namely CDs and DVDs).
She is interested in Egyptian-related things.
In 2007, she won "Best Voice Actor" at the Tokyo International Anime Fair.[6]
According to her website, her favourite movies are Disney's Sleeping Beauty, as well as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands.
She owns a pet dog named Chibi-chan (ちびちゃん?)

Anime
Aya in episode 15 of Lucky Star.
2001
Tenshi no Shippo (Saru no Momo)
2002
Kiddy Grade (Lumière)
2003
Tenshi no Shippo Chu! (Saru no Momo)
Bakuten Shoot Beyblade G Revolution (MingMing)
2004
Battle B-Daman (Charat)
2005
Eyeshield 21 (Mamori Anezaki)
Battle B-Daman: Fire Spirits (Pheles)
Canvas 2 ~Niji Iro no Sketch~ (Sumire Misaki)
2006
Galaxy Angel-Rune (Kahlua/Tequila Marjoram)
School Rumble (2nd Season) (Yoko Sasakura)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Haruhi Suzumiya)
Doraemon: Zeusdesu Naida (Tarance Claw)
Sumomomo Momomo (Sanae Nakajima)
NANA (Reira Serizawa)
Death Note (Misa Amane)
Himawari! (Shikimi)
Busō Renkin (Mahiro Muto)
Renkin 3-kyū Magical ? Pokān (Pachira)
2007
Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! (Mei Etoh)
Soreike! Anpanman (Tanpopochiyan, Kokinchiyan)
Lucky ☆ Star (Konata Izumi, herself in episode 15, Haruhi Suzumiya in episode 20)
Hello Kitty: Apple Forest and the Parallel Town (Emily)
Dragonaut -The Resonance- (Makreen Garnet)
Himawari!! (Shikimi)
2008
Mokke (Reiko Nagasawa)
Moegaku 5 (Megamisama)
Macross Frontier (Mina Roshan)
Niju Menso no Musume (Chizuko Mikamo)
Zettai Karen Children (Kaoru Akashi)

OVA
Itsudatte My Santa! (Mai)
Lupin the Third: GREEN vs. RED (Yukiko)

Games
Tenshi no Shippo (Saru no Momo)
Eternal Sonata (Polka)
Eyeshield 21 MAX DEVILPOWER! (Mamori Anezaki)
Eyeshield 21 Playing American Football! Ya! Ha! (Mamori Anezaki)
Eyeshield 21 Portable Edition (Mamori Anezaki)
Sumomomo Momomo: The Strongest Bride on Earth (Sanae Nakajima)
Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume (Polka)
Nana: Subete wa Daimaou no Omichibiki!? (Reira Serizawa)
Himekishi Monogatari -Princess Blue- (Yuna＝Ekuberuto Ōjo)
Finalist (Honoka Serizawa)
Luminous Arc (Lucia)
Galaxy Angel II (Kahlua/Tequila Marjoram)
Haruhi Suzumiya Series as Haruhi Suzumiya:
The Promise of Haruhi Suzumiya (PSP)
The Perplexity of Haruhi Suzumiya (PS2)
The Agitation of Haruhi Suzumiya (Wii)
Lucky ☆ Star no Mori (Konata Izumi)
Lucky ☆ Star ～Ryōō Gakuen Ōtōsai～ (Konata Izumi)
Memories Off 6: T-wave (Chisa Hakosaki)

Dubbing roles
Renaissance (Ilona Tasuiev) (DVD version)

Television
Mario School (TV Tokyo | October 2000 - March 2001)
Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ - Rank-In Corner (Fuji Television | July 3, 2006)
Radical (Commentary)
Tenshi no Voice (SKY PerfecTV! ch.371 | 9th Broadcast)
AniPara Music-place (Guest)
AniGiga（NHK BS2）(2nd time guest)
Kaitai-Shin Show (NHK総合 | April 2007)
Super Advancement Broadcast BONZO! (Tokyo MX | August 24, 2007)
Brave MAP Special: We will show you the faces behind the people who do popular Anime characters' voices!! Best 50
Moegaku (Host)

Drama
Multiple Personality Detective Psycho - Kazuhiko Amamiya Returns (Lolita ℃)

DVD
Suzumiya Haruhi no Gekisō (2007)
Love Letter (ラブレター Rabu Retā?) (November 21, 2007)
Love Story (ラブストーリー?) (April 25, 2008)

Movies
Honjitsu no Neko-jijo

Radio
Tenshi no Shippo: Home Party (Ended)
SOS Dan Radio Shibu (Ended)
Galaxy Angel Radio (Ended)
Sumomo Radio (Ended)
Radio Anime Romakkisu (October 6th, 2007)

Drama CD
Kiddy Grade Sound Layer (Lumière)
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Sound Around (Haruhi Suzumiya)

Books
Lolita no Ondo ISBN 4-04-853272-3
Hirano Aya Photo Collection H 〜STAIRWAY to 20〜, published 2007. ISBN 978-4-04-854096-4
Hirano Aya Hajimete Story, published 2007. ISBN 978-4-07-258101-8
1/19 Bpm, published 2007. ISBN 978-4-07-258106-3

Discography

Singles
"Breakthrough" (2006)
"Bōken Desho Desho?" (2006)
"Ashita no Prism" (2006)
"LOVE★GUN" (2007)
"Neophilia" (2007)
"MonStAR" (2007)

Albums
Riot Girl (2008)

Anime singles
"Hare Hare Yukai" (2006)
"Suzumiya Haruhi no Tsumeawase" (2006)
"Haruhi Suzumiya Character Song" (2006)
"Saikyo Pare Parade" (2006)
"Mei Etō Character Song" (2006)
"Sanae Nakajima Character Song" (2006)
"Motteke! Sailor Fuku" (2007)
"Konata Izumi Character Song" (2007)
"Mune Pettan Girls Character Song" (2007)
"Unnamed World: (2008) (Nijū Mensō no Musume ending theme)