Probably the best known female rookie voice actor of the 2000s, "Aya-chan" was born October 8, 1987. In 2006, she rocketed to fame as the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya, but fans of Kiddy Grade (2002) would have said, "I told you so." With her role as Layla in Nana, Misa in Death Note, and Konata in Lucky Star, she sealed her reputation as a voice actress with many voices. Contrary to what you might expect considering her roles — in which she often uses a deep, mature female voice — her actual speaking voice is quite high and squeaky (which is part of why she was cast as Haruhi, as she could do Haruhi very naturally). She previously lived in the US as a kid before her family moved back to Japan. Don't be surprised if some of her roles involves good English.
Winner of Best New Seiyuu at the First Annual Seiyuu Awards and both Best Female Seiyuu and Best Singer at the second annual awards. Really cute in Real Life, and short. As well as voice acting, she sings and models as well. In fact, she's performed the openings and endings of some animes she worked on, most notably "Bouken, Desho? Desho?", "Super Driver", and the extraordinarily popular "Hare Hare Yukai" as well as insert songs, notably "God Knows" and "Lost my Music". Her hobbies include guitar, piano, reading, drawing, and calligraphy. Her guilty pleasures include the music of Avril Lavigne. In November 2010, Aya revealed on her Twitter account that she has harbored a pituitary adenoma since her junior high school days. To date, she has held off on surgery to remove the tumor because the procedure would alter her nasal cavity and thus permanently modify her voice.
In April 2011, she reported that she was under orders that prohibit her from acting in new anime until further notice
, although she will still be able to play her current roles. She officially went in semi-retirement by the end of May 2011. However, it was eventually revealed that this was not entirely voluntary; Lantis had dismissed her due to scandal when it came out she had slept with three of her four bandmates. She voluntarily resigned from the agency effective August 20, 2011. Starting on August 21, she is now an official member of Grick and has officially returned from semi-retirement as a voice actress. She has also signed with UMG, thus officially moving out of semi-retirement altogether.
In June 2013 it was announced she would be in Gatchaman Crowds as the series' sexiest character: a tiny little alien panda.
She eventually made good on the sexy character comeback when she took the role of Weekend in Witch Craft Works.
It was confirmed that she would return as Lucy Heartfilia in Fairy Tail when it resumed in April 2014. With another leading role in October that same year, it seems Aya's back on her way to being the hardest working woman in seiyu-business. However, at 2016, she announced that she would be taking a break from voice acting business... to study abroad at New York. Just for a few months.
She has also done more stage work later in her carrer, including playing Eponine in Les Misérables (Spring 2015) and Rosa in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Spring 2016). Probably due to her popularity as a voice actress, she was voted as the murderer three times in the first few performances. Aya has also been involved in both live-action TV shows and movies.
On January 3, 2024, she announced her marriage to actor Masashi Taniguichi.
Notable roles by Aya Hirano.
- Alice (Arisa) in Girls und Panzer
- Alexiel/Brodia and Beatrix in Granblue Fantasy
- Ayumi Nonomura in Hyakko
- Boreas in Xenoblade Chronicles 2
- Botan in Dragalia Lost
- Bulma (Emmy Rossum) in the Japanese dub of Dragonball Evolution
- Chitose in Senran Kagura
- Cristina Vespucci in the Japanese version of Assassin's Creed II
- Dende in Dragonball Z Kai (also a blatant example of Stunt Casting)
- Dorothea Coyett in Fate/Samurai Remnant
- Femina Novum in Amuri in Star Ocean
- Flametail in Arknights
- Garnet in Jewelpet
- In addition to Garnet, she also voiced Komachi Saotome in Jewelpet Sunshine, Midori Akagi/Smart Green in Jewelpet Kira☆Deco!, Nobara Kitajima in Jewelpet Happiness, and Lady Claire/Lady Jewel in Lady Jewelpet
- Hana in Yakuza 4
- Hannah in Black Butler
- The eponymous character of Haruhi Suzumiya
- Hiyoko in The Asylum Session
- Homura in Bleach: Fade to Black - I Call Your Name
- Isabela Madrigal (Diane Guerrero) in the Japanese dub of Encanto
- Kahlua (Tequila) Marjoram in Galaxy Angel II and Galaxy Angel Rune
- Kannono Grassvalley in Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
- Kaoru Akashi and the younger version of Kyousuke Hyoubu in Psychic Squad
- Katja in Seikon No Qwaser
- Kim Na Na (Park Min-young) in the Japanese dub of The City Hunter.
- King (a shogi piece) from Nichijou.
- Konata Izumi in Lucky Star
- Lilith the Evil in One Piece
- Lucy Heartfilia, Layla Heartfilia, and Lucy Ashley in Fairy Tail
- Lumiere in Kiddy Grade (her first lead role). She reprises her role for her appearances in Kiddy GiRL-AND
- Mahiro Mutou in Buso Renkin
- Mamori in Eyeshield 21
- Mary Bromfield in Japanese dub of SHAZAM!
- Mena Roshan in Macross Frontier. She also darrin'd Tomo Sakurai as Macross 7's Mylene Flare Jenius in Uta Macross after Tomo-chan's brief retirement in 2016 note and voices Mylene again in Macross Shooting Insight.
- Migi in Parasyte
- Minato Nagase in Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka
- Misa Amane in Death Note
- Miu Kujou in Linebarrels of Iron and Super Robot Wars UX
- Momo the Monkey in Angel Tales (her first anime role)
- Monaka in Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls and Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School Side:Future
- Nanael in Queen's Blade
- Neon in Sigma Harmonics (reprised as "the Girl Who Forgot Her Name" in World of Final Fantasy)
- Nobume Imai in Gintama (Playing Against Type as an Emotionless Girl assassin)
- Ochette in Octopath Traveler II
- Okachimachi in Akiba Maid War
- Pachira in Magical Pokaan
- Polka in the Japanese dub of Eternal Sonata
- Prishe in Dissidia Final Fantasy: Duodecim
- Carla Ayatsugi in Final Fantasy Type-0
- Reira/Layla in Nana
- Sakura Element in Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne
- Sanae Nakajima in Sumomo Mo Momo Mo
- Sasha/Athena in Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
- Saya, the console-exclusive Element Doll in DoDonPachi Saidaioujou.
- Shikimi in Himawari!
- Supposedly cast as the tiny vampire Shinobu in Bakemonogatari. "Supposedly" because during the first season of the anime, Shinobu did not make a single sound. While she did get a few lines on the drama CD, Aya Hirano did not reprise her role in the anime; the role was played by Maaya Sakamoto instead.
- Ume Kurumizawa in Kimi ni Todoke
- Weekend in Witch Craft Works
- Yoko Sasakura in School Rumble (2nd season)
