Ai Kayano
Ai Kayano is a Japanese voice actress. She was represented by the Pro-Fit talent agency until 2014. She has been represented by Office Osawa since 2015. She played leading roles in several anime series, including Meiko "Menma" Honma in Anohana, Inori Yuzuriha in Guilty Crown, Alice Zuberg in Sword Art Online: Alicization, Utaha Kasumigaoka in Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, Mashiro Shiina in The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, Saori Takebe in Girls und Panzer, Shiro in No Game No Life, Darkness in KonoSuba, Juliet Persia in Boarding School Juliet, and Mamako Oosuki in Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?. She has also performed opening, ending and insert theme songs for each series.
Biography
Kayano wanted to work in a job that would involve "healing people", leading to initially take up a course at a vocational school. She worked in the beauty industry and became interested in acting, after watching Aria. While attending school, Kayano continued working in the industry and paid for her tuition.Kayano joined Pro-Fit in 2010, starring in the original video animation Princess Resurrection. She also voiced a number of background roles in the anime series A Certain Magical Index II, voicing Itsuwa. She voiced Meiko "Menma" Honma in Anohana. Kayano, Haruka Tomatsu and Saori Hayami performed the series' ending theme "Secret Base – Kimi ga Kureta Mono ", a cover of a song originally sung by the band Zone. Kayano won the Best Newcomer Award at the 6th Seiyu Awards. She voiced Inori Yuzuriha in Guilty Crown.
Kayano voiced Mayaka Ibara in Hyouka. She and Satomi Satō performed the series' ending themes "Madoromi no Yakusoku" and "Kimi ni Matsuwaru Mystery". Kayano voiced Mashiro Shiina in The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, and Saori Takebe in Girls und Panzer. She played several roles in 2013, including Ai Fuyuumi in Oreshura, and Chisaki Hiradaira in Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea.
In 2014, Kayano played Shiro in No Game No Life. She performed the series' ending theme "Oración". Later that year, she left Pro-Fit and became a freelancer. Kayano joined Office Osawa in 2015. That same year, she played Megumi Sakura in School-Live!, and Utaha Kasumigaoka in Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend. In 2016, she played the roles of Darkness in KonoSuba, Chizuru Hishiro in ReLIFE, and Rin Tōyama in New Game!. In 2017, she played Kirie Sakurame in UQ Holder!. She also played Shuvi in No Game No Life: Zero. In 2018, she played Juliet Persia in Boarding School Juliet.
In 2016, Kayano hosted a show titled "Kayanomi ~Kayano Ai ga Nihonshu wo Nominagara, Taberu dake~~" at Animate Times' YouTube channel. The show focuses on her looking through into various types of sake. The title of show is also a combination of her surname Kayano and the Japanese word for "drink", which is "nomi".
Controversy
In 2021, controversy arose on Chinese social media as a result of Kayano's post regarding her February 11 trip to the Yasukuni Shrine, a Shinto shrine often a subject of controversy which enshrines Japanese men, women, children, and soldiers who died in numerous wars involving Japan spanning between the Meiji and Showa eras, including 1,068 convicted war criminals that were sentenced to death by the International Military Tribunal; of which 14 of them, including former Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, are labeled as A-Class criminals. In response, her voice lines were removed in the Chinese version of Azur Lane and Girls' Frontline. Similar action was also taken in other games such as the removal of Kayano's voice lines in Guns Girl Z, Punishing: Gray Raven, and the Chinese version of Arknights, where her voice was replaced with that of Miku Itō and Mizuki Kitajima for all servers in 2021 in the latter two games.Filmography
Anime
Film
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source |
| 01.09.2008 | Momo Taisen Papers | Actor 紗優 | PC | |
| 22.07.2010 | Class of Heroes 2G | A parane パーネ | PS3 | |
| 22.07.2010 | Class of Heroes 3 | Katja, Jakotsu, Elf カーチャ/ジャコツ/エルフ（女） | PSP | |
| 27.01.2011 | A Certain Magical Index | Itsuwa | PSP | |
| 27.01.2011 | Senran Kagura: Skirting Shadows | Yomi | DS | |
| 27.01.2011 | Dead end Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dead End | Teizuka Isho 手塚酉穂 | PSP | |
| 27.01.2011 | Yufu company Brave Company | Melodya メロディア | DS | |
| 27.01.2011 | Lord of Apocalypse | Yuno ユーノ | Other | |
| 15.03.2012 | Legasista | Melize | PS3 | |
| 15.03.2012 | Guilty Crown: Lost Christmas | Mana Ouma | PC | |
| 15.03.2012 | The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails | Noi | PSP | |
| 15.03.2012 | Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair | Mikan Tsumiki | PSP | |
| 15.03.2012 | Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne -Kamogawa Dream Match- | Muginami ムギナミ | PS3 | |
| 15.03.2012 | Senran Kagura Burst | Yomi | DS | |
| 15.03.2012 | Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day | Meiko "Menma" Honma | PSP | |
| 15.03.2012 | Tokyo Babel | Eve | PC | |
| 15.03.2012 | Girl Friend Beta | Haruko Yumesaki | ||
| 15.03.2012 | Ima Sugu Oniichan ni Imōto da tte Iitai! | Mao Shigemori | PC, also in 2014 | |
| 24.01.2013 | The Pet Girl of Sakurasou | Mashiro Shiina | PS Vita, PSP | |
| 24.01.2013 | Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus | Yomi | ||
| 24.01.2013 | Dungeon Travelers 2 | Alicia Heart | PSP, PS Vita | |
| 24.01.2013 | Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl | Rosa | DS | |
| 24.01.2013 | Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn | Y'shtola | PC, Mac, PS4 | |
| 24.01.2013 | Starry Sky: After Winter Portable | Takanashi Ai 高梨あい | PSP | |
| 20.03.2014 | Senran Kagura Bon Appétit! | Yomi | ||
| 20.03.2014 | Golden Time: Vivid Memories | Nana Hayashida | ||
| 20.03.2014 | Girls und Panzer: Senshadō, Kiwamemasu! | Saori Takebe | ||
| 20.03.2014 | Hamatora: Look at Smoking World | Sally | DS | |
| 20.03.2014 | Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson | Yomi | DS | |
| 20.03.2014 | Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven | Charlotte | DS | |
| 20.03.2014 | Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax | Mashiro Shiina | PS3 | |
| 20.03.2014 | Shining Resonance | Rinna Mayfield | PS3 | |
| 22.01.2015 | Tales of Zestiria | Alisha Diphda | PS3 | |
| 22.01.2015 | Captain Earth: Mind Labyrinth | Hana Mutou | ||
| 22.01.2015 | Senran Kagura: Estival Versus | Yomi | also Sakura edition in 2016 | |
| 22.01.2015 | Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: -blessing flowers- | Utaha Kasumigaoka | ||
| 22.01.2015 | Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward | Y'shtola | PC, Mac, PS4 | |
| 22.01.2015 | Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei | Rona Itelime ロナ・イテリメ | DS | |
| 22.01.2015 | Tokyo Xanadu | Shiori Kurashiki | also eX+ in 2016 | |
| 22.01.2015 | 7th Dragon III Code: VFD | Chika, Character voice | 3DS | |
| 22.01.2015 | Kantai Collection | Kashima, Asashimo, U-511/Ro-500, Katori, Katsuragi, Arashi | ||
| 22.01.2015 | Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma | Ryōko Sakaki | DS | |
| 22.01.2015 | Exist Archive | Mayura Tsukishiro | ||
| 22.01.2015 | Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax Ignition | Shiina Mashiro 椎名ましろ | PS3, other | |
| Girls' Frontline | Kar98k, NTW-20, StG44 | iOS, Android | ||
| Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Moon Dwellers | Melua Mela Meia | PS3 | ||
| Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization | Alice Zuberg | PS4, other | ||
| Soulworker Online | Haru Estia | |||
| 26.01.2017 | New Game: The Challenge Stage | Rin Toyama | ||
| 26.01.2017 | Azur Lane | Kaga, Graf Zeppelin, Atago, Renown, Zeppy, Little Renown | Android, IOS - Removed from CN client | |
| 26.01.2017 | Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood | Y'shtola | PC, Mac, PS4 | |
| 26.01.2017 | Fire Emblem Heroes | Gunnthrá | Android, IOS | |
| 26.01.2017 | Blue Reflection | Rika Yoshimura | PlayStation | |
| 26.01.2017 | Kirara Fantasia | Leine | iOS, Android | |
| 08.02.2018 | Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet | Alice Zuberg | PS4, Nintendo Switch | |
| 08.02.2018 | Another Eden | Feinne | iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch | |
| 08.02.2018 | Octopath Traveler | Ophilia Clement | Nintendo Switch | |
| 08.02.2018 | Food Fantasy | Kimchi | iOS, Android | |
| 08.02.2018 | Ultra Kaiju Battle Breeders | Navi | iOS, Android | |
| Sdorica | Sophie, Sophie SP | iOS, Android | ||
| Fate/Grand Order | Murasaki Shikibu | iOS, Android | ||
| Arknights | Platinum | Android, IOS - Removed from CN & global client | ||
| Code Vein | Mia Karnstein | PS4, Xbox One, PC | ||
| Pokémon Masters | Erika | Android | ||
| Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers | Y'shtola | PC, Mac, PS4 | ||
| Punishing: Gray Raven | Liv | iOS, Android - Removed from CN, TW, and global client | ||
| Touhou Cannonball | Yuyuko Saigyouji | Android, iOS | ||
| KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Fantastic Days | Darkness | iOS, Android | ||
| Granblue Fantasy | Rei, Golden Knight, Yuni | Browser, iOS, Android | ||
| World's End Club | Vanilla | iOS, Switch | ||
| Eden Door | Claris Alianna | Android, iOS | ||
| Sound Voltex Exceed Gear | Rasis | Arcade | ||
| Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- | Noel | PS4, Nintendo Switch | ||
| Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker | Y'shtola | PC, Mac, PS4, PS5 | ||
| Melty Blood: Type Lumina | Noel | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | ||
| Return to Shironagasu Island | Aurora Lavilla | PC, Nintendo Switch | ||
| Xenoblade Chronicles 3 | Segiri | Nintendo Switch | ||
| Sword Art Online: Last Recollection | Alice Zuberg | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | ||
| Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail | Y'shtola | PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S |