Rika Fukami


Rika Fukami is a Japanese voice actress and narrator. Born in Kyoto Prefecture and raised in Chichibu, Saitama, she was originally a competitor at the while studying at, before joining and debuting as a voice actress in Tokimeki Tonight. Since then, she has voiced Minako Aino/Sailor Venus in the Sailor Moon series, as well as Fran in Final Fantasy XII, Carmen la Bailaora in Ashita no Nadja, Schaffe in Ninja Senshi Tobikage and Daiko Hayami in New Cutie Honey.

Biography

Early life and career

Rika Fukami was born on August 8, 1963, in Kyoto Prefecture, and she was raised in Chichibu, Saitama, where she was a member of the chorus club in elementary school. She was originally self-conscious and quiet during her childhood, but in high school she was inspired by how spirited the older students were, so she joined the broadcasting club and subsequently won the top prize at a prefectural tournament of the and participated in the national tournament for two consecutive years.
After graduating from, she decided to become a freelance announcer, and spent one year at the Department of Broadcasting and Voice Acting to gather information on such things as auditions. Among her part-time work included in-store announcements at department stores and hosted concerts and amusement park.
After graduating from the school, she passed the audition for and joined the company, making her debut as a voice actress in the anime series Tokimeki Tonight. She subsequently voiced Akina in Futari Daka, Fuyuta Fuyuki in Persia, the Magic Fairy, Yasuka Kashikiri in High School! Kimengumi, Mark in Lupin III Part III, Schaffe in Ninja Senshi Tobikage, a young Kazuya Uesugi in Touch, Ume Takematsu in Robotan, Ruby in Magical Princess Minky Momo: Hold on to Your Dreams, and Ohtawara in Yawara!. She also voiced Prince Tonkari in Creamy Mami: Eien no Once More, as well as a reporter in Creamy Mami, the Magic Angel: Long Goodbye.

1992-present: ''Sailor Moon'', ''Macross'', and ''Final Fantasy''

From 1992 to 1997, she voiced Minako Aino/Sailor Venus in the anime adaptation of the magical girl manga Sailor Moon. She reprised her role in the anime's three movies, as well as in several video games part of the franchise. In addition to Sailor Venus, she also voiced minor character Reika Nishimura, as well as the monster Rikoukeidar.
In 1994, she starred as Myung Fang Lone in Macross Plus and Daiko Hayami in New Cutie Honey. She also voiced Renhō in Jungle King Tar-chan, List of [Mobile Suit Victory Gundam characters#Shrike Team|Helen Jackson] in Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, Kaguya in Yaiba, Reideen Sayla in Reideen the Superior, Angela in Kurogane Communication, Hamil in Black Heaven, Kira and Iyo in Legend of Himiko, Viola in Zoids: Chaotic Century, and Spoor in Crest of the Stars and its the sequel series Banner of the Stars. She later branched to video game franchises, voicing Lisa in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Fran in Final Fantasy XII, and Alex Wesker in Resident Evil: Revelations 2, and she reprised her role as Myung Fang Lone in Macross Ace Frontier.
In the early-2000s, she voiced Majo Prima in Ojamajo Doremi, Ophanimon and Yuriko Kanbara in Digimon Frontier, Suzu Imamura in Full Moon o Sagashite, List of [Naruto minor allies#Star Shinobi|Natsuhi] in Naruto, Carmen la Bailaora in Ashita no Nadja, and Regine in Futari wa Pretty Cure. Subsequently, she was cast as Gira in Black Jack: The Two Doctors of Darkness, Yggdrasil in Digimon Data Squad, Chan in Jyu-Oh-Sei, Nana Sawada in Katekyo Hitman Reborn!, Hajime Yoshino in Appleseed Ex Machina, Kiriko Suma in Psychic Squad, Eriko Oginome in Penguindrum, and Shiki Murasaki in Btooom!. In 2019, she was invited to be a guest at Naka-Kon 2020 in Overland Park, Kansas, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kansas.
In 2020, she won the Kazue Takahashi Award at the 14th Seiyu Awards. She then voiced Grace O'Malley in Fena: Pirate Princess, and she voiced Rui Kisugi in the Lupin the 3rd vs. Cat's Eye crossover.

Dub localization, music, and others

In addition to anime, she provides the Japanese dub localization for numerous international film and television actors including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone and Jodie Foster. She has also worked as a narrator for factual programming on TBS, NTV, Fuji TV, NHK among others, as well as on commercials for companies and brands such as Fujifilm, KFC, Nippon Kodo, NTT Communications, Shueisha, the Subaru Exiga, and Tokyo Electric Power Company.
Outside of voice acting, she also works as a singer. In 1996, her Sailor Moon song "Prologue" was released as a single, having been part of the 1994 character single "Setsunakute ī". She had five albums released - Hoshizora no Fugue, Mornin'After, La Venus, Yo ni mo Suteki na Monogatari: Mystery Train ni Notte, and Mabushī Kisetsu ni Koi o Shite - as well as a third single, "24 Crush". She has also provided vocals for several releases for the rock musical group Sound Horizon.

Personal life

Fukami was affiliated with and Vi-vo, before going freelance on July 1, 2019.
Fukami's voice type is alto. She once had level three kendama certification. She once hosted the wedding of a close associate while on an overseas tour.
She shares the same birth date as her late Sailor Moon co-star Emi Shinohara, and they even had a joint birthday concert together, performing as the duo Funky Twins on their 33rd birthday in 1996.
By 2014, she became obsessed with the Funabashi mascot Funassyi, with her husband and fellow actor discussing this to the afternoon talk show as an issue on their October 14, 2014, episode.

Filmography

Animated films

Video games

Armored Core: Last Raven - Sheila CaldwellAssassin's Creed III - Gaji-Jio Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon S - Minako Aino/Sailor VenusBoys Over Flowers - Koiseyo Girls - Kaede DomyoujiCastlevania: Symphony of the Night – Lisa, SuccubusDead Island - Puruna Jackson Final Fantasy XII - FranHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Hermione Granger Hitman: Absolution - Diana Byrne Wood Macross Ace Frontier - Myung Fang LoneMikagura Girl Detective Team - Ranmaru , Moriyama MiwaResident Evil: Revelations 2 Resident Evil 3 Super Robot WarsTactics Ogre: [Let Us Cling Together (2010 video game)|Tactics Ogre: Reborn] - Ravness LoxaerionTengai Makyō: Daiyon no Mokushiroku - Jenny Mead

Dubbing

Film

Television

Battlestar Galactica - Helena Cain Beyond the Break - ElizabethBurn Notice - Detective Paxson Californication - Karen Chase - Annie Frost Criminal Minds - Emily Prentiss CSI: New York - ReneDirt - Lucy Spiller Eureka - Allison Blake Friends - Monica Geller Lost - DanielThe Mentalist - Santori No Limit - Alexandra Once Upon a Time - Regina One Tree Hill - Sheryl CrowReGenesis - Jill Langston Road to Avonlea - Olivia Dale Satisfaction - MelSupernatural - Molly The Unit - Heather

Animation

Captain Planet and the Planeteers Chicken Little How to Train Your Dragon 2 How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio PB&J Otter Raya and the Last Dragon