Megumi Hayashibara

Megumi Hayashibara is a renowned Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist, and radio personality, affiliated with her self-founded agency, Woodpark Office. Born on March 30, 1967, in Kita, Tokyo, Japan, Hayashibara has been one of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s. She is recognized for her roles in numerous acclaimed animation series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Slayers, Detective Conan, Pokémon, Cowboy Bebop, and many more, contributing to their popularity not only in Japan but globally. Alongside acting, she also performed various opening and ending themes for several series.

Hayashibara's journey as a voice actress began when she discovered a free anime voice acting audition at Arts Vision and decided to venture into the vibrant world of voice acting while training to be a nurse. From small roles in Maison Ikkoku, she climbed her way up to legendary status through dedication and talent. Over her career, Hayashibara has provided the voice for many iconic characters, with Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion noted as a particularly innovative casting. Hayashibara is not just limited to the female characters, but she has also voiced the character Shuichi Saihara in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony drawing from her experience connected to detective characters. Outside of acting, she had her temporary stint as a DJ and has written a series of manga for Anime V magazine with Sakura Asagi. In February 2021, her memoir reflecting on her career and the influence of the characters she portrayed was released.