Maaya Sakamoto

is a Japanese actress and singer. Other major anime roles include Haruhi Fujioka in Ouran High School Host Club, Shiki Ryōgi in The Garden of Sinners, Ciel Phantomhive in Black Butler, Crona in Soul Eater, Leila Malcal in Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell: Arise, Merlin in The Seven Deadly Sins, Eto in Tokyo Ghoul, and Echidna in Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World. In video games, she has voiced Aerith Gainsborough in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series, Aigis in Persona 3, Lightning in the Final Fantasy XIII games, the adult Sherry Birkin in Resident Evil, and Maki Harukawa in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. In the Japanese-dubbed versions of international films, Sakamoto has voiced Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars franchise and Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Her singles "Tune the Rainbow", "Loop", "Ame ga Furu", and "Triangler" have all reached the top 10 Oricon singles chart: "Triangler" in particular charted at number 3 and remained charting for 26 weeks. Her albums have had similar success, with Shōnen Alice and Yūnagi Loop both reaching the top 10 Oricon albums chart; and her album You Can't Catch Me, released on January 12, 2011, became her first release to ever reach number 1. She held a concert at the Nippon Budokan on her 30th birthday.

Career Born in Tokyo, Sakamoto grew up in a family, formed by her parents and older brother. She started working as a voice actress at an early age and the first leading role she was given was in the 1993 OVA Little Twins.

In 1996, she was given the role of Hitomi Kanzaki, the leading role in the TV anime series The Vision of Escaflowne. Her first album, Grapefruit, was released on April 23, 1997.

Sakamoto's early music was produced by Kanno and her team, which included Yūho Iwasato, Shanti Snyder and Tim Jensen. Sakamoto worked almost exclusively with Kanno and company for almost a decade. Apart from her work as a voice actress and singer, in October 1996 Sakamoto also debuted as a radio host presenting her own program, Sakamoto Maaya no Naisho-banashi, on radio station Nack 5.

In addition to her work as an Anime Seiyuu, Sakamoto performed the dub voice for many Hollywood actresses, such as Anna Chlumsky in My Girl, Anna Paquin in Amistad and True Blood, Claire Danes in William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, and Christina Ricci in Casper. Furthermore, Sakamoto also performed theme songs for several anime series, including "Gift" for Clamp School Detectives (1997), "Kiseki no Umi" for Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight (1998) and "Platinum" for Cardcaptor Sakura (1999), which won the Best Theme Song awards from Anime Grand Prix for two consecutive years.

In 2002, Sakamoto worked again with Kanno and Yūho Iwasato for her 10th single, "Hemisphere", the opening theme for the TV anime series RahXephon. Released on February 21, 2002, "Hemisphere" peaking at number 22 in the Oricon and number 24 in the Count Down TV weekly charts.

In 2003, Sakamoto made her debut as a theatre actress on the Japanese version of the musical Les Misérables, playing the role of Éponine. On the other hand, Sakamoto's 11th single "Tune the Rainbow" (Released on April 2, 2003), which was used as the main theme song for RahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio, The only anime movie that was nominated for the 35th Seiun Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. became her first Top 10 single in Japan, peaking at number 9 in the Oricon weekly charts. Her fourth album, Shōnen Alice, released on December 10, 2003, became her first Top 10 album on the Oricon charts and also her last record to be produced exclusively by Yoko Kanno; since this release Sakamoto would involve further in the music making process and production of her records. "Triangler" became a big hit, peaking at the Top 3 single of the Oricon charts. The single ended up becoming Sakamoto's biggest selling single to date, with more than 90,000 copies sold. The song was later included in Sakamoto's sixth album, Kazeyomi, which was released in January 2009 and also peaked within the Top 3. For promoting this album, Sakamoto began her first low-scale national tour, on which she held three concerts in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo. The tour was later released as her first live DVD on August 11, 2011.

In 2010, Sakamoto celebrated her 15th anniversary in the entertainment industry, releasing on her 30th birthday her greatest hits album Everywhere, and also holding a concert at the Nippon Budokan. In 2011, her seventh album, You Can't Catch Me, became her first album to reach the first stop of the Oricon charts.

Her 2012 Mitsubachi tour concluded with an announcement at her New Year's Eve concert of a new full-length album of songs written and composed solely by Sakamoto, as well as a short concert tour to support it. The album, titled Singer Song Writer, featured two new versions of Sakamoto's previous compositions "Everywhere" and "Chikai", as well as eight original tracks.

On September 25, 2017, the NHK Anime World website revealed that Sakamoto would perform "Clear" (Sakamoto 27th single, Released on January 31, 2018), the opening song for the anime adaptation of Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card. Sakamoto and Yoshiki Mizuno from Ikimonogakari co-written the song's lyrics, while music arrangement was arranged by Shin Kono.

Collaborations Sakamoto first worked with the composer Yoko Kanno in her 1996 debut single, "Yakusoku wa Iranai" ("Promises Not Needed"), which was used as the opening theme for the anime series The Vision of Escaflowne. Kanno collaborated with Sakamoto up until her fifth album, Yūnagi Loop, which has no songs composed by Kanno. Sakamoto also performed three songs for the series Wolf's Rain, for which Kanno was the composer: "Gravity" (which is sung completely in English), "Tell Me What The Rain Knows" (with lyrics by Chris Mosdell) and "Cloud 9". She performed "Hemisphere", the opening theme of the series RahXephon, as well as two songs for the series' theatrical version RahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio: "Tune the Rainbow" and "The Garden of Everything" (duet with Steve Conte). In 2008, Sakamoto and Kanno collaborated again for "Triangler", the opening theme song for the series Macross Frontier. She also performed the song "cream" with HIDE, which was featured in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex mini album be Human. She was one half of the voice acting duo Whoops!!, alongside Chieko Higuchi.

Personal life Sakamoto graduated from Toyo University with a Bachelor's degree in sociology in 2002. On August 8, 2011, she married the voice actor and her frequent co-star Kenichi Suzumura. On April 21, 2022, the couple announced the birth of their first child.

Filmography Animation + List of voice performances in animation Year Title Role Notes Source The Vision of Escaflowne Hitomi Kanzaki First major voice role Mizuiro Jidai Natsumi Kugayama Ghost Stories Miyuki Watanabe RahXephon Reika Mishima –06 Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle series Tomoyo Mushishi Amane Ep. 25 Death Note Kiyomi Takada Blade of the Immortal Machi Canaan Alphard Al Sheya Kenomoto no Chat Chacha Kenomoto OVA Cobra the Animation Secretシークレット Star Driver Sarina Endō Appleseed XIII Deunan Knute Multi-platform release Marvel Anime: Blade Makoto Bunny Drop Masako Psycho-Pass Rikako Ōryō Coppelion Shion Ozu Magi: The Kingdom of Magic Scheherazade World Conquest Zvezda Plot Kaori Hayabusa –15 Alice in Borderland Saori Shibuki OVA –21 The Seven Deadly Sins series Merlin Episode 20 - Debut Tokyo Ghoul √A Eto, others Ghost in the Shell: Arise – Alternative Architecture Motoko Kusanagi Ushio and Tora Sumako Aotsuki God Eater Alisa Ilynichna Omela Go! Princess Precure Asuka Kitakaze Ep. 36 Osiris no Tenbin Season 2 –18 Chi's Sweet Adventure Mother The Great Passage Kaguya Hayashi Re:Creators Magane Chikujōin Made in Abyss Lyza Fate/Apocrypha Jeanne d'Arc Cutie Honey Universe Honey Kisaragi/Cutie Honey Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Tamayo Carole & Tuesday Crystal To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts Elizabeth Weezer (Arachne) Ensemble Stars! Anzu BEM Mysterious Lady Fire Force Sho Kusakabe Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia Leonardo da Vinci Stars Align Kinuyo Kasuga Chihayafuru 3 Haruka Inokuma Case File nº221: Kabukicho Irene Adler Drifting Dragons Ascella Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga Marie "Lily" Antoinette Sing "Yesterday" for Me Kyōko Sayama Fruits Basket: 2nd Season Akito Sōma –21 Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World Echidna – Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Zero / Otsuyu Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: Battle of Kimluck Carlotta Pretty Boy Detective Club Mayumi Dōjima Battle Game in 5 Seconds Omoto Iori Fena: Pirate Princess Helena Platinum End Mirai Kakehashi (child) Ranking of Kings Magic Mirror Super Crooks Kasey ONA Deaimon Shinri Yukihira Ultraman 2nd Season Izumi ONA Tekken: Bloodline Ling Xiaoyu ONA Tatami Time Machine Blues Akashi ONA Arknights: Prelude To Dawn Talulah Artorius Trigun Stampede Rem Saverem Kaina of the Great Snow Sea Amerote The Fire Hunter Akira –present Fate/Grand Order: Fujimaru Ritsuka Doesn't Get It Leonardo da Vinci ONA Dr. Stone: New World Francois Dead Mount Death Play Saint Ep. 24 Chi's Sweet Summer Vacation Mother ONA –2025 Orb: On the Movements of the Earth Rafał Miru: Paths to My Future Girl The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold to Another Kingdom Fiana Isphil Once Upon a Witch's Death Tethys The Ghost in the Shell Motoko Kusanagi

Film + List of voice performances in film Year Title Role Notes Source Cardcaptor Sakura: The Sealed Card The Hope The Garden of Sinners: Remaining Sense of Pain Shiki Ryōgi The Garden of Sinners: Paradox Spiral Shiki Ryōgi The Garden of Sinners: A Study in Murder – Part 2 Shiki Ryōgi Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos Julia Crichton Code Geass: Akito the Exiled Leila Malcal Ep. 1, 5 Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning Tomoe Kaburagi Fuse Teppō Musume no Torimonochō Funamushi Space Pirate Captain Harlock Nami The Garden of Sinners: Future Gospel Shiki Ryōgi Also extra chorus Persona 3 The Movie: #3 Falling Down Aigis Ghost in the Shell: The Movie Motoko Kusanagi Kizumonogatari Part 1: Tekketsu Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade Persona 3 The Movie: #4 Winter of Rebirth Aigis Fate/Grand Order: Camelot - Paladin: Agateram Leonardo da Vinci Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop Maria The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light Merlin Child of Kamiari Month Shiro Bright: Samurai Soul Chihaya The First Slam Dunk Haruko Akagi Pretty Cure All Stars F Cure Supreme, Prim Kizumonogatari -Koyomi Vamp- Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade Look Back Woman from 4-koma 2026 Labyrinth Shiori's mother

Drama CD

Commercials + List of voice performances in commercials Year Title Role Notes Source The Way of the Househusband Miku

Musicals Angel Touch - Rin Otō Bangare - Nin Sasaki Daddy Long Legs ~Ashinaga Oji-san Yori~ - Jerusha Abbott Les Misérables (Japanese production) - Éponine Thénardier Letter ~ Bring to Light - Ritsuko Nonomura Mizuiro Jidai - Natsumi Kugayama

Radio - Bay-FM - TBS Radio Broadcast date: April 7, 2007 ~ March 28, 2009 Konica Minolta presents Night on the Planet - Tokyo FM Yellow tail music tail - Tokyo FM Sapporo Beer Key of Dish - Tokyo FM - Nack5 Girls' School Fantasy – NACK5 - Nack5, FM Osaka, FM Aichi – FM Fukuoka, Sendai City-FM, FM-Nigata, K-Mix - Nack5, FM Osaka, North Wave, Cross FM - Nippon Cultural Broadcasting - Nippon Cultural Broadcasting

Webcast Maaya Sakamoto's Full Moon Recital Hall (September 23, October 23, November 22, December 21, 2010) -Ustream reading of Japanese literary works one of the special projects offered by a Japanese online magazine "Saizensen"

Dubbing roles Live-action Title Role Voice dub for Notes Source Heat Lauren Gustafson Natalie Portman 1998 TV Asahi edition Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Padmé Amidala Garden State Sam Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith Padmé Amidala My Blueberry Nights Francine Black Swan Nina Sayers Hesher Nicole Thor Jane Foster No Strings Attached Dr. Emma K. Kurtzman Your Highness Isabel Thor: The Dark World Jane Foster Jane Got a Gun Jane Hammond Jackie Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy Song to Song Rhonda Annihilation Lena Avengers: Endgame Jane Foster Lucy in the Sky Lucy Cola Thor: Love and Thunder Jane Foster / Mighty Thor Pan Am Laura Cameron Margot Robbie Slaughterhouse Rulez Audrey A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Sarah 6 Underground Amelia / Five Adria Arjona The Adventurers Amber Li Zhang Jingchu Agatha Christie's Poirot Egg Kimberley Nixon Alice in Wonderland (1985 film) Alice Kingsleigh Natalie Gregory Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) Alice Kingsleigh Mia Wasikowska 2013 Fuji TV edition The Amateur Sarah Rachel Brosnahan Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Barbara Simon Rachel McAdams Bad Company Julie Benson Kerry Washington Barbie Physicist Barbie Emma Mackey Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Lydia Deetz Winona Ryder Belle Dido Elizabeth Belle Gugu Mbatha-Raw Black Adam Adrianna Tomaz Sarah Shahi Boogeyman 3 Sarah Morris Erin Cahill Casper Kathleen "Kat" Harvey Christina Ricci 1998 NTV edition Curly Sue Curly Sue Alisan Porter Darkness Falls Caitlin Greene Emma Caulfield Death Note Mia Sutton Margaret Qualley Divergent Beatrice "Tris" Prior Shailene Woodley The Divergent Series: Insurgent The Divergent Series: Allegiant Doctor Who Rose Tyler Billie Piper Elementary Kitty Winter Ophelia Lovibond The End of Oak Street Denise Platt Anne Hathaway The End of the Tour Sarah Anna Chlumsky ER Charlene "Charlie" Chiemingo Kirsten Dunst Fantastic Four Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Jessica Alba 2008 NTV edition The Fantastic Four: First Steps Vanessa Kirby Fatal Attraction Ellen Gallagher Ellen Hamilton Latzen 1990 Fuji TV edition Fathers and Daughters Katie Davies Amanda Seyfried Final Destination 3 Julie Christensen Amanda Crew Five Children and It Athena Jennifer Claridge The Fate of the Furious F9 Fast X Genius Aretha Franklin Cynthia Erivo Glee Rachel Berry Lea Michele Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Grand Prince Sung Ja-hyun Jin Se-yeon Helix Dr. Sarah Jordan Jordan Hayes High School Musical Taylor McKessie Monique Coleman High School Musical 2 The Hole Elizabeth "Liz" Dunn Thora Birch Hop Sam O'Hare Kaley Cuoco The Horse Whisperer Grace MacLean Scarlett Johansson Houdini & Doyle Adelaide Stratton Rebecca Liddiard House of the Dragon Lady Alicent Hightower Olivia Cooke Hunted Sam Hunter Melissa George Inherent Vice Sortilège Joanna Newsom Jumong Lady Soseono Han Hye-jin L.A.'s Finest Nancy McKenna Jessica Alba Life Dr. Miranda North Rebecca Ferguson Little Fires Everywhere Elena Richardson Reese Witherspoon Lost Girl Mackenzie "Kenzi" Malikov Ksenia Solo The Lucky One Beth Green Taylor Schilling Mac and Me Debbie Lauren Stanley The Man Who Cried Suzie Christina Ricci The Man Who Invented Christmas Kate Dickens Morfydd Clark Mars Marta Kamen Anamaria Marinca Masters of the Universe Evil-Lyn Alison Brie The Midnight After Yuki Janice Man Midnight Sun Katherine Price Bella Thorne A Minecraft Movie Alex Kate McKinnon MirrorMask Helena Campbell Stephanie Leonidas Monster Hunt Pawn Shop Owner Tang Wei Near Dark Sarah Colton Marcie Leeds The Nevers Zephyr Alexis Navine / Amalia True Laura Donnelly New York Minute Jane Ryan Ashley Olsen The Night House Beth Rebecca Hall The Notebook Allison "Allie" Hamilton Rachel McAdams The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Sugar Plum Fairy Keira Knightley The Odyssey Penelope Anne Hathaway Pacific Rim: Uprising Jules Reyes Adria Arjona Pan Mary Amanda Seyfried Piranha 3D Kelly Driscoll Jessica Szohr Poltergeist Dana Freeling Dominique Dunne 1996 TV Asahi edition Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Princess Tamina Gemma Arterton Ready Player One Art3mis / Samantha Cook Olivia Cooke Restless Annabel "Annie" Cotton Mia Wasikowska Saaho Amritha "Amu" Nair Shraddha Kapoor The School Nurse Files Ahn Eun-young Jung Yu-mi Shameless Fiona Gallagher Emmy Rossum Since Otar Left Marina Nino Khomasuridze The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Lena Kaligaris Alexis Bledel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 Snow White and the Huntsman Snow White Kristen Stewart So Little Time Chloe Carlson Ashley Olsen Step Up 3D Natalie Sharni Vinson Stoker India Stoker Mia Wasikowska Terminator: Dark Fate Grace Mackenzie Davis Tom & Jerry Preeta Pallavi Sharda Train to Busan Seong-kyeong Jung Yu-mi Transcendence Bree Kate Mara True Blood Sookie Stackhouse Anna Paquin Vicky Cristina Barcelona Cristina Scarlett Johansson War & Peace Natasha Rostova Lily James World War Z Segen Daniella Kertesz

Animation Title Role Notes Source Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus Barbie Brandy & Mr. Whiskers Brandy Harrington Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Dorothy Gale Sing Rosita Sing 2 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Lyla Star Wars: Clone Wars Padmé Amidala Tinker Bell Fawn Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast What If...? Jane Foster

Discography

Studio albums Grapefruit (1997) Dive (1998) Lucy (2001) Shōnen Alice (2003) Yūnagi Loop (2005) Kazeyomi (2009) You Can't Catch Me (2011) Singer-Songwriter (2013) Follow Me Up (2015) Kyō Dake no Ongaku (2019) Kioku no Toshokan (2023)

Awards and nominations In the 23rd Anime Grand Prix, she ranked tenth place under the voice actress category with 126 votes.

In addition, in the first Seiyu Awards, she was nominated for "Best Actress in a leading role" for her portrayal of Haruhi Fujioka in Ouran High School Host Club as well as "Best Musical Performance" for Tsubasa Chronicle ending theme Loop.

Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2008 13th Animation Kobe Awards Radio Kansai Award "Triangler" 2013 The 38th Kazuo Kikuta Theatre Awards Theater Award Daddy Long Legs 2025 Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2024 Voice Acting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Publications Serialization Sakamoto Maaya no Manpukuron – Currently in Newtype. - A monthly column

Books – December 9, 2005 – Essay collection – April 18, 2008 – Photo and lyrics book compilation from everywhere. – February 21, 2011 – Essay collection