Megumi Hayashibara
Megumi Hayashibara is a Japanese voice actress and singer known for starring roles in anime, including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ranma ½, and Slayers.
Rei Ayanami: A quiet, enigmatic pilot of the Evangelion Unit-00 in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hayashibara voiced Rei, whose restrained delivery became one of her defining performances.
Toshio Furukawa: A Japanese voice actor known for roles including Ataru Moroboshi and Piccolo. Furukawa and Hayashibara both voiced major characters in Ranma ½.
Voice acting: The performance of characters or narration using the voice, commonly for animation, games, and recorded media. Hayashibara's defining work is performance without appearing on screen.
Voice actor idol: A voice actor marketed partly through music, live appearances, and a public persona. Hayashibara's hit songs and public profile helped establish this career model in Japan.
Ranma Saotome: The protagonist of Ranma ½, a martial artist who changes sex when splashed with cold water. Hayashibara voiced Ranma in the character's female form.
Kōichi Yamadera: A Japanese voice actor, narrator, and singer known for a wide range of anime roles. Yamadera and Hayashibara are prominent peers whose careers span anime and music.
Anime: Animation produced in Japan or associated with Japanese styles and industries. Most of Hayashibara's best-known acting roles are in anime.
Anime song: A song created for or associated with an animated production, often used as its opening or ending theme. Her recordings for anime series linked character performance with charting music.
Lina Inverse: A powerful, greedy, and impulsive sorceress who leads the Slayers fantasy series. Hayashibara voiced Lina across the Slayers anime adaptations.
Yūji Mitsuya: A Japanese voice actor and director who has worked across anime, dubbing, and theater. Mitsuya helped train Hayashibara at the voice-acting school where she studied.