[SEIYUU] Finding love… in seiyuu names?

With the end of February, it is almost the time for the Sakura season in Japan. A season of new beginnings and those may also include love. We can find love almost everywhere, in school, at a bar or even seiyuu names. That’s right, not only can you love seiyuu, you can find love in their names as well. Here are some seiyuu names that contain love, ai or 愛.

1. Kayano Ai 茅野 愛衣

I’m sure everyone has at least heard Kayano Ai’s angelic voice at least once in anime. It could be Menma in AnoHana or as the aloof senior Utaha from Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata, so adding her in this list is a no-brainer.

2. Shimizu Ai 清水 愛

As a veteran seiyuu, Shimizu Ai has a host of roles ranging from shows like Highschool DxD to the innocent shows like Nanoha and Saki. An interesting note is that she has also moved on to working in professional wrestling as well. I guess you definitely do not want to mess with her.

3. Furihita Ai 降幡 愛, Kobayashi Aika 小林 愛香 and Suzuki Aina 鈴木 愛奈

All three of them are part of the new Love Live unit, Aqours which seems rather fitting since all of them have “Ai” in their names. With the Love Live Sunshine project releasing even more content over this year, maybe our “Ai” for them will grow as well.

4. Maeda Ai 前田 愛

Another veteran seiyuu who voiced Mimi in the first Digimon Adventure series as well as singing the several theme songs from the Digimon series, including the ending theme for the recent Digimon Adventure tri.

5. Aimi 愛美

As a seiyuu and singer, Aimi will definitely rock your world with her guitar playing. As Julia from Million Live and a member of BanG Dream!, Aimi is definitely an amazing force to catch live!

Now the next few names may not seem so obvious, but they actually contain “Ai” in them too!

6. Toyosaki Aki 豊崎 愛生

A member of the seiyuu unit Sphere, Toyosaki Aki has an incredibly soothing voice that will definitely calm you down at the end of a long day. Although the romaji version of her name does not contain “Ai”, you can still see the kanji for love, “愛” in her name. She has a nickname that contains ‘Ai’ in the romaji version though, which is ‘Ainama’. Fun fact, the nickname was born because 愛生 is not commonly pronounced as ‘Aki’, people would commonly read it as ‘Ainama’ instead.

7. Nanjo Yoshino 南條 愛乃

With name like Yoshino, you wouldn’t notice that her name contains “Ai” as well. And seeing she voices Ayase Eri from Love Live, it seems like many of the Love Live seiyuu have that love in their names.

8. Numakura Manami 沼倉 愛美

Best known for her role as Hibiki from iDOLM@STER, she has several roles this season including Saya from Dagashi Kashi and Clarion from Koukaku no Pandora. Interesting note, although her name is kanji is same as Aimi’s, they are pronounced differently.