:Megumi Hayashibara
{{Short description|Japanese voice actress, singer, and radio personality (born 1967)}}
{{Eastern name order|Hayashibara Megumi}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Megumi Hayashibara
| native_name = 林原 めぐみ
| native_name_lang = ja
| image =
| alt =
| caption = Hayashibara in 2021
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|03|30}}
| birth_place = Kita, Tokyo, Japan{{Cite web |author=Doi, Hitoshi |url=http://www.usagi.org/doi/seiyuu/hayashibara-megumi/ |title=Hayashibara Megumi |work=Seiyuu Database |access-date=2014-01-24 |archive-date=2014-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125043547/http://www.usagi.org/doi/seiyuu/hayashibara-megumi/ |url-status=live }}
| other_names = MEGUMI
| occupation = {{flatlist|
| years_active = 1986–present
| agent = Woodpark Office
| credits = {{unbulleted list|Neon Genesis Evangelion as Rei Ayanami and Yui Ikari|
Slayers as Lina Inverse|Hello Kitty as Hello Kitty|Detective Conan as Ai Haibara|Ranma ½ as Ranma Saotome (female and child)|Cowboy Bebop as Faye Valentine|Pokémon as Musashi/Jessie and various Pokémon|Saber Marionette J as Lime|Magical Princess Minky Momo (1991) as Minky Momo of Marinarsa|Mashin Hero Wataru series as Himiko Shinobibe|Sailor Moon Cosmos as Sailor Galaxia}}
| height = 155 cm
| children = 1
| website = {{URL|http://king-cr.jp/artist/hayashi/index.html}}
| module = {{Infobox Chinese |child = yes
| romaji = Hayashibara Megumi
| hiragana = はやしばら めぐみ
| katakana = ハヤシバラ メグミ
}}
}}
{{Nihongo|Megumi Hayashibara|林原 めぐみ|Hayashibara Megumi|born March 30, 1967}} is a Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist and radio personality from Kita ward in Tokyo and is affiliated with self-founded Woodpark Office. One of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s, Hayashibara is best known for her roles in Neon Genesis Evangelion, Saber Marionette J, Magical Princess Minky Momo, Mashin Hero Wataru, Ranma ½, Cowboy Bebop, Slayers, Detective Conan, Pokémon, All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku, Hello Kitty, Video Girl Ai, and Shaman King for which she also performed various OP and ED themes in both the 2001 and 2021 adaptations. {{cite web |url=http://king-cr.jp/artist/hayashi/megumi/index.html |title=林原めぐみ(MEGUMI HAYASHIBARA) |work=King Records |access-date=July 9, 2021 |language=ja |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173407/http://www.starchild.co.jp/artist/hayashi/megumi/index.html |url-status=live }}
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Biography
Hayashibara was born on March 30, 1967, in Kita Tokyo, Japan.{{cite web |url=http://www.starchild.co.jp/artist/hayashi/megumi/index.html |title=Megumi Room — Megumi House |publisher=Starchild |access-date=2009-04-17 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303173407/http://www.starchild.co.jp/artist/hayashi/megumi/index.html |url-status=live }} She studied at a Catholic school and at one point was bullied in fifth grade.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }} She was an active club member and participated in the Badminton, Biology, Broadcasting, Drama and English clubs. She played the role of Alice in an English language production of Alice in Wonderland.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |pages=76–77 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X}} Despite qualifying as a nurse, she has never been employed in a nursing position.{{cite book |title=Anime essentials |last=Poitras |first=Giles |author-link=Giles Poitras |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |isbn=1-880656-53-1|year=2001 }}
On March 30, 1998, Hayashibara got married.{{Cite news |author=Loo, Egan |url=http://www.ex.org/3.2/09-news.html |title=News Briefs |work=Ex |volume=3 |issue=2 |page=9 |access-date=March 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928184714/http://www.ex.org/3.2/09-news.html |archive-date=2012-09-28 |url-status=dead }} On January 10, 2004, Hayashibara announced on her radio show that she was pregnant with her first child.{{Cite news |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2004-01-12/megumi-hayashibara |title=Megumi Hayashibara News |work=Anime News Network |date=January 12, 2004 |access-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207215327/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2004-01-12/megumi-hayashibara |url-status=live }} On June 28 of the same year, she gave birth to her daughter via caesarian section.{{Citation needed|date=March 2016}}
=Voice acting=
On the same day as submitting the application for nursing school, Hayashibara went to a book store and found an advert offering free anime voice acting auditions at Arts Vision. Several months after submitting a demo tape, she received a confirmation of passing the first stage of the audition, and eventually decided to continue training as a nurse while doing voice acting.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |page=18 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }}{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |page=89 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }} In 1986, after a year of voice actor training, Hayashibara was chosen to voice small roles on Maison Ikkoku.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |page=26 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }} Initially, she had difficulty with her lines and had to redo many lines after the main recording sessions.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |pages=30–32 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }} Hayashibara later auditioned for Ranma ½ expecting to be cast as Akane Tendo, but was cast as the female half of Ranma Saotome instead.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |page=28 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }} In 1993 and 1995, Hayashibara was a guest at Anime America.{{cite web |url=http://www.usagi.org/doi/seiyuu/hayashibara-megumi/events.html |title=Hayashibara Megumi events |publisher=Seiyuu Database |access-date=2009-04-19 |archive-date=2018-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023200040/http://www.usagi.org/doi/seiyuu/hayashibara-megumi/events.html |url-status=live }} At the 1995 event, she decided to give a speech in English after believing the translation at the 1993 event did not reflect what she had said.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |page=45 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }} In 1995, Hayashibara provided the voice of Rei Ayanami in Neon Genesis Evangelion, a role referred to as "innovative casting".{{cite book |last=Clements |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Clements |author2=Helen McCarthy |title=The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, Revised and Expanded Edition |url=https://archive.org/details/animeencyclopedi00clem_0 |url-access=limited |date=November 1, 2006 |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |isbn=1-933330-10-4 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/animeencyclopedi00clem_0/page/184 184]–185 |edition=2nd |author2-link=Helen McCarthy }}
In addition to voicing Musashi/Jessie of Team Rocket in Pokémon, Hayashibara has also voiced Ash's Pidgeotto and Pidgeot, May's Skitty, Whitney's Miltank, Clair's Dratini and Dragonair, Latios, Latias, and Anabel's Espeon in both the Japanese and English-language versions of the anime. She also provides the voice for Ai Haibara in the ongoing anime series, Detective Conan.
While Hayashibara rarely voices male characters, she voiced as Shuichi Saihara in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony due to her deep and vast experience connected to detective characters. She has actually helped the team on making Shuichi more detective-like.
In 2001, Hayashibara was cast as Anna Kyoyama In the anime adaptation of the Shonen series Shaman King while also performing the opening themes Over Soul and Northern Lights. Twenty years later she reprised her role as Anna in the 2021 remake and performed the first opening theme Soul Salvation and the first ending theme #Boku no Yubisaki. Over Soul was used as the credits song for episode 5. Hayashibara's 2010 song Osorezan Revoir would also be used as the ending theme of episode 33: which concluded the Osorezan Revoir arc of the story.
=DJ=
While at nursing school, Hayashibara started a temporary job as a DJ at a local ice skating rink. After becoming better known as a voice actress, she was given her own radio show, Heartful Station.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |pages=52–53 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }} After 17 shows, the broadcasting station cancelled the show and other anime related programming to concentrate on traditional music. However, six months later, Hayashibara started a new radio show at another broadcaster.{{cite book |title=明日があるさ |last1=Hayashibara |first1=Megumi |last2=Asagi |first2=Sakura |date=April 2001 |page=58 |publisher=角川書店 |isbn=4-04-444501-X }}
=Writing=
Hayashibara wrote a series of manga for Anime V magazine, with artwork by Sakura Asagi. The comics, known as "Megumi-Toons", talked about her personal life and career. The individual chapters were collected into the book {{nihongo3|"There is always Tomorrow"|明日があるさ|Ashita ga aru sa}}, which has been reprinted several times.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.jp//404444501X/ |title=Amazon.co.jp - 明日があるさ—Sweet Time Express ちょっトク文庫版 (角川ティーンズルビー文庫) (文庫) |publisher=Amazon.co.jp}} Hayashibara has also contributed two columns to Newtype magazine; Aitakute Aitakute, and Speaking in Character. Aitakute Aitakute is a series of interviews conducted by Hayashibara with people from all walks of life. Three compilations of the column have been published. Speaking in Character has been translated into English for Newtype USA.
In February 2021, Yen Press announced the release of Hayashibara's memoir The Characters Taught Me Everything: Living Life One Episode at a Time, in which she examines her career and the ways the characters she portrayed in various anime series affected it. The book is currently available for digital release, with the physical release slated for August 2021.{{Cite web |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/03/02-1/yen-press-shares-megumi-hayashibara-video-message-on-english-release-of-memoir-the-characters-taught-me-everything |title=Yen Press Shares Megumi Hayashibara Video Message On English Release Of Memoir The Characters Taught Me Everything |access-date=2021-03-07 |archive-date=2021-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304013129/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/03/02-1/yen-press-shares-megumi-hayashibara-video-message-on-english-release-of-memoir-the-characters-taught-me-everything |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |last=Hayashibara |first=Megumi |date=2021 |title=The Characters Taught Me Everything: Living Life One Episode at a Time |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pxAfEAAAQBAJ |translator=Jenny McKeon and Nathaniel Hiroshi Thrasher |location=New York |publisher=Yen On |isbn=9781975333676 |oclc=1240575219 |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518114711/https://books.google.com/books?id=pxAfEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}
Filmography
=Television animation=
=Original video animation (OVA)=
=Anime films=
=Video games=
=Live-action=
class=wikitable
!Date !Title !Type !Role !Notes !Ref |
2000
| Juvenile |Film |Tetra (voice) / Female Researcher | |
2012
| Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo |Film |Narrator | |
2023
| Vivant |TV |Narrator | |
=Dubbing roles=
=Drama CD=
Discography
=Albums=
class="wikitable" |
rowspan="1"| Year
!rowspan="1" width="400"| Album details !colspan="1"| Peak Oricon !colspan="1"| Sales (JPN) !rowspan="1" width="125"| Certifications |
---|
1991
| align="left"| Half and, Half | align="center"| 43 | align="center"| 20,180 | |
rowspan="2"| 1992
| align="left"| Whatever
| align="center"| 18 | align="center"| 22,180 | |
align="left"| Perfume
| align="center"| 13 | align="center"| 27,090 | |
1993
| align="left"| Shamrock
| align="center"| 12 | align="center"| 42,510 | |
1994
| align="left"| Sphere
| align="center"| 8 | align="center"| 70,810 | |
1995
| align="left"| Enfleurage
| align="center"| 6 | align="center"| 97,260 | |
1996
| align="left"| Bertemu
| align="center"| 3 | align="center"| 222,860 | Gold |
1997
| align="left"| Irāvatī
| align="center"| 5 | align="center"| 277,060 | Gold |
1999
| align="left"| Fuwari
| align="center"| 5 | align="center"| 117,820 | Gold |
2002
| align="left"| Feel Well
| align="center"| 7 | align="center"| 101,410 | Gold |
2004
| align="left"| Center Color
| align="center"| 10 | align="center"| 50,025 | |
2007
| align="left"| Plain
| align="center"| 18 | align="center"| 19,694 | |
2010
| align="left"| Choice
| align="center"| 6 | align="center"| 18,926 | |
2018
| align="left"| Fifty-Fifty
| align="center"| 18 | align="center"| 8,462 | |
=Singles=
class="wikitable" |
rowspan="1"| Year
!rowspan="1" width="300"| Song(s) !colspan="1" width="80"| Peak Oricon !colspan="1" width="80"| First-week sales !colspan="1" width="80"| Total sales !rowspan="1" width="125"| Certification !rowspan="1"| Album |
---|
1988
| align="left"| "Yakusoku da yo" | align="center"| — | align="center"| — | align="center"| — | | |
rowspan="1"| 1990
| align="left"| "Pulse" | align="center"| 92 | align="center"| 1,370 | align="center"| 2,630 | | |
rowspan="1"| 1991
| align="left"| "Niji-iro no Sneaker" | align="center"| 43 | align="center"| 6,190 | align="center"| 11,000 | | rowspan="1"| Half and, Half / Whatever |
rowspan="2"| 1992
| align="left"| "Yume o Dakishimete" | align="center"| 90 | align="center"| 2,550 | align="center"| 2,550 | | rowspan="1"| Shamrock |
align="left"| "Haruneko Fushigi Tsukiyo: Oshiete Happiness"
| align="center"| 49 | align="center"| 6,060 | align="center"| 8,740 | | |
rowspan="2"| 1993
| align="left"| "Our Day... Bokura no Good Day" | align="center"| 54 | align="center"| 7,940 | align="center"| 11,080 | | rowspan="1"| Shamrock |
align="left"| "Yume Hurry Up"
| align="center"| 58 | align="center"| 6,980 | align="center"| 6,980 | | rowspan="2"| Sphere |
rowspan="2"| 1994
| align="left"| "Until Strawberry Sherbet" | align="center"| 42 | align="center"| 10,990 | align="center"| 15,320 | |
align="left"| "Touch and Go!!"
| align="center"| 37 | align="center"| 11,360 | align="center"| 16,450 | | rowspan="1"| Enfleurage |
rowspan="2"| 1995
| align="left"| "Midnight Blue" | align="center"| 27 | align="center"| 19,560 | align="center"| 71,550 | | rowspan="3"| Bertemu |
align="left"| "Going History"
| align="center"| 25 | align="center"| 27,910 | align="center"| 62,560 | |
rowspan="4"| 1996
| align="left"| "Give a Reason" | align="center"| 9 | align="center"| 70,180 | align="center"| 232,850 | |
align="left"| "Kagiri nai Yokubō no Naka de"
| align="center"| 20 | align="center"| 26,510 | align="center"| 69,510 | | |
align="left"| "Just Be Conscious"
| align="center"| 11 | align="center"| 65,460 | align="center"| 175,110 | | rowspan="2"| Iravati |
align="left"| "Successful Mission"
| align="center"| 7 | align="center"| 66,450 | align="center"| 139,120 | |
rowspan="2"| 1997
| align="left"| "Don't Be Discouraged" | align="center"| 4 | align="center"| 105,590 | align="center"| 211,340 | | rowspan="1"| Feel Well |
align="left"| "Reflection"
| align="center"| 25 | align="center"| 80,310 | align="center"| 136,170 | | rowspan="1"| Iravati |
rowspan="5"| 1998
| align="left"| "Fine Colorday" | align="center"| 9 | align="center"| 54,520 | align="center"| 91,720 | | |
align="left"| "Infinity"
| align="center"| 8 | align="center"| 64,640 | align="center"| 141,510 | | |
align="left"| "Raging Waves"
| align="center"| 8 | align="center"| 50,340 | align="center"| 111,970 | | |
align="left"| "A House Cat"
| align="center"| 6 | align="center"| 46,830 | align="center"| 87,220 | | |
align="left"| "Proof of Myself"
| align="center"| 9 | align="center"| 49,210 | align="center"| 91,750 | | |
rowspan="2"| 1999
| align="left"| "Question at Me" | align="center"| 13 | align="center"| 45,350 | align="center"| 72,570 | | rowspan="1"| Fuwari |
align="left"| "Booska! Booska!!"
| align="center"| 50 | align="center"| 5,840 | align="center"| 8,400 | | rowspan="6"| Feel Well |
rowspan="2"| 2000
| align="left"| "Sakura Saku" | align="center"| 7 | align="center"| 64,660 | align="center"| 104,500 | |
align="left"| "Unsteady"
| align="center"| 14 | align="center"| 30,720 | align="center"| 40,880 | |
rowspan="3"| 2001
| align="left"| "Over Soul" | align="center"| 7 | align="center"| 60,930 | align="center"| 110,570 | |
align="left"| "Feel Well"
| align="center"| 11 | align="center"| 22,220 | align="center"| 38,720 | |
align="left"| "Brave Heart"
| align="center"| 11 | align="center"| 40,390 | align="center"| 63,800 | |
rowspan="3"| 2002
| align="left"| "Northern Lights" | align="center"| 3 | align="center"| 44,660 | align="center"| 93,080 | | rowspan="2"| Center Color |
align="left"| "Treat or Goblins"
| align="center"| 19 | align="center"| 15,820 | align="center"| 30,970 | |
align="left"| "Koibumi"
| align="center"| 7 | align="center"| 34,140 | align="center"| 65,220 | | rowspan="1"| Center Color / Plain |
rowspan="1"| 2003
| align="left"| "Makenaide, Makenaide..." | align="center"| 8 | align="center"| 14,408 | align="center"| 25,041 | | rowspan="2"| Plain |
rowspan="1"| 2006
| align="left"| "Meet Again" | align="center"| 12 | align="center"| 14,263 | align="center"| 24,393 | |
rowspan="1"| 2007
| align="left"| "A Happy Life" | align="center"| 12 | align="center"| 10,875 | align="center"| 20,108 | | rowspan="4"| Choice |
rowspan="1"| 2008
| align="left"| "Plenty of Grit" | align="center"| 6 | align="center"| 14,940 | align="center"| 25,931 | |
rowspan="2"| 2009
| align="left"| "Front Breaking" | align="center"| 15 | align="center"| 8,949 | align="center"| 13,782 | |
align="left"| "Shūketsu no En de"
| align="center"| 7 | align="center"| 14,865 | align="center"| 43,588 | |
rowspan="1"| 2010
| align="left"| "Shūketsu no Unmei" | align="center"| 5 | align="center"| 11,528 | align="center"| 21,633 | | rowspan="1"| Vintage White |
rowspan="1"| 2012
| align="left"| "Tsubasa" | align="center"| 36 | align="center"| 1,575 | align="center"| 3,940 | | rowspan="4"| Fifty-Fifty |
rowspan="1"| 2015
| align="left"| "Sanhara: Sei naru Chikara" | align="center"| 17 | align="center"| 4,181 | align="center"| 6,088 | |
rowspan="1"| 2016
| align="left"| "Usurai Shinju" | align="center"| 13 | align="center"| 5,568 | align="center"| 8,659 | |
rowspan="1"| 2017
| align="left"| "Imawa no Shinigami" | align="center"| 31 | align="center"| 3,438 | align="center"| 4,646 | |
rowspan="1"| 2021
| align="left"| "Soul Salvation" | align="center"| 9 | align="center"| 6,167 | align="center"| | | rowspan="4" | TBA |
rowspan="1"| 2022
| align="left"| "Shūketsu no Hate ni" | align="center"| 21 | align="center"| | align="center"| | |
rowspan="1"| 2023
| align="left"| "Shūketsu no Yari/Shūketsu no Hajimari" | align="center" rowspan="2"| 22 | align="center"| | align="center"| | |
rowspan="1"| 2024
| align="left"| "Gathering" | align="center"| | align="center"| | |
Substitutes
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Anime and manga|Biography|Japan}}
- {{Official website|https://lineblog.me/megumi_hayashibara/|Official blog}} {{in lang|ja}}
- {{Official website|http://king-cr.jp/artist/hayashi/index.html}} {{in lang|ja}}
- {{IMDb name}}
- {{Anime News Network|people|id=391}}
- {{AnimeCons name}}
- {{BTVA person}}
- {{musicbrainz artist|375a3c4c-7898-47f0-ad0e-443a75148c7a}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayashibara, Megumi}}
Category:Japanese women pop singers
Category:Japanese women rock singers
Category:Japanese women singer-songwriters
Category:Japanese radio personalities
Category:Japanese video game actresses
Category:King Records (Japan) artists
Category:Universal Music Japan artists
Category:Voice actresses from Tokyo
Category:20th-century Japanese actresses
Category:20th-century Japanese women singers
Category:20th-century Japanese singers
Category:21st-century Japanese actresses
Category:21st-century Japanese women singers