Asami Imai
{{Short description|Japanese voice actress and singer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Asami Imai
| image = Asami Imai -Officially authorized picture for Wikipedia-.jpg
| alt = A 2016 photograph of Asami Imai
| caption = Imai in 2016
| native_name = 今井 麻美
| native_name_lang = ja
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|5|16}}
| birth_place = Tokyo, Japan
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Meiji University
| occupation = {{flatlist|
}}
| years_active = 1997–present
| agent = Early Wing
| module = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed = yes
| genre = J-Pop
| instrument = Vocals
| years_active = 2009–present
| label = 5pb.
| associated_acts = Artery Vein (Eri Kitamura), Yukari Tamura
| website = {{URL|http://5pb.jp/records/sp/asami/}}
}}
}}
{{Nihongo|Asami Imai|今井 麻美|Imai Asami|born May 16, 1977}} is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Early Wing. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997 and as singer in 2009 by releasing her first single "Day by Day / Shining Blue Rain" under the 5pb. Records label. She is also well known for giving voices to Chihaya Kisaragi in THE IDOLM@STER (all related productions, except for IDOLM@STER: Xenoglossia), Kurisu Makise in Steins;Gate, Tsubaki Yayoi in BlazBlue, and Ayumi Shinozaki in Corpse Party. She along with Eri Kitamura formed the music unit Artery Vein which is also under the 5pb. label.
Biography
=Early life=
Born in Tokyo in 1977, Imai moved from Shibuya to Tokuyama City (currently Shūnan City) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, when she was eight years old. However, it is stated in her official profile that she was born in Yamaguchi Prefecture.{{cite web | url=http://5pb.jp/records/sp/asami/profile.html | title=Label profile | publisher=5pb. | access-date=March 12, 2016 |language=ja}} She has stated that she graduated from Tokuyama High School, was vagabond for around a year, before entering Meiji University's School of Arts and Letters, majoring in Drama and Theatre Arts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201011/19035791.html|script-title=ja:今井麻美：大好きな歌が仕事になるとはうれしい誤算【エンジェル・ボイス アゲイン|publisher=Famitsu|date=November 19, 2010|access-date=May 16, 2017|language=ja}}
In late April 2020, she uploaded her Youtube channel.
=Career=
In 1998, Imai won the Grand Prize for the Voice Actress category at the ENIX Anime Awards (エニックスアニメ大賞) while she was still studying. Subsequently, she debuted in the following year in the drama CD Toki no Daichi〜Hana no Ōkoku no Majo〜. In 2001, she was chosen as an assistant of the radio show, Tomokazu・Miki's Radio Big Bang.
At one point of time in 2006, Imai once thought of giving up her job as a voice actress, but could not bear to leave the voice acting of her role as Chihaya Kisaragi in The Idolmaster to others.{{Cite web|url=http://blog.livedoor.jp/ubiquitous777/archives/2012-06.html|title=2016年6月：★UBIQUITOUS★ASAMI IMAI - ライブドアブログ|date=June 26, 2012|access-date=July 18, 2017|language=ja}}
Imai left her agency ArtsVision on April 5, 2007. She then free-lanced under the agency Kaleidoscope for 7 months.
On April 22, 2009, Imai released her first major debut single, "Day by Day / Shining Blue Rain" under the 5pb. Records label. In the same year, she transferred to her current agency, Early Wing on December 1.
She landed her first lead role as Kiiko Kawakami in the OVA Kuttsukiboshi in 2010. As she began expanding her singing career, she held her first solo live concert on December 25, 2010, and has since held concerts around the period of her birthday in May, as well as December.
On April 18, 2012, Imai was awarded the Best Female Character Voice award at the Famitsu Awards in 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-04-18/monster-hunter-3-g-takes-top-prize-in-famitsu-awards|title=Monster Hunter 3 G Takes Top Prize in Famitsu Awards|date=April 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420221420/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-04-18/monster-hunter-3-g-takes-top-prize-in-famitsu-awards|archive-date=April 20, 2012 |work=Anime News Network|access-date=March 12, 2016}}
Imai is one of two members of the musical duo Artery Vein, along with Eri Kitamura. The unit mainly performs theme songs for the Corpse Party series.{{cite web|url=http://5pb.jp/records/sp/arteryvein/prof.html|title=Profile|publisher=5pb.|language=ja|access-date=March 12, 2016}} Imai's song "World-Line" is used as the second ending theme to the 2018 anime series Steins;Gate 0.{{cite web |title=Steins;Gate 0 Anime Reveals Visual for 2nd Half |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2018-07-13/steins-gate-0-anime-reveals-visual-for-2nd-half/.134244 |publisher=Anime News Network |access-date=November 5, 2018 |date=July 14, 2018}} Her song "Believe in Sky" was used as the opening theme to the 2019 anime series Pastel Memories.{{cite web |title=Pastel Memories Anime Reveals January Premiere, Visuals, Theme Songs |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-05/pastel-memories-anime-reveals-january-premiere-visuals-theme-songs/.137761 |publisher=Anime News Network |access-date=February 13, 2020 |date=October 5, 2018}}
Filmography
=Animation=
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of voice performances in film ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"| Notes | ||||
| {{dts|2008|06|28|format=y}} | Strait Jacket | Rachel Hammond | ||
| {{dts|2011|09|17|format=y}} | Hotarubi no Mori e | Masked child (younger brother) | {{cite AV media | title = Hotarubi no Mori e | type = DVD | language = ja, en | year = 2011 | publisher = Aniplex | asin = B0092EXBP6}} | |
| {{dts|2013|04|20|format=y}} | Steins;Gate: Fuka Ryōiki no Déjà vu | Kurisu Makise | ||
| {{dts|2014|01|25|format=y}} | The Idolmaster Movie: Beyond the Brilliant Future! | Chihaya Kisaragi |
=Live action=
- Ultraseven X (2007): Soul of Light (ep 6.){{cite web|author=James Ballard|url=http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/12/22/ultraseven-x-series-guide/|title=ULTRASEVEN X Series Guide|publisher=www.scifijapan.com|date=2007-12-22|access-date=2016-09-14|archive-date=2021-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126051607/http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/12/22/ultraseven-x-series-guide/|url-status=dead}}
=Video games=
=Drama CD=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of voice performances in drama CD ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"| Notes | |||
| Aki Sora | Sora | {{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-07-11/aki-sora-3rd-manga-volume-to-bundle-anime-dvd|title=Aki Sora's 3rd Manga Volume to Bundle Anime DVD (Updated 2)|date=July 11, 2009|work=Anime News Network|access-date=June 16, 2016}} | |
| Fullmetal Alchemist | Elisa エリサ | CD audio | |
| Kiss x Sis series | Yūzuki Kiryū | ||
| Metal Slader Glory | Kisaragi Yayoi 如月やよい | CD audio | |
| Witch of the Kingdom of the time of the earth flower 刻の大地 花の王国の魔女 | Nanami Nakajima 中島七海 | CD audio Debut work | |
| Scrapped Princess | Merchant 町人 | CD audio |
=Dubbing=
==Live-action==
==Animation==
Discography
=Asami Imai=
==Solo Singles==
- "Day by Day /Shining Blue Rain", released April 22, 2009
- "Strawberry 〜Amaku Setsunai Namida〜", released October 21, 2009
- "Horizon", released April 21, 2010
- "Shangri-La", released July 22, 2010
- "Frame Goshi no Koi", released February 23, 2011
- "Enrai", released May 25, 2011
- "Hana no Saku Basho", released August 3, 2011
- "Hasta La Vista", released April 25, 2012
- "Limited Love", released July 25, 2012
- "Dear Darling", released March 27, 2013
- "Hoshikuzu no Ring", released June 26, 2013
- "Shikkoku no Sustain", released March 26, 2014
- "Tsuioku no Itoguruma", released July 30, 2014
- "Venus no Harmonia", released August 27, 2014
- "Asayake no Starmine", released June 3, 2015
- "BABYLON 〜 before the daybreak", released July 22, 2015
- "Sabaku no Ame", released July 27, 2016
- "Reunion -Once Again-", released October 26, 2016
- "World-Line", released August 29, 2018
- "Niji", released September 9, 2018 (Fan-club single)
- "Believe in Sky", releases January 30, 2019
- "Kimi no Koe no Kazu dake ~Can be strong~", released August 26, 2020 (Fan-club single)
==Mini-Albums==
- "Flow of Time", released November 27, 2019
==Solo albums==
- "COLOR SANCTUARY", released November 23, 2010
- "Aroma of happiness", released November 30, 2011
- "Precious Sounds", released November 28, 2012
- "Kono Kumo no Hate", released November 27, 2013
- "little legacy", released November 26, 2014
- "Words of GRACE", released February 24, 2016
- "rinascita", released May 16, 2017
- "Gene of the earth", released November 25, 2020
- "Balancing Journey", released December 22, 2021
=ARTERY VEIN=
==Singles==
- "Confutatis no Inori", released August 25, 2010
- "Last Judgement", released April 20, 2011
- "Pandora no Yoru", released August 24, 2011
- "Kagerou", released August 8, 2012
==Albums==
- "ARTERY VEIN", released March 7, 2012
References
{{reflist|30em|refs=
| url=http://www.usagi.org/doi/seiyuu/imai-asami/roles.html
| title=Imai Asami roles | work=Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database
| access-date=June 15, 2016
| date=June 14, 2016
| last=Doi | first=Hitoshi | author-link=Hitoshi Doi}}
| url=http://www.usagi.org/doi/seiyuu/imai-asami/
| title=Imai Asami (今井麻美) – Personal Information
| work=Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database
| access-date=June 15, 2016
| date=June 14, 2016
| last=Doi | first=Hitoshi | author-link=Hitoshi Doi}}
| url=http://gph.sakura.ne.jp/va_memo/system/vadb.cgi?action=view_ind&value=01370&namecode=0
| title=声優さん出演リスト 個別表示：今井麻美(asami imai){{=}}遠山枝里子{{=}}赤城ひより{{=}}塚本由美{{=}}伊勢由子{{=}}灰田みかげ{{=}}堀越恵子{{=}}鹿地薫{{=}}瀬戸野蛍子{{=}}芹沢せいら{{=}}九重くるみ{{=}}酒井みすず{{=}}桜庭翡翠{{=}}佐野由綺奈{{=}}時坂セリ香{{=}}水沢光{{=}}宮川なつき{{=}}宮部るい{{=}}山崎波子{{=}}悠木舞{{=}}雪平雫{{=}}井ノ原理子{{=}}時坂セリ香{{=}}葛西優美
| trans-title=Voice actor's appearance list individual display: Asami Imai
| work=Voice Artist Database
| publisher=GamePlaza-HARUKA-
| access-date=June 15, 2016
| date=April 6, 2016
| language=ja
| archive-date=March 4, 2016
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195052/http://gph.sakura.ne.jp/va_memo/system/vadb.cgi?action=view_ind&value=01370&namecode=0
| url-status=dead
}}
}}
External links
{{Commons category|Asami Imai}}
- {{Official website|http://5pb.jp/records/sp/asami/}} at 5pb records. {{in lang|ja}}
- {{Official website|http://5pb.jp/records/sp/arteryvein/|Artery Vein official website}} at 5pb. records {{in lang|ja}}
- {{ann|people|9744}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imai, Asami}}
Category:Japanese video game actresses
Category:Meiji University alumni
Category:Voice actresses from Tokyo
Category:21st-century Japanese actresses
Category:21st-century Japanese singers