Hiroko Konishi
Hiroko Konishi (小西 寛子, Konishi Hiroko, born October 26, 1975) is a Japanese voice actress and musician.[1] Some of her major roles are Jiyuu Nanohana in Jubei-chan, Sae Sawanoguchi in Magic User's Club, Nene Romanova in Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040, Akane Kimidori in the 1997 remake of Dr. Slump, the title character Ojarumaru, and the original Takeru Takaishi in Digimon Adventure. In video games she voiced Shiori Misaka in the original Kanon visual novel, Lilith Aensland in Darkstalkers, Bridget in Guilty Gear X2, and Sophia Roberinge in Mitsumete Knight. After leaving voice acting in the mid 2000s, Konishi has returned to become a singer and musician, releasing songs on her independent label Squirrel Records.
Hiroko Konishi | |
---|---|
小西 寛子 | |
Born | Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan | October 26, 1975
Alma mater | Chuo University |
Occupation | |
Years active | 1994–2003 (voice acting) |
Agent | Office Squirrel |
Height | 161 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
Musical career | |
Genres |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1995–present |
Labels | |
Associated acts | Little Cure |
Website | www |
Life and career
Konishi formed a budding interest in stage acting as a junior high student, and as a high schooler, received voice training at the Nihon Narration Engi Kenkyūjo.
She released NOVELETTE (EMI Music Japan, 1999), her first album under her own identity. She teamed up with Ryo Arshe (Ryo Asakawa), her musical collaborator since 1998 and the artist NAOMI, forming the musical unit Little Cure.
As a TV personality, she has appeared on both NHK and public sector network shows. She had been a regular on the TV Tokyo-syndicated variety show Ichioshi Kiss, where she was portrayed as the youngest of three sisters, with co-stars Risa Stegmayer and Hinako Saeki. She was also narrator for the short-lived "pick of the week" show Ichioshi. She also acted in live action TV Commercials for "Dial 104" (cellphone directory assistance), as keitai detective PI Hiroko.
In 2018, Konishi claimed that she was replaced as Ojarumaru in Prince Mackaroo from disputes over her voice recording on Ojarumaru dolls and other merchandise.[2] Motivated by the Me Too movement, Konishi shared that she left voice acting after being sexually harassed and witnessing her other female peers abused by their agencies. She also alleged that she was propositioned by her manager Hara to enter a mixed bath in the nude with Akitaro Daichi and claimed that she was unable to get voice acting work after she refused.[3]
Personal life
After Sagami Women's Junior College she transferred to Chuo University's law department, earning an LL.B. degree, and qualifying in the National Bar Examination.
Filmography
Anime
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Doctor Slump: Arale's Surprise | Akane Kimidori | [5] | |
2000 | Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! | Takeru Takaishi | [5] | |
2000 | Ojarumaru the Movie: The Promised Summer - Ojaru and Semira | Ojarumaru Sakanoue | [5] | |
Video games
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Source[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | ja:戦国サイバー 藤丸地獄変 | Kaname of Oborokage | PS1 | [5] |
1996 | Mega Man 8 | Roll, Eddie | PS1/SS | [5] |
1996 | Fire Woman Matoigumi | Lemon | Also PS version in 1998 | [5][6] |
1996–97 | Darkstalkers series | Lilith Aensland | Arcade | [6] |
1996 | Magic School Lunar | Lena | Sega Saturn | [6] |
1997 | Mega Man Battle & Chase | Roll, Iceman | PS1 | [5] |
1997 | Ryuuki Denshou 2 | Melky Caring | Windows | [6] |
1997 | Voice Fantasia series | Weep | Sega Saturn, PS1/PS2 | [5][6] |
1997 | Magic School Lunar! | Lena | Sega Saturn | [5][6] |
1998 | Mitsumete Knight | Sophia Roberinge | PS1/PS2 | [5][6] |
1998 | Brave Fencer Musashi | Mint | PS1 | [5] |
1998 | Pounding Poyatchio ja:どきどきポヤッチオ | Cynthia | PS1 | [5] |
1998 | Night R Adventures Hen Staring ja:みつめてナイトR 大冒険編 | Sophia Roberinge | PS1 | [5] |
1999 | Captain Love ja:キャプテン・ラヴ | Kaori Kondo | PS1 | [5] |
1999 | Persona 2 | Lisa Silverman | PS1/PS2 Sin and Punishment | [5] |
1999 | The Misadventures of Tron Bonne | Danish Marmalade | PS1/PS2 | [5] |
1999 | ja:Little Lovers SHE SO GAME | Nana Ogihara | PS1 | [5] |
1999 | Revive: Resuscitation | Aoi Fujisawa | Dreamcast, also Adult PC in 2003 | [5] |
1999 | Gatekeepers | Misao Sakimori | PS1/PS2 | [5] |
1999 | Yukyu Fantasia 3 Perpetual blue 悠久幻想曲3 Perpetual blue | Cher Acis | DC | [5] |
2000 | Grandia II | Elena | Dreamcast | [5][6] |
2000 | Kanon series | Shiori Misaka | Dreamcast, PS2 | [5] |
2001 | Digimon Rumble Arena | Takeru Takaishi | PS1 | [5][6] |
2002 | Guilty Gear X2 | Bridget | PS1/PS2, Arcade | [5][6] |
2004 | Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower | Lilith | PSP | [6] |
Audio dramas
Title | Role | Notes | Source[4] |
---|---|---|---|
Agent Aika | Rion Aida | [6] | |
Fruits Basket | Tohru Honda | [6] | |
Kindaichi Case Files: Devil Suite Murder Cast | Yuka Mido | [5] | |
Kyuukyoku Parodius | Mona | [6] | |
Discography
- Albums
- Sophia (ソフィア, Sofia) (King Records, 1998, KICA-7900)[4]
- Novelete (EMI Music Japan, 1999, TYCY-10025)[4]
- Singles
- Pudding de Ojyaru (Nippon Crown Co. Ltd. 1999, as a role of Ojyaru-maru)
- "Mitsumete" (みつめて) (King Records, 1998, KIDA-7642)[7]
- Don’t Love (EMI Music Japan, 1999)
- Bite of Love (Nippon Columbia July 2000, as a member of LITTLE CURE)
- "Sayonara Arigato" (Squirrel, 2014)[8][9]
- "But She Was in Love" (Squirrel, 2014)[8][9]
- "An Amulet in His Pocket" (Squirrel, 2015)[8][9]
- "You Always Stay By Me" (Squirrel, 2015)[8][9]
References
- Doi, Hitoshi (March 2, 2016). "Konishi Hiroko (小西寛子)". Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- Loveridge, Lynzee (2018-06-08). "Voice Actress Hiroko Konishi Reveals Industry Disagreements About Ojarumaru Role". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2019-07-31.
- Morrissy, Kim (2019-02-13). "Voice Actress Hiroko Konishi Shares Her #MeToo Story". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2019-07-31.
- "ACTRESS bio TV,FILM,CARTOON". Hiroko Konishi website "Bearclaw Spruce Top". Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- "声優さん出演リスト 個別表示:小西寛子(Hiroko Konishi)" [Voice actor's appearance list individual display: Hiroko Konishi]. Voice Artist Database (in Japanese). GamePlaza-HARUKA-. June 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- Doi, Hitoshi (March 2, 2016). "Konishi Hiroko roles". Hitoshi Doi's Seiyuu Database. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- "みつめて". ORICON STYLE. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- "Hiroko Konishi". Spotify. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- "Hiroko Konishi". iTunes. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
- Hiroko Konishi in Game Plaza Haruka Voice Artist Database (in Japanese)
- Hiroko Konishi at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Hiroko Konishi on IMDb
- Hiroko Konishi at the Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese)
- Hiroko Konishi at Oricon (in Japanese)