Youko Honna is a celebrated Japanese voice actress, actress, and singer, beloved by fans for her iconic roles in anime and film.
She shot to fame as a teenager with her portrayal of Shizuku Tsukishima in Studio Ghibli's "Whisper of the Heart," lending both her voice acting and singing talents to the project.
Her impressively diverse career spans child acting, voice work in major anime series like "Pretty Cure," dramatic roles, dubbing foreign films, and live performances.
Distinctive for her warm, expressive voice and ability to breathe life into a wide variety of characters, Youko remains a cherished presence in the world of Japanese pop culture.
Youko Honna was born on January 7, 1979, in Soka City, Saitama, Japan.
Concerned about her extreme shyness, her parents encouraged her to join the children's theater group Gekidan Nihon Jidou at age four.
By the end of junior high school, she had appeared in approximately 180 productions, spanning TV dramas, films, stage plays, and commercials.
Honna attended Ryogoku High School in Tokyo before advancing to Soka University, where she majored in Russian.
Youko’s career began as a child actress, where she even played Little Cosette in the musical "Les Misérables."
She made her anime voice acting debut as the young Taeko Okajima in Studio Ghibli’s "Only Yesterday" (1991) while in her first year of junior high school.
Her major breakthrough came in 1995 as Shizuku in "Whisper of the Heart," also performing the film’s main theme "Country Roads," which became a major hit, selling around 200,000 copies and earning a Top 10 spot among new artists that year.
After pausing her career to focus on studies, Youko returned to entertainment as a voice actress and began working on foreign film dubbing.
She gained further recognition with her leading role as Nagisa Misumi/Cure Black in "Pretty Cure."
She has continued to star in popular anime, including "Mobile Suit Gundam 00" as Sumeragi Lee Noriega, the "Angelique" series, and many more.
Her talents also extend to stage performances and music, notably contributing to official character songs for the anime she starred in.
Additionally, Youko is active in dubbing, providing Japanese voices for international actresses like Elizabeth Moss and Fan Bingbing.
She is also a frequent performer at anime and character live events, and the voice behind various game characters and TV narrations.
Her rendition of "Country Roads" was a commercial success, charting at number 22 on Oricon and selling nearly 200,000 copies.
She was listed among the year's Top 10 new artists after her debut as Shizuku.
Youko's role as Cure Black established her as a fundamental figure in the "Pretty Cure" franchise, which remains a major pillar of magical girl anime.
On July 30, 2014, Youko announced her marriage to a non-celebrity man.
She gave birth to her first daughter in June 2015 and a son in May 2017.
She has openly shared her experiences of motherhood, including her journey through childbirth and her experience with miscarriage.
Youko’s motto is "No matter what happens, keep the flame of hope burning and a path will open up."
She is multilingual, with skills in Italian and Russian, and is accomplished in piano and tap dancing.
She also holds a 6th dan in calligraphy.
In addition to acting and singing, Youko enjoys café hopping, cooking, photography, reading, and traveling.
Her international mindset led her to supervise Italian language in anime such as "A Certain Magical Index II" and "Campione!"
Youko Honna has a deep connection with Studio Ghibli, appearing in three of their major films and narrating for the Ghibli Museum Library.
She formed a music unit "Uchuu Dokei" (Space Clock) with pianist Marcielo and percussionist JunJun, where she took on songwriting and jewelry design.
She has a rich and unique stage background, having performed in numerous live theater shows, including starring roles in the Showa Geinosha troupe.
She’s a recurring voice for "Cure Black" in almost all Pretty Cure spin-offs, video games, and stage events.
Fans love her for her approachable personality and willingness to share behind-the-scenes stories and personal life openly on her blog and social media.
She is managed by Remax and previously worked with 81 Produce.
Youko regularly participates in character exhibitions and provides the official audio guide at the All Precure Exhibition.
She continues to perform live, including at major anniversary concerts for Pretty Cure.
Her discography includes singles, mini albums, and a multitude of character songs from her anime roles, making her a staple in the anisong (anime-song) world.
As a voice actress, Youko has dubbed main roles for prominent western series and movies, bringing global stories to Japanese audiences.
She also voices for digital interactive robots, museum audio guides, and participates in radio and educational content.
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