Yuki Kaida
Encyclopedia
is a voice actress
and radio personality
from Tokyo
, Japan
. Although she has an extensive vocal range, voicing a large variety of characters throughout her career, she is commonly typecasted
as young males, achieving mainstream success as her roles in Hunter × Hunter
as Kurapika, The Prince of Tennis
as Shusuke Fuji, Shōnen Onmyōji
as Abe no Masahiro. and Hetalia Axis Powers and Hetalia World Series as China
or Yao Wang, She was formerly affiliated with the talent management agency Toritori Office, but is currently freelance
.
She holds the distinction of being one of the only Japanese
voice actors to have completed their formal education in the United States
. Consequently, she speaks multiple language
s with varying degrees of fluency outside of Japanese
. She is affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.
, Japan
, and was raised in the Shinjuku
ward of the city. Shortly following her graduation from Shinjuku High School, she enrolled in the International University of Art and Music in San Diego, California
, and studied abroad for four years, where she majored in musical theater. She returned to Japan to focus on voice acting, making her debut in the OVA Southern Wind as Himiko, followed up by some minor roles in other television animation; but her first major role as a voice actor came when she was cast as Kurapika in Hunter × Hunter
in 1999, after which her popularity began to grow. However, she went on to perform her arguably most well-known role, that of Shusuke Fuji in The Prince of Tennis
, which began airing in 2001; she reprised the role for later adaptations as well as for seiyū events to promote the series and for CDs sung as the character. She is also known for her wide vocal range and feminine natural voice, being skilled at voicing males as well as adult women such as Ouka from .hack//Legend of the Twilight
, gag characters such as Son Goku/Patalliro from Patalliro Saiyuki!
, and young females such as Machi Kuragi from Fruits Basket
.
In addition to voice acting, she is also a prominent radio personality
, and is the current announcer for Sadao Watanabe
's radio show, Nightly Yours. She is nicknamed , which is also her blog nickname, and , the latter being a corruption of the former. She is also a member of the seiyū unit AZU alongside Junko Takeuchi
and Junko Minagawa
, and is a member of the unit Takada Hiroyuki alongside Hiroki Takahashi
.
, competent in French
and Chinese
, as well as being a fluent English
speaker; the latter being evident in her Western education, her interest in Queen
and the Chronicles of Narnia
, and also by having an all-English speaking role as Angela Burton in Genshiken
. Her other hobbies include watching rakugo
, especially Kosanji Yanagiya, and baseball
, while she also has a pet dog named Vivian. She is commonly mistaken for her friend and fellow seiyū Yūko Kaida
, due to the fact that their names differ by only two characters and one letter in romanization.
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
and radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
from Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Although she has an extensive vocal range, voicing a large variety of characters throughout her career, she is commonly typecasted
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
as young males, achieving mainstream success as her roles in Hunter × Hunter
Hunter × Hunter
, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story focuses on a young boy named Gon, who discovers that his father, whom he was told was dead, is actually alive and well...
as Kurapika, The Prince of Tennis
The Prince of Tennis
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The title is often shortened to , a portmanteau of the two parts in the Japanese pronunciation of the words "Tennis Prince". The manga was first published in Japan in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 1999, and ended...
as Shusuke Fuji, Shōnen Onmyōji
Shonen Onmyoji
is a light novel authored by Mitsuru Yūki and illustrated by Sakura Asagi. The novel is currently serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's The Beans. The light novel currently has 25 volumes, including three short stories and a side story...
as Abe no Masahiro. and Hetalia Axis Powers and Hetalia World Series as China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
or Yao Wang, She was formerly affiliated with the talent management agency Toritori Office, but is currently freelance
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
.
She holds the distinction of being one of the only Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
voice actors to have completed their formal education in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Consequently, she speaks multiple language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s with varying degrees of fluency outside of Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. She is affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans.
Career
Kaida was born in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and was raised in the Shinjuku
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
ward of the city. Shortly following her graduation from Shinjuku High School, she enrolled in the International University of Art and Music in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and studied abroad for four years, where she majored in musical theater. She returned to Japan to focus on voice acting, making her debut in the OVA Southern Wind as Himiko, followed up by some minor roles in other television animation; but her first major role as a voice actor came when she was cast as Kurapika in Hunter × Hunter
Hunter × Hunter
, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story focuses on a young boy named Gon, who discovers that his father, whom he was told was dead, is actually alive and well...
in 1999, after which her popularity began to grow. However, she went on to perform her arguably most well-known role, that of Shusuke Fuji in The Prince of Tennis
The Prince of Tennis
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Takeshi Konomi. The title is often shortened to , a portmanteau of the two parts in the Japanese pronunciation of the words "Tennis Prince". The manga was first published in Japan in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 1999, and ended...
, which began airing in 2001; she reprised the role for later adaptations as well as for seiyū events to promote the series and for CDs sung as the character. She is also known for her wide vocal range and feminine natural voice, being skilled at voicing males as well as adult women such as Ouka from .hack//Legend of the Twilight
.hack//Legend of the Twilight
is a science fiction manga series written by Tatsuya Hamazaki and drawn by Rei Izumi. The twenty-two chapters of .hack//Legend of the Twilight appeared as a serial in the Japanese magazine Comptiq, and published in three tankōbon by Kadokawa Shoten from July 2002 to April 2004...
, gag characters such as Son Goku/Patalliro from Patalliro Saiyuki!
Patalliro!
is a long-running manga series written and illustrated by Mineo Maya, one of the few known male manga artist for shōnen-ai manga. Patalliro! is the first anime series to present shōnen-ai themes on television.- Plot :...
, and young females such as Machi Kuragi from Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket
, sometimes abbreviated , is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese magazine Hana to Yume, published by Hakusensha, from 1999 to 2006. The series was also adapted into a 26-episode anime series, directed by Akitaro...
.
In addition to voice acting, she is also a prominent radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
, and is the current announcer for Sadao Watanabe
Sadao Watanabe (musician)
is an influential Japanese jazz musician who plays the alto saxophone, sopranino saxophone and flute. He is known for his Bossa Nova recordings, although his work encompasses a large range of styles with collaborations from musicians all over the world. Sadao first began learning music at the age...
's radio show, Nightly Yours. She is nicknamed , which is also her blog nickname, and , the latter being a corruption of the former. She is also a member of the seiyū unit AZU alongside Junko Takeuchi
Junko Takeuchi
is a Japanese voice actress employed by Love Live.Taking a well-trod path by many voice actresses, she often voices young male characters with generally very quirky and goofy personalities...
and Junko Minagawa
Junko Minagawa
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Haikyo. She is well known for voicing young boys, although she has done "feminine" lady roles, as well as flirtatious women. She has also sang some of the openings and endings of the anime Prince of Tennis as well as vocal tracks and singles for this...
, and is a member of the unit Takada Hiroyuki alongside Hiroki Takahashi
Hiroki Takahashi
is a Japanese voice actor best known for the role of Eiji Kikumaru in The Prince of Tennis, Kenji Harima in School Rumble and Katsuya Jonouchi in Yu-Gi-Oh. He works at Big Shot/Interchannel. He also has voice acted in some yaoi Drama CD's such as Love Neco, and Koi cha no Osahou...
.
Personal
She is notably multilingualMultilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
, competent in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, as well as being a fluent English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
speaker; the latter being evident in her Western education, her interest in Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
and the Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
, and also by having an all-English speaking role as Angela Burton in Genshiken
Genshiken
is a manga series by Shimoku Kio about a college club for otaku and the lifestyle its members pursue. The title is a shortening of the club's official name, , or "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture". The series has also been adapted into an anime directed by Tsutomu Mizushima...
. Her other hobbies include watching rakugo
Rakugo
is a Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone sits on the stage, called the . Using only a paper fan and a small cloth as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical story...
, especially Kosanji Yanagiya, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, while she also has a pet dog named Vivian. She is commonly mistaken for her friend and fellow seiyū Yūko Kaida
Yuko Kaida
is a Japanese voice actress and theater actress from Kanagawa. She works at Ken Production. Kaida's most known roles include Neela Rasgotra in the Japanese dub of ER, Shimei Ryomo in Ikkitousen, Kyō Takamimori in Potemayo, Amane Ootori in Strawberry Panic!, Minako Tsukiyama in Maria-sama ga Miteru...
, due to the fact that their names differ by only two characters and one letter in romanization.
External links
- Yuki Kaida at the Seiyū Database Kaiteke!: Yuki Kaida's official blog