96Neko, born March 30, 1993, is a Japanese singer and voice actress from Osaka Prefecture who first gained prominence as an utaite, a term for a singer who covers existing songs on video sharing platforms. She began her career in 2006 by uploading videos to the video sharing site Niconico, quickly distinguishing herself with her remarkable ability to perform in a wide variety of vocal tones, from a soft female voice to a deep, masculine one. This versatility led to her being classified as a multi-voice singer within the Niconico community, with some listeners drawing comparisons to professional voice actors like Romi Park and Miyuki Sawashiro. Her stage name itself is a wordplay, as the digits "96" can be read as "kuro" in Japanese, making "96Neko" a homophone for "black cat," an animal she likes.

While 96Neko's foundation is in music, her career has seen a significant expansion into voice acting and character-based performance, particularly through her involvement in mixed-media projects and anime. A pivotal moment came in 2016 when she signed with Sony Music for her major-label debut. That same year, she took on her first anime voice acting role, providing the voice for a mother character in the series Kagewani: Shou. This marked the beginning of her transition from strictly a singer to a performer who also lends her voice to characters.

Her profile as a voice performer was further elevated through her participation in large-scale, cross-platform projects. In 2019, she joined the cast of Paradox Live, a hip-hop music and drama project, where she voices and performs as the character Anne Faulkner . This role requires her to both act and sing in character, perfectly utilizing her dual talents. A particularly notable achievement came in 2022 when she was chosen as the singing voice for the protagonist, Eiko Tsukimi, in the anime series Paripi Koumei (Ya Boy Kongming!). While actress Kaede Hondo provided the character's speaking voice, 96Neko performed all of Eiko's numerous on-screen songs, including covers of classic J-pop hits and the show's original insert songs. This role brought her vocal abilities to a wide audience and demonstrated her capacity to inhabit a character through song.

Her work in voice acting is closely linked to her musical career, with many roles involving singing components. Beyond acting, she has performed theme songs for several anime, including the opening theme for Scum's Wish in 2017 and the opening theme for Heaven's Design Team in 2021. Her discography also includes several original albums and a 2023 cover album titled Anime tte Ii yo na?!, featuring her renditions of classic anime songs. Throughout her career, 96Neko has been known for her distinctive, powerful voice, her dynamic stage presence, and her ability to seamlessly switch between characters and vocal styles, making her a unique figure who bridges the worlds of online fandom, music, and professional voice acting.