Kiyoe Yoshioka
Description
Kiyoe Yoshioka is a Japanese singer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the popular J-Pop band Ikimonogakari. Born on February 29, 1984, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, she moved to Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture at the age of five. Her involvement with voice acting, while not extensive, has seen her take on key roles that connect her musical career with animated projects.
Yoshioka's first venture into voice acting was a guest role in the 2013 animated film Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened, where she provided the voice for the Pokémon Eevee. This marked her debut in anime voice work.
Her most prominent voice acting role to date is as the lead character Nazuna in the 2021 original net animation Massara. The short anime, whose title translates to "Whole New," was inspired by and shares its name with Yoshioka's debut solo single. In Massara, she voices a singer-songwriter who is on the verge of giving up her dream, a performance that marked her first time playing a leading role in an anime. The project directly bridged her music and acting, with the animation serving as a visual component for her song.
While her direct acting credits are limited, Yoshioka's musical contributions to anime are a significant part of her career. As the vocalist for Ikimonogakari, she has performed several iconic theme songs. The band's song Blue Bird is a widely recognized opening theme for the anime Naruto Shippuden. Her solo career has also led to direct connections with anime series; her 2022 single Dekoboko was used as the first opening theme for the television anime A Couple of Cuckoos. There are no widely documented recurring collaborations with specific anime directors or studios beyond these project-specific connections, and her achievements remain primarily rooted in her successful music career with Ikimonogakari.
Yoshioka's first venture into voice acting was a guest role in the 2013 animated film Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened, where she provided the voice for the Pokémon Eevee. This marked her debut in anime voice work.
Her most prominent voice acting role to date is as the lead character Nazuna in the 2021 original net animation Massara. The short anime, whose title translates to "Whole New," was inspired by and shares its name with Yoshioka's debut solo single. In Massara, she voices a singer-songwriter who is on the verge of giving up her dream, a performance that marked her first time playing a leading role in an anime. The project directly bridged her music and acting, with the animation serving as a visual component for her song.
While her direct acting credits are limited, Yoshioka's musical contributions to anime are a significant part of her career. As the vocalist for Ikimonogakari, she has performed several iconic theme songs. The band's song Blue Bird is a widely recognized opening theme for the anime Naruto Shippuden. Her solo career has also led to direct connections with anime series; her 2022 single Dekoboko was used as the first opening theme for the television anime A Couple of Cuckoos. There are no widely documented recurring collaborations with specific anime directors or studios beyond these project-specific connections, and her achievements remain primarily rooted in her successful music career with Ikimonogakari.