Naoko Takano is a Japanese voice actress and narrator affiliated with the agency Sigma Seven. She was born on June 16, 1968, in Tokyo, and is a graduate of the Faculty of Sociology at Hosei University. Before entering the voice acting industry, she worked as an office worker and part-time announcer while attending a voice acting training school.

Takano made her debut as a voice actress in 1996, with her first role being Cello in the television anime VS Knight Lamune & 40 Fire. Her breakthrough role came later the same year when she was cast as Megumi Reinard in the acclaimed series Martian Successor Nadesico, which significantly raised her public profile. In 1999, she gained further popularity through her performance as Miyuki Kotobuki in the beloved dating simulation game Tokimeki Memorial 2.

Her career features a number of prominent and recurring roles. She is well-known for her long-standing association with Type-Moon properties, having voiced the character Kohaku in the Melty Blood game series from 2002 for nearly a decade, a role she has also reprised in animated works such as Carnival Phantasm. She also became the voice of the magical wand Magical Ruby across the entire Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya anime franchise, including its various sequels and specials. Her other notable anime roles include Kaoru Konoe in Gate Keepers, Yuko Aoshima in Monkey Turn, and Midori Tohyama in Brighter than the Dawning Blue. In video games, her portfolio also includes Saya in Saya no Uta, for which she used the pseudonym Midori Kawamura.

Takano is recognized for her vocal quality, often portraying energetic and cheerful young girls with a distinctive, cute high-pitched tone. Beyond voice acting, she is also active as a narrator for television programs. She has engaged in music, forming the unit Waffle☆ra-mel with fellow Tokimeki Memorial 2 co-star Kazusa Murai and performing character songs for various franchises. Her personal interests include a love for ramen and a strong support for the Yomiuri Giants baseball team.