Masaaki Yano is a Japanese voice actor born on September 6 in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture. He is affiliated with the talent agency Apte Pro, having graduated from its attached training institute as part of its first generation of students. He is also a student of voice actor Takeshi Shiina.

Yano began his voice acting career in 2010, taking on minor roles in television anime such as Doraemon. His early work was heavily focused on dubbing foreign films and television dramas into Japanese, where he often played young and adult characters. His first anime credit came in 2012 with a role in the series Beast Saga. Throughout the 2010s, he continued to build his resume with supporting roles in numerous series, including The Testament of Sister New Devil, Nisekoi, and Overlord II and III.

A significant turning point in Yano's career came with his performance in the 2018 anime Pop Team Epic. In the show, he voiced a wide variety of characters in almost every episode, gaining widespread attention for his vocal range and for an impression of a character that closely mimicked the voice of the late actor Unsho Ishizuka. This exposure led to a marked increase in recognition and workload.

Following this breakthrough, Yano secured more prominent anime roles. In 2020, he voiced Chūya Nakahara in Wave, Listen to Me!. He has been a recurring presence in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, providing voices for Yujin Gōha and Yuugene in Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens. His other notable anime credits include the Mercenary in The Dawn of the Witch, Fukurokuju in Nanaraki ~Seven Lucky Gods~, roles in Hortensia Saga, I'm Standing on a Million Lives, and the 2022 film One Piece Film Red. In addition to animation, Yano has extensive experience in video games, lending his voice to titles such as Monster Strike, Fire Emblem Engage, and Octopath Traveler.

Beyond acting, Yano launched a YouTube channel in April 2020 where he streams video game content, allowing him to connect with fans in a more direct and informal setting. His personal interests include playing darts, baking sweets, and participating in survival games. Despite his increased public profile, he is known to be a private person who prefers to avoid excessive attention.