Ayaka Asai is a Japanese voice actress and actress born on May 11, 1992, in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. She is affiliated with the talent agency INTENTION. Standing at 160 cm with blood type A, she is known by fans through nicknames such as A-chan, Ayachu, and Ashai.

Asai's journey into voice acting began in childhood, influenced by her two older brothers with whom she watched anime series like the Gundam franchise and Neon Genesis Evangelion. This early exposure, combined with a personal interest in acting, set her on the path to becoming a voice actress. After high school, she enrolled at the Amusement Media General Academy in Tokyo, graduating in March 2013. Her professional debut came in 2012 with a role in the video game The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Evolution.

Her career trajectory includes several agency changes. She started with Seinenza Film Broadcasting Company in January 2013. That same year, she landed her first regular role in a television anime as Akane Okada in the series Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaetemo Omaera ga Warui! (known as Watamote). In October 2017, she moved to Toei Studio before becoming a freelancer. Since August 2020, she has been represented by her current agency, INTENTION.

Throughout her career, Ayaka Asai has demonstrated considerable range, voicing a wide spectrum of characters. Her work spans from cute and energetic girls to cold-blooded sisters, tough characters, and young boys. This versatility is a hallmark of her performance style.

She has taken on numerous prominent roles across a variety of popular anime series. Some of her most notable performances include the energetic and chaotic Clara Valac in Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun; the cheerful and determined Hazuki Katō in the Sound! Euphonium franchise, including its films Liz and the Blue Bird and Gekijō-ban Hibike! Euphonium: Kitauji Kōkō Suisōgaku-Bu e Yōkoso; the protagonist Mio Naruse in The Testament of Sister New Devil and its sequel The Testament of Sister New Devil BURST; the spy Lisa Isaribi in Fire Force; and the cat-eared beastkin Zeta in The Eminence in Shadow.

Her filmography also includes a wide array of other significant roles. She voiced Makoto Hagino in The Vampire Dies in No Time, Azami in In the Heart of Kunoichi Tsubaki, Sōma in AFTERLOST, Mil in Monster Hunter Stories RIDE ON, Mayumayu in Hi Score Girl II, Fūka Tamaki in Kandagawa Jet Girls, Monica in Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall, and Miyako Inoue in both Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna and Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning. In the Digimon franchise, she also voiced Katz Howan and Barbara in the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan's Island. Other credits include Yuno Amase in Strike The Blood IV, Akeno Kasai in Given, Laura Sakuraba in Aikatsu Stars!, Hina Origami in Schoolgirl Strikers Animation Channel, Yamato Amanokawa in Engimon, and Chihiro Kobayashi in The Dangers in My Heart. She also voiced Hitoshi Hikizuri in Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre, Kenya Misaki in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and Yui Shiraishi in Love is Like a Cocktail.

A significant milestone in her career was being cast as Mirei Hayasaka in the massively popular multimedia franchise The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls. Announced in March 2017, the role connected her with a large and dedicated fanbase, allowing her to showcase her singing and dancing abilities at live concerts and events. This role is a major part of her public profile.

Beyond anime, Asai is active in video games and dubbing foreign films and series. Her video game roles include appearances in titles such as Conception 2 and Kandagawa Jet Girls. Her dubbing work features voicing characters like Stella Nicholls in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Choi Nam-ra in the Korean drama All of Us Are Dead.

Asai's personal interests include playing with dogs, exploring convenience stores for new sweets, and showcasing her skill at UFO catcher games. She is also proficient in playing the tuba, swimming, and giving massages.