Akiko Kobayashi is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with the agency SPACE CRAFT ENTERTAINMENT. She was born on June 9, 1979, in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Her path to a career in voice acting began with her admission to the Minami Aoyama Shōjo Kageki Dan (South Youth Girls' Opera Company) in 1996, and after graduating from the troupe's fifth class in August 1998, she committed fully to her performing career. She made her debut as a voice actress in 2001, with her first role being Paula in the anime PaRappa the Rapper.

Kobayashi is known for her distinctive, husky voice and has frequently been cast in roles portraying animal characters, particularly those with a feline theme or resemblance. Her early career included a significant role in the 2001 series Angel Tales, where she first voiced Tanuki no Midori (Raccoon Midori), a character she would reprise in subsequent series and adaptations. The early to mid-2000s saw her take on a variety of roles, including Nyaromon in Digimon Frontier, Mel in Ginga Densetsu Weed, and Bingo in Panda-Z: The Robonimation.

The year 2006 was a particularly active period for Kobayashi, during which she landed several prominent roles. She voiced the character Tenso in Inukami!, Momo in Momo: The Girl God of Death (Shinigami no Barado.), Zura in Save Me! Lollipop (Mamotte! Lollipop), and Randagio in the adventure anime Otógi Jūshi Akazukin (Fairy Musketeers). Her work in this series and others contributed to her profile as a voice actress. In the same year, she also hosted a net radio show with fellow voice actress Aya Hisakawa titled Kobayashi Akiko & Aya Hisakawa no Shinigami Tsūshin, which was related to her role in Momo: The Girl God of Death.

Kobayashi continued to build her portfolio in the late 2000s and beyond. She provided the voice for Misan in the long-running NHK cooking-themed anime Cookin' Idol Ai! Mai! Main! and for Aojiso in the first installment of the long-running Jewelpet franchise. She also voiced a character named Suku in the 2005 OVA Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek. Beyond anime, her work extended to video games, with notable roles including Mimoret in the Galaxy Angel II game series and Hibiki Asami in Lovely Idol. Her contributions to character songs and drama CDs, particularly for series like Angel Tales and Otógi Jūshi Akazukin, also form a part of her body of work.