Akiko Muta is a Japanese voice actress and narrator from Tokyo, born on October 29th. She is affiliated with the talent management firm Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society, also known as Haikyo, which she joined in 1988 after graduating from its affiliated training school as part of the 16th graduating class. Her voice is classified as mezzo-soprano.

Muta is best known for her long-running roles in two of Japan's most beloved anime series. In Crayon Shin-chan, she voices Mari Fukitemono, a character also known as "Bukbuke Mari" or "Pimple Marie," who is a member of the Sukura Red Scorpions gang. She has played this role consistently for decades, appearing in numerous films based on the series, including Crayon Shin-chan: Otakebe! Kasukabe Yasei Ōkuma and Crayon Shin-chan: Fiercely Fighting! Kung Fu Boys ~Ramen Rebellion~. Equally prominent is her work in the long-running educational comedy Ninja乱太郎, where she voices two distinct characters: the motherly Osen and the enthusiastic ninja-in-training Hiyodai. Her association with these characters has spanned over thirty years.

Beyond these signature roles, Muta's career includes a wide variety of voice work. In the anime adaptation of the visual novel Comic Party, she played the role of Reiko Haga. She has also had guest roles in other major series, such as providing voices for several characters in the long-running detective anime Case Closed, also known as Detective Conan, and appearing in an episode of Mushishi: The Next Chapter. Her voice work also extends to video games, including the survival horror game Michigan, where she voiced Deborah Ferrier, and the RPG Suikoden V, for which she played multiple characters. She also provides the Japanese voice for the character Elizabeth Bergerac in the OVA series Maiden of Deliverance.

Muta has a significant body of work outside of anime as well. She is an active narrator for numerous television programs in Japan, including news shows, variety programs, and educational content for NHK. Her narration work spans a wide range of genres, from voiceovers on shows like The Best House 123 to educational programs like Fushigi World. She has also been a prolific voice actor in the Super Sentai live-action series, providing voices for various monsters and mechanical characters in shows from 1988's Choushinsei Flashman to 1995's Chouriki Sentai Ohranger. In the realm of foreign language dubbing, she is known for providing the Japanese voice for Dr. Jing-Mei Chen in the long-running medical drama ER.

Throughout her career, Muta has demonstrated a recurring collaboration with the production teams behind Crayon Shin-chan and Ninja乱太郎, making her a staple voice in these franchises. Her notable achievements include maintaining these central roles for over three decades and building a parallel career as a respected narrator. Her personal interests include visiting art museums and watching rakugo, traditional Japanese comic storytelling.