Kikuko Inoue

Biography

Kikuko Inoue (井上 喜久子, Inoue Kikuko; born September 25, 1964, formerly rendered as 井之上 喜久子) is a Japanese voice actress, singer and narrator. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club. She is also the founder and manager of her voice-acting company, Office Anemone. Inoue tends to play the "perfect girlfriend" or "motherly" role in many series, but has also played more sultry and provocative roles.

Biography

Inoue's vocal roles are usually female characters characterized as dignified, reserved, beautiful, kind, regal, mature or domestic. For example, Belldandy, a goddess who is kind, compassionate and skilled at domestic tasks. Kasumi Tendo is an older sister who has taken over domestic duties after the death of her mother, and who acts as a counterbalance to the more rambunctious members of her family. Notably, both Kasumi and Belldandy are almost parallels of each other due to their roles as domestics in a home which could explode into chaos at any moment. She also plays Rune Venus in El-Hazard, a princess and leader of her country; as well as Kazami Mizuho in Please Teacher!, a sensible, strong-hearted alien agent in charge of observing humanity that ends up falling in love with an earthling. In the video game Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, she voices as Kirumi Tojo aka "The Ultimate Maid" A loyal and serious Ultimate who takes care of both chores and the students during the Killing School Semester, who goes by the saying "duty before self"; This role also exposes Kikuko's love of maids. When she thinks of maid characters, she always tends to imagine them as a lighthearted one, but Kirumi is definitely the type of an amazing perfectionist whose only cred is "selfless devotion". Inoue also said that she can be a little bit nervous playing as Kirumi in the official Artbook Character Profile. And on May 12, 2020, Kikuko cosplayed as Kirumi for Maid Day.
She occasionally takes on roles which are more sultry, such as Corvette in Idol Project, a curvaceous dancer who flirts quite intensely with Mimu, the young heroine. In the hentai OVA Ogenki Clinic she provides the voice of a sex-crazed nurse. Also, as Lust in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, she was an antagonist the main characters have to contend with more than once. On very rare occasions she takes male roles, such as Tsubasa Oozora from Captain Tsubasa ROAD to 2002, as she has stated that these roles allow her to shout, which she finds "liberating".
She is referred to as "Onee-chan" ("big sister" in Japanese) and stayed with the title on her official site and a few albums because of her role as Kasumi Tendo in Ranma ½; this is confirmed in her online profile. She believes that in her past life she was a fish and therefore uses fish as her trademark. She made a guest appearance at the 2007 Animazement anime convention in Durham, North Carolina for an autograph and Q&A session. When asked her age, she often responds that she is only 17, which has become a running gag at events as well as anime shows. At an Otakon 2009 panel, she explained that the number 17 was an aesthetic choice. After voice acting Belldandy from the Ah! My Goddess anime, subsequent chapters of the manga used Inoue's distinctive style as the basis for Belldandy's character.
She won Best Supporting Voice Actress in the 4th Seiyu Awards. In 2016, at the 10th Seiyu Awards, she won the Kazue Takahashi Award for "the female performer who broadens the profession of voice acting in every form of media".
Inoue is married, and has a daughter named Honoka. Honoka uses Inoue as her stage "family" name and she is also a voice actress and singer. Inoue was good friends with fellow voice actress Atsuko Tanaka, who died on August 20, 2024.

Live appearances

TV Champion (TV Tokyo, September 15, 2005)

Stage appearances

Densha Otoko (Erumesu)
Sakura Taisen Paris Mini-Live 2001 Tokyo (Lobelia Carlini)
Sakura Taisen Paris no Christmas, Joyeux Noël! 2001 Dinner Show, Tokyo (Lobelia Carlini)

Albums

Outside Japan
Anime Toonz Presents Kikuko Inoue (Jellybean, 2001)

Talk

Inoue Kikuko no Gekkan Onee-chan to Issho monthly series (1997)
Manbow Hōsōkyoku (1995)
Ruri Iro Aquarium: Manbow Hōsōkyoku 2 (1996)
Ruri Iro Aquarium Special: Manbow Hōsōkyoku 3 (1996)
Ruri Iro Aquarium Selection (1996)
Shin Onee-chan to Issho seasonal series (1999)

Collaboration

Lu · puty · La · puty (Shiawase Kurowassan, Kikuko Inoue and Maria Yamamoto)
Osakana Penguin no Theme (Osakana Penguin, Kikuko Inoue and Junko Iwao)
Osakana Penguin CD (Osakana Penguin, Kikuko Inoue and Junko Iwao)
Shiawase-san (Shiawase Kurowassan, Kikuko Inoue and Maria Yamamoto)

Satellite digital radio

Inoue Kikuko no Osakana Radio (November 2000–March 2002)
Inoue Kikuko no Shiitake Radio (April 2002–March 2003)
Inoue Kikuko no Caramel Town (March 2003–current)

Internet radio

Onegai Hour: Mizuho-sensei no Kojin Jugyō (May 2004–March 2005)
Onee-chan ha Mahō Shōjo? (June 2005–current)

Other products

Coco Macne (white) and Coco Macne (black) from the ''Macne'' series.
Haruno Sora, a Vocaloid for VOCALOID 5 and Synthesizer V.