Kana Ichinose
| Kana Ichinose | |
|
| |
| Profile | |
| Gender: | Female |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | December 20, 1996 |
| Place of birth: | Obihiro, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan |
| Voice of: | Namako-Otoko |
| Years active: | 2016–present |
| Website: | X Account Instagram Account Sigma Seven Profile |
Kana Ichinose (市ノ瀬 加那 Ichinose Kana), born December 20, 1996 in Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan, is a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with the talent agency Sigma Seven.
In Shin Samurai-den Yaiba she is the voice of Namako-Otoko.
Contents
About
Getting into voice acting
Kana Ichinose’s love for anime began at a young age, spending hours watching anime on TV, particularly from channels that aired 24/7[1]. Her passion deepened in middle school when she became especially a fan of The Prince of Tennis, and it was around this time that she developed an interest in pursuing a career related to anime[1]. Her growing interest in anime led her to consider working in the anime industry, and she began attending open campus events for schools offering related work. During one such event, a teacher asked if her natural voice was the one she had used for her introduction, to which Ichinose responded with "Yes". The teacher then told her she had a talent suited for voice acting, which confirmed her decision to become a voice actor[1].
Ichinose graduated from Sapporo School of Music & Dance[2]. In 2015, she passed the 6th Sigma Seven Voice Actor Audition and joined Sigma Seven in April 2016[3].
She gradually started gaining audition experience and, by December 2016, took part in an audition for what would later become one of her early major roles. At the time, she hadn’t advanced past second-round auditions often, and her first in-studio audition made her extremely nervous. Despite the pressure, she aimed to perform with no regrets, though she later recalled being advised to improve her tempo due to speaking too slowly[3].
Major works
Ichinose is known for her role as Ichigo in Darling in the Franxx, which began airing in January 2018. In an interview[3], Ichinose revealed that she became so emotionally involved in her character, Ichigo, that she started crying. She even joked about being worried her nose would be visibly running during her final lines.
Ichinose really likes serious stories, especially ones where the characters are dealing with life-or-death situations. She's watched a lot of shows like that and always hoped she could be part of one someday[4], which is why she was really happy to get her fist starring role in Fairy Gone as Marlya Noel, which began airing in April 2019.
Media Appearance
Laishinbang Radio Interview
Laishinbang Radio is an in-store radio program broadcast at all branches of Laishinbang, an anime shop specializing in buying and selling secondhand anime goods. After finishing recording as the personality for September 2021, she was interviewed to share her thoughts on the radio segments, past favourite shows, and more.
She said that, like with any new job, she was nervous at first, but the staff made her feel comfortable and the recording ended up being really fun. Ichinose, who had been an anime fan of Laishinbang before, was excited to work with them professionally.
She talked about how relaxing the atmosphere of Laishinbang Radio was, mentioning how the background music and voices made her feel like staying longer. She hoped that while listeners were shopping, they’d enjoy hearing fun anime discussions.
Ichinose also joined a segment called Katte ni Shin Anime Audition, where she is given a random or improvised anime theme, character type, or line, and has to perform it on the spot, playing a few different characters. She had to try her hand at roles like “a bad actor playing a bad part”, “a bug hero,” and “a character who suddenly gains powers”. It made her realize just how challenging voice acting can be.
In another part of the show, she was asked to look at anime merchandise and guess how much it was worth. She was surprised by how much some items could go for and thought the whole system was really cool. She mentioned how easy it is now to search for things online and buy or sell them.
Ichinose also talked about her teenage years and how much she loved works like Prince of Tennis, Gintama, Dragon Ball, and Kuroko's Basketball. She shared how those shows were a big part of her life and how she would imagine chatting with her favourite characters. Looking back on those times motivates her to work even harder as a voice actor. To wrap up, she told her listeners she hoped they enjoyed the show and that it made their shopping or home time a little more fun. She also encouraged everyone to keep loving anime.
"Three turning points in life" Interview
This interview is part of a series featuring popular voice actors. In this 17th edition, Ichinose talks about the key moments that shaped her career. The interview was held under the theme “Three Turning Points in Life.”
1: Falling in Love with Anime
Ichinose got into anime as a kid thanks to a 24-hour anime channel her family kept by accident. But it was in junior high that The Prince of Tennis pulled her in deeply. She loved the characters, collected merchandise, and got into everything from games to character songs. The show made her feel connected to the anime world in a personal way, and even now, she calls it her favorite. It’s something she always returns to.
2: First Lead Role in Darling in the Franxx
Her career really started when she voiced Ichigo in Darling in the Franxx'. It was her first main role, and it gave her confidence that she belonged in voice acting. She hadn’t expected to be chosen, but she focused on understanding the character deeply, which impressed the director. The experience helped her find her style, build acting skills, and see what it means to really "become" a character. It also taught her how important support and encouragement are, especially for someone still growing.
3: Playing Suletta in The Witch from Mercury
Now, Ichinose is playing the lead in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. It’s a huge step, but also came with pressure, carrying the Gundam name is no small thing. She already had robot roles before, but this one is more intense, with fast-paced battle scenes and tough dialogue. Still, she feels close to Suletta and naturally understands her way of speaking and thinking. For Ichinose , this role feels like the start of something even bigger in her life.
Awards
In 2021, she won the Best New Actress Award at the 15th Seiyu Awards. In March 2024, she won the Best Leading Actor Award at the 18th Seiyu Awards.
Other notable roles
Anime
- Darling in the Franxx: Ichigo
- Dr. Stone: Yuzuriha Ogawa
- Fairy Gone: Marlya Noel
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End: Fern
- Kaguya-sama: Love Is War: Maki Shijo
- Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury: Suletta Mercury, Ericht Samaya
Trivia
- She is 148cm tall.
- Her dominant hand is left[5].
- Her hobbies include traveling alone, sky watching, and watching movies.
- She is pretty good at basketball.
- She has a cat named Lupin[6], who she calls Rucchan[7].
- She has received death threats because of her character Ichigo from Darling in the Franxx in episode 14[8].
- She enjoys works with emotional intensity, especially those involving shouting or dramatic scenes[4].
- She finds it creatively fulfilling when scripts leave room for actor interpretation, such as when lines are presented in bullet points, encouraging her to imagine the context herself[4].
- Her favourite FRANXX is Delphinium[3].
References
- ^ a b c https://originalnews.nico/416911
- ^ https://www.ssm.ac.jp/career-debut/debut.html
- ^ a b c d https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1515383198
- ^ a b c https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1554266637
- ^ Pixiv Encyclopedia
- ^ X Post (27.02.2022)
- ^ X Post (01.01.2023)
- ^ https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=1722799
