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Name: 高部あい (たかべ あい)
Name (romaji): Takabe Ai
Nicknames: Chindonya Ai (あいちん), Ai-chan (あいちゃん)
Profession: Actress and gravure idol
Birthdate: 1988-Aug-16
Birthplace: Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
Height: 165cm
Star sign: Leo
Blood type: A
Talent agency: Oscar Pro
Through five episodes, Aoi Hana is one of the best shows of the year: a yuri school drama beautifully animated, sensitively written and directed, and well voiced by a combination of new and experienced seiyuus.
The newest of the seiyuus is well-known swimsuit idol (see photos below), actress, and TV personality Takabe Ai 高部あい. Her tiny voice brings to life the show's tall but insecure heroine Fumi-chan.
The voice Ai-chin uses is close to her natural voice, as revealed in TV interviews. Some people on 2channel don't like it. There is a whole thread entitled: "Aoi Hana: The Main Character's Stiff Acting is Horrible 青い花 主役の棒演技がひどい".
Fortunately, there are plenty of 2channel posters who disagree, as I do. However, I do know what people are referring to: hers is not a smooth, professional seiyuu voice, with clear and controlled shifts of tone.
But I hear it as a more natural voice, and the voice of an actress. She may not be the absolute best actress in the world, but she is conveying this shy and uncertain character very well -- better than many top pro seiyuus would, I think.
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