Houko Kuwashima

Houko Kuwashima (桑島法子 Kuwashima Hōko^?) is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.

Houko Kuwashima is famous for her fans as Yurika Misumaru in the Martian Successor Nadesico series, Sango in the InuYasha series and Kagura in Azumanga Daioh.

Kuwashima voiced Shanoa, the heroine of Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, who also appeared in Castlevania Judgment, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, and Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls. She also supplied the voice of Carmilla in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

Biography[]

Although shy, Houko Kuwashima developed an interest in acting as an escapism from the real world from an early age, especially when she saw the musical and television dramas at the Shiki Theatre Company.

While in elementary school, Kuwashima watched Hayao Miyazaki's 1984 anime film, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which greatly inspired her to follow a voice acting career. At Iwate Prefectural Kurosawajiri North High School, she attended a correspondence course at Katsuta Voice Academy. She recorded her take on a cassette tape, which was corrected by voice actor Hisashi Katsuta, who was the director. However, she failed to have enough attendance by the day of promotion, and on the third year she was transferred to Iwate Prefectural Morio High School.

After graduating, she moved to Tokyo to become a voice actress. In 1994, she entered Aoni Production. She managed to be among the about 20 applicants that passed the exam out of 71 that belonged to Aoni. She made her voice acting debut in the 1995 TV anime Sailor Moon SuperS, playing a minor schoolgirl role. She also voiced Necrocaizer in the OVA series adaptation of the 1995 Technōs/SNK's Neo Geo fighting game Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer. In 1996, she got the role of the heroine Yurika Misumaru in the TV anime Martian Successor Nadesico, with which she gained popularity. She played her first starring role in the 1998 TV anime Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden, where she played the role of Shiro Bon (White Bomber), and again in the 1999 TV anime Phantom Thief Jeanne as Maron Kusakabe.