May 29th is Hayami Saori-san’s birthday.
Hayami Saori-san debuted in the latter half of the 2000s. She received the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 10th Seiyuu Awards.
In 2025, she will be starring as protagonists or heroines in numerous titles such as 『Busu ni Hanataba o.』, 『Ame to Kimi to』, and 『Mushoku no Eiyuu: Betsu ni Skill nanka Iranakatta n daga』.
In May this year, she opened an official Instagram account. On May 24th, following last year, an event in collaboration with real escape games titled “Hayami Saori Satsujin Jikenbo kara no Dasshutsu” was held.
In celebration of Hayami Saori-san’s birthday, we conducted a reader poll titled “Which is your favorite character she has voiced?” for the second year in a row. We received 539 responses during the survey period from May 20th to May 24th.
The gender ratio was approximately 70 percent male and 30 percent female, showing a male majority. The age demographic was centered around younger individuals, with approximately 25 percent being 19 years old or younger and approximately 20 percent being in their 20s.
Table of Contents
For reference, here are the 2024 results: https://animeanime.jp/article/2024/05/29/84591.html
■Anticipation High for New Works!
1st Place
1st place goes to Kochou Shinobu from 『Kimetsu no Yaiba』. She garnered approximately 14 percent support, marking her third consecutive year at the top.
Readers commented, “She always has a smile, which gives a gentle impression, but inside, she’s a terrifying person swirling with rage towards demons. Hayami-san’s soft voice delivering poisonous words creates a tension that makes you sit up straight” and “Beneath her calm demeanor, a mysterious aura occasionally surfaces, conveying the depth of Shinobu-san’s darkness.” These comments highlight the character’s multifaceted nature.
『Mugenjou-hen』 Chapter 1 is scheduled to open on July 18th. Many fans are eagerly anticipating the latest work, saying, “Even on the movie poster, Shinobu-san is depicted especially large, so I’m really looking forward to it. I want to etch her活躍 (activity/performance) into my memory.”
2nd Place
2nd place is Yor Forger from 『SPY×FAMILY』. With approximately 11 percent support, she also holds onto her 2nd place ranking for the third consecutive year.
Praise poured in for her ability to voice multiple sides of the character: “She might be a bit airheaded sometimes, but as an assassin, her skills are top-notch! With her incredibly high physical abilities, she constantly saves her daughter Anya from danger. I also want to emulate her perseverance in challenging cooking, even though she’s not good at it” and “She performs all of Yor-san’s strength, kindness, and clumsiness with such rich emotion. I came to love the character even more through the anime. The gap between Hayami-san’s voice and the dangerous lines she delivers is simply irresistible.”
“Yor-san’s cooking skills are also deadly,” commented one fan, “But she did succeed in recreating her mother’s stew once. The stew with a fried egg looked delicious,” indicating that the cooking episodes, in particular, were popular.
3rd Place
3rd place is Shiba Miyuki from 『Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei』. With approximately 8 percent support, she climbed up from 5th place last year.
Miyuki is the younger sister of the protagonist, Tatsuya, and an honor student who ranks at the top of her grade. Readers commented, “She seems perfect, but when her beloved Onii-sama is involved, she gets angry or acts moe, and the range of acting is hilarious” and “The elegant Ojou-sama character using polite language perfectly matches Hayami-san’s clear voice. She possesses both grace and cuteness, and her unwavering love for her Onii-sama is wonderful.” Several readers highlighted the famous line “Sasuga Onii-sama desu” as a favorite. Furthermore, the production of a theatrical version, 『Yotsuba Keishou-hen』, has been decided for this series.
■Introducing Other Comments!
For Ryu Lion from 『Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka』: “Initially, she was a dignified older sister figure, but in the 4th season, she suddenly became much more like a heroine. It’s irresistible how her clumsy elf side gradually shows more and more after she develops feelings for Bell!”
For Agemaki Wako from 『STAR DRIVER Kagayaki no Takuto』: “Despite carrying the destiny of being a Miko protecting the island’s seals, she is a bright heroine driven by curiosity. The fantastical insert songs, different from her usual cheerful self, were beautiful.”
For Hanami Kotoha／Cure Felice from 『Mahoutsukai Precure！』: “Her charm lies in the gap between her innocent and lively self before transforming and her significantly more mature self after transforming. The sequel that aired this year was also interesting.”
For Ogasawara Haruka from 『Hibike! Euphonium』: “She’s the president of the brass band club, playing the baritone saxophone. In Episode 7 of the second season, the breath she takes right before starting her solo at the station building concert is incredibly cool!” Votes were also cast for titles with upcoming theatrical releases in 2026.
The 2025 edition resulted in titles with announced new productions sweeping the top 3 spots. The high anticipation for these注目作 (highly anticipated works) was reflected in the rankings.
The top 20 are open on the next page. Don’t miss them!
■Ranking Top 10
[Which is your favorite character Hayami Saori has voiced? 2025 Edition]
1st Kochou Shinobu 『Kimetsu no Yaiba』
2nd Yor Forger 『SPY×FAMILY』
3rd Shiba Miyuki 『Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei』
4th Yukinoshita Yukino 『Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatte Iru.』
5th Hanami Kotoha／Cure Felice 『Mahoutsukai Precure！』
6th Ryu Lion 『Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka』
7th Uzumaki Himawari 『BORUTO-ボルト- NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS』
8th Oshinogi Yotsugi 『〈Monogatari〉 Series』
8th Shirayuki 『Akagami no Shirayuki-hime』
10th Aragaki Ayase 『Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai』
（Response period: May 20, 2025 ～ May 24, 2025）
Next page: Top 20 rankings released
Other poll themes currently open for responses are here! Please share your thoughts.
＞＞https://animeanime.jp/special/1898/recent/
※This poll is part of an awareness survey regarding readers’ “current interest and attention towards anime works and characters”. The results are not intended to determine superiority among characters or works. We hope this article can play a part in providing an opportunity to discover new works and characters, or to further deepen your understanding and interest.
