June 19th is known as “Reading Day” (朗読の日, Roudoku no Hi).
This day was established in 2002 by the NPO Japan Reading Culture Association, based on the play on words “ro (6) doku (19)”. The aim is to promote reading aloud as an artistic culture, with various reading volunteer activities and competitions held around mid-June each year.
For voice actors (seiyuu), who breathe life into characters, reading aloud is a deeply familiar form of expression. Beyond stage productions like reading plays (roudoku geki), audiobooks have gained significant attention in recent years, offering more opportunities to experience the charm of spoken performance. Many fans find themselves drawn to the unique appeal of hearing a story read aloud, which offers a different kind of enjoyment compared to traditional anime.
With this in mind, Anime! Anime! conducted its annual reader survey titled “Which Voice Actor Do You Want to Hear Read Read Aloud?” This year, the survey was open from June 5th to June 12th, receiving 665 responses.
The gender distribution was approximately 20 percent male and 80 percent female, showing a higher participation from women. Regarding age groups, around 35 percent were under 19, while both the 40s and 50s age groups accounted for about 20 percent each. In this article, we’ll be announcing the results for the female voice actors!
Table of Contents
■ Masterful Actors Who Can Play Any Role Take the Top Spots
First Place
Taking the top spot is Sawashiro Miyuki-san, with approximately 10 percent of the support.
“She handles narration for news programs, her pronunciation is clear and stays in your ears. It’s calming yet warm, like she could truly embody the world of any book genre,” and “Her range is incredible, capable of playing innocent girls, seductive women, and even young boys! She’s one of those voice actors whose name in the credits brings a sense of reassurance,” were among the comments praising her performance. Another fan commented, “With Sawashiro-san’s strong voice reading to me, I feel like the story’s content would really sink in.” This talented voice actress, known for her vast array of roles, has also been active in the reading field, including appearing in the reading play ‘Watashi no Atama no Kono Keshigomu Final Letter’ in May of this year.
Second Place
Coming in second is Hayami Saori-san, with about 9 percent of the support.
“Her soft voice naturally reaches you, as if she’s whispering right in your ear. It’s always soothing. I feel like listening to her read would instantly pull me into the world of the work,” and “Her voice has a clear, translucent quality, and she’s great at singing, so I’d love to hear her read picture books with children’s songs,” were some of the comments. Some readers even imagined her in character, saying, “Hayami-san’s whisper voice is truly wonderful, and it must be perfectly suited for reading to children. I imagine this is how Yor-san from ‘SPY x FAMILY’ would read picture books to Anya…”
Third Place
Third place goes to Hanazawa Kana-san, trailing the second spot by just a few votes.
Her supporters noted her versatility: “Normally, her voice is cute, but in anime, she plays various types of characters – cool and dignified, tomboyish, and sometimes even mysterious. I thought she’d be perfect for reading aloud, where one person plays many different characters.” Others praised her vocal quality: “She has a calm and beautiful voice, and her lines are easy to understand. I want to fully enjoy a reading performance with her angelic voice.” One fan shared a personal connection: “Hanazawa-san was the reason I became an anime voice actor fan in the first place. Of course, I want to hear a reading from the voice I love the most!” This popular voice actress, who continues to appear in many hit shows this season, secured a spot in the rankings.
In the 2025 edition of the survey, voice actresses who have played main characters in numerous works dominated the top positions. Their reliable acting skills and memorable voices have garnered strong support from many readers.
Don’t miss the top 20 results on the next page!
■ Ranking Top 10
[“Which Voice Actor Do You Want to Hear Read Aloud? Female Voice Actor Edition 2025”]
- Sawashiro Miyuki
- Hayami Saori
- Hanazawa Kana
- Yuuki Aoi
- Park Romi
- Ueda Reina
- Ogata Megumi
- Tanezaki Atsumi
- Sakamoto Maaya
- Hayashibara Megumi
（Survey Period: June 5th – June 12th）
Next page: Top 20 Ranking Revealed
- Check out other ongoing survey themes here! Let us know your thoughts.＞＞https://animeanime.jp/special/1898/recent/
《Takahashi Katsunori》
