Marina Inoue Voice Actress - Attack on Titan
Marina Inoue (井上 麻里奈, Inoue Marina), was born on January 20, 1985 in Tokyo, Japan. Marina Inoue is a young and established Japanese voice actress and singer who is currently affiliated with the Sigma Seven agency after previously being signed on with Aniplex until the year 2007. She first made her debut after winning an audition called "Gonna be a star" hosted by Sony Music Entertainment Japan for a role in the OVA Le Portrait de Petit Cossette OVA. After being chosen first out of 2,000 other people she has continued to expand her voice acting career in not just TV anime series but also games, animated movies and live action films.
Inoue is most notable for playing the role of girls with deep, coarse voices and some male voices. She is most well known for her roles as Armin Arlert from Attack on Titan, Yoko Littner from Gurren Lagann, Yozora Mikazuki from Haganai and Tohka Yatogami from Date A Live.
Armin Arlert Voice
In the Attack on Titan franchise series, Marina Inoue plays the voice of Armin Arlelt, a young, short, blonde-hair, frail stature boy. His role in the anime series is a strong intellect with wits and an overall good sense of teamwork. He is often known to be the strategist of the group and strategises the best solution for each crisis against Titans he ends up in with his fellow corp members.
Inoue said in an interview, she was so grateful to be able to play the role of Armin Arlelt as it reminded her of the reason she started voice acting in the first place. Inoue was inspired by a voice actor named Megumi Ogata, who played characters of completely different genders, from a boyish high school girl to a full boy role. One of Ogata’s most famous roles is the main protagonist Shinji Ikari in a popular mecha robot anime series called Neon Genesis Evangelion. She stated that “This made me realise what it means to be a voice actor, and ever since then I have been wanting to play a male role in theatre and anime”.
Marina Inoue History
Inoue was born in Tokyo, Japan and went to a private school in Shinjuku called Gakushuin Primary School. She graduated from Gakushuin University with a degree in law and politics. The reason she started voice acting was because she always wanted to play the voice of a male role. In high school she joined a theater club where she would always play the male role, however shortly after joining university she ended up not receiving any male roles. Despite this, she continued to pursue her goals and her passion of wanting a male role drove her to end up becoming a voice actor.
Inoue made her debut as a voice actor and singer after she was chosen out of 2,000 people from the "Gonna be a star" auditions hosted by Sony Music Entertainment Japan for the title role in the Le Portrait De Petit Cossette OVA. In addition to making her debut as a voice actress, the role was significant as she was also chosen to sing the opening theme song of the OVA, titled “Houseki”.
Participating in the audition, let alone winning the audition was something Inoue had never envisioned. During her 2 years of university, she planned to find a part time job and after graduating, she pictured herself applying to a voice acting school and paying for tuition with the money she saved. She had participated in the audition out of pure curiosity, in which she could test herself against others. This proved to be a life changing experience and event in her life.
Marina Inoue Portfolio
2007 was a big year for Inoue as she had the voice role for Hayate the Combat Butler as a stubborn young boy named Wataru Tachibana and as a caring and mature young lady named Yoko Littner in Gurren Lagann which gained many international fans and praise.
In 2008, she transferred to Sigma Seven after her previous agency Voice & Heart went out of business. Ever since transferring to Sigma Seven she has been slowly making a name for herself. Appearing in Sekirei as Tsukiumi and Skip-Beat! as Kyoko Mogami.
She even published her first serialized book on fashion and coordination. This was released monthly in the voice actor magazine “Voice Actor Animedia” called MariIro. She introduced a new color and pattern theme of fashion every month, including photos and various tips. Further down the line she participated in signing events where she would give autographs and do character impressions for those who won the chance to meet with her.
2013 was the beginning of her role in the Attack on Titan franchise as Armin Arlert and the Narrator.
Awards
- Winner of the "Gonna be a star" auditions hosted by Sony Music Japan for the title role in the OVA Le Portrait De Petit Cossette.
- Won the International Voice Actor award at the International Animation Festival “Anime Revolution 2014” in 2014 Canada, Vancouver.
Other Notable Roles Animations
- Minami-ke (Kana Minami)
- Baccano! (Eve Genoard)
- D.Gray-man (Elda)
- Hayate the Combat Butler (Wataru Tachibana)
- Sekirei (Tsukiumi)
- Skip-Beat! (Kyoko Mogami)
- Umineko no Naku Koro ni (Jessica Ushiromiya)
- Highschool of the Dead (Rei Miyamoto)
- Infinite Stratos (Laura Bodewig)
- Psycho-Pass 2 (Mizue Shisui)
- The Irregular at Magic High School (Mari Watanabe)
- My Hero Academia (Momo Yaoyorozu)
- The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments (Jericho)