Kaori Maeda (前田 佳織里, Maeda Kaori; born April 25, 1996) is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Kitakyushu who is affiliated with Amuse. She began her activities in 2016 after passing an audition, and played her first main role as Mari Tachibana in the anime television series Back Street Girls in 2018. She is also known for her roles as Aria Futaba in Aikatsu Stars!, Yomi Takeda in Tamayomi, Shizuku Ōsaka in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, and Lilysa Amano in 2.5 Dimensional Seduction.
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Biography
Maeda was born in Kitakyushu on April 25, 1996. As a child she was interested in fantasy, and she would write stories while she was in elementary school. During her high school years, she had an interest in music, and was a member of a band that covered songs by LiSA, Chatmonchy, and other artists. Her interest in voice acting began when she read the manga Voice Over! Seiyu Academy; she was also influenced by her enjoyment of plays from an early age.
In 2016, Maeda participated in a voice acting audition, where she won the grand prize. She began her acting career the following year after becoming affiliated with the talent agency Amuse. Among her earliest roles were Aria Futaba in the anime television series Aikatsu Stars! and Nice Nature in the multimedia franchise Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Nice Nature was the first role she got via an audition. In 2018, she played Mari Tachibana in the anime series Back Street Girls and Selka Zuberg in Sword Art Online: Alicization. In 2019, she played Yuzu Midorikawa in Kandagawa Jet Girls. In 2020, she played Yomi Takeda in the anime series Tamayomi and Shizuku Ōsaka in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club.
On November 25, 2022, she made her solo singer debut under Amuse Inc. with her debut single "Hikatta Koin ga Shimesu Hou" (光ったコインが示す方; Where the Glimmering Coin Leads), releasing on March 15, 2023. The song was used at the opening theme song for the anime, Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement. In 2023, she and Miku Itō voiced an instructional video for the Pokémon Home service. In 2024 she voiced Lilysa Amano in 2.5 Dimensional Seduction, also singing the series' ending themes with her co-stars.
On April 27, 2025, she had her first solo concert, "Are You Ready?" at LINE CUBE SHIBUYA.
Personal life
Maeda is ambidextrous. She previously worked part-time at a Mister Donut outlet, and cites "Mister Donut fortune telling" as one of her hobbies.
Filmography
Anime
2017
Aikatsu Stars! as Aria Futaba
2018
Umamusume: Pretty Derby as Nice Nature
Back Street Girls as Mari Tachibana
Sword Art Online: Alicization as Selka
2019
Kemono Friends 2 as Giant Panda
The Magnificent Kotobuki as Miyuri
Fruits Basket as Chie
Kandagawa Jet Girls as Yuzu Midorikawa
Aikatsu on Parade! as Aria Futaba
2020
Interspecies Reviewers as Thies
Tamayomi as Yomi Takeda
Umayon as Nice Nature
Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club as Shizuku Osaka
2021
Combatants Will Be Dispatched! as Cristoseles Tillis Grace
Night Head 2041 as Shо̄ko Futami
Assault Lily Fruits as Kanaho Kon
The Way of the Househusband as Cheering Child A
Platinum End as Mimi Yamada
2022
Films
2021
Hula Fulla Dance as Ohana Ka'aihue
Video games
2020
Kandagawa Jet Girls as Yuzu Midorikawa
Show by Rock!! as Reppanyo
Kirara Fantasia as Utsutsu Sumeragi
2021
Assault Lily: Last Bullet as Kanaho Kon
Azur Lane as Le Terrible
Umamusume: Pretty Derby as Nice Nature
2022
Two Jong Cell!! as Haru Ichinose
Goddess of Victory: Nikke as Poli
2023
Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation as Yukino
Path to Nowhere as OwO
Love Live! School Idol Festival 2: Miracle Live! as Shizuku Osaka
Tower of Fantasy as Yan Miao
2024
Seifuku Kanojo as Yui Konomi
Honkai: Star Rail as Lingsha
Card-en-Ciel as Noir Spruce
2025
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land as Isla von Duerer
StarSavior as Lacy
2026
