by May 31st is Noriko Hidaka’s birthday. Noriko Hidaka debuted as a singer in 1980. In 1984, she also began working as a voice actress, and since then, she has played characters in a variety of titles.
From 2024 to 2025, she appeared on TV and in movies such as “Ranma 1/2”, “The Great Operation of the Yozakura Family,” “Witch Watch,” and “Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Brilliant! The Scorching Kasukabe Dancers”. She has been active in a wide range of fields, including participating in the event “Tokyo X 2025,” to be held in Houston, USA, in June this year. So, Anime! Anime! Conducted a reader survey titled “Which character did you play that you like the most?” in celebration of Noriko Hidaka’s birthday, as we did last year. During the survey period from May 22nd to May 26th, we received responses from 70 people.
The gender ratio was about 40 percent male and 60 percent female, with a slight majority of females. In terms of age group, about 25 percent were 19 years old or younger, and about 30 percent were in their 20s and 30s. Characters loved by all generations are ranked! No. 1 is Sera Masumi from “Detective Conan”.
With a support rate of about 19 percent, she is at the top for the second year in a row. Sera Masumi is a high school detective who transferred to Teitan High School. She is also the younger sister of FBI agent Akai Shuichi. Readers commented, “It’s refreshing to see Hidaka playing a detective character! Not only does he have a serious voice when he is solving mysteries, but he also has a boyish and bright personality that fits him perfectly,” and “Sera-chan rides around on a motorcycle and is skilled in Jeet Kune Do. But she uses the pronoun “boku” and has cute double teeth that you can see when she smiles!” She has garnered a lot of support as a character that combines both coolness and cuteness. Second place: Kikyo from Inuyasha and Takaya Noriko from Aim for the Top! were tied for second place.
The support rate was about 11 percent. Kikyo from Inuyasha is a shrine maiden who once sealed Inuyasha away. “Hidaka’s clear voice matches the ephemeral atmosphere of Kikyo. Not only does she have a dignified elegance, but she also conveys delicate emotional ups and downs, such as her Love and hate for Inuyasha and her jealousy for Kagome,” and “I was fascinated by the range of her acting, which shows various sides, such as her strength in the battle scenes and her calmness when spending time with Inuyasha. I couldn’t help but cry during the kiss scene in the final episode.”
Takaya Noriko from Aim for the Top! is a pilot candidate attending Okinawa Women’s Space High School. Her coach discovers her talent, and she saves humanity as a Gunbuster pilot. Readers have commented on the scenes where she shouts out her special moves, such as the Lightning Kick, and the power of her voice is overwhelming. “When she uses her special move, the line, ‘Big sister, I’m going to use that,’ was memorable. It also showed her trust in her big sister.” This is a ranking from a classic OVA.
Here are some other comments! For Kusakabe Satsuki from “My Neighbor Totoro,” “She’s a reliable big sister, but it’s cute to see her hopping around and running around with her little sister Mei, showing her elementary school age side.” For the Dominator from “PSYCHO-PASS,” The warning sound of the Sibyl System symbolizes a completely controlled dystopian society.
That inorganic and monotonous way of speaking is an excellent performance that only Hidaka, who has experience with machine voices, could do!” For Asakura Minami from “Touch,” The first person that comes to mind for the older generation is Minami-chan. I’ll never forget the voice of “Tacchan” calling the main character, Uesugi Tatsuya.”For Tendou Akane from “Ranma 1/2,” Akane is too cute when she’s lovey-dovey with Ranma! I’m so happy to hear her cute voice in the latest work.” There were also votes for the heroine of the title, whose new work is also a hot topic. In the 2025 edition, a wide range of characters are ranked regardless of age or genre. Looking at all the characters, there is a wide variety of faces, from young boys to machine voices.
Top 10 Rankings [Which character played by Hidaka Noriko is your favorite? 2025 Edition] 1st place: Sera Masumi “Detective Conan” 2nd place: Kikyo “Inuyasha” 2nd place: Takaya Noriko “Aim for the Top!” 4th place Kusakabe Satsuki “My Neighbor Totoro” 4th place Tsukumo Yuki “Jujutsu Kaisen” 4th place Tendo Akane “Ranma 1/2” 4th place Chairperson (Kotori’s mother) “Love Live!” 8th place Dominator (Sibyl System) “PSYCHO-PASS” 9th place Asakura Minami “Touch” 9th place Erica Fontaine “Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning?” (Response period: May 22nd – May 26th, 2025)
All characters voted for are revealed. Which character played by Hidaka Noriko is your favorite? 2025 version] Sera Masumi “Detective Conan” Kikyo “Inuyasha” Takaya Noriko “Aim for the Top! Kusakabe Satsuki, My Neighbor Totoro, Tsukumo Yuki, Jujutsu Kaisen, Tendo Akane, Ranma 1/2, The Chairperson (Kotori’s mother), Love Live! Dominator (Sibyl System) PSYCHO-PASS Asakura Minami Touch Erica Fontaine Sakura Wars 3: Is Paris Burning? Kurapika HUNTER×HUNTER (1998) Glitter Ressha Sentai ToQger Nia Death Note Uchiki Megeru Parasol Henbei Liese Zoids Ichimonji Retsuya Bakusou Kyodai Let’s & Go!! MAX Seta Sojiro Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story (first anime series) Nakahara Keiko Battle Fever J Hidaka Noriko That’s a Voice Actor!” (Response period: May 22nd to May 26th, 2025) This survey is part of a survey of readers’ opinions on “current interest and attention in anime works and characters.” The results are not intended to determine the superiority or inferiority of any character or work. We hope that this article will help you learn about new works and characters and deepen your understanding and interest.
