by March 31st is Maaya Sakamoto’s birthday. She debuted as a voice actress after working as a child actor. From 2024 to 2025, she appeared in popular works such as “Chi. -About the Earth’s Movement-“, “Hananoi-kun and the Sickness of Love,” “Kizumonogatari -Koyomi Vamp-” and “Look Back.”
She is also active as an artist. Her 36th single, “Drops,” will be released on May 21st. This song has been chosen as the opening theme song for the TV anime “Until a Witch Dies” and will liven up the 30th anniversary of her debut as an artist. So, to celebrate Maaya Sakamoto’s birthday, we conducted a reader survey titled “Which character do you like the most out of the ones you have played?” as we did last year.
Two hundred people responded during the survey period from March 17th to March 20th. There was an almost equal ratio of men and women. In terms of age group, about 30 percent were 19 years old or younger, and about 20 percent were in their 30s and 40s.
The main characters that support the story are at the top! First place goes to Ciel Phantomhive from “Black Butler.” With a support rate of about 18 percent, he has risen from last year’s tie for first place to the top spot. Readers have expressed their love for the main characters of this series, saying things like, “I was surprised to see Maaya Sakamoto playing the role of a boy with a dark atmosphere. Her performance, which exudes elegance even in her youth, left a strong impression. Her cold attitude towards her butler Sebastian, her sadness over the fate she bears, and her never-ending desire for revenge.
All of these emotions were conveyed, and I like Ciel even more now,” and “I think it’s a great performance that brings to mind Ciel’s personality and life up to this point. I hope she keeps running with him until he gets revenge!” The Green Witch arc is scheduled to air in April, and fans eagerly awaiting it gathered votes—2nd place: Ryougi Shiki from Kara no Kyoukai. With a support rate of about 8 percent, she has moved up from last year’s tie for 6th place.
The main character of this series, Ryougi Shiki, is a girl with multiple personalities. “I first learned about Maaya in the 2013 film Mirai Fukuin. I was shocked by how she used the characters Ori, the male personality, Shiki, and Ryougi Shiki. I wasn’t familiar with the world of the series. Still, I could understand it easily thanks to Maaya’s acting ability,” and “Because of Ryougi Shiki’s unique setting, you can enjoy a variety of acting that makes the most of the character’s personality.
This is a film filled with the charm of Sakamoto Maaya throughout.” 3rd place: In third place is Oshino Shinobu from the Monogatari series. With a support rate of about 7 percent, she has dropped from last year’s joint first place, but she remains in the top three.
“Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade is a vampire with iron, hot, and cold blood. In Kizumonogatari, she has already lost her powers, and every time she regains a part of her body that was stolen from her, she grows from a child to an adult. The range of her acting moved me,” and “She plays Kiss-Shot at 10, 12, 17, and 27 years old, and it’s no exaggeration to say that she plays four roles! It’s amazing how she sounds like a completely different person,” were some comments praising her for playing characters of different ages.
Here are some other comments! For Haruhi Fujioka from Ouran High School Host Club, “Usually she has a slightly low voice that could be mistaken for a male student, but when she appeared in the fantasies of the host club members, I was surprised to see that she had a lovely voice that made it clear she was a girl.”
For Liza from Made in Abyss, “She has a reassuring voice that sounds like the main character’s mother, and a lively voice that sounds like an adventurer, both charming. She also does the narration, which is wonderful, as it naturally draws you into the world of the work.” For Administrator from Sword Art Online: Alicization, “He was the first villain Maaya Sakamoto played that came to mind.
In the latest game, SAO Fractured Daydream, he is finally playable. I’m having fun fighting alongside Kirito and the others in their dream battles.” For Rafael from Chi: The Motion of the Earth, “He’s a child prodigy who decided to go to college at 12. He always acts based on rational thinking, but when it comes to his favorite subject, astronomy, he becomes passionate, which fascinated me.”
Votes were also cast for titles that just aired their final episodes. In the 2025 edition, Ciel from Black Butler, whose latest installment is about to air, topped the list. The top spots were filled with characters who required multifaceted acting, and the results confirmed that Maaya Sakamoto had played many central roles in stories.
Top 10 Rankings: Which character do you like the most out of all the ones she has played? [2025 Edition] 1st place Ciel Phantomhive “Black Butler” 2nd place Ryougi Shiki “Kara no Kyoukai” 3rd place Oshino Shinobu (Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade) “Monogatari Series” 3rd place Lunamaria Hawke “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY” 5th place Tamayo “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” 6th place Kanzaki Hitomi “Escaflowne” 7th place Aerith Gainsborough “Final Fantasy VII” 7th place Cutie Honey/Honey Kisaragi “Cutie Honey Universe” 7th place Rafau “Chi. –About the Motion of the Earth-” 10th place Echidna “Re: Zero -Starting Life in Another World-” 10th place Fujioka Haruhi “Ouran High School Host Club” (Response period: March 17th – March 20th, 2025)
Ranking Top 20 [Which character played by Sakamoto Maaya is your favorite? 2025 Edition] 1st place: Ciel Phantomhive – Black Butler 2nd place: Ryougi Shiki – Kara no Kyoukai 3rd place: Oshino Shinobu (Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade) – Monogatari Series 3rd place: Lunamaria Hawke – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY 5th place: Tamayo – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 6th place: Kanzaki Hitomi – Escaflowne 7th place: Aerith Gainsborough – Final Fantasy VII 7th place: Cutie Honey/Kisaragi Honey – Cutie Honey Universe 7th place: Rafau – Chi. – About the Movement of the Earth – 10th place: Echidna – Re: ZERO – Starting Life in Another World – 10th place: Haruhi Fujioka – Ouran High School Host Club 12th place: Jeanne d’Arc – Fate/Apocrypha 13th place: François – Dr.STONE NEW WORLD’ 14th Makinami Mari Illustrious, ‘Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition’ 14th Ryza, ‘Made in Abyss’ 16th Anzu, ‘Ensemble Stars!’ 16th Kusanagi Motoko, ‘Ghost in the Shell ARISE’ and others 16th Lightning, ‘Final Fantasy XIII’ 19th Administrator, ‘Sword Art Online: Alicization’ 20th Scheherazade, ‘Magi: The Kingdom of Magic’ 20th Izuku Kusakabe, ‘Fire Force’ 20th Merlin, ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’ 20th Mishima Reika, ‘RahXephon’ (Response period: March 17th – 20th, 2025)
This survey is part of a survey of readers’ opinions on “current interest and attention to anime works and characters.” The results are not intended to determine which characters or works are better. This article will allow people to learn about new works and characters and deepen their understanding and interest.
