Voice actress Minori Chihara takes gravure career to next level, age 43

In Japan, female voice performers are incredibly popular as idols and celebrities despite only displaying their oral talents in their work for anime series and movies. Some are able to carve out lucrative sidelines as models, singers, and gravure idols.

If they have the looks and following for this, it is usually apparent pretty quickly and their agencies don’t miss a chance to make some extra yen. But others bide their time.

Such is the case with Minori Chihara (茅原実里), the seiyu who has waited until her forties to cement her gravure career.

Great news if you love Minori Chihara. Even greater news if you love Japanese MILFs (though Minorin looks barely a day older than 30). Some netizens, though, have reacted with dismay that she took so long, and would have sold a lot more in her twenties or thirties if she’d done more shoots back then.

Chihara was signed to Avex as a singer in the 2000s until the early 2010s. As a voice performer, her most famous work includes Yuki Nagato in the Haruhi Suzumiya series and Leon in The iDOLM@STER.

To be fair, she has published three photo books before, going back as far as 2009. The unmarried Minorin really raised eyebrows (and temperatures) with her photo book minoreal in 2020, which showcased her gorgeous, slinky body in swimwear and alluring purple lingerie.

Far from slowing down, the 43-year-old is now continuing in this vein with a splashy new photo book to come out this summer from Futabasha.

The as-yet untitled book hits the shelves in Japan in late July. Judging from the previews, the shoot looks sensual yet tasteful. Let’s hope she takes inspiration from Rie Tanaka’s career trajectory and goes semi-nude.

In early August, she will also hold two concerts to mark 20 years since she made her debut.