Hunter × Hunter
In 1999, "Hunter × Hunter" was adapted into a 62-episode anime television series produced by Nippon Animation and directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi. The show premiered on Japan's Fuji TV and ran until 2001. Three separate original video animations (OVAs) totaling 30 episodes were subsequently produced by Nippon Animation and released in Japan from 2002 to 2004. A second anime television series by Madhouse aired on Nippon Television from October 2011 to September 2014, with two animated theatrical films released in 2013. There are also numerous audio albums, video games, musicals, and other media based on "Hunter × Hunter". The manga has been translated into English and released in North America by Viz Media since April 2005. Both television series were also licensed by Viz, with the first series having aired on the Funimation Channel in 2009 and the second series premiering on Adult Swim's Toonami block since April 16, 2016.
Ayaka Fukuhara
Fukuhara was born in Kagoshima Prefecture on December 31, 1989. Early in life, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but after listening to a radio drama adaptation of the manga series "Hunter × Hunter", she became aware of the occupation of voice acting, and decided to pursue that career track instead. She then took correspondence training lessons to improve her voice skills, while also reading manga aloud in order to practice her acting skills. In high school, she was a member of her school's broadcasting club; she later participated in the national radio contest sponsored by NHK, becoming the first student of her school to make it to the contest, although she was unable to win any award. At the urging of her parents, she took a degree in nutrition at a university, while also attending the . During her time at the training school, she became part of the voice acting agency VIMS.