One of the Best Voices in Anime
Rie Kugimiya is a professional Japanese voice actress (seiyuu) known for her roles in many popular animes as well as several drama CDs and video games. Some of her most notable voices include Alphonse Elric (Full Metal Alchemist), Shana (Shakugan no Shana), Louise (Zero no Tsukaima) and Kagura (Gin Tama). You will find a list of Rie Kugimiya's roles in anime below.
While many English fans call Rie Kugimiya a "Queen of Tsundere" because she voiced so many bratty and childish tsundere girls in anime (such as Taiga Aisaka from Toradora, or previously mentioned Shana and Louise), she is in fact capable of playing a broad spectrum of voices and has acted many roles ranging from a tomboy to a soft-spoken adult. You are welcome to listen to some of them in the videos below, as well as read more about this great and very talented voice actress. Don't forget to leave us a comment and vote in the poll on your way out!
While many English fans call Rie Kugimiya a "Queen of Tsundere" because she voiced so many bratty and childish tsundere girls in anime (such as Taiga Aisaka from Toradora, or previously mentioned Shana and Louise), she is in fact capable of playing a broad spectrum of voices and has acted many roles ranging from a tomboy to a soft-spoken adult. You are welcome to listen to some of them in the videos below, as well as read more about this great and very talented voice actress. Don't forget to leave us a comment and vote in the poll on your way out!
Rie Kugimiya Bio
Rie Kugimya was born on May 30th, 1979 in Osaka, Japan. She grew up in the city of Kumamoto which is located on the island of Kyushu, the most southwesterly island of Japan's four main ones. Her first notable role in voicing anime characters was Yukari from Excel Saga back in 1999.Rie has been nominated for the Best Actress in Leading Role in the first Seiyu Awards (for voicing Louise in Zero no Tsukaima) back in 2007. In the second Seiyuu Awards she jointly won Best Actress in a Supporting Role together with her collegue Mitsuki Saiga. Finally, in the third Seiyu Awards, Rie Kugimiya won the Best Actress in leading role award for her skillful voicing of Taiga Aisaka in Toradora.
Rie Kugimya is 1.59 m tall, and her blood type is B (Japanese consider blood types to be important factors in determining personality, and they often mention them when talking about someone). Some of her funny nicknames include "Kugimi", "Kugyu" and "Kugi". Her favorite things include fairy tales, pool and strawberries. Her favorite color is light blue. Rie is also a skilled baton user.
Rie Kugimiya is currently employed with a Japanese voice talent company I'm Enterprise.
Popular Anime Roles by Rie Kugimiya
The Familiar of Zero: Box Set
Zero no Tsukaima is a very enjoyable light fantasy, comedy, adventure and romance anime. Rie Kugimiya voices Louise: a haughty and short-tempered, yet cute and caring magician girl.
Louise is a young noble girl studying magic at a wizard's academy on another world. She's nicknamed "Zero" by her friends because she has very little talent for magic (or so it looks). During a ritual where second year students summon a familiar to serve them for the rest of their lives, Louise ends up calling up Saito - a completely normal teenage boy from our world. Even though she insults him, treats him like a dog, and makes him wash her frilly panties, Saito soon falls for Louise (and vice versa, although she's loath to admit it).
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Amazon Price: $40.99 (as of 12/18/2009) 
Shana: Box Set
Shakugan no Shana is an awesome action, fantasy and romance anime packed with outstanding fighting scenes and superb soundtracks. Rie Kugimiya voices Shana - the cold and rude female lead who eventually warms up to Yuji.
A highschool student Sakai Yuji is about to learn that there is more to the world than meets the eye when he encounters a sword-wielding girl with fiery red eyes and flame colored hair. Denizens of the Crimson Realm are invading our world and it's up to the Flame Haze, Shana to slay them.
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Amazon Price: $50.49 (as of 12/18/2009)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Season 1, Part 1 Box Set
Fullmetal Alchemist is a legendary anime, regarded by many fans as one of the best series ever made. Rie Kugimiya voices Alphonse, the younger brother of the duo. Her prodigious talent really shines in this one!
After two young brothers - Edward and Alphonse - attempt to ressurect their dead mother through the use of alchemy, they end up unleashing a great evil and getting gravely injured. Now they travel in search of the mythical Philosopher's Stone in order to restore their bodies.
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Amazon Price: $27.99 (as of 12/18/2009)
Maria Watches Over Us - Season 1
Maria-sama ga Miteru (aka Marimite) is a sweet shoujo (girl) anime with some yuri elements. Rie Kugimiya voices Touko Matsudaira, a proud and headstrong, yet fragile and fickle girl who holds a mysterious secret.
When Yumi Fukuzawa entered the Lillian Girls Academy, a prestigious all-girls Catholic school, she never imagined she would catch the eye of beautiful and demure Sachiko Ogasawara, one of the school's most popular students. Now Sachiko has offered to be Yumi's sister and guide for all her years at the academy. The whole idea left Yumi completely flustered: while she admires Sachiko, accepting her offer would mean constantly being at the center of the entire school's attention!
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Amazon Price: $47.49 (as of 12/18/2009)
Rie Kugimiya Seiyu Roles
A short compilation of many different anime roles by Kugimi.
Toradora! Opening (Pre-Parade)
Catchy song by Rie Kugimiya
What Do You Think of Rie Kugimiya?
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Comments
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- adrianm adrianm Aug 23, 2009 @ 10:33 pm
- i love her song pre-parade!
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- animekgtlover animekgtlover Jul 25, 2009 @ 5:30 am
- she is the very very good she is my fav voices actor in world all of her animes are my fav very very good voices actor.
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- ayasaki ryu ayasaki ryu Jul 9, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
- wow...rie kugimiya sure is a skilled seiyuu!....I just like the way she use her voice in anime...never thought that she would be a beauty in person..lol...I like her...keep up the good work rie...gambate ne....!!!!!!...^_^
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- Mikaela Mikaela May 27, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
- Aghhh! I love Kugimiya's voice, It can change from a cute little innocent girl, to a girl filled with rage! I'm also very impressed with her singing. Two thumbs up for Kugimiya, I'll be looking for your next role.
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- shinji348 shinji348 May 14, 2009 @ 8:13 pm
- Rie Kugimiya is awesome and a great seiyuu! .... she does a very wide range of voices, dont call her tsundere queen lol.
What Do Bloggers Say About Rie Kugimya:
- December's Forty Fandoms – Part One: Rie Kugimiya + Introduction ...
- I think it would be rather difficult to trace my actual fandom of Rie Kugimiya. I would probably have first heard her as Nagi Sanzenin in Hayate no Gotoku and then as Touko Matsudaira in Maria-sama ga Miteru and Nene Kusagano in ...
- Rie Kugimiya 釘宮 理恵 | zone otaku
- Once again, I'm taking over for this week due to Zen being busy with AFA09 and all. And because I could think of no new seiyuus or good male seiyuus to introduce, thought I'd go with something easy to write about. Rie Kugimiya. ...
- FuniCon 2.0: Strike Witches, Initial D, Shikabane Hime All Set for ...
- RT @Japanator: Win yourself a Rie Kugimiya shirt from Japanator: http://bit.ly/8o7kfo - Hm, me thinks an idea just popped into my head 12/04/09 06:42pm; @SXAniMedia The heroine in Maria Holic takes some getting used to but I think it's ...
- Winter Anime 2010! « Caraniel's Ramblings
- Seiyuu: Ayako Kawasumi, Kazuyuki Okitsu, Ami Koshimizu, Rie Kugimiya Number of Episodes: 12. PV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Tj0ZZcx3s. Summary Adaptation of the light novel by Tsukasa Kozuki The school romantic comedy revolves ...
by Chadrew
I'm a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, Shakugan no Shana and Zero no Tsukaima so I was pleased to learn that Kugimiya Rie voiced my favorite characters.
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