Tomori Kusunoki, born on December 22, 1999, is a Japanese voice actress and singer who has rapidly become one of the most sought-after talents in the anime industry. Currently affiliated with Sony Music Artists, she made her voice acting debut in 2017 and quickly established herself with a series of prominent roles, winning the Best New Actress Award at the 13th Seiyu Awards in 2019 alongside Manaka Iwami, Coco Hayashi, Rina Honnizumi, and Kaede Hondo. Her ability to bring both emotional depth and vibrant energy to a wide range of characters has made her a standout performer, particularly in action and fantasy series.
Kusunoki's career began in earnest in 2017 when she was cast as Kirara, the heroine of the Japanese mobile game Kirara Fantasia, marking her first main role. This breakthrough led to a series of key voice acting parts, including her role as Uka no Mitama in Märchen Mädchen in 2018. That same year, she was cast as Setsuna Yuki in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, a role that showcased her singing abilities and connected her with a massive fan base. She also voiced the energetic and resourceful LLENN (Karen Kohiruimaki) in Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, a spin-off of the popular franchise that highlighted her skill in portraying determined, action-oriented characters.
In 2020, Kusunoki took on the lead role of Natsume in the sci-fi series Deca-Dence, where her performance as a young girl in a post-apocalyptic world earned critical acclaim. She also voiced Misha Necron in The Misfit of Demon King Academy, further demonstrating her versatility. Her career reached new heights in 2022 when she was cast as Makima in Chainsaw Man, one of the most highly anticipated anime adaptations of the decade. Kusunoki's portrayal of the enigmatic and manipulative Makima was widely praised for its chilling calm and underlying menace, cementing her status as a top-tier voice actor. She followed this with the role of Shizuka Mikazuki in Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead in 2023, bringing warmth and resilience to a character navigating a zombie apocalypse.
Beyond her voice work, Kusunoki has pursued a successful singing career, releasing singles and performing theme songs for several of the series she has acted in. Her music often blends pop and rock elements, reflecting the energetic spirit of her characters. She continues to be an active and influential figure in the industry, taking on new roles in both anime and video games while maintaining a strong connection with her fans through concerts and social media.