Hello Kitty Voice Actress Steps Down After 30+ Years

It seems a new era is upon the Sanrio fandom. After all, Hello Kitty is about to undergo a big change behind the scenes. Today, voice actress Megumi Hayashibara confirmed they are stepping down as the voice of Hello Kitty after more than three decades.

The reveal was shared through Hayashibara's blog not too long ago. It was there the actress penned a post informing fans they were stepping down as Hello Kitty. This decision comes 33 years after Hayashibara began voicing the mascot. After all, the voice actress began their tenure in 1990.

As you can imagine, this is a big change for fans as many grew up with Hayashibara voicing Hello Kitty. The actress has overseen the Sanrio mascot in dozens upon dozens of films, commercials, video games, shorts, and more. That isn't even counting all of Hello Kitty's various cameos in the past three decades. It goes without saying Hayashibara has done a lot with Hello Kitty, so her exit really marks the end of an era.

At this point, Sanrio has not announced who will be voicing Hello Kitty next. It seems likely the brand has another actor in sight for the role. After all, the Sanrio mascot is oh-so close to celebrating a big milestone. Hello Kitty will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, so Sanrio could announce its new actress to ring in the new year.

As for Hayashibara, the voice actress is hardly hurting for work. The 56-year-old got her start in 1986 and became a prolific anime voice actor before the '90s wrapped. From Neon Genesis Evangelion to Detective Conan and Cowboy Bebop, Hayashibara has been in it all. Most recently, the actress starred in hits like Shaman King and Pokemon Journeys: The Series.

What do you make of this latest Hello Kitty move? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!