Akina Homoto

Akina Homoto (法元 明菜) is a Japanese voice actress from Osaka. She is currently affiliated with Just Production. Homoto is best known for her role as Lanzhu Zhong in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club.

Personal life
Homoto was born in Tottori Prefecture and she grew up in Chiba, Guangdong, and Osaka. She is a Hāfu with a Japanese father and a Chinese mother. Her father wanted her to learn Chinese, so they lived in Guangdong from 2004 to 2012. At that time, she used her Chinese name "Yang, Ming" (楊明). Most of the time, Homoto talks to members of her family with a combination of Chinese and Japanese.

After she graduated from high school, Homoto gave up going to university and went to Tokyo alone with 100000 JPY to pursue her dream of being a voice actress.

Career
Since she lived China from 2004 to 2012, Homoto can speak Mandarin fluently and knows some Cantonese. For the same reason, she debuted in Live Animation Heart X Algorhythm as a Chinese—Linlin—through audition hosted on LINE.

In 2020, Homoto started her YouTube channel and does live streaming on a weekly basis. Usually, the stream includes chatting, letter reading, Chinese teaching and guitar segments.

Homoto is not only the voice actress for the Lanzhu Zhong character in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. She is also a staff member under the sound cooperation unit in Love Live! Superstar!!. She helps translate Chinese and Japanese between Liyuu and the director.

Television anime

 * Dropkick on My Devil! (2018–2020, Sister, Skull)
 * Love Live! Superstar!! (2021, Sound cooperation)
 * Gunma-chan (2021–2023, Honey Work D)
 * Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club 2nd Season (2022, Lanzhu Zhong)
 * ''Nijiyon Animation (2023, Lanzhu Zhong)
 * Chiikawa (2023, Gray's children)

Web anime

 * Live Animation Heart X Algorhythm (2018–2019, Linlin, Kiilin)

Video games

 * Love Live! School Idol Festival All Stars (2020–present, Lanzhu Zhong)
 * Azur Lane (2022–present, Harbin)