is a Japanese singer, songwriter and voice actress. She also produces an all-female pop group called

Afilia Saga ''Afilia'' is a genus of moths of the family Notodontidae Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the ...

. She was born in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, Japan and is affectionately referred to as Halko by her fans, a nickname she gave herself which is inspired by

HAL 9000 HAL 9000 is a fictional artificial intelligence character and the main antagonist in Arthur C. Clarke's '' Space Odyssey'' series. First appearing in the 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', HAL ( Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic compute ...

, the computer in the film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey''.

Biography

Career

Haruko took interest in

personal computer A personal computer (PC) is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size, capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or tech ...

s from a young age and studied personal computer communications during high school. After she graduated from , her articles and writing on her online blog caught the attention of the chief editor of the magazine. She was later offered a job as a writer for the magazine. During the late nineties, Haruko began singing and doing live performances on the streets of

Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular ref ...

and

Akihabara is a common name for the area around Akihabara Station in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo, Japan. Administratively, the area called Akihabara mainly belongs to the and Kanda-Sakumachō districts in Chiyoda. There exists an administrative district c ...

. She then debuted her single "Mail Me," a cover version of which appears in the movie ''

Suicide Circle ''Suicide Club'', known in Japan as , is a 2001 Japanese independent horror film written and directed by Sion Sono. The film explores a wave of seemingly unconnected suicides that strikes Japan and the efforts of the police to determine the reaso ...

'' in 2001. Soon after, she debuted as a voice actress for her role as Komugi Nakahara in ''

Nurse Witch Komugi is an original video animation (OVA) anime series co-produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Kyoto Animation. The series lasted for five episodes (six if episode 2.5 that appeared in the middle of the series is included), all of which were re ...

''. In 2001, she paired with Masaya Koike to form the duo

UNDER17 Under17 (stylized as UNDER17) was a Japanese musical duo formed in 2001 by Haruko Momoi and Masaya Koike. The group was known for producing music known colloquially as " songs", providing theme and insert songs to series such as '' Tenbatsu! Ange ...

and together performed songs for adult and mainstream

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedb ...

and

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

. After their last album ''Best Album 3 ~Soshite Densetsu e...~'' and a live tour of the same name, UNDER17 separated in 2004 citing creative differences, and the two musicians have since gone their separate ways. She continued on with her solo singing career and in 2006, was signed under

avex mode is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi Hamasaki and internet sensation PikoTaro. It has also shifted into other busi ...

as a music composer and singer. In 2007, Halko published an autobiography entitled ''Akihaba-LOVE'', in which she tells of the major experiences that shaped her life, mainly those that were important in constructing her career as a musician and voice actress, but it also includes anecdotes from her childhood and stories of friendship, as well as personal opinions on different aspects of anime fandom.

Filmography

Anime

;2001 *'' Final Fantasy: Unlimited'' (Ai Hayakawa) *''

The SoulTaker is an anime series that focuses on seventeen-year-old Kyosuke Date who was killed by his mother Mio Date, and afterward gained the ability to turn into an incredibly powerful winged mutant known as "The SoulTaker" and that he has a long-los ...

'' (Komugi Nakahara) ;2002 *''

Ai Yori Aoshi is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kou Fumizuki. The manga was serialized in Hakusensha's ''Young Animal'' magazine from 1998 to 2005 and the chapters collected into 17 ''tankōbon'' volumes. It is a love story betwe ...

'' (Chika Minazuki) *''

Galaxy Angel A is a '' bishōjo'' sci-fi metaseries composed of anime, manga and dating sim video games. It was created by Broccoli in July 2000, when it launched a multi-platformed project called ''Project G.A.'' The anime and ''Galaxy Angel Par ...

'' (Announcer) *''

Gravion is a Japanese anime television series produced by Gonzo. It aired in Japan from October 7, 2002 to December 16, 2002 and ran for 13 episodes. In 2004, was released and aired from January 8 to March 25 in Japan, running for twelve additiona ...

'' (Doria) *''

UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie is a Japanese manga series created by Kaishaku. The series was adapted into a 32-episode anime series and one specially released OVA episode by TNK. Seasons 1 and 2 were broadcast in Japan on Kids Station between 2002 and 2004. The anime s ...

'' (Maru) ;2003 *'' Ai Yori Aoshi:Enishi'' (Chika Minazuki) *''

Bottle Fairy is an anime series about four fairies who discover the secrets of the world from inside their little house. The show originally aired from October to December 2003 on UHF syndication in Japan, and each episode has a run time of only 12 minute ...

'' (Tama-chan) *''

Da Capo Da capo (, also , ) is an Italian musical term that means "from the beginning" (literally, "from the head"). It is often abbreviated as D.C. The term is a directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space, and thus is a ...

'' (Utamaru) *''

Popotan is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Petit Ferret with character designs by Akio Watanabe under the alias Poyoyon Rock. It was originally released as a PC game for CD-ROM on December 13, 2002, and subsequently re-released on DVD ...

'' (Mii) *'' Mahoromatic: Summer Special'' (Shi Ho) *''

Mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

'' (Samantha Morijima in Ep. 12) ;2004 *''

DearS is a Japanese manga series co-written and illustrated by Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara, credited under their pen name Peach-Pit. It was serialized monthly by MediaWorks in their magazines ''Dengeki Comic Gao!'' from October 2001 to September ...

'' (China) *''

Gravion Zwei is a Japanese anime television series produced by Gonzo. It aired in Japan from October 7, 2002 to December 16, 2002 and ran for 13 episodes. In 2004, was released and aired from January 8 to March 25 in Japan, running for twelve additiona ...

'' (Doria) *''

Kujibiki Unbalance is a three-episode original video animation spin-off of '' Genshiken'' series, as well as a series of three light novels by ''Genshiken'' anime collaborator Michiko Yokote. Within the world of ''Genshiken'', however, ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' ...

'' (Shinobu Enomoto) *''

Paranoia Agent is a Japanese anime television series created by director Satoshi Kon and produced by Madhouse about a social phenomenon in Musashino, Tokyo caused by a juvenile serial assailant named Lil' Slugger (the English equivalent to ''Shōnen Bat ...

'' (

Maromi The ''Paranoia Agent'' anime series features an extensive cast of characters created by Satoshi Kon. The series takes place in Musashino, Tokyo, focusing on the serial street assaults caused by an unknown assailant known as Lil' Slugger, and t ...

) *''

Ragnarok The Animation ''Ragnarok: The Animation'' is a Japanese-Korean anime television series based on the MMORPG '' Ragnarok Online''. The story happens in the same world of Rune-Midgard. An evil entity called the Dark Lord wants to create chaos in the world with ...

'' (Maya) *'' Ryūsei Sentai Musumet'' (Kō Saotome) ;2005 *'' Da Capo Second Season'' (Utamaru) ;2006 *'' Blackjack 21'' (Suzie) *''

Lovely Idol is the title of a Japanese series which focuses on a group of young girls who are striving to become famous Japanese idols. The series first began as a set of light novels serialized in Enterbrain's '' Magi-Cu'' magazine. The franchise ...

'' (Mai Nonomiya) *''

Magikano is a Japanese manga series by Takeaki Momose, which was later adapted into an anime series, directed by Seiji Kishi and written by Hideki Mitsui. The anime series was also broadcast by Animax, who adapted and dubbed the series into English f ...

'' (Marin Nijihara) ;2007 *''

Code-E ''Code-E'' is a Japanese anime television series animated by Studio Deen. It is based on an original concept by Ichirō Sakaki and directed by Toshiyuki Katō. The first season consists of twelve episodes and first aired in Japan from July ...

'' (Keiko Komatsuna) *''

Prism Ark is a Japanese erotic video game and the sequel of '' Prism Heart'' developed by Pajamas Soft. Its first release was on August 25, 2006. This work contains adult-only content of a sexual nature. An anime entitled ''Prism Ark'' began airi ...

'' (Filia) *'' My Bride Is a Mermaid'' (San Seto) ;2008 *''

Mission-E ''Code-E'' is a Japanese anime television series animated by Studio Deen. It is based on an original concept by Ichirō Sakaki and directed by Toshiyuki Katō. The first season consists of twelve episodes and first aired in Japan from July t ...

'' (Keiko Komatsuna) *''

Tales of the Abyss is an action role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio as the eighth main title in their ''Tales'' series in celebration of the series' 10th anniversary. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, the game was published by Namco in Japa ...

'' (

Anise Tatlin Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and tar ...

) ;2011 *''

Steins;Gate ''Steins;Gate'' is a 2009 science fiction visual novel game developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus. It is the second game in the ''Science Adventure'' series, following ''Chaos;Head''. The story follows a group of students as they discover and develop ...

'' (Faris NyanNyan) ;2014 *''

Wonder Momo is a 1987 beat 'em up arcade game that was developed and published by Namco exclusively in Japan. It was ported to the PC-Engine in 1989, with both versions of the game later ported to the Wii Virtual Console. The game was also included in '' ...

'' (Original Wonder Momo) ;2017 *'' Akiba's Trip: The Animation'' (Momo Tsukumo) ;2018 *''

Steins;Gate 0 ''Steins;Gate 0'' is a visual novel video game developed by 5pb. It is part of the ''Science Adventure'' series, and is set in the period of the 2009 game ''Steins;Gate''. It was released by 5pb. in Japan for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and ...

'' (Faris NyanNyan)

OVA

*''

Majokko Tsukune-chan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroaki Magari. It was serialized in Kodansha's magazines ''Young Magazine Uppers'' from 2003 to 2004 and ''Monthly Shōnen Sirius'' (as ''Majokko Tsukune-chan+'') from 2005 to 2006. It ...

'' (Tsukune) *''

Netrun-mon is a single-episode Japanese original video animation which was created to celebrate the fifth anniversary of ''NetRunner'' magazine. ''NetRunner'' is a controversial publication since some articles promote hacking. Characters that are used t ...

'' (Chiyu) *''

'' (Komugi Nakahara/Magical Nurse Komugi) *''

Nurse Witch Komugi-Chan Magikarte Z is an original video animation (OVA) anime series co-produced by Tatsunoko Productions and Kyoto Animation. The series lasted for five episodes (six if episode 2.5 that appeared in the middle of the series is included), all of which were re ...

'' (Komugi Nakahara/Magical Nurse Komugi) *''

Moekan is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by KeroQ. It was released for Windows on January 31, 2003, and later ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 platforms by PrincessSoft. The story follows Takahiro Kanzaki who is served by five an ...

'' (Moe no Mikoto)

Anime Movie

*''

Camp Pikachu Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to desc ...

'' ( Wynaut)

Tokusatsu

*''

Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger is a Japanese tokusatsu comedy drama based on the Super Sentai Series. It is not part of the official line up in Toei Company's Super Sentai franchise, but is instead a self-parody geared towards adults who were fans of the franchise as chil ...

'' (herself) **''

Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger Season Two {{Short pages monitor *'' @Tunes.'' ( tvk, guest)

Discography

Singles

Albums

Anime Singles

DVD

*''momo-i Live DVD'' (avex mode) *''Haruko☆UP DATE'' (

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affil ...

) *''CLIP BEST'' (avex mode) :Simultaneous release with the album ''Sunday early morning'' on March 5, 2008 with the making-of of her PVs and image collection.

Book

*''Akihaba LOVE ~Akihabara to issho ni otona ni natta~''

Convention appearances

Momoi has appeared in various convention concerts outside Japan. To date, she has visited the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

. * Anime Expo 2007,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

: June 29 - July 2, 2007 * Connichi 2007,

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2 ...

: September 7–9, 2007 * Anime North 2008,

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

: May 23–25, 2008 * Connichi 2008,

: September 12–14, 2008 * FanimeCon 2009,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

: May 22–25, 2009 * Aya Revolution 2009,

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed ...

: August 14–16, 2009 * Anime Vegas 2009,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

: September 5–7, 2009 * FanimeCon 2010,

: May 28–31, 2010 * Desucon 2010,

Lahti, Finland Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern e ...

: June 12–13, 2010 *Momo-i Night Fest 2010, Las Vegas, Nevada: June 19, 2010 *J-popcon 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark: November 13, 2010 * FanimeCon 2011,

: May 27–30, 2011 * Japan Expo 2011,

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

: June 30-July 3, 2011 * Otakuthon 2011,

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

, Canada: August 12-August 14, 2011 * JapanDay 2011, Düsseldorf, Germany: October 15-October 16, 2011 * J-Fest 2011,

Moscow, Russia Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

: November 19-November 20, 2011 * Anime Boston 2012, Boston, Massachusetts: April 6–8, 2012 * SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show 2013,

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

: August 10, 2013 *

Idol Matsuri 2014 Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...

Silverdale, Washington Silverdale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kitsap County, Washington, in the United States. The population was 19,204 at the 2010 census. Despite many attempts at incorporation, Silverdale remains an unincorporated community. Silverdale ...

: June 20–22, 2014

References

External links

*
Official blog
* *
J!-ENT Special Feature Article & Interview: Momoi Halko (2007)
25-page J!-ENT Special Feature
A public statement from Momoi Halko to her American fans
J!-ENT - July 2007

The-O Network Online
Interview With Haruko Momoi at Anime Boston 2012
Anime Herald {{DEFAULTSORT:Momoi, Haruko 1977 births Living people Anime singers Japanese women singer-songwriters Japanese radio personalities Japanese video game actresses Japanese voice actresses Singers from Tokyo Video game musicians Voice actresses from Tokyo 21st-century Japanese actresses 20th-century Japanese women singers 20th-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers 21st-century Japanese singers