is a Japanese singer who is signed to

FlyingDog , also stylized as flying DOG, is a Japanese record label formerly known as the Victor Entertainment subsidiary M-serve (stylized as m-serve), founded in 1997. ''FlyingDog'' is a record label that specializes in the production of animation-related ...

and E-Stone Music. She made her debut in 2023 after winning a nationwide audition held by FlyingDog, with her debut single's title song being used as the opening theme to the second season of the

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series '' Sugar Apple Fairy Tale''. Her music was also featured in the anime series '' Train to the End of the World''.

Biography

Nakashima was born in Aichi Prefecture on November 27, 2004. Her mother named her after

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

, whom she was a fan of. She spent her early life in

Seto, Aichi is a Cities of Japan, city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 127,659 in 56,573 households, and a population density of 1,146 persons per km2. The total area was . Geography Seto is located in the hilly northe ...

, often accompanying her father during his overseas business trips. Her interest in

started at an early age, as her mother was a fan of Clamp's works and had introduced her to ''

Cardcaptor Sakura , abbreviated as ''CCS'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by the manga group Clamp. Serialized monthly in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine '' Nakayoshi'' from the June 1996 to August 2000 issues, it was also published in ...

''. She became a fan of the series, even humming the show's songs. She also became a fan of the anime series ''

K-On! is a Japanese Yonkoma, four-panel manga series written and illustrated by Kakifly. It was serialized in Houbunsha's ''Manga Time Kirara'' magazine between the May 2007 and October 2010 issues, and also serialized in Houbunsha's ''Manga T ...

'', noting how she shared a birthday with its protagonist Yui Hirasawa. While in junior high school, her singing impressed her music teacher, who encouraged her to apply for a music school. She started playing the guitar and taking vocal lessons while in high school. While taking lessons at a music school, she saw a poster advertising InuCon, a talent audition organized by the

music label. After seeing that the poster featured

Sakura Kinomoto is the main protagonist and title character of Clamp's manga series ''Cardcaptor Sakura''. In the English anime adaptation by Nelvana of the series, '' Cardcaptors'', she is known as Sakura Avalon, though her surname was changed back in the s ...

and with her being a fan of ''Cardcaptor Sakura'', she decided to apply for the audition. During her audition, she sang an original song as well as a cover of " Ai Oboete Imasu ka" from the ''

Macross is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/ media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and t ...

'' series. Because of nervousness, she was not able to sing her original song well and she thought she had failed her audition. She was surprised to learn that she won the audition, beating over 1,000 other applicants. Nakashima made her major debut in 2023 with the release of her first single ; the song was used as the opening theme to the second season of the anime television series '' Sugar Apple Fairy Tale''. She released her second single "GA-TAN GO-TON" on May 29, 2024; the song was used as the opening theme to the anime television series '' Train to the End of the World''.

Discography

Singles

* (July 19, 2023) *"GA-TAN GO-TON" (May 29, 2024)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nakashima, Rei 2004 births 21st-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women musicians Anime musicians Anime singers Japanese women pop singers Living people Musicians from Aichi Prefecture