Akari is the eldest of three Kawamoto sisters.

After her mother and grandmother’s death, she stepped in as the parent figure for her younger sisters. In the mornings she helps her elderly grandfather run a traditional wagashi shop, and in the evenings she works as a hostess at a bar, which her aunt manages.

The second season of 3-gatsu no Lion. 
 
Now in his second year of high school, Rei Kiriyama continues pushing through his struggles in the professional shogi world as well as his personal life. Surrounded by vibrant personalities at the shogi hall, the school club, and in the local community, his solitary shell slowly begins to crack. Among them are the three Kawamoto sisters—Akari, Hinata, and Momo—who forge an affectionate and familial bond with Rei. Through these ties, he realizes that everyone is burdened by their own emotional hardships and begins learning how to rely on others while supporting them in return. 
 
Nonetheless, the life of a professional is not easy. Between tournaments, championships, and title matches, the pressure mounts as Rei advances through the ranks and encounters incredibly skilled opponents. As he manages his relationships with those who have grown close to him, the shogi player continues to search for the reason he plays the game that defines his career.

**Height:** 153 cm (5'0)

__[Profile (Osawa)](https://osawa-inc.co.jp/women/kayanoai/) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/kayanoai_0913) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/kayanoai_0913/) | [YouTube Channel Official Twitter](https://twitter.com/_kayanomi) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0D6qi-Gr5RW7hqOvTEKmAw)__

__Introduction:__
Ai Kayano is a Japanese voice actress and vocalist currently affiliated with Office Osawa.

__Biography:__
Kayano wanted to work in a job that would involve "healing people", leading to initially take up a course at a vocational school. She worked in the beauty industry and became interested in acting after having seen [Aria](https://anilist.co/anime/477/). While attending school, Kayano continued working in the industry and paid for her tuition.

Kayano began working at Pro-Fit in 2010, voicing two supporting characters in the original video animation [Princess Resurrection](https://anilist.co/anime/9159/). In 2011, she voiced [Meiko "Menma" Honma](https://anilist.co/character/40592/) in [Anohana](https://anilist.co/anime/9989/) and received the Best Rookie Actress award for said role at the 6th Seiyuu Awards. Kayano, [Haruka Tomatsu](https://anilist.co/staff/95890/) and [Saori Hayami](https://anilist.co/staff/95869/) performed the series' ending theme "Secret Base – Kimi ga Kureta Mono (10 years after Ver.)", a cover of a song originally sung by the band Zone.

She is often praised for her vocal range, having voiced a variety of characters such as [Mayaka Ibara](https://anilist.co/character/55137/), [Mashiro Shiina](https://anilist.co/character/61371/), [Darkness](https://anilist.co/character/89363/) and [Akari Kawamoto](https://anilist.co/character/24311/) for example, none of which one would connect to the same voice actress.

**Trivia:**
- Worked part-time at a coffee shop with [Chinatsu Akasaki](https://anilist.co/staff/107652/) before becoming a voice actress.
- She got around 100 suggestions for her nickname in the Anohana radio show, from which she herself picked out Kayanon.

Non-anime roles:
- Atago - Azur Lane
- Graf Zeppelin - Azur Lane
- Kaga - Azur Lane
- Renown - Azur Lane
- Y'shtola Rhul - Final Fantasy XIV

Rei Kiriyama is a 17 year old boy who recently started living alone, financed by his salary as a professional Shogi player. Despite his independence, however, he's yet to mature emotionally, and his problems continue to haunt him in his daily life. His relationship with his adoptive family is strained, and he has difficulties interacting with his fellow high school students. 
 
Meanwhile, his professional career in Shogi has entered a slump. Burdened with the heavy expectations placed upon him, his wins and losses are fluctuating as his record and progression into the ranks begin to stagnate. 
 
Acquainted with Rei are the three Kawamoto sisters: Akari, Hinata, and Momo. Unlike Rei, they live happily in their modest home, which they warmly welcome Rei into as if he were one of their own. He frequently visits the family, interacting with them and receiving the kind of care and affection he never quite had while under his foster home. 
This is the story of Rei's triumphs and failures, relationships new and old, and his growth as a person. 
 
(Source: TV Tropes)

Rei Kiriyama is a child prodigy. Rei Kiriyama is also an orphan who lives alone in an empty apartment. Rei Kiriyama is a teen working in an adult's world. Life is complicated for Rei. He's an up-and-coming shogi player on the verge of turning pro, but he has no homelife, or much of a life period,outside his board game, but thankfully with the help of some life-long friends he has an opportunity start all over again.
 
(Source: DENPA)
 
Notes: 
- Winner of the Grand Prize at the 4th Manga Taishou Award in 2011. 
- Winner of the 35th Kodansha Manga Award in 2011. 
- Winner of the Grand Prize at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2014. 
- Winner of the Grand Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2021.

Music video for the song I AM STANDING by RUANN.