A passionate actor, talented voice actor and consistent singer, this is a Seiyuu Digest all about Chiharu Sawashiro.
Chiharu Sawashiro
KANJI: 沢城 千春
BORN: December 20, 1987
OCCUPATION: Voice actor, singer
HEIGHT: 175cm
Chiharu Sawashiro was born on December 20, 1987, in Tokyo, Japan, and is currently represented by Stay Luck.
Seiyuu
Despite the big family name he carries – being the younger brother of the popular voice actress Miyuki Sawashiro -, young Chiharu didn’t know what career path he wanted to pursue.
Sawashiro mentioned that during high school, he was scouted by a talent agency while he was walking in Shibuya but he ended up declining that because he wanted to focus on his club activities.
In his second year of college, as people around him started thinking about job hunting, he struggled with his own path. He still didn’t know what he truly wanted to follow but he had his passions or, at least, areas he was curious about.
Eventually, he made the decision to become a stage actor, making a debut in 2008. But even after making that decision, he felt deeply influenced by the work his sister was doing and thus, he became determined to pursue voice acting joining a vocational school, graduating, and later on making his debut in 2013.
2013 – 2016
Starting off with big expectations
There is no doubt about it that Chiharu Sawashiro made his debut as a seiyuu because of his sister’s influence but at the same time, the work that she had done up until then made people look at Chiharu with big expectations and some disdain.
Was he going to harness the same talents as his sister? Was he given the chance to become a voice actor because of his sister’s reputation?
Chiharu Sawashiro did have that pressure and ultimately, his first years as a voice actor didn’t manage to back up any of the excitement that there was around another “Sawashiro” joining the seiyuu industry.
His first role – a minor one – in anime was in the series Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou.
Up until 2014, Sawashiro was freelancing. In that year he signed with Object, talent agency that represented him for years until he joined Daisuke Namikawa’s agency, Stay Luck, in 2019.
Still in the same year, Sawashiro had 1 role in the anime series Bousai Keihatsu Douga.
In 2015 he was cast as Shiira Eigan, a soldier and supporting character in the anime series, Akagami no Shirayuki-hime.
This was the first time Sawashiro got more than just some words in an anime series. He reprised his role in Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2nd Season which aired in 2016.
After years of very few minor roles and 1 supporting role, 2016 managed to be extremely eventful for Sawashiro.
He was cast as Natsuki Ise, a second-year center in the Kanagawa High School Rugby Club in the sports anime series, All Out!!.
Ise is a former delinquent that is actually quite shy and respectful about rugby, his teammates, and rivals.
Sawashiro’s performance was quite more nuanced than anything he had done before. Although Ise doesn’t get as much spotlight as other characters, it was still a good role for him to showcase his growth as a voice actor.
Other anime series he voiced characters in during this period of time include:
- BAYONETTA Bloody Fate (2013)
- Show By Rock!! # (2016)
- Cheer Danshi!! (2016)
2017 –
A bit of consistency and first leading roles
The year kicked off with a main role as Sasanishiki in the slice-of-life anime series, Love Kome: We Love Rice. The anime wasn’t particularly well received, ending up not attracting that much attention to Chiharu Sawashiro.
Still, the anime warranted a new season, Love Kome: We Love Rice Nikisaku, which aired later in the same year.
In the fall season, Sawashiro reprised his role as the airheaded Nozomu Nanase, SOARA’s bassist in the anime adaptation of the Tsukipro franchise, TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION.
With the anime series ensuring there were episodes about each member of the 4 groups in the franchise – SOARA, SolidS, Growth and QUELL -, Sawashiro got his spotlight with an episode of his own.
Much like what he had been doing up until then, his performance was overflowing with emotion and he absolutely nailed all the comedic moments.
To wrap up 2017, Sawashiro reprised his role as Alto Takimaru in the anime adaptation of the Marginal #4 franchise – Marginal#4: Kiss kara Tsukuru Big Bang.
Although not a leading role, this was a supporting role with quite the importance and spotlight within the Marginal #4 franchise.
Unfortunately, an uninspired adaptation of the franchise and the lackluster plot ended up making Marginal#4: Kiss kara Tsukuru Big Bang an average anime.
2018 would be the year in which Chiharu Sawashiro would get his first main role in anime series. He was cast as Akito Kanie in the romance/hentai anime OVA series, 25-sai no Joshikousei.
Still in the same year, he was cast as Ritsu Shikishima, the protagonist in the anime adaptation of Caligula.
Shikishima is a second-year student at Kishimai High School who is incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable, having a passion for philosophy and psychology. That knowledge is vital for his understanding of the world around him.
Despite the anime adaptation having gone under the radar, Sawashiro delivered a good performance for a quiet, stoic character, something completely different from what he had done up until then.
In 2019, Sawashiro reprised his role as Soma Kujo, head of the Kujo Family, and one of the main characters in Stand My Heroes: Piece of Truth, anime adaptation of the smartphone puzzle/romance game Stand My Heroes.
After the success that the smartphone game had, A3! was greenlit for an anime adaptation (that ended up split into two seasons to cover all troupes).
A3! Season Autumn & Winter premiered in 2020 and Chiharu Sawashiro reprised his role as Banri Settsu, Autumn Troupe’s leader.
Banri is, what many call him in the series, a high-spec delinquent that is actually good at studying, sports, and acting. As such he often says that he lives his life in “super ultra easy mode”.
This is, easily, one of Sawashiro’s best performances in anime, carrying over from an awesome performance in the game. He managed to flesh out Banri in a way that makes him funny, a bit quirky, and quite passionate.
In 2021, Sawashiro was back to voicing a couple of supporting characters as well as reprising his role as Nozomu Nanase in TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION 2.
A year later he was cast as the hot-blooded and confident Taiga, one of the protagonists in the sci-fi anime series, Tribe Nine.
In 2023, Sawashiro was cast as the vindictive and usually cruel Bobby Ball, a subordinate of Tilt of the Klondike Family, in the action anime series, HIGH CARD.
Other anime series in which he voiced characters include:
- Beyblade Burst God (2017)
- Jinryoku Senkan!? Shiokaze Sawakaze (2017)
- Yu☆Gi☆Oh! VRAINS (2017)
- UQ Holder! Mahou Sensei Negima! 2 (2017)
- Ame-iro Cocoa Series: Ame-con!! (2017)
- Koi wa Ameagari no You ni (2018)
- Hanebado! (2018)
- Chuukan Kanriroku Tonegawa (2018)
- Manaria Friends (2018)
- Kengan Ashura (2019)
- BORUTO-ボルト- NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS (2020)
- NOBLESSE (2020)
- Show by Rock!! Stars!! (2021)
- Dosukoi Sushi Zumou (2021)
- Shiguang Dailiren (2021)
- Link Click (2021)
- Sonny Boy (2021)
- Kidou Senshi Gundam: Senkou no Hathaway (2021)
- Kotarou wa Hitorigurashi (2022)
- Shin Tennis no Ouji-sama: U-17 World Cup (2022)
- Shadows House 2nd Season (2022)
- Fuuto Tantei (2022)
- VAZZROCK THE ANIMATION (2022)
- Fumetsu no Anata e Season 2 (2022)
- LUPIN ZERO (2022)
- Engage Kiss (2022)
- Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (2022)
- Shin Shinka no Mi: Shiranai Uchi ni Kachigumi Jinsei (2023)
- Mushoku Tensei II: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu (2023)
Radio
When it comes to radio, Sawashiro is not as active as other seiyuu. As a host, he is quite entertaining, often going on tangents, bringing funny stories or just being altogether chaotic on his own. When he has guests on his show, he tends to be incredibly professional while not disregarding his welcoming vibe and upbeat hosting style.
When he guests on radio shows, depending on who is hosting he may turn the chaotic switch and lead to funny shenanigans or he can be rather friendly but more contained in his presentation.
His first steps as a radio MC were in 2018. His first solo MC radio show was titled Chiharu Sawashiro’s Girls Talk (2018) and since then he has hosted/co-hosted the following shows:
Sawashiro Chiharu Ozawa Ari Caligula Radio 〜 sono bangumi o kiite wa ikenai 〜 (2018)
Alongside fellow seiyuu Ari Ozawa, Chiharu Sawashiro co-hosted the radio show “Sawashiro Chiharu Ozawa Ari Caligula Radio 〜 sono bangumi o kiite wa ikenai 〜“.
The show tied up to the anime adaptation of the action game, The Caligula Effect, and featured guests from the seiyuu cast.
A&G ARTIST ZONE Chiharu Sawashiro no THE CATCH (2018 – 2020)
In 2018, Sawashiro would kick off a new solo radio show titled “A&G ARTIST ZONE Chiharu Sawashiro no THE CATCH“.
The show would end up running for 2 years, wrapping up with 96 episodes of pure fun ready for new fans to discover.
Other radio shows included:
- Caliguladio ~ Lucis who talks about catharsis ~ (2018)
- Unison! ~Generation~ (2018)
- mysta presents Matsumoto Kingdom -Kingdom- (2019)
Games
Although Chiharu Sawashiro doesn’t have many roles in games, he can still be found voicing characters in action and romance/otome games.
He does have a couple of main characters in games, with Banri Settsu from the popular game series A3! standing out.
He’s lent voice to a couple of important characters such as:
Protagonist in The Caligula Effect (2016)
In 2016, Sawashiro was cast as the protagonist (the character intentionally doesn’t have a name) in the action game series – later turned into an anime series – The Caligula Effect.
This was his first main role in a game series.
Banri Settsu in A3! (2017 -)
In 2017, Sawashiro was cast as Autumn Troupe’s leader, Banri Settsu in the popular smartphone game A3!.
Banri is a delinquent who is perfect in everything he does, whether studying, acting, or playing sports.
He often gets into fights and often bickers with Juza however, the whole vibe of the Autumn troupe is that of a family.
This is, hands down, Chiharu Sawashiro’s most iconic character in games.
Alto Takimaru in MARGINAL#4 ROAD TO GALAXY (2017)
In 2017, Sawashiro reprised his role as Alto Takimaru, Unicorn Jr.‘s calm, and collected member, in the franchise’s first-ever game, MARGINAL#4 ROAD TO GALAXY.
The game wasn’t necessarily a hit but his performance had its strong moments.
Since this is an Otome game with dating elements, I leave the judging of his route to you, otherwise, I would be spoiling it.
He also voiced characters in the following games (list is not exhaustive):
- Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters (2014)
- LEFT 4 DEAD (2014)
- REBELLION BLADE (2015)
- 7’scarlet (2016)
- Side Kicks! (2017)
- IDOL FANTASY (2018)
- SHOW BY ROCK!! (2018)
- The King of Fighters for Girls (2019)
- REALIVE! (2020)
- Exos Heroes (2020)
- Shuuen no Virche -ErroR:salvation- (2021)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links (2022)
Acting
Chiharu Sawashiro kicked off his career as an actor in 2008.
He performed several theatre plays over the years but it was with DEAD STOCK UNION, theatre troupe that he joined in 2010, that Sawashiro has the most work as an actor.
He would end up leaving the theatre troupe in 2014 as he decided to focus more on voice acting, only returning in full force in 2018, now taking part in different styles of plays.
Since that year, he has been branching out his acting, having added musicals and TV dramas to his repertoire.
In 2019, he reprised his role as Nozomu Nanase, SOARA’s bassist, in the musical/stage play S.Q.S Episode4「TSUKINO EMPIRE2 -Beginning of the World-」.
Some of the TV series and dramas he was cast in include:
Bokukoe (2017 and 2019)
In 2017, Sawashiro joined the cast of the eccentric variety series, Bokukoe. This was his first iteration of live acting.
With the series’ various stories and segments, he was featured as a member of the idol group BELLWETHER alongside fellow seiyuu Shunsuke Takeuchi, Tasuku Hatanaka, Toshiki Masuda, and Koutaro Nishiyama.
In 2019, Sawashiro was back for Bokukoe 2 as a member of the idol group BELLWETHER.
SOARA LET IT BE (2019)
If it was already impressive that he had reprised his role as Nozomu Nanase in a stage play/musical, also in 2019, Chiharu Sawashiro reprised his role as Nozomu Nanase in the live-action movie, SOARA LET IT BE.
As such, it was the first time a voice actor in the TSUKIPRO franchise reprised their role in a live-action movie or theatre play.
A making of video, shedding light on the recording process, was released at that time.
SOARA 2 “I will. – Kimi ga mirai o aruku toki –” (2021)
In 2021, Sawashiro was back to reprise his role as Nozomu Nanase, SOARA’s bassist in the movie, SOARA 2 “I will. – Kimi ga mirai o aruku toki –”.
Seiyuu Tantei (2021)
In 2021, Chiharu Sawashiro starred alongside actress Rena Takeda in the TV Tokyo comedy mystery drama 声優探偵 (Seiyuu Tantei). This was his first leading role in a TV drama.
The TV drama premiered in Japan on 05/03/2021. A total of 4 episodes (30 minutes in length) aired.
The TV drama follows the seiyuu crime-solving adventures of a former voice actor turned detective portrayed by Chiharu Sawashiro, a rookie detective that is a voice actor otaku portrayed by Rena Takeda, and the dummyhead equipped with A.I (artificial intelligence) voiced by Natsuki Hanae.
Narration for the drama was done by the veteran seiyuu and narrator, Kiyoshi Kobayashi. Yuma Uchida‘s “Spin a Roulette” was featured as the theme song for this series.
The drama series featured cameos by Toshiki Masuda, Yuki Ono, Tomoko Kaneda and Daisuke Namikawa.
Narration / Dubbing
When it comes to dubbing, Chiharu Sawashiro still has very few credits. He has done dubbing for the following foreign drama and movies (list is not exhaustive):
- ARMORED SAURUS
- F4 Thailand/BOYS OVER FLOWERS
- Ray Donovan The Fixer Season 3
- Anna and the Apocalypse
- Dr. Dolittle
- Midsommar
- Doom Patrol
- El Cid
between many more.
As far as narration goes, Sawashiro doesn’t have any credits so far in his career.
Drama CDs
When it comes to drama CDs, Chiharu Sawashiro also has few credits. Still, he is most commonly found on drama CDs that are tie-ups to anime or games series.
At the same time, he does have credits in BL drama CDs, but those are comparatively less than his roles in “common” drama CDs.
Some of the drama CDs he has lent his voice to include:
- ALIVE series (2015 -, as Nozomu Nanase)
- Drama CD “Furaji☆” (2016)
- Eternal Euphoria High-Resolution Content BOOK Vol.1 (2017)
- CD Tsundere Childhood Friend Edition (2018)
- MARGINAL#4 Starry Lover Vol.8 Alto (2018)
- Otogi no Uta ~CHRONICLE~ (2019)
- Ikemen Sengoku Love over time Situation CD 2nd Season-Keiji Maeda- (2021)
- Taiyo-kun, who is you? (2021)
between many more.
Music
Known for his slighly nasaly singing tone that makes him quite distinctive within a 2D group. When it comes to his technique, he has a lot of control over his tone and emotions, being able to unleash them as he sees fit in his performances.
Within a 2D group you can expect to find him in a supporting role to his members, often being the glue to the groups he is a part of.
While not insanely technical – at least he has never shown that -, you can bet he is incredibly reliable and always provides the groups or bands he is a part of with a spark of energy and good vibes.
Street Story (2019 – )
Although Chiharu Sawashiro has never made a solo debut, he does have his own indie-rock band project, Street Story.
On May 15, 2019, he made his CD debut as part of the indie-rock band “Street Story” along with fin (SEPTALUCK), Yuichi Takada (ELLEGARDEN/MAYKIDZ), and Sunrise Taiyo (Memetaa).
The band debuted with the single, もっと明日へ (Motto Ashita e).
It was followed by the digital single “ELLEN“, released in 2020.
A year later, in 2021, the band released its 1st mini-album “Way of life”. The CD included the leading track “Koiyuki” as well as “Monster“.
2022 was time for the band to make its return to releasing music, this time with the digital single “S.O.S”.
And later in the same year the band released another digital single, “Toshioita Shousetsu no Sono Chu de”.
He’s best known for being part of the following 2D music groups:
Unicorn Jr. (2015 -)
In 2015, a new unit was introduced to the – then – popular 2D music franchise, Pythagoras Production.
Unicorn Jr. arrived with a danceable, strongly EDM-driven sound led by the vocals of Shouta Aoi and counting with Chiharu Sawashiro and Toshiyuki Someya.
The group made its debut with the single “Pandora Box” in 2015.
At the time the single was released and upon reviewing it, I wrote “Unicorn Jr. impress in their debut single. Between heavy dance pop and rock, the unit shows us that they can deal with both genres delivering befitting performances worthy of putting a smile on our faces. The mix Aoi, Sawashiro and Someya worked well for a first try and we hope the unit grows as well as both Marginal#4 and Lagrange Point have grown.“
The group had an exciting sound and their dynamics were leaving quite the mark on fans of Pythagoras Production’s groups.
A couple of months later, the group released “After Burner“, single that, still to this day, has Unicorn Jr.’s best song, “Stranger”.
At the time I reviewed this album I wrote “It may be a bit more subdued compared to their previous work, but that doesn’t make it any less special. In fact, it’s a refreshing departure from their usual style that allows Unicorn Jr. to flex their musical muscles in ways we haven’t seen before. They effortlessly adapted to different genres like rock and Latin. It’s clear that they’re not just really comfortable with their brand of dance-pop tunes but also fearless explorers of uncharted musical territories. “After Burner” may not claim the title of the unit’s magnum opus, yet it remains an enthralling and invigorating single, brimming with excitement and an undeniable freshness.“
In 2016, the group released “F.A” and “UNIMATE“, this last one a best of album.
“F.A.” was delayed but after a couple of extra months waiting, fans got to see this single hit stores. This single took the unit to unexplored territory, with their consistency growing by the day, especially on the vocal end.
“UNIMATE” compiled all the CD releases made up until then in a singular release that showed just how much the group grew in just 1 year since their debut. It was quite impressive to see and hear at that time how much they improved in such a short period of time.
“REAL? / Kokoro Hitotsu” was a single that stemmed from the anime adaptation that aired in 2017.
At the time this CD was released I wrote “As we near the end of this massive batch of single from the Marginal #4 series, we’re greeted with a surreal “REAL?/Ko・ko・ro・hi・to・tsu“, top tier single that brings out the sexy undertones in both Unicorn Jr., and L from Marginal #4.“
Indeed it was a big shift in quality for both groups, maturing alongside their music.
Still in the same year, the group participated in “MARGINAL#4 KISS Kara Tsukuru Big Bang BEST” with a new song titled “Hungry“.
In 2018, the group released the new single “KARA∞KARA“.
At the time this CD was released, in the review I wrote “The vocals have vastly improved and UNICORN Jr.‘s sound seems to have evolved into a simpler approach to electronic music, betting on more welcoming and easier to listen sound, as opposed to their old-school overproduced, high-tension sound that required a couple of listens to take in. These changes show that this trio has grown and is embracing what seems to be an interesting shift in their music direction.
As a whole, KARA∞KARA is a solid single filled with entertaining tunes, sweet, danceable melodies and polished vocals. Easily one of their best releases.“
Unicorn Jr. was improving with this whole new formula on the composition end as well as with more time between releases. Quality went up and fans were quite impressed with it.
It would take 2 years for fans to listen to Unicorn Jr. again.
The group participated in 2020’s best of album “Pythagoras Infinity Solo Best ”U”(4+2+3=9)∞“, adding a new song to the release titled “B R A V E R Y“.
With MIKOTO’s departure from Rejet and thus the Pythagoras Production completely changing its compositors, Unicorn Jr. arrived in 2022 with “Yessir!!!”.
At the time I reviewed this CD, I wrote “Unicorn Jr.’s “Yessir!!!” opens a new chapter for the group, introducing a couple of new things to their performances, changing their quite a bit to showcase their versatility, ending up sounding like a matured group. There are still some rough edges on the vocals but the group’s sound is now polished to perfection, making it so that there’s some excitement for upcoming releases.“
The changes to the group’s sound were more than enough to make this release standout and even if the vocals left a bit to be desired in some songs, it was easily noticeable how much the group had group by this release.
SOARA (2015 -)
SOARA consists of Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Yuki Ono, Makoto Furukawa, Taishi Murata and Chiharu Sawashiro.
The group/band made its debut in 2014, joining the TSUKIPRO franchise and quickly establishing itself as the youth pop-rockers that aimed at putting a smile on the fans’ faces.
Early on, the group had an odd dynamic. Toshiyuki Toyonaga and Yuki Ono were the founding members and, for what seemed like half a year, they were supposed to be a duo.
Turns out that, by the end of 2014, TSUKIPRO announced the addition of 3 other members to this band: Makoto Furukawa, Taishi Murata, and Chiharu Sawashiro.
Starting from there the group increasingly added more lines to these three members and now, by the end of 2019, there is an equal distribution of lines among members.
With that change and the realistic passage of time in the TSUKIPRO franchise, the band has been maturing with their sound having recently ditched its youthful vibe in favor of a mature, slightly more serious yet nostalgic style of pop-rock.
Since the group’s debut, Chiharu Swashiro has been featured in all drama CDs and participated in all series within the franchise.
The group has participated in all CD series in the franchise. Those include:
- ALIVE Side:G Series (ALIVE Side:S Vol.1, ALIVE Side:S Vol.2, ALIVE Side:S Vol.3, ALIVE Side:S Vol.4)
- KACHOFUGETSU Series (Ai no Hana, Lapis Blue, Soyokaze no Uta, Mikazuki Fantasy)
- Unit Song Series (Wonder Wand)
- TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION Theme Song Series (ALIEL, FRIEND, Start Line ~Boys, Be Mighty~, Mirai e no Okurimono, Dear Dreamer,)
- RE:START Series (vol.3 SOARA and vol.6 SOARA)
- CARDS Series (CLUB and HEART)
- TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION 2 Theme Song Series (Gonna Be Alright, LET IT BE, Himitsu no Treasure and Best Wishes,)
- Anokoro no Bokura wa
As far as character songs go, Chiharu Sawashiro has performed as Nozomu in the following CDs:
- X Lied Series (Vol.4 REN・NOZOMU X MAMORU)
- RE:START Series (vol.2 Soshi & Ren & Nozomu, vol.5 Sora & Ren & Nozomu)
- Neo X Lied Series (Ren, Nozomu & Mamoru “Neo X Lied Series vol.4”)
When it comes to the live performances, SOARA has performed in several franchise live events. The unit’s live debut was at TSUKIPRO LIVE 2016 in Nakano.
A year later, in 2017, the group performed at A.L.P -ALIVE PARTY 2017 SUMMER-, event specifically featuring ALIVE’s groups: SOARA and Growth.
In 2018 and now following the premiere of the first season of TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION, the franchise held the big live event TSUKIPRO LIVE 2018 SUMMER CARNIVAL.
In 2022, after 3 years of no live events for the franchise – due to Covid-19 -, SOARA was back on stage at TSUKIPRO LIVE 2022 WINTER CARNIVAL.
Nebulas (2016)
In an odd feat within the Marginal #4 franchise, 3 shuffle groups were created. Sawashiro joined Nebulas, group including Naozumi Takahashi (Marginal #4) and Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Lagrange Point).
The group released 2 singles before the project was put on a shelf by Rejet: Hoshi dake ga shiru! and Canaria.
This group stood out for the quality on the vocal end and consistent sound and fancy performances.
BELLWETHER (2017)
In 2017, alongside Shunsuke Takeuchi, Koutaro Nishiyama, Toshiki Masuda and Chiharu Sawashiro, Hatanaka performed as BELLWETHER, a special unit created specifically for Boku Koe‘s musical segment.
The songs were a bit “different” compared to the typical idol songs – BELLWETHER‘s were more on the parody side -, with themes ranging from bad puns to nipples.
The unit served its purposed within the show and isn’t active anymore.
A3!’s Autumn Troupe (2017 – )
In 2017, Chiharu Sawashiro joined the cast of the A3! franchise as Banri Settsu.
The game instantly shot to fame with several music releases beating sales records and, as a result, the franchise hitting popularity high rather quickly. The Autumn Troupe has released two CDs up until now.
The Autumn troupe is known for a rough mix of rock and electronica that matches the personalities and backgrounds of its members.
The Autumn Troupe consists of Chiharu Sawashiro (leader), Shunsuke Takeuchi, Kento Hama, Kentaro Kumagai, Yuichi Jose, and Seiya Konishi.
The troupe has participated in all EP series so far. Those include:
- First AUTUMN EP (2017),
- Blooming AUTUMN EP (2017),
- VIVID AUTUMN EP (2018),
- BRIGHT AUTUMN EP (2019)
- SUNNY AUTUMN EP (2022)
Sawashiro has participated in the franchise’s cast events.
He attended A3! First Blooming Festival (2018), A3! SECOND Blooming FESTIVAL (2019), A3! THIRD Blooming FESTIVAL (2021) and A3! BLOOMING LIVE 2022.
All events included talk and live performance corners.
A3ders! (2017 -)
In 2017, Sawashiro joined the cast of what ended up being one of the most popular and buzzworthy game franchises: A3!.
For a change, the focus for a game with “handsome” characters wasn’t about idols but on-stage actors.
This concept ended up easily attracting a lot of fans within its first year, reaching a whopping 3 million users in 2018.
The franchise created a special group, A3ders!, unit consisting of the leaders of all troupes. Kodai Sakai (Spring), Takuya Eguchi (Summer), Chiharu Sawashiro (Autumn), and Atsushi Tamaru (Winter). So far, the group has released two singles.
The first one, MANKAI☆開花宣言 (released in 2017), was certified Gold Record in just a couple of months after its release, catching everyone off guard.
In 2018, A3ders! returned to perform the theme song for the second story season.
“Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu☆Blooming!” was met with overwhelming support and sales figures, charting within the top 10 on Oricon Weekly for several weeks.
In 2019, A3ders! released the new single “Act! Addict! Actors!”. The CD features a new group song as well as solo versions of that same song.
Surprise Star (2018 – 2019)
In 2018, Enoki joined the lineup for the ambitious RPG-meets-2D idols smartphone game, IDOL FANTASY. He was part of Surprise Star, group that was added to the franchise a bit after the game’s launch.
The group consisted of Chiharu Sawashiro, Tasuku Hatanaka, Junya Enoki, Katsufumi Yachi and Ryo Hakateyama.
Mushoku no Sora to Warau Ito (2019 – )
In 2019, Sawashiro joined the lineup of Mushoku no Sora to Warau Ito, rock band part of the Otogi no Uta franchise.
The band’s lineup consists of Koutaro Hashimoto (vocals), Seiichiro Yamashita, and Chiharu Sawashiro.
Since their debut, the group has released 1 single “Ochiyuku Hasu No Hanabira Rinne Wo Mitsumete” and has participated in 1 versus CD and 1 all-stars CD.
ARK Health Care Bureau (2022 -)
In 2022, he joined the cast of MAGATSU NOTE, original mixed media project created by DONUTS Co. Ltd.. The project has a near-future Sengoku (Warring States) concept crossed with a dark story, music, and manga.
He joined the cast of the visual-kei rock band, ARK Health Care Bureau alongside Taiki Bito and Kazuhiro Okamoto.
Photobooks
In 2018, in collaboration with TV Guide Person, Chiharu Sawashiro released his first photobook しゃべらなきゃイイ男 (Shaberanakya ii otoko).
In this photobook, Sawashiro showcased different sides of himself, highlighting his sexy and casual sides. The photobook ended up selling surprisingly well, with many fans appreciating this new approach to his public persona.
Variety
Contrary to most seiyuu in his generation, Chiharu Sawashiro seldom participates in variety or talk shows, keeping his appearances to a bare minimum.
Still, you can expect his energy and crazy shenanigans to show in the few variety shows he has appeared in.
Seiyu Collection – Futari no Code SHOW – Chiharu Sawashiro x Shunsuke Takeuchi (2019)
In 2019, Chiharu Sawashiro was featured alongside fellow seiyuu Shunsuke Takeuchi, in Seiyu Collection, series of variety DVDs in which popular seiyuu have a fashion battle.
A theme is given and both have to come up with an outfit that fits the theme and go shopping for it. Aside from the battle portion of the show, the two seiyuu talk about fashion, their go-to style, off-duty styles as well as a more casual themes.
Maison de Chaos (2021)
In 2021, he teamed up with fellow seiyuu Shugo Nakamura and The Oral Cigarettes’ vocalist and guitarist, Takuya Yamanaka.”Maison de Chaos” arrived as a laidback talk show between close friends about all kinds of topics, although mainly connected to music and voice.
Facts
Sports is a big part of his life
During elementary school, he was a member of the soccer club, in middle school, he joined the baseball club, and in high school, he was part of the handball club.
Sawashiro mentioned that the handball club’s training was very intense, and he ended up fracturing his fingers and ankles.
Loves music
Not only has Sawashiro been really active in the music industry be it with his indie-rock band Street Story, but he has also hosted a radio show with a big focus on music, he is present on several 2D music projects and, to top it all off, he plays a couple of instruments.
He plays guitar and knows how to play sanshin (a traditional Okinawan instrument).
With this, THTFHQ wraps up another Seiyuu Digest. In the meantime, don’t forget to check past Seiyuu Digests (some of those recently updated) – HERE.