is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Arts Vision. She starred as Tonbo Ōi in Tonbo! and won the Seiyu Award for Best Rookie Actor at the 19th Seiyu Awards.
Biography Rika Hayashi, a native of Hashimoto, Wakayama, was born on 1 June. Her mother was a former caddie. While she was a young child, she would visit a driving range her parents took her to every week after getting a golf club as a gift, and at least once she curiously made a ball roll down an uneven surface there. However, Hayashi recalled that she rarely played golf and was unfamiliar with the sport's terminology.
Inspired to go into voice acting after being hospitalized as a youth, she was educated at the Japan Narration Acting Institute. She made her voice acting debut during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, later recalling the first few years of her career as "being concurrent with COVID". In 2024, she had minor roles in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian, Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc., and Terminator Zero.
In 2024, she made her first starring role as Tonbo Ōi in the golf-themed anime Tonbo!; this was the first work she passed through an audition. At the beginning of recording she would bring a golf club to the studio. She also sang the anime's ending theme "Let's Swing" alongside Tokyo Groove Jyoshi. In 2025, she won the Seiyu Award for Best Rookie Actor at the 19th Seiyu Awards.
Hayashi once practiced classical ballet and collected recorded albums, particularly orchestral music.
Filmography Television animation YearTitleRoleRef. 2024 Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian Soccer team manager 2024 Magilumiere Magical Girls Inc. Miyakodo employee 2024 Terminator Zero Children at playground 2024 Tonbo! Tonbo Ōi
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