Arale Norimaki’s most iconic Japanese voice actor is Mami Koyama, who voiced Arale in the original 1981 Dr. Slump anime and its related films. In the English-language versions, Arale has also been voiced by Andrea Kwan and Gloria Ansell, while the 1997 Dr. Slump remake in Japanese used Taeko Kawata for the role.
Japanese Voice Actor: Mami Koyama
Date of Birth
January 17, 1955.
About Mami
Mami Koyama is a veteran Japanese voice actress, actress, and narrator affiliated with Aoni Production. For Arale fans, she is the performer most closely associated with the character’s original high-energy, mischievous, instantly recognizable voice in Dr. Slump. Beyond Arale, she is widely known for major roles such as Minky Momo, Kycilia Zabi in Mobile Suit Gundam, Balalaika in Black Lagoon, Vermouth in Detective Conan, Big Mom in One Piece, and Kei in Akira.
Hometown
Nishio, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Aoni Production lists her more broadly as being from Aichi Prefecture, while biographical databases identify Nishio as her hometown.
Career Highlights
For the specific query “Arale Norimaki voice actor,” Mami Koyama is the key answer because she voiced Arale in the original TV series Dr. Slump Arale-chan and in multiple theatrical and OVA follow-ups. Her broader career is equally notable: she played the title role in Magical Princess Minky Momo, voiced Kycilia Zabi in Mobile Suit Gundam, delivered one of her best-known later performances as Balalaika in Black Lagoon, and remained prominent across later decades with roles like Vermouth in Detective Conan and Big Mom in One Piece.
Full Current Filmography
The list below reflects documented screen and game credits visible from Aoni Production’s official profile together with structured credits compiled on major filmography databases; because Koyama’s career spans decades, it should be read as a documented credit list from those sources rather than a guaranteed complete master list of every performance.
Television anime
1970s–1980: Ikkyū-san (Yayoi Kikyoya); Attack on Tomorrow (Mimi Hijiri); Mobile Suit Gundam (Kycilia Zabi); The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (Nils); Dr. Slump Arale-chan (Arale Norimaki); GoShogun (Remy Shimada); Urusei Yatsura (Ryoko Mendou); Magical Princess Minky Momo (Minky Momo).
1990s–2000s: Kiteretsu Daihyakka (Korosuke, first voice); Monster (Eva Heinemann); Gundam SEED Destiny (Talia Gladys); Black Lagoon (Balalaika); Detective Conan (Vermouth).
2010s–2020s: Hyōka (Yōko Itoigawa); Naruto: Shippuden (Kaguya Ōtsutsuki); Dragon Ball Super (Arale Norimaki); The Saint’s Magic Power Is Omnipotent (Corinna); SHAMAN KING (Lilirara); The Ancient Magus’ Bride Season 2 (Liza Quillyn); BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!! (Shifune Tsuzuki); Dungeon People (Rock Turtle).
Theatrical anime and films
1980s: Toward the Terra (Karina); Dr. Slump films including Hello! Wonder Island, “Hoyoyo!” Space Adventure, Around the World Race, Treasure of Nanaba Castle, and Dream Capital Mekapolis (Arale Norimaki); Harmagedon (Princess Luna); The Dagger of Kamui (Oyuki); Akira (Kei); Dragon Ball films including Pasta, Lunch, and Arale appearances.
1990s–2020s: Dr. Slump reunion films in 1993 and 1994 (Arale Norimaki); Pokémon the Movie: Celebi, Voice of the Forest (Towa); Millennium Actress (Chiyoko Fujiwara, adult years); Appleseed (Athena); Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare and Black Iron Submarine (Vermouth); City Hunter films (Miki); Belle (Swan); One Piece Film Red (Big Mom); Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain (Utayama).
OVA and specials
Documented OVA-era credits include Dr. Slump safety and educational videos such as Dr. Slump Arale-chan no Kōtsū Anzen, Kōtsū Rule o Mamorō yo!!, and Penguin Village Fire Brigade, all featuring Koyama as Arale, along with other OVA work such as Minky Momo: Dream in the Rondo and Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
Games
Aoni’s official profile lists Returnal (Selene), Phantasy Star Online 2 (Maria), and Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (Perla). Database listings also document Arale-related game appearances, including Jump crossover and Dragon Ball titles.
Critical Reception
Mami Koyama’s reputation is that of a foundational seiyuu whose career bridges early TV-anime history and modern franchise work. Her repeated Anime Grand Prix wins for Best/Most Popular Female Voice Actress in the early 1980s reflect how highly she was regarded during the same era that made Arale and Minky Momo cultural touchstones. Later reference works and fan-industry databases continue to single out Arale, Balalaika, and Big Mom among her defining performances, showing both range and unusually long career relevance.
Useful sources for further reading:
Aoni Production official profile (https://www.aoni.co.jp/search/koyama-mami.html)
Mami Koyama biography and credits overview (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mami_Koyama)
Japanese filmography page with detailed chronological credits (https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B0%8F%E5%B1%B1%E8%8C%89%E7%BE%8E)
English Voice Actor: Andrea Kwan
Date of Birth
A full birth date for Andrea Kwan does not appear to be publicly documented in the sources I could verify. Public profiles describe her as a Canadian former voice actress who worked extensively in Hong Kong English-language dubbing.
About Andrea
For the English dub side of Dr. Slump, the best-documented early English voice for Arale Norimaki is Andrea Kwan, who voiced Arale in the Omni Productions dub before Gloria Ansell took over in later episodes. Kwan is a Canadian former voice actress and dubbing professional whose work is closely associated with the Animax Asia / Omni Productions era of English anime dubbing in Hong Kong. Public profiles and interviews describe her as someone who entered the field after moving from Canada to Hong Kong in 1997, later handling not only voice work but also directing and studio operations.
Hometown
Andrea Kwan is publicly described as Canadian, and later profiles place her in Toronto, Canada. A specific hometown or city of birth has not been clearly documented in the sources I could verify.
Career Highlights
For this search topic, Andrea Kwan matters because she is one of the principal documented English voices of Arale Norimaki in the Omni dub of Dr. Slump & Arale-chan. Beyond Arale, she is especially notable in English anime dubbing reference databases for roles such as Sakura Kinomoto in Cardcaptor Sakura (Animax Asia dub), female Ranma Saotome in Ranma ½, Shizuru Kuwabara in Yu Yu Hakusho, Kikyo in Inuyasha, Ringo Noyamano in Air Gear, and Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Her career is also notable for its behind-the-scenes dimension: she has described doing voice direction and studio-management work at Omni Productions in addition to acting.
Full Current Filmography
The list below reflects documented credits visible in publicly accessible databases and interviews. Because Andrea Kwan’s dub work is spread across older regional English releases, this should be read as a source-based documented filmography rather than a guaranteed exhaustive master list of every role.
Anime series
Ranma ½ — Female Ranma Saotome (Animax Asia dub).
Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files — Shizuru Kuwabara; Young Genkai (English version / Animax Asia dub).
Cardcaptor Sakura — Sakura Kinomoto / Sakura Avalon (Animax Asia dub).
Startling Doctor — Miyuki Koizumi (English version).
Inuyasha — Kikyo (Animax Asia dub).
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex — Motoko Kusanagi (English).
Emma: A Victorian Romance — Emma (English).
.hack//Roots — Azure Kite (English version).
Air Gear — Ringo Noyamano (Animax Asia dub).
Animaru Yokochō — Iyo Shimako Shima (Animax dub).
The Adventures of Hello Kitty and Friends — My Melody; Badtz-Maru.
Dr. Slump & Arale-chan — Arale Norimaki (Omni Productions dub, early episodes).
Anime films and specials
Initial D — Natsuki Mogi (English).
Live-action / dubbing-related credits
Police Story — Voice Actor, English dubbing. IMDb lists this among her known credits.
Other documented roles from character databases
A character database also credits Andrea Kwan with voicing characters including Binchou-tan, Dominique Miller, Kyouko Shitou, Youko Sakurano, and Mokkun, although those entries are not as production-complete as the IMDb list above.
Critical Reception
Substantial mainstream critical writing focused specifically on Andrea Kwan is not well documented in readily verifiable public sources. What is better documented is her place within the Hong Kong-based English dubbing ecosystem that serviced Animax Asia and related regional releases. A South China Morning Post feature on Hong Kong voice work identified Kwan as one of the artists working in that regional dubbing industry, which supports her significance in that niche era of anime localization. Her own interview account also reinforces that she was part of the core talent pool and had accumulated years of on-the-job experience in both acting and directing. Reference databases such as Behind The Voice Actors further show that she remains especially remembered for roles like Sakura Kinomoto, female Ranma, and Arale Norimaki.
Useful sources for further reading:
Andrea Kwan IMDb profile (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4439702/)
Andrea Kwan profile on Behind The Voice Actors (https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Andrea-Kwan/)
Interview: “Meet Andrea — The Voice Behind Sakura!” (https://mackymart.blogspot.com/2008/02/interview-meet-andrea-voice-behind.html)
South China Morning Post feature on Hong Kong dubbing work (https://www.scmp.com/article/722864/creative-industry-fine-voice)
