Meiko “Menma” Honma, the emotional heart of Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, is voiced by Ai Kayano in the original Japanese version and Xanthe Huynh in the English dub. Kayano’s portrayal of Menma became one of the defining performances of her career and helped establish the character as one of anime’s most beloved heroines, while Huynh’s English performance introduced Menma’s story to a new generation of viewers

Japanese Voice Actor: Ai Kayano

Date of Birth

September 13, 1987

About Ai

Ai Kayano is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Office Osawa. She made her anime debut in 2010 and quickly rose to prominence after landing the role of Meiko “Menma” Honma in Anohana in 2011. The performance earned widespread praise for its warmth, innocence, and emotional sincerity, helping launch her into leading roles across the anime industry.

Menma remains one of Kayano’s most recognizable characters. The role required her to balance childlike optimism with the emotional weight of the series’ central tragedy. More than a decade after the anime’s release, Menma is still closely associated with Kayano’s career and is frequently cited among the most memorable anime performances of the 2010s.

Hometown

Tokyo, Japan

Career Highlights

Some of Ai Kayano’s most notable roles include:

  • Meiko “Menma” Honma — Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
  • Inori Yuzuriha — Guilty Crown
  • Mashiro Shiina — The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
  • Shiro — No Game No Life
  • Darkness — KonoSuba
  • Utaha Kasumigaoka — Saekano
  • Alice Zuberg — Sword Art Online: Alicization
  • Saori Takebe — Girls und Panzer
  • Juliet Persia — Boarding School Juliet
  • Mamako Oosuki — Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?

Full Current Filmography

The following list highlights major, verifiable anime roles documented by publicly available sources and is not intended to be a complete record of every credit.

Television Anime

2011

  • Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day — Meiko “Menma” Honma
  • Guilty Crown — Inori Yuzuriha

2012

  • The Pet Girl of Sakurasou — Mashiro Shiina
  • Girls und Panzer — Saori Takebe

2014

  • No Game No Life — Shiro

2016

  • KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! — Darkness

2017

  • Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend ♭ — Utaha Kasumigaoka

2018

  • Boarding School Juliet — Juliet Persia

2019

  • Sword Art Online: Alicization — Alice Zuberg
  • Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? — Mamako Oosuki

Anime Films

2013

  • Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day – The Movie — Meiko “Menma” Honma

This list reflects widely documented leading roles and may not be exhaustive.

Critical Reception

Ai Kayano’s portrayal of Menma is frequently praised for capturing the character’s gentle innocence and emotional vulnerability. The performance helped transform Menma into one of anime’s most iconic tragic heroines. Critics and fans have often highlighted the final episodes of Anohana as a showcase of Kayano’s emotional range, particularly during the series’ climactic farewell scenes. The role is widely regarded as Kayano’s breakout performance and remains one of the defining characters of her career.

Our Sources

English Voice Actor: Xanthe Huynh

Date of Birth

June 22, 1987 (Wikipedia)

About Xanthe

Xanthe Huynh is an American voice actress best known for her work in English-language anime dubs and video games. Since beginning her professional voice acting career in 2008, she has become a familiar voice to anime fans through roles that emphasize emotional depth, warmth, and sincerity. Her performance as Meiko “Menma” Honma in Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is widely regarded as one of her standout anime roles. (Wikipedia)

Huynh voiced Menma in Aniplex of America’s English dub, working alongside Griffin Burns, Erica Mendez, Erica Lindbeck, Kaiji Tang, and Ray Chase. Reflecting on the role, Huynh described herself as “extremely proud” to have been part of the series, highlighting the care that went into the English adaptation. (Xanthe Huynh)

Hometown

Orange, California, United States (English Voice Over)

Career Highlights

Some of Xanthe Huynh’s most notable roles include:

  • Meiko “Menma” Honma — Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
  • Haru Okumura — Persona 5
  • Marianne von Edmund — Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  • Ui Hirasawa — K-On!
  • Hanayo Koizumi — Love Live! School Idol Project
  • Sachi — Sword Art Online
  • Takina Inoue — Lycoris Recoil
  • Alluka Zoldyck — Hunter × Hunter
  • Agnea Bristarni — Octopath Traveler II
  • Haruka Sawamura — Like a Dragon series (Wikipedia)

Full Current Filmography

The following list reflects major documented credits from publicly available sources and is not exhaustive. (Wikipedia)

Anime Series

2011

  • K-On! — Ui Hirasawa

2013

  • Sword Art Online — Sachi

2015

  • Yuki Yuna Is a Hero — Yuna Yuki

2017

  • Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day — Meiko “Menma” Honma
  • March Comes in Like a Lion — Momo Kawamoto

2018

  • A.I.C.O. Incarnation — Aiko Tachibana
  • FLCL Progressive — Hidomi Hibajiri
  • Granblue Fantasy: The Animation — Jessica

2020

  • BNA: Brand New Animal — Nazuna Hiwatashi
  • Jujutsu Kaisen — Sasaki

2021

  • Edens Zero — Hermit Mio
  • Kageki Shojo!! — Ai Narata
  • Record of Ragnarok — Eve

2022

  • Housing Complex C — Kimi Shirokado
  • Vampire in the Garden — Momo

2024

Video Games

Persona Series

  • Persona 5 — Haru Okumura
  • Persona 5 Royal — Haru Okumura
  • Persona 5 Strikers — Haru Okumura
  • Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight — Haru Okumura

Fire Emblem Series

  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses — Marianne von Edmund
  • Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes — Marianne von Edmund

Like a Dragon Series

  • Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name — Haruka Sawamura
  • Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth — Haruka Sawamura

Other Notable Games

  • Octopath Traveler II — Agnea Bristarni
  • Scarlet Nexus — Tsugumi Nazar
  • Master Detective Archives: Rain Code — Fubuki Clockford
  • Lost Judgment — Kyoko Amasawa
  • Marvel Rivals — Dagger
  • 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim — Miwako Sawatari (English Voice Over)

Critical Reception

Xanthe Huynh’s portrayal of Menma earned praise from English-dub viewers for preserving the character’s innocence, kindness, and emotional impact. Because Anohana relies heavily on heartfelt performances to convey its themes of grief, friendship, and closure, Huynh’s work was considered an important part of the dub’s success. Many fans regard her performance as one of the strongest roles in her anime voice acting career. (Xanthe Huynh)

Our Sources

Social Media

Published by Limarc Ambalina

Limarc Ambalina is the founder of Japan Bound, a website covering all things Japan — from travel and culture to anime, manga, and pop culture. He is also the Director of Content at ISNation and the former VP of Editorial at HackerNoon. Based in Japan, he has been writing about Japanese life and entertainment since 2019, growing the site to over 2.4 million views.

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