The terrific TV ratings for this show make me happy for Ishihara Kaori. I enjoy her voice a lot, and now that she is one of the stars of a show with high ratings, her future in anime -- to say nothing of the musical side of her career -- seems even brighter. Being able to play boy-roles is a help, too.
Until a year or so ago, I thought of her as the junior partner in YuiKaori, beside the younger but more famous Ogura Yui. But her seiyuu talent has brought her to the fore at the age of 19:
She has had 12 roles this year. I first realized how good she was when she emoted so well as Kanna in
AnoNatsu. And I thought she was good as Konoe in
NakaImo. But her big role was starring as the irrepressible Madoka in two seasons of
Rinne no Lagrange. Someone on 2channel referred to her as the "legitimate successor" to Mizuhashi Kaori, because of a degree of similarity in their voices.