Rica Matsumoto

Rica Matsumoto

Rica Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本梨香 Matsumoto Rika) is a Japanese voice actress for the Pokémon anime.

Biography

Matsumoto was born on November 30, 1968, in Yokohama, Japan. Her most famous role is that of the main protagonist of the Pokémon anime, Ash Ketchum. After getting into theater at a young age, Matsumoto discovered voice acting and singing. She has since been typecast as young boys in Japanese anime series.

In addition to being a solo artist, Matsumoto is a member of two singing groups:

• JAM (Japanese Animationsong Makers) Project, with Hironobu Kageyama, Masaki Endoh, Hiroshi Kitadani, Masami Okui, Yoshiki Fukuyama, Ricardo Cruz, Eizo Sakamoto and Ichiru Mizuki
• Tricycle, with Yoshiyuki Ishikawa and Keīchi Kodo

Also, Matsumoto hosts or has hosted three radio shows:

• I'll Catch Your Heart (Japanese: 君のハートをGETだぜ)
• Rumors About Him (彼奴の噂)
• Saturday HOT Request

Pokémon roles

Anime

Humans

Major

• Ash
• Mirror Ash
• Ash (M20 & M21)
• Alternate World Ash

Minor

• Mother (AG061)

Pokémon

Major

• Giovanni's Persian

Minor

• Chansey
• Meowth (EP070)

Video games

Pokémon Masters EX

• Ash

Musical appearances

• Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (Japanese: めざせポケモンマスター)
• Goodnight, My Pikachu (Japanese: おやすみ　ぼくのピカチュウ)
• The Road to Being a Pokémon Master (Japanese: ポケモンマスターへの道)
• The Rivals (Japanese: ライバル！)
• Type: Wild (Japanese: タイプ：ワイルド)
• Everyone Walk Together (Japanese: みんなであるこう！)
• Because Everyone Was There (Japanese: みんながいたから)
• OK!
• Challenger!! (Japanese: チャレンジャー!!)
• Spurt!* (Japanese: スパート！)
• High Touch!* (Japanese: ハイタッチ！)
• Best Wishes! (Japanese: ベストウイッシュ！)
• Be an Arrow! (Japanese: やじるしになって！)
• XY&Z*
• Alola!!* (Japanese: アローラ!!)
• One, Two, Three* (Japanese: １・２・３) (V4)

* This song is credited in-character as Ash.

Other non-Pokémon roles

Anime series

• Choromatsu Matsuno (Osomatsu-kun (1988 TV series) - debut)
• Aoi Futaba (You're Under Arrest)
• Ryo Bakura (Yu-Gi-Oh! second series, replacing Yō Inoue)
• Kiyoshi Mitarai (YuYu Hakusho)
• Nataku (X (movie))
• Sinunora (Gun Frontier)
• Reiko Kujou (Meitantei Conan)
• Chihiro Kawai (Pretty Sammy)
• Warren Trace, Haro (V Gundam)
• Kei (Dirty Pair Flash)
• Jim Hawking (Outlaw Star)
• Raishinshi (Soul Hunter)
• Kojirou Hyuuga (Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002)
• Ricarla "Carla" Borgnine (Super Robot Taisen OG: The Inspector)
• Rumi (Perfect Blue)
• Seiji Takasugi (Densetsu no Yuusha Da-Gaan)

Tokusatsu voice roles

• Arthur G6 (Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman)
• Bundorio Bunderas (Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger)

Dubbing roles

• Bridget Jones (Bridget Jones's Diary)
• Delta Dawn (Trolls World Tour)
• Willy (Terra Willy)
• Dylan (Charlie's Angels)
• Cera (The Land Before Time, The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving)
• Flounder (The Little Mermaid)
• Bessy the Cow (Barnyard)
• Chiro (Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!)

Video game roles

• Megara (Kingdom Hearts II)
• Announcer (Mario Kart Arcade GP DX)

Albums

Solo albums

• 花の園 Hana no En, Flower Garden
• Cluster
• Destiny
• Rough Love
• RICA the BEST
• Alive A life (Kamen Rider Ryuki)
• Go! Now! Alive A Life Neo (Rider Time: Kamen Rider Ryuki)

Group albums

JAM Project

• JAM Project LIVE 震撼～Return to the Chaos～
• JAM Project BEST COLLECTION II ～FREEDOM

Tricycle

• Desert, Grass and Forest

Trivia

• Her favorite Pokémon is Cubone.
• In Pokémon X and Y, Lass Anna's Japanese name is Rica, a reference to Rica Matsumoto. Like Ash, she uses a male Pikachu.
• Matsumoto has said that her overall favorite Pokémon League battle is the battle between Ash and Paul.
• She performed a cover of the original Pokémon Theme with Hideaki Takatori on his Youtube channel.

External links

• Official website
• Talent profile
• Ameblo blog
• Twitter

This article is part of Project VA, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on voice actors in Pokémon animation and Pokémon games.