Hirano Aya -- Over 100,000 Posts on 2channel

The Japanese message board 2channel is very active, and has threads following most active seiyuu. But very few seiyuu have over 100,000 posts about them. Hirano Aya recently reached that level, joining such major stars as Tamura Yukari, Horie Yui, Mizuki Nana, and Sakamoto Maaya.

Each completed thread on 2channel contains 1000 posts. Among active threads, Tamura Yukari appears to be tops, with 354 completed threads, followed by Horie Yui (271), Mizuki Nana (182), Shiina Hekiru (178), Ochiai Yurika (116), Sakamoto Maaya (102), Aya (101) and Asano Masumi (100). Aya's number was back in the 20's earlier this year, and has zoomed up quickly, probably not just because of her roles but also because of her activities as a gravure idol, personality, and singer.

The number of posts doesn't indicate general popularity, but just how interesting a seiyuu is to the otaku who do the majority of the posting on 2channel. Hirano Aya is a highly controversial figure among otaku, many of whom post quite negative (and sometimes rather salacious) things about her. These negative posts have helped rush the total much higher in the past few months. Horie Yui experienced a similar rush when people were connecting her with the Arts Vision scandal in June. Most of the most posted-about seiyuu are also idols and/or singers.

Ochiai Yurika is not popular so much for her work as for her problems: she posts on her blog about the great difficulties she has in life, and her maltreatment in the industry. This has made her a very popular symbol of the oppression of seiyuu. To some otaku, Aya receives unfairly good treatment.

Asano Masumi's popularity stems not just from her work as a seiyuu, but from her long-running radio show. She was given an award as most popular seiyuu personality of 2006.

Top seiyuu whom one might expect to be in the front rank but who are not as much posted about on 2channel include Noto Mamiko (83 threads), Tanaka Rie (69), Kawasumi Ayako (40), Ueda Kana (42), Momoi Haruko (55), and Koshimizu Ami (28).

Here is a link to the 2channel board for individual seiyuus. The photo of Aya is from her blog, and was taken over the past weekend.