[Exclusive] Popular Voice Actor Kensho Ono Spotted on Secret Birthday Date with a Younger Colleague

“I’m going to eat after this, so I don’t want to get too full. What should I do?”

A man stood in front of the movie theater’s popcorn counter, pondering his choices while speaking in a deep, princely voice straight out of an anime. His cool-looking female companion, wearing glasses, immediately replied in a queen-like voice, “Anything is fine.”

They were disguised with caps and masks, but that would hardly fool anime fans. The two whose identities were instantly given away by their voices were voice actors Kensho Ono (37) and M・A・O (34).

“Both Ono and M・A・O have more than 10 years of experience as voice actors. Ono is a popular performer who has voiced leading characters in numerous hit anime, including Tetsuya Kuroko in ‘Kuroko’s Basketball’ and Giorno Giovanna in ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind.’ M・A・O is also an accomplished voice actress who has played various heroines and was selected to voice Reiko Akimoto in the upcoming ‘New Kochikame,’ scheduled to air next year.” (A representative from a voice acting agency)

The stars of the voice acting world appeared to have assembled at the theater to watch the rerelease of “Avengers: Endgame – Encore.” After much deliberation, Ono bought a popcorn combo for two and a churro, and the pair headed into the screening room.

“They have appeared together in around 30 productions. In the 2018 anime ‘RErideD: Derrida, Who Leaps Through Time,’ they played the protagonist and heroine. Although their characters never ended up together in the story, the two are quite close. M・A・O even went to see the stage production of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ when Ono was starring in it.” (An acquaintance of Ono’s)

Waiting for a taxi in a “JoJo Pose”?

After finishing the movie, the two stepped outside to look for a taxi. As they waited for one to arrive, Ono stood at an angle, slightly twisting his upper body. His pose vaguely brought to mind the iconic “JoJo pose” (?). M・A・O followed beside him, walking half a step behind.

The unusual pair headed to an upscale shabu-shabu restaurant in Nishi-Azabu. They arrived shortly before 9:30 p.m. and didn’t leave until after 1 a.m., long after the last train had departed. During that time, Ono posted an excited message on X:

“Whoa! I’m 37 years old now!”

It seemed he had thoroughly enjoyed a birthday date with just the two of them.

As Ono left the restaurant, he was holding a paper shopping bag in his left hand, apparently containing a gift from M・A・O.

Celebrating a birthday together with a countdown like this seems rather intimate for people who are merely voice actor colleagues. Had the magazine witnessed the beginning of a high-profile couple in the voice acting world? We approached Ono directly to ask about his relationship with M・A・O.

—What kind of relationship do the two of you have?

“We first worked together on a stage production when I was around 20 and she was still a teenager. We’ve been close ever since.”

We would have loved to see the two enjoy a happy ending in real life, too!

The October 23 issue of “FRIDAY,” dated November 6, and its paid edition, “FRIDAY GOLD,” provide a detailed report on the pair’s intimate episodes, Ono’s divorce story, in which M・A・O is also rumored to have played a part, the full exchange when we approached him, and the response from his agency.

For the full story and more photos, click here↓↓

From the November 6, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”