Ayumu Murase Steps Down as Kanon Himeno After 10 Years in The iDOLM@STER SideM

Ayumu Murase, the voice of Haikyu!!'s Shoyo Hinata, is leaving his long-running role as Kanon Himeno in The iDOLM@STER SideM after a decade with the franchise....

A major voice-actor change has just been announced in the Japanese anime and game industry.

Ayumu Murase is stepping down from his role as Kanon Himeno in THE iDOLM@STER SideM.

The announcement was made on August 18, 2026, with the news being reported by major anime outlets today.

Murase has voiced Kanon for roughly 10 years, making the change a significant moment for the character and the SideM franchise.

A new voice actor will eventually take over the role.

But there is an important detail:

The replacement voice actor has not been announced yet.

Ayumu Murase Is Leaving Kanon Himeno

Ayumu Murase has been the voice of Kanon Himeno since the character's debut in THE iDOLM@STER SideM.

Kanon is one of the idols associated with the franchise's Mofumofuen unit.

Murase's portrayal has therefore been closely connected with the character for a decade.

The official announcement describes Murase as graduating from the role.

That means the character itself is not being retired.

Instead, the franchise will eventually introduce another actor to provide Kanon's voice.

A New Voice Actor Will Be Announced Later

The biggest unanswered question is now obvious:

Who will become Kanon's new voice?

The franchise has confirmed that a new cast member will join Mofumofuen as Kanon.

However, the replacement has not been revealed yet.

That means fans will have to wait for another official announcement.

Until then, Murase remains the voice most associated with Kanon throughout the character's decade-long history.

Existing Recordings Will Not Simply Disappear

The announcement also makes an important distinction concerning previously recorded material.

There are currently no plans to replace previously recorded content.

That means Murase's existing performances as Kanon will continue to remain part of the franchise's history.

The change primarily affects future content.

This is a common way for long-running character franchises to handle voice-cast transitions.

Rather than rewriting the past, the new actor takes over going forward.

Ten Years Is a Long Time for One Character

Murase's departure is significant partly because of how long he has been connected to Kanon.

Ten years is enough time for a voice actor's performance to become inseparable from a character.

For fans who discovered SideM during its earlier years, Murase's voice is the voice they associate with Kanon.

A replacement will therefore have a difficult task.

The new actor will have to make Kanon feel familiar while also establishing their own interpretation of the character.

Kanon Himeno Is Part of Mofumofuen

Kanon is one of the younger idols in the SideM franchise.

He is associated with Mofumofuen, alongside other members of the unit.

The unit has a distinct identity within SideM, and Kanon's voice is an important part of its performances and character interactions.

That makes the upcoming casting change more than an isolated voice-actor update.

It will affect future material involving the entire unit.

Why This News Matters Beyond SideM

At first glance, the announcement may appear to concern only a game franchise.

But Ayumu Murase is one of the most recognizable voice actors working in anime.

For many international anime fans, he is immediately associated with Shoyo Hinata from Haikyu!!.

That makes today's news particularly notable.

Murase's voice has become recognizable across several major anime and game franchises.

Murase Is Still Hinata in Haikyu!!

The SideM announcement does not mean Murase is leaving Haikyu!!.

He remains the Japanese voice of Shoyo Hinata.

That distinction is important.

The announcement specifically concerns his role as Kanon Himeno in THE iDOLM@STER SideM.

His work as Hinata is separate.

In fact, the timing is interesting because Murase is currently involved in major Haikyu!! promotional activity.

He is scheduled to appear as Hinata's voice actor during the franchise's Haikyu!! RECEPTION #3 special program for Haikyu!! Day.

Murase and Kaito Ishikawa Are Appearing for Haikyu!!

The Haikyu!! program also features Kaito Ishikawa, the voice of Tobio Kageyama.

That means two of the franchise's most recognizable Japanese voice actors are appearing together as the anime prepares for its next major projects.

The timing makes Murase's SideM announcement particularly noticeable.

On one side, fans are discussing his departure from a decade-long role.

On the other, he continues to represent one of his most famous anime characters.

Hinata Remains One of Murase's Defining Roles

Shoyo Hinata is arguably one of Murase's most recognizable anime performances.

Hinata's energetic personality, determination and emotional reactions require an extremely expressive performance.

Murase has been voicing the character since the original Haikyu!! anime.

The role has therefore followed him through multiple seasons, movies and major franchise events.

And the story is not finished yet.

Haikyu!! Is Entering Another Major Stage

The Haikyu!! franchise is currently preparing for Haikyu the Movie: VS The Little Giant.

The movie is scheduled for 2027.

It will adapt the highly anticipated Karasuno vs. Kamomedai match from the Spring High National Tournament.

Hinata will face Korai Hoshiumi, another exceptionally talented player who has been compared to the legendary Little Giant.

Murase's continued involvement as Hinata therefore remains particularly important for fans.

The Voice-Actor Change Does Not Affect Hinata

It is worth repeating because the two stories are easy to connect incorrectly.

Ayumu Murase is not being replaced as Shoyo Hinata.

The newly announced change concerns:

Kanon Himeno — THE iDOLM@STER SideM.

Murase continues to voice:

Shoyo Hinata — Haikyu!!.

The two roles are completely separate.

What Happens to Kanon Now?

The next stage is straightforward.

The franchise needs to select a new actor.

That actor will eventually become the voice of Kanon in future content.

The new performer will inherit a character that has already been voiced by Murase for approximately a decade.

That creates an interesting challenge.

Should the new actor closely imitate Murase's interpretation?

Or should they create a slightly different performance?

The answer will probably become clear once the new casting is revealed.

Fans Will Probably Notice the Difference Immediately

Voice changes are especially noticeable in character-driven franchises.

A character's voice becomes part of their identity.

Even small differences in pitch, rhythm or emotional delivery can make a familiar character feel different.

Kanon's transition could therefore be closely watched when the new actor makes their debut.

The franchise has an advantage, however.

Because Kanon has existed for many years, the character already has an established personality and history.

The new performer will have plenty of material to study.

This Is Not the First Major Voice Change in Japanese Entertainment

Long-running anime and game franchises occasionally have to replace voice actors.

The reasons can vary.

Scheduling issues, health, retirement, agency changes, personal decisions and other circumstances can all lead to casting changes.

In this particular case, the official announcement confirms Murase's departure and the future casting change, but it does not provide a detailed explanation for the decision.

That means speculation about the exact reason should be avoided.

What We Know Right Now

Detail	Information
Voice Actor	Ayumu Murase
Role	Kanon Himeno
Franchise	THE iDOLM@STER SideM
Unit	Mofumofuen
Time as Kanon's Voice	About 10 years
Status	Murase is graduating from the role
Replacement	New voice actor will be announced later
Previously Recorded Content	No current plans to replace existing recordings
Hinata's Voice	Murase remains Shoyo Hinata in Haikyu!!
Announcement	August 18, 2026
Reported	August 19, 2026

The Biggest Questions Now

1. Who will replace Ayumu Murase?

The new Kanon voice actor has not been announced.

2. When will the replacement be revealed?

The franchise has only confirmed that the announcement will come at a later date.

3. Will Kanon's personality change?

The character remains the same, but the new actor may bring a different vocal interpretation.

4. Will Murase's existing performances remain available?

The current information indicates that previously recorded content is not planned to be replaced.

5. Is Murase leaving Haikyu!!?

No.

The announcement concerns his SideM role as Kanon Himeno.

Murase's Departure Is Coming at an Interesting Time

The announcement comes during a particularly active period for Murase.

His name is currently appearing in major anime discussions because of Haikyu!! Day and the upcoming continuation of the Haikyu!! anime story.

The franchise's next movie is scheduled for 2027.

Murase is still attached to Hinata.

So while one long-running role is ending, another major character role remains active.

Kanon's Next Era Is About to Begin

For the first time in roughly a decade, Kanon Himeno will eventually have a different voice.

That will mark the beginning of a new era for the character.

The change may feel strange to longtime fans at first.

But it also gives a new actor the opportunity to put their own stamp on Kanon.

The most important thing now is finding someone who understands why the character has connected with fans in the first place.

Ayumu Murase leaving Kanon Himeno after around ten years is the kind of voice-actor change that longtime fans are going to remember.

Murase's performance has been part of Kanon's identity for a huge portion of the character's existence.

Replacing him will therefore never feel completely ordinary.

At the same time, the announcement does not mean that Kanon is disappearing.

The franchise is keeping the character alive and will introduce another actor for future material.

And there is an important piece of good news for anime fans:

Murase is still Shoyo Hinata.

That means fans waiting for Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant do not need to worry about a change to Hinata's Japanese voice.

For SideM, however, the next chapter will be fascinating.

Whoever takes over Kanon will inherit ten years of history.

They will have to step into a performance that fans already know extremely well.

That makes the eventual casting announcement one to watch.

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Ayumu Murase's decade-long run as Kanon Himeno is coming to an end.

The iDOLM@STER SideM franchise will eventually introduce a new voice actor for the character, although that person's identity has not yet been revealed.

Previously recorded performances are not currently planned to be replaced.

For anime fans, the most important distinction is that Murase's departure from Kanon does not affect his role as Shoyo Hinata.

He remains the voice of Hinata as Haikyu!! moves toward its next major movie.

One chapter is closing.

Another is still moving forward.

And now fans have one new question:

Who will be the next voice behind Kanon Himeno?