After many rumors and skepticism about the future of her career, Aya Hirano has announced via her Twitter account recently that she has started working as a seiyuu again under her new agency Grick. She said it was her first recording session “in a long time.” Previously, she said that her past agency was not allowing her to do any voice work.

Source: Anime News Network

A lot has gone on for Aya Hirano in the past few months involving rumors and “scandals”.

Hirano recently left her previous agencies for her singing and voice acting careers, Lantis and Space Craft, respectively. Some sites have reported that the agencies let her go because of tabloid scandals involving a relationship with the guitarist in her band. Photos also leaked online, confirming suspicions.

While still with her previous agencies, and perhaps because of the above issues, Hirano was not allowed to make any new music, perhaps as punishment for tarnishing her image. These messages were relayed via Twitter:

“There’ll be no live events to go with the album, nor any new songs or touring, for the same reason. Sorry if you were looking forward to them – I wanted to do them too.

“My only scheduled release for this year is the best hits compilation. Unless the situation changes quite a bit I won’t be allowed to do anything musical.”

A compilation album “Aya Museum” was released in May 2011.

According to Hirano, her apparent change in career direction, focusing more on TV appearances and promotions and less anime and music work, is the fault of her past agencies as well.

“I even wrote this in my Yomiuri column, but with the changes at my agency there’s not a single member of staff in my current team who had anything to do with my past music or even knew about my anime roles. That’s my biggest worry. Everything I’ve done up to now is being negated.

“The sudden change in my career direction was forced on me against my will. “Forget everything you’ve done up until now and start from scratch!” I really have to wonder just what my 5 years of work as a seiyuu were in aid of.

“What I hate the most is the upset this caused to my fans. Why they suddenly thrust this upon them with no followup, why they never said what direction they wanted me to go in, it’s an insult to my fans I can’t forgive.”

It is not completely clear whether she left of her own volition or if she was forced to leave, but she has now signed with a new agency for voice acting, Grick. Aya has not commented on anything related to the scandal allegations, understandably wanting to put it behind her.

Sources: Kotaku, Sankaku Complex

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You can pick up Aya’s newest album at YesAsia!

Source: Anime News Network

Check out the tracklisting and album artwork on our Riot Girl page.