The Idolm@ster SideM Names Kōki Inō as Kanon Himeno’s New Voice
The Idolm@ster SideM franchise has found a new voice for Kanon Himeno, with Kōki Inō (伊能 幸輝; also rendered Koki Ino) taking over from Ayumu Murase after an audition process.
What’s actually going on:The official Idolm@ster portal announced the casting change on August 28, following its August 18 notice that Murase would “graduate” from the Kanon role after 10 years supporting the character.12
The new announcement says Inō was selected through auditions and will handle Kanon’s voice in newly announced voice-content and products from August 28 onwards.1
Inō is also set to perform in “315 Production presents F＠NTASTIC BATTLE FES ～Wanna step in～” and its related story and promotional projects.1
There is an important bit of transition-period fine print.
Murase remains the credited voice for the previously scheduled MONTHLY THEME SONG 10 for Mofumofen from THE IDOLM@STER SideM ～P@SSION CHALLENGE We are 315！～, plus voice or audio used in selected parts of THE IDOLM@STER SideM 11th STAGE ～EVER EVER＠FTER～.1
The franchise says it does not currently plan to replace audio already released in 315 Production episodes and other content, although partial changes could be considered later.12
In other words, this is a forward-looking recast, not a suspiciously aggressive attempt to rewrite the past.12
Why you should care
Kanon is not just a name in a cast list: the character is part of Mofumofen, one of SideM’s idol units, and the official character page now lists Inō as his CV.4
For fans, the practical effect is that new recordings, merchandise and live appearances will carry a different performance, while older songs and story scenes should remain familiar.12
The official portal has also scheduled a special SideM livestream for September 1 at 7:00 p.m. Japan time, with Inō appearing as Kanon and staff outlining the voice schedule alongside event, merchandise and story updates.3
Our opinion
The franchise is handling a tricky recast with welcome clarity. Keeping Murase’s already-committed work intact respects the calendar and the fans, while naming the exact point at which Inō takes over gives everyone a clean line in the sand.12 The September livestream is the right place to introduce the new voice properly; until then, fans should treat this as a respectful relay rather than a replacement designed to erase what came before.