is a Japanese media personality, singer, actress, voice actress, illustrator, YouTuber, and cosplayer. Also known by her nickname , she is best known as the presenter of Pokémon Sunday, and as the performer of the opening theme from the anime Gurren Lagann.
Biography Born and raised in Tokyo metropolitan area to her father, Katsuhiko Nakagawa, actor and musician, and her mother Keiko Nakagawa, a great-granddaughter of Kazutaka Ito, who is known for introducing and promoting the salmon and trout hatchery business. Her father died of leukemia on September 17, 1994 when she was 9. Nakagawa found escape from bullies by connecting with Pokémon when she was in 5th grade. "When I was a kid, I didn't have friends, but I did have Pokémon."
In the 2006 book , she wrote that her legal name was rather than , which she had been using for most of her life. At the time of her birth, she and her mother had to remain in the hospital, and her maternal aunt was left with registering her in the koseki. Her mother's intended name of was declined due to not being included in the list of jōyō kanji or jinmeiyō kanji that are approved for use in Japanese names. The aunt wrote in hiragana instead, but because she wrote very quickly, the small yo appeared larger than intended and the name was recorded as . Career She made her entertainment debut in 2001, winning the Grand Prix award at the Popolo Girl Audition and representing Jackie Chan talent agency. Later, on the "Yume-Ga-Oka Residence" programme on SKY PerfecTV!, she was given Jackie Chan's photobook by Midorikawa Shobō, who were guests on the show. She commented "I thought he was an enemy of Bruce Lee's", apparently referring to Enter the Dragon.
In 2002, she was chosen as Miss Shōnen Magazine.
Her official blog, Shokotan * Blog, opened in 2004, and by April 2006 it had received a total of 100 million hits. On February 2, 2008, the daily Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported that her blog had been accessed 1 billion times.
In 2004, she made a guest appearance in the 38th episode of Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, after having previously appeared as a child in Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman. She later appeared with Katsumura on Men B.
She appeared in a brief section of "Kangaeru Hito" ("People who think") on the Fuji TV network in 2004 as an illustrator, after which she appeared regularly on the later version of the programme which started with minor changes in early 2005, "Kangaeru Hitokoma" ("Thinking about one frame [of a cartoon strip]"). On the Fuji TV show Kangaeru Hitokoma, on which she is an occasional guest, she drew in the style of Kazuo Umezu.
For one year starting in May 2005, Nakagawa appeared as a regular on the TBS programme "Ōsama no Brunch". In July 2006, she released her debut single "Brilliant Dream". It entered the Oricon chart at number 29, with initial sales of 6313 copies. Nakagawa performed at Anime Expo 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Some of her work was shown on May 11, edition of Downtown Deluxe on Nippon TV network, Nakagawa was a member of the judging panel in the "Jump Damashii" section of the Shūeisha publication Weekly Shōnen Jump, starting from Jump number 13 of 2006.
On May 30, 2006, airing of Kasupe!, in the section entitled , "Fuji Bank Celebrity Evaluator", it was discovered that she liked the manga Kachō Shima Kōsaku, eliciting a comment from the host, Sayaka Aoki, that she had pretty "grown-up tastes".
In 2009, she opened a store called "mmts" with the theme of her hobby in Nakano Broadway.
In 2009–2010, she appeared in a series of commercials for Norton AntiVirus.
In March 2014, Nakagawa's book of autobiographical essays, Neko no Ashiato ("Cats' Pawprints"), was published by Magazine House.
In March 2015, the book was adapted as an anime series titled Omakase Mamitasu ("Leave It to Mamitasu") on NHK, which featured characters based on Nakagawa's cat and her late father and grandfather.
In 2018, Nakagawa returned to Anime Expo to perform as part of Anisong World Matsuri.
In 2019, Nakagawa performed the song with Sachiko Kobayashi, which was used as the theme song to the theatrical film Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution; it is a cover of a song originally performed by Kobayashi, which was used as the theme song to the 1998 film Pokémon: The First Movie.
In 2020 following the temporary loss of work due to COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point, and she started distributing videos on YouTube, separate from the channel that distributes music videos set up by the office. Since then, her blog has hardly been updated.
In 2021, she posted her swimsuit video on YouTube, and she became very popular with over 10 million views in two months.
In October 2023, Nakagawa released the single "65535", the title song of which was used as the opening theme to the anime series 16bit Sensation: Another Layer. The following day, she announced that she legally changed her name to be the same as her stage name.
In addition to announcing her pregnancy on May 5, 2025, she also announced the launch of her own agency, "miracle." She has a business partnership with Watanabe Entertainment. Personal life On April 28, 2023, Nakagawa announced her marriage to a non-celebrity man.
On May 5, 2025, on her 40th birthday, Nakagawa announced that she was pregnant with her first child. On October 1, 2025, she announced through her official social media account that she and her husband welcomed the birth of their first child, twin sons, on September 30.
Filmography
TV AX MUSIC-TV 00 (2003–2004) (2006–2010) (2004) as Falupian Yaako (guest appearance) Episode 38 (2006) (2007) (2007) (2007–2012) (2007–2010) (2008) (2009) (2010–2013) (2013–2015) (2014) as Okita (2015) (2015–present) (2016) (2017) (2017)
Films Kabuto-O Beetle (2005) Umezu Kazuo: Kyofu Gekijo – Zesshoku (2005) Koala Kacho / Executive Koala (2005) The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) X-Cross (2007) Gothic Lolita Battle Bear (2013)
Stageplays Maybe Happy Ending (2020)
Anime YearTitleRoleNote2005Eyeshield 21 Suzuna Taki2012Saint Seiya Omega Saori Kido / Athena 2013Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods Oracle FishFilmMajocco Shimai no Yoyo to Nene Bahiku 2015Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' Oracle FishFilmPretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season II DianaONABlack Moon arcDragon Ball Super Oracle Fish2016Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Season III DianaTV AnimeDeath Busters arc2017Akiba's Trip: The Animation Risa Deiba2021Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal The Movie Diana2-Part filmSeason 4 of Sailor Moon Crystal 2023Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre Mayumi SantoONA Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie Diana 2-Part filmSeason 5 of Sailor Moon Crystal
Pokémon films Nakagawa also has voiced characters in every Pokémon movie since 2007 (except Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened and Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution): YearTitleRole2007Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai Maki2008Pokémon: Giratina & the Sky Warrior Infy2009Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life Notched-Ear Pichu2010Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions Proof2011Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and White—Victini and Zekrom Aude2012Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice Keldeo2014Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction Millis Steele2015Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages Mary2016Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel Racel2017Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Nurse Joy2018Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us Riku2020Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the JungleKaren
Video games Dragon Quest Heroes (2015) – Alena Dragon Quest Heroes II (2016) – Alena Toukiden 2 (2016) – Gwen Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary (2017) – Alena Kingdom Hearts III (2019) – Rapunzel
Japanese dub
Live-action Moon Geun-young Innocent Steps – Jang Chae-min My Little Bride – Bo-eun Silent Hill (2006) – Alessa Gillespie (voice-over for Jodelle Ferland) Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) – Tessa Yeager (voice-over for Nicola Peltz) Ra.One (2015) – Desi/Dawsal (voice-over for Priyanka Chopra) Venom (2018) – Anne Weying (voice-over for Michelle Williams) Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) – Anne Weying (voice-over for Michelle Williams)
Animation Tangled The Series (2017–2020) – Rapunzel Tangled (2010) – Rapunzel Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) – Rapunzel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2023) – Goldilocks
Discography
Shoko Nakagawa is signed to Sony Japan.
Singles Title Release date First week sales Total sales Information "Brilliant Dream" July 5, 2006 6,313 10,459 Opening theme for Yoshimune February 14, 2007 10,023 15,784 Theme for TBS's program Pokémon Sunday theme song and Wanagona theme song. June 27, 2007 30,517 67,453 Opening theme for Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann "Snow Tears" January 30, 2008 26,068 43,450 Ending theme for Hakaba Kitaro "Shiny Gate" August 6, 2008 13,564 20,316 Theme song for Tokyo OnlyPic 2008 September 10, 2008 32,906 49,368 Ending Song of the anime film Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Guren-hen October 22, 2008 13,758 20,236 Commercial song for Fujiya Look Royal Mode April 29, 2009 23,383 38,932 Ending Song of Gekijoban Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann Hen July 15, 2009 13,533 21,954 Ending Song of Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life. A special edition of the single features , an ending song for Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl October 14, 2009 12,407 15,027 Contains the Ending Song of the Japanese Version of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ("Rainbow Forecast") and Shokotan's version of Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl second opening song ("Ame ni Kiss no Hanataba o"). "RAY OF LIGHT" April 28, 2010 12,977 22,637 Fifth ending theme for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood August 18, 2010 13,217 17,729 Opening theme for Occult Academy April 6, 2011 6,506 9,006 Original song June 8, 2011 12,729 15,212 Second ending theme for Beelzebub January 11, 2012 8,156 Theme song for TV show Uchikuru!? June 5, 2013 – Theme song for game Sennen Yusha: Tokiwatari no Tomoshibito December 11, 2013 – "Sakasama Sekai" as theme song for game Puzzle & Dragons Z and "Once Upon a Time (Kibō no Uta)" as the opening for the Japanese broadcast of Once Upon a Time February 18, 2015 16,180 Ending theme for Pokémon XY anime "Blue Moon" November 28, 2018 19,183 Second ending theme for Zoids Wild "Furefure" September 9, 2020 3,275 Second ending theme for Genie Family 2020"I like you just the way you are." (君のまんまがいいんだよ)March 9, 2022Movie Shimajiro "Shimajiro and Kirakira Oukoku no Oujisama" theme song
Collaboration Singles Title Release date First week sales Total sales Information March 10, 2013 Theme song of Uchikuru!?Featured artist with Hideyuki Nakayama January 22, 2014 – For the movie Gothic Lolita Battle BearFeatured artist with Tokusatsu July 23, 2014 – For the movie Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of HyperspaceFeatured artist with angela "PUNCH LINE!" April 29, 2015 15,838 22,754 Collaboration with Dempagumi.inc. Opening theme for Punch Line October 28, 2015 11,958 Collaboration with Sachiko Kobayashi. Theme song for game Mugen Knights "Magical Circle" November 17, 2017 – – Collaboration with Technoboys Pulcraft Green-Fund. Second Ending Song for the third series of Magical Circle Guru Guru. November 7, 2018 – – Featuring artist CHiCO with HoneyWorks July 10, 2019 – – Collaboration with Sachiko Kobayashi. A theme song for the anime movie Pokémon the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back EVOLUTION
Cover albums Title Release date First week sales Total sales May 2, 2007 12,579 31,501 September 19, 2007 17,836 23,964 March 10, 2010 15,343 – October 12, 2011 October 12, 2011 September 24, 2014
Mini albums Title Release date First week sales Total sales August 15, 2012 7,775 UCHI-SHIGOTO, SOTO-SHIGOTO!! January 9, 2013
Best albums Title Release date First week sales Total sales May 2, 2012 14,203Super Shokotan Best(超！しょこたん☆べすと――(°∀°)――!!)February 22, 2023