Though not beginning her career as an anime voice actress, as many Japanese pop idols have in current years, Rina Aiuchi nonetheless gained much of her fame for songs involved in anime (theme songs, mood music, etc). A fairly wide octave range (for the genre) allowed more flexibility in song styles and moods than the average high-pitched female vocalist. Aiuchi's singing career began with a hit single, "Close to Your Heart," which quickly climbed the Oricon charts and led to a series of additional singles, eventually culminating in a debut full-length album, Be Happy, which peaked at number three, propelled by a major hit single. Her next two albums quickly proved themselves even stronger, both hitting the number one slot on the Oricon charts. After a successful turn at the massively popular Kohaku New Years show (one of the largest marks of J-Pop success), Aiuchi's success tapered off somewhat. While still remaining in the Top Ten with every new release, albums have peaked lower than previous ones, with 2008's Trip peaking at "only" number ten on the Japanese charts. ~ Adam Greenberg