"What do these characters have in common?" #1

Answer: They're all characters voiced by seiyuu artist Mizuki Nana.

Who is Mizuki Nana?

Real name: Kondou Nana
Date of Birth: 21 January, 1980
Hometown: Niihama, Ehime, Japan
Blood Type: O

Mizuki Nana made her debut as a seiyuu when she was 18 years old. The first character she voiced wasn't for an anime, but for a 1998 Playstation game called NOëL ~La neige~. The name of the character was Kadokura Chisato.

She has brought life to dozens of anime characters over the past decade and among them, Fate Testarossa from the Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha franchise is the most popular. Not only did Nana lend her voice for the character, she also performed all the theme songs for the anime's three TV series (opening themes) and movie. There's no doubt that will sing the theme song for the second movie, which is scheduled to be released in 2012, as well.

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A's OP

Nana is also a great singer. She released her first single "Omoi" back in December 2000 under the record label King Records, and to date, she has a total of 8 albums, 1 compilation album, and 22 singles under her belt. In June 2009, she made history with her seventh album, Ultimate Diamond when she became the first seiyuu artist to have an album reach the number one spot on Oricon's weekly albums chart. Seven months later, her 21st single, Phantom Minds ranked No. 1 on the weekly singles chart. No other seiyuu artists before her has ever achieved the top position in either charts since the Oricon's inception in 1968.

Nana performing Omoi at her Live Museum concert in 2007

Nana has voiced many other game characters since her debut role; the most notable one being Tales of Symphonia's Colette Brunel. She also voiced the character for the anime version of the game. Last year, she was casted as Paz Ortega Andrade in Kojima Hideo's PSP masterpiece, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The character even has her own song and music video. The song, titled "Koi no Yokushiryoku" ("Love Deterrence"), is sung by Nana.

Nana even had the opportunity to help promote Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system by voicing their OS-tan character, Madobe Nanami. A special theme pack containing the character's sound files and wallpapers was included with every 7777 Premium bundle of Windows 7 Ultimate DSP sold in Japan. Nanami also appeared in a short animated commercial to explain the features of the OS as well as give instructions on how to assemble your own PC. In Japanese, the character's surname Madobe means 'by the window', and Nana means seven.

Mizuki Nana's Characters

 

Fate Testarossa in Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha

Ogata Rina in White Album

Colette Brunel in Tales of Symphonia (anime and game)

Riful in Claymore

Hyuuga Hinata in Naruto
Alois Trancy in Kuroshitsuji II

Lydia Carlton in Hakushaku to Yousei

Akashiya Moka in Rosario + Vampire

Kirihara Misaki in Darker than Black

Rena Lanford in Star Ocean: The Second Evolution (PSP game)

Morinas in Simoun

Lan Fan in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Jenis Quatlane in Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva
Iga Oboro in Basilisk

Kanden Yamaneko in Kämpfer

Allison Whittington in Allison & Lillia

Madobe Nanami
Cisqua in Elemental Gelade

Hanasaki Tsubomi / Cure Blossom in Heartcatch Precure!

Paz Ortega Andrade in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (PSP game)

These 20 characters (also shown in the image at the top of this post) represent only a small portion of the voice works Mizuki Nana has done. For a full list of her anime/game roles and discography, check out her Wiki page.