斉藤朱夏, also known as Shuka Saitō, is a Japanese solo artist and voice actress who launched her career as part of the anime franchise Love Live! Sunshine!! She was born in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on August 16, 1996. The youngest of four children, she grew up studying music, taking hip-hop classes during elementary school and receiving training as a dancer and singer during high school. She auditioned for the television series Love Live! Sunshine!! in 2015 and was cast as "You Watanabe," a member of the fictional girl group Aqours. With Aqours, she appeared on gold-certified singles like "Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiteru Kai?" and "Koi ni Naritai Aquarium," both of which peaked at Number 3 in Japan. She furthered her acting career with appearances in anime shows like 2019's Oresuki, as well as video games like Hakoniwa Company Works, Dolls Order, and Love Live! School Idol Festival All Stars. As 2019 came to a close, Saitō launched a solo career with the EP Shoelace, which peaked at Number 5 on Japan's Oricon chart. The record's most popular single, "36℃/Papapa," climbed to Number 12, and she continued to remain in the Top 20 with her follow-up EP, SUNFLOWER, in late 2020. Several months later, the single "Sekai no Hate" reached Number 8 in Japan, paving the way for her full-length debut album, Patchwork, in August 2021. She continued recording music for the Love Live! Sunshine!! franchise, too, releasing LoveLive! Sunshine!! Second Solo Concert Album ～THE STORY OF FEATHER～ starring Watanabe You in 2022.
