It’s soon going to be Miyu’s 10th Anniversary of his singing career. I thought it’s a good opportunity to make a list of Miyu trivia that I collected over the years. I’ve always wanted to do it but was too lazy.😅
It’s also in celebration of his upcoming 6th mini-album’s release in 5 days.
This is a little pet project I wanted to complete before going on hiatus for a few months. I love, respect and admire this guy, and with this, I’d like to let people know a bit more about Miyu beyond his voice and his characters. I’ve tried to add references and sources, most of them are with links too.
- It’s an unusual way to pronounce the kanji 自由 “Miyu” which is normally pronounced “Jiyuu (Freedom)”. His parents wanted him to live his life freely and independently so they gave him that name. They originally wanted to name him “Miyuki ( 自由貴 )“ but thought Miyu sounds neater. (Hairuno Jiyuu Radio)
- And true to his name, Miyu is very free-spirited as many people, from his manager to voice actors friends, would often point out. (Break Out 2015)
- His parents enrolled him in Himawari Theater group when he was only 4 years old. Other voice actors like Miyano Mamoru, Uchiyama Kouki and Kimura Ryohei are also members of that group.
- They thought Miyu might be interested in theaters, when they saw him watching a theater play intensely:
- Miyu graduated from Meiji Daigakuin University, majoring in Economics and Business. He once mentioned in KAmiYU 2 that his university was near Yokohama, so he may have attended the Ikuta Campus.(wikipedia.jp)
- He had his first VA role at the age of 6.
- He was 12 when he voiced Haku (Spirited Away). And that was right before he hit puberty and his voice changed.
- After voicing Haku, he would imagine himself having the ability to fly. He once ran up a stairway and jumped. A week later, when the pain didn’t get better, a crack was discovered in the bone of his foot. (Dansei Koukousei no Nichijou Radio)
- For his role in Garden of words he memorized almost all the lines and the director, Shinkai Makoto, was impressed. Miyu wanted to give a different nuance to his voice acting by fully focusing on the screen instead of reading from the script. (Makoto Shinkai in “Garden of Words” Bonus)
- Shinkai Makoto is quite fond of Miyu. He likes his voice, the way he carries himself when he voice acts and he thinks Miyu is “kakkouii”. There was almost no doubt in his mind when he cast Miyu for Garden of Words. (”Garden of Words” Bonus)
- Shinkai-san couldn’t imagine anyone else for the characters Shin and Shun in Hoshi wo ou kodomo. He has also seen some of Miyu’s acting in other works and praised his versatility and skill, saying that Miyu is a natural.
"Not only that, he’s such an openhearted guy and so easy to like that I became his fan instantly (laughs)!” (“Hoshi wo ou kodomo” official site)
- Shinkai-san would continue to praise Miyu’s voice acting in other movies that aren’t his, like in Silent Voice (2017) and Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018). (Shinkai Makoto Twitter, eigaland)
- One of Miyu’s skills as a voice actor is said to be his “natural, raw“ voice acting. Probably because he didn’t have the traditional training that voice actors generally have. That’s why some directors like to cast him when they want a voice acting that is different than in Anime series. (“Hoshi wo ou kodomo” official site , “Silent Voice” interview)
- Miyu would love to do more bad guy roles. When he got to voice one in the anime Kurozuka, he was very excited. He apparently has kept saying that he’d like to play a evil character and Kingdom Heart’s creator Tetsuya Nomura joked that he got carried away with it when he created Vanitas. (Hairuno Jiyuu Radio, BBS interview)
- Miyu is quite an airhead. When he eats he sometimes gets pieces of food stuck on unusual places like his hair, his forehead or his shoulder. Though he eats in a normal way. So he says. (Break Out 2015)
- He often forgets stuff like his hats, umbrellas or even his bags in the train. Somehow he would lose things that he was holding in his hand moments ago, like his train ticket. And even once his credit card during one of his oversea travels, though it was quickly found, fortunately. (Hairuno Jiyuu Radio, Kiracomp 2016)
- Saito Chiwa once gave him chocolates on Valentine’s Day. Miyu put it in his pocket but forgot and it melted. He felt very bad about it and apologized to her. (Gundam 00 Celestial Being Radio)
- Some people call him weird/mysterious. (Haikyuu Radio 2014, KAmiYU in Wonderland 2)
- According to him, the first impression of some people is that he seems like a nice guy but also kind of distant. Miyu can be very frisky but also aloof at times and people can’t really figure him out. (Haikyuu Radio 2014)
- Actor Kamiyama Ryuuji, who worked with Miyu twice in stage plays, said "I think I’ve never met someone with such clear eyes like him (laughs). He’s a wonderful person with a boyish charm and I really like him.” (Vincent van Gogh Musical Interview 2016)
- Miyano Mamoru said that even though there’s some age difference between him and Miyu, it doesn’t feel like it to him. He values Miyu’s opinions and thoughts and feels that he can continue doing what he does because he has a friend like Miyu as well. (Miyano Mamoru’s M-one GranPrix Radio)
- Miyu admires Mamo. They are childhood friends but only started collaborating more in voice acting since Kingdom Hearts. (Hairuno Jiyuu Radio, nicopedia)
- He can play the guitar, but also the drum and piano a bit. He actually learnt how to play them as a project of his then freshly started radio show Hairuno Jiyuu. (Hairuno Jiyuu Radio)
- He had some training in several dance styles as a kid, like hip-hop, free style, pop and ballet. (Kiracomp 2016, Hairuno Jiyuu Radio)
- He loves horror movies. He also likes going to the haunted house in amusement parks. (DN.Angel Bonus Disc, Sakurai Takahiro no kakko warai)
- Miyu hates loud sudden noises. In Kirafes 2009, he forgot to put his earpieces in and got startled by the sudden explosive noise during his Faith perfomance.(Hairuno Jiyuu, Kiramune Fan Meeting 2014)
- He doesn’t drink nor smoke. He doesn’t like the taste of alcohol and would only order soft drinks whenever he’s out with friends or colleaques. But he loves tea and milk. (Hairu no Jiyuu Radio)
- Miyu has a dog. (KAmiYU in Wonderland 2)
Apparently he has two dogs and a bird too now, I’ve heard it from a japanese fan who read it in a seiyuu mag.
- According to the cast of Kimi to Boku, Miyu rarely gets angry. Miyu said that the last time he got really angry was in high school. He was carrying a table up the stairs and he got kancho-ed by a classmate. Miyu was so angry that he got into a real fight with him. (”Kimi to Boku” event in 2011)
- Miyu was more interested in musical and theater than pop music, but a friend once invited him to a KAT-TUN concert, saying that the experience could be useful if he were to perform in a live concert too one day. Miyu felt a bit weird at first, being there and surrounded by girls, but he eventually got carried away and was impressed by how cool and awesome the idols were. (Hairuno Jiyuu)
- He was very nervous during Kirafes 2009. And it’s been quite some years since he danced and he would mentally go over the moves backstage while CONNECT was performing. When it was his turn it occured to him that he should’ve gone over the lyrics as well. (Hairuno Jiyuu)
- Suzumura Kenichi said though that Miyu never seems nervous but is always having fun on the stage. And that Miyu is a very hardworking guy but he never lets on about it. (Kirafes 2010 commentary & 2012)
-Suzu apparently adores Miyu. He’s never tired of mentioning that he knew Miyu as a kid and they’d often go hanging out together after work. He still remembers vividly when he was treating little Miyu to curry rice, how adorable Miyu was when he tried his best to finish the adult sized dish. (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2018, Kirafes 2009)
- Miyu had french language courses for four years during high school and liked it so much that he once considered studying French literature. (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2019)
- Suzu and Miyu were in France in late 2018, shooting for a Bonus DVD for the Osomatsu movie. Suzu highly enjoyed travelling with Miyu and if he were to go oversea again, he would love to go with Miyu again. ”With Miyu there’s always something funny happening!“ (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2019)
- He was amazed at how experienced Miyu is. “That guy’s got great knowledge of how to manage in travels and in a strange country, he’s smart! Even though he’s a baka too.(laughs)“ (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2019)
- Miyu is very bad with tongue twisters, but Suzu loves to make him say them for fun every time they meet. (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2015)
- Suzu said that teasing Miyu is just so much fun because of his reaction every time. And Miyu would always go along with it.
“Miyu, stay your pure, honest self (so that we can tease you more).“ (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2015)
- After he graduated from university, Miyu went travelling to several countries. He discovered his passion in travelling and his interest in other countries, so he always takes some time off every year to travel somewhere. (”Boku no mitsuketa mono” making of 2015 & “Dare to Dream” making of 2016)
- Miyu had two hiatuses, a short one during 2013 when he decided to concentrate on his stage acting (kiramune official site), and during 2017 when he went abroad studying. (kiramune official site).
- It was during that time that he also went to Valencia, Spain, attending the Fire Festival Las Fallas. The experience there inspired him to write the song Mascleta for his upcoming mini-album “Live your dream“. (TV Guide, April 2019)
- He also did backpacking, exploring several locations. It was during one of those trips that he wrote Monet for his mini-album “Live your Dream“. (TV Guide, April 2019)
- That year abroad left deep impression on him and he thought he grew and learnt a lot as an artist and as a person. On Sakurai Takahiro’s Comchat Countdown he said that he would’ve loved to stay abroad longer. While Miyu was abroad, him and Saku kept in touch, exchanging messages. (Comchat countdown)
- Kamiya Hiroshi also likes teasing Miyu, though he does it in a more physical manner, like punching or kicking Miyu out of a whim, hiding his shoes/mobile phone/pen, kicking his hat in a corner and stretching it until it becomes too wide to wear. In Suzu’s words, Miyu would always get “some physical damage from Kamiya’s teasing“. (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2015, KAmiYU in Wonderland 4, Haikyuu Radio 2014)
- Kamiyan gives him clothes that he doesn’t need anymore. Once, when Kamiyan was moving, Miyu saw how many clothes he had and was astonished.(KAmiYU in Wonderland 1&4)
- Kamiyan once bought an iPod for Miyu’s birthday. And he had the cast of Captain Earth sign and write sth on the cardboard box. Miyu was very touched and embarassed at the same time. He still has the box. (KAmiYU in Wonderland 4)
- They share some similarities as both love to play pranks on other people. And both aren’t good at saying “sweet words“ with a straight face, they feel embarassed even if it is for a character. (toretame)
- For a while they both had the same phone case, because Miyu had one with a character of Kamiyan as the motif and Kamiyan liked it so much that he got himself the same too. (KAmiYU in Wonderland 3)
- Miyu gave Kamiyan a huge stuffed tuna for his birthday once because he somehow had the idea that Kamiyan likes tuna. (KAmiYU in Wonderland 1)
- He is also good friends with Uchiyama Kouki. They once travelled together in Kyushu and sometimes they had to rent a car to get around. Miyu would drive, since Ucchi doesn’t have a driver’s licence. Ucchi said he doesn’t intend to get one, but “as long as I have Miyu I’m fine.” (Btw, does he still have no licence now? Somebody can tell me?) (Uchiyama Kouki 1 Cour!)
-They would always “argue“ over some trivial stuff though, according to Kimura Ryohei. (Kimi to Boku Radio)
-One time, when Ucchi, Ryohei and Miyu were out eating pasta, Miyu couldn’t decide what to order. Because he wanted to try them all, he asked them to order different dishes and he would have some of theirs. Ryohei: “He’s such a kid!“ (Kimi to Boku Event 2011)
- Miyu has a sweet tooth. And he often leaves the crusty, hard part of the bread. (Hairuno Jiyuu, KAmiYU in Wonderland 3, Gundam 00 Celestial Being Radio)
I love how Mamo immediately chuckles when Miyu says that he has a sweet tooth. Like, yeah, he knows it very well and then he goes on teasing Miyu: “You’ll get fat!“
- Miyu adores Namikawa Daisuke and likes to tease him a lot. He also often jokes that people would always warn him not to become like Namikawa Daisuke. When they worked together for the first time in Tsubasa Chronicle Reservoir NamiDai said to Miyu that he should keep doing things the way he wants and that he will always support him. (Kiracomp 2016, Haikyuu Radio 2014)
- Miyu, Namikawa Daisuke and Iwata Mitsuo were all child actors. And coincidentally, they are all “ame-otoko“ (”rain men”, as their presence seem to cause rain). (KAmiYU in Wonderland 2012)
- Murase Ayumu is the same age like Miyu but doesn’t really like the fact to be pointed out and would always insist that they are from different school year. Ayu said that “Irino-san has such strong senpai air. Even though I do know that we’re the same age, admitting it makes me feel small somehow.“ Miyu said Ayu shouldn’t feel self-conscious about it but gives in eventually. (Haikyuu Radio 2014)
- Setsuo Itou has always admired Miyu since elementary school when he played Kingdom Hearts (he’s 3 years younger than Miyu). During the recording of Mob Psycho 100 Miyu would gently guide him sometimes. (Mob Psycho 100 Radio)
- Apparently, Miyu taught Hatanaka Tasuku the basics of voice acting when they worked together in YuGiOh Zexal! and Hatanaka is very grateful to him and would mention in his radio and in interviews that Miyu is someone he looks up to.(got this bit thanks to @bluesora91)
- Miyu once surprised Sugita Tomokazu on his birthday with a cake. They were recording in the studio and Sugitan didn’t expect it, he was very happy about it. (Danshi Koukousei Cast Interview)
- Miyu has a younger brother whose name means the opposite of his. (Sheeh! Wave Radio 2018)
Since Miyu wrote the song 例えば歌が日記だったなら (If a song is a diary) in his upcoming mini-album “Live your Dream”, dedicated to his parents, here some facts about them:
- Miyu’s father is free-spirited and quite a character as well. Here’s a funny story Miyu recounted:
- Sometimes he’d just use Miyu’s toothbrush instead of his own and displace it, and Miyu couldn’t find it or would wonder why his toothbrush was wet. Or he would scare Miyu in the middle of the night. (Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou Radio)
- Miyu’s mother used to work with deaf people and thus understands the sign language. (“Silent Voice” Special Programme).
(It got longer than I thought orz. And I’ve tried to limit it and left some facts out. Still became that long, ahaha!)
But I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reading it! 😊
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