May 4 is the birthday of Anza Ooyama, the first actress to play Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon in the Sailor Moon musicals. Her first show was the original 1993 Sailor Moon - Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen, and her last show was Eien Densetsu (Kaiteiban) in 1998. Anza was the longest running actress to play Sailor Moon, as well as the oldest, graduating at age 21.
Anza belonged to the seiyuu group Sakurakko Club, along with many of the actresses from the first few musicals. She and fellow myu actress Ayako Morino later formed a vocal duo, MOMO, and released two singles in the early 1990s.
Anza is also a member of the Japanese metal rock group HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT, having released several singles and albums with them. In 1998, Anza released a solo single, DREAM. Two of her singles, “Tobira wo Akete” and “Mienai Chizu,” were used in the magical girl anime series Cardcaptor Sakura. In early August 2006, she released another solo single, “Kanata e,” which was one of the ending themes for the anime Glass no Kantai. She has also contributed vocals on several songs for Kabuki theater producer Kazuhiko Kato’s new band Vitamin-Q. The band’s first CD was released in December 2008.
