Ichirou Mizuki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ichirou Mizuki
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Mizuki performing in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
水木 一郎
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| Birth name | Toshio Hayakawa (早川俊夫, Hayakawa Toshio) |
| Also known as | Aniki, Aniking, Ichiro Mizuki "Emperor of Anime Songs" |
| Born | January 7, 1948 Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | December 6, 2022 (aged 74) |
| Genres | Anison, J-pop, rock, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, lyricist, composer, voice actor, actor |
| Years active | 1968–2022 |
| Labels | Nippon Columbia, First Smile Entertainment, Victor Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment |
| Associated acts | JAM Project |
Toshio Hayakawa (born January 7, 1948 – died December 6, 2022) was a famous Japanese singer. He was better known by his stage name, Ichirou Mizuki. He was also a lyricist, composer, voice actor, and actor.
Mizuki was most famous for singing theme songs for anime (Japanese animation) and tokusatsu (special effects shows). Over 50 years, he recorded more than 1,200 songs. These songs were used in Japanese movies, TV shows, videos, and video games. Fans and other performers called him Aniki, which means "big brother" in Japanese. He was like the big brother of the anison (anime music) world. He also helped create the music group JAM Project in 2000.
Contents
Biography and Music Career
Early Life and First Songs
Ichirou Mizuki was born in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan. In January 1968, he started his music career. He signed with the Nippon Columbia music label. His first song was "Kimi ni sasageru Boku no Uta".
In 1971, Mizuki sang "Genshi Shōnen Ryū ga Yuku". This song was the opening theme for the anime Genshi Shōnen Ryū. This was the start of his amazing journey. He went on to record over 1,200 songs for many different shows.
Becoming the "Emperor of Anime Songs"
Mizuki sang themes for many popular shows in the 1970s. Some of these include Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, Kamen Rider X, and Chōdenji Robo Combattler V. Because he sang so many famous songs, fans gave him special nicknames. They called him Aniking and the "Emperor of Anime Songs".
He was also a judge on the Animax Anison Grand Prix. This was a competition for new anime song singers.
Later Career and JAM Project
Mizuki continued to sing theme songs in the 1980s and 1990s. Some of his songs were for shows like Beast King GoLion and Jikuu Senshi Spielban.
On July 17, 2000, he helped form a "supergroup" called JAM Project. He joined other famous anime song singers like Hironobu Kageyama (from Dragon Ball Z) and Rica Matsumoto (from Pokémon). Later, he became a "part-time" member of the group. This allowed new singers to join.
In 2007, Mizuki returned to recording more songs. He sang for the show Juken Sentai Gekiranger. He also sang with JAM Project for the opening theme of Kotetsushin Jeeg. In 2008, he released a special 40th-anniversary album. It was called Ichirou Mizuki: Newest Best. He also released a huge 5-CD set with 216 of his songs.
Awards and Health Challenges
In 2016, Ichirou Mizuki received the Lifetime Achievement Award. This was at the Tokyo Anime Awards Festival. In 2020, he won the Tanita Health Award. This award honors people who help improve the health of Japanese people.
In April 2021, Mizuki announced he had a problem with his vocal cords. He worked hard to recover. In July 2022, his team shared that he had lung cancer. He had surgery and was doing physical and speech therapy. He planned to celebrate his 50 years in music and did not want to retire.
Sadly, Ichirou Mizuki passed away from lung cancer on December 6, 2022. He was 74 years old.
Acting Roles
Voice Acting and Live-Action Roles
Besides singing, Ichirou Mizuki also worked as a voice actor and a live-action actor. As a voice actor, he played characters like Yoldo in the anime Dangaioh. He also voiced Rat Hector in Coral no Tanken. He was the villain Keisar Ephes in the video game Super Robot Wars Alpha 3.
In live-action shows, he played Dr. Ben in Jikuu Senshi Spielban. He was also well-known for playing Voicelugger Gold in Voicelugger. This was a special effects show. He even made a guest appearance on a Japanese comedy TV show called Gaki No Tsukai.
In 2010, he appeared in an episode of Kamen Rider W. In 2012, he starred in an episode of Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. He also sang a theme song for a new robot in that episode. His voice was even used for the robot's control system!
Tokusatsu Appearances
- Voicelugger (Voicelugger Gold)
- Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger Movie (Poseidon org (Voice))
- Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters (Custom Visor (Voice), Lio Attache/Lio Blaster (Voice), Saburo Hazuki)
See also
In Spanish: Ichirō Mizuki para niños
