Anza Ohyama
Anza Ohyama |
Anza Ohyama (大山アンザ), known as ANZA (アンザ) since 1998, born May 4, 1976, in Omura, Nagasaki, Japan, was 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 the Final First Stage Eien Densetsu (Kaiteiban) in 1998. She also performed a version of ""Rashiku" Ikimasho" for Sailor Moon Eternal.
Anza was the longest running actress to play Sailor Moon, as well as the oldest from the Bandai run, graduating at age 21. She was also tied for the fifth longest running overall performer in the musicals along with Ayako.
Both Anza and Ayako Morino also hosted the 1995 Ongaku Shuu video.
Anza has also made many appearances at musical-related events, such as:
- The 1998 Golden Week Fan Kansha to promote Shin Densetsu Kourin, where she passed on one of her old Sailor Moon tiaras to the new actress taking the role, Fumina Hara. The gesture became a tradition in the Fan Kanshas, although in the subsequent occasions it was a princess tiara instead of a piece of their costume.
- The 500th performance special curtain call, which happened in 2000, during the run of Shin / Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi - Last Dracul Jokyoku.
- The 10th Anniversary Festival - Ai no Sanctuary in 2002, where she appeared in four separate days of the talk show, singing in at least one of them.
- The 777th performance special curtain call, which happened in 2004, during the run of Kakyuu-Ouhi Kourin - The Second Stage Final.
- The 2015 event ANZA ∞ Akiko Kosaka ~Legend Forever~, in which Anza and Akiko Kosaka performed both their own songs and many Sera Myu numbers, and joined by several actors from the Bandai musicals.
- The 2019 concert Akiko Kosaka 45th Anniversary Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Music History, which also reunited many actors from the Bandai musicals.
- The USAGI BIRTHDAY Commemorative Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Fan Meeting 2021, in which Anza sang ""Rashiku" Ikimasho" and, together with Akiko Kosaka, performed a Sera Myu medley.
- The 30th Anniversary Musical Festival -Chronicle- special curtain call in 2022, where she appeared together with composer Akiko Kosaka and an Inner Senshi team from the Bandai musicals.
- The 2023 concert ANZA ∞ Akiko Kosaka - The Day The Future Becomes the Past -, another collaboration with Akiko Kosaka featuring performers from Bandai musicals.
Personal Trivia
- Anza's father is Japanese and her mother is a South African of Spanish descent.
- Anza is the older sister of Sailor Jupiter actress Chiho Ohyama.
Contents
Vocal Career
Anza belonged to the idol 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. They have performed in small clubs in New York City, live concerts in China, as well as large rock festivals across Japan. 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.
She has also been in various musicals, most notably as Eponine in the Japanese version of Les Misérables. She also performed the role of Amneris in a musical adaptation of Aida in the fall of 2009.
Musicals
Anza performed as Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon in the following musicals:
- Sailor Moon - Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen
- Sailor Moon - Gaiden Dark Kingdom Fukkatsu Hen (Kaiteiban)
- Sailor Moon Super Spring Festival
- Sailor Moon S - Usagi Ai no Senshi e no Michi
- Sailor Moon S - Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi
- Sailor Moon S - Henshin - Super Senshi e no Michi (Kaiteiban)
- Sailor Moon SuperS - Yume Senshi - Ai - Eien ni...
- Sailor Moon SuperS - (Kaiteiban) Yume Senshi - Ai - Eien ni... Saturn Fukkatsu Hen
- Sailor Moon SuperS Special Musical Show
- Sailor Moon Sailor Stars
- Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (Kaiteiban)
- Eien Densetsu
- Eien Densetsu (Kaiteiban) - The Final First Stage
Trivia
- Episode 191 of the anime had a brief shot of two girls dressed like Anza and Ayako Morino as MOMO.