Mari Iijima Explained

Mari Iijima
Native Name:飯島 真理
Native Name Lang:ja
Birth Date:18 May 1963
Birth Place:Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan
Education:Kunitachi College of Music
Years Active:–present
Notable Works:The Super Dimension Fortress Macross as Lynn Minmay
Module:
Embed:yes
Background:solo_singer
Years Active:–present
Label:Marimusic/BounDee

is a Japanese actress and singer. She writes and produces most of her own music, and plays the piano and other instruments. After being signed to JVC Victor in 1982, Mari first became known for her voice-acting role as Lynn Minmay in the anime Macross. Her debut original album, Rosé, was released in 1983, which was produced by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

Life and career

Iijima was born in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki. Her original demo tape was picked up by JVC Victor in 1982 and she was signed to the record company as a singer-songwriter. Soon afterward, she was asked to audition for the role of Lynn Minmay in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross by the label and the producers chose her to play the role. The series quickly became a mega hit and brought Iijima to stardom. Her debut album, Rosé, containing no Macross tracks, had lyrics and music written by her. It debuted at number 10 on the charts in September 1983, and she started her career as a singer-songwriter.[1]

Iijima moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to expand her music career. That same year, she appeared as a guest vocalist on Van Dyke Parks' album Tokyo Rose. It was around this time that she married James Studer, who had been her producer on her 1988 album Miss Lemon.[2] The couple had two children, Andy and Ryan, before separating in 2001.[3]

After releasing her first independent (and first English language) album, No Limit, she was nominated for the 2000 Los Angeles Music Awards' Best Pop Artist for the album and she was in the final four for the award. She won the best Asian song for her track Unspoken Love from the album Wonderful People at the Just Plain Folks Awards in 2006 and performed as a guest performer.[4]

In 2006, she reprised her role as Lynn Minmay in ADV Films' English-language release of Macross,[5] which made her the second Japanese voice actor to reprise her role in an English anime dub (following only Miyuki Sawashiro).[6] [7] [8] She dedicated her performance in the ADV dub to Arihiro Hase, the Japanese voice actor of Hikaru Ichijo in Macross and a close friend of Iijima. She maintained good relations with Hase's mother after his death by suicide in 1996.[9]

Iijima released her twenty-first studio album, called Echo, in August 2009. The title was taken from the nymph character Echo that appears in Echo and Narcissus. The album's theme is unrequited love.[10]

She has continued to perform into the 2020s, both live and in videos, but a Tokyo concert planned for August 2020 was postponed to January 11, 2021 (then to August 28, 2021), due to the COVID-19 crisis. Iijima stated on her website that she "likes the ring of '1.11'" as a sign for the future.

Discography

Original albums

YearTitle
1983Rosé
1984Blanche
1985Midori
1985Kimono Stereo
1987Coquettish Blue
1988Miss Lemon
1989My Heart in Red
1990It's a Love Thing
1991Believe
1993Different Worlds
1994Love Season
1995Sonic Boom
1996Good Medicine
1997Europe
1998Rain & Shine
1999No Limit
2001Right Now
2003Silent Love
2004Wonderful People
2006Uncompromising Innocence
2009Echo
2012Take a Picture Against The Light
2014Sharp As A Knife, As Sweet As Strawberries
2016Awakening
2018Chaos and Stillness
2022Being Myself

Compilation albums

YearTitle
1984Variée
1993The Classics
1995Best of the Best
2005Mari picks "The Ultimate Collection" (1983–1985)
2005Mari picks "The Ultimate Collection" (1987–1999)
2004Gems
2007palette
2019G

EPs

YearTitle
20112 Seconds of Infinity
2013Dancing with Minmay
2018Anger is The New Sadness
2020Honto No Ai
2023For Lovers Only II

Singles

YearTitle
1983Yumeiro no Spoon
Kitto Ieru
1984Ai Oboete Imasu ka
1 gram no Shiawase
1985Cecile no Amagasa
1986Harukana Hohoemi -Koudo Kougen-
1987People! PeoplePeople!
1988Kagami yo! Kagami (I wanna marry you)
Blue Christmas
1989Still
Secret
1990Nichiyobi No Date
Sayonara Wa Ienai
Bokura wa Tenshija Nai
1991Love is a miracle
1992Kirai
1993Ai Oboete Imasu ka (re-release)
1994Don't fade out!/Sunset
1995Is There Anybody Out There?
1996Forever Young
1997Mikazuki no Canoe
Friends
2002Eternal love ~Hikari no Tenshi~
2003Eternal love 2003
2009Iki Wo Shiteru Kanjiteiru
2012Churiru Churira/Anata No Hana Ni Naritai/The Unconventional
2013Eternal Forest/Sky's Dance
2020Tomei Na Kaze
2021I'm Not In Love

Soundtracks

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982The Super Dimension Fortress MacrossLynn MinmayVoice actress and singer
1984Lynn MinmayVoice actress, singer, and songwriter for "Tenshi no Enogu"
1999Pacific BlueKikoSeason 5 – episode 12 "God's Gift"
2001Spyder GamesSorayaEpisodes 1&2
2001Lorna DooneComposer(2001 re-release of 1922 film)
2004Green Tea-rYokoLead actress and songwriter
2006The Super Dimension Fortress MacrossLynn MinmayADV Films' 2006 English Dub

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002Galaxy AngelTheme song performance"Eternal love ~Hikari no Tenshi~", "Tenshi-tachi no Kyuusoku"
2003Galaxy Angel: Moonlight LoversTheme song performance"Eternal love 2003","Tenshi-tachi no Kyuusoku"
2004Cy-GirlsAska (voice)
2013Macross 30: The Voice that Connects the GalaxyLynn Minmay

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Ohanesian . Liz . Mari Iijima: Anime Idol . People Issue 2011 . . May 19, 2011 . September 25, 2018.
  2. Web site: 飯島真理* – Miss Lemon. Discogs.
  3. 2006. On Stage with Mari Iijima. DVD. English. ADV Films.
  4. Web site: 2006 Just Plain Folks Music Awards Song Winners. 2006. Just Plain Folks Music Organization. September 25, 2018. February 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190214041848/http://www.jpfolks.com/MusicAwards/2006/Winners/Song.htm. dead.
  5. Web site: Cast List . . September 25, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070514061338/http://www.advfilms.com/titles/macross/cast_txt.html . May 14, 2007 . en . 2007 . live .
  6. Web site: Macdonald . Christopher . Mari Iijima on Macross Dub . . September 25, 2018 . en . October 22, 2005.
  7. Web site: Huff . Jason . The Anime Review . theanimereview.com . September 25, 2018 . en . January 16, 2006.
  8. Web site: Macdonald . Christopher . Correction: First Japanese VA on an English Dub . Anime News Network . September 25, 2018 . en . October 24, 2005.
  9. 2006. Becoming Minmay - An Interview with Mari Iijima . DVD. English. ADV Films.
  10. Web site: Andrew . Mari Iijima Interview . J-Pop World . September 25, 2018 . en . August 16, 2009 . October 31, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181031105637/http://www.j-popworld.com/Interviews/Mari_Iijima.php . dead .