In Memoriam - Miyuki Kanbe

EDIT: Some users have reported that this page is crashing because of the MIDI. I am working on a solution to this problem, for now though if you want to hear the song, open this link in a new tab or window so it plays and you still have the ambiance if you want to listen to the song while reading the page.

~Miyuki Kanbe - 1984-2008~

We have some sad, breaking news to report to you all this morning. Beloved Sera Myu actress Miyuki Kanbe unfortunately passed away June 18th at 4:08 AM in Japan. Originally from Kanagawa Prefecture, she was best known for being the third actress to play Sailor Moon in the Sera Myu musicals (2000-2001), and for playing the student Kyoko Kakei in Battle Royale II. She also had a role in Kamen Rider Hibiki as Hinaka Tachibana. She played the same role in the companion movie, Kamen Rider Hibiki & The Seven Fighting Demons. Miyuki was the best of 500 girls who had auditioned for the part of Sailor Moon. Miyuki also appeared on the popular Japanese variety show, Ucchan Nanchan no Urinari. There will be a small, private funeral and wake, to be arranged by her close relatives. This news has hit the Sailor Moon community pretty hard, as many fansites are mourning her loss. One fan has even uploaded one of her more memorable Sera Myu performances here.



Her health took a turn for the worse just as she had landed a starring role in the Japanese production of Les Miserables in February of 2007. She was supposed to play the tragic role of Eponine. Her agency, Rouge, had released a statement apologizing for pulling out of her six-month stint in the role, but that she needed to rest and get strong again. They also thanked everyone for their warm wishes for her recovery. Since then she had been in and out of the hospital. The producers of the show had left her a standing offer that she could return when she was better. Just a few weeks ago on June 9th, she had enough energy to meet with the President of her agency, Masaki Honda, in Shibuya to talk about her career. She expressed that she didn’t only want to act, she loved fashion and wanted to work in the industry. She especially loved rehashing old clothes into new ones! The President remarked that she was looking a lot better and had more energy than she did before, and everyone around her thought her woes were over. Sadly, in the last few days, her health condition took a sharp turn for the worst, and the emergency department at the hospital couldn’t save her. She was hit by cardiac arrest while she was undergoing some medical treatment. Honda remarked that he felt like he had lost his own child, and ever since she was young she had the power and the drive to be the best performer she could. Once again, this is truly devastating news and our deepest sympathies and condolences are with her family and friends at this time. She will truly be missed.

The song you should be hearing in the background is Ayumi Hamasaki’s Memorial Address. We chose to play this song in her memory because just as Miyuki’s star was rising, her life ended tragically, and suddenly. This song was written by Ayumi for her own Grandmother, who was her rock all throughout her childhood as her dad had walked out on her own mother. She wasn’t there for Ayu very much when she was growing up, and she was raised for the most part by her Grandmother. She died just as Ayu was recording her first single Poker Face, and this song was written for her and released many years later on the mini-album of the same name. To read the translation of the lyrics, click here, and to hear the song in full, click here.