Minako Kotobuki (寿 美菜子, Kotobuki Minako, born September 17, 1991) is a Japanese actress and singer.[2] She played Tsumugi Kotobuki in the anime series K-On! about a high school girl band. The show launched her music career as she performed the opening and ending themes, and joined three other voice actresses as the music group Sphere.

Minako Kotobuki
寿 美菜子
Kotobuki in 2021
Born (1991-09-17) September 17, 1991 (age 33)[1]
Occupations
Years active2005–present
EmployerMusic Ray'n
Height158 cm (5 ft 2 in)[1]
Spouse
Unknown
(m. 2023)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboard
Years active2009–present
Labels Sony Music Entertainment Japan / Music Ray'n
Member ofSphere
Websitewww.kotobukiminako.com
Signature

Acting career

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At the age of three years, Kotobuki, along with her parents, was caught up in the Great Hanshin earthquake. Not long after having seen a 1997 Japanese film entitled Chikyuu ga Ugoita Hi ("The Day the Earth Moved"), all of these events inspired Kotobuki to pursue her career as a voice actress.[3]

Kotobuki played Tsumugi Kotobuki in K-On!, Karina Lyle/Blue Rose in Tiger & Bunny, Rikka Hishikawa/Cure Diamond in DokiDoki! PreCure, Mitsuko Kongō in A Certain Magical Index and A Certain Scientific Railgun, Yūko Nishi in A Channel, Lana and Cia from Hyrule Warriors, Natsumi Aizawa in Natsuiro Kiseki, Touko Nanami in Bloom Into You, Asuka Tanaka in Hibike! Euphonium and Yoriko Fukase in A Whisker Away.

Music career

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Kotobuki performed the opening and ending themes of the 2009 anime series K-On!, alongside Aki Toyosaki, Yōko Hikasa, Satomi Satō and Ayana Taketatsu.[4] She performed the opening theme for Hatsukoi Limited series, with Aki Toyosaki, Ayahi Takagaki and Haruka Tomatsu.[5] The four are affiliated with Music Ray'n, an artist management and publishing group of Sony Music Entertainment.[6][7] They are currently known as the musical group Sphere and released their first single, "Future Stream", on April 22, 2009.[5]

Coupled with the release of her first album My Stride, Kotobuki had her first solo Japan-wide concert tour entitled Our Stride in 2012 spanning across four dates and venues starting from November 18 in Kobe's International House Kokusai Hall and ending on December 9 in Ōmiya's Sonic City Hall.[8][9][10][11]

Kotobuki is said to be "the fastest learner on how to dance" among her peers as far as her being a member of Sphere goes so much that she even guides the other three members of Sphere on dancing.[12] Even in singing, Kotobuki is said to learn just as fast, "a pro in harmonization" according to her fellow castmate in K-On!, Satomi Satō, and "someone who has good sense in pitch" according to one of K-On's staff members in charge of music.[13]

During her stint in both seasons for K-On!, she and her fellow cast members were involved in two live events, and just like the character she portrayed in K-On!, she was in charge of playing the keyboard in both occasions. She also played the keyboard on some of her own songs during her Our Stride solo concert tour and on Sphere's first 2013 live event, Music Rainbow 02. She also participated in the anime series Aikatsu! and was the voice actress of Kanzaki Mizuki.

Personal life

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On July 24, 2023, Kotobuki announced her marriage to a man outside of the entertainment industry.[14]

Filmography

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Live-action film

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2005
  • Hibi – Young Kumiko Kamiyama
2006
  • Ghost of Yesterday – Fumiko
  • Koufuku no Switch – Young Hitomi
  • Hinami – Mina, Satsuki
2008
  • Bluebird – Michiru[15]
  • -x- (Minus Kakeru Minus) – Rin Fujimoto
2013
  • Schoolgirl Complex: Broadcasting Club Edition – Ikumi Motonishi (School teacher)[16]
2014
2019

Anime series

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2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023

2024

Anime films

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2009
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2017
2018
2019
2020
2023
2024

Video games

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2004
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
  • Ro-Kyu-Bu!: Naisho no Shutter Chance (Vita) – Natsuhi Takenaka
  • Suzunone Seven! Portable (PSP) – Mayo Shouno
  • Hyrule Warriors (Wii U) – Lana, Cia
  • Granblue Fantasy (Android, iOS, Browser) – Herja
  • Grimoire 〜Shiritsu Grimoire Mahou Gakuen〜 (Smartphone game) – Senri Wagatsuma
  • Heroes Placement (Smartphone game) – Obana Tonomine
  • Aikatsu! 365 Idol Days (3DS) – Mizuki Kanzaki
2015
2016
2017
  • Oshiro Project:RE – Tokugawa Osaka-jo
  • Precure Tsunagaru Pazurun – Rikka Hishikawa/Cure Diamond
  • Kirara Fantasia – Tsumugi Kotobuki, Yuuko
2018
  • Super Robot Wars X – Noredo Nug
2019
  • Gundam Extreme VS. 2 – Fram Nara, Noredo Nug
2021
2023

Tokusatsu

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2016
2017

Theater

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2014
  • Tanin no Me – Belinda
  • Eclipse – Hanezu, Young Seimei[50]

Overseas dubbing

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Live-action

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Animation

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Discography

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Albums

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  • My Stride (2012)
  • Tick (2014)[68]
  • Emotion (2018)

Singles

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  • "Shiny+" (September 15, 2010)
  • "Startline" (November 24, 2010)
  • "Dear My..." (September 14, 2011)
  • "Kokoro Sky" (April 11, 2012)
  • "Prism" (June 19, 2013)
  • "Pretty Fever" (November 20, 2013)
  • "Believe x" (Believe Cross) (April 16, 2014)
  • "Black Hole" (April 8, 2015)
  • "Candy Color Pop" (September 16, 2015)
  • "Bye Bye Blue" (March 2, 2016)
  • "Million Litmus" (December 7, 2016)
  • "Save My World" (January 19, 2019)

References

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  2. ^ "Profile (Minako Kotobuki Profile)" (in Japanese). Music Ray'n. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
  3. ^ Tokyo MX's "Utatane", September 12, 2009 episode.
  4. ^ a b "けいおん!公式ホームページ / スタッフ&キャスト (K-ON! / Staff & Cast)" (in Japanese). Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
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  7. ^ "株式会社 ミュージックレイン (Music Ray'n Inc.)" (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
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  12. ^ From Episode 265 of "A&G 超RADIO SHOW〜アニスパ!〜"
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  30. ^ "Fairy gone Anime's Promo Video Reveals More Cast, Staff". Anime News Network. March 13, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
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