Mariko Shiga
Mariko Shiga was a Japanese idol star and voice actress born in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. She is mostly known for her lead role as the voice of Yumi Hanazono, the main character of the 1980s anime Pastel Yumi, the Magic Idol. Shiga attended and graduated from Funabashi Municipal High School, before enrolling overseas in the University of California, Riverside in 1989.
While on a trip to Arizona in November of that same year, Shiga was killed in a car accident near Flagstaff, when she was thrown from the vehicle due to the car rolling, as it swerved to avoid hitting a deer that jumped out in front of the car she was riding in. She died thirty-one days before her 20th birthday.
Biography
Idol and voice actress career
Shiga had a starring role as one of the children answering questions in the NHK quiz show Donna Mondai Q TV from 1984 to 1985. She performed the song Yume no Naka no Rondo, which was used as the theme song for the July 1985 OVA Magical Princess Minky Momo: La Ronde in My Dream. In 1986, Shiga played the role of Yumi Hanazono, the main character in Magical Idol Pastel Yumi. Her single, Freesia no Shōnen, was used as a theme song for the same series, and this helped her gain in popularity. After playing the role of Yumi and performing the theme song for the series, she officially made her debut as an idol singer under Warner Pioneer.The actual debut song as a singer is the song "Dream Rondo -Rondo-" released in 1985 by Victor Music Industry (now JVC Kenwood Victor Entertainment). This song was used as the theme song for the OVA Magical Princess Kanojo no Minkyomomo Yume no Naka no Rondo released in July 1985.
After that, in Magical Idol Pastel Yumi, she voiced the main character Yumi Hanazono, and was in charge of the theme song "Freesia no Shounen". For this reason, "Yume no Naka no Rondo -Rondo-" is now considered a pre-debut song.
Shiga's only song to be listed on the Oricon Top 100 Weekly Rankings is Freesia, which ranked as high as #48 during the week of March 31, 1987.
During the promotion of her second single, she appeared as a guest on the radio program "Kenji and Yasuko's Omoshiro Land". She stated that she had a calm voice for a female idol at the time.
Retirement from the entertainment industry
In April 1988, when Shiga entered university, she faced the problem of balancing her studies and activities in the entertainment industry, and retired from the entertainment industry. In August 1989, she went to study abroad at the University of California, Riverside, in order to learn languages and jazz, which was her favorite music genre.At the 10th anniversary event of the founding of Studio Pierrot held in July of the same year, she temporarily returned and acted as a moderator. This is due to the fact that the production studio of Pastel Yumi, which was the voice actor for the main character, was "Studio Pierrot", and the relationship was deep.
Death
On November 23, 1989, while Shiga was on a short trip with four friends after studying abroad, a deer jumped out in front of the car they were riding in on a freeway near Flagstaff, Arizona; in order to avoid hitting the deer, the driver suddenly turned the steering wheel while driving at a high speed, causing a traffic accident in which the car overturned.The four friends who were in the car were seriously injured, but survived. However, Shiga died instantly from bruises all over her body when she was thrown out of the car; she was 19 years old at the time of her death. Shiga was scheduled to return to Japan for the first time after her studies on December 3, one month before her 20th birthday.
Shiga's body was cremated locally and the remains were returned to Japan in 1990.
Voice roles
Pastel Yumi, the Magic Idol seriesMusic
Singles
;Yume no Naka no Rondo;Freesia no Shōnen / Kane no Ribon de Rock-shite
;Aoi Namida / Hishochi no Yakusoku
;Hikōki Kumo / Ame ni Nurete Ponytail
;Rainy Day Hello / ''Time for Love''
Albums
;mariko;mariko+3
Compilations
;Haha to Ko no Dōyō no Kuni;Oshiete Idol Warner Music-hen Sono Ki ni Sasete
;''Emotion 20th Anniversary Theme Collection - OVA & Movie''
Soundtracks
;Magical Princess Minky Momo: Yume no Naka no Rondo Ongakuhen;Magical Princess Minky Momo: Fenarinarsa Song Festival
;Dendō Twin Series Magical Princess Minky Momo TV-ban OVA-ban
;Magical Idol Pastel Yumi Ongakuhen Vol.1
;Magical Idol Pastel Yumi Ongakuhen Sōshūhen
;Natsukashi no Music Clip 42 ''Magical Idol Pastel Yumi''