Minami Takayama

Minami Takayama (高山 みなみ, Takayama Minami, born May 5, 1964 in Adachi, Tokyo) is the stage name of a Japanese voice actor, narrator, and singer affiliated with 81 Produce. Her real name is Izumi Arai (新井 泉, Arai Izumi).

During Takayama's childhood, she had been enrolled in various performance classes by her parents who wanted their child to one day join the entertainment industry. Despite practicing ballet, Japanese dance, and singing, the young girl felt constrained by these lessons. Although she willingly joined the Himawari Theatre Group in junior high to master ventriloquism, her real aim was to one day apply it for her desired career as a traffic safety guide.

As long as she could remember, Takayama had a strong sense of justice that did not necessarily mesh well with what her parents had wanted for her. She later found joy in doing radio work and even won a disc jockey contest during high school. While Takayama considered being a DJ after graduating, her lack of knowledge or connections to become one forced her to resume her acting studies. Eventually, she gave up on theater and decided to work in an office setting for a change of pace. However, a caller who praised Takayama's voice convinced her to try her luck in voice acting.

Takayama's voice acting career early on had its ups and downs. Though she was fortunate enough to meet a manager who invited her to 81 Produce, the agency frankly admitted there was no future for her in their industry unless she made progress within the allotted years assigned to her as a rookie. At that point, Takayama struggled in many of her auditions, being told that she was not feminine enough for heroine roles. She later decided to pursue male roles, deeming them a better fit for her natural voice. As a result, she started acquiring parts and even gained popularity throughout the 90s.

Her most impactful role to date has been Conan Edogawa in Detective Conan. Due to her interest in law enforcement, Takayama collected a lot of books on non-fictional cases and criminal psychology, incorporating the knowledge she had learned to her acting. She even married the title's author Gosho Aoyama on May 5, 2005, though the two amicably divorced on December 10, 2007. They continue to maintain a strong friendship with Takayama taking care of Aoyama's pet cat Kite.

Like many of her peers, Takayama launched a singing career to complement her main job. She served as the vocalist of ES CONNEXION and Two-Mix before its disbandment. 2011 saw her win the Synergy Award at the 5th Seiyu Awards.

Takayama rose to fame due to her convincing performances as young male characters, though she has been known to portray women in certain works. Throughout her voice acting career, she has lent her voice to Mahbu in Jade Cocoon, Envy in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Child Emperor in One Punch Man.

Works

 * Gōshi Sagara - Captive Hearts drama CD
 * Zhurong - Romance of the Three Kingdoms drama CDs
 * Cher Mulligan - Dark Hunter
 * Pai Chan - Dead or Alive series