Youmi Kimura
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese singer and lyre
performer. She was born in Osaka
, Japan, and became famous in 2001 for her song "Always With Me" (いつも何度でも Itsumo Nando Demo), which served as the closing theme to the popular 2001 anime film Spirited Away
by Hayao Miyazaki
.
Kimura and Miyazaki had great admiration for each other's works. She was so moved by his 1997 film Princess Mononoke
(Mononoke Hime, もののけ姫, in Japan), that she wrote a letter to him, enclosed with a copy of her album. Miyazaki wrote her back and mentioned to her about a film he was currently working on called Rin the Chimney Cleaner (煙突描きのリン Entotsu-kaki no Rin). Hoping Miyazaki would use her material on this film, Kimura, with her lyricist Wakako Kaku (覚 和歌子), wrote a new song called “Itsumo Nando Demo” (Always With Me). Miyazaki did like the song, and intended to use it, but the Rin project was eventually scrapped.
Later, Miyazaki started working on his next film Spirited Away, and listened to the song again. Throughout the entire production, he would listen to it obsessively. He would later realize that Kimura's song about finding inner peace
meshed perfectly with his coming of age
story of a girl who finds her inner strength.
Kimura worked with Miyazaki on Howl's Moving Castle
, writing a song for it. (ハウルの動く城 Sekai no Yakusoku).
Lyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
performer. She was born in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan, and became famous in 2001 for her song "Always With Me" (いつも何度でも Itsumo Nando Demo), which served as the closing theme to the popular 2001 anime film Spirited Away
Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood and after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba,...
by Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki
is a Japanese manga artist and prominent film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. Through a career that has spanned nearly fifty years, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a maker of animated feature films and, along with Isao Takahata, co-founded Studio Ghibli,...
.
Kimura and Miyazaki had great admiration for each other's works. She was so moved by his 1997 film Princess Mononoke
Princess Mononoke
is a 1997 epic Japanese animated historical fantasy feature film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. is not a name, but a general term in the Japanese language for a spirit or monster...
(Mononoke Hime, もののけ姫, in Japan), that she wrote a letter to him, enclosed with a copy of her album. Miyazaki wrote her back and mentioned to her about a film he was currently working on called Rin the Chimney Cleaner (煙突描きのリン Entotsu-kaki no Rin). Hoping Miyazaki would use her material on this film, Kimura, with her lyricist Wakako Kaku (覚 和歌子), wrote a new song called “Itsumo Nando Demo” (Always With Me). Miyazaki did like the song, and intended to use it, but the Rin project was eventually scrapped.
Later, Miyazaki started working on his next film Spirited Away, and listened to the song again. Throughout the entire production, he would listen to it obsessively. He would later realize that Kimura's song about finding inner peace
Inner peace
Inner peace refers to a state of being mentally and spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress. Being "at peace" is considered by many to be healthy and the opposite of being stressed or anxious...
meshed perfectly with his coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
story of a girl who finds her inner strength.
Kimura worked with Miyazaki on Howl's Moving Castle
Howl's Moving Castle (film)
is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli and based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones...
, writing a song for it. (ハウルの動く城 Sekai no Yakusoku).