Kurumi Miyajima’s First Exclusive Photoshoot Showcasing Her Mature Expression

“She has a cheeky personality.”

New actress Kurumi Miyajima, who won the Special Jury Award at the “Bishoujo Zukan AWARD 2023,” challenges her first full solo gravure in the January 10th issue of FRIDAY. We asked her about her thoughts on the shoot and her surprisingly unexpected background.

―――Please tell us your thoughts on this gravure shoot.

“It’s been since ‘Miss Magazine 2024,’ and this is my first solo gravure shoot, so I was a little anxious and nervous. But the staff were so kind and gave me a lot of guidance, and the time flew by, it was really fun. The pool shoot was especially fun. The weather was great, but the water temperature was around 20°C, so it was quite cold. However, once I got into the pool, I got used to the temperature, and even after the shoot, I was so playful that I kept swimming. Since that shoot was almost just me being myself, I think I was able to show some great expressions.”

―――Did you do anything special to prepare for this shoot?

“I made sure not to eat too much in the morning and at night, so I would have a hearty lunch and then just fruits at dinner to stay in shape for the shoot.”

―――Was there anything you had to refrain from eating?

“I absolutely love fried chicken, grilled meat, and meat dishes, and I really wanted to eat them, but because I have a body type that shows weight gain easily, I avoided them for a few days leading up to the shoot.”

―――Was there a particular outfit that stood out for you?

“The cream-colored one-piece swimsuit. I posed in a cool, confident way in that outfit, and when I looked at the photos, I thought, ‘Wow, I can pull off such an adult expression too!’ It felt like I met a new side of myself. I have a playful, carefree personality, and when I’m with my friends, I tend to joke around a lot, so I think people who know me in real life will be pretty surprised when they see this gravure.”

―――You went to a high school where you could study voice acting, right? What made you choose that school?

“I became interested in becoming a voice actress when I was in middle school. I got hooked on sports anime like ‘Major’ and ‘Haikyuu!!’ and learned about the profession of voice acting. I thought it was amazing how they could bring laughter and emotions to viewers just through their voices. I thought it was really cool, and I wanted to work in a voice-related career in the future, so I found a high school where I could learn those skills and decided to enroll there.”

There were also singing and dance classes.

―――What kind of studies did you do at school?

“We practiced voice exercises, articulation, and dubbing, of course. We also memorized long lines and did solo performances for about seven minutes, performed in theater plays, and had singing and dance classes. Nowadays, many voice actors also engage in idol activities, appear on variety shows, and are active beyond the field of voice acting, so there were various classes to ensure we wouldn’t struggle after graduation.”

―――Do you create your own works at school?

“At the end of every school year, there is an exhibition called the ‘Graduation Production Exhibition,’ where we present the achievements of what we learned throughout the year. In that, we made original plays in groups, did readings, and performed original dances with songs, among other things.”

―――If you were to get a voice acting job, would you want to do a sports anime?

“Rather than a sports anime, I’d like to try playing characters with extreme emotional fluctuations, such as crying or getting angry. I want to play distinctive characters that leave an impression on the viewers’ minds, and I also want to express crying purely through my voice.”

―――I believe you also work as an actor. How did you get started with acting?

“Since I went to a voice acting school, my initial goal was to focus solely on voice acting. However, as I mentioned earlier, the school also has lessons on singing and acting. As I watched a lot of drama and movies while studying acting, I began to enjoy it and wanted to try acting in dramas, not just limit myself to voice acting.”

―――Is there any actor you look up to?

“Kanna Hashimoto. Personally, I like her, but she can act in a wide range of roles, from comedy to serious drama. I still refer to her performances for acting inspiration.”

―――What do you do on your days off?

“Since I went to a voice acting school, I still love anime. Whenever I have free time, I watch anime. Recently, I’ve been really into ‘Blue Lock’ and ‘The Apothecary Diaries.’ A little while ago, I also watched ‘Mushi-shi.'”

―――What are your future goals?

“My goal is to become an actress and voice actress who can thrive in various fields. I really enjoyed doing gravure work this time, so I would love to continue doing gravure work in the future. Also, personally, I want to expand my cooking repertoire. I often make simple dishes like stir-fried vegetables and pot-au-feu, but I only know a handful of dishes, so I want to learn more and expand my cooking skills.”

▼Profile

Born January 4, 2004, in Fukushima Prefecture. Awarded the Jury Special Prize at the Bishoujo Zukan AWARD 2023. Finalist in Miss Magazine 2024. Hobbies include watching anime and driving.

Miyajima Kurumi Making Movie Here

Digital Photo Book

Click here to buy Kurumi Miyajima’s digital photo collection “Genshi – From Michinoku” (FRIDAY digital photo collection).