Vampire Princess Miyu
Liner Notes

The Title

The actual kanji reading of the title is "Kyuuketsuhime Miyu," which literally translates to "Vampire Princess Miyu." However, the series creator, Kakinouchi Narumi, used a variant reading of "Kyuuketsuki Miyu," which translates to just "Vampire Miyu," and this is the official Japanese title of the series. With the permission of Sooeishinsha, we decided to use "Vampire Princess Miyu" because it more accurately conveyed the original meaning of the Japanese title.

"Shinma"

We decided to use the term "Shinma" as it appeared in the original because there is no equivalent English term that properly expresses the concept. "Shinma" is in fact a made-up word that was created by Ms. Kakinouchi by combining the kanji for "Kami (God)" and "Ma (Demon/Devil)." As any given kanji may be read one way by itself, and in one or more other ways when used in combination with other kanji, a Japanese writer who decides to coin a new word has a great deal of flexibility in deciding how it will be read. Thus, in "Shinma:" the first kanji, "Kami," is read "Shin."

"Larva" and "Lemures"

The Japanese language uses fewer distinct sounds than English; one example is the lack of distinction between "R" and "L" sounds in Japanese. This presents problems for the translator when an English word (especially an obscure one) is rendered in Japanese and subsequently must be converted back into English. What is actually being said in the videos is "Labaa" or "Lavaa" ("B" and "V" are almost indistinguishable in Japanese) and "Remuresu," but there was no clue, either in scripts or other published materials, of the proper English versions. Was "Lavaa" supposed to be "Laba," "Lover," or "Lavah?" We didn't have a clue, so we went right to the source: Ms. Kakinouchi, the author, who provided the correct romanizations.

Sometimes, however, even the author doesn't know. Those of you who have seen AnimEigo's subtitled version of "Bubblegum Crisis" will remember the evil Largo from episodes 5 and 6. When we asked Suzuki Toshimichi, the creator, whether it was "Largo" or "Ralgo," his answer was "I never gave it much thought; it just sounded like a good name." Mr. Suzuki was kind enough to choose one of the possibilities to be the official answer.

Japanese Production Staff

Executive Producers and Planners:
Yoshida Naotaka & Maruyama Hisatoshi
Producers: Nomura Kazufumi & Miura Tooru
Director: Hirano Toshihiro
Screenplay: Aikawa Noboru
Character Designs: Kakinouchi Narumi
Storyboards: Kakinouchi Narumi & Hirano Toshihiro
Animation Direction: Kakinouchi Narumi & Nishii Masahiro
Monster Designs and Production Design: Moriki Yasuhiro
Art Directors: Nakaza Yooji & Nangoo Yooichi
Director of Photography: Konishi Kazuhiro
Audio Director: Yamada Etsuji
Music: Kawai Kenji
Backgrounds: Nakaza Yooji, Sudoo Eiko, Chijinami Mieko,
Nangoo Yooichi & Satoo Hiroaki
Sound Effects: Sasaki Junichi
Asst. Technical Director: Nishimori Akiyoshi

Synthesizer: Iimori Masanori
Keyboards: Hirata Fumito
Engineer: Fukui Toshiyuki
Assistant Engineer: Mikami Yoshihide
Music Director: Tsukamoto Eri
Music Production: Pony Canyon

Key Animators: Motohashi Hideyujki, Kikuchi Michitaka, Motoya Toshiaki, Matsuo Makoto, Naka Morifumi, Kitao Masaru, Shimizu Yoshiharu, Arai Kooichi, Onda Takayuki, Nakata Miho, Ishida Atsuko, Itoo Kooji, Matsuoka Hideaki, Yotsuya Michihiro, Horiuchi Hiroyuki, Kazui Hiroko, Inuma Harumi, Konishi Yooko, Matsumoto Oyuri, Yokoyama Akiyoshi, Shinohara Nobuko, Kitazume Hiroyuki, Tsuruyama Osamu, Kaneyama Akihiro, Makino Ryuuichi, Katoo Hirohito & Kakinouchi Narumi

Animation Production by AIC
A Presentation of Sooeishinsha and Pony Canyon

US Production Staff

Subtitled Version

Producer: Robert J. Woodhead
Production Managers (USA): Janice Hindle & Peter R. Haswell
Production Coordinator: Ueki Natsumi
Translators: Masaki Takai, Richard Uyeyama (1),
Shin Kurokawa (2,3) & Nishiyama Mariko (4)
Dialogue Editor: Roe R. Adams III, KTJ
Director: Michael House

Dubbed Version

Executive Producers: Janice Hindle & Peter R. Haswell
Associate Producer: Ueki Natsumi
Producer: Robert J. Woodhead
Translators: Masaki Takai, Richard Uyeyama (1),
Shin Kurokawa (2,3) & Nishiyama Mariko (4)

English-language version recorded at
In Tune Music Recording, Wilmington NC

Voice Director: Zach Hanner
Script Supervisor & Dialogue Mixer: Eric Tomosunas
Audio Engineering: Brett Ekstrom
M & E Editing: Dan DeVries (1,2) & Eric Wallace (3,4)
Communications: Pam Tomosunas

Japanese Voice Actors

Miyu: Watanabe Naoko
Se Himiko: Koyama Mami
Narrator: Naya Goroo

Unearthly Kyoto

Ryooko: Kobayashi Kiyoko
Miyahito: Toriumi Katsumi
Aiko's Father: Nakamura Hidetoshi
Aiko's Mother: Matsuoka Yooko
Doctor: Genda Tetsuyoo
Female Student: Kurihara Rena

A Banquet of Marionettes

Ranka: Shoo Mayumi
Yuzuki Kei: Horikawa Ryoo
Shiba: Ueda Toshiya
Kei's Mother: Asai Toshiko
Kei's Brother: Kubota Masato
Kayo: Shinohara Emi
Girl: Yoshikawa Yuka
Female Student: Nakamura Hiromi

Fragile Armor

Larva: Shiozawa Kaneto
Lemures: Mitsuya Yuuji
Armor Monster: Genda Tetsuyoo
Policeman: Murakuni Morimasa

Frozen Time

Miyu's Mother: Ikeda Masako
Miyu's Father: Suzuki Kiyonobu
Akiko: Takada Yumi

Abe Tooru
Kimura Mayumi

English Voice Actors

Miyu: Pamela Weidner
Se Himiko: Stephanie Griffin
Narrator: David Stokes

Unearthly Kyoto

Ryooko: Connie Nelson
Miyahito: Shaun O'Rourke
Aiko's Father: Turner Knox
Aiko's Mother: Hope Brownewell
Doctor: Lee Dominick
Female Student: Sarah Wakild
Police Captain: Steve Rassin
Policeman: Mac Ingrahm
Schoolgirl: Amy Anderson
Clerk: Greg Taylor

A Banquet of Marionettes

Ranka: Belinda Bizic
Yuzuki Kei: Michael Granberry
Kei's Girlfriend: Shelby Reynolds
Kei's Mother: Ellen Lee
Kei's Brother: Robert Wailes
Kayo: Linda Carlisle
Schoolgirl: Amy Anderson
Schoolboy: David Bjorkback
Shiba: Tom Maddis
Giddy Schoolgirls: Linda Carlisle,
Regan Foreman & Maggy Brownewell

Fragile Armor

Larva: Zach Hanner
Lemures: Chad Carlberg
Armor Monster: Rick Forrester
Policeman: Ralph Brownewell

Frozen Time

Miyu's Mother: Melissa Stanley
Miyu's Father: Bob Sayer
Akiko: Jessica Watson
Schoolgirl: Shannon Taylor