Kimeru

Kimeru is a Japanese mailman turned music star, who got his big break starring in the manga-based stage musical Prince of Tennis. The man, whose real name is unknown (his alias means "to decide" in Japanese), specializes in sunny, synth-heavy pop/rock and writes his own lyrics, with the tunes usually being composed by his own support band. Born in 1980 in Kumamoto on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, Kimeru took some time to work out his own career priorities, doing a stint at the postal service after graduating from high school. His first professional record, the single "You Got Game?," was released in 2001 and became the theme for the Prince of Tennis anime series, as did second single "Make You Free" (2002). That served as a prelude to Kimeru's "musical years" -- he spent 2003-2004 performing in the stage branch of the Prince of Tennis franchise, even doing the lead part for a while after the main actor for the role was seriously hurt in a car accident. During that time Kimeru also released his first EP, The Beginning (2003); did his first tour in 2004; and recorded two more singles, one of which, "Overlap" (2004), was featured in the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. "Graduating" from the musical in early 2005, Kimeru toured Japan again, proving his popularity to be strong enough for Nippon Crown to sign him in 2005 and release his first full-length album, Glorious, the same year after another slew of singles. Kimeru spent 2006 capitalizing on his success: he did another tour; frequented FM radio shows; released a photo book; debuted overseas (traveling to mainland China to discover he had throngs of fans there); and held a four-hour live marathon in Tokyo, performing every song he had ever done. Along with more touring and a feature in the J-Pop-Café in...