Masaya Aoyama (jpn. 青山 雅也 Aoyama Masaya) is Ichigo Momomiya's classmate and love interest in the Tokyo Mew Mew series.
Tokyo Mew Mew[]
Masaya is Ichigo's classmate. At the beginning of the series, he and Ichigo go on a date to the Red Data animals exhibit where Ichigo meets the other Mews and became a Mew Mew herself. At first, she thought Masaya was oblivious to her feelings, but in the second season's premiere, he reveals that he shares her feelings and they begin dating.
Masaya is the only person outside the Mew Project to know Mew Ichigo's real identity, but initially pretends otherwise as he knows Ichigo does not want him to know. He was supportive of it when she finally told him in Episode 38, and said he would help her hide it.
In Episode 38, Masaya reveals that as an orphan, he began acting like a "perfect child" to be adopted. In reality, however, he felt sick of humans and disgusted by how they treat the planet. He also reveals that Ichigo is the sole exception, and it was only with her that he felt like a "real human being".
In Episode 45, it is revealed that Masaya is the Blue Knight, but Masaya did not know that he was the Blue Knight, nor did the Blue Knight appear to have any knowledge that he was Masaya until then. Once Masaya becomes aware of his transformation, he realises it was born of his desire to protect Ichigo. Shortly after this revelation, Masaya collapses and reawakens as Deep Blue, the leader of the aliens and the Mew Mew's final enemy.
Deep Blue claims that he created Masaya in order to deceive the world until the time was right for his awakening. Masaya sacrifices himself by releasing the final Mew Aqua inside his body in order to stop Deep Blue, and is revived when Ichigo gives her life to save him. In turn, the Mew Aqua remaining his body then saves her.
At the end of the series, Masaya decides to go to England to study the endangered species used for the Mew Project and the Mew Mews hold a mock wedding for Masaya and Ichigo before he leaves.
Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode[]
In Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode, Masaya is the first to sense the new danger to the Mew Mews, and encourages Ichigo to return to help her friends. Towards the end of à la Mode, he also returns to Tokyo.
Personality[]
Ichigo describes Masaya as "smart", "cute", "very athletic" and "popular at school". He is also depicted as being a polite and calm person, and will protect Ichigo at any cost when he transforms into Blue Knight.
The truth is that he despised the human race ever since he was a child. Everything he did and said was just an attempt to blend in and be accepted. However, once he started to spend time with Ichigo, he began to soften and changed his view of humans. He's noted to be very Eco-friendly and an animal lover since he participates in recycling and using environmentally-friendly material.
Appearance[]
Masaya is depicted as an average height boy with short black hair and brown eyes. In the first anime series he is shown to have a fairly tanned skin, while the second anime series shows him with a less noticeable tan and more detailed eyelashes. Masaya is usually seen with a standard school attire consisting of a white button shirt, and black pants.
As the Blue Knight his skin turns considerably paler, his hair becomes longer and blond, and his ears become more larger and more pointed. He dons a blueish coat, with a black ribbon on his back. Underneath he wears a pair of blue shorts, exposing most of his legs while donning blueish boots. He wields a sword in combat with a red jewel in the hilt.
As Deep Blue, his skin is even paler, his hair grows much longer and becomes jet black, while his eyes turn cyan and his fingernails grow as well. He dons the same blue coat as before but buttoned so his legs are not visible, and uses the same sword as before.
Powers and abilities[]
As a Civilian[]
Masaya is a very bright boy at the top of the class and bilingual. He is very athletic and an excellent kendoka.
As the Blue Knight[]
As the series progresses, it is revealed that Masaya is the Blue Knight, but that Masaya did not know that he was the Blue Knight, nor did the Blue Knight appear to have any knowledge that he was Masaya. Once Masaya becomes aware of his transformation, he realizes it was born of his desire to save Ichigo.
As Deep Blue[]
Shortly after finding out he was the Blue Knight, Masaya collapses and reawakens as Deep Blue, the leader of the aliens and the Mew Mew's final enemy. Deep Blue claims that he created Masaya in order to deceive the world until the time was right for his awakening.
What Deep Blue didn't count on was Masaya developing a deep love for Ichigo that solidified his own personality. In the end, Masaya destroyed Deep Blue by sacrificing his power to save Ichigo.
Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode[]
At the end of the original series, Masaya decides to go to England to study the endangered species used for the Mew Project. In Tokyo Mew Mew à la Mode, Masaya is the first to sense the new danger to the Mew Mews, and encourages Ichigo to return to help her friends. Towards the end of à la Mode, he also returns to Tokyo.
Relationships[]
Masaya is an orphan, and his girlfriend is Ichigo Momomiya. Ichigo's father Shintaro disapproved until Masaya fought for his respect while her mother Sakura supported their relationship.
International[]
Name changes (manga)[]
All English translations of the manga keep Aoyama's name. However, unlike the original Japanese version, TokyoPop's translation has Ichigo refer to Aoyama by his first name.
Language | Title | Publisher | Name |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | Tokyo Mew Mew | Kodansha | Masaya Aoyama |
English | Tokyo Mew Mew | TokyoPop & Kodansha | Masaya Aoyama |
English (Singapore) | Tokyo Mew Mew | Chuang Yi | Masaya Aoyama |
Name changes (anime)[]
While some dubs keep Aoyama's original name, most dubs use his Italian first name, Mark (Including the 4Kids English dub.). The Chinese dubs (Mandarin and Cantonese) use their pronunciation of the Kanji that's used to spell his Japanese name.
Language | Title | Name | Voice Actor / Actress |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | Tokyo Mew Mew | Masaya Aoyama | Megumi Ogata |
English | Mew Mew Power | Mark | Scottie Ray |
Mandarin | Dōng Jīng Māo Māo (Tokyo Cats / Tokyo Mew Mew) |
Yǎ-Yě QīngShān | Yú Zhèng-Shēng (Paul Yu) |
Cantonese (VCD Dub) | Dung Ging Miu Miu (Tokyo Mew Mew) |
Nga-Ya ChingSaan | Lei Ga-Git (Rocky Lee) |
Cantonese (ATV Dub) | Maau Maau Jin Deui (Cat Team / Mew Mew Team) |
Nga-Ya ChingSaan | Chan Ting-Hin (Turrick Chan) (†) |
Italian | Mew Mew Amiche Vincenti (Mew Mew Winning Friends) |
Mark Aoyama (2002 Anime)
Masaya Aoyama (Tokyo Mew Mew New) |
Patrizio Prata (2002 Anime)
Alessandro Pili (Tokyo Mew Mew New) |
Korean | Berry Berry Mew Mew | Minu Huang (2002 Anime)
Do-gyeom Nam (Tokyo Mew Mew New) |
Sanghyeon Eom |
Hebrew | Tokyo Mew Mew | Masaya Aoyama | Yehonatan Magon |
Brazilian Portuguese | As Super Gatinhas (The Super Kittens) |
Mark | Fábio Lucindo |
Portuguese (1st Dub) | Mew Mew Power | Mark | Quimbé |
Portuguese (2nd Dub) | Tokyo Mew Mew | Mark Aoyama | Quimbé |
Danish | Mew Mew Power | Masaya Aoyama | David Owe |
Thai | Tokyo Mew Mew | Masaya Aoyama | Nirun Boonyarattaphan (Modernine TV Dub) Itthipol Mameket (Amigo Dub) |
Albanian (Albania Production) | Vajzat Mjau - Mbrojtëset e Planetit (Mew Girls - Defenders of the Planet) |
Mark | Erion Hinaj |
Albanian ("Jess" Discographic) | Luftëtaret Mace (Cat Warriors) |
Mark Aoyama | Erion Dushi |
Hungarian | Vadmacska Kommandó (Wildcat Commando) |
Mark | Roland Czető |
Latino Spanish | Miau Miau Power (Mew Mew Power) |
Mark | Alexander Paez |
French | Mew Mew Power | Mark Gautier/Gottino | Philippe Allard |
Dutch | Mew Mew Power | Mark | N/A |
Serbian | Družina Mjau - Mjau / Miau - Mjau Tokio (Mew Mew Team / Tokyo Mew Mew Team) |
Mark Aoyama | Nebojša Milovanović |
Croatian | Mijau Mijau Družina (Mew Mew Team) |
Mark Aoyama | N/A |
Bulgarian | Силата Миу Миу / Silata Mew Mew (Mew Mew Power) |
Mark | N/A |
Greek | Mew Mew Power | Mark | Stamatis Gardelis |
Turkish | Mew Mew Power / Sihirli Kızlar (Magical Girls) |
Mark | N/A |
Etymology[]
- The name Masaya means "elegant, graceful" (雅) (masa) and "to be, also" (也) (ya).
- Masaya's surname Aoyama means "blue, green" (青) (ao) and "mountain, hill" (山) (yama).
Trivia[]
- He was renamed "Mark" in Mew Mew Power.
- The original Japanese version is the only one where Masaya is voiced by a woman. His voice actress also voices his dual personalities of shadow and light- Deep Blue and the Blue Knight.
- Just as with the dark-haired fifteen-year-old Hotaru Tomoe of the Sailor Moon manga, 1990s anime's third and fifth seasons, and the 2014-2023 reboot, Masaya turns out to unknowingly possess two personalities that are entirely separate from his own; one of pure goodness (the spirit of Sailor Saturn) and one of pure evil (the extraterrestrial female entity Mistress 9 of the Death Busters); the second of which was ultimately driven out, leaving only the enduring sleeping spirit of the "infamous" Sailor Guardian of Death and Destruction alongside Hotaru's own personality.
- In most Mew Mew Power dubs (excluding the French version) Mark doesn't have a last name.
- While his birthday is on May 22, it's unknown if this is his actual birthday or the day he was adopted.
- The first part of his last name means blue hence the alter-ego's names Blue Knight and Deep Blue.
- He has a strong resemblance to Mashio Akai. They are both voiced by Megumi Ogata.
[]
Characters | |
---|---|
Tokyo Mew Mew | |
Ichigo Momomiya • Minto Aizawa • Retasu Midorikawa • Bu-Ling Huang • Zakuro Fujiwara • Ringo Akai • Berry Shirayuki | |
Major Characters | |
Masaya Aoyama • Ryou Shirogane • Keiichiro Akasaka • Tasuku Meguro • Masha • Ucha | |
Aliens | |
Quiche • Tart • Pie • Blue Knight • Deep Blue • Gâteau du Roi • Chimera Animas | |
Saint Rose Crusaders | |
Duke • Royal Highness • Happy Child • Blue Bayou • Sweet Juliet | |
Friends and Family | |
Shintaro Momomiya • Sakura Momomiya • Seiji Aizawa • Minto's Nanny • Mickey • Eizaburou Midorikawa • Yomogi Midorikawa • Uri Midorikawa • Mrs. Huang • Taren Huang • Bu-Ling's Siblings | |
Civilians/Minor Characters | |
Three Beckys • Mary McGuire • Masazo Aoyamada • Rei Nishina • Norihiro Edomurasaki • Satsuki Tadano • Iruka • Heicha's Teacher/Ms. Rosbe • Tsukiko Yamada • Mariko • Shunsuke • Kanna Saionji • Yuebing Long • Ayano Uemura • Momoka • Asano • Jacqueline |