:: "I'm NOT a bimbo, dammit!" ::
an exclusive interview with Mimi Tachikawa for PM magazine
It's the face that launched a hundred
webpages—and many more fan fiction stories. But there's a lot more to Mimi
Tachikawa than a pretty face, as she insisted in one Season 02 episode of
the popular Fox Kids series, Digimon, in which she has co-starred as
"Mimi" for the past two seasons.
Take, for example, her rather shrill, high-pitched voice, a source of annoyance
to some fans. It's audible now, several tables away at this chic Malibu eatery,
as she is currently screaming on her cell phone to someone named "Ramon". Later
Mimi explains that this is her personal trainer, who had just canceled another
session with her to attend his mother's birthday party. "This is not the first
time he's pulled that on me," she complains as she sips her green tea. "He had
to go to his mother's birthday party last year."
Though Mimi has an intense dislike for the media, she accepted PM's
interview on the condition that we wouldn't discuss her off-screen love life.
This has been a particularly hot topic with the tabloid press, who have run
many a story about her alleged romances with cast members Yamato Ishida and
Jyou Kido. The Star also published rumors of her having a lesbian affair
with co-star Miyako "Yolei" Inoue, after one particular 02 episode in which
the two appeared to be having a "fantasy" involving a pair of floaty dresses.
But her business is her business. "All I will say about my current
relationship is that I am happy," she told a German newspaper last month.
What do you think about those fans that have couple shrines and fanfiction
stories pairing up you and other cast members? You know, Mimato, Jyoumi, Mishiro…
I think it's very cute. (giggles) Really, it doesn't bother me at all.
I find it very interesting how so many of them get into heated arguments over
who they think I should be with on the show.
Was there anyone you hoped the writers would pair you up with in Season
02?
Well, that was discussed around the end of Season 01, but when they decided
to move me to America and give me and the original cast less screen time,
it wasn't a priority anymore. As for the finale…well…
Oh, yeah, that infamous Sorato ending.
You know, none of us could figure out why they decided to take their relationship
in that direction. Sora and Matt were actually fighting with the producers
over it, claiming it was character bastardization, but the bigwigs at the
network decided to stick with it. It cheesed off a lot of fans, I know.
Exactly how did you feel when they decided to move your character to
America, away from the rest of the group?
Hell, you know, it really pissed me off. Okay, so maybe I wasn't the most
likable character all the time in the first season, but that was the writers
trying to make me into this whimpering prima donna. Even I was getting
annoyed with me. But then, oh, season 02 comes along, and hey! Let's ship
Mimi off to America, no one's gonna miss her. I was shafted for no good reason,
and it really…ooh! (pounds the table)
Easy now, Mimi.
Sorry. Those blow-job artists just make me so damn mad.
Er, yeah. Now, I remember hearing something about you not receiving
royalties for the work you did in Season 02.
Um, this is the kind of thing I'm not really supposed to talk about without
my lawyer present. Let me just say that—(cell phone rings) Excuse
me, I've got to take this. (on the phone) Yeah. Yeah. What? Why, what
did he say? Excuse me? Five pounds? Okay-okay—Jerry, listen
to me. You're going to call that son of a bitch right back and tell him that
if he doesn't want his opening night to bomb completely, he's going
to have me on that roster. I'm not taking that crap anymore. Okay? Okay. Good.
Yeah, g'bye. (hangs up) That was my agent. He's trying to get me the
lead in the touring production of Miss Saigon, but the director thinks
I'm five pounds too chubby. (scoffs) As if. He's just bitter because
I refused to sleep with him…anyway, where were we?
Um…the royalties?
Oh, yeah. Well, all I can say about that is that I don't feel I'm being treated
fairly at the moment. That's all.
Okay, we're about to hit on a pretty touchy subject. What do you feel
about the fans who unfairly label you as a 'bimbo'?
(slams her glass down on the table) I am sick and tired of being called
a bimbo. I was never called a bimbo until Season 02 came along and they decided
to stick me in a midriff top and miniskirt and those come-and-get-it go-go
boots. In a kiddie anime like Digimon, that's about as close to fan service
as the censors will let you get. You'd think somebody, some males in particular,
would appreciate it. But I got all these people turning on me with the random
'bimbo' and 'hoochie mama' and 'ho' comments. Mostly girls, of course. What
I want to know is, how is my character any more a ho than Kari's? Stringing
Daisuke along while she was after TK. Same thing with Sora's—playing
Tai while she was zeroing in on Matt. Here I am, not doing anything except
wearing a crop-top, and I'm the ho. Well, I'm not a ho. I'm
not a hoochie mama, and I'm NOT a bimbo! (pause) Dammit!
Now, now, Mimi, it's not all bad. You do have some pretty nice fans
out there defending you.
Yeah, I know. (beams) They're great. Hey, by the way, I'm going to
be signing autographs next week at the Beverly Center! And be sure to catch
me in Miss Saigon when it comes to town; I'll be playing Kim. That
is, if this damn deal ever goes through… (glowers)
Cheap Reseller Hosting 
It's the face that launched a hundred
webpages—and many more fan fiction stories. But there's a lot more to Mimi
Tachikawa than a pretty face, as she insisted in one Season 02 episode of
the popular Fox Kids series, Digimon, in which she has co-starred as
"Mimi" for the past two seasons.