Mizuki Kanzaki

"Once more the moon rises."

- Mizuki Kanzaki upon her return to the idol world in Episode 75.

Mizuki Kanzaki (神崎美月) is one of the main characters in the Aikatsu! arcade games and the corresponding anime adaption. She is a former student of Starlight School. She was also the founder and the leader of Tristar, STAR☆ANIS and WM. In Episode 91 she also became the leader of Aikatsu8, a special 8 person unit consisting of members from Starlight School, Dream Academy & WM.

Chronology
Mizuki was the top student at Starlight School, priding herself on her ability and as well being the top idol. Mizuki was the number one idol and the role-model of all idols, thus being admired by just about everyone. She started off as an elementary model but then mysteriously disappeared from the public for a whole year. She came back without warning, taking the idol world by storm as a top idol. During that time, she did intensive training and pushed herself to work her hardest in order to reach the top.

Mizuki doesn't show her hard-working side to many people and is thought of as just a prodigy. She is highly idolized by Ichigo and inspired her to work even harder. As of Episode 28, she has her own brand designed after her image, Love Queen.

In Episode 03, it was revealed that Mizuki started her career as an idol during her fourth year in elementary school, starting as a child model for young children, she then spent a year without a public appearance. The reason for this was unknown at the time. As soon her hiatus was over, she enrolled in Starlight School. Finally, she appeared as an idol with pristine singing and dancing.

In Chance &amp; Try☆, the thirty third episode of the anime, Mizuki announced that she was selecting two members for her new idol unit, Tristar, in which she was the first member. In the end, she selected Kaede Ichinose and Ran Shibuki as the second and third members respectively. However, in Head for the Sun, Ran Shibuki quit Tristar to join Ichigo and Aoi's unit, Soleil. In Ran's place, Mizuki selected Yurika Tōdō as the third member of Tristar. Finally, on Go get'em Soleil!, both the units were temporarily merged into STAR☆ANIS for their summer tour. The STAR☆ANIS group had their respective live debut in episode 41, The Summer-Colored Miracle☆.

In Episode 46 it is shown that she was inspired to become an idol after seeing Masquerade performing. Also, when she was a fashion model during her primary school years, Mizuki was very concerned and worried about everything she did so much that she considered quitting the entertainment world all together. But when someone from her agency showed her footage of their first concert, she was immediately hooked by their beautiful smiles and passion. However, she wondered why she had been so moved by their performance, even days after seeing this. Mizuki then learned about Johnny Bepp, who had done Masquerade's choreography. Since then, she followed him everywhere to ask for lessons. Day after day she kept begging, until he eventually gave in. That was how her secret sessions began and she used the entire year training for the idol world. At first, Mizuki was very serious, but Bepp also taught her about smiling at all times and expressing herself with her entire body, not just her face.

In The Memories are in the Future, the last episode of season one, Mizuki left Starlight School to work as the background adviser of Dream Academy, a rival school for idols. During the Koh-haku Aikatsu Gassen, she reunites with Ichigo, Aoi, and Ran. There, Mizuki reveals what happened to her after she left Starlight School.

As of Episode 75, Mizuki has returned to the idol world with her new brand, Love Moonrise, and has started her own agency known as Moonlight Office. Mizuki also revealed having started a unit, WM with Mikuru Natsuki, a gardener who possesses her own miracle.

Mizuki is the main reason why Ichigo stand on the stage of Aikatsu. Throughout the story, Ichigo always try to be by Mizuki's side or above her, beginning from her failure-yet-success on Mizuki's Special Live, to the Fresh Girls Cup, Tristar Arc, STAR☆ANIS Arc, Starlight Queen Cup. Then after Mizuki's comeback, her struggle continues to the Partners Cup, then they once again stand on the same stage as the idol team Aikatsu8, and the first half of the climax, the Twinkle Stars Cup. Then, the second part of the climax is the Great Ichigo Starmiya Festival, where just when Ichigo invites Mizuki to join her live, Mizuki refuses and tells her that the live will make her become a top idol and that she has decided to retire from Aikatsu since she has fulfilled her goals as an idol in becoming legendary and surpassing Masquerade. Still, this makes Ichigo try her best to get Mizuki to see her live instead, and her feelings for Mizuki was compiled into her special song for the live, Etude of Radiance.

Appearance
Mizuki has grape-colored eyes and matching hair reaching her thighs when styled in her default style - held up in an ice-blue and white striped headband. She is described as being extremely beautiful. In season one, she's typically seen in her Starlight School uniform. In the first half of season two, she's commonly depicted in a black skirt suit. When she becomes an active idol in season two's second half, Mizuki is usually seen wearing the French Moon Coord.

Personality
Mizuki is calm, elegant, and confident, acting professional, and working hard in her Aikatsu. In The Summer-Colored Miracle☆, it was shown that Mizuki can be bashful in certain situations and be viewed as a contrast from her usual personality. As of the second half of season two, Mizuki is shown to be happier and more relaxed than in the previous season, due to meeting Mikuru.

Etymology
Kanzaki (神崎): Kan (神) means God. This may be a reference to her being the top idol and possible legend. Zaki (崎) means "small peninsula" or "promontory".

Mizuki (美月): Mi (美) means beauty. This might be a reference to her as idol, since many people say that she is very cute and/or beautiful. Zuki (月) means moon. The moon is Mizuki's symbol. It represents how she is ever shining brightly, but is high in the sky where anyone has yet to reach and overtake her light.

Relationships

 * Ichigo Hoshimiya
 * Mizuki is Ichigo's senpai. She sees the immense potential in Ichigo and for that acts as a voice of guidance to her. Mizuki is often inspired by Ichigo and her friends due to how much they support each other and even after reuniting with them during the Koh-haku Aikatsu Gassen, for a brief while, she continues to guide them. Mizuki provides advice for her throughout her time as a student at Starlight and still gives her little bits of advice after her comeback relating to Akari Ōzora and how Ichigo can be a senpai like she was.


 * Honoka Tsukikage
 * Mizuki's real manager. Mizuki is shown to have a respect for her manager as she rejoins with Mizuki before her comeback and was the manager for WM. There has been several occasions where it is evident the relationship they have is a mix of both a professional relationship and friendship, clearly when Mizuki gives Honoka Valentine chocolate as her way of saying thanks for being her manager in Episode 18. In Episode 45, Honoka pulls Mizuki away from her work promoting Tristar so she can relax with the members of STAR☆ANIS on her day off.


 * Tiara Yumesaki
 * Mizuki used to work for her at Dream Academy. As her advisor, Mizuki would tell Tiara the best ways to manage the school with the help of the latest technology.


 * Mikuru Natsuki
 * Mikuru is Mizuki's partner in her duo unit WM. When Mikuru first met Mizuki she lit a light in Mizuki when they first met. She was amazed by Mizuki and her ability to smile at so many people at once and was first hesitant at Mizuki's offer to create WM but she accepted the offer. The two are highly compatible to the point sharing an aura, and they bring out the best in each other. In a short amount of time, the two have become very close best friends, each being the perfect partner for the other.

Trivia

 * Her sign is Virgo.
 * Her blood type is A.
 * Her favorite foods are Marron glaces and fragrant teas.
 * It is unknown what Mizuki's disliked food is.
 * Mizuki, along with Ichigo, Yurika, and Akari, have shown themselves to be the most consistently popular main characters, having made it into all election-determined incarnations of Aikatsu8 and Photokatsu8 since their debut.
 * In episode 03, it is made known that she trains very hard.
 * Mizuki is the first idol to have a major aura change in aura components and formation, the second being Akari Ōzora.
 * Mizuki shares her seiyū with Rikka Hishikawa from Doki Doki! Pretty Cure.
 * Her aura is commonly seen outside of the stage.
 * During her performance in Episode 17 with Ichigo, Mizuki was able to do 4 Special Appeals. The maximum number is 3, indicating that Mizuki is a legend among idols.
 * Monthly Mizuki, the magazine featuring her, is published.
 * Johnny occasionally refers to her as ”Beautiful Moon”.
 * She is not only a top idol, but she also took the title of Starlight Queen not long after her debut.
 * In episode 27, Ran explained what happened when Mizuki beat the incumbent Queen.
 * Mizuki shares the same surname as Sonata Kanzaki, who is one of the most legendary Prism Stars and former Prism Queen in Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream, another idol anime.
 * And Mizuki shares the same surname as Ranko Kanzaki, in Idolmaster Cinderella Girls.
 * She is also noted to be similar to Bell Renjoji from Pretty Rhythm: Rainbow Live, the third season of the Pretty Rhythm series, in that:
 * They both are sexy-typed and red-themed.
 * They both managed to do the impossible and pull off four Special Appeals/Prism Jumps.
 * They both won the final competition of their season, beating the main characters, who are also quite similar.
 * She was the Starlight Queen for three consecutive years.
 * Along with Ichigo, she also left Starlight School in Episode 50.
 * She is the first character to change her premium rare final pose.
 * In Episode 78, it was shown that Mikuru owns a cute mid and dark brown ferret named "Ferry", who she eventually gives to Mizuki.
 * Coincidentally, Ferry has a crescent moon shaped birthmark on his left hip.
 * Mizuki and Mikuru's names both start with "Mi" while their surnames both end with "ki".
 * She finally loses not only against Ichigo, but her first seen competition in Episode 100.
 * After the movie, these three songs became her most listened to on her music player:
 * Etude of Radiance
 * Wake up my music
 * Let's Aikatsu!
 * According to her manager, she has more than 14 hobbies. Four of them are mentioned in the Movie - eating at a bakery stall, mall shopping, playing at a water park, and bungee jumping.
 * Despite having 3 Premium Rare Dresses she is only shown performing in each of them once.
 * She is the only character to be the leader of all the units she features in so far.
 * Mizuki is the first known idol to have a tour outside of Japan.