RIP Emi Itô

Updated on July 9, 2012 By Ken Begg 16 Comments

This is getting seriously depressing.

Emi Itô on the right.

Miss Itô died nearly a month ago, on June 15th, but the news just filtered down to me. I’m sure many of you were already aware of it. For the rest of us, it’s sad tidings of another old friend departing us.

Ms. Itô and her surviving twin sister Yumi were the duet act known as the Peanuts. They achieved international immortality when they were cast to play (as I knew them) the Twin Fairies of Infant Island, the miniature priestesses of Mothra. Speaking in tandem, they are most fondly remembered for singing the Mothra song. Emi and Yumi played the roles in three movies; Mothra, Godzilla vs. Mothra and Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster.

Ms. Ito was 71 at the time of her passing.

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  • She’s dead? Blast! I love her performance in those movies. RIP, Ms. Ito.

  • Frank Bauroth

    May she dance tonight in Heaven on Ernest Borgnine’s arm.

  • Wow.  That’s too bad.

  • Gamera977

    I’d only recently found out that they were popular Japanese pop singers beyond their work in the Mosura/Mothra movies. A sad day indeed…

  • Flangepart

    I found a CD of Japanese popular songs, and ‘The Peanuts’ are one of the acts listed. Sure sounds like them.
    Adios, Good lady. And thanks for all the songs.

  • bgbear_rogerh

    Mothra films always make me cry, darn it, now I am sad.  

  • The Rev.

    I’m a little ashamed that I didn’t know about this before now.  Rest well, sweet lady, and thank you for being a part of my childhood.

    I don’t know what it was about these two, but none of their Shobijin replacements have managed to be nearly as charming and fun as they were.  They just had more charisma and talent, plus they were cute as buttons.

    In fact, the portrayers in the Mothra trilogy managed to get blown off the screen by Aki Hano as Belvera, meaning we end up rooting for the “bad” sister against the “heroes.”  Things would’ve been even more wildly skewed in the first two movies if Desughidorah and Dagahra hadn’t been such duds that Mothra was easily more compelling.  I have a feeling the makers figured this out, because Belvera is barely in the third one and does practically nothing.  Of course, this only served to become one of many, many problems the third movie had.

    If I was ever to write a review for this site, I’d be tempted to go with the Rebirth of Mothra series.  I don’t know if the first two are quite Jabootu-worthy (although parts of them certainly were…looking at you, Gogo), but I feel the third one would be.

    TL;DR:  R.I.P. Emi, the original fairies are best, the Mothra trilogy sucks.

  • Food

    As a little kid, I didn’t know Asians ladies were hot until I saw the Twin Fairies. And to this day, I just melt whenever I look at them (except in Mothra vs. Godzilla, because of those cupcake hats they’re wearing). They were off-the-chart ADORABLE. And the Mothra song was enchanting as can be.

    R.I.P. Emi. :(

  • Ken_Begg

    I think I especially loved them in Ghidorah, which I believe I saw several times before I caught the other two films. (Mothra came a bit late in the game, actually.) They interact a lot with the rest of the cast in that one, including the Martian Princess.

  • Food

    In Ghidorah, I baffle myself by finding the Twin on the right hotter than the one on the left, even though they’re identical twins….**shrug**….The opening line of their song in Ghidorah today calls to mind those Ricolah cough drop commercials.

  • Ericb

    One of the sad facts of entering middle age is that the artists and entertainers one gew up with tend to start passsing on.

  • Ericb

    Not to mention everyone else in your life who is of a previous generation.

  • I thought the Pair Bambi from GODZILLA VERSUS THE SEA MONSTER were cuter, but there’s no denying the importance to (world) pop culture that can be claimed by The Peanuts. MOTHRA, GODZILLA VS THE THING, and GHIDRAH, THE THREE HEADED MONSTER are all landmark Nipponese fantasy films, and arguably among the most visible in the (overall connected) series.  I thought it folly to try to re-create the twin fairies in the 90’s. The Peanuts got those parts so note perfect (even though dubbed imports) that it’s hard to see anyone else in the part (GODZILLA VERSUS THE SEA MONSTER gets away with it mostly because the entire vibe of the picture is a departure from previous entries).

    Farewell, Pretty Lady. Rest in Peace.

  • The Rev.

    I think I actually saw them in Mothra before any of their Godzilla appearances.  The only other possibility would be Ghidorah, as I know I saw their other appearances later on.

    I’d have to agree, Ghidorah is probably my favorite outing for them.  “Oh, Godzilla, what terrible language!”  I laugh every time.Also, YOU DO NOT BESMIRCH THE HATS.  Thank you.

  • Food

    That one line, “Godzilla, what terrible language!” is a great case for the merit of English overdubs over subtitles. In the Japanese subtitles, their translation of what Godzilla says is not at all what you’d expect to hear from the Unstoppable Destroyer of Tokyo. But having Godzilla cussin’? THAT’S more believable!

  • finlake

    Funny enough, I was looking for tattoo and I prefer to get inked with childhood memories of mine.  Mothra came across my mind, and I just discovered the Peanuts… I remember their singing vividly as of yesterday.  I never knew they were actual twins and I just learnt Emi passed away.  I look forward to hear her and her sister’s singing when I cross over to Event Horizon.  Rest in peace, Emi.