Q&A: Mizzimie

Playboy Club creator Mizzimie lives and breathes Japan, whether it’s action-packed anime or addictive video games. She sat down with us to talk about her travels to the island nation, collecting magnets, and why experiences will always trump treasures.

Playboy: To start us off, where were you born?

Mizzimie: I was born in Manila, Philippines. When I was 17, I moved to California, and then I moved to Vegas during the pandemic.

Playboy: What did you most enjoy in school?

Mizzimie: Doing extracurricular activities. Because I always had a really hard time sitting still. Sports, dancing, music and art…anything that didn’t require my full attention.

Playboy: What book or movie makes you deeply happy?

Mizzimie: I grew up watching a lot of Disney movies. But I really resonate with anime. My favorite is probably Hunter x Hunter. I really love all the characters, the storyline itself. The main character isn’t necessarily born with any special abilities. He’s just really hard-working, really determined.

Playboy: What possession do you treasure most?

Mizzimie: Man, it’s a hard question. I definitely treasure my memories and experiences more than things. So I try to take lots of photos when I can. Because I have a bad memory. 

Playboy: Do you have any items that spark memories of a place or a moment? 

Mizzimie: I have a lot of knick knacks from Japan. My favorite one was a gift. A friend gave me this very, very cute Sayonara doll. Its body is made up of a scroll, and you can open it up and seal it with messages. I also love collecting magnets from different countries or just places that I visit. 

Playboy: What’s the coolest magnet you have?

Mizzimie: We went to Maui and this magnet has a little bit of sand from the beach. And this big magnet that I got from a shrine in Tokyo that has a bunch of little foxes. And also the sushi cooking magnet—we bought a bunch of sushi cooking magnets. 

Playboy: What quality do you think is most desirable in a person?

Mizzimie: Drive. Someone who is driven. Who wants to achieve something and does their best to try to achieve it, no matter how many times they fail. It’s something I see that a lot in my mom, and my grandma. 

Playboy: Are your grandma and your mom a source of inspiration?

Mizzimie: Very much. My biggest inspiration is my grandma because she took care of all our family, even our extended family. She would help financially, or just housing people if they needed a place. The way she took care the family helped build the foundation of what kind of person I am, and who I want to continue being.

Playboy: That’s awesome. What food do you reach for when you’re feeling sad?

Mizzimie: Maybe this is a basic answer, or maybe too vague. But I love Asian food. I love anything with rice on it. No wait—I love soup the most. There’s something about it. It’s like a warm hug. 

My favorite is probably sinigang. It’s a traditional Filipino soup. And it’s very nostalgic to me. It has this nice sour taste. The base is tamarind. My family makes it a lot. So it’s very comforting when I have it and it reminds me of home.

Playboy: What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?

Mizzimie: My gosh, if it’s not my pets, it’s video games. When I am just at home relaxing, I love going through the video game cataloges and just buy trash games that are worth like, 99 cents. 

I buy it, I try them out, and then I’m like “Okay, I see why this game is this cheap.” But I love spending money on my pets. Just buying them cute stuff, different foods for them to try.

Playboy: What’s a talent you wish you had?

Mizzimie: I wish I was blessed with either having impeccable cooking skills. or God-like organization skills.

Playboy: Who was the first fictional character that you fell in love with?

Mizzimie: My goodness. This guy, Hoto Hori. He’s from this anime series from the ‘90s called Fushigi Yuugi. He’s like an emperor with long gray hair. And I actually don’t know why, but I just fell in love with this man. 

Maybe because he looks very androgynous? When the main protagonist meets him for the first time she mistakes him for a girl. Looking back, I really am attracted to people who have an androgynous look. So maybe that’s the origin of it!

Playboy: Glad we figured that out!

Mizzimie: Right. Everything makes sense now.

Playboy: What’s a meme tweet or viral video that speaks to you?

Mizzimie: I think it’s the video of this kid who says “I have the power of God and anime on my side!” It’s hilarious because I think if I was still in school, I would scream it all the time. I went to Catholic School growing up. 

Playboy: Well now I have to ask, do you have the power of God and anime on your side?

Mizzimie: I hope so! I have been living a pretty cool life. And I don’t believe in God now, but I do believe that there’s some sort of higher power up there. So, yes, to answer your question. I’m surrounded by anime. I’m living that life.

Mizzimie is on the Playboy Club. Talk to her now.