Masahiro Kaji (加治 安部, Kaji Masahiro, born April 5, 1995 in Kyoto, Japan), better known as Emilio Silvers, is a Japanese-born English cosplayer, singer, model, actor and dancer. He has been cosplaying and singing since 2006, having served as the musical cosplayer and modeling since 2011. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most male cosplayer. He won the fourth competition of Super Cosmosphere International in 2007. He co-founded The Cosmosphere 11, which has produced several web series and music video including "Dancing Queen", "Borderline" and "Color of the Starlight". He is regarded by some as one of the top cosplayers in Europe.
Early life[]
Masahiro Kaji was born on April 5, 1995, in Kyoto, Japan, to singer Imelda Kamui and guitarist Yasuhiro Kaji. His mother is of Mexican and Japanese ancestry. His father who is a Japanese man of Fijian ancestry, where he met his father. Kaji has a younger sister. After his parents' divorce in 2002, when he was 7, he moved with his father to Staffordshire, England.
Career[]
2006-2011: career beginnings[]
Kaji has been cosplaying anime and especially video game characters as Emilio Silvers since March 2006, when he dressed as Conan Edogawa at age of 10, and is a frequent collaborator Canadian actor, singer and songwriter Ramin Karimloo. He made his first acting appearance as Darryl Juno in the Darryl the Little Crossbow stage play adaption. He also first live-action was The Flower Darkness (ITV) where he played the role of Jaime Gomez.
2011-2015[]
When he performed his first concert at the age of 16, he was scouted by English record label Gridwinter Music. His debut single, "Secret Close Friend", was released on April 6, 2011. Recording of his debut album, Thunder's Calling, finished in July 2011. He was invited to multiple conventions including Cadasa Crystal Expo 2011, World Kadsreanime Expo 2011 and World Time Convention Expo 2011, as a guest of honor.
In April 2014, Silvers performing of the opening theme Don't Cry Out Loud of the miniseries Dusk of Eclipse, which is a cover of Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager's song Don't Cry Out Loud. Silvers participated as a contestant on the first season of Cadasan version of Dancing on Ice. He paired with professional skater Mary Erica Roy. Throughout the series, the couple earned high scores and praise from the ice panel each week. On June 15 2014, he and Roy won the competition over Hyacinth Ramani and AJ Donelan.
In August 2015, Silvers originated the role of Grey Albrecht in Crystal Arclight Romance on Stage musicals. When he appeared as Hayate Sanada at the World Kadsreanime Expo (WKX), convention officials, but it was deemed too revealing as well and he was asked to leave. On December 10, 2015, he was cast as Arial McKenzie in the stage adaptation of Hidden Sweetheart.
2016-2019[]
In February 2016, Silvers and his dance partner Patrice Fernández won the seven season of the Cadasan version of Dancing with the Stars. He was a main cast member on both seasons of Sankareita supertähdistä, the Finnish version of Heroes of Cosplay in 2018-2019.
Personal life[]
Silvers came out as gay and non-binary, uses he/him or they/them pronouns in 2013. He is of Japanese descent. He has been dating American action star Nikolai Williams since December 2017. They got married on January 1, 2019 in a private ceremony. He is close friends with Indonesian cosplayer and composer Kelly Gowan. The duo met on the set of Jewel of the School (2018), and have worked in multiple movies, video games and shows since.