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oumiyuki · 2 months ago

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First Outdoor Live for Shuka and me: Saito Shuka 5th Anniversary Shuen 2024: Tenshi to Akuma no Sasayaki 👼😈

Gosh, how do I even begin…?

First, I just want to let everyone know how hot it was XD I’m already someone who sweats a lot and the heat from the Sun returning the same passionate feelings as us Shukajins and Shuka ;D was simply…! HOT!!

For Day 1 (17 August 2024, Saturday), I did not have the leeway of using my analog hand fan or the Aqours electronic fan I had on hand as I was finding my way around Saitama to get to Tobu Zoo where Shuka’s Live was being held.

As you all know, I was running late due to that! And it was also because I made the mistake of still wearing my watch – that made me think I still had time, but Japan is one hour ahead of Singapore! XD Gyaahh!

I feel like the guide Shuka and staff left about exiting from the North Exit and it being a 10 minutes walk to Tobu Zoo is…for people in the know XD and interestingly, the station itself had a paper put up guiding visitors to take the West exit! So well, I followed that instead.

I was already running late, I was attempted to follow guys that wore Converse shoes cos that’s a good way to guess that they are Shuka fans heading to her Live venue but because I was already late, I figured it’s not wise to follow random dudes in hopes they are going to the zoo XD So don’t worry, I didn’t. Instead, I went to the bus and asked the nice bus driver uncle if it goes to Tobu Zoo >v<

When I made it there, 2 lady staff was waiting in a tent and helped me put on the wrist band for the zoo pass and Shuka’s Live pass – thank you! Because I would’ve been stumbling to put it on (I was fumbling with it for Day 2 XD) The nice ladies then told me it’s another 15 mins to Shuka’s Live venue and I was like – “Ah, thank you.” On the outside. But inside my mind, I was like, “Ehhh!? Another 15 mins?! Even though I’m already late. Mouuuu!!” And I jogged and sped walk my way to the venue XD

The “good” thing of being late is that you get to be led to Shuka’s venue by her wonderful singing voice XD

I also like how when I ran past the attraction for a roller coaster ride that had tall stones with Egyptian carvings on it and some other horrific poster near it, I was like, “Yeah nope, turn right because no way Shuka’s Live venue is where something scary is XD” And it is the right way to continue on my way.

[Egytian carvings to the left, let the Shuka poster be your guide]

Speeding things up, because why would you want to know what else I saw on the way there, right? >v<``

When I neared the Live venue, that’s where you’ll see the Live Goods tent too. As I ran pass, I saw the merch I wanted sold out already so I was a bit sad but more importantly!! I could sense Shuka already XD Jogging in and slowing to a walk so as to not disturb anyone, I tried looking for my seat but it was like “BWAAHH!! AAHHH!! WOOO!!!” energy from lots of guys cheering so I was like “Never mind, I’ll stay at the back” XD

I joined in just as Shuka started the Devil Side of the Live!! (Courtesy to the Shukajin who made a set list record so I could fact check where I popped in >w<) So, it was where Shuka was singing “Baby Tell Me”!

But truth be told, I can barely remember how the song went cos I laid eyes on Shuka in her Devil themed outfit and I was just speechless, eyes glued to how amazing she looks and while I was amazed by her shining on stage and performing, I was very much constantly thinking about how good she looks in that outfit XD

You’ve seen the pics, you felt the same way! I bet on it!! XD Aahhhhhhh!!! >w<♡♡♡

[mind blown, attention stolen, Devil Shuka is here]

Followed by a Medley of HYPED songs…!! *O*

Tsuki de hoshi de Taiyou da

Zenshin Zenrei

Ippai Attena

Bokura wa Genius

Excuse me, Shuka-san?? I believe this was where I jumped a bit too much and knocked my knees against the long bench XD And Miyuki here didn’t even realize it until she’s back in the hotel later to see the bruises. I’m telling you, the hype and high and smiles you feel from being on cloud 9 after experiencing a Shuka Live let’s you not feel pain XD But adrenaline aside, I did apply my essential oil blend that soothes pain so I’m guessing that’s why I could still go all out for Day 2! HAHAHA!

*coughs coughs* Back to the Live!

Shuka performs Darake next, and you can bet the energy explodes even more because everyone was looking forward to the 555 songs?? At least I was!!!

ShuShuShu is next and I had my Ai no Yajirushi towel with me so I took it out to twirl for this towel song!! Towel songs are so funnnn~ (I’ve been a fan of towel songs since μ's Mermaid Festa Vol.2, and have been looking forward to any towel songs. SO, I thoroughly enjoyed Shuka’s one too!!)

Mata Ashita was the next song. I vaguely remember me swinging my hands along to it >v<

I don’t remember where the MC part takes place, but I’m going to assume here where she had performed a bunch of songs already. Shuka mentions how she posted about her having a sore throat and that made everyone worry so she apologizes and reassures us that she is alright and in fact, super energetic >w< She’s adorable when showing how energetic she is. >w<

I felt that her sore voice wasn’t obvious in her singing which is really cool. Other than when she performed “Mikata”, that one was when you hear some scratchiness in her singing voice. Ah, and when she talked, that was when her scratchy voice was obvious.

Shuka calls out the dancers called “Gyaruz” to introduce them and that’s when a cute moment happens cos Shuka starts asking her band members if she forgot to introduce them XD Usually the flow would be to introduce her band members first! And so, her band members told her Shuka did forget and she was a little in denial about that like “I forgot?? Ehh? I forgot??” XD Too cute. And then she introduces each of them!

Shukajin then goes: “You forgot something!”

Shuka: “Mm?”

Shukajin: “Vocalist?”

Shuka smiles, “And the vocalist is Saito Shuka.”

And we all clap and cheer for her!! >w</

Somewhere in between the MC part is a conversation where Shuka makes a cute noise with her scratchy voice too and it was extra adorable. I think it might be where she was asking her band member if she forgot to introduce them? I don’t remember exactly, I just know she was adorable XD That voice was hnnggg XD

Oh, and Shuka asks if we got hit by the water she shot. And the reaction was… “Yes!!!” and she apologizes that only some got hit by the water? XD

I… …also remember Shuka saying that we have now seen Angel Shuka, Devil Shuka and now that she is wearing the Live Tee she is Real Shuka! (which is the purple coloured Tenshi to Akuma no Sasayaki t-shirt but cut up and redesigned into a different fashionable way which allows Shuka to show off her midriff when she dances >//w//< paired with her jeans-shorts. Healthy legs in display =//w//=b)

[Real Shuka and her midriff ahhhh >//w//<♡]

You know, now that I’ve reminisced to here, I wonder if Shuka performed One Piece and Kutsuhimo first before the MC part >v<``

Because, when wanting to lead into a song, birthday bgm plays by the band member and the Gyaruz girls help to bring out the birthday cake and we all sang “Happy Birthday” to Shuka!! >w<7 It’s always so fun singing it to her hehe~

Shuka sneaks some to eat and from there is where it became picture-taking time!!

I love how everyone sat down and Shuka was like, “If you sit, we can’t see you!”

Then, some of us stood up again. And Shuka continues to say, “Ah, but it’s okay, we can take a proper picture later.”

That leaves us lost as to whether we should sit or stand XD So some was sitting, some was standing XD

[Day 1 together picture; I can be seen hehe >v<]

The photo gets taken and we go on to have Shuka perform the final song Mikata.

Shuka thanks everyone after, running to the sides of the stage and back to the middle to bow, the Gyaruz and band members join her to join hands and bow to us too…

It’s always such a bittersweet feeling when the Live ends. And as she’s going back stage, she waves to us, smiles, bows, all of that. It doesn’t take long for her to disappear behind but it’s kind of slow motion in my memory…=v=

And once you hear the electronic announcer voice says it’s the end of Shuka’s Live, that’s when we clap real hard again and then start to disperse. :>

I was at the back so I just made sure to drink more water, wipe my sweat, take a photo of stage and the Sun shining through the ferris wheel to us. 😊I then bumbled my way over to the goods tent and checked what else is selling. Although the t-shirt and keychains were sold out already, the hood towel was still available! So I went to buy one >v</ (LITERALY NO REGRETS FOR THIS BUY. More about it in Day 2 gushings :P)

Aaaand, the next part of the tent is where they are selling Shuka CDs and whatnot, I already have all her CDs so I didn’t buy anything from there, so onto the third section of the goods tent, there was where a staff would give out a postcard with Shuka at a spot in Tobu Zoo where the bears are at! Super cute picture UwU Alongside the Stamp Rally card and he stamps Day 1 on it! The tiger is so cuteeeee!!! Look at her!! >w<

[Tobu Zoo kuma Shuka!]

Beside that booth, is a present box where we can put our gifts to Shuka there. So, I took out my gift for her and placed it gently inside ^w^ From what I noticed, I think not many knew if there will be a present box cos I think there was less than 5 presents including mine XD While on Day 2, I believe I spotted a bit more presents in the box XD I hope Shuka loves the present I chose for her!! \>w</ Woof woof!

(Gosh, I’m making you all read so many words. There’s no way y’all are reading all these, right? XD To you who read all the way to here. Thank you. And I hope you’re smiling as much as I am while writing these~ ^w^)

[Sunset. This picture captures the feeling after a Shuka Live… Breath-taking, at a loss for words yet so much feeling/emotion running through your mind…]

~ DAY 2 ~

The Summer heat was high. I am early at Tobu Zoo this time because I don’t want to miss a single second of her Live. I won’t go into details of the fun before the performance but just so you know, it’s so awesome that our Live ticket already includes full access to the zoo and amusement park attractions! ^w^

Now…

It’s really hot and I kid you not. I was grateful for any natural wind and not natural wind that blew our way. When it was time to enter the space where the Live will be though, there was no natural wind there and my Aqours electric fan of course decided “I’ve worked hard for you for HOURS now. Time to rest…zzz…” [cue my shocked face XD] But it’s okay!! It’s like minutes to the start of Tenshi to Akuma no Sasayaki Day 2!!! I’ll just keep wiping this sweat and hydrating—

AHHH!! When the music changes to like a storm is brewing and SOMETHING IS COMING…!! And the band members come out!! I love them, by the way. We all love Shuka so we’re here but her band members just feel like family or super good friends already (to Shuka) so the feeling of cheering for them is sincere and excited~ >v<

And then, and then, there was this mash up of Shuka songs too…That one made me feel like if there was a montage playing too of Shuka’s growth, that’d be so cool too. But just hearing the songs mashed together like that… It evoked that feeling already and the scenes of MV to Shuka Live performances played in my mind too anyways—

HYAAAA!! From that, THE wedding-like music starts playing and, I think the backup dancers were already around and I was doing my best to absorb all that was happening. (Oh, also there were a bunch of tall guys so I had to tiptoe to see Shuka XD) But it’s all worth it when I saw Shuka in her Angel form which was this outfit like a wedding dress. Miyuki mind: CHOTTO MATTE EEEHHHHHHH?? KAWAIIIIIIIII!!! HOLD ON. WHAT, HOW, WHY, SHUKA?? >w<

I was smiling widely and fangirling hard inside XD And she starts singing Aishiteshimaeba. I love this song a lot too but because of being caught up in the moment…? I totally forgot Shuka’s Live performances are extra fun with the dance moves she came up for us to dance along with her XD So when this super enthusiastic fan beside me did the moves – I was like OH YEAH, THERE WAS THAT. WAHHH. And tried to mimic and dance along the best I could >v< I kept remembering how Shuka told us she wants us to not be shy and be cute for this song so I focused back on seeing her perform on stage and did my best for the moves where I can remember XD

PaPaPa is the next song. And this is one of her super hyped songs too. Understandable considering how fun it is and one of her early songs too! >v< So, as someone who usually play the blurays at home and cheer with my hands/light sticks, I forgot again that there’s like claps and other things the at-the-venue fans do XD I feel like I’m being too focused on this because of the enthusiastic and loud fan beside me but I’m not opposed to learning the fan moves in the first place! I especially like the Love Live! ones after all :P So well, I was trying to follow along…again… XD

P.S. It feels good to be praised by Shuka when you pull off the moves so it pays off? >w<

PiPiPi next!!! I loooooove this song a lot >v< Maybe it’s because I love old school things but the lyrics having “antenna” in it just makes me smile so much XD And and, it’s such a cute song?? And thus, I didn’t forget the dance moves for this one XD I can’t even explain how adorable Shuka looks throughout this song as she sings and dance it… I’m sorry for my lack of vocabulary for it… But just imagine that…that megawatt smile, glowing not just from the stage lighting but from the Sun and her angelic form?? That’s how it was from my POV… TvT

Here comes the new song from her 555 album! And yes, it’s PuPuPu!!! MEANING SHE JUST CHAINED THE PAPAPA-PIPIPI-PUPUPU SONGS!!! That’s such a cool thing to do, right!? *O* And I love this song from her new mini album!! It’s peppy, it’s fun, it’s cute, it tells a story of friendship when two argues and how they care about the other, and understands the other too, and how they make up and it’s all good again. >v<♡♡♡ I know I had the biggest, silly smile as I watched her sing this song, staying on my tippy toes to keep my eyes on her… mmm… Cute and wonderful. (I also clap hard after each song I think XD)

After that much hype, it’s MC time!

I found it cute how Shuka knew we’d want to do it?? So she gets us to congratulate her for her 5th Anniversary. And also to wish her happy birthday XD So she would say “Shuka-chan, congratulations on your debut 5th anniversary” and we’d echo “CONGRATULATIONS!!” and she goes, “Shuka-chan, happy birthday~” and we’d echo, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” >w<

Shuka then mentions about wanting to go bbq together and we’d shout back things like “Let’s do it!” and another one even went, “Right after this??” XD

Shuka likes to know the fans that are around so she starts asking our age group! When she asked “Are there teens?”, the person behind screamed so loudly <v<; Me and the other guys in front visibly flinched from the loudness XD I think Shuka was looking to the other side so perhaps she was not affected by that screech! Then she goes, “Those in the twenties?” and I cheered! I chuckled a bit on the inside that those in their twenties did a very cordial cheer? It was properly loud but not annoying is how I remember it XD And then Shuka goes, “Those in the thirties?” There was quite a bunch too and I remember I accidentally pumped my fist up too XD I was like, Hold on, Miyuki. We still have a few years to that. XD And when she asked for the older age group and there were still replies Shuka was happy about that!! :D

[Shuka serenading us and playing instruments for us at the same time TwT She's so amazing, mouuuu, daisuki! >w<]

Shuka spoke more and then asked us to take a seat for now as she wants to serenade us >v</ I gladly sat down to hydrate myself but I was concerned if I could see Shuka when sitting down @v@ Thankfully? I could see her in between the heads of the tall people in front of me XD But it was slightly tough to make the head of hair become unfocused while I tried to make my eyes focus on Shuka only. It was a strange first minute or two while I watched Shuka play the harmonica and sing Himitsu Dogu. But gosh, I’ve wanted to experience this Live too and it’s wonderful each time!!!

Next, Shuka sings Kokoro from her 555 mini album. My eyes soften as I nod to the music and her singing voice, taking in each lyric into my heart. I really liked how everyone sat quietly and listened. And I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Shuka for even a second.

When the music started for Hanarenaide, I felt something from the tip of my toes to my fingers and the top of my head. I knew this song resonated with me from when I heard it back home, but Shuka singing it to you Live? While you’re sitting there, and she’s sitting up on the stage… It’s like the world just had me and her. I remember I could not help but groove to the song and her words and I simply wanted the words in my mind to reach her – zutto hanaremasen. zutto soba ni… (I’m never letting go. I’ll be by your side always.)

We clapped so hard when she finished singing. >o<♡♡♡

And while I was feeling things, Shuka goes off stage to get changed and the band gets their solo moments!! It’s suuuuper cool! *w*

Miss Devilish Shuka returns in her full devil form and I swear I still feel the same way as Day 1 – Excuse me, Shuka-san?? What are you wearing?? What are you doing to me?? XD That looks so sexy and pretty and devilish indeed!? XD

[The Devil owns my heart and takes good care of it!?]

Shuka is singing Baby Tell Me and it’s such a fun song too to be bouncing to while she have fun singing and running about the stage?? Oh, but she did not just run around the stage. This was where she was going to shoot us with water XD So she also ran all the way to the back and climbed a tower?? A high place XD And she sprayed a whole lot of water – from that far back, the water barely not reached me XD So I was like “Aww” >v< But it wasn’t over yet…!! She ran down and came all the way the sides too to spray us with water with her water hose-gun thing XD So yes – I was hit by the holy or maybe not so holy water since she’s on the Devil Portion of the Live now XD

It's one heck of an experience to see her up close!! It’s like, “Oh right, Shuka is that small. How is she so small but so amazing? Oh gosh, Shuka is right here…!!” kind of thoughts as she ran between the aisles to spray us with water! And then back to the stage!! >w<

After this hype marathon, there was some music box and thunder bgm which brought the mood back to “Oooh what’s next??” >v< And Shuka starts singing Tsuki de hoshi de Taiyo da! So I was jumping and hyping along to it! >w</ And when you’re hyping to it, suddenly it’s a little interval bgm thing again and she’s onto the next song Zenshin Zenrei…!!! *O* Waahhh!!

You’re Zenshin zenrei-ing one moment, and then bam, now it’s Ippai Attena!! XD It’s one hype song after another, I’m telling you!! All I remember now is being unable to stop smiling, to be bouncing on my tip toes to constantly get to see Shuka and cheering happily. (All while appreciating her moves and smile of course ;D) Bokura wa Genius is the final of the Hype Medley. This song was always super energetic for the full version too so definitely a wonderful finale of the medley hehe >w< Ugh, whenever she lowers her voice for a cool moment during the song…! >w< It’s so goooood >w</

Oohh, I like this next part – the BGM gets you pumped and Shuka asks you to do a few rounds of “S-H-U-K-AAAAA SHUKA!” cheers before her next song Darake!!! >w< I want to do that agaaain >w</ Shuka counts the number of times we cheer it with her fingers so we know how many to go too \*w*/

[Inner Miyuki reacting to Shuka counting down >v<]

And now we are onto the 4th song of her 555 mini album. I was trying to take note of where she planted each of her new songs too, and I loved how they were placed!! ^w^

PuPuPu alongside the other fun triple P songs >v<

Kokoro and Hanarenaide as a ‘sit down get serenaded’ segment

Darake as part of the Devilish hyped portion

And last would be Mikata >v<

But first, TOWEL SONG…!! ShuShuShu!! As mentioned in Day 1 report, I find towel songs extra entertaining and fun for us to participate in >w</ This time, I tried twirling the Tenshi to Akuma no Sasayaki towel… and I must say, it’s a bit heavy to spin XD But all in all, there was spinning, jumping and cheering \>w</

Sekai no hate is one of my favourite songs too. It’s so cool, empowering, and the MV is as gorgeous as Shuka! I remember hearing it for the anime and then the MV…Shuka’s brown eyes literally so bright and alluring! And I would think Shuka rocks any colour but she rocks her favourite colour red so, so well…!! u>v<u I digress. Shuka on stage performing Sekai no hate is charming and I was left staring and experiencing her performance. I didn’t even bother doing the cheers the dudes around were doing. It’s that feeling of…like, all you can see is Shuka, all you can hear is Shuka, and…it’s just an amazing feeling.

At the end of this song though, Shuka reached out her hand skywards and stayed in that pose for a long time, so it’s like she froze and the people around started wondering if she really froze XD Then she “unfroze” and head towards the backstage again for outfit change! I bet she was feeling the moment thus the elongated pause in pose. =w=♡

Piano version of Hero ni narikatta plays while we wait for Shuka to return. 😊And this is another one of my favourite songs from her. I especially love the acoustic version and so I was loving the instrumental as I get hydrated, waiting for what Shuka is going to bring next—

I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR MY TOP FAVOURITE SONG OF SHUKA’S TO BE PERFORMED NEXT.

THE SECOND THE FIRST BEAT DROPPED.

My eyes widened, my jaw fell agape morphing into a smile of disbelief and awe.

My processor was going into overdrive as I understood that Shuka was singing “Mou Muri Demo Hashiru”. I literally, unapologetically, and fervently tell whoever I can and Shuka that my favourite song of hers is this. It’s been an unspoken dream of mine to get to experience this song of hers Live. I’ve seen the MV, I’ve looped the song a gazillion times, I’ve watched her perform it in other Live performances via the Blurays, but…Live in person?? I wanted to get to taste this. And I am living it. The world does not even need a rebuilt or to “fall apart” again as I was still living in the space that felt like it was just Shuka and me as my eyes never strayed from her, when she pours her heart out in singing each syllable and verse which she would go lower to the stage’s floor, I’d just do my best to tip toe some more to see her, chasing after every poignant second of this performance. I lipsynced to it as the words were known by heart. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to properly convey my love for this song and how good Shuka’s Live performance of this was.

If you ever have the chance, please go to Shuka’s Live and experience her performance. It reaches your heart…

And while I’m still reeling from having a dream come to fruition unexpectedly… (Shuka is amazing that way, right? (◕‿◕)♡) The next song Shuka performs is Kutsuhimo.

Gosh…It felt like coming full circle. Of course, I came to know Shuka from loving Watanabe You, but when I got into loving Shuka too, I supported her from her debut song too. And Kutsuhimo is like the string that ties us together. A strong bond that’s like…fate and like a pinky promise too. We put in the effort to continuously support one another. :)

[Shuka performance touches my soul and I have ascended (again)]

MC time! Both Shuka and I need that moment to hydrate and breathe again XD (By this point I think I already finished my sports drink and my 2 litres of water is probably down to 500ml or less OuO;)

I think Shuka liked to ask us if it’s hot / if we’re feeling hot, and we would go “It’s hot!!!” XD And while she’s drinking, someone asked if the water was delicious, she smiles/smirks and under her breath, she goes, “It’s not water” XD But doesn’t tell us what it is. Well, considering the hardcore setlist, you’d think it’s a sports drink at least XD

Shuka then asks us if we are enjoying the outdoor live which we of course tell her we’re enjoying it to the max. Then Shuka goes, “Tasukaru?” (“Does it save you?”) and we all laugh with her because this is like a youngin’ slang. Probably the Japanese Gen Z slang? XD Basically a thing to say when what you love is there. (Fun fact: Shuka did not understand this slang is either and learnt about it during Uraraji when the person who wrote in used this slang. And further understood it more the more people used it even during her InstaLive. >v<)

Shuka continues to talk about a bunch of stuff such as how she would think a lot into what song to perform for each Live, and to cherish every second there is with everyone… And that’s how quite the tough and crazy setlist got decided for this first ever outdoor Live too. She smiles sheepishly yet happily at this, and we laugh because we know it’s really a setlist jam-packed with energetic songs and Shuka really kept going song after song. But we love it >v<

Shuka also tells us about how she feels that with each Live performance she gets to do with us, with each challenge she overcomes from the various performances, she finds/hones a new weapon to be able to be stronger again >v< (EXP points gained and levelling up!!)

When she goes “The last song for today”, me and everyone around whines for more XD And we asked for extension XD but of course, it’s the last song for the day. And Shuka leads in with her these heartfelt words…

“For a final song…Right now, what I am feeling up to this point have been enveloped into this song and I hope to deliver it to you. You all are not alone, you have me. No matter how tough or sad things get, or when things seem out of reach, I will definitely be unwaveringly by your side. You can come over to me knowing it will be okay. Every day, every day, let’s keep supporting each other and walk together. So…please listen to this song – Mikata.”

Mikata to me, is another song of hers that is one where she bares her vulnerable side to us like she did in “Yoku warau riyuu”. Some lines that calls out to me are “I’m going to continue singing at the place where I am reflected in your eyes.”, “Even if feeling like a coward or feeling uncool. Put that aside, and take my hand.” and “I’ll tie my shoelaces again and start running once more.”

When Shuka sang the final line of Mikata, I like how there’s such a loud silence and then the band plays the instrumental of Mikata, like it just continues and then Shuka goes, “Thank you so much for coming over to play with me for the 5th Anniversary Live. Now, allow me to introduce the band…”

“I may not be a hero yet…but right now, I know that what I can say with confidence is that I’m your ally (mikata). And will always have your back.” Shuka… >o< To me, you ARE my hero. But I’m also just…so, so happy to have you as my ally. That’s for certain!! >o< ♡ (I also teared up at this part when Shuka talks about her journey of 5 years as a solo artist, how she wants to be our hero and don’t think she is yet… Shuka… OmO♡)

Shuka also asks if we will continue to see more sceneries with her. And I can tell you, my answer is a resounding yes. My new dream is to get to attend her FC event performance because I adore her acoustic singing and I want to get to experience that too.

So… With this feelings of adoration, admiration and endearment, I once again have set forth to reach that dream! >v<

Ah, I just realize I did not mention about how Shuka was in “real Shuka” mode AKA where she is in the Live T-Shirt and shorts and the way it got redesigned is so hawawa too O//w//O

If you asked me whether I like Angel Shuka, Devil Shuka or Real Shuka more… I don’t think I can really give an answer right away XD They are ALL so wonderful hehe~ >w< ♡

After Shuka introduced the backup dancers, Gyaruz, I think there was picture-taking moment… And then they go off backstage…and then Shuka asks for her phone cutely, “I want my phone~ My phone, please~” >v< Kawaii sugiru desho?? (Isn’t she too cute??) >w< And once she got it, she gets to record her usual video where we all cheer loudly and she asks the question which we go “SAIKO JAN!!!” >w<

…haaa… …

This 2 days of Shuka Live was simply awesome. I’ve got no words. XD I mean, I’ve said so much, I feel like there’s more to say but…it’s that…basking in the moment feels. The post-Live euphoria… You can’t wait for the next time you get to see Shuka but at the same time, you’re just…smiling and remembering the 4 hours you just had with her for this 2 days… =v= ♡

For me, the feeling of missing Shuka and Japan while feeling like I’m still there…lasts quite long XD It’s probably why I can still be gushing about Shuka’s Live even though it’s September already :P But I really wanted to get to share it??

Again, thank you for reading all the way here. I love Shuka!! Aaahhhh >w< ♡

Fangirling OuMiyuki signing out (≧◡≦) ♡

See you around! \(^ヮ^)/

#saito shuka #tenshi to akuma no sasayaki #天使と悪魔のささやき #天使と悪魔のささやきいち #天使と悪魔のささやきに #斉藤朱夏

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sioneve · 6 months ago

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Its been a month since I met Shuka and got my art noticed, yet i still look at it and smiling like an idiot ☺️

This is the turning point that brought me back to LL hell. I saw the announcement that Shuka was coming ofc I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by. In 2018 i missed the chance to attend Soramaru M&G (I was also on hiatus & completely unaware she was in town) and and that’s on my life regrets list 😢

At first I was hesitant whether I should make an art poster for the flower stand (furasuta), but in the end I said fuck it off we go. I contacted our local LL community PIC and asked if I could contribute by creating an art poster for the furasuta, which he said I can

But stupid me, thought of contributing close to the event day, so the deadline was only one day because it had to be printed tommorrow 👍👍👍 stayed up all night, half-opened eyes, slept in the morning, and I MANAGED TO FINISH IT! Insane, the power of love

It wouldn't be satisfying to meet Shuka but not feel the connection because I hadn't been attached to Love Live for a long time. So I went back to watching Aqours' Niconama and remember how happy it made me feel to watch them 🫶🫶🫶

When I arrived at the event, frustration set in as the poster wouldn't stand straight, even after fixing it, it kept falling ✨ BUT THAT'S WHERE THE MIRACLE HAPPENED ✨

A while later in the afternoon after VIP sign session, Shuka came to visit the furasuta, taking pictures & videos of it. Because it kept falling she ended up picking it up! You can't imagine how long I smiled to myself when I found out that Shuka was holding my poster 😭😭😭 (I didn't see it directly but a friend told me in real time). I even had to wear a mask to hide my smile whole day

You might find it a bit much she's just taking a picture with it (and she would forget it next day anyway) but believe me, its something you can understand if you experience it yourself. It means a lot LOT to me

So that's the story of how I ended up back in this hell. I'm slowly eating up all the Love Live content again—logging into my Twitter, watching seiyuus livestreams, the Nijigasaki and Superstar anime—and now I'm back here. Thanks AFA, thanks Shuka, you guys just changed my whole daily life once again 🫶🏻

I made an art appreciation a week after the event~

TL;DR= Shuka drag me back to this Idol hell

#lovelive #aqours seiyuu #sioneve blog

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lunawings · 8 months ago

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Hey everyone, check out this browser re-release of Puchiguru Love Live with Hasunosora characters!

The stuff the LL team releases on April Fools tends to be them testing to see if there is any interest in the project or not? So, it would be great if people could spread this around and we could get Puchiguru Love Live back for real!

Or maybe they could just add it as a new mode in the Link Like app!

No matter how many people repost it, I don't think we'll be getting an Aqours Golf Club but hey! I believe in this!

#love live #link like love live #hasunosora

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mintjeru · 1 year ago

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color wheel challenge 💙 blue tsushima "yohane" yoshiko from love live! sunshine!!

open for better quality | no reposts | some yohane rambling under the cut

not a very large yohane collection here (bc i spent all my loveca on rin ;;;) but chinese maid dress and idolized punk rock yohane were my dream URs. both the idolized and unidolized chinese maid dress artworks are pretty so i was happy w/ this one copy. for SSRs, i'm pretty sure i also had an unidolized circus yohane but the card wasn't recorded in my school idol tomodachi account so i don't have it listed here.

#yoshiko tsushima #yohane tsushima #love live #love live sunshine #llsif #fanart #myart #doodle #ok listen. i needed a blue character so we're back in love live #yohane is my fav aqours member not only bc her voice is powerful but also bc she always sings rock #yes i am a guilty kiss fan as well #there was a period in my life where i shipped her w/ r.iko and drew fanart and etc #fav yohane songs are 'tatehoko tsubasa' and her solo version of 'deep resonance' bc dang does she go off with her high note in that one #fav guilty kiss songs are 'strawberry trapper' obviously and 'shooting star warrior'#f.ischl who? yohane is the only chuuni in my heart

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aquarius-encore-project · 3 months ago

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INTRODUCTION POST #1 02.9.2024

ENTRY #1: JELLI

My name is Jelli! my image color is strawberry pink and my zodiac is Taurus ♡ I was born in Japan and moved to southern california during primary school. I was always into idols when I was in middle school but didn't really understand what they were outside of "JPop" I just liked the music and costumes and even sang idol covers online back in the early 2010's. I joined the group because I wanted to perform with my friends and create music and art that was true to ourselves. I do feel like sometimes I can be the "frosting?" to the cake that is Aqu♡rius. I do a lot of the design and brand work. My specialty is marketing so I want to make sure our group story is communicated well. I LOVE light and simple desserts like strawberry cake, shortbread cookies, and strawberry chocolates. I also love Siopao which is a filipino steamed meat bun... so comforting, everything you need in one package. My favorite part about being in the group is performing together! I love being able to perform on stage with my friends, I can't describe the feeling better... we work so hard and being able to come together on a stage is exhilarating. I enjoy laughing and brainstorming together when working with Aqu♡rius. We all are so unique and have so many different ideas for the group and having it all come together is like one huge melting pot of gold! My dreams for the future are to perform overseas with Aqu♡rius. Ideally I would love if we all are able to go to Japan together and perform. For myself I want to also create more solo music and show everyone what Jelli can do!

ENTRY #2: LILY

Hello~ I am Lily! My image color is princess pink and my symbol is a princess crown. My sun and moon is a scorpio and my rising is a sagittarius. I was born in one of the more diverse cities in Southern California. Growing up Filipino, we love our karaoke! I would sing all the time at the parties when I was little. I remember wanting to become a popstar, like Hannah Montana. When Aqu♡rius was still an Aqours cosplay dance group, I was, actually, a part of their very first cover, Koi ni Naritai Aquarium in 2016. However, I was just subbing in at the time. In 2018, I temporarily joined Aqu♡rius again to be their Ruby for their Awaken the Power music video. When I did my last performance with them, I remember crying because I had such an amazing time hanging out, practicing and performing with them. It felt like I fit right in, and it saddened me that it was only for a short time. Later in 2019, they officially recruited me as a member to play Ruby. Of course, I said yes and joined! I feel like I am the organizer of the group. I help a lot with setting dates, making schedules, and help keep the group on track! I also love making the lyrics distribution and formation. Especially when we have to adjust a 10-person choreo to 7. It feels like I’m solving a puzzle and I love solving puzzles!! I am such a foodie! I have my holy trinity of food that makes me happy: Shabu Hot Pot, Sushi, and Seafood boil. I also love anything spicy. I think I have the highest spice tolerance amongst my members. My favorite part about being in Aqu♡rius is performing with a great group of friends. I’ve always wanted to perform, ever since I was a kid. I thought that life was impossible until I met them. I feel the most at-home when I am on stage doing what I love. I love how we are consistently trying to improve ourselves and each other. We get to see each other grow. It’s such a rewarding feeling. My dream for the future is to perform overseas with Aqu♡rius! Maybe..Japan…at Tokyo IdolFest…? Haha! My personal goals for myself is to make more original songs and content!

ENTRY #3: HALEY

Hello everyone! My name is Haley and I am the berry purple member of Aquarius. My birthday is on November 24th and my zodiac sign is Sagittarius. I was born and raised in Southern California where it has always has been hot and anytime it rained it was like the streets are drowning. I grew up pretty much my whole life in a small town kind of in the middle of nowhere. I do like my little town life and I really prefer that over the big cities.Through out my childhood I have always been active and I tried several different sports and activities such as softball, volleyball, etc. and then in high school I did cheer. In terms of hobbies, I was introduced to anime and cosplay by my best friend Ko in middle school and that is how I ended up meeting Aquarius later on after I graduated high school. Speaking of Aquarius, I joined the group after being introduced to the other members of Aquarius through Ko and I have been a part of the group since. I joined the group because I was interested in continuing to perform since in high school I did cheer and I loved performing and doing something in that realm. I thought this would be a great opportunity to do something new, fun and exciting with a group of wonderful individuals who have the same interests. I also wanted to make new friends and meet new people. My role in Aquarius is pretty much I offer to do whatever is needing to be done. As in if anyone needs help doing anything I try to offer up. My favorite foods honestly include a lot of desserts or sweets. I just love making and eating sweets. I got more into baking recently and for the first time I made my mom’s recipe for lemon bars and they turned out amazing even if they were not perfect. In terms of savory foods, I love sushi and pasta/noodle dishes.

My favorite part about being in the group is just being with such amazing, talented, lovely people and just making something amazing together. It was honestly so cool and amazing to make Racketball together and just seeing how everything came together in the end. I cannot wait to make more music and create more with Aquarius! What I enjoy most about working with Aquarius is that sometimes things can be stressful, but we still know how to have fun together because in the end we are a group of friends that found each other and now we are one big family. My dream for the future is to make more music with Aquarius and I think it would be cool to travel more together as a group and perform.

ENTRY #4: J

Hey! It’s Shooting Star Idol, J! ✨✌🏽 My image color is Golden Yellow and my pronouns are they/he/siya (siya is a gender-neutral pronoun in the Tagalog that can used to refer to anyone)! I was born in SoCal and raised by my Filipino migrant family. The culture I was raised in influenced me to care a lot about music, dance, food, and history! I was exposed to anime and manga at a young age (lol), and through my own internet rummaging, I ended up hyper-fixating on Vocaloid, K-On!, and idols from all over the world!

Joining Aqu♡rius at the end of 2017 was a surprise! I had only gotten to know Aqours in October of that year and my baby gay dream of joining a full Love Live cosplay group came true soon after. I was eager to incorporate singing to our covers since then so I’m not surprised that Aqu♡rius has shifted to the direction it has gone now! I think I am the music guy a lot of the time for the group, but I also lead in teaching and cleaning the singing and dancing lessons. Some of my favorite foods right now are stone fruits like mangoes, peaches, nectarines, and plums!

My favorite part about working in a group is actually flourishing and developing each other’s creativity! Working on things collectively makes the results of our hard work more valuable and special since we all contributed to its development :) It’s also cool that we all have many talents and a huge majority of our work is self-produced! One goal for me is that I want to get to know all of you more! I’ve met so many people through idol activities who have shared with me their passions and optimisms and I want to be able to help uplift those who want to build community with others. As for Aqu♡rius specifically, it would be really exciting to eventually have a setlist full of only our original music!

ENTRY #5: EGGY

Helloo! I am Eggy (she/they), the cherry red member of Aqu♡rius. My birthday is on April 4th, which I think its quite fitting that my sun sign is Aries (the red imagery is burned into my soul ♥). I am also a socal native, and growing up I was always an artsy kid- loved doing any arts and crafts and creation that I could get my hands on. That artistry eventually led me to anime (I was obsessed with the art style of course), then to cosplay, and that slippery slope led me to where I am now. The Love Live to Idol pipeline is real, and I'd like to personally thank my girls Umi and Yohane for helping me along the way. Originally, I was kind of the one who started what would become Aqu♡rius, through a Love Live cosplay group that eventually evolved and led to us becoming what we are today. Because I had never had any formal training in dancing, and especially singing before, it took a little while for me to sort of ruminate on the idea of being kaigai idols when Jelli suggested we switch over from Love Live cosplay dance covers to doing what we do today, but I couldn't see myself doing this with any other group of people, and am so thankful I took the plunge. It was rather stifling being contained in a character's box, so being able to deviate from that by doing whatever we want, and ultimately just being more creative with the whole process has been amazing. As for my role in the group,,,, I have a hard time putting an exact word to it. Honestly, I feel like my strengths are in the ideas I have. I get smacked on the head with inspiration when I'm with everyone and just want to design and create faster than I can realistically keep up with. I love making art for our concepts and visuals, as well as designing when I can. I cannot lie to you guys, ice cream cannot be beat for me, I love it so much. My top tier flavor is rose, but that's hard to get so other favs are pistachio, and strawberry. Besides ice cream, I absolutely love börek, and highly recommend trying it if you haven't yet. The best thing about being a part of Aqu♡rius is just being able to be with everyone. I genuinely love and care about everyone so much and it's actually so insane to me that we have been able to create this and come so far from where we started. It's an honor to surround myself with such wonderful and inspiring people that choose to dedicate their time and energy into this project of ours. My dream for us is to continue creating- new songs, dances, events, ideas- whatever it may be. I hope one day we can host our own event with multiple original tracks (coughs I think everyone having a solo song would be so incredibly cool) and create a space for other idols in the community to do what they love to do. As for myself, I just want to continue improving, so I can be proud of every performance I do.

ENTRY #6: TUNA

Hallooo everyone!! It’s Tuna! My image color is sage green and my zodiac sign is Gemini sun, Aquarius moon and Virgo rising. I grew up in a small suburban town in Socal. I was the token weird anime kid growing up. I started cosplaying in 2011, a passion that led me to finding Eggy in 2013 at a local cosplay meetup. As my passion for anime grew, it sparked an interest in Japanese music. I found Vocaloid and quickly became a devout fan to producers and then utaites. Joining aqu♡rius was really something that basically was just a long term manifestation... I was always longing for a cosplay group. Even more, I wanted friends to sing with, a secret passion I had after finding out what a nico nico chorus was. I would have never imagined to find both in the same wonderful group. I would probably consider myself the glue of aqu♡rius. Which is to say, I am the goof that keeps us together and laughing. In reality, my range of contributions is wide, I love being a multi disciplinary artist and my contributions are eclectic and a result of random inspiration. My main focus is writing lyrics and costume construction and misc design. My favorite meal lately has been eggs in a basket toast, and favorite fruits are donut peaches and cherries! My favorite part about being in Aqu♡rius is the simple ability to create together. Aqu♡rius has inspired so much growth and change within myself and has taught me so much about how to manage my time and resources. I am so grateful for our shared experience and promise to do my best in the future too! My dream for us as a group is to travel internationally together… As for myself, I want to make more friends in this community! I also desire to keep growing my musical practice, I want to learn to play an instrument!

ENTRY #7: EDEN

Hi! I’m Eden, the shiny knife idol of AQU♡RIUS! So knife to meet you all!! You might recognize me as the pearl gray member (that’s white on your penlights!) I’m a Sagittarius sun with a Scorpio moon :) I’ve been into vocaloid since I was a wee little butter knife, I’m pretty sure when I was still in elementary school.. Then it evolved into Love Live!! And that’s where I started my idol journey! I already loved dancing since the Luka★Luka Night Fever flash mobs were popularized, and baby Eden just loved watching little dances from then on out. (I still bop to Mascara Blue Jeans often hehe)

I initially joined for a Love Live!! Cosplay group, and we just started performing.. Then added singing.. And wow here we are! Popped out like a fresh egg. I love my friends so it was really easy to get the ball rolling with everyone’s reassurance. My role? I really contribute what I can without stepping on anyone’s toes! My specialty is doodling for merch, and sometimes being the comedic relief when needed. It’s really cool seeing my drawings be made into little charms and keychains!!

My favorite food is cheesecake… I LOVE cheesecake.. I could eat a whole cheesecake by myself in an hour if I could.. Any type of pasta is also a comfort food, so is sinigang (filipino sour soup). Any rice is good.. I just love my carbs..

My favorite part about being here is the fact that it’s really just a group of my best friends performing together! They’re all such wonderful people that It makes me feel so incredibly lucky to have met all 6 of them at the time that I did. They all know how to make me laugh or reassure me of something that I need clarification on. I don’t think I could really achieve that with just a group that didn’t start as friends first. I don’t really have any specific dreams at the moment..! I just follow where the waters take us. Performing with AQU♡RIUS is already a dream in itself.. As for me, I’m always improving little by little, it’s not always linear, but that just makes me want to work harder. One day I’ll be completely proud of myself! I’ll get there with everyone!!

#aquarius encore project #Jelli_Post #Lily_Post #Haley_Post #J_Post #Eggy_Post #Tuna_Post #Eden_Post #kaigai idols

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animebw · 9 months ago

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The hardest shows to watch are the ones that come so close to greatness you can taste it but never quite manage to stick the landing.

Love Live Sunshine is good. At times, it's great. I love all the Aqours girls (the first years especially), the jokes are still as great as ever, and I'd argue it's got way better music than School Idol Project did. Not to mention giving its antagonists an actual reason to exist and something to add to its story, which A-Rise never came close to. But the radiance it's constantly reaching for is forever just out of reach. It's too held back by a far less experienced director who struggles to recapture the magic that SIP made look so effortless. There's too much talking about themes and not enough embodying them, too much Anime Quirkiness(tm) and not enough lived-in humanity, too much boring or awkward filmmaking where its predecessor lived and breathed with the wonder of cinematic storytelling. Love Live at its best makes every moment feel joyous and breathtaking, giving even the most cynical souls reason to believe in the sincere power of music. But for all its high points, for all the joy it's given me, Sunshine is only ever to capture that magic some of the time. It's at times beautiful, at times exceptional, but just can't quite reach the bar its predecessor set. For that, I give season 2 a score of:

6.5/10

Of course, we've still got the movie to check out, and maybe that will be another area when it manages to improve on the first Love Live. But until then, I think it's time to figure out what show will take its place. Thank you for joining me, and I'll see you next time.

#anime #tabw #the anime binge watcher #love live!#love live! sunshine!!#love live #2013 aniwatch

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aqours · 1 year ago

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sorry who did you have to kill to get this url???

SO THIS IS FUNNY BC

for you newer users if you didn't know, once upon a time, url trading was an Entire Thing on this site

and i'm buddies with @honoka (also hi hope you and the hubby are doing good) and to try to obtain the url at the time i went through the equivalent of like

the ocarina of time biggoron sword trading quest for this url. i traded so many urls for other urls it was fucking something else. and while honoka still held onto it in the end i actually for the while had the url yazawa for a while and then i traded it for aqours

unfortunately lost this url for a while after my old blog got unjustifiably banned but once i recovered it i was able to get this url back!! and i feel like that's my forever url now

#starposts #answered #anonymous

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skylolacreativespace · 28 days ago

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Lola/Anusuya!

I'm a 18 year old writer and artist!!

Lola is my nickname which I've had since I was little!!! and Anusuya is my real name! (pronounced Anu-si-ya or Anusiya - what ever way fit for u!) 💜

I really really really love clouds! Clouds are my favourite because they remind me of who I am. And I do feel a connection to dem!

I also love photography, and art a whole bunch. Mostly water colour is my favourite type of art medium!! :>

My othie blogs —

babyre - my sfw age regression blog

my full on sfw tkle blog - you're here!

art blog! - n.a

🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️

— • MY FICS!! • —

If I find my old tkl FICS they'll be here 💚 It'll mostly be reblogged from others! (Which you should check out!!) -

I’m not a machine, or use AI for writing, so don't expect me to always post a fic /p 💜

— • Ninjago tickles!! • —

Giggly Kai — lee!Kai & ler!EVERYONE <3 (SFW)

— • Fandoms WEEEEEEEE • —

Shows and fandoms I'm into are Ninjago!!! MLP, Unicorn Academy, Dreamzzz

I caaaaaaaaaaaaaaan saaaaaaaaaaay I'm a very big Ninjago and MLP fan! These two are my MAIN comfort, and favourite shows to watch. I also love ROTTMNT. and TMNT 2012 plus Mutant Mayhem

I love MCYT, mostly in the trafficblr fandom!! :D

In the Japanese genre.... Anime I'm interested in are all generations of love live, Muse and Aqours + Nijisagaki are my favourite,,, but I hold Liella close to my heart, along with Hasunosora. I love love live every Aikatsu generation! But my favourite gen is Stars, and Friends

I just so happen to love Vtubers! Some of the agencies I love are Hololive, more so on the HoloEnglish side but I love JP a LOT too, and sometimes with HoloID from time to time along with Holostars! I like Vshojo too! And First Stage Production EN. I love watching Indie vtubers like Maid Mint and Doki Bird heheh

Who Can interact

Any fandom blogs are welcome to my blog🌸🌸🌸

Sfw tickles blogs! 🌸🌸🌸

Minors are allowed to interact with me! 🌸🌸🌸

My mutals :> 🌸🌸🌸

SFW Tickle COMMUNITY notcie!! :D

Oookkaayy woooo- oki. Mm sfw tickle community re-introduction.

I’m a Lee leaning switch, I love tickles as a comfort and coping mechanism for my anxiety, and if feeling touch starved.

I really love seeing my favourite ninjas, or characters I adore getting tickled!!! Because seeing their laugh brightens my day.

I don't get intense....BAd Lee mOods now lately, but that's just because I hate ✨myself✨ too much.

And trying to love myself for being me again so I don't get lee moods often, (as of writing this today i found out im still just as ticklish beccaude of the bus vibrations made me giggle so much-) •6/11/24•

But when I do it's fricking tickles too much sjdhgdnddhgdhdnsg WJDGDHDHDHS 😅🫠 the butterflies in my tummy tickle too much because that's my brains well of telling me to love myyyyyyyyyyyself and I'm just there sitting with a giggly smile and hugging my tummy too much in silent laughter

And if you was a mutual to be before - I will trrryyyyy to be as best as I can to communicate back to your messages I'm just very very very shy...... to message.

I love the community we all have. I only reblog art I love, tkl fics...., and sfw tickle stuffiess...!!! >.<

🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️🌧️

#non tkl - might be more used

#skylolatklstories - My fic tag :D

#skylolaisrambling - when I'm a dumb dumb and want to rant rant

🌸 My Rules + Things to Know 🌸

I just have one thing to say — please read it if you're above 18 and somehow find my blog and you're interested in interacting with NSFW content. My blog isn't for you. I don't have a tickle kink or a tickle fetish, or interested in tickle p*orn, or tickles during s*ex??? Like gross??? I don't have a soft "kink" for tickles!!!

Tickling/tickles and being ticklish is a comfort for me.and will always be sfw.

I don't want any stalker behaviour, pedo behaviour, rude or being mean and offensive.

I don't like looking at drama so please don't say any fandom drama. I know I'll hear it at some point but don't, say it to me directly.

I also don't mind DID systems interacting with me!! I'm not DID myself. I do have one big personality being ME with layers of how I adapat in different places so I do vibe with myself better.

Also, please. I'm a very sensitive person I get instrusive thoughts if you do say something bad or very offensive so please be gentle with me.

LGBTQ+ is welcome on my blog. Just please don't do any drama within LGBTQ+ here!! As I support LGBTQ+! 🌸

I don't like certain topics like: ab*se, Dr*ugs, i do applogise. If I can't HELP with those dononation asks or anything like that. If you do suffer with these please seek professional help. I'm just a person and a youngster/young adult on this blog!! I don't have money to that extent to help with donos.

I do not roleplay 🚫 I only RP with people I'm close to!! 🌸

I know. People expect 18 year olds to have kinks or fetishes. Buuuuuuuuuuut aaaaaa. I don't have any of it. And it's OKAY not to have a preference for not having any! ^w^

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frozenmikan · 1 year ago

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Interview with Liella!'s Third Generation Members - Yuina x Sakakura Sakura

Check out the original interview in the LoveLive! Days (September 2023), available for purchase on Amazon JP here.

The cast members of Liella!’s third-generation members have finally been revealed. This is an interview with the two of them, who took separate paths, being cast as a rival character and being selected through open auditions, before becoming members of Liella!.

I’ve been looking forward to having someone who’s both a friend and a partner, and I’m really glad that Saku ended up being the one to fill that spot.

I hope to someday grow into someone capable of supporting Yuina as well.

Their love for Love Live! is greater than any other fan! First encounter through friends and family

To start, please tell us how you got to know about the Love Live! series.

Sakakura: My older brother got into it first. I saw him playing SIF all day at home and asked him what he was doing. That got me into it too.

Yuina: When I was in my first year of middle school, there was a girl in my club who kept doing the “Nico Nico Nii”. Because I heard that phrase almost every day, I got more and more curious about what it was, and when I looked it up, the first thing that popped up was the video of Snow Halation. After that, I got into the songs and started watching the anime as well. I also watched preview videos of the live concerts, and that was the first time I learned about voice acting as a profession. They left a deep impact on me, and since they were just so cute, I kept watching those videos over and over again.

Sakakura: I watched those too! Even before I signed up for the audition, I constantly went back and rewatched the preview videos for µ’s and Aqours’ live concerts.

Sakakura-san, I heard that you’re a huge fan of the Love Live! series.

Sakakura: I believe that my love for the series is second to none.

Yuina: She showed me a photo of the cake she baked for Keke-chan’s birthday the other day.

Sakakura: Yeah! I love Keke-chan! I bought a sponge cake, decorated it with cream, and wrote “Happy birthday Keke!” on it. I even put an acrylic stand of her next to it. I’m a huge weeb (laughs). I have tons of merch too!

Did they really qualify through the open auditions?! Liella! through the eyes of a fan-turned-cast member

Apparently, you were following the Love Live! Superstar!! project as a fan since the very start, Sakakura-san. What were your thoughts about Date-san and Aoyama-san, who joined Liella! through the open auditions?

Sakakura: They’ve been so wonderful right from the start. They’re really cute and beautiful, not to mention their amazing acting, singing, and dancing skills. The conversations they have while on air are also really interesting! The way they stood on stage with their heads held high made them look really cool, and to be honest, I sometimes wondered whether they really qualified through the open auditions (laughs). I’ve been following the project since the very start when the open auditions were announced. After a while, the project’s title and main characters were also revealed, and at that time, the thought of signing up for the auditions didn’t even cross my mind. I’ve actually been saying things like “I’m going to become a cast member of Love Live!” since I was in elementary school. At that time, I was sure that I’d be able to do it, but as I grew older, I learned more about myself and the world around me, and it’s precisely because I’ve been a fan of the series for so long that I know just how amazing the Love Live! cast members are. I’d never learned how to dance or act, and I thought I should just give up on my dream and commit myself fully to supporting them. I wish I could’ve attended a Liella! concert back when they only had five members, but I couldn’t get any tickets, so the first concert I attended was their 3rd Live Tour. I went for the second day in Miyagi, and that was also the first Love Live! concert I ever attended.

How was the concert in Miyagi?

Sakakura: It was amazing! I kept thinking about it even after I got home. I’ll never forget how emotional I got when everyone first appeared on stage with a bang, performing WE WILL!!. It left such a deep impression on me that tears started flowing down my face. Margarete-chan’s performance was also amazing. She changed the atmosphere completely after Liella! infused the entire venue with their energy, and I thought that was really impressive. Her singing and dancing were also on a completely different level, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off each and every one of the facial expressions she made. I really liked the part when she said “Shibuya Kanon!’ too.

Yuina: I’m so glad to hear that! Everyone was waving their blades so hard that I was actually worried whether they’d drop them, and I could acutely feel how much we, the cast members, were loved.

Sakakura: Everyone was trying their best to keep up with the color changes. I waved mine at Yuina too (laughs).

Yuina-san, you’ve been performing on stage since the 3rd Live Tour. What were your thoughts when you first heard about the audition for Wien Margarete?

Yuina: It was love at first sight, literally. I prepared for the audition with a strong conviction that I really wanted to become her voice, that I really wanted to land this role. It was my first time participating in an audition for a voice acting role, but I danced when I was in elementary school, and I’ve always loved singing. I’d even pretend to be an idol sometimes when I was a kid. When I decided to participate in the audition, I started thinking that maybe this role is quite close to what I wanted to do in life. That perhaps this was what I’ve always wanted to do.

How did you react after hearing the news that you were accepted for the role?

Yuina: I jumped into the air… (embarrassed). I got the call when I was all alone at home, so I was in total disbelief at the start. But I had a bad feeling that something would go wrong if I got too excited, so up until the point where I was formally announced as being part of the project, I decided to take everything in life seriously. So I had a lot of time to digest the news. You never know what might happen in life, after all! (laughs) Now that I managed to land the role, I wanted to show off her position as the rival to the best of my ability. So I did my best to incorporate Margarete-chan’s sense of justice into my acting, no matter what others might have thought. But, during the 3rd Live Tour, which closely followed the anime’s storyline, I was performing on stage as Margarete-chan, who went on to win the first prize at the Yoyogi School Idol Festival. That was a little nerve-wracking, and I constantly wondered whether I managed to put on a performance worthy of that.

Since you were watching from the perspective of a fan, Sakakura-san, what did you think about Yuina-san?

Sakakura: The first time I saw Margarete-chan in the anime, I went “Who’s this beautiful girl?!”, and after the episode, I saw the cast announcement on social media and went “Who’s this beautiful girl?!” again (laughs). They were a perfect match, and I was surprised at how high-specced they both seemed.

Yuina: You flatter me~...! (embarrassed)

Yuina-san, you joined the Love Live! Superstar!! project at the same time as Liella!’s second-generation members. What are your thoughts about them?

Yuina: I didn’t manage to talk to them a lot back then, but we did meet before the announcement was made, so I was really nervous when I watched the first live stream featuring all nine members. I genuinely felt that I really liked everyone after seeing all nine members of Liella! together, and even though I knew that I’d be joining them later as a third-generation member, I couldn’t really imagine what that’d be like. What about you, Saku?

Sakakura: They’re all amazing, but the one that caught my attention the most was Nonchan, who also joined Liella! after being selected from the open auditions. How she caught my eye was different from how Sayurin and Nagichan did, in a good way, of course. She seemed reserved at first, so I wondered what kind of person she was, but as I watched more live streams, it became easier and easier to see her charms, which made me happy as well. That made me want to support her all the more.

Just give it a try! Taking the first step forward thanks to Liella!

The open auditions for the third-generation cast member were announced after the second season of the anime finished airing. What made you decide to apply for it, Sakakura-san?

Sakakura: It’s not like I regretted not signing up for the first round of open auditions. As a fan, I genuinely thought that Sayurin was the only one for Kanon-chan, and Nagichan was the only one for Ren-chan. Seeing how amazing the cast members who qualified through the open auditions were as they engaged in their activities as Liella! really gave me a push on the back, and that gave me the courage to apply. What Keke-chan said in the anime’s first season, “Is there such a thing as the end of the road for something you love so much?”, really struck me, since I was about to give up on my dreams. After hearing that line, I started wondering why I had decided to give up in the first place, and that I’d definitely give it a shot if I had the chance to do so in the future. Because of that, I applied for the audition without hesitation once it was announced.

How did you approach the audition?

Sakakura: I’m not very confident in my singing, but I really love singing Love Live! songs, so I’d have fun practicing. I’m really bad at dancing, so I practiced the set piece every single day while recording myself, and re-watched those recordings afterward. Practicing the acting part in front of my family members was embarrassing, so I practiced that when I was alone. I thought that I did alright in the second round, which was conducted online, and at that time, I still thought that it’d be nice if I made it. The third round was the first to be conducted on-site, and I was excited at the very prospect of being able to meet the people who worked on the Love Live! series (laughs). Everyone was really kind to me, and that holds true even to this day. But, I thought the third round didn’t go too well, and I remember texting my family about how I’d flunked it after it was over. Once I learned that I made it to the final round, I decided to just enjoy myself, since I thought it was already quite a miracle that I had managed to make it that far. Although I lacked confidence in my singing, dancing, and acting, I was sure that my love for the Love Live! series was greater than anybody else’s, and that was how I approached the final round. I couldn’t believe it when I got the news that I had been selected. Although I’m completely lacking in both ability and experience, I was really grateful that I was given an opportunity like this. Oh, I also wondered what my future would be like now that I was selected.

After that, it was finally time for your first meeting. What were your first impressions of each other?

Sakakura: Surprisingly, we got along pretty well right from the start.

Yuina: Yup, that’s right! I had heard that she was younger than me, but she seemed so mature the first time we met. When she started talking, she looked so cute and had this huge grin on her face… And she said she was so glad to meet me!

Sakakura: Of course I’d be glad (laughs)!

Yuina: Your happiness was contagious (laughs)! Since we were already like that the first time we met, we were quite close from the very start. But, even though she referred to the other Liella! members as, for example, “Sayurin” and “Nagichan” from the very start, for some reason, I was “Yuina-san”. I’ll never forget that! You felt so distant!

Sakakura: You don’t really have a nickname, so I didn’t know what to call you… (laughs wryly) Also, my manager kept the fact that I’d be meeting her that day a secret, so I went over thinking it was just a normal meeting. I was then told that Yuina would be there too when I arrived, which sent me into a panic. I wish I had put on nicer clothes and done my makeup properly!

Yuina: Even though I was so excited to meet you (laughs).

Sakakura: Oh, that was also the first time I saw an illustration of Tomari-chan. I honestly thought that she was really, really cute. That illustration struck right at my heart! Most of my favorite characters up until now have been the laid-back type, but Tomari-chan was so cute that it shattered all of that. At the same time, I wondered whether it really was okay for someone like me to be voicing such a cute girl. But I was really happy to see her!

Did you think about what your character would be like before you met Tomari-chan?

Sakakura: Of course I did! I thought she’d be someone more reserved like Hanayo-chan or Ruby-chan, since she was also a first-year. Also, I had already predicted that Margarete-chan would join as a third-generation member, so I really thought the other member would be more reserved, to serve as a foil to her.

Yuina: I totally get you! I thought we’d get someone who’s the complete opposite of Margarete-chan. So I was quite surprised that we got a cool-looking girl instead. But she’s really cute, and I really like the visual impact that the two third-generation characters give off when together.

Sakakura: Yeah, totally!

Yuina: Another thing that surprised me was that she’s Natsumi-chan’s younger sister.

Are there any traits that you think you share with Tomari-chan?

Sakakura: Practically none at all (laughs). But, well, Tomari-chan loves her older sister, and that has greatly influenced her personality. I too have an older brother, and he has also influenced me in various ways. For example, I decided to join the Kendo Club because he also did Kendo. Oh, and, as I mentioned earlier, the fact that he got hooked on SIF influenced me too. So I would say that he influenced me quite a bit. We get along really well, and I love him as a brother, so I guess that’s something I would say I share with Tomari-chan. As for our personalities, Tomari-chan has the tendency to put on a strong act, which makes her sound fiercer than she intends to be. There are times when I act like that towards my family members as well, so I guess we might be similar in that aspect.

Yuina: There’s a part during her self-introduction where she goes “Please don’t stare at me like that…”, and I think that’s just like Saku. Saku gets embarrassed easily too, and that’s one of the things that makes her so cute. We might be able to uncover more similarities after we get to know Tomari-chan a little better!

Sakakura: That’d be nice. What about Margarete-chan?

Yuina: Like… It felt like I was looking at myself in the past. I absolutely couldn’t stand losing, and I’d never quit until I won. Like, I wanted everything to end with me winning (laughs). I’d much rather participate in sports myself compared to just watching. Oh, and both of us have older sisters, so that’s another thing we share. I love my older sister, but I couldn’t stand losing to her. I didn’t want people to look down on me just because I was the younger sister, and I wanted to show my mother that I could win against her as an equal. So in that sense, I think we’re pretty similar.

After that meeting, you met the other members of Liella!.

Sakakura: I was really, really emotional, the most I’ve ever been in my life, even. I’ve always just been a fan, so seeing all of them right there in front of me made me almost burst into tears. Before meeting them, my manager warned me not to fangirl too much since I was going to become a cast member alongside everyone else, but there was no way I could hold back… (laughs)

Yuina: It was quite a strange feeling for me. We entered the room with a staff member announcing “And here are the third-generation cast members!”, and I started getting nervous too because Saku was trembling beside me. Though that all dissipated the moment we entered the room and everyone said something like “Oh, that’s a familiar face!” (laughs). I thought I had to bridge the conversation between Saku and everyone else, but once we started talking, it became clear that I had nothing to worry about. She quickly got along with everyone else, which just goes to show how friendly she is.

Sakakura: Everyone came over and talked to me the moment we were done for the day. I had a lingering worry that the Liella! I’d been watching as a fan all this while would be different from the Liella! I’d meet in person. I was also worried whether I’d be accepted into the group, given that the nine first- and second-generation members had already gotten to know Yuina and I’d be dropped in the midst of all that, all by myself. But our first meeting made all those worries vanish into thin air. Experiencing how kind and friendly Yuina and everyone else in Liella! were made me really glad that I’d supported this group all this while.

Waiting for a partner The bonds between the third-generation cast members

Did you see the fans’ reactions to the self-introduction videos or your first live stream?

Sakakura: I was so scared that I decided not to look at the comments on the self-introduction video.

Yuina: I told her that I was gonna look at Tomari’s comments before her, so that’s precisely what I did (laughs).

Sakakura: And she told me there were a lot of welcoming comments (laughs). Of course, there were some negative ones, but most of them were welcoming. That made me realize the fact that the kindness of Love Live! fans was one of the things that make the series so amazing, and it reaffirmed the love I have for it.

Yuina: Yeah, the comments were really kind! I thought I was panicking before the live stream, but Saku was completely white and looked like she was about to pass out (laughs).

Sakakura: Self-confidence has never been my strong suit, so what the fans would think of me joining Liella!, which was already such an amazing group, constantly weighed on my mind. I even imagined scenarios where I’d receive a flood of mean comments…… I was really, really nervous, but everyone in Liella! came over to ask if I was okay, or to give me a pat on the back. Up until that moment, being in the presence of the members of Liella! had only served to make me even more nervous, but during the live stream, I actually became less nervous thanks to them. Even though I’d just met them, I realized that what Liella! meant to me was starting to change, bit by bit.

Yuina: I’m sure everyone watching could tell how sincere your words were precisely because you’re such a big fan of Love Live!!

Sakakura: Thank you……! I didn’t manage to read many comments during the live stream itself, so I took the time to go through them slowly after I got home. The warmth in each and every one of the comments was the thing that finally melted away all my nerves and worries, and that was when the tears started flowing down my cheeks. The desire to become a cast member was indeed the dominant emotion within me, but there was also a part of me that was worried about the future and everything I’d be doing. After all, now that I’m involved in this world as a cast member, I’m sure what I’ll be able to see will be completely different from the glimpse I caught as a fan. But, now, I’m really glad that I decided to sign up for the audition. I experience something new and enjoy myself every single day, and even though I definitely still have a long way to go, I think I’ve definitely grown as a person. But that’s mostly thanks to how kind and amazing everyone in Liella! is, and the fact that they’re such good role models. Of course, I want to catch up to them in terms of my acting and singing, but I’d also like to become more like them, as a person. It’d be nice if I could continue changing for the better in the future.

The pace of the eleven-member Liella!’s activities will surely only continue to increase. Tell us about something you hope to achieve in the future.

Sakakura: The top priority for me is to do my best to catch up to Yuina. There’s not a single thing that she can’t do but I can. Even so, she always says things like “Let’s do our best together!”. Hearing those words really does make me happy, and because she has supported me countless times, I hope to someday grow into someone capable of supporting Yuina as well.

Yuina: … (stares at Sakakura)

Sakakura: (laughs)

Yuina: Really, though, I feel like I’ve already come to rely on her. The other day, I attended a recording session where Saku wasn’t there beside me, and that made me rather fidgety (laughs). Because we’ve spent practically every single day together attending lessons, being alone suddenly made me feel uneasy. That made me realize that without me noticing, I’ve been unconsciously leaning on Saku. Somehow, having her beside me puts me at ease. So I need her by my side! Because the character I voice has up until now been a rival and a lone wolf, there was a part of me that couldn’t wait for another third-generation member to show up. I’ve been looking forward to having someone who’s both a friend and a partner, and I’m really glad that Saku ended up being the one to fill that spot. She claims to be bad at dancing, but seeing how much she improves after every single lesson makes me want to push myself even harder too. So rather than keeping your worries to yourself, I hope that we can tackle this together as one since we’re in a three-legged race together. So… Thank you. (looks Sakakura in the eye)

Sakakura: No, thank you!

Last but not least, a message for the fans!

Yuina: Your kind words have supported me countless times ever since the 3rd Live Tour. I’ll be part of Liella! from now on, and I’m really glad that I’ll get more chances to interact with everyone. Of course, there are still many things I need to get used to, but I hope to dance high up in the sky together with Margarete-chan!

Sakakura: Thank you so much for all your support. Your kind words really are the thing that keeps me wanting to do my best every single day. Just like how you’ve supported me, I hope to become someone that can support you in return, together with Tomari-chan. I’ll do my very best, so I’d be glad if you watched over me as I do just that!

Yuina, the voice of Wien Margarete, is from Kanagawa. She attended the audition for her role in between rehearsals for a stage play she was starring in and showed up in full vampire makeup, which apparently caused quite a stir. She mentions being enthralled by the cool solo performance of Kobayashi Aika-san, the voice of Tsushima Yoshiko from Love Live! Sunshine!!

Sakakura Sakura, the voice of Onitsuka Tomari, is from Saitama. Before becoming a cast member of Love Live! Superstar!!, she aimed to become a kindergarten teacher. A true Liella! fan, she visited the rolled ice cream cafe that Liella! collaborated with and stayed there until she managed to draw her favorite character, Tang Keke.

Translation: xIceArcher

Translation Check/Quality Check: Dyrea (@dyreatic)

#love live superstar #liella #yuina #sakakura sakura #sakuchan

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