#Mayu Kousaka

[lonndoodles]

Some childhood shoujo manga I read growing up!

[a-titty-ninja]

[x0401x]

No, but… that was a really good one, actually.

I might as well let this out. A lot of people are still losing their minds over episode 12, and I’m not even gonna try to pretend this isn’t to be expected. It’s not happening only on this side of the fandom—the Japanese one was also torn about it, although I’d argue they were much quicker to understand what KyoAni was going for with it.

Y’all know me. That goddamn studio owns my soul, but I’m not joining the “KyoAni did it again (even when they actually did not)” club in this lifetime or the next. If the changes made during the adaptation ruin the intention of the original work, no matter how good the animation is, a spade is still a spade and I address it at length when people ask my opinion. But that’s not what happened this time.

And guys, hear me out: it’s not as painful as everyone is making it to be. I’m dead-serious about that. Stick with me here.

Firstly, there’s a couple of conversations going on that we need to put to sleep. One of them, the one bothering me the most, is that Reina “chose Taki’s way of doing things over Kumiko”. Or worse, that she “chose winning at the nationals over Kumiko”. The episode itself debunks this in several ways, mainly by showing that flashback of S1. If Reina had chosen Kumiko despite thinking Mayu’s performance was better, Kumiko would’ve known, and it could very well have been the end of their friendship. She would’ve been outraged. In no universe would this scenario ever make her happy. More importantly, the flashback implies that Reina wants to choose Kumiko in spite of everything. What stops her from doing so is the fact that it would mean betraying Kumiko, which is worse than not being able to play with her on national stage one last time. Reina didn’t choose Kumiko… but she did.

None of this was about victory—it truly was a matter of meritocracy. Choosing the best members doesn’t guarantee they would win at the nationals, especially given that Mayu isn’t superior to Kumiko by a wide margin. They’re almost tied. And neither was any of it a Taki vs. Kumiko thing for Reina. She’s abrasive when it comes to defending his policies, but her belief in him isn’t blind. The fandom tends to underestimate Reina a lot because of her romantic feelings and mistakes her faith for stubbornness, even though both the novels and the anime are adamant about her good judgement. It’s not that she trusts him because she’s in love with him—she’s in love with him because he is worth her trust. Then again, this had nothing to do with him. It was all about Kumiko. She was the only thing in Reina’s mind the whole time. Taki wasn’t mentioned even in passing.

The other is that Kumiko’s loss was for shock value because the novel’s outcome was too obvious and KyoAni wanted to surprise the viewers. I’m not gonna lie, this decision was definitely meant to give the anime a so-called “plus alpha” in comparison to the original, but that’s not all there is to it. The main reason is obviously to have it be more grounded and mature, not so much your usual music anime, as well as make the whole debate about fairness actually convincing. The original is not only predictable, it’s also questionable. It’s easy for something to look like Deus Ex Machina even when that’s clearly not the intention, and KyoAni didn’t want Eupho to be that anime. By extension, they shot down every suspicion that could’ve possibly been raised about Kumiko’s win in the original work.

Of course Reina would’ve recognized Kumiko’s sound, so although most readers would know that she wouldn’t choose Kumiko for any reason other than her performance, it still leaves room for doubt. The anime slaps this doubt into outer space by constructing a situation where Reina deemed Mayu’s playing as superior, although by a hair’s breadth. It effectively answers the question of “what would she have done if that was the case?”. With the author having approved of this, it’s safe to say that, yes, that’s what Reina would have done in canon as well. And it would be the right choice, which then means that her choice in the original was also undebatably the right one. That Kumiko earned her win in the novel.

This may or may not have been intended, but either way, the anime has elevated the original work’s outcome by going for that route. After all, the original was predictable, sure, but that doesn’t mean it was unrealistic. These two things are being confused and conflated with one another a lot in many comments that I’ve been seeing out there. Realism doesn’t always have to be negative. Kumiko and Mayu had equal chances of winning. That’s what the audition was all about. The novel portrays what would’ve happened if Kumiko had won, while the anime portrays what would’ve happened if she had lost. Both are valid and the existence of one further validates the other, not the contrary.

What the author wanted to show was that, although Kumiko can’t follow Reina or her more talented senpais, she’s still an excellent player, enough to perform the solo on national competitions, and she wouldn’t let this get the better of her. It also seems like there was an element of “be careful with what you wish” as one of the morals behind Mayu’s arc, where she finally accepts her true feelings through regret rather than joy. Meanwhile, what KyoAni wanted to show is that, even if Kumiko is surpassed, she’s still an exceptional leader and has the makings of a fine teacher. In a way, the anime affirms that both Kumiko and Mayu play a special role in guiding Kitauji through the final tournament. Above all, both routes assert that Reina wouldn’t lie under any circumstances and that Kumiko (as well as Mayu) would indeed accept either result with utmost grace and understanding, no matter how frustrating it might be.

Another thing that the anime elevated is Kumiko and Reina’s bond. In my honest opinion, KumiRei has become the best female relationship in animation and one of the absolute best female relationships in fiction thanks to this episode. It’s transcended friendship, transcended gay, transcended fucking everything.

Alternative endings aren’t dead and they don’t always suck. Eupho continues to be one of the most amazing slice-of-life franchises ever.

[senjo]

[izumiwatches]

Yearly pool episode, but this time from Mayu's lens (S3E07)

[fruitymina]

reina... no, just no

[animebw]

It is 3 AM, I have work in the morning, and my brain is keeping me awake agonizing over how Reina's crush on Taki-sensei has been set up for the most brutal reality check imaginable in Hibike season 3 and how much it's going to hurt when it finally arrives.

Like, here's the thing about Reina: when she loves someone, she has absolute, unconditional faith in them. All throughout this season, she's said over and over that she thinks Kumiko's playing is second to none. And all throughout the series, she's been willing to shank anyone who so much as questions Taki-sensei's dental hygiene. When Reina Kousaka loves someone, that person can basically do no wrong in her eyes. In a way, it's an extension of her own sense of ego: "I believe I am special, so anyone I love must also be special." And she will suck you into her vortex and make you believe it right alongside her because her conviction is just that strong.

But now we've been set on a collision course. With all the foreshadowing around Mayu, it's basically inevitable that she's going to steal at least one of the soli auditions out from under Kumiko's nose. And because of Taki-sensei choosing an inexperienced freshman over a more consistent junior in episode 6, we've already been set up to wonder if his judgement is actually as infallible as we've so often assumed. Which means it's all but guaranteed that at some point- probably in the very next audition, I predict- Taki-sensei is not going to choose Kumiko to play the eupho part in the soli. And suddenly, Reina will be forced to confront a situation where one of these two people she loves is wrong. Either Kumiko isn't actually good enough a player to stand alongside her, or Taki-sensei made the wrong call.

And she's going to have to decide where her faith truly lies: with faraway dream she's been futilely chasing for years... or the girl who actually had the courage to answer her confession of love.

[magicalgirloftheday]

✧・ﾟ:*Today’s magical girl of the day is: Mayu Kousaka from Pixie Pop!✧・ﾟ:*

[imasallstars]

The cover art for THE IDOLM@STER MILLION THE@TER SEASON CLEVER CLOVER album has been released and the album is set to be released on the 23rd of February 2022. It will feature the previously released songs of the group as well as their version of Harmony 4 You.

The crossfade of the album is available here

Tracklist:

Tr.01　Drama “CLEVER CLOVER Assemble!” Tr.02　Shamrock Vivace 　Lyrics: Tomotaka Taira　Music&Arrange: EFFY 　Singer(s): CLEVER CLOVER Tr.03　Drama “Talk Part 1” Tr.04　Birth and Club ��Lyrics,Music&Arrange: Ryohei Sakata (Hifumi,inc.) 　Singer(s): Serika Hakozaki, Azusa Miura, Umi Kousaka, Roco Handa Tr.05　Drama “Talk Part 2” Tr.06　Trèfle de Noël 　Lyrics: Masaki Honda (Dream Monster) 　 Music&Arrange: Hinako Tsubakiyama (Dream Monster)  　Singer(s): Makoto Kikuchi, Chizuru Nikaido, Elena Shimabara, Mizuki Makabe Tr.07　Drama “Talk(?) Part 3” Tr.08　Clover's Cry ~God and the Ritual Girl~ 　Lyrics: Noriko Fujimoto 　Music: Noriko Fujimoto, Masayuki Fukutomi Arrange: Masayuki Fukutomi 　Singer(s): Nao Yokoyama, Konomi Baba, Ritsuko Akizuki, Tamaki Ogami, Hinata Kinoshita Tr.09　Harmony 4 You 　Lyrics: Mayu Miyazaki　Music&Arrange: KOH 　Singer(s): CLEVER CLOVER Tr.10　Drama “Once The Event Ends”

[raisondetempete]

Ten Characters Tag

I was somehow tagged by the wonderful @dialovers-translations​???? I’m not worthy of being mentioned by her. Anyways, here’s the post. I am very bad at conveying my opinions so some of the descriptions might be a bit odd.

Rules: make a new post, name 10 of your favorite characters from 10 different fandoms that you like, and then tag 10 people.

1. Hanayo Koizumi (Love Live)

No offense, but if you didn’t know I loved her, you’re fucking blind. She’s literally my profile picture and header. Anyways, Hanayo is my favorite anime character ever. She and I are very similar in that we’re shy introverts with glasses that love to sing despite having social anxiety. My friends that have watched the show say that we’re basically the same person. In fact, her birthday is 5 days after mine. Her voice is my favorite out of everyone else’s voice in the Love Live series. Her old voice is to die for (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, listen to Love Marginal or Kodoku na Heaven). I could go on about her for hours, but I’ll stop here.

Honorable Mention: Honoka Kousaka

2. Rinko Shirokane (Bang Dream!/Bandori)

I. Love. Rinko. So. Much. My name in Bandori is “Worship Rinko/Lisa” with one of my banners dedicated to her. Kinda the same reason why I like Hanayo so much, Rinko is similar to me in that we both have social anxiety and can play piano I’m not good at describing this oof. She’s really beautiful and I love her gothic lolita aesthetic. Her voice is also really good (although I prefer Yurika Endo’s voice much more than Kanon Shizaki, her voice is still good)

Honorable Mention: Lisa Imai

3. Reiji Sakamaki (Diabolik Lovers)

(Fun fact about me: I get really shy looking at characters I think are hot so this was hard for me.) I’m a really kinky person. I’ll be the first to admit it. I’m a huge masochist and am 100% a sub. I also like guys that are smart and formal. So, Reiji is the perfect guy for me. I can’t remember if he was always my favorite character (I watched the anime at least 5 years ago). However, I do know he was my favorite by the time I started reading the game translations (which were about a year and a half ago). Honestly, he can 100/10 tie me up and whip me any day.

Honorable Mentions: Laito Sakamaki, Ayato Sakamaki

4. Saeran Choi/Ray/Unknown (Mystic Messenger)

So, based off the three aformentioned characters, you can tell I like shy characters and sadistic, dominant characters. Well, Ray is a combination of the two. Although Jumin was my favorite before (that 2nd bad ending yes-), the image above is what sealed the deal. I got almost all his bad endings (could never get the 3rd and my friend was loaning me her account and wanted it back for a bit) and his true ending. The 2nd bad ending was my favorite ending of his route and tied for 1st for my favorite ending in the game (Jumin’s aforementioned 2nd ending is tied with him). I prefer Unknown over Ray as he’s the type of sadist I like (plus, his theme is a bop).

Honorable Mention: Jumin Han

5. Wu Chang/Xie Bi’an and Fan Wujiu/Black and White Guard (Identity V)

If you been on my blog at all, you know that I love Wu Chang as my header is “Wu Chang is Daddy”. I say this a lot in world chat in-game too. I have a whole folder dedicated to them on my computer. If you had to ask me which one I prefer, I couldn’t answer that question. What I like about Xie (White) is his calm, gentle nature which is perfect for me because I’m really shy and sensitive while Fan (Black)’s nature is aggressive and domineering which I also love.  A fair few of my followers started following me for my Yandere Wu Chang fanfic (link to part 1 if you want to read it) so thanks for that. 

Wu Chang can double penetrate me

Honorable Mentions: Yidhra (Dream Witch), Vera (Chloe) Nair (Perfumer)

6. Vincent Pait (Dead Wishes)

If you love yanderes and/or games with dark themes, Dead Wishes is for you. I love this game so much and, although I haven’t finished playing yet, I can basically guarantee Vincent is best boi. He’s like Reiji, but instead kidnaps you and chains you up in his house. However, he still does punish the MC a lot. Warning though: the game is not for the faint of heart (I was streaming Vincent’s route for my friends and one of them got so freaked out over a punishment, he banned me from streaming the game and mentioning Vincent).

7. Yuuya Kizami (Corpse Party)

I’m one of the very few people that like Kizami. Practically everyone else hates him. If I wasn’t a masochistic yandere fucker, I probably wouldn’t like him either. But, you’ve got admit. He’s hot. I find is backstory interesting, as he was always the way he is. Unlike Morishige, the school didn’t change him. Also, another very unpopular opinion, I really dislike Yuka. I find her really annoying. She acts like she’s 8 when she’s 14 or something. Because of this, I didn’t mind her dying.

Honorable Mentions: Sachiko, Seiko Shinohara, Mayu Suzumoto

8. Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji)

Note: Along with Reiji, I had to work up the courage to search for pictures of him. Sebastian has been one of my favorite anime characters for awhile. I think I watched Kuroshitsuji in 6th grade, so that was awhile ago (I’m not comfortable stating my age). I can’t really describe why I like him so much. He’s just... perfect. He’s a gentleman and incredibly, but is a huge sadist as well which is a huge plus. 

Honorable Mention: Ciel Phantomhive

9. Sal (Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea)

Ah, yes. The trash himself. Once again, I am in the minority because I like Sal. The rest of the fandom hates him, because he’s an asshole. I love him because a yandere. In fact, he’s one of the few male yanderes listed on the Yandere Wiki. I discovered WATGBS in 8th grade and instantly fell in love with him once he showed his true colours. The possessiveness. The obsession. All things I love in a lover.

Honorable Mention: Wadanohara

10. Aya Drevis (Mad Father)

Mad Father and Ib were the games that got me into horror. Although I wanted to put Mary from Ib on this list, I like Aya and Mad Father just a bit more. Aya is this cute, adorable girl that, as the game goes on, reveals her dark nature. She frequently killed her rabbits, albeit unknowingly, chainsawed someone in half, and then went on to use humans as parts for dolls. All in all, 10/10 character. Bonus Reason: I adore the aesthetic of Mad Father. I love the use of dolls in games. I love the themes. I love the yandere themes in it (even though it’s platonic). Mad Father is a great game.

Honorable Mentions: Alfred Drevis, Ogre, Dio

I’m not tagging anyone because I’m really antisocial and don’t know many people on here-

[mikakomori]

Pixie Pop

Summary:

Cheerful 12-year-old Mayu Kousaka is excited for her first day of middle school until she learns that she has to sit next to Shinya Amamiya in class. Haunted by his rejection of her feelings toward him, she spends that night binging soda at her mother's cafe. Despite her efforts to get over him, she sheds a tear that drops into her cup, changing the soda into a seven-colored drink. After chugging the drink, Mayu suddenly meets a self-proclaimed "drink fairy" named Pucho, who rages at her for drinking what was supposed to be for herself. Due to Pucho's drink, Mayu now transforms whenever she drinks something—which often results in disastrous effects! Both Mayu and Pucho are now endlessly distressed... until Pucho sees that Mayu may still have feelings for Shinya. To make Pucho's seven-colored pixie pop, a human tear needs to be mixed with seven-colored drops that are gained from feelings of love. The two girls take this as an opportunity for Mayu to try again and win over Shinya, but with Shinya being difficult and Mayu's unpredictable transformations, their quest will not be easy.

[ganbaramen]

Love Live! SIFAS Special: Seiyuu on their Highlights [EN Translation]

Original article here.

On 2018-01-28 21:00 [Japan time], the program "Love Live! AbemaTV SukuSuta [SIF All Stars] Special! ~School Idol Grand Gathering~" will be broadcast! The day is nearing, so we asked the seiyuu what to pay special attention to during the broadcast.

Aqours

Anju Inami (playing Chika Takami) It'd be the newly announced voice drama corner, where we'll co-star with our fellow members! The closeness between us and the atmosphere unique to SukuSuta can really be felt, I think!

Rikako Aida (playing Riko Sakurauchi) There are a lot of highlights, but I want to see the fiery showdown between members!

Shuka Saitou (playing You Watanabe) The voice drama is a highlight, of course, but personally, the "You Said It First Challenge" was funny, so it's a highlight for me too.

µ's

Emi Nitta (playing Honoka Kousaka) This is the first time we've appeared together in the same place, and it's a novel experiment, so all of it is a highlight. (lol) To the people who have been supporting the Love Live! series for a long time, I think it'll definitely feel "Love Live!-esque (lol)" to them.

Aya Uchida (playing Kotori Minami) I'd have to say the highlight is that it's the first time that µ's, Aqours, and the Nijigasaki girls are appearing together... right? It really is the first time, so I'm very nervous. I'm sure that all our fans will feel the same as we do... I think. I wonder if they'll be deeply moved that "this day has finally come, huh?", and if they'll be able to see our new feelings...? I was really happy and had a lot of fun! Everyone should definitely watch...!

Suzuko Mimori (playing Umi Sonoda) KotoHonoUmi meets again!! I'm happy that people have watched over us, when it's been so long since we've appeared to everyone as µ's members. Being with Emitsun and Ucchi is reassuring, and our exchanges haven't changed since that time, which was really nostalgic and relieving.

Nijigasaki Academy School Idol Club

Mayu Sagara (playing Kasumi Nakasu) There's a corner where us Nijigasaki students have a showdown with our seniors, and I'd definitely recommend that! Only in this program can you find us having that kind of contest, I think. In particular, the showdown with Mimori-san still gets me excited even now...!

Miyu Kubota (playing Karin Asaka) There's a lot I would recommend, but... in the end, I'd have to say the part where all nine of us are eating...!! The atmosphere is like having lunch at school, so it was a lot of fun, and it felt like we really got closer together, so I was just a bit happy!

Tomori Kusunoki (playing Setsuna Yuuki) If I were to pick a highlight, I'd want to say "all of it", but... When we compared our impressions of the members and everyone's impressions of them, that was an especially wonderful time for me. From the parts where everyone agreed to the unexpected parts too. That these viewpoints vary depending on the person is natural, but it was still interesting.

[a-titty-ninja]

[x0401x]

[reflectiondetonation]

what do Honoka Kousaka, Mari Ohara, Mayu Sakuma, and Lisa Imai all have in common??? they're all best girl

[medea10]

Medea’s Top 10 Characters I Hate