#SAKURABA HARUKA

[idolsgeneration]

[bo1908]

CUTIE STREET

[hoshidoru]

[nightfuryinthesky]

Produce 101 Japan: Episode 4 Pre-release

[vyvesvi]

link to part one (ranks 1 - 11)

link to the twitter poll that inspired this

[otakebi-cam-wao]

i was just watching the pd101 jp cosplay/costume performances and...

the way i feel like i agree a lot to these colors for them as member colors?

but maybe a ligther orange for Parutan?

like yeah, they fit it so well

... maybe also a lighter blue for Mena as well, but damn (also damn, that purple was too dark as costume, but purple for Kagura yes

[jpidols]

[mallowcream-art]

It's always objective l funny to use a yugioh template for non yugioh anime

Anyways they did Haruka so dirty in the anime and I will never forget it

[wrapped-in-you]

[idolm-ster]

Nandodemo Waraou

THE IDOLM@STER FIVE STARS!!!!! - Haruka Amami (CV: Eriko Nakamura), Chihaya Kisaragi (CV: Asami Imai), Miki Hoshii (CV: Akiko Hasegawa), Uzuki Shimamura (CV: Ayaka Ohashi), Rin Shibuya (CV: Ayaka Fukuhara), Mio Honda (CV: Sayuri Hara), Mirai Kasuga (CV: Haruka Yamazaki), Shizuka Mogami (CV: Azusa Tadokoro), Tsubasa Ibuki (CV: Machico), Teru Tendo (CV: Shuugo Nakamura), Kaoru Sakuraba (CV: Yuuma Uchida), Tsubasa Kashiwagi (CV: Taku Yashiro), Mano Sakuragi (CV: Hitomi Sekine), Hiori Kazano (CV: Reina Kondou), Meguru Hachimiya (CV: Mayu Mineda).

[yougetsu]

Books & B-T

Books/stories that might have inspired B-T lyrics or albums:

Salome by Oscar Wilde Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare Hamlet by Shakespeare Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson Neuromancer by William Gibson Solaris by Stanisław Lem Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Lewis Carroll Season in Hell Arthur Rimbaud The Stranger by Albert Camus Fantomas by Marcel Allain & Pierre Souvestre Locus Solus by Raymond Roussel Les Enfants Terribles by Jean Cocteau The Fall of Icarus by Ovid Dada Manifesto by Hugo Ball The Surrealist Manifesto by André Breton The Rosicrucian manifestos The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki Hearts by Kumi Himeno The Soul of the Night by Chet Raymo Vita Mechanicalis by Inagaki Taruho Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

Books mentioned by Acchan:

Villain by Shuichi Yoshida A Collection of Crime Stories by Shuichi Yoshida Ikari by Shuichi Yoshida Kokuhou by Shuichi Yoshida Kokoro by Natsume Soseki Audition by Ryu Murakami Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami The World Five Minutes From Now by Ryu Murakami No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai Hakyoku by Tono Haruka Kairyou by Tono Haruka Neko Nari by Numata Mahokaru Shibireru by Numata Mahokaru Kugatsu ga Eien ni Tsuzukeba by Numata Mahokaru Yurigokoro by Numata Mahokaru On Decadence by Sakaguchi Ango Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima  Death Spirits by Yutaka Haniya Living Tips by Itsuki Hiroyuki Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino Shiki by Fuyumi Ono Bride of Deimos written by Etsuko Ikeda & illustrated by Yuho Ashibe The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky Night on the Galactic Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa Gedou no uta by Daisuke Watanabe Tokkou no shima by Satō Shūhō

Other authors mentioned by Acchan:

Junji Ito Randi Taguchi Ryunosuke Akutagawa Yasunari Kawabata Natsuhiko Kyogoku Ayatsuji Yukito Sakuraba Kazuki Nobuyuki Fukumoto Hermann Hesse Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Sources:

nopperabou.net Jrockarchive This is not greatest site Buck-Tick Zone Vk BT group Book list gathered by fans (twt) FT bulletins Ongaku to hito interviews Kurumi chan no Heya (FM COCOLO) B-T profiles through the years I've saved Personal scans & magazines

Feel free to add more books/novels/mangas <3

[idolsgeneration]

[bo1908]

Sakuraba Haruka : Produce 101 Japan The Girls

[dailyjidols]

So I heard that my fave Parutan from PD101 JP has a new group but it's already a bad idea?! People want her to leave?! Plus like do you knwo anything else about another group that's suppose to debut that mankae line from PD101? I am so confused!

I don't know a ton about all the former contestants from PD101 JP. I really only follow ME:I seriously, IS:SUE casually, etc. So what I mostly found is from the Produce101JP subreddit - not saying it's accurate but it's where I checked to try and answer this. I double checked where I could, but always do your own searches, etc. Parutan aka Sakuraba Haruka, has signed with Asobisystem (home of Atarashii Gakko!, Fruits Zipper, etc) - her new group is called CUTIE STREET. They are debuting August 4th if I understand their Instagram correctly. The controversy is another member, not Haruka, was 'exposed' for having a fan account of a boy idol. Apparently fans are demanding that SHE leave since she only wants to be an idol to meet him, etc. In my opinion: this is bullshit and should blow over in a like a week. So it's not Parutan they want to leave, it's this other member. Regarding the mankae line: Nagomi is a member of the group, MADEIN which is a Kpop unit. They have members formerly from Kep1er, and LIMELIGHT. They are debuting sometime in September from my understanding. Takahashi Hina has been announced, along with former PD101 JP contestant Uchiyama Rin, to have signed with Poprod with a debut anticipated for early 2025.

Another tidbit I've mentioned before, but not to be confused with Haruka's group, is that Riryday - which has Hosoi Ayaka, Okabe Nana, and Kitazume Sakura debuted August 2nd. That's all the subreddit had mentioned regarding debuts and things that I am aware of. Highly recommending checking it out for info about other contestants if you are looking for updates, etc. I hope all the groups have successful debuts and more!

-Mod Rise

[historyhermann]

Otaku Elf Review

Otaku Elf, also known as Edomae Erufu, is a fantasy comedy anime. It is based on a seven-volume manga illustrated and written by Akihiko Higuchi. Directed by Takebumi Anzai, it is produced by C2C, a studio founded in April 2006. This post will have spoilers.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-fourth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on June 5, 2023.

This series focuses on a sixteen-year-old named Koito Koganei (voiced by Yuka Ozaki). She becomes a shrine maiden, known as miko, at a shrine in Takamini after the death of her grandfather. As a result, she becomes the caretaker of Eldarie "Elda" Irma Fanomene (voiced by Ami Koshimizu). Elda is an immortal and beautiful elf summoned from another world. Koito encounters challenges as Elda is an otaku and hikikomori/shut-in who fears going outside the shrine following an unpleasant interaction many years prior. Even so, she attempts to get Elda to enjoy life outside the shrine.

Originally, I had not been planning to write a review of this series because I'm already reviewing nine other series this season, either about magical girls (Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure and Tokyo Mew Mew New), legendary warriors (Unicorn Warriors: Eternal), VTubers (Kizuna no Allele), a yuri-themed cafe (Yuri Is My Job!), golf girls (Birdie Wing), idols (Oshi No Ko), or other subjects (Alice Gear Aegis Expansion and Skip and Loafer). One motivation for writing this review was because of Sailor Moon, which I'm currently watching, for the first time. It features Rei Hino as a shrine maiden, when she isn't Sailor Mars.

The animation style, comedy of an immortal elf being an otaku meeting a normal person, and the centrality of food, drew me in. The latter is primarily grounded in the cooking by Koyuzu (voiced by Hitomi Sekine), the younger sister of Koito. The same can be said for Koito and Elda's stories often becoming intertwined. Also, there are characters which are portrayed as "cute", like Koito's friend Koma Sakuraba (voiced by Haruka Aikawa).

I liked that every episode of Otaku Elf has some story about past Japanese culture, especially from the Edo period. Of course, Elda does all she can to impress Koito no matter what. This is despite the fact that although she has a laptop, she doesn't know how to use a cell phone. When she does use it, she texts so much that she angers the spirits! Elda does not know everything, however, and doesn't pretend she is all-knowing. She is wise, but not omniscient.

Yordeilla "Yord" Lila Fenomenea (voiced by Rie Kugimiya) and Himawari Kohinata (voiced by Teru Ikuta) are a good addition to the series. Yord is a dark-skinned elf, who is bad at directions, and has an absurd rivalry with Elda over an equivalent of tic-tac-toe. Dr. Akane Sasaki (voiced by Yumi Uchiyama) was similarly a positive character. In fact, she is shown in the seventh episode with Kadoi, getting drunk at a bar, with both of them as an interesting pair of characters together.

There is undeniable yuri subtext in this series, specifically between Koito and Elda, especially shown in the fifth episode. Otaku Elf has a degree of intimacy it can turn to and expand in each episode. As such, the series centers on the importance of spending time with others above everything else. In that way, Otaku Elf is special.

In marked contrast to Birdie Wing, the value of studying, and education as an extension, is emphasized through Koito's intense studying in the sixth episode. The importance of taking breaks and not over-extending oneself is an interrelated theme.

I like the slice-of-life nature of Otaku Elf. This makes it different from magic-themed series such as Healer Girl and Management of a Novice Alchemist. Similarly, it is nothing like recent slice-of-life anime. The latter includes Let's Make a Mug Too, The Aquatope on White Sand, Teasing Master Takagi-san, and Laid-Back Camp.

The series differs from YuruYuri, Gabriel DropOut, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kin-iro Mosaic, Non Non Biyori, K-On!, and Azumanga Daioh, in the same genre. Elda is a living history resource, who is good at origami, but can have awful nightmares. There's occasional casual alcoholism. But, it isn't as present as it is in Bocchi the Rock!. The latter features a sick bassist named Kikuri Hiroi, who spends most of her money on booze.

The seventh Otaku Elf episode was one of the best in the entire series. It primarily focused on Koyuzu and her desire to spend more time with her sister, Koito. Some of the funniest sequences in the episode was when she charmed people in a wholesale market so she could get fish for free.

The latter episode was only rivaled by the eighth episode. It focuses on Elda meeting another elf, named Haira (voiced by Mamiko Noto). Some of the best parts were having the historical remembrance shown in anime style resembling wood block art.  The episode features another miko, named Komari, the same age as Koito. Haira is an elf with beauty only matched by Elda. She is older than Elda and Yolde, treating them as her younger sisters. The episode implied Elda is a lesbian, as she said she liked all the teahouse girls during the Edo period.

By the end of the episode, it is clear that the series is uncritical of the fact that Komari was a social influencer and that Haira was a gambler. Even though Komari was critical of Haira for gambling, she tells Koioto that if Haira is doing what she likes, it is ok. On the one hand, this makes sense as Komari had been with Haira since she was young, allowing her to take candid photographs.

On the other, Otaku Elf, by saying that Haira's desire to be a gambler is ok, implies it is a non-issue and downplays it as a problem. Most gambling is prohibited in Japan. There are exceptions for some motor sports and horse racing. The latter is something that Haira said she wanted to do during the episode.

There is an ample culture of gambling in the island nation. The island has a difficult relationship with it. There is inconsistency between reality and law. Some have pushed to completely legalize gambling across the island. Even so, some people, and groups, have objected to expanded gambling in Osaka. They have argued that crime and addiction (to gambling) will rise as a result. Those caught gambling illegally in Japan can face fines or jail time. This hasn't stopped gambling from becoming pervasive, nor the millions afflicted with gambling addiction. The series could have done a better job with this topic.

Despite the problematic approach to gambling, the series often highlights the importance of remembering the past and preserving it. In the ninth episode, Elda reads a manga that has been published for over 30 years. She reorganizes her room due to a ceiling leak (with the help of Koito) and finds an old videotape. Often series only focus on new technology. They act like anything deemed "analog" isn't worth bringing up. In some cases, there is a blend of the "old" and "new". In the case in Steven Universe, a videotape of the protagonist's mother (Rose Quartz) plays an important role in the series.

Similarly in Otaku Elf, Koito sees a videotape for the first time, and goes to her grandmother, who has an old Betamax player, excited to watch a tape of something recorded from before she was born. She learns that her mother, shown on the tape, was also a miko of Elda as well! In a typical scene, Elda embarrasses Koito. She thinks she will be picked up in a "bridal style" pose and runs away as a result. The latter is part of the ongoing yuri undertones of this series, even though Elda and Koito have more of a master-student relationship than anything that is romantic.

Otaku Elf is much more than a series with endearing character dynamics. It has a protagonist (Elda) who deeply cares about the town she lives in, a neighborhood of Tokyo, I believe. Unlike some other anime this season, such as Alice Gear Aegis Expansion, there's no fan service. Nor are there any characters which are "one-off jokes". In fact, the series, in some ways, counts as an isekai. It has a "genuineness and pleasantness" which evades many anime these days.

The show's animation studio is known for producing over 16 series, including two I'm familiar with: Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu (based on a manga by Katsuwo who also wrote Mitsubishi Colors) and Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina. None of the story elements in either of those series are present in this series.

The voice cast of Otaku Elf is just as strong as the show's opening song. Ami Koshimizu, who voices Elda, also voices the caddy of Aoi in Birdie Wing (Amane Shinjо̄), Mizuki Nakahara in Lycoris Recoil, Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon Crystal, Shiori in Princess Connect! Re:Dive, Yang Xiao Long in RWBY: Ice Queendom, and Konomi Yurikawa in Yurikuma Arashi. Yuka Ozaki, the voice of Koito, has lent her voice as Asuka Toyama in BanG Dream!, while Hitomi Sekine, voice of Koyuzu, voiced characters in Teasing Master Takagi-san, Konosuba, and Ms. vampire who lives in my neighborhood.

Haruka Aikawa, the voice of Koma, previously voiced a character in Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. Mamiko Noto, voice of Haira, voiced a supporting character named Kazuki Kosuda in B Gata H Kei - Yamada’s First Time, Hakko in Canaan, Elsa in Gunslinger Girl, Kanon's mother in Love Live! Superstar!!, Shimako Toudou in Maria Watches Over Us, Gin Todo in A Place Further Than the Universe, and Saki Arima in Your Lie in April, and many other roles.

All in all, Otaku Elf is highly relatable to the hundreds of thousands of shut-ins in Japan, which the government believes is a "new social issue", and those elsewhere in the world. It might even draw in an audience from anyone who is living at "home" with their parents, or others living a "hermit-like" existence, being social recluses from society.

In any case, I recommend this series highly. I hope that it receives a second season, even though that is unlikely considering the last nine series by the same studio have not been renewed. Often, companies try and limit corporate risk by planning out each season for only 11-13 episodes. If the show is a success, "additional seasons can be ordered" as noted by Justin Sevakis.

Otaku Elf is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[otakebi-cam-wao]

obligatory top 11 i made on thursday when i knew bout the eliminated girls... i might change it... but till now it's this one

tho i don't think these girls should be in the debut group (at least, i don't think Keiko should, i'd put Rinon... Keiko seems off)

produce 101 japan the girls ep 10 by a harowota

you know, all under the cut, probs gonna speed up or skip elimination cuz i already know the ones who were eliminated (i'm crying)

LET'S START!!!!!

omg Kaela on the previews me crying now

OMG bby pics!!!

the words, damn

i love their way to get into the elimination set up stage thingy

so cute no matter what

Nalala so oujosama as i said bout &ME song in general

i don't even want to talk bout the elimination's part, like i dunno how they felt THERE, but i know the ones who left already

ANYWAYS, FIRST THEIR PRIZES, RIGHT?!

ohhhh randomly

claw-me had a salon and tokimekki rainbow cafe?

idk new f7avors...

Seul tower apparently, Kokona is afraid of heights

ohhh they eating!, me hungry now, and wanna try all that food

"the song that everyone love it's popcorn" sorry, is the one i like less

claw-me now with makeup and hair styling

i already saw Yui's new hair style (inner color mainly) and love it, really nice

they became koakuma indeed

TOKIMEKKI TIME!!!

idk if i'd like that...

so much cream

ohhh Kagura ordered 2 pieces of cake, nice nice, be happy tol girl

awwwwwwwwwww HINA

everyone happy

ohhhh Nalala has i guess korean bbq

miu looks cute like that

hehe Tsuzumi looks cute and funny eating all in one bite

Charm Holic has? what?

oh korean fried chicken, wanna try haven't been able

Kokona ate all quickly lol, mood

Tsukushi is panicking

awwww Ayane being surprised by the flavour so cute

Ayane run for your ramen!!! (me when my mom buys instant ramen)

i love to see cute girls enjoying their food!

oh they have guests

the reacciones while trying to guess who is lol

reactions in general

(don't ask me who they are never watched pd48 nor looked at iz*one... tho i knew Miyawaki Sakura cuz friend likes HKT48 and tried to see HKT)

Tsuzumi is crying so happily

they're living their happy life with them

ok cute moment from Ranka wanting to eat lot of oyakodon cuz ... Yuri? likes it a lot

""Happiness" comes first" okay, yes, food is happiness

the pink haired one, i like her way of thinking towards food lol but ofc the other one has a point to be healthy and keep a diet

Yena, that's the pink haired one... idk her but i liked her with this

this is cute... fr...

OH NO ELIMINATION SHUT UP gonna speed this up

love how parutan is saving herself so at the cut, i love her mochi mochi parutan

love u parutan, i don't care if u don't debut here, i have faith you will debut somewhere

i'm fr gonna skip this, i don't want to watch what i already know

a special gift?!

surprise visit from the "national producers"

lol this is kind of fun so many takes lol

lol this is kinda funny

everyone calling their names is cute

their faces as well, so cute

awwwww

i like to see their emotive faces

you know? this is what makes me "i don't want anyone to get eliminated" since day 1... well i had exceptions, but still, even if i had them, i wanted them to debut here as well...

they left the eliminated ones talking, damn

more elimination, speeding up again

technically skipped the elimination...

okay, debut evaluation, so last step

did they wrote free debut camp instead of pre debut camp?!

live stream (but for international viewers? what? pirate i guess)

these are new songs as well? i guess

i think i'll like sozoijo who ever is in that group

this way to choose song and position is messed up tho over rank 19th can move the rest, is so messed up, but okay, rules are rules

i love how they kinda tease everyone if they want to

i love how Suzu went all "gomennasai" for moving parutan

they're so cute so apologizing so much when changing someone

Kokona stop, but u cute

Ayane taking sub vocal 1 is a shocker but she's so cute reasoning it

lol Keiko reactions to her change are funny

Ayane like "hm... wanted to be sub vocal, Miu..."

Kassa taking main vocal for the lyrics is so Kassa!

Ayane frustrated for sub 6, but at least she wanted to be sub vocal, not main...

best sub vocal you'll be i think

Koto, you're wrong there's no 50% chance to debut, there's 55% chance to debut

PARUTAN KAWAII!!!! if u don't debut, i'd love u to go knock on up front's door for an audition (but somehow doubt she could get into H!P...?)

PARUTAN!!!!!!

i'm just watching cannot actually write

the trainners' words awwwww

i love Nakasone, so mother!!!!! she's my mom now

EHHHHHH YUMEKI CRYING?!?! WOW, THAT'S A SHOCKER

surprise event made by Kaela?!

they will all sing a song?!

a ballad from her?!

OMG CUTE, i'm releasing some tears cuz i can feel what Kimura felt while writing it

ahhh class w Kaela!

i'm crying! wtf?!

i wish i could have the eliminateds singing this as well, just to make it like for everyone

AWWWWW KAELA IS SO CUTE TALKING TO THEM

making them tell their strength/weapon

that part was so cute... and made me sentimental... i'm not like that...

also made me think about my own weapon, i might find some day

OH NO THE CRYING POST ELIMINATION

RIP KOTO&YUI, they're so cute

EVERYONE IS SO CUTE

stop i'm crying from before this, don't wanna cry more

i see so many friendships here, i love all the girls in this show, how they say goodbye, how the eliminated ones comment to the others on insta, how even after they left the program they meet, how they're doing covers, and all

omg i'm so attached to all these girls!

that was all, i'm crying, bye