#and also….probably finish hirogaru…………….

[i-dont-r3member]

People trying to make fanart of satoru (I don’t remember if his cure name has been revealed lol) looking all badass protecting friendly while he wears that stupid hat is so so so funny

(I love the hat but oh my god it does not work with the type of scenes yall are trying to draw it just looks goofy hjsksk - im thinking of a specific insta artist btw if none of yall know what im talking abt)

[ai-higurashi]

Dropping my Undergu Empire OC before tomorrow, when it's revealed the whole empire was just those five weirdoes all along or something.

Anyways, her name is Caprikon and she's a recruiter and an instructor for the Undergu Empire's army.

She doesn't usually directly attack weaklings but, unlike Minoton, it's not out of some sense of honor or anything like that. She simply doesn't feel like they're worth going all out if they can't put up an interesting challenge.

Regardless, she finds amusing to humour them, pretending to be more on par with their abilities, just so she can watch them build themselves up and then inevitably crash once they get way too over their heads. This makes her appear kind and friendly, especially to younger recruits, even though she's usually condescending and deep down doesn't really respect them much.

When she finds strong opponents she's more than thrilled to actually throw hands herself though, and you know she actually respects someone when she doesn't hold herself back.

[muthaz-rapapa]

Hirogaru Sky Final Impressions (5/5)

Honestly, what were they going to do with those two weeks after 48 episodes? Have us wait until WonPre's broadcast? Yea right, lol

So the 20th installment of Precure is now officially finished and it feels both great and a little bit sad to say that since the bar has been readjusted quite high, we will probably need the 25th anniversary to get another season as awesome and well-written as HiroPre. [/harsh]

But that will be for something to worry about in the next five years.

So first, that finale!

Pretty much 5(ish) of the 6 last episodes was a whole arc dedicated to the most engaging lore Precure has ever given us to date.

Cure Noble is definitely entering the league of legacy Cures and perhaps as the one with the best story as well. How she went from princess-sovereign to becoming the very first Precure (in this universe, anyways) to helping pave a way for peace with her nemesis to laying out the foundation for the Cures who will succeed her in the future.

Yeap, Ellee-chan may have gotten a nice age-up bonus so that we can see her embrace her destiny and actually converse in something other than baby talk.

But it's more accurate to say that Ellee-chan/Cure Majesty's character arc is really Princess Elleelain/Cure Noble's instead.

Which is totally fine with me. Not only was Elleelain super interesting as a hero/protagonist in her own era but Kaiserin was...dear god.

Dear god, when have we gotten a twist that was this good and this dark by the series' standards? I felt we haven't touched this level of grim writing since Heartcatch and that was my first Precure season ever.

But seriously, it's impossible not to sympathize with Kaiserin and appreciate how much she contributed to the plot as well as this season's message that power is not what makes a hero, but the strength of one's heart that does.

Even her traitorous tutor, Skearhead, said she had what it took to become a hero (and maybe even Precure? oooh~), which just makes her fall into darkness more tragic.

But thankfully, she never lost her kindness and compassion, which was what ultimately allowed her to not only be saved but her wounds to finally heal after hundreds of years of suffering from the pain of betrayal Skearhead had inflicted on her.

And that her generals, who all turned over a new leaf, came back to the Undergu Empire to loyally serve her and make sure she isn't alone...

Good! This is so satisfying, I couldn't have asked for anything better! Kaiserin deserves her happiness after all she's been through!

But of course, that's not all because no Precure finale is complete without the last episodes dishing out the best combat scenes of the entire season and did it deliver, alright.

Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-HUH!

The animation was absolutely stellar and not so overdone that it'd look more gaudy than cool. coughDeliPaPrecough

Moreover, the teamwork is what really sold the animation. As it should because Precure is all about that team effort brought on by personal growth, not a one-man show.

I loved how Wing, representing wisdom, was the one everyone trusted to get that barrier back up because it is a mechanism that he researched and developed to help everyone. It proves that boys don't need to fit into a specific mold of masculinity or genius to be a hero because in the end, those things don't matter. It's being true to yourself, your beliefs and your dreams and what you choose to do with those abilities that counts.

I loved how Butterfly, who is physically the strongest in the group, always takes on the tougher tasks such as facing the army of tedious mooks to let those younger than her forge a path ahead. She never forgets her responsibility as an adult to protect the kids but she also encourages them to move forward because she fully believes in them like a good adult would.

I loved how Majesty comes to understand that though she's meant to inherit Cure Noble's will and power and position as Skyland's princess, it's not her destiny to inherit Elleelain's loneliness. And the whole reason that she started out as a baby but was able to grow and become Precure was because she was surrounded by the right people who brought out that potential in her. For Ellee-chan, being with her friends and fighting alongside them was the bigger, more important destiny than her duty was.

Finally, the star duo of the show.

Sky was given stronger MC vibes than the other cast members but you can't deny that she wouldn't have gotten this far without Prism by her side.

Sora's idea of what it means to be hero expanded a lot because she became friends with Mashiro.

She has come to treasure Mashiro so much that when she was on the brink of losing her best friend, she let Skearhead corrupt her in order to have enough power to save that best friend. She was willing to sacrifice herself for someone important to her, which in a way, can be seen as an act of heroism (but only as a last resort, plz do not attempt).

And even then, Sky kept resisting from being taken over. Prism didn't even flinch when Sky aimed a punch at her. That's how much Mashiro believes in Sora, in the hero that Sora is. That even if Sora accepted darkness into herself to do the right thing, she won't ever let that darkness consume her into doing the wrong thing.

And the fact that it was Prism who had the ability to not only purify Sky but also heal Kaiserin's centuries-old wound. She's come a long way herself from the girl who used to think she was talentless, who didn't believe she had anything special going for her.

"You are good as you are now, Mashiro-san."

What Sora said was true until the very end. Mashiro didn't ever need to change. She was already good enough and she was always going to become even better than how she started out because she was always being inspired and supported by those around her and challenging herself to do things she initially hesitated on doing.

Now she's continually drawing new stories, even winning an award for one. Even her Prism Shot evolved and multiplied as an attack and it's all because she learned to believe in herself because all her friends believed in her.

This is essentially what sets Precure apart from the others, what makes it the major name it is in modern day mahou shoujo.

I cannot begin to describe how glad I am that the staff at Toei reinforced those aspects of friendship as well as the celebration of individualism in a milestone year. But I can definitely say with confidence that we can expect to see more well into the franchise's 30th anniversary as long they don't forget these two very crucial things.

As for me, I think this will be the last time I blog Precure on a "regular" basis.

I'll still continue to watch cuz hey, there's no reason for me to stop yet.

(and all the more reason to not stop if Satoru and Daifuku become the next two male Cures in WonPre OMGI'MSOGONNAJINXTHISAREN'TIBWUAHAHAHAHA!!!)

But my priorities have shifted so I gotta tend to those foremost. And as much as I enjoy the show, I feel like I'm always saying the same stuff over and over again anyway, just in different variations of it.

(also, something about WonPre tells me the next four years will be filled with hit-or-miss seasons so meh, I'd rather just follow it leisurely than get too invested and then disappointed)

On another note, I do have some personal rankings that I'd like to post some day. I was going to do it for the 20th anniversary but didn't have time to cuz life got way too hectic and busy but yea, eventually I'll have them up.

Just for fun, y'know.

Ok, that is all.

Thank you, my hero girls and boy! You made this season so wonderful hahahaha, good luck, WonPre for me and I can't be grateful enough for it.

Thank you for a beautiful anniversary! Let's aim for the next!

25th year with 100+ Precure!

Let's gooooooooooooo!!!

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 25 of Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure, in which the Cures wonder how to best raise Ellee while they all go on a trip to the zoo.

The episode begins with the Cures getting ready for a trip to the zoo, when Mashiro approaches Sora, asking if Ellee, being the Child of Destiny, should really just be eating regular food or if she should have something more fancy. Sora insists that Mashiro’s food is fine the way it is, before the two continue discussing whether there’s more they should be doing for Ellee. Tsubasa enters, wearing full football gear, admitting he somehow ended up like that while trying to work out the best way to protect Ellee. Ageha enters to find all three of them dressed in football gear, asking what they’re doing.

On the way to the zoo, Ageha tells the others that they’re probably overthinking things, and that they should just keep treating Ellee as they always have. For now, they should just enjoy the day having fun at the zoo. Arriving at the zoo, Ageha points out the statue of a dinosaur at the entrance, explaning it is the mascot for the zoo. Ellee is a bit intimidated by it, but Ageha assures her there’ll be plenty of fun animals to see.

The group start out checking the capybaras, with one approaching Ellee and Ellee guessing it wants a snack. Afterwards, the group go to check out some other animals, such as the elephants, giraffes and zebras. Sora notes that the zebras remind her of a similar animal that lives in Skyland, except the Skylandian variant is white and blue. Ellee calls out to the animals, who come closer to greet her. Mashiro starts to suspect that Ellee can talk to animals, so Tsubasa suggests they go see the lions since he’s curious about what they might have to say.

The lions are asleep, with Tsubasa noting that some lions are nocturnal. One of the lions wakes up and roars at the group. Tsubasa asks Ellee what it said, with Ellee replying the lion wants them to keep it down since they’re sleeping. The group apologize to the lions, and move on.

While taking a break from looking at animals, the Cures have lunch together. Mashiro, Sora and Tsubasa once again start discussing the best way to raise Ellee, with Ageha eventually interrupting, telling them they’re overthinking things again. Of course, she understands the situation, noting that even parents who aren’t raising a “Child of Destiny” are often wondering well they’re raising their kids and what decisions might benefit their child or not. The others calm down a bit, and decide to go check out the petting zoo once they’re done having lunch.

Elsewhere, a bull-like warrior from the Undergu Empire is doing strength exercises by lifting a large log. Once he’s finished, he decides it’s finally time to track down the Cures, having been waiting a long time to find a worthy opponent.

While the Cures are at the petting zoo, the animals get nervous when they sense the arrival of the Undergu General, and the Cures decide to go see what is going on. They meet the new villain, Minoton. Noting the similar names, Mashiro asks if he’s related to Kabaton, with Minoton stating he’s not and that he’d rather not be compared to someone like him.

Minoton turns the dinosaur statue into a Ranborg, and the Cures transform to fight it. Cure Wing uses his Mirror Pad to look up info about the tyrannosaurus the statue is based on, to see if he can figure out how they might be able to beat it, noting that the T-Rex had strong jaws. Figuring they should avoid attacking the head, Cure Sky suggests they aim for the body, but the Ranborg makes it hard to approach by breathing fire.

During the battle, all the shaking causes the door to the rabbit enclosure to open, and the white rabbit Ellee was trying to pet earlier manages to escape. Ellee spots it, and tries to comfort the frightened rabbit. The Ranborg spots Ellee and charges for her, the Cures quickly hurrying over to defend her. To their surprise, Minoton also steps in front of the Ranborg, pushing it away.

Cure Sky asks why he did that, pointing out the Undergu Empire is out to capture Ellee. Minoton explains that he’d rather capture Ellee after he’s defeated the Cures fair and square, as he has waited a while to find a worthy opponent. The fight continues, and with Cure Butterfly’s help, Cure Sky eventually manages to flip the Ranborg over by swinging it by the tail, before Cure Wing and Cure Butterfly purify it. Minoton acknowledges that the Cures are indeed worthy opponents before retreating.

After things have calmed down, Sora explains to Ageha how Ellee comforted the rabbit using the same words Sora used to comfort Ellee back when they first ended up in Sorashido. Ellee then spots a girl about her own age who seems nervous around the rabbits, and goes to help her out. Ageha notes that Ellee seems to have learned from the short story Mashiro wrote a while back, and the Cures note that while they’ll probably continue asking themselves how to raise Ellee the best they can, Ellee has already learned a lot from them and seems to be growing up to be a kind girl.

A really nice episode! We see the Cures dealing with the information they learned about Ellee in the previous episode and what they should do about that, with Ageha being the voice of reason among the group and keeping them from overthinking it. And we get introduced to a new Undergu Empire villain.

I already like Minoton. As you might be able to tell from some of the posts I’ve written on the other Pretty Cure series, I do like the villains who despite being bad guys are still these proud warriors with a code of honour that they stick to. With the Undergu Empire’s focus on strength, I guess it makes sense they’d have at least one of those in their group. Plus, it’s an interesting contrast to the previous two villains the Cures have fought so far. I wonder if Battamonda will eventually turn up again, though, since I don’t think we’re quite done with him yet.

Anyways, I’ll be looking forward to the next episode!

[princefado]

hirogaru sky ep 19 discussion, also talking about previous seasons (specifically kirakira and delipre)

when i say my jaw DROPPED at the reveal of tsubasa and ageha's finishing move...... also the irony of tsubasa being like 'it wasnt that cool ):' while my jaw was STILL ON THE GROUND

this development of this season has been SUCH an improvement over the last. i really liked all the characters from delipre, i am still the world's #1 rosemary stan, but the plot and character dynamics never really came together in a satisfying way.

the team dynamic for this season is a lot stronger, and i like that they've essentially split them into fighting pairs while still maintaining their friendship as a group, it just makes a lot more sense. ageha and tsubasa are ALREADY one of my favorite dynamics of all the seasons ive watched, theyre so so so cute.

also, due to the lack of a midseason precure leak, im actually like... not sure there's gonna be one?? and i think its probably a good thing there will be no midseason cure!

amane was a fine enough character but her becoming a precure was just not really that satisfying overall, considering we never even learned how she became a villain in the first place. and her getting added to the roster meant even LESS time to develop everyone else in an already extremely bloated roster. like, seriously, there were four precures, three fairies, all the cookingdom fighters, not to mention the villains were fighting for screentime and development too

compare it to kirakira a la mode which also had a large cast, and i think was much stronger because it made the choice to pair a lot of its characters off with eachother in their development, so it didn't ever feel like they were fighting for screentime. in delipre, it felt like they either had to fit all four leads into one episode, or they only focused on one, so you never really got the sense of there being any real intimacy between members.

im not sure of the exact production schedule for precure but i have to assume delipre was either in development in 2021 or 2022 and obviously the pandemic CANNOT have helped. so i dont really blame like, any of the staff. obviously also precure has like, one fucking week of a break a year, so that's not healthy for the series either. but it's good to see that the series still has a spark to it.

[zukadiary]

Asami Hikaru 10th Anniversary Dance Live Tour 「will」~ 2017

A full write-up for posterity, since I'm never sure I’ll see these things again. It’s gonna be a lot...

10 years out of Takarazuka. Visually I think she’s aged backwards since then, and the girl can still turn out a dance medley without sweating more than a sheer glistening veil of fairy dew that might in fact just be her aura. I’ve watched her Takarazuka career many times over, I’ve seen her in celebratory OG productions, I’ve heard her talk and reminisce with her fellow graduates... but I’ve missed the vast majority of this past 10 years, most of which has been lost to the videoless void. Seeing an homage to that, and participating in the celebration of the career that she’s built as she’s become her fully realized self, was distinctly different and so lovely.

It was also the most intimate performance I’ve seen her in, both in the production of it and the atmosphere around it. At first it felt a bit too short and simple, but the more time I spent bathing in her glow the more deeply I fell in love with it. She had four shows in Tokyo, two in Osaka, and one in Sendai. The fan club organized everything, which, having seen the production quality, is kind of a marvel... and as a result we got the best seats every time, in already small theaters. From more than one of my seven different vantage points I could hear her breathe, see wisps of feather drift off one of her costumes, appreciate the scene-by-scene variations in her flawless lip color. Our staff made custom tickets adorned with gorgeous freshly-shot photos. Flowers were allowed and encouraged (!!) and we teamed up to get big ones with our names on plaques (cursing myself for not thinking to take up a collection from her overseas base). She sang the songs that meant the most to her and danced the scenes she knew meant the most to us. The rotating guests all adored her and expressed as much, each in their own way. I felt like I could see every minute element, every second of work that went into tenderly crafting this show, and every tiny detail was filled with love. The only time I ever felt a more direct exchange of love was when she physically held my hands and looked me in the eyes.

Act 1

Every number in the show is drawn from her OG career. There were four dancers to Asami Live’s two, which is interesting considering Umegei backed the latter and this was self-produced. One was from Asami Live and the other three—two women and a man—were great. Beautiful dynamic dancers that complemented her perfectly when she was onstage glued everything together when she wasn’t. They set the mood and she walks out from the left, wearing a feminine take on a tailcoat: black tuxedo pants, a sleeveless white shirt and bowtie, and a glitter-trimmed sleeveless little vest with a swath of flowing white chiffon in place of the tails (here, she actually graced twitter with her presence while wearing it). She dances a career medley that’s listed in the program as “medley,” so, from memory:

My favorite song from DNA Sharaku (which had beautiful music if nothing else), with Komu, to my delight, singing Naoto Inti Raymi’s part in her range instead of her part which is not in her range

Something I didn’t recognize... but it was whimsical. She takes out a giant rubber ear and pretends to listen very closely to all of us while the dancers smell her and blow her kisses (I don’t know...)

Shakalaka Baby from Bombay Dreams, which I cried over missing even though she had barely any scenes because she bedazzled her very visible belly button. No belly button this time, but definitely some moves I’d longed to see come out of Komu’s body

Me and my Baby blending into Hot Honey Rag. On the last night she got overexcited and mouthed AND MEEEEEEE very dramatically at us before sort of catching herself, as there was not supposed to be any singing at that moment

One Night Only from Dreamgirls (I think this showed up in her first and only OG dinner show). The sharp finale, when the glisten kicks in.

She saunters toward the right wing and trades her fake girly tailcoat for a real one (although still tailored close to her tiny body). How creepy is it that I love moments like this? She’s on stage... it’s not like this process is meant to be completely hidden... but on the days when I could clearly see her change her jacket and sip water from my seat, I got little shivers of anticipation (the smoky red lighting and dark little teasers of a tango beginning to trickle out of the band area probably had something to do with it too). The announcement of four male and zero OG guests made me resign myself to a show firmly rooted outside her Takarazuka life, so I expected no references to it... but here she is doing Jealousy of all things in full kuroenbi with one of the male dancers, wholly and flawlessly in otokoyaku mode. Thinking about it now, it seems natural that in a show so full of love she’d include a nod to her idol Ooura Mizuki, and Dancin’ Crazy was post-taidan... one of my favorite bits of Komu interview, a rare moment in which she actually lets us glimpse her feelings, is on the bonus track of the Dancin’ Crazy DVD. Komu, who did not want to retire despite the frightening degree to which she’d wasted away, says having the opportunity to dance in a show with Natsume, and particularly watching her during the kuroenbi, made her feel for the first time that she was blessed to leave exactly when she did. So here we have Jealousy, and as I never tire of the sight of Komu in a tailcoat, I’ll take it more than gladly. 

The remaining 3 dancers collect her and entertain us with the silliest song from Omohide Poro Poro while she changes into a voluminous feathered coat for Kiss of the Spider Woman, which she sang in HER VOICE, bless. UGH, her sustained low notes still shake me through and through, they’re so rich and full and powerful and her. I wish she’d do that show again, I’d love to see her in it. When the song ends she loses the feathers and reveals a red lace and ruffle dress cinched with a black leather corset before jumping into Gimme Love, also from Kiss of the Spider Woman. This was definitely one of my favorite numbers, for the choreography, the continued use of Komu voice, and the diva faces she made while belting “Let’s make looooooove” in said voice. The final number of this costume change is a leggy dance to Habanera with fans and chairs and fishnets. Komu twitter has been grumbling this week that the upcoming Carmen production went to Ohana, and while Carmen is not my favorite story I have to agree I would not be opposed to seeing Komu do more of that. 

After an impressive interlude the four dancers become black angels and draw Komu magnetically out to an instrumental Yami ga Hirogaru. The lighting was so cool here... she’s glowing in a white dressing gown and everything else is dark blue and misty. The Elisabeth bit was a little disappointing at first; my heart leapt at the first few notes, but before I could even finish thinking “is she gonna sing it??” the song evolved into something else. She ended up doing a very low-key interpretive dance to an instrumental Watashi Dake ni. It seemed like nothing to me at first; I wanted her to sing it or actually dance, but the more times I saw it the more I realized she was just emoting, and that was the point, and she was killing it. The only ACTUAL disappointment of the show was the Roman Holiday bit that followed; it was nearly identical to the one in Asami Live, AND she’s doing actual Roman Holiday again in a month. As beautiful and packed as this show is, it’s also short... and I selfishly wanted every moment to be precious and new to me. 

To close Act 1, she sings the theme song from her post-taidan recital Primary Colors, which is perfect in this spot; it’s nostalgic but its message is future-facing, and it’s uplifting but in a way that kind of makes your heart ache. She wore the white dress that was under her Elisabeth gown with a twirly watercolor skirt, and she radiated palpable happiness and gratitude. I tried to beam happiness and gratitude back at her. After intermission she let out another rare bit of her feelings, telling us that when she started rehearsing the song she cried so hard she couldn’t finish it, remembering how confusing and scary it was to be thrust from Takarazuka into the real world, and thinking about how grateful she is for the life she’s been able to lead since then. Guh </3

Act 2

She comes out in a stunning approximation of the dress she wore in the promo images (easier to move in but still glittering, beaded, and backless) and sings Kare Koso Kiseki from Cyrano before giving her little above-mentioned speech and introducing the guest of the moment. They were Spi, her 15 years younger boyfriend from DNA Sharaku; Irei Kanata, the first to play Rudolf to her Elisabeth; Ishii Kazutaka, with whom she starred in Kiss of the Spider Woman and Amakakeru Kaze Ni; and Ishikawa Zen, Franz to her Elisabeth. They each had a talk with Komu, a duet, and then a solo while she changed. I wasn’t stoked about this segment going in, but every guest was thoroughly enjoyable, and it was fascinating to see her change from guest to guest. Who talked about what is jumbled in my brain at this point, and my comprehension level plummets when I’m faced with high-speed man speech, but here are the highlights I remember from each:

Spi:

Guested twice. He was the only one I’d actually seen perform with her, and I was kind of taken aback by how good their chemistry was at the time. He’s younger than me, half American, and a bit of a weirdo... but endearing in a completely inexplicable way. He showed up to the first talk EXTREMELY RELAXED and Komu had to get into full mom mode.

Komu’s first impression was that she didn’t think they could get along; he was quiet, gruff, and terse and wouldn’t greet anyone properly. He was also the only one of the Edo-period characters who showed up to rehearsal without a kimono—because it “hadn’t arrived from Amazon yet” (Komu said that in a hilarious dudebro voice, drag him girl). But once they got to know each other it seems they got on extremely well.

After failing to drum up interesting conversation the first time around (intentionally... he was unintentionally hilarious), he pulled it together for his second appearance and asked her proper questions. Spi gets bonus points for making her talk about NY. She BEAMED when it came up and went off in giddy reminiscence. Hearing her talk about NY with the level of joy in her voice that I feel when I see her makes me SO GODDAMN HAPPY. 

They sang their duet from DNA Sharaku... it was nice, but that song was not made with her in mind.

Spi gets a second round of bonus points for swallowing his bro schtick for a second and saying something so heartfelt and beautiful about Komu I cried: when he was trying to decide what to choose for his solo, he wanted to make sure he went with something that really expressed love—to honor Komu properly—because how could a person be so utterly beautiful unless it comes from a place of deep deep love? ;A;

Spi gets a third round of bonus points for choosing to sing Seasons of Love in English, leaving me wibbling at him with big wet eyes and feeling like I was in on a secret. 

Irei Kanata:

Guested twice. He’s also quite a bit younger than her (but not younger than me), and QUITE taken with himself. He was confident and cocky, which was annoying on a primal level but kind of fun in practice because he wasn’t afraid to say anything to her. He also hugged her a lot...

His Tokyo appearance featured Let’s Drag Koike-sensei Part 1. One time he lectured Kanata for 40 minutes and at the end of it he had no idea what his feedback even was. 

In Sendai they talked a lot... and weirdly a lot about Urai Kenji who was the double-cast Rudolf at the time. Komu, as a self-described “person who constantly wants to consume delicious things,” often insisted on taking the two of them out to eat. 

Komu said that Elisabeth was about the time she started to feel like she might actually be a lady after all. Kanata said she came across as thoroughly ladylike when they met, except for when she’d boss the younger boys around.

They sang Boku wa Mama no Kagami Dakara with impressive emotion considering the silliness of their chatter. When they finished the first time, Kanata whined “Mamaaaa” to lighten the mood and Komu doubled over laughing on stage with a full on raspberry spit. 

Probably my favorite exchange was Kanata exclaiming (in slight frustration) something like “why is everyone here so damn classy, it’s throwing me off!” and Komu replying something along the lines of “these are MY flawless ladyfans you’re dealing with!”

Ishii Kazutaka:

Guested once. This was a complete 180 from mama Komu trying to keep her boys in check... Ishii Kazutaka is a very charming grown-ass man and they loooooove each other. This dude wishes her happy birthday on twitter even though she doesn’t have a twitter and won’t see it. Komu was kind of in awe of him, but also a bit flirtatious, definitely making a visible effort to put forth her best self... and he was so adoring and deeply respectful of her. I barely remember what they talked about, other than reminiscing about the roles they had together and how much they’d like to do them again. 

They sang a duet from Amakakeru Kaze Ni which I didn’t get to see, but all my fan acquaintances kind of lost it... apparently it was a good one. Komu forgot the lyrics partway through... but even the way she apologized to him and the way he responded was absurdly sweet and adoring. 

Speaking of sweet tweets, after his appearance he wrote, “Komu-chan is an expert dancer and constantly seeking out greater depth in her acting. She’s also a pure, unadorned natural airhead (haha). She’s a lady I just can’t help but love.”

Seriously, their energy is something. If they got married tomorrow I’d be like “yeah ok.”

Ishikawa Zen:

Guested twice in the same day in Osaka. WHAT A SWEET KIND LOVELY MAN! I could listen to him talk all day, he’s one of those people who walks around in a contagious cloud of gentle positivity.

They’ve only performed together once, but apparently he and Komu’s older sister (who has worked in some capacity related to the theater business since before Komu entered music school, I had no idea!) were classmates, so they’ve spent a lot of time together at group gatherings unrelated to work. 

Lots of reminiscing about Elisabeth, featuring Let’s Drag Koike-sensei Part 2: one time he had Zen practice minute variations in his standing posture for two hours while Komu waited on them (she did an adorable impatient bounce in illustration). This particular drag sesh went on for a good 10 minutes. 

Komu described herself as hideous during rehearsal. I don’t believe you, Komu.

Zen had watched the previous Takarazuka versions of Elisabeth to soak in as many viewpoints as possible in preparation for his role. So when he met Komu his first thought was “Oh, Rudolf is here!”

NY came up again. Zen said he saw and loved her Roxie. Me too, man. 

Favorite story: one day while Komu was waiting in the wings concentrating heavily and gearing herself up to go out for an intense scene, Zen walked by and yelled a line from Susano-o at her.

They sang Yoru no Boat, and gaaawwwwddd. They got so deep into it they both cried. Zen just has incredible emotive power in his face. His eyes were visibly watering when the song finished, and Komu took one look at him and went WEEEEEEEEEH. The second time she didn’t quite burst into tears, but she said that every time they sang that song during Elisabeth she wanted so badly to apologize to him. 

After each guest’s solo, the dance team does a scene from La La Land before Komu comes out for her final number, which is a gorgeous flowing barefoot dance to an original song that the music arranger Mori Toshio composed for her. Her dress is mint and white chiffon with crystals and no sleeves or back... so you can see her amazing boneless arms and beautiful back muscles, and the rest is like water flowing around her. I know I’m beyond hopeless off the deep end fan trash, but I swear I saw her whole career in it and felt all her thanks in it. I LOVE THIS WOMAN SO MUCH IT HURTS.

If anyone made it this far I’m... slightly concerned, but have some pictures from the show’s twitter

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 22 of Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure, in which the Cures learn that Captain Shalala has supposedly been spotted in Skyland.

The episode begins with Tsubasa playing with Ellee, while the other three Cures and Yoyo are checking in on Skyland. Beryberie enters the call, informing the group that Captain Shalala has recently been spotted in Skyland. Despite multiple eyewitnesses, there’s little information, as the Captain would suddenly disappear just as quickly as she appeared. Mashiro encourages the guard to continue investigating matters.

Later, Mashiro notices Sora writing in her notebook and asks what she’s writing. Sora explains that she’s copying over the message Captain Shalala left for her into her notebook, having not felt confident enough to do so earlier. Sora admits that she’s been having doubts, noting she isn’t sure if she could keep going as a hero if something had happened to Shalala, and thanks Mashiro for always being there to support her.

Sometime later, the Cures are returning from shopping for dinner ingredients, when Sora spots Captain Shalala and chases after her. Sora eventually catches up to Captain Shalala at a construction site, before Shalala suddenly turns around and points her sword at her before vanishing.

Battamonda appears, revealing the Shalala that Sora was chasing was just an illusion. Sora demands to know what motivated Battamonda to play such a cruel trick, with Battamonda admitting he’s been holding a grudge against Cure Sky ever since their confrontation at the Skyland Castle.

A Ranborg emerges from underground, and Sora transforms. Cure Sky asks Battamonda why he doesn’t just confront her directly if he really wants his revenge that badly, but Battamonda seems unfazed. Cure Sky initially seems to do well against the Ranborg, but then Battamonda decides to reveal what he used to make this particular Ranborg. A familiar cape appears on the Ranborg, and along with the sword it is carrying, Cure Sky is horrified to realize that Captain Shalala is trapped within the Ranborg. Battamonda also informs her that any damage the Ranborg takes will also harm Shalala, leaving Cure Sky unable to bring herself to act.

The other Cures come to Cure Sky’s rescue, with Cure Butterfly using another combination of colors from the Mixing Palette to heal Cure Sky’s wounds. As Cure Sky comes to, she stops the other Cures from attacking, informing them of the situation with Captain Shalala. Cure Prism comforts Cure Sky as she tearfully admits she doesn’t know what to do. Cure Wing and Butterfly figure that all they need to do to free Shalala is purify the Ranborg, and try to get it into a position to do that. They’re about to try it when the Ranborg gets its sword stuck in the ground, but Ellee suddenly realizes something and screams at them to stop.

Battamonda comments that she seems to have seen through his ploy. Battamonda explains what happened right after his and Cure Sky’s confrontation at the castle. He discovered Captain Shalala, badly wounded, but still alive. He infused her with Undergu Energy, trapping her in the Ranborg, but also keeping her alive. If the Cures purify her, her wounds will re-open and she probably won’t make it. With the Cures shocked by this revelation, Battamonda decides he’s done enough for now and he’ll come back to finish them off later, leaving and taking the Ranborg with him.

After the battle, the Cures try to figure how they can possibly save Shalala, with Ageha suggesting maybe if she uses the healing power of the Mixing Palette immediately after the Ranborg is purified, then maybe that’ll work. However, Sora is unconvinced, asking what will happen if they don’t act quickly enough in such an event. The Cures try to convince Sora to help find other solutions, but the incident has shaken Sora so badly she can’t bring herself to think about fighting against Shalala. Her spirit broken, Sora’s Mirage Pen fades away, while her Sky Tone turns gray...

Well, that was quite the episode! Poor Sora. The Cures have a difficult fight ahead of them. I’m certainly curious about how they’ll tackle this situation. Also, we got a new ending theme. It was nice.

Looking forward to the next episode!