#aoi kanzaki render

[hellohimawarihana]

Aikatsu! School Stage Uniform Acrylic Stands (Ichigo Generation).

[raelyn-dreams]

Enstars Updated Ages (as of 12/2024)

(Plain Text and Info under the cut, as well as new HiMERU age spoilers)

31-33: Jin Sagami.

29-31: Akiomi Kunugi.

21-22: Rinne Amagi, Nice Arneb Thunder (Sanda Yoshihide).

20-21: Rei Sakuma.

19-20: Eichi Tenshouin, Wataru Hibiki, Chiaki Morisawa, Kanata Shinkai, Tatsumi Kazehaya, Nagisa Ran, Hiyori Tomoe, Shu Itsuki, Niki Shiina, Kaoru Hakaze, Nazuna Nito, Keito Hasumi, Kuro Kiryu, Leo Tsukinaga, Izumi Sena, Ritsu Sakuma, Tsumugi Aoba, Madara Mikejima.

18-19: Yuzuru Fushimi, Hokuto Hidaka, Subaru Akehoshi, Makoto Yuuki, Mao Isara, Mayoi Ayase, Ibara Saegusa, Jun Sazanami, Mika Kagehira, Koga Ogami, Adonis Otogari, Souma Kanzaki, Arashi Narukami, Natsume Sakasaki, Anzu, Kaname Tojo.

17-18: Tori Himemiya, Tetora Nagumo, Midori Takamine, Shinobu Sengoku, Hiiro Amagi, Hinata Aoi, Yuta Aoi, Tomoya Mashiro, Mitsuru Tenma, Hajime Shino, Tsukasa Suou, Sora Harukawa, Hitsugi Kurone/NEGI.

16-17: Aira Shiratori, Kohaku Oukawa, Esu Sagiri.

15-16: Ibuki Taki.

14-15: Fuyume Hanamura, Raika Hojo.

12-13: Kanna Natsu.

HiMERU Spoilers!!!: 19-20

Unknown: Seiya Hidaka, Gatekeeper.

Info / Explanations for the Curious

All ages are from ES2 Era (two years after !).

While Jin and Akiomi's ages are currently listed in !!/ES1 Era as 31-32 and 29-30 on their profiles, respectively, these ages are not widely agreed upon, due to them not lining up with the Main Story's stated ages (which would be one year younger for each). Therefore, I used a wider range encompassing both of these possible ages.

Rinne and Niki never attended high school, and Niki therefore did not graduate with any of the ! Era third years, while Rinne would have been a third year during the War, had he attended.

Rei was held back due to his time abroad in his second year, making him one year older than the other ! Era Yumenosaki third-years, which he graduated with.

Tatsumi and Ritsu were both held back in their second years, due to Tatsumi's hospitalization and Ritsu's chronic absences due to his condition and lack of motivation, making them one year older than the other !!/ES1 Era third-years. Therefore, Ritsu recently graduated from Yumenosaki at the end of !!/ES1 Era March, while Tatsumi graduated from Reimei Academy around the same time.

Kaname was a first year alongside Jun during the Reimei Revolution (while Tatsumi was a second-year). Therefore, had he not been rendered comatose, he would have graduated Reimei Academy with Jun at the end of the !!/ES1 Era, making him the same age as the other !!/ES1 Era third years.

Hitsugi was admitted to the producer course during !!/ES1 Era as a second year, much like Anzu the year before, placing his age as the same as the other current !!!/ES2 third years. (While Hitsugi is 17-18, NEGI identifies as his older sister, likely putting her conscious around the age Hitsugi's original older sister died).

As of Ephemeral Festival, HiMERU is confirmed to be 19-20. This tracks with Akira's impossibly mature writing of children & babies (10-month-old Rei remembering specific details of Ritsu's birth, 3-year-old Hiiro speaking in full complex sentences about philosophy, etc), the possibility of Kaname being an affair baby (HiMERU ran away after his father's remarriage specifically; his father could have cheated on his mother before she died), the fact that HiMERU needs to be younger than Rinne (stated in internal monologue), and general Enstars timeline weirdness.

Seiya and Gatekeeper's ages are unknown, though they are typically estimated to be slightly older than Jin and Akiomi (mid-late 30s), with Gatekeeper seen as older, due to Gatekeeper's long history with Godfather (while Seiya is still an active idol with a late-teenage son).

[prof-kenny]

[heyiwrotesomethings]

Hello Maddy, nice yo greet you I would like yo ask you for a request for head cannons for Shinobu o Aoi where the female reader is turned into a fluffy animal by a demon techinique. Thank you very much again, take care!!!

Turned into a Fluffy Animal by a Demon Art Headcanons

Shinobu Kochou x Reader and Aoi Kanzaki x Reader

A/N: Hello! I tweaked it a bit and went second person pov on this. Seems easier for headcanon format for some reason. Hope you like these!

Shinobu Kochou

• If Shinobu hadn’t seen it happen herself, she wouldn’t have believed it, but there you were, rendered a trembling, furry ferret right before her eyes.

• She made quick work of the demon after that.

• She was dismayed that you didn’t turn back right away. She hoped you would only have to wait for the sunrise, but until then you were going to have to deal with the changes. You and her both.

• Don’t be offended, but she doesn’t want to touch you directly, not like this. When she finishes folding up and packing away your clothes from where they lay in a rumpled heap on the ground, she left your haori out.

• She was thankful that you still seemed to have your own mind and that you were able to understand her. She asked you to hop into the center of your haori so she could wrap you up and carry you home. She was not about to have you snatched up by an owl or some other carnivorous creature on her watch.

• The thought of touching your fur made her shudder, but she still spoke sweetly to you, assuring that if sunshine didn’t help, she would not rest until you were back to normal.

• The girls back home collectively lose their minds when they hear the story. Shinobu has to remind them that, even though you are a cute little ferret, you are still you and should be treated with dignity and respect.

• That being said, she still let them tie a cute bow around your neck.

• She feels bad for laughing, but you looked so funny jumping around! And you made the strangest little noises too!

• Shinobu does not want to leave you alone, not tonight when you are so small and vulnerable. She will allow you to stay in her room, but she will not let you under the covers. There are some lines that cannot be crossed when you’re a wiggly, furry and admittedly smelly little thing.

• She did leave you your haori nearby to curl up in instead. Even she had to admit you looked cute while you wiggled beneath your haori, trying to find the most comfortable spot.

• She tried to stay up with you in a show of solidarity, but she was so tired from the mission that she ended up dozing off in the end. She did wake up a bit when the sun began to shine upon her face through the window and she squinted, sitting up slightly to check on your condition.

• She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw you were human again. Sleeping soundly and curled on a tight ball using your haori as a blanket.

• She plucked the furry garment off of you pinched between two fingers and tossed it in her hamper with a shudder.

• Then she took her blanket and draped that over you instead, gently pushing your hair from your eyes.

• Shinobu got up, got dressed and went to go look for your clothes that she had asked a Kakushi to wash the night before.

• Once you wake up, expect her to tease now that the ordeal has past and you appear no worse for wear. More often than not it’ll be about you sleeping naked on her tatami floor than the actual ferret event that caused that to happen in the first place.

Aoi Kanzaki

• Aoi had awoken to a frantic light knocking upon her door. She stumbled out of bed, and yanked the door to the side, ready for whatever could possibly need her attention this late at night.

• She did not expect to find Kanao sweating profusely, a fluffy dog standing by her side. Aoi could not believe you had been turned into a dog. She refused to believe it. But Kanao was not one to pull pranks.

• She knelt to the ground in front of the dog and held out her hand. The dog in turn rested the side of its head against her hand. She couldn’t really explain why, but at that moment she knew that it had to be you.

• Aoi decided that she could handle you on her own, at least until Shinobu got back from her own mission. So she thanked Kanao for getting you back safely and dismissed her to sleep after the chaotic night she had gone through with you.

• Aoi knows you are still in there, that being said, she doesn’t know how to act with you like this. Would it be offensive to pet you? She had to stop herself from talking to you like you were an actual puppy quite a few times. It felt kind of embarrassing.

• But if you were to duck under her hand, she would take the opportunity to give you a good rub down while also muttering how ridiculous the whole situation was.

• She decides to wait for Shinobu’s guidance before going to the lab. She may be just a little worried that she’ll somehow make it worse. But also, deep down, she thinks you are very cute as a dog and wouldn’t mind spending a little time with you like this. As long as it isn’t to your detriment of course.

• I think Aoi could have had a dog or even some farm animals with her family before she was rescued by the Kochou sisters. Given that the Butterfly Mansion is devoid of furry or otherwise marked unsanitary animals, she might really like having a valid excuse to have a dog around.

• She’ll let you sleep in her bed that night. She probably won’t outright invite you, but maybe get comfortable and pat the empty spot she left for you to curl up in.

• In the morning, she’s a little disoriented, but the events of the night before come flooding back with crystal clarity when her fingers weave through your fur. The sun hadn’t been enough. She would need to see if Shinobu made it back yet.

• But maybe she’d give you a few belly rubs and smile over how your tail wagged in your sleep before she would wake you up.

• Predictably Shinobu is not pleased to have a dog in her lab, but knowing it’s you and how important you are to Aoi, she tries to be as kind and patient as she can. Even if she sees that you’re shedding all over her floor.

• Shinobu managed to rework the antidote she used on Natagumo into something that will work for you. She leaves everything to Aoi from that moment forward. Aoi makes sure the clean the whole lab to show her gratitude.

• Aoi spends every moment with you while you heal that she can without neglecting her duties.

• Once when she got back from the infirmary, she found you being made to play catch with the younger girls. She wanted to scold them for making you do something so demeaning, but she knew that if you really didn’t want to do it, you wouldn’t. So she let it go, instead calling you over for your next dose of medication.

• It took a week before you were starting to look like yourself again. The in between stage of dog and human was a little off putting, but Aoi had stuck by your side and made no indication that she was weirded out in the slightest. She helped you get dressed, eat, test out your vocal chords… anything that you seemed to be struggling with she was right there to help.

• Another week, and you were completely back to normal. Everyone was relieved, but probably none more so than you. You had better thank Aoi for being so attentive to you. She may not out right say so, but she appreciates the recognition.

• She does however, miss the warmth and comfort of your fur, but if you’ll still have her as a cuddle buddy she will not complain.

[lizzy-of-the-valley19]

Fall From Grace, Right Into Your Arms.

Summary: An angel had fallen out of the sky, straight into his arms. Her lovely, glittering amethyst eyes met his wide, soulful, burgundy ones. She thought of how they reminded her of the sky at the blush of dawn. And at that moment, something within them sparked a brand new start on feelings they never knew existed. Oh, how she felt wonderstruck right then, marveling at how pretty his eyes were..." Or rather, this one time where Tsuyuri Kanao's 'superior motor reflexes' did not work. Set in Kimetsu Gakuen AU.

Note: This is very self-indulgent so here’s my first take on one certain sunshine lad and butterfly lass. Shoutout to @sparkleswritings​ for being so patient with me on beta-reading this work. thaaaaankkkk youuuuu so much I couldn’t have done this without your help T_T Also, thank you very much Manu of @tankanaweek2020​ for kindly giving me permission to use the prompts and motivating me to greenlit this! And I’m sooo sorry this came in verrry late and for some marginal errors! But better late than never, right?  Hope you enjoy lovelies! :D

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She thought this was the end.

Time flowed around her as if in slow motion yet fast, all at once. The girl was startled by a loud ‘snap!’ from a loose tree branch that she has been holding on to guarantee her safe descent from the cherry tree. And just her luck, she suddenly lost her footing and slipped. With a startled yelp, gravity took over her body as Tsuyuri Kanao felt herself slip away from her hold. For once, her fast reflexes and nimble body were rendered useless when her anxiety suddenly kicked in.

She'll have some broken bones, a few bruises, and cuts, maybe even some blood (she hopes not) all over her body. Her Kanae nee-san would be worried sick and would fuss over her nonstop. Shinobu nee-san would still do the same but she'll give her one hell of a lecture full of poisonous quips. And oh dear, Kanao does not want that. They would skin her alive, that's for sure if she had not died here first.

Had she lived a life with no regrets? Were the last sixteen years of her existence worth it? Will she meet her biological parents in heaven? What or who would she reincarnate into, she wonders. Would the words "Cause of death: A bad fall due to a misstep from a broken branch of a cherry blossom tree" be etched forever in her death certificate? She feels ashamed, this is embarrassing compared to those who died fighting disease and war!

At least those baby sparrows didn't get hurt and were placed back safe and sound , she hoped that their mother would find her nest soon. Kanao doesn't mind if she'd die knowing that she'd rescued something or someone. What a pretty sight, the last thing that she sees on Earth is this old cherry blossom tree in full bloom.

Ah, perhaps that she might become a spirit and haunt this tree to watch over her sisters and the other students at her school. Is this one of those, "When your whole life flashes before your eyes," moments that she has often heard from movies or books?

But here she was right now, her face and skin getting scratched from tree branches and her body was slowly hurtling towards the ground from a 30-foot drop. As she braces for impact, she instinctively wraps her arms closer over her chest, scrunching her eyes shut as the ground approaches nearer and nearer.

How did she get into this mess anyway?

*20 minutes earlier*

"Kanao, I'll be going home earlier today. Mom needs me to help her at the diner because you know… today's Friday and more customers are going to pour in during suppertime. Are you sure you're gonna be okay on your own?" Kanzaki Aoi queried her friend as she adjusted the straps of her bag, slightly worried at her. Club sessions were already done several minutes ago, and the two had just finished cleaning the clubroom.

Kanao shook her head, smiling a bit. "Thank you, Aoi. Besides, I'll be fine! I'll just wait for Shinobu nee-san when she's done with her club activities. I'll lock up the clubroom for today." Aoi was about to say something when a sudden chime made the pigtailed girl flinch, fishing out her phone from her skirt pocket.

"Oh dear, Mom's already calling for me! Gotta run now, bye! And tell Shinobu-sama I said congratulations on passing her exams!" She began to dash to the door, muttering about 'orders' and 'customers'.

Kanao waved at her retreating figure, slightly amused at her friend's antics.

Shortly after Aoi left, the clubroom seemed to be quieter now. The distant holler of the students from sports clubs doing their drills outside is all she can hear at that moment.

Oh… she's now all alone. She still has a bit of time on her own.

Kanae nee-san was still at the meeting with the faculty. Shinobu nee-san, meanwhile,  was still at the Biology room where she convened with the rest of her fellow Pharmaceutical Club members, no doubt testing another poisonous chemical that they had just concocted with ingredients only-God-knows-where came from.

Gathering her things, she exited the Flower Arrangement Clubroom and locked it.

‘Perhaps I'll go to the old cherry tree at the back of the school.’ she mused.It was spring, after all, and she wanted to see what it would look like when it blooms in full swing. The sun was already setting, casting the sky in a rosy hue, basking her surroundings in a warm, golden glow.

By the time she had arrived there, she felt her breath take away at the lovely sight before her. The delicate pink petals fell to the ground like snow, their scent bringing in the fragrance of the new season. The windy breeze swayed the branches slightly, dancing along the springsong. Spring was indeed her favorite season. The flowers blooming, the sweet sakura mochi that she and her sisters would always share while celebrating Hanami, and the warm weather were the few things that she loved about spring. Kanao feels her heart swell with bliss. For her, such moments like these are the ones she cherishes the most.

She also remembered, her sisters would always fawn over spring, gushing that this season was the best time to fall in love for the first time-

"Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!"

"Eh? Birds?" A loud chirping noise interrupted her train of thoughts. A few feet away from her, a fallen nest of baby sparrows laid haphazardly on the ground, no doubt being blown away by the wind. It seems that the thick carpets of grass and cherry blossom petals had somehow cushioned the nest's fall, miraculously rendering the chicks still alive and yet.. Helpless. The girl approached the nest and picked it up gently, making sure the little birds wouldn't get hurt in the process.

"Poor little things. I'll bring you guys back up to the tree, I'm sure your mother is looking for you..."

She craned her head from left to right, checking to see if anybody was around. It would be very improper of her to climb a tree if someone saw her - she'll be damned if it was Tomioka-sensei, their P.E.teacher, and school disciplinarian. The latter had the reputation of hunting rule-breakers like a crazed shark on shallow waters. And she was still dressed in her school uniform with an above-the-knee skirt. If some poor unfortunate soul would see what's under it, she'd made sure that they would never see the light of the day again.

After making sure that no one was indeed around, she slipped off her loafers and started to climb the tree while her one hand held the nest securely. Luckily the tree's trunk had a lot of bumps so it is easier for her to climb the way up. Though she did struggle a bit along the way, she reached near the canopy of the cherry tree successfully.

"There." She spotted a nearby branch dotted with buds, thick and sturdy enough, she remarked. "That'll hold them." she thought, and she pulled her body up to the said branch, sliding the nest to the branch until the twigs held them secure. Kanao smiled, feeling accomplished that she put the baby birds back where they belong.

Now that both of her hands are free, she moved to begin her way down. But suddenly her sock-clad foot took a misstep on a knobby part of the trunk and the branch that she held on to broke. Unfortunately, it was a thin, hollow branch and it broke on her tight grip. Shoot, she should've removed her socks back then to avoid her from slipping. But it was too late - losing her balance, Kanao felt her right hand getting scraped as she slipped off the branch, her body slowly hurtling to the ground the same way the cherry blossom petals fell…

*Back to the present*

No,no,no,no,no,no,no… These words were repeated on her mind like a broken record. This is it, she's going to die, this is the end. But a part of her wished that she wouldn't die yet. She wanted to see her older sisters again, to spend more time with them. With her fellow club members, Aoi, everyone…

"WATCH OUT!" She heard a voice from somewhere down below, but what happened next was not one that she was expecting.

The sudden thud of a fallen branch, the wind picking up, and a person groaning and wincing in pain-

Instead of falling onto the hard, solid, grass-covered ground, she felt two strong arms holding her back and the back of her knees. She landed on a body, a man’s to be exact, judging by the hardiness of it. She gripped his broad shoulders a bit too strongly, her body instinctively seeking an anchor to hold on to. She still scrunched her eyes shut, adrenaline pumping in her veins wildly, her breathing ragged.

"Are you alright, Miss? That was quite the fall that you had..." the words died by his throat as Kanao snapped her eyes open. This time, she felt her breath taken away for the second time that day the moment their eyes met.

Her (unexpected) savior was a young man about her age; with messy, slicked back maroon hair, a noticeable scar on his forehead, and hanafuda earrings dangling on his ears. But one feature that stood out the most is his eyes - wide, soulful burgundy ones that reminded her of the sky in the blush of dawn that seemed to shine against the sunset's golden rays. He stared at her with his lips parted, almost in disbelief that this random beautiful girl fell right into his arms.

As if on cue the wind picked up once more, sending the petals scattering on a graceful dance on the air. Her heart thumping wildly, all she can hear is her heartbeat ringing loudly in her ears. She and this handsome stranger looked at each other, her wide amethyst eyes meeting his dawn-red ones. Their faces were only centimeters apart, noses almost touching. She was rendered wonderstruck, marveling at how lovely his eyes were, his gaze was magnetic and deep as if they saw each other's souls at that moment, beckoning-

The school's last bell snapped them out of their reverie, breaking whatever spell that was cast in that ephemeral moment. The realization hit them like a ton of bricks as she just processed what happened: she crash-landed on some random guy and fortunately caught her ungraceful fall from the tree. With a yelp, she flailed off his arms and the young man grunted with an 'oof!' but still he helped her down, albeit a bit too unceremoniously.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!!! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She flailed, oh dear spirits, she hoped that whoever caught her was alright or she has broken anything! Really, what was she thinking?!

"No, no, no, it's really alright! I'm okay!" The young man in front of her flailed his arms as he helped her up. Their eyes met again, this time a hint of crimson dusted their cheeks. The two instinctively averted their eyes, too embarrassed at the events that just happened. For her being caught by a random stranger was rather shameful and for him, he was rather flustered of the girl before him.

A few beats later, Kanao gathered herself. She slipped her loafers back on and gathered her bag from the ground. With newfound courage, she apologized to him once again. "I'm sorry! I've crash-landed on you… Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere? Did something break? I'm very, very sorry!"

To her surprise, he chuckled. "It's okay, I promise! Don't worry, I've had worse. I have a friend who loves to roughhouse with me and boy, it's like I'm fighting with a wild bear or a four-legged beast!"

"I... I see..." Kanao raised her hand but she suddenly flinched, feeling a sudden shot of pain, particularly at her right palm.

"Your palm, it's bleeding..." He noted, and she raised it. He was right - a gash was blooming on it, slightly bloodied due to the broken branch that she held on mistakenly earlier that caused her (literal) downfall. Thank goodness there were no splinters. She touched her wound gingerly, wincing at the slight pain. "Ow..."

"If you don't mind, can I tend your wound for a bit?" The red-haired lad implored. Kanao was about to refuse when he fished out a handkerchief with a forest green and black checkered design from his pocket.

"Don't worry, this one's clean! My little sister, Nezuko, made this handkerchief by herself! This should stop the bleeding in the meantime," He stepped closer to her. Then he proceeded to wrap her wounded palm gently, making sure that it's not too tight. "There we go..all done!"

"Th-thank you….” she timidly thanked him, gently prodding her newly wrapped palm.

"It's no problem at all!" He cheerily replied. She looked up to him and he gave her a radiant grin - the kind where his eyes crinkled at the corners, the dimples on his cheeks showing. Kanao felt her heart skip a beat.

'He's such a kind person… He looks adorable with that smile of his-'

Wait, what?

"By the way... what were you doing up there in the tree?" he queried with his brows raised, pointing at the canopy above them.

"Oh! I.. uh.. I was returning the baby sparrows' nest there," she said, motioning for him to follow where she pointed on a branch that's quite… high. She gulped, he wasn't kidding that she'll quite have an incident, heaven forbid. Right now, the mother sparrow was now back on the nest, feeding her chicks with the food she brought for them.

"I see! Good thing I just came by, I was just about to head to the front gate! Who knows what could've happened to you or the nest, I mean, that's quite the drop, don't you think? You should be extra careful next time!" he chided her, but with no bite. His light-hearted tone somehow reminds her of Kanae nee-san admonishing her sometimes.

"I couldn't just leave them here on the ground..." Kanao trailed off, pushing a stray strand to her ear. She looked shyly at him.

"Oh… You're very kind to animals, Miss... Ah, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Kamado Tanjirou, a first-year student! Nice to meet you! " He bowed, albeit sloppily, and took out his hand, which made the girl in front of him giggle.

"Tsuyuri."

"Eh?"

"Tsuyuri Kanao. Second-year, member of the Flower Arrangement Club. Um..." she gathered herself, "Thank you! For.. um, catching me, I mean. And for treating my wound!" she frantically clarified, and took his extended hand.

"You're very welcome, Tsuyuri-senpai..." Tanjirou's crooked yet bright smile once again graced his features, directed at her only. Once their hands made contact that inexplicable tingly and fluttery sensation coursed through their veins once more.

It’s like earlier, the moment our eyes first met.  

They just stood there, his dawn-red eyes meeting her amethyst ones, both of their lips drawn into a soft smile. In that ephemeral moment, she felt something piercing her heart, perhaps the season was getting on to her. She must admit, this feels nice…. Is this what her sisters meant about spring?

He was the first one to relinquish his hand from her hold. For some reason, she's now missing the warmth in her hand.

"It's gonna get dark soon, we should head home, huh?" She heard him mutter. She silently agreed, now trailing beside him. Leaving one last glance at the blooming tree, they left the place together. Tanjirou was now enthusiastically talking about bread and the bakery that his family owns. As they approached the school gates, Kanao already spotted her two elder sisters there, waiting for her.

"Oh, Kanae nee-san and Shinobu nee-san's already there," she remarked.

"They're your sisters?!" Tanjirou exclaimed.

"That's right!" she quipped, giggling a bit at his bewildered expression.

"Yoo-hoo, Kanao! And oh my, Kamado-kun too!" Kanae cheerily waved at them. Shinobu greeted them with a smile too. But when she spotted Kanao's wrapped right hand, her eyebrows shot up. She looked at her little sister in question. Kanao pursed her lips guiltily, mouthing "Later."

"Well then, I'll be taking my leave now! I'll see you next Monday, Kochou-sensei! Shinobu-senpai! And..." Tanjirou paused to look at her, smiling crookedly at her again. "Tsuyuri-senpai!" With a wave, the red-haired lad trotted off.

Kanao waved at him, whispering, "Take care..."

Once Tanjirou was out of earshot, two pairs of hands immediately fell to her shoulders and she turned to see her two sisters smiling sweetly at her. Kanae's eyes were shining with excitement and joy. Shinobu, meanwhile, smiled at her graciously too, but her expression literally said, “Explain or I’ll extract from it to you forcibly”.

Oh no. Once intrigue swept over them, they would never stop.

"My oh my Kanao. Care to tell the story between you and Kamado-kun, hmm? And what's up with your wrapped hand?" Shinobu said sweetly but laced with a little apprehension.

"Ahh! Shinobu, spring has finally come for our cute little sister, I'm so proud of her~! Let's eat some sakura mochi for dessert later, we have lots to celebrate for tonight!" Kanae passionately declared while she grabbed Kanao in a one-armed hug.

"Nee-san! We have to treat her wound first!" Shinobu said exasperatedly, raising her little sister's hand for her to see.

"Oh my~! Kamado-kun did a great job patching her up, no? I'll give him some extra points in the next class for this! He deserves a reward for treating our cute little sister~!" Kanae ignored her younger sister's quips, too excited that her Kanao had finally found a friend of the opposite sex (and a potential little brother too!)

"Isn't that a bit too much, nee=san? And you, Kanao, I didn't know you're now canoodling with rule-breakers? I see that boy running into trouble with Tomioka-sensei all the time!" Shinobu quipped.

"N-no! It wasn't anything like that!" Kanao stammered, her cheeks and ears now fully red.

Kanae giggled. Then she wrapped her arms around their shoulders, with Shinobu on her left, and Kanao on her right. "Let's go home now shall we? We can tell each other's stories tonight! I'm also curious about what happened to you Kanao. Shinobu, take it a little easy for our little sister, she's now starting to bloom and broke out of her timid shell!"

The two butterfly girls sighed but smiled fondly at their elder sister nonetheless. "Yes, nee-san.."

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"I'm home!"

"Welcome back, onii-chan!" Tanjirou's little siblings, Hanako and Shigeru, greeted their eldest brother, running up to him for a quick hug. The oldest Kamado sibling immediately hugged them both tightly.

"You're a little late than usual today Tanjirou-nii chan, did something happen at school?" Hanako questioned after he set them down.

"Well..." he averted his gaze, picking on his blazer until he found a stray small cherry blossom flower that somewhat got stuck in his breast pocket.  Ah, a small remnant of that 'little incident' a while ago… and her image suddenly flashed in his mind

"An angel from the sky fell right into my arms and she had the most beautiful eyes that I've ever seen..." Tanjirou unknowingly mused, holding the small flower in his fingers with a wistful smile.

Hanako and Shigeru tilted their heads at their elder brother's mysterious words. “What are you talking about nii-chan?”

Instead of answering, he just patted their heads lovingly. "Ah, nothing. Let's help mom prepare dinner, shall we?"

~End of Prompt One~

[techouspeaks]

A Review Of Something: Aikatsu

Idols in virtual reality? I take a look at Aikatsu and the next review will be of Aikatsu Stars! Warning, this review may contain spoilers.

Anime genre is full of idol anime. It’s been a big hit for a while and truth be told, it’s hard to tell when it started, but the one that kick started the idol anime craze of recent would have to be Pretty Rhythm. I would say Macross Frontier except the whole idol thing didn’t seem to really kick in after that.

What made PR stand out was the fact that idols would have special jumps during their dance performances. (Plus they were figure skating.) Not long after, Bandai would create a series that gave PR a run for it’s money, to where the successor of PR, Pripara would seem to copy it and that series is Aikatsu.

Aikatsu stands for “Idol Activity”. The series takes place in a school where young girls would learn to sing, dance, and create virtual costumes to perform on a virtual world stage. That’s right. Virtual reality. When people put on on these ear phone sets, they’re allowed to see a virtual stage that can take place anywhere and see a special aura on the idols. Each aura is different to each individual idol.

Instead of sewing dresses, the dresses are made in these cards and set in a wardrobe like computer, in which the character goes through to the virtual stage. The dresses pop on as the girl goes through each of the card pieces, creating the complete outfit. Each card comes from a brand, either of other brand makers or by her own brand. Each brand has a different theme of their own, such as Angel Sugar is cute with frilly outfits and Love Moonrise with a celestial theme that is mature and romantic.

The first series centered around Ichigo, her friend Aoi and Ran as they attend one of these special schools for idols, Starlight Academy. Ichigo is unsure of being an idol at first but later starts to be more into it, as she performs with the greatest idol of Aikatsu,  Mizuki Kanzaki. Together they go through hardships, happy days and days of hard work as they become better idols and better people in general.

As time goes on, new young idols show up to take the place of Ichigo and her friends as they graduate and move on in Season 2 and 3.

 So, it’s basically your run of the mill slice of life with idols in a virtual setting. How does it hold up? Well, I’ll go on with some of the things I don’t find bad but it does make the series a little weak and that’s the characters and over all story.

The characters aren’t bad but the main cast most often feel one dimensional. Ichigo and her successor, Akari are positive, happy go lucky leaders. Major differences is that Ichigo is more down to earth and at first, didn’t want to be an idol but changed her mind after seeing Mizuki perform. Akari is more clumsy and naturally wishes to be an idol from the start. Then you have the mature ones Ran and Sumire, the bubbly and hyperactive ones Nina and Otome, ect. Most of the time the characters just feel like a type than a character, with a exception of few such as Yurika, Rin, Hinaki and Mizuki.

I’m not saying they’re bad. In fact, I do like Mizuki and Hinaki, (blonde hair girl pictured above) which are of the few characters that don’t feel too one note or a character you’ve seen. It’s just you’ve seen many these characters before and kinda know what’s going to happen to them. They’re charming at least, just not really that deep.

And as interesting as Aikatsu is in the first three seasons, story tends to get stale at times, repeating lessons you already know, due to season 2 and 3 starting off with new characters. That’s another issue too. There’s so many characters and they try to make them different but often feel a little flat at times. The only thing I will says that at least in terms of style, they do try to make character seem a bit different. Like Nina and Otome are twins practically in personality, but Otome’s theme is candy and fruit, while Nina is monsters and cute mechanical toys. They have different likes at least to change it up, though not by much.

However, even as I say this, I will say I prefer following these characters than most characters in other idol anime such as Love Live and Idol Master. I couldn’t get myself attached to many of the characters in Love Live with the exception of two and most of the time, the characters in both Love Live and Idol Master sound so whiny, I don’t even care what their personalities are. I just either want them to sing, because they sound less annoying surprisingly when they sing or just shut up. With the Aikatsu characters, I at least don’t feel annoyed or feel hatred towards any of them and again, I like more characters in this than any of those series.

Oh and there are some interesting plot lines. In some episodes they do a random mission, in which something will happen like a character becomes a vampire and it’s up to the main heroes to stop them and turn everyone back to normal. Or the school upholds a special stage where a character is sneaking in somewhere trying to steal something. Usually these episodes are in there because acting is part of the idol activity, as idols have a character of themselves. Basically a persona of themselves. That and they help the character physically or emotionally sometimes.

Those episodes are usually the ones that stand out because it happens unexpectedly and they’re the most fun to watch episodes.

The things that do make the series stand out for me especially is the animation and how it improves over the seasons, the designs of the outfits and the songs. 

The animation does improve in time, which is a good sign for any series in general. The 3D animation used in performances starts out pretty crappy, but as seasons progressed, the rendering becomes so much better.

The designs of the idol costumes of Aikatsu is gotta be the best designs I’ve seen in an idol anime. They try to make each one different and fitting to the person that wears that brand the most and it really shows.  Mizuki’s (purple hair girl in the pink) brand Love Moonlight and Love Queen are one of my favorite designs. 

(Anime above is Love Live)

Lot of idol anime tends to have either designs that are way too flashy and frilly, they all look the same, plain or too much sex appeal...Seriously, there is nothing sexy about middle school and high school age girls. Even Aikatsu, who has a “sexy type” brands, least are more settle! The characters least don’t have large boobs and some of the skirts are actually long. 

 Aikatsu sometimes goes over the top and sometimes the idols may have to wear similar outfits, but for the most part, they put in enough detail and unique flare that makes the designs flashy but still appealing to look at and respecting the character’s own style. That and again, they don’t try to make the characters over sexual, even with midriffs and the skirts. You can tell they’re just trying to sing, dance and do a good performance. I dunno if it’s just because the age of audience is different between those anime and this, but it’s rather refreshing to see an idol anime that doesn’t focus in on boob shots, don’t have moments that seem a bit perverted and having characters that don’t look like they have water balloons stuffed in their bra.

The songs in Aikatsu are awesome. While you’re not going to expect Celine Dion range of vocalization, you can expect some catchy tunes that...Big shocker! Aren’t all love songs! They sing about other things besides first crushes, wanting someone to fall in love with them and partying.

That’s one thing that often turns me off about a lot of these idol anime. Most of the time, the songs in other idol anime are nothing but love songs with occasionally one or two songs that may be about something else. While they’re not all bad. In fact, as stated, I do like it when Love Live u’s and Aquors sing, but how many songs about love can you possibly write? 

Aikatsu songs are different. Some sing about love but most subjects range in achieving one’s dreams, working hard, relaxing and enjoying life, something about the character’s trait, telling a story, positive feelings, dealing with negative feelings, parting from friends or loved ones, being grateful for what you have, growing up and moving on. They sing about different things and often the song matches the character’s that sing them. That’s what I love about Aikatsu songs. They don’t feel like a broken record and all sound different and unique. 

That’s what makes Aikatsu songs more memorable than most other songs. I like the music from other idol songs but you’ll more likely find me humming a song like Precious, over a song from Love Live or even Pretty Rhythm any day.

So with further a due, I award Aikatsu a good 7 stars out of 10. The characters can be slightly one dimensional at times and the story can be flat sometimes but the characters are charming, they don’t sound whiny and the songs, animation, concepts and designs are all the more worth going through the weaker sides. Put on your best dress and see for yourself!

7 Stars

Level: Great!

Next, will the successor of the first series be better than it’s predecessor? Find out, as I review Aikatsu Stars! 

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Aikatsu! Office Girl Acrylic Stands.

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Aikatsu Premium Rare Dresses in EEO Store (Ichigo Generation version).

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