#tokyo opera city

[yuko-a7]

想像の語彙

2023.9.12

9/10の日曜日、「山下清展 百年目の大回想」を観ようとSONPO美術館へ。

11：30頃着いたらまさかの大行列で160分待ち！

行列嫌いなので、即予定変更。観たかったけど仕方ない…。最終日とはいえ全くの想定外でした。

「前売り買っていなくてよかった…」と一緒に行った子と言いながら新宿でランチし、その後、京王線沿いのカフェでお茶して、また新宿に電車で戻る途中、車内から野又穫氏の絵のポスターが並んで貼ってあるのが見えたのです。

『オペラシティで展覧会をやっているのかも？！』とスマホで調べるとその通り！

初台で降りてすぐ観に行きました。

以前も展覧会や個展で作品を拝見していますが、何度観てもすごい！　凄すぎる！

とても緻密に描かれているので、あり得ない建物に圧倒的なリアルさが生まれ、不思議な世界に引きずり込まれる感じです。

山下清展は観られませんでしたが、思いがけない幸せな結末が待っていました。

[its-to-the-death]

Battle of the Gingers Wave 1 Preliminary Round #26

Whoever gets the most votes moves onto the next wave

[emaadsidiki]

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No.1 (Tocho)

[amg3xik]

JOE HISAISHI FUTURE ORCHESTRA CLASSICS Vol.4

[tokyo-fashion]

“Takada Kenzo: Chasing Dreams” Exhibition

Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery from July 6th to September 16th, 2024.

[gyustarzzi]

ateez taking you on vacation

★ hongjoong

- Paris, France - takes you on an expensive date - will beg you to go on a night walk to see the beautiful lights, probably the most beautiful city you've ever seen - way too many photos for you to count - probably took a photo of you without you knowing and has it as his lock screen

" Isn't it beautiful tonight? "

☆ seonghwa

- Bora Bora, French Polynesia - the trip was originally for just the group but when he found out he could bring you along of course he couldn't say no - gets a two-bedroom premier beachfront villa estate (WHICH IS HUGE) - you guys go scuba diving and reef discovery with the other members - will dare you to do parasailing, which you both end up doing and let's just say it didn't end well. you get hit in the face by a bird

" I dare you to do the parasailing, if you do it then I'll do it "

★ yunho

- Rome, Italy - you guys go to a lot of historic tours through Rome (Colosseum, Roman Forum) and art-filled institutions (Vatican Museums, Galleria Borghese) - yunho takes way too many photos of you and him during your trip - you guys almost get lost in one of Roman's catacombs, but don't worry you guys get out soon...somehow - probably will go back next time you go on vacation

" Oh shit..I think we're lost Y/N '

☆ yeosang

- London, England - he probably would go back bc he loved the city so much - takes you everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE (it's his only time to spend time with you all day) - can't stop fangirling over every photo you take of yourself - probably proposed to you at the top of The London Eye, if not then he would just kiss you

" Since you've been around I smile a lot more than I used to, and that's why I love you "

★ san

- Tokyo, Japan - goes to a lot of anime stores and buys way to much stuff - you guys not only go to Tokyo Disneyland but Tokyo Sea Lif Park!! - get to play with cats at Hogoneko Rafu Space and you guys end up adopting a ragdoll named mocha - not only do you get to spend time with San for a whole week, you also get to go home with a sweet kitty!

" She's perfect for us, let's adopt her! "

☆ mingi

- New Zealand - there are so many things to do in New Zealand so of course he would pick to go there - you guys would go to the glow worms cave, which you find so pretty but mingi is afraid they will fall on him (they won't) - you also get to take a tour around the Hobbiton movie set, mingi's treat - you do a lot of more fun stuff during the week you have together (Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Ride in Queenstown, Waitomo Caves & Te Puia in Aucklund)

★ wooyoung

- New York City, United States - the members were on tour in america and one of their stops was new york city - you ended up flyng down there and surprising wooyoung at his hotel - you guys do a lot of sightseeing: the statue of liberty, summit one Vanderbilt, and you went on a cruise - at night you and the members would go out and have fun...maybe get drunk

" This view is amazing, it feels like I'm about to fall "

☆ jongho

- Sydney, Australia - you've always wanted to go to australia, so jongho decided to surprise you on your birthday - you spend a whole week there going shopping, sightseeing, playing in the water with jongho and having the best birthday ever (Darling Harbour, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Opera House, etc.) - at the end of the week (your birthday) all the members, and your friends surprise you a birthday cake - you end up with the cake smashed into you face. wooyoung definitely didn't do it..

" You got a little something on your face "

[killuasghost]

SLICES OF LIFE # ！︎

↠︎ plot + warnings: hcs on college!jjk men with f!reader roommate and their many adventures with one another!

↠︎ featuring: nanami, toji, choso, gojo, and geto

↠︎ continuing my college!jjk series and we're starting with this! i love the idea of reader having her own relationship with the boys and vice versa!

➞︎ it isn't often that you guys get to go on adventures together.

➞︎ most of the time its a bunch of mini side quests with one another at different times.

➞︎ when you have afternoon classes, gojo and geto are usually finishing up their day as well.

➞︎ which turns into the three of you taking the train into tokyo, blowing gojo's money on sweets and food.

➞︎ sometimes you guys catch a car meet on the off chance y'all end up on that side of town when its happening (a/n: i hc the group to be into cars but geto, toji, and choso are the biggest gear heads)

➞︎ some days, you and nanami spend mornings together.

➞︎ mostly spent in the nooks and crannies of libraries or by the window in a bakery/cafe.

➞︎ sometimes, when you guys have book club, he'll put together a picnic for the two of you.

➞︎ there's a garden with a bunch of Japanese maple trees that the two of you found once.

➞︎ it's y'all's secret third spot. 🤫

➞︎ surprisingly, choso started tagging along with you to toji's practices/matches after a couple months of you doing it.

➞︎ while you were focused on the 'pr' side of things for the boxer, choso took on the role of sparring partner.

➞︎ so now, you had not one, but two gym bros on your hands as choso started hitting the gym srsly.

➞︎ don't worry, it's not always a fist fight with those guys.

➞︎ choso is always finding some new spot to try, mostly art or herbal shops, and toji drives while you tag along for the ride.

➞︎ meanwhile, toji's always finding some mountain to hike! gd its exhausting keeping up with him sometimes!

➞︎ but they're the only two to stick around for when you have your 'bring it on' marathon, so you endure :)

➞︎ geto is in the tattoo shop late at night some weekends and whenever you're available, you pop a squat on the comfy futon he has in his space and chill.

➞︎ he appreciates the company whenever he's working on a client after hours or working hard on designing a new piece.

➞︎ he uses you as a gauge for when he's been working too long. if you've been silent for more than an hour, he knows it's time to wrap it up.

➞︎ gojo is a slut for his monthly massages. he got you one as a birthday gift one year and y'all have been going together ever since.

➞︎ he's always the one you're trying bazaar shit with. cos why tf did he fire up the private jet just so the two of you could visit the blue lagoon.

➞︎ in ICELAND btw

➞︎ toji secretly likes to cook.

➞︎ like loves to cook actually.

➞︎ you only found out when it was just the two of you at home one weekend (nanami on a business retreat with geto, gojo visiting his family (begrudgingly he says), and choso went camping with his brother's) and toji threw down after the joint sesh y'all had.

➞︎ i mean the spread was spreadin'

➞︎ he swore you to secrecy, cooking was smth he didn't want the other's taking advantage of (he's just scared of rejection ((that wouldn't happen)) 🙄).

➞︎ one time y'all took a dessert class and learned to make matcha swiss rolls 🤤

➞︎ toji looked cute in his lil apron and hat ;)

➞︎ choso invites you to art exhibits with him and drags you along to the newest infrastructure being built in the city

➞︎ there's a local pottery/glass blowing shop in downtown Sendai, that the two of you frequent to make clay pottery.

➞︎ at some point, choso designs the most beautiful sculpture out of clay and all of you show up for he showcases it at his first art show!

➞︎ you were the sculpture

➞︎ every once in awhile you guys link up for a group activity.

➞︎ its usually toji's fights but most recently you guys went to the opera!!!

➞︎ geto somehow ended up on stage for a brief moment but that's a story for another time cause 😅

FREE PALESTINE, CONGO, SUDAN, EVERYWHERE !!!!

[servampofprocrastination]

Servamp Real-Life Locations

Hey folks, I'm going to Japan at the end of the year, and I'm looking to find some irl Servamp places to swing by/pilgrimage through. So far, I'm pretty certain of the Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall being the location of Licht's concert (obviously not expecting to get *inside* without a ticket, but. Outside will be good enough, right?)

Has anyone else done research on this already, and can help me compile some other locations?

[byghostface]

Hello there ghostface!!, I was wondering is Nika still working with or for Lord death man?,is she an anti hero??, I'm really confused about these questions so I was hoping you could help answer them^^, I hope I'm not bothering you too much and have a great day/night!!

Is Nika still working with or for Lord Death Man?

Nika is not working with or for Lord Death Man now. She has taken over his criminal empire and has been running it after Lazarus Island. Nika is working with the empire and not for Lord Death Man but for herself, and she thinks of herself as a newly minted Tokyo crime lord (she had dethroned him).

-[Robin(2021) #17/ Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution]-

Currently, it's possible for her to leave the Lord Death Man empire behind because she thinks that managing people is boring ("And I'm not really that much of a people person."). She wants to slow down a bit to let herself live a little besides killing, to rekindle her old hobbies– painting and opera.

We don't know if she truly leaving the LDM empire, she just said she found an excuse (to find her sister) to get away from it. Plus the Ra's Al Ghul ghost business is not done, so she might still need to stay in charge of LDM's criminal empire for resources and connections.

I do think that Nika remains her control of the criminal empire and couldn't leave it anytime soon, even if she might want to take a break from running the criminal empire and killing.

-[Batman and Robin(2023) #7]-

Is she an anti hero?

I think she can be counted as one at the moment, although in the future I don’t know what paths or choices she will take. There are hints that she might have the chance to kill to achieve her goal (for protecting the people she loves). The reason why she doesn't do it in Gotham is out of respect for Batman because that's her boyfriend/crush's father. And she knows Damian is against the killing after the death tournament.

("I know this city is your baby and everything, so I'm paying respect to the man of the house before I start breaking heads all over your city.").

Then again, Nika told Damian that he had proven/taught her "Life can be more than just being really good at killing people". So it's likely that she has considered Damian's words and done the killing less than before or stopped the killing in the meantime (we have not yet seen her killing people in the comic after the death tournament).

At the end of the day, Nika is still a pretty isolated teenager trying to learn to live with her power and everything else in her circumstances.

-[Robin(2021) #11]-

-[Batman and Robin(2023) #7]-

In the comic, Batman had specifically told her that no killing in Gotham and she accepted it. Nika had respected his rule and kept her word.

I personally think that Nika would stop her actions of killing eventually because of how much Damian is against it (he sort of changes her thoughts and redirects her away from killing), but she would still be involved in the criminal empire for some time because that's the system she had taken over and supports her current life.

Thanks for reading, I hope this has answered your confusion. Have a great day/night anon! :] b

[rosielefay]

USUK ʚɞ

America and England in the country club, at the ballet, dining at the top restaurants of Mayfair and Manhattan. Always busy, eternally working. The two would rarely stray too far from their economic centres. The phone never more than a reach away, the work laptops present every vacation. And they're taking calls every second of the day, rarely can one converse with them without an interruption, some important business going on half a world away.

Yet England is very old, and like all of Europe, decaying a bit. Like an old cat, he'll go away quietly to die, disappearing for weeks to sit in his old country manor alone. Being with America and the city, it makes him feel alive, but there are times when the centuries catch up and the fatigue sets in. America will visit: he'll boil kettles and put the bbc ballet on and feed the cats and water the flowers - he'll love a ghost for a little bit.

Then it's back to the opera hall, private jets, the conferences, the reports. The making out in meeting rooms and silk ties and cotton shirts all over the hotel rooms - Washington, London, Paris, Tokyo. So much money and lust and greed and each other, only ever each other.

Then its back to the dark hallways of the old house: the cobwebs, the mould, the family portraits; pale skin and dry eyes, grey under the cheeks and clouds over the iris. The garden flourishes, France sends a bouquet, the black cashmere jumpers and dark slacks hold off the cold. It is hard, sometimes, loving a dead thing.

But eventually the markets go up and a breath is taken, and its back to hotel rooms, white powder on the desk and clothes on the floor and the headboard is banging and the phone is ringing and ringing.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Multiple Thrupples are Forming

June 2023 Wk 2

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 8 of 10 - Emotional blackmail from the ex notwithstanding, I guess it’s Pat’s turn to break hearts. I have to say Up was really well cast in this part - extremely believable. Well done all around. Jeng is so smitten, so awkward, so cautious, yet so sharp when it comes to a seme confrontations. I LOVE how sensitive Jeng is to the fact that he has a one-sided crush but also deluded by how much he wants the fantasy of the relationship. The agonizing roller coaster we watch him go through in this ep did a lot of work to elevate and expand his character. (Oh hi Green!) Poor Pat: thinks he’s teasing his straight boss, is actually slow dancing with future husband. Happens to the best of us. 

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 8 of 10 - Don’t kiss someone else. Just argh. Dumb plot divice. I expected better of you LP. Everyone is so overdramatic and overreacting. I wonder if (in addition to all of the other tropes this narrative is scrutinizing) it’s examining bisexual identity through Pat + his ex? Like, this episode is actually about trusting the bisexual to choose his gay lover when he has the so called “option of being normal.” That soulmate is an allegory for gayness & identity & choice (and whether we even have a choice in who we love and are attracted to) and the interplay all of this has with one's own perception of self and other's perception of you… Or am I giving it too much credit? Meanwhile... l flipping adore the love triangle twist, and really wonder if they’re gonna have the guts to take this aspect to its inevitable triangular conclusion. Such a good show. 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 4 of 10? - Screw all y’all, I’m eloping with Pair & Max. We forming a thrupple and pretending Jittirain doesn’t exist. Trash watch here. 

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 4 of 6 - I love the high school boys so much it’s scary: flirting, biting, frankness, roughhousing + lap sitting! Also messy high school gay triangle. Gah. All of this for little-old me?! I was mad every time we jumped forward in time (to the adults) or whatever the hell is going on. Thank goodness this is only 6 eps. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

 Love Tractor (Korea Weds iQIYI) eps 3-4 of 8 - I LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT IS EVERYTHING. SHUT UP I AM FERRIL FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CITY BOY & HIS YOUNG FARMER. Come on. Korea. Have mercy? Plus some language play? Slayed. Right... the episode; This show reminds me so much of a Korean style Restart After Come Back Home. I’m not even slightly mad about it. It’s the BL I didn’t even know to ask for. Soap opera tumble and baby in hospital is SUCH a princess moment and I am living for it. Although the reversal is even cuter, princess turns out to be a caring tsundere Dom. And then obligatory water-hose frolicking! Oh, stop, you. (Allegory much? i being to think hose spraying is just another way of BL saying... well... hose spraying) AND “there is only one bed but they slept together on the floor together anyway”. These boys are hitting all my favorite tropes. BL please never lose your sense of childish wonder. And... the hose spraying is nice too.  

Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 1 of 8 - Based on a NSFW yaoi, this is a reunion romance that takes place in an office. Look, this is a weird little 2nd chance at love that reminds me a bit of Our Dating Sim. But it’s more traditional yaoi office romance with evil boss and inter-departmental politics. The leads are cute childhood (almost) sweethearts and I adore it unreasonably already. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 6 of 12 - Vertical video prod is stupid. I’m sorry young people. Stop it. BUT the cuddling is cute. Christ BV can kiss. Is there anyone he doesn’t have amazing chemistry with? Oh the sunshade trope I haven’t seen that one in forever. Also clearly his character has a type, and that type = ultra-bitch. 

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 2 of 6 - It’s fine. 

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - Oh dear. Baby is hurt and rejected. Faen fatal knows her competition is a boy, she also knows what jealousy looks like. But this baby has his own boy. This is all feeling rather Thai BL. There’s even an ep 11 of DOOM coming up next.

It’s Airing But ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I’m not bothering but the first one did drop.

Ever After (Pinoy ????) - I got nothing.

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) 10 eps - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?*)

Boys Love Omegaverse (Japan ????) - honestly tho? Who tf cares? You’ll still tell me if you find it, because inquiring minds... Irony of this airing at the same time as Takumi-kun. Full circle much, Japan?

Ended This Week

Tin Tem Jai special showed up on Gaga as ep 11 & 12 under the original show. (Indebted to spies reporting in.) Also on YouTube. What was that I just watched? Did I watch something? Was there anything? I suppose the bathtub scene was cute. Subs are bonkers. Seriously. Do. Not. Bother.

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan) - pay attention TTJ THIS is how you do a special. But I’m gonna do a series review, here ya go: I was always gonna love the show if they stuck to the manga (which is very dear to my heart). And they did, paralleling it almost exactly. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. Possibly too slow for some but definitely high up there for me with the best of what Japan can do (like Restart After Come Back Home), it’s only flaw (if I dare say such a thing) is that it is not really “romantic.” Lovely & sweet but the romance beats are being used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy, it’s OK with me, but not totally BL. 9/10

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting this Week

6/22 About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy movie from 2022 on Prime) - A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student.

6/24 Tie The Knot AKA Under the Same Sky (Pinoy movie on Prime) Trailer - I guess Prime is coming for our Pinoy BL? From OXIN Films (Rainbow Prince), announced for 2022 based on a true story, Briggs's family runs a bridal business but he has never had a chance to fall in love until he meets Shao, a groom to be.

6/24 Why You (Khmer BL ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series or where it will air.

6/25 Dinosaur Love (Thai iQIYI) Trailer 5 eps - from Ultimate Troop about a uni student, Rak, whose partner cheats on him with Rak's best friend. This gives bad boy hazer Dino an opportunity to hit on Rak at last. From The Yearbook people so I will not watch this as it airs. After Remember Me? Never again with them.

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Step by Step knocked it outta the park this week. 

Stupid Genius (speaking for all BL) 

No baby. Pretty much every human on the planet would react that way. (Love Tractor) 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? IVE’s I Am 

[violetganache42]

Highlights from tonight's movie night celebrating some of the different teams Donald has been a part of in categorized and chronological order (I honestly like this format. I might stick with it):

"Boat Builders":

Good news: The short has subtitles! Bad news: They're not in English, so you still can't understand what the fuck Donald is saying.

Donald: "Yeah, even a child can do it!" Godfrey: "Even Della could do it!"

justaboot: "god's third choice after the 3 stooges"

Max's mother has been found

"The First Adventure!":

Bradford Hate Club

Ludwig appearance!

puffywuffy8904: "he's serving whatever the opposite of cunt is" WriteBackAtYa: "So di—"

(I love this screenshot. 😂)

The reference to Della's letter

WriteBackAtYa and I being on the same wavelength

Eat the rich uncle (Sorry, Scrooge, but I had to. XD)

"You can't mute me, old man!"

RIP Donald's guitar

The Temple of Doom parallel!

PAPYRUS

"Treasure of the Golden Suns" easter egg!

"fragile old body"

POGO CANE

Black Heron doing the smug anime girl laugh (You know what I'm talking about.)

"I'm the chosen one!" Pure Deweycore

"So long, suckers!"

Just Black Heron in general (She's a fun villain. lol)

DONALD KILL

Us ranting about Bradford using the Papyrus of Binding to escape like the COWARD THAT HE IS! WHY WE OUGHTA— COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE—

If I had a nickel for every time Black Heron lost her robot arm, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

Me: "BEAKLEY YOU FOOL" Godfrey: "YOU FUCKING FOOOOOOOOL"

"The House of the Lucky Gander!":

Louie "I do hate hot dogs" Duck noticing the neon lights shaped like a hot dog

"We're all gonna die! I'VE WASTED MY LIFE!"

Launchpad deserves his own episode dedicating to his love life

Gladstone Hate Club

Scrooge looking at the camera like he's on The Office

puffywuffy8904: "gladstone you have a haircut shut up"

Huey autism moment

Just how bored and tired Dewey, Webby, and Scrooge were after seeing Aquarioon

Dewey and the jade tigers

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

27!

Webby's love for chocolate fountains

"And a distraction."

Scrooge: "I don't even get to be part of the blasted challenge?" Huey:

Real-Life-Pine-Tree: "Roasted duck anyone?" Me: "'Danny: I'll have the duck.'"

Louie's motivational speech

"Where did that come from?"

Us @ Liu Hai: RIP bozo (at least until DuckTales World Showcase Adventure)

The underwhelming Golden Cricket and how fucking bored and exhausted the family was

"Mt. Fuji Whiz":

LotTC basically being DuckTales on crack

Me: "Hell is a city. Where have I seen that before? 🤔" Godfrey: "Hazbin Hote—[gunshot]"

My idea of Clinton and Webby bonding over Clan McDuck history

Missy thirsting for Panchito

The return of the Ari the Autism Bird!

Xandra and the nieces in general (They're some of the best characters in the show. ^^)

*The Three Caballeros are stuck in the Underworld* AMJ: "We have a very simple solution." DT17!Huey: "This doesn't feel simple."

Jack Skellington moon

Donald saying the Karen phrase

Xandra and Charon clothes swap

Panchito being "that" guy

The Sheldgoose family tree taking notes from Goofy's family tree regarding the relatives' designs

IN THE PLUMS!

Clinton hugging Donald 💖

Tokyo? LIKE IN DUCKTALES!

"Potatoland":

Dreamy: "SEE HE HAS 27 FINGERS" Me: "27!"

POTATOLAND! POTATOLAND!

"Mickey, I am fed up with your bullshit devil magic."

Praising Mickey's characterization in the Paul Rudish shorts

Donald's blush

No more Idaho

Just the whole short in general. It's the best. XD

"Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers":

Black Arts Beagle's Musketeer cousins

puffywuffy8904: "they wanna be Scrooge soooo bad"

Donald being, and I quote Jamie, "a punk bitch" in this movie

The return of Pete Hate Club

"Whoa, he's bisexual, I didn't know that!"/"By the way, I'm bisexual! I forgot, I- forgot to announce it! How do you turn this shit off- wait-"

The entire opera gag

Clarabelle appearance!

Dreamy pointing out the parallels how Pete is to Minnie what Bradford is to Scrooge

In the Hall of the Mountain King

"Why did the music stop?"

"Together, we'll save the princess or die trying!"/"…Die? …Die?"

melcat33: "Minnie discovers she's into bdsm"

WriteBackAtYa and I quoting Philip CD-i Legend of Zelda

The turtle trying to be the rooster from Robin Hood at one point

"That little diddy's starting to grow on me."

Pete referencing The Lion King

Donald FINALLY unleashing his iconic temper

melcat33: "Goofy finally being Dad Material" WriteBackAtYa: "But he was daddy material"

(Look what you made me do! /lh)

Pirates of Penzance

"Not long… maybe… 40 years?"

The movie ending with the fucking Can-Can

Learning about how Tokyo Disneyland had Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as the Three Musketeers and they all looked AMAZING (Why does Japan get all the cool shit?!)

[ultrawalflower1212]

Haikyuu music headcanons pt 1

Asahi:listens to those lofi playlists that help with anxiety

Tanaka and noya:have a soundcloud

Yamaguchi:listens to Conan gray and peach pit Kai dreams

Yachi:girl in red beach bunny clairo king princess sir chloe hailey kiyoko

Daichi:anything on the radio

Suga:stoner music I’m talking Tyler the creator salvia plaith front bottoms

Tsukki:everything but I feel like he hasn’t gotten over his emo phase he has playlist for every emotion

Hinata:pump up music like early 2000’s party music black eyed peas lmfao anything you can jump around to

Kageyama: heavy metal or affirmation tapes no in between it’s either “I push my fingers into my eyes “ or “you are enough “ no in between

Ukai:classic rock and grunge Rolling Stones led zeppelin guns and roses AC/DC pink floyd nirvana

Takeada:classical and bubblegum pop it’s Beethoven or carley Rae jepson

Enoshita kinoshita and narita:chill indie cuco post malone cage the Elephant Rex Orange County mom jeans

Tanaka and noya: chaotic rap like rap in general but specifically chaotic Freddie dredd BOOGIE by brockhampton Tokyo’s revenge Tik Tokers start a riot by Duckwrth bonfire by childish gambino also a lot of female rappers cardi b Rico nasty Doja cat megan the stallion city girls

Kiyoko: you know the violin song from portrait of a lady on fire that idk like incredibly chill or straight up opera and classical

Saeko: riot grrrl and paramour queercore

Terushima: is in a band plays guitar listens to the neighbourhood arctic monkeys cigarettes after sex.

Bokuto: think Hinata but more memey weird al

Careless whisper by WHAM! Definitely rick tolls people has a Spotify playlist for Akaashi they definitely do that thing it’s like shared listening where you and a friend can choose the songs you both listen to they also have multiple collaborative playlists together

Oikawa: three moods bad bitch Kpop or depresive very much Beyoncé ,fergie Rihanna ,meg the stallion ,Ariana grande ,blackpink ,BTS , TWICE,EXO,ITZY,NCT, mamamoo,got7,hyuna,taemin miss A and sunmi or billie elish and as the world caves in

[pretty1npnk]

Ever since she hit the mainstream internet in 2017 through her ever-popular YouTube channel, Chouka Aikawa has been fashion's favorite It girl. However, fashion isn't the only thing she's good at. She's a designer, a businesswoman, a former ballerina, and more recently, an idol. And she's taken the industry by storm. From her debut in the States to her debut in South Korea, Chouka has proven that she can really do it all, positioning her as the world's next pop princess.

𝜗𝜚 ... BASICS.

BIRTH NAME ... Aikawa Chouka

ENGLISH NAME ... Love Rose Antoinette Aikawa

BIRTHDAY ... March 14th, 1999

BIRTHPLACE ... Milan, Italy

HOMETOWN ... Kyoto, Japan // Azabu-Juban, Tokyo, Japan

ETHNICITY ... Japanese

NATIONALITY ... Italian-Japanese-American

𝜗𝜚 ... PHYSICAL.

HEIGHT ... 5'8" 1/2 (174 cm)

WEIGHT ... 119 lbs (53 kg)

BLOOD TYPE ... O

PIERCINGS ... N/A

TATTOOS ... N/A

FACE CLAIM ... Minatozaki Sana

𝜗𝜚 ... CAREER.

COMPANY ... Republic Records // Flowerbank Entertainment S.Berry Media

DEBUT DATE ... April 5th, 2024

YEARS ACTIVE ... 2024–present

FANDOM NAME ... Rosettes (로제트 // ロゼット)

COLORS ... #FFA3B9 // #FFFFFF

𝜗𝜚 ... BACKGROUND.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … ONE. IF I WAS A RICH GIRL

Aikawa Chouka was born on March 14th, 1999 in Milan, Italy. And unlike most in her field, she was born into immense wealth and prestige. Her father, Aikawa Chujirō (also known as Michael Aikawa), is the current president and CEO of the Aikawa Group. Originally founded in 1969 as a technology conglomerate, the company sold its shares twenty years later for $20 billion, turning itself into a sprawling holdings company. Owning mostly luxury brands (including Versace), they also own multiple department stores in the United States such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s, and even Paramount. The Aikawa Group has been touted as the “Samsung of Japan,” and with a net worth of over $480 billion, the Aikawa family is the richest in the world.

Meanwhile, Chouka’s mother, Nakamura Aiko (also known as Liliane Aikawa) is an accomplished, London-born actress and designer, as the founder of luxury lifestyle brand Lily by Liliane, as well as a socialite, art dealer, and former model. Aiko was born into a family older and wealthier than her husband’s (or at least that would’ve been true in 1990), and is the only child of Nakamura Hiroaki, the president of the Nakamura Foods Company. Founded all the way back in 1909 (although the Nakamura family was rather high up in Japanese society generations prior), the food packing conglomerate is worth over $20 billion. Like her husband’s family, Aiko’s family also owns a department store, having acquired ownership of the Tokyu Department Store in 2009.

Obviously, Chouka grew up in the lap of luxury. Living in Milan for the first five years of her life, she attended a Japanese international school and learned her native language of Japanese, along with Italian and English. In 2004, Chouka and her family moved to Kyoto. And due to her family’s wealth, they would spend a lot of time moving.

During the summers of 2009 and 2010, they would live in three separate cities: Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. Starting in 2011, they would live in Singapore for a year. And finally, in 2015, the Aikawa family would move for the final time to the wealthy and fashionable neighborhood of Azabu-Juban in Tokyo. Chouka completed her final two years of high school there, and was involved in quite a few extracurriculars. She was a cheerleader, a member of her school’s tennis team, and she served as editor-in-chief of its newspaper club. Chouka would move again in 2016, but without her parents this time. She spent that winter at a boarding school in Switzerland, like most rich girls of her caliber.

By then, Chouka was a seasoned ballet dancer. At the age of three, she was placed in classes by her mother at the request of Chouka’s grandmother. She attended two separate ballet academies at some point: the Dutch National Ballet Academy and the Paris Opera Ballet. For years, Chouka believed that she would become the world’s next prima, but the universe had different plans.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … TWO. DRESS TO IMPRESS

For the most part, Chouka’s childhood was normal. However, when you have a designer for a mother, you tend to get dragged to a whole lot of fashion shows. At the tender age of thirteen, she attended her first show for Dior. And it wasn’t just that, either. Chouka grew up watching her grandmother order couture from Paris and Milan, she would be gifted old pieces from her mother, and her father even gifted her Louis Vuitton for her tenth birthday. After that Dior show, however, Chouka’s entire world changed.

She became quite obsessed with fashion, and she would spend hours flipping through fashion magazines or rummaging through her mother’s closet. All the balls and launch parties and red carpet events that Chouka would attend with her family changed her outlook on fashion, and after she was scouted by a modeling agency at fifteen, her interest only grew. She attended Fashion Weeks in Tokyo and New York, and modeled for brands like Betsey Johnson.

Chouka kind of knew that her career as a model was temporary, though, and her “true calling” was a fashion designer or journalist (courtesy of her mother). With the rise of the beauty guru, Chouka’s interest in fashion blogs, and all the time she spent on Instagram, however, she decided that, instead, she would become social media famous.

In 2015, Chouka launched a blog of her own: Love Moda. This was unusual for her family, as like the real-life, Japanese rendition of the Young family from Crazy Rich Asians, they were notoriously private. They would sporadically appear in news articles, Aiko would give the occasional magazine interview solely for brand reasons or to promote a new project, and Chujirō mainly limited his media appearances to business publications. Obviously, though, Chouka had vastly different aspirations. Love Moda was mentioned in an editorial she did with Tatler, and that kind of exposure—plus the fact that she had money—made interest in her blog skyrocket. By 2016, it had amassed over 10,000 readers.

By the next year, Chouka had cemented herself as a somewhat of a “baby influencer.” Despite the invites to Paris fashion shows and the articles being written about her in Vogue, however, she was far from mainstream. Her small legion of fans wanted her to be, though. Chouka was asked to start a YouTube channel by one of them, and so on May 19th, 2017, she did.

Chouka was already a bit of a “micro-celebrity,” so by the summer, her sizable following had transferred to her new channel. Her YouTube gradually begin to grow larger than her blog as the beauty community gained traction themselves, and her status as the “Aikawa Group heiress” was definitely a selling point, alongside her feminine, “rich girl” fashion and peculiar accent. By the end of 2017, the brand deals were beginning to roll in, and everyone was gradually starting to know her name.

In early 2018, a particular video of Chouka’s suddenly went viral. What followed afterwards was the exact mainstream fame that she’d been looking for. She moved to Los Angeles from New York and was scoring ambassadorships with the likes of Kate Spade, Nina Ricci, and even Prada. She was getting invited to award shows, launch parties, and was a seasoned Fashion Week attendee at that point. And by 2019, Chouka blew up even further. She was named “fashion’s newest It girl,” she made her way into the acting industry, and it was pretty much impossible to escape her.

2018 was also a rather difficult year for her, though. At that point, Chouka had been a ballerina for sixteen years. But with her rising career online, she knew that she couldn’t pursue her lifelong dream of prima stardom without giving up her YouTube career.

Although ballet would always have a special place in her heart, her career aspirations had obviously changed. Even then, though, Chouka was still training, and she still wanted to attend another ballet academy. But balancing that and what clearly transformed from a hobby into her way of life was asking for too much. So that year, Chouka hung up her pointe shoes and bid goodbye to ballet. That decision was a difficult one, but it was probably for the best, as her career as an influencer has done more for her than a ballet career ever would. And there was still a whole lot more in store.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 🩰 … THREE. ALL THE INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD

Within the next five years, Chouka would grow to become one of the best fashion influencers on the planet, with 11 million subscribers, over twenty brand deals, and countless successful business ventures to her name. Even with a billion dollar bank account, though, she—like most influencers nowadays—couldn’t help but branch into the music industry.

In late 2023, Chouka suddenly signed to Republic Records, unexpectedly promising her fans a music debut by the next year. And on April 5th, 2024, she fulfilled her promise. Debuting with the single “Girls Don’t Cry,” her debut was a smash hit. Surprisingly, it was received far better than the music of other influencers, nearly becoming a No. 1 hit and turning Chouka into an up and coming pop princess. Months later, she signed to Flowerbank Entertainment, which was definitely... a choice. Chouka was pretty much the only active artist under the label, but her debut was still fully-funded and massively successful. However, she only had two full comebacks afterwards, before she jumped ship herself. Immediately after her departure, Flowerbank was no more.

In October 2024, Chouka founded S.Berry Media, her very own entertainment company. As of now, she's the only artist underneath the label, but like everything she touches, it could quickly grow into something much bigger. But with complete control over her career and a vision like no other, Chouka's not leaving the industry anytime soon.

Flowerbank Entertainment belongs to @pinkscaped // @venusvity ... 𝜗𝜚

[dyinglikenarcissus]

Chapter 3. An Engagement for the Stars

5k words

Warnings: 18+ only. None really. Steve sees reader naked for the first time

There are some perks to dating a mob boss; private jets and first class seats, Michelin Star restaurants, expensive gifts. But the full production for your meet cute video had to take the cake. Steve has an area blocked off along the Hudson River that was just scenic enough that you would film b-roll there. There were hired extras to wander around and make it look real. Divers to ensure the journey of your phone once it hit the water. You didn’t need all of this but he wanted it to look as believable as possible. You guess movies are pretty believable when they aren’t over done.

You shiver under your coat while hair and makeup are done for you. You just flew back from Tokyo so you appreciated the early morning call time but it was freezing out in New York City. The two of you ‘met’ at the end of summer so now you had to dress like it was the end of summer with shorts and a light blouse. Steve was in a cotton polo and slacks, his arms wrapped around you while your lashes were done. He was like a furnace and you happily take his warmth.

“Alright, how’s that look?” You don’t even bother taking the mirror. Steve’s been your personal style critic.

He pulls his lips to the side as he scrutinizes your makeup. “Beautiful,” he finally smiles making you giggle. “You do good work. Thank you.” The make up artist nods and walks off leaving the two of you alone.

Steve pulls you into his coat while you go over the performance one more time.

“Do we do a dress rehearsal or do we just go for it?” Steve asks, rubbing his hands up and down your arms to warm you.

“Let’s just do it!” You grin up at him. You seal the new phone you got after you met Steve in a plastic bag and start filming a normal story time. You start going on about how you met Thor Odinson and walk along the water’s edge. It’s amazing there isn’t a railing or anything here…

Steve bumps into you on queue, sending your bagged phone flying over the edge of the rail and into the water.

“Shit! I’m so sorry!” Steve apologizes and steadies you by gripping your shoulders as the phone sinks.

You gasp softly and look up at him. He really is gorgeous. If this was actually how you met, you’d fall for him instantly.

Divers rush after it to ‘eat it’ with a fake fish and Sam calls ‘cut’ from his spot by the cars but the two of you are a little wrapped up in each other.

“You’re not going to jump in after it?” You ask the blond as your coat is brought to wrap over your shoulders and Steve’s is handed to him.

“I’m not getting in that water,” he laughs.

“If you really loved me you’d go get it,” you joke.

“I already paid someone to do it for me,” he counters.

“Trying to buy my affection?”

“Is it working?” Steve grins before tugging coat securely around you. “Let’s go home. It’s too cold out here for you.” You nod and tuck yourself back under his coat while the whole production wraps up around you. Sam hands you back your phone just as Bucky meets you at the car with Jethro in his arms.

“Was he a good boy for you?” You ask taking the cat.

“He was the best boy,” Bucky coos scratching him under his chin, making the cat purr for him.

Who knew getting him around all these hardened men would make him so docile?

“You two heading home?” Sam asks

“Yeah, I’m going to get her settled and take a nap.”

“We have that thing tomorrow,” Bucky grunts as you put Jethro back in his carrier.

“Right. Shit...Hey, star? You wanna go to this benefit opera art gallery whatever tomorrow? It’s for the kids or the rain forest or something?”

“It’s a Broadway production of Carmen for the refugees,” Sam explains rolling his eyes at Steve. “You don’t know what you’re donating to?”

“I know ten percent has to go or the feds will be up my ass. That’s what I know,” Steve smiles.

“I’ll go,” you smile and slide into the car.

“She’ll go,” Steve shrugs. “Go home. Get some sleep.” He instructs his friends before following you into the car.

“This is it,” Steve sighs placing Jethro’s carrier on the floor of a posh penthouse.

“It’s huge! It’s the whole floor? You live here all alone?” You ask in succession while opening Jethro’s carrier. He lets out a soft meow.

“Don’t worry, little man. I have you all set up in your mom’s room.”

“I have my own room?”

“Of course, star. I’m not going to make you sleep on the couch. It’s the whole floor. Sam and Bucky live downstairs. It’s the Manhattan place. I prefer the place in Brooklyn but what can you do?”

“How many houses do you have?”

“Fuck if I know. You’d have to ask Sammy. He deals with the finances.”

Wow. You can’t even imagine having so many homes you can’t even count them.

“You want a tour?” You nod and take his hand. There’s a kind of old world charm to the space. Like it was designed in the height of the art deco movement. Hand carved moulding and velvet textured walls decorate every room. Not to mention the furniture! Everything was gilded in gold and elaborate. There was nothing modern or simple about it. The building was obviously new with a car elevator in the garage and modern amenities so rent alone must cost a fortune. Decorating must have been another pile of cash on top of that!

“This is amazing,” you whisper as he shows you the dining room. Tall chairs surround an imposing table all framed by an enormous fire place.

“Thanks,” Steve laughs.

“Let me guess, Sam decorated too?”

“No, this was all me.”

“Really? You’re kinda stuck in the past, huh?”

“It was a simpler time,” he shrugs. “The old boss used to always called me a ‘man out of time’. I never really understood it until the decorator called my style ‘pre war’. Like World War II war,” he laughs at the statement. “I guess it is.”

“It definitely is,” you giggle. He pulls you off to an unassuming walnut door. It looked the same as all the others but he let you take the lead this time. “Is this me?”

“This is you.”

You can’t say you aren’t disappointed that the rest of the style doesn’t spill into your designated space but you would never really feel comfortable in that. Steve seemed to translate your style pretty well.

Clean lines, simple designs, a lot of grays, pinks, and blues. Yeah. You could live here. But the design doesn’t catch your eyes as much as the walls do.

You let out a delighted noise and point the the fixtures. “Is that for Jethro?” Steve nods and sits on the bed. You squeal and run over to the cat jungle gym attached to the wall. There’s tunnels and bridges, ladders and a running wheel all affixed to one wall and circling the ceiling.

“He’s going to love this. Thank you,” you smile stepping between his legs and resting your forehead to his.

“What about you? Do you think you’ll be comfortable?”

“I’ll survive, I guess,” you sigh with an air of disappointment.

“What can I fix?” He asks.

“That it’s all in New York,” you laugh. Steve just shakes his head at you and pulls you into a gentle kiss.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he mutters and kisses you once more. “Your bags are probably already in the closest. Get some rest, alright?” Steve holds your hips and moves you out of the way as he stands up.

“Wait. Where’s your room?”

“Double doors at the end of the hall,” he instructs while walking away.

You nod after him as he disappears out the open door.

-

“Get ready with me for the opera with my -eeek- fiancé! It’s still so fun to call him that. So, a lot of you have been asking how we met and it’s kind of a crazy story. I know you won’t believe it but I was actually able to get the video off of my phone because it uploaded to the iCloud!” You recount the manufactured tale while applying your make up at the bathroom vanity. It felt weird not to do this while sitting on the floor in front of your bed but you were going to take all the luxury amenities Steve was offering.

“So, anyway here’s my dress!” You hold up the designer dress you went to pick up that morning for the camera. “And I was thinking these shoes,” you hold up a pair that your brought with you. “But I just got this matching clutch and these shoes today,” you hold up another option. “Let me know your favorite in the comments! And as promised, the footage from that fateful day.”

You stop the video and sigh. You did a really good job on your on eye shadow for once. You'll have to remember this technique for next time. You admire it for a moment just as Steve walks in. Your eyes widen slightly at how good he looks in his navy suit. Fitted in all the right places. This must be how people get pregnant.

“Hey, movie star. You doing alright in here?” You nod up at him and he lets out an impressed whistle. “If I wasn’t an engaged man, I’d marry you right now.” You giggle and scoot over on the vanity bench so he can sit.

“You’re engaged to me, silly,” you joke and pick out a lipstick.

“Is that right? Maybe we should fuck the formalities and run away together,” he mutters pulling you into a kiss.

“This is your show, Steve,” you remind him and move to kiss him back but he frowns slightly and pulls away.

You pause what you’re doing to focus on him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he sighs.

“Nothing?” You repeat and let out a soft huff.

“I told you I’m not apologizing for this anymore so I’m not apologizing but…”

“Steve,” You pause and take a deep breath. “Whatever happened that day, it brought us together. And against all odds, we seem to get along pretty well. Let’s appreciate that.”

He hums softly but doesn’t meet your gaze. You watch him for a moment before going back to your makeup.

You must have said something right because he eventually presses a kiss to the back of your hand and watches your process.

“I should’ve just let you do your makeup yesterday. You look beautiful. But you have a great canvas, huh?”

“I guess,” you smile. He hums softly again and rest his head on his steepled hands to keep watching you.

“I’m going to change but don’t go anywhere, I need you to zip me up." Steve nods and you disappear in the closet. You return clutching the mermaid dress to you chest and holding the train up so you don’t trip without your heels.

You sweep your braids over one shoulder.

“Shit,” Steve whispers as you turn, around facing away from him.

“It’s a little snug so don’t be afraid to manhandle me.”

“Don’t say things like that,” Steve laughs darkly and steps behind you. “I won’t want to be good.” Your face heats at his words and you feel his hand at the top of your ass, steadying you, before he tugs up the zipper. “There. My gorgeous little star,” he sighs pressing a kiss to your temple. His hands grip your waist tugging you back against him. You look up to meet his lips and moan into a deep kiss. His hand cups the back of your head and he pulls you into turning into his arms. Your hands rest on his lapels, standing on your toes to reach closer his height.

Then you let out a soft gasp when his hand cups your ass. A feeling flutters from your stomach all the way down to your core and you feel moisture pool at the junction of your legs and you know all of you likes it.

But Steve instantly pulls away from you.

“Shit! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-I shouldn’t have-“ but you cut off his babbling as you press your lips back to his. You take his hands and guide them low on your hips. Giving him permission to feel all he wants.

“Fuck,” he groans against your lips and both of his hands run over your back side, gripping it possessively.

“It’s nice, huh?”

“It’s fucking perfect,” Steve chuckles and pulls you back into his lips.

“Gross! Break it up!” You hear Bucky call from behind you. You jump out of Steve’s grasp, cutting the make out session short. You look up at him and if looks could kill. But Bucky isn’t even phased by his best friend's daggers. “Let her go. We’re gonna be late,” he orders and marches out of your room.

You look back up at Steve and giggle. This must be what it feels like to be caught with your boyfriend by your parents.

“You’d think he runs this operation,” Steve grunts.

“He’s coming for your job,” you smile.

“He could never,” Steve rolls his eyes and places another kiss to your lips.

You had no idea this would be a star studded event. Honestly, you didn't know what to expect. You'd been to so many influencer events, you weren't exactly sure what a normal event was like. Normally it was a lot of hugging and selfies. This was all red carpet interviewers and actual press. You weren't sure how to conduct yourself but Steve easily took the reins, guiding you from one press reporter to the next then photos. The two of you looked great in your matching navy blue. And Steve was so patient when you had to take tiny steps in your body hugging dress.

"You look so fucking gorgeous," Steve sighs as he holds your waist for pictures.

You smile up at him. "Maybe you should marry me."

He chuckles and presses a soft kiss to your lips.

Bucky leads the way to the reserved balcony.

"I'm sitting back here and I don't want to see it," the brunet warns falling into his chair.

"Maybe we should switch. I actually want to watch the show," Sam suggests giving Bucky a pointed look.

"Whatever," he grunts. You don’t really mind. Both rows had a good view of the stage.

Steve sighs and is instantly on his phone. He obviously doesn’t care about any of it.

"What's this even about?" Bucky mutters. Steve shrugs without looking up.

"It's about a man chasing an unattainable woman,” Sam supplies.

"You'd know all about this, Buck," Steve mutters.

"Shut the fuck up, punk," Bucky barks back in a hushed tone.

"Who do you have a crush on?" You ask wanting to be a part of the conversation.

"Sammy's sister," Steve smirks.

"And if he even looks at her funny, he's going to fucking get it," Sam threatens.

"As if you could ever," Bucky chides.

"That's cute!" You giggle. "I want to meet your sister. She's probably gorgeous."

Sam hands you his phone with a picture of a woman and two boys. "That's Sarah and my nephews."

"She's so pretty! Your family is beautiful! You’ll have to get me her braider.”

A waiter comes by and drops off your drink orders and the lights dim. The orchestra starts a dramatic tune signaling the start of the show. Steve lets out an irritated sigh and puts his phone away.

“Not happy to be here?” You ask as he wraps his arm over your shoulder, pulling you toward him.

“There’s so many other things calling my name right now, little star.”

“Steve speak for ‘I’d rather be at home’,” Bucky chuckles softly.

“The Office, my bed, a bottle of scotch, all sound so much better than this.” He lifts your hand and presses a kiss to its palm. “Especially with my girl right down the hall,” he adds quietly, just for you to hear. You smile at his words and press a quick peck to his cheek but focus on the stage.

You’re not going to lie, you want to watch the show, too.

Half way through the first act, you notice Bucky’s head start to nod. You smile and fight every instinct not to lean forward and wake him up. You giggle when he lets out a soft snore and Sam punches him in the arm.

“The fuck?” he hisses and earns a shushing from Sam.

“I like your friends,” you whisper to Steve.

“Yeah? I like ‘em, too.”

By intermission, your legs and bladder are whining for some attention. You stand and stretch and ask the usher where the restroom is.

“We’re going to hit up the bar,” Steve yawns. You nod and quickly follow the usher’s directions down the hall. There’s private bathrooms up here so luckily you don’t have to stand in line.

Unlucky, you completely forgot you were basically sewed into this dress. You let out a soft whine before cursing. You could ask a random women walking by but she’d probably post about it on Twitter or something. ‘Golden Boy Roger’s new girl was trapped in her dress in the bathroom.’

You quickly text Steve and pray he makes it to you quickly.

“Star,” he knocks on the door moments later. Thank God! “What’s-“ Before he can finish his sentence, you drag him into the bathroom.

“Off! I need this off!” You demand at his wide eyed expression.

“Okay, alright, give me a second.”

A flood of relief rushes through you once the dress is unzipped. There’s no time for decorum as you shimmy the dress down your hips and thrust it into his hands before pushing him back outside.

You sit on the toilet and let out a relieved sigh. Once the urgency is gone you can finally think straight and-

“Oh shit,” you breathe.

Steve just saw you naked.

The dress was so tight! Any underwear would cause an outline and you didn’t really need a bra so you were completely nude.

And Steve just saw all of it.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you repeat as tears start to sting your eyes. You like him. You really do. But you’re far from that step. You didn’t even think you were ready to be seen naked! Let alone by the man who kidnapped you and was forcing you to marry him who you were slowly falling for…

Oh my god, were you falling for him?

…

What were you even saying? You were definitely falling for him! He was thoughtful and loving and caring and put his friends and family first.

And he was a mob boss…

You let out a slow breath and flush before washing your hands.

You crack the door open and Steve thrusts the dress through the crack while looking up at the ceiling.

“Thank you,” you whisper. You press back into it and when everything is safely covered, you invite him back in to zip you up.

“Thank you,” you repeat after the dress is secured around you.

“Anytime.” There’s an air of awkwardness that has never been between you.

You hate it.

“I’m sorry. I just really had to pee.”

“Understandable,” Steve replies.

You let out a painful laugh. “You saw me completely naked!”

“Yeah, I did,” Steve agrees readily. You cover your face and look at the ceiling to try to stop the tears from falling. You blink a few times to ensure they're under control but you still feel them burning your eyes.

Steve hands you a black handkerchief and you dab the inner corners of your eyes carefully.

“And?” You ask with a watery laugh.

A smile finally cracks Steve’s face. “And what? Do you want me to say you have a great ass and gorgeous tits or something?”

You burst into laughter and let the tears fall. “Come here.” Steve pulls you into his arms. “It’s okay, little star. It’s just me,” Steve mutters into your hair, attempting to calm your tears. “It’s alright.” He kisses the top of your head and you feel surprisingly content at his words. The tears slow and you’re so glad you wore water proof mascara.

“You want me to leave you alone for a second?” He asks as you start to dab your face.

You shake your head quickly. “I want you with me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he whispers and holds you while you fix your makeup.

“You look beautiful,” he assures you.

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.” You meet his gaze in the reflection and see something in his gaze you haven’t noticed before.

Maybe the attraction really is mutual…

You want to stay like this in his arms forever…

The lights flicker just as you relax into his hold. “God, this fucking thing,” he groans. “Do you wanna go home?”

“Seriously?” You ask, watching him in the mirror.

“This is Sam’s deal. He’s all about keeping us cultured. I grew up the Brooklyn. I’ve seen enough culture for a life time. But I could watch the same episode of The Office 50 times in a row and still find it hilarious.”

You giggle at his words and rest your head back on his chest. “It’s the fire drill episode, huh?”

“Today, smoking is gonna save lives.”

You laugh again and close your eyes. “Can we get some pizza?”

“Can we get some pizza?” Steve mocks. “I’m having a half bbq chicken half meat lovers delivered to the house as we speak.”

You grin at his reflection. “Let’s go home.”

Steve texts Sam and Bucky that you’re heading out early and takes you home.

The two of you shower, put on some pjs, and meet in Steve’s room for food and entertainment.

By the second episode, Sam and Bucky walk into the bedroom.

“What the fuck! You couldn’t rescue me, too?” Bucky shouts tossing his bow tie at Steve. He holds up a throw pillow to block it so quickly you’re shocked by his reflexes.

“You’re just not cute enough,” Steve sighs, looking over the pillow at his best friend.

“Fuck you,” Bucky grumbles and kicks off his dress shoes and slides onto the bed.

“How was the rest of the show?” You ask Sam as he sits on the edge of the bed.

“It was really good. But it started dragging in act 3.”

“The whole thing dragged,” Bucky announces with a mouth full of pizza. “There’s beer in the fridge, huh?” Steve nods.

“Get me one,” Sam calls after the brunet.

“Get it yourself,” Bucky calls back.

“So, when are you leaving us?” Sam asks you as you lean back on Steve’s pillows.

“I guess I have to go home, huh?” You ask looking at the blond.

“You don’t have to,” Steve offers.

“I better. I mean, I have a wedding party to get together. Find a dress. Pick out colors.”

“Don’t stay away for too long. We like having you here,” Sam smiles. You grin back at him before finding Steve’s hand. He presses a kiss to the back of yours just as Bucky returns with a round of beers.

Sam and Bucky didn’t leave until the early hours of the morning but you enjoyed the company. They shared old war stories and laughed at Dwight and Jim’s antics.

It was fun. Like having brothers.

You and Steve drag yourselves out of bed to clean up the mess the boys left. You both walk down the hall and you attempt to stop at your room but Steve drags you back to his.

“Stay with me?” You look up at him.

This was all new territory. You've never slept with a man. But a lot of things with Steve were new territory. And he’d been so good to you through all of it.

You nod and follow him to his bed.

It starts a little awkward as you lie down staring at the moulded ceiling, not really sure what to do. Then Steve wraps his arms around your waist and pulls your against his chest. And everything seems right in the world.

“Comfortable?” He mutters. Sleep taking him over faster than you realize.

“I think so.”

“You think so?”

“I’ve never slept with anyone,” you remind him.

“You get comfortable. I’ll conform to you.”

You nod and turn over to face him, your arms wrap around his narrow waist and one of your thighs wraps over his hips. You bury your face in his chest.

“This is comfortable?” You nod and hum affirmatively. “Do you sleep with a stuff bear or something?”

“It’s a giant pikachu,” you correct.

He smiles and wraps his arms around you. “As long as you’re comfortable.”

-

Two days later you return home to what feels like an intervention. You step into your condo and find your best friends are there seated around your living room.

“Hey guys,” you mutter as your driver brings in your luggage.

“Hey,” Kate sighs, watching you intently. “How was Japan?”

“It was great,” you try to convince them and yourself that you’re not keeping a massive secret. “I brought you stuff from Disneyland. Duffy plushes and food. I hope they didn’t get squi-“

“Let’s start with why you’re engaged to a guy we just learned about last week?”

“What the hell?” Kamala groans.

“Not cool. We’re ride or die,” Kahhori agrees.

“Um, well, it was all just going so fast and Steve has just been such a wonderful guy and I-I-I’m sorry!” Tears start to stream down your face as all the emotions you've bottled up for the past two months boil over. “I’ve been a shitty friend and you guys have been there for me from the start! I shouldn’t have let a guy get between us.”

“Oh, honey,” Kamala coos and pulls you into a hug. “Its ok. We were just scared you were kidnapped and forced to marry him against your will.” You blanch at her words and Kahhori sees the look of shock on your face head on.

“You’re pregnant!” She accuses, pointing at you while covering her mouth.

“Pregnant?” You cant help but laugh at the statement. “I’m still a virgin!” You sniffle and rub your nose with your hand. “I think I’m about to start my period.” The four of you laugh at the situation.

“Alright,” Kate sighs. “There’s only one cure for period emotions: ice cream.”

“Ice cream!” Kamala repeats. “I’m Ubering Baskin Robbins. Mint chocolate chip, rocky road, pistachio, and birthday cake bubble gum for me.”

You bend down to let out Jethro and he races to the nearest hiding place.

“It’s the world traveler,” Kahhori coos after the cat. All you see is a pair of green eyes peaking out from under the couch.

“I got him a little fake passport and they stamped it for me,” you laugh. “Help me unpack so we can enjoy our ice cream.”

An hour later, you’re all circled around your living room sharing frozen treats and talking about what you’ve missed out on.

“I got that internship at Marvel,” Kamala announces while holding up her pink plastic spoon like an award.

The three of you clap and cheer for the woman. She’s been trying to get her foot into the comic industry for years. This was her first big break.

“I can’t wait to start collecting your comics,” Kahhori laughs.

“We’re going to make sure yours are the best sellers,” Kate grins.

“All it takes is one video,” you grin. “How’s the Mohawk language class going?”

“It’s on the board of supervisor’s desk. Now it’s just waiting for a yes or no.”

“That’s good!” Kate grins. “So many more Native kids will want to go to UCLA.”

“It’ll change a lot of lives,” Kahhori agrees and scrapes the bottom of her paper ice cream bowl.

“Alright, Kate? What are you up to?” You ask licking your spoon.

She arranges the little Duffy plush dressed as a archer into a sitting position before answering. “I found a spot for the club. It’s in South LA but I want under privileged kids to have access to archery. I’m tired of training kids like you’re about to make with your billionaire boyfriend.”

“So, you’re giving us fictional kids now?” You laugh and steal some of Kamala’s birthday cake ice cream.

“I’ve dealt with them all my life. I want to make a difference.”

“Well, once I get access to my billionaire boyfriend’s bank account, expect a hefty donation,” you grin.

“Speaking of billionaire boyfriends, are you waiting for marriage or something? How’d you bag a guy like him without putting out?” Kahhori questions.

You shrug. “We just kinda clicked.” Kahhori rolls her eyes at the cliche comment.

“I think it’s cute. Tell us more,” Kamala requests lying across the couch and resting her chin on her folded arms.

You tell them about your made up meet cute and your first date when he took you to your mom’s favorite restaurant. And how he quickly redeemed himself. Then you tell them about getting to know him. You don’t mention it was all done through his borrowed cell phone. Then the Tokyo trip, the opera, the bathroom incident. That brings Kate and Kahhori to tears with laughter.

“You just fucking stripped?”

“I had to pee!”

“You should’ve stood on the toilet and peed,” Kahhori suggested.

“Gross! No!”

“He’s seen it all and you still haven’t fucked?” Kate asks.

“No. I guess it’ll happen eventually but I don’t want to rush it.”

“You’ll get married after knowing him for a couple months but you don’t want to rush into sex?” Kahhori asks in disbelief. “That makes so much sense.”

“I know it sounds ridiculous but I think he’s just my person,” you shrug. “Plus Jethro loves him.”

“What?” All three women cry.

“Yes! He’ll sit on his lap and purr, play with him. If I don’t marry him, my cat will.” You show the video evidence of Steve cuddling with your normally terrified ball of fur in just a tank top and basketball shorts.

“He’s got so many muscles,” Kamala sighs. “Does he have a brother?”

“He has two best friends with just as many muscles,” you giggle. “And I’m going to need some bridesmaids,”

“I call muscular best friend!” Kamala announces making you all laugh.

Chapter 2 | Master List | Chatpter 4

[starryc]

[ENG Translation] Imai Shunto & Ando Yuto Interview | 『Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-』 Rule the Stage -Grateful Cypher- | "We hope you can come to the theater and experience the 'force' we've talked about"

happy grateful cypher senshuuraku! don't ask me why i did this when i have a whole backlog of translations, a million wips, and actual work to do; i blacked out and it was done--

if you know me, you'll now that i've found myself a little too endeared by hifumi and gentaro's gen 2 stage actors!! i will forever miss gen 1 with my whole entire heart, but i'm glad it's andy and shunty who've taken up hifumi and gentaro's roles. i'm enjoying their portrayals a lot and i think they're both promising actors, so that's why i wanna share more about them! i thought this was a fun interview that gave some insight on hypstage behind the scenes and their friendship c: so if anyone's interested, enjoy!

links to the interview can be found here (first part) and here (second part). translation is under the cut! i'm far from proficient btw, so if you spot any errors, kindly feel free to correct me!

First Part

Starting October 4th, 2024 (Friday) in TOKYO DOME CITY HALL,『Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-』 Rule the Stage -Grateful Cypher- raises its curtains.

It is the latest in the series of stage adaptations (more commonly known as "HypStage") based on the popular rap-based character project Hypnosis Mic.

Following -New Encounter-, which ran back in March 2024, all 18 members of the 6 divisions (Ikebukuro, Yokohama, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Osaka, Nagoya) return. The stage original Hachioji Division "WESTEND-MAFIA" will also be featured.

THEATER GIRL has interviewed Imai Shunto, who plays Yumeno Gentaro, and Ando Yuto, who plays Izanami Hifumi. In this first part, we ask them about their experiences in their previous work and discuss what they look forward to in this production.

Rehearsals Made Everyday Exciting

―The two of you made your HypStage debut in Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-』 Rule the Stage -New Encounter-, which ran throughout March. Looking back on it, what was the production like?

Imai: Not only the performances, but rehearsals made everyday exciting. Every cast member and all of the DDB were brimming with talent. When the show opened, the audience had such amazing enthusiasm.

Ando: When I think about it, it feels like the final show came around in the blink of an eye. This was my first 2.5D stage play, and I had never done so many performances in a run before. From rehearsals to the stage, we would tell each other "Wouldn't it be better to do it this way?" and pushed one another to improve, so I feel like I've really grown.

―In what ways do you feel like you've grown?

Ando: During performances, I kept thinking about things like how I could engage with the audience and how I could hype them up. I think I've been able to grow by putting myself in the shoes of those who are watching us.

Imai: I actually worked with Andy (Ando) on another production (Butlers' Opera 『Devil Butler with Black Cat』 ~Rose Scented Ball Edition~ [TL/N: "AkuStage" henceforth]) afterwards. Andy had a role like that there, and he was very good at it.

Ando: You think so?! I'm sure a lot of it is thanks to my experience on HypStage. Shunty (Imai), do you feel like you've had any growth?

Imai: Personally, I know I had no sex appeal at all, so I studied how to be more seductive as a man. I learned how to move my gaze, how to hold it until the end, and other little details like that. I even went to Andy for advice.

Ando: That's right.

Imai: I also learned a lot from YUKI-kun [TL/N: Jyuto's actor]. But I feel like I still have a lot of room for improvement. This time, I'd like to show even more growth!

―What do you think of Ueki Go-san as a director?

Ando: Man, he's the best.

Imai: Both the cast and the audience get so excited under his direction that it gets me really pumped up while performing. Starting right from rehearsals, everyone's energy was incredible.

Ando: Very incredible! Everyone was so anxious during our first meeting, but Go-san gave us this passionate speech. That's when things really started getting into gear, wouldn't you say?

Imai: It really did! Go-san told us "You don't need to be worried. Just believe in yourself." That gave me a lot of confidence, and I feel like I was able to do my best.

Ando: Go-san constantly says "HypStage creates 'force'¹." We say "We'll make it!", but I wonder if we even come close to matching that force.

Imai: Good question. I guess it's about how much force you can unleash from inside you.

Ando: I think having a fighting spirit and a strong desire to "express" creates even more "force."

―On the day of a performance, when do you get into the mood?

Imai: It's when I put on the wig and costume. What about you, Andy?

Ando: Radio calisthenics.

Imai: Ahahaha! You did do those, huh.

Ando: Of course I do other exercises, but I love radio calisthenics.

―You don't do them with everyone else as part of your routine?

Ando: Nope, just me.

Imai: One time in the hallway, I heard him going "Radio Calisthenics Exercise No. 1~" (laugh)

Ando: Oh yeah. Shunty happened to be passing by, so I dragged him in (laugh)

Imai: I got completely caught up in it (laugh)

Ando: Radio calisthenics is great, though! When you really get into it, your whole body wakes up.

Imai: I feel that! Let's do some radio calisthenics again.

Ando: Let's, let's! I'll slowly drag everyone else into it too (laugh)

Imai: I'm sure you will.

Ando: Another thing about -New Encounter- is that each character makes their entrance one by one in the opening song. The person before me is Dr. (Jinguji) Jakurai (Kohatsu Allen), so whenever I hear Dr. Jakurai's part, I tug on my jacket and lock in. "It's all right! I got this!" I tell myself, and the switch turns on.

I'd Like to Make the Role My Own

―What are you looking forward to in 『Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-』 Rule the Stage -Grateful Cypher-?

Ando: -New Encounter- was pretty faithful to the original drama tracks. But this time a stage original division will be showing up, so I'm excited about that. Before, I followed the drama tracks closely like a textbook for my line delivery and whatnot, but in an original production I have to figure it out myself. Using the drama tracks as a basis, I'd like to make the role my own while thinking "How would this character do it?"

Imai: Last time, the divisions barely interacted with each other. So this time, I'm interested in seeing what happens when members of different divisions get mixed up with each other. There's also the music, isn't there?

Ando: Definitely!

Imai: The music and dancing are getting better and better, so the quality is improving as well. I'm a little nervous, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the choreography will be like.

―Since you brought up dance, I heard that Ando-san has a lot of experience in dancing.

Ando: I've been dancing since I was 4 years old, so that's about 17 years now?

Imai: 17 years! He's sure not playing around.

Even with that many years under your belt, do you find the choreography in HypStage difficult?

Ando: I know I've been in a lot of dance battles and seen all sorts of dances, but I think the choreography for HypStage is at a difficulty not meant for actors. It's on the same level as real dancers, everyone's drenched in sweat while we're doing them.

Imai: For real! Even the DDB say things like "This sure is tough." Honestly, I used to feel like I wasn't cut out for dancing at all. I didn't have experience to begin with. But since I was going to be a part of HypStage, I couldn't think that way anymore and decided I had to catch up to everyone else. I practiced over and over so no one would think "Imai is bad at dancing." Thanks to that, I've been feeling better about it.

―Did you get any dance advice from Ando-san?

Imai: I did. I also got my fellow division members (Mitsui) Junpei-kun [TL/N: Ramuda's actor] and (Kituya) Taiyu-kun [TL/N: Dice's actor] to teach me. During the rehearsal period of -New Encounter-, I took Taiyu-kun to a studio with me so we could practice together. But no matter what, I always went back to Andy for help.

Ando: I'm glad!

Imai: I was asking things like "How do I make this swing look sexier?" and so on.

Ando: You did, yeah. You see, it's not just about following the choreography, but also thinking about "How would this character dance?" and how the costume would look.

Imai: During my solo dance, there's a move where I raise my hand and then drop it. Presenting that part was the issue.

Ando: Oh yeah! I was like "You should do this with your fingertips."

Imai: Right. And also how to carry myself. I often asked him how to show off these moves in a way that would captivate the audience. It was like that all throughout the production period.

―Ando-san, what do you think of Imai-san's dancing?

Ando: I mean it's sexy, isn't it? I've been watching Shunty dance since we first started learning the choreography, so I can't help but feel like a teacher (laugh). When you see that kind of growth, it's like "Whoa, nice!"

Imai: I'm glad you think so.

Ando: Gentaro is the only one whose style differs from the others, so that affects his presentation. Shunty put a lot of effort into it and has really polished his skills since then, so I'm amazed seeing his improvement. That's something I'm also looking forward to in this stage play.

Imai: I'll give it my all!

―Imai-san, what do you think of Ando-san when it comes to acting?

Imai: He's very dexterous.

Ando: Wow! Really? I'm glad.

Imai: When we worked together in our other production, we had roles that clashed with each other quite a bit. I thought he was very dexterous and sensitive to subtleties, and he was good at attracting people's attention. I have a lot of respect for him, even if he is younger than me.

Ando: Hey, do you want to say that last part again? "Even if he is younger"?

Imai: Oh, it's nothing! (laugh)

Ando: As you can see, we really are friendly rivals.

Imai: Mhm.

Ando: Shunty's acting style makes very good use of silence, or like, how do you say it… "beats." But most of all, he's big on practice! Every time I saw him practicing our sword fight scenes [TL/N: in AkuStage], it made me want to work hard, too. There's a lot to learn from him in terms of work ethic.

Imai: Wow, it's embarrassing to hear all that.

Ando: Yeah, saying it in front of the person in question is pretty embarrassing.

Imai: Well, they aren't things you'd usually say to them.

Second Part

Starting October 4th, 2024 (Friday) in TOKYO DOME CITY HALL,『Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-』 Rule the Stage -Grateful Cypher- raises its curtains.

It is the latest in the series of stage adaptations (more commonly known as "HypStage") based on the popular rap-based character project Hypnosis Mic.

Following -New Encounter-, which ran back in March 2024, all 18 members of the 6 divisions (Ikebukuro, Yokohama, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Osaka, Nagoya) return. The stage original Hachioji Division "WESTEND-MAFIA" will also be featured.

THEATER GIRL has interviewed Imai Shunto, who plays Yumeno Gentaro, and Ando Yuto, who plays Izanami Hifumi. In this second part, we ask them about what they keep in mind for an original production, how they became friends, and what kind of work they would like to do together.

First Impressions Matter on Stage

―What do you keep in mind when performing in a stage play or a musical with an original story like this one?

Andy: I think that first impressions matter on stage. Once you see a character's first scene (that I'm playing), it should still feel like that character later on even if something is a little off. In my opinion, voice is especially important, so I always start by studying voice.

Imai: For me, it's presence.

Andy: You're pretty concerned with appearances.

Imai: I put an absurd amount of effort into studying appearance. Different characters walk in different ways. Even the way they stand while waiting, it's all different. When I read a script, I think about small details such as "Why am I here in this very moment?" I feel like everything is hinged on that.

―How do you objectively look at appearance?

Imai: I try to look in the mirror, or check out the videos from rehearsal when I'm at home. I also ask the director and the cast "How was that?" That's how I make adjustments as we practice.

―Ando-san, you mentioned "first impressions" a moment ago. Can you tell whether or not you've made a good first impression on the audience?

Ando: Nope, I can barely tell.

Imai: Seriously?! Didn't you feel like the crowd went "Whoa!" when the panels came out during the opening scene?

Ando: Ah, that's right! When I look into the eyes of the audience, they're dazzling… They're eyes full of hope and joy. It makes me so happy.

Imai: They sure are looking at us! (laugh)

Ando: I think that's when I get this sense of accomplishment. Like, "I've really made myself this character."

Imai: Uh-huh.

Ando: Of course, I'm happy when fans of Matenrou (Izanami Hifumi's division) look at me that way. But, let's say someone wearing another division's colors looks at me like that… They would have a more objective opinion since they're not our fans, no? When I see how fans of other divisions react, I wonder if I've hit the mark.

Imai: I can't see very well with just the ring lights², so I try to observe the audience's reactions when the lights are on them or when we get off the stage.

Their Influences Are…?!

―A Hypnosis Mic is something that affects your psyche. Is there anything in your daily lives that influence you?

Imai: There is! I play a lot of escape game apps, they really make you think.

Ando: Heh

Imai: What are you laughing at?

Ando: It's nothing, it's just that you're talking about them like they're some niche interest when they're pretty popular, so you don't need to explain what they are…

Imai and Ando: (laugh)

Imai: I've started to develop this "Escape Game Brain" from all these escape games. It's gotten to the point where I'm always thinking "If I were trapped in this room right now, what would I use to get out?"

Ando: Just in case you ever get locked up somewhere?

Imai: Yeah. I guess I have pretty good survival skills.

Ando: What are you even going on about? (laugh)

Imai: What about you, Andy?

Ando: Animation is what influences me. The last time I saw an animated film, I felt like there was a lot of thought behind the movements. I've even say they probably put more effort into studying gestures and emotions than they do for live action productions. I used to watch anime for fun, but now I've realized I can learn a lot from them when it comes to 2.5D works.

Imai: Hey, could you stop right there? You're making me look bad for talking about escape games.

Ando: It balances out, doesn't it? (laugh)

Imai: I guess. Thanks (laugh)

―You two are pretty close, aren't you?

Ando: Ahaha! We go out to hot springs and saunas together.

Imai: Yeah, we do that a lot.

―How did you two become friends?

Ando: Well, I think the best place to start is…

Imai: Is?

Ando: During HypStage's Osaka performances…

Imai: Stop!

Ando: When we were staying at the hotel~

Imai: That's enough! It's so embarrassing!

Ando: One morning, I was heading to our meeting place from my room when I ran into Shunty in the hallway. While we were waiting for the elevator, Shunty told me, "You know, I don't think you look that much younger than me" like some sort of confession³ (laugh)

Imai: Ahaha! Did I sound that serious?

Ando: I mean it was a closed space. It was all quiet, and no one else was there. So I was like "Huh? Wha?!"

Imai: Were you a little freaked out? (laugh)

Ando: Back then, I called him "Shunto-kun." But then he said, "Just 'Shunty' is fine." I was totally freaked out (laugh)

Imai: It really is embarrassing!

Ando: He told me "You don't need to be polite with me."⁴ I guess that's when we started getting closer.

Imai: Absolutely. But to be honest, I felt a kind of kinship with Andy right from the beginning.

Ando: So scary! (laugh)

Imai: I mean, don't you have a "friendship sensor⁵"?!

Ando: I do!

Imai: Mine went off with you.

Ando: You mean like you thought we'd get along?

Imai: Yeah. That's why I thought "This is my chance!" when we were in that elevator together.

Ando: Were you nervous?

Imai: I was nervous (laugh)

Ando: You see, it would've made more sense if you approached me during rehearsals, but this was after the Tokyo shows and during the Osaka run. It's just hard for me to change like that (laugh) Like calling you by your name or speaking to you so casually⁶

Imai: That's true.

Ando: But, you know, I did also feel my "friendship sensor" go off for Shunty.

Shunto: See!

Ando: Shunty may be older than me, but he doesn't really feel like a senpai. I think we were able to get closer because he has such a friendly vibe.

―What would you two like to do together in the future?

Ando: When it comes to work, I want to cross swords.

Imai: Like a sword fight?

Ando: We've done a sword fight scene before, but it was as allies, so I want to fight against you.

Imai: It's the opposite for me. In HypStage and our other work together, we've had roles where our characters are on bad terms or constantly at odds with one another. I wonder what it would be like if we played partners.

Ando: Good point!

Would you like to work together on film or on stage?

Ando: Ah, film also sounds fun!

Imai: Right? Film or stage, I'd like to do both.

Ando: A hierarchal dynamic between us could be interesting.

Imai: Which one of us would be the senior? You know, it would be really surprising if it was you.

Ando: For sure. I guess I'd be like (low tone) "Get to work~"?

Imai: Never mind, you're pretty bad at it (laugh)

Ando: Well, I haven't really had anyone work under me (laugh)

―Please give a message to those looking forward to your upcoming performance.

Ando: Whether or not this is your first time watching HypStage, whether or not you're already familiar with it, it's an interesting piece of work. We hope you can come to the theater and experience the "force" we've talked about in this interview.

Imai: We'll do our best to deliver a stage play that's even better and more exciting than the last. Definitely come to the theater prepared to have a good time. We'll see you there!

¹ the original term used here is 圧, which is "pressure" or "force." i think "force" just flows better, so i translated the conversation based on that imagery

² the exact phrase here is 僕は光にあまり強くないのです, which is literally like "I'm not very good with lights." i'm assuming shunty means the ring lights that the audience wears based on the context of the conversation, but maybe it's not idk i just thought i should mention that lol

³ the original term used here is 告白, which can mean confession as in confessing to a crime or like. a love confession WKJGHGH okay, so i just kept it vague because i wasn't sure which vibe andy meant here 😭

⁴ this is in reference to the honorifics used in the japanese language, which are used as part of polite speech

⁵ the exact term used is 仲よくなる人センサー, which is more literally like "person befriending sensor" 🥺

⁶ is a similar to ⁴ in that they're discussing the formalities of japanese speech depending on who you're talking to and how close you are