#and i was thinking like 'can you even do something cute with ryo aoki. no you cant its cringe'

[todayisafridaynight]

reuniting with the ex-emo bestie part 2 His Shit Name

part 1??? i guess??? prequel.

[lemonxdaisybby]

fluffy s/o randomly kisses them on the cheek and then runs off, with jo saeashiro, reiji ishioda and ryo aoki please?

Hello - here you go, thank u for the ask! Not very confident w Ryo, so I hope it turned out okay 🌸

Jo Sawashiro:

Honestly, this man would be absolutely shook at first. He is not used to physical touches, and would also be confused by your surprise kiss attack. He would just be staring after you with narrowed eyes, very confused, and also unsure of how he should respond.

Despite physical affection being quite alien to him, he would cotton on fairly quickly to your antics, and would even find himself smirking as he quickly follows you, amused by your actions.

Would quickly corner you once he finds out where in your shared apartment you have disappeared to, and would ask ‘what was that?’, all whilst staring at you with a sly glint in his eyes, enjoying watching you blush as you explain you just wanted to surprise him with a kiss.

Would be pretty nonchalant about it once the surprise factor has worn off. Would overall find your little antics funny, but wouldn’t reciprocate or affectionately tease you back. He’d just sort of accept it.

If you’re out in public together, do not try it. He would not be amused. PDA is a no-no.

Reiji Ishioda:

Obnoxious man, who is also an absolute shit.

If you think you’re escaping after planting a surprise kiss on his cheek, you are wrong. He would grab your wrist before you can even attempt an escape, and would be like ‘you missed’, whilst tapping his lips expectantly, wearing the sleaziest smirk on his face.

When you lean in to give him a peck on the lips as requested, Ishioda is going to straight up grab your face and deepen the kiss. He’d pretty much amp the kiss to make-out level, tongue included.

He would then proceed to pull away (although with great difficulty, as the kiss likely made him horny) and would just saunter off. He’d basically play you at your own game. You think you can kiss him on the cheek and walk off? He’ll amp it up and do one better, and he’s not gonna be cute or affectionate about it either.

Ryo Aoki:

Maybe surprising, but Aoki would be rather affectionate and loving towards his partner, behind closed doors, of course. In public and in front of his lackeys, he is nothing but professional.

Before you’ve even approached him for the surprise kiss, he’s probably noticed that you’re up to something. He’d be side-eyeing you with a small smirk, wondering why you’re hanging around him with a secretive smile on your face.

He wouldn’t react much when you come up and plant a kiss on his cheek. He would probably let out a small chuckle as he watches you hurry away, and would leave it at that.

Or so you think.

Later on, when you’re least expecting it, Aoki is going to sneak up and silently place a gentle kiss right on your cheek, a mischievous glint in his eye, before walking away wordlessly, leaving you to stare after him in surprise and confusion.

This may possibly be the start of a kiss war, and may become a frequent thing behind closed doors. Just the two of you regularly trying to surprise each other with a cute little peck on the cheek.

[kamenriderlogik27]

This week's Saber X Zenkaiger!!!!!

I haven't been doing reviews lately 'cause after I get through 90% of one something happens and it all get's erased somehow and I end up just giving up. So let's hope I can get this done without that happening.

Saber Chapter Special!!!:

asdilfjlasjdfjsiejfl;sjef!!!!! This ep was SO MUCH FUN!!!! Not only is it a PERFECT intro/introduction to what to expect for the crossover film, but I just LOVE that they chose ZOX of all Zenkaiger Charas to be the one to introduce the Bookstore gang to the World of Zenkaiger! Zox just naturally fit right in with the mess and made the plot really smooth! It felt like just another Saber ep with a bit of Kaizoku spizzaz! Also, I knew that Mashiko Atsuki and Aoki Ryo knew each other 'cause of TeniMyu (Not sure if that's how you spell it) so that just makes the connection between their characters way more interesting and cool! (Also, Watching Zox on Zenkaigers always made me think that he was tall, but then seeing him stand next to the giants in Saber just.... I'm sorry I just can't get over how small he looks. He's so cute!!!!) I also loved how they made Zox have no qualms about stealing from Touma and Ryoga. I mean, he did only promise Kaito that he wouldn't steal in the Zenkaiger world so~ XD Another thing! I really loved how we got to see more of Kento's personality in this ep! Honestly, ever since he was introduced, he never really showed much personality outside of him being calm, smiling while doing the book skits with Touma, angry, emo, and in despair. In this ep, we got to see him reading a book, laughing with Touma because of Rintaro and Zox, dumbfounded because of Touma's mistake, trying to be a peace maker and save Touma from Ryoga's wrath due to said mistake, get mad at Orihime World for hurting Mei, be stern with Zox when he believed that Zox stole their WRBs (which, NGL, was really hot), and cutely pet the carousel horse he was riding while going "yoshi yoshi~~~". As you can tell, a lot of my attention is focused on Kento now a days and I just LIVE for learning more about this man's personality. Should I write a separate post about it??? Let me know ya'll!

Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger wa!!!!!!!!!:

again! ajdklfjalsdjfwjefklejfl;waf!!!!! This ep makes me officially love the Shindai siblings! Honestly, it feels like a special atonement mini-arc for them. We got to learn more about them personality wise, and we got to see them interact with people that they most likely NEVER imagined spending time with. Which, honestly I think is awesome because they learned from the Zenkaigers something that they'll probably never forget! Reika finally made a real friend in Magine (which would be so cool if she could become friends with Mei due to this!) (and I'm also so happy for Raika's actress for finally meeting and interacting with Magine!) and Ryoga learned that he can't always protect or think that Reika can't handle herself/isn't strong enough to fight with him. (I also think he learned what it's really like to be a true "big brother" ) Also, I LIVED for Ryoga's reactions to the Zenkaigers! See, this kind of goofiness is what I love. We have the stoic older brother who's always serious and ready to fight, interacting with these colorful, wacky goofballs full of fun. This is the kind of mix that I absolutely LOVE. Especially when they end up having to fight together. Just, that moment where Kaito and the rest were like "Dude! why aren't you doing your rollcall???? Are you shy? C'mon! it's easy! Just say who you are!" As if every single TokuHero does a long rollcall before every battle. And then Ryoga begrudgingly doing it anyway 'cause his new (he'll never admit to this but-) 'friends' have been right so far, so why not join in. And Reika joining Magine in the rollcall 'cause she's the only female Saber Rider and this moment is like every Sentai crossover where they have all the female Rangers fight together with 'girl power!' just, omg their collab fight was so cool!!!!

Alright, enough of the Shindai sibling (sadly) now for the Zenkaigers!!! I LOVED how they were introduced to the Shindai Siblings! Kaito and Juran were just running around, looking for Magine when they literally ran between Ryoga and Reika about to attack Zox. And, instead of questioning why Zox was about to get attacked by these unknown people, or even ask where Zox has been for the past few days, they just start asking Zox if he's seen Magine. And Zox is just like "Dude, I've just came back from a parallel world, there's no way I would've seen her." Just, omgosh I love Zox. And then when Ryoga finally attacks, Kaito's just like "Zox!!!! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!?!" instantly knowing that it's Zox's fault they're in this new mess. One main thing that I loved about this ep was how we see more of Zox's personality (I just love analyzing personalities ok?) ok, hear me out. I know there are times where we see Zox get protective of Flint and the twins when they're in trouble, or worried about them if they're in danger. But I feel like this is the first real time we see him actually... I don't know what word to use... not really admit but... maybe a mix of show and admit about how much he loves and cherishes them? He tried to be nonchalant about it in front of Ryoga, but then when he get's back on his ship, he not only looks worried about Flint, but also SOUNDS worried. I love this 'cause it says a lot about Zox I think. Like, out of all the characters in Zenkaiger, Zox knows what it's like to not have been able to protect some one and regret it (his brothers) and I think he's scared that Flint might suffer the same fate too in a way if he's not careful. Plus, the older brother combi-finisher was really awesome!

Over all, I'm soooooooooo happy that they gifted us with these amazing special eps!!!!!! Even though they just make me want to watch the crossover film even more, I'm so happy that we get to be blessed with these preview interactions! I wonder how they'll tie these in with the film though.... will Touma and the rest recognize Zox in the film?? Will Kaito and the Kikainoids see Ryoga again and be all like "Ryoga!!! long time no see!!" and just completely shock the Saber team when Ryoga greets them back as if he was actually happy to see them again? (omgosh that'd be so cool!) Anyway, sorry that this was so long. I just had a lot of thoughts about these eps and I really wanted to share them! Also, can we keep the "why are you dancing?!" skit for Zox in the movie? Or like, actually have Zox reply to Rintaro or Kento if they ask? or would that be too lame.... hmm.... I just want more of that content~~~~

What did ya'll think about these eps? I'd love to know!

[vvlin91]

Beauty is Sin

Note: Everything I documented here actually happened.  Please always remember that it’s not right to ship real people. 

Bancoran and Maraich(BanMara for short) of Maya Mineo’s signature series Patalliro! is one of the oldest and most iconic same-sex couples in manga history, dating back to 1980 and portrayed without ambiguity in a family hour anime.

And this is the story of how Aoki Tsunenori(b.1987) and Sana Hiroki(b.1997) brought them to life on stage for the first time in 2016, mostly in their own words.

I. “I want to deliver the ultimate love story that even the audience would envy. ”

This is first interview they did for the play, along with Kato Ryo(Patalliro) and author Maya-sensei (Stage Patalliro! Super Visual Book).

Kato Ryo teased, because Tsune and Sana’s roles are better performed if their distance is smaller, that they should live together even just for the period of rehearsal. Tsune replied: “Maraich might get pregnant. (laughs)”

After Maya-sensei expressed anticipations for BanMara on stage, Tsune and Sana looked at each other and said, “Please take good care of me…!” (Kato Ryo: “Fufu, I’m looking forward to it~~~!!”) Tsune said he would not hold back, and Sana also expressed confidence, “I won’t have a problem with it either! Even though this is an unknown world…I will open up a window to it!”

This is a Sparkle interview they did with the four Tamanegi butai actors Yoshimoto Kouki, Hosogai Kei, Ishida Shun and Kanai Sonde.

After hearing Sana’s uncertainty over his ability to play Maraich, Hosogai reassured him, “You’ll be fine. You are beautiful, you know?” Tsune: “Yep, yep.”

Hosogai went on to express anticipation for love scenes(Note: This term in Japanese almost exclusively mean sexual interactions. If it’s only kiss they would call it “kiss scene” instead) between Tsune and Sana. Sana said he had decided to go out of his way in rehearsal. Tsune: “Yeah…I have the confidence to go there as well.” which drew huge laughter from other actors.

Sana then discussed the difficulty of coming up with convincingly feminine poses for the visual shooting due to his broad shoulders. Tsune: “I don’t dislike girls with wide shoulders at all. It’d definitely score a pass for me.” Sana: “I’m so glad ♪”

Sana: “(while staring at Tsune) I want to deliver the ultimate love story that even the audience would envy.” Tsune: “I have never injected this kind of love to a boy though~” Sana: “I have never fallen in love with a man before so…please take care of me!” Tsune: “Well, me neither. (laughs)”

Sana also did a solo interview with PASH! in which the reporter mistakenly described Maraich as being “married to Major Bancoran”.

When asked about which scene from he manga he wanted to play, Sana said he wanted to try the scene where Bancoran “disciplined” Maraich to flip the boy to his side(Note: That iconic sexual encounter ultimately did not happen in the play because of changes to the plot). 

When discussing his approach to a same-sex romantic relationship, he mentioned Maya-sensei’s advice that he could try to see himself as a girl. He said Tsune had also told him he would see him as a girl. Sana thought Tsune’s declaration of no holding back was really cool and he didn’t want to hold back either. In that sense he had to become a girl. (Note: It’s worth remembering that Sana was very clear about his Maraich self-identifying as a boy. So the part about “being a girl” was intended to 1)portray Maraich’s femininity; 2)help him and Tsune, neither of whom have played gay characters before, approach a same-sex relationship.)

II. “Are you a real couple now?”

The first day of rehearsal.

During rehearsal, Kato Ryo did an interview with the play’s director Kobayashi Kensaki and writer Ikeda Tetsuhiro. 

Kobayashi praised the casting of Tsune and Sana, before joking that if something went awry the two might actually start dating. 

He and Ryo went on to reveal that Tsune and Sana have been sharing earphones during song rehearsal despite receiving no special instruction from the director.

In a recent Enterstage interview, Ryo brought this up again. "Aoki-kun and Sana-chan were sharing earphones like actual lovers… I joked, ‘Are you a real couple now?!' (laughs)”

This is the first selfie they took together from rehearsal. Tsune: “I have a feeling Bancoran and Maraich’s scenes would become famous LOL”

One of the ensemble members caught them at the snack table after action practice. (Note: “37″ in Japanese can be pronounced as “sa na”.)

This one is from Sana. “This is a happy rehearsal place overflown with love ❤ Looking forward to the play. A picture with Bancoran.”

Ryo, Tsune and Sana also did a Best Stage interview together during rehearsal.

After Ryo relentlessly complimented him, Sana got really flustered and said, “Please stop. Stop it~” Ryo: “When you say that, well(laughs). How very adorable. Aoki-kun, aren’t you in love yet?” Tsune: “Yep, very much in love now.” Ryo & Sana: (laugh)

Ryo teased if Tsune and Sana would share a double dressing room when they perform in the theater(Note: To Ryo’s disappointment, Kinokuniya Hall only has one big shared dressing room for everyone).

Tsune said that even though Bancoran’s appeal to Maraich is also applicable to pretty boys in general, his first goal would still be to capture Maraich’s heart. Sana: (looks at Tsune with a wide smile) Ryo: “Wow, you sure look happy~(laughs)”

When discussing their opposite features to their characters, Tsune said he liked women. Ryo: “But… I don’t know… You might just be waking up this time.” Tsune: “In that case… Life would be double as fun.” Ryo: “That’s wonderful!” When it came to Sana, he said he also liked girls, but immediately added, “Well, I don’t know about this time though.” Ryo: “You just said it yourself~” Tsune: (bursts into laughter)

III. “So happy I might have got pregnant.”

In this press meeting on opening day, when asked about his favorite scenes in the play, Ryo answered, “It’d have to be the romantic scenes, love love scenes between Maraich and Bancoran.” Kobayashi: “So it’s not your own scenes?” Ryo: “I do love my own scenes too, but the love between Bancoran and Maraich is so pure, no matter how many times I watch them my heart still beats very fast.(…) I strongly recommend this.”

Photos from opening night.

From the Stage Patalliro! pamphlet (Note: I will only share what they wrote in it here. For pictures from rehearsal, please refer to this post.)

Kato Ryo: “Bancoran is like (Patalliro’s) dad, and Maraich is like his mom.(after spending another paragraph to praise Tsune and Sana) I can’t wait to see them being lovey-dovey~”

Sana Hiroki: “Bancoran’s actor Tsune-san would always unexpectedly show up next to me and go, 'Why don’t we practice the songs together?’ He said it in such a gentle voice… I am in love~(laughs)”

Aoki Tsunenori: “(after expressing his love for the role) However, it’s a shame that I 100% cannot relate to Bancoran’s preference for men over women.” (in the next page) “Maraich’s actor Sana-kun is… SOOOOOOOOOOO cute. I heard that he had finished reading the entire manga, and apparently in that process he had already gone ahead and become Maraich. How should I put it…when we met up for an interview before rehearsal, and now we are seeing each other in rehearsal, I feel like the way Sana-kun looks at me is somehow different. I was thinking, 'Eh? What does this mean?’ and before I knew it, I had somehow got dragged in and my heart was throbbing hard. He has beautiful eyes, and is so pure and diligent. I often heard of fellow actors in romantic stories falling into a state of pseudo-love. I think this is probably what it is like. When the show is over… I guess we still have to say goodbye. But with the bitter-sweetness of parting comes the love we have nurtured, and isn’t that a wonderful thing? (goes on to other topics before ending his message) Anyway, Bancoran and Maraich… How far will we go to show you this burning love? By all means, please see it with your own eyes.”

Ishida Shun: “(showing a picture of Tsune and Sana during rehearsal) Bancoran and Maraich. Even in the midst of rehearsal, Tsune-san and Sana would talk a lot with each other. There are serious conversations and there is shared laughter. Having seen this and even though they are both men, I thought to myself, 'Man, this couple is turning into a painting' (laughs)”

Here’s a selfie they took during the tour when Sana found out they both wore turtlenecks.

Maya-sensei’s daughter, an avid BanMara fan since childhood, tweeted: “[Breaking News]After the final show, Sanaich-kun said, “Today, I got pregnant.” while rubbing his belly.”

She previously also tweeted that because the characters in Patalliro! feels so close to herself, she never gave much deep thoughts into them. But after reading the manga remix and watching the play, she once again feels that BanMara is such a wonderful couple.

After the finale, Sana wrote in his blog: “I’m so happy I got to play Maraich. So happy I might have got pregnant…LOL” (Note: He would end his every blogpost about Patalliro with “Bringing everyone with love and happiness.”)

IV. “I always go for it with everything I have.”

Ryo, Tsune and Hosogai took part in a fan event on March 26, 2017 where they discussed various aspects of the show. There is no recording of this event of any kind, only 2nd-hand accounts from those in attendance, but we got to know a few things:

When asked who they’d seduce if they really become a pretty boy killer like Bancoran, Tsune instantly answered, “Sana Hiroki.”

Ryo then bursted, “Even in the dressing room you were always flirting. You even colored Sana-kun’s nipple black.” He went on to point out it was an oil-based marker and therefore a permanent one. Tsune said, looking satisfied, “I’m glad it doesn’t fade. Hey, it’s like (little boys) playing tricks on girls they have a crush on.” Ryo brought up this anecdote again in the aforementioned Enterstage interview, saying, “Even in the dressing room, when they are putting on make-up and costume and Sana-chan was half-naked, Aoki-kun would mischievously draw a mole on him and Sana would go, 'Hold on a second! Stop it-!’ They are always flirting, it’s unbearable~! (laughs)”

It was Ryo who suggested that Maraich should ride Bancoran during the intercourse scene.

In the now thrice-mentioned Enterstage interview, Ryo once again expressed wish for Tsune and Sana to share a double dressing room. “Something new might be born from it!”

In a solo interview he did with Eigeki when the show was scheduled to air on TV, Ryo said, “Starting from rehearsal stage, Bancoran’s actor Tsune-kun and Maraich’s actor Sana-kun would kiss very passionately. I heard Tsune-kun saying something along the lines of 'Sana-kun is gradually becoming a girl in my eyes’.”

In this interview promoting his new movie, without being asked about it, Tsune confessed, “I fall into a state of pseudo-love when I play romantic roles. In Stage Patalliro! from late last year, my character Bancoran is gay. Even though my partner Sana is also a man, when we were performing I earnestly imagined Sana to be a woman and would treat him in ways I would towards a girl(laughs).” He went on to say that he hated the thought of the audience thinking they were just faking the romance, so instead of simply brushing lips, he would always go for the kiss with everything he had.

In a solo interview with JUNON, Sana said being in Stage Patalliro! changed him a great deal. Previously he would read a lot into what people think of him and tend to take in even the negative opinions. But after talking with Tsune as well as Director Kobayashi, he realized that it’s okay to think for himself a little more and there was no need to garnish himself in strange ways (to please other people).

In a solo interview with omoshii mag, Sana revealed in detail how he and Tsune approached the kiss. He confessed that during rehearsal, he was very awkward about it. “Tsune-san was probably also very embarrassed, but he seemed to realize that we couldn’t go on like this.” So one day during rehearsal, he said, “Sana, come over for a bit.” and asked, “Shall we kiss?” Sana’s brain was going, “Ehhhh~!” because Tsune brought him to a place behind the sets where no one can see them. Tsune then said, “Close your eyes.” and kissed him, before continuing, “All right, I’m already used to this now. How about you?” Sana thought to himself, “What the hell~!! This just got even more embarrassing!” But Tsune went on to tell him, “Kiss me back too.” And when Sana tried his best to kiss him back, he felt liberated. “I get it now!” he thought to himself, “It’s just like riding a bike, you will get the hang of it as long as you get it right once.” After that they never had to do this again in rehearsal. “Tsune-san is a very passionate person who loves theater. ” Sana knew that as long as Tsune is his partner, his Maraich will come out just fine.

In a most recent pia interview with Ryo, Tsune and Sana for the second play, Sana said that while Maraich is a character whose personality and way of thought changes when he meets Bancoran, he felt Tsune also changed him in similar ways. Tsune replied, “I have only gratitude for Sana-kun’s Maraich. I don’t think the role of Bancoran can exist without Maraich.”

Final notes:

So here you have it. It probably took me almost 8 hours to put this together. My Japanese is rather sloppy so I’m sure there are places where I didn’t get it 100% right. I tend to translate the simpler sentences so you can see their own words instead of mine, but if it’s too long or I have trouble achieving grammatical precision, I paraphrased them.

I already know every single one of these anecdotes by heart but what still struck me the most in the course of putting together this post is how the cast support each other. The project was long deemed impossible and the pressure was on everyone. From their choice of venue you can almost tell they didn’t expect the play to go very far, but one thing I constantly hear them say is “as long as (insert fellow actor) is playing (insert character), I’m sure I’d do just fine”. Even the creators of the show would always emphasize how the casting reassured them that the play will do just fine. The amount of faith they had in each other was what held everyone together like a family.

I think this is especially important for Sana who was 19 and the youngest of them all. He was the baby in the cast with the least exposure to the cultural background where Patalliro! was born. And throughout the course you see the older members of the cast encouraging him and teaching him new things about acting or just life in general. It is very heart-warming. No wonder Sana had always wanted to celebrate his 20th birthday with the cast. Unfortunately that couldn’t happen in 2017, but hopefully he can do it for his 21st birthday in 2018.

And here’s Sana being an awkward bean watching footage of his Maraich winking to Bancoran. I just think it’s super cute and a nice way to end this post.

Further reading:  

Stage Patalliro! press meeting(full) Part 1, Part 2

The Making of Sanaich - How 19-year-old Sana Hiroki transformed himself into an 80s yaoi icon (Note: There are a lot of videos and pictures I didn’t get to include in this post for the sake of keeping it short, so please check them out if you are interested.)