#asanoha kotono

[wtheckzukasubs]

'Complete Devotion' (Junjou) (2022, Hozumi Mahiro) subs

Download the subs here: wtheckzukasubs.tumblr.com/shows

I could finally finish this!

Beware of sensitive content in this story. It's based on A Portrait of Shunkin, written by Tanizaki Junichirou, if you'd like to learn more ahead.

[raphaelly]

End of Year Zuka Tag 2023 Part 1

After two years in this fandom I'm finally doing this! Massive thanks and kisses to @beccalendsahand for all the questions ❤️

It's been a tough year, to say the least. It's gonna take me some time to fully cope with all that happened and decide how I want to see zuka in the future. Regardless, I love this community and the people in it to death, I love the siennes and all the heart they put in what they do, I want to stay for both these groups of people.

Unto the more fun part now ~

1. Sumire no Hana: Did you find a new favourite this year? (Either someone who has entered the company this year or someone who has been in the company a while but you have only just become a fan, or both!)

I have discovered a grand number of three new favourites this year! The first one was Ruri Hanaka who completely blew me away like a tornado with her portrayal of Elisa in The Red and The Black. The emotions and youthful intensity she put in her voice and acting touched me so deeply. That and her shared duet with Arisa Hitomi was so good, their voices fit and harmonised so well and that's really impressive when you're next to a singing powerhouse like Kuracchi.

Another favourite this year was Asanoha Kotono, yet another hana musume for me to stan. I had noticed her before in Paris in the Winter Fog but it was her role as the cool and classy Countess Larisch in Mayerling's shinko, as well as her lead in Singing Lovebirds's shinko, that made me go "oh. oh she's really good". There's a maturity in her performances that I find really interesting, on top of a singing voice that I adore. Funnily enough she was the highlight of a Battlefield for Two for me, in terms of powerful singing and acting, Elsa being one of the only characters that I enjoyed in a show I found pretty meh overall.

And finally, I got a hoshi son this year! Taiki Hayate, whose upcoming shinko lead for RRR I'm extremely excited about. I think I made a mental note to keep tabs on her when she played Jalal al-Din in Dimitri's shinko, and then Stella Voice happened and my god her voice, it's so powerful already. As Tournemain in 1789, she formed an extremely funny combo with Kishou Kazuto and then she went on to destroy us by playing Peyrol in 1789's shinko and it was over for me. I'll just say the whip suits her.

2. Ai sore wa...: Tell us about your number one! What's been your favorite role of theirs this year?

One day I will be normal about Seino Asuka but that day sure hasn't come lol. As they say, "it takes 10 years to make an otokoyaku" and 2023 was Asuka's 10th year in the company. And if 2022 was, as she says herself, the year a switch happened in her mind about what kind of performer she wants to be and how she can get there, 2023 truly felt like the year she showed all the fruits of her years of learning. The energy, the intensity, and especially the fun she puts in her roles and her appearances were so fulfilling, starting with her lead role in Maihime.

Having read the book to prepare for the show, I expected a rather "unheroic" type of protagonist, who ultimately fails to follow the values he first had and abandons his pregnant lover. And yeah, that's what we got. But the way she portrayed him brought him a lot of nuances, an explanation of why he does what he does that doesn't try to absolve him. She's at her best when she delves into the character's psychology and that's what she did here, and I'm so so proud of her.

[beccalendsahand]

End of Year Zuka Tag 2023 (Part 1 of...)

I'm not sure how many parts I'll do this in coz i know it won't be daily so I'll just do however many questions I feel like at a time.

1. Sumire no Hana: Did you find a new favourite this year? (Either someone who has entered the company this year or someone who has been in the company a while but you have only just become a fan, or both!)

There's a couple of hanagumi girls i've been noicing more this year! I really love Asanoha Kotono, her performance in Junjo at the end of 2022 and then her first shinko lead in oshidori were both fantastic performances. I love her acting style and her singing is gorgeous! I'm excited to see where she goes next.

I also love Suzumina Natsuki! I first noticed her in Naiwa back in 2021 and she has been steadily getting bigger roles, particularly this year. I don't know what it is but whenever she has a little role it's like a pop of serotonin. I love how she's been getting comedy lines and older female characters. I think she's going to become a fun character actress!

Optional bonus question for those that did the tag last year: Who did you put this question in 2022, are you still following them and how have they grown as an actor/person in 2023?

I didn't actually get round to doing the tag last year but I thought it would be fun to mention the girls I talked about in 2021!

Mihane Ai: Back in 2021 I was so impressed by Mihane's performance in Prince of Roses and now look at her, 2 small theatre leads later! She's come so far! Her singing has improved a lot and her acting keeps getting better and better! I always find her performances so moving. Maihime was definitely a stand-out performance of the year!

Hoshizora Misaki: Is now one of my most beloved stars, after 2021 there was a little show called Fuyugasumi which instantly became one of my favourite shows of all time and there was one actress in particular where every time she was onstage I was thinking "wow shes so cool" and that was Misaki! I then wrote my first fan letter and have been writing ever since. She's done so much great stuff this year including playing CARMEN in the hanagumi national tour. So proud of her and I can't wait to see where she goes next.

Irodori Michiru: Since 2021 Michiru has moved to tsukigumi where she has been getting many amazing parts as a kind of nibante musumeyaku. I'm really rooting for her when the next topcombi gets announced! Please, it's what she deserves!