#he just has the gumi hairstyle

[lunarlegend]

The Japanese Cultural Significance Behind Older Ignis’ Hairstyle

this is something i’ve touched upon a couple times before, but i felt like going a bit more in-depth and i have 24/7 blorbo brain, so here we go

for those who are unaware, the pompadour is a bit of an infamous hairstyle in Japan (taken from Wikipedia):

it actually first rose to popularity in the 50s-60s...

...and remained that way on and off up until the early 2000s.

(source is this article, which has a lot more great examples, but unfortunately is also pretty full of annoying ads, lol)

a lot of notable thug-type characters sported the pompadour hairstyle in anime/manga from the late 80s - early 90s...

...and the stereotype is still used in more modern anime, too.

but the way i first learned of the hairstyle’s significance was through the manga Shonan Junai Gumi (precursor to the more popular Great Teacher Onizuka series), where protagonists Eikichi & Ryuji...

...choose to purposely get rid of their pompadours so they can start trying to pick up women (it’s a shonen series from 1990, just bear with me):

but as soon as they step outside, they get challenged by some punks...

...and immediately fix their hair back up so they can participate in the fight.

it’s a huge statement on what it means to be a stereotypical “delinquent” in Japan (obviously taken to the extreme in this case for humor’s sake, but it’s a joke that’s intended to be immediately understood by the audience).

so, what does any of this have to do with Ignis Scientia?

of all the Chocobros, Ignis is definitely the most straight-laced. he’s had the responsibility of being Noctis’ caretaker from a very young age (six years old!) and prides himself on being the most practical of the group, making sure everyone eats healthy and stays out of danger. he drives the car, he manages the money...at 22 years old, he is wise beyond his years, and often joked to be the only true “adult” on the team.

but even as a teenager, Ignis looked far older than his age (pictured here at only 17):

quite the opposite of any of the thugs seen above, young Ignis dressed for his role as a servant of the Royal Family and never acted much like any “typical” teenager. in fact, in his Brotherhood episode, he’s already learning to take on some of the King’s parental responsibilities towards Noctis as Regis’ health noticeably declines...certainly not what one would expect of the normal adolescent experience.

Ignis didn’t really have a childhood (another topic i’ve frequently touched upon), and that’s part of what makes his post-timeskip hairstyle so interesting. instead of keeping his “cockatiel” hair from the main game or simply letting his hair stay down, 32 year old Ignis specifically chose a pompadour:

i’ve often seen it said that Older Ignis looks younger than 22 year old Ignis, and that’s absolutely true. but it’s more than just the softness of his features; it’s that Older Ignis sports a hairstyle you’d normally expect to see on a teenage punk.

given the very little information we have about the 10 Years of Darkness (laziness on the developers’ part imho, but i digress), i consider Older Ignis’ choice of hairstyle to be a significant clue to how he carries himself in the World of Ruin.

here is an Ignis who has accepted the consequences of his decision to wear the Ring, who has gained newfound confidence and stubbornly trained himself to navigate through an endlessly dark world. here is an Ignis who taught himself to hunt again, taught himself to cook again, who has honed his other senses to the point where he can fend for himself in a daemon-infested nightmare that would probably send a less-disciplined person running to their death. 32 year old Ignis quite literally rebelled against his own fate; he chose to survive.

considering that Insomnia is a Japanese city (based on Shinjuku), and that Ignis himself is from there in the original Japanese version of the game (no accent, born in the Kingdom of Lucis just like the others), i can only assume he would understand the cultural significance behind the pompadour hairstyle and what it represents. it’s also a lot of effort for someone who not only exists in a dark world, but who also cannot see himself...there is no doubt in my mind that Ignis chose this style on purpose.

and that’s why i find all of this so fascinating. especially considering what few details we are shown about each of the bros post-timeskip, here’s something about my favorite character that stands out to me as a form of deliberate symbolism and allows me to easily draw conclusions from it. to me it reinforces what a resilient person Ignis is, and it also fuels some of my headcanons that Older Ignis is less uptight and more confident (something that his younger Japanese version self struggles with).

it’s an aspect of Ignis that i feel is extremely significant, but i think has the potential to get overlooked by fans who are not familiar with Japanese culture, which is why i wanted to share it here.

[grizzlyofthesea]

Dumb Vocaloid Headcanons Part 1: Internet Co.

All

Andriods/robots of various levels of human resemblance

Voicebank upgrades correspond to hardware upgrades.

Primarily made for music, but they also have combat skills.

Each one has a unique music-related weapon/ability, which I'll elaborate on in another post. (I got this idea from the manga Megu Megu Singer Song Fighter. It's...an experience. Kinda chaotic, and the translation I found isn't always the clearest, but it's cute, harmless fun focused on the first few Internet Co. Vocaloids. If you want to see himbo Gackpo in a fundoshi, this is the manga for you.)

Generally get along well with the Cryptonloids

One huge, generally happy family

Camui Gackpo (Gackpoid)

The most robotic/android-like of the bunch in terms of physical structure, but good gosh, does he have feelings

His "bodysuit" is just what his body looks like (he can morph it into a more human-looking appearance, though), and that weird glowy spot on his chest is his power core.

Can change his eye and power core colors at will

Has a whole army of eggplant horses

A chivalrous gentleman, but he has his goofy moments

An expert in hair care

Cishet ally

Dating/in love with GUMI

GUMI (Megpoid)

Huge science and sci-fi nerd

Has a visible battery gauge on each of her designs, which takes the form of a red jewel. It blinks when her battery is running low. (another idea from Megu Megu Singer Song Fighter)

BFFs with Miku, Luka, Lily, and CUL

Owns a carrot rocket equipped with missiles

Her goggles have several functions, including night vision, tracking, and looking cool.

Lives for the aesthetics of the 1960s-1980s

A little bit scatterbrained, but she tries

Hoping that everyone else (or at least Gackpo and Una) joins her on VOCALOID6 and gets an AI voicebank

Bisexual

Dating/in love with Gackpo

Lily

Beta/production name was Yuripoid (not actually, but in my headcanon). This didn't stick for multiple reasons.

Her tattoo doubles as a battery meter, "draining" from top to bottom as her power depletes.

Likes lollipops (yet another idea from Megu Megu Singer Song Fighter)

The "cool older sister" of the group

Infamous for speeding on her motorcycle

Keeps a couple of beehives, from which she harvests honey

Demi/heteroromantic asexual

Exchanges makeup tips with Gackpo

Ryuto (Gachapoid)

Obsessed with dinosaurs, to the point where he has memorized every species

Basically GUMI's little brother

His arm warmers serve to make his elbow joints slightly less obvious; his shoes do the same thing for his ankles.

Favorite meal is dino nuggies with waffle fries

Friends with Yuki and Oliver

Really wants a pet puppy

Favorite holiday is Halloween

Big fan of FNAF, even if it scares him sometimes

A little bit self-conscious about his buck teeth

Always carries a notebook and markers with him in his backpack

CUL

Huge Madoka Magica fan; cried at Sayaka's death

Doesn't always get along with her sisters, but she loves them all dearly

Gets into arguments with Gackpo over who "stole" the other's hairstyle

Her eyes double as cameras

Favorite foods are Pocky and tempura shrimp

Shops exclusively at thrift stores and Hot Topic

Knows all the jokes about her name's meaning in French; not amused at all

Lesbian; has a bit of a crush on flower

Secretly collects porcelain dolls

galaco

Huge space nerd

Loves to nerd out over space with GUMI

Has always wanted to be a princess

Has jet boots; can use them to float in place or skate around

The first one to lack any visibly robotic traits

BFFs with MAYU

Loves listening to video game soundtracks

Aroace

Plays a lot of TF2 in her spare time; mains Demoman

kokone

Kind of shy, especially around new people

Huge book nerd; favorite genre is fantasy

LOVES animals

Favorite food is raindrop cake

Surprisingly big fan of horror movies

Gets cold easily

Likes to do prank phone calls with GUMI; they switch places periodically, pretending to be the same person

Trans girl (pronouns are she/her); polysexual

Wants to write and illustrate her own manga series

Rana

Technically developed by We've Inc. as a collab with Internet Co., but since she's the only one from We've Inc, the Internet Co. crew includes her as one of their own.

Really wants to be a magical girl; has designed her own weapon and transformation device

Has a massive collection of teddy bears

Practically lives in her hoodie

Feels a bit weird about being literally 0 years old, but tries to ignore it

Sugar cookies make her life worth living

Carries a variety of glitter with her at all times

Chika

The mom friend

Has regular lunch outings with Mew and MEIKO

A talented tailor

Lives for vintage clothing

Has an entire cupboard full of various herbal teas

A little bit disappointed about her unpopularity, but she has mostly accepted it at this point

Tends a butterfly garden

Cishet ally

Really good at cooking and baking

Otomachi Una

Her hat is alive.

Views Rana as a rival; Rana doesn't really care

Looks up to GUMI

Can hold her breath for ten minutes

Tends a koi pond

Loves to experiment with different hair dyes

Sometimes wears fake glasses for the sake of fashion

Owns a swimmable mermaid tail (fades from indigo to lime green, then cotton candy pink); loves showing it off

Just beginning to question her sexuality

Will eat every piece of cheesecake in a five mile radius

ROSA

A CeVIO/upcoming SynthV vocal rather than a Vocaloid, but since she was made in collaboration with Internet Co. and CUL is her older sister, she hangs out with the Internet Co. crew often

Gets along well with Gackpo for their shared love of traditional Japanese culture

Insists that she "was born in the wrong generation"

Loves rose-flavored macarons, but her favorite food is salmon nigiri

Gets picked on by some of her older sisters, so she has learned to be a bit sassy as a defense mechanism

Genderfaer (pronouns are she/her and occasionally they/them); pansexual

In the process of collecting all of the Vocaloid Nendoroids (except the Miku ones; there are way too many)

[lunaekalenda]

Can I request-😂👄🎸with Megumi Fushiguro

of course! i hope you like it and thanks for your request! ✨💖

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

comedy + enemies to lovers + band au! feat. Megumi Fushiguro

a/n: all characters are aged up.

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

Megumi's dreams to form a band were never so broken.

"Megumi...” Nobara called him once again. Megumi’s patience had a limit and it was about to break. “I don’t get many lines. I want more,”

“Because you’re not a vocalist” Megumi says, once again, while he tunes the guitar. 

“Even Yuji has more lines, and he plays the drums. I only play the bass, Gumi...” she asks once again. Megumi sighs.

“But that’s because I can make the chorus to Megumi’s voice. This song is made for his tone.” Yuji says. “Anyway stop complaining! There’s people with even less lines than you, and they’re in silence. Don’t you think, Toge?”

The white haired boy looks at Yuji, and nods. “Salmon.”

Nobara’s eyebrow moves with own life in a nervous tic that points that she’s about to explode against someone. Megumi ends tuning the guitar. He looks to the acting order in a paper that the staff gave him. It’s the first time his band is playing in such a place, even when it is just a talent contest. There are a lot of bands, and Megumi doesn’t have hope to win, but he thinks he can have a good time with his friends, participating and making his dream about playing on a big stage come true. Gojo enters the place without knocking, as usual. He’s dressing a purple shirt, his eyes covered with fancy sunglasses.

“How’s my favorite band? Are you nervous?” he has a plastic bag on his hands and walks casually. He gives every one of them a smoothie. Someone enters the room.

“Okay, you guys should stop messing around an...” Your voice stops when you see that’s not your room. That’s not your band. The full group looks at you, confused. The teacher smiles. 

“Ah, I don’t have more smoothies, you’ve should came earlier...” he says. 

“Sorry, I thought this was my band’s room.” Megumi stands up and gets closer to you. 

“You’re going to act today?” he asks. You nod. You can smell the strawberry milkshake he has on his hands.

“You play?” you asks, and Megumi lets out a confirmation sound. “Good luck then, but our band is pretty cool.” you say. Why? Are you intimidated by a guy who makes his hairstyle up and all his strange friends? Megumi's expression goes from confusion to disagree.

"No. I didn't saw it, but it isn't cool for sure."

"That's not how you have to say it." Gojo whispers. Yuji keeps drinking his pineapple smoothie quietly. Toge nods to the professor.

"Salmon." he says, agreeding. Megumi sighs once again. You walk, searching your band. Your phone rings.

"Y/N? Miwa here!" Miwa says. You ask her where they are, and she indicates you how to go. Once you enter, your band is perfectly dressed and prepared for your stage. Utahime is on a corner, looking at you all.

"I really hope your stage goes well." she says. "We have to demostrate that fucking dumb man with a black blindfold that we're a hundred times better than him" Utahime's purposes were personal, it was her own battle against Gojo. Todou nods.

"We'll win, sensei." He's really sure.

"Oh, Y/N saw the other team, didn't you?" you want to dissapear. Utahime cracks her fingers.

"Is that true, y/n? Where you spying the enemy? What did you see? You're thinking about changing? Did that stupid man convice you?" she asks. Actually, Gojo looked like a cool teacher. He even bought smoothies for all his students. But you can't say that to her.

"I think we have possibilities." you simply say, asking Nishimiya to make your braids while Mechamaru practices his synthesizer solo. Aoi and Mai talk in a corner. As the main vocalist, you have to be prepared, the main focus will be on you.

"Are they handsome?" Nishimiya asks while she braids your hair and does your make-up. You move your shoulders up and down.

"Maybe. They are cute." you say. You know it's your time to play when you hear the door.

"Kyoto band, your turn!" the staff announces. Nishimiya lets you go. Your band makes it well. Ll the instruments sound good and your vocals are on point. You look to Megumi woth rivalty when he's going up to the stage while you go down to sit and see his stage.

The presence of his voice and the way he played the guitar so quietly in the middle of all the other instruments. You're amazed by Megumi's way to shine without shadowing all his bandmates. How would it be to go out with him? Will he write songs for you? Inspire his lyrics on you?. You're really amazed. His eyes found yours from the stage when the song ends and he joins you in the leader sests, sitting next to you. A couple more academies sing, but they aren't as impressive as Tokyo's. You sit well when the staff man announces the competition has ending and he's going to read the winner.

"Good luck." you say to Megumi, even when he thinks his school was way better. You know he's only lying to himself.

"We don't need your luck. Keep it all for yourself" He says, ending when the staff takes out the paper with the winner.

"There winners are... The "Normal High School Band" The man says. Both of you look unamused how a normal one takes the trophy, talking about the importance of "letting the human highschools live between all the magical ones."

"Really?" you say in quiet voice. Megumi sighs. You see his hand in front of you.

"Peace?" he asks. You look at his big hand, moving in front of you, trying to convince you to take it.

"Peace." you say, shaking it. He smiles quietly. "Now, would you accompany me to the bar where you ordered those smoothies? they looked so good!" he laughs.

"Oh, Gojo bought them. I think the bar is really close..." he checks the location on his phone. You hang from his arm.

"Don't look at the phone. Let's discover it. Let's go on a date, hm?" you ask. Megumi blushes, but he accepts.

"Okay. Let's have a date."

[ask-fraustria]

PruAus all version please

since you said all versions i’ll only mention specifics if i think something would be different!

How do much do I ship it?: Never heard of it/ Notp / Dislike / used to ship / maybe / ship it / aww / otp / IS IT CANON YET? [canon for hetalia…just them interacting in a nice way would do (which they have recently laughs)]

What non sexual activities do they like to do together?: watch each other…do stuff. mostly Prussia watching Austria, i think. cooking, playing an instrument…on Austria’s end i think they like to drag Prussia places, shopping, events. weirdly i think Austria’s interests/routine kind of dominate. Prussia likes company- they’ll whine about whatever they’re doing, but they’ll go along because they find Austria interesting. then again, Prussia also likes attention for the things they do, they get an idea into their head and insist Austria play along or watch. but i think as a couple, despite that they can bicker at the drop of a hat, they can also be really quiet and just exist together not doing anything in particular. Prussia gets bored, but they don’t get bored of what Austria is doing. (Austria is naturally easily entertained.)

Who does chores around the house?: Prussia…without exception.

Who’s the better cook?: Austria by a hefty margin. it’s not that Prussia is really bad, Austria is just really good.

Who’s the funniest drunk?: i’m guessing Prussia since Austria doesn’t seem to be able to stay conscious long enough to be that funny. but when they manage it, they are pretty funny. Prussia is more about property damage than amusing comments.

Do they have kids?: UH KINDA. KINDA. WE KINDA HAD A KID ONCE RIGHT LIKE AROUND THE 1810s HAHAAHAHAHA they sort of act like Germany’s parents basically lmao. i don’t think i’d count any others as ‘theirs’. i mean it’s tempting with Kugelmugel but given Austria’s parenting “skills” i think that kid just fends for himself LAUGHS…he really looks like Prussia’s genetics got up in there somewhere though, like damn. even the AU kid i designed for Prussia and fem!Austria has the same colouring pretty much. which tbh in my mixed Nyotalia (but otherwise canon) AU it’s really funny imagining Kugelmugel showing up and everyone is just kinda…suspicious

Do they have any traditions?: it seems like they spend Christmas together (alongside other “family” members) but i don’t know if there’d be anything else…i don’t feel like they give the same weight to annual traditions that a human couple would. they’ve just had way too long already.

What do they fight about?: uhh most things. if you can stick two opposing viewpoints on it, they’ll fight about it. i think it’s kind of a hobby. but more than anything, Austria gets riled up about Prussia’s sense of etiquette and propriety and propensity to deliberately tease or cause chaos. Prussia conversely gets annoyed by what they perceive as strict or stick-in-the-mud rules. i think in the context of a relationship, Austria’s rules tend to win out in the end, lol. they don’t really fight about anything serious, they’ve done enough of that for, well, the lifetime of a country.

What would they do if they found their pairing tag on tumblr?: i’m gonna say back away slowly and pretend it doesn’t exist because that’s what i want to do most of the time

Who cried at the end of Marley and Me?: probably Prussia…i don’t know actually. i think Austria likes animals more than Prussia does? weirdly. but who is more sentimental? it’s kinda hard to say. Prussia is the crier…but their emotions are all over the place while Austria actually grasps the subtleties of emotion more but shows them less. i really don’t know. other than the fact that they probably wouldn’t watch this trash to begin with

Who always wins at Mario Kart?: Prussia unquestionably but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good at it, just that Austria is a severely disadvantaged opponent lmao. i think Austria might get fluke wins or even start to understand mechanics that Prussia doesn’t and that drives Prussia absolutely insane.

One thing I like about this ship?: ev…ery…thi…ng…okay i love their focus on each other, like i feel like Prussia just wants Austria’s attention so much, lol. but Prussia also leaves Austria thinking about them way more than they want to. you never get the feeling they’d get bored with each other. it’s intense.

One thing I don’t like about the ship?: hmm…there’s nothing inherently about the ship that i don’t like. i don’t like how some people portray it, is all. you got your mushy zero-conflict versions, and your horribly abusive versions, etc. come on people!! other than that i don’t like how little content there is, lol…considering it used to be popular a long time ago (and STILL gets excluded from rarepair stuff despite never fucking getting anything anymore).

The song I would say fits them?: there’s quite a few, i used to keep a list (though they’re pretty gender-specific for Prussia/fem!Austria because that’s most music for you)…One More Night/Maroon 5, Howl/Florence, Power and Control/Marina, Black Coffee/All Saints…if you like Vocaloid there’s Killer Lady/GUMI for some amusing lyrics

Another headcanon about the pairing?: nyo!Austria likes doing nyo!Prussia’s hair. Prussia is usually the one who likes to mess with people’s hair, but guy!Prussia obviously doesn’t have a whole lot, though she still likes to pet him. but with nyo!Prussia she likes to properly brush and style it. so i guess nyo!Prussia sometimes runs around with way more elegant hairstyles than she would normally do herself, lmao.

[scorpio16x]

My Thoughts on Sora Gumi's “Chateau de la Reine / VIVA! FESTA!”

So this is way overdue as I intended to write it a week before senshuraku after my last show… but because I spent too much time rewatching old Sora Gumi shows to cope with Mirion’s taidan I didn’t have time to write down my thoughts until now…

Overall, I love both the musical and the revue. The musical made me laugh and cry, and the revue was one of the most exciting Takarazuka experiences I’ve ever had. However, while I love this show, I’m a little conflicted about it being Mirion’s taidan (something I’ll mention later).

“Chateau de la Reine” is Tabuchi-sensei’s first Grand Theater show. I’ve really liked some of Tabuchi-sensei’s previous works (“Victorian Jazz” has a special place in my heart, and “Sanctuary” was pretty solid), so I was fairly excited when I heard he’s finally making his Grand Theater debut. One reason I like his works is that they’re not as “romance-centric’ as other Takarazuka shows. The two protagonists still fall in love, but their romance is more of a side plot (the obvious exception is Yuki Gumi’s “Roman Holiday). Although some fans have said that he lacks the sensitivity necessary to write a Takarazuka play, I personally like it when romance isn’t the main focus.

This style is evident in “Chateau de la Reine.” Love wasn’t really ~in the air~ until the very end when Kitashirakawa and Reiko got together (which was adorable, whenever I saw Kitashirakawa held out his hand to Reiko I always squealed a bit). The main focus is the comedy. For a show that actually has a quite serious topic (an old couple attempting to commit suicide), it was hilarious. I LOVED it when Maa-sama waved her long arms and legs around because she was “possessed” by the writing angel, when Mirion pushed Maa-sama behind a sofa, and when Zun-chan tried to run away even though Akki held onto her backpack. Yes, it’s slapstick humor, BUT I COULDN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT. 

Another part of this show that I really appreciated was that a lot members of Sora Gumi got their own little plot. It’s great to see actresses who usually don’t have many lines in a Grand Theater Show to have their little moments. I specifically want to mention Ayaka Mari and Seoto Risa. Ayaka Mari finally got the Grand Theater time she deserved. She looked INCREDIBLE in a suit, and I love how evil she sounded. I was hoping that she would have a duet with Rinjo Kira, but at least she got to sing the Étoile. Seoto Risa was spectacular as the queen. At first I thought she was just a hotel attendant and was sad that she barely appeared (even though she looked adorable dancing to the song). Then BAM she appeared in an all-black dress sounding all authoritative and I was blown away. When she threw the baby off the bridge she sounded insane and evil - it was wonderful. Now I really want to see her as Sophie in “Elisabeth.”

However, the greatest part about this show is that despite all of its ridiculousness, IT MADE ME CRY. The message of “smiling when it’s tough�� really got to me and I cried every time I watched it. Tragedies like “Konsaba” and “Hoshi ai Hitoyo” are wonderful and beautiful, but sometimes we just need a good old comedy that reminds us of how amazing life can be. Even though this isn’t a traditional taidan show – with its outrageous outfits (seriously, why?? The colors are blinding) and its hilarity – I think it really fits Mirion’s personality. As someone who’s always so cheerful and bright, I find it appropriate that her last show has a similar message.

“VIVA! FESTA!” was fun, exciting, and powerful – just not exactly what I had in mind for Mirion’s taidan. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this revue. My favorite is definitely the soran part, it was simply AMAZING. On my first day I was surprised because people in the audience actually YELLED BACK, which is weird because Takarazuka fans are usually really quiet. There was so much energy that it felt like the floor was shaking. The actresses were all super hyper and the audience was so into it. During my second show Seoto Risa was really close to me, and she was so excited that her haori fell - it was adorable. Just this segment alone captures what Maa-sama and Mirion’s Sora Gumi is all about - happy and full of energy.

Now onto the not-so-good things. To be honest if this were just any other revue I would’ve loved it. And I do really like it. But… it’s Mirion’s taidan, and she barely appeared. She had solo lines but no solo songs (unless you count the parade part), which is baffling because she’s SORA’S QUEEN AND SHE DESERVES A SOLO. She did have a little dance with the other musumeyaku during soran (which further consolidates the soran part as my favorite part of the revue), and she did dance with the other otokoyaku during the finale, yet that’s hardly enough. Maybe I expected too much. Since she had a solo for the opening of “Hot Eyes!” I was hoping that she would have something similar this time… The only part that felt like a taidan was the duet dance, which was breathtaking. From the song (“Greatest Love of All,” I see what you did there) to the dry ice/smoke to the endless lifts, everything was beautiful. I cried when I saw her walk down those stairs because it finally hit me that this is indeed her taidan. So while I love this revue, I would love it even more if Mirion had more stage time. Brief notes on individual actresses… Asaka Manato: After seducing us with her long legs in “Elisabeth” (I will never forget how she slid across that table), in “Chateau de la Reine” Maa-sama put those long arms and legs to good comedic use with all the flailing and running into doors. Comedy is a difficult genre, but I couldn’t ask for more from Maa-sama. Yes, some bits were over the top, though nothing was cringe-worthy and you don’t feel that she’s “trying too hard.” She also somehow made me think that the annoying and arrogant Kitashirakawa is… cute, particularly in the end when she touched the back of her neck because she felt embarrassed for asking Reiko out. The revue really suited her. Now I can totally understand why her fans call her “Sora Gumi’s sun,” she’s just so happy and warm that it’s infectious. Misaki Rion: Do I need to say more except for “Mirion did great”? Her first solo song (もうひとりのエトランジェ) is my favorite song of the entire show, and her version of 笑えたら made me cry. I know a lot of people would prefer her to have something similar to Elisabeth as her taidan. Nevertheless, as I said before, I don’t mind that her last show is about a strong career-minded woman who keeps trying regardless of all the obstacles in her way. I also just want to quickly mention how well she acted during the revue when Maa-sama died. She didn’t speak at all, yet from her actions and expressions you can tell she was devastated, shocked, and confused as to why there was so much hatred. When most people think of Mirion they think of her singing (rightfully so), but her acting never disappoints as well. I’m sad that she’s graduating, though I’m certain that she’ll have a fantastic career in front of her. Makaze Suzuho: Ah, Makaze… constantly wrecking my bias list. She was convincing as the “how dare you annoy me but I’ll still help you” Louis XIV, and her singing was solid. It’s beyond me how she looked so good in the revue. During the “witches’ festival” part, when she ran out in a blue outfit and danced to that electric guitar song, I felt that I needed to reconsider who my favorite sora gumi otokoyaku is. I also love how she acted like she OWNED the place when she sang the solo for soran. Aizuki Hikaru: Ai-chan proved, once again, that she can act as crazy and over the top characters (though at least this time, unlike “Top Hat,” she’s not the only one who’s over the top). Sometimes I still wonder how someone who’s so proper off stage, and whose dream role is Rudolf from “Mayerling,” is Alberto from “Top Hat.” In the revue she covered a K-Pop song with other otokoyakus. While I love Ai-chan and her voice, I personally don’t think she was the right choice for the boyband concept. Her singing is too “musical-like” for a K-Pop song thus it felt a bit unnatural. Nonetheless, I’m not complaining that much because all the winking made up for it. Sumiki Sayato: Akkii’s previous characters were more of the “gentleman” type, so Makoto is quite different for her. It was weird seeing Akkii, who has the reputation of behaving and looking like royalty, acting as a jerk. But she did well as the grumpy and clueless cop. I would love to see her challenge more roles that are different from her usual style. And, is it just me or did her singing improve? I really enjoyed her duet with Zun-chan in the finale. Sorahane Riku: Riku also broke out of her comfort zone for this musical. She was great as the flamboyant and happy Crayon, and you can tell she had a lot of fun walking around in those incredibly high heels. When Crayon and Makoto kissed in the end the whole audience went “aww”  (including me). In the revue, Riku acted as a bull who went up against a matador (Maa-sama). Props to her for making her hair VERTICAL and acting super “bull-like” (especially the way she moved her leg). Sakuragi Minato: Zun-chan was ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE as the timid Togawa. In the Takarazuka run her hairstyle was still normal, but in the Tokyo run she had terrible (or amazing, depends on how you look at it) bed hair in that the back of hair went upwards. It was too cute. She sounded like a kid and looked like an elementary student on a field trip with her backpack. Then the revue began and all of a sudden she became a handsome otokoyaku – it caught me off guard. She had a ginkyo solo after the prologue that she totally nailed. I can already see the beginning of her transformation into a more mature otokoyaku and I can’t wait for her future shows. Junya Chitose: It’s good to have funny Seko back after seeing how seriously scary she can be in “Elisabeth.” I love the way she talks, there’s like a little bounce in her voice. And her “drunken walk” was so good that I was always afraid she’s going to fall off the ginkyo. Sadly she didn’t get to sing much in neither the musical nor the revue. She did sing a bit during the “witches’ festival” part. When she started singing I was like “wow who is this? Oh, it’s Seko, that explains the powerful voice.” Kazuki Sora: Sora was her usual delightful self and the role fitted her perfectly. I found her “broken Japanese” to be very endearing. Also, during one of the shows I was sitting close to the side stage, and she was standing near me for the parade. She looked at me in the eye and that already made me really happy. Then before she left to return to the main stage, SHE WINKED AT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME. I freaked out even though it wasn’t meant for me because 1) it was in my general direction 2) it was VERY DESTRUCTIVE. Needless to say, I’ll pay more attention to her now. Tldr: I liked both “Chateau de la Reine and VIVA! FESTA!” Both could have had more Mirion, but both were solid shows that I highly recommend. These two shows also taught me that I should never judge a book by its cover (when I first saw the poster and the trailer I was horrified by how ugly the outfits were). I really like the current Sora Gumi, and am terribly sad that this era is coming to an end. Good luck to Mirion! And good luck to the rest of Sora Gumi! :D

[wonderouslilith]

A bunch of my shits from my MG4 x Vocaloid crossover Part 1 / 4

Rin

She is the leader of the group but she hates idols

Baby friend, she totally wants anyone’s attention (mostly Miku’s and Atom’s)

Doesn’t know how to cook, a total disaster.

She dislikes being close to Kira, just because he is tall as hell

Knows how to play guitar and is learning how to play drums

When she has free time she drags Atom with her to play as their rock band

Tsundere as hell

If she feels too embarassed or anything she’ll bite you, however her bites just tickles (not to Atom)

She is paired with Atom

Miku

She was a former idol

Totally Rin’s mommy. Spoils her too much

Since she got in the cooking club her cooking skills had got greater, because of that she knows how to bake and cook a lot of things

She always makes sweets to Rin.

She really admires both Shy and Luka, however she is a little scared of talking with Shy even if she really wants it

The reasons why she quit being an idol was because of her brother

TOTALLY HAS A CRUSH ON KAITO

Her twintails are only for stage, she uses all the types of hairstyles

In agency, after the girls, her best friends are Teruma and R

She is paired with Rui

Gumi

Big sister of the group, totally worried big sister

Psss she is lesbian

Because she is a worried big sister, she is always checking to see if her “siblings” are okay. So worried that she is always putting her eyes on L

She is on the Gymnastics Club and because of her moves are really good. They started to use her skills on the dances

She likes of rolling skating too, she goes like that to school most of time

L calls her of Marimo Girl (the REAL marimo Girl)

Gakupo is her old brother

Knows to play bass really well

Spends most of her time with Rui, with both talking about their crushes

She is paired with L

SeeU

Her real name is Seung Song but everyone calls her SeeU because it’s easier

nyanyanyanyanyanyanyanya

Kitten girl of the group, she is always around the places with her kitten ears and acting as a kitten.

Because of this, everyone is really worried about ALTO because he thinks she is a real cat.

Everyone likes her, there’s not a single person who dislikes this friendly kitten girl!

Kira is her favorite senpai, and it’s the only one that she calls “seonbae”

She is a little scared of Shy

When R looks a little down she hugs him and start to cheer him up... Actually she hugs him at anytime

Because she is too naive, Gumi takes care of her

Her big brother sends her Fan mails in Korean so she can feel at home.

She is paired with R