Habemus Curatus! Introducing Cures Zukyoon and Kiss!

On June 1 and 8, 2025, fans of the Pretty Cure series from all over the planet have witnessed the (reboot and) rise of the two warrior idols. However, this isn’t the usual stuff that we’ve seen in all the midseason Cures’ initial and fully maiden debuts since 2009.

Enter Purirun and Meroron, the two mascot fairies from KiraKiland that transform into Cures Zukyoon and Kiss, whose memories and experiences of the former and feelings of the latter have been literally locked in due to a very forbidden item called the Heart Kirari Lock. What the hell just happened?!!

Following two weeks of roller coaster of emotions and intense curiosity, Yoshino Nanjo (Eli Ayase in Love Live! and Shirabe Tsukuyomi in Symphogear) and Miharu Hanai (Tomoe Murakami in Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls and Twin Turbo in Uma Musume Pretty Derby) have been finally taking over as the first two seiyuus to play two midseason Cures in seven years since Nao and Yukari Tamura, and the first in two years since Aoi Koga, respectively.

The return of the mascot fairies-turned-Cures trope in the global action magical girl show’s Reiwa production era is very unprecedented and predictable as well as for the first time in 16 years of the midseason one, there are no sign of leaks circulating on the internet like the others, and so the guys at Toei Animation surprised us with those two gorgeous official arts of Zukyoon and Kiss which posted on May 30, 2025, two days before their pre-debut.

The two slayed and braved fluffy divas’ birthdays will be on October 9 and December 7 respectively.

In an interview with the Japanese otaku media site Animate Times, Nanjo and Hanai have shared their own thoughts and experiences of being part of a long running show like Pretty Cure with the former says that she was surprised, happy and pressured all at once. While the latter answers that she couldn’t believe that she got the job and her mind went blank.

“It felt like I was being handed the baton [pass message] that everyone who had been involved in the work up until now had cherished, and it was also the moment when I resolved to spend this year cherishing it with Purirun and Zukyoon, the cast and the You and Idol Pretty Cure [production] team,” Nanjo said.

“It was a very strange feeling to be able to be involved with Pretty Cure, which I had been watching and admiring since I was little. At the same time, I was of course happy that I could become a part of Pretty Cure, which had been my dream and goal, and I felt a sense of responsibility...!!” said Hanai, who’s also a longtime Cure fan.

The two seiyuus are also commented about their characters’ charms and recommended points, among other things as well.

Zukyoon and Kiss’ henshin sequence has been revealed on the current season’s 19th episode aired on Father’s Day, June 15, marking the first time to do so since Macherie and Amour. Also, we’re finally getting a short glimpse of Purirun and Meroron’s human forms in it, both animated by Nishiki Itaoka, with the latter being designed by the season’s character designer Miho Sugimoto. However, the celebratory official debut has been overshadowed by a gut wrenching scene when Uta Sakura aka Cure Idol (voiced by Misato Matsuoka) is shockingly learned that her beloved Purirun has lost her memories due to the after effects of the aforementioned forbidden item, as well as her wish to protect the said Cure leader at the cost of becoming a hero and turning her ribbon into gray, at the end of the episode.

Truly, what the hell just happened?! What do think about Cures Zukyoon and Kiss so far? Let us know in our comments here or on our socials.

ADDENDUM: We’re apologize for not posting new content on our blog due to numerous commitments for the first half of 2025, but we’ll be doing our best to make it active as possible, especially we have the upcoming Yona Kuromatoki’s Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Awards 2025 and the Yona Kuromatoki Platform Top Cosplays Rank: The Philippines Cosplay Community and Industry Silver Anniversary Edition in December, with the usual voting period that’ll start by the late October.

In addition to these, we’re gonna do The Goddess’ Playlist segment posts and interviews with fella geeks again for this year, so keep on eyes out on them in the coming days.

Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Awards 2024 x #YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays Rank Winners

It's the time of the year again for Yona's Blog in the Yuletide season because here are the winners for the Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Awards 2024 and the #YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays Rank!

But first, here are the list of winners for the Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Awards 2024:

Favorite Episode

1. "The Power of JaneNella 2.0: Electric Bonggaloo" - 28.6% (Winner)

2. "Pyonderful to You~! Satoru and Daifuku Toyama Appreciation!" - 25.7%

3. "United By Music, Now, Then and Forever! The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Commentary" - 11.4%

Tie for 3rd Place: "Everyone's Friends! Wan, Wan, Wonderful! The Wonderful Pretty Cure! First Impressions" - 11.4%

Favorite Guest

1. Nightcat - 28.6% (Winner)

2. ThatOneLucarioFan - 17.1% (1st Runner-Up)

3. Yokio - 14.3% (2nd Runner-Up)

4. Mimi Arañez - 11.4% (3rd Runner-Up)

5. Dorian Gray - 8.6% (4th Runner-Up)

Favorite New Guest

1. Mimi Arañez - 25.7% (Winner)

2. Len - 17.1% (1st Runner-Up)

3. Yokio and Marco_G99 - 14.3% (Tie for 2nd Runner-Up)

4. ThatOneLucarioFan - 8.6% (4th Runner-Up)

And now, the moment that we all have been waiting for... the full and official tally for the #YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays Rank!

Thank you so much for voting and congratulations to all the winners and the participants of the two awards! You guys are all deserve the blessings received for 2024!

On behalf of this blog, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and an idolish 2025! Till the next YKIP Fan Favorite Awards and the YK Platform Top Cosplays Rank, lads!

#YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays and Yona Kuromatoki’s Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Awards 2024

Hallo again, YKPers! I apologize once more for not posting new content on the blog because of various ganaps for the past five months. But now we’re so back again and again, so it’s about time for the coolest events of the year - the Yona Kuromatoki’s Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Awards 2024 and the #YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays Special Awards!

For the first time in seven years, we’re gonna bring back the top cosplays rank to celebrate the platform’s tenth anniversary and after a few weeks of deliberation, we internally select 15 characters that mark both its first ten years of existence and my first 15 years of cosplaying. But before revealing who’s who, the YKIP Fan Favorite Awards this year will consist of the first 11 episodes of and guests featured in Yona Kuromatoki’s Interactive Podcast 4F and what’s more, we have a new addition that is the Favorite New Guest category. Without further ado, here are the list of nominees for the three categories for the award!

Favorite Episode

1. “Honey Flash! A Golden Fiesta for Cutie Honey!”

2. “In Fiercely Full Bloom! Power of Hope ~PreCure Full Bloom~ Impressions”

3. “Soarly Fly Together!!!!! The Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure Overall Impressions”

4. “The Power of JaneNella 2.0: Electric Bonggaloo”

5. “Everyone’s Friends! Wan, Wan, Wonderful! The Wonderful Pretty Cure! First Impressions”

6. “United by Music, Now, Then and Forever! The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 Commentary”

7. “Queers and the Challenges of Society”

8. “Ready? Game Start! Road to Wonderful Pretty Cure! The Movie!”

9. “Gearin’ Up with the Gearsoul Productions Fam!”

10. “Cosplay, Politics and Society”

11. “Pyonderful to You~! Satoru and Daifuku Toyama Appreciation!”

Favorite Guest

1. Marco_G99

2. Cure Chronos

3. Dandy Basil

4. Dorian Gray

5. Yokio 

6. Nightcat 

7. Len

8. Alf aka Mita Futaba 

9. Mimi Arañez

10. ThatOneLucarioFan

Favorite New Guest

1. Marco_G99

2. Cure Chronos

3. Dandy Basil

4. Dorian Gray

5. Yokio 

6. Len

7. Alf aka Mita Futaba 

8. Mimi Arañez

9. ThatOneLucarioFan

And now, the moment that we’ve all been waiting for… Here the 15 cosplays that mark both my first 15 years of cosplaying and the first ten years of the YK Platform who’re battling for the top spot!

1. Shana (Shakugan no Shana, first debuted in 2009)

2. Hayate Ayasaki (Hayate the Combat Butler!, first debuted in 2013)

3. Seiji Sagara (Happiness Charge Pretty Cure!, first debuted in 2014)

4. Yui Nanase (Go! Princess Pretty Cure, first debuted in 2015)

5. Reina Kousaka (Hibike! Euphonium, first debuted in 2017)

6. Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Club, first debuted in 2017)

7. Kobayashi (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, first debuted in 2017)

8. Pikario/Rio Kuroki/Cure Waffles (KiraKira Pretty Cure A La Mode, first debuted in 2018)

9. 13th Doctor (Doctor Who, first debuted in 2018)

10. Emiru Aisaki/Cure Macherie (HUGtto! Pretty Cure, first debuted in 2022)

11. Hizuru Minakata (Summer Time Rendering, first debuted in 2023)

12. Takumi Shinada/Black Pepper (Delicious Party Pretty Cure, first debuted in 2023)

13. Evangeline Burton (Birdie Wing ~Golf Girls’ Story~, first debuted in 2023)

14. Ellee/Cure Majesty (Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure, first debuted in 2024)

15. Satoru Toyama (Wonderful Pretty Cure!, first debuted in 2024)

To vote for both awards, we’ll open the Google Forms for YKIPFFA 2024 and #YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays within before Halloween or after the Undas break so please watch out. Also, get your gadgets ready because the four highest number of votes in these two online polls will be crowned for all four categories. As with last year, the voting will end on December 15 and the winners will be revealed on Xmas Day, December 25, on the blog.

May among the coolest chaps and the episodes mentioned take the four grand tokens, so we wish them the best of luck!

Update: The YKIPFFA 2024 and #YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays Rank online votings are now out on Google Forms, so please go to these webpages and start voting!

Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Awards 2024 Online Voting

#YKPlatform10th Top Cosplays Rank Online Voting

Under Parallel Skies Spoiler-Free Review

A one liner that we can describe the movie: Uuuugh deym feels yow!!! 😭

Feels and jokes aside, the combination of Win Metawin and Janella Salvador is easily knocking on the park with their respective acting skills and flexing some basic words in their respective native languages, and it's just wonderful (pun unintended)!

Besides this, spending a short time with someone they love is a painful to see, so yeah it totally hurts if you ask me. The lesson here that we should make the most of the time by hanging them out while they're still alive because we really don't know about when their time on this planet will be ended, especially to our parents and pets. Also, don't you guys dare wait for them for too long like weeks, months or years coz time is constantly changing as we grow older.

Under Parallel Skies is one of the examples on crossing cultures and uniqueness between the Philippines and Thailand, a rare occurence that has not seen since the Erich Gonzales-Mario Maurer movie Suddenly It's Magic more than a decade ago, moresoever with the rise of another unexpected but very phenomenal duo in the form of Michelle Dee and Anntonia Porsild aka PorDee as well as the love for AKB48 and Japanese idols with MNL48 and BNK48 in the recent years.

Despite the respective sociopolitical issues that the two ASEAN countries face until today, their relationship has singlehandedly gave another new meaning - transcending diversity and sharing cultures with happiness, peace, understanding and love with one another even coming from the other side of the fence.
 

The Goddess' Playlist: Fighter by Tali Golergant (Eurovision 2024 Entry for Luxembourg and Yona Kuromatoki Platform 10th Anniversary Song)

 

Single version cover

After a two-year hiatus, The Goddess' Playlist segment in this blog makes a wonderfully triumphant comeback, and yes we're so back to do impressions on our all time favorite songs, this time we go Eurovision with "Fighter" by the Israeli-Luxembourgish singer-songwriter Tali Golergant!

The first Luxembourgish Eurovision song in 31 years and also the first since the country's last participation in 1993 (of course it's my birth year, as said during the recent YKIP Live), it was released on January 9, 2024 under Bel Air Records, and composed by Dario Faini aka Dardust, who is also handling the music for another Eurovision 2024 song, "La noia" by Angelina Mango for Italy, and notable for doing the same with Mahmood's "Soldi" in 2019, together with Ana Zimmer and Manon Romiti, while the lyrics were written by the latter two and Silvio Lisbonne. The revamped version on the other hand was released on March 29, 2024 under the same label and Jo&Co. 

The song was competed in the inaugural Luxembourg Song Contest on January 27, 2024 and won the right to represent the Grand Duchy in Eurovision over the runner-up "Drowning in the Rain" by Krick by 13 points as well as six other finalists. In the super final of the national selection show, Golergant had received 94 points from the juries and 84 points from the televoters for a combined total of 178 points.

Eurovision version cover

According to Golergant, she states in interviews that the song is about how humans suffer, and how people persevere through suffering, in which the singer is used as an example of living in New York City and going through series of rejections within the music industry. It is indeed in the first stanza that the singer has struggled to get a break in the big city in her 20s, the age bracket where most people often go to parties and spend their money on lavish things.

On the Overthinking Eurovision YouTube channel's interpretation of the song meanwhile, the first refrain part has the word "siren" in it because sirens are monsters that lure sailors by seducting them with their voices to impending doom. Therefore in the aforementioned, the little siren voice wants the singer to come and take its hand towards an excited yet risky path of the industry she gets used to before going to the chorus, which is in English. In it, there is an inner cheerleader who encourages the singer to keep going as a fighter until it suddenly goes away from its outer counterpart.

Speaking of which, Fighter is a song of self-doubt in French with an assurance of self-confidence in English and we love it very much whether in either version. I mean, it has catchy beats with a powerful meaning of perserverance, determination and overcome trials as humans! Definitely a top ten on my bucket list for this Eurovision season.

Yona Kuromatoki Platform 10th Anniversary version cover. From left: Cure Sky (Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure), yours truly as Seiji Sagara (Happiness Charge Pretty Cure! aka the first cosplay featured in the platform) and Cure Wonderful (Wonderful Pretty Cure!)

As mentioned in the blog's previous post, the song becomes the Yona Kuromatoki Platform's 10th anniversary song, the second non-English to do so after MNL48's "First Rabbit" aka the fifth anniversary song of the platform, then known as the Yona Kuromatoki Cosplay Page, and it is also the first time to specially feature not only yours truly but two groundbreaking Pretty Cure leaders, Cures Sky and Wonderful, although neither the former nor the latter are written specifically for themselves too like Golergant.

In the anniversary version, the first stanza is now interpreted as myself still getting adjustments on adulthood and juggled with the hobbies I still have, while also being recently lost a mother and about to receive my downfall. Then, a siren voice calls me to come and bring to something that is adventurous but also risky before moving on to the chorus. Its self-focused version has the said siren voice, aka my inner self, wanting to keep me going and knowing that I'm a fighter because of my never give up spirit until I go crazy and don't know what to do after the voice itself leaves far away from me.

Meanwhile the second stanza, usually refers to the singer's complications on deciding her path and fight to conquer the world stage, is transformed into Komugi Inukai being a dog that distrusts and hesitates in mind, and Sora Harewataru's ambitious aspiration to become a hero of all worlds. The siren voice in the second refrain now refers to Iroha Inukai and Mashiro Nijigaoka in inner forms telling the two Cure leaders to come and go towards their respective destinies that are unstoppable, as both pairs have done the same yet in different ways in their own Cure seasons.

If my self-focused version of the chorus is about my inner self cheering me to keep going, the second focused one refers to the inner Iroha encouraging Komugi to come to her and never let the latter down because the "older" Inukai knows her fursister is a fighter. The inner Mashiron, on the other hand, notices that Soracchi's heart is holding the love around everyone and she knows she's basically one, a hero as in. Then, the two leaders are going wild to grab everything and nothing at the same time like two girls that are crazily wandering in the outskirts after questioning on the whereabouts of their inner formed partners from afar.

But the bridge part is kinda complicated because it may also be refer to me or either of the two Cure leaders. Nevertheless, it also interprets as the three of us just wanting to open our hearts by resonating the sound of our dreams and not our own fears to everyone, and that's truly meaningful.

Finally, the last chorus states that my inner version, and the ones of Iroha and Mashiron are started to fade away, much like Golergant's, before returning to our heads (well I'm sure that both secondary Cures won't be affected by that crazy inner mindness lols) and go crazy like wild beasts that are nothing to do but on a rampage.

Of course, Fighter is different from First Rabbit in terms of the language, genre and musical styles, but the message is clear for both songs: keep going, never stop to reach our dreams and fight for what we believe in even if we endure so much pain and suffering. Truly remarkable celebratories for the Yona Kuromatoki Platform!

Whether either interpretation of the song may be, then it's up to you. But both interpretations are cool as heck and way beyond our twinkle imaginations. Anyways, I wish the best of luck to Golergant at Eurovision and yesh, keep slaying!

What is your own interpretation of Golergant's Fighter? Let us know in the comments section below, on our Facebook page, X, Instagram or Threads accounts. Till the next Goddess' Playlist, lads and vadengs!

The Manalili Mastersplan on the YKP 10th and Others

Like any other industry or multimedia franchise, it is important to know about what the plans are for the upcoming months and the things that are cooked for the fans and followers, and the Yona Kuromatoki Platform is no exception. Because I'm not only doing its tenth anniversary, which is celebrated this year besides my 15th cosplay one, but I also did two special cosplay lineup series from the previous year. But how the heck these plans have been really planned from the start?

Known as the Manalili Masterplan, I came up these ideas in mind shortly after the first Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Part 3.0 episode in 2022 and originally had plans to solely focus on my 30th birth anniversary in 2023 and the preps for the platform's first decade in 2024. But when the Pretty Cure 20th anniversary festivities were kicking off so early (Delicious Party was the season aired at the time), then I took the opportunity to bring back something that I had done before - the Ultimate Pretty Cure Cosplay Line Up! The special cosplay lineup series was the first in YKP and introduced during the franchise's 15th anniversary, when the former was known as the Yona Kuromatoki Cosplay Page (2014-19) and later the Yona Kuromatoki Page during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic before rebranding once more to its present name. Then another iconic franchise would celebrate another milestone, Doctor Who, which would be turned 60th in that year, and I thought that it'd be great to have its first cosplay lineup series too.

Plans for the UPCCLU 2.0 made clear when Hirogaru Sky! would be the next season of Pretty Cure, so the thought of adding at least one new cosplay from the show would be a good addition to both promote it and spread the wholesome agenda in pop culture cons. The then upcoming cosplans were Laura/Cure La Mer (mermaid form ver.), Takumi Shinada/Black Pepper and Nagisa Misumi/Cure Black, in addition to the active cosplays like Seiji Sagara, Yui Nanase, Pikario/Rio Kuroki/Cure Waffles and Emiru Aisaki/Cure Macherie. However, only Black Pepper made a cosplay debut in Pinoy Otaku Festival 2023, while Cure Black would be retained for the 2024 cosplans alongside Nozomi Yumehara/Cure Dream (Otona PreCure ver., currently on the canvassing stage), Ellee/Cure Majesty (currently in progress) and Nodoka Hanadera/Cure Grace (currently on the plans). There were also plans to bring back Ako Shirabe/Cure Muse for the cosplay lineup series but it was ultimately scrapped due to constraints. Fortunately, its first phrase made a huge success thanks to the constant hype over the 20th anniversary and a second phrase is currently ongoing for the Wonderful! season and the YKP tenth anniversary, so there's a possibility to push the comeback still within this year.

Speaking of which, I also considered the 15th Doctor for the first Ultimate Doctor Who Cosplay Line Up alongside Thasmin aka the 13th Doctor and Yasmin Khan, but also met the same fate as Cure Muse unfortunately.

The initial plan for the UPCCLU 2.0 would be held at Otaku Expo Anime and Manga Drawing Special 2023 day 2 to coincide with the Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure finale, but because I already debuted Hizuru Minakata on that con, it was later moved to the Ozine Summer Fest 2023 TriNoma leg on the day after EDSA People Power Day and I thought it'd be a perfect time to celebrate HUGtto!'s fifth anniversary with Macherie! The aforementioned stuff weren't the only ones to consider, the much-awaited comebacks of my Seiji Sagara cosplay and Yui-Yui's winter casual outfit were also part of my plans for the cosplay lineup series and proved to be successful with minor revamps and newly acquired props.

As for the DWUCLU, I would still push 13 and Yaz for it at least to commemorate Who's 60th and it became a success, notably thanks to Cosplay Mania 2023 day 2 and the recent watchalong party organized by the Whovian Philippines group. But also, here's to more cosplays from the silly but very iconic blue box show.

The advanced and the belated namida surprise fiestas at cons for Waffles and Black Pep on the other hand were my ideas, but what's more interesting to know that the latter also coincided with the actual one of Makoto Kenzaki/Cure Sword last Sugoi Anime Fest 2023 at Robinsons Antipolo in Rizal Province, so that's that. When All Stars F was first announced in March, I was excited and decided to take that opportunity to bring up the hype as much as possible. Three months later, the first trailer came out and the special teams had been revealed! Due to that, the idea of a helpers group was born and it was taking inspiration from the companions group from Jodie Whittaker's last regular Doccy Who episode, The Power of the Doctor, but a Cure-esque twist. And so, the three special cosplay cards featuring Black Pep (representing Teams Sky and Prism), Yui-Yui (representing Team Wing and Majesty) and Waffles (representing Team Butterfly) were released for a limited time and debuted at CosHabatsu 2023 day 2.

I even said in the YKIP Part 3.0 penultimate episode that the early plans for the YKP 10th were on the works and one of which was planning to attend a Visayas or Mindanao con first then an international one next, in addition to the continuation of the YKIP Live Panels and a theme song for the year-long party, much like the ones of the anime industry centenary in 2017 and the Pretty Cure series in 2023. The logo for the aforementioned would be the same as the podcast's current season , 4F, and it was made as early as September with little adjustments. When Wonderful Pretty Cure! was officially unveiled, sinabay ko talaga 'yun with the YKP tenth anniversary logo and poof, surprise guys! :p

And oh, speaking of anniversaries, December 2023 came out and the theme slogan had been revealed shortly after the YKIP Year End Special with "Sama-Sama I-Angat ang Lahat! Onward to the Extremely Wonderful Decade!" and a pubmat for my Cosplay Carnival 2023 day 3 lineup with the anniversary logo. Then more than a month later aka shortly after the Hirogaru Sky! finale episode, the YKP tenth anniversary song would be "Fighter" performed by Tali. Not only this is the first time that a Eurovision song, specifically the current seasonal roster from a comeback participated country Luxembourg after a 31-year hiatus, is used for the aforementioned, but this is also technically the second non-English one to do so after MNL48's "First Rabbit," which was used for the platform's fifth anniversary in 2019. Both songs are dealing with the struggles and perseverance that us humans do everyday, but just with two different genres from east and west hehe. That aside, they're also related to me and how I deal with the suffering and despair, but with multiple drops of determination and hope, and used the latter to overcome the former.

Oof, looks like we've gotta end this long-ass essay on how the Manalili Masterplan came to life! But I do hope you guys enjoy reading it from start to finish and apologies for not posting on the vlog due to busy schedules. Till the next random ramble on Yona's Blog, fellas!