Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Episode and Guest Awards 2023 Winners and Honorable Mentions

 

Hallo everyone! I apologize again for not posting new content on my blog due to work and engaging in various ganaps for the past two months, as well as being busy for the Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Year-End Special 2023. But we're back to business once again coz, thanks to your votes, we'll reveal the winners, and some honorable mentions, for the first Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Episode and Guest Awards!

Favorite Season One Episode (Note: Bold letters state the winner of the category)

1. "Yona's Random Rambles 2021" - 33.3%
2. "RIVER by MNL48 Fan Commentary and Impressions" - 33.3% (tied for first place)
3. "Why Do We Love Cure Grace?" - 16.7%
4. "Mid-Season Pretty Cures Look Backs! Road to Cure La Mer Part 1" - 16.7% (tied for second place)

Honorable Mentions

• "Yona's Doctor Who Fan Experiences So Far"
• "20/20 Vision! Up~on the Graceful Future! The Yona Kuromatoki Year-End Special 2020 Part 1"
• "#HealinGoodSakalam! The Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Tribute to Healin' Good Pretty Cure Part 4: The Woman Who Chimed to Earth
• "Girls Can Be Heroes Too!"
• "#HealinGoodSakalam! The Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Tribute to Healin' Good Pretty Cure Part 1: Our Amazing Grace"

Favorite Season Two Episode

1. "365 Araw ng YKIP x Sayonara Thirteen: The Prelude - Road to Regeneration" - 33.3%
2. "The Thasmin Effect on Queer Culture" - 16.7%
3. "#YonaXXIX and A Decade of Symphogear" - 16.7% (tied for second place)
4. "Doctor Who, Leni Robredo and the Negastar Army" - 16.7% (tied for second place)
5. "YKIP All Axezz Chapter Zero: Tropical Flux! PTAA Travel Trade Expo 2021!" - 16.7% (tied for second place)

Honorable Mentions

• "Trese and the Filipino Geek Culture"
• "1, 2 Kuru Jump~! The Mewkledreamy Talks!"
• "Cures Summer and La Mer Appreciation"
• "Red and Blue Oceans in Modern Society"
• "Anong Gentle, Gentle?! It's Cure Finale!!"

Favorite Part 3.0 Episode

1. "It's Krejza! It's Majestic! Thoughts on Our 78th Main Pretty Cure Hero!" - 16.7%
2. "The Power of JaneNella" - 16.7% (tied for first place)
3. "Is Bad Publicity Still Publicity?" - 16.7%
4. "Sayonara Thirteen! The Power of the Doctor Commentary" - 16.7% (tied for second place)
5. "What the Hell is the Eurovision Song Contest?!" - 16.7%
6. "Five Glorious Years of MNL48" - 16.7% (tied for third place)

Honorable Mentions

• "The Golf Gals and the Space Mecha Gals"
• "Fukkatsu! The Road to Pretty Cure All Stars F!"
• "Let Our Precious Moments Lead!! The Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Year-End Special 2022"
• "#PreCure20th Specials Part Two: The Party Goes On Forever! Our Delicious Party♡Pretty Cure Impressions and Commentary!"
• "Six Decades of Adventure in Space and Time"

Favorite Recurring Guest

1. Christian Quilala
2. Andrea "Drei" Labastilla (tied for first place)
3. Jackson "Blazeix" Jordan
4. Nathaniel Vergara (tied for second place)

Favorite Season One and Two Guest

1. The Roaming Historyador - 33.3%
2. Dina aka Raspberry Cremé - 33.3% (tied for first place)
3. Christian Quilala - 16.7%
4. DregenScarletBloom - 16.7% (tied for second place)

Honorable Mentions

• Jay Agonoy
• Nightcat
• Usapang Cosplay Podcast
• Jackson "Blazeix" Jordan
• Charlie aka sheregenerated

Favorite Part 3.0 Guest

1. Philip Miguel Garcia - 33.3%
2. Leigh Craddock - 16.7%
3. JG Ramos - 16.7% (tied for second place)
4. NeraTheodore - 16.7%
5. David Seery - 16.7% (tied for third place)

Honorable Mentions

• Louie Aguinaldo
• Jernard aka Bern Bear
• ElectricAura
• Andrea "Drei" Labastilla

Congratulations to the first set of winners for the YKIP Favorite Episode and Guest Awards despite some tie-breaks! Your contribution and efforts to the podcast won't be wasted and useless, and you also made it more interesting throughout its three-year run. You guys are very welcome to come back to this silly but amazing podcast show and hoping to hear you all again in the future episodes.

Again, shout out to those who are voted for their favorites and thank you for spending your time to do it!

See ya all at the Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Fan Favorite Episode and Guest Awards 2024, and we will wish you a very soaring sky Christmas and a wonderful new year, YKIPers!

Videos With the Highest Number of Views on the Yona Kuromatoki YouTube Channel

 

Happy new year and welcome to the Year of the First Rabbit, everyone! To kickoff my year-long 30th birth anniversary and the other celebratories that share with it, here are the videos with the highest number of views on my YouTube channel as of this writing:

1. Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Season Two Episode 11: The Thasmin Effect on Queer Culture - 411 views

2. #YKCovers: Pretty Cure Memory ~New Stage 3 Ver.~ - 277 views

3. Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast: All Axezz Chapter 3: Larong Atin Launch Event with MNL48 Team Padayon - 114 views

4. Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Season Two Episode 2: Cures Summer and La Mer Appreciation - 87 views

5. Karaoke Contest Performance of "Hajimari no BABEL" (Senki Zesshou Symphogear) from AniCon July 2022 Day 1 - 82 views

6. Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Season Two Episode 12: Anong Gentle, Gentle?! It's Cure Finale!! - 66 views

7. Karaoke Contest Performance of "Nakayoshi no Uta" (Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure) from Ozine Fest 2022 Day 2 - 55 views

8. Karaoke Contest Performance of "Hot Springs" (Healin' Good♡Pretty Cure) from Otaku Expo Tanabata Festival 2022 Day 2 - 42 views

Noticed that the majority on the list are all from Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast Season Two, which ended last August 16, 2022 and was succeeded by the currently ongoing Part 3.0 season, and the rest are my karaoke contest performances on both online and onsite. Chapter 3 of All Axezz on the other hand is the only content with this distinction for the entire sub-segment on the platform.

Which of my YouTube videos is your favorite and why? Comment down below, on my FB page or my Twitter @goddessyk13.

Let Our Precious Moments Lead!! (Yona's Blog's Version)

 

It's time for the newly-minted traditional hybrid year-end special for the third straight time on this blog (the other is the year-end special video proper on my Facebook page), this time for our 2022 one that's Let Our Precious Moments Lead!!

Similar to the 2021 year-end special, Sulong sa Bente Uno! Follow the Bright Summer Light!!, which themed about rewind memories and the importance of the now, this one tackles about achievements and disappointments, giving on what really happen to our world and affect our lives throughout the year.

With that, let's take a look at the responses of some of my colleagues regarding the Year of the Palmtop Tiger as a whole through their own precious moments!

What are the achievements and disappointments you've witnessed or seen for the year (they can be real life and/or pop culture)?

"Our national women's football team qualifying for next year's Women's World Cup, and especially clinching a bronze at the Hanoi SEA Games, as well as winning the first title in the AFF Women's Championship last July.

Although there were ups and downs, particularly despite last May's elections and the heightening Russo-Ukraine war, 2022 had a batch of good things, and need to know that life has a yin yang between both good times and bad times - two halves to the whole."

- Archive International

"Din Djarin and Grogu being reunited in The Book Of Boba Fett. It's set up very nicely for their Mandalorian return!

Thasmin getting an emotional exit which worked for both of them!"

- Leigh Craddock

"Pros: Sa wakas nakatapos na ng (At last I finally finished) college, seeing the PPop scene grow (pero MNL48 at Alamat, kayo pa rin [ang] top fave PPop groups ko) (but MNL48 and Alamat, you're still my top fave PPop groups), meeting more fellow Whovian moots online. I guess 'yan muna kasi boring ['yung] buhay ko (that's it for now because my life's boring).

Cons: Russia vs. Ukraine, 2022 election results (aka the very worse death sousenkyo in PH history).

- Nightcat, PAKSA MNL writer and Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast stalwart guest

"As for me, my 2022 moments are the following:

1. Vlogging recovery after more than a year since 2021, when I quit the MNL48 fandom plus the death of my friend who is also a fellow fan that gave me a blow on my life.

2. Disclosure but freedom - what had happened to me last February due to the unprecedented issue gave me lessons. Since I'm a BA History graduate of 2012, this gave me a spark in order to become more serious on information gathering as well as to refute false news in the social media nowadays. The disclosure that made to me by an anime vlogger group (name withheld) also gave me new opportunities to become a freelancer vlogger without any group/s who wants me to be invited to be their member. Well, I will continue to forgive them (and also the ones who made me shamed in the social media) seventy times seven if they could also forgive me too, but if they're not, forgiveness doesn't require reconnection as what TOL told to us in his mental health podcast The Yellow Space. Starting up as a freelancer is not a joke, because people will consider you again as a newbie and you have to build once again the trust that was lost. Yet, I pray to God through Jesus Christ that my vlogging will be guided once again in spite of many challenges I've encountered this year. As what I said many times, magsisimula muli ako... nang mag-isa (I have to start over again... alone)."

- Lean Alvarez, Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast first guest and The Roaming Historyador content creator

From me, my fam and my mates, have a delicious smiley and sky-highly New Year to all of you! May 2023 will be full of proper good moments, though we'll expect some more bad ones as always, and remembered that toxicity will never ever win, even the real megalomaniacs and their wannabe counterparts of society!

Yona's Blog Pride 2022 Special: The Bright x Dark Haired Queer Couple Trope

 

As we celebrate the pride month for 2022, I decided that I'm gonna use this as an opportunity to talk about one of the most notable tropes in the queer culture, the bright x dark haired couple trope! This trope is so indeed popular across different spectrums of media, whether in animated, comic, literary or live action form, because it depicts on two characters with strike contrasts of their personalities (i.g. cute and childish bright haired character x cool and matured dark haired character), as well as the iconic bright and dark colored hair as part of a certain story, can be either in full romance, romantic subtext or romantic friendship whether canon, semi-canon or not yet.

As mentioned in the latest episode of Yona Kuromatoki's Interactive Podcast titled "The Thasmin Effect on Queer Culture," this trope itself really makes sense since there are similarities although it all comes in different shapes and sizes, including the happy and the sad endings of a story, where either one of the pair (or both) has died due to unfortunate circumstances or lived due to pleas of the fans or various circumstances given by the creators.

Such examples are Resine de Poisson and Simone D'Arc from Shiroi Heya no Futari (The Couple in the White Room), Serge Battour and Gilbert Couteau from Kaze to Ki no Uta (Song of the Wind and Trees), Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura from Banana Fish, Yuzu and Mei Aihara from Citrus, Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya from Revolutionary Girl Utena, Evangeline Kimishima and Aoi Amawashi from Birdie Wing: Girls' Golf Story, Ren and Haru Kaidou from Super Lovers, Luz Noceda and Amity Blight from The Owl House, and Adora/She-Ra and Catra from The Masters of the Universe series in the animated and the comic sides. On the live action side are Eve Polarsti and Villanelle from Killing Eve, Emma Swan and Mary Margaret Blanchard from Once Upon a Time, Crowley and Aziraphale from Good Omens, and the 13th Doctor and Yasmin Khan from Doctor Who.

Of course, aside from being actual comfort characters, these pairs are among our sources of inspiration that we look up to in every corner of our lives and in order to be the better versions of ourselves because they teach and want us to do good things, condemn the wrong and use various skills for applying the reality we live in. Therefore, fictional queer couples make more sense to the eyes of many geeks and enthusiasts both in the LGBTQIA+ and allies like myself with lots of smiles on our faces, and full of unconditional love, acceptance and understanding no matter what they are.

Who are your favorite bright haired x dark haired couples from any media platform? Comment down below, on my FB page, my Instagram account @yonakuromatoki or my Twitter @goddessyk13. Again, happy pride month, everyone!

#YK2020Vision Special Blog: Highlighted Moments of 2020 Part 2

Welcome to part two of #YK2020Vision Special Blog! For the first part of this special, please check out this link: https://yonakuromatoki.blogspot.com/2020/12/yk2020vision-special-blog-highlighted_27.html?m=1

Cross the river! You can do it!

MNL48 and SGO48 were stepping up their own game as they both released another iconic 48g song, "RIVER," as the 6th and 3rd singles respectively this year. 

The former was first announced during the Valentines Concert 2020 and supposed to slate in March, but was eventually delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moreover, Rans Rifol's graduation from the group in June, in which the senbatsu slot she originally reserved had given to Alice De Leon. Meanwhile, the latter was first announced the revealed title of their next single during the Esgeeoh Senbatsu Battle released on their official YouTube channel back in August and similar to the same situation to Emenel, Nguyễn Thị Lệ or Lệ Trang, gave up her slot in the senbatsu and was replaced by Lê Phạm Thuỷ Tiên or Tiên Linh.

Double centered by Gabb Skribikin and Abby Trinidad, the music video of Emenel's "RIVER" was originally slated on November 15, but because of the circumstances surrounded by Typhoon Ulysses that hit the northern portions of the Philippines, it eventually moved to November 27 and subsequently got digital releases on iTunes and Spotify a few hours after its release. The single also marked the first senbatsu participation of Frances Pinlac, Amy Isidto, Gia Muse and Jaydee Garcia, and the comeback single for Ella Amat. The MV was trended on YouTube PH in the top 20 and top 1 in Twitter PH with more than 100,000 tweets, surpassing the 50,000+ tweet mark of the One Love Asia event back in April.

On the other hand, the Esgeeoh version that was centered by its captain Võ Phan Kim Khánh or Kaycee was also originally slated on December 5, but due to the sudden rising of coronavirus cases in Vietnam, it was moved to December 20.

Both versions of RIVER are honestly amazing for me just like the prior ones, and I'm not sick and tired of listening to all of them because that song is all about empowerment and never giving up, especially in these trying times. Can't wait for Team SH, Team TP and CGM to have their own versions of RIVER soon.

Immortal Sugimoto returns

Two years since the last adventure in season two, Golden Kamuy made its return for a third anime season, and all the cast and staff of the show were also returning.

It's been a quite while since we last saw Sugimoto getting beaten up, and he and Asirpa had gone separated ways. Season 3 also introduced us more new characters such as Sofia Goldenhand and Vasily, who are pretty interesting lads too, plus Kiroranke's true nature especially on Tsar Alexander II's assassination along Asirpa's dad Wilk. I'm not gonna spoil much about the finale, but I'm so glad that both Sugimoto and Asirpa reunited and renewed their partnership.

Jo Martin is the Doctor!

Who have we know about someone that has the same case but from a timeline way before the Time War?

Season 12 of the new Doctor Who series marked not only the return of the Master, who is currently played by Sacha Dhawan, Capt Jack Harkness, and notable monsters like the Judoon and the Cybermen, but also introduced another unknown incarnation of the Doctor... Enter the Fugitive Doctor, played by the wonderful Jo Martin - aka the very first Doctor of color!

I was very surprised and amazed about how Jo had done playing the Doctor in her own way and her brief dynamics with Jodie Whittaker was pretty amazing. I'm hoping that she'd be coming back in the show, probably in a future episode or the much-awaited 60th anniversary special.

A starry farewell

On January 26, the finale episode of Star Twinkle PreCure was aired, and we witnessed about the years-after versions of the Star Twinkle Cures and the gang which took 15 years after the final battle and the heroines' emotional parting of ways. We had also seen the usual small screened krus na landas meeting between the outgoing leader Hikaru Hoshina aka Cure Star (voiced by Dempagumi Inc.'s Eimi Naruse) and the then-incoming Nodoka Hanadera aka Cure Grace (voiced by Aoi Yuuki) although the latter only appeared in the former's dream.

I honestly wanna cry with the parting scene but at the same time the adult versions of the heroines are just so beautiful and I noticed an Easter egg which is the dog plush doll resembling Latte as well as the usual baton pass, this time from Star to Grace, is just also wonderful. Speaking of the latter, I can't honestly wait for it, but it's Grace to Summer this time around, in the Healin' Good finale episode this February.

The blooming race against time

The 28th Pretty Cure movie overall and the 13th crossover movie, PreCure Miracle Leap: Minna to no Fushigi na 1 Nichi (A Strange Day with Everyone), focused about the three recent teams - Healin' Good (bar Earth), Star Twinkle and HUGtto - taking up an extraordinary yet bloomed race against time as they encountered the mysterious Miraclun who got chased by the evil Refrain. Therefore, only our heroines could stop that timey-wimey menace with their combined powers... and an unexpected miracle would occur!

The movie was originally slated on March 20, but due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it was moved to May 16, which was yet again unfortunate to have another delay by the said circumstance until it was finally getting a new release date which was October 31. The theme songs "Circle Love ~Cherry Blossoms~" and "First of May" were performed by Rie Kitagawa and Machico respectively.

To commemorate the movie's rescheduled release, several promotions had been occured such as the usual Yokohama Sky Garden promotional project and the collaboration with Tokyo Girls Collection featuring all 14 most recent Cures, including Cure Earth!

And that concludes the #YK2020Vision special blog part 2! I honestly wanna include some more of the highlighted moments for 2020, but due to circumstances and time constraints I have to shortened them, so my quick apologies for the inconvenience. Anyways, I just wanna greet a safe, prosperous and very hopeful New Year to you all!

My Doctor Who Merchandise Collection (So Far)

Happy Doctor Who Day, everyone! And to celebrate its 57th anniversary, I decided to do a two-part special blog post about my merch collection and my related content engagements in the franchise. So yep, let me do the former first!

Ever since I entered the Doctor Who universe in 2018, I was wondering that I could start collecting various merchandise from the show, so I decided to save some extra budget first and later, engage in freelanced craft and taking two different jobs to have those. To me, it really fulfilled my wish of having those all thanks to my hardwork in a short span of time while in the fandom.

Anyway, I'm going to share my merchandises that I collected so far from the show:

My first official merch: Doctor Who Magazine Issue 532 ft Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill as the featured cover, pre-ordered from Filbars.

Two 13s and a recon Dalek Funko Pops, also pre-ordered from Filbars.

A Cybus Cyberman pop-up figure, bought

from Xmas ToyCon 2019 Day 3.

DWM Issue 532 ft the late Jon Pertwee as

the featured cover, bought from Booksale

Walter Mart EDSA.

13th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver (Se7en20

version), bought from Geekerie.

And here's myself as 13 with her sonic from last February's charity shoot!

Latest addition, a 13 LEGO figure that I bought from Shoppee!

PS. Salamat (Thank you), Shoppee!

I'm also decided that I will collect more Who merchs in the future, of course it'll depend on the availed budget and time though.

And that's part one of my two-part special post for Doctor Who Day! I will continue this with my related content engagments on the next post! What did you think of my collection so far? Also, did you have your own Who merchandises collection already? Share them on the comment section below, on my FB page or my Twitter @goddessyk13!

Time For a Lady... Three Years After!

A fan made image of Jodie Whittaker shortly after her reveal as the 13th Doctor. © Owen (@WhovianLife on Twitter)

Have you ever wondered or dreamed about having a heroine who's not only strong and gentle, but confidently beautiful with a big heart? Do you want someone similar to Sailor Moon, the Pretty Cures, Darna, Wonder Woman, Supergirl or the Powerpuff Girls that has brilliant and compassionate cause for the whole entire universe? Well, I have found something in mind.

On July 16, 2017, the entire planet Earth had witness a new face that shapely changed the history of the Doctor Who franchise forever and that was the big reveal of Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor, and the first woman to take on the iconic role, after the 2017 Wimbledon Men's Championship Finals. Following that, she got buzzed both in offline and online with mixed reactions! Many peeps were saying that her casting was the right choice and it was about time for a woman to take charge on the role of the Doctor, while the others took some nasty comments regarding the aforementioned.

Even former Who stars - from the senior Doctors like Colin Baker, Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi, to ex-companion cast members such as Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, John Barrowman, Alex Kingston and Pearl Mackie - had rallied and showed their full support to Whittaker as well, which was a wonderful feeling to everyone especially girls who were looking up for a new female hero they grew up into.

I had the same thoughts when I watched the reveal video shortly after I entered the Who fandom almost two years ago, it ain't only gave me chills but a sense of excitement and happiness for me that I already found a new hero in 13, just like what I did the same thing to any heroine, and I was getting hyped even further on the trailers for the 11th season of the show's new series, aka Whittaker's debut season, which was very interesting and anticipating to see.

Once again for the nth time and in spite of endless bashing online, Whittaker has always proved that she's a wonderful ambassadress to the show with wholesome grace and professionalism in her career, something that other celebs in this planet should follow. Also, she's a very charitable and compassionate person considering being part of various charity organizations in and out of Britain and more importantly, proving to everybody else that girls can be heroes too! This even shows that the suggestion coming from the original creator, the late Sydney Newman, to the lads at the BBC over 30 years ago is now became true and that's the fact.

The celebration continues this September as I'm gonna share to you all about how I got into the Who fandom two years ago. Stay tuned.

CON REVIEW: Pinoy Otaku Festival 2019 [05-17 to 19-2019]

Finally it's the final part of my POF highlights and this time I'm going to tackle the last year's edition with the theme of "Asobi," or play in Japanese!

The con had moved to its new venue, Robinson's Novaliches, and for the first time that it'd be a three-day con than a two-day one. The activities were still the same with the exception of the battle of the bands and the two-sub karacons from the 2018 edition, but adding a new sub karacon which was the Ultimate Karaoke Royale.

In terms of my cos lineups, it was east meets west this time as I cosplayed Rio Kuroki and the 13th Doctor, who were also both debuted from the past year, for the weekend session only. 

The 2019 edition marked the 3rd time that I joined the YCSF, this time singing the KiraKira PreCure A La Mode opening theme, and my 1st KRB appearance with AKB48's "Heavy Rotation" in a brilliant friendly contest with my mates in Team OKE.

Not only myself, my elder brother was one of the panelists about the local idol scene and speaking of idols, Ivy! Musume, CH4U, JAPH Dolls and Aidoru Sozai made their own oozing numbers the now 3-day POF. Though a bit lost about the exact venue but overall it was a very nice change of view as well considering the more spacious way and a twincool experience!

As of this moment, I'm still cleaning my backlogs from last year, so it'll be taking time before finally posting my POF 2019 vlog so please bear with the WIPs.

And that concludes my Pinoy Otaku Festival experience highlights! Hope that you've been taking back into the past and how the con itself expands over the years. Till then, see you all in POF 2021! 😊

Photos © Jeff Cao, Team OKE Gakuen, Francisco Mendoza, Goki