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!

Sulong sa Bento Uno! Follow the Bright Summer Light! The Yona's Blog Year-End Special 2021

 

Hello, cockles! You missed me, right?! I was super busy for the past couple of weeks due to work, Heroes Con (plus the first YKIP Live) and recording of my year-end video. But now I'm back again in this blog and speaking of which, our 2021 year-end special, titled Sulong sa Bente Uno! Follow the Bright Summer Light, is a different thing compared to the ones I made in the recent years (except 2018 and 2019) because it'll be focused and themed about rewind memories and the importance of the now. Meaning to say, I won't able to highlight the good and bad moments that shape the year, but instead to pinpoint the pluses and minuses of it in perspectives of ordinary people.

I prepared five questions to four of my mates in order to share their 2021 experiences and here are their amazing and tropica-shiny responses!

1. What are the positives and negatives 2021 has brought you?

"The positives:
1. My best achievement ever in school (Placed 1st on Top 10 and became an Honor Student for the first time),
2. I am able to study in a private school (Yes. That dream of mine became true).
3. I am able to open up to my friends about my mental health.
4. I am able to relax and break my cabin fever by going outside for a walk.

The negatives:
1. Jealousy... Because I am feeling sad, having a simple but lonely graduation celebration, while others have very special graduation celebration.
2. Discouragements. I feel so discouraged because my parents are so mad at me for not doing anything valuable for our family and for taking wrong decisions that led me to regret the decisions I chose.
3. Pressure. It's all because of my parents putting much more pressure to me, just to meet their expectations from me, though I didn't sign up for anything they expected for me."

- Jasper Pernia

"The positive thing that happened this year is me leaving amino and trying to find another outlet to share my art and opinions.

And the negative experience is a tie between this message a received from an irl friend because of my pride month post. And a homophobic comment I received under a drawing of Minako (Aino) and Rei (Hino).

This last one really like ruined my day. I blocked the user who commented it cause I don't want to deal with this sh*t."

- Mostafa

"The positives for 2021, I have my family with me, still studying my course and I will be looking forward to graduating from college next year. I am blessed to be alive during the pandemic. I have cut off from my toxic friends and ex-boyfriend for good. I've met incredible online fandom friends.

The negative for 2021, that I am not able to see the rest of my family due to COVID. "

- Chloe

"Positives is that I got a good job working at a hospital that pays well, I made a Pretty Cure server that's filled with loving people and enjoy the franchise for what it is. The negatives is that I sadly wasn't able to pass my fall semester and sadly I didn't hit my subscriber goal of 10,000 subs."

- Jackson Jordan aka Blazeix

2. What are the things you've been thanked for this year?

"- I thanked myself for having true friends that kept me going, despite all the pressure parents put on me.
- I thanked myself for being able to go on through adventures by going outside walking around.
- I thanked myself for successfully meeting my Oshis in MNL48 last December 18.
- I thanked myself for succeeding my dream of studying in a private school.
- I thanked myself for expressing my creativity through comics.
- I thanked myself for taking risks, though my parents didn't want me to.
- I thanked myself for meeting other local Japanese idols through the use of a Japanese livestreaming app.
- I thanked myself for staying loyal to my original (very first) Kami-Oshi in MNL48, though she was a former member now."

- JP

"The second question is a little bit hard, I don't think I did anything that's worthy of thanks. My co-workers thank me about alot of things but I don't think I really did anything to be thanked for. While in the other hand I have alot of things to be thankful about, like my awesome supportive group of friends. Also being done with mandatory military service, I'm really thankful for that. *laughs*"

- Mostafa

"I am thankful to my family. Always and forever. All of my life.

- Chloe

"I'm thankful for the people who watch my channel and for the friends I've made in the Pretty Cure fandom. I also love the Pretty Cure Club I made and the people in it.

- JJ

3. Do you have comfort stuff (TV shows, movies, characters etc) that keep you sane all throughout the year?

"Comfort stuffs:
- Anime characters: Chiyu Sawaizumi, Sango Suzumura, Mana Aida, and Makoto Kenzaki.
- Anime/TV Series: Kamen Rider Series, & PreCure Series.
- MNL48 Oshis:
- Kami-Oshi (Currently): NekoNyan
- Ni-Oshi: Cole
- San-Oshi: Princess
- 4th Oshi: Ruuuuth~
- 5th Oshi: Dana
- 6th Oshi: Klaire
- 7th Oshi: Miho
- 8th Oshi: Kath
- Real life: True friends and my imaginary gf."

- JP

"I do have a comfort manga and that would be Kase-san."

- Mostafa

"I grew up with Disney, Marvel movies and anime. So they all are my comfort stuff. If I had to choose one it would be Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. They're my escape from reality every once in a while."

- Chloe

"Pretty Cure (obviously), Mewkledreamy, Digimon Ghost Game, Nodoka (Hanadera aka Cure Grace) from Healin' Good, Laura (La Mer aka Cure La Mer) from Tropical-Rouge!, Healin'♡Tropical, the fan made Cure story (by Raspberry)."

- JJ

4. What are your 2021 amazing moments?

"- I get 2 pentakills this year in LoL
- I get my very first RP
- I met 2 of my Oshis in MNL48: Princess and NekoNyan~
- I've finished 5 of my comics this year.
- I get to have my wishes with my imaginary gf come true by letting me open up about my mental health to someone that understands me well, and to release the worries I have in her own way.
- I got to study in a Private School as a First Year College Student."

- JP

"I don't have an amazing moment of 2021, nothing really happened that really stuck with me. The year was fine."

- Mostafa

"I have been invited to an Exhibition and saw my design work being displayed. I worked so hard to have my entries submitted and I got to talk to the governor that night. And I'm proud of that achievement."

- Chloe

"The amazing moment would be that my YouTube channel that's slowly growing and the people I've met thanks to my channel. Meeting new Pretty Cure fans like Yona and Raspberry."

- JJ

5. What is your message to me (the blogger) and your friends that made 2021 still meaningful?

"To you, I am very glad to meet you because I know you're impressed about my love for Chiyu because until now, I love her as my favorite PreCure character.

To my true friends, I wanna say that I am very glad, because without all of you, I won't be able to keep myself going."

- JP

"My message for everyone is to stay true to yourself, do not let people around you change just to fit the image they have for you. Your life is your business, no one else's."

- Mostafa

"Have a wonderful and safe Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hope 2022 will be a great year for you all!"

- Chloe

"I want to thank all of you for being my friend. I hope that when you talk to me, that I have made you smile if just a little. Sometimes I don't know how the person looks on the other side of the screen, but I hope that if you're having a rough day that talking to me helps if just a little. I hope that we can talk again in 2022. Thank you for all the memories and see you all in 2022. Let's make 2022 the best year of all of our lives."

- JJ

From me, my fam and my mates, have a tropica-shiny and deliciously New Year to all of you! Always keep being awesome and kicking, and stay safe!

The Tropical Fighting Mermaid! Introducing Cure La Mer!

 

In the dawning hours of June 1, 2021, the identity of the fifth Tropical-Rouge PreCure has been revealed to the world by Toei Animation and it's none other than the current team's mermaid colleague Laura. She is going to be transformed into Cure La Mer starting from the season's 17th episode on June 20. Her birthday has also been revealed to be on the 30th, which coincidentally shares with Alyssa Garcia and Dian Mercado of the Filipino 48g sister counterparts and pioneered PPop idol group MNL48, as well as Usagi Tsukino and Chibi Usa aka the titular Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi Moon respectively.

Therefore, veteran seiyuu Rina Hidaka (Rosia in Show By Rock!, Prelati in Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ, Pirika in the rebooted Shaman King anime series) will be taking over from Suzuko Mimori, the woman who played Asumi Fuurin aka Cure Earth in the global superheroine show's previous season Healin' Good, as the third Reiwa and 15th overall mid-season Cure, and the 69th of the ever growing main heroines.

Also included with the reveal is an interview with Hidaka. Here's what she had to say!

Question 1: The mermaid Laura has transformed into a PreCure! What are your thoughts on this?

RH: Up until now, I've supported everyone else as we fought together, but I'm very happy and moved to face enemies with the others as a PreCure! I've dreamed of becoming a Cure since I was young, so this day was something I've greatly awaited.

Question 2: What are your thoughts on Cure La Mer's design?

RH: She's a little more mature and mysterious compared to the usual Laura, so I was very excited to see it. She's truly tropica-shining! There's a lot of attention to detail in her design, and I'm very fond of her hair, personally.

Question 3: Please tell us about your enthusiasm towards playing a PreCure.

RH: Laura's feelings have changed in many different ways from spending time with Manatsu and the others. She has many different conflicts and feelings that come from her being a mermaid, so I'd like to play her role in a way that includes this while still carrying joy. I'll do my best to make as many people as possible and enjoy Cure La Mer. Please look forward to it!

Like all the mid-season Cures' seiyuus before her, including immediate predecessors Sumire Uesaka (who voiced Yuni aka Cure Cosmo in Star Twinkle) and Mimori, Hidaka will surely be a very fantastic and brilliant person taking up the iconic role, and I know she's gonna nail it too just like them. 

What did you think about Laura being the newest mid-season Cure? Are you excited to see her in action? Let's la sharing your thoughts on the comments box below, on my Facebook page or on my Twitter @goddessyk13! Anyway, stay tuned for my followup blog impressions on Cure La Mer immediately after the airing of Tropical-Rouge! PreCure episode 17.

Reference: Toei Animation Official Webpage for the Pretty Cure Series