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!

Yona's Rankings - Top Fairouz Ai Characters

 

It's the mid-year once again and Yona's Blog brings back my personal rankings, this time I'll jolt down the characters voiced by the wonderful Japanese-Egyptian seiyuu, Fairouz Ai! Speaking of which, it's her 28th birthday today, so I will send a big tropica-shiny felicitations to her for bringing these amazing characters to life!

And coz it's her special day, I'm gonna round up my top four Fairouz characters that I've seen so far right away!

4. Eripyo (OshiBudo)

The first Fairouz character I've seen during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic when OshiBudo was a very late addition to my 2020 winter anime season lineups, but since it tackled about idols and the wota culture, one thing quickly came into my mind was the crazily energetic part-time worker Eripyo.

The main heroine of the show, she has Maina as her kami oshi (the top favorite member) and the only one who supports the idol in various events, similar to some of my co-fans in the PH idol community with the same case. However, I have some very similarities to her in showing an unconditional adoration and wholesome love to my oshis, and I also attended various events like handshake events and concerts very often.

Eripyo is such a cool character and she depicts us fangirling over idols like crazy hippies. But other than that, she trusts and loves her co-wotas despite the differences in supporting their own oshis and is very passionate whenever Maina takes the spotlight before her presence.

3. Hibiki Sakura (How Heavy are the Dumbbells You Lift?)

Fairouz's breakthrough anime and the one that cemented her bumpy yet bloomed seiyuu career. I just took a few episodes into Dumbbells, but Hibiki is the definition of proper healthy living that all of us should inspire to and I like how she's working hard to achieve the almost impossible goal of having a very hot, sexy body alongside her schoolmates Akemi, Ayaka and Gina, and their teacher Satomi-sensei.

Her solid-like bond with the super muscular trainer Machio is one of my faves from the show although Hibiki had a crush on the latter at the beginning, but nevertheless they have a wonderful dynamic relationship. They also got some funny moments and I love the edutainment section about various workouts in each episode and the post-ending credits with Machio himself.

Hibiki may have a very rocky start since she started doing workouts both in and out of the gym, but her sheer determination, perseverance and having a never give up spirit to attain a hot but longer life-worthy body. Maybe I should do workouts too even though they're pretty tough, eh? We'll see.

2. Tokiwa Anzai (Mewkledreamy)

One of my favorites from Mewkledreamy and Fairouz's debut in the magical girl universe before being promoted to a bigger role that I'm gonna talk about in the last part. A probinsyana who moves to the city to start a new life and is Nene's Dream Partner, Tokiwa is an all-around talented person because she plays the piano, and is part of the choir and cheerleading clubs which the latter that Yume Hinata is also part of, yet also afraid of ghosts and scary stuff.

In the first season, we saw Tokiwa saved Nene from getting flew into the river before her move and a couple of episodes later, she was transferred to Yume's school only to get her dream caught by Yunicchi's Black Abyss. But her willingness to be part of the city life and Nene's encouragement triggered the gal to get out of the Black Abyss with Yume and Mew's help, and subsequently became partners from then on. Afterwards, Nene and Tokiwa are lending hands to Mew and Yume to protect people's dreams from the nightmares within them. However, things are getting tougher in season two as they faced new enemies, but also gaining a new ally.

Tokiwa is basically a precious cinnamon roll and who doesn't? I can't wait for her wider adventures with Mew, Yume and the gang as the show's season two is still rolling and kicking!

1. Manatsu Natsuumi/Cure Summer (Tropical-Rouge! PreCure)

Our current Cure leader who is super duper tropica-shiny and full of unlimited motivation! I love everything about and really enjoy Manatsu so far and I cannot underestimate the fact that she's not only putting a smile to our faces, but also encourage us to be motivated for true productivity in this planet.

I do love all the leaders coz they're my primary favorites in the show and Summer is no exception. Her relationship with her parents, especially her mom, is both touching and very nice to see which makes me miss my own parents so much, and with Sango, Minorin, Asuka and Laura is just so amazing! Speaking of the funny fighting mermaid, I can always tell from my inner thoughts that both Summer and La Mer have the very awesome dynamic relationship too, and you know? They're very something and unique!

I'm looking forward to see more of Manatsu and her gang in this current PreCure season, and they're surely treating us with more surprises and twists to come on the way.

Who is your favorite Fairouz character? Lemme know on the comments box below, or on my FB page or my Twitter.

#YK2020Vision Special Blog - Highlighted Moments of 2020 Part 1

 

Welcome to part one of 2020 Vision: Upo~n the Graceful New Decade! special blog edition and I'm going to jolt down some of the highlighted moments of 2020, especially at the time of the ongoing pandemic!

Who in Quarantine!

Organized by the Doctor Who Magazine editor Emily Cook, Lockdown Who was first created and intended to cope the Doctor Who fans from all over the world by doing rewatching tweetalongs of some of the classic and the new series' episodes in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. There were also never-before released contents after each tweetalong proper or in some occasions that didn't have one, including the fan choir renditions of "The Long Song" and "Abigail's Song" for The Rings of Akhaten and A Christmas Carol watchalongs together with German arranger and guitarist-slash-Whovian Borna Matosic, the audio-visual Doctors Assemble, "Descendants of Pompeii" for the Fires of Pompeii watchalong and many more.

Baby Blue's Gonna Back You Up!

On September 1, HalloHallo Entertainment announced its partnership with Tower Records Japan and formed Baby Blue, the first official subunit of the Filipina AKB48 sister group, MNL48. The said subunit consists of Jan Elaurza of Team MII as its leader, while Coleen Trinidad of Team NIV and Amy Isidto of Team L served as the members. Their debut single "Sweet Talking Sugar" made its release in the EGGS Music app in Japan, which had been taking over the top spot on its recording releases rankings, before subsequently took place on iTunes and Spotify a few days after its maiden release. Meanwhile, its music video was released on September 17 and was directed by Carlos Francisco Manatad. It also debuted in Pinoy Myx Countdown on the top spot, making the subunit's first to reach that milestone.

Two months later, Baby Blue then released their second single entitled "Negastar" which was subsequently trending in Japan due to its 1 minute preview and the subunit's continued popularity there. The song's music video was released on Cure Scarlet's birthday, December 15.

PS. Stream Baby Blue's "Sweet Talking Sugar" and "Negastar" MVs on the official MNL48 YouTube channel! Also, don't forget to stream the "RIVER" MV and the prior ones as well!

The Woman Who Chimed Into Earth

During the last stretch of the two-month hiatus of the current Pretty Cure season, Healin' Good PreCure, Toei Animation officially announced that Suzuko Mimori of Love Live! fame would be voicing Asumi Fuurin/Cure Earth, the current team's fourth member that has wind powers and the second Reiwa mid-season heroine after Star Twinkle's Yuni/Cure Cosmo, on June 22. Almost two months later following the show's resumed airing in July, Earth made her initial debut in the season's 19th episode aired last August 9 and her proper maiden one took place on her and Yume Hinata's birthday, August 16. 

Asumin is the first spirit Cure in the franchise as well as the first purple Cure heroine with blonde hair in normie form, and also the only Healin' Good Cure whose mascot partner (Latte, in this case) doesn't fuse with her weapon that doubles as a henshin item. So yep, another historical moment happened and I definitely can't wait to see her and the gang even more in the remaining episodes of Healin' Good, but also am not ready to say goodbye to them as well.

Sayonara to Shokugeki...

After five years of airing, the Shokugeki no Soma anime series (and franchise) made its curtains properly close last September 25 with its final season, The Fifth Plate. Prior to the said proper conclusion, its manga series was recently concluded on June 17, 2019 after almost seven years of serialization in Weekly Shounen Jump, while on August 29, 2019, the series released its three-chapter sequel entitled Shokugeki no Soma -Le dessert- on Jump Giga.

The final season of the anime series' airing had been delayed due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, but on May 25, it was announced that the show would have new episodes following the reruns of the first two starting in July.

In all honesty, we're all missing Soma Yukihira and the gang so much and we'll send our thanks to the people behind this another masterpiece that shaped the cooking world even more!

Mewkle~! Sparkle~!

Sanrio announced about the Mewkledreamy anime series project in 2019 whilst its franchise was officially launched two years prior. The show was first premiered on April 5, 2020 and produced by JC Staff. On April 26, the character franchise company announced that episode 5 and the later episodes would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 23, it was announced the anime would be resumed with new episodes on the week after.

The story revolves about Mew and Yume Hinata on their heart-pounding adventures to keep and protect people's dreams by collecting Dreamy Stones from the Black Schemas that engulfed with their nightmares. Together with the other Dreamy Mates Peko, Su, Nene and Rei, and their Dream Partners Maira Tsukishima, Kotoko Imai, Tokiwa Anzai and Asahi Minamikawa, the tandem has had a bumpy but enjoyable balanced quest between normal life and keeping one's dream with the power of the Dream Synchro.

Who's excited already for season two that's Mewkledreamy Mix! next year? I really, really do! But also, I can still feel the high tension (again, no pun intended) for the remaining episodes of the first oooooh~! Anyway, I posted an in-depth about Mewkledreamy on the blog last June, so you can go check it out if you haven't.

Gather! PPop Group All Stars!!!!

Do you think that Toei's "Contemporary Big Three" aka Super Sentai, Kamen Rider and Pretty Cure, Tsubaraya's Ultra Series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Universe and Doctor Who have been creating their own, respective awesome (and sometimes, ambitious) crossovers among the characters within them? Well, think again, folks! Because we're already discovered another ambitious crossover to watch out for... The gathering of the Philippines' notable pop groups of this generation in one stage and we've already seen them for two straight times now, the other was from the 2020 ABS-CBN Xmas special which I had to segway into!

First was the twincool opening performance of MNL48, BINI and the Star Hunt Academy Boys in Pinoy Big Brother Connect on December 6. The Emenel girls, double centered by Abby Trinidad and Gabb Skribikin, were smashingly lit the PBB House already with their latest single "RIVER" and towards the end, they were taking the transitional breakdance to the tune of BINI's rendition of "Da Coconut Nut." Speaking of which, the gals of the latter were really good too and the song was honestly catchy as heck not gonna lie! Finally, the transition to the SHA Boys was pretty cool and I really enjoyed watching these three groups especially they were dancing to the reality show's iconic theme "Pinoy Ako" at the end of the performance.

The hashtag #MNL48xBINIxSHABoysonPBB was trended at number 4 on Twitter PH whereas all the hashtags trended were KPop-related due to the 2020 MAMA Awards, but this thing made to the top spots and it showed that we should support our homegrown groups, and that's the properly served tea.

Two weeks later on December 20, the three groups were joining forces once again, but with the addition of another one - PHP - for the KTnX Ang Babait Ninyo charity concert, in which the sales collected will be proceeded to those who're affected by the recent typhoons in the Philippines. Other than that, they had various games and we know that they enjoyed them so much plus there was a virtual meet-and-greet with the fans. Anyway, here's to more collabs in 2021!

#JackIsBack

"Haha! You missed me right?"

After a decade of absence, John Barrowman made a much-awaited return to Doctor Who as Capt Jack Harkness and encountered the 13th Doctor's three companions during episode 5 of season 12 of its new series that was "Fugitive of the Judoon," although only briefly appeared for few minutes. His last full TV appearances prior to it were "The End of Time Pt. 2" and the final season of the spinoff Torchwood.

Capt Jack is set his full TV return in the festive special, "Revolution of the Daleks," on New Year's Day (January 2 in PH and in different parts of Asia and Australia) and we're all excited to see him and the Doc for a reunion finally.

That concludes part 1 of the #YK2020Vision special blog! Tomorrow is the second part and I have some more highlighted moments as well, so don't miss it!

Anime In-Depth: Mewkledreamy

Mewkledreamy is a character franchise created by Sanrio, the company behind the very notable Hello Kitty, My Melody and Kerokeroppi, and the Show By Rock! and Sanrio Danshi franchises. Illustrated by Mayumi Yanagita, it was officially launched in 2017.

The anime series version is produced by J.C. Staff (Shakugan no Shana, Toradora!, Revolutionary Girl Utena, UFO Baby, Azumanga Daioh!, Maburaho, Zero no Tsukaima, Shokugeki no Soma, Planet With, Maid Sama!) and aired in TV Tokyo in Japan on April 5, 2020. The episode 5 aired had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the show's airing was resumed on June 7, 2020.

The aforementioned premise centers about Yume Hinata, a cheerful first year junior high school student who by chance picked up a talking kitten plush that falls from the sky named Mew. By becoming Dream Partners, Mew possesses the power of the Dream Synchro and is able to enter one's dream alongside Yume. One night, the Queen of Miracle Dreamy Kingdom appeared in Yume's dream, telling her that if she and Mew collect a lot of Dreamy Stones, she can grant her one wish. From then on, the two started to collect Dreamy Stones and save people's dreams from the Black Abysses together with Mew's fellow stuffed kittens, Peko, Suu and Nene, and their respective human partners, Maira Tsukishima, Kotoko Imai and Tokiwa Anzai.

Being growing up seeing and watching Sanrio characters in different ways, Mewkledreamy is another additional discovery in seeing more cute characters within it for me after Sanrio Danshi and what's more, the characters are wholesome, enjoyable and fun to watch. The slice of life and fantasy aspects of the show are brilliant and wonderful, especially how our heroes handled light to dire situations such as how to save someone's dream from the clutches of Yuni, Hagi and Tsugi for countless times and doing small jiffies with combined efforts. Of course, there will always have mishaps but nevertheless it's a very cool show overall, and I really love the opening and ending songs as well due to being catchy as heck. Well, bring it on the coming episodes and oh, totally recommended to watch especially for this lockdown!

What do you think of Mewkledreamy? Who's your favorite stuffed kitten and main human character? Who's your favorite supporting character? Let me know on the comments box below, on my FB page or on my Twitter @goddessyk13.