#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

Best of SeiYui Songs in the Pretty Cure Series Part 2: It'll be Fine Tomorrow Right?! (Ashita wa Hareru yo ne?!)

Fresh from watching Go! Princess Pretty Cure episode 41, which centralized about Yui Nanase and her new dream apart from being a future storybook author. Before I get into the second of the Best of SeiYui Songs in the Pretty Cure Series, I'll give some brief impressions about the episode:

自分にしか描けない物語を描いて・・・ 夢の力と、夢を守る事の大切さを伝えたい・・・

I want to draw a story only I can draw... The power of dreams, the importance of protecting those dreams... I want to express those feelings...

- Yui Nanase

WOW FANTASTIC BABY! That was my personal thought for this episode regarding Yui-Yui and I intend to agree on Kragito-kun that it doesn't matter she'll remain a faithful helper to the Princess Cures, but the willpower possessed within her is enough to battle the despair and never ever let her own dream and the dreams of the peeps go with that. Though almost manage to break the despair cage, at least Yui-Yui has got a try to do so and yet this was her third Zetsuborg possession (You see that, my bro Seiji?! I think you might be envied about your dear successor's hidden ability and it looks like your record-breaking stuff will be soon overshadowed! :p). But it's also the first time that a Cure helper is having a internal fight against the darkness with her willpower, in which for a quite longtime fandom supporter like me got a first taste. And oh yeah, kudos to the lovely Haruka Yoshimura for giving us her amazing voice and bringing Yui-Yui into existence!

The first part was full inspiration when Yui-Yui has drawn the Fire Palace and its majestic beacon rainbow back in the Dys Dark-controlled Hope Kingdom, but turns into a big challenge when Minamin brought a poster of the art contest with the theme of “Everyone’s Smiles.” Surely that our brave artsy Cure helper wants to compete and win that contest. Whenever I see Yui-Yui comes up for ideas, then I began to learn that she really reminds me of myself (although I'm into the journalistic field) who is very stressful and thinking too much about the right one for a certain theme. And the cake made by Haru-Haru, it's so sweet, plus the box with Ms. Shamour as the design! Mochizuki-sensei was there (phew, at last!) and got curious a little about our Cure helper. And even though Yui-Yui's looking around the peeps in Noble (Yuuki-kun, Hirano-kun, etc), still never come up any ideas although I laughed about Kokoda’s review in PCLJ (Pretty Cure Live Journal page) that Kanata should be her model for the art contest (dang it, look at dat bodeh!). XD Speaking of him, he can actually ported back to the Hope Kingdom with the Royal Key (and I STILL love his prince outfit!).

Boy, oh boy! Looks like Stop and Freeze wanna have give some more despair, eh? But one of the best things in the episode is when these two twin generals are about to attack some random kids at the garden, then it’s time for Yui-Yui to step in because of course she’s the helper of the Princess Cures, so her job is also to protect everybody’s dreams from Dys Dark, by taking up the hit for the kids. I was so grinned about Yui-Yui trying to keep that keyhole before it took for a closure. I think this was the toughest moment for Yui-Yui so far in the season. The part when she was almost losing hope while trapped in the dark, I was totally like “Dang it! Don’t give up, Yui-Yui! You can do it!!!” And all of the sudden, Yui-Yui was called by her Cure partners, stood up and attempted to break the cage using her willpower. But like I mentioned that the Cure helper herself has an internal fight against the despair and darkness within, in which the five past Cure helpers from Earth didn't have (I’m still looking at you, Seiji and even Kaoruko-obachan aka Cure Flower!).

I love what Yui-Yui has said, “What I want to draw… Only I can draw it!” Meaning, she wants to make something that only her can do and that is about the story about the Princess Cures and their heroics with the power of dreams. And I was so happy for Yui-Yui that she managed to resist the darkness with her own will and of course, Flora and her team… Her Cure partners, became her strength in times of distress in which, like I mentioned in this brief review: this has never been done with Miyuki Chinen, Kaoru-kun, Flower, Sebastian or Seiji before, only Yui-Yui has this and that my gosh! Anyways, after saving for the third time seems that Mermaid cited Yui-Yui for having that internal fight and Twinkle was wowed at her too. And so do I being a huge fan of the youngest Pretty Cure helper from Earth in this amazing mahou shoujo anime franchise in which I can proud of.

Wow, the obra maestra at the episode’s end! Such a beautiful painting and very colorful… the Rainbow of Dreams, emphasizes about the fighting for everyone’s dreams no matter what. I must say “omedeto gozaimasu” to Yui-Yui and again, praised to Yoshimura for her cute voice (both the actual and the singing) plus those two anime directors from my home country the Philippines, Francis Caneda and Alice Nario, for making this episode into another breath-taking and mind-blowing one in GPPC! *sighs* My gosh, it looks like Yui-Yui will now break Seiji’s record of 36 episodes in a Cure season because judging from the episode 42 preview, she's STILL there and kicking, making a tie between the two Cure helpers for now! And from episode 43 to the finale, welp, Yui-Yui will have been with 40 or more episodes! Dammit, I’m started to miss her so much! :/ But I think if Mahou Tsukai Pretty Cure! would have a Cure helper from Earth, maybe he/she would exceed Seiji’s and Yui-Yui’s record of episode appearances if ever.

Something tells me that Yui-Yui and Dyspear have in common, which made me shock. And something also tells me that these two had possible connections (only time will tell if these stuff are wrong) because for me, Yui-Yui’s existence was just a mystery and so as Dyspear. I’d be surprised if the witch would have a "Luke, I'm your father" moment. Meanwhile for Mochizuki-sensei and Shirogane-san, something tells me that they'd have a lot questions to Haru-Haru and co about the so-called "rumored Princesses" within the finale arc (oh crap, it’s like Fresh and Doki Doki all over again! :o ). Of course, they'd affect their final all-out war vs Dys Dark as well as Yui-Yui's Cure helper duty.

Alright back to the usual drill, just so know that the Go! Princess Pretty Cure Vocal Album 2: ~For My Dream~ has released a month ago and I knew that our favorite Earthling ally of the Princess Cures gets a character song. Interestingly, "Ashita wa Hareru yo ne (It'll be Fine Tomorrow Right)?!" was done by Yu Shimamura and Haruka Yoshimura, the voicing gals who're behind our blooming Cure leader, Haruka "Cure Flora" Haruno; and our youngest Cure helper from Earth in the whole entire Pretty Cure Series anime so far, Yui Nanase.

As before we say "farewell" to the GPPC season, let's get listened this too amazing song first from our blooming Flora and her extraordinary yet resourcing roommate, friend and Earthling helper Yui-Yui!

IT'LL BE FINE TOMORROW RIGHT?! (明日は晴れるよね？！ Ashita wa Hareru yo ne?!)

Written by: Kumiko Aoki

Composed by: Funta7

Performed by: Haruka "Cure Flora" Haruno and Yui Nanase starring Yu Shimamura and Haruka Yoshimura

"Ashita wa hareru yo ne?!" 1 2 3 
Let's try egao no purizumu afureru mirai chizu hirakou 
Let's go kokoro mo karada mo runrun gokigen'yō sunshine! 

Hajimari kara tsumazuite ita watashi no te wo tsukande
Tomadotteru megane no oku ni hikaru yasashisa ga mieta
Chikaku ni iru sore dake nano ni kimochi ga karuku naru yo
Kokoro ga fuwatto naru sore ga purorōgu
Oshaberi wa (tsukinai) yoake made (nenai) shukudai, kadai wa yamadzumi demo 
Doku ringo wa (iranai) garasu no kutsu (hakitai) shiren wo koete kagayaku purinsesu 

Yume wa otogibanashi de owaranai yozora ni chikau no
Namida mo kizu mo uketomete mae wo muiteku 
Masshirona pēji mekurumeku omoi wo tsudzurou
Irotoridori no yume ashita e habatake! 

Let's try amefuri kaze fuku hi datte soramoyō tanoshī 
Let's go kokoro no mado ni wa runrun kagi wanai OPEN! 

Kega wo shite mo tachimukatte iku furueru kata wo mitara
Chikara ni naritai no ni nani mo dekizu fugainakatta yo
Tonari de tatakawanakutte mo kimochi wa todoiteru yo
Kotoba ijō omoi wo tsunagu monogatari
Ichibyō goto (sugiru) taisetsuna (jikan) kaki nokoshite yuku tsutaete yuku
Mimamotte (kureru) manazashi mo (chikara) tomodachi to iu kokoro no Purikyua 
Yume wa esoragoto ni wa shitakunai ashiato tsukeyou
Fumareta tane wa yuki no shita tsuyoku nareru yo 
Massuguna purotto ikasu no wa ima no watashitachi
Hitori hitori no yume ten made todoite! 

Yume wa otogibanashi de owaranai yozora ni chikau no
Namida mo kizu mo uketomete mae wo muiteku 
Masshirona pēji mekurumeku omoi wo tsudzurou
Irotoridori no yume ashita e habatake!

Let's try egao no purizumu afureru mirai chizu hirakou 
Let's go kokoro mo karada mo runrun gokigen'yō sunshine! 
Let's go

Japanese-English Terms:

purizumu - prism

egao - smile

gokigen'yō - good day/farewell

purorōgu - prologue

oshaberi - chat

ringo - apple

garasu - glass

yume - dream/s

yozora - night sky

kizu - scratch

pēji - page

monogatarri - story

purotto - plot

Best of SeiYui Songs in the Pretty Cure Series Part 1: Tomodachi to Iu Mahou (The Magic Called Friends)

Since the Go! Princess Pretty Cure finale has just getting closer, I decided to make a two-parter featuring our two hottest and trendiest Earth helpers from the Happiness Charge and the Princess squads - and this time we will look and take some lyric memorization at their awesome songs alongside their respective closed Cure heroic friends off from the respective second vocal albums of their seasons.

The first part of the Best of SeiYui Songs in the Pretty Cure Series will be "Tomodachi to Iu Mahou (The Magic Called Friends)" by Megumi Nakajima, Rina Kitagawa and Ryousuke Kanemoto who're provide the voices of Megumi "Cure Lovely" Aino (aka the 10th anniversary Cure leader), Yuko "Cure Honey" Omori and Seiji Sagara (aka the 10th anniversary Cure helper). In case you are wondering, why the heck am I naming "SeiYui?" Actually because aside from being a punny inspiration from Sore ga Seiyuu!, I did this due to the fact that Seiji and his successor from GPPC, Yui Nanase, are the only ones who're (almost) actively appeared in their seasons. Therefore, both are became close to their respective Cure leaders: Lovely and Seiji are childhood friends-turned-lovers while Flora and Yui-Yui are roommates and friends, so there's that.

Relieve the power of innocent and invincible friendship of Happiness Charge Pretty Cure! with Tomodachi to Iu Mahou (The Magic Called Friends)!

(from top) Cure Lovely , Seiji Sagara (in dark form but freed from Red's control alongside the mascots Ribbon and Glassan) and Cure Honey

THE MAGIC CALLED FRIENDS (友達という魔法 Tomodachi to Iu Mahou)

Written by: Funta3

Arranged and Composed by: Funta7

Performed by: Megumi "Cure Lovely" Aino, Yuko "Cure Honey" Omori and Seiji Sagara starring Megumi Nakajima, Rina Kitagawa and Ryousuke Kanemoto

I.

Kyou mo "ohayou" no egao zutto kawaranai you ni

Taisetsu ni shite iketara shiawase ga tsudzuku yo

Kodomo no koro kara zutto issho ni aruite kita ne

Kenka shite mo tsugi no hi wa egao de aisatsu

Tokidoki kanashii koto ga attari

Hitori de iru no tsurai toki ni wa

Itsudemo min'na ni koe kakete

Itsuka min'na no chikara awasete daisukina kono sekai no tame ni

Yuuki wo daseru kara makenai kimochi kitto

Soko ni ikeru to shinjite ireba tsudzukeru koto de yume wa kanau yo

Hitori janai nda yo tomodachi to iu mahou da yo

II.

Furimuita toki ni iru to nandaka anshin suru ne

Shizen ni egao ni nareru mainichi suteki dane

Kidzuita toki ni wa honto taisetsuna sonzai da yo

Chigau hou muita toki wa chotto setsunakute

Sabishii toki wa kore wo tabete ne

Egao ni nareru mahou no ame yo

Ohara ippai de ganbaru ne

Itsuka min'na no mirai ni kitto shiawase ga takusan atsumatte
Tanoshii kono uta wo utaeru yo kono sora ni
Kitto juunen tatte mo issho ni taisetsuna kono sekai no tame ni
Chikara wo awaseru yo tomodachi to iu mahou de ne

Itsuka min'na no chikara awasete daisukina kono sekai no tame ni

Yuuki wo daseru kara makenai kimochi kitto

Soko ni ikeru to shinjite ireba tsudzukeru koto de yume wa kanau yo

Hitori janai nda yo tomodachi to iu mahou da yo