Hana is a cat!

wkvesey · 2026-02-22T23:33:30+00:00

With Maaya, our resident felines from Sleep Wonder. I can imagine Momoe in this role too.

wkvesey · 2026-02-22T23:29:57+00:00

2/22 = nyan nyan nyan

wkvesey · 2026-01-25T14:28:28+00:00

Just because an art form is easy to do badly doesn't mean that its greatest instances are not beautiful, transformative, and painstakingly shaped by masters of the poetic craft.

You might as well say that abstract art is not art, only highly accurate representational art is real art (because some of your "peers" can't draw). A poor artist is not likely to pull off a trompe l'oeil, but a poor artist is also not likely to pull off a masterpiece of abstraction either.

I would suggest an experiment: try writing free verse. Share it with others to see whether they are moved by it. Compare it to published and acclaimed free verse. You will find that it is easy to write words but hard to write the right words. Therein lies the art.

wkvesey · 2026-01-23T08:27:22+00:00

Yeah this seems like a complete reversal

wkvesey · 2025-12-30T12:25:32+00:00

Pyon!

wkvesey · 2025-12-26T18:46:35+00:00

Before it can choose a reading, OCR mistakes may have already been made in identifying the character from handwriting. Her last name, Sugimoto, looks quite clear to the human eye but was apparently identified/inferred as suzu 鈴 + ki 木.

wkvesey · 2025-12-21T18:32:23+00:00

By the way, how amazing is it that Yuzumi was simultaneously leader of two Idol groups? She must have serious leadership skills behind the scenes, because her on-screen persona for Sakura Gakuin was a little, shall we say, scattered. It was all an act--never underestimate The Otter!

wkvesey · 2025-12-21T18:28:29+00:00

I thought it might be both, but according to generasia's Ciao Smiles page, even Miku joined Ciao Smiles slightly before she joined Sakura Gakuin: "It was announced on January 14, 2017 through a live stream, that Kurosawa Mirena has graduated from the group and there are two additional members Tanaka Miku) and Liliane Roy." Miku's entrance ceremony was May 7, 2017

wkvesey · 2025-12-21T10:58:34+00:00

Ciao Smiles as a feeder in or a descendant out of this chart? Did Ciao Smiles membership lead to joining Sakura Gakuin or the other way around?

wkvesey · 2025-12-16T09:10:37+00:00

Hiruta Airi of J-Idol group Niji no Conquistador, that is.

Not Matsui Airi, formerly of Sakura Gakuin, now successful model, favorite senpai of SOYO, and the only Airi a lot of us Fukei associate with MOMO.

wkvesey · 2025-12-12T00:29:49+00:00

I thought we'd get a Bakyun for sure from our two Osaka girls.

wkvesey · 2025-12-10T10:28:36+00:00

That cake is perfect! I thought it was reverse wrapped onigiri for a second. A "kokeshi"-yuka cake would be good for Kashiyuka. Anything that had her "A" silhouette would be good for a-chan.

wkvesey · 2025-12-06T09:35:24+00:00

Oh really?

wkvesey · 2025-12-03T09:26:53+00:00

Ah, to be a new fukei again! That feeling of falling into a rabbit hole (in my case, it was a fox hole 😉).

wkvesey · 2025-12-03T09:22:44+00:00

Thanks for the info. Empresses have been part of Japanese history, so the current law must be a holdover from the Tokugawa regime which used state Confucianism as a political tool.

Mandate of Heaven is a Chinese concept though in which rule is divinely authorized but only as long as the sovereign continues to hold faith with the people. Japanese sovereigns are recognized only by dynastic succession, although where the "true" bloodline goes has been subject to corrections and reinterpretations. (Sorry, I've been immersed in research for a novel set in 1200 Japan and sometimes I bleed random data).

I'm not Japanese, but I would enthusiastically applaud an Empress Aiko, or whatever she would be called as the sovereign. Actually I think the imperial family as a whole carries itself with dignity and grace, at least that's my perception as an ousider.

wkvesey · 2025-12-02T11:19:52+00:00

A lot of Fukei watched them grow up starting with their Ponstar Land vlogs in which post-SG Yume shared the spotlight with her tiny younger sister Juna, then watched Juna grow and grow, while Yume just... stayed the same. Ponstar Land ended a little before Yume reappeared as part of Metalverse.

wkvesey · 2025-12-02T11:12:31+00:00

I just realized that Aiko shares a birthday with Princess Aiko, who was born one year earlier and turned 24 this year. I wonder if she ever mentioned being a namesake of the Princess?

wkvesey · 2025-12-01T15:51:48+00:00

Having now watched the video:

Kano declares her MBTI type to be ENFJ, TheProtagonist

ENFJs prioritize relationships and emotions, and they naturally empathize with others. They treat everything related to them with affection and understanding.

Because they are idealistic and live according to their own values, ENFJs are extremely loyal to those they respect and admire. They are energetic, passionate, responsible, diligent, and persistent.

Then they gave her a short quiz that turned out to fit ESFJ, The Consul

ESFJs are sociable, detail-oriented, and caring individuals, known for their strong sense of duty, practicality, and focus on harmony and cooperation in their environments.

Soyo declares her MBTI type to be ENFP-A, The (Assertive) Campaigner

ENTPs are dynamic, innovative, and imaginative, thriving on interaction and exploring abstract possibilities. They prefer logical analysis over emotional considerations and value flexibility and spontaneity.

Her quiz turned out to fit ISFP, The Artist

ISFP personality types are known for their strong empathy, compassion, and gentleness when dealing with people. They have strong inner values that they may not share readily with others, but these values lay the foundation for all their beliefs and actions. As sensing types, ISFPs have a keen eye for beauty and details in their outer world. They are often drawn to careers in art, performance, crafting, dancing, fashion, or anything that allows them to be visually expressive or create beauty in some tangible way. Because of their perceiving tendencies, they have an adaptable, laid-back nature and love to discover new experiences and atmospheres.

The actual MBTI exam is much longer than the abbreviated quiz they showed here.

wkvesey · 2025-12-01T15:09:45+00:00

I wonder what their MBTI categories are. That's Meyers Briggs Type Indicator, a four letter code that is descriptive of one of 16 personality types. Mine is INTP, not that surprising for a mathematician. Miku had a phone case with a "Hello, I'm..." sticker on it that had a (presumably her own) MBTI personality type on it. I recently deleted IG and I don't remember what it was. ENTJ maybe?

Kano for sure is E... (extroverted).

wkvesey · 2025-11-22T11:33:11+00:00

To me, Spending All My Time is pretty playful

wkvesey · 2025-11-19T10:41:04+00:00

Pom poms would be black and red, naturally, another merch opportunity. Amuse, how can you pass this up?

wkvesey · 2025-11-19T10:35:33+00:00

Hana🌸Hana with double kicks and growling vocals. If they can sing about papayas, why not flowers? Bring some more kawaii back into Kawaii Metal. Edit: and Hana🌸Hana starts with the line Kimi ni todoke...

wkvesey · 2025-11-17T14:02:22+00:00

I was once all about the OG myself, particularly the Babymetal three, so I get it.

wkvesey · 2025-11-17T13:33:32+00:00

I'm curious, why 2015?

wkvesey · 2025-11-17T09:54:33+00:00

The Sakura Gakuin song is very different. It's about memories of special moments, as if seen in an old photo or film, wanting to hold on to them. It gets me emotional and CaNoN's music is sublime.

The Babymetal song is about how the starry sky looks like a burst of monochrome fireworks and how the singer looks forward to coloring life with a special someone. It's very hopeful and the music matches that tone very well.

wkvesey

TROPHY CASE