Happy (belated) birthday, Hanamaru Kunikida!
Just because you haven’t been one of my best Aqours girls for as long as Ruby and Kanan have doesn’t mean that you aren’t as important to me. That’s far from the case, actually.
Despite how amazing you are, you’ve always been the self-deprecating type. You always compare yourself to others and get self-conscious, insisting that focus be put on them instead of you. The others you compare yourself to have great qualities, but you shine in your own way that is uniquely you! I’m glad that in Akogare Ranraran, you have a more positive outlook and seem more confident in your abilities. I know how hard it can be to love yourself sometimes, so that sort of thing is amazing progress.
Your sense of childlike wonder is a joy to behold. The way you light up when reading and learning new things is so precious. The way you become so amazed by the way modern technology functions is as well, and it can lead to some pretty funny moments. You’re just so curious about the world around you, and watching you uncover it bit by bit brings a smile to my face. I wish I still got the kind of joy that you do from learning about things in this world, honestly.
Your relationship with your fellow first-years is so wholesome. Even though you tease your childhood friend Yohane quite a bit and have this sort of boke and tsukkomi thing going on with her, it’s shown time and time again that you really do care about her and will always try to help her out when she’s in need. You and your best friend Ruby come from a similar place of keeping to yourselves and finding solace in a hobby. Developing your friendship helped bring out the best in both of you, as neither of you hesitated to encourage the other to go for what you wanted; you became school idols with continued support from one another. Watching the three of you share experiences, lift one another up, overcome the hurdles that you face, and come out of your shells to become school idols is inspiring.
Your voice…my goodness, your voice. It’s one of my favorites for sure! Kinchan (who is hopefully in good health) does such an amazing job with your vocals. I remember not being a huge fan of Mitaiken HORIZON on my initial listen. (I don’t know why I didn’t appreciate the visuals at the very least at the time when I love butterflies, but c’est la vie.) I thought that you deserved to be center of a better single. Eventually, I grew to love live it. It’s one of my favorite songs now! In addition to being a great song, it really showcases how powerful your voice can be. Also, hearing that your seiyuu had some doubts like your own and earned this center out of love is such a pure story.
I wanted to write this post way earlier than the time of posting, but my mind’s been all over the place these past few days with my poor sleeping patterns, and I’ve been stuck in one of my infamous creative slumps. I just hope that this post isn’t underwhelming and does you justice. Never stop being the sweet, mellow bookworm that shines as brightly as the sun! Mirai zura!
