Hello everyone~! I never post here but since today is Shizuku-chan's birthday it's mandatory that I make a post just for her. Here is my birthday letter to her! I hope you will give it a read as it has all my emotions for Shizuku in it!
Dear Shizuku Osaka,
It was a normal day like any other day, I got news of a new Love Live group being released through the internet and I rushed to YouTube to find subbed videos of Nijigasaki’s (PDP back then) introductions and previews of their first solos. I was mesmerized by all these unique girls and was very excited for the next generation of the Love Live franchise. But none of them impressed me as much as you did, Shizuku. Sure, Karin is attractive, Setsuna is a passionate girl, everyone in Nijigasaki is amazing and I love them all very much! But none of them had your charm. None of them could match the enchantment and softness I felt when I first listened to Anata No Risou no Heroine. I loved the magical feelings I felt when listening to your singing, maybe not many people will understand what’s so amazing about you- no matter how much you prove yourself, but that doesn’t matter. Because You have always been my favorite. Even if everyone else in the world hated you for being you, I’d always be there listening to your beautiful voice and supporting you. I personally think that’s more powerful and impactful than having the largest crowd of fans in the world.
Maybe it’s weird, at the time you and me had nothing in common. Sure, I had a vague interest in theatre, and I even wanted to join the drama club in high school. But in the end I never did. I simply loved you for the aura you gave off that no one else had. Others may see you as boring, but I saw you as realistic. You’re a high school girl with dreams and ambitions, who struggles deep down but doesn’t say anything so you don’t have to worry others. Your solo’s were so diverse, Heroine being about wanting to impress a Senpai, Audrey being about trying to find who you truly are, Hitotsu no Monogatari being about the magic of acting and appreciation for those who gave you support, and finally Solitude Rain, where you let go of all of your fears and embraced the real you that was begging to be let out. It broke me.
I woke up early just so I could watch Episode 8 of the Nijigasaki anime, “Shizuku Monochrome” When I saw your episode preview the week prior I knew I was going to be hit with an emotional rollercoaster, but I never imagined it would be what I saw that day while sitting on my desk watching your story unfold. I never thought the things I struggled with, would be the same things you were shown to be held back by. It feels like the writers KNEW what I had gone through and said “Let’s use this for Shizuku’s episode!” When you said you put up a front, trying to look like a normal girl and hide your true, colorful self and kept quiet about your interests so people wouldn’t judge you, so that you could please everyone else, it felt like I was getting slapped in the face, as if someone was telling me “This is what’s going on with you! Now look at your biggest comfort character, she’s suffering through the same things as you, now you need to follow her lead and overcome those fears!” To put it simply, I cried so hard. I cried when I saw you suffer, when you told yourself you can’t show off your true self because “What if other people found you weird? What if they didn’t like you?” I’m still tearing up as I’m writing this just thinking about it. Obviously it hurt so much because I understood everything you were feeling, childhood trauma forced me to conceal the me that was colorful and bright, I was forced to be quiet about what made me happy, so that no one would hate me. The thought of people hating me scared me so much, specifically in real life spaces, so I thought if I acted as normal as possible- if I didn’t stand out no one would have any reason to be upset with me, or say mean things about me behind my back.
But when I saw you overcome those fears, when I saw how Kasumi encouraged you, telling you she loved everything about you and how you threw away your fears and decided to be your authentic self everywhere, iit gave me hope. I’m nowhere close to where you are yet, but I know if you were able to do it, I can too. I don’t think there’s enough words I can write to fully express how much you mean to me and how happy you made me. But hopefully now other people can understand why people like me and many others love you so much and will be kinder to you. You don’t deserve to be hated, especially when you’re such an inspiring person to me and I’m very sure to others as well. Today is YOUR day and you deserve all the love in the world. Happy Birthday Shizuku, I hope you can spend today happily with the people you love. (Also please come home, I still don’t have your Moon Rabbit UR and that’s the only card I need to complete your SIFAS EN outfit!) I’m also tiering hard in your event right now. I WILL get T1, just for you!
Your #1 fan in the world,
Sorath (@shizukuoshi)
