Happy (belated) birthday, Karin Asaka!
I say this often on these birthday posts, but your character honestly took me by surprise!
When I first learned about the kind of idol that you were, I was apprehensive. A flashy, “sexy” archetype? NopenopeNOPE! It seemed like that was going to be all there was to your character, and I definitely didn’t care for any of it. The whole “sexy” thing was surface level, though.
Yes, you care about your physical appearance as models typically do, but your caring about the way you present yourself to others is more than just a beauty thing. You try to have this air of maturity, but you’re actually just as silly as the rest of your Nijigasaki cohorts tend to be, and you become embarrassed as a result. This embarrassment stems from the fear of being seen in an unsophisticated light by others whenever you’re just being yourself, and it’s all due to a bad experience you had while modeling. Said experience convinced you to try your hardest to not be passionate about things and to remain composed and mature since the last time you showed passion for something, it cost you a huge opportunity. This experience was one of the things that shaped you into a hyper-competitive idol. It was interesting to see just what made you tick.
We get to see more of your hyper-competitiveness in the second season of the All Stars story where you take your rivalries with the School Idol Club members to a whole new level by joining the Association. You went into the Association with the goal of improving yourself. The Association had professional grade musical equipment and unmatched virtuosos, and you really thought that those kinds of things would really help you advance to the top and surpass everyone else. However, you were working yourself to the bone and not putting your heart into your performances the way you did in the Club, ultimately leaving you and your friends in the Club unsatisfied. While members in the Club were unsatisfied that your Association performances didn’t feel Karin-esque, you were unsatisfied because you weren’t getting the results you wanted (having all eyes on you).
Seeing your insecurities and what devious lengths you would go to to achieve your goals of fame and acceptance made you more interesting in my eyes. It gave you more depth and made you seem a lot less one-note than I thought you were going to be. You’re not a picture-perfect model like you make yourself out to be at times – you’re only human. You make mistakes – whether your lack of direction leads you astray when going out on the town, or it leads you to a new group that might not be the best fit to try and find yourself.
Other things I enjoy about you are your role in DiverDiva (the contrast between your mature-sounding voice and Ai’s bubblier voice works so well), the fact that you never hesitate to raise your friends’ confidence, and your general clumsiness and airheadedness (oh, the irony of someone that’s trying to put on a professional face being a huge klutz). Never stop being a phenomenal model that isn’t afraid to try and reach new heights! Then, for my target today, I choose you!
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