The Gestahlian Empire

While it may still be Halloween where I live, in Japan today is November 1st which is Rin Hoshizora's Birthday! Rin is the tomboy of the group and she excels at sports, especially hurdling, basketball and, football (soccer). Being athletically fit, she makes an excellent dancer as well. She is very hardworking and full of energy, always leading the group's practice sessions. Unfortunately, she is not very good academically, being labeled as a member of the San Baka or The Three Idiots. When she was little, boys teased her for not dressing like a girl, so she has had a complex about her appearance that she is trying to overcome with the help of her fellow μ's members. She also likes to speak like a cat, ending sentences with nya~, and sometimes even dressing like a cat. She also has a very odd but extremely strong sense of smell. In addition to μ's, Rin is also a part of the sub-unit lily white. Rin's image color is yellow and her blood type is A. Happy Birthday...

As the title says, I just recently started playing Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls; Starlight Stage. It is a Music/Rhythm game very similar to Love Live: School idol Festival, with cute collectible idols and a huge list of songs to play. If you are a fellow player you can add me through either of my IDs: Game ID: 509166626 Card ID: 5626282ba7 PS: If you live outside Japan, but you are interested in playing this game use QooApp.  Just make sure that your device can install apps through sideloading. (Google it) Below are screenshots of the Home Page and song selection screen: Finally, here is the game's PV to give you an idea of what it plays like:

As the 26th rolls around once again, It is time to celebrate the birthday of my favorite Senran Kagura character: Murasaki <3 Murasaki is first introduced in Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus and is a 2nd year at Hebijo Academy. She lacks basic social skills and avoids contact with people, to the point that she is the only truant student in the school's history. She mostly stays in her room reading online novels, playing video games, or watching anime with her stuffed bear Bebeby. She has a very cynical outlook on life, and tends to interpret everything negatively. In battle Murasaki uses large shurikens that are woven in her hair as well as emit waves of energy due to her 'Root of Calamity' ability. She also has the strange ability to sniff information about another person's inner character. Lastly, she also sports the largest chest in the series at 105 cm. I first fell in love with her, after finishing her backstory in Shinovi Versus (Play the game, it's real...

Xорошо! Today is Eli Ayase's Birthday! The responsible and ever so diligent Student Council President of Otonokizaka High is a very serious, no nonsense realist. Although she tends to distance herself from people she doesn't know very well, she is very caring and protective of anyone who takes the time to get to know her. She is very glamorous and is often complimented for her style and figure. She is part Russian and has a younger sister named Alisa who she cares a lot for. Her hobbies are making accessories and she is skilled in quilting and crafts. She passes on her skills she learned from ballet to the other members as the group's choreographer. She will often say the Russian word хорошо (horosho meaning good) when speaking. In addition to μ's, Eli is also a part of the sub-unit BiBi. Eli's image color is ice-blue and her blood type is B. Happy Birthday Elichika!! Just like with the other μ's/Aqours character's birthdays, if you log into School Id...

I am back for the third time this month for yet another birthday message! Today is September 21st in Japan which marks the birthday of the adorable Ruby Kurosawa! Ruby is a first year at Uranohoshi Girls High School who can usually be found with her best friend Hanamaru. She is non-social and as a result she tends to be fearful and scared around other people (especially men), but she has a inner fortitude as a result of her well-to-do family upbringing. Like her elder sister, Dia, Ruby is an avid fan of idols and after joining Aqours, she helps with the wardrobe supervision as her talent is coordinating outfits. As for hobbies, Ruby enjoys needlework and clothing. She often says the catchphrase "Ganbaruby!" to encourage others or herself to do their very best. In addition to Aqours., Ruby is a member of the sub-unit CYaRon! Her blood type is A and her unit color is magenta. Ruby-chan Kawaii! (Yes, I used this GIF last year too, its still super cute!) Just like with...

Today is Riko Sakurauchi's Birthday! Riko is a second year student at Uranohoshi Girls' High who transferred from Otonokizaka High in Tokyo. Riko is very modest, calm, and reserved, and prefers indoor activities with her favorites being playing the piano and viola. Her hobbies are painting, crafting, and cooking. She often tends to panic quite often, and as a result ends up making mistakes and jumping to conclusions. She tends to think she is not special and was adamantly against becoming a school idol until Chika dragged her into it. However, she ends up becoming very loyal to the group and in addition to performing, she is the composer of the group. In addition to Aqours, Riko is a member of the sub-unit Guilty Kiss and her image color is light pink. Her blood type is A. Just like with the other μ's/Aqours character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (Love Gems in non-Japanese versions).  Top Image Credit: mia...

It is September 12th in Japan once more and thus it is Kotori Minami's Birthday. While Kotori may come off as cutesy, ditsy and very indecisive, she is the one with the most insight as to how the other members are feeling; because of this she has a hard time expressing her own feelings as she is always taking the others into consideration. She is quite adept in the world of fashion and she designs all the outfits for the group. For a short time she worked as Minalinsky, Akiba's Legendary Maid, where she was popular for her kindness, cuteness and soft voice. She also enjoys making candies. In addition to µ's, Kotori is a part of the sub-unit Printemps and her image color is grey. (Although green and white are used a lot as well.) Happy Birthday Kotori-chan!!! Just like with the other μ's/Aqours character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (Love Gems in non-Japanese versions).  Top Image Credit: Rio.LW's ...

I'm back once more for another LL! birthday. Today is August the 3rd in Japan, which is Honoka Kousaka's Birthday! Honoka is the leader of μ's and the main driving force of the group. She is an almost endless optimist who always tries to look on the good side and is never afraid to take risks. She can be quite pushy, and once she has an goal set, she will strive toward it single-mindedly; as a result she tends to overexert herself. Honoka enjoys swimming and collecting stickers, and her family owns a Japanese Sweets Shop. Her blood type is O. In the second season of the anime she succeeds Eli Ayase as the Student Council President. Lastly, She is childhood friends with Umi and Kotori. In addition to µ's, Honoka is a part of the sub-unit Printemps and her image color is orange. Happy Birthday Honoka! Just like with the other μ's/Aqours character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (Love Gems in non-Japanese versi...

I just realized after going through other posts online, but today is Oppai (breasts) day in Japan, due to the date when written as 08/01 can be interpreted as 0 = o, 8 = pa, and, 1 = i, which spells oppai. So, Happy Oppai Day! EDIT (8/2): Also Happy Pantsu day on August 2nd!! The top image is from Hajimete no Gal, an anime airing this season.

I'm back again with yet another lovely birthday post! It is August 1st in Japan, so today we celebrate Takami Chika's Birthday! Chika is the creator and leader of Aqours and is known to be a very cheerful, upbeat, energetic girl. Her family owns a  ryokan  (A traditional Japanese inn) that is well known for its hot-springs. She is a huge fan of μ's and she was inspired to become a school idol from watching their videos online. Chika is talented in calligraphy, table tennis and horizontal bar; at home she has 2 older sisters named Shima and Mito, and a dog by the name of Shiitake. She is neighbors with Sakurauchi Riko and she has been Watanabe You's childhood friend since Elementary school. In addition to Aqours, Chika is a member of the sub-unit CYaRon! Her image color is orange and her blood type is B. Just like with the other μ's/Aqours character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (Love Gems in non-Japanese v...

NICO NICO NII!!!! July 22nd is Yazawa Nico's birthday! While the shortest member of μ's, she is definitely the idol with the most heart, and she puts her all into her performances with the gusto of a pro. While she can come off as harsh and abrasive, she only wants what's best for the group. She will often take on an alternate personalty in public and onstage, becoming very cheerful and upbeat while chanting her "Nico Nico Ni!!" slogan. She is the Idol Clubs' president and she is into fashion with her special skill being hair arrangement. She has two younger sisters named Cocoa and Cocoro and a younger brother named Cotarou. She is also a skilled cook, often cooking for her siblings. Nico is a member of the sub-unit BiBi and her image color is pink. And as usual, if you are playing School Idol Festival, log in today to get 5 Loveca stones. (Love Gems in International version) Top Image Credit:  海藻 Pixiv

Greetings Little Demons!! Today is July 13th in Japan, so it is Tsushima Yoshiko's Birthday. Yoshiko is a  chuunibyou  who prefers to go by the name Yohane. While she is very confident and smart, she has a habit of getting into unforeseen problems wherever she goes (Like getting sick before finals) and as such believes herself to be a fallen angel cursed by God. She likes to dress like a little devil and is good at preforming magic and playing video games; she also enjoys very spicy foods. Yoshiko is part of the sub-unit Guilty Kiss and her image color is gray. Her blood type is O and her height is 156 cm. Happy Birthday  Yoshiko  Yohane-chan!! Just like with the other μ's/Aqours character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (Love Gems in non-Japanese versions). Top Image Credit: micopp's Pixiv

Today is June 13th in Japan, so I'm back again with another birthday! This time it is the Aqours member, Ohara Mari! Mari is a third year student and Chairwoman at Uranohoshi Girls' High School who has a Italian-American Father and Japanese Mother. She speaks with a accent and will often pepper English into her sentences. While she doesn't feel she's suited to be an idol, she is very cheerful and prefers to solve problems by herself. She works as the composer for Aqours, and for hobbies, she enjoys sports and horseback riding. Her favorite genre of music is industrial metal. Her blood type is AB and her height is 163cm. In addition to Aqours, she is also a member of the sub-unit Guilty Kiss and her image color is purple. Interestingly, like Nozomi in μ's, Mari has a tendency to grab the other girls breasts as either a greeting or when they are misbehaving. Finally Mari is childhood friends with Matsuura Kanan and Kurosawa Dia since elementary school. Happy Birt...

Today in Japan is June 9th, and thus it is the lovely Toujou Nozomi's Birthday. Nozomi is considered to be the big sister of the group and always tries to keep the group's spirits up or give them advice as she has an all-knowing vibe about her. She loves anything spiritual and is always on the lookout for 'power spots' and charms in addition to taking an interest in Fortune telling and Tarot. She works part-time at the local shrine and likes to take naps. In addition she is sometimes very perverted, often groping the other girls chests, especially if they are misbehaving. She is Eli's best friend and the two have been together since freshman year. Nozomi's image color is purple and she is a member of the sub unit lily white. Happy Birthday Non-tan!! If you haven't watched Love Live already, you can watch it on Crunchyroll! Just like with all the μ's character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (...

Unfortunately I was very late on getting this one out, but back on April 19th it was Maki Nishikino's Birthday! (Sorry Maki-chan!!) Maki is the tsundere of the group and she has a hard time expressing her true feelings, in addition to being quite stubborn. While she was usually a loner, after joining μ's, she learned to be more open and personable. She is blessed with a lot of talent in music including playing the piano and singing, and is the vocal coach of the group. She also enjoys Photography and Stargazing. Due to her beliefs, she often comes into conflict with Nico Yazawa. (Which dojin authors are more than happy to use for Yuri material.) She also comes from a very wealthy background and her family owns a beach house. Finally her blood Type is AB, her image color is red, and she is a member of the sub unit BiBi. Happy (late) Birthday Maki!!! Although its not available anymore, here is the notification banner for Maki's Birthday on School Idol Festival. Top...

Heh, It's been a while!. I know I've really been neglecting this blog lately as real life issues keep getting in the way. I also haven't posted either of my anime lists for last season and this current one. If you want to keep up with the anime airing this season I suggest getting a MAL account . I'll add a link to my own here so you can see what I am watching. Anyway, let's move on to the real reason for this post.... As we wave goodbye to μ's with the final live event and the group's last single, we start to take a look at Aqours, the school idol unit that is the focus of the new multimedia franchise Love Live! Sunshine!! Since today is April 17th, it's Watanabe You's Birthday! You is a cheerful energetic girl whose father captains a ferry; she wants to someday do the same thing too. She is very athletic and does a lot of weight training and running, but what she really excels at is diving. She is so good at diving that she qualifies to be on...

As it is March 15th in Japan as of the writing of this post, today is Uni Sonoda's Birthday! Umi is a pragmatic and serious girl with a strong will, but is also pretty shy. As a result she tends to avoid being adventurous or trying new things, instead sticking to the 'traditional' method. Joining μ's helped her understand the purpose of trying new things and made her more rounded as a person. While she may be hard on others, she is also shown to be much harder on herself, thus she abhors laziness. Umi is talented in Kendo, Nagauta , archery, calligraphy and traditional dance; she is also a member of the school archery club! In μ's, Umi is the main lyricist starting with START:DASH!! , and she is the primary trainer until Eli took over that role. Her main color is dark blue and she is the leader of the sub-unit lily white. Happy Birthday Umi-chan!! Just like with all the μ's character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will ...

It is March 4th today and so I have yet another birthday to present; Today it's Hanamaru Kunikida! Hanamaru is a first year at Uranohoshi Girls' High School. She works at the shrine her family runs, and as a result of being raised in such an old-fashioned atmosphere she knows next to nothing about modern technology including television and the Internet. She likes to read books during her free time and she helps out at the school library. Hanamaru has also been known the be quite self-deprecating, often calling herself 'neither cute nor interesting' and this is the reason why she felt she was not a good fit for a school idol. She decided to become one anyway to support her best friend Ruby in her endeavors as well as being encouraged by the story of Rin Hoshizora who had similar feelings. Hanamaru has a unique vocal tic and dialect, ending her sentences with 'zura' and using 'ora' as a first-person pronoun. Hanamaru is part of the sub-group AZALEA and...

As of this post, it is February 10th in Japan, and thus it is Kanan Matsuura's Birthday! Kanan is a third year student at Uranohoushi Girls' High School who lives with her grandfather on the offshore island of Awashima, where she helps run a diving store. While this results in her having trouble attending classes, she loves being able to see the dazzling sun and blue skies while surrounded by nature. She goes running on a daily basis and she also enjoys swimming and astrological observation. She is talented in diving, and ship handling due to her job. In addition to Aqours, Kanan is part of the sub group AZALEA and her image color is green, Just like with all the other Love Live character birthdays', if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (Love Gems in non-Japanese versions). Top Image Credit:  はづき Pixiv

Today January 17th, is Hanayo Koizumi's Birthday! Hanayo, called Kayo-chin by Rin, is the quiet and shy member of the group. As a result she doesn't speak up that much; but when you speak to her about her favorite topics like idols or rice, she can become quite enthusiastic, and will often be very outspoken on those topics. She is also interested in origami and drawing, and she takes care of the school's alpacas. She belongs to the sub-unit Printemps and her main color is green. Happy Birthday Kayo-chin!!!! Just like with all the μ's character's birthdays, if you log into School Idol Festival, you will get 5 Loveca stones (Love Gems in non-Japanese versions). Image Credit:  @ton_tokoto on Twitter