#kazami kakeru

Initially, I thought Makki was exaggerating because surely most people would rather be complimented than insulted, but then I realized his way of thinking makes sense if he was talking about the objectification of idols.

Yes. If your fans put you on an unrealistically-high pedestal and force you to behave as you do in their biased fantasies, it’s just as damaging as being bullied, even if your fans claim to love you.

Makki can’t say whether they’ll be able to attract such unhealthily-devote fans yet.

Here’s the link to the song and it’s Japanese version.

What I love about this song is the catchy rhythm and when IU sings the three-level high notes. Then, I tried to imagine various anime characters attempting to sing this song in the karaoke.

Shounen Hollywood

Only Kakeru sings sitting down.

Everyone is else is on their feet.

When they sing the three-levels, Kakeru doesn’t even bother, Makki fails before finishing the first level, and Tommy runs out of air by the second. Only Kira and Shun can sing up to the third level, but Shun sings it longer because he wants to, which causes him to be so oxygen deprived, he couldn’t sing the last lyric.

STARISH

Syo is the first to fail. Let’s be honest, his voice isn’t made for those pitches. He doesn’t even make it past the first level.

Otoya uses too much of his breath and stops during the second level.

Ren, Tokiya and Masato are so passionate, they step on foot on the table.

Cecil’s voice goes so high at the third level, he’s practically whistling through his throat.

Natsuki accidentally sings too long and only stops when he hears Syo nail the last lyric.

QUARTET NIGHT

Reiji cannot control the height of his pitch and ends up screaming silently.

Ranmaru is basically roaring into the mike.

Ai does it perfectly, of course.

Camus is gliding across the floor as he sings the three-level high notes.

HEAVENS

Yamato is also roaring into the mike.

Eiichi fails to reach the third level.

Van practically operas it.

Nagi’s third level sounds like the squealing of tires trying to stop on the road.

Eiji’s third level sounds pretty good until he runs out of air and starts sounding like a deflating tire.

Kira and Shion succeed, but it is Shion who captures the emotion perfectly.

Team Ohtori

Hoshitani cheats by using his deepest voice.

Nayuki bails out at the second level.

Kuga is sitting down but leaning forward.

Tsukigami is standing up and leaning forward too.

Tengenji has a foot on the table and is leaning forward as well.

Those three nail it.

Team Hiiragi

Toraishi can’t do it. His voice was not suitable.

Ugawa ends up screaming on the third level.

Tatsumi, Sawatari, and Inumine succeed.

Kakeru sang another solo during the Christmas Concert.

This was my submission for the Halloween 2021 Fanwork Contest on the Idol Boys & Actors Discord server. I already knew I had no chance of winning. I just used the deadline to motivate myself to make something ShoHolly.

Originally, I was going to make a silly joke of a fanart where Kira and Shion (same seiyuu, different anime) swap outfits. Then, I'd say, "They're cosplaying each other. Cosplay involves costumes, and costumes make Halloween." I scrapped the idea because it was too easy and I wanted to really contribute to ShoHolly.

My second idea was to draw Kira in a sparkly idol version of the Grim Reaper costume with a huge pinwheel in the place of a scythe. I imagined the end product being a closeup of Kira sitting down, and soon realized I could not draw that at all.

In the end, I chose to play to my strengths, and my strengths were "everyone is standing in a wide shot."

The idea to design Halloween costumes for all of ShoHolly first came to mind when I thought of Kira in spiderweb fishnets. The fishnets were supposed to be a dark shade of blue, but I erased it because it was making the web design hard to see, and the remaining color post-erasure actually looked so good I didn't recolor the fishnets.

I intended to put Kakeru in a suit with a long tailcoat, like Sebastian Michaelis, except it looked boring when I tried. I nearly made him Slenderman before the idea to dress him like a BDSM dom hit me. The belts, boots, and corset would've been black if I had the energy to color. All the energy went to darkening his red leather jumpsuit.

As for Shun, I've been wanting to put those ripped jeans on him since seeing Holly Stage For You. It took me so much time to figure out how to draw the rips. I think I might've drawn his chest too broad here.

At first, I put the glowstick in Makki's mouth. That was another endeavor that took so much time. Then, I drew a back pocket on his baggy pants and decided to move the glowstick there. I can't remember if I had the idea to collar him to Kakeru before or after getting the dom suit idea.

Tommy's outfit might be the one I regret the most. I had drawn him holding a pumpkin pail before his clothes, and I got the idea to make him look like a kid going out to trick-or-treat, which meant he had to wear a kid's Halloween costume. There's nothing fashionable about bedsheet ghosts, so I put spider legs instead. Next, to emphasize on the "kid" aspect, I put Tommy in a Gothic-Lolita-inspired outfit. It was a lot effort to decide how many layers of frills were needed. Honestly, the end product looks like a mess.

One thing I really like about this song is how the order of the opening verses, according to the Hollywood colors, are red-blue-green-yellow-pink, which is basically the order of the Battle Lovers.