WOW, that was the quickest 88 minutes I can remember, had me totally engrossed , so much fun, insightful and entertaining, would rather see this at the cinema than 95 % of whats on offer. Thank you Meerkat, cant wait for your next offering !
This video was well worth the wait, and I enjoyed EVERY SINGLE SECOND! Kamitani’s story is very inspiring, heartbreaking and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. God damn it Meerkat you’ve done it again!
Why does Saya make me cry so much? I guess I identify with her. A lot of us are trying to be better most of the time but a lot of the people around us do not understand or care.
At first was skeptical if I could last an hour but I finished it without taking a pause. Like Saya u hv ascended to another level of storytelling. Nicely done 🎉
Awesome video! You have done an exceptional job of bringing out the dramatic movements in Kamitani's Stardom Story. They should be paying you to make these sort of videos.
Once more, you effortlessly weave in and out of fiction. Meshing the character and the performer flawlessly. I bow my head gratefully, tip my hat respectfully, and await your next piece eagerly. Have a great weekend 🙂👍
This video was fucking bad ass. I started watching STARDOM/Joshi about 4 months ago and fell in love with Sayas character but you filled in ever single gap i had on her career and i cant believe how much more i love and respect her work now. Her going after Tam atm is gonna be legendary!! Please fucking make MORE of this long form content!!
Saya The Deceiver. What started as a meme has become the most well-fitting and prophetic explanation for her rebirth as the Phenix Queen. Great job Meerkat at taking us through pivotal moments in her career that made Saya into what she has become. This was CINEMA! (I also oddly got emotional when you made the connection that she has been deceiving herself throughout her career because it just made so much sense from how she got into Stardom)
Great work! Am in fully agree that her weird lanky movement and primal screaming work so much better as a heel. Can't wait for her inevitable big Red Belt match with Tam and what kind of escalation that's going to involve.
Amazing work Meerkat as well as Saya Kamitani. I might have initially chuckled a bit seeing an hour and a half video about Saya Kamitani but needless to say it was well worth watching and one of my favourites so far. Dare I say it even felt a bit rushed in places so I'll be waiting for that physical media 4K 3 hour director's cut!
I love this kind of deep dive content, covering an entire career arc as a single cohesive narrative. It's not something I see as often as I would like, and it really should be done more often. Well done, Meerkat!
i can't express enough how impactful this video is, it's so well done!!! i can only imagine what full length videos like this would be like for other Stardom wrestlers like Mayu Iwa-Cena or Starlight Kid. big thanks Meerkat, you've outdone yourself on this :)
This is my favorite piece you've done, even over the Miho Abe one. Thank you for the crazy ammount of work you must have put in to create this masterpiece.
Great film that lived up to the high expectations. I’ve been waiting for the weekend to have time to set aside and watch completely. So enjoyable. Love the little things too. As a big Steelers and Mayu fan, loved the coke commercial reference, the Rika pop-ups are always great, and the “when even the clown…” line was hilarious.
My memory of the time is very hazy, but I remember reading that Stardom Idols ended badly, possibly resulting in legal threats from someone involved behind the scenes. If so that might be why that period had seemingly been scrubbed from history.
Long have I waited as we were told since time immemorial of the deceiver (^_^ ) The Dark Phoenix saga of Saya Kamitani has only just begun and the Meerkat smiles all the while as the Phenex Queen reigns.
First of all thank you for making this video. That was intense! Second of all, I always enjoyed Saya mostly because of her goofiness and the way she acts. But now I absolutely love her as a Heel, she looks like she's having so much fun.
Held off commenting until I'd watched the whole thing. Firstly, excellent video & perfect story progression as ever Meerkat! Good call in heading off the "Deceiver" meme at the very top. My question though, Saya's current story arc surely leads to one of atonement, but to whom?
Thank you! The biggest advantage and gift of STARDOM is their rich history in their character's relationships and Saya has continuously built up many over the years, she can go anywhere.
Holy shit I know you put up a trailer for this video but I genuinely didn't know it was going to be 1 hour plus. Damn super impressive now we just need the 1 hour plus documentary on the Saya cookie and it's origins. I usually don't comment on most videos people make but you genuinely surprise me. Everytime you post a video it's fucking great
Watching this makes it so obvious that Tam is dropping Red Belt to Sa-Tan in the very near future. The lore is too strong. Thank you for the effort you put into this.
Y siempre pence que kamitani tenia potencial para ser lider pero fuera de queen quest, yo pence que se inclinaba por el lado de un ospray pero veo lo que dices sobre ibushi y ya no se que camino le espera a kamitani, buen video merkat siempre haces buenos videos con las historias de los personajes de stardom gracias por el buen contenido.
You hit it on the head… Your whole assessment of her. And my personal opinion… Saya as a heel…is her absolute best version. She has never looked better or more comfortable. Her current run is one of my favorites. I would even say she’s only one or two big feuds away from becoming a faction leader I feel. Her going heel, is one of the best things in Stardom right now.
A lot of work and a lot of love in this video. But Saya Kamitani deserves this wonderful tribute. It's an admirable work that traces her career and bares her soul. It's all there. Her ambition, her doubts, her anxieties, the desire to do well, the beauty of her matches, her extraordinary acting...and above all the emotion we feel in her matches. Yes, her beautiful gaze looking at Maika. But there are many magnificent moments with her. The Epilogue is magnificent and totally corresponds to the way I perceive her. I wouldn't change a single sentence. The comparison with Shelley Duvall in Shining is excellent. I hope Saya will watch this video. I would like to know what she thinks about it. Congratulations and thank you. 👏🙏
First off, many thanks to the author for bringing this passion project to life, and the Patreon sponsors that helped make this possible! If I had one bone to pick with this, it would be the glossing over of the impact of the "fan" interaction. After making Kamitani break down at a signing, this "fan" told her, "I came here to make you cry"...the exact same words that Kamitani used to berate Maika after her betrayal. (I put "fan" in quotes because I wouldn't put it past STARDOM to have a plant fan harassing her at events just for the benefit of a couple dozen diehards that may be present to see it...) If I had a second bone to pick with this, and the only reason it's not my first bone is because it is such a recent development that it probably would have been too hard for Meerkat to work in with this timing (which I'm sure is no accident to be occurring the night before the next PPV), is the complete omission of Sayaka Kurura, who is the major element in the ongoing progression of this story. Everyone else has given up on Kamitani...except Kurara, the only person new and un-jaded enough to still have hope. They've worked such a good backstory, with Kamitani showing kindness to Kurura in her debut match and the months following, that I feel like getting to this moment had to be the plan all along...Kamitani's small act of kindness and selflessness setting the wheels in motion for her ultimate redemption. In any event, I think it will feel like a very glaring omission to this pièce de résistance in very short order.
I get the second part but keep in mind this video essay/overview is also a culmination of covering Stardom content for awhile. In which the gag meme of Saya being a _deceiver_ also happen to become a reality. So when that Sayaka Kurara interaction reaches its major point, Meerkat will add another chapter to what will become of the Phenex Chronicles.
I assure you I picked a random date to release this, I don’t know STARDOM’s schedule lol. The video was completed two weeks prior to release and written far before that. The Mina vs Saya recent footage was only in this video cause I took so long making it (good too cause I used a lot of it). Wrestling is always moving after all.
This is the Arc i always feared...The *Dark Phoenix Saga* 🕊️ ...🐦⬛ We will ALL🔥😮BURN, unless her one true love (Kota Ibushi) can bring out her sweet (performative) self again🙏🏼
Im sorry but Saya HAS to beat Tam for the red belt. thats long term story telling right there. also this video is fucking amazing meerkat. yet again. youre the man.
The Path to H.A.T.E.? MK. I can't believe you missed the obvious. Saya Kamitani: The Dark Phoenix Saga. In the immortal words of Scott Hall, "It just rolls off the tongue."
IMO, STARDOM would benefit from you being a "translator" of sorts, but more from a recap/overview commentary position for western fans. Been watching Stardom since 2014, but you elevated my understanding of it in a single year('23-now)!
My Phoenix queen has come so far from he debut even if she's full of H.A.T.E I'm so proud of her and still a fan She will be world of stardom one day Also don't be surprised if saya usurp tora for leadership of H.A.T.E
also, i'd say it's both a reference to Hayabusa AND Ibushi with a lot of her offense at times, even her nickname is a subtle reference to it; the current Saya i feel is a rough reference to Darkside Hayabusa
Good video watched the whole video might try get back into stardom stopped watching about 3 years ago also you sound like the chelsea guy he was in la liga clip
also... am i the only one who noticed that her Rookie Year gear is PRETTY Close to Koala's gear... kinda makes sense why they have those 2 doing a bit of a mini feud atm
This video was very meaty but at this point it is the only way to do justice to cover Saya's stardom content. Which also covers the important aspect for JP wrestlers to have that lengthy time built on interactions with other wrestlers that can form into relationships. Relationships that connect each other to the ring like an octopus. I was against the thought of her turning heel, thinking she would be too goofy. Turns out she was always down for some mischief which fits perfectly in her evil high school goth phase. Hell she probably has the best range of expressive faces currently in Stardom which only further enhances her diabolical character. In the end it seemed oddly fitting she was the 'last' member of QQ but never embodied its spirit like their former captains in Iyo and Utami. Only to do away with it along with Oedo Tai and become reborn as members of H.A.T.E. Much like Tora and those old OT members, Saya doesn't have to carry expectations set by those older units. Also much like Tam was trying to plant seeds with whispers this year to various players to possibly influence changes, Saya tried it herself with poor results. In fact she was the one who got influenced in the end. But maybe that is just her learning to try influence future outcomes. That is after all the justice that the Phenex Queen aims to pursue.
personally i feel they could have just let Saya float around as a "unit of 1" for a while and have the Burden of being the only surviving member of the unit slowly weigh on her and slowly make her break down, then have her start losing matches for seemingly no reason, then FINALLY SNAP but nope... they sped that heel turn up a LOT, probably also because they wanted to wrap up all the past of Stardom under Rossy(though STARs still exists) *shrug*
also the funny thing it wasn't "Losing unit disbands, it was only the surviving member of the losing unit will remain" which ugh... it still doesn't make sense that they went that way... also please stop calling her Kevin, MOUSE is the correct name now, screw twitter's opinion
Long reply incoming Meerkat. While I’m in the minority of people who can’t buy Saya as a Heel I will not lie the vid almost made me cry multiple times and almost felt bad for Saya. I most definitely Eye roll and Sigh when I see her and Taro’s booking of h.a.t.e. Doesn’t help Saya either at all would be cool if she beats tam for the red belt her Gear becomes a reverse of SLK’s where it started as Bright to Dark when she joined OT where Saya’s would be Dark to Light but i couldn’t think of an endgame for Saya once her gear is more light then Dark. Most of my h.a.t.e hatred is actually towards Konami after her Syuri betrayal Saya occasionally catches Strays from me cuz I personally don’t like her as a heel other then the gear hated the Hot Topicy gear at first but I’m starting to slightly like it. Cuz Taro literally spat all of Konami’s God’s Eye character development in the face and flushed it down the toilet I get she dislikes Saki dating back to her TCS days but she was getting to a Point in her GE arc where she was becoming indifferent to Saki she didn’t hate nor like her.
what is this, long-term storytelling? but all the Important Smart People on twitter and in the podcasts told be there wasn't any storytelling going on in modern stardom!
Long reply. TL;DR: Saya is mostly Meh. She was before, and she still is now. Now, for a longer better reply: Interesting and fun video, but I honestly think your conclusions are different from mine. Assuming they aren't just all for effect for the video. IMO, Hot Topic Saya is likely just the result of the New Stardom deciding to shake things up in a dramatic way. I honestly don't believe it was some super slow burn years-long story. And if it was, it was a poor one. Nobody "hates" Hot Topic Saya. At least, nobody should. The hardcore fringe Stardom/Joshi marks will gush over it all, calling it the best thing ever in the universe as they do with everything Joshi. They will simp for her and spam people toxicity on Twitter for even daring to not love love love it all and beg Taro for more. I wouldn't be shocked if I didn't get some hate thrown my way for this reply, heh. But yeah, nobody hates her. At least not amongst the casuals that I know that I watch Stardom with. It's more of an 'eyeroll and sigh' reaction. The same reaction many of us give "Learning Tree Chris Jericho." To be honest, Saya was never anyone's favorite in my nerdy wrestling fanboy group, either. She was a good example of someone that tried a little too hard and it was a little too noticeable. And nothing about her new gimmick changes that. Unless she's wrestling someone we really like, we tend to do exactly what we do with Jericho now. Fast forward until someone else is on. If that makes us bad fans or shallow or something else, then so be it. As far as HATE goes? Eh. Odeo Tai was fun because it was sort of a hmm, let's go with "Heel LWO." It was good in an 'Austin Powers' sort of evil, and it worked in the Joshi format. HATE, imo, is like a late WCW heel group. Cringy and painful to watch. It destroyed Konami's redemption arc and shouldn't be taken seriously as anything. Other than Thekla. Thekla is badass. But yeah. It's like they stripped all of the fun Dr. Evilness of Odeo Tai and replaced it with a watered-down wannabe Bullet Club knock off. Hmm, just like Hot Topic. Is Hot Topic secretly behind it all? I watch less Stardom now. And when I do watch it, I fast forward through parts of it in a way I'd never done in the past. And it's directly because of the massive shifts in the story. I'm not saying Stardom doesn't still have good stuff to offer. It does. But the HATE stuff and Saya turn especially were all huge misses for me. And as much as I love everyone inside of the group, Neo Genesis as a whole just kind of bores me as well. I am not saying all of this to try to say the "New Stardom" is bad. If people enjoy it, then that's awesome. I'm just never going to be able to take HATE or Saya seriously in any way, shape or form. At least I know if I ever see Stardom live again where the piss break matches will be. Please don't hate me, Meerkat. 😁
i began watching stardom 2 months ago. this loredump just made me more of a fan of the product and saya herself. what a great character. nice video.
WOW, that was the quickest 88 minutes I can remember, had me totally engrossed , so much fun, insightful and entertaining, would rather see this at the cinema than 95 % of whats on offer. Thank you Meerkat, cant wait for your next offering !
This video was well worth the wait, and I enjoyed EVERY SINGLE SECOND! Kamitani’s story is very inspiring, heartbreaking and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. God damn it Meerkat you’ve done it again!
🙏🏼 thank you! 😊
Why does Saya make me cry so much? I guess I identify with her. A lot of us are trying to be better most of the time but a lot of the people around us do not understand or care.
@BushinRyuCat
I second that emotion.
@@GusLadeas thank you! 🙏🏼 ❤️
All Hail to our Phenex Queen! 🔥🐦👑
At first was skeptical if I could last an hour but I finished it without taking a pause. Like Saya u hv ascended to another level of storytelling. Nicely done 🎉
Awesome compliment! Thanks!!
Amazing video. Meerkat actually made me appreciate the before times of Saya always crying, amazing stuff.
every time someone makes a video essay on wrestling an angel gets its wings. haven't finished this, but thank you
Awesome video! You have done an exceptional job of bringing out the dramatic movements in Kamitani's Stardom Story. They should be paying you to make these sort of videos.
Just finished watching.
Great work, almost 90 minutes that just flew by.
This was amazing
Wait for Kurara vs Kamitani tomorrow. I’m guaranteed there’s gonna be emotion in that
Estrogen meter was off the charts.
Once more, you effortlessly weave in and out of fiction. Meshing the character and the performer flawlessly. I bow my head gratefully, tip my hat respectfully, and await your next piece eagerly.
Have a great weekend 🙂👍
Amazing work, this video was insane
Who would have believed that the deceiver would go on to inspire what may be your joshi-content magnum opus? Fantastic work mku
Thanks
@@stevevbell thank you! 🙏🏼
Jebus Henry Christopher... my man made a feature film about the birb lady. 😳
Beautiful work as always Meerkat! A must watch for any fan of Stardom or anyone who is trying to get into Stardom. This covers Saya's career so well!
This video was fucking bad ass. I started watching STARDOM/Joshi about 4 months ago and fell in love with Sayas character but you filled in ever single gap i had on her career and i cant believe how much more i love and respect her work now. Her going after Tam atm is gonna be legendary!!
Please fucking make MORE of this long form content!!
Saya The Deceiver. What started as a meme has become the most well-fitting and prophetic explanation for her rebirth as the Phenix Queen. Great job Meerkat at taking us through pivotal moments in her career that made Saya into what she has become. This was CINEMA! (I also oddly got emotional when you made the connection that she has been deceiving herself throughout her career because it just made so much sense from how she got into Stardom)
Fire video I’ve been trying to get into stardom for a while and this video helped with that keep it up
Great work! Am in fully agree that her weird lanky movement and primal screaming work so much better as a heel. Can't wait for her inevitable big Red Belt match with Tam and what kind of escalation that's going to involve.
And now she holds the red belt.
Amazing work Meerkat as well as Saya Kamitani. I might have initially chuckled a bit seeing an hour and a half video about Saya Kamitani but needless to say it was well worth watching and one of my favourites so far. Dare I say it even felt a bit rushed in places so I'll be waiting for that physical media 4K 3 hour director's cut!
Had to come back n rewatch this. The Phenex Queen is Your NEW WORLD OF STATDOM CHAMPION
I love this kind of deep dive content, covering an entire career arc as a single cohesive narrative. It's not something I see as often as I would like, and it really should be done more often. Well done, Meerkat!
i can't express enough how impactful this video is, it's so well done!!! i can only imagine what full length videos like this would be like for other Stardom wrestlers like Mayu Iwa-Cena or Starlight Kid. big thanks Meerkat, you've outdone yourself on this :)
🙏🏼 thank you!!
Brilliant work. 👏👏🔥🔥🔥
She is so talanted & inspiring! I wish her the best in life. 👑🖤
Dancer.
Protégé.
Phoenix.
Wonder.
Deceiver.
Phenex Queen.
Dammit, MKU. This feature of Kamitani was fucking CINEMA.
Bravo. 👏 👏 👏
This is my favorite piece you've done, even over the Miho Abe one.
Thank you for the crazy ammount of work you must have put in to create this masterpiece.
🙏🏼 thank you for that!
Great film that lived up to the high expectations. I’ve been waiting for the weekend to have time to set aside and watch completely. So enjoyable. Love the little things too. As a big Steelers and Mayu fan, loved the coke commercial reference, the Rika pop-ups are always great, and the “when even the clown…” line was hilarious.
Absolute art ❤
🙏
My memory of the time is very hazy, but I remember reading that Stardom Idols ended badly, possibly resulting in legal threats from someone involved behind the scenes.
If so that might be why that period had seemingly been scrubbed from history.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
🙏 Thank you!
great video mr.kat, was waiting until I could watch it in one sitting and was worth the wait!
Long have I waited as we were told since time immemorial of the deceiver (^_^ ) The Dark Phoenix saga of Saya Kamitani has only just begun and the Meerkat smiles all the while as the Phenex Queen reigns.
INCREDIBLE
First of all thank you for making this video. That was intense!
Second of all, I always enjoyed Saya mostly because of her goofiness and the way she acts. But now I absolutely love her as a Heel, she looks like she's having so much fun.
“Intense” seems to be a common reaction to my film work and I love that. Interesting that came through on this project.
It was genuinely one of your best work!
I am crying my eyes out from the beauty of this . Saya has my undying devotion and adulation unti the end of time
meerkat.... your genius at this is prove. once again. only you could help bring the joshi stories to light to the magnitude that they deserve
Held off commenting until I'd watched the whole thing. Firstly, excellent video & perfect story progression as ever Meerkat! Good call in heading off the "Deceiver" meme at the very top. My question though, Saya's current story arc surely leads to one of atonement, but to whom?
@@Jam3sA She’s showing hints toward Sayaka Kurara at the moment
Thank you! The biggest advantage and gift of STARDOM is their rich history in their character's relationships and Saya has continuously built up many over the years, she can go anywhere.
YES LET'S GOOOOOOO IT'S FINALLY HERE!
Holy shit I know you put up a trailer for this video but I genuinely didn't know it was going to be 1 hour plus. Damn super impressive now we just need the 1 hour plus documentary on the Saya cookie and it's origins. I usually don't comment on most videos people make but you genuinely surprise me. Everytime you post a video it's fucking great
Thank you greatly for that. 🙏🏼
Watching this makes it so obvious that Tam is dropping Red Belt to Sa-Tan in the very near future. The lore is too strong. Thank you for the effort you put into this.
Y siempre pence que kamitani tenia potencial para ser lider pero fuera de queen quest, yo pence que se inclinaba por el lado de un ospray pero veo lo que dices sobre ibushi y ya no se que camino le espera a kamitani, buen video merkat siempre haces buenos videos con las historias de los personajes de stardom gracias por el buen contenido.
This was so wonderfully made 🎉🎉 amazing job!!
Damn, this was amazing to watch.
The Phenex Queen is finally the world of stardom champion Saya Kamitani.
Amazing Meerkato 🇧🇷👏👏
YESSS I WAS WAITING FOR THIS THE DECIEVERRRRRR😈😭, Kamitani's heel mannerisms remind me of a blend of oedo tai tamu and Hana🤔💪🏽👌🏼
Who's here after Saya and Tam goes to war
You hit it on the head…
Your whole assessment of her.
And my personal opinion…
Saya as a heel…is her absolute best version. She has never looked better or more comfortable. Her current run is one of my favorites. I would even say she’s only one or two big feuds away from becoming a faction leader I feel.
Her going heel, is one of the best things in Stardom right now.
A lot of work and a lot of love in this video. But Saya Kamitani deserves this wonderful tribute. It's an admirable work that traces her career and bares her soul. It's all there. Her ambition, her doubts, her anxieties, the desire to do well, the beauty of her matches, her extraordinary acting...and above all the emotion we feel in her matches. Yes, her beautiful gaze looking at Maika. But there are many magnificent moments with her.
The Epilogue is magnificent and totally corresponds to the way I perceive her. I wouldn't change a single sentence. The comparison with Shelley Duvall in Shining is excellent.
I hope Saya will watch this video. I would like to know what she thinks about it.
Congratulations and thank you. 👏🙏
Thank you! 🙏🏼 I’m glad that landed as well as it did.
25:02 😱😱😱 that was insane...
Great video, bud!
This was great.
First off, many thanks to the author for bringing this passion project to life, and the Patreon sponsors that helped make this possible!
If I had one bone to pick with this, it would be the glossing over of the impact of the "fan" interaction. After making Kamitani break down at a signing, this "fan" told her, "I came here to make you cry"...the exact same words that Kamitani used to berate Maika after her betrayal.
(I put "fan" in quotes because I wouldn't put it past STARDOM to have a plant fan harassing her at events just for the benefit of a couple dozen diehards that may be present to see it...)
If I had a second bone to pick with this, and the only reason it's not my first bone is because it is such a recent development that it probably would have been too hard for Meerkat to work in with this timing (which I'm sure is no accident to be occurring the night before the next PPV), is the complete omission of Sayaka Kurura, who is the major element in the ongoing progression of this story. Everyone else has given up on Kamitani...except Kurara, the only person new and un-jaded enough to still have hope. They've worked such a good backstory, with Kamitani showing kindness to Kurura in her debut match and the months following, that I feel like getting to this moment had to be the plan all along...Kamitani's small act of kindness and selflessness setting the wheels in motion for her ultimate redemption.
In any event, I think it will feel like a very glaring omission to this pièce de résistance in very short order.
I get the second part but keep in mind this video essay/overview is also a culmination of covering Stardom content for awhile. In which the gag meme of Saya being a _deceiver_ also happen to become a reality. So when that Sayaka Kurara interaction reaches its major point, Meerkat will add another chapter to what will become of the Phenex Chronicles.
I assure you I picked a random date to release this, I don’t know STARDOM’s schedule lol. The video was completed two weeks prior to release and written far before that. The Mina vs Saya recent footage was only in this video cause I took so long making it (good too cause I used a lot of it). Wrestling is always moving after all.
Awesome video!
This is the Arc i always feared...The *Dark Phoenix Saga* 🕊️
...🐦⬛ We will ALL🔥😮BURN, unless her one true love (Kota Ibushi) can bring out her sweet (performative) self again🙏🏼
Im sorry but Saya HAS to beat Tam for the red belt. thats long term story telling right there. also this video is fucking amazing meerkat. yet again. youre the man.
I agree It's def Saya who takes the red belt or Maybe a heel mina in my opinion👌🏼
LOVE WHEN MY COMMENTS AGE LIKE WINE! SAYA KAMITANI IS THE RED BELT CHAMP! LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Great video as always! I need a Phenex Queen shirt, but I can't find them available online anywhere >_
The Path to H.A.T.E.? MK. I can't believe you missed the obvious. Saya Kamitani: The Dark Phoenix Saga. In the immortal words of Scott Hall, "It just rolls off the tongue."
IMO, STARDOM would benefit from you being a "translator" of sorts, but more from a recap/overview commentary position for western fans. Been watching Stardom since 2014, but you elevated my understanding of it in a single year('23-now)!
My Phoenix queen has come so far from he debut even if she's full of H.A.T.E I'm so proud of her and still a fan
She will be world of stardom one day
Also don't be surprised if saya usurp tora for leadership of H.A.T.E
also, i'd say it's both a reference to Hayabusa AND Ibushi with a lot of her offense at times, even her nickname is a subtle reference to it; the current Saya i feel is a rough reference to Darkside Hayabusa
The emo phase in their late 20’s that goes to Spencer’s hits an absolute obscene amount
Good video watched the whole video might try get back into stardom stopped watching about 3 years ago also you sound like the chelsea guy he was in la liga clip
also... am i the only one who noticed that her Rookie Year gear is PRETTY Close to Koala's gear... kinda makes sense why they have those 2 doing a bit of a mini feud atm
This video was very meaty but at this point it is the only way to do justice to cover Saya's stardom content. Which also covers the important aspect for JP wrestlers to have that lengthy time built on interactions with other wrestlers that can form into relationships. Relationships that connect each other to the ring like an octopus. I was against the thought of her turning heel, thinking she would be too goofy. Turns out she was always down for some mischief which fits perfectly in her evil high school goth phase. Hell she probably has the best range of expressive faces currently in Stardom which only further enhances her diabolical character. In the end it seemed oddly fitting she was the 'last' member of QQ but never embodied its spirit like their former captains in Iyo and Utami. Only to do away with it along with Oedo Tai and become reborn as members of H.A.T.E. Much like Tora and those old OT members, Saya doesn't have to carry expectations set by those older units.
Also much like Tam was trying to plant seeds with whispers this year to various players to possibly influence changes, Saya tried it herself with poor results. In fact she was the one who got influenced in the end. But maybe that is just her learning to try influence future outcomes. That is after all the justice that the Phenex Queen aims to pursue.
Epic 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
This was awesome
🙏🏼 thank you for watching!
@@meerkat_ultra definitely your magnum opus so far
personally i feel they could have just let Saya float around as a "unit of 1" for a while and have the Burden of being the only surviving member of the unit slowly weigh on her and slowly make her break down, then have her start losing matches for seemingly no reason, then FINALLY SNAP but nope... they sped that heel turn up a LOT, probably also because they wanted to wrap up all the past of Stardom under Rossy(though STARs still exists) *shrug*
also the funny thing it wasn't "Losing unit disbands, it was only the surviving member of the losing unit will remain" which ugh... it still doesn't make sense that they went that way... also please stop calling her Kevin, MOUSE is the correct name now, screw twitter's opinion
Long reply incoming Meerkat.
While I’m in the minority of people who can’t buy Saya as a Heel I will not lie the vid almost made me cry multiple times and almost felt bad for Saya. I most definitely Eye roll and Sigh when I see her and Taro’s booking of h.a.t.e. Doesn’t help Saya either at all would be cool if she beats tam for the red belt her Gear becomes a reverse of SLK’s where it started as Bright to Dark when she joined OT where Saya’s would be Dark to Light but i couldn’t think of an endgame for Saya once her gear is more light then Dark. Most of my h.a.t.e hatred is actually towards Konami after her Syuri betrayal Saya occasionally catches Strays from me cuz I personally don’t like her as a heel other then the gear hated the Hot Topicy gear at first but I’m starting to slightly like it. Cuz Taro literally spat all of Konami’s God’s Eye character development in the face and flushed it down the toilet I get she dislikes Saki dating back to her TCS days but she was getting to a Point in her GE arc where she was becoming indifferent to Saki she didn’t hate nor like her.
I also just can’t hate Rina considering the fact that she’s Hana’s Protege, I miss Hana so much.
This channel needs a new Momo (Watanabe) video.
I have one about Momo against DASH Chisako about a month or so ago.
スターダムアイドルの映像初めて見た
23:13 white woman jumpscare
LLMAOOOOOOOO
what is this, long-term storytelling? but all the Important Smart People on twitter and in the podcasts told be there wasn't any storytelling going on in modern stardom!
Long reply.
TL;DR: Saya is mostly Meh. She was before, and she still is now. Now, for a longer better reply:
Interesting and fun video, but I honestly think your conclusions are different from mine. Assuming they aren't just all for effect for the video. IMO, Hot Topic Saya is likely just the result of the New Stardom deciding to shake things up in a dramatic way. I honestly don't believe it was some super slow burn years-long story. And if it was, it was a poor one.
Nobody "hates" Hot Topic Saya. At least, nobody should. The hardcore fringe Stardom/Joshi marks will gush over it all, calling it the best thing ever in the universe as they do with everything Joshi. They will simp for her and spam people toxicity on Twitter for even daring to not love love love it all and beg Taro for more. I wouldn't be shocked if I didn't get some hate thrown my way for this reply, heh.
But yeah, nobody hates her. At least not amongst the casuals that I know that I watch Stardom with. It's more of an 'eyeroll and sigh' reaction. The same reaction many of us give "Learning Tree Chris Jericho." To be honest, Saya was never anyone's favorite in my nerdy wrestling fanboy group, either. She was a good example of someone that tried a little too hard and it was a little too noticeable. And nothing about her new gimmick changes that. Unless she's wrestling someone we really like, we tend to do exactly what we do with Jericho now. Fast forward until someone else is on. If that makes us bad fans or shallow or something else, then so be it.
As far as HATE goes? Eh. Odeo Tai was fun because it was sort of a hmm, let's go with "Heel LWO." It was good in an 'Austin Powers' sort of evil, and it worked in the Joshi format. HATE, imo, is like a late WCW heel group. Cringy and painful to watch. It destroyed Konami's redemption arc and shouldn't be taken seriously as anything. Other than Thekla. Thekla is badass. But yeah. It's like they stripped all of the fun Dr. Evilness of Odeo Tai and replaced it with a watered-down wannabe Bullet Club knock off. Hmm, just like Hot Topic.
Is Hot Topic secretly behind it all?
I watch less Stardom now. And when I do watch it, I fast forward through parts of it in a way I'd never done in the past. And it's directly because of the massive shifts in the story. I'm not saying Stardom doesn't still have good stuff to offer. It does. But the HATE stuff and Saya turn especially were all huge misses for me. And as much as I love everyone inside of the group, Neo Genesis as a whole just kind of bores me as well.
I am not saying all of this to try to say the "New Stardom" is bad. If people enjoy it, then that's awesome. I'm just never going to be able to take HATE or Saya seriously in any way, shape or form. At least I know if I ever see Stardom live again where the piss break matches will be.
Please don't hate me, Meerkat.
😁