It's that time again already, huh? Well, get ready for the HanamaruFanAwards2020 post by your resident Hanamaru oshi.

I've always loved Hanamaru. She's just such a deep character. I've always resonated with her love of books, and feeling like she's just not suited to be an idol. She isn't genki like chika, she isn't cute like ruby (at least she doesn't think so), she isn't funny like yoshiko and she isn't sexy/cool like dia. But still, she is able to become an idol and she is a great one at that. I've always thought that was so admirable of Hanamaru. Obviously, I can relate to her as a bookworm. But I can also (and more importantly) relate to hew as a person who just isn't suited for what she loves, and I really love that Hanamaru was able to overcome that. It makes me think that maybe I can, too.

I honestly can't put into words how much I love Hanamaru. This entire post is really just one incoherent mess, but I really really do love her. I won't go into the specifics, but this past year-ish has been really hard on me and tbh knowing that Hanamaru, a girl like me was able to succeed really gave me that optimism I needed. I don't know if I would have been able to make it this far without that smile telling, and Hanamaru telling me "With words or not, I want to make sure they do Though I still can't think of how But it seems like courage is welling up Little by little I can grow stronger" Maybe Hanamaru can help me grow stronger, too.

(not really 100% sure how to use images so fingers crossed this works)

So, in the past year, how have I shown my love for Maru? Well, being F2P in both SIF and SIFAS has def made it hard to get her URs but after birthday savings, I have both her Christmas UR and Animal UR in SIF EN, and I have Teacher Maru in SIFJP. I have her initial UR in SIFASJP fully maxed out except for the last locked portion on her skill tree (trying to grind those green feathers so i can limit break and max her out fully), and as for SIFASEN... well, I chose her as my starter SR?? Sorry, since the game's so new and I'm F2P I don't have any of her cards...

Also, I've been listening to a LOT of Maru music. Since she has only one solo song, I've had to just have that on repeat for the last few months and now I cannot go three minutes without yelling Dakedo egao de ashita no at the top of my lungs. Her voice is just so soothing but also so energizing... I also really like listening to AZELEA songs and the first year trio songs since she gets a lot of solo parts in them. Same with mitaiken HORIZON. As of right now, my favorite part of a song to listen to is her solo at the beginning of Wake Up Challenger!!. If you hear that and don't instantly become a maru oshi, I'm sorry to break it to you but you are literally deaf.

As for fanart, while I have done some I'm really not comfortable posting pics of it, so you'll just have to take my word that I did some lol. Same with cosplay, although my cosplay wig got delayed so it's really just my natural hair sorta styled like hers... sorry Hanamaru. I wish I could do better for her.

Finally, I'll end this off with a meme I made. Not the most original, but hey, it works.

I love you, Hanamaru Kunikida. Oyasuminasan