August 29, 2026
It’s Saturday! And this week again,
from Marigold and Darkness Revolution, it’s the one and only #MatsuiKawaii,
Misa Matsui!
Thank you for tuning in to “The Secret of Yami-Kawaii”!
To begin with,
why did I go with the title “The Secret of Yami-Kawaii”? When I first named this column, my intention was to share some relatively lighthearted, private tidbits about myself—things I rarely broadcast on my own.
For example,
How much I love Nino. How my type is someone with a hearty, boisterous laugh. How I am unbelievably terrible at waking up in the morning. How my bed is completely buried in baby seal stuffed animals. How obsessed I am with SixTONES right now. How I own a borderline off-putting amount of makeup…
I had planned on rolling out lighthearted topics like that every week, but
before I knew it, I was spending week after week preaching my philosophy on life and laying all my deepest ideologies bare.
This isn’t how it was supposed to go.
But to all of you who stuck around and put up with my intense worldview up until now—thank you so much.
Every time a deadline loomed, I’d agonize from the bottom of my heart over what to write, but
as of this installment,
it’s finally coming to an end.
True to form, I’m agonizing over this final entry, too.
But hey, since it’s the last one, I figure I might as well write about the view I want to see from here on out.
First off, Marigold’s singles league kicked off on August 28th at Korakuen Hall.
It’s a summer tradition, and this marks its third year. It’s also my third time entering.
The first year, I had a dismal showing, ending with just one win and two points.
For my second outing last year, I exhilaratingly steamrolled through the main roster, finishing with (I think) four wins and eight points.
And now, going into my third attempt in 2026, we’ll just have to see how things shake out.
In the year since the last league, I’ve captured gold twice—winning both the tag team championship and the six-woman tag team championship. However, my record for singles championships remains at zero.
Because of that, whenever I do interviews, they always hit me with:
“We’d love to see some singles results from you soon.”
Trust me, I’m the one feeling that dilemma the most.
But I’m not going to be pessimistic about it.
Sure, I get a little anxious sometimes, but I can unequivocally say that I’ve never fallen off.
I am constantly growing. (Note: Though I do occasionally feel myself pushing thirty.)
But I’m totally fine. I genuinely believe I’m only just getting started—and that’s not just blind optimism.
I don’t know what it is, I’ve just always had this mysterious sense of confidence. (laughs)
So I want you to believe in me. I’m the type who believes that as long as your spirit doesn’t break, your time will definitely come, so
as for this newly started league, all I really think is: I want people to watch. Above all else.
I see all the things people say about Marigold online every day, and I also know there are people out there trying to defend us.
No matter what it is, there will always be lovers and haters.
So I don’t mind that part. Obviously, I’d prefer it if people liked us, but it can’t be helped.
But whether you end up loving something or hating it, it all starts with actually watching it.
So how do we get people to watch? Word has to spread that Marigold matches are exciting. That’s an absolute must. It’s something we simply have to do. I’m renewing that vow to myself.
Why am I bringing this up now? Because I think the singles league is the perfect opportunity to make that happen.
Whenever something begins, it’s a chance to change. Can I change? Do I want to change? I’m not even entirely sure myself, but well…
I want to just fire myself up a bit more than usual and enjoy the ride.
If I genuinely enjoy what’s right in front of me, maybe I’ll look up one day and realize I’ve reached a peak that once seemed so far away.
That’s the kind of scenery I’m picturing.
It’s pretty hard to accomplish anything alone, but I’ll be fine because I have Darkness Revolution.
And I’ve got all of you who never got sick of reading my column, giving me the strength of a hundred people.
Once again, your feedback telling me “The column is so fun!” is what saved me these past few months.
Ahhh, these days where a week flies by in the blink of an eye are finally over.
I always wanted to write a column, so I was thrilled when the dream came true. Having done it, though, I realize how tough it actually is.
But next time, I want to become the kind of wrestler who gets a regular serialization in the main magazine.
With that being said, starting next time, this Saturday slot will be taken over by…
Also from Marigold and Darkness Revolution,
Rea Seto!
I genuinely have no idea what Rea is going to write about every week.
I’m looking forward to it myself! I hope you all continue to support the column!
“The Secret of Yami-Kawaii” I spent every single week anxiously wondering if what I wrote was good enough! (laughs) Thank you for reading!
Translator’s Notes
- Yami-Kawaii (闇カワイイ): Literally translating to “dark-cute” or “sick-cute.” It is a popular Japanese subculture aesthetic that blends typical sweet, pastel “kawaii” elements with darker, morbid, or edgy undertones.
- Nino (ニノ): A widely used affectionate nickname for Kazunari Ninomiya, a prominent Japanese idol, actor, and member of the legendary pop group Arashi.
- SixTONES: A highly popular Japanese male idol group.
- Pushing thirty (アラサー / Arasa): A Japanese portmanteau of “around thirty,” referring to people in their late twenties to early thirties. Born in 2000, Matsui is 26 at the time of this 2026 column.