I really wanted to watch some STARDOM content right now. It's basically that simple. I'll be using their official YouTube channel to do so. Follow along if you'd like. I will be posting these digest entries here, like usual, and also on my Substack moving forward. Yes, I am trying it again. Yes, I am overthinking things like usual.
Just a heads up or whatever.
The Wonder of STARDOM Champion was confronted in the first pull, from the 12/3 gig, and it saw Haruka making a challenge for the belt. Oedo Tai would run out and beat down Saya rather quickly into their segment and Starlight would talk a lot of shit.
The first match I looked at saw Starlight Kid and Momo Watanabe, representing Oedo Tai, facing against Mayu and the other Momo in tournament action. Not enough ran here to rate it, but SLK took the W so I’m happy.
Next, Cosmic Angels’ Natsupoi and Tam Nakano taking on STARS’ Mayu and Kohgo, also in a Tag League action. Why do so many Japanese companies follow tour schedules so closely to each other?
Whatever, this was a good one with nice energy and it made for entertaining work all around. The Angels would pick up the victory and the points clean in the end.
This video had Fukigen Death and Saki, because we’re starting heavily with Oedo Tai stuff it seems, taking on Syuri and Inaba. The World Champ was actually chained to a chair at one point by the heel unit and later…she was just unchained somehow. Some exchanges on the downstretch were decent. I’m torn on considering this a comedy rating match or not, to be honest. It was fine for what it was.
Ruaka and Tora of…Oedo Tai, lost to Takahashi and Yuu in our first match from the 12/4 event. This show actually featured the finals of the Tag League, for the record.
7Upp won out, but this was a very fun showcase of these four bigger workers of the joshi scene. That likely sounded awful. To be clear, I actually absolutely adore most of the workers involved in this one and consider them to be talented performers. The fact is STARDOM, as much as I love the place, well it can be a bit sexist at times especially as a certain pervy dude at the top has a…type. As a result, you don’t get to see many matches like this in their ring. A shame, really, because this rocked. It actually gave me old AJW vibes to a degree.
Quality content, folks!
Speaking of quality, next we had Giulia and Thekla (who looks so much like a female Kenny Omega) taking on Momo Watanabe and Starlight Kid! The video here cut away to focus on the DdM leader bleeding for a while, which somehow kind of worked, and then moved back to SLK pinning the beforementioned Omega chick.
Good shit, though not enough aired to give it a rating. Some physicality in post between the two occurred.
Up next, we had Saya and Utami against NatTam, the latter of which came out in glorious fashion. Once more, too little ran to give it a rating (a round up of which closes this entry). Still, this was a very enjoyable video and very entertaining content. Right at four star realm kind of stuff.
Here, we have reached the Tag League finals.
Utami and Saya against Nanae and Yuu. Usually these tag team tournaments that end the calendar year tend to feel like rest stops and lots of autopilot, but this crew stepped up and I enjoyed basically everything I watched from it for this post.
The outcome here, with Utami and Saya taking the L, was a nice choice for me especially and the match that got us there was highly enjoyable as well. The performances here were at full effort level and everyone came off looking better because of it!
Oh, and that fucking powerbomb finish was SICK!
Streamers rained from above.
The joshi fed’s tag champs would come out and sing to their challengers in this one. Sometimes, that’s just what you do when you wanna show someone that you can beat them.
Jump ahead to 12/10 for the next bit.
Starlight bested ♀mega in singles action in our first stop. A fun flash pin finish and post match brawl following a spirited battle. I’m pretty sure Starlight Kid’s work last year has finally pushed her above Mayu as my favorite joshi artist, by the way.
Another singles match here, this time with Tam against Mai. Big show feeling stuff with the DdM girl doing well to match Tam doing Tam things. This overdelivered, in fact, and turned out to be a pretty good contest in the end.
The post-match moment between the two made for a nice cherry.
This Osaka show had some gas!
Syuri and crew took on Giulia and crew and it landed very well, especially because of the amount of time and focus given to moments between the two stars of the match. Emotions were high and the intensity worked nicely to push them there. This video actually came off as if it was almost a singles match, funny enough.
I loved it!
QQ versus STARS in this one, with Tam and Natsupoi against Saya and AZM. This looked brilliant on paper and was rather enjoyable in reality, ending with a time limit draw. Saya and Tam would continue a touch after the bell.
AZM and Nat would push their belts into each other’s faces after, too.
This one was a massive Oedo Tai and Donna del Mondo 10-woman clusterfuck from the 12/11 show. The video basically starts with the big breakdown section and the workers fucking around in the audience.
House show entertainment in a good way and better than expected.
KARMA and Starlight lost when the former kept fucking fireballing people. Fun for what it was.
Powder attack alert! This one was actually better than I had expected and legit good. The finish in particular was fun. Drama after was even better…
Tam was upset that her partner seems incapable of being useful in any goddamn way at all. Delightful soap opera stuff with Nak telling Waka that she fucking sucks and how she has to stop doing that bullshit!
Yes, please!
Oh, it didn’t end there!
Yeah, the shitty loser challenged Nanae because she really wants to continue to eat L’s. Fantastic. I sincerely love this shit. Inject it directly into my vains!
The Year-End Tour resumes with night three next!
The Giulia/Syuri program continues with God’s Eye taking on DdM once again. Very road to/house showy kind of stuff but it did decent to add a thin layer to the growing angle and the two stars once again got some good shit in together while the supporting cast played their roles nicely.
I didn’t watch it, but they did run back another multi-woman between the two units. CLICK HERE if you are interested.
Wanna watch Oedo Tai and Liger betting at a race track? You know you do.
Get your translator ready, because this one is Giulia talking about her title shot while bedtime piano music plays behind her. It’s ten minutes of soap opera drama and it’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
Here’s another if you want more where that came from…
Who wouldn’t!?
The Tag League winners faced Tam, Waka, and Natsupoi in a handicap match next. Waka tried to be tough but would once again prove herself to be worthless. A shame, really.
Nat would appear to have momentarily broken her pelvis after a marvelous failed german suplex attempt spot. Yuu and Nanae would literally squash their opponents on a few occasions and the repeated L eater would eat yet another. On the plus side, she did show some spunk.
Do you want Utami on a fake horse? Of course you fucking do!
This was a fun Christmas themed match for sure with Santa (Mrs. Clause?) and Reindeer attire dressing on top of STARDOM style atomico action. I especially loved the finish.
Santa would appear after to give gifts. Mayu would then be robbed of her gifts after.
Delightful.
Oedo Tai versus Prominenc. Good entertainment and a nice showcase of several talents simultaneously.
I mean, who doesn’t love seeing Fukigen Death get a victory? I wouldn’t trust that person.
Shit talking would follow.
The effortless Starlight Kid and split personality case study, Umesaki (aka KARMA), took on Saya and AZM at Year-End Climax. I’m calling the first team “Starlight Luminous” for reasons that I hope someone gets. It’s not very clever to be honest, but I am aware that this genre in English, written by me specifically is rather niche.
Maybe I should’ve called the KARMA/SLK team “DarkLight Luminous”…
I’m off again. This was a good time limit draw tag match. There.
Shit talking after.
I really love massive elimination matches like these. Similar to a torneo cibernetico, which more companies should use, and basically the same thing as a match I run in video games that I call Unit Warfare. Again, they kept the Giulia and Syuri program burning while everyone else got some shit in, too.
It’s hard to complain about this one. Borderline great!
The video ends with fake snow pouring on the roster.
There were two more uploads promoted as Giulia talking about her title shot. I’m not gonna add those here but feel free to request a link if you’re interested yet unable to find them yourself.
HERE is one of the champ talking about the match and stuff.
Tam and Natsupoi and AJW’s Maki Ueda are the focus of this one. Consider it a random bonus thing to watch if you think doing so sounds enjoyable.
I’ll be posting a cherry piece looking specifically at Dream Queendom tomorrow.
I love We are STARDOM!! and the way it is presented, but honestly I really wanted to be caught up and I’m closer now than I would’ve been waiting for the show to get past December. And I would’ve missed a few of these, which would’ve sucked. They had a very good final month of 2022 it appears and that’s before I get to their big finale.
Watch anything that sounds interesting and thanks, as always, for stopping by!
Match Ratings Roundup
Cosmic Angels vs STARS ***
Oedo Tai vs God’s Eye **1/4
7Upp vs Oedo Tai ***3/4
7Upp vs Queen’s Quest ****1/4
Thekla vs Starlight kid ***1/4
Tam vs Mai ***1/2
God’s Eye vs Donna del Mondo ****
Queen’s Quest vs STARS ***1/4
Oedo Tai vs Donna del Mondo ***1/4
Donna del Mondo vs Starlight Kid, KARMA **3/4
Cosmic Angels vs Rebel X Enemy ***
God’s Eye vs Donna del Mondo ***
7Upp vs Cosmic Angels ES***
Queen’s Quest vs STARS ***
Prominence vs Oedo Tai ***1/4
Queen’s Quest vs Starlight Luminous ***
Elimination: God’s Eye vs Donna del Mondo ***1/2
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