Hana Kimura

[10.0] "Hana Kimura was a superstar in every sense of the word. Incredible look, and unbelievable amounts of charisma. A career, and more importantly, a life, gone way too soon."

[9.0] "A career cut way too short thanks to shut ins online. A similar demographic of shut ins on r/scjerk use "rip Hana" as a tired punchline for their equally shitty and tired jokes."

[8.0] "It feels wrong--almost cruel--to write a traditional review of Hana Kimura. But out of respect for her contribution to professional wrestling, and for what her presence meant to fans and peers alike, it's important to acknowledge her. Hana was more than just a promising young talent--she was charisma incarnate. A magnetic presence with world-class potential, she was poised to become the face of Stardom. She had the look, the instincts, the crowd connection, and the in-ring growth trajectory of someone destined for greatness. In another timeline, perhaps she's in WWE today, standing across from Giulia on the grandest stage, fulfilling the promise that was so clearly within her grasp. But reality was cruel. The unbearable pressure of public scrutiny, magnified by toxic online abuse and an unfortunate foray into reality television, ended her story far too soon. It wasn't wrestling that failed her--it was society. And that's what makes her loss so devastating. Of all the heartbreaking deaths in wrestling over the past decade, Hana's might be the most tragic--not just for her youth, but for the untapped brilliance that never had the chance to blossom fully. An 8.0 may seem conservative for someone so cherished, but it's given with the full understanding that--had life been kinder--this rating could very well have been a 9 or even a 10. The industry mourns not only the person we lost, but the champion she was becoming. She was beautiful, bold, and unforgettable. And she deserved so much better. And although for me she didn't reach the level she could have had, there will never be anyone like Hana Kimura, simply because no one will ever have the energy she once gave off in her prime."

[10.0] "I sadly only learned of Hana because of her tragic passing in 2020, but in the 5 years since, I've heard nothing but glowing praise for Hana-Chan and it kills me that American viewers like me will never get to see this beautiful flower bloom stateside. Rest in love Hana-Chan. You were far too wonderful for this sinful Earth."

[10.0] "Was just watching her match against Kagetsu on Grand Prix in 2017. Damn i miss her, she had everything you wanted in a wrestler. RIP"

[9.0] "I like to think she would've had a long rivalry with Giulia and become World of Stardom champion. Basically been in Tam Nakano's position in the company. Because she was destined to be the biggest star, what could've been. Thoughts are with you Hana and your loved ones. Stardom's never been the same since, i'm sure you would've made it in the US too. Following IO and Kairi maybe. A 9 only because she still had untapped potential, that you know she would've reached. The 5 Star win, leading TCS and that match with Giulia. You just know she was winning the White belt and then the skies the limit. Atleast we have the tribute shows put on by Kyoko. <3"

[9.0] "A phenomenal wrestler and a beautiful soul taken far too soon. She wouldve been 27 today. She really had it all, in ring skills, charisma, enthusiasm, and creativity. Rest in piece, Hana-chan, we love and miss you dearly each and every day,"

[6.0] "Fun move set, interesting gimmick. I think Shoko Nakajima is good but I feel like these ratings are exaggerating how good she really is. She brings the best out of everyone, she's able to pull off a nice wide range of moves. Solid all around performer"

[10.0] "She had energy, enthusiasm and charisma and all the talent in the world. She could've been a really huge star and was taken from us way too soon. Because of some guys that criticized her because of a reality show, and she sadly took her own life. She was an angel who deserved better than she got. May she rest in peace."

[10.0] "Hana deserved nothing but happiness in her life, and it is incredibly painful to think about what happened to her. She had all the talents and means to be the biggest star in Joshi and would have able been successful in the US aswell. There isn't a day gone by where I haven't thought about her."

[10.0] "For someone who apparently had very little interest in pro wrestling while growing up, Hana has a natural flair for the squared circle. Her endless charisma and improving in-ring skills make her a formidable force for the future of women's wrestling, both in Japan and abroad. There are various things you can nitpick about her wrestling style, like the fact that she needs a stronger variety of moves or to be more careful when locking in her submission finisher, and personally I think her in-ring style is more reminiscent of women's wrestling in North America than the joshi style. But her marketability to new wrestling fans (she is a proven draw on Japanese TV) and being the very personification of "it" factor more than makes up for those holes in her game for now. (Written February 2020) Rest in Peace Hana. Pro wrestling will never be quite as bright without you."

[10.0] "One of the reasons I began watching stardom in late 2019 was because of Hana Kimura. Heard she was Gonna on Terrace House (which I liked at the time but since her death, I stopped as it was the reason she died), and as a long time fan of wrestling, primarily watching American and was a newcomer to NJPW, I thought I'd check out stardom. Saw her matches with Giulia and Hazuki and from that moment on, I became a Stardom Fan. Hana was going to be a star, it was going to be her destiny. She had movie star looks, loved her attire while leading TCS, very talented in ring and her personality shone through, she oozed charisma and sweetness. I was devastated when I heard her passing happened, because of how it happened, the cause of it and it's beyond sad to see someone you admire and respect die. I've vowed that if I were to have a daughter, I'm for sure going to name her Hana in her memory. RIP Hana Chan."

"A young enthusiast who had a great love of wrestling, with a talent that was just about to be discovered at its best. All your fans will remember you with love. Rest in love Hana-Chan"

[10.0] "Charisma, energy and full of spirit.. she was so good in the ring that you just can't sleep on her.. she could've been a champion and the face of stardom.. but even without achieving all of that.. she still one of the greatest names in the promotion! it's been over a year since she passed away.. she'll be missing but not forgotten!"

[9.0] "It's been almost a year since her tragic demise and she's deeply missed. She was great everywhere and was only going to get better in the ring. She was charismatic, charming, easy to root for, nailed it in any and every alignment, and was destined to become an ace-caliber player for Stardom or a big star overseas. The fact that it all ended the way it did will always hurt. If she was still here, I believe she'd be good enough to warrant a 9/10, which is why I'm giving her that rating."

[8.0] "Hana was only getting better as her career went on. She already had the look and mic work down to a science and her wrestling was getting better. It's a shame we will never get to see her full potential."

[10.0] "She was one of best talkers & storytellers in Stardom ( and in this generation ), she was one of those wrestlers that had a big impact in a short time, a 22 years old who did so many great things in her short career that always make me think that she had been in this sport for 20 years . RIP Hana"

[9.0] "Hana Kimura was born to be a wrestler. She could wrestle with the best Stardom had to offer. Her personality could fill an entire arena. And she very well could've one day been in the same league as an Akira Hokuto or Bull Nakano. I wish Hana and her entire family nothing but peace."

[9.0] "From professional wrestling perspective, she had an incredibly successful future coming up. What a shame things went different way... Anyways, let's talk about Hana while she was still alive. She was the most charismatic wrestler of her generation. She was perfect both as a baby face and a heel. She trained really hard, took some serious beating and did some risky stunts. You could tell by looking at her, that she lives wrestling. So much dedication, so much determination, so much positive energy. As a leader of Tokyo Cyber Squad she was the most entertaining and energetic star in joshi world. She was also successful in Mexico and USA. She had some good performances there. She worked with different wrestlers, discovered different styles and created her own moveset based on what she learned. I'm 100% sure Hana would be one of the biggest stars in show business. She was not only great in wrestling but also did some acting and was slowly becoming a TV star. Too bad we will never be able to see any of her performances again. She made a decission, she did what she did, so let's respect that and maintain only the good memories about out little Hana."

[10.0] "In such a short career Hana became one of the biggest Joshi stars of the generation, she was always my favourite to watch. 2019 was a big year for her as she truly became the great wrestler to match her already great charisma. I miss you everyday, RIP Hana."

[5.0] "Yes, it is a tragedy for somebody so young to die in such terrible fashion, and doubly so since life dealt her a pretty awful hand. But on the other side I feel I have to judge her as performer, what I saw and heard of her during her career. Let's get one thing out of the door: she was never bound to be a good in-ring performer. Adequate with the right opponent, yes, but not good. But at the same time not everybody has to be Kyle O'Reilly or Solar in the ring and Hana Kimura was just finding her perfect niche as the face and mouth of Tokyo Cyber Squad, something they desperately needed since Kyona is a pretty mono dimensional character, Konami cannot cut a promo to save her own life, Kaori Yoneyama is limited to a single word with this gimmick and the foreigners are just there to be beautiful. Once she got the handle of it she was becoming quite funny: labelling Tam Nakano "a trashy little panda" was truly funny and a hint of what could have been. But sadly it didn't come to pass."

[10.0] "One of the wrestlers who made me love this business, one of my favorites with Arisa Hoshiki & Kagetsu, it has hurt me a lot to read the news of her death and I know that wrestling will never be the same without her, I wanted to see her being the red belt champion Edit: I've edited a typo"

[10.0] "She was very good performer with nice move set, charisma. Had potential to be future legend and be top star in any major promotion. Of course still needed some improvement, but as only 4 years experience she was perfect. She had bright future. I was looking forward to see her in major promotion. But yea... sadly we will never be able to see her. It's Huge lost for wrestling world... It's sad that we lost one of the nicest, purest, talented young girl. If not these TV reality show fans who attacked her because of one scene. She would be still here. And especially she had to suffer all of that negativity while there is pandemic and likely she most time was at home and wasn't able to interact with fans/ friend via social media without tons of negativity.. Disaster year. I love that phrase "Everyone different. Everyone special" these words will be with me forever. We all will miss you. Although it was a short time but Thank you for everything and Rest In Peace our angel . You were too good for this world and world was too bad for you."

"I just registered to say Hana Kimura was great. 5 ft 5, but a skyscraper of personality. One of my favorite female wrestlers, and she was really just getting into her stride. Dead at 22 yrs old. RIP Hana Kimura."

[10.0] "This girl had all the potential in the world and imo could have easily been THE top star for Stardom, or even a top star in American companies like WWE or AEW. Hana had unmatched charisma and was a hell of a character, she also kept on improving and improving in the ring, and she had not even hit her prime yet. Her death is an absolute tragedy and it? s just so unfair and sad, man. Rest in peace, Hana. We? ll never forget you."

[10.0] "RIP Hana, She was going to be such a big star. She got me into Stardom. This world is cruel, she deserved a better ending."

[8.0] "There was absolutely no-one else in the wrestling industry like Hana. No-one had that naturally bubbly personality alongside that genuinely charismatic edge. Her wrestling lagged behind for her first few years, but she made massive strides in 2019, becoming a very accomplished submission wrestler with some truly awesome holds. After winning the 5-star Grand Prix, it looked like she was obviously going to become Stardom's next big star, or at least one of the company's next big stars. If she kept improving her in-ring work then you could only imagine how far she could have gone, especially since her character work was already absolutely wonderful and she had just gotten Bushiroad's support behind her. This, much more so than all the various retirements this year, will be a massive blow to Stardom, reflecting just how important and talented Hana truly was. Now, I would just like to hope that whatever knowledge or inspiration that Hana imparted on her fellow Stardom wrestlers will one day be realised, so that she may live on via them. RIP Hana. I doubt anyone can ever come close to providing what you did, but I'd really like to hope so, because what you brought to wrestling was special."

[10.0] "After her match with Giulia, I can say for certain that Hana has alot of potential in-ring, cause that match was super brutal. I used to think that she didn't do alot of moves or that she was too basic, but after watching her a few times, I've come to see that she stomps hard, she throws a really good suplex, I did mention how awesome her Grounded Octopus Hold "Hydrangea" was, and she is unbelievably charismatic."

[8.0] "Hana is a difficult wrestler to rate, as although her charisma and character is all there, her in-ring product is still very hit or miss with me. She is still young though, so that could definitely change in the future and if it does, she would become Stardom's most well rounded performer by far."

[6.0] "Having grown up in the business, I'd like to think Hana would be better in the ring than she is. But she has great appeal to the crowd & I feel like she is finally finding the character that suits her best as the cyber-punk leader of Tokyo Cyber Squad. She would work really well if she had a bigger girl to act as her muscle. She's very entertaining, but in ring skills take her down a few pegs."

[7.0] "She very rarely has the opportunity to show what she's really capable of but she is a solid wrestler. Her matches against Mika Iwata in Sendai Girls are the best sneak peek at her great potential. She has so much confidence and charisma for a girl her age, it's undoubtedly her greatest quality at this point. As for her flaws, I think it is time for her to find a definitive finishing move because sometimes she will finish her opponents with a Missile Dropkick or a (beautiful and sick looking) Octopus Hold and sometimes the same move will be used like it's just nothing really important. And overall she just needs more experience. But for someone this young and with not many opportunities as a singles wrestler she is already really good."

[9.0] "I can't believe that she only 20 years old. In her short career, she has show tremendous potential. She is definitely charismatic and have multiple good match. I can't wait to watch her when she reach her full potential."

[8.0] "Hana Kimura in incredibly young, talented, and charismatic in a short career so far. It`s the different roles she can play in various promotions that help show just how great she is. A future big time player in the joshi scene, Hana is already a rising star."

[10.0] "Hana Kimura is one of modern joshi's brightest stars. As of this review, she only has a year's worth of experience and has already established a strong connection with crowds. As a babyface, she draws their sympathy, and as a heel they hang on her every movement, howling when she so much as fixes her hair or adjusts her belt; entranced by this woman in a black ninja jumpsuit. I would go as far as to say she has a legendary luchador-like command over the audience. The Dr. Wagner Jr. of modern joshi. She's still green in-ring, but her strikes are good and her dropkicks and big boots have a convincing impact, and she has the strength to perform a dead-lift vertical suplex. Disobeying doctor's orders, Hana wrestled two matches at her mother's retirement show with an injured wrist, which is something most professional wrestlers and athletes would not have done. You have to respect her drive. I look forward to seeing her growth as a wrestler."