#her design seems so much more focused than yuu's
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*crashes through your window* howdy :D
I was wondering to ask you this time what Shard, Mercury, and Camilla think of Le Fay and my Yuu Ellis :D
I think they would all get along due to sewing and singing! As long as they ignore Ellis’s relationship with malleus
Oho, you bet!
So as you're probably already aware, the Shard cousins are basically a trio of rich kids who are a little too honest about their opinions.
From Victoria's brutal bluntness, Camilla's gossiping, down to Mercury's sarcastic comments. These cousins likely know that their words hurt, and don't give a shit either way.
So how would they feel about Le Fay and Ellis?
✉︎♛ _________________________________♛✉︎
Victoria Shard, the beautiful manipulator
{ Her opinion on: Victoria Le Fay }
Victoria was quite amused to hear that she and Le Fay share the same first name, but wouldn't be the kind to joke about it all that often.
Hearing of Le Fay's general competitiveness, Victoria would choose to stay clear of Le Fay and do whatever she can to not seem like a potential threat.
But eventually, they'd have to interact at some point. I'd imagine that they'd be paired up in an alchemy project together as one of their first interactions.
Le Fay's heard good and bad things about Shard and her reputation as the 'villainess'. Which would probably be enough to pique her interest and possibly try to see behind that mask.
As they continued to interact even after the project, Le Fay saw more of Shard's softer side. Her passion for fashion designing, perfecting her spellcasting, and... Oddly delicious but soulless food-
But at the end of the day, despite those good traits, Le Fay could still see Shard as a soulless person. Which is justified, since she doesn't show that much emotion unless something goes against her views of perfection.
I'd see them getting along, and Le Fay could try and encourage Shard to show more emotions outside of possibly fake politeness.
{ Her opinion on: Ellis }
She's neutral about Ellis; even after interacting with her a bit more.
She finds her keychains amusing, but the jingles they make somewhat annoy her. Of course, she hides said annoyance with a poker face.
If Ellis were to ask questions, she'd answer them as quickly as Ellis asked them. But if it's anything that could lead to something personal, she'd answer vaguely without any other form of information.
She wouldn't be able to properly understand why Ellis is friends with Malleus. Mostly because of a generational rivalry their families have had for centuries, but also because she doesn't find Malleus as anything outside of being a worthy opponent. At least not right now 😏
But in the end, she won't dwell on Ellis's business and won't bother to criticize her for her interactions with Malleus.
I can see them singing together tbh, since Vic focuses on lower notes, I can imagine some pretty harmonies the two could sing
I'd say they'd get along, but whatever affection Ellis could try and give her would be one-sided and harshly but subtly rejected.
↫♛ _________________________________♛↬
Camilla Marigold, the gossip
{ Her opinion on: Victoria Le Fay }
Because they go to different schools, I doubt they'd have that much opportunities to interact other than the times where Camilla visits Shard, or during joint events between NRC and DCA.
Le Fay would feel comfortable around Camilla because of her calming but compassionate presence, which feels almost... Unnatural. She'd probably even question if the energy around Camilla was just her general aura... Or magic.
But unfortunately, getting too comfortable to talk with Camilla potentially leads you to revealing something you probably shouldn't have. Camilla's presence is endearing, but also unnatural because she's able to make you comfortable enough to speak out of something that could be some pretty good gossip.
But considering Le Fay's cleverness, hopefully she'll be able to subside the verbal manipulation-
Outside of that though, I'd say they'd get along even if Le Fay doesn't particularly like Camilla's gossiping tendencies. Comfort tool or not, it's not really a healthy habit.
So I'd say they're okay with each other.
{ Her opinion on: Ellis }
At first glance? They would probably get along well.
Reality? Absolutely wrong. Camilla has the tendency to be easily annoyed, particularly by jingling which is why Christmas carolers are probably scared of her
So I'd say the constant jingling of Ellis's keychains wouldn't be as endearing to her as it would Victoria.
Also if Ellis asked any questions to Camilla, she'd answer them but in a way that sounds like fake politeness with a fuck ton of passive aggressiveness because she's a bit too pissed off by the constant questions and jingling.
It'd be even worse if she found out about Ellis's friendship with Malleus-
I feel like the only redeeming quality Ellis has at least for Camilla , is her readiness to fight when the time is necessary. That's probably the only redeeming quality Ellis has for Camilla to actually consider her a friend.
♜ ♛ _________________________________♛♜
Mercury Von Monarch, the combatant
{ His opinion on: Victoria Le Fay }
Another case of 'they go to different schools so they probably wouldn't interact much'.
Which is an even bigger case for Mercury cause scepter hall is basically an isolated private institution that doesn't do joint events with any of the other magic schools.
But if they did interact, Mercury's gonna be pulling sarcastic comments left and right that by near the end of it, Le Fay can sense her pride on the verge of shattering before her counterattack with a sarcastic comment of her own.
He probably would continue to mention that she almost turned him into stone, even when Le Fay tells him to shut up about it-
Like you said in the ask I sent you, they'd likely be platonic sarcastic soulmates-
I'd see them getting along well, maybe Le Fay could help Mercury control his violent tendencies better.
{ His opinion on: Ellis }
Surprisingly, he'd be the nicest to Ellis. Not that Shard isn't nice to her, it's just that it's mostly fake politeness on her end. For Mercury it's genuine politeness.
He gets rather antisocial when interacting with others who aren't members of his family, so Ellis is probably one of the few non-family members he can talk normally to.
The jingles of the keychains kinda bug him, but he's heard his school counselor Clark scream like a banshee from seeing a cockroach, so it isn't that bad.
He'd definitely be a little disappointed that Ellis is close with Malleus, especially since he's very devoted to the rivalry and wouldn't be able to handle Malleus interacting with his close acquaintances... At all-
But other than that, Mercury finds Ellis to be curious and optimistic, but endearing.
#twisted wonderland oc#twst oc#shard family#ask#oc asks!#twst ask#oc ask#twst asks#victoria shard#camilla marigold#mercury von monarch#mercury monarch#victoria x malleus#malleus draconia#twst malleus
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『 Haikyuu!! Week 2020 | Day 3 』
· Sept. 27th → Irresistible Force ·
Characters: Karasuno team
Prompts: A. favourite team + B. crossover/AU
Tags/warnings: Haikyuu!! (anime), PG, fluff, crack, a teensy bit of angst (because who doesn't love a sad superhero backstory), headcanons, AU, superheroes, HaikyuuWeek2020
A/N: Again, I love all the teams and didn't want to pick, but life is cruel, so here I am. This is headcanons about my fav team (Karasuno) in an AU (superheroes). I was thinking of a Hero Association, kind of like in 'The Boys'? But less corrupt... Maybe more like in 'One Punch'? I think you get me.
All of my Haikyuu Week 2020 posts will be SFW, but I have NFSW content on my blog if that butters your biscuit. Feel free to check it out! Thanks for reading! Please enjoy ♡ Imo~
Karasuno / Superhero Association AU
×
☆ Sawamura Daichi ☆
Powers: nigh invulnerability, super strength, enhanced healing
If he's not the ordinary cop that somehow befriends the heroes I was tempted then he's definitely the leader of the superhero group
Kind of like Superman in the old-school Justice League, just not as OP lol
Looks damn good is spandex those thighs *sweats*
Cape!! so ✨majestic✨
Probably wears dark-ish, neutral colours with a dash of blue
A bit serious. Not the kind of hero to go around making quips all the time, but will make light of his own suffering like Captain America
Takes younger heroes under his wing like the true Dadchi he is
Strong moral compass. Unbreakable
Won't hesitate to lay down his life for others
Who am I kidding. He's basically Captain America with a cape
Poster-boy for the Hero Association
×
☆ Sugawara Koushi ☆
Powers: telekinesis
A soft, pearly aesthetic with his suit, hair and skin. Lots of white and silver
A favourite among the ladies he's just too pretty, damm it T T
Very plucky and adorable
People in the vicinity will literally faint when he goes all serious to concentrate and use his powers
Has a duo move with Daichi where he literally throws him like a missle YEET
Has the most followers on Twitter and TikTok and his fans can be pretty nuts
Has a perfume line named after him and models for the adverts
Will smile like an angel right before bringing a building down on top of you fuck, I find this one really funny
×
☆ Azumane Asahi ☆
Powers: regeneration, enhanced stength
Kind of like Wolverine or Deapool but, like, much, much softer on the inside uwu
Wears green and black
Messed up big time back in the day and dropped off the grid out of guilt some people died :(
Was convinced to come back when his old teammates finally found him again because they needed his help in a crisis
Literally shed tears of relief when heroes and citizens alike welcomed him back instead of hating him mah heart *sniffs*
Can withstand seemingly anything and fully heal within a matter of days
Doesn't know the full extent of his powers himself. How exactly do one test it? 🤔
Still has to psych himself up for a fight, though big softy, really
×
☆ Shimizu Kiyoko ☆
Powers: electrokinesis, flight
Powers like Storm from X-Men, and kicks ass like Wonder Woman
Refuses to wear a revealing suit, but looks bomb af anyway
Kiyoko = absolute queen
One of the most powerful heroes, but doesn't throw her weight around unless she's kicking bady-guy booty
Stella gynamast, and has mastered several martial arts
Can literally throw a guy three times her size, all without any strength powers Tanaka: 👁👄👁
Somehow has perfect hair all the time secret superpower??
Is active on the political stage as a human rights activist, headlining women's rights yes, yes yes
Will strike you with lightning for sexual harassment
Comes up with really good mission plans
Is a soothing balm for Tanaka when he loses it
Black and gold aesthetic✨
Asymmetrical cape! super fashionable
Poster-girl for the Hero Association
☆ Tanaka Ryuunosuke ☆
Powers: fire generation and manipulation
Tanaka brings the heat literally
A bit of a chaotic-good, but what's new there?
Can get out of control if he loses his focus, so his friends have to keep him grounded Kiyoko is a literal angel when that happens
Kiyoko: Sun's getting real low...
Bonus points if you get the reference
Is terrified of hurting innocents if he gets out of control
It rarely happens, but if he loses his self confidence, his powers don't seem to work
Shouts cringy lines at the villains before roasting their asses lmfao
Wears a black and orange flame-retardant suit, and actually looks pretty fine in it 😌👌
Literally head over heels for Kiyoko just imagine it. Biggest hype man
×
☆ Nishinoya Yuu ☆
Powers: animal metamorphosis, enhanced speed
Think Beast Boy from 'Teen Titans', but less green he's more likely to be yellow or orange, lmao
Handy in lots of different situations. Very versatile
Incredibly cheeky and joins in with Tanaka's cheesy jokes and one-liners
Absolute maniac, but the people love him, especially schoolkids lmao
Has his own energy drink flavour, and he's STOKED about it
Yellow and black suit, kind of like his hair
Has a surprisingly large following of fans
Laps up the attention, but it doesn't really go to his head
Quiet and serious when he's on a mission/fighting
☆ Hinata Shouyou ☆
Powers: self replication, super speed, levitation
His powers took a while to properly manifest, which left him feeling isolated as a teen
Was pretty lost until Ukai helped train him
Got into a fight with Kageyama in an alleyway when he first met him MET HIM IN THE STREET, LMAO
Argues with Kageyama a lot at headquarters, but they work together like a dream when taking down bad guys
Has a heart of literal gold precious baby
Is contantly amazed when he helps significantly
Was inspired to become a hero by his idol, the Little Giant and it's his dream to inspire someone else 😭😭
Uses his replication ability to confuse the bad guys ULTIMATE DECOY
Levitates around the room when he's excited like Aang from ATLA, hahaha
Wears an orange, white and yellow suit with little wings on his heels cuuuute
×
☆ Kageyama Tobio ☆
Powers: water/ice generation and manipulation, breathing underwater, superhuman reflexes
I was tempted to give him fire/ice powers like Todoroki, but I didn't want to detract from Tanaka
Has problems focusing his powers, and can be quite turbulent in the heat of battle
Finds it hard to work well with others initially, but really makes an effort
Has hurt people close to him by accident before and never wants to do it again it would tear him apart
Becomes a power duo with Hinata when Ukai helps train them, even though they don't seem to get on well at first
Broody boi on the surface, but a cinnamon roll deep down
Wears a dark blue and deep purple suit that has fins to assist in underwater escapades which are his forte
Freezes Hinata's feet to the floor when he pisses him off or anybody's feet, tbh
Can dodge almost anything because of his reflexes don't ever try to punch him. You'll look stupid
Is surprised by the number of people in his fan club especially the number of women asking to marry him??
×
☆ Tsukishima Kei ☆
Powers: telepathy, superhuman intellect, mind control on weak-willed individuals
Prefers to outwit his enemies rather than getting into a brawl
But his self-designed gadgets and tech help him out if he has to a bit like Tony Stark, wink wonk
Sometimes makes you question if he's really a hero or not Tsukki, please
Doesn't take orders well
Baits villains by insulting them and getting the better of them with his words it's hilarious
Comes up with good plans, but improvises well with whatever he's got
Probably wears suits over his spandex most of the time fancy shmancy
Is prepared to die to protect Yamaguchi waahhh
×
☆ Yamaguchi Tadashi ☆
Powers: invisibility, force fields, teleportation
Susan Storm with added teleportation, lol
Often finds it hard to value his powers because they're not as visually strong and impressive as other people's
Rather than squaring up to a battle, he often has to 'hide' from it by literally going invisible
But he gradually becomes aware of how vital his powers can be, and learns to control them and make them as advantageous as possible
Is a highly important and valued member of the team
Soft bean that gets nervous and throws up before a fight
But he's hella determined and won't back down
Honestly, just wants to protect Tsukki and make him proud PROTECT HIM
×
☆ Yachi Hitoka ☆
Powers: size manipulation
She can shrink and enlarge herself and objects she touches at will, including other people
Sometimes shrinks really small to avoid social situations she doesn't want to be in samez, honey
The clumsiest and least experienced on the team
But she tries her best, gradually getting to grips with her powers
Sometimes uses her powers by accident, like when she's nervous
Once touched a watermelon slice on the refreshment table and accidentally blew it up to the size of a car Hinata, Kageyama and Noya fully dug in with their faces 😭😭
Nearly passed out when Daichi, the literal god of the Hero Association, told her she had great potential
Don't worry, Yams teleported and caught her
☆ Ukai Keishin ☆
Powers: laser vision, metal mimicry
The has-been hero who lost his enthusiasm for hero-ing and retired some years ago
Was really cool back in his hayday. Big hot-shot with a fan club
Has been working as a convenience store attendant to pay the bills and is bored out of his mind but refuses to admit it
Was convinced to get back in the game when he found Hinata and Kageyama fighting, both struggling with their abilities. He broke up the fight and agreed to coach them
Doesn't do much of the flashy hero stuff anymore, but will occasionally get stuck in when he's needed must protecc his children
Is only, like, ten years older than the other heroes, but they treat him like some fossilised sensei out of Natuto, or some shit
Tbf, he has the back problems of one 😭😭
×
☆ Takeda Ittetsu ☆
Powers: power absorption
Transferred from being a hero to hero management after having having issues with the effects of his powers he has a conscience :(
He felt guilty and responsible for permanently taking the powers of others, even if they were criminals
It was like removing a piece of their souls it kind of broke him
These days, he makes sure nobody knows about his powers, so it can't be used against him
He helps in any other way possible
He would only use his powers again in dire circumstances he knows he'll eventually have to
Is generally chipper and good natured, though
If he was ever captured by a villain, they'd probably send him back because he talks too much omg, hahaha
Helps gather info for the team and direct them on missions and in fights
Gives bomb inspirational speeches ✊
© imo-chan-imagines 2020
#imo chan imagines#haikyuuweek2020#karasuno#haikyuu!!#hq!#headcanons#haikyuu headcanons#sawamura daichi#sugawara koushi#azumane asahi#shimizu kiyoko#tanaka ryuunosuke#nishinoya yuu#hinata shouyou#kageyama tobio#tsukishima kei#yamaguchi tadashi#yachi hitoka#ukai keishin#takeda ittestu
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watching the movements of the brush in the air, yuugiri quickly flicks her eyes over. trying to understand what kankuro saw, with the way his brows furrowed. end dipped in the same colour that normally patterned his skin, she would almost argue it was already drying. not in so much a bite on the back of her tongue, but a tease. brought about by how close they were.
legs crossed in front of her, knees bouncing against the top of kankuro’s thighs. between them in her hands was the pot of paint. occasionally, he had used it, leaving her to admire the freckles that rested high on his cheeks. deep frown, narrowing his own art across his face. something about the way he hadn’t quite settled on a new design himself, with sharper ends. detailed solidly south.
“oi, my eyes are up here.”
yuugiri snorts, one more thankful look at the paint along his chest, before meeting his eye. twinge in the corner of her mouth, and she’s resting the pot between them, a careful balance that had him grunt. her hands on his chest now. “that’s better.”
“you’ll smudge it.”
“i’ll fix it later.”
roll of kankuro’s eyes, and he snatches the pot now with his free hand. mumbles something that she knows was a mild complaint, as he moves his shoulders. not quite getting her hands off him, but moving around them. “you are a pain sometimes, y’know.”
“you love it.” this close to just leaning forward, his artistic integrity be damned, and resting her head right there. centre of his chest.
clicks his tongue, no arguing back. still mumbling, still grumbling, as he seems to finally have thought something up to warrant the brush drawing closer to her face. yuugiri followed the way his brows met in a tiny ‘v’, until he poked the corners of her mouth with the wooden end of the brush. “stop smiling. you’ll ruin it.”
“sorry,” she all but hums out, hands dropping along his skin. politely ignoring the way he admittedly did shudder, pause. frown. ah. whoops.
“yuu—” no doubt about the slight warning in his voice. does nothing to stop her smile widen, but she let go.
this was his idea. not a man of many requests, even if she had to drag the words out of him for it. “right, i know, i know. gimme that.” paint back in her hand now, held again between them. free hand kept safely in her lap, away from him. “i’m focused. i’m ready.”
and while she doesn’t appreciate the look he gives her, raised brow and all, kankuro doesn’t stop. apparently having decided firmly on what exactly it was he wished to draw. brushing her hair from her shoulders once more, and the brush finds fresh paint once more. firm line, along the curve of her jaw, brushing just underneath.
yuugiri knows it would’ve been remarkably easy to sit quietly and wait, having seen the quick way he managed to cover his face even now, except,
“stop—stop laughing!”
not fast enough to smother them with her free hand, leaning back enough to give herself room. air. waves said hand in front of her face, apologies not coming fast enough. yuugiri doesn’t quite get out her excuse, that it wasn’t entirely her fault. she swears! she just hadn’t expected such concentration to warrant the way apparently it was more than just a frown that deepened. tip of his tongue pressing between his lips was almost, terribly, horribly, unbearably adorable.
“you made—the face—aw, come on, it was funny!”
“i have no idea what you’re talking about.”
perhaps that was the worst thing he could’ve said, in how it had her break into another fit of smothered giggles. just by sheer virtue of already laughing. of how kankuro’s free hand moves, pulling her up by the waist, brush now drawing a spiral on her cheek. “there!” something more to laugh about.
“nooo! i’m sorry—sorry!” laughter, hand in his face, trying to push him away. the brush was nothing but insistent, dragging over her nose. even as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.
not sure where the pot of paint falls, or the brush. or the way kankuro’s fingers dig into her side, tickling her as she tries to. stop laughing. eyes squeezed shut. cheeks hurting from grinning too wide. wrestle back, her own attempts at finding a weak spot to get him. lungs aching, sides hurting.
yuugiri flops back on ground, not quite able to catch her breath. not quite stopping every third giggle, as kankuro settles next to her. until—
“i think i’m lying in the paint…”
statement that has her cover her mouth once more, trying to. roll over. stop from laughing once again.
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My favorite soundtracks from video games
Monkey Island: Main theme
What a suspenseful beginning. The slow buildup, the soft bongo, light percussion, and then.....BAM!!! All these beautiful instruments come together to create one of my favorite video game intros. It perfectly encapsulates the Monkey Island games and their aesthetic. In a humorous game inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean theme park ride, what better soundtrack could there be than this, a so-called “pirate reggae” style of music?
Secret of Mana: The Color of the Summer Sky
Fun and sweet town tunes are a staple of RPGs, Dragon Quest, Illusion of Gaia, Super Mario RPG, etc, they all have them. But what makes Secret of Mana’s special to me is nostalgia. This was one of the first games I played and actually got really far in it without my siblings' help. All of its music and locations are so special, but the first time i heard the town theme stands out. Going from the wild fighting monsters to this warm and colorful village feels great, it immediately puts you in a cheery mood and even the shopkeepers can’t help but dance to it.
And it becomes even more special when contrasted to Phantom and a Rose, the sad theme that plays when you’re forced to leave the village.
Katamari Damacy: Katamari Mambo
I recommend this soundtrack for when you feel tired, I'm almost 100% sure it will give you energy.
The whole Katamari OST is something truly unique, and that’s because that was the intention of the music director Yuu Miyake. He and his team had complete control of the sound design in the game, so they focused on making whatever sounded good and fitted best. This resulted in a shibuya-key style album with jazz and samba influences that features vocals by many j-pop artists and anime voice actors.
I love this album so much, every song is so different from the last one, but they still all feel cohesive. My favorite has to be Katamari Mambo, something about it is so addicting to listen to. Ka-tama-ri Mambo de~
Doom: All of it
You are the Doom Slayer, woken from your slumber and in a mission to brutally destroy every demon that crosses your path. The soundtrack that accompanies you in your journey? Industrial Metal.
It’s just perfect.
Breath of the Wild: Stables and Kass‘ Theme
Breath of the Wild is probably my favorite game of all time, and the sound design is one of the many reasons why I love it.
The stables theme is so soothing and comforting, when you hear it you immediately know that you’re safe and there are people around. Every time I traveled to a new location and suddenly heard the guitar and bongo I got so excited because I didn't expect a stable to be there. Like when i was in the snowy mountains, low on health and thinking that i was all alone and about to die, but then i heard the stable theme and rushed to get there. It really helps cement the idea that while it seems like Hyrule is desolate, there are still small communities here and there, doing their own thing.
Super Mario Galaxy: Rosalina in the Observatory 2
This game makes me emotional, even though it’s not very plot heavy (because it’s a Mario game), Rosalina’s backstory impacted me a lot when i first played this game years ago. Going into the observatory and hearing this song before knowing the whole story is nice, but listening to it knowing what happened adds something more emotional to it for me. The fact that the ship and the Lumas became Rosalina’s home make this song bittersweet. The observatory is where she tells her story of being left alone in the galaxy which is very sad, but it’s also where the Lumas gather around and remind her that she’s not all alone after all. And i think this tune encapsulates that feeling, a little melancholic but hopeful and uplifting, and i really like it.
Life is Strange: Mountains - Message to Bears
Every time I play this part of the game and this song starts playing I tear up. I love this song not because it makes me happy or feel good, but because of the pressure it puts on my chest. The rapid beat and overwhelming instrumental simulate the anxiousness you feel when desperately hoping that Rachel is alive. And the lyrics only add to that feeling; they repeat, over and over, a promise to run away to something better or at least different, but in the end it stays as only an unfulfilled promise.
Ib: Game Over
The song’s name is actually El Sueño de la Muñeca by Agustín Barrios. I just think it’s so random that the creator of the game decided to use this as the game over theme. It’s such a nice guitar composition and i’m glad i found out about it through Ib.
Silent Hill 4: The Room: Drops of shame and The Suicidal Clock Chime
Paranoia in song form. Two great compositions by Akira Yamaoka for a pretty good game (in my opinion). The atmosphere in these songs is so suffocating, it emanates despair and the feeling of someone being near. The soundtrack of Silent Hill is a pretty big reason for me not finishing the games, I get too scared. But I love listening to the OST whenever because it makes for good background music.
Animal Crossing: K.K. Metal.
Of course, animal crossing is known for it’s amazing songs, especially the ones by the humble superstar K.K. Slider. He’s given us bops such as Bubblegum K.K, Stale Cupcakes, Rockin’ K.K, among others. All of them performed on guitar and accompanied only by his beautiful vocals.
So what does he do when performing a metal song and he needs to shred like on an electric guitar but he doesn’t have one? He sings the arpeggios. And it would be the cutest thing ever, except him howling right after wins the prize.
Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja 5: Opening Theme
In the beginning I said the opening of Monkey Island might be my favorite game intro, but actually, the Ultimate Ninja 5 OP is a strong contender for the top spot. That piano and ominous deep vocals in the very beginning used to be my favorite thing about this game, and i would actually close and open the game just to see the intro cutscene with naruto emanating red light and transforming into his four tailed fox. And then there’s of course the explosion of classic naruto action music, but mixed with something darker and some beautiful piano melodies.
Pokemon Sun and Moon: Abandoned Thrifty Megamart
This was a really cool part in Pokemon Moon. The song by itself would sound good, but very normal and typical, so the effects make it so much better. The background supermarket static effect is great, and also the fact that from time to time the sound will stop working in one of your earbuds is a fun touch. It all makes for the perfect song to a spooky part in the game where at the end of the section you find the best pokemon of all creeping on you, Mimikyu.
Touhou Project 8: Imperishable Night: Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke and Immaterial and Missing Power: Doll Judgement
Touhou has too many good songs, but for the sake of not making this 4k words long i decided to only include two.
Fujiwara no Mokou is my favorite Touhou character and her theme song is equally as cool as her. A little soft and forgiving in certain parts, but fast and exciting in others. Like all Touhou enemy songs it perfectly fits her attack patterns and is incredibly rhythmic and catchy. I also really like the arrangements fans make of this song, they’re so talented and transform these themes into something so different.
And speaking of arrangements, IaMP’s Doll Judgement is a jazz version of Alice’s original theme exclusive to the fighting game. When i first played IaMP and heard this version i had to search for it on youtube because i liked it so much. It’s so smooth and a little theatrical, and it keeps the sound that made the original such a classic for fans, so much so that i might even like it better than the original.
There are many other songs from video games that i love, but i don’t think i can mention them all without making this post 10 pages long, so i’m going to leave it to here.
-Violeta Silva
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Taiyuu round 3: Villains aftermath
Zeke was sitting on the sidelines cheering on the rest of 1A when the birds went silent.
Thinking back on it, Zeke thought there were an unreasonable amount of birds at Taiyuu.
BOOOOOM
The PE facility went up in flames.
BOOOOM
1A’s classroom collapsed into a pile of rubble.
BOOOOOMM
The Dorms were reduced to ash.
BOOOOOOOOOM
The Makeshift buildings that Laccadaisy had made, burst into dust. At the exact places Zeke felt the buzz of an unknown electronic device.
The rest of the day was a blur. Aurora and Buckskin escorted Zeke and the other students to safety, telling them that everything would be alright. But Zeke knew better, he knew he could have stopped this. Every explosion, every pile of rubble, every gust of ash started from a Buzz, a buzz of electricity Zeke could have stopped.
Zeke couldn’t remember how long he walked for, the only sounds being footsteps and distant explosions. The destruction of Taiyuu sparked the greatest fear Zeke had, the fear of nothing.
Rather the fear of not existing to be precise.
Oceans, Mountains, even planets, they all come and go in the mere blink of an eye. Even if we as a species manage to survive the combined threats of global warming, internal cooling, a dwindling magnetic field, asteroids, solar flares, rogue black holes. Nothing changes the fact that our sun is on a constant countdown to death. Even if we did manage to flee to distant stars they’re all equally marching towards their own annihilation. Time and events work to destroy all we have ever comprehended, the decay of all matter as we know it, the decay of all life as we know it.
One really has to wonder what is the point of anything? Why continue? Why progress? Life even at its most advanced is still doomed to nonexistence! Why? Why go on?
And Spiders, Zeke had just finished checking the dorms for them.
Replaying the last week in his head over and over, looking for somewhere to change. Somewhere and somehow he could have stopped the destruction of Taiyuu. Zeke especially focused on the past day when he came across something.
Illusions can’t conduct electricity.
“Hey Zako?” Zeke asked his much shorter friend.
“What’s up Zeke?” Sako responded.
“Do you really create illuzionz?”.
“Course I do.” Sako was stone faced.
“But, illuzionz don’t conduct electrizity.” Zeke was starting to doubt his feathery friend
“I was wondering how long it would take.” Sako finally cracked a smile.
“You vere lying to me thiz entire time!”
“No, no, no, no, ok yes but, please, do you know anyone elses Quirks?”
“Of courze I do! I know Amekoz, Zpellmansz yourz and Yuu’z. I’m not an idiot.”
“Ok, what’s Amekos?”
“Well now I’m embarrazzed to zay.”
“C’mooonnnn. I won’t judge too badly.”
“Fine, Amekoz Quirk is Human Form. Sche can take on zhe form of a Human.”
“Hmm, yes, of course, of course, but here’s the question, what is she actually?”
“A Kangaroo.”
“Ahem.” Sako coughed into his fist. “Yeah, you’ve figured it out. Ameko is a Kangaroo with the Human Form Quirk.” Sako confirmed.
“I knew it.”
The two went on discussing their fellow students. Just some basic stuff, Yuu is a bat, Shou is related to Spellman, Ameko and Buckskin are related, Ozen is part building, Hirakus covered in mouths.
“So what do you think about the new girl? Take a guess at that.” Sako put forward.
“Ok, this one I know for schure. You zee sche looks just like zomeone back home in Germany. That girlz Quirk is either a Mizty or a Clone Quirk. Sche looks just like someone wis a clone Quirk back home but she’s all floaty and...” Zeke lost his train of thought.
“Misty?” Sako answered questionably
“Yez!”
“You’re right, she reminds me of a foggy day..”
The new familiar-looking girl tensed up and seemed to lose a bit of her cheer. She sped up her pace to distance themselves from Zeke.
“...”
“...”
Without the lighthearted banter between the two silence, like a cancer, grew. Tired of the sound of explosions and frustrated at his own inability to act, Zeke had an idea. Heroes aren’t just about fighting villains, heroes are about keeping people safe and happy. A True Hero makes everything ok even after a disaster.
Turning to no one in particular, Zeke decided to use his loud mouth for something useful.
“Hakuna. Matata.”
He got some odd looks.
“Hakuna Matata, vhat a wunderbar vhrase.”
Silence.
“Hakuna Matata, ain’t no pazzing craze! It means no worriez for the rezt of your dayz.”
Yuu started to mutter along. It wasn’t much, but it was someone.
“It’s our problem-free, philosophy. Hakuna Matata.” Koatsu, the Green Guy Zeke had previously tased, joined in and he was singing louder. Was this a challenge?
Zeke pointed far in front of him, to Wolfsboon.
“Vhy, vhen he vas a young varthog!”
A slight humming from Ameko, better than nothing. Doing his best Wolfsboon impression Zeke pulled out all the stops.
“Vhen I was a young Varthoooooog.”
Some irritated looks from people, and a great harmony on Koatsus part.
“He found hiz aroma lacked a Schertain appeal. He could clear the Zavannah after every meal.”
Whack.
“Shut up!”
Zeke felt a stinging pain in his cheek, recoiling from the hit. Zeke saw that is was a girl from 1A, best known for her attitude Kuta, Kata, Katou, Takamakalaksaka? Something like that.
“Ow.”
“Stop, he isn’t hurting anyone!” Ameko interjected.
At least Ame’s talking.
“Vould you prefer the zilence then, cuz I don’t think anyone elze here doez.”
“Keep that mouth shut unless you want another one.” Takamakalalaparatou was stanced up and ready for a fight.
“Kutou!” Ameko was angry. Was that possible? “You’re just making everything harder, hasn’t everyone been through enough?”
Ozen, the local giant, got between Zeke and Takamalakealatou and placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘Try getting through that building you jerk!’
“I’m a sensitive soul, though I seem thick-skinned.” A new guy continued. It was Hiraku! The Mouth Man. Takakalakamaktou attempted to lunge towards Hiraku but was stopped by Ozen’s building like body.
“Oh for fucks sake.” A 1B girl said. Zeke had seen her around before, she reminded him of the circus.
“And it hurt that my friends never stood.” Koatsu joined again, emboldened by Takamakahoouzous restraint.
“DOWNWIIIND!” All three sang together.
“And oh, the schame.” Zeke followed through.
“He was ashamed.” Hiraku continued.
“Thought of changing my name.” Koatsu followed.
“Oh, what’s in a name.” Hiraku perked in again.
“And I got downhearted!” It was Zekes turn. Some frowns were disappearing.
“How did you feel?” Hiraku, playing the supporting voice.
“Every time that I-” Koatsu, adding some depth.
“Pumbaa! Not in front of zhe kids!” Zeke and Hiraku sang together.
“Hakuna Matata. What a wonderful phrase.” The three joined together
Now Zoe was starting to hum along.
“Hakuna Matata! Ain’t no passing craze.” They continued, bolstering each other along.
“It means no worries for the rest of your days. It’s our problem-free philosophy. Hakuna Matata” The Fire, Electricity and Wind kids finished.
“Oh thank fuck.” Popi said relieved. None of the singers was satisfied.
The Band of Merry Men all looked to each other, took a deep breath.
“I can show you the Woooorld!”
“God Dammit!” Even Popi’s mind was off the destruction of Taiyuu.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After who knows how long of walking and songs, the group finally reached the bus. Every student feeling the exhaustion, some feeling it way more than the others. Sako, Senshii-none and Tamashi seemingly the worst off. Spellman was in literal shambles, she just barely had the basic limbs. She assured everyone she would be ok.
One sleepy bus ride later and the Taiyuu Team arrived at their destination, UA high. Zeke, like his other students, was whelmed by the whole thing.
There was a general sense of alarm when Senshii-none passed out. After the routine checks on everyone, mainly Senshii-none, Taiyuu was shown “Gym Gamma” an indestructible gym meant to contain even “The Hell Class”. Had demons gone to UA?
Finally, the thing Zeke had been waiting for all year. He could finally embrace his truest self, he could finally wear that cool-ass mask he designed. And also the rest of the hero costume but whatever. The metallic mesh was cool but The Mask took the cake.
“Get in your pairs, stay on your mats and don’t kill anyone.” Eraserhead announced to both classes. Zeke was paired up with Ningyo Mya, he’d never met her before so it’s going to be an interesting… oh, oh no. Ningyo Mya looked like a doll from a horror movie, she looks terrifying.
“G-Good to meet you I’m Needlepoint, what’s your name?” She seemed nervous but it was better than the dead scared everyone was back in the tunnel.
“I’m Zeke, nice to meetcha.”
“No, I, I meant your hero name.”
“Oh, uh, I dunno yet.”
Seems like a nice enough girl.
“3!”
Zeke started doing a little jump on the spot.
“2!”
Zeke spread his arms wide.
“1!”
Zeke opened his electrosense, let everything flow in. All the lights, the wiring, the electrical sockets, the batteries in Hero Costumes, the fire alarm, the smoke detectors, the alarms and bells.
“Begin!”
Zeke used it all, pulling as much as he could out. Rage at the villains, anger at his family, grief at the loss of Taiyuu. Anger at himself, sick of his own inaction, frustration at his laziness, hate at his cowardice. He pulled it all out.
CRAAAAASHHHHH.
KZZZZZTTT.
Silence.
Every light inside the gym had exploded, all the electricity inside crashing outwards like a wave of bright anger. All unfairly directed at Mya. When all of a sudden, everything stopped. He couldn’t feel the buzzes of electricity anymore. The electricity had nothing to guide it and so it harmlessly fizzled out.
“Purple Girl, you lose.” Eraserhead pointed at Mya.
“And you! Next time I see your ass pull something like that again, you’re out.” Eraserhead then pointed at Zeke
‘This Eraserhead guy was scary.’
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Kaguya-sama: Love is War 2 – 07 – The Aquarium
LIW’s second season continues to take anime comedy to dizzying new heights and unexpected places. There’s literally no telling what it’s going to throw at you next, and that unpredictability combined with top-notch execution at every level of production means this is a show that keeps getting better and more entertaining.
We begin with Chika and Kaguya learning that Yuu is a briefs man, followed by his passionate assertion that boxer-brief men are nothing but “man whores.” Kaguya is determined to learn what kind of underwear Miyuki wears, she formulates an entire perverted plan in her head before rejecting it, showing just how demented by love she’s become.
Naturally, that same derangement compels her to ask Miyuki the question casually while serving tea, and Miyuki naturally assumes she’s talking about his preference in girl’s underwear. Not wanting to come off like a cad, he proceeds to describe girls’ bloomers (since anything he’d pick for Kaguya would be hot), but the same traits apply to mens’ boxer briefs, Kaguya loudly proclaims Miyuki is a man whore!
Suffice it to say, this is not proper behavior in the StuCo office of a prestigious school, but this is where Kaguya, Miyuki are. So it’s most inauspicious that Iino Miko should come through the office door just as Kaguya is yelling this, and Miko runs off in fear Miyuki will attack her “next”.
In the next segment, Kaguya offers to give Miyuki a hand massage as an apology for disparaging him. Her true motive, however, is to use the pressure points in his hand to secrete “prevent-men-from-cheating” hormones of the type released during “se-“.
Note that Kaguya can never complete the word “sex”, but only utters the first half of the word in a high-pitched voice that Hayasaka can’t help but imitate while explaining sex hormones to her.
The resulting hand massage is a stirring tale of two nervous systems. While Kaguya’s hands are small and soft, they’re causing extreme pain to Miyuki’s hand, releasing stress hormones like beta-endorphins and cortisol. Simultaneously, love hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin are being secreted in Kaguya’s brain. It’s as if the StuCo office has suddenly turned into a biochemistry lab!
With all those love hormones suddenly swimming in Kaguya’s already love-addled head, she gets a little more comfortable and offers to do Miyuki’s back. She ends up on top of Miyuki on the couch, which is again the precise moment Miko decides to enter the StuCo office.
Combined with all of the misleading things she hears from them (“If I feel any better than this I’ll die!”) the mere sight of two students going at it in the sacred StuCo office is enough to cause Miko to flee in terror once more. Miko’s minimal usage in these first two segments is truly inspired.
Not only is it a means of gradually easing her into the office (if she ever manages to set foot in there, of course!), but it shows just how unprepared an outsider like her truly is for the demented antics of that room. One does not simply walk into that room!
The opening moments of Segment #3 would seem to hint at a shift to a Kei-focused story, but she’s only there in order to pass on an accursed shougo manga that is 100% guaranteed to make you weep uncontrollably no matter how much or little you like manga or the shoujo genre.
A skeptical Miyuki is converted that very night, and decides that introducing the manga to Kaguya is the perfect strategy for getting her to ask him to go out with her so they can enjoy a flowey, lovey-dovey shoujo manga-like romance.
But as has been established from her taste in eyes, Kaguya doesn’t really go for common romantic archetypes, and proves a tough nut to crack even as Miyuki has both Yuu and Chika in full agreement that the manga is a must-read tearjerker.
The trio’s enthusiasm for the story causes them to leak too many details and spoilers, and the second-hand synopses still fail to move Kaguya. Heck, she can’t even understand what they’re saying once they’ve all covered each others’ mouths to stop blabbing.
It’s at this point when Miko enters the office a third time to find something strange and horrifying waiting for her. Then as the narrator declares the result (everyone loses but Kaguya), Miko asks if this is really “what happens at the end?” of segments, in a lovely breaking of the fourth wall.
However…this is not the end.
At this point the episode had a solid-“9” in the bag, but there was still a ton of time left after the end credits, so I was curious and excited about where it would go for the finale. It turns out Kaguya did end up reading the shoujo manga the previous night, and joins the ranks of her StuCo comrades (sans Miko) in the Shoujo Manga Brain club.
The next day is presented as an entirely different anime, one that is a straight-up high school shoujo romance with Kaguya as the heroine and Miyuki and Yuu as competing love interests. It’s as ambitious as it is hilarious.
Everyone’s character design has been “beautified” and their voices either more lovey-dovey (in the case of Kaguya) or more “cool-sounding” (the boys). Heck, even the damn narrator has “gone goofy!”
Once Chika arrives at school, we learn that the change in her personality is negligible, but she interrupts what was about to become fisticuffs between Miyuki and Yuu for the right to take Kaguya to the aquarium.
In the end, Miyuki wins out by insisting on valiantly escorting Kaguya to the infirmary hand-in-hand. He then manages to ask Kaguya to go to the aquarium with him, only for her to decline since, so overcome by longing for love, she already feels like she’s at the aquarium!
So Miyuki and Yuu go instead, and end up having more fun than they thought they would! Note that at no point did Miko set foot anywhere close to the StuCo office for this latest bout of nonsense. You know what they say: “Once bitten, twice shy…thrice traumatized.”
By: sesameacrylic
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BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #141
The first half of Golden Week is over, and Tomoko has found herself the object of “platonic" affection for four different suitors. And as our intrepid heroine muses over the which of them to pursue, out of nowhere comes the dark horse. Once thought to be missing in action, this little girl, having been there since the very beginning, threatens to overtake the competition in one psychotic swoop.
Chapter 141: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Go to School with Kii-chan
The things that Stuffed Yuu-chan and Pals have seen...
Ah, the classic Introvert Burnout. I had a feeling Tomoko would be drained after having what may have been the most socially stressful time of her life. Not simply for being social, but for how much she had to navigate as a fish out of water. Each “date” involved a new experience for Tomoko to address, and that much effort at once can be really exhausting for a layabout like her.
That my friend is what we in the TvTropes community call, “Tempting Fate”.
Heeeeeere’s Kii-chan!
Can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this entrance. We all know who Kii-chan is. But even those outside of the loop would get a feel for who she is. Adorable and sweet-natured, but disturbing due to an apparent lack of negative emotions (even when appropriate). Ah, Kii-chan, it’s been far too long.
Nothing to say here, really. Just think it’s a particularly lovely picture of Tomoko.
Because the popularity of a manga series is largely dependent on real-time reception, it’s very common for mangakas to add new, “popular” characters, or give the spotlight to characters who’ve been out of focus. Watamote is no exception. It may seem contrived to bring Kii-chan back after being gone for a while, but it works here because it relies on Kii-chan’s character to it, instead of a series of implausible plot developments. Kii-chan is just considerate of her cousin’s schedule–that’s all we need.
The first hint of Tomoko’s reawakening as the role model onee-chan.
One of the perks of being a sporadically-appearing character is that you can really see just much the art style has evolved since the character’s last appearance. For Kii-chan, she hasn’t really changed much design-wise other than being a little taller. But even then, the linework is much cleaner and consistent this time around, which compliments the more “everyday slice-of-life” approach Watamote’s been embracing.
If only she could grow a nose.
The best thing about this type of censorship is that you don’t necessarily have to understand what's being censored. All you really need is a bit of context to put the pieces together. The outlines are detailed enough that we can see the characters as some kind of humanoids with animal features. And given what we know about Kii-chan, it makes perfect sense.
Y-Yeah, I...I’ve totally heard of that show.
Other than the whole Ucchi situation (which is slowly becoming an unintentional blessing), this is the last of the misunderstandings that still needs resolving. It’ll be hard, though, since this particular issue isn’t that troublesome. For now...
Look at that platonic sibling bonding.
Perhaps I’ve been conditioned by manga/anime, but I find it refreshing how Watamote has managed to develop the Kuroki siblings’ relationship while avoiding any incestual subtext. Lots of series oversell the sibling relationship by having them be overly affectionate and clingy. With Watamote, their bond feels organic because they don’t have to be touchy-feely. An unspoken quality time is all there is to it.
It’s hard to get a read on Tomoko’s emotions here, but at the very least, she seems troubled. It could very well be that Tomoko just realized that she’s changing in regards to the media she consumes. The former her would’ve probably jumped on the Kemono Friends bandwagon, but the reality is, Tomoko’s otaku interests are being compromised by the mainstream, at least as mainstream as rap battles get.
But the kicker is...she realizes this change isn’t all that bad.
Of course, nothing beats watching anime with your psychotic cousin.
The whole “pet-sitting” relationship they have here is a tricky one since each side is trying to accommodate the other based on “flaws” that don’t exist (or no longer exist). This usually results in an endless cycle of misunderstandings that lead to nowhere, but this confusion has transcended that cycle to develop into a progression of sorts. Similar to the Ucchi situation, the absurdity became so frequent that it just became reality. One that each side has been influenced greatly from.
With her constantly adorable face, you forget that Kii-chan is a middle-schooler and is therefore old enough to know about things like sex and perversion. Like Yuu-chan, she may look innocent, and while she was aware of such things as a kid, she didn’t really get it until they approached high-school age.
You know, I read this really good manga called Kaguya-sama: Love is War (shameless plug, I know), and they actually had a chapter about a rap battle a while back. Given that both series tend to be up-to-date on contemporary trends, it makes me wonder...has rap suddenly become a hot thing in Japan? Or has it always had its niche audience?
I’m sure many fans knew that this was going to be an inevitable development whenever Kii-chan showed up again. Unlike Tomoko’s school friends, Kii-chan wasn’t there to see the slow, gradual growth of Tomoko’s character, so it must have hit her like a ton of bricks to see her precious onee-chan go from helpless loner to mature teen in the blink of an eye.
Sometimes I wonder just how pitiful Kii-chan thought Tomoko really was...
Why would you censor Disneyland now of all times?
Those of us who were clamoring to get close-ups of the photos taken in the Disneyland arc finally get their wish.
The Kowarith photo is my favorite, even though two-thirds of the people in it are faking their asses off. While that may be my personal bias towards the Tomoko-Yoshida-Yuri trio, I think it reflects a better sense of kinship between the girls. The effort is there, phony as it is, to support each other in an awkward situation, which is fundamentally what the series is all about.
The assumedly Fireworks photo is also pleasing, make no mistake. You can definitely feel more genuine emotions (or lack thereof) being expressed than in the other photo. But this focuses more on the individual than how they work as a collective group, despite there being more people. The girls ultimately look like six different colored Skittles–part of the same package, but each unique.
Could this be the start of Kii-chan revitalizing her perception of Tomoko as a super popular girl? I sure hope so.
How ironic. Kii-chan’s perspective of Tomoko is starting to grow ever so gradually on the upside, whereas Tomoko’s perspective of Kii-chan grows more and more negative.
Hang on, is that supposed to be some fake Dragonite shirt? Neat.
At this point, people assuming that Yoshida as some kind of punk based on her looks is a dead horse of an issue. Some stereotypes exist for a reason, I suppose.
I see your game, Nico Tanigawa, using a deliberately vague line about “two girls” to make your readers overanalyze a single panel. All I have to say to that is that I am completely and utterly guilty.
One of the girls is probably Yuri, if only because she’s the only girl to appear in both photos. As for the second girl, your guess is as good as mine. I’m inclined to say Ucchi because if Kii-chan only has their appearances to go on, then Ucchi and her emoji-face make quite the impression.
I’m getting Yuu-chan vibes here with the way Kii-chan phrases half-insults with a friendly demeanor.
+ 1 TO THE HAREM.
Kii-chan is definitely that relative you leave a self-imposed boundary on. Fine in small doses, like at parties and family gatherings, but long-term exposure is unhealthy for the brain. This isn’t even a wholly exaggerated fantasy on Tomoko’s part. Okay, the eating bit is a little much, but given that Kii-chan allegedly dreams about treating Tomoko like a pet, the latter is right to be a little concerned.
There needs to be an AU one-shot of Tomoko, Tomoki, and Kii all going to the same school at the same time. Right. Now.
I do appreciate that despite Kii-chan’s deteriorating sanity, Tomoko doesn’t view her as a lost cause and even tries to put a positive spin on it. Reconciliation Arc is a-go!
Did Kii-chan really have that big of a growth spurt, or has Tomoko just reached her peak in height? Not sure how far the genetics will go, but Kii-chan becoming taller than Tomoko is only going to make her even more intimidating.
This little scheme of hers is definitely reflective of the “old” Tomoko, but there’s a nice reversal going on here. Instead of Tomoko trying to make things sound cooler than they actually are, she’s trying to make things seem worse. Of course, Murphy’s Tomoko’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Especially if Tomoko wants it to go right.
Ah, Ogino. The only character whose relationship with Tomoko has remained relatively unchanged despite indirectly having the most impact on Tomoko’s life.
Better update her Wiki page now.
It’s pretty telling how it’s these two who cause Tomoko the most grief. It’s not the delinquent who routinely bashes her face in, not the pervert(s) lusting after her little brother, and not the otaku who passive-aggressively teases her. As for why, I think it boils down to the fact that Ogino and Kii-chan challenge her comfort zone the most. It also doesn’t help that Tomoko doesn’t interact with them as often as the others, so she hasn’t really had the time to get desensitized by them.
This freakin’ teacher, man.
The second worst part of Ogino’s “help” is that she never actually lies. Sure, she exaggerates to hell and back, but it’s always loosely based in reality, like some cheap movie adaptation of a best-selling novel.
But the worst part of it is...you can’t hate Ogino for it. Her personal assessment may be founded on largely suspect reasons, but it’s still an honest assessment. I have no doubts that Ogino really is proud of Tomoko, and that’s exactly why she’s the best worst teacher.
That’s true. If Ogino gave that spiel to people like Hijirisawa or Hatsushiba–y’know, people who don’t know her as well–they might actually buy that crap. But people who know Tomoko like Yuri or Nemo, people like us, can tell that Ogino’s sugarcoating the whole thing. Kii-chan, with her terrifying skill for knowing too much, is no exception.
Ah, I see. This is one of those put-all-the-secondary-characters-who-we-haven’t-seen-in-a-while-into-one-chapter chapters.
Can’t complain, though. I like Itou.
“Or something” can also be translated as “lust after Tomoki”.
We don’t really have much to go on for how Itou views Tomoko, but I think it’s reasonable to think that she may not see her in that good of a light. Not only did Tomoko give off a weird impression when she played off the whole fist bump thing, but Itou’s “powers of perception” probably made her aware of Tomoko and Komiyama’s frenemy-ship, hence her “warning” that Komiyama was around.
The Inherent Awkwardness of Second-hand Relationships: The Life of Tomoko.
Betcha’ no one saw this interaction coming. Whether it’ll lead to anything more remains to be seen. Itou’s still got the whole “friendship potential” going on with Futaki, but given that she has the tolerance to BFF Komiyama, I see no reason why she can’t befriend a psycho like Kii-chan.
That desire to “loudly blow” is Kii-chan’s inner demons screeching out in desperation for release. I pity the fool who unleashes the beast.
That does sound like your typical amateur definition of a psychopath, doesn’t it?
For the record, I don’t actually believe Kii-chan is a psychopath, despite the jokes I made. There are way too many moments that discredit such a claim. Now, if you were to accuse Kii-chan as being some sort of deviant (sexual or otherwise) I might see that. But ultimately, I think Kii-chan was just a victim of having her innocence shattered too fast and too soon, which made her more, uh, crafty than Tomoko could handle.
Man, it’s been a long time while since we last saw Dicky-chan, hasn’t it? Hope we get to see more of her (and Sayaka, for that matter) after this chapter.
I love how even when she’s collecting masturbation material, Komiyama has to hold her camera phone all lady-like. If the term “purevert” ever needed a concrete definition, this girl would be it.
Main Character privileges, that’s why.
Get. The. FUCK. Out. Of. Here.
With each subsequent appearance, Komiyama’s standard for what constitutes a bitch primed to steal away her Tomoki-kun falls hilariously lower. It’s not enough that a girl in their class makes two seconds of eye contact with him, nosiree. Any girl with an inkling of a relationship with Tomoko is not immune, even if it’s his own damn cousin. Granted, I don’t think Komiyama would be so pathetically scummy as to confront Kii-chan about it like she did to Yoshida.
...I hope.
“Best friends” may be stretching it now that we’ve gotten this far in the series. However, there is one aspect of Tomoko and Komiyama’s relationship that triumphs over all the others:
Absolute candidness. Even now, the only one who gets to see the complete, raw package that is Tomoko Kuroki is Komi-something. While Tomoko has made substantial friendships with the likes of Yuri, Nemo, and Katou, Tomoko still restrains herself just a tad lest she pushes them away. It’s only with Komi that Tomoko bears her full ugliness, which I think has developed into some freakish level of respect/understanding that none of the others can claim.
Damn, even the bishounen dude gets to make an appearance. All we need know is Lethal Chef Girl to make a cameo and I’m set.
Nope. Any game is an away game when your “harem” shows up to cheer you on.
A few people have expressed discontent with how the chapter seems to end so abruptly, and it’s a fair criticism. It may be the lack of a “Next time...” tagline throwing people off, but while this chapter indeed ends at an odd point, it’s not that unprecedented. Some of the previous chapters ended this way, like that time Komi was all “Oi!” at Yoshida at the cafeteria, which indicates that this chapter is likely one of those series-of-vignettes that also doubles as a build-up chapter.
On a positive note, while the chapter does feel prematurely ended, how the next chapter plays out if it is connected to this one is sure to be a surprise.
#watamote#watamote review#chapter 141#no matter how i look at it it's you guys' fault i'm not popular!#tomoko kuroki#kiko satozaki#ogino#itou#kotomi komiyama#akari iguchi#tomoki kuroki#that one bishounen dude#review
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Analysis on Touko’s obsession to be Mio and her relationship with Yuu [Yagate Kimi ni Naru]
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An extremely lengthy post. Spoilers alert. You have been warned.
Well, for starters, YagaKimi is a one-of-a-kind manga, for me at least. Because this is the first time I read a manga that focuses in romance, but the main character is an aromantic, meaning someone who doesn’t experience any romantic feelings. Many yuri manga/manhwa I read so far are very “physical”, or at least very quick to become “physical” and let’s just say, overdramatic, or just too happy and easy-going. Even if there were some milder drama, the drama is too common like, the struggles of being in a homosexual relationship such as being afraid of being judged by family and friends, . And there’s also another common drama like a very uptight family or love triangles that prevent some relationships to bloom. I get that these problems are real but they’re becoming bland due to being overused.
Let’s also talk about the art first. YagaKimi has one of the best art styles I’ve ever seen in yuri manga. While I also like Citrus’ art style, YagaKimi’s art style has a sense of innocence and more diversity in terms of the setting. In the manga, we get to see different types of settings, ranging from the school, Yuu and Touko’s houses, the camp, the aquarium, and the fateful train road railway. By being exposed to the world of the manga, we can feel more connected to the story, which I think Citrus kind of lacks. And when it comes to the character designs, I can’t help but adore the way they are drawn. While most characters’ face shapes and hairstyles/colors are more or less the same, there are still subtle differences like some have plump cheeks and some may have narrower face shapes. There’s just something in Nakatani Nio-sensei’s style that makes me say “Awww…” and melt.
(Touko always makes my heart melt when she blushes and smiles. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH Y U SO DAMN ADORABLE!!!)
So the story mainly revolves around the main character, Koito Yuu, a freshman and a second-year student, Nanami Touko, who is a student council member. At first Touko claims that she also doesn’t feel anything when she gets confessed to. Because of this Yuu finally feels like someone is related to her. But after confessing her aromantic tendencies to Touko, Touko suddenly confesses to Yuu.
This is why I love about YagaKimi. It covers so many real things such as aromantic topics, self-loathing, and identity crisis. Not to mention the level of melancholy in the this manga is what I’ve been looking for (angst is my cup of tea!). Touko and Yuu’s relationship’s complication and trying to figure out what’s in both of their heads and predicting the ending of this manga is what makes me so invested in this series.
We’ll start with Touko first. At first glimpse, Touko appears to be your typical Student Council President-type; beautiful, kind, smart and hardworking. But it turns out this is a façade that she decided to take after her older sister, Nanami Mio, died seven years prior to the series. Throughout the series, we are told by Touko herself that when she was a kid, she was very shy, had no many friends and always hid behind someone, and to put simply; normal. Meanwhile, she saw her sister as the perfect role model, both at home and school. After Mio died, she was told by people to live for Mio’s sake and be like her. For the 9-year old Touko, who was clearly still in shock over the loss of her beloved sister, these words clearly changed her and from here she decided to stop being a nobody and then she thrived to BE Mio.
(A flashback of Mio that greatly resembles the current Touko)
In reality, Touko is still a timid person who would shake when she gets nervous enough. However, in order to not disappoint people who have high expectations from her, and to not destroy the image that she has built over the years, she keeps putting on the mask of the ‘perfect’ Touko. While most people may think that she wants to be Mio in order to be a somebody, I think there’s a more story behind it. In a dream that Touko saw, she remembers the day when Mio was about to get killed in a traffic accident. In that dream, we get to see that while the sisters were chilling in the family living room, their mother asked Touko to buy a drink (or sauce). Acting like a regular child, Touko didn’t want to go so she and Mio decided to play rock-paper-scissors game. Mio lost which resulted her to go instead. Later Touko woke from her nap because of a constant bell ring, impending the news that Mio got into an accident. This implies that Mio died because of Touko. And I believe that Touko knows this. Out of guilt, she decides to replace Mio who was beloved and admired by everyone. At the same time, she can get rid of her own identity. Touko claims that she hates herself and I think her self-loathing began when she realized that Mio died because of her selfishness. So that covers Touko’s obsession to be someone else besides herself.
Why Touko falls in love with Yuu was a very big question mark to me. Why Yuu, and why now? In Touko’s mind, she wants to be special to everyone because that’s when people praise her. But when people start to confess to her by saying something like, “I love that about you” which translates to her, “If you stop being like this, I won’t love you anymore”. Automatically she feels that if she stops wearing the ‘perfect’ mask, anyone who confesses to her would be disappointed with the real her who is a nobody. We covered from the first chapter that Yuu just can’t feel excited over romantic confessions. It’s not that she’s willingly disinterested, she just can’t and doesn’t know how. Because of this, she can’t find anyone special romantically. To Touko, this makes Yuu seem the nicest person because Yuu wouldn’t judge or discriminate her if she doesn’t have to wear the mask of perfection because she knows that Yuu won’t love her. One may think that Touko only sees Yuu as someone who she can vent out her feelings to, but not because of love. I can’t blame anyone for thinking this way because there is one time when she does treat Yuu like a friend with benefits (without the sex, of course). This happens in chapter 28 when Touko feels extremely stressed that she wasn’t acting like Mio perfectly and her own best friend tries to talk her out of it. She turns to Yuu and tries to kiss her for comfort. Not really a cool move there. But I think that Touko really does genuinely love Yuu. We can see it a lot of times throughout the story where we get to see how much she would do for Yuu, such as asking for a cheesecake recipe from Yuu’s sister Rei, after knowing that she loves cheesecakes, and in the same chapter we can see Touko fangirling when Rei shares a picture of Yuu sleeping (Rei is the best Touko supporter lol).
Now, onto the more complicated part of Touko and Yuu’s relationship. While Touko has made it clear that she loves Yuu to the point she just casually says “I love you” to her. This is pretty hypocritical from her side because she doesn’t want anyone to love her because the word itself acts like shackles to her. And she is doing the same thing to Yuu. In chapter 10, she tells Yuu to stay by her side, don’t fall in love with anyone else and don’t come to hate her. To put it simply, she wants Yuu to only stay with her, but don’t fall in love with her because she can’t stand with the idea that someone that she loves is in love with something that she hates: herself.
For Yuu’s part, as we progress through the story, we get to see her feelings towards Touko develop and change. At first she believes that she is only being nice to Touko simply because she’s too sympathetic to everyone, and not because she finds her special. But as the story progresses, we get to see Yuu’s way of thinking start to shake a bit. After Touko leaves her house, Yuu states she does want to fall in love with her. Right after this, she tries to tell herself that she doesn’t need to fall in love with Touko because it’s not she was lonely. But in chapter 10, her monologues have more conviction that she wants to love Touko.
But before she can even say these things to Touko, Touko tells her that she would rather die than being told that she can be just herself and she can stop from being Mio. This forces Yuu to say this:
But from these panels we can see how it hurts Yuu to say this. Because at this point, she can’t love Touko NOT because of her inability to feel romantic attractions, but more to she can’t afford to love Touko. This clearly is very painful to Yuu since she has always wanted to experience the excitement of being in love. As this scene goes on, Touko makes her promise to stay by her side without falling in love with her. Yuu knows that if she rejects, Touko would be separated from her, so she agrees to do whatever Touko tells her to do. Then in chapter 22, Yuu tries again to convince her to stop being someone else, only to face Touko’s stubbornness again. What’s interesting is that near the end of this chapter Yuu intercepts her own monologue for the first time.
Many of her monologues act more like self-assuring sentences, sentences that she tries to convince herself to believe. This can especially be seen in chapter 31 by the end of the play, Yuu’s monologue where she says Touko would be fine without her, thinking that Touko has accepted to just embrace herself, she keeps on repeating that it is a good thing. When she reads Sayaka’s line “I was special to you” and then shaking her head, to me is like her telling herself to let Touko go if Touko does learn to be herself which would mean that she feels she is no longer needed by Touko. Another example would be chapter 16, where she keeps convincing herself that the way she finds Touko’s unconditional love is nothing special and that the fast heartbeat she hears is Touko’s, and not hers. It is like implying that she denies herself that she loves Touko.
It seems that she is afraid to even admit to herself of her own feelings because she’s afraid that she would succumb to her feelings eventually. However, by the end of chapter 22, Yuu finally finds something she really desires; to change Touko. For someone like Yuu, who has always been the type of person who’d just get along with the flow, this is a life-changing thing to do. Here, we can see how Touko has changed her and she doesn’t hate it whenever they kiss or when Touko gets close to her.
While at this point Yuu and Sayaka share the aspect to not admit how they really feel to Touko because they’re afraid of how their relationship with her would change, I like the fact that unlike Sayaka, who is afraid to tell Touko that her obsession is a bad thing, Yuu wants to change Touko to stop hating herself and embrace the fact that people accept her for the way she is, and things that they do are for her, and not Mio. And we agree to this because what Touko does is self-destructive since she would be lost once she finishes what Mio couldn’t do when she was alive; the school play. Touko herself knows this as she questions herself in front of Mio’s grave.
What to predict:
At this point I can’t think of how the story is going to progress. After the play finishes, Touko tells Yuu this:
Now, I’m not so sure what this line actually means. It could mean that now that the play is over, she doesn’t have to replace Mio anymore, but her relationship with Yuu can still go on. The reason why I think this is what the line means is because of how Yuu takes the line positively as she now thinks that Touko can go on without her. And there’s also the fact that Yuu is holding the crutches that Touko used in the play. In a way, she herself has been acting like crutches for Touko. And the fact that she’s holding onto them as Touko walks away is like an allegory that Touko no longer needs her crutches aka Yuu. So perhaps there’s an incoming angst for upcoming chapters as Yuu tries to deal with being no longer needed by Touko.
While the play’s ending implies that Touko may have embraced the idea to accept her true self and stop becoming someone else, and while I think this could be an interesting turning arc for the series and development for the story, I don’t think Touko is ready to embrace herself like the character in the play. She’s just too stubborn for that and I think she still needs more push to stop her obsession. It is something that she’s done for years and it’s not going to just disappear in a snap. Also, I don’t think Touko’s going to stop relying on Yuu yet. She makes it perfectly clear that now that she knows how it feels to be in love, she’s not going to turn back. Also, when Yuu refused to kiss Touko, she looked extremely broken, like her only emotional line was snapped, and the only thing that was ‘real’ to her was rejecting her.
(Just look at how BROKEN and EMPTY she looked like after being rejected by Yuu)
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Anime suggestions?
Asking a 42 year old lifelong anime dork for anime suggestions!?
Sorry that it’s taken me a little bit to address this. In the absence of specifics I decided to provide a recommendation of my old favorites as opposed to new releases. Of course then I realized I could write entire essays on each of my old favorites as a recommendation and started thinking about how to make a post like that. Then I decided to provide short recommendations for most of the old favorites and save the hard-sell for a single great freaking show. This in turn led me to end up re-watching large parts of said show because it’s just that freaking great. Also, if anyone reading this wants lengthy essays on why I love a certain series, ask away and I’ll write one up if I’m feeling productive one day!
Anyway!
If you’re looking for recently-aired stuff, you can go through my GIF tag to see what I’ve been watching for the past few seasons. Chances are if I’m making GIFs of something I also recommend watching it. The only recent show that I’d mention specifically as deserving more attention than it received is Made In Abyss. It’s a great little show. It’s also really dark, despite the cutesy character designs, so don’t be fooled. Also, if body horror is a trigger, stay the fuck away. The Abyss does bad bad things to people. Anyway, on to the old stuff ;)
Macross SeriesMacross is my all-time favorite ongoing setting. It’s one of the great pillars of the Real Robot genre. It’s stands apart from its peers by focusing more on the human side of conflicts, having an actual nuanced take on the role of the military, and just being very hopeful in general. There are several separate series that I recommend, thus I am grouping them together.
The Super-Dimension Fortress Macross (1982): The original. A true classic of anime. The animation is terribly dated at this point, but the story still holds up. Every time I remember that I first watched this within a year or two of it airing, I feel really old.
Do You Remember Love? (1984): A stunningly-animated movie version of the TV series. The story is slightly different, but close enough if you don’t want to put in the time to watch the TV series but want a better frame of reference on the sequels. It’s also one of the most technically impressive hand-animated movies put to film, so it’s worth a look.
Macross Plus (1994): Four episode OVA series set 30 years after the original. The focus is on the reunion of three former friends rather than the overarching events of the setting, so it can easily be watched without knowing anything about Macross. It’s also widely regarded as one of the best OVA series ever made. It launched the career of Yoko Kanno, among others.
Macross Frontier (2007): Takes place 47 years after the original on board one of Earth’s many outbound colony fleets. Like Macross Plus, the cast is original to the series, and the first 8 or so episodes begin with summaries of the history of the Macross setting, so it can be watched without watching the others…though you’ll miss a lot of references and a bit of the story nuance, but not enough to be unenjoyable.
Moving on from Macross!
Azumanga Daioh (2002): The original slice-of-life show. Cute girls doing cute things. You will cry when they graduate. Watch it.
Nadia of the Mysterious Seas (1990): High adventure in the 1800s! Very very loosely based on 2000 Leagues Under The Sea. This is the series that put Gainax on the map. It also has one of my favorite openings ever.
Aim For the Top! Gunbuster! (1988): While we’re talking about the glories of 80s-90s Gainax, let’s drop in on Gunbuster. A surprisingly-deep take on the Super Robot genre, featuring the most hot-blooded female pilots you’ll find anywhere, which is a huge selling point. If you ever wonder why Evangelion took off so quickly, it’s because it was sold to us as a TV series “by the people who did Gunbuster!”
Marmalade Boy (1994): For years this was my ‘warm blanket and dark chocolate’ anime. Whenever I was feeling down for reasons hormonal or otherwise I’d just start watching randomly from one of the 76 episodes. It’s just an animated soap opera. The main character, Miki, is stunned when her parents come back from a vacation and announce that they’re swapping partners with a couple they met in Hawaii. They all move into the same house together, and Miki meets the other couple’s son Yuu. Hijinks ensue. Nearly every episode ends on a cliffhanger or stunning revelation. It oozes melodrama from every frame of animation.
EDIT: I just walked out into the living room and told the wife what I was doing and mentioned that I recommended Marmalade Boy. Her response: “RUN MIKI! RUN FROM YOUR PROBLEMS!” and now I can’t stop laughing, because that’s exactly Miki’s response to everything bad that happens to her.
(I appear to be drifting closer to writing essays for them all, I’ll just add a couple more and move on)
Yamato 2199 (2012): A bit of a cheat, as this is fairly recent, but it’s a direct remake of the original 1970′s series that I watched as a kid…and it’s frankly better than the original.
Please Save My Earth (1993): Six-episode OVA series that covers the first half of the manga series by the same name. A girl named Alice begins having dreams of living in a hidden base on the moon. She encounters several other people who are dreaming the same thing. I used to hate one of the characters for what he did. Then I understood but still couldn’t forgive it. Finally, now, I think I can forgive him. It’s a series that makes you feel very strongly, but to explain is to spoil. One of Yoko Kanno’s first series as a composer.
His and Her Circumstances (1998): A romance buds between two people who hide their true selves behind a mask of normalcy. Will they still like each other once those masks are stripped away? A compelling romantic comedy from Gainax, and also one of the codifiers of the Gainax Ending, so the show kinda goes to shit in the second half, with three recap episodes and the animation devolving into stick figures, but the main plot is resolved long before then and despite all of this it remains a truly incredible series.
Okay, so, now we come to it. The hard sell.
If there is anything at all in this post that you watch, you absolutely MUST WATCH
GIANT ROBO: THE ANIMATIONThe Day The Earth Stood Still (1992)
I cannot possibly summarize the plot better than its own intro, so watch this:
youtube
The entire show is like that! Breathless exposition! Dashing heroics! Fearful villainy! And the entire thing done in a retro-60′s design aesthetic as an homage to the original creator of all the characters within, Mitsuteru Yokoyama. Top it off with a literally operatic soundtrack and you have the recipe for…well…maybe that’s hard to say? Why am I recommending a series about a kid who controls a giant robotic pharaoh?
The show looks absolutely ludicrous, and in many ways it is. The characters are over the top in a very old-school sort of way. You’ve got your obvious good guys, literally called the EXPERTS OF JUSTICE. You’ve got your obvious bad guys who constantly pledge themselves to the service of a guy named BIG FIRE. The heroes protect the new utopia that the world has become with the invention of a perfect power source. The bad guys seek to destroy that utopia and crush humanity beneath their heel. It’s all so cut-and-dry. Even the characterization of some of the villains as “noble monsters” and some of the heroes as “ends justifies the means” loose cannons doesn’t really give it much depth.
At first.
The show very quickly disabuses you of that notion as it delves into what it actually took to carve out a utopian existence from a humanity that is so frequently opposed to any such thing. It examines the motivations of the villains and finds them valid. It examines the motivations of the heroes and finds them wanting. It provides two questions that drive the emotional arc of the story and demands that the characters, and you the viewer, answer them.
Can happiness be achieved without sacrifice?
Can a new era be reached without misfortune?
As the sins of the past rise up to destroy the hope of the future, somehow the giant robot pharaoh stops seeming so ridiculous. The fact that everything looks like 1960′s guy-in-monster-suit action cinema only serves to contrast the actual depth of the characters and the series as a whole. To say more is to spoil, so I’ll not go into detailed analysis. Suffice it to say: The show looks silly, yet is really quite serious.
It also has one of the best finales of all time. I watched this series as it was released, and there was a three year wait between episode six and episode seven, and I can honestly say it was worth every second. Re-watching it just a few hours ago, my cheeks were wet with tears and stretched in a big grin at the same time. It’s probably the most satisfying end to a series I’ve seen.
So, there you have it. A whole bunch of old anime to watch. (WATCH GIANT ROBO)
If anyone reading this actually watches something based on my recommendation and enjoys it, please let me know. It’s always great to hear that a recommendation was well-received.
#holy crap how to tag this?#I think i'll leave it and maybe tag the series in later#i've been writing this for a couple hours now#wife loving dork#gotta put that one in for the wife mention#how-tobe-him#giant robo#macross#kare kano#his and her circumstances#azumanga daioh#please save my earth#marmalade boy#fushigi no umi no nadia
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Animal Crossing had a movie?
Most people can agree that doing chores is boring, but what if you could make them in the virtual world?. The answer is pretty fun, actually. Today I will be talking about the Animal Crossing Movie that was released in 2006 in Japan, but first let talk about the game that started it all!
The game Animal Crossing was first released in 2001 as a Japan-only game called Doubutsu no Mori.
Doubutsu no Mori (Animal forest in english) was originally developed as an RPG for the Nintendo 64DD, but later they decided to rather release it for the Nintendo 64. Since the 64DD had better hardware capabilities than the original 64, a lot of changes had to be done: the RPG elements(such as dungeons and bosses) were scrapped. Although the game’s main features were kept: the relationship with the animals and an environment that progresses in real life time. This last one was one of the most important things of the game, as one day in real life was also one day in Doubutsu no Mori. Many things were time gated, which made coming back every day a really fun and interesting adventure.
The game is about you, a human kid, moving to an Animal Village to live a simple life surrounded by trees and a lot of talking animals. You can collect fruits, bugs, fossils, decorate your home and most importantly, interact with all of the animals, each one of them having a different personality and traits(hence the “Communication Game” label in the box).
The game features a simple gameplay, it is not focused in any particular goals, as the player can interact with the game in any way they want to. The game most unique feature is that each player experience is different; the Village you live in is randomly generated and the villagers that live in them are chosen randomly from a list.
A couple of moths after the release of Doubutsu no Mori, the game was ported to the Gamecube as Doubutsu no Mori+, adding some extra features. Most importantly, the game was also released worldwide as Animal Crossing. This version of the game wasn’t just a translation though, instead the team of Nintendo of America had to do a lot of localization work, after all, the original game was full of japanese culture references. For example, the Bell Shrine was replaced for a wishing well, and Hatsumoude for New Years Eve. Some furniture and clothing were also removed or replaced. But it wasn’t just a work of removing, they also included a lot of new events such as Thanksgiving, April Fools and even Spring Cleaning. Later, Animal crossing was ported back to japan as Doubutsu No mori e+, due to the game having a lot of interesting new stuff.
All four iterations of the game
In 2005 a sequel was released for the Nintendo DS, Oideyo Doubutsu no mori, or Animal Crossing: Wild World in America. The game was total a hit. It sold very very well, so Nintendo decided to capitalize on this by making a feature-length film based on the game.
*Side note, I’ll be using both Japanese and English names for the characters like this: Japanese(English), also, Spoilers Ahead
Gekijouban Doubutsu No Mori (The Animal Forest Movie) released in 2006, it’s a very special and weird movie. It doesn’t follow the classical 3 act structure of most western films, so to me it felt a little strange. Many times during the film I was like “Oh, maybe the movie is gonna be about this”, but no, the movie doesn’t do that.
The intro sequence is just like in the game, the -human- protagonist Ai is travelling in a taxi with Kappei(Kapp’n) and talking about her destination: Doubutsu Mura(Animal Village). The film has a lot references to the game, and when I say a lot, I mean a lot. The introduction sequence is just the first of many.
Intro sequence, movie vs game
After Ai arrives at the Animal Village, we begin a very long but charming introduction sequence. We start meeting the characters that we will be seeing throughout the film, each one of which exude a lot of personality from the very first moment we see them. This helps to build a familiar atmosphere to the one in the game. It’s incredible how much they nailed this, because anywhere the movie goes, each detail reminds you of the game; whether it is the gorgeous backgrounds, the awesome music, familiar locations and the way characters act and speak.
Ai visiting Able Sisters, a location in the game too
I think that this rich atmosphere is something that’s both good and bad. Yes, it makes you feel really at home if you are familiar with the game, but it can make you very confused if you are not. For example, one of the other human characters, Yuu, is seen wearing different outfits throughout the film, something that’s a big part of the game and it might not make you question anything at first, but then we see him wearing facial hair, and then a monk ponytail. Also there is an scene where Totakeke(K.K. Slider) is introducing himself in japanese, but then he starts singing like he sings in the game(high pitched nonsensical sounds), and again, if you are not familiar with the game you are gonna be really confused.
Totakeke
Anyway, after a while we are introduced to our main cast, Yuu which is a human kid from another village; and three animals Buuke(Rosie), Sarii(Margie) and Aruberuto(Alfonso). Yuu is a representation of a more advanced player, we can see him doing stuff you do in the game like catching bugs or making villagers fall into holes, wearing different outfits and hunting for treasure.
Ai and Sarii
Out of the three Animal characters the most important is Sarii, she becomes Ai’s first friend, and a lot of the plot is based around the relationship between these two characters. We learn that Sarii has a dream of becoming a fashion designer, because of this she later leaves the Village(another thing that can happen in the game), but without telling Ai, this leaves her with a sad feeling, although this inspires her to pursue her own dream or “cherry pie” as both friends used to refer to their dream or passion. She was very puzzled about what her “cherry pie” was, but out of nowhere a series of bottles with a letter inside start to appear on the chore(this also happens in the game!), the letters have cryptic messages about planting Pine trees so that a miracle could occur during the Winter Festival. Ai realizes that this is her chance so she follows what the letters said.
Animal Village during the Winter Festival
When the moment finally comes a UFO appears in the sky, with no other than Jonii(Gulliver) inside, he ask the people of the village for help to find the 5 missing pieces of his ship(this event can also happen in the game). The villagers quickly realize that he is not a real alien, but decide to help him anyway. Ai and her friends start searching for the pieces, and when they find the last one they realize that there are 6 parts instead of 5. This extra part wasn’t one of Jonii’s missing pieces, instead they discover that it’s actually a baby UFO that stranded on the village. A series of real UFOs start to appear in the sky, as the little baby UFO starts moving and gets healed of its wound thanks to a ray from what seems to be the mother ship. The UFOs leave, but before they leave a surprise: Ali’s face in the sky.
The villagers are really impressed by this, so much in fact that they decide that the winner of that year Winter Festival should be Ai. After this the movie ends with a final message from Ai,saying that this was the first time that she really felt part of the Animal Village.
As a fan of animal crossing I can say that it’s a great movie. You can clearly see that there was a lot of effort and care put into making this movie feel as much as the game as possible. They even brought people that work in the original games to help make the movie.
But the movie also has some flaws. There are many subplots in the movie, like Apollo’s flowers or his relationship with Bianka(Whitney), that go nowhere. They are not addressed after they are set up, and it kinda feels like they just didn’t have enough time to develop these stories properly. Some other subplots, like when they into a cave looking for fossils, feel too short and kinda out of place. I’m not saying that these are not enjoyable moments, but they are not used for anything else. This makes me feel like this shouldn’t have been a movie, if anything it should have been an anime, or maybe a series of OVAs. The little stories would have worked way much better if it was a TV series instead of just one film, where it feels like they crammed as many stories as they could.
But don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel like this ruins the entire movie. Personally, this just leaves me with an empty feeling, like I really crave more movie. Sadly there was never a part 2, even though the movie sold well. And what pisses me off the most, is the fact that the movie was never released worldwide(just like many other anime/movies/games nintendo has done in the past). I discovered the existence of this movie not a long ago. Nintendo aired the film again(Japan only) in March of this year due to the release of Animal Crossing New Horizons, but still no worldwide release :(
There’s a lot of humor and charm in every scene, and it really makes for enjoyable movie. I’d recommend you to watch it, even more so if you are an Animal Crossing fan.
I would like to leave with my favourite quote from the movie:
“When you are starving, you become sad. And when you are sad, you become hungry.”
Luis Sobarzo
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Top 10 Mahou Shoujo Shows for Babies (Part 2)
Now let's move onto Majokko, or Witch Girl...
Mahoutsukai PreCure
Junior High student Mirai Asahina is your typical tween. Between spring break, She goes out and spots a mysterious object fall into the park close by. Inspecting the area Mirai bumps into a novice witch by the name of Riko.
Scouring the human world for a magical gem known as a Linkle Stone the duo are thrown into unwarranted conflict with the minions of a dark sorcerer.
Ah Pretty Cure, the untamable cthulian beast that haunts my every nightmare.
Being WAY behind in the franchise myself, I can't honestly speak on how great this season is comparatively to others.
What I can say however is that, as far as Majokko Mahou Shoujo goes Mahoutsukai Precure is a fun entry into a rarely explored subgenre.
Watching Mirai and Riko’s friendship blossom and Mofurun just be- Mofurun is a pleasure enough but combined with cute, bright visuals and varied transformations I fell head over heels for Mahoutsukai.
Like everybody and their mother has said, Pretty Cure has some solid Sakuga and Mahoutsukai isn't missing out on any of it.
Say what you will about the toy hole Bandai has created for the franchise or its scattered quality since Futari Wa Pretty cure. I’ve really enjoyed what i’ve seen so far.
If you’re into some sweet witchy goodness and looking for an accessible entry point into the Pretty Cure franchise, Mahoutsukai may just be the broom ride you need.
Kobato
Kobato Hanato is a naive, young women with a wish to travel to a certain place.
Through helping others, Kobato must fill a magic jar with “konpeito” to see her goal come to fruition.
With the help of a talking stuffed dog named Ioryogi, Kobato can grant her wish, so long as she doesn't fall in love with somebody she heals, of course.
I have to be really upfront here, this is the first title i’m revisiting out of the list. A show has not made me cry so early on since Skip Beat, and that's saying something.
Kobato’s visuals are breathtaking, adapting Clamp’s wonderful character designs with a detailed level of care.
It's ridiculously rare to see a show so faithful to the source materials intent like this nowadays.
The soundtrack is this dangerous mixture of heart wrenching and nostalgic that just ruins your tear ducts.
One of the main perpetrators for this being Kobato’s character song, Ashita Kuru Hi or “The day that will come tomorrow”. Going right by Aozora and Tuxedo Mirage on the “cry like a little bitch” playlist I have tucked away.
Genre-wise Kobato harkens back to the themes of early mahou shoujo, where magical girls were just young women with otherworldly powers.
There are no transformations, no magical weapons- just a weird girl and her surly companion, solving the mundane problems of broken people.
Forewarning that the show is slow paced and if you wanting something with a little less emotional weight to it, this may not be a great fit.
However, If you’re looking to jump into a pool of your own tears while enjoying some fantastic old school Mahou shoujo, Kobato is the girl for you.
Ojamajo Doremi
Doremi Harukaze is the “World’s Unluckiest Pretty Girl”. That’s at least what she believes. Fascinated with magic, she stumbles upon a mysterious shop run by a creepy lady, Majo Rika. Doremi being the smart cookie she is deduces that Rika is a witch that, due to a curse must keep her identity a secret. Promising secrecy, Doremi is in turn taken under the witch's wing as an apprentice and hijinx ensues.
When finding Ojamajo Doremi, I got the reminiscent feeling that I could've watched it on something like 4kidz, with a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles and my kitty in my lap before school.
Like a mixture between Tokyo Mew Mew and Digimon, I love the shows infectious energetic vibe.
While most works in the genre do deal with the maturation process of young girls, Ojamajo feels quite believable with how it presents its cast. Doremi acts like a curious third grader and the adults around her and her classmate all feel around their own age.
The strange part that makes Ojamajo Doremi is its unorthodox transformations, with the girls literally putting the witches clothes on and the power of their weapons being limited. I LOVE this aspect of the show as it lends to grounding the setting even further into a fantastical reality.
If you’re into cute kinetic comedy and watching some wacky little kids become witches then I highly recommend watching this adorable slice of Majokko.
Magical Angel Creamy Mami
A up and coming Pop star in a milky galaxy, Yuu Morisawa is a sassy, fun loving girl with a pension for mischief; shirking responsibility to go play in the neighborhood.
However her cat like curiosity lead her to encounter extraterrestrial beings from beyond the cosmos, whom bestow upon her the power to transform into a teenager for a year.
With the help of her companions, Nega and Posi, Yuu can't just save the day but has to balance a life as an idol and actress!
If you want something really different from typical Mahou Shoujo, I highly recommend Creamy Mami. Not only does it play with some light sci fi themes but presents beautiful pastel art and a energetic cast, brimming with strange characters.
It is still very much of its time, airing in the early 80’s but that doesn't hinder its beautiful charm.
Aliens are rarely seen in a genre like Mahou Shoujo and having them utilized in such a quirky manner makes Creamy Mami stand out. Other than watching Madoka for the first time, This was the most recent instance of me feeling uneasy while watching a show in the genre.
One thing that has Creamy Mami in my graces is its bubbly retropop aesthetic, invoked by a soundtrack chucked full of songs that can only make me want to go to a karaoke bar in Akihabara and dance the night away.
Whether or not you're into the retro aesthetic, Creamy Mamis a cool, poppy experience for anyone with a sweet tooth for fun.
Show By Rock!
Cyan has always regarded herself as a ordinary girl, despite her musical telent. Without the confidence to join a band, all her dreams seem for not. That is until shes transported to world of Midi City where everyday is a concert and everyone wants to be a pop star. Scouted by a ragtag recording company, Cyan is thrusted into the world of music and must fight evil with the power of song!
As one of Sanrio’s recent properties, Show by Rock surprised me and many others with its nutty, Jodie and the Pussycats take on Mahou Idol.
Music being a driving force in establishing critical moments for any show, it’s important for the image songs to stick out in show of this kind. And Boy oh boy do I love every sugary, Jpoppy moment of Plasmagica’s discography.
The property being based off a rhythm game lends its soundtrack to a diverse blend of Electronica, Pop, Visual Kei, Indie and Folk rock- I could keep going for FUCKING DAYS DUDE.
And I know what you're wondering, “But Mirage the show looks like it's mostly CG? Isn't that bad?”
CG is a tool that can enhance and lift up a adaptation, or bastardize the intent of a work and piss off its fanbase.
Yet Show by Rock sits at the lucky impasse of not being based on a prior written property but a video game, diverting any kind of expectations people have of the work.
That is not to say the CG is horrible however.
In fact I think Show By Rock presents one of the best exercises in overt 3d modelling currently standing, in an industry full of PS2 models and- (Abunai Sisters) What. What the fuck is that?
Then again im talking about BONES and when BONES picks up a property, it's bound to turn some heads.
( Also uh if you don't get down with this sweet lesbian subtext well uh im sorry man we cant mix. I mean there’s bad taste and then there's hedonism. )
JPOP, Fujoshi bait or hell even Hello Kitty- Show by Rock catches you off guard with its unorthodox presentation but eventually reels the audience in with the power of music.
Definitely worthy of your time and maybe a APK download. -\owo/-
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And so I get to the bottom of my beginner recommendations. Next video is already in the works, gunning to be either a more Shoujo oriented analytical piece or a Mahou Shoujo history lesson ^o^.
Thank you all for your patience on this. Life got in the way, as it does but with some new soundproofing and a recent switch to premier (after this vod) i'm looking to make the next video a tad more focused on one subject.
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The Auchenai Tome
(( Reposting this because the old version got messed up. Working on continuing this with @thetomatofaerie because I miss wow RP and Yuulis. Check it out if you’d like! Closed thread ))
Yuulis
The city was dark, all the lanterns glowing with only a few embers. Yuulis was not sneaking; she was perfectly entitled to enter the Aldor’s library after dark. Still, each clack of her hooves made her wince. Perhaps I should consider purchasing a pair of the silencers that woman tried to sell to me a few weeks back.
The slightly snoozing guards at the entrance to the library nodded at her; they were used to the anchorite’s night time wandering habits. She smiled, and withdrew two small parcels from her bag, which she handed to the peacekeepers. As she entered the building, they opened the packages to find several cookies and a small potion, which rejuvenated their bodies and allowed them to finish their nighttime watch without falling asleep.
In the soft light of the lowered braziers, Yuulis flitted among the shelves, dragging her fingers lightly across some of the bindings. She adored the feeling of a bound book, and the smell of new parchment. The priestess stopped at the end of one section of shelves, a small frown upon her smooth, clear face. Her nimble fingers reached out and plucked a book from the shelf. She looked at the book, and the thought that it might be aware flitted through her mind. When she focused, the tome seemed to have a slight glow to it, similar to the light she could detect around many people. How can a book have such an aura? For some inexplicable reason, she felt nervous as she cracked it open.
She really was not sure what she was expecting to be inside. The words were in a language she could not understand, and she could speak and read Eredun, but the symbols and letters seemed to come off the page, dancing before her eyes. Light sparked off the sheets, disappearing into the shadows around her. Her eyes were wide and full of awe as she flipped through a few pages. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear a soft, distant singing…
With a gasp, she opened her eyes. She had been unaware that she’d even closed them. With a quick survey of her surroundings, she realized she was still in the library, but settled in a plush armchair in one corner of the main room. Yuulis looked down at her hands, and realized instead of the strange book, she held a handwritten note with a pendant attached to it. The note was very short, written in smooth, scrawling letters.
There are many things in this world that are likely best left alone. A gift for you, for your trouble and your concern.
Frowning again, Yuulis looked down at the mentioned ‘gift,’ which she assumed was the pendant that had been carefully attached to the parchment. Upon close observation, she noted that the pendant was a very intricate design, made of similar metals to match her prosthetic, and glowing with a soft light she could only see when she concentrated, just as the book had. To say she was baffled by the situation was a bit of an understatement.
She stood and ran her fingers through her long silver hair and glanced out the nearest window. With a start, she realized the light outside signaled the early morning. Moving quickly, she untied the string around her neck which already held several different pendants, and added the new one to the bunch. Then, she collected herself and hurried out of the building, her mind buzzing with so many questions she might never find an answer to.
Surala
From the shadows cast by the dawning light, Surala watched as the Anchorite hurried from the library, no doubt wondering a thousand questions upon the origins of the gift. There would be hell to pay later… but the innocent curiosity of an unsuspecting Anchorite could wait. What truly mattered was the book.
With a relieved sigh, she murmured a protection spell and slipped it into her satchel. Drawing her cloak across her thin shoulders, she briskly walked past the prying eyes of the guards and into the Lower City.
The pale sun of the Outlands began to rise across the broken horizon, casting Shattrath in a dreary light. Once, the city shone in the sunrise, with thousands of crystals catching the rays of the morning… and now, all that remained were the broken remains of the crown jewel of Draenei civilization, corrupted by the presence of the sin’dorei. She quickly brushed past several Scryers, returning their haughty gazes with a cold smile.
Surala reached the World’s End Inn with a relieved sigh, thankful to avoid other anchorites in her haste. Nodding tightly at the innkeeper, whose name she could never remember, she sat in the darkened corner of the tavern and began to inspect the book.
It held a curious aura and to an unsuspecting reader, it would appear the book glowed with the Holy Light, but under the gaze of an Auchenai, the book practically pulsated with the burning corruption of Shadow. Powerful spells written in Eredun decorated the delicate pages, written for rituals in binding souls to vigilant constructs, for calling upon the Dead to serve their needs…
The curling tendrils of dark magic whispered to her, beckoning her with promises of power. Centuries of hardening her heart against such temptations made it easier for her to resist, yet it troubled her that such a dark artifact was found in the library of the Aldor. If some unsuspecting youngling happened upon it… or perhaps a curious Anchorite simply browsing the shelves…
She shut the book abruptly, standing up and nearly knocking the table over. The book was clearly Auchenai in origin and yet the Aldor somehow possessed it, though it was believed all artifacts of the Auchenai had burned. Perhaps there were more spell books to be found among the ruins, more artifacts left in the rubble than she hardly dared to imagine.
She needed to return to Auchindoun. That much was certain. With a determined nod, she rushed out of the tavern to prepare for the oncoming journey.
~
She stood before the Exarch Council. The High Vindicator was an enormous man in shining plate armor that almost hurt to look at in the afternoon light, and he carried a crystalline mace bigger than herself. It held a wicked glint like broken glass and she wondered how many unfortunate souls found themselves on the receiving end of it. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to maintain eye contact, despite feeling the curious gazes of the other Draenei upon her.
There was the grand arcanist Tunk’halor, who gave her a smile that chilled her to the bone for reasons she could not fathom, and the sorceress Astaylia, who bowed low before her and gave her a kindly smile. Beside her was a small child who seemed to inherit her mother’s serene features, shyly waving and hiding behind the mage’s long skirts.
“…and this is Grand Anchorite Yuulis,” said the High Vindicator, gesturing to the female draenei beside him, who bowed her head in greeting. The anchorite was exceptionally beautiful, with silvery hair and golden eyes that shone bright with intelligence, but there was something familiar about her that Surala couldn’t quite place.
“An honor to meet you, sister. I welcome you into our order,” said Yuulis, smiling at her, yet Surala simply stared for several moments. She had met this woman before, she was absolutely positive, but not from Auchindoun nor Telredor.
But that silver hair… could it be… the anchorite from the library?
It was her, the unfortunate who nearly fell into the clutches of the shadow book still safely kept in her satchel. Realizing she was beginning to gape stupidly at the priestess, she quickly bowed low before her and gave an unsure smile of her own, still nervous at what precisely she was getting into.
“I look forward to working with you, Grand Anchorite. The honor is mine.”
Yuulis
With some heaviness in her chest, the small priestess stepped through the portal that would take her to the Shattrath she knew, not the alternate one that was still so pristine. Pristine, but so wrong in her eyes. Yuulis felt some guilt, the weight on her chest, because it had been so long since she had returned to the place she once called home. Months, honestly; the last time she was there, she had experienced a great confusion that she could not puzzle out.
Absently, her slender hand reached up and touched the detailed pendant she wore around her neck as a reminder. A reminder that there were still many things in this boundless world that she did not understand, and perhaps never would. Still, this priestess was not the type of person to leave such mysteries alone.
She felt a tug on her dress, and looked down at the small draenei beside her. Yuulis’ adopted daughter, Melena, stared up at her with wide eyes. “Can I go now, mum? They’ll be waiting for me!” The girl had spent most of her childhood in the orphanage of Shattrath’s Lower City, and upon deciding to make a trip there, Yuulis encouraged Melena to inform her friends who remained that they would visit. Touching the girl’s hair lightly, Yuulis nodded and smiled.
“Go on, sweetheart. You know the way. I’ll come and find you in a bit, okay?” Barely pausing to nod, the girl raced off, tiny hooves clicking on the stones. With furrowed brows, Yuulis turned her head toward Aldor Rise, silhouetted in the late afternoon light.
Thinking about the book always set Yuu’s nerves on edge. On her way up the elevator, her mind strayed to it, and the way the book had reacted to her energies. Something about it had seemed so off, a small discrepancy that still baffled her, as she could not put her finger on it.
Yuulis gave a small wave to the bored looking peacekeepers stationed outside the Aldor’s library, a different pair than the last time she visited. They smiled and dipped their heads in respect for her rank, but offered nothing else in the way of a greeting.
The soft natural light of day still filtered in through the library’s many windows, and this small difference from her last visit soothed her. This was a place in which she had always felt comfortable; to come in here and feel upset would have been far more stressful to her. The anchorite walked through the rows of books, a small frown on her face and her hands by her sides. Slowly, the smell of books and the even light of the cluttered rooms calmed her.
As she began down one row, Yuulis saw another draenei leaning close to a shelf, peering. A woman, from the cascade of curls hiding her face and the smooth curves of her body. Yuulis waited, watching to see if this other woman would move and reveal her face, but she remained where she was. Finally, impatient as she tended to be, Yuulis approached quietly, her hoofsteps light, and gently touched the other draenei’s shoulder. “Archenon poros, sister.”
Surala
She had spent weeks in the library, tearing through the shelves in a vain effort to find more tomes of the Auchenai. A few scattered prayer books were left behind, in between varying random collections, but nothing of particular value had been discovered… yet.
The library was massive, a shining jewel in the ruined city, and it was miraculous the orcs hadn’t burned the archives in their bloodlust. It was, perhaps, one of the few buildings to survive the siege, though scorch marks of felfire could still be seen on the stone walls… a reminder of the tragedies the solemn walls had witnessed. For this, she was grateful– however comforting the library was, it was a reminder of vigilance. Of the need for awareness of her surroundings and that the relative safety the gentle light of the sanctuary provided was merely an illusion.
She held the book tightly to her chest, almost afraid someone would snatch it from her grasp, as she browsed the seemingly endless shelves filled with dusty tomes.
“Archenon poros, sister.”
She whirled around, startled out of her thoughts, only to face the Grand Anchorite herself. Gaping stupidly for a moment and hastily hiding the book beneath the billowing silks of her cape, Surala awkwardly cleared her throat.
“Greetings, High Priestess,” she said, her voice assuming a forced formality as she bowed low before the other, secretly hoping her eyes didn’t betray her guiltiness and need for secrecy. “Is there something I can aid you with?”
Yuulis
Blinking, Yuulis takes a step back and peers at Surala, recognizing the girl from the order. “Oh! Soulbinder.” She seems somewhat taken aback by the greeting, noting the speed with which the other woman hid the book behind her. “Ehm… you can’t aid me, no, I’m just looking around…”
She raises her eyebrows at the Auchenai, nodding toward her back. “Something you have there? You seem a bit harried.” She chuckles; Yuulis is many things, and observant is definitely one of those. Her tone remained flippant and light, trying to not stress Surala out.
Surala
Surala bit her lip, briefly considering whether or not to share her discovery with the Grand Anchorite. After all, they remained the highest-ranking priestesses within the Nor Kure and were under orders from the High Vindicator to collaborate on religious matters and no doubt she would find the book of shadows simply fascinating to explore, if puzzling in its appearance…
Slowly drawing the book out from her satchel, Surala pulled her hood down to face Yuulis. “I found this in the library of the Aldor,” she said, trying not to rush her explanation all at once and hoping she didn’t recognize it or inquire on how precisely she obtained it. “It contains Auchenai lore, soulbinding constructs and necromatic rituals and other spells of shadow magic… though I was told that nothing remained of Auchindoun after its destruction.”
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Welcome to the Ballroom ep1
In which I go from really liking the show, to getting very confused by character inconsistency for the sake of the genre’s typical story progression/pace. o~o?
I like this show! ^o^ The protagonist is super relatable and adorable! Sengoku-san had me laughing soon into the episode! ("Excuse to get close to girls"? C'mon man. LOL) And I'm intrigued by Shizuku's situation. If she's so dedicated to dance that she's protective of it vs people who don't take it seriously, but the teachers think she hasn't decided on any life path yet, then why is she keeping her passion for dancing a secret? Are her parents ashamed of her dancing? How is she going to the dance studio so often without them knowing? Do her parents actually permit her to dance, but expect to her grow out of it as a career? o.o?????
And is it just me, or do Fujita and Shizuku remind anyone else of Haikyuu's Hinata and Shimizu? They've all got such similar character designs! Even Shizuku's name is smilar to Haikyuu's Shimizu Kiyoko! ^o^ Well, I who didn't see that coming? The manga industry does ride trends. When Bleach became popular Otomen and lots of other series came out with smiliarly designed characters. Suddenly, all the female mentor characters were no nonsense bad asses with short, dark hair, just like Rukia Kuchiki. And the entire Shonen genre had become so trendy through Bleach, Naruto, and Death Note, that even Shojo manga-ka were being told by their editors to make a "Shonen series". Even Watase Yuu, whose series are "all girly all the time" suddenly had a male protagonist series. That was crazy. (Especially since the male protagonists still had all the stereotypically "girly" problems.) And most of all, Soul Eater homaged all 3, Bleach, Naruto, and Death Note. The manga/anime/Japanese videogame industries ride trends. I seriously doubt Persona 5 would have had a volleyball character, if Haikyuu hadn't made the sport so popular. And that's not to mention all the articles I've read about the sudden interest in practicing swordplay, among women in Japan, after Touken Ranbu became popular. And let's not forget the rekijo (female history geeks) were mostly spurred by manga/anime set in the Sengoku Era. Anyway, it might be fun to imagine a Hinata type of character in this predictably romantic character set-up.
There's something weird about this direction in the 2nd half of the episode. I had really liked it so far. But that imagery of Fujita being impressed by the dance competition DVD was really jarring. Now that I think about it, I don't think there was any other imagery that surreal, so far yet in the episode. I know it's meant to really sell the impact of pro dancing on Fujita, but it was mostly just odd. The episode so far, hadn't eased me into that much surrealism. So far, the episode had portrayed all the emotions with very realistic, yet very effective use of minutia, detail, and subtlety. But that revelation moment's jarring oddness was too distracting to take seriously.
And now this scene with Fujita saying he wants to sign up for dance lessons, even though he's _thinking_ with absolute certainty, "I can't do this"? The juxtaposition is too odd. I feel like the camera work is changing to contrast the Fujita asking for lessons and the Fujita rattling off a list of very realistic reasons why I CAN'T take lessons, to make them seem like 2 different people...But when has this character showed that dichotomy so far during his character set-up? There was that one moment when he glared at the bullies, but it was very small and very quickly covered up by his submissive personality. This is just too much contrast at once! Another jarring contradiction.
I don't want to be jarred out of this series though. Everything from the character design to the animation, says that this series will carry a tone of subtlety, a recognition of the significance of the little things...Everything I love about the "slice of life" genre. But unless that genre sets up very early and very often that it can switch back and forth between squishy chibis and serious scenes, it's all too much to take during the last third of the introductory episode. I mean, look at all the lines defining each character's eyes and facial expressions! The sakuga for every pointed toe on the dance floor! This is the kind of thing that usually gets left in the manga, but doesn't get translated into an anime adaptation. *o* Everything about the line work, the lighting, the music (or lack of), the solidly drawn characters with such realistic volume and weight, the set-ups of the scenes are all just so realistic, that when this show does surreal imagery or unbelievable character actions...it just feels unrelated to everything that's been set up so far. I'm really confused. ~_~
I don't know...this is really weird. I know that the "reluctant teacher" is a time-honored trope since the story of the Daruma's disciple...But is it really fitting to set up this adversity to the protagonist's spirit, when the episode hasn't satisfactorily set-up a determined will for the protagonist? I don't feel invested in Fujita persisting in The Box, or even dancing in general. Usually in sports anime, the protagonist's introduction at least establishes his determination, so that during the training, we're cheering for him. But even Fujita doesn't know what he really wants. How can we? Sure, there's been those sequences of him impressed by dance, but there have been a lot MORE scenes of him feeling wishy-washy and not even *that* determined to find something to be passionate about. The amount of screentime spent on portraying something matters; it determines the emotional impact. He was doing more sulking than exploring options. He followed Shizuku to the dance studio _by accident_. He was just wandering, directionless, and only slightly curious about her. In fact, the most passionate I've seen Fujita during his initial introduction, was when he saw Shizuku also hadn't decided on her career form in the teacher's office. He just liked that he had a comrade in his directionless indecision. I feel like Fujita is motivated more by that fear of being alone at the bottom, more than a fascination with dance---even after that surreal impressed sequence.
But I understand. The entire premise of this series is that the protagonist needs to find something to be passionate about. That dictates that he start out as a character who is listless and directionless. But did the episode have to spend so much time establishing that listlessness, that it's hard to believe he's suddenly passionate about something, when the episode came to that? If this were a more typical sports anime about "a protagonist who gets into ballroom dancing because he wants to find *something* to be passionate about", I feel like the protagonist would more typically have been the enthusiastic type, running around, trying anything and everything, for a place to belong. His lack of passion wouldn't have been a problem, but finding an outlet for that passion would have been the conflict to resolve. But I see that this series was trying to be different. By not giving Fujita an inherent drive for anything, despite not knowing what to direct that determination towards, his character arc becomes more focused on finding passion, rather than finding an expression for passion. Still, maybe that sports manga cliche, became a cliche, because it's just so effective. ^^;
I mean, the story *needed* Fujita to start his dancing lessons, so it essentially turned him into someone else, during that scene where he asked to join the dance studio. Someone who would definitely set him on the path into dance. Shouldn't the series have drawn that out longer, so it would have been more believable for him to start dancing? But, no. You can just see where the first chapter of the manga was about to end, and they needed to get the plot rolling, ending on that cliffhanger of him being accepting into classes, so readers would look forward to him tackling challenges. That's just how the weekly manga is structured. Every week, new first chapters of new manga series are all competing to get a spot in the next month's issue, to continue on as a series.
Maybe the set-up of this series would have been better served emphasizing portrayals of the joy Fujita should feel at finding any passion or direction in life. There should have been a series of little struggles and tiny, mundane discoveries of finding a passion---Maybe even spending time defining multiple interpretations of what Passion is. And you can't tell me that this series wouldn't know how to portray the minute, subtle, everyday things. That's what it's been doing with every animation of its characters faces and even taking the time to shadow the unique curves of individual characters' facial features. And this series's tone has been "slice of life" overall, THE genre for portraying the significance in every tiny moment. If this series had established Fujita by a series of little moments of direction/passion which bring him great joy, then it would have built up to the moment when Dance impressed him.
Right now I'm not sure why *THIS* character should garner my investment in *THIS* task. I like this character, but I'm not so sure dancing should be his direction in life. And yet the story is already moving along, assuming we're already invested. Please don't do this to me, show. I already like this character. Yuri on Ice did the same thing to me, empathizing with the protagonist but losing me on the sport in question. This can't happen AGAIN so soon. ~.~; At least Yuri on Ice kept me invested in the "character study" side of the story. But who is this Fujita? Is he the same Fujita that was introduced at the beginning of this episode? Has the story given me adequate reason to believe in this drastic change in his personality or at least his actions? I'm just really confused.
I mean, normally I love these moments when the sports anime protagonist pushes through a wall through sheer determination, but this is Fujita we're talking about? Where would that determination even come from? I don't understand how he's such a different---completely different character all of a sudden. Sure, you can say because he's so impressed by dancing and he's finally found something he wants to be passionate about. But a jarring, surreal sequence that felt like someone had changed the channel to another series, then a scene where Fujita's actions were COMPLETELY OPPOSITE from what he was thinking AND what he had been narrating all the way up to that point, aren't enough to sell me. It wasn't effective. Not emotionally, not logically. It was someone else. Who is this???
I mean the only way this series might get by now, is if Fujita turns out to be some sort of prodigy, like Yui from K-on. Someone who can keep progressing and performing the thematic activity of the series, even without any logical resolve and determination. The problem is that Fujita is male. And that makes him a "Shonen genre" protagonist. They always have to have that "manly" determination and resolve. ...But I just don't buy why he's having resolve about dancing. I just don't buy it yet. I mean, I love watching it, I love watching these type of "determination pushing through adversity" scenes, that's why I love the Shonen genre. But there's some real dissonance going on there. @_@???
But damn, the direction of this series, when it comes to individual movements is great! ^o^
I mean, I love these training cliches, sports anime cliches, and plucky shonen protagonist cliches---I love these themes of determination---but...Does it really fit? I mean, I paused the episode to get some tea, and when I came back, the training scene with The Box reads well, in and of itself. But is increasing the effectiveness of a scene by divorcing it from everything else that's been established since the beginning of the episode, of this series, really considered "effective" (storytelling)? Even Sengoku-san has made a sudden change from altruistic, happy-go-lucky, admirable "manly" guy to abrasive, "reluctant mentor". This series has some serious character-consistency issues. o~o
Maybe this story assumes too much. It assumes that the viewer is from a culture where there is constant pressure from a young age, to already know your path in life. Even by junior high, Fujita's grade level, having a completely blank career form is already very late and very concerning. As discussed in a Mother's Basement video essay about My Hero Academia (https://youtu.be/LmRfmJqE0kM), the pressure of choosing career early in life and the weight of indecision is a visceral, every day, concern in every Japanese youngster's life, from may age 11 to onwards and forever. I'm sure most Japanese don't need a story to "prove" to them why they should care so much about this character's concern for direction in life. With the Japanese audience's real life background, they're probably already impatient for him to find his passion and rooting for every second Fujita inches closer towards a passion. But I'm American. A story needs to sell those themes to me, needs to make me care, needs to be emotionally effective in establishing those assumptions, so I will be invested in the rest of the story, that his built on those assumptions.
I'm sorry. I really like Fujita, Welcome to the Ballroom is beautifully animated and art directed, and I want to look forward to continuing this series. But I'm kind of indifferent. *sigh*
I'm probably still going to get Fujita's Nendoroid though.
#md3 watches welcome to the ballroom#story structure#character investment#establishing themes#storytelling problems
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Staff Picks: Our Favorite Manga of 2019
Welcome to the first post in our annual “Staff Picks” series, in which the Ani-Gamers team selects some of our favorite anime, manga, and video games of the past year. As is the custom, we begin with manga.
2019 was a year of transition for the manga industry. The breadth of manga available in North America is larger than ever thanks to an array of seemingly thriving publishers. Japan-backed veterans Viz Media and Kodansha Comics continue to pump out great books, Seven Seas is more active than ever, and Square Enix has now thrown their hat into the ring with a new US-based subsidiary. But the biggest news of the year is the rise of digital manga services. In late 2018 Viz launched their revamped digital Shonen Jump experience (simulpubs and the full back catalog for some of the most popular manga in the world for the absurdly low price of $1.99 a month), followed shortly thereafter by Shueisha’s Manga Plus, a competing free manga service offering major titles from Viz’s Japanese parent company (go figure). Meanwhile, third-party services like MangaMo are starting to explore the digital subscription space. 2020 may just be the year that manga has its Crunchyroll moment.
That’s all the business side, though! Now it’s time to talk about the comics themselves. This year we’ve got three staff members participating, showcasing stellar manga stories across the genre spectrum, from whimsical fantasy to gothic horror to understated romance. Enjoy, and feel free to chime in with your own 2019 picks in the comments.
David Estrella
#3: At the Mountains of Madness
Quick disclaimer: H.P. Lovecraft was a big-time racist and I’m very aware of the contemporary re-evaluation of his works in the context of the man’s politics. That said, Gou Tanabe’s adaptation of Lovecraft’s novella is still an incredible work that should be taken with the illustrator’s own merits in mind. It’s Tanabe’s own talents that really elevate an old story that has been mined for parts and made relatively obsolete by other creators. As an artist, Tanabe’s visuals paint a perfect picture of alien desolation and dread, and his approach to pacing has few parallels among his peers. It’s a manga that doesn’t read like a typical manga and as far as graphic novels go, Tanabe is comfortable pulling from as many Western influences as needed without losing sight of his own identity and ideas. It’s simply a good comic from an artist that’s probably better than Lovecraft deserves.
#2: Bakemonogatari
Having rewatched the TV series innumerable times before reading the novel, I was convinced there wasn’t much new ground to break with Bakemonogatari. Oh!Great proved me wrong. The manga artist’s career-defining works had their moment before I was aware of them so I came into this unprepared for what I would find. Not content to simply rely on Nisioisin’s prose to carry the familiar story of a boy, a girl, and the crab spirit that stole her physical weight, Oh!Great pushes the imagery to extremes that not many artists would dare attempt. It’s almost overwhelming to see the ambition in every page that features some wild shifts in angles and perspective and yet remains totally comprehensible. The kinetic energy of the manga does override some of the finer, subtler points of the source but I can respect it as its own creation separate from the original.
#1: Nicola Traveling Around the Demon’s World
Nicola Traveling Around The Demon’s World is the best manga that I’ve read in 2019, rising above even my Monogatari bias on the virtue of being a completely new and fresh title, drawn with an infectious sense of joy and wonder that you can’t find in much of anything these days. I tend to fly through manga as quickly as I can read it, to the dismay of any hard-working comic artists reading this, but Nicola is worth the time to slow down and properly take in all the details inked onto the pages. It’s not Asaya Miyanaga’s desire to show off their skills when the panels are brimming with character, but instead it’s their love for their creation. Nicola might have run in a magazine explicitly marketed at adult readers but it would be unfair to place it in a box that would discourage young manga fans from reading this.
Ink
#3: Kino’s Journey – The Beautiful World
As someone who remains 100% in love with the 2003 anime adaptation of some of Keiichi Sigsawa’s Kino’s Journey novels and someone who found the 2017 anime adaption reboot largely soulless and hugely disappointing, I am fully prepared to defend my claim that this manga not only carries the very essence of the 2003 adaption but successfully builds on it in a few ways. First off, the stories, which include new and established chapters, are by Keiichi Sigsawa, so everything’s right from the source (via translator) there. Secondly, illustration by way of Iruka Shiomiya offers everything one could ask for in a title with such disparate situations as Kino’s Journey. Gone is the bishi Kino of 2017, and the more androgynous design returns. Heavy detail is placed into Kino’s motorad, Hermes, as well as weaponry and other machinery, but more detail is also placed on gore … which is a lot more prevalent and, as one might expect, not illustrated in detail to evoke a feeling of pleasure. Each volume also begins with a lovingly drawn, two-page spread overlain with a translation from Sigsawa’s original novels. This manga is only #3 on my list, because it’s another, albeit fantastic, iteration of something I already love, and that puts it at an unfair advantage over the other two in my list.
#2: Girls’ Last Tour
When the anime adaptation of Tsukumizu’s Girls’ Last Tour manga aired, the series of successive vignettes seemed the spiritual successor to the 2003 adaptation of Kino’s Journey. The episodes, like the source material, focus on moe blobs Chito and Yuuri exploring a stratified, post apocalyptic landscape via kettenkrad in search of, well, anything. While the episodes sometimes feel like a platformer video game with regard to how characters get from point A to point B, the human elements of observation and imagination are ultimately what make the series so enthralling in portraying the means necessary for maintaining sanity in the face of desolation. The anime, however, does not adapt all of the manga; the last two volumes are (as of yet) not adapted, and they are worth reading to the very end. The manga sports a style that melds the industrial with the abstract/absurd to simultaneously isolate humanity and show the ways in which it thrives. The chapters are often pensive think pieces which exploit innocence as a lens to both denounce the destruction of an inherited world and praise that which is found therein. The art, despite being hyper-mechanically and -pasturally focused, is admirably minimalist; a few lines often define landscapes, and the resulting emptiness is of the utmost importance for atmosphere and tone. Panel progression and related mastery of visual metaphor are so very important to the interpretation that I question whether dialog is necessary at all. That said, the charming, often (but not constantly) comical relationship between the odd couple MCs does help move moments along in the more stagnant bits while providing enough chuckles to press on.
#1: Happiness
Despite being a huge fan of Shuzo “Your Mental Discomfort is My Middle Name” Oshimi, this manga is about vampires, and I am very much burnt out on vampires and werewolves and zombies and the like. To be fair, however, Happiness is just as much about vampires as most vampire movies are about vampires. That is to say they are about (a) hunger. More to the point, and more to Oshimi’s forte, this 10-volume deep-dive into a youth mentally dealing with his newly awakened, biological need to feed is a visual feast from which Oshimi wants readers to catch the warm coppery waft of life. I fell in love with this title with Volume 2. The initial concept in the visual depiction of hunger - a swirling and distortion of character POV that increases in magnitude with the length of abstinence - feeds right into Oshimi’s Francophilia; post-impressionist landscapes and portraits are definite influences, and other European styles are invoked as well for jaw-dropping art used mainly in chapter breaks. Oshimi’s visual style has improved by leaps and bounds since Flowers of Evil, and that’s saying something given how much I love the visuals in the latter volumes of that title.
Evan Minto
#3: Bloom Into You
It’s been a pretty quiet year for Bloom Into You, with only a single book (volume 6) released in the US. However, 2019 was the year I discovered this wonderful manga, so here it is on my list. Bloom Into You is a yuri manga with an unlikely premise: its main character, Yuu, has never had feelings for anyone, boy or girl. Even when Touko, the seemingly perfect student council president, confesses to her, Yuu feels nothing, but as she spends more time with her she finds a hint of something growing in her heart. Bloom Into You is all about the slow burn, the uncertainty and furtive glances of young love. But what especially sticks out to me is the way it captures — intentionally or not — the experience of asexuality. Where most manga romances follow characters seeking love from others or obliviously stumbling into it while the audience cheers them on, Bloom Into You is about the process of introspection and overthinking, as Yuu tries to figure out if she is even capable of love. Nio Nakatani’s character designs and realistically stylish costumes are a delight, and come to life beautifully in her flowing, evocative art style. I can’t wait to see how this series wraps up next year.
#2: Witch Hat Atelier
It’s rare that I find a manga that I want to read for the artwork alone. Kamome Shirahama’s Witch Hat Atelier is exactly that, and as if the stunning art weren’t enough, the story is also fascinating in its own right. Coco is a village girl who dreams of magic, but rarely gets the chance to interact with the mysterious witches of her country. When a grave mistake causes Coco to unleash a dangerous spell on her village, she gets taken in as a witch’s apprentice and discovers her country’s long-held secret: magical power isn’t innate, but is called forth by drawing magical signs with special ink. Anyone can draw, and thus, anyone can make magic. That direct metaphor for art would be pretty inspiring if Shirahama’s illustration style weren’t so intimidatingly beautiful. Everything from characters to backgrounds is painstakingly rendered in a style that’s halfway between a woodblock print and the textured drawings of Kaoru Mori (A Bride’s Story). The world of Witch Hat Atelier feels tangible, weighty, lived-in, yet simultaneously light and whimsical. I’ve only just started on Coco’s journey, but with art like this I will read just about anything Shirahama puts out.
#1: Chainsaw Man
Viz launched their Shonen Jump app in late 2018, offering easy access to dozens of currently running and retro manga series from Shueisha’s flagship boys magazine. As for me, I jumped into the app and skipped right past One Piece and its ilk to find the most dangerous Shonen Jump manga of all: Chainsaw Man. Denji is a horny 16-year-old boy who makes money by selling off his organs and hunting monsters called “devils.” When he dies (spoilers), his pet chainsaw-dog devil merges with his body, turning him into “Chainsaw Man,” which is basically just “Denji but with chainsaws growing out of his arms and head.” Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga is an unhinged, action-packed spectacle of blood, guts, and bone-headed idiocy, fueled by the antics of Denji (number one goal: “touch some boobs”) and his unstable devil-hunting partner Power (a devil possessing the body of a dead girl). The series is heavy on the comedy, bouncing a cast of morons and psychopaths off of each other in increasingly destructive ways, but it also takes turns into heavy drama and even romance, all of which Fujimoto handles with a surprising amount of sensitivity. The art is scratchy and high-contrast, but full of unforgettable action set pieces including a giant fox demon taking a bite out of a building and a high-speed car chase with a devil who can turn anything she touches into a bomb. Chainsaw Man is the closest thing we’ve got to reading a Hiroyuki Imaishi (Promare) doujin manga in English, so naturally it’s my manga of the year.
Staff Picks: Our Favorite Manga of 2019 originally appeared on Ani-Gamers on January 6, 2020 at 6:53 PM.
By: David Estrella
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Bookshelf Briefs 1/28/19
Ace of the Diamond, Vol. 19 | By Yuji Terajima | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – It’s the West Tokyo finals, determining which team will represent that region at Koshien. Seido is up against the team that barred their path the previous year, Inashiro Industrial, and since it’s a hugely pivotal game, it spans several volumes. This particular installment covers the fourth through seventh innings, during which Seido loses its early one-point lead and eventually falls even further behind when Tanba, ostensibly the ace, takes over pitching duties from a struggling Furuya and immediately gives away a home run. Seido’s not completely out—there are some excellent plays by Furuya (in outfield, trying to atone) and Kuramochi—but it’s definitely going to be a nail-biter. It was also pretty neat that our protagonist, Eijun, only appears when he’s cheering on his teammates. I’m so glad that he finally matured and learned some humility. – Michelle Smith
Dive!!, Vol. 1 | By Eto Mori and Ruzuru Akashiba | Yen Press – This was pretty good, but not good enough for me to have a full review’s worth of things to say about it. It hits all the right sports manga beats, and has some nice pictures of handsome high school boys diving. Their club is about to be shut down, though, unless they can get one of the divers to the Olympics. Enter Kayoko, their new coach, who is ready to make them fantastic divers even if it kills them. There’s a few really good kids there, but our hero is no doubt the one everyone will be watching—he has a very flexible body—and don’t forget the guy trying to get over a head injury while diving in the past. It’s a sports manga, and if you’re a lover of the genre, or like diving, check it out. – Sean Gaffney
Dr. STONE, Vol. 3 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – A much stronger volume of Dr. STONE here, which has ditched the boring part of its cast and reboots itself around its science hero and the village that he’s going to lead into the future. Everything about this works better—there’s a lot more humor now that we’re not dealing with a guy going around shattering humans all the time, and Senku’s mastery of science leads to some great Bobobo-esque faces from the other cast members. Also, there’s a little girl who wears a watermelon on her head, and who promptly ends up on Senku’s side because he doesn’t ask her why she’s doing this. I liked that. This series has gotten a lot more ludicrous, which is all for the better. – Sean Gaffney
Haikyu!!, Vol. 30 | By Haruichi Furudate | Viz Media – Lots of volleyball here, and not much else, meaning as always I’m struggling with things to say other than “that looked pretty cool.” I liked the focus on Tanaka in this book, and how his ability to bounce back from getting down on himself is a big strength. (That said, I think his attempt to hook up with the childhood friend may have just died.) We also get a good long look at Nekoma, who do end up advancing, much to my surprise (they had a few death flags). Who will they be facing? Oh, probably Karasuno, but that game is still going on, and the other team has figured out a weakness in Nishinoya, who’s usually one of the best on the team. How is he going to bounce back? For once, we have a month or two to wait to find out. – Sean Gaffney
High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World!, Vol. 2 | By Riku Misora and Kotaro Yamada | Yen Press – First of all, this manga desperately needs a character sheet at the front, as I’d already forgotten half the cast. Secondly, what is it with isekais needing to show that the local feudal lord is the evilest of all evil guys? So let’s roll out the usual tropes, including a sneering advisor and the jus prima noctis run wild, which allows them to try to rape Lyrule. Of course, it doesn’t happen, because all our heroes are ridiculously brilliant and awesome and can do things like creating nuclear power within their first week of arrival. I assume this is the sort of series for folks who don’t care about OP heroes—if you do, you may burn this. It’s deeply ridiculous. – Sean Gaffney
Himouto! Umaru-chan, Vol. 4 | By Sankakuhead | Seven Seas – There’s a lot of focus on Umaru’s school rival, Tachibana, in this volume. As is fast becoming a trend, Tachibana is seemingly an arrogant ojousama type but in reality is quite a nice person, even if she has a major grudge against Umaru. Fortunately, a easy to see through disguise is able to fool her. There’s also a beach trip, which focuses on the fact that Umaru’s outside persona and her indoor sloth persona are apparently not merely mental states—she literally seems to shrink. This is probably for humor value, but still… it reminds me of The Wallflower. Actually, the whole series does, though in Umaru’s case there are no hot guys coming along anytime soon to rescue her. Cute. – Sean Gaffney
Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun, Vol. 10 | by Izumi Tsubaki | Yen Press – I enjoyed this volume a lot, largely because we got very good scenes between my favorite not-quite-couple, Hori and Kashima, at the beginning and end. They’re great, and the school trip stuff is pretty good too, especially Nozaki realizing he has some kind of special feelings for Sakura (even though it might just be maternal instinct), but what really surprised me was that a scene between Ryousuke (Seo’s older brother) and Miyako (the tanuki-drawing mangaka), two characters I care nothing about, ended up yielding a couple of laugh-out-loud moments as Ryousuke dramatically misunderstands her job and relationships and ends up concluding that Nozaki’s editor, Ken, has a… very interesting occupation. Ken’s reaction to this is priceless and executed with perfect comic timing. Bravo, Tsubaki-sensei! – Michelle Smith
No Game No Life, Vol. 2 | By Yuu Kamiya and Mashiro Hiiragi | Seven Seas – This is the second volume of the manga. Since the first came out, we’ve seen seven volumes of the light novel and four spinoff volumes of a different manga. It’s been over four years—both here and in Japan—between volumes. As such, a review seems almost irrelevant here. If you want a continued adaptation of the first novel in manga form, this is the book for you. The art pretty much still seems like Kamiya’s (I’m assuming his health problems are one reason why it’s so late). and there are some nice designs in the battlefield chess that [ ] has to play. Still, given that there’s no sign of the third volume anytime soon, I’d suggest fans either read the books or watch the anime instead. – Sean Gaffney
Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts, Vol. 4 | By Yu Tomofuji | Yen Press – There’s a nice fakeout here, which I sort of suspected halfway through but was pleased with in any case. It reminds you yet again that Sariphi is not simply going to be able to be pure and sweet and win over everyone who goes against her… except she totally is, because this is that sort of shoujo manga, and she’s basically Tohru without the mother issues. Here we see her practicing a ritual dance that needs to be done perfectly, and when she fails to do so she just requests a do-over and everyone just lets her do it, likely as they’re stunned that she’s even trying to. This is a series that weaponizes the Pollyanna for good, and it’s still a great deal of fun. Shoujo fans will love it. – Sean Gaffney
10 Dance, Vol. 1 | By Inouesatoh | Kodansha Comics – Along with Memeko Arii’s Hitorijime My Hero, Inouesatoh’s 10 Dance marks Kodansha Comics’ initial foray into the BL genre in print. (It is not, however, the first time that the publisher has released a manga about ballroom dancing.) 10 Dance is a series I’ve had my eyes on for a while, so I was absolutely thrilled when it was licensed. The story follows the relationship between two men, Shinya Sugiki and Shinya Suzuki, both exceptionally skilled ballroom dancers. Sugiki specializes in standard while Suzuki focuses on Latin, their contrasting personalities mirroring their chosen dances—Suzuki is generally fiery and bombastic while Sugiki tends to be cool and reserved. Sugiki goads Suzuki into entering the 10-Dance Competition, requiring each of them to master the other’s style. Dancing demands a certain amount of physical intimacy and trust and as they begin training with each other their dancing and complicated rivalry evolves in unexpected ways. – Ash Brown
By: Ash Brown
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Three-Episode Test: Ink's Winter 2017
Welcome (back) to the Three Episode Test, where contributors give you the low-down on what they're watching from the current simulcast season and why.
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
Streaming on Crunchyroll
In what turns out to be the ultimate consequence of beer (sake) goggles, office worker Kobayashi wakes up one morning and forgets a kindness she paid to a dragon in distress the previous night while stumbling through the woods. That creature, named Tohru, then shows up at Kobayashi’s door as she opens it to go to work, morphs into a cute maid (complete with horns and a tail), and moves in with Kobayashi. Hijinks ensue.
The whole “human saves creature, then creature returns to repay human in money/love” theme is a common one in Japanese folklore, but this series carries a way sillier tone than most of those folktales straight off the bat. Also, I’ve evidently got a thing for female drinkers in their thirties who work soul-draining jobs and have spherical heads. What can I say?
My interest in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid lies much more with the defeated malaise with which Kobayashi both walks through her daily life and confronts the reality of supernatural beings than any aspects of her newfound servant or her flying, tail-swinging friends (who also adopt the moé maid form factor as their default domestic countenance). However, I do love some of the choices made in-series regarding the art – specifically colors, framing, postures, and scale. (No pun intended, ‘cause, you know…dragons). This is my surprise long-form comedy of the season.
Fuuka
Streaming on Crunchyroll
A sequel of sorts to Suzuka in that it focuses on the daughter of that title’s protagonist, Fuuka features the titular girl, an aimless high school student who loves music, and a boy (Yuu) who comes to be quite stricken by with her. Fuuka suddenly obsesses over starting a band after meeting the well-intentioned but hapless Yuu, who seems fated to accidentally stare at Fuuka’s panties. But those aren’t the only panties peeking out at Yuu; his sisters can never seem to find anything to wear (literally), and a long-separated childhood friend-turned-pop idol just so happens to suddenly give him a call, a visit, and a romantic conflict.
The first three minutes, let alone those that follow throughout the first three episodes, show exactly what this series is going to be. Even though I’m a sucker for a love triangle drama, overly detailed fanservice and the abundance of it (evidently a trademark of Kouji Seo, the original work’s manga-ka), literally shoved in viewers’ faces via a camera with zero sense of personal space and a leerer’s eye for a lens, severely detracts from what could be the series’ saving graces: Fuuka’s independence and flirty forthrightness; a slightly less-than-usual milquetoast male protagonist; and earnestly inspiring moments of clarity/awe. Other than the cliffhanger confrontation at the end of Episode 3, there’s far too little to entice me to watch this weekly or continue at all.
Interviews with Monster Girls
Streaming on Crunchyroll
As a biology teacher, Tetsuo Takahashi takes a particular interest in the demi-humans – a vampire, a snow girl (yuki onna), a headless girl (dullahan), and a succubus – present at Shibasaki High. Not knowing too much about the daily lives of monster girls, Tetsuo decides to sit down with each and talk with them to gain a greater understanding of both his students and life as creatures not wholly human.
After my gag reflex to Monster Musume, I did not, in any way, ever see myself watching Interviews with Monster Girls (much less genuinely enjoying it). And while this show could easily be titled “Interviews with Mo(nst)é(r) Girls,” the setting, the girls’ ages, and the fact that they’re effectively minorities in a “normal” human school justify their design and demeanor. On top of that, and even though there’s a harem air regarding the male protagonist and the supporting female cast (all the students and even one of the teachers are in love with him to some degree), the series manages to avoid the outright lewd and capture both the humor and reminiscent sweetness inherent in (first) crushes and awkward situations. To that, there’s a great bit of subversion going on regarding the succubus being portrayed as a typical “glasses girl” in an effort to not appeal to a moé-seeking audience, and the detail given to the animation of the dullahan’s eyes, hands, and arms is probably the best thing about the series. All this makes for a good enough excuse to keep watching weekly.
Saga of Tanya the Evil
Streaming on Crunchyroll
In 2013, a callous salaryman/axman gets shoved in front of a train by a disgruntled ex-employee, meets (a) god, and is reincarnated as a little girl (Tanya Degurechaff) in a Germany-like state during a WWI-like war wherein mages provide areal support for ground troops. Cursed by the god she meets and refuses to acknowledge as such (calling it “Being X” instead), Tanya is born with great magical potential but can only use it if she says a prayer first. This is the means by which Being X hopes to instill faith into the salaryman’s soul.
Saga of Tanya the Evil (a much better title than the original Youjo Senki in that it is much sillier) is everything my melodramatic teenage self would have loved. And honestly the outright internal resistance to organized religion or the concept of God in general is still something that strikes a chord with me. Older me likes the more subdued commentary, such as the admission from God in Episode 2 that “Administering seven billion people is already beyond my capacity” as delivered through a frozen-in-time salaryman vessel who’s tired and slumped over his own watch. Teenage me really just likes Tanya’s selfishness and wickedness and things that go boom. Also, the series is pretty much drawn to give excuses to make Tanya smile like a demon, and it’s a pretty great reason to watch. Her VA also really brings the character to life.
One Room
Streaming on Crunchyroll
During this series comprised of less-than-four-minute, POV-based shorts, you're behind the eyes of a mute, university-aged male who gets a knock on his Tokyo apartment door one day. The person knocking turns out to be Hanasaka Yui, a young girl who has just moved into the adjacent apartment. The first, second, and third episodes are, respectively, dedicated to her introduction, her tutelage and going to a public bath, and her cooking and (more) tutelage – all in one room...your room. (Except the public bath…that takes place in a public bath.)
For the loneliness deterrent/masturbation aid it is meant to be to its target audience, this is a fine example of an anime that never needed to be made. My only real gripe with the show, keeping in mind its intended audience, is that it only mostly holds to first person perspective. That is to say that the camera, the show’s very premise, wanders whenever (and wherever) it feels like it. Each betrayal of the show’s mission statement is mostly to ogle Hanasaka from the rear or side (in cuts too quick to be anything other than third person) or her chest (from her own perspective). As is the case when Hanasaka enters an empty room at the beginning of Episode 2, sometimes the camera isn’t even employed for POV and instead simply serves to establish the setting. And while that example might make the case for the first person perspective to be from the room itself, that is obviously not the case; there are different locales after all, and differences in the height from which you, the viewer, look at this girl range from eyelevel to a god-like areal vantage of disapproval.
Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories 4 (sequel)
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Based on the kamishibai aesthetic, Yamishibai: Japanese Ghost Stories specializes in a specific type of scare in each and every season. The first season brings boo scares based on the art style’s uncanny valley effect and laudable storyboarding. The second season focuses on mental distress applied to metaphysical horror. And the highly contested third season, of which Jared and I also talk about at length, brings monster-based horror home in a wonderfully surprising frame story. So what does Season 4 offer so far?
To start, the fourth season of Yamishibai focuses on narration – a typical and prominent aspect of anime against which I usually (and still do) rail. I’ve mixed feelings about it here though. Vocal exposition falls in line with that of the previous seasons, but narration, which lasts the entirety of each tale, at once dilutes the visual execution while imparting inflections, an overall tone, and a pacing that lends to the aural ambience of the story itself. Did I mention that the narrator is a different VA, including a Noh master, in each episode? In another first, Season 4 integrates live action snippets. This simultaneously imparts a jarring otherworldliness and laughable juxtaposition. It’s not the best visual direction, especially given the hitherto held execution of the series, but it’s a strike at something new, and occasionally, even in the first few episodes, it works enough to keep curiosity alive.
Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju: Descending Stories (sequel)
Streaming on Crunchyroll
I’m admittedly cheating on this one since a prior review obligation to the first season made me wait to indulge in the second. In short: I’ve yet to see the requisite three episodes to talk about this sequel to my 2016 AOTY. But if you listen to the two-plus hour podcast I did with Jared, there’s obviously no way in hell I’d not watch the second season in its entirety. I’m invested in these characters and want to see where the story takes them and how it takes them there. Think of the possibilities inherent in the title's pun (pun intended)!
originally appeared on Ani-Gamers on January 28, 2017 at 5:00 PM.
By: Ink
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