You're more amazing than catchphrases

90% of all Yugioh card effects are either "move a card from one zone to another" or "negate an effect" so I made a bunch of combat keywords so that monsters can actually be interesting on the field.

The Music Series: Haikyū Edition! | 1

FIRE FOR YOU ft. Tendou x Reader

Concept: The Music Series will be a collection of one shots based on a song or music video for each story. Titles will be hyperlinked to the song or a music video for your convenience. :)

Summary: You’d known Tendou since elementary school. It was obvious that the two of you would catch feelings some day; unfortunately, you were the first to fall and he wasn’t extending his hand to save you. Warnings: Angst. Thoughts of suicide. Mentions sex.

-

It was chilly as you stood at the red post office box not far from campus, staring at it with several envelopes in your hands. With a sigh, you bit your lip, depositing them. You applied early for universities that were accepting far and wide. Anything to get you out of Japan at this point. Heading back toward campus, you stopped by a vending machine, buying a strawberry milk. Your nose and cheeks were rosy from the cool breeze that nipped at your face.

“Hi, (Y/N)! It’s so chilly out today for September,” a girl you knew from class commented as you stood on the corner together, waiting for the pedestrian light.

“Oh, yes it is,” you replied softly. The two of you fell silent.

“Ah- see you in class,” she spoke quickly, running ahead a few steps when the signal changed. You walked slowly, allowing the distance to grow between you. It was clear your classmate didn’t want to talk for any longer beyond the casual chitchat. Your life was filled with that now.

Walking into your dorm, you slipped off your shoes, and put away your coat and scarf before collapsing onto your bed. This melancholy cloud that followed you was old enough to feel normal, but new enough to still weigh heavily on you. Two more terms, you could endure it.

The next morning, you woke and moved on autopilot. You cared about your appearance still - that was a comfort to you. It meant you hadn’t lost all hope. Smiling at yourself in the mirror, you allowed the expression to fade away as you left the confines of your room. It was probably the only smile you’d muster today. The walk to class was lonely.

“Hey, that’s the cute girl I want to ask out,” whispered a boy as you passed in the hall. He was a third year as well, but in a different class.

“What? You’ve got to be kidding you can’t like her.”

“Why not, man? She’s a looker.”

“She’s that crazy girl from first term!”

Taking your seat, the fourth desk in the first column of desks closest to the door, you waited patiently for class to start, you stared at a spot on the chalkboard, spinning your pen in your hand without much thought to it. It was something you learned when you were small and it became a habit for when you had nothing to do. You almost fumbled your pen when a tall head of red hair walked in, laughing with a group of boys. You refused to let your eyes rest on him for long, turning your head to stare at the wall that separated you from the hallway. You were thankful his seat was next to the window and far away from you. It was almost funny now. You remembered a time when you wished he was much closer.

Tendou Satori had been your other half for all of your youth. You remembered the day you first saw him in elementary school during recess. There was something about the red haired demon boy with a bowl cut as he squatted by himself, using a stick to draw pictures in the dirt. Brave little you picked up a stick and squatted right beside him. You lost a lot of friends that day when you decided to hang out with the demon boy, but you gained Satori and he had been enough for over ten years. Honestly, you never realized he was your only friend until now. As the two of you grew older and volleyball helped him gain confidence, it was easier for him to make friends and the two of you were clearly a package deal. Both sets of your parents joked throughout your friendship that they hoped the two of you would even marry one day.

This past May, just at the start of your third year, had been the beginning of the end of the dynamic duo.

It was his birthday and you had just gotten back to campus from a dinner party with the volleyball club. Satori had been walking with his arm around your shoulders, something he’d done since you two first became friends.

“Ey! Best-chan and I are going to walk around some more. See you tomorrow!” he called out to the boys.

“Happy birthday again Tendou!”

“Goodnight (Y/N)!”

“See you!”

Soon it was just the two of you walking around campus, laughing and teasing one another. The two of you ended up in a game of tag before laying out on the soccer field, tired and breathing heavy. Reaching into your small purse, you pulled out an envelope and dropped it on his chest.

“Oh Best-chan, I though you forgot,” he spoke with a teasing tone, opening the envelope. Inside was a hand embroidered patch you spent weeks working on that said GUESS MONSTER. “I love it! You did this on your own didn’t you. You’re so talented. Will you put it on my sports jacket?”

“Of course!” You turned over so you lay on your stomach, propping yourself up by your arms so you could see his face better. Bending your legs at the knees, you casually kicked your legs behind you. “Sa-Sa, are you happy with your birthday this year?”

He thought carefully about his day. “Well, there’s one thing I want.”

“What is it?”

He looked over to you slyly and his voice was teasing. “I don’t know.”

You laughed at him and rolled your eyes. “I didn’t think you’d be embarrassed.”

“I’m not the one who’d be embarrassed, Best-chan.” He pouted and gently bumped your shoulder. “Don’t act weird when I ask you, okay? You can say no.”

You perked up a bit, realizing it had something to do with you. “Promise.”

“I want us to be friends with benefits, (Y/N).”

Shaking your head, you sat up to pay attention when the teacher walked in, standing to bow and say the good morning greeting. Taking your seat, you focused on your lesson and prayed for classes to be interesting and for time to pass quickly.

It was during your third class when a student came to deliver a note to the teacher.

“(Y/N), you’ve been requested to the teacher’s room.”

Standing, you bowed before leaving, ignoring the gazes of your classmates. As you walked the hall to approach the teacher’s room, you spotted Coach Washijou standing there, stern as ever. You bowed in respect.

“(Y/N), I’ll keep this simple. I need you to come back to the club,” he spoke.

“Coach, the boys don’t want me there.”

“Then they’re idiots! You’re the best manager I’ve ever had. You’ve been with us since your first year and these kids were spoiled by you. All they know is how to play,” he spoke loudly, clearly annoyed thinking about the team. “I don’t know what happened and I don’t care. This team won’t succeed if they don’t have the perfect support and that’s you. You graduate this year right? So I’ll also need you to train your replacement to do things exactly as you. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow morning. You should remember the time. Don’t be late.”

Did this grown adult just bully you? Holding back your sigh of annoyance, you simply bowed, understanding that was the end of discussion and headed back to class.

He barked at your retreating figure, “And learn to smile again, team manager!”

Excellent.

As you approached the classroom door, you stopped, hand on the door knob. You peered through the small window of the classroom, eyes floating over the faces of some of your classmates. Sighing, you backed away, and headed to your dorm to change. You needed to get out of here.

Throwing on a pink crop top and black overalls with the legs cuffed and slipping into some white Keds, you grabbed a crossbody purse and coat before heading into town. You walked along the river, kicking stones on the sidewalk. Crossing the river, you found yourself approaching the Gokoku Shrine at Sendai Castle. You followed the traditional religious practices by the book: purifying yourself with water, depositing a 5 yen coin for luck, ringing the bell, bowing twice and clapping twice, making sure not to skip a step. There weren’t many people around, so you took your time as you prayed. You felt tears well and slip from the corners of your eyes.

You were still gasping, taking in shaky breaths, your nerves still sending signals through your body. Arms and legs wrapped around you tightly as kisses were placed along your shoulder. Tendou nuzzled his face against your neck, pressing more kisses to your skin. 

“You’re so good,” he mumbled into your ear, kissing your cheek. Turning your head slightly, your noses touched. He yawned and gave you an eskimo kiss before pressing his lips against yours.

“Really?” you whispered quietly, suddenly very conscious of yourself.

He laughed and nodded. “You feeling okay?”

“I feel... really different. I don’t really know,” you were honest with him. This had been your first time and now that it happened you were so thankful that it was your best friend. It made it so easy to communicate and you didn’t feel embarrassed for being unsure or telling him when you didn’t like something.

With a teasing smile, he blew a raspberry on your cheek. “Remember Best-chan, just don’t fall in love with me! You promised.”

Laughing, you rolled your eyes. “Who’d fall for you, Guess-chan?”

Stretching out, he got up and headed to the bathroom and left you alone. Biting your lip, you curled up into a ball, a sense of insecurity bubbling up within you. You heard the water running for the tub and he popped his head back out and your fears disappeared in a heartbeat. “Let’s clean up. I’ll give you a bath!”

Biting your lip, you bowed once more in thanks before stepping away. Wiping tears from your cheeks, you walked around the temple grounds.

“Miss?”

Looking up, you saw the shrine’s kannushi. He smiled peacefully at you. You bowed to him.

“How can I help you?” you asked, offering your own smile.

“Would you walk with me a bit?” he asked. Nodding, you walked with him silently. “The weather’s so nice isn’t it?”

“Ah, I suppose. It’s getting colder.”

“Yes, it is, but soon it will be spring again and everything will be new again. Bad weather will always pass. I saw you pray. I was very concerned to see the heavy cloud over you.” You said nothing in response, wringing your hands together. He stopped walking and you stilled as well. “Here. This is for you. I’ll be sure to ask kami to give your prayer extra consideration.”

Shiawase. A happiness amulet.

Arms were wrapped lazily around you as you lay in bed with Tendou after a very active evening. The two of you had bathed and Tendou put new sheets on the bed, the usual post intimacy ritual. Now the two of you were watching the newest episode of an anime he’s been following and cuddling. This had been going on for months now and it had been incredible.

The two of you had always been close, but now it felt like a different level. You knew so much more about him now. Both of you shared mindless and sometimes deep thoughts with one another that one usually wouldn’t speak of and gave each other the intimate affection you both craved. You hadn’t realized you were missing out on feeling loved in this way. 

“Tendou, I have something for you.” You reached over into the drawer of your nightstand, pulling out a charm and hanging it in front of his face. “Kaiun. It’s a good luck talisman.”

His eyes sparkled as he looked at the charm that was as red as his hair. “You’re the best, Best-chan. Next match we win’s for you!”

Accepting it, you bowed. “Thank you so much.”

He hummed, a pleasing sound emitting from him as he nodded his head and bid you good day, going on his way. When he was out of sight, you headed back to campus. Tomorrow was going to be a long day with how early you’d have to get up.

It was 5AM when your alarm went off. Going through your routine, you put your hair up in a dutch braid and dressed in your maroon shorts and a white t-shirt. Grabbing your forgotten team manager jacket from the back of your closet, you headed to the gymnasium and punched in the code, opening it up. You found the lights easily in the dark from years of routine. It took only a few minutes to check your old notes and prepare drinks for the team. You rolled out the giant carts of volleyballs before setting up the net and getting towels for the team. Checking your watch, you headed over to the gym door and stood, waiting to greet the coach and players.

Ushijima was the first to arrive.

“Good morning, Ushijima.”

The towering captain acknowledge you, politely bowing in response. “I see Washijou was successful.”

“He’s not an easy person to reject.”

He hummed in agreement. “Do your best then.”

Soon the team trickled in, every one of them surprised to see you greet them; it seemed the captain was the only one the coach decided to discuss this situation with. Coach Washijou seemed quite smug and greeted you formally when he arrived. The only one missing was Tendou. Sighing, you went ahead and set up the safety net over the entry way to keep balls from escaping on accident. It was time to start practice and he was always late.

Fifteen minutes later you heard a series of apologies as Tendou slipped in, laughing off his tardiness. Coach Wahijou wasn’t having it and immediately had the boy doing flying laps until he said stop. Biting your lip, you tried not to take pleasure in him getting punished, or from the expression on his face when his gaze landed on you. You spent the morning running errands for Coach Wahijou, refilling sports drinks, collecting strays, and tossing balls for sets. It’d been a while, but you did your best to record stats for review and take notes of what Coach had to say. At the end of practice, Coach announced you were officially returning and dismissed everyone. He told you to just take care of water bottles and towels then to head off for school so you were out of there pretty quickly without having to talk to anyone.

Time seemed to tick by slowly. Tendou had made eye contact with you when he walked into class, sending you a look of pure confusion. You could feel him staring at you throughout your classes; a burning feeling. When school ended, you were quick to leave and get ready for volleyball practice, setting up just as you did that morning, except this time the boys were there putting up the nets. Coach Wahijou introduced you to the first year that would be taking over as team manager when you graduated. You had them pump air into the balls and take care of the laundry from this morning’s practice. Every once in a while, when there was time, you’d show them how to record stats and how they needed to keep notes on how each player had preferences, for example the way they liked their sports drinks made and how to tell when each player was getting tired; it was important to know when you were needed.

A few hours later, practice ended and you were putting things away in the storage room while your first year took care of the drink bottles and towels. You were looking for the push broom when a shadow fell over you.

“I love you.”

It was a whisper, but he heard it. His face was stoic and his body stopped moving, an extreme contrast from his wild and passionate expressions just moments ago. You laid beneath him in his shadow, breathing labored, eyes glazed with need and confusion. Without any further hesitation, he got off of you, slipping on his clothes and heading for the door.

“Satori wait! I’m sorry,” you sat up with realization, wrapping a sheet around you. “Please. I didn’t-”

Turning around, he gave you a look that had never been directed at you before and you felt almost fearful of it, stopping you from finishing your sentence.

“Get out. We’re done. Don’t be here when I come back.” Opening the door, he quickly left, leaving you to cry alone.

“So you’re back.”

Pretending not to notice him, you continued about your search, heading further into the room. Sighing, at not seeing the broom, you crawled over a couple of boxes, looking behind a shelving unit.

“When’d you decide to rejoin?”

Not there either. Bending down, your expression relaxed, finding the broom shoved under the shelving unit. Grabbing it, you turned around to find him in your way. The sight of him standing there gave you flashbacks of the intimate and compromising positions you’d been in with him in here. Your eyes fell to the patch on the shoulder of his sports jacket, the one you made for him.

Blinking, you spoke plainly, your voice more quiet than you had meant to be, “Excuse me, I have to sweep the gym and study before it gets late.”

“How’ve you been?” he tried again.

You raised a brow in response. Was he really trying to ask you that?

He laughed a little, clearly uncomfortable, and ran a hand through his hair. He picked up a volleyball from the cart and spun it in his hands. “Did you ever decide on plans for after graduation?”

Did he genuinely want to make small talk? Doubtful. Your face stayed expressionless, but your eyes spoke volumes and you wondered if he could see your pain. “Does it matter?”

“We haven’t spoken in months,” he stated, gripping the volleyball tightly in his large hands. “I just want to know what’s going to happen to you.”

“Satori, do you have a minute?”

He was chatting in the hallway with a few boys from class when you approached him. He didn’t even turn to acknowledge you. You stood there awkwardly, your classmates staring at you while your best friend ignored your existence. Biting your lip, you bowed your head, “Sorry for bothering you all. Please excuse me.”

“Tendou, (Y/N) looked like she had something important to say.”

“Did you guys get into a fight or something?”

“I don’t know what she wants and I don’t care. She’s crazy.”

Tendou’s words felt like being stabbed by a thousand knives.

Your gaze was fierce as you looked him in the eye. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to ask me those questions and you don’t get to know the answers. Now get out of my way so I can finish with practice.”

Stunned, he let you pass him. Thankfully he didn’t bother you again the rest of clean up. Knowing him, it was because of the first year’s presence around you. It created a buffer zone. You closed up the gym when you were finished. It took a bit longer so you decided you needed to go straight to bed in order to get up early enough to set up morning practice again.

Weeks continued on like this and soon it was nearing the Spring High Representative Playoffs in October. It only took a couple of weeks for your first year to get up to speed. You had them handling clean up for you, allowing you to get out of practices quickly. What you truly wished for was for them to already know how to organize and help run training camps so you could go home for a weekend instead of being stuck in a different prefecture at some other school with Tendou Satori for several days.

The bus ride to the training camp was insufferable. Tendou sat right behind you and burned holes into the back of your head. When everyone finally got to camp it only took a day for him to finally corner you alone. Thankfully, a few of the players from the university interrupted him and you could get away. Unfortunately, he was persistent.

“(Y/N), let’s talk,” he spoke seriously one evening. He had waited for you to finish your evening shower before bed and intercepted you in the stairwell on your way back to the female team manager’s room. When you said nothing, he continued, “Look, I know you’re still hurt-”

“Tendou!” you yelled at him, your voice echoing through the stairwell. “I confessed my feelings and you told me to get out. Then you wouldn’t speak to me when I begged you to and you even said lies about me. Hurt doesn’t describe it.” You still felt broken and beyond repair.

Soon after Tendou called you crazy, there were whispers, stories that got crazier and crazier with every time they were retold. Everything from Tendou being a victim of your lifetime of stalking to you being mentally unstable after he rejected you circulated around your class. You tried to approach Tendou to get him to stop the rumors, but he only ignored you and it fueled the stories.

So you stopped.

You stopped trying to talk to him before you made it worse. You did everything you could to limit being around him from changing how you walked to class, quitting as the team manager, and even asking for a class change - which was denied. You no longer looked in his direction if you could help it. You ate lunch alone. You kept to yourself.

People who you thought were friends avoided you, but continued to talk with Tendou, making you realize that you never had friends. You had Tendou and Tendou had friends. It made you laugh at how things had turned around. Before Tendou, you had plenty of friends and he had none. Now look at you both.

For weeks after school, you’d leave campus and walk to the Gokoku Shrine. When you crossed the bridge over the Hirose River, you’d contemplate your own end. You’d then go to the shrine and pray about it, asking for those dark thoughts to go away. It happened only once, but one night you even dared to stand on the parapet. 

One day, out of the blue, the whispers at school no longer stabbed at you. When you crossed the bridge, you didn’t have dark thoughts anymore. You stopped going to the shrine as often. Slowly, you let yourself change, studying harder and making it a goal to leave Japan. You’d remove yourself from the situation in a different way. The world was too large to stay in Japan. You’d start somewhere new.

“If you want to apologize, then do it. Just leave me alone afterwards. I’m so tired of everything. I wish it never happened.” He stood there silently and you felt it was so typical of him to not even apologize. You moved to walk past him, but he stood in your way. Making a second attempt to pass him, he reached for your hand and you slapped it away. “Enough, Tendou.”

He left you alone for the rest of training camp. In fact, he didn’t try to speak to you again until after the Spring High Playoffs. Their loss to Karasuno was a heavy hit. He tried talking to you about something mundane like his sports drink not being prepared correctly by the first year, and even though you wanted to tell him to go figure it out, you silently took care of it, knowing how much the loss was hurting everyone. Coach Washijou immediately put you to work in organizing a First Year Training Camp to be held at Shiratorizawa in early December and thankfully that kept you busy. 

It was the day before the training camp and you found yourself walking through town, headed toward the shrine to say a prayer. When you were leaving, you stopped at the top of the steps, looking out at the skyline. It was supposed to snow soon. You were half way down the stairs when you saw Tendou waiting at the bottom of the steps. Pausing before him, for the briefest of moments, you headed back to campus. He’d been silently walking with you until you got to the bridge where you stopped half way across. 

When you didn’t move, he cleared his throat and spoke calmly, “We know I’m not the type to apologize. I did those things because I meant to at the time. But I look back and I’m filled with regret. I ruined our friendship on purpose. I set us up to fail because... I was falling in love with you every day. I was going to fix it, but I wasn’t ready yet, then everything got so bad from the rumors. I didn’t mean for it to explode like it did.”

Your shoulders tensed at his words. “Why did you do it? If you didn’t mean for it, why did you let it happen? Why did you want to sleep with me?”

“To know what love was... And I learned it’s painful. Before you even said it, I could tell you loved me too, just by how you looked at me, but as long as you never said it out loud, it was fine. Then, when you said you loved me, I remembered how lonely it was before you. I couldn’t look at you anymore. You got in my head. After I walked out, I thought about what to do. Loving me meant you could stop one day, so I chose when to end it to get it over with instead of going through these feelings again in the future.”

“You didn’t even consider that it could work out between us and doomed us from the start. That’s weak and so selfish. And you’re an idiot.”

“I guess I’m all those things.”

“I don’t think you’re justified in what you did and I know you'll never apologize, but you said more than I ever expected you to. So what do you want from me?”

He was silent, thinking hard about what he wanted. “Right now, I guess I just want to know if you’ll be okay.”

You leaned against the parapet of the bridge, looking down at the river as the icy water flowed. “I used to think of dying every time I crossed this bridge. I walked to the shrine every day and I’d think of jumping. Maybe the water would put out this fire I felt burning away at me and end it all. Then I’d go and pray for those thoughts to go away.”

“So praying worked?” he asked, leaning against the parapet with you.

“Maybe.” You exhaled and watched the cloud of warm breath swirl and disappear before your eyes. “You learn to stop loving me?”

“Maybe. I thought so for a while, but I’m not sure anymore.” He peered over at you. “Did you? Stop loving me, I mean.”

“I still cry about you, so probably not.”

“Oh.”

-

Let me know if you want to be tagged in any future Haikyū!! content I create!

tag list: @hihiq​

Hello! Someone who doesn't watch Super Sentai here. Could you tell me what yours thoughts are on why Hasbro decided to adapt Ryoulsuger (i bet i misspelled that) instead of a previous one like ToQer, LuPat (misspelled those too, didn't I), the one with the animals or the one in space. Maybe they want to do something more "traditional" before adapting the more "different" shows?

Okay so the simple answer is “dinosaur robots sell” but I have Opinions so LET’S GO!!!

ToQger is a great show. Cute characters. Engaging plot. A genius fucking plot twist. Brightly colored, dynamic suits.

It is also about trains.

Now in Japan, well… trains are a bit more a part of life there; it makes SENSE. But, really… when I think of trains in America I think Thomas. Also, it’s megazord can grow a dick, technically. Look it up.

That said, ToQger would make a great season!!! It has bright colors and an Orange Ranger (Something never before seen on-screen in PR unless you count Kat Manx, who is officially White). The color changing is so fun. It’s big bad is human and I do so love villains with non-monster forms. (Relating to the BeMo half of the trailer, CONGRATULATIONS ROXY FOR BEING THE FIRST MULTICOLORED FEMALE RANGER I ADORE YOUR EVIL FACE!!!)

But by this point it’s been skipped over several times, so… well, fingers crossed.

Lupinranger vs Patoranger is MY FAVORITE SENTAI. W Red killed me. The suits are amazing in their clear differences yet simultaneous similarities. The characters are all so entertaining.

However: heroes fighting.

It’s been done before, but those heroes in America have always been simply manipulated/brainwashed/mind controlled/corrupted/etc. into being villains.

THAT said, my prayer is that they’re saving LuPato for the 30th anniversary. Between the repainted old props as Lupin Collection pieces, the fact that the Core Patrangers (a POLICE TEAM) are the colors of Syd and Bridge, as well as what Sky THOUGHT his color would be, as we near the year of SPD (2025), the fact that Ryusoulger has a crossover with LuPat, and the old concept of Hexagon (basically Power Rangers: Civil War), I’m being a hopeful dumbass. Alternatively, could totally make the Lupins and Pats two Rivals in some sort of hero contest.

…I haven’t seen enough of Zyouhger to argue it, but I think it’s blocky style mixed with cool animals and fun suits would sell, if they hadn’t JUST made an animal Sentai. Maybe in a series or two. Maybe. (Hasbro could you like… air two different PRs a year all these excess Sentai are killing me)

As for Kyuranger, rumor is that Hasbro doesn’t want to touch Yellow’s pointy helmet. Other than that, I WANT IT SO MUCH. The mecha? Gorgeous. The suits? So utterly unique. The potential to bring in Ari and Remi from the comics in as mentors P L E A S E ! ! !

Also a season NOT ON FUCKING EARTH would be great thank you.

But, as for Ryusoulger… Dinosaur robots sell. The suits are pretty, Hasbro has got my hopes up after BeMo that they could fix the Nada/Gaisorg arc, especially its end (the death was just so messy and badly written despite the end of the episode goodbye message Breaking me). I’m hoping for an extra girl Ranger, since that seems to be the Thing these days with one girl teams (Kendall, Avatar Roxy).

Also knights. That would be… so cool if they included that part.

And, yeah, it’s also just a Safe Bet. Mighty Morphin, Dino Thunder, and Dino Charge are all LOVED by the fans. They sell well, too. There’s tradition there, no Era without their Dino team (Saban/MM, Disney/DT, Neo-Saban/DC). But this… this will also be the first series with NO relation to Saban, and BeMo was in the works already when Saban sold. Using tradition, hopefully, they can show off exactly what this era will meet.

And I really want to believe that it’ll be good.

tl;dr a lot of bullshit reasons, some hopes, and money + hopefully making their name.

Aesthetics and Evil

So, I’ve been thinking about something lately. It’s a bit hard to explain, having to do with a lot of sort of vague concepts that I am not particularly educated on. But I will endeavor to be as clear as possible.

This has to do with how evil is presented in fiction, and in media in general. Bad guys, acts of cruelty and violence, and those who perpetrate it. The power of aesthetics to shape the way that people view the world around them. The morality of using the finely honed skills of modern artists to push an ideological agenda, and what effect that can have even, and especially, when it’s unintentional.

I think that fiction warps the way people perceive the world, and makes them reach for easy, aesthetically-oriented answers instead of actually engaging with ideas. This isn’t to say that people are lazy, but the world is complicated and loud, and they’re going to take shortcuts whenever possible. It’s only human.

But that’s a bit heavy and dense. Let’s start with something simple: The Picture of Dorian Gray.

In this famous novel by Oscar Wilde, a young dandy has his portrait painted by a friend. He becomes obsessed with the idea of not growing old, but more importantly not having his appearance blemished by any sins he may commit in his life. And lo, a miracle happens and it comes true, the painting suffers the effects of his misdeeds, and ages in his stead.

In modern interpretations, it is often simplified into the painting aging while he remains young. But it is a big point in the original that for every horrible thing Dorian does, the painting is altered in some way. The idea being that the evil in his heart is externalized more and more as he indulges in it.

When I saw a stage version of this story at the Book-It theater last year, this really stuck out to me, because that’s not actually how it works, in real life. You can’t see a “curl of cruelty” on someone’s lip. Immorality is not necessarily externalized, and even in the modern media climate we have to learn this lesson over and over again. Bill Cosby didn’t get uglier every time he assaulted an unconscious victim. Louis CK didn’t have a shine of cruelty in his eyes even as he continued to victimize women. Evil thoughts and actions do not have an effect on appearance, actually.

Who do we have to keep learning this lesson? What is the cause of this cultural amnesia? We expect evil people to announce themselves through their aesthetics as well as their actions, because that’s the way it works in basically all fiction, everywhere.

Stories are crafted, by human hands and minds. They don’t spring fully-formed from the aether, people think about what they’re making, and the put a lot of work into it. There are all sorts of techniques of various sorts used to imply things subtly, to clue the audience in without saying it outright. The use of colors, shapes, tones, staging, camera direction, all sorts of different things, combine into what I refer to under the broad umbrella of “aesthetics”. This is what I mean when I say that “evil” is usually accompanied by appropriate aesthetics.

So, when you spend your whole life seeing this presented to you in media, that evil always warps the world around it to be presented a certain way, why, it’s only natural that you actually think that way. When you’re taught something, so universally if subtly, it can only affect the way you think!

This isn’t to say that this is universal, or absolute. I absolutely do not mean to say such a thing. It varies from person to person, and even then there’s the matter of taste, which is in fact the most dangerous and troublesome thing of all.

You see, the intentions of artists don’t really amount to a hill of beans when it comes to interpretation by the audience. When I was a kid, watchin’ cartoons and movies, I often sympathized with the villains because they were more interesting, visually and conceptually.

Let’s use a concrete example: I love the aesthetic of the Republic of Zeon in the Universal Century series of Gundam media. They’ve got the cooler-looking giant robots. They have cool uniforms. I like the idea of a group of space colonies declaring and fighting for their independence from Earth.

Also, Zeon is fascistic and unimaginably monstrous, according to the fiction of the series. But that almost all plays out off-screen. In the lead-up to the original Mobile Suit Gundam, one third of humanity is killed in a variety of atrocities committed by Zeon. Their leaders are horrible, power-grubbing monsters who fall to infighting, but they’re characters and they’re interesting. So, despite all that, I still like them.

Now, I happen to be aware of all this extra backstory, but there are an awful lot of fans of Zeon among the fans of Gundam, who are in it purely for the aesthetics of the robots and whatnot. There’s a lot of Zeon merchandise. There’s a lot of sympathy for these horrible fascists, who keep coming back and losing over and over again.

This kind of appreciation can start out as ironic, and morph into something more sincere with repetition and time. Or with the intervention of just the right kind of charismatic individuals. The appreciation for this kind of aesthetic is easy to co-opt, especially since it’s based on fascistic regimes in the first place!

The problem is that people will engage more with aesthetics than ideas, because media presents aesthetics as a shortcut to ideas. But it’s all open to interpretation, and people aren’t always going to take everything seriously.

This all goes back to an idea I’ve had rattling around in my head for ages, and I’m not sure exactly where it came from. A lot of different places, I suppose. But it’s this: it’s impossible for evil people to create good art. Anything they make is ugly. All art produced by Nazi Germany, for example, is actually ugly, because it’s promoting fascism and genocide and whatnot.

But that’s just not true. That’s sticking your head in the sand, and saying that the sky is green. It’s putting ideas ahead of aesthetics, which is all well and good when you’re talking hypothetically and engaging only with ideas, but in reality it falls completely flat.

Look, I’m not comin’ out here going to bat for fascists and murderers and rapists, saying you should give their art a chance. What I’m saying is aesthetics have no inherent ideology. Using aesthetics is just a skill, like any other. You wouldn’t say that a plumber must be bad at his job because he’s a racist. The evil of great art and artists isn’t something that’s just for you, personally, to confront, but to consider in a wider, societal context.

You can say that fascism is inherently ugly ‘til the cows come home, but I will still look at the fight between Norris Packard and the 08th MS Team and think he looks super fucking cool. If you teach people to rely on aesthetics for hints towards ideology, they will do it.

All I’m saying is... be aware of it.

My review of ONE

Hello I’m Andy and I’m going to give my full honest opinion about the things in ONE I love. It’s giving me a lot of hope and something to look forward to. So let’s get into it. Characters: OFF was full of interesting bosses and characters. ONE has even more. Playing as a child is not a new concept, but ONE pulls it off in the best way possible. Doux is the son of Zacharie which is a character we know well if you played or watched OFF. This introduces a familiar element with a new one. This sets an tone of learning, which is vital for these types of stories. The player slides in so smoothly into the situation. Each character is introduced formally, but not completely. Every interaction feels special. These characters are much more than their roles. Doux- I can’t get enough of this child. He has the traits that make him so lovable while avoiding most classic tropes. Doux isn’t subject to being ‘perfect’, but he doesn’t fall into a narrow track of a character must be extremely flawed or extremely perfect. He mannerisms come off as endearing and sometimes encouraging to the player. I’m not even fond of children, but god I love this kid. His intentions are so pure, I can’t help but want to follow. Doux’s large eyes and overall real toddler like appreance helps. It reminds you, you are indeed watching over a child. Doux manages to have a cute overlook despite some otherwise monster-like features with don’t overtake his prime look. Doux can just as easily became frightening, with a look that makes the player startled and beckons a need of carefulness, worrying about Doux’s safety. He becomes scary while still sympathic. Buttons- While a silent character, there is something sentimental about having him on your team. A gift from Zacharie and something just makes me feel like Buttons belongs. There’s not much personality here, but he’s a great companion and I love this little plush toy just being around for Doux. The design is simple but deeply reminiscent of a childhood doll. He stands out enough from normal specters, but fits in alongside them. Blight- This character came at just the right time. He starts off as a merchant and through the game provides a sense of progress. You get to see him in the world’s you pass. He’s not overbearing and shows some honest interaction later on. He’s not exposed right away which is something that happens a lot. Instead his reasoning and expotition are slowly added. He’s the big brother type that was needed. He’s the cynical to counteract Doux’s optimism. This gives the player two views of the world they explore in. Blight also provides a center point on which the world that Doux is unaware of. His design is one of the more complex but fitting. Blight’s design is burned into a feeling of struggle and suffering. He continues on with it regardless, but its very clear. His features all show a much darker tone to the world and one could happen in it. He also manages to very much appear like a mistake when compared to what he was made to be. This becomes him, he’s not a carbon copy. He’s Blight. Which is cleverly shown in small design choices like the longer ears and differencing in face. Viola- God I love this character so much. Her interactions are delightful, like every other character in this game. She’s friendly and has a wit to her that makes her charming. She takes the place of Blight as a merchant. Her story isn’t completely known yet, but it makes her quite the yarn to unspin. She’s a smile waiting every time you go and buy from her. Her all around interactions with the world ake her feel more than just a merchant, which is something I love in this game. Her color choices are spot the fuck on and I love it. Pink and blue stand out on her well, while also having those white and gray tones. She’s so different from the other characters but somehow fits in so well. Her strangeness is captured in her design fantastically. Goutte- This lil fucker was a great starting boss. He has enough connection to start the bat off but not too much to overload the player. Having a boss like this is ideal, as overloading the player in the beginning can leave story telling fuzzy. He had enough in him to make his interaction with you one that was mostly out of anger. Though once defeated the spite is somehwat distilled. This set up a good pathway to more complex and enriching bosses. A very simple design but an enjoyable one.  Chahal- This was a great boss to fight and a wonderful zone. He was satisftying to watch, which the inner workings showing a lot about him before even facing him. His brief moments of talking had clear motive. He seems so relaxed. His possible fear or regret make him quite the character to try and understand. The green in his design is very pleasing visually. It’s very interesting where the option could clearly have been blue, but green is very pleasant. He’s lightly pissed off in a relaxed or cocky form. I enjoy it. Oculi- A very cool and calculating figure that leads into a lot deeper plot. His design mixed with gray/red/blue is very nice. Despite his design he’s not nearly as vain or high and mighty as I expected, but the change is welcomed. He’s even calmer than Chahal. He knows things and I’m all for it.  Hathath- The most plot based boss at the best time. This is were the story is needed most and he directs it perfectly. His zone and him a very much tied together. The horror and his apathy are terrifying and it fuels the plotline well. He’s the boss I want to fight the most. His relationship with existance itself seems to reflect how he believes his zone should be. His full honesty on how fucked everything is, is pretty nice. His cloaked, bandaged appreance always feels as though he’s hiding himself or his real self.  Corpse Batter- Probably the most interesting spin on The Batter I’ve seen. He’s put in a morally gray way. His past crimes aren’t hidden, but he is not empty of all kindness. His design fucks me up too this day and shows so much about what’s changed. His add-ons are literally in his spine. His outfit if very befitting of a reaper type. Laisser- I favor this boy more than I should have. This is the character that effected me most. The way he talks and the way he ends up will eat me alive everytime. He appears lonely, easy to push around, and sad. He gains my sympathy quietly. His need to have a friend made Dopple. This dependence shows up between them, Laisser needing Dopple to have company and complete his tasks. I have a hard time faulting this character. From hair to clothes, I love how he looks. He’s cute and his stitch eye and heart are my favorite things. His hoodie is something I’d want to buy. He certainly seems older than Doux, but he still feels like he’s growing and maturing.  Doppledanger- One of the most fun and confusing characters. He’s fun to meet but extremely terrifying in using truama to try and snag Doux. His whole design feels like a mimic in the best way. He feels and looks like something not quite of flesh. His relationship with Laisser feels split. He cares for Laisser, but has a very cruel way of trying to get Laisser’s goat. His shifting masks and forms are my favorite parts.  Specters/Elsens/Frog people- I just felt like adding these guys because i could. They all feel natural in their enivornments and the have small traits that make them feel live like. They’re really fun for background npcs. Pacing: The pacing in this game is so perfect. Everything is put together so fucking well. It starts with a sense of very light dread which evolves into a sense of desperate hussle. None of the story is spoiled too early and there is enough smaller details sprinkled in. It takes awhile to get to the main plot but each section is full of stepping stones to get to each boss. The stakes get a lot higher as the plot continues. Each zone is different and full of activites and extras that take away from emptiness that a lot of games have, but in a useful or enriching way. Nothing feels rushed into place like someone ran out of time and pushed a zone or event forward. Everything happens in keen order.  Design: God where to I begin? Mostly this will be level design. Adding extra elements to the zones was a welcomed changed. The ice, the park, the extra worlds, everything! Colors are used to an absolute t and it’s beautiful. This game makes usual nasty colors look fantastic. The moving backgrounds in certain places and the added effects are a nice break from the straight and narrow. People seem to want to stick too closely to the original OFF and fear breaking the lines a little. This stuns creativity. ONE expands the world far beyond the original, making it easier to invest in. Most of the puzzles and challenges come in a wide varity and it different ways than expected.

Artstyle: I could kiss ass about this style all day. It’s something very different from the standard and it works well with the themes. Everything can come off as cute or terrifying in the blink of an eye. It’s got a very memorable look and each new scene, object, or character brings out the style’s charm. I’ve always loved Fire’s art. Every character is strikingly different from each other.  Overview: ONE is one of my favorite games. It’s got a lot of OFF like mannerisms while having it’s own story, characters, and style that takes you throught the game. Even if OFF wasn’t really your thing I’m sure you could enjoy ONE.  Every inch of it is decorated in love and I am so in love with it. Explore the world and get wrapped up in a whole new story. Please give the creator lots of love! @chimakiisane has worked very hard on ONE and I completely adore it~ I know I repeated myself a lot through this review, but it’s wonderful and an expirence all on it’s own. 

Miitopia joins this week’s Nintendo eShop roundup

It’s time to check out the latest offerings on the Nintendo eShop. This week’s highlights includes the Mii-inspired role-playing shenanighans of Miitopia. You could also settle the score with the multiplayer mayhem of Knockout City. Or revisit apocalyptic Tokyo in the remastered classic, Shin Megami Tensei III.

Check out the full list of new releases below. With so much to choose from, where will your gaming journey take you this week? Let us know in the comments section or on our socials!

Nintendo Switch

Miitopia – Journey through a vast world battling enemies on a mission to rescue faces stolen by the villainous Dark Lord. Miitopia lets you customize your quest by creating Mii characters of your friends and family, or anyone you choose, and then casting them in a hilarious series of escapades. Plus, you’ll have even more customization choices when creating your Mii characters in Miitopia with the addition of wigs and makeup. In this whimsical adventure, you can assign your team of Mii characters individual personalities, along with jobs like Warrior, Chef and Pop Star which will determine their approach to combat. Laugh along as your best friend and dear old grandma team up in the fantasy adventure of a lifetime! Miitopia will be available on May 21.

Knockout City – Throw, catch, pass, dodge and tackle your way to glory! Team up and duke it out with rival Crews in Knockout City to settle the score with epic dodgeball battles. Brace yourself for outrageous fun and intense competition in a new take on team-based multiplayer games. Customize your character and form a Crew with friends to start your Knockout City takeover. Knock out opponents with trick shots and coordinated teamwork while dodging and catching balls flying across the map. No ball? No problem! You can ball up, roll into a teammate’s hands and become the ultimate weapon. Knockout City will be available on May 21.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster – Reawaken your inner demon in a modernized version of the acclaimed ATLUS classic, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne. What begins as a normal day in Tokyo turns out to be everything but, when the Conception – an ethereal apocalypse – is invoked. The remains of the world are swallowed by chaos as a demonic revolution descends into a broken city. Caught between a battle of Gods and demons, the choices you make can bring life, rebirth or death, and determine who triumphs. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster will be available on May 24.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online

Caveman Ninja (also known as Joe & Mac) – Can cave-dudes Joe and Mac rescue the lost cave-dudettes? In this action game from 1991, life was pretty cool for Joe and Mac until a bunch of Neanderthal nerds crashed their village. The dudes will have to leap to the rescue and jump, dash and use roll attacks to get past the stone-age obstacles in their way. Just make sure to pick the best weapon for the situation, and the boys are sure to make it through! Caveman Ninja will be available on May 26.

Magical Drop2 – This puzzle game launched on the Super Famicom

 system in 1996, but it never saw an English release. But even if you’ve never played, the rules are simple to learn. Catch and throw the drops that descend from overhead. Create vertical lines of three drops of the same color to clear all the connected drops. Enjoy four playable modes, including a mode that assigns you a rank when the game ends, as well as a story mode with 10 characters to play! Magical Drop2 will be available on May 26.

Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 – Get ready for high intensity, superhuman baseball spectacles! Use Ultra Plays like Phantom Ball, which will make the ball vanish mid-pitch, or Meteor Hit, which will knock out fielders who make contact with the ball before it bounces. With multiplayer options, a grand total of 18 baseball teams and the ability to create your own original team, this is the wacky baseball simulation dreams are made of! Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 will be available on May 26.

Spanky’s Quest – Spanky was on his way to a picnic when the witch Morticia began dropping bricks from the sky. Trapped, with six towers now built across the land, Spanky must clear each before the witch’s evil pet crow catches him. He’ll have to use his magic ball to stun enemies, bounce it off his head to power it up and pop it to attack – and try on some hats along the way. Spanky’s Quest will be available on May 26.

Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online

Ninja JaJaMaru-kun – Take on the role of a ninja and rescue the captured Princess Sakura in this action-packed game, originally released only in Japan. JaJaMaru must use his throwing stars to defeat lurking monsters. Keep an eye out for the ultimate power-up – a ride on Gamapa-kun, the giant frog! Ninja JaJaMaru-kun will be available on May 26.

Nintendo eShop sales

Great deals this week! Check out the full list of deals available this week at https://www.nintendo.com/games/sales-and-deals.

Also new this week

0 Degrees

Alchemist Adventure

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards – Available May 26

Backworlds

Chess Knights: Shinobi

CLANNAD Side Stories

Color Your World

Cosmic Top Secret – Available May 21

Driving World: Aspen – Available May 21

Eat your letters – Available May 24

Fate Of The Pharaoh

Geminose Animal Popstars

Guards – Available May 21

Gutwhale – Available May 21

Invirium

Just Die Already

King of Seas – Available May 25

Layers of Fear 2

Let it roll slide puzzle

Maneater – Available May 25

Mutazione – Available May 26

Outbreak: Endless Nightmares

Rise of the Slime

Rising Hell

RoboPhobik – Available May 22

Sakura Succubus 2

Skittles – Available May 26

Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition

Tiger Trio’s Tasty Travels

Very Very Valet – Available May 25

Wanna Survive – Available May 21

Wood Block Escape Puzzles

Xylophone

The post Miitopia joins this week’s Nintendo eShop roundup appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

Miitopia joins this week’s Nintendo eShop roundup published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

Deeper, Into the Labyrinth...

...of Touhou 2. Here’s a longish update on where I’m at with LOT2. So far, I feel that the game is much more forgiving and much, much easier, but the sheer gameplay variety of LOT2 is more than making up for its lack of difficulty.

= = =

I’m basically at Floor 7 and the 10 hour mark of Labyrinth of Touhou 2. Here is how I’ve progressed through the game:

Floor 1: I already mentioned how easy this floor was, so I’m gonna describe the mindset I had entering the game. My initial mindset was to see "how far I can get into the game without touching any of the new mechanics", so I stuck to level up bonuses, minimal library upgrades (ATK or MAG for attackers and HP, DEF and MND for tanky characters like Reimu, Keine, Momiji etc.) and any equips from dungeons without touching anything else. I also decided I’d definitely try and stick with the level cap system (LOT2 now rewards you for fighting bosses under-leveled). 

Though I’m already deep into LOT2′s new mechanics, I have actually stuck with the recommended in-game levels. The game just doesn’t seem that hard tbh, in the near 10 hours I’ve played, only 1 boss (who I’ll go into later) has given me any legitimate trouble.

As far as recruits go, I picked up Kogasa and Momiji before beating and recruiting Youmu. Rumia is actually possible to get at this point too, but I was dumb and forgot to pick her up, which made the battle a little harder

Floor 2: LOT2 Floor 2 is definitely not as tough as LOT1's equivalent floor and it was basically as easy as Floor 1 (for me at least). I did have some trouble with Kaguya, but all my characters ended up dodging like champs so it wasn’t a a problem.

I don't quite remember who I picked up on Floor 2. I'm pretty sure I picked up Cirno, remembered to pick up Rumia but had to abandon Minoriko (since I didn’t have the items I needed for her yet).

Floor 3: This was the floor to hand me my first full party wipe. The mini-boss on this floor basically required a guide (since they're a puzzle boss that can only be defeated with Rumia’s piercing attack) while the optional bosses for Wriggle's quest were just way too hard to fight with a half-cocked party. 

I skipped over the optional bosses, picked up Minoriko and Chen, recruited Komachi after beating her. We ended this floor by picking up Parsee (who is available after 12 recruits).

Floor 4: This floor was as far as I could get with a half-assed mindset towards the game. Mokou will absolutely destroy you on the first go, max level or not. The irony here is that you can don't need to fight Mokou to progress to Floor 5... but I didn't know that then. So I took it as the moment to start looking at all the new mechanics.

I’ll get into the new mechanics and passive system later but all you need to know is that the Wall of Fujiwara got me to use one of Momiji’s passives (which increases everyone’s accuracy when she’s fielded) and this helped me clear the Insects needed to clear Wriggle (the Insects are very evasive, so you really need Momiji’s passive buff). After picking up Wriggle, I picked up the last recruits available at the time (that is Aya, Kasen and Nitori. The latter two can be picked up at any time as long as you fulfill their requirements. Aya can be picked up on this floor at the earliest, so long as you’ve encountered enough enemy types. You need 30 entries in Keine’s Besitary for this).

After a lot of experimenting, I came upon a party setup I liked. The core party could be summed up as Komachi (with plenty of FIR resistance), Kasen, Parsee, Minoriko, Nitori (with her Item passive) and Kogasa (with her Terror Boost passive). The strategy was basically boost Nitori’s ATK stat with her self-buff, switch her out, inflict Terror with Kasen then have Parsee and Kogasa take advantage of that. I brought Parsee in as the main attacker, but Kogasa was the true hero since, with her Terror Boost passive, she’d self buff with every attack. Cue the feedback loop of “Kogasa uses CLD-element Drizzle against a TRR’d Mokou, Kogasa powers up, Kogasa uses stronger Drizzle, Kogasa powers up, Kogasa uses *even stronger* Drizzle” etc.

With this strategy, Kogasa was able to outpace Mokou’s healing very, very quickly (since, not only is her damage getting better, but her defenses and speed improve too). Once Mokou died the first time, it was just a matter of having Komachi tank Fujiwara Volcano, then having her bring in buffed Nitori. Nitori would go on to hit Mokou for 6k damage (when Mokou revives, she only has 4k HP. Yay for Overkill).

This fight sounds simple but it’s easily the hardest fight I’ve encountered in LOT2 so far. Considering how much easier all the other bosses past this have been, I’m gonna have to kill this a ridiculous difficulty spike.

Floor 5: Since I did all of the corresponding events, this floor started with the decision: Mokou or Kaguya? While Mokou sounded like a way better option (her passive skills include self-resurrecting now), I went with Kaguya who seemed to be the default / intended option. 

Like I said, after Mokou’s difficulty spike, nothing was as hard, so most of the fights were a cinch. I immediately went after the Lamprey mini-bosses (since clearing both lets you recruit Mystia). I also picked up Orin after a fight. Then we had the next big story boss, Hina.

Hina was kinda nuts at first, since I rely a lot on debuffs, and Hina fucking loves that shit (no seriously, that’s her gimmick. She can reverse her self-inflicted debuffs). Then I realized that, so long as you don’t debuff her, and so long as you focus on buffing your own team, she’s not that hard. My own defensive team; ended up being Kasen (with the Fighting Spirit passive) in Slot 1, Keine in Slot 2, whoever in Slot 3 and Aya (with her Turn 0 passive) or Minoriko in Slot 4. You can use Aya to set up Kasen as a tank really quick by having Aya give her turn to Kasen (which is something Aya can now do), then have Kasen rack up her buffs and Fighting Spirit counter with her self-buffs.

The team is basically defensive perfection, as I have super buffed Kasen in Slot 1, Keine ready to buff in Slot 2 and Minoriko who can do whatever in Slot 4 (Minoriko in LOT2 is amazingly useful, like I legit use her as an attacker now). It’s such a useful team that I used it to clear all other bosses on Floor 5 and most of the bosses on Floor 6. The actual Hina fight was a cinch, especially after I realized “oh, you can just let Hina’s buffs deteriorate and then she has nothing”.

Aside from Hina, I also picked up Nazrin who is, btw, super cool. I LOVE that they designed her as a grinding character (her spells actually double drop rates, money, experience etc. upon killing monsters). All the new recruits around this area are such high concept characters (especially Satori who can straight up copy spells from all your other party members. Holy crap)

Floor 6: I already said it, but Kasen, Keine and Minoriko were able to carry me for almost this entire floor. Only the next recruit (Yuugi) and Tenshi (who is blocking the path to Floor 7) forced me to change parties. Both fights are very similar, though Tenshi’s is unique in that it’s actually unwinnable... but if you actually do enough damage to Tenshi, you actually get special rewards. Before I started experimenting with these bosses, I picked up Utsuho and then Satori.

I ended up stumbling onto a party layout that worked for both bosses. There’s three distinct parts of this party; the debuff attackers (Parsee, Hina, Komachi, Cirno and also Satori), the status affecters (Poison, Mystia) and the remaining attackers (Rumia, Marisa, Reimu and Minoriko). The glue holding this party together is Aya (with her Turn 0 passive and increase front row SPD passive).

The basic strategy is to have Cirno die to Tenshi (my Cirno has an ability where she slows down enemies when she dies), have Aya self-buff herself with Sarutahiko’s Guidance (so that she’s faster and gets more turns, causing her to buff the rest of the party faster too) then focus on setting up PSN early on. Then it’s a matter of debuffing, attacking, and then re-debuffing Tenshi with all your characters (e.g. Parsee can use Small Large Box for decent damage, Hina can use Biorhythm then Pain Overflow, though you want your characters to be protected, Rumia’s Ray attack is quite strong and cheap too).

The strategy is very loose (since Tenshi will attack in whatever and can mess up your strategy) though you typically want to space out your use of Komachi / Satori and Hina, you want Aya to be alive (so she can switch and passive buff) and you want to throw Marisa and Reimu out much later (they will be much stronger this way due to their Main Character passive). I actually think this strategy can kill Tenshi if I grinded a bit more, but I’m more than happy to settle for this special reward.

The exact same strategy worked without any modifications on Yuugi too. All that’s left is to physically go up the staircase to the 7th floor

= = =

I just realized I made this big post, all just to say: I am having an absolute blast with this game. Like, I love Labyrinth of Touhou 1. But I love this game so much more. It’s taken all that I loved about LOT1, it’s removed most of the frustrating BS, and it’s like doubled the complexity and variety. It’s amazing, most of the strategies I just listed aren’t even the recommended strategies on the Touhou Wiki. I came to the Mokou and Tenshi strategies all on my own. 

God, this game is so good. I’ll make another update post after clearing a few more floors. 

Miitopia joins this week’s Nintendo eShop roundup

It’s time to check out the latest offerings on the Nintendo eShop. This week’s highlights includes the Mii-inspired role-playing shenanighans of Miitopia. You could also settle the score with the multiplayer mayhem of Knockout City. Or revisit apocalyptic Tokyo in the remastered classic, Shin Megami Tensei III.

Check out the full list of new releases below. With so much to choose from, where will your gaming journey take you this week? Let us know in the comments section or on our socials!

Nintendo Switch

Miitopia – Journey through a vast world battling enemies on a mission to rescue faces stolen by the villainous Dark Lord. Miitopia lets you customize your quest by creating Mii characters of your friends and family, or anyone you choose, and then casting them in a hilarious series of escapades. Plus, you’ll have even more customization choices when creating your Mii characters in Miitopia with the addition of wigs and makeup. In this whimsical adventure, you can assign your team of Mii characters individual personalities, along with jobs like Warrior, Chef and Pop Star which will determine their approach to combat. Laugh along as your best friend and dear old grandma team up in the fantasy adventure of a lifetime! Miitopia will be available on May 21.

Knockout City – Throw, catch, pass, dodge and tackle your way to glory! Team up and duke it out with rival Crews in Knockout City to settle the score with epic dodgeball battles. Brace yourself for outrageous fun and intense competition in a new take on team-based multiplayer games. Customize your character and form a Crew with friends to start your Knockout City takeover. Knock out opponents with trick shots and coordinated teamwork while dodging and catching balls flying across the map. No ball? No problem! You can ball up, roll into a teammate’s hands and become the ultimate weapon. Knockout City will be available on May 21.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster – Reawaken your inner demon in a modernized version of the acclaimed ATLUS classic, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne. What begins as a normal day in Tokyo turns out to be everything but, when the Conception – an ethereal apocalypse – is invoked. The remains of the world are swallowed by chaos as a demonic revolution descends into a broken city. Caught between a battle of Gods and demons, the choices you make can bring life, rebirth or death, and determine who triumphs. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster will be available on May 24.

Super Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online

Caveman Ninja (also known as Joe & Mac) – Can cave-dudes Joe and Mac rescue the lost cave-dudettes? In this action game from 1991, life was pretty cool for Joe and Mac until a bunch of Neanderthal nerds crashed their village. The dudes will have to leap to the rescue and jump, dash and use roll attacks to get past the stone-age obstacles in their way. Just make sure to pick the best weapon for the situation, and the boys are sure to make it through! Caveman Ninja will be available on May 26.

Magical Drop2 – This puzzle game launched on the Super Famicom

 system in 1996, but it never saw an English release. But even if you’ve never played, the rules are simple to learn. Catch and throw the drops that descend from overhead. Create vertical lines of three drops of the same color to clear all the connected drops. Enjoy four playable modes, including a mode that assigns you a rank when the game ends, as well as a story mode with 10 characters to play! Magical Drop2 will be available on May 26.

Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 – Get ready for high intensity, superhuman baseball spectacles! Use Ultra Plays like Phantom Ball, which will make the ball vanish mid-pitch, or Meteor Hit, which will knock out fielders who make contact with the ball before it bounces. With multiplayer options, a grand total of 18 baseball teams and the ability to create your own original team, this is the wacky baseball simulation dreams are made of! Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 will be available on May 26.

Spanky’s Quest – Spanky was on his way to a picnic when the witch Morticia began dropping bricks from the sky. Trapped, with six towers now built across the land, Spanky must clear each before the witch’s evil pet crow catches him. He’ll have to use his magic ball to stun enemies, bounce it off his head to power it up and pop it to attack – and try on some hats along the way. Spanky’s Quest will be available on May 26.

Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online

Ninja JaJaMaru-kun – Take on the role of a ninja and rescue the captured Princess Sakura in this action-packed game, originally released only in Japan. JaJaMaru must use his throwing stars to defeat lurking monsters. Keep an eye out for the ultimate power-up – a ride on Gamapa-kun, the giant frog! Ninja JaJaMaru-kun will be available on May 26.

Nintendo eShop sales

Great deals this week! Check out the full list of deals available this week at https://www.nintendo.com/games/sales-and-deals.

Also new this week

0 Degrees

Alchemist Adventure

Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards – Available May 26

Backworlds

Chess Knights: Shinobi

CLANNAD Side Stories

Color Your World

Cosmic Top Secret – Available May 21

Driving World: Aspen – Available May 21

Eat your letters – Available May 24

Fate Of The Pharaoh

Geminose Animal Popstars

Guards – Available May 21

Gutwhale – Available May 21

Invirium

Just Die Already

King of Seas – Available May 25

Layers of Fear 2

Let it roll slide puzzle

Maneater – Available May 25

Mutazione – Available May 26

Outbreak: Endless Nightmares

Rise of the Slime

Rising Hell

RoboPhobik – Available May 22

Sakura Succubus 2

Skittles – Available May 26

Sunless Skies: Sovereign Edition

Tiger Trio’s Tasty Travels

Very Very Valet – Available May 25

Wanna Survive – Available May 21

Wood Block Escape Puzzles

Xylophone

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