Night comes to the camp.

Azul tries to be polite... in the way he understands what “polite” may be in this situation.

hi! saw you wanted requests! if you don't mind i'd like a daniel jackson/reader inspired by good old fashioned lover boy by queen. thanks!

Hey! Thank you so much for your request! ☺️ I’m so sorry it took so long, it’s been a lil’ busy around here haha :') I took some story elements from the song for the plot, also a little name drop at the end hehe. I hope you like it! :)

Lover Boy

Pairing: Daniel Jackson x gn!Reader (established relationship), brief platonic!Sam Carter x gn!Reader

Word count: 2267 💀😭😭 I got carried away LOL

Notes/Warnings: Veeeery fluffy and lovey dovey lmaoo. Alas, Daniel is but a simp for the person he loves! There is a use of the word "beautiful" bc I personally feel that it's a gender neutral term, so pls be warned if that makes u uncomfy! The jazz club also is described as smelling like smoke and whisky so pls don't read this if that makes u uncomfy too!! Also the general time period this takes place in is a little ambiguous yet again lmaoo (Daniel has a smartphone so *shrugs* idrk m8 lmao)

Taglist: @danieljacksonpinchinghisnose (Please let me know if you want to be tagged in future Daniel Jackson x Reader fics I write and I will add you to the list! 😊)

Daniel’s day starts off like monotonous clockwork; he gets up, gets ready for his day, has something quick to eat, then leaves his apartment and heads to Stargate Command for another long, onerous day. He starts off by studying the Goa’uld language a bit to warm up his brain, then gets to work on the translation he had stopped working on from the previous day because his need for sleep got the best of him. Frankly, he had only one thing consistently on his mind the day before as well as today, and that thought was you. It vexes him to no end every time he has to get up for work and leave your serene, sleeping form behind in the soft, cozy blankets warmed by your bodies overnight. Over time, he found that he had to give himself a couple extra minutes to get ready for his day just so he can watch you at your most peaceful state for a moment longer before parting with a feather-light kiss to your forehead and starting off his day. As he goes about his duties on the base, his mind seems to wander to you every other thought, which brings him comfort and motivates him to work harder just so he can see you even sooner.

During lunch in the mess hall, he sits and talks with Sam, who he missed earlier that day because she stayed on the base rather than going home and woke up early for her first meal of the day. On days when SG-1 are working on non-off world projects, Daniel tends to go home at night just so he can spend a sliver of his day with you. Sam naturally asks about you, as the two of you are close friends but rarely ever see each other because of your conflicting work schedules as you aren’t a part of Stargate Command. Daniel tells her all about how you’re moving up in your company and that he’s so proud of you, then he tells Sam about the plans the two of you have to go out for dinner later that evening after both of you clock out of work and head home. Sam smiles as he tells her this, her heart warmed by the obvious affection you both have for each other. Sam and Daniel continue talking until they're finished eating then head to their respective labs and continue working on their projects.

Daniel is nose deep in his notes as he works on his translation when he feels his cell phone vibrate in his blue BDU pocket. Not looking up from what he’s doing, he reaches into his pocket and brings his phone into his field of vision. His eyes meet the glowing screen and he sees your name on the screen overlaying the photo of you he set as his lockscreen. A smile immediately spreads across his face and he opens your text without a second thought. You had sent him a photo of a bundle of blue dahlias from outside of a flower shop with the words, “Saw this on my way back from lunch and it reminded me of you :)” written below, and he can’t help the grin bursting through his previously furrowed and focused visage. He types a quick response, indubitably concluding the text with the words “I love you” before locking his phone and sliding it back into his pocket. A new burst of energy runs through his veins as he gets more and more excited about seeing you again this evening, even if the two of you share an apartment and do see each other within that space. (It’s just not enough for him!) The rest of the day goes by in a blur and he all but runs out the door to go home and get ready for your dinner date before you get home from work.

Daniel has changed into a slightly dressy but comfortable outfit: a pale blue button up underneath a navy blue sweater, espresso brown slacks held up by a belt, and black shoes. He’s sitting on the arm of one of the chairs in the living room, reading one of the many books from the shelf to pass the time as he waits for you to get home. A couple of minutes pass before he hears the door open and his downward gaze immediately rises and finds you, closing the book and setting it on the coffee table. A small smile graces his face as you step into the apartment, your work bag in one hand and your keys in the other. You look a little bit tired but you smile when you see him, dropping your keys in the dish on the entryway console and closing the door as he stands up.

“Hi,” he says, his excitement and affection audible in his tone.

“Hi,” you say back, smiling as you step closer to him and wrap your arms around him. He immediately returns the gesture and lets out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding back, breathing in your familiar scent. The two of you stay in that position for a moment before you pull back.

“I just need a second to get changed, then we can go,” you smile softly, your arms still wrapped around him.

“Take your time,” he says with a nod, releasing you to let you go get changed out of your work clothes. Once you disappear behind the bedroom door, he sits back on the arm of the chair, feeling refreshed and warmed by your presence. After a few moments, you emerge from your shared bedroom wearing one of your favorite outfits, and he grins at the sight.

“You look beautiful,” he says as he stands, making you smile.

“So do you,” you say to him as you approach him. He leans in and gives you a quick peck on the cheek before the two of you head out of the apartment for your date.

-

The two of you are walking back from the restaurant you had your dinner at, laughing about something that happened to you at work that day when you pass a dark café lit up by blue neon lights, accompanied with a smoky, sultry scent.

“I’ve never noticed this place before,” you wonder out loud, slowing your pace as you take in the enchanting place before you. Daniel also slows his pace, coming to a stop as his eyes scan for signs indicating what the place is. You can hear jazz music coming from inside, a muffled cover of Ella Fitzgerald buzzing through the walls.

“Should we go in?” you say to Daniel, a slightly impish grin spreading across your lips. He looks at you for a moment and quickly finds himself grinning as well.

“Sure,” he says, unable to hold back his smile. He steps forward and holds the door open for you and you thank him as you enter the dimly lit club. The scent of the jazz club is even stronger from inside, smelling of smoke, whisky, and rose petals. There are a few groups or pairings of patrons sitting at the tables and a few couples dancing together in front of the small and slightly raised stage, the band now playing the song “It don’t mean a thing.” You look around in awe, amazed that you never noticed this place before. Daniel looks around as well, but he doesn’t miss the mischievous glint in your eyes when you turn to him and part your lips to speak.

“Dr. Jackson, may I have this dance?” you ask, holding your hand out to him with a mischievous grin on your face.

“Oh, I don’t know, I’m not really a dancer,” he says, partially honest and partially playing along with his tone of voice. You give him a teasing but encouraging look, and he sighs as he takes your hand and lets you lead him to the dance floor. The two of you find a spot between the two elderly couples dancing together and Daniel can’t help but laugh, covering his eyes as reality sets in for him. As if the Gods felt his embarrassment, the fast-paced Ella Fitzgerald song comes to a stop and a slower song begins. “Time After Time” slowly begins to fill the room as you and Daniel instinctively gravitate towards each other. Your hands find a home on each other’s bodies and before Daniel can remember his initial reservations, both of you are gently swaying to the music in each other’s arms.

In that moment, everything seems to fall away; all of the people in the jazz club seem to fall into the darkness as the metaphorical spotlight shines solely on you and Daniel. Your enamored feelings for each other are visible in every aspect of your physical selves; the way your bodies are close and warm, how your fingers so naturally intertwine as if your hands were made solely to mold into the palm and gaps of the other, the familiar feeling of warmth radiating from your chests despite the unfamiliar environment.

Daniel’s gaze is soft as he looks into your eyes, his eyes a color somewhere between azure and beryl blue, looking somewhat glassy with a reflection of the warm yellow light bulb from the metal lamp behind you. The blue neon sign lights up his features, highlighting the peaks and depths of his face with shadows and dark glows. His eyes scan your face as if he is taking in every detail of your features the same way you do to him, like he’s gently, meticulously carving your beauty into his brain to reference when he is without you. There are so many emotions visible on both of your faces; anyone could see how deep and intertwined your two souls have become.

Wordlessly, he brings his face closer to yours and you meet his lips without a second thought. His soft lips press a long, tender kiss to yours, his long eyelashes brushing against your cheekbone. You return the kiss with a soft warmth in your heart, the feeling so familiar and so natural yet one you never get bored of. Your lips stay pressed together for a moment longer before you simultaneously pull away, keeping your eyes closed as you press your forehead to his. His soft breath tickles your face as you slowly open your eyes, seeing his eyes bat open at the same time. Only when the song comes to an end do you realize a couple of minutes have passed, blinking as you come out of your daze.

Daniel looks around as he shakes himself back to reality, but it doesn’t take long for his eyes to land on you once more.

“Do you want to head home?” you ask him, your voice barely above a whisper. He looks at you for a moment, continuing to study your features, before replying.

“Sure.”

The two of you head out of the club, smiling at and saying goodbye to the people working on your way out. Daniel holds the door open for you once more and you thank him, setting your hand on his arm as he follows you out.

“Wow, look at the moon,” you gasp, looking up at the dark sky above you. Daniel immediately follows your gaze and he sees the moon is extremely bright despite the stars being practically invisible due to the light pollution nearby.

“She’s always watching, isn’t she?” he says with a small smile as he looks at you. His smile widens when you grin at him then take his hand in yours.

“I love the moon, she’s so beautiful,” you say with a sigh, staring up at the bright celestial body. You get so caught up in the glow of the moon for a moment before you realize Daniel is staring at you with a mischievous grin on his face. You quickly realize what he is about to say and you try to prevent him from saying it.

“No, don’t you dare- Daniel, don’t-” you warn him, trying to push at him but he catches your hands every time.

“What? Can’t I just admire your beauty since you’re admiring the moon?” he teases you, not letting go of your hands. You let out a loud groan and he laughs, his body slowly gravitating towards yours.

“You’re such a dork,” you grumble, trying but failing to look annoyed.

“I’m your dork,” he teases you once more, wrapping his arms tightly around your resisting form. “Hey.” You roll your eyes until he squeezes you tighter and you protest even more. He holds you still until you finally look at him and without a shadow of a doubt in his voice, his eyes shining like you just plucked every star from the sky solely for him, he says, “I love you.” You playfully glare at him before you say it back.

“What was that? I didn’t hear you,” he says, turning his ear towards you slightly. You groan once more and he grins.

“I love you, too,” you concede, poking his arm with your index finger. A satisfied smile on his face, he releases you and you step away. He watches you for a moment and his heart skips a beat when you turn and look back at him.

“Lover boy,” you tease him, sticking your tongue out at him. His jaw drops and it’s not long before he’s chasing after you, your laughter echoing through the nighttime streets as the moon looks down at the two of you with an everlasting, ethereal beam.

[スタオケ] La Corda d'Oro Starlight Orchestra Main Story Chapter 1-10 Translation

*Starlight Orchestra Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Main story tag will be #Main Starlight

Sakuya: …Where’s that new member we got? The guy named Kabayama?

Tomoharu: He did say that he could only come by when he has nothing on.

Sakuya: Individual practice then. I think it’s better that way.

Sakuya: You’re being distracting by standing there. Why don’t you go practice too?

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Ginga: Jesus, you look miserable. What happened?

Ginga: Man. Why don’t you kick back and relax for a bit? I’ve got a pot of coffee brewing so I’ll pour you a cup.

Ginga: It’s a special service, just for you. Would you prefer making it into a Café au lait, or drinking it straight?

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Ginga: *sigh* I see. I never thought that they’d be so at odds with each other.

Ginga: I mean, I never pegged them for the type to do so. One’s all “it’s so troublesome to be at odds with people”, and the other’s all “I’ll just play along with his tune”. So this is an interesting turn of events, I’d say.

⊳ Choice: You shouldn’t be getting amused about this.

Ginga: Hahahaha. C’mon now, don’t give me that pout! You never know, something good might come out of it~

⊳ Choice: It’s a necessary process for them to reach mutual understanding.

Ginga: Oh? So you do get it!

Ginga: This is way better than them holding out on one another when they clearly have something to say.

Ginga: But I don’t think this will all end peacefully if we just leave them to their own devices, either.

Ginga: Come to think of it, didn’t the Orchestra you joined in middle school also end up disbanding for one reason or another?

Ginga: An Orchestra’s made up of many people from all walks of life, so, inevitably, some clashes happen here and there…

Ginga: And this is where being the Concertmistress comes into play, (L/n).

Ginga: An Orchestra cannot harmonize with each other just through the abilities of the members that are a part of it.

Ginga: The Concertmistress is essential to bind them all together.

Ginga: It sounds like way too much work in exchange for a mere cup of coffee? Haha, you’re not wrong there.

Ginga: Well, I’m always open if anything happens. So, good luck out there~ They’re all relying on you now.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Sakuya: Narumiya? I know that he doesn’t mean anything… bad.

Sakuya: …Indeed, we cannot reach our goal if we just spread our name through the streets alone.

Sakuya: No matter what the reason may be, no matter what lured them over to us… as long as they’re willing to listen to our performance…

Sakuya: I think we need to discuss with everyone regarding which direction our ensemble should go.

Sakuya: Why do you look so happy? This is going to be harder on you more than anyone else.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Tomoharu: I suppose I troubled Kujo-senpai back then…

Tomoharu: I guess it’s not okay to use any means necessary to gather people to watch us in the Auditorium when the time comes.

Tomoharu: It has to bear some semblance to the goal we’re aiming for— the National Concours.

Tomoharu: I’ll think about it a little and find a way to bring out the better parts of the Starlight Orchestra to light.

☆ ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♬Main Starlight♬◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ☆

Previous Part: (Chapter 1-9) Next Part: (Chapter 1-11)

Survey #317

i’m tired as a motherfucker and don’t feel like thinking up some lyrics, so here, jus have the survey.

Have you volunteered in the past 6 months? No. French fries or onion rings? French fries. I don't like onion rings. Do you suffer from anxiety? Very badly. Favorite healthy snack? "Apples and peanut butter are one of them." <<<< Same, actually. Good shit. Favorite Disney movie? Forever and always The Lion King. If you see a bee in your house.. are you going to kill it? I hate to say it, but I'm killing it. Do you normally take a shower in the morning or at night? Morning. Do you have a cat? Yeah. What is your favorite animal? It will always be meerkats. Always. Do you know what time you were born? 10:30 AM, I believe. Do you like McDonalds? I'm gonna be real: I've never understood the McDonald's hate. I enjoy it perfectly fine. I mean it's certainly not gourmet, but I'll choose it over other fast food places sometimes. It's cheap and decent food, imo. What's your favorite flower? Orchids. Have you thought about joining the military? FUCK no. Who is the person that has impacted your life the most? Given my PTSD, I think it's pretty obviously Jason. Have you ever had a pet fish? Yeah, but not a lot. I never enjoyed them much. Have you ever wanted to be on a game show? Not seriously, no. I wouldn't want to be on television. Have you ever vaped? Nah. Who was the last person to give you a hug? Either my niece or nephew. Have you ever been on TV? I don't think so, no. What's your favorite store in the mall? Hot Topic, ugggghhhhh take me there. Has anyone ever told you that you have an accent? Yeah, especially when I was younger when I definitely did have a clear Southern accent. Do you have any piercings? Yeah, six. I have been DYING for a new one lately... How did your parents meet? Work. What was your first word? "Dada." Do you eat more healthy food or junk food? Somewhere in the middle, I'd say. What do you spend too much money on? When it's my own money, tattoos. I think I'll be perfectly capable of doing it, but when I'm employed, I'm going to have to watch how much I invest into those. What is a disturbing episode of an otherwise non-disturbing show? What is a disturbing show (or one you would describe as one) is enjoyable to you? Meeeh I don't watch enough for this. What is the most memorable song in a movie? How about a show? Oh wow, I dunno. "Circle of Life" from TLK is a beauty, as is "Strangers Like Me" from Tarzan. There really are a lot. As for shows, "Carry On My Wayward Son" from Supernatural will immediately get fans screaming the lyrics, haha. However, I don't know if that song properly counts since it wasn't written just for the show, but whatever. What is something you’re grateful for that humans have made/have continued to make exist? What about something that you wish that humans didn’t destroy? The Internet, whew. I wish humans would stop destroying the fucking environment. It's heartbreaking how many woods are wiped away here for construction, only to never be built on... While evil men are commonly talked about, what woman would you consider the most evil? I don't know, but it would probably be a rapist or pedophile. Those are probably the people I abhor most. Do you believe children can be evil? If so, what child from history do you believe to have been the most evil? I don't really think children are born evil, no. I've never heard of a diabolical baby or anything. I think the environment they are raised in molds them as they age. I don't know about the last question. Name one way that music can be bad for humans. It can be depressing sometimes, actually dragging your mood down, especially if you already feel low. What has been one of the most blatant advertising in a movie, show, or music video? Some of these questions are hard man, idfk lol. What book have you read/listened to that “messed you up” (or made you have a lot of negative feelings afterward)? Johnny Got His Gun left me feeling so spiteful towards and disappointed in the world. It definitely made me feel down for a while. If you have a pet, what is the best thing that you have for them (either a toy, a highly rated food, etc)? If you don’t have one but would like one, have you thought about what you would get your pet? We definitely don't have the money for "high quality" stuff. What works, works. Did you ever know anyone who was (previously) a part of a cult? What cult? Were you ever a part of one? No. What is something that is legal right now that really shouldn’t be? I'm stealing the previous person's answer by saying fireworks. They have a horrible effect on animals and PTSD victims and is just litter and a fire hazard. What is a movie you consider successful/good that did not have high reviews? I'm not educated enough on movie rankings. When you met the person you now like, what happened? We hugged and cried a bit lmao. Did you realize anything today? No. What do you want to do today? It'd be nice to get off my ass and get Emerson's birthday pictures into Lightroom so Ashley can finally have them... Can you honestly say you’d risk your life for someone else? I know with certainty I would for some people. Could you forgive a boyfriend or friend who physically hurt you? Ha, nope, byyyyeee~ What’s the cutest thing someone’s ever done for you? Ugh... So one night when I was lying down to go to bed but also texting Jason, I was being playful and joked for him to sing me to sleep. He sent me a video for "The Mortician's Daughter" by Black Veil Brides (one of his favorite bands) and just pasted the lyrics, and I thought it was the cutest fucking thing ever. I went to bed listening to it and just smiling. It's why I just don't listen to it anymore. I shouldn't have even talked about it, soooo next question. What are the top five places you wish you could go before you die? Ummm South Africa, Yellowstone National Park, Germany, Alaska, and the Bahamas, maybe. How many tattoos would you like to have? I'm gonna be a fuckin mural. I want tats pretty much everywhere. What question do you hate to answer? "What do you like to do for fun?" What's your favourite animated or cartoon program? Fullmetal Alchemist. What do you think the greatest invention has been? Electricity. What's your favourite movie quote? I dunno, I don't really have one. Do you prefer digital or analogue clocks? Analogue clocks are way more elegant and can be beautifully decorated. Who is your favorite foreign singer/musician? Do you translate his or her lyrics? If you exclude English-speaking foreign bands, like from the UK, Rammstein for sure. I can translate some of them. Say something in a foreign language? "Liebe" means "love" in German. What is a weather-type that you like that not many others do? Snow, for sure. I've never understood the "ew, snow" type of people. It's so pretty. Granted, it's rare here, so it's more of a treat down here, but still. Who do you know personally that has a nice singing voice? Sara has a beautiful voice. What was the last word you learned? I have no clue, given how bad my memory is becoming... It's hard for me to learn anything nowadays, because it doesn't stick. What is your favorite culture? (that you find most interesting): I'll be honest, I'm not very well-informed on foreign cultures. Due to taking so many classes though, I do find German culture to be quite appealing. They are very serious about honesty (for example, telling someone you're okay when you're not is frowned upon in small talk, even), as well as manners. I would love to experience their lifestyle. Have you ever watched anime porn? I've never watched porn to begin with. If you got paid $3 million to smoke meth one time would you do it? Nope. I'm not risking addiction or death. Are ladybugs cute? Yesssss. Will you leave the house without fragrance on? Yeah, I usually do. Do you make good money doing what you do? I'm unemployed. I've only ever worked minimum wage jobs. What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries, yum. And kiwi. What do you think of horses? I love them! Are you doing something with your life that matters? Ugh, I don't feel like it. Do you like gravy on your mashed potatoes? I hate gravy. What is the dirtiest rap song you have ever heard? Nicole played "WAP" once when I was in the car and I wanted to die. What about a dirty song in any other genre? "Bitches" by Hollywood Undead MIGHT be rap, but idk? What even is their genre???? But anyway, as much as I love the song, it's dirty as shit. What is a genre of music you simply can't stand? Rap, generally. What is, in your opinion, the best way of dealing with a break up? Lots and lots of self-care and focusing on loving yourself and realizing your worth lies in yourself and not another person. What flavor of Doritos do you like best? Cool Ranch, of course. Would you ever go to a comedy club? Yeah, sure. Why is it that photography is becoming a trend? Because it's art, and people enjoy art???????? What is the funniest movie you have ever seen? White Chicks gets me way harder than it should lmao. Would you ever consider dating someone who lived across the country? I guess, so long it was the plan that we'd eventually move in together, and effort was being made to achieve that once we got pretty serious. Do you have a tattoo? If you do, describe the pain you went through when getting it done. Well, I have six, so I'll just talk about my first one, which was on my wrist. It really isn't bad, especially once you've adjusted to the pain. I think the best metaphor would be that it's like lightly pinching a cat scratch. Outlining is the worst part, imo. What is your favorite bookstore? I don't have one. Who was the last person to tell you that you were cute? I have no idea. When was the last time you had a fever? How high did it go? Oh, I couldn't tell you. Those are very rare for me. How many times do you think that you’ve truly been in love before? With who? Twice, with Jason and Sara. Do you prefer French kissing, or regular kissing more, and why? I mean, this depends on the mood as well as how serious we are. Have you ever been married before? How many times? No. Who do you know that gives the best hugs? Summer has always been a big, strong hugger like I am. Have you ever dated someone of the same gender before? Yeah. Who do you consider to be your hero? My mom. Who is your best friend? Tell us about them. Sara. She's a very caring, strong, creative, just overall amazing person who stands firmly for what she feels is right, and we can't forget about her incredible loyalty, nor her absolute adoration for animals, reptiles especially. How much did your car cost? I don't have my own car. What is the last picture you received on your phone of? Sara sent me a photo of Martha, her ball python. Do you have any friends that actually model? No. Do you keep condoms in your room? No, considering I have no reason to. Do you follow any special diet? (dairy free, vegetarian, gluten free etc.) No, but I desperately want to return to being vegetarian. Vegan would be even better, but I know I'm absolutely not capable of that. What is an appliance you don’t have, but would love to have? uhhhhh Which keys on your keyboard are worn out the most? My "a," "s," and "d" from gaming. If you could be any supervillain, which would you be? Ha, I could probably pull off Harley Quinn pretty easily. Though "super"villain sounds a bit strong for her. What’s the most historic thing that has happened in your lifetime? Either Covid or 9/11, probably. What’s the scariest non-horror movie? I personally think the idea behind Johnny Got His Gun is fucking terrifying. What’s the most amazing true story you’ve heard? More beautiful than "amazing," but whatever. I can't think of anything else. Jason's mother actually left his father to go back home to New York when he cheated on her, but he followed her all the way there, and they wound up reconciling and were very happily married since. They were a spectacular couple, and I miss them a lot. What brand are you most loyal to? I have no idea. It's hard to be loyal to any when you're not the one buying products. Where are you not welcome anymore? Well, speaking of him, probably Jason's house, haha... I feel that if I just showed up there, his parents would honestly be super happy to see me and want to catch up, but Jason, not so much. I doubt Colleen would welcome me into her house, either. What’s the most recent show you’ve binge-watched? Avatar: The Last Airbender w/ Sara. What’s a common experience for many people that you’ve never experienced? Just... adult stuff. Paying bills. Having a stable job. Passing their driver's test. What are some misconceptions about your hobby? We'll use forum roleplay here, in which case I know a very common misconception is that it's sexual in nature and is a kink. It's never been that for me. It's about building unique, complex characters in a vast universe of your creativity, meshing with other's. It's a beautiful thing to me. What’s the dumbest thing someone has argued with you about? Oh, I'm sure something with Mom... because she is absolutely never wrong. What’s the longest rabbit hole you’ve been down? Conspiracy theories on YouTube, aha... What odd smell do you really enjoy? I really enjoy the smell of lilacs, though I know people who think they smell too strong and/or just stink. If you had a HUD that showed three stats about any person you looked at, what three stats would you want it to show? Hm, interesting question. Maybe approachability, moral alignment, and mood. What is your favorite flavor of pop tart? I really like the chocolate sundae ones. Gum? I really like fruit-flavored gums, especially watermelon or strawberry. Last song you sang along to? I sang a bit to "Second Chance" by Shinedown. Are you fascinated by rivers? Yeah, sure. Streams, more specifically, because you can see the bottom and walk more safely in them. I love exploring those. Do you live near a volcano? No, and I plan on keeping it that way, haha. How big is the screen on your digital camera? I dunno, the normal size for a Canon? Do you find train whistles comforting? No. What bird is the cutest? Oh, that's so hard. I love the pastel-colored ones, and hummingbirds are like, universally cute. Are you scared to look at your own organs on x-ray or ultrasound? No, that's actually really cool. Do big eyes freak you out? On people? Generally, no. I tend to find them cute, actually, especially on girls, but I've definitely seen people with big eyes that instead look kinda creepy. Have you ever walked on a frozen lake/river? Hm, I'm actually not sure. I don't believe so, though. Have you ever held a real sword? No. Have you ever seen a tree over 100 years old? Uh, realistically, probably? That's not that old in the grand scheme of trees, is it? Do you feel uncomfortable at fancy restaurants? I can sometimes, yes. I feel very out-of-place.

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 1 - The Residents of Chikusei-sou (Part 3)

The last chapter part for the year! Next chapter is the last part of Chapter 1...out of twelve chapters (plus prologue and epilogue)...out of a 590 page novel...haha

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. This is like the second time I made a note for this, but a tokonoma is an alcove where art of flowers are displayed.

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The landlord, whose name was Tazaki Genichirou, was a hale and hearty old man.

Kiyose properly embellished and talked about Kakeru's situation, telling him that he wanted him to wait on rent for a while. The landlord nodded without his expression even changing. However, as soon as he heard Kakeru's name, the old man's face changed slightly.

"Kurahara Kakeru… Could you be Kurahara Kakeru from Sendai's Jousei High?"

He asked that in a hurried tone, and it was unclear if he was irritated or excited, like a person who was hit in the face by fine sea spray at the beach. Kakeru's whole body tensed at being before someone who seemed to know his past. At the same time, his misgivings about Kiyose taking him to Chikusei-sou filled his heart again, and he got a bad feeling. Kakeru wanted to be as unconnected as possible from the world of running for records and being manipulated and swayed by the jealousy and competitiveness of his teammates.

With a stiff expression, Kakeru cast his eyes down and stood at the front door of the main house. Perhaps there was think about in Kakeru's demeanour, but the landlord did not insistently keep at him.

"Well, get along with everyone. Don't destroy the apartment, okay."

Only saying that, he immediately withdrew to the living room where the TV was on. While thinking about how he had immediately saw a hole made in the floor, Kakeru looked back at Kiyose.

"Don't say anything," Kiyose said. "The landlord won't come to see the building unless it collapses."

The bathroom was at the very back of the main house. There was also a large washing machine in the dressing room. On the wall, there was a piece of paper with the words "Laundry can be done until 10 p.m. Prewash your underwear first" written with a brush, pinned in place with a thumb tack. They were written with a flourish, like those from a hanging scroll displayed in the tokonoma of an inn. (1) Kakeru was distracted by the difference between the written contents when the door of the dark bathroom suddenly opened from the inside. Along with steam, a black man came out into the dressing room. Kakeru shrank back from all the unexpected things happening one after another, and his butt bumped into washing machine behind him. The black man looked over at Kakeru and Kiyose with an "Oh?"

While wiping his body with a towel, he said, "Good evening, Haiji-san," greeting Kiyose without any hint of an accent. "Who is this?"

"This is our newest resident, Kurahara Kakeru. Kakeru, this is Musa Kamara, an exchange student. He lives in Room 203, and he's a second-year science and engineering student."

"Nice to meet you, Kakeru."

While completely naked, Musa held out his hand with a refined movement. Kakeru, who was not used to shaking hands, somewhat awkwardly gripped his hand.

Musa was about Kakeru's height, and he had thoughtful and calm eyes. Given that all the residents Kakeru had met up to now were noisy, he was a bit relieved at finally getting to know someone who was sensibly calm. However, there were also things he was curious about.

"Why did you get into the bath without turning on the lights?"

Musa flashed a bright smile at Kakeru's question.

"It is for training myself," he said. "Getting into the water in a dark place brings us great apprehension. However, by doing so on purpose, I endeavour to try and look at myself. How about you try this challenge, Kakeru?"

Contrary to expectations, Musa's Japanese did not falter, and as a spoken language, it sounded formal and there was an odd humor to it.

"I will try it."

While he answered that, Kakeru thought, there's a weird guy here too.

After Kiyose and Musa left the dressing room, Kakeru sighed from finally being alone.

He took off his clothes, turned on the bathroom lights and rubbed his body in the washing area. He hadn't gone to a public bath in a while either, so it had been a long time since he properly washed himself. After he finished washing his body, he made his mind to try turning off the lights.

It was just as Musa said. Going into a bath in the darkness was something that made one feel uneasy for some reason. Moreover, it was a bath in a house that Kakeru came to for the first time. He didn't know his surroundings and hit his shin against the step inside the bathtub. Because the landlord was elderly, it was probably set up as a footrest for him.

Kakeru groped around and settled down, stretching his feet in the bath that was getting close to becoming lukewarm. In the darkness, the water felt heavy. He felt like the sound of the water echoing in the bathroom every time he moved somehow sounded louder.

He closed his eyes. His fears and anxieties towards starting a new life were floating in the water with him. The faces of his parents, which were overflowing with disappointment as they offhandedly told him, "We'll transfer money to you, so do as you like." The rows of houses he could see from the elliptical track as he continued to run every single day. The sounds of the lockers his teammates, with open contempt on their faces, violently slammed shut. Those things crossing his mind, Kakeru sank into the water all the way up to the tip of his nose.

The clearer his position became, the harder his heart began to beat. Even when he covered his ears with wet hands, it resounded loudly throughout his body. Kakeru finally pushed his face out of the water and breathed in the air. At the same time, he opened his shut eyes.

From the window of the dim bathroom, he could faintly see Chikusei-sou next to the main house. There were more windows with lights in them than before. The lights casted gentle silhouettes in the darkened garden.

Maybe Musa-san likes taking baths while looking at this scenery, Kakeru thought.

When he returned to his just-allocated Chikusei-sou room, Kiyose's blanket was placed there.

The house rattled everywhere in the room. The creaking near the ceiling was especially severe. The sound resembling dead branches snapping off was constant.

From now on, this is where I'll belong.

Kakeru covered himself in the blanket and laid down. He could feel the scent of the tatami at the tip of his nose. The house continued to rattle, but he felt more at ease than he had during the nights sleeping outside.

He closed his eyes, and sleep soon visited him.

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Diabolik lovers Chaos Lineage: Shin Tsukinami (Story 07+CG)

In terms of the gameplay: The black choices lead up to a bad ending, the white choices lead up to a good ending. Please no reposting onto other sites, ask me before translating this into another language too! I’m an amateur translator, but I hope you do enjoy it anyway!♡

Place: Outside — Riverside

Yui: (—This is comfortable. It reminded me of our times together...)

(I was so happy that I even cried, I really got overwhelmed with my feelings)

(In a real way, I finally have Shin-kun with me... he remembered me again...)

Hn... Hmm...

Shin: Have you settled down?

Yui: Y-Yes. I couldn't stop crying as much as I tried to endure it ...

Shin: What are you waiting for? You should cry as much as you want to. I’ll keep holding you like this while you do so.

Yui: ...Yup. Thank you.

How is Shin-kun? Is your headache and body alright now?

Shin: It was a lot of confusion which suddenly popped in my head. I finally understand it a little bit. My brother is not hostile with me in this situation...

Yui: Shin-kun...

(Carla-san, whose memories are still weird, is now an enemy)

(And also about Ruki-kun who lives as an older brother of the Orange family)

(This can’t just be a trivial thing... it’s serious)

Shin: I thought that if I remembered my previous memory wouldn’t disappear anymore. It would remain as it is.

Yui: Is that so... well, you should remind yourself of having Ruki-kun as an older brother for now.

Shin: Yea. I still think it's strange that I was that confident about being Ruki’s brother.

I lost to my real brother, but maybe these guys weren't too bad after all.

Yui: Fufu. Yes, that’s right. Ruki-kun and Shin-kun might have been working good together.

Shin: But after all I have only one real brother. It just looks like as if he forgot about me now ...

If his memories are changed just like mine were, it’s understandable.

Now my own brother forgot that he is a founder and he even thinks that he is a vampire himself.

Yui: Yes... I think it’s so too. He seemed astonished when Shin-kun turned into a wolf...

Shin: Hm... he is my vampire brother who actually forgot to be the founders king? Just thinking about it gives me a reason to vomit.

I don’t know why exactly this is happening, and if this is really someone’s work, they truly got bad taste.

As it is, my brother will continue to be humiliated. I have to get his memory back quickly.

Yui: (That’s right. It's terrible to make his proudness of being a founder say that he actually is a vampire)

We need to make sure to get Carla-san’s memories back!

Shin: Ah. But now there is more than just that. Wasn't it already hard for you alone while my own memories were crazy?

— I’m sorry. It took me too much time to remember...

At the end, I wasn’t connected to them... I was doing terrible things.

Choices

1) — Okay (black)

2) — Lonely (white) ♡ ♡ ♡

— Okay

Yui: Okay. I know your memories were weird. Shin-kun wasn’t that bad after all.

Shin: Are you bringing up that again? You really want to keep talking about my behavior, don’t you?

Yui: Eh! I wouldn’t do such a thing!

Shin: Haha, just kidding. I know that you wouldn’t do that.

— Lonely ♡

Yui: Yes... I felt lonely all that time. But, I am completely fine once again now. Because Shin-kun is with me.

Shin: I should have been there from the beginning, but I felt strange the entire time...

But, I didn’t realize what was wrong. I didn’t remember you, neither I remembered myself.

end Choices

Shin: Give me your hand.

Yui: Eh? S-Sure

Shin: After all, I feel so calm when I can feel your body temperature...

Yui: Me too. Just holding your hand makes my whole body be able to calm down...

Shin: Yes. Right here... it seems to be a scar.

Yui: Ah... ngh

(He is right... it’s a scar which I got because of the collar I had around my neck)

Shin: Does it hurt?

Yui: It’s okay, it’s just tingling a little.

Shin: It doesn’t seem okay at all. Stand still.

*Shin starts licking the wound*

Shin: ...Nn... Nn...

Yui: Kyaa... !? Shin-kun you could have warned me... !

Shin: What is it? Does it hurt?

Yui: T-That’s not the case, it’s just a little embarrassing, nothing else...

Shin: Don’t you remember that the wound would heal faster if I do things like this?

Yui: (If I remember, vampires and founders are able to heal small wounds, they can be cured by licking them, right ...?)

Shin: What is it now? Right now your face tells me that you wanted my fangs instead. Maybe I should suck your blood if you want them so badly?

Yui: N-No that’s not it. I was just surprised how much it tickles.

Shin: What, such a boring respond. If I say that I want your blood I truly mean it like that.

Yui: Eh... ?

Shin: It feels like you've been far away from me even though you should have been my side.

I want to feel you this close after such a long time again.

Yui: Shin-kun...

M-Me too... Shin-kun, I want you to suck my blood. I want to feel you closer once again.

Shin: ...Ngh, if you say so...

Yui: Shin-kun?

Shin: Isn’t this the opposite of what you said earlier? I'd like to do so for your upcoming punishment for lying to me.

You, isn’t it true that you wanted me to suck your blood from the beginning? That’s why you’ve been acting all shy about it.

Instead of punishing you this time, I’ll try showing at least a little kindness this time...

*Shin undresses Yui*

Yui: Ah...

*Shin kisses Yui*

Shin: ...Nh

Yui: ...Nh... Ahh...

(Just kissing him makes my body feel completely hot ... my head feels so empty...)

Shin: Now, that is a nice view I have. If you let your voice out too much, I won’t be able to stop, okay?

Yui: Yes... I know. But, Shin-kun can take as much as he wants to.

Shin: Ngh... you really are an idiot. Do you really want to be messed up by me when you can't even afford it?

I wanted to be the one who is gentle, but if you continue to do so, I won’t forgive you.

Hey... from here, isn’t it okay if I drank here? Directly from your chest?

Yui: ..... !

(There is... the place where Carla-san sucked my blood just recently)

♡ Roses ♡

Shin’s arm: Just why are you touching me? You must really like doing such a thing.

Yui’s head: Come closer, I want to feel your body way closer to mine. If you stay in my arms like this, I can feel you heart beat clearer.

Shin: At that time, when you were sucked by my brother, I could only watch you — I felt helpless.

I’ll bite it hard enough, so it will cover everything he did. I won’t “wait” any longer to do so either.

Yui: Yes... it’s okay. Don’t be shy... because I want to be messed up by Shin-kun...

Shin: Geez... you say so even if you might regret that invitation — ...Ahh... Nn... Nn...

Yui: Agh... Nh...

Shin: Haa... are you okay?

Yui: Yes... it feels nostalgic. For Shin-kun to suck my blood like that...

Shin: While my memories were insane, I just touched your body with my fangs a few times, right?

Yui: After all it’s different now. Even if you do forcefully bite me, it feels so gentle to me...

Shin: If you say it like that, I won’t hold myself back anymore ... you, endure it a little more like this.

I also, like the equivalent of being able to rejoice even when I bite you very painfully. Well, it’s not like I’ll complain.

A place a little closer to your heart than before, there still are some remaining marks... Ahh... Nn...

Yui: Agh... nh...

Shin: This time, I’ll suck from your shoulders and also many other various places, aren’t you happy about that? Nh...

Yui: Ngh... Agh... !

(My head is getting dizzy... I can’t think of anything straight anymore...)

Shin: Your blood is so sweet... For me to be happy is understandable. But aren’t you happy as well?

Yui: Yes, I’m happy... I can feel it properly. Just you, Shin-kun...

It is neither a dream nor a vision anymore. You truly... Shin-kun is right here...

Shin: I’ll never forget you ever again. I’ll swear it to you with the pride of being a founder... Yui.

Yui: Yeah... !

Shin: Like this, you can finally rest. Because I will be right beside you until you woke up... Nn... Hmm... Nh

Yui: (I’m already starting to lose consciousness... I feel disturbed, but somehow I also feel relieved...)

(Because Shin-kun is here, I think that I’ll be alright because of it)

(—I’m finally not alone anymore)

Monologue

Shin-kun’s memories are back and because of it I couldn’t stop my tears from flowing down.

Since then, the two of us have discussed what to do, and for the time being we decided to return to the Orange mansion.

We turned down our memories, and decided to deal with the situation as if they never returned.

Place: Orange mansion — Living room

Ruki: As you may assume, I somehow safely returned Ayato and Kanato from Scarlets mansion without getting into a fight...

I never wanted the both of you to be exposed to the Violet family like that.

Good grief, just what did I think of while entrusting Eve in your hands.

Shin: I‘m sorry. Brother... I was completely out of my mind back then.

Yui: (I want to explain the situation so bad... Shin-kun was attacked by five people, but he still did his best all alone)

Ruki: That expression... I hope you understand that this kind of behavior wasn‘t part of our deal.

Shin: Well, I was caught by the enemy as a result of my behavior. There is no excuse for that.

Yui: (Shin-kun... he doesn’t refute anything at all)

(Even though his memories are back, his old memories about Ruki-kun as his brother aren’t gone)

(... It surely will be complicated to return their memories... it might be even harder than I imagined)

(Right now, what are you feeling Shin-kun?)

Shin: I wasn‘t able to follow my brothers instructions. I accept any kind of punishment you‘ve planned for me.

Ruki: No, that is not necessary.

Shin: Eh?

Ruki: You protected Eve and returned safely again. That’s why there is no reason to know any more behind this for me. Take a good rest tonight.

Shin: ...Brother...

Ruki: Today was a terrible day, but none of my brothers went missing. Let‘s leave it here for today.

Shin: ... Ngh

Thank you, brother...

Well then, let‘s take a rest today as my brother suggested.

Ruki: Ah. Please continue to look after Eve as I already told you. I‘m counting on you, Shin.

Shin: Understood. Eve, let‘s go.

Yui: Y-Yes

Place: Orange mansion — Shin’s bedroom

Yui: Ruki-kun, it was nice from him that he forgave us.

Shin: Yes, that’s right.

Haha. Acting like Ruki as my brother really is fun, I‘m glad I didn’t lack while acting...

For him to leave Eve to me. Stupid man. Saying such a thing to me who is not even a real part of his family.

Yui: But whatever it is, Ruki-kun seriously takes care of his family. Even if it’s not his real one...

Shin: ...Yea, I know. I'm sure that's the part of that man which doesn't change.

Ah... whatever. Rather than that, what should we do next...

Yui: Good question...

In this mansion, we probably shouldn’t talk about anything like that.

Someone might be listening to us right now...

Shin: That’s right. Anyone would be able to hear us here

Yui: Yes...

Shin: Why don’t we pretend to go on a reconnaissance and talk outside?

I‘ll tell Ruki about our scout once we come back to the mansion.

Yui: Yes, thank you.

Place: Outside — Cave

Shin: In this cave, there is no need for us to worry about anyone.

Yui: Yes, I do feel safe here.

Shin: Ruki was just fine with our idea since he can’t take his eyes off these two rebels anymore.

Yui: As a punishment for taking arbitrary actions, they need to clean all the windows in the mansion.

Ayato and Kanato-kun really seem to be attending to it, but ...

Shin: Stop thinking about them already. More than that, what are we going to do in the future?

Yui: First of all, if we sort out our current situation, it’s a place we know nothing about.

For some reason everyone's memories have been rewritten to fake memories, and each brothers connections are broken apart.

Shin: Right. That also applies to Ruki, as well as Ayato and Kanato.

Not only that ... It seemed as if he didn't even remember the guys in Violet‘s mansion.

Yui: That's right ...

(I'm really getting scared when I think about this situation again)

(Shin-kun's memories are back, so I'm very relieved to have at least him besides me ...) 

Shin: Yui? What’s wrong?

Yui: Ah, n-no. It‘s nothing.

It‘s just, when I think about what's happening right now, I'm getting scared.

But as long as Shin-kun is right next to me, I can feel at least a little bit relieved.

Shin: Yes, I'm with you now. And I'll never leave your side again.

I’ll never let you go, I’ll protect you no matter what, so don’t worry about that.

Yui: Yes... thank you, Shin-kun.

Shin: You are way too worried. I understand the feeling of your anxiety though.

I don't know what's going on either. Anyway, let's try to get back to our original home as soon as possible.

Yui: Yeah. I want to find a way to go back, and I badly want to return everyone’s memories.

Shin: Yes, if their memories were back, they might be helpful.

And I definitely want to regain my brother's memories. After all he’s still my brother ...

Yui: Carla-san‘s memories...

(When Carla-san saw Shin-kun in his prison, he faced him like an enemy would)

(I don't want to see the two of them in that state anymore)

Yup. I think the same as Shin-kun does. Let’s regain the memories of Carla-san first. 

Because Carla-san is knowledgeable, if he would remember, he would surely be a great help.

Shin: Oh, I wouldn‘t rely on my brother remembering that quick. But instead, we need to think of something.

Yui: I know... but that‘s not easy...

Shin: But, there needs to be something we can do. I want him to remember as soon as possible. There must be a way to break this situation.

Honestly, sometimes I‘m wondering about something myself... but as long as we both are fine, it doesn’t matter.

Yui: Eh? What are you interested in?

(Ah... could it be Carla-san‘s medicinal condition? Speaking of which, I wonder if he is okay?)

(It's been a while since I woke up in that church, but I didn't see him suffering until now...)

(How is the disease progressing?)

Shin: ...Well, there’s no need to worry about him for now.

Yui: Yes. But, it seems to be difficult for a founder like Carla-san to be our enemy.

Shin: Oh, but my brother shouldn't be able to activate his magical founder powers.

Yui: Eh? Why?

Shin: That’s because his current memories are messed up. He thinks he is a vampire, so he can't use his powers.

I never thought I could turn into a wolf either that time.

Yui: I see... you might be right.

Shin: With that being said, I can manipulate my own magical powers freely now. I still think my brother is tough, but ...

Somehow, I think I‘m the one who‘ll open up this way.

Yui: Yes... !

Shin: But, there is one more thing that I care about.

Yui: Eh? What is it?

Shin: It is me, my brother, the Sakamaki and Mukami family who are allowed to participate in this championship.

Yui: Yes, that’s true.

Shin: However, I think there is one guy I missed to mention. That guy Kino in Scarlet is the one I mean, who is he?

Yui: Kino-kun... ?

Shin: I don’t remember that guy at all. You, do you know anything about him?

Yui: Uhh, not really... I thought it was someone I knew, but I wonder if it’s different.

Shin: I don't remember it clearly either, but could it be that this man is the master of everything?

Yui: Maybe!

Shin: Isn’t that kind of weird? The only man who’s different from everyone is an unknown one.

Yui: If you say it like that... I wonder if it‘s true... ?

(There is still the possibility of an acquaintance with someone maybe like a god or something?)

(But, if no one knows then—)

???: Hmh, there seems to be another guy whose memories have returned.

Yui: ...Ngh!?

Shin: Who!?

Kino: Don’t talk that loudly. As you can see, I am not a suspicious person.

Yui: Kino... kun... ?

(For him to be in such a place!?)

“Adora is one of the First Ones” Theory

Okay this is a tad later than I meant to make this post but I got busy (finals week is upon us and I am....dying).

But here it is: my “Adora is one of the First Ones” theory

There’s been a lot of speculation on what exactly Adora is (including one really interesting theory that she’s not even human) and personally, I think she’s one of the First Ones.

Disclaimer: I don’t think she’s over 1000 years old. That’d be kind of cool, but would involve a lot of time travel nonsense that I doubt Noelle and the rest of the She-Ra crew want to make that convoluted 

(I’m looking at you Fairy Tail)

But I do have reasons that I believe she is a descendant/part of the group of people that the rest of Etheria calls the “First Ones”.

We’ll start off with something simple. During Adora’s interactions with Razz, one thing in particular stood out to me: their conversation about the stars.

Notice here how Adora is the first one to point out and name the stars. Quickly following, Razz mentions how her and Mara (the previous She-Ra from 1000 years ago) used to look at the stars together, but that they’ve disappeared. 

I’ll go ahead and add a disclaimer that this one is based on a lot of loose theorizing and assumptions because we’re not actually sure how long the stars have been missing or whether or not the rest of the Etherians are even familiar with stars. For this theory, I’m going to go ahead and assume that the stars have been gone quite awhile - for a thousand years in fact. The rest of the Etherians likely don’t even know what stars are, hence Adora’s slight confusion upon being able to recognize them at all.

Clearly, Razz is able to identify them because she’s clearly over a thousand years old (as evidenced by the fact that she was alive during Mara’s time and was familiar with her enough that they would often hang out it seems). Razz is this sort of connection between the mysterious past and present-time. However, Adora, not only someone who is young and been sheltered by the Horde all of her life, knows about stars.

Granted, this one has some leeway in the sense that you can argue that maybe Etherians, even if they don’t have stars in their sky currently, may have some sort of written history or text on stars somewhere. A completely plausible argument, except that this comes next:

Adora’s seen the stars. She remembers them. She just can’t place how or where. Probably because she was too young to remember them. We’ll get back to this just a little more later, but first, a bit more on a possible theory of when and how the stars disappeared.

So as we all know, Mara, in a brash decision, stranded Etheria in the closed-off dimension of Despandos about a thousand years ago (as told by Light Hope).

Notice how all the stars disappeared around Etheria? (Please ignore the single star in the third screenshot I did my best to capture this screenshots as fast as possible lol.) A direct result of Mara stranding them in Despandos. This is also what resulted in her breaking the She-Ra line (as you can see from the screenshot above). It’s also safe to assume that large planet is Etheria (which will come up in just a minute).

But first, let’s move on to something else real quick: Adora can read the First Ones’ writing. As far as we’re aware, no one else can. Because, as Glimmer states:

No one has spoken that language in a thousand years (approx. the time that the First Ones supposedly “vanished” and also around the time Mara stranded Etheria in Despandos). There might have been some people who’ve attempted to translate the language surely, but it’s not a language that is commonly used or known. Certainly no random person can read this dead language.

Now, one of the arguments that could easily be made is that Adora magically learned how to read the language once she made her connection with the Sword of Protection, which would just be the easy way out (and not applicable at all to this theory). 

But where else would Adora have learned a language that’s been dead for over a thousand years?

Maybe in a place where it’s still commonly used.

Which....we’ll get to in a minute (gotta keep that suspenseful build-up haha).

For now, let’s move on to another point. 

This one has to deal with the planet itself. Glimmer and Bow mention at the beginning that Etheria was settled by a civilization that they call the “First Ones” over a thousand years ago before the “suddenly vanished”. Supposedly without a trace. The only thing left behind were the ruins filled with what they call “First Ones’ tech”. 

Entrapta even theorizes (correctly) that the entire planet is made up of First Ones’ tech. However, during Adora’s conversation with Light Hope, it’s revealed that it’s not quite “tech” but more of a “life force”. (Not in exact words but that’s kind of the gist that I was getting.)

The princesses are connected to their runestones which stabilizes the planet so-to-speak. Disrupting the runestones throws the planet into chaos and as we saw in Glimmer’s case, if a princess’s connection to their runestones is disrupted, it affects them personally as well.

But Glimmer isn’t the only one we’ve seen whose connection to her runestone become disrupted.

It’s important to note here that while Glimmer’s disruption was caused by power from another runestone (Shadow Weaver and the Black Garnet), She-Ra’s was caused directly by First Ones’ tech. 

Another important thing to note is that when the robot was screaming or, as Entrapta endearly put it “trying to talk”, She-Ra was the only one noticeably affected by this.

This leads me to believe that Adora has some sort of special connection with First Ones’ tech that the other princesses (or anyone for that matter) do not. What exactly that connection is is a little harder to pin down and I admittedly don’t have a solid answer to it, but I think it’s an interesting thing to consider regardless.

For my last point, we’re going to also briefly consider the original 80s cartoon in relation to the Netflix reboot. 

Both iterations of this universe start with Adora being taken in by the Horde when she was very young. In the original, she was specifically kidnapped by Hordak from her original dimension to be raised into a Horde soldier.

However, in the reboot, Shadow Weaver states that she found Adora as an orphan and took her in.

What isn’t mentioned is how or where Shadow Weaver came across Adora. That part of her history is still a mystery - both to us and Adora herself. Given what we know of the Horde and Shadow Weaver however, it’s a safe assumption that Shadow Weaver didn’t just “find” Adora. 

Now, this might be me getting nitpicky, but also notice how Shadow Weaver says she found Adora as a child, not a baby like she was in the original. This could mean that Adora was young enough to not remember much of her actual past, but still older than an infant (and even if she did remember where she was from, we’re all now well aware that SW has the capability to erase memories).

So what does this mean?

Glad ya asked because the moment is finally here:

Adora is from another dimension where the “First Ones” still exist. In fact, she’s part of the group of settlers who travels the universe settling on uninhabited planets.

As Light Hope mentions, the First Ones are a group of settlers who journeyed to Etheria to settle there.

Explorers. 

Translation: They traveled from place-to-place. From the wording here, they were probably nomadic. Of course, there are groups who completely stay together and explore different uninhabited places to settle, using up the resources before moving on (like the Native Americans). 

However, some nomadic peoples would settle in an area before a newer generation would set off to settle another place, leaving behind the people who’d originally settled that location (think Moana...except I don’t have screencaps for that).

The First Ones probably settled a bunch of different planets, Etheria included, leaving behind a group of people in one settlement to go and explore more places to start up a settlement there.

So....what does that have to do with Adora?

Adora was a part of one of the settlements on a different planet. Let’s list how and why:

-She remembers the stars. Personally. But where would she have seen stars when she currently lives in a dimension where they don’t exist?

Perhaps when she was younger. 

Shortly after her conversation with Mara, Adora seems to have a series of flashbacks of a world with different scenery, including something that should seem familiar.

The Crystal Castle, before it became a ruin, complete with a sky full of stars

The stranding of Etheria

A portal that’s in a very...familiar field

And it all ends with what looks like a window looking out onto a landscape, the planet of Etheria in sight and a baby giggling.

Baby Adora giggling.

-Adora can read First Ones’ writing when no one else can.

This could probably be because, once again, she grew up in a place and a society where it’s still commonly known and used. As a child, it’s something she would’ve grown up learning to read. And after being transported to a dimension where it’s been out of use for a thousand years, it’s odd that she somehow knows a dead language....unless it’s something she’s encountered before.

So, tl;dr Adora is a part of one of what might be many colonies of First Ones settlers and is from another planet in another dimension where she was born and raised, learned the language, was able to see stars, and has a special connection to the technology from being around it firsthand (rather than being an indirect descendant over the period of a thousand years) but was somehow taken by the Horde to Etheria that’s stranded in the empty dimension of Despandos.

#432. S3 Ch.15: 52F - Stealing the Fang (6)

Chapter | Wiki | Blog | 2019.06.16 | Translator: AdiosCorea | Report error

Assistants: Dimensional BambooShoot, Jeon Soojin, What, Ham Chicken

Naver Endnote: Canzon is a dog rather than a... wait... no

So today's afterword sketch is Canzon. Actually, when you focus on the story of the main characters, it gets harder to focus on the new characters, so I end up having to stretch the story just to give the arc-specific characters some additional panels. This particular week's chapter isn't necessarily like that, but since all we've seen of this character is him naked, so^^;; I wanted to put some clothes on him, so I went with Canzon.

This week, as it was last week is a stormy cage. As with any work, there's always trouble wherever the main characters go. I always thought "Why does it have to be this timing!!" when I read manhwa, but now I understand their thought process hehe. If they don't stir things up, how can they be called the main character?

Bam's party is figuring out the situation in the Cage and acting accordingly, and we have the canine executives fighting. Their fighting styles and names are meant to be fairly similar. Even if it may be a bit long, I wanted to use less western loanwords for them and more Korean and Hanja​ based words for them. They're nothing too impressive, but that's what it is haha.

The Cage, when Yama sleeps, is getting louder. On how this will end, stay tuned.

I've been going to the hospital because my neck isn't feeling well [TN: Korea has good healthcare system, dw about SIU's money] but things are getting tense because it's an important body part when it comes to drawing. I've been hearing all the time how I should not use it and rest in the hospital, but still ^^;; Still, they've been administering medication to me, some by syringe, I've been excising, reducing workload and taking care of myself. I hope it gets better soon. (If it doesn't work the afterwords will be reduced) 

​I started Pilates, which is actually really hard. My body's like that of an old man. Now that I think of it, I could have done a lot of different things in my life, but there's a lot I couldn’t do simply because I was too focused on meeting deadlines every week. It sounds like an excuse, but one of those things I neglected is my body, so belatedly I feel sorry to my body and to my parents. However, I still think I would have done the same if I went back. I actually really like this job. I still do ^^;;

I hope you enjoyed this week, and we’ll return next week with the Cage in chaos.

Thank you!

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on my shelf: soundtrack to my fourth year of uni - summer

I’m finally done with my Bachelor’s thesis! I might make a separate, more detailed post about it, since the topic is relevant for what this blog is about (of course it is haha), but for now I can say my topic was an analysis of the use of elements from the “Pop-Star-System” in building up a girlgroup career. I looked at the history of Pop-Stars and analysed the album covers of the Supremes’ first two albums, as well as the Spice Girls and Girls’ Generation’s first albums/physical releases. It was a lot of work, but I really enjoyed the topic. Oh and if anyone was wondering, I’m doing a Media Studies degree, which is why I could tackle such a cool topic.

Anyway! So working on my thesis took up my entire summer semester because I luckily didn’t have any classes left to attend, so I was thankfully spared the whole online class ordeal. The music I mentioned in my last post (”Quarantunes”) has mostly stayed on repeat in the past few months. Besides an ever steady stream of BTS, there are a couple of new things to add to the list:

Tomorrow X Together: The Dream Chapter: Eternity (2020)

Now THIS is the release I’ve been waiting for from them. Their previous album had one song that had a co-writing credit for one of the members (Hueningkai on “Rollercoaster”), but this album has more! We’re finally starting to hear their writing talents more. “Maze in the Mirror” was written/demo’ed entirely by one member (Beomgyu) and in the process of preparing it for this release the other members also wrote parts. It’s a beautiful, melancholic, and dynamic song that I can highly recommend for listening to before going to sleep. The lyrics talk about how unsure they felt before debuting. I can’t wait to hear more songs where they talk about their personal experiences, because clearly they’re good at it. In general this album is much darker than their previous two releases and they suit them well. The songs are more varied, too: You have the classic TXT style opening song, but the lead single “Can’t You See Me?” is full of angst, which is new for them. “PUMA” is like dark R&B, while “Fairy of Shampoo”, a reworked cover of a popular 1990s Korean song, is more city-pop. And then you have “Eternally” which reminded me of twenty one pilots’ “Ode to Sleep” in the way it completely changes up its style several times throughout the song. It’s all coherent and flows well from top to bottom though, and I think they’re well on their way to carving their own niche in the saturated and often same-same (k-) pop landscape.

Agust D: D-2 (2020)

He finally came back. SUGA of BTS last released a mixtape under his solo moniker Agust D in 2016. That one was very dark, brazen at times, and incredibly open and honest about his struggles, ending on a note of hoping that things will get better. This follow-up release makes it clear that Agust D has become a slightly different person in the past few years. He’s still brazen at times, but he has good reason to be, looking at how incredibly successful BTS has become since 2016. As always, he makes fun of those who decide to be haters but cleverly never gets too specific - if you feel attacked, that’s on you. There is a lot of introspection on this album too. It’s generally much less defeated or dark than on the 2016 self-titled release, but it’s still not all sunshine and rainbows. His problems have morphed -  he has now achieved his dreams, but it’s not quite what he expected it to be. There are a lot of thoughts about dreams, about what it means to grow up, about what his position in the world means and feels like. That sounds like it’s very focused on himself and might be inaccessible to us non-famous people, but that’s absolutely not the case. A lot of it are quite mundane questions that everyone asks themselves in their 20s, like “what am I doing with my life?” and “what kind of person am I really?”. He makes it clear that he doesn’t have the answers, but he somehow makes you feel comforted in that uncertainty. The musical style is more like current hip-hop, where Agust D was more like harder, older hip-hop, but retains his (especially recent) typical, very melodious style, with him even singing some choruses. There are various styles and interesting production choices that make for a varied, but cohesive listening experience. 

Hayley Williams: Petals for Armor (2020)

I mentioned this album in the “Quarantunes” post as well, but the full album was released after that went up, so it deserves another mention here. This album tells a story of an emotional journey towards healing, without ever getting preachy or feeling insincere. In several interviews Hayley mentions her therapy journey and learning to deal with her trauma and how this album helped with that. Listening to all the songs in order, a journey of self-discovery, -acceptance, and -empowerment is laid out. All these things are typically found in little things and learning to change your perspective. It’s Hayley’s most feminine work yet, in the sense that she’s embracing all of her different aspects: the delicate, the powerful, the rage, the love. Everything is wrapped in sounds inspired by Alternative music, but more, as said before, the Björks, Radioheads, and synth-y 80s artists, instead of loud guitar bands. My favourite songs are “Crystal Clear”, “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris”, “Over Yet”, “Cinnamon” and “Simmer”.

IU: Palette (2017)

When it was announced that IU and SUGA from BTS (two of the most popular artists in Korea) would release a collab song, I decided to check out her (IU’s) music more intensely, because I only knew one or two of her songs from the Dalkom Café playlist on Spotify. One of them is on this album, “Palette (ft. G-Dragon)”. This album, to me, best encapsulates IU’s sound: from heartbreaking ballads to satisfying light K-R&B, to slightly darker, groovy K-R&B (I think that’s the right genre term..), this one has them all. I’m not the biggest fan of ballads, but I enjoy IU’s voice so much that I don’t mind listening to them at all. I really love it, however, when she leaves that style behind for the slightly darker, or at least more pop sounds, like on “Palette”, but especially on “Jam Jam” and “Black Out”. She has a certain attitude on those songs that are slightly opposite of the pure, innocent image I previously had of her. It seems very sincere though, most likely because she writes on all of her songs. She has been utilising this style more often in recent years, on songs like “Bbibbi” and “Blueming” (both certified bops). “Eight”, the collab with SUGA, is an uplifting, yet bittersweet feeling pop anthem that almost feels like it could’ve been just a little bit longer. I’ll probably dive deeper into her lyrics soon and I’m excited for what I will find.

Sunmi: Warning (2018)

Last summer, Sunmi released the single “Lalalay” and I immediately loved it. I learned the choreography pretty much the week after I heard it the first time. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to have much other music on her Spotify page though, just a couple of older singles (which I also immediately loved). This year she released “pporappippam” (which is basically the romanization of the Korean title which translates to Purple Night), a bittersweet, nostalgic, summer pop song, like only Sunmi can do. Seriously, no one else in K-Pop is releasing music like hers, and they probably don’t even dare to try. For those who don’t know, she used to be in one of the historically most popular girlgroups Wonder Girls. But besides that, she has been releasing her own style of pop since she started releasing solo music and Warning (which they must’ve only recently put on Spotify in full) is a pretty good encapsulation of that sound. It’s almost like a mix between K-Pop and K-R&B, but more like IU’s moodier songs for example. It’s not flashy and sparkly, but it’s not full-on groove either. It’s a bit of both and it works perfectly for her. 

--

Special mentions for new albums I haven’t listened to that much but do enjoy a lot: HAIM’s Women in Music Part III, Irene&Seulgi’s Monster, Taylor Swift’s folklore (released like a week before this post is published but it’s undeniably good and will get a longer write-up when I’ve had more time with it), Loona’s discography

v. Unagi Don

Unagi Don’s Master Attendant was a samurai-born General. In a country where samurais are looked down on by the nobles, Unagi Don’s Master relied on his own merits and service to become a general; to a point where he made the title of General into a symbol of national power.  

There many who cannot understand Unagi Don’s Master Attendant. After going through such a treacherous power struggle, why would he choose to hold authority?

Unagi Don however, understands him very well. His Master Attendant has never changed since he began to serve the throne. This power he cannot let go, this was Master Attendant’s talisman.

What’s more, the status of samurais cannot be changed overnight, the day the General put down his authority, was also the day the noble’s powers made him swallow everything that not even bones are left (1).

(1)    吞得连骨头都不剩 [The correct saying should be ‘吃人不吐骨头’, which literally translates to ‘To eat someone and not spit out the bones’. It means ‘to become cruel yet ravenous’]

Unagi Don is someone who is nothing like how he may appear. He seems to be someone who doesn’t think much, but in actuality, he is more understanding (2) than anyone else.

(2)    通透 [There is no English equivalent to the Chinese word: it means someone who understands everything but is not malicious and doesn’t mess with others; someone with empathy and ethics.]

Continuing to live is of the utmost importance, and while you’re still alive, as long as you do your best, then you needn’t dread death.  

However, Unagi Don never would’ve expected for his Master Attendant, in old age, to announce a law that bewildered and infuriated people.

It’s forbidden to kill, to eat meat, to conduct a meeting with has over ten people… it incensed the people.  

The opposition of the General grew in number, and even the General’s own house was rioting. Even a servant helped an outsider to enter the General’s house to assassinate him.

When Unagi Don caught the assassin, the assassin hatefully asked Unagi Don, looking indifferent, why he helped the General’s cruelty.  

Unagi Don pondered as he tied up the assassin, answering him nonchalantly.

“What will happen if you succeed in the assassination? When foreign enemies invade again, who will save those people who resented the General? Besides, you didn’t take into consideration that if you failed your assassination, the mansion’s security will tighten. The next assassin will have a harder time, and the General will continue his regime. Doesn’t this count as you helping out tyranny too?”

“You! This is false reasoning!”

“Haha, as long as it’s the victor, doesn’t matter if it’s false reasoning or dishonest practice, none of it matters.”

Unagi Don squatted next to the firmly bound assassin and patted his shoulder.

“No matter what the General does, he is still my Master Attendant, and protecting the Master is my duty. I hope your successors can be a bit smarter, don’t get caught by me again.”

Unagi Don doesn’t care if his Master Attendant is right or wrong, even if his Master is not as wise or farsighted or righteous as he used to be. Unagi Don will maintain his decision from beginning to end, and accompany Master Attendant’s side and only until he passes on, will Unagi Don leave.  

Walking out of the General’s house, Unagi Don was not welcomed by the country. The newly appointed General had just abolished those preposterous past decrees one by one, and the people still cannot forget that Food Soul always by the General’s side, protecting him.

Luckily, there’s one place that was willing to shelter Unagi Don, who had nowhere else; that place is Tonkotsu Ramen’s ramen shop, which she opened after her retirement from the underworld. Unagi Don just ‘freeloads’ there; in return, he helps her handle contenders who come to challenge her, upon hearing about her past reputation.  

Following the newly appointed General issuing beneficial and constructive decrees, the people’s resentment towards the previous General were gradually replaced with praise for the current General.

Occasionally, the ramen shop will have customers who were victims of punishments from the previous General’s decrees, eating ramen with righteous indignation. During their obliviousness, they’d criticize that Food Soul who kept on protecting the General, keeping the nightmarish regime from an early end, in front of Unagi Don.

Unagi Don never cared about these opinions; what’s more, he doesn’t get angry because of people’s criticism.

From Unagi Don’s views, the camellia has already fallen. There’s no need to get entangled in past situations again.

It’d be better to look at what’s in front of him, think about how many good drinks he hasn’t tried yet!

End of Part 5

From Their First Days As Z-Boys and Z-Girls To The Latest Album “Singing For You” | Exclusive Interview

“To inspire and become a cultural bridge that connects the world with music.”

Z-Stars is a group consisting of two separate groups called Z-Boys and Z-Girls with a total of 13 members coming from 7 different cultures around Asia, pursuing a common goal.

First debuted on February 2019, the group released their second mini-album this July and also had their very first showcase in Korea. Many acknowledged them as a K-Pop group without a single Korean member, but there’s so much more than just a description of the group.

With that, on August 28th, 2019, Kpopmap visited the studio in Zenith Media Contents located in Seoul to simply get to know more about them and share their dream with the readers.

Congrats on your comeback with the second album “Singing For You”. Can you tell us what the songs are about?

Perry: “Holla Holla” is a hip-hop styled song, composed with strong rhythm and bass which makes you feel excited and it is also a song that contains a message saying that “We will reach our dreams, not in a plain way but rather through our own way and findings

Bell: Our latest release, “Streets of Gold” contains a message about finding one true love and the song is recorded with powerful vocals. We highly recommend putting this song on your summer playlist! (haha)

What I noticed was that the song, “Holla Holla” has a similar message to the previous song, “No Limit”. Is this what Z-Boys are going for?

Mavin: Both “No Limit” and “Holla Holla” contains a message to motivate and inspire the listeners in chasing their own dreams. We really try to send that message to both the listeners and all our GalaxZ(Fandom name).

Do you plan on exploring other themes?

Mavin: I think we have a lot of potentials to try various genres since we all come from a different background, which means we have that much of diverse colors that we can explore.

What are the things that has changed compared to when you first debuted?

Carlyn: I think the girls got a lot fancier and more mature compared to our last song. The atmosphere of our second song, in general, is a bit sexier, having less kid-like pureness but show more of our women side.

Mavin: We want to show our sexiness! (haha) as you can see, we have a harness around our body haha. You can witness that in our choreography as well because the moves itself are a lot sexier than before. In our third single, we can maybe go further and be even MORE sexier hahaha!

What made you fall in love with K-Pop?

Priyanka: Of course, we all have different musical background and style but, K-Pop is very different and unique. For example, their performance is very attractive and above that, they sing and dance at the same time. So I think that was the most attractive point about K-Pop. Also, there are artists that produce their own music, so they are basically an overall package for an artist that you just can’t resist!

What went through your mind when you made that final decision to be part of Z-Stars?

Sid: I was filled with mixed emotions when I first heard the news but I was so excited about it. We all prepared a lot and worked hard to be part of this group and I’m sure it goes the same for everyone that, we were all so happy.

Weren’t you scared?

Vanya: At first, I felt thrilled in the aspect that I got closer to achieving my dream and that I will be doing what I love. But there was a bit of pressure as well since each one of us represents our own country. For instance, I and Mavin are from Indonesia and when we joined this project, we are bringing Indonesian names to Korea so we had to be great in what we do.

As a non-Korean K-Pop group, inspired by K-Pop, what are the biggest challenges? And how did you overcome those challenges?

Carlyn: There were various challenges that we went through. For example, when we first came to Korea, it was during the winter and most of us never experienced winter in our lives! That was a bit hard to adjust at first.

We also came from 7 different countries so we had difficulties when communicating with one another. We tried translating apps and used a lot of body languages! But the company supported us with language lessons to fill out the gap and now we have no problem communicating!

The biggest of them all was the training. We had to go through intense K-Pop training which was very systematical, army training-like style and as an artist in K-Pop, being synchronized during choreography is a must! So we worked really hard to achieve that.

What did your parents think when you said that you wanted to train in Korea?

Blink: For me, when I told my mum about myself going to Korea to train, without any hesitation, she supported me and said: “Go for it!”

Joanne: I auditioned for another company before I joined Z-Stars and when I first told my parents about it, they simply said no. I was a student at the time and they told me that I had to study but I had different thoughts and told them I wanted to pursue my training in dancing and singing. Even when I went to an institute to learn Korean, which I also had to pay it on my own, they thought I was going to give up soon. However, I kept on working harder and showed my passion for K-Pop. Finally, when I told them about Z-Stars, they gave in and said that they will support me in proceeding my dreams.

what were their thoughts about K-Pop? Do they listen to K-pop now?

Carlyn: Now they love it! When we had our first “Z-Pop Dream Concert” in Korea, they saw big artists like MONSTA X and ChungHa in the line-up and got really excited about it!

Mavin: Yeah they asked us to take a picture with them! Hahaha

What are your hobbies that you do during your spare time in Korea?

Carlyn: We get free time on Sundays mostly when we don’t have any schedule and normally we would just go outside shopping, go for a walk, just hang out with the members.

Mavin: Oh really?? That’s different from Z-Boys! We’re always in the studio practicing! Hahaha Well, Joke aside we do try to practice as much as we can because we all know that there’s always space for improvement and we do enjoy practicing!

What is Z-Stars’ ultimate goal?

Blink: We want to be an artist that can move others’ hearts and give true joy through our music to the people around the world. There are K-Pop artists that are really popular in America and Europe and we hope that we can follow those steps and ultimately, become a cultural bridge between all borders as Z-Stars.

To wrap our pleasant encounter, we asked the members to send out a message to their family and friends back home.

Kpopmap would like to thank Z-Stars and the staff for this interview and wish all the best for the group’s upcoming journey!

source: https://www.kpopmap.com/from-their-first-days-as-z-boys-and-z-girls-to-the-latest-album-singing-for-you-exclusive-interview/

Culture and Translation - S01 E04

Slowly getting through these, although they’re out of order. I’ll post an index when I’m done with season 1. 🤦‍♂️

CLIP 1: A wild mom appears

22:30 is a perfectly cromulent time to have dinner in Spain, but ngl, I’d have it a bit earlier on a school night. Eva’s supposed to be at school at 8:30.

Eva is eating the Hacendado store-brand “natillas de vainilla” from Mercadona (vanilla custard). Lol can you imagine that Skam España gets enormous, and people from abroad make trips to Mercadona because of Skam España?

Pesada (“annoying”): Okay, I love “pesada” because it literally translates as “heavy,” but it actually means that someone is being annoying/nagging to the point where it feels tiring to put up with them. There’s an idiom in Spanish: “eres más pesado que una vaca en brazos” (you’re heavier than carrying a cow bridal-style) and I find the visual hilarious.

CLIP 2: Carrying their bags for some reason

This clip dropped at 11:39, but the characters are all carrying their bags and backpacks. You don’t take your backpack out for recess. You leave it in the classroom and take the valuable stuff with you. We don’t have lockers.

Ni de reojo (“Not even a glance”):  Looking at someone “de reojo” is looking at them from the corner of your eyes, but that’d have been too long.

Bien, normal (“Good, fine”): In Spain we often use “normal” to respond to small talk (how are you doing, what’s the weather like, how was dinner with your family, stuff like that). I went with fine, as I haven’t really heard “normal” being used that way in English.

CLIP 3: Are these our biology buddies?

I do like the juxtaposition of Eva telling Nora everything is fine, only for Eva to UNLOAD on Lucas the very next clip.

I can’t watch this clip without remembering that I did the Social Sciences track of Baccalaureate, and yet, I had to translate a fucking optical microscope exercise for Skam. This fucking show.

Es que es muy heavy, Eva (“You crossed a line, Eva”): I also really like the Spanish slang “heavy.” It comes from heavy metal, and it’s meant to bring to mind the intensity of the harder heavy metal bands. And hey! It shows up on Urban Dictionary with the same meaning: Serious and intense, but also too much. I think this might be outdated slang in the US?

Y yo estaba rayada (“And I was going crazy”): I’m pretty sure that to be “rayado” comes from “discos rayados,” i.e. skipping records. When you’re “rayado,” you are stuck on a specific thought or emotion to the point of obsession or being unable to move past it. It’s NOT “sounding like a broken record,” as in English, because being “rayado” is internal. You’re stuck on a continuous loop within your own mind. It comes up several times throughout the show, and I’m pretty sure I used a different expression each time because nothing felt quite right.  

Tú qué vas a decir (“Like you’d say anything different”): The literal translation would be, “what are you going to say.” However, that sounded like it could be a question, even a rhetorical one, when Eva is throwing Lucas’ words back in his face.

CLIP 4: Carrot cake

Carrot cake is a relatively new import in Spain. I think it’s trendy for coffee shops to have it on their menus now. Since it’s so recent, it was adopted with its English name, rather than the Spanish translation. This also applies to brownies, pancakes (which were actually called “tortitas” for a while, but now it’s become trendier to call them pancakes), muffins and cupcakes.

Aquí os quedáis (“I’m out”): Lucas actually says, “you stay here,” but the connotation is that Lucas is leaving because he’s Done with Eva and Jorge. Eva and Jorge can choose to stay or leave or do whatever, but Lucas is leaving and not taking Eva and/or Jorge with him.

Que aproveche, chicos (“Enjoy, you two”): Enjoy, as in enjoy your meal, of course! “Chicos” could be translated as “kids,” and when the teachers use it, I do translate it as kids. But the waitress is calling Eva and Jorge “chicos” just because they’re younger than her, not because she’s calling them children. You are either young enough to be “chicos” or old enough to be “señores.”

I mean, if Lucas is going to parent trap them, he could’ve at least paid for the cake. This entrapment with an unpaid bill is kinda rude!

CLIP 5: Nailing Viri

Eva has a palmera in her hand! See Wikipedia for info on this supposedly palm leaf-shaped pastry. The picture captioned “Pig’s ears” is closer to the one Eva has in this clip,

Un clavo saca otro clavo (“there are other fish in the sea”): The literal translation is, “a nail takes out other nail,” as in, the construction kind of nail. The connotations of both sayings are a little different. “There are other fish in the sea” has the connotation that you’ve been dumped, but there are plenty of people in the world for you to explore. “A nail takes out another nail” can mean you’ve been dumped or that your love is unrequited, and that the only way to get over it is to find someone new asap. I also found a debate in a translation forum over whether the nail in the idiom means a dick, as in, only by hopping on another dick you can get over the previous dick, and I can honestly say I have no idea if the idiom is about dicks or not.

Viri con la mierda (“Viri with the junk”): Viri actually says “Viri with the shit.” Haha. This girl squad is so gentle and well-spoken.

Quick note on grades: Grades can be 0 to 10, where 10 is the highest grade. You pass with a 5. Anything under 5 is a “failing” grade. 5 through 5.99 is a “passing” grade. 6 through 6.99 is a “good” grade. 7 through 8.99 is a “notable” grade. 9 through 10 is an “excellent” grade. Once you’re in university, you can also get an “honor roll” grade. Only one or two students can get that grade on a specific course. As far as I know, “honor roll” does not exist as a grade in Spanish primary schools, middle schools or high schools.

Encima se pica (“She goes and gets ticked off”): “Picar” literally translates to “to itch” or “to sting” (such as a bee or a wasp sting). If something “te pica” in the slang sense, it means something has offended you, and the speaker thinks it shouldn’t have. There’s a saying, “si te pica, te rascas,” which translates to, “if it itches, then scratch yourself.” It means that if the tea has been too hot, you don’t get to lash out, you need to deal with it. Cris is indignant that she’s trying to help Viri out by telling her the truth straight up, and Viri is offended, instead of grateful.

Una chica de cuarto (“A fourth grader”): Fourth grader as in being in her fourth year of Mandatory Secondary Education! A grade below the girl squad.

CLIP 6: Underage drinking  

I don’t know where that tunnel is, and I desperately want to know. On that note, I was so fucking chuffed when the clip came out. I really didn’t think they’d even attempt a street drinking scene. They obviously had to have it a secluded place in order to keep the shooting a secret, but it works.

Okay, so my personal take on the call to prayer scene is this. The clip dropped at 20:07 on the 6th of October, and Isha (the fifth prayer) happened at 19:08 at the very latest. (There are several methods of calculation.) So Amira probably did pray before meeting up with the girls. However, once she took in their initial reactions, Amira might’ve wanted to see exactly how badly the girls would take it, so she pushed a bit harder. Committing to praying five times a day might also be new for Amira, and so she might’ve wanted to test those waters. Ngl, asking her to do it somewhere where nobody sees Amira is with them is pretty fucking bad.

A buenos días (“Good morning”): Jorge is doing one of his voices here. I guess he sounds a little like a rural old man. And yes, he says “good morning” even though it’s visibly dark outside the tunnel, lol.

There’s a conversation happening below the camera line and a bit aways from the mics. It’s hard to catch all of it, But Lucas drops the bag with the ice cubes and tells people to help themselves. Dilan grabs ice cubes with his bare hands, and Hugo calls him out for being gross. Dilan asks Hugo why he minds. Tbf to Dilan, a botellón is usually a gross affair with drinks being spilled, vomit, and sometimes piss, so touching the ice with your hands is small potatoes in comparison, lol.

Verdad o atrevimiento (“Truth or Dare”): For the record, the version I played was called Beso, Verdad o Atrevimiento (Kiss, Truth or Dare). I guess there’s a larger English language influence that’s made it more authentic to drop the Kiss option from the name, if not from the dares themselves.

Va lanzada (“going for it”): Lucas says Cris is “lanzada,” which literally translates to being launched, or going as fast as something being launched. Such as a rocket, for instance.

Pa mala yo (“I’m the badass”): Cris is quoting the Aitana and Ana Guerra song Lo Malo, which comes up again later in the season. The gist of the quote is that Cris has no need for bad boys, when she can be a bad girl herself.

Le dio un amarillo (“she had a whitey”): In case you’ve never heard of “a whitey” before, you can find a detailed explanation on Urban Dictionary, which corresponds 1:1 with the Spanish expression.  I had to do a lot of research to find the best translation, so pls appreciate!

Fue muy borde contigo (“He was an ass to you”): “Borde” is yet another classic Spanish slang words. To be “borde” is to be rude for no reason. While it’s slang. It’s not a swear word, and it’s not rude to use. I went with “ass” as I figured it comes across as softer than “asshole.”

CLIP 7: Safety considerations are ignored

Both this clip and the clip before (which dropped at 20:07) generated a discussion in Spanish fandom spaces, specifically about when Spanish teens go out and what their curfews are. Lots of people felt Eva and her friends are going out too early and going back home early, as well. Part of the discussion has to do with something the remakes have shied away from: dropping clips at ungodly hours. As some might remember, during Isak’s season, clips would drop at 3 am because Isak was insomniac. So far, the remakes have held back on dropping clips during hours the target audience may not be awake to react to them, generate discussion on social media, etc.

Spanish people have a (not unearned) reputation of starting the party after dinner time (so 22:00-23:00) until dawn. That said, every teen has their own set of parents with their own set of rules. Personally, I didn’t have a curfew, but we were generally partied out by 4 am.

That said, if I’d been as wasted as Eva is in this clip, I’d have headed home at midnight, sure. Mostly ���cause I’d have wanted to nap it out.

It makes me smile that Eva and Jorge are jay-walking. There’s no penalty for doing so in Spain, by the way. And especially in small towns or villages, where traffic is light and sidewalks not wide enough for more than one person, it is far more common for people to walk down the middle of the road, rather than using the sidewalks.

I don’t understand how Eva’s house works, by the way. That door makes it look like Eva lives in a detached house with a front yard, a fence and a gate. But we know from other clips that you can show up at Eva’s front door without needing to be let in through a gate. Also, there’s no window by the gate. You can definitely see a window by the door in the final clip.

My friends were shocked and appalled that Jorge would leave without ensuring Eva got inside her house safely, since she was so drunk and it’s past midnight. Grudges have been held.

The gagging noises at the 18:54 mark are poetic cinema.

[TRANSLATION] The Star Magazine April 2016 issue x GOT7

Translated by @igot7_MarKP

We were worried before we started the shooting for GOT7. Because they were getting ready for a comeback they had a busy schedule so the filming had to take place early in the morning. Will it be possible to have a fun and exciting party concept? Once they Came on the day of the filming we realized we were worried for no reason GOT7 onset had a brighter energy than anyone else They had smiling faces on and talked with high tone voices and made the set into a party feel at once. Isn't this what fresh youth is.

Mark: Usually when all the members are together we are on the loud side. (laughs) It’s been awhile since all the members are doing the photoshoot together so I guess everyone has high tension.

Junior: It's always fun to doa filming with the members

We are happy to do <The Star 3 year anniversary with GOT7 on the cover

JB: First of all congratulations on your 3rd anniversary. It is more meaningful because it's our 5rd year too.

Youngjae: It's an honor. Thank you inviting us

Jackson: Wow! Congratulations on your 3 year anniversary.I hope you will do more shootings with us GOT7 in the future. 10 years 30 years later too? (laughs)

Bambam: The sets and the props made it really feel like we were at a party so it was really fun. Next time if it's a photo shoot like this call us whenever.

Yugyeom: To me it felt like it was a 3rd year anniversary celebration and also celebration for our new album done together.

Now you are in your 3rd year as a singer

Junior: I can't believe that already 3 years passed. It feels like Our first stage wasn't that long ago.

Youngjae: The only thing that makes me think that 3 years actually passed by is that Bambam and Yugyeom are 20 years old this year. It's interesting to know that now all the members are in their 20's.

Mark: Now the stage Is natural and comfortable. Now the nervousness I get before going on stage is not anxiety but now more for joy. Also now I’m comfortably speaking Korean when I didn’t know any at all before.

Yugyeom: As much as the time passed all the member's skills has improved and our teamwork got much better.

JB: Personally I’m more strict to myself, since the job as a celebrity is to be in front of the public I think that's why I am stricter and more thoroughly organized about my work and my actions

Bambam: We also can’t leave out that there are lots of fans that love us not only in Korea but in many other countries

Jackson: I’m happy when I see fans that come to greet us at the airport or an official schedule.

Saw a video of Jackson being happy and taking pictures of the fans that came out to the airport.

Jackson: I was happy. Really. It's amazing to see so many people that came out to see me. Sometimes there are problems that happen with the security guards so l tell the security guards I know you are doing it for me but please be nice to the fans. They are my people. I have to take care of them.

There were lots of fans that came to see Bambam at the fashion week that was in Thailand

Bambam: I was also surprised by all the fans but the person who was in charge of the event seemed more surprised. I was happy though.

You guys are having activities in Korea after awhile, How does it feel?

Youngjae: These days are fun everyday. I want to show our fans our new side of us fast.

JB: I’m really nervous. I think joy and a little bit of worry are both there.

Jackson: Like all albums before but I am really confident in this album. We prepared it really well

Yugyeom: I want to be on stage fast

Mark: I am really thankful to the fans that waited for us for 6 months and I hope this will pay back for it.

Before your comeback you did a countdown. First you released the photos and the trailer. You are having the fans on their toes

Youngjae: Our feelings aren't that different from the fans. What picture will be released today. What video will it be? They don’t tell us the details. So we check the announced date and time and wait too. (laugh)

We saw the trailer that was released not too long ago. Junior's calmness while the members were loud and smiling came to us differently. What were the intentions in that?

Junior: Our intention was this for people to wonder. There is no set answer. The story changes depending on how you view it. I hope people just enjoy it thinking it in different angles.

We heard that everyone did wire action. Was there any episodes?

Mark: Everyone was excited. Especially when I was young if l could ever have any superpowers I always wanted to fly. My dream came true. Haha

Did you survive the JYP recording this time?

Jackson: Like usual he didn't just let it slide. JYP PDnim just participated in the final check but after hearing my part he said it's just cool and It was lacking the happiness. Me? I thought to myself am I not happy right now? I checked but I didn’t know what he was talking about. I tried really hard to be happy for the next recording even in my sleep. I did my best. I guessed it worked because for the next recording I got an ok at once. Honestly I don't think it's that different from the first recording. Haha

Was there any other things that were difficult?

Mark: The day we filmed the music video and the trailer it was the coldest day so we had a hard time

Junior: Yeah it was really cold

Yugyeom: That day I had a lot of running scenes so l was able to endure the coldness with the heat. Haha

For this album where was your main focus on?

Junior: Our fierce dancing. We took out a lot of the JYP feel. If our previous performances were based on groove with a free and happy choreography this time we are going to show a synchronized dancing even to the small movements

Yugyeom: Really there is choreography throughout the whole song without a little term in between

Youngjae: I am working really hard on our respiration management to prepare for the intense dancing. So that we won't make any mistakes when we sing live.

What kind of album is the new album <FLIGHT LOG DEPARTURE-?

Mark: All 7 members are now legal. So we put flight from adolescence as our big title and we put our members' truthful thoughts of love, friendship, and wandering that only this age can feel into it.

Jackson: I think that this album corresponds to the way GOT7 wants to go

Members participation in this album catches our eyes

Junior: In our album there are a total of 8 tracks. Except for the title song 'FLY and one other song. the members wrote and composed the other 6 songs. JB hyung participated in 3 songs, I did one, Yugyeom and Mark one, the last one Youngjae composed it. All the songs are good. It’s a well-made album so we want to say it confidently.

Please tell me about the songs that you participated in

JB: All 3 songs are a bright love Song. FiSH is about a guy that is with a girl that has lots of guys around her that is written in a fun way. For Something Good I got an idea from the image of a guy looking at a girl lovingly with resting his chin on his hand at a cafe. HOME RUN io a song that is an innuendo of a lover's love and baseball. It's a song where I specially put my heart and soul into the lyrics.

Junior: Can't is a song where it has a tropical beat with a house feel. Unlike the negative meaning of 'Can’t’, It's more of a lovely meaning of 'l can't do anything without you. Mark hyung helped with part of the rap Iyrics.

Yugyeom: For See the Light, the song I made with Mark hyung, I got the idea from where in a movie when the starring actress first appears on screen with a bright aura.

Mark: Yugyeom composed and I was in charge of writing the lyrics

Bambam: I wrote the rap making for Jaebeom's hyungs song Something Good and See the Light

Youngjae: It's a song called 'REWIND. I incorporated the feelings of one of my favorite song, our debut song 'Girls Girls Girls. It’s like an upgraded version of 'Girls Girls Girls?

Jackson is missing?

Jackson: All my songs were rejected because they didn't ft the style of this album's concept

Weren't you sad?

Jackson: That's why I'm going to show it at the concert. Fans will hear it and I hope they judge it objectively. I am confident.

We are looking for your first concert on April 29th and 30th

Mark: It's something that we dreamed of when we debuted. I am happy that we achieved this goal in our 3rd year.

Youngjae: Since we did lots of concerts in Japan and other countries, I thought it wouldn’t get to me but I'm really nervous. Out of all since it's a concert with my parents. I think it will be meaningful.

Heard it was sold out. Congratulations.

Jackson: I was really surprised. Maybe our parents? (laughs) When we heard it we didn't believe it that much.

Mark: Thank you. Please look forward to it because it will be amazing

Junior: We thought it wouldn't sell out, so we were going to invite some of the people we know but l think it’ll be hard. But it still feels good. VWe have to prepare for it harder.

Can you give us a hint on what you are working on?

Junior: You will be able to see a stage where all 7 members aren't part of. We can't reveal more. You have to find out at the concert

Youngjae: Since it's the first concert we are having in Seoul everyone is full of enthusiasm. All the members checked the stage to the propS and even the lighting they are fully showing all the desires they have been hiding.

Lastly is there a goal that you want to achieve with this album?

Youngjae: I want to let people know what GOT7s true color is.

Mark: I want the fans to like it and enjoy it

Jackson: I want to do the promotion with fun and excitement. And I want the fans to know that.

JB: Personally I hope people enjoy my song with fun. And as for GOT7 I want to have good results. With this album I want to win 1st place in the major broadcast. If we get lots of awards that will be nice.

Yugyeom: Of course 1st place. 1st place

Junior: Like that I think this album is important to us. We put our lives into it. We always did but I just want this to be a good album. What I really want is for the song to get loved constantly. If you listen to old songs. you remember the memories from it. I think I will be really happy if this album becomes an album where even when the time passes you listen to it again and remember the memories from it.

Bambam: With this chance I want people to know that GO17 works hard.

Translated by @igot7_MarKP

https://twitter.com/igot7_markp/status/713252325704335361

AX 2017: Fullmetal Alchemist Live Action Panel Transcription

The Fullmetal Alchemist World Whirlwind Tour!! First stop Los Angeles!

| Transcription of a major part of the panel that took place on July 3rd, at Anime Expo 2017 in Los Angeles. Although the panel was listed as 11am to 12pm, it only actually lasted about 35 minutes since it started late and then ended a bit early in order to clear the room. Still, a lot happened in that short time! Here’s the complete transcription! Very Long Post!! |

- NOTE: the MC is Ken Ayugai from Tokyo. Mikey’s the interpreter. I cut their self introductions and their final remarks which let the audience know that the next stop on the live action promo tour was Paris.

- ALSO we weren’t allowed to film or take pictures till after the footage was shown and they were real strict about it, but I’m sure the live action team will release pictures and some footage after their world tour ends in Japan on July 12th, so we just gotta wait like a week.

Also check out: Description of scenes in the footage

MC: So first of all, I'm sure most of you are aware of this but I'm gonna run you through the history of Fullmetal, really quick.

 Mikey: Just a little bit, so you guys, you know there might be some people who don't know Fullmetal Alchemist up here.

 MC: So first of all, Fullmetal Alchemist is a popular japanese manga, which I'm sure you know, and it's written by Hiromu Arakawa and published in the monthly magazine Shonen GanGan from 2001 to 2010. And this series has sold over 70 million copies worldwide and there's been like a tv series in 2003 and 2009, the animated series. And the movie was in 2005 and 2011. And [when the] author gave birth to her children, she continued writing hoping that her kids would read it one day.

 Mikey: Exactly, she wanted her kids to read this one day, so that's a really touching story, right?

MC: Yeah. And since the first anime in Japan was produced in January 1917, that's just like 100 years ago.

 Mikey: Wow, the 100th birthday of anime! Wow.

 MC: Yeah, in japan.

 Mikey: I think that deserves an applause, right guys? 100 years. So i think, you know, so i think it's only appropriate that on the hundredth birthday of anime Fullmetal Alchemist gets a live action adaptation, right? Yeah?

 *audience cheeeers*

 MC: Ok so they [FA movie team] got a lot of offers from around the world and so the FA team has come to anime expo!

 *audience cheers*

 MC: Ok that's about it haha for the history.

 Mikey: Alright.

 MC: Alright, so what do you say, do we want to welcome up or - oh no, first we're gonna do the footage, right? Ok so let's take a look at the trailer first of all!

 *audience cheers*

 {the latest trailer released on april 6th is shown to the audience}

 MC: And now let's welcome our special guests!

 *audience goes wild*

 MC: Let's give a round of applause. from the live action cast Ryosuke Yamada

 *fangirls lose their shit as he walks on stage*

 MC: And director Fumihiko Sori!

 *Director Sori comes on stage as the screaming continues*

 MC: A big round of applause for our guests please!

 *audience calms down*

 MC: [to Yamada] Alright so first of all, would you like to say hello to the crowd?

 Yamada: *testing the mic* hah, hah. [He introduced himself in English] Hello everyone, I'm Ryosuke Yamada playing Edo! thank you for coming today. Please enjoy!

 *cheers*

 MC: thank you. and Mr. Sori.

 Sori: [in English] My name is Fumihiko Sori and this movie's director and please enjoy.

 MC: Alright! So, welcome to anime expo

 Sori: hai, thank you

 MC: please be seated. So we're gonna ask you a few questions, first of all welcome to LA and how's it been so far?

 Yamada: *tries to talk into the mic but it doesn't work and makes derp faces*

 *audience chuckles as MC gives his own mic to Yamada*

 Yamada: [Mikey's Translation = MT] Well, it is really warm and everyone's really nice to me so I'm really enjoying my time here.

 Sori: [MT] I love LA! I've been--I lived here about 20 years ago i wanna say.

 MC: So is it any different from 20 years ago?

 Sori: [MT] I don't think it changed that much in 20 years

 MC: Ok, so still the same good ol LA?

 Sori: [in English] It's great, yeah. I love LA!

 MC: So, looking at this huge crowd for you, how do you feel right now? 'Cause for Anime Expo it's the first time to actually have a live cast come on stage, I guess

 Yamada: [MT] I mean, I'm really happy and proud to be Japanese right now, to see the crowd you know. this room is full of fans who love and share japanese anime and content so I'm really happy

 MC: ok. and Mr. Sori can you tell us what led you to create this live action version of this manga that has so many fans?

 Sori: [MT] So as you guys know, a lot of american comics have been adapted in live action formats, and you know and it's really really cool as i see it, watching from where i am. and you know, we have a lot of good content, a lot of good properties and stories in Japan, but we haven't really had the chance to do a live action adaptation at the level and quality i really wanted to, but i feel like finally we're at a point where it's ready.

MC: [to Yamada] So how did you actually feel when you got offered this role?

 Yamada: [MT] So you know, i'm not really tall per se and when i got this offer i was like, 'maybe it is kinda cool being chibi sometimes'

 MC: Ok, during [playing] Ed there must have been so many challenges

 Yamada: so i mean, of course the performance itself is one thing, acting as Ed, but i think the hardest part was Alphonse, you know he's done in full CG so all my acting i have to do kind of not looking at anything really so all the acting really came down to my relationship with Alphonse there.

 MC: Ok so, we would like to just... go on to the footage maybe?

 Mikey: You guys wanna see some footage?

 MC: Ok, and as mentioned before, no cameras please. No phones or otherwise we have to stop, ok. Let's ask Mr. Yamada to cue [the footage].

 Yamada: nihongo de shitsurei shimasu. Kore dewa goran kudasai, dozo. [translation: I'm sorry for the Japanese. Now, here you go, please watch.]

 MC: Let's take a look at the footage!

 *footage rolls. it's like 6 solid minutes and the audience goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions*

 MC: Alright! [to Yamada, translation:] What did you think of that reaction?

 Yamada: I was really happy to hear you guys' reactions throughout that. We were listening back there.

 MC: so first of all, i understand that filming started in Italy in June 2016 so why did you choose Italy actually.

 Sori: So of course the first work was set in a sort of European city and there wasn't really a specific country but after going through Europe we found that Italy had a lot of really good backgrounds and scenery that we liked for the movie.

 MC: Ok, so Mr. Yamada, what was it like, you're actually acting a role which is not quite Japanese...

 Yamada: [MT] So the original work of course is written by a Japanese mangaka so i really didn't have too much resistance trying to interpret and understand what kind of character we were doing but there was of course fear in the back of my mind as I was acting so i mean, i hope you guys all saw that footage and didn't really feel anything weird, did you?

 *audience cheers, many yell out 'Nooo, you're perfect!!'*

 Yamada: [in english] Thank you!

 MC: And I have a question for Mr. Sori, what was it like actually, for you, working with Mr. Yamada?

 Sori: [MT] Well he is a professional through and through and it made my job really easy to be honest, i didn't have to give him too much direction, he just got what i wanted how i wanted the character to be portrayed and a lot of the action he did himself -- all of the action he did himself, so that made us really really--

 Sori: [in English] No stunt, no stunt!! (Director Sori said this while Mikey was interpreting)

 Sori: [MT] No stuntman here!

 MC: that's amazing!

 Yamada: arigatou gozaimasu

 MC: you got a big one in the face [during the footage, while Ed's running away from the transmuting walls that attack him like giant pillars, he ends up running into one face first]

 Yamada: [MT] That was harder than it looked because i had to react to basically nothing right there

 MC: so how does it feel like, what do you think about it [the footage]? Actually when you looked at it, that footage.

 Yamada: [MT] So when i was acting and portraying the character, i had an idea of what it was going to look like, but seeing it kind of put together with all the edits --it blew my mind and it was way beyond my expectations, i really have to thank the director and all of his awesome skills so thank you very much director.

 MC: And throughout the film.. actually when you were filming the film, your brother isn't actually here but did you feel him here or what was that like?

 Yamada: So while I didn't actually get to see Alphonse in front of me the actor portraying him was next to me acting on his behalf, so as we progressed through production, more and more i started to see him as Alphonse

 *audience awws*

 MC: And Mr. Sori, you've been using a lot of digital technology in this film. Could you tell us about that please?

 Sori: [MT] So I mentioned that I lived in Los Angeles about 20 years ago, i think you guys remember that right? So i was working at a company called Digital Domain and i was actually an animator, a VFX animator there, and i worked on a little movie called Titanic which you might have heard of. And I learned a lot about VFX there so i took a lot of that skill, so my specialty actually lies in the VFX field so i came back to Japan and slowly kind of grew into the role of director and i always thought 'man i wanna take a Japanese IP or Japanese content and turn it into a very VFX heavy production and i think finally i had the chance, and now here we are back in LA 20 years later showing you guys this clip so i'm really really happy and proud to be here.

 Mikey: And one more thing! (Director Sori wanted to add to his previous statement)

 Sori: [MT] but that does not mean this is a VFX only movie and i think you guys, the fans, know that more than anyone, that this is a very story driven, emotional journey. [Sori in English] Yeah, everybody knows, yeah.

 MC: One more question, so when you first met for this film, Mr. Yamada and Mr. Sori, what was the first thing you kind of agreed to focus on in creating this film?

 Yamada: [MT] So I was always a huge fan of Fullmetal Alchemist and when I was offered this role i mean, of course i was really really happy and pleased, and at the same time when we went to Italy and production started, when we were on set and we kind of talked and met each other, i think there wasn't really any doubt in the direction we were gonna take the character and the production. i think it was really a very seamless transition from when we first took it from pre-production to production.

 MC: [translation:] And Director, what about you?

 Sori: [MT] I think it was the best combination ever, even looking back now, looking at all the actors and the talent in the world, i don't think anyone could have portrayed Ed as well as he has so i'm really really glad.

 MC: Ok and now actually, we have a surprise for everyone. We have... the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist...

 *audience starts going wild*

 MC: ...We have a message from her and I'd like to read out the original actually, in Japanese so [to Mikey] can you help me out?

 Mikey: We have a message from the creator and we're going to read it out to you guys right now.

 MC: Ok. [he reads Arakawa-Sensei's message in Japanese]

 Mikey: [Arakawa-sensei’s message interpreted:] So the manga I feel like is my child, I created it, and all these spinoffs and other iterations of it, the anime, the games, everything else that you take, it really feels kinda like my grandchildren, and here they are flying, leaving the nest, exploring, you know i'm really really proud to see them leave the nest like this. And I got to take a look at the footage as well. And it really felt like all these characters i created are there, present in our world. Ryosuke, the way you played Ed was so kakkoi. Everyone out there throughout the world, i hope you take really good care of my grandchild when he goes to see you!

MC: That was a message from Hiromu Arakawa. Ok and now we'd like to give it up to you guys and go into the q&a maybe. You guys have any questions? So if you have a question please raise your hand, okay. You look really ready (some guy in the first few rows was standing with his hand raised)

 Mikey: Are we doing the mic? Are we having them line up or are we gonna run it? Ok, we're gonna line up so please if you have a question line up over here...

 *a ton of people scramble to get to the mic, myself included*

 Mikey: Ok, I don't know if we have that much time guys. Moderators help us out.

 MC: Oh and about the cameras... We were worried about the footage, so yeah you can take photos if you guys want to

 *audience goes crazy*

 Mikey: Let's get started without further ado

 Fan 1: [i know a lot of people here] ...have mixed feelings about this, but maybe 8-10 years down the line, what do you guys think [about an American movie remake]?

 |I missed the complete answer to this one, but the Director was for it|

 Fan 2: How did you come to the conclusion of like where in the manga or anime to finish the movie?

 Sori: [MT] So in my mind I kind of consider this a part one and we have a really good book end to kind of bring closure to the movie as a movie so it can stand alone. But at the same time, if you guys like it and continue to support it, i don't see why there can't be a part two and hopefully beyond.

 Mikey: Thank you very much.

 Fan 3: Ok i have a question to Ed. Will there be a lot of like in the anime, like a lot of when you're fighting with Alphonse, there's a lot of jumping around. Do you think you can do that? Or is it not possible?

 Yamada: [MT] All I can tell you right now is please look forward to the action, there will be a lot of action, not only when i fight against Al, but with him alongside me so I can only tell you to stay tuned and look forward to it.

 Fan 3: Alright, that's cool man! Thank you.

 MC: Thank you.

 Yamada: [in English] Thank you.

 Fan 4: Hi Yamada, hi director. I have a question. So my question is what was the weirdest thing or thing that stood out to you while filming in Italy or during your time here, in LA?

 Yamada: [MT] So this is my first time appearing overseas in front of fans of the movie or of the anime so really your reaction as you saw the footage was kind of a really big pleasant surprise for me. It really made me feel like it was worthwhile playing the part, you know, it was just a pleasure to hear you guys. A lot of times in Japan, people are most embarrassed and shy so they don't openly express that kind of emotion and you know it's just really awesome hearing you guys see that first.

 MC: We're kind of running out of time so we’re gonna have maybe two more questions. We’re very sorry.

Mikey: I'm very sorry guys, two more questions. Yes we're running out of time, unfortunately.

 Fan 4: Ok, so one) I made it. Yes, I'll ask my question real quick. Two) Thank you for the trailer, it was great. Saw a lot of characters that we all know and love, but there was two people I did not see in the trailer. I was wondering if Scar and Armstrong are gonna be in the movie, 'cause I didn't see them.

 Sori: [MT] So I say look forward to seeing them in the movie, but also look forward to part 2.

 MC: So this will be the last question, I'm sorry.

 Fan 5: Hi, Yamada-kun, hi director. I want to ask a question to Yamada-kun. Before the shooting, did you prepare or practice anything for shaping the character of Edo?

 [For the answer to this question, Yamada ran like Ed to show how Ed's running is different from his own and the audience cheered]

 Yamada: [MT] So i think you guys remember the scene where I was running in the beginning, right? So a lot of times when Ed runs, he has a very unique way of running (Mikey not translating anymore:) I'm not gonna do it for you guys (back to translating) It's leaning back and running. And normally when I run, I would run leaning forward like a normal person so I think having the manga on the set and at the production was a large part, and we would always use it as kind of our guidance so we had all the scenes, you know, and obviously getting into costume having it there really really helps. So we wanted to stay true to the manga and that was I guess my technique to building the character.

 Fan 5: arigatou gozaimasu

 | Closing remarks |

 Yamada: [MT] I'm very very happy and honored to be able to have a project like Fullmetal Alchemist that is so loved around the world being produced into a live action adaptation in Japan. So i hope that everyone around the world will be able to see this so thank you very much and yoroshiku.

Sori: [in English] I'm so happy now so please enjoy this movie!

(MC and Mikey end the panel.)

[170131 BIZ ENTER INTERVIEW] Yang Sejong who has perseverance and is becoming a promising actor. 

** KOREAN-VIETNAMESE TRANSLATIONS BY YANG SEJONG 양세종 VNFP**

**VIETNAMESE-ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY YANGSEJONGTRANS**

**DO NOT TAKE OUT WITHOUT PERMISSION**

(similar questions with previous interviews have been omitted) 

Q: It’s been a while since ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’ ended. How are you feeling? 

Yang Sejong: More than feeling regrets, I feel so empty. It’s like everything has gone past so quickly, and I’m really missing the director, seniors and the staff who filmed together. Because we filmed in such a great and harmonious environment, I’m feeling very empty right now. 

Q: ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’ just finished and now you’re back with ‘Saimdang: Light’s Diary’. What’s the difference between those two directors? 

Yang Sejong: ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’’s director Yoon In Sik is someone who is concise and calm. He’s one of those people who are quite hard on the outside but soft in the inside. Honestly, he’s really a person who’s comfortable with everyone. He’s perfect and a really great person. Director Yoon Sang Ho who was responsible for ‘Saimdang: Light’s Diary’ is also a comfortable and exciting person. From the outside, he resembles a tiger but in reality, he’s a really warm person. As time passed, I felt that the director really cared for the actors. Because of that, I felt like I was working in a great environment. It’s like I was blessed. 

Q: Historical and medical, these two genres are not easy at all. I think you had lots of difficulties, right? 

Yang Sejong: Correct. ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’ was especially difficult as it was my first time filming surgical scenes. Honestly, I had a little bit of regret to perform better but I had already prepared everything to the best of my ability. I even visited a hospital to directly observe and learnt 1 to 10 things that the doctor consulted me. I also watched laparoscopic surgery video clips and came to the hospital to practice. I had to approach things that were unimaginable to me. However, from the moment I finished filming the first surgical scene, my hands got better. 

Q: Then what about historical dramas? Usually, there is a difference in tonality and speech delivery. This becomes a difficulty. 

Yang Sejong: That part isn’t hard. I think finding a character’s essential points is harder than that. Once you’ve fully grasp the character’s image really well, everything else will be resolved. Finding a character’s essential points is the most time consuming. 

Q: Then your method of finding a character’s spirit is… 

Yang Sejong: Firstly, I have to think and imagine a lot. This is also the reason why I enjoy strolling alone at dawn. That’s when there’s no one on the streets and the atmosphere is great. The sky would be dark and I would find songs that fit in with the things I’m thinking about. What kind of person is this character, what would he be doing alone, what would his house look like, how would he decorate his house? I just walk and imagine these basics. That’s my way of creating a character in my mind. 

Q: During the ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’ press conference, you were serious shaking so much. I think how will you do if you stand alone in the middle of camera flashes? Even when the drama finished, and now that we’re chatting, you still seem very worried (laughs). 

Yang Sejong: It’s true that I’m a bit afraid of camera flash. I don’t really know where to look. Because I don’t often get all the lights turned to my face, I don’t really like it. I don’t really like crowdy and loud places. I spend more time working alone. 

Q: You seem to like loneliness? 

Yang Sejong: Yeah, that’s what I like. When I’m alone, I drink lots of wine. Other than that, I wander around at dawn while listening to music like what I said before. I really like doing those things. 

Q: It seems like strolling alone at night helps you think about acting more deeply. When filming ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’, did Han Suk Kyu give any acting advice to you? 

Yang Sejong: Yeah he did. That advice has changed my thinking as well as my acting style a lot. Even my values have changed a lot. Q: What was that advice about? Yang Sejong: Senior Han Suk Kyu told me, “In Bum, I hope you’ll become an actor who goes a long distance rather than a short one”. Because of that, I have to do well on everything that’s been given to me and honestly, I’ve thought a lot about the fact that I have to think more thoroughly, deeply and broader. I have told myself to have deeper thoughts, on top of the things that are unimaginable. Looking back, the ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’ set was a place that has taught me a lot of things. 

Q: Then what does ‘Romantic Doctor: Teacher Kim’ mean to you? 

Yang Sejong: It’s a drama that tells many things, every conversation was an extremely precious lesson. It’s probably the set that I will remember until the day I die. I think everyone on set would think the same. 

Q: Even though you’re a rookie, you’ve had many different acting experiences. Do you have any thoughts about what character you would do next? 

Yang Sejong: First off, I do have thoughts about being able to do anything given to me. If I could choose a character to do, I would want to act in a role surrounding platonic love with a much older actress. A relationship like that will always bring about obstacles and difficulties that you can’t easily overcome. I hope to become a complex character like that. 

Q: In films with characters like that, is there any character that has impressed you? 

Yang Sejong: There’s so many. Jenifer Lawrence’s role in ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ is also a complex character. Bradley Cooper in ‘American Sniper’ also showed very good emotions. Even if there are some parts that the actors themselves made up, I was still very attracted to them. 

Q: Is there any connection between your acting goal and the characters you’re attracted to? 

Yang Sejong: Ah, I don’t think it’s quite like that. I don’t think there is a clear goal when I’m acting. Even the normal Yang Sejong also doesn’t have any goals. If I had to really pick a goal, it would be to do well on the things that are given to me. Just like right now, my goal is to complete this interview in an enjoyable way. Haha. When filming, because I totally get absorbed into my character, my goal during those times is to convey a good character. I only set goals in the present and don’t really plan anything for the future. That’s my way of living. Not having any particular goal but just focusing wholeheartedly for myself at the present time.

TumblrFrostbite's AU Public Questions: If Captain Cold and Heatwave NEVER joined the Legends crew and went their own way, how different would events be in Legends of Tomorrow without those two guys as their teammates?

I’ve seen this answered from a couple different people and, for the most part, I would have to say it fails badly or at least is accomplished with great difficulty.  Short version: Ray would be dead and quite possibly Stein (ignoring how the lack of firestorm would change things, i say jax would stay alive because we don’t know if his survival depends on stein as stein seemed certain sending jax off in the jumpship would save him while equally certain stein himself would die).

Now I’m going to think about how this COULD possibly work without Len and Mick.

First, you’d have to consider how Chronos’s actions may differ given he’s no longer Mick.  Atm I can’t think of a way anyone else would fall into that position so, for this, Chronos’s replacement is just a random bounty hunter.  How does that change the attack in the 70′s?  Who knows- maybe Sara wouldn’t leave on her own so she and Jax could formulate a counterattack (possibly an ambush on the waverider).  Maybe one of the others manages to come up with a plan other than cower-and-run-at-random-intervals.

Hell, since we’re changing things around, let’s make Carter a bit of a tactician as 1) it would give him an actual purpose other than someone Kendra pointlessly and inconsistently agonizes over, 2) it would make his loss have an actual effect on the team, 3) he’s supposed to have his memories of his previously lives so why not make some kind of use of his experience (in that vein, he’s capable to reading the runes on the dagger/remembers kendra reading them to him and thus has kendra translate it as a way to help her access her memories and isn’t just him being useless).

Aldus still dies, the confrontation in Norway still goes badly, Rip goes with Ray to try to steal the dagger (which still goes badly) because since the criminals are no longer there and so let’s make use of Rip’s history as a Dickensian-style street urchin.  Carter dies and everyone is sad.

Pentagon trip goes badly because it was a stupid plan to begin but now they have the excuse of the only person that actually knows how to coordinate multiple people in battle is now dead.  Kendra’s rage issues now is more of a concern because the lack of hands means Sara can’t battle it out of her in one episode as she goes to shadow Ray’s attempt at charming the Russian lady and succeeding where Ray fails (because of course she does).  

Ray and Stein still get caught in Russia, someone gets the core out, now that we have less people to juggle, Kendra gets to have something to do and notices something’s off with Sara and finds out she’s been told to kill Stein if needed and talks her out of it.  Either Kendra or Jax (or both) refuse to sit out of the rescue mission because, again, lack of hands.

2046 doesn’t actually change much plot-wise though another subplot will have to occur now that Len and Mick aren’t there and Ray and Jax aren’t competing for Kendra’s attention because they recognize she’s still grieving two recent losses and this is my re-telling I can do what I want.  

Space pirates, no one nearly dies of hypothermia or asphyxiation because doors don’t shut five minutes AFTER a hull breach what the ever lasting shit writers.  Either Kendra or Sara goes with the away team and Rip’s attempts to take out his frustration on either of them gets him landed on his ass.  Pirates finagle a way to trick Gideon into thinking one of the Legends is coming back on the jumpship because honestly, the way Mick’s plan was executed, his presence wasn’t necessary.  Legends win and no one decides killing a teammate is a good idea.

I actually don’t remember the next episode that well but rescuing Jax is a more difficult process and not-Chronos still strands a couple people in the 50′s.  Following episode is almost completely different now that there’s no longer a reason for not-Chronos to just skedaddle and Len and Mick’s drama is no longer the backbone of the episode.

Now we have not-Chronos hunting the Legends through the ship.  I’m actually almost tempted to have everyone but Rip being stranded in the 50′s and Rip having to use guile and superior knowledge of the Waverider to beat not-Chronos (while also out-witting a not-chronos-controlled-gideon).  After, Rip goes to pick up the others without the time skip (maybe a month or two as a b-plot) because that really had no point other than telling the audience Kendra and Ray have gotten closer and magically curing Sara of her bloodlust which only was an issue, like, twice.  Instead Kendra and Sara can spend the first half of the season working through their issues together because I want all the lady friendships.

Progeny was a terrible episode and I’m scrubbing that from memory.

The Wild West episode doesn’t change too much though maybe the Hunters could show up in the previous episode so they’re not pitiful, one-off villains.  Last Refuge needs rework though that has less to do with the lack of Len and Mick and more the plan was stupid.  Though to fill up the space Mick’s interactions with his younger self frees up, we could explore more of Rip’s past.

Leviathan... that would be harder to work around than a pithy paragraph can manage.  The Legends barely managed to kidnap a small boy, I don’t know how they’re going to manage kidnapping a capable young woman and her bracelet without the criminals.  Though maybe Kendra can connect with her in Len’s place.

......UGH this episode.  First they’d have to find another extremely stupid way for Savage to get free now that Ray isn’t hung up on Kendra.  Also not sure how Sara would free everyone on her own.  Maybe pull a Mass Effect 2/EDI situation and have Gideon ‘unshackled’.  Ray sacrifices himself at the end because no one else was that eager to flip off destiny and take his place.  Then the finale is basically the same though I’m not sure who’s going to take Mick’s place in roasting Savage.

Haha- this started strong than quickly tapered out as I remembered how much the last half of the season annoyed me.  And also I’m hungry.  But I hope someone out there enjoyed the read anyway.