voile's silliest soldier

Shoujo manga recommendations - one shot

1.      Adele to Darius

Adele was just another maltreated slave girl being sold at the country market. She was sold one day to become an addition to the harem of the country’s King of Cruelty. Rumor has it that the once the King takes a slave girl for the night, he then executes her in the morning. Once in the harem, she sees that all girls who are called into the King’s chamber really do not return. To fight against this fate, Adele resolves to volunteer to be called to the King’s chamber and find out the truth. But things are not what they seem…

2.      Ao no Rhapsodia

There's a legend about a lost continent of gold and only one man has successfully made his way through the treacherous waters to that continent. The man entrusted the map to the lost continent to his daughter, Allegra Reese, making her the prime target for every pirate on Edythe Island.

3.      Banken Toki Doki Ookami

A lamb surrounded by wolves gets a guard dog. But is the guard dog the most dangerous wolf of them all?!

4.      Bitter Trap (Takagi Shigeyoshi)

Nanao came from a rich family before their business failed. Now the only hope for her family to pay off their debts is if she can cement a marriage with the prestigious Takatsuki family within a week. How will Nanao overcome this problem when one of the three eligible Takatsuki men is her former arrogant schoolmate, Yoshito, who completely distrusts people? And did we forget to mention that Nanao is already the ninety-ninth candidate for the position of future wife?!

5.      Black Coffee (Nakano Emiko)

How does a girl declared by her childhood friend to be gloomy and anti-social transform into a cutie “as sweet as sugar” and every boy’s dream? And does every boy really dream of girls “as sweet as sugar”? Or is the rich and deep taste of coffee better than sugary glitter? The story of a girl who may not be sweet, but sure is as addictive as black coffee!

6.      Defense Bakari No Koi Ja Dame

Nao is seen by her classmates as the "Cool Queen", however, she is just extremely shy. How will she deal with suddenly becoming the basketball's temporary manager?!

7.      Egaku Nara Happy Ending 

It's a story about Makoto Nosu and Yusuke Moriyama who have been together for 6 years since junior high school. They are about to finish high school and enter college so they decided to break up since they will be going to different colleges that's far from one another.What happens to their relationship then? 

8.      Fly High! (Mitsuki Kako)

Asuka, the ace of the volleyball club is training to become the best. But there's the devil coach, Nagano...

9.      Gyu... tte shite ii?

I just clean up the club room and threw away trashes! but then he hugged me and "Become my pillow" is what he suddenly ordered me to do...?!

10.  Itazura na Ningyo

The love story between two childhood friends and the magical legend of a mermaid can grant a wish of unrequited love

11.  In the Chocolate

A collection of oneshots.

12.  Kaibutsu-san ni Rei

At the Christmas training camp, Yuzuki was paired up with no other than... that guy?!

13.  Kimi wa Tomodachi

He was always by my side. ... So, I thought that I certainly won't fall in love with him.

14.  Kira Kira Namida

Yuuma is taciturn and no one knows what she’s thinking. But then, she’ll meet someone that will change that…

15.  Kiss to Koukai

A collection of oneshots.

16.  Koakuma no Jikku

She was an accomplished fashion model, but her blunt, straight forward attitude drove wedges between her and the rest of the world. She just didn't know how to lie in the least, and when she caught the eye of a famous stylist seeking the face for a new major brand of cosmetic, it promised to be the beginning... or the end... of everthing. Can she manage to not alienate the presumptuous company 'nobility', because if she does, this time it's her whole agency that's going to pay.

17.  Koi wa Beniiro

Beniko, an old fashioned high-school girl is suddenly forced to eat lunch with the new teacher in charge, Nomoto-sensei…

18.  Meikyuu Yaburi no Hananusubito

Arisawa Kei’s life seems rather bleak until she notices a strange man staring at her on the way to school. Hakamada Ryuuhei, an En specialist who can see and tie or cut threads of fate, tells her that she has “death-bringer” threads on her hands. But what does that mean to Kei, who doesn’t believe in En or luck?

19.  Melodramatic Library

A teacher at Kanae's school has been fired for having an affair with a student. Then, a hot new librarian comes in… Kanae falls in love with the new librarian. However, she sees a ring on his finger...?

20.  Mijuku na Bokura

Even if they are only friends, she wants to be something else... Can it change the relationship that they have? Or will she be conformed to be just friends?

21.  Mitsubachi Hakushaku to Hana no Dress

Dahlia is the only female dressmaker in Galleria. She kidnapped and commissioned by the infamous "Honeybee Earl", who is known to jump from woman to woman like a capricious bee jumps from flower to flower, to make the ultimate wedding dress for his fiancee. Can Dahlia complete the dress without getting stung by the Honeybee Earl?

22.  Murasame-kun na Tawagoto

Chika has always seen Murasame-kun as a rival who manages to constantly piss her off. While wondering out loud to herself, her sister whom overhears Chika, gives her a perfume necklace which supposedly able to capture a guy's heart. The next day, Chika bumps into Murasame-kun and spills all the perfume. As she begins to apologize, he suddenly asks her out!?

23.  Once Again, I'd Like to Love You/Mou Ikkai

A high school girl runs into her ex-boyfriend at a train station and the two reconnect.

24.  Narabuna Kiken

Miku and Natsume have always been fighting with each other until Natsume suddenly asks Miku to pretend to be his girlfriend!!! At first, Miku is quite opposed to the idea, but slowly… This mismatched couple, of a super tall guy and a girl often mistaken for an elementary student, fall in love.

25.  Seinaru Yoruni Oshiete Ageru 

Sakura is childish and doesn't get why everyone wants a boyfriend. A few days before the Christmas Eve, her handsome childhood friend suddenly kisses her and makes her heart race. What will she do?

26.  Sekai wa Kirai de Afureteiru

Ten and Rio are friends from the old days. they will become high school students starting from this spring, Ten stills carries a certain memory in her heart....?

27.  Shounen Aromatic

Kabuki Takitsugu is a boy who has the family trait of smell. He can smell anyone's fragrance and find their perfect match. One day, a mysterious girl named Hatsune appears before him, asking him to find a match for her. But, for some strange reason.. Hatsune doesn't have a scent.

28.  Takarazora

Yuuchi is a girl that has a passion for art.... or rather, HAD a passion for art. Because of her mother, Yuuchi had to give up her talents and love for painting. Still, she had made a promise to her baseball-loving friend, Natsu, that she'd paint a picture of him. With all hopes lost for her dreams, Yuuchi now must find the "hope" within herself to continue.

29.  Tokubetsu ni Naritai

It’s only during rainy days that Kae can get closer to Ichi, the most popular guy in the school, because he always gets under her umbrella. But Kae wants to be close to him everyday, not only during rainy days. What can she do to be special to him?

30.  Tsuki to Himawari

Asahi-kun is a carefree junior-high student, never attaching to girls even though he enjoys going with them. But when the school's number 1 honor student Mitsuki "cyborg" Konno asked him to a 1-month date, in exchange for the front row ticket to his favorite singer's concert, he was forced to accept. He only has to show her what it feels like to date, right? He is ready for that...however, what he's not prepared for was his heart's reaction...

31.  Watashi no Suki na Souma-kun

Sena is working as a maid to look after her younger brother and sister. But her employer turns out to be a guy at her school! Will she get a new job or will she get a new love?

32.  Wish Upon a Glass

Find a piece of red sea glass and your wish is sure to come true. Sachiko is searching for her own piece of red sea glass. Can it make her romantic wish come true?

33.  Wonderful Cafe ni Youkoso

A dog shop love comedy! The place where hot men and cute dogs come together!

34.  Yuuwaku Honey

To get someone as cool as you to look my way, I'll do my best with my first attempt at seduction!!

35.  Zannen Nagara Chigaimasu

He wasn't even that handsome, but when I saw him, I was captivated. He said "meet me upstairs". it seems he also feels the same because we're now signing a marriage registration form?!

When trying to write a big balloon of good feelings with the EXPRESS INTENTION of bursting it... how big is too big before it's just cruel?

A very good question, and it comes down to purpose, execution, and follow-through.

Now, given my history and reputation, those sorts of situations are something of my forte, and I’ve had a lot of experience and trial and error to work things out, so here’s how you get maximum impact out of your dark, cruel plot-twists.

First, ask yourself why are you doing this? Is it purely for shock value, or does it serve some greater purpose for the plot and characters? If it’s the second, then go ahead and skip to the next section. If it’s the first, then go ahead and put that idea back in the oven because it’s totally not ready yet.

Look, as a writer, I get the appeal of shock value. Shock value got Imperfect Metamorphosis on the map. Shock value is in my blood. But if all you have is that shock and nothing else, then it’s shock value for shock value’s sake, which is just shallow and useless. You want to shock and disturb, yes, but you also want your audience to keep going to find out what happens next! Dangle that emotional catharsis in front of them! Give them some measure of hope that this is leading somewhere satisfying! Even stories like Chinatown and The Mist, which ended with the protagonists losing in horrible ways despite all their efforts, still felt like they were saying something bigger about the human existence and didn’t feel like they were cheating the audience.

For example: Marisa’s death in IM. I’ll freely admit, the idea first occurred to me and became part of the plan for the shock value, a way to throw down the gauntlet and show that no one is safe. But since the idea came to me early in IM’s run, I had literal years to refine the idea, build towards it, and map out how the fallout would go down, so that by the time it came around, it had turned into an essential part of the plot, from which the rest of the story would lead.

See, here’s the thing you need to understand about dark plot twists: they follow the same rule as edgy humor that breaks societal taboo. And that is this: the twist is not the payoff; the twist is the set-up. Think of the difference of between a rookie “comedian” who thinks that saying shocking things that you’re not supposed to say constitutes as “funny” and those who are offended just don’t have a sense of humor, and a genuine master like George Carlin, who used edge subject matter and taboo breaking not as the punchline, but as the set-up to the bigger joke and thus earn the big laughs when he managed to land the punchline and say something bigger about the topic at hand. It’s a wire act without a net, something that is spectacular if you can pull it off and lead to something greater, but will end in disaster if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Now, let’s move onto the next part: execution. Here you have to be careful, because while it’s perfectly acceptable (and in fact encouraged) to break the rules and conventions of the story’s genre, you still have to ensure that it’s keeping with your story’s internal consistency and rules, and that it makes sense! You want such-and-such a character to betray their friends and turn bad guy? Okay, but it has to make sense and be consistent with their backstory and motivations. You want to pull the rug out from under the heroes and ruin everything they had been working toward? Okay, but it has to be consistent with the rules that you had set up.

I’ll give you a few examples. Now, Game of Thrones might be in the doghouse due the dumpsterfire of a final season, but there was a time when it was upheld as the gold standard of dark plot twists, with the two big examples being Ned Stark’s execution and the Red Wedding. The reason why those moments were so shocking and effective wasn’t because they came out of nowhere, but because they broke the conventional rules of storytelling. OF COURSE the main character would survive! They even gave him an out by having him sentence to the Wall where his bastard son was, where they would no doubt reunite and plan their next steps! Ned’s the hero, after all! Except no, this isn’t that kind of story, Joffrey is still a sociopathic narcissist, doing what sociopathic narcissists do.

And the Red Wedding? OF COURSE it would work! Walder Frey had accepted the compromise, and we’ve put a lot of time and investment in Rob and Cate and their retainers. Rob was practically the new main character, and the driving force against the Lannisters. What was more, he was winning, and he was going to keep winning, even with his one or two slip-ups...except no, he wasn’t, because he had been warned about Walder Frey’s easily bruised ego, he had broken his word, so there was going to be consequences when the Frey’s cut a deal with the Lannisters, so welcome to Medieval-style skullduggery!

Hell, you can have some real fun with this too! And if I may toot my own horn, let’s look at the most recent dark twist from IM: the return of the Shadow Youkai.

Now, I know what my reputation is, and what people expect from me. As such, I can use those expectations to play a sort of follow-the-cup game with the plot. Everyone knew that the Shadow Youkai wasn’t gone for good; the epilogue of Fires of the Sun pretty much showed that. But no one knew when she’d be back, and that let’s me play with expectations a bit.

So I put together a big beach trip, where Rin takes all of her friends, new and old, out into public. And since this is Rin’s story, everyone expects it to go wrong. She expects it to go wrong. Because things always go wrong for Rin!

Sure enough, here comes Hong Meiling and Koakuma, two people with reasons to ruin Rin’s life! Surely they’ll catch and bust her! In fact, it turns out that Koakuma is Elis’s cousin, so surely that would mean she would...except no, they have a short chat, Koakuma doesn’t expose them, and they all go their separate ways. Nothing happens.

Oh shit, here comes Reimu! Not only does she know Rin, she also knows everyone in Team Nineball, and has fought most of the other girls as well! This isn’t good, how will Rin wriggle out of this (no pun intended)...except she doesn’t need to. Reimu and Rin’s various friends walk right past each other over and over without noticing, she chitchats with Hong Meiling and Koakuma for a bit, and then she’s called away to the next chapter’s plot. Rin never even so much as realizes that Reimu was there. Nothing happens.

But wait! Flandre is still a problem, and Seija’s still loose out there! And there she is, taking advantage of Rin’s absence to trigger Flandre’s madness! Surely THIS is the big disaster that’ll...except no, Kogasa quickly gets Seija to piss off and Wriggle coaxes Flandre back to sleep. Nothing happens.

Wait, the beach party was...a success? Nothing bad happened? Everyone had fun and made friends like they were supposed to? And it ends with Rin actually saving a stranger’s life and getting praised for it? Which story was I reading again?

Oh hey, there’s Minoriko, someone who hasn’t been seen a long time, and she says that Hina successfully devoured the Shadow Youkai’s essence, so there’s nothing to worry about. Well, that’s a relief! Strange though that a little curse goddess could handle something of the Shadow Youkai’s caliber, seeing how Sariel already mentioned how unsafe it is to use anything other than the original sword to do so, and how Rhapsody of Subconscious Desire already established that the Shadow Youkai is capable of taking over a secondary host, provided that she had access to their subconscious, and-

Click.

Boom.

So if you’re going to do it, make sure you set up believable reasons why it would happen in advance, even if the audience doesn’t notice them at first. Otherwise, you get Vince Russo’s booking of late-90′s WCW, where everyone was switching allegiances on a dime left and right just for the sake of having a SHOCKING SWERVE! Remember: it’s a highwire act without a net. Know what you’re doing.

Also, for the love of God, if you’re going to have a bad guy do a really bad, shocking thing in one part of the story but later join the good guys later on, don’t just sweep said bad thing under the rug. If Cain the Bloodspiller butchers little Timmy in book one but becomes Cammy the Bloodsaver in book five, then don’t let little Timmy be forgotten. Make sure that there’s still consequences.

And finally, the follow-through. Justify this shocking twist. Have it mean something. Take your time to explore the consequences. Show how it affects the characters. Dig deep into their psyches and make it feel real. The reason people STILL talk about Aeris’s death in Final Fantasy 7 is that the gameplay itself was designed to make you feel her loss, both from the viewpoint of the characters and you, the player.

One of my favorite dark twists is Mami’s death in PMMM, because it follows all of these conditions and does so spectacularly. It sets up how dangerous fighting witches is and explains that someone could really die while doing it, while tricking us into not expecting that to happen by already showing us how Mami kicks ass and establishing her as a main character with a promise to form a lasting bond with Madoka right before pulling the trigger. And afterward, it takes the time to really dig into the consequences of her death, from Madoka’s depression to Sayaka’s increased recklessness to being the catalyst that brought Kyoko into the story in the first place. Everything that happens after does so as a result of that moment.

So yeah, by all means, do that shocking thing, but make sure you put in the work to both earn and justify it.

List of muses

This is a cheat sheet of all the muses available on this blog, and it’s also a summary if you want to interact. My fandomless OCs have no verses besides the “standard” (and any verse is a variation of it), talk to me if you want to create one. Most of my main muses have their own separate pages, so if you want more details about them, click on their names.

Active muses

Marcos Grzbowski - OC, thinks he’s smart, Duning-Krüger hasn’t been nice to him, emotional guy disguised as a rational one, the “meta-guy” Rebecca Z. Mishko - OC, awkward girl, stutters, loyal like heck, rational girl disguised as an emotional one, could be a queen bee in an alternate timeline Talyna - OC, not an actual vampire, an alien that looks like a vampire, wants to go home Marya - OC, sassy fairy, travels a lot, dying is no big deal, a sun that never sets, secretively the worst tsundere ever Eagle - Ace Combat Zero/OC (gijinka of Pixy’s F-15), has a scary face, actually socially awkward, can fly and kill you in 13 different ways, tries to make friends Mara and Tojava - OC, they are as night and day, oil and water, two sides of the same coin, and yet are the same

Archive of muses

I used to play these muses. They are still open for PLOTTED threads and QUICK interactions, like one off asks and RPs with less than 10 turns.

Lumi - Vocaloid, jellyfish goddess or android with a peculiar design, either way she’s clumsy, believes too much her stories Mayu - Vocaloid, is processing 108 ways to kill you per second, actually cares for her family, yandere for fun, that rabbit is a cyborg Yohioloid - Vocaloid, depressed genius, sabotages himself frequently, needs a slap from himself Maika - Vocaloid, preciosa, can’t get sad, that can be a problem Anon - Vocaloid, shy, stays at home, Smash champion Kanon - Vocaloid, extroverted, has a job, fears she’s stunting her sister Cubi - Vocaloid, infernal creature, what was Hio thinking, tries to light him up IA - Vocaloid, cinnamon roll, can befriend Mayu Gumi - Vocaloid, romantic, can’t understand her feelings Yukari Yuzuki - Vocaloid, edgy to the circuits, cares only for IA Lily - Vocaloid, issues orders, actually a good boss, just wants a break, needs to smile Tone Rion - Vocaloid, nurse, overworked, secretly has a talent for being an idol, hates it Lapis Aoki - Vocaloid, cinnamon roll, forgetful Merli - Vocaloid, aloof, there’s a reason for that Yan He - Vocaloid, was a mistake, doesn’t care (cares a lot), please hug her Padparadscha - Houseki no Kuni, manliest rock ever, nice hair, will be your big brother, can destroy others if requested, wants to die Alexandrite - Houseki no Kuni, nerd (nerd), overbearing teacher, goes berserk, champion of self-control Rutile - Houseki no Kuni, a doctor better than the one below, hopelessly in love with Padpa (again, who doesn’t?), might be a yandere Obsidian - Houseki no Kuni, weaponsmith, behaves like a valley girl, cheerful, just don’t mess with their swords Yellow Diamond - Houseki no Kuni, smiling, depressed, survivor’s guilt, old Presea - Tales of Symphonia, a girl trying to understand what the heck happened to her, be nice with her Kazuma Satou - Konosuba, the worst hero ever, wants to be a NEET, has to get involved in wild adventures instead, wants to dump his teammates, returns to them in a co-dependency relationship Darkness - Konosuba, masochist, looks pure, is anything but, but can actually be, cares about her duty Megumin - Konosuba, chuuni, likes explosions, has a hot temper, cares a lot for her teammates Aqua - Konosuba, useless goddess, good party tricks, not very smart Mitsurugi Kyouya - Konosuba, thinks he’s the hero (spoiler: he’s not), well-intentioned, but a goddamn (in the most literal way) imbecile, thinks the world revolves around him, but he’s too imbecile to realize Izumi Makino - Konosuba/OC, Kazuma’s former childhood crush, doesn’t like him, think he’s a creep, but knows a lot about him, secretly wants to mend up things, but too proud to admit, otherwise she belongs in a biker gang Tanya Degurechaff - Saga of Tanya the Evil, magical girl who’s also a libertarian economist and willing to be morally gray King - One Punch Man, the biggest hero-by-accident case, hates his life, just wanted to play videogames Natalia - Idolm@aster, girl with a big heart and small common sense, likes belly dancing and kitchen experiments, like banana sushi Gahata Meiji - UTAU, witch, geography teacher, has no idea why, just needs Kamina - Gurren Lagann, manliest man ever, will be your unorthodox big brother, will punch you, can’t survive without his little brother Kotaro Tatsumi - Zombieland Saga, a loud idol producer, can turn anything into an idol, ANYTHING Hitomi Shizuki - Puella Magi Madoka Magica, rich girl, emotionally strong, wants to help, forgets to consider others’ feelings Dr. Danny - Angels of Death, thinks he has a good disguise, doctorate in tongue twisters, hateshateshateshateshateshateshates Rebecca Info-chan - Lovesick: Yandere Simulator, does not know recognize the meaning of privacy, sadistic, h@cker, hates hates hates Osana Najimi Yuri - Doki Doki Literature Club, smug reader, fancies herself to be smart, can be good at parties, sees people as games Donovan Truck - OC, Truck-kun personified, kind kid, believes in you, trusts you can overcome your suffering, for that reason he won’t care with them Suwako Moriya - Touhou, was tossed away, speak in enigmas, gets anime for Sanae Pixy - Ace Combat Zero, hates borders, chill, can use a gun

I attempted to write or I wrote enough to be relevant remembering, either NPC or one-off

Matcha and Azuki - Vocaloid, they are like a comedic duo Tohoku Zunko - Vocaloid, big sister, tired of Lumi’s crap Momoko - Ghost Stories, can’t fear anything, God is with her, 10 years of theological education to write this Ruby Rose - RWBY, loves her gun, tries to discover the meaning of fun Tohru Adachi - Persona 4, looks like a bumbling police officer, actually is an edgy loser that wants to watch the world burn, but can keep his word Star Butterfly - Star vs the Forces of Evil, princess from another dimension, brighten up your day, may or may not be in love with Crona Marco Díaz - Star vs the Forces of Evil, just wanted to help, almost unleashed a monster and went RULES OF NATURE Janna Ordonia - Star vs the Forces of Evil, smug, wants to star a hentai with Marco Koakuma - Touhou, flirty and cocky towards humans, wants to eat your soul, but can look cute doing it Simon - Gurren Lagann, needs his big bro, serious, Kamina’s character makes no sense without him Dokis - Doki Doki Literature Club, treated as one, the same as canon but with ultra-smug Yuri The ballpit from Dashcon - OC?, there’s a story behind it

Johnny

Oh hi Mark

When SuG announced their first ever Nippon Budokan concert to celebrate their 10th anniversary, there weren’t many fans who expected it would also be their last show ever – perhaps even the band themselves. But the dreaded announcement came just weeks before the big show, and needless to say, they turned their first Budokan show into a show that fans definitely didn’t want to miss.

If you’ve read our translations of SuG’s indefinite hiatus announcement, you’ll know exactly what kind of show they wanted it to be. It’s a bittersweet ending, with some members claiming they’ve failed or they haven’t done enough. But more than their feelings of regret, they wanted to express their gratitude to their fans that supported them over the last 10 years, despite their ups and downs and even their breaks.

It’s fitting, then, that they titled their show in a way that sums up the very essence of SuG: “HEAVY POSITIVE ROCK.” Over 7,000 fashionable fans crowded into Nippon Budokan on the evening of September 2, 2017. A small platform on the stage, meant for vocalist Takeru, read “HEAVY” in bold letters. A large screen lined the back of the stage.

A video signaled the start of the show. An EDM-inspired back track played as the characters “1/12/2007-9/2/2017” were shown across the screen, indicating SuG’s start date and their end date – today. Despite the dramatic start, things picked up on a positive note quicky. Red lights and purple lasers accompanied the catchy beat of AGAKU, the opening track. The members dressed in monochrome for this part of the set, letting the music and graphics speak for them. The audience put their hands in the air, pumping their fists to the beat.

HELLYEAH brought even more color and energy to the stage. Takeru jumped on and off his mini platform as he pleased. Both heavy and positive, one could say HELLYEAH is a great representation of SuG’s final period. Fukanzen Beautyfool Days followed, the first “older” track of the set. Takeru’s face lit up in a huge smile more than once. Chiyu moved around the stage a lot, too, hyping up the standing crowd in the arena.

With that track finished, Takeru delivered his first MC of the evening. He thanked everyone for coming and asked if they were doing okay. Then he launched into a brief account of SuG’s blessed history. When SuG first started out, he said, there were maybe five people total who supported them. After only 6 months of playing together—by some miracle, Takeru said—they were able to sell out Meguro Rockmaykan, a venue that can squeeze in about 300 people if they try. The second miracle, he said, was that this Budokan show attracted a staggering 7,000 people when they thought they would only be able to pull in about 3,000.

Of course, with 7,000 people watching, SuG had to do something big. Starting with Toy Soldier, the next few tracks in the set featured a full dance team that filled in the space on the huge Budokan stage. Children danced expertly in simple black and purple T’s, then adult dancers came out for songs like Koakuma Sparkling, B.A.B.Y., and Mugen Style.

Later in the set, SuG performed their member introductions (not that they needed any) with instrumental solos. Starting with drummer Shinpei, a small team of dancers moved to the beat of each instrument; then followed bassist Chiyu, guitarist Yuji, and finally, guitarist Masato.

All dancers returned to the set for a more classic SuG song, sweeToxic. The catchy guitar and vocals were accented by some of Takeru’s own dance skills. The jazzy tones of Keiyaku Kanojo, Ikenie Kareshi followed, then the whole audience got up and jumping for FRIDAY!!.

A brief MC followed in which all the members thanked the audience for coming. The upbeat tones of gr8 story, ☆Gimme Gimme☆, and the excellent Japanese and English word play of SICK’S got the audience worked up in a sweat. mad$hip gave the setlist some contrast, adding just a touch of darkness to the otherwise totally positive set.

SuG’s fans were in for a rare, final treat next: a medley for their 10th anniversary. Song after song drew excited cheers from the crowd, such as R.P.G., Vi-Vi-Vi, and Crazy Bunny Coaster. 39GalaxyZ closed out the main set with dancers, energy, colors, lights, and even paper stars that fell gently from the ceiling of Nippon Budokan.

When the members came back for the encore, Takeru had swapped his dark clothing for a bright, red leather jacket. Rainbow lights lit up the stage for dot.0. After the song ended, though, the hard part began. It was time for the members to say what they had prepared to say in farewell to the fans, staff, family, and friends that had supported them over the past 10 years.

The members said their piece one by one, beginning with Shinpei. He had mentioned on Twitter that he hadn’t prepared what he was going to say at their last show; all he could think of was preparing for this last show to be the best. He couldn’t think past it. Despite that, he explained his unease at this being their last ever show and what he would do. There were a lot of people, he said, really a lot of people that helped them over the last 10 years. From fans, to staff, to friends, to family, to fellow bandmen, a lot of people had supported them and made SuG possible. Tears welled in Shinpei’s eyes and his voice broke as he said, “I never thought I could be this happy.”

Chiyu had said what he wanted to say already on Twitter prior to the show because he wasn’t confident in keeping thoughts in his head while delivering an MC on stage. He had mentioned how he wanted to express not their guilt, but their gratitude towards their fans at their final show. A lot of fellow bandmen, staff, fans, etc. gave him support over the years. For a while, he had contemplated quitting the bass completely. However, he said, thanks to the advice and help of his senpai bandmen, he ultimately decided that he would continue on with bass playing in one form or another, most likely support. It was a statement that lifted the hearts of the otherwise forlorn fans in the audience.

Yuji had prepared three things to say—well, after the second one, he revealed that he had actually only prepared two. He thanked those who supported them over the last 10 years. He also talked about how he knew many fans who became friends just by having the mutual interest of SuG. “Even after SuG is over, please take care of those friendships,” he said. “They’re important.”

It was Masato‘s final MC that put most of the audience in tears. Where the other members smiled, Masato clearly struggled with his emotions, frequently pausing during his MC to find his voice again. “I’m not angry, but I’m definitely feeling a lot of emotions right now,” he began. He was grateful for all the support they received over the past 10 years despite their pause. When he learned the Budokan show would be their last show, he explained, he felt hurt and guilty. He had wanted SuG to do so much more, he lamented. More than his regret, though, he ultimately wanted to express his gratitude.

Takeru came last. He reiterated his feelings starting with the announcement of their Budokan show in May, leading up to the day of the historical show. He explained how the band realized that you can’t just make it in the music business with music; there were still some things that the band wasn’t skilled enough at to keep going on. He was sorry he couldn’t keep his promise to go even further with SuG.

The first Budokan show Takeru saw, he explained, was 13 years ago. He said somewhere in the back and watched HYDE live on stage. He decided then that he wanted to perform on that stage some day. Life isn’t like a manga or a movie, he said, but “if I, a normal teenager, can get to the point of standing on the Budokan stage for myself, then you can, too. All of you!” he yelled into the audience, fervor adding volume to his words.

This passionate ending to the MC led into teenAge dream, a song Takeru wrote to his teenage self. The PV played on the back screen, drawing the audience’s eyes to that image of Takeru’s teenage self rather than the Takeru that stood on stage now. CRY OUT followed, then the first encore closed out with the audience singing along to Smells Like Virgin Spirit. “Louder! This is what you came here to do!” Takeru egged on the audience. The song ended and the members bowed and left the stage once more.

SuG had two more songs for the audience: LOVE SCREAM PARTY and Tokidoki Suteki na Kono Sekai, both positive and heavy songs that allowed SuG’s final show to end just the way they wanted to. All the members of the band and the dance teams came out to take a final bow. The band also took time to thank their staff—some of which had supported them the full 10 years—and most of all, the fans. Even after the show ended, it took ages for the members to properly say goodbye to their fans for the last time.

Setlist

1. AGAKU 2. HELLYEAH 3. Fukanzen Beautyfool Days (不完全Beautyfool Days) 4. Toy Soldier 5. Koakuma sparkling (小悪魔sparkling) 6. B.A.B.Y. 7. Mugen Styles (無限Styles) 8. Sakura Ame (桜雨) 9. Mujouken Koufukuron (無条件幸福論) 10. Howling Magic 11. Instrumental solos 12. sweeToxic 13. Keiyaku Kanojo, Ikenie Kareshi (契約彼女、生贄彼氏) 14. FRIDAY!! 15. gr8 story 16. ☆Gimme Gimme☆ (☆ギミギミ☆) 17. SICK’S 18. mad$hip 19. 10th anniversary medley 1. Alterna 2. Oreshiki Continue (俺式Continue) 3. R.P.G. -Rockin’ Playing Game 4. Vi-Vi-Vi 5. 武士度-bushido-FREAKY 6. Fast Food Hunters 7. Crazy Bunny Coaster 20. 39GalaxyZ

-Encore- 1. dot.0 2. teenAge dream 3. CRY OUT 4. Smells Like Virgin Spirit

-Second Encore- 1. LOVE SCREAM PARTY 2. Tokidoki Suteki na Kono Sekai (ときどきすてきなこのせかい)

[Live Report] SuG's Last Live "HEAVY POSITIVE ROCK" at Nippon Budokan When SuG announced their first ever Nippon Budokan concert to celebrate their 10th anniversary, there weren't many fans who expected it would also be their…

All the Muses

This is a cheat sheet of all the muses available on this blog, and it’s also a summary if you want to interact. My main muses have their own separate pages, so if you want more details about them, click on their names.

Frequent muses - these are my main muses, they tend to be used frequently in threads

Marcos Grzbowski - OC, thinks he’s smart, Duning-Krüger hasn’t been nice to him, emotional guy disguised as a rational one, the “meta-guy” Rebecca Z. Mishko - OC, awkward girl, stutters, loyal like heck, rational girl disguised as an emotional one, could be a queen bee in an alternate timeline Marya - OC, sassy fairy, travels a lot, dying is no big deal, a sun that never sets, secretively the worst tsundere ever Lumi - Vocaloid, jellyfish goddess or android with a peculiar design, either way she’s clumsy, believes too much her stories Mayu - Vocaloid, is processing 108 ways to kill you per second, actually cares for her family, yandere for fun, that rabbit is a cyborg Yohioloid - Vocaloid, depressed genius, sabotages himself frequently, needs a slap from himself Yan He - Vocaloid, was a mistake, doesn’t care (cares a lot), please hug her Padparadscha - Houseki no Kuni, manliest rock ever, nice hair, will be your big brother, can destroy others if requested, wants to die Kamina - Gurren Lagann, manliest man ever, will be your unorthodox big brother, will punch you, can’t survive without his little brother Dr. Danny - Angels of Death, thinks he has a good disguise, doctorate in tongue twisters, hateshateshateshateshateshateshates Rebecca

Less used muses - muses that need more threads, I’d love if you want to make a thread with them

Talyna - OC, not an actual vampire, an alien that looks like a vampire, wants to go home Cubi - Vocaloid, infernal creature, what was Hio thinking, tries to light him up Maika - Vocaloid, preciosa, can’t get sad, that can be a problem Anon - Vocaloid, shy, stays at home, Smash champion Kanon - Vocaloid, extroverted, has a job, fears she’s stunting her sister Alexandrite - Houseki no Kuni, nerd (nerd), overbearing teacher, goes berserk, champion of self-control Yellow Diamond - Houseki no Kuni, smiling, depressed, survivor’s guilt, old Rutile - Houseki no Kuni, a doctor better than the one below, hopelessly in love with Padpa (again, who doesn’t?), might be a yandere Obsidian - Houseki no Kuni, weaponsmith, behaves like a valley girl, cheerful, just don’t mess with their swords Kotaro Tatsumi - Zombieland Saga, a loud idol producer, can turn anything into an idol, ANYTHING Presea - Tales of Symphonia, a girl trying to understand what the heck happened to her, be nice with her Hitomi Shizuki - Puella Magi Madoka Magica, rich girl, emotionally strong, wants to help, forgets to consider others’ feelings Yuri - Doki Doki Literature Club, smug reader, fancies herself to be smart, can be good at parties, sees people as games Pixy - Ace Combat Zero, hates borders, chill, can use a gun Eagle - Ace Combat Zero/OC (gijinka of Pixy’s F-15), has a scary face, actually socially awkward, can fly and kill you in 13 different ways, tries to make friends Tohru Adachi - Persona 4, looks like a bumbling police officer, actually is an edgy loser that wants to watch the world burn, but can keep his word Kazuma Satou - Konosuba, the worst hero ever, wants to be a NEET, has to get involved in wild adventures instead, wants to dump his teammates, returns to them in a co-dependency relationship Izumi Makino - Konosuba/OC, Kazuma’s former childhood crush, doesn’t like him, think he’s a creep, but knows a lot about him, secretly wants to mend up things, but too proud to admit, otherwise she belongs in a biker gang Info-chan - Lovesick: Yandere Simulator, does not know recognize the meaning of privacy, sadistic, h@cker, hates hates hates Osana Najimi

Was in a thread - characters that I played as supporting cast, some might climb the ladder

The Vinemaster - OC, assassin, can control vines, keeps things professional, I have to give him a name yet Baba Yaga - OC, witch, troll (not literally), politically incorrect, wants to take over the world (for what purpose again?) Bronislava - OC, Polish Reimu, nun, saw everything Caulpil - OC, nervous, nice guy (might be not the nicest type of nice guy) IA - Vocaloid, cinnamon roll, can befriend Mayu Gumi - Vocaloid, romantic, can’t understand her feelings Yukari Yuzuki - Vocaloid, edgy to the circuits, cares only for IA Lily - Vocaloid, issues orders, actually a good boss, just wants a break, needs to smile Tone Rion - Vocaloid, nurse, overworked, secretly has a talent for being an idol, hates it Lapis Aoki - Vocaloid, cinnamon roll, forgetful Merli - Vocaloid, aloof, there’s a reason for that Matcha and Azuki - Vocaloid, they are like a comedic duo Tohoku Zunko - Vocaloid, big sister, tired of Lumi’s crap Gahata Meiji - UTAU, witch, geography teacher, has no idea why, just needs money, can’t get her research together Sundowner - Metal Gear Rising, sadistic cyborg, really bad boss Cirno - Touhou, too dumb to die, cares for her friends Suwako Moriya - Touhou, was tossed away, speak in enigmas, gets anime for Sanae Flandre Scarlet - Touhou, four of a kind in one Koakuma - Touhou, flirty and cocky towards humans, wants to eat your soul, but can look cute doing it Lord Death - Soul Eater, boss, boss, boss, knows more than they think Simon - Gurren Lagann, needs his big bro, serious, Kamina’s character makes no sense without him

I attempted to write - muses that I once wrote as part of an ask to try writing them - you can always send me characters to try using this meme

Momoko - Ghost Stories, can’t fear anything, God is with her, 10 years of theological education to write this Ruby Rose - RWBY, loves her gun, tries to discover the meaning of fun

On Demand - muses that I only played upon demand from friends, not adding to main roster soon

Star Butterfly - Star vs the Forces of Evil, princess from another dimension, brighten up your day, may or may not be in love with Crona Marco Díaz - Star vs the Forces of Evil, just wanted to help, almost unleashed a monster and went RULES OF NATURE Janna Ordonia - Star vs the Forces of Evil, smug, wants to star a hentai with Marco Dokis - Doki Doki Literature Club, treated as one, the same as canon but with ultra-smug Yuri

Johnny

Oh hi Mark