#which is like 2 weeks-1 year after phantom planet aired
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fun fact: for danny fenton to be a 14 year old freshman in high school now, he would not have been alive during the series' original runtime
#depending on your school district there's like a 1-2 week margin of error#but for at least for my high school he would have been born anywhere from september 2007-august 2008#which is like 2 weeks-1 year after phantom planet aired#danny phantom#danny fenton#dp#nicktoons#amity park#nickelodeon#sam manson#tucker foley#vlad masters#fentonworks#if you're going with popular headcanon then he also would've had the accident like. a week ago
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Note’s for dopple duties au
I’m mostly noting when the episodes take place based off what we’ve been given of the shows timeline, using the help of @lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks ‘s timeline of events as the base, I want to figure out how much time is between episodes
for ease if a episodes air date is within the month it’s speculated to be in, and the episode doesn't establish in universe what day it is, im using that date
mostly because im giving my boy a job or, seven so i need it for a baseline of his fund’s throughout the story and know what he can buy throughout
riveting I know
(spoilers: there 118 + days of plot happening in danny phantom, and actually figuring out how much time they spend NOT in plot will have to be done later becouse i was up until 5 making this)
nvm i did the math right after
March
the accident happens, were just saying all of march is the month before the accident bit for my sanity
April
Mystery meat - 3rd-4th, school days
parental bonding- 9nth-10nth, school day and potential weekend? (jack threatens to take frustration out on next person to give him bad news)
one of a kind-11nth-15nth all school days?
attach of the killer garage sale - 16nth-17nth, weekend
splitting images-18nth-19nth school days
what you want - 20th-23rd, weekend going into school days
bitter reunions- 24th-26th
30 days in april
days in plot- 23
days to breath-7 HE GETS A WEEK
May-October
prisoners of love- 9nth-10nth, school days
(From here its near impossible to keep exact dates so ill just list days spent in episode)
my brothers keeper - 3 days, all school (ghost weapon destroys a couch) late june ish
shades of gray- look it takes more then 4 days to sell everything and move house, Im dedicating at least a month to this episode, episodes could be going on in the background with this episode, even if the boss guy made her dad pay for all the repairs and stuff it take a week sell everything if their lucky, lets say 31 for the math set in around September
fanning the flames- 4 days, with results of the test being processed later on (fenton stockades is threatened) first week of October
teacher of the year- 3 days (jack breaks danny’s phone to pieces) October
fright night- (a very long Halloween, with underwear eating november 1st)
148 days from may to October
days in plot-44
days to breath-148 days, thats a good chunk! :)
November-December
13- 6 days (parents encourage invading sisters privacy involving her romantic relationship)
public enemies- 4 days (jack and maddie become ghost advisors for current mayor)
lucky in love- 4 days
maternal instincts- 1 night no luggage outside what maddie has on person
life lessons-1 day, one very long day
the million dollar ghost- 1-2 days, (there is a weapons vault in the house)
control freaks- 2 terrifying days
memory blank- 3 days (1 1/2 days removed from dannys memory)
doctors disorders - 2 days (TUCKER BREAKS A LEG?! he cant have actually broken the bone, maybe the muscles got pieced by something or a ankle sprain?)
pirate radio - 3 days (a night, a day, and cruise day)
reign storm- timeframe unclear, at least 2 (an implication that the fentons do not have guest rooms is made when jack offers dannys room to vlad for if he wants to sleep over. which either implies a blow up mattress situation or telling danny to give up his room and sleep on the couch)
identity crisis- 3 days ( “No son of mine say’s who cares about ghosts!” jack fenton, before dragging his teenager into the dangerous world of ghost hunting)
the fenton menace -5 days (fentons attempt to spin the crazy out of danny, danny gains the word crazy as a trigger word, I begin to hate this family)
the ultimate enemy- 10 years and like 6 days off danny’s life? its the time travel ep man
the fright before christmas- 3 days? 2? did ghost writer reset christmas eve?
days in november-december- 61
days in plot- 42
days to breath- 19
January/june
secret weapons- 4 days
flirting with disaster - 8 days
micro management- 2 days
beauty marked- 4 days, at least
king tuck- 2, at least
master of all time- 1 day, or 5 ish if you count the days in the other timelines
kindred spirits- 2 days
double cross my heart- 4 days
reality trip- 4 days
days in jaunuary.june-59
days in plot-31
days to breath- 28
September-rest of year
eye for an eye- politics are involved my dudes, no law is passed in a day, lets give this a week or three
infinity realms- I! HATE!TIMETRAVEL!
girls night out- a day, tops
torrent of terror-
on screen- god I don't even know man tucker and sam fly around the world, danny and vlad ruin a convention
forever phantom- a day?????? WHO KNOWS ANYMORE
urbin jungle- uh less then time then it takes for everyone to die from lacking drinking water, unless they got that from the brain vine
living large- 2 days ish
boxed up fury- a day? time is skewing more and more, i might just be tired
frightmare-ia day, tops
claw of the wild- 4 days
D-stabilized -1 days
Phantom Planet- DOES NOT MATTER, AT ALL but for those curious its, gotta be a couples weeks, or months just based off the difficulty and frequency of the ghosts shown in the montages
Yeah Im not even gonna try to calculate the september/rest of the year part
this gives us a grand total of 118 days of ghost fighting/plot that we KNOW happened, not theoretical weeks of drought or however long a montage is
days out conner has to breath/plan are-202!
oh shit that actually is almost a year in what we KNOW happened and the time frame
thats crazy
edit: I forgot to add march to conners days to plan- 233
that puts us up to 351 days in this universe, that we can CALCULATE
danny fenton was not 14 by the end of the show, he was, at least 15
#danny phantom#dopple duties au#this was a SLOG#but its done#if you want to know theoretically how long the series is#here you go
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AUGUST EVENT: Your Antagonist’s Backstory
Name: Zana Rahimi
WiP: Phantom Limb (intro)
Week 1 (x)
Week 2 (x)
Week 3 (- August 16th): Choice
They hadn’t seen each other in almost a decade.
For a man pushing his second millennia, it should have seemed like a meaningless amount of time, but these days the world changed too fast for Bata’s liking. A beginning of a new millennia was looming on the horizon and Bata knew it would be unlike anything he had seen before.
Zana agreed to meet him. She had left Sarajevo shortly before the War, but Bata was here through the whole occupation. He couldn’t just leave the city he had nurtured from the first stone. He was no longer a part of this world, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t help save it. His existence as a ghost gave him a few advantages over his flesh and blood neighbors. For one, snipers could not hurt him.
-I guess I’m just really lucky,- he explained whenever anyone asked him about all the “close calls” and near death experiences. In actuality, in the two millennia he had been on this planet he had one near death experience and it happened long time ago, among the people who no longer existed, long before the Slavs or the Ottomans or the Austrians took a hold of his land. It involved a handful of belladonna berries given to him by a woman who now carefully adjusted her hat as she came out of a cab and into a snow storm that raged outside.
Age had little effect on Zana Rahimi, as she now called herself, but in the past two millennia she had transformed from a teenager to an adult woman, who looked like she could be in her late thirties or early forties. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders, but the cold Sarajevo air did not make her cheeks red, like it would have to any other person, maybe because Zana was human, but only by the loosest definition.
-Uncle Bata!- she said when she saw he already awaited her. She ran to him and jumped into his arms, like she was still that little girl he raised so long ago. –I have missed you so much.-
Bata hugged her back and smiled, as the feeling of genuine joy overwhelmed him, almost making him forget why he called her here in the first place.
They spoke in a language long forgotten, a tongue of the people who no longer existed. It was only the two of them, the last Daesitiate in existence.
-How have you been, my child?- he asked her. They walked alone on the old city square that still bore the scars of a thousand days of occupation. Neither of them left footprints on the snow behind them. He was a dead man and, for this evening walk, Zana joined him in his world.
-Better than I have been in a long time.-
-I can see it in you,- he admitted, even if the honesty of her words hurt. –And I know what brought that kind of change in you.-
For hundreds of years, Zana had contemplated the idea of one world, of an age of monstrosity followed by the eternity of peace, but he always managed to talk her out of it. But, it’s been too long and Bata knew he was too late.
-For the first time in my existence, I have a purpose,- she simply said. Bata shook his head.
-Didn’t you have a purpose before? Wasn’t working with the sick and injured, with those dying from AIDS enough for you?- he asked.
-Not when I have the ability to end death.- The calmness of her voice might have made her words sound rational to someone who didn’t understand the meaning behind them, but Bata knew better.
-By killing a thousand people?- he asked. –I know what you want to do and it will lead you down a dark path, my dear. It’s a path your mother wouldn’t have wanted for you.-
-If she did not want it for me, she shouldn’t have created a freak like me! I don’t belong in the real world, uncle. I am half dead and I have never been anything else. I have spent two millennia helpless to save those I loved, but it was never enough. I know now what I need to do. It might take a while, but I will bring down the divide between the worlds. Death will be an obsolete concept.-
-Have you ever bothered to listen to those of us who exist in this world?- he asked. –It’s a bleak existence, it’s static and colorless and it does things to your minds, dark things you cannot even comprehend. And you want to bring this world to every single person in existence-
-It’s better than being dead,- she simply said to him.
He had tried to explain the same thing to her more than once. The people she killed, or who died because of her were all confined to this limbo, a world that stopped them from moving on to the afterlife, but divided them from the real world just enough so they could never be a part of it. The more time passed and the more unfortunate souls joined them, the stronger they became, but it was an inevitable fact that they were dead, stuck in a world with no true joy, where only painful recollections and eternal contemplation were their companions.
Zana never saw the subtle differences that divided the real world and their limbo. She was a child of death, the real life never made sense to her anyway. But this was going too far.
-When will it happen?- he asked her. For a moment, she paused. No matter how far removed from the real world she was, she still knew her actions were monstrous.
-Tomorrow morning, in a subway Ankara. I expect a few dozen people will join us,- she finally answered, her voice barely audible over the storm howling around them.
-You will kill dozens of people, isn’t that what you want to say?- he asked, hoping the direct question might make her reconsider. He knew her plans already. A terrorist attack on the subway, where one of her men would take his own life and the lives of as many others as he could.
-When I take down the barrier in a few years, it won’t matter. They will be back with their loved ones, forever, in a world with no disease and no death.-
-In a world with no color and no change,- he added. –Do you really not care for the lives of innocent people you will slaughter?-
-Don’t you dare tell me I don’t care for the people! They are the reason I’m doing this. I will sacrifice everything, just for them to be safe.-
-You really can’t see it?- he asked, finally accepting her obliviousness to the real questions he was asking.
-I only see the future. A happier one, one without death, without saying goodbye.-
-You will be a monster with 1500 dead bodies in her path and the creator of the world of sadness and grief.-
She turned her back to him, the expression on her face sour, pouting like a child.
-Is that the only reason you called me here? To lecture me about my actions like I hadn’t spent the past decade thinking about it and the past millennia hesitating?-
-I can’t let you do this, Zana. I promised your mother I will take care of you and if I let you do this, I will have failed in my promise. You are not a monster and I will not let you become one.-
Zana’s eyes were wide and full of rage he had never seen before. Despite his better judgment, he almost cracked a small smile at her reaction. She wasn’t that far gone. She could see the error of her way, even if she wasn’t ready to accept it.
Over the past millennia, Zana had caused the death of about a hundred people. Some of them, she killed to save, like Bata. Others like Sergius were an act of self-defense or an accident. A few were killed in her name. But this was different. To go out into the world and sent her the people loyal to her to kill for her, all for the sake of ending the world.
She grabbed his wrist. Anyone else’s hand might have fallen through his own, as his concentrations was slipping away from him, but Zana had power over her dead. He had seen it with his own eyes.
-Don’t make me do this, uncle, you know I don’t want to,- she said, her voice little more than a hiss. He had seen it happen once, only few years after she “saved him”. Back then, this world only had two inhabitants, himself and the soldier named Sergius she murdered. He was a miserable man, crying about his deeds without a pause, unable to move from their little hut where he died, which were too numerous for Zana or Bata to fully comprehend. It happened in an instant. During one of his pitifully sorrowful moments, Zana turned to him, looked him in the eyes and commanded:
-Be happy, for goodness sake!-
Neither of them had seen Sergius as much as frown in the next two millennia. Over the years, he became one of Zana’s most trusted advisors, but both Zana and Bata knew what she did to him was a cruel punishment. He became her puppet, unable to think for himself, locked in perpetual state of happiness he didn’t actually feel.
Both Zana and Bata knew she could do the same to him, if she wanted to, as she had control over those who died by her hand, especially the first few, but she never had the reason to. Until now.
-I can’t let you do this, Zana,- Bata repeated, his voice soft, but he knew it was too late.
-And I can’t let you stop me,- she said. She looked him in the eyes, and said:
-Bata, you are not to try to interfere in my plans in any way. You cannot say anything about me to anyone. I forbid you to.-
Her words might have as well been carved directly into his brain. It was like someone put a wall around his thoughts, blocking him from even thinking about acting on them. But he still felt them in his being. He still knew what Zana wanted to do and his heart burned with the desire to stop her. For the first time since he died, pain overwhelmed his every other sense, but he didn’t show it for even a second.
-Oh,- was all he was able to say. Zana stared at him, her eyes wide in shock at her own actions, but she knew he would listen to her command. In just a few seconds, it became a part of him.
-I’m sorry, uncle,- she said. –But I can’t let anyone stop me. One day, you will see. All of you will understand. I am not a monster. Why can’t you see that?-
Bata didn’t answer her. He looked at her again and only saw his own failure. He was too late. Tomorrow morning, her bloody crusade will begin. 1597 people will lose their lives and the world will come to an end. All he could hope was for someone else to stop her because he knew it was too late for him.
-I’m sorry, Zana,- he said. –I’m sorry I failed you.-
He turned his back to her and walked away, into a cold Sarajevo night.
*****
It’s 1998, we are just 20 years away from the actual plot. I know it’s a bit long, but once i start writing about Sarajevo i’m like the red hot chill peppers with California and i will spend decades on the same topic.
Back to my other novel. I’m half a chapter away from the end. wish me luck <3
#writing#writeblr#original writing#yourocsbackstory#antagonist event#phantom limb#i love doing this#i need more of these events
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Thursday Thoughts: Cute Asks
I’m in a funk today, so this week’s Thursday Thoughts is responses to questions from this ask post.
1: When you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?
I’ve been eating cereal dry for a while now, so, much more cereal than milk, because there is no milk.
2: Do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?
Nope! I have loved wearing this facemask all winter!
5: Are you self-conscious of your smile?
Nah. I used to be, but I grew out of it. I have a darn cute smile.
8: What artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?
Hi, my name is Sophie, and I’m a writer!
9: Do you like singing/humming to yourself?
Incessantly!
10: Do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?
I usually fall asleep on my left side, but I often wake up on my stomach.
11: What’s an inner joke you have with your friends?
You know that bit in Phantom of the Opera, during “Down Once More,” where the Phantom says, “Down a path into darkness deep as HEEEEEEEELL!”
If I’m chatting with two of my best friends, and I say something thoughtful/philosophical (again, hi, my name is Sophie, and I’m a writer), they’ll sing that line at me. “Deep as HEEEEEEEELL!”
12: What’s your favorite planet?
Earth. It’s the only one with chocolate.
13: What’s something that made you smile today?
The weather got cold again today and so there were lots of little kids at work in teddy bear onesies.
15: Go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!
One million Earths could fit inside the Sun.
Of course we shouldn’t put one million Earths into the Sun, because then all the chocolate would melt.
16: What’s your favorite pasta dish?
Tuna noodle casserole. Tuna, macaroni, a heck of a lot of shredded cheese, and onion soup. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. Mmmmmm.
19: Do you keep a journal? What do you write/draw/ in it?
I do. Since middle school, I’ve rarely gone without a notebook on me somewhere. I write everything in it - random thoughts, what happened that day, bits of stories or poems or things that will turn into stories or poems, random math problems when I need to multiply something... I also put stickers in it, because I want to keep them.
22: Are you a morning person?
Absolutely not.
23: What’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?
A day with zero obligations? What’s that? If I had it, though, I would read a book!
24: Is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?
Yes. My mom and dad. I trust them with everything.
30: Think of it: Have you ever been truly scared?
Yes. And someday, when everyone involved is far enough away from it, I might write about it.
32: Tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.
I don’t think it was quite to 3am yet, but it was very late at night, and I was at Steak n’ Shake with high school friends (some of whom were a year older and in college already; the high schoolers of us had gone to their campus to see one of them in a play), and I was very tired and had become very silly, and I remember one of my friends telling me, “Sophie, you will never need to get drunk.”
40: Think of a piece of jewelry you own: What’s it’s story? Does it have any meaning to you?
I have a little silver elephant necklace. It was a present from my mom. She bought it off of a friend of hers. That friend got a silver elephant necklace from her boyfriend, and then she went to the gym and lost the necklace, but she didn’t want to tell her boyfriend that she’d lost it, so she bought a new one that looked just like it, and then the people at the gym found the necklace and gave it back to her, so she fessed up to the boyfriend about getting a duplicate necklace, and my mom bought the necklace off of her and gave it to me, because I love elephants. I’ve been wearing it for years, and if I were allowed to wear jewelry at work, I would.
56: What are some things you find endearing in people?
If they get wholeheartedly enthusiastic about something they love. It doesn’t matter if I know anything about the thing. I just love watching and listening to people’s passion.
Also, if they remember things about me. I’m ridiculously bad at remembering things about real people (but story details are locked into my brain forever), so it means a lot to me when someone remembers something I said.
60: Do you like poetry? What are some of your faves?
“I’m nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson. Also “I have a bird in Spring” by Emily Dickinson. I really like Emily Dickinson.
65: Is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with?
Everyone... Thanks, COVID-19.
72: Are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it?
I don’t trust memory. I took too many psychology classes in undergrad to trust memory. It’s all a reconstruction of what we think must have happened. But if I write it down, then I remember!
73: What are some of your worst habits?
I pick at my skin on my fingers, my face, my shoulders, and my chest. And I stay up too late.
79: What’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?
For my birthday this year, my family filmed themselves singing parody versions of “Bella Notte,” “Baby Mine,” “Do You Want To Build A Snowman,” and “Part of Your World,” with lyrics about me and my life, with baby pictures of me interspersed throughout the video. They made me cry. It was great.
80: What color are your bedroom walls? Did you choose that color? If so, why?
They’re white, and no, I didn’t. It’s a rental.
87: What are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?
Hello have you heard of our lord and savior WALL-E?
89: Are you close to your parents?
I am! I’ve gotten closer to them as I’ve gotten older and come to understand them more. We fought a lot when I was little, ‘cause I was a stubborn brat, but they’ve had my back my whole life.
92: Are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?
What is pasta if not a vehicle for cheese? A yummy, yummy vehicle...
100: If you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? Why?
I wouldn’t, unless I knew for sure that I could get back to the present again. I’d like to go five years into the past and give twenty-year-old Sophie a hug.
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Disney Movies List
Ok first of all I want to make clear that english is not my first language. I therefore apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Please don't be too strict with me =D
I recently bought Disney+ and I plan now to watch and review every movie, Disney has ever produced or participated in it. And I tell you, this will be a hell of a trip, because my list now contains no fewer than 701 movies. That means if I watch at least one movie every day, it will take me about 2 years to see all of them. And since I will most likely not watch a movie every day, I will definitely need at least twice as long....
For the films on my list, which I marked with a cross at the end, it means that I have seen them already. However, since I last saw most of these movies in my childhood or teenage years (so at least 15 years ago), it will be interesting for me to rewatch them after such a long time. I have probably already forgotten most of the plots.
I also plan to watch them in chronological order and rank them. The movies that I don't find on Disney+ I will watch somewhere else.
Here is the list: (The films follow the chronological order in which they were published. However, it is quite possible that I accidentally swapped a few. But I think most of it is accurate).
1930:
Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons (X)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (X)
1940:
Pinocchio (X)
Fantasia (X)
The Reluctant Dragon ( )
Dumbo (X)
Bambi (X)
Saludos Amigos ( )
Victory Through Air Power ( )
The Three Caballores ( )
Make Mine Music ( )
Song of the South ( )
Fun and Fancy Free (X)
Melody Time ( )
Seal Island ( )
So Dear to my Heart ( )
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (X)
1950:
Cinderella (X)
Treasure Island ( )
In Beaver Valley ( )
Alice in Wonderland (X)
Nature's Half Acre ( )
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ( )
The Olympic Elk ( )
Water Birds ( )
Peter Pan (X)
The Sword and the Rose ( )
The Living Desert (X)
Bear Country ( )
The Alaskan Eskimo ( )
Prowlers of the Everglades ( )
Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue ( )
The Vanishing Prairie ( )
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ( )
Siam ( )
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier ( )
Lady and the Tramp (X)
The African Lion ( )
The Littlest Outlaw ( )
Men Against The Arctic ( )
The Great Locomotive Chase ( )
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates ( )
Secrets of Life ( )
Westward Ho the Wagons! ( )
Johnny Tremain ( )
Perri ( )
Old Yeller ( )
Navajo Adventure ( )
The Light in the Forest ( )
Tonka ( )
Grand Canyon ( )
Sleeping Beauty (X)
The Shaggy Dog ( )
Darby O'Gill and the Little People ( )
Zorro the Avenger ( )
Third Man on the Mountain ( )
Mysteries of the Deep ( )
1960:
Toby Tyler: Or, ten Weeks with a Circus ( )
Kidnapped ( )
Pollyanna ( )
The Sign of Zorro ( )
Jungle Cat ( )
Ten Who Dared ( )
Swiss Family Robinson ( )
Island of the Sea ( )
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (X)
The Absent-Minded Professsor ( )
Parent Trap ( )
Nikki, Wild Dog of the North ( )
Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog ( )
Babes in Toyland ( )
Wonders of the Water Worlds ( )
Moon Pilot ( )
Bon Voyage! ( )
Big Red ( )
Almost Angels ( )
The Legend of Lobo ( )
In Search of the Castaways ( )
The Prince and the Pauper ( )
Son of Flubber ( )
Miracle of the White Stallions ( )
Savage Sam ( )
Summer Magic ( )
The Incredible Journey ( )
The Sword in the Stone (X)
A Tiger Walks ( )
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones ( )
The Three Lives of Thomasina ( )
The Moon-Spinners ( )
Mary Poppins ( )
Emil and the Detectives ( )
Those Calloways ( )
The Monkey's Uncle ( )
That Darn Cat! ( )
The Ugly Dachshund ( )
Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. ( )
The Fighting Prince of Donegal ( )
Follow Me, Boys! ( )
Monkeys, Go Home! ( )
The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin ( )
The Gnome-Mobile ( )
The Jungle Book (X)
Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar ( )
The Happiest Millionaire ( )
Blackbeard's Ghost ( )
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band ( )
Never a Dull Moment ( )
The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit ( )
Guns in the Heather ( )
The Love Bug ( )
Smith! ( )
Rascal ( )
The Computer Whore Tennis Shoes ( )
My Dog, the Thief ( )
Ride a Northbound Horse ( )
1970:
King of the Grizzlies ( )
The Boatniks ( )
The Wild Country ( )
Smoke ( )
The Aristocats (X)
The Barefoot Executive ( )
Scandalous John ( )
The Million-Dollar-Duck ( )
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (X)
The Biscuit Eater ( )
Now You See Him, Now You Don't ( )
Napoleon and Samantha ( )
Run, Cougar, run ( )
Snowball Express ( )
Chandar, the Black Leopard of Ceylon ( )
The World's Greatest Athlete ( )
Charley and the Angel ( )
One Little Indian ( )
Robin Hood (X)
Mustang! ( )
Superdad ( )
Herbie Rides Again ( )
The Bears and I ( )
The Castaway Cowboy ( )
The Island at the Top of the World ( )
The Strongest Man in the World ( )
Escape to Witch Mountain ( )
The Apple Dumpling Gang ( )
One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing ( )
The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures ( )
Ride a Wild Pony ( )
The Boy Who Talked to Badgers ( )
No Deposit, No Return ( )
Treasure of Matecumbe ( )
Gus ( )
The Shaggy D.A. ( )
Freaky Friyday ( )
The Littlest Horse Thieves ( )
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (X)
A Tale of Two Critters ( )
The Rescuers (X)
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo ( )
Pete's Dragon ( )
Candleshoe ( )
Return form Witch Mountain ( )
The Cat from Outer Space ( )
Hot Lead and Cold Feet ( )
Child of Glass ( )
The North Avenue Irregulars ( )
The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again ( )
Unidentified Flying Oddball ( )
The Black Hole ( )
The Muppet Movie ( )
The London Connection ( )
1980:
Midnight Madness ( )
The Watcher in the Woods ( )
Herbie Goes Bananas ( )
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark ( )
Popeye ( )
The Devil and Max Devlin ( )
Amy ( )
Dragonslayer ( )
The Fox and the Hound (X)
Condorman ( )
The Great Muppet Caper ( )
Night Crossing ( )
Tron ( )
Tex ( )
Trenchcoat ( )
Something Wicked This Way Comes ( )
Tiger Town ( )
Never Cry Wolf ( )
Love Leads the Way (X)
Where the Toys Come From ( )
Return to Oz ( )
The Black Cauldron (X)
The Journey of Natty Gann ( )
One Magic Christmas ( )
Teen Academy ( )
The Great Mouse Detective (X)
Flight of the Navigator ( )
Disneys Fluppy Dogs ( )
The Parent Trap ( )
The Christmas Star ( )
Benji the Hunted ( )
Return of the Shaggy Dog ( )
Mr. Boogedy ( )
Return to Snowy River ( )
Oliver & Company (X)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit ( )
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (X)
Cheetah ( )
The Little Mermaid (X)
Bride of Boogedy ( )
1990:
DuckTales: The Movie – Treasure of the Lost Lamp ( )
The Rescuers Down Under (X)
White Fang (X)
Shipwrecked ( )
Wild Hearts Can't be Broken ( )
The Rocketeer ( )
Beauty and the Beast (X)
Newsies ( )
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid ( )
The Mighty Ducks ( )
Aladdin (X)
The Muppet Christmas Carol ( )
Day-O ( )
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (X)
A Far Off Place ( )
The Adventures of Huck Finn ( )
Hocus Pocus ( )
Cool Runnings ( )
The Nightmare Before Christmas ( )
The Three Musketeers ( )
Iron Will ( )
Blank Check ( )
D2: The Mighty Ducks ( )
White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf ( )
The Lion King (X)
Angels in the Outfield ( )
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale ( )
The Santa Clause (X)
The Jungle Book (X)
The Return of Jafar (X)
Heavyweights ( )
Man of the House ( )
Tall Tale ( )
A Goofy Movie ( )
Pocahontas (X)
Operation Dumbo Drop ( )
A Kid in King Arthur's Court ( )
The Big Green ( )
Frank and Ollie ( )
Toy Story (X)
Tom and Huck ( )
Gargoyles – The Movie ( )
Muppet Treasure Island ( )
Homeward Bound: Lost in San Francisco (X)
James and the Giant Peach ( )
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (X)
First Kid ( )
D3 The Mighty Ducks ( )
101 Dalmatians (X)
Aladdin and the King of Thieves (X)
Wish Upon a Star ( )
Susie Q ( )
The Darn Cat ( )
Jungle 2 Jungle (X)
George of the Jungle (X)
Air Bud (X)
RocketMan ( )
Flubber (X)
Mr. Magoo ( )
Tower of Terror ( )
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas ( )
Under Wraps ( )
Northern Lights ( )
Angels in the Endzone ( )
Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Faceoff ( )
Pooh's Great Adventure: The Search for Christoper Robin ( )
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves ( )
The Love Bug ( )
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella ( )
Oliver Twist ( )
Meet the Deedles ( )
Mulan (X)
The Parent Trap (X)
Air Bud: Golden Receiver ( )
I'll Be Home for Christmas ( )
A Bug's Life (X)
Mighty Joe Young ( )
You Lucky Dog ( )
Halloweentown ( )
Brink! ( )
Whoopi – A Knight in Camelot (X)
The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit ( )
Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World ( )
The Lion King 2: Simbas Pride (X)
Belle's Magical World ( )
Armageddon ( )
Don't Look Under the Bed (X)
Genius ( )
The Thirteenth Year ( )
Johnny Tsunami ( )
Can of Worms ( )
Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century ( )
Horse Sense ( )
Smart House ( )
My Favorite Martian ( )
Doug – The 1. Movie ( )
Endurance ( )
Tarzan (X)
Inspector Gadget ( )
The Straight Story ( )
Toy Story 2 (X)
H.E. – Double Hockey Sticks ( )
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas ( )
Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving ( )
Annie ( )
2000:
Fantasia 2000 ( )
The Ultimative Christmas Present ( )
Phantom of the Megaplex ( )
Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire ( )
The Other Me ( )
Quints ( )
Ready to Run ( )
Stepsister from Planet Weird ( )
Miracle in Lane 2 ( )
Rip Girls ( )
Alley Cats Strike ( )
The Color of Friendship ( )
Up, Up and Away ( )
Angels in the Infield ( )
Air Bud 3 ( )
Mail to the Chief ( )
Geppetto ( )
The Tigger Movie ( )
Dinosaur (X)
Disney's The Kid ( )
Remember the Titans ( )
102 Dalmatians (X)
The Emperor's New Groove (X)
An Extremly Goofy Movie ( )
Whispers: An Elephant Tale ( )
The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea (X)
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command ( )
Life-Size ( )
The Miracle Worker ( )
Bounce ( )
Jett Jackson: The Movie ( )
The Other Side of Heaven ( )
`Twas the Night ( )
Halloweentown 2: Kalabar's Revenge ( )
The Poof Point ( )
Jumping Ship ( )
Jennie ( )
Hounded ( )
Luck of the Irish ( )
Zenon: The Zequel ( )
Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse ( )
Motocrossed ( )
Recess: School's Out ( )
Lady and the Tramp 2 – Scamp's Adventure (X)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (X)
The Princess Diaries ( )
Max Keebles Big Move ( )
Monsters, Inc (X)
Princess of Thieves ( )
Air Bud 4 ( )
The Scream Team ( )
A Ring of Endless Light ( )
Gotta Kick It Up! ( )
Get a Clue ( )
Tru>> confessions ( )
Cadet Kelly ( )
Double Teamed ( )
Snow Dogs (X)
Return to Neverland (X)
The Rookie ( )
Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True (X)
Lilo & Stitch (X)
The Country Bears ( )
Tuck Everlasting ( )
The Santa Clause 2 ( )
Treasure Planet (X)
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year ( )
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 ( )
Tarzan & Jane ( )
Mickey's House of Villains ( )
Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time ( )
Air Bud 5 ( )
Full Court Miracle ( )
The Cheetah Girls ( )
Eddies Million Dollar Cook-Off ( )
The Even Stevens Movie ( )
Right on Track ( )
You Wish! ( )
101 Dalmatians 2: Patch's London Adventure ( )
The Jungle Book 2 (X)
Inspector Gadget 2 ( )
Piglet's Big Movie ( )
Ghosts of the Abyss ( )
Holes ( )
Atlantis: Milo's Return (X)
The Lizzie McGuire Movie ( )
Finding Nemo (X)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (X)
Freaky Friday ( )
Brother Bear (X)
George of the Jungle 2 ( )
The Haunted Mansion (X)
The Young Black Stallion ( )
Stitch! The Movie ( )
Recess ( )
Recess: All Growed Down ( )
Going to the Mat ( )
Pixel Perfect ( )
Zenon Z3 ( )
Halloweentown High ( )
Tiger Cruise ( )
Stuck in the Suburbs ( )
Teacher's Pet ( )
Miracle ( )
March of the Penguins ( )
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen ( )
Ghost in the Shell 2 – Innocence ( )
Home on the Range (X)
Sacred Planet ( )
Springtime with Roo ( )
Around the World in 80 Days (X)
America's Heart and Soul ( )
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement ( )
Mulan 2 (X)
The Incredibles (X)
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (X)
The Lion King 1½ (X)
National Treasure ( )
Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (X)
Aliens of the Deep ( )
The Three Musketeers ( )
Kronk's New Groove ( )
Once Upon a Mattress ( )
Kim Possible Movie – So the Drama ( )
Go Figure ( )
Life is Ruff ( )
The Proud Family Movie ( )
Twitches ( )
Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (X)
Pooh's Heffalump Movie ( )
The Pacifier ( )
Ice Princess ( )
Herbie: Fully Loaded ( )
Sky High ( )
Valiant ( )
The Greatest Game Ever Played ( )
Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie ( )
Now You See It ( )
Buffalo Dreams ( )
Chicken Little ( )
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (X)
Tarzan 2 (X)
The Muppet's Wizard of Oz ( )
Air Buddies ( )
Read It and Weep ( )
Wendy Wu – Homecoming Warrior ( )
Cow Belles ( )
The Cheetah Girls 2 ( )
Return to Halloweentown ( )
High School Musical ( )
Brother Bear 2 ( )
Glory Road ( )
Roving Mars ( )
Bambi 2 (X)
Eight Below (X)
The Shaggy Dog ( )
The Wild ( )
Cars ( )
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (X)
Leroy & Stitch ( )
Invincible ( )
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause ( )
Bridge to Terabithia ( )
Johnny Kapahala – Back on Board ( )
Jump In! ( )
Meet the Robinsons ( )
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ( )
Ratatouille ( )
Underdog ( )
The Pixar Story ( )
The Game Plan ( )
Le Premier Cri ( )
Enchanted ( )
The Fox and the Hound 2 (X)
The Secret of the Magic Gourd ( )
Pooh's Super Sleuth Christmas Movie ( )
Twitches Too ( )
High School Musical 2 ( )
Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time (X)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets ( )
Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert ( )
Snow Buddies ( )
The Cheetah Girls 3: One World ( )
The Little Mermaid – Ariel's Beginning (X)
Tinkerbell (X)
Camp Rock ( )
Minutemen ( )
College Road Trip ( )
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ( )
Dasavathaaram ( )
WALL-E ( )
Beverly Hills Chihuahu ( )
Morning Light ( )
High School Musical 3: Senior Year ( )
Bolt (X)
Bedtime Stories ( )
Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience ( )
Iron Man ( )
Race to Witch Mountain ( )
Hannah Montana: The Movie ( )
Earth ( )
The Incredible Hulk ( )
Trail of the Panda ( )
Up ( )
Lilly the Witch: The Dragon and the Magic Book ( )
G-Force ( )
Walt & El Grupo ( )
The Book of Masters ( )
Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie ( )
Santa Buddies Here Comes Santa Paws ( )
Disney's A Christmas Carol ( )
Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure (X)
Old Dogs ( )
Princess Protection Program ( )
The Princess and the Frog ( )
Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too ( )
Hatching Pete ( )
Dadnapped ( )
Space Buddies ( )
2010:
Alice in Wonderland (X)
Waking Sleeping Beauty ( )
Oceans ( )
Santa Paws ( )
Avalon High ( )
Den Brother ( )
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam ( )
Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue (X)
StarStruck ( )
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ( )
Toy Story 3 ( )
You Again ( )
The Sorcerer's Apprentice ( )
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos ( )
Secretariat ( )
Do Dooni Chaar ( )
Tangled ( )
The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story ( )
Tron: Legacy ( )
Iron Man 2 ( )
Geek Charming ( )
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! ( )
Phineas & Ferb – The Movie ( )
Spooky Buddies ( )
Anaganaga O Dheerudu ( )
The Suite Life Movie ( )
Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure ( )
Lemonade Mouth ( )
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 ( )
Thor ( )
Lilly the Witch: The Journey to Mandolan ( )
Mars Needs Moms ( )
Zokkomon ( )
African Cats ( )
Prom ( )
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ( )
Cars 2 ( )
Winnie the Pooh ( )
Pixie Hollow Games (X)
The Muppets ( )
Girl vs. Monster ( )
Santa Paws 2 ( )
Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess ( )
Radio Rebel ( )
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 ( )
Treasure Buddies ( )
FRenemies ( )
John Carter ( )
Chimpanzee ( )
Arjun: The Warrior Prince ( )
Brave ( )
The Odd Life of Timothy Green ( )
Frankenweenie ( )
Let It Shine ( )
Secret of the Wings (X)
The Advengers ( )
Wreck-It Ralph ( )
Teen Beach Movie ( )
Super Buddies
Oz the Great and Powerful ( )
Wings of Life ( )
Monsters University ( )
The Lone Ranger ( )
Planes ( )
Frozen ( )
Saving Mr. Banks ( )
Iron Man 3 ( )
Thor: The Dark World ( )
How to Build a Better Boy ( )
Zapped ( )
Cloud 9 ( )
The Pirate Fairy (X)
Muppets Most Wanted ( )
Bears ( )
Million Dollar Arm ( )
Maleficent ( )
Planes: Fire & Rescue ( )
Khoobsurat ( )
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ()
Captain America: The Winter Soldier ( )
Guardians of the Galaxy ( )
Big Hero 6 (X)
Into the Woods ( )
McFarland USA ( )
Cinderella ( )
Monkey Kingdom ( )
Tomorrowland ( )
Inside Out ( )
ABCD 2 ( )
Ant-Man ( )
The Good Dinosaur ( )
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (X)
Teen Beach 2 ( )
Tinkerbell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (X)
Bad Hair Day ( )
Descendants ( )
Avengers: Age of Ultron ( )
The Finest Hours ( )
Zootopia (X)
The Jungle Book ( )
Tini: The Movie ( )
Alice Through the Looking Glass ( )
Finding Dory ( )
BFG ( )
Pete's Dragon ( )
Queen of Katwe ( )
Moana (X)
Captain America: Civil War ( )
Doctor Strange ( )
Rogue One. A Star Wars Story (X)
Growing Up Wild ( )
Dangal ( )
L'Empereur – March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step ( )
Beauty and the Beast ( )
Born in China ( )
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ( )
Cars 3 ( )
Ghost of the Mountains ( )
Jagga Jasoos ( )
Coco ( )
Lillys Bewitched Christmas ( )
Descendants 2 ( )
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ( )
Spider Man: Homecoming ( )
Thor: Ragnarok ( )
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (X)
Expedition China ( )
A Wrinkle in Time ( )
The Incredibles 2 ( )
Christoper Robin ( )
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ( )
Ralph Breaks the Internet ( )
Mary Poppins Returns ( )
Zombies ( )
Black Panther ( )
Avengers: Infinity War ( )
Solo: A Star Wars Story ( )
Ant-Man and the Wasp ( )
Dumbo ( )
Penguins ( )
Aladdin ( )
Toy Stor 4 ( )
The Lion King ( )
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ( )
Lady and the Tramp ( )
Noelle ( )
Frozen 2 ( )
Descendants 3 ( )
Captain Marvel ( )
Avengers: End Game ( )
Spider-Man: Far From Home ( )
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ( )
One Day at Disney ( )
Togo ( )
2020:
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made ( )
Onward ( )
Stargirl ( )
Dolphin Reef ( )
Elephant ( )
Artemis Fowl ( )
Hamilton ( )
Mulan ( )
The One and Only Ivan ( )
The Beatles: Get Back ( )
Soul ( )
Secret Society of Second-Born Royals ( )
Magic Camp ( )
Howard ( )
Urgh! Wish me luck, that I survive this....
#disney#disney movies#reviewing disney movie#ranking disney movies#disney+#list#hell of a trip#long post#english is not my first language
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How UFO Reports Change With the Technology of the Times
In 1896, newspapers throughout the United States began reporting accounts of mysterious airships flying overhead. Descriptions varied, but witnesses frequently invoked the century’s great technological achievements. Some sources reported dirigibles powered by steam engines. Others saw motorized, winged crafts with screw propellers. Many recalled a flying machine equipped with a powerful searchlight.
As technologies of flight evolve, so do the descriptions of unidentified flying objects. The pattern has held in the 21st century as sightings of drone-like objects are reported, drawing concern from military and intelligence officials about possible security threats.
While puzzling over the appearance of curious things overhead may be a constant, how we have done so has changed over time, as the people doing the puzzling change. In every instance of reporting UFOs, observers have called on their personal experiences and prevailing knowledge of world events to make sense of these nebulous apparitions. In other words, affairs here on earth have consistently colored our perceptions of what is going on over our heads.
Reports of weird, wondrous, and worrying objects in the skies date to ancient times. Well into the 17th century, marvels such as comets and meteors were viewed through the prism of religion—as portents from the gods and, as such, interpreted as holy communications.
By the 19th century, however, “celestial wonders” had lost most of their miraculous aura. Instead, the age of industrialization transferred its awe onto products of human ingenuity. The steamboat, the locomotive, photography, telegraphy, and the ocean liner were all hailed as “modern wonders” by news outlets and advertisers. All instilled a widespread sense of progress—and opened the door to speculation about whether objects in the sky signaled more changes.
Yet nothing fueled the imagination more than the possibility of human flight. In the giddy atmosphere of the 19th century, the prospect of someone soon achieving it inspired newspapers to report on tinkerers and entrepreneurs boasting of their supposed successes.
The wave of mysterious airship sightings that began in 1896 did not trigger widespread fear. The accepted explanation for these aircraft was terrestrial and quaint: Some ingenious eccentric had built a device and was testing its capabilities.
But during the first two decades of the 20th century, things changed. As European powers expanded their militaries and nationalist movements sparked unrest, the likelihood of war prompted anxiety about invasion. The world saw Germany—home of the newly developed Zeppelin—as the likeliest aggressor. Military strategists, politicians, and newspapers in Great Britain warned of imminent attack by Zeppelins.
The result was a series of phantom Zeppelin sightings by panicked citizens throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand in 1909, then again in 1912 and 1913. When war broke out in August 1914, it sparked a new, more intense wave of sightings. Wartime reports also came in from Canada, South Africa, and the United States. In England, rumors that German spies had established secret Zeppelin hangars on British soil led vigilantes to scour the countryside.
In the age of aviation, war and fear of war have consistently fueled reports of unidentified flying objects. A year after Nazi Germany’s surrender, Sweden was beset by at least a thousand accounts of peculiar, fast-moving objects in the sky. Starting in May 1946, residents described seeing missile- or rocket-like objects in flight, which were dubbed “ghost rockets” because of their fleeting nature. Rockets peppering Swedish skies was well within the realm of possibility—in 1943 and 1944, a number of V-1 and V-2 rockets launched from Germany had inadvertently crashed in the country.
At first, intelligence officials in Scandinavia, Britain, and the United States took the threat of ghost rockets seriously, suspecting that the Soviets might be experimenting with German rockets they had captured. By the autumn of 1946, however, they had concluded it was a case of postwar mass hysteria.
The following summer, a private pilot by the name of Kenneth Arnold claimed to have seen nine flat objects flying in close formation near Mt. Rainier. Looking back on the event years later, Arnold noted, “What startled me most at this point was the fact that I could not find any tails on them. I felt sure that, being jets, they had tails, but figured they must be camouflaged in some way so that my eyesight could not perceive them. I knew the Air Force was very artful in the knowledge and use of camouflage.”
Given the name “flying saucers” by an Associated Press correspondent, they quickly appeared throughout the United States. Over the following two weeks, newspapers covered hundreds of sightings.
News of these reports circled the globe. Soon, sightings occurred in Europe and South America. In the wake of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, atomic bomb tests, and tensions between the United States and the USSR, speculation ran rampant.
Finding themselves on the front line of the Cold War, Germans on both sides of the Iron Curtain considered the United States the most likely culprit. West Germans thought the discs were experimental missiles or military aircraft, while Germans in the communist Eastern bloc considered it more likely that the whole thing was a hoax devised by the American defense industry to whip up support for a bloated budget.
Others had more elaborate theories. In 1950, former U.S. Marine Air Corps Major Donald Keyhoe published an article and book titled The Flying Saucers Are Real, in which he contended that aliens from another planet were behind the appearance of the UFOs. Based on information from his informants, Keyhoe contended that government authorities were aware of this, but wished to keep the matter a secret for fear of inciting a general panic.
Such a claim about UFOs was new. To be sure, at the turn of the century during the phantom airship waves, some had speculated that the vessels spotted might be from another planet. Already at that time, people were deeply interested in reports of prominent astronomers observing artificial “canals” and structures on Mars. Evidence of Martian civilizations made it seem conceivable that our interplanetary neighbors had finally decided to pay us a visit. Still, relatively few bought into this line of reasoning.
But by going further, Major Keyhoe struck a chord in a timely fashion. In the aftermath of World War II and over the course of the 1950s, it seemed that science and engineering were making remarkable strides. In particular, the development of guided rockets and missiles, jet airplanes, atomic and hydrogen bombs, nuclear energy, and satellites signaled to many that there were no limits—not even earth’s atmosphere—to technological progress. And if our planet were on the verge of conquering space, it would hardly be a stretch to imagine that more advanced civilizations elsewhere were capable of even greater feats.
But all this raised a question. Why were the extraterrestrials visiting us now?
Keyhoe believed that aliens had been keeping us under observation for a long time. Witnessing the recent explosions of atomic weapons, they had decided the inhabitants of planet Earth had finally reached an advanced enough stage to be scrutinized more closely. Still, there was no reason for alarm. “We have survived the stunning impact of the Atomic Age,” Keyhoe concluded. “We should be able to take the Interplanetary Age, when it comes, without hysteria.”
The flying saucer era had begun. Not everyone would remain as sanguine as Keyhoe. As concerns over global nuclear annihilation and environmental catastrophe grew during the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, claims about UFOs took on ever more ominous tones.
Times changed. And so, again, did the UFO phenomenon.
By Greg Eghigian, Zócalo Public Square
Original post here
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Dancing Around the Truth
Summary: The last thing Valerie wanted was to get caught up in Paulina’s plot to ask Phantom to the winter formal. Unfortunately Paulina’s made sure she doesn’t have a choice. Meanwhile, Danny just wants to finish his Algebra quiz.
Other Notes: This is my Christmas Truce gift for @phantombreadproject! She requested Danny revealing his secret to either Valerie or Paulina... unfortunately we’re not quite there yet in this chapter but don’t worry, we’re getting there! I wish I could have finished the entire thing before posting it, but it keeps getting longer and I’m not sure I’ll have reliable access to tumblr on desktop over Christmas break (my home wifi is weird). I have a lot more written than this part though and I will do my best to finish it soon!
This takes place a few months after D-Stabilized, and it ignores Phantom Planet (shocking, I know). Also the characters are all juniors in high school because screw canon where no one ages
(Part 1 | Part 2 | to be continued)
(Read on AO3 | FFN)
Paulina smiled at the mirror when the weak fluorescent lights flickered out, plunging the girls’ restroom into icy darkness. The blue ecto-powered emergency lights soon winked to life, confirming the presence of ghosts - and hopefully the ghost she most wanted to see. Unfortunately, in the brief moment of darkness, she’d managed to smudge her lipstick. A tiny pink smear blotted her chin.
As she set down the lipstick and reached to rip off a paper towel, someone crashed through the door. Paulina casually glanced up at the hot mess of a girl who’d burst in.
“Valerie? If you’re here to fix your hair, it’s a bit late for that.” The insult rolled too easily off of her tongue. Valerie might have been her friend once, but that was so long ago it could have been a different lifetime. Sometimes Paulina missed the other girl’s boldness - something most girls at this school lacked - but not enough to try to mend old wounds. Not when she was always so… like this now. The eerie lighting cast dark shadows under the other girl’s eyes. Unless that was just a case of highly misapplied eyeshadow.
“Paulina, you do know there’s a ghost attack going on, right?” Valerie said, jabbing a finger towards the blue lights.
Of course she knew that. She’d kept track of the ghost attack patterns over the past month; third period had the highest percentage of attacks besides lunch. Why else would she bother reapplying her makeup so early in the day?
Paulina wetted the paper towel and dabbed it at her chin. Her foundation would be smudged, but better that than having a pink smear down her face.
“Which means I need to look my best for Phantom, obviously.” Her stomach fluttered just saying his name. It was an unusual feeling for her, but one that only made her more determined to talk to him again.
Valerie huffed, spinning on her heel. “I don’t have time for this.”
She slammed open a stall door and threw the lock shut behind her.
Paulina would have wondered what had gotten her panties in a twist, but frankly, she didn’t have the time either. Phantom would be here any second, and this time she was going to ask him the question she’d had in mind for the past month.
She took one last glance at her reflection - flawlessly plucked eyebrows, immaculate contouring, a tight green shirt that would match Phantom’s eyes - before strutting out the door.
The blue ecto-powered lighting filtered through the hallway, but other than that, there was no sign of any spectral activity. No rogue ghosts, and more importantly, no Phantom. The attack must be on the other side of the school. Ugh, she might break a heel trying to run that far before Phantom disappeared again. Would it be worth it, or should she wait for the next attack? They came so regularly the school didn’t bother evacuating anymore; there might be another chance before the week was out. But if there wasn’t, then she only had one week left to ask him…
She’d just have to risk the broken heels. She was about to run towards the east wing when she remembered something: in her distraction, she’d left her lipstick in the bathroom. If the extra seconds it took to grab it made her miss Phantom, Valerie was going to pay.
She spun and pushed open the bathroom door - only for it to stop short as it smacked into something solid. From the muffled stream of curses, she could guess who it was.
“Ooh. Sorry Val,” she said. She might not be her friend anymore, but she didn’t deserve a door to the face. Paulina slipped through the doorway, torn between checking on the other girl and just grabbing the lipstick. But Phantom wouldn’t just leave someone after slamming a door on them. Sighing, Paulina peeked around it and into the corner of the bathroom.
“Hey - stay back-!”
What was the deal with Valerie’s voice? Had she really hit her that hard? The girl had always been tougher than even the football team, she highly doubted she -
Paulina gasped when she looked behind the door.
“The Red Huntress?” Ghosts might not surprise Paulina, but this ghost hunter did. She usually only came out for the bigger fights, or to chase Phantom.
Phantom. That must be why she was here - and if Paulina could stall her, well, that was one step closer into the ghost boy’s good graces.
“It just had to be you again,” the Huntress muttered, rubbing the front of her helmet, then moved to shove Paulina aside. Glaring for all she was worth - and she was worth a lot - Paulina stepped back and barred the doorway with her arms.
“Nuh-uh, chica. If you want to get to Phantom, you’re gonna have to go through me.”
She couldn’t see the Huntress’ reaction through her tinted mask, but the low growl gave away her anger. She was just a ghost hunter… she wouldn’t be willing to hurt a human to get at a ghost… right?
Suddenly Paulina wasn’t so sure. But she had to try. Even if Phantom wouldn’t know it was her, she couldn’t let this ghost hunter get to him. He’d saved her life before, and she fully intended for him to survive to do it again.
The Red Huntress hadn’t responded, and for a moment Paulina wondered if there actually was a person under that suit. Until she dived for Paulina’s waist to throw her to the ground.
“Hey!” She shouted, squirming in the Huntress’s grip even as she was pinned to the disgusting bathroom floor. “You can’t come into the school and do this! You’ll get arrested, I don’t care who you are!”
That made the Huntress pause - just long enough for Paulina to jerk her hips, tossing the Huntress off balance. She may not be strong, but Dash and Kwan had helped her learn to escape holds after an incident with her last boyfriend. She’d never thought she would use that knowledge like this.
She squirmed the rest of the way free and quickly stood. From this angle, the Huntress looked much less threatening, but she wouldn’t stay down long. Paulina had to distract her.
“What did you do with Valerie?” She demanded as the ghost hunter sprung to her feet. “Valerie! If you’re in there I could really use some - help!”
The Huntress swept a leg out to trip Paulina. Her feet went flying, but she caught herself on the bathroom door handle and managed to get her legs back under her.
“You didn’t hurt her, did you?” She demanded, refusing to be swept aside so easily. “Not that I think you could, you sorry excuse for a-“
An ectogun suddenly sprouted from the Huntress’ shoulder. Paulina’s pupils shrunk to points.
“You - you wouldn’t. I’m not a ghost. I’m a human! There are security cameras!” They were in the bathroom, so there probably weren’t cameras in here, but hopefully the Huntress wouldn’t know that. “You won’t get away with this! You’ll go to jail and my Papa will sue you until you-“
The ectogun vanished back into the suit, but the Huntress’ muscles were still tight cords under the strange metallic fabric.
“Could you just shut up for once?” She snapped. Paulina blinked rapidly. She knew that tone, that voice.
“You’re the one who started it, Valerie!”
“Yeah, well I wouldn’t have if you’d-!” The Huntress’ voice choked off, and she stepped back as if shot. Paulina was almost as stunned herself. She’d recognized the voice, but seeing the reaction - this really was Valerie. She should have guessed from the girl’s figure, though she was difficult to recognize without her long, wavy hair. How had she fit it all into that tiny helmet?
“What - what did you just call me?” The Huntress - Valerie - demanded, but Paulina wasn’t fooled. Valerie had loathed ghosts for years, to a degree that was almost frightening. That had been as much a factor in Paulina keeping her distance as the other girls’ social status. And if anyone she knew had the guts and ability to fight ghosts on a regular basis, it was Valerie.
“Uh, your name.”
The two girls stared each other down - or rather, Paulina stared at the blue light reflecting on Valerie’s helmet. She swore she could feel the heat of her stare in return, in spite of the ghostly chill hanging in the air. But Valerie still broke first.
“Look, Sanchez, I don’t expect you to understand, but there’s ghosts out there that I need to take care of.”
“Phantom can handle it,” she replied coolly. “Unless he’s the ghost you were going to ‘take care of’?” She made air quotes with her fingers while still glaring down her classmate. Normally she would be able to see every tell on Valerie’s face, but that mask was interfering with her superior people-reading skills. Valerie only gave herself away with her silence.
“Uh-huh,” Paulina said. “We all know you’ve got it out for him.” What she didn’t get was why. Most of the students at Casper High idolized Phantom, or at least respected him for saving the school on a weekly basis. What could he have done to get on Valerie’s bad side? Or was it just her blanket hatred of all ghosts? Maybe if she’d kept in better touch, she’d know, but she’d burned that bridge long ago.
“You don’t know anything, Sanchez.”
Before Paulina could reply, the regular fluorescent lights flickered back on. There was a moment where the ectolights blended with the normal yellow lighting, painting the bathroom an eerie green. Then the emergency lights powered back down. Everything was left as it was before.
Except for the red-and-black suited figure in front of her, of course.
Valerie sighed, and then somehow the suit retracted around her, tiny metallic scales sliding down her skin and compressing into the soles of her shoes. Paulina audibly gasped at that.
“You know anywhere I can get clothes like that?” She asked, attempting to break through the irritation now clearly present on Valerie’s face. The other girl snorted.
“Try getting possessed by a tech ghost.”
“Hmm. Could be worth it.” She’d been possessed a couple of times before. Her memories of it were fuzzy of course, but Phantom had been there to save her each time.
That comment brought Valerie’s anger back in full force. “You really don’t get it, do you? This isn’t a game, Sanchez! Our school, our home - our lives are at stake! So you,” she stabbed a finger at Paulina’s chest, “had better stay out of my way, if you care about that at all.”
“Excuse me?” Paulina raised an eyebrow. “You’re not the only one protecting us. Phantom’s here too, and he cares about us just as much as you do.”
“You don’t know that,” she snapped. “You’re blinded by your stupid crush on him.”
Paulina leaned in close, not missing a beat.
“Am I? Or are you just blinded by how much you hate him?”
Valerie squinted, matching her glare eye to eye. Paulina wished her heels were a little taller, but she still had about an inch on the other girl.
“Face it, Gray. You never could admit when you were wrong.”
“And you could never admit you were a-“
The sound of the door banging open against the wall interrupted whatever insult Valerie was about to fling at her. Some blonde-ponytailed freshman strolled through the doorway, then looked up from her phone and jumped at the sight of the two glaring juniors.
“Um, I’ll just… I’m gonna go.” She backed cautiously out of the bathroom. But the girl’s brief appearance had done enough. A look had passed over Valerie’s face, one Paulina had never seen on her before: fear.
“We’ll continue this later,” Valerie said.
“Hmm, actually, I think we’ll continue this now.” Paulina smiled acidicly. “Unless you’d like the whole school to know you’ve been playing vigilante.”
A hardened expression slammed over Valerie’s face. Now that was the kind of look she could imagine on the Red Huntress.
“I’m surprised you even know that word,” she stalled.
“I know a lot of things that would surprise you.” Paulina rested her hands on her hips. “So, how about we make a little deal?”
Valerie raised an eyebrow. “Is it a deal where you shut up and I don’t have to deck your face?”
“Pretty close, actually.” She made a show of examining her fingernails, like the threat of violence didn’t bother her. Which it didn’t. Valerie may be a loose cannon - literally - but she wouldn’t be dumb enough to get herself expelled. Grades mattered too much to her now that she’d need scholarships to afford college.
“Fine. I’m listening.”
“Let’s say I, what did you say? ‘Shut up’ about this whole little… thing.” She gestured a hand through the air. “But in return, you do a little something for me.”
“Just get to your point, Sanchez,” Valerie said through gritted teeth. Paulina smirked - riling up the other girl was just too easy.
“You stop hunting Phantom. And,” she continued before Valerie could protest, “you help me get him as a date to the winter formal.”
Valerie’s fist unclenched; her eyes widened in shock.
“You want me to - are you crazy!? Nevermind, I already know the answer to that, but that’s just - you can’t take a ghost to a school dance!”
Paulina didn’t bat an eye at the outburst.
“Why not? Sure, he’ll have to sign an out-of-school release form, but that’s not a big deal.” Truth be told, she didn’t know the school’s policy about bringing ghosts as dates, but it was Phantom. If he wanted to come, the school had to let him. If it weren’t for him, the school wouldn’t be standing at all.
Valerie’s jaw flapped, attempting to form words and failing.
“You don’t have much of a choice, you know,” Paulina reminded her.
“What if he doesn’t want to go with you? You can’t pin it on me if he’s not interested.”
Paulina smiled; Valerie had chosen to argue the date point, not against her other important demand: that she stop hunting Phantom. In so doing, she’d practically made the deal already.
“You’ll at least give me the chance to ask him,” Paulina pressed. After all, it was Valerie’s fault she hadn’t gotten to ask Phantom today. Regardless of the blackmail, she owed her. Not that Valerie saw it that way, if the dumbfounded look on her face was any clue.
“So wait a minute, you want me, a ghost hunter, to take you to see a ghost… so you can ask him on a date.”
Paulina shrugged. “Sounds like a pretty easy deal to keep your little secret, don’t you think?”
Emotions warred over Valerie’s face, but frustration finally gave way to resignation, and she sighed.
“Fine. I’ve got to hunt Phantom one last time if you wanna go through with this, though. That’s the only way I’ll be able to get you to him.”
“Fair enough,” Paulina conceded, victory already tugging her lips upward. “But you aren’t going to hurt him.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll keep that ectoplasmic creep in one piece for you.” Valerie finally succeeded in pushing past her, and was halfway out the door before Paulina could cement any more details about their deal. She only paused for a moment to throw one last glare over her shoulder.
“But I promise, you’re going to wish I hadn’t.���
XXX
Paulina. Of all of the people to figure out her secret, why did it have to be her? Valerie knew she would follow through with the blackmail if she didn’t hold up her end of the deal. It wouldn’t be the first time Paulina had trapped someone with a web of secrets. There was a reason so many students flocked around her, and it wasn’t just for her looks.
Too bad I don’t have any dirt on her, she thought. Finding out Paulina’s secrets would be even more difficult than catching Phantom, though. She needed a better plan than that.
She tried to find a quiet place to sit and brainstorm during lunch, but excited chatter filtered all through the air. Tests, Christmas break, and that stupid winter formal were on everyone’s lips. Didn’t they have better things to worry about? She hardly heard any details about the ghost attack earlier that day. In fact, the only one she heard mention it was…
“The Box Ghost again, huh?” Tucker said, chomping down on a hamburger as she passed by the trio’s signature table. Danny sighed.
“Yeah, and right in the middle of the algebra quiz I - oh, hey Valerie.” He grinned up at her, but with the dark circles rimming his eyes and the tightness in his jaw, she couldn’t believe it was sincere. She raised an eyebrow when Tucker grinned in a way that was somehow even more suspicious. Sam, who’d probably never forgiven her for almost-dating her friend, just scowled and took a vicious bite of her veggie wrap.
“Hey.” She smiled back politely, even at Sam. Just because the other girl held a grudge didn’t mean she had to return it. She didn’t need any more enemies right now. “You mind if I sit here?”
“Well-”
“Sure,” Danny cut Sam off, gesturing to the seat across from him and next to Tucker. She sat down carefully, not missing how Sam’s eyes tracked her every move. Even Danny and Tucker looked on edge, when she looked more closely. How long had it been since she’d sat with them? Sure, Danny wasn’t as close a friend as… as he had been, but they’d broken up almost a year ago, and not on bad terms. Then again, she didn’t know how for sure how he’d taken it. She hadn’t paid enough attention to him since ghost fighting and her job had cut so deep into her time.
Just one more sacrifice I had to make, she thought, crushing the twinge of regret. Maybe she and Danny weren’t exactly friends anymore, but she wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to get information.
“You guys were talking about the ghost attack?” She tried to sound casual while she unpacked her sack lunch. “What freak was it this time?”
Sam opened her mouth, but Danny beat her to it again.
“Just the, uh, that one that’s obsessed with boxes. At least, that’s what I heard. I was in the bathroom the whole time.”
Of course, that box ghost. No wonder Phantom had taken care of it so quickly. Another thought occurred to her though - the boys’ restroom was right next to the girls’. And if he was in there during the ghost attack… of course, he could have been in the east wing bathroom instead, but she wouldn’t trust her luck today.
“You didn’t see or hear anything, I don’t know, weird, did you?” She asked, hoping her nervousness didn’t show.
“This is Casper High. It’s always weird,” Sam answered, violet eyes narrowed. “Why?”
Dang, that look was almost as bad as Paulina’s glare. Did everyone in this school have it out for her today?
“Unlike some people, I just care about our safety,” she deadpanned, tired of all the intimidation tactics. “All anyone else is talking about is vacation or the winter formal.”
Sam snorted. “Tell me about it.” Then she blinked, as if just realizing she’d agreed with Valerie about something.
“What’s so bad about winter formal?” Tucker asked. “We’re all going together this year.”
They were? Not that she had time for school gossip, but she’d heard that Danny and Sam were dating, as of a month or two ago. She’d just assumed they’d be together all the way through high school at least.
Then again, she’d hoped the same thing for him and herself, and look how long that had lasted.
“Yeah, no more of that worrying about getting dates stuff.” Danny smiled at Sam, but it quickly gave way to concern. “Unless you wanted to get a date-”
“Danny, we talked about this.” Sam sighed, then shot Valerie a side-eyed glance. “I’m more than happy to go with both of you. It’s just my mom, you know, the usual…”
They slowly slipped back into their own conversation, leaving Valerie feeling like as much of an outsider as if she were a table away. Not that she should have expected any different. She wasn’t their friend, even if she almost was once. Those stupid ghosts had ruined any chance of that. She unwrapped her peanut butter and honey sandwich and nibbled on it for the sake of sustenance.
“What about you, Valerie?” Danny finally asked, still sounding a bit awkward, but less scared than he’d been before.
Scared. That was the emotion she’d seen in his eyes, though she hadn’t picked it out at the time. But why would he be scared of her? Again he pushed down the worry that he’d somehow learned her identity. It was probably just her intimidating resting face or something.
“Uh, what about me?” She asked.
“Are you going to the dance with anyone?”
She blinked. That was the last question she expected to hear, especially from him.
“...I’ve got plans,” she eventually answered. Lied. It wasn’t like he’d been about to ask her; he’d already said he was going with Sam and Tucker.
“Oh.” His gaze fell, and he chuckled lowly. He might have been about to say something else, but at that moment someone called from across the cafeteria.
“Valerie!” Dang it. Paulina. Her heels clicked obnoxiously with every step she took towards them. Tucker whistled quietly, earning him a slap from Sam.
“Gotta go,” Valerie said gruffly, dropping the half-eaten sandwich back into her bag and shoving back her chair. Whatever the witch wanted now, she wasn’t going to stick around and find out.
So much for coming finding time to plan.
#tali writes#danny phantom#valerie gray#gray ghost#ish#i mean not yet really#paulina sanchez#phicc#christmas truce 14#dancing around the truth
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SECRET RADIO | 10.3.20 & 10.10.20 Combo
Secret Radio | 10.3 & 10.10 | Hear it here.
Liner notes by Evan except *, artwork by Paige
1. The Modern Lovers - “Roadrunner”
Can there be, can there ever be, a better hittin’ the road song than this? Not to me, not to us. “I’m in love with modern moonlight… I’m in love with the radio on” This song brings everything that makes rock so fundamentally exciting: the straightforward beat, electric guitars, electric keys, that sense of complete freedom with your gang in the backseat singing the chorus.
2. Swell Maps - “Full Moon In My Pocket”
It pains me to admit that I cannot remember the name of the pasteup guy at the Rocket who used to tell me about the bands he loved, and that he thought I’d dig. I was so, SO into Pavement at the time, head over heels, and he did a great job of acquainting me with some of their precedents, handing off tape comps with songs from Young Marble Giants, Au Pairs, Swell Maps, and so much more. One of the tapes had this song, in two versions actually: this one, and an a cappella version, which sounds very poncey except it was the same take as this, bouncing with reverb and attitude. On our long drive from the woods to the city, a full moon hung in front of us like a carrot on a stick, and I started singing this song before I even realized it. Whatever the name of that super-awesome pasteup guy (Tom? I feel like it was Tom), I just want to tell him: I’m sorry, I’ve always been bad at remembering names, but I’ve never forgotten those tapes. Thank you.
3. Assa Cica - “Yokpo Wa Non Kpo Hami”
When we were first getting into Beninese rock, it was Antoine Dougbé who pulled us down the rabbit hole. I figured we couldn’t be alone — his songs are the standouts on “Legends of Benin.” But there’s practically nothing to be found. I eventually found myself at Discogs, marveling at the sheer number of names that T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo went by and sifting through music looking for signs of Dougbé. I eventually found this album, and not just the voice but the whole style of the band convinced me that Assa-Cica was somehow another name Dougbé went by. After some discussion, Paige and I bought our first Beninese record. In the weeks that it took to arrive, we learned a lot more about Dougbé, including the fact that he’s not actually the singer on those songs! But also I don’t think Assa-Cica is the singer on this song either! We did turn out to love every song on this record, but this one is my personal favorite, just a barnburner with disco roots. Every time I listen to it I try to imagine the cultural and personal forces that brought it into being, and it only gets more absorbing.
4. Eko Roosevelt - “Me To A De Try My Own”
T.P. Orchestre research also brought me to an album they did with Betti-Betti (or Beti-Beti), a Cameroonian singer whose tracks eventually led to Eko Roosevelt. I don’t get down with all of the music of his that I’ve heard, but this one just brings a smile to my face every time. I love the patois he sings in, where recognizable words rise suddenly out of the bubbling disco bass and the good-natured horn sections. I would never have guessed that hunting for African voodoo funk would eventually reveal a path to appreciating disco… but I’m glad that it has. I mean, I spent whole years of my life thinking that horns had no place in rock music, so what the hell do I know?
5. Jacqueline Taïeb - “Le coeur au bout des doigts”
6. T.P. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo - “Non Gbeto Do Mahu Tche”
This 7” is from that rich early period of T.P. Orchestre (this one is I think from ’72) where the arrangements are hand-drum heavy but the organ and guitar are funk. The vocal is — I don’t know what it is, it’s a genre I hadn’t heard until I heard this band in this period.
7. Los Wembler’s de Iquitos - “Llanto en la Selva”
8. Iggy Pop “The Passenger”*
I’ve always thought this was one of Iggy Pop’s finest outside of his work with Stooges. I think I also always liked it because I am most often the passenger. I really really don’t like driving. I really avoid it. I have a driver’s license but boy do I not like to use it. There aren’t really a lot of songs about riding in the passenger seat that are positive or cool that I can think of besides this one and Art Brut’s “I Love Public Transportation”.
This album also makes me think of Shena’s old place on Damen Ave. in Wicker Park Chicago. This record and of course Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”.
Hope you had a great birthday Shena!
9. Jacques Dutronc - “Les Gens Sont Flous”
The things that gets me about the song are: that single bass note that plunges every time in the verse, the shaker in the chorus, and that freakin triangle hit that happens on the coolest possible beat throughout the entire song. I fully intend to lift that idea into another song if I can find the right spot for it.
10. Jimi Hendrix - “Third Stone From The Sun”
This goes down as one of the greatest rock recordings in history. Every time I swoon at the guitar phrases, the bass line, the drums, the weird low chaos of his slowed down vocals. Truly a masterpiece, capped off by the final minute of beautiful noise that sounds like planets in motion.
11. Björk Gu∂mundsdóttir and tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar - Gling-Gló - “Bella Simamaer”
12. Ayalew Mesfin - “Gedawo (The Hero)”
The first 20 seconds of this song are crucial, because it establishes the 4/4 rhythm that’s coursing under the 3/4 handclap. That is such a killer rhythmic feel I can hardly stand it. I only wish they’d pull out the handclap in the middle, just for a handful of measures, and then bring em in again. Meanwhile, Mesfin’s vocal approach is so intense!
Entr’Acte - “Phantom of the Opera Entr’Acte”*
We figured we needed an Entr’Acte to denote the change in vibe from trying to stay alert and amped on the turnpike to being back home in Brooklyn. Half of this broadcast was made in the front seat of the van on our drive back to NY after our recent visit to the Midwest where we stayed in the woods the majority of the time with a couple of runs to St. Louis to pick up Banh Mi So and tofu Laap.
Evan and I have this thing we call “Disney Reptile Brain” but before that I should explain, Evan and I have this other thing we call “different high schools.” We have an age difference that we mostly don’t notice but every now and then there will be some cultural touchstone and one of us is like “What!? You don’t remember that!?” and we’re like “Ahh, different high schools!” So something like, the year 1994, Evan might remember it as when Kurt Cobain died, and I’ll remember it as the year “The Lion King” came out.
So, Evan missed all the of the major releases by Disney from that time – Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, etc. – and thus he can see how ridiculously bad these remakes are in a way that I can’t. He says that you have to “Disney Reptile brain” to fully see the movie, that you have to have the animated version playing in your mind’s eye at the same time you're watching these “live action” remakes or they don’t make any sense. And it’s true, for me and lots of other people I know born between 1984 and 1990 we experience this when watching these films, like you already know it so well and know what’s going to happen it’s more like some sort of ritual, incantation, or reenactment of a feeling.
So, that’s Disney Reptile Brain. And if you’re like, wait, but this is Phantom of the Opera and that’s not Disney. You’re right, but it turns out Reptile Brain is a thing that can happen with musicals and ALW stuff is perfect for it. (Evita! Evita!) I am helpless when I hear this music which I got into around the same time that I was devouring Disney VHS, even though I hear it now and it’s SO. SILLY. But when I hear this melody, I’m like right there, on the boat with Christine and the Phantom. I’m like a cat picked up by the scruff and I’m just completely engrossed and I can’t unlearn that feeling. If you’ve seen Phantom at all recently, it is straight up hilarious kid stuff, like how it starts with an auction of lot #666, and the phantom is like this super moody broody guy who writes passive aggressive notes to everyone. I now can hear it as so funny and so square, but what you’re hearing on this track is my reptile brain in full effect.
Next time this music comes around, we’ll get into how Christine is Professor X and Magnito is the Phantom...
14. Sunny Blacks Band - “Holonon Die”
Ha! I said plenty about this song on air. Suffice it to say I’ve been getting obsessed with Meloclém and his performances. It’s really hard to find out anything about him, so this early track makes me really happy. I think this is sung in Fon.
15. Yo La Tengo - “False Alarm”
Alongside “Third Stone from the Sun,” another of my all-time favorite recordings ever. Yo La Tengo was a key protein in learning about rock music, starting with the album “Painful” and hitting a peak not just on this album but specifically this song. Alongside a vivid memory of Sean N., I helplessly air-keyboard to it, air-drum to it, dance my face off. By that final phrase I’m all worn out.
16. Meas Samon & So Savoeun - Hits Collection
We don’t really know anything about this song, including its title. It’s from a cassette called “Hits Collection.” We know Meas Samon from other sources, but I have no idea what they’re talking about and what is happening in this song, though I will say the tape warping on the entire fabric of the track is absolutely delicious.
17. Syna So Pro - “Fengyang Song”
I feel so proud of Syna So Pro and St. Louis introducing this track. The first time we saw her perform this song was live at El Leñador, and it was a knockout. She (they?) used a looping pedal situation to build this huge harmonic structure in real time. I believe she may be studying Chinese, but I know she’s studying Chinese music. There’s this and one other amazing Chinese song in addition to her many songs in English on her album “Vox.”
Nino Rota
18. Fela Kuti - “Open & Close”
I would listen to this whole song just for the Tony Allen solo in the early middle — but I also love how the song is so long that even a solo as particular as that one gets swallowed back up into the totality of the track (though he has many amazing passages throughout). The emotional equilibrium of the horns is cautiously optimistic. And I find myself thinking about the passage that goes “Let me tell you a story: open and close,” and how “open and close” is a narrative in action right there in three words. What was open has closed. It’s clearly a big change, a serious shift. Once open, now closed. Why? What changes as a result? Did anyone get hurt in the closing?
19. France Gall - “Celui Que J’aime”*
In the theme of “songs that got away” (see “Muxima”) this is one that I was thrilled to find again! I heard it on Jeff Hess’s show on KDHX many years ago. It set me on a France Gall odyssey. I bought albums and collections, and none of them had this song. I think her tone is probably my favorite female vocal tone, and she’s also one of my favorite singers in her delivery. This one is very different than some of the other stuff I associate with her but I think it’s still my favorite of hers.
20. Ely - “As Turbinas Estao Ligadas”
Now Again Records put out a collection called “Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas” and it’s got as much tone as the title boasts. Credit due to “vinyl archaeologist” Joel Stones for tracking down songs like these and putting them within reach. This is one among several favorites and a true hit.
21. Tulia - “Pali się (Fire of Love)”
Speaking of true hits: welcome to the world of EuroVision, where music is a medium for international competition. This song is Poland’s entry for 2019. We spent an amazing week with our friends Phil and Archie driving between Cambridgeshire and London singing along with all of the finalists of that year’s competition. It’s a fascinating idea, this vote-based international struggle turning into a final victor that somehow expresses the zeitgeist of ALL OF THOSE COUNTRIES TOGETHER — because it’s not just Europe, it’s Israel and Australia. Also amazing is that this isn’t just some scheme cooked up in the reality TV era: this has been going on for decades. In fact, France Gall was the EuroVision winner in 1965 — for Luxembourg!
22. Luigi Tenco - “Ciao Amore Ciao”
Likewise, this song was in international competition. It was sung by Egyptian-born French superstar Dalida. We saw an eponymous movie about her at the St. Louis International Film Festival in 2017 and she was a completely engrossing character. I’m not totally sold on this song as she sings it — but I love Luigi Tenco’s version. And man what a looker! He died young by his own hand, and she died too young by her own hand, and that is about as French as it gets.
23. Marijata - “I Walk Alone”
“This Is Marijata” is the sound of Ghana in 1976. I was talking about Marijata with Josh Weinstein recently, and he reminded me of this song and how much I dig it. It’s got that slow burn organ in the background, the slightly clumsy percussion in the foreground, those freighted vocals — but when it gets to the chorus, as the organ hook gives way to the horn hook, that’s when it truly hits its stride. And by the time we disappear into the fadeout, it has become fully epic.
24. Lijadu Sisters - “Life’s Gone Down Low”
To my ears it really feels like this song could have been released this year, rather than in 1976. What the hell was going on in West Africa that year? I feel like we could put together a great mix of songs just from that single year from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Ivory Coast. The Lijadu Sisters (Taiwo and Kehinde, actual identical twins) put out their first album in 1969; by their third album, “Danger,” the source of this song, they were huge stars in Nigeria and played with Ginger Baker, Art Blakey, and so on. They eventually moved to Harlem and lived together their whole lives, until Kehinde passed a little less than a year ago.
25. Os Kiezos - “Muxima”*
As mentioned, I heard this song in a video work by Alfredo Jaar at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can read about the piece here. I learned that “Muxima” is an Angolan folk song and in the video of the same title there are, I believe, 5 different versions of the song. One particular one – the one that pulled me into the room where the video was playing on loop – was a gorgeous vocal arrangement. I even tried shazaming it. No dice. So I wrote it down and started looking for the song, the particular arrangement. I bought a collection of Angolan music because I saw the song on it. That’s the one you heard on this broadcast and it is a recording that I now really love. I periodically keep looking for other versions of the song, hoping I’ll come across that missing version though. I thought I got close this week when I found Duo Ouro Negro’s version. (Worth checking out!) That one from the video though, still haunts me! It’s been 9 years now, I wonder if I would recognize it but I think I would. I guess the next thing I can try is a shot in the dark email to Alfredo Jaar. This is and one other song share the top spot of “songs that got away” the other one is some beautiful song that was coming from a small radio from a group of old Puerto Rican guys who were playing cards on the sidewalk on South 3rd street in Williamsburg. We were touring through and staying with our friend in that neighborhood and as we were moving the van I heard this beautiful song coming off the sidewalk. Those guys had great taste.
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Robert Guillaume
Robert Guillaume (born Robert Peter Williams; November 30, 1927 – October 24, 2017) was an American stage and television actor, known for his role as Benson on the TV-series Soap and the spin-off Benson, voicing the mandrill Rafiki in The Lion King and as Isaac Jaffe on Sports Night. In a career that spanned more than 50 years he worked extensively on stage (including a Tony Award nomination), television (including winning two Emmy Awards), and film.
Early life
Guillaume was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He studied at St. Louis University and Washington University and served in the United States Army before pursuing an acting career.
Career
Stage
After leaving the university, Guillaume joined the Karamu Players in Cleveland and performed in musical comedies and opera. He toured the world in 1959 as a cast member of the Broadway musical Free and Easy. He made his Broadway debut in Kwamina in 1961. Other stage appearances included Golden Boy, Tambourines to Glory, Guys and Dolls, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and Purlie!. Added roles were in Katherine Dunham's Bambouche and in Fly The Blackbird.
In 1964 he portrayed Sportin' Life in a revival of Porgy and Bess at New York's City Center. Guillaume was a member of the Robert de Cormier Singers, performing in concerts and on television. He recorded a LP record, Columbia CS9033, titled Just Arrived as a member of The Pilgrims, a folk trio, with Angeline Butler and Millard Williams. In the sixties he was in Vienna, Austria, Europe at the Vienna Volksoper. Marcel Prawy engaged Robert Guillaume for the role of Sporting Life in Porgy and Bess.
Later in his stage career, he was cast in the lead role in the Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera replacing Michael Crawford.
Television
Guillaume made several guest appearances on sitcoms, including Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Saved By The Bell: The College Years and in the 1990s sitcoms The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and A Different World. His series-regular debut was on the ABC series Soap, playing Benson, a butler, from 1977 to 1979. Guillaume continued the role in a spin-off series, Benson, from 1979 until 1986. Guillaume also played Dr. Franklin in season 6, episode 8 ("Chain Letter") of the series All in the Family, which he coyly referenced Marcus Welby, M.D., a TV series in which he had guest-starred in 1970.
In 1985, Guillaume appeared in the television mini-series North and South as abolitionist leader Fredrick Douglass, who escaped from slavery and became a leader of the anti-slavery movement prior to the American Civil War.
He also appeared as marriage counselor Edward Sawyer on The Robert Guillaume Show (1989), Detective Bob Ballard on Pacific Station (1991–1992), and television executive Isaac Jaffe on Aaron Sorkin's short-lived but critically acclaimed Sports Night (1998–2000). Guillaume suffered a mild stroke on January 14, 1999, while filming an episode of the latter series. He recovered and his character was later also depicted as having had a stroke. He also made a guest appearance on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
Voice
His voice has also been used for characters in television series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Fish Police, and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child. He was known for the voice of Rafiki in the movie The Lion King and its sequels and spin-offs. He voiced Mr. Thicknose in The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze. He also supplied the voice for Eli Vance in the 2004 video game Half-Life 2 and its subsequent sequels.
Personal life
Guillaume was married twice; first to Marlene Williams from 1955 to 1984, the couple having two sons together. He married secondly Donna Brown in 1986; the couple had a daughter. His son Jacques died on December 23, 1990 at the age of 33 due to complications of AIDS.
In 1999, Guillaume suffered a stroke while working on Sports Night at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The stroke was minor, causing relatively slight damage and little effect on his speech. After six weeks in the hospital, he underwent a therapy of walks and sessions in the gym.
Guillaume died on October 24, 2017 at his home in Los Angeles, California from prostate cancer at the age of 89.
Honors
Guillaume has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. On November 28, 1984, Guillaume received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry.
Filmograpy
Super Fly T.N.T. (1973)
The Kid from Left Field (1979)
Seems Like Old Times (1980)
The Kid with the Broken Halo (1982)
The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983)
Prince Jack (1985)
North and South (1985)
Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987)
Lean on Me (1989)
Death Warrant (1990)
The Meteor Man (1993)
The Lion King (1994)
First Kid (1996)
Spy Hard (1996)
The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze (2001)
The 13th Child: Legend of the Jersey Devil (2002)
Unchained Memories (2003)
Big Fish (2003)
The Lion King 1½ (2004)
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2009)
Columbus Circle (2012)
Early life
Guillaume was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He studied at Saint Louis University and Washington University and served in the United States Army before pursuing an acting career.
Career
Stage
After leaving the university, Guillaume joined the Karamu Players in Cleveland and performed in musical comedies and opera. He toured the world in 1959 as a cast member of the Broadway musical Free and Easy. He made his Broadway debut in Kwamina in 1961. Other stage appearances included Golden Boy, Tambourines to Glory, Guys and Dolls, for which he received a Tony Award nomination, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, the Los Angeles production of The Phantom of the Opera (succeeding Michael Crawford in the lead role), and Purlie!. Added roles were in Katherine Dunham's Bambouche and in Fly The Blackbird. In 1964 he portrayed Sportin' Life in a revival of Porgy and Bess at New York's City Center. Guillaume has been a member of the Robert de Cormier Singers, performing in concerts and on television. He has soloed on The Tonight Show. He recorded a LP record, Columbia CS9033, titled Just Arrived as a member of The Pilgrims, a folk trio, with Angeline Butler and Millard Williams. In the sixties he was in Vienna, Austria, Europe at the Vienna Volksoper. Marcel Prawy engaged Robert Guillaume for the role of Sporting Life in Porgy and Bess.
Television
Guillaume made several guest appearances on sitcoms, including Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Saved By The Bell: The College Years and in the 1990s sitcoms The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and A Different World. His series-regular debut began on the ABC series Soap, playing Benson, a butler, from 1977 to 1979. Guillaume continued the role in a spin-off series, Benson, from 1979 until 1986. Guillaume also played Dr. Franklin in Season 6 episode #8 titled "Chain Letter" in the series All in the Family.
In 1985, Guillaume appeared in the television mini-series, North and South, as Fredrick Douglass, who had escaped from slavery and became a leader of the abolitionist movement, prior to the American Civil War.
He also appeared as marriage counselor Edward Sawyer on The Robert Guillaume Show (1989), Detective Bob Ballard on Pacific Station (1991–1992), and television executive Isaac Jaffe on Aaron Sorkin's short-lived but critically acclaimed Sports Night (1998–2000). Guillaume suffered a mild stroke on January 14, 1999, while filming an episode of the later series. He recovered and his character was later also depicted as having had a stroke. He also made a guest appearance on 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter.
Film
Super Fly T.N.T. (1973)
The Kid from Left Field (co-starring Gary Coleman) (1979)
Seems Like Old Times (1980)
The Kid with the Broken Halo (co-starring Gary Coleman) (1982)
The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (also co-starring Gary Coleman) (1983)
Prince Jack (1985) - Martin Luther King Jr.
North and South (1985) - Fredrick Douglass
Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987)
Lean on Me (1989) - Dr. Frank Napier
Death Warrant (1990)
The Meteor Man (1993) - Ted Reed
The Lion King (1994) - Rafiki (voice)
First Kid (1996)
Spy Hard (1996) - Agent Steve Bishop
The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (1998)
The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze (2001) - Mr. Thicknose
The 13th Child: Legend of the Jersey Devil (2002)
Unchained Memories (2003)
Big Fish (2003)
The Lion King 1½ (2004)
The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2009)
Satin (2011)
Columbus Circle (2012)
His voice has also been used for characters in television series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Fish Police, and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child and for the voice of Rafiki in the movie The Lion King and its sequels and spin-offs. He also voiced Amedee Carillon in The Real Story of Sur Le Pont D'Avignon. He voiced Mr. Thicknose in The Land Before Time VIII: The Big Freeze. He also supplied the voice for Eli Vance in the 2004 video game Half-Life 2 and its subsequent sequels.
Honors and awards
Guillaume won an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1979 for Soap, and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 1985 for Benson. In 1995, Guillaume received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for The Lion King read-along book, which he narrates in the voice of Rafiki. Guillaume has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
On November 28, 1984, Guillaume received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the television industry.
Wikipedia
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tagged by: @monkeysatemylastrolo (here is her post) who is writing the lovely Supernatural/Avengers crossover fanfic Trading places on AO3 under the username Vegetableswillhavetheirrevenge. I think I found your AO3 profile and therefore your fic through your tumblr, then promplty forgot about it cause you have a very different username :D
rules: you must answer these 85 statements and tag 20 people
tagging: This is so difficult... @tigerlilynoh @semirahrose @denugis @l-e-i-n-t-h @posingasme I’d tag @eruthiawenluin but she’s already answered here, @rirren @fioreitaliano @mixgoldenphoenix @forlorn-kumquat @waterbird13 but only if they want to. Any anyone else who wants to. :)
Sorry, but I’m incapable of giving short answers, apparently.
the last
1. drink: water. pretty much always.
2. phone call: my father, day before yesterday, about some potential tenants.
3. text message: ...also to my father, apparently. It was over a week ago, letting him and my mom know know when I was getting back.
4. song you listened to: not sure... it was in a fanvid, probably? I’ve rewatched sone SPN fanvids recently. Oh, no, it was that Anaconda/Phantom of the Opera mashup on here, wasn’t it? Yikes.
5. time you cried: I cry pretty rarely, and that’s usually because of a piece of fiction... it was either Atonement (movie with James McAvoy), or else a movie I don’t even know the title of, it just involved a grandmother almost dying, and I happened to be in the room at that part, and a relative of ours died recently - and I did not cry then, this stupid movie just triggered it somehow.
6. dated someone twice: how do you even count dates if you’re aroace but you slowly drift into a relatioship with your best (only) friend on a “I want to try this” basis? But I suppose the answer is: now, since I have a boyfriend at the moment.
7. kissed someone and regretted it: 2012 iirc, first time I tried kissing and hated it. But it was also good to know I don’t like it, so it’s not a big regret. Recenty it turned out I can like kissing, though.
8. been cheated on: never.
9. lost someone special: Mum’s cousin died a couple of months ago.
10. been depressed: it’s not to diagnosable levels, but I’m depressed and anxious a lot when I’m stressed, so this January-April had some difficult parts when I was writing my thesis. But 2013 autumn (I think?) was the only time I went to a therapist for it, cause wanting to die instead of dealing with stuff is not a nice thought to have that often.
11. gotten drunk and thrown up: never. I drink so rarely and so little when I do that I don’t think it will ever happen.
3 favorite colors
12. green
13. blue
14. yellow if mixed with the first two. Otherwise silver?
in the last year have you
15. made new friends: yes (but not close friends)
16. fallen out of love: so far I seem to be 100% aromantic...
17. laughed until you cried: Laughed a lot, yes, but I don’t remember if I ever cried from laughing.
18. found out someone was talking about you: what does this even mean? in secret? no.
19. met someone who changed you: do people who teach you stuff count?
20. found out who your friends are: ...no?
21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: what facebook list? I only kissed one person, and we are friends on fb, yes...
general
22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: All of them. I only have people on there who are to do with my real life, not my internet life. “knowing” them might be an exaggeration, though.
23. do you have any pets: my family has one cat atm.
24. do you want to change your name: Nope.
25. what did you do for your last birthday: parents, siblings & their SOs, cake.
26. what time did you wake up: Midday...
27. what were you doing at midnight last night: sat in my parents’s car, coming back from a day trip to the Cserhát mountains.
28. name something you can’t wait for: I’m good right now... I’d rather this summer dragged on forever, since I just got my degree and start work in September (as much as I love my future job). There’s movies I’m looking forward to, but I can wait.
29. when was the last time you saw your mum: a second ago.
31. what are you listening to right now: birdsong; my parents talking at times.
32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: I don’t think so. Maybe. Does the Hungarian equivalent of the name count?
33. something that is getting on your nerves: politics and news. More personally (tmi?): the roots of my body hair getting inflamed all the time.
34. most visited website: gmail, technically, from where I go to FFNet or AO3 for fanfic updates. Recently, tumblr is creeping back up.
35. hair colour: brown.
36. long or short hair: short (pixie!). I got it cut almost exactly 2 years ago, I wore it long before then.
37. do you have a crush on someone: No, still aro.
38. what do you like about yourself: I have a high IQ. It has its drawbacks (mainly my conscience screaming “why are you not doing MORE if you have the ability”), but I don’t know what I’d do without it.
39. piercings: no.
40. blood type: I don’t know.
41. nickname: Wings on the internet, rather not say in person. My given name is from the Bible so it’s pretty common in a lot of countries, but the nickname for it that I use only exists in my country (Hungary).
42. relationship status: like I said: ‘dating’ my best friend who knows I’m aro and (mostly?) ace, on the basis “let’s give it a try since we enjoy each other’s company”. It’s going well, so far, but he’s been in Germany for the past few months on a scholarship.
43. zodiac: Taurus (ascendant: Libra)
44. pronouns: she/her
45. favourite tv show: I have a lot of stuff I love a lot, it changes over time which one I’m focused on. I don’t have the objectivity to choose from them. Supernatural and Stargate: SG-1 deserve mentioning because I haven’t only read a ton of fanfic for them, I have also written a bit.
46. tattoos: nope.
47. right or left handed: right.
48. surgery: None. My broken arm only needed a cast.
49. piercing: I’d like to leave monkeysatemylastrolo’s answer here: “Why is ‘piercing’ any different from the ‘piercings’ of question 39? Is there some special magical power people gain depending on the number of piercings they have?”
50. sport: Tai chi (Taijiquan). It’s great. It’s martial arts and meditation but it’s slow moving and graceful and I could start it when I was out of breath just going up the stairs. Never looked back. I would like swimming, if *something* wouldn’t always get in the way.
51. vacation: I’m spending my summer with my parents in my childhood home. It counts as vacation because there’s clean air and lakes and I won’t be living here from September, when I start working in Budapest.
52. pair of trainers: yes? What about them? I have two pairs of cheap flat-soled ones for tai chi, and a pair of not-really-trainers for street wear
(white, black, and light green, respecitvely).
53. eating: I just had some ice cream cake left over from my dad’s birthday.
54. drinking: water. again.
55. i’m about to: dunno. Read fanfic, probably, or answer some emails if there are any potential tenants.
56. waiting for: my graduation ceremony in two weeks?
57. want: realistically? To enjoy and earn enough money with the job I’m starting in September. Unrealistically? Superpowers, preferably ones involving flight, preferably wings + the assorted powers I made up.
58. get married: Probably not. I might enter a long-term relationship in order to raise children, if I come to want any, and then it might be worth it for legal&economic reasons, but...
59. career: Translator (Hungarian, English, some German). Just starting out.
60. hugs or kisses: Hugs. Not from everyone, though.
61. lips or eyes: is this a “what do I notice on people as attractive” question? In person: nothing. I do notice the eyes of some actors I’m a fan of, and the lips of one cause they’re always improbably red.
62. shorter or taller: I’m of average height for a woman, I think.
63. older or younger: Than whom? I’m 27.
64. nice arms or nice stomach: again: is this a “what do I notice on people as attractive” question? Again, nothing.
65. hook up or relationship: Mostly neither, but I have to say relatinship since I have something like that at the moment, and I never had a hook up.
66. troublemaker or hesitant: I’m mostly hesitant, except about stuff like climbing a tree on a hike or stuff like that.
have you ever
67. kissed a stranger: No. I’m definitely not attracted to strangers.
68. drank hard liquor: yes, to try the tase, or to settle my stomach, but always just a minimal amount.
69. lost glasses/contact lenses: Nope. Never had contacts. I did sit on my glasses on a holiday once, and they warped pretty badly, so I was without them for a little over a week...
70. turned someone down: Yes. All three people that ever asked me out, all of them after one or two dates (I felt like I had to try), all before I heard or thought about aromanticism and asexuality. The second involved a lot of tears, but then I was friends with him for a long time after that.
71. sex on the first date: Nope.
72. broken someone’s heart: I don’t think so. It might be on the horizon, though, if the boy I’m dating comes to love me and comes to hate the fact that I don’t feel that strongly...
73. had your heart broken: Romantically: nope, still 100% aromantic. It breaks my heart what we’re doing to the planet (and ourselves), though. Seriously, I have cried about that more than once.
74. been arrested: No, not even close.
75. cried when someone died: I think I only cried at the funeral, not when I got the news.
76. fallen for a friend: Never been in love!
do you believe in
77. yourself: Repeat after me: “I believe in myself.”
78. miracles: I believe in some stuff that sceptics would say is unscientific nonsense, partly cause I’ve experienced some of it, partly cause I’m hoping it’s true, but I wouldn’t classify them as miracles.
79. love at first sight: for some people, I guess it’s possible, I mean, there are enough stories about it.
80. santa claus: we don’t even have him in Hungary in the same form as americans&co do :) A dude based on Saint Nicholas comes on his day, the 6th of December and brings chocolate, tangerines and peanuts, but I know it’s my parents :) Christmas gifts are brought by the baby Jesus’s angels (again, also known as my parents).
81. kiss on the first date: Is that something to believe in? If you want it, do it, it doesn’t have anything to do with me.
82. angels: Ehh... no? Souls or similar, yes, some kind of afterlife, yes, because I don't think the human mind is just flesh, but anything as specific as angels? I have no way of knowing, and I don’t want to dismiss other religions by saying I believe in something that’s specific to only a few of them, so...
other
83. current best friend’s name: I only have the one close friend, who I’m “dating”, and I’m not telling you his name. (I’m bad at relationships. Not just romantic ones, but friendly ones as well. I have people I’m friendly with, but maintaining a relationship outside fixed programs like school, work, tai chi training, choir practice, etc. - how does one even do that?! I’m too lazy and too selfishly satisfied with my own company to spend my energy on that, apparently.)
84. eye color: green, but brownish (is that hazel?)
85. favorite movie: see question 45 about favorite TV show, except I never actually managed to write fanfic for any of them. How do I choose?!?! Star Wars, I guess? Return of the Jedi, if I have to choose one from them. The Matrix, if you want something a bit less fandom-y.
#I'm not proofreading this#sorry if I accidentally left in an answer by monkeysatmylastrolo#or for spelling mistakes#I have my spellcheck off because you can't set two languages at the same time#so it would always underline either everything in hun or everything in eng and that got annoying#personal#tumblr stuff#tumblr games#reblog if...#my post#post by me#I need to revise my tagging system#this took absurdly long#but it's way less stressful than answering people lookinf for a flat#which is what I'm supposed to be doing
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Summer Preview 2018!
New Post has been published on https://animeindo.org/blog/2018/07/01/summer-preview-2018/
Summer Preview 2018!
After a scorcher of a spring (and an unusual delay in the previewing process—sorry about that), the summer season is looking down right sleepy. Are anime studios trying to get people to go out into the sticky Tokyo summers? Those monsters! Fortunately there are a few stars lurking amid the sleepers, which means outside activity will not be required. Some of the biggest headliners are hotly-anticipated sequels, from the split-cour continuation of the lich conquering hero protagonist of Overlord III, the return of the glistening swimming boys of Free! -Dive to the Future-, the final season of Gintama, and the third season of the world-shattering hit Shingeki no Kyojin. There are plenty of promising new adaptations as well, such as the crime thriller set in 1980s New York City BANANA FISH, adaptations of the acclaimed Front Wing visual novel ISLAND, the supernatural comedy romance Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, and a look at the more, uh, dedicated side of love with Happy Sugar Life. There are fewer originals, but I’m keeping my eye on several, including the absolutely bonkers Planet With, a supernatural stint with pretty boys in London in Phantom in the Twilight, and the other anime with jaegers and vampires by the name of Sirius the Jaeger. There’s always more anime to watch, so join us as we tell you all about it. This is the Random Curiosity Summer 2018 Preview!
This season we’ll continue using the Excitement Levels we introduced last year. Don’t recall why? Because trying to anticipate how a show is going to turn out is a fool’s errand, but we can definitely tell you how excited we are! Just remember that these levels reflect our own subjective excitement for each show, and do not necessarily reflect how each will pan out. For more information, check out the Overall Impressions section at the bottom, which includes an expanded explanation of each category and a list of all shows by excitement level.
Disclaimer: Back in ye olde year of 2012—which is practically ancient history now—previews were done by a single writer, Divine. Since none of the current writers are bonkers enough to take time off of work and/or school to solo this thing, we’ve divided everything up among our staff (Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, and Zephyr) in order to maintain the quality of this preview. We will try to point out what appeals to us in each series, in the hope that it will help you determine if it coincides with your tastes.
Disclaimer #2: Please note that this list does not reflect all the series airing this coming season. It is meant to be as comprehensive as possible, but omissions have been made for shows that stray from the anime norm or seem to be oriented toward young children. Please check out MOON PHASE for complete listings, syoboi for specific air times, and Fansub DB for a list of potential sources for each series.
I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the entire Random Curiosity crew for working together to finish this preview. This past season has been rocky for everyone, and we ran into several unexpected roadblocks while working on this post that were the cause of its horrific lateness (sorry!), but everyone banded together to get it done. I love you all, and you rock. Special thanks go to Xumbra for encoding the PVs; Zephyr for doing early prep work; Stilts (that’s me!) for editing, people wrangling, and formatting; Cherrie for doing the rest of the formatting, links, and etc; Passerby for proofreading and the shorts section; Takaii for gathering the images; and Zaiden and Pancakes for being swiss army minions who jumped on any extra tasks that were needed last minute. Also, thanks to everyone who wrote previews, which was most of us. For a more Enzo-centric point of view, give a gander to the LiA summer preview for a second opinion on many of these shows.
Finally, thank you to all of you, the readers and community of Random Curiosity. Thank you for sticking with us when the site went down, thanks for having patience while we were working on this preview, and thank to everyone who keeps coming back, even amid the doldrums of the mid-season views/comments slump. We really appreciate everyone who stops by to read, no matter how infrequently, but those who drop by during a sleepy week of episode sevens surely do boost our spirits something extra. We wouldn’t keep doing this if it wasn’t fun, and it’s fun because of you, so thank you, thank you, thank you. Now, on to the anime!
Technical Note: The chart below is ordered by the date and time that the shows premiere. The links in the schedule will take you to a series’ corresponding entry and the “Top” links on the right will bring you back. You can also use the back/forward buttons in your browser to jump between links you’ve clicked. All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.
Preview by Takaii
Based off one of the longest running manga out there, Baki returns to the small screen via Netflix with a new 26-episode adaptation revolving around the “Most Evil Death Row Convicts” arc from the manga. An arc that, as the name implies, involves some of the deadliest people on the planet who have reached the point of being so powerful they’re trying to die. Which is why when it’s revealed that the star of the show, Hanma Baki (Shimazaki Nobunaga), is training to be stronger than the Strongest Man in the World (his dad), these deadly convicts take this opportunity to travel to Tokyo to challenge Baki in hopes that he’ll be able to completely and utterly destroy them. And when you have the world’s deadliest convicts coming for you, you’ll need a group of friends to watch your back, which luckily Baki has from his travels in the underground fighting scene. Together Baki and his friends will band together to take on these foes with their lives on the line.
I have mixed feelings about Baki. On one hand it has a really unique aesthetic that gives off JoJo vibes but, once you get past the cool factor of insanely skilled buff dudes fighting each other, is there enough substance to keep things interesting? That said, I think action fans and people looking for a fun time of watching insanely strong fighters beat the living crap out of each other will be in for a surprise. For Baki, I think its success will revolve around just how well its showrunners are able to adapt its premise from manga to anime. Luckily, with 26 episodes to work with and a plethora of source material to supplement everything that’s going on, it feels like this series has a lot of good things going for it. Even if the art style isn’t your thing (I wasn’t loving it at first either), Baki might be something to keep on your radar for some unexpected fun.
Watching This: Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Zephyr
From studio feel. comes an adaptation of the Front Wing visual novel Island. Set on an island called Urashima, the story revolves around a series of misfortunes which have led the island to cut off all contact with the mainland. As Urashima falls into decline due to an unwillingness to abandon tradition and a suspicion of the mainland as the origin of a mysterious disease, a lone man washes ashore. Claiming to be from the future, Setsuna’s (Suzuki Tatsuhisa) arrival creates a stir as the island’s inhabitants recall a local legend telling of a tragic love between a boy named Setsuna and a girl named Rinne. With his arrival, individuals with both names are now on the island, making others wonder about the legend’s significance and the role the daughters of the Urashima’s three great families will play in saving the island. Kawaguchi Keiichiro (Hayate no Gotoku!, Minami-ke Tadaima) will direct the series and Arakawa Naruhisa (Outbreak Company, Sousei no Onmyouji) will handle series composition.
Following in the footsteps of the award winning Grisaia franchise, Island is the most recent Front Wing work to receive an adaptation, as well as an official English release of its source material. While I haven’t had the chance to read the visual novel yet, the general reception seems to be good and the fact that they’re taking a chance by releasing it in English without using Kickstarter hints at a novel they feel will succeed on its own merits. A well-received source doesn’t always translate into a good adaptation, however, and I worry whether Island will suffer from the same issues the Grisaia adaptations had early on, given that Island is similarly lengthy (30-50 hours to complete). I’m optimistic given the staff’s experience and the source’s reception, but with the visual novel’s English release coinciding with the anime, there is an alternative to consider if you want the full experience as originally intended.
Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Preview by Takaii
Badminton fans, rejoice! Hanebado! is a new sports show devoted to demonstrating just how amazing a sport badminton really is. The setup is simple. Enthusiastic high school badminton coach Tachibana Kentarou (Okamoto Nobuhiko) ends up in a sticky situation where his new team dwindles to just a few members. With his back against the wall and the future of his new team (and career) at stake, he has a chance encounter with a student named Hanesaki Ayano (Ohwada Hitomi). A girl who, though at first glance you would never guess, has the physical skill and aptitude of an Olympian. With the key to saving the badminton team in sight, Kentarou tries his best to convince Ayano to join, only to be constantly shot down. However, with a once in a lifetime athlete right in front of him Kentarou refuses to give up, and inadvertently gets the ball rolling when he tricks Ayano into accompanying him and the team to a training camp.
Hanebado! is definitely a tough series for me to pick apart since there are so many things that I both love and hate about it. When it comes to sports anime, I have fairly easy to satisfy requirements: fun and memorable characters, a story that integrates something more than just the journey to the finals, and a shtick or two that you can only do with whatever sport you’re focused on. In Hanebado’s case though, there’s this strange vibe about it that doesn’t pull me in like other shows have, the biggest of which has to be coach Tachibana’s extreme drive to get Ayano to join the team. Unlike other shows where a surprise star player appears to help the team kick things into gear, Hanebado is odd in that it disregards all of its other players in favor of making Ayano feel like this mythical creature that they must have to find success. Sure, as we make our way through the first few chapters of the source material the characters realize that people are people and not URs in a game, but even then it feels like there’s a certain human element missing. That said, I’m hoping the transition from manga to anime means the material can be tweaked to sell the stronger points of the story while downplaying all the negatives. If you’re looking for a badminton show that has a fun group of characters, you won’t go wrong taking a peek at Hanebado.
Watching This: Choya, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Pancakes
After a devastating nuclear war left the world completely ruined, humanity came together and united through the efforts of the World Government. Sweeping away the ashes of the old, the World Government helped rebuild society, but in the process stripped away all semblance of freedom, regulating down to the smallest of actions and banning personal ownership of any and all weapons. Such tyrannical rule, however, is not without its critics, with a small resistance group called the Kijuushi emerging to fight back and recover humanity’s freedom. Arming themselves with antique guns left behind as art, these fighters inherit the “spirit” of their weapons during battle, becoming incarnations of the very guns they now valiantly wield. The Kijuushi don’t know if this power and their determination will be enough to prevail in their struggle, but they will do whatever it takes to see their mission through.
At face value Senjuushi is a funny one to look at. Based on the mobile game of the same name, this one is an eclectic mix of post-apocalypse shenanigans and Upotte-esque anthropomorphism which runs Enlightenment aesthetics and an all-male cast against a backdrop of authoritarian dystopia. Or in other words, SukaSuka without the fantasy-romance. Especially the romance. Given Senjuushi’s mobile game origins and the quality of similar adaptations, it’s a total crapshoot what manner of story we wind up with, but with a unique military flair and a largely dark plot, the show easily has all the pieces needed to truly surprise. It’d be best to hedge bets as to any dark horse proclamations, but if Senjuushi can stick to seriousness and minimize the structural flaws plaguing similar series like Norn9, it stands a good chance at being one of this season’s more unique fantasy offerings.
Watching This: Pancakes Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Stilts
Back Street Girls is the story of three young yakuza who screw up big, causing their boss to lose millions. Normally said yakuza would have their fingers chopped off, but he decides to have mercy on them since that wouldn’t bring back his money anyway. Instead he gives them a choice: become idols or die. With the decision quickly made, the three men are sent to Thailand for sex reassignment surgery and are promoted as an idol group. Back Street Girls follows the men girls of Gokudolls Nijigumi as they navigate their (unexpectedly successful) careers while trying to hide their true identities from their fans, as well as battle the frustration they feel at having to live two lives they never wanted, both on and off stage.
This is another of those shows that make you say, “Only in anime!” The idea is absurd, but it’s the presentation that will determine whether you want to watch this. First, check out the promo videos. The animation is atypical, and has more in common with a grimy yakuza comic than a slick anime, idol-based or otherwise. The switching between male and female seiyuu for the main characters leads to some fun, though the entire premise has this aura of such depressing frustration and dread that—well, your mileage may vary. It’s a comedy, after all, so what tickles your tongue is unique to you. The main characters are hapless and depressed, but easily riled up and quickly led astray. It’s a heady mixture, and I can’t think of anything else quite like it. Other stories where characters are unwillingly genderbent usually plumb the premise for drama, for the idea is anxiety-inducing to many. Back Street Girls goes in for dark humor instead, so whether you’re on board for that sort of ride is up to you.
Watching This: Choya, Passerby Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Zaiden
You might have heard about Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor, the story of an unlucky man who found himself gambling in life-and-death games aboard an illegal cruise ship. Chuukan Kanriroku Tonegawa is an off-shoot of Kaiji’s dark adventures, focusing on Tonegawa Yukio (Morikawa Toshiyuki), a middle manager who works at the evil whims of business magnate Kazutaka Hyoudou (Tsukayama Masane). In this precursor to the events of Kaiji, Hyoudou is an extremely wealthy individual who enjoys preying on desperate debt-ridden individuals, and orders Tonegawa to set up secret death games involving these unfortunate victims. Despite the morally objectionable nature of such a task, Tonegawa must now collaborate with his subordinates to create these death games, in order to keep the president in a good mood. Otherwise, considering the volatile and sadistic temperament of Hyoudou, the kind of retribution they might receive would be nigh unimaginable.
Madhouse takes charge and have reunited with veteran director Sato Yuzu to continue their work on the Kaiji franchise. However, we should pay particular attention to the original mangaka. I’d highly encourage those who are put off by the art style to give this a chance, because any work by FKMT has substantial depth in its relentless cynicism, which typically levies scathing commentary on the state of society. Fukumoto Nobuyuki (affectionately known as FKMT) takes a back seat as a creative influence this time around, leaving most of the story to his successor, Hagiwara Tensei. Consequently there will be a difference in tone compared with other FKMT works, although the dark humour remains ever-present, alongside the distinctive art style. If it continues along similar lines to FKMT’s previous works, this series won’t be for the faint of heart, as it will strive to showcase the worst in humanity. People get horrifically betrayed to their dooms, greed rules beyond ordinary comprehension, and some individuals take warped delight in seeing people cry and beg for their lives. Pretty disturbing to say the least. But if this is something you can stomach, Tonegawa’s adventures may prove a morbidly engrossing account that keeps you at the edge of your seat.
Watching This: Zaiden Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Zaiden
The pectorals of young men glisten to the symphony of youth, gleaming with a wet masculine charm, just as they’re about to dive into the swimming pool. That’s right, our boys in speedos are back, and who isn’t excited for Free’s triumphant return? Dive to the Future looks to continue the story of Iwatobi Swim Club’s members: Nanase Haruka (Shimazaki Nobunaga), Tachibana Makoto (Tatsuhisa Suzuki), Hazuki Nagasaki (Yonaga Tsubasa), and Ryuugazaki Rei (Hirakawa Daisuke). Of course, things are never complete without Matsuoka Rin (Miyano Mamoru), Haruka’s eternal friend and rival where swimming is concerned. Join the group on their journey of self-discovery and friendship through the wonderful world of competitive swimming!
There is very little to be gleaned from the visuals and trailers for this sequel, with KyoAni guarding against any leaks that could be considered spoilers. However, it seems apparent that many new characters will be introduced, which suggests a far greater focus on the competitive aspect than ever. As a guy who watched Free! for the competitive swimming, and who felt really invested in the narrative of Haruka vs Rin from the first season, this is exactly what I want from the series. Also, there is absolutely no doubting that KyoAni will put up a visual stunner for everybody to enjoy, even if the content is not to your taste. If you’re new to this series and it caught your interest, I highly recommend marathoning the first two seasons, as well as the movies. But it will be important to note that Utsumi Hiroko left KyoAni after directing both seasons of Free!, which means that the third season will be helmed by another. She’ll be replaced by Kawanami Eisaku, a veteran who directed the Free! movies Take Your Marks, Timeless Medley, and Starting Days. Whether he can live up to his directorial predecessor is one thing, but I’m sure Free!’s loyal fanbase will love this third season no matter what. All that’s left is to wait and see the exact kind of future we’ll be diving into!
Watching This: Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Preview by Choya
A beautiful girl from Italy named Euphrosyne (Hayami Saori) had been zombified and kept in the basement of a university building for one hundred years. One day during summer vacation, six undergraduate college students accidentally disturb her slumber and steal the “Secret Stone” which maintains her body’s integrity. After they run away, a maid named Alma (Ogura Yui) confronts Euphrosyne to tell her to kill the six students to regain the stone. But as she starts to kill the students, she encounters unexpected counterattacks from them.
Much like Euphrosyne, this series had quite the slumber itself. It was the year 2012, when Kadokawa originally announced the anime adaptation in June and streamed a promotional video a month later. Since then, no new information about the series came out until April 2018, when this anime adaptation was announced for the summer season. Studios Stingray and Gonzo share double-duty as they produce the newly re-announced anime. The story sounds unique as Euphrosyne goes on a violent, dark, and comical—yes, comical—manhunt against college students that rustle through her belongings and wake her up. The set-up is akin to many slasher films, yet the focus on Euphrosyne gives us the chance to see it unfold from her perspective as she must kill her way toward the path to her own survival.
Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Limited
Preview by Stilts
Sunohara-sou no Kanrinin-san is the story of a boy who looks like a girl, and a slightly perverted woman with huge boobs. Shiina Aki (Kitamura Eri) is the boy; back home he was constantly treated like a girl due to his feminine looks, so he decided to move to Tokyo for middle school to change himself. Sunohara Ayaka (Satou Rina) is the woman; she’s the kindhearted caretaker of the dorm. Add in the three female members of Aki’s school’s student council who are also living there, and Ayaka’s busty little sister, and the liquor store owner, and Aki’s older sister, and others, and it looks like Aki is going to have a lively time in his new Tokyo life with the girls of Sunohara-sou.
This is a fun little manga, all the chapters I read were charming, goofy, and made me smile, but the killer selling point is the anime’s staff. I don’t usually focus too much on the studio in charge of production, because it doesn’t matter as much as you think, but combine Silver Link’s house animation style with a bevy of talented, experienced, and just damn damn good staff members with a history working at Silver Link (that helps), and that’s a recipe for success. Oonuma Shin is the chief director. Shimo Fumihiko is on series composition, and just stop and look at his resume right there! I needn’t go on, and I shan’t, save to say that everyone has worked on comedies, romantic comedies, and/or Silver Link productions I highly enjoyed, and for many of them Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya is among that list, which means they’ve worked together as well. Add on a solid source material, luscious animation, and a great seiyuu cast, and I see all sorts of reasons to get hyped up. But of course, this is still a creature of its genre, and I don’t expect it to subvert our expectations and become the next trope-shattering apple of critics’ eyes. I do expect it to execute on the source material faithfully, though. I’m looking forward to this one, and I hope you’ll join me when it premieres as well.
Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Stilts
In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Sakamoto Takuma (Mizunaka Masaaki) was known as the Demon King due to his overwhelming power, equipment, and skill. Offline he was less impressive, as a NEET with crippling social anxieties and a deep hatred for riajuu (normies), but that’s neither here nor there. In game he was unparalleled—until one day he was summoned to another world with the exact appearance of the game. There, he meets elf Shera L Greenwood (Serizawa Yuu) and pantherian Rem Galleu (Waki Azumi), who both claim to be his real summoner. Takuma is targeted by enslavement magic—but it backfires! His Magic Reflection ring activates, and the two girls are turned into his slaves instead. Now Takuma, in the guise of Diablo, is in a world where he possesses unparalleled power, but he doesn’t have any social skills to speak of. In a panic for how to talk to a real girl, he falls back on the only thing he knows how to do: act the like the Demon King he roleplayed in the game! this is the story of the Demon King (acting) that would soon inspire the world, and his adventures as he takes the alternate world by storm with his absolute strength!
Here’s your isekai light novel adaptation of the season. That might sound dismissive, and it’s true that if you’re skeptical of isekai stories you’re probably not going to be won over by this one, because the parts of the source material I read were rife with the usual tropes. The key to a good isekai story, though, is to lean into the wish fulfillment while making the main character not feel like an insufferable Gary Stu, even if they have the power of one. It’s not easy, but series like Death March show it’s possible by focusing on different elements. Here it’s the Demon King roleplay, where Takuma/Diablo becomes trapped in his persona because he doesn’t know how to operate without it, and the whole setup would be totally depressing if he wasn’t also really powerful while being constitutionally unable to exploit people with his power most of the time. Also the promos show off a whole bunch of ecchi, so it has that going for it. My feeling is that this won’t rock the world, but the animation is nice, the story is undemanding, and series composer Fudeyasu Kazuyuki has one helluva resume. Maybe it won’t light the world on fire, but it could be a fun little story. If you’re predisposed to isekai stories, nothing I’ve seen so far should dissuade you from giving this a watch.
Watching This: Pancakes, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Zaiden
The Heroine (Kimura Haruka) is your average girl, who randomly receives an invitation to become the princess of a world powered by energy generated from the dreams of its inhabitants. One day, the dream world is attacked by a dream eater, sending many princes into a catatonic state. Haruka must now rescue their dreams in order to wake them up. Let’s accompany the heroine on her adventure to save the princes and prevent the dream world from being destroyed by the malevolent dream eater!
As of now there is no detail on the production team aside from the entirely novice studio GCREST in charge, so I’ll have to sell you the premise based off its source material. Yume Oukoku to Nemureru 100-nin no Ouji-sama is a smartphone puzzle role-playing game that has the manservice dialed up way past 11 as a way of enticing its female demographic. Seeing how it ranked as Japan’s 15th favourite game in the Otamart poll at the end of 2017, I would say it did a pretty good job of meeting that goal. To give you an idea of what it features, demon princes are chained up in shirtless glory, while having a tendency to blush if you take the time to appreciate their exquisite physique. Might I also add that there’s a shota witch, and even a splendid tsundere snow prince? Sounds too good to be true. Fujoshis from all over the world must be delighted with this summer entry, and whether your best boy made it or not should be somewhat alleviated by the good selection you’ll still have to choose from. As they say, different strokes for different folks.
Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Limited
Preview by Passerby
1985, New York City. A series of puzzling suicides are baffling the NYPD. But down in the Bronx it is not the law that holds sway, but crime, and mafioso Papa Dino Golzine (Ishizuka Unshou) rules. He is intent on killing off any investigation into these suicides for good, literally, being quite comfortable with murdering whomever pokes their nose into this suspicious business. This heavy-handedness piques the curiosity of Papa Dino’s 17-year-old adopted son and charismatic gang leader Ash (Uchida Yuuma), especially when he is given a vial of a mysterious substance and an address in the dying breaths of one of the syndicate’s latest victims. Pieces start to fall into place when Ash comes across Okumura Eiji (Nojima Kenji), a Japanese photojournalist assisting on a piece on New York’s street gangs. Perhaps the suicides are related to a story from the Vietnam war. Towards the end of the war, one American soldier had gone mad, gunned down his buddies, and then fallen comatose. In brief moments of consciousness he can be heard muttering one thing to himself, over and over: ‘banana fish’.
Banana Fish is based on a manga of the same name by Yoshida Akimi, and boy is it old. 33 years old. That means that it’s from a time when a manga can be considered ‘shoujo’ just because there are gay men in it. Perhaps things aren’t much different now and a target demographic is a target demographic, but don’t be so quick to pigeonhole Banana Fish. At its core it’s a hard-boiled crime drama with a gritty, twisting plot that will keep you gripped. Sure, the cast is basically all male and Free! director Utsumi Hiroko is heading the project, but overall it should be a show with wide appeal. It could well carry itself by quality alone; in addition to the director, we have the accomplished Seko Hiroshi on series composition, and animation studio MAPPA has been doing lots of excellent work. If all else fails, it’s a mature story set in 80s New York City, which is rare enough to stand out. All in all, with all the good things that have been lined up, this is a perfect season for Banana Fish.
Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Preview by Pancakes
In the modern world there existed a widely popular MMORPG called Union, and in it a famous party named Subaru. Composed of a bunch of elementary school friends, Subaru did what no one else could, pushing boundaries and exceeding game limits by taking advantage of Union’s unique “Sense” system. At least, until catastrophe struck. After Subaru member Kuga Asahi (Omori Nichika) died while inside the game, Union was shut down and the remaining Subaru members drifted apart. For Subaru’s vanguard Amou Haruto (Takanashi Tengo), this proved devastating, and he spiraled into a six year state of depression which only ends when a classmate convinces him to try Reunion, Union’s rebooted sequel. Reunion, though, winds up being more than simple rehabilitation when Haruto stumbles across Asahi in the game world. Shocked, confused, and more than a little dubious, Haruto doesn’t know whether to believe his eyes, but with Asahi before him once again, he’s determined to find out what’s really going on.
You like alternate worlds? You like mystery? Want more than simple save the world? Well boys and girls, Shichisei no Subaru has you covered. Compared to the recent wave of similar series, SnS takes its thematic cues from .hack and AnoHana, effectively offering up an alternate world murder mystery complete with personal struggles, dealing with regrets, and more than a little drama. It’s your tried and true character-driven story, meaning the game world and its mechanics will play second fiddle to the trials, tribulations, and love triangles of the Subaru cast. SnS’s writing will naturally determine how well it works in practice, but with the talented Yoshioka Takao handling the series composition and Lerche having a good deal of fantasy adaptation experience, a train wreck is probably not on the cards. It may be too soon to bet on it rising to the level of Re:Zero and company, but if there’s one alternate world story to pay attention to this season, this is it.
Watching This: Pancakes, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Choya
Based on the episodic psycho horror adventure game also known as “Angels of Death”, the premise focuses on Rachel Gardener (Chisuga Haruka), a young girl who wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building. Without any memories of what happened to her or where she is, she wanders the building, dazed and lost. That is, until she encounters a sickle-wielding murderer covered in bandages named Zack (Okamoto Nobuhiko). Although they are initially adversaries and they only form a bond based on a strange promise they made with each other, Rachel eventually finds herself learning more about her own identity as the two unravel the secrets behind their imprisonment.
There’s something special about a property that can go from being a freeware game made on RPG Maker to becoming a full-on franchise that is highly inspiring. It’s easy to get a soft spot for indie horror games like this series, where you can create genuinely creepy imagery in a game made by a handful of people with easy assets and talented writing, so it must be exciting to have been involved with the original and see it blossom into an anime series with a high-profile studio and seiyuu lending their talents to the work. It’ll also be fun to see how the anime adapts the story, as the game thrives on the unnerving feeling of diving deeper into the building to witness one terrifying, trippy scenario after another with every new secret revealed. The trailer has an edgy atmosphere to it, but its indie horror cred gives it an eccentric, quirky vibe that is bound to bring a far more amusing and freaky experience to this anime.
Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Takaii
In a world where there’s an anime for just about every sport, in comes Harukana Receive, a new beach volleyball anime that’s going to tackle the intricacies of playing a high-intensity sport on sand with only a third of the players you typically have in a regular volleyball match. For those out of the loop, beach volleyball has a vastly different playstyle compared to indoors volleyball. With a total of four people on the court (two per team), the matches have a different feeling as the players not only compete against each other but the elements themselves. From constantly changing wind speeds to the sand shifting under their feet, it’s almost like you’re watching an entirely different sport.
In Harukana Receive’s case, the story revolves around Oozora Haruka (Yuuki Kana), a second year high school student who has just moved to Okinawa, and her cousin Higa Kanata (Miyashita Saki), who is also a second year student. The two end up becoming partners and play beach volleyball together after Haruka unintentionally takes on a challenge from the current high school national champions. All of which might sound like a pretty standard setup for a sports show, but let me dive into a few points that might help turn your mind around. Just like every other successful sports anime, Harukana Receive understands that it takes more than great “action” moments to grasp a viewer, and there’s a lot of supplemental material to help you learn to love and/or hate characters. One big selling point is the focus on not being the right size for what you want to do. Be it the struggles of being tall and unable to find clothes and shoes, or being shorter and constantly worrying that you’re bringing your partner down due to your physical limitations, the human element thrown into the mix is definitely one we see quite a lot of. The other huge factor (at least for me) is how a show looks and based off of the PVs, and it looks beautiful. From the thickness of the lines to the choice of how eyes are stylized, all the way down to the sound effects whenever a volleyball is smacked—this show will, if nothing else, be fun to watch. All-in-all, this is shaping up to be a great looking sports show that has a lot more than just eye-candy going for it.
Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Takaii
Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro is a wild show that revolves around our titular character Miyamo Chio (Oozora Naomi), who without a doubt will end up in some kind of wild situation on her way to school. With each day starting out pretty rough, since she tends to stay up way too late playing computer games, it’s not atypical to find Chio trying to parkour her way around town à la Assassin’s Creed or roughing up a tough biker dude in order to show him how to get back on the straight and narrow. That said, Chio has one major weakness and it’s her need to not draw the attention of others. So when it comes to things that you and I take for granted, like interacting with another human being, Chio ends up doing the wildest things to try (usually in vain) to stay hidden.
In a nutshell, Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro is kind of like the realization of the fantasy anyone who’s ever commuted to school has had. A fantasy where you wish your everyday mundane walk or ride to school could turn into something so much more than just simply … going to school. Instead of just letting societal norms, life, or even reality boss you around, you look any of the three straight in the eyes and tell them that you’re about to do your own thing since you refuse to be late. Honestly, I’m not quite sure how the source material did it, but there’s so much charm oozing from this one that I can’t wait to see it come to life. No matter who’s watching, you’ll be able to see some part of yourself in Chio since she’s such a well fleshed out character. Be it regretting staying up late playing games, being unable to mingle with others because of your social anxiety, or wondering whether or not you’d be able to punk out a rough looking guy because you’ve committed to your act, there’s something for just about anyone here who’s looking for a fun time out of a show that’s managed to take something we’ve all done before and enhanced it through the power of the medium its being adapted to. If you’ve been looking for a comedy that’s a little different from your typical fare, Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro is definitely for you!
Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Stilts
Ongaku Shoujo follows the titular 11-member idol unit organized under Pine Records. Despite abysmal sales numbers, producer Ikebashi and the girls are trying their best to up their game. They decide what Ongaku Shoujo needs is a new member who can be a catalyst for success, so they start holding auditions. That’s when the soon-to-be legendary group meets a girl named Yamadaki Hanako (Fukagawa Seria).
Ongaku Shoujo (TV) was spawned from the short film of the same name, originally produced by Studio Deen for Anime Mirai 2015. The original followed two of the twelve girls from this iteration, though the story is completely different and the character designs have changed so much I can’t tell which is whom, so I don’t think seeing the original is necessary. Or even helpful—it may be more confusing than anything, if those two are only the same in name and seiyuu. That leaves this as a mostly-original series, which means we don’t know much. It’s an idol story, certainly, in the striving-for-greatness sports anime mold, which has always been my favorite type even if we’ve been getting a glut. The staff isn’t chock full of experience, though they are promising, which can be said for several of the seiyuu as well. Animation looks fine, with no hint of CGI so far, though maybe they just left that out of the trailers. The issue with this show is that while it looks perfectly serviceable, it’s not doing a lot to suggest itself either. If you like idols or JPop, then certainly give it a shot, but I can’t say much for everyone else. We’ll have to see if it surprises once it begins airing.
Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Limited
Preview by Zaiden
What exactly goes on inside your body? Trillions of cells carry out their jobs to keep us alive, but Hataraku Saibou puts a spin on this concept as the human body is treated like a microcosm of human society. And since we’re talking about the human body, these cells never get a moment of rest. Supplying oxygen to your body parts? Red Blood Cell-chan (Hanazawa Kana) can handle that. Policing out germs and viruses? Let White Blood Cell-kun (Maeno Tomoaki) put them in their place. And little Platelet-chan (Naganawa Maria) makes sure that your body is fixed up shortly after incurring an injury. Between keeping clear of antigens and delivering proper materials to various parts of the body, there is an oddly relatable story in the daily lives of these cells, filled with character and personality that are reflective of the roles they play.
Hataraku Saibou is a manga by Shimizu Akane about all the wonders of the human body, told through an anthropomorphized perspective, with cells characterised as being humans themselves. (Editor’s note: something something Osmosis Jones.) Suzuki Kenichi has been tasked with directing this adaptation, and upon closer inspection, Drifters and Stardust Crusaders both stand out as impressive on his portfolio. So there will definitely be a wildcard type of expectation, provided that action between white blood cells and foreign pathogens take the spotlight, which isn’t too far-fetched when the immune system serves as the focus for the series. That said, I have mixed feelings about the how the series composition might turn out. Kakihara Yuuko presents a worrying flip of the coin, since her scripts can either make a whole lot of sense (Chihayafuru S2, Gakuen Babysitters, Tsuki ga Kirei) or make absolutely no sense even with a great source material (Orange, Unbreakable Machine Doll), with practically nothing in between. Will this be a hit or miss? That’s hard to predict right now, but going by recent track records, this should turn out fine. Even if you dislike biology as an academic subject, keep an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised by Hataraku Saibou.
Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Pancakes
Suou Yuuto (Sakai Koudai) is just an ordinary boy in an ordinary world. He lives life to the fullest, has plenty of friends, and retains a healthy taste for all manner of urban legend. It’s the latter which winds up wreaking havoc on his life when Yuuto joins his childhood friend Shimoya Mizuki (Uchida Aya) in testing out a local myth. After taking a selfie in front of his community’s divine shrine mirror, Yuuto finds himself whisked off to a Norse-influenced world in the midst of war, with only a solar-powered smartphone for help. This phone, however, gives Yuuto all he needs to find a place for himself in the local Wolf Clan, rapidly rising through its ranks to become its king and suzerain. Now protector of the clan and overlord to several powerful Einherjar, it falls to Yuuto to not only rescue his adopted people, but help save their world from fated destruction.
If there’s one constant for anime these days, it’s that every season will feature an alternate world story adaptation or three, and Hyakuren no Haou continues that time honoured tradition. This one sticks close to the well-trodden formula: we’ve got the overpowered main character, the deus ex machina device, and the ever essential harem of pretty girls to round everything off. It’s your quintessential wish fulfillment story, but HnH does have some things that help set it apart. Unlike Isekai wa Smartphone, problems in HnH are largely solved through Yuuto’s own ingenuity rather than any smartphone shenanigans, and Norse mythos in place of the usual fantasy story and setting gives a good foundation for interesting plot and characters. The main concern is that, with Kobayashi Kousuke being a novice director and Takahashi Natsuko of Isekai wa Smartphone fame handling series composition, we may not be too likely to see much thematic imagination. HnH certainly has the pieces needed to be an entertaining ride, but until we can see it in action, expecting the usual alternate world hijinks is a pretty good idea.
Watching This: Pancakes, Zephyr Excitement Level: Limited
Preview by Choya
This surreal gag comedy centers around three friends as they play games with each other. Kasumi (Kohara Konomi) is studious at everything but English and a natural at games, but has built up a hatred for them after years of losing to her older sister and being made to do chores with every loss. Olivia (Nagae Rika) is an American girl who was raised in Japan, but pretends to be bad at Japanese. The pig-tailed Hanako (Kino Hina) has a bright personality and enjoys observing games, but has a hard time becoming the normal person she aspires to be and consistently loses against the other two girls. Together, they take on traditional hand games, board games, card games, and anything in-between.
What makes this series stand out as a promising comedy is how looks can be deceiving. The artwork and premise seem like they could fall under a cozy slice-of-life, up until you dive into it and find out how eccentric, hilarious, and clever the chapters get. They weren’t lying when they said it was, above all else, a surreal gag comedy that just happens to be about cute girls bonding. One of the aspects of the show that’s intriguing is the character of Olivia, considering how many anime with Americans or Westerners have them either as side characters or as people in the background as opposed to being in the front seat. It will be cool to see how deep they get into the games they play and if it will be the type of series to indulge and geek out over how fun they can be.
Watching This: Choya, Passerby Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Stilts
Kuroi Souya (Abe Atsushi) lives a peaceful life despite having no memories of his past. But one day, the world is attacked by huge unidentified floating objects that cause a panic (and look like giant cats with five arms, three ears, and a giant back-nose). Soldiers are sent to stop them, but they desert and head home to their families. Then seven heroes arrive to fight the unknown threat, by first flying through the sky in a flash of light and then enveloping themselves in giant robot frames. Souya is dragged into the fight by the cat-like Sensei (Koyama Rikiya) and gothic lolita Ginko (Izawa Shiori). Is this the time for Souya to join the heroes and fight for humanity? No. Apparently he has to fight off the heroes instead.
Coming to us from Mizukami Satoshi (Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer), Planet With is a story only manga and anime could tell. Not because other mediums couldn’t do it, but because they wouldn’t even think to try. The first two chapters of the manga, released in advance of the anime, are bizarre. They weren’t the weirdest thing I’ve read in a manga—that’s a hard prize to win—but Planet With is scratching that itch. The whole thing is a big ol’ “Wait, WTF!?”, which should make for a fun first few episodes even if I have no idea what it will settle down into after that. What I can say is that this was an original I wasn’t all that interested in prior to previewing it, but now I’m intrigued, dammit. Because I want to know why Souya is fighting the heroes—even he doesn’t fully remember—but also because this is a story I can’t get anywhere else. Anime is good when it’s serious, funny, flirty, or mysterious, but it may be the best when it’s flat out weird. That’s the flavor you can only get here. The main character getting swallowed up for a cabbage-eating cat in order to manifest the mecha to fight off the heroes? You have my attention!
Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Choya
Set in an alternate history where aliens conquer late-Edo period Japan and outlaw carrying swords, Gintama is centered around three characters: Sakata Gintoki (Sugita Tomokazu), an eccentric samurai equipped with a sharp blade and an incurable sweet tooth; Shimura Shinpachi (Sakaguchi Daisuke), a teenager who aims to help out his older sister Tae and keep Gintoki focused on important matters at hand as his apprentice; and Kagura (Kugimiya Rie), a skilled girl with a violent past who finds normalcy in sharing Gintoki’s bad habits, eating pickled seaweed, and taking care of her massive dog Sadaharu. Together, they set up shop in Gintoki’s apartment room as Yorozuya, an odd-jobs company that would do just about any freelance work to cover their monthly rent. Along the way, they form a rivalry with the local police force, meet old comrades from a bygone era, and face off against the dreaded PTA. Will unforgettable bonds be forged through blood, sweat, tears, and laughter? Is it really the final season!? Because I have some ideas to keep the show on-air. We have them fight vampires that consume souls, visit the Land of Tea, or get trapped on an island for an entire arc. I can mail out the scripts I’ve written if you’d like! If that doesn’t sound appealing, take year-long hiatuses every two episodes to play Id*lm@ster or Dr*gon Quest. Please Pierrot, it’s all I have left!
After a brief hiatus, Gintama is back in gear to wrap up its final season. In the process of writing out the synopsis of the anime, it became increasingly difficult to cope with the idea of bidding farewell to Gintoki, Shinpachi, and Kagura. It’s been a highly enjoyable shounen series to follow with how much fun it has with its humor and parodies of pop culture, and how well-done its action sequences and drama have been. Gintama truly is one-of-a-kind because of how it manages to be hilarious with its comedic chapters yet engaging and dramatic with its serious segments. As the story ends, it will be interesting to see what culminates in this last season’s efforts to unite the cast against a common foe, bringing an end to the conflict that stands in the way of their peace. Will their send-off be a tongue-in-cheek wave goodbye or a bittersweet reminder to be less sad that the series is over and happier that the series happened? Hopefully, Gintama’s curtain call will be something special and will give the wonderful cast that’s grown over the years a worthy farewell.
Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Established
Preview by Pancakes
From the manga of the same name, Jashin-chan Dropkick tells the epic tale of a little demon girl named Jashin (Suzuki Aina) and her struggle to return home. Abruptly summoned to the human world one day, Jashin finds herself in a dilapidated apartment owned by gothic lolita Hanazono Yurine (Omori Nichika), a university student with the taste for the arcane and a serious love of horror. While Yurine summoned Jashin, she had no idea how to send the half-snake demon back, and with Jashin as equally confused over her summoning, both girls wind up forced to live with one another. At least until Jashin comes up with the bright idea to kill Yurine in the hopes that’ll send her back home. Now locked in a constant fight against death, Yurine must find a way to ship Jashin back to where she came before her cute summoning experiment ends up blowing her to hell.
Oh boy do we have a fun one here. If it wasn’t immediately obvious, Jashin-chan Dropkick is pure slapstick comedy, effectively mashing together the likes of Binbougami ga!, Gabriel Dropout, and the monster girl series of the season into one seriously outrageous and gut busting package. Emotional damage, physical abuse, and a whole host of hilarious situations are on feature here, and that’s before getting into Yurine’s terminal case of goth-infused chuunibyou. How well it works will of course come down to personal preference and one’s taste in humour, but with over nine volumes of material to adapt and some equally ridiculous side characters to feature (Medusa, you timid cutie pie, I’m looking at you), Jashin-chan Dropkick will not be lacking for raucous entertainment. It may not be setting any new comedy records, but if you’re in need of a good laugh this summer, Jashin-chan Dropkick more than has you covered.
Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Choya
Ai (Matsui Eriko) is an ordinary girl and a dancer whose friend, Machi (Shibasaki Noriko), is superior in her knowledge and dancing abilities. Despite finding Machi’s talent to be disheartening, Aya discovers her secret: the existence of the Aguu, palm-size entities who grant those who hold them talent far beyond those of anyone else. Machi is trapped in her role as a “Seamstress” who makes Aguu, but Ai pushes to rescue Machi by becoming a “Savior”. Because Saviors have been fighting Seamstresses for generations, Ai now finds herself needing to face Machi to free her from the Aguu.
Aguu: Tensai Ningyouhas potential to be a neat supernatural anime. A concept where talents can be given to someone by possessing supernatural entities offers up numerous possibilities on what shapes the people who have them and how they use the talents. The characters’ abilities are put to the test, and their strengths must go beyond what the Aguu can grant them to become either Seamstresses or Saviors. Other factors play into the anime’s intrigue as well, such as the story’s origins as a manhua, the versatility of Studio DEEN as of late, and the character design’s refined yet artistic flair. You might just want to grab onto the Aguu for keeping up with multiple anime by adding this one to your watch list.
Watching This: Choya, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Zaiden
My favourite café in London would be the Rainforest Café next to the Trocadero, because it’s such a vibrant and fun place that brings back happy childhood memories. However, word on the street is that a new establishment has opened up for a very particular niche of customers. Café Forbidden is a mysterious café that only opens at night, where handsome men work to serve coffee, while upholding their duty as guardians of the boundary between humanity and the supernatural world. Bayrou Ton (Hanazawa Kana) is our lead heroine, and a girl who came to London as an international student. After a sequence of unpredictable events, she finds herself accidentally stumbling into Café Forbidden. Her subsequent encounter with the supernatural will be sure to alter the trajectory of her life, as she plunges into a world filled with magic and conspiracies.
If I gave Phantom in the Twilight a chance, it would be down to the fact it is set in my home city, and Kana-chan is voicing the protagonist. Kunihiro Mori has an uninspiring CV as director, but Maruto Fumiaki’s involvement in the series composition gives me cause for hope, given his track record as the writer of SaeKano and White Album 2. We have some aesthetically pleasing character design and the music is guaranteed to be a blast thanks to TOMISIRO, who is highly acclaimed for his role behind Macross Delta’s legendary music score. But since there’s so little that’s been revealed about the premise, it’s difficult to predict how well this might turn out, even with what seems like a highly capable staff on paper. If I had to guess judging by the few trailers, there will be a dose of reverse harem for all the fujoshis out there. So if that’s the kind of thing you enjoy, or simply wouldn’t bother you, then it could be worth checking out Phantom in the Twilight for its considerable dark horse potential.
Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Choya
In this light, antique mystery, high school girl Mashiro Aoi (Tomita Miyu) finds herself working part-time at the “Kura” antique shop nestled in Kyoto’s Teramachi Sanjou shopping district after running into Yagashira Kiyotaka (Ishikata Kaito), the grandson of the store’s owner. The polite yet hot-tempered Kiyotaka is known as the “Holmes of Teramachi” for his keen intellect in solving mysteries within the town, often due to his experience with antiques. With Kiyotaka’s talents as an apprentice appraiser and Aoi’s sharp eye, they solve odd cases together related to antiques and items brought to them by various clients.
True to any anime involving the word “Holmes”, we are taken into the realm of mystery in this anime. However, the tone is calming and light, allowing the show to take on an identity of its own as a charming, mellow, and lighthearted mystery anime. Much of the tone comes from just how cozy the artwork looks, with warm colors and bright lighting, as well as its traditional setting in the elegant, refined city of Kyoto. The chemistry between Kiyotaka and Aoi should also provide for some engaging material as they work together to solve mysteries and learn more about each other. There are other cast members that join along the way, but it will be the mysteries that these two work to solve that will make for a nice relaxing mystery anime.
Watching This: Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Pancakes
In the year 2138 after a crazy twelve year run, the leading MMORPG game Yggdrasil is finally set to shut down. Scheduled to turn off at midnight, everyone but the elder lich Momonga (Hino Satoshi), one of Yggdrasil’s strongest wizards and head of the powerful clan Ainz Ooal Gown, has called it quits, leaving him alone to ride the servers until they turn dark. Rather than being thrown out as expected, however, Momonga is shocked to discover he’s still conscious as his character, and more importantly, unable to log out. With all player functions unusable and only the loyal NPCs of Ainz Ooal Gown present with him, Momonga decides to find out what happened the only way he knows how: by taking over this newly transformed game world.
That’s right boys and girls, Papa Bones is back for more. After a successful second season largely spent fleshing out the world building of the first, Overlord surprised quite a few with its sly split cour announcement and reveal that some of the best arcs of the light novel series would see full adaptation. For a show unapologetically devoted to slow but steady development it’s the best possible outcome, particularly with another full cour to work with and the story poised to show (finally) Momonga’s conquering spirit in action. How far we actually get with this new season is an open question, but with all cast and crew returning significant shakeups shouldn’t be expected, and with Madhouse remaining at the helm you can bet any fights will get the royal treatment. While everyone will have an opinion or two on Overlord at this stage (Lizard arc says hi), if the series continues to remain faithful to the light novels and adapts the next set of arcs in the order expected, this season stands a very good chance of being the best material it has put forward yet.
Watching This: Pancakes, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Passerby
The year was 1268. Kublai Khan was growing restless. He was the Khagan of the Mongols — the supreme emperor, the King of Kings. His enlightened reign had swept through northern China and pressed Korea into vassalage. But still the western hordes did not respect his rule, and still the Chinese Song dynasty put up their futile resistance. And now, some island nation to the east dared defy him, too. Twice the great Khan had sent emissaries to Japan, offering them his mercy in return for tribute. Twice he had been rebuffed. They test the limits of his magnanimity, but Kublai Khan was no fool. He knew that to conquer Japan he will need a sizeable navy, one his empire could not afford presently. But in six years, he will be prepared. In six years, the Mongols will bring theses islanders to heel. And Japan will also need to prepare, as exiled samurai Kuuchi Jinzaburou (Ono Yuuki) knows all too well as he comes face to face with the Mongol invasion. For the first time in history, the samurai will need to stop their political infighting and come together in their country’s defence. It is here that they can truly call themselves warriors of Japan.
For a medium so rooted in Japanese culture, there aren’t really all that many anime about Japanese history. Those that are seem mostly preoccupied with the Sengoku Jidai or the Bakumatsu. This is not to fault those shows, as those times make for some great stories, but when an anime goes out of its way to explore other periods we should pay attention. In particular, the Mongolian invasion of Japan is quite relevant for anime fans like us, for it forms the basis of much of the samurai mythology. Samurai basically just fought each other for political power and oppressed the occasional peasant, but the idea that they are the martial face of Japan finds its roots in their defence against the Mongols. And more: the katana came out of this war, as did the idea that Japan was sacred ground that could never be successfully invaded, as did the now familiar word ‘kamikaze’. Now, I don’t know how historically faithful Angolmois will be (perhaps not very, since the first war was basically just Japan getting thrashed until a freak typhoon swept the invasion away). I don’t even know how good Angolmois will be (series composer Yasukawa Shogo is experienced enough, but director Kuriyama Takayuki is completely fresh). But the PVs look good, the show is promising, and the setting alone makes Angolmois worth checking out this season.
Watching This: Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Choya
A reboot of a gag manga by Akatsuka Fujio, this anime will bring the misadventures of Bakabon (Irino Miyu), his father (Furuta Arata), and his family to a contemporary setting. The story follows a dim-witted boy named Bakabon, an elementary school student who enjoys causing mischief and working part-time to give his mother a birthday gift. His partner in crime is none other than his father, who eventually becomes a central character in the series as the mastermind of the harebrained solutions to otherwise simple tasks the two are involved with. Along with Bakabon’s child prodigy brother, his patient mother, and the devious people that live nearby, the family has their work cut out for them if they want to stick together without getting themselves hurt.
Much of the enthusiasm for the show comes from the resurgence of interest in Akatsuka’s work after two seasons of the highly successful reboot of Osomatsu-kun emerged. Now Pierrot is working their magic again with a modern take on Bakabon’s manga 18 years after its last adaptation aired. On top of a very talented seiyuu cast, the big question will be how the anime will depict the family, as Osomatsu-san went the extra mile by transforming six children identical in looks and behavior into 20-year-old slackers each with their own abhorrent personalities. While it’d be easy not to take as many liberties given how everyone seems to be the same age as before, it’ll be interesting to see if this adaptation shares the distinction of bringing a bawdier sense of humor to the series.
Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Passerby
Tokyo, 1930. Vampires! That’s basically the gist of Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger, the latest anime original offering from the studio P.A. Works. Apparently, vampires had always existed and had long steered the course of human history. But, there is push-back. An organisation styling itself as ‘Jeagers’ has been rooting out the vampires sequestered within human society. One such Jaeger is a young man named Yuliy (Uemura Yuuto), who happens to be a werewolf. Vampires destroyed his hometown, and now he kills them in the name of vengeance. He and the crew of Jaegers he joined have been chasing one clan all across the globe, finally cornering them in the far ends of the Orient. Here in Japan, the vampires seek a mystical artefact, the Ark of Sirius, with which they will be able to regain their rightful place as the rulers of the world. Whatever conspiracy the vampires are hatching means little to the Jaeger; their hunt continues apace. But even these skilled professionals need to be careful. When the prey are so deadly, it is all too easy for the hunter to become the hunted.
It’s always risky to make too many predictions about an original series. They are, by their very nature, untested, and where Hollywood likes putting the entire movie in a trailer, anime studios instead have a predilection for surprise. Which is great, and we should always encourage experimentation, but sometimes experimentation creates the cure for cancer and other times it sets the lab on fire. While P.A. Works is a studio that puts out a lot of good work, now and again they also manage to make Glasslip (which I will unfairly never let them live down). The most useful prognostication we can do, really, is based on who’s actually making this show; after all, almost any premise is viable so long as it’s matched with skillful execution. The most notable name on that front is director Ando Masahiro, who’s worked on quality anime like Akagami no Shirayukihime and Sword of the Stranger. And, hey, have a look at the PVs. Engrish aside, Sirius the Jaeger simply looks good. If there’s one thing anime does well, it’s stylish period pieces, and 1930s Tokyo, post-Modernisation but pre-War, is an ideal period for style. So at the very least we should have a snazzy action thriller on our hands, and if Sirius the Jaeger aims to be more, that’s just a bonus.
Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Preview by Stilts
Part of Bushiroad’s latest mixed media project, the Shoujo ☆ Kageki Revue Starlight franchise centers on Starlight, a song and dance revue troupe loved throughout the world. Aijou Karen (Koyama Momoyo) and Kagura Hikari (Mimori Suzuko) made a promise with each other when they were young that one day they would stand on that stage together. Now the girls are 16 years old, and Karen is enthusiastic about the lessons she takes every day, holding her promise close to heart. Meanwhile Hikari has transferred schools and is now far away. But the cogs of fate turn, and the two are destined to meet again. The two friends, along with other Stage Girls, will compete in a mysterious audition to gain acceptance into the revue.
When I first heard about this, I thought it was another idol thing. Then I watched the preview, which has dramatic music and a series of on-stage sword fights, and now I don’t know what to think. This is one of Bushiroad’s mixed media things, which is usually a red flag—and still is, but the really money grubbing-sounding 2.5D live action concerts have already happened, so maybe they’re trying to earn the next round of exploitation with some good storytelling. We can only hope. The trailer animation fluctuates between pretty close-up shots and more cartoony remote shots, while the seiyuu are primarily new faces. My big question is whether the story will be worth our time, and the over-serious trailer has really thrown me for a loop. If this will be super serious, I don’t know if I can hang, but those sword fights were stylish as heck. I’m conflicted. I may have to give the first episode a peek to see what this thing’s about.
Watching This: Passerby Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Zaiden
It is 1991, the height of popularity for arcade gaming in Japan. High Score Girl goes back to to relive this nostalgic period through the perspective of 6th grader Yaguchi Haruo (Amasaki Kouhei). A social outcast at school who doesn’t care about his education or chores (much to his mother’s dismay), Haruo would rather spend time playing Street Fiighter II at the local arcade, earning him the epithet “Beastly Fingers Haruo”. But one day, he gets served a sequence of humiliating defeats. His classmate Oono Akira (Suzushiro Sayumi), a rich honour student who looks totally out of place in an arcade, demonstrates her skills as a top-class gamer. She goes about wrecking scrubs using her mastery of Zangeev, in what can only be described as complete and utter domination. Having lost to Akira seven times in a row, and keen to end her 29-win streak, Haruo resorts to cheap and dirty tactics using Guyl. Not only do these underhanded measures fail, they also provoke a well-deserved punch and a kick from the otherwise demure Akira. This incident serves as a rocky start to their dynamic relationship, as she brazenly follows him from arcade to arcade after school, while he marks her as a rival who must be defeated. As they continue to face off, they build a fierce reputation which precedes them wherever they go.
After surviving a lawsuit from SNK Playmore for infringing the copyright for King of Fighters, I’m truly glad to see High Score Girl bounce back and receive an anime adaptation. The magnum opus of mangaka Oshikiri Rensuke, we can look forward to a coming-of-age romantic drama/comedy that examines the unique relationship between its main characters. Outside of their passion for arcade games, as well as having violent tempers, Haruo and Akira are pretty much polar opposites. I can’t wait to see how their seiyuu bring their petty squabbles to life, while catching the nuance of their feelings for one another via subtle interactions. J.C. Staff has entrusted Yamakawa Yoshiki with directing, a stalwart of the industry who has a fantastic record on many beloved shows (B: The Beginning, DanMachi, Little Busters). I’m expecting the sound direction to be stellar with the inclusion of Aketagawa Jin, and the series composition is in the experienced hands of Urahata Tatsuhiko (Kyoukaisen, Monster, Tsurezure Children). With a fantastic premise and excellent staff, I’m highly optimistic for this adaptation of High Score Girl, as it looks to be nothing short of a guaranteed hit.
Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Pancakes
Based on the collectible card game of the same name, Lord of Vermilion takes place in a near-future Tokyo rocked by the extraordinary. After a mysterious high frequency sound and red mist knocks several thousand unconscious in the suburbs, Tokyo is forcibly quarantined until those affected miraculously awaken six days later. A rapid return to normality, however, is nowhere in sight, as strange incidents begin plaguing the relieved city while numerous high schoolers start discovering powers long hidden within their blood. Called Hero’s Blood Weapons, the affected teens know little of this power besides its attraction to others possessing the same, and that its awakening is likely due to the “Great Resonance” that disrupted Tokyo so much. Now caught up in a situation growing stranger by the moment, these kids will soon find themselves involved in a struggle where their futures and lives are all on the line.
Card adaptations in anime typically go one of two ways: using the game mechanics as a plot device in of itself (Yu-Gi-Oh), or treating it as flavour in a thematically “different” story (WIXOSS). In this case Lord of Vermilion looks to be the latter, focusing heavily on its conventional fantasy plot of prophecies, fates, and gods with little involvement (if any) of the game mechanics central to its name—don’t expect too much in the way of gritty urban fantasy card battling here. For a card game with minimal lore such a strategy is quite ambitious, but should LoV successfully replicate WIXOSS’s ingenuity in a fantasy-action format, it stands a good chance of being pretty damn impressive. Plus having Kodomo no Jikan’s Sugunuma Eiji serving as director doesn’t hurt either. Scepticism is always recommended when it comes to any type of game adaptation, but should LoV manage to pull off what few game adaptations have managed before, it could easily be one of this season’s biggest surprises.
Watching This: Pancakes, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Passerby
Matsuzaka Satou (Hanazawa Kana) is a model high school girl. She is smart. She is pretty. She is popular. The problem is, her parents passed away when she was young and she has never understood love. So she flits from one boyfriend to the next, saying yes to anybody without care for commitment nor reputation. But one day, she decides to put an end to her frivolous lifestyle. She had fallen in love. Specifically, with a little girl named Koube Shio (Kuno Misaki). To Satou, there is only one thing to do: kidnap Shio and start a new life devoted only to her. Satou makes preparations. She puts in the hours. She saves up money. And in her life with the innocent Shio, she finds bliss. But despite Satou’s efforts, there still seems to be so many people who get in her way. So many rotten souls who don’t understand her love. And that just will not do. Love is sweet. Love is bright. Love is beautiful. It is the highest calling and Satou will do any ugly thing for its sake. It doesn’t matter whom she hurts, how much blood is on her hands, whatever sins she commits. All can be forgiven to protect her happy sugar life.
Happy Sugar Life is an adaptation of a manga of the same title by Kagisora Tomiyaki, and it is this title that we should be paying attention to. In our cynical, post-modern age, not even the fluffiest cute-girls-doing-cute-things slice-of-life would dare call itself something as saccharine as ‘Happy Sugar Life’. Such titles must either be shameless or ironic, and Happy Sugar Life is, for better or worse, the latter. It is not ‘happy’, not ‘sugar’, and the body count disqualifies the ‘life’. Protagonist Satou is a crazy yandere of the highest calibre, but while a criminal sociopath may usually have a villainous role, here one kind of has to root for her, simply because those around her are even more broken — or, perhaps, are not broken enough to have Satou’s steely-eyed clarity. Despite this, and despite Satou’s relationship with Shio being genuinely sweet at times (and making for morbid juxtaposition), Satou’s life is an oncoming trainwreck. But it’s a trainwreck from which it’s hard to tear one’s eyes away, and it makes for a fascinating look into the obsessive and self-destructive ways of this thing humans call love. I’m a tad concerned about the adaptation, though, as neither directors Kusakawa Keizo and Nagayama Nobuyoshi nor writer Machida Touko have particular experience making a show like this, and their actual experience can be dubitable. But the voice cast is star-studded and the premise itself can be enough to carry the show. Happy Sugar Life is genuine psychological darkness, beyond just gore or torture, and that is the kind of twisted mirror worth facing from time to time.
Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Zaiden
Kitahara Iori (Uchida Yuuma) begins his studies for mechanical engineering in the sleepy seaside city of Izu, where he spent his childhood holidays visiting extended relatives. He envisions a fulfilling college life, complete with beautiful girls and good friends. But upon moving into his uncle’s diving store, named Grand Blue, he is met by an inexplicable sight: a dozen or so rowdy and naked upperclassmen, who just happen to be hankering for a freshman victim to join the university’s diving club. After being forced to sign up, there’s just one small problem: Iori doesn’t know how to swim! But is that really an issue when the club’s activities mainly consist of being naked and getting drunk? We’ll soon see. With a new best friend in Imamura Kouhei (Kimura Ryohei), an ikemen otaku who is open about his fetish for little sisters, and his tsun cousin Kotegawa Chisa (Anzai Chika) to look over him, he shouldn’t have problems passing through the crazy ordeals that come his way.
I’m amused that this manga got the greenlight for an anime adaptation, considering that the age of drinking is 20 in Japan, a threshold that most of the characters do not meet in spite of their copious drinking habits. But it seems that Grand Blue might have gotten by on a narrow technicality, with the author claiming that it falls under the ‘isekai fantasy’ genre as follows: Isekai – A world in which the age of drinking is different than the real world; Fantasy – the existence of demi-humans who can chug high-grade alcohol in one go. Even if all else fails, just claim that they are drinking Oolong tea – flammable Oolong tea! But as a big fan of this ‘diving’ manga, you won’t catch me complaining too much, even if all the controversial stuff ends up getting censored. Grand Blue (not to be confused with Granblue Fantasy), is the creative lovechild of Inoue Kenji (writer of Baka to Test) and Yoshioka Kimitake (artist of the Amagi Brilliant Park manga), which means it was destined for spontaneous ingenuity. What sets it apart from most slice-of-life stories is a setting and cast that often go under explored within anime: college and college students. While there are no overt sexual acts on display, talk of it is rampant between the characters, and excessive alcohol consumption occurs irrespective of the time in the day. But don’t let this distract you from the fact that Grand Blue is a diving manga at heart! While the characters don’t spend every waking moment underwater, effort is clearly put into preparing for trips, getting licences, and getting important information about diving techniques and risks. I cannot recommend Grand Blue enough, and if you decide to give it a chance, you will be in for an intoxicating treat.
Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Zaiden
Fuyuzora Kogarashi (Ono Yuuki) has been possessed by ghosts since childhood, granting him spiritual powers. But it has mostly been a source of trouble, leaving him destitute and wishing for a better life. In his pursuit of cheap accommodations, he stumbles across Yuragi-sou, a boarding house with an urban legend behind it. Formerly a popular hot spring inn, it is rumoured that the spirit of a murdered high school girl haunts the place. Kogarashi doesn’t think this will be a problem for him and agrees to become a tenant, immediately setting out to banish this evil spirit. But the ghost turns out to be a dorky 16-year-old girl named Yunohana Yuuna (Shimabukuro Miyuri), who is cute and well-endowed. Instead of exorcising her, he agrees to help her overcome the lingering regret that binds her to the living world, which means they will continue living together in a room for the time being. Soon, Kogarashi discovers that the inn is a hotspot for more supernatural activity than he expected, meaning that his daily life certainly won’t fail to excite!
As a rookie mangaka, Miura Tadahiro wrote a series I really liked called Koisome Momoji. I started following his subsequent releases, and after three years of failing to land a long-term serialisation, he struck gold with Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, which has been dubbed the spiritual successor of To Love-Ru. This is a weighty claim it fully lives up to. Back in the days, tosh (of Shokugeki fame) was once an assistant to Miura, which should speak to Miura’s credentials as an ecchi artist. And while there’s a lack of timey wimey sci-fi aliens, the supernatural serves as an adequate replacement for the ecchi shenanigans, generously laden with misunderstandings. However, the staff is questionable. As well as having limited experience in the role, Nagasawa Tsuyoshi’s only success as a director came long ago, with Haiyore! Nyaruko-san in 2012, whereas the recent Clockwork Planet sticks out as a sore thumb. Koyasu Hideaki barely has any series compositions to his name, and most of them weren’t memorable. Fortunately, I’m expecting the musical score to be pretty good with both Kikuya Tomoki and Aketagawa Jin on board, so there will definitely be awesome accompanying tracks for the actions scenes. Regardless of staff concerns, I’d say it’s pretty difficult to mess up such a simple and honest premise, where action and fanservice are both tinged by spiritual elements. Expect Yuragi-sou to be a complete package of supernatural fun!
Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic
Preview by Passerby
Cities have historically been dangerous places. Packing so many people and their dwellings in one place invites both disease and disaster, and back in the day one of the statistically easiest ways to lower one’s life expectancy was to move to the city. This was no less true for Tokyo, especially before it was called Tokyo and was instead called Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. We may take for granted our modern public health infrastructure and emergency services, but the people of old Edo had little recourse against Japan’s infamous earthquakes and tidal turbulence. In fact, in the Fukugawa ward, fires and floods were so common that, rather than anachronistically invent fire insurance to protect their assets, residents decided to outsource their material possessions. Instead of buying their own pots and futons and clothes — things that will weigh them down when fleeing — they rented them from specialised shops. In Tsukumogami Kashimasu, one such shop, the Izumaya, is run by Okou (Komatsu Mikako) and her younger brother Seiji (Enoki Junya), but their humble store deals in more than mundane household appliances. According to Shinto mythology, man-made items can, after a century of abandonment and disuse, gain life as spirits called ‘tsukumogami’. The sibling can see and talk to these spirits, and sometimes even rent them out to customers. Some of their clientèle have some unique problems, and perhaps can be aided by just a bit of supernatural assistance.
Wow, two-thirds of the shows I preview this season are period pieces. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. Period pieces are one of the more interesting ways to learn history, as long as you consider learning history to be more than just memorising dates. And it is. History is nothing without culture, and that’s what Tsukumogami Kashimasu, based on the novel by Hatakenaka Megumi, provides. As a bonus, the supernatural elements also gives us a look into the mythology of the era, and if any of you are Tolkien fans you’ll understand the fascinating interplay between culture, mythology and language. Besides all the needlessly high-brow stuff, Tsukumogami Kashimasu looks to be a charming little show. Sure, neither director Murata Masahiko nor screenwriter Shimoyama Kento have particularly impressive records, and Telecom Animation Film is not an industry titan by any stretch, but the execution challenge of Tsukugami Kashimasu is not particularly high. It’ll be a pleasant slice-of-life with a dash of the supernatural mixed. Can’t really go wrong with those.
Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Average
Preview by Zaiden
One year after the second season of Isayama Hajime’s blockbuster manga, Wit Studio returns with the third instalment of Shingeki no Kyojin, a prospect that is bound to excite anime fans worldwide. The series takes place in a world where monstrous creatures known as Titans have put humanity on the brink of extinction, with the last vestiges of civilisation retreating behind walled off cities. Following one hundred years of peace, the sudden arrival of a new Colossal Titan leads to the destruction of the city’s outer walls. And on that day, mankind received a grim reminder that they lived in fear of the Titans, disgraced to live in these cages called walls. Having survived the initial onslaught, two children – Eren Yaeger (Kaji Yuuki) and Mikasa Ackerman (Ishikawa Yui) – find themselves at the centre of the fight for humanity’s survival as they join the Survey Corps, a military branch in charge of exploring and reclaiming territory outside the city’s protective walls. At the end of season two, in the face of despair, Eren awakens a power deep inside of him that the Titans seem to be after. Can he use his newfound ability to pave a way for humanity to prevail, or will it spell the end for civilisation as our characters know it?
For those that need an explanation, after its first season in 2013, Shingeki no Kyojin became one of the most popular and recognizable series of the last decade, briefly rivaling the likes of One Piece in terms of sales. As stated by Zephyr in his preview for S2, it rose to fame on the backs of its blade-wielding protagonists, nightmare-inducing enemies, and dramatic plot twists. This was a series whose opening sequence alone inspired a wave of memes and recreations, and it blew up to a point where it was impossible not to stumble onto something Titan related even if you weren’t watching the show. The third season announcement immediately followed the end of the second season, with Wit Studio and the same staff returning for a slice of the action. Consequently, there’s no reason to expect anything different outside of continued success for this franchise, even if some of the hype has cooled down in recent years. As someone who keeps up with the manga, the upcoming arc wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. But with a focus on political machinations that rivals Game of Thrones, in both complexity and brutality, I’m sure my sentiment won’t be shared by the majority of fans.
Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High
Preview by Passerby
Japan has a problem the supernatural. Vengeful ghosts haunt public places, mischievous spirits pester honest citizens, and all manner grotesque beasts pose dangers for civilised society. Mundane law enforcement is not equipped to deal with these supernatural crimes, and thus a new ordinance is passed: to punish magical crimes, one needs magical laws! And obviously, to prosecute magical laws, one needs magical lawyers. Duh. Enter Muhyo Torou (Murase Ayumu) and Kusano ‘Rouji’ Jirou (Hayashi Yuu). One is a young prodigy and merciless executor of the magical law. The other is his friend/apprentice/lackey. Together, they fight crime! Specifically, they run the creatively named Muhyo & Rouji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, where they take on cases brought to them by concerned victims. In this capacity Muhyo is not just a lawyer, but also the judge, jury and executioner, deciding the fate of the spirits he exorcises. Most only need be banished or sent on their way, but there also exists true evil, and there’s only one thing to do: condemn it straight to hell.
The original Muhyo to Rouji no Mahouritsu Soudan Jimusho manga by Nishi Yoshiyuki ended back in 2008, clocking in at a healthy 18 volumes. Now in 2018, a good ten years after, it’s getting a sequel, which means it’s a good time to launch an anime adaptation of the first series to drum up publicity and get new fans up to speed. Which brings us here. The actual story is something of a cross between paranormal mystery and human drama, in which some mundane conflict inevitably leads to a supernatural problem and both need to be resolved jointly. That’s a common enough premise in anime and brought us hits like Bakemonogatari and Mushishi, though in this case it’s a significantly simpler narrative spiced with some magical legalese that brings up themes of tempering justice with mercy. It’s also very ‘shounen’, having strings of monsters-of-the-week that must be defeated with magical powers. Appropriately, we have a shounen director Kondo Nobuhiro in the big chair and Naruto screenwriter Suzuki Yasuyuki on series composition, and they are workhorses who should do well with Muhyo & Rouji. It’s set to be a good time, and if you’ve been interested in the new manga this year there’s scarcely a better way to catch up than a round of anime.
Watching This: Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: Average
Technical Note: As of the Fall 2016 Preview onward, short one-cour series that are being broadcast with irregular duration times (under the 24 minute per episode norm) have been separated from the main preview into their own section. This is to account for the increasing number of short series and to allow for ease of viewing for those who have a preference for one type of series over another. While the list should be complete, two notes: we have excluded shows intended for younger audiences, and there are short series that have been announced very close to the start of a season that may not have made it onto the list. If you notice an anything missing, incomplete, or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail Passerby directly.
Technical Note: OVAs are sorted by the date they are released. For series that have multiple episodes coming out over the course of the season, please refer to the Notes column for additional dates. More information on each OVA can be found on their respective websites, including promotional videos in some cases. Movie premiere dates are not included since they don’t mean a whole lot to viewers outside of Japan. BD/DVD movie releases are, however. This list is likely incomplete and will be updated as more titles surface (usually by the next season’s preview). If you notice anything missing or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail one of us directly (Stilts, Zephyr).
Once could be a fluke, but twice is a pattern. After recent summers have been surprisingly strong, it was something of a surprise when summer 2017 rolled around with a relatively weak line up, but now that summer 2018 has pulled the same trick, we shouldn’t be surprised. Yes I, Stilts, the eternal optimist, am a bit down on this anime season. Not because there’s nothing good to watch—there’s always something fun to watch—but because there’s not much of it, and because few shows seem to be reaching for the stars. Maybe the studios tired themselves out in spring, and now they’re unloading their more sketchy offerings. Maybe there are a ton of sleeper hits lurking amid these premises, and time will prove them out. Or maybe everyone didn’t want to compete for attention with Shingeki no Kyojin. Whatever the case, there are still good anime to be had, we all just may need to dig deeper and give more series a chance, or finally work on those backlogs we’re all lying to ourselves about all the time.
As for levels, we’ll continue with the Excitement Levels introduced last year, which includes four main levels plus Established for special cases. Our goal with this change was to make it easier to use the top and bottom of the scale, and to take away the incentive to hedge our bets—after all, we’re not saying these shows will be good or bad, we’re just saying how excited we are. Exciting things can be flawed, and unambitious things can be fun! Hopefully this guide will help those of you with limited time understand which shows to try first, based on our preliminary examination of each show’s staff, seiyuu, and source material. Failing that, it’ll give you another reason to laugh when we get all hyped up about a show that ended up failing in spectacular fashion.
As usual, these levels were arrived at by our regular (and reliably shady) “Excitement Council” of Passerby, Zephyr, and yours truly, Stilts. While we’ve gone to great lengths to consider multiple viewpoints and not get swept away by their own proclivities, these aren’t predictions, and shouldn’t be taken as such. Take these labels with the requisite helping of salt.
Note: Lists are sorted in alphabetical order.
High excitement shows are the ones we’re truly pumped about. These are the shows we want to watch the most, and which we think have a good chance of being exemplars of their kind — or at least come close. Shows in this category might be sequels to excellent anime, adaptations of highly regarded source material, projects with stellar pedigrees, or even originals that just light up our minds. They don’t have to be perfect, but they do have to feel like something special. If you consider yourself a casual fan who only gets your toes wet every season, then these are the shows we feel you should most keep an eye on.
Optimistic shows are ones that we’re hopeful will be really good, and which we have good reasons to think they might be. The underpinnings of these are generally strong, with a lot to suggest in each of them, but with one or two elements that give us pause and keep our enthusiasm from boiling over. They still have most of the makings of very strong series, though, and many stellar anime will arise from this category. If you’ve exhausted all the High shows, or want to delve deeper into your favored genres, check out these as well.
Average excitement shows look middle-of-the-road to us. They could be good or they could be bad, but they don’t provide much immediate indication that they’ll be amazing in retrospect. This is often the case with shows that are firmly ensconced in their genres’ tropes, or which overly rely on some of anime’s overused plot devices. It can also apply to shows that seem deeply flawed, with elements that could make them amazing, but with so many potential pitfalls that we’re not getting hyped up. However, in many of our experiences these shows still provide a great deal of entertainment, and may turn out a lot better than they appear. Personal taste comes heavily into play, so your mileage will vary.
Limited excitement shows are ones that we simply aren’t all that excited about. They often don’t seem to be striving for much, and choose to focus on more frivolous aspects such as senseless humor and fanservice. Other times they’re doing the same thing we’ve seen a thousand times, with few mitigating signs that they’ll rise above their tropes. That doesn’t mean they’re the bottom of the barrel and shouldn’t get any consideration, but simply that they’re not doing a lot to suggest themselves. Keep in mind what kind of show they are, though, and you might find something you enjoy amid this cohort.
Established shows are any series that has aired for more than 40 episodes or has been previewed three or more times. This can include anything from never-ending shounen and decade-spanning dramas to that quirky comedy that keeps getting renewed season after season. The only commonality is that they’ve aired a lot of episodes, and that they’re the kind of show that most viewers will want to catch up on all the previous content before watching the new. Spin-offs and remakes don’t automatically qualify, since they’re considered new series.
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In the world of movies and TV shows, a character’s death can be the most compelling and talked about point in the whole story. Whether it’s tragic and sad, an action packed sacrifice, or completely over the top (we all remember Alan Rickman in Die Hard and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves!), whatever the case, a character’s death can be the most important part of any story.
Because of this, many actors have “bitten the bullet” on screen several times in a seemingly never-ending cycle of death as they are cast in a movie and then killed, cast and then killed, and so on. Some actors breakout and become the heroes of the movie screen and always save the day and never die, but until they make it to that stage in their careers, or unless they get typecast as the person who always dies, some actors are destined to be killed again and again. With this list we look at the 15 actors who have had the most on-screen deaths of anyone. The number one spot may surprise you.
#1 Val Kilmer – 15 Times
The first entry on our list is an actor who made his name in 80s and 90s big action movies such as Top Gun, Heat, The Saint and of course Batman Forever. Although Val Kilmer made the transition from sidekick to leading man successfully, at least for a few years, that hasn’t stopped him dying a total of 15 times on screen.
Some of his biggest movies in which he’s bitten the bullet have been: Tombstone, where he played the infamous Doc Holliday and The Doors, obviously as Kilmer plays Jim Morrison. He also died in The Island Of Dr. Moreau and MacGruber. Some people may argue that Kilmer’s greatest on screen death came when he played Batman in Batman Forever, but we feel that may be a bit harsh.
#2 Brad Pitt – 15 Times
The next actor on our list is another person to hit the 15 deaths mark. Brad Pitt has been the poster boy for Hollywood for a number of years now. Starting life out as eye candy in movies like Thelma and Louise, Pitt quickly moved on to leading roles and tackled a lot of the edgier roles in Hollywood such as Seven and Fight Club.
Having such a varied career in Hollywood ranging from comedy to action, drama to thriller, Pitt has done it all. His most memorable deaths come in the movies: The Devil’s Own, Legends of the Fall, Kalifornia, Burn After Reading, Troy, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, and yes, we count Fight Club as well.
#3 Bruce Willis – 15 Times
Next we come to an actor that put the “wise cracking” tough guy on the map. Bruce Willis started life out as a private detective on the hit TV show Moonlighting opposite Cybill Shepherd. After a brief crack at a music career (he really did, go check it out!) Willis moved onto the action movies and took the world by storm in the late 1980s by portraying John McClane in Die Hard and its sequels. Since then, Willis has gone on to be one of the biggest names in Hollywood for the past few decades.
Not just playing the tough guy, Willis has tackled other roles too and a lot of them end up dead. Some of these movies are: Twelve Monkeys, The Jackal, Death Becomes Her, Sin City, Looper, Armageddon and of course, his most famous screen death of all, The Sixth Sense.
#4 Bill Paxton – 15 Times
Next we come to the final actor to make up our 15 on screen deaths club. Bill Paxton is often referred to as being the nice guy of Hollywood. More often than not, the late great Paxton has portrayed the nice or sensible guy in the movies. However, that hasn’t stopped him from branching out from time to time to play nasty and just plain evil. The versatile actor has gotten his teeth into a variety of characters both on the big screen and the small over his career and he was an actor that will be missed by many.
Over the course of his career, Paxton is one of the few actors that has been killed by everything that Hollywood has had to throw at him; he’s been killed by a Terminator in Terminator, an Avenger in the TV show Agents of SHIELD, an alien in Aliens, by a Predator in Predator 2, and Nazis in U-571. It’s fair to say that if there was a monster in a movie then Paxton would be killed by it.
#5 Gary Oldman – 16 Times
The next entry on our list is an actor that has a bit of a career change with in the movie business. The talented British actor first made a name for himself as an over the top bad guy in movies such as The Fifth Element and Leon. Gary Oldman became known as the scene stealing bad guy that every movie director wanted. As well as that, Oldman has played some of the biggest characters in movies, from Dracula to Sid Vicious.
Over the years, however, Oldman has become more of an older statesman of Hollywood and has taken on roles more fitting to his status such as Commissioner Gordon in the Dark Knight trilogy and his roles in The Planet of the Apes reboot movies. With such a long career, Oldman has died many times. Some of his death movies are: The Fifth Element, Leon, Air Force One, Lost In Space, The Firm, Dracula and Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix.
#6 Nicolas Cage – 17 Times
Nicolas Cage is an actor that has become synonymous with all things crazy and over the top. The nephew of famous movie director Francis Ford Coppola, Cage wanted nothing more than to make a name for himself in Hollywood without the use of his famous family name. We think that whether you love Cage or hate him, he’s definitely achieved his goal.
The eccentric actor has starred in some of the biggest movies in the last twenty years or so. More famous for his action roles, Cage does branch out from time to time to do different movies, such as the family series National Treasure and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Cage’s movie deaths include: Face Off, Leaving Las Vegas, The Wicker Man, Kick-Ass, Season of The Witch and Cotton Club.
#7 Samuel L. Jackson – 18
Next we come to “Mr. Cool” himself and an actor that has seemingly been in every movie that has been made in the last twenty years. Samuel L. Jackson made his name by starring in a few of Quentin Tarantino’s early movies such as Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown. The ultimate cool guy, Jackson soon branched out to star in a number of movies and crossing all the genres. It must also be noted that Jackson is one of the few stars to have major parts in two of the biggest movie franchises in history: Star Wars, playing Jedi master Mace Windu, and Nick Fury in the MCU.
Jackson has had a long and varied career and has starred in so many movies that many people out there would think that he should have died more, but 18 is all he gets. Some of his death scenes include: Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Deep Blue Sea, Kingsman, Jackie Brown, Django Unchained, Jurassic Park and Kill Bill Volume 2.
#8 Robert De Niro – 18 Times
Our next entry is another big actor who is tied with Samuel L. Jackson for 18 screen deaths. The legendary Oscar-winning actor has had a movie career which has spanned more than most and has been involved in some of the biggest, and widely regarded as the best, movies of all times, such as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Casino to name just a few. Robert De Niro is arguably one of the most prolific and greatest actors of a generation.
Because of the length of De Niro’s career, and his love of violent crime movies, it’s no surprise that we find him here on our list. Although De Niro has survived many movies, there has also been a few movies in which his characters have had to take a dirt nap. These movies include: Brazil, Cape Fear, Heat, Jackie Brown, Hide and Seek, and The Mission.
#9 Liam Neeson – 20 Times
The next entry on our list is the first actor to break the 20 on-screen death mark. Liam Neeson has already had a long and successful movie career. The Irish actor was known for taking on big character roles and tackling historical giants such as Schindler’s List, Rob Roy, and Michael Collins. Of course nowadays, Neeson is known for his action roles, in particular in the violent Taken series in which he uses his “skill set” in order to kick some serious bad guy butt across Europe.
Neeson’s movie deaths include: Star Wars: Phantom Menace, Batman Begins, Schindler’s List, Michael Collins, Gangs of New York, A Million Ways To Die In The West, The Grey, and The Mission.
#10 Mickey Rourke – 22 Times
Not many actors in Hollywood have had such an “up and down” career as Mickey Rourke has had. Starting out as a leading man in 80s movies such as 9 And a Half Weeks and Angel Heart, Rourke turned his back on acting in the 90s and returned to the boxing ring, where he had trained as a boxer in his youth. Although Rourke’s boxing career could be called a success (he had 8 professional fights, winning 6 and drawing 2), his boxing career left him battered and beaten to the point where Rourke need some serious plastic surgery to reconstruct his face.
Putting his boxing career behind him, Rourke returned to the movie screen with some big movies such as Sin City and The Wrestler. Over the years, Rourke has died in 22 movies. It could actually be more, but some of his characters either died off screen or were damned to hell like in Angel Heart. But some of his death scenes include: Sin City, Iron Man 2, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Man on Fire, and Double Team.
#11 Gary Busey – 22 Times
Already on this list we have mentioned big, eccentric and even crazy actors such as Nicolas Cage and Mickey Rourke, however, in recent years the crown for the most eccentric actor in Hollywood has to go to Gary Busey. Starting his movie career slowly with bit parts in 70s movies, until his big break came playing Buddy Holly in the hugely acclaimed movie The Buddy Holly Story. Since then, Busey has been a prominent force in Hollywood over the last few decades and starred in some of the biggest movies.
However, in 1988 Busey had a major motorcycle crash which left him with some serious brain damage which have caused some mental issues for Busey, and his off-screen antics have overshadowed his movie career. Over his career, Busey has died in movies such as Lethal Weapon, Predator 2, The Buddy Holly Story, Point Break, Under Siege, Straight Time, and Let’s Get Harry.
#12 Sean Bean – 25 Times
Next we come to the man himself and the actor that inspired this list. Many people out there will be surprised to see that Sean Bean isn’t top of the list of actors that have died most on screen. After all, it seems like every time Bean appears on screen, whether it’s in the movies or on TV, he will die at some point. However, the British actor has only died a total of 25 times, which is a lot less than our top three.
It must be noted, though, that although Bean hasn’t had the most on screen deaths, that’s probably only because he hasn’t made as many movies as others on our list. But his death ratio is more than any other actor. In other words, with the amount of screen time he has had against the number of death scenes, Bean would come out as clear winner. Some of his screen deaths include: Goldeneye, Patriot games, The Island, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and of course, Game of Thrones.
#13 Vincent Price – 32 Times
The #3 entry on our list of actors that have died the most on screen comes in the form of horror legend Vincent Price. Although Price did venture into other movie genres such as drama, mystery, and even comedy, with his distinctive look and even more distinctive voice, Price will always be remembered for his horror movies, although most people today will remember him most for being the voice over on Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller” or playing the inventor in Edward Scissorhands.
As Price had such a long movie career, which actually ran from 1935 – 1993, and of course his love of all things horror, it’s not surprising that Price is high on the list of on screen deaths. A few of his memorable deaths include: Pit and the Pendulum, House of Usher, Witchfinder General, Tales of Terror, Edward Scissorhands, and Theatre of Blood.
#14 Christopher Lee – 42 Times
Our number two entry is the man that made Count Dracula a movie icon. Becoming the face of the British Hammer horror scene in the 1960s, Lee, with his tall frame, piercing eyes, and booming voice, made the role of the villain his own and charmed fans as the iconic Dracula for years. Every now and then Lee would step out of his villain persona but then he would soon come charging back in and we all love him for it. As well as portraying Dracula, Lee has also been the villain in two major movie franchises: The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit franchise and, of course, in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Over a career that spanned nearly 70 years, Lee has a long list of movie credits to his name and a long list of movie deaths too. Some of his movie deaths include his many outings as Dracula, as well as Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Alice in Wonderland, The Man with the Golden Gun, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and Treasure Island, to name just a few.
#15 John Hurt – 45 Times
The number one entry on our list of actors who have died the most on screen goes to the late great actor John Hurt. The British acting legend has been lighting up the screen for more than 50 years and in some of the biggest movies around. Of course, most of us remember him as the guy who had the alien burst out of his stomach in Alien, to which Hurt actually re-enacted the scene for the comedy movie Spaceballs.
Although Hurt was never really considered a Hollywood leading man, he was often described as one of the best and subtlest actors working in Hollywood and appeared in more movies than we could list. A few of his death movies are: The Elephant Man, V For Vendetta, Outlander, Hellboy, Only Lovers Left Behind, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Source: TheRichest
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Cardio Kickboxing Top 10 Questions
1. What is Cardio Kickboxing?
Cardio kickboxing is a hybrid of boxing, martial arts and aerobics done rhythmically to music. Cardio kickboxing is also known as aerobic kickboxing or fitness kickboxing. Offering an intense cross-training and total-body workout it utilizes the training routines used by martial artists in the sports of boxing and kickboxing. The objective is not to make a “fighter” out of you, but rather to give a balanced overall program that combines a cardio aerobic workout with the techniques for self-defense. There is no physical contact in the class – it is offered as an alternative to conventional aerobics.
Unlike a traditional martial arts class, the music adds to your stimulation and motivation. Unlike an aerobics class, there are numerous techniques you can learn beyond the basics to maintain your interest level. Classes go by fast because there is so much going on.
2. What are the benefits of Cardio Kickboxing?
These classes give you a full body workout and improve your physical fitness, flexibility, coordination, and balance. If you do the punches with precision and power, you will strengthen your upper body and eventually see more muscle definition. The kicks will strengthen your legs. And kneeing moves (a strike in which you thrust your bent knee upward) will firm your abdominal muscles; in fact, all of the moves, when done correctly, will make your torso into a solid base that lets you do day-to-day tasks more easily. Many cardio kickboxing classes also include bagwork that provides additional fitness and strength training benefits because of the “resistance” when punching or kicking the heavy boxing bags.
Your cardiovascular system will benefit, too. Cardio kickboxing is a truly aerobic workout – it keeps you bobbing, weaving, and jumping amidst the punches and kicks, so that your heart rate stays elevated for most of the session. A good class will leave you drenched in sweat and energized. And your increased conditioning will be accompanied by an increased metabolism meaning you will burn more calories even when you aren’t exercising.
A lot of people find cardio kickboxing a great way to release stress. The stress relief and the channeling of aggression can be as beneficial as the actual physical workout itself. The physiological difference between this workout and other cardiovascular workouts such as running or participating in an aerobics class can’t be explained with just the simple “release of endorphines”. A natural high is experienced after a class that lasts for hours. Civilized, as we’ve all been not to hit each other (which is, of course, a good thing), we’re still equipped with some natural aggression. You may find that planting your heel in the torso of a phantom foe 10 or 20 times leaves you feeling wonderfully tranquil.
3. Who should take a Cardio Kickboxing class?
Anyone who wants to get in better shape. Although primarily designed for adults, cardio kickboxing classes can benefit teens too. Student athletes can train to improve their physical fitness and conditioning. And the resulting boost in self-confidence gives a mental edge when it comes to getting more playing time and performing well during actual games.
Students who are home-schooled or who do not like to participate in conventional athletic programs can derive health and fitness benefits too. Exercise is important. And, because of the added self-defense benefit that comes as a by-product of the program, it improves a student’s self-esteem, channels aggressiveness, and enhances assertiveness.
It’s recommended you check with your health-card provider before taking the class if you have not exercised regularly recently, and come in and talk to a teacher and watch part of a class if you have other questions or concerns.
4. What should I expect in a Cardio Kickboxing class?
A typical class is a little over an hour-long. If you are going to hit bags, prior to the class, participants wrap both hands with cloth handwraps to help protect the knuckles and support the wrists (the instructor will show you how). Then with everyone facing the mirror, a teacher leads the group through specific punches and kicks, to the beat of dance-club music. The class starts with a warm-up period, moves to fast shadowboxing and kicking drills, then to heavy bag work, and ends with some strength building exercises and a cool-down stretch. Intermixed with this are aerobic conditioning drills such as high-knees, grapevines and jumping jacks.
Be prepared to feel a little clumsy and lost at times – but don’t let yourself feel discouraged. Even if you’re a highly conditioned runner or you’ve been doing step aerobics for years, these moves may be new to your body. Pay attention to what feels right to you. Don’t do a move that hurts, and take breaks if you feel tired. Your muscles need time to develop their “memory”, and your reactions as the teacher calls out what to do (“jab, cross, hook, roundhouse”) will be slow at first. By the second or third class, the awkwardness will start to dissipate.
5. What will I learn?
The first thing you’ll learn is the stance — a way of standing that maximizes balance and puts power behind your moves. Your feet are about shoulder-width apart and at a slight angle, one foot set back from the other. Your fists are up around your cheek-bones to guard your face (Don’t hunch your shoulders). This is the position you’ll return to after every punch and kick.
You will also learn how to move, which is important because you use your momentum to generate power. This involves keeping in motion while staying up on the balls of your feet, which enables you to act or respond much more efficiently. The general rule for a powerful strike is to use your body’s weight and momentum, not just your arms. Engage your abdominal muscles and exhale the breath as you rotate and punch.
The punches generally taught are the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut. The kicks will include the front kick, side kick, back kick, angle kick and roundhouse. But punches and kicks just don’t come in multiples of one. You will learn kickboxing sequences, how the jab sets up the cross, sets up the hook, etc. Each strike sets up the next so you can generate much more power by combos of two or more. The torque of your body helps to create this momentum. The individual moves are worked into swiftly executed combinations (for example: jab, cross punch, hook, uppercut, front kick).
Different instructors have different takes on what they teach and the subtleties of techniques, but the basics that you learn from one teacher will hold up in all the classes.
6. What should I wear?
Sweats, shorts and a T-shirt, an aerobic-dance outfit — whatever keeps you comfortable and cool. Wear well-made athletic shoes that aren’t too worn. Running shoes aren’t ideal because they’re not constructed for side-to-side movements. Basketball, tennis or other shoes designed for pivots and lateral movements are better. It is also very important that your shoes are clean. Barefeet are OK too.
7. Could I hurt myself?
Yes. If you’re not careful, you could end up with a sore elbow or wrist, a pulled muscle, or one of the injuries that commonly occur in aerobics classes such as a sprained knee or twisted ankle. So adopt a protective attitude toward your body.
If you can spare the time, arrive a few minutes early to get your handwraps on and warm up by gently stretching your legs (especially the fronts and backs of the thighs) and shoulders. Make sure you are and stay well hydrated.
During the class, make sure that you stop the motion of each punch or kick before the joint is fully extended. Never kick or punch so far that you lock the elbow or knee joints. Also, start out focusing on kicking low and with control. Respect your body’s limits. Sure, you can change those limits — but it’ll take time, dedication, and a realistic attitude.
8. Will Cardio Kickboxing give me skills to defend myself?
Since you will be working out anyway, learning basic self-defense skills at the same time is an added benefit. Over time you will develop strong kicking and punching abilities and learn the practical application of techniques practiced in the air on the heavy bag. It takes bagwork practice to gauge distance and effectively landing your punch or kick flush on a target. You just can’t just shadow-kickbox, you need the feedback of hitting something. Be aware though that the focus is on conditioning and not on self-defense, if you really want to learn self-defense tactics, take a martial arts or self-defense classes.
9. How can I get the most out of the classes?
As with any other exercise, if you want to improve your cardiovascular condition or trim an inch here and there, you’ll have to do it regularly. Two to four sessions a week is probably optimal; in between classes it is good to mix things up. For example take a brisk walk or run, do some stretching or yoga to increase your flexibility, or simply take a day to rest.
10. How can I learn more?
Go to a class!
fitness body
#Design
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1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100 (lol, I'm sorry)
Holy mother of- alright, I did this to myself. Answers are below the cut!
1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? More cereal! I’m hella lactose intolerant so I rarely even have milk.
2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? Sometimes, it depends if I was already too cold or not.
3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? Usually I use drawings or a bit of cardboard.
4: how do you take your coffee/tea? I take my tea with a little honey and my coffee with lots of flavored creamer.
5: are you self-conscious of your smile? VERY MUCH YES
6: do you keep plants? Cacti mostly:)
7: do you name your plants? YEP
8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Pencil or acrylic, though I’m digging clay now.
9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? I spend almost every hour of every day singing, it’s one of my absolute favorite things!
10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? back or side depending on how my jaw is doing.
11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? OH GoD, so many...
12: what's your favorite planet? Mars >3
13: what's something that made you smile today? I got to spend all day with my pupper AND I got called for an interview tomorrow.
14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? Brick walls, lots of floor space for art, ect. a window seat, high ceilings and a cozy atmosphere please and thank you.
15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! 99% of our solar systems mass is the sun. :3
16: what's your favorite pasta dish? Baked Penne!
17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? It’s already blue but I wanna do it red, orange and yellow at some point for a crazy fire look.
18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. The time I jumped off the lid to my friends hot tub and hit my head, knocking myself unconscious and almost dying.
19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? Kinda, it’s mostly art and random facts??
20: what's your favorite eye color? Blue
21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. My art bag that looks like a freaking paint towel at this point.
22: are you a morning person? Ye!
23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? Write, draw, take a bath and bake.
24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? Yes, my bestfren Chloe -w-
25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? An abandoned house down the block while chasing a cat. There was some guy sleeping in there.
26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? My red Converse!
27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? Wintergreen
28: sunrise or sunset? Sunset, for sure.
29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? She blushes in her ears and gets really shy around guys.
30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? Umm, yes. When my mom had emergency surgery.
31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. OKAY, I LIKE SOCKS, I WEAR EM ALL THE TIME AND THEY NEVER MATCH. BOOM.
32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. I went to down my iced tea and found out too late that it was my dads whiskey and I got drunk off my ass.
33: what's your fave pastry? oooh, I love pastries with all my heart, probably lemon bars.
34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? It’s in my room somewhere, a little weasel puppet named “wonder weasel” and I made him a mask.
35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? Yes, I keep at least one on me at all times.
36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? Panic!
37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? I reaaaaally like it clean but it never happens. I’m a pig.
38: tell us about your pet peeves! I hate when people never show up on time, ignore me when I’m talking to check their phones and I hate when people pretend to like me.
39: what color do you wear the most? Black
40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? It’s a bumble bee necklace my sister got me and I love it.
41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? The book thief.
42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! It’s a local place here and they make really pretty pastries and coffee, it’s very modern inside but it’s cozy and everyone’s super nice. It smells like autumn leaves and spices.
43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? myself???
44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? Last week in a bath tbh
45: do you trust your instincts a lot? Yes and no? It kinda depends but I usually second guess myself.
46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. I changed my ipods name to titanic. It’s syncing now. (I hate myself)
47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? LETTUCE
48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? Burning alive, and it kinda is kinda isn’t still.
49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? I like to but I never have money, the last one was a panic! at the disco cd.
50: what's an odd thing you collect? Fish????? I have five tanks in my room ok????
51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? Can’t help falling in love with you and phantom of the opera (my gf) IM CHEESEY
52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? THEY ALL SUCK
53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? I’ve seen all but pulp fiction and I adore them all, beetlejuice is one of my favorite movies.
54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? Besides myself idk
55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? I don’t even know honestly.
56: what are some things you find endearing in people? Their sense of humor, laugh and comfortableness.
57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? Doesn’t it always?!
58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? My friend hates wine but is totally the wine mom, sooo that makes me the vodka aunt bc I only have one friend.
59: what's your favorite myth? Icarus
60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? YES! I love the raven, tyger and the tell tale heart??
61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? Socks for received I guess? Probably the dumbest thing I’ve given was a dirty shirt to my friend????
62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? Almost always, grape or orange usually.
63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? I’m really particular about them and I don’t let anyone touch em.
64: what color is the sky where you are right now? Ink black.
65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? My gf..; ;
66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? Seashells, blue flowers and tiny pink ones, probably a lil glitter.
67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? They feel relaxing to me.
68: what's winter like where you live? ITS LIKE A NEVER ENDING HELLL
69: what are your favorite board games? Fury of Dracula, d&d, ect.
70: have you ever used a ouija board? Yep! I own one.
71: what's your favorite kind of tea? cranberry??
72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? YES. My ADHD is scary bad ok.
73: what are some of your worst habits? Not eating healthily/not drinking enough, secluding myself.
74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. Humorous, kind and caring and wonderful and supporting. The most fantastic person to live.
75: tell us about your pets! OK!!!!!! I have three cats, a tabby (ponyo), a massive grey one(rory) and a smol floofy white and black one(lydia). I have four betta fish, Lafayette, Remus, Pietro, and Marvel. I have 12 guppy/platty and I could list their names but I wontttt, and my sweet pupper girl, Matilda
76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? Writing requests..............
77: pink or yellow lemonade? Pink.
78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? HATE
79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? My girlfriend sent me chocolates and my fren bought me a bee pillow, they’re pretty great.
80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? Light purple and I didn’t choose them, my mom painted that room before she got sick so I kept it.
81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. Deep sand washing over dark beaches and charcoal mixed in a vat of dark clay.
82: are/were you good in school? No, not really. I listened tho
83: what's some of your favorite album art? Pretty odd, believers never die, infinity on high
84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? I have two right now and I have MANY more planned.
85: do you read comics? what are your faves? OF COURSE, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND DEADPOOL, SANDMAN EVEN THO THAT DON’T REALLY COUNT.
86: do you like concept albums? which ones? um? Nirvana? Am I doing this right?
87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? Perks of being a wall flower, three idiots.
88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? All of them??
89: are you close to your parents? I like to think so
90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. Ohhh um, I dunno, probably Denver?? I’m really isolated.
91: where do you plan on traveling this year? I’m going to Denver for a concert and a huge road trip to California this summer to see my family.
92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? It GoN DRoWN SOn
93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? Down. It’s too short for anything.
94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? My grandpa
95: what are your plans for this weekend? Hanging with my fren and watching shameless.
96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? Sadly, I put them off until it does it automatically. I regret it every time.
97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? Advocate, Taurus, hufflepuff!
98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? Yesterday and I loved it.
99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Hamilton tbh, think of me, riptide and I found.
100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? Five years into the past because I’m not fucking ready to grow up.
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