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ayuuria · 4 years

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Yashahime Translation: Animage November 2020 Issue

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! @officialinuyasha will be making a video version of this so stay tuned!

The Three Girls’ Incident Fill Journey

While carrying the expectations of “Inuyasha” fans, the story of the 3 girls begins to move. What sort of fate awaits the 3 girls with different personalities and grew up in different eras?

The original anime that succeeds the world of “Inuyasha”, “Hanyou no Yashahime”, has finally begun broadcast! (We are) sure there were a lot of people who were surprised after watching episode 1. Afterall, not only were the trio of protagonists on screen, but also the characters of “Inuyasha”, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Sesshomaru, were freely moving around!

In episode 1, the story started with Towa being told the story of Inuyasha and Kagome (A priestess who came from ‘Tokyo’ 10 years ago and the half demon that exterminated demons with her) while she was captured at the Kanto region’s governor-general’s mansion of Ougigayatsu-Hiiragi. As Inuyasha and others live while exterminating demons, after ending the battle with the half demon, Naraku, it is said they fought a demon called Root Head… Familiar scenes are jammed together showing everyone’s traits such as the black Tessaiga unleashing Meidozangetsuha and Kagome’s “sit”. It truly was a festive curtain opening.

However, this was just the prologue of the Yashahime’s adventure since as Setsuna’s voice actress, Komatsu Mikako, put it “Episode 2 is the first episode “Hanyou no Yashahime”. A “new age of feudal fairytale” with the 3 girls has finally begun!

Moroha Inuyasha and Kagome’s quarter-demon daughter. She makes a living as a bounty hunter. She doesn’t have any memories of her parents, but she inherited “demonic powers” and “spiritual powers of a priestess”.

It really is the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome! Moroha’s voice actress: Tadokoro Azusa

“Moroha is Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter so from the time I auditioned for her, I wanted to incorporate elements from the two of them. I focused on things like how Inuyasha sits like a dog and his beast like manner when he speaks as well as Kagome’s strength as a woman and her suppleness. However, when I really thought about it, I thought the two of them had similar dispositions. It’s like they became similar as they journeyed together. Things like the kindness of when they end up saving people and how quickly the blood rushes to their heads when angered; (these) are traits they both have. That is why I thought Moroha might be like that too. I truly thought she was a child born from Inuyasha and Kagome from how emotional she is and how lightly she carries her body.”

Setsuna Towa’s younger twin sister. She is a member of the demon slayers and has a calm, collected personality. She was separated from Towa when she was young and does not remember anything from that time.

Staying calm while thinking of Sesshomaru Setsuna’s voice actress: Komatsu Mikako

“I was directed to “remember the way Narita Ken played Sesshomaru” when it came time to play Setsuna. During the audition, I did a version that had a cool aura at the forefront and a version that focused a little on being a realistic girl. At first I wasn’t sure which one to go with so I acted lightly but was told “More deeper, it’s okay to have a threatening quality in your voice.” Now I diligently act with complete collectedness while thinking of Sesshomaru. While I haven’t done any recording work with Narita-san yet, I worked with him a little over a year ago on a different work where we had a parent/child role so I can’t wait to show how happy I am to be his daughter again (laughs).”

Higurashi Towa Sesshomaru’s daughter and Setsuna’s older twin sister. She time traveled to the modern era when she was little. She excels at martial arts to the point that she can beat up gangs by herself.

She is good at fighting but she is still a regular girl Towa’s voice actress: Matsumoto Sara

“Since Towa spent 10 years under Papa Souta and does not remember her real parents, I think she’s more of a Modern girl than a Feudal girl. The first audition tape I submitted, I really focused on her being the daughter of Sesshomaru and had her sounding completely boyish. However afterwards I was told “Sounds too much like a boy.” Based on that, I think I got it just right with sounding like a 14-year-old middle school girl who’s good at fighting. Also just like Mikako-san, I have played a role as Narita-san’s daughter in a different work. As of now, I’m curious to see if there will be any parent/child interactions from here on.”

Cycling in Feudal Lands!?

The figures of Towa and Setsuna riding a bicycle while Moroha follows after them reminds one of the scene that unfolded in “Inuyasha”. In episode 1, Towa was presented with Kagome’s bicycle seat at Ougigayatsu-Hiiragi mansion. Does that mean a bicycle will be a key item in “Yashahime”?

Round Table Discussion with the Cast of the 3 Girls

The 3 of them who grew up influenced by “Inuyasha”

Everyone, (speaking) purely as “Inuyasha” fans. First, please tell us your favorite character or episode from “Inuyasha”

Matsumoto: Once we start talking about “Inuyasha”, forget the interview time, we’re going be talking past midnight! (laughs) For me, my favorites were Miroku and Naraku.

Tadokoro: Miroku! He’s precocious!

Komatsu: You liked Naraku?!

Matsumoto: First, I was overwhelmed by Miroku’s adult sexiness. I loved that fraudulent part of him. You know how whenever the air got tense within the Inuyasha group, Miroku would chime in with “Now then” and the air would soften. I felt that that was really cool. Back then, I ended up drawing Miroku’s wind tunnel on my hand and copying him (laughs).

Komatsu and Tadokoro: I did that too~! (in unison)

Matsumoto: On the other end, I felt charmed by how Naraku was too evil. I thought “There’s someone this evil!”. I was shocked that even though he was originally human, as a result of getting all sorts of humans and demons involved, he became like that. I became completely enamored by the “true villain”.

Komatsu: If I were to speak in terms of Naraku’s faction, I loved Kagura.

Matsumoto and Tadokoro: Aah~ Kagura~! (in unison)

Komatsu: Naraku is an existence that became a demon from the negative aspects of humans such as tenacity and envy. Yet from that, Kagura in a sense was born with a human like heart and I felt that that was attractive. Her life was always in Naraku’s hands. In reality, she wanted to join Inuyasha’s side but she couldn’t. Even so she wanted to be free like the wind and ironically at the end, she became the wind by Naraku’s hand. Then, in her last moments when she met Sesshomaru she said “I got to see you”….!

Matsumoto and Tadokoro: Yeah~!!

Komatsu: Kagura was the only character on the enemy’s side that I liked. On Inuyasha’s side, I’d have to say I liked the Inuyasha and Kagome pair. “Inuyasha” had a romance element to it; for me it was both a shounen and shoujo manga and it was a work that was truly like a textbook on life. I did things like ask my parents to make the Japanese style room in our house “my room” and bought folding fans because I said “I want to become a wind user too!”

Tadokoro: Mine is mainstream but I liked Sesshomaru.

Matsumoto and Komatsu: Aah~ Lord Sesshomaru~!!

Komatsu: Well our Papa is too cool.

Tadokoro: I can’t go against that charm. He doesn’t say much but despite it all, he does look out for the others. At first, he kept going after Inuyasha in order to take his sword but in the end, he ended up helping Inuyasha grow right? Something like that (laughs).

Matsumoto: He’s too tsundere!

Tadokoro: Exactly! Rin obviously but despite everything, he does consider Jaken important. My favorite episode was the one where Rin gets taken into the underworld.

Matsumoto and Komatsu: I feel you!

Tadokoro: To think that that Sesshomaru would say “There’s nothing that could ever be worth trading Rin’s life for”… I think that was the moment everyone fell for Sesshomaru (laughs). Also Kohaku. He went through something extremely painful and continued to suffer for a long time so that makes him do unnecessary things. He tends to value his life poorly and because of that, there are a lot of scenes where he’s saved by others. At first I thought “Please stop”, however in the anime because of Yajima Akiko’s voice, I really felt “It’s not that he’s getting in everyone’s way, he just takes action because he’s tormented”. Yajima-san’s acting of Kohaku is what made me want to be become a voice actor so I have a lot of feelings this character. When I saw him become an adult in “Hanyou no Yashahime”, I had this feeling of “Thank you for choosing to live”.

There is no end to the “Inuyasha“ talk. Then please tell us your impression of “Hanyou no Yashahime”. Did all of you audition for all 3 girls?

Tadokoro: I only did Moroha for the tape audition but afterwards I did all 3 girls in the studio audition. It’s just that there’s the fact that I just did Moroha for the tape so I was interested in her the most. My very first impression was that I was moved when I saw that the child born from Inuyasha and Kagome was this girl, and I was so happy to see their child. She really looks like them and she’s so lively that I thought she would actually come to life. I arbitrarily thought “I wonder if she’s living a happy life?”.

Matsumoto: I only auditioned for Towa. From her appearance, I thought she was cool but before anything else I was so shocked at the idea of “Sesshomaru’s daughter” that I was at a complete loss. I was like “S-Sesshomaru had a d-daughter…?!” (laughs)

All: (Laughs)

Matsumoto: I ended up thinking “How did he give birth when he’s a guy?”

Komatsu: With Sesshomaru, I can certainly see him doing something like cutting off his hair and breathing life into by blowing on it (laughs).

Matsumoto: I can see that smoking up and turning into a baby (laughs). While Towa has a twin sister named Setsuna, there was that setting of Towa spent time in the modern era. I felt there was a lot of ground for thought like “What happened between her and Setsuna?” or “Do they have different personalities?”.

Komatsu: In my case, when I received the notice for the audition, I only saw the title “Hanyou no Yashahime” and thought “This is going to be a title like “Inuyasha”” (laughs). When I read the explanation it really had “a work that succeeds the world of “Inuyasha”” written on it so I was really surprised. Not only that but it had the catch phrase “Sesshomaru has a daughter” so I was like “That Sesshomaru!?”. In any case, I was completely surprised. For the audition, I only did Setsuna but upon seeing the documents, her facial features and the white fluff (moko moko) around her neck, I thought she really is the daughter of Sesshomaru. In the audition manuscript, there were a few lines that showed that she didn’t seem to really remember her father but her closed off aura gave me the sense of ‘like father, like daughter’.

As you got into acting your roles, have there been any changes from your first impression?

Komatsu: Each of their backbones are slowly being dug up but among them, there a lot of scenes where you can tell that Towa has been heavily influenced by the modern era from having lived there so long.

Matsumoto: Yes. There’s a contrast like when they’re confronted by a demon; Towa will pull back where as Setsuna and Moroha will go on the offensive. Also when Towa hesitates to make the final blow, the two of them scold her.

Komatsu: For Setsuna and Moroha, exterminating demons is a job but for Towa, she exterminates demons with the idea of saving others. Hence, due to the difference in their way of thinking, they butt heads but as the 3 of them spend more time together, their sense of comradery will gradually deepen… I feel my impression is slowly changing as the story progresses like how Setsuna surprisingly participates in the joke scenes and how they move as a 3 person team.

Tadokoro: With Moroha’s change, I was first directed with “It’s okay to make it sillier”. Actually, while she does act on her emotions like a child and she can be a little stupid, in battle she’ll give out directions like “Do this” and I think she’s good at assisting. Based on appearances, Towa and Setsuna seem like they would be better at combat but the fact that Moroha has a sharp mind is something that surprised me.

Matsumoto: My impression of Towa hasn’t really changed but I’m curious to see how Towa will adapt to the Feudal Era and how the 3 of them will work as one. Even when Towa returns to the Feudal Era, it’s not like she forgets the modern era and she will show things to Setsuna, Moroha, and Takechiyo like “In the modern era, we have something like this”. Towa doesn’t seem to find it hard to go from the modern era to the Feudal Era and when recording began, I once again thought “It’s like this afterall”.

Komatsu: … I think the way Towa closes the gap between herself and others is similar to “that person”.

Matsumoto: You just made a big statement like it was nothing!

Komatsu: I thought the way Towa concerns herself with Setsuna and Setsuna responding with “Shut up! Leave me alone!” was a relationship similar to that of their parents… If you look at Towa, I think you can figure out who the mother is.

Tadokoro: Definitely get an idea. Then how about the possibility of Jaken? (laughs)

Matsumoto: The ‘Jaken is the mother’ theory huh! (laughs) What makes me get emotional is when even though Setsuna pushes Towa away and goes on ahead, she’ll stop, look back, and watch Towa complain behind her. She’s just like her father when she does that!

Komatsu: I feel! She’s totally concerned about her.

Tadokoro: To Moroha, despite what Towa and Setsuna say to eachother, they’re pretty lovey-dovey so she feels a little “left out”.

All: (laughs)

Matsumoto: The other day when we were recording a preview, Azusa-san said to me “Towa really doesn’t call for Moroha does she.” When I thought about it, it’s true that there’s a lot of “Setsuna and I did this” sort of talk (laughs).

Tadokoro: Moroha’s there too~! (laughs)

Matsumoto: To Towa, Setsuna is very precious. Even though Setsuna and Moroha are veterans when it comes to surviving in the Feudal Era, Towa still wants to be an older sister to Setsuna. That aspect is pretty amusing.

That is definitely something to keep an eye on in future broadcasts. Now then, please tell us your thoughts on episode 1 that was broadcasted.

Komatsu: The story of “Inuyasha” since then was drawn so I don’t suppose fans felt as if they had “come home”? I think it was a first episode that was like “First of all, welcome back and welcome to a new world of Inuyasha!”

Tadokoro: It really is moving isn’t it… I was also really excited for the broadcast.

Matsumoto: All the more since during the recording, the different casts recorded their scenes separately, so we never got to watch the “Inuyasha” cast acting directly.

Komatsu: Also there were nostalgic scenes that were just as they were in the original anime which is something that got me excited.

Matsumoto: There were. From episode 2 onwards, there will be lingering remnants of demons that appeared in “Inuyasha”. When past scenes come in, I myself become moved like “There was a scene like that!”

Komatsu: Episode 2 in a sense is the first episode of “Hanyou no Yashahime”. The first enemy demon that appears is a little similar to the first demon that appeared in “Inuyasha” so I think that’s a point that will make fans happy.

Tadokoro: Also in the TV anime, demons that appeared in scenes in the original work will also appear as “Hanyou no Yashahime” versions. That also makes me emotional.

Episode 2 onwards will be exciting for production key points that strike “Inuyasha” fans. Even in this edition’s illustration (P. 36-37), connecting with the bicycle Kagome was always rode in “Inuyasha”, we have a bicycle and the 3 girls.

Matsumoto: My heart is skipping seeing Setsuna wrap her hands around Towa’s waist.

Komatsu: She’s really looking (at her)! (laughs) Within the work, Setsuna hasn’t opened up to Towa yet but I wonder how much time has passed for the gap between them to close like this?

Tadokoro: Setsuna’s completely riding like a “girlfriend”! Moroha’s been taken off the bicycle (laughs)

Komatsu: We need to attach a side car to the bicycle for her (laughs)

Do you have any situations that you want to see illustrations of from here on?

Komatsu: I want to see everyone in a school uniform!

Matsumoto: Yes! Please put Moroha in Kagome’s sailor uniform.

Tadokoro: Yeah, I definitely want to see her wear that! Going along that line, I want to see Towa and Setsuna dressed like Lord Sesshomaru.

Matsumoto: Each one dressed like their parents, I like that. Not just a sailor uniform for Moroha but also in a priestess’s attire too.

Tadokoro: She has black hair so I’m sure it will look good on her.

Matsumoto: Moroha and Setsuna normally have their hair tied back so I want to see them with their hair down.

Komatsu: A situation where the 3 of them are in a hot spring. There were scenes like that in “Inuyasha” where there were monkeys in the hot spring. (laugh)

Matsumoto: Me personally, I want to see Setsuna and Moroha fully dressed in modern clothes. Something like all 3 of them going to an amusement park.

Komatsu: I want to see them taking tests for school!

Q. What do you think will happen when Towa and Setsuna reunite with Sesshomaru?

Komatsu: First, what will they call Sesshomaru? Will they call him “Father”? To begin with, I’ve been curious as to if Sesshomaru was the one who named them.

Tadokoro: That’s true. Who did name them?

Komatsu: “Towa = Eternity” and “Setsuna = Moment” … What sort of meaning do these complete opposite names have?

Matsumoto: I feel Setsuna’s is more fleeting. The wild ideas (translators note: head cannons to put it in western terms) won’t stop.

Tadokoro: Kagome’s was too but the names tend to have an uneasy nuance implied about them. For Moroha, the words “Double edged sword” and “Fragile” can have a close resemblance. There was a meaning to Kagome’s name so I tend to think there’s also a meaning in Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha. Also, Moroha’s red clothes is the robe of the fire rat Inuyasha wore that apparently, she remodeled herself so I’m really curious about that. Is it by chance… a memento? I don’t want that~!!

Q. Among the 3 of you, who resembles their character the most?

Komatsu: Probably Towa (Matsumoto)? Her aura is similar to Towa in a gutsy, cheerful sense. It doesn’t feel like an “act” when she’s acting.

Tadokoro: Me too, my first thought was Towa. I thought they looked similar in appearances.

Matsumoto: That makes me so happy….! There are times where I feel I’m similar to Towa but I think everyone has something similar (to their characters). I feel like Azusa-san is mischievous and sparkling like Moroha and Komatsu-san has Setsuna’s cool beauty.

Komatsu: No, I have zero coolness within me (laughs). I think the rock essence that Koroazu (referring to Tadokoro) has during a concert performance is close to Moroha!

Tadokoro: That’s true, I try to bring out a wild flavor (laughs).

Episode 1 Play Back: Inuyasha Since Then

Inuyasha and Kagome exterminated Root Head with there superb combination (?)… or so it was thought, but in actuality, it entangled itself with the roots of the Sacred Tree/Tree of Ages deep within the earth. The still living Root Head extends its roots to the fates of Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha. And the true identity of Munehisa, who told the tale, comes to light as the demon Yotsume (the 4 eyed owl). Just what is he is something to keep an eye on from here on.

Inuyasha Moroha’s half-demon father. After winning the battle against Naraku, he chose to live together with Kagome in the Feudal Era. He also drove back Root Head combining his power with Kagome’s but…

Sesshomaru A greater demon who is Towa and Setsuna’s father. While Inuyasha was fighting Root Head, he did not lend a hand but rather he quietly watched over Sango’s house where Rin was taking refuge.

#hanyo no yashahime #yashahime: princess half-demon #Yashahime #translation

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deadlyglacier · 3 years

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20 Questions tag~

I was tagged by @mythicamagic thank you senpai~<3

How many works do you have on AO3?

40 right now, plus 1 that is still hidden because of the SOFA Exchange event. (I’m still a lil fish.)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

486,920! That’s so amazing to me!

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

InuYasha - A Feudal Fairytale (18)

FullMetal Alchemist (18)

Mass Effect Trilogy (3)

Let’s Play (Webtoon) (1)

Kingdom Hearts (1) But I hope to write for many more fandoms in the future! I have ideas for fics for Castlevania, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Last of Us Part II, and more!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

#1. Stardust FemShep/Garrus, Mass Effect Trilogy, Rated Explicit. A retelling of the Shepard/Vakarian love story, with lots (and LOTS) of sexiness, from Garrus' point of view. Starts from before the Omega-4 and will end sometime after the end of ME3. Trying to stay as true to the game as possible, while adding some things happening off camera and a new ending.

#2. Flamingo Sess/Kag, Inuyasha, Rated Explicit Kagome's method of beating the summer heat attracts a certain demon lord...

#3. Hawk Sess/Kag, Inuyasha, Rated Explicit Kagome and Sesshomaru discover they have a mutual attraction for each other after a battle and a slight comedic incident brings them together. At first their relationship seems entirely sexual, but eventually evolves into something real. What will this romance mean for Naraku? Or even the future? *TRIGGER WARNING FOR CHAPTER 6! MAJOR VIOLENCE AND TRAGEDY* Very, very loosely based on "A Mere Digression" by elle6778

#4. Daisy Sam/Charles, Let’s Play, Rated Mature Sam wakes up somewhere unfamiliar with a splitting headache with no memory of the night before. Takes place right after the S2 finale. First chapter was my prediction for what would happen next, and then three other “wishful thinking” chapters happened, lol.

#5. Chemistry Ed/Winry, FullMetal Alchemist, Rated Mature A look at how the relationship between Ed and Winry developed after Brotherhood ended. Cute, sweet, funny, and hot (eventually—y'all that know me know I gotta have some NSFW in there).

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try to respond to everyone, especially when a fic of mine has just been posted, but sometimes I just forget. If I haven’t responded to your comment, please know it’s just because I’m a big dumb and forgot! I love getting comments, and I reread them all the time! I just feel like there’s a time limit to when I can respond to them--if I let too much go by, it’s awkward if I reply. Gah, but that’s just me getting in my own head, I guess. I’ll do better!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Oof, definitely Psychology, a fic I wrote for RoyEdOTPoly this year. The prompt I got was dark, and I didn’t see any way around an angsty ending. Read at your own risk!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Well, aside from the last fic, I try to write happy endings for all my fics! But, if I have to name names, I’m torn between Zoology (another FullMetal Alchemist fic, RoyEd, for RoyEdOTPoly this year) and Stardust (my Mass Effect fic, which is long, but so worth it, in my opinion). Both are very fluffy in the end!

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Argh... I don’t really like crossovers, to be honest. I actively avoid them when looking for fics to read. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought of writing them myself. (I’m a total hypocrite, I know.) I had an idea for an Inuyasha x The Sims fic, years ago, that I never did anything with. The premise was basically Inuyasha and Kagome would get trapped in the game somehow (via the jewel or magic or something), and they’d be controlled by Souta, Kagome’s friends, Hojo--all sorts of different people who think the fact that Kagome and Inuyasha are in the game is just some kind of silly mod. I probably won’t write it, so if anyone is interested in that crazy idea, have at it! You have my blessing. <3 I also have a crazy crossover idea for what I call an “Ultimate OT3″ of mine that I’ve mentioned to my friends, but I haven’t actually written down yet: Sesshomaru/Alucard/Sebastian Michaelis. So be on the lookout for that!

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I wouldn’t call it “hate” so much as “mansplaining,” but I have gotten a couple of comments that made my eyebrow twitch on Stardust--both on AO3 and FFN. Just dudes (and I’m fairly certain they were dudes, just from their tone) trying to explain why a certain plot twist wouldn’t work, or tell me how to save Sidonis in the actual game (which I already knew, that person just didn’t read what I wrote). I’ve also gotten a comment on one of my more controversial fics, Hippology, on FFN, where the person asked me if I thought my summary was K-Rated (which, admittedly, it does need to be for the site, and mine wasn’t--because of a single word). I changed it and messaged them saying it was fixed. Going to that commenter’s profile, however, proved to be fairly enlightening... They’re nuts. They have another profile, too. Read at your own risk. Yikes. There’s also a team of people on FFN who make it their life’s mission to report stories with rule violations. I’ve gotten a comment from one of them as well. These people are not mods, they just like to pretend they are--one of them even made their name look official! “CU Administration,” gtfo dude. I also recently got one of my fics removed from FFN. It wasn’t even one of my sexiest ones! They put me in timeout for 48 hours, and when I was finally able to publish something new on the site again, I posted Hippology (my centaur smut), and it’s still up as I type this. (Wonder how long it’ll take them to notice?) And since the fic that got taken down was a SessKag fic, I’m thinking it might have been a petty SessRinner who reported it to the “authorities” of FFN, because another friend of mine got hers taken down not long after mine, and it was also SessKag. Just my tinfoil theory, anyway!

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yes, yes, yes. It’s practically all I write. I do all sorts of smut, from romantic, sensual stuff, to specific kinks, to monsterfucking--all that good stuff. Can’t change me~<3

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

God, I hope not!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don’t think so. No one has asked me if they can translate one, anyway.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet! I’m open to the idea, and I’ve had little discussions with my fic-writing buddies about it, but nothing’s come out of it just yet. Keep your eyes peeled!

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Oh, now come on! I can’t pick just one! But I’ll give you a top 3 (in no particular order, because they change places a lot, depending on how obsessed I am with them at the moment). Inuyasha: Sess/Kag FullMetal Alchemist: Roy/Ed Mass Effect: Garrus/FemShep

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I have a couple of stories that I deleted from my original FFN account that I’d like to re-write and re-post on AO3, but I don’t think I’ll ever get around to it. There were a couple of Inu/Kag fics I had in-progress, and then a Koug/Kag fic. I recently rewrote and reposted my SessKag fic from years ago, Hawk, on FFN, AO3, and Dokuga! So maybe all hope isn’t lost. I’m even writing a sequel for Hawk! All the stories I have in-progress right now I plan on finishing. At some point, lol.

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue, without a doubt. It’s my favorite thing to write, aside from smut, of course--which is another strength of mine.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Descriptions, ugh. I try to do them well, but I always feel like they get stale. So I keep them somewhat vague, because in my mind, I think readers will fill in the gaps themselves whether you describe something immaculately or not--they’ll see what they want to see, and that is totally fine in my book! Or maybe I’m just making excuses, lol. I’ll only describe something in a lot of detail if I want the reader to focus on that--usually an outfit, accessory, or weapon--otherwise, I leave it up to their imagination (I don’t want manipulate it too much, I suppose).

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Wildly unnecessary unless that author speaks the language as well, or if certain words already exist in the fandom’s translations (ex. “youkai,” “alkahestry,” etc).

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Inuyasha, and the fic(s) I wrote in the beginning were terrible. I want to burn all traces of them off the face of the earth. I was in middle school. I was young and stupid.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I gotta go with Stardust. It’s the longest fic I’ve ever completed at more than 160k words. I was so immensely proud when I typed “The End,” and I was able to say to myself “I did it.”

I tag: @glassesmcfancyhair @willowsrain

#SessKag #RoyEd #SamCharles #Shakarian #Inuyasha #FullMetal Alchemist #Let's Play #Mass Effect #fanfiction #writers supporting writers #q and a #I don't know what else to put so here

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officialinuyasha · 4 years

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Let's talk about Yashahime updates and more theories. Theories I posted about that have been confirmed so far as information was slowly being released. You guys can pause this video if you'd like. The top character is InuYasha and Kagome's daughter [Due to color and features] The bottom two daughters are Sesshoumaru's [Due to colors and because of the patterns that were behind them] The Tree Tunnel has to do with the Sacred Tree being tied to the Well like it did in the first movie [Confirmed in Animage Magazine] A pearl has to do with Setsuna's memory loss, referenced when InuYasha was being shown visions the second time he visits the Inu no Taishou's grave [This was confirmed in a PV] The rainbow pearls may be 7 individual pearls, this was speculated because of the website [This was confirmed in a keyword] Quarter demon would be officially called Shihanyou [Shi-hanki Han-bun You-kai] I wrote about this on Anispace years ago, along with Rikuo Nura who is a Quarter Demon from a series called Nura: Rise of the Youkai Clan [Confirmed in a keyword] Souta may be living in an apartment or condominium because the outside and inside looked different from the Higurashi house [Confirmed in the Keyword] Towa would be abducted in the same way that Kagome would be from episode 1 because she's from a different era and has different clothes [Confirmed in script reveal picture] Moroha would have spiritual powers [This was referenced in the Fourth movie and also speculated by many of us, for obvious reasons. It was confirmed in the trailer] Towa in the trailer was talking about the first time Root head was defeated [Confirmed in Episode 1 Summary] So if you guys had these theories in mind as well, you were also correct!

The new characters from the voice list for episode 1 are Munehisa, from the summary we know he's the one that tells Towa the story of Roothead that takes place over ten years ago. Kinu Gyokuto and Lord [I'm assuming the lord of the mansion]

In Japanese history Kinu is Golden Bird and Gyokuto is Jewel Rabbit [Moon Rabbit/Jade Rabbit]

Let's expand on the theories I previously talked about. So we don't know the origins of the pearls yet, on who created them or where they came from, so it can be speculated it may or may not be Hosenki or his son, as his son said Hosenki used all the jewels before he passed away. But there can always be secrets we don't know about. It's happened before in the series. It may be another Oyster demon or someone else entirely, we know there are people who have made fake jewels like Izumo. Kinu and Gyokuto may have something to do with the origins of the pearls. Since the name Gyokuto is Jewel Rabbit. As you know I joked about Towa looking like the Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland before the summary even came out ... You know, Tunnel of Ages, Rabbit tree tunnels. The English title of the first InuYasha episode seemed to reference Alice in Wonderland so this is just getting ironic to me. Remember Sango means Coral, Kohaku means Amber, Hisui means Jade. Would be interesting if they had a connection to the pearls because of their names or if Hisui's prayer beads had a pearl. That's all silly to say. But hey, doesn't hurt to have an idea.

The Pearls can also be related to the Seven Treasures. Shippo, or the "seven treasures", as in the Buddhist Scriptures, refers to gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, agate, red coral, and carnelian. But when it comes to Shippou, I know its referenced because of his seven changes and tricks because of InuYasha Feudal Fairytale for the PS1. I always thought that was cute.

There's also new merch and once again the character colors totally make me think of the pearls! I've been wondering if the Forest Fire will affect the sacred tree as well. We can also speculate a possible return of Roothead. A third return. Since it's such a big demon, its possible it could regenerate. What I've been wondering is how will they purify the demon corpse for the Corpse Shop? Atleast, if it is necessary for them to do so. In Episode 59. Remember how the Ninjas Serina and Suzuna stole Sango's weapons? Sango said that the parts needed to be purified. I'm hoping they use this in Yashahime as a way to show Moroha purifiying the parts for the Corpse body shop or even putting sutras where they are held in the shop. Maybe even Jyubei did the same technique at some point. I also wonder if Jyubei was an ex demon slayer himself. I'd like the idea of him or someone affiliated with the shop was an ex Demon slayer. Kougas sword looks like Morohas sword...It's unlikely they are the same sword. But, hey it's an idea. Towa's name means Eternity and Setsuna's name means Moment. This may be referenced to Sesshoumaru and Rin. From Episode 162 "Forever with Lord Sesshoumaru". In this episode Rin's mortality is brought up. Sesshoumaru can live for hundreds of years, while to humans can feel like an eternity. Rin is a moment in Sesshoumaru's life that can seem like an eternity. We had a short 15 second trailer that included zoom in of the promo picture that said Change the Future. they are referencing their names.

Towa [Eternity] Setsuna [Moment] Moroha [Double-Edged] Wish for eternity. Live in the moment. A double-edged bloodline. Traverse the past and present. Change the future.

As I speculated previously it's possible that Towa may be captured like Kagome was in the first episode because of being a demon or her attire, being speculated as "Not of this world" /"Not from around here" - or some kind of threat! - Let's talk about the possible changes to the future. We know that Towa has a History book in the Feudal Era. I noticed it the first time we saw the trailer that the Kanji said History. Kagome has brought her books many times to the Feudal Era. But we can speculate if bad guys got the book, bad things can happen. Of course. They can know about things before they happen and change it. I like to imagine crazy things changing like, if she's reading her History book and suddenly history changes on the page. That would be trippy. Or things in her era start to change and they have to go back and fix it. Stuff like this has been seen in many movies and other series about time changes. Even in video games such as - You guessed it. One of my most favorite video games of all time - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. My friend Lea is one of the people who help me with translations and from what can be read from the scripts that were posted on the Official Yashahime twitter. She said - “Towa’s captors are questioning about this "Reiwa” country she was in and call her Yashahime. Towa thinks to herself that she must'nt say anything or else history will be altered. Towa tells them she’s not Yashahime though"

I nailed it when I said that I thought she was getting captured like Kagome was from episode 1. So, let's wonder. Towa might not know she is Yashahime, yet or she knows that she is Yashahime and is hiding it. It sounds like the bad guys might be looking for the Yashahime or atleast know of them. The palace in the promo picture could be the Lord of Kanto's palace unless it's the demon slayers village. As it zooms into Towa and Setsuna. From the short Viz Media video.

We've seen the scripts posted on the Yashahime twitter, and there appears to be 13 scripts that were visible in the Yashahime twitter picture. Towa is shown on the front of Episode 2, Setsuna on 3 and Moroha on Four. We got Episode 2's summary and it's going to be called "The 3 Princesses" Episode 3 is called “The Butterfly of Dreams" which has Setsuna on the script cover. We know that the Butterfly of Dreams is what affected Setsuna's Memories. Episode 4 is called the "Door to the Past” that's the one that has Moroha on it We can also think about how Towa's first interaction with Moroha and Setsuna might be. It could be by complete accident that they ran into Towa while trying to go after the demon. Or it may be the moment in the Kanto palace that they are looking to save Towa. When we look at the trailers and episode summaries, it appears that Towa is shown first returning to the Feudal era, however we don't know if she will see Setsuna at that part, or even a glimpse. Or that Setsuna will meet Towa face to face when she goes to the Modern Era with Moroha in episode two. We can also speculate that Episode 1 may just be Towa explaining how she got herself into "this mess". There are times in series where a character is explaining how they got where they were. So it's unsure if Setsuna ends up in the Modern Era first or if Towa goes to the Feudal Era first. But based on what we have seen. We are atleast shown Towa in the Feudal Era first, but again it may not be in order. So let's talk about Souta. Grandpa wanted him to be a priest, his mom wanted him to be a doctor and Souta himself said he wanted to be a Soccer player. So I wonder if it's any of those. Maybe even a Technician or a Vet. Maybe he even was a Teacher or Musician like his wife is or even a Video Game designer. It is possible that the girls may go to another era besides the Feudal and Modern. There may be splits between those two. I'd like to see them go to the Heian Period where Midoriko and Inu no Taishou were! I talked about before, if InuYasha and the others are dead or even trapped I know that it would not be permanent and that there would always be a solution to save them or bring them back. Even finding them. Onto the "Butterfly of Dreams" whats interesting is there was actually a movie called the "Butterfly Effect" and in the the main character is afflicted with headaches so painful that he frequently blacks out. While unconscious, the character is able to travel back in time to difficult moments in his childhood. He can also alter the past for friends. But changing the past can drastically alter the present, and he finds himself in nightmarish alternate realities, including one where he's locked away in prison. But, whats further to look into is that the Butterfly Effect is a real thing in Chaos theory - "The butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state." Also if Setsuna isn't getting enough sleep. Impaired sleep has been associated with Alzheimer's disease. It's also known that not getting enough sleep in general can cause forgetfulness or memory loss. So there's alot that the Butterfly of Dreams can be related to.

We also got some more screenshots for the first episode. It looks like Towa may be looking at Kagome's bike seat. This Owl that has multiple eyes like the old man. I think it has something to do with him, and it may even be his true form. Because in the Trailer when Setsuna attacks the Old man he seems to vanish and his clothes drop to the floor. It's possible the Owl may be his true form and he flies away where they try to go after him!

Ca Mercadejas asked me what I think Moroha's screen time would be. I think that Moroha's screentime will be equal to all three of the girls, I say that based on the interviews when they talked about making her the third main character. Sumisawa said: To explain these three a little more, even if Towa and Setsuna were having a one way conversation, but if you add one more direction that is Moroha to the conversation, it completes the cross road and the focus becomes easier. If Moroha who is an external factor (sense of values) is around, then no matter how similar or how many confrontations Towa and Setsuna exhibit, the story will keep progressing further and further.

Rex Play's asked me "Have you rewatch all of inuyasha cause i have after knowing that there was a sequel" Yes I have especially with the release of the Blu-rays. I've been buying them and watching them. Even watching it on VIZ Media's Official Website.

With all of that being said. Relax. Sit back. Enjoy Yashahime. I'm going to rewatch all the Yashahime episodes millions of times. Remember about what Rumiko Takahashi said about Towa and Setsuna's mother - "Please forget the existence of their mother, for now."

#inuyasha #yashahime #anime #manga #hanyou no yashahime #yashahime princess half demon

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seiin-translations · 3 years

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2.43 S1 Chapter 5.5 - Stand By Me

5. SACRED COURT

Haijima talks about Yoyogi National Gymnasium similarly to how most kids talk about Disneyland lol

Translation Notes

1. A service ace is a point made on a serve that the opponent had failed to touch

2. A kei car is the smallest highway-legal car in Japan

3. Takeshita Street is a popular street in Harajuku known for its trendy fashion boutiques and for being very busy

4. I feel like this is a reference to something I don’t know, but the wooden fish is a fish gong that is struck while chanting sutras

5. Manuscript paper is the paper used in Japanese schools for compositions and stuff like that. It has boxes in columns to write characters in.

Previous || Index || Next

…Where am I again…?

When he woke up, he couldn’t immediately remember what had happened. The view around him was a hazy milky white, without a single distinct outline. It’s like I’m sinking into the bottom of a beaker filled with a mist of dry ice…it kind of smells like a science lab.

He felt something like a tugging in his left arm. There was a thin line connected to his body, pulling at him from above. The line was holding him back from sinking any further.

A blurry white ball with eyes and a nose was floating in the air.

“I got a text from Kou.”

The ball spoke with a familiar voice. The low-volume voice sounded pleasant to his ears as it seeped through the fog of dry ice.

“…Souta…?”

His consciousness was still fuzzy and his speech was slurred. The white shirt just blended into the background, and when he squinted, he found a proper body below the ball. A uniform…but not Meisei’s uniform. He had heard he went to a different high school.

“You really quit…? Why…?”

“Because I wanted to.”

He was a little surprised by his curt answer and closed his mouth. He heard a short exhale, and then his voice softened.

“…Ever since I entered middle school, I lost interest in volleyball. All I could think about was quitting, and it was getting harder and harder to go to club activities. Everyone entered Meisei, saying that we’ll do volleyball together, so it wasn’t an atmosphere where only I can say I wanted to quit…I was afraid that if I quit, I wouldn’t have any friends at school… I thought Minami-sensei would be disappointed, and besides, my mom’s the head of the parents’ association. I also felt like I had to be at the center of the team…I was tied down by so many things, and everyday was painful… So I came up with the idea that if I hated being in the club to the point of committing suicide, I could get sympathy and quit…That’s how I got involved in everyone’s plan. …I’m sorry.”

After everything that happened, he only has that simple “I’m sorry”?

However, when he learned the reason after two years, he felt like there were no words other than sorry… If you ask Haijima, it was such a trivial thing that he couldn’t even understand what was bothering him.

Was such a boring reason what was behind that incident?

Well…it’s not like I was the one who drove him into a corner…

“…You should have told me, normally.”

His mouth pouted a little despite himself.

“If it were you, you would’ve been able to say it. Well, I don’t think you’ll ever want to quit volleyball, even if it kills you. But I’m not you…I didn’t want to be the bad guy. I didn’t want to be hated by everyone.”

It’s not like I want to be hated…he wasn’t happy about that, but it was true that wanting to be liked by people wasn’t that high of a priority for him.

When he was in elementary school, the two of them would talk about high school and national team games after club ended. They could talk and talk and never get bored of it, and he wished the time when Yoshino’s mother came to pick him up would never come. Yoshino also had a lot of old video footage that only existed on videotape, and he was even more enthusiastic than Haijima about that kind of thing.

The shock slowly soaked into him at the idea that someone who was once obsessed with volleyball could stop liking it. Haijima couldn’t even imagine himself not being interested in volleyball anymore. It was the same as asking if he could imagine the afterlife. He couldn’t.

If there was just one starting point for his imagination—it was that on the third day of the Autumn Tournament, going to a game felt bothersome to him for the first time in his life. For him, it even had a feeling of dread. At that time, he had regained his willpower after sleeping a little, but if that kind of constantly continuing heavy mood was the “wanting to quit” that Yoshino experienced, then it might be quite painful to even live everyday.

“Souta, you…”

His brow wrinkled as he frowned, staring at Yoshino’s indistinct face in front of him.

“Nnn…?” There was nervousness in Yoshino’s voice.

“You got fat, didn’t you?”

The contours of his face were quite round. That was why it looked like there was a floating ball.

“…You’re as blunt as ever. Well yeah, I got fat after I quit the team.”

Yoshino’s voice lightened, like he was expecting something more. He didn’t seem to be offended. Probably.

“Are you in any clubs now?”

“Yeah. It’s not sports-related though. I’m in the science club.”

“Is that fun? More than volleyball?”

“It is fun, more than volleyball for me. There aren’t a lot of members, but they’re all good people. I have fun going to club activities every day. We go to the science lab every lunch break to collect data from our experiments.”

He didn’t like that he had affirmed it, but he could tell from the excited way he talked that he was doing what he really wanted to do now. Something fell into his chest with a thump, and he accepted that, Aah, the things that are “fun” for Yoshino and me aren’t the same anymore…

Even though their eyes sparkled at the same things, aimed for the same stage, and planned to do the same things, maybe that didn’t mean they were in the same story.

“Then, I’ll be leaving now.”

He could feel Yoshino standing up. Even though he had no intention of stopping him, Haijima immediately tried to reach out his hand. But his arm was pulled back as if it had been caught on a fish hook, and he was only able to move it a little.

Yoshino, who was about to leave, turned around. “…Take care of yourself. Don’t be too reckless.” Something soft gripped his hand along with a gentle voice. His fatty, plump hands were not bony and didn’t feel like they belonged to an active volleyball player anymore, but he could feel their warmth flowing into his wrapped-up fingers. It was as though the coldness of his fingers, which had been holding him captive ever since the day Yoshino didn’t come, was becoming undone.

Before he let go of his hand, Yoshino’s voice that had been mild and gentle took on a faint gloom.

“Chika, don’t be reckless, okay? You’re a true genius, not an ordinary person like me, and you probably can’t even imagine your limits right now…but I have a feeling that if you were to be betrayed by volleyball one day, you might be surprisingly fragile…I know it’s none of my business, but that’s what I’m worried about.”

***

“When did you get a fever?”

He seemed to have lost consciousness for a bit again until he heard the next voice.

The round outline of Yoshino, who had been by his side since a while ago, had changed into something more vertical and narrower. He looked up at the outline for a while, and then asked,

“…Are you angry?”

“Yeah. If you’re willing to work a little harder to read my mind off the court too, then that’s progress. Here.”

He held out to something to him. He tried to reach for it, but his arm cramped up and the thing was put in his hand instead. “I had them fixed at the optician across the hospital. They said that it would be safer to buy new ones, though.”

“Aah…thanks.”

“You really do have a strange way of getting into trouble during a game, don’t you?”

With his head resting on the pillow, he put on his glasses. For the first time in a long time, his vision was clear again. It was so clear that it actually made the world look distorted, which made him feel a bit dizzy. The lenses were in place on both sides, but there was still a sense of discomfort because the frame was still warped.

Kuroba was sitting on a chair beside the bed with a grumpy look on his face. Behind him, there was a partition with the curtains drawn. It looked like a break room-like space with a simple bed next to the examination room.

There was an IV tube connected to his left arm. Drops of water were dripping regularly from a clear pack that was hooked to a stand above his head. The liquid in the pack was down to about a quarter of its original volume. I was told to stay on the drip for about an hour…so I guess forty-five minutes have passed or something like that?

After resting, he was able to think more clearly and remembered how he had walked to the car by himself. By the time they had arrived at the hospital, it must have been 5:00 or 5:30, so outpatient consultation hours must have been over by now. He could hear the hurried conversations and footsteps of the staff, but they were far away, so it wasn’t noisy. In fact, it was rather isolated and quiet.

The final serve was done perfectly as he had imagined. Just as the gym was buzzing over the two service aces (1) in a row, the Meisei coach and captains returned after their meeting, as though they had timed it.

Although the second-year members were severely reprimanded for skipping practice to play an impromptu two-on-two game, the fact that a former Meisei Middle School student came to visit meant that Haijima and Kuroba didn’t get into much trouble. It was also thanks in part to Komukai and Ikawa coming forward and saying that they had an arrangement beforehand. Come to think of it, Komukai was the one who warned him just before the score board crashed into him…

The coach and captains asked him about this and that, but from that point on, Haijima was completely wobbling and couldn’t answer them properly. Right when he thought, Ah…I can’t stand anymore, he felt hands go around his sides and supporting him. “Sorry, he has a fever,” He heard Kuroba’s voice through the haze of his mind. So the advisor drove him to a nearby hospital.

“No wonder that you were sleeping like you were dead on the train. I should have noticed it earlier, but I thought it was strange how your face was kinda hot, but since it was right before the game began…Really, why did you decide to go to Tokyo in that condition?”

“I didn’t think I had a fever either. I’ve been feeling off since the end of camp, but…”

“What!? Camp was a month ago! Wait, was that why there was something off with you at the Fall Tournament? Why were you practicing every day under the blazing sun in that state, are you stupid!?”

“You’re too loud, shut up…”

He pulled the terry-cloth blanket up to his eyes and dejectedly slithered under it. If there wasn’t a drip connected to him, he would have covered his ears with both hands. He wasn’t happy with the feeling of being below someone and being ordered around by them, but he didn’t have the energy to fight back.

His mother, who passed away before he started elementary school, was a sickly person. Haijima inherited that, and although it wasn’t bad enough to interfere with his daily life, his body wasn’t strong either. When he was little, he would often have fevers of unknown origin that would last for about a month in summer and winter. However, ever since he started playing volleyball in the upper grades of elementary school, he had become physically stronger, and it had been quite a long time since he has had such a long period of discomfort.

It seemed that he didn’t like the words “feeling off.” He got angry.

“It’s not ‘feeling off,’ you’re in bad health. Don’t switch words and gloss over the issue.”

“…My play wasn’t off though.”

“That’s the problem in your case. It didn’t influence your play…in fact, you got even more agile for some reason. I really don’t get it. And when it’s over, look at you. You’re completely out of energy.”

You’re so noisy…If he said that, it seemed like he would continue to get lectured, so he endured it. He normally didn’t consciously hold back what he was about to say that much.

“…I hate it. I hate it when I can’t play volleyball even for a day. I feel sort of…impatient…”

He whispered on the other side of his blanket. Kuroba, who had been talking at great length, stopped for a moment, then sighed quizzically.

“I don’t know why, but it seems like you’re living too fast and recklessly…?”

He was relieved when he realized that his lack of concentration in the semifinals of the Fall Tournament was because he had a fever. The fed-up feeling on the morning of the semifinals as well…he wanted to get rid of that feeling as soon as possible before it took hold in him, and now that he thought about it, even though he felt off, he felt like he couldn’t take a break from practice.

But he was able to explain to himself that it was just the fever that made him sluggish, and he was relieved…but in the end, the desire to play volleyball again welled up within him. It was a waste of time to rest.

“Haijima-saaan?”

An elderly nurse knocked on the partition frame and poked her head in. Kuroba stood and opened up the place.

“You’ve just finished the drip. …Yes, if there is no blood coming out after about ten minutes, you may tear off this bandage. The doctor says that you should rest today and properly go have a checkup at the hospital after you go home. Did you contact your guardian?”

She quickly pulled out the drip and performed the procedure while speaking so rapidly and one-sidedly that he recoiled. “…Not yet,” he answered in a small voice and got up while staring fixedly at the small adhesive bandage that was pasted over the small needle hole. Kuroba, who had moved out of the way to the foot of the bed, looked between Haijima and the nurse like he wanted to say something.

“Then, you’ll have to call them.”

“Oh, thank you very much for helping us!” Kuroba hurriedly said to the nurse, who was pushing the IV stand away from the bed. He waited for the nurse’s figure to disappear on the other side of the partition before asking Haijima.

“Can’t you just call your home in Tokyo?”

“I got the keys. I’ll just go to pick up the train money. If we get on the eight o’clock train, we can return just in time, right? If I stop by home and head for Shinagawa right away, we can make it in time.”

“Why don’t we just stay the night instead of forcing ourselves to go home today? You have a house here.”

“If we don’t go home today, we’ll have to be absent tomorrow too. Get my bags.”

He did some quick stretches on the bed to loosen up his back. Although he still felt sluggish, he had recovered enough to be able to move on his own. He wanted to move his body because he felt like his body would get more and more sluggish if he stayed in bed. The arm that had been connected to the tube was now free, so he felt somewhat liberated.

The taping on both hands had been removed. He was pretty sure he did it himself, though he didn’t remember. He was soaked in sweat from the game and his T-shirt dried as he slept, but either way he had to change into his uniform if he was going back (Kuroba, who didn’t have a replacement T-shirt, seemed to be planning to go home with just his uniform shirt, but as usual he couldn’t tell if that was cool or tacky).

When he tried to take off his T-shirt, it got caught on his glasses and he couldn’t get it off his head, so he tried to take them off inside his T-shirt. As he was doing this, he heard Kuroba’s voice along with the sound of a bag being placed next to him.

“I’ve been wondering about this, but can I ask you something? You don’t get along with your dad, do you?”

“It’s not bad or anything…” He was answering from inside his T-shirt, so his voice was muffled and it sounded like he was hesitating to speak, but he wasn’t trying to hide anything. “…My dad’s like me. Do you think that if there’s two of me in the same house, and one of them isn’t interested in volleyball, there’d be anything to talk about?”

“Ah…haha. I think I can imagine that.”

He interjected like he accepted that easily. He felt somewhat annoyed by that.

His father still lived alone in the apartment in Tokyo where they lived together until the second semester of his second year of middle school. It wasn’t that he had a bad relationship with his father, but he just couldn’t carry on a conversation with him. It was especially difficult to understand each other when it came to phone conversations. He truly wondered how his father and him had become so similar. Since Haijima came to live with his grandparents, they had had very little contact, but his grandmother sometimes told him about what he was doing, so he thought that was enough.

“It’s not bad, and my dad agreed for me to go back to Monshiro, so…there’s nothing for you to worry about.” It seemed like he was worried, so he thought that it would be better to say that wasn’t the case.

“Haijima-san, there’s someone here to pick you up. You properly contacted your guardian, didn’t you?”

He heard the voice of the nurse from before on the other side of the partition again. He finally pulled his T-shirt off his head and put on his glasses, then said, “Pick me up?” and exchanged looks with Kuroba.

“Hello.”

A bright voice came from the other side of the partition.

A person who was tall for a woman, with her long hair tied back and dressed plainly in a simple blouse and slim jeans——.

“Minami, sensei…”

He stood up, the bed rattling. As expected, he got dizzy, as his body that had been receiving an IV drip until right this moment had suddenly stood up. He immediately grabbed the top frame of the partition and ended up looming over it. The other person’s eyes widened as she looked up at him.

“Oh? You got taller than me? You really have grown. Are you at least 180?”

“I…I am. I’m around 181, no, 2, no, 3, no, 4…”

Wait, why am I padding the numbers? Kuroba had a “Who’s that?” look on his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you were changing. Have you gotten dressed yet?”

After being told that, his eyes dropped to the T-shirt in his hands in surprise. He turned around and jumped at his bag. “I’ll get changed in ten seconds.”

“No need to rush. You just woke up, right? I parked my car in the parking lot.”

He shoved his T-shirt into his bag and grabbed a change of clothes. His shorts were halfway down his legs when he realized what he was doing and stopped.

Half-standing, he turned around awkwardly.

“Wait over there…Sensei.”

His mouth opened and closed, and then he heard his own tight voice.

***

“That’s right, when you were in elementary school, I used to tell you guys to change in ten seconds in front of me, but that’s no longer possible. Your body is completely a high schooler’s now. But you grew much taller than me. I’m a little shocked.”

Minami-sensei said with a happy smile as she turned the steering wheel. Haijima was seated diagonally behind the driver’s seat, hugging his enamel bag tightly and looking down. In the seat next to him, Kuroba was still looking between Haijima’s profile and the back of Minami-sensei’s head in astonishment.

The car was a small kei car (2), with the head of Minami-sensei crammed into the driver’s seat almost touching the ceiling in a few centimeters. When the three of them with their tall frames got into the car, it looked like a deformed car in a cartoon. The hair on the top of Haijima’s head just brushed against the ceiling, and in Kuroba’s case, he was completely stuck, so he sat so shallowly that his back sank into the seat, but then his knees ended up bumping into the driver’s seat.

“I’m sorry it’s so cramped. I never had two kids who were so big ride in my car before. You’re big, too. Are you a first-year? Center or wing?”

“I’m Kuroba Yuni. I’m a first-year. I play the wing position.”

He leaned forward and answered before she finished her sentence, then scrapped his head against the roof and lowered his head with an “ow.” Calm down, Haijima’s temple twitched, and he narrowed his eyes at him.

“You’re tall too, Sensei.”

“177 centimeters. That’s pretty tall for a woman, isn’t it? But today I’m the smallest, so my vision feels quite fresh.”

“Were you a volleyball player too, Sensei?”

“Yes. I used to play for a corporate team for a little while, but now I quit and teach at an elementary school.”

“You were the teacher at the club Haijima used to go to, right?”

“I was only a coach who assisted the head coach. The same year that Chika and the others started middle school, the school transferred me to a new position, and I lost touch with them.”

“Sensei, may I ask your age?”

Haijima silently pulled Kuroba’s back, who was clinging to the back of the driver’s seat and talking, back down onto his seat and made him sit. Watching them in the rear-view mirror, Minami-sensei grinned and said,

“Ahaha. I was twenty-eight when Chika was in the sixth grade. Are you fine with that answer? Chika, are you still not feeling well? You can go back to sleep. Or are you feeling carsick?”

“Ah…no.”

He hung his head and shook it while pinching Kuroba’s side. Kuroba tilted his head towards him and whispered into his ear.

“What’s with you? You’re suddenly so meek and quiet. Sensei’s worried about you.”

“Don’t call her Sensei. Why are you asking so many questions so over-familiarly?”

Haijima also kept his voice quiet as he and Kuroba pressed their temples together.

“Then what should I call her? Is Minami-san fine?”

“Stop…joking around. Minami is her first name. Her full name is Kashiwagi Minami.”

Minami-sensei said it was fresh, but it was fresh for Haijima that she was smaller than him. In elementary school, Sensei was like a tower, and her nickname was “Tower” (she seemed to have hated that nickname, and when some of the boys teased her with it, she would chase them around angrily). I had the impression that she had an overbearing physique…no, she has broad shoulders and is probably overbearing by average standards, but…she kinda looks more delicate than I thought she would be…

He was glad he was taller. That was a natural thing to think when you’re playing volleyball, and he knew that he still wasn’t tall enough, but he was confused at himself for being happy about it for reasons other than that.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think ‘Minami-sensei’ would be a female teacher.”

“I never said it was a man.”

The two continued to whisper to each other.

“Well, it kinda makes sense. I knew it wouldn’t be Vabo-chan, but I wasn’t entirely wrong either, was I? It’s not like a girl in your class or anything is going to catch your eye. A former athlete, a coach, and much older than you…Yeah, that’s just like you.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“The thing you said before about having a girl you liked, you were talking about Kashiwagi-sensei, right? Even you have normal emotions more or less. No, not even normal. I’m little surprised and shaken right now too.”

He walloped Kuroba on the side of the head with the bag he was holding, messing up his hair and causing him to scrape his elbow against the roof. He then pinned Kuroba down on his seat and pressed down on his face with the bottom of his bag. While they were silently fighting, Kuroba suddenly let out a big “Ah!” As he lied on his back, he looked up at the window and said, “I saw the word Harajuku just now!”

“Yes, we’ll be passing through Harajuku soon. Do you want to get out if I can park?”

Kuroba’s face lit up at the voice from the driver’s seat and he said, “Yeah, but it’ll be a lot of trouble for you if you do that.” “She can’t.” Haijima pressed the bag against Kuroba’s stupid face, which looked like he was quite seriously anticipating the possibility, one more time and got up, then pressed his face against the passenger window on his side and looked out. “It’s okay to sightsee around Tokyo just a little. We came all this way.” Kuroba also got up while muttering that, unwilling to give up, and hugged Haijima’s bag to his knees.

The roads in Tokyo were beginning to get congested as the working adults were heading home, but the cars were still going at a gentle speed. Under the gassy indigo-blue sky, streetlamps appeared at intervals and disappeared behind them. In front of Nanafu Station, where the school was located, there was not a single light on at night, but there were none even in front of Monshiro Station. All light and sound ceased to exist, and it felt like you had drifted ashore a small and isolated island. But no matter how far you went on the streets of Tokyo, the lights and sounds never disappeared.

As they turned onto a certain road from an intersection with a large overpass, he realized where they were driving to. What was up ahead was—.

He attached his hands and glasses to the window glass and fixed his eyes on their direction of travel. Finally, a large grey building appeared, on the other side of round street lights floating in the night sky like a formation of UFOs.

A large round building with a single dorsal fin-like projection on the roof. Although it was made of unrefined concrete, the gently curving form of the structure, like water eddying around, was so beautiful that it captivated his eyes—.

“Sensei, stop here!” While clinging to the window, he forgot himself and reached out to the seat next to him. “Kuroba, Kuroba!”

“Hmm? Is this Takeshita Street?” (3)

Kuroba eagerly said that and leaned forward. Haijima groped around to find his chest and grabbed it close to him.

“Let’s go see the best thing in Tokyo—Yoyogi’s first gymnasium.”

***

Thinking about it now, Minami-sensei must have planned to stop by from the very beginning. She wouldn’t have normally taken this route to get from the hospital near Meisei to Haijima’s home in Tokyo.

A little further down the road, she found an empty spot in the parking lot on the shoulder of the road, parked, and then Haijima dragged Kuroba out of the car and ran back to the admission gate of the gym.

“You’re too excited. I told you to calm down. The building’s not going to run away even if you don’t run.”

The entrance was closed, and the lights in the plaza from the gates to the gym’s entrance were off, leaving the asphalt to sink into the darkness. As it was located on a busy roadway, the noise of cars intermittently behind them.

The first gymnasium of Yoyogi National Gymnasium, the holy ground of the Spring Tournament. Most of the history of the Spring Tournament, which had been held more than forty times, had taken place at this Yoyogi venue.

“There isn’t anything going on today? They have concerts and stuff almost every day, not just sports tournaments.”

Minami-sensei, who came later, said as she peeked through the gaps in the gates.

The gates consisted of an iron fence about 190 centimeters tall. When Haijima gripped the rails and tested their strength, then lifted himself up vigorously with his arm strength. He leaned over the top of the gates and strained his eyes, but was disappointed to see that the building at the end of the dark plaza now only looked like a ruin. “That’s dangerous!” Kuroba grabbed the back of his belt.

“On the tournament day, there was this huge Vabo-chan balloon, and it was a landmark, and even though there was nothing cute about it, watching it bob around was kinda addictive…”

He desperately wanted Kuroba to also imagine that scenery, so he tried his best to explain it to him.

As soon as he enshrined that huge Vabo-chan balloon in his mind, bright line shone on that lonely indigo plaza as though blackout curtains were lifted at once. In the same way he could create a volleyball court around him without relying on his eyesight, the scenery of the day of the tournament was drawn with him as the starting point. Under the early spring morning sky, large crowds of people passed by them, who stood there blocked by the gates, and walked through the gates and into the admission gates.

The cheering squads of parents wearing matching windbreakers and carrying banners and drums. The concert band members in their school uniforms with mufflers around their necks and the cheerleaders in ponytails. The sports reporters holding equipment. And then there were the athletes of the competing schools, wearing their various team jerseys, each of them with feelings of tension, excitement, and fighting spirit in their hearts. Some of them were today’s high school students from vivid high-definition footage, and others were high school students he had seen in footage from a long time ago, with much frailer physiques looking at them now. High schoolers from various eras were mixed together, but the one thing they all had in common was that they were all volleyball players who had marched in carrying their prefectures on their backs.

Once he passed through the dark admission gates, his vision opened up again. In the vast circular space, illuminated by bright lights, was a spectator seating area with a capacity of over ten-thousand people, and in the center of that, there was a glossy sky blue and citrus orange volleyball court.

“The quarter-finals are on a multi-court, but the semi-finals and beyond are on the center court. There’s only court in the center of the arena, and it’s super fancy, and only the best players from the best teams who are capable of winning the title of the best high school in Japan can stand on it…”

“I get it, it’s an amazing stage. I know how much you want to be there, and I know very well that you’re a setter who can stand in the middle of that amazing stage.”

With a pacifying voice, he embraced his trunk and brought him down from the gates.

“That’s not what I meant, what are you talking about? I wasn’t talking about me?”

Haijima brushed off Kuroba’s arm in frustration and grabbed his collar just as he was turning around. Kuroba’s eyes widened as he clutched Haijima’s wrist and drew his chin in.

“Imagine yourself standing there. Try wishing for it seriously. More, more…You’ve got what it takes to be up there. And if you’re competing on that stage with a lot of people like that, you’re going to crave it more and more. You’re going to want strength and time so much that you can’t stand it. You’re going to be unbearably frustrated that there’s only three years of high school. That’s why I want you to be the ace…”

It was frustrating that what was inside of him wasn’t inside Kuroba. He wanted him to understand that somehow, and this might be the first time he had ever squeezed out words like that to try to convey something. He had often let things go, thinking that it was fine if he wasn’t understood. He had never been driven by the desire to actively share his values with someone before.

He let go of Kuroba’s chest, half pushing him away. He turned his back to him, who staggered slightly, and looked back at Minami-sensei.

“Sensei. I promised to go to the Spring Tournament with Meisei, but I’m sorry, I’m correcting that. I want to go there with Seiin…with those guys. That’s what I want now.”

Minami-sensei leaned her shoulder against the iron fence and folded her arms with a slightly scary look on her face. Thinking that she might be angry, Haijima waited a little nervously.

The ends of Sensei’s eyebrows lowered, and she let out a short sigh.

“You don’t have to apologize…am I that scary of a coach? Souta also came all the way to me to ask for permission with a teary face. He asked me if he could quit volleyball. You know, elementary schoolers become high school students, right? It’s not the same as me going from twenty-eight to thirty-one. It’s normal for friends and things you like to change rapidly. Because that’s how compressed the time all of you spent was.”

“Sensei, you spoke with Souta…?”

He hadn’t really thought about the extent to which Minami-sensei had heard about the suicide attempt, but then it occurred to him for the first time that she knew about the incident and the reason why Haijima transferred schools.

If Sensei knew that her students, who left her elementary school club happily and saying that they’ll all play volleyball together, became bullied or bullies in middle school and drifted apart, then she must be sad…

“I’m sorry…Sensei…”

He lowered his head and muttered an apology again.

“You have nothing to apologize for. You were the one who was in a lot of pain. We should be the ones apologizing…the adults shouldn’t have been so unperceptive…”

Minami-sensei’s hand touched his arm. It was a gentle touch. On the day when their club had lost a match, he had been comforted by the same gesture, and he couldn’t help but hug her around the middle and cry. He had never lost or cried like that. Suddenly, he felt as though the time had gone back many years, and he had returned to the time when his teacher still looked as tall as a “tower.”

But he was already taller than the Sensei before him. He couldn’t hug her or anything like that. And he wasn’t as hurt as he had thought he would be when he found out what had happened two years ago that he didn’t know about.

In the end, Komukai and the others probably didn’t think it was such a big deal. They didn’t imagine that they would ruin their teammate’s life, and he thought that Komukai was saying what he really thought when he disappointedly said, “With just that.” They had done it with only the intention of making Haijima pay a little, and he repented, then they would be satisfied. They probably wondered what was going on with him when he stopped going to school and then transferred schools from the incident that had occurred from that simple intention.

But if Komukai and the others really didn’t have a goal to eliminate Haijima, then that was actually…a relief.

He wasn’t eliminated from that team.

Once he understood that, the fear of starting over somewhere else diminished considerably.

“I’m fine now.”

He thought it was good he knew about it now. He thought that was probably because he could accept it now.

“I didn’t come here alone…so I’m fine.”

He could hear Kuroba gasp from behind him.

“I see…” Minami-sensei looked at Kuroba and smiled, as though satisfied. “It was a good thing you went to Seiin High School, after all.”

“Huh…” “Kashiwagi-sensei, you know about Seiin?”

Kuroba’s voice overlapped with Haijima’s surprised voice. Seiin was just a local high school, not a nationally know school. It also bothered him that she spoke like she had known where he transferred to since before.

“Who do you think sent me to pick you up at the hospital? Meisei Middle School’s coach asked me to do it.”

“The coach…?”

Haijima learned that the coach of the Meisei Middle volleyball team had felt responsible for the series of events that had occurred in the second year of middle school and that he had been concerned about Haijima’s condition for a long time. He thought that by the time he entered high school, things would have died down and he could talk to the coach of the high school team and call him back to Meisei. However, when he had heard that Haijima went to Seiin High School, he decided to withdraw and leave him alone——.

“Seiin High School in Fukui has a famous coach, yes?”

Famous coach? He looked back at Kuroba, puzzled, but Kuroba also stared back at him with a puzzled look on his face. They recalled the dried up old advisor who looked like a scarecrow with a wooden fish placed on top of the head. (4)

“…Haa?”

The two exclaimed in unison.

He had heard from Oda that he had been a volleyball player a long time ago. However, the old man usually fell asleep when he came to watch club activities, and he had never done much as an advisor, let alone a coach. Their advisor at Monshiro Middle School, who was an amateur but showed a lot of motivation, was a much better advisor.

“Adults are connected in ways that children don’t know about.”

A corner of Minami-sensei’s mouth raised in a mischievous smile.

“That’s why, the teachers at Seiin High School are already informed that you two are here. I’m sure that your families have been contacted as well. I heard that your senpais on the team were also worried about you. The two of you did skip class and disappeared together after all.”

They both groaned and their faces stiffened. There was no way the school wouldn’t find out that they skipped, so they were prepared to be penalized for it, but if they knew that they were in Tokyo, then…

“I hope they’ll just make us write an apology.”

Kuroba sighed, but for Haijima, who found writing any essay more than two columns on manuscript paper (5) torturous, a written apology was more hellish than any penalty. “Don’t look so miserable. I’ll help you. It’s collective responsibility,” Kuroba said and clapped him on the shoulder.

Minami-sensei looked down at her watch and murmured, “We have to go soon.” When she looked up, she had a big smile on her face, as though she was taking out a special present she was hiding.

“There’s one last message for you. It’s from the captain of your volleyball team. He says, ‘You have club activities tomorrow, so go home.’”

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#2.43 #2.43: Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu #2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Club #2.43 translation #2.43 book 1 #2.43 seiin high school boys volleyball team #2.43 seiin koukou danshi volley bu

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ichika27 · 3 years

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Thoughts about Yashahime pt2

Because I have more stuff in my mind and I have to ramble or else I’ll lose it. This is supposed to be a part of the overall post I did after watching season 1 but it was longer than expected so I made a second post. I wanted to post my thoughts on sessrin but that would make this more unbearably longer than it already is jfc.

This is my “additional thoughts on season 1 stuff and what I wish to see in season 2″ filled with spoilers and actually have more screenshots.

Thoughts on Moroha:

I know you’ve probably heard of it from everyone else but I’ll say my piece, too: they wasted Moroha’s character. I know the main protag is Towa and Setsuna (as seen by the summary) but it’s not an excuse to just... not give Moroha anything. Inuyasha’s main characters are Kagome and Inuyasha but they also gave their companions (Sango, Miroku, and Shippo) the spotlight with episodes dedicated to them and their issues and in battle, they do get to shine. Moroha keeps getting thrown off, injured, or passed out and the twins (esp. Towa) gets to finish off the bad guys (sometimes the buildup to it is too much but how she beat up the bad guy is anti-climatic). It’s a waste cause she’s a bounty hunter who is not only trained but also has a lot more experience than Towa does. She doesn’t even have to land the finishing blow but at least don’t make her lame.

I do understand why the battle in both Inuyasha and Yashahime is different though. The Shikon Jewel is powerful even when it’s in pieces. Even a shard could give an advantage to anyone who has it and so many demons are drawn to it and to the person who has it. The more Kagome and the gang get, the more enemies they would attract especially Naraku and his minions whose goal is similar to the protagonists that they also want the entire jewel. As such, there are many enemies to fight with and so even if Inuyasha and Kagome are fighting the boss, there are other enemies for their companions to fight with showing us what they’re capable of.

Yashahime has the seven rainbow pearls which not everyone knows about and while powerful, it’s not as great as the Shikon Jewel that helped create it. There’s also just one main bad guy group - Kirinmaru, his sister Zero, and the four perils (one of them is dead before the story starts, too so 3 perils). Not all of them have minions or bring a horde of demons in battle so in a fight with the trio, there’s a lack of enemy. Some episodes at least have 2-3 or so but the later boss fights are like, 1 or 2... and Moroha gets thrown off and the twins get the spotlight and there’s no other enemy they can give Moroha who ends up being used as comic relief.

I hope this changes in the second season at least. Let Moroha show off more of her badass abilities. Even if she's a quarter-demon, she is also the daughter of Kagome and have sacred abilities which can actually fight off demons and make her immune to some debilitating stuff for demons like her as shown in one of the episodes. There's so much potential there!

Also, I wish they let Hisui be a part of the team. Like, he’s Miroku and Sango’s kid. Can’t he be a part of the main cast, too? It’s a waste cause he is close with Setsuna having worked with her as a Demon Slayer. He could be incorporated in the story and could even give us insights as to what's happened with his family in the time when Inuyasha and Kagome disappeared and all that and even give a reason to have Miroku and Sango appearances from time to time.

Thoughts on Yawaragi and the wolves:

Another thing wasted. She helped raise Moroha who is a main character so she should've gotten a bit more screentime rather than everything about her shoved in one episode and is barely talked about after. If they just didn't do the whole mystery thing with Moroha's backstory they could've put more flashbacks with her time with Moroha earlier in the show. You can't tell me they weren't trying to make Moroha's past mysterious when she barely talked about her Master or her childhood with not even a single second of flashback showing up before the episode with Yawaragi. There's also that time when Towa asked why Moroha is trying so hard to get money from bounty hunting and then Moroha dodged answering. So many theories came out of that interaction! People thought her bounty hunting and debt is connected to her real parents even.

If they didn't go with this route we could've gotten attached to the idea that even if Moroha didn't have her real parents around, she's got someone else that care about her and their reunion and battle against each other would've felt more dramatic. I personally would've felt "No! She could've been here longer to see Moroha grow as a fighter and even talk to her parents once they're back!" but due to how it was done, I couldn't feel that. Moroha is already independent when she's introduced and again, we barely hear anything about Yawaragi. It would've also helped develop Moroha as a character cause we'd know more about her and how she became who she is now.

Also, Moroha is given to the wolf tribe led by Koga. Imagine if they showed that in flashbacks and expanded on it! Koga's a supporting character in Inuyasha and was even in a love triangle with him wanting to get Kagome. It would've been interesting to see the characters we knew from back then while also showing us Moroha's childhood.

Like, one of the things I mentioned that I wanted to see when I found out the sequel is about the next gen kids is seeing how the now grown up cast of Inuyasha interact with the kids and how they are as parents. With the kids' actual parents not around for reasons (depriving us of seeing how they'd handle being first time parents which is a shame), the kids' interaction with their foster family is the next best thing. They gave us a couple of episodes about Towa and her life with the Higurashi's (specifically, Kagome's now adult younger brother Souta and his family) and later Setsuna living in the hanyou village under Shiori - also a supporting character like Koga but appears only for a few episodes. Again, something for the twins but not much for Moroha. It could've been something!

Thoughts on Takechiyo:

He's kind of like the Shippo of the show but isn't treated like he is. I like it actually cause seeing the promotional materials made me think he'd be Shippo 2.0 but just like the other characters, he didn't become an actual copy-paste.

Takechiyo works for Jyubei just like Moroha does but he's more of Moroha's supervisor (could order her around and would send Jyubei reports of what Moroha is doing on the job) while also acting as transportation for Moroha (or Towa if bribed) towards where the demon they need to fight are. He's not a part of the main cast but shows up a lot due to the transportation thing.

He does seem to have a deeper backstory but it is barely touched upon at all. I do hope they do something about it in s2.

Thoughts on Riku x Towa:

From the episode where Riku is first introduced, many fans already wanted to ship Riku with Towa. They do have that feel to it with their interaction at the beginning - it's cute! It does get the spotlight and the fans do get an episode which is really shippy but as I pointed out in the main Yashahime post, it felt rushed.

The first time Riku appeared, they had a bit of moment and then Riku has Towa framed up for stealing a sword he probably took himself for entertainment, probably as there seem to have not been any important reason for this. It gets settled as we saw from episode 1 but it's never brought up again. When he shows up in front of the trio later on, he gets greeted like the issue never happened.

Anyways, Riku does get scenes for himself but it's either him being mysterious or interacting with the enemies (which made it hard for fans to pinpoint exactly where his loyalties lie and it was hard to know how exactly to feel about him). He doesn't have much interaction with the trio either only showing up from time to time and there didn't seem to be any personal talks either.. you know, bonding moment that isn't just going into battle?

I'm bringing all of this up because the shippy episode is, as I said, felt rushed. Riku suddenly feels something for Towa but it felt like it came out of nowhere due to the lack of meaningful scenes together. He's not human nor a normal being (he's a doll, apparently?) and don't understand emotions that well and the buildup to him suddenly having feelings for Towa felt unrealistic. Emotionless or stoic characters gaining an understanding of feelings, especially their own, is a big deal. Sesshoumaru himself, Towa's father, went through this and his character development from always annoyed and angry villain to actually-starting-to-care anti-hero is really fun to watch and it was something I looked forward to seeing in the original series. Riku's development didn't really have give the same satisfying feeling due to how it was handled. There was a lack of gradual buildup.

Upon revisiting past episodes and remembering that he doesn't think very well of half-demons and humans (probably cause of what happened to his mistress, Zero with the whole heartbreak thing) it makes the thing even weirder. I could maybe think that he might be lying to Towa but a couple of his actions later on like lying to Zero about Towa, it seems he does honestly care about her.

There's still a chance in s2 though since the two didn't really get together and were more "I don't get it but maybe I do feel something." in that episode. It's not fully romantic yet but could actually get there. With Riku being connected to Kirinmaru and Zero though, I'm kind of scared for how his character would develop outside of ships (like he could end up becoming a bad guy firmly on Zero's side with no hesitation anymore to uh... I do hope they don't kill him in the end).

His role of being in the enemy side but slowly cares for the heroes have so much potential for a fun story development!

Finally, thoughts on Kirinmaru:

He’s been kinda weird from the start. He could’ve killed the girls himself when he found out about them but he didn’t even though there’s this prophecy thing which is strange. I mean it was talked about like it was urgent but then again, most of it seem to be fueled by Zero and her personal issues at being heartbroken lol.

Kirinmaru is as confusing as Riku when it comes to understanding what he’s on about and where his character is gonna go. A bad guy who doesn’t really act like it and have mysterious plans. I guess this’ll be focused on in season 2. Hopefully. Please don’t drag this out longer than it should be.

On the other hand, a minor thing: final battle between the girls and Kirinmaru at the first season’s climax: Setsuna is probably dead and her sister and cousin are enraged. Moroha goes Beniyasha-mode and Towa finally goes demon-mode and both unleash their most powerful attacks onto Kirinmaru. They got beaten which isn’t as surprise at all cause Kirinmaru is supposed to be as powerful as the girls’ grandfather who is a Daiyoukai and there’s no way in hell a bunch of kids (with one lacking in a lot of battle experience) could suddenly beat him just like that.

Anyways, Moroha uses her most powerful attack which is something her grandpa, the Daiyoukai Toga created but had evolved into something more her own. Towa is similar with her using her most powerful attack that came from her father but this time, changed into something of her own. Kirinmaru notices and while blocking off their attacks actually talks to them basically saying “These techniques you’re using that originally came from your grandfather and father respectively have been changed into something else by yourselves so you guys should rename them appropriately.”

He said it so calmly before defeating them afterwards. I thought “lol this guy sounds like a teacher.”

Hehehe

#yashahime #hanyou no yashahime #yashahime: princess half demon #inuyasha #anime #sana_post

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hirazuki · 3 years

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Ooo I'm curious about your hot takes on the Inuyasha reboot after reading your tags 👀

Ahaha, where to start XD Idk if they are hot takes, but here are my thoughts in bullet point form for coherency, I couldn’t figure out how else to organize them. Under a cut, as usual, because it got lengthy... as usual :D

We are 13 episodes in, and I still have no idea wtf is going on or what the series is actually about. And yes, I’m aware that we didn’t know of Naraku’s existence or of the overarching plot until at least episode 16 of that series either and Inuyasha was still very episodic in nature at that early point too, but here’s the thing: Inuyasha did not build upon a pre-existing series. For better or for worse, Yashahime has certain expectations to live up to that the original anime didn’t, by virtue of its being a sequel. Unfair? Maybe, but tough; that’s what happens when you make a sequel. Additionally, despite us not knowing The Main Plot™ of Inuyasha until later, the basic framework for it was laid out clearly by... episode 2? I think? Find and collect the Shikon Jewel shards. Boom, done. Were there distractions or fillers? Sure, but you never got the sense that the characters simply up and forgot about the shards. Even in fillers, the shards often made some kind of appearance. With Yashahime, there’s like three potential storylines going on: 1. The most obvious: most of our main cast from the OG is missing; where are they? Apparently no one in-story cares! :D Inuyasha, who’s that lol. I’m all for a sequel focusing on the new generation with cameos of the old crew; after all, they already had their own series. But this is like... no one cares about them? No one talks about them? And the more characters go about not mentioning them, the stronger their absence is felt. Like, for instance, Kaede knows Moroha is InuKag’s daughter. Moroha grew up on her own, doesn’t know her parents. Kaede doesn’t mention them to Moroha, doesn’t even spare a passing thought about them for the audience’s benefit, Moroha doesn’t ask. Kagome’s family in the present day meet Moroha, recognize her as Kagome’s daughter and... say nothing??? Souta shows Towa Kagome and Inuyasha’s old photos, but doesn’t say a word to Moroha?! Like. It makes no sense. By people not even acknowledging their existence, it makes the fact that they are nowhere to be found even weirder. Also the new gen girls don’t care about their parents or finding out who they were/are... like, okay, it would maybe be in character for one or two of them, but all three don’t give a fuck??? 2. Kirinmaru/the rainbow pearls: Idk how familiar you are with the story, but similar deal with Naraku and the shards here. Kirinmaru is being set up as the villain, still a mysterious figure; our new gen trio is supposed to collect the rainbow pearls that... some of his henchmen have? Or he is after them? Or is that Riku? Unclear. ANYWAY the new gen girls often forget all about the pearls’ existence :D 3. Setsuna’s memories: Setsuna’s dreams have been stolen by the dream butterfly and they need to get them back, because without her dreams she has no memories and is unable to sleep. Cool! Finally a solid, easy-to-follow plot line! Except wait! Towa, who supposedly made it her goal to get Setsuna’s sleep back, forgets all about it! All the time! Like, none of them make an effort to look into this other than being like “oh yeah, know anything about the dream butterfly?” to random folks every now and then. The Inugang back in the day was putting some grad school level research towards their goals, just saying. It just feels like everything’s all wishy-washy and there’s nothing really solid tying the series together. People just remember shit exists when it’s convenient.

Character development is MIA. I’m not expecting ground-breaking char dev in 13 episodes (though I do know 12 episode series that were phenomenal in that regard), but like... I do expect the series to focus on building the dynamics between the main three characters. So far, the series is more focused on teasing the audience with glimpses and promises of the OG cast instead. The creators are using nostalgia and bait (esp of a certain pairing) to drive interest in the series, rather than developing the new characters as fully-fledged characters for their own sakes.

Moroha is was the only thing I actually liked about the series. She is a little spitfire and you can somehow instantly see both Inuyasha and Kagome in her, while she also remains very uniquely herself; I have never seen such a successfully developed main pairing child in any series. She featured quite prominently in the first few episodes -- and unlike both her parents, she’s got a great memory and knowledge of lore -- where she balanced funny moments with badass fighting moments and being the token supernatural encyclopedia. It was great! And then... they’ve like... forgotten her. She’s been left behind so many times by the twins. She’s the butt of every joke. She’s become the type of comic relief that’s, well, insulting. More like a buffoon than anything else. And it’s basically all for the sake of giving the floor to Towa :/

Setsuna is okay. Not offensive, but unremarkable. She’s got her dad’s personality but like way toned down due to her different growing up circumstances, which is nice, but like... I feel she isn’t given any room to grow or breathe or anything. She’s also basically there as a device to enhance Towa’s development.

Towa... oy. I tried to like her, I really did, but she just doesn’t work for me. They set her up having a very Kurosaki Ichigo type deal with beating up bullies and getting into trouble at school and shit -- I’m fine with that. That’s cool. Esp if it’s linked to not feeling like she fits in bc she’s a hanyou? Awesome. Except once she travels back in time to the feudal era it’s all “Oh killing is bad you shouldn’t kill people” and “even though they attacked me I can’t possibly hurt them” and “you need to empathize and talk things out” and “friendship is magic” and shit. It feels like she had a personality transplant, it literally makes no sense. Her design is totally nonsensical too -- out of everyone at her school, she’s the only one dressed in a bright white suit? Do protags not wear the school uniform? Someone should tell Kagome lmao. She’s a pro at hand to hand, and she can absorb demons’ powers and fling them back at them like a personified Tessaiga, and she has a lightsaber sword, and she’s immune to miasma, and -- like... you get it. It’s too much. It’s way too OP for the type of universe that Inuyasha/Yashahime is set in. She’s hanyou for fuck’s sake; remember all the training Inuyasha had to go through? When he couldn’t lift his sword? When his sword attacked him? Sango, Miroku, Kagome, even Sesshomaru all had trouble with their weapons and had to work to become stronger. But Towa? Nope. Towa is straight out of the Yas Queen/Girl Boss manual, so she gets a free pass on everything.

UGH they are doing the VLD/bad writing thing where things happen (like, BIG THINGS) and none of the characters actually react to them. Or stuff happens and there are no consequences. No one ever talks about anything. It’s wild.

Everyone has amnesia!! :D People either don’t know or don’t remember anything or anyone. People who absolutely should know things all of a sudden magically don’t know them. Like, Kohaku -- traveled with an undead priestess, spent years in the company of demons, traveled with Sesshomaru... and yet had NO CLUE that Setsuna is Sesshomaru’s daughter or that she is hanyou, despite her living and working with his team of demon slayers all this time. Like... how, man. How. And Kaede! Don’t get me started. Since when does she perpetuate random demon-boogeyman type stories as facts? Demon children will kill each other in the nest so that only the strongest one will survive, therefore Setsuna must have killed Towa when they were infants. O_O What are they, sharks? Has she been hanging out with Kisame? Wtf?? And she’s speaking about Sess’s kids as though she doesn’t know him or anything about him, when she has had Rin under her roof all these years. It just makes. no. sense.

Things that happened in the original series are happening again now! Because that’s the best we’ve got, recycled plot elements wooo! No, but really, characters that died or things that were resolved in Inuyasha keep coming back. Why? What was the purpose of bringing back Kinka and Ginka? To have a foil for Towa and Setsuna as twins? Someone please tell Sunrise they can just create new characters. Like, it’s one thing to have call backs to the original or cameos, references, whatever. But like... this is entire (dead) characters and interactions.

No one knows how long it’s been since the original series ended. Fans initially heard 20 years from promo material, then “over 15″ and “10 years since” in-series regarding two different events, and now in a future episode summary we’ve gotten 18 years since Hosenki II gave Inuyasha the black pearl. But like, which black pearl? Because the one in Inuyasha’s eye doesn’t exist anymore, but Hosenki II had told Inuyasha that it would take 100 years for him to produce one. So, are we retconning that or where the fuck did it come from? Also, this doesn’t help one bit, it just confuses things even more. Back to the point, though, we have no coherent timeline or real frame of reference whatsoever, and I’m betting it’s in large part to keep the mystery of who is Sesshomaru’s wife going, as it keeps Rin’s age very vague. Everything is vague and mysterious in Yashahime, to the point where no one knows what’s going on, in fandom or in-story even. It’s kinda like how too much plot twist/shock reveal ruins a story, too much mystery does the same. It’s insane that both shippers and antis of that ship can lay equal claim that the “18 years since” announcement works in their favor.

tl;dr: Idk man, Yashahime is a clusterfuck of a series. Even if the mother of Sess’s twins is either of the characters I ship him with, I will still not like the series. There’s no saving this writing. Every episode feels like this:

#baked-hylian #i've been wanting to rant for a while about this series thanks for enabling me! :D #i'm actually not upset about this sequel which is amazing; i thought for sure it would impact my love for the OG but nope!#it is so wild and out there that my brain literally cannot comprehend it as part of the same material #i'm just watching it out of the kind of morbid curiosity you'd watch a horrifying experiment with #and watching the fandom drama too ofc #popcorn in hand #so it's a win-win all around ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#talk: yh

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landofanimes · 4 years

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NITPICKING over the YashaHime designs/colors! With character commentaries too

There is WAY to much red on Moroha’s design. She has several articles of clothing and they’re ALL red!!!! (Except for her undershirt). Yes I KNOW Inu-Yasha himself walks around in red from head to toe (well, from neck to ankles) but his are only 2 pieces of clothing (plus the undershirt)!!!! Moroha has gloves, legwarmers, a bow AND a cape as accessories and they’re ALL red!!!! Two shades of red, but still! Why not make one or two of these white? (r.i.p. the white bow, it’s still canon in my heart!) Or black, I don’t know, some other color, geez. I like her outfit, I like the cape and bow, but honestly. Colors.

Also I love that she has Inu-Yasha’s personality but I hope they show us she takes after her mom in some ways too (I’m glad she seems to have inherited the spiritual powers and is also an archer!). PS: How come she grew up alone, like??? OK I get Inuyasha and Kagome are obviously missing but Kohaku seems to be around and he is basically her uncle so??? Where did this kid end up??

A little intrigued over the twins’ eye colors and their red streak of hair...Are the streaks natural or are they dyed? It’s probably natural but it’s kinda weird it’s just this one streak....Someone pointed out those colors are all from Sesshoumaru’s face markings and like, yes, true but...why the hell would the marks on his SKIN end up on his kids’ hair and EYES?? Then again this is anime we’re talking about, I can’t really expect much sense in their genetics can I? It would have been cool if they had some markings on their faces too actually...Anyways...Again, a little intrigued, but not gonna give it much thought because like I just said, it’s anime.

I’m not very fond of Towa’s outfit tbh but eh, it’s fine. People seem to like it though! I’m also a little intrigued over her personality, though it makes sense she is more soft considering she was raised by Souta, not Sesshoumaru. Setsuna on the other hand seems to be just like Sesshoumaru, but did he even get to raise her? As for her design, I just find the fur on her boots weird, but other than that, it’s cool.

Additional thought: They are at least 50% youkai and honestly, they don’t seem to have enough youkai features? I mean, at least Towa has the silver hair, but Setsuna just looks human! With purple(?) eyes, ok, but still. Seems like a flaw in the design to me

Hisui has Miroku’s face!!!! And uses beads on his arm!!! And wields a (the?) Hiraikotsu!!! And flies around with Kirara!!! :D But wait that means Kirara is not with Sango! D:

Also hmm now that I think about it I’m not sure I want it to be THE Hiraikotsu...But it probably is....I mean, Sango is badass anyway, and passing down her weapon to one of her kids makes sense and is cool but the hanyo girls have their own weapons, which means Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru kept their swords... Hmm I don’t know. [EDIT: Yep, it’s Sango’s Hiraikotsu]. Also since he is a demon slayer like his mother, it would have been cool if he wore purple like his father? Does this color came from Kohaku? That could be nice...Not like they all have to wear colors after someone but....Maybe one of his sisters wears purple? That would be cool too... By the way

Where!!!! are!!!! the other MirSan kids?????? Glad we finally got to see ONE of them - After the main 3 designs were out I was afraid we wouldn’t see any in the beginning of the series - but still!!!! the others?? Someone even pointed out it was weird we had these Sesshoumaru twins but no sign of the twin girls we actually see in the original series???? Are they demon slayers too? At least one of them gotta be, right?! And they wherever Sango and Miroku are? Was Hisui separated from them long ago too?? so many questions!!!

Kohaku looks good! I mean, he didn’t change much - though I wonder if there wasn’t anything better to add to his design than that little cape thingy? And why does it have red in it? Kinda clashes with the rest of the outfit. I know capes are cool, I like they added something to him, but it t looks kinda weird, I don’t know. I mean, can live with that, but eh....

I gotta say though, I wasn’t expecting Kohaku to be much relevant in this series, considering they’re leaving the old gang out of the picture but!!!! It’s fitting, it’s cool, yes I like it, yes good!!! :D Also like, he obviously mentored those kids, as he is the head of the clan, so he is clearly the cool uncle? I hadn’t even thought about that before but niiiiice

On a different note, here’s to hope we get Kouga’s kid(s) at some point too!!!! I mean, I think it’s a given - if the series gets far enough, we’ll surely meet them, right? Also I want to see grown up Shippou!!!! Who, by the way, has a stand-in in the new group too? This funny looking raccoon youkai? what? okay I guess...Anyway....

Also whenever the parents show up, it would be cool if they had updated outfits or some new accessories - having the old gen looking exactly the same is such a boring decision...

#hanyo no yashahime #yashahime princess half demon #moroha #hisui #kohaku #towa higurashi #setsuna #inuyasha #takechiyo #apologies for the excessive use of 'also' and 'though' but apparently that's all that comes to me when writing like this

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mamabearcat · 5 years

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Into the Woods - Part One

Yes, as usual, it started as a one shot and then.... maaaaybe three parts to this? Not sure what to rate this one - it’s sorta dark but no more graphic than the original manga I guess, where people get ripped apart on the daily. For the moment, I’m gonna say T. Listened to The Cure’s Lullaby while writing this one...

On candy stripe legs the Spiderman comes Softly through the shadow of the evening sun Stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead Looking for the victim shivering in bed Searching out fear in the gathering gloom and Suddenly A movement in the corner of the room And there is nothing I can do When I realize with fright That the Spiderman is having me for dinner tonight

Tagging everyone who asked to be @clearwillow @keichanz @redflamesofpassion @xxracheyxx You know what to do if you wanna join the tag train.

Kagome’s heart thudded in her ears as she careered out of the doorway, half fastened boots slipping on the gravelled path. The plastic toggle on the drawstring of her oversized red hoodie whipped into her cheek as she skidded around the corner of the house. The chilled mountain air felt harsh, catching in her throat as she gasped for breath, the oxygen in her lungs stolen by the horrifying images just left behind.

A vision of her loving grandfather’s face, his features twisted almost beyond recognition into a mask of lust and violence swam before her eyes and she pushed it away, madly dashing towards the crumbling steps leading downwards towards the moss-covered Torii gate, uncaring of the high possibility of falling and snapping her neck in her eagerness to get away.

“There’s no point running little girl. I seeee yooouu.”

Kagome smothered a sound midway between a terrified shriek and a sob behind her shaking hand. A childhood memory of hide and seek with her grandfather tore at her, made her gasp, tears threatening to spill. It was still her grandfather’s voice, but she knew. She knew it wasn’t him.

She began running down the eroded stone steps, her loose boots almost tripping her up. The worn dirt path stretched out ahead of her, a clear escape route all the way to the main road. But wouldn’t he expect her to use the path? The road was a forty-minute hike away, and it was doubtful that any cars would be travelling towards the isolated shrine at dusk. And what if he caught up to her? He’d already proven that even though he looked like her grandfather, his strength and speed wasn’t that of a frail man in his late seventies.

Her thoughts leaped towards the only other person she’d seen in the forest today – the grumpy woodcutter who’d warned her to stay on the path, the inu youkai with silver hair and ears and piercing amber eyes. Could she find him in the dwindling light? He’d told her he lived in the forest, but she had no idea where.

The only thing she could do was run. Mama was far away in Tokyo. No one else apart from the woodcutter even knew she was here. No one would be coming to save her. Choking back another sob she plunged into the increasing gloom of the forest next to the path and ran, heedless of the sharp twigs tearing bloodied scratches into her pale skin.

---

“Are you sure you have everything you need honey?”

Kagome smiled at her mother as she shrugged her yellow backpack onto her shoulder, heavy with a week’s worth of clothes and her mother’s gifts of food for her grandfather.

“Yup, I’m all set.” She knew the tightness around her mother’s eyes and mouth were due to more than the early morning start to make it to the station on time; she was really worried about Grandpa. Kagome was glad that she could ease her mother’s burden by travelling to the isolated mountain shrine to check up on him.

“You know I’ll be there by Sunday, right?” The slightly shaky tone of her mother’s voice confirmed Kagome’s theory. “I’m so sorry I can’t come straight away, but there’s no one available to take over the project at work, and with Souta having his high school entrance exams this week… Grandpa sounded so frail and frightened on the phone, not like himself at all, and I just…”

“Mama, calm down! It’s not like I’m a little kid anymore - we’ve been over this.” She stroked her mother’s arm, trying to reassure her. “I’m happy that I can go check on Grandpa. It’s just lucky that I have time before my next semester begins at university.” She smiled at her mother, watching her take a deep calming breath. “And besides, I haven’t visited the shrine yet since he moved there. It’ll be nice to have time to visit with him and breathe a little fresh mountain air.”

“You remember which bus to catch from the station right?” fussed her mother in a worried tone. “And you’ve got the map? Make sure you get there before it’s dark, the forest trails can be slippery if it rains or gets foggy. And make sure you stay on the path – I don’t want to get a call to tell me you’ve broken your leg getting your foot stuck in a fox hole or something.”

“Mama, you worry too much!” Kagome grinned, leaning forward to embrace the slightly shorter woman in a swift hug. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see; Grandpa probably just has a bad cold, and after I pamper him for a few days with all the food you’ve packed he’ll be feeling much better, chewing my ear off with one of those old youkai folktales he used to tell me at bedtime. You might not even have to come at the end of the week – I promise I’ll call tonight and let you know how things are.”

Her mother returned her hug tightly, pressing her cheek against Kagome’s and rocking her slightly from side to side. “I know, honey, I know, I’m probably worrying over nothing, but just humour your mother okay? I just have a feeling that somethings not right. Please, please be careful.”

The whooshing sound of the Shinkansen approaching the station cut short their conversation. Kagome lined up behind the number painted on the platform that corresponded to her assigned carriage. She blew her mother a final kiss as the door slid open and stepped onto the train.

---

Kagome swung her backpack down to the ground, and pushed her hands into the small of her back glad to be able to stretch after sitting on public transport all day. She had been walking up the steep mountain trail for about twenty minutes, and guessed she was about halfway to the shrine. Time for a little break and she definitely deserved a snack. She sat down on a moss-covered log next to the path, sipping water and munching appreciatively on the pale pink mochi bought at the little family run stall near the bus stop at the base of the mountain trail. It was well past her usual lunch time, and the sakura mochi sweetened with red bean paste was just what she’d needed.

Her mind pondered the weird interaction with the stall owner as she swallowed the last mouthful. She’d been chatting happily to the smiling old lady after she made her choice and handed over her coins, and it had been a total surprise when the woman had gasped in horror when she’d explained where she was travelling. The tiny woman had shuffled away into a back room, pushing aside the sun faded noren that hung in the doorway and returning moments later with a small object clutched in her arthritic hand. She had thrust it into Kagome’s palm – a yakuyoke omamori.

“For protection against evil”, she’d whispered, looking around suspiciously as if they might be overheard by someone, folding Kagome’s fingers over the small yellow brocade talisman and squeezing them tight. “Stay on the path – I warned your Grandfather, but he refused to listen.” Before Kagome could thank her, she’d disappeared behind the fabric divider again. The conversation was obviously over.

Kagome pulled the small rectangular amulet out of the pocket of her cut off denim shorts and held it in her palm again. She held it up by the looped string, watched it twisting in the sunlight filtering down through the green canopy above, the gold brocade glinting. She smiled indulgently at the old woman’s superstition. Her Grandfather was the same; he’d been brought up in a Shinto shrine and still followed the old ways.

He had spent many hours telling her traditional stories about youkai and miko, and his childhood growing up in a shrine. She’d even considered taking on a part-time position as a miko at a nearby shrine while she completed her university degree as a way to earn a little extra, seeing she was already familiar with many of the duties. But then she’d found a job at her local café that fit her lecture timetable and nursing placement at the hospital, so she hadn’t pursued it, even though she was sure it would have made her Grandfather very proud.

Mama had been a little worried about Grandpa moving back to the mountain shrine traditionally run by his family, but Kagome had understood. He’d moved from Kumamoto prefecture to Tokyo to help look after them when Papa had died, but he’d never really been happy there. Now that his older brother had passed away, he was the last person left to take over as caretaker, unless her or Souta decided to move here.

She breathed in the clean crisp air, enjoying the novelty of solitude. A gentle breeze rushed through the branches above, reminding her of the sound of the sea. Small birds chirped nearby, and black and white butterflies flittered through the soft beams of afternoon sunlight dappling the dirt path in front of her. She took another deep breath. All was quiet and tranquil, so different from the constant bustle of Tokyo. There probably wasn’t another soul around for miles.

“You know, that little scrap a cloth ain’t gonna do shit for ya.”

Kagome shrieked, jumping up from her seat on the fallen log and away from the deep voice that had whispered directly into her ear. She twisted, almost losing her balance and tripping over as she turned abruptly to see who had broken the silence.

A man was standing there behind the log. Lean, but broad shouldered and a whole head taller than her, a teasing grin on his face. No wait – fangs? Along with claws, short silver hair and… were those dog ears? A youkai then? Kagome wasn’t frightened; she had a few friends at university who were youkai. Shippou was one of her best friends, and Jinenji wouldn’t hurt a fly. She frowned at the grinning male, taking in his black and red checked jacket, dusty jeans and axe resting on his shoulder as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

“You scared me you jerk! What are you, some kind of wood cutter?”

“That’s exactly what I am”, he smirked. “And I take it you are lost.”

Kagome bristled slightly at the insinuation. Obviously, he was under the impression that the weak little woman needed saving. “No, I’m not lost! I know exactly where I’m going. I’m walking that way”, she said, pointing up the mountain path.

“Then you’re headin’ in the wrong direction woman. The main road’s back behind you.”

Kagome hmphed, crossing her arms. “Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not headed to the main road. I’m walking up to the shrine.”

The tall man’s eyebrows lowered, and he frowned at her, shrugging the wooden axe handle from his shoulder to drop the heavy metal blade on the forest floor with a dull thud. “Why would ya wanna go up there? It’s just a long dusty walk with not much to look at. Nothin’ interesting, no pretty stalls to buy trinkets at, no food, not even a vending machine. You’re wastin’ ya time. You’d better head on back to the road before the last bus comes.”

“Shows how much you know. My Grandpa lives there, he moved there about three months ago. I’m going to visit him.”

The man’s amber eyes widened in surprise. “So, you’re jiji’s granddaughter huh? He’s a stubborn old coot.”

Kagome frowned at him. “You just told me that no-one lived there!”

He smirked, leaning forward a little. “No, if you’d been listening woman, you’d know that I said there was nothing of interest up there – that’s not a lie.”

“Hey, don’t be rude!”

He sighed, scratching his chin with a clawed forefinger and looking upwards to the tree line above as if the conversation was already boring him. “Well, since you’re related to him, and he is kinda my neighbour, I suppose I should introduce myself. Name’s Inuyasha.” He nodded his head in what Kagome supposed could be called an approximation of a bow.

Kagome sighed, clasping her fingers together on her thighs and leaning forward. Just because he was an overly macho grump didn’t mean she couldn’t be polite. “My name is Higurashi Kagome. It’s a pleasure to meet you Inuyasha-san.”

He grinned at her again, one white fang poking over his bottom lip. “It ain’t nice to lie to people Higurashi – no one’s ever been pleased to meet me my whole life, and I doubt you’re gonna be the first.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him as she straightened up. “My apologies Inuyasha-san”, she huffed. “My Grandpa is expecting me.” She swung her heavy backpack up onto her shoulders and turned to continue up the mountain path. A grumbling growl followed her.

“Hey, Higurashi Kagome.” She paused. “If you are gonna waste your time goin’ up there, keep your wits about you. You’ve got a couple a hours before sunset, make sure you get there before it gets dark. And stay on the path.”

Kagome turned to face him again, her eyebrow twitching. “You’re the third person to say that to me today. I didn’t think there were any bears left in Kyushu!”

“It ain’t bears ya gotta worry about around here”, he said with a growl. “Just stay on the path Higurashi. And trust your gut!” With that he shouldered his axe and turned to head off into the trees.

“Hey, what about you?!” Kagome yelled behind him as he disappeared in amongst the trees, only the occasional flash of white or red showing his whereabouts, his progress through the heavily wooded forest almost silent.

“Doesn’t apply to me woman; I live here! And I ain’t a weak human like you are. Stay on the path!”

“Jerk!” Grumbling, Kagome hitched her backpack more comfortably on her shoulders and shoved the tiny talisman back in her pocket. If she never saw that grump again, it would be too soon for her.

___

“Grandpa, are you here? It’s me Kagome!” She tapped on the door of the little house behind the shrine. The shrine building and grounds had been still and empty, the bell silent, no incense burning in the large holder, and twigs and leaves littering the gravel around it. Maybe Grandpa wasn’t feeling well enough to sweep them away? The little house seemed silent also, and a small shard of disquiet lodged in Kagome’s chest. What if Mama was right, and there was something really wrong with Grandpa? She tried the front door, but it was locked firmly.

The windows at the front were covered by blinds, so Kagome headed around the side of the house. A small window near the back of the house was uncovered, and she cupped her hands around her face, trying to peer in. The late afternoon sunshine lit up the small kitchen and the scene inside increased her worry. The sink was filled with more than a day’s worth of dirty dishes, and broken glass and spilled rice littered the floor. The door to the refrigerator was wide open.

Kagome ran to the rear of the house, knocking frantically on the back door. “Grandpa! Grandpa, can you hear me? Are you okay? Please open the door!” She twisted the doorknob, and sighed in relief when she found it unlocked. She dropped her backpack and loosened the tops of her hiking boots, toeing them off next to her Grandfather’s neatly arranged shoes.

“Grandpa? Grandpa, where are you?” Kagome ran into the kitchen, stepping carefully around the broken glass on the wooden floor to avoid cutting her sock clad feet. The small tatami room off to one side was empty save for a low table and seating cushions. The short hallway ended in a bathroom; an open bottle of pain medication left on the sink.

Kagome slid open the door to the next room – her Grandfather’s sleeping futon was still laid out on the tatami mats, the quilt messily turned aside. Kagome was beginning to panic now. She had never known her Grandfather to leave his futon out after sleeping. She glanced unhappily around the room for clues to his whereabouts, her hands clenching and unclenching, but there was nothing except for dust motes drifting through bright beams of sunlight filtering through the paper shoji screens.

She walked back to the kitchen unsure of what to do. Should she call Mama straight away? She pulled her phone out of her pocket, noticing that her battery was nearly dead – she’d been reading and listening to music on the train and bus for hours, so she wasn’t surprised. But calling Mama without knowing where Grandpa was would just frighten her. What should she do? She turned to close the door of the refrigerator and was startled by a sudden tap on her shoulder.

“Grandpa!” She dropped her phone in her surprise, flinging her arms around the old man and bending down to hug him close. “Where were you, I was so worried!” She pulled back to look at his face. His eyes looked bloodshot and his eyelashes were wet, and it looked like there were traces of tears on his pale cheeks. Had he been crying? And the way he was looking at her was like he didn’t recognise her at all!

“Grandpa?” she said uncertainly. “Are you okay? It’s me, Kagome.”

His eyes blinked, and then a wide smile curved his lips. “Ah, Kagome my child, it’s good to see you. Your mother said you would be visiting during your semester break. How are your studies progressing?”

“Never mind that Grandpa! What happened?” She pointed towards the broken glass and spilled rice on the floor.

The old man shrugged and walked towards the broom resting against the refrigerator. “Nothing to worry about. I’ve had a slight cold this week. I was making lunch and had a bit of a dizzy spell. I decided to go sit in the open air outside the shrine and clear my head a little before I cleaned up.”

Kagome bit her lip, trying to push back the pure panic that had been rushing through her only moments before. “But why didn’t I see you? I looked everywhere for you Grandpa!”

Kagome blinked. For a moment, she had thought she saw a look of extreme anger on her Grandfather’s face, but she must have been mistaken. Her Grandfather reached up and patted her shoulder.

“We must have just missed each other dear girl. Go sit down and I’ll make some tea.”

“No, no, I’ll do it. You haven’t been well, and that’s why I’m visiting after all. Please let me look after you Grandpa.” He smiled at her indulgently.

“Very well, if you insist. I’ll go sit down.” She watched him walk out of the kitchen, his steps a little uncertain, like he was still dizzy. She was concerned, but thankful. Things weren’t as bad as she had feared. She would look after him for a few days, and he would be back to his normal blustery self.

---

Kagome bustled around the little kitchen, putting the kettle on the stove and emptying her backpack of the treats her mother had made to bring, twisted azuki bread, tiny matcha butter cookies and a selection of her Grandfather’s favourite tea. She put a plate of treats and a cup of tea on a tray for him, trying to make it look as beautifully presented as Mama would have, and carried it into the tatami room where he was seated on a cushion, gazing at nothing with a vacant expression on his face.

He turned his head towards her at her as she entered the room. She noticed his eyes still looked a little bloodshot; even his iris looked different, the usual dark brown looking almost dark red. He blinked at her, taking a moment to respond to her presence as if he had been deep in thought. Maybe he had a headache? He tilted his head to look at the tray.

“Thank you, child, this looks lovely.”

Smiling happily, Kagome placed the tray down in front of him. “It’s no problem at all Grandpa. I’m just going to go clean up in the kitchen, and then start on dinner okay? Drink your tea before it gets cold.” She watched him reach for the cup, tremors shaking fingers as he reached for his tea. He was definitely ill, but knowing him, he was probably hiding exactly how ill he was from her. She almost chuckled, thinking of what that rude woodcutter she’d met on the trail had said to her earlier - he really was a stubborn old coot wasn’t he.

Kagome plugged in her phone to charge, then finished the washing up, leaving it on the side of the sink to dry, ready to put away later. She used the broom to sweep the spilled rice and broken glass into a little heap near the bin, but couldn’t find a dustpan and brush. Rather than disturb her grandfather, she picked up the biggest pieces with her fingers. A jagged piece sliced across her palm and she dropped the collected glass with a yelp.

“Is everything alright granddaughter?”

“Don’t worry Grandpa, just a little cut, everything’s okay”, she called back. Holding her other hand under her dripping palm she walked over to the now empty sink, wondering where her grandfather might keep his first aid kit. She didn’t think the cut was deep enough to need stitching, but it was stinging quite badly. She must have nicked a blood vessel, because it seemed to be bleeding a lot. She turned on the tap, ready to run it under the water, when her grandfather’s hand shot out from behind her and grabbed hold of her wrist.

“Show me your hand.” Kagome flinched. How did he get into the kitchen so fast, when he had looked so dizzy before? And his voice sounded… odd. Not caring like it usually would if she had injured herself. She turned to look at him as he inspected her palm carefully, the bright red blood pooling in her cupped hand.

“Grandpa, please, it’s gonna drip everywhere and make a mess. Let me… ow, you’re hurting me!’

His grip on her wrist was suddenly fierce, and she whimpered trying to tug her arm back. When did her frail Grandfather suddenly get this strong? His slightly long fingernails were almost piercing her skin and it felt like the bones in her wrist were close to cracking. “Grandpa, please stop!” She tried to look into his eyes to catch his attention, but he seemed to be almost mesmerised by the warm blood that was now beginning to run down her wrist and over his fingers.

“It smells so sweet”, he muttered to himself, ignoring Kagome’s whimpers and efforts to pull back her hand entirely. “I can sense the power of it. Who would have thought such a prize would come to me willingly? I had thought to wait until the mother arrived, but it would be a shame to waste this.” He suddenly jammed the forefinger of his other hand into the open wound and Kagome shrieked, watching him with horror as he pulled back his finger and placed it into his mouth, tasting her blood. He moaned softly, almost like a lover would, then bent his head to slurp and lick the blood out of her palm, pulling at the cut with his other hand to encourage the blood flow.

Kagome tugged backwards frantically trying to get away, her sock covered feet slipping on the wooden floor. This made absolutely no sense. Had her Grandfather gone insane? Had the isolation of the shrine made him crazy? This couldn’t be real! She moaned in horror and he looked up at her, his lips, teeth and chin coated in her blood. His irises were pure red, full of rage and lust and a horrible stench reached her nose, like rotten meat. He grinned at her; his once kindly face unrecognisable.

“No need to prepare dinner Kagome-chan”, he grinned malevolently. “I already have plans.” Purplish black miasma began to leak out of his eyes and mouth and Kagome felt her stomach turn. She reached behind her frantically with her other hand, feeling for anything that might aid her escape. Her fist closed around a heavy cast iron fry pan and she swung it at her Grandfather’s head with all her might, connecting with the side of his skull. There was a flash of bright pink light and she heard a wet cracking sound. The crushing grip on her arm loosened.

Kagome tore her arm away and bolted towards the doorway, shoving her feet haphazardly in her boots. She couldn’t look behind her. She felt like she needed to vomit, but she held it in, retching as she slid open the door, ignoring the beauty of the sunset highlighting the sea of green stretched out below as far as the eye could see. She had hit him. What if she’d killed him? What if she’d killed her own grandfather?

“Kagomeee-chaan…”

Kagome put down her head and ran, shuddering with horror. Whoever it was in that kitchen, it wasn’t her Grandfather.

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Into the Woods - Part 2

#Into the Woods #inuyasha fanfic #inukag fanfic #inukag #inuyasha x kagome #Bearpluscat fanfics

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drink-n-watch · 5 years

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Let me tell you something, Montreal only exists in wave and snaps. Heat waves and cold snaps. That’s it. OK, here are maybe 4 days in October which are quite nice but the rest of the time… waves and snaps. We are currently in the former although I don’t think I have any right to complain considering what’s happening in Europe. But it’s all good when you have a cool anime to chill with on the weekend! How has your week been Crow? (Crow is bold, like brass!)

So I’m brassy bold? I like that! I’m going through a wetter than typical Ohio summer, which means 90+ (Fahrenheit — I know, we’re behind the times here in the States!) and humidity that exceeds the theoretical maximum! But your point about Europe is well-taken! No complaints here!

Let’s jump into it, shall we?

here we go

As you may recall, last week ended on Tanjiro interrupting Boar Boy as he was about to skewer Zenitsu for protecting Nezuko’s box. We got the few last seconds of episode 13 as an opening tag to get us in the mood and I must say, a bloodied Zenitsu desperately holding onto the box may just be my spirit animal!

I love your summary! Great word economy and it got me all caught up!

After the opening credits, we finally get the payoff to Tanjiro’s lunge and it was impressive. You could really feel that impact…for about half a second. Boar Boy is brash and difficult to take. He’s a violent dumb caricature that seems to be played for laughs, but when you are actively attempting to murder most of the main cast (in a series that has not been shy about killing off people), it’s not as funny as it could be.

This said I liked the fight.

I want to be like him when I grow up

After having a few bones broken by Tanjiro’s punch and listening to a speech about how Demon Slayers don’t draw swords against each other, Boar Boy takes the most direct approach possible and decides to attack Tanjiro bare handed right then and there. There was a slight subversion of expectations at the beginning as Boar Boy seems utterly unphased, even unbothered by the situation, simply switching from one sparring partner to another. This made the character more interesting to me.

Moreover, the fighting choreography was beautiful. Boary has an unorthodox low fighting style that incorporates a lot of leg sweeps, kicks and impressive flexibility. Paired with ufotable’s great animation, it was just fun to watch. Which is good, cause this fight lasted a while. Did you enjoy it as well?

I did, for the same reasons you mentioned. I liked how it showed Tanjiro with a little more inner conflict than usual — he didn’t want to fight, but he was still really steamed about what Boar Boy tried to do to Nezuko. Also, we got another example of Tanjiro analyzing his opponent’s style and trying to adapt. I love those little insights.

good time to have this type of discussion

Right at the end of the fight we finally get a Boar Boy reveal. We see his face I mean. Everyone in the show says he looks like a girl but I would not have noticed. Did he seem feminine to you Crow?

Honestly, no. Maybe I’ve seen Working!! too many times (remember how Souta Takanashi often had to dress as a woman to keep from triggering the crazy training Mahiru Inami’s dad had given her? Guess I kinda got used to the idea that features aren’t binary!), but he just looked like he had delicate features. I loved Tanjiro’s reaction to Boar Boy’s challenge asking if they had a problem with his face. “”We don’t have a problem with your face! It’s quite petite, fair-skinned, and therefore attractive!”

Could he be any more diplomatic? I think Tanjiro is weaponizing “nice,” which we see several times later in this episode!

imagine him with a red shag and receiving hairline…face is pretty much the same as Tanjiro’s non?

For all intents and purposes, Tanjirou wins the fight and we have a few quiet moments as Zenitsu, Tanjiro and the kids make good on their promise to bury the victims as Inosuke (Boar Boy) recovers.

I thought it was sweet how both Tanjiro and Zenitsu used their kimonos as makeshift bedding for Inosuke.

It really showed their character, didn’t it? Despite the beating Inosuke tried to give them, they still didn’t want to leave him lying unprotected on the ground. I’m warming up to Zenitsu more and more in this episode! Of course, we expect that level of consideration from Tanjiro.

As soon as Inosuke wakes up though, he goes straight back to aggressive jerk mode, demanding to fight everyone. It’s here that we get the origin to what becomes a running joke throughout the episode (and I suspect the series). Namely, Inosuke almost obsessively trying to taunt Tanjiro into lashing out just to have the latter respond with oblivious kindness and compassion.

dude, the kids are worried about YOU

Sure that’s in line with Tanjiro’s character, but when you have small traumatized children and *Zenitsu* embarrassed for you, you may want to take a step back!

Even as I laughed at Tanjiro’s reaction, I had to wonder if nice raised to the level of obliviousness is a self defense mechanism? Or is there a small piece of Tanjiro that realizes how incensed his niceness is to Inosuke?

Since Tanjiro won’t fight him, Inosuke decides to headbutt threes at full speed instead, something else he will be doing for the rest of the episode. I’m not sure if this is a long-standing habit of Boar Boy’s or he is simply trying to toughen up his skull since Tanjiro won by headbutt.

Not sure that fracturing his skull will in any way toughen it! And besides, Tanjiro’s forehead apparently had Legendary Hardness(™). I really don’t think Insouke is going to be able to catch up!

good call!

Before they can finish properly giving their respects to the dead, Tanjro’s crow shows up and tells them it’s time to leave the mountain, which they do. Along the way, the kids decide to head home, leaving the three Demon Slayers on their own and oh boy….

Zenitsu goes back to being overzealous in his fantastic fear of everything, only now, he has a loud obnoxious character in the background. On more than one occasion Tanjiro looked like he just wanted to beat them both up right then and there. With everything that’s happened so far, I think this is the first time Tanjiro truly regretted joining the Demon Slayer corp!

Tanjiro’s expressions reminded me of a day care worker on their 12th hour of the day. Just ready to go home and sleep, but the screaming children still need to be supervised!

I bet those kids were happy to leave

In a bit of almost ex machina luck, it seemed the three of them had been close to a private estate to serves as a Demon Slayer sanctuary due to an old family debt. And so, our three stoo… slayers now have a place to rest and heal up before continuing their adventures.

I see how you almost slipped there! Kinda thought the same thing myself. One saving grace? I think the Crow was leading there (always trust Crows — we’re innately trustworthy as a matter of professional pride!), so I don’t think it was random.

However, the Crow leading them somewhere pleasant? I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop!

And that’s pretty much it. A series of shenanigans take place as all three boys show comical extremes of their personalities. It was like an intermission or a random slice of life episode thrown in and I have to admit…I didn’t really like it.

sorry

When you exaggerate them like that Zenitsu is annoying and Inosuke is obnoxious, while Tanjiro is just kind of boring. I wouldn’t call it awful, but it was my least favourite episode so far. And the backstory and development we get on Inosuke were so basic that they could have skipped it all together without much consequence. But you are usually a fountain of positivity, what did you think Crow???

No pressure! If I had to rank these first 14 episodes, this one would likely be at the bottom. What kept Inosuke from being a complete chariature was how Tanjiro’s weaponized politeness gradually wore him down. Before dinner, for example, Boar Boy was on the constant attack. At dinner, he even snatched foot right off of Tanjiro’s plate and obnoxiously chewed it right in his face! When Tanjiro offered him another bowl of food, saying Inosuke must be really hungry, I expected Boar Boy to slap away the food. Instead, he just glowered. That’s progress!

The TL;DR version: Tanjiro’s Legendary Kindness(™) might just transform Inosuke.

we got some fanservice though…

It’s really the last minutes that brought what I’ve been waiting for, for a few weeks now. Nezuko’s glorious and adorable return. I was so thrilled to see her. And just before she got back, there was a quiet and touching moment between Tanjiro and Zenitsu. It was lining up to be the best scene in the episode and… Zenitsu completely ruined it again.

He wasn’t very easy to follow but I think he was implying that Tanjiro joined the Demon Slayer Corp so that he could get a cute demon girlfriend and carry her around with him which is a weird conclusion to jump to, at best…

But it’s the kind of conclusion a male of Zenitsu’s temperament would jump to! In high school, within my group of friends, if one of them managed to get a girlfriend, the rest would hassle him about it. Heck, look at Issei Hyoudou’s friends from High School DxD! They caught one glimpse of him with Rias Gremory and threatened him with bodily harm!

But you’re absolutely right: Seeing Nezuko emerge from the box was a beautiful moment. Given how terrified Zenitsu was of the opening box, when she emerged looking all adorable and stuff, all I could think was “Behold the terrifying demon! Tremble in her presence!”

In a wildly sarcastic way, of course.

boys are weird…

As it stands my favourite scene is the opening tag, which was a recap of the last episode so that should tell you something. I’m going to pretend that was a recap episode and just move on to the next one. On the upside, it still looked great!

Reviews of the Other Episodes

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 01: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 02: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 03: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 04: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 05: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 06: A Friend fo All Humans

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 07: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 08: The Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 09: Temari Demon and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 10: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 11: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 12: The Boar Bears Its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 13: Writers are A Pain

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I’m liking slideshows lately…

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 14: You Need To Calm Down! Let me tell you something, Montreal only exists in wave and snaps. Heat waves and cold snaps.

#action #anime #Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba #Horror #shonen #supernatural

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natsthinkitythinkthinkthonk · 5 years

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Hori-san to Miyamura-kun (Horimiya)

I read around seven chapters of the newer manga (which almost never happens because I prefer anime to reading manga), but I recently watched three OVAs (anime) of the series, and I really liked it. It’s not your typical shoujo romance but it’s not your typical shounen romance either. It’s not sparkly, the guy isn’t your “ideal” bishounen, the characters don’t rely on fanservice, and it’s as realistic as anime can be.

Within everyone there exists a side preferably kept hidden, even from close friends. For the smart and popular Kyouko Hori, it’s the fact that she has to do all the housework and care for her little brother, Souta, because of her parents' busy work schedules. For the gentle Izumi Miyamura, whom everybody sees as an otaku, it's his nine hidden piercings and large body tattoo. So what happens when they accidentally discover each other's hidden sides? Sharing parts of themselves that they couldn't with anyone else, strong bonds of friendship soon begin to form between Miyamura and Hori, as well as those around them. As their hidden personas start to dissipate, they slowly learn how to open up to others.

[source: MAL]

It really sounds plain at first, but after watching it, I seriously felt some kind of attachment to all these characters, and I’m not just saying that because of the voice actors. I was attached even when reading the manga. I just didn’t continue reading because I’m a flake. That’s rare for me considering the fact that I usually don’t like some of the characters in romance series. Sure, I haven’t met some of the characters yet, but three episodes to introduce a whole cast is a bit steep anyway. I would even read ahead in the manga if I didn’t feel like I was going to flake again.

One complaint about this series is without a doubt the art. It’s really simple and plain, but I personally got used to it and found it to have its own charm. I would’ve gladly suggested a higher budget for this, but we all know that they don’t have that kind of money. The two studios that had this project were Gonzo and Hoods Entertainment. While Gonzo does have notable series to date like Full Metal Panic, Special A, and Seto no Hanayome, Hoods Entertainment... they don’t. They have some hentai, I’ll give them that. That promotional poster is something that cannot be unseen no matter how much brain bleach I use.

There’s nothing to say really music-wise because I usually give a longer period to judge that, and the soundtrack, to me, sounded even plainer than the art style. I enjoyed the ending songs which were sung by Asami Seto and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka.

Speaking of those two, the casting was done exceptionally well. I read seven chapters of the manga beforehand, and I could not have picked a better cast to play these characters (unless they picked some newbies or something because I can’t compare or judge people I haven’t heard). First, I’m a fan of both of the leads they chose. Seto makes her sound more down-to-earth while Matsuoka sounds a bit nerdy which fits the character’s false persona. Besides that, we have Kana Ueda and Yoshimasa Hosoya playing the two main side characters. Hosoya’s character is probably one of the more major characters out of the cast (besides the two main leads). His character got his fair share of time for the time given. Nobunaga Shimazaki also plays a side character, and Hiro Shimono plays the guy who introduces the anime at the start.

Overall, I really want this whole series to be adapted in an anime form with a bit more of a budget to provide more leniency. It’s been out for a while (the original manga), and it’s a shame that it hasn’t been really adapted yet. Even though it has “finished airing” according to the site, I only have access to three out of the four episodes, but nonetheless, I would recommend it to anyone who has the time. (*cough* @akaskira , @levichan17 , @bungou-stray-alies-tales-of-aly hopefully you don’t mind the tag, but I’m just recommending it!!)

#horimiya #hori-san to miyamura-kun

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ayuuria · 4 years

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Yashahime Translation: Da Vinci Magazine December 2020 Edition

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

“Hanyou No Yashahime” Tripartite Cast Talk

Matsumoto Sara X Komatsu Mikako X Tadokoro Azusa

Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter and Sesshomaru’s two daughters play an active role in “Hanyou No Yashahime”. As an original anime with no original work (translator’s note: As in not an adaptation of something like a manga or light novel), the subject is the next generation of “Inuyasha” done in the same style. Being “Inuyasha” fans themselves, we had the three lead voice actresses talk about the charm of the series.

The main character design was done by Takahashi Rumiko!

Towa

A 14-year-old middle school girl. 10 years ago, she time traveled from the Feudal Era to the Modern Era and became the adopted daughter of Kagome’s little brother, Souta. Upon reuniting with her younger twin sister, Setsuna, after she time travels to the Modern Era with Moroha, Towa decides to return to the Feudal Era. She is Sesshomaru’s daughter.

Setsuna

14 years old. Towa’s younger twin sister. A member of the demon slayers led by Kohaku. She has lost her memories of her childhood and is unable to fall asleep. She has the gold rainbow pearl in her left eye. While she does not believe Towa is her older twin sister, she travels with her as she tries to take back Setsuna’s memories and sleep.

The 3 of you reacted shocked with “What you mean daughters?!”

Moroha

Commonly known as “Monster Killer Moroha”. A 14-year-old bounty hunter. When she puts on rouge stored in a shell with the red rainbow pearl on it, she becomes “The Country Destroying Beniyasha” and goes on a rampage. While she is Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter, she does not know her parents and has lived mostly on her own apparently.

Komatsu: When the work was announced, the world was shocked like “Sesshomaru has a daughter?!” and we were the same. When I opened the audition documents, it was written that the setting takes place over 10 years after the conclusion of the original work and that Setsuna, who I was auditioning for, is Sesshomaru’s daughter. I thought “What does this mean?” and reflexively grabbed the last volume of the manga.

Matsumoto: I was handed Takahashi Rumiko-sensei’s character design and a simple correlation diagram. In regards to Towa, who I auditioned for, it was also written that all that was known was that she is Sesshomaru’s daughter. I was given lines without knowing the context or anything so I wondered what to do. However, at the same time, I was so happy to the point that I was like “The “Inuyasha” world is coming back!”

Tadokoro: I completely freaked out (laughs). Also, my manager knew I was big fan of “Inuyasha” and calmly told me before I looked at the audition documents “Azusa, you absolutely can’t miss out on this. This a huge opportunity.”

Komatsu: A lot of pressure!

Tadokoro: Then when I looked at the documents, I saw that Moroha, who I was auditioning for, was the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome. After getting excited like “They had a child~!”, I saw Towa and Setsuna and screamed “I will be upset if they’re not XX’s children!” (translator’s note: they’re referring to the mother)

Komatsu and Matsumoto: I know!

Tadokoro: As a fan, I worried endlessly but as a voice actress, I thought I couldn’t miss out on this. However, when I went to the studio audition, I was told “Keep the base but try to say these lines a little more like a middle-aged man”. I became flustered like “Even though she’s a 14-year-old girl?” … I felt like I didn’t respond properly and was really down going home.

Komatsu: Me too. Maybe it was because I was pulling too strongly from Sesshomaru’s image but I was told “Not only coolness but we would also like for you to show the cuteness of a 14-year-old” and I couldn’t make the switch the very well. I didn’t get the reaction that I got the part at all.

Matsumoto: I over considered the setting of (Towa) wearing a boy’s uniform and I was told “Don’t make her a boy”. After that no matter how many retries I did, the direction I took didn’t match up… I cried a lot when I got home like “I totally bombed it”. That moment, I realized that I had really wanted the part and was surprised. “Inuyasha” was a work that was more special to me than I thought.

Overcoming different boundaries, their feelings melt together

Komatsu: For me, “Inuyasha” was also a textbook on love. Especially the relationship between Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kikyou. It’s a little hard for kids to understand and I thought, “Why does Kikyou always get in the way?” and “Inuyasha too, make up your mind” but in a certain scene, Kagome asks Inuyasha “I… What exactly am I to you?”. In between the feelings of it can’t be helped that he overlaps her face with Kikyou’s and this has nothing to do with her, she properly checked what her existence meant to him. Seeing that, I realized. Not only in love but that’s important in life in general as well.

Tadokoro: It’s so cool isn’t it? She acknowledged all her feelings of jealousy and hate towards Kikyou and still saved her on top of that. She showed us her resolve to properly face her heart and Kikyou and accept them. It was so cool that I cried. Then when I became an adult, I came to understand Kikyou’s feelings and it hurt.

Matsumoto: Well she was also a victim… I think when you read “Inuyasha”, you become emotionally attached to each individual character because depictions that give you a sense that they’re “alive” are inlaid in all sorts of places. For example, the scene in volume 1 where Kagome offers food to Inuyasha whom she had just met. While Inuyasha makes his wariness known, he takes a bite of the radish in the next frame. I always laugh like “Even though you say it’s annoying, you’re still eating it!” but at the same time I feel that it’s really “like” him. From those ordinary depictions, over time we accept “something” without realizing it. That accumulation turns into a big emotion that overflows when you get to the important scenes.

Komatsu: At times when those complexly wrapped emotions sublimate, even sad endings become beautiful. For example, Kagura. Even though she was born from Naraku, she was guided to good through Inuyasha and the others who were supposed to be her enemy. Kagome and Kikyou’s relationship too but ally or enemy, good or evil, all sorts of borders are crossed and seeing drawings of humans and demons coming together I think is the charm of “Inuyasha”.

We haven’t been told the answers to the mysteries

Matsumoto: Continuing onward to “Hanyou no Yashahime”, the character I play, Towa, passed through space-time and got sent to the Modern Era at age 4. However, possibly because she was raised by Kagome’s little brother, Souta, even though she is Sesshomaru’s daughter, I feel like she’s also similar to Kagome.

Komatsu: While blood inheritance is important, the person who raised you has a big influence as well. Also, what environment you were raised in. Setsuna lost her childhood memories due to certain circumstances. So of course, she doesn’t remember her older twin sister, Towa, whom she got separated from at 4 years old. Due to that hole and being raised in an environment where you could be killed by anyone at any time, she gives off an air of not allowing others to get close to her. But just when you think that, there are times where you can feel that she’s actually kind and that makes it heartrending.

Matsumoto: Feeling she (Towa) needs to fill in the 10-year void with Setsuna who became like that, the highlight is seeing their relationship change as Towa closes the gap between them. Add Moroha in and there’s a lot of chattering.

Tadokoro: Moroha speaks in a vulgar manner (translator’s note: it actually translates to abusive language but abusive didn’t sound right to me) but in reality, I have a feeling that she truly enjoys traveling with the two of them. To her, those two are probably the first friends she has ever had. That form is so precious and I feel lonely when I wonder what sort of environment she grew up in. I wonder why she’s desperately earning money by slaying demons. We were only told who she was raised by but at this time, we have not been told things like happened to Inuyasha and Kagome.

Matsumoto: This includes who Towa and Setsuna’s mother is. This is something fans have been wondering the most but the answers will be revealed eventually and I have faith that this work will properly continue on what was drawn in “Inuyasha”.

Tadokoro: That’s why we would like everyone to watch over them until the very end and love the 3 Yashahimes as they survive with each of their individual strengths.

Komatsu: While there are a lot of cheerful episodes, there will be times when the inlaid depictions within those episodes will be collected in an instant which I think people will enjoy. For that, we will give it our all!

We Asked Takahashi-sensei!

Q: What did you especially focus on when doing the character design?

A: Series composition writer Sumisawa (Katsuyuki) requested me to draw the image of Towa as a white Sesshomaru and Setsuna as a black Sesshomaru. Upon reading the scenario, I designed them incorporating their father’s facial look. Moroha was the same, being Inuyasha and Kagome’s child. As such, I made it so that Inuyasha’s mischievousness came through.

#Yashahime #Hanyou No Yashahime #yashahime: princess half-demon #translation

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kaibutsushidousha · 7 years

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What is the type of characters that you hate? (Feel free to show examples)

Now that’s a really interesting ask. I never expect I would ever get to talk in lenght about the concept of character hate and that’s a really fun subject to tackle. The read more here is because the answer is very, very long, not because it has explicit V3 spoilers. It does have chapter 1 spoilers, but only at the last paragraph and with a warning beforehand.

There’s not really any “type” of characters I inherently hate. It’s difficult to create something completely original when almost everything have already been done, so all characters tend to fit into archetypes, but any mildly competent writer will make their character grow beyond their archetype. Of course, I’m not saying it’s not impossible to create unique characters. Iruma, for example, is a character I can’t think of any character similar to her. It also doubles as an example of how this sort of uniqueness doesn’t make your character automatically good.

Anyways, as you want examples, my approach to this question is to name 4 archetypes I dislike, give examples of good characters who overcame their unlikable archetype and tell how them did. But before that I’ll have to say that bad archetypes never make me truly hate a character. When I see a character on an archetype I don’t like, I just don’t care about the character initially. I can’t bring myself to hate it because I believe in the character’s potential to become much more than what they were introduced at. And if they don’t by the end of the story, I have no reason to start caring about them now of all times. After I’m done with this for bad archetype examples, I tell you what you need to really make me hate a character.

Example 1) I don’t like rude/brute characters, specially when they are not villains. This is very broad and nearly omnipresent, so it’s hard to think of specific examples, so let’s go with the basic DanganRonpa. The brutest characters in the franchise are Oowada, Kuzuryuu, Owari, Sakakura and Momota. I’m not counting Iruma here because is a completely different brand of rude. I also don’t think I need to talk about Sakakura because almost every reacted to him the same way I did, so we’re left with the other 4.

Out of all of them, I feel like Owari is the only one who didn’t manage to grow over her archetype. In fact, I feel like her further character construction only made her worse, for reasons I talked about just yesterday. Oowada and Kuzuryuu however, managed to become one of my favorite characters of their respective games. Momota didn’t go that far, but he is pretty good too.

Oowada is definitely brute and angry and it shows, but he is ultimately a character defined by his inner weakness and put directly into constract against the small and frail Fujisaki’s courage and the breaking point of his story comes from internally admiting defeat against Fujisaki. The tropes I don’t like were put into good use and resulted into a brilliant and emotionally strong story that would be impossible without it.

Kuzuryuu earned mostly by being a character defined by his kindness and how that contrasts with the position he is supposed to fill, but I’ll go in more detail about him when I talk about Peko.

Momota is the least good out of the three, mostly because he doesn’t stray too far from the hero archetype, although he is well used in the good parts of it (mainly being inspirational) and gets a lot of character value out of his interactions with Ouma.

Example 2) Blindly obedient characters. Usually soldiers and maids. This terrible archetype is an easy excuse to make a character’s motivations less personal and they very often tend to feel emotionless. DanganRonpa has easy and convenient examples of characters who didn’t grow beyond the archetype in, you guessed it by the second sentence in the example, Mukuro and Toujou. For the good examples of this, I’ll go with Hisui from Tsukihime and, as I mentioned before, Peko.

Hisui is a character very frequently described by Shiki’s narration as emotionless and machine-like at first, but we as her character is further constructed, we learn that that’s not how she naturally acts and she has very emotinally impactful reasons to act like that. Not to mention she is a central part of Kohaku’s (my favorite character ever) motivations, so I’m naturally inclined to like her by proxy as well.

Peko is most likely the most interesting example in this entire list because the great writing rised a character to my overall top 10 favs at the time(currently still on the 11-20 line) by making good use of archetypical tropes I usually hate. Sure, she was initially present as a type of character I like a lot with only a last minute reveal that she was the archetype I don’t like, but her situation as part of this archetype only made her character extremely better. Peko avoids the pitfalls of the emotionless servant and takes a very unique and unusual twist on the archetype by being the blindly obedient servant of someone who really doesn’t want a blindly obedient servant. As she takes no orders from Kuzuryuu, she has to act based on what she thinks Kuzuryuu wants and she can be wrong about it, as her chapter is a huge evidence of. Her being forced to interpret Kuzuryuu is even more excellent due to what makes Kuzuryuu himself great on his own. Kuzuryuu is defined as someone who is too kind to be a yakuza boss but still has to fill that role while maintaining the image and reputation that clashes with his essence and that conflict is passed down to Peko as well, because she is very aware of that and has to choose between acting based on the wants of who Kuzuryuu truly is or who Kuzuryuu is trying to be. Every single part of Peko’s writing is genius.

3) Yanderes. This one should be self-explanatory, but also come as surprise due to my love for many other obsessive characters. Yanderes are bad because their obsession is specifically with love and their definition of love is completely different from mine. Yanderes are usually associated with a possessive and jealous personality that wants to keep the target only for themselves regardless of how they feel about it. I see love in many definitions, but mainly as being happy with someone else’s happiness, so I think love-centric characters should be selflessly dedicated to make the “target” happy. I’m a huge sucker for characters in one-sided relationships who support their target in a two-sided with someone else and that’s the main reason I tend to say I prefer one-sided shipps (provided the target doesn’t hate the character in love).

Examples of yanderes I like include Sakura Matou from Fate/stay Night and Mikan Tsumiki. Both have superb backstories establishing them as emotionally dependant, their dependancy is not limited to their yandere traits and their properly treat as creepy, if not outright evil for this behaviour. Bonus points for Sakura for being a rare case were an eroge heroine is the main villain of her own route.

As much as I don’t want to compliment Idol Death Game TV, Rito Karasuma from it and Mukae Emukae from Medaka Box are also excellent example of likable yanderes for a different reason. They both are extremely obsessive but they lack the possessiveness that make yanderes suck. On the contrary, they agree with me on what love should be like and are insanely dedicated to their target’s happiness.

Rito takes part on the Dream of Dream not to win, but to make Ayaka win, because she strongly believes Ayaka is the best idol ever, so everyone else should also get to see how great she is and admire her as much as Rito does. Even after she discovers this actually a death game, she still focused only on making Ayaka win and is perfectly willing to give up her own life for it. Rito’s smile in her route’s secret ending when you make Ayaka win is easily one of the best moments in that shitty game. Rito’s character as whole is a great treasure found in a garbage pit.

As for Emukae, she gets a great character arc about her learning more about Zenkichi’s character during their times together and ultimately decided to support him in his relationship with Medaka. She is exactly the type of character I described here above.

As exemplified with those two, yandere and blindly obedient servant are two archetypes I really dislike, but they go extremely well together, almost completely compensating for each others flaws. The yandere being dedicated to target’s wants eliminates the unlikable possessivity elements and the obsessive yandere passion eliminates the emotionlessness factor and makes the servant character motivations extremely personal. Not to mention the extent of the yandere’s dedication leads to awesome feats like Rito’s “Ayaka-chan is too nervous to perform this show, I should burn the closest building to cancel it” moment and Emukae’s first confession to Zenkichi, which is easily Medaka Box’s most iconic page and my go-to example for when people ask me what Medaka Box is like.

4) Self-insert characters. I never felt like any narrative ever benefitted from immersion or generic “relatability” (relatibility to more unique personal experiences is a different matter though) and that feels like a really lazy excuse not to write your protagonist. There’s really no saving this one, but I really love characters who look like self-inserts at first but then are revealed not to be. The first examples that come to mind are Hajime Hinata, Souta Mizushino from Re:Creators, Shirou Emiya and Shiki Toono from Type-Moon and to some extent Kaede Akamatsu as well.

Proper self-inserts are never good, but they can be at least tolerable if they are being used to make a point. For example, Naegi is literally anyone to push the idea that literally anyone can defeat despair if they are at least a bit optimistic, or Ritsuka Fujimaru is a stand-in for humanity because Fate/Grand Order is a story about celebrating humanity throughout history and about humanity as species surpassing its challenges.

Now let’s move on to what makes me hate a character. As I said, if the character is part of an archetype I dislike and don’t go into a likable direction, I’ll just not care about them, so how do you make me hate a character? Easy, you first bring me to care about the character then take them in a completely unlikable and disappointing direction. Almost all of the characters I truly hate are characters I used to love at some point. If you have been following my blog for a long time, you saw it happen with Angie and Shinguuji. Giving a TLDR answer to the initial question, the type of I character I can hate is: the type of character I can like.

Now let’s move to the example part, let’s give 3 examples of really awful directions you can take your character.

1) Make your character have completely stupid, unreasonable and poorly justified actions and make them to central and relevant to the character to ignore. As for examples, we have the aforementioned Shinguuji and Angie, both who I already explained about.

2) Center your character around a mystery and give that mystery a really underwhelming answer and reveal it in a uncerimonious way that feels like it never really mattered to begin with, then make it never centrally relevant to the character.

An example of this character anti-climax is Phi from Zero Escape. She clearly knows a lot more than she should and seems very involved with the plot, but we can never know exactly why because of VLR’s terrible decision of making the ending a complete sequel hook. Next game, Phi is completely sidelined, the answer to her mystery is revealed (technically) without her presence, it more about Delta than about her even thought she had an entire game of pointless build-up about it, we never get a scene of her reacting to it nor her relation to Delta ever matters to ever matter to anything.

3) Suddenly throw your character into an archetype I dislike. Obviously Peko is an exception to that and is the only one remember right now.

An example where it didn’t benefit the character is Arcueid Brunestud from Tsukihime. Arc is really great in her own route. She is a fun airhead, smart and badass when needed, has a good character arc about her growing humanity and a great dynamic with Shiki. Then the next route we play is Ciel’s. There we see how Arcueid is like when she doesn’t have Shiki’s preference and, guess what, she turns out have been a possessive yandere all along. An overpowered possessive yandere who usurps the role of final boss of the route when it should be Shiki and Ciel’s histories as Roa. I’m glad we never get to see her in any of the next routes.

Another very interesting example is Akane Kurashiki from the Zero Escape escape series, because she incorporates multiples of the 3 examples above at the same, shows how not even my absolute favs are safe from dropping with further characterization and how recovery is always possible down the line.

After I finished 999, I loved Akane’s character to the point she rose to becoming my overall second favorite character. Then we got the unfortunate sequel that was Virtue’s Last Reward. There Akane is quite different. She is not a servant character but she has the exact same problems I have with them. Her very personal story from 999 is replaced with a very unpersonal “save the world” storyline and she acts completely emotionless, even to Junpei, to the point it feels like her fun personality from 999 was just an act to get Junpei to work the way he needed to. (Example 3)

At the end of the game, we get also get some final exposition from Junpei saying that all timelines still exists, his times with Quark will still remain some even if that idea of creating a “perfect timeline“ goes right. What does that mean for Akane’s character? It means she her “heroic“ efforts to fix her history are acutally just her cowardly running away to a different timeline while leaving another version of herself to suffer in the bad timeline instead. That makes her actions not only unpersonal but also unadmirable. (Example 1)

Next we get ZTD, who brings back Akane with her fun teasing personality from the first game and also showing the process of how she steeled herself to become her VLR self, not only confirming the parts I liked about her were a genuine part of her character but also justifying the parts I don’t like, completely solving the example 3 problem. The example 1 part is not solved but it’s acknowledged, questioned and actually has the characters feeling like dicks at some moments for randomly putting their other selves to death. That was enough for me to grow attached to Akane’s character again. She didn’t go back to second spot, but she’s now most likely around 20-30, which is pretty good all things considered.

Well, this is an ask about character hatred, so I think I should talk a bit about the final boss of the characters I hate, a character fits in all of the three examples above simultaneously and didn’t get the redemption Akane did: Kyouko Kirigiri.

In chapter 6, we start things off with a really uncerimonious reveal that Kirigiri’s talent was actually the most obvious guess imaginable (Example 2). Ok, that’s actually not that bad and we get to hear more about this when she talks about Jin. Jin was, in her own words, talented as detective but that was not something he really wanted to do, so everyone in the family unfairly considered him a failure, including herself (starting to dip a bit into Example 1 territory but not quite, Kyouko has the right to be biased in this situation). Kyouko, however, say she is glad she was abandoned because she was proud of her detective carrer and makes a little speech about a detective’s duty of being impartial (Example 3 into the servant character archetype with her being blindly obedient to Kirigiri family, with an extra dose of unpersonal and emotionless because she is actively enforcing neutrality, along with a bit of Example 1 because the focus on impartiality contradicts the family’s biased attitude towards Jin). Last she says she didn’t hate him for abandoning her, she hated because the rest of her shitty family would constantly treat her with pity for being abandoned, which is something completely beyond his control (Example 1 amplified by the fact the neutrality speech a couple lines ago was Kyouko completely relinquishing her right to be biased). That’s all not even considering the very strong implications that Jin was kicked out of the family (which was apparently confirmed by DRK, but we’ll never know how canon that was). It was actually amazing how managed to hit all the points that mostly make me hate a character with only one single scene.

That’s all about the characters I hate, but now I want to talk about something extra regarding an interesting experience I had with character hate as a concept and how it works on different ways for everyone. That’s the part with V3 spoilers.

This is actually about Kaede Akamatsu and how she is received by the fandom. I saw some person complaining about the chapter 1 twist and decided to discuss with them about. This turned into a very, very long discussion about Akamatsu’s character and the direction it took. Before that conversation I was a little bit disdainful of Akamatsu fans who hated the twist, but it felt like they didn’t like the character for who she else, but for what they were expecting her to be. While talking about for hours with a person I deemed a bad Akamatsu “fan”, I came to feel like if I wasn’t the huge of fan of mystery narrator murders I am, Akamatsu could very well fall into my hated character list. The person I was talking to described exactly what happens when I grow to hate a character and yet he was still claiming to love her character. That gave me a lot of thought about how people consume media in different ways and have different factors to define what they like or hate. That guy was most likely the reason why this answer turned to so long.

I guess what I’m trying to say with this last thing is that media consumption is always a personal experience and my way of evaluting characters might or might not apply to how you enjoy things, so you don’t have to think my method is right and all others is wrong. Whether you’re liking or hating characters, decide this in a way that works naturally for you and don’t criticize others for experiencing fiction in different ways.

#I can't believe an ask about character hate turned into such a pleasant write and one of my answers I am the most proud of #should I tag the characters or not?#character hate

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linkspooky · 7 years

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Souta, Son of the Chariot

This was tipped off to me by @inn-8-woolgatherer and further consulted by @karnasofsun on twitter.

In the hindu epic Mahabhrata, there is a character known as Karna. Karna is a demi-god, that is the half blooded son of a divine entity and a human. Kunti the princes of the Kunti kingdom had been granted a boon by the sage Durvasa to invoke any deity to give her a child. Eager to test the power while still unmarried she called upon the sun god Surya, and was handed a son Karna. Afraid of being unwed, the illegitiate son was placed in a basket and set afloat among the river abandoned.

The infant was given many names, along with many curses in his life. One of those names was “Souta”, which means son of Souta or belonging to the charioteer caste. In other words despite being half divine, Karna is abandoned or kept seperated from both parents and instead lives a life defined by the station of his perceived birth.

Though he possessed his father's brilliant authority, his form was stained black. His countenance was cruel, and his every action was violent. Because of his lack of human mother, he didn't learn the subtleties of human emotion and spent his days being considered a nuisance by the people around him.

Source [x]

Who are they talking about here, Souta or Karna?

Of course this is from Fate which probably isn’t the best source of mythology of another culture, but if there’s anything to take from it, this is another Japanese interpretation of what Karna would be like represented as a character and it comes off sounding similiar to both the manner in Furuta acts and even his iconography and the way he was raised.

There are clear parallels between the two stories, and the strongest comes from both their origins, and the role they eventually end up taking in the stories, where they both end up being portrayed as villains regardless of what their true intentions are. Mythology, especially Hindu mythology is built around heroes with human flaws, and Karna despite being half god demonstrates a lot of these human flaws and complexity throughout life. Despite being a well intentioned and diligent person, due to a great misfortune he ends up being cast as a villain in his untimely ending.

Perhaps in unraveling his story we’ll find a bit more of what Souta’s current motives might be, and the role in the story he’s meant to take.

There is a lot of Karna’s story to unpack, but to begin with the name Souta originates from his founding by Adhiratha, a charioteer of King Dhirashtra of Hastinapur. Due to being the son of a charioteer, he was therefor himself in the caste of the charioteers for his life.

Here’s a quick article on the Suta, [x] it seems in stories they were for the most part either bards or charioteers. Mahabharata may itself be an exploration of the caste system as a whole as it’s one long epic poem that meditates on a lot of topics [x]. Go read it for yourself, the caste system isn’t going to be explored here other than the fact that it exists.

Furuta as well could be considered a son of a charioteer. The Washuu family has long been associated with tarot card number 7, which is the chariot. There’s a quick overview of the card here [x].

Not only is he the son of a chariot, but despite having royal blood Furuta is placed in a caste that is much lower than the one he ought to belong to. He even tells Kaneki of this in his basic description of the Washuu family tree, that both he and Arima were born as unfit goods which make up the vast majority of V’s servitude.

Furuta carries the blood of the absolute leader of the CCG, but he himself was thrown away as a child among the rest of the unfit goods. His mother for the most part isn’t even shown to be alive and we have no idea what happened to her, whereas Furuta knows of his connection to his father but Tsuneyoshi seems to hold no regard for him as a son at all. Furuta says that Tsuneyoshi probably did not remember his name, and the idea of not being able to call his father father, sets him off.

There are some differences the sun god did not forget about Karna, he simply could not interfere in the mortal realm because he was divine. Karna also experiences a similar shaping from his abandoment and a want to prove himself as a warrior despite where he was placed because of Caste. This is of course an idea which contradicts the caste system. Which again, explaining in its simplest form because of time constraints, if you were born a charioteer it is better by the caste to be the world’s worst charioteer than to try being a warrior.

Karna tries to learn from a sage, but is cursed when the sage found out he was a commoner. Later when he waent to a fighting contest and tried to challenge Arjuna, he was laughed at for being a commoner. These were the reasons that the main villain, Duryodhana took him in and asked him to join his team.

Souta, before becoming Kichimura, also had many traits that made him unmistakable for a commoner. His main function was serving paperwork, he was a lackey, first to Kijima and then to Kaneki.

Furuta is even referred to as a dull ranked one investigator that nobody knows anything about. Unlike Arima or Hairu his fellow garden children, Furuta never seemed to rise to any sort of prominence within the CCG, and instead he was accepted in by a different crowd.

The clowns are also marked as a “Villain Group” the same way Karna himself becomes perceived as a villain in his own story simply by being taken under the wing of Duryodhana.

There is of course differences as Furuta willingly places himself in the seat of villain whereas Karna is merely associated with one as a part of the group he’s in, and Furuta also is much more malicious while Karna was good hearted and tried to curb the more villainous actions of the people he was working with.

However, there is a similarity between the two stories of a hero, stepping into the role of a villain and being slain as a villain.

Ajruna who once again is the man who Karna tried to fight earlier in the legend only to be laughed away. The irony is despite their antagonism and Arjuna’s eventual killing of Karna, the two of them are actually brothers.

But to challenge Arjuna, a member of the royal family, one must be higher than a Kshatriya. However Karna appears to be a lower caste Vaishya (merchant class) or Shudra (a slave). Karna, whose challenge was refused due to the difference in status, was a laughingstock. The one who saved Karna in this situation was Duryodhana, the eldest of the one hundred princes of the Kaurava clan, who opposed the Pandavas.[4] At that time, he already had a premonition that a confrontation with Karna was unavoidable. After all, Karna revered Duryodhana, who regarded the five Pandava brothers as archenemies, like a father.

[x]

The five Pandava siblings are the children of Kunti, who is Karna’s mother who abandoned them which made Karna Arjuna’s unknowing older brother. Of course the accidental killing of family members is common in myth, what sets this apart is Arjuna’s reasoning.

Karna must be killed because he associated with Durydohana, the antagonist to Arjuna’s own story. Karna must become the villain that falls in order to support Arjuna’s rising up as a hero.

When was it that he resolved himself to kill Karna no matter what. Probably, it was when they had first met each other. That was no fate decided by the gods. The karma Arjuna chose together with sheer enmity. Even if it was not righteous. Arjuna had to accomplish that no matter what.

That their eventual conflict was not one that rose about necessarily out of personal differences, as the two of them both were similiar both brothers and both well intentioned, but rather their conflict came about because of their roles in society. What is fate but a metaphor for a role you are meant to live up to, dictated upon you by others?

This inevitably leads to the theory that rather than truly attempting to seize control of the CCG for personal gain and power, Furuta is instead acting as if the villain were a role for him to play so that a great hero can strike him down. There are a few hints of this in canon, Eto says that Furuta cares not for the CCG or the Washuu.

Kaneki asks if he’s really causing all of this destruction just to fulfill his childhood dream of being the head of the Washuu family. Then suggests afterwards that Furuta might not be a permanent fixture atop the CCG.

Furuta even suggests a version of the proposed plan to Kaneki, that one of them play a villain so terrible that humans and ghouls have no choice but to unite against him.

Uta questions much later on whether Furuta’s actions are meant to be an end for ghouls or the CCG. Ui says his rise to power is what signals the death of the CCG.

When talking about his plans in general, he uses story terms like “Last Boss”. Which suggests that like the clowns in general he too can think of things in the terms of story structure and layout even when they tend to be happening in reality.

Furuta’s actions in seeding humans among the clown members are said specifically to “make their opponent feel as though they’ve sinned” which could hint that his actions are ironically done to highlight what exactly is wrong with the CCG by turning it up to 11.

His mannerisms as a leader are stolen from others, he speaks with Yoshitoki’s voice and uses Marude’s words, while pushing the situation up to 11 once again almost as if it were a parody of those same well respected leaders.

It’s possible that Furuta’s increased antagonism for Kaneki is simply to provoke a fight out of him, to do same as Arima did and make himself into a great villain that now both humans and ghouls have to unite in order to defeat a much greater enemy that threatens them both.

This of course does not excuse Furuta’s lack of regard for life as the stepping stones to his plan, as those ghouls who died along the way can never be returned. Another thing is you are what you pretend to be, so even if Furuta adopts these mannerisms ironically, the tyrannical, manipulative, unscrupulous attitude which he constructs himself with are still actions he chooses to take and those have consequences mostly to the people around him who become victims to his schemes.

However, there’s still a great similarity to be drawn between Furuta and Karna. The both of them half breeds who were destined to be below the ruling class since birth. That despite their position, they were welcomed in by another crowd even though the crown that adopted them turned out to be villainous. That the two of them in thier roles, stretch and question the role of villain and heroes in their respective stories.

#furuta nimura #furuta souta washuu #kichimura washuu #damnit you have so many names #tg meta #meta #tokyo ghoul meta #hindu myth #mythology #mythological parallels

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izanaginookami10 · 7 years

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Well, saturday is the day I await the most. Re:Creators is officially my favourite anime this season (AOTS = Anime of the Season). I am a little late, but well, I other than battling with reality, I spent really lots of time to write this post.

Now, onto this week episode.

And we begin from the hype of last episode! The red-hot-haired guy who named himself “Last Boss” Mirokuji Yuuya VS. little brat “Mahou Shoujo” Kirameki Mamika.

I’m loving Yuuya here. His arrogant tone of voice and behaviour, as expected from a “Last Boss”. And you remind me of Accelerator from Toaru Majutsu no Index, my favourite character.

Though that gangstar style resemble more Kintoki Rider’s form Fate/Grand Order.

Accelerator

Kintoki Rider

I hate dealing with girls who think they can get away with things by crying.

WELL SAID! Open the eyes of the naive Magical brat!

Three…. Two…. On- nihihihiHH!?

OooHH!? What the- TITURIA!? *ahem* I meant “ARTORIA LANCER FROM F/GO”!? What’s this!? The Holy Grail War?

Kintoki Rider

Artoria Lancer

Seriously, you’re identical to her. And what!? You are on that brat side? Then you’re my enemy too. See? Yuuya knows which side is better. Holy, what great character. This series is making me love characters so quickly. Has it ever happened before? I’m not sure (and I did watch a good amount of them).

Sasuga MC. Your extensive knowledge about AMLNVN world is useful in these situations.

It’s just been a minute and I’m so excited, I’m so pumped I actually think I need to calm down doing push ups.

The Opening! My ears. My eyes. My whole being. My very soul is in ecstasy while seeing, feeling, hearing the Opening Theme. i can’t say how great is the OP. I’m unable to express the beauty, no, the artistry of it. So beautiful, so dazzling, so stunning. I can’t seriously express how just the OP is enough to give this show full score (well, actually there are anime where the OP is better than the show itself, or is the only good thing… But this is definitely not the case).

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Let’s all listen to the Opening! I’ll never stop saying how good it is. I’m actually listening to it looping in the background.

But you never know what’s going to happen in the future.

Wait, are you saying you’re saving money for the future? That’s surprising.

Military Uniform Kid? Goddess with gorgeous white hair, charming eyes and wonderful power who also resemble a Nazi-Gilgamesh I suppose you meant.

Remaking our world?!? That… I actually didn’t think of that possibility! Holy, if ours truly is the world of Gods for them, then that would be really interesting.

So… unexpected. I’m liking you more and more. Totally different from your appearence. And that’s really nice. Just like Accelerator or Kintoki Rider (yeah, I love the first while the second is basically my saviour in F/GO).

REVISION!

RIGHT! The author should be able to tweak the characters, abilities and everything about the creations. The reason they were chosen? Hm, right. There should be some kind of criteria, I actually forgot such important thing.

A lasting impression on many people huh. So the more popular and interesting the more chance to get materialized? Wait. Waitwaitwait. The more you are known. The more you are likely to appear. Let’s think about it. Isn’t this actually… how Divinities work? I mean, the more believers you have, the more a God should be able to manifest itself and be powerful I suppose (well, this is a setting of many anime stories naturally, as if I would talk about reality, pff).

Whatever happens happens. I’m going to do whatever I want…

I’m not going to cause you trouble. I’m the kind of guy that never forgets what others did for me.

I fucking love you. I FUCKING LOVE YOU. And I’m a guy. This feeling of admiration… it’s been a while. Maybe from the anime adaptation of Fate/Stay Night: UBW of 2014?

Hou, the illustrator, the co-creator then?

Woah, already bickering? Hmmm. This actually make me reflect on the connection between creator and created. What if… the latter killed its creator? It shouldn’t affect them right? Hm… nah. That’s really unlikely, as there isn’t really a connection between them time-wise.

Yup, a parent-child relationship is what best describe this I suppose.

Warning: you may skip this part, as it’s only the complaint of a failure as a human being, who refuse to accept reality and escapes from it towards the ideal world of AMLNVN. Yeah… I also do believe I’m quite the pessimistic one…

As humoristic (or creepy) the picture may seem, I believe that what she says is really important and deep, although she may have not had that intention… No one asked to be born. Yet, we are asked the unreasonable. I won’t say that I do not feel gratitude for my parents: I will definitely pay you back for the trouble of raising me, but for giving me birth? No. I’ve never asked that. Why would anyone wish to be born in this reality? Why would I want to fight everyday to affirm my existence? To have my identity acknowledged? Why would I desire for a life full of hardships and pain? Haha, merely “existing” is quite hard.

Ahh, screw it. You’re definitely not here to read my rumblings about life. So let’s just say, that this hit me really hard, and it’s one of the many reasons I love this show. Ok let’s continue then. And I deeply apologize if this was a little too… heavy, let’s return to 2D!

Hm, we still have to see whether and how much a creator can affect its creation, what if he changed the whole backstory or synopsis? What if he erased its existence? If that was the case… fufufu… there actually would be a reason for killing one’s own “parent”…

Sasuga Meteora, I too wish to experiment immediately that.

Ugh, how embarassing. Author-san, did you really have to make that chant? What about a normal “fire ball”?

I think the lacking condition is popularity. If it was the lasting impression on humans that choose them, then it would be logical that it should be spread among fans and acknowledged by them for it to materialize. Didn’t thought about the lack of information being a possibility though.

That’s it. That’s the turning point. That’s what I’ve been wondering the most. If a character actually did materialize in our world… at which point of the story would be at? What if the author continue the story? Will this “copy” get updated?

Oh, so it’s from the latest episode/chapter. Huh. Wait. Why the anime? What about the original source? It’s because it’s not popular enough? What if both version came out? The possibilities and questions are only increasing. Christ, how come I’m so philosophycal here, when I need it the most at school?

Heh, Selesia (Selestia? Celestia?)’s reaction at her own spoilers. Yep, exactly. Seeing, or rather “knowing” the future isn’t so good in the long term. Well, if it’s just for a few times or a power under one’s will, I suppose it would be good. If it’s passive though… you’ll fall into despair like certain, amazing and loved by me, characters from Danganronpa series.

Uh, no. I don’t think you can just pretend to not have heard anything. Wait, if you actually return to your World, would you keep your memories? No, before that. You’re a character, you wouldn’t even be sentient at that point, would you? Hm. Ok, let’s stop here. I would like to keep this curiosity and bring it to school.

Wait. Why smell? Because she has been battling for the entire life or because she’s a creation?

16? Quite young. I thought you were a year ot two older.

The moment of truth…

Heheh. When music and insert song suddenly started I actually thought I was wrong, maybe it was really the lack of information. But then *flop*.

Passion in creating a character. I think, that’s quite deep. Just think about the possibility of a creation materializing just to discover it was created in a half-assed way. Meteora… I would offer you a hug if you ever manifested here. Please do so.

Sasuga MC! Impression on readers and popularity! That’s the condition (probably). Otaku tend to think alike I suppose? That makes me feel happy.

Hou? We will see Meteora’s creator soon then? Hope he isn’t a jerk. For some reasons I fear this now.

Hohoh, don’t worry. Even if Souta doesn’t show it, he’s actually very happy to have 2 beautiful 2D girls at his house.

Fate and destiny huh. I… would like to believe in it, and yet, I really dislike their meaning. Saying “it was fate” is romantic and all, but… it makes human actions worthless. I want to believe that the result wasn’t already set in stone, but it was accomplished by my hard work.

Oh, finally. Our Goddess. I’ve been waiting for you.

Destinies… again, huh. I truly wonder how Souta is connected to her. For some reasons I have the crazy idea that she’s actually his creation from the future or something. Too much Fate evidently.

…? ?? Mahou Shoujo is a stalker? Oh, wait. She was kidnapped by Artori- no, what was her name again? *check on MAL* Alicetalia, yeah. Hm? So they are allied, huh.

I wonder how many faction are there. From the exquisite Openin we see numerous characters.

Now, Souta won’t return to his dull daily life, will he? Maybe he will bump into another creation?

I await next saturday like Gasai Yuno await for Amano Yukiteru. If you do not know about them, I suggest trying to see Mirai Nikki.

Umu, and thus this long, very long, post finishes. I think this is the longest as for now.

No matter what. I can’t stop singing praise to Re:Creators. I truly do love this series. My love for this show is trascending my mortal limits.

But this is also worrysome. I’m getting scared of the future. I have great expectations for this series. What if… what if the show won’t live up to my huge expectations? I just have to deal with it.

So, yeah. You won’t get a score lower than 10/10 from me. But I am totally aware of how biased this is. I am easily satisfied, and this show simply hit almost all of my weakpoints. I’ll definitely try to revise my scoring after the anime ends.

But for now…

You’re perfect! Izanagi approves and recommends it!

…you might know that “Izanagi” is actually my username. If you didn’t… well you now know.

Oh and, by the way, it seems like we now have all the translated glitchy text that appeared on the table in Episode 1 thanks to a kind and bored redditor.

Read a post of almost 2000 words where I sing praises about Re:Creators episode 3! Well, saturday is the day I await the most. Re:Creators is officially my favourite anime this season (AOTS = Anime of the Season).

#Anime #Re:Creators

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