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hateswifi · 4 years

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Rising from the Ashes: Of Second Meetings and Mysteries

So this is Part Six here is to my Master List and Part Five.

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Marinette got up, went to work. Everything was normal a couple more customers than yesterday. Diana closed early because she was going to see family today she closed at three o’clock. After work, she headed home and ate a small snack before the driver arrived. She got into the car quietly and quickly

“Hello, Miss Marinette. I am Wayne’s butler and friend, Alfred Pennyworth,” Alfred said from the front.

“Hi, Monsieur Pennyworth. Thank you for the ride,” Marinette responded with a smile.

“It is no problem and please call me Alfred. That’s what the rest of the boys call me. Speaking of the boys, they're excited to see you again,” he said. Now ten minutes later they pull into a house, well not exactly a house but more like a mansion. The mansion was big, dark, and ominous. “Welcome to Wayne Manor, Miss Marinette. Please make yourself at home for the time you’re staying.”

“Thank you, Monsieur Alfred,” Marinette says, following him into the house. “Would you be able to show me where the last boy is? I’m sorry I was never told his name.”

“The young Master is this way, please follow,” Alfred said, walking down a long hallway. “Last time I saw all the boys were in the parlor. They were playing Ultimate Mega Strike Four. Have you heard of it?”

“I love that game! I grew up playing Ultimate Mega Strike Three. I also won the competition that my school participated in,” Marinette said, happily.

“Well they’re right in here,” Alred said, opening the door. “Boys, Miss Marinette is here. Damian, are you ready for your fitting?”

“Damian?” Marinette asks, looking closer at the boys. She realized it was her mystery first friend. She blushes remembering her conversation with Dick, Jason, and Todd. “You guys were with more for more than an hour yesterday and did it not cross your mind to tell me that he is your brother?”

“Nope. Did you say, Damian? Ohhhh… you mean Demon Spawn,” Jason smirked, wrapping an arm around Damian's shoulders.

“Marinette? You’re doing my measurements?” Damian asked shrugging off Jason’s arm.

“Diana asked me to come over after work, she’s visiting her family,” Marinette smiles. “You ready for me to take your measurements?”

“I’m sure he wants to give you more than just his measurements,” Dick laughs, Marinette blushes as Damian slaps him. “I meant your number, get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Come on we’ll go to my room,” Damian said, grabbing her arm. He leads her to his room, which is quite spacious. He stands in front of his floor length mirror.

“You know Dick was right about one thing,” Marinette said, measure his shoulder blades lightly touching his back.

“What… what is that, Angel?” Damian asked, turning his head towards the small girl.

“Angel?” Marinette squeaks, surprised by his nickname for her.

“Sadly, an angel without wings, but even after you got tackled by Titus you tried to pay for my meal,” he turned to look at her then leaned in a whispered. “Plus my brothers told me what you said about me.”

Marinette backs up flustered. “Well, you are incredibly nice, caring, and extremely handsome.” She says, wrapping the measuring tape around his chest to measure it, but was closer than she needed to be.

“Well what I wanted to give you the day we had breakfast was my number, but you ran off before I could give it to you,” she said, measuring his arm.

“I wanted to give you my number as well but Dick called me to remind me about a meeting,” he said, smiling. “Angel, I was disappointed when I left you. Dick suggested to do a modern Cinderella, but I was embarrassed, especially after what Jason posted.”

“What did Jason post?” Marinette asked, backing up so she could see his whole face.

“You didn’t see the picture? Oh right, you probably haven’t gotten into Gotham news yet,” Damian said. “He posted a picture of me holding a door open for you.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Marinette asked, crossing her arms.

“Well I’m famous because of my father and I’m seen as the ‘Ice Prince’ of Gotham because I’m cold to most people,” Damian explained.

“That’s what the guy at the grocery store meant,” Marinette realized. “I finished measuring you. I guess I should be going.”

“I overheard what you told Alfred in the hall, do you want to play Ultimate Mecha Strike and maybe stay for dinner? Umm… my brothers like having you around as do I,” Damian offered, grabbing one of her petite hands.

“That would be wonderful by the way can I see your phone before I forget?” Marinette asks. He gives her his phone, she types her number in once she hands it back he names her contact Angel. She gives him her phone so she can put his number in.

They walk out and join the rest of the boys, when they got there Dick was facing off against Tim. After a few minutes, Tim’s character died and Dick celebrates.

“Ok Dick, I’m going to beat you, but don’t be salty when you lose,” Marinette said, taking Tim’s controller then sits down next to Damian.

“Sunshine not gonna lie, I feel like I’m being threatened by a cupcake because those are some bold words coming from such a small person,” Dick says, nonchalantly.

She doesn’t respond, but once the game starts she knows that Dick realizes he’s about to eat his words. She’s better at the game than the boys thought she would be. After losing three times to Marinette, he grumbles at the loss and crosses his arms while sitting down on the couch, he was being overdramatic. The rest of the boys laugh at Dick’s antics.

“Damian, where’d you find your girlfriend?” Tim asks, shocked that someone had beaten Dick the master of games.

“First off, she’s not my girlfriend. Secondly, she’s from Paris,” Damian smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Sure, you’re not dating at all,” Jason sarcastically replied with a snigger and an eye-roll.

Marinette’s phone ringing interrupted Damian before he could respond. She smiles widely; Adrien was video calling her. “Do you guys mind?” Marinette asks.

“Nope, not a problem. You can answer it right here if you want,” Jason said.

“Cool thanks guy,” Marinette smiles, brightly.

“Buginette! You promised to call!” Adrien exclaimed, putting his face super close to the camera.

“I had work today and yesterday. Plus you had school and countless other activities Gabriel has you doing,” Marinette justifies her actions.

“Mar calm down I’m messing,” Adrien laughs but stops hearing the game. “Are you playing Ultimate Mecha Strike without me!? Mewouch Buginette you wound me.”

“Calm down I was just kicking Dick’s butt,” Marinette laughs.

“This literally ray of sunshine killed me three times,” Dick cries, pushing his way into the frame.

“So this is one of my best friends and part of my family, his name is Adrien Agreste. This is Dick Grayson,” Marinette introduces.

“Take care of my Buginette,” Adrien says with a wave.

“I’ll take care of the literal sunshine that stumbled into all of our lives,” Dick smiles back as Tim and Jason come up behind the couch. Marinette moves her hand back so everyone, including Damian, is in the frame.

“Oh my gosh! Bug is that the boy you told Chloe about!” Adrien screamed, trying to point towards Damian, who still has his arm wrapped around her. Tim and Jason sat back down and Dick moved back to play more games.

“Chaton! Aren’t you and Kagami supposed to be at a match it is Thursday night,” Marinette asks, looking at the time: five.

“Bug, it’s already eleven here,” Adrien yawns falling onto his bed.

“That’s why I’m so tired,” Marinette yawns also.

“You should come home soon,” Adrien complains.

“I haven’t even been gone a week and while I’m there I don’t want to be someone I’m not,” Marinette sighs. “I’ll probably be back for Chinese New Year though to honor my parents. I’ll let you know when I have a plan.”

“Night Mar, just know Paris isn’t as bright with you not here,” Adrien says, sadly. “Luka misses you too. Chloe was angry, but it’s because she’s just dealing with it differently.”

“I understand bye Adrien love you. Hug everyone for me,” Marinette waves.

“Byeee!” He finishes as he hangs up.

Marinette puts her head on Damian’s shoulder.

“It’s good that you have supportive friends,” Damian states.

“Ya, I miss them a lot. Chloe got angry last night and hung up on me because she doesn’t deal with her sadness by getting angry almost like a self-defense mechanism. Luka is a mellow person, but I haven’t talked to him since Monday. Kagami is lovably awkward. I think she shuts down a bit with grief,” Marinette explains. She then stands up while saying. “I think I’m going to head to my apart because in Paris, as Adrien said, it’s quite late. Luckily for me, Diana is going into work later than normal because she returning from her family.”

“Can I show you the way out?” Damian asks, standing as well.

“That would be lovely,” Marinette said then turned to look at the rest of the boys as she left. “Bye guys it was nice seeing you again.”

“Wait, are you having someone drive you home?” Damian asks, catching her hand before she could walk out the now open door.

“I feel like walking. It’s been two weeks since I’ve been on a nice long walk. I’ll text you when I get home,” Marinette says, hugging Damian. She then waved as she walked out.

Once she was a good distance away from the manor she transformed. She loved the feeling of wind in her hair. She swung up to the tallest building, Wayne Enterprises, and sat on top looking over the foreign city. Not long after she looked over the city she heard footsteps land and crunch in the snow behind.

She jumps up and is in a fighting position as she demands. “Announce yourself.”

“I could say the same to you,” a deep voice says from the other side of the building that was somehow shadowy.

“Stop it, be nice,” another voice answers, then steps into view. “I’m Red Hood.”

“I’m Ladybug,” Marinette responds, dropping her stance. The other person steps into view. “You look like a traffic light. Seriously? Who wears yellow, green, red, and black?”

“Hey! That’s was my suit design!” Nightwing tries to defend himself.

“How old were you when you designed it,” Marinette deadpanned, crossing her arms.

“Twelve,” the traffic light boy said. “Wearing this costume is a right of passage and the name is Robin. Your concept isn’t much better. Seriously a ladybug?”

“Master chose to give me this miraculous; I didn’t have a choice. But I’m quite fond of the spots thought and I’m pretty sure I needed Tikki’s luck back when I first got the miraculous,” Marinette said, backing up. “Well, it was nice meeting you guys.” She then jumped off the building. Robin and Nightwing ran to the edge and saw her catch herself with her yo-yo.

“A yo-yo? Is she an actual child?” Robin sighed. “Do we even know if she is a hero?”

“Red Robin, Ladybug is her name. Find out everything you can about her,” Nightwing states into his comm.

They finished their patrol quickly and headed back to the manor. He received a text from his Angel that told him that she made it home fine.

Tim has information on the hero when they made to the Batcave. “She is from Paris.”

“Was she one of the heroes that banned all supers from entering Paris?” Jason asks, pulling up a chair, he sat back facing the computer with his leg on either side. He had come to the Batcave when he had heard of the new to Gotham hero.

“Yes that was her and for good reason,” Tim says while pulling up the video. “This announcement made a little over two and a half years ago.”

A young Ladybug stood in front of Le Grand Paris Hotel while speaking into the crowd and cameras. “To all supers, we had previously reached out to, we no longer want any help from any superheroes besides the ones of either Chat Noir or my own choosing.’

“If akumatized, we don’t know how we would deal with superpowers on top of Hawkmoth’s powers. For the good of Paris do not enter here till further notice,” Chat Noir says. “Not only would the power be unbearable, but Hawkmoth would also know everything you know, including any secret identities. Thank you for all of your patients, have a good rest of your day,” he finishes before him and the young Ladybug jump off the scene.

“They look so young,” Dick says, leaning on the back of Tim’s chair.

“That’s because they were that young. Ladybug, now, couldn’t be any older than me. That means that, if Chat Noir is the same age, they started with this Hawkmoth bull when they were thirteen or fourteen. That god damn city put their faith in teenagers barely in high school,” Damian says, looking closer at the video.

“That’s not right,” Dick says, shaking his head.

“At least we had the choice, but who chooses to be a city’s only hope against the unknown?” Jason says, putting his head on his hands that were resting on the chair’s back.

“They recently defeated the terrorist, who was a miraculous holder named Hawkmoth. He had been terrorizing Paris for three years. Her partners’ names are Chat Noir, Ryuko, Viperon, and Queen Bee, they still do patrols and help with petty crimes. She had more partners, now retired never told why, but their names were Carapace and Rena Rouge, they haven’t been seen in two years. Chat Noir gave a statement earlier this week saying that Ladybug has left, but would be back sometimes or if Paris was in danger. She was last seen at a house fire of the Dupain-Cheng’s house and Bakery all people died. Only two bodies were found,” Tim summed up, looking at his brothers.

“What’s Marinette’s last name?” Jason asked, looking at Damian.

“Dupain-Cheng? But she said she was an only child,” Damian thought sitting down in a chair beside Tim.

“She is by these pictures, but it says three dead,” Tim said pulling up the picture of her family standing out front of the bakery, this was back when she wore her hair in pigtails.

“She said she didn’t want to talk about her past during the measurements,” Jason said. “Does everyone think she’s dead?”

“That’s true, right here, an article says all the Dupain-Chengs died in the fire two weeks ago on Saturday and were buried last week Sunday,” Tim said, scrolling through the article.

“But she’s clearly alive, why would she move?” Jason asked, standing

“But more importantly there’s a connection between her and Ladybug. Wait… blue hair and eyes, petite figure. They were both last seen, well accounted for at the fire” Damian said.

“They’re the same person, both from Paris and they were last seen around the same time. Both, Ladybug and Marinette, had a reason to run even if we don’t know what that reason is just yet,” Tim said.

“Seriously, even Damian’s girlfriend is special? Why can’t we meet normal people?” Jason said, throwing up his hands and left the Batcave.

“I’ll ask her about it next time I see her,” Damian said, leaving the Batcave as well.

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socialyawkdude · 5 years

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A intro to manga, anime and light novels

Hello again, long and first time readers..

Its time for the long-awaited manga review section. Now before we get into the nitty gritty there a few things we need to cover first. Seeing that I will be coving light novels, mangas, and anime there are a few terms that we need to go over. Most of these terms will be covering the different genres and subgenres. Seeing that not everyone is literate in this word, it may be a good idea to cover this before we get into the good stuff.

What I'm about to go over are the genres of light novels, manga, and anime. Like many television shows and movies; manga and anime are broken up into different genres. Many of these are pretty self-explanatory, while others are more unique, as you are about to find out. I have included a few examples with of the sub-genres. I'm no expert, as I’m learning along with a few of you. Some of the examples I've given are some that I've read or heard of.

List of Major Anime/Manga Genres

Action

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

Slice of Life

Fantasy

Magic

Supernatural

Horror

Mystery

Psychological

Romance

Sci-Fi

Looking at this list you can see many familiar genres of movies and TV, that you may watch. I won't go into a detailed description of these, because everyone should know these. Now for the sub-genres, it's a bit of a different story. Many of these are unique to anime and manga. It is these that I will give a little description along with a popular anime or manga.

List of Anime Subgenres

Cyberpunk= This type of anime is a subgenre of sci-fi. It usually displays a future where society has become more ingrained with technology at the expense of social order. The setting is typically a dystopian future where the technology may be doing more harm than good.

Game= The game category encompasses shows revolving around the idea of gaming and playing. The anime can feature a card game, board game, puzzle game, or even a virtual online game. As long as it concerns any playable game of any kind, it belongs in this category. Sometimes, even video game-based shows can count in this selection.

Ecchi= The word ecchi comes from the sound of H in the word hentai, which in turn means pervert in Japanese. This sub-genre is generally accepted as being full of sexually provocative scenes (mild enough to be viewed by the general audience) and scenarios derived from innuendos and humorous situations. It’s a fact that ecchi shows are taking an upswing nowadays as more and more titles are produced every season. More often than not, ecchi is paired up with comedy as both genres compliment each other well. This, in turn, serves as a buffer that prevents the shows from crossing the line and delving into something less appropriate for general audiences.

Demons= Originally just an infrequent theme, the rise of demonic characters and themes have given rise to this sub-genre. The term demon does not only encompass literal demon characters. It also extends to other entities such as monsters, beasts, ghosts, and other demon-type figures. The demons present can come from biblical backgrounds or come from Japanese culture. Believe it or not, this category doesn’t just come hand-in-hand with the horror genre; it surprisingly blends well with other genres as well.

Harem= If you see a reluctant male character surrounded by multiple female characters who all adore him, then you’re probably watching an anime of the harem sub-genre. This type of show typically features more than two female characters go head-over-heels for a single male character. Anime in this category is typically within the comedy and romance genre. It's possible that a harem anime can have no romance and feature mostly slapstick comedy.

Josei= Josei is actually a demographic but is also considered a general category in anime. It specifically targets female viewers around the age range of 18-40. These shows depict life and romance in a more mature light, usually with more grounded realism and less idealistic fantasies. The sub-genre is fairly wide and doesn't necessarily have to focus on romance. It merely needs a narrative that caters to the mature woman. Josei originated from manga during the 80′s. Girls who grew up reading shoujo stories from previous decades wanted stories for adults.

Martial Arts= Martial arts play a big role in every anime that has fighting/battles in it. Whether it's hand-to-hand combat, swordplay, gun fighting, or armed combat, there’s some kind of martial art element that plays through them. But did you know that there are shows that are primarily focused on martial arts itself and their battle techniques? There’s a lot of them, and they mainly involve hand-to-hand combat and technician battles.

Kids= A lot of people say that anime is just for kids, but that’s not really true. As a matter of fact, there are only a few numbers of anime that are precisely catered towards children. These shows are contained within the kids' sub-genre. These shows are mild, light, and insightful, which makes them perfect for children 12 and under.

Historical= As the name suggests, historical anime revolves around events in history and moments of antiquity. Shows of this sub-genre are typically set in Ancient Japan and the feudal period. Other settings such as the Middle Ages and medieval period of Europe exist but they’re much more rare in anime. As long as the time or setting (or even elements) are old and ancient, then the series can be considered a historical anime.

Hentai= Hentai literally translates to "pervert" in Japanese. This is the R-18 (mature) domain of the anime world. This sub-genre commonly depicts nudity and highly explicit content. Unlike ecchi, the focus here is on explicit sexual content rather than on storytelling and narrative progression. That is why the shows in this category are usually brief and lacking in substance.

Isekai= Isekai translates to "another world." This sub-genre typically has a narrative where a protagonist somehow gets transported to a different world. The new world is more often than not in a fantasy setting, occasionally with traits pulled from JRPG games.

This category of anime exploded during the 2010′s and arguably dominated the decade. A good portion of isekai anime is adapted not from the manga but rather from light novels. The most popular series in this sub-genre maybe Sword Art Online. While the world featured there was just virtual reality, it did feature a fantasy setting that would be mimicked in other anime.

Military= As the name implies, this sub-genre involves the military in one way or another. War may also be a huge part of military anime. One thing to note about this category is that it is often coupled with the mecha and action genre.

Mecha= Mecha stands for mechanical (as in mechanical units or robots). You’ll never see a mecha anime without a robot or mechanical suit in it. That’s the most important element of it. And while this sub-genre is rising in fame as the days go by, it almost always uses a standard formula to carry the plot. As a general trend, mecha is often seen alongside the military, sci-fi, and action genre.

This may very well be the most iconic anime sub-genre as there is a multitude of memorable shows in this category. The mecha can be considered to be one of Japan's most popular exports. Some of the earlier iconic titles from the late 70s and 80′s include Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger Z, and Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Neon Genesis Evangelion is considered to be an iconic and dark deconstruction of the genre as it examined the psyche of young pilots. GurrenLagann was a massive hit that brought the genre back to its hot-blooded and idealistic roots. With a rabid fan-base that loves mecha designs, this genre is one that has been consistently popular over the years.

Music= Anime shows in the music sub-genre aren’t that popular nowadays, but they do exist and they are very timely. These shows typically focus on singing, dancing, or playing musical instruments. These usually fit within the larger categories of comedy and drama.

Parody= A parody anime is one where countless numbers of other anime references are showcased throughout the plot. It might be a popular running gag, a famous symbol, a character reference, or any other attempt at bringing another show into its domain. One anime worthy to note is Gintama. They often use similar elements from other anime to showcase in their own show.

Police= The police sub-genre emphasizes the life and struggles of law enforcement in their line of duty. Police-based characters have shown up in numerous shows and there are now anime that could be considered as police procedural. This genre isn't exclusive to police officers; detectives, investigators, and enforcers of any type are included as well.

Post-Apocalyptic= Post-apocalyptic anime basically show that is set in a world that is in a dystopian state. This could mean the world is destroyed and/or humans are nearly extinct. Post-apocalyptic settings were merely a theme in the past, but an influx of titles bearing this backdrop over the years have made it become a sub-genre on its own. This type of anime has become more and more popular by the day.

Reverse Harem= A reverse harem anime is typically a harem series where the gender roles are switched around. There is one female character surrounded by multiple male characters who are all potential love interests. Like the traditional harem genre, anime of this variety is usually within the comedy and romance genre.

School= There are countless anime that use the school as a setting. An anime can be considered a part of the school sub-genre if a school is the primary setting and the anime deals mostly with school and student life. This type of anime is usually seen within the comedy genre, though there are some entries in drama as well.

Seinen= Seinen is actually a demographic but is also considered to be a category in anime. It’s a sub-genre that specifically targets male viewers around the age range of 18-40. The shows here are depicted in a more mature light and often include more explicit content such as gore, sex, and violence. More cerebral narratives are present as well.

Shoujo= Shoujo refers to the demographic of young girls. This sub-genre specifically targets female viewers around the age range of 10-18. Most of the time, shoujo anime works hand-in-hand with the romance and comedy genre, particularly with the former. The protagonist is traditionally female and the narrative focuses on romance as well as personal growth. The world in these shows is often very idealized.

Shoujo-ai= Shoujo-ai literally translates to "girls love." The typically young female characters in shojou-ai anime show love and affection for each other. The romance is usually milder in comparison to the more explicit yuri genre. Shows in this category portray blooming feelings of love and romance rather than intimate relationships.

Shounen= Shounen refers to the demographic that this type of anime targets, which is male viewers around the age range of 10-18. These shows are usually a combination of action and adventure and are typically adapted from serial manga series. As such, these anime tend to have lengthy runs. One Piece currently has over 800 episodes and is still running. These shows are typically the most popular with mainstream audiences. They have done very well when exported to foreign markets thanks to their relatively simple plots and focus on action.

Shounen-ai= Shounen-ai literally translates to "boys love." The male characters (typically younger boys) in these shows display tender affection for each other. The romance in shounen-ai is generally milder when compared to the more explicit yaoi genre. There is usually more focus on developing romance than actual relationships.

Space= The setting of space has always been massively popular. With so much anime taking place there, it has become a sub-genre in itself. Any anime set in the cosmos can be labeled in this category. Space anime is often within the larger mecha and sci-fi genre.

Sports= Pretty much self-explanatory, sports anime are shows that cover characters engaging in athletic competition. Popular choices in this category include basketball, tennis, baseball, and soccer. Other sports exist as well (including those that you wouldn’t expect showing up in anime). As time goes on, more and more of these series are produced. Just like real sports, shows in this sub-genre are action-packed!

Super Power= You know you're watching a superpower anime if you're seeing an array of explosive superpowers scrambling right on the screen. If you see bursts of energy balls, death-defying attacks, and opposing forces battling it out throughout the story, then that means you're probably witnessing a show in this sub-genre. These shows generally fit in the action category.

Tragedy= As the name implies, the tragedy sub-genre revolves around tragic events or phenomenon where the characters are deeply involved and affected. Tragedy comes in diverse varieties such as disasters, accidents, misfortunes, and deaths. These shows are often very dramatic and can pull the heartstrings of audiences.

Vampire= As vampires have become so popular throughout the world, it’s no shock that they’ve also infested the world of anime. There are lots of titles now featuring vampires and they’re not just exclusive to the horror category. They’ve also manifested themselves into other categories such as comedy, romance, and drama.

Yuri= Yuri is essentially the more mature and explicit version of shojou-ai. The female characters are typically older and the series examines their more mature relationships.

Yaoi= Yaoi is the much more sexually explicit counterpart of shounen-ai. This sub-genre covers male-to-male relationships (typically older boys) in a more mature light. There is more emphasis on serious relationships and intimacy.

Well, there you go… a not so short overview of the genre and sub-genres of anime, manga, and light novels. Hopefully, this will help newcomers to this wonderful of books and tv. It is now time to reveal the first series in the socallyawkdude’s manga review….. Tales of Wedding Rings by Maybe. The volume 1 review should be up soon, as i’m finishing up the art work for the post.

Till then this is your friendly neighborhood sociallyawkdude signing off.

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drink-n-watch · 5 years

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Bungo Stray Dogs Season 3 is now over. As much as I miss it, I do like the freedom of not having to go home on Friday evenings to watch anime and write a review for the next day. It really does tie up my going out time. Ever since I started doing episodic reviews I keep telling myself never to do next day reviews…. So OF COURSE, I pick 3 shows for my Saturday post that all air on Fridays… Brilliant!

GRANBELM (Under a Blood Red Moon)

What I knew/thought before seeing the show: I knew next to nothing about the series literally only the title and the Crunchyroll thumbnail. My reasoning for picking it was “I like pink haired heroines”

What the first episode was about: A pink-haired heroine named Mangetsu goes out one evening and gets stuck in a virtual world where magical girls fight with mechas because reasons. She’s very energetic and optimistic about it.

Characters so far: We didn’t get much development since the episode was very action heavy. So far they are pretty shallow but not unpleasant. The two main characters are Mangetsu which is a genki girl archetype and Shingetsu which is a mysterious stoic archetype. I actually liked Mangetsu’s sister the most be we only see her in one scene at the beginning of the episode.

Technical aspects: The designs are cute and I enjoyed the art style. The limited palette establishes a visual identity pretty quickly. I immediately understood something ominous was going on from the colours alone. I was reminded of Yuki Yuna for a while. The voice acting is ok so far and the animation is good but a little jumpy. It comes in spurts.

First Impression: I had a good enough time watching this episode. I enjoyed the first half more than the second but I would continue watching this series based on the first episode. I really don’t have that much to say either way.

Hopes and Fears: I’m enjoying the Magical Girl/Mecha mashup, it’s an interesting genre. The world building has potential and there is a lot of room for this series to grow. I have been lucky with oddball cute girl shows. There is a potential for this show to be very messy though. The first episode did not do a very good job at establishing its world, laws or motivations and my pessimistic side is telling me there’s a big chance everything remains mostly superficial. The fight scenes were a little still and for some reason, I thought this was another mobile game promotion (doesn’t seem to be). Finally, Mangetsu is really striking me as a Mary Sue so far. Let’s see what happens in episode 2!

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FIRE FORCE (Playing With Fire)

What I knew/thought before seeing the show: Oh cool! An anime about firemen. Interesting. They’re athletic, maybe it’ll be a little like a sports! anime. Or a work based Slice of Life…

What the first episode was about: A young man named Shira finally accomplishes his dream to become a fireman (superpowered individuals who fight infernals). Some years ago, people started suffering from spontaneous combustion and becoming infernals, something like fire demons. Those who survived gained pyrokinetic powers which get stronger as they are passed along down generations. As a 3rd gen pyrokinetic, Shinra is particularly powerful but has also been seen as a monster and blamed for tragedies. He now wants to prove he’s a hero instead.

Characters so far: Ok, so this is not a sports! anime by any means but the characters could come from one! We only really get to know Shira but he already has a complex back story and clearly established personality, even a fun quirk of smiling manically when he’s nervous. That’s pretty decent development for one episode. I have high hopes for the rest. Sadly, aside from a few flashbacks to Shinra’s mom, both female characters have been used mostly as fanservice charas so far, which is a little disappointing.

Technical aspects: I actually really like this one so far. It’s probably my favourite style of the three I saw. It has a modern anime look with slightly more reasonable proportions and a variety of silhouettes. In a way, it may be the most realistic looking which is hilarious. The colours are similarly rich but grounded. On the other hand, animation is impressive and fluid. On top of that, the director used a few interesting visual tricks, successive jump-cut transitions in the firehouse, use of different art styles for certain scenes, flashback specific colour palettes… It’s a stylish looking show and I am enthusiastic to see more of it.

First Impression: So this turned out to be a fighting Shonen, complete with an optimistic and determined protagonist who has vowed to be a hero and has a tragic past to conquer. It’s not exactly special, but I really liked it. The universe is quite unusual and the characters have a lot of potential. I’m excited for next week and I’m not surprised this first episode is doing so well.

Hopes and Fears: I was impressed by how well the first episode established everything without it feeling like one huge exposition dump. It even left plenty of time for eye candy fights. They keep praying to an unknown god which I found quite intriguing. It sets up a potential sect or religious/political intrigue. Like I mentioned, two main female characters have some type of suggestive scene whenever they are onscreen unless they’re actively being saved by Shines. To be honest I didn’t mind much but it’s the most basic part of the narrative so far. There is a chance that this will turn into a one-man show/monster of the week type series and Shines doesn’t strike me as charming enough to carry the whole thing. There are some MHA parallels. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing but there you go!

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Dr. STONE (I’ve loved you over 1000 years)

What I knew/thought before seeing the show: Crunchyroll had been advertising this one pretty heavily and it kept calling it a Shonen. So I thought it might be a JoJo like series or perhaps just a classic Dragon Ball for a new generation. Leth told me it was “insane”.

What the first episode was about: It was “insane’! Taijo is a nice guy who goes to high school, is friends with the eccentric haired Senku (who reminded me of Dexter from Dexter’s lab) and in love with Yuzuriha. On the day he finally chooses to confess, a mysterious event turns all humans into sentient stone statues and they remain that way for 3700 years. When Taiju miraculously revives, the world is a very different place. He finds that Senku has also broken free and together they have to figure out how the restart humanity. My alternative titles for this episode review were “Adam and Steve” but they kind of made the joke in the show so it took all the fun away from it, or “Adventures in Wild Science”.

Characters so far: This one is impressive. Taiju and Senku both have clearly established personalities. Not too deep yet but with some variability. Senku is particularly fun to me as I enjoy a slightly morally compromised protagonist but Taiju manages to play the clear-eyed golden boy without being annoying. Even Yuzuriha has an actual character despite being only given a few minutes on screen and I understand exactly why Taiju would fall for her. The premise and setting give motivation and meaning to all the characters actions. To get this much development and plot in a single episode is quite special. I want t know both these guys better and I want to meet more people as well.

Technical aspects: There’s a sort of classic feel to the character design. I’m not saying it looks old but more like timeless. The very angular lines and hatched shadowing creates a nostalgic look for long time anime fans. The animation seems good although it wasn’t on display so much. Compared to Fire Force, Dr. Stne is much more straightforward in both visuals and direction. I do like that the setting gives us so many lush green panoramas to enjoy. The voice acting was probably the best in this series.

First Impression: They distilled booze. In the first episode!!! I really liked this one. It’s a mix of comedy, mystery, survival and actual science which is right up my alley. A very strong first episode that left me wanting to see the next one right away. I took a note that said only “YAY! Chemistry!” which should probably tell you all you need to know about me.

Hopes and Fears: As you may have noticed, don’t have anything even mildly negative to say about the first episode of Dr. Stone. As far as I’m concerned, if it continues in exactly this way, I will be thrilled. Congratulations Crunchyroll, you picked a good one this time!

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Oddly enough, all three shows I picked had all the same general tags apply to them. I would say I enjoy the technical aspect of Fire Force more than the other two shows, but the narrative and premise of Dr. Stone most! Poor Granbelm is the clear loser of these three, coming in last on every aspect but I still enjoyed it.

I’m going to keep watching all three shows but I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep reviewing them yet. Also, what do you think about this format? Should I split it up into three short posts? I know that would get more view but it seems more annoying for the readers. Then again if you’re only interested in one show you may not want to scroll through all the other stuff. Very few people ever comment on my episode reviews so I’m not expecting much feedback here. However, if you do leave some, thank you in advance!

Friday Night Sampler: Granbelm – Fire Force – Dr. Stone Episodes 1 Bungo Stray Dogs Season 3 is now over. As much as I miss it, I do like the freedom of not having to go home on Friday evenings to watch anime and write a review for the next day.

#action #adventure #anime #Dr. Stone #episodic #Fire Force #Granbelm #Irina is dumb #shonen #super powers

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mechagalaxy · 6 years

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“Will the owner of the nuclear weapon, please contact reception?”

There are things I love about Faction War, and things that I dread. What I love about Faction War is the chance to bring 1600 hard core and only partially wrapped mercenary mecha jocks together to shake the pillars of heaven, kick ass, and run up a bar tab exceeding the GDP of some core world systems. There are things I hate as well. Among 1600 hard core killing machines, lurk the most dangerous forces known to mankind, because the Forerunners lacked this gene, and went extinct, probably to avoid being here when the universe thought it was a good time to experiment. I speak of course of the tinkerers. The kind of people who look at an undead cyborg that literally tore a hole in reality and attempted to wipe out all life and thought…..you know those spiky things looked kind of cool, I bet if I coupled it to a niode matrix and linked it my engine amplifiers, there is a good chance it would make a really wicked damage stacking laser…..or generate a black hole and suck something like sixty cubic kilometers of battlefield, atmosphere, and city before the generator blew. What the hell, lets try it!

I was at a meeting with our leadership team talking about specialist options, trying to match our abilities with the maximum tactical flexibility so whatever terrain we found ourselves fighting over we could cheat like a mother fether when I heard the page over the PA.

“Will the owner of the nuclear weapon, please contact reception?”

At first many of the clan leaders laughed, but Paul Knight, Sten Hugo Hiller and I reacted with the well drilled panic that comes from supporting Bunnylabs and Star League R&D (Radiation and Danger). We got to reception to find The Armourer (weapon master of Myth and Legends) oohing and ahhing as only a true weapon geek can with Knockers McGuinty (chief technician, Spirit of Bunny).

“Check the serial numbers, the typo? That is an exact replica, I did a paper on the Tsar back in Collegia Tactica” The Amourer was extruding mechandrites from his artificial arm to probe the casing of the odd weapon as the more limber Bunny was crawling beneath it with her own probes. “Don’t you love the pitting effect? It is like the effect of time has been simulated, as if it was the real Tsar Bomb from pre-gate earth, the Cold War. The materials though, you have to admire the artistry, I mean it looks visually like a common, every day fifty megaton hydrogen bomb, but the technology here is way wickeder. Looks like a geometric yield increase, but honestly a lot of it is just show. If I were building it, I could have ramped the output a lot higher, maybe done something really sexy with it” Knockers was projecting a side by side holograph of what she actually saw, and a proposal for how she would have upgraded it, the armourer was making approving noises and adding highlights and suggestions to the image. The clan leaders looked on in interest as Paul Knight finally broke down and asked the question with the calm that only a large scaled dragon can possess leaning casually on what looked like an exact replica of the largest Hydrogen bomb produced on old earth during the cold war. “Is this bomb real, is it, oh what is the word…..live?”

Cheesy grins and thumbs up provided the answer everyone was afraid of, yes. There was a “a lot more than fifty megaton” nuclear weapon in the lobby, beside the receptionist. On the Tsarbomb was a hand printed note, “Would the owner of the nuclear weapon please see reception to have it delivered to their own bay, storage of weapons of mass destruction in the lobby is punishable by loss of wet bar privileges”

Holy Damn walked up and looked at the weapon, and muttered to himself in one of the dozens of voices that came from the constantly shifting vocoder that replaced his long missing throat. “That looks like the one from the Death Collectors Art of Death exhibit, but when I tried to compare by calling up the visual records, now it claims the weapon was never part of the Art of Death collection. Someone is altering data…..very bad…..very bad to alter data. I had offline copy of the Art of Death catalog, and now it doesn’t match. Am I right, are they right? Is my data corrupted? Must go check my software, my programs……..” Muttering to himself he wandered off.

Life went on as the Berserkers prepared for war, and activity always seemed to be buzzing around the big weapon, but no one claimed it. Six days later, Holy Damn burst into the briefing room screaming in binary code, bursts so dense the unaugmented could actually hear it, but so fast that only those who were seriously augmented with cerebral processors could follow it. Unfortunately, this command briefing was post training battle, and post-post battle party, so everyone was seriously hung over. Everyone winced, most groaned, and two drew weapons to point at Holy, trying to decide if they were louder than he was before they pulled the trigger.

Mark Spiznet waved with his coffee and translated “Holy says the bomb’s a trap, its on a timer, and going to go off in about three and a half minutes from………….mark”

He grinned and answered the shocked looks “I took binary in college as a minor, there was a hot chick from the Forge World who had the most amazing implants….”

The assembled leaders rushed to the reception room, ordering evacuations that could not possibly be in time, but guaranteed that at least the last seconds of everyone’s existence would constitute a good readiness drill.

Several things happened at once.

The crystal shields dropped across the hallways, leaving only visual sensors to observe what happened next.

Initiating charge triggered, two nuclear masses merged and went critical. Initial EMP took out active sensors beyond the visual range.

Myth and Legends Armourer additional amplifiers boosted the yield by a factor of two hundred…………Spirit of Bunny chief technicians Gravity field generators channeled the energy of the blast into an infinite compression, generating a micro black hole………Slaughter House Five’s Weapon Master niode matrix attempted to beam the released energy as a single beam theoretically powerful to blot the largest starship from the sky, but the amplification and compression into a black hole turned the gate into a single instant of a cosmic string of infinite length.

Somewhere in deep space, a fleet of unimaginable power lay at rest in an uncharted binary system. Ten thousand ships, each filled with legion after legion of tireless, relentless, merciless inhuman troops rested at anchor, awaiting the signal that the human foe had concentrated its forces for them to descend and slaughter. For a femtosecond, a time literally so small it was almost impossible to calculate, a cosmic string connected both elements of the binary star system together with the masses of two other suns also caught upon the string, and the combined masses generated a supernova.

The blast burned thousands of ships, each as large as a small moon, out of existence. The great armada was shattered, over half its strength wiped out in an instant. The enemy had a new weapon, they could no longer wait. The invasion was on, now. Ponderous ships began to move at last towards the War World where the assembled Factions of Mecha Galaxy would go to war. The shock of so many shattered suns and the storms of gravity that twisted the currents of the immaterium through which hyperspace ships navigated meant the trip that should have taken hours would take days. The blow that was supposed to strike as the human Factions were at each others throats might now fall when they had just finished their war. The numbers that were once guaranteed to bury the humans under a mass of attackers they could not hope to face were now reduced to a shadow of themselves. What was once going to be nothing more than an execution, was threatening to turn into an actual war. Curse the humans and their superweapon! Curse the fate that allowed them to pierce the supposedly perfect cloak that hid the fleet. What genius was it that guided them, what cunning allowed them to break the jaws of a trap before it even began to close on them?

Berserker HQ: Accident investigation “So, the AFF did kind of try to assassinate us all. That is point one. Point two is that it seems every single contributing clan screwed the nuclear weapon in the lobby. Myth and legends amped its power, Bunnies turned it into a gravity imploder, Slaughterhouse turned it into some sort of gate weapon, the only reason we aren’t all dead is that the Star League was using some chroniode crap to make it actually destroy things before it touched them, which turns out to save us because it destroyed itself here before most of the effects happened, only lasting for a fraction of a second as you get really far away.”

The table quietly erupted into embarrassed giggling as the reality that the world almost ended failed to hide the fact each of the groups contributed a portion of the crazy until the critical mass of suicidal impulses actually kept them alive by accident.

John shared a quick look with the rest of the leadership and announced his decision. “Right, two things, send a fruit basket to the AFF, sign it from all of us, and just say “Thinking of you”. I figure they will do the hard work of reading into that enough to get paranoid without us bothering. Second, new rule, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THE LOBBY.” It said a lot we need a rule like that. Faction War. What can you do?

John T Mainer 28840

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