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moiloru · 2 years

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Danganronpa: The Animation Review!

I think this was long overdue, considering the nature of the content I post: I'm reviewing the original Danganronpa anime today!

I post mainly Danganronpa content, but this review will remain spoiler-free, even though half the planet has already played the first game. Also, I'm going to compare the anime to the game since, well... for once, I've experienced both!

So, Danganronpa: The Animation was released in 2013 and covers the event of the first Danganronpa game released in 2010 in Japan: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. It is a killing game, so the main genres are horror (pretty mild, though) and mystery, all this happening in a school setting.

Well, to give some background, the first game of the Danganronpa series is still my favorite, even to this day. The plot is one of the reasons why. It's shrouded in mystery while bring relatively straightforward, which is a really good combo! Furthermore, back then, it was a small revolution! Killing Games weren't as common in video games and/or anime/manga as they are now. However... anyone who's played the game will tell you that the anime's main weakness is the pacing. To put it in a nutshell, it is extremely rushed. Fitting the story of a thirty-hour game into an anime of only thirteen episodes was a battle Spike Chunsoft was bound to lose. Still, if you've never touched the game, there's a chance you won't notice. The most important parts remain, though, and the usual Danganronpa plot twists are executed pretty well. Of course, the game tells the story perhaps a hundred times better, but it's not bad. Not great, but not bad, either. I've gotta say, though: they made it ten times funnier than the game to compensate.

If you've heard of Danganronpa but have never played any of the games, it's probably because of the characters. After all, quite a few of them are famous even outside the fandom. Well, this anime doesn't do justice to all of them, to put it bluntly. Poor Makoto Naegi (the protagonist) was turned into an anime cliché due to how rushed the anime is. Luckily, Kyoko Kirigiri (the deuteragonist, if you could call her that) transitioned from the game to the anime pretty well. Overall, the cast is much worse than it is in the game, but it's still solid, and importantly, amazingly funny. The lines are sometimes so ridiculous you'd think they're from the Abridged version of the anime, but they're not, haha.

The Danganronpa series is famous (or infamous, depending on who you're asking) for its relationships. In that regard, the anime follows the game pretty well and goes over the most important dynamics. Probably the anime's strongest point, actually. The fact that this game gave me my favorite ship in all video games is probably why I love it so much, too 💜🤎

Musically, the anime is as great as the game, since the tracks are the same. The person who won't get shivers from hearing New World Older for the first time isn't born yet, in my opinion. The opening is also strangely solid and really fits the ambiance of the anime. Visually, though, the anime is really unequal: some scenes look good while others look absolutely ugly.

Overall, this anime is... good enough if you've never played the game. If you have, you'll quickly realize how much worse it is. So, yeah, watch this anime because Danganronpa is nice, but if you can, play the game before that.

Down below is the tierlist for the characters! It contains some spoilers, though, so be careful! Please note that I did my best not to be biased by the opinion I have of the characters from the game. These rankings are based solely from the anime.

Thank you for reading this review!

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gyujeongfmd · 1 year

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winter inspiration — headcanon, playlist & aesthetic

summary — inspiration falls differently with each season, except this winter seems like the longest one yet. gyujeong’s been writing less music despite having a surge of inspiration. inspiration comes from different parts of his day to day life, and where he draws the most is where he tends to continue pursuing. lately, it consists of writing, anime and son yejin. playlist summary — though he’s only really influenced by drake’s albums, sometimes gyujeong finds himself in a predicament when he listens to the same track on and on again. these songs give him some sort of inspiration of the music he’d want to create. yet, it becomes thwarted by the reminder that when given the musical freedom, he’s only left to make shitty ultraviolet edm beats. despite this, he continues to curate playlists for the sake of getting to it later, using it as fuel for himself to someday make better music than his current situation. this playlist is a mixed bag of genre as gyujeong’s been here and there with what inspires him. wc — 552

1. drake — best i ever had 2. drake — hours in silence 3. bach — air on the g string 4. beethoven — romance no. 2 in f major 5. chopin — waltz op 69 no 2 6. 성우정아 — 상상 / sungwoojunga — beyond my dreams 7. polaris — dynamite 8. 원티드 — 외로운 사람들을 위한 노래 / wanted — heal me 9. 김광석 — 너무 깊이 생각하지마 / kim kwang seok — don’t think too deeply 10. shwayze — corona and lime

yeah, gyu’s a bit weird in what inspires him this winter — nothing is really coherent. and that’s the gist of his inspiration — incoherencies, and that’s what he’s just drawn to

classical music — gyujeong has a background in classical music because he used to go to piano hakwon everyday as a child. his mother thought it was mandatory that all her children learn how to play the piano, and turns out, gyujeong was quite good at it. he was the best out of his siblings, and he learned pretty quickly. now, after being in the industry for so long, he strayed away from it but somehow he landed on the weird side of youtube at 3am where it led him to a few bach and beethoven pieces, so that’s now what plays as his background music instead of his guilty pleasure (600 lbs life).

drake — everyone can shit on drake all they want, but gyujeong will defend drake till the very end. he doesn’t know why he vibes with drake so much (well, probably because he’s a lonely loser that doesn’t know anything), but he does. drake releases a new album? gyujeong streams it along with streaming old drake songs. the old love songs that made drake a meme? those are gyujeong’s favorite and he’s having fun with the meme-factor of it

dynamite — he thinks this song is hilarious. from the lyrics to how it was marketed, he thinks it’s funny. feels bad for polaris, but also finds it intriguing how a song can elicit so much laughter from him. because of that, it’s his inspiration to write beyond sad songs and start to write comical humor

the other songs are just classics that give him a taste of nostalgia for an era he never lived in. they’re more superficial inspirations? so, he doesn’t put that much thought beyond that the sounds were so raw back then, the mastering wasn’t as pristine, yet they stay true to the test of time. longevity — he wants that.

anime — he’s always inspired by anime, but lately it’s been a lot of makoto shinkai movies. he hasn’t been watching series, but been watching straight up romance anime movies because it makes him cry, and he enjoys living vicariously within a fictional world. it swallows him whole and he considers it a profound experience everyone should try

writing — he’s never been a journaler because he finds the concept annoying. writing feels like a chore, but he finds that when he scribbles down one or two thoughts he had in the day or what he did that day, it pieces together a familiarity for when he goes back. plus, writing one or two thoughts doesn’t consist of a page and fits his lazy ass <3

son yejin — in addition to makoto shinkai movies, gyujeong’s been watching a lot of old son yejin movies and dramas. he’s named her his ideal type once or twice, with the explanation: he hasn’t seen anyone more beautiful when they cry and he likes dog faces more than cat faces. he likes to pretend he’s the co-star in whatever she’s starring in, and try to write songs that paint a picture to her tears. this is SO lame, i know. but since he’s been in a sadder mood lately, he writes break up songs about son yejin instead of thinking about his ex : )

#정신나갔냐 — headcanon #노래 더 크게 — 음악 #뀨뀨 — queue

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loki-ioki · 3 years

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"I think i'm starting to forget what she looks like..."

#Makoto having a bad time is my favorite genre #loki's art #danganronpa #dr1 #dr1 makoto #sayaka maizono #izuru kamukura #more specifically his hair #danganronpa trigger happy havoc #makoto naegi

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raventreehouse · 3 years

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Can you do a Hcs of a gender neutral reader trying to teach Sunny how to dance! (Dancing is my favorite thing to do) Thank you! I love ur blog

I got so happy seeing a request for Ann and Katara as well thank you kind stranger for letting me write for these women. These turned out so long, can you see that dancing is one of my interests as well?

Sunny

Let’s start with the first thing, you’ll have to convince him to learn to dance

Cause do you see Sunny dancing?

Well earlier than Omori

Anyways after that the trouble begins

Soo this boy, is stiff

You’re gonna spend a lot of time teaching him to dance

Especially more than the other two-

Honestly the best you’ll get him to do is those really non moving dancing moves

He will however support you for dancing if you do competitions or something

But say you’re a bit disappointed about him not really wanting to dance

Well he sets up a surprise

He sets up a flash mob at the park

Many people actually join in!

He’s clearly more comfortable if the focus isn’t on him

But in the end he does really well!

Just don’t expect him to dance while it’s just the two of you, he gets embarrassed

Ann

She’s so excited!

And like a really good student

She picks things up so fast

I mean look at the rhythm persona games

She’s good man

If you’re actually looking for a dance partner you can call her up

New hobby thanks to you and loves doing it with

She would be so good at things like tango or waltz with you

She also hands down would get the rest of the phantom thieves to join like at least 3 lessons

Dude seeing Futaba and Ryuji dancing will never not make you laugh

They know they are bad at dancing

And do not give a shit

It’s great

Haru is so graceful you are in awe a bit

Ann isn’t even jealous she just looks like ‘yeah those are my friends’

Makoto would be so good at breakdancing

And Akira is so overdramatic and fancy while dancing

Morgana is just vibing on the sidelines probably managing the music so you don’t have to run over every song that ended

Yusuke would be a bit stiff in the beginning but he learns pretty quick of the art of dance, is very interested, so would ask a bunch of questions

You have a great time

(yeah Akecchi is there but he is too much of a sour puss to actually join)

After that Ann stays over and demands cuddles though, a lot of attention went to them and so she wants time to make it up

Katara

So she would love to learn from you!

But struggles a bit in the beginning

You try different dancing genres but it just doesn’t seem to work

Then you get a light bulb moment

And show her how dancing is a lot like bending, and could probably make some amazing dance moves with bending to make it even cooler

After that things go super smooth

She is a really good dancer!

And you swear you see her use more dance moves to dodge attacks from others when in trouble

You’re kind of smug about it

She’ll never admit it though

Unless you ask really nicely

Yeah it goes really smooth with Katara

Aang joined at least once in your lessons

Neither of you minded and it was real fun

You might all have ended in the lake nearby on accident but it was all fun and games

#omori #omori sunny #sunny x reader #omori imagines #persona 5 #persona 5 ann #ann takamaki #ann takamaki x reader #persona 5 imagines #alta #atla katara #katara x reader #atla imagines

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generous1ty · 3 years

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Hey, I found your blog thanks to ZiZi’s boost, and I’m really excited to see what you write in the future! For my request, I’d like to see how Makoto and Yasuhiro would support a reader who had been self harming and is now trying to curb that habit. Hopefully that request is alright.

I also had a quick question if you don’t mind, for future requests. Are platonic requests ok? How about requests without a reader, like, just head cannons about a character’s own reaction to a situation and such. Perfectly fine if not, just wanted to ask before I sent something wrong.

Thank you for reading and for responding!

hihi! so glad you could find my blog, it's super nice having you here! :)

as for your question, both are completely fine! i'm really down for writing whatever, especially platonic stuff. platonic relationships are super fun to write for.

also, you didn't specify whether you wanted imagines or headcanons, so i just did hcs. i hope that's alright!

thank you for sending in a request! lots of love. <3

✑ ✑ ✑ ✑ ✑ ✑ ✑ ✑ ✑ ✑

Makoto and Yasuhiro Supporting an S/O who's Improving on S/h HCs

genre: comfort angst/fluff warnings: s/h(self-harm)/relapsing/intrusive thoughts mentions (no descriptive wording or detailed imagery), depression symptoms(?)

◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇

Makoto Naegi

Makoto had only found out recently, but it had pained him in many ways.

you had been struggling without him-- something he promised you'd never do alone..

yet, here he was, embracing you in his arms as you told him something so delicate-- so personal.

first things first, he'd probably get a therapist for you(if you agreed to one).

after that, he's always celebrating with you when you haven't made any new scars, rubbing your arm comfortingly. he pulls you into a hug and drags you on to the bed to cuddle.

he's always making your favorite foods and helping you enjoy your hobbies! if you need something, Makoto is always ready to get it.

if you ever think that you're bothering him or being a "burden", he always reassures you that he's never bothered by you. he loves you, and that's what lovers do.

he always greets you with a smile. he never wants to make you sad or angry, so he tries his best to make you smile or laugh.

he can be a bit clumsy sometimes, though. he can get a bit distracted and burn the food, or tangle himself up in something while you and him enjoy your hobbies together.

he never wants to stress you out, so if you're feeling unmotivated or tired, he'll immediately drag you to bed and cuddle with you under the blankets.

"Makoto, what about the mess..?"

"we can clean it up later."

Makoto can get pretty overwhelming at times, especially with his questions of what you want to do. you could be full of ideas or you could be blank, and Makoto trying to do whatever you want to do can get pretty tiring real quick.

you have to remind him to calm down a little. he's always about 20 steps ahead of you-- going a bit too fast compared to your pace.

he's always going to walk back or wait for you, though. if you need a bit of space, he never questions why. even he knows himself he can be a bit all over the place, so he completely understands.

if you relapse.. well, he becomes pretty sad.

he's not disappointed, or angry, or sad because of you. he's a bit disappointed, angry, and sad because of himself.

he had done something wrong, hadn't he..?

soon after, he realizes that this kind of thinking isn't what he should be doing right now...

he smiles and takes wherever you harmed yourself and starts patching it up, telling you how proud he is of you, and that it's okay to start progressing from zero again.

"you did a great job lasting this long, [Y/n]. i'm so proud of you,"

"it's alright, i promise! just because you did it now, just means we'll have to try harder this time, right?"

"i'm not worried at all.. i mean, i believe we can get through this together,"

"i believe in you."

he always tries his most bestest to help you improve along the way! he doesn't know much about what to do, but he'll learn and love you all the same.

he plants a little kiss on your nose, smiling, "i'm always here to help you get better. don't you ever forget that."

Yasuhiro Hagakure

Yasuhiro... well, he's not sure what to do. he’s not sure how to react or how to act,,, he’s a lot more clueless than Makoto, that’s for sure.

but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to help!

Hiro isn’t that good at comforting, but he definitely knows how to distract you from thinking too much! he knows how to have a good time, and is just very silly in general.

that doesn’t mean he doesn’t take you seriously, though! he’s not good with confrontation or dealing with serious issues well, so just know he doesn’t mean anything bad when he lets out a nervous laugh or switches the subject.

he’s so supportive, though!! like, super supportive!!! he celebrates when you go a full day without self-harming or a few hours without think of it. he claps his hands and jokes around a bit,

“my fortune telling skills tell me that you’re going to do wonderful in the future!” he smiles at you, pulling you into a tight and loving hug, “and that you’re doing amazing so far.”

he definitely keeps track of the days you haven’t self-harmed. it’s not to make you feel bad or anything, it’s just for him. he always smiles looking at it, because he’s helped you improve on getting better! he also just looks at it thinking, “wow, they’ve improved so much...” it inspires him a lot!

Yasuhiro’s not the best at taking care of you-- i mean, he can hardly take care of himself. he’s not good with cooking or cleaning, but he does try his best! while you’re trying to curb your bad habit, he tries to learn how to do things around the house!

he reassures you all the time, saying that he wants to do these things and that it’s fun to learn how to do them. especially since they’re for you. he’s very happy that he can do something to lift the weight off your shoulders, because he knows sometimes he isn’t very helpful.

Yasuhiro is a very “in the present” person. he goes with the flow and does whatever you want to do! unlike Makoto, he doesn’t ask you for ideas, but he lets you choose what you want to do. if you have nothing, you guys can go and do what Hiro wants to!

if you get bored along the way, no worries! Hiro did at some point, too. his interests stay pretty spontaneous, so you’re sure to not get bored or let any intrusive thoughts come in and swoop you away.

however, if that does happen, Hiro is always there to comfort you. he doesn’t know what to say, but he’d rather hold you in his arms instead of telling you words. he feels like that’s what you’d prefer, too.

he just holds you. his arms are so gently wrapped around you, like you could break at any moment-- and he wouldn’t mind if you did. as he gets to know this side of you, he starts to slowly understand how you feel. he’s a little empath inside, wanting to know how you feel so he can help you. he really just wants to make you feel as safe as possible.

if you relapse, he’s always there to patch you up. there was never a time where he was disappointed, or angry, or frustrated. he understood; he understands. it can, and will, be hard. he’ll be with you every step of the way, though.

you hug him tightly after he finishes treating you, crying into his shirt. he doesn’t mind, and he’s grateful that you can depend on him so much. he loves you so much, and if you need something from him, he’s always willing to give it to you if he can.

if that’s a shoulder to cry on or carry half the burden you have, he’s already got you covered.

“i am always here for you, [Y/n]. always.”

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shirleykarasuma · 3 years

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Hello my friends,

This time I want to talk about a very specific topic called the work of indipendent artists, or for short Doujinshi. O^O

╔══════❀ Disclamer ❀══════╗

I know a lot of people will be triggered by this topic and probably hate me for talking about it, but I want to break the bad cliche! Òwó

Also everything I say in this post is my opinion. You don't have to agree with me. (´•᎑•`)

╚══════❀・°•°•°•・❀══════╝

Over the time of being active in the DCMK fandom, I collected a pretty nice collection of DCMK Doujin. This is my collection.

Here are my Three favorites!

I have these.

They look absolutely gorgeous. Not only from the outside but also on the inside. I feel like every single Doujin you will find with Makoto X Sonoko is so polished and well thought of. *w*

I have those.

Those are actually old. They are from 1997 - 2002. According to some Japanese people I showed them, they are real treasures. °A°

And I have this one.

This one is essentially just a romance Doujin drawn in the style of "Otome Games". I had never seen anything like this before and I am amazed by how amazing it looks and feels to read. ♡.♡

So now that I've annoyed you with my favorite Doujin, let me tell you a bit about it. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ ˶)

The Japanese word Doujinshi can be roughly translated as "unprofessional personal magazin" and it is used to describe items that are published by an independent artists or artists groups (circle).

Doujin can range from short comics/manga, artbooks/photobooks over written stories (fiction) to magazines, videos, music and even games. So basically any items from those categories that are published by a independent artist or artist group (circle) are considered "Doujinshi" in Japan.

The main genres are Romance, Comedy/Parody, Action and Drama. At least thats what Japanese people like the most. °^°

There are two big main sections "for male" and "for female". When it comes to DCMK you will be more likely to find Doujin here in the "for female" section.

Also doujin are categorized after their main character shipping, so it's easier for people to one they would enjoy. (´•᎑•`)👍

In 2019 I had the opportunity to go to Japan and it was amazing. I went to the doujin store of "Toranoana" in Akihabara which is specialized in Doujins "for female" and it was amazing! ☆^☆

When you entered the small store the first thing you were confronted with, were all DCMK Doujin. Eight big shelfs, three tables, all full packed with DCMK Doujin and a big TV only for advertising them. 〣(๑º口º๑)〣

So yeah reading DCMK doujin as a woman is actually very mainstream in Japan. ô.ô

Most Doujin I saw in the Store were standart Romance, Comedy/Padody and Drama. Honestly there weren't much adult ones I have to say. I think it's because Japanese women don't really like that much hardcore stuff. °A°

Now on to the question "Why are there so many weird and absurd Doujin?". ÓAò

Adult stuff sells, it always has. Also its technically illegal in Japan and illegal stuff is always much sighed-for. Thats why so many indie artists that focus on content like that. Well, it's unfortunate but it can't be helped. >~<

And yeah, the easiest way to be recognized is of course making weird shit. Thats how the Internet works. °^° XD

Besides that....

Funfact of the day:

Did you knew that Gosho Aoyama did doujin before he became a professional mangaka? °^°

There isn't much information about this online, but I found one of his doujin for sale at YahooAuctions. Owo

Gosho once said he doesn't like the stuff he mad in early artist days. Yeah, it may be weird, cringe and nerdy, but every artist starts like that. °^°

If you are an indie artist or you'r a person that supports them, don't let anyone tell you your weird for creating and/or liking this stuff!

This 100% acceptable and those stupid ass people have to stop thinking inside thier cliche box! ÒAó

Yes I do support indie artists! I stan that! ( ˘꒳˘ )

#名探偵コナン #detective conan #case closed #dcmk #anime #animemerch #dcmk fanart #doujin

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somegirlsnerdywords2 · 4 years

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Anime i’ve Watched

That begin with a O (Part 1)!

Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.

Ojisan to Marshmallow:

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance, TV Short

Synopsis: Habahiro Hige is a simple-minded older man who works an office job and is an enthusiast of Tabekko Marshmallows. His days often consist of being teased by his 24-year-old colleague Iori Wakabayashi, who uses his obsession to her advantage: from eating them in front of his face, to buying out his favorite brand from the convenience store, and even embarrassing him in front of their boss. Although her friends cannot fathom what she sees in him, she just cannot get over his marshmallow-like, fluffy frame. No matter the lengths it takes, Iori will find a way to get his attention. Little does Habahiro know that she is trying to seduce him into a romantic relationship with her. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right? At least this is what Iori would honestly like to believe. With a bag in hand, Iori continues to make him chase after her day after day, hoping that he will finally see through her attempts. Will he ever realize that their relationship can become s'more? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 12, 3 minute long episodes.

My Thoughts: A cute, bite sized anime with feeling. Something light and short to watch on a bad day.

Omoide Poroporo (Only Yesterday):

Genres: Slice of Life, Drama, Romance, Film

Synopsis: Taeko Okajima is a 27-year-old, independent woman who spent her entire life in Tokyo. Looking to unwind from the rush of the big city, she decides to visit her family in the country to help out during the harvest. On the train there, Taeko vividly recalls her memories as a schoolgirl in the initial stages of puberty, as if she is on a trip with her childhood self. A young farmer named Toshio picks her up at the station, and they quickly develop a friendship. During her stay, Taeko forms strong bonds with family and friends, learning the contrasts between urban and rural life, as well as the struggles and joys of farming. Nostalgic and bittersweet, Omoide Poroporo takes on Taeko's journey as an adult woman coming to terms with her childhood dreams compared to the person she is today.

My Rating: 9/10

A film released in 1991.

My Thoughts: One of the lesser known films by Studio Ghibli and well it didn’t leave that big of an impact on me it was still an experience to watch and one i’m thankful for.

Onigiri:

Genres: Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy, TV Short

Synopsis: Ancient Japan is under attack by powerful beings called "Kamikui," and it is up to the "Oni" and his band of eight beautiful female warriors to stop them. Each of these girls have unique skills, abilities, and personalities. They partner themselves with the Oni, Jin, to stop the miasma of darkness sweeping across Japan. Onigiri follows the escapades of Jin and his merry companions as they strengthen their bonds and fend off the demonic invasion. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

(Couldn’t find a gif, the one above is not from the anime.)

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 13, 4 minute long episodes.

My Thoughts: Meh. Can’t remember a thing.

Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki (Wolf Children):

Genres: Fantasy, Slice of Life, Film

Synopsis: Hana, a hard-working college student, falls in love with a mysterious man who attends one of her classes though he is not an actual student. As it turns out, he is not truly human either. On a full moon night, he transforms, revealing that he is the last werewolf alive. Despite this, Hana's love remains strong, and the two ultimately decide to start a family. Hana gives birth to two healthy children—Ame, born during rainfall, and Yuki, born during snowfall—both possessing the ability to turn into wolves, a trait inherited from their father. All too soon, however, the sudden death of her lover devastates Hana's life, leaving her to raise a peculiar family completely on her own. The stress of raising her wild-natured children in a densely populated city, all while keeping their identity a secret, culminates in a decision to move to the countryside, where she hopes Ame and Yuki can live a life free from the judgments of society. Wolf Children is the heartwarming story about the challenges of being a single mother in an unforgiving modern world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

A film released in 2012.

My Thoughts: Like movies that make you cry and have a bit of an odd concept? This film may in fact be for you! Nice art and a touching story.

Orange:

Genres: Sci-fi, Drama, Romance, School, Shoujo

Synopsis: Naho Takamiya's first day of her sophomore year of high school is off to an uneasy start. After waking up late, she receives a strange letter addressed to her. However, the letter is from herself—10 years in the future! At first, Naho is skeptical of the note; yet, after witnessing several events described to take place, she realizes the letter really is from her 26-year-old self. The note details that Naho's future life is filled with regrets, and she hopes that her younger self can correct the mistakes that were made in the past. The letter also warns her to keep a close eye on the new transfer student, Kakeru Naruse. Naho must be especially careful in making decisions involving him, as Kakeru is not around in the future. With the letter as her guide, Naho now has the power to protect Kakeru before she comes to regret it once more. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 13 episodes.

My Thoughts: I loved the manga... I honestly have no idea why I only gave the anime an 8... Maybe the story just had less impact the 2nd time around? Not a clue.

Ore Monogatari!! (My Love Story):

Genres: Comedy, Romance, Shoujo

Synopsis: With his muscular build and tall stature, Takeo Gouda is not exactly your average high school freshman. However, behind his intimidating appearance hides a heart of gold, and he is considered a hero by the boys for his courage and chivalry. Unfortunately, these traits do not help much with his love life. As if his looks are not enough to scare the opposite sex away, Takeo's cool and handsome best friend and constant companion Makoto Sunakawa easily steals the hearts of the female students—including every girl Takeo has ever liked. When Takeo gallantly saves cute and angelic Rinko Yamato from being molested, he falls in love with her instantly, but suspects that she might be interested in Sunakawa. With his own love for Yamato continuing to bloom, Takeo unselfishly decides to act as her cupid, even as he yearns for his own love story. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9.5/10

Finished airing in 2015 with a total of 24 episodes.

My Thoughts: I freaking loved this anime!! The male lead wasn’t your typical pretty boy, all of the characters were wonderful in their own ways and the relationship between the two leads was painfully adorable. Big fan of this title!

#anime #tv short #omoide poro poro #only yesterday #films #onigiri #wolf children #ookami kodomo no ame to yuki #orange #ore monogatari #my love story

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justcafewriter · 3 years

Text

Bittersweet

pairing : Oda Sakunosuke x Reader

genre : a mix of fluff and angst (only a little bit of angst i guess ^^;)

warning : contain death

prompt : roasting sweet potato

summary : a bittersweet memory always find its way to you whenever winter come

word count : 2.4K

a/n : another story from a different prompt for the 12 days of cheer collab. the general idea was to have Makoto as the main character and fluff as the genre but I recently have Oda brainrot thanks to my dear friend, Clio :') so here we go.

The sound of your kitchen timer ringed loudly, making you swiftly walk to the kitchen and stop where the oven is and turn it off before you put on your kitchen gloves and open the oven's lid. The smell of roasted sweet potato filled your nostrils, a satisfactory smile appeared on your face as you're checking if it's properly roasted and it did. You look at the clock, it's now 9am and you just need to change your clothes before you're finally ready to go. 15 minutes later, you're already in your bestest outfit, a necklace with a home-shaped pendant decorating your outfit nicely, you're wearing a bit of makeup and let your hair loose. You look at your reflection, smiling as you think that you look the way someone you'll meet like.

After you put on your shoes, you're ready to go with a box of roasted potato in one hand and a bouquet of flowers that you've already arranged yourself in another. A mix of Pink Camelia, Pink Carnation, Red Chrysanthemum and Forget-Me-Not. You look at the bouquet in your hand before your eyes drift to the frames that's standing on the table not too far from the entrance of your apartment.

One of the frames contained a photo of a young man with reddish-brown hair, his azure eyes seemed so gentle as he was smiling happily. Another frame contained a photo of you and that young man, there's a little scribble on that photo saying "first date with Oda ♡". You smile upon seeing those photos, a warm feeling crept inside your heart as you see the smiles both of you wore in that sacred moment.

With a heavy sigh you finally get out from your apartment. The weather is not that nice but you can say that it's not bad either, especially since it's December now. As you're walking, you see a lot of people around, some busying themselves buying gifts for Christmas and you're giving note to yourself to not forget searching for one.

It doesn't take long until you finally arrive at your destination. You're walking toward a big tree and lay a small blanket before you sit on it. You're smiling as you see the one who you want to see resting there.

"I'm here, Oda." You whispered as a gentle smile appeared on your beautiful face. "And I bring roasted potatoes too!"

Suddenly, your mind traced on the first day he finally has courage to talk to you.

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7 years ago

You were eating your favorite curry at your favorite small shop like you usually do when suddenly a tall man with stubble came and asking for 'usual'. You look at his figure before you try to continue eating your food. Yes, try. Because the man who just came was also the reason why you keep coming back to the shop. He gave you this mysterious aura which told you to not get too close to him but also at the same time you drew to him and your eyes landed on nothing but him.

Silent filled the room, only the sound of the chef (also the owner) cooking could be heard when suddenly the man beside you asked, "How's the kids?" which was answered with, "Like usual." By the chef.

Again, silence filled the room. You try to continue to eat when suddenly the man beside you said, "Do you like sweet potatoes?" You paid him no mind since you thought that he was probably talking to the chef again but then you felt a pair of eyes looking at you, so you were looking at your right only to be watched by a pair of beautiful azure eyes. You tried your best to not spit on your food because you swear that the curry seems like entering the wrong hole.You tried to gulp down that damn curry before you sipped the cold water beside your plates.

"You're asking me?" You asked, looking at him with your doe eyes, you saw a tint of pink appear on his cheeks.

"Ah, sorry if I'm being rude and yes I was asking you." He said as he rubbed his hair.

"I.. I like sweet potatoes." You said again, you weren't lying, it's not like you love them by lots but you enjoy eating them.

"Good. So you wouldn't mind to join us later? If you have time of course." A sheepishly smile appeared on his face.

Your face brightened at the invitation, not gonna lie, you were so interested at this man so having him inviting you was something that you'd like to have.

"Well, what time is later?" You asked, no matter how happy you feel you need to play it cool.

"Uhm.. later as in after we finished our meal." He answered. "I heard a saying that said, 'women have another stomach for dessert'."

"Well it's very much true and I feel like I need to accept your invitation, especially if it's coming from a gentleman like you." You said and the moment you said it, that man knew that you were a very special person and he knew that you would change him in any way possible.

"My name is Oda Sakunosuke." That man said while stretching out his hand.

"My name is Y/N." You said, while gripping that man's hand. The moment his large hand wrapping yours, you knew that you couldn't escape to fall for him more deeply.

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"Y/N-san! Odasaku! come here, come here. Sakura has practiced her singing skill and she will sing for us!" Kousuke, the oldest kid of orphaned children who Oda adopted said as he was welcoming you and Oda. It has been a year since you were dating Oda and you've met the kids countless times so they already welcomed you like you're always belonged there. Oda never knew why he introduced the kids to you and told you that he adopted them all. Well, he knew why. He wanted to know how your reaction would be. He was glad when he saw that you were very much okay with him having kids despite he was only 21 years old at that time.

"Oh, Y/N-san! You brought a lot of sweet potatoes!" Another child named Katsumi said after he appeared from nowhere.

"Yes, I'm gonna make roasted sweet potatoes because Odasaku said that you guys like them and we couldn't enjoy them that much last year."

"Your roasted potatoes taste so delicious." The youngest kid, Sakura, said as she approached you. The rest of two kids also joined you and Oda while they were agreeing to what Sakura said.

"Okay, okay. Odasaku and I will clean the sweet potatoes before we roast them so you all can prepare things in the living room and clean it up a bit. You say you will help uncle right?" You said and all the kids accepting your guidance before they stormed into the living room.

"How can they listen to you so well?" Oda said once the kids left the kitchen as he approached you. He wrapped his hands around your waist before he inhaled your scent and put his lip close to your jawline before he kissed it, that gesture made you turn around so you were facing him and process to kiss his lips before saying, "It's a secret."

A laugh erupted from both of you. Oda then pulled you closer to him before he planted a kiss on your lips, a passionate one if you could tell. The kiss made your feet feel like jelly and your lips burned in sensation of his sweet, honey taste lips. His stubble roughly rubbed the skin around your mouth but it didn't give you any effect to pull away.

"Uhm!!" You heard someone try to disturb the moment you have with Oda so you broke the kiss only to find the oldest kid, Kousuke gave you a 'what-the-hell-are-you-doing' look. "Sorry to interrupt but the potatoes won't roast themselves aren't they?" He snickered.

You and Oda were stuttering as you both tried to reasoning your action. Fast forward, all the seven of you were already in the living room with a warm roasted potato on the table and warm green tea accompanied it.

You were listening to Sakura singing a Christmas song then after that you were just listening to the kids rumbling about their days before finally the show that the kid wanted to watch has started. It was suddenly quiet, you were sitting in the back with Oda sitting beside you and his hand was around your waist. You put your head on his shoulder as you also lingered your hands around his torso. Both of you sit there in silence, watching the kids immersed in the movie that they watched.

After the movie finished, you saw the kids were all sleeping. Oda then moved them one by one to their bedroom with you helping him by preparing their bed and tucked them once Oda put them on their bed. After you tucked the last kid, both of you look at the sight of five angelic kids sleeping figures and you couldn't help but feel the warmness inside your heart and you knew Oda felt the same because you felt a pair of strong arms lingering around your waist as he hugged you from behind.

"One day… One day we will move from this town, we'll move to another place near the beach, where the kids can run as far as possible, where the kids can enjoy much sunshine while they're playing outside, where they will have baby siblings and play with them and teach them one thing or two. I, I'm sorry for being so selfish but please bear with me a little more. I promise you everything will be better." You heard Oda say those words before he kissed your crown. You, on the other side felt your tears run down to your cheeks.You knew about his occupation yet you still accept him and love him with all your might. Mafia who doesn't kill. That was what his colleagues called him. And you knew the reason why, he told you about it, about his dream, about how he wanted to be a writer, how he wanted to have a house with a window facing the ocean as he wrote the continuation of his favorite book. He shared his dream with you, shared his obsession and you were very much so supporting to his idea.

"I will wait as much as possible if it's come to you. To the kids that I thought of my own. That's how much I love you, Oda." You whispered but it was loud enough for Oda to hear.

You felt Oda broke the hug before he asked you to close your eyes and you did. Suddenly you felt a cold metal at the crook of your neck, then he told you to open your eyes. The first thing you did was to look down and there you saw a necklace with a house-shaped pendant. You ask him what it was about and he told you that it was a token, a token to what he promised to you; the next stage of relationship.

You couldn't help but crying at his explanation, he was so shocked because that wasn't the reaction that he expected.

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It was less than a year when you heard news from Oda's friend, Dazai, that Oda was seriously injured. Your head was spinning like crazy and your heart was beating so fast it felt like it'd burst out from your body anytime. The time when you come to where Dazai told you, Oda was long gone, his body already cold and lifeless. That was when your world sinked into hell, when your heart broke into pieces it couldn't be repaired, when you couldn't even scream in pain as you saw a lifeless body that belonged to a man who you loved dearly.

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A single tear escapes from your eyes as you reminisce the memory of your now deceased fiance. You saw his name engraved on the tombstone in front of you before you put the bouquet that you bring on top of his grave. It has been 4 years since Oda left you, and you also learnt about the kids he adopted, that they were also already dead because they caught up in Oda's last mission. Another tears escapes and run down to your cheeks, you try to hold it because you already swore to only show Oda your happy side, to not make him worry when he's watching you from heaven above.

"It's okay to cry." You hear a familiar voice of Oda's friend, Dazai. "I bet that's what Oda would say to you." He says again as he's walking towards your direction.

You saw him holding a small bouquet of flowers.

"Zinnia. Thoughts of absent friends." You say as you look at the flower.

"Longing for you, I'll never forget you, I love you and True love memories." Dazai says after he placed his bouquet next to yours. "Odasaku was so lucky to meet you." He says again.

"Both of us are lucky to meet each other, but not lucky enough to be together in this life." You smile bitterly as you spit on your last words. The words are surely hurt and the reality you're facing now is surely cruel and Dazai knew what kind of hell you've been through after you learnt a sadistic truth 4 years ago, after you learnt the fact that you lost the most important person in your life.

"I still feel thankful that you live your life to your best, that you carry out Oda's dream and even you're doing more than he can do. You build an orphanage, you're taking care of unfortunate children and I'm sure Oda is gonna be proud of you." Dazai says as he pat your head, like a big bro he is.

"That's the only thing I can do." You say.

"It's getting cold now, let me take you home." Dazai offers and you decide that it's the time you need to go.

"Till then, Oda." You says before you rub his tombstone and accepting Dazai's offer to take your hand and walk with him, leaving a bittersweet memory behind you as you leave the cemeteries.

collab taglist: @animatedarchives @azxmii @yamaguchi-stan

#oda sakunosuke #odasaku #oda x reader #bsd #bsd x reader #bungou stray dogs x reader #bungou stray dogs #bungo stray dogs #bungo stray dogs x reader

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i-swim-free-for-the-team · 4 years

Photo

This is an old interview, you won’t learn anything new. But I wanted to practice translating.

Makoto Q&A

I want to go as far as I can with the others

Q: When you wake up what's the first thing you do? To tell the truth, I'm not good at waking up in the morning (strained laugh). I oversleep a lot and my siblings wake me up.

Q: Apart from swimming, how do you spend your day off? I guess I hang out with my friends and play with my younger brother and sister. Also I take Haru out of his house (laugh). I mean, if I left him he wouldn't go out.

Q: Do you have hobbies? Looking at clothes and buying clothes...Also I like games. I play with my younger brother and sister too but is that considered a hobby?

Q: What kind of fashion do you like? I like designs that aren't too flashy and are casual.

Q: Precisely, what’s your underwear type? Bo......what kind of question is this!?

Q: Then, when sleeping, are you part of the pajama faction or the sweats faction? Sweats faction.

Q: Tell us about your family composition! Parents and the twins -younger brother Ren and younger sister Ran. The 5 of us live together. My siblings are still in elementary school so the house is always lively.

Q: You always bring a delicious-looking bentou with you, but do you make it yourself? My mom does...Cause I can't cook at all.

Q: What's your favorite and least favorite food? I like curry. I like sweet things as well...With this physique it's embarassing though (laugh). For dislikes, maybe gooey food.

Q: What genre of movie do you like? I'm not picky about any as long as it's not horror or gore... I watch a lot of anime movies with my siblings.

Q: What is your best and worse school subject? My grades in Japanese are good but I'm really no good at English. I'm not really dexterous so art is also a bit...

Q: How do you study for a test? Just...normally I guess? When a test approaches, I go "Aah, I guess I gotta do it soon..." and start. If I won't make it in time, my last resort is pulling an all-nighter.

Q: During classe, you wear your glasses, right? My sight is slightly bad, I can't see the characters on the black board so I wear them.

Q: Who was your first love? I won't say!...That's embarassing!

Q: Are you taking good care of the goldfish you got from Haru-chan? Of course, I'm taking good care of them.

Q: Your cellphone matches with Haru-chan's? That's right. When we went to buy cellphones, Haru's mother said that if we chose the same model, I could teach him how to use it. Well, Haru almost nevers carries it on him though.

Q: To you, what kind of being is Haru-chan? Now and forever, he's my important best friend.

#Free!#translation #makoto tachibana

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scoutception · 3 years

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Never7 -the end of infinity- review

Kotaro Uchikoshi holds the title of being one of the most magnificently insane writers in Japan, which is saying something. He’s most famous for the Zero Escape trilogy, an innovative mix of escape-the-room puzzles and normal visual novel story sequences, and the much more recent AI: The Somnium Files, a more standard, yet equally memorable detective drama, which I actually wrote a full review on right here. Though, all things considered, “famous” would be a bit of an overstatement, as these games are very much cult games, being all but completely ignored in Japan, and not doing fantastic overseas either, with the upside of those who have played them often loving them, including me, with Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and AI: The Somnium Files being some of my favorite games out there. However, before the days of Zero Escape, Uchikoshi got his start working at KID, a now defunct developer most famous for its two visual novel series, those being Memories Off, a series of romance VNs that have unfortunately never seen the light of day outside of Japan, not even through fan translations, and the Infinity series, the brainchild of Uchikoshi and the equally insane Takumi Nakazawa, consisting of Never7, Ever17, Remember11, 12Riven, and Code_18, though, reasonably speaking, only those first three, as the latter two were pretty badly received. Science fiction VNs that are mostly connected by their shared themes, these games laid the groundwork for Zero Escape, and are ironically the exact opposite in terms of popularity, being well received and popular in Japan when released, but almost completely unknown in America even today, for understandable reasons, as only Ever17 was officially released in English, with Never7 and Remember11 only being playable with fan translations, along with just being old. Never7 originally was released in 2000, with Ever17 and Remember11 coming out in 2002 and 2004 respectively. Needless to say, these games have long lost their chance at the spotlight, but my curiosity has driven me to them, and thus, we arrive at today’s topic: the first game in the series, Never7. Note that I played the PSP version, as while the translation was originally made for the PC version, that version is really not recommended, for reasons I’ll detail later in the review. Either way, here it be.

20 year old Makoto Ishihara is an unremarkable college student theoretically majoring in psychology, but in practice has majored in skipping the majority of his classes due to his lack of personal direction. This slacker attitude comes back to bite Makoto when he finds himself forcibly signed up for the strange “Seminar Camp”, set on a faraway island and lasting from April 1st to April 7th, with no apparent purpose other than to strengthen the bonds between the members of the group. The other members of Makoto’s group are Yuka Kawashima, a friendly, outgoing girl who serves as the group’s leader, Haruka Higuchi, a quiet, mysterious honor student, and Okuhiko Iida, an infamous playboy who also happens to be heir to the Iida Financial Group. During their week on the island, the group also befriends three others unrelated to the camp: Saki Asakura, an old friend of Yuka’s who comes from a rich family, Kurumi Morino, an energetic and cheerful girl, and her older sister Izumi Morino, the temporary manager of the cafe Lunabeach, whose motherly nature quickly gives her a place as the mediator of the group.

Unfortunately, this otherwise relaxing stay proves to have its own share of problems, mostly within the group. Yuka, despite being the leader, is rather reckless, with a tendency to get unreasonably drunk every chance she gets. Haruka avoids interaction to the point of seeming cold, and insists, among other things, that she “has no heart”. Okuhiko is a shallow jerk who instantly takes a disliking to Makoto, and has a fixation on Haruka that he takes to controlling levels, despite her clear disinterest. Saki, though perfectly affable in group settings, is unnecessarily difficult, stubborn, and harsh in one on one conversation, with a tendency to lash out at others when upset. Kurumi is extremely childish, despite being 17 years old, and even the otherwise dependable Izumi is more than a bit scatterbrained and secretive. As both bonds and tensions form within the group over the week, Makoto is faced with something far more concerning: mysterious premonitions of near future events that always turn out to be correct, coupled with a strange dream which seems to predict the death of someone on the 6th while holding a strange bell, with him soon finding said bell washed up on the beach one night.

It’s pretty much impossible to talk about this game without giving away that it is much more than a simple romance VN, despite it being the big twist of the game when it was first released. Unfortunately, the twists of the game mostly rely on being a surprise, and aren’t very developed otherwise, for the most part, and the story is mostly focused on romance. Considering how elaborate Uchikoshi’s later games are, this is absolutely the biggest reason why Never7 remains so obscure even by Infinity’s standards, considering that Uchikoshi fans are pretty much the only ones who’d be interested in this game nowadays, and knowing that this game isn’t even close to the same level of complexity as his more famous games is the biggest thing that has to be kept in mind when considering anything about it.

The game consists of a beginning common route, 5 routes for Yuka, Haruka, Saki, Kurumi, and Izumi, and the two Curé routes: Izumi Curé, the final route, which takes the plot in a vastly different direction, and serves to completely supplant Izumi’s original route as well, as it’s rather infamously disappointing, and Yuka Curé, a retelling of Yuka’s route from her own perspective. While Yuka Curé is an extra accessed outside of the main game, the rest are accessed in pretty typical VN fashion: the game starts with a common route that serves to introduce the characters, setting, and a few plot elements, before eventually diverging into one of several character specific routes depending on your choices within the common route, namely building up affection points with the characters, and seeing specific, important scenes concerning them. Having enough points and having all requisite plot flags will lock you into that character’s route, with the game otherwise defaulting to Yuka’s route. Not anything atypical of the genre here.

For the most part, this system is fairly forgiving, and works fine. It’s usually pretty easy to figure out what choices actually affect affection, whether from the options themselves, or the reactions of the characters, and the amount of points needed is fairly lenient for each. There’s also a scene near the end common route that has several variations based on which character you have the most affection with, once again defaulting to Yuka if you don’t have sufficient points with any of the others, allowing you an easy way to figure out if you’re on the right path. That said, there’s still definitely frustrations it can cause. While you technically have plenty of freedom to choose what route to pursue on your first playthrough, only Yuka and Haruka’s routes are on the easier side, with Saki’s route being difficult to navigate to and through due to her contrarian nature, with most of the options that involve angering her being the ones to raise affection, and Kurumi’s route forcing you to branch off to a scene involving Izumi instead of her when given the option. Izumi’s routes are also very glaringly not available at first, with options related to her in the common route slowly being unlocked with each route completed instead. While it is actually pretty neat to witness and does make sense, as Izumi’s normal route is not at all serious, and the Curé route is absolutely meant to be saved for last, as far as the serious routes go, it’s still kinda awkward once you notice it, and accessing them carries its own frustration, namely pulling the reverse of the Kurumi route situation and needing to go with Kurumi instead of Izumi at the same point.

Each route also contains multiple endings, with Yuka’s, Haruka’s, Saki’s, and Kurumi’s routes having one bad and one good ending, Izumi’s routes having two bad endings and one good ending each, and Yuka Curé having one bad and two good endings, all of which depend on certain important decisions within the routes, typically at the climax, with specific steps needing to be taken to achieve the good endings, with everything else leading to the bad endings. It’s actually pretty easy to figure out what’s needed for the good endings most of the time, and even if you screw up, it doesn’t take long to fix your mistake, as the game autosaves at the start of every scene and everytime a decision is available. That said, even this has a few frustrating parts. Kurumi’s ending is a lot easier to screw up than the others, and the Haruka, Saki, and Izumi Curé routes keep the affection mechanic, whereas the others forego it once locked into, forcing you to continue gaining points to reach a certain minimum by the climax, or you’re automatically locked into the bad endings. While it’s still pretty easy to do with Haruka and Izumi, to the point you may gain enough points just from the common route, Saki’s route once again causes the most issue with this mechanic, with the choices tending to be just as confusing as in the common route, which is especially bad if you only barely scraped into her route in the first place. As one last note on the affection mechanic, Yuka and Saki’s routes have scenes and CGs that can only be viewed with certain amounts of affection, with Yuka’s needing a rather high amount that forces you to get as many as possible, and Saki’s rather confusing needing less than a certain high amount, based on my testing. The game barely gives any indication of this, outside of showing scenes in their routes missing in the playing log.

As far as length goes, this isn’t exactly Clannad or Grisaia; while not short, it’s only about average length for a VN. Both the common route and the character routes go by pretty quickly, with only Izumi Curé being noticeably lengthy. The bigger plot elements don’t have much focus at all before the character routes kick in, and only the Izumi Curé and Yuka routes place any great focus on them, which can leave it feeling pretty half baked overall. Additionally, the two Curé routes weren’t even in the original version of the game, which released for the PS1 as Infinity, and thus the elements within Izumi Curé can feel a bit jarring compared to the rest of the game. Altogether, this gives the impression of a game that’s, at best, just average, and only notable as a prototype for the later games in the series. However, while I’m not going to argue against how unappealing Never7′s basic nature can be in comparison to Ever17 or Zero Escape, I actually ended up liking it quite a bit, probably a good deal more than average, and feel it does overall do more things right than wrong.

The cast of characters is by far the best part of Never7. While Makoto is a very basic and forgettable protagonist, and Okuhiko only really exists to be the butt of jokes, though even he gets a couple of moments of depth, everyone else is likeable and complex in their own ways. Yuka, though having a lot of traits that could just easily make her irritating, instead manages to be surprisingly charming. Saki is genuinely sympathetic despite the many low points she has, and the parts of the story that focus on her are generally some of the best parts of the game. My favorite character by far is Haruka, who has, in my opinion, the best route in the game, with many memorable and tender moments as early as the common route, and very well done character development which makes it flow better than a good deal of the other routes, and has a tragic element that stands out even when most of the rest of the cast does as well, which leads to many of the more emotional moments of the game. Haruka’s scenes are another consistent highlight of the writing, and she is overall a surprisingly memorable character among the cast, in my opinion.

Speaking of routes, they’re definitely the other main highlight of the writing. While the structure of the plot means that they can feel a bit samey at times, they do do a good job of developing their respective characters, and do have their own little twists along the way to make them stand out. Additionally, unlike some romance VNs, the rest doesn’t simply vanish outside of their own routes. As the relationships between the cast are important parts of their characters, each character plays a role of some importance in at least one route each, which helps keep focus on each character. It’s not quite perfectly balanced, though; Saki is very noticeably screwed for screentime, only playing a noticeable role in Yuka’s route, and having no presence in any other route besides her own. This also rather bizarrely applies to Yuka herself to a lesser degree, despite being the most blatantly advertised of the characters, while Haruka and Izumi tend to have more of the focus between routes.

Aside from the aforementioned Haruka route, some of my other favorite routes would be Saki’s route, for its surprisingly tense atmosphere and focus on the tensions within the group giving it a very different feel from most of the other routes, Yuka Curé, as Yuka’s perspective is refreshingly different from Makoto’s and gives her quite a bit more depth, while having a fair few potential divergences from the normal Yuka route, along with giving Saki a very prominent supporting role, and Izumi Curé, for giving the biggest taste of the kind of direction future games would go. The plot elements revealed within are quite interesting, and force you to take a whole different perspective when considering the rest of the game up to this point, and ends with a tasteful amount of ambiguity that, among other things, reasonably lets you decide just which of the routes you think is “real”, despite the seemingly decisive focus and finality it has. Overall, I actually ended up quite a bit more attached to this cast than I was expecting, and while it wasn’t even close to getting to me like, say, Steins;Gate or AI: The Somnium Files, there’s a few decently emotional moments throughout, particularly on the Yuka, Haruka, and Izumi Curé routes.

But despite the dark or depressing moments Never7 can get into, in the end, it’s a lighthearted and optimistic game, and all things considered, that’s for the best for it. It’s not trying to be a dark dramatic story, just a relaxing and pleasant experience with a few twists to it, and after going through gruesome experiences like Zero Escape and Chaos;Child, I honestly kinda appreciate that.

As far as the game’s more technical aspects go, the characters and art were done by Yuna Kagesaki, best known for the manga Chibi Vampire/Karin. While the artstyle isn’t anything special, visually, the game is actually quite good looking overall. The character designs all look quite good, and the sprites and CGs are also well made, with the sprites notably giving all the characters many different poses, which make them quite distinct, even if a few tend to make the characters in question look a bit odd. While the PSP’s lower resolution and smaller screen means the sprites and backgrounds don’t look as good as the PC version, and that entire CGs and sprites can’t fit on the screen, it actually looks better than the PC version in places, from visual effects like rain, to the filters placed over the character sprites during sunset and night, to even just the UI. The PC version is extremely bare bones, but the PSP version has plenty of neat little menus and features such as a backlog, a detailed CG gallery that includes promotional artwork along with the art within the game itself, a playing log that includes detailed statistics and allows you to view how many scenes you’ve seen within the game, and how much dialogue you’ve seen within each, a music gallery, and a glossary that helps define terms and concepts within the game. While these aren’t quite special, they are very appreciated all the same, and make the PSP version of Never7 the definitive version. Still, here’s a comparison of the two versions, with the rainbow textbox being exclusive to the PC version.

Never7 also features a soundtrack composed by the great Takeshi Abo, who, along with the rest of the Infinity series, is the composer for the Science Adventure series, i.e. Steins;Gate and Chaos;Child. The original soundtrack, used in the PC version, was, to be honest, a bit rough in places, but the PSP version uses a remixed soundtrack first made for the PS2 port, which is nothing short of fantastic. The soundtrack fits the mood of the game perfectly, being very relaxing or upbeat. Each character’s theme fits them perfectly, and the music always manages to fit the context of each scene, particularly the song Languor, which fits both definitions of the word: pleasantly tired, or oppressively stiff. My favorite tracks have to be Izumi’s warm theme, the rather emotional main theme of the game, Once More, and especially Haruka’s downright beautiful theme. Exclusive to the PSP is a rather neat OP played at the start of the game, and an ED used for the original five routes, performed by the band Asriel, with the Curé routes having different EDs that were composed well before this port. Never7 also features a voice cast of voice actors both new and popular at the time, mostly notably the late Tomoko Kawakami as Yuka, Yuki Matsuoka as both Haruka and Kurumi, and Kikuko Inoue as Izumi. Everyone does a pretty decent job, with Yuki Matsuoka particularly managing to make both her characters sound very different. Most of the voice acting is rather compressed, even if it still sounds okay, but the voice acting in the Izumi Curé route is uncompressed, which, while a bit jarring when compared to the original voice acting, certainly sounds much better.

Overall, whether or not I would recommend Never7 heavily depends. If you want a crazier, much more visibly Uchikoshi experience, a much deeper kind of romance game like Clannad, or even just an especially emotional experience, you’re not likely to be impressed, and it’s not recommended in that case. However, the lighthearted nature of the game, average length, and likeable cast make for an experience that is actually quite enjoyable in its own right. If you can keep your expectations reasonable and lowered and just take it as it is, you’ll likely find a fun, easily accessible kind of experience, with some great art, beautiful music, and more than a few distinctive moments in its own right that I would genuinely recommend giving a fair try if you care for visual novels at all.

With that, more words than likely anyone has spoken in defense of this game, I’m off to take another dive into visual novel hell, soon including this game’s far more famous sequel, Ever17. Till next time. -Scout

#visual novel #kotaro uchikoshi #game review #playstation portable #long post

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letterboxd · 4 years

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Survival Mode.

In ten recent coming-of-age films, Ella Kemp finds the genre thriving—and looking very different than the 1980s might have predicted. Film directors and Letterboxd members weigh in on the specific satisfactions of the genre, especially in a pandemic.

There have been jokes, some more serious than others, about the art that will come out of this time. How many novels about a fast-spreading disease are you betting on? Will Covid-19 be better suited to documentary or fiction? But the art I’m most looking forward to, and revisiting now, is the art made about teenagers going through it.

Physical school attendance, so central to the John Hughes movies of the 1980s, is up in the air for so many. Sports practice, theater clubs, mall hang-outs; the familiar neighborhood beats of a teenager’s life are more confined than ever. All of us have had to tweak our reality to make the best of invasive changes forced upon us during the pandemic. In a sense, it feels like we are all coming of age.

Teenagehood, though, is a particularly tricky time of transition, and we don’t yet know the half of how the pandemic is going to impact today’s young adults—and, by association, tomorrow’s coming-of-age films. But in the last two years alone there have been enough brave new entries in the genre, about young people so enlivening, that there’s both plenty for young film lovers to lose themselves in, and plenty for us slightly older folks to watch and learn from.

So I sought out ten recent coming-of-age films (and several of the directors responsible) to see what these stories teach us about teenagers, and how we might empathize with them. The list—Jezebel, Beats, Zombi Child, Blinded by the Light, Selah and the Spades, The Half of It, Dating Amber, Babyteeth, House of Hummingbird and We Are Little Zombies—is by no means exhaustive. But it allows us to look at several things.

Firstly, that the genre is thriving, considering these titles barely scratch the surface. Secondly, these ten films look a whole lot different than their 1980s counterparts. Six are directed by women. Four tell queer stories or, at least, feature queer characters in a prominent subplot. Seven tell stories about Black people, Asian people, Pakistani people. Only three are from the US.

And: they’re really good. They understand teenagers as angry, energetic, passionate, confused, desperate and deeply intelligent beings, echoing the nuances that we know to be true in real life, but that can often get watered down on the screen.

Blinded by the Light (co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha) We Are Little Zombies (written and directed by Makoto Nagahisa) Beats (co-written and directed by Brian Welsh)

The protagonists in these first three films use music to feel their way through panic, brought on by both internal and external circumstances. Screaming another’s lyrics, furiously composing their own anthems, dancing along and sweating out their fear to the beat, the ongoing beat, and nothing more. It’s salvation, it’s release—when you’re left with your own thoughts, the only way to fight through them is to drown them out.

Music acts as a source of enlightenment in Blinded by the Light, directed by Gurinder Chadha (who made 2002’s coming-of-age sports banger Bend it Like Beckham). In Thatcher’s Britain, Pakistani-English Muslim high schooler Javed discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen, and his world bursts wide open. The wisdom and fire of the Boss helps Javed to make sense of his own frustrations; that the film is based on a real journalist’s autobiography makes it all the more potent.

Meanwhile, in Beats, a real-life law enacted in Scotland in the 1990s temporarily banned raves: specifically, the gathering of people around music “wholly or predominantly characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats”. As the UK struggles to contain a youthful, exuberant new counter-culture, the central characters face what it means to enter adulthood. The answer to both: a forbidden rave.

“I have to say, there’s probably no such thing as teenagers without complicated emotions,” We Are Little Zombies writer-director Makoto Nagahisa tells me. The Japanese filmmaker—who loves the genre, known as ‘Seishun eiga’ in Japan—wrestles with the frustration and hopelessness of the world by giving his film’s four orphaned teens the tools, and the permission, to find solace in something other than their everyday life. Following the deaths of their parents, the quartet create their own catchy, cathartic, truth-bomb music; it’s an instant hit with kids across Japan, but the adults miss the point, of course—that the cacophony of superstardom is filling the silence of their mourning.

Nagahisa-san’s film is named after a fictional 8-bit Nintendo Game Boy game that the main character is addicted to. “I used to get through my day relatively painlessly by pretending I was a video game character whenever bad shit happened to me,” he explains. Teenagers “are constantly feeling crushed by reality right now… I want them to know that this is a valid way to escape reality. That reality is just a ‘game’. I want them to know they don’t need to face tragedies, they can just survive. That’s the most important thing!” Who else needed to hear that right now?

Jezebel (written and directed by Numa Perrier) Zombi Child (written and directed by Bertrand Bonello) Selah and the Spades (written and directed by Tayarisha Poe) House of Hummingbird (written and directed by Kim Bo-ra)

Our next four films turn to technology, mythology, hierarchy and education to animate their protagonists’ lives with a greater purpose. In Jezebel, nineteen-year-old Tiffany finds her way through mourning with a new job, earning money as a cam girl and subsequently developing a bond with one of her clients. There’s a magnetic aura, one that harnesses grief and turns it into something more corrosive as this teen puts all her energy into it. Similarly there’s mysticism in the air in Zombi Child, in which Haitian voodoo gives a bored, heartbroken teenage girl a new purpose as she searches for a way to connect with the one she lost—and with herself.

Selah and the Spades and House of Hummingbird understand the third-party saviour as more of a structure, that of a school or an inspiring teacher. Selah finds herself by doing business selling recreational drugs to her classmates in a faction-led boarding school. Nothing mends a sense of aimlessness like power. This same framework lets Hummingbird’s Eun-hee, a schoolgirl in mid-90s South Korea whose abusive family invest their academic focus in her useless brother, search for love and find connection in her school books—and from the person who’s asking her to read them.

The films on this list are not perfect; some might be criticized for specifically following a formula, the tropes of the coming-of-age film, a little too well. Jezebel lets its protagonist rise and fall with familiarity, while Selah suffers the consequences of her extreme actions, and even Eun-hee reckons with a few recognizable pitfalls. But still, the fact that these films exist is “innately radical”, says Irish writer-director David Freyne, whose queer Irish comedy Dating Amber is covered below. The filmmaker describes the coming-of-age genre as mainstream, but in the best possible sense: “It’s a broadly appealing film,” he says.

This is why, to see these stories reframed with minority voices, with queer voices, is so quietly revolutionary. “The more you see them, the more broadly we see them being enjoyed—the more producers and financiers will realize these stories don’t have to be niche just because they happen to frame a minority voice. Everyone can enjoy it.”

Film journalist and Letterboxd member Iana Murray, a coming-of-age genre fan, echoes Freyne’s thoughts. “Representation is absolutely not the be-all end-all, but I’d love to see more coming-of-age films that reflect my experiences growing up as a woman of color,” she says, before introducing what I’d like to call the Rashomon Effect. “I see it as like one of those films that tell the same events from different perspectives, something like Rashomon or Right Now, Wrong Then,” she explains. “A story becomes even more vibrant when told through a different set of eyes, and that’s what happens when you allow women, people of color, and LGBT people to create coming-of-age narratives.”

Dating Amber (written and directed by David Freyne) The Half of It (written and directed by Alice Wu) Babyteeth (directed by Shannon Murphy, written by Rita Kalnejais)

Which brings us on nicely to our last three: wildly different titles, each with young protagonists at war with themselves, trying to make sense of their bodies and minds as best they can. In this context, companionship is everything. Finding a platonic soulmate in Dating Amber, a sexual awakening in The Half of It, a first love to make a short life worth living in Babyteeth. Each film is directed with a verve and passion that you know must be personal.

The story of a frustrated boy in the closet in Dating Amber aches with care from Freyne behind the camera, while Alice Wu directs Ellie Chu, the main character in The Half Of It, with patience and the kind of encouragement that quiet girls who live a life between two cultures are rarely given. And with Babyteeth, Shannon Murphy returns Australian cinema firmly to the center of the movie map, with a quintessentially Australian optimism and sense of humor, which Ben Mendelsohn called “delightfully bent”.

These perspectives are specific to each teen, but the intensity transcends genres and borders. It manifests musically, verbally, visually, aesthetically. These teens connect with their favorite music and means of entertainment, but also simply to their favorite clothes and accessories—blue bikinis and green wigs, red neck-scarves and floaty white dresses. These details give the characters ways to reinvent themselves while standing still, which certainly feels apt for a life lived, for now, at home.

‘Pretty in Pink’ (1986), written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch.

Many argue that the coming-of-age genre peaked with John Hughes, who defined the framework in iconic 1980s films that have his stamp all over them, whether he wrote (Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful) or also directed them (The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles). Hughes’ world view was of a specifically suburban, white, American corner of the world, which he filled with misfits and ultra-hip soundtracks. “John Hughes was to the genre what The Beatles are to rock and roll,” confirms Letterboxd member Brad, maintainer of the essential coming-of-age movie list Teenage Wasteland.

After Hughes, the genre tumbled, Dazed and Confused, into the 1990s—notable voices include John Singleton with his seminal Boyz n the Hood, and Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho and Good Will Hunting. This was also the decade of Clueless, which informed the bright, female-forward fare of the 2000s, like Mean Girls, The Princess Diaries and the aforementioned Bend it Like Beckham. The last decade has seen new American storytellers step into Hughes’ shoes, including Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird and Little Women), Olivia Wilde and the writers of Booksmart, and the autobiographical voices of Jonah Hill (mid90s) and Shia LaBeouf (Honey Boy, directed by Alma Har’el).

It’s interesting to note—whether it’s the 1860s or the 1980s—that many coming-of-agers from the past decade take place in an earlier period setting. Social media has demanded the upheaval of entire lives, but it seems some filmmakers aren’t yet ready to grapple with its place on screen.

The audience, on the other hand, is far more adaptable. The way we’re watching coming-of-age films has shifted, and it’s more appropriate for the genre than we could have imagined. On the last day of shooting Dating Amber, Freyne recalls one of the young actors asking, “So, is this going to be on Netflix or something?” This is when cinemas were still open.

“That’s often how younger people are devouring content now,” Freyne reasons. His film, in the end, was snapped up by Amazon (a US release date is yet to be announced). “It’s creating a communal experience with the intersection of social media: live streams, fan art, daily messages… It’s made us feel incredibly connected, moreso than I think we would have got with a cinematic release.”

Streaming platforms also cater to one key habit of a younger film lover: the rewatch. The iconic teen films of the 80s embedded their reputations thanks to the eternal allure of the Friday night video store ritual, and constant television replays. These days, it’s only with a film finding a home on Netflix, on Amazon or on Hulu, that a younger person (or, in times of global crisis, any person) can both financially and logistically afford to devote themselves to watching, again and again, these people onscreen that they’ve immediately and irrevocably found a connection with.

It’s always felt hard to be satisfied with just one viewing of a perfect coming-of-age film—observe how many times Iana Murray has logged Call Me By Your Name. What is it about the slippery, universal allure of the genre? It’s possibly as simple as the feeling of being seen in the fog of intergenerational confusion. Says Nagahisa-san: “Grown-ups think of teenagers like zombies. Teenagers think of grown-ups like zombies. We’re never able to understand what others are feeling inside.”

“The reaction is always emotive rather than intellectual,” adds Freyne. “There’s something quite visceral and instinctive about coming-of-age films; it’s an emotional experience rather than an analytical one.” That emotional experience is tied up in the fact that we often experience coming-of-age movies just as we ourselves are coming of age, establishing an unbreakable connection between a film and a specific period in our lives. MovieMaestro Brad explains it best: “There is a bit of nostalgia in a lot of these films that take me back to my younger days, when life was simple.”

But that’s not to say only those coming of age can appreciate a coming-of-age film. On her favorite coming-of-age film, Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women, Murray explains, “It doesn’t see coming-of-age as exclusive to teenagers, because that process of growth is really about transition and change.” (In a similar vein, Kris Rey’s new comedy I Used to Go Here, in select theaters and on demand August 7, meets Kate Conklin, played by Gillian Jacobs, in a sort of quarter-life-crisis, needing to grow down a bit in order to grow up.)

Natalia Dyer in ‘Yes, God, Yes’ (2019), directed by Karen Maine.

There is endless praise, conflict and wonder to be found in the ten films mentioned above—and all the ones we haven’t even gone near (Karen Maine’s orgasmic religious comedy Yes, God, Yes, now available on demand in the US, deserves an honorary mention, as does Get Duked!, Ninian Doff’s upcoming stoner romp in the Scottish Highlands). The thing about this genre is it’s raw, it’s alive, and it’s always in transition. Just when you might think it’s gone out of fashion, it emerges in a new and fascinating form. And yet, there are still so many filmmakers who haven’t tackled the genre. I asked my interviewees who they’d like to see take on a story of teens in transition.

“I’d love to see Tarantino’s take on a coming-of-age tale,” says master of the genre himself, MovieMaestro/Brad. Murray gives her vote to Lulu Wang, saying, “I love the specificity she brought to The Farewell, I think it would transfer well to a genre that needs to escape clichés.” Freyne, meanwhile, wants to see if Ari Aster might have another story about young people in him. Maybe something a bit less lethal next time.

Ultimately, “you write from empathy, not from experience,” says Freyne. I think the same goes for watching, too. It won’t be tomorrow, and it might not be this year, but eventually, the world will emerge from Covid-19. What will we have learned from the films that we watched while we were waiting? From the sadness, the angst, the determination, the rage and the passion?

Nagahisa-san already knows, and his advice is everything we need right now: “You don’t need others’ approval of who you are, as long as you understand and approve of yourself. Do whatever pops up in your mind. Live your life without fear or despair. Just survive.”