#ic ;; { not worth the money: Tetsuya}

[tearsofalonelyprince]

List of OM characters who know the Kingdom Hearts Lore

From most to least likely

Leviathan. He has every single keyblade. He has all of the novels and manga. He’s played every single game. He wants to fight Tetsuya Nomura. He also hates Donald Duck. He thinks Kairi deserves more. He’s written a 50 page essay on KH Union Cross and when three came out he wouldn’t shut up about how he knew it would be integral to the lore.

Satan. HEAR ME OUT FIRST!!! Okay it started out as a joke because Levi would not shut up about how stupid the release order of the games was. Then he sees Levi with novels . “Why is Mickey Mouse holding a sword?” He asks. He then reads all the novels. He reads the whole wiki. He likes Dream Drop Distance the most. Feels bad for Ventus.

Mammon. He tried to sell Levi’s replica Kingdom Key. Found out it was worth $500 when Levi immediately tried to fight him over it. He wants a big ass gucci key too and orders one. The seller is like “Wow! I haven’t sold a Void Gear in years!! :D” “what the fuck is a void gear?”. He paid $1,000 for a custom, metal keyblade and then “mysteriously” got a hold on some original copies of the games simply for the bragging factor. He likes that money is called Munny. Thinks Demyx would be a cool demon. Plays Chain of Memories the most. He also hates Donald Duck.

Belphie. Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance are his favorite games. Ventus and Riku are his favorite characters. At any given moment he will look at Satan and go “What’s your name?” Or “Ven! Are you okay?” Everyone has to watch as Satan laughs so hard he starts crying. Every. Single. Time. He also wants to take a 10 year nap. He has a life-size metal Starlight keyblade.

Luke. He saw a poster for KH3 while in the human realm and thought it was so cool! He plays KH1 the most. Sometimes thinks MC is “just like Aqua!” Wants to dress up like Sora for Halloween.

Solomon. He knows about it. He’s neutral on it. Thinks Sora in Smash was a funny moment in human history. Says Donald Duck is the best character just to mess with Mammon and Levi.

Barbatos. He finds Tetsuya Nomura’s Time Travel rules amusing. That’s the only reason he knows about it and that’s about as far as his care goes for it.

Asmo. He’s seen it trend a few times on social media! He thinks the in-game clothing designs are hideous. He once walked in on Mammon and Levi playing Chain of Memories and got offended that Marluxia could look that good while wielding a scythe. He likes the 20th anniversary fashion designs though. Refers to Larxene as “blonde bestie babe”

Beel. He watches Belphie and Levi play sometimes. Always gets hungry when they play KH2 and has learned how to make sea-salt ice cream. Thinks more tasty food should be in the game.

Diavolo. He does not know much but he thinks Mickey Mouse is a wonderful king. “He’s trying to unite their worlds too, right Barbatos?” He’s confused but he’s supportive nonetheless.

Lucifer. He has too many other things to do than to focus on some video games series. He’s banned the name Xehanort from the dinner table. He then had to ban the name Sora.

Simeon. This poor man can’t even operate a phone! I don’t think he could make it past the first fight in the tutorial.

#obey me #obey me headcanons #obey me shall we date #obey me! shall we date? #obey me crack #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #kingdom hearts

[puroresu-musings]

NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU 2019 Review (May 3rd and 4th, Fukuoka Kokusai Centre)

May 3rd

Tomoaki Honma, Shota Umino & Ren Narita vs. Toa Henare, yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura  ***1/4

Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku  ***1/4

Kota Ibushi & Roppongi 3K vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI  ***1/2

Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs. SANADA & EVIL  ***3/4

NEVER Openweight Title Match: Jeff Cobb (c) vs. Taichi  ***1/4

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Match: Dragon Lee (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori  ****1/2

May 4th

Shota Umino & Ren Narita vs. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura  ***1/4

Dragon Lee & Will Ospreay vs. Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo  ***1/2

Kota Ibushi & Roppongi 3K vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI  ***3/4

Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL  ****3/4

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. SANADA  ****1/2

Photos.

These shows were the culmination of a great tour that surpassed all expectations, and suitable to form, they were two very fun shows. Night 1 featured some great action, most notably all of the Young Lions in the opener (of both nights, this really is a standout class they have presently), and the continuation of the heated Liger/Suzuki feud. Things got really good with the Ibushi/RPG3K vs. LIJ six-man, which was a fun, all-action battle, just as you’d excpect, and just as they’ve been all tour long (the 10 man elimination tag from May 1st was a **** match and is well worth checking out, by the way). After 11:31 of hot action, Ibushi put BUSHI away with the Kamigoye to win for his team. In the post-match, the I.C. champion demanded an answer from Naito as to when, and if, his challenge will take place. Naito told him to “tranquillo” and he’d let Ibushi know tomorrow. After another mystery man challenged Juice Robinson via video, it was time for the Okada/Ishii vs. SANADA/EVIL doubles clash, which was great stuff. This was all about building to the two big singles matches the next night, and featured some great sequences. After beating the hell out of each other all match, it boiled down to EVIL and Ishii, after the Stone Pitbull was unable to tag out, and found himself locked in the Scorpion Deathlock (the patented move of one of Ishii’s legendary mentors; Riki Choshu), whilst SANADA held Okada at bay with Skull End. Ishii fought valiantly to the ropes, in dramatic fashion, but after being dragged back to the centre of the squared circle, the referee called a stoppage at 16:52.

The NEVER title bout between Jeff Cobb and Taichi was... interesting. I was fixing to hate this thing during the first 10 minutes, as Taichi did his usual stall and cheap-heat tactics, and TAKA and Kanemaru interference, as I felt myself about to lose conciousness through the abject boredom of it all, but it did pick up into a very decent match by the end. However, Taichi wasn’t even the thing I disliked the most about this; Cobb appeared to sleepwalk through this thing. He sold incessantly, Jeff Cobb, an olympian, a SHOOTER, lifelessly sold for Taichi’s pretend Kawada offence in totally baffling fashion. This guy should do the whole Dr. Death/Vader thing and be a monster who only sells when he needs to (yes, he’s short, but he’s a crazy powerhouse with super impressive and believable offence). This gained life with a hot closing stretch, which was very good indeed, culminating in Taichi hitting Black Mephisto on Cobb, and pin him at the 17:50 mark, clean as a sheet, to win the belt. This was inexplicable as I would have kept the belt on Cobb, believing there to be potential in a run with it, but whatever. Taichi is your new NEVER Champion.

The main event of night 1 was a truly excellent high flying display between two of the best junior heavyweights anywhere in the world right now. This started slow but built into a tremendous match, with the crowd super hot for the finishing sequence, which saw Lee hit his snap German off the ropes, but Ishimori popped up and hit a Canadian Destroy, only for Dragon to ‘fighting spirit’ his way up from the move and hit a Falcon Arrow for the double down. The champion hit the double stomp off the top in the corner for a near fall, then Ishimori counters Desnucadora into a cradle for another great near fall. Bone Soldier Reborn locked in the Yes Lock, which Lee did a great job of selling, leading to a dramatic sequence where it looked like the masked man was going to tap, but he eventually made the ropes, to a big pop. After scoring a near fall with a gutbuster, Ishimori went for Bloody Cross, but Lee counters into a reverse rana, hits another snap German, and scored a very believable near fall with a Busaiku Knee strike, which got the stomping treatment from the Fukuoka faithful. From there, Dragon hit Desnucadora to retain in 25:53 of fantastic action, and to cement himself as the rightful champion, having finally scored a pinfall over Ishimori. Also, this was the first time the juniors have main evented a major show in three years, and to say it was a success, both in-ring, and at the box office, would be putting it lightly, which is a good sign for the impending BOSJ, which I’m really excited for.

Night two had a much less entertaining undercard, but the top half was really great. Aside for the good Young Lion opener, the first thing of note on the show was El Phantasmo’s (to the surprise of few) debut in a very good doubles clash, teaming with Ishimori to take on Dragon Lee and ‘good friend’ Will Ospreay. This was all about getting Phantasmo over, and it worked. He was impressive doing his signature rope-walk highspots, with his exchanges with Ospreay being the undoubted highlight. After superkicking an Oscutter attempt out of the sky, Phantasmo hit his old spinning TKO finish, before hitting his new finish, an arm-capture Styles Clash, for the pin in 9:58. Ibushi, SHO and YOH delivered yet another great bout against Naito, Shingo and BUSHI, this time with Naito pinning YOH with Destino at the 13:47 mark. The post match saw Naito challenge Ibushi to an IC Title Match at Dominion, which of course was accepted. These tag matches, whilst fundamentally the same match every time, always deliver the goods, and have been all tour long. Hiroshi Tanahashi made his return next, and let me tell you, this man was rocking a look. He looked just like Patrick Swayze in Point Break, but with added hot pants-esque cycling shorts, and a blazer. He said he’ll be returning to the ring at the June 5th Sumo Hall show, promised to return to full strength and regain the IWGP Heavyweight Title. This brought out that no-good sunuvabitch Jay White, who told Tana to get to the back of the queue if he wants a title shot, then laid him out. He was about to bash the surgically repaired elbow with chairs, but the Young Lions jumped in for the save.

Speaking of delivering, the purported “first time” outing between Ishii and EVIL was an absolute war. The exchanges between these guys all tour have lead you to believe their singles contest would be a classic, and it certainly was. They slammed into each other with hard shoulder tackles and lariats, and forearmed the bejeezus out of each other in glorious fashion for 23:08. EVIL worked over Ishii’s knee, both hit superplexes and locked the other in Scorpion Deathlocks. After a lariat exchange, EVIL escapes a Brainbuster Muto-Hashimoto style, by kneeing his way free, hit a German suplex, but Ishii popped up and laid him out with a massive lariat. Ishii then countered the STO with a German, and another huge Lariat for the doule down. EVIL’s flip-bump sells of the lariats in this were tremendous. After no-selling a lariat, Ishii hit a headbutt, EVIL hit a big half-and-half suplex, and the Stone Pitbull fires back with a stiff looking gamengiri. Ishii hit another massive lariat for a great nearfall, then hit the Vetical Drop Brainbuster for the win. This was the best match on the tour for my money, the best match of EVIL’s career, and just a truly excellent fight. Backstage, Taichi taunted Ishii with the NEVER title, so there’s your next programme for that particular belt. These guys had an excellent match in the NJC, but really I’d like to see Ishii a bit higher up the card at this stage.

The main between Okada and SANADA had a tough act to follow, but they succeeded in producing an excellent match that was completely different in every way. This match will undoubtedly be very divisive, but I really loved it. The crowd started super hot for these guys, and they tempered down soon after as, for the first 15 minutes or so of this thing, they worked an almost entirely mat-based technical contest, reminiscent of a bout between two babyfaces (the Sekimoto-Okabayashi match the next day in BJW was similarly worked too). This worked well as they were trying to weave a compelling story, being the defence based counterpart to the offence based war which preceeded it, with the idea being that each have scouted the other perfectly. This wasn’t as good as their New Japan Cup final (or probably their IWGP Title match last February either), but it was an engrossing wrestling match nonetheless. At 38 minutes, it was maybe a little long, but it never felt like a chore to sit through. It all built to a great closing stretch built around counters. The crowd got super into this again after Okada kept escaping Skull End, SANADA (rocking a new look, and thankfully having shaved that hideous Dr. Zaius beard) hits a Muto Moonsault to the back, goes up for the proper version, but Okada gets the knees up. They trade strikes, which culminated in Okada hitting the John Woo dropkick and a spinning Rainmaker. They each tried Tombstone attempts, but they were continually countered, ending in SANADA getting Skull End on again. Okada escapes, tries a Rainmaker, but SANADA counters into a Rainmaker of his own for a great near fall which the crowd really bought. SANADA locks in Skull End again, but Okada turns that into a Tombstone, then hits the Rainmaker finally, to retain in an excellent match. In the post match, there was yet ANOTHER video package, this time being a returning Chris Jericho, who challenged Okada at Dominion. This was obviously accepted, so there is your Dominion main event. I have no doubt it will be an excellent battle indeed.

NDT

#njpw #njdontaku #wrestling dontaku 2019 #review #kazuchika okada #sanada #tomohiro ishii #evil #dragon lee #taiji ishimori #kota ibushi #tetsuya naito #el phantasmo #will ospreay #njbosj #wrestling review #new japan pro wrestling #puroresu #wwe #chris jericho #njdominion

[mostlycompetentwriter]

Facade- Chapter 2

Pairing: OC x Tetsuya Naito, OC x Minoru Suzuki

Genre: Romance

Warnings: Smut and Language

Previous Chapters: (Chapter One)

“Don’t misbehave too much tonight,” Naito whispered in her ear as the two walked into the hotel lobby.  As for tonight? New Japan was hosting an event for their sponsors to thank them for their funding.  Layla already knew most of them would have Naito’s ear for much of the evening.  Naito was a charming presence and an extremely popular wrestler.  While he would remain busy in conversation, she intended to hang out with the other Los Ingobernables members, maybe have a few drinks.  

“I promise,” Layla told him, grinning as Hiromu and Bushi walked up to them.

“Layla-chan,” Hiro crooned, “Come play cards with us.”

Layla nodded, pecking Naito once on the cheek before following Bushi and Hiromu to their table near the stage.  A group of wrestlers already sat around the table, including Seiya and Evil who were both intensely focused on their hands.  Layla stayed back with Hiromu and Bushi, watching as the gathered men studied their cards.

“Are you going to play?” Bushi asked Layla.

She shrugged in response, “I don’t know...”

“Come on, Layla-chan,” Hiromu said, shaking her arm, “You should play.”

Before Layla could respond, a sharp curse from Sanada interrupted them and Layla watched as the usually serene man threw his cards down onto the table, brow creased in frustration.  Evil chuckled from next to him, “Maybe next time.”

“Let Layla try,” Hiromu persisted, coming to stand next to Sanada, drawing the man’s attention to her.

“As if she could do better,” Sanada rolled his eyes, and Layla felt a flicker of irritation.

“I could win money instead of losing it if that’s what you’re suggesting,” she retorted and some of the gathered wrestlers chuckled at her comment.

Sanada raised a brow but stood from his seat at the table.  “I’m going to get a drink,” he grumbled, walking in the direction of the bar.  Layla didn’t hesitate to take his hint, snatching his seat and quietly requesting the dealer to deal her in.  Hiromu and Bushi took positions on either side of her, while Evil simply offered her a mischievous smirk.

What none of them realized was just how good Layla was at this game.  A skill she had unfortunately picked up from her time in his company.  A combination of his teachings and her uncanny memory.  Layla breathed out as she took her cards and glanced at them.  Keeping them in mind, she placed them down on the table and then started to study the expressions on the faces of the other players.  Layla had learned long ago that she was very good at picking up on “poker faces.”  Despite the careful consideration the others took in keeping their expressions neutral, Layla could easily pick up on little ticks: a forced smile, a shift in posture, or even something as minuscule as watching someone’s pupils dilate, betraying their obvious excitement over a good hand.  

Now, Layla surveyed the gathered players, nodding her head as she quickly figured out that it was best to fold the shitty cards she had and try her luck on the next deal.  “Not even going to try?” Sanada suddenly spoke up from behind her, surprising Layla for many reasons.

“Gotta have good cards first,” she grumbled, shoving the cards back at the dealer.  Layla maintained her composure, ignoring Sanada’s comment.  She knew how to bide her time, how to play the others to do what she wanted.  Play them she did, because a few hands later, Layla was given the right cards.  She had played the previous hand, bluffing the other players into folding because she had yet to make a move.  Now, it was time to capitalize on her small success and turn it into her favor completely.  Layla glanced around the assembled group, noting the fact that Jay White seemed to be rather eager about the cards he had been given.

When Layla’s turn came round again, Layla raised the others, shoving a few chips into the center.  She could see out of the corner of her eye that the move had sent doubt across Jay White’s expression.  She could only imagine what he was thinking: Was it worth the risk? Watching Jay only proceed to match the amount she had raised made her even more confident that his cards weren’t as good as he thought they were.

“I can practically see the wheels turning in that head of yours,” Evil remarked from next to her.  He had folded this round.

“Just watch the masterwork,” she said arrogantly, earning a chuckle.

One by one the other players folded while Layla continued to raise on every turn.  Jay continued to hang himself by playing right into her hands, the look of determination in his eyes laughable.  Layla wasn’t exactly sure what kind of cards he had, but she could see in his wavering posture, his slacking shoulders, that they weren’t nearly good enough.  Layla could only laugh when they both put their cards down, revealing Jay’s lousy four of a kind which couldn’t hold a candle to her royal flush.  The other players cheered her and Hiromu and Bushi complimented her for winning so much money.  Sanada said nothing, and Evil only shook his head in quiet disbelief.

“Amateurs,” a new voice suddenly interrupted the jovial mood, and silence reigned over the other players as Minoru Suzuki approached the table, flanked by Taichi and El Desperado.  Layla swallowed hard as she kept her gaze on the table, even while she could feel his searing into her.  “Have room for one more?” he asked, even while resting a hand on a visibly tense Juice Robinson.

Layla watched as Juice retreated from his spot at the table allowing Suzuki to take his seat.  “Deal me in,” Suzuki addressed the dealer, smiling when he was handed a stack of chips.  Layla couldn’t have possibly been put in a worse situation.  “I don’t believe I’ve met some of you,” he mused, eyes scanning around the table before settling on her, “You seem familiar though.”

Taichi snickered from behind Suzuki.  Evil frowned, “Are we going to play or not?”

Layla could feel Bushi and Hiromu moving in closer to her, forming a protective stance that Suzuki couldn’t help but notice.  He frowned as he studied the men surrounding Layla.  “Shuffle the cards,” he muttered.

Layla scrambled to regain her composure, her one advantage in this kind of atmosphere.  She could tell many of the others were also visibly frazzled.  Layla grabbed the cards handed to her, studying them carefully.  Feeling his eyes on her again, Layla suddenly felt uncomfortable, wrong in her own skin.  She folded the hand she had been given, even though she could have played it to perfection.  “What are you doing?” Bushi asked her, and she knew he had seen the hand she had been given.  

“I didn’t want to play those cards,” she whispered back, ignoring the concerned look Evil tossed her way.  While the others played, Layla closed her eyes and took in several deep breaths.  How quickly he could fracture her composure.  How quickly he could chip away at the foundation of the better person she was trying so hard to be.  Not just for her own well-being, but for Naito as well.

Thinking about Naito, she mentally slapped herself.  What was she doing? Suzuki had no control over her life anymore.  She was her own person now, with someone who loved her, and friends willing to protect her.  Opening her eyes, she decided she was going to beat Suzuki because even if it was just a stupid game of cards, it would give her the reassurance she needed that she had beat him.  Not just at cards, but beat him out of her life for good.

When the dealer went to shuffle the cards, Layla paid close attention.  A long time ago, when she had been much less honest with herself and others, Suzuki had taught her how to count cards.  With her eidetic memory and impressive mathematical skills, Layla had learned the skill flawlessly.  After she had left his company, she had also abandoned the skill, recognizing its dishonesty.  I’m doing it to beat him she thought to herself as the dealer handed out the cards I’ll never do this again.

Drumming her fingers against the table, Layla watched as the dealer placed three cards face up onto the table.  Licking her suddenly dry lips, she studied her cards again and tossed in a few chips.  Glancing up at Suzuki, she saw that his attention was on her drumming fingers.  Inwardly cursing, she forced herself to stop.  It was too late though, the smile on his face letting her know that he knew exactly what she was doing.  

He was also quick to fold.

When Layla won the hand, her boys quickly congratulated her as the impressive stack of chips was pushed her way.  Layla didn’t feel right though, knowing the way she had won them.  “I’m going to find Naito,” she said, standing from her seat, “you can play instead,” she informed Seiya, ignoring his look of confusion and the concern from the others.

Layla walked around the perimeter of the room, desperately looking for Naito.  She made her way towards the stage, pausing next to the curtain as her eyes swam over the room, seeking out his familiar orangeish mane.  “Where are you?” she wondered aloud, suddenly wishing she had brought her phone in.  She didn’t want to bother Naito, knowing that he was probably being kept very busy.  Yet, at the same time, she really needed him.  Just the assurance of his kind eyes would be enough.

Just as Layla was about to rejoin the crowd of people, an unexpected hand wrapped around her wrist, dragging her behind the curtain and out of sight.  She was pulled against a hard body, a hand coming around to cover her mouth.  “You aren’t going to scream are you?”

His voice was like ice melting over her skin, jarring her from a dream.  A dream in which he was out of her life and she could fall asleep in Naito’s arms every night without worrying about Taichi trying to feel her up behind Suzuki’s back.  “No,” she mumbled back against his palm, hating the shakiness in her voice.

His hand fell away from her mouth and he grabbed her shoulder, turning her around to face him.  He looked exactly the same.  “You don’t look happy to see me, Layla,” he said.

“Why would I be happy to see you?” Layla shot back, resisting to urge to cower from him.  A submissive gesture that had become commonplace during their unfortunate time together.

Suzuki grabbed her chin roughly, “Why do you think we came back to this company?”

Layla shook her head, attempting to move away from Minoru, but his grip on her shoulder remained tight.  “You shouldn’t have.  You should have stayed where you were.  I don’t know why you should care anyway.  I left you and I’m with someone else now.”

“I know,” Suzuki growled, pulling her face even closer to his.  “Naito seems like a strange choice for you, Layla.  Does he know how fucked up you really are?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Layla responded haughtily, “You don’t need to waste your time.  I’m done with you.”

“No you aren’t,” he grinned, a sadistic smile that made her stomach roll.  “Wasn’t that you out there counting cards in the middle of our poker game? Do your little protectors know what a cheat and slut you are?”

“I’m nothing like I used to be,” Layla said, finally pulling free from Suzuki’s grip, “How the hell did they let you back here anyway?”

“Wouldn't you like to know?” he grinned, “Doesn’t really matter.  We’re all back now, and that means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

“No we won’t,” Layla assured him, “I’m staying the hell away from you and your boys.”

“Why?” Suzuki asked, “Because you’re with Los Ingos now? Because you’re fucking Naito now?”

“That’s exactly why,” Layla snapped, “I hate you, and I hope you and Tetsuya meet in the ring one day so he can kick your ass.”

Suzuki laughed, a dark and gravely sound.  “That won’t happen little Layla, because I won’t hesitate to knock his damn head off.”  Suzuki reached for her again, grabbing her forearms and pushing her back into a wall.  Layla wriggled in his grasp, but Suzuki only managed to spin her around, pressing her face against the wall.  Layla keened under his grasp as she felt one of his hands move down to the bottom of her dress.  He held her other arm behind her back, using his full body weight to pin her in place.  Layla held back a cry as his hand disappeared under her dress, crawling up her thigh to the waistband of her panties.  “Don’t you miss this?” he hissed into her ear, “I know how you want it, as much as you try to deny yourself.  You like it rough, the way I can give it to you.  I bet Tetsuya doesn’t hold a candle to me in the bedroom.”  Suzuki’s hand slipped into her underwear and Layla’s face burned with shame as he discovered how wet she was.  His breath warmed the back of her neck as he chuckled, “Look at you, just the way I like Layla-chan.  Wet and needy for me, just like I remember.  Do you ever think about the way I used to fuck you when you’re with Naito?”

“I hate you,” Layla whispered around her tears.  The words were true, but she also hated her own body for betraying her.

“No you don’t,” Suzuki told her, “You don’t hate me, Layla.  You might hate yourself for the way you are, but you can’t deny that you’re tired of pretending to be this version of yourself.  What happened to the Layla I used to know? I want her back and I’m determined to have her for myself again.”  Suzuki finally pulled away from Layla who remained where she was, shaking and trying her best not to break down in front of Suzuki.  “Why don’t you go find Naito and get him to take care of that for you?” he suggested, cackling as he retreated back into the crowd.

Layla waited for a while, patiently composing herself, hoping she appeared far more put together than she felt.  Finally, she took a deep breath and rejoined the crowd of wrestlers and sponsors.  She intended to go find a bathroom to fix her makeup, which was undoubtedly a mess.  She hated the fact that Suzuki could still break her down like that.  That he could resurrect the darkness and make her feel so small and insignificant.  

“Layla?” Naito’s voice was welcomed, but she hesitantly turned around.  “Layla!” came Naito’s surprising response to her disheveled appearance.  He rushed forward and gathered her into his arms, looking worriedly into her eyes, “What happened sweetheart? Are you okay?”

Layla nodded, even though his concern only made her feel worse.  “I’m fine, I promise.”

“We’re going home,” Naito declared, grabbing her hand in his and pulling her behind him to the entrance.  As the two of them slipped outside, Layla risked one more glance back at the crowd, right into the mocking eyes of the source of her tears.

#new japan fan fic #tetsuya naito #minoru suzuki #los ingobernables de japon #tetsuya naito fanfic #minoru suzuki fanfic #tetsuya naito smut #minoru suzuki smut #njpw smut

[momobage]

Yume100 Review: So Many Princes!

Yume Oukoku to Nemureru 100-nin no Oujisama (夢王国と眠れる100人の王子様 or The Kingdom of Dreams and 100 Sleeping Princes) is a Japanese puzzle and visual novel mobile game made by GCREST. The goal of the game is for the player, as the princess, to protect the dream world by defeating monsters called yumekui (ユメクイ or dream eaters). With every adventure and story unlocked, the sleeping prince awakens and slowly remembers the lost dreams. 

After finding it by accident through a smaller Japanese mobile game, I began playing Yume100 around the beginning of May 2016. I didn’t know anything about it except that the artwork was very pretty, the game mechanics were similar to Bejewelled, and you practically date 2D anime characters. Also, since I was using an iPhone, it was difficult to find a free Japanese game without dubbing or translations. So, I had to try it right away! From that moment on, my life changed dramatically… just kidding! But it was the catalyst of my mobile game obsession.

Main gameplay: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥♡

The gameplay for Yume100 is simple, fun and very addictive. It is one of the best puzzle games I have ever played. While the game is completely in Japanese (also available in Chinese and Thai), it is pretty easy to move around once you understand what does what. There are a few downsides such as it takes a very long time to level up, getting the princes you want is very rare, and leveling up princes can be tedious as well. However, there are tons of events and other missions that usually offer princes or items by gaining points or treasure boxes.

I looked up many tutorials explaining how to play the game better, how to build good teams, what each button says, and how to awaken each prince’s optimal skills. Ayu from Kiokunoaria has an excellent and very detailed guide that helped me tremendously, especially in the beginning stages. When I first started playing, I made so many mistakes and wasted a lot of money… seriously a lot, especially for a college student. In the game there is a feature called Gacha (ガシャ) which is based off capsule machines often seen in arcades and store fronts. The purpose of this feature is to use gems to win a single or group of ten randomly selected princes. The chances of winning the prince you want is very little, ranging from less than one to three percent. So, I continuously tried to win my desired characters, not caring how much money I spent in the process. However, in the three months I played intensely, I spent about $500… maybe even more. Another terrible mistake I made was when I got a new prince but accidentally used him to level up another prince because I forgot to lock him. So he got deleted and the only way I could get him back would be in another gacha. I was quite upset since I was a beginner but thankfully it was not my favourite character or anything.

Overall, the gameplay of Yume100 is extremely enjoyable. Compared to typical Western mobile games, Japanese games like Yume100 are complex and full of so much fun, while still being completely free! (Unless of course you make in-app purchases like me…) But as a first real mobile game, it was absolutely wonderful.

Characters: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

As the name states, there are (over) 100 different prince characters, all with unique designs, stories, and voice actors. For each character in the game, there are two routes, Sun and Moon, that changes their base outfits, their personality, and increases their cap level and skills. For example, Vim (ヴィム), who was my initial character choice when I starting the game, is a prince from the Country of Beastmen. If you collect all the necessary items to transform into his Sun route, he changes to a more princely attire. In his Moon route, he changes to his Beastmen/Werewolf form. At the end of each story route, there is an illustrated CG that captures a special moment between you and the prince. Usually it is the prince confessing his undying love for you, very directly. This can be either very sweet and heartwarming, or a bit more risqué (see below most right photo). But it really depends on the character.

Personally, as an artist, I simply love all the detail they put into each character’s design. It is just so amazing to find a mobile game that incorporates that much detail and precision, especially for something that appears on a such a small screen. In the gameplay, characters change to small and cute versions to show the attack moves more easily. These are also extremely adorable and detailed! During events, some princes get different outfits for holiday events like Halloween, Christmas, New Years, etc. But new events can also introduce new characters that have a theme like circus, fairy tale, or demons. These new illustrations and outfits are just as detailed as the original ones.

Besides the design, I absolutely love the different voices for each prince. Although the story is not entirely voiced, there are multiple lines during the gameplay or after completing the Sun or Moon route where voices are more apparent. Each voice actor brings a unique sound that matches the character’s personality. Some very popular actors can voice up to two different characters. My favourites include: Eguchi Takuya (Vim and Kaminari), Junichi Suwabe (Douglas), Suzuki Tatsuhisa (Julius and Vairy), Kaji Yuki (Hearts), Kakihara Tetsuya (Marchia), Ono Daisuke (Apollo), and Miyano Mamoru (Kaiji and Sefir).

I first started to like these particular voice actors because they voiced characters I loved from different Japanese animations. Eguchi Takuya (Kaminari), Junichi Suwabe and Ono Daisuke all have very low romantic husky voices, replicating a tall, dark, and handsome vibe. Their voices are very warm and comforting; it feels like they will protect me from any danger. Likewise, Miyano Mamoru (Kaiji and Sefir) and Suzuki Tatsuhisa (Julius) also have relatively low voices but are quite soft-spoken. They bring a more calm and reserved atmosphere that shows how serious the character is. I like listening to these voices when I need to hear a quiet, sincere voice.

In contrast, Kaji Yuki and Kakihara Tetsuya generally voice cute and energetic characters. When I hear their voices, it feels like a happy, bubbly best friend who always buys you ice cream and tries to cheer you up! It is very encouraging and usually puts a smile on my face. Meanwhile, Eguchi Takuya’s Vim and Suzuki Tatsuhisa’s Vairy sound very similar since they are both from the Country of Beastmen. Unlike their voices from Kaminari and Julius, these voices are friendly and silvery; hearing their clear and confident voices are always pleasant. Besides character design, their voices are the most important selling point for this game.

Story: 3/5 ♥♥♥♡♡

The overall story for Yume100 is pretty cliché: a normal girl becomes the lost princess of the dream world and has to save it from monsters. Stories for individual characters are quite short and fast paced, since each character only gets about five to six initial chapters, then another five to seven chapters after awakening their route. Although this seems like a lot of content, it doesn’t reveal too much about each prince’s backstory. But, since there are so many characters, it’s not surprising that GCREST limits the content. Honestly to me it does not matter too much. As I said, the game is entirely in Japanese and I am not that good. So, I have a hard time reading the context of the story anyways. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find English translations of the game or character storylines. This is probably because it would take a very long time to get all the characters and translate that much text. However, Eisha Vakohler on Youtube has over 180 videos with English translations of different event chapters and various other interactions with some of the characters. Although it is not up to date and possibly inactive, it helped me gain a general idea of what is happening and how the characters personalities are. But the fun is in the actual gameplay and the princes you can meet and collect.

Overall: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥♡

As mentioned in the beginning, this game increased my desire to play mobile games and slowly built up the obsession I have today. Yume100 is definitely a game worth playing; the amount of gameplay, detail in character art and interesting storylines make this mobile game well worth your time. Plus, it’s free! Although it can be difficult to collect items like gems, shards, and training dogs (yes, dogs), it offers a lot of unique components that most mobile games, let alone video games in general, may not include. Therefore, I encourage other beginners to try it out (even if it is just for a week). I think in my three months of playing intensely, I gained a lot of understanding for how these kinds of Japanese mobile games work. While I may not play it often now, it was still a wonderful first experience and still has a strong place in my heart.

P.S. Yume100 recently released a short anime series based on this game. You can watch the episodes on YouTube or through the game itself.

#yume100 #yume oukoku to nemureru 100 nin no ouji sama #mobage #momobage #review #vim #douglas #julius #hercules #frost #eguchi takuya #suwabe junichi #suzuki tatsuhisa #kaji yuki #kakihara tetsuya #ono daisuke #miyano mamoru #seiyuu

[wrestlingisfake]

Wrestle Kingdom 13 preview

This is New Japan’s 28th annual January 4th stadium show (and the 13th time it’s been called “Wrestle Kingdom.”)  In Japan the New Year is a multi-day celebration, where kids are given money and many businesses are closed through 1/3, so running a 1/4 show is kind of like doing an after-Christmas sale, except you spend your money on wrestling.

This show is scheduled to start Friday at 4pm in Tokyo.  I think the pre-show match will be at 4, and then they’ll take a break and the main card’s opening match will be at 5.  The main card will probably run about four or five hours, if not longer.  You can check your local start time here.   Watching the show live is fun, but planning your sleep around it can be exhausting, so don’t feel bad about catching it on-demand over the weekend.

Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - Omega is defending the IWGP heavyweight championship, which is essentially New Japan’s world title.  Tanahashi won the 2018 G1 Climax tournament to earn this title shot. 

The build for this match has revolved around the idea of a difference in styles.  In the 2000s, Tana led NJPW out of a decline into a new boom period, largely built around the Japanese strong style.  Omega, who sees himself as the Next Big Thing, believes the company should shift to a mix of styles to better appeal to an international audience.  You can kind of liken this to the conflict between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in the mid-90s--old school versus new school, solid fundamentals and realism versus showmanship and some irreverance.  Frankly, I haven’t heard much of Tanahashi’s side of things, so it’s come across to me like Kenny is making a mountain out of a molehill, but there you go.

Tanahashi was literally the company’s ace for about a decade, but he hasn’t held the IWGP title in five years, and his story arc since then has been about slowly falling out of the limelight while Kazuchika Okada has picked up the ball.  Major defeats and real-life injuries were heavily emphasized in early 2018, to set up the reversal of him winning the G1 Climax in dominant fashion.  So now at 42, he’s doing the big “still got something left in the tank” comeback, which has reenergized his fanbase.  His G1 final victory was one of my favorite matches of the year, and it’s been a treat to see him back on top.

Omega famously moved up from the junior heavyweight division in 2016--taking over Bullet Club and introducing The Elite in the process--leading to an epic rivalry with Okada for the title.  The Okada/Omega feud basically broke Dave Meltzer’s scale, producing six-star ratings and finally an unthinkable seven-star match.  Omega is at the top of his game in New Japan, and arguably where he always wanted to be.  But his contract is expiring this month, and the Elite have vowed to stick together, and most of them have already declared their intention to start their own US promotion, All Elite Wrestling.  It’s not yet clear if Omega wil leave NJPW for AEW, or if he can somehow do both; it’s not impossible that he could pass on AEW and stay in NJPW, although that would be a surprising turn.  Omega’s future plans could dictate the outcome of this match, which means the outcome may be our first sign of what those plans might be.

I’m expecting a Match of the Year candidate from these two.  Is it going to be some insanely perfect match that breaks Meltzer’s scale again?  It’s not worth raising expectations that high.  If it’s “only” 4¾ it’ll still be fucking fantastic, and then you’ve got the drama of Tana’s comeback and Omega’s possible farewell on top of that.

My gut says it’s time for Omega to lose the title, and time for Tanahashi to win it.  Even if Omega re-signs (or continues with the company as a free agent), I think the time is right for him to get knocked down and get back up.  And if Omega is leaving, there’s no better way to go out than on top, doing the honors for a living legend in the main event, and giving a final bow to the crowd at the Tokyo Dome.

Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito - Jericho defeated Naito to capture the IWGP intercontinental championship back in June, so this is the rematch.  A stipulation has been added that neither man can be disqualified, at Jericho’s request during the contract signing.

Jericho unexpectedly came to New Japan in 2017 to set up what seemed to be a one-off match with Kenny Omega for Wrestle Kingdom 12 last year.  Perhaps sensing that he couldn’t steal the show in terms of workrate or technical finesse, Jericho reinvented himself as an out-of-control brawler, which at least set him apart from the regular headliners.  Just when we thought he was gone, though, he assaulted Naito on the January 5 show (New Year’s Dash) to set up his next big program.  It’s really a perfect rivalry, since Naito is all about remaining totally chill, whereas Jericho’s current character is uptight, frustrated, and in his own words “fucking crazy.”  In their first match, Jericho pretty much brutalized Naito in shocking fashion to win the title, so this is less about the gold than Naito getting some payback.

Jericho has hyped this match by arguing that he’s never lost to a Japanese man since returning to New Japan.  It’s not a very impressive stat, since he’s only had three matches in this run and he’s 2-1.  But it’s about all he can hang his hat on, since everybody knows he’s basically the aging star who will put over the big stars at the end of each of his feuds.  The only reason anyone would think Jericho could win this match would be to set up a future match so he can just lose to Naito later.  That’s okay--not every feud has to be an unpredictable  pick-’em--although I am impressed with his ability to make the most of the situation, and still come across like a major test for Naito.

The irony of Naito being favored to regain the intercontinental title is that he infamously thinks the championship is redundant and unimportant.   (In his first reign, he tossed the belt around like it was trash, letting it literally fall apart.)  So in theory winning this match would be a prestigious moment, except he’s going to be handed a prize he explicitly does not want or care about.  I’m sort of curious how they’ll book a third IC title run for Naito, and I think we’re about to find out.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White - This is a pure grudge match, plain and simple. 

A year ago Kenny Omega tried to recruit White for Bullet Club, but Jay swerved him and accepted Okada’s invitation to join CHAOS.  Within ten minutes of joining the stable, White literally promised that he would betray Okada, to Okada’s face.  Jay went on to a beat Kenny Omega for the US title, stole the show in the San Fransciso, and then scored wins over Okada and Tanahshi in the G1 Climax.  When Tana won G1, White logically deserved a chance to challenge him for the Wrestle Kingdom title shot, but Tana preferred to challenge Okada instead.  After Tanahashi beat Okada in September, White laid them both out with help from Okada’s right-hand man Gedo, and demanded a match with Tana.  White came up short against Tanahashi in October, so he and Gedo beat Tana down; Okada ran in to make the save.  Bullet Club (which had by then separated from Omega’s Elite) interfered to reveal White and Gedo were now part of the faction.  Jay White has since been acknowledged as the undisputed leader of Bullet Club, bringing his 2018 full circle.

Needless to say, it’s been a huge year for White.  It’s amazing to think that he only returned from excursion a little over a year ago, and that he was a curtain jerker before that.  If Kenny Omega is really on his way out, there’s a huge spot opening for the top foreigner, and it’s pretty clear who NJPW has earmarked for that role.  But what’s more amazing is that he’s risen to the occasion.  Jay White always had this deer-in-headlights look, and his Switchblade gimmick felt like a WWE-esque attempt to market a stringy-haired white boy as a deadly badass.  I wanted him to do well, but I didn’t expect much; I never dreamed he’d be capable of what he’s accomplished.

Meanwhile, Okada has been doing sort of a slump storyline, where he’s struggled to find his way after Omega ended his two-year title reign back in June.  His slump fits perfectly with White’s rise, since Jay clearly thinks he’s finishing off a has-been, and Okada needs to resist that kind of thinking if he’s ever going to get back on top.  The big question, of course, is whether White wins here to send Okada tumbling further down, or if Okada finally gets the big victory that has eluded him for six months.  Either man could recover from a loss down the road, which means anything could happen here, which is pretty exciting.  But the Ranmaker is The Guy in New Japan these days, and I’ve long since learned not to bet against him.  Okada wins. 

KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori - Ishimori is challenging for the IWGP junior heavyweight title.  Ishimori was introduced in April as Bullet Club’s new “Bone Soldier” (the previous one had been lovable jobber Captain New Japan, so this was an improvement).  He was the runner up in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, losing a great match to Hiromu Takahashi.  Between Takahashi’s injury, Will Ospreay’s chase for the NEVER title, and Marty Scurll’s probable departure, it looks like Ishimori is the future of this division.  To prove it he’ll have to beat Kushida, who has dominated the junior division for years.

There have been rumors of Kushida possibly going to WWE (which would have been unthinkable a year or two ago, but that just goes to show how much things are shaking up in pro wrestling lately).  Of course, I haven’t heard a timetable, so for all I know he could really be leaving, but not for another six months, which would have no impact on this match.  Even so, New Japan needs to decide which guy they’re going to build this division around.  If Ishimori’s the guy, now is the time; it’s just that simple.

Cody Rhodes vs. Juice Robinson - Cody won the IWGP United States title from Juice in September, and Juice has been trying to get this rematch ever since.  Aside from the Global Wars tour with ROH, Cody hasn’t appeared with New Japan for three months, so the angle to finally make this match ended up being “New Japan just announced it one day.”

Cody has officially signed with the new All Elite Wrestling promotion, as both a wrestler and an executive vice president, so this may well be his last match in New Japan.  By all rights, he should give Juice a star-making performance and then put him over to set up another top foreigner.  But I can’t shake the feeling that there’ll be some kind of twist in the story to make me wonder where the hell they’re going with it.  Maybe it’s because I’m used to shitty WWE booking, or maybe it’s because I was so annoyed that Cody won the title from Juice in the first place.  We’ll just have to see.  But on paper, I have to think Cody does the job.

Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. EVIL & SANADA vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson - The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama and Loa) are the defending IWGP heavyweight tag team champions.  Evil and Sanada earned this title match by winning the 2018 World Tag League tournament, notably defeating the champs in the finals.  By all rights Evil and Sanada should get a 2-on-2 match, but the Young Bucks (Nick and Matt) pointed out that they never received a rematch after they lost the tag title to GOD in September.  So this match is a three-way, and the first team to score a fall on either opposing team wins the match and the championship.

Like Cody, the Bucks have officially signed with AEW, which may or may not spell the end of their New Japan run.  Logically, they should lose the fall, but it’s harder to say whether GOD or the spoopy creppy bois will end up with the title.  New Japan seems to be higher on Evil than anybody else in this match.  It probably doesn’t help that Tama Tonga is always doing this Brian Pillman shit where he acts like a lunatic that wants to get himself fired, to the point that I just assume he’ll be in the doghouse and lose his key matches.  If it was me, I’d push GOD hard.  But it’s not me, so Evil and Sanada are probably going to win.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. - Ishii is defending the Revolution Pro British heavyweight title.  RevPro has a working relationship with New Japan, and has been content to let the title be the centerpiece of a feud between Ishii and Suzuki-gun’s Minoru Suzuki and Sabre.  (In fact, Sabre is the only British person to have held the British title in the last three-and-a-half years.)  I’ve never gotten into either of these guys as much as, say, Dave Meltzer, but I do like the mix of “mean headbutt-y fireplug” and “submissions expert twink.”  Seems only right that the Brit should win, but I’m not sure RevPro actually cares.

Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado vs. SHO & YOH vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI - Despy and Kanemaru are defending the IWGP junior heavyweight tag team championship.  This is actually a rematch of the 2018 Super Jr. Tag League tournament final, which Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) won to earn this title match.  It’s not clear why Takagi and Bushi were added, but I suppose since they didn’t lose the fall in the tournament final, it can be argued they deserved a spot.  Anyway, it’s another three-way, so the first team to score a fall wins the match and the title.

Five out of six of these guys have been feuding over the title for nearly a year--originally it was Hiromu Takahashi teaming with Bushi, but Shingo was introduced to fill that spot after Hiromu’s neck injury.  Three-way feuds aren’t totally bad, but when the division only has three teams, it’s way too obvious that the feud is just lazy “put ‘em all in there” booking.  I would really like to see Sho and Yoh win the belts, and then see the other two teams split and go after the junior singles title while some new junior teams emerge.  But I’m not counting on it.  I could easily see Despy and Kanemaru retaining to drag this out further.

Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay - Ibushi is defending the NEVER openweight championship.  (NEVER was sort of a spinoff brand that New Japan experimented with several years ago; all that’s left of it now are its titles.)  Originally the plan was for Ospreay to enter this match as champion, but he was sidelined with a rib injury so they eventually moved the title onto Ibushi instead.

This is technically the opening match for the main show.  One of the big stories you’ll hear about this show is that it’s so stacked that Ospreay vs. Ibushi--a dream match with very high expectations--is just the opener.  Personally, it hasn’t sunk in for me how big this could be.  I like both guys, and I’ve seen them have incredible matches, but I never really considered the implications of them working together on a big stage.  That’s probably a good place to be, since I won’t have myself worked up for an instant mega-classic where a “merely” great match would disappoint.

What really interests me is the idea of Ospreay winning the openweight title.  In theory the championship is designed for heavyweights and juniors to fight over, but in practice it’s primarily been passed around heavyweights.  (Ibushi isn’t much bigger than Ospreay, but he’s technically billed as a heavyweight.)  It would be a big loss to the junior division if Ospreay left that behind to defend against guys like Jeff Cobb or Zack Sabre or Evil, but those matches would be fresh and intriguing.  A year of Ospreay getting clobbered by heavyweights but hanging on to the title would be pretty cool.  Of course, they could be meaning to do that basic idea with Ibushi instead, so I could see either guy winning.  But I’m pulling for Ospreay.

I really hope these two don’t kill each other landing on their necks a lot. 

Trios gauntlet match - This is to determine the #1 contender team for the NEVER openweight six-man tag team championship.  The match will start with two trios; when one team wins a fall, the other is eliminated, and another team enters the match.  Teams will continue to enter one by one, giving a natural advantage to the final team.  The last team remaining wins, and goes on to  challenge Taiji Ishimori & Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa for the title on January 5 at New Year’s Dash.  Normally, the championship team would be defending the title in this match, but Ishimori and GOD were already committed to other title matches higher on the card.

The scheduled teams are:

Togi Makabe & Toru Yano & Rysuke Taguchi

Minoru Suzuki & Davey Boy Smith, Jr. & Lance Archer

Hangman Page & Marty Scurll & Yujiro Takahashi

Hirooki Goto & Chuckie T & Beretta

Yuji Nagata & Jeff Cobb & David Finlay

There probably won’t be much in the way of angles in this match, although there are some issues worth noting.  Makabe and Yano were a tag team before a nasty falling out years ago, but they found themselves on the same side recently while aiding Tanahshi and Okada against Bullet Club.  Hangman Page is known to be headed for AEW, and Scurll may be following him in a few months; Yujiro is going nowhere, and if he’s ever going to turn on the Elite, this is as good a time as any.  Chuckie T and Beretta were having some issues last month where Chuckie kept getting their team disqualified, so that’ll probably come up in some form here.  Yuji Nagata was a late addition, replacing Michael Elgin due to a knee injury.

It’s impossible to predict a winner in this thing.  On paper I think the Minoru Suzki/Killer Elite Squad group is the strongest combo.  Of course, if they start the match, their chanc’s’f winnin’ drast’lly go down.

#njpw #wrestle kingdom #wrestle kingdom 13 #kenny omega #hiroshi tanahashi