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#japanese drama quotes older sister's lover
mochidorama · 3 years
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“Why am I always going to be miserable?”
~Neechan no koibito
Ep. 2
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livinglikearoyal · 4 years
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K-drama Recommendations: Nov. 2019
One of you asked for some K-Drama recommendations and here you are! Keep in mind that I watched some of these quite a while ago so the plot isn’t as fresh in my mind as I’d like. I tried to keep the list to K-dramas that are fairly easy to find either on Netflix or Hulu. I’d love to hear your opinions on these and any recommendations you have for me! Also, these aren’t necessarily in any sort of order...but I will say the top 10 that were described are ones that I will probably rewatch at some point because I enjoyed them so much.
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Chicago Typewriter (Netflix)
Summary: This one is hard to summarize without giving away the storyline. It follows a group of three characters through two eras: the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea and then the present timeline. The characters’ reincarnated selves are brought together seemingly by fate and struggle to find out the truth of the past lives.
Why I liked it: Netflix almost did me dirty on this one. The summary and preview that popped up were not intriguing to me at all. However, it said I’d be interested in this (98%) so I figured I’d give it a shot. Boy...was this a journey. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and I loved how there wasn’t a “weak link” in the trio. They all brought something unique and important to the dynamic of the show. The acting is spectacular and they really allowed these characters to grow. The storyline can be predictable at times...but how they get there is unexpected. The ending had me in happy tears. 10/10 will watch again!
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Romance is a Bonus Book (Netflix)
Summary: This kdrama follows Kang Dani, a 30-something mother, and her journey to find herself after a divorce. She reenters the workforce after being a housewife and finds herself at a popular publishing company as a temporary worker (I believe it was an internship). This company just happens to have one of her childhood friends as one of the co-owners and editors-in-chief. That doesn’t make it any easier on her and the series follows her through the hardships and triumphs of finding her independence. 
Why I liked it: The title says it all. The romance is just the cherry on top for this storyline. It really follows Kang Dani and looks at all of the challenges that people of various demographics face: single parents, “older” individuals trying to find a job after a time away (and while competing with the younger folks), women in general, etc. I was going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis when I stumbled upon this...questioning my job, my love life (or lack thereof), the expectations that I was facing...and it really helped ease a lot of the anxiety. Plus, Kang Dani and  Cha Eunho are absolutely adorable working alongside each other. The ending credits of the final episode got me too. This is the one that I couldn’t help to rave about to my coworkers that have never watched a kdrama in their lives. 
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Strong Girl Do Bong-Soon (Netflix)
Summary: Bong-Soon was born with superhuman strength like the other women in her family and she aspires to become a video game creator--making a game with a strong female character like herself. In real life, she tries to be more “girly” and “delicate” but it doesn’t always work. One thing leads to another and she finds herself hired as a bodyguard to the CEO(?) of a video game company and also tries to find a kidnapper that is threatening her neighborhood. 
Why I liked it: Strong female lead...duh! :) But in all honesty, I don’t remember all of the details from this one as I watched it a long while ago. I remember it being funny, sweet, inspiring and suspenseful. I loved the main three characters too! 
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Hello, My Twenties  (Netflix)
Summary: A group of female college students learns and grows while living together. Each character has their own backstory, secrets, and hardships. The five bond through the various hardships, traumas, and successes that come their way. 
Why I liked it: 5 strong women finding their way in the world. They struggle with so many realistic things: temptations, poverty, insecurities in their love life, an apartment ghost, an attractive neighbor. It was a fun and heartfelt journey. Realistic. You can definitely learn something from this one! Once again, my single self enjoyed that it wasn’t relying on a love story to draw the plot forward also.
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The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (Hulu)
Summary: Kim Moo Young has lived a traumatic life and is rolling with the punches. He has also forgotten many of his childhood memories. When he happens upon Jung So Min, he doesn’t think anything of it. They grow on each other and eventually enter a relationship, much to the disapproval of her brother, a homicide detective. He believes Kim Moo Young is more sinister than he lets on. 
Why I liked it: Just looking at clips/photos/quotes from this drama still tugs on my heartstrings. This one made me an emotional MESS. Seo In Guk is PHENOMENAL as Moo Young. Absolutely phenomenal. His character is so cold and detached--flawed--but he still makes the viewer connect with him. The storyline could be cliche (amnesia, secrets, etc), but they execute it so well. Each episode is a cliff-hanger and you get so emotionally invested in the characters, Moo Young especially, that you just stay up all night binging it...knowing that you are on a train that is heading straight for heartbreak. I will definitely rewatch when I’m in my feelings. 
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One Spring Night (Netflix)
Summary: Lee Jung-In is a librarian who happens to meet Yoo Jiho at the pharmacy where she buys a remedy to her hangover but forgets her wallet. He tells her to pay him back later and pays for a taxi. She is in a long-term relationship with a very well-off gentleman and is battling with pressure to get married from both her family and her significant other, but she has her doubts. This meeting with Yoo Jiho makes her question marriage even more as she begins to fall for him. Another issue, he is a single father and is looked down upon by their society and her family because of it. 
Why I liked it: I always love a show where they go against the norms. I fell in love with Yoo Jiho immediately and his son even more so. It is real. The conversations are thought-provoking. The love is sweet. 
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Just Between Lovers (a.k.a. Rain or Shine) (Netflix)
Summary: Two individuals who lost their loved ones in a tragic mall collapse meet each other after there is news that a new mall is being built in the same location. Lee Gang-Doo was an aspiring soccer player when he lost his father (a construction worker) in the mall collapse and his legs were injured, ruining his dream. He has become a bit of a “bad boy”. Ha Moon-Soo was at the mall with her younger sister when it collapsed. Ha Moon-Soo survived; her sister did not. The two characters find out that their lives are more interwoven than they thought and work to figure out how they can stop another traumatic event from happening in the same location.
Why I liked it: It had mystery. It had trauma. It had love. These two main characters are complete opposites on the outside but their traumas bring them together and they make an awesome team. Another one that really tugs on your heartstrings! 
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Black (Netflix)
Summary:  Black is a detective possessed by the Grim Reaper. Ha-Ram can see shadows of death. These two struggle to save the lives of people, breaking the rules of heaven. (from AsianWiki)
Why I liked it: It has been quite a while since I watched this one. It was my first Korean mystery show. This is one that you can’t watch when you are distracted...you need to have your eyes on the screen at all times or you are going to miss something important. It was suspenseful and interesting. I’m not sure if it is one I will rewatch, but it is definitely worth the first time!
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Vagabond (Netflix)
Summary: This is a newer addition to Netflix. Cha Dalgun is a stuntman that has taken in his nephew after he was abandoned by his mother. Their relationship becomes strained as his nephew begins to see how much Cha Dalgun hadn’t wanted a child before him and doesn’t have the finances to live a prosperous life. When his nephew dies in a tragic plane crash alongside the rest of his soccer team, we begin to see how much the boy meant to Cha Dalgun. When some video clips shared on the cloud make Dalgun suspect malicious intent in the plane crash, our story begins. He meets Go Haeri, a member of the NIS, when the bereaved families fly in to collect their deceased loved ones. A story of political corruption, big business, terrorism, doubt, and crime-fighting ensues. 
Why I liked it: This one isn’t completed on Netflix yet so I don’t know the ending, but it is definitely suspenseful and you find yourself trying to figure it all out and cheering on or booing at the characters. The characters of Cha Dalgun and Go Haeri both won my heart early on and now I’m hoping their ship sails! Each episode leaves you on the edge of you seat. 
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Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung (Netflix)
Summary: Goo Hae Ryung is still single in her late twenties and is seen as a sort of misfit as she seeks knowledge rather than a husband. She becomes a female historian in the Joseon Dynasty. Prince Yirim has been living a life away from society, writing love stories that are popular but forbidden by the government. The two happen upon each other in a book store where she speaks poorly of his writing/genre. As they come to be familiar with each other through their positions, they work to uncover the secrets that the rulers would prefer to keep hidden. 
Why I liked it: The cast of characters is spectacular. While Hae Ryung and Yirim are the leads, there are so many supporting characters that catch your attention and win over your heart or make you absolutely hate them. They also aren’t all the boring, simple, support characters. They are so complex that this seems more like a slice of life piece rather than a drama. The storyline is interesting, especially to someone with little to no knowledge about the Joseon dynasty, Hae Ryung stays strong and independent while also showing her vulnerability. Yirim puts off a clueless aura but is really a strong character. Did I mention the characterization is amazing? 
A Few Honorable Mentions...
Something in the Rain (Netflix)
Memories of the Alhambra (Netflix)
When the Camellia Blooms (Netflix)
Descendants of the Sun (Hulu)
Thirty but Seventeen (Hulu)
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (Hulu)
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meganturtlee-blog · 5 years
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Norwegian Wood // Book Review
Murakimi is the most successful author to come out of japan. Published in 1987 in Japanese, turning him into a national star. He left the country for several years to avoid the fame
A Bildungsroman-a genre of literature that begins with the story’s protagonist experiencing an emotional loss and then achieving gradual maturity or growth as an individual
Norwegian Wood emphasizes the painful inevitability of growing up and how it is tied to the ceaseless march of time: almost every event that happens in the novel is given a date, so that the reader can feel the passage of particular lengths of time along with Toru, who often remarks about how another month or another year has passed.
A slice of life book. Nostalgic, innocent, sensitive, and simple
Toru tries to search for a meaning in life. Naoko tries to overcome her worsening mental health. Midori tries to find someone who will love her. All three try to overcome loneliness, move past painful memories, and grow up.
While on an airplane descending to Hamburg Airport, Toru Watanabe (a 37 year old, graduated drama student, who considers himself a very ordinary person), hears the Beatles song "Norwegian Wood" played over the speakers and is overcome by painful memories of his past. He remembers a meadow where he and Naoko, the girl he loved, walked 18 years ago when he was still 19.
Toru grew up in Kobe with Kizuki as his best and only friend. Along with Naoko, who was Kizuki's girlfriend and childhood friend, Toru and Kizuki formed an inseparable small group. However, their lives were torn apart in their second year of high school when Kizuki inexplicably committed suicide. Naoko becomes very quiet, has trouble finding words sometimes, and has incredibly clear, bottomless eyes. Independent of each other, both Toru and Naoko decide to leave their hometown for Tokyo to attend university, where they run into each other in 1968 in their first year. The two end up going on dates every Sunday, simply walking extensively throughout the city; meanwhile, Toru deals with his stuttering and eccentrically neat roommate, nicknamed "Storm Trooper," and gets to know Nagasawa, a charismatic and egoistic upperclassman in the dorm. Nagasawa begins to take him out some nights to find random girls to sleep with.
On Naoko's 20th birthday, Toru comes over to her apartment, and when she breaks down into tears he comforts her and then has sex with her. The next day he tries to contact her again, but later finds that she has moved. Concerned, he sends her a letter. Meanwhile, Toru meets Midori Kobayashi, an underclassman in his drama class with a vibrant and quirky personality who seems to have taken an interest in him. A few weeks later Midori invites him over to her house, and while watching a house fire from her balcony they kiss.
Toru receives a letter from Naoko explaining that she has gone to Ami Hostel, a special kind of sanatorium, to recover from psychological problems she has been having. Toru visits her there and meets Reiko Ishida, a woman in her late thirties who is Naoko's roommate. Reiko explains that at the sanatorium, located in the middle of a remote forest, people do not try to cure but rather adapt to their individual deformities. That night Toru sees Naoko in the moonlight by his bed, and mysteriously she reveals her naked body to Toru, astounding him with its perfection.
During Toru's stay, Reiko and Naoko separately tell him their life stories. Reiko was an aspiring concert pianist until a nervous breakdown derailed her career; and then her mental problems made it difficult for her to have a normal life until a man married her and promised to take care of her. However, due to an incident in which a young piano student of hers manipulated her, she had another nervous breakdown, after which she came to the sanatorium. Naoko tells Toru about how she witnessed her older sister's suicide.
Upon returning to Tokyo, Toru feels disoriented, as though he left part of himself in the quiet world of Ami Hostel. However, Midori revitalizes him by taking him drinking. Later she takes him to the hospital where her father is dying of brain cancer, and Toru bonds with the man, who dies within a week. Around this time, Nagasawa invites Toru to a dinner with his girlfriend Hatsumi; at the dinner, the couple falls out over Nagasawa's inability to consider Hatsumi's feelings.
Toru makes another visit to Ami Hostel to see Naoko and then moves from the dorm into a house. Due to his ignoring her, Midori angrily refuses to speak with Toru, and this combined with news from Reiko that Naoko's condition is worsening sends Toru into a depression. However, he manages to pull himself out of it. He and Midori come to realize that they love each other, but they agree to wait while Toru tries to understand his relationship with Naoko.
Out of nowhere, Toru receives news that Naoko has killed herself; grief-stricken, he spends a month traveling alone aimlessly away from Tokyo. However, he feels compelled to return and restart his life. Reiko leaves the sanatorium to visit, and together the two hold a small funeral for Naoko involving Reiko playing every song she knows on the guitar. Afterwards, Reiko sleeps with Toru, and then the next day she leaves for a new life in Hokkaido. Some time later from some unknown place, Toru calls Midori telling her that he needs her.
Norwegian Wood Themes
Life and Death
In a way the central problem of the novel is the existential question of staying alive—put bluntly, this comes to something like, "Why not commit suicide?" All the characters face this question, but especially those who are one relation away from death, so to speak, due to a family member (Naoko, Midori) or loved one (Naoko, Toru) who has died or even taken their own life. Toru realizes early on in his relationship with Naoko that the two of them are seeking for something absent and lost, namely Kizuki, and because of this their love seems to pull them away from life into the other world that is death. However, Midori acts as a counterbalance for Toru, pulling him back into life just as Reiko does for Naoko—and for Toru, following Naoko’s death.
Communication/Expression
One shouldn't forget that the novel itself is framed within the elder Toru's attempt to write about his memories. At the end of the first chapter he writes of how the painful clarity of his memories of Naoko prevented him from writing of her, but how the passage of time, a double-edged sword, blurred those memories and enabled him to write. Similarly, Toru writes a great deal of letters, mostly to Naoko but also to Reiko and Midori, over the course of the novel, and he also has a great many conversations; as he realizes during an intense spell of depression when he is unable to see anyone, his letter writing is the last thing holding his life together, regardless of his not receiving any replies. Although Toru usually finds a way to express himself due to his honesty and straightforward sincerity, Naoko has trouble translating her feelings into words to share with others, and this serves as the essence of her pain. The way that characters speak in the novel often tells us more than explicit descriptions of their personalities or emotional states.
Norwegian Wood Quotes
The dead will always be dead, but we have to go on living.
Naoko, p. 111
Because we would have had to pay the world back what we owed it…the pain of growing up.
Naoko, p. 128
Hey, there, Kizuki, I thought. Unlike you, I've chosen to live—and to live the best I know…I'm going to mature. I'm going to be an adult. Because that's what I have to do. I always used to think I'd like to stay seventeen or eighteen if I could. But not anymore. I'm not a teenager any more. I've got a sense of responsibility now. I'm not the same guy I was when we used to hang out together. I'm twenty now. And I have to pay the price to go on living.
Toru, p. 248-9
We were alive, she and I. And all we had to think about was continuing to live.
Toru, p. 293
Norwegian Wood Imagery
The firefly Toru releases from the dormitory roof (symbol)
The symbolic significance of the firefly that Storm Trooper gives to Toru is immediately established by Storm Trooper's suggestion that Toru give it to his "girlfriend," i.e. Naoko. Toru sees the firefly somewhat as he sees Naoko: a creature once bright and free that has lost much of its life and become caged. Looking at its pale glow in the dark night, he thinks not of the present but is instead flung back into memories of a past with brighter fireflies. When he frees it on the rooftop, it is still for such a long time that Toru begins to doubt whether it is still alive; but he waits, as any true lover waits, and finally the little bug takes flight, tracing an arc in the air that seems to reclaim a lost past, and then flying off into the night. Although this image is very positive for the firefly, Toru is left grasping in vain at the trail of light it left behind in his mind.
Rain (motif)
Perhaps the weather condition that occurs the most frequently in the story, rain is a crucial figure to the novel. From the very beginning of the novel when Toru's plane lands in Hamburg in the rain to such climactic scenes as the night Toru sleeps with Naoko, rain creates a presence of the supernatural, or at least an emotional charge that far exceeds that of everyday life. In fact, even when there is no rain, such as the fair day when Toru and Naoko walk through the meadows near Ami Hostel, rain makes itself felt through its absence.
Letter writing (allegory)
If we want to identify Toru's first letter, it would either be the note that he left with Naoko the morning after he slept with her or the letter he sent to her home after he found that she had moved from Tokyo. It contains the crucial theme sustained through their correspondence: the desire for understanding and dealing with pain. Apart from Toru's two visits to Ami Hostel, the letters that he exchanges with Naoko remain his one link with her, and during the month that he is cut off from all people, including Midori, his letter writing becomes the only thing connecting him to the world outside himself at all, just as letter writing was for Naoko.
More links about Norwegian Wood
http://www.harukimurakami.com/
https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2/haruki-murakami-the-art-of-fiction-no-182-haruki-murakami
https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/24/books/rubber-souls.html
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bigklingy · 7 years
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Persona 5 Artbook Translation: Character Profiles (Quick Preview)
As a personal side-project, I’ve decided to translate parts of the AMAZING Persona 5 artbook (seriously, I’d recommend it... though beware as it contains major spoilers). So, as a Happy “Day-P5-Was-Supposed-To-Be-Released-Except-Lol-Delay” present, enjoy some character profile information, a lot of which is really interesting. Don’t worry, there are non spoilers in this. (One of the profiles DID contain a MASSIVE SPOILER, but I’ll remove it when posting it here). This is more a rought draft and “sneak preview” than anything. Just wanted to get these up by today. I’ve done everyone except Haru (who I’m about 90% on) so far. (I don’t intend to post the final party member as promotional materials kept them under wraps, so I want to respect that.) I’m mostly doing this to practice my translation skills, so I’ll be doing these on my own time when I feel like it. Be aware that they take a while, so bear with me. There are probably translations of the artbook info already out there, but I’ll stay away from them: I want to see how much I can translate on my own. So here’s the rough draft of the profile info, with translator’s notes.
Protagonist: Gender: Male
School Year: 2nd Year Senior High
Codename: Joke
Arcana: - (Wild Card)
Initial Persona: Arsene Ryuji Sakamoto:
Gender: Male
Height: 175 m
Weight: 61 kg
School Year: 2nd Year Senior High
Star Sign: Cancer
Blood Type: B
Codename: Skull
Arcana: The Chariot
Initial Persona: Captain Kidd
Family: Lives with his mother
Talents: Sprinting (Personal best at 100m was 11.2 seconds when he was still a regular athlete*), Drinking a 500 ml bottle of carbonated water in one go (did it as training during his track and field club days. When he was active, he could also do 1000 ml bottles)
Habits: Taps the ground with his toes when he’s bored.
Hobbies: Reading (but only Manga), Muscle training (feels uneasy unless he keeps up the abdominal and back muscle quota he did as a regular athlete)
Favourite Food and Drink: Beef bowl, junk food like hamburgers. Likes ramen especially, and is fussy about the flavour and texture of the noodles. Teased for having a “child’s tongue” because of his weakness for bitter flavours and egg.*  
*For reference, Usain Bolt’s best time is 9.58 seconds, so Ryuji is pretty good for a high school student. * Not 100% sure on this translation, being allergic to egg myself I’m not really sure of how it tastes the the stereotypes associated with liking it. Morgana:
Gender: ???
Height: 50 cm (Including tail)
Weight: 3.5 kg
School Year: -
Star Sign: ???
Blood Type: ???
Codename: Mona
Arcana: The Magician
Family: None
Talents: Lockpicking, Repairing machines
Habits: Licking forelegs
Hobbies:  Watching TV (Likes the news and detective shows)
Favourite Food and Drink: For some reason they are particularly choosy about food, so they like high-quality sushi and meat. Complained about tinned cat-food and biscuits at first, but now really likes them. * I’ve keep gender pronouns ambiguous, since the profile lists Morgana’s gender as “???”. * For some reason, Morgana’s initial Persona isn’t listed in their profile. Not sure why. Anne Takamaki
Gender: Female
Height: 168 cm
Weight: I completely forgot! (in English)
School Year: 2nd Year Senior High
Star Sign: Scorpio
Blood Type: B
Codename: Panther
Arcana: The Lovers
Initial Persona: Carmen
Family: Father and mother (both away from home), also lives with servants
Talents: Nearly native-level English (also reasonably good at English exams), no shyness or social anxiety around strangers (though she’s not really aware of it) *
Habits: Plays with the ends of her pigtails when she’s thinking about something.
Hobbies:  Enjoying TV Dramas, Games (Portable game consoles besides Smartphones)
Favourite Food and Drink: A sweet-tooth, irrespective of whether Japanese or Western. Especially cake, would rather eat cake than regular meals. Has a weakness for crepe special menus like “extra extra cream”. Dislikes carbonated juice.   
* I think the nuance of this is like “it comes naturally to her”. Could either be that or “she’s not self-conscious”. Yusuke Kitagawa:
Gender: Male
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 63 kg
School Year: 2nd Year Senior High
Star Sign: Aquarius
Blood Type: O
Codename: Fox
Arcana: The Emperor
Initial Persona: Goemon
Family: All alone in the world (Mother and father both in the next world) *
Talents: Drawing artwork, economical dining (using his own self-taught method that thoroughly calculates cost-performance)
Habits: Posing as if drawing the rough-plan of a painting with his finger *
Hobbies:  Going for a stroll (as a bonus, it also saves on travel expenses), people-watching
Favourite Food and Drink: His knowledge of the aesthetics of food, such as ingredients, cooking method, and serving, is vast, and he’s committed to them himself, however the reality has yet to reach the ideal. (Mainly money-wise) 
*  While “Orphan (both parents deceased)” is technically a valid translation, the original language used here is very flowery, which is probably part of his character, so I decided to keep that.
* Actual verb used here is “cut”, as in cutting the air with his finger. I can pretty clearly imagine what this actually refers to though, so I hope I got the feeling across. Makoto Nijima:
Gender: Female
Height: 164 cm
Weight: …Do I have to answer??
School Year: 3rd Year Senior High
Star Sign: Taurus
Blood Type: A
Codename: Queen
Arcana: The High Priestess
Initial Persona: Johanna
Family: Older sister (lives with her)
Talents: Housework, Aikido 
Habits: Putting her hand on her chin when lost in thought
Hobbies: Reading (Regardless of genre, including sci-fi and manga), Touring (after exams finish)
Favourite Food and Drink: Seafood, light meals. A bit of a health nut, so she’s obsessed with nutritional value and a balanced diet. * Cares about things like eating 30 different foods a day *, less than 5g of salt a day, blue fish being a great source of DHA… 
*  The term used here is just バランス (“balance”), but it think it implies more than just a single word.
 * Eating 30 different kinds of food a day was a government-sanctioned nutritional plan in Japan in 1985. Futaba Sakura:
Gender: Female
Height: 149 cm (She insists she’s 150 cm)
Weight: Hint:  0 kg < x < 1000 kg
School Year: 1st Year Senior age, but doesn’t go to school
Star Sign: Pisces
Blood Type: AB Negative *
Codename: Navi/Oracle
Arcana: The Hermit
Initial Persona: Necronomicon
Family: Sojiro Sakura (Adoptive father)
Talents: Programming, Hacking, Gaming
Habits: Squatting anywhere, speaking in internet slang
Hobbies: Surfing the net, playing games, watching anime
Favourite Food and Drink: Curry, Instant Yakisoba, Sweets. She does like home cooking, but out of concern for her busy mother she used to pretend to be satisfied with instant meals that require minimal housework. It just seems like she “only eats a certain kind of instant Yakisoba”.  *
* Positive/Negative blood type distinction is rarely listed in Japanese media, and over 90% of ethnic Japanese are Positive, so this is VERY unusual.
*  Possibly a direct quote from her? And the “certain kind of instant yakisoba” is probably something that shows up in the game itself, I’ll probably understand this better once I play the game. Haru Okumura Coming Soon.
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mochidorama · 3 years
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