#kumiko is my spirit animal

[sailor-arashi]

I kinda assume you're in your 30s or 40s and you're interested in sharing interesting trivia and correcting misunderstandings.

I just turned 49 and am an obnoxious know-it-all, it's all true!

#replies #felixcloud6288 #personal #kumiko is my spirit animal

[simpyshrimpy]

Lilia Vanrouge and Kumiko Background

Literally so badly want to write meeting Lilia for the first time, I’ve got everything planned out in my head on how we’ll meet him and what he’ll be and the whole shebang, just got to write it out, but I’m so tired that I just wanna sit in my little comfy and cozy blanket hoodie under my warm sheets and play fire emblem awakening and go gaga over marrying chrom for the 100th time. 

But until then I do wanna talk a little about Lilia because I’m so hype about it. I’m not afraid to spoil anything honestly, I’m not good at keeping secrets, but if you want it to be a surprise till the main part Imma put it under a read more.

OKAY SO LIKE- oh boy okay so like I have all these thoughts, and to begin to explain I have to like go in depth on what exactly Kumiko is. Yes, she is a kitsune, but that’s more of a name that we the reader call her cause I mean, she looks like one, right? And for all intents and purposes Kumiko is a fox. As in. She used to be an animal, but as stated in chapter one, animals aren’t sentient. 

Animals in this world are more bestial. They don’t speak with words and express themselves through language, but rather through feeling and emotion and scents and body language, it all comes together to form the animal “language”.

 Kumiko used to be like them too, but there is one key difference that made her stand out from the rest. She ate humans. And sure, other animals can eat humans too, but none ate so many as Kumiko did. After she got the first taste she decided “huh. this tastes good. I should eat more of this”. And she kept eating and eating. The more Kumiko ate the longer her lifespan grew. At first, that’s all it was. And obviously the longer she lived the more humans she ate.

That continued on and on until she finally gained the one thing an animal needed to become fully awakened and ascend into a greater sentiency. She gained a sense of self. 

After that, Kumiko wasn’t just some fox that really liked eating humans, she was a spirit of nature in the form of a fox. Aaaaaand yada yada this and that-- Kumiko is fae. With all of the different cultures of this world sort of in one big continent, it’s not really known what specific area Kumiko even came from, Kumiko isn’t even her name honestly (as a fae, names have power and such, but the story of how Kumiko started going by that name and what her true name is actually is another story.) (Grim isn’t fae, btw, that I know of. I still have to work out the logistics of what an amalgamation is in the first place. Demon maybe? Idk.) And thus brings us to Briar Valley, where the ruling power is Malanea Draconia, an ancient dragon older than even you and Kumiko.  Now, as with most cases, dragons aren’t fae. They’re just dragons. However- Malanea’s husband is fae. Name to be decided, but he’s an old Spirit of Darkness that rules over the majority of the fae. I’m not going to do the typical seelie and unseelie courts because I don’t quite think that these guys are going to fit into either stereotype of the two as they’re more in the middle. Not malicious in spirit like the unseelie, but not jovial and peaceful and bright as the seelie. They don’t quite fit in either, so we’re just gonna make them all one group.

Malanea is the one wearing the pants and killing the bugs in this relationship by the way, her husband was rather happy to allow her all the power while he gets to be a trophy househusband.

And they have a daughter too by the way. You might be familiar with her actually. Maleficent. She’s about 200 years old right now, a lot younger than you, but she does know you- Kumiko that is. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand she kind of hates Kumiko’s guts. Kumiko is much like a fox and rather liked playing evil little pranks on Maleficent and ruffling her metaphorical feathers. Despite her immense anger towards Kumiko though, Maleficent does respect her (which just stands to piss her off more). 

With that being said. Maleficent is a rather curious child and after hearing her much respected elder’s story, Mallie was curious if she could create another spirit like Kumiko. So she got a pet bat... named Lilia Vanrouge 

I honestly thought I was a genius here after getting this far in brain dream world, but writing it all out is so much less exciting.

Anyways. Mallie feeds her cute little vampire bat Lilia every day with- you guessed it- her blood!--- Wait. you thought she was feeding her little bat boy human blood? Not in this life sweetie. He’s the pet bat of a princess and he eats only the best food- which is her.

And honestly, with how powerful and strong Mallie is, Kumiko might be getting a little jealous with how fast Lilia awakens...

...Anyways I’m done talking, but now that I literally gushed all that out and set aside fire emblem (i love you chrom bby) I”m actually really hype to write this out sooooooooo i’mma do that till i get sleepy

#twstdemonfoxau #twst demon fox au #twisted wonderland #lilia vanrouge x reader #demon fox!reader #kumiko #maleficent #lilia vanrouge #maleficent's dad???? #i'll change the tag whenever i decide on a name #malanea draconia #great grandma draconia is a top #great grandpa draconia is a pillow princess oTL #actually this is a pattern. all of the draconia womens top their subby little draconia husbands. #malleus i love you bby #twst demon fox au spoilers #shrimpy speaks

[ultraericthered]

Anime Update V2 14

Hunter x Hunter - 

1999 - The fourth challenge of the Hunter Exam is finally underway, and the one major difference in this version compared to the later one is that there’s a plot set up where Tonpa is playing nice again but working with someone in order to try and take out Leorio which isn’t present yet in the 2011 version, but it might pop up a bit later on.

2011 - Lippo is back here too and Derek Stephen Prince is back to voice him, but my God, it’s hard to listen to him without thinking of Vexen from Kingdom Hearts because it’s literally the same voice!

Fruits Basket - Episodes 2 and 3 of both anime also covered pretty much all the same ground as each other, but there is a very, very distinct difference between the presentation of both and a lot of that can be seen embodied in the main protagonist. Tohru in the 2001 anime is notably on the wacky side and prone to really big, over-the-top, cartoonishly drawn reactions, whereas Tohru in the 2019 anime is more...shall we say, Nagisa Furukawa-esque - this even translates into how Laura Bailey voice acts the role in the dubs. The first anime puts heavier emphasis on the comedy and absurdities while the second anime feels more grounded, looks more Shoujo-style beautiful, and is in general closer to the spirit of the original manga. 

Also notable is how Jerry Jewell’s Kyo has a slight Texas accent in the first dub but not in the second dub (Jerry having improved as a VA by this point), Shigure is more chillaxed and comical in the first series, and Akito actually sounds like a dude in the first series, which is pretty much changing the character entirely for reasons we’ll find out later on in the second series. All the same, I enjoy them both.

Rozen Maiden - In which we are introduced to Hinaichigo. Can’t say I’m much a fan of Hinaichigo based on what we got from her here, but I do like Shinku and watching her in action. Also learned about the whole concept of “the Alice Game” and how that’s what the Rozen Maidens are fighting over, ‘cause there can be only one Alice - basically the Mamodo King battle for girls only. I’m enjoying Nori’s character even more, even if she is a bit on the bubblehead side, and while Jun’s still not very likable, I derive a lot of pleasure watching him put up with these situations and get made the butt of jokes, Mona Marshall’s voice acting going a long way to deliver the hilarity.

Fate/Stay Night - Huzzah! Thanks to strength from the sword in the stone, Ilya & Berserker have finally been defeated! Which is good enough, but it then gets better when Ilya’s got nowhere else to go and nothing else to do but crash at Shirou’s place, leading to this really weird but charming and hilarious family dynamic with Shirou, Saber, Rin, and Ilya. They talk a little more about Saber’s past life as King Arthur, and we end on Caster and her master making plans.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - I was very amused to see Nanami has taken over the Student Council in her brother’s absence and even does her own take on the “chick in the egg” soliloquy to start off meetings. But the Student Council is not the main enemy anymore now that the Black Rose Duelists are initiating their own plots to push back against End Of The World and make a new (male) Rose Bride. This time they recruit Miki’s sister, Kozue, once again motivated by fear, envy, and resentment of Anthy. Seems Mikage is keen on manipulating the Student Council by making puppets out of those with connections to its members. And once again we end on another trippy duel, another body burned, and another incestuous meeting.

Sound! Euphonium S2 - We’ve entered the endgame, as Reina unloads on Kumiko for having not told her the story of Mr. Taki's wife after she’d learned it. Taki has been Reina’s crush since back in her middle school days, but she’s clearly also smitten by Kumiko so to have this lack of coordination and mutual support cut her deep. But it sorts itself out when Reina talks to Taki directly, and they both visit the grave of Taki’s late wife, as how much she’d inspired him to pursue gold at the nationals becomes clear to the renewed Reina.

MAR - Episode was pretty meh this time. It had its moments, but was mostly dedicated to Ginta and Babo finishing the fight with Gillom, who they don’t even kill, all as Phantom watches in secret and leaves without Ginta ever learning who he truly is. Also, big lack of Dorothy.

AMC: Kill La Kill - I enjoy this episode a lot because the bulk of the focus is actually taken off our usual protagonists and onto the villains, with Sanegayama getting two separate matches against Ryuko and learning how to fight more effectively without his gifted eyesight (by having his eyes sewn shut, which is admittedly super unsettling), and Satsuki for the first time showcasing redeemable qualities, that for all of her broad, over-the-top fascist villainy, she is still human, started off inspiring loyalty through making friends in middle school and earning their respect and admiration of her, and still clearly cares for them even now. Also get a super quick Early Bird Cameo call from the Big Bad herself, Ragyo Kiryuin, Satsuki’s shiny-haired mother.

AND

Happy Sugar Life - This episode was centered on the theme of crime and punishment, with three different characters - Satou, Shio, and Mitsuboshi - feeling themselves to be facing punishment for supposed crimes, with none of the “crimes” really being such and none of the punishment being inflicted by any source but themselves and their own disturbed psyches. Shio did not deserve to be abandoned, Mitsuboshi did not deserve to get raped, but Satou’s is probably the most interesting and astonishingly warped perspective. Her crime? Having to lie to an unhinged lesbian who was coming onto her that she loved her back. Having to say “I love you” to any other person who’s not Shio, even if dishonestly. This poor girl puts so much stock in the importance of love that even lying about having loving feelings for anyone who’s not her Special One is a sin to her, bad enough to make her break down sobbing when she admits to it. Seeing Shio and Satou hug it out and ease each other’s pain legit warmed my heart, it was actually sweet. Then after the credits, we see Shouko out at night when she’s approached by Asahi. Oh no!

#Anime Update #Anime Update V2

[animebw]

For the first half of season 1, Hibike Euphonium is really, really good. It’s got immensely human characters going through incredibly relatable high school struggles, it understands the dynamic of student ensembles near perfectly, KyoAni’s production values are as gorgeous as they’ve ever been, and there’s rarely a moment that falls flat. If it’s got any issues, it’s simply that it’s a slow-burn that takes its time to get you (and Kumiko) invested in the world outside her head. It’s an 8.5/9 out of 10 experience, not quite one of KyoAni’s best, but another bright mark on their long and illustrious legacy.

And then episode 8 happens.

Episode 8 is the first time that Kumiko and Reina hold an actual conversation. Until now, they’ve just been dancing around each other, sharing brief words, still kept at a distance from their blow-up in middle school. They’re been trying and failing, but slowly getting closer and closer to breaching that threshold. And now, thanks to a well-timed coincidence, they finally have that chance. There’s no prying eyes to distract them, no outside influences to pressure them, just two girls hiking up a mountain and getting to know each other anew after years of estrangement.

This, folks, is the moment that Hibike Euphonium officially becomes a masterpiece.

Sweet buttery biscuits, the mountain scene is fucking incredible. It’s one of the single greatest conversation-based scenes in any anime I’ve ever watched. Every single line here is amazing. Every single exchange makes me happy. I could pretty much just screenshot their entire talk all the way up the mountain and leave my analysis at that, because Christ, where do I even start here? Kumiko’s first reaction to seeing Reina in her gorgeous white dress is to comment on how cute she is. Reina’s clearly moved by that sentiment more than just as a simple compliment. Kumiko compares her to a legend about a spirit who’s so beautiful she kills you and decides she wouldn’t kind losing her life right here. Reina saying she likes this shrine because it’s more mature and refined, revealing how she wants to think of herself. Or how she’s hiking up this mountain as a compromise between her wild ambitions to become special and her realistic responsibilities to remain, for the moment, a high school student. How she’s so clearly trying to be the cool, composed ice queen taking control of the situation but Kumiko’s inherent dorkiness keeps throwing her off her game (”But I don’t hate pain.” “What? That’s kinda hot.” “Pervert.”)

And of course, the absolutely legendary line: “This is a confession of love.” CHRIST. Even knowing it was coming, it still knocked the fucking wind out of me. And what really struck me this time is Kumiko’s reaction to it: “There’s no way you’re serious.” She’s still hanging back, hiding behind her good-girl skin, afraid to take the plunge into actually caring. But here comes Reina, doing just what she set out to do: peeling that skin off Kumiko piece by piece to reveal her terrible personality underneath. Freeing her from her apathy. Giving her a beacon of inspiration to want to live up to. Showing her what it’s like to be the kind of person who wants to be special instead of just coasting through life. And all the while aggressively teasing her (”Don’t you understand my love?”), being relieved that there’s nothing between her and Shuuichi (Don’t think I didn’t notice Reina keeping an eye on him earlier in the episode), running her finger down Kumiko’s lips to draw her in, and it all culminates in this incredible moment where Reina dramatically declares her intent to be special, followed up by her breaking down into giggles at how ridiculous this entire situation is. Just as Reina’s started breaking Kumiko’s shell down, this scene is the first time where her own shell starts to crack for us. The people they appeared to be on the surface are crumbling away, revealing their true selves underneath. And the light shining through those cracks is nothing short of blinding.

I don’t care what anyone says, what direction the story goes from here, or how the franchise eventually ends up. Kumirei will always be canon to me. There is too much joy and truth in the bond they share to accept anything else. The way they pull each other out of their false faces is too rapturous to ignore. This is the moment that Kumiko truly starts reaching for the stars, that Reina finally lets someone else into her life, that the themes and characters this show has been building take off and burst into the stratosphere. From now on, Hibike Euphonium is no longer just another excellent KyoAni show. Now, it’s en route to something even more special than Reina could ever dream of being.

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tablecloth #Hibike! Euphonium #hibike euphonium #hibike rw #kumirei #kumiko x reina #kumiko oumae #reina kousaka #sound euphonium #sound! euphonium

[rosie-are-roses]

Movie Review: Josee, the Tiger and the Fish.

Posted on September 11, 2021.

“Grandma, the world isn’t scary at all.” - Josee. 

 YO, HOLY SH*T, IT’S BEEN MORE OR LESS 4 YEARS SINCE I LAST POSTED.

God, reading my old reviews just brings me back my past memories. A lot of things has happened, and somehow my coping mechanism has kind of fully switched from writing to drawing, because I’ve became illiterate lazy and unmotivated, a lot of bad things has happened the past 4 years. I’m now on the 7th semester or final year of my college. Okay, I will stop here, no one wants to know about your pathetic and uninteresting life, writer.

So, on the very beginning of September 2021, I decided to watch Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, originally just to listen to Ao no Waltz, one of the OSTs of this movie (Please listen to it I’m begging, it’s a masterpiece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyDCubgU57g) my all time favorite song, sung by Eve, the Great Amazing Eve. I didn’t expect the movie to be THIS good! Why and how? I will tell you!

It’s a light melodrama movie, but once the tragedy or main conflict happened it’s kinda depressing lmao, but there’s a rainbow after rain. I cried a lot too, prepare a lot of tissues, really! Overall, my rate is 10/10, it’s REALLY worth a watch. The animation is TOP TIER (Of course, it’s Studio Bones after all, the same studio who did My Hero Academia, I was amazed throughout watching, the visuals are outstanding, the OSTs are beautiful, everything about it is stunning. Definitely in my top 5 anime movies, not higher than Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, though.

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish is an anime about the bond between a marine biology student and a (disabled) paraplegic women. It is directed by Kotaro Tamura from a screenplay by Sayaka Kuwamura, with original character designs by Nao Emoto, released on big screen on December 25, 2020.

That’s Josee! Pretty, right? TMI: I LOVE her voice, kudos to whoever her voice actress is. (It’s Kaya Kiyohara, by the way.)

Josee, paraplegic from born, on a wheelchair since born, never really came out from her house because her grandmother always told her that the world is a scary place, so for a 24 years old, she has a pretty childish and spoiled personality. She’s beyond demanding, but Tsuneo never lost his patience dealing with her (Yo, that’s a good husband material right there.), he has always been so supporting to Josee. Tsuneo, a final year marine biology student who dreams of studying abroad and diving in tropical waters, (He is struggling with part-time jobs and final research paper, and I can relate! Because I’m also struggling with internship and college final project!), he is a dream student and husband, he has good grades, he also got a scholarship study abroad in Mexico. His job is also going pretty fine. He has nice and supportive friends. 

Sounds nice right? 

Until he got run over a girl on a a wheelchair who lost control over it, freefalling on a downhill road. Don’t worry, they both are fine, no injuries and such. And kids, that’s how I met your father. That was their first meeting. Tsuneo offered to walk her home because as he should! You men has to have basic manner! After reaching Josee’s home, he was greeted by Josee’s grandmother, Kumiko, her one and only guardian, and was offered a dinner. Josee couldn’t refuse and decided to take her offer. They had a good dinner, but Josee doesn’t like him, she talks to Tsuneo in a rude tone so Tsuneo wondered what is wrong with this girl?! 

Anyway, Tsuneo shared that he is struggling to find another job to pay his bills, so grandma Kumiko offered him a well-paid job, and that is to babysit be Josee’s servant, who has to accompany her and listen to all of her demands. Josee is really demanding, so it was a tiring job for Tsuneo. He kept ranting to his friends at work, Mai and Hayato, that he couldn’t stand Josee!

One day, Josee felt the need to go out and go to places, she needed to see the outside world inside of being trapped in her room full of drawings about oceans. She wanted to see the ocean, so they made sure grandma Kumiko was sleeping and quietly took Josee outside. They went to many places together. The aquarium, the zoo, the recreation park, and had so much fun. She went to the ocean and felt the saltiness of the ocean water because she never got to experience it since both of her parents died. She has always been stuck drawing in her room, only imagining what is it like outside, is it really scary like her grandma described? Turns out it isn’t like that at all.

That until a really depressing tragedy happened to both Josee and Tsuneo (What is it? I won’t give any spoilers.) It’s so depressing that Mai, one of Tsuneo’s friends who got a crush on Tsuneo (Let’s be real, who wouldn’t.) told Josee to stay away from Tsuneo and free him, because since Josee came into his life, his peaceful life has went downhill. Josee was a pretty selfish girl, I must say. But there’s always a room for development and change, right?  All of you will find her annoying in the beginning and maybe until the end, but she got a good character development in the end. I can’t decide if I want to have a Tsuneo or Josee, both are good characters.

Then how did Tsuneo fall in love with Josee? You’ll have to find it out by watching it, the movie is available on Netflix.

This movie basically tells you to go on with life and not give up after falling into the deepest pit of nightmares, to still have and chase your dreams despite having limitations. It’s so healing and heart-warming to watch on a pandemic like this. Tsuneo is such a patient, good and loyal man. Josee, an inspiring and tough women. Both suits each other, I’d say. (Although I was team Mai at first.) They both inspire and support each other to live their dreams, a sweet heart-warming love story.

Not to mention, the OSTs are sung by The Great Eve: please give Shinkai and Ao No Waltz a listen, it’s my top 2 favorite Eve music, I always listen to it whenever I’m sad, I was at a war with myself and found peace on these songs.

So, what are you waiting for! Go watch it!

#anime #movies #animemovie #animereview #moviereview #josee #tsuneo #josee the tiger and the fish #movie review #anime review #anime movie #japan

[recentanimenews]

INTERVIEW: Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid and the Directors' Legacy

  Additional reporting by Kyle Cardine

  On July 7th, Kyoto Animation released the first episode of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S, the second season of the Dragon Maid franchise. This marked not only the return of a fan-favorite series, but the comeback of the globally beloved studio as a whole. We wrote on Kyoto Animation’s indomitable spirit in our interview with studio president Hideaki Hatta last year, and now we see that spirit communicated through Dragon Maid’s incredible dual capacity for intricately animated sequences and depth of emotional expression. 

  On the occasion of both Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid and Kyoto Animation’s latest return to anime, Crunchyroll News had the opportunity to talk with Tatsuya Ishihara, the director of the second season of the series, about Dragon Maid’s return, his responsibilities as incoming director and more.

      Ishihara the Director

  Tatsuya Ishihara is a long-time Kyoto Animation director who has produced some of anime’s sharpest comedy sequences alongside some of the most emotionally resonant, often in the same series. “I’ve had experience with works that combine comical and serious aspects, and I like them,” Ishihara said when asked about this continuing theme. “I find them rather fun and easy to do.” Though it may be humble, his answer gestures towards his immense talent for finding the poignant within the comedic, as well as the comedic within the poignant, a talent we can trace through his entire career with the studio.

  In 2005, Ishihara made his directorial debut at Kyoto Animation with the adaptation of the Key Visual novel Air. His philosophy of negotiating his own interpretation of a work with audience expectation can be seen throughout his career, starting with Air and continuing into adaptations of two more Key visual novels—Kanon and the acclaimed Clannad. “I’m not an artist trying to express my own sense of self. I’m thinking of the viewers and their expectations. My job as director is to marry my own interpretation of a work with viewer expectations,” Ishihara would later say in the Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions limited edition box set booklet.

  However, the first title in which Ishihara’s incredible talent would truly be embraced by the masses in the West is inarguably 2006’s The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. A series absolutely packed with incredible comedy, supernatural intrigue, disarming drama, and pleasurable slice-of-life, Haruhi is dense with directorial flair. Ishihara’s ability to deftly maneuver between comedy and drama truly struck the zeitgeist in mid ‘00s Western anime fandom, to the point where Haruhi cosplayers and “Hare Hare Yukai” flash mobs were inescapable.

  Ishihara’s credits continue on to include a second season of Haruhi, legendary comedies Nichijou (2011) and the aforementioned Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions (2012), and the coming-of-age drama Sound! Euphonium. All of these series embody Ishihara’s talent for balancing drama and comedy as well as his philosophy of mediating between his artistic expression and giving the audience what they want in different, equally affecting ways, and it is this body of experience that Ishihara has taken with him into his work on Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S.

      Ishihara and Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S

  The relationship between Kyoto Animation and the Dragon Maid manga series was formed quite early. According to a Futabasha editorial representative we spoke to in the making of this article, the publisher received an offer from Kyoto Animation to produce the adaptation shortly after the first volume was released. In January 2017, the studio released the first episode of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, quickly met with a warm embrace by fans.

  The life that Tohru and Kobayashi build together is one full of warmth and laughter, woven from the comedy and drama that comes from the differences between the humans and dragons of the series. Despite the supernatural beings that make up half of its cast, the true magic of the series can be found in the deeply touching depictions of everyday life, a place where KyoAni is particularly adept. “In the anime, Kanna’s familiarity with everyday life was more emphasized,” Dragon Maid manga author Coolkyousinnjya said to Crunchyroll News. “There were more details, and a lot of things amazed me when I watched it.”

  リリイベお疲れ様でしたー　すごくよかったです pic.twitter.com/FW5pkCtiD4

— クール教信者＠夏アニメ「小林さんちのメイドラゴンS」「ピーチボーイリバーサイド」「平穏世代の韋駄天達 (@coolkyou2) July 24, 2021

An illustration from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid creator Coolkyousinnjya

  Before we begin to talk about Ishihara’s involvement in Dragon Maid, we must address a painful, necessary truth: Tatsuya Ishihara did not direct the first season of the series. Rather, it was the late director Yasuhiro Takemoto who first helmed the title. Takemoto directed many of Kyoto Animation’s most defining and iconic works, beginning with the initial two episodes of the 2002 Nurse Witch Komugi OVA (the only two that were produced by Kyoto Animation), 2003’s Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu and its 2005 sequel Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid. He then directed the lion’s share of the absolutely iconic Lucky Star (2007), Hyouka (2012), Amagi Brilliant Park (2014), and, of course, season one of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. Throughout all of his work, but especially in Nurse Witch Komugi, Lucky Star, and Dragon Maid, you can see an absolute adoration for and celebration of otaku culture. 

  “I'm trying to keep the style of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid that the first anime series and the original work have,” said Ishihara. “I'm taking over from the previous series, so I'm trying not to change the atmosphere.” And, as any fan of the first season will tell you, he has succeeded. From the pitch-perfect fish-out-of-water comedy to the jaw-dropping non-sequitur fight scenes to the sudden moments of deeply human empathy between Kobayashi and the dragons—everything that worked about the first season works here, too. 

  “I think it is my role to take over and convey the ‘feelings’ of the staff from the previous season while directing this season,” said Ishihara.

    Yasuhiro Takemoto’s affinity for a specific period of otaku culture is woven through the first season of the series, especially with the protagonist Kobayashi and the characters Takiya and Fafnir. That aspect of the series identity is carried on in Ishihara’s season as well. “I thought I might be able to have an otaku talk with Takiya and Kobayashi-san, but their ages are so far apart from mine that I might not be able to talk with them,” said Ishihara when asked which member of the Kobayashi cast he would spend a night talking with. “That's actually been happening a lot in real life lately, which makes me sad. That's why I think it's Lucoa. She is kind and seems to be willing to listen to me.”

  The comedic set up of the question was undercut with a surprising poignancy at Ishihara’s admittance that otaku culture is moving on from the form he is familiar with. That same emotional resonance is coincidentally echoed in the first episode of Dragon Maid S, when Kobayashi says, “People don’t use the word moe very much anymore, but they’ve kept the spirit of those times.”

    Ishihara and the Core of Kyoto Animation

  When the name Kyoto Animation is brought up to me, I immediately think of Sound! Euphonium’s Kumiko Oumae, her face contorting in frustration as she runs through the streets of her town, unable to hold herself back from screaming “I want to improve!” out loud. I imagine, for many anime fans, similar scenes come to mind—pathos, love, laughter, tears, all written on the faces of characters rendered in ways few other studios can. To quote Clannad’s first ending theme, “All that’s happy and all that’s sad rolled into one.”

  The craft on display in Dragon Maid S is, of course, apparent to anyone that watches even a few seconds of an episode. Effortlessly shifting from subtle character acting and loving renderings of scenic everyday life to mind-melting supernatural battles featuring some of the best fight choreography of the year. 

    How can one team balance the demands of such polar opposite tendencies in a series? “Even in animation,” Tatsuya Ishihara responded, “if the setting of the work is close to reality, the movements of the characters will be limited to realistic theatrics. However, animation is supposed to be freer, and the designs, movements, and theatrics of the characters themselves should be exaggerated. In this respect, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is a fantasy, so it is easy to make use of the original characteristics of animation. By exaggerating the movements and expressions of the characters, I try to make them even more humorous and convey their feelings.” Animation is the medium, not film, and Ishihara and his team are making full use of it.

  Animation, no matter how impressive, must be in service of a story to reach something beyond pure spectacle. The staff of Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S understands the characters and their feelings, their situations, their histories, and what they care about. Ishihara understands the power that can come from a story about two groups of people with seemingly irreconcilable differences coming together to build a life of found family.

    “It is normal that you and others are different, so it is important to accept that and to acknowledge each other's diversity,” said Ishihara. In the age of the Internet, I think we have come to realize that people around the world are not united, but rather that there are people with many different ways of thinking. One of my favorite lines is when Fafnir says ‘The common sense of this [human's] world doesn’t completely mesh with our [dragons'] understanding’ and Tohru responds to him by saying ‘but isn’t reconciling that kind of fun?’”

  For the past few years, increasingly, I have felt like we are all living in a broken world; People are divided by distance, ideology, and disease. The climate is changing. And reporting about these topics crashes against us constantly, each day feeling as if it brings more bad news than the last. But I have found refuge in the works of Kyoto Animation, as have many others. In the stories this studio has told, fans are able to see the beauty that can be found in life, no matter the circumstances. Sometimes, in the midst of a reality that seems grim and harsh, you need to be reminded that there is still love and fun to be found. Sometimes, all it takes to bring you to that state of mind is the story of a woman and the dragon that loves her. 

  TVアニメ「#小林さんちのメイドラゴン Ｓ」第1話『新たなるドラゴン、イルル！（またよろしくお願いします）』をご覧いただきありがとうございました❣ Illustration：石原立也（監督）#maidragon pic.twitter.com/49wE3HeLrS

— TVアニメ「小林さんちのメイドラゴンＳ」公式 (@maidragon_anime) July 7, 2021

Episode One Thank You Illustration from Tatsuya Ishihara

  “I’m sure many of you were worried, but we were able to release Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid without any issues,” said Ishihara. “I would like to continue to create enjoyable works, so please have fun.”

    Cayla Coats is the Editor-in-Chief of Crunchyroll News EN. She tweets @ceicocat.

  Kyle Cardine is a Managing Editor for Crunchyroll. You can find his Twitter here.

By: Cayla Coats

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

[yeonchi]

Kisekae Insights #18: Madoka Magica Part 1 (Takumi Magica)

(Art by dai)

The anime series that have had prominence in my personal project are at least ten years old now and this one is no exception as Puella Magi Madoka Magica celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2021. In fact, this post has been timed to be released ten years after the finale originally premiered (following a delay as a result of the 2011 earthquake).

This instalment highlights a complication associated with adapting series that are ongoing; some elements are implemented with the knowledge that something is the case, but then new material for the series comes out and it turns out that that thing is not the case anymore. Also, I do some male-centric gender equality because men are hated in current year thanks to SJWs and anime is sexist due to its constant focus on females.

How the involvement started

Madoka Magica was introduced to the project in 2012. In the mainstream series, they were introduced in the Series 7 Salacian Time War arc with seemingly no context, but they had a two-parter introduction in a spinoff series featuring the Fourth Doctor. I didn’t write the episodes, but I did use the titles in a couple fanfictions, titled Grief and Souls and The Girl Who Lives Forever, which showed my “interpretation” of the episodes, which was essentially the Doctor being involved in the plot of Madoka Magica. Looking back, it was a bit cringey and I’ll admit, I never watched the series in its entirety more than a few times, so my understanding of the series wasn’t as deep.

Much of the details I provide here may not match my initial visions back in 2012, not that it matters in the context of this series. On top of that, the ongoing state of the series has led to changes in the status quo, as this instalment details.

For the purposes of this project, Mitakihara is located northwest of Cardiff, past the Brecon Beacons along the A470 road.

Takumi Kamijō: The Magical Boy

Events here take place following the end of the TV anime. When the Salacian Time War happened, Parker enlisted Homura, Mami and Kyōko to be part of his army of 72. At the same time, Hiroki was kidnapped by Akari’s cousin, Daniel, and taken to his base in the Serra do Mar mountain range where he was subjected to the Dehydrator. Takumi was born from Hiroki’s sixth incarnation as a result of the ensuing meta-crisis regeneration. This left Hiroki requiring help to regenerate fully, resulting in Takumi’s “twin”, Kumiko, being born some time after.

It should be noted that at this point in time, Takumi appeared similar to Hiroki with black hair and he didn’t have a name yet. Also, due to the nature of Kumiko’s birth, Takumi would refer to Hiroki and Akari as his parents even though he would be considered Hiroki’s “sibling”.

After finding some clothes to wear, Takumi leaves the base and walks through the mountains to Santos, where he joins the battle against the Salacians at its climax. Following the battle’s end, Takumi makes his way to the Doctor and Parker, who entrust him to Kyōko and give him the task of working together with the magical girls to defend Mitakihara. At this point, Takumi moves on to his own spinoff series, aptly named Puella Magi Takumi Magica.

Upon arriving at Kyōko’s hotel room, Takumi sees her feeling sad and gets her to open up to him (somehow). It is then that he learns about Sayaka and her sad story, at which point he decides to “evolve” himself into a “reincarnation” of her by using the 15 hours of residual regeneration energy to turn his hair and eyes blue. Seeing his new appearance and likening it to the sea, he decides to give himself the name Takumi, though Kyōko states that while he may look like Sayaka, he will never be her, a fact which Takumi acknowledges.

Some time after, while exploring Mitakihara on his own at night, he encounters Kyōsuke Kamijō and Hitomi Shizuki, the two people who made Sayaka heartbroken. Following them to an alley, Takumi finds a metal pipe and beats the two of them up as revenge for Sayaka. He also decides to torture Hitomi by beating Kyōsuke up even more. They are only saved from certain death when Homura, Mami and Kyōko see the scene and pull Takumi away. This event leads Hitomi to make a contract with Kyubey and become a magical girl, wishing for the strength to fight back against Takumi.

After witnessing Homura, Mami and Kyōko fighting wraiths in the city, Takumi becomes determined to become a magical girl, or rather, boy, so that he can work together with them to defend Mitakihara like the Doctor asked him to. Though they initially laugh it off, the girls take Takumi to see Kyubey, but he refuses to make a contract with him because he is not a girl. After Takumi breaks the necks of a thousand Kyubey clones, he relents and allows Takumi to make a contract with him out of interest to see what would happen. Takumi wishes to honour Sayaka’s legacy by fighting in her place and as such, he gains powers similar to that of Sayaka’s. Unbeknownst to Kyubey at the time, fulfilling Takumi’s wish would be his undoing.

(These are just my impressions of what Takumi’s magical boy form would look like. Art by モリコ/とーま, purincipium/flaon and gureipu)

This ends the first major arc of the spinoff. Moving into the second major arc, Takumi learns that there are magical girls scattered all over Mitakihara and the world and makes it his mission to unite them as one. As such, Homura, Mami and Kyōko become the first members of Takumi’s team. Learning about how the Soul Gems and Grief Seeds work, Takumi uses this information (and latent Time Lord knowledge, yada yada yada) to invent the Incubation Cleanser, which would automatically purify any Soul Gems put inside it so that magical girls can fight without fear of falling into despair and disappearing/becoming witches. Think of it like in Rick and Morty when Zeep created the Miniverse as a replacement for the Gooble Boxes.

Hitomi, now a magical girl, finds Takumi and fights him as revenge for attacking her and Kyōsuke. After a couple of skirmishes, Hitomi decides to challenge Takumi to a battle – if he wins, she will join his team, but if she wins, she gets to take Takumi’s life. Takumi comes out victorious in the challenge and Hitomi joins his team, with Takumi forcing Kyōsuke to become a magical boy as security to ensure Hitomi’s loyalty. It is also at this point that Takumi takes on the surname Kamijō.

Takumi leads his team to Asunaro City in an attempt to recruit more magical girls for his team, despite being warned that they would be stepping onto the territory of other magical girls in the process. After some conflict, Takumi would gain the cooperation of Kazumi and the Pleiades Saints. He then found a place to establish a base for him and his group, which he names Torchwood Pleiades in honour of the two groups.

This is all that I have written for the series’ setting. Only two seasons of the spinoff were broadcast in 2012-13; the developments that follow are post-spinoff. During the course of the spinoff, Takumi and Kyōko’s relationship develops, but their resolution would be revealed in the mainstream Doctor Who series. Due to various factors, Kazumi Subaru, Kaoru Maki and Umika Misaki would be the only surviving members of the Pleiades Saints by the end of the spinoff.

The Rebellion Incident

Takumi’s character was created in 2012 during the development of the three Madoka Magica films. Learning that Sayaka would be revived in The Rebellion Story raised a conflict between her and Takumi, given that the latter was created as a replacement character for the former. As a result, Takumi did not have any involvement for most of my 2014 stories, mostly because I didn’t know what to do with them. I later figured out a solution and planned to write a special for Takumi Magica titled Afterrebellion, but I never got past the first chapter. What I’m about to tell you know is an impression of what that story would be like.

During the 50th Anniversary Series in 2013, Takumi and Torchwood Pleiades would have significant involvement in the stories. Takumi gained a sonic modulator from one of the enemies of the series and modified it for his own use. In the sixth block, the spirit of Sayaka transforms Takumi into herself for some temporary bullshit I didn’t write. In the ninth block, Takumi reveals that he is aware about the upcoming events when he says that there is a worse day coming for him, much worse than Hiroki’s death or Koshi Castle. Takumi and Kyōko get engaged at some point, but Takumi delayed their marriage in order to deal with the oncoming issue.

Around the events of The Rebellion Story, Kyubey came to regret making Takumi a magical boy because his actions subverted everything he was working for. He exiled Takumi to a pocket dimension, which he later came out of somehow. When Takumi came back, he saw Sayaka and quickly realised that he would lose everything, even Kyōko, if he allowed her to live as she was; after all, his main purpose for the past couple of years was to take her place and he couldn’t be left with nothing after everything he had done. Takumi proceeded to quickly confront Sayaka and absorb her into himself.

What follows is a fight between Takumi and Sayaka; since Takumi wouldn’t allow Sayaka to leave his body, she decides to fight him for control of his body. It was easy for Takumi to conceal the fact that he was having an internal conflict in public; since his face and hair wouldn’t necessarily be that different, he just had to wear a big-ass coat or something that wouldn’t show Sayaka’s breasts popping out every time she managed to gain control of his body.

Despite Takumi’s best efforts however, all is unravelled one night when Kyōko tries to have sex with Takumi. Kyōko discovers what is going on and after Takumi and Sayaka explain themselves, Kyōko gets them to find a way to cooperate. Eventually, the two distinct individuals become in sync with each other, allowing Sayaka to take control of or split from Takumi’s body. Takumi and Sayaka would later experiment having sex with themselves and having a threesome with Kyōko.

By the end of 2014, Takumi and Kyōko got married. This plot point wasn’t mentioned at the time, but in a way, Sayaka and Kyōko got married as well thanks to it. It’s honestly astonishing how much fanart I see of male Kyōko with female Sayaka but not male Sayaka with female Kyōko. I honestly think it would have been easier for Takumi to be in Kyōko’s place, but she’s not the dead girl at the start, Sayaka was.

Anyway, following the events of The Rebellion Story, which was nicknamed “the Rebellion incident” by Takumi, Homura exiled herself from Torchwood Pleiades in order to fulfill her role as the devil of the new world. Thanks to whatever Homura did (I didn’t watch the movie, I only relied on wiki info lel), the Incubation Cleanser was made redundant, but witches, wraiths and magical girls still existed and therefore, so was Torchwood Pleiades. Takumi reformed his team, with the exception of the Pleiades Saints, and somehow recruited Madoka to replace Homura’s place, giving her what was necessary for her to be a productive member of the team.

The Next Evolution

Alongside the Shinkengers, the Magirangers were one of the first teams to join UNIT’s Superhero Project during its beta testing stage in 2014, with two more magical girls joining them in 2018:

MagiRed: Kyōko Sakura

MagiYellow: Mami Tomoe

MagiBlue: Takumi Kamijō

MagiPink: Madoka Kaname

MagiGreen: Hitomi Shizuki

MagiShine: Kyōsuke Kamijō

Wolzard (Fire): Homura Akemi

MagiIce (Mother): Nagisa Momoe

While developing the equipment, Takumi accidentally created an extra MagiPhone because he forgot about Homura’s situation. He attempted to seek one of the remaining Pleiades Saints to give it to, but he was attacked by Homura, who stole the spare MagiPhone and used it to transform into Wolzard.

In one of the Superhero Project preludes, the Magirangers and Shinkengers worked together to defeat Hiroki and Narutaki, who had been turned into Grim Reaper vessels by Evil Death.

The Magirangers’ main feature in Gokaiger would be in the second episode, which follows the storyline of the third episode of the original Gokaiger. After the Gokaigers were separated by Salamandam’s volcanic blast, Takumi would test the Doctor and Marco to see if they were worthy of using the Magirangers’ Megazord Powers. Kyōsuke would give Kai a test as well by having him fight Wolzard, who defeats him in a Megazord battle.

The second part of the episode features Homura attacking the Gokaigers, Magirangers and Dekarangers as Wolzard with her Nightmares and Homulilly minions. Once the Magirangers and Dekarangers defeat Homura’s minions, the Gokaigers morph into the Dekarangers to finish off Wolzard. After the Gokaigers defeat the Centaurus Wolf Megazord, Homura fights them as Homulilly, only to be defeated by the Legendary Patrol Megazord. Following the battle, Takumi is insistent on having Homura rejoin Torchwood Pleiades, but Sayaka says that they “don’t need a demon like her”.

Later on, Homura fights alongside Takumi and her former friends in the crossover special when the Rangers and Riders are turned against each other. She would appear again in the series finale alongside Nagisa when they fight Prince Vekar’s invasion fleet with the other Rangers.

In the third Space Squad movie, Rassilon would accuse Takumi and his brothers of being homophobic due to them “taking” their girls away from their true (lesbian) lovers. Sayaka doesn’t blame Takumi for doing what he did; in fact, she is grateful to him for keeping her legacy alive when she wasn’t and now, she only wants to make sure that everyone can be happy.

Before I can continue with Takumi’s story, I will need to cover another story first, which is the story of the other magical boy, Yuki Yamaki. Once again, I’d like to remind everyone that Takumi’s backstory was retroactively written following his introduction because of the way I liked to write stories back then. See you in the next instalment for the continuation of this saga.

#kisekae insights #puella magi madoka magica

[kumikoumae-archive]

any anime you recommend? mmm I have a whole watch list but nothing’s really popping out to me as of now. looking at some new popular one times I’m a bit hmmm about

Ohohohoooo do i have animes to recommend... It would help to know what type of anime is your go to but i’ll jut rec things from a variety of genres:

Mob Psycho 100 (aka the best series of all time) (action, comedy, supernatural) you probably already heard of it so i wont say much but i cannot recommend it enough. Animation, soundtrack, voice acting, plot, LITERALLY EVERYTHING abt this anime is perfect

Natsume Yuujinchou (slice of life, supernatural) there are six seasons and the animation in the first few seasons is not The Best but the story is so sweet and this anime will make you cry almost every episode. It’s about an orphan boy named Natsume who can see spirits/yokais and inherits the Book of Friends that contains the names of many yokais. The anime follows him as he gives back these names, makes friends with both humans and yokai, and finds a family that loves and respects him. I have so many feelings about this anime... soundtrack for it is great and i listen to it all the time.

Hotarubi no Mori e (drama, romance, supernatural) this one is a 45 minute movie by the same author of NatsuYuu

Barakamon (slice of life, comedy) a guy moves to the countryside and learns to be more respectful and kind as he meets and befriends the people that live there, more specifically the children that live there and make his life living hell lmao. It’s adorable and Naru is the best kid you will ever see. she is absolutely unhinged.

Kekkai Sensen (action, supernatural, super power) Leo moves to Hellsalem’s Lot, a city that was known as New York before a gate between two worlds opened and turned the city upside down. Aliens, weird creatures, vampires and humans coexist in there. And Leo ends up involved with a secret society of vampire hunters named Libra. I know this series might sound very generic with the whole vampire thing but I garantee you I have never watched something as chaotic and entertaining as kekkai sensen. AND THE SOUNDTRACK IS THE BEST

Hibike! Euphonium (music, school, drama) OH THE DRAMA. It’s about a school concert band that wants to win a national competition. Our main character, Kumiko, isnt very passionate about anything but as the series goes on we see her start to have ambitions of her own. It’s very gay (if you dont mind queerbaiting because they do try to shove that one of the main characters is straight even tho she clearly isnt lol). The animation is the classic kyoto animation style (a lot of people dont like it, but i absolutely adore it)

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san (romantic comedy, school life, slice of life) Takagi is a very cunning girl that loves to tease Nishikata and make his life more “fun” by having competitions with him. My poor boy suffers so much in her hands. They’re both very much in love and it’s all very pure and very sweet. One of the funniest romantic comedies i have ever watched (right up there with gekkan shoujo nozaki kun, which i also recommend) and, while the progression of their relationship is very VERY slow, they make actual progress towards understanding each other’s feelings (plus there is a spin off manga where they are actually married and have a daughter lmao) animation is very simple and the music does not stand out, but if you want a good laugh and a sweet romance this is the one!

Kimetsu no Yaiba (shounen, supernatural, demons) u probably also heard abt this one since it was one of the most talked about last year. It has a slow start but the animation and sound design are Amazing. definitely give this one a go.

I really want to recommend noragami but tbh the anime did a lot of things wrong and i recommend reading the manga instead. even tho the animation and the soundtrack for noragami are top notch

i have watched almost 300 anime so i have a lot more to recommend if these arent what you’re looking for!

#sorry if i took too long to answer #tumblr didnt notify me of this message... #you can clearly see slice of life is my favorite genre #answered #gi talks #mp100 #natsume yuujinchou #hotarubi no mori e #barakamon #kekkai sensen #hibike! euphonium #karakai jouzu no takagi san #kimetsu no yaiba #noragami #Anonymous

[lastarpeggios]

For some reason I was reminded again of a ‘top ... favorite anime openings’ video I made when I must’ve been about 16 years old. I put together a playlist of what what I think were 37 opening tracks by downloading youtube videos (and sometimes whole episodes) and then cutting clips from the opening for my video. I put a lot of effort into it, getting the audio in sync with the video, ... I think it took me a couple of days to get a result I was content with. The video was flagged right away, of course. I don’t think it was taken down, but I don’t think I’ll find it again.

I remembered that I put Lilium (Elfen Lied) in the 2nd spot. But for a while just now I could not remember for the life of me which song I put first. 

So I went back to my old animelist, and found it again. I played it and relived some of my teenage spirit.

Looking at my anime list, I can guess what my top 10 probably looked like at the time. I think I made this around 2010? It was definitely before Attack on Titan. 

Monoral - Kiri (Ergo Proxy) (If you’re not shouting along with the chorus then you’re not really living)

Kumiko Noma - Lilium (Elfen lied)

Oasis - Falling Down (Higashi no Eden)

Abnormalize - Ling Tosite Shigure (Psycho Pass) (Actually I cannot remember if this was in my list because it might have aired after I made it? It’s definitely not as old as most of the other anime in here.)

Hyde - Season’s Call (Blood +)

Bana - Shell (Witch Hunter Robin)

Kokia - Karma (Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom)

L’Arc en Ciel - Daybreak’s Bell (Gundam 00)

The Light Before we Land - The Delgados (Gunslinger Girl)

Kuniaki Haishima - Grain (Monster)

Boa - Duvet (Serial Experiments Lain)

Steve Conte - Stray (Wolf’s Rain)

Jacques Burnel - We Were Lovers (Gankutsuou)

Nightmare -The World (Death Note)

What’s up, People?  - Maximum the Hormone (Death Note)

Yui - Again (Full Metal Alchemist)

Ally Kerr - The Sore Feet Song (Mushishi) 

SPYAIR – Just One Life (Samurai Flamenco)

Juno Reactor - Guardian Angel (Texhnolyze) (I’m definitely cheating now because this song did not rate this high.)

Two-Mix - Just Communication (Gundam Wing)

Two-Mix - Rhythm Emotion (Gundam Wing)

Inori You Raise me Up - Lena Park (Romeo X Juliet) (Do not judge. Also, I’m 99% I ranked this much higher in my actual list.)

Yoko Kanno - Tank! (Cowboy Bebop)

Beat Crusaders - Hit in the USA (Beck)

Elisa - Euphoric Field (EF - a tale of memories)

Ono Daisuke - Key (Shinrei Tantei Yakumo)

Ritsuko Okazaki - For Fruits Basket (Fruits Basket)

SID - Ranbu no Melody (Bleach) 

Miho Fujiwara - Florescence (Kanon)

One of the openings from Hell Girl, but I cannot remember which one it was.

ROOKiEZ is PUNK'D - In My World (Ao no Exorcist)

Ayaka - Last Regrets (Kanon 2006)

Okazaki Ritsuko - Morning Grace (Princess Tutu)

Uragiri No Yuuyake - Theatre Brook (Durarara!!)

Yosuke Sakanoue - Super Drive (Gravitation) (Yes this was in the list.)

Shuntaro Okino - Cloud Age Symphony (Last Exile)

Tori no Uta - Lia (Air tv) (I specifically remember this being the last song in the list)

#personal #FOR FUTURE REFERENCE #it just gets worse and worse as the list goes on #but I stand behind my top 3

[sailor-arashi]

The fucking dude just lying down as the macross I can't

I know, right?! With his legs as the forks of the main cannon, I about lost it XD

#replies #Anonymous #kumiko is my spirit animal #sailor arashi gifs #gif warning #personal

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

My Top 10 Hibike Euphonium Girls

Since I just rewatched Eupho I thought it’d be fun to do this. Not my highest effort list, rushed it out since Lily wanted to play Smash with me, but the opinions expressed are all mine even if they’re not as in depth as I could go. Eupho has such a huge cast of characters and so many of them are such very good girls that this list has to exist. Let’s goooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

10. Haruka Ogasawara

Beautiful band buchou with a nice voice and her hecking baritone sax solo? The shit, dawggggggg.

9. Nozomi Kasaki

Nao Touyama? Hell yeah, also you even seen Liz? This chick is sick, yo.

8. Yuko Yoshikawa

She’s funny, she’s cute, love the scenes where Natsuki bullies her. Better buchou than Haruka.

7. Mizore Yoroizuka

Moe as fuck, also Liz.

6. Hazuki Katou

Eupho has so many short haired waifus it’s unbelievable. She’s wonderful, goofy tuba ass girl.

5. Asuka Tanaka

Engrish? Check. The Spanish equivalent? Check. Megane? Check. A satisfying character arc and one of the players in arguably the best scene in the franchise? Check.

4. Sapphire “Midori” Kawashima

Oh my fucking GOD she’s so cute, wow. Another stunning short haired waifu. Ridiculously cute. She’s so cute.

3. Natsuki Nakagawa

Natsuki is my fucking spirit animal and if I were a kinnie y’all fuckin know I’d be kinning the shit out of Natsuki. Oh my god.

2. Reina Kousaka

Used to be best girl but got eclipsed by the current number 1 (if you know me at all you knew who my number 1 girl was the moment you saw this post’s title and if not you can probably guess based on process of elimination lol). Honest to god the hottest anime character I can think of. Also a good character or whatever.

1. Kumiko Oumae

Literally the single most human character I can think of in any piece of media ever. More human than some actual humans I know. I fucking love Kumiko. 2nd favourite fictional character ever.

Done.

#Hibike Euphonium #smash bros #20.7.19

[himetoryu]

Favorite Female Anime Characters, Part 1

It's inevitable to fall in love with certain characters especially when we can relate to their feelings and what they're going through or we just admire them for their kindness, strength, beauty, etc. Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing myself in those I watch and I just can't help it. I'm into anime ever since young (if I'm not mistaken I started watching when I was five) and I still recall everything like it only happened yesterday.

And for today's special post I'm gonna share with you these ladies who brought much impact to my life (in the order of when I watched them). Enjoy your read!

1. The Priestess

InuYasha: Higurashi Kagome

Kagome is one of those kind-hearted characters you'll ever encounter. Whenever she's compared with Kikyou especially about their archery skills, priestess powers and InuYasha I can feel so much her pain. I remember clearly her scene on the well with him admitting that she can't compare with Kikyou because she's not dead, but at the same time saying "my heart is my heart (kokoro wa watashi no kokoro)". It must be hard accepting you're someone's reincarnation and if that's the case, telling everyone you're still a different person. But Kagome endured and continued her journey to fight alongside InuYasha even though during that time he wants to protect Kikyou, too (two-timer hmp). In the end she was able to fulfill her task of destroying the jewel of the four souls (shikon no tama).

As a 15-year old it must be hard for her as well to fight demons in the feudal era and go back to modern day Tokyo to fulfill her duties as a daughter and a high school student but in the end still managed everything and even graduated! So you see, she's not only kind and strong but also eager to finish her studies haha!

2. The Karate Champion

Detective Conan / Case Closed: Mouri Ran

What I admire so much about Ran is her patience for Shinichi. You see, she's always wondering where and what he is doing even though he's only under her nose. And on those moments she and Shinichi are together but he has to leave because the antidote to APTX-4869 wore off, she's always left hanging. Remember when they were in the Beika Hotel? Ran cried and even covered her ears because she's tired already of his excuses. But of course we all know Shinichi is only doing that to protect her. I'm just curious though on how and when she'll be able to fully discover his secret hehe (a lot of times Ran made suspicions but our boy is just clever).

Ran is faithful and trusts Shinichi so much. Normally when we don't hear from someone for a long time we just give up on them and forget them. But in her case the love just grows stronger. We can learn from her how to not give up on the one you really love.

Ran is also a supportive friend, we can see that clearly to Sonoko and Kazuha. And she's positive about her parents, doing her best to set them up believing that someday they'll be together. Lastly, Ran is a karate champion but she's humble. She knows that being strong is to protect and help people and she has saved Conan, Haibara and the Detective Boys a lot of times. She's everything!

3. The Flame-Haired Fiery-Eyed Hunter

Shakugan no Shana: Shana

I can't say much about Shana but the reason I included her on the list was because I remember back in high school I was obsessing over her because of her red eyes and hair (favorite color hahaha)! And she is a tsundere so it felt like I was watching myself! She's also a sword wielder (I have a thing on that and if given the chance I want to learn) and it also hypes me every time she turns from being a cute melon bread eater to a serious flame haze! Who wouldn't fall in love with these burning eyes and hair?!

4. The Celestial Mage

Fairy Tail: Lucy Heartfilia

I know a lot of fans call her useless and it really makes me sad because many don't understand that Lucy is a work-in-progress. Born from a rich family wanting the attention of her father after her mother died, meeting Natsu and being introduced to her dream guild, seeing her friends being tortured by a dark guild because her father wants her back, and bravely forgoing her luxurious life and choosing the path of being a wizard, she has been through a lot. Lucy may not come off strong like Erza and Mira Jane but we should realize that strength is not only measured in combat. Lucy is actually smart and loves to read books and don't that make someone interesting?

Lucy may not be the strongest but she's getting better and I'm convinced it's because Natsu supports and believes in her so much. Also she values everyone in the guild, even her celestial spirits, to the point that she won't give up even if beaten to death (remember what Minerva did on Grand Magic Games). Fans call her weak because she wasn't able to fight back but on the other side, she risked her life for her friends and if it's not courage for you then I don't know what is.

5. The Gangster Teacher

Gokusen: Yamaguchi Kumiko / Yankumi

Tentenenen! Tenten! Hahaha!

One of those few that I've read the manga, watched the anime and the live action because I got hyped! I've seen this back in high school but didn't finish and thought I should finally spend some time on it last year and it didn't disappoint!

So why do I love Yankumi? Because she's a silent killer until everyone found out that she's from a yakuza family lol and that always catches my attention. Also she's an understanding teacher who is always there for her students. She has been ignored and rejected a lot of times but she didn't give up. She was focused on making her students graduate on time and did everything to win their trust on finding again school a fun place to be and making memories with their classmates. It's the reason she has changed other teachers' perspectives, too, and made an impact on everyone around her.

It may be old but you should give it a try, though I highly recommend the manga and the live action because Yukie Nakama is cool (and also, don't forget your tissues).

So that's it everyone! Do we have the same favorite female characters? Share them with me, too, and I hope you enjoyed my special post for today!

04.28.2019

ctto

#japan #anime #favorite female characters #inuyasha #higurashi kagome #the priestess #detective conan #case closed #mouri ran #the karate champion #shakugan no shana #shana #the flame-haired fiery-eyed hunter #red hunter #flame haze #fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #the celestial mage #the princess #gokusen #yamaguchi kumiko #yankumi #the gangster teacher #nakama yukie #manga #live action #special post #himetoryu

[khazumineedsyuri-blog]

Welcome Back.

Welcome Back.

 A/N: Yes, It’s Hibike, and Yes, I’m an ass for disappearing. Please do have a read? I probs have lost all the writing cells in my body, but eh.

How long had it been? A year? Two years… six years?

The cold air was still flavoured that same nostalgic scent of mystery and something… “special”. Ha, how amusing. Always was, really.

“Special… huh.”

A fraction of a shiver crawled up her spine as a freezing wisp of air made it past her warmth barriers of winter wear. She shuffled her feet as she stood, staring straight ahead at a sight that should have been so familiar had she not taken granted of it during the times when she would daily face it or turn her back to it. Really… how would she have known that she were to be gone for so long?!

It had been quite a while since she left. Left to follow after her beautiful enigma of a senpai who pursued her father as if she were a pack migrating animals chasing the trail of the exiting warmth as winter dared to bite her frosty tail.

The brunette shook her head, shook off her nerves (sorta), and shook the snow off her coat. Her hand had just been there for minutes now, hanging frozen in the air, balled up into a fist, barely touching worn wood.

What was keeping her there? She was no stranger in this area. There was no reason for her suspicious movements. She could even just… practically barge in without even needing to knock.

After all… it was her house.

The creak of the knob made her jump back a few steps, successfully stepping on a frosted area on the ground and slipping to her inevitable doom, hitting her head on the, quite luckily, snow-blanketed concrete.

“KUMIKO?!”

She could hear the frantic scuffle of slipper-protected feet as they pranced about on snow.

“Onee-chan, you’re going to catch a cold, your feet all buried in the snow. What are you thinking?” The musician chuckled, lifting her head up, and simultaneously feeling the assistance of a warm hand at the back of her head.

“What are you thinking?!” Mamiko retorted. “This is no place to practice backward entrances for scuba! You can do it at those tropical beaches you often visit on tour, but not here! Sheesh, you finally come home and this happens?”

Despite her harsh, high-pitched nagging, Kumiko felt the warmth of her sister’s voice battle away the cold that crept on both their skins.

“Come on, inside we go. Before mom and dad come home to a disastrous pair of feverish children.”

Kumiko laughed, standing up with minimal assistance as she hooked her arms around the shoulders of her, now, shorter elder sibling. Walking felt awkward, and she knew her sister would give her a big “you owe me” for carrying all the luggage, plus Kumiko, into the house, but eh. Being the youngest and spoiled wasn’t too bad sometimes.

“I want miso soup.”

“Hai, hai. Demanding little-“

 =WBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWB=

 “So, how was it? ‘International tour fame’?” Mamiko began her query session with air quotes.

“It was… something.” Kumiko responded blankly, eyes on the television, lower half stuffed under the kotatsu.

“Eeeehhh…” Mamiko pinched her younger sibling’s cheek, stealing the remote as the “child” complained and shutting off the tv. “Haven’t you had enough of that in all those hotel rooms?” She chided.

“You’d be surprised how little personal time I had at all.” Kumiko huffed, cheeks blown up. Deep down, however, she was glad Mamiko wanted more bonding time as sisters than with a TV.

Kumiko tried to think of a reasonable answer to that question. Honestly? Everything was quite the blur, the rush, the adrenaline, the lights, the overwhelming beauty of sound-

…and then she’d finally find herself all spent, lying on her bed, in a private suite, embraced by the silence.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

“I seriously don’t get all the fuss, why people aspire to be famous and renowned.” She finally murmured, staring at the ceiling.

“Ah~, the famous words of any famous person.” Mamiko teased in a sing-song voice, before quieting down, shifting her gaze from her sister to their cream-colored ceiling as well. “Yeah.”

The pair settled into a comfortable silence, both contemplating the same thing with different perspectives in mind.

“Was it at least fun, playing the euph?” That question broke the silence as Mamiko felt the world beside her gleam and brighten. Her eyes travelled to rest once more on her younger counterpart, chuckling inwardly at the child-like demeanor.

“It was the only thing that kept me on that trip… on this road of a career… the only thing worth it all.”

“Worth leaving for?” Mamiko asked absentmindedly and soon regretted as she felt as though a blackout had consumed them. She saw the light leave Kumiko’s eyes as her head hung low, tousled bangs hiding her expression from her sibling.

“Nothing is worth leaving a home.” She whispered silently. She cursed the words that showed her weakness. She bit her tongue, the inside of her cheek, squeezed her eyes shut, pinched her knee… she did it all to keep the tears of regret from dripping past the façade she had taken so long to build for the people, for her audience, for everyone… for herself who she daily faced in the mirror. The girl she pleaded with and battled with daily. To stay, or to return.

Warmth.

“You don’t have to hug me.”

“I want to.”

 =WBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWB=

 “…”

“…”

“…”

“OUMAEEEEE-CHWAAAAAA- GUH-!”

Asuka winced in pain, as she kissed the walls of Kitauji highschool’s music room. It was well past seven in the evening, and here she was, originally found at a music teacher’s desk, twirling a pen, hair all up in a bun with her signature glasses on- before she unceremoniously attacked Kumiko, that is.

“It’s nice to see you too, senpai.” Kumiko smiled meekly.

“THEN MAKE IT FEEL THAT WAY!” Asuka huffed, before walking back to her desk and sitting on it, legs crossed one over the other.

“I’m sorry. I can never really get used to your eccentricity.” Kumiko grinned, before it turned into a whine as Asuka reached over to ruffle her hair. “Asuka- senpaaiii!!!!”

“That’s more like it.”

After all the “formalities” were completed, the pair took their time, grinning at each other, before those grins melted away into soft smiles.

Kumiko stared at the admirable figure she had gone after all those years ago. The woman who had fanned the flames of the already lit fire… the match, of course, struck by one special someone.

Kumiko graduated high school, Asuka was in her second year of college, studying for the degree her mom wanted her to have, but she was about to readily throw away at a letter offered by her father to none other than herself, and one very surprised Oumae Kumiko.

Asuka’s father had formed his own travelling brass band, and with quite the scarcity of quality euphonium players that were not yet taken by big orchestras and bands, the pair was a whole pile of diamonds buried down under. It was a big break for both.

Asuka had her heart set on it, but she knew Kumiko was not one to be spontaneous- well… maybe. She only ever was when that person was involved.

But that person had disappeared, hadn’t she? Leaving for the same reason as Kumiko’s would be.

And somehow, Kumiko jumped at the proposal and in two weeks, without much prep, goodbyes, farewells, with the exception of a small get together and some emails… they were gone.

The world was a large place. So large. Too large for herself. And yet, the world chased after her, held her at a high value, it seemed.

Their band company blew up, invited to various events, and in two years… a short, but long two years… the band broke up. It broke, but their fame didn’t. Two years of being under the tutelage of one of the best euphonium players and Asuka and Kumiko were world class, if they hadn’t already been under Taki Noboru’s influence.

This connection also garnered them their fair share of attention and clients as solo artists. They’d be invited into groups, ensembles, bands, orchestras to play, be guest performers, soloist, temporary members, but neither stayed too long.

Slowly, their companionship stretched out in miles. They scarcely were ever in the same area or group. At times, they’d even be in different countries.

One day, Asuka, in the middle of the fourth year away from Japan, finally spoke in the middle of clean up, “I’m going home.”

It was a shock. A big one. Enough to pull out an incredulous, disbelieving laugh from Kumiko. Dropping her cleaning rag, and placing her instrument on the wooden floorboards, she laughed.

“You mean for a vacation? Finally?”

“I’m going to stop being a performer and go home. For good.”

Kumiko’s hands dropped from their prior position, clutching her stomach. The fake laughter halted.

“Why…”

“That’s-“

“You took me here…. You brought me here with you!” She yelled- wait, why did she yell. Her world spun in circles, her vision red, targeting Asuka. “You brought me here, and while my soul, my music is chained to the stage, you decided you want to leave? HOW FREE ARE YOU?! You’ve always, ALWAYS had such a free spirit…. How can you… these people… you-“

Ah- there it was… Asuka’s cold, cold, blank gaze.

“Why are you blowing up at me all of a sudden? What an odd response, Kumiko.” She never called her by her first name. Not if it weren’t such a big deal. “You came with me on your own volition. You wanted this. I gave you a chance to think, to back out… you never gave me a reason in the end. On why you wanted to come along. What is it that you’re chasing? What is your goal here Kumiko?”

Asuka crossed her arms, awaiting a response, but only slow, laboured breathing greeted her.

“My goal was to play with my father, experience the world, and once I was satisfied, return to the place where I knew I belonged. You knew that. I told you. I told you that I would go home someday. Because I know where it is my heart calls home.”

Kumiko gripped the hem of her blouse, teeth gritting as her mind asked her all the questions she never answered.

“What is it keeping you chained to the stage, Kumiko? We don’t have an official group, we don’t have obligations, a signed contract. We’re basically freelancers. Why is it that you won’t come with me? I never said you couldn’t come back with me.” Asuka offered a reassuring hand and a kind smile. “Maybe I should’ve said, “let’s go home”… how’s that?”

Seconds passed.

“No.”

“No?”

“I can’t go home…”

“Why?”

“Because she never will…”

 “I’m surprised we’re on such good terms. I was sure we fought before I left.” Asuka laughed. Kumiko followed suit, the memory didn’t stir up any bad feelings toward Asuka at all. It only made Kumiko think of how much of a fool she had been, not coming home sooner. “So… What made you decide it was time to come home?” Asuka laughed, finally popping the big question.

Asuka was surprised at the immediate answer. Without missing a beat, Kumiko relayed her story of two years. “I had stayed because I genuinely loved the music my euphonium was still capable of generating. I know you know I kept tabs on her from time to time. Seeing her tour Europe and Asia, America and all that. I guess… I just didn’t want to lose. I wanted her to see how special I was going to become too, enough to stand beside her. I wanted to be her equal and tell her that without… actually telling her.”

“And why is that?”

“… because she didn’t tell me that she was finally going to leave to become the most special.”

“So a grudge, huh.”

“Senpaiii, don’t twist my poetic statementssss, the emotions, the theatrics-“

“Where?”

“Righ-“

“Excuse me, but the school gates are about to be closed.  It’s past ten pm, what in the world are you still doing? The guards are beginning to complain, Tanaka- sen…sei…”

“Taki-sensei.”

“Vice-principal~” Asuka whispered.

“Kumiko…Kumiko?”

“Hi?”

=WBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWB=

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…- this is starting to get a little old.”

“Kumiko! Don’t break the silent contest!!!”

“Ehhh, we were having one?”

“I figured as much.”

“Even you Taki-sensei?”

“Vice-principal, Taki-sensei-“

“That doesn’t even make sense, Asuka-san.”

“Oh~ so now you call me that, after going all, “Tanaka-sensei”.”

“Isn’t that the obvious way to go? We’re colleagues now, and in our area of work, we must follow proper etiquette-“

“Forgetting that, sensei, please treat us to some beef! Beef!!! Or ramen!”

“Asuka-san…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The trio stood by the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the red light to turn green.

“Why did no one bring a car?” Kumiko asked.

“Why didn’t you?” Asuka shot back.

“Umm, I just got back here. My license isn’t renewed and I don’t exactly have a car.”

“I know you can afford one.”

“So can you!” Kumiko complained as she nudged Asuka forward, just as the light had signalled ‘green’.

Taki chuckled at their silliness. “I happen to like walking to work.” He pitched in. “It’s good exercise for this man who’s slowly turning grey.”

“Haven’t you always been old, though?”

“Ever the runny mouth, Kumiko.” Noboru laughed out loud. “This is why I like you two- no don’t pretend to be blushing, crushing school girls, that’s gross.”

Everyone shared a laugh at that as they stopped in front of a small ramen stall.

“Oho~, so you are treating us!” Asuka wiggled her brows playfully. “By the way, my excuse is that I’m just too lazy to drive. The train can be fun for baiting those dirty old men into an overnight in jail.”

“You and your ideas of fun.” Kumiko shook her head amusedly. Some things never did change.

Seating at the very empty stall, the three placed their orders and continued their chat while waiting for the warm bowls of goodness.

“You never answered my question, Oumae-chan. What made you finally decide to come home?” Asuka reiterated, genuinely curious.

“Oh, so that’s what took you so long. I’d like to know as well. I haven’t heard from you at all since you left. I’d heard of you though, yes. That much is obvious.” Taki gave a proud grin.

“Well…” Kumiko bashfully scratched the back of her head. “I had been reading and watching articles of Reina-“ The name felt odd, yet familiar… it felt wonderful rolling off her tongue once more. “Reina… I had been keeping tabs on her and all her adventures… well, as many as I could… and about half a year ago, all records of her just waned in number, until finally I read that she had stopped and disappeared from stage. Apparently, she had told one conductor who was a friend that she was… finally ‘satisfied’-what is up with that, you geniuses?!” Kumiko turned to the pair, frustrated.

“Eh-“

“Anyway… I had… kinda lost my reason… and so… I held on a little longer to the sound of my euphonium and… I woke up one day and felt… It’s time to go home.” She shrugged at the last sentence.

“That’s it! That’s the feeling!” Asuka laughed, just as her bowl was placed in front of her. “-Ah, thank you… Anyway, Kumiko. That’s exactly it. When you aren’t so sad at the thought of leaving, and you feel it’s okay to finally let go, no matter how high up the peak you are of your career… that. That’s the feeling.”

“Huh. Maybe you could’ve told me that when we parted?” Kumiko sighed, shaking her head, before a small smile rested on her lips. “It’s a great feeling, I now know.”

“It is.”

“Yeah… it’s marvellous.”

“Not the soup, sensei.” Kumiko deadpanned, before they all settled into a good laugh.

 =WBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWB=

 “So she is still the reason you do all these crazy things out of your comfort zone?” Taki laughed as he walked Kumiko home. Asuka had apparently received a call from “someone” (probably Kaori or Haruka… or both) and had parted ways with them.

“I guess so.” Kumiko responded honestly.

“By the way, has your sister ever forgiven you for missing her engagement party?”

“Hey! Low blow! Change topic! And at least I’m making it to her wedding, for your information.”

“Luckily, yeah. Haha.”

“Ah- We’re here.” Kumiko spoke in realization, staring at her home with just the porch light on. Turning to Taki, she smiled. “Thank you for walking me home, sensei.”

“It was no trouble.”

They stood there in an awkward, silent staring contest.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“O-oh, right. Yeah, of course. Good night, Taki-sensei.”

“Good night, Kumiko.” As both turned their backs to one another, three words, chained Kumiko to the ground. “She misses you.”

 ‘…really, sensei… low blow…’

 =WBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWBWB=

 Kumiko swivelled in Asuka’s desk chair, pondering the proposal she had just gotten.

“If you’re not going to answer me right away, and just think like that, please go take a walk and spend your time elsewhere, because I have a mountain of work on that desk, and that devil, Taki Noboru is convincing higher ups to cut my pay, all the while, I’m doing a GOOD. JOB.”

“Are you though?” Kumiko teased.

“Out.”

Being kicked out of Asuka’s office, Kumiko decided, maybe it was a good idea to take a walk outside. She hadn’t done so- casual walking- since she came back. Maybe it was time for a quick trip down memory lane. To all those familiar spots.

Kicking her shoes on the ground into place, she walked. And walked. And walked. Roundabout the school, down roads, staggered the trails, and eventually… up those very magical stairs.

The view wasn’t quite as breath-taking in the daylight, as it was that one night, so, so many years ago. But, hey, it was good enough to stare at, nonetheless.

This was quite the magical place. That girl WAS magic.

Her jet black hair, piercing amethyst eyes, fiery passion, blissful lips, scalding, yet tempting words, heart-wrenching  tears, enchanting presence… special.

She was Magic, oh yes she was indeed. Kumiko could only laugh hollowly. This girl…

“Kousaka Reina.” Kumiko opened her eyes to take in that sight once more before leaving this place. Maybe she’d visit a few more times if she could.

Her breath caught painfully in her throat as the sight she saw was not the one she expected to see.

“Lilacs… Kousaka Reina…” The connection was made somehow.

“Yes?” That voice…oh that voice. The music of that voice, of her trumpet, the warmth of her hands, her touch her-

“Why are you all up in my face?”

My damn mouth!

“Pfff- Ahahahahahaha, you never changed. Never. Ahhahaha, hey Kumiko.” The laughter left as soon as it came. What kind of switch did this girl have? “Why didn’t you look for me? Hadn’t you been following me? As soon as you knew I came home, why did you never search. Even when you know all the places I’d be in- oh, but I got to give you credit for going to the school. Though you must’ve forgotten our spot after all these years of never coming home-“

“Hi.”

“…” Reina laughed so hard, she clutched her sides. All Kumiko could do was stare in awe at the mystery and beauty. “What in the world, really. You are so weird, still. But, hmm… Hi, Kumiko. It’s been a while. I’ve missed you.”

If that didn’t make Kumiko’s heart flutter, it certainly destroyed its functionality.

“Welcome Back.”

Oh-

She realized…. Ever since she arrived, no one quite told her that. Neither did she realize it… weird how Asuka’s words came flooding back in. All that talk about knowing where you belonged, where your home was.

“Oh. This is home.”

“Yes, I suppose it is.”

“You’re Home.”

“Yes I am.”

“You’re my Home.”

“Ah-“ Reina blushed those rare blushes.

“Say it again.”

“You’re a horrible person, you know that? Giving me no time to recover?” Reina complained as she stepped closer, pulling Kumiko into an embrace. “But that’s one thing I love about you.”

“Mm… I’m Back…” Finally.

 “Welcome Back.”

 A/N: Hello? Well… Ummm… I’m quite… how long has it been? A year? Nearly two? Since I last…. Wrote any fanfiction… for HIbike it’s been quite a while, I know… on this platform especially. That’s sad to know. I’ve… I’ve been leading a shitty life for the past six months. I want to change that. I’ve been surviving, but… deep down, no one sees how messed up I reallyam. Ahaaha. And… I guess finally I couldn’t hide it.. and it blew up into this horrible mess. I don’t know if I’m back into writing, per se? But… It’s a pleasure to deliver this piece.

It’s nostalgic to sign this, but…

~Shintori Khazumi

#hibike! euphonium #kumirei #kinda #comeback? #haha #screwme

[tamamatango]

Keroro Gunso News Compendium - Oct. 2018

I said I was gonna do something like this so here goes. Some of these bits and pieces have already been posted around on tumblr back when they were first revealed but I figured I’d put stuff in one place. Manga News:

Last month’s chapter from Shonen Ace, #277 “Kururu + Mutsumi,” is now available on ComicWalker. It will be available until November 25th in United States time.

This month’s chapter (available on ComicWalker in November) continues the duos arc and features Alisa and Nebula. (Source) 

Merchandise News (Non-UC Related):

The next set of items in the Animega merch line, this month featuring Tamama and Momoka, was released today. The next set, yet to be revealed, is still slated for a November release. 

Some Keroro-themed New Year’s cards were also unveiled this month.

This isn’t exactly merchandise, but I’ll count it anyway...another Keroro pachinko machine was released this month, and the game features some gorgeous new artwork...and what I believe is new animated footage in the old anime’s style! You can watch some gameplay here (there’s a few other YouTube videos showing footage as well).

Collab News:

This month saw the release of some really nice tribute art featuring a crossover between Keroro’s 20th anniversary and Street Fighter’s 30th drawn by Yoshizaki himself. Yoshizaki has drawn art for Street Fighter in the past, plus parodied it in the Keroro manga occasionally. Is this hinting that Giroro is going to be leaked for Smash Bros?

The “World Manga Senbatsu” contest hosted by Manga Kingdom Tosa is collaborating with Keroro to release cute little 4komas every month until the contest’s end, the first of which has gone up already.

And finally, the big bombshell of the month...

Keroro Spirits: Kerororobo UC News:

This week, at the Tamashii Nations event for showcasing figures by Bandai, that Kerororobo merchandise line that’s been teased since late last year was finally fully unveiled. You can view the introduction video, which is officially subbed in English, here. The figures are set to go up for preorder in January and release in May.

This link here compiles virtually all information released at the event, including the VOD of the 45-minute panel that aired yesterday (more on that below. The link has collected various pictures from the event revealing the Tamama, Giroro, and Garuru , mechs and shows a chart detailing the mechs’ three modes (Normal, Ultra Cool, and Dangerous) along with the Flying Saucer that can come detached from the mech.

The 45-minute special panel from last night (which is embedded in the above link, though there is no English transcript so it is not much worth your time unless you know Japanese) unfortunately did not contain any new information that is not already present on that page, though they did spend some time discussing moments in Keroro history such as Kumiko Watanabe’s audition for the role of Keroro and the production of the old Keropla series of figures. At the very end it was hinted at (again) that there would be more of something coming next year, the “true” (my word, not theirs :P) 20th anniversary of Keroro (as 1999 was the beginning of the manga’s serialization) and the 15th anniversary of the anime, which means it’s also the 5th anniversary of the Flash anime (not that they mentioned that one). Whew, that’s a lot of anniversaries. So it looks like no animated project this year, but I’m still holding on for next year...

Also, the brand-new spinoff manga “Super Keroro Gunso UC (Ultra Cool)’s Fierce Fight! The Great Kerororobo Operation!” began serialization this month in Shonen Ace. Unfortunately we probably won’t see anything of it outside of the one or two pages that were previewed in those couple of videos until it (hopefully) goes up next month on ComicWalker, but the large diorama displayed in the event apparently depicts a scenario from it, and a few story details were revealed in the panel (such as the fact that the battle eventually extends from Antarctica into space).

#keroro gunso #sgt frog #kerororobo uc #tamashii nations #hoooo that was a lot #obviously i am mostly happy that i finally got my stupid goddamn brotp chapter #and it sure was ridiculous #just the way i like it

[iwroteyoualoveletter]

Megumi Ogata Livedoor Interview (May 2018) [1/2]

I could make it this far because I overcame that adversity. Megumi Ogata on fighting to the end with Kurama during her newcomer period.

The Female Voice Actors We Fell in Love With

It’s been more than 10 years since I first heard their dreamy voices from anime men, charming my heart completely. In the blink of an eye I was dazed, to find out the possessors of those voices were female, so astonishing it was not to be forgotten. Completely different from the “sweet girl” voice actresses, it became natural to chase after them. Despite their dignified femininity, they could still voice powerful men, sway my heart with mysterious sex appeal, and manage to sound more boyish than a real boy in vocal purity and forwardness… at that time, I fell in love with their colorful voices, the same ones that color the anime world today.

Here at Livedoors, we’re featuring the women behind those cool and charming voices who are continuing their fight on the frontline. There are 3 interviews in total. In this second feature, I listened to the story behind Megumi Ogata’s acting of the ever calm and composed Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho.

Photography: Tetsuya Arai

Reporter: Kaori Aoyama

Hair & Make-up: Naoko Sugiura

Pushing my senior voice actors out of the way and getting to the mic, that’s how the recording began.

In 1992, Yoshihiro Togashi’s popular boy’s comic Yu Yu Hakusho (Shuueisha) became a TV animation. Killed in a traffic accident, juvenile delinquent Yusuke Urameshi goes through a series of events that allow him to return to life, and the story follows his activities as a spirit detective. Ogata played the role of a former demon thief.  Appearing first as an enemy, he later becomes an ally to Yusuke in protecting the human world.

-- In December 2017 it was announced there would be brand new animation for Yu Yu Hakusho’s 25th anniversary Blu-Ray boxset. Please say how you felt when you heard the news.

First, “Will the cast be the same?” was something I wanted to know. I didn’t want to celebrate prematurely in case they changed the casting, so until I knew I kept a careful watch. (laughs)

-- When they pitched it to you, how did you feel?

I was happy. “I can act him again.” Now that the staff are earnestly working on production, I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

-- I believe the fans are waiting with heartfelt anticipation too! Next, I’d like to hear about the period of time around the anime’s original airing. Yu Yu Hakusho was your debut work, wasn’t it?

It was my first work, so it was a lot to absorb. Even the terminology in the script, things like, “OL(※1)” and “PUN UP(※2),”  were words I didn’t understand…

-- That terminology isn’t something a newcomer can go somewhere to learn, right?

That’s right. There were so many things I didn’t understand, and it was a really big role, so I felt like there was pressure building up on all sides. (laughs) At the same time, it was decided I would be in “Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinaisai” (in the role of Yamaguchi Shizuo). Both required all my strength, and I knew I’d have to give them my all or die trying.  

-- Did you receive advice from any of your seniors at the studio?

Yes. For example, in the beginning I couldn’t use the mic well, and I was told, “You don’t need to try so hard. It’s going to pick up your voice anyway.” (laughs) For Yu Yu Hakusho, we had 3 mics, and since the lead(s) spoke often, there was a dedicated “leading role mic.” The other 2 mics were used by supporting cast.

When Kurama first appeared in the “Three Bandits” scene, there were two others with me. Because we had to record the protagonist Yusuke’s voice too (voiced by Sasaki Nozomu), the 3 of us had to use the 2 remaining mics. I was new so I worried over, “Which mic should I be using…” until the scene finished.

-- You must have been nervous about the timing of when to start speaking alongside your seniors.

(In the role of Gouki) Norio Wakamoto was an actor who used to be part of the police riot squad. His way of speaking and moving was loud, because of the training he’d received as an officer, and he approach the mic with his whole body saying, “Uwooo! Haaaa!” while waving his arms about. Then, alongside him was Hiei’s voice actor Hiyama (Nobuyuki). At first, Hiei also required quite a bit of energy so he was shouting, “Haaaa!” waving his arms around too. I thought someone was going to get hit. (laughs)  

While I was debating where I should go, their scene finished. The voice actress for Kurama’s mother, Kumiko Takizawa, guided me by saying, “You can just push them out of way and take your place,” and Wakamoto also said, “Come over here.” I gave a timid, “O-okay then” and made my way over. (laughs) That was my first appearance, my first recording.

Editorial Annotation:

OL(※1)  - Overlap - While the first video is running, the scene gradually becomes the next scene’s video.

PUN UP(※2) - The camera angle pans from down to up.

“Don’t lie to the heart” The teachings of the audio director live on even now.

-- What was the atmosphere like at the studio?

In the animation business now, people tend to gather with others from the same generation, but back then everyone was on their own. I was the only real new one. Though Hiyama was also relatively new, he’d still started before me, and above me were other young people who’d already made a name for themselves like Nozomu and Megumi Hayashibara.

Above them were the backbone actors, like Mayumi Tanaka (Koenma) and Shigeru Chiba (Kazuma Kuwabara), and then above them even we had people like Tesshou Genda (Younger Toguro) and Hisako Kyouda (Genkai). Because there were so many people of that generation, it really encouraged me to learn a lot.

-- So many prominent people!

Among my superiors was the audio director Kan Mizumoto, who had a large presence. When overlaying the audio, he’d say things like,”It’s ok if it doesn’t match to the second (while pointing at his chest) as long as it doesn’t lie here.” Cute or cool voices aside, more than clearly pronouncing the sounds like “ga” or “wa,” he said it was important to be honest, because real stories came from the heart. Keeping the meaning of those words in mind, I continued on with the story more at ease with my acting.

-- What a lovely piece of advice!

Isn’t it? But there were times my superiors were against me too. Scolding me like, “Just now, you sounded too much like you’re acting in a romance and it wasn’t good. Can you stop that?” I’d listen to them shaking but only be thinking, “In any case, I didn’t lie” or “My heart is one with the role.”

-- Those words have stayed with you even now, haven’t they?

Yes. Because of that, if I thought I’d done a really good take, even if it was slightly off I’d negotiate with the director about altering the art to match. It wasn’t digital like now, it was film and not an easy thing to fix, but the director (Noriyuki) Abe really did his best to accommodate me. I felt nothing but gratitude towards him.

Masafumi Mima, the audio director in my other debut work “Tsuyoshi Shikkari Shinaisai,” was of a similar mindset, insisting it was critical for one to be “born into the work.” Those two had a huge influence on me in my first 2 years. Really, I owe a lot to them, that I came to embody those words in my heart and turn them into habit. The director of “Haameru no Biolin Biki” Junji Nishimura who I’ve worked with once told me, “You’re the least suited voice actress in Japan for lip syncing.” [T/N: Lip syncing as in pacing her words to the already animated mouth.]

-- What!

While laughing the director continued, “But, when I’m listening to your acting, I want to change the work to match you, so it’s fine.” I believe that having those supportive directors and audio directors allowed an unskilled actor like myself to get by. Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t see the arrogance in asking them to change the animation to suit me, but in my heart I always felt that I wanted the work a certain way, for the work to resonate with people. Of course, the effort it takes to be in sync [with the animation] is a major premise too! (laughs)

Pressure from all sides! … Troubles with no one to listen.

-- When we interviewed Hongo Kanata, who you worked with on “Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School,” he said, “When I nervously entered my first recording session, I was really happy when Ogata took the time to introduce herself to all of the cast.” Would you say you’ve always been that mindful of and considerate towards others [when working]?

During my newcomer days I didn’t have that kind of time at all! I didn’t know anything about the business, and suddenly I was a regular on a major production. There was so, so much going on. Like I said earlier, “there was pressure from all sides.” At that time, the production company president said to me, “If you keep putting in your best effort, your relationship with this company might improve,” and I was shaking like, “But it’s only my first time doing this…!” (laughs) There was a lot other than that, but it felt like fighting for my life every day, thinking, “If I mess up this role, there’s nothing after!”

-- By “all sides,” do you mean there was pressure other than that from the production company?

Yes. One was, not counting child roles, but roles from high school and older, I was the first voice actress to attempt voicing a young man.

--  You have an amazing story for how you were chosen at the audition. The first thing you did was give your name, “Megumi Ogata” and they immediately reacted, “This is the exact Kurama voice we’ve been searching for!”

(Link to Tweet story.)

Yes. When I went to the recording studio, the staff said things like, “If we compare you to [someone else] your balance is a little… well, we picked you, your voice suits the role. But, it needs a bit more something?” I worried, “A bit more ‘something’? What should I do?”

-- That’s when you received those words about “a story that doesn’t lie” from the voice director Mizumoto…

He was the person to say, “You’re forcing your voice lower, but you don’t need to.”

-- How were you able to overcome that obstacle?

I’ve casually spoken about it before, but I was aware my vocal cords were on the rare side and long for a female. Japanese people often have short vocal cords, but mine are more like a black person’s… That’s to say, they’re vocal cords with the possibility to expand. You can think of vocal cords the same way you think of a violin or double bass. The violin’s strings are short and produce a high sound, the double bass has long strings that produce a low sound.

You can train to a high pitch (singing range) and extend [your ability], but the length of your vocal cords is something you are born with, so people with short vocal cords cannot produce a low sound. But, for me to deliver my voice, teachers in my major said if I trained the muscles throughout my body that I needed like any average man, it seemed possible my singing range would naturally expand. I believed their words and started frantically working out at the gym.

-- You had multiple things within the company coming at you, pressure from the production management, pressure performing as a young male character, in addition to all the pressure you were feeling during actual recordings. Even though it was your first work, it was a difficult situation to be in. Did you have anyone you could talk to?

No, there was a lot more official stuff going on too, so there was little time for personal matters. I got the job and many other problems popped up around the same time… My family and friends were worried for me, as well as the classmates I’d had with me up till then, who as you’d expect talked with me.

I didn’t have any accomplishments to speak of, and there was a period I was regarded as the lucky newcomer. Outside the top tier, many staff and senior actors would say things like, “Your role should’ve been my role.” One senior actor actually said that to my face. Of course, not all the senior actors were like that! In any case, there wasn’t someone to talk to [about my troubles]. I had no choice but to make my own resolutions and overcome.

-- It was the first case of a woman acting a young male’s role, so I imagine not all fan reactions were genial.

In truth, though people said things, I did not get any complaint letters (about how I acted Kurama). At the beginning it was more that people thought things like, this popular character should be played by a normal male voice actor, or where did they get this nobody from to play this role.  But, in playing the role, it’s true I didn’t feel I had [the fans’] consent. Putting that thought out of mind also took personal effort.

-- While you were fighting with yourself you were still able to overcome so many challenges. I think that’s really incredible.

It’s only that I had to! (laughs) Conversely, you could say my first year and how I spent its beginnings sticking out Kurama’s role might be how I was able to do everything that followed to now.

-- Didn’t you ever think, “I don’t want to go to work anymore!”

At that time I never thought, “I don’t want to go.” Just, after the show had been airing for about half a year, suddenly my voice refused to come out. The doctor said to me, “It’s due to stress so if you rest about 2 weeks it’ll be fine.” That’s when a lot of stuff happened that I can’t say in interviews.

-- I see… well, how about when you heard people’s opinions that “Kurama’s voice is really lovely!” Did you feel something like relief?

Before the first event, one of my seniors who’d been a big anime’s lead teased me by saying, “I got hit with an egg.” (laughs) Other levels included things like, there might be razors in fan letters so be careful, and “what would you do if someone threw something,” all of which had me nervous.

The event began with the anime opening playing, with me on stage in the wings (where I couldn’t be seen from the audience). At the lyric Kurama is shown, I heard loud cheering. “Huh, maybe it’ll be ok…” I thought with surprise, and made my way on stage to meet the loud cheering. I was so relieved! For the record, I don’t think I ever received razors in a letter.

→ Part 2

Translator’s Note: Do not take everything written in this interview word-for-word. There were many places I struggled to find the appropriate English for and I might have misunderstood the original Japanese. If you noticed mistakes, please tell me so I can fix them and learn.

Part Two of this interview strays away from YYH and Kurama into what happened next in Ogata-san’s career as a voice actress and musician. As a huge Ogata fan, I’ll keep on plodding through for myself, but give a comment if you’d like me to post that too when finished.  

#megumi ogata #ogata megumi #yyh #yu yu hakusho #seiyuu #kurama #shuuichi minamino #yusuke urameshi #kazuma kuwabara #hiei #hiyama nobuyuki #nozomu sasaki #chiba shigeru #interview translations #my translations

[newsintheshell]

Nuovi annunci estivi per Crunchyroll

Tante nuove serie in arrivo sul catalogo della piattaforma.

Crunchyroll ha annunciato altre nuove serie che saranno trasmesse in simulcast, sottotitolate in italiano, andando ad aggiungersi al già corposo palinsesto della piattaforma. 

Holmes of Kyoto

Adattamento della serie di light novel “Kyoto Teramachi Sanjou no Holmes” scritta da Mai Mochizuki. La serie sarà diretta da Noriyoshi Sasaki (Ojisan to Marshmallow, My Wife is the Student Council President+!) presso lo studio Seven.

Holmes, un giovane uomo la cui famiglia manda avanti un negozio di antiquariato a Kyoto, ha l'abilità unica di leggere le persone e di distinguere istantaneamente la genuinità e il valore degli oggetti d'epoca. Quando una studentessa, Aoi Maki,  inizia a lavorare accanto a Holmes insieme iniziano a sbrogliare molti misteri avvolti attorno agli oggetti antichi del negozio.

THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS Theater Stagione 3

Nuova stagione della miniserie spinoff di “THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS” diretta da Mankyuu e animata dallo studio Gathering .

Le nostre amiche idol sono tornate! Dai uno sguardo a come le IDOL passano il loro tempo e alle loro interazioni comiche con gli altri in questo anime super divertente.

Starlight Promises

Anime originale, diretto da Kazuya Murata (A.I.C.O. -Incarnation-, Suisei no Gargantia) e prodotto da XFlag, che ne ha ideato la storia, assieme allo studio di animazione Yokohama Animation Lab.  

L'anime si incentra su Shoma Mihara, uno studente del primo anno delle superiori. Non vedeva il suo amico Atsushi da tre anni e mezzo, da quando hanno perso contatto dopo la fine delle scuole elementari. Un giorno Atsushi contatta Shoma per invitarlo a un raro festival per potersi di nuovo incontrare e parlare. Shoma va al "Tanabata Seven Night Festival" nel profondo delle montagne, ma Atsushi non è lì. Al suo posto c'è una ragazza chiamata Shiori che si trovava lì per incontrare un'altra persona. La manager dell'evento, Kanna, suggerisce che lui resti fino alla fine del festival e così i due la aiutano a preparare lo show. I due vengono allora avvolti da strani eventi che accadono in città.

Monster Strike Stagione 3

Nuova serie del franchise Monster Stike di XFlag. 

Dopo anni dal trasferimento, Ren Homura fa ritorno a Kaminohara, città in cui aveva già vissuto da piccolo. Purtroppo, però, si rende conto di non ricordarsi proprio niente di quel periodo, come se avesse perso la memoria di quel luogo. Un giorno, dopo aver ripreso lo smartphone finito in assistenza, si rende conto che c'è un gioco installato che lui non aveva mai scaricato: Monster Strike. Ed è ora che inizia l'avventura del nostro protagonista, insieme ad Aoi, Akira e Minami. La ricerca dei suoi ricordi perduti darà luce a una realtà più complessa di ciò che appare...

Asobi Asobase - workshop of fun -

Serie tratta dal manga “Asobi Asobase” scritto e disegnato da Rin Suzukawa, diretta da Seiji Kishi (Danganronpa The Animation, Tsuki ga Kirei) assieme a Yu Kinome (School-Live!) presso lo studio Lerche.

La commedia di "gag surreali" ruota attorno a tre compagne di classe che giocano a semplici giochi manuali. Una di loro è brava nei giochi, ma li odia perché perde sempre contro la sua sorella maggiore ed è forzata a fare le faccende mentre cresce. Un'altra ragazza è di discendenza americana, ma cresciuta in Giappone, e finge di parlare male il giapponese. Un'altra normalmente osserva i loro giochi e perde con le altre.

Phantom in Twilight

Serie originale ideata da Happy Elements e prodotta per conto dello sviluppatore dallo studio LIDEN FILMS. L’anime sarà diretto da Kunihiro Mori (Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter).

I sogni a occhi aperti di una ragazza che combatte per il suo destino e gli "Shadow Guardians". Il luogo è la Londra dei tempi odierni, in un mondo in cui le paure e le ansie della gente hanno dato vita a ombre inumane. Uno studente straniero viene coinvolto in un incidente stravagante non appena mette piede sul suolo inglese. Cercando aiuto in una città in cui non conosce nessuno, vaga fino a un pittoresco cafe che è rimasto silenziosamente aperto nel cuore della notte. Cafe Forbidden è un luogo in cui i guardiani del confine tra umani e ombre si raccolgono.

Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion

Adattamento del manga “Angolmois: Genkou Kassen-ki” scritto e disegnato da Nanahiko Takagi. La serie sarà diretta da Takayuki Kuriyama con l’aiuto di Kumiko Habara e sarà animata presso lo studio NAZ. 

Anno 1274, l’Impero Mongolo volge le sue mire verso il Giappone. Jinzaburō Kuchii è un samurai esiliato che trovandosi a Kamakura si troverà faccia a faccia con un invasione senza precedenti.

Planet With

Serie originale ideata da Satoshi Mizukami (Samidare - Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, Spirit Circle), che sarà diretta da Youhei Suzuki (Shimoneta, DanMachi: Sword Oratoria) e animata dallo studio J.C.Staff.

"Io sto a fianco di coloro che voglio! Semplice" Soya Kuroi è uno studente delle superiori che vive una vita tranquilla malgrado non abbia ricordi del suo passato. Un giorno la sua città è attaccata da una delle misteriose Nebula Weapons. Insieme al suo maestro simile a un gatto e alla gothic lolita Ginko, Soya viene trascinato in battaglia contro sette super eroi che proteggono la città. Perchè Soya combatte? La risposta giace nei suoi ricordi. Si alza il sipario su una animazione originale scritta dal promettente mangaka Mizukami Satoshi!

Gintama Stagione 4

Seconda parte del Silver Soul Arc di “Gintama”, anime tratto dal popolarissimo manga scritto e disegnato da Hideaki Sorachi, edito in Italia da Star Comics. La serie sarà diretta da Yoichi Fujita e Chizuru Miyawaki presso Bandai Namco Pictures.

Gintama è la storia di un tuttofare di nome Gintoki, un samurai che non rispetta le regole imposte dagli invasori, e che è pronto a eseguire qualunque incarico per sopravvivere.

Free! - Dive to the Future

Terza stagione dell’anime originale di Kyoto Animation, diretta come sempre da Eisaku Kawanami .  

Tuffati nel futuro!! Haruka e gli altri si sono diplomati al liceo e hanno mosso i primi passi nel loro futuro, mantenendo però i legami creati nuotando insieme. A Tokyo Haruka si riunisce con Asahi, colui con cui nuotava in squadra. I ricordi delle scuole medie si risvegliano in Haruka e l'immagine di come appariva "allora" rivive nel suo cuore. Makoto, che si è spostato a Tokyo da Haruka, inizia ad avvicinarsi al suo vero sogno. Rin, ora a Sydney, fa un incontro inaspettato. Il loro futuro li condurrà verso nuove battaglie o a confrontarsi con i loro passati? Dalle elementari alle medie verso il liceo e l'università, le storie di amicizia e giovinezza intrecciate da Haruka e i suoi compagni di nuoto convergono in "Free! - Dive to the Future"!

ANNUNCI PRECEDENTI: 

PARTE 1

PARTE 2

SilenziO)))

[FONTE1] [FONTE2]

#crunchyroll #anime #streaming #simulcast #serie tv #asobi asobase #kyoto teramachi sanjou no holmes #holmes of kyoto #monster strike #starlight promises