#so perfect timing to share some of my stuff from vol 1

[madelynraemunson]

Bonus scene 𓆩♡𓆪

from the CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT universe (18+)

strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!reader

timeline: 015, THIS SCENE, 016** | ** = smut

Eddie has an important question to ask you on your birthday.

contains: fluff, physical touch, flirting, loverboy!eddie, romantic eddie, implied history of abuse from billy

wc: 1k words

*play this while you read to really be immersed in st nostalgia* 🥹 (if you want)

♡

“Oh no,” you breathe.

Everything starts to make more sense when you see Steve waiting for you at Hellfire’s doors. He’s got the smuggest look on his face. You quickly try to turn and run the other way, already embarrassed. But the former Star Athlete is faster, immediately lunging at you to drag you into the club.

“Nope!” Harrington protests.

“Steve-” you begin.

“No no no no,” he shakes his head. “Where do you think you’re going, young lady?”

They’re all gonna see you like this. You hate to admit it, but you had just spent your entire commute crying — evident by your raccoon eyes — because you thought everyone (except for Billy) had forgotten your birthday.

Robin and Vicky were already out of the house by the time you woke up. Max, you assumed, got a ride from Steve to their new barista job. Chrissy turned down a pre-shift ‘Hot Girl Walk’, and Eddie never called. It was starting to feel like the most Adult birthday ever, but by a long shot not the worst.

“Put me down!” you persist.

Birthdays suck. Especially when you share one with your abuser. But you’re in a new era now. An era where you are loved, celebrated, and protected.

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHY GIRL!”

You’re bombarded by obnoxious kazoos and party hats, streamers and confetti in all shapes and colors, and what looks like a homemade birthday cake in Jane (Mike’s girlfriend)’s hands, decorated with funky, florescent candles, and crafty red hearts that overpowered every inch of the thick white fondant.

“Oh my god,” you beam.

Max, Robin and Vicky. Chrissy, Argyle, Nancy, Jonathan, and Henry. Will, Lucas, Dustin, Mike, Jane, and Erica who also just had a birthday (she turned 18 last week). Steve. Gareth, Jeff, and Grant. All the faces you’ve grown to know and love since moving to Hawkins, all together in one room to celebrate YOU.

“We were trying so hard to keep this a secret,” Steve explains as he gives you a hug. “I’d say we did a pretty good job.”

“Yeah sorry we couldn’t get a better location,” Mike adds. “Chuck E Cheese was fully booked so Hellfire was the next best thing.”

“You guyssss,” you begin to sob. “This is oddly perfect. Thank you.”

“Well,” Jane says. She holds the cake up to your face. “There's no sense in waiting any longer. Make a wish!”

You close your eyes. I wish for life to always be this peaceful.

And when you open your eyes, you see Eddie in front of you, with a beautiful rose bouquet and a bag in his hands.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

His eyes are twinkling like a kid who woke up early on Christmas morning. You greet him with a warm hug to which he uses that opportunity to affectionately rub your back. You hear some soft “aww”s in the background, but you’re too infatuated with the man in front of you to jokingly scorn at whoever said it.

“How’d you know it was my birthday?” you ask him.

“You can find out lot of stuff from paperwork,” Eddie winks at you. “Specifically your resume. Which, might I say, is very impressive.”

“Why, thank you, sir,” you giggle.

You can tell the sir made Eddie’s stomach do somersaults. Completely blushing now, he hands you your gift in the form of a bag, ushering you to open it — right here — in front of everybody.

"You didn't have to..." you mutter quietly.

You take the bag from him.

"Yet… I did," Eddie spews confidently. He watches as you unwrap your gift. “I’d get you strippers but then it’d feel like work. And your bday should never feel like work.”

You nudge him as you roll your eyes. Such a fucking cornball.

But then you become the cornball. A tear begins to form in your eyes when you look at all your gifts. The roses. A custom metalhead Build-A-Bear with a leather jacket and jeans whose certificate reads “Eddie Bear”, and a gold plated charm bracelet from Everlasting Memories with your name engraved on it. But just when you think you had everything, Eddie scoops up the last one from the bottom. It’s a small wooden sign with a message on it.

CAN I BE YOUR BOYFRIEND?

“Oh my god…” is all you can say.

His voice is as gentle as the fingers he uses to patiently graze your arm. "So can I?"

The tear that formed in your eye finally trickles its way down your rosy red cheeks. "Of course you can."

Then you two share a kiss, eliciting an even louder swarm of “aww”s than the ones before, and generating a reaction from nearby, a very curious dancers.

“I hope you know how special you are to each and every one of us,” Eddie says to you. “Especially me, haha.”

You wipe the happy tears away from your eyes.

“It sure feels like it.”

Eddie gives you the day off and you use it to stuff your face and play board games with all your friends. Eventually after the short festivities you stay behind to chill with everyone for a bit. Then you go your own way to start making dinner, which you insisted on, at home.

When you get home, you’re surprised with another text message from Billy.

Billy Hargrove

I’d say the move has helped us a lot. I have room to miss you 🤣

You smile as you answer back.

To be better days ❤️ Happy birthday, brother. I miss you tons.

Billy Hargrove loved “To better days ❤️ Happy birthday, brother. I miss you tons.”

After your convo with Billy, you make your way over to the freezer to grab and defrost the chicken. Tonight’s menu consists of chicken, greens, and potatoes for dinner, followed by some birthday muffins Bob Newby had his bakers make at his coffee shop (courtesy of Max and Steve) for dessert.

Next, you begin to set the table, making sure to make seven settings for tonight: you, Max, Robin, Vicky, one for Eddie, and one for Wayne.

And when you’re finally done, you take a look around your house that you have made a home with your sister and best friends. You’re finally home. Hawkins is home. And for the first time in a really long time, you can truly say you’ve had… a happy birthday.

🏷️ tag list: @chrrymunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @hideoutside , @motherfckerr , @jxpsi , @lindseyj23, @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @justinelittlewoodsworld , @ahoyyharrington , @keepittoyourselftellnobodyelse @kellyxo1 @emsgoodthinkin @winchester-angel @chloe-6123 , @redbarn1995 @angietherose @kiyastrf94 , @purplewitchcauldron @kellsck @joyfulfxckery @munsons-mayhem28 @dragonfire @emma77645 @drivelikenina @livosssblog @thinkingth0ts @hugdealer @ellielunamckay

#eddie munson #stranger things #joseph quinn #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #stranger things 5 #joe quinn #eddie x reader #eddie munson x reader #Eddie munson fluff

[alexissara]

Art I'm Looking Forward To In 2023

I wanted to share the art that I think might be good coming out in 2023. I am not including ongoing art that I am looking forward to not because it doesn't belong here but because I might make another post about those things. I don't want this too be too crowded. Each of this will be given an SPS - Sapphic Potential Score which says how likely I think it is that they will make my lesbian ass happy. These are mostly goofs on what I think is likely not to be taken seriously.

Fire Emblem Engage

This is probably the thing I am most excited about, it's like my whole personality right now, I am obsessed. I really love the wild art style and the gameplay looks really solid. The concept of fusing with old Fire Emblem characters is really cool. The flying base is really awesome and all the fashion and side content looks really cute. I think this could be at the top of Fire Emblem games gameplay wise.

I do have worries about this game, narratively it seems rather basic, fight an evil dragon, maybe your half evil dragon, collect the mugffins and kill the big dragon. The game's DLC and Amiibo stuff is frustrating in the amount of content being gated off. The roster size sounds potentially pretty small seemingly going to tie around the same roster size as the smaller casts. I am also worried how Rosardo will be treated and I really hope we avoid a Forrest situation.

That said, I am way more excited then I am worried and I am a dirty little consumer who already pre-ordered the DLC knowing I will play the game day one and I want Edelgard with me. I mostly use my Twitter account to tweet about Fire Emblem Engage nowadays, I am just so excited and if you DM me to talk about the game, I will just gush about it for however long you'll let me. I can't wait and am glad we're getting it near the start of the new year.

SPS: Player Sexual and Historians will say they were besties/10

Arcane Season 2

While Arcane was far from a perfect show for me, I really love the breath taking style of animation and Jinx and look forward to seeing what happens moving forward and if they'll give Vi her terrible canon fate of becoming a cop. I think the character designs are all stunning and seeing the animation in motion is just so captivating I can't help but be enraptured in the show and want to watch more.

Not to mention the actual character interactions are all really engaging with brilliant voice acting from everyone involved really capturing the world. It's never boring when things are on screen even when the politics are mid at best. Ekko also presents what appears to be a solar punk anarchist alterative in season 1 but we'll see how that is handled by the show.

This show is a blessing and a curse, with the curse being now I know all this League OF Legend lore cuz I got really curious after and started playing Legends Of Runeterra but Legends Of Runeterra is one of the most interesting card games out there, so not a total loss. I know I'll be going into season 2 very different now knowing about all the things from the games where as before I really didn't think of this little war between countries in a wider nerd universe context. I am really interested on how I'll enjoy.

SPS: Directors Says It's Canon but not on screen/10

Assorted Entanglements, Vol. 1

I love myself some Yuri manga and while I prefer a more action forward Yuri I do like a Slice of life from time to time and having an anthology of stories bout women loving women who are adults or at least one story features an adult is exciting.

This little collection of yuri manga sounds really cute. I don't have a lot to say about it, I don't even know what all is in it, I just like the sound of it.

SPS: No Queer ID But Very Gay/10

Super Lesbian Animal RPG

[Technically this is out very soon but ya know, end of the year lists are already up and I won't beat this till next year]

I've been looking forward to this game for a long time, I've been backing the creator for probably 2 years maybe 3 now on the dev journey. Whatever the number from the first time I played the demo I was hooked on this sweet little indie RPG. The character designs are adorable and colorful, the kissing mechanic is so cute, and really this is just what I want out of a game.

I really love when games just sell their queerness on the tin, I hate having to go and just randomly play a game and hope to the goddess queer coded or characters I just like are gay, here, I already know I am gonna get gay after gay after gay. Also having the protagonist be a trans woman is really cool and super rare to this day in the industry.

This game looks like it'll be one of my favorite games of all time not just next year and I can't wait to finally start playing it. Please check this game out, support indie queer art.

SPS: Ooops All Lesbians/10

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady Season 1

This series has a delightful name but seems to be far from the typical isekai fair. The series is a yuri and it is far less focused on the girl being super awesome because her past life and instead kinda treat her knowing about her past life as a thing that causes her to have a disability in this world. The Genius Young Lady makes magical inventions because she can't use magic, so she learned how to make items that make magic happen.

The girl is super sweet and kind and it doesn't feel gross at all. It's more or less just a fantasy story with the Isekai seemingly thrown in for getting the book published. It's a really interesting series that I haven't gotten very far in but I think this is going to be a super special anime. I really think this year might end up giving me my favorite animes of all time.

SPS: Yuri/10

Asumi-chan is Interested in Lesbian Brothels! Vol. 1

[Technically this is out now but I haven't read it and won't get to it till next year] In terms of upcoming Yuri manga this isn't one I am sure I am gonna grab right away but it is one I am intended to grab whenever I can. Sometimes you want something a bit more horny then your chaste "do I like her" vibes. In particular what has me excited about this one because it actually is invoking Lesbian identity.

It is shockingly rare for sapphic manga in general but in particular yuri to talk about sexuality. We get homosexuality without sapphic identities, lives, problems, etc. I love when we are more zoomed into the real world way we use labels and we explore ourselves and communicate ourselves. While it's not "needed" to tell a sapphic story, I do think it adds a lot to bring in queerness.

Plus, I mean, a girl going to Lesbian Brothels, that's cool, i'm in.

SPS: Horny Lesbian's Wanted/10

Street Fighter 6

Of all the fighting game series, Street Fighter isn't my favorite but it might become my favorite thanks to this game. The massively in depth character creator seems to be beyond what any other game is providing in the whole industry. The utterly stunning range of possibilities is just so captivating that I am compelled to buy this game simply to dress up my character.

I really enjoy playing fighting games even if I am not particularly great at them. There was a time where I really strives to be a competitive level player and that did include playing SF4 a lot. While playing that game I fell in love with Juri and her returning here also really drew me in, plus following Chun-li's arc as a mother finally after so many years from SF3 where she adopted her child.

My only real worries for this is DLC prices and general business practices along with if I'll be able to use my OC creations in casual vs modes where I feel I should be able to use them. I hope the DLC isn't priced poorly and I really hope you can take your OCs to casuals even if they have to commit to one characters moveset instead of the custom ones from World Tour Mode.

SPS: Just say Juri is gay already/10

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2

Technically this is an ongoing series but there will be a break between seasons so, it goes here, I make the rules. I love The Witch From Mercury so far, Sulleta is adorable, I think her and Mio are cute together, I think the cast is fun and the action is stunningly animated. I have loved season 1 so far, I only didn't include it in my list of art that touched me this year because season 1 isn't done yet and won't be done till next year too. Bad endings could for sure ruin this but ahhh I love this show.

This show has really great characters, so many shitty people I hate but I hate in a great way. Then it has characters I fucking love like Sulleta, Chuchu, and Prospera who are just fucking amazing top level characters, best characters in the biz. Then there is the utterly stellar action, I mean take my breath away, I love this shit. It really is just really fucking good.

I can't help but worry that the show will fail to deliver actual queerness but it really doesn't seem like it will. Still, I can't help but worry about it. I also worry about the story kinda falling off in season 2 but I really don't know what is gonna happen, all I know is I am locked in right now and excited every Sulleta Sunday.

SPS: Two sad Keychains Falling Down in a dark room/10

Wake The Living 2

While I hadn't become instantly hooked on the original Wake The Living, the improvements to the game for the sequel is utterly thrilling. With the game already being very queer and having a fun more gothic edge to most SRPGs it really is setting up a familiar yet strange little world to enter.

What really sold me on this game was the developer talking about wanting to have canon polyamory as a major part of the story and about how canon queerness not just player choice mattered to them so it really pulled me in and I still really want to beat the original before I play Wake The living 2. The first game is out for free, right now, go get it, it costs nothing if you don't like it you can delete it from your steam.

SPS: Polycule Party/10

I'm In Love With The Villainess Season 1

[Warning, kinda spoilers except I don't say who does what]

I'm In Love With The Villainess has it all, I can only hope that the anime gets to go on long enough for us to see it. We got demons, trans women, lesbians who get married and adopt some kids, revolutions and so much more. The series is really good and gay and written with tons of passion by a queer woman.

This I suppose has long passed being an indie series but it was a little webnovel that good and made it's way all the way to being an anime thanks to fan support, which has also been a large amount of queer fans. This anime is really exciting and I honestly can't wait and hope this brings in way more fans to this amazing series.

SPS: A queer revolution/10

Granblue Fantasy Relink

I love the Granblue Fantasy's gacha game world, it's a totally unethical business' model and I hope it becomes Illegal but I love the game. Granblue Fantasy is one of the queerest games of it's scale around. Now most queer readings of characters are readings and they use the word friends but there is explicitly a few queer characters with stated queer desires, Vira Lillie is attracted to women, Katarina in particular but her bio says women generally, then Katarina as a level above. Cagliostro and Ladiva are both expressly trans women in their stories, they do not use the label of trans but both are explicitly trans, although only Cagliostro gets the "female" Gender marker from the game. Rosetta who is confirmed to be playable in this game is explicitly bisexual with her bio mentioning she is attracted to men and women. There is more and then a lot more subtexty characters.

This is to say that I really love queer characters in games and being able to play them in a really stunning action RPG is fucking exciting as hell. No gacha mechanics, no microtransactions [probably], and a full story that is playable start to finish. It also is gonna have online co-op! This game sounds fucking perfect honestly, like it's so cool and looks so good, I am frankly dazzled at the amount of work that went into this given it's a spin off RPG of a Gacha RPG.

I have worries about potential annoying DLC practices, in particular if in GBF awards will be locked to playstation buyers again leaving PC players in the dust. I also worry about the roster, right now we know all the Dragon Knights are in and the main crew of the Grand Cypher but that's like it. It isn't exactly an exciting cast. I'd like to see a lot more characters and hope a lot of popular ones aren't gated off to DLC like they were in Grandblue Fantasy Verus. Regardless, I am excited and look forward to giving this a stab.

SPS: Canon Queers Who Never Have It Mentioned In This Game/10

----

That's everything for this one, if you know any lesbian/Sapphic/WlW/yuri stuff coming out next year please comment or DM or whatever, ultimately I want to engage all of it I can. If your excited for something I am excited for hit me up, we can chat about it. Otherwise, you can find me talking about my artistic work here or support me making it and nerdy shit like this at https://www.patreon.com/AlexisSara.

#Fire Emblem #Fire Emblem Engage #fe engage #FE17 #Queer Games #Queer Art #Sapphic Art #Sapphic Games #Lesbian Art #Lesbian Games #Lesbian Anime #Lesbian Manga #Yuri #Yuri anime #yuri manga #Arcane #Arcane season 2 #Assorted Entanglements #super lesbian animal rpg #SLARPG #the magical revolution of the reincarnated princess and the genius young lady #MRRPGYL #TMROTRPATGYL #asumi chan is interested in lesbian brothels #Street Fighter 6 #Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury #the witch from mercury #gundam witch from mercury #Wake The Living 2 #I'm in Love With The Villainess

[starmora]

I think Gunn cared about all the characters but he cared about the finale he wanted even more. The difference in character building, paying attention to smaller details and giving more equal space to each individual dynamic in vol 1 & 2 compared to what we see in vol 3 is pretty noticeable. Even with its flaws IW balanced muiltple characters and smaller plot points better than vol 3. As others have said in vol 3 you'd think IW and EG never happened. You have barely any idea about what happened after EG either except Peter clearly fell apart and Gamora somehow ended up a ravager who was somehow keeping up Nebula for some undisclosed amount of time. That's not good storytelling. We don't even know if the characters think Gamora was ressurected with no memory or if they know she's from the past. I'm also confused because the film treats it as if Gamora herself wasn't in EG

Gamora finally got to connect with the guardians and at least feel something for Peter but that's it. She's back with the ravagers like she didn't just go through a pretty emotional experience that opened up a whole new view of herself and what had happened before. I get the ravagers are who she's been with but there's too much that's went on to act like things hadn't changed.

I don't know what happened behind closed doors and I'm sure there were more details to all of this than we will know. But I do think people had enough self awareness to realize Gamora shouldnt stay dead dead but not enough to realize just being alive and present wasn't enough. Add to that Gunn having zero flexibility to work with the complexities of a shared universe and sexism/biases and everything became disjointed. There's good stuff for Gamora in vol 3 but there needed to be more and I think whatever small details played a part in larger decision making need to be talked about by Gunn away from Twitter so there aren't vague answers running amuck or a dozen different types of responses to the same question that are similar enough to not be a complete contradiction but different enough wording to cause confusion.

You’re right, maybe it’s unfair to say he doesn’t care about Gamora but it just feels like he cared about Rocket and his story the most and Gamora is unfortunately the one who suffered the most for this, for some odd bizarre reason, when it really didn’t have to be that way.

It’s funny you mention that about not knowing anything after eg, because I went with my mom to see the movie again (this was her third time seeing it with me, and she has seen every other movie the guardians are in multiple times, so it’s not like gotg is new for her) and she turned to me and told me she was confused about pretty much everything that happened in the opening of the movie and asked me what happened for them to have gotten to the point where they all have this base on Knowhere and Gamora is a ravager and everyone doesn’t seem to really care what she’s been up to and she asked me to explain it to her and I just. Couldn’t, because there wasn’t an answer. Like you just have to use your imagination I guess and that’s fine but it also feels like he just kind of wanted to jump to the end and tell his rocket story and get out.

I truly believe he thought about it and considered what would be best for her but it’s just clear to me he didn’t give her the same level of attention he gave Rocket or Peter, and honestly probably didn’t even consult anyone or get any sort of second opinion on it because he just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to do that with all his talk about having complete control lmao. And like in a perfect world where infinity war had never happened to her, I don’t think that would have mattered AS much but it did and she needed a little more love and attention from Gunn because of it that he seemingly just didn’t wanna give

#callie.txt #answered #anonymous #Gamora deserved better

[blossom-adventures]

5 Songs!

I’ve been tagged by the lovely @bostoniangirl21 & @bougainvillea-and-saltwater to share 5 songs that remind me of my WIP, Far Horizons & Ancient Stones or the characters that feature in it, I don’t listen to songs, I listen to film, tv and video game soundtracks so my playlist for Far Horizons is made up of pieces of music from them…

Now… I had real trouble only choosing 5 pieces of music to share with you all so… I’m being a little cheeky ☺️😆 I’m doing 5 for each of the tags, so I’m sharing 10 here because I love my playlist so so much and I want to share some of it with you all. It took me ages to decide on the 10 I have here too!

So, firstly, the 5 for the tag from @bostoniangirl21

1. Honor and Glory, by Neal Acree, Overwatch: Animated Shorts - This is Jaina’s main theme, it has a lot of musical elements that remind me of her and it works perfectly as her theme

2. Your Hands Are Cold, by Dario Marianelli, Pride & Prejudice (2005) - I’ve always used this piece of music for a moment between Jaina and Ulfric, I haven’t got to that point in the story yet but the premise of it is Jaina leaves Windhelm and Ulfric goes after her, stuff happens.

3. Lost Elf Theme, by Trevor Morris, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Trespasser DLC - I use this score when Jaina is recovering from her injuries and illness after being attacked by a werewolf, there is a sadness to it that fits Jaina’s situation really well

4. At Struggles End, by John Graham, FFXV Kingsglaive - This piece works really well for a moment quite a ways away in the story, when Jaina is trying the get away for the Emperors men and Kaidan comes to her rescue, he tells her to run while he holds them off, I’m so excited to get to that sequence.

5. Liz On Top Of The World, by Dario Marianelli, Pride & Prejudice (2005) - This piece reminds me of when Jaina is exploring Skyrim, it works really well, I think

Now for the 5 for the tag from @bougainvillea-and-saltwater

1. The Oil, by Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk - Every time I think about Jaina’s escape from Emperor Titus Mede II I have this track in my head, the quiet part is the moment that the Emperor is going through his monologue of how they could use Jaina to get to Ulfric and the louder part at the end is when she’s escaping him, I can’t listen to anything else for that point in the story, it works so well.

2. Ravus’s Last Moments, by Yoko Shimomura, FFXV OST Vol. 2 - This track, for me was perfect for Skjor’s fight with Krev, the last part of this piece is the moment when Jaina sees what has happened and looses control and turns into a werewolf

3. The Champions Goodbye, by Critical Role, Welcome to Tal’Dorei - I love this piece for a quiet moment between Jaina and Kaidan

4. Strong Bones, by Ramin Djawadi, Warcraft - I have this piece for a moment when Jaina and Ulfric are showing each other some of their scars, it’s quite an intimate moment between them both and it shows that they are trusting each other, and this track works really well for it

5. Distant Horizons, by Jeremy Soule, Skyrim OST - This is one of the pieces that I think works well for the relationship between Jaina and Balgruuf

I’m going to tag @thequeenofthewinter @nocturnalswarehouse @oblivions-dawn @wispstalk & @seradyn no pressure to share your own but I’d love to see it if you have songs/tracks to share ☺️💙

#blossom rambles #skyrim #skyrim fanfiction #oc: jaina #dragonborn #blossom’s oc #far horizons & ancient stones #music

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS DAYLIGHT Vol.9 Mukami Yuma [TRACK 1]

Original title: 北風に吹かれて

Source: Diabolik Lovers Daylight Vol. 9 Mukami Yuma

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Tatsuhisa Suzuki

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 + Epilogue

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 1: Hit by the Northern Wind

The wind blows harshly in the background.

*Rustle rustle*

[00:29] “Oi, Sow. Are you listening? I thought the situation was hopeless now that you’ve gone to a place far out of my reach, but I was wrong. If ya can no longer be by my side, I just gotta go to yer side instead, right? It’s easy. Whether it’s eternal life, or eternal death, eternal always means ‘forever’. It’s the exact same thing. What really matters is the fact that we are together. If we truly love one another, we have to be by each other’s side at all times.”

*Rustle*

[01:27] “Heave-hoh…Heh. You’re so light. For real. ーー Well then, let’s get goin’. In search of our ‘forever’…”

*Woosh*

A flashback starts.

[02:23] “Godー The wind’s crazy today. Couldn’t we have done our groceries some other day? …Che, it’s hard to walk with all of these darn bags. You’re carryin’ a few yerself so don’t trip, ‘kay?”

You say it’s because Yuma bought too much food.

“Hehe. Oh shut up! Nothin’ wrong with eatin’ the stuff ya like, is there?”

You question him. 

[02:54] “Ya love to call me out on the weirdest things, huh? Who says that Vampires can’t have a big appetite? Well, this amount should carry me over for quite some time. When it needs to be used up, we can just throw in some veggies from my garden and make a stew or pot-au-feu as well.”

You note that would be yummy. 

“It’s takin’ me blood, sweat and tears to grow those bad boys, ‘course it’s gonna be delicious! Ahー Borscht sounds nice as well. My red beets are outta this world!”

Yuma suddenly comes to a halt.

[03:30] “Oi, gimme those bags after all. I’ll carry them all.”

You shake your head.

“Look. Yer pace has been slowin’ down this whole time. The bags are heavy, aren’t they? I’ll carry them for ya.”

You hesitate.

“That’s what I offered to do from the very start, but ya refused to give in. A few bags extra barely makes a difference for me so don’t hold back.”

You hand him the bags.

*Rustle rustle*

“...There. Let’s go.”

The two of you continue walking again.

[04:12] “...Oh. Hey, something’s off ‘bout ya. Why are ya walkin’ so slow? Are ya tired or somethin’? Maybe I shouldn’t have let ya carry those heavy bags? It’s darn cold today as well.”

You look away.

“Don’t avert yer gaze. If ya wanna try and dodge the question, you’re gonna have to try a lil’ harder. Tell me what’s up. Don’t try lyin’ ‘cause ya don’t wanna bother me either.”

You admit to feeling a little sluggish. 

“Haah…I knew it. Ya gotta tell me that sorta stuff sooner!”

Yuma looks around.

[04:55] “Um…Is there anywhere we could rest up? Actually, there’s a park over there, isn’t there? There should be a few benches then. Follow me.”

*TIMESKIP*

You arrive at the park.

[05:39] “Come on. Take a seat here.”

You sit down on the bench.

“Haha! What a loud sigh! Ya must have been really exhausted.”

You nod.

“The cold takes its toll on the body after all. I remember sufferin’ quite a bit during winter back when I was still human as well. …Come on, lean ‘gainst me. It’ll make it a bit easier on ya, no?”

*Rustle*

[06:15] “...Hehe. Look at ya rubbin’ yer face ‘gainst me. Are ya a dog or somethin’?”

You chuckle. 

“Oh…There’s a vendin’ machine over there. I’ll go buy ya somethin’ hot to drink, ‘kay?”

Yuma gets up and starts walking away but you stop him.

*Rustle*

“Ah…Hah? What? Let go.”

You insist that it’s fine just sharing body warmth. 

“I’m warm? Whatcha goin’ on ‘bout? I’m a Vampire, remember?”

You pout.

[06:55] “Haha…Geez, fine then. God.”

He sits back down.

“Scoot a lil’ closer then. If it makes ya feel at ease, we can cuddle as much as ya want.”

*Rustle rustle*

“Mmh…Yeah. Perfect.”

You snuggle your cheek against him again.

“Hehe…Look at ya cravin’ affection…”

You yawn.

[07:30] “What? Ya gonna doze off like this? Oi, wake up…You’ll catch a cold.”

“Oh…Your eyes are watery. …Are ya temptin’ me, huh?”

You tilt your head to the side and frown. 

“Tsk. …How much an airhead can ya be? Ya don’t have to do anythin’ for yer scent to drive me absolutely crazy. Ahー …Haah…My fangs are achin’…”

*Rustle*

“Say…Ya don’t mind, do ya? Lemme have a lil’ sip.”

You protest.

[08:19] “Nobody watchin’, trust me…Besides, even if they were, nobody would even notice. They’d just assume we’re some couple gettin’ it on.”

You pout.

“That’s exactly the kind of expression which gets me goin’…I’m basically dyin’ to pounce ya….

*Sniff*

[08:48] “I’m gettin’ my fill of yer blood…”

You eventually give in.

“...’Kay. Good girl. Hah…”

Yuma bites you.

*Sluuuuurp*

“Ahーー It’s delicious, just as I thought…”

*Rustle*

*Sluuuuurp*

“Hah…Ahー The more I drink, the more I crave it…I can’t get enough…”

*Sluuuuurp*

[09:51] “...Say? How ‘bout ya? Can ya feel my fangs?”

You nod.

“No longer bothered by the cold, I bet?”

He takes in your scent.

“Let’s get even more heated…Mmh…”

*Sluuuuurp*

“Mmh…”

*Sluuuuurp*

*TIMESKIP*

*Rustle*

[11:00] “Hah…Nothin’ beats yer blood. It just melts on my tongue. …Oh. Oi. What’s wrong? Are ya alright?”

You admit to feeling faint.

“...Fuck! Did I suck too much? Don’t worry. I’ll make sure ya get home safely.”

He gets up.

[11:36] “Hop onto my back.”

You tilt your head to the side.

“I’m offerin’ to carry ya on my back. Ya can still crawl on there, right?”

*Rustle rustle*

“There we go. Now hang on tight, ‘kay?”

You say sorry. 

[11:56] “Idiot. I’m the one who got lost in the moment and sucked too much of yer blood, so don’t apologize. …Hm? Aren’t ya kinda lighter than usual?”

You frown.

“Oh well. You’ve always been a lightweight, so I guess it’s just my imagination.”

*Rustle*

“Come on, let’s go home.”

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #yuma mukami #diabolik lovers translation #diabolik lovers daylight #diabolik lovers drama cd #drama cd

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: February 2021

Whoa I know it’s exactly 4 weeks but February just flew by! Here’s how I spent those chilly days.

……….FILM……….

Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021) Silly and sincere and just...a lot of fun. There is so much happening at all times that you’re bound to enjoy at least half of it. Maybe 2/3rds. Mileage will vary but watch the teaser trailer. Does that look like a movie you’d enjoy? If “yes” then go watch it.

Freaky (2020) Fun! And a couple solid laughs. If you’ve seen Happy Death Day then it’s similar in tone but I admit I think I liked that better than this. It delivers on the premise but almost feels like it has a tiny fourth act that...doesn’t really fit. Not bad, overall.

The Kid Detective (2020) Highly recommend. A good dark comedy with a wild third act and overall just a good time at the movies. I’m not sure if a trailer gives too much away so just picture Adam Brody as a washed up kid detective trying to solve a murder case.

Logan Lucky (2017) Pretty solid! It kinda drags after the heist (oh yeah, it’s a heist film...love it) but other than that it’s really rather fun! Worth checking out.

……….TELEVISION……….

WandaVision (Episode 1.01 to 1.08) While it’s starting to slot into the overall Marvel formula, I really appreciate that the superhero stuff is dabbling in weirder stuff. Between the illusion scene in Spider-Man 2 to this, I’m really rather hopeful that the movies will get more colourful and wacky and ever closer to the aesthetics of Speed Racer (also go watch Speed Racer).

The Bachelor (Episode 25.05 to 25.08) What. A. Mess. I mean I of course follow all the drama outside of the series and it really feels like 1 step forward highlighting the 2 steps back happening in tandem. Sure, Matt is bland and I really just want more of the goofy stuff that they show at the end of the episode, but those complaints are overshadowed by a really irresponsible casting and production that brings in super problematic contestants. It’s a bummer. But I DO think I’m winning my fantasy league! 

The Night Manager (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) Far less night managing than I expected, but what we ARE getting is a really solid spy mini series. Also I always think Tom Hiddleston is like...average to average-tall actor height (maybe 6 feet?) but he absolutely towers over most of the cast! It’s wild. Also a good show.

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (Episode 1.01 to 1.04) The first three episodes had me a little worried for how much they relied on youtubers and a community that feels...rather exploitative of a really tragic situation, but the end kinda redeems itself. I don’t think it holds them as accountable for the damage they’ve done and the problems they caused, but that’s just me.

……….READING……….

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (Complete) As a character study, it’s really really great. I wish I hadn’t read focusing on the murder mystery component because that side is...fine. I was looking for clues and misdirects and it was too late when I’d realized that was not the type of book I was reading. I won’t spoil anything. Instead I’ll suggest it as a good book to check out if you want to read about a very human detective working in a world that is not her own. In that, i wholly recommend.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (Page 203 of 453) Gosh I’m loving this so far! The lead character is so fun to read and the whole premise (okay...1 necromancer and 1 swordsperson from 8 communities come together to sort out who will rule over them all in a techno gothic haunted mansion) is bonkers but grounded and it’s a really good time. There’s so much chemistry between each character and lots of skeleton minions so I really don’t know how else to sell this book.

House of X / Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, R.B. Silva, and Marte Gracia (Complete) Really great ideas and as I don’t read a lot of X-men, it feels like two things are crucial to every big story: conflict with humans and time travel/time jump stuff. When I finished reading it I admit I wondered “is that it?” as it really feels like an unfinished story...more like a setup to bigger things. Turns out that’s exactly what it is and now there are a million books to check out. So I don’t love that. I’d still recommend this and will likely go back to it, but just know that it leaves a lot of threads dangling.

Dragon Ball 3-in-1 Vol. 3 by Akira Toriyama (Complete) This is a series I’m rereading during the pandemic and a few things stand out: I love that you can see Goku aging in the comics, the Red Ribbon Army is blaaaaaaand (but the underwater cave stuff is fun), and I LOVE the old crone/fight the universal monsters storyline. So basically this volume is 50% fine and 50% fantastic.

……….AUDIO……….

Calypso by Harry Belafonte (1956) You know that viral video of the happy trotting dog? Well since then I’ve been listening to Harry Belafonte and...more hits than misses!

……….GAMING……….

Hades (Supergiant Games) Alright I’ve made it out of hell...3 times? Not enough to really share with any pride but I’m still knee-deep in this game. Fun and perfect for a few minutes or a couple hours and hot dang I love Greek mythology.

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The adventurers have been doing some mining and are now on their way to exchange their haul for a fallen star! Also the longer recap is on Reddit and is full of spoilers and more TTRPG details.

And that’s it! See you in March.

#Monthly Media #Kolbisneat #Andrew kolb

[xxsovereignsarayaxx]

Sign he loves you - Supernatural

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Holiday. Here’s something that I’ve had in the works for a couple weeks. <3 

Paring: Dean x Reader Warnings: None Word Count: 2210 Snippet: After a hunt goes wrong, Dean and Sam try and form some normality for the reader.

*Dean’s POV*

“How is she?” Sam whispered to his brother to whom had closed the door of the bedroom you both shared. “She’s still sleeping” Dean mumbled looking down at the floor. “She was stupid Sammy, just plain stupid trying to protect us both and now she paid the price” Dean added, slowly getting himself worked up. “Dean, Y/N did what she did because she loves you and cares for us. Be thankful she’s still here” Sam replied to his brother, he sounded a little harsh but Sam knew Dean needed tough love right now and not to be coddled Sam knew that Y/N would have done the same if it were a different scenario. “Just wish there was something I could do for her, Cas is a no show and no matter how many times I pray to him. He doesn’t bring his sweet feathery ass down here” Dean admitted, sighing as he had a look of defeat on his face. “All we can do at the moment is watch over Y/N and when the time comes be there for her when she wakes up. It’ll be a shock.” Sam reminded Dean. “Yeah it’ll be a shock alright” Dean mumbled to himself and walked off to the kitchen to grab a beer. Bending down while he had the fridge open he searched for something to eat, mentally scolding himself for not picking something up sooner. Settling for a piece of left-over pie he sat down and twisted the cap on his bottle taking a large gulp of the beverage. Almost slamming the bottle down he ran his large hand through his hair as the accident kept playing over and over in his mind. 

48 Hours Prior

“This must be the place, a red and white painted barn and look there’s the broken bit of fence the victim’s sister told us about.” You had said to Dean and Sam. “With the amount of people that has gone missing we’re looking at a slightly bigger than normal nest, twelve to fourteen vamps at most.” Sam had responded. “Then how about we behead these bloodsuckers.” Dean spoke profoundly slicing his machete through thin air. “Sounds perfect, I’ll handle the baby vamps while you two have fun in there” You said winking at the brothers. Bringing up your weapon getting in a defensive stance your carefully unlocked the barn door but the second you lightly tread through the entrance you heard a click when your foot touched the ground. Swallowing hard you put your hand up as a sign for the boys to stop, “When I say go I want you to turn around and run” You said to them both. “Son of a bitch” Dean shouted. Having parents in the army you thought to yourself to have a slight upper hand where it came to weapons and stuff so when you heard the sound and then letting out a sigh of relief when it wasn’t a pressure mine, you had time to run this was just a tripwire. “Sam get Dean out of here now, I’ll be right behind you I promise” You said to the younger brother. The brothers stood still in a state of shock. “SAM!” You shouted. Sam had come back down to earth and had been able to get his brother to leave the barn to what they had thought was a safe distance. But they were wrong, turns out the vamps had lined the place with explosives and the barn just blew to bits. Leaving wood, hay, straw and three injured hunters in their wake. Dean had been the first to stir, his eyes strained and watered as all he could see was a thick black smoke, rolling over to his side he carefully picked himself up grabbing his left shoulder in pain. He wobbled over to his brother slapping him slightly to bring him around. Sam had groaned and supported his throbbing head. Accepting his help from Dean the two had rushed over to his girlfriend.

Normally the sound of Dean’s snoring often woke you from your slumber but this time when you had woken up you heard nothing and it broke your heart, turning your head to see that Dean was still asleep, pushing the covers back just enough you swung your legs over the edge of the bed. The feeling of the floor against your bare feet was a welcomed feeling. As you stood up straight you had stretched your joints popping and the feeling brought a smile of relief knowing it was only your hearing was affected. Pulling the covers back over Dean, making sure he was warm enough, you smiled and crept out of your bedroom, tottering into the kitchen area you popped the kettle on, sorting yourself a cup of tea, you sipped it gingerly. You had you back to the entrance and didn’t realise that Sam had come into the kitchen. Although he didn’t mean to spook you when he placed his hand on your shoulder it had made you jump and you dropped your hot drink. “Y/N, I’m sorry” Sam mouthed slowly. “It’s ok Sam accidents happen, how are you and Dean?” You had asked but it felt very strange not being able to hear what you had just said. “Some bruises and stitches nothing serious, I’m guessing you know about” Sam spoke slowly and clearly allowing you to read his lips. “My hearing” You replied pointing to your right ear you nodded. Bending down you had started to pick up the broken bits of china from your cup making sure not to cut your delicate skin. Once all the bits were picked up and in the bin you had moved into the area where the three of you would sit and do research. You hadn’t noticed until it was too late that Sam had left you too it, thinking to yourself he must have gone for a shower or see Dean you had traced your hands over some of the books that were nestled in the bookcase selecting a thick and worn red coloured book. Thankful that the men of letters basically had a book on everything you had sat down and started to read.

Growing up both of your parents had been in the army so when you had to you would often look after yourself and your younger brother. When you had turned ten your father had returned safe and sound or so you thought, he had gone deaf from being too close to an I.E.D bursting his eardrum. He never really seemed the same after that and to try and make things easier and happier for him so you both learned sign language this allowed you to speak to one another. And for a time it had worked, gradually teaching your younger brother so he too could speak with his dad. 

Remembering the simple times before you had gotten mixed up in the hunter world you had wiped a stray tear that had rolled down your face while you got immersed in your reading material.     

*Dean’s POV*

Rolling over in the bed Dean had instinctively had tried to reach out to Y/N, opening one eye his vision blurred when he patted the bed to find you absent. He reluctantly got up and left the warmth of the bed, putting on his ‘dead guy robe’ he headed off to find his brother and girlfriend. Walking down the halls he saw his brother. “Hey, Y/N’s awake” He said. “Yeah I saw, how does she seem?” Dean asked. “I scared her by mistake so she may be a little jumpy, we had a quick conversation but she was distracted which is understandable” Sam explained. Nodding his head Dean took in what Sam had told him. “Thanks Sammy” He said and brought his brother in for a hug. “I’m going to go on a food run any requests?” Sam asked as he broke the brotherly hug. “Y/N loves strawberry tart maybe see if you can get the ingredients for me? See if she’s up for a little baking this afternoon.” Dean replied. “Course man I’ll see what I can find, gives me an excuse to head over to the farmers market now” Sam said sarcastically. Laughing Dean patted Sam shoulder as he made his way through the ‘batcave’. Seeing you engrossed in a book curled up in an armchair, he sighed hating that you couldn’t hear anymore. 

The only sounds coming from the room was the sound of pages turning and both of your steady breathing. Approaching you cautiously he knelt down and closed the book you were reading. 

“Hey” You mouthed to Dean. He reached out and placed one of his large hands on your head and stoked your hair to which was a favourite habit of his. Closing your eyes and smiling at the action you lent into his touch. Dean picked up the book and studied the title. ‘American Sign Language Vol.1’. “How are you feeling?” He asked making sure you could see his lips. “I’m ok, nothing seems to hurt now. How long was I asleep?” You said. However you noticed Dean wince a little you made a mental note thinking you had spoken very loudly. Looking down at the ground  tears seemed to have flooded your face. Removing the book from your lap Dean had brought you to him, allowing you to wrap your limbs around him as you sobbed into his chest. Stroking your hair once more and rubbing your back trying to get you to calm down. He brought his lips to your hair and you felt the vibrations of his voice into your scalp. Pulling away slightly so Dean could look at you he brought a thumb and cleared away your tears then wiping his thumb on his robe. “Everything will be fine Y/N, I promise” Dean promised to you. Nodding, believing him he brought you in for a kiss. 

After a shower and a change of clothes you felt a little more human, after tidying up your bedroom putting Dean’s dirty clothes into the wash basket you made your way to do the laundry. Carrying the basket through the hallways, you felt something. The hairs on your arms had stood up. Because you couldn’t see anything you, let it go and went to carry on with your chore. 

*Dean’s POV*

“Hey I’m back” Sam had called out as he brought in his bags of shopping from the farmers market. “Did you find the stuff?” Dean asked as he took some of the bags from Sam. “I did, there is everything you’ll need to make a strawberry tart” Sam replied. “Cheers man” Dean said as he started to take the things he needed to make your favourite dessert. “Y/N gone back to bed?” Sam asked. “No, she had a shower and is now just doing bits and pieces. She had a bit of a cry after you left but she seems to be settled for now.” Dean responded. “What do you know on American Sign Language?” Dead added out of the blue. “It’s a predominant way for deaf people to communicate why?” Sam asked. “I want to communicate with Y/N, I want to make it easy and as comfortable as I can for her. I just want to be able to understand Sammy.” Dean admitted. “I had a friend at college who was deaf, I can teach you phrases to help you Dean.” Sam explained.  

While you were waiting for the laundry to finish you had wandered into the kitchen, to where you saw Sam and Dean signing to each other, it wasn’t fluent but you understood what was being said and a smile grew on your features. Walking into the room so the boys could see you. I love you. Dean signed. Stifling back another tear you signed back. I love you too. You looked at Sam. Thank you. Thinking to yourself it was a sign Dean and Sam loved you and that you were family.

After a few hours of some much needed relaxation of baking with Dean, to which the pair of you got flour everywhere including on each other the three of you sat on the floor eating the dessert you had made. The three of you had been laughing and you tapped Dean to get his attention as you wanted to show him something. Son of a bitch. You signed fingers moving fast. “What was that?” He asked. “Son of a bitch” You mouthed and a smile plastered his face as he repeated what you had shown him. Clapping away when he did it. 

After an eventful evening everyone had retired to get some much needed sleep and rolling over you checked your phone to see the time it was 3am in the morning seeing that Dean was in fact ‘dead to the world’ you had gotten up to get yourself a glass of water. Strolling through the halls once more to the kitchen you poured yourself a glass when you turned around shocked to see someone you hadn’t been expecting to see ever. 

“Hello Fawn, I’ve come to make you a deal” 

#supernatural #deanwinchtser #sam winchester #fanfic #fanfiction #crowly #moose #squrriel #dean x reader #dean winchester x reader

[misdre]

Aoki Takao website translations post #1

i come with actual content today, we were discussing the bakuten shoot concept art that aoki has published on his website and there was some really goddamn funny stuff in there that i haven’t seen translated by anyone here so i just started doing it myself. here’s the first three pages where aoki talks about the early manga and stuff. i made these translations pretty fast so the language isn’t super perfect or anything but who cares lbr. texts in square brackets are my own additions. (i’ll translate more later, i got actual things to do today!!)

Preface

"While a manga is in the manuscript phase, it belongs to the author. Once it's become a book, it belongs to the readers." That's always been my philosophy for doing manga. I didn't talk much about Bakuten Shoot Beyblade after the serialization ended in 2004, so I only hoped that the characters would keep living on in the readers' hearts. However, since the RISING sequel was serialized in 2016 in CoroCoro Aniki, and in 2019 it's been 20 years since Beyblade was first serialized, I decided to celebrate the anniversary by showing how it got to the present point and release the character creation stories and concept materials little by little.

- Aoki Takao, 5 May 2018

 Manga Bakuten Shoot Beyblade: Page 1

Preface

In spring 1999, CoroCoro Mikku offered me the opportunity to begin the serialization of a new hobby manga about beigoma spinning tops (beyblades). When I tried playing with the prototype of a beyblade before they were officially launched, I got the image of a martial arts-like sport. I decided to include the spirit of the sports anime I used to watch as a child in the series. A story about a main character who can use cool special powers and grow by fighting against rivals and cultivating friendship with them.

The presentation of Beyblade

Beyblades were officially launched in July, and the serialization started around the same time. I wasn't familiar with the readers of CoroCoro yet, so I had no idea whether they would find the series charming. I created the characters of Beyblade with the thought that I somehow needed to make the readers empathize with spinning tops that are so tiny they fit on the palm of a hand. I used the four Chinese gods of the four directions (Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, Genbu) as a motif and made them into the four holy beasts dwelling in the beyblades, and made it a story about the bladers chosen by them. Like this, the concept of it being a story about four main character boys happened very naturally.

The three characters

Before the manga was planned, there was a promotion for a Game Boy Color game about a Beyblade game as “the next generation of beigomas”. I decided from the beginning that the three characters I designed for the game would also appear in my manga.

(Takao, the protagonist) An energetic and cheerful boy who loves Beyblade. Uses the bey “Ultimate Dragoon”.

(Kai, the rival) The cool leader of a gang named Shell Killers who hates Beyblade. Uses the bey “Frostic Dranzer”. [?? idk if frostic is right?]

(Shippuu no Jin, the mysterious ninja blader) Uses the bey “Saizoo” [??]. There was no image of Jin, so I’m using one I’ve drawn later.

However, the manga serialized on CoroCoro was not a comic version of the game but a completely original work. I got to freely work on the personalities and personal histories of the three characters. Therefore I constructed the world of the comic without paying much attention to the game’s contents and didn’t play the game.

This is the complex explanation behind the main character sharing my own name, “Takao”.

Creating the manga characters

I started from adapting Takao and Kai into the concept of the four holy beasts.

Main Character “Takao”

His bey is Dragoon (carrier of a dragon musket) so his holy beast is Seiryuu. To match the wu xing theory, I decided to make his surname Kinomiya to match the element of wood (“ki”). His personality is very CoroCoro protagonist-like, he’s energetic and cheerful and always tries his best. He loves bey battles. His skills are of high level. He lost his mother when he was very young, and his father and big brother are archaeologists working on excavations and doing research abroad. He lives together with his grandfather from his father’s side.

Rival “Kai”

Since his holy beast is Suzaku, I derived his surname Hiwatari from the element of fire (“hi”). He has a cool personality and his skills are on the same level as the main character’s, or even higher. His family owns a big company. Since the game’s concept of him hating beyblade was very unique, I decided to use it and make the reason behind it his antagonism with his father. (Details about him were the same as in the manga.)

Since he hunts beyblades as an act of revenge, I made the setting such that he has subordinates (the Shell Killers).

Shippuu no Jin

Since I thought it unreasonable to make Jin, who was an adult, a rival of the elementary school kids, I made him Takao’s older brother who watches over his little brother from the shadows. “Jin” is the Chinese reading of the kanji in his name, so I made his real name “Hitoshi”. [hitoshi is the Japanese reading of the same kanji]

Since the bladers of Byakko and Genbu appear much later, they didn’t have character designs yet.

So I created the Beyblade expert “Kyouju” and Takao’s grandfather “Ryuunosuke” next.

Kyouju

He’s Takao’s classmate and a Beyblade researcher. I created him after the image of an elderly university professor.

Kinomiya Ryuunosuke

Takao’s grandfather who lives with him. The master of the Ryuushinken sword.

Story

I wanted the story be like 里見八犬伝 [i have no idea what that is ngl] where the protagonist fights through several rivals, keeps running into legendary bladers, and once all four are present, the story takes a dramatic turn.

Like this the serialization began in 1999, first with a special in the August volume of CoroCoro Mikku and then as a monthly series starting from the September volume.

 Manga Bakuten Shoot Beyblade: Page 2

 Special techniques

When Beyblade began its serialization, I kept in mind that I needed to convey the charm of beys to the readers somehow and wanted to make the battles feel real. However, I struggled with the manga not really getting popular. I felt like, despite trying to convey the realism of how fun and intense the battles were, in practice it didn’t feel the same as it would have in real life, so I decided to take it to a more dramatic direction. I made them use special techniques where the spinning causes tornadoes, flames, thunder and other such unrealistic effects to happen. This is how the special techniques that are now used in the currently serialized RISING originally came to exist.

Max and Rei

I had planned that the bladers of Genbu and Byakko wouldn’t appear until much later, so I hadn’t yet created characters for them when the manga was serialized. However, since Takara Tomy created beyblades for the four holy beasts to fit the manga series, I had to come up with the other two characters.

“Max”

His holy beast is Genbu. From the wu xing element of water (“mizu”), his surname is Mizuhara. He has a cheerful personality and he’s always smiling. I modeled his battle style to rely on defense based on the tough shell of a turtle. (Details about him were the same as in the manga.)

“Rei”

His holy beast is Byakko and wu xing element metal, so I named him Kon Rei [“kon” is one reading for the kanji for metal; also aoki uses the kanji for plum for “rei” here]. He’s Chinese and from a clan of people with fangs. He’s extremely agile and his bey battle skills are top level. Originally I was going to give him a braid, but I settled down with the current style with the image of a tiger’s tail in mind. His personality was such that outside battles he was only going to eat and sleep but having another mute character clashed with Kai, so Rei got more lines little by little. The above pictures are from the beginning, but his design somewhat changed as I drew more of the manga.

Like this, I made Max and Rei appear in the manga a lot earlier than intended to match the release of the parent beys of the four holy beasts.

Manga Bakuten Shoot Beyblade: Page 3

The big four of Shell Killers

“Hiruma Makoto, Tsukuba, Motegi, Suzuka”

These four characters basically appear to emphasize Kai’s strong presence and make him appear stronger. There were originally only going to be one or two of them, but as I doodled character designs at the bottom of the manuscript, I was so pleased with the drawings that I decided to increase their number in the opening scene of the next episode. By the way, in the last volume of the comic (vol 14), Takao’s future child is named Kinomiya Makoto, but the name is not related to Hiruta in any way. I had completely forgotten that I had named Hiruta “Makoto” in the past, so it was my mistake. The names of Tsukuba, Motegi and Suzuka come from race track sports.

 “Mizuhara Tarou”

Max’s father who runs a hobby shop. Back when he first appeared together with Max’s first appearance, I hadn’t yet made any plans concerning his wife (Judy). In RISING I drew him with a smaller beard so he has a somewhat more youthful appearance.

“Daitenji Kogorou”

President of BBA (Beyblade Battle Association). He appears in vol 2 as a representative of the organization in charge of battle tournaments. The image behind his character is a kind old man who watches over the young blader boys and girls. The model of his design is detective Hercule Poirot as played by the famous actor David Suchet in the British television series “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” in 1998—2013. I loved the way Suchet’s Poirot was playful while overflowing with kindness, so I used him as reference. By the way, the name Kogorou is also linked to the detective theme and was derived from 明智. [no i don’t know who that is either]

“Hiwatari Souichirou”

Kai’s grandfather. The chairman and director of the Hiwatari Enterprise, he’s not only a dictator of the company but also has a dominant attitude toward his family. He’s an important character regarding the discord between Kai and his father (Susumu). He’s not modeled after anyone in particular, but the name Souichirou is from the founder of Honda, the car-making company.

Bit chip characters

In 2000, the line-up of Beyblade toys was expanded with lots of new products. I was requested by Takara Tomy to design more characters for them. I had no plans to include them in the manga, so they became bit chip characters rather than holy beasts.

Design concept for “Mechanical Seiryuu”. Regarding the number of its claws, Takao’s Seiryuu is designed after the imperial dragon with five claws, so I gave this one three to make a difference. I later used it as a bit chip character in the model used by Shippuu no Jin, Metal Dragoon.

“Armed Dragoon, Dranzer, Draciel, Driger”

I was requested to design armed versions of the four holy beasts. I also didn’t have any plans to include them in the manga, so they are bit chip characters only. They have been used in video games.

#beyblade #bakuten shoot beyblade #im wheezing at max and rei just being fucking.....randomly put together trash

[mattpitman]

The precipice.

Wow. What a week. 

I am not entirely sure where it was more chaotic, in my remote classroom or in the political arena. I gave my thoughts on all of that last week and I’m still very much in the same place. I’m feeling fortunate to live in Victoria, that is for sure. I can’t wait to stroll the busy streets of Melbourne again...

The chaos in the classroom is actually great though. The remote learning environment is a hive of activity. It has been well documented by many in the education sector that the energy and time commitment required of online/remote/continuous learning is substantially more than what many anticipated or had experienced in the classroom. But it’s also, so rewarding! 

There were days it used to feel like pulling teeth when asking for feedback, questions or concerns in the physical classroom, but online, it’s a rush of queries and challenging thoughts. Students are engaging with their content with an enthusiasm that I really didn’t anticipate, and the communication! Students are messaging and emailing ahead of time when they are unable to meet a specific task requirement and providing an alternative. Truly inspiring what can happen when you leave a young person to “fend” for themselves.

There are negatives of course. I am reminded of the distance every time I check in with my students via video conference, that the personal and social component is a large percentage of what makes teaching such a great profession. But while the social distance is substantial at the moment, it won’t be forever, and it will quickly change when it is appropriate and safe to return to schools. The pedagogy however, well that is a completely different story.

With all of this talk about going back to school, I find myself reflecting on this ongoing remote learning experience and how positive it has been for me personally. It has without a doubt changed the way I intend to teach when we return to the college grounds, and I am pretty excited about that. Rejuvenated perhaps is the right word. Much of what I have learned or intend to take back is probably old news, but it has energised me and that is what really counts.

With a looming date for the end of the State of Emergency in Victoria, I can’t help but think that we are on the precipice of great change again in education. This time it isn’t how - as in “how are we going to shift everything online in such a short period of time?”, but what - as in “what are we going to take back with us?”. 

I previously spoke about my experiences and reflected about my own re-working of practice and development of a model for my classes. Some of that is on this blog and also in a couple of LinkedIn articles (here: “You helped me. Thanks”, and here: “I watched my students learn from a distance. It was awesome”). I intend to keep my three lesson model when we return. Today though, I thought I would reflect on my biggest personal learnings and why I believe they will be held very tightly as I jump off this cliff and back into the physical teaching environment - whenever that may be.

1. Less instruction, more construction 

I see myself now as a facilitator, not a teacher. I do not belong at the front of the class as the “expert”. My primary role is to create an environment in which my students can become the experts. Online I don’t set tasks, I share tasks. Online I observe my students challenging, exploring and creating, while providing guidance and feedback where I can from a distance. I have said previously “put away your spoons, the students can feed themselves” and I meant it. Across this journey so far I’ve seen an increase in the quality of work from my strongest students to my lowest achievers, and to be honest those classifications mean nothing in the remote learning world. Where students have wanted to be involved, they have succeeded because this environmental change has supported their individuality.

Part of this I attribute to drastically reducing the amount of content rather than attempting to replicate and mimic the traditional classroom. I think all teachers facilitators would agree, that student feedback is some of the most meaningful. Especially, unprovoked feedback. A number of students have provided me with surprise thoughts, opinions and thanks across the last three weeks and it’s been incredibly meaningful and allowed me to be more productive in my role. They love the more focussed and reduced workload. They have time to work through the content and time to process its application to their world, rather than in service of an assessment task. The return to the physical classroom environment will be a drastic change to what has quickly become habitual, but I intend to maintain the quality over quantity mindset, freeing up time for discussion and conversation. Not all of the time allocated to the lesson has to be “on task”. Creativity, curiosity and critical thinking is not the stuff of textbook questions, it is more exploratory and I won’t be looking backward. 

Less instruction, more construction means less of my voice and more of theirs.

2. Blended, not mashed 

Technology and education have an interesting history. Sometimes it feels forced, other times it is a miracle classes were taught without it. This experience has demonstrated to me that my students are tech-savvy, but also select with the application of their abilities. Today’s young people thrive on choices. They are incredible when you want a video published on social media or a code written for gaming platform but when it comes to spreadsheets or word processing or conducting research on a fixed topic outside of that interest - they may be disengaged.

This experience has shown me the value of sharing a task and giving the students the room to engage with it. Technology used in this way is not forced or out of place, it is ingrained. This isn’t a PowerPoint to support a 40 minute lecture, it’s a recorded 5 minute video, followed by a research question, to formulate a response for the discussion forum and the basis for a class debate. I don’t envisage this classroom to have students in rows of chairs with books and pens. It’s students outside, in the hallway and on the floor, engaging with the content as they choose. This is taking the wins from the remote learning period and applying them to the strengths of the physical classroom.

This is not just lashing technology to the side of the lesson and hoping it stays attached. This is creating a lesson that is designed to give the students control of the pace and allow them to discover with more freedom.

Blended, not mashed means less information and more exploration.

3. Connection instead of direction

In my role as a House Leader it sometimes feels like I only contact parents and they only contact me with concerns or to schedule meetings and of course, at parent teacher interviews. Since moving to remote learning however, I have found that communication between parents, students and staff has been much more free flowing and spontaneous. Perhaps this is because many parents find themselves temporarily working from home also and the barrier of conflicting schedules has been removed. In any case, the level of parent, student and my own engagement is high. I love it.

While I would say I am fortunate to teach secondary education, and a lot of what I am talking about here is framed to that particular environment, the shared responsibility of parents, students and teachers in guiding a learner on their journey has never been more evident. Weekly updates of concepts, tasks and their application have been met with parent support and gratitude. Allowing those parents the intel they need to politely inquire or praise and congratulate their 17-18 year old child in the least intrusive manner possible. At my school we are currently in process of a 3-week parent-teacher interview cycle (via phone) and the conversations have reflected both the parents understanding that the learning is their child’s responsibility but the support is ours to share. Incredibly valuable and rewarding!

Connection instead of direction means less reporting and more supporting.

This is the precipice

Do we jump and be curious and adaptive? Or do we step backward and return to the safety of the land?

I don’t believe there is any long term benefit of returning to the “old way” of doing things. The short term comfort in going back to what we “used to do” will not last. It might be uncomfortable initially, but all forward thinking and future focused movements are slow, painful and challenging for individual's but, the rewards are potentially huge for whole communities.

Going back to a pre-corona model of education would be to the benefit and comfort of certain teachers only. Students would suffer. 

So it is time to consider why we got into this game and whether we are ready to continue changing it.

Will you jump with me?

This is the precipice.

Here’s a few things that have inspired me this past week as an educator and a leader:

Educator Perspectives on the Impact of COVID-19 on Teaching and Learning 

(https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mattlukepitman_pivot-state-of-education-2020-white-paper-activity-6661744495702474752-1in6)

Pivot Professional Learning along with Education Perfect ran a series of fantastic webinars this week, highlighting the incredible effort of educators across Australia and NZ. Pivot also, in a massive effort, collected a ton of data and has put together this report. Definitely worth a read, very insightful stuff.

Continuous Learning Toolkit Vol. II | Leading Through Crisis 

(https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mattlukepitman_continuous-learning-toolkit-volume-ii-activity-6661169533031723008-sP68)

I continue to be unashamed in how much I love their podcast, but a close second to that is The Game Changers (Adriano & Phil) Continuous Learning Toolkit. This second volume presents a number of innovative and game-changing schools, their models, frameworks and stories. For any aspiring Game Changer this is a must read!

Future Agendas for Global Education: Executive Summary 

(https://issuu.com/4796376/docs/gef.agenda_eng)

Sold to me as “an excellent report that should be read by every school leader and educational policy maker” this summary is a long read but an engaging and inspiring one. Worth your time if you have it and if you don’t, make some!

#theexistingreality #theprecipice #relfection #education #covid19

[ayankun]

real quick before I get into season 6

So this is my second time watching Season 6 and I’m p. excited.  This last week or so I’ve been dredging up bits and pieces, but most of it is a blur.  It seems the memories that lasted this whole year were mostly of the huge armored truck and the nonbinary character who works at *spoilers*’s tech startup.

I’m curious to see if the second time through it’ll settle in like it belongs.  I remember Season 5 really didn’t make any sense to me until I saw it again.

But really I’m just excited that in 11 hours I can watch the new stuff?!

But first, before I forget, here’s my last thoughts on Season 5.

So remember how I was surprised at Season 1′s structure, that it folded up nicely down the middle with some pretty tidy symmetry?

None of the other seasons do that.

Instead, I remember particularly strongly how jarring the end of the Ghost Rider arc was in the middle of Season 4.  And then again when the (what I’m calling) Kasius arc also wrapped up mid-season.

I’m not sure when I read about it, but it probably was circa Ghost Rider, that they’d intentionally decided on what I’m pretty sure they called “pods” of episodes, these seasons-within-a-season sort of narratives.

Season 2 sort of kicks it off, what with the race to Terragenesis taking eps 1-10 and the Afterlife/splinter SHIELD stories filling 11-22.  Then Season 3 has the monolith/Maveth mystery to start, followed by Hive & the Inhumans for the second half.  S4 is super poddy, obviously branded as Ghost Rider/Agents of Hydra, and S5 also splits neatly into future!Lighthouse and present day!Lighthouse.

Two points to make on this:

Kasius is such a rockstar villain that I feel really bad for Hale/Ruby/Talbot.  They’re so apples and oranges but having the highlight come first allows for unfavorable comparisons to be made.  It’s like asking any well-to-do Kree to compare Xandarian snail to oops all berries.

Good thing they’d had all this practice writing complete stories in 12 eps, since I’m hoping Season 6 (and obvs Season 7) will still feel as fully formed as their longer antecedents.

Anyway, that first point is my major point for S5.

S3 already feels like the second half of S2, and its internal halves are the most similar to each other as any of the other “pods,” so it’s not like people have a reason to go around saying “I liked the first half of the season waaay better than the second.”

(although I might.  I might say that, actually.  but not because the halves were branded separately from one another)

And S4, though the two halves are barely identifiable as coming from the same show much less the same season, they’re both good.  Robbie Reyes is perfect.  The effort to incorporate new MCU topics/aesthetic from Doctor Strange is great.  Robots who just want to be a real girl is my JAM.  All the Framework cameos really make my day!  And then Robbie Reyes comes back all deus ex machina (ironic) and saves the day, and

it makes sense that he does because the function and nature of the Darkhold was well established in part 1 and

it’s GREAT that he does because he’s perfect and we miss him.

Then here comes S5.  I really really respect so much about the creative decisions that took the story where it went (ie, outside Papa MCU’s sphere of interference), and getting to reuse the same set in a different context while minimizing “on-location” shoots is just technical and financial genius, okay. 

But there’s so much about the first half, in the future, that compels me waaaaaaay more than the gritty anger of the second half. 

Kasius, WOW what a villain.  Dominic Rains, everyone.  I have nothing unkind to say about the performance, the character, anything.  Impeccable.  Spectacular.  Perfection.

The mystery of the season opener!  We had the tag scene where Coulson’s “in space” and plenty of time to ruminate on the how and why, especially with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 coming out right as S4 ended and Thor: Ragnarok literally sizzling in the theaters at the same time as this season started.  They answer the question by the end of the episode, but not before several characters come up with and pursue several different theories, and that’s fun.

What a way to capitalize on the Inhuman storyline your show’s been about for years now, without forcing Papa MCU to contend with all this good work you’ve been doing.  Just go somewhere he can’t reach you (the future), and then un-write all of it anyway.  V. tidy.  Extra style points will be awarded.

LEITMOTIFS.  If y’all’ve seen BSG, then you know Bear McCreary is a master of the art.  But this season has so many good themes, my friends.  The Daisy/Quake theme that’s been knocking around for a season is here in full force, and Sinara’s is the best bad guy theme you could have wanted, and dearest sweetest Flint has the best great guy theme you ever heard.

Just, while we’re here.  Sinara.  She says nothing for episodes (it feels like, I wasn’t counting) and her first line is a scornfully growled “compassion.”  Give it up for Florence Faivre !!!  She hardly has any lines but you always know exactly what she’s thinking and what she’s about.  Sinara and Kasius have the richest on-screen chemistry of anybody on any show from any era fight me on this I dare you.

Mack’s coming down from his second life in the Framework, and that suuuuucks that these folks never have a moment to rest before barreling into their next story.  But he gets to be a father to Flint!  And Yo-Yo gets to be a mother!!!  UGH why couldn’t they have brought Flint instead of Deke lololol oh well.

I think I know another reason why Lincoln seems overhyped to me.  That other Inhuman, Ben I think his name is?  He’s in like two episodes, serves a narrative purpose, and is disposed.  I know Lincoln’s in like 18 times as many episodes but they have the same exact overall impact on my brain-hole.  Imagine if it was Ben that came back with them instead of Deke.  That’s how I feel about Lincoln.  Like, how did this obviously disposable character make it this far?

Then you have Deke.  You love to hate him.  He’s a very well-fashioned character who is flawless in making you feel the way the showrunners want you to feel.  That’s the kind of character that gets killed off twice and still comes back, and it doesn’t surprise you.

So, Enoch.  Enoch is everyone’s favorite character, right?  Right.  Give me genderless robots with a soft spot for humanity ANY DAY.  PLEASE where are they I need them.  (I’m un-repressing memories of S6 and I feel like somehow I should be careful what I wish for)  Man I remember with 1000% clarity the absolute glee I felt sitting down for the opening montage of S5 the first time, how ballsy weird it was, just watching this freaky bald alien of a man go swimming with some fun electro pop number playing in the background.  100/10 please make more television like this

 More monoliths!!  The time one is so pretty!

(remember when there were more monoliths and no one knew where they came from or what they did but then it didn’t matter because they got instantly exploded?)

The low-key obvious answers to the season’s questions, what with the Inhumans running all over the shop, Quake there to tear everything down and Flint there to put the pieces back together I’m not crying you’re crying

Oh man, and Simmons getting to mentor not one but two Inhuman youths to be confident and trust in themselves and their powers.  What a ways from the fear-panic response to Daisy when she turned.

Also, yeah, it has to be said, this show’s blatant “you’re different and that’s okay” agenda sits very well with me.  Agents of SHIELD says LGBTQ+ rights!

So anyway, part 2 falls a little flat for me because its strength is its themes, but I’m not really compelled by the stakes and definitely not by the villains and not really even by the intra-team drama.

Obviously S2 touched on parenthood, but it was pretty specific.  S5 digs in and brings us a lot more on the topic.

Kasius desperately desires his father’s approval but very deeply despises the methods and the people who earn it.

Hale was indoctrinated by Hydra and was very earnest in wanting to uphold the values of the organization, until the organization (and Whitehall) shared with her their narrow appreciation of the gift of her loyalty.  Even then, she struggles to make sense of this loyalty, only realizing too late that being a good Hydra pawn and a good parent are categorically mutually exclusive.

Ruby, obviously, is like a mini-Kasius, the brave-faced rebel who wears her mother’s disappointment on her sleeve like a badge of honor to pretend that it isn’t crippling her.

The Von Strucker kid, boy is he messed up (and his Hydra dad had something to do with it)

((echos of Ward are still heard even this far after his demise, and we know what his father figures were like))

Poor Talbot, got some brain damage and some Hydra conditioning on top of that, cracked that noggin wide open.  He just wanted to do good by his family.  Just wanted his son to know he loves him.

Polly and Robin.  The daughter who needs constant special care because she’s stuck inside her own mind and the mother who’s been through hell and back and still manages to do her best.  Even when she knows she won’t always be there for her daughter.  Even when she knows she’ll be replaced.

May getting a glimpse at the life she and Andrew once talked about.  Getting a chance to do right by that little girl.

Mack recovering from getting that same glimpse, from the echoing memories of a life time spent with his greatest regret erased.  Being roped into being a thug and threatening that dad without knowing the meaning behind his threat -- being told that people like him don’t deserve the privilege of parenthood.  But then getting to know Flint, and having Yo-Yo at his side while they fast track this kid through all the things he’s gonna need to know in order to be the Big Damn Hero the world needs him to be.

The timey-wimey promise that FitzSimmons will one day be parents to a brilliant daughter who will unfortunately give birth to a Deke.

Coulson and Daisy.  Another parent placing enormous expectations on his daughter, desperate that she be ready for his responsibilities because his time is running out.  A daughter who mishandles these expectations and refuses to stop fighting a losing battle, not because she’s not ready to step up, but because she doesn’t want to face the fact that she’s losing the man who raised her.

Anyway, aside from all this good Theme work, part 2 wades perfunctorily through musty remnants of the previous season, from The Doctor to The Russian.  Which makes sense, because that season ended in a way that left so many loose threads -- but then this season comes along and summarily ties them up, all cute little bows, the lot of them.  Dusts its hands.  Nothing to see here.  Move along now.  Time’s up.

#Agents of Shield #aos

[beneaththetangles]

BtT Light Novel Club, Chapter 16: Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, Vol. 1!

Welcome to the first Light Novel Club discussion of 2020! Our discussion this month is on Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, Vol. 1, in which a gamer dares to take on the “game” of real life. We have quite the discussion for this title coming up, so strap yourself in and join @jeskaiangel and I for a deep dive not just into the story, but also what even is a “game” in the first place!

-----

1. What are your general impressions of the novel?

Jeskai Angel: My impression of the novel = Video games + Proverbs / Ecclesiastes + My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong as I Expected + Self-help booklet + Optimism.

stardf29: I’ve got nothing to add; you did the math on that perfectly.

2. What are your thoughts on the characters in the novel?

Jeskai Angel: As I observed Tomozaki, I strongly had the sense that I was watching an alternative version of Hachiman Hikigaya from a parallel universe. His opening monologue sounds every bit as cynical, jaded, and bitter as something Hiki would say. But, crucially, Hiki is actively resistant to changing and finds a sense of moral superiority in not “conforming.” Hiki’s story kicks off because his teacher tries to help him change for better, but (at least as of vol. 1) he begrudges this meddling in his life and resists every step of the way. The two parallel universes diverge because when NO NAME / Aoi also offers Tomozaki the chance to change, he willingly (albeit skeptically) embraces the opportunity. That difference lends the whole story a far more hopeful, optimistic tone than My Youth Romantic Comedy.

I could spend more time contrasting the other characters of this LN and My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong as I Expected, but I’ll spare you. Suffice it to say that I think the girls of both stories bear further comparison.

Aoi is an interesting twist on the “perfect girl” trope. First, one doesn’t commonly see that sort of character AND have them be an unapologetic hardcore gamer (you sometimes see the “perfect girl who’s secretly an otaku” figure, but not one like Aoi who displays no sense of shame about her nerdy hobby). The other thing that subverts the “perfect girl” trope is that we learn quickly that Aoi wasn’t always “perfect” and in fact works incredibly hard to maintain her sterling image. She’s not just magically perfect thanks to inherent natural awesomeness. I feel like the rest of the cast is well written, but they don’t necessarily stand out in any exceptional way. Hopefully they’ll get more chances to shine in the future.

stardf29: That’s a good compare and contrast between Tomozaki and Hachiman. Hachiman’s constant cynicism and the commentary that comes from that is entertaining in its own way, but as a character, I really like how Tomozaki actually tries to make more of real life, and he gets some cool moments out of it, such as when he stands up for Nakamura when other girls start trash-talking him. Oh, and he’s a gamer, too, which I guess earns him some extra cool points for me.

I definitely appreciate Aoi having had to work hard to become the “perfect girl”, for the reason you mentioned. What I also like about that aspect is that it has shades of the “secret of the popular girl” trope where the guy finds out the popular girl’s secret and they grow closer because of it, which I often enjoy.

The other side characters definitely interested me a lot. While they might not have a lot of development yet at just one volume in, they do have very strong base characterizations with their own motivations and don’t feel like one-dimensional tropes; I’m definitely looking forward to what role they play in future volumes.

3. What do you think about the various gaming references and the use of video games in the story?

Jeskai Angel: Am I right in thinking that Atafami is a coded reference to the Super Smash Bros. series? Between the name and some of the characters mentioned, I had a distinct suspicion that the story was making a nod toward a very specific real-life game/series. The rest of the gaming references that I recall were all more general nods to various tropes and common features of video games, things common enough that they didn’t require knowledge of any particular game to understand. I enjoyed the references and use of gaming concepts as metaphors for real life.

stardf29: Yes, Atafami is pretty clearly a mock-up of Smash Bros. (“Smash Brothers -> Attack Families”), with their own versions of Fox (“Foxy”) and Sheik (“Found”; this one took a while to figure out, but it’s pretty clever; “Sheik” sounds like “Seek”, especially with Japanese pronunciation, so you have “Seek” -> “Found”).

The whole thing is pretty amusing since I have some vague familiarity with the competitive Smash scene (though I’m not a competitive Smash player myself), so a lot of the portrayals of the whole gaming aspect of the story are just that much more interesting to me.

4. What do you think about the various “life tips” in the story?

Jeskai Angel: Ooh, yes! I have mixed feelings about the life tips. On the one hand, I think there’s some real truth to Aoi’s advice. I sort of wish someone had given me some of this advice back when I was in high school (of course, I was such a trainwreck at that point in my life that Aoi’s coaching wouldn’t have been nearly enough to help me).

On the other hand, sometimes Aoi’s view feels a little too much like self-made man-pull yourself up by your own bootstraps-rugged individualism. It paints this overly positive picture of how if you just work hard, your life will be great and everything will work out well. That’s how I used to think life worked (thanks, American culture), but then life proved me wrong. I think Tomozaki has a legitimate point when he says that life doesn’t always have a right answer, that trying hard doesn’t guarantee the desired outcome, and that some people have massive, unearned advantages over others. No matter how long and how hard you try, there’s no promise that you’ll get what you want out of life. Maybe Aoi’s perspective doesn’t go quite that far, but it treads close at times.

This tension, where each of the two leads has some valid points, is where my reference to Proverbs and Ecclesiastes above fits in. The book of Proverbs paints an extremely optimistic view of life: if you live according to wisdom, things will be great. And to be clear, it’s not entirely wrong. But then Ecclesiastes comes along and says not so fast: no matter how wise / rich / strong / whatever you are, bad things may still befall you. If nothing else, we’re all gonna die no matter what we do. I suspect that Ecclesiastes sometimes presents an unduly cynical outlook on life, and that things aren’t necessarily quite as bad as you might think if you only read Ecclesiastes. But Ecclesiastes also has a valid point that life isn’t as easy as you might think if you only read Proverbs.

stardf29: You bring up something that one could make an entire dissertation on: the conflict between “do everything you can to improve things” and “there are some things in life we cannot control”. Ideally, these two ideas would work together: we take action where we can, while giving the things we cannot control up to God. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to lean too much into one direction or the other. Tomozaki’s initial stance is too much into “there’s too much I cannot control”, and he includes stuff he does actually have control over to improve his life. Aoi, on the flip side, is perhaps trying to take control over too much. I think it’s pretty telling how, in the final confrontation, she’s ultimately not able to do anything when things take an unexpected turn until well after the fact.

Overall, while I liked a lot of Aoi’s tips, I do have one notable gripe. The whole thing about getting Tomozaki a girlfriend is a bit weird but ultimately, not too bad. However, when she tried to get him to ask Fuka out over their supposed shared interest in a particular author, despite Tomozaki lying about said interest, that definitely rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like Aoi was telling him to do whatever it takes to “win” the game, even if it means lying and deceiving others. I’m glad he ultimately chose not to listen to her and tell the truth to Fuka, and it seems like they still have the chance for some development later.

Jeskai Angel: I had forgotten about the whole “lie about liking this book to get a girlfriend” incident until you brought it up. Yeah, I really appreciated that Tomozaki averted tons of rom-com tropes by taking the first opportunity to correct the misunderstanding, instead of creating an extended series of painfully awkward situations where he struggles to maintain the lie. I wonder…Aoi generally comes across in a fairly favorable light, but does this case hint at a darker side to her character?

You also make a really interesting point in framing the climactic defense-of-Nakamura scene in terms of Aoi being unable to do anything when the situation gets out of hand. It does seem to speak to her limitations.

stardf29: “Darker side” perhaps, but to the extent that every realistic person has some sinful tendencies to her; in her case, it’s a willingness to fudge the truth in order to do what she wants to get done. (If I may say, she seems to be very much a Type 3 on the Enneagram.)

Tomozaki laughs at your “Foxy only” rule.

5. How much do you agree with the idea that “life is a game”?

Jeskai Angel: So, Tomozaki and Aoi both accept from the outset that life is a game. They don’t debate whether life is a game, but rather whether it’s a good one or a bad one. Consequently, the book skips over a crucial question: what exactly is a “game?” It’s hard to say for sure whether life is a game, or how good of a game it is, if we don’t know what we mean when we say “game.” Certainly I can see validity to a lot of the book’s metaphors. There really are times when there are substantive parallels between real life and video games. But does the fact that life and games are sometimes similar justify going all the way to the point of saying life actually is a game in any meaningful sense? I’m not so sure. My gut says no. However, I would offer the caveat that I can imagine it’s possible to come up with a coherent definition of “game” for which real life would qualify.

stardf29: Oh boy, the “what is a game” question is another one that you could make a whole research paper on.

Maybe a game like Smash Bros isn’t the best metaphor for life… but what about a game like Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon? Those are games that break somewhat from the usual definition of a game, while still being classified as a game, and it’s a bit easier to see parallels with real life with those games.

But the key question here really does seem to be: What exactly is a “game”? Again, I could dive really deep into this topic, but for a basic definition, I like to think of games in four parts: player input, the “programming” which take those inputs and create results, the goals that players try to achieve, and the rules which are known to the players and help them make choices on their inputs. A game, therefore, is a situation where, given certain known rules, you decide on a goal or goals to achieve, and then make inputs and see what results the programming gives back; based on those results, you may either continue on with making inputs, or change one or more of your goals; you can even create a “game within a game” by setting a smaller goal and trying to achieve that goal first before returning back to your original goal.

For example, in, say, Super Mario Bros., your overarching goal is to reach the end and rescue the princess, which requires you to complete several sub-goals of completing the individual levels. Within the game, you are aware of the various rules of the game (move right, don’t touch enemies or fall into pits, collect power-ups for help) and then you start making your inputs to get Mario to the end.

Given this fairly wide-encompassing definition of a “game”, I think it’s possible to classify real life as a game. You have rules that are known and more or less govern what you can and cannot do (things like laws), and from there you decide on goals you want to accomplish, and then you make your “inputs” (a.k.a. personal choices) and then see what results come from the “programming” and adjust further goals/inputs accordingly. The only real difference here is that the “programming” is far more complex than what computers are (currently) limited to. That said, it’s not like there’s no “programming” whatsoever, since things like scientific laws exist. (The inputs of fellow humans may complicate things but lots of multiplayer games have that, so…)

In that sense, I can see how Aoi approaches the “game” of life. She tries to understand the rules as much as she cans, she has certain goals she wants to achieve, and she starts making “inputs” towards those goals. And as she starts accomplishing those goals, she gets the enjoyment of “winning” at the game (or at least that goal). If my approach to life differs from hers, it largely lies in having different goals from her to start with.

Now that I think about it, there is an important “fifth” part of a game: the positive feelings that come from “winning” the game, or rather, accomplishing goals within that game. It’s why we play games, after all. The exact nature of those “positive feelings” can vary depending on your goals, from the feeling of empowerment and domination after defeating a human opponent, to the sense of pride and accomplishment from getting 100% completion, to the satisfaction of the ending of a good story. And in real life, there’s definitely a good feeling from putting in effort, getting results, and fulfilling goals.

Jeskai Angel: I remembered this interesting column by game designer Mark Rosewater (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/what-game-2018-06-04). He defines a game as “a thing with a goal (or goals), restrictions, agency, and a lack of real-world relevance.” Your definition and his agree about the importance of input / agency, rules / restrictions, and goals (whether invented by the player or established by the designer). But you differ regarding the lack of real-world relevance. MaRo holds that having the purpose of entertainment or education, as opposed to practical necessity, is a fundamental part of what distinguishes games from real life.

stardf29: That’s a great article overall, and if I combine “rules” and “mechanics” into “limitations” I would mostly agree with it… but I definitely disagree about games needing to be “separate” from real life. It feels like a meaningless distinction; if I want to make a game out of cleaning my apartment or something, I don’t see how the real-life application somehow makes it not a game.

Instead, I would replace that “lack of real-life relevancy” with that last element I mentioned: the explicit pursuit of the positive feelings that come from achieving the goals. The reason most people don’t, to use the example in the article, consider packing for a trip as a “game” is that they simply have no desire to experience the pleasure of figuring out how to optimize packing; they just want to get the job done. However, someone might decide that, yes, they’re going to figure out the optimal arrangement for their packing, and then, after getting everything into the optimal arrangement, relish in the rush of having solved the puzzle.

In a way, then, what makes something a “game” is, in part, mentally thinking of it as a game–that a game is whatever you want to be a game (as long as goals, restrictions, and agency are also in play). And this is likely what helped Aoi be so successful: she chose to view several parts of life as “games” where others just saw it as “just life”. And Tomozaki has now adapted that mindset too. Now, I do think there are times where it’s best not to think of real life as a “game”; the example of a pilot flying a real plane is probably one of those times. (Though if the threat of death makes something not a game, I guess the Aincrad part of Sword Art Online isn’t a game…) That said, there may very well be several times in real life when thinking of something as a game may be just what gives someone that motivational kick to get something done, so… perhaps, at the very least, it’s worth consideration.

Jeskai Angel: Hmm… It occurs to me that babies and children learn through play. It seems that God has hardwired us to learn about the world through play-type behavior. And if play is fundamental to us from the earliest stages of development, perhaps the idea of life as a whole being a game has more validity than I’m giving it credit for.

Final Thoughts

Jeskai Angel: In the opening monologue, Tomozaki says this:

“Since ancient times, tons of brilliant scientists have been conducting experiments to search for a Law of Everything that explains the rules of our world. They still haven’t found it. Since ancient times, tons of brilliant philosophers have been wrapping ideas up in logic trying to figure out the meaning of life—in other words, life’s concept.”

This is where I’d raise my hand and say that Christianity has an answer to this question. The “Law of Everything,” the basis of all the rules in our world, the source that connects everything else, is Jesus. That’s what John 1.1 is getting at when it describes Jesus as the Logos. All the rules are established and upheld by him. And of course life’s “concept” is to know and love God.

Jeskai Angel: On a couple of occasions, one character criticizes another (first Tomozaki to Nakamura, then Aoi to Tomozaki) for dismissing a pleasure they’d never experienced as boring or meaningless. This is really quite profound. It was super relatable when Aoi calls out Tomozaki on this, because I have done the same thing. I can easily come up with examples from my own life where, because I didn’t have opportunity to enjoy something, I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t really all that great anyway, that I didn’t really want or need it, and so it was fine if I didn’t have it. At least in some of these cases, I’ve realized later that maybe that thing was more valuable than I’d been willing to admit while I was coping by lying to myself. The story was a good reminder about the need to be honest with ourselves.

stardf29: Yep, that’s the good ol’ sour grapes fable (the fox who can’t reach the grapes decides they must be sour). And yes, it’s best to be honest with yourself, or at the very least, don’t put down others who do have things/experiences you don’t have.

Jeskai Angel: Looking back, I realized it’s kind of cool the way the story building up Aoi to be so amazing actually serves to increase my respect for Tomozaki as a gamer. Here’s this girl who, much like Mary Poppins, is practically perfect in every way. Whether in beauty or academics or athleticism or popularity or whatever, she is unsurpassed thanks to her combination of talent and incredible hard work. And then you tell me that in one respect, she gets totally outclassed by someone else, despite putting forth the same hard work at Atafami as she did to reach the pinnacle in every other area of life. And it really starts to sink in just how insanely skilled Tomozaki must be to be able to capable of trouncing her as he does.

stardf29: Honestly, having seen how insane top-tier Smash Bros. play is, I’m more impressed with Aoi being able to even basically become the second-best player in Japan in the first place, especially with everything else she’s doing for real life as well. They do go a bit into how she does it (she purposely gets into disadvantageous situations to learn how to get out of them, sacrificing her immediate win-rate for long-term improvement), but even then, getting to the top ranks is no easy feat and it shows how dedicated she really is. And, of course, Tomozaki himself is impressive for being able to beat her regardless, though I guess since I’m familiar with top-tier Smash players, it’s pretty easy to picture how good he is (or at least as easy as looking up some YouTube videos).

=====

What do you think about Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, Vol. 1? What do you think counts as a “game”? Share your opinion in the comments!

As a reminder, on February 21st, we will be covering Vol. 3 of Infinite Dendrogram, so if you plan on joining us for that and haven’t finished it yet, get to reading!

#Light Novels #Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki #Jaku Chara Tomozaki kun #Christianity #BtT Light Novel Club #Articles #Author: stardf29 #Author: JeskaiAngel

[oldtumblhurgoyf]

Lauren Orsini wants to kiss a cat man and that’s wrong*

Here’s a ranking of All 36 'Magic: The Gathering' War of the Spark Planeswalkers Ranked By Dateability in Forbes no less. But it’s so terribly wrong. Here’s my Empirically Correct List of Planeswalkers Ranked By Dateability.

*this is all very silly and Orsini’s list is fine, I’m sure... for her.

36-28 Undateable

36 and 35. Tie between Gideon Jura and Domri Rade (with an honorable mention to Dack Fayden).

Dudes are all literally dead. Sorry, but I’m not dating a corpse. Also, before Gideon’s death, he was running himself ragged hopping from plane to plane to save the world. He didn’t have the time for a relationship. Domri is an obnoxious child (emphasis on child too). Of the three, Dack had the most potential but even alive he’d be lucky to break the top 20 of my list. Good for a few fun weekends and that’s probably it. Tempting to hope your love could reform him but that’s just a good way to have your heart stolen.

34. Nicol Bolas

He’s downright evil and self-centered to an unfathomable degree. Hard pass, no thank you. Literally no redeeming qualities.

33. Ob Nixilis

The obvious date for him is someone into BDSM, right? Wrong. He’s not going to respect your boundaries or practice good after care. He’ll use and abuse you for what he wants and then probably murder you. That’s not a date.

32. Dovin Baan

This dude’s whole deal is that he sees the flaws in everything. He’d probably outright refuse to date and if not, he’d constantly be nitpicking your relationship and you. There’s probably a decent amount of built up angst and stuff and if he ever cut loose there could be some fun, but it would be very fleeting and comes at too great a cost (months later thinking��“what did he mean by ‘your forehead is adequate, but your nose is not the ideal shape’?”).

31. Tibalt

See Ob Nixilis. Kind of crazy how similar these two are.

30. Ashiok

We don’t know a whole lot about them, but I’m envisioning they’re like Ob Nixilis/Tibalt except it’s all mental/psychological harm. It’s Dovin Baan but instead of an ostensible pursuit of perfection, the mental anguish is its own reward.

29. Ugin

Like dating a dad, but a really boring dad. And like any other dragon, he’s still very full of himself, he’s just a little more subtle about it. Besides, apparently you’d do all your dating in the Prison Realm and Bolas would be there trying to ruin your (already pretty miserable) date as some small payback for being trapped.

28. Sorin Markov

Things will be okay, but he gives me weird unwanted daddy vibes and he’s just going to ghost you anyway.

27-19 Redeeming Qualities, Not Long-Term Material

27.  The Wanderer

Not much to go on here but we do know she’s gonna ghost you though probably not voluntarily.

26.  Teyo Verada

He seems nice enough but he’s pretty young and super naive. He’s got some things to figure out and some growing to do before you’d want to date him.

25. Jiang Yanggu

What I said for Teyo goes for Yanggu as well. Plus side, every date with him there is a really cute pupper coming along.

24. Kaya

She’s giving me Gideon vibes. I think she’d be more fun than Gids, but she’s too devoted to her career to have time for a relationship.

23. Teferi

It’s a common refrain I’m running into here, but Teferi is also too dedicated to his job to make for a good relationship. Additionally he’s got lifetimes of experiences that make him “The Most Interesting Man in the Multiverse” and you’re always going to feel like a second fiddle to him, not an equal. This is a case where he’s almost too perfect.

22. Jaya

Jaya’s got distinct mother vibes for me. There’s just no way I could see a date with her that isn’t weird. It wouldn’t even be a bad date per se, but it’s not gonna happen.

21. Samut

I’m intimidated by Samut. I mean, who wouldn’t be? She’s been through Amonkhet’s trials and stood ready in front of Hazoret’s spear. That’s such a singular dedication that few others can match. I think I’d shrivel in front of her love.

20. Kiora

She’s a playful trickster and kind of flighty. You’ve got one good date with her and then maybe a follow up fling at some point, but there’s no building a relationship here. I mean, unless you’re really lucky, but I wouldn’t count on it.

19. Karn

Karn’s got plenty going for him. He’s done some really interesting stuff, he’s motivated, and deeply invested even if he doesn’t always show it. He can certainly show you a lot of cool things. But long term the lack of humanity creates distance and problems.

18-10 A Good Time, Let’s See How it Works Out

19. Liliana Vess

She’s a toss up to me at this point. She’s been through a whole helluva lot and this is the point where she could go completely good, or take her get out of demon-contract-death jail free card and double down on all her worst attributes. She’ll be a fun date, you just can’t be sure it should be more than that.

17. Angrath

Dude’s super dedicated to his family but he gets incredibly frustrated and pretty damn easily. His name’s literally angry wrath so you kind of have to expect that. If you think going to a dive bar and getting into a fight with a biker is a good date then Angrath is going to be a fun time.

16. Vivien Reid

Maybe I just haven’t been paying a whole lot of attention, but I know less about Vivien Reid than any other planeswalker on this list I think (which is wild when you consider exactly how little we know about the Wanderer or Kasmina). But as the Steve Irwin of the multiverse, there’s no way this date isn’t fun. You’ve just perhaps bitten off more than you can chew.

15. Ajani Goldmane

Ajani is a total sweetheart who will care for you like no other. The flip side of that is he is always pushing you to be your better self and, hon, that’s just a little much for me. Like can’t we just stay in and cuddle for once? I do NOT want to go to the gym again this week.

14. Arlinn Kord

Unlike Jaya, I don’t have mom vibes here. She’s a good looking lady who definitely seems to be here for a good time. 

13. Huatli

This one is totally an “it’s not you, it’s me situation.” She’s so big on community and sharing stories--I’m more of a homebody. There’s nothing wrong exactly, we just won’t be compatible, I don’t think. But somebody out there is, and the two of you will get along famously. Another list would totally rank her as marriage material.

12. Narset

This is another case of such dedication and perfectionism that I just don’t think I could measure up in a relationship with her. She’ll come home from exploring the multiverse and meditation and combat training and reading ancient scrolls to find all I’ve done is take out the trash and do some dishes before playing some games and... not be disappointed exactly, but it won’t inspire respect and desire in her. Another one where there’s incredible potential there... for the right person.

11. Kasmina

Mysterious as she is, I’m getting young Jaya vibes from Kasmina. Not as in, when Jaya was actually young and all fiery temper and stuff. But rather, current Jaya without the creepy (to me) mom vibes. There’s potential here but so much mystery it’s impossible to say for sure without taking a chance.

10. Nahiri

I can’t imagine anyone I’d have a better single date with. Like a real good time. She’s planned it out perfectly and she’s ready to go. It might not last, but you’ll enjoy it while it does. Keep the lines of communication clear, respect boundaries, and be aware she can hold a grudge, and I think this actually has a chance.

9-1 Marriage Material

9. Jace Beleren

He’s sort of what I see Yanggu or Teyo needing. He’s done that growing and learning and he’s a pretty solid guy. He’s learned a lot of lessons the hard way but he’s definitely better for it.

8. Tamiyo

She’s literally married and raising kids in a happy home. The potential is there (if we ignore her canon marriage and assume she is available to date), not to mention her chosen career of essentially multiverse astronomer is pretty damn cool and relatively safe compared to what these other planeswalkers have devoted themselves to. (Sure, there’s Innistrad and Emrakul, but I imagine most planes’ moons are much safer to observe than that.)

7. Sarkhan Vol

Like Jace, he’s worked through a lot and is a pretty awesome person because of it. Unlike Jace, he’s been attractive the whole time. He’s tender and vibrant and aware and just cool as all hell. Bringing him home would be like dating Brendan Frasier in his prime.

6. Vraska

Downside to Vraska is that she’s pretty clique-ish and suspect of anyone from outside her group. Her views have expanded recently, but I think she’s still going to put up a rock hard exterior. If you can chisel your way through that then you’ve got a heart of gold.

5. Davriel Cane

Forget the demon contracts and all that nonsense. What this guy wants deep down is to just be left alone. Let’s retire to a nice estate on the countryside and enjoy our time together.

4. Saheeli Rai

Creative and inspiring, Saheeli is an absolute sweetheart. And she’s dedicated to a craft that she can do at home. She doesn’t have go trooping about the multiverse on dangerous missions without you. She can work on amazing marvels in her workshop then come next door to take you out for ice cream.

3. Nissa Revane

Nissa is a bit aloof and distant, but don’t let that fool you. She’s nurturing in every way you could want and then some. She’s great if you can get past that stoic exterior.

2. Ral Zarek

Ral’s more romantic than I ever woulda thought. He’s dedicated and thoughtful, but not so stuffy that things get boring. Actually the biggest detractor here is that things will never be boring with Ral, but he’ll make it worth your while to stick beside him through it all.

1. Chandra Nalaar

Full of warmth and passion, Chandra’s got what it takes to make the strongest connection. And she’s another character who has made some incredible personal growth recently. She’s ready to take the next step with someone special and if that were you, the two of you are in for a long-burning love.

#mtg #planeswalkers #forbes #lauren orsini #dateability #this is a really silly list #but it was fun

[kanasmusings]

[Translation] TsukiPro Yaminabe Drama CD Vol. 1 Track 2 - “Talk Show With Two Bad Talkers”

What an unusual but really cute pairing~! Dai and Ren really make for a cute older bro-younger pro pair XD Also, “Honey and Darling” make a brief appearance here, really brief but, super funny! I really love Shiki’s slightly quirky personality when he’s making fun of Tsubasa wwww 

Oh yeah, the lines where it’s just Ren talking is just him narrating or talking to himself.

Anyways, thank you to Deea for sharing with me the files~! Please don’t ask her for them as per her request, thank you ^^

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission. Please just like/reblog them instead ^^

Under the cut, enjoy~!

[TsukiPro Daily Life Small Talk – Yaminabe Drama]

Track 02: [口下手二人のトークショー] “Talk Show With Two Bad Talkers”

[0:00]

  REN: Ever since I was young, I was called things like, “behaved”, “reserved”, “try to stand out a bit more” and other such stuff.

REN: I am aware of those and even though I was thinking about what to do about it, I ended up not being able to do anything and am presently here right now.

REN: Elementary school, middle school… I tried imitating a lot of speech and manners in order to improve myself and I even asked my teachers for advice.

REN: I planned to train myself during kendo practice and even at piano rehearsals.

REN: But in the end, trying to stand out more and more was difficult…

REN: By the time I got to high school, I just accepted that this was the kind of person I am. I sort of half gave up and half convinced myself that it was like that.

REN: But… I think that it would have been better if I exerted more effort rather than just giving up and convincing myself this was okay…

REN: At least… that’s how I feel.

REN: And also because… it felt kind of suffocating staying like this.

  REN: (sighs) Wh-wh-wh-wh-what should I do…? (takes a deep breath)

DAI: Hm?

REN: (to himself) With Dai-san… A talk show with the SolidS’ Murase Dai-san who exudes such a vigorous aura…!

REN: (to himself) This is bad…!

REN: This all started after I popped in to the agency on my way home from school.

REN: It was the formal meeting at the end of the month. I knew that we would be having a meeting with the office workers.

REN: SOARA typically does meetings one by one at least once a month.

REN: They’re courteous with us about our private matters or school schedules as we discuss our work and lesson schedules for the next month.

REN: Of course, the schedules are not completely permanent.

REN: The advertising part and the work we’re supposed to do need to be coordinated properly so, it’s not impossible that meetings would be stretched to a few days.

REN: But, most of those plans and responsibilities are generally resolved in these meetings.

REN: And now, even I started coordinating with the office workers about my activities that I received from a call and a note just 10 minutes ago.

REN: Well, it was peaceful until that moment.

REN: Yes… Until that moment.

[02:51]

  STAFF: Lately, requests for SOARA to appear in news and articles has increased, huh.

STAFF: I’m sure that it’s all thanks to your hard work (smiles).

REN: Thank you very much!

STAFF: Looking at how things are going… It won’t be long before you have your exclusive manager!

REN: An exclusive mana—You mean, our own manager, correct?

STAFF: Yeah. SOARA still doesn’t have an exclusive manager, right?

STAFF: Since you’re fairly new, the agency managers take turns managing you depending on who’s free, right?

REN: Ah, yes. We haven’t had an event in a really huge place yet and we’ve only been doing interviews for magazines and ladies’ magazines, too.

STAFF: I’m sure that you’d get more jobs where you’ll perform soon, too~

STAFF: I heard that the photo-book that was recently published was selling well. The President was happy about it, too!

REN: The President was…?

STAFF: (chuckles) It doesn’t look it but that person really watches over everyone and gets information about his talents quicker than anyone else.

STAFF: He also has a lot of mysterious info.

REN: (chuckles nervously) H-he’s as mysterious as usual, huh…

STAFF: (chuckles) You got that right.

  STAFF B: Ah, Ren-kun! Perfect timing.

REN: Eh?

[04:07]

  REN: (to himself) Honestly speaking, I felt that bad things would happen during this incident.

REN: “Perfect timing,” hearing those words before the actual conversation doesn’t really mean that the outcome would be “perfect”…

REN: I’ve learned that already despite being alive in this world for only a short while.

REN: I think a lot about how I’m the type who doesn’t like pushing people around but rather, I’m the one getting dragged along most of the time but…

REN: At times like these, normally… I feel like I’ll get assigned to do something difficult or worrisome…

REN: My intuition is most of the time correct when the conclusion comes around.

REN: That is because… that “conclusion” is the current situation I’m in right now…

REN: It was a live radio broadcast where a host asks different male talents different questions about a lot of things.

REN: Today’s guest was an artist who was scheduled to return from his first tour in America.

REN: However, because of some engine trouble in the air, the airplane had to make an emergency landing somewhere else and he couldn’t make it to the recording.

REN: Then, while looking for replacements to go on the radio show, they went and asked the people who were already in the building with them. That was me and Dai-san.

REN: A talk show where we were suddenly called…

REN: And to top it off, it’s with this pairing who don’t talk much and have never had much interaction before.

REN: I think that… it’s not unusual for my face to look so scared… Right…?

[05:55]

  REN: (to himself) Ah… Why did it have to be this pairing of all things?

STAFF: (pats Ren’s back) R-Ren-kun, good luck…! Just think of this as a chance to promote SOARA…!

REN: A-ah… Yes, you’re right. (Ren takes a deep breath) Alright…!

(Ren walks over to Dai)

REN: Da—

DAI: Hm?

REN: Is Dai-san, u-um…

DAI: Ah…

REN: Were you called over by the Producer too because you were in the agency building?

REN: I was talking with the office staff when I was caugh—Ah, no… When I was called over.

DAI: I see. I was doing dance lessons at the studio downstairs when I was caugh—When I was called over.

REN: Eh? Is that so?

DAI: Yeah.

REN: (nervous) Ah…

DAI: Hm?

REN: (takes a deep breath and sighs) The dance…! Was it difficult…?

DAI: No, not so much. I’ve always loved moving my body a lot after all.

DAI: I did swimming before, too.

REN: Ah! I knew about that. You participated in competitions, too, didn’t you?

DAI: Though I injured my shoulder and I couldn’t continue competitively anymore.

REN: Ah… Th-that’s right… I-I knew a little about that as well…

DAI: Really?

REN: (to himself) I’m so stupid…! Just when we were finally having a decent conversation…

REN: (sighs) (to himself) Awkward… This is extremely awkward… I’m sure that Dai-san thinks so, too…

REN: (to himself) Something… Is there something we can talk about…?

REN: (sighs) (to himself) This is so unnerving…

[07:57]

  REN: (to himself) Why was I scheduled for a meeting today of all days…?

REN: That’s what I honestly thought.

REN: If I had been with Nozomu or Sora-senpai, or Mori-senpai, or Sou-nii then…

REN: In other words… If I were partnered with anyone else except for SOARA…

REN: I might become better at conversing…

REN: “Plus, isn’t this a chance to make them remember my name and face?” is what I say to motivate myself…

REN: “I was lucky. It was good timing.”

REN: Maybe I should promote SOARA just like the staff said… was what I wanted to think.

REN: But, before anything could begin, my own frustrations set me back… I’m so pathetic…

[08:53]

  REN: (sighs) (to himself) What should I do?

DAI: You…

DAI: You do sports too, don’t you, Ren? Kendo, right?

REN: Eh?

REN: (flustered) A-ah, yes! I did! Ah, no—I still do!

DAI: I know. Even now, you train every morning at the practice room, don’t you?

REN: Yes! But, I’m surprised you kne—Ah, I see… Dai-san and Rikka-san go running early in the morning, right?

REN: Do you always run?

DAI: Yeah. On days when we don’t have anything scheduled. We feel like it’ll help us wake up if we go running.

REN: I see!

DAI: Also, I really love how the morning feels.

REN: I know what you mean! I love the morning’s relaxing atmosphere and it feels good for some reason.

DAI: Right? I love it, too.

REN: Ah…!

DAI: Is there someone from SOARA who’s weak with mornings?

REN: Sora-senpai and Nozomu are, I’d say.

REN: Sora-senpai stays up late because of song writing so maybe that’s why. Nozomu’s weakness is of his own fault though.

REN: He stays up late surfing the net or playing games. He plays a lot of things (chuckles).

REN: What about anyone from SolidS?

DAI: I’d say Tsubasa’s probably similar.

DAI: He’s the type who does a lot of different things until he’s—no, even when he’s sleepy.

DAI: He has a lot of places he wants to go to or things he wants to do but since there’s not a lot of time, he feels like going to sleep is a waste.

DAI: In a way, that’s powerful, right?

REN: Ah, Tsubasa-san seems like he has a lot of interests, huh?

REN: (chuckles) He’s well-informed, he’s light on his feet, and he seems like the type who’d discover a good shop before it became mainstream.

DAI: Exactly. That’s why there are a lot of times he goes home late.

DAI: Oh yeah. That reminds me of when he called me at a very weird time and Shiki and I had to go pick him up.

REN: Eh? Picked him up? Was he drunk or something?

DAI: That’s what you’d think, right? It was unexpectedly not so.

DAI: That guy knows how to drink and he holds his alcohol well.

REN: I guess it would be rude to say if I said that was my image of him. Everyone in SolidS can hold their alcohol, right?

DAI: Actually, yeah. I think I’m the weakest one in SolidS.

DAI: Even so, if compared to your average person, I’d probably be normal or a bit above average [with holding my alcohol].

DAI: The other three are way above that.

REN: Eh~? Everyone in SolidS is so amazing~

REN: Oh? Then, why did Tsubasa-san—

DAI: Call for me?

DAI: That was after that guy went out drinking after not noticing he forgot his wallet.

DAI: He noticed it when he was at the register and he tried paying using his phone but it didn’t work.

DAI: He called me way past midnight when the trains weren’t running anymore and…

  (flashback to Dai and Tsubasa’s conversation)

TSUBASA: (over the phone) Hello, Dai-chan?! You picked up. I’m so relieved~! I’m saved!

TSUBASA: (over the phone) Where are you right now, Dai-chan?

DAI: Huh? Sleeping in the dorms, of course.

DAI: Tsubasa, you… What time do you think it is—

TSUBASA: (over the phone) I’m really sorry! Really, I am!

TSUBASA: (over the phone) I’ll treat you to how much you want and I’ll do anything you want after so… Please come and save me!

DAI: Huh?! You… What are you doing, really?

TSUBASA: (over the phone) Uh… Dai-chan, I’m sorry. Actually, I—

[12:44]

  SHIKI: Hm? Dai, where are you going at this hour? An emergency?

DAI: Ah, no. Well, I guess you can call it an emergency but… not really for me. Tsubasa is…

SHIKI: (excitedly) Tsubasa?!

  (Dai and Shiki walking over to Tsubasa)

TSUBASA:  Ah, Dai-chan, you came—UGH!!

SHIKI: Rejoice. I have come to pick you up personally, my careless honey who forgot his wallet at home~

TSUBASA: Eh? Oh my, darling~ Thank you for picking me up~…

TSUBASA: (nervous chuckle) M-man, I—I really am loved, huh~…

SHIKI: (sighs) How unsightly for a TsukiPro talent. Had you made one more mistake, you’d have left without paying your bill.

SHIKI: Ah, how truly unsightly.

TSUBASA: AH! I’m sorry! I just forgot to check if it was in my bag before I left!

SHIKI: Okui Tsubasa. You are not to leave the dorm after curfew for two weeks.

TSUBASA: WHAT?! A curfew?! What’s with that? Am I some kinda middle schooler to you!?

TSUBASA: That doesn’t apply now, does it?!

SHIKI: It may or may not but, it certainly should apply to you who bothered his brother so late in the night to help save his butt because he wasn’t aware of his standing after he debuted professionally even after he was told to be careful.

TSUBASA: You’re lecturing for once…! But it’s so annoying!

SHIKI: Still, there is no doubt that this is a lecture. Are you defying me? Are you defying me, hm~?

TSUBASA: (groans) Damn it…!

SHIKI: That’s it, that’s it. I’ll say these lines to make it concrete.

SHIKI: This is an order from your Producer!

TSUBASA: AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

DAI: You guys… I’m surprised that you can fight so loudly this late at night.

DAI: I’m really sleepy, you know?

(flashback ends)

[14:40]

  REN: Th-that was… It was fortunate that you were there, huh, Dai-san?

DAI: Right? In the end, Tsubasa had to obey curfew for two weeks.

REN: (chuckles) He can’t defy the Producer’s orders after all~

  STAFF: Murase-san, Munakata-san, the preparations are already over so can we ask you to go on stand-by, please?

REN: Ah, yes!

DAI: Yes.

(Dai and Ren take their seats)

STAFF: I’ll arrange the mic, okay?

REN: Ah, yes please.

DAI: (whispering to Ren) A talk show really makes one nervous, huh?

REN: (chuckles)

  ==END==

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission.

If you like this, please consider buying me a ko-fi here to support my work. (o^▽^o)Thank you!!

#tsukipro #drama cd #tsukipro yaminabe drama cd #soara #solids #murase dai #munakata ren #takamura shiki #okui tsubasa #soara translations #solids translations #my translations #queued post #shiki finding it a great chance to torment tsubasa the moment dai said tsubasa's name #lmao solids never ceases to amuse me #and ren is just this really cute little bean who's a nervous wreck~

[thehifiproject]

1989: a vintage year for classic albums

What was in the water 30 years ago? Today, in 2019, a surprising number of artists and bands are celebrating the 30th anniversary of some of their greatest albums. Sure, 1988 and 1990 have their fair share of significant releases, but 1989 was a stonker of a year. 

Read on to discover our favourite ‘Big Albums’ from 1989.

The decedent 80s drew to a close with landmark releases across all genres. The ‘second summer of love’ had pushed dance music and rave culture into the mainstream, whilst indie guitar upstarts suddenly found themselves playlisted on daytime Radio One. As these contrasting acts rubbed shoulders on TOTP and across NOW compilations, influences began to cross-pollinate, lighting the touch paper for Madchester and beyond.

In the studio, samplers and digital recording kit had become more affordable. Artists could realise ideas without the mortgage-scale budgets of the Fairlight pioneers earlier in the decade (Bush, Gabriel, Horn, Clarke et al).

At home, the CD format was firmly established but still in its infancy compared to its dominance in the late-90s. Cassette tapes sold more than vinyl in 1989, mainly driven by the US market. 1989 was also the year Comet Group bought up all 31 branches of the Laskys hi-fi chain – remember Laskys? You could still buy hi-fi separates in stores like Boots, but the masses mainly wanted neater ‘stack’ or ‘midi’ systems from brands like Aiwa, Kenwood, Technics and Sony.

So, what were we playing on these systems?

If we squint our rose-tinted vision just beyond hits by Jive Bunny, Kylie & Jason and, ugh, Band Aid II, 1989 offers a plethora of genre-defining debut LPs alongside creative peaks from established artists.

Before I ruffle anyone’s feathers, I admit this is a totally subjective piece. I have not been studying sales figures or cross-referencing reviews in Q Magazine, but many ‘89 albums pop up in the ‘Top 10’ lists of Pitchfork, NME or Rolling Stone etc, and they’re frequently referenced as key influences by artists and producers today.

Here’s a selection of my favourites. It’s by no means exhaustive.

Which albums were you cueing up on your Technics linear-tracking deck in 1989, and what type of TDK tape were you recording them onto?

Let us know in the comments.

1. The Cure – Disintegration

Last week the band completed a five-night run of gigs at Sydney Opera House, celebrating 30 years since the release of their landmark Disintegration album. No doubt many of its tracks will also feature when they headline Glastonbury this summer.

I was a big Cure fan as a teenager. I nipped out of school at lunchtime to buy Disintegration on the day it was released. It was a hot, sunny day and I drew the curtains to listen in the dark.

2. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

Before Spike Island or even Fool’s Gold, 1989 introduced us to this genre-defining eponymous Mancunian debut. Nothing quite chimes and grooves like the Roses’ early output and its unrivalled sing-along nostalgia.

3. De La Soul – Three Feet High & Rising

Rhymes, skits and daisies. This funky and humorous collage of samples from the NY trio has been referred to as “genius”, “a hip-hop masterpiece”. It was reissued by Vinyl Me, Please as a double LP in their Essential series earlier this year.

4. Kate Bush – The Sensual World

How do you follow a career-defining work like Hounds of Love? It seems you turn inwards, re-write the closing passages of Ulysses and employ a Bulgarian male choir. You also deliver one of the most heart-breaking performances committed to tape in This Woman’s Work.

The Sensual World may not reach the heights of its predecessor (it was one of the albums Kate reworked significantly for the Director’s Cut project), but it remains a convincing release from such an enigmatic creative talent. It earned her Brit Award nominations for both Best Album and Best Producer.

5. New Order – Technique

Ibiza, Factory, The Hacienda, ecstasy, even sheep sound effects. The stories behind this album have sold thousands of books for each member of the band. It was their first LP to reach No 1 in the UK and still sounds magnificent today.

6. Tears For Fears – The Seeds Of Love

The band’s third studio album took almost two years and £1million to make. Considering the hugely successful Songs From The Big Chair cost nearer £70,000, this could have led to the end of their record contract and career! Luckily, they had the chutzpah to see it through. Seeds reached No 1 in the UK and achieved platinum status in numerous territories across the globe.

Sadly, the album took its toll on Orzabal and Smith’s relationship. It was the last one they could work on together for over a decade.

Immaculately produced, the album features many established session players (including Phil Collins on drums, who himself released But Seriously… in 1989), but is most noted for introducing the world to the voice of Oleta Adams.

7. Neneh Cherry – Raw Like Sushi

If you came to Raw Like Sushiexpecting nine more tracks like the huge hit Buffalo Stance, you would have been disappointed. The album stood out for its range of styles and depth of influence. When you reflect on Cherry’s debut as an album envision by a ‘musician/artist’, rather than fronted by the ‘rapper/singer’ Buffalo Stancesuggests, it’s no surprise that she is still recording and performing today.

8. Pixies – Doolittle

Back in the late 80s, nothing else sounded quite like The Pixies. With their second full-length, the band perfected their loud-quiet-loud pop blast, offering up a key blueprint for Nirvana’s looming commercial breakthrough Nevermind.

9. Tom Petty – Full Moon Forever

Louder Sound describes Petty’s ’89 release as“a remarkably consistent collection of wonderfully constructed rootsy rock songs. Petty teams up with ELO guru and fellow Travelling Wilbury Jeff Lynne, who does an immaculate production job as well as co-writing the album’s standout tracks, Free Fallin’ and I Won’t Back Down.”

10. Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol 1

In the summer of 1989, the single Back To Life and its accompanying MTV-friendly video took Soul II Soul’s London slant on R&B/Soul around the world. The album goes deeper (Back To Life features only as an acapella) but brings underground club vibes to the mainstream, going triple-platinum in the UK and Top 20 in the US (No 1 in the R&B chart).

“A happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race.”

11. Paul’s Boutique

Sorry! I couldn’t keep this list to just ten albums! The Beasties’ now-beloved second album was considered a flop at the time, but, in the ensuing years, has been embraced as a landmark of sample-based hip-hop.

The Best Of The Rest

It doesn’t stop there. The list of landmark 1989 albums rolls and rolls.

What have we missed in the list below?

10,000 Maniacs, Blind Man’s Zoo

Elvis Costello, Spike

NWA, Straight Outta Compton

Tracy Chapman, Crossroads

Eurythmics, We Too Are One

Simply Red, A New Flame

Ian McCulloch, Candleland

Lenny Kravitz, Let Love Rule

The Beautiful South, Welcome to the Beautiful South

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Automatic

Nirvana, Bleach

The B-52s, Cosmic Thing

Queen, The Miracle

Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Mother’s Milk

Lou Reed, New York

The Cult, Sonic Temple

The The, Mind Bomb

The Wedding Present, Bizarro

Pop Will Eat Itself, This Is the Day…This Is the Hour…This Is This!

Throwing Muses, Hunkpapa

The Wonder Stuff, Hup

Julee Cruise, Floating into the Night

Simple Minds, Street Fighting Years

The Primitives, Pure

Jesus Jones, Liquidizer

Tin Machine, Tin Machine

Kirsty MacColl, Kite

808 State, 90

Kitchens of Distinction, Love is Hell

#1989 #bestalbum #1989albums #musiclist #Audiophile #vinylcollector #vinyl #best albums #musiclover #80s music #topten

[putschki1969]

KEIKO Message Movie Vol.46 Fan Club Exclusive Content

❗ Please support KEIKO ❗ ❗ JOIN HER FAN CLUB ❗ ❗ Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

I want to motivate people to join Keiko’s fan club. She is providing so many lovely videos these days so you really get a lot of bang for your buck!!! The annual fee for her fan club is ONLY 4.000 yen (which is really nothing considering you get so much regular content). Her fan club event is coming up as well so it’s the perfect time to join. Please consider subscribing! Click on the TUTORIAL I linked above! Also, DO NOT FORGET to EXTEND your membership for another year in case you haven’t already.

I will not share the content publicly. However, I really don’t like withholding content so I will resort to the following plan 〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

👉LIKE and REBLOG my posts about KEIKO’s fan club content 👉Leave a REPLY explaining why you currently cannot join the fan club / If you have already done this, just say that you would like to receive a link 👉I will send you a Google Drive link via direct message 👉DO NOT SHARE the link or its content anywhere

Summary below the cut

Back again at her agency’s office to film a video Recently she has always been at the studio. She filmed this video a while back so she is not sure what the weather is like right now but she guesses Japan has already entered its rainy season. This of course is a time when people tend to feel down due to the constant rain so she hopes everyone is doing all right.

She has some results from the fan club survey with her. Until a while back members were able to to fill out the questionnaire. They asked what we think of her music, her lives, her merch, her fan club content, etc…Some questions are multiple-choice, others require you to write a short answer. They also wanted some suggestions for the future and a few general impressions.Lots of people asked for making-of videos and - what came as a big surprise to KEIKO - workout and make-up/fashion videos!! [Haha, I was definitely one of the people who asked for THAT content XD] KEIKO thinks the workout stuff is so popular because of Corona. For people who do a lot of desk work she recommends tiny workout sessions rather than extensive weight training or anything. The first thing she always suggests is doing stretching exercises because that’s what’s really helpful when you are stuck to a desk all day long and your entire body has become hardened and tense. She demonstrates by stretching her arms and back which results in a VERY LOUD CRACK. [I had no idea KEIKO could crack her back/arms like that XD]. You wanna open your chest and stretch your back when you spend most of the time looking at a smartphone/computer. Of course you can also do similar exercises with your legs. All of this is short and doesn’t require any equipment so you can do it during lunch break or whenever you feel like it. If KEIKO startet her own workout series she would always put out small and simple videos that everyone could follow and a stretching video would definitely be part 1.  

She will go through all the results again, together with her team they will try to make as many of our hopes and suggestions come true. Of course they will also work on improving different stuff. As for the workout content, she feels that she will be able to make some videos on that very soon so everyone, please look forward to it. [Waaaaah, can’t wait!!!]

#kalafina #keiko #video #fan club exclusive content #niku to chocolate #meat and chocolate #🍖🍫 #肉とチョコレート #summary #my summary

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: July 2019

I’ve really stepped up my comics reading having fully embraced my local libraries. You can just borrow them whenever you want! Also saw lots of movies and watched a lot of the Bachelorette. It’s been a good summer. 

……….FILM……….

Midsommer (2019) Oh wow. I’m not one for scary movies but this never felt like a scary movie. Sure it was definitely “horror” in the sense that so much of it is horrific, but it never relied on the typical “scary movie” tactics. For this, I am grateful.

Paddington 2 (2017) The perfect counterpoint and emotional reset after our matinee screening of Midsommer. This video does a better job of explaining why I love these movies, but if you haven’t got the time then know that the Paddington movies are a masterclass in efficient storytelling, visual comedy, and good natured entertainment for all ages. It’s not quite the same as Pixar sneaking in jokes that only adults will get, it’s more that it tells a universal story with familiar characters that land at any age. Just beautiful.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Okay so I get that illustrating a tie-in book for this movie means I likely can’t be objective, but I really dug the film. Solid themes that carried through to most of the characters and their arcs, as well as some of the most comic-book accurate visuals I could have hoped for. And I really dig the Parker/MJ dynamic here. Ugh it’s just all so good.

Alien (1979) I don’t need to tell you how well this holds up. Still as subversive and terrifying as it was 40 years ago. Still not sure what the alien was doing in the escape pod before Ripley shows up.

The Dead Don’t Die (2019) This was a weird one. Meta zombie movies already exist. Zombies as social commentary already exist. Zombie comedies already exist. I suppose I was just hoping for something...new? It was all of these things, but it didn’t seem to push any individual element into unexplored territory. The cast seemed like they were having a good time, but I don’t think it quite translated to the screen. I’d recommend Shaun of the Dead, Fido, or Zombieland instead.

……….TELEVISION……….

Instant Hotel (Episode 2.01 to 2.06) A 6-episode season of Australian reality tv judging Airbnbs? A cast that includes an 80 year old trying to look 20 and perfect couple who find each other hilarious? Sign me up. It’s available on (Canadian) Netflix but if you can find it, check it out.

Stranger Things (Episode 3.01 to 3.08) Without spoiling too much, I’ll say that this season was on par with the first, and felt better than the second. It’s not as moody and contained, but it really embraces what I take to be the spirit of 80s media. I feel like the early eps were setting up more of a zombie/body-snatchers plot but I don’t think the series likes to stray too far from the core of that first season. Super fun, wildly silly, and once I embraced the lighter tone it really delivered.

Queer Eye (Episode 4.01 to 4.08) This season really seemed to focus on philanthropic and independent businesses and I’m here for it. There was a Wayfair product placement towards the end which...felt out of place given the politics of the show, but dang if this series isn’t a light in the darkness!

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Episode 1.01 to 1.03) What a mood. It’s a slow burn but I’m really digging that the world feels established and that we’ve come into something well after all the big revelations happened. Now that the crazy has settled, we get to spend more time seeing how the crazy affects the day-to-day. Or what the day-to-day looks like in a new, wild world. Digging it.

The Bachelorette (Episode 15.08 to 15.13) Just wild. Watching that rollercoaster with Luke P was excellent television and terrible dating but that finale was *chef’s kiss* perfect.

……….READING……….

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (Page 230 of 406) Fun so far! There’s far less of the angel/demon relationship than I expected, but that’s only because I’m going off of what the Amazon show has been promoting. I need to do more research into how they shared the writing because the humour and meandering chapters really feel like Pratchett. I’m keen to see where it all goes!

Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt (Abandoned) I read half the novel before deciding this one wasn’t for me and it’s not because it wasn’t well-written or an engaging story. I found this on a list of good reads for those who like Wonderland and Alice’s adventures, but I’d say the links between the two were...thin...at best. When you’re expecting fanciful worlds and exaggerated characters, but get far more human (and all too real) trauma then it’s a jarring experience. I read a synopsis of the last 100ish pages that I missed and admit that I think I would’ve been satisfied with the conclusion, but it’s a bummer that the first 60% of the book felt like a holding pattern to get to the good stuff.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 5 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Still one of my favourite fantasy comics. The characters are nuanced and are continuing to get developed, as is the setting and supporting cast! Every so often it’ll break format, but I appreciate that the gimmick (including a monster-based recipe in each chapter) isn’t getting in the way of good storytelling. I love everything about this and you should be reading it.

Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1 & 2 by Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Humbero Ramos, and so many more (Complete) I wasn’t sure about this before picking it up but it’s a fascinating study of Spider-Man. It feels like an answer to all those that focus on plot holes and logic. Doc Ock has taken over Spider-Man’s body and he, as the epitome of troll, is just going through and “fixing” what Peter Parker gets wrong. It’s an interesting study in learning more about someone with opposing views. It even keeps Parker’s spirit around to dramatically and comedically respond to his life being taken over by a villain. It’s good! Not the first Spider-Book you should pick up, but worth reading if you want a spider-change. 

Saga of the Swamp Thing Vol. 1 by Alan Moore, John Totleben, & Steve Bissette (Complete) After hearing good things about the TV series based on this character (still haven’t watched it) I figured I’d check this out. Knowing very little about the character going in, I loved every second of it! It’s a little bit horror, a little bit classic superheroics, and just a touch philosophical. Can’t recommend this enough.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True by Ryan North, Erica Henderson,  (Complete) I can’t (and won’t) stop praising this book. It’s fun, creative, and funny! Pitting Squirrel Girl against an evil Squirrel just makes sense and is a fun break from the classic Marvel villains. Hopefully we get back to more of the classics, as that’s what I enjoyed most about volume 1, but it’s good to see that the book doesn’t shy away from variety.

Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff (Complete) Such a great adventure comic! Set in the early 1800s, it’s like a Female Indiana Jones adventure with all the swashbuckling and plundering that you’d want out of a treasure hunter. Mature in its handling of a number of topics, but done in a light tone and without heavy violence. I think it was sorted as a young adult graphic novel in my library, and that feels fitting. Stellar art and charming characters.

The Undertaking of Lily Chen by Danica Novgorodoff (Complete) Very character driven and an interesting foundation for the story (set in northern China when tradition demanded men be married even after they’ve died). There are really inspiring moments with the watercolour artwork and while it didn’t always resonate with me, it really served the story.

……….GAMING……….

Maze of the Blue Medusa  (Satyr Press) We very nearly had our first character death! Almost multiple! But they’re playing with level 9ish characters and with quick wits it’s proving difficult to defeat them. They’re still kinda wandering around this maze, but I think it’ll all start to come together soon!

And that’s it! As always, feel free to send me anything you recommend to see, read, hear, play, and so on.

Happy Wednesday!

#Monthly Media #Rambles #Kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb