#this may be one of the best scenes in all of Evangelion period

[pearl-pilots-in-chains]

Ice Cream Expertise (All the Little Lights #1)

Fandom: Neon Genesis Evangelion

Ships: Kawoshin

Rating: G

Summary: Shinji is faced with a dilemma of sorts, and is characteristically indecisive. Fortunately, Kaworu is there to give some helpful advice. Or maybe just call himself an ice cream expert. Let's be honest, it's a bit of both.

Notes: This is intended to be the start to All the Little Lights, my attempt at a relatively happy Evangelion high school AU featuring the pilots we know (and maybe love) actually getting to live a normal life (including all the cute gay romance they deserve). That said, it also works totally fine as a one shot. Considering it's an AU, there's going to be some rather interesting deviations from canon, some of which are alluded to here. So, if something seems off, that's probably because it is.

As usual, any errors, grammatical or typographical, are mine. I apologize in advance.

This was originally posted to my old AO3 on May 21, 2020. I hope you enjoy it!

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Shinji Ikari was not having a good day. No, perhaps that was an understatement. He was having a distinctly bad day. School had been tedious to say the least, considering that testing week was approaching, and the teachers seemed to be doing their best to “prepare” the students using every form of academic torture known to humankind. Okay, perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but it had been a hectic hell all the same. Not to mention the fact that his best friend Touji was going through a rough patch (not the first one, mind you), with his girlfriend Hikari, which led to a tense mood within their friend group outside of class as well. Adding onto this was the fact that he was getting worried about his sister (what wasn’t new?) Rei, who had been especially quiet the past week or so, even by her standards. That was usually a sign that her depression was going through a rough spot. He had wanted to mention something to his mother about it, considering she usually had better luck at getting through to Rei than he did when his sister was going through a difficult time, but unsurprisingly, he hadn’t gotten around to it yet. He was gone too often, and his mother was gone too often. There was all of a one to two hour period when they were both home and awake on any given night. Rei always ending up alone probably doesn’t help her state of mind improve either. I wish she had more friends. People she could connect with.

And, of course, to top all that wonderful baggage off, he had had work after school, which had gone lovely. Just lovely. A simply wonderful group of customers had come in, and stayed for a better part of three hours, ordering intermittently while they all talked (way too loudly, in his opinion) at their shared table, which, in a predictable move, they hadn’t even bothered to clean off. He was a barista, not a waiter, despite what some people seemed to think. To make matters worse, they had been laughing so hard partway through their “discussion,” that one of the party had practically flung her iced latte through the air by accident (how someone could do that by accident, was a whole other topic for conversation), sending its contents flying halfway across the room (in a bafflingly impressive display, he had to admit, as irritating as it was). Of course, he had drawn the short straw and been the one tasked with cleaning it up. His boss seemed to get a special satisfaction out of giving Shinji all the “fun,” jobs. Okay, maybe Mr. Anno’s not that bad, but he still gets a kick out of watching me suffer. Or something like that.

Shinji sighed as he pulled his car into the store parking spot. As he exited it, he glanced down at his phone. 7:16. That meant he should have enough time to get home and get dinner going before his mother got home. These days, it seemed as though she worked progressively later and later. It had been a couple months since she’d been home before 8. She was almost certainly still out at the base at that moment. Whatever project she’s working on now is one of the more intensive ones.

He headed for the doors. He was planning on making stir fry, which meant that he needed to get soy sauce for sure, since he knew they had run out from the last time. He thought they had most of the rest of what he needed at home. So, this should be a quick run. Just in and out. After a day like today though, he was tempted to grab something sweet. Come on, after this whole mess, I think I at least half deserve something to take my mind off of it. Just a little.

Inside, he made a bee line for the condiments aisle. Alright, first things first. Get what I need. Then, maybe, I’ll just check out what they have. He grabbed soy sauce, and then wavered for a moment, trying to decide just for what he was in the mood. Okay, just something little. Nothing too big. I am going to be cooking, after all. Hmmm . . . I mean, it’s probably not the best idea, but . . .

Making his decision, he set off for the frozen section. Once again, he paused when he arrived at the aisle, looking through the glass freezer doors at the available options. I’ll just get a pint. That should be more than enough. Even if Rei goes for some too. ‘Cause mom hardly ever eats anything sweet, so I doubt she’ll have any. He tilted his head, tapping the soy sauce bottle against his thigh as he considered the selection. Why are there so many flavors? I didn’t even realize they sold Pumpkin outside of November. And Lime-Raspberry? What would that even taste like? Who comes up with these things? I’ll go for something classic. I could always do Vanilla. But, that’s a little boring. I don’t even really like it that much. Chocolate’s always classic, except that Rei doesn’t like it. And her favorite is Cookie Dough, which I don’t like the texture of . . . there are way too many choices here. Running his eyes over the racks, he did a quick count. Forty-two different flavors. Why are there forty-two different flavors? I wonder if anyone’s ever tried them all. Then again, that might take a while. And be kind of pricey. Dammit, I’m getting distracted again. The only conclusion that Shinji was coming to was the fact that he liked ice cream far too much, and was wasting far more time than he should be trying to pick out something. Maybe I should just get the soy sauce and head home. He peaked down at his phone. 7:29. Yeah, I’ve already been here longer than I should be.

A voice interrupted Shinji’s thoughts. “So, what’s your drug of choice?”

Shinji head snapped to the side, his concentration broken. “What?,” He asked, a little surprised.

The source of the interruption was standing a little further down the aisle, casually leaning on one of the freezer windows, his head cocked to the side, watching Shinji with a friendly smile on his face. Shinji thought the interrupter looked to be about the same age as him, though that fact was complicated slightly by the fact that though his face was youthful, his hair was an ashen grey. He must dye it. Is grey hair a style though? The interrupting individual sported a pair of black jeans and a band shirt for a group whose name looked vaguely familiar to Shinji. Porcupine Tree . . . I feel like Rei might listen to them. Maybe. Not to mention the fact that the newcomer had red eyes. Red eyes. Okay, so maybe this is a look he’s going for. I mean, those are definitely contacts, right? Unless there’s a genetic mutation I’ve never heard of, I don’t think humans can be born with red eyes. Which means that they’re contacts. Which means that the hair is almost definitely dyed too. I’m pretty sure that’s not what ‘scene’ looks like . . . there’d be brighter colors . . . and I don’t think it’s emo either . . . I’m pretty sure his hair would be black then . . . huh . . . maybe that’s goth. Yeah. Let’s go with that. In addition to making him second guess what scene fashion looked like, Shinji’s visual analysis of the interrupter also led him to a more definite conclusion. That regardless of what category his fashion fell under, he was pretty cute. Seriously Shinji, focus here, and stop thinking about how some random boy in Safeway who asked you what type of drugs you like is cute. Don’t be an idiot. Sure, you haven’t been on a date in months, ever since Martin broke up with you, but he was a manipulative jerk anyway— Shinji realized the interrupter had started talking again, which snapped him back into reality and out of his wandering mind.

“Yeah. What flavor is your favorite. I mean, out of the forty-two, there has to be one you’d pick, right?”

“Oh. Yeah. Probably cookies ’n’ cream,” Shinji answered, feeling more than a bit confused. On an afterthought, he added, “You’ve counted all the flavors too?”

“Not a bad choice,” the boy said with a firm nod. “Although, I’m more into mint chocolate chip myself. And yes, I’ve counted them all. It’s an important part to being an ice cream expert. Keeping track of the available flavors at the nearest store.”

“Okaayyy.” Shinji’s tone betrayed his uncertainty concerning just how he should deal with this stranger. “Ice cream expert?”

“Yep, that would be me,” the boy replied matter-of-factly, as though the question was a pointless one. He strolled over to Shinji and extended his hand. “Kaworu Akagi, ice cream expert, at your service.”

Shinji shook the offered hand, deciding he should be polite, despite the fact that his perplexity had not been substantially diminished in any way. This guy is . . . interesting, to say the least. As their hands met, Shinji was struck by the strange, but intense, sense that this wasn’t his first time meeting Kaworu.

“Shinji Ikari.” Against his better judgement, he decided to follow his introduction with, “Have we met before?”

Retracting his hand, Kaworu pursed his lips, ostensibly mulling over the question in his mind. After a few moments, he shook his head. “I don’t think so. At least, not that I can recall. I just got into town a few days ago. Why do you ask?”

Shinji shrugged, trying to play off his earlier question. “Oh, I think you just reminded me of someone I used to know.”

Kaworu nodded, seeming to accept this answer. “Ah, that makes sense. So, have you come to a conclusion, or would you like a second opinion?”

Shinji raised an eyebrow. “About the ice cream, you mean?”

“Indeed. That is the topic on the floor, as they say,” Kaworu responded nonchalantly.

Shinji blinked. “Who says?”

“Why, they do of course.”

“Oh. Umm, alright.” Shinji looked back through the window, surveying his options once more. A obvious choice didn’t present itself. “Well . . . I suppose a second opinion probably wouldn’t hurt.”

“Great,” Kaworu stated, his tone even and pleasant. “Any occasion in particular you’re buying for?”

Shinji shook his head. “Nope, not really. Just . . .” he hesitated, uncertain how much he wanted to tell someone who was still basically a stranger to him. “Just a bad day,” was what he ended up deciding on.

Kaworu pretended to stroke nonexistent hairs on his chin, nodding slowly as did so, in an amusing imitation of the stereotypical philosopher. “Hmm . . . ice cream for a bad day, you say?”

“Uh. Yeah. I guess so.”

“I’d have to recommend Cherry Chip for that. It’s a guaranteed mood improver from my experience. It is nearly impossible to feel down while you’re eating Cherry Chip ice cream.”

“Really?” Shinji’s ice wandered down the display, finally locating the flavor in question. Fortunately, they had it in pint size, which meant that the option was on the table. He couldn’t think of any reason not to go for it. As far as he knew, Rei liked Cherry Chip. At least, he thought she did. He wasn’t entirely sure that he’d ever seen her eat it. For that matter, he wasn’t entirely sure that he’d ever eaten it himself. Which means it might be pretty good, and I just don’t know it yet. You never know. “Really. Trust me, I’ve tested its potency. It won’t let you down.”

“Alright. Why not?” Shinji opened the door and grabbed a pint of Cherry Chip. He examined the container in his hands for a few seconds, before looking back up at Kaworu, who now seemed to be smiling in encouragement, which had the effect of making him look even cuter than before. Come on Shinji, don’t get distracted! Sure, he might be attractive, but he’s also a self-proclaimed ice cream expert. . . not sure whether that’s a good or a bad thing yet, to be honest.

“That’ll do the job,” Kaworu remarked, in a straightforward tone that made it sound as though he was utterly confident in the truth of his words.

“I’ll take your word for it.” Shinji furrowed his brow as another question popped into his mind. “Hey .. . you said you just got into town a few days ago. How is it that you already know all the different flavors they have here?”

“It was one of the first things I scoped out after we got into town. Always important to know what kind of ice cream game you’re going to be dealing with. Plus, I had plenty of free time once we finished unpacking, considering I won’t be in school up here until the fall.”

“Ah, okay. That makes sense.” Almost on a whim, Shinji was tempted to ask Kaworu where he had moved from, but decided that could come across as prying a little too much, since Kaworu hadn’t offered that information. As it was, Kaworu gave a partial answer to the question without Shinji even verbalizing it.

“School down south ends earlier. Though, to be fair, it also starts earlier there as well. We left a couple days after my semester ended. Which means I currently have relatively few obligations, other than locating and obtaining a job for the summer.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Shinji still wasn’t exactly sure how to respond, but he decided to field a question of his own. He figured it could come across as a polite inquiry, rather than being nosy, taking into account what Kaworu had just revealed. “So, what brought you up north?”

“My mother got transferred out to the base,” Kaworu returned offhandedly.

Shinji tilted his head in response to this answer, the gears in his brain turning. Well, that’s interesting. He almost wanted to make some sort of follow-up remark expressing their similarity in that regard, but he decided that might be a bit too much to say for the moment. Instead, he merely offered a casually, “I gotcha.” He continued with an amiable, “Well, welcome to Asherdale,” along with a more ironic, “It’s halfway decent, once you get used to it.”

Kaworu’s face broken into a grin at the humor, an expression that Shinji couldn’t help but feel made him look all the more attractive. Oops, getting distracted again. . . don’t do that . . . too much.

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Kaworu said warmly.

“No problem.” The thought suddenly entering his mind, Shinji shot a momentary glance down at his phone. Hmm, what time is it? The answer was 7:37. 7:37?! I’ve been talking for eight minutes?! That felt like four or five at the most. I have to bail, now, if I’m going to make it home in time to get cooking.

He looked back up at Kaworu, who was still watching him, his gaze soft, the smile still on his face, his head tilted to the side. Shinji had the strange feeling that if it had been anyone else, the observational pose the boy had struck would have looked unusual, to say the least, but somehow, on Kaworu, it didn’t look half bad. It gives him a kind of elegant aesthetic . . . okay, where did I come up with that? I definitely need to head out.

“Hey, look, I’m sorry to leave so quick, but I need to get going.” Shinji cringed a little internally, hearing the awkward tone in his voice. You could have said that in a way that didn’t basically announced the fact that it made you flustered. Great going.

“Understandable. You wouldn’t want that ice cream to melt before you get the chance to test out its powers.”

“Haha, yeah, you know it.”

Kaworu nodded, imply that yes, he did indeed know it. “Why don’t I give you my number?” He remarked. “That way, you’ll have someone on hand for any future ice cream dilemmas.”

“Ahhh . . .” Okay, that was actually kind of smooth, in an odd way. And . . . it’s not like it could really hurt anything. I mean, he didn’t even ask for my number. Which means he’s not even necessarily flirting with me. It’d probably be a bit of stretch to say he is. After all, if I have his number, and he doesn’t have mine, that means I can choose whether I want to text him or not, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Which isn’t really a good way to flirt with somebody. I think I’m stalling again here . . .”

Shinji noticed Kaworu was watching him again, waiting for a response. “Sure. Sounds like a good plan.” He pulled out his phone and hastily created a new contact, before offering it to Kaworu. “Here, you can put it in.”

Kaworu nodded, his smile remaining intact, and typed in the digits, before handing it back to Shinji. “It was nice to meet you, Shinji Ikari,” he commented affably.

“You can just call me Shinji,” Shinji quickly responded.

“Alright then. It was nice to meet you Shinji.”

“You too . . .” Should I use first and last name like he did the first time? Or just go with first name. I don’t want to offend him, if that’s the sort of thing that’s important to him. After all, he does seem a bit, umm, particular.

“You can just call me Kaworu,” the boy suggested, his smile widening.

“It was nice to meet you Kaworu,” he finished lamely. “Guess I’ll see you around.”

“Yes, maybe so.”

Shinji nodded again, spun on his heels, and promptly made for the registers. Well, that went excellently. You meet a boy who’s kind of cute, even if he is a little eccentric, and straight off the bat, you’re second guessing yourself and fumbling for words. Fantastic.

Shinji shot a brief glance back as he reached the end of the aisle, to see that Kaworu was now retrieving an ice cream carton of his own from the merchandise freezer. Shinji turned away again before the boy could look back in his direction. Don’t want him to think I’m staring at him or something.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shinji collapsed back onto his bed with a satisfied sigh. He was glad to have finally reach it, after the nigh-interminable day. Well, maybe not quite interminable. But definitely overlong. Without much thought, he grabbed his phone from his nightstand and spun in about in his hands a couple times, feeling the sensation of the textured case against his skin.

Dinner had been a success, such as it could be, anyway. He had impressed himself with just how fast he managed to throw things together when he went into slight (well, maybe more than slight) panic mode.

The ice cream had been a success as well. He had to admit, Cherry Chip was a pretty good flavor. He still wasn’t sure whether he had tried it before or not, but he was glad he had definitively tried it now. Rei had also enjoyed it, which was an added plus. In fact, their mother had even had a bowl, something altogether unexpected. Apparently, Cherry Chip ice cream was one of the sweets she would indulge in. Didn’t see that coming. All in all, the majority of the pint was no more.

Powering on his phone, Shinji was faced with another choice for the evening. Unlike his earlier ice cream deliberation, however, this cerebration was of a cursory duration. After a few seconds, he had composed the text, and was hovering over the send button. Alright. Let’s do this. He tapped the icon.

Shinji I.: Thanks for the recommendation. It was a good choice! Lol. This is Shinji, btw.

The response to his message came swiftly. Wow, he must type fast.

Kaworu A.: Happy to be of service. I’m glad it worked out.

Shinji found a smile edging its way across his lips. Maybe, in spite of everything, today wasn’t such a bad day after all.

#evangelion #fanfic #kawoshin #shinji ikari #kaworu nagisa #shinji x kaworu #neon genesis evangelion #eva #fanfiction #high school au

[insomniacowl]

Neon Genesis Evangelion analysis chapter 15: Ayanami Rei, Unit – 00 Part 2 Trigger Warning: Languages that may depict rape and murder

Rei: …Who? Me? Myself inside of Eva?

No, there is someone else in here. Who are you?

Let’s begin this chapter with the scene from episode 23 when Armisael is “Penetrating” Unit – 00 and forced itself into Rei’s mind.

In this sequence, the other being that looked like Rei was the Armisael, yet Rei’s monologue is telling as she recounts that she was always aware of the other “being” that was inside of Unit – 00. Therefore, it is likely that there is a soul of someone in Unit – 00’s core who has a connection with Rei in a certain way. If the Soul in Unit – 00’s core was Naoko, Rei would not have felt the presence of a different “Self” in the core, thus there would have been a different way this was portrayed in this sequence.

There is another important scene in the game. As I have covered in the chapter for the unit – 03, there is a sequence in it where the pilots are confronted with the soul/s that are inside of their respective cores. For Shinji, Asuka, and Touji, they encounter their own mothers, but Rei encounters the younger Rei with distorted body proportion that we see in episode 14, with her name displayed as “???”.

Furthermore, in the game documents, the soul inside Unit – 00’s core is referred to as ‘Unknown being in the form of younger Rei’. With we extrapolate this and try to connect the game to the original series, we can see that it is the same being that we see in the game and in episode 14 through Shinji.

???: Why do you lie about your name and your body?

In the end, all we are let know is that the identity of the soul in Unit – 00 only looks like the first Rei when she died, therefore, it may not be correct to simply say that the identity of the soul is that of “The first Rei” as in this case, it becomes a contradiction of having two identical souls existing at the same time. 

So let us delve a little further to answer this question of the identity of the soul while not straying away from the canon.

The second rei we know, and love did not have such evil smile

To start off, I will tell you my conclusion. My belief in the identity of the soul in Unit – 00’s core is a “Piece” of Lilith’s soul. This is possible as we have seen this happen with Kyoko’s soul for Unit – 02. Furthermore, as Kyoko’s contact experiment was conducted before the creation of Unit – 00’s core, we can also say that there is a possibility that Kyoko’s experiment was set up to test the viability of splitting a soul.

This “Piece” of the soul is not that of the First Rei. It is a part of the soul that was split on purpose when First Rei’s soul was being salvaged. Seeing again from Kyoko’s case, splitting of the soul can result in parts of the personality being attached with a specific soul (For Kyoko, her motherly side was taken away). Thus my argument is that Gendou has removed the expressive and potentially dangerous element of Lilith’s personality and locked it up in Unit – 00’s core. The personality that was locked up is likely to be related to that of Jealousy, hatred, and sexual desires and I will come back to this when we start our discussion of Rei.

Also, let’s keep in mind that the First Rei was made in 2004 and killed in 2010. Second Rei was created shortly after and is active during the ongoing of the series, 2015. So we can observe that the “Age” is not related to their physical appearance. Furthermore, First Rei is superior in terms of the ability to communicate with other people.

Gendou: She’s not Shinji. Her name is Rei

In her conversation with Naoko, we can definitely see that the First Rei had a sadistic side to her that we do not see in Second or Third Rei. What she tells Naoko is not that of a child simply repeating to another adult what they heard, but we can see that she is enjoying the distress Naoko is feeling at that moment. This is in line with the personality of Lilith in European folklore. 

We can also see that Naoko was shown to be afraid of the image of “a jealous woman” that the First Rei has shown her.

Naoko: Rei-chan, is there something you want to say?

Rei: Don’t bother asking old lady. I can do what I want by myself

Naoko: You shouldn’t go around calling others an old lady. I’ll tell on you to commander Ikari

Rei: But you are an old lady. 

That old lady is uptight. The old lady is useless now. That what the commander said

*In original Japanese, Old lady (Baba) is more derogatory

In theorizing, many lean towards the idea that Gendou has made the First Rei say such lines. My belief is that Lilith has used her abilities to read the thoughts of Gendou and Naoko or have at the very least said what she said on her own free will. We can say this about her ability as we see Kaworu being able to tell that he is being watched by Misato and can float freely as he travels down to central dogma. Being a being of similar status, it is likely that Lilith too has similar abilities as Kaworu shows us. 

If the case of Kaworu’s ability stands, we can also make an argument of the same nature for the First Rei, and therefore also explain why the Second Rei never shows such abilities (as she is not a complete soul).

If Gendou has made the First Rei say such things to Naoko, that also means that he foretold Naoko’s murder of Rei and the suicide shortly after. Such foresight is in the realm of prophecy and I don’t think it's even written in the dead seas scroll.

It doesn’t matter if you die. You are replaceable…. Just like me.

Now let us shift our perspective to that of Gendou for a moment. Inside of the First Rei is the Soul of Lilith. And this soul is important in the project of instrumentality. But the situation he found himself after the death of the two he realized that there is a need for a safer way of containing this soul.

Since the First Rei have managed to kill Naoko if resurrected in the same way, what could she possibly do next to sabotage? This made Lilith’s soul difficult to deal with.

In this case, the best way forward for Gendou was to lock away the problematic part of Lilith’s soul in unit – 00 and create the Second rei with the remainder, teach her the emotions that she does not have (either as Lilith, or the part that was locked up) and right before the initiation of the HIP, fuse the two together to create the Third Rei,

Rei: This is… tears… crying… am I crying?

The emotions Rei picks up throughout the series is the “Love towards Gendou”, and right before her moment of death was “Loneliness” and “Sadness”. To put it in different words, creating a desire for the instrumentalization. To cement this desire, Gendou chooses this exact moment to unfreeze Unit – 01 and send out Shinji to turn that desire into that of “Love for Shinji” (Gendou’s problem was that this love developed a little too much). The Second rei that has completed her utility then died in Unit – 00’s self-destruction.

The two souls were salvaged and were fused into the Third Rei and in Gendou’s mind, Rei that was perfect for the Third impact was created. So to say the Third Rei is the same being as the First is inaccurate due to the difference there was between the Second and the First, and there would have been some danger in carrying out the instrumentality with the First as she was.

Kaworu: First children Ayanami Rei. You are just like me.

Rei: Who are you?

One more detail that supports my argument is in episode 24 when Kaworu refers to Rei as a being just like he is and just for a short period, the Third Rei was similar to the First Rei. This happens when Kaworu enters the central dogma when he blocks out everything from the outside by expanding his AT-field. Aoba report of a brief spike of a second AT-field and we see Rei floating in Central Dogma looking down at Kaworu and Shinji. It is also the Third Rei that appears at the final moment of End of Evangelion (This too will be covered in a later chapter in detail).

This means that because the Third Rei was existing inside of Lilith during the actual instrumentalization, Rei was able to become a higher being.

Shinji: Ayanami, why do you ride the Eva?

If we look back, other then the lack of emotions the Second Rei shows, we do not see her showing any extraordinary abilities. I have mentioned before the possibility of Second Rei not containing the soul of Lilith. It is often taken as though fact by many that ‘Rei = Lilith’ but we need to keep in mind that we do not have solid evidence that the soul of all Reis is identical.

This gives rise to the possibility that the Second Rei may not even be Lilith. It that is the case, it explains two observations that we can make. Firstly, the comparison between Kaworu who was able to pilot Unit – 02 (That was a part of his body) freely, and how Rei was unable to move Unit – 01 as freely. Secondly, how Gendou was confident enough to make Rei pilot Unit – 00 that was built using the Body of Adam. 

Yet this is not enough to disprove the ‘Rei = Lilith’ hypothesis thus my argument of partial nature of Second Rei’s soul.

The first Rei in episode 25: Look inside of you. There is a heart that no one can see neither understand

In episode 14, there is a piece of dialogue that is presented in a throwaway manner that says, “Ayanami herself only faintly feels her existence”. This describes Rei’s lack of social abilities and also points to the missing “piece” of her existence and is continuously presented to us when we see Rei is seen reflecting on her identity.

In other words, this missing “Piece” was inside of Unit – 00, and the absence of it has caused great pain and feeling of loneliness for the Second Rei. This is also the reason why she continues to pilot Unit – 00 as this is when she can feel herself to be whole. Thus why she describes the act of piloting Eva as “A way to stay linked to others”.

Rei: No. I don’t know. I’m probably the third.

One more point of note is that the Third Rei was aware (although not completely sure of it) that she is the Third.

This struck me as odd that she knew this since the Second never said anything about her being Second, neither would it be sensible for Gendou or Ritsuko to tell her this fact.

However, if we consider the idea of the Second rei having a missing “Piece” she was aware of, and if Lilith’s soul was able to understand that there was a period this “Piece” was removed, then returned, the Third Rei should be able to instinctively feel that there have been two “transformations” that has occurred before this.

I always wonder the reason why they used the word “Umbilical” cord to refer to the power supply cable.

The soul inside of Eva’s core has mostly been that of the pilot’s mother. This is likely due to the ease of synchronization between mothers and children. But let’s think of what the reason might be. My guess is that Eva imitates the situation when there are two souls in one body during pregnancy. Since there have been nine months of this had happened already before the child was born, they ‘return to the womb’ in the form of piloting the Eva.

In the case of Rei, the absence of a mother for her served as an obstacle in creating Unit – 00’s core, to create a representation of a mother-child relationship, the best course of action would have been to split the soul into two and place them respectively into the Eva and into the cloned body. 

My proposition here would suffice in explaining the relationship between all of our pilots and their Evas’ cores.

Let us now return to where we started and look again at the hints presented to us in the sequence of Unit – 00 going berserk. Through both cases of going out of control, Unit – 00 seemed to have shown its hatred of Rei, Gendou, and itself. There is no proof of Unit – 00 having any reason to desire to harm Ritsuko. My belief in her assumptions being shown to us was to highlight the guilt she might harbor regarding the Dummy system. On why it seemed like Unit – 00 was trying to kill Rei or itself, my argument is that it also desired to become one complete soul, and to make it happen, either one of them had to die.

The being that Shinji encounters when he is in Unit – 00 is therefore not exactly the soul of the first Rei. She is also Rei, but not completely Rei. Since there is no exact name that we can use to refer to this soul (that is only a part of the whole soul), it explains why the name in the game text is referred to as ???.

In episode 25 (End of Evangelion) we see that both the second Rei and the First exist together inside Third Rei and we are shown the first Rei talking to the Second in a demeaning and cruel attitude that feels like it is Lilith. This could be due to the soul has been in different locations being inserted into the Third Rei as they were salvaged.

1 + 1 = 1

If my hypothesis presented over the two chapters are correct, they would have required the technicalities on how to separate out only a specific part of Lilith. It should not be impossible due to the example of Kyoko existing, but I will say that this is what is referred to as the “Trouble faced during the creation of Core for Rei” that we are told in the game.

The analysis of Unit – 00’s core also leads directly to the analysis of Ayanami Rei herself. For example, her name “Rei” in Japanese can both mean “Zero” or “Spirit”, alluding to her being the pilot of Unit – 00, or to the identity of the importance of the Soul in her identity. It may also refer to two souls ( 0 and 0 ) existing both inside and outside of Unit – 00. 

There is still so much that we have left to discuss the identity of and Ayanami Rei as a character. All of this will be covered in the future.

I would like to thank you for stitching with me for the past five weeks covering the analysis of Evangelion Units for what they are, and this chapter concludes this discussion on their identity and the role of souls in piloting it. From the next chapter onwards, we shall be on a new topic of the organizations and angels starting with the discussion of Seele, Gehrin, and Nerv.

Thank you for reading

TBC Chapter 16 Seele, Gehrin, Nerv and…

#Neon genesis evangelion #Evangelion #Eva #End of evangelion #Nge #Nagisa Kaworu #Lilith #Sci-fi #Ikari Shinji #Soryu Asuka Langley #asuka #Ayanami Rei #rei #Anno Hideaki #Katsuragi Misato #Anime #Analysis #Review

[mbtiofwhys]

How Ni and Ne (don't) binge watch

Premise

MBTI is a serious topic for us mods and we always put our best effort writing articles for this blog. However, we also find entertaining to write in a more light way about how MBTI shows off in real life. This article is one of those: we won’t discuss deeply about theory, but we’ll rather talk about our experiences with binging works of various media, be them books, videogames or tv shows. We love typing fictional characters since we also love works of fiction. Listening to other high Ni and Ne users we found an interesting correlation between those two function and media consumption, especially regarding the topic of binging. So, this isn’t hard science, it's simply a light reflection that 200% comes from our experiences. That being said, we hope this article will be relatable and intriguing. 

Ni dom and binge

INFJ mod here. This may sound counterintuitive, but even if Ni is known to be a function about searching for deeper meanings, discarding options and focusing on the few remaining, I approach works of fictions with a “multitasking” method. What do I mean? Well, I’m not the kind of person who will just sit down and watch an entire season of a tv show, even if it’s the best I ever seen (there are few exception to this rule, works like Persona 5 Royal which I heavily binged. With no regrets). I simply prefer to watch a little amount of episodes, or read few chapters of a book, for example, and then stop, thus having time to reflect on what I saw or read. I just need time to process all of the data and feelings, otherwise I’ll just hit the wall of information overload.

Even if they’re just my attempt to find a correlation between high Ni and all those aspects, I’d like to talk about what the causes of this behaviours may be, with a MBTi perspective.

Binging may be hard for Ni users since they need time to analyze things, putting them in their abstract subjective system. This means, in other words, that the higher the level of complexity is, the longer will be the time needed to absorb it. For example, I can read mindlessly a novel for a mere entertaining value, but if I really like it I’ll just take my time to enjoy the journey, reflecting and talking about my feelings and first impressions to my friends (this is my auxiliary Fe showing, I know).

Ni operates by discarding elements, thus Ni users may reach a point where they simply prefer to stop. This process allows them to elaborate those information, be them characters, facts or emotions (based on personal preferences, for example feelers may tend toward the emotional aspect and T users toward puzzles, mysteries, logical consistency). As I stated above, if I absorb too much data and feelings I’ll just freeze, submerged by the information overload. With works of fiction, I have an underlying fear of missing important aspects of it and the more I read, watch or play, the more I’ll need time to stop and see how all the new things make sense, be them theories, feelings, or simply understanding what’s going on. Even while I’m actively reading/watching/playing I process all the informations as a way to put them into perspective, constantly elaborating them in the back of my mind.

Another personal consideration is: high Ni implies low Se. Low Se may find binging as a form of overstimulation. Moreover Se, in lower positions, requires little stimuli, allowing Ni users to organize the environment (rationally or emotionally through Te or Fe), since high Ni users are J and need a certain amount of control over the environment (Te or Fe) and their feelings or internal logic (Fi or Ti) .

Finally, I think there’s a tendency in high Ni user to consume multiple media, but in small amounts. This isn’t supported by hard evidences, it’s just a trend I noticed talking to friends about the subject. Ni users may prefer to approach different media rather than a single one, splitting their attention and energies through them. So, this is the opposite of binging. Personally, except for few works of fiction which I blindly burned with my passion, I usually switch from a medium to another, a sort of “media multitasking” as a way to “cool down” from one by simultaneously approach another one and still being engaged.

Ne dom and binge

ENFP mod here. I fear I’ll have to repeat the same premise as INFJ mod: This may sound counterintuitive, but even if Ne is known to be a function that works with multitasking and jumps from one topic to the other very quickly, I tend to approach works of fiction by shamelessly binging one and proceeding to be obsessed with it for months (or years.)

This happens especially for the works that end up being my favorites once I finish them - paired with the fact that I usually go through them again at least a second time after I’m finished. It almost feels like that if I’m not binging, I’m not interested/invested enough to care. I binge so much, in fact, that I’ve come to distinguish the ‘soft binge’ from the ‘hard binge’ - where ‘soft’ means a 12 episodes anime in 2-4 days and ‘hard’ means 145 hours of Persona 5 Royal in 3 weeks.

So, how might this work?

Firstly, Ne dom needs stimuli. Constantly. The more, the better. Because external stimuli means more prompts from something that isn’t one’s mind, which causes further reflection, connections and a ton of brainstorming. Ne can connect dots scaringly quickly, and even though proper reflection is appreciated to deepen the subject, connections are often made on the spot. I think it’s very difficult for me to reach a point of information overload - it usually happens with very complex topics and study subjects, for which I need to take a break and write things down into diagrams and lists in order to make proper sense of what I learned. But even in the case of works with heavy and intricate worldbuilding/plot (e.g. Stein’s;Gate, but I’m a sucker for time travel fiction so whichever is fine) I rarely stop watching if something doesn’t add up - I usually understand it later on, or wait for everything to end and search on the internet or talk about it with friends. My only time off is the one between OP/ED (which I NEVER skip and my friends hate me for that.) In that time, I disconnect my brain for 1 minute and 20-ish seconds to recharge.

Ne dom doesn’t have the patience to wait. If it wants answers, it wants them now. Binging is great because it offers both stimuli, questions and answers in a short amount of time. Also, (but maybe this is more of an F thing and for Ti aux might be different) I’m not one to make theories and speculations over fictional works - I might do that, but later, once I’m finished. While I’m enjoying a work, I’m usually so involved that all the theorising is limited to hunches and intuitions. Proper theorising needs time, needs one to stop and reflect on one’s knowledge in order to find hidden meanings and try to predict the outcome. I don’t have the patience to do that. I’m not interested in doing that - I want to know what’s going on, period. The few times I happened to reflect and speculate on a work of fiction were when I watched/read/played the thing simultaneously with some friends and talked to them about it constantly.

Which brings us to: discussing with people. Knowing a work means you’re able to discuss it with others, read reviews and watch video essays and analysis, of course Ne dom wants to devour it as quickly as possible. I literally watched the whole Evangelion (and I mean: the anime, EoE and the 3 rebuilds) in two weeks in order to finally enjoy those sweet, sweet video essays and parody and abridged YouTube wouldn’t stop to suggest me. This may sound silly, but searching discussion topics of the works I went through -even the ones I disliked- is very important to me, because listening to other people’s opinions and prompts is a way to further feed my Ne with different perspectives, viewpoints, things I might have missed while binging.

The problem: the quicker the binge, the more it’s difficult for me to remember details about plot, characters etc that, yet minor, can be important or interesting. Which is kind of the main struggle of having low Si: you know something, but you don’t remember everything you’d need precisely. You can’t pinpoint the scene where a thing happened, you feel you might have already seen a detail but you can’t recollect when and in what circumstances, and the list goes on. And this doesn’t stop once you’ve finished, obviously - it can only get worse. Typing the main Persona 5 cast was such a pain that, during my second playthrough of vanilla P5, I literally had to open a document and write down every single line or detail or plot point that could’ve helped me later. Otherwise, the situation would be: “damn, I know [character] said something alongside the line of [thing that could help me with typing] but I can’t remember what exactly! Let’s spend hours on YT watching walkthrough in order to find by chance the exact scene I’m thinking about.” This may also be why I periodically feel the need to go through my favourite works again: I may know them by heart, but there will always be things that I missed.

#mbti of whys #mbti #personality types #myers briggs #typology #binging #ni #ne #introverted intuition #extroverted intuition #works of fiction

[dragonclaw29]

Top Ten Anime

Its that time of year again. The time of year I post my anime review list for my personal picks for the best anime of all time. You can disagree with me if you want, you’ll be wrong, but you can. As per usual I will give a brief synopsis of each anime when I get to them in the list. Prepare to see many of the ones that were on last year but there have been a few new additions. Now without further adieu let us begin. 

Number 10 Azumanga Daioh

It's cute it’s funny it’s Azumanga Daioh. Follow the tale of a group of high school girls who may be missing a few screws as they adventure through their daily lives. This show is one of comedy and laughs. It sticks close to the core of what makes it fun and doesn’t through you for a curve. By far my favorite comedy Anime of all time. If you really enjoy it check out the manga as well it is a blast. Not much to say about this one so moving right along.

Number 9 Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon is a staple of the three B’s of anime those being Boobs, Bullets, and Businessman. What happens when a young salary worker is forced into a mercenary band of Americans? Well, you get Black Lagoon. An action anime through and through. Every episode is tackling some new problem. Some of these problems are entertaining like neo-nazis on a boat but others will tug at your heartstrings. One of the few anime that can keep a light-hearted tone then switch to a different genre within seconds and make it work. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get into anime. 

Number 8 Death Parade

Everybody put your hands up! God dang does this opening rock. I mean its completely misleading but the song is such a jammer that it doesn’t matter. Ever wonder what happens when you die, do you rise to heaven or be banished to Hell? Well, the characters in Death Parade will try to help answer that problem. By playing the games found in their bar people will expose their darkest secrets and I do mean darkest.  Not for the faint of heart but worth a watch. If you want to see a heartwarming touching show that also has some heavy philosophical concepts Death parade is right for you. Has one of the best scenes in all of anime near the end. I will amendment I was balling like a baby during parts of this show. 

Number 7 Trigun

Trigun the space western that tells the tale of the most wanted man who ever existed. What did the man do to become so wanted, especially when all the guy seems to do is tumble his way through life? Well, I’m not telling you but its fun figuring it out. A great show with some stand-up comedy. Like Black-Lagoon the tone of each episode can vary greatly but its never not enjoyable. This is a show where the plot sneaks up on you and by the time your in the thick of it you’ll be eating everything up. One of the only anime to have a pair of insurance girls as main characters so that's a plus. If you liked Cowboy Bebop you love Trigun. 

Number 6 Future Diary

Future Diary is the show that really got me into anime. I remember watching this for the first time and staying up until four in the morning to binge it even though I said I was only going to watch two episodes. This show put me through the wringer and I loved every second of it. Future Diary has great character creation and has a way to make you stop and look at how people can break. Beautiful animation and great fight scenes future diary also is the origin of the modern Yandere. This show will always have a special place in my heart. 

Number 5 Last Exile 

This show is so good and has such wonderful world building I don’t know where to start. The basic premise is steampunk world but it is much much more than that. Last Exile creates a massive narrative that leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat. The budget for this show was crap so they made up for it by telling an awesome story. So much happens in this show it almost feels like three shows despite only being a twenty-six episode series. The characters are dynamic and fell real. The situations they find themselves in are interesting and everything comes together in the end in one massive finally. 

Number 4 Berserk (Original 1990′s version and theatrical releases)

I’m going, to be honest with you these shows exist to get you into the manga. Also, Mirua finish the god damn manga already its been thirty years. Anywho the berserk anime before 2017 are all lovely. My recommendation is to watch the one that came out in 97 first then watch the three movies that cover the same time period. The anime goes into more depth into the story while the movies give berserk the awesome animation it deserves. The story is dark and bleak sometimes oppressively so but the plot and characters will have you blitzing through every moment. Berserk is good enough to be taught in a writing class for its nature, and I to this day wait patiently for each manga chapter to come out. All I can say is push through the darkness struggler. 

Number 3 Serial Experiments Lain

Award for best pajamas in an Anime goes to this show as well as the reward for making one of the most confusing convoluted shows to watch. Every scene in this show means something. The narrative is one that hits the ground at 90mph and doesn’t stop. Through every twist and turn, more questions are raised and the answers never seem to come. In order to truly enjoy Lain one will have to watch the show multiple times and even then you may be missing large aspects of the show. People have hundreds of theories with each theory seeming reasonable or sound. My recommendation watch this show with an open mind and theorize as you go. Don’t go online looking for answers you won’t find ones that suite your ideas. When you finish then you can look around but truth be told the theory you come up with might be as factual as any of the other ones. 

Number 2 Madoka Magica

What does it mean to love someone? Does it mean doing whatever it takes to save them no matter what the cost is? Does love come from self-sacrifice or is it something greater still? Madoka Magica will have you pondering this and more as you go through the episodes. This show has the best art in an anime I have ever seen. Each character has their own unique ark that plays into the central plot line. Each villain has their own unique style that shows up when the girls are facing them. Even typing about this show is making me gush about how good it is. I strongly recommend this to everyone and anyone. This is an anime where I can honestly not think of a single flaw in it. 

Number 1 Tie Evangelion & Haibane Renmei 

Before you get mad at me, yes I know I’m cheating but I honestly can’t rank either of these below the number 1 spot. Both of these shows have changed the way I look at the world. Evangelion made me look at myself in an entirely new way and Haibane makes me cry justing talking about it. I honestly love both of these shows even though each has a budget of two dollars. Evangelion tells the tale of a group of children who are tasked with defending humanity. Each child will be tested in that task with. Haibane tells the tale of a girl finding her place in the world and learning to help others. Both shows are brilliant pieces that I will never forget. I am being vague about both of them on purpose in order not to spoil anything but definitely give both of these a watch some time. Also, a tip when you go to watch Evangelion watch it in this order ep1-24 then End of Eva ep25-26 then the rebuilds. 

Well, that's it another year completed another list uploaded. If anyone has questions feel free to message me and I am more than happy to talk. Lets hope for a great 2019!

#evangelion #neon genesis evangelion #End of EVA #haibane renmei #haibane #berserk #guts berserk #best anime #best #review #black lagoon #Trigun #Death Parade #death billiards #puella magi madoka magica #madoka kamane #lain #serial experiments lain #last exile #future diary #azumanga daioh #azumanga

[lifeofnickripley]

Favorite Manga/Anime

Kay, so If I'm gonna start posting stuff onto here, guess I gotta do some journaling kinda stuff.(It is a blog after all) Alrightly then, guess I'll start off with something relevant to the original content I will frequently post, Manga/Anime. There will be a lot that I love that aren't on here, but these are my personal favorites.(LONG BLOG I AM SORRY)

Top Anime:

Honorable mention - Amon - The Apocalypse of Devilman OVA - Kay so I'll be the first to admit, I'm a total edgelord.(one of my bands is a death metal band) and this one is GORY!! It's depressing, messed up, dark. It deviates from the Manga storyline but I always go back to it, plus that ending OST is amazing.

10.)Monster Musume - I probably should be extremely embarrassed about liking this one...but I'm not, it's amazing. Perverted? Yes. Weird? very. So much weird T&A action goin on that it's nauseating at times? oh my god yes. That being said, IT'S HILARIOUS!!!

9.) Pop Team Epic - Ever wondered what it's like in hell? This show. This show is literally meme hell, to the point where you lose brain cells if you watch it too long. It's great. I recommend it, after watching a decent chunk I wanted to scoop out my eyeballs and play tennis with them. That may sound like a bad thing, but trust me, it's an amazing feeling.

8.) My Hero Academia - Kay, so I'm not caught up on this one, buuuuut it's motivational as hell. I don't think I've ever rooted for a protagonist to win at something more than I've rooted for Deku. The popularity of the show speaks for itself but, damn, what an awesome underdog show.

7.) Jojo's Bizzare Adventure - SONO CHI NO SADAME!!! JOOOOOOOOOJOOOO!!! I still need to catch up on this one too but I love this wacky, music reference filled, insane show. I doubt I can really say much that hasn't been said already bout it. So on that note ORAORAORAORAORAORAORARARA

6.) Noir - Highly underrated anime. Bout two female assassins, one played by Monica Rial. Refreshingly dark and realistic, this awesome tale is set in France and is haunting, to the point of where I still come back to it after years and years of watching it. Quality anime that has slipped under most people's radar.

5.) Mirai Nikki - I said I was an Edgelord, right? Think this one cements that status. Home of the best Yandere in all of anime, I doubt I need to sing it's praises. Yuno Gasai is a well known character for a reason. Love this insane series.

4.) My Bride is a Mermaid - I'll admit, when I first saw this on Netflix and began watching it out of boredom, I didn't think I would like it. Matter of fact, I was sure I would hate it. I don't typically like cutesy things, edgelord here, I despise things that are cute and cuddly (Cept for cats). But HOOOOLY HELL this one was funny. Best part is? It doesn't rely on pervy imagery to be hilarious, it is humor at its purest. Comedy anime at its finest.

3.) Samurai Champloo - Sa-sa-sa-samurai champloo! Woooo where do I begin? Three misfits, Edo period Japan, Hip-hop related adventures, and badass fight secenes? Count me in! Made by the same people who made Cowboy Bebop, even has Steve Blum voicing Mugen, so you know it's good.

2.) Saikano - Kay so don't judge an anime by its art style. I repeat: NEVER judge an anime by its art style. This one is cheesy, yes, and the English Dub is horrible. THAT BEING SAID, it really does not go where you would expect it to go and one scene in particular had me shedding...manly...tears-It's sad, ok?! That character didn't deserve that death scene!!!

1.) Neon Genesis Evangelion - Ahhhhh yes. The creme de la creme of #toodeepforyou. Highly intellectual and artistic, this DIY amalgamation of a series hits many notes for me and came to me at a time where I needed it most. It's slow but if you allow yourself to be patient and analyze what is at first appearance a confusing, psychedelic nightmare, you'll find yourself in for a treat. Best part of the series for me? The movie End of Evangelion. You watch the series, you have to watch the movie. End of discussion.

Top Manga:

(BEEN AWHILE SINCE I'VE READ MANGA SO IT'S ONLY TOP 3)

3.)Inuyasha - The original Manga that got me into anime/manga. Rumiko Takahashi's work is very near and dear to my heart. I just remember the feeling of reading these for the first time in Middle School, I don't think I knew manga could be this cool when I firt started. The demons were legit terrifying, you couldn't help but root for Inuyasha and Kagome. Mindblowing stuff for an 11 year old.

2.)Berserk - Probably the one manga I still retroactively read. Dear god, it's excellent. The story, the fantastic art, superb writing and character development. There is a reason I want to get the Brand of the Sacrifice Tattooed on my neck. Guts is arguably one of the most sympathetic anti-heroes ever written. This is another series that really entered my life at the right time. No matter what terrible things happen to Guts. He lives on, he fights through his literal demons everyday. Above anything else, he carries on. Will forewarn anybody hoping to check it out though, extreme depictions of violence and sexual violence. Series is not for the faint of heart AT ALL.

1.)Ranma 1/2 - Ahhhh Ranma 1/2. My absolute favorite. Every time I sit down and read this manga, I find myself genuinely laughing from one of the panels. In my opinion, Rumiko Takahashi's best work. It is an absolute comedy masterpiece. Pure craziness and absurdity. 10/10.

#blog #manga #anime #favorites #neon genesis evangelion #berserk #ranma 1/2 #noir #my hero academia #jojo no kimyō na bōken #amon the apocalypse of devilman #saikano #samurai champloo #inuyasha #my bride is a mermaid #mirai nikki #pop team epic #monster musume

[utaprinews]

Gekidan Shining from Utano☆Prince-sama♪ Presents Polaris Interview! "I've broadened my horizons," says Ryunosuke Matsumura (EnterStage)

(Originally posted August 9th, 2018)

"Gekidan Shining" is a stage performance project for the otome series "Utano☆Prince-sama♪" (more commonly known as Uta☆Pri) developed in order to delve into the theater scene. June of last year saw the debut of its first show "Tenka Muteki no Shinobi-do", followed by "Masquerade Mirage" in September and "JOKER TRAP" earlier this year. A revue performance, "SHINING REVUE", featuring all three productions was held due to astonishing fan feedback. This fall, the "Gekidan Shining" project will tackle the "Theater Shining" series, focusing on the theme of "movies".

The first installment in this series and the fourth major performance for the company will be "Polaris", a science fiction tale of a distant future where three young men must work together to protect the Earth from impending crisis while each exploring their own humanity along the way. Expectations are high for how this grand of a story will be portrayed on the stage. We talked to Ryunosuke Matsumura, the role of Tokiya Ichinose, about the shift from the "JOKER TRAP" performance and his own thoughts on "Polaris".

--To start with, can you tell us about your impressions from working on "Gekidan Shining from Utano☆Prince-sama♪ Presents JOKER TRAP"? It was only a few months ago, but it already feels like its been years since it happened. (laughs) Since there was so much that happened during that short period of time, I was actually a little sad once it had run its course... I needed some time before I could really tell myself "alright, this is really over".

--Were you particularly invested in "JOKER TRAP"? It was a truly fulfilling experience from the first day of practice all the way to the last day of performances. I was able to work with a wonderful group of people - Takamoto-kun in the role of REN, Kohatsu Allen-kun in the role of RAN, and Kikuchi Shuji-kun as CAMUS - that I would love to have the chance to perform alongside again in the future. It was a project I won't forget for the rest of my life.

--Did you have to change much about yourself to get into the role of TOKI during "JOKER TRAP"? To get into the role of TOKI I had to first learn how to act as Ichinose Tokiya and it's a pretty conscious shift I go through. Ever since I decided to turn acting into a career, I knew I had to be strict with myself. Ichinose Tokiya is also very strict with himself, the kind of person who strives to do everything perfectly. It was inspiring and sort of felt like I was getting a look at myself from a different perspective. As a result, I became more in tune with what I'm currently capable of and what I still need to improve on. The whole experience gave me a chance to grow as a person as well as an actor.

--I saw your performance and thought you were an amazing TOKI. I wouldn't necessarily say amazing, but thank you nonetheless. I think the quality of my acting will differ among viewers, but so long as I was able to grow from the performance I'll be pleased with myself. I can't extend my thanks enough to all the fans who cheered us on and gave me strength. As the audience's excitement grew we found ourselves thinking "I want them to have even more fun! I want them to feel even more fulfilled!" and that really drove us from one performance to the next. I'm proud to say that I was part of a performance that brought the audience together as a whole.

--After the "JOKER TRAP" performances were over, you were also involved in a revue show showcasing songs from "Gekidan Shining from Utano☆Prince-sama♪ Presents Tenka Muteki no Shinobi-michi, Masquerade Mirage, and JOKER TRAP" under the name "SHINING REVUE". Every single performance we did was really fun! All of my co-stars had the same mentality of not wanting to lose and to keep raising the bar for themselves. It was definitely refreshing to collaborate with the actors from separate shows during the variety corner.

--That was also where you first met Shojiro Yokoi, your co-star in "Polaris". That's right. Yokkoi-san (Yokoi's nickname) and I have even started hanging out in our free time. Once "JOKER TRAP" was over, it was nice to have someone who could put up with me. We don't have a senpai/kouhai relationship either which is a plus. (laughs) We haven't known each other for long but I already feel like he's been my best friend for years.

--You've previously said that you're rather shy when it comes to meeting new people. Does this mean you're starting to overcome your shyness? I think Yokkoi-san is a special case. Yokkoi-san seems to be pretty shy himself and that was just sort of an immediate connection between us. (laughs) The more I get to know his bright personality, his smile, and his friendly nature, the more I find myself liking him.

--What's your impression of your other co-star who plays the role of Natsuki Shinomiya, Soichiro Yamakawa? If I had to describe Yamakawa-san in a nutshell, I'd say that he's the definition of "good youth". He was very friendly when we met despite that he's a good few years older than I am and I'm honestly excited to mess around with him backstage as we become better friends. (laughs) It's not stressful being around him so practice is something I look forward to.

--Gekidan Shining from Utano☆Prince-sama♪ Presents Polaris is the first of four in the "Theater Shining" series to make it to the stage. Expectations are high but what sort of work do you think this will be? We don't even have that much information yet on how the science fiction genre will be portrayed on stage but as an "Utano☆Prince-sama♪" fan myself, I'm looking forward to finding out even though I'm a part of it. I trust our director, Hosakayou, to handle the screenplay and production side of things well. I can't wait to jump into the world of "Polaris" once practice starts so that we can truly create something that will satisfy everyone!

--During the visual shoot, you had photographs taken of many different unique costumes. The pilot suit is my favorite! I've always loved space and robots so I'm excited just to be able to wear it.

--While on the topic, what are some of your favorite science fiction movies and anime? For movies, definitely Star Wars. As for anime, I'm fond of the Mobile Suit Gundam series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Basically I like anything where the characters get to control the robots from inside them.

--Do you have anything you'd like to say to everyone who's looking forward to the performance? I'll do my best to give you a satisfying performance that exceeds your expectations! My goal is to have people correlate Ryunosuke Matsumura with Tokiya Ichinose... The least I can do for everyone who's a fan of the original work is fully engulf myself in the world of "Polaris" this time as well.

--The original "Polaris" from Theater Shining had the catchphrase "What is true strength?" What do you think "true strength" is? I know it's cliche but I'd say the answer is love. I think a truly strong person is someone who would sacrifice themselves for someones else. It's not something as simple as "the strength to get back up again no matter how many times you fall" or "the desire to repay someone" or even "the passion to become something greater than you already are". For instance, even if my acting career starts to overwhelm me in the future, I wouldn't be discouraged because I love what I do and cherish where I am already. Although things may get tough, as long as you can love something for what it is then I think that is enough to qualify as growth. I think that's what "true strength" is.

◆Performance Info Gekidan Shining from Utano☆Prince-sama♪ Presents Polaris [Tokyo Performance] Thursday, September 13th - Sunday, September 23rd, 2018     AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo [Osaka Performance] Friday, October 5th - Monday, October 8th, 2018     Umeda Arts Theater / Theater Drama City

[Original] Utano☆Prince-sama♪ Theater Shining - Polaris [Screenplay/Directing] Hosakayou (Daydream Suite) [Music] Elements Garden

[Cast] Tokiya Ichinose: Ryunosuke Matsumura Natsuki Shinomiya: Soichiro Yamakawa Cecil Aijima: Shojiro Yokoi

Mashu Ishiwatari, Shuhei Izumi, Yusuke Kashiwagi, Yuya Asato, and others

◆Secondary Pre-order Sales (Lottery) [Handling] e+ [Application Period] 18:00 Friday, August 10th ~ 18:00 Sunday, August 19th [Result Announcement] 13:00 Friday, August 24th ※All seats are specified. Up to 4 people per application.

◆General Release [Handling] e+ [Sales Start] 10:00~ Saturday, August 25th ※All seats are specified. Up to 4 people per application.

[Official HP] http://gs-polaris.com/

(C) Gekidan Shining

(Interviewed by Akiko Kondo)

#utapri #uta no prince sama #gekidan shining #polaris #interview #ryunosuke matsumura

[akanemachurida-blog]

Interview - “I’m going to meet that person in the 2D industry!” Furukawa Airi X Urobuchi Gen

This interview is at the very end of the SKE48 Extracurricular 2D Club book, published in April 2012.

Are all idols in danger of becoming like Mami? What’s the connection between modern magical girls and idols?

On the topic of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, some movies have been announced for 2012. There will be a movie with an original story in addition to two movies serving to summarize the TV series, bringing the total to three movies. Is the script for the movie with an original story already done?

Urobuchi Gen: The manuscript is already complete so the next step is for Shaft (the animation studio) to make it. I had the thought that “I can’t write a sequel” while originally planning the TV series, so when it was airing I pretended not to hear when someone said “It would be a waste for it to be only one season, so will you continue it?” (laughs) But the movies got announced and I didn’t have anywhere to run… I was able to keep going without any sort of unease when I gathered up my courage and tried to write, which surprised me.

Furukawa Airi: I want to see them soon~! I’ve liked magical girls for a long time but Madoka Magica is something completely different. It’s unbelievable how a heroine-like character like Mami dies in the third episode… Was that in the plot since the beginning?

Urobuchi: It was. That was actually decided before she was given a name. (laughs) In addition to advancing the plot by making the protagonist doubt whether she can become a magical school girl upon seeing a veteran magician die before her eyes, I wanted to shock viewers, so Mami was purposefully made to be a character you’d think would definitely not die.

The way she dies is quite something as well. She gets decapitated even though she’s a magical girl…

Urobuchi: If her death had been something like an arrow piercing her heart, then you’d probably think that she’d likely be revived. (laughs) I had to do something like that in order to let the viewers know that she absolutely won’t be coming back to life. However I didn’t expect Mami to contend for first or second place as the most popular character.

Furukawa: That’s because blonde hair with twin tails is a sure thing. I love the sickly beautiful girl characters so the scene where Mami goes crazy and attacks Kyoko really hit me!

Urobuchi: This may be something that idols are well acquainted with, but to live while being aware of things like “I need to do things properly in order to not break the dreams of those who admire me” or “I need to be everyone’s model” is something that’s really difficult to do. Stress builds up that way, so when it’s too much, it can become as scary as that scene… well, it’s a simple thing to imagine.

Furukawa: I’ll be careful at all times, not only as an idol, so as to not end up like Mami. (laughs) Also, another shocking thing about Madoka Magica is how the protagonist Madoka doesn’t become a magical girl, that surprised me. But she eventually becomes one during the final episode.

Urobuchi: It’s certainly a rare type of development. While it’s rare for a story to have the protagonist transform at the very end, it’s not a forbidden move. Ultraman Nexus, while part of the tokusatsu genre, did the same thing.

If you think about it in modern terms, it seems odd if she becomes a magical girl very quickly and fights. Just like Madoka, you’re going to naturally have motivation to fight after you experience a long period of conflict…

Urobuchi: It’s fine to include the main character’s original motivation for fighting in the first episode where the character beats the first foe, but that approach lacks persuasiveness in addressing the question of why the character fights. However, some claim that one series that succeeded in fitting things in the first episode is Mobile Suit Gundam, and Anno Hideaki, the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion, said that the limit of what he could do in the first episode was having Shinji enter the Eva. I’m aware of the hardships that my predecessors were made to experience time and time again, so I had Madoka run away until the last episode. (laughs)

Furukawa: Ah, I see. Amuro got the motivation he needed to fight in the first episode while Madoka got it in the twelfth episode. (laughs)

Urobuchi: That’s right. Well, it was possible to do it this way since it aired late at night. If it was a kids show airing during the day or evening, some of the sponsors would be toy stores, and they’d probably say something like “We want to make toys out of the soul gems, so please have Madoka transform in the first episode.” (laughs) Oh right, Madoka Magica didn’t have any of those sponsors in the beginning, so most of the merchandise currently on sale were made afterwards. So during the initial broadcast fans made their own goods of what they wanted to become merchandise.

By the way, Furukawa made her own Mami outfit while it was being serialized. And a Kyubey plushie as well.

Urobuchi: Wow! I saw them earlier but to think that you made them yourself… They look professional.

Furukawa: Ah no, that’s not true. There are some places in Mami’s outfit where the filling is insufficient, so I want to remake it. I want to challenge myself next time and make the muskets at the same time. I want to do the finishing attack, Tiro Finale! Oh, by the way, what does Tiro Finale mean?

Urobuchi: It’s Italian, it means “final shot” if you translate it literally. In essence it means “the finishing blow.” To tell the truth, at first it was given the inappropriate name “Ultima Shoot” in the script, and during an after recording session I blurted out “Is it really okay to give it such an inappropriate name?” and I was told “If you think it’s bad just change it!” (laughs) So I threw it away and rewrote it. I didn’t expect it to become this popular…

Furukawa: It’s become one of Madoka Magica’s famous quotes… So, what’s your favourite quote?

Urobuchi: Kyubey’s “It makes no sense at all.” (Note: Kyubey mutters this without thinking when his and human’s understanding of something are different.) When I wrote it in the script I thought that it seemed like it’d be popular online, and it really became popular, so… I did it! (laughs) What’s your favourite quote?

Furukawa: The quote that had the biggest impression on me was when Sayaka regrets becoming a magical girl and says “I’m really a fool.” My heart clenched when I heard that...

Urobuchi: Careless girls like Sayaka are able to be “good girls” because they aren’t self-aware that they’re careless. If they realized that, then they wouldn’t be able to be “good girls.” It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I made Sayaka’s character because I wanted to make her say that.

Sayaka is one of the five magical girls in Madoka Magica, but which one do you feel yourself to be closest to, Furukawa?

Furukawa: Hm, I wonder. I don’t know my own personality well, so I don’t know… Well, I just know that I’m not like Mami. I don’t think that “I need to be an example for everyone.” (laughs)

Urobuchi: An easier way of saying that is to say that those who want to lead a team and who make fruitless efforts are like Mami.

Furukawa: Ah, well then in KII, the team I’m a part of, (Takayanagi) Akane is like Mami. She occasionally thinks too much about others and gets weird.

Urobuchi: The type of person that Akane relies on the most is someone like Madoka.

Furukawa: That’s (Mukaida) Manatsu! So what’s Homura like?

Urobuchi: A kind of person who interferes the most with those other two.

Is that you, Furukawa?

Furukawa: Ah, maybe! I see, so I’m like Homura…

Urobuchi: Since I made all five characters conscious of their puberty, it might have been difficult to get a sense of their “current selves” if these characters were full-fledged members of society who established their own way of life. However, when I began to think about what type of person coincides with “the self of puberty”, I thought, wouldn’t that apply to any girl? You’re still young, but what were you doing when you were in middle school?

Furukawa: Hm, I taped late night anime and did nothing but watch that… Well, that’s not any different from now. (laughs) I’ve liked magical girls since that time, so I watched stuff like Sister Princess and Chobits. Also, I like magical girl games so I watched my older brother play Kagayaku Kisetsu e... Oh, but I was in fourth grade at the time.

Urobuchi: That’s tremendous! That’s deep!

That’s right, she’s a talented illustrator and it seems like she made a copy doujinshi (a doujinshi that you print and then bind together) even before joining SKE48.

Urobuchi: You should make the best of that talent of yours. There are a lot of different kinds of idols, but there isn’t an idol who produce doujinshi yet.

Furukawa: I’d like to start drawing it right away if I could, but I have a lot of shackles… (laughs) But I’ll do my best. If I’m given permission then I’ll make a Madoka Magica doujinshi and sell it by hand while I’m wearing my re-done Mami costume. It wouldn’t be a copy doujinshi but an offset! (A technique in which the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface, done at a printing company.)

#furukawa airi #airin #ske48 #urobuchi gen #puella magi madoka magica #this book is full of interviews #i might do some more later #interview

[radicalrave]

Ok, I'm going to present one of list of most favorite anime/manga/light novel series in mosaic in chronological order and will give reasons why I love series and made it on the list.

Reason being is cuz my tastes have changed over time and some series aged well and some didn't, and you'll see why that is when I give my thoughts and reasons.

However, I will give an honorable mention on here, since it won't show up on here. You'll come to see my patrician tastes as 4chan delicately likes to put it haha (yes, I'm a channer and I love trolling with the kids there hahaha that place is information gold that's real and legit.)

1.) Evangelion: Let's face it, this is like most people from the 90's top selection. Not only is it vintage for being around for 20 years and iconically dark for a dark shounen (boy's) series, it left a major impact on the industry and the world in ways that most people, even I underestimated. Infact, I'd venture out to say that this series has aged perfectly well compared to lots of others during its time period. It has definitely aged far better compared to Cowboy Bebop and Betterman and all of it's contemporary peers in the competition back in the day. Infact, we're a few years ahead of that series now, which is strange cuz most of us probably didnt expect to see life past 2010 and 21 hahaha. As a whole, this series was far better compared to everyone else. Now, admittedly, it was dark and has some themes that provoke good questions for society at the time in terms of "what if's." At the time, you can tell that the director was a major nihilist and didn't like the direction the world was going, and you can basically see that in his work here. I know I don't have much to say about this series and it does sound like a weak biased argument and apologize for that, but in all honesty, it's done one thing that most series in the 90's was capable of doing: Stand well against the test of time. THAT's what made it impressive. Even though lots of stuff in it are very much obsolete and clunky now. I mean... all that clunky stuff... its hard to believe we used to live in an ugly world like that at one point in time.

2.) FLCL: Now, I'll admit, it IS overhyped and overrated. I sometimes still can't see the big deal behind it, but I will say this, for a 6 episode mini series, it's directed well with excellent art direction all around on the topic of growing up and coming of age. Back then, it did look very mature and course, but now that I'm older, it's definitely a kids series which was admittedly a bit too edgy and dark for it's time, but, I think could have done better had it been more balanced out being a bit more colorful and lighter instead of darker.

I suppose at that time when pop punk and me was going around that time, and correct me if I'm wrong here, I believe Japan was going thru an economic crisis at the time, which is probably why there was such a negative foul air over the future and industry of Japan and the world as a whole at the time, politically and economically speaking.

The series can be a bit of a cool watch if you're into that era of time, but I would venture to say it's one of those that I'd definitely like to keep in my library, along with stuff like Super Milk Chan and anything else that popped up at that time. It was progressive in it's own way coming off very gritty and crunchy in it's own sense if you understand what I mean about the rough comic aesthetic that it gave off at that time.

3.) Gurren Lagan: This was one of the last Gainax series before they ended up closing shop, and not to mention, progressed past it's predecessors in being extremely fast paced. I loved the art and direction and it was fast paced that had excellent action scenes and novel epic art. However, my main qualms about this series, is that it should have just been 1 season long. I feel that it failed past the time skip in the last 10 episodes and should have crunched the last episode into episode 13, therefore, preserving and making it a quality series holistically instead of being watered down and suffering overtime like Death Note did after volume 7 when L died. In Bakuman, you can tell that Ohba and Obata (Ashirogi Muto) when they made their (Death Note; It's obvious people) that they wanted to end it there to preserve its quality as an art as a whole so that it doesnt suffer, unfortunately, the editorial and the shuisa jump magazine pushed for it, which is why we got a weird asspull with Mello and Near after, and you can see how they wanted to end Death Note with this.)

Now, Gurren Lagan, I liked the direction, it was ok, but it also had some misses too over time. It wasnt perfect, but the direction was fresh for it's time. However... personally speaking, if I were to replace this with another series that deserves an honorable mention, and it's directed by one of my current favorite directors in the industry right now, it's Re: Cutie Honey, based on Go Nagai's manga back in the 70's as one of the first and original magical girls to come and pop up with it's modern digital groovy colorful and psychedelic disco aesthetic. I really loved the direction and way it came out and would love to endorse how much I love the direction behind these kinds of aesthetics in anime and manga. Personally, I'd like to see both modern and old school and see how they age 10-30 years from now, just like alot of series I grew up with over the yeras. This however, is NOW 10 years old and remember when it first came out and the internet and DA was all big about it with Ryoko and all that, but I admit that it was a bit overhyped, I like it, it was a bit sometimes edgy and weird, the weird was ok, edgy, at least it wasnt but it would have been better had it been toned down even with coolness and make it more cartoonier and it would have definitely succeeded. The final fight scene in the series is the best and loved it and wished that it ended sooner than it did, then the series would have ended perfectly. The last 10 episodes of that season was watered down, the plot was weakened and honestly wasnt a big fan after that. It's one of those 7/10 that could have been a 9/10 in my book.

4.) Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei: THIS. THIS SERIES IS BY FAR THE BEST THAT HAS CAME OUT IN THE PAST 3 DECADES! What's frustrating is that it was poorly marketed, underrated and poorly localized. It is by far one of the best directed anime series of all time that I haven't seen been topped off or progressed in yeras. The closes to it is the Monogatari series which is based off the light novel series and directed by the same director who took up the project. You can tell by the direction with the slides and the timing of the scene changes. Zetsubou however was fresh, creative for it's time and progressive and to this day, I still consider to be and supposed to be the future of anime and manga.

Based off the manga series by iconic mangaka Koji Kumeta, Kumeta was one of those guys who taught me how important critical tone and dialogue is when it comes to witty batter and writing when it comes to screenplay, writing and manga and the guy lets his frustrations out with gusto. I haven't seen anyone come as close to how good this guy is as a writer other than Sorachi of Gintama fame, who is also one of my top and favorite mangaka of all time. As a quality series as a whole, I also put it up there with Death Note, but much higher. I like his simplistic art style that he has adopted past his earlier works and the art style that changes over time that sticks out and can tell, it's his. and both the writing and the art compliment each other well perfectly with excellent satirical critical tones. You can tell that his writing style is pervasive in Joshiraku, Impatient Count and the Time Thief and toned down in his latest work Kakushigoto. (Yes, I'm a huge fan of this guy who is underrated and not well known and honestly wish he would get better credit than he currently deserves and is by far one of the best creative driving forces in the industry I have ever come across.)

What makes this series tick out and perfect art the gags and the dark truth satirical tones this series takes. The characters are original and fresh and very likable, memorable and have a charm that makes them attractive. Basically, the way he designed them holistically is far better compared to anything that Akamatsu of Love Hina and Negima has done and basically executes his work with excellent precision. The topics the teacher brings up are interesting and basically rags on everything that annoys him as he and his students debate about life topics in and out of school. You can say its like a modern high school version of charlie brown peanuts with a bit of a Tim Burton feel to it, but not as macabre and also somewhat cute. I like how he questions politics and law as well in this work of his and perfectly concludes it with 300 chapters in 30 volumes with a pretty comical yet grim ending that people will come to remember as a holistically quality work worth keeping and remembering for the years to come. This ended about roughly 5 years ago, so it has been around for quite a while the past 12 years and has done a good job aging for that generation of people who were around for the Haruhi and Lucky Star hype back then. This one is easily a 9 or 10/10, cuz its that good.

Localizing may be tough, but its best to appreciate it for what it is. Its still never came over here considering how good it was back then, but I can still see it as future of anime kind of things.

5.) Tatami Galaxy: Now this one is admittedly a bit pretentious with being known as a fast talking anime series for an older audience set in a university setting. I love the art direction, but the theme is kind of redundant, but it can be fun to watch. It's based off a light novel series which apparently gets alot of positive critical attention overseas, but the direction for the anime, you can say that its equivalent to the speed of the voices for the dubbing of Speed Racer back then. Having seen Speed Racer in it's original intended language, I love it far more and it's more natural and relaxed and presented in the way that it was meant to be and honestly, I loved it.

This however, is one of those ones if you want an articulate post modern art college watch and want to kick back and relax, as it can be somewhat confusing as he goes back in time alot and redoes things with every episode till the last episode. You can equate it to that of Haruhi's 2nd season of the Endless 8 arc where the same exact thing except presented differently in each episode is done, but this was better, and was probably one of the biggest trolls in anime history of all time. It CAN be pretentious but it isn't completely per se either.

6.) Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt: OK... I lied... THIS is one of the best progressive anime series with best art direction of all time. It's very western animation influenced in western cartoon format and very colorful. To me, THIS is what I'd still consider and call the future of anime and still should be looked at as such. Here are reasons why. It's simple, not in depth or edgy and dark, but it was just completely perfect all around to the point that it seriously does deserver a 10/10 in my book. Hands down.

Lasting only one season with a trolling cliffhanger, it is one of the best episodic series I have come to watch and enjoy as an anime series of all time and wish that more anime would adopt the kind of aesthetic this series brought to the table. Aside from probably being the LAST Gainax series before the director went on to form Trigger the upcoming years with Kill la Kill, Kiznaiver and currently airing Little Witch Academia, it stood out for it's colorful art direction and cartoony feel that it had which I feel most anime SHOULD have. Despite the history of anime and manga being heavily western influenced by Disney and the country's earliest calligraphy and erotic paintings and shunga back in the pre modern times.

Now, it IS raunchy and not for kids, so let me emphasize when I say that when you watch the dubs or the original with liberal subs, it can be taken out of context at times, but still... it is very raunchy and not really kid friendly, the context in its original language is admittedly very crude, but not as crude as the liberals and americans tend to portray it here theatrically in its direction. Infact, it's so Raunchy, Adult Swim CAN'T air it here in the states, considering that AS is mostly for kids and teens in the day and age and not really adult shows. I've seen adult series and honestly, alot of what I posted aren't considered as such, This one is more like teens and older adult with childish and kid like theatrics and appeal which is what I really like about it. So... its probability for one of those extremely leftist liberal families that are cool with sitting with their kids and educating and explaining content to their kid with guidance so they can be mature NOT to do or say those things that is presented on here, but realistically, the statical odds of things like that are extremely small to most likely less than 1%.

Admittedly, it DOES need a 2nd season and there is a following and demand for it, considering the way it had ended 7 years ago in Christmas of 2010. It's one of my favorite art directions at the time for cool stuff like Danganronpa, No More Heroes or Mad World, lots of games with colorful comic noir aesthetics like that and is honestly at the top of my list as one of the best landmarking and progressive anime series of this decade that to this day, STILL hasn't been topped off at all. It's easily a 10/10 in my book, so do watch with discretion.

7.) Eccentric Family: This one, I caught this one a bit late. This is from the same writer of the Tatami Galaxy Novel series and illustrated by Koji Kumeta of Zetsubou Sensei fame, so you can see I have a bit of my biases of my favorite people in the industry who team up and work together on different projects, this is one of them.

The plot is very simple and not complex and its not deep or edgy. It's quirky and fun with some colorful playful humor with alot of Japanese folktale lore presented in modern day japan. This series is very reminiscent to that of Paranoia Agent and has features that are similar to it, though unfortunately Satoshi Kon hasn't been with us since his passing in 2010. What's great about this is that a 2nd season has been green lit this year and will be airing this year, so you will be on time to hop on and enjoy the ride with the rest of us on this fun and quirky ride of tanukis and tengu.

8.) Kill la Kill: I'm sorry but I'm majorly biased cuz I love Ryuko chan and would love to wife her as my waifu obviously. But joking aside:

Kill la Kill is currently Trigger's most popular magnus opus in the industry right now and one of their earliest works. They have put out some stuff before they put this one out. They later ended up putting out Space Patrol Luluco and Kiznaiver at the same time last year which both performed well, but never outshined Kill la Kill to this day and so far, Little Witch Academia with a few OVAs the past few years and currently airing is expected to be the next big magnus opus that will outshine it. I can see it and like how kid friendly it is and it can't, mostly for the semi nudity and side boob that it shows. Not that that's a problem, but lots of conservatives will have a problem with it and can lose an audience because of things like that when marketed and presented to the public.

It's one of the first project after the director formed it after working on Panty and Stocking and did other shorts such as Sex, Violence and Machspeed, which is a knockoff of Panty and Stocking with a different comic noir aesthetic and were cameoed in Space Patrol Luluco along with Sucy from Little Witch Academia.

This series is a semi kids series and love it and would love to own the anime BDs for sure. There are subtle hints of politics in this series in terms of life fiber and alliances in the series. It's NOT the best but its decent and ok and not as progressive or articulate compared to the others I have mentioned on here, and had it tried to be progressive in the timeline trying to progress past them as a quality art, it would have definitely succeeded as a 10/10 and mostly gets roughly an 8 or 7 out of 10. 8 cuz I'm being nice and love Ryuko, but thats not an excuse or reason to give it an extra point.

The plot was simple, it wasnt that deep or edgy or dark, its somewhat colorful and cartoony is what I like about it and its not raunchy or explicit showing nipples or anything, its simple. It can be seen as for adults and older teens, its basically a coming of age for girls outgrowing their high school years and questions the nature of humans in society.

It can be seen for kids, but mostly kids at the age of 10, but I can see it definitely see it being coarse. Now, it's not as course and raunchy and tantalizing compared to To Love Ru which is indeed raunchy in a good light and thankfully not disgusting, but there's easter eggs that you'll see in the art and expression of the series where you'll see exposed areas in the reflection of the series that bypasses the censorship laws in japan for manga and anime on tv to the point that Yabuki has been taken to court a few times because of upset parents. Basically, he would literally draw in very subtle stuff like a vagina and clitoris in the reflections in the art and would be easily overlooked and most people even editorial wouldn't notice but bypassed censorship laws that not even hentai artists could do. I remember a documentary of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations when he went to Japan and sat with the mangaka who invented the tentacle rape to bypass Japanese censorship laws because of a loophole he noticed and exploited.

Same here, but he used reflections instead of blatant exposure. So if you read the series, if you look at water drops, metal reflectors or bubbles and mirrors, you will definitely be seeing vagina, penises and clitoris that you aren't allowed to be seeing and are outlawed on Japanese media but only because its bypassed censorship laws by exploiting a loophole found. This was noticed in To Love Ru Darkness, and the story behind it was kind of sad and understandable as Yabuki went thru a divorce with his wife who caused him trouble and left him being a single parent, so it was in a sense of him retaliating and venting off his anger and frustration off of society and pushed the border which gave him the name (madman yabuki.) He is known for his earlier work Black Cat which ended prematurely on 20 volumes last decade and is the main artist and collaborates with the writer of the series. But is known to be raunchy and cleanly tantalizingly provocative for sure.

So there is debate, its questionable, its hard to categorize and tell at times (sorry, psychology talk here) but its definitely memorable for Ryuko and the trigger studio for putting another quality series out there. Personally, had the plot, direction and writing been better with better art direction all round in being progressive, it could have easily gotten a 10/10 in presenting something in a way that's unique and in a way that's yet to have been done before, there aren't much annoying tropes which I liked about it, but still, had they done better research, worked harder and didnt half assed it and outperformed, I would definitely have been raving about it for yeras to come and age well to landmark and progress the timeline of the industry's history.

9.) Last but not least, SPACE DANDY: I LOVE THIS SERIES. IT's colorful, brilliant, hip and amazing all around and definitely Watanabe's best work as an anime director the past 20 years. This series definitely outshines any work he's done with Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo combined by giving it a colorful and quirky cartoony feel and making it enjoyable and fun to watch that's not dark, but it's unique and experimental in the story telling models and style of series for what it was. Rather, it wasn't episodic, but there was lots of academic themes in science and philosophy that are mentioned alot that surpasses sci fi in the past which is WHY it's currently his best work, It's brilliant touching up on topics such as physics and mathematics, the pure sciences and talks about stuff such as different dimension, time travel, and the like and he does it in such a way that its excecuted perfectly and enjoyable to watch all around as a holistic watch. Over time, Ic an see it aging well for the next 10-15 yeras, depending on how society, literature, thought and technology goes and progresses over time. Its definitely watanabes best and creative work, even though he has experimented and messed with mixing things up with different cultures and time periods, this however, was not so much as by the book, but he takes that and applies it and get creative and makes it better and doesnt try too hard like he did in the past, but keeps it simple. THAT shows true mastery. Its similar to that of Ashirogi Muto's current project Platinum End. By the book, but applied and creative past that, and that's exactly what Dandy did. Though, his work after Dandy; Terror in Resonance, was his weakest and bad project and waste of funding since it was a culmination of everything that happened the past 2 decades all rolled up in one and dont consider it creative or great at all in all honest and one of his weakest efforts as a director.

I enjoy it far more than bebop, bebop wasnt as great as I got older, mostly because I realized that Spike was a loser asshole who basically had an affair with someone else's woman and basically caused a shit storm over selfish ambition and in all honesty, dont consider him cool in the least, but rather, just a complete fucking asshole who thinks he's cool when he won't admit it when in all honesty, he's really the bad guy in all this and all this plot would have been avoided, had he not been such a complete fucking prick (yeah, school teaches you to think very differently.) Dandy on the other hand may be a loser, but he's a loser with a good heart and good ambitions whose kind of like Gintoki, not as good or cool, but he has his own charm which is what makes him great. Dandy is indeed, one of the better works of his career and catalogue and very proud to say that this is something that I'd own in my library on BD for sure. It's tough to give this a 9 or 10 out of 10. I'd say 9.5, but for the sake of rounding off and keeping it simple and as to how much I liked it and trying my best NOT to be biased, I'll just be lazy and keep it simple and say that this series deserves a 10/10 for not just being what I mentioned earlier, but because this series offers alot of variety and diversity like Bakuman did, and you can tell that Watanabe experimented and exercised alot of new things and tried many many things that made this series so great. It's down to earth, kept simple, fun, colorful and enjoyable and definitely one of those realistic satire that did question and bring up things in today's societal issues.

My advice, don't get put off by Boobies which is like Hooters, keep it simple and don't get too deep or complex about it, thats where you go wrong already for critical analysis, keep it simple and say that it also keeps in touch with reality when it comes to human nature and the true nature of the world all around us that the truth is, nobody really knows anything at all in a socially constructed society that we all in this day and age live in consciously and unconsciously. That's what makes it a very great series in general. I'd consider it a family friendly series which is why I give it a 10/10. It's not disgusting, provocatively grotesque and raunchy, but very clean, fun, comical and enjoyable for ALL ages. No matter what culture or where you're from.

10.) Honorable Mention.

OK, I'm getting tired, but this one HAD to be mentioned cuz it's really good and deserves a mention:

Monogatari Series. I had a hard time choosing between this and Eccentric Family. Both are not well known and obscure, but... I decided to give it to Eccentric, because its not as popular, so it was hard to choose between the two.

Based on a currently ongoing and popular Light Novel series, the series follows around young Arrarragi, who basically becomes a half vampire after getting bit by one. What makes this series stick out is the dialogue and relationships he has. There's lots of drama and interaction but done in the intelligent and pretentious way. Not as pretentious as Tatami Galaxy, but you can tell it can be.

It is directed by the same guy who directed the Zetsubou Sensei anime, so you can tell with the slides and screens and timing the series has with it's own unique style and aesthetic. Now, what I really love about this series is the girls he talks to, their curses and the art direction. It's beautiful. I love how articulate and artsy it can be and you can tell its pretentious, but its not annoying or smug about it. It tries to keep it simple, but some characters are alike that. I'm a huge fan of the series, I love how it's progressing and indecisive it can be. Its got its own feel but can be cartoony and you can tell what references they refer to.

I love this series alot, so far, it's got a good 7 or 8 out of 10 from me. I'd definitely like to buy the novels and books if localized, but its definitely one of those honorable mentions that needs to be put out there cuz of how good it is and the staff involved in the project behind it and really enjoy it for what it is. Its good art watch if you want something progressive. It is somewhat progressive but still doesnt top off zetsubou sensei, its kind of the same but more artsy... they're both artsy... but int heir own way and comes later, but in my opinion not as good, but its still good and doesnt lack. I really love the dialogue and interaction in this which is what makes it enjioyable to watch.

And that's it... its alot but I will post more later. I will post a favorite of favorite manga/anime adaptations. It'll be stuff like One Piece, Gintama, Death Note, Bakuman, Rurouni Kenshin, My Hero Academia, D. Gray Man, Assassination Classroom, Hunter x Hunter, FMA, Yuyu Hakusho and Embalming: Another tale of Frankenstein. They're mostly Jump series as you can tell, but I like them alot and enjoy them a great deal and will give my thoughts and opinions of them later on. Thanks all.

#evangelion #flcl #GurrenLagan #Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei #tatami galaxy #Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt #pantyandstocking #eccentric family #kill la kill #Space Dandy