"You're sure you've got everything?" Tyrone has gone into dad-mode, and the three young women roll their eyes.
"Yes, Dad, we've even weighed the luggage," Masami laughs.
"Don't speak to me that way, young lady. I'll have a talk with your mother back at home."
"Tyrone," Harriet hisses, smacking his arm.
"Oh shit, right, sorry, Masami. I forgot about… yeah."
"About her mommy issues? That's why she and I are together, after all," Harper smiles.
Masami, Harriet, and Tyrone let out simultaneous snorts.
"What? Why are you laughing?" Harper glares at Masami.
"You're so not mommy," Masami snickers. "But thanks for airing my dirty laundry, by the way."
"Oh, we're family here. I mean, literally, since Ty is technically our uncle's dad."
Harriet clucks her tongue. "Mm, nice, Harper. He's also your ex-boyfriend, technically. Hold on, I'm getting a call. Ssh, it's from my agent. Hello?" Harriet murmurs into the phone, the broad smile across her face quickly dropping into a frown.
Harriet hangs up, and Tyrone squeezes her hand. "What's wrong?"
"I got a callback. But it's in three days."
"Oh."
There's a moment of silence in the car, until Tyrone pulls off to the side. "We're only ten minutes from your place. We still have plenty of time to catch the flight."
Masami catches on, leaning forward to squeeze Harriet's shoulders. "Congrats, Hattie! You're going to ace your audition! Then when you come and join us, you'll be well-rested and worry-free."
Harriet glances around, their excitement finally catching. "I'm sorry, guys! But I really, really want this part."
Ty pulls the car around, still holding Harriet's hand. "Of course, babe. Do you want me to stay back with you?"
Harriet glances in the rear-view mirror, spotting Harper anxiously widening her eyes, thumbnail between her teeth. "No, I'll be fine. Rearranging everything sounds like too much stress." Even with these words, Harper's eyebrows remain knotted together.
Well, with the home release of Shin Ultraman, it's finally time to close up my reviews on Anno's Shin Trilogy.
Of course, if you're in the know you may be asking how I was able to review this, given the state of said release, which we will get to in a bit. Just know that any subs you see in screenshots were from a fan script I downloaded. With that out of the way, let's jump in.
So this is probably gonna sound a bit familiar. The film starts off with a montage of various Kaiju emerging across Japan, dubbed S-Class Species (all of which are Ultra-Q references.)
The S-Class Species Suppression Protocol (SSSP) is established to handle Kaiju going forward. During an incident with the electricity-eating Kaiju Neronga, an extraterrestrial (Ultraman) crashes to confront and defeat the beast, but in doing so kills SSSP member Shinji Kaminaga (Takumi Saitoh) who dies protecting a child in the area. Shortly after the Neronga incident, a new member joins the SSSP; Hiroko Asami (Masami Nagasawa) an anaylist transferred from the Public Security Intelligence Agency, who is partnered with the now very much alive and very weird Kaminaga.
Suffice it to say, Kaminaga is Ultraman. Although we never have a meeting between Ultraman and Kaminaga, we're just thrown into the two being merged, and even that's quite a bit different. In fact, Kaminaga is simply a subconscious we never hear. Ultraman is the dominant personality, leading to some funny awkward interactions as seen above.
This is one of the things I love about Shin Ultraman from the very start; that Ultraman is the star and personality. There's a greater emphasis on the alien nature of the character as a result, which hadn't really been a thing since the very first series- and even then only in the first and last episodes. That ethereal quality is very much a part of the franchise not often referred back to, given how those were just unrefined elements. But it's a clever way to play up familiarity while setting yourself apart from a 50-year backlog.
Likewise, much of the same can be said about the SSSP, who are a diverse group of specialists in biology, physics, strategy, etc. that work in conjunction with the JSDF to defeat Kaiju. As much as I love pulpy 60's atomic-age stuff, a researcher combating kaiju with lasers isn't the tone this movie is striving for. This is all about Anno's forte of people in suits in a boardroom/field tent while making it one of the most compelling things.
As you might expect, the film is rather simple in the broad strokes from there on. We have that initial setup with the SSSP and Ultraman, followed by another Kaiju attack where we see Ultraman engage in a way that shows the SSSP he's an intelligent and likely friendly being.
Then we have a longer more elaborate segment with the Alien Zarab (Kenjiro Tsuda) just showing up, whose goal is to manipulate governments first against Ultraman by impersonating him, and later each other. By the halfway mark there's Alien Mefilas (Koji Yamamoto) probably my favorite segment as he is so deliciously er, devilish. He offers the same power as Ultraman to the humans in exchange for being obedient, something which the Japanese Government is a little too eager to do. And finally the last quarter with stopping Zetton. It's basically about 4-5 vignettes.
And if any of that sounds really familiar to my review on Rider, it kinda is.
Reviewing Shin Ultraman so recently after Shin Kamen Rider is interesting. Both have similar backgrounds as beloved franchises to Anno, both embody the spirit of the original shows, have cute references, and incorporate initial ideas that may have changed before or during production (no Color timer for Ultraman. Ichigo requiring great speed to transform) and later concepts for the franchise. (Ultra's merging with selfless humans. Gaia theory)
Things move at a brisk yet good pace; not suffocating. While the movie does go from one event to the next, Ultraman flows more fluidly in tying everything in a nice cohesive package. I don't want this to be a compare and contrast to Shin Kamen Rider, but seeing the two so close together, well, it's hard not to notice how structurally similar they are.
And I think the key reason why Ultraman nails it in a way I don't think Rider did is that Ultraman doesn't feel like it's doing too much. Things are kept simple with two kaiju, Zarab, Mefilas, and technically Zetton as antangonists. They all establish elements that will come into play down the road while giving them mini stories. Zerab provides data on Ultraman to high-up officials in the guise of a benevolent act.
Zerab has an entire subplot of kidnapping Kaminaga, leading to Asami rescuing him and returning the Beta-capsule left in her possession. That's such a classic plot with the right amount of modern flair, and it provides a fun bit of character interaction between Kaminaga and Asami that the film sorely needed by that point.
Something a bit more Anno-oriented is Kaminaga's identity being found out resulting in a fallout of the Japanese Government wanting to capture him and basically use him as a weapon. Which of course makes it all the more enticing when Mefilas shows up with his offer.
Speaking of, I have to praise Yamamoto's performance as Mefilas. He does a great job selling him as a conniving but kindly being in such a way that you almost want to believe in him. He exudes a love for life that borders on childlike if not unnatural, and you get the impression that perhaps if you spent time in his presence, you could see what he sees. And that's nowhere more prevalent than his talks with Ultraman, which is like a devil trying to convince an angel he's right.
While I am simplifying things down, the film does a surprising amount with the antagonists, using them to their fullest by spending just the right amount of time with them. Part of what aids in that is a very natural flow of expository sections in boardrooms to make this connective tissue, and no I'm not kidding. Anno does very well in this environment and they help the pacing immencily. Simultaneously keeping things moving while also allowing a moment of brevity from nefarious aliens and action sequences. Unless of course, an Alien shows up in the middle of the office out of nowhere, which still works. Kaiju and Aliens suddenly showing up doesn't feel contrived in this setting, they don't need set up, they're mysterious beings and they go with it.
As it stands, I never felt a moment where something was wasted, dragged on, oddly placed, over stuffed, or even repetitious- including the locations. It's not like we have Baltan and DaDa shoved in here overcomplicating the film just to have more iconic appearances.
That's not to say it's perfect, mind you. There are elements that feel a bit undercooked or just odd. But I wanna address some other points first.
One of the criticisms I recall hearing when this was running theatrically is that it wasn't as biting as Shin Godzilla… I don't know why anyone would expect that, but I wouldn't call that a problem. There is some degree of political intrigue here; talks about weaponizing Ultraman, some very-very minuscule incorporation of xenophobia, Japan being subjugated by war-hungry superpowers, the Government of Japan not being any better morally, environmentalism, etc. But it's all very surface level, which I think is for the better. The original show had its moments, but they were few and far between. It wasn't until Seven that we saw more complex morality and social commentary. Really, the most you have here is the SSSP's desire to do good contrasted with a Government willing to sell the earth for perceived power. It's something, but not particularly deep.
Political critiques aside, there is a theme of hope in the bureaucratic nightmare. Ultraman wants to believe in humanity, understand them, and greatly admires some of them. Although I feel that's sorta downplayed until the last act.
BUT and this is a big but. I do think it works amazingly in conjunction with the ending.
See, Mefilas isn't the last threat. After he is taken care of, there is a bit of a conundrum in the aftermath. Ultraman's superior, Zoffy, makes his appearance. He is not happy. Ultraman, or rather Lipiah, violated their planet's rules by merging with another lifeform. Even worse is that Mefilas' actions showed that humans could possess the same abilities as Ultraman, making them either a threat or exploitable by aliens as weapons. The entire race is a liability, so Zoffy decides to wipe out the entire planet by deploying Zetton.
Well, that's not a space dinosaur.
And man, the symbolism here is wild. Also midly funny in a meta way. I remember when there was so much discussion around Eva's biblical imagery, and it wasn't much deeper than Anno just liking Ultraman. Of course, the reason it appeared in Ultraman was because Tsuburaya was Catholic, so depicting Ultraman in a Christlike fashion made sense.
Now we have that same imagery being conjured for an apocalyptic weapon deployed by a galactic being who decided to murder billions as a preventative measure because it's just a drop in the bucket from a cosmic perspective.
It's not at all subtle, but it's also not too much. Zoffy isn't actively malicious, godlike, or even cold and calculated. While otherworldly, he speaks and sounds more natural than Ultraman initially does, albeit with a somewhat regal formality. This in a way shows that maybe Zoffy is more of a reflection of what humanity could become. A powerful being that arrogantly thinks they have the right to wipe out any civilization that could potentially become equal. Not to mention the fact that Zoffy is superior to Ultraman, so you have that thread connecting Zoffy directly to the same Government officials that were being shitheads the entire film. We don't get a great exploration of that angle, but it is something I noticed.
Although Zoffy actually learns a lesson and comes to respect human tenacity after they defeat Zetton. So perhaps you can read that as Zoffy not being as far gone as the LDP.
Jokes aside, the ending is a fitting one. Ultraman trusts the SSSP and humanity at large with the information of the Beta Capsule. It's up to them to learn the science behind it and how they should apply it. In the end, a practical solution is discovered in that the capsule undergoing a second activation would, in tandem with Zetton's plasma, create a temporary wormhole. In the end, the plan works, but Ultraman is taken in as well. He's saved by Zoffy, but rather than returning to the land of light, he opts to sacrifice himself in exchange for Kaminaga being allowed a full life. The film closes as Kaminaga opens his eyes back on Earth.
So I usually save this for the very end, but I might as well say now that I really enjoyed Shin Ultraman. I think of the Shin movies, this is Anno's best. There's not really anything here that bothers me in the way Shin Godzilla or Kamen Rider did. I like Shin Godzilla, but a lot of it felt like it didn't have enough bite to the social commentary despite the reputation. I needed the sterile dry cynicism of Government talk about economic impact contrasted with the human toll, which we don't really get. Shin Kamen Rider (which you can see here) has bonkers pacing and is overly stuffed with too many ideas. Taken in isolation some of the scenes are amazing, but not as a whole. Great moments Frankensteined into an overall confused homunculus. To paraphrase my girlfriend; "It feels like Anno understood the finer details more than the bigger picture."
Here? everything works. The story is cohesive, all the moments flow together wonderfully, and it captures the spirit of the original while being something different. I do still have my issues with it which we'll get to. But nothing that I think holds the film back from being as good as the presented work allows. It does just about everything I would want from an Ultraman film.
It's also the most unusual entry from Anno. You don't typically associate something with such an optimistic light from the man. Undeniably there is that shade of cynisim in here, but it's there to contrast, not overwhelm. The ending specifically I think captures that fairly well. In fact, it's arguably more cheerful than the original series. Because in the show, a weapon stronger than Ultraman is made to defeat Zetton. Which, sure, the intent is they don't need him anymore. They can protect themselves and have surpassed their savior. But take a step back and it's kinda scary they have something like that.
Here, they have a clever way to allow Ultraman to play an active role in saving everyone, while at the same time, it's the humans coming up with a relatively non-destructive solution. It's a bit of a contrast with the original series.
Of course, developing the beta technology and weaponizing it would be a good plot point for a Shin Ultra Seven. Just a thought.
If there is one knock against the movie I have, it's not having a lot to say about the characters. The main supporting cast is incredibly solid, don't get me wrong. I enjoy everyone here, enjoyable antagonists. But they are pretty bare. Even Asami and Kaminaga/Ultraman's dynamic isn't as developed as it could've been.
They do have interactions, character moments, some minor conflict, and resolution on trust. They work, it's just that the film never finds the time to develop it beyond the barest of bare minimal. Asami is just sort of a smart tough woman, and Kaminaga a weird alien man who's a tad rebellious for his race.
Yet I'm not really sure if they could do more without taking away something else, so I have to throw my hands up at the matter. Not ideal, but I don't have much to complain about.
I have similar sentiments about the visuals and SFX. I think the vast majority of the film looks good. I love that Bin Furuya was used for the rendering of Ultraman. His sillouette is Ultraman, no question. The added lankiness, slightly exaggerated limbs, and lack of both a color timer and back fin all do enough to emphasize that alien quality while staying true to the original design. Speaking of the original design, some of the close-ups show an ever so slight leathery/rubber texture to Ultraman's body, sorta like a more subdued type A mask.
I also want to point out that whenever Ultraman flies they mostly keep him in a completely ridged formation, even when he spins out of control-- like a model. Which I find charming, if a bit funny at times.
Not that they don't do some unique things with that creative direction. For me it's not even the sweet flipkick, it's how weighless they make his flight feel. You feel as if he's in complete control of his gravity.
That said, a lack of weight plagues many fights. The sad thing is I just don't feel the impact of 50 meter giants coming to blows. There's good sound design, wonderfully cute moments like Ultraman hurting and shaking his hand, and great shot composition as seen above. They caputure a lot of fine details from traditional suitmation, perform feats that would be impossible with it (which is the strongest point.) But they don't capture the visceral nature of a real physical object making contact with another physical object.
That's not to say all the fights are disappointing, just that there is an inherent flaw to them.
For what it's worth, my favorite fight was with Zarab, that entire sequence is great. I particularly love the night setting where all the lights reflect upon Ultraman's mercury-silver skin.
Most of the battle is airborne as well, which helps greatly. You've got all the strong elements of the CG coming together to really make something that could only be done in this way. Zarab's hollowed out back being chief among them.
Still, it is pretty disappointing that most battles distill down to beams, which becomes more noticeable with time. Ironically, as much as I enjoy Mefilas as a villain, his fight is arguably the worst. Not helped by the fact that the CG takes a noticeable dip in quality at one point.
That environment is PS4 territory right there.
Thankfully, Anno and Higuchi are goddamn masters of composition, backed by a rather large team of cinematographers, many of whom were former units on Eva. These people have been mimicking the absolute best of Ultra visuals for decades, so it's no surprise that the film is stuffed with interesting shots. Admittedly, there is a bit of added fun in knowing what they're invoking.
I talked about how one of the very special things about Anno is how he doesn't dip into nostalgia in a carbon copy sense, at least not often. Honoring original design elements is one thing, but that's more about understanding elements that worked in the original, not making a direct copy. A great example is how Zoffy in the series has "star marks" and a black fin. You can quickly gather he's different from Ultraman, even if you're stuck on a B&W TV. Here, he has a deep Gold color, more precious than silver.
Familiarity is a vibe, not a straight rehash, and I think the purest form of that is the cinematography.
Take a look at Return of Ultraman and Ultraman Ace compared to Shin Ultraman.
Low angles, high angles, framing through an object.
Of course, I'm not pointing out anything that isn't already known. You've probably seen MachDent's wonderful write up on the the subject. I bring it up because not only does it transform the most mundane of sequences into something captivating, but it can mitigate shortcomings elsewhere, such as the lackluster impacts.
There is one thing I should probably bring up here in terms of visuals, and that's the depiction of Asami, which is uh. Well, just in case you thought Anno didn't put a strong headed woman with some absolute territory in here, here you go.
Not a complaint mind you, just an observation.
Okay, that's a little fucking weird.
I guess the one last thing to mention about the movie itself is the music. Like Shin Godzilla and later Kamen Rider, there's a mix of new original music, old music from the series, and most interstingly; unused old music.
At its best, it's remarkibly charming (love the Ultra Q theme in the opening) At its worst, some music feels out of place and out of time. As much as I love hearing old music tracks, there's a big disconnect between the music's audio, the film's audio, and the film's visuals. It'd be like if I put a James Bernard score over Monster Squad.
Not every use of an old recording is like that, but enough to be mildly distracting.
I know budgetary reasons make it unrealistic, but I do wish that they could've taken the original compositions and recorded new arrangments on modern equipment for all the tracks.
Regardless, the original tracks and new arrangements by Shirō Sagisu are incredible.
What's not incredible was the home release. Oh boy, let's talk about that mess.
I will say there is a slight silver lining, but we gotta talk about the problems and the weirdness. First off is the sub situation. The absolute worst thing to happen to subs this year cause this one didn't even take any billionaires.
The initial batch sent out was Bad, unwatchable, and unreadable. On screen text is not translated, and like Shin Godzilla, there is a ton of it. Hell, the first 2 minutes is text that sets up the premise.
Secondly, the subs themselves are misencoded by featuring brackets and coding used for closed captioning, not subbing. Along with that was a tirade of misspellings, line breaks, and generally bad formatting.
It's because of this that Shin Ultraman is the only instance of me using fansubs when an official release is available, at least for a review. They dropped the ball as hard as they could short of the film not being audible or on the damn disc.
The good news is that the issue has been fixed, at least according to the distributor. New discs are being sent out with fully corrected subtitles. The format issues are fixed, the text is translated, and the ending song is translated. All good sounding news.
I do still want to talk about the oddity that is the company behind this. Because TsuPro didn't go through MillCreek who has been the main distributor of the Ultra Series in NA, which is kinda weird. This is purely speculative, but things have been odd all around lately. There hasn't been a major release since January, the one exception was a compilation in May spotlighting Red King episodes. The MoviesSpree service by Millcreek is dead and the main way to stream Ultra is through Shout Factory or TsuPro on youtube. All the Ultra releases are discounted, as low as $7 for a whole series. And then you've got the movie being handled by a whole other company. That's kinda weird, right? That looks like someone is about to lose their license.
I'd say maybe TsuPro wasn't thrilled with the inconsistent quality MillCreek has had with Subtitles:
Which would be hilarious given the outcome here.
Regardless, the company chosen was Cleopatra Entertainment, a film division known primarily for Documentaries on Bands, biopics, and horror schlock. It's an odd choice, to say the least. Why not pick someone like Discotek, Arrow Video, Shout, or Sentai Film Works? Granted, the latter two have had their own issues with subtitles, but they are at the very least experienced with it. There is however a bit of a wrinkle in all this, which is that another distributor had the same issue, Raven Banner, who is handling the Canadian release. Which sorta makes it sound like the source of the issue might've lied elsewhere.
This isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened, either.
As much praise as is often lauded to TsuPro for how prolific the Ultra series has become in NA, especially when compared to the fuck all anything from Toei- there is an offset. Many of the quality releases had quality subs to begin with, and were often shows that aired weekly on CR and later YT. But the stuff that didn't? That was 50/50. Might be okay, might get a copyright logo randomly shoved in there.
If it's something previously subbed like Mebius or Gridman? There's a good chance of spelling errors, grammatical errors, entire words missing, very questionable localization, and punctuation that makes me look professional.
Undoubtedly those were made by some poor underpaid crunched to hell subber, the worst of it being from TOKU's handling of Gridman(CR is guilty of the Mebius subs.) But MillCreek will copy those wholesale, either cause it's cheaper or it's what TsuPro provides. Maybe both, given that TsuPro has used those releases on their youtube channel.
And I feel this is something that a lot of people have been letting slide for too long. An extreme example like Gridman aside, I'd argue even one episode out of forty having an egregious error is too much when they're charging for this. I don't care how cheap it is, or that it's just one line or a couple episodes. Charge more, go longer between releases, pay your subbers, and have better quality. But here? There's no way to downplay it as a line or two. The entire movie was fucked.
Look, I know that there are people at TsuPro who go above and beyond. The recently released Blazar has a whopping 9 different language options, which is incredible. We've got simultaneous airings with Japan. The Wiki is getting official oversight for accurate information. I love that, we need stuff like that. I also realize that it would be impossible for them to have a direct hand in every release, nor should they micromanage. The companies involved should know what they're doing when it comes to this line of work, or be competent enough to contract the right people that do.
I am grateful this issue has for the most part been resolved, Cleo Ent. does seem to be doing the best of a bad situation. But it has to be said we've been overdue for some form of oversight and quality control from anyone. Nor should it have reached the point of the discs being sent out. Regardless of whoever dropped the ball, TsuPro are the ones ultimately picking these distributors.
As it stands, I'm in a bit of a tough place on recommendations. I think this is Anno's best film. I think it's worth watching, and with the subtitles resolved, it should be easy, right?
The thing is, it's still too early to tell. If you do get a fault copy there's a form you can fill out for a replacement, which is good.
But I gotta tell you, I don't wanna go through the headache. I enjoyed the film, but not enough for customer support and returns. I'll wait a while.
I guess if you really want to you could do like me and buy the bluray, DL a script for the subs, and watch on your computer if needed. But that's still not exactly ideal, particularly if you don't have a PC Bluray player.
Or as the Gloroius official subs for Gridman put it:
That's also what I think about the new layout.
As always, thanks for reading, liking, reblogging, etc. If you like what I do you can tip me at my ko-fi here.
I’m feel like I can be a multi shipper, so this is kinda hard 😂 I will have to say Linzin but Irosami is a very close 2nd.
It’s only that I gotta s/o Korrasami for slapping that 🩷💜💙 on my cheek lmao
B: A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind.
I shouted out Irosami in the previous ask here (thanks for that btw 😌), but ooh Amorra! I’m seeing the vision, plus the fanart and the fics are gorgeous and sent me over the edge
C: A pairing you wish you shipped, but just can’t.
Besides KyaLin, I’d say Masami. They had a few moments in the show and I’ve tried a few fics where they could be cute, but it’s just a hmm no thanks
NIKE JUKU Ft.「WOO! GO!」by ATARASHII GAKKOU from Mackenzie Sheppard on Vimeo.
WINNER - Ciclope Asia GOLD 2022 - Best Director
WINNER - Ciclope Berlin SILVER 2022 - Choreography
1.4 Awards - Flying High, Shortlist, Longlist - Branded
Nike Juku music video I directed [Woo! Go!] by Atarashii Gakkou. Credits below!
WIEDEN+KENNEDY TOKYO @wktokyo
Creative Director
Curro de la Villa (クーロ・デ・ラ・ヴィラ) @currodlv
Senior Copywriter
Nedal Ahmed (ネダル・アハメド) @nedallll
Yumiko Ota (太田祐美子) @yuninota
Senior Art Director
Kazuhi Yoshikawa (吉川一陽) @kazuhi_yoshikawa
Lead Producer
Kosuke Sasaki (佐々木洸介) @kosukelawrence
Account Director
Jordan Cappadocia (ジョーダン・カパドーシャ) @jordancap
Account Supervisor
Chelsea Hayashi (ハヤシ・チェルシー) @chelseamiwa
Kaede Ose (大瀬楓) @kadesyrup
Account Executive
Ryu Kaida (海田隆) @ryukaida727
Producers
Ty Demura (出村太) @tydemura
Yoko Onodera (小野寺陽子) @choco2910
Comms Planning Director
Justin Lam (ジャスティン・ラム) @justinclam
Comms Planner
Joanna Fukae (深江ジョアナ) @joyofu
Strategic Planning Director
Thijs van de Wouw (タイス・ヴォン・デ・ウォ) @thijs.vandewouw
Strategic Planner
Rina Deguchi (出口莉奈) @rinadagucci
Studio Designer
Akane Yasuda (安田茜) @akaa.ne
Shotaro Tomiyama(富山庄太郎)
Studio Manager
Aiwei Ichikawa (市川愛維)
Agency Editor
Vinod Vijayasankaran (ヴィジャヤサンカラン ヴィノド) @videovinod
PR
Midori Sugama (菅間碧) @midorisugama
Translator
Mako Tomita (富田万木子)
Executive Creative Director
Scott Dungate (スコット・ダンゲート) @scotty_fingers
Managing Director
Yosuke Suzuki (鈴木洋介) @mrnobody8695
WELCOME FILM PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
Mackenzie Sheppard (マッケンジー・シェパード) @mackshepp
Creative Assistant w/ Mack - Kai Sandy
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Director of Photography
Mikul Eriksson(マイケル・エリクソン) @_mikul
Line Producer
Anna Liu(アンナ・リュウ)/ Sumire Matsumura(松村すみれ)
Production Manager
Kazuki Omi(近江和希)/ Kanako Sato (佐藤果南子)
Assistant Director
Hideaki Jimbo(神保英昭)/ Kai Hoshino Sandy (サンデイー・ホシノ・カイ)
Production Designer
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
Casting Director (for Atarashii Gakko!)
Shohei Ueno (上野昇平) @shohey02
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田舞)/Misaki Matsui(松井美咲)/Rikiya Takano(髙野力哉)
Lighting Director
Arata Ijichi(伊地知新)
Stylist
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Choreographer
Nozomi de Lencquesaing (ド・ランクザン・望) @nozominski
STUDY BREAK PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
ZUMI(中角壮一)@zoomin.graph
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Production Manager
Kai Tsuyuguchi(露口 凱)@kai_0425 /Yurika Yamada (山田 百合佳)
Director of Photography
Shun Murakami(村上 俊)@shun_murakami_
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田 舞)
Lighting Director
Yamato Watanabe(渡邉 大和)@yamato0326_
Wardrobe | Costume | Styling
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Production Design
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
POST PRODUCTION
Editor
Sachi Sasaki @ssachi0528
Assistant editor
Tomonori Watanabe @_tomostudio
Sound Designer
Mike Regan (マイク・リーガン) @mikeregannoise
Sound Mixer
yoshizaki.masaaki(吉崎 雅章)/Hiroki.Okumura(奥村 宏貴)
Colorist
Mikey Rossiter (マイキー・ロシター) @mikolour / Haruka.Okutsu(奥津春香)
Film Transfer
Metropolis Post (メトロポリスポスト)
Compositor
Murata Chitoshi(村田 千登志)/ Yamaguchi Sakiyo(山口 紗清)
FX Artist
Naomi Hayashi(林 直美)
Animation
Takashi Ohashi (大橋史) @ohashitakashi
STILL PRODUCTION
Photographer
Masumi Ishida (石田真澄)@8msmsm8
Assistant Photographer
Ryuji Tamaki (玉城竜次)
Retoucher
Takuya Tsugane (津金 卓也)
STUDY BREAK - LA TEAM
Production Company
Couscous @couscous
Executive Producer
Bear Damen @beardamen
Producer
Salim El Arja
1st AD
Kat Nguyen @katnguyenfilm
Line Producer
Po-Wei Su @poweisub
Production Accountant
Neil Engelman
Locations Manager
Tom Macdonnald
DoP
Logan Triplett @logan_triplett
1st AC
Mike Lemnitzer @hellyeamike
2nd AC/Loader
Vinnie Bredemus @vinniebredemus
Key Grip
Shun Goldin
Grip
Oscar Matute
Audio Mixer
Jeremy Emery @jeremyemery
Medic / CCO
Chris Serafin
Driver PA
Alessandro Sassi
Processing/Scan
Fotokem @fotokem_la
Dailies Producer
David Boito
NIKE JUKU Ft.「WOO! GO!」by ATARASHII GAKKOU from Mackenzie Sheppard on Vimeo.
Nike Juku music video I directed [Woo! Go!] by Atarashii Gakkou. Credits below!
WIEDEN+KENNEDY TOKYO @wktokyo
Creative Director
Curro de la Villa (クーロ・デ・ラ・ヴィラ) @currodlv
Senior Copywriter
Nedal Ahmed (ネダル・アハメド) @nedallll
Yumiko Ota (太田祐美子) @yuninota
Senior Art Director
Kazuhi Yoshikawa (吉川一陽) @kazuhi_yoshikawa
Lead Producer
Kosuke Sasaki (佐々木洸介) @kosukelawrence
Account Director
Jordan Cappadocia (ジョーダン・カパドーシャ) @jordancap
Account Supervisor
Chelsea Hayashi (ハヤシ・チェルシー) @chelseamiwa
Kaede Ose (大瀬楓) @kadesyrup
Account Executive
Ryu Kaida (海田隆) @ryukaida727
Producers
Ty Demura (出村太) @tydemura
Yoko Onodera (小野寺陽子) @choco2910
Comms Planning Director
Justin Lam (ジャスティン・ラム) @justinclam
Comms Planner
Joanna Fukae (深江ジョアナ) @joyofu
Strategic Planning Director
Thijs van de Wouw (タイス・ヴォン・デ・ウォ) @thijs.vandewouw
Strategic Planner
Rina Deguchi (出口莉奈) @rinadagucci
Studio Designer
Akane Yasuda (安田茜) @akaa.ne
Shotaro Tomiyama(富山庄太郎)
Studio Manager
Aiwei Ichikawa (市川愛維)
Agency Editor
Vinod Vijayasankaran (ヴィジャヤサンカラン ヴィノド) @videovinod
PR
Midori Sugama (菅間碧) @midorisugama
Translator
Mako Tomita (富田万木子)
Executive Creative Director
Scott Dungate (スコット・ダンゲート) @scotty_fingers
Managing Director
Yosuke Suzuki (鈴木洋介) @mrnobody8695
WELCOME FILM PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
Mackenzie Sheppard (マッケンジー・シェパード) @mackshepp
Creative Assistant w/ Mack - Kai Sandy
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Director of Photography
Mikul Eriksson(マイケル・エリクソン) @_mikul
Line Producer
Anna Liu(アンナ・リュウ)/ Sumire Matsumura(松村すみれ)
Production Manager
Kazuki Omi(近江和希)/ Kanako Sato (佐藤果南子)
Assistant Director
Hideaki Jimbo(神保英昭)/ Kai Hoshino Sandy (サンデイー・ホシノ・カイ)
Production Designer
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
Casting Director (for Atarashii Gakko!)
Shohei Ueno (上野昇平) @shohey02
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田舞)/Misaki Matsui(松井美咲)/Rikiya Takano(髙野力哉)
Lighting Director
Arata Ijichi(伊地知新)
Stylist
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Choreographer
Nozomi de Lencquesaing (ド・ランクザン・望) @nozominski
STUDY BREAK PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
ZUMI(中角壮一)@zoomin.graph
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Production Manager
Kai Tsuyuguchi(露口 凱)@kai_0425 /Yurika Yamada (山田 百合佳)
Director of Photography
Shun Murakami(村上 俊)@shun_murakami_
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田 舞)
Lighting Director
Yamato Watanabe(渡邉 大和)@yamato0326_
Wardrobe | Costume | Styling
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Production Design
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
POST PRODUCTION
Editor
Sachi Sasaki @ssachi0528
Assistant editor
Tomonori Watanabe @_tomostudio
Sound Designer
Mike Regan (マイク・リーガン) @mikeregannoise
Sound Mixer
yoshizaki.masaaki(吉崎 雅章)/Hiroki.Okumura(奥村 宏貴)
Colorist
Mikey Rossiter (マイキー・ロシター) @mikolour / Haruka.Okutsu(奥津春香)
Film Transfer
Metropolis Post (メトロポリスポスト)
Compositor
Murata Chitoshi(村田 千登志)/ Yamaguchi Sakiyo(山口 紗清)
FX Artist
Naomi Hayashi(林 直美)
Animation
Takashi Ohashi (大橋史) @ohashitakashi
STILL PRODUCTION
Photographer
Masumi Ishida (石田真澄)@8msmsm8
Assistant Photographer
Ryuji Tamaki (玉城竜次)
Retoucher
Takuya Tsugane (津金 卓也)
STUDY BREAK - LA TEAM
Production Company
Couscous @couscous
Executive Producer
Bear Damen @beardamen
Producer
Salim El Arja
1st AD
Kat Nguyen @katnguyenfilm
Line Producer
Po-Wei Su @poweisub
Production Accountant
Neil Engelman
Locations Manager
Tom Macdonnald
DoP
Logan Triplett @logan_triplett
1st AC
Mike Lemnitzer @hellyeamike
2nd AC/Loader
Vinnie Bredemus @vinniebredemus
Key Grip
Shun Goldin
Grip
Oscar Matute
Audio Mixer
Jeremy Emery @jeremyemery
Medic / CCO
Chris Serafin
Driver PA
Alessandro Sassi
Processing/Scan
Fotokem @fotokem_la
Dailies Producer
David Boito
NIKE JUKU Ft.「WOO! GO!」by ATARASHII GAKKOU from Mackenzie Sheppard on Vimeo.
Nike Juku music video I directed [Woo! Go!] by Atarashii Gakkou. Credits below!
WIEDEN+KENNEDY TOKYO @wktokyo
Creative Director
Curro de la Villa (クーロ・デ・ラ・ヴィラ) @currodlv
Senior Copywriter
Nedal Ahmed (ネダル・アハメド) @nedallll
Yumiko Ota (太田祐美子) @yuninota
Senior Art Director
Kazuhi Yoshikawa (吉川一陽) @kazuhi_yoshikawa
Lead Producer
Kosuke Sasaki (佐々木洸介) @kosukelawrence
Account Director
Jordan Cappadocia (ジョーダン・カパドーシャ) @jordancap
Account Supervisor
Chelsea Hayashi (ハヤシ・チェルシー) @chelseamiwa
Kaede Ose (大瀬楓) @kadesyrup
Account Executive
Ryu Kaida (海田隆) @ryukaida727
Producers
Ty Demura (出村太) @tydemura
Yoko Onodera (小野寺陽子) @choco2910
Comms Planning Director
Justin Lam (ジャスティン・ラム) @justinclam
Comms Planner
Joanna Fukae (深江ジョアナ) @joyofu
Strategic Planning Director
Thijs van de Wouw (タイス・ヴォン・デ・ウォ) @thijs.vandewouw
Strategic Planner
Rina Deguchi (出口莉奈) @rinadagucci
Studio Designer
Akane Yasuda (安田茜) @akaa.ne
Shotaro Tomiyama(富山庄太郎)
Studio Manager
Aiwei Ichikawa (市川愛維)
Agency Editor
Vinod Vijayasankaran (ヴィジャヤサンカラン ヴィノド) @videovinod
PR
Midori Sugama (菅間碧) @midorisugama
Translator
Mako Tomita (富田万木子)
Executive Creative Director
Scott Dungate (スコット・ダンゲート) @scotty_fingers
Managing Director
Yosuke Suzuki (鈴木洋介) @mrnobody8695
WELCOME FILM PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
Mackenzie Sheppard (マッケンジー・シェパード) @mackshepp
Creative Assistant w/ Mack - Kai Sandy
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Director of Photography
Mikul Eriksson(マイケル・エリクソン) @_mikul
Line Producer
Anna Liu(アンナ・リュウ)/ Sumire Matsumura(松村すみれ)
Production Manager
Kazuki Omi(近江和希)/ Kanako Sato (佐藤果南子)
Assistant Director
Hideaki Jimbo(神保英昭)/ Kai Hoshino Sandy (サンデイー・ホシノ・カイ)
Production Designer
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
Casting Director (for Atarashii Gakko!)
Shohei Ueno (上野昇平) @shohey02
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田舞)/Misaki Matsui(松井美咲)/Rikiya Takano(髙野力哉)
Lighting Director
Arata Ijichi(伊地知新)
Stylist
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Choreographer
Nozomi de Lencquesaing (ド・ランクザン・望) @nozominski
STUDY BREAK PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
ZUMI(中角壮一)@zoomin.graph
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Production Manager
Kai Tsuyuguchi(露口 凱)@kai_0425 /Yurika Yamada (山田 百合佳)
Director of Photography
Shun Murakami(村上 俊)@shun_murakami_
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田 舞)
Lighting Director
Yamato Watanabe(渡邉 大和)@yamato0326_
Wardrobe | Costume | Styling
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Production Design
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
POST PRODUCTION
Editor
Sachi Sasaki @ssachi0528
Assistant editor
Tomonori Watanabe @_tomostudio
Sound Designer
Mike Regan (マイク・リーガン) @mikeregannoise
Sound Mixer
yoshizaki.masaaki(吉崎 雅章)/Hiroki.Okumura(奥村 宏貴)
Colorist
Mikey Rossiter (マイキー・ロシター) @mikolour / Haruka.Okutsu(奥津春香)
Film Transfer
Metropolis Post (メトロポリスポスト)
Compositor
Murata Chitoshi(村田 千登志)/ Yamaguchi Sakiyo(山口 紗清)
FX Artist
Naomi Hayashi(林 直美)
Animation
Takashi Ohashi (大橋史) @ohashitakashi
STILL PRODUCTION
Photographer
Masumi Ishida (石田真澄)@8msmsm8
Assistant Photographer
Ryuji Tamaki (玉城竜次)
Retoucher
Takuya Tsugane (津金 卓也)
STUDY BREAK - LA TEAM
Production Company
Couscous @couscous
Executive Producer
Bear Damen @beardamen
Producer
Salim El Arja
1st AD
Kat Nguyen @katnguyenfilm
Line Producer
Po-Wei Su @poweisub
Production Accountant
Neil Engelman
Locations Manager
Tom Macdonnald
DoP
Logan Triplett @logan_triplett
1st AC
Mike Lemnitzer @hellyeamike
2nd AC/Loader
Vinnie Bredemus @vinniebredemus
Key Grip
Shun Goldin
Grip
Oscar Matute
Audio Mixer
Jeremy Emery @jeremyemery
Medic / CCO
Chris Serafin
Driver PA
Alessandro Sassi
Processing/Scan
Fotokem @fotokem_la
Dailies Producer
David Boito
NIKE JUKU Ft.「WOO! GO!」by ATARASHII GAKKOU from Mackenzie Sheppard on Vimeo.
WINNER - Cannes Lions 2023 - FILM | Silver
Nominated - the One Show 2023 - Best Director
WINNER - Spikes GOLD 2023 - Best Director
WINNER - Spikes SILVER 2022 - Best Casting
WINNER - Ciclope Asia GOLD 2022 - Best Director
WINNER - Ciclope Berlin SILVER 2022 - Choreography
1.4 Awards - Flying High, Shortlist, Longlist - Branded
Nike Juku music video I directed [Woo! Go!] by Atarashii Gakkou. Credits below!
WIEDEN+KENNEDY TOKYO @wktokyo
Creative Director
Curro de la Villa (クーロ・デ・ラ・ヴィラ) @currodlv
Senior Copywriter
Nedal Ahmed (ネダル・アハメド) @nedallll
Yumiko Ota (太田祐美子) @yuninota
Senior Art Director
Kazuhi Yoshikawa (吉川一陽) @kazuhi_yoshikawa
Lead Producer
Kosuke Sasaki (佐々木洸介) @kosukelawrence
Account Director
Jordan Cappadocia (ジョーダン・カパドーシャ) @jordancap
Account Supervisor
Chelsea Hayashi (ハヤシ・チェルシー) @chelseamiwa
Kaede Ose (大瀬楓) @kadesyrup
Account Executive
Ryu Kaida (海田隆) @ryukaida727
Producers
Ty Demura (出村太) @tydemura
Yoko Onodera (小野寺陽子) @choco2910
Comms Planning Director
Justin Lam (ジャスティン・ラム) @justinclam
Comms Planner
Joanna Fukae (深江ジョアナ) @joyofu
Strategic Planning Director
Thijs van de Wouw (タイス・ヴォン・デ・ウォ) @thijs.vandewouw
Strategic Planner
Rina Deguchi (出口莉奈) @rinadagucci
Studio Designer
Akane Yasuda (安田茜) @akaa.ne
Shotaro Tomiyama(富山庄太郎)
Studio Manager
Aiwei Ichikawa (市川愛維)
Agency Editor
Vinod Vijayasankaran (ヴィジャヤサンカラン ヴィノド) @videovinod
PR
Midori Sugama (菅間碧) @midorisugama
Translator
Mako Tomita (富田万木子)
Executive Creative Director
Scott Dungate (スコット・ダンゲート) @scotty_fingers
Managing Director
Yosuke Suzuki (鈴木洋介) @mrnobody8695
WELCOME FILM PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
Mackenzie Sheppard (マッケンジー・シェパード) @mackshepp
Creative Assistant w/ Mack - Kai Sandy
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Director of Photography
Mikul Eriksson(マイケル・エリクソン) @_mikul
Line Producer
Anna Liu(アンナ・リュウ)/ Sumire Matsumura(松村すみれ)
Production Manager
Kazuki Omi(近江和希)/ Kanako Sato (佐藤果南子)
Assistant Director
Hideaki Jimbo(神保英昭)/ Kai Hoshino Sandy (サンデイー・ホシノ・カイ)
Production Designer
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
Casting Director (for Atarashii Gakko!)
Shohei Ueno (上野昇平) @shohey02
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田舞)/Misaki Matsui(松井美咲)/Rikiya Takano(髙野力哉)
Lighting Director
Arata Ijichi(伊地知新)
Stylist
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Choreographer
Nozomi de Lencquesaing (ド・ランクザン・望) @nozominski
STUDY BREAK PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION COMPANY
AOI Pro.
Director
ZUMI(中角壮一)@zoomin.graph
Producer
Daisuke Misu(三須大輔)@misu_da
Production Manager
Kai Tsuyuguchi(露口 凱)@kai_0425 /Yurika Yamada (山田 百合佳)
Director of Photography
Shun Murakami(村上 俊)@shun_murakami_
Casting Director
Mai Ikeda(池田 舞)
Lighting Director
Yamato Watanabe(渡邉 大和)@yamato0326_
Wardrobe | Costume | Styling
YOPPY(よっぴー)@yoppy0123456789
Hair & Make up
PHOEBE(フィービー)@feebz_
Production Design
Masami Tanaka(田中 真紗美)@masamit0125
POST PRODUCTION
Editor
Sachi Sasaki @ssachi0528
Assistant editor
Tomonori Watanabe @_tomostudio
Sound Designer
Mike Regan (マイク・リーガン) @mikeregannoise
Sound Mixer
yoshizaki.masaaki(吉崎 雅章)/Hiroki.Okumura(奥村 宏貴)
Colorist
Mikey Rossiter (マイキー・ロシター) @mikolour / Haruka.Okutsu(奥津春香)
Film Transfer
Metropolis Post (メトロポリスポスト)
Compositor
Murata Chitoshi(村田 千登志)/ Yamaguchi Sakiyo(山口 紗清)
FX Artist
Naomi Hayashi(林 直美)
Animation
Takashi Ohashi (大橋史) @ohashitakashi
STILL PRODUCTION
Photographer
Masumi Ishida (石田真澄)@8msmsm8
Assistant Photographer
Ryuji Tamaki (玉城竜次)
Retoucher
Takuya Tsugane (津金 卓也)
STUDY BREAK - LA TEAM
Production Company
Couscous @couscous
Executive Producer
Bear Damen @beardamen
Producer
Salim El Arja
1st AD
Kat Nguyen @katnguyenfilm
Line Producer
Po-Wei Su @poweisub
Production Accountant
Neil Engelman
Locations Manager
Tom Macdonnald
DoP
Logan Triplett @logan_triplett
1st AC
Mike Lemnitzer @hellyeamike
2nd AC/Loader
Vinnie Bredemus @vinniebredemus
Key Grip
Shun Goldin
Grip
Oscar Matute
Audio Mixer
Jeremy Emery @jeremyemery
Medic / CCO
Chris Serafin
Driver PA
Alessandro Sassi
Processing/Scan
Fotokem @fotokem_la
Dailies Producer
David Boito
Here is a list of atla pairings I view from best to worst in my own personal opinion. This list might infuriate some people and I apologize for it.
1: Sukka. Probably the most unproblematic and well-developed pairing period. Maybe we could know more about Suki, but she has enough characterization outside of Sokka and vice versa.
2: Yukka. Also fantastic. Just imagine how poetic it be if Sokka gave his soul to become the ocean spirit.
3: Azulaang. It deserves to be with the big leagues such as Kataang and Zutara. Aside of it giving Azula her well-deserved redemption. Aang and Azula have the potential to be more spiritually connected and bonded due to Azula being a descendent of Aang’s past life Roku. This bond can begin right after Aang let’s go of Katara and opens his last chakra gaining true freedom, mastery over the avatar state. (Before you ask, this’ll be after the season 3 finale, not season 2 where Azula zaps him because while he did open it that time, it ended up getting reblocked again.) I’ve read multiple Azulaang AUs where Aang is temporarily a guru and he gets Azula to open and master her chakras, adding strength to there already strong bond. It doesn’t have to be just Aang helping her, it can be the other way around. Azula can give proper insight on her experience on the fire nation, she can teach him the advance forms of firebending and give him pointers about strategy, calculation and charisma. I imagine these two will take up nomadic roots and roam the earth but unlike Aang’s ancestors, they will serve people of all nations, working wherever there is corruption and discord to restore balance and peace. Aang being the avatar, he and Azula can draw wisdom from many different places as possible as Iroh recommended and Aang shares his crazy freelancing avatar adventures with Azula. It’s well balanced, unique and they help each other grow. What’s not to like?
4: Zutara. It shouldn’t come as a surprise it’s this high on the list. I’m sure every ‘pro zutara’ person has listed every reason and meta better than I could. There is one downside though. Not enough screen time. I’ve seen fan-art of agni kai where Zuko and Katara smooch it up after she heals Zuko. As heartwarming as it looks in concept, if it happened in canon, it’d come off rushed and out of nowhere. That’s one of the reasons why atla deserved a book 4: Air. I know that I’ve jotted down headcannons about Ozai being the dark avatar and harmonic convergence arrived in Aang’s time, but alternatively, the comet finale and happy ending can be cut and moved over to the end of season 4. What goes on in season 4 can just consist of tying up all lose ends until there’s absolutely nothing left but the final battle at hand. Aang could learn nuanced and maybe dark secrets of the air nomad culture, including one of his past lives learning to fly due to Guru Lagima's teachings because we've seen Aang fly whenever he was in the avatar state, he then can also discover more about lion turtles and the secrets of energybending, all by himself without the help of a random lion turtle. Perhaps, Oza be rewritten to take Sozin’s place in time of birth. He’d betray Roku, he’d destroy most of the air nation and he’d start the war. But, unlike Sozin, Ozai lives through 100-year-war and all the atrocities, experiences, and firebending levels from the 3 fire lords will all belong to Ozai only. Iroh would need to be Ursa’s older brother for this to work. As Aang masters energybending, he uses it to purify all of Ozai’s chakras and restore his internal balance for good. What happens to him afterward can vary. Other than that, Zutara is iconic and makes the best sense. Katara is the daughter of the chief which gives Katara a level of authority and royalty. Right?
5: On Jaang. A criminally underrated pairing that deserves more love.
6: Korrasami. The best gay ship there is. Despite what others might say, I think they had built-up and the pay-off was done in a more plot-twisty way. Enough teases to where it makes sense but not too much where you’d predict it happening. It’s what a “will they or won’t they” should be.
7: Korvira. Gives an Azulaang vibe but not as impactful but does get me interested.
8: Wuko. Would be the best male gay ship and I don’t think we have enough of those.
9: Sokkla or Azukka. Another fascination of mine that can easily exist in the kataang timeline.
10: Maizula. It makes the best sense. They get along best out of everyone, there similar personalities seem to match perfectly, they seem to understand each other the best, Mai was the only one who was never afraid of Azula and Azula has never had to use manipulation or fear tactics to control Mai.
11: Ty Luko. I can’t help but be drawn to this. I’ve been wishing constantly that they have positive screen time together. The way she says “I know you” sticks with me. Zuko hired her along with the rest of the kyoshi warriors as guardsmen, or as Ty puts it, “gaurdswomen.” This gives them plenty of chances for them to bond and raise the possibility she could be the mother of Zuko’s daughter Izumi. Zuko has a thing for women who express there emotions as well has be self-sufficient. Which is why Zuko was frustrated with Mai even if she herself is self-sufficient. Since Ty Lee is like the polar opposite of Mai and harbors a similar personality to Aang, whom by the way Zuko seemingly gets along with the best, Ty Luko seems logical and at least the next best thing compared to Zutara.
12: Zuki. Almost the same reasons as Ty Luko. The chemistry was fascinating and there seems to be a lot of trust between them. This leaves me conflicted with Sukka as it I said it was the best of the best.
13: Taang. I’ve been intrigued on this for quite a long time before Azulang and I used to think that Aang seeing her from the swamp meant something considering that the swamp shows people visions of of loved ones and that it would easily coexist with Zutara. Some fans speculated that Toph may have been the reincarnation of Ummi who was the love of Aang's past life Kuruk. Many felt that Ummi losing her face would explain why she was born blind in a future life. While I’ve grown to like Azulaang more, I can see this being a well thought out match.
14: Tokka. It’s been slowly growing on me and it’s very clear Toph has a thing for Sokka. A lot of fans hoped that Sokka was Lin's father and were disappointed when it was revealed that she dated Sokka's nephew, Tenzin. However, when it was revealed that Toph had another daughter with a different father, the fans regained hope. I personally don’t mind if Sokka was Su’s father.
15: Katoph. Makes sense to me, they seem to get along best and complement each other. Even though Katara acted motherly to Toph.
16: Mailee. Not a bad idea. Mai and Ty Lee both betrayed Azula and were both willing to help the gaang. They’ve never tried controlling or manipulate each other.
17: Kainora. While I had my issues with Kai. He and Jinora look pretty cute, and Kai managed to change his ways so it’s all good.
18: Kataang. It had its moments, they had the most screen time together, Aang and Katara do express some teamwork and its canon, congratulations. But they used almost all of that screen time framing Katara as an authoritive, coddly, big-sister type to Aang and Aang himself just simping for her like crazy, to the point that Aang ended up coming off too strong and his simping often clouds his judgment. He hasn’t gotten much growth from her aside teaching him waterbending and inspiring him to regain his faith in humanity, he also sees her as this perfect angelic figure and gets scared whenever she shows her more flawed side. During Aang’s chakra sessions, we’re given a clear explanation on how Katara is the only to calm Aang down from the avatar state, because she’s the reason why Aang has little control in the avatar state in the first place. Katara is an earthly tether and the only way to better protect her and gain full control over the avatar state, he has to let her go. But the love chakra showed Katara to Aang. Which means two things can happen if Aang opened his last chakra. He can love Katara in a healthier and more balanced way, realize that she’s not the perfect princess Aang made her out to be and actually falls for her harder because of it. Or he could realize his romantic attraction was never real, he lets it go and settles for the family-type of love. You’d think it went the route of the former but...it didn’t. Aang found a random and cheap way to end the great war, he never got around to opening his chakra and still needs Katara to hold his hand so he doesn’t go “incredible hulk” with the avatar state. Aang wasn't really asked to sacrifice much of anything, he blew the whole thing out proportion, making his job more difficult than it needed to be, and Katara could have better things to do then constantly babysit him.
19: Zucest. As strange and taboo as it is. I was indeed drawn by this. I can kinda see why. Azula takes the most risk for him. Saved his life and saved his reputation, the way she acted when Zuko barged into her room but wasn’t fully asleep and somehow knew he was there. With Aaron Ehasz planning on getting these two to reconcile, some may take that as a sign. But the saner side of me says it’s just them acting like the loving siblings they deserve to be.
20: Masami. I felt they hit off to fast in season 1 but when they did hit off, they looked surprisingly good. Season 2 made them look even better. That said, I’ve been conflicted between this and Korrasami.
21: Ty Lokka. Maybe, if Suki doesn’t mind a threesome. Doubt it though, and I wasn’t really feeling it with this one.
22: Urzai. It would honestly add more depth to Ozai as Zuko once stated that their family was once happy.
23: Ozhao or Zhai. It would explain why Zhao gets special treatment from Ozai and he overhypes himself. I theorize Ozai arranged his own nephew to die and Zhao was the shooter.
24: Zukaang. Interesting but has parallels with that of Kataang. As Katara was mother-like, Zuko is father-like, and they appear to be good as friends.
25: Zukka. Meh. Sokka may likely steal some of Katara’s characterization for this to work, and that just kills any originality. They have proven to work well together though.
26: Azutara. Same thing with Zukka. Just use what it is that made Zutara and Azulaang special and this is what you get.
27: Makorra. Season 2 ruined this for me, but even season 1 they didn’t seem all that great. Mako and Korra didn’t seem to have that many sparks between them, Mako from season 1 was framed as level-headed version of Zuko, that infamous love triangle didn’t make anything better.
28: Maiko. Nope. We’ve seen firsthand the dysfunction Maiko has wrought. Zuko tries to be kind and supportive, but Mai just doesn’t appreciate it. Zuko tried pouring his heart out to her, but she basically just told him to shut up. Zuko was already soaked with insecurities and guilt and Mai, intentionally or not, made them worse and that’s when Zuko started getting more impatient and possessive over Mai. Mai intimidated Zuko into never breaking up with her again and yet she felt entitled to do the breaking up herself. Mai is way better off and more likable without Zuko in her life and vice versa.
29: Tyzula. I can’t help but cringe every time I see this. Everything about this just rubs me the wrong way. While Azula wasn’t a threatening control freak towards Mai, she was towards Ty Lee.
30: Boleska. Absolutely not. Eska was nothing but abusive and possessive towards Bolin. He deserves better.
The conversation replays over and over again in Harriet's mind. She's not really thinking about marriage at this point. She's just thinking about the same thing as any other hot-blooded university-aged girl: sex.
With this motivation, she knocks gently on Ty's door. He unlocks it, his yukata dangerously loose, and pulls the shoji closed behind them as they enter the main room. Masami really wanted a traditional inn, and the sweet smell of the tatami mats, shikibuton mattresses, and cozy kotatsu live up to the experience. Harriet can't help but feel a twinge of guilt, and something closer to hubris, for what she wants to do on these straw mats.
"Are you sleeping with me tonight?" Ty asks, taking off his yukata and revealing blessedly tight briefs.
"I don't know, are you ready for us to actually sleep together?" Harper shrugs off her own yukata, revealing her carefully selected lingerie.
Ty slaps a hand over his eyes. "Sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Wait, give me a second to compose myself." He lets his hand fall from his face, cheeks undeniable rosy. "Holy fuck, Harriet, you're gorgeous. But no, we can't do anything, not with these paper-thin walls and your parents snoring next-door."
"I can be quiet."
He smirks. "Trust me, you won't with me."
"Okay, Mr. Sex Genius."
"Hey! I have a plethora of reviews on my website to back me up. Reviews I had no say in, by the way."
"Who's to say you didn't write them yourself?"
"Is this the point where I'm supposed to say 'Fine, I'll prove it to you', because I'm not doing that. I wasn't born yesterday, you know."
"Oh, I know. You were born half a century ago."
"I'm not that old yet, missy, and you should respect your elders." He cradles her waist, thumbs tracing her lower ribs. "But maybe we can just make out like a pair of horny teenagers?"
"Not much of a consolation prize, but I'll take it," she murmurs, pressing her mouth against his. Half an hour later, Ty pulls back, whispering a kiss into her shoulder, out like a light from jetlag. She groans, a mixture of blue-beaned frustration and gratefulness at having met someone she feels this way about.
She traces a finger over his sleeping face. "Maybe Harper's right. I could see myself with you for the rest of my life."
I am seeking people who are into 1x1 RPs for the above fandoms. I play both genders (I do prefer the woman but I am happy to double up). I write over discord and tend to give about 4 solid paragraphs on average. NSFW is fine with me, provided it’s not a focal point of our plots.
Canons are aged up.
I am listing some ships I’m craving. If you can help a lady out, let me know by dropping me a message or like this post and I can reach out to you.
Naruto: I stopped after Jiraiya died. So keep in mind my knowledge is limited. I’m not big on Sasuke/Akatsuki stuff so I’d love it if we could do our own thing. AUs are fine here too. I have some plots for ShikaSaku as well.
Shikamaru x Sakura (I prefer to play Sakura)
Kakashi x Sakura (I prefer to play Sakura)
Naruto x Ino (I can play either)
Jiraiya x Hinata (I prefer to play Hinata)
Asuma x Ino (I prefer to play Ino)
Sasuke x Hinata (I can play either)
Naruto x Temari (I prefer to play Naruto)
Gaara x Hinata (I can play either)
MHA: I am almost caught up on the latest season. I haven’t seen the second film but I have seen the first. I am not a manga reader. I do love a good villain x hero plot with us making a canon a villain. AUs are fun.
All Might x Ochako (I prefer to play Ochako)
All Might x Melissa (I prefer to play Ochako)
All Might x Momo (I can play either)
Present Mic x Kyoka (I prefer to play Kyoka)
Present Mic x Tsuyu (I can play either)
Eraserhead x Momo (I prefer to play Momo)
Eraserhead x Ochako (I prefer to play Ochako)
Eraserhead x Mina (I can play either)
Kaminari x Ochako (I prefer to play Ochako)
Kaminari x Momo (I can play either)
Deku x Tsuyu (I can play either)
Todoroki x Momo (I can play either)
Todoroki x Ochako (I prefer to play Ochako)
Todoroki x Tsuyu (I can play either)
Tenya x Ochako (I can play either)
Mirio x Ochako (I prefer to play Ochako)
Tamaki x Kyoka (I prefer to play Kyoka)
Bakugo x Tsuyu (I can play either)
Nighteye x Momo (I prefer to play Momo)
FE3H: I haven’t done Edelgards routes yet. I may never haha.
Seteth x Flayn (I prefer to play Flayn)
Seteth x Hilda (I prefer to play Hilda)
Seteth x Ingrid (I prefer to play Ingrid)
Claude x Hilda (I can play either)
Claude x Flayn (I prefer to play Flayn)
Lorenz x Hilda (I can play either)
Ignatz x Bernadette (I can play either)
Sylvain x Hilda (I can play either)
ATLA/LOK: I am not a comic reader and have only seen LoK once through because I disliked it enough to never want to watch it again. I am open to crossovers here too.
What Your Favorite Avatar Ship Says About You (Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra)
Transcription below the cut
Zutara (Zuko/Katara) - Looking back on your childhood, you can pinpoint Avatar: The Last Airbender as the source of your crippling addiction to edgy boys who have trouble talking about their feelings.
Kataang (Katara/Aang) - You are a firm believer in keeping things canon and keeping things wholesome
Taang (Toph/Aang) - You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of getting dunked on
Sukka (Sokka/Suki) - Your ideal high school romance is jock x nerd
Zukka (Zuko/Sokka) - Your ideal high school romance is nerd x goth
Maiko (Mai/Zuko) - Your ideal high school romance is goth x goth
Jetko (Jet/Zuko) - Your addiction to edgy boys got so bad, one day you were like “hey, you know what’s better than one edgy boy? TWO edgy boys.”
Tyzula (Ty Lee/Azula) - You were absolutely fucking thrilled when “be gay, do crimes” became the hot new meme
Zukaang (Zuko/Aang) - Half of you came here after shipping Draco and Harry, half of you came here after shipping Sasuke and Naruto, all of you are now shipping Deku and Todoroki.
Tokka (Toph/Sokka) - You just wanted good things for Toph, and really, who wouldn’t?
Sokkla (Sokka/Azula) - You liked the dynamic from Zutara, but you liked Azula even more
Yukka (Sokka/Yue) - You’re kind of annoyed that the thing most people remember about this ship is that scene where Zuko says “that’s rough, buddy.”
Korrasami (Korra/Asami) - You want a girlfriend who not only CAN kick your ass, but will do so upon request.
Makorra (Mako/Korra) - You are heterosexual
Masami (Mako/Asami) - You’re a sucker for a good meet-cute. AND you’re heterosexual.
Bopal (Bolin/Opal) - Your ideal relationship dynamic is Sitcom wife x Sitcom husband
Kyalin (Kya/Lin) - You are a lesbian who loves MILFs. Also, you probably read the comics.
Pemzin (Pema/Tenzin) - You don’t understand why anyone would fuck around with an unstable, love-hate relationship when there’s a perfectly happy marriage right there.
Linzin (Lin/Tenzin) - You don’t understand why anyone would care about a happy marriage when there’s an unstable, love-hate relationship to fuck around with.
Wuko (Prince Wu/Mako) - You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of buddy comedies.
Baavira (Baatar Jr./Kuvira) - You are a firm believer in MEN 👏 GETTING 👏 PEGGED 👏
Kovira (Korra/Kuvira) - This is just the same joke as Korrasami but even more so and without the canon validation
Kainora (Kai/Jinora) - You just wanted good things for Jinora, and really, who wouldn’t?
Zhurrick (Zhu Li/Varrick) - Your ideal date involves wacky hijinks, after which, pain ensues