#why does it look like a shojo manga cover

[ddarker-dreams]

ive been reading way too much romance manga lately and all of them seem to have a wardrobe malfunction scene and I MUST to ask.,. sr reader having a wardrobe malfunction ?? their reactions like “I do not see I do not perceive” but internally screaming. thoughts? ponderings? musings even??

WAIT HOLD ON !! YOUR BRAIN IS HUGE !! there is nothing i love more than shojo tropes... scarlet ribbons would pair so well with them omg... i need to look up a list and start writing them for funsies <3

reader here is fem!

[Scarlet Ribbons Index]

Giorno

Giorno is stuck in the middle of an intense moral dilemma. If it’s just the two of you, he’d rather not embarrass you by pointing it out; he’d use his Stand to pull down your skirt on the sly. He doesn’t want you to think he’s been ogling you and that’s how he happened to notice the malfunction. In the moment, he’s honestly so concerned about navigating this with decorum that he forgets to get flustered. It isn’t until later when he lays down for the night that the weight of the situation hits him. He feels like he’s disrespecting you somehow by letting his thoughts wander and does his best to think about anything else, takes a cold shower and everything. Almost loses it on the spot when your Stand gives him a knowing thumbs up the following day. 

Bruno

Bruno is similar to Giorno where he prioritizes not wanting to make you uncomfortable in any way. While he’s trying to figure out what to do, he’ll be damned if he lets anyone wander into your general vicinity. He radiates the most ominous aura to keep others at bay. He fights every instinct in his body not to stare and admire the skin he isn’t used to seeing. Bruno already feels guilty for harboring romantic feelings for you in the first place, seeing as you’re his subordinate. This definitely isn’t helping. You’re over there smiling and making jokes while he’s struggling to remember how to breathe. Ends up shedding his blazer and throwing it over your shoulders, unable to take the stress any longer. The end of one crisis ends up inadvertently causing another. Bruno learns that day that he really likes how his clothes look on you. 

Fugo

Fugo starts sputtering, trying (and failing) to string together a coherent sentence. He’s landed in this situation a few times ever since you started rooming together, summer being especially dangerous. He honestly has no idea what to do with himself when you’re walking around in a tank top and short shorts. Ends up getting mad at you and your stupidly attractive body, but is even more upset with himself for how easily it riles him up. It’s just a little bit of skin, why can’t he control himself? He’s above such boorish behavior! Probably. You’re none the wiser to his tribulations and assume he’s just glaring at you because you forgot to take the trash out or something. Will only inform you of the malfunction if you’re planning to go out — he’s not letting anyone else get treated to such a view. Fugo ends up having to pantomime the issue to you because his tongue simply will not form words. He cannot look you in the eyes for the next few days. 

Mista

Mista is uncertain if this is a blessing from God or a trial from the devil. He’s being allowed to view a little glimpse of heaven, yet the cost is steep; what if you catch onto his staring and piece everything together? You’d probably write him off as a creep. Then his chances with you would be ruined forever unless you got hit with a memory-erasing Stand. It’s unusual for him to be perturbed by anything, he’s normally so relaxed. He would be if this was happening with literally anyone else but you. Since you’re involved, he needs to use like, tact or whatever. It’s rough. Eventually, he brings you close with an arm around your shoulders and whispers what the problem is. He’ll eagerly offer to help in any way you need it. 

Narancia

He goes to cover his eyes with his hands... but then splays his fingers so he can still see. Only a peek. You’ll find out what’s going on the fastest with him. Narancia just can’t keep his thoughts inside his head when you’re involved. It’s difficult to tell who is the most embarrassed between the two of you. He’s apologizing, you’re apologizing, it’s developing into quite the scene. It doesn’t help that he swears to stab anyone who walks by to preserve your honor. You have to convince him to put the knife away while readjusting your traitorous outfit. After the heat of the moment has passed, he dejectedly asks if you hate him now. Please reassure him that he did nothing wrong or he’ll be sad for ages. 

Abbacchio

Surprisingly has the most composed response somehow? He knows how the rest of his team gets when they’re around you, it’s like the caveman part of their brain takes over. Abbacchio likes to think he’s better than that. He’ll call you over and calmly explain what the issue is. He doesn’t beat around the bush but he’s not crude either. If you’re out and it’s something you can’t fix right away, he’ll offer to go buy you a hoodie or whatever. It might be a little mean of him to admit, but it’s kinda cute watching you get flustered over the whole ordeal. Though he’s nice enough not to tease you about it in the moment, expect him to bring it up every now and then whenever you start pestering him too much. 

#giorno x reader #bruno x reader #fugo x reader #mista x reader #narancia x reader #abbacchio x reader #giorno giovanna x reader #bucciarati x reader #pannacotta fugo x reader #guido mista x reader #narancia ghirga x reader #leone abbacchio x reader #vento aureo x reader #jjba x reader #jojo's bizarre adventure x reader #scarlet ribbons #my stuff #answered #Anonymous

[gabriella0807]

AnS cover art observations:

-A retrospective essay, starting with the recent cover art.

This is my first analysis of anything ever, and it became longer than expected. English is not my first language so I hope I could express myself well. The following text contains my subjective opinion, I don't intend to convince anyone. However, I hope that it will inspire some of you. Thank you in advance for reading! 💛✨

On the volume 25 cover I just noticed that red string on Obi's belt. Some red ornament hangs from Shirayuki's dress too. (Both accesssories have some blue and golden gems at the endings.) Maybe the one Shirayuki wears is insignificant, still, it matches Obi's string. Could the string Obi wears be a symbol of the red string of fate? 👀

I took a look at previous volume covers, to see if Zen also wears something that can serve as a red string of fate symbol, and yes, he does. On volume 17 and 21 covers, where the string is at his heart's side. So it seems, the red string theory is not an absolute Obiyuki win, yet.

Sidenote: on the back cover of volume 21, there is a beautiful Obi, by the way.

Now let's go back to the volume 25 cover a bit.

They don't just wear matching clothes but also the same bracelets. And that shape above them reminds me of a bow and arrow, which could be a reminder of how they met. That glowing stone in the middle could also symbolize the stone Shirayuki gave Obi. They are also sitting close to each other, almost face to face. I know, there's not much space on a manga cover, but still... their knees almost touch... and they are just calm and natural in the other's presence. The ambiance is warm, cozy and kind of intimate, in my opinion. I get honeymoon vibes here. 😳

And not to mention, this is their second time that only the two of them are on a cover. The first time was in volume 11. Which shows the opposite vibe of the 25's cover, and another main dynamic regarding their relationship. While they can simply drink tea and chill together, they can also have a lot of fun and laughter.

They have matching clothes and almost exactly the same necklace. Obi's clothes look like a guard uniform, but we've never seen something like that before. Also, the necklace can serve as a new identity tag. So it can be a foreshadowing to their future on the north in Wilant castle. They are back to back, arms laced, Obi lifts Shirayuki -her legs are probably kicking the air. They're just having fun and they are worryless. The whole scenario looks like some celebration event. It is playful, cheerful. There are yellow, red, green roses, but the wind blows white petals around them too. I get wedding vibes here. 😳

What's strange for me, that there's no volume where Shirayuki and Zen are alone together on the front cover, not like Shirayuki and Obi, which could mean that...

...even the covers indicate the Obiyuki endgame. OR Sorata-sensei is just waiting until the final book, when Zenyuki marry, to draw only Zenyuki on the cover, to make it special. But who knows. I wonder if it's a general expectation to have the endgame couple on the cover. Because of that, I also searched some of my favorite shojo manga's covers to get some proof. And the endgame couples (only the two of them) were on some of the covers. But in the case of AnS it may be an exception, and Zenyuki can be endgame anyways, and just the two of them don't need to be on the covers. But why is Obiyuki on the cover already twice, then?

The only occasion Shirayuki and Zen are together on a front cover is in volume 4:

BUT Obi is also there, and he's the largest on the pic. Zenyuki is in the background. This is the volume where Obi gives Shirayuki the iconic trinket (in chapter 17), so that's why it's tucked in his breast pocket (at his heart's side). He is also holding a bouquet of white flowers (roses?) with yellow wrapping and golden ribbon. The trinket, the wrapping and the ribbon matches Shirayuki's clothes. It looks like Obi bought the flowers to give it to her. Is it a foreshadowing? I hope so.

This is it. It is possible that I see too much into these things, I know, but I wanted to share how I see these covers. I'm still half agony half hope for Obi&Shirayuki.

What do you think about the mentioned matters?

•

Honorable mentions:

Obi is by himself twice on the covers, and he looks dashing.

This is the cover of volume 8, where in the story Obi finally takes off his shirt revealing his scars. That's what the cover indicates. Also we get to know just a little bit more about his past.

On the pic, Obi is in the forest, probably it's autumn, and he's holding one of the orange-red leaves. And he gives it to Shirayuki on the back cover. May not has a great meaning, but it's such a lovely gesture. Still... for me it is special. What's more, Shirayuki is smiling and slightly blushing. Wholesome, heartfelt moment.

And finally, here's the cover of volume 22 to bless our eyes once more in this post:

I like that both times when Obi is alone on the front cover, the coloring is warm, and his appearance is stunning. Here he is holding some paper, and if I see properly, on it, there is a drawing of Shirayuki and Ryuu. (For their trio went to a soirée together for the first time in that book.) Furthermore, I love that Obi's hair is brushed differently, and he makes a sort of serious face.

Thank you for reading. Blessings! 💛✨

#obiyuki #ans #ans manga #akagami no shirayukihime #snow white with the red hair #akizuki sorata #shiraobi #obi x shirayuki #shirayuki x obi #shirayuki #obi #obi ans

[prinzgnomeovonchaos]

Okay, so I reread the first 9 chapters to put my thoughts in order and like... I have a list and it's long 😅

General problems I have are the questionable anatomy, and inconsistent drawing style. Some pages look really good others way too plain, some just god awful. I have seen one mer ass crack too many... Also, maybe learn to draw guys? I too struggle with that but I'm not a professional...

And like everyone else, I hate lukias design. Whenever she and Luchia are on screen I struggle to tell who is doing what. Also the magical girl dress is hideous.

The story as a whole feels incredibly rushed and like at least 10 plots are going on at the same time. There are almost no bonding moments, so the only relationship that feels even slightly fleshed out is between sango and lukia and even that one is pretty shaky. Also at points the story gives me whiplash with how quick things are happening and scenes changing. Like the whole first chapter just reads like a bunch of shojo cliches mixed together without rhyme or reason. At points it's genuinely difficult to tell what's going on, and that is really bad considering we're only 9 chapters in...

As for characters, technically noone has one because everything is too rushed and nothing fleshed out, but so far I like sango and noone else. Oh, and Karen, because she is pretty cool as always uwu

I think it's a problem if I can't stand the male cast... Like kurosona doesn't really have a character but what there is is just nonsensical and unlikable? His friend (quick question why are they friends? He's so far only shady and evil?) Is even worse... Like he's borderline criminal at this point...

(sometimes some characters behave in a way that is genuinely unhinged, even for manga standards)

Ohhhh, seira!! Aren't you way too old to go to school?

Speaking of unhinged, why the unnecessary sexualized moments? Some of the covers are already pretty out there... But like do we need the tail sucking scene? Does lukia have to be naked? Does the wave attack have to look like something out of hentai...?

The whole conflict with the marriage makes no sense so far, but maybe we'll get an explanation. What bothers me is how Luchia flip flops between forcing her daughter into marriage and then going "I believe in you, you'll overcome the odds" like honey you put the odds there??? The whole sequel is plain character assassination for Luchia 😂

As far as the whole merman thing goes, I guess they only said the 7 kingdoms are girls only, so maybe the guys and the undecided merpeople have other kingdoms? I'll wait for an explanation on that.

And the nonbinary merpeople .. like I would love some good rep, but honestly thinking about it.... Aren't they quite literally just a phase that ends with them choosing to be man or woman...? And once they have chosen they are stuck, so no gender fluid merpeople and technically calling sango NB is not quite right... I used undecided in the paragraph above for this reason. (Again, I'll wait and see, but there is the really uncomfortable implication of "just choose one" going on here...)

There are some more things that bother me, like izul whole deal, or the interactions between sango and shirahama... But those might get an explanation in the future... Hopefully

Over all there are heaps of problems but burrowed deep underneath could be a good story, miss pink just really needs to slow down and think things through... Or hire a writer.

#mermaid melody aqua #mmppp #also laurents kidnapping attempt looks like he is using his fin like a pogo stick... just cracks me up

[nillabeam]

hiii!! can i request bakugou x reader pls!! one-shot where in mina announces to class 1a that she knows who the reader likes, n everyone takes there guesses. then someone jokingly says bakugou n thats when she out of character gets flustered n runs away, thanks!!

pairings: bakugoxf!reader

warnings: fluff!!!! PURE WHOLESOME SAP!!! also language

a/n: @number1bakuhoe this one’s for you! thank you for the super cute request!! this was so wholesome!! hopefully you enjoy it as much as i enjoyed writing it!! 

You’re cool and well liked, reliable, level headed, your grades are good, you have a strong quirk, oh and you’re also beautiful.

You’re damn near perfect, except for one little thing: your secret crush on Bakugo Katsuki. 

Before class Mina gathers everyone’s attention, it doesn’t work so she stands on her desk, yelling at everyone until they finally shut up and pay attention.

Mina locks eyes with you, and announces she knows your crush.

She’s bullshitting of course, but you couldn’t help the little bit of panic you felt, maybe she did know?

Had you said anything you shouldn’t have?

Did you let your gaze linger too long?

Maybe you talked about him in your sleep?? 

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you tell us then?” You call her bluff, convincing yourself she’s just trying to torment you like always.

Mina pauses a moment since she wasn’t expecting you to actually call her out, now she’s standing on her desk, everyone’s attention on her, expecting her to reveal some juicy gossip.

She’s got nothing.

She looks around the room her eyes searching for a possible crush candidate.

“Mmm Deku—“ she replies, her tone lacks confidence and she looks unsure.

Deku turns to face the class his face red and eyes wide “w-w-w-w-what???” He buries his face in his hands and you smile at how easily flustered he is.

“He’s adorable but no.” You respond and Deku looks a little relieved while you’re pretty sure Uraraka is shooting you the dirtiest look she could manage with that round little face of hers.

“Sero—“ she tries again

“No.” you have your face cupped in your hands and you’re looking at Mina expectantly.

“Someone else guess i got nothing.” Mina hops down from her desk and shrugs.

Sero chimes in, “Kirishima?”

You watch as Kirishima rubs the nape of his neck nervously before you answer. “No.” You offer an apologetic smile and he blushes a little.

“What about Aoyama?” Krishima tries, desperate to get the attention off of himself.

“No.” You try not to laugh at that one.

“Me.” Kaminari adds and everyone laughs at that one.

Mintea rolls his eyes, his arms crossed, for once he looks serious, “It’s obvious it’s Todoroki—every girl has the hots for him.”

You shake your head, “No—listen you’ll never guess it because I don’t have a crush-” You start.

“What about Bakugo?” Todoroki says innocently, and you tense up involuntary.

“Pftt—yeah like Y/N would ever like Baku-“ Kaminari starts but your expression makes him redirect his train of thought.

“Bakugo??? Seriously?” He asks, leaning forward in his seat

“N-No.” you mumble under your breath.

“I don’t know Y/N, you don’t seem very confident in that answer.” Sero notes, now wearing a smug smirk. 

Mina hops from her desk cooly and walks over to you, she pauses before slamming her palms down onto your desk. 

“It’s so obvious! Good girl falls for the bad boy!” Mina says matter of factly, Kaminari crosses his arms and kicks his feet onto his desk

“It’s a classic trope, one of us should have noticed by now-” He lets out a long sigh.

You can’t speak, you open your mouth but nothing comes out, instead you bury yourself in the crooks of your elbows, trying to drown out the elevating voices of your over excited peers, and also to hide the deep red blush covering your cheeks. 

A soft hand rests on your shoulder, Momo’s voice is soothing compared to the rest, “Leave Y/N alone, if she says she it’s not him then take her word for it.” You glance up at her hopefully.

“Besides, Y/N is so nice and Bakugo is...well..” Momo adds, and you can tell she’s trying to understand the situation, but she’s only making it worse. 

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Bakugo’s voice calls from the other side of the room and Momo jumps. 

Uraraka chimes in now, “She has a point Bakugo, Y/N doesn't really seem like she’d go for your type. It makes more sense for her to be with someone nice, like Kirishima.” 

Kirishima puts his hands up in defense, “What do you mean?? Bakugo’s great, a little rough around the edges but it’s not that weird for Y/N to like him.” He replies, his loyalty to his friend on full display. 

You had to get out. 

It was too much. 

Your entire class was now arguing about your love life, who you should like, and who you shouldn’t like, and exactly why you should or shouldn’t and you couldn’t handle it anymore. 

You stand up, head down, determined to leave, when Mina grabs your wrist. 

“Hey! You haven’t told us if you like him or not!” 

“Don’t touch me!” You tear your wrist from her grip, and the room goes silent. 

All eyes are on you now. 

You feel hot and think for a second your knees might buckle, when they don't you take the opportunity to run out of the classroom. 

Iida stands up, “I hope you’re all happy with yourselves, you’ve embarrassed the poor girl half to death!” He presses his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. 

“Someone is going to have to take responsibility for this mess.” He says looking disappointedly at Mina. 

Who shifts her attention to Bakugo, and of course the rest of the class does the same. 

“What the fuck? ME?” Bakugo snaps, but the class doesn’t budge. 

You ran until you found a nice empty spot on a stairwell. 

You take a few deep breaths to collect yourself before you sit down, burying your face in your arms again. 

Maybe you could transfer to a different school where you didn’t like a boy and your class didn’t make a fool of you and you didn't just run out of the room like the main character of a shojo manga. 

“You better not be crying.” Bakugo’s voice carries in the empty stairwell and you jump, you didn't even know he was there. 

He leans cooly against the wall adjacent from you. Vermillion eyes as intense as ever, and they were looking right into yours. 

“I’m not crying-” You snap, toying with your skirt, “I was just..overwhelmed.” You admit, shifting your gaze to the floor. 

“I needed a second to think, to breathe.” You add and he shifts his weight to bury his hands in his pockets.  

“Why didn’t you just answer?” He asks flatly and you’re a little surprised. 

“You’re telling me you would have just answered a question like that no problem?” You ask, unconvinced. 

He shrugs a bit, “Yeah, it’s not shameful to like someone. It is pretty damn cowardly to hide it from everyone though.” He adds and you can feel your cheeks heat up, annoyed at how coy he was acting. 

“Then you answer it if it’s so easy. Who do you like?” 

A hint of blush tints his porcelain skin, he rolls his eyes. “Tch, don’t make this about me because you’re too goddamn scared of what everyone thinks to admit you like me.” His tone is laced with irritation but also something else. It’s gruff but softer than usual. 

“S-Scared? I’m not scared to admit anything!” You snap.

“So you’re ashamed then?” He snaps back.

“N-No!” You’re standing now, fists balled at your sides. 

“I like you! I have for a long time and it’s a little scary to admit it right to your face but i’m not ashamed of anything.” You feel heat rise into your ears and they start to ring a little. 

“You’re mean and cold and sometimes you act like an asshole, but you’re also loyal and honest and you’re going to be a great hero someday and-” You realize you’re starting to ramble and you look up expecting Bakugo to be annoyed but he just looks..surprised. 

“N-Now it’s your turn! Do you have a crush on anyone?” You’re suddenly filled with a rush of confidence from finally getting the confession off of your chest. 

“I guess you could call it that-” He mumbles, and you jab a finger in his face. 

“Who is it?” You ask, gaze intense. 

“Tch-”

“Answer it.”

“You.” 

There’s a brief pause as you process the information. 

Bakugo shifts his weight, clearly starting to get uncomfortable. 

“Well aren’t you going to say something-” He starts but he’s cut off by your lips against his own. He falters for a minute, his cheeks stained red, he fumbles a little in an attempt to pull you near him, his arms feel so large when they finally wrap around you. 

Your chest is burning and you can feel your heartbeat ring in your ears. 

The kiss is a little clumsy, you can tell he doesn’t have much experience, but there’s chemistry and he’ll just have to practice. With you. A lot. 

You pull away, and you can tell he’s reluctant. The way he bites his lower lip almost makes you steal him away to the empty dorms but you know you have a class to face. 

“Aren’t you going to say something?” You mock, and he pinches your sides. “Shut up.” You start to laugh, and he covers his smile with his knuckles. “Let’s head back.” 

The two of you walk back to class, neither of you say anything but you don't have to. He says it in the way he lets his shoulder brush up against yours from walking too close to you. And you say it with the smile you’ve been trying to fight the entire walk back. 

You both pause at the door and Bakugo offers one of his signature smirks. “Mina is going to shit herself.” 

#bnha imagines #bakugo x reader #bakugo imagine #oneshot #katsuki bakugou #bakugou x reader #bakugou imagine #bakugo fluff #mha imagines #katsuki bakugo fluff #nillabeamwrites

[ribbonstrawberrysurprise]

TMM Chapter Numbering: Tokyopop Strikes Again

How many chapters does the TMM manga have? If you go by the Tokyopop version (and the Wikipedia page, which uses their chapter names), it’s 27. But if you go and count how many times there’s the little half page that marks the start of a new chapter, there’s actually 29!

Not to mention, Ikumi’s website listed all of the manga she put out, and it has 29 chapters of TMM!

( https://web.archive.org/web/20081224165340/http://ikumimia.chu.jp/work.htm )

Why is this?

Well, basically, Tokyopop just wasn’t careful with counting...

The original chapters didn’t have names, and the volumes didn’t have any table of contents.

But Tokyopop decided to add a table of contents to each volume, and to name each individual chapter starting in volume 3 (1 and 2 had one name for chapters 1-4 and 5-9, respectively).

But if you look at this table of contents for volume 3, you’ll notice something a little weird. TMM chapters are around 30 pages on average, which is typical of monthly shojo magazines like Nakayoshi. 7 to 37 is 31 pages. 38 to 69 is 32. But 72 to 144 is 73 pages!

And sure enough, there’s a chapter cover and half page at page 112, leaving a 41 page chapter and a 32 page chapter.

A Tokyopop editor must have been in a hurry and missed this chapter break when making the table of contents, and then no one checked it.

This happened again in volume 7, where the last two chapters were counted as one, despite the chapter break at page 88.

So, Tokyopop messed up on the table of contents for 2 different volumes and caused the number of chapters to be miscounted in the English fandom for years!

You might wonder why the Kodansha release didn’t fix this problem, since they generally put more care into the translation and editing. Well, they opted not to list chapters in their tables of contents, just volumes, since they released TMM in omnibus form.

I just don’t think it occurred to anyone in the fandom to go through and count the number of chapters. I only realized something was weird because I was going through and taking notes chapter by chapter for something else and couldn’t figure out why my chapter numbers didn’t match the Wikipedia ones.

(Also, hello! Long time since last meta! I haven’t forgotten the timeline thing, either.)

#Tokyo Mew Mew #Meta #Long Post

[historyman101]

Fena: Pirate Princess First Impressions

I watched the 1-hour premiere on Toonami with my friends on Discord. After sleeping and having a chance to collect my thoughts, I have a few things to say about it, both positive and negative.

Toonami has fallen by the wayside for me in recent years as they did not have any anime that grabbed my interest. This is actually the first time I’ve watched Toonami in many months. Fena: Pirate Princess and Uzumaki, first announced back in 2020, caught my attention as potential shows to latch onto.

It’s obvious to me that Adult Swim is investing heavily in this anime’s success and I thought that was one reason why we had a 2-episode premiere on Saturday night. However, after watching, I realize that it was also strategic: the two episodes don’t really do much other than set up the main conflict going forward and introduce the core cast of characters. Episode 3 seems to be where the action kicks off.

I’ve noticed a lot of people compare Fena to One Piece, and while I can see why given the importance of pirates and the vaguely 18th-century world, but beyond that initial aesthetic, that’s where the similarities end. If I can compare this to anything, it reminds me more of Scrapped Princess or Yona of the Dawn, especially the pirate arc of that story. In fact, the anime hits a lot of the same beats from shows of the late ‘90s and early 2000s from the animation, character designs, and overall plot.

Fena: Pirate Princess follows the titular Fena Houtman, who escapes an arranged marriage to uncover the secret of her deceased father’s final mission and become an independent woman. She’s accompanied by a troupe of ninjas who are all sworn to protect her family. I will say that it’s a fun, clever way to put an end to the eternal ninjas vs. pirates debate and I can’t help but think the folks at Adult Swim had a hand in that. 

Starting off with the positives, I’ll begin with the center of the story: Fena.

We’re only two episodes in and I already love Fena. She’s cute, funny, upbeat, and clearly has a wild, independent streak to her. That being said, some people may be a little chafed to see her largely being a distressed damsel for the majority of the first episode. However, that was never really a problem for me, as it’s obvious the anime is about her personal growth to being a take-charge woman. Her positive personality is also a good contrast for the world around her, since she starts off initially treated as an object to be bought and sold to the highest bidder. Fena’s introduction also serves as another positive for me in the series: the comedy.

I’ll be honest: I was rather taken aback to see the use of comedic slapstick in this anime when it looked to be billed as an action/adventure anime, but I never found it so overused that I started rolling my eyes. The comedic lighthearted moments weren’t too obtrusive for me to stop watching it, but it did catch me off-guard to see so much comedy in what I thought would be a serious show.

Speaking of disparate elements, there is some romance in this anime. The reason for this might be because of who’s directing the anime: Kazuto Nakazawa. In the runup to this anime’s premiere, Nakazawa cited one of his influences for Fena as shojo manga and it’s obvious that those elements are very present here, from the very first episode. And that wouldn’t necessarily bother me if Fena’s love interest wasn’t so cold and distant.

That brings me to my first criticism: Yukimaru.

I’m sorry, I just don’t like this guy. At one point I even called him “bargain bin Sasuke” in the stream and people immediately agreed with me. I get that he’s supposed to be this cool and aloof tsundere type who undergoes growth, but for someone who is supposed to be Fena’s oldest childhood friend, he treats her more as a nuisance than as someone to protect. For god’s sake, the first thing he does when they reunite is knock her out when she gets too chatty (a potential running gag that may turn off some viewers). I’m willing to give him a chance since we’re only two episodes in, but he still has a long way to go before he gets into my good graces.

Speaking of Yukimaru, the other problem I have is the other ninjas don’t really stand out to me in any meaningful way. Karin is the only one who I could potentially like as she’s portrayed as not only a gun afficionado and a gearhead (channeling some Winry Rockbell here) but I could also see her as a good friend and foil to Fena. The twins Kaede and Enju I see as either the funniest characters of the crew or the most annoying, depending on who you ask. Shitan is another cool hot guy that could provide grounds for a love triangle. Again, we’re only two episodes in, but if this starts going into shojo romance territory, I may be turned off. I can’t even really say anything about the others as they lack any kind of presence for me.

Let me circle around to another positive: the art direction. This anime looks visually striking and has some interested and varied locales so far. The island Fena escapes from reminds me a lot of sets from Pirates of the Caribbean. The entire island is covered in this purple light which gives it a foreboding air, especially in the red light districts. Fena’s room was packed with a lot of intricate details that tell me a lot of work went into the backgrounds and sets. 

The animation is no slouch, either. All the action sequences are eye-catching, the opening and endings are gorgeous to look at, and even the comedic asides looks visually appealing. If nothing else, this anime is pretty to look at, which is to be expected from a studio of such high caliber as Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass, Haikyu!!). 

My last criticism I have is the pacing of the show, which is rather breakneck and could cause some problems later if it continues at the current rate. Even the dialogue moves at a fast clip. I never felt like I got a chance to know all of the characters in this anime (except Fena) or understand the world. It might be because Jason DeMarco (VP of Toonami) has said this will only get more seasons if the first one does well in ratings, so they might just be going at the pace of a 1-cour anime to play it safe. However, I think that might work against the anime since there is only so much you can hope to accomplish in 13 episodes.  

Overall, Fena Pirate Princess doesn’t get off to a perfect start, but it’s sure a fun ride along the way. Fena is a cute and endearing protagonist who has the potential to be more, the world is a visually beautiful and interesting blend of 18th century steampunk, and there are even some moments that will make you laugh out loud. The potential love story might turn out to be lacking and the pacing may be too fast for some, but I’ve learned to never say never and always give everything a fair chance.

Can’t wait to see Episode 3.

#fena: pirate princess #toonami #Adult Swim #anime #production i.g. #fena houtman #fena #yukimaru #japanese animation #anime review #first impressions #kaizoku oujo

[haloshornsinkstains]

Shiratorizawa Snowball War [Tendou]

ngl, I actually really like this one.  pre-relationship Tendou Satori x GN!reader , fluff and snowy nonsense

“Ushi you can’t spike a- Holy Shit! Did anyone else know you could spike a snowball?”

Shiratorizawa is a prestigious school, the entrance exams are difficult and the students it produces are some of the best in the prefecture (even outside of the volleyball club). It means long study hours and a lot of time spent on extra-curricular activities. All of which sometimes makes it easy to forget that you’re all still teenagers, especially now you’re a third year with college prep and the looming threat of graduation, of potential separation from your closest friends. You want nothing more than to cling to the moments of happiness and childish fun while you still can, to indulge in the wild whimsy your best friend can bring out in you with his infectious grin and spontaneous ways. The best friend you’ve been falling for since you met him. Winter presents an unexpected opportunity for hijinks in the form of a sudden heavy snowfall.

You awake to the sound of your phone buzzing, the world outside your dorm carpeted in white. Groggily you lift the phone to your ear, answering the call. “Hello?” “Y/N, my favourite non-volleyball playing partner in crime, have you seen outside?” You perk up at the sound of your best friend's voice, already picturing the wild hand movements he’s probably making while talking to you. With a hum you peer through the gap in the curtains before nearly dropping the phone in shock. “Woah… white.” Tendou cackles on the other end of the line. “Snow! Y/N-chan, we got snow!” Your lips tug up into a grin. “You thinking what I’m thinking Tori?” “Snowball fight?” “Yes! Round up the team, let’s have a war.” You laughed, already picturing the kinds of mischief you could get up to. “It’s on cutie. Meet you at the gym in thirty minutes.” You flushed at the name but just about managed to choke out a confirmation before hanging up, dashing around your room to layer yourself up in preparation for the cold outside. You’d probably end up cold by the end of it anyway, the wet snow no doubt soaking through your layers, but at least you could start the day warm. Checking in the mirror one last time, fiddling with your hair in an attempt to look maybe a little more attractive for Tendou, you dashed out of the door and towards the gym.

“What are we doing here you menace?” “Aww, Shirabae, don’t be like that!” You laughed, stepping into the gym with a broad smile. “Morning guys.” “Don’t call me that, I hate you.” Shirabu huffed, glaring at you and then Goshiki as the first year bounded across the hall towards you. “L/N-san! Tendou-san didn’t say you were coming!” “He didn’t give us any reason as to why we were here at all.” “Don’t be like that Wakawaka!” Tendou pouted, shaking his head at the captain. “I thought it would be obvious.” “It was not.” Ushijima frowned. “It is good to see you again L/N.” You laughed, untangling yourself from Goshiki and walking over to stand beside your best friend, leaning slightly against his warmth as he automatically brought an arm around your shoulders. “So, why did you drag us out here in the cold?” Semi sighed. You and Tendou exchanged giddy grins before replying in unison “snowball fight.” “No. Absolutely not.” Shirabu huffed. “Will it improve our volleyball skills?” You smiled at Ushijima. “You can practice your aim.” “Then I will agree.” “Y/N is spouting nonsense!” Shirabu huffed. “All that’ll happen is we will get cold and wet and miserable.” “Lighten up Shirabae. You’re allowed to have fun.” Semi huffed, having picked up on the nickname quickly. He shot a glare at you and Tendou cackled.  “Worried your aim isn’t good enough to get the rest of us?” He laughed, breaking into a tune, his hip bumping into yours. “Shirabae is a coward, too scared to hit us with snow…” “Fine! I’ll do it.” You cheered, grinning happily at the boys as they all nodded in agreement. “It’s war!”

War was a pretty good description for the snowball fight that followed. Volleyball players are, unsurprisingly, excellent shots. Although with their size they also made for great targets, especially the tall and broad shapes of Ushijima and Semi. Tendou was a menace, his intuition allowing him to easily dodge most of the snowballs sent his way (once he stopped instinctually trying to block them). Even Kawanishi was wearing a small smile by the time things really got going. You used your smaller stature to your advantage, ducking and diving out of the path of as many snowballs as you could, and using others as sheilds where possible. You spotted Ushijima tensing up as a well packed snowball flew towards him, aimed by Semi. “Ushi you can’t spike a- Holy Shit! Did anyone else know you could spike a snowball?” The momentary distraction created by the shock of watching the captain spike a damn snowball right into Yamagata’s back was your undoing. Tendou barreled his way towards you, tackling you to the ground and rolling through the snow. You shrieked as you tumbled down, the snow working its way down your neck and chilling you to the core. “Tori! That was playing dirty!” He grinned down at you, his body pinning yours against the ground. “All’s fair in love and war sweetcheeks.” With a huff you grabbed a handful of snow, shoving it in his face. Tendou cackled, the two of you scrabbling about in the snow, much to the amusement of the rest of the team who had stopped fighting to watch you. Finally you admit defeat, laying back in the snow, face flushed from exertion and maybe a little a lot from the pressure of Tendou straddling your hips with a wild grin on his face. You hope he’s too caught in the thrill of victory to notice how flustered you are, at least he doesn’t mention it. You just lie there, staring up into his face and maybe, secretly, hoping this is the moment your life becomes a shojo manga and he leans down to kiss you. To tell you that warm glint in his eyes means he feels the same way you do. He is leaning down though, and you’re almost sure you’re dreaming as he does.

“I think we should go inside now.”  The sound of Ushijima’s voice snaps the tension and you bite back a sound of disappointment as Tendou pushes himself off you, extending a hand to haul you to your feet. You brush the snow from your clothes and start to follow the others back, but now you’re no longer running around the chill starts to seep through you, the damp snow soaking your clothes only making it worse. You shiver, rubbing your hands down your arms in a futile attempt to warm up. At least it’s not far to the dorms. “Cold?” You jump at the voice, turning to shake your head at your best friend, even as you teeth chatter and betray you. He rolls his eyes, hands fiddling with the zipper of his own jacket and you shake your head wildly. “You can’t do that Tori! Your noodle arms will freeze off without a jacket.” He pouts a little, though the effect is lost with the affectionate way he smiles at you. “I have a better idea!” You watch in confusion as he unzips the jacket and opens his arms wide, as if asking for a hug. Slowly you step forwards, letting him pull your back against his chest and zip the jacket up around you. It’s ridiculous and awkward but it is warm. The pair of you shuffle along awkwardly behind the rest of the team, Shirabu looks at you like he thinks you’ve both gone completely insane before marching off away from you. Any other day you might think to be offended, but you’re too busy trying to hope Tendou can’t hear your heart racing, or the way the blood rushes in your ears.

They sneak you into their dorms with ease, it’s not the first time and you doubt it’ll be the last, and Tendou finally releases you from the jacket to rifle through his drawers. He throws some clothes your way with a thumbs up. “Change! Or I’m not helping when you get sick.” You flash him a thumbs up in return, ducking out to the bathroom to change before he starts stripping and gives you a nosebleed, or a stroke.  By the time you return the boys have set up camp in the common room, wrapped in warm blankets procured from various rooms, mostly Tendous if the various anime prints are anything to go by. He grins at you from his seat, pulling his blanket up and gesturing for you to sit beside him. Gratefully you settle next to the warmth of his body, letting him pull you into his side and wrap the blanket around you both. The exhaustion of a day spent running around in the cold finally starting to settle over you. Somewhere you could hear someone preparing tea, probably Ushijima and Shirabu, they were the most sensible. With a yawn you let your weight fall against the body beside you, closing your eyes, floating somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.

Semi watched carefully from his position across the room, shuffling a bit closer and elbowing his teammate in the side once he decided you were asleep. “Are you ever going to tell them?” He sighed, gesturing towards you. Tendou shook his head. “I can’t. We’re just friends, I can’t lose their friendship, they don’t-” Semi cut him off with a scowl. “For someone who’s usually so good at reading people you’re an idiot. Friends don’t look at friends like that.” Tendou raised an eyebrow.  “They look at you like you hung the moon. And don’t think I missed you nearly kissing them earlier. Just tell them you idiot, watching the pair of you pine after each other like lovestruck idiots is disgusting.” Your breath caught in your throat, you knew you shouldn’t have let them think you were asleep but you had to know. And now you did. Covering it with a yawn and faux return to wakefulness, you blinked slowly at Semi, watching as Ushijima and Shirabu appeared from behind him carrying warm drinks, with instructions that you should return to your own dorm once you were warm in case someone found you. 

You decided you were going to tell him how you felt on the walk back.

#my writing #haikyuu #tendou satori #tendou x reade #shiratorizawa #semi eita #goshiki tsutomu #shirabu kenjirou #snowball fight #fluff #halo.writes

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Comic buff with a thought, I notice the P5MM art and composition is more striking and closer to p5's art and style than the other manga, which is fine, but kinda... flat. (I find myself thinking there's something missing when I read it, then I look back at P5MM and I notice how there's more clever paneling, imagery, and stylistic choices akin to the games in it (like that one goro panel ya had a rant about) and I realize what's missing) That could be why P5MM is brought up more, just a guess. I dunno how you feel about all that though, I'm curious.

Under the cut cause it gets long cause of pictures:

I am very big on art style and visual presentation. I do actually judge a book by it's cover (manga, game, movie, show, yadda). If I find something pleasing to my eye I'll read it.....even if the contents are trash. Domestic Girlfriend is one, horrible manga (didn't finish, was holding out for Momo, aka best girl, and getting closure for her....then I bounced). Didn't watch the anime (didn't need to I was way ahead in the manga I think), but I know that opening is wasted on it. ldskfjaf Don't invest your time into it, it's not worth it, you would probably learn better morals from P5.......probably. But yeah I found the art style pleasing enough to try it out (I's not amazing by any means, but I like looking at it....or did.....that writing man....dat was bad ;w;).... *waves hands vaguely in air* yeah.

Fun fact, it's why I got into Persona. I happened across an ad for P4 on the PS2 in the Gameinformer magazine, it showed a screenshot from an animated cutscene plus one of the fully body art for the chars and I was like "Yes this is my jam!" (which only doubled down when I read what it was about, and it was a murder mystery and the article also talked up "the mystery of the glasses" which fakldjsalkfs yeah). So yeah it really clicked for me.

Tbh it's why I'm probably going to get back into freaking Bleach, and it's why I got into it and Naruto over One Piece (I don't think I'll ever read ON I'm sorry). Tite Kubo has sexy art what can I say? Can't trust a thing that man writes now but eh. It's also the reason I read a lot of Shojo (and now Yuri) manga, cause their art style is usually what I find very appealing (even if I've read the same gd shojo love story just by a different name for the 1000th time, give me the flowers and sparkly eyes! they are my life blood!)

And I've mentioned I really like Saito's art style. I've (attempted) to color some of his pieces on top of animate some manga frames (most of which I haven't actually published......I...I should....get around to finishing those up....haha...aha....haaaa). I really like his art, it's pleasant. But even with good art, I can still see past it and see what BS it's peddling and it can hamper my enjoyment of it. If I don't look at the context of the scene or the words on the page, I can be down with it. But when I'm reading.......I get annoyed. I balk at anything with Goro. I guffaw whenever Makoto's on screen (cause Saito nails her from P5, she acts useful but really she's useless but the narrative views her as useful it ironically makes her useless......it's the weirdest thing I've ever witnessed >.>). Like Saito really.....gets P5 it seems, down to it's flaws even (tho he can actually make the good parts of P5 shine, or at least parts that P5 failed to execute....execute in a way). But he also makes the flaws.....shine that much harder for me.

Now the Reg manga? it's nothing special art style wise, in fact it starts off VERY wonky, and while still wonky, has gotten a lot....better/cuter (esp Ryu). Not like shojo cute just.......I wanna squish their wittle faces cute (at times when it's not serious).

Like when it comes to Reg Manga these are the two pieces that have appeared in it that I feel kinda hit the P5 mark in terms of style:

(look at Mona, coming into this world like the pustule that he is 8U)

Which isn't much, but it's something. At least Reg's AOA is better looking than the anime. 8U

But I dunno, as the chapters go on, the Mangaka allows for more cuter expressions, and I just like their neat:

(btw I colored that page)

I dunno, it's not as overtly cutsey as Saito:

But they are still charming in a more simple way (without out having them go full chibi), it subtle but it gives it flavor. "Silly why are most, if not all those pics of Ryu and Anne?" I dunno guys maybe you should ask them how their backs are doing, cause they're the ones who are carrying the Reg manga when it comes to this! 8U

Tho I do think the first ch or two of Reg does a better job capturing P5's feel than the rest of the chapters, I think the mangaka is just.....bogged down by exposition and the game's BS that a lot of text on their pages so it almost reads like a novel:

ALots of text, not the most dynamic of framing with the panels. It's kinda eh. I haven't really read the manga past the 2nd dungeon tbh (I mean......as the residential #1 Makoto hater, I think that's fair.....that I'd start to zone out during my least fav dungeon....and then continue zoning out during my 2nd least fav dungeon askfdjaflk)

But during the first two dungeon arcs, I liked how.....bad the PT were at thieving, I liked how green they were. It was obviously a learning process. I also like some of the fight choreo (Saito did the best hand to hand one in the series in P4U's Yu vs Sho....which I actually animated....spoiler.....no I have no released that...my dumbass wants to tempt fate and see if I can redo it in color even tho it took me 4 days non stop to get that animated in just black and white.....but I am a fool so alas 8U). I mean it's not mind blowing, but it was simple and decently thought out, which is more than I feel like we usually get (esp with the anime shows....or at least P4/5's).

But I think what draws me in is....it's lack of P5 style. P5 style has them being still oh so cool despite being new at everything. It's tired me out. P5's how identity is style. It's....style over substance (gonna rile some feathers with that....Cvit(?) vid title). But P5 is overtly stylish, to the point it......weighs on me. Drags me down. Tires me out. I don't think they're cool, I'm bored with it. Ironically, Reg manga lacks that, which......def would make someone (and me usually) give it much of a passing glance. It's very basic I guess. But.....consider me, being in P5 hell, surrounded by all it's nausea inducing stylishness, sees a small break in the hellish hurricane to see.......normalcy. It kinda makes me connect better with the kids (kinda, it's still P5).

They feel like normal kids, trying to do their thing (sometimes trying to look/act cool and failing), and.....it's just the absolute antitheses to P5's brand......and I think that's why I like it. KLFJDSAFLKJA;

Anyway, who knows, maybe when I catch up on Reg in english and re-read MM with the official translation I might change my mind about a few things, or at least how I rank them. But for post length sake, and my sanity sake, I think I should keep the anime and mangas out of the "Which entry do you hate least" post......because I should just make another post where I go into both mangas as well as compare and contrast the anime! :D I'm just delaying some insanity for later haha....

Wait.........I just remember Day Breakers exists......and I liked it....still do....don't have much issue with it. Well shit, that is probably the one entry I hate the least. fklsdjfalkjdfkla;jsL;FJljsfdlskafaj *sobs* nO NO, I committed, and that's just a sad loophole. fdklsajflakfj *sobs* I still need to the game thing, cause let's be honest, the games are where it counts.

So right now my ranking for manga/anime is:

Daybreakers>Reg manga> MM>>>>>>>>>>TV Show Anime and it's OVAs (may the burn in the hell fire from which they spawned)

Oh, one last thing, forgot to put it in but I dunno where to put it now. I like how the manga tones down the pervyness some:

I mean Ryu is a fellow monkey. u_u .......but it's for the best I don't have to see his ape expression. ;w; (iirc the pyramid scene was a lot shorter/faster, but that's by the grace of reading and books rather than animation I suppose).

#silly asks #silly answers #i can't believe day breakers is what I hate least dfkjsalfjaf

[blastoisemonster]

Marmalade Boy

Before talking about today's spinoff, I'd like to take a step back for better context and briefly describe the interesting relationship Italy has with japanese culture: the two countries, despite being so distant and having developed from very different histories, have been called similar in their habits and in many aspects of the daily life, to the point of showing mutual affection for eachother’s society and products; in our case, we’re especially talking about entertainment.

Which takes us to the slice-of-life anime genre: true animated soap operas originally maybe only targeted at an audience of female teenagers but that, once in italian territory, end up catching interest of the whole family with its intrigues and linked episodes. 1980/1990s Italy clicked perfectly with them; not only a great amount has been brought in Europe thanks to our translations, but a selected few have been taken as inspiration for completely original work based on that universe. Basically, yes, our television companies have produced anime fanfiction dramas. One striking example is Love Me Knight - Kiss Me Licia, which became something like a pre-Pokèmon nationwide phenomenon: not even Japan (which produced only one season and then called it quits) understood how or even why the average italian loved this saccarine shit so much, and still today the girl who originally sang our Kiss Me Licia opening basically owes her whole career and popularity lasting more than three decades (she's still singing anime openings and even doing concert tours) thanks to the leading acting role she played in four live action Kiss Me Licia sequel series. You've read it right, four. All met with huge success from 1986 to 1989 for a grand total of 144 episodes. Original mangaka Kaoru Tada knew nothing about this and the studio responsible for the animated adaptation of the manga, Toei Animation, had not even been contacted for the rights: truly, our entertaining industry was making fanart just as the average kid on DeviantArt likes to post his not-so-traced Goku drawings for everyone to see.

The second most remarkable big shojo love Italy had is the subject of this post, Marmalade Boy, known in Italy as "Piccoli Problemi di Cuore" (literally translated: Small Heartaches). The Mediaset adaptation team wanted to create another big Licia phenomenon but, this time, instead of producing live action spinoffs, they went and actually contacted the original author, Wataru Yoshizumi, for permission on modifying the anime's plot. Piccoli Problemi di Cuore has been one of the biggest and most coherent works of animation "cut-and-paste" the team has done during that late 90s, resulting in a completely new italian anime series of 70 episodes (out of the 76 original ones) inspired by Marmalade Boy's plot. And as expected, this became a huge hit: it started airing at the beginning of 1997 and it captivated the audience so much that after a while they had to move it to another channel and time block because people were watching it more than the news. This also allowed Italy to export their own Marmalade Boy inspired creation as a whole different anime with the international name "A Little Love Story". Piccoli Problemi di Cuore was the anime all the big sisters and more romantic girls of the class followed almost religiously at the time of its original broadcast. Of course I wasn't part of that audience at the time, but after having researched the very interesting backstory of our adaptation, I'd be more than curious to at least take a look at it. And the manga? The original 8 tankobon got translated in my country by Planet Manga several times: the first publication was split in 16 volumes, the second one had 8 issues, and then there's the "Gold" edition of 8 volumes with alternative covers. Oh, and just to be sure everyone had bought it, a fourth edition has been published as recently as 2015. Be it manga or anime, Piccoli Problemi di Cuore was always absolutely famous and great.

And then there's the Game Boy spinoff, that instead is exclusive for Japan. How come? Released by Bandai in 1995, this title had been originally conceived for the Game Boy and only three months later a Super Famicom version showed up, making it a unique strange case of an handheld exclusive coming second for home console, and not the other way around. Also, it’s a dating simulator! Personally, this is the first of this genre I see on the small screen.

Adorned with cute checkers patterns all around and predictably nice-looking sprites and background scenes, this game has the player assume the role of female protagonist Miki Koishikawa and flirt with three suitors: Yuu Matsuura (technically Miki’s main love interest in the original anime), Ginta Suou (long time Miki’s classmate and secret -even corresponded- crush, but too proud to admit it), or Kei Tsuchiya (a talented yet troubled pianist, also Miki’s coworker at Bobson’s ice cream parlor). A lot of places from the anime, such as the protagonist’s school, workplace, and house, can be visited, and there’s many more characters to interact with; all in run-of-the-mill dating sim fashion, Marmalade Boy features tons and tons and tons of dialogue and, as rewards, special cutscenes featuring Miki and the boyo of her life. I really don’t like dating sims at all, so I’m not sure if I could judge it fairly, even if I understood japanese. >.> But as far as I researched online, the general public and fans of the original source do seem to enjoy it, meaning that at least it does justice to the anime. The game seems programmed with passion as well, as it can be used along with a Super Game Boy for an exclusive border and more colorful pixelwork; it also has a password system, in case one screws up an answer and ends up with an undesired ending.

Unfortunately, no one has yet provided a translation patch neither for the Game Boy nor the SuFami version, and it’s clear that back in the day of its release, which is two years prior to Piccoli Problemi Di Cuore’s television airing, there was absolutely no interest in seeing it marketed to a western audience. Though, just imagine if an italian developing house would have taken interest into this spinoff as much as the television companies did with the cartoon! We’d have an italian translated Marmalade Boy’s videogame re-adapted to follow our own version of the story. An exorbitant cost for surely meager earnings, yet unmatched peculiarity... and probably, pride!

#Photography

[dropintomanga]

On Kodansha US’s New Tagline

One of the North American manga publishers recently got a new revamp as Kodansha Comics became consolidated into a more centralized Kodansha with a new logo and also a new tagline.

That new tagline is “Inspire Impossible Stories.” I know for most fans, taglines are taglines. But I’m somehow emotionally drawn to it due to my own relationship with Kodansha-published manga series for more than a decade.

Where do I start with this? I think the 1st Kodansha series I ever truly read was Chobits when Tokyopop released it back in the day. But the first actual Kodansha-published series that really drew my interest was Great Teacher Onizuka. After watching all of the anime in the early 2000s’, I jumped in on the Tokyopop volumes. I still consider GTO to be one of the best “high school teacher” anime/manga series of all-time. Now that I think about it, GTO did something very notable and maybe impossible compared to a typical Shonen Jump story. It was a story about a former young adult gangster who decided to be a teacher in a high school class full of troublemakers. GTO went deep into real-life issues plaguing youth in high school. It made caring about the mental health of youth a thing before it really became a thing this past decade.

Also, I just remembered that Initial D (which is another Kodansha title) was a series I loved when I was a young adult. This is starting to sound like a Tokyopop appreciation post, but I know who the real MVP is here.

I remember a famous line in Gintama about Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine. There’s a code in the Shinsengumi that states all members should read Magazine instead of Jump. 

“Shinsengumi Regulation #17: No manga other than (Weekly Shonen) Magazine are allowed to be read within the confines of the station.'”

While it’s a joke poking fun at Magazine for publishing stories about delinquents and appealing more to older youth/young adults, it felt like Jump was for babies.

I browsed issues of Shonen Magazine in the past at a Japanese comfort food restaurant many years ago and it was full of series that I didn’t recognize or couldn’t get into. I did recognize a few titles like Fairy Tail and Air Gear, but the fact that it also had pin-up girls on their covers from time-to-time made me realize that Magazine was different from Jump. I remember one issue had a large fan poll on which AKB48 girl was the best.

A few years ago, Kodansha interviewed Hiroya Oku of GANTZ fame, who drew Inuyashiki for Kodansha’s Evening (a seinen manga magazine). When asked about how he came up with the idea of having a robotic alien superhero in the form of an old man, Oku mentions his former publisher, Shueisha, while describing his initial thought process. He says,

“When I was working on GANTZ on Shueisha’s Young Jump Magazine, I was more concerned about the popularity and sales figures of my manga. In that magazine’s culture, there’s an unspoken rule to make the main characters visually attractive. When I started work for Kodansha’s Evening (the magazine Inuyashiki is published in), there was more freedom. So I suggested going with the not-so-good-looking teenager as a main character. They green-lit the idea, so I started drawing the character in the manga.”

Let me put this out before we go a bit further - I love Shueisha manga series. I grew up on Shonen Jump. Their material always seems to captivate me somehow. They kept me interested in shonen for a long time. But because the fact shonen is the mainstream genre, I might get sick of it when the time comes. It’s why I also started following Young Jump series since they sounded more appealing. However, I do notice that with series like Tokyo Ghoul, Kingdom and Golden Kamuy, to name a few, the magazine is filled with stylish-looking characters that have greater appeal to a younger audience despite whatever mature tones they have.

But when it comes to Kodansha, their manga series are mature from the start and I don’t mean in a fanservice kind of way. Can you see series like A Silent Voice or Your Lie in April published in Shonen Jump or one of Shueisha’s other notable magazines? I'm not sure I can. It’s also noted that Hajime Isayama, creator of Attack on Titan, tried to get his series into Shonen Jump. Shueisha thought the series was a bit too dark for their tastes, and Isayama decided to try out for Kodansha instead and that’s where he’s been ever since as the series is published in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.

So why appeal to that older shonen demographic? Probably because life isn’t some battle manga with friends that are there for you every step of the way. Hard work doesn’t always get rewarded. The idea of victory can also get very gray. You see more delinquents than overpowered ninjas/pirates in life. While Fairy Tail and The Seven Deadly Sins are two of Kodansha’s popular “battle manga” series ever, both series seem to subvert some of shonen’s popular tropes and/or have a certain edge to them. What’s funny is that both series involve a bar/pub/restaurant location where all the heroes meet up. Many older teens start to hang out in places like restaurants as their after-school hangouts.

There’s a lot of Kodansha series that I feel seemed impossible to tell for other publishers. I can think of titles like Tokyo Revengers, Blue Period, Land of the Lustrous, Witch Hat Atelier, Cells at Work!, Knights of Sidonia, etc. The lineup of shojo and josei titles is also incredible as well (Princess Jellyfish, Wotakoi and Chihayafuru are the best examples I can give here) Hell, Akira is a Kodansha title that’s still groundbreaking and evergreen as ever. Their tagline, “Inspire Impossible Stories,” makes sense as while it applies to their U.S. operations, a lot of job hunting students in Japan really want to work for Kodansha Japan.

While Shueisha does have a good share of its own “impossible” stories (Chainsaw Man was a title that impressed me), Shonen Jump is mainstream-friendly and safe to a certain degree. The stories I discovered through Kodansha made me realize how big the world of manga really was and what kind of stories were possible. While they may not have the biggest fandoms compared to Shonen Jump series, I can feel a certain vibe when I read Kodansha-published manga in that any mangaka working under them has their vision unleashed in a way that pleases both readers and the mangaka themselves. There might be a certain bias though as I’ve gotten to see editors from Kodansha Japan in person when they showed up for manga-related events in my area.

Kodansha showed me that there’s more to the manga world than just Jump. That’s why I love their new tag line of inspiring impossible stories. I think we need more exposure to new kinds of stories that speak to all kinds of people. I know people don’t like different stuff outside of what they usually like, but I believe those differences are beneficial in learning how to appreciate nuances in life when one gets older. Being challenged isn’t as frightening as it sounds. Those differences are trying to tell us something about ourselves. For me, it was “I really want something that isn’t about fighting super-powered villains and rivalries all the time.”

I have ambivalent feelings about my life during my 20s’, but Kodansha-published stories helped me appreciate possibility at the time when I didn’t feel there was anything to keep me going. So go on, Kodansha. Keep putting out impossible stories that are thoughtful and inspiring future generations of manga readers. Tell the world that impossible is nothing.

#Kodansha #manga #psychology #stories #youth #mental health

[translationandbetrayals]

How Cutie Honey changed over the years. ∞♡*♥

Go Nagai as a mangaka changed the manga world, because his works had content that was considered explicit or taboo under the standards of the time, such as violence and erotic/sexual scenes, as well he was attributed to the creation of the Super Robot genre. One of his works is Cutie Honey, which is about Honey Kisaragi, an android who can transform into different versions of herself, which the most iconic is Cutie Honey, a heroine with pink (or red) hair, who fights against the villains that threaten her or the world (in most versions, Panther Claw is responsible of everything that threates the world). In every version, she is desired because of her power, which it could be considered infinite, therefore, they can be used for rule the world, but due to having emotions and empathy, Honey decides to use this power for defend humanity. Due to its popularity, there have been some takes with the pass of time, which reinvent the concepts and the world where the characters live, at the same time, many of these reinventions are closely linked to the audience they focus on, because they had the resources to carry out these projects and they had the opportunity to do so. Also, in this post i wouldn't cover all Cutie Honey reinventions, because althought i'm familiar with the franchise, i haven't watch/read all of them.

At the time, Cutie Honey was planned to be a shojo manga, focusing on the characters' relationships and romance, and there wouldn't have much violence, but for reasons of television blocks' schedule and agreements with manga magazines, its demographics changed to shonen, therefore, they added more violence and nudity in her transformations for making more appealing to a young male audience, because in those times, it was interesting to see erotic content and scenes with sexual undertones, therefore, she would be considered the first "waifu" in the history of anime, due to her personality and her revealing design. Even so, Cutie Honey gained some popularity among the female audience, because Honey was the opposite of the stereotype of the japanese woman in the 70's, who were considered modest, delicate and shy, instead, Honey was a modern girl, strong but at the same time innocent, as she was also one of the first female protagonists in the shonen genre, therefore, Cutie Honey was a revolutionary product for the time, and at the same time, being a prototype of a Magical Girl. In this way, Cutie Honey became a female empowerment fantasy and the strong and sexy girl's male fantasy.

A good example of this were New Cutie Honey (1994) and Cutie Honey Flash (1997), which they were made in the same period. The first mentioned is 8 episodes OVA, where it occurs 20 years of the events of the manga/anime, where we see Honey that needs to remember who she was and for what she is fighting for, in a darker and more futuristic world, with similar Gotham City vibes, instead of a more colorful palette in the anime; and due to being an OVA instead of an anime, they took more freedom animating the transformation and fighting scenes, and why not, also the fanservice scenes; therefore, it appealed more to the male audience, introducing us to a more voluptuous Honey, with poses that left much to the imagination. While the latter, was more focused on a female audience, adding more romance and softening certain elements to make them more appealing. In this case, Honey is an actual girl rather than an android that looks like that. Also, this reinvention is closer to the idea of ​​the Magical Girl and the prototype idea that Go Nagai had at the time, along with a line of dolls. From this, it can be inferred with this duality, the girls relate to Honey, someone who can face the adversities of life, and who, at the same time, can be what they want to be; on the other hand, the boys want a girl like Honey, who is strong, beautiful and will always protect them.

In Re: Cutie Honey (2004), which are a 3 episode OVA, based on the live-action/tokusatsu movie of the same year, both directed by Hideki Anno, in this case, Honey has a more youthful and adorable attitude, contrasting with her normal life as a office worker, but still retaining the things that makes Cutie Honey as a franchise. This leads to problems in her private life, since she is seen as childish and useless, but at the same time, due to her lack of caution, she tends to cause destruction when she is fighting with the Panther Claw members, causing mistrust between the population. A character that I have to mention is this version of Natsuko Aki, which is the inspector who was taking the terrorism cases by Panther Claw and Cutie Honey in the OVA, and which, is the one who is best trained for this cases' style, therefore, when the police arrive, she (along with her companions) is the one in the center of the scene, while the rest is there, filling in the screen. Although both have similar goals, she is the opposite of Honey, since she is more serious and cautious on what she does, and also, she has a more modest design, but still looks imposing through her body language and the way she talks. When the plot progresses, both characters learn from their differences, where Honey learns to be more careful with the actions she does, while Natsuko learns to trust people. In case of the movie, Cutie Honey (2004), due to being a tokusatsu, it's filled with CGI, but some of the fighting scenes were made by frame by frame, also, the movie had some campy value due to the costumes that characters used, the color palette and the way special effects were used in the film. But to me, it felt like this would be the result afterwards, i mean, Cutie Honey is all pink and everything is over the top, right?

But, was there a reinvention that deviated a bit, i mean, a lot, from the standards we had for Cutie Honey at this time? Well, I would say yes, and one of them is Cutie Honey: Tears (2016) is a live-action movie where it occurs in cyberpunk dystopia; due to pollution problems and a virus, the society is controled through an Artificial intelligence based technology, in this way, the upper class oppresses the poor, through contamination that they produce, affecting their lives in a negative way. In this movie, Hitomi (yes, they changed her name) is a girl who is much more careful of her movements, because she is persecuted for her power and she is much more serious, helping people from the shadows, because she had to learn to hide herself rather to try to do something reckless. This movie doesn't have the fanservice scenes and the colorful palette that audience was used to look at. Also, maybe it's just me, but the movie focus on the backgrounds, making a good contrast between the dark and washed out palette in the low class live and the more light and more technological upper class.

In conclusion, it can be said that Cutie Honey, as a franchise, has had many reinventions, some of which take on a characteristic of the original work that could be better executed in a medium or to appeal to a specific audience, as they can also add concepts that can complement the franchise and in the process, they can create something new; because to me, it shows how the same thing is actually made in different periods of the history, where you can see changes on the techniques and plots; but after all, Cutie Honey appeals to the male audience by being the fantasy of the sexy woman in a tight outfit, and at the same time, appeals to the female audience by being the fantasy of female empowerment , where she can transform herself into whatever she wants without necessarily due to social acceptance, and it seems that these characteristics would still endures trought the time pass.

Maria Castañeda R.

#Anime #Manga #essay #submission

[arcaneranger]

Final Thoughts - 2019 Netflix Original Anime

It seems like every year, going down the Netflix list just makes me more angry. This company seems to really want to bring anime to its mainstream customers, and then it does so by funding terribly-animated CG schlock, oddly-timed sequels to shows that aren’t even on its service, and awful adaptations of older work. Or, it blows all of its money to license Evangelion and then make it worse, while still holding back the good shows it does help make from the international audience that’s so hungry for the content they own that they turn to piracy. 

If it weren’t for a few high-profile projects coming next year (Beastars, High Score Girl II, Ghost in the Shell) I would probably just stop covering Netflix Originals altogether, but since we’re here, let’s take out the trash.

13 Netflix Original Anime premiered in 2019, and of those…

I Skipped 2:

Kakegurui XX and Hero Mask Part II, because I dropped their previous seasons.

I Dropped 6:

Kengan Ashura & Levius

I’m lumping the two of these together because I dropped both of them for the same reason, that being that they are rendered in eye-gouging CGI and directed so poorly that the source material could have been a masterpiece, and I still would have no interest in watching it.

Ingress

This one, however, was not only eye-bleeding but confusing from the minute it began, which makes sense given that it’s supposedly an adaptation of a game whose only story took place metatextually...meaning that it’s created out of whole cloth for a bad show. Why bother, when nobody knows what Ingress even is anymore?

7Seeds

Another poor adaptation of what appears to be a good classic shojo manga, the first episode tried to cram in about six episodes’ worth of plot while looking like crap. At least this one was 2-D animated.

Ultramarine Magmell

This one came close to being worth finishing, until its episodic structure and boring setting really started to hit me. Supposedly this is about adventures to a mysterious new continent full of crazy creatures, but unfortunately in the first four episodes we may as well have just been going into my backyard.

Forest of Piano Season II

I tried with this one, I really did, but Forest of Piano disappeared up its own tailpipe last year. Was it really that much worse than the first season? Probably not, but as the focus of the show shifted and shifted, I found myself realizing that I didn’t really give much of a crap about what was happening, and that was three episodes before the end of the show.

I Finished 5:

Worst Netflix Original Anime of 2019: Carole & Tuesday (2/10)

I delivered a pretty extended hot take on this one only a few weeks ago, so I’m not gonna rehash too much of that, but Watanabe has been in the game for two decades. The kid gloves need to come off. Pretty music and good visuals can’t save a story that treats its political messages with such a lack of care that the two main characters literally never talk about the fact that Tuesday’s mother is running on a racist platform that would deport Carole from the entire planet.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato (6/10)

The original show collapsed under the weight of a very dumb villain, and four entire years later, the best they could give us in this movie was a totally underwritten antagonist who has no buildup whatsoever in the first two thirds of the film? (And no, I don’t usually do films, but Netflix wanted to pretend this was a three-episode miniseries, so I’m gonna treat it as such.)

Cannon Busters (6/10)

This show had so much potential to be a blast from the past a la Megalobox, but its incredibly weak attempts at worldbuilding bring it crashing down to earth. The cast is likeable (mostly), but the show spent so long spinning its wheels that when the story finally kicked in, things got way too serious, way too quickly. Maybe the followup will be improved?

Rilakkuma and Kaoru (7/10)

A very charming, lightweight little show about a girl down on her luck and the mascot bears that apparently live with her, Rilakkuma did things differently from any other show this year by going fully stop-motion. Unfortunately, it’s not particularly memorable, but at least this was an attempt to do something cool.

Best Netflix Original Anime of 2019: Aggretsuko Season 2 (7/10)

Yeah...the best show of the year. Seven out of ten. While still being funny and wacky, Aggretsuko’s second outing wound up downplaying its core cast to the point of irrelevance, instead focusing almost entirely on two new ones in the form of Anai and Tadano. While neither of them are inherently bad (or even worse than the main cast, I actually do really like Tadano in hindsight), this resulted in a season that failed to build the way the previous one did, and instead left me wondering where the third act of the story was. Luckily, it should rebound next time, since Retsuko finally figures out her next character arc at the end.

And, uh...that’s it. The whole underwhelming list. Last year we got ambitious successes like Violet Evergarden, and Dragon Pilot, and Devilman Crybaby, and this year...a lot of nothing. Carole & Tuesday was certainly shaping up to be Netflix’ big swing, and while it seems to have worked out for them, it missed very badly for a world that should be embracing individual political action that I don’t know how much I can even trust its director anymore. We’ve got a couple big things to look forward to next year, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that Netflix should hang it up.

[leeinkie]

ROMANCE MD: Munechika Takado

I liked this. I was intrigued with the medical theme (I read the KBTBB AU story where they’re all doctors and wanted that AU for other titles, but a whole story is better lol) so I gave it a shot.

PROS:

MC

MC isn’t utterly clueless. She’s brilliant, driven, confident, knows herself. She has goals. She’s competent!

MC reads shojo manga and knows about otome lol! Has an imaginary 2D boyfriend. Come on, how relatable is she??

MC is romantically awkward but in a self-aware sort of way. Like, she recognizes flirting but smoothly side-steps it. She doesn’t freeze up, nor does she gets swept away easily. She’s unashamed about her awkwardness.

She’s so SASSY!!! XD And so geeky.

STORY

There are 30 episodes (I mean wow. But each one prolly shorter than coin stories) so the pacing was, for me, well-set. It’s not like they fell in love by episode 6.

The adorable bickering. It reminds me of HLITF’s MC x Ayumu Shinonome. They are mentor and mentee but I love how MC stands up for herself and holds her own against Dr. Takado.

Speaking of Dr. Takado, he’s as skilled as he is prickly, but isn’t arrogant. He works hard behind the scenes, hides the fact that he cares. No sexual innuendos from him, which is refreshing. He’s secretly kinda socially awkward as well, which is super endearing.

CONS:

While the leading men do really look gorgeous (can’t wait for the Kasumi route! Dark-haired intimidating silent types are my thing lol I mean, hello Ishigami), MC looks like she’s in her early teens in that bed CG, don’t you agree? She’s supposed to be 26. The rare times they put eyes on MC and she looks like she’s fresh out of middle school lol. One of the nurses in this story is supposedly MC’s college classmate - why does she look so elegant and MC’s like that? They’re both geeky after all!

It’s a Love Choice story :(

Rants About Love Choice

I resolved to never read titles with Love Choice, but as I mentioned, I was really curious about the medical theme. I’ve also collected about 109 hearts from all the logins and stories read since late last year, I think. 

There’s also a running promo for this story: no wait times and will get the collector’s edition automatically upon acquiring a Super Happy End.

So I thought my hearts would cover that but nooo. I ended up buying 40 more hearts, which is equivalent to a 400-coin story! So in total, I spent around 150 hearts to get a SHE, which is equivalent to 1,500 coins. How outrageous is that?! Sure, there were 30 episodes but that’s like, equivalent to 3 stories at most, which would only cost me 1,200 coins at full price. Love Choice is such a rip-off honestly.

There was a recent survey asking whether we want to have the option to buy hearts directly instead of exchanging them for coins. I wish they’d do away with it, but if I must make I choice, I think buying hearts directly would be better, as long as they don’t set a ridiculous price. Like, just price it exactly like coins - 1:1, or 1:2 at most. I mean, if it takes 150 hearts to get to SHE, and it takes more hearts to open chapters without waiting, a player would still spend 300-600 hearts per game. 

#love365 #voltage games #voltage men #otome games #2D men #voltage otome #romance md

[murasaki-murasame]

Thoughts on Fruits Basket 2019 Episode 12: “You Look Like You’re Having Fun”

My brain’s still kinda fried from the Sarazanmai finale, so my thoughts might not be super coherent or detailed this week, but I still wanna write up my thoughts on this new Fruits Basket episode, especially since it was even better than I expected it to be.

Thoughts under the cut. [Spoiler warning for the whole manga]

I think I’ve said before that by this point we’re in the midst of a fairly good stretch of episodes where the reboot is going to be very similar to the 2001 anime in what material it covers in each episode, and that continues in this one, as I figured.

This episode covers chapters 19 and 20 of the manga, which is the same as what episode 13 of the 2001 anime covered, and from what I remember of that version, the two versions are pretty identical in how they just adapt the manga 1:1, so there’s nothing particularly noteworthy there. I think episode 13 of the 2001 anime was one of the relatively few times where I think they actually did a good job of preserving the emotional depth and darkness of the manga, but I still think this episode did an even better job.

I’m kinda meh about the whole first half [since I’ve never really been the biggest fan of the part of the manga to begin with, which I’ll get into in a minute], but the whole second half with Akito was fantastic. It had been heavily teased at in some of the PVs we’ve gotten, but it still managed to be even more disturbing than I was expecting. It’s not like they added in anything that wasn’t in the manga [aside from a short flashback to that one time Akito had a mental breakdown and painted Yuki’s room black, which I don’t think had been hinted at this early in the manga], but it just executed the material really perfectly. [Though I think the bit at the start of the episode with Tohru seeing Akito’s car pull up at the school might have been a new scene]

The improved voice acting and animation really help drive home the extent of Yuki’s trauma in particular. Even though this is like the billionth time I’ve seen this scene in some form or another, it still kinda shook me, lol.

This whole part also really goes to show how important Tohru is as a person to Yuki, and also to all the other zodiac members in general. She’s someone that’s willing to stand up for him, and to give him happy memories to help outweigh his bad ones. Especially with his whole monologue near the end, I think the badminton scene is probably where he first becomes at least subconsciously aware of how he’s seeking out a mother’s love from her.

Come to think of it, it’s kinda funny how recently we’ve been in a bit of a pattern of going from a fun episode to a more dark one, and so on. It’s not a complaint or anything. I think it does a nice job of not spending too much time in a row on a particular emotional tone. And that sorta pattern should hold up with how the next episode is gonna be Ayame’s introduction, and after that we should get Momiji’s backstory and the grave visit.

And on the note of Ayame’s intro being the focus of the next episode, I’m still curious to see if they incorporate the part where Tohru and Yuki visit his shop in chapter 36 into it, or if they’ll just stick to adapting chapters 21-22 alone, and leave that other chapter for later. I don’t think it’d change much one way or another, but still.

Anyway I guess I gotta address the elephant in the room and say that I’m just not really a big fan of the material covered in the first half of this episode. I don’t hate it, but I just don’t like it as much as like 99% of the fandom seems to.

For one thing, that one Tohru-Kyo scene has always stuck out to me as being a little too . . . generic shojo romance-y for my tastes. It’s one of those few moments where the series unironically indulges in Kyo’s Bad Boy Aesthetic [tm] and it just doesn’t work for me. But I obviously get why lots of people love it.

The part that I’m more annoyed at is the whole sequence with Haru and Momiji’s outfits, and I feel like it’s something that I need to add a whole list of disclaimers to so that people don’t misunderstand me, lol. I just feel like it’s a really good example of how Takaya’s heart is genuinely in the right place when it comes to some of the more progressive sentiments in the series, but the specific angle she approaches certain things at leaves a really bad taste in my mouth, especially when you think about the story as a whole and how things end up.

Specifically I just have issues with how Momiji’s cross-dressing is handled. The part with Haru is fine and I definitely appreciate the whole point of how whether or not someone wears jewelry and piercings and stuff has no inherent bearing on their personality, though the whole bit with him dragging Makoto off to the bathroom, uh . . . maybe hasn’t aged well, lmao. But anyway, I feel like the whole thing with Momiji seems perfectly fine on the surface, but the more you think about it in the context of the whole story, the more it feels uncomfortable.

The message that he should wear whatever he feels comfortable wearing is completely valid, but I just dislike how the story goes about it by saying that ‘it’s fine because he looks good in it, and he’s going to dress normally when he grows up anyway’. There’s a lot going on between the lines here, but I just think it’s really shitty and deceptively regressive that they justify it by pretty much saying ‘don’t worry, it’s just a phase, he’ll grow out of it and dress like a “normal man” later on anyway’. Which is bad enough on it’s own, but then we actually get to see him grow up later in the manga and he definitely does seem to unceremoniously switch to more conventionally masculine fashion because . . . it’s what’s expected of him, I guess? It’s not like he ever seemed to lose interest in wearing feminine clothing, he just stops wearing it after he hits his growth spurt, and it’s framed as something natural and inevitable.

Even the sentiment of ‘he looks good in it, though :)’, in the context of the series as a whole, carries this uncomfortable undertone of ‘it’s fine because for the moment he’s short and looks sort of “like a girl” but once he gets taller and looks more “like a man” he’ll obviously start dressing like one’. It’s the sort of thing that seems like a genuinely progressive and accepting message about how we shouldn’t judge people for the clothes they like to wear, but if you look closely there’s an asterisk and a whole paragraph of fine text at the bottom of the page about how it’s actually only acceptable to cross-dress as a man if your body type, height, etc, make you look ‘like a girl’ in the first place, and that once you hit puberty you should dress like a man because feminine clothing ‘doesn’t fit you anymore’.

In general this series has some weird recurring hang-ups about the specific idea of ‘men wearing girl’s clothing’, to the point where it comes up in different ways with at least three different characters. I know it’s something that a lot of people in the fandom don’t like hearing negativity and complaints about, but I’m not gonna shut up about this, lmao. Y’all just have to deal with the fact that this series isn’t perfect and that I’m allowed to criticize it while also really liking other parts of it.

And on the general note of how the series kinda drops the ball when it comes to pretty much everything to do with gender presentation, this episode brings us another round of the fun game known as ‘the Fruits Basket fandom is in shocked-pikachu.jpg mode at the fact that pretty much every new fan immediately “““figures out”““ that Akito’s a woman’. I wonder what gave it away? Was it that unavoidably female voice? The feminine/androgynous character design that’s explicitly compared to Yuki who’s already meant to look like a girl [apparently]? The fact that we’ve only ever seen Akito wearing either the sort of kimono that at least from a Western perspective would seem very feminine, or this tight-fitting turtleneck sweater? The fact that she’s had romantically/sexually charged moments with at least one or two dudes, which for better or worse ends up making most people view her as being feminine? The fact that like 90% of the dialogue referencing Akito ends up not even using gendered pronouns in the first place? I wonder what could have possibly lead to people naturally assuming that Akito’s a girl and glossing over the, like, five lines of dialogue thus far that even use he/him pronouns toward her, lmao.

One way or another, Akito being a girl has always been the biggest non-twist of the entire series, and the fact that it’s so obvious and that the only reaction new fans have to it is pretty much just ‘oh ok I didn’t really think it was meant to be some kind of shocking surprise or anything’ really just spells out how it’s not even meaningful or interesting as a twist anyway, and that knowing about it from the start does absolutely nothing to hinder anyone’s enjoyment of the series. It’s honestly hard to even tell for new fans that we’re even meant to feel convinced that Akito’s a man, with how little effort the series ever puts into ‘hiding’ her true gender.

I probably sound angrier about this than I am, but mostly I’m just baffled that even though the manga’s been over for like 15 years, people still don’t realize how incredibly lame and shallow this whole plot point is. Like seriously, y’all, what could the reboot have even DONE to actually lead to it not being super obvious that Akito’s a woman? Unless they outright changed her character design to be a lot more masculine, the only thing they could have done would have been to give her a male voice actor, which was almost certainly never going to happen for obvious reasons. I guess what I’m saying is that it’s not like it’s the reboot’s fault that things turned out this way. There’s only so much they reasonably could have done. And even though I haven’t heard much of Akito’s new dub voice, I think Maaya Sakamoto actually does a very good job at sounding androgynous/masculine, and in general her voice work in this episode was really effective and disturbing. I think she’s one of the most masculine-sounding female VAs they could have gone for [aside from maybe someone like Romi Park or Megumi Ogata, but I don’t know if they would have fit Akito very well]. I guess it mostly just bugs me that people are blaming the reboot for something that’s 90% just them following the manga.

Anyway, in spite of my gripes [which are more about the fandom and the series as a whole], this episode was still super good in and of itself, and had some of the most effective voice acting and music that the entire reboot’s had thus far. It’s very obvious why new fans in particular would really really like this one, and for the most part, I do too.

Also, Haru t-posing when he sees Yuki and running over to tug on his shirt is still the most Iconic [tm] thing ever, don’t @ me.

#murasaki rambles #fruits basket #y'all ready for PAIN? for EMOTIONAL ABUSE and TRAUMA? cause that's what this episode is about :)

[recentanimenews]

Manga Editor Yumi Sukemune on Making Princess Jellyfish and the History of Shojo

Most writing about manga focuses on the artists and writers credited on the covers of the books. But there’s another role that’s indispensable to the creative process for most manga series: the editor. In addition to managing the manga production schedule, editors provide creative guidance for artists, in some cases acting as equal partners in coming up with the storylines and characters of their series.

A year ago at Anime Expo 2017, I sat down with manga editor Yumi Sukemune to chat about her work with Akiko Higashimura, the artist behind the josei (adult women’s manga) series Princess Jellyfish about a group of geeky women living together in a Tokyo apartment complex. But our conversation wandered a bit outside of her day job, revealing an editor with a critical, feminist perspective on the history of shojo (girls’ manga).

Thank you to Ms. Sukemune and Kodansha interpreter Misaki Kido for the interview opportunity, and for their patience as this interview sat in draft form for an entire year. It took a while to get this one out, but I think it was worth it!

First off, how did you get started as a manga editor?

I joined Kodansha 12 years ago right out of college. I’ve been assigned to the Kiss Magazine Editorial Department the entire time. The editor of Attack on Titan joined Kodansha the same year.

What titles have you edited?

Princess Jellyfish and Tokyo Tarareba Girls, which is Higashimura’s follow-up series about 30-something-year-old ladies. It’s like a Tokyo version of Sex and the City. A lot of titles that aren’t published outside of Japan. I always have five to six titles that I’m looking at at any time.

How typical is it for a manga editor to be editing multiple titles at the same time?

It’s pretty common.

What’s the process for how editors are assigned to titles?

For those existing series, there might be editors already assigned to them, but in Japanese companies, people rotate from department to department fairly frequently. So when some editor leaves the department, if the title needs a new editor, then that’s an opportunity where you might get assigned to an existing title.

In my case with Higashimura, there was another editor before me, but then that person left. But besides that, I was already close with Higashimura because we both liked Johnnys idol groups. That was our connection.

So when the previous editor left, because I was pretty personally connected to Higashimura, I became the editor.

Is Higashimura going to do an idol series?

(laughs) She loves K-Pop right now.

Being an editor is a creative role in addition to an administrative one. Is that assignment process partially based on story fit in addition to being good at managing an artist?

There’s no test for it or anything like that, but when you’re being hired into the company, in the interview process, they’re looking at the way you talk, the way you express yourself. The people looking for new hires are picking up those kinds of personality traits. So those are some of the challenging aspects.

In other cases, when you first start to become an editor, you team up with more of a veteran, “sempai,” editor. Then, when they go together to a creator’s house and they have a meeting, the sempai editor will ask you things like, “What would you do in this case of the story?”  You’re on the spot and you have to express what your opinion is.

A lot of the editors love manga of course, but they also study and watch a lot of movies and stuff like that too. There are a lot of movie otaku.

I imagine they read a lot of books too.

Yes.

So in terms of the creativity, of course there’s individuality, but at the same time … being in love with the character, that’s just being a fan. As an editor you have to really think about where the story’s going: beginning, middle, and end. You need to look at it constructively and then put your opinions into those critical perspectives. That’s something that’s expected from an editor. And then, depending on your level of skills in addition to your creativity, you could become a hit-maker editor or not.

The Manga Editing Process

What’s a day in the life of a manga editor like?

My working hours are flexible. Most of the manga artists work at night. So in the morning, a lot of people just watch movies and things like that. Around noon-ish, that’s when we go to work. But then we won’t be able to go back home until the last train.

In terms of shojo manga artists specifically, it’s kind of a one-on-one relationship of manga artist to editor, so as long as we can stay in touch with those artists, we can work from anywhere. We can work from home too.

Regarding Higashimura, she works on so many series at once, but she also has a lot of assistants and they’re kind of set up like a studio. Their schedule usually starts at 11 AM and goes until 7 PM. So in terms of Higashimura, she definitely doesn’t work beyond those hours. She won’t pull all-nighters, she won’t work on weekends. She keeps a work-life balance.

Do a lot of very successful manga artists do that?

It’s not regular at all!

Because it’s set up like a production studio, the main artist Higashimura just does the rough sketches for the story and she also does the penciling. But from there on she actually works with other staff, and they finish her work.

When the artist sets up a production studio-type of setup, then they can actually work on more than just one title at a time. But not too many female artists actually do it like that. Usually if you work with shojo manga artists they’re working with their friends and just barely making the 30 pages each month.

You mentioned in the Kodansha panel earlier that Ms. Higashimura is the most prolific current shojo manga artist. That she has the most titles.

That’s true. She works with all the major publishers.

Speaking of staying in touch with artists, we were looking at your phone before. Could you talk about the process? You two are on LINE sending “names” (rough manuscript drawings) back and forth, right?

(She shows me her LINE message history with Ms. Higashimura.)

Yesterday Higashimura sent a name. I usually just loosely say “I kind of want to see the first draft by this day.”

The name stage is usually very simple. But for her, she makes it very detailed. This one has notes on how to finish these panels for the assistants. So, “Put the shadow on here, on the blue.”

Here’s what I’m saying in these messages: “Sorry about the delay of this post. I think the name is really awesome. I think we can use it just the way it is. Especially the scenes in the past and the scene about grilled fish. You’re actually connecting them indirectly. I think it’s really well done. I am here in LA in the morning. I was in awe for a minute. If you’ve got a continuation of these pages please send it to me.”

What stickers do you use on LINE?

We mostly send photos. Not a lot of stickers.

(She shows another name with red pen marks on it.) This is proofing. I use red pen to mark things.

Princess Jellyfish is a really honest portrayal of fujoshi and otaku culture and social anxiety. What sort of conversations do you two have about telling this kind of story?

She often models these characters off of her real-life friends. There’s a friend of hers who’s into dolls. Also all her assistants are super manga otaku. While they’re working, they’re always chatting, for example, having a funny conversation with different ways to end a sentence. The way they talk is unique. She picks it up while she’s writing. Whenever I meet her or even on LINE, Higashimura mentions, “Oh this funny thing happened.” I say, “That’s really funny, why don’t you write about it?”

Communicating and keeping friendships with people outside of work is one of the main reasons she insists on doing the 11–7 shifts, the work-life-balance. Tokyo Tarareba Girls is really based on all her friends who are editors, who are always bitching about something. It’s like, “I’m working so hard, but I have no boyfriend. What’s going on?” She writes about that.

As her editor, my main job is to figure out what she’s into, what her main focus is right now, and to encourage her, to ask “why don’t you write that into the story?”

Shojo and “Waiting for Men”

In the panel earlier you talked about how shojo has changed. You said it was about waiting for a boy to discover you, and now it’s about girls saying “this is my way of life.” Why do you think that is?

I think the biggest influence was Sailor Moon. I’m 34 now. When I was little, Sailor Moon was a current, ongoing series. Up until the emergence of Sailor Moon, all the manga was really about an average girl being discovered by a boy. That was the classic formula. But as soon as Sailor Moon hit, everything changed into a new generation of girls who had the ability to do what they wanted to do in life.

Around that time in the history of Japan, women were starting to get accepted into regular workplaces. The timing in history might have contributed to the message too.

For those girls who grew up with Sailor Moon and keep that true to their hearts, as they get older they become these really strong women and do things for themselves.

Do you think the cultural shift influenced Sailor Moon? Or the other way around?

Sailor Moon was originally supposed to become an anime by the time it started. There was a project for the anime too, they worked on them together. So instead of waiting for the stories to finish, they actually continued the story at the same pace in manga and anime. Because it was a collaborative project between the artist and the animation studio, it wasn’t really up to the creator herself. The creation came from the anime production team as well.

Princess Jellyfish is josei though, not shojo, right?

Yes. The magazine is a josei magazine, although story-wise, none of them are working, so it’s more in the realm of shojo manga, really. And definitely the style is shojo manga.

How much of what you were describing about shojo applies to josei?

In the josei manga genre, unlike shojo manga, it’s not all pure and fresh. It’s not that kind of puppy love story. But in terms of the main character opening up the door to their own life, it’s actually consistent between both shojo and josei manga.

Was josei already doing that, though?

Even in josei manga back in the day, even though they were working women, the formula of an average woman being discovered by men was still the same. It’s like all the characters are mature adults, but it’s still this bubbly romance.

There’s a series called Tramps Like Us (Kimi wa Pet) in Kiss Magazine. It’s a story about a girl picking her favorite boy and keeping him in her house. The pet is a boy.

That change is interesting. Early shojo manga like the works of the Showa 24 Group weren’t about women waiting for men.

Those series like Rose of Versailles are very eternal, evergreen titles. Those tend to be the formula of the character seeking their own path. Those legendary creators: Keiko Takemiya, Moto Hagio. Series that actually stick around long enough to be classics, they tend to be based on main characters finding their own path. But series that became very popular hits but eventually as time goes became lost and forgotten, those are the ones with the formula where the girl gets discovered by the boy.

I feel like in the 1980s shojo manga went in that direction a bit.

Yes, during the bubble economy. Back in the ’80s during the economic boom, it was all about what kind of relationship can you have as a person. That was the biggest focus.

Keiko Takemiya was told by an editor that a story was not going to be a hit; it was complicated, it should be more romance. But she really felt strongly about writing those kinds of stories. So she created The Poem of Wind and Trees (Kaze to Ki no Uta) from there. It’s a really famous Boys Love manga now.

It really shows how hard it was for those female creators in the ’80s to stand up for what they wanted to write about and to execute their expression and get published.

There have been a lot of fans who have been supportive of creators like Takemiya, but at the time, those fans were a way smaller fraction of fans. But post-Sailor Moon people began to accept and understand and like those formulas too. In terms of The Rose of Versailles, it’s inspired by the sort of “fantasy” admiration toward French culture. So that brought in the audience. It’s not really because of feminism. It’s because France is cool.

But it sounds like Sailor Moon represents more of a true feminist shift.

I think so.

There’s an element of romance in Sailor Moon with Tuxedo Mask but that’s not the focus of the series and that’s not the reason why she’s fighting. She’s also looking out for her teammates and friends.

In the US a lot of fans had a very similar response. Because we didn’t get a lot of female characters with that kind of agency.

Everything is connected. No matter where you’re from you really want to cherish and respect yourself in terms of your personality.

As an editor, I always question the difference between the audiences. Like, the school life in America and Japan is different. Is that something that affects the popularity of manga?

The portrayal of the cool, attractive boys seems to be very different here in the US too. I think that might affect whether a manga series becomes popular overseas, not just in Japan. Series like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura, ones set in fantasy-based worlds, are kind of rare in shojo manga. They’re just a fraction, and the rest of the titles are focused on school life and slice-of-life stories.

Even the editors and executives in Japan, they’re thinking that whatever is available here and the shojo manga outside of Japan is just a fraction of the shojo manga that is available.

The High School Formula

Have you edited any of those high school titles before?

I have a series called Love’s Reach. In shojo manga, there are a lot of teacher-student relationships, but elsewhere that’s illegal, right? Love’s Reach is the standard shojo manga formula: school life, always a big event with some emotionally thrilling moments. So if people actually get into these series and accept these kinds of stories then we can introduce a bunch more shojo manga. A lot of the shojo manga that’s available here, like Princess Jellyfish or Nana, is kind of irregular compared to the rest of the shojo manga in Japan.

Is there anything different about editing for one of those school life series versus something more irregular?

For Princess Jellyfish, the creation starts with Higashimura’s inspiration, ideas, and imagination. In terms of things like Love’s Reach, there’s the standard formula and then you put a good talented artist on it. So during the meeting, I say things like “do you want to go on a school trip now?” Like, “this is a good time now.” We have these formulas so you can sort of test the artist to see if they can work creatively with those frameworks and make them their own. That’s how each of the creators’ talents emerge.

Because the history of shojo manga is so long in Japan, there are readers who just want to read a formulaic story. Instead of going into a really fresh story that’s very imaginative, some people just want to read the same old story right before they go to bed after coming back from a long day of work.

In fact, a lot of the digital shojo manga sales in Japan happen after 11 PM. It’s interesting. They probably just buy it and read it and just fall asleep. Maybe right before you’re going to bed and you’re relaxing, you might not want to be introduced to super fresh, super imaginative ideas.

(laughs) The Rose of Versailles is too heavy!

(laughs) I might dream about it or something!

Of course sexy titles and “ero” manga too. Manga that you don’t want to have as a book also sell during nighttime.

It’s important for big publishers to fulfill all these people’s needs. Of course we want to create something new, but we also want to produce something that our audience would want.

Thank you so much for your time!

Manga Editor Yumi Sukemune on Making Princess Jellyfish and the History of Shojo originally appeared on Ani-Gamers on October 2, 2018 at 10:14 PM.

By: Evan Minto

#Anime #News #Ani-Gamers

[ringomom]

I’ve never done this before holy shit anyway here’s??? Reiji and Tokiya being depression friends who love each other very much. Reingo.

Think of it as uh, extended headcanon rambling,,, iim not a fiction writer lmao

Tokiya kind of hates to see Reiji and Ringo interacting. It’s just… too much at once, like staring into two suns at the same time. Like two cars about to collide but they’re going to somehow keep colliding infinitely until reality unspools and it turns into a sort of Dali-esque nightmare.

A little dramatic maybe.

“Oh Rei-chan!!~” echoes down the hall.

Tokiya shifts his back to press hard against his headboard. As if moving physically away from the sound will get it to stop.

Actually, maybe it’s more like seeing your parents kissing when you were a kid. Intrusively intimate. Tokiya is embarrassed by the thought, comparing the couple to parental figures… But he shoves that to the back of his mind to unpack at a later date because despite the warning signs of Reiji’s distant screams he’s still surprised when his senior blasts through the door with all the grace of a duck landing.

Reiji looks ragged, and he’s panting as he shoves the door closed and leans against it.

“You know you can’t hide in here.” Tokiya says from between the covers of the book he’s reading, not bothering to spare him a second glance.

“Tokkiiiiiiii” Reiji whines, slinking towards him “You’re so mean. You’re really gonna turn your old man out like this?” Dragging his feet along the carpet in a way that makes Tokiya cringe, Reiji sloppily drops to his knees at the foot of the bed, and fixes the younger with his best, most annoying pout.

Tokiya’s still reeling about ‘your old man’. Really where is this coming from.

“Tokkiiii…”

“You’re not-“ Tokiya pauses despite himself. “Get up you look ridiculous.”

Before he can open his mouth again to protest, he’s thrown off balance by a shift in the mattress, barely having the chance to steady himself. His book thunks as it hits the floor. He glares at the boy now laying on his belly at the end of the bed. He’s trying to look angry but Reiji chooses that moment to pinch one of his toes through his sock, and makes a little “beep” sound and Tokiya can’t help the warm chuckle low in his throat.

For a moment they stay like that, Reiji humming some tune as he absently fiddles with Tokiya’s toes. Tokiya studies him, he’s still a little flushed from his dramatic entrance, his hair not quite the perfect picture it usually is. Reiji’s quiet, relatively, which is weird in itself though not unheard of. It’s not like he can be at 100% all the time and they lived together long enough. Tokiya makes a point of watching out for quiet moods, it’s something he recognises in himself, the cold distant feeling of cutting yourself off. They’ve all had bad days, sad days. Even human sunshine Otoya has his moments. Reiji has a lot of them.

Looking at Reiji’s distant expression as he sings to himself, makes Tokiya wonder if he doesn’t seek him out on purpose. They’ve spent hours like this before, in intimate silence, neither having the energy to explain themselves, but the company being enough.

Tokiya hums, they’re similar in some ways.

“What did you do?” Tokiya asks softly, gently moving to sit cross-legged.

Reiji puts on looking hurt. “Why do you assume I did something huh? Tokki, you’re mean.”

A classic Reiji deflection.

“Because you’re hiding. Sit up.”

“Why tokki? So you can gaze into my eyes easier?” Reiji taunts but he lazily does as he’s told.

Tokiya rolls his eyes. “Right, so I can see your bullshit better.” He takes the soft punch the other lands on his arm.

“Language!!”

“Reiji…”

A soft sigh passes Reiji’s lips as he refuses to meet Tokiya’s eyes. He raises his hands in defeat, his head still hung low. “Alright, alright. It’s nothing. He just?…” 

Reiji makes a loud frustrated noise and flops back on the bed, kicking his legs out, passing either side of Tokiya’s head. Had he been that few inches taller his reckless kicking would have put another hole in their wall but Tokiya manages to rise above the dig. “Ringo’s perfect. He’s perfect in every way, confident, smart, kind. Baroque beautiful. Everything. And I’m…”

Reiji gestures vaguely at his whole body.

“Ah, you told Tsukimiya he’s too good for you and now he’s angry.” Tokiya summarises. Maybe they’re similar in more ways than he cares to admit. Though he’s oddly touched that his senior would come to him with his insecurity, it’s not like Tokiya’s any better with this.

“I-“ Reiji struggles with his thoughts silently for a moment and Tokiya’s fingers dance their way up Reiji’s calf, lazily drawing circles against his knee. Reiji sighs; “Yeah.”

“Hm.” Tokiya hums. “It’s not fair of you.”

Reiji goes almost completely still. “I know”

“No- Reiji look at me.” His back hits the headboard again, like he can move physically away from his own stupid, stupid words hanging in the air, knives waiting to fall.

Reiji doesn’t move.

Huffing a little, Tokiya reaches forward and pulls his senior up into a sitting position. Hands clap Reiji’s cheeks and the slight impact forces him to look at Tokiya in shock. Tokiya doesn’t let go.

“Reiji, you don’t get to decide how Tsukimiya feels. He loves you. That’s not up to you, no matter how foolish you think it is. You don’t get to choose. Understand?” He can hear how serious he sounds and maybe that’s not how he should be talking about ~feelings~ but he IS serious. He gets that Reiji is self-conscious, but. Reiji is amazing in his own right.

The smile that’s creeps on to Reiji’s face is enough to make anyone fall in love with him. It’s a rare one. Genuine. Unfiltered through personas or self-loathing. Tokiya really loves Reiji.

A jolt runs through Tokiya’s spine and his hands slap to his sides when he hears a faint sob outside the door. Quickly pushing Reiji off the bed with an undignified squawk, he’s pressing hard against the headboard now.

Reiji, to his credit, doesn’t react at all poorly to being practically launched across the room. He simply props his chin up on the bed and chuckles.

“Shut up Kotobuki.”

Reiji grins his goofy horrible grin at him. “Come in Ringo.” He hollers past Tokiya’s legs. He really is perceptive.

Ringo flies into the room the way only Ringo can, like he’s the fawning protagonist of some shojo manga, Tokiya feels like he can see rose petals whenever he looks at Ringo. Right now he even has those big fat tears gathering in his eyes.

Before Tokiya can think otherwise the question is slipping out of his mouth, “how long were you out there?”

Ringo’s tears seem to dry up immediately, still he dabs at them with a lacy handkerchief. “Well it was hard to focus after you said I was more handsome than any painting in the world, and twice as brilliant…”

Reiji remarks that he doesn’t remember saying that but Ringo continues.

“But the main thing is that you two are so damn cute!!!” He smiles warmly. “And Reiji don’t think you’re off the hook, I want a 1,000 word essay on how wonderful you are on my desk tomorrow morning, young man.”

Reiji beams. “Yes sir.” He salutes.

Yeah, the two of them are entirely too much for Tokiya.

#GOD WHO AMM I #the characterisation is probably horrible idk i just wanted to? post this for some reason lmao #reingo #my writing?