Yesterday a girl asked me what friendship means to me. I replied. "A true honest and selfless friendship is like finding a star that shines and twinkles with another in duet."
May you all have a wonderful holiday season no matter what you celebrate. If you celebrate nothing at all, I hope you still enjoy the season for what it is and have many happy moments.
Let's end the year being ourselves, enjoying who we are in every way. Spending time with the people who love & value us and who we do the same.
I know it's been a very hard year, times are rough. But may you find something that brings you spooktacular joy this winter and holiday season ✨️ because you all truly deserve it.
Kakashi: Mm. The mountains are truly beautiful this time of year. And the cabin with the wood-burning fireplace; so cozy.
Sakura: What was your favorite part?
Kakashi: Hmmm ... well, I suppose it would be riding Gai.
Naruto and Sakura:
Naruto: R-riding Gai-sensei?
Kakashi: Yeah. I was scared to at first because you know, I've gotten a little heavier these last few years, and with Gai's bad leg, I didn't want to hurt him. But he said it would be okay, and I'm glad I listened because that was the most fun I've ever had in my life. And you know what a show-off Gai is; after a while he was doing tricks and these fancy maneuvers. All the other people couldn't stop watching us.
Sakura: ... people were watching you?? You did this in public?
Kakashi: Of course! Hey, you guys and Sasuke and Gai's team should join us next time. We were thinking of going back and spending Christmas there. I bet you'd have a blast.
Naruto: Sensei ... I'm the Hokage now. I can't be seen doing such ... such lewd things in public dattebayo!
Kakashi: Lewd? Since when is sledding lewd?
Sakura: Sledding?
Kakashi: Yeah; Gai fit skis to the bottom of his wheelchair, I sat on his lap and we sled down the hill.
. . . [ ] And if I call her and tell her Before, people's joy was not in me but now that she came into my life I am so happy but I think it was my fault and I feel a little serious and indifferent but I would change the nostalgia of Christmas night for a simple chat, a couple of songs on the roof, contemplating the moon and stars but I don't think she will answer me. My world is so simple and small.
I counted and there are 8.5 blonde ladies in either a lead or primary love interest role this season (8 if you count the one whose hair is sometimes black as half of one). Do what you will with this information. I only share it because it’s something that was ticking me off that I noticed.
Anyway, we’re trying out a new format this season: Instead of only recommending anime we’re not familiar with, we’re each picking one we are familiar with and one we went into completely blind.
ACE’S RECOMMENDATION #1: MR. VILLAIN’S DAY OFF
After the deluge of isekai that try to teach the importance of having a healthy work-life balance by having the lack of one kill off it’s main character in the first five minutes of the episode, it’s really nice to have something that teaches the same lesson by choosing to model what one looks like rather than killing anybody. It’s also got a lot of pandas in it, which is always nice.
ACE’S RECOMMENDATION #2: SENGOKU YOUKO
Satoshi Mizukami seemingly can’t catch a break with anime adaptations of his manga: Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer sucked and this one is being seriously overshadowed by all the other really good and/or long-looked-forward-to adaptations this season. (Planet With was an anime first so it escaped the curse.)
Anyway, please watch this and have your friends watch this and buy the Blu–Rays and have your friends buy the Blu-Rays so my dream of a (good!!!) Spirit Circle anime can someday come true.
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CHARLIE’S RECOMMENDATION #1: SOLO LEVELING
(for the sake of our more sensitive readers, actual screenshots of the anime cannot be shown at this time)
If you like Cheat System anime, and don’t mind “a bit” of graphic violence (read: so much. There’s just so much violence.) , give this a shot. It’s based on one of the Korean manhua that made the genre what it is today, and as far as I’m concerned, they’ve done a good job being faithful to their source so far - they didn’t even give them Japanese names, you guys.
CHARLIE’S RECOMMENDATION #2: A SIGN OF AFFECTION
(adorable)
It’s cute, and disability rep is always a bonus. I like how they animated the sign language, which seems fairly realistic to me, someone who speaks no sign languages.
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FEN’S RECOMMENDATION #1: LOOKING UP TO MAGICAL GIRLS
This is a series I’ve been following since there were only five chapters out in the manga, so I would like to preface this recommendation by saying I’m the only one who’s actually right about it. I’m a veteran, a true soul who’s stuck with it for the past x years since it first released, and as such everything I say about it is valid and correct and anything people who aren’t as familiar with it says is complete horseshit pulled out of their ass. This is a factual statement.
Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete, which has been translated for the manga as “Looking up to Magical Girls” (correct) and by vile HIDIVE as “Gushing Over Magical Girls” (bad and wrong) is a trashy, over-indulgent yuri series for weird perverts that is good, actually, (genuinely), and if the adaptation manages to capture Onanaka Akihiko’s remarkably deft hand in weaving the series’ fetish gags with the story’s genuine moments of pathos and surprising character depth then the anime will also be good, actually.
Dude trust me.
FEN’S RECOMMENDATION #2: METALLIC ROUGE
This is an anime original series about super fighting robots on Mars doing a hitman shit on android rebels for the government and also yuri, maybe. ACAB includes Rouge Redstar, watch this show.
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BONUS RECOMMENDATIONS: DUNGEON MESHI AND ‘TIS TIME FOR “TORTURE,” PRINCESS
A recommendation to watch Dungeon Meshi is the most redundant thing on the planet this season, but even so you should still watch Dungeon Meshi. Also, Fen and I had a bit of a back-and-forth over who would recommend Torture Princess since it was something she was familiar with and something I had only heard of and I wasn’t going to recommend it because I thought she would and she apparently chose not to recommend it because she thought I was going to so take it as a recommendation both from someone who is and someone who isn’t familiar with Torture Princess to watch Torture Princess.
Sasuke: Oi, it’s freezing outside. Can you make me some coffee before I go out to shovel?
Naruto: Er, I would, but … the coffee pot is busy.
Sasuke: … busy? What do you — *goes into kitchen to see*
Sasuke: NARUTO!!
Naruto: Yes, dear?
Sasuke: *holds up the coffee pot* What the hell is this?!
Naruto: Ramen!
Sasuke: Why are you making ramen in the coffee pot?!
Naruto: Because the tea kettle broke and I can’t boil water, dattebayo. I figured if I just put the noodles in the bottom of the pot, the dripping hot water would eventually cook ‘em.
Sasuke: You idiot … now my morning coffee is probably going to forever taste like miso!
Naruto: You know what else tastes like miso? *puts his arms around Sasuke’s shoulders* My kisses. And I’ve never once heard you complain about those ~
Sasuke: … why did I marry you again?
Naruto: Because you knew that in all the world, nobody would love or take care of you the way I would.
They are calling for a bad winter, almost if not just as bad as what happened to Texas a few years ago.
So start stocking up. I recommend starting with these:
Toilet paper (not all at once! Maybe just an additional small pack every time you get more. Flushable wipes are also good)
Period products
Canned goods
Gallons of water (Aldis has some for about $0.85
A small tent (if you can. Check Walmart.) If the power goes out, popping a small tent inside can help keep you a little warmer. If I remember correctly, inside the tent can be about 10° warmer.
A cold weather sleeping bag. (I got one for 30° weather from Walmart for under $25) if it's too big, stuff blankets at the bottom
Socks, socks, socks
At least 3 sources of fire (matches, lighters, etc)
Solar powered charging blocks
Batteries
Candles
Possibly a small camping stove (if you use this inside be careful.
If you have a fire place, make sure that shit is cleaned now. (I also encourage you to start collecting lint from the dryer as a fire starter
Tape cellophane over the windows to help with drafts.
Try to get boots or water proof your boots
Salt for the ground
Jarred goods
Find your local food pantries if you are worried about running out of food.
When it gets to freezing Temps, let your taps run a bit at night so they down explode. This can happen even while the power is on, I believe.
And if you can, donate to your local food pantry. Especially diapers. Donate coats. Don't forget the homeless and low income who are going to be in extreme danger.