#{ ; thread: koji | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

slippinninque · 12 days

Text

🎊🥂 Tanoshī Yoru 🥂🎊

You both have some catching up to do...

Koji Shimazu x BlackFemReader

warnings: some cursing, seduction, flirting, banter, spicy-fluff, long fic, brief description of violent, jumps between past/future

note: italic parts are flashbacks

The blade was buried deep in your thigh but you had yours in his shoulder. The two of you paused in your whirlwind as

In the pause of your whirlwind, you bared your teeth down at the most blazing eyes and couldn't help yourself.

"You wanna grab a bite later?"

"I cannot believe my eyes."

Your heart jumped but you still played coy, looking over your shoulder as you sat at the ornate bar.

"Hello, handsome."

The years have done Koji Shimazu a service--still devastatingly handsome in his suit, haori combination. The glasses more than suited him and you were pleased to note he kept his hair long now.

Koji came close and you couldn't resist placing a kiss on his cheek. He smelled of bitter tea and neat cologne. He took hold before you could pull away, pressing his cheek to yours.

"It's been far too long."

"....The longest it's ever been, I think."

Patient hands stitching a wound, a small payment towards an already dropped debt. This time you smiled--never knowing that someone could be gentle with a needle.

He spoke down towards your wound, playing chicken with the threads you teethed out from your shirt.

"...I like Udon..."

"Huh. Me too. Udon it is..."

Once he had his hands on you, Koji whisked you off to a private booth and asked you if you were hungry. Only a few moments later and a precession of waiters bearing dishes and platters came to load the table.

"This is sooo good, Koji! Many compliments to the cooks back there!"

"I will be so sure to pass them along. I'll be pleased to let you know that I personally participated in the tasting of this week's menu."

You batted your lashes at him as, "Did you now? How lucky am I you take such good care?"

Koji gave you a wink so flirty that it made you feel twenty again as one of your shoulders drew up, coyly turning away with your delicious bowl of udon as he chuckled into his next bite.

It was one of those nights that you all felt invincible. Caine and John jousting for the last skewer while Koji rubbed your feet beneath the kotetsu.

You laughed hard enough that you couldn't feel the pain in your ribs or see the knot on the side of Caine's head. You looked over at Koji and saw his eyes fixed to your skin exposed by your tattered shirt.

Koji licked his lips.

--------

You both talked about the years lost between you. It's been nearly a decade since the last time you saw each other in person. The butterflies that fluttered all the way with you to Osaka finally rested, their wings beating to the tune of your contented heart.

While Koji made a name for himself in Management, you kept yourself as freelance as possible. Keeping your distance was the only way to keep your independence from the High Table until you went into Information. It was a useful way to keep tabs on your old friends and new wards, as your reputation continues to precede you.

In the exchange of photos and phones, you shifted close enough to each other that the bowls of your wineglasses touched. It felt more than good, more than right to be pressed to close as the both of you reminiscence.

When Koji asked about the light line of skin peeking around your shoulder, you told him about the 12 year old contract from Berlin that came to haunt you only a few years prior.

"It was a quick clean up but it got me banned from my favorite Meijer! Shame too--that Meijer had the best perennial selection..."

You sweet Koji looked troubled about the long-faded scar. His fingers traced the line down to where it vanished beneath the lace of your dress but further still to your lower back.

Soon you were pressed side to side with Koji's arm coiled around you to keep you close. He was still the same old 'Smooth Shimazu' after all.

"Ah, I nearly forgot!" You startled as you remembered the solid, slim gift bag at your feet. You hurried to present it to Koji with a little tune, you clapped your hands softly as he was opening it.

Koji gave a laugh as he appraised the bottle of sake, "Oh wow! Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu! A night of favorites, indeed."

He popped the cork quickly and you held out his glass first to be filled.

Koji's eyes slipped closed with a pleased hum at the first sip. You watched him, the redness of his lips pressed to the glass and how his throat bobbed.

"This brings back memories...."

You thought of the moonless nights hiding out in the country and long stake outs while gathering information. You thought of the two glasses you shared once you heard about what Caine gave and how John left.

You thought of Koji's hands on you and his voice running through you clean enough to shake you apart ten years ago.

A hand tore at your hair and you cut the forearm for it's trouble. An opening near the ribs and you took it, bracing back against the wall to steady your kick.

It sent you both flying but your hand landed on a bottle neck as the man with the blazing eyes staggered to his feet.

You leaned your head on his shoulder as you took your own sip, getting lost in the gentle jazz of the live band that replaced the DJ earlier in evening.

This was the sake the two of you shared since the fateful night you met and nearly killed each other. The only unbroken thing left after your carnage that went on to become a inside joke between the two of you for years to come.

"May I whisper something to you?"

Oh, Koji. You nodded and watched from beneath your lashes as Koji came closer to you. One of his arms draped warmly around your shoulder as his free hand met yours.

The brush of his goatee against your cheek tickled sweetly as his pressed closer to your ear,

"I find myself...struggling to focus on the past with you so close in the present." His nose barley brushed your lobe and you were already breathless.

The feel of Koji being so close was proving to be too much. It's been so long since you've wanted to be held, to be touched--your slumbering lust rousing for his touch only.

The longing in your heart was stoked into urgency as you felt Koji's lips brush against the shell of your ear.

"You still smell so good," Koji's voice dipped into a purr pressed to your jumping pulse, "My everlasting temptation..."

You moved your neck to the side to gift him with more space to claim, "Only for you. Always and only for you, Koji."

Koji pulled you closer with a hand on the other side of your thigh, making you grin.

"Forgive me if I'm being forward, but would you care to join me in indulging in a few more delights? Aside from the good sake."

Koji's eyes glinted in the candle light and you saw how they slid across your body, the hand on your thigh starting to massage.

In this perfect moment of knowing you could finally follow Koji where he could go--you wanted nothing more in that moment than to follow the man to the elevator and beyond.

You swayed into the song of his lips and assured him, "I would love to join you, Koji."

--------

✨ending notes✨: i love me some Koji and god help me i have so many ideas for this man!🥰 I'm thinking of doing a part 2 because I don't know when to quit 🤣 Tell me what you think and comments/reblogs are always appreciated! ✨💜💕TYSM for reading!!! 💜✨💕

💕taglists💕: @megamindsecretlair @sageispunk @harmshake @blowmymbackout @miyuhpapayuh @ellethespaceunicorn

#Koji Shimazu #Koji Shimazu x Reader #Koji Shimazu x BlackFemReader #koji shimazu x blackfemreader #Koji Shimazu x Black!Fem!Reader #Hiroyuki Sanada #hiroyuki senada #John Wick fic #John Wick 4 (film)

15 notes · View notes

dramalets · 7 months

Text

2024 Watch List pt2

Mr Unlucky has no choice but to kiss - Very, very cute and silly without being slapstick. This gets a bit lost in its own soup and after about episode 4 it drags some. Also just a bizarre and somewhat anticlimactic ending. The leads are lovely though and they do work well together. 3/5 (22/2/24)

What did you eat yesterday S1 - Just perfect. Watching Shiro & Kenji grow together over the episodes is a treat. This is as warm and tender as it is brilliantly observed and funny. A true must watch. 5/5 (24/2/24)

The Sign - This just got lost in itself. It had moments of absolute perfection but there were, for me, too many threads it didn’t tie up. Personally I liked this show the most in its procedural show parts and less in its fantasy elements, where I feel it had the most work to do. This isn’t one I’ll rewatch but I did enjoy the journey. 3/5 (25/2/24)

If it’s with you - Lovely is the best word for this. Just a little warm hug of a thing. A sweet story of first love. 4/5 (26/2/24)

I became the main role of a BL drama - Very soft and silly. Not much happens but the leads are lovely and fun to watch. Would kind of love a spin off about the managers if I’m honest. Zero complaints. Just a cute, easy, quick watch. 3/5 (27/2/24)

Kabe Koji - Very enjoyable. Absolutely loved the manga come to life concept of this one. It was super fun to look at. Personally, I think this could have done with maybe 1 or 2 more episodes. Neither character felt as explored as I would have liked. A nice watch nonetheless :) 3/5 (27/2/24)

The Man who defies the world of BL s1 & 2 - This is so unbelievably funny and well observed. Atsuhiro is a master at comedic faces and they never feel slapstick or overdone. Loved every silly second. 4/5 (28/2/24)

Candy Colour Paradox - This isn’t the best acted thing and the chemistry is only so-so it also really starts to drag in places. (Inserting Izuka Kenta into a multiple episode arc was a choice because he’s incredible and it only serves to highlight the so-so of the leads.) Having said all these things it still has a charm and I still enjoyed watching it. Just perhaps not one I’ll be itching to rewatch or suggest to friends. 3/5 (28/2/24)

Perfect Propose - A sweet six episode watch that’s really all about being human. Kai has to realise that being part of peoples lives is both terrifying but necessary and Hiro must learn to value the role he plays in the world. Just a gorgeous little watch. 4/5 (1/3/24)

Kei x Yaku - Is this a BL? Not really? It’s more like gay romance is heavily inferred but here is a messed up, lovely little found family so enjoy that. This is so much fun and I can’t rec it highly enough. Very much just tune in and have fun. 4/5 (1/3/24)

Cherry Magic - Zero notes. Absolute perfection. TayNew supremacy. 5/5 (2/3/24)

My Personal Weatherman - Just bored me honestly. It’s not bad but it’s not as good as some make it out to be. I think if I’d watched this before the novelist I might have liked it more? Not something I’ll reach for again. 3/5 (3/3/24)

My Beautiful Man s1&2 - This is very Japanese and, on paper, should not have worked for me at all. In practice tho? I loved this. I understand the reasons this is controversial but I also think if you go into this without any of the disk horse you’ll just see it for what it is; a love story between two broken boys with piss poor communication skills and self esteem issues. 4/5 (5/3/24)

My Beautiful Man Eternal - This movie is the third part of the beautiful man series. I genuinely think you could skip s2 and go straight in for this. It delivers what I would have wanted, but was impossible to give in four episodes, from s2. We see Hira and Kiyoi’s growth as individuals and also together and we finish with them as equals, with Kiyoi speaking to his king Hira. Beautifully shot, excellently acted. Will watch again. 5/5 (6/3/24)

#mr unlucky has no choice but to kiss #what did you eat yesterday 1 #the sign the series #if it’s with you #kabe koji #the man who defies the world of BL #candy color paradox #perfect propose #kei x yaku #cherry magic thailand #my beautiful man #personal weatherman #my beautiful man eternal

28 notes · View notes

fleetwoodmar · 1 year

Text

andrew koji gif pack !

click HERE to find #121 gifs of andrew koji in bullet train ( 2022 ). all gifs were made by me from scratch. if you want to make them into gif icons, you can as long as you credit me by @’ing me and don’t make them smaller than 100px. don’t claim as your own. don’t use these in smut threads or for taboo plots. feel free to give this a like or reblog if you found this useful, and enjoy! content warning: violence, guns, blood, injury

#gif pack #andrew koji gif pack #andrew koji gif hunt #rph #gif hunt #thegifpackreblogs #* my gif pack.

103 notes · View notes

deepseaspriteblog · 1 year

Text

What's your favorite scary movie?

WHEW I'm finally done with this set! I almost gave up and cut it down to six but I persevered. I had to scrap and change a lot of designs but I'm happy with how it turned out overall. But man do horror movie characters like jackets, huh? Anyway! From left to right we have;

Nope, Scream, Noroi: The Curse, The Shining, Carrie, Ringu, Little SHop of Horrors, Blair Witch Project, and Perfect Blue. If you're interested, you can buy these kids from my ko-fi linked below! (Nope has already been bought by a friend but I included them here anyway for consistency's sake. If you're wondering why Carrie kid's symbol is a needle and thread, it's because I literally could not come up with anything else and I'm pretty sure it was mentioned that she made her own prom dress.

1 / 2 / 3

4 / 5 / 6

7 / 8 / 9

Anyway, please watch Koji Shiraishi movies

#homestuck #homestuck sprite edit #sprite edit #adopt #fankid #HELL yeah I'm finally done time to go read the jojolands update

57 notes · View notes

absolutebl · 2 years

Text

This Week in BL

Nov 2022 Wk 3

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 2 of 12 - an even better kiss this ep and some background on how both of them are broken and need each other, this is popcorn worthy melodrama, keep it up. WATCH ALONG HERE.

Big Dragon (Sat Gaga) 7 of 8 - musical montage boyfriends date for most of this ep. I’m not mad about it. Like a 50 min OnlyOneOf MV. Poor P9! I think I finally realized why I like this couple so much, they remind me (when they are at their best) a little bit of We Best Love. Oh do we have a Kdrama separation coming in the final ep? Please no.

Ai Long Nhai (Mon iQIYI) 8 of 10 - Nhai’s dad is pretty awesome, and I don’t mind that we had all this time with him and Ai chatting. Tiny concert full of crumbs, but blessed no actual singing! And the nothing continues to happen, and it continues to be shirtless. So I’m happy.

Ghost Host, Ghost House (Weds YouTube) 7 of 8 - Even in a ghost story, if it’s Thailand we’ve got to go to the beach and frolic. Use of I/you pronouns is super interesting and cute. I think what I like the most about these two is that they are so easily and casually boyfriends.

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 6 of 12 - LeoFiat are still the only thread that interests me, coincidentally they’re getting all the old school tropes too. Bus trip, earbud sharing, shoulder sleeping and everything.

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 1 of 12 - This definitely has all the markers of a bully romance, not my personal favorite. SOTUS not withstanding. This can go into BohnDuen territory a bit too much for me. So far I don’t dislike this show, but I don’t like it either and it’s definitely one of those I wish I had the 10 second fast forward button on.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Fri Viki) 7 of 12 - Enter the faen fatal and anxiety baby is jelly - doesn't look as good on him as it does on our dentist. But HOW does he still not realize how hard he is being flirted with? I take that back, this isn’t flirting, this is courting. Like ritual old-fashioned gentlemanly marriage-in-mind how many crowns do you want in exchange level courting. I can’t believe it’s gonna be over month before this show finishes. I’m tense now.

Eternal Yesterday AKA Eien no Kino (Japan Thurs Gaga) 5 of 8 - This thing that Japan keeps doing with gay teachers killing themselves is not exciting to me. I really love how Michan is like “look after your own damn boyfriend and stop dragging mine onto ledges”... stupid teacher drama. But oh my goodness is this show achingly sad. This prevailing wistfulness between our leads about the future that they know they will never get to have. The way Michan is constantly listening and feeling for his Koichi’s heartbeat for a reassurance that is never going to come. The way he is reconciling himself with his own loneliness and returning to that solitary state, because he will never find a soulmate like Koichi again. It’s an aching extended wistful dry-eyed kind of yearning and pain. The counteraction to how good Japan is a thirst. This show is going to break my heart. In fact, it already has.

Choco Milk Shake (Korea Strongberry Tues YT) 5-6 of 10 - It’s Strongberry so the blind date is with the boy. Yay! No bones about it (no boning either but hey-ho). Really this is a show about connection and loneliness, it’s kind of gut wrenching for something so silly. I got to say it, because no one else will, but how is uncle’s business staying in business? I’ve never seen a single customer.

Kabe Koji (Japan Mon Viki) 7 of 10 - The date was RIDICULOUS - couple’s keychains and everything. Gah. These two are too much. And then the classic penultimate ep of doom.

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

War of Y (Thai Gaga) 20 eps - it’s just all too much for me.

My Roommate (Thai YT) 32 eps of 2 minutes each + terrible production values? - I’m not bothering.

Fahlanruk (Thai Sun GaGa) 12 eps - I cut my losses at ep 5. DNF

To Sir With Love AKA Khun Chai 16 eps - could be sad v worried

2 Moons 3 (Thai Mon ??) 10 eps - Possibly a future binge watch. Rumor is it’s banal.

SELF (Thai Thurs YT) - DNF

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising and stuff going on. I’ll wait and binge.

In Case You Missed It

I did a post on all of Strongberry’s offerings.

Restart After Coming Back Home (formerly Restart After Come Back Home) is now available on Gaga! Go and watch it, it’s wonderful. Now they just have to get Seven Days and my life will be complete and my subscription love for them eternal.

OnlyOneOf is really doing a BL.

I did my GMMTV 2023 predictions.

TutorYim (Cutie Pie crumbs) have been cast as the new leads in Middle Love (formerly Jimmy Tommy).

I think this is a really good choice, actually.

GAP the series (Sat YT) 1 of 12 has started, office set GL. WATCH IT! GL and this studio needs our support! (Also, the stairs are back!)

Coming to Viki: Love in the Air, ITSAY & IPYTM, Remember Me, and 2 new KBLs: The New Employee & Happy Ending Romance.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting this week:

Nov 24: Happy Ending Romance (Korea Thurs Gaga) 8 - stars Karam (The Boss), Ha Jong Woo, and Leo (VIXX). Formerly Happy Ending Outside the Fence - thank fuck they changed the damn title.

Nov 26: 609 Bedtime Story (Thai Sat WeTV) 11 - another OhmFluke vehicle that’s rumored to be a good story. A one night stand leads to a series of mysterious premonitions and a possible parallel universe.

Nov 2022 still to come?

Nov ??: My School President (?? GMMTV YT) tester trailer here - it’s Love Sick + Korea & Japan's influence.

This week’s earworm: Hello Hello FT Island, doing the blog post about Kdrama actors who’d never do BL made me think about Lee Hong Ki, which made me go back to their back catalogue. I forgot how fucking killer they are.

(last week)

147 notes · View notes

xsupticbars · 1 year

Text

Janet (xChocobars) and Steve (Steven Suptic) Dating Timeline part 1

Disclaimer: Everything in this post was either mentioned by Steve, Janet or one of their friends on stream, or was posted on a public social media account by them or one of their content creator friends.

Part 2 - Part 3

Nov '20 - Mar '22

Nov 1 '20 Janet and Steve meet for the first time in Hafu's Among Us Morning Lobby.

Apr 16 '21 Their first IRL meeting for Hafu's 30th birthday, in Las Vegas. Janet and Steve carpool there with ther boyfriend at the time, Coplol_/David. Janet posts a thread about the trip on her alt twitteraccount. Hafu's April 17 and April 18 stream.

Apr 26 '21 Steve, Janet, David, Kimi and Tina go for lunch at The Boiling Crab in Los Angeles and spend the day together. Steve's deleted tweet. Kimi's tweet and insta. Kimi's vlog

Nov 27 '21 Steve, Dumbdog, Koji and Ellum have lunch with Janet in Los Angeles.

Dec 3 '21 The morning lobby hang out in Vegas together.

June '22 - ...

June

June 6 Steve returns from a 2 month break from streaming. He raids Janet after he ends his stream. Steve pov, Janet pov. Janet mentions having reached out to him.

June 15 Morning lobby Among Us reunion.

June 26 Steve, Janet, Kimi, Ellum and Cara hang out together in L.A.

June 30 Four days later Steve posts the picture from the meetup on instagram. The same pic was already posted by Ellum a day after the meetup. Janet likes.

July

July 2 Janet likes a picture in which David is tagged.

After this Janet doesn't mention David anymore and he's no longer seen on her stream, things that happened sporadicaly before. On an unknown date she deleted their pictures together from instagram. David continues to this day to like pictures and tweets of her.

July 20 Kimi invites Janet and Steve over for hotpot and drinks till after 3 am

July 31 Janet posts on instagram. Steve likes. During the 1.5 years of them knowing each other before this he only liked 3 of her pics.

August

Aug 3 Steve posts on instagram and Janet likes.

Aug 4-9 Steve goes on a trip to visit his parents in Utah, followed by a visit to his best friend Cib in Nevada.

Aug 4 Janet likes and comments on Steve's tweet. Steve likes Janet's tweet.

Aug 6/7 Steve's best friend, Cib, and his gf, Dylinn, start following Janet on instagram. Dylinn likes Janet's latest reel. Janet follows Cib back.

Aug 7 Janet posts a reel on instagram, Steve likes.

Aug 8 Janet posts a selfie on twitter. Steve likes.

Aug 9 Steve returns from his trip.

Aug 15 Janet invites Steve to a Valorant 5-stack with her friends. It's the start of them doing streams in smaller groups together.

That same day Steve posts his first tiktok. The first three followers of the account are his two best friends and Janet. They were already following him before he posted his first tiktok. When he posted the tiktok, he was also only following them.

Aug 16 Janet announces on stream that her and David have broken up and have been for over a month. She likes Steve's tweet. Steve likes Janet's tweet.

Aug 18 Janet tweet and instagram post, Steve likes.

Aug 21 Janet tweet and instagram post, Steve likes.

Aug 23 Janet instagram post, Steve likes.

Aug 25 In the morning Steve posts an instagram story from inside an Echo Park Lake swan boat at nighttime. No passenger was filmed and he would never mention anything about it.

Aug 26 Steve and Janet go to the same party. Steve tweets a pic with Jhb and Janet posts an ig story with Valkyrae.

Aug 27 Janet instagram post, Steve likes.

Aug 28 Steve and Janet plan a cooking stream together. The stream ends up not happening. Janet tells the story on stream, they went out to dinner together instead. (timestamps: 0:11:58-0:18:14)

September

Sep 2 Steve likes Janet tweet.

Sep 3 - 5 Janet and Steve go on a three-day trip to Las Vegas. No other streamer friends come with them. Hafu and them never mention if they met up on their stream. Kimi catsits Janet's cats in Los Angeles.

Sep 4 Janet posts an instagram story of her and Steve together in Vegas.

Sep 11 Steve, Janet, Scott and Kimi meet up in Los Angeles. Scott posts a picture.

Sep 12 Sponsored stream from Janet. Three youtube shorts (1, 2, 3) about the unboxing of the product are posted in October. They show Steve helping her set everything up. Janet mentions on stream that she got help, but not from who.

Sep 14 Steve and Janet go to the WHALES•TALK concert at the Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles. WHALES•TALK is Steve's best friend's (Cib) band. Janet meets Steve's two best friends and their girlfriends. (Group pics: deleted pic, 2) Steve's friend Hallie (twinsister of Cib's girlfriend) starts following Janet. Janet follows Hallie and Dylinn back in November.

Sep 18/19 - Sep 22 Janet goes on a trip to Berlin for a sponsor.

Sep 23 Janet posts a picture on instagram and twitter. Steve likes. Steve posts a picture on instagram. Janet likes. Steve tweets and Janet likes and comments.

Sep 28 Janet posts on instagram. Steve likes.

October

Oct 7 - Oct 9 Steve and Janet both attend Twitchcon.

Oct 8 Steve and Janet stand next to each other at a party at Twitchcon.

Oct 9 The morning lobby panel at Twitchcon happens. Steve and Janet sit next to each other and stand next to each other for the picture. After the panel Janet has a meet and greet session. A picture with a fan shows Steve holding Janet's nameplate for her booth before or after the meet and greet. The two of them take a picture with their friend Gumi. Steve tweets about Janet and Janet comments.

Oct 11 Steve tweets about Janet.

Oct 18, Oct 19 and Oct 21 Janet posts an ad on her youtube channel. In the ad, Steve and her unbox a product from a sponsor. The ads were filmed before September 12, the date she first used it to stream. The three ads: 1, 2, 3

Oct 21 Janet, Steve and Autumn (Rhodes) are going costume shopping together for Halloween.

Oct 22 Steve and Janet go to Softi's Halloween-themed birthday party, together with Autumn and Garrett Sutton. Janet tweets a picture of the two of them wearing a couples Halloween costume. Steve retweets it. A group pic with them being close is posted. Janet likes Steve's tweet.

Oct 31 Steve likes Janet's tweet.

November

Nov 5 Janet's 28th birthday. Steve likes Janet's birthday tweet. Steve is at Janet's birthday dinner in the evening. Kimi's instagram story shows them seamingly arriving at a surprise birthday dinner for Janet. Steve is shown holding flowers. Steve gets her this shirt as a gift.

Nov 8 Janet is a bridesmaid at Abe and Wendy's wedding. Steve also attends. Steve is seen sitting next to Janet at the table for the bridesmaids and their plus ones.

Nov 9 Steve is still wearing the suit he wore to the wedding. Janet and Steve have coffee from the same place.

Nov 11-Nov 15 Janet, Steve, Kimi, Celine, Eva (Chobo) and Jess go on a trip to Hawaii for Janet's birthday. Kimi, Celine, Eva and Jess return on Sunday (Nov 13), Janet and Steve stay two more days and return on Tuesday (Nov 15; story posted by Steve that day). Janet's posts a pic of Steve in Hawaii on instagram. Steve likes.

Nov 24 Janet posts on instagram for Thanksgiving, Steve likes. Janet spends Thanksgiving at Peter's place.

#steve suptic #xchocobars #steven suptic #.timeline

23 notes · View notes

clatterbane · 12 days

Text

One of my next little experiments in line: making some of my own real mirin! Which you just can't buy here; it's all the nonalcoholic seasoning syrup, basically. Anything I turn out is probably going to be at least as tasty for cooking.

It's apparently really easy to put together a reasonable version, too.

Shochu (rice-based neutral distilled stuff) is traditional, but vodka apparently works just as well, besides being so much cheaper and easier to find in Western countries.

Not that this is really a cheap project, involving specialty ingredients--plus even the "cheap" vodka runs over $20 a bottle here. 😭 Gotta love the state liquor store. Good extra incentive to get into homebrewing for anything over like 3.5%. It really is just as well that I very rarely drink distilled stuff. It's mostly a cooking/baking ingredient to me, like the finished mirin is going to be!

Bit of a shame that I didn't think to ask Mr. C to pick up any vodka or other booze when he was driving through Denmark/NL/Germany to and from the UK. Hell, even grab a bottle of cheap vodka from Lidl somewhere along the way. The stuff is significantly cheaper if you even pop across the bridge to Copenhagen here. (So that's what a lot of people do. Mobility problems suck.)

Anyway, info about homebrewing mirin is not the easiest to find online. But, the madlads over on r/Koji are a bad influence! A few threads if you're interested in a little more practical info and discussion:

First mirin, first cooking test

Is it worth making your own mirin?

Every time I’ve tried to make mirin this happens.

You are basically just having the koji work its sweet aromatic enzyme magic on rice in an environment that's already too alcoholic for anything to grow in there, then let it age some. One way to make flavored vodka!

I don't have any bigger glass jars now, so I guess this little experiment will end up split between a couple of pickle jars. It should work. That's kinda how we roll around here, anyway.

#food #homebrewing #sort of #mirin #alcohol #koji

4 notes · View notes

suffcring · 7 months

Text

OH BOY

as you can tell, I am having some problems. I do have minimal threads right now, so I'm not overwhelmed on that front, but I do think I'm gonna dump the askbox minus a plotted xmas ask Seras sent me months ago that I will answer, I swear.

I think I am going to make an effort to focus on plotted things -- maybe not deeply, but something with a propelling forward motion. Things that I have always had with Koji and Seras, and that Calico, Caleb, and Ed have also touched on with me. I have a lot of trouble just winging everything, and while I love ships, I need there to be something...more there. I also do want to put my attention more on people who make me as much a priority as I make them, which I'm sure everyone agrees on.

I appreciate all of you who have stuck around. I'm gonna put some time in this weekend to try and get things going, even if I'll be gone most of next week (Solo Disney Trip, baby)

#ooc

5 notes · View notes

fadinglights · 4 months

Text

muse: koji tanaka, filmmaker, 28 open to: m / f / nb

"are you going to keep looking at me like that or are you actually going to kiss me?"

#indie rp #indie starter #open rp #open starter #indie bi rp #indie gay rp #koji — threads.

6 notes · View notes

jadecascade · 2 years

Text

Dewprism Interview

It’s from 2020, but below is an interview I translated with Threads of Fate/Dewprism Programmer Koji Sugimoto and Writer Daisuke Watanabe. A link to the original article is below. Enjoy!

https://www.inside-games.jp/article/2020/01/16/126852.html

Looking Back on Twenty Years of Dewprism! Reader Comments, Words of Appreciation from the Development Team—and What Fans Can Do Now. (Interview)

"Dewprism," an action RPG for the PS1, is still beloved by many users to this day. For the game's twentieth anniversary, we asked the development team for their memories and secrets! Please take a look.

Back in 1999 when the universally popular Playstation console was still in its adolescence, numerous beloved titles that have gone down in gaming history made their debut.

Even SquareSoft (now Square Enix) of Final Fantasy fame put all their focus on the Playstation console, and in 1999 they launched several new series like Seiken Densetsu: The Legend of Mana. Another new ambitious IP, the action RPG Dewprism, released on October 14th, 1999.

The story follows the adventures of the kindhearted Rue and Mint, the selfish princess of the East Heaven Kingdom. With two different protagonists as well as two unique storylines, Dewprism's style successfully blended drama and comedy. Each character's special abilities and battle techniques also added to action-based gameplay.

The charming characters, lively 3D animation, and countless heartfelt, memorable scenes have produced a work beloved by many and still discussed on social media to this day. It holds a special place in this writer's heart as well.

Flash forward, and now the delightful Dewprism has reached its twentieth year on October 14th 2019! To celebrate this anniversary, we interviewed staff from the original development team. In addition to questions about the road to Dewprism's conception and fond memories, we delivered fans' honest comments to the staff. Please be sure to read until the very end!

The Birth of Dewprism!

—First, please check out how Dewprism got its start.

Koji Sugimoto: As director, first I drafted a rough proposal. We initially decided on "a casual full 3D action game for children" and build on that as we discussed what kind of game and story to make. Later, since Masaki Kobayashi-san and I were the only programmers, the two of us wrote most of it.

Koji Sugimoto Profile:

Senior Lead Engineer

Works:

· Chrono Trigger

· Xenogears

· Final Fantasy X, X-2, Type-0

· Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

· Schoolgirl Strikers

Masaki Kobayashi Profile:

Lead Programmer (Luminous Productions)

Works:

· Radical Dreamers -Unstolen Jewel-

· Xenogears

· Final Fantasy X, X-2, XV, Type-0

· Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

Daisuke Watanabe: I joined the development team when Dewprism was about half a year into production. Around that time, the characters and world setting still involved a lot of trial and error. We wrote the script while working out the details. That's probably why there was still plenty to figure out later. (laugh) However, a lot of good came out of it.

Daisuke Watanabe Profile:

Writer

Works:

· Mobius Final Fantasy

· Final Fantasy X, X-2, XII, XIII, XIII-2

· Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

· Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

—Dewprism struggled to gain a foothold. On that note, how did the opportunity arise?

Sugimoto: Square was developing several big titles at the time, but it was company policy to make even the smallest game a satisfying challenge. Amidst all this, it was a "raise your hand if you're interested" kind of situation. I figured "why not" and jumped on board. We had just finished Xenogears, so they asked the (empty-handed) staff and found about twenty volunteers. We actually had a playable demo for the presentation, which is probably why it was quickly approved.

—So, development was a twenty-person crew. What kind of scale did you work on?

Sugimoto: It was a pretty small scale. There were a lot of minor projects at the time, but twenty people was almost unheard of.

—Games were being released left and right. Front Mission 3 came out a month before Dewprism, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross came out just a few months later, then Parasite Eve 2.

Sugimoto: Late 1999 was hectic.

—Making a 3D action game with only twenty people sounds difficult. How was it?

Sugimoto: Since Xenogears was also in 3D, we had gained a bit of know-how. I think that helped a lot. We weren't sure how much our limited manpower could handle, so we made two main characters and storylines to maximize our data... Well, that was the idea at least.

—In other words, the story grew bigger.

Sugimoto: I told myself it would all work out somehow. I was young and reckless. (laugh)

—A portion of the story fell to Watanabe-san as the volume increased, right?

Sugimoto: (When Watanabe became involved) Writer Makoto Shimamoto has already planned out the basic synopsis and characters, but the finer details hadn't been finalized yet. This role was gradually transferred to Watanabe-kun.

Watanabe: When I joined the project, Rue and Doll Master were already fleshed out. Rue's basic goal to revive Claire with the Relic was set, but Mint's motives were still undecided. We needed a simple-minded character to break that deadlock, and her objective became world domination. (laugh)

—That IS simple-minded. (laugh)

Watanabe: It's her trademark. (laugh) And that's how Mint became the character you all know and love.

Sugimoto: I feel like we asked a lot of you.

—Doll Master is an important figure to both Rue and Mint, but was the link between Mint and Doll Master added later?

Watanabe: Rue and Doll Master's connection had already been decided, but initially Mint was totally unrelated. That wasn't very interesting though, so we thought maybe they could be from the same hometown. The East Heaven Kingdom was soon born, and that's how Mint went from a treasure hunter to a princess out for world domination. However, once we decided to give each storyline a unique atmosphere, a key character was added as a foil for both protagonists. That was Mint's younger sister Maya.

—Let's talk about Maya's importance.

Watanabe: Maya's aura differs between the two storylines, but she isn't two-faced. People's attitudes often change to reflect their surroundings. We don't behave the same way at work as we do with family. In that way, I wanted to make a game that showed multiple sides of a character that varied according to their situation and those around them.

—Maya certainly seems different in Rue's route than Mint's.

Sugimoto: Maya is the most beautiful character. (laugh) The story came together wonderfully thanks to Watanabe-kun's contribution.

—Many others were involved as well, but Sugimoto-san helped get Dewprism off the ground while Watanabe-san polished the characters and story to a brilliant shine.

Creating a Sense of Motion! The Hard Effort Behind Flowy Clothing

—I'm speaking from personal experience here, but didn't the NPCs in Dewprism look directly at your character? Even if the player moved, their gaze would follow you. Dewprism was the first time I'd seen something like that. It was a huge shock.

Sugimoto: Our thought was to create as much expression as the technology would allow. We did it on a whim since the neck could calculated at different angles, but I'm glad you were pleasantly surprised.

—It really threw me off guard.

Sugimoto: It's almost too small to notice, but both the pupil and eye white textures move as well. I think details like that help the characters come alive. We calculated movement into every part of the body.

—Speaking of "coming alive," it wasn't just characters and clothing. The props and decoration were equally intricate.

Sugimoto: At the time, a lot of characters in other games were empty-handed, so we said, "Let's distinguish ourselves by including detailed accessories and equipment. CPU processors are faster these days, so we can add more polygons!"

Watanabe: Exactly! When I first saw Rue, he had proper footwear and travel gear. I thought to myself, "Wow, this guy is ready for anything. He's not the type to recklessly charge ahead."

—Did the characters seem to evolve as you worked on the models and animation?

Watanabe: Absolutely. I learned a lot about motion in particular.

Sugimoto: While putting together the Dewprism team, I approached Motion Designer Takeshi Kanda first. We had worked together on Xenogears, and I wanted the game to highlight his skill. He was by far one of the best in the business. In addition to the two protagonists, he also handled most of the other characters. The quality visibly improved as a result.

—Next, I took the liberty of collecting reader comments for this interview...

Sugimoto: Wow, look at all these. I'm thrilled!

—Many readers praised the animation, particularly Mint's foot stomp. (laugh)

Sugimoto: The foot stomp was so novel, I doubted anyone else could have thought of it. Kanda-san truly outdid himself. The fluttering (clothes) were his idea too. Just as we were about to calculate and ready the program, he'd already perfected the effect. So, everyone decided it was best to leave any billowing outfits to him.

—So, it was done manually?

Sugimoto: Yes, it was all manual. In the time since Dewprism came out, I feel like billowy movement has grown more popular. Other companies now include it as well.

Mint's Hatred of Pumpkins was an Afterthought?!

—What do you remember most about making Dewprism?

Watanabe: Good question... Everything, I guess? (laugh) It was a pretty hectic time for me. After all, I'd never written a game scenario before. Before then, I was in the publishing business as an editor for Kadokawa's Dragon Magazine and Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. In that industry, stories mostly depend on one writer's grandiose imagination. However, (for Dewprism's development) we had all these ideas but production couldn't keep up. Figuring out what we could accomplish with our limited time and resources while keeping concepts reasonably in check—it was a tall order. (laugh) I became obsessed as I considered how to make things interesting.

—Game development sounds like hard work.

Watanabe: As we discussed earlier, various aspects like Mint's character were finalized. However, the chronological scenario from start to finish was nowhere near completion. For example, since the game didn't have any voiceover, lines could be tweaked even late into production. It was released in October, but if you look at the original data, there are some notes that say, "Modified in July." (laugh)

—If you take distribution and PR into account, that's cutting it close.

Watanabe: It wasn't just about aligning the game with the story either. Sometimes we had to go back into the story while making the game. The biggest example of this...was Mint's hatred of pumpkins added at the eleventh hour.

—Even though it's a huge part of her character?!

Watanabe: While tossing around ideas for low-level monsters with Planner Haruyuki Nishida, rolling pumpkins were brought up. This led to "Wouldn't it be funny if Mint really hated pumpkins?" and it added to her character.

—Isn't her distaste made obvious at the start of the game?

Watanabe: Actually, the opening scene was made towards the end of production. (laugh)

Sugimoto: There's even more hidden history—Character Designer Tsutomu Terada came up with the pumpkin motif on Mint's bag. (laugh)

Watanabe: Oh, yeah. Is it okay that we left it in? (laugh)

—She probably chose it on purpose to help overcome her phobia. (laugh) At any rate, it sounds like working on Dewprism was quite the learning experience.

Sugimoto: Definitely. There's no question I grew a lot over the course of the project.

Watanabe: We didn't wing it, that's for sure.

—It seems like everyone on the development team came up with ideas even while working on other projects.

Sugimoto: Yes, that was especially true in the beginning. We'd all get together and ask each other things like, "How about this for Fancy Mel's stage?" and "Wouldn't stars look cool?"

Watanabe: Oh yeah, like Starlight Duke. (laugh)

Sugimoto: Once everyone gradually grew busier, the design team and I worked out the rest of the details. Speaking of development memories, we buckled down on corny jokes. You know, like "Oh, my boots are untied." (laugh)

—That was when Mint tried to jump kick Rue and missed when he crouched down to tie his boots, right? (laugh)

Sugimoto: Nishida had said something like, "Promises are called 'promises' because they have a definite sense of intrigue." It started out as a silly idea, but in the end we laughed at the actual scene. The game was for kids, but I figured that if everyone else shunned these kinds of jokes, we might be the first. I wanted to keep that energy.

—A lot of comments we received mentioned the boot lace scene. (laugh)

Watanabe: You can't beat the classics. (laugh)

—Incidentally, about half of the comments were from people in their thirties. It's been twenty years since the game's development, so such players were between 10-19 years old at the time. Was that your target audience?

Sugimoto: Yes, we roughly had that demographic in mind. Since our previous game Xenogears had a lot of kanji and a complicated storyline, we were aware that elementary school kids might not enjoy it as much. Dewprism was the result of our desire to attract a new generation of Square fans and create a game that younger children could enjoy. In addition, I thought perhaps Square would appreciate a cheesy fantasy instead of science fiction.

—Dewprism is undoubtedly a fantasy, but unlike the medieval fantasy titles that were widespread at the time, there's a somewhat folksy quality to it.

Watanabe: At the time, Final Fantasy Tactics was the poster child for medieval fantasy, and the team working on Vagrant Story was right next door. In that kind of atmosphere, we had to be original. This influenced Dewprism's artistic direction.

Sugimoto: The East Heaven Kingdom was your idea, right?

Watanabe: I wanted Mint to come from a distant land. I'm an old man who enjoys fantasy like D&D, (laugh) but that wasn't my aim. In the end, I took inspiration from various sources. By the way, I really liked Panzer Dragoon. I was Team (Sega) Saturn.

—Panzer Dragoon also has a unique fantasy vibe.

Watanabe: My girlfriend (at the time) and I bought a Playstation and played FFVII, but she took everything after she dumped me. (laugh) I told myself, "I can't take this anymore!" and "I'm going to live for me!" and applied to Square. After Dewprism was finished, Sugimoto-san bought me a Playstation. (laugh)

—If she hadn't left you, Dewprism probably would have looked very different. (laugh)

Watanabe: You may be right. (laugh)

—The world of Dewprism has a mysteriousness unlike most fantasy titles.

Sugimoto: You can thank our Designer Terada for that. In addition to the main character designs, he did several of the environments as well.

Watanabe: His art direction struck me deeply. For example, the forest wasn't just a row of trees but rather a fitting stage for our protagonists' adventures. The world was born from these environments.

Mint's Influence on Future Characters

—Please tell us more about the two main characters.

Sugimoto: Shimamoto had proposed Mint's character, and her simple innocence really surprised me. She wasn't like many game protagonists at the time, which might explain her popularity among female players. Rather than a damsel in distress, Mint is someone who forges her own path.

—[Our company] Inside focuses on male-targeted games, so our female readership is relatively small. However, the comments we received for this interview were 53% male and 47% female. It's very rare for us to hear from so many female users over a single game.

Sugimoto: I'm glad to hear it.

—At the time, most action RPGs were targeted towards boys, right?

Sugimoto: You're right. In Dewprism's earliest stages, we intended to have one female heroine. But in those days the consumer market was primarily male alongside most game protagonists, so we were told a heroine would be a tough sell. So, we decided to include both.

Watanabe: The overall opinion seemed to be "(Boys) won't want to play as a girl."

Sugimoto: Elementary school boys would probably be too embarrassed. On the other hand, we thought girls who had been playing as male characters up until that point (because there was no choice) would appreciate it.

—Female main characters are much more common these days.

Sugimoto: Indeed. I'm glad the player community has become so diverse.

Watanabe: Also, there's a difference between a heroine that's fun to watch and a heroine that's fun to play as. I've never really liked the helpless type, and when writing a game scenario, you'll get nowhere if the character has no will of their own. No one wants to play a game where you just wait around for something to happen. The player needs to step forward and set off on their adventure. For me, Mint felt like a source of inspiration as I later fleshed out Final Fantasy X's Yuna and Final Fantasy XIII's Lightning. She showed me that heroines can be both endearingly cute, strong, and capable.

—In a way, she was the start of it all.

Watanabe: I'd like to consider it a successful experience.

—Mint's tale is very much about her relationship with her sister Maya. Furthermore, it is also revealed that Rue and Doll Master share a brotherly connection. Is there a reason you included these familial themes in each story?

Watanabe: I honestly can't remember what I was thinking twenty years ago. (laugh) ...I decided to make both Rue and Doll Master dolls, and I also wanted to give Mint a unique quality that was easily understood. Something like "rivals at a magic school" would require significant explanation, but a relationship between sisters is immediately understood. I choose this connection in order to convey the most information in the shortest amount of time. At the time, I felt like a lot of games were hyper-focused on complex lore and thought, "Even if we create an intricate world, we don't have to explain every little detail." That's why Dewprism's terminology is kept simple; there are no big words or katakana. We kept it as short and sweet as possible.

Sugimoto: It was also a huge help that the characters could express themselves in 3D.

Mint's Missing Father Was a Muscular Mage?!

—Can you tell us more about the gameplay?

Sugimoto: (As a player) I'm not very good at action-adventure games, so I wanted to make it as easy as possible. If the player presses a button, the character will automatically turn around and attack, so there's no need for advanced controls. ...Still, that decision probably made some areas more difficult than others. (laugh)

—...I think I know what you mean. (laugh)

Sugimoto: We aimed for a fair balance between Rue and Mint's skills. Their jump height is the same, and even their attack power was mathematically adjusted. I don't recall any discrepancies, but Mint's flying kick was a fan favorite. (laugh) Maybe it just felt satisfying, but apparently some players beat the game with that alone.

—I can understand the desire to specialize in flying kicks. It really became part of her character, didn't it? (laugh)

Watanabe: Mint is a magical girl who knows how to tussle. (laugh) This didn't make it into the final game, but the East Heaven Kingdom has a family motto: "Magicians can't equip weapons or armor. So, what do we do? Strengthen our bodies!" They probably trained in iron clogs or something. (laugh)

—Mint's flying kick must've been the fruit of her labors. (laugh)

Watanabe: It's also why she eats so much. (laugh)

—By the way, I heard Mint's father was supposed to appear.

Watanabe: Yes, as a meathead magician. (laugh) He's probably the one who came up with the family motto.

—What kind of character would he have been?

Watanabe: All brawn and no brains. (laugh) He'd take a swing while saying stuff like, "My FIST is the real magic!" I'm totally kidding though. (laugh)

—I can see the family resemblance. (laugh)

Sugimoto: Like the Bull Demon King [from Journey to the West].

Watanabe: Exactly. A magician who is better with his fists. (laugh)

—I would've loved to see that. (laugh) Speaking of which, both Mint and Rue have their own unique weapons. Most people associate fantasy heroes with swords, but axes (Arc Edge) and rings (Chakram Rings) are practically unheard of.

Sugimoto: Yes, the rings were unusual.

Watanabe: When I first watched Mint wield her Chakram Rings, I thought, "This is awesome!!" Later when I saw Rue, it was more like, "This chill-looking guy sure has a terrifying weapon." (laugh)

Sugimoto: The motion team was incredibly innovative to combine the two rings in one magic attack. Who would've guessed?

Watanabe: It wouldn't have been possible with a wand or staff.

—So, that animation was the motion team's work?

Sugimoto: Yes, the movement at least. The idea for the rings themselves came from Shimamoto.

—Mint can use magic and Rue can transform into monsters. Was it difficult to create such drastically different skills?

Sugimoto: The design team proposed the "transformation" idea, but we decided to have Rue transform and Mint cast magic instead. Nishida always had the best suggestions and provided both magic and post-transformation illustrations, so we quickly implemented everything.

—Spells in most games are independent of each other, but the magic in Dewprism is a combination of "Color" and "Effect." Was it difficult to keep track of them all? I should think so.

Sugimoto: Yes, but at least we didn't need to include every single combination.

—Even so, there are over thirty spells. That was an impressive number for action RPGs at the time.

Sugimoto: I thought it'd be more interesting to combine different effects than just choose one magic and press a button. Our Programmer Kobayashi provided various magic animation.

Watanabe: I saw that one ring spell fly out and thought, "This is like Gradius." (laugh)

—You must mean the blue Ripple magic. (laugh)

Sugimoto: The groundwork for the game's program was pretty much complete by that point. We just had to polish it up, so there was an excited energy.

Reading Fan Comments and a Look Back on Dewprism

—We've received a lot of comments about how Rue's ending left a deep impact on people.

Sugimoto: I see.

—Many were surprised by his realistic reaction. Although he had finally reunited with Claire, he couldn't speak or even look at her.

Watanabe: Even now, when writing a scenario it's my worst fear that whatever I put into words will ring false.

Sugimoto: Cutscene Planner Yaeko Sato would sometimes use both "space" and the camera to create atmosphere without any dialogue. I think it was very effective.

Yaeko Sato Profile:

Planner

Works:

Final Fantasy VIII, XI, XII, XIV

—There were also a number of comments about Mint's threats. (?) Like, right before the final battle when she yells, "Your butt's going to hell!" and Maya joins in with a "We will triumph!" (laugh) You could definitely tell they're sisters.

Watanabe: I like when the same line has a different nuance. She had made constant threats up until that point, but they took on a cool flair. Even for Rue, the curse that once controlled him, in the end, set him free. I suppose you could might call it foreshadowing.

*Translator note: The Japanese line is 「ボコボコ」and remains pretty much unchanged throughout the game, but the English version is a bit more varied. I reflected this in the translation.

Sugimoto: Maya's "We will triumph!" was the end goal, right? A disciplined character like her wouldn't speak out like that.

*Translator note: For context, Maya's line in the JP version, 「ぼこぼこですわ！」is much more out of character for her than the official English "We will triumph!" translation.

Watanabe: The fact she doesn't show that side of herself in Rue's story also adds a layer of interest. I think the fist fight in the hotel was the worst of it, and neither princess admits they're sisters in Rue's story.

—There are surprises if you play Mint's story first then Rue's, and vice versa.

Watanabe: The "zapping" method was popular back then, but it would have revealed half the story. Instead of giving away spoilers in sequential order, we thought it'd be better if each character had their own route.

—Another reason why Dewprism is so unique.

Watanabe: At first, I couldn't get a grasp on Maya's character. However, I wanted her to contrast Mint, and the rest is history.

—Is there a scene in Rue's route that left a deep impression on you?

Watanabe: I only remembered this recently, but Rue and Claire live in a snowy cabin at the beginning of the game. That image reminded me of Moomin.

—Oh!

Watanabe: This is just me personally, but that cozy life deep in the mountains is a lot like the Moomins. Although quiet and naïve, there's an inner fortitude. It feels like a supportive environment and a fine place to grow up.

—Rue does have a rather refined air.

Watanabe: He snaps on occasion, but I agree. (Reading fan comments) Ah, the "Sukatangou." How nostalgic. We chose that name early on. It just felt right. (laugh)

*Translator note: The Pinto, Mint's name for the Pulsar Inferno Typhoon Omega, in English.

—So, "Scarlet Typhoon Excellent Gamma" came from "Sukatangou." (laugh) Based on the comments, Rue and Mint are easily the most popular characters.

*Translator note: The "Pulsar Inferno Typhoon Omega" in English.

Watanabe: That's great.

Sugimoto: I'm glad there's no obvious discrepancy.

—More than a few Mint fans even call her "Mint-sama." (laugh)

Sugimoto: Among the staff, we always called her "Mint-san" to show respect. (laugh)

—Unsurprisingly, Maya is a close third. There are also those who love Duke. "Starlight Duke's" star is far-reaching. (laugh) Many were also touched by his relationship with Belle.

Watanabe: All the women in Dewprism are tough cookies. (laugh)

—No kidding. (laugh)

Watanabe: Speaking of which, there's a touching scene in Rue's story right before the last dungeon. He goes to Fancy Mel's, and they discuss his resolve. Choices are offered throughout the conversation and the player can answer as they please, but in the end she wishes you good luck. This is right before you head to the last dungeon, so I made sure to include words of encouragement regardless of someone's answers. I've been writing game scenarios for a long time, but ultimately games are supposed to be fun. I love nothing more than cheering the player on and telling them, "You've got this!"

—Motivation is key.

Sugimoto: Still, I can't thank everyone enough for their comments. There's passion in every word.

—Mint is so selfish and conceited that she could have easily turned people off. It's pretty amazing how she's this popular.

Sugimoto: You can't deny her quirky charm.

Watanabe: As I was writing Mint's character, I realized she's honest with herself and others.

—Yes, her words always ring true.

Watanabe: Mint doesn't hide her selfish desires, but she's a good person at heart. I won't hesitate to sing her praises.

—Since there's no pretense, you can trust whatever she says.

Sugimoto: Reading these comments, many have praised the animation. I'm glad to see we achieved our goal. And, of course...there's countless mention of the untied boots. (laugh)

Watanabe: We must embrace the corniness. (laugh)

Sugimoto: The scene was the first one our Planner Sato worked on after finishing up Final Fantasy VIII. She really brought it to life.

Watanabe: I doubt the joke would have landed if we'd only used text and portrait art like in a visual novel. (3D characters) can truly perform and capture the mood. On another note, it was also memorable to walk around town after all was said and done. With the last boss vanquished, it made you want to explore this new, peaceful world and say farewell to everyone.

—Most games will roll credits after the final boss is defeated and the final cutscene plays. Once again, Dewprism is unique in that way.

Sugimoto: Sato, the Planner I mentioned earlier, loves endings and has completed various games on her own. She said, "I want a save point before the ending," so we added one in. Sato was mainly in charge of the final cutscene after the last boss. It was her dearest wish to end the game on a high note.

—I speak only for myself here, but I'm the type who likes to save before an important scene. I was thrilled to find out I could do so right at the end. The Gallery function is more common in games nowadays, but not back then. A manual save was a good substitute.

Sugimoto: In those days, players could only wish there was a Gallery. There was no room for error.

Dewprism, Beloved by Players and Staff Alike

—By the way, how old were you when you directed Dewprism, Sugimoto-san?

Sugimoto: I was 23. Still, I'd been in the business for five years by that point, so I guessed I seemed like a veteran.

Watanabe: Oh right. Back then, five years was veteran status.

—The release of the Playstation ushered in a new era of game development, didn't it?

Sugimoto: I was very fortunate in that regard. There were veterans who had been with the company since the Famicom era, but as 3D became more widespread and the programming language switched from Assembly to C, it felt like everyone's level of experience had been temporarily reset. Thanks to that, a newbie like me could stand at the starting line and still get ahead. I was truly blessed by my circumstances.

Watanabe: It wasn't like we could create whatever we wanted. Rather, it was a matter of doing our best within those limitations. Everything was born of necessity, and we did our absolute best to make it work. The pumpkins were the same way; the idea hadn't been intentional, but other factors contributed to its creation. In that way, the world and characters naturally came together. We were so efficient because there was zero room for error (laugh), but in a way, the amount felt manageable. Like, "Yeah, I can somehow finish this if I pull an all-nighter." (laugh)

Sugimoto: Thanks to Xenogears, we'd gained a lot of 3D experience. In game development, you steadily improve with the second and third titles.

—Dewprism's timing really was impeccable.

Sugimoto: Still, late 1999 was rush season for the entire industry. In that way, it wasn't too ideal. (laugh)

—There was a lot of competition, wasn't there?

Sugimoto: We were a small team, so our expectations were modest initially. The objective was to create a game that provided a decent challenge on a shoestring budget. However, Dewprism drew a lot of interest online and scored a worldwide release when it was included as a demo alongside Seiken Densetsu: Legend of Mana. That led to further development, and expectations for the game gradually rose. It was incredible.

—I'm sure it felt like all your efforts had paid off.

Sugimoto: Exactly! Unfortunately, the sales report after its first day of release was dismal. Although deflated, we weren't too surprised. However, later market research indicated this was due to insufficient promotion. (Because of this) We felt a bit relieved and were just glad to get an international release.

Watanabe: Who would have ever imagined we'd be here talking about it twenty years later?

—It's clear from these many comments that Dewprism is still beloved today. I don't mean to digree, but after Dewprism was finished, what projects did you move on to?

Sugimoto: Unfortunately, we could never make a Dewprism sequel, so the both of us moved on to Final Fantasy X, and others were transferred to Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XI.

Watanabe: Yes, we focused entirely on Final Fantasy X after that.

Sugimoto: Yoshinori Kitase-san thought highly of Dewprism, so it was easy for our team to get in touch with him.

Yoshinori Kitase Profile:

Head of Square Enix's Creative Business Unit I

Producer of Final Fantasy Remake

Works:

Final Fantasy V, VI, VII, VIII, X, X-2, XIII

Mobius Final Fantasy

Others

Watanabe: When I did a live broadcast for Mobius Final Fantasy with Kitase-san, he said, "Aren’t you going to mention Dewprism? You definitely should!" and "This character was inspired by Dewprism, right?"

—It sounds like Dewprism is well-regarded among Square Enix's creators.

Sugimoto: Yes, thank goodness. (laugh) Like I said before, it was impressive that Dewprism saw release despite such a small team and budget. It also looks like those who had specialized in 2D almost seamlessly switched to 3D afterward.

Watanabe: When I was out drinking at an izakaya, I ran into Yasumi Matsuno-san. He called out, "Hey, Watanabe-kun!" and when I recognized him I couldn't believe my eyes. (laugh)

—Not only does Dewprism have countless fans, it has surprised fellow creators as well. Thank you for this opportunity to look back on the past twenty years.

Watanabe: Although we made Dewprism, it's no longer ours alone. It belongs to everyone. Of course, I keep this desire in mind with each project. Two decades ago, I never could have imagined how Dewprism would connect people around the world and elicit so many warm comments. It's only thanks to everyone that we've reached this incredible milestone. Like all those who supported Rue throughout his journey, I can feel their voices of encouragement push me forward. I'm truly grateful.

—Yes, just like Rue's friends, Dewprism's countless fans are cheering you on even now.

Sugimoto: It sounds really cool when you put it like that. (laugh)

Watanabe: Well, I am a writer. (laugh)

Sugimoto: I don't think I can deliver the same flair as Watanabe (laugh), but I'm truly proud to create a game that kids who played our game twenty years ago still remember as adults. I never guessed something like that would happen in a million years, and I'm once again glad that we gave it our all. In commemoration of Dewprism, I'll be on Twitter on 10/14 to keep the momentum going. If you see #Dewprism, be sure to check it out and Tweet.

—Thank you very much!

#threads of fate #dewprism #Japanese Translation #video games #square enix

39 notes · View notes

empressofthesunwriter · 4 months

Text

Kill La Hero: 08

In the lottery of Quirk’s Michi got on really special and annoying one. A living, sarcastic ribbon named Ares, who puts her into superpowered revealing outfits. But this won't stop the girl from fulfilling her dream of being a hero! Just watch her!

(But not too closely please!)

MHA MEETS KILL LA KILL!

Chapter 8: Villainous Michi

In the end, the hero team out of Izuku and Uraraka…won!

But what a battle it had been!

More often than not Michi wanted to run out of the Monitor Room to help Izuku and Uraraka, thankful Ares stopped her.

He reminded her that Izuku and also Uraraka needed this.

They would never grow as heroes if someone came to their rescue.

Also if she interfered in the battle exercise she would probably be disqualified for her own.

However, seeing Izuku being knocked out from his last manoeuvre and brought to Recovery Girl, Michi felt bad that she didn’t help.

Even poor Uraraka had fainted.

The hero team had won, yet how Fumikage said they won the battle but not the war.

All Might picked up the three left standing because now it was time for a review of how anyone feared in the exercise.

“Well, even if I say that the MVP for this battle was young Iida!”, told them All Might.

This surprised nearly everyone.

“It's not either of the winners, Ochako or Midoriya?”, asked Tsuyu a loud.

“Hmm, well...Why is that? Does anyone know?!”

It was Momo who raised her hand.

“Yes, Mr. All Might. That is because Iida adapted the most to the context of the training. From watching the match, it appears Bakugou acted on his own because of an obviously personal grudge. And as Mr. All Might said earlier it is foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors. In the same way, taking into consideration the damage he received Midoriya's plan was also rash. As for Uraraka, she let her guard down mid-battle and her final attack was too reckless. If she treated the papier-mache as a real weapon she would not have been able to do something so dangerous. Iida had prepared for his opponent's arrival and assumed it would be a fight over the weapon which made him late in responding to the final attack. The hero team only won because they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They were practically breaking the rules.”

Everyone, even All Might, where astonished by Momo's precise and well-thought explanation.

“W-Well, young Iida also has parts of him that could be more relaxed but well that was correct!”, confirmed All Might with a thumbs up.

“We should always start with the basics to develop depth of learning. We must strive to devote ourselves wholeheartedly.”, lectured Momo everyone. “Otherwise, we cannot become top heroes.”

Ares whispers to Michi: “If we have to fight her, we need to be smart. Smarter than we are.”

“Yeah, you are-?! Hey! Are you saying we, me is stupid?!”

Time to start a fight Ares and Michi didn’t have since All Might continued with the next fight.

Well, Michi and Are were fascinated by all the cool Quirks their classmates had.

Like Todoroki Shoto, who got the win for his team by freezing the whole villain hideout and the villains with it.

Also, Fumikage Tokoyami with his Quirk Dark Shadow, was interesting. It was a bit similar to Michi's own Quirk, the Dark Shadow was also an entity like Ares, just bonded on the birdheaded boy and worked perfectly as an attack and shield in one.

Cool was also Momo with her creation Quirk.

What an incredible power!

To create anything from your body!

Then it was time.

All Might draws Michi and Koji as the villains and Aoyama, the Frenchie and Mina, the alien-looking girl, as heroes.

Okay, this was nothing they couldn’t handle.

So Michi explained to Koji her plan.

Everyone knows she is strong, so logically she should protect the bomb.

This is what everyone would expect, however, Michi had another idea.

Koji looked surprised at how she ripped the ruffle on one of her long boots, to get a long thread.

She walked around the room the thread creating a trap for the heroes.

Then she asked Koji to please ask his animal friends to scare Aoyama and Mina.

To make them freak out.

They heard Aoyama's scream because of the hairy spiders that crawled all over him without problem.

Even Mina loud out shouts because of the bats and centipede, who crawled all over her.

The heroes felt like they were in a horror house.

And still no sight of the villains.

After they shook off the creepy crawlers…they found the room with the bomb.

Empty.

“I don’t like it.”, shudder Mina. “Where are Michi and Koji?”

“Maybe they are searching for us mon ami, that’s why they send these disgusting insects after us, so they could both hunt us down.”, suspected Aoyama, walking towards the bomb. “Let’s grab it before they return.”

Unsure Mina followed him.

Something wasn’t right.

And she was proven right, as she noted how threads, dark red threads like the ruffles on Michi Ares's supersuit, fall all over her and Aoyama.

Before they could react the threads captured them and Michi and Koji sprung down from the rafters, holding the threads.

“I would say you lose, heroes.”, told them Michi smug.

“Oh yeah, don’t think so girl!”, shouted Mina and tried with her acid to melt the threads, but nothing. “What the?! How is this possible?!”

“Let me try!”, said Aoyama, however even his naval laser did nothing to the threads.

Michi made a perfect villain laugh, which made Koji and Ares sweatdrop as she explained: “Ares isn’t made out of normal threads. He was born from my DNA, from my blood and bones. When we fuse he becomes indestructible. No one ever managed to cut or melt him!”

“Team Villain, wins!”, proclaimed All Might.

After they freed the heroes from the threads and Ares sucks them back into him, they return to the Monitor Room.

All Might complimented the Villain Team for their psychological warfare with the creepy crawlers and for thinking outside the box.

All had expected that Michi would attack and protect the bomb since she was so strong, and tricking the heroes like this was amazing.

Since they had been the last teams the hour was over.

They all left the Monitor Room.

On the ingress of Ground Beta All Might told them: “Good work everyone! We didn't have any major injuries other than young Midoriya, either! You guys took this on seriously! You all did a good job for your first training!”

“To have such a proper class after Mr. Aizawa's class…”, began Tsuyu “...it's kind of anticlimactic…”

Nearly every one of the students nodded in agreement.

“We're free to have proper classes, as well! Well then, I must review the results with young Midoriya! Change and return...to the classroom!”

And with that, All Might run away.

While her classmates wonder why All Might left them so fast, Michi knows why.

He is probably out of time…

Nothing more wanted Michi to follow after All Might to look how Izuku was fearing, but she needed to go to the afternoon classes.

She would take notes for her best friend/crush too.

With a sign, she followed after the other girls to the changing room.

***

As Michi packed her school bag, the door to their classroom opened.

It was Izuku!

“Izu-Chan!”, she shouted happily. Oh God, he had broken arms?! She ran over to him and hugged him softly. “I was so worried!”

“Michi-Kun.”, he answered back and rubbed his cheek against hers since he couldn’t hug.

“You were incredible against Bakugo-Bastard but I had like 10000000 heart attacks because of you?!”

“I’m sorry!”

“Oh, Midoriya's here!”, shouted Kirishima Eijiro, as Michi let go of Izuku. “Good work!”

Both turned to their classmates.

Mina, Kirishima and Sero stepped to them.

“Man, I don't know what you were saying during the match, but you were fired up!”, told him Kirishima.

“I can't believe you fought evenly with Bakugou, who was second in the entrance exam!”, added Hanta Sero.

“You did a good job dodging!”, praised him, Mina.

Aoyama joined them saying: “You were far from elegant, but—”

Only to get interrupted by Mina, who praised Izuku again.

Izuku looked nervous from one student to another, before he looked at Michi.

His best friend smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

“You deserve some hero worship.”

This made Izuku blush.

“I'm Kirishima Eijirou!”, gave the red-haired boy his name. “We're all going over the training together right now.”

“I'm Sero Hanta.”

“I'm Aoyama Yu—”

“I'm Ashido Mina! You did a good job dodging!”

“I'm Asui Tsuyu. Call me Tsu.”

Then the little perv jumped in front of them.

“I'm Mineta!”

“Okay, okay, guys let him breathe!”, said Michi making a shu-shu move.

Then they heard how Iida was chesting Tokoyami by sitting on a desk, only for Ojiro and Jiro to tell him to calm down.

Iida never wavers, does he? thought Michi and Izuku together.

Then Denki with Uraraka enter the classroom.

Of course, she asked her teammate why Recory Girl didn’t heal him fully, but then he saw how Bakugo was missing.

And off was Izuku to catch Bakugo.

Michi groaned made a facepalm and grabbed her and Izuku's stuff.

“We see us tomorrow guys! Bye!”

And she ran after her best friend aka. crush.

The other teens thought only one thing: Whipped…

Michi stayed silent listener as Izuku tried to explain Bakugo-Bastard why he now had a Quirk, how he didn’t trick him.

She was surprised when Bakugo cried, never thought the asshole had such emotions before he declared he would become number one, he was just getting started.

Before Michi could say to Izuku that he should just let it go with Bakugo, All MIght ran past them to talk with the blond.

Just he didn’t want to listen and left.

After this, All Might wanted to know from Izuku what he had told Bakugo.

Uh-Oh!

Yeah kinda short chapter, but I didn’t want to begin one another Episode in it.

I hope its all right or all might XD

Tell me what you think ^^

6 notes · View notes