#( tell your tales * kiryu )

[vinomino]

WindBreaker NSFW:

Endo.Y

Failed Kidnapping Attempt mean!endo, enemies to ???, hate sex, "A joke of a kidnapping leads a rather strange man into your life." - 4.1k

Hiragi.T

What’s so wrong? dad's best friend, "You always get what you want, even things you shouldn't" - 1k

Kaji.R

Attention mean!kaji, "Your boyfriend has been ignoring you all day! So you wanted to get back at him." - 1.7k

Be Vulnerable (Series) arranged marriage, samurai au, "The journey of a marriage of convenience for benefits and the two who are intertwined in it." - 24.6k

Kiryu.M

Fashion Boyfriend "He just can't seem to keep his hands to himself when you dress up." - 1k

Sakura.H

A Little Link Drabble - inexperienced!sakura, his first bj

Bite a/b/o, alpha!sakura - 1.5k

Takiishi.C

Great Prey Get Eaten historical au, oni!takiishi, "Amber eyes; too sharp, you bleed out. [A tale of coupling with an oni.] - 3.6k

Mess incest, bigbro!takiishi, "You can't tell whose the bigger mess, you or your big brother..." - 1.4k

Mess: Monsters in Human Flesh incest, bigbro!takiishi, "Falling from grace with the flames. A mess" - (Continuation of "Mess") - 9.7k

Togame.J

Play cnc - 1.4k

A Night With Shishitoren "Shishitoren's throwing a New Year's Party, catching wind of it, you're asked by your boyfriend to go. Maybe you should've stayed home instead." - 2.2k

“A New Follower!” scummy!togame, camgirl!reader, "Oh dear, he found out your secret! What's going to happen...?!" 1.7k

Next Door Dilf dilf!togame, "When your apartment came with an added bonus." - 2.6k

You start dying the day you are born. Angst, "Memories of a relationship + A man traversing grief and single fatherhood at the same time" - 10k

Tomiyama.C

Sleepy Drabble - somnophilia

Umemiya.H

Fated Pair a/b/o, alpha!umemiya - 2.5k

r/relationship_advice restaurant owner!umemiya, employee!reader, "He's seven years older...should I go for it?" - 1.5k

Right? dubcon, dilf!umemiya, slight yandere!umemiya, "The best way to get back at a cheating boyfriend is to fuck his dad, right?" 1.5k

Cherry Red a/b/o, omega!umemiya, alpha dom!reader, "Tending to your sweet Omega" - 2.5k

Multi Character

Trouble Trouble 2 ~ Hiragi, Togame, Umemiya dubcon, stepcest, threesome, noncon photo taking

Helping Hand ~ Hiragi, Kaji, Sugishita Helping Hand pt2 ~ Kiryu, Suo, Sakura infidelity, dubcon(Sugishita), threesome, sexting, "Umemiya thought of all the guys as his brothers. So he wouldn't mind you, his girlfriend, helping them out right?"

You can’t help it ~ Sakura, Suo oral fixation!reader, "What do they do with their oral fixation girlfriend?!"

In which Sakura gets a hanky-panky ~ Sakura x Suo Yaoi, SuoSaku, "...Sakura, are you a virgin?"

Weird moments ~ Kaji, Togame, Umemiya suggestive, piss(Kaji)

Left OR Right (Series) - Umemiya, Togame 400 special, game format, "Stuck in a sticky love triangle that's trapping you further in, you have to find a way to free yourself before it's too late." - 11.1k

Headcanons

Donuts Would they let you stack donuts on it?

Sundress Season What happens when you decide to finally wear that cute dress that's been sitting in your chest?

[yakuzacanons]

I don't know if you're into soulmate AUs but I'm a big sucker for them, they make my brain go brrr sooo, can I request some general headcanons of the boys with a soulmate? Like, how they find their soulmate, how they feel about sharing such a strong connection with someone etc? Can be any soulmate trope you thing suits them best, I ain't picky. (Like, name on wrist, first words they say to each other etc.) :3

Anon this is such a big brain idea, I also go brrrrrrrr. Also I wanna say some of the boys will have different tropes than others, a few might be similar but it's gonna be a mixed bag. I'm also operating under the assumption that everyone in this AU knows and/or is fine with the whole soultmate thing as I imagine it would be kind of ingrained in the culture if that makes sense. So this has more or less ended up as how they find their soulmate/how they react to finding them. I hope that works. Otherwise, headcanons below the cut as always. Had a lotta fun with this one!

Kazuma Kiryu: Matching Scars

Honestly, Kiryu probably has a multitude of scars from...all the stuff he's been through. However, there's one he has on his wrist that he's had basically his whole life. He doesn't really give it much thought until you point it out and say "Hey, that looks just like mine!" before you both realize what it means and the two of you look at each other say at the same time "...OH!" while pointing at each other, like the Spider-Man meme.

Majima Goro: Holding Hands

This is especially wacky because Majima knows how the soulmate thing works but does NOT know that it has to be bare skin to bare skin contact. Basically, his stupid ass is running around the entire time with gloves on, thus getting in the way of him actually finding his soulmate. He'll probably complain about it casually to you one day, to which you look at him rather dumbfounded and say "You know it only works if you take those gloves off, right?" to which he says "Ehh?! Whatcha talkin' about?!". He'll then immediately take off his gloves and hold his hand up to yours to test it out only to realize immediately that you are in fact right. He will then become extremely excited, probably babbling nonsense half of the time and hugging you gleefully.

Saejima Taiga: Name On Wrist

Probably the most neutral about the soulmate thing out of all the boys, not because he doesn't believe in it but because he's never really had time for romance. He's more on the shy side so he won't go pestering everyone he meets that potentially matches the name. You'll probably mention it FIRST and casually mention his name by saying "Mine says 'Saejima Taiga'... never met anyone with a name like that though." to which he will just stare blankly at you, mouth open in shock. Eventually, he'll muster up the courage to respond with "Well, ya won't believe what my name is." while chuckling.

Akiyama Shun: Red String Of Fate

Total romantic sap and loves the whole soulmate thing. Spends a bit more time than he'd admit pining about who his soulmate might be. In his AU, soulmates are found by the red string of fate, a popular tale about being connected to your soulmate by an invisible red string. However, in this AU, your soulmate can actually see your red string if you get into close proximity with them. Akiyama isn't shy so the second he sees the string pop up and can see it's connected to you, he'll run up to you and introduce himself. Think very "Call Me Maybe" type of meet-cute.

Tanimura Masayoshi: Hot And Cold

Similar to the red string of fate, except that this time it is measured by tempurature. Tanimura can tell how far or close he is to you based on how hot or cold he feels, cold being far away and hot being nearby. It's a struggle for him since whenever he does feel warm, he can't always pursue the lead due to being busy with his job. Most likely, he'll accidentally bump into you in the street and suddenly feel incredibly warm and cozy, to which he'll quickly turn around to speak to you, saying something like "Did you feel that just now?".

Ryuji Goda: Revealed In Dreams

Honestly doesn't give a hoot about the soulmate thing. To him, romance will happen whenever it happens. A lot of other people his age when hew as younger started having dreams that revealed hints about their soulmate but Ryuji is a late bloomer, so the whole soulmate thing got pushed further and further into the back of his mind. He'll wake up in a cold sweat one night after finally having the dream, the details of your face burned into his mind. Unlike some of the other boys, he likely already knows you, probably as a childhood friend, and he'll definitely have a moment of "The whole time... they was right in fronta me?!".

Nishikiyama Akira: Matching Birthmarks

Similar to Kiryu's concept, except this appears more like a mole than a scar. They are rather small so it's not something you'd notice as obviously as the scar concept for Kiryu. They also have to line up completely perfectly so Nishiki is prone to meeting people that he thinks might be his soulmate and get excited only to realize they're not. When he does meet his soulmate, his mark will disappear and he'll get rather frantic wondering who out of all the people he met recently was in fact the one that caused this. At some point, he'll mention it by saying "The weirdest thing happened the other night, my mark just disappeared on its own." and you'll respond with "Hey, mine too, that's weird." before the truth finally hits you both. Truthfully, he and Kiryu are both a little dense like that sometimes. Nishiki will be so happy to know you, he might cry a little out of happiness.

Daigo Dojima: First Words

Unlike the other concepts, in this AU people won't know ahead of time what will confirm who their soulmate is. It's something that happens in the moment, a sudden realization. That honestly makes Daigo kind of nervous, since his life has to be carefully calculated given his line of work. The words itself don't have to have particular meaning either, which only makes it more complicated. The second you speak to him for the first time, he feels chills down his spine. He'll ask you to repeat yourself, eyes wide with nervousness, the both of you completely shocked that by some chance, some divine intervention, the two of you ended up in the same room.

Mine Yoshitaka: Dreams Of A Past Life

Believes in making his own destiny which only makes meeting his soulmate feel more impactful, somehow. Mine is so used to going against the tide that meeting you just kind of brings him to his knees. He'll see flashes of the two of you in your past life in his dreams but he won't go out of his way to really dedicate much of it to memory. The first time he meets you, he'll think you look familiar but can't really pinpoint why and he'll dismiss it. The more the feeling nags at him, the more he starts to think maybe there's something more to this. It's only when he asks if you recognize him too that it finally clicks and he understands this is where he's meant to be.

[dragon-business]

Goromi dates (yes, plural)

First date with Goromi was Majima overcompensating after bowling with Kiryu. Nishida simply offered to find a setting that would be more comfortable for Majima and a little less comfortable for Kiryu, and Majima went all out.

Nishida: So what's gonna be comfortable for you, boss? Majima: I catch your drift, yeah, let's order a dress!

Here you can read the rggo story, where Majima worked in SHINE as Goromi for a while before the first date!

Here is the comic prequel to the second date.

And let's roll~

- So, for the second date Majima should wear a short slim black dress with an open back and long blond hair loose, so it covers the tattoo, but can be swept over the shoulder at the right time. Considering that we only see yakuza back tattoos before veeeery serious fights this is a bit of playing with danger there. Majima can put the hair over his shoulder when it's time.

Also he has a silver chain on his neck. Maybe gloves can stay on, too! The dress is black or dark blue, velvety to the touch, turtleneck top, sleeves to the elbow. Makeup is very subdued, just an evening look with a touch of red lipstick.

Kiryu will have so many compliments, Goromi better hold on to the couch and her champagne.

- Judging by the glasses Goromi ordered something very strong on the first date. All of it was prep for the fight, so yeah, it was no champagne. But this new meeting is classy, so gotta go all out. Bringing out champagne, cheesecake and idk. They have pretty trashy snacks at this club. Majima will have to look into that afterwards.

Clientele is not so sophisticated there, usually. Kiryu isn't that sophisticated either. But it's the principle! Also it's a special occasion, because it's Kiryu visiting. Again. So Majima might be overpreparing now.

(Remembering the fact that Kiryu thought Majima doesn't eat fast food, only stuff from fancy restaurants)

And while Majima waits for Kiryu, the manager of SHINE is somewhere out there in Kamurocho, sweating on the quest to find vinegar. It's tradition. All managers go through vinegar baptism. And also Majima mumbling "oh, back in my time…" is very endearing.

Majima, tipping wine glass, trying to play it cool in front of Kiryu: Manager, still sweating: *stands on one knee to put freshly made onigiri and curry on the table*

All of this because Kiryu said he wants to learn more about running a cabare club. So here's a trip to the past, so interesting. And Goromi can talk about it for ages.

(And yes, Majima brought his own vinegar. He knew the manager (oh, the poor manager) will not find it.)

- (The date itself includes the love meter boss fight. Both of them have this meters and each is half of monitor in length.)

- "What's your fun opening story to break the ice on dates, Kiryu-chan?" asks Majima not realising yet what he's about to bring on himself.

Kiryu, scratching his head, trying to quickly remember any fun stories: Logic (medium: failure): the ones you shared on the radio back in the day must be safe.

So Kiryu spins the tale about the dominatrix sidestory, finishing with a kiler: -and then I watched their session, hahah. Goromi: …and how, pray tell, you gained all this BDSM knowledge? Kiryu: it's just common sense?

He's full of mysteries. And likes to watch. Goromi is bluescreening hard. This whole thing is already backfiring. On everyone in a mile radius (yes, of course all of SHINE personnel is listening in).

Honestly, talks with Mana prepared Majima for this. But just imagine Kiryu asking Goromi with a straight (hehe) face if he's an S or an M. Or, more likely, if Goromi would rather work at a BDSM club or visit it. Or is she more of a casual street session enjoyer?

Logic (heroic: failure) in the voice of Baccus: you are nailing the casual conversation here, my boy 👌👌👌👌👉👉 Empathy (formidable: success): he will be impressed with your knowledge 😌😌😌

(Dang, Mana. She managed to catch Majima by surprise and he answered honestly. Oh, Kiryu's big honest eyes with one braincell shining through)

Goromi has 3 options:

X attack by attack Y answer honestly B "no you" card

Asking Kiryu about his preferences puts him in deep and serious thought. If he'll answer honestly… about figuring it out by trying, and learning through observation, and having a good feeling when it's clear that the other person is enjoying themselves… Murder. It will be straight up murder. 

"Goromi-san, you must really like this champagne! You just downed a whole bottle in one go."

- Kiryu: Are you enjoying our fights, Goromi-san? Logic: you gotta make sure 👌

Majima-san always made sure to ask for consent in their fights! Kiryu should also be responsible. What if he can do better?

It was already straight up murder when on the first date after Majima's rant about strong men and fighting Kiryu asked (in a suave gentleman voice): "Want me to fight you?"

"You like strong men? I'm a strong man. Just saying."

But yeah, back to the point, this was actually bothering Kiryu, he even ranted to Tanaka about it. Clear communication is the key, so if Goromi-san thinks there are things Kiryu can do differently or try harder with… does he know enough moves, what if the same routine gets boring?

Majima enjoys fights with strong men >> logic happening >> Majima's enjoyment is the goal.

Kiryu is clearly getting stronger from the Majima Everywhere system. And Majima is doing it, because he enjoys it. So they both should get equal benefits from what's going on.

Kiryu is a good learner. Maybe he should do more leg over the shoulder throws? Should he still grab Majima's collar from the front? He breaks free from it so easy, but what if it's about trying, about the resistance?

All of this is happening directly after BDSM talk, of course. Kiryu finally found a good segway to talk about it all, he's on the roll.

He's winning this social interaction 👏👏

More champagne for the lady, please. This is a serious topic, Kiryu is willing to pay. It's a second extension too, Kiryu is gonna be here for a while.

- And yeah, Kiryu is talking with Goromi without thinking much, just talking.

Majima accidentally did a lot for him there, by coming up with this date idea (for himself too, but that's another story). Still thinking about Goromi jokingly telling Kiryu "Just don't fall for me", and Kiryu looking at him intensely and going "I dunno. Love can be unpredictable."

Kiryu, apart from being autistic, was raised in an orphanage and in the hyper masculine world of yakuza, with two extremely emotionally repressed men as father figures. He clearly has a lot of trouble admitting his feelings out loud, and knowing the appropriate time to do so. It seems that his way of masking (and generally surviving) is seeing different human interactions as a set of scenarios with set rules and decorations. Like, "the date", "talk with a passerby", "at the bar" and so on. And they help Kiryu with social interactions, sure, but also are quite rigid sometimes, and lock him in a sad and lonely place where he can't really connect to people, because there's not enough nuance in the script and no tolerance for sentimentality in the world Kiryu's building this scripts from.

So, coming from this angle, you can see how on a date with Goromi the scenarios clash.

According to the rules, two men can't really be super open or emotional with each other, or admit interest in each other. But now this is "just a man and a hostess, enjoying drinks together". And normally Kiryu would have 0 interest in being open or flirty with a hostess, he just goes through the motions that you're supposed to do, and is a bit clueless even. But now it's Goromi. It's Majima. It's someone he knows and cares about. Someone with whom he can say all the right things he's supposed to say and it will be true! Incredible. Mind-blowing.

(Later Rina will blow Kiryu's mind even more with "you know you can date men, when you're a man, right")

Majima, putting on stockings: heheheh, yeah, this will immediately prompt a fight :3c Kiryu, sitting with Goromi, moved to the core: this is the best moment of my life, feeling so good right now, can we do this forever please-

- And a note for Majima's POV: on the first date he was ready to go right away, but then Kiryu said with no-objection tone "No. We're just a man and a hostess, enjoying drinks together." And I bet Majima went along with it partially because his little BDSM tendencies rose up to the direct order.

It's one thing to defy or follow orders of your yakuza superiors, which are frankly very tiresome and are mostly bullshit power plays. As we've seen in the Majima saga he is really tired of it all. But an order put in unexpectedly (very expectedly) queer conditions, by a person he's attracted to? Ohwell.

So he complied. On his terms, sure, but he did. Unexpectedly locked on the route of exploring the Goromi side of himself too.

So there's a lot going on on this little date. So many things. And the second one were all of this is hammered home even more is very close to our hearts.

Majima: Pew, hope he will never find out about my sudden dirty thoughts. Almost embarrassed myself there. You're walking a dangerous line there, Goro. Thankfully, Kiryu-chan is not a person to dwell on kink topics. Kiryu: So, about BDSM… Majima: Well! Too bad Kiryu is straight! Ha ha. Ha.

Majima has his own fun little mini-game of finding explanations.

But what is an explanation, when the second date the tiny clasp on the Goromi's heels comes undone. And it sits at an awkward angle, making it hard for her to fix. And Kiryu steps around the table, goes on one knee like "Allow me to help, please", and waits for an answer.

Ambulance needed, person injured themselves with mental gymnastics.

And after fixing the clasp Kiryu holds Goromi's ankle carefully for a just fraction of a second longer than needed. 

Explanation for all this will need some serious thought. And this specific moment? Well it's going in the box. And the box is going in the vault. And then under the safety hat.

There's a serious turnaround about this whole thing in Majima's head, he's comparing Kiryu's behavior towards Goromi with how he got along with cabare girls himself.

Majima was more or less gallant with them, too, and often helped them with clothes, makeup, shoes and whatnot. So, obviously Kiryu feels okay helping with the shoes, because he's not attracted to Goromi/Majima! Case solved.

Meanwhile, Kiryu, when random girls flirt with him: let's not go there. Kiryu when Goromi: I will absolutely go there the first chance I have.

Blunt as a rock.

Cabare girls are sideeyeing Kiryu working on Goromi's clasp, holding their breath. Better than any tv show.

- Goromi, clinking her glass on the bottle: Where's my champagne? Your quite slow today, Kiryu-chan, what about being a gentleman. Kiryu, staring at Goromi's sholderblade where the tattoo is barely visible through the cascade of hair: Uhuh.

There's something about the tattoo being partially covered but still visible. Also it's quite a beautiful tattoo. Kiryu has only seen glimpses of it by that point, and not from this close. And even later, after their "final" fight, it's still not the same as looking at it up close in calm circumstances. Can't really stare during fights, or, after seeing Hannya Man's smile, you'll immediately see the ceiling. 

This is actually an additional difficulty level for their battles. Kiryu is a curious creature, he wants to see the snakes up close.

– before / navigation / next

[bmaxwell]

Game of the Year 2023: Not the Top 10

Some best-of categories, with every bit as much pomp and fanfare as The Game Awards!

Best Music:

The Last Spell

Some other games had some truly memorable moments with their music this year, but none had a soundtrack as consistently great as The Last Spell. Admittedly prog metal is right in my wheelhouse, but god DAMN this game where you move the little guys around the map and blow up little monsters did not need its music to go this hard.

Also great music: Dredge, Diablo IV, Honkai Star Rail, Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

It’s Not You, it’s Me:

Book of Hours

Sometimes a game seems perfect for me, but for whatever reason I just can't hit my stride with it. Other times I can tell a game is wonderful, but it either asks too much of me or just isn't my style.

This year had quite a few of these, but the honor goes to Book of Hours. It's the follow up to 2018's obtuse-but-cool-vibes game Cultist Simulator. I couldn't get my head around that one. I tried. I read guides. I watched videos. I started over again and again. I put 7 hours into it and finally accepted that whatever seems to be there - and I can tell that there IS something there - I just don't get to savor it. It's like those magic eye pictures. I believe you that there's a sailboat there if you unfocus your eyes the right way, but I've stared at it for 30 minutes and I'm sweaty and irritated and have a slight headache.

Books of Hours played out exactly the same as its predecessor, except this time I refunded the game before it hit two hours played.

Fuck your sailboat.

Runners up: Chants of Sennaar, A Space for the Unbound, Shadow Gambit, Lies of P, Aliens Dark Descent

Old Game of the Year:

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Kiryu gets out of prison to find his adopted daughter Haruka is in a coma and she has a TINY BABY named Haruto so Kiryu's gonna just chill and do his own thing HAHA JUST KIDDING he's gonna protect Haruka and protect that baby and find out who attacked her and who Haruto's father is and is Haruka gonna come out of her coma stay tuned and find out in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life!

Runners up: Soul Hackers 2, Tiny Tina’s Wonderland, Tales of Arise

Best Moment or Sequence:

Alan Wake II: The Herald of Darkness

--- SPOILERS AHEAD ---

2023 had some great moments, none more memorable than this live action sequence in Alan Wake II. The game blends full motion video sequences with gameplay and in-engine cutscenes beautifully. None stands out more than the bizarre section where Alan is again drawn into the television and onto the set of a late night talk show. "This time" the host says "we're going to do what we always do, but instead of talking we'll sing it!" What followed is the best kind of ridiculous, tongue planted firmly in cheek.

--- END SPOILERS ---

Raphael's Final Act in Baldur's Gate III was an impossibly close second on this list. Runners up: Baldur's Gate III: Raphael's Final Act, Diablo IV: Storming the Gates of Hell, Hogwarts Legacy: Sebastian's story arc, Resident Evil 4 Remake: Ringing of the Church bell, The Man who Erased his Name: Kiryu's Ending Best Remake:

Super Mario RPG

I'm a cranky old man about the endless reboots and remakes in TV and film. I hate them. They're money grabs, cashing in our nostalgia and desire for comfort food. With the medium of videogames however, remakes generally make a lot more sense unless you're Naughty Dog. This year had a lot of great remakes. My brain says Resident Evil 4 was the best, but my heart says Super Mario RPG. I played it when it released in 1996 and I remember loving it, but I had lost all details of it. This gave me an excuse to replay it, and it's as magical as I remember. The game's writing and humor are incredibly charming. Mario as the silent protagonist in a world where everyone else can speak is great as he is forced to pantomime everything. The combat is snappy and the timed button presses help spice it up. The play time is short for an RPG, with some fat trimmed off the original release to come in at a dozen hours. All the goodness Nintendo fans know from Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi RPG's started right here with Square.

Runners up: Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, Like a Dragon: Ishin, We Love Katamari: Reroll, Star Ocean Second Story R, Baiten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster

Looking Forward to It:

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Holy shit there are a lot of great RPG's coming out next year. But a new Like a Dragon game is at the top of my list. Ryu ga Gotoku has Yakuza 8 to build upon for their second turn based RPG. This one takes place in America and it gives us Ichiban and Kiryu. I can think of nothing I'd rather play.

Runners up: Final Fantasy Rebirth, Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Unicorn Overlord, Metaphor ReFantazio

[nana2capriccio]

[ Kiryu - Ayakashigatari | English Translation ]

己龍 - 妖語 [Spirit's Tale]

JP lyrics: Mitsuki Sakai | EN translation: me:3

hiii it's been a while! next in order was benitsubaki but i put it off bc that song is...so hard to translate and this one is more fun LOL. notes at the end as always~

-

If you think about it, when everything is ridiculous, nothing feels particularly strange

Once you get a taste of the futility of your faith, everything will begin to lose its flavour

Perhaps it seemed like smooth sailing... You didn't even notice you were stuck in the mud

Drifting along in with warm flow of joy... You didn't even notice you were sinking in shallow waters

To deceive or be deceived... Always one or the other, such is the nature of our world

What a shame... What a shame... 1

A cacophony of piercing wails and creaking bones, stifled by the sound of raging hellfire

I realise... I realise...

"I" am here... As my tears evaporate, they speak for themselves 2

"You" clear your throat as you're watching "me" lament

You who wears that crooked grin, don't you know who "I*" am? 3

Time ticks by, one and two... as you peel away the monsters' masks 4

It wasn't "me", or even "me*", it was "you" who they believed in

To deceive or to be deceived... It's got to be one of the two

As the clock ticks, I come to realise: "This^, that^, and everything else was just a misunderstanding." 5

How dark... How dark...

Peeling away piled layers of vermillion... Until not a shadow remains 6

Help... Help...

"You" in the sky above, licking your lips, the last thing I saw

What a shame... What a shame...

What a shame... What a shame...

A cacophony of piercing wails and creaking bones, stifled by the sound of raging hellfire

I realise... I realise...

"I" am here... As my tears evaporate, they speak for themselves

If you think about it, when everything is ridiculous, nothing feels particularly strange

Once you get a taste of the futility of your faith, everything will begin to lose its flavour

Even if you're caught deep in the lies, to think you can deny it is a lofty ambition 7

Someday when even your bones decay, you'll have reached your pointless ending

-

1. The word used here is literally "it hurts", but the way it's used is more like "that's painful to hear"/"how upsetting". I think towards the end, however, it's meant in a literal way

2. could not for the life of me make this sound good, basically the speaker is in Hell/jigoku and their tears quickly boil away due to the fire which is what tells them that they're...in hell

3. This one is very important— in Japanese, there are different ways to say "I", and this song uses two different phrases, "watashi" and "atashi". It's not clear why this was done, but I saw another translator mention how "atashi" is often used by girls so it could be that the speaker is male but is referring to a past life in which he was female, or had a false identity which the person who's referred to as "you" saw through. Since many Kiryu songs are about Buddhism, I'm going with the reincarnation theory lol

4. another untranslatable phrase, "peel away the monster's masks", would be literally translated to "tearing off the monster's skin" and basically means revealing someone's true nature. it's a bit confusing but i like to think of pulling off someone's "skin" scooby doo style

5. I probably should mention that every pronoun in this song is written using katakana, the alphabet used to write loan words or add emphasis to things like names or scientific titles. Not 100% sure why, but I think it's because "this" and "that" (are and sore, not usually used for humans) are referring to people, or maybe past lives of the speaker. Just note that this is the case for all the pronouns!

6. The phrase used here for the "piled vermillion" is more like "piled up too high", but I honestly don't know what this is supposed to mean so I can't give more context. But anyways, the "nothing but a shadow remains" is another Japanese phrase, "not even light or shadow remains", to say that there's absolutely nothing there.

7. This line calls back to the last line, I believe the full message of this song is that the speaker was a Buddhist who held onto his faith throughout his life only to end up in Hell, now using this song as a warning to living Buddhists that it will all be worthless. Also, "lofty ambition" is ANOTHER japanese phrase, "to paint the sky" meaning something impossible to do, I liken it to "painting the colours of the wind"

[mjm5655]

❛  i just wanted to say that i really like your outfit.  ❜ (first time seeing Majima in his snakeskin jacket instead of a tuxedo, maybe? :3)

first meetings // accepting ! // @stingslikeabee

it was honestly so good to see that melissa was still doing well, majima had his fun being goromi for a bit, but maybe she'll come back again, being a hostess was kind of fun ... especially when he was able to chat up buff men, then beat them up on their afterhours date. it was so fun to creep out kiryu-chan as goromi, majima thinks he did a very good job as a hostess though, it's not every hostess that can pull off getting an afterhours date on the first session.

but, being out of his goromi disguise now, majima decided he'll pay melissa a visit, as himself, no goromi, no officer majima, no zombie majima, just plain ol' majima.

he pouted a bit, he was getting there wasn't he ? age forty-one now, but he honestly didn't feel or consider he looked like it, good his family blessed him with some good genetics, because they blessed him with fuck all else. he walked up to the man who was seeing to clients at the door, he knew who to request.

❝ melissa available today ? ❞

the man informed him that melissa was already with another client that didn't seem like he wanted to go too soon. well, that ain't about to fly with majima.

❝ i'll pay three times the amount he's paid & extra if ya tell him ta get lost. ❞

there was some considering that seemed to be done, but the man eventually nodded, the more money offered was better for business, & besides, he could see from the tattoos that were displayed proudly upon majima's chest that he was likely dealing with yakuza, the eyepatch as well, all tell tale features of being involved in some way. no one would want to mess with him in case he just decided to ruin their business ... the word of the mad dog of shimano had got around too, known to be a man with an eyepatch & an awful taste in fashion.

he was led over as the other man was forced to go to another hostess, or leave, his expression softened as he met eyes with melissa. sitting down next to her, he made his order, the most expensive champagne of the house, & some chicken for both of them to eat at if melissa so desired to get share. he took out a cigarette, allowing melissa to light it for him.

❝ i figured i should pay ya a proper visit, it looks like the years have treated ya well, n' i can see ya haven't went out o' practice either. ❞

the two chatted about things that had happened to themselves over the years that they hadn't seen each other, majima didn't leave much details out about what he's been doing in the yakuza now that he's back in it, he knew melissa knew of him being yakuza, & he knows she's seen him brutally beat a man to a pulp a few times. this chick was strong, & not fragile like others that would turn away at such sights, majima really liked that about her. he could be himself around her.

what surprised him was when melissa inserted the random compliment, she liked his outfit ? well that was definitely a first, most hated how he dressed, called him a looney wacko & various other names. even those in the tojo clan turned their nose up at his usual get-up, he couldn't care less though, fuck them, some of them were just as bad at fashion ! besides, he liked showing off a bit, these muscles didn't come from lying around all day.

❝ ya do ? someone has taste then, maybe ya even wanna see me without this jacket on, 'ey ? ❞

he teased melissa a bit, but if she ever wanted an afterhours date with him, he would be game.

[sonnenstern]

-- stares at the others like a deer caught in the headlights, because excuse him, he’s been napping. In his human form, but anyway. “Oh.” More blinking, though the temptation to just dive under the blanket he’s taken with him onto the couch is there. “... hi?” He’s never been that awkward when he was still a cat.

the sun is shining for ( @mondregen ) ☀

[sternenschleier]

“......” Stares. He wants to squish Jihoon’s cheeks who can blame him?

“Hyung. Staring is rude.”

( @sternenkrone ) ♥

[demifiendrsa]

Like a Dragon: Ishin! - State of Play Sep 2022 Announcement Trailer

Like a Dragon: Ishin! remake will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store in February 2023 worldwide.

Ryū ga Gotoku Ishin! first launched for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 on February 22, 2014 only in Japan.

First details via PlayStation Blog:

Hello everyone! Today is a very special day. Not just for Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the masterminds behind Yakuza: Like a Dragon, but for all our fans worldwide who have been eagerly awaiting the most legendary lost chapter from the creators of the Like a Dragon series. We’ve read your Twitter comments, seen your fan content, and are beyond excited to announce that the action-packed samurai title of legend, Like a Dragon: Ishin!, will launch globally in February 2023.

A Hero of Japanese History Brings About the Samurai’s End

Like a Dragon: Ishin! is an action-adventure historical thriller set uniquely in 1860s Kyo, a fictionalized version of Kyoto. While other games tell earlier stories in Japanese history, Like a Dragon: Ishin! lets you experience the story of how the iconic samurai era vanished. Our hero, Sakamoto Ryoma, is a true historical figure largely credited with overthrowing the shogunate and taking Japan into a radical reformation.

Like a Dragon: Ishin brings in familiar faces to tell this epic historical tale. Fans will recognize our protagonist as Kazuma Kiryu from earlier entries in the franchise. In Like a Dragon: Ishin!, Kiryu is cast as Sakamoto Ryoma and brings the rest of his crew along too. Goro Majima and other Yakuza celebrities join Ryoma as friends and foes in this fictional world that trades the flashy streets of Tokyo for the chaotic bustle of 1860s Kyo. These new character dynamics are as thrilling as they are unexpected, with a series of mind-blowing twists and turns in a story only Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio can tell.

Four Killer Combat Styles and Riveting Heat Actions

In Like a Dragon: Ishin!, you can slash through foes with a lethal blade using the Swordsman style or sharpshoot your enemies with a revolver using the Gunman style. Better yet, wield both a gun and sword and enter a fury with the Wild Dancer style. And when you’re feeling extra brutal, smash some skulls with your bare fists using the Brawler style.

But that’s not all. It wouldn’t be an Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio title without epically absurd heat actions. Summon a tiger to maul your foes, shove pickled plums down your enemies’ throats, and wield a whole cannon to blow down opponents. The heat actions in Like a Dragon: Ishin! will leave you itching to uncover new moves at every stage of the game.

On Unreal Engine 4 for the First Time

Like a Dragon: Ishin is the first title from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio to be built on Unreal Engine 4, bringing astounding graphical quality to the Like a Dragon franchise. Developing on Unreal Engine 4 has unlocked new textures and other graphical details that make Like a Dragon: Ishin!‘s gripping story one of the most cinematic tales in Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio history.

And More…

There’s a lot more to come regarding Like a Dragon: Ishin and we can’t wait to share further details. From exquisite minigame content to unique in-game features that immerse you in the historically accurate world of Kyo, the best is yet to come. Like a Dragon: Ishin! will be available in February 2023. Follow us on socials to get immediate updates, and tune into our livestream on September 14 at 3:00 a.m. PT / 6:00 a.m. ET for a special surprise! The stream will be available online afterwards as well.

[cryingcow]

Yellow Dragon Wandering Chronicles [RGGO] --- Ch. 1

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Side Story | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

[1-1] | [1-2] | [1-3] | [1-4] | [1-5] | [1-6] | [1-7]

Hello! I was planning to kick this off like a week ago but IRL stuff kicked me instead D: Anyway for tonight and for the next who-knows-how-many weeks, I’ll be posting about one of the main stories in RGG Online / RyuOnline, “Yellow Dragon Wandering Chronicles”, aka “Goda Ryuji’s Travel Log”, aka “The Yakuza 0.5 K-Drama you never knew you wanted: The Tale of the Two Most Conspicuous Koreans in Japan”! This story has a total of 6 chapters split into 39 parts (40 if you count the Side Story linked above), and seeks to answer the question, “What does it mean to live?” I’ll be posting the chapters in whole weekly / biweekly / if IRL permits on Saturday nights like this, to avoid cliffhangers. I’ve got ~75% per chapter finished, so hopefully I finish these before December lol

Spoilers: While you can read this after playing Y2/YK2, it is preferable that you have finished (or at least have knowledge of) the mainline Yakuza Kiryu games Y0 to Y6 to fully appreciate it. Since this is about Ryuji going on a roadtrip around Japan, this will also serve as a roadtrip down memory lane, especially since he visits familiar places and conflicts in Y5 and Y6 :D (some Y7 stuff is also mentioned but it’s minimal and probably not spoiler-y, tho I wouldn’t know since I haven’t played Y7). I’ll be putting notes at the end of the parts, in line with this :D

[Chapter 1: Yakuza Expulsion]

.

CHAPTER 1-1

.

|In this country, there are two yakuza organizations competing for supremacy in the underworld. One is the Tojo Clan, the largest organization in eastern Japan. The other is the Omi Alliance, the largest yakuza organization in western Japan. The Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance . . . with equilibrium between these two major organizations, order in the underworld is maintained.|

|And then, 1999. Omi Alliance direct family, the Go-Ryu Clan. Chairman Goda Jin is on the verge of being named the Fifth Chairman of the Omi Alliance. Together with that, it is rumored that Jin would nominate the next Chairman of the Go-Ryu Clan. Meanwhile, there is a man considered the most promising candidate for the next Go-Ryu Clan Chairman. The man’s name is—|

Yakuza: “Goda Ryuji!! Today will be the anniversary of your death!!”

Ryuji: “Then bring it on quickly. Heh . . . hurry up or my death anniversary will be over!”

[ 4th generation of the Omi Alliance, direct subsidiary family Go-Ryu Clan Acting Captain: Goda Ryuji ]

Yakuza: “Riding on your parent’s influence has made you conceited . . . ! Die!!”

{Ryuji kicks the guy’s butt.}

Yakuza: “Hi-Hiiiii . . . St-Stop! No more—”

Ryuji: “Oraaa!!”

Yakuza: “Puhaagh!!”

{The yakuza collapses from Ryuji’s final punch.}

Ryuji: “Hmph . . . boring.”

Ryuji’s Entourage A: “Incredible, Aniki! Strong as an oni, as always!”

Ryuji’s Entourage B: “Hehe, look at this idiot. His eyes have turned white.”

Ryuji’s Entourage A: “He’s a hundred years too early to be picking a fight with Aniki. This total idiot!”

Ryuji’s Entourage B: “That’s right. This person is the son of the next Omi Chairman!”

Ryuji: “Hold it.”

Ryuji’s Entourage B: “Eh . . . ?”

Ryuji: “You sayin' all I am is the next Chairman’s son?”

Ryuji’s Entourage B: “Eh? No . . . y-you’re amazing . . .”

Ryuji: “I benefit from my parent’s influence, you say?!?!”

Ryuji’s Entourage B: “Ugiyaaah!!”

{Ryuji’s entourage collapses from Ryuji’s punch.}

Ryuji’s Entourage A: “Hi-Hiiiii . . .”

Ryuji: “. . . . . . tch.”

{Footsteps are heard as someone approaches.}

Man in Black: “It’s good to see you, young master.”

Ryuji: “. . . What is it.”

Man in Black: “Oyaji is calling for you.”

Ryuji: “Aah . . . ? What for?”

Man in Black: “He wants to tell you in person. Oyaji is waiting at Headquarters. Heh. It must be good. Probably about being the next Chairman of the Go-Ryu Clan. As long as Oyaji is the Chairman of the head family, he cannot serve as the Go-Ryu Clan Chairman at the same time. Is it possible he’s taking the opportunity to remove the ‘acting’ from the young master’s title of Acting Captain? To be the Captain for a while, and eventually become Chairman . . . I’m sure that’s Oyaji’s idea.”

Ryuji: “. . . Hmph. Took him long enough.”

Man in Black: “A car is available. Right this way . . .”

----

Ryuji: “Calling me all the way to Headquarters is as expected of ya, Fifth Chairman.”

Jin: “. . . You came?”

[ 4th generation of the Omi Alliance, direct subsidiary family Go-Ryu Clan Chairman: Goda Jin ]

Ryuji: “You met with me, it seems like you’re finally willing to give it up?”

Jin: “. . .”

Ryuji: “Hmph. Yakuza have old-fashioned ideas. Saying I’m too young—until recently I’ve been content with the half-hearted position of Acting Captain. If it’s true, I’ll immediately take charge of the family even if I have to put up with being Captain for a while.”

Jin: “. . . Too young.”

Ryuji: “Ah . . . ?”

Jin: “That’s why you’re too young. Ryuji.”

Ryuji: “Did you call me here for a sermon?”

Jin: “. . . I have something to tell you.”

Ryuji: “. . . Haw. Then say it.”

Jin: “Ryuji. I have a directive. Today, in this place you—are excommunicated.”

.

-END-

.

Next >>>>>>>>>

[1-1] | [1-2] | [1-3] | [1-4] | [1-5] | [1-6] | [1-7]

Masterlist

[seisoukan]

Kuro Kiryu - Idol Story - Gift (CN-Exclusive!)

Translated by: @seisoukan

With thanks to my proofers: @stcrfeesh + @goatcheeeez + @reikeip

Season: Summer

Location: Stage Prop Room

SOUMA: Exactly what are you, I wonder?

You have the elegant galloping hooves of the steeds I am familiar with, but your stature is short and stout. Are you a mountain sheep, a wild ox, or a pony?

— Or perhaps, you do not exist in our realm, and can only be found in legendary tales?

(… Aah, a glance at the sky tells me it is nearing the afternoon. Just by observing the plushies in this room, time has passed me by. I am at a loss on how to proceed.)

(There were originally no jobs planned for Akatsuki today, but since I was concerned about the sea creatures kept cooped up in their tanks, I decided to come and check on them for a bit. However, when I passed by this room, I found my attention drawn to these plushies.)

(There is not a soul in the room, but it is filled with animal plushies of all shapes and sizes.)

(Because my brother loves plushies and other cute items, I couldn’t help but enter the room to examine them. I did not expect to care too much, but now I feel as though I am unable to leave.)

(Nevertheless, this amount is far too large for someone to have accidentally left them here… What is the purpose of these strange animal plushies, and for what reason are they placed here?)

(Indeed, I have once heard of a foreign art known as ‘voodoo’, using objects like plushies as a medium to place a curse on others. Could these be…?)

(Who could have placed these things here, wishing to cause harm to idols?!)

KURO: Why’s the door to the room open, is someone inside?

— !

Oh, it’s just Kanzaki, ya gave me a scare. Why’re you holding your sword unsheathed while indoors? Even if it’s just you, it can be dangerous. I’m pretty sure Hasumi’s reminded you before.

SOUMA: Kiryu-dono, you have arrived at just the right time! Come help me destroy these cursed objects!

KURO: C-cursed objects? Is this another one of your drama pieces? No, whatever you do, put away that sword first!

SOUMA: Kiryu-dono, allow me to explain…

… And that is the current situation.

KURO: Ah, I’m pretty sure I got it now. The ‘cursed objects’ you are talking about are the plushies in this room.

SOUMA: That is correct, Kiryu-dono. I believe they have been placed here by someone with animosity towards idols. I ask of you to help purge these cursed objects!

KURO: Wait a second, Kanzaki. Don’t just pull your sword out whenever— calm down and listen to what I have to say.

These plushies aren’t the voodoo dolls you mentioned, they’re, um, made by me.

SOUMA: Made by Kiryu-dono? So they are not ‘voodoo’ tools after all…

KURO: What are you looking so disappointed for…

SOUMA: Come to think of it, Kiryu-dono used to make clothes and props for other units. Are these for a particular unit’s live, perchance?

KURO: That’s not it, either. I just made ‘em for practice.

SOUMA: As expected of Kiryu-dono, even works made for practice are exemplary. For example, this horse that does not resemble a horse looks both heroic and powerful. I like it very much.

KURO: … What you’re saying is, it doesn’t look cute at all?

Sure enough, I can’t design this kinda stuff half-heartedly. What am I s’posed to do...

SOUMA: Kiryu-dono seems to be troubled? If you do not mind, you could impart them to me; perhaps I could provide some advice for you.

KURO: Thank you in advance, Kanzaki. Actually, I’ve been trying to make plushies girls would like.

SOUMA: G-girls? … Of course, Kiryu-dono has a little sister. Could this plushie be for her?

KURO: That’s right. After ES was established, I moved to the Starmony Dorms, and so the time I spend with my sister has lessened. She seems pretty unused to this change, and told me havin’ one less person in the house felt kinda awkward.

So I decided to make her a plushie to cheer her up a little. However, no matter how I made ‘em, they didn’t look like what a girl would like, and before I knew it, I made this many.

SOUMA: Mm… if it is a gift for a girl, what about we ask Anzu-dono for her opinion?

KURO: I did consider this, but little miss has only recently become a producer, and is at her busiest time. Goin’ over to bother her doesn’t seem all that appropriate.

In the end, since it is a gift from me, I do hope I could’ve designed it myself.

SOUMA: If that is the case, what about adding in elements girls would like?

KURO: Elements that girls like?

SOUMA: …

KURO: …

This question is a bit challenging for us, after all. I've been thinkin' about it for a while now, and I haven't made any progress since.

SOUMA: I truly apologise, Kiryu-dono, I couldn’t help you at all.

KURO: Haha, it’s alright, my question’s a real toughie. Maybe I should go for a walk, and have a think about what I should make.

SOUMA: Go for a walk… That’s right, Kiryu-dono. A few days ago, I was on my way to a job, when I overheard some passerby discussing something akin to ‘lucky animals’.

I believe using horoscopes, blood types, and similar details, one can calculate the animal most suited to themselves, and equip them as lucky charms. Perhaps Kiryu-dono’s sister would be interested in something like this?

KURO: Lucky animals, huh. Now you mention it, while I was on the phone call with my little sister, she brought up something similar. Said it was trending in her school.

If I gifted her a handmade, personalized lucky animal, she would be thrilled.

That’s what I’ll do. Kanzaki, I owe you my thanks.

SOUMA: It really is nothing, Kiryu-dono.

KURO: To me, you’ve solved a problem that’s been irritatin’ me for many days. You really deserve to be called my reliable companion, Kanzaki.

Ah, right. If it’s possible, could you accept this?

SOUMA: Is Kiryu-dono talking about this plushie?

KURO: Looks like you’re interested in this horse-ish plushie, yeah? If I recall correctly, you’re the owner of a horse?

SOUMA: That is correct. Saigo-don is a noble steed, and has been my cherished compatriot for a long time.

KURO: If that’s the case, this plushie is the perfect thank-you gift. Take it, Kanzaki.

SOUMA: Then, thank you, Kiryu-dono. I will take proper care of this plushie.

Saigo-don should also like it, as his ‘lucky plushie’ ♪

[ichiban-ka]

Hello! I want to request a prompt number 12 with Majima , thank you!!!

Hey there! I did my best to combine both prompts into one since you didn’t clarify which 12 you wanted (no worries though!) Hopefully you’ll like this one regardless

Goro Majima  |  Dueling Together

Couples love to talk about how they met their sweetheart to any open ears. You know how it is; they will gush and gush about how they first set eyes on each other or ramble about that great moment when they knew they had fallen in love, and the earlier the relationship the more annoying it is. You’ve heard so many tales from friends and drunken strangers alike: “When I saw him save that poor stray puppy, I knew he was the one for me!” “I fell in love with her the moment she placed that precious gift in my hands.” “Well, I simply fell in love with them at first sight.”

“His cooking is just that good, I was hooked from day one!”

For Majima, however, it was the day you had swiftly kicked his ass.

--

You were minding your own business speedwalking down Tenkaichi Street to grab a taxi back home, umbrella in hand, staring down at the wet pavement and counting your steps to keep your mind busy until the sound of a scuffle reached your ears, causing you to perk up and search for its source. It didn’t take long at all to find - you saw other passersby begin to step back, leaving a clear area in the middle of the street where only two men remained. 

The fight began right as you managed to squeeze through the crowd and wind up right up front, the perfect first-row seat to the brawl. Only one of the men was armed, wielding an ornate dagger that he soon showed his ability to use, hacking and slashing at his opponent who dodged the blade with an equal amount of skill. The armed man was quick on his feet, freakishly so, seemingly teleporting from one side of the ring to the other while still having enough air in his lungs to taunt at his enemy in a nearly endearing manner - perhaps they knew each other?

The enemy in question made up for his lack of agility in pure strength, sending kicks and punches that occasionally threw the other onto the rough concrete below. However, it wasn’t enough - the armed maniac got back up as quickly as he got put down - and you were able to tell he was running out of energy, and fast.

You analyzed all of this carefully. Really, this was none of your business, and you could easily get hurt if you intervened, but you weren’t about to stand passively while a stranger could possibly get killed.

The fight soon reached its climax, the brawnier man left exhausted, pinned to the ground under the other’s polished steel-tipped shoe. But just as he raised up his knife, poised to strike, you stepped in, using your elbow to deliver a precise blow under his jaw, then using his shocked state to your advantage, grasping your umbrella like a spear and jabbing the man in his bare torso straight at the solar plexus and he was done, left a whining and mostly unmoving mess on the pavement as the crowd surrounding you explodes into wild cheers.

You released a breath you didn’t know you had been holding before turning around and offering a hand to the other man.

“Hope I didn’t step in too late, sir.”

“Oh, not at all,” he replied, politely denying your offer and pulling himself up from the ground instead. “You have some good moves of your own.”

“Mhm, I get that a lot. I guess people tend to underestimate me,” you joked. “Mind if I have your name?” “Kiryu Kazuma,” he said curtly.

He left soon after his introduction, clearly not in the mood to carry a conversation with a stranger. You couldn’t blame him, nearly getting stabbed ‘tween the ribs must do that to a person. The crowd died out, as did the high from the brawl. You turned on your heel to face back down Tenkaichi, already dreading the long taxi wait, until you heard a voice wail behind you:

“Oi! You! Pretty one over there - ya just gonna leave a dyin’ man out on the street like this?”

--

Inexplicably, the two of you were drawn together after that night. No doubt it was a bumpy road, you getting used to his erratic behavior and he to your until then purely civilian lifestyle, but you made it work well. You balanced each other out, Majima bringing an excitement into your life you had never experienced before, while you gave him the safety and gentle care he thought he’d never earn again. 

Despite your fighting spirit, you rarely ever did duel with Majima. Whether you two were too exhausted from other fights you had during the day, had no time left for fooling around or would much rather cuddle up on the couch under a thick blanket, there was always something that had to come up.

Then, finally, the chance appeared.

Majima busted into your apartment so suddenly that you dropped the magazine you were reading right onto your face. “(Y/N)-chaaaaan,” he drawled, “Guess what!”

You peeled the magazine off your face. “What now?” Majima walked up to you, playfully snatching it from your hands. “Nah, (Y/N)-chan, ya gotta guess.” “Fuck you.” He barked out a laugh, throwing the magazine on the floor behind him. “Kiryu-chan’s outta town, babe. I don’t know how I’m gonna cope.” “Sometimes I wonder if you’re cheating on me with him, Goro.” “Hah! Not a chance.” He bends down to plant a kiss on your forehead, “I’m just itchin’ for a fight, some kinda stimulation y’know.” You stared up at him. “C’mon,” he begged, “First one to fall loses. I’ll go easy on ya if you’re that scared’a me.” 

“Hey hey hey, don’t start patronizing me now,” you answered, peeling yourself off the sofa with a soft groan, “Look, I’ll indulge you just this once so long as you keep quiet this time. I don’t want the neighbours calling the cops on us. Again.”

He smirks. “Ya got my word.”

That's how you ended up facing each other in the backyard. Majima already riled up and ready to go, he gave you the mercy of five minutes to stretch your body and brace yourself for whatever was to come. “I’ve missed this, y’know. Gotta say, I think I fell for ya the day y’kicked my sorry ass on Tenkaichi.”

You smiled, raising your fists into position, “Bet. Hate to cut your fun short, but let’s just get this over with, hm?”

Majima put a hand to his chest, “Ah, why ya gotta hurt me so, darlin’? Was your magazine that steamy?” Before you could even retort, Majima charges right at you, giving you a split second to dodge him. 

Someone’s excited, you thought.

He turned to rush at you again, though this time you’re fully focused, easily evading him with a sidestep. That’s the problem when fighting against Majima - he moves fast and is a fast thinker, too. Either you wait for the perfect moment to land a strike or you wait for him to slip up or wear himself out.

He saw through your strategy, though. “C’mon, don’t keep me waitin’!”

Fine with me.

Majima made a bold move, swiftly swinging his metal bat at your head. You pulled up your forearms, braced, and took the hit - painful, but definitely not the worst you’ve had happen to you. There’s a brief pause when this happens, the bat’s force bringing with it its momentum, and Majima couldn’t move his arms, but you sure as hell could move your legs. You landed a kick to his gut, putting as much of your weight into it as you could, and it worked perfectly. Majima gasped, the air stolen from his lungs as he fell to the grass.

You wiped the sweat off your forehead with your sore arm, looking down at your panting boyfriend.

“Hah… Hah… Gotta say, (Y/N)-chan... Ain’t nothing prettier than that grin you got on your face right now.”

[ygo5dsmonth2020]

YU-GI-OH! 5DS MONTH 2020

We’re back! It’s that time of the year! The mods are excited to announce this year’s themes for YU-GI-OH! 5DS MONTH 2020. 

Bored during quarantine? Say no more. We hope you join in this year!

Day 1 (July 7th): Stardust Acceleration

Accelerate! We’re kicking off into overdrive by starting this month off with our hero of the hour! Rev it up by showing us how YOU celebrate Yusei Fudo’s birthday!  

Day 2 (July 8th): Sink or Sail

As good captains, we all have a ship we’d set sail on. Which is yours?

Day 3 (July 9th): Story to Story

Our tale begins with a fast-paced story that takes us through the city’s tournament with the Fortune Cup, the Satellite’s peril with the Dark Signer’s, to Crash Town, to once again Neo Domino City’s action with the World Racing Grand Prix to the conclusion with the Ark Cradle. Which arc was your favorite?

Day 4 (July 10th): Songs to Fix a D-Wheel To

Let the music play! Do you have a playlist you wanna share? It can be for a character, a ship, an overall arc, or a fanfiction! Come on Eileen, show us what you got!

Day 5 (July 11th): Bloom of the Black Rose

Pitch dark flower, set to bloom! Today we celebrate the Black Rose, Aki Izayoi! How will you choose to celebrate our loyal psychic?

Day 6 (July 12th): As Above, So Below

Heaven or hell. Signers or Dark Signers. The Crimson Dragon vs the Earthbound Immortals. Whose side are you on?

Day 7 (July 13th): This Town Ain’t Big Enough

Yeehaw! Bring out your ponchos, set your guns to duel, and show us what all Satisfaction Town has to bring? Is it a character? The city itself? A duel? Satisfy us!

Day 8 (July 14th): Power Play

Further Turbo Dueling King, the Master of Faster, lover of ramen, and one hell of a (jack)ass. Today we’re celebrating the King Himself: Jack Atlas!

Day 9 (July 15th): Fly Your Colors

The World Racing Grand Prix! Today is all about Teams, whether it be Team 5ds, Team Unicorn, or even somewhere out of the WRGP- Like Team Satisfaction! Which Team are you on?

Day 10 (July 16th): Free Day I/Introduction Day

Our first free day! Use this day to either introduce yourself to the crowd or feel free to leave it open! It’s up to you!

Day 11 (July 17th): Fly, Blackbird!

This Satellite bird is our man of the hour! Our favorite hardworking, lovable, mother hen for kids, and unbeatable duelist, but what else is there? Show us! Give your love for Crow Hogan!

Day 12 (July 18th): Star-Crossed Lovers

Have you ever wanted to see the cast of Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds paired up with someone from another show entirely? Wanna see Yusei Fudo in a relationship with Dawn from Pokemon? Now’s your chance! Anything is possible today!

Day 13 (July 19th): Flip the Script

We all have a favorite alternative universe we’d like to see Team 5ds in. Whether it be a coffee shop, college, or maybe even a glimpse of the timeline Z-ONE came from! Anything is on the table for this day!

Day 14 (July 20th): Words Have Power

Like the Heart of the Cards, there are many signature catchphrases within the world of 5ds. What’s your favorite quote?

Day 15 (July 21st): Spirit World Walker

The holy light of protection, now cross and become eternal life! She may be small, but she sure is mighty! Bow down to the protector of the Spirit World- Rua/Luna! Today’s day is all about her!

Day 16 (July 22nd): Me and My OC

Most of us out there think of an original character to place into the world of 5ds. For many of us, it’s the start of friendships, self-journeys, or just fun and self-exploration into another world! Show us your OC today!

Day 17 (July 23rd): Polar Opposites

The modern-day story of light vs dark. A tale of contrasts. Ying-Yang. What two opposites do you want to showcase?

Day 18 (July 24th): Heart of the Dragon

Envoy of love and justice! This energetic machinist has as big of a punch as his heart! Today is all about Rua/Leo!

Day 19 (July 25th): Flex Your Canon

We all have our different headcanons about the characters or story. What are yours? It can be anything from changing canon to implementing your own ideas!

Day 20 (July 26th): Free Day II/Support Fellow Creators

Our second free day! You can use this day to submit whatever you wish, or you can shout out your favorite artist, fanfiction author, or just your favorite character! Give someone else some well-deserved love.

Day 21 (July 27th). Spin the Wheel, Throw a Dart

Story tropes! This could be anything from a day on the beach, a sleepover episode, or anything in between! What trope do you wish to see in the world of Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds?

Day 22 (July 28th): Tech Genius

The android with a supercomputer for a brain, Bruno stole our hearts as Antimony and continued until the bitter end. Today’s day is all about Bruno!

Day 23 (July 29th): Bad Guy Syndrome

The series had its swarm of enemies: whether it be Divine, Ruder/Roman, Rex, or Z-ONE. Which is your favorite?

Day 24 (July 30th): We’re Here Too!

Out of all the characters in the entire series, who do you feel is under-appreciated, or deserves more attention? Show us!

Day 25 (July 31st): Dead Guy Walking

Former Dark Signer, leader of Team Satisfaction/The Enforcers, and a brooding man looking for some satisfaction. Today’s day is all about Kalin Kessler/Kyosuke Kiryu!

Day 26 (August 1st): In the Z-ONE

Z-ONE is the man behind the madness. What kind of man do you think he is? A man trying to save the world, or destroy it? Tell us!

Day 27 (August 2nd): Pain vs Puff Pieces

Angst vs Fluff. Do you prefer a fairytale ending or a bittersweet tragedy? Pick one and show off!

Day 28 (August 3rd): Tale of Two Stories

We now have seven Yu-Gi-Oh series! What would happen if one of our heroes from Team 5ds happened to meet someone from the past, or perhaps the future? Whether you prefer to rev it up, high five the sky, or get your game on, show us what you got!

Day 29 (August 4th): You Can See Them Too?

The world of the Duel Monsters is filled to the brim with spirits. Showcase either your favorite duel monster or a moment within the Spirit World!

Day 30 (August 5th): Free Day III

Our last free day! Share with us anything your heart desires!

Day 31 (August 6th): Going My Way!

Today is the last day, but we still have the road to tomorrow. What does the future hold?

[lostplay]

Game 16: Yakuza 3 Remastered Yakuza has always been a hard boiled drama with extra fun moments and a bunch of mini-games, but the way 3 sets things up, messes a lot of the pacing on what could have been a rather impactful story to tell. 3 starts off has a flash forward of events to come right after the second game. While that would have been fine; the fact we go back in time to the exact events that happen right after Yakuza 2, isn't. And this isn't the only time Yakuza 3 chooses to have awkward pacing either, often the game will tell you have a day to get ready, but then you'll see 3 days pass before you actually go anywhere. On top of all this, you are constantly shown things in a slightly odd order, in what appears to be an attempt to keep the player entertained while establishing a relationship with your kids in the orphanage. Oh, did you not know about the kids at the orphanage? WELL, tough luck, because you only get the after effects of Kiryu getting the orphanage and having an already established relationship with them. Honestly I really wouldn't mind Yakuza 3 focusing fully on the orphanage thing in the first half if it JUST DID, but it constantly doesn't. You help a kid, fight some thugs, help your kids some more, fight some thugs, fast forward, more story beats, help your kids before leaving to Tokyo. It's really exhausting going through this game because it just can't make up it's mind at the beginning of what it wants to show. The sad truth too? All the kid stuff is genuinely really good and helps establish Kiryu's character in a way the rest of the series didn't while still maintaining some Yakuza gameplay. Would have Yakuza 3 had a slower start? YES, but that was kinda needed for this game, and the fact they didn't do that and instead made a really complex plot point for no reason is frustrating because you can see the writers making it up as they go along. There are clear ideas that Yakuza 3 has, but it's never able to settle on one, and makes a lot of moments less impactful or worse, confusing. Is there better Yakuza games out there? Ya, pretty much any other Yakuza game could beat this one, but there isn't a lot of them that show Kiryu being a parent to a bunch of kids, and that's what upsets me the most about this game. They had a chance to slightly step out of the usual Mafioso tale and didn't stick to it. There is still plenty of shine and glimmer of what Yakuza 3 could have been, but with an outdated system, odd pacing, and a mess of a story; the bad still outweighs it. Yakuza 3 is a good game, but a bad Yakuza game.

[mikarashis]

Vagabond - Chapter Two

Vagabond - Chapter Two

Season: Summer

Location: Staff Cafeteria

Keito: ...and so, starting next week, there’s a high probability that Akatsuki will be partaking in more activities like separate photo shoots.  

Is that going to be an issue?

Souma: not at all!  I personally see no problems with that.

Keito: right, then.  Kiryu?

Kuro: .......

Keito: ....oi, Kiryu; did you hear me?

Kuro: !  Yeah.  ...huh?  What was that?

Keito: ....are you going to make me repeat what I just said....?

Kuro: ‘s my bad.  I’m listening now, I promise, so go easy on me.

Keito: haa....truly incorrigible.  What’s going on with you?

You’re acting strangely these days - you’re frowning much more than usual, and it feels like there’s a tension around you that wasn’t present before.

It’s almost like ----- no, it’s nothing.  Don’t worry about it.

Kuro: don’t stop yourself for my sake.  It’s like the ‘old me’ is coming back ----- ‘s that it?

Keito: .....yes.  That’s exactly right.  It’s as if I’m seeing that part of you once more.

But we’re not in that time of our lives anymore, and we’re no longer in high school, either.  So what could possibly be bothering you this much?

Souma: Kiryu-dono - could it, perhaps, be related to that incident from the other day?

I can understand your feelings in the matter...but would being truthful not in fact be the best course of action here?

Keito: what’s that?  Do you know what’s causing this, Kanzaki?

Kuro: ah....no, ‘s nothing.  Don’t worry about it.

Keito: hmm...regardless, this is affecting you.  It had just better not be some fruitless worry like being a burden to Akatsuki.  

Truly incorrigible.  Just spit it out and make this easier for all of us.

Kuro: haha, what’re you on about now?  Is this some sorta interrogation?

Keito: your current state of absent-mindedness is a liability, since the end result is me having to repeat myself multiple times.  

If you need help, just tell me.  We’re a unit, after all - our combined strength is much greater than when we’re alone.

Kuro: nah, ‘s nothing like that at all.  ‘s more like I’m not sure how I can get t’ the point of asking for help when I have no idea how t’ even explain what’s been happening.  

These days, I’m getting these feelings all the time - like I’m being watched, or like there’s a strange ‘presence’ hanging around.  I have no idea what it is or how to make it go away, so I guess it’s starting to wear on me.

Keito: hmm...

This ‘presence’ you’re speaking of, were you aware of it earlier in our conversation?

Kuro: yeah.  I mean, I don’t feel anything now, but back when I came into the staff cafeteria, I sure could.

Souma: what!?  You could!?

*glances around* hm~m, I don’t see anyone particularly suspicious...

Kuro: yeah, I took a look for myself while trying to be sneaky about it, but nobody stood out to me, either.

Keito: it’s a mysterious tale, to be sure.

Kuro: Hasumi-danna, I already said that nobody here looks shady.  

But is there any chance at all that somebody from outside snuck into ES somehow and is hiding out in here?

Keito: ah, and now it comes out.  This has been your primary concern all along, hasn’t it?

The truth is, that’s unlikely to be the case.  There are places within the facility where the public can freely come and go, of course, but in general our security is extremely tight.  

We’ve got cameras in some areas, too, so anybody that’s not meant to be here wouldn’t get very far.  

If there’s some sort of hole in the system, it would require a lot of factors to be able to affect it completely - anything else would pose too much of a risk.  

Besides, didn’t you say that you’ve felt the same thing in the past?  And yet, up until now, nothing out of the ordinary has been discovered.  

Souma: hm~m, it’s certainly true that it would be improbable for somebody to both sneak in and remain undetected for a prolonged period of time.

Kuro: yeah, true enough.  But if that’s the case, then this whole ‘presence’ thing is even creepier.

Souma: having an eerie feeling but being able to find no physical proof...it almost appears as if we are dealing with some type of ‘ghost’.

Keito: a ‘ghost’, huh...

Kuro: that’s almost a relief, t’ be honest.  I mean, a ghost is better than some shady creep hanging around, right?  

Though for me, ghost stories are the most exciting when they’re told on hot, humid summer nights.*

Keito: speaking of, though, are you aware of the ‘rumors’ that have been circulating around ES lately?  

Things such as ‘hearing strange noises coming from the walls and ceilings’ all over the building or ‘hearing voices in rooms that should be empty.’

Or even, ‘seeing a spectral figure in the middle of the night.’

Souma: are these common tales?  I confess, I have not heard of such before.

Keito: the first I heard of it was actually a few days back, but apparently stories like this have been spreading around since then.

Kuro: hey now - are you really implying that this is connected to all those rumors?

Keito: I honestly couldn’t say.

But still, if one of these ‘rumors’ coincides with the approximate time you felt this ‘presence’, we can’t discount the possibility.

Souma: hm~m, I also feel as though we cannot dismiss it as mere coincidence should that be the case.  

Even so, I myself am quite surprised that you believe in ghosts, Hasumi-dono.

Keito: is that so?  Well, in the first place, there’s truly no scientific evidence to prove once and for all that they don’t exist, though there are quite a few varying opinions on whether such spirits can actually maintain a corporeal form...

Kuro: ‘s that so...as usual, you’re getting totally hung up on the tiny details...

Well, that’s danna for ya.  

Translation notes:

* - this is a reference to the trend of ‘100 ghost stories’, which basically follows the belief that even on the hottest summer night, hearing something scary enough to give you the chills would cool you down.  The basic premise is that 100 lamps or candles are lit, and everyone in the group takes turns telling scary stories - for each story told, a lantern is put out, and the game continues until somebody gets too scared to go on.  Some forms of the story also say that if all 100 lights get extinguished, it can actually summon a spirit, too.  

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Select: Heavy is the Head

There is a criminal lacking amount of material about Godzilla on this blog. I feel ashamed that i have so haphazardly neglected the Big G. I've spoken about this before, but Godzilla means a great deal to me. I didn’t have the warmest of experiences during my childhood so i cherished the ones that weren’t horrifying. I’m melancholy for a reason and a lot of that can be traced back to my unkind environments as a kid. Godzilla is tied to many of those good memories i was able to glean off the darker circumstance of my halcyon days. I’ve seen every movie and own about half of them. It occurs to me that there are, like thirty of these things and, with the release of the what might be the final Monsterverse movie on the horizon, Godzilla vs. Kong, i wanted to take a look at the entire catalog. I wanted to revisit the films and choose what i believe to be the best in the franchise.

10. The Return of Godzilla

This was probably the first Godzilla movie i ever saw in my entire life. The second is actually on this list a ways down but this one left a massive impression on me. It was gorgeous, lavishly produced, and completely different than the film i had just watched. Not in the sense of tone, they both are on the darker side of the Goji spectrum, but this is the first time i witnessed the “death” of a Godzilla and it f*cked me right up. I remember weeping about that for days. Imagine my surprise, years later, when i found out that Godzilla 1985 was the start of an entire era of Goji films. This thing is actually a direct sequel to the 1954 Gojira film, ignoring everything in the Showa era. As such, it takes a ton of cues from that film, not only the tone, but visually as well. This Goji is like an updated version of that Goji and it really shows. I initially saw this film in the re-cut, Americanized, version Godzilla 1985. It was fine. I was a kid so i didn’t even know about the way the US butchers foreign film yet. As an adult, i made it a point to watch the original Japanese version and i can say, hands down, that version is the superior watch. I’d say check both out, Godzilla 1985 and Return of Godzilla if you’re a Goji fan but Return is definitely the better of the two.

9. Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla

This is the first appearance of Kiryu, the third Mechagodzilla. You’ll notice that Mechagoji makes a ton of appearances on this list. That’s because it’s films are some of the best in the entire franchise, hands down. Plus, it’s my all-time favorite Goji villain. This particular version was our introduction into the loose continuity of the entire Millennium era. This saw Goji in a ton of one-shot type and experimental narratives. The only two story lines actually connected were this film and it’s direct sequel, Tokyo S.O.S. I chose this one over it’s follow-up because of the raw emotion i felt seeing the best design of Mechagoji ever captured on film, for the first time. Kiryu is a masterpiece and i loved every second it was onscreen. The narrative is an interesting one, too. It’s not top-tier but, for the Millennium series, it’s pretty ambitious. Objectively, Tokyo S.O.S might be the better film, but this one made a great first impression. If you see one, you have to see the other. They’re kind of a set.

8. Godzilla: Final Wars

Oh, Final Wars. Your ambition is only matched by your absurdity. Look, final Wars is Endgame before other was an Endgame. It’s the cap to the entire Godzilla franchise to that point, kind of like how Destroy All Monsters was supposed to close out the Showa era. We saw how well that worked, just like this “conclusion.” This thing is unapologetic fan service, rife with the campiest of performances. I mean, the Xilliens in this are a direct reference to the original, would-be world conquerors from Planet X, first introduced in 1965. I love that sh*t! It’s chock full of Aliens, Mutants, Monsters, and more! Almost every Goji villain gets a cameo, including the first US attempt at a Goji adaption, Zilla. Gigan got an updated design that was just gorgeous, King Ghidorah gets a promotion to Kaiser, and Monster X is introduced as it’s own thing. That initial design was absolutely filthy and immediately made my top five Goji villain designs. Speaking of designs, Final Wars Goji is my favorite version of the King, Slim, mean, and breathtakingly regal in statue, it was dope seeing this suit in action, even if it was the only time.

7. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I’m a huge fan of the new Monsterverse being woven together by Legendary over here in the States. So far, I’ve enjoyed every release, even Kong: Skull Island. I don’t like King Kong. Never have. It’s a rather offensive allegory when you think about but that’ a discussion for another day. This is about the latest release of Legendary’s universe; King of the Monsters. Like Final Wars and Destroy All Monsters before it, this film is kind of a celebration of the Goji franchise as a whole but with a Yankee twist. For the first time, we get to see what classic Toho monster look like, filtered through a modern Hollywood lens and, let me tell you, it is a sight to behold. I was already on board for the Godzilla reveal a few years before but Mothra and Rodan killed it. Those designs were amazing, particularly Mothra. She seemed like a proper threat and not some mascot. I loved it. That said, and this might be blasphemy among the fandom, but the Monsterverse version of King Ghidorah is the best goddamn version of the monster ever captured on film. This motherf*cker is smarmy, conceited, arrogant, and just plain awesome. The design, the personalities, the cruelty; It’s everything a challenger to the Throne had to have and Legendary nailed it. The movie, itself, is kind of weak in the narrative department, mostly as a knee-jerk reaction to the heavily human story of the initial Godzilla release, but the monster action is premium.

6. Godzilla vs. Biollante

Among the fandom, this is considered the very best Godzilla movie in the entire franchise. I wouldn’t go that far but i can’t deny the objective quality saturating this film. It gets right what so many of these movies get wrong; The human story line. That aspect of the story, rather than feeling like something tacked on for perspective, is integral to the overall narrative. It’s rare for that to occur and this film was the first time experienced it, myself. This is easily the best film in the Showa era but it took some time for it to be seen as such by the entire fandom. Initially, people hated this movie. They hated Biollante and wanted to see old monster with new tech. They got their wish and those films are kind of bogus. Heisei closed out strong with Space Godzilla and Destroyah, but that was after a series of mediocre retreads. Toho should have followed their instincts and moved forward with the new look they pushed with Biollante. She was dope and deserved better initially. and, yes, Biollante is female. That’s part of that integral human story i spoke of before.

5. Terror of Mechagodzilla

The second appearance of Mechagodzilla was one for the history books. The bionic monster was just a ferocious, just as menacing, as his initial outing but even moreso here. Terror is less heavy that the first time we saw Mechagoji, but it’s still got a ton of blood on it’s hands. This thing skews closer to the darker Showa outing but never really gives you pause like those other films do. No, it;s true to the narrative established a year before and tends to be an exercise in violence the whole way through. I really like this film and it has one of the best stories in the Showa era. It's not as tight as it’s predecessor, which is on this list, but it does a spectacular job with what it has.

4. Godzilla

So this is the first of several adaptions of the the initial Godzilla encounter. This particular one, is the first appearance of the Big G in the Monsterverse. The 2014 Godzilla film is derided for having next to no Godzilla in it, but that didn’t bother me too much. Of course you want all Goji, all the time but that makes for a lousy film. King of the Monsters did that and it is vastly inferior, narrative wise, to this flick. This film, while Godzilla-starved, does accomplish that rare thing Biollante was able to pull off and so few others in the franchise seem to do; Make the human narrative relevant. This sh*t does that exceptionally, even if they kill off the best character in the entire goddamn movie, almost immediately. Still, after Bryan Cranston bites the dust, i was still on board. A lot of this movie feels like a test run for what comes later but what a Beta it turned out to be. As a film, Godzilla is amazing. I loved the narrative, the characters, and even the monster action, what little there was initial. I really hate the MUTO. They’re kind of corny looking, a little generic, but the best designed of all the US Titans. All of the US Titans are gross looking. All of them. Great movie though!

3. Gojira

The first appearance of Godzilla and the most harrowing tale in the entire franchise. The name Godzilla is actually a misnomer. Goji’s original name was Gojira, which basically means “whale ape’ but this was mispronounced by Americans as Godzilla, thus the moniker we use today. Gojira is the correct, Japanese name, for the King of Monsters but people, worldwide, recognize Godzilla more so it’s been accepted as the proper name. Now that that little tidbit is out of the way, let’s get into the many, MANY, different cuts of this film. Similarly to Return of Godzilla, this one was recut, had scenes added with a well known US actor, dubbed, and released under the title Godzilla: King of Monsters! I’ve seen both versions and there each have their merits but the aggressive bleak tone and tragic narrative of Gojira make for a truly emotional viewing experience. Godzilla isn’t a monster in this movie, he’s literally the physical personification of that devastation inflicted upon Japan, by the atomic bomb. This film is Japan mourning the death of their great country. This is Japan reflecting on their sins. It’s an incredibly raw, violently bleak, take on such content, easily held in the same vein as Schindler’s List. That’s not hyperbole either, this film hits the same as that one. The US cut is good as a film but lacks a lot of that genuine Japanese energy. Gojira does not and of the tow, this one is far superior. both version are absolutely required viewing if you’re trying to get into Godzilla.

2. Shin Godzilla

I love Shin Godzilla. I was mad hyped when Toho announced they were going to release a proper Goji film after some years and even more on board when i heard that Hideaki Anno was going to be in charge of it. Dude is the principal architect of my all-time favorite anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion, so i knew there was going to be a brilliance to this flick not seen in the entire franchise. The take on Godzilla being a manifestation of how crippling bureaucracy and tradition clot the Japanese culture was not lost on me. This is another one of the Goji flicks that puts precedence on the human story and it does that so goddamn well, i was stunned. Look, i loved film and, as a film, this thing is outstanding. I get that it can come across as plodding and slow paced, but you have to understand, it’s showing you, real time, what it’s like to move through the Japanese government. All of that red tape, all of that inaction, is a noose around Japan’s neck and you get a real understanding of that. Not only does this thing have great direction and exceptional performances for a Japanese product, that Shin Goji design is absolutely horrifying. It’s wholly original, brilliantly executed, and easily my second favorite in the entire franchise. I love this movie and everything it represents. Shin Godzilla is absolutely required viewing for the Goji fan.

1. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

I alluded to this before, but Mechagoji is my favorite Godzilla villain of all-time. This film is why. Terror was the second Godzilla movie i had ever seen. It was the first VHS i ever bought with my own money. I remember, vividly, the emotions i felt watching this mechanical monstrosity decimate both King Shiisa and Godzilla. Mechagodzilla was a legitimate powerhouse and it demonstrated that with every assault on Tokyo. I mean, he shows up, and damn near rips Anguirus’ face right the hell off! We saw blood, so much blood, spew from Goji’s best friend and it was truly heartbreaking. Angie just scuttled away in defeat, inflicting almost no damage to the violent impostor and, from there, it was just a massive show of power. Unlimited power. Narrative wise, it’s actually one of the best, most coherent stories in the entire franchise. In my opinion, it could give Biollante a run for it’s money but most would place is a step behind. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is my favorite Goji film and required viewing for any fan of the series.

Honorable Mentions: Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs Gigan, Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Destroyah, Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out attack, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S, Godzilla Raids Again