#2023 japan series champions

[bluemooncinco]

I've been following the Hanshin Tigers for a few years now since they're kind of like the Chicago Cubs of Japan, and there was a Haruhi promo event back in 2022 with a few little items. Nagato must have loaned the team her bat because they went from perennial underachievers to being the best team in the country and winning their first Japan series in almost 40 years. Had to get my hands on some of the merch. The contrast is pretty bad on the towel, but you can kind of make out the outlines of the characters, and even the SOS Brigade logo.

[reasonsforhope]

"Justine Siegal, the first woman coach employed by a Major League Baseball team, is attempting to make more history -- this time by creating an American professional baseball league specifically for women. Siegal is one of the co-founders of the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL), which aims to begin play during the summer of 2026.

Siegel and co-founder/lawyer Keith Stein have enlisted a few other notable names as special advisors... Those include World Series-winning manager Cito Gaston and Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato, a five-time Women's Baseball World Cup champion. (Sato is also part of Japan Women's Baseball League.)

The WPBL is hoping to land a national television deal ahead of its inaugural season. The league intends to have a full season, as well as playoffs and a championship round. At present, the goal is to field six teams at launch, with those clubs located "predominantly" in the Northeast region of the United States. 

"The Women's Pro Baseball League is here for all the girls and women who dream of a place to showcase their talents and play the game they love," Siegal said as part of the WPBL's press release announcing its formation. "We have been waiting over 70 years for a professional baseball league we can call our own. Our time is now."

Stein, for his part, added: "We believe that the success of other women's professional leagues such as the WNBA and NWSL demonstrates the incredible interest and support for women's sport."

The United States has won two Women's Baseball World Cups, and most recently finished as the runners-up in the 2024 event (that was played in 2023). The U.S. team roster included, among others, pitcher/outfielder Kelsie Whitmore. Whitmore has been a trailblazer in her own right, appearing in games with various independent leagues, including the Atlantic League, Pacific Association, and, as of this year, the Pioneer League."

-via CBS Sports, October 30, 2024

[haveyouseenthisseries-poll]

This blog is officially 6 months old!

With over 1000 polls posted and more than 2500 submissions received, I think it's time for a little recap of all the data I collected thanks to all of you!

Starting with some fun facts, the countries of origin of the series submitted are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan!

Under the cut I've compiled the 10 Most Avoided and 10 Most Watched series of Tumblr, according to the results I've received these past months. ^^

> Thanks, but No

Despite being generally well known, there's something about these series that simply didn't captivate the Tumblr population. Here are the 10 Most Avoided shows of Tumblr! Well! There's other sites.

10. Cowboy Bebop (2021) with 72.2% "No" results;

9. Euphoria (2019) with 72.4% "No" results;

8. The Sopranos (1999) with 73.7% "No" results;

7. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) with 73.8% "No" results;

6. Ahsoka (2023) with 74% "No" results;

5. She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985) with 74.3% "No" results;

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) with 74.4% "No" results;

3. 13 Reasons Why (2017) with 75.5% "No" results;

2. Young Sheldon (2017) with 75.9% "No" results;

And our unhonourable champion, Battlestar Galactica (1978) with 77.2% "No" results!

> THEE Hall of Fame. Like for Real

Now unto the actual Tumblr Royalty, these are the Top 10 Most Watched series as of April 26 2024! :)

10. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) with 47.2% "Yes" results;

9. Gravity Falls (2012) with 49% "Yes" results;

8. Our Flag Means Death (2022) with 50.1% "Yes" results;

7. Danny Phantom (2003) with 51.1% "Yes" results;

6. Sherlock (2010) with 54.5% "Yes" results;

5. Over the Garden Wall (2014) with 54.5% "Yes" results;

4. Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993) with 56.4% "Yes" results;

3. The Good Place (2016) with 56.6% "Yes" results;

2. Steven Universe (2013) with 68.6% "Yes" results;

And our reigning champion, monarch of Tumblr culture, is Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) with 74.1% "Yes" results!!

Thank you everyone who has voted or submitted, running this blog has been quite fun and it couldn't have lasted this long without all of you! I look forward to the months to come, and to collect even more sweet, sweet data. ^^

[f1version]

DRIVE THE NIGHT ★ F1 SERIES

f1 grid x multiple oc . . . Malibu Racing sees the checkered flag as the 11th team on the 2023 Formula One grid.

warnings . . . significant changes to the 2023 F1 season; topics such as inequality, sexism, racism, discrimination, mental health, and more will be discussed (every chapter will have their own warnings)

navigation ★ taglist

MEET THE DEVILS IN PINK !

“The world is talking, I am okay with that. I can hear them.” Roberts says, a smile on her lips “Ten years ago, this world booed my name when I raised my trophies, now they cheer. It’s such an unpredictable game that we just have to drive and see what they do when we, Malibu Racing, win"

★ ABOUT THE TEAM

★ BARBARA ROBERTS

★ ALEJANDRA D’ALESSI #34

★ ZOYAH PERRY #8

MASTERLIST !

THE 2023 SEASON

★ TESTING: let them talk

★ BAHRAIN: new beginnings

★ SAUDI ARABIA: trophy trading

★ AUSTRALIA: let the chaos begin

★ AZERBAIJAN . . .

★  MIAMI . . .

★  MONACO . . .

★  SPAIN . . .

★  CANADA . . .

★  AUSTRIA . . .

★  UNITED KINGDOM . . .

★  BELGIUM . . .

★ NETHERLANDS . . .

★ MONZA . . .

★ SINGAPORE . . .

★ JAPAN . . .

★ QATAR . . .

★ AUSTIN . . .

★ MEXICO . . .

★ BRAZIL . . .

★ LAS VEGAS . . .

★ ABU DHABI . . .

more to be added…

HISTORY, WRITINGS & HCS

★ MR59 — livery launch and introduction

★ the creation — alejandra d’alessi and zoyah perry

★  catalyst — alejandra d’alessi and max verstappen

★  frenemies — zoyah perry and oscar piastri

more to be added…

ARTICLES & MEDIA

★ barbara roberts: from world champion to team principal

★ the devils in pink: all you need to know about F1 new competitors, malibu racing

★ gossip-time: the 2023 F1 grid talks about malibu racing

★  what to expect from zoyah perry’s long-awaited debut in F1

★  alejandra d’alessi: redbull’s lost promise is back to F1

★  mario schumacher rejects offers in ferrari and mercedes to join malibu racing!

more to be added…

EXTRAS

more to be added…

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

ISU released an article about Shoma

Two-time ISU World Champion and three-time Olympic medalist Shoma Uno of Japan has announced his retirement from competitive skating after a long and distinguished career and is ready to open a new chapter in his life.

“I have decided to retire from active competition,” Uno wrote on Instagram. “I am very grateful to have been able to continue skating for 21 years since I was 5 years old, and to have had a wonderful athletic life.”

The Japanese star will talk in more detail about his retirement and future plans in a press conference scheduled for May 14.

The 26-year-old looks back at a career with many highlights and also difficult times, but he always came back, proving his talent and showing resilience. When five-year-old Shoma went to the ice rink in his hometown of Nagoya with his father to have fun, he had no idea that he would become a World Champion, Olympic medalist and super star of the sport. He only knew that the enjoyed skating and kept coming back to the rink, taking lessons. He trained with Machiko Yamada, the coach of Japanese skating icon Midori Ito and also with Mihoko Higuchi for many years and worked his way up in the skating world.

Uno debuted in the ISU Junior Grand Prix in 2011 and was so tiny that he was unable to look over the boards. He won a few medals on the Junior circuit but his breakthrough came in what was his last Junior season in 2014/15 when he qualified for the first time for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final where he claimed gold. Shoma went on to take the ISU World Junior title in 2015, in what was his fourth and final appearance at the event (climbing from 10th in 2012, 7th in 2013 and 5th in 2014).

Once at the senior level, Uno quickly became one of the top Skaters in the World. In his World debut in 2016 he placed 7th but then the next year won silver, his first of a total of four World medals. In his first Olympic Winter Games in 2018, Shoma skated off with the silver medal and returned on to the Olympic podium four years later, earning the bronze. In 2022 and 2023 Uno crowned himself ISU World Champion.

However, in between there was a time of struggle. In the 2019/20 season, for the first (and only) time in his career, Uno finished off the podium in the ISU Grand Prix Series. He had left his coaches since childhood and struggled with confidence.

“At first, to be honest, I was thinking about finishing my career,“ he said in an interview at Skate America 2021 about this time.

“I did not know how much longer I would keep going. But imaging the end (I thought) maybe I'll enjoy the rest of this career as an athlete.“

Uno started to work with two-time World Champion Stéphane Lambiel as his coach and choreographer in fall 2019 and soon came back strong. He grew as an athlete and a performer with beautiful programs that highlighted his versatility: “Turandot” (Free Skating 2017/18), “Great Spirit” (Short Program 2020/21), “Bolero” (Free Skating 2021/22) and “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Free Skating 2023/24) to name a few.

At the same time, the Japanese star always pushed the limits technically and made history by becoming the first Skater to perform a quadruple flip in competition in 2016.

“When I train and want to become better, it's not good for me to work on what I can already do. If I'm satisfied with just giving 80 per cent, I'm not good. The right training for me is to push my limits,” Uno said in an interview.

The Japanese Skater has an independent mind and a fun personality. He has a Youtube Channel where you can meet his three toy poodles Emma, Baron and Toro.

“When I am on the ice, I am totally focused on my sport, but when I'm off the ice, I am sure most people know I am just a lazy slacker, but I thought that would be a good way to show to the people how I am off the ice, but still this is Shoma Uno,” he explained.

When asked who inspires him the most, Shoma’s surprising answer was:

"Myself. Of course, I think I am inspired by many people and heard some good words from everyone, too, but in the end when you break it down, I do feel that it is myself that inspires me and sadly, I don't listen to anyone. Sometimes I listen, but mostly I go with my own mind,” he added.

For sure Uno will follow his own ideas in the years to come but you can certainly expect to see him gracing the ice in shows for a while.

[aurorawest]

2023 Reading Wrap-Up

Is it February of 2024? Yes! Am I still going to post my favorite books that I read in 2023? Also yes!

Ginn Hale's Cadeleonian Series, the second half of which I read in 2023: Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, Book Two; Master of Restless Shadows, Book One; and Master of Restless Shadows, Book Two

This series begins with Lord of the White Hell and continues with Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, then concludes with Master of Restless Shadows. Each duology follows a different set of characters, but it's a true series so you need to read them in order. It's a toss-up for me whether I preferred Champion of the Scarlet Wolf or Master of Restless Shadows. Both are fantastic duologies. I particularly loved getting Atreau's story in Master because he's sort of an unlikable playboy-esque character in the preceding books...but wait! Turns out there's more to him after all.

After Francesco by Brian Malloy

Who would think a book about living through the AIDS epidemic in NYC in the 80s would be as funny as this book is? It will also tear your heart out and stomp on it. Also takes place partly in Minneapolis (and is by a Minnesotan author).

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Folklorist meets the Green Man and they fall in love. This is the first half of a duology, the second being Drowned Country, which I just finished today so can't included it on my 2023 wrap-up. All the dark and violent whimsy of the mythic past and the most brutal versions of fairy tales, plus a lovely romance.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Imagine the love child of Lost, Person of Interest, and Battlestar Galactica, but queer and with multiverse shenanigans thrown in (the author has cited Ender's Game as a huge influence). I don't want to say anything more than that, because I feel strongly that you need to go into this book knowing nothing. The twists and turns are so good, the main trio are wonderful, complicated characters, and the world is super cool.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

In some ways the most heartbreaking of Pulley's novels. Also probably her most dreamy and magical. It's my least favorite of her books, but my least favorite Natasha Pulley book still ended up on my best of 2023 reading list.

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley

This book awakened in me a latent love of Soviet queers. You'll see this book filed under sci-fi by booksellers, but it isn't really—it's historical fiction about a very real nuclear disaster in the USSR that was covered up for decades. Like all of Pulley's books, the characters are deeply complicated and flawed. The pleasure is really in reading the way she tells a story and her beautiful use of language, so even if you're not interested in Soviet nuclear disasters, I absolutely recommend you read this. Also, you'll probably be interested in Soviet nuclear disasters when you're done.

The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley

Haha, you thought The Watchmaker of Filigree Street punched you in the chest with feels? Get ready for the sequel, which will have you Curled Into A Sobbing Ball On The Floor™. Join Thaniel Steepleton, Keita Mori, and their adopted Waifish Victorian Orphan, Six, as they go to Japan, where things are weird, there are ghosts, and Thaniel and Mori still somehow don't understand what they mean to each other.

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley

"What if France won the Napoleonic Wars because of time travelers" shouldn't have shattered me the way this book did, but of course it's a Natasha Pulley novel so it absolutely did. Missouri Kite is the most Gay Little Man™. And Joe, poor Joe. The PINING. The YEARNING. When the reveal happens, I had to go back and read prior sections of the book and good god do they hit different. Different and SADDER. This book is my favorite of Natasha Pulley's novels.

Tommy Cabot Was Here and Peter Cabot Gets Lost by Cat Sebastian

The first two books in Cat Sebastian's The Cabots series. The books are historical fiction that follow various queer men in the Cabot family. The Cabots are one of those old money, liberal New England families—think Kennedys. Both books are about Sad Gay Men™ finding love in soft, tiptoeing Cat Sebastian fashion. Peter Cabot is a road trip romance and a bit longer, so the characters have some time to breathe.

Something Wild & Wonderful by Anita Kelly

This was probably a Stucky fic at one point, right? I mean. No shade though, truly! This was my favorite romcom that I read in 2023. It was also a comp for Strangers to Husbands, haha. I love the setting—hiking the Pacific Crest Trail—and I love the main characters, Alexei and Ben. Alexei came out to his family recently and got rejected, while Ben is from a big, accepting Portuguese family. Funny, touching, and an excellent love story.

Cattle Stop by Kit Oliver

Looks like a romcom but will stab you in the heart repeatedly. Kit Oliver has a gorgeous way with words and captures the dynamic between two people who have no idea how to talk to each other so well. I'm also a sucker for farm settings.

The Sugared Game and Subtle Blood by KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures)

I've read almost all of KJ Charles's books at this point, but the Will Darling Adventures are my favorites (I read the first book in the series in 2022). I love the combination of romance and action/adventure. I've never met a m/m book set in the interwar period that I haven't loved. Will and Kim are wonderful characters, and sometimes I think about what other adventures they had after book three ended.

Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray

An FBI agent and a GRU agent get assigned to work a case together in 1959 and they fall in looooove. There's a road trip, a family dinner, and FEELS. I'm not sure I've ever had a time skip hit me in the gut so hard. Remember how I said I love Soviet queers? Here's another example.

Wranglestone and Timberdark by Darren Charlton

What if the real dystopia isn't the zombie apocalypse, but "normal" life? I don't know if I've ever read a YA series that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I know I've never read a zombie book that sucker-punched me as hard as this one. I don't think these books have even been published in the US (only in the UK), but if you can get your hands on them, they're worth it. Really beautifully written in a style that evokes the emptiness of the great national parks of the American west.

Honorable mentions:

The Charioteer by Mary Renault

The Scottish Boy by Alex de Campi

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (October 22-28, 2023)

Another Godzilla Day, another short from Kazuhiro Nakagawa to keep the series' tokusatsu roots alive. Fest Godzilla 4: Operation Jet Jaguar will see the grinning robot battle the King of the Monsters in live-action for the first time ever. I think that's why seeing the Final Wars Godzilla opposite a replica Jet Jaguar suit is even more surreal than his bout against the Showa Gigan last year. When the short drops on November 3, be sure to download it ASAP, because Toho doesn't like to keep them up for long.

I already posted about the unbelievable Movie Monster Series Bagan figure revealed last night, but it was accompanied by four more new figures: a glittery MinusGoji, an 8-inch black Kiryu, a quadrupedal Landing Stage Hedorah, and this year's fan poll winner, Flower Beast Form Biollante. The Kiryu is a homage to a theater-exclusive figure from Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, though it actually has more paint apps. They're all Godzilla Store exclusives.

TOHO Visual Entertainment has released Godzilla (1954) and Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) on 4K, the first of a flurry of Godzilla titles debuting in 4K this year. (There's also a Blu-ray for each that uses the same 4K restoration.) The people I turn to for judgment on these things (@spacehunter-m, @tohocompanylimited-blog, and a few others) aren't thrilled, especially with Mothra vs. Godzilla, which compares unfavorably with the HD version of the shorter Toho Champion Festival cut. Both are improvements over what was previously available on home video, but that's not saying much.

Mothra vs. Godzilla unfortunately does not include the Frontier Missile scene as a bonus feature. (Don't know what all those nice-looking screenshots of it from the recent Mothra vs. Godzilla Completion book were about then.) It does offer eight-and-a-half minutes of unused effects footage, some of it making its home video debut, as well as four more minutes of set footage and a theater showing the film. Both films offer a ton of trailers, the most interesting of which is an export trailer for G54. Some of the ballyhoo ("incredible titan of terror!") would later be used for the U.S. release, and @biorante discovered that the subtitles are a near-exact match with the old BFI DVD. So it's possible to almost exactly recreate what the film would have looked like when it screened in, say, Honolulu in 1955.

This is strictly local news, but I know some of you are fellow upstate New Yorkers, so I'm throwing it in anyway. Rochester's Little Theatre will be showing Destroy All Monsters on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This'll be the first Godzilla film I've seen there since Rialto distributed the original in 2004. The runtime and release date match the AIP version, so fingers crossed they landed the same 35mm print that screened at the Mahoning this summer.

Big week coming up, though even bigger if you live in Japan. For the Americans reading this, a reminder that Godzilla 2000 is in theaters the night of November 1.

[racequeenparadise]

2024 Race Queen Retirements - Nana Yasuda

Originally working as an event companion from 2012, in 2015 Nana began her career working as a race queen as a member of the Leon Racing Ladies in the Super GT. In 2016 she became a member of Up Garage's Drift Angels for three consecutive years. In her time with that team, she recorded and released three songs as part of the Drift Angels idol unit. From 2019 she became a long time member of WedsSport Racing Gals, four years in total, the longest tenure of any member of the team.

On 15 January 2022 she was one of the five grand prize winners at the MediBang Japan Race Queen Awards 2021, announced at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 and also won the Tokyo Chunichi Sports Award. After leaving WedsSport Racing Gals, she joined Eneos Girls in 2023 and returned to Team Up Garage as a member of Up Garage Honeys in 2024 for her final Race Queen season.

Race Queen Appearances

Leon Racing Lady, Super GT, 2015

Up Garage - Drift Angels, Super GT, 2015 to 2018

Kondo Racing - raffinee lady, Super Taikyu, 2016

Arn Racing - Arn Girls, Super Taikyu, 2016 to 2017

B-Max Racing Team B-Max Girls, Super Taikyu, 2017

Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh - WedsSport Racing Gals, Super GT, 2019 to 2023

Bath Racing Project, Super Taikyu, 2019

Mercedes-AMG Team HIRIX, Super Taikyu, 2020

Mega Life Girls, Super Taikyu, 2021

Grid Motorsport – Plexus & Cataclean Girls, Super Taikyu, 2022

TGR Team Eneos Rookie - Eneos Girls, Super GT, 2023

Audi Team Hitotsuyama Race Queen, Super Taikyu, 2023

Team Up Garage – Up Garage Honeys, Super GT, 2024

Image Girl and Event Appearances

Tokyo Auto Salon Goodyear Booth, 2015 to 2016

Tokyo Motor Show Toyota Booth, 2015

Tokyo Game Show Capcom Booth, 2015

Nico Nico Super Conference 1st Place Booth, 2015

Champion Plug Image Girl Champion Girls, 2016

2016 Red Bull Air Race World Series Chiba Team McLeod, 4 to 5 June 2016, Makuhari Seaside Park

Nico Nico Super Conference Sanyo Booth, 2016

Boat Race Naruto SG 21st Ocean Cup Campaign Girl, 13 to 18 July 2016, Naruto Boat Racecourse

K-1 World GP K-1 Girls, 2017

Tokyo Motor Show Mahle Booth, 2017

Tokyo Game Show Serial Games Booth, 2017 and 2019

Tokyo Auto Salon Up Garage Booth, 2017 to 2019

Gravure idol training app "Gravure idol collection" image girl GracoRex, 2017, 2018

Boat Race Ashiya 31st Ladies Champion Campaign Girl, 1 to 6 August 2017, Ashiya Boat Racecourse

Bangkok International Auto Salon, 4 to 8 July 2018, Impact Muang Thong Thani

Boat Race Ashiya GI All Japan Championship Campaign Girl 31 October to 5 November 2019, Ashiya Boat Racecourse

Tokyo Auto Salon WedSport Booth, 2020 and 2023

Tokyo Auto Salon Kuala Lumpur 2023 Image girl J-girls, 9 to 11 June 2023, Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre

[fearsmagazine]

ATTACK ON TITAN: THE MUSICAL, Live On Stage at New York City Center Oct 11-13, 2024.

ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical a new live 2.5D Musical entertainment based on the wildly popular manga (comic book) by Hajime Isayama and published by Kodansha, will play New York City Center (131 W. 55th Street) from October 11-13, 2024. Directed by breakdance world champion Go Ueki (HYPNOSISMIC -Division Rap Battle- Rule the Stage), ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical had its world premiere in Osaka and Tokyo in January, 2023 to great success. The New York City Center engagement marks the musical’s first international performance.

ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical has book by Masafumi Hata, music supervision by KEN THE 390, and lyrics by Kaori Miura, and combines conventional musical theatre techniques with state-of-the-art technology, performed by a cast of 35.

A century ago, the grotesque giants known as Titans appeared and consumed all but the last remnants of humanity. The survivors took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren Yeager yearns to explore the world beyond his current circumstances. What began as a childish dream, though, will become an all-too-real nightmare when the Titans return and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction.

The ATTACK on TITAN manga was serialized in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine by Kodansha from 2009-2021, winning numerous awards across Japan and the US including the Kodansha Manga Award and Harvey Award. The manga is comprised of 34 volumes, and there have been many adaptations including anime television series, video games, novels & more. ATTACK on TITAN has sold 140 million copies and has been translated into 18 languages and published in over 180 countries. Over the last three years, ATTACK on TITAN has won more than 10 awards from the Crunchyroll Anime Awards for the anime version, which celebrates the creators, performers, and musicians powering the global love of anime with more than 34 million votes cast by fans this past year.

In Japan, there are stage productions based on manga, anime, and video games, which started to be called 2.5 dimensional musicals by fans around 2000. Manga and animation are in 2D, and live theatre is in 3D. Therefore, they call performances based on manga and animations 2.5D.

Another 2.5 the musical made its US premiere in 2019, when “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon” The Super Live played Washington DC at Warner Theatre and New York City at PlayStation Theater.

ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical will be performed in Japanese with English supertitles.

The cast of ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical includes: Kurumu Okamiya as Eren Yeager, Sara Takatsuki as Mikasa Ackerman, Eito Konishi as Armin Arlert, Ryo Matsuda as Levi, and Takuro Ohno as Erwin Smith. Also featured are: Shota Matsuda, Kazuaki Yasue, Yuuri Takahashi, Sena, Mitsu Murata, Takeshi Hayashino, Masanori Tomita, Mimi Maihane, Mitsuru Karahashi, Riona Tatemichi and more.

ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical is produced by Michiho Matsumoto (Nelke Planning), Rie Yoneda (S-SIZE) and New York Producer Kumiko Yoshii (Gorgeous Entertainment).

FOLLOW ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical ON TWITTER/X: https://twitter.com/shingekimusical ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/attackontitan_themusical ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@shingekimusical

ATTACK on TITAN: The Musical plays at New York City Center (131 W. 55th Street) on October 11 through 13. Performances are Friday, October 11 at 7:30PM, Saturday, October 12 at 2PM and 7:30PM, and October 13 at 2PM. Tickets are $55.00 - $185.00. For tickets, please visit www.nycitycenter.org or call 212-581-1212.

For more information, please visit: www.attackontitan-themusical.com.

Presale tickets go on sale for Crunchyroll, Kodansha, and Kinokuniya fans on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 11AM (EST) and members can purchase tickets before the general public through June 3, 2024, at 9AM (EST).

[behind-the-screen-of-bangtan]

RM

Real name: 김남준 (Kim Namjoon)

Birth date: 12 September 1994

Home city: Ilsan

Former stage name: Runch Randa (....-2013), Rap Monster (2013-2017)

Studio name: Mon Studio, Rkive

Instagram account

BU character: Kim NamJoon

BT21 character: Koya

(src)

Biography

RM started as an underground rapper in Seoul, where he gained popularity to the point of being noticed and recruited by Big Hit Entertainment. A hip-hop group that then evolved to be a K-pop group was formed around him and he was appointed the leader.

While slowly but surely leading BTS at the top of the musical world, he shared his view on life and empathized with oppressed communities, from his inclusion of the LGBT community in song lyrics to his speech at the UN. He has always been invested in the writing, the composition and later the production of BTS songs. Yet, he still found the time for more personal projects, especially in 2015, the year he did the most solo activites.

For a more complete biography, you can check these resources: 

Pre-debut history: details RM’s activity as an underground rapper since 2007

biography from volume 7 of the Japan Official Fanclub magazine (trans by kocchi)

autobiography (part 1, part 2, part 3) for 힙합하다 (Hip-Hop Hada, meaning Do hip-hop)

4 Things Show: a documentary made by Mnet where RM tells his hardships during his trainee and debut days

Over 10 bytes of message, a Korean magazine made by the fansite SpectRuM/Hegemony about RM’s activities in 2015

RM has also shared tidbits of his daily life:

he used to post pictures of himself, the #김데일리 (KimDaily) series, where he showed his outfit of the day

new Mon studio 🎵  (he introduces his new studio)

Rkive 😍😜 and Rkive 2 (he introduces his Rkive studio)

[VLOG] 9 days of travel to Europe (2019)

미술관 VLOG (art museum vlog) (2022)

All Day (with 김남준): Part 1, Part 2 (2022)

Birthday albums: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Recommendations

Music

RM’s Spotify playlist

RM used to share songs he likes through the #RMusic series, on Twitter (Youtube playlist). Nowadays, he rather uses his Instagram stories.

There are Youtube playlists of the songs he shared on Spotify and on Vlive/Weverse.

Books

Namjoon's Library

Movies/Series/Artists/places

R(eco)M(mendations)

Art

Weverse magazine: “Getting to know Korean modern and contemporary art with RM”

RM visited a lot of museums and regularly share pictures of art he likes on Instagram.

Solo activity

Music (discography)

“Rap Monster” (2013)

“Where U At (cover)” (2013)

“Favorite Girl (cover)” (2013)

Rap Monster & 정국 - “Like A Star (cover)” (2013)

Rap Monster, Suga & 진 - “어른아이 (cover)” (Childish Adult) (2013)

“Something” (2013)

“Too Much” (2013)

“Monterlude” (2014)

“RM cyper ruff” (2014)

SOULSCAPE X RAPMONSTER -  “Unpack your bags” (for the 4 Things Show documentary, 2014)

Rap Monster x Warren G - “P.D.D.” (2015)

MFBTY - ”부끄부끄 (Buckubucku)” (Feat. EE, RM of BTS, Dino-J) (2015)

RM (2015) (see this post)

Yankie(얀키) - ”ProMeTheUs(튀겨)” (Feat. Dok2, Juvie Train, Double K, 랩몬스터 of BTS, Topbob, Don Mills) (2015)

Primary (프라이머리) - ”U” (feat. 권진아, 랩몬스터) (2015)

“Fantastic” (Feat. Mandy Ventrice) (2015)

랩몬스터 & 정국 - “Fools (COVER)” (2015)

RM & JK - “알아요 (I know)” (for the Festa, 2016)

“always“ (for new year, 2017)

Gaeko(개코) - ”Gajah(코끼리)” (Feat. Rap Monster(랩몬스터)) (2017)

RM, Wale - “Change” (2017) (see this post)

R&V - “네시 (4 O'CLOCK)” (gift for the Festa, 2017)

Fall Out Boy - “Champion (Remix)” (2017)

RM, SUGA, j-hope - 땡 (Daeng) (for the Festa, 2018)

Mono (2018) (see this post)

Drunken Tiger (드렁큰 타이거) - “Timeless” (Feat. RM of BTS) (2018)

HONNE - “Crying Over You” (feat. RM & BEKA) (2019)

Lil Nas X -  “Old Town Road” (feat. RM of BTS) (Seoul Town Road Remix) (2019)

Younha -  “WINTER FLOWER(雪中梅)” (Feat.RM) (2020)

eAeon(이이언) - “Don't(그러지 마)” (feat. RM) (2021)

“Bicycle” (gift for the Festa, 2021)

--- Chapter 2 ---

Balming Tiger - “섹시느낌 SEXY NUKIM” (feat. RM of BTS)

Indigo (2022) (see this post)

So!YoON! (황소��) - “Smoke Sprite” (feat. RM of BTS)

Colde - “다시는 사랑한다 말하지 마” (Don’t ever say love me) (feat. RM of BTS)

Right Place, Wrong Person (2024) (see this post)

Megan Thee Stallion - “Neva play” (feat.RM) (2024)

For more details about the songs that don’t have their own post, I listed all the info I had here. For Chapter 2 songs, please check here.

Shows

Mr. Mon’s 1minute English (2015, anchor)

episode 1 “Pardon”

episode 2 “July”

Problematic Men (2015, guest)

playlist of the episodes with English and Spanish subtitles

non-official masterlist

The Dictionary of Useless Human Knowledge (2022-2023, guest)

playlist on Youtube

non-official thread of the episodes

RM’s Instagram post

HYBE T&D Stories (2024, guest)

Youtube playlist

YOUNHA 20th ANNIVERSARY UNPACKED EVENT “Y” (2024, presenter)

Video

RM’s apparition in Younh’a event results from their collaboration on “Winter Flower” in 2020

Brands endorsement

K’hawah (2015): Teaser, 15s ver.

RM raps during this ad. All his rhymes end with “*a wa”, with the consonants in place of the * being listed in alphabetical order (src).

Bonetta Veneta (2023): RM’s Instagram post

iloom (2023) : Youtube playlist, official Instagram account, Taiwan Instagram account

Ambassadorship

Ministry of National Defense Agency for Killed In Action Recovery & Identification Honorary: ambassador appointment ceremony

Magazines

Vogue Korea June issue: official tweets, interview

DAZED KOREA 2023 October issue: tweets

GQ Japan: cover story (eng trans)

Interviews

BE comeback interview: “I spend a lot of time thinking about where I am now”

Weverse magazine: “Getting to know Korean modern and contemporary art with RM”

Butter release interview: “I hope I’m on my way somewhere”

Proof release interview: “It’s a given when you’re an artist: You have to be the one and only”

Rolling Stone: “‘What If I Don’t Like Music Anymore?’: A Wildly Honest Conversation Between BTS’ RM and Pharrell Williams” (video) (RM’s Instagram post)

Weverse magazine: “RM’s Bibilly Hills”

Trivia

RM’s parents had a dog they named Rapmon (nicknamed Monie) as a nod to his stage name at the time. He passed away in 2023.

[mjohnso]

Quarterly Debut Review: Q4 2023

Quarterly Debut Reviews are a supplementary series to my biannual Periodic Rookie Group Reports, which are published quarterly. Each installment covers three rookie groups that debuted over the past three months. For this third installment, I covered NiziU (October), Peony (November), and Golden Girls (December).

As always, a full list of rookie groups that have debuted thus far in 2023 is available here: 2023 Rookie Groups Debuts

October / NiziU Debut: October 30, 2023 Debut Song: “HEARTRIS”

NiziU made history when their Korean debut song, “HEARTRIS” won the Champion Song title on the November 8, 2023, episode of MBC M’s Show Champion. With their win, the group not only became the first foreign group to do so but also tied their labelmate ITZY’s record, becoming the fourth fastest girl group to win first place on a music show following their debut.

They may or may not have also been the first j-pop group to accomplish this feat. Whether or not they qualify will vary from person to person, depending on their classification of NiziU as there is no consensus. This is not due to any lack of spirited debate on the issue, as both the j-pop and k-pop camps have made their cases. The former points to their focus on the Japanese market, their debut in Korea notwithstanding, their songs sung only in Japanese, and the fact that they have, again until recently, never widely promoted within the k-pop system. As for the latter, they highlight the group’s connections to JYP Entertainment, including their hand in the group’s origin through the survival show Nizi Project, and that the group’s lineup features several former trainees from the label. Then there is the fact that the group, like many produced through survival shows with ties to Korean agencies, sometimes pulls both visually and sonically from k-pop.

Treating this issue as a matter of either/or maybe the wrong answer to the question of what NiziU "is". Instead, a better approach may be to treat the group as fitting into both. That is like the k-pop girl groups that over a decade ago promoted in both Korea and Japan they fall into what San Jung and Yukie Hiarata in their 2011 paper “Conflicting Desires: K-pop Girl Group Flows in Japan in the Era of Web 2.0” described as “an ambivalent third space between the domestic and the foreign.” Writing about SNSD and KARA who like NiziU muddled categories whose borders once seemed so firm, they wrote: 

Another aspect of the new way of embracing K-pop in Japan is demonstrated through how K-pop is now placed in an ambivalent third space between the domestic and the foreign within the Japanese pop music scene. At the 2011 Japan Gold Disc Awards, SNSD was awarded the New Artist of the Year Award in the Japanese music division (hougaku bumon), while KARA was awarded the New Artist of the Year in the foreign music division (yougaku bumon).1 It was a significant result considering the fact that both of the groups are from Korea: in Japan, yougaku usually refers to ‘Western’ music. BoA and TVXQ, who are overwhelmingly popular in Japan, are perceived as K-pop idols as they are from Korea, yet at the same time are treated as J-pop idols within the paradigm of Western vs. Japanese. The article “Is K-pop Japanese music (hougaku)? Or foreign music (yougaku)?” in Asahi Shinbun suggests that K-pop girl groups such as KARA and SNSD cannot be categorised as either Western or Japanese pop because they are extremely successful even when they sing in Korean (Miyamoto 2011).

NiziU's place in this third space is evident in the mouthful of words that are used to introduce the group. Never referred to as a k-pop or j-pop group, they are often called JYP Entertainment's Japanese girl group. The 'JYP' part emphasizes their link and history to the Korean market hailing from one of the Big 4 agencies, while describing them as Japanese highlights their difference from other JYP groups and their connection to the j-pop industry. Neither side cancels out the other but exists together, each side a part of the group's identity.

November / Peony Debut: November 23, 2023 Debut Song: “Checkmate”

I did not expect to be writing about the Future Idol Asia project again this year but then they debuted their ninth girl group of the year, Peony. In retrospect though, I should have known better. Three years into the project and with a total of 40 groups under their belt, Rainbow E&M is an old hand at this thanks to their system (See: 2023 Q1 and 2023 Q2). Under it they scaled their project from three groups in 2021 to 19 new groups in 2022, which accounted for 25% of all groups that debuted that year. Now, this year has seen the debut of 12 new groups, accounting for 13% of the new groups that debuted. No other agency debuting new groups today has yet to match their number for this year or last year.

Rainbow E&M appears to have every intention of matching this same pace, or at least trying to in 2024. In June and July, they began posting on their official Instagram audition advertisements to recruit new participants, between the ages of 12 and 18 for their group that would debut in January 2024. By August, they were recruiting for their groups that are to debut in February and March, while their September and October posts mention a May group. Their posts from November and December are for those interested in joining their June group. If they manage to pull off this schedule, they will have debuted a group in at least five of the six months in the first half of the year.

According to the timetable deduced from these posts, Rainbow E&M will start looking for groups to fill out their roster for the second half of the year between January and February 2024, even as they are debuting their first group. Trainees, after all, are the lifeblood of this project. Their system only runs if there are trainees to feed through it to create groups to market to agencies at their showcases, which need new groups. The more trainees they can fit into their showcase, the better the chances that one will be asked to audition for other agencies. Then, to connect it to a point I made in my 2023 Q3 post regarding their showcase, they can use their trainees' association with these agencies to market their program and its success to recruit even more participants to their project, allowing them to produce even more groups, and continue the cycle.

December / Golden Girls Debut: December 1, 2023 Debut Song: “One Last Time”

Most entertainment agencies know not to debut new groups in December. Between the end of the year, award shows and festivals, holiday performances, and winter releases, audience's attention is anywhere but new groups. It is better to wait until the first quarter of the new year when a group’s debut has a better chance of finding fans.

Of course, not all agencies heed this advice. Most years, a few groups risk their future on an end-of-the-year debut, albeit with varying results. For some, their December release will mark both the beginning and end of a career, while for others, it will have no discernible effect. For example, the band Xdinary Heroes suffered little for the timing of their year-end debut in 2021, likely due to their association with JYP Entertainment. Similarly, JYP Entertainment’s super girl group Golden Girls, created from the KBS show with the same name and composed of bona fide legends Insooni, Park Mi-kyung, Shin Hyo-beom, and Lee Eun-mi, has proven immune to any of the downsides of a December 1st debut. The group won the Rookie Award in the ‘Show and Variety’ category at the 2023 KBS Entertainment Awards and recently announced their intention to tour in 2024.

Yet despite the show's association with a top entertainment agency, airing on one of Korea's three major networks, and the individual members' storied careers, it was not treated as a guarantee that Golden Girls would not meet the fate of so many other December debuts. Or at least that was the narrative surrounding the show early on. A promotional trailer released in October showed JYP meeting with each of the future members who initially dismissed the idea, with Hyo Bum calling it crazy and Insooni dubbing his then-dream group a “grandma group." Although all four singers eventually agreed to participate, that was not the end of the trouble surrounding production. As JYP explained on a November episode of MBC FM4U’s Kim Shin Young’s Noon Song of Hope, while KBS had approved the show, they required additional outside investment. And much like with the members, JYP found most companies were skeptical that his idea would work, although—as evidenced by the show's existence past episode two—some came around.

Perhaps they heard an early version of the group's debut song "One Last Time," which opens with the members singing about stagnation and their fear of the unknown. Then it builds to a chorus that provides a blueprint for breaking out of that rut, instructing listeners to, “Pour it all out Shout/Scream together/Go crazy like this is the time/Wake up and fight.” Take a chance on the unknown since as Eunmi sings, "Any challenge you haven't tried is a failure/Any chance you hesitate is a waste." So back that reality show with the eyebrow-raising, but not entirely new, idea to create a group of older women promoting a youth-centric industry. Debut a rookie group in December. Don’t, as Insooni sings, let any regrets remain.

[with-a-martyr-complex]

With A Martyr Complex: Reading List 2023

Adapted from the annual list from @balioc​, a list of books (primarily audiobooks) consumed this year. This list excludes several podcasts, but includes dramatizations and college lecture series from The Great Courses, which I consume like a parrot emotionally dependent on access to lecturers.

The Birth of Tragedy Out Of The Spirit of Music byFriedrich Nietzsche (Translated by Ian Johnston)

Death in Venice by Thomas Mann (Translated by Michael Henry Heim, Introduction by Michael Cunningham)

Financial Literacy: Finding Your Way in the Financial Markets by Connel Fullenkamp, from The Great Courses

The Dispossessed: A Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin

License to Travel: A Cultural History of the Passport by Patrick Bixby

Making History: How Great Historians Interpret the Past by Allen C. Guelzo, from The Great Courses

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (Translated by Donald Keene)

Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Understanding Japan: A Cultural History by Mark J. Ravina, from The Great Courses

The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold

What Has Passed Shall In Kinder Light Appear by Baoshu (Translated by Ken Liu)

The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World by Robert Garland from The Great Courses

The Just City by Jo Walton

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Understanding Imperial China: Dynasties, Life, and Culture by Andrew R. Wilson, from The Great Courses

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang (Contains: Tower of Babylon, Understand, Division By Zero, Story of Your Life, Seventy-Two Letters, The Evolution of Human Science, Hell is the Absence of God, and Liking What You See.)

Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition by Grant Hardy, from The Great Courses

By The Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions by Richard Cohen

War in Japan: 1467-1615 by Stephen Turnbull

Yūrei: The Japanese Ghost by Zack Davisson

Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu (Translated by Dennis Washburn)

Buddhism by Malcolm David Eckel, from The Great Courses

The Rise of Modern Japan by Mark Ravina, from The Great Courses

The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps: The Bloody Battles and Intrigues of the Shinsengumi by Romulus Hillsborough

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, (Translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori)

Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima (Translated by Michael Gallagher)

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

The Rise of Communism: From Marx to Lenin by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, from The Great Courses

Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, from The Great Courses

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (Translated by Isabel F. Hapgood)

Cycles of American Political Thought by Joseph F. Kobylka, from The Great Courses

Docile by K. M. Szpara

Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques by James Hynes, from The Great Courses

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

Hart's Hope by Orson Scott Card

Real Service by Raven Kaldera and Joshua Tenpenny

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alhigieri (Translated by Clive James)

Dante's Divine Comedy by William R. Cook and Ronald B. Herzman from The Great Courses

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Secrets of The Occult by Richard B. Spence (From the Great Courses, possibly?)

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

American Monsters by Adam Jortner from The Great Courses

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Imperial Bodyguard byGuy de la Bédoyère

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

Great World Religions: Hinduism by Mark W. Muesse, from The Great Courses

At The Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft

The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft

The Dunwich Horror by H. P. Lovecraft

The Shadow Out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft

The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H. P. Lovecraft

The Whisperer in Darkness by H. P. Lovecraft

The Complete Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft by H. P. Lovecraft (Collected by The H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, contains: The Alchemist, At the Mountains of Madness, Azathoth, The Best in the Cave, Beyond the Wall of Sleep, The Book, The Call of Cthulhu, The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Cats of Ulthar, Celephais, The Colour out of Space, Cool Air, Dagon, The Descendent, Discarded Draft of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," The Doom that Came to Sarnath, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, The Dreams in the Witch House, The Dunwich Horror, The Evil Clergyman, Ex Oblivione, Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family, The Festival, From Beyond, The Haunter of the Dark, He, Herbert West-Reanimator, History of the Necronomicon, The Horror at Red Hook, TheHound, Hypnos, Ibid, In the Vault, The Little Glass Bottle, The Lurking Fear, Memory, The Moon-Bog, The Music of Erich Zann, The Mysterious Ship (Long and Short Versions), The Mystery of the Grave-Yard, The Nameless City, Nyarlathotep, Old Bugs, The Other Gods, The Outsider, Pickman's Model, The Picture in the House, Polaris, The Quest of Iranon, The Rats in the Walls, A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson, The Secret Cave, The Shadow out of Time, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Shunned House, The Silver Key, The Statement of Randolph Carter, The Strange High House in the Mist, The Street, Sweet Ermengarde, The Temple, The Terrible Old Man, The Thing on the Doorstep, Through the Gates of the Silver KeyThe Tomb, The Transition of Juan Romero, The Tree, Under the Pyramids, The Unnamable, The Very Old Folk, What the Moon Brings, The Whisperer in Darkness, The White Ship)

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Patton: The Man Behind The Legend, 1885-1945 by Martin Blumenson

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger by Matt Yglesias

Red: A History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss Harvey

The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo (Translated by Isabel Florence Hapgood)

The Rape of the Mind: The Psychology of Thought Control, Menticide, and Brainwashing by Joost A. M. Meerloo

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Legacies of Great Economists by Timothy Taylor from The Great Courses

Incomplete books: Trouble on Triton, Comparative Hell: Arts of Asian Underworlds, Dark Archives, The History of the World: Map by Maps, The Iliad (Emily Wilson Translation), Christina Queen of Sweden: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric, The Three Musketeers, The Only Plane in the Sky, Myth in Human History, The Dragon: Fear and Power

---

Great Courses consumed: 17?

Non-Great Courses Nonfiction consumed: 13

---

Works consumed by women: 13

Works consumed by men: 53

Works consumed by men and women: 0

Works that can plausibly be considered of real relevance to foreign policy (including appropriate histories): 7

---

With A Martyr Complex’s Choice Award, fiction division: Convenience Store Woman

>>>> Honorable mention: Hart's Hope, Ancillary Justice, Child of God, No Longer Human, Piranesi, the first 1/3 of Cyteen, What Has Passed Shall in Kinder Light Appear

With A Martyr Complex’s Choice Award, nonfiction division: By The Sword

>>>> Honorable mention: The Shogun's Last Samurai Corps, Praetorian, The Birth of Tragedy most of the Great Courses stuff I got to this year

>>>> Great Courses Division: Buddhism

The Annual “An Essential Work of Surpassing Beauty that Isn’t Fair to Compare To Everything Else” Award: The Divine Comedy

>>>> Honorable mention: Julius Caesar, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, The Shadow Out of Time, Pride and Prejudice, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Man Who Laughs, The Dispossessed

The “Reading This Book Will Give You Great Insight Into The Way I See The World” Award: What Has Passed Shall In Kinder Light Appear

>>>> Honorable mention: Hell is the Absence of God (from Stories of Your Life and Others)

The "My Mind is Thoroughly Exhausted By Reading Through All This But It Was Worth It In The End" Award: The Tale of Genji

Book Most in Need of A Single Extra Chapter: The Man Who Laughs

Best Dude: Darcy from Pride and Prejudice

---

This is the first year where I didn't struggle to reach my 52 book goal at all, only some of which is thanks to the Lovecraft marathon. I also read a ton of short sci-fi stories early in the year for an online class I took (which is also why there are so many sci-fi novels in the beginning of the year) and feel much more knowledgeable in the genre even though I'm still not very well read in it. I will be taking a fantasy course next year to what I assume will be similar effect.

It's still hard to read non-audiobooks, made worse this year by a promotion at work that means I have much less free time overall but still a fair deal of time for audiobooks while working with my hands. My (I don't post it) movie list suffered similarly, with this being the first year in a while I didn't hit my movie target. Not discussed: I read various comics this year! Standouts: Chainsaw Man Part 1, the first volume of Pluto, Fun Home, the fifth volume of Phoenix, Look Back

Goals for next year: more foreign policy reading, more literary fiction, write something of my own, ohgodthesearethesamegoalsaslastyearpleasetellmeI'mnotstagnating

[geekcavepodcast]

Marvel Comics' "Ultimate Universe" to Spin Out 3 New Ultimate Comic Series

Marvel Comics is set to expand the Ultimate Universe.

The Ultimate Universe was introduced in Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch's Ultimate Invasion limited series. The Ultimate Universe will be further expanded on in Hickman, artist Stefano Caselli, and colorist David Curiel's Ultimate Universe #1 one-shot' featuring a cover by Bryan Hitch and on sale on November 1, 2023. Then, in 2024, Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Black Panther, and Ultimate X-Men will launch.

Ultimate Spider-Man #1, from Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto, kicks off the new line of Ultimate Comics. Following the events of Ultimate Invasion, the world needs a hero.

Ultimate Spider-Man #1, featuring a cover by Checchetto, goes on sale on January 10, 2024.

Ultimate Black Panther (2024) #1, from Bryan Hill and Stefano Caselli, sees Khonshu and Ra, together known as Moon Knight, seeking to expand their control over Africa. Wakanda, the lone bulwark against this brutal takeover, sends forth the Black Panther, its champion and king.

Ultimate Black Panther #1, featuring a cover by Caselli, goes on sale on February 7, 2024.

Ultimate X-Men (2024) #1, from Peach Momoko, will reinvent mutantkind. "In Japan, when a young student named Hisako Ichiki develops armor powers, she discovers she’s a mutant—and she’s not the only one! Meet a new generation of mutants, filled with original and familiar X-Men characters. Together, they’ll learn what it means to be mutant in the Ultimate Universe as they explore their emerging powers and the startling ways they connect to folklore, legend, and magic!" (Marvel Comics)

Ultimate X-Men #1, featuring a cover by Peach Momoko, goes on sale on March 6, 2024.

(Images via Marvel Comics - Bryan Hitch's Cover of Ultimate Universe #1, Marco Checchetto's Cover of Ultimate Spider-Man #1, Stefano Caselli's Cover of Ultimate Black Panther #1, Peach Momoko's Cover of Ultimate X-Men #1)

[wrestlingisfake]

ROH Fake Rankings, 12/2/2023

Men's singles division - babyfaces

Eddie Kingston (ROH men's world champion, STRONG men's champion)

Dalton Castle

El Hijo del Vikingo (AAA mega champion)

Komander (AAA cruiserweight champion)

Ethan Page

Lee Johnson

Gravity

Trent Beretta

Metalik

Willie Mack

Men's singles division - heels

Wheeler Yuta (ROH pure champion)

Brian Cage (ROH trios champion)

Kyle Fletcher

Tony Nese

Josh Woods

Evil Uno

Nick Comoroto

Unranked: Fred Rosser, Gringo Loco, Jack Cartwheel, Slim J, SK Bishop

After Tony Khan launched AEW in 2019, ROH went through a bit of a dark age until Khan acquired the promotion in 2022. Few names from that era remain on the roster--Castle, Yuta, and Woods are the most prominent on the weekly TV series right now.

We're two weeks away from ROH's next pay-per-view, Final Battle, and the men's side only has one match announced--a six-way for the television title, which Samoa Joe abandoned. Joe is putting his focus on chasing the AEW men's world champion MJF, who has been one of the ROH tag team champions for three months and has yet to appear on an ROH show. As for the six-way, only Castle and Komander have been confirmed as participants thus far.

I assume there won't be a men's world title match on the PPV, since Kingston is busy with AEW's Continental Classic tournament. Similarly the pure title has seen more action in AEW than ROH. Brian Cage and the trios title are effectively on ice until his tag partners return from New Japan's World Tag League.

I have no doubt Final Battle will end up being a good show. But with ROH in the state it's in, the quality of the show will largely depend on how many big names from AEW (or perhaps New Japan) will come in for exactly one night, tear the house down, and then not stick around. That approach isn't going to convince people to pay $10/month for the weekly TV.

Men's tag team division - babyfaces

Darius Martin & Action Andretti

Dralistico & Preston Vance

Iron Savages - Boulder & Bronson

Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo

Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal

The Outrunners - Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd

Colt Cabana & Brandon Cutler

The Boys - Brandon Tate & Brent Tate

The Bollywood Boyz - Gurv Shira & Harv Shira

Men's tag team division - heels

Gates of Agony - Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona (ROH trios champions)

The Righteous - Vincent Marseglia & Bobby Dutch

The Butcher & The Blade

Shane Taylor Promotions - Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty

The Workhorsemen - Anthony Henry & JD Drake

Cole Karter & Griff Garrison

Spanish Announce Project - Serpentico & Angelico

The Wingmen - Ryan Nemeth & Peter Avalon

The West Coast Wrecking Crew - Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs

Unranked: Jacoby Watts & Sebastian Wolfe, Trevor Outlaw & GPA

On paper this looks like a stacked tag team division. However, most of the teams listed are booked like jobbers when they appear on AEW teleivison, and get booked 50/50 in ROH matches. I think the Iron Savages, the Infantry (Dean/Bravo and Trish Adora), and the Outrunners have a ton of potential, but I can't fool myself into thinking they're being pushed right now. Andretti/Martin and the Righteous are presented like big deals, but their win-loss records don't reflect that--hell, the Righteous couldn't even beat MJF two-on-one.

The main exception is Kaun and Liona, who are booked like monsters. But there's no sense of that leading to them challenging for the ROH tag title. The main idea is that they're part of a monster trio with Brian Cage. But after a year at the top of the trios division, they've destroyed every possible trio combination on this roster, and it feels like only an AEW superteam could topple them.

Women's division - babyfaces

Willow Nightingale

Billie Starkz

Leyla Hirsch

Rachael Ellering

Kiera Hogan

Trish Adora

Women's division - heels

Athena (ROH women's world champion)

Marina Shafir

Nyla Rose

Mercedes Martinez

Diamante

Emi Sakura

Robyn Renegade

Charlette Renegade

Unranked: Amira, Brooke Havok, Heather Reckless, Heidi Howitzer, Johnnie Robbie, Kel, Ronda Rousey, Zoey Lynn

The biggest storyline in ROH lately has been Athena training Starkz to be her "minion," and feuding with Shafir, until Starkz flipped out on both Shafir and Athena, and challenged Athena for the title at Final Battle. At this point I'm not sure which of the three are supposed to end up being babyfaces or heels, but the story's still in progress.

They're also doing a thing with Hirsch trying to decide whether Ellering or Maria Kanellis truly has her back. So good for ROH for actually having multiple women's storylines, although I wish the second one wasn't the same passive-agressive "are you really my friend?" stuff we see all the time in women's wrestling.

The Renegades have gotten involved with both of these storylines, in tag matches against Athena/Starkz and Ellering/Hirsch. That's a good idea to keep things interesting. Unfortunately the Renegades have the same problem the Bella Twins had in WWE--their whole deal is being a cohesive duo, but the promotion doesn't have a women's tag team title for them to dominate.

OK, this next part is where I list wrestlers who are on the roster but haven't had a match in over a month. Thing is, ROH doesn't really have an official roster. So this is just a selection of wrestlers who are either on AEW's official roster or free agents that seem to be ROH regulars.

No televised ROH matches in 30 days: Allysin Kay, Blake Christian (GCW world champion), Kip Sabian, Lady Frost, Marti Belle, QT Marshall, Rocky Romero (CMLL historic welterweight champion), Scorpio Sky, Skye Blue

No televised ROH matches in 60 days: Angelina Love, AR Fox, Claudio Castagnoli, Chuck Taylor, Jimmy Jacobs, Leila Grey, Nick Wayne, Silas Young

Last televised ROH match between June 1 and August 31: Alex Reynolds, Big Bill (AEW tag team champion), Cheeseburger, Daniel Garcia, Eli Isom, Jacked Jameson, John Silver, Leon Ruffin, Madison Rayne, Mark Briscoe, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, Miranda Alize, Penta El Zero Miedo, Rey Fenix, Rhett Titus, Samoa Joe, Stokely Hathaway, Stu Grayson, Tracy Williams

Looking at all these names, you can see talent that will probably be back before long, and others who have clearly moved on. I really doubt Castagnoli and Samoa Joe will be back. The Kingdom (Taven and Bennett) feel integral to 2020s ROH, but their AEW act with Roderick Strong is so hot right now that it'd be silly to move them back here. In other cases (for example, Isom, Cheeseburger, Williams, Titus) I never know if they're just on a hiatus or if Tony Khan has just decided to stop booking them altogether.

I would guess about half of these names will return to ROH now and then over the next six months. But "will return" could mean "will appear weekly leading to a PPV match" or just "will do one match and then nothing for another six months."

Inactive

Bandido (left wrist - triangular fibrocartilage complex tear)

Katsuyori Shibata (leave of absence)

There's no way to know if either of these guys will be ROH regulars when they return, but they were when we last saw them. By the same token, Dante Martin (who was injured on an ROH show months ago and has just made his return) could be headed back here or maybe he won't.

Conspicuous by their absence on this list are the ROH tag team champions, since Adam Cole hasn't wrestled under the ROH brand since 2017, and MJF never has. I thought it was possible they'd at least show up for Final Battle, but there's no timetable for Cole's return from an ankle injury. MJF could show up to defend the tag belts solo, or with a substitute partner. But considering he's working through a torn labrum, and trying to make it to the December 30 show, Final Battle is probably a low priority for his schedule.

[everygame]

3D Classics: Twinbee (Nintendo 3DS) / Twinbee (NES)

Developed/Published by: Konami Released: 10/08/2011 (Nintendo 3DS), 7/1/1986 (Famicom) Completed: 05/04/2023 Completion: a rare 1 credit “clear” finishing the first loop with 950,800 on the 3D Classics version. Trophies / Achievements: n/a

Well it’s all surprises here, because I had tremendous fun playing through this after considering the original arcade release somewhat miserable to play through due to it’s relentless brutality. With the Nintendo 3DS taken out back and beaten to death by Nintendo, I took the opportunity while the big N was distracted to lift all the 3D Classics from behind the bar and I wasn’t expecting to play this for particularly long considering that the release doesn’t let you savescum your way through it (you get a single quick save, and it’s deleted when you load it back up. Right now it’s holding at the start of the second loop, triumphantly.)

However, it’s got a lot going for it. NIntendo’s 3D Classics range are a truly odd bunch and it’s a bit of a tragedy that they gave up on the series so quickly, considering they’d hit their stride with upgrades to Kid Icarus and Kirby’s Adventure, but the writing was probably on the wall with their decision to make the flagship releases Excitebike and… Urban Champion? A game they haven’t even released on Switch Online, they’re so shamed? To be fair, they did put out Xevious, and (oddly) they even put it out as an Arcade port, not a port of the (excellent) NES version, but that’s a game with a tragic lack of cache outside of Japan. I suspect these sold so horribly poorly that there was just no money in it, and I wonder if it was a bit of unconscious self-sabotage from either Nintendo (not wanting to just shove up 3D Super Mario Bros or 3D Legend of Zelda) or Akira (wanting to do more interesting releases). I mean M2 still puts out versions of Sonic every time they get to do some Sega re-releases even if all they really want to do is put out Fantasy Zone again.

Anyway. As I was saying, 3D Classics: Twinbee has a lot going for it. First of all, the 3D is good. I kept it on the whole time and never found it painful. Secondly, it mildly (quite mildly) prettifies the original NES release with the backgrounds not looking as plain and there’s a cute “theatre curtain” framing. And finally, and most importantly, it’s got auto-fire (missing on the Switch Online version…) and overall is nowhere near as much of a ballache to play as the arcade original.

It’s just a lot more… balanced. More forgiving. I mean maybe I’ve gotten really good at shooters all of a sudden, but that’s not particularly likely. There are a manageable amount of enemies and bullets on screen until the gauntlet that is the mid-point of level 5, and the power-ups are huge bumps in power–the “shadow options” create a wall of bullets and the shield lasts for a pretty ridiculous amount of time. If you’re able to get the shield and the rare 3-way shot, you’re golden.

With everything a bit less busy on screen, you can actually manage to juggle bells successfully, and in my 1CC I died several times and was able to get powered back up fairly quickly and with only some panic (in level 5 I did go through a death-loop ending up with only a single life left, but just managed to get a shield in time.) I was obviously helped by auto-fire… but that was a staple of third-party controllers at the time. It’s not cheating… really…

If there is a problem it’s that if you lose your arms (which allow you to bomb enemies on the ground) you basically get one shot at recovering them and it seems like the ambulance never shows up again and so you’ll probably die, or have to die, as a result. Oh, and the bosses are a bit crap.

This is good though.

Will I ever play it again? Well, I’ve actually beat this twice now, first on Switch Online with some saves and then on the 3DS, so probably not? But I recommend it over the arcade original and I now look forward to the sequels.

Final Thought: While I’m positive about this, I would say in 1986 the original release isn’t that exciting considering Xevious came out over a year before (November 1984) and is still, honestly, better. And I guess if you were buying 3D Classics (which you weren’t, because no one was) you were much better off getting Xevious there too even if 1CCing this is extremely rewarding. But yeah, if it’s 1986? It certainly seems like you’re better off saving your Christmas money till April when Gradius finally hits the Famicom.

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[lovedrunkheadcanons]

GTAW: Chapter 18 Notes

1. If you’re a baseball lover like myself, and want to learn more about Japan’s passion for the sport, and the differences between the American and Japanese philosophies, I’d recommend “You Gotta Have Wa: When Two Cultures Collide on the Baseball Diamond” by Robert Whiting. The two quotes above I got from this book.

But if you don’t want to do that, you can watch this 10 minute video instead.😜

A ⚾️ — Also, there’s no easy way to say this, but the only way to understand baseball is to watch a game. Multiple games, at that. You can watch complete games on YouTube or the MLB website. You can also watch instructional YouTube videos, but I can almost guarantee you’ll be left confused. There are a lot of unwritten rules in baseball and it can be difficult for a beginner to fully grasp them right off the bat (see what I did there?😉). However, I found some videos that might help as you learn.

Brief history of baseball in America (funny/dark humor)

I would also be remissed if I didn’t mention anything about The Negro League. Very important stuff, especially when explaining how baseball first came to Japan.

⭐️The different kinds of pitches.

The history of the baseball cap.

⭐️The official rules of baseball.

B ⚾️ — Major League Baseball (MLB) is the #1 pro baseball organization in the United States (and Canada). It comprises 30 teams and is divided into two leagues: the Nation League (NL), and the American League (AL).

The regular MLB season consists of 162 games a year.

The annual championship of the MLB is known as the World Series. Why it is called the World Series when it’s only held in the United States (and Canada)? Good question. I have absolutely no clue. Chalk it up to American arrogance, I guess.

The MLB is responsible for maintaining and interpreting the official rules of baseball. All international leagues, including those in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, you name it, more or less adhere to the official rules of baseball as codified by the MLB. Think of baseball as a regulated good, like champagne or Swiss chocolate.

And to put money in perspective, The New York Yankees are the most valuable MLB team, worth an estimated $7.1 billion alone, which doesn’t even count the other 29 teams, many of whom also range in the billions and multi-millions.

C ⚾️ — The Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) is the #1 professional baseball organization in Japan. Locally it is called the Puro Yakyū. It comprises 12 teams and like the MLB is also divided into two leagues: The Central League (CL), and the Pacific League (PL).

The regular NPB season consists of 130 games a year.

The annual championship of the NPB is called the Japan Series, which makes sense, unlike the MLB.

The two most successful teams in NPB history are the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers.

D ⚾️ — The World Baseball Classic is the FIFA World Cup of baseball, though not as many countries participate. It’s only been around since 2006 and sometimes crazy drama happens and it’s awesome. Most baseball lovers (and I’m thinking specifically of snobbish Americans) consider the World Series to be the ultimate championship, not the WBC, but try telling that to the Japanese.😂

Fun fact. Team Japan were the first WBC champions in 2006 and they are this year's 2023 champions as well. Pretty neat. I watched the game. It was electric. Congratulations Japan!!!🥳🎉🎊👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

E ⚾️ — In the past it was heavily frowned upon for a Japanese player to sign with an MLB team, mainly for two reasons: One, Japanese natives didn’t like their top athletes playing away overseas. And two, it was seen as a selfish money grab. (MLB players get paid A LOT more than their international counterparts.) Although, nowadays when a Japanese player makes it to “the Bigs” it’s seen as an act of national pride, which is why Satoru has a Seattle Mariners “away” jersey (Ichiro Suzuki) and a St. Louis Cardinals “home” jersey (So Taguchi). 🇯🇵

F ⚾️ Satoru says he doesn’t have a favorite player, but when Shohei Ohtani steps onto the scene that all changes. He develops a HUGE man-crush on the guy and won’t shut up about him:

SATORU: The man is a beast, Hannah. A Beast!!!😤

HANNAH: Yes, dear, we know. You’ve said it a million times already.😒

2. Here, Satoru quotes from the Inquiry of Urga. While not a major religious text, I’d like to think Satoru is well versed in many texts. It’s also worth noting that most Japanese are not religious, but I think religion makes the plot more interesting.

3. Okashi Gaku’s “Cake in a Can.”

Overview of some Japanese vending machines. I would love having a security goat. 🐐 I pass on the bugs though.🐜🐜🐜

4. Koishikawa Kōraku-en (Garden for Taking Pleasure Later) really is located right next to the Tokyo Dome as is an amusement park.

The “Big O” Ferris wheel.

Going up inside Tokyo Tower.

The Skytree is actually twice as tall as Tokyo Tower, but I think Tokyo Tower is prettier and more romantic since it’s modeled after the Eiffel Tower, so that was my rationale.

I have no idea whether Hannah would be able to see all of Tokyo from that height, but let’s pretend. Tokyo is massive.

5. This is also a good thing to point out, but my beta reader asked me why I didn’t mention anything about sumo wrestling, since it is technically Japan’s official national sport. Long story short, sumo has been embroiled in a lot of scandals recently and is not as popular with younger audiences. That being said, sumo will never disappear from Japan and holds great cultural significance, but viewership wise, baseball is more popular than sumo. However, you can watch this short video and decide for yourself.

Here is also a brief history of sumo.