#ALSO 10 points just for the background scenery

[freakoont]

Before the Summer Ends...

Featured content: Bungo Stray Dogs Characters: Atsushi Nakajima, Osamu Dazai, Ranpo Edogawa, Akiko Yosano, Edgar Allan Poe GN reader

Headcanons of what YOU and your favorite character are doing before the Summer ends...

Atsushi Nakajima

You guys probably did some lively outdoor activities

This can include taking your pet cat weretiger on a walk🥺

I honestly can't help but see you guys going fishing at some point🤔

you guys created a kite together and definitely tried flying! But it failed the first time :(

Don't like going outside? That's okay, you guys would also stay inside and tried making s'mores together!

If it was him deciding the date during the summer, he probably went on Google and looked at those "75 Fun things to do over the Summer" pages

Kyoka definitely joined you guys sometimes, like when y'all are taking walks haha..

Imagine you and Atsushi were together and he suddenly got the confidence to kiss you and then Kyoka shows up💀 SHE WASN'T TRYING TO RUIN IT

Atsushi is the father, you are the mother/second father, and Kyoka is your child

Osamu Dazai

He's definitely the type to wake you up at 4 in the morning to randomly tell you that y'all are going on a road trip💀

NO FURTHER EXPLANATION JUST PACK AND LEAVE

he took you guys to a hill to have a nice picnic and see the scenery

But soon tried to have a double suicide with you there... That bastard😒

OML HE WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE YOU TO A GIANT MUSIC FESTIVAL

I think he'd also take you to explore Yokohama a little more. He definitely knows the city well so he'd know the right places to take you

After all the crazy stuff, he's going to just stay on the couch and not move whether you like it or not. I mean, you can cuddle him of course. He's just too tired to move

Watch a movie/Reading a book/Writing an article/doing whatever while he's laying his head on your lap PLAY WITH HIS FLUFFY HAIR

Oh, let's not forget you guys are doing SUMMER EDITION pranks on Kunikida.

Messing with his schedule SUMMER EDITION.

Ranpo Edogawa

He doesn't want to go anywhere >:(

It took a lot of convincing but you guys went to the beach together

But he's just going to sit under the umbrella eating a Popsicle

OR HES BUILDING A SANDCASTLE

WATER GUN FIGHT.

Watching a movie while he's eating all the snacks and sharing like 10% of it

You guys are watching classic Disney movies. like Nemo, Toy Story, Rapunzel, etc.

Fun board game tournaments he always won in the logic and strategy ones😭

OMG YOU GUYS WENT TO THE AQUARIUM WITH POE😳 threesome when?

If you try taking photos together during the Summer he'll either tell you to hurry up or whine and refuse because he thinks it's boring and a waste of time😒 but he'll do it in the end just for you

Akiko Yosano

GOING SHOPPING TOGETHER❤️

SUMMER FASHION MONTAGE.

Taking walks near the beach while holding hands

You guys went to an art museum together and bought some souvenirs for eachother

Making a summer playlist of eachother

Going on a picnic while watching the sunset/sunrise

You guys tried making homemade ice cream.... It was a flop😭

WINE TASTING EVENT BETWEEN YOU TWO

let's be for real.... Y'all went styling to a casino and had fun

Edgar Allan Poe + Karl

The most obvious would be you two cuddling with maybe Karl joining it took a lot of convincing for Poe to do it.

PLAY WITH HIS FLUFFY HAIR. I REPEAT. PLAY WITH THE FLUFFY HAIR. it makes him feel all warm inside🤭

Since he came from America and doesn't know a lot about Yokohama, you're his free tour guide (or payment is just kisses and cuddles)

He probably doesn't want to do top much outside honestly

Making a romantic dinner together🥺

He's reading you his poetry🙏😳

You guys tried doing dancing together while some music played in the background

He went to grab something from the groceries real quick so you and Karl just partied and did father/mother son activities together in under like 15 minutes

He DEFINITELY had to ask Ranpo for help on what to do. Ranpo is like "idk do whatever ig" WHICH DID NOT HELP😭

[waitingforsecretsouls]

Zahard downplay is crazy. I'll grant Phantaminum (though regardless of how easily he could have defeated Zahard, fact of the matter is also that for some reason he didn't *shrug*). But Enryu (in its extent) and Urek?

Enryu fought an Admin (whom I, and that's just my personal opinion, believe to not be categorically more powerful than fully realized Irregulars outside of their supposed administrator monopoly over shinsu and its distribution, at least no to the point of categorically out fire - powering said Irregulars) and some fodder but people make the gulf between him an Zahard akin to heaven and earth (nevermind that Enryu is not an administrator, so the whole "but he killed one, and SIU said Zahard could never do it!" is somewhat of a false equivalent to draw for a hypothetical Enryu and Zahard battle. Anyone remember the whole "King of the Tower" Zahard deal, granted said position by virtue of the administrators? Of course he couldn't kill an administrator, he's the Irregular with the most known administrator contracts ("shackles") out of them all).

Mind you, I'm not even saying Zahard would win against Enryu or anything, but he IS 1) a fellow Irregular capable of Shinwonryu 2) a physical anomaly and durability machine, so I don't think it's weird to grant him better reaction times and endurance to say, a first volley of "Red Rain", than background rank and file Rankers. He also categorically doesn't underestimate people, even his far younger and inexperienced data only gradually tested Bam because he absolutely trashed him in their first encounter and wanted to have some fun, so it's unlikely Outside Zahard wouldn't realize the threat Enryu poses (SIU did say he had excellent survival instincts as befitting an adventurer) or not start all out. I'd even argue that to Outside Zahard a nearly hopeless fight to the death would be the equivalent of the fun his data self had with Bam, whether he himself has realized that or not (as reckognized by his data <3).

Urek punched through some scenery, fought an upjumped administrator parasite, needing Bam's help for the finish and had an exchange of hits with Luslec who chose to bounce. The fact of this extended battle screentime alone makes it narratively unlikely that Zahard is only going to be slightly more dangerous, because I see no way that wouldn't feel highly underwhelming to the audience. But even with those "feats" trying to argue that he's more powerful and how widespread that opinion seems already is kinda crazy. There's a reason 90% of Urek>Zahard is based on the old blogpost info about Arie Hon saying that Urek was "far better" than him when they fought at his floor (which. Big whoop, so was Zahard, 10:1 in that regard for him, since we're using blogpost info and such).

And again in reverse, I'm not saying Urek is not incredibly powerful in his own right or deserving of his high ranking, simply that he has yet to tangibly demonstrate something that would put, say, his physical strength (something I've surprisingly often seen as the edge people would give him over Zahard, when imo, giving him an advantage in speed seems far more likely, given his signature technique of "firing shinsu at the speed of light" and everything about Zahard's highlighted monstrous strength) above Zahard, who has the entire Princess of Zahard stuff on his side as a "feat" in that regard alone (creating Princesses out of not only Great Family members but even random Towerborn physically superior to all Ten Great Families average and the (physical) equal of Rankers even all the way back on the Floor of Tests with just a little of his power).

I'll also say that the whole concept of "yeah, number 1 and 2 are definitely stronger than number three (this checks out), but ACTUALLY number four was also stronger than number three all along!" (Uhh, what? In that case, don't give Urek a definitive ranking built into the earlierst lore, that so far checks out (Phantaminum>Enryu>Zahard), and make him a Traumerei or something) would just feel...Random. Especially since number three is the primary antagonist of the whole series.

Tldr; I see the gap between Zahard and Urek as likely to be wider than the one between Zahard and Enryu.

[stillness138]

Since there won't be any more expansions (and i'm a chronic procrastinator), i updated my personal top 10 Gwent card arts into a top 20, including the few sets that came since then and shuffling things around a bit.

It's a long one, hence the cut.

Personal top 20 Gwent card arts:

20: Bone Talisman by Bogna Gawrońska It's still the most festive looking thing i like. My beloved blue-and-bright red fidget spinner. I really can't explain my weird attachment to it any other way; i generally tend to like the item arts, maybe it's the collector brain, maybe it's because after Homecoming and most of the expansion sets since later 2019 onwards, these base set trinket adjacent arts became more prominent to me among a lot of new, more dramatic and bleak character and scenery art.

19: Ceremonial Dagger by Katarzyna Bekus The entire set of strategem arts from Merchants of Ofir is honestly packed, but the dagger is the one i found myself putting in my in-game profile the most. Maybe it's the item hoarder brain again, maybe it's the color scheme i find relatable if that makes sense, most likely it's the premium helping a bunch to make that choice too. The background weirdly fascinates me. Does it have anything to do with The Spiral? I have never attempted to really assign any logical meaning to the strategem arts, they're clearly more symbolic than anything, but it still makes you wonder.

18: Ard Gaeth by Katarzyna Bekus Somewhat related, here's another piece of wonky multiverse lore. And once again, it's the color that first grabs attention; the contrast of teal and this dusty red. Then one starts realizing the implied size and scope, the birds help with that, apart from being a cute composition detail. The shattery effect makes it look volatile, unstable, dangerous. Ominous. Which ultimately makes it fit with the rest of the Wild Hunt archetype in more than just lore.

17: Coup de Grâce by Lorenzo Mastroianni There are two wolves in me, one loves bright colors, the other actually enjoys a lot of the bleaker scenes. Although to be fair, Lorenzo Mastroianni is a big contributor to that. And it's no wonder, when he casually drops stuff like this. It's almost symbolic, lot less than strategems but certainly more than other, straightforward "war sucks" Gwent art. How do you visually represent something sad in a way that makes it hard to look away not just because of the tragedy but because of the beauty put into making that image? You ask Lorenzo Mastroianni, the modern classical artist, to do it.

16: Viper Witcher by Valeriy Vegera I once described Valeriy's art as "where Lorenzo uses a tight color palette, he uses every pencil in the case". This one is perhaps not as obvious an example, the whole piece has a very unified atmosphere especially from afar, but still, there are so many colors especially in textiles and skin. They're harder to register sometimes but it's how Valeriy does texture and shading. And somehow, he bridges the bleak and the colorful world too. Admittedly, this card also had to be here because mr. Viper is my son, and the voicelines are done by an actor with the nicest, smoothest bass i've heard since Peter Steele.

15: Naglfar's Crew by Anton Nazarenko I was surprised by how much i ended up liking this one. It's the implications, i think; enchanted to laboriously upkeep this monster of a ship, this 'and if you see it emerge from a breach in the sky, you know you're fucked' symbol of death and decay. It's dark in a way i find compelling, i guess.

14: Serpent Trap by Marta Dettlaff Back to the bright ones, i liked this art ever since i discovered it as Nature's Gift in post-Midwinter beta. The card saw play in Scoia'tael spell decks, and to me it became linked to Francesca Findabair for their shared spectral snake thing. But that all aside, the art is just so pretty. Vibrant, yet not oversaturated. And like the item arts, needed to balance out the cool and badass and the dramatic and tragic. Looking at it now, another point comes to mind; it's still grounded? The way Gwent art at large is grounded compared to other card games. Like it's not trying so hard (both this piece and the game's art in general). That's refreshing.

13: Chort by Bartłomiej Gaweł It reminds me of the first game's main menu. The Witcher 1 main menu is, to me, one of the most accurate representations of this universe, its atmosphere. Even if the "you kill cows, you get ambushed by the fucking baphomet" is a meme game mechanic, something about it is...witchery. Superstition, folk legends, and ultimately, monsters. Or that's my takeaway, anyway. But the Chort art, beside being on the more rare side in-game, has always weirdly drawn me in.

12. Oneiromancy by Lorenzo Mastroianni This was the Novigrad expansion key art before they turned it into a card, and i sure am glad they did. Lorenzo can get a bit weird, as a treat, someone said. Are they Condwiramurs and Corinne? Possibly! But i'll abstain from the schizo theories now. It's a gorgeous, well composed and executed surrealist piece. Inception if it had strong palpable atmosphere.

Denis Villeneuve > Christopher Nolan. but Lorenzo beats both

11: Funeral Boat by, you guessed it, Lorenzo Mastroianni One final yippee for the last card set. And my god it's beautiful. Tight composition can get surprisingly hard to coordinate and make decisions for, but this is so well-balanced. The left end of the boat is closer to the frame, but right side has the most noticeable color, the character's face, and of course the bird to even it out. As if to defend the title i gave him earlier, Lorenzo references Isle of the Dead in a way that, even if symbolic, fits into the universe perfectly. Someone stop me before i start rambling about similar concepts in different mythologies.

10: Dana Méadbh (now the token spawned by Call of Harmony) by Anna Podedworna The most famous Gwent artist enters the list. With a piece made around two, when you think about it very bold choices. The goddess of nature and life, glowing with inhuman light in a black and barren forest. Obscured by thin, bare tree trunks. But to make her emerge and stand out, that was necessary. And it's working wonders. A lot of the Scoia'tael faction is obviously green, all kinds of green, but even a simple choice like making it pop out of black makes the card art stand out among others.

9: Circle of Life by Oleksandr Kozachenko It has everything i usually look for in Gwent art; nature, color, atmosphere. A certain tranquility, perhaps. A little bit of story - the orange badge is the Kerack coat of arms. It's that environmental storytelling thing gamers keep talking about, complementing the character and faction drama of the rest of its card set.

There's a slightly changed, extended version, too, and somehow it's even better.

8: Gezras of Leyda by Bogdan Rezunenko As much as i tend to dunk on Bogdan for having played Blasphemous once and making it his entire personality, Gezras is easily the best school founder card art of the set. Once again, the choice to have these prominent arts on the more symbolic side paid off, and the result is a stalking nocturnal animal out for revenge, backed by a giant image of what simultaneously did him irrepairable harm and gave him the means to defend himself. The premium doesn't disappoint either.

7: Rioghan the Undying by Daniel Valaisis To nobody's surprise, the atmosphere, once again, got me hooked. I love the cold color, the dramatic flow, the big imposing silhouette of a ship in the background. Poor boy is the picture of misery. It's pure melancholy (something not that common in the Skellige faction by the way, which is a point in favor of Funeral Boat too), that i, of course, am inevitably drawn to.

he's just like me fr...

6: Witches' Sabbath by Michal Lisowski Did i craft this card already or not? The realist's complaint towards near-greyscale card art. I share this sentiment, if only for the comedy of it, but with a few notable exceptions, and this piece is the main one. The Robert Eggers comparisons were made already i'm sure, but it really is a take on the last good Witcher 3 quest with a dramatic, more dreamy, or you could say cinematic quality ramped up to 11. Gone is the fanservice present in the game and the unnecessarily grotesque depictions of fatness of other parts of this card set, and what remains is a beautiful, ominous callback to folklore and classical art.

5: Tinboy by Valeriy Vegera This is a baroque painting. The drama. Tinboy doesn't take that scarf off, ever. And here this poor soul is, their last will to live dragging it off him. On purpose? On accident? Probably both. The pattern marking Tinboy as a gang member staining with blood of a victim, something something symbolism. All in Valeriy's signature 'which pencil should i pick up next' style. Underrated piece.

4: Lara Dorren by Toni Muntean They finally got our girl. And once again, despite heartbreak, it's gorgeous. Soft, sweet colors with a necessary hint of melancholy (the lighting suggests it's sunset?), and a pure, painted quality without the need for texture assets. A scene like this is better left a comparatively simple and laid back tribute. Beyond the technicalities, i also really, really applaud Toni for the outfit design. This is the Aen Elle princess, dressed well but for the weather. And the fact her mostly blue clothes with yellow sleeves mirror Cregennan's yellow jerkin with blue details, and her red brooch above the heart might, beside contrasting with the blue, very well reflect his fatal wounds... well. As much as death on card art isn't always done the best, Lara is represented together with that which mattered to her the most. Despite being categorized among the Wild Hunt, she remains herself.

3: Lydia van Bredervoort by Igor Klymenko The joy i felt when this was the art of Lydia they managed to get into the game. It's easily one of the best contest pieces and on par with the best Gwent has to offer - it has mood, and that ever present air of groundedness, realism, and in that, unfortunate tragedy. But similarly to Lara, it shows Lydia being her own person; doing what she loved and was good at without sight of Vilgefortz despite her being known as his ever loyal assistant. Likewise, it doesn't sensantionalize her condition, but references it in a subtle, tasteful, and even clever way. I also love her dress and the overall color palette. Igor understood.

2: Eldain by Anna Podedworna Couldn't help it, this asshole has me in chokehold and he's enjoying it. In my defense, this piece highlights everything Anna is known for, because she's damn good at it. Incredibly sharp main subject of the piece contrasted against a blurry background, which allows for insane details like the strings extending from the top of the lute. To add more fun to it, Eldain isn't even in the absolute foreground, but the piece is still composed smart, so he remains the main focus. His silly red collar on mostly green helps. On top of all that, the art tells a little story, something Anna often does too, and in this case it delightfully sums Eldain up. It's also the best premium in the game.

look at his little red ears from sitting against the sun aww

Honorable mention: Lake Guardian by Anton Nazarenko Like the following #1, this card has sentimental value to me as my second card reveal and artwork i made my best emote of. It was a perfect match, bird gals and all. It's a Sirin, bringing in a more obscure but not unwelcome mythology reference to the universe. And I love her vibrant, marble-like eyes.

1: Dol Blathanna Sentry by Lorenzo Mastroianni ...remains my favourite card art since that fateful day sometime in January 2018. I was just discovering what there was to know about Witcher, downloading Gwent in the first place out of need for more content as i was slowly reading through the first book. Gwent has done a lot to explore and build on this universe, and it has helped me contextualize a lot of things early on. I remember scrolling through the deckbuilder, seeing this art, and being struck by its mood, this aura of secret and wonder. "Oh, so this is what Dol Blathanna looks like..." It's quintessential older Lorenzo. Very much admitted brush work, fog, tight color palette. The little specks of blue in flowers and face paint work just right. Maybe it's a reference to Arthurian myth and Avalon, maybe to Greek myth and Hades, or maybe, as is often the case and was the case later (or earlier in this list), both. It spoke to me and my sense of wonder back then. It speaks to me when i search for comfort now.

now, time to tear Karol Bem to shreds in the top 20 least favourites xd

[incorrectallpersonaquotes]

OKAY, SO WE FINALLY BEAT PERSONA 5 TACTICA AND THE REPAINT YOUR HEART DLC, FULL SPOILER REVIEW AHEAD

- First of all, I think the game is very good. I rate it 9/10, because although there are some stuff I don’t like, the good stuff is SO good that it makes up for it perfectly. It is a great game, and I don’t regret at all buying the Deluxe Edition on release.

- The gameplay is VERY good, no doubt one of the greatest points in the game. As a fan of tactical RPG fan, it’s a system that is very different than the usual “your character’s turn, move these squares, do your action, proceed”. The fact that you freely move the characters makes for a very peculiar experience, and it makes for a very fun gameplay, with cool puzzles that, although I recognized may be annoying for some people, were very fun to me. Very cool!

- However, I think the gameplay lacked more Persona/SMT elements. For example, the lack of a system based on elemental weaknesses was something I didn’t like. Because of that, I spent 90% of the game’s battle with a party composed of Joker, Panther and Queen, without feeling any need to alternate between different characters. Sure, there’s this mechanic that the characters have better status if you let them rest, só it’s valid to alternate the party, but that was literally the only reason, the aspect of changing characters because of their strong or weak points was kinda lost. Also, no Social Links aside from the Quests and the Talk menu, that provide some fun scenes, but doesn’t replace the social aspect of the Persona games.

- That said, the Quests and Talk scenes were REALLY cool, it provided us with some awesome interactions between characters and did a wonderful job at including the newcomers Erina and Toshiro. Things like Yusuke wanting to see Legionnaires fall from the sky, Haru blowing up everything to let off steam, Erina trying to summon a Persona and being a worthy rival of Ryuji in the aspect of yelling at inappropriate times… it was all very cool. Also, the Quests were amazing in gameplay if you like puzzles. I don’t like it, but I had lots of fun with it.

- The game is kinda short, and it felt like a waste to have only two Kingdoms with a strong historical theme (the French Revolution and the Meiji Revolution), the other two Kingdoms felt kinda bland. I think it would have been nice to insert at least one or two other Kingdoms with strong revolution sceneries.

- The story itself is very cool. Erina is amazing since the start, but Toshiro is a character that really grows on you. He starts off being very annoying, but since the main story is all about his development, you end up liking him more, and the transition from “adult pain in the ass” to “honest man trying to do the right thing” is very nice, and his background is amazing.

- There’s a specific scene where you, as Joker, can pick someone on the Phantom Thieves you’d want to marry, and that includes Ryuji and Yusuke as well. I really loved that scene because, although Ryuji and Yusuke scenes are more inclined to comedy, in no moment it goes like “whaaaaat, you want to marry Ryuji, that’s weird man, no homo”, quite the opposite, in both Ryuji and Yusuke options the act of them marrying Joker is seen as totally normal, without making fun of it, and well, it’s not just the boys’ options that tend to comedy, if you pick Makoto the scene is also hilarious. Sure, it could have been better, but we’re talking about Atlus, every baby step is a reason to rejoice in that way. Who knows, maybe in Persona 6 we’ll FINALLY have a MLM romance option.

- LAVENZA IS BETTER THAN EVER, it’s her best version of all times, she radiates 1000000% of that Elizabeth and Margaret chaotic energy and I FUCKING SCREAMED WHEN VELVET ROOM TURNED INTO A FUCKING TRAIN OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO FUCKING AWESOME HELL YEAH

- Salmael is the generic god final boss, normal to every Persona game. But one thing I didn’t like is how it’s not directly based on any entity like Nyx, Izanami or Yaldabaoth. Sure, you can argue that it’s based on Samael, but it doesn’t make any sense, since it’s only in the name, nothing in Salmael’s motivations have anything to do with Samael. Aside from that, well, can’t say much about it, just the regular “god-that-looks-for-excuses-to-fuck-up-humanity-while-trying-to-justify-saying-they’re-actually-saving-it” that we have on every Persona game.

- I think the game is kinda easy. Sure, it’s a good thing for those who want to enjoy the story, but I beat the game on Medium and had literally no difficult whatsoever aside from some Quests (and in those cases, the difficulty is more related to solving a puzzle than facing actually difficult enemies). The damage input is mostly small, the AI is not really smart and you have access to very strong skills early on. Dunno how that would go if I tried on Hard, but Medium felt more like Easy to me. And I don’t mean that as “I’m too good for this game, it’s so easy for my standards”, but I really think the game difficulty is not that high, which can be good for some and disappointing for others.

Now about Repaint Your Heart, the DLC:

- CAN’T BELIEVE THEY ADDED SPLATOON TO THE PERSONA + FIRE EMBLEM MIX, THAT’S SO CREATIVE, SOUNDS REALLY DUMB AT FIRST BUT WORKED SO WELL

- The story itself is not that bad, but not that good either. Guernica is cool, Luca is cute, but their story wasn’t that touching for me, I couldn’t empathize with them properly.

- Still, the DLC was cool not only because of the Splatoon mechanics, but also because of Akechi and Kasumi interactions. If you play it knowing what is happening at that time (it’s before Sae’s calling card, so Akechi is already part of the Phantom Thieves, is in the middle of the plot to betray them and assassinate Joker, and Joker is fully aware of that), it’s awesome because you can clearly see the moments when Akechi’s figurative mask fells off, and you have many dialogue options made to provoke him.

- Don’t have much to say about Kasumi, she’s cute and nice as always. Also, THAT SCENE OF HER LEGIT WILLING TO PICK UP TRASH WITH LUCA, HOLY SHIT

- I want to turn Jerri into fried chicken, but her motivations seem kinda dumb, I mean, she’s a servant of Salmael, who wants to “save” mankind erasing all will of conflicts, then she brainwashes Guernica to kill all of manking using conflict? Makes no sense at all unless she was rebelling against him, and that’s clearly not the case.

Well… it was quite an experience. I loved it.

[class-1b-bull]

class B with a friend/SO who loves to draw and paint? and is really creative

anajabaisbsjsbsh

thank you 🙏

lord and saviour provider of 1B content

have a nice day :)

Thank you so much! Have a great day! <3

Also I leaned more towards the SO side on some of these but it could still be either or!

Not proofread we die like men.

Awase -

He LOVES watching your creative process when drawing and painting. If you start to pull out your sketch book or whatever he will try to look over your shoulder. Loves drawing little smiley faces in the corners of your art.

Sen -

His entire social media page is pictures of you, random ass scenery and your art work. Every time you finish a piece hes practically running to go take a picture of it. Hes so proud and it shows.

Kamakiri -

Honestly didnt care for the art at first until one day you doddled him or his favorite bug or something on a random piece of paper you found and now he adores your art. He doesent show it but he goes over the moon when you ask him what to draw

Kuroiro -

Hes really edgy about it. Everytime he sees you painting hes just like. "The jet black on the tip of your brush is represents my darkness tainting you, who is the pure white canvas..." or smthn and your just like "actually the background is just black on this one..." please let him be poetic.

Kendo -

Loves seeing the finished product but she loves it more if you show her the ugly stage first so she can see how much changed! She just loves watching your process and how each piece changes over time

Kodai -

She has a few pictures youve drawn hanging in her room but other than that shes not very interested in the actual process. She does like going shopping for supplies with you tho.

Komori -

The two of you make 3d art pieces together. You paint a painting and she grows mushrooms on the sides of it or on the canvas itself to make it look like pop up art <3

Shiozaki -

"$100 to paint jesus" she loves your art! If you ask her for suggestions theyre all gonna be either religion related or scenery because thats just what she likes the most. Shes also one of your biggest supporters!

Shishida -

He loves your art and he makes sure your at your best when painting! Thirsty? He'll make some tea or get you a glass of water. Hungry? Hes already making a sandwich. If youre about to accidentally drink your paint water he will point it out to you before you can.

Shoda -

Hes not one for art but he likes to help any way he can! If you ran out of a specific color he will go right to the store for you. Hes also getting your favorite drink while hes there just so you dont get thirsty!

Pony -

Theres two wolfs inside of her. One is saying to keep all of your amazing art forever. And the other says to watch people bid for it on e bay (with your permission) and sell it to the highest bid. No matter what she is always supportive of your art!

Tsubaraba -

Hes known to be a bit of a perv so if you do nsfw commissions, his wallet will always be empty.. even if you dont though he adores your art! There is no more room in his room for your works.

Tetsutetsu -

Has probably accidentally messed up some setting paint on a canvas and then grabbed a brush to try and fix it.... only making it worse. Poor dude almost cried when you caught him ngl. His life savings is going towards art supplies as an apology!

Tokage -

You two tag team every painting. Youre coming up with ideas while shes looking for good references. You say youll need some pink in a minute and shes already mixing it. Need paintwater cleaned or a pencil sharpened? Shes already doing it.

Manga -

You know that art challenge where you and a friend switch paintings every 10 minutes until your done painting, he LOVES doing those. He also just enjoys both of you silently drawing in the same room as eachother. The class fridge is full of you twos drawings.

Honenuki -

Anything that has your drawings on it he loves! Once you gave him a sticky note with a quick 15 minute drawing on it and he carries it with him EVERYWHERE! One of the pockets of his hero costume is that sticky notes dedicated pocket! After each drawing he will message your hand to stop any injurys from forming <3

Bondo -

Like Shishida, he just makes sure youre taking care of yourself while drawing or painting. What good is an amazing artist if your sick and cant draw.

Monoma -

"I could totally do that.." then you hand him the brush and suddenly he shuts up. Will talk shit about how easy art would be for him if he tried but he would fight anyone else that said it.

Reiko -

She coaxed you into drawing a creepy ghost once and she used her quirk to make it float and chase people around the dorms in the middle of the night. She now keeps that same painting on her wall <3

Rin -

I really like the idea of using his scales for textures idk why. Like imagine you just drag him away from whatever hes doing, you ask him to cover his arm in scales and you just start painting him yellow. He loves helping tho and if you ran out of room to store things in your room his dorm is always open!

When I was writing this I got a random flash back to me selling nsfw drawings to highschool students when I was in 5th grade. I dont remember what I charged but I ended up with about 2k by the end of the school year. :>

[mimisempai]

You're the only light in my blurry world 3/10

Chapter summary

The weekend begins, a cooking lesson, new friends, Crowley and Aziraphale talk and get to know each other.

And... they're roommates.

On Ao3

Rating G - 2128 words

Masterpost for this fic : here

Aziraphale looked out the window at the unfolding scenery, with the happy bustle of people chatting in the background.

He wanted so much to be around people.

Before his accident, he'd always been surrounded by friends, but since then, everything had changed.

His condition, prosopagnosia, or face blindness, had been caused by his head injury, and because of it, his whole world had collapsed. 

Since then, he had been slowly trying to rebuild it.

All faces faded, even his own.

He couldn't remember the look in his mother's eyes, the faces of his friends, and gradually he had even forgotten what he looked like.

Maggie was the only one of his friends who had stayed. Who had made the effort, who still did. Who accepted that sometimes he'd walk up to someone and think it was her, just because their figure and blond hair looked like her.

Who accepted that sometimes he wouldn't react just because he couldn't see the expression on her face.

But why Crowley?

Why was he the only one he could see and recognize?

What was different about him?

Aziraphale had no idea, and he hadn't wanted to tell his neurologist because he didn't feel like going through a whole series of tests again. Maybe later. For now, he just wanted to believe in luck and make the best of it.

He shifted his gaze from the landscape to the red-haired man sitting next to him. Crowley hadn't lied: he'd fallen asleep the moment the bus had started and hadn't opened his eyes since. 

Aziraphale would have been happy to have a chat with him, but just the sight of him wasn't bad either.

Suddenly, Aziraphale saw him shiver slightly, so he took the jacket from Crowley's lap and pulled it up to cover him, then leaned his head back against the seat and, after a few moments, fell asleep himself. He didn't see Crowley half-open his eyes and peer up at him, his cheeks slightly flushed.

A few hours later, they were in the common room of the cottage where they would be staying for the weekend, and the teacher was giving them the details of the organization.

"You'll be working in groups of three or four to prepare the meals, and I've made up a schedule that's taped to the kitchen door. Crowley, Aziraphale, Muriel and Maggie, you'll be the first to go tonight, you'll prepare the dinner. As for the bedrooms, they are of two or three beds, there are enough, you are free to choose your roommates. In each room you'll find the schedule for today and tomorrow. See you at dinner tonight! You're free to go."

Immediately, Aziraphale felt an arm around his neck, and it wasn't until the person spoke that he knew who it was. It was Eric, who also had his arm around Crowley's neck and said cheerfully, "I'll be in the same room as Crowley and Aziraphale."

Crowley chuckled and replied, "I'll go with Aziraphale, but you..." 

"Hey, I'm not disposable! What do you say, Zira, do you want me in the bedroom?"

Aziraphale laughed slightly and replied, "That depends, do you snore?"

"Yes, he snores."

Aziraphale recognized first the voice and then the slender figure of Muriel, who had just joined them with Maggie.

Then, realizing the implication of Muriel's words, he asked a little hesitantly, pointing at Muriel and Eric, "Does that mean that you two..."

Muriel sighed and replied, "Yes, we're dating."

Then he saw Magie roll up her sleeves as she said, "Well, not to spoil the mood, but given the hour, I think we should start preparing dinner soon."

Eric asked, "I know I'm not in your group, but do you mind if I stay?"

"Of course not, silly."

Muriel kissed Eric on the cheek before they all headed for the kitchen.

When they were a little behind, Maggie whispered in his ear, "Are you okay, honey?"

Aziraphale nodded and murmured, "I think so, yes. No, actually, I'm fine."

Then he added in a whisper, "Crowley and I are sharing a room."

"Great!"

Then they joined the group in the kitchen and began to divide up the chores. As they did so, Muriel asked Aziraphale, "Do you live alone? Can you cook?"

Aziraphale replied, "I live alone, I like to eat, but I can only cook very simple things."

He watched as Crowley picked up a knife and a bunch of tomatoes before he began to cut them up with great skill. 

Muriel, who had followed his gaze, exclaimed, "Oh, I think we've got our chef here. Look at Crowle cutting tomatoes!"

Amidst exclamations of admiration, Eric patted Crowley on the back and encouraged him, "We're counting on you, buddy!"

Aziraphale was feeling a bit useless when Crowley suddenly handed him a couple of tomatoes, a knife, and a chopping board and said, "Give me a hand."

Aziraphale nodded, more than happy to work with him.

Muriel and Maggie exchanged knowing glances before saying, "We'll take care of the meat and dessert, and you, Eric, make yourself useful and take care of the pasta."

Hearing Eric grumble, Crowley and Aziraphale looked at each other and chuckled.

They began to work in silence, and Aziraphale watched as Crowley sliced a tomato, then tried to reproduce the gesture himself. But suddenly the knife slipped, causing the tomato to drop to the floor.

Ashamed, Aziraphale picked it up and said dejectedly, "I'm really no good."

Crowley shook his head and said, "You just need a little practice. I sucked at it too at first."

He put the knife down, wiped his hands on the apron he'd put on, then stood behind Aziraphale and put his hands on top of his, gently making with him the proper gestures, "Now, you've got to hold the knife like this...that's it, firm but still flexible. And with your fingers on the tomato, follow the blade of the knife. Yes. That's it. See, you're good."

Seeing that Aziraphale had caught the gesture, he released him and returned to his place in front of the counter.

They continued cutting tomatoes in silence, and Aziraphale had to work hard to concentrate because he could still feel the warmth of Crowley's body against his and the softness of his hands on his. Not to mention his voice in his ear.

Cheeks flushed, he told himself he would never survive this weekend.

When suddenly Crowley broke the silence and asked him, "So what do you do for a living, Aziraphale?"

"I own an old bookshop in Soho."

Crowley exclaimed, "That's super cool. How did you end up there?"

Aziraphale replied, "I studied literature and didn't really know what to do with it. I didn't want to be a teacher." 

In fact, he didn't have a choice; it was hard to be a teacher in his condition. 

He continued, "Maggie, who has her record store next door, told me that the old owner had died with no one to leave it to, and that it was for sale for a song because of its run-down condition. Since I had some insurance money because of..." he didn't want to explain where the money came from and continued, "well, I took a chance and went for it. I renovated it and reopened it six months ago."

"Could I come and see it?"

"What?"

Crowley? In his bookshop? 

More than that, he was surprised by Crowley's seemingly genuine interest in him.

"Unless you don't-"

Aziraphale shook his head and immediately replied, "Yes, yes, of course! 

Anytime!"

He was about to grab the next tomato when he saw there were none left. 

He asked playfully, "What do we do now, Chief Crowley?"

Crowley's eyes widened before he began to laugh, and it was the most beautiful thing Aziraphale had ever seen.

"My dear apprentice, we're going to cook these tomatoes and make the best tomato sauce you've ever tasted."

As Crowley dropped the chopped tomatoes into a saucepan, Aziraphale looked up to see that Maggie's face was turned toward him, and though he couldn't read her expression, he could see that she was discreetly giving a thumbs up. He winked at her before joining Crowley.

"Give me that olive oil and spices there."

Aziraphale gave him what he asked for, and as Crowley poured the olive oil over the tomatoes, he asked, "Are you and Maggie... you know..."

Aziraphale shook his head, "Oh, no, no! She's my best friend. And neither of us is the right gender for each other anyway."

He quickly wondered if it was too soon to give that kind of detail, but Crowley murmured, "Oh... that's nice."

Aziraphale, feeling bold, asked, "What's nice? That we're not together or that she's not the right genre for me?"

Crowley replied with a slight smile, "Both," then began to stir and continued, "As far as I'm concerned, you're the right for me."

Aziraphale mimicked Crowley earlier and said softly, "Oh...that's nice."

They looked at each other, and something passed, something like understanding, and something more, or at least the possibility of something more.

"So, mates, where do we stand?"

Their gaze lingered for another fleeting second, then Muriel and Maggie arrived and the meal preparation continued in good spirits.

**********

"Guys, that was way too good!"

Eric, the last to shower, left the bathroom to dry his hair and Crowley took his place to brush his teeth.

Aziraphale, sitting on his bed, looked up from the book he was reading and replied, "I had nothing to do with this. Crowley did it all."

Eric came over and sat on the edge of his bed as he said gently, "Hey, it was a team effort, stop being so modest. It was delicious and you have some responsibility in it. Take the compliment, period. Don't be so shy with us. We know each other now. We are friends, aren't we?"

Aziraphale, throat tight with emotion, replied softly, "Yes. Yes, we are."

Then Eric got up and crawled into his own bed before telling them, as Crowley came out of the bathroom, "Well, I'm beat, guys, so I'm going to bed."

"Good night, Eric," Aziraphale said quietly before closing his book and slipping under the covers as well.

Crowley had the bed right next to his, and Eric's was at the other end of the room. Aziraphale turned to the side to look at - or rather, ogle - Crowley, who was also settling into his bed. Once he was down, he asked Aziraphale, pointing to the light, "Can I turn it off?"

"Yes."

Crowley turned it off and Aziraphale said softly, "Good night, Crowley."

"Good night."

Aziraphale stretched out on his back, but he couldn't sleep.

His eyes were wide open and he replayed the day in his mind. It had been one of the best he'd had in a long time. 

Not only had he gotten to spend time with Crowley, but he'd talked to him, made new friends, had a good time, and for the first time since his accident, he felt like he'd gained something.

He realized it was also because he'd tried, because for once he'd managed to open up to someone other than Maggie.

He promised himself he'd keep at it.

"Are you asleep?"

Crowley's voice, though whispered, startled him slightly, then he replied, "No."

Crowley said softly, "Thank you for cooking with me."

Aziraphale replied, moving a little closer so as not to raise his voice, "I'm the one who should be thanking you."

There was silence, and Aziraphale had the feeling Crowley wanted to ask him a question but didn't dare. He thought he knew what it was.

"You want to ask me again why I've been staring at you all this time, don't you?"

Crowley chuckled and replied, "Are you a psychic or something? But yeah, I'd like to know."

It was so much easier to answer in the dark, and even if Aziraphale wasn't ready to tell him his secret yet, he could tell him half the truth.

"I wanted to get to know you, but I didn't know how. That's why."

He heard Crowley's muffled laugh and then Crowley whispered, "What?! Just this? You know all you have to do is talk? If you'd been as direct as you are now, you realize we'd probably be friends by now?"

Aziraphale felt almost on the verge of telling the truth, but he heard a sheet rattle and Crowley yawned before saying, "Come on let's get some sleep, otherwise it's going to be tough tomorrow."

Aziraphale said softly, "Anyway, I'm glad you don't hate me anymore."

"I never hated you, you idiot!"

Aziraphale laughed silently then murmured, "Good night, Crowley."

"Hm, 'night."

Aziraphale told himself that tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here 

[cemeteryreviews]

Church Reviews #2 - Santuario Nuestra Señora de la Salud Páramo

This is a much smaller church compared to those in neighboring towns, but it earns a lot of points for its stained glass windows and green-and-yellow tiled floor, two things that I really love. Additionally, since the main street where it's located is still made of stone, it blends in much better with the scenery. When you see it from the outside, it feels like you’ve traveled at least a century back in time.

The yellow and green tiles are charmingly quaint. Stained glass windows are the most beautiful things a church can have. The way they color the light from outside always gives me a certain joy in my soul. The roof isn’t even made of stone; it’s made of wood, but I still love it because it gives the place a cottage-like feel, just like the apartment in our house in our hometown. It’s a roof that feels even cozier than one made of stone or any cement building.

The red niches and pilasters, the green background, and the golden ornamentation and cornices make the altar look as ostentatious as possible, saturating your senses and giving the place a surreal and magical quality. It also contrasts quite a bit with the rest of the church. This is a quality you don’t see in many altars nowadays, but it’s essential in the design because it makes you say, “This place is special, a sacred site full of beauty.”

The clock in the center above the Virgin is a detail I love, and the pink bell tower makes it look like the church is wearing a pointed gnome hat, just like Wirt from Over the Garden Wall. The entrance also looks like it has a parapet and I love the hell out of that detail because it feels almost like from a castle. I don’t know much of the history of this church, aside from the plaque at the entrance stating there was a reconstruction in 1993. Even so, I found it to be a very charming church.

7/10

[corndogninja]

Photo editing step-by-step semi-tutorial

Trying something new here on the blog... I don't do much tutorial writing but wanted to share a little behind-the-scenes on how I typically edit my cosplay photos. A lot of this is cobbled together from various tutorials or trial-and-error over time but I think the results are pretty nice. I use Photoshop but a lot of these tips are generalized enough you might could use them in your editor of choice.

Let me know if this is helpful or cool, if you'd like to see more of this sort of thing!

First off I just use the default photo editing tools to clean things up a bit. Tighten the crop and adjust the levels and white balance... mostly just "eyeballing" it. Notably I already like the pose, lighting, and composition - anything you can take care of in-camera rather than post is preferable! Then I gotta black out the gun tip - select the tip, tint orange toward blue, lower the saturation way down, then tweak the levels. Of course it still looks like a cap is on the tip, but the focus of the photo is kind of off the gun barrel anyway so who cares.

Next up we're going to swap out the background. In this case I want it to feel kind of indistinct - not a "scene" Wick is actively interacting with but more just scenery he's in front of. Wet nighttime streets are pretty prominent in the opening of Chapter 2 so I selected this photo. I try to use sites like Pixabay that offer free-use photos rather than just pulling whatever from Google Images.

Once I have the photo, I crop it to where the horizon line looks good, add a Gaussian blur to imply depth, and mask it in the background. Photoshop's auto-select has gotten pretty robust, I tweak the cutout just a bit for clarity and to add some light leaks around the outline

In this case I set the transparency to 92% to get it a little lighter. In any case, I then add an Exposure layer to darken it for mood lighting.

Next bit is color correction. In this case I wanted to evoke the look of Chapter 3 promo art... pulled a few reference images and took note of the orange/purple contrast and gradient they use:

I don't recall if I used the eyedropper tool but I created a similar gradient, set to split on my face so the two halves of the background ended up as different colors. Set the layer to "Soft Light" (in this case I actually duplicated it and set that duplicate to 25%), and I masked out some parts where the light is hitting particularly hard (left of face, hands, edge of gun) to keep a more natural look.

Since it's raining, I added a subtle "fog" look to the background. Created a single-layer duplicate of everything so far, masked the background, Gaussian blur - then set that layer to "Lighter Color". You can see it in the building lights, mostly - brings back some brightness after the multiple darkening we've done.

Finally bringing in some rain, again referencing the poster above.

To make the rain layers, I first make a solid black layer then "Add Noise" (monochromatic). Tweak the "Levels" so you get pockets of pure white against black (with a couple mid-grays layered in), then resize the layer so the dots are bigger than single pixels (it's fine if they get blurry). Finally, apply a motion blur to get the "falling" motion.

I do this twice to get a sense of depth. First layer is set to "Overlay" at low opacity (~25%), which also slightly darkens the image.

The second layer is set to "Screen", again at low opacity (~20%). Combined, it gives the effect of rain in front and behind throughout the scene.

Finally I add a cooling "Photo Filter" layer, masked out to points like my face and hands, to add a little contrast. Sometimes I'll do a final pass with "Levels" or "Exposure", "Add Noise", or use some subtle Instagram filters to make sure it looks good on the small screen, but not really in this case.

All said and done, I usually spend less than an hour per image. Despite ending up with 10+ layers it's not too complex and I find the results quite satisfying!

[epicrox]

Till The End Of The Moon Thoughts - Episode 2

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

PARTS: 1.1 | 1.2 | 2 |

This is mostly for me to look back on and see the moments that I caught my eye. Nothing analytical. I offer nothing to the table

I'm also a visual person so there's a lot of screenshots x

This is called my thoughts because I refuse to call what I'm writing down as a review. Reviews inform people and this post does nothing for people.

I’ve seen posts on Tumblr calling Tantai Jin a Disney princess cuz he’s being mistreated and talks to animals 🤨

The scenery is so pretty.

3. There seem to be Chinese subtitles on the right side of the screen indicating that background music is playing but I think they cut it out because I’m not hearing anything. Maybe it’s because I’m watching it on YouTube. I don’t know about other platforms.

4. Yeah, they cut the music now and it just sounds awkward and empty.

5. Omg she’s just leaving him there! Aren’t you supposed to keep him alive?

6. He legit looks like an old man because of the snow.

7. This man looks so delicate.

8. Even at the brink of getting hypothermia, he looks like he has a better chance of getting a modelling contract than me.

9. Disney Princess indeed.

10. Bingchang looks really sweet. I’m praying she doesn’t turn out evil or two-faced.

11. Wtf is this crow’s voice?!

12. It sounds like a demonic robot. This further proves my point about this show being sci-fi.

13. The crow’s basically a camera.

14. Then don’t let him die! That celestial being never told you to kill him and didn’t even mention the evil bone, your dad did. He literally told you that Tantai Jin’s torment and death triggered his demonic powers. All you need to do is prevent that! And what do you mean he deserves this?! He hasn’t done anything yet!

15. Her strategy is irritating me.

16. It looks like she’s cradling a head. Just the head.

17. I love that he just had to faint for her to understand the severity of the situation.

18. Wtf is that? His subconscious?

19. This demonic being reminds me of that demon that trains Luo Binghe after he gets pushed off the cliff.

20. He wants Tantai Jin to give him his soul to allow him eternal peace? Does he want to use Tantai Jin’s body as a vessel?

21. It’s the 2nd episode and we’ve got Xi Wu feeling him up.

22. Ma’am, how are you sleeping with that on your head?

23. She even got her dangly earrings on!

24. Get over what?

25. Ha! Xi Wu is having thoughts.

26. So am I.

27. She beats him?!

28. Why am I surprised?

29. OG!Xi Wu was an evil person.

30. The fact that she is hesitating about hitting him! Put the whip down! Even though he’ll see you’ve changed and would make him suspicious, at least he’ll be happy about not getting whipped.

31. She cares more about staying in character than changing the past.

32. At least take the gear off before you go to sleep.

33. After literally TORTURING HIM, you're worried for his health. It seems you’ve figured out actions have consequences.

34. AHHH!!!

35. Also as an otherworldly being, deity or whatever she is, Xi Wu can be really dense. I’d understand if she didn’t know how some things worked in the mortal world but for someone responsible for saving the world, your strategy is confusing.

36. I know she’s grieving for what had happened but she can prevent tragedies if she were a little smarter.

37. Is that even comfortable? I’ve always envied my parents for being able to sleep while sitting down because for some reason I can’t.

38. Awww. I love how confused he is.

39. He’s so delicate (This man is over 10 years older than me).

40. Yes, she’s possessed.

41. Just like villainess stories, is she hated by her family?

42. Oh no. She seems to be the favourite. Makes sense since the OG!Xi Wu was running around making trouble without much consequence. How can you be punished for your actions if you’re the Apple in your family’s eyes?

43. Also how many concubines does Xi Wu’s dad have? Does Bingchang and Xi Wu have different mothers?

44. It’s very clear from the beginning that the eldest brother is going to be useless.

45. Ze Yu just vanished. And make Xi Wu apologise to Bingchang. OG!Xi Wu must’ve thought she was entitled to everything. Bingchang must feel ostracised by her own family.

46. Wow, even the kitchen boys are bullying him. They’re probably gonna get beaten by Xi Wu and zapped when Tantai Jin gets into power.

47. This whole thing must be so humiliating as a prince.

48. How is he working in the kitchens and doing dishes while looking so pristine?

49. Is that ice?

50. Are they purposefully making him wash dishes in ice-cold water? Or is it something people did historically?

51. HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING YET. But he’s going to.

52. I’m not sure you’re aware of this but you’re in the body of his abuser. Of course, he’s avoiding you. Like didn’t you whip him last night?

53. Also, you haven’t spent long enough in that body to make this statement.

54. Yep. I think they put the ice in to torment him.

55. This reminds me of a trope you mostly see in isekai mangas/manhwas where the ML is so rude and aloof towards the FL that all the servants start to think they can do it too.

56. One thing that irks me about these tropes (it irks a lot of other people too) is that when the FL begins to stand up for herself against the servants, she slaps them.

57. Ooh, the music changed.

58. Not only does he speak to robotic crows, but he’s also talking to flies. Or was that a wasp?

59. I was under the impression Tantai Jin would commit murder but he just made the head cook (I think) swallow a fly. His reaction after swallowing the fly would have made you think he was being poisoned or choked.

60. It’s funny that she’s lecturing the staff about how rude they are even though this whole time she kept on saying he deserved it. You left him in the cold and whipped him. You know he’s a captured prince.

61. She’s putting all the blame on the servants rather than saying that OG! Xi Wu and even herself were wrong.

62. Instead of Xi Wu slapping them, they’re slapping themselves.

63. “If I had dignity, I would’ve died years ago” He really is a Disney princess.

64. More specifically, Cinderella. I saw a video essay from a channel called The Take. They talk about how people victim blame Cinderella a lot for not fighting back her abusers. In one part of the video, they talked about how Cinderella allows the abuse to continue as it is very likely that her stepmother would kick her out if she acted out.

65. Tantai Jin doesn’t know that the Xi Wu in front of him is not the original. So if I were him, I’d be more cautious about what type of food Xi Wu feeds me than the servants. Although, OG!Xi Wu could’ve ordered the servants to poison Tantai Jin’s food.

66. This man gives me Jin Xixun vibes or Mo Xuanyu’s cousin who died in the first episode of MDZS/The Untamed.

67. Oh, this is hard to watch.

68. That guy threw the cake on the ground and then stepped on it. Even if I was hungry I could never take a bite of it. It took me a while to even eat/drink something that someone else touched with their hand or mouth.

69. Is she drugged or drunk?

70. omg

71. They kissed! And we’re on the 2nd episode. I know it isn’t the FL but still. I count it.

72. Ok, they’re drugged.

73. I remember the two actors were together in a previous drama and there was a make-out scene that everyone freaked out about. So I assume they know what they’re doing in this drama.

74. So someone tried to make Bingchang and Jin Xixun prince spend the night together by drugging them but instead, they both ate it. It was 100% OG! Xi Wu.

75. Oh wait, they actually did it? But they’re clothed.

76. He has every right to be suspicious of you and the food you’ve given him.

77. Gosh. That crow’s voice is terrifyingly comedic. I giggle every time it opens its beak.

78. Tantai Jin is definitely planning something.

79. At least he’s pretty while doing it. Look at this shot.

80. This king looks familiar. Wasn’t he the emperor from Ashes of Love?

81. Tantai Jin is definitely ripping his head off.

82. This whole political drama is going to push Tantai Jin to join the dark side.

[sana-yan]

Just 4 Guys formed in January of this year with the "remnants" of Suzuki-gun and became "5 Guys" with the addition of SANADA, quickly becoming a central unit in the New Japan scene. Taichi was the "bridge" for SANADA joining the team, and the latter would later win the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at Ryogoku on April 8, 2023. The two men, who share a common background in All Japan Pro Wrestling, have long resonated with each other and candidly discussed the past and present in a friendly atmosphere.

Interviewer: Toru Ichikawa / Photographer: Yoshihisa Kikuta Published in: Issue No. 2240 (May 3, 2023)

NOTE: This interview was conducted around April 10, 2023. DISCLAIMER: I am not a native Japanese speaker, and while translating, I utilized ichi.moe and yomichan transliteration dictionaries to get the most accurate meaning. I've attached a link to the unedited Japanese text here. Please let me know if there are any discrepancies. I will correct any mistranslation. I also tried to emulate the layout of the magazine as best as I could and add in some extra behind-the-scenes images (which will be noted as my own inclusion). As always, please do not share outside of Tumblr! Thank you, and enjoy!

Taichi sensed the signs of a "big shot" from a young SANADA!?

Ever since their days in Suzuki-gun and in Los Ingos, respectively, the two's singles competitions against each other have shown their roots through their offense and defense.

Apr. 8, 2023. All team members seconded for SANADA in Ryogoku and exchanged jokes backstage.

INTERVIEWER (INT): We arranged a talk between you two at the world's fastest pace.

TAICHI: Nah, I'll do it on YouTube later tonight. [laughs]

SANADA: It'll be released first. [laughs]

INT: That's only just a video.

TAICHI: And this here is text.

(Extra inclusion.) Apr. 10, 2023. Taichi and SANADA pose for a photo to plug Sana-yan's first live on Taichi's YouTube channel following SANADA's victory over Okada at Sakura Genesis 2023.

INT: This is in writing for the first time in this country. So, how did you feel when you look back on Sanada winning the belt in Ryogoku?

TAICHI: As you can see, his match was completely different from the Sana-yan of the past. He was a completely different person. Everyone who saw it felt that, didn't they? The costume, the hairstyle, the entrance music...

INT: Sanada, whom Taichi called "Kenichi Mikawa"* in a comment after the match, had a sparkling entrance.

TAICHI: You're teasing me this early? [laughs] Before the match in the locker room, we had "Scorpio Woman"* playing. [laughs] We relaxed in the room so Sana-yan wouldn't be tense. We thought it'd help him loosen up by telling jokes and drinking tea.

INT: Taichi, you were leaning forward and shouting during the match.

TAICHI: That's right. We were excited, but we were also desperate. We were also afraid that Sana-yan and we could fail at this point.

INT: It felt as though the entire unit was fighting together (with Sanada).

TAICHI: Oh yeah, even if he didn't know it. [laughs]

SANADA: No, no. [laughs] I could hear his voice, and for the first time, I thought it was great to have a second. I heard precise advice such as "rest now" and "attack now," which gave me confidence during the match.

TAICHI: We're not just a unit. We're going to win together. [turning to Sanada] Because LIJ is a business unit, aren't they? [laughs] We aim to win collectively as a team and rise to the top together.

SANADA: It's an amazing feeling, thinking of what we'll be building from here on out.

TAICHI: I wanted to create a unit with a never-before-seen scenery.

INT: The sight of Sanada being carried on your shoulders after the Ryogoku match was reminiscent of the 90s All Japan Pro Wrestling, similar to Misawa Mitsuharu of the past.

TAICHI: Naturally, with me, Uncle Nobu, and Sana-yan in the middle, our blood stirred to do something old school. If you win a belt, it should also have a shoulder ride, no? [laughs] I think it was good for us as a trio together, and I'm sure Uncle Nobu's presence was also very significant for Sana-yan.

SANADA: All three of us (from our debuts to our tenure in All Japan) didn't overlap.

TAICHI: We never lived together at the dojo. When Sanada was still young, I once raided the dojo as a surprise. [wry smile]

INT: Why did you raid the dojo?

TAICHI: I was having dinner with Old Man Kihara (Kihara Fumito, the AJPW ring announcer), and we talked about heading over to the dojo. There happened to be a wooden sword at the dojo, so I put on a full-face helmet and went into where the trainees were sleeping. I should have said, "It's a joke," but because I left with my helmet on, the young guys had no clue who I was even at the end. Maybe instead of being surprised, they were afraid. [laughs]

INT: Sanada, you once said that your first impression of Taichi was that he was a "yakara"*, right?

SANADA: Hahaha!!

TAICHI: I guess if you were attacked with a full-face helmet. [laughs]

INT: I think his appearance is more than a "yakara," though. [laughs]

TAICHI: After the raid event, I went to the public baths with Old Man Kihara*, who was doing a diet then. He went into the sauna many times and collapsed from dehydration.

Since Old Man Kihara is such a prankster, I thought, "Yeah, yeah, another one," and let him be until someone had to call the ambulance. As the staff rushed in, I thought I better leave it to them, so I ended up drying my hair with a hair dryer. [laughs]

After I was at the hospital, I called the All Japan Dojo, told them of Old Man Kihara's situation, and asked someone to come over. One of those people ended up being Sana-yan.

INT: At that time, there were young trainees who came to the hospital.

TAICHI: There was another young guy, and he and Sanada said they'd look after Old Man Kihara. Then, Sana-yan poured a bunch of candy on the waiting room chair and started to snack. "We'll eat and wait for him," he said while munching, and I thought to myself: who the hell are these guys? [laughs]

SANADA: At the time, I didn't like alcohol yet, so I gravitated towards sweets.

TAICHI: I told them Old Man Kihara had collapsed, but they appeared unconcerned and ate sweets. [laughs]

INT: In a way, that's a big response. [laughs]

TAICHI: No, really. I was a bit taken aback. I thought this guy was going to be a big shot. [laughs]

INT: By the way, Sanada, did you ever watch a Taichi match when you were a fan? (T/N: Meaning before Sanada became a pro wrestler.)

SANADA: Yes, I had.

INT: What was your impression?

TAICHI: There weren't any, right. [laughs]

SANADA: You had brown hair, no?

TAICHI: I think I colored my hair brown halfway through.

SANADA: At that time, Akira Raijin-san, the leader of the training camp dorms, was like this... [bows deeply] ...in front of Taichi-niyan. For the training camp dorm leader to be like that...

INT: So you had an image of a scary person. [laughs] Taichi, you met SANADA in Mexico before he joined New Japan, didn't you?

TAICHI: Ah, we met for a moment.

SANADA: We met during the month I was in Mexico after exiting All Japan.

TAICHI: It wasn't more than a greeting, just a "hello."

INT: Until Sanada entered New Japan in 2016, you two had no in-ring contact.

Although from a different unit, Taichi, who always cared, made me "feel love." - SANADA

{page 2}

SANADA: But, when I arrived in 2010, Taichi-niyan wasn't in New Japan.

INT: He was working at NOAH around this time, right?

SANADA: Even after he returned, we didn't have a match. Really, I believe it's been a recent thing.

INT: Taichi originally started saying "Sana-yan" because he created a character resembling Sanada in one of his video games, right?*

SANADA: Ah, it was very similar. [laughs]

TAICHI: It resembled him incredibly! [laughs] The name Sana-yan was easy to say, so I ended up calling it that on my own.

INT: There was a period where the two of you kept in touch through the organization's website diaries, but Taichi, did you feel sympathy towards Sanada?

TAICHI: In a way, I was curious about him, being from All Japan Pro Wrestling. I often said this for years since we competed against each other, but it felt like he had something great that was being wasted. Long before I was comfortable around Sana-yan, I said, "At this rate, he'll be a midranger (T/N: midcarder) if he doesn't change." I was a little worried about him. I know it was selfish and meddlesome, but I told him.

INT: Midrangers are overshadowed somewhat, aren't they?

TAICHI: That's right. Yellow or peach would still be better. [laughs] Something "green" is ordinary, like a nobody. I thought that was a waste.

(T/N: Taichi is riffing on the word "mid" sounding phonetically similar to midori, the color green.)

INT: Sanada, how did you take in Taichi's remarks?

SANADA: It resonated with me that he cared about me even though we were in different units. After all, one wouldn't usually say it, right?

TAICHI: Other guys have the attitude of not giving a damn about what happens (to anybody else).

SANADA: I felt loved that he dared to tell me, especially in a situation like that.

INT: You said you felt loved!

TAICHI: I don't know much about what Love is, but...

INT: Whether or not it was love, there was a lot of resonance between you both when you swung in your singles matches, right?

TAICHI: Somewhere, I realized that every time I did a singles match with Sana-yan, it was as if my true self came out. I was amazed, seeing the self I didn't know I had within me emerging. Conversely, I wondered if it was the same for Sana-yan. If he'd do things he wouldn't in LIJ when he was up against me. I thought what happened in the ring brought us closer together.

INT: How did you see the situation where Sanada could not reach the top?

TAICHI: Watching it, I thought he would surely be a midranger. Takagi, who came in from the middle of the pack, moved with a bang to the place I wanted Sana-yan to go. But you took something like the US title once, didn't you?

SANADA: Yeah, I picked it up.

TAICHI: But you got injured (with an orbital floor fracture). Even though he was in an enemy faction, I felt a sense of dread at the time. In wrestling, luck is also a kind of skill. Maybe Sana-yan didn't have the skills to hold the US title.

To lose the singles belt you worked so hard for due to injury felt like something was still missing, like the gods of pro wrestling said, "You're not ready to be a champion yet; isn't there something more you need to awaken?" I wondered if such forces were at work.

"I want to work with Takagi again and change my landscape." - Taichi

INT: In last year's G1 Climax, Taichi, you said to Sanada, "Why are you in that place?" After you said those words, it felt like the distance and the relationship between you two began to change around that time.

TAICHI: There's the G1, but the actual decisive moment was in the first round of last year's TV title tournament.

INT: The match was in Sanada's hometown of Nagaoka.

SANADA: Around that time, he asked me something like, "Won't you join me?"

TAICHI: It's plain to see. Looking back (at the fight footage), you can see we discussed it in the ring after the match.

INT: What prompted you to make such a direct offer back then?

TAICHI: It was a period where the faction members (Suzuki-gun) were looking in different directions, as there were talks of disbanding, so I was wondering what to do should the unit disappear.

During that time, Sana-yan's usual demeanor would be there, but a different Sana-yan would come out when he fought against me in a match. I thought if he worked with me, the things he couldn't catch up on, the talents he couldn't find results with, all those things I could help cover. So I asked him if he wanted to join me. To which Sana-yan asked, "Is Taichi-niyan going to be in (Los Ingos)?"

INT: He thought you were going to join! [laughs]

TAICHI: "No, no, Sana-yan is coming over here." The topic really started from that point forward.

SANADA: I thought I was being set up when he said that. I wondered if I was getting pranked.

TAICHI: What kinda prank is that! [laughs]

SANADA: I worried it might be some kind of trap.

TAICHI: I thought, "You should have moved up quickly (in the ranking)," but he seemed to give the impression of, "No, I'm fine here." I wished he was a little more greedy. He didn't need anything pretty; if he let go of his obsessive hangups, he could go far. It felt that LIJ's Sana-yan was becoming rigid.

INT: With that in mind, did you consider earnestly recruiting him into the unit at the beginning of the year?

TAICHI: I had been recruiting him since the TV title match, and in my mind, I believed my persistent prods would gradually work. That's why on January 5th (at New Year Dash), when I said that the four of us would go and change the scenery, I was sure he wouldn't join. I believed I was partly at fault for saying needless things, resulting in Sana-yan's poor performance and causing him to lose his way in his matches.

"I didn't want him to revert to the Sana-yan he had been in LIJ; I believe it was absolutely the right thing to do." - Taichi

Taichi / Real name undisclosed. Born March 19, 1980 in Ishikari, Hokkaido. Debuted at All Japan in December 2002. Around 2006, he started to appear on the New Japan ring, and became a member of Suzuki-gun in 2011. Moved up to heavyweight in 2018, and won the IWGP Tag, NEVER Openweight, and KOPW titles. Finisher: Black Mephisto. 177cm, 100kg. SANADA / Real name: Seiya Sanada. Born January 28, 1988 in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture. Debuted at All Japan in March 2007. Left in June 2013, joined WRESTLE-1, and worked freelance, before joining New Japan in April 2016. He was a Los Ingobernables de Japon member until he left in March of this year. Finisher: Deadfall. 182cm, 100kg.

{page 3}

INT: On January 5th, at Ota Ward, you envisioned Sanada joining your team.

TAICHI: I told my teammates that Sana-yan might choose us.

INT: Sanada joining the unit wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing but something that had been set into motion.

TAICHI: Yes, although it was possible we weren't going to be together, we started to feel something the more we had matches against each other. And little by little, each nudge led to the action in March at Korakuen Hall.

INT: Honestly, what's the atmosphere in the unit like now that Sanada has joined?

TAICHI: It's crazy good. We four were already like that, so when Sana-yan joined, I didn't want him to revert to the Sana-yan he had been in LIJ. So, as I mentioned, we played "Scorpio Woman" and tried to make him laugh with our antics. As you can tell from the backstage, he started to laugh more often.

SANADA: I could bring out my natural, true self. I thought it would be best not to embellish it.

TAICHI: If people notice that side of you outside the ring, that aspect would also naturally appear inside the ring. As a result, he's come this far now. To a casual viewer, we might seem childish (with our backstage talks), or they might think we're doing a comedic bit, but I took a chance to do that and genuinely believe it was the right choice since it's led to the present-day Sana-yan.

INT: How do you plan to proceed from here as a unit?

TAICHI: Now that we've taken our first step into the new scene, we'll be a one-trick pony if we just keep calling out, "Sana-yan" this and "Sana-yan" that. Of course, myself, Uncle Nobu, Douki, and... I don't know about Taka [laughs], we should move together to see the new scenery. Uncle Nobu has the juniors (title), and I want to work with Takagi again and change my landscape.

INT: Regarding KOPW, Taichi, you said you didn't care if the title wasn't on the line.

TAICHI: I'd certainly appreciate it if the title was on the line, but I've already lost three times in a row, so who am I to demand they put the title up for grabs? Because of Takagi, I fell into a huge slump last year and couldn't win any singles matches. I have to defeat Takagi, the opponent who made me fall into this state, to move forward. Anyway, I'm only asking for a singles match. If KOPW happens to be included, that would be even better for my landscape.

INT: And as for its rules?

TAICHI: I'm in no position to declare the rules, so Takagi should decide. We could even do a "Return Sana-yan"* match if he wants. [laughs]

INT: It'd be too revolutionary to have the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion move to a different faction in the middle of his reign. [laughs]

SANADA: I want to do a shoulder ride.

TAICHI: You want to do it the other way around? It's a dream, then! [laughs] Will you and Uncle Nobu do it together? For real? Then let's get that on the cover (of Weekly Pro Wrestling) too! [laughs]

INT: Making shoulder rides a regular part of the tradition would be nice.

TAICHI: We'll carry whoever is the central person on our shoulders. Because no one is the boss, or the leader, so whoever stands out at the time is the best. So if Uncle Nobu wins the junior belt, the two of us will do it together.

INT: I would love to see Kanemaru being carried around. [laughs]

SANADA: It's a dream. [laughs]

TAICHI: Old school All Japan style is still a new scenery. [laughs] Even if Uncle Nobu doesn't make the junior title, we still have Douki and Taka... though I don't know about Taka. [laughs]

INT: Sanada, you're set to defend against Hiromu.

SANADA: Hiromu-san said that if he wins the belt, he wants to go up against Naito-san. I feel he's using the IWGP belt and me as a stepping stone, so I want to show him that it's not such an easy belt to win. I barely managed to get this belt, so I want to say that this isn't something that can be taken lightly.

TAICHI: Well... it could be a shot at you. Perhaps there's jealousy that you became a champion after leaving. But there's a chance that if he messes up (against Uncle Nobu), the three of us could be in Fukuoka holding singles belts and riding on each other's shoulders, no? It's a dream~ "Triple Crown Champions!" [laughs]

INT: Is there anything else you'd like to do with Sanada outside the ring?

TAICHI: I'm working two jobs as (a wrestler and) a YouTuber, so I thought it'd be nice to show the world the other side of Sana-yan that hasn't been seen before. He said he's curious about playing pranks, too.

SANADA: I badly want to try. I've seen prank videos on YouTube, and I want to cream (pie) someone in the face with a bam! I want to do it.

TAICHI: You think that'd work on Uncle Nobu? I'm sure it'd work on Taka. [laughs]

In the upcoming series, Kanemaru and Taichi will be carried on the shoulders... "Shoulder rides" will be a part of this faction's tradition!

The J5G team was on the cover of last week's issue. Will we see this scene again in the next series?

Footnotes:

Kenichi Mikawa is a gay drag personality and onnagata singer.

The "Scorpio Woman" Taichi refers to is the single by Kenichi Mikawa, not the song by Jimi Hendrix.

やから (yakara) is a slang word with various meanings, both positive and negative, meaning someone of the same "clan/blood/background" as you (kindred), or that they're "thugs/delinquents," etc. Taichi definitely fits both terms lmao. This word is mainly used in the Kansai dialect. Since SANADA's hometown is in Niigata, which is in the Chūbu region closest to the Kansai region, he sometimes uses this dialect.

Read more about Taichi and SANADA's first encounter here.

Read more about the creation of the nickname and "The Big Adventure of SANA-yan" here.

I can't believe Uncle Shingo denied us of a "Sanada-on-a-Pole" match, RIP

And this is the end! I hope you had fun reading as much as I did translating. If you enjoyed my scanlation and if you have the means, please consider leaving a tip through tumblr and supporting my translations! No pressure if you can't, and please reblog and support these two guys! :) Thank you very much!

[johnsdcp2024]

Day Two: Magic Kingdom

5:55am I am up with a smile on my face. I quietly get out of bed to shower and get ready for my day. Shower the usual. The only new thing about my routine is applying sunscreen to my face!

An hour later I’m out the door and headed to Dunkin. The wind is ripping and quite cold surprisingly. I mean the sun isn’t out to play yet what do I expect. So my 15 minute walk goes by and I get my usual: cold brew with butter pecan and cream, 1 pump less of each. At this point I’ve booked our first ride of the day “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” redeemable between 9:15-10:15am. I have to session at housing at 8:30 so we will head to the park shortly after.

It’s now 10:23am. Me and mom got on the ferry to take us over to magic kingdom. Excitement was everywhere we looked as we started meandering through Main Street. It is freezing!! So much wind and it’s 50 degrees. Brrrr. So naturally, the first thing we did was buy a long sleeve shirt. My first merch to start my Disney career 😊

Our next stop was the restrooms and then straight to big thunder mountain railroad. I booked a light night lane and we were on the roller coaster in less than 5 minutes.

We were on the hunt for breakfast after being whipped around the canyons, so we found the nearest quick service restaurant and had a delicious Nutella fruit waffle.

11:24am: haunted mansion complete and we are now in line for “it’s a small world” standby line. 25 minute wait and I’m timing it to see how accurate the wait time is. I think it’s hilarious that the only Tangled representation is a bathroom area. It deserves a ride! There is only smiles from me and mom. This is just such a relaxing, chill day. No plans just going with the flow. Also I have to note that the park is not as busy as I thought it would be. With it being spring break season and everything. My heart is just so full as I type this and “it’s a small world” song plays in the background.

12:29pm: we leisurely walked around for awhile taking in the castle and the scenery. We ended up making it in time to see the parade which was a blast to watch.

Our stomachs are rumbling as we get in our lightning lane for pirates of the Caribbean. Don’t worry, we have scouted out lunch for immediately after the ride ;) beef nachos and a fajita platter.

I got my first ever pin! Maybe someday I’ll have a nice big collection of them.

We went on to do Mike Wasowskis laugh floor which was cute and fun. Then carousel of progress which I have to say is going to the top of my list when it comes to shows Disney has to offer. I love Walt’s vision for the future and his passion for progress. The flow through time was fascinating and stood up to the test of time.

After carousel we got on Space Mountain. Me and mom were literally hooting and hollering the whole time and giggling. I forgot how much fun that roller coaster is!! We finished the day of rides with buzz lighters space ranger spin. It was a spectacle to look at but overall a miss. Kind of boring and felt dated-but not in the good way.

We’re going to get a Sunday on Main Street at the icecream parlor and go shopping and that will be the day!

I might go on to park hop-maybe Epcot but unsure at the moment. Thanks for reading!

[byzantine-suggestions]

ranking theodora's design in various video games

civ iii: conquests: 6/10

do these designs look ugly? yes. are they ugly compared to the rest of the leaders in civ 3? no. theodora is the single most normal-looking woman in this game. so by normal standards these are probably the most mid designs on this list, but considering the art style of the game they come from and the fact that it came out in 2003, they're not that bad. also, bonus points for the fact that her outfit changes from era to era! i forgot that early civ games did this and i think it's kind of neat. i like that the mosaic behind her in her medieval era portrait becomes the painting in her modern portrait

civ v: gods and kings: 8/10

ngl, this one kind of slaps. it's obviously based on that one painting of her from like the 1800s, but they gave her the crown from the mosaic and added the hagia sophia to the background, and it kinda works? i've seen people complain that she's too tan/her makeup is too strong/she looks too "modern day" pretty instead of "byzantine" pretty, but civ v kind of did that to everyone, so i don't think it's a problem with her specifically. as far as civ designs go, i think this one is the best.

civ vi: great builders: 7/10

i know it's been said a million times before, but civ vi's cartoony art style is stupid and i hate it. it feels like such a step back from civ v's leader scenes. you used to get leaders chilling in beautiful scenery or sitting in fancy throne rooms or riding horses on the battlefield or whatever, and now they just stand in front of powerpoint backgrounds and i hate it. THAT BEING SAID, theodora's design is not bad as far as civ vi designs go. it's not as cartoony as most of them and her outfit is pretty normal, even though there's not enough purple (it's clearly based on her mosaic, but they removed her purple chlamys and didn't add any purple anywhere else for some reason.) and a lot of these goofy big-headed caricature designs do look very cute in motion.

evony: the king's return: 3/10

this one is just confusing. apparently theodora is a general in this game, which is weird because i don't think belisarius was included and i don't know why you wouldn't use him if you want a byzantine general? not sure how that works. one fan page i read said she's "excellent at monster looting," which, okay. aside from that, though, what is going on here? the dress is a lot. the hair is a lot. this looks like they superimposed theodora's head over pre-existing art of a fantasy medieval princess. there are a lot of details here and they're all weird. it does get some points for not being unnecessarily sexualized, but still. this is a lot. i feel like it seems okay at first but gets weirder the longer you look at it.

rise of kingdoms: 4/10

this one's ridiculous, but it's ridiculous in a way that kind of makes sense, and frankly every design in this game kinda looks like this (look at belisarius. he's wonderful.) i'm not going to say i particularly like this art style, because i don't, but at least it's stylized and silly instead of just all over the place like evony's. also, this is like the fourth game on this list to include theodora and belisarius but not justinian (belisarius is usually in the civ games as a great general) which i just find funny because that's how every piece of media about this time period is. every book and movie and video game is like This Is Belisarius, The Famously Loyal General. This Is Theodora, The Beautiful Empress From The Gutter. who's justinian? never heard of him

[make-mine-movie]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first production to be considered a “Walt Disney Animated Feature Film.” It was released in 1937 and has since received a 97% score from Rotten Tomatoes. This movie introduces Disney into its Golden Age as well as its fame.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a masterfully constructed film, especially for its time. The artwork is reminiscent of the animating styles from the time period which involve initial sketches presented via a “flip book” method and then painted over with light coloration. This idea is exceptionally present in Snow White’s physical presentation as a character, especially with how her face is colorized. This stylistic usage makes the background art and characters appear very colorful and beautiful when they need to be, conveying emotion and scenery with every slide. Characteristically, Snow White is a very bland protagonist. She has little-to-no personality beyond a desire for freedom from her oppressive stepmother and a love for cleaning and song. The dwarves are obviously monolithic, and all the other characters remain nameless. Additionally, the construction of the Evil Queen could be read as rather harmful, being influenced from a bigoted perspective. The Evil Queen is arguably an antisemitic caricature, something consistent with a lot of Disney media. In her motivation (restoring her beauty at the expense of a young girl), methods (disguising herself using the dark arts), and appearance (dark hair, and post-disguise, elongated nose), the Evil Queen presents a multitude of stereotypically-antisemitic Jewish traits. It is important to be critical of this choice, especially considering both the time the movie was made and the source material (the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales, which were utilized in Nazi Germany to reinforce that Jewish people were “villainous”). Beyond the Evil Queen, the dwarves themselves present a rather inappropriate caricature; one that infantilizes and mocks disabled people, specifically those with dwarfism or of short stature. Snow White makes multiple comments about how they are children (of course, this is before she has met them), and implies that they are incapable of taking care of themselves when she herself is a child. Finally, the ending of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one I am personally conflicted with. From a literal sense, this is the perfect fairy tale ending: the charming prince escorts the helpless damsel away to safety after she has been confronted with a life-threatening peril and miraculously survived (with his aid, of course). From an analytical perspective, on the other hand, the ending is rather disturbing. It could be argued the Prince is an angel of death, whose presence symbolized to Snow White her inevitable demise. After she dies, he kisses her. She then must say goodbye to all the friends she has made before being carried away on a white horse to a mysterious castle in the clouds. He has essentially taken her to heaven. While I appreciate the beautiful symbolism of this possible scenario, I also find it rather disturbing.

In conclusion, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a well-done movie that reflects the stances of its time period. It is relatively bland in comparison to some of the other Walt Disney Animated Feature Films of today, but still tells an interesting story worth watching at least once. Its symbolism is compelling, but the characters are lacking in depth and are either exceptionally monolithic or just downright disrespectful. Overall, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs receives 5.5 out of 10 stars from me, an average score. This decision was heavily influenced by its antisemitic and ableist portrayals as well as its boring characters (and the fact that it does not pass the Bechdel Test). That being said, the movie redeemed itself to an extent with its beautiful background scenery and impressive animation. The music was average, leading to half a point rather than a full point gain or reduction.

Summary of the film under the cut.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a story originally published in the well-known compilation of Grimms’ Fairy Tales in 19th century Germany. The Disney adaptation features a young girl, Snow White, as its protagonist. She is the heir to a mysterious kingdom of which her stepmother is the queen. The queen, known solely as “The Evil Queen” in the film, is an exceptionally vain individual who utilizes the Magic Mirror to determine that she is truly the fairest in the land. Upon discovering that her young stepdaughter, Snow White, is actually the fairest, the Evil Queen sends the Huntsman to kill her; but he cannot do it. Snow White retreats into the woods where she discovers a cottage with no current residents, as they are out at work. The dwarves, recognized by names reminiscent of their primary personality trait, come home to a shockingly clean cottage and a new inhabitant. A short while after moving in with them, the Evil Queen discovers Snow White is in fact still alive and plots to kill her herself. She disguises herself as an old woman, poisons an apple, and sets off for the cottage, where she encounters Snow White alone. Snow White eats the apple despite cautions from the dwarves against interacting with strangers. The local forest animals witness Snow White’s poisoning and report back to the dwarves, who race to her rescue. They chase the Evil Queen up a cliffside, and in an attempt to fend them off, she tries to send a boulder down the cliff in their direction. However, this backfires and after being struck by lightning she subsequently falls to her death. Once the dwarves return they discover Snow White has succumbed to her fate. They hold a funeral for her, in which the Prince (known by some as “Prince Ferdinand” but this information is not canon to the film), shows up on a white horse. He kisses her, and she rises from her “sleeping death.” After saying goodbye to the dwarves and forest creatures, Snow White rides off into the distance with the Prince.

[welcometomy20s]

July 28, 2023

VOCALOID LEGENDS - July 2023

#800 - Requiem (Kanaria) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 23-07-03, Upload Date: 23-04-22

The VOCALOID version of the song originally sung by Hoshimachi Suisei. It’s a rare occurrence where I write a VTuber in a legitimate sense. I personally dislike Kanaria’s increasing use of Miku. I just like his GUMI songs more, fits his style better.

#801 - Super Nuko World (mafumafu) [IA, Kagamine Rin]

Achievement Date: 23-07-05, Upload Date: 13-12-20

IA and Rin duet is rare, and a cute VOCALOID is also uncommon, and of course it is part of mafumafu’s Nuko series, which is surprising that this is the first entry. Very much a mix of the fast-paced DnB that dominated ‘13 and the Denpa sound that is very much the backbone of Japanese internet culture. It’s a brilliant song and fun, too!

#802 - Baka (syudou) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 23-07-08, Upload Date: 18-03-21

I think this is one of the songs that is better covered than listening to the original. Syudou tends to tune Miku very delicately, which does not fit with the overtly angry nature of the song. His tuning becomes better suited in later songs, however.

#803 - Whatever Yama Says Goes (PinocchioP) [Hatsune Miku, PinocchioP]

Achievement Date: 23-07-20, Upload Date: 18-08-20

There is this mix of anger and sadness that seems to really solidify at this time from one of the more prolific producers out there, but this song is especially angry and sad, and the producer’s own vocal only adds to the desperation and hopelessness.

#804 - Rabbit Hole (DECO*27) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 23-07-22, Upload Date: 23-05-19

DECO*27’s 39th song on this list, a major milestone and one of the fastest of his on the list. Honestly, even with the recognition, I still think it’s underrated, mostly I think because the lyrics are extremely suggestive so there are few covers. I think there are many songs which try to mix and match, but this song play the fast pace straight, and I think I appreciate the simplicity and directness of the song. 

#805 - Scenery, Indulge in Summer (n-buna) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 23-07-28, Upload Date: 13-08-20

What a perfect song to listen to in these current times. Another great summer song from one of the greatest summer songwriters. I’m not sure, but the song seems to be a reflective song connecting many of the other songs together. The brightness and emptiness of the song really reflects on the strengths of the producer and summer.

#806 - Mafia (wotaku) [Hatsune Miku]

Achievement Date: 23-07-29, Upload Date: 20-08-07

wotaku has finally started to rack up on this prestigious list and this might be his most famous song. One that basically exemplifies his style, although the producer moved onto different sounds. If you encountered the song through the covers, you might think Miku's light voice would not work, but I think it oddly suits well. 

#807 - -ERROR (niki) [Lily]

Achievement Date: 23-07-29, Upload Date: 10-09-13

One of the heavy favorites of cover artists and fans alike, the song took its sweet time getting onto this list. The song that brought niki into stardom and as a master of Lily. Honestly Lily almost feels too generic to really work, but I think niki uses this generic factor in two equally interesting ways, either as a background to an electronic bop or kind of a general cry for some topic, like death and dying in this song.

#808 - The Real Disappearance of Hatsune Miku (cosMo) [GUMI]

Achievement Date: 23-07-30, Upload Date: 15-07-29

What an odd song. First, this is a GUMI song, which is only the beginning of the pointed commentary in what might be one of the most direct song from the prolific produer who has been here since the very beginning. Honestly, it sounds more like a Neru/kemu song, which is kind of ironic because that particular style was fading out of fashion. 

[justshitandanime]

Kamigami no Asobi/ Ludere Deorum (Anime) Critic, opinion, whatever (no major spoiler)

So, I just end to watch this short anime (12 episodes) and I’m like MEH. I don’t care about the game, truly, I give 3 fucks. Is only about the anime.  

The basic plot is “A bunch of gods from different religions have to take classes in a school with a human for a REASON”. And at first, when you see which gods are (Japanese, Greeks, Nordic and Egyptian) you can think: Ok, this will be great! Like, knowing that Greeks, Nordic and Egyptians in some point fight historically between them, the god’s relationships must give a lot of drama and conflict, right???

WELL NO, ZERO. The story now is “Everyone love the human, plot less deep than a paper” ISTG.

Let’s start with the only woman in the series, a girl that’s so annoying that make me want to rip off her hair. Zero personality, she only adds something because the rest of the gods are pretty much teenagers with the mindset of a 10 years old child who seems to never see humans in their lives for more than 5 minutes (which in some point it contradicts it because one of the gods almost marry a human??). Typical lady who can’t stop to cry for legit anything but, somehow save the world and somehow know how help everyone…

The gods are just plain stupid, which, coming from beings hundreds of hundred years old, HOW THE FUCK? The only ones are the two who are like on top the school, Zeus and Thoth (this last one was my main reason to see this anime), who act a little more as millennial old god. One of them literally have the attitude and personality of a toddler…

The only big GOOD APPLAUSE to this anime was make the Egyptian gods (Anubis and Thoth) NOT WHITE and neither with “people of color offensive stereotypes”. Are the same, act the same, as SHOULD, but brown skin color.

But the rest is a little meh. Both are the only different ones, the Japanese gods look just as the Nordic and Greek. Their “god form” is a mix of Sailor Moon style with some vague representation of their characteristics.

Their personality are based on one quote of wikipedia, ignoring the 99% of their original lore, their relationships are also very basic. Half of the screen time are just simping over the girl, trying to see who will keep her as if she was just a prize and not a being with own brain (hello misogyny my old friend) and she is pretty much a toy with no self-love or even the ovaries to speak (she shutters and say “but” all the time).

They also end shirtless or semi naked way too often to be barely 12 episodes long and make me think, whoever made it, was thinking in “I will make a bunch of hot dudes, showing tasty meat, to make the girls see this anime”.

Another issue with the design is that they look pretty similar. Except the change of the hair color and style, they are the damn same, to the point of be hard to identify them at first, even the girl has THAT FACE. Again, only is easy for the Egyptians gods and Zeus. They are all so absurdly THIN like, damn, they have muscles but, you know, to have these muscles, do you have bones below or something? They are eels…

Their conflicts seem so damn deep in some point that make you think “ok, now the drama start!” but no, all is fixed in one chapter as if they put the issue under a rug.

The names are a big “wtf”. The character Melissa is showed as if is going to be important but I still try to figure out why the fuck they made him/her.

Being an old shitty person a side, I can say, even so, they somehow manage to be charming enough to make you get a little sad when the bad shit happens. After all, they are just a bunch of bimbos: no brain, pretty, nice guys.

There are a few plots twist that can make you say “cool”.

Background and scenery are great, night skies were my favorite.

Score: 2.5/5 and 5/10. Is fine if you are bored one day and want to binge a fast show without need to think, but don’t expect too much. And kinda avoid it if you are fan of any of these gods (much less a nerd of their mythology) or you will end spitting foam and cursing in old latin.

[whataboutfractions]

wip drop of that one hige pov thing from a while back, ft. various pre-canon goings-on

Your designation number is 019, and you are a Higehige Bandit.

You're one of the few, now, who lacks a name. Where there were once dozens are now thousands with names and families, hobbies and jobs, goals and hopes, and the number like you who remember a time before can be counted on two hands.

Before there was the Schumulvault there was an apartment, and before there were the President and the Combat Commander there were two men splitting a cup of instant ramen for every meal, still drafting blueprints and budgets on a rickety desk, paying no mind to you in the stairwell with a broom, a task list, and a serial number.

There was a notch on that broom, right in the middle of the handle—you still hold your index and middle fingers slightly apart when you sweep your personal quarters now. You've thought of naming yourself, but nothing you can think of ever seems to fit.

It isn't surprising, entirely, when the President announces a new mission statement to target the unique objects of the universe. It'd been among the what-ifs he'd spun those years ago over architectural sketches and paper-margin calculations, frivolity more to voice the assumption of a happy one day than anything else, and with each day passed comfortably for the Schumulvault, each week, each month, he's seemed more and more uncertain. Listless. This is something for him to do.

Naturally, that means it's also something for you to do. You don't have much choice in the matter. You stand in the back row of a regiment assembled in his audience hall, watch while he places his call to one Dr. Iein with his throne rotated to position the whole of you as background scenery, salute when ordered, look vaguely stern in your lack of expression as he laughs diabolically and the man on the screen sputters. 

The call ends. You are dismissed and return to your quarters to wash your laundry.

The day afterwards you board a spaceship with a small unit of other Higehige Bandits, that spaceship joins a fleet of several more, and you travel to a fairground planet in order to retrieve the only dango-colored bead necklace of its kind in the universe. It's on display as part of a traveling exhibition, and it's really rather ugly, but the crew presenting it isn't expecting any interruptions (at least, not of your caliber) so your contingent is able to seize it easily in front of an outraged, enthralled crowd.

When the President hijacks a fairground monitor in another bombastic declaration-of-intent call the rush of chatter erupts into an outright roar of yelling you can still hear halfway out of the planet's atmosphere, a mile or two up just before the warp point; you spare a glance away from the navigational controls with half a mind to check that you're seeing the same glossy pink-white-green in your comrade's hand as they'd seen on display below. It still looks the same.

The next morning, the President's name is on the news. You watch from your 10:30 assignment of helping mount display shelves as he guffaws, more excited than confident, and names the next destination.

One by one, various trinkets and novelties fill up the shelves you screwed together. Figurines, jewelry. Gourmet snacks of questionable flavors. Unwearably avant-garde clothing. You see yourself in the background of news reports every other week, blurry and out-of-focus where you recall standing guard or holding perimeter or whatever else, when you have the TV on for idle distraction while you prepare dinner.

You aren't sure how many objects have been stolen by the time you depart for the next one down the list and, for the first time, someone is there to stop you.

There's three of them, that first time. You've just come from underneath the sill of a museum window, laying supplies hidden in the decorative topiary border as assigned, and once you round the corner to rendezvous with your squad at the front entrance a mismatched trio of sapients is waiting instead: one Dodonpa, one robot, and one Bomberman.

The third one catches your eye and holds your attention best by far. Before all this, you'd heard of his species—before the mission, before the Schumulvault, before any of the others besides you and the scant batch of a few dozen more. The President had talked about them. Had talked about a girl he'd known and a woman he'd been unable to stop feeling for. Had made his fortress, his army, his plan, all in hopes of reaching her. It's because of a Bomberman that you were born.

It's also, of course, fairly common knowledge that Bombermen are frequently extremely dangerous opponents to face in most forms of combat. Underneath your bandana, you feel a bead of coolant roll down your nape, and out of the corner of your eye you assess your options for cover.

Cocking his head just slightly to the side, the Bomberman continues to look at you. He has long-lashed, round, impossibly big brown eyes, bold eyebrows, and, along the lines of facial features, not much else. Where a nose or a mouth would be is nothing but smooth, soft-looking skin.

Without meaning to you watch his antenna perk, lower, and perk again by minute, involuntary degrees until he turns to the Dodonpa beside him. "So these are the bandits?"

"Yep. Robot footsoldiers," the Dodonpa says, inexplicably punctuating each statement with an offhand bongo. "They comprise the bulk of the Higehige organization. Nobody's seen them use any kind of special abilities, so they shouldn't be too much trouble."

"That is, unless they're hiding something!" The robot springs forward and begins to gesture emphatically as it chimes in. You take the opportunity to begin inching backwards in the direction of whichever topiary display offers the best brush cover. "You better not let your guard down, rookie—the reputation of the Jetters depends on it!"

"I know," the Bomberman says, his brow furrowing. "Just trust me, okay? I can handle this."

Before he can demonstrate, you break at a sprint for the bushes and mash the emergency alert button on your communicator.

It's the Combat Commander himself who ends up responding, his dedicated unit in tow, to launch into a bombastic combination of introduction and challenge immediately upon arrival; you watch from between interlocking-spiral hedges as the Bomberman at the head of the opposite group (the Jetters?) tenses into a warier posture, slides one foot back through the dirt behind him. 

Staring up at this human easily two heads taller and a hundred fifty pounds larger than him, his eyes have constricted a paler brown than before, and it strikes you abruptly that he looks young. Not a child, not with his build and bearing, but—there's a rawness to how he holds himself, his fists balled and his limbs tense, that carries a matching softness hand-in-hand whether it likes it or not.

It once again is not a surprise that the Combat Commander is forced to retreat, scorched and bruised, by the end of the encounter. You catch a glimpse of the only corkscrew-shaped ceramic vase of its kind in the universe through the same window you'd had to retrieve your rope and bolt cutters from under on the way out, and though you see it through your TV screen later that night, it does not go on the audience hall's shelves with those others unique in the universe.

The Jetters show up on the news during the segment that'd covered the President before. A new group aimed specifically to counter the Higehige Bandits in their current mission statement, formed by the same Dr. Iein as before—they hope to be of service to the galaxy wherever needed from this point forward, according to him. They look forward to working with those similarly seeking justice. They are accepting monetary assistance with the cost of operations at this time should anyone feel inclined.

On a whole, it's not as entertaining as watching the President or Commander's theatrics, but it does provide one thing of note between the back-and-forth of host commentary, the mailing addresses and website URLs: of the current team members, the Bomberman's name is Mighty.

Not much else is said on him before the interview segues into an update on reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the Titan Ninniku explosion. You finish eating dinner and washing dishes, then boot up your personal computer in the few minutes before bed.

You type in the URL you remember hearing, and though you misspell several syllables, your search engine suggests the correct destination in short order, which you dutifully take advantage of by clicking to the Jetters' public webpage. It's fairly simple so far. Basic, but recognizably professional in its layout, easily-navigable by the content bar at the upper border; you click to the Personnel tab, then the Profiles subcategory.

The Dodonpa is named Bongo, the robot is named Gangu, and at the bottom of the page the most recently-added entry is Mighty's. His profile, like the previous duo's, is only a few lines, accompanied by a slightly-less-than-professional photo in which he stands, smiles, and looks altogether sterile compared to your earlier view of him about to send your commander to the medbay. A lifelong native of Bomber Planet, apparently. Today might have been his first day away from home.