#Akane Aikawa

[animeglitch]

[chaotictoon]

intangibility

[iwannadomore]

[nakamorijuan]

魔法使い隊 - 背伸びをして Follow You Mahou Tsukai-Tai - Senobi Wo Shite FOLLOW YOU Mahou Tsukai Tai! - OVA Opening Theme

[shoujo-helado]

summary:

This is a 7-minute drama segment included on the "Bud Girl" single. The story is conveyed entirely through Akane's dialogue as she interacts with a nameless guy who drops by her apartment. Her thoughts are vocalized over what she's actually saying as she feigns interest in him despite growing increasingly bored and frustrated. Eventually he gets too fresh and she magically inflates him, quite literally sending him whizzing out the door.

[from londonboy]

[xdere78]

[ikari-brando]

[sakasagami]

リクエストありがとうございます🤤

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

The Autistic Anime Girls Tournament Bracket!

Here are the matchups. The winners of each group will compete in a three-way finale. Full matchups below the cut! I typed all of this by hand, so if you spot an error PLEASE let me know. My brain was simply Not There after a certain point.

I have the poll visuals for the first half of group one done, I just need to make posts for them. I'll try to finish them up by the end of tonight. I'll be releasing halves a day or two apart, but wait for one group to finish up before releasing matches for the next group. Without further ado...

GROUP ONE:

(Side A)

Tome Kurata (Mob Psycho 100) VS Emu Ootori (Project Sekai)

Yuki Nagato (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) VS Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club)

Maria Ushiromiya (Umineko When They Cry) VS Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury (Sailor Moon)

Tomoko Kuroki (WataMote) VS Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Shouko Komi (Komi Can’t Communicate) VS Mayaya (Princess Jellyfish)

Manami Okuda (Assassination Classroom) VS Athena Cykes (Ace Attorney)

Rina Tennouji (Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club) VS Mizuki Date (AI: The Somnium Files)

Rei Ayanami (Neon Genesis Evangelion) VS Rin Shima (Laid-Back Camp)

Futaba Sakura (Persona 5) VS Kaoruko Moeta/Kaos (Comic Girls)

Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger (Little Witch Academia) VS Tomoyo Daidouji (Cardcaptor Sakura)

Suletta Mercury (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury) VS Nezuko Kamado (Demon Slayer)

Falin Touden (Dungeon Meshi) VS Mashiro Shiina (The Pet Girl of Sakurasou)

Anthy Himemiya (Revolutionary Girl Utena) VS Kanade Yoisaki (Project Sekai)

Sakaki (Azumanga Daioh) VS Penny Polendina (RWBY)

Tae Yamada (Zombie Land Saga) VS Tomori Takamatsu (BanG Dream: It's MyGO!!!!!)

Midori Asakusa (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!) VS Jiji (Princess Jellyfish)

(Side B)

Asa Mitaka (Chainsaw Man) VS Shijima Tsukishima (Shimeji Simulation)

Patty Thompson (Soul Eater) VS Minori Ichinose/Cure Papaya (Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure)

Mako Mankanshoku (Kill la Kill) VS Nami (One Piece)

Ayumu Kasuga/Osaka (Azumanga Daioh) VS Rena Ryuugu (Higurashi When They Cry)

Mitsumi Iwakura (Skip and Loafer) VS Hina Hikawa (BanG Dream! Girls Band Party)

Sawako Kuronuma/Sadako (Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You) VS Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries)

Hikaru Hoshina/Cure Star (Star Twinkle Pretty Cure) VS Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Lain Iwakura (Serials Experiments Lain) VS Banba (Princess Jellyfish)

Himari Arisugawa/Cure Custard (KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode) VS Maki Aikawa (Air Master)

Honoka Yukishiro/Cure White (Futari wa Pretty Cure) VS Milly Thompson (Trigun)

Atsuko Kagari/Akko (Little Witch Academia) VS Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa)

Hitori Gotoh/Bocchi (Bocchi the Rock!) VS Ryou Yamada (Bocchi the Rock!)

Tsukimi Kurashita (Princess Jellyfish) VS Victorique de Blois (Gosick)

Clara Valac (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun) VS Nagi Usui (NEO: The World Ends With You)

Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV (Cowboy Bebop) VS Nene Kusanagi (Project Sekai)

Tsuyu Asui (My Hero Academia) VS Chieko (Princess Jellyfish)

GROUP TWO:

(Side A)

Nico Niiyama (Kiznaiver) VS Ajimi Kiki (PriPara)

Nagisa Furukawa (Clannad) VS Fuuko Ibuki (Clannad)

Kushina Uzumaki (Naruto) VS Nagisa Momoe (Madoka Magica: Rebellion)

Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto) VS Yellow (Pokémon Adventures)

Cibo (Blame!) VS Kuriko Saiki (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)

Vanilla H (Galaxy Angel) VS Himiko Yumeno (Danganronpa)

Nejire Hadou (My Hero Academia) VS Yuuko Aioi (Nichijou)

Tsubomi Takane (Mob Psycho 100) VS Fischl von Luftschloss Narfidort (Genshin Impact)

Maya Fey (Ace Attorney) VS Reina Aharen (Aharen is Indecipherable)

Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon) VS Orihime Inoue (Bleach)

Don Quixote (Limbus Company) VS Chizuru Hishiro (ReLIFE)

Io Nitta (Devil Survivor 2) VS Miho Nosaka (Yugioh)

Ringo Andou (Puyo Puyo) VS Aoi Akane (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

Mei Hatsume (My Hero Academia) VS Alluka Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)

Gin Akutagawa (Bungou Stray Dog) VS Izutsumi (Dungeon Meshi)

Sorawo Kamikoshi (Otherside Picnic) VS Three (Drakengard 3)

(Side B)

Satsuki Minazuki (Liar Satsuki Can See Death) VS Yuki Shirakaba (Catulus Syndrome)

Anri Sonohara (Durarara!!) VS Kotomi Ichinose (Clannad)

Nico Yazawa (Love Live!) VS Bocchi Hitori (Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu)

Ahiru Arima/Duck (Princess Tutu) VS Kanao Tsuyuri (Demon Slayer)

Miriel (Fire Emblem Awakening) VS Anzu (Ensemble Stars!)

Rinku Aimoto (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ) VS Yuri (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Mako Wakamiya (Do Chokkyuu Kareshi x Kanojo) VS Biscuit Krueger/Bisky (Hunter x Hunter)

Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail) VS Maria Inomata (School Babysitters)

Akane Kurashiki (Zero Escape) VS Sayo Yasuda (Umineko When They Cry)

Sonia Nevermind (Danganronpa) VS Mai Minakami (Nichijou)

Miki Naoki (School-Live!) VS Ai Mie (The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses)

Nausicaä (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind) VS Lynne (Ghost Trick)

Sumireko Usami (Touhou Project) VS Lucina (Fire Emblem Awakening)

Shouko Sano (Colorful) VS Shizuku Murasaki (Hunter x Hunter)

Kon Ishimori (Kemono Jihen) VS Marcille Donato (Dungeon Meshi)

Anisphia Wynn Palletia (The Magical Revolution Of The Reincarnated Princess and The Genius Young Lady) VS Hayate Tendo (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ)

GROUP THREE:

(Side A)

Ai Enma (Hell Girl) VS Kaoru Seta (BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!)

Jun Naruse (Anthem of the Heart) VS Kanna Makino (Tamako Market)

Eve Wakamiya (BanG Dream!) VS Chouko Shizuhata (Oddman 11)

Hikari Kagura (Revue Starlight) VS Croix Meridies (Little Witch Academia)

Miko Iino (Kaguya-sama: Love is War) VS Nafra Ampsey (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun)

Sana Futaba (Magia Record) VS Momoko Hanasaki (Wedding Peach)

Mei Misaki (Another) VS Valerie (Pokémon)

Kanade Tachibana/Angel (Angel Beats!) VS Akashi (The Tatami Galaxy)

Miku Hatsune (Vocaloid) VS Manatsu Natsuumi/Cure Summer (Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure)

Katarina Claes (My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!) VS Sayaka Kanamori (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!)

Hana Tabata (A Bouquet for an Ugly Girl) VS Richeh (Witch Hat Atelier)

Saki Hanajima (Fruits Basket) VS Myne (Ascendance of a Bookworm)

Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket) VS Konata Izumi (Lucky Star)

Shizuku Mizutani (My Little Monster) VS Ran-Mao (Black Butler)

Miyuki Hoshizora/Cure Happy (Smiley Pretty Cure!) VS Tsubame Mizusaki (Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!)

Kyouka Izumi (Bungou Stray Dogs) VS Franziska von Karma (Ace Attorney)

(Side B)

Nico Robin (One Piece) VS Tsubasa Katsuki (Comic Girls)

Penny (Pokémon Scarlet and Violet) VS Alice Carroll (Aria)

Sora Kajiwara (Sketchbook: Full Color’s) VS A.K.I. (Street Fighter 6)

Maya Yamato (BanG Dream!: Girls Band Party) VS Sucy Manbavaran (Little Witch Academia)

Kiyoko Shimizu (Haikyuu!!) VS Sen (Hakumei and Mikochi)

Arle Nadja (Puyo Puyo) VS Mai Mishou/Cure Egret/Cure Windy (Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star)

Omoharu Nakanaka (Komi Can’t Communicate) VS Sora Naegino (Kaleido Star)

Yor Forger (Spy x Family) VS Li Tianxi (Link Click)

Maho Hiyajo (Steins;Gate 0) VS Kirie Motoba (Himouto! Umaru-chan)

Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist) VS Eula Lawrence (Genshin Impact)

Miae Hwang (After School Lessons For Unripe Apples) VS Ruby Rose (RWBY)

Nanami Hiromachi (BanG Dream!: Girls Band Party) VS Lotte Jansson (Little Witch Academia)

Himiko Toga (My Hero Academia) VS Bulma (Dragon Ball)

Witch (Puyo Puyo) VS Power (Chainsaw Man)

Kanna Kamui (Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid) VS Tooru Taki (Natsume's Book of Friends)

Suzuno Kamazuki/Crestia Bell (The Devil is a Part-Timer!) VS Yoo Iseol (Return of the Mount Hua Sect/Return of the Blossoming Blade)

[animexxme]

Your Japanese names using your Birth dates

LAST NAME

January- Sasaki Febuary- Kato March- Aikawa April- Yoshida May- Suzuki June- Ito July- Matsumoto August- Aoki September- Murao October- Yoshida November- Futaba December- Ishikawa FIRST NAME 1) Hayate 2) Akari 3) Yoichi 4) Ai 5) Hikari 6) Futaba 7) Ichigo 8) Yuri 9) Tomone 8) Makita 10) Kyuoko 11) Naomi 12) Rika 13) Fumiya 14) Makoto 15) Akane 16) Himekawa 17) Akasuki 18) Mitsuru 19) Ichiro 20) Mai 21) Kagami 22) Ikuno 23) Hanako 24) Riyu 25) Yuki 26) Maya 27) Chika 28) Ayako 29) Kaguya 30) Kou 31) Emi

My name if I follow this is, Akane Aikawa. Call me Aikawa-san.

What about you?

[iwannadomore]

[historyhermann]

Otaku Elf Review

Otaku Elf, also known as Edomae Erufu, is a fantasy comedy anime. It is based on a seven-volume manga illustrated and written by Akihiko Higuchi. Directed by Takebumi Anzai, it is produced by C2C, a studio founded in April 2006. This post will have spoilers.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-fourth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on June 5, 2023.

This series focuses on a sixteen-year-old named Koito Koganei (voiced by Yuka Ozaki). She becomes a shrine maiden, known as miko, at a shrine in Takamini after the death of her grandfather. As a result, she becomes the caretaker of Eldarie "Elda" Irma Fanomene (voiced by Ami Koshimizu). Elda is an immortal and beautiful elf summoned from another world. Koito encounters challenges as Elda is an otaku and hikikomori/shut-in who fears going outside the shrine following an unpleasant interaction many years prior. Even so, she attempts to get Elda to enjoy life outside the shrine.

Originally, I had not been planning to write a review of this series because I'm already reviewing nine other series this season, either about magical girls (Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure and Tokyo Mew Mew New), legendary warriors (Unicorn Warriors: Eternal), VTubers (Kizuna no Allele), a yuri-themed cafe (Yuri Is My Job!), golf girls (Birdie Wing), idols (Oshi No Ko), or other subjects (Alice Gear Aegis Expansion and Skip and Loafer). One motivation for writing this review was because of Sailor Moon, which I'm currently watching, for the first time. It features Rei Hino as a shrine maiden, when she isn't Sailor Mars.

The animation style, comedy of an immortal elf being an otaku meeting a normal person, and the centrality of food, drew me in. The latter is primarily grounded in the cooking by Koyuzu (voiced by Hitomi Sekine), the younger sister of Koito. The same can be said for Koito and Elda's stories often becoming intertwined. Also, there are characters which are portrayed as "cute", like Koito's friend Koma Sakuraba (voiced by Haruka Aikawa).

I liked that every episode of Otaku Elf has some story about past Japanese culture, especially from the Edo period. Of course, Elda does all she can to impress Koito no matter what. This is despite the fact that although she has a laptop, she doesn't know how to use a cell phone. When she does use it, she texts so much that she angers the spirits! Elda does not know everything, however, and doesn't pretend she is all-knowing. She is wise, but not omniscient.

Yordeilla "Yord" Lila Fenomenea (voiced by Rie Kugimiya) and Himawari Kohinata (voiced by Teru Ikuta) are a good addition to the series. Yord is a dark-skinned elf, who is bad at directions, and has an absurd rivalry with Elda over an equivalent of tic-tac-toe. Dr. Akane Sasaki (voiced by Yumi Uchiyama) was similarly a positive character. In fact, she is shown in the seventh episode with Kadoi, getting drunk at a bar, with both of them as an interesting pair of characters together.

There is undeniable yuri subtext in this series, specifically between Koito and Elda, especially shown in the fifth episode. Otaku Elf has a degree of intimacy it can turn to and expand in each episode. As such, the series centers on the importance of spending time with others above everything else. In that way, Otaku Elf is special.

In marked contrast to Birdie Wing, the value of studying, and education as an extension, is emphasized through Koito's intense studying in the sixth episode. The importance of taking breaks and not over-extending oneself is an interrelated theme.

I like the slice-of-life nature of Otaku Elf. This makes it different from magic-themed series such as Healer Girl and Management of a Novice Alchemist. Similarly, it is nothing like recent slice-of-life anime. The latter includes Let's Make a Mug Too, The Aquatope on White Sand, Teasing Master Takagi-san, and Laid-Back Camp.

The series differs from YuruYuri, Gabriel DropOut, Is the Order a Rabbit?, Kin-iro Mosaic, Non Non Biyori, K-On!, and Azumanga Daioh, in the same genre. Elda is a living history resource, who is good at origami, but can have awful nightmares. There's occasional casual alcoholism. But, it isn't as present as it is in Bocchi the Rock!. The latter features a sick bassist named Kikuri Hiroi, who spends most of her money on booze.

The seventh Otaku Elf episode was one of the best in the entire series. It primarily focused on Koyuzu and her desire to spend more time with her sister, Koito. Some of the funniest sequences in the episode was when she charmed people in a wholesale market so she could get fish for free.

The latter episode was only rivaled by the eighth episode. It focuses on Elda meeting another elf, named Haira (voiced by Mamiko Noto). Some of the best parts were having the historical remembrance shown in anime style resembling wood block art.  The episode features another miko, named Komari, the same age as Koito. Haira is an elf with beauty only matched by Elda. She is older than Elda and Yolde, treating them as her younger sisters. The episode implied Elda is a lesbian, as she said she liked all the teahouse girls during the Edo period.

By the end of the episode, it is clear that the series is uncritical of the fact that Komari was a social influencer and that Haira was a gambler. Even though Komari was critical of Haira for gambling, she tells Koioto that if Haira is doing what she likes, it is ok. On the one hand, this makes sense as Komari had been with Haira since she was young, allowing her to take candid photographs.

On the other, Otaku Elf, by saying that Haira's desire to be a gambler is ok, implies it is a non-issue and downplays it as a problem. Most gambling is prohibited in Japan. There are exceptions for some motor sports and horse racing. The latter is something that Haira said she wanted to do during the episode.

There is an ample culture of gambling in the island nation. The island has a difficult relationship with it. There is inconsistency between reality and law. Some have pushed to completely legalize gambling across the island. Even so, some people, and groups, have objected to expanded gambling in Osaka. They have argued that crime and addiction (to gambling) will rise as a result. Those caught gambling illegally in Japan can face fines or jail time. This hasn't stopped gambling from becoming pervasive, nor the millions afflicted with gambling addiction. The series could have done a better job with this topic.

Despite the problematic approach to gambling, the series often highlights the importance of remembering the past and preserving it. In the ninth episode, Elda reads a manga that has been published for over 30 years. She reorganizes her room due to a ceiling leak (with the help of Koito) and finds an old videotape. Often series only focus on new technology. They act like anything deemed "analog" isn't worth bringing up. In some cases, there is a blend of the "old" and "new". In the case in Steven Universe, a videotape of the protagonist's mother (Rose Quartz) plays an important role in the series.

Similarly in Otaku Elf, Koito sees a videotape for the first time, and goes to her grandmother, who has an old Betamax player, excited to watch a tape of something recorded from before she was born. She learns that her mother, shown on the tape, was also a miko of Elda as well! In a typical scene, Elda embarrasses Koito. She thinks she will be picked up in a "bridal style" pose and runs away as a result. The latter is part of the ongoing yuri undertones of this series, even though Elda and Koito have more of a master-student relationship than anything that is romantic.

Otaku Elf is much more than a series with endearing character dynamics. It has a protagonist (Elda) who deeply cares about the town she lives in, a neighborhood of Tokyo, I believe. Unlike some other anime this season, such as Alice Gear Aegis Expansion, there's no fan service. Nor are there any characters which are "one-off jokes". In fact, the series, in some ways, counts as an isekai. It has a "genuineness and pleasantness" which evades many anime these days.

The show's animation studio is known for producing over 16 series, including two I'm familiar with: Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu (based on a manga by Katsuwo who also wrote Mitsubishi Colors) and Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina. None of the story elements in either of those series are present in this series.

The voice cast of Otaku Elf is just as strong as the show's opening song. Ami Koshimizu, who voices Elda, also voices the caddy of Aoi in Birdie Wing (Amane Shinjо̄), Mizuki Nakahara in Lycoris Recoil, Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon Crystal, Shiori in Princess Connect! Re:Dive, Yang Xiao Long in RWBY: Ice Queendom, and Konomi Yurikawa in Yurikuma Arashi. Yuka Ozaki, the voice of Koito, has lent her voice as Asuka Toyama in BanG Dream!, while Hitomi Sekine, voice of Koyuzu, voiced characters in Teasing Master Takagi-san, Konosuba, and Ms. vampire who lives in my neighborhood.

Haruka Aikawa, the voice of Koma, previously voiced a character in Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. Mamiko Noto, voice of Haira, voiced a supporting character named Kazuki Kosuda in B Gata H Kei - Yamada’s First Time, Hakko in Canaan, Elsa in Gunslinger Girl, Kanon's mother in Love Live! Superstar!!, Shimako Toudou in Maria Watches Over Us, Gin Todo in A Place Further Than the Universe, and Saki Arima in Your Lie in April, and many other roles.

All in all, Otaku Elf is highly relatable to the hundreds of thousands of shut-ins in Japan, which the government believes is a "new social issue", and those elsewhere in the world. It might even draw in an audience from anyone who is living at "home" with their parents, or others living a "hermit-like" existence, being social recluses from society.

In any case, I recommend this series highly. I hope that it receives a second season, even though that is unlikely considering the last nine series by the same studio have not been renewed. Often, companies try and limit corporate risk by planning out each season for only 11-13 episodes. If the show is a success, "additional seasons can be ordered" as noted by Justin Sevakis.

Otaku Elf is currently streaming on HIDIVE.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[likmacuhylang]

Results of 2023 Year

January

Manga: "The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up at th Duke's Mansion" by MIlcha |09| Manga: "Who Made Me a Princess" by Plutus |12| Book: "The Signal-Man" by Charles Dickens |13| Book: "New Pass" by Amelia Edwards |13| Cinema: "Amsterdam" by David Russel |14| Book: "The Portrait" by Margaret Oliphant |15| Anime: "JoJo Bizzare Adventure" by Naokatsu Tsuba |15| Book: "Fight with Shadow" by Carl Jung |16| Book: "Diagnosing of Dictators" by Carl Jung |16| Book: "Western Nationalism and Eastern Nationalism" by Benedict Anderson |22| ------------------------------------ 6 Books; 2 Manga; 1 Cinema; 1 Anime

Febrary

Manga: "Mutant wa Ningen no Kanojo to Kiss ga Shitai" by Giba-chan |01| Manga: "Ishuzoku Joshi ni ○○ Suru Hanashi" by Suimin |12| Book: "99 Stupid Questions about Art and More One" by Alina Nickonova |16| Manga: "Frau Faust" by Kore Yamazaki |18| Manga: "Secret Alliance" by Lero |18| Manga: "Yuusha Goikkou no Kaerimichi" by Ryouji Hirano |19| Anime: "Happy Sugar Life" by Nobuyoshi Nagayama |19| Manga:"Kyuuketsuki Marguerite to Kuenai Gokinjo" by Yuu Aikawa |24| Book: "Edgar Allan Poe. Burnt Life. Biography" by Peter Aykroyd |25| Manga: "Hanamachi Oni" by Hina Sakurada |26| Cinema: "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick |26| Cinema: "The Pale Blue Eye" by Scott Cooper |27| Cinema: "Menu" by Mark Mylod |27| ------------------------------------ 2 Books; 7 Manga; 3 Cinema; 0 Anime

March

Anime: "Darling in the FranXX" by Atsushi Nishigori |03| Manga: "Bara no Tame ni" by Akemi Yoshimura |03| Cinema: "Cowboy from Copenhagen" by Nicolas Winding Refn |04| Cinema: "Breakfast on Pluto" by Neil Jordan |05| Cinema: "Holy Spider" by Ali Abadasi |06| Cinema: "Youth" by Paolo Sorrentino |07| Manga: "I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss" by Anko Yuzu |09| Manga: "Goodbye, Eri" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |15| Book: The Entire Collection of Prose by Edgar Allan Poe |21| Cinema: "i am thinking of ending this" by Charlie Kaufman |23| Cinema: "We Need Talk About Kevin" by Lynne Ramsay |24| Manga: "Beware the Villainess!" by Yeolmae |28| Cinema: "Phantom Thread" by Paul Thomas Anderson |29| ------------------------------------ 1 Books; 4 Manga; 7 Cinema; 0 Anime

April

Anime: "Konosuba" by Natsume Akatsuki, Kurone Mishima, Yuujirou Abe, Takaomi Kanasak |01| Anime: “Only Yesterday” by Isao Takahata |02| Manga: "My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness" by Kabi Nagata |02| Manga: "Koroshiya 1" by Hideo Yamamoto |03| Manga: "1" by Hideo Yamamoto |03| Book: “Tradition of Literary Gothic” by Bella Nacpock |08| Book: “Metamodernism. Historisity, Affect and Depth” by Robin van den Akker |10| Anime: "GTO" by Tooru Fujisawa, Noriyuki Abe |14| Book: “The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious” by Carl Jung |16| Manga: "Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku" by Yuuji Kaku |18| Cinema: “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” by Laura Poitras |24| Cinema: “New Old Play” be Qiu Jiongjiong |25| Book: "Octet" by David Foster Walllace |25| Cinema: “Benedetta” by Paul Verhoeven |27| Manga: "Cells at Work! CODE BLACK" by by Shigemitsu Harada, Akane Shimizu, Issei Hatsuyoshi |28| Manga: "The Villainess Needs Her Tyrant" by Ta-Hong Il |30| ------------------------------------ 4 bOOKS; 6 mANGA; 3 Cinema; 3 Anime

May

Book: “Tell me a sto…” by Una Hurt |02| Manga: "The Villainess's Maker" by Jeongu, I-Su Seol |02| Book: “Lectures on aesthetics” by Georg Hegel |05| Book: “In the Shadow of the Silent Majorities” by Jean Baudrillard |06| Anime: "Cowboy Bibop" by Hajime Yatate, Shinichirou Watanabe, Shinichirou Watanabe, Akira Toba |14| Anime: "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie - Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Hajime Yatate, Shinichirou Watanabe, Toshihiro Kawamoto, Kimitoshi Yamane |14| Cinema: "The Whale" by Darren Aronofsk |15| Cinema: "Lamb" by Vladimar Johannsson |16| mANGA: "Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell" by Unfins |17| Cinema: "Bones and All" by Luca Guadagino |18| Cinema: "Alcarras" by Carla Simon |19| Cinema: "Everything, Everywhere All at Once" by Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan |20| Manga: "The Villain's Savior" by Myeong Rang, Zetson, Seur-A Yeon |22| Cinema: "The Hateful Eight" by Quentin Tarantino |26| Book: “Chrysanthemum and Sward. Models of Japan culture” by Ruth Benedict |27| Book: "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" by J.D. Salinger |29| Book: "A Haunted Monastety" by Rober van Gulik |30| Manga: "When the Villainess is in Love" by HJ, Gwi-Jo Seo |31| ------------------------------------ 7 Books; 4 Manga; 6 Cinema; 2 Anime

June

Manga: "Croa Chimera" by Kairi Sorano |02| Cinema: "Django Unchained" by Quentin Tarantino |02| Cinema: "Interstellar" by Cristopher Nolan |04| Cinema: "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" by David Zucker |07| Manga: "Coffin Jackson" by Chongtak |08| Manga: "Babelheim no Shounin" by Shouichi Furumi |08| Book: "Seven Night" by Jorge Luis Borges |09| Book: "Watch Cinema" by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio |14| Cinema: "Call of the Night" by Kotoyama, Tomoyuki Itamura |18| Cinema: "Crows are White" by Ashen Nadeem |18| ------------------------------------ 2 Books; 3 Manga; 5 Cinema

Jule

Manga: "Scroll if You Dare" compilation webtoons |08| Manga: "Hell is Other People" by Yong-Ki Kim |08| Cinema: "Dreams" by Akira Kurosawa |09| Manga: "The Witch and Her Zombie Son" by Sinyura |09| Book: "Metaphysics" by Aristotle |24| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 3 Manga; 1 Cinema

August

Cinema: "Master Gardener" by Paul Schrader |03| Manga: "Nude Model" by Tsubasa Yamaguchi |09| Book: "The Silence of the White City" by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi |10| Anime: "Akudama Drive" by Tomohisa Taguchi |12| Manga: "Miageru to Kimi wa" by Makoto Kobori |16| Anime: "Elfen Lied" by Mamoru Kanbe |17| Manga: "Shingeki no Kyojin" by Hajime Isayama |24| Manga: "Final Girl" by You Kokikuji |24| Manga: "Itoshi no Living Dead" by AidaIro |25| Manga: "Adolte and Adarte" by AidaIro |25| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 6 Manga; 1 Cinema; 2 Anime

September

Manga: "Vanilla Jingai x Jingai Yuri Anthology" |04| Manga: "Cinnamon Jingai x Ningen Yuri Anthology" |04| Anime: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" by Hideaki Anno |07| Cinema: "Murder on the Orient Express" by Sidney Lumet |08| Cinema: "Men" by Alex Garland |09| Manga: "Neko no Otera no Chion-san" by Makoto Ojiro |10| Cinema: "Amélie" by Jean-Pierre Jeunet |10| Book: "Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects" by Bertrand Russell |11| Cinema: "Crimes of the Future" by David Cronenberg |11| Cinema: "The Scent of Green Papaya" by Tran Anh Hung |16| Anime: "Inu-Oh" by Hideo Furukawa, Taiyou Matsumoto, Masaaki Yuasa, Fuuga Yamashiro |17| Anime: "The Duke of Death and His Maid S1" by Inoue, Yoshinobu Yamakawa |27| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 4 Manga; 6 Cinema; 2 Anime

October

Cinema: "Death Proof" by Quentin Tarantino |05| Cinema: "Jackie Brown" by Quentin Tarantino |05| Cinema: "Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood" by Quentin Tarantino |07| Cinema: "American Psyho" by Marry Harron |08| Cinema: "Fight Club" by David Fincher |08| Cinema: "Leon" by Luc Besson |09| Cinema: "Lost in Translation" by Sofia Coppola |11| CinemaL: "Autumn Sonata" by Ingmar Bergman |12| Cinema: "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon" by Ana Lily Amirpour |14| Cinema: "El Conde" by Pablo Lorrain |14| Cinema: "Asteroid City" by Wes Anderson |15| Cinema: "Mona Lisa" by Neil Jordan |20| Book: "The Master of Petersburg" by John Maxwell Coetzee |26| Anime: "Serial Experiments Lain" |31| ------------------------------------ 1 Book; 12 Cinema; 1 Anime

November

Book: "Not After Midnight" by Daphne du Maurier |11| Book: "My Lost City" by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald |11| Cinema: "The Killer" by David Fincher |11| Manga: "Mariage busines" by KEN |16| Anime: "GOLDEN BOY" by Tatsuya Egawa |17| Book: "Men Without Women" by Ernest Hemingway |17| Manga: "Monster and the Beast" by Renji |19| Manga: "Shinonome Tantei Ibun Roku" by John Tarachine |19| Manga: "Bird Collector" by Kang Se Ah |20| Cinema: "Kurosawa’S Way" by Catherine Cadou |22| Book: "Modern Nihilism. Chronicle" by Costantino Esposito |26| Cinema: "Triangle of Sadness" by Ruben Östlund |27| Cinema: "Past Lives" by Celine Song |27| Cinema: "Rapito" by Marco Bellocchio |29| Anime: "Angel's Egg" by Mamoru Oshii, Yoshitaka Amano |29| Cinema: "A Haunting in Venice" by Kenneth Branagh |30| ------------------------------------ 4 Books; 4 Manga; 6 Cinema; 2 Anime

December

Book: "The Lake" by Banana Yoshimoto in English |05| Book: "Aesthetics. Textbook for universities" by Victor Bychkov |10| Cinema: "The Holdovers" by Alexander Payne |15| Cinema: "Chinatown" by Roman Polanski |15| Manga: "Pandora Hearts" by MOCHIZUKI Jun |19| Book: "This Is Water" by David Foster Wallace |20| Book: "May '68 Did Not Take Place" by Gilles Deleuze |22| Book: "Citrons from Sicily" by Luigi Pirandello |22| Book: "Six Characters in Search of an Author" by Luigi Pirandello |23| Cinema: "May December" by Todd Hayness |24| Manga: "The Wife I Loved Dearly" by Touryuumon Takeda |25| Manga: "Our Torsos Align: Human x Monster Love" by Ryou Sumiyoshi |25| Cinema: "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" by Joseph Sargent |25| Manga: "Red Riding Hood's Wolf Apprentice" by Sayaka Mogi |26| Manga: "Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17-21" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |26| Manga: "Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22-26" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Just Listen to the Song" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Look Back" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Tetteleposan" by Tatsuki Fujimoto |27| Manga: "Imomushi" by Suehiro Maruo |27| Book: "Trilogy" by Jon Fosse |28| Manga: "The King and the Paladin" by Rin-Bi Lee |29| Cinema: "Seven Weeks" by Nobuhiko Obayashi |30| Manga: "Stargazing Dog" by Takashi Murakami |31| Manga: "Star Protector Dog" by Takashi Murakami |31| Manga: "Emergency Rations & Bountiful Feasts" by Nagabe |31| Cinema: "Between Revolutions" by Vlad Petry |31| ------------------------------------ 7 Books; 14 Manga; 6 Cinema

Top the Best Books of Year: 1. "The Lake" by Banana Yoshimoto in English 2. "Not After Midnight" by Daphne du Maurier 3. "The Master of Petersburg" by John Maxwell Coetzee Top the Best Manga of Year: 1. "Frau Faust" by Kore Yamazaki 2. "Bara no Tame ni" by Akemi Yoshimura 3. "The Witch and Her Zombie Son" by Sinyura Top the Best Cinema of Year: 1. “New Old Play” be Qiu Jiongjiong 2. "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Stanley Kubrick 3. "Between Revolutions" by Vlad Petry Top the Best Anime of Year: 1. "Cowboy Bibop" 2. "Serial Experiments Lain" 3. "Call of the Night"

[llvsammys]

♡⃕masterlist

★ ! 01 · S0UL

akane mio | 茜光和

➺ nothing here right now...

ichioka akari | 一岡朱

➺ nothing here right now...

aikawa sora | 藍河空

➺ nothing here right now...

otori hiro | 鳳ひろ

➺ nothing here right now...

★ ! 02 · OVERLOAD

kotaki hikari | 古瀧光

➺ nothing here right now...

sawashiro tsugumi | 沢城つぐみ

➺ nothing here right now...

yonezawa kaede | 米澤楓

➺ nothing here right now...

ishikawa miyo | 石川御代

➺ nothing here right now...

★ ! 03 · HAPPY · HAPPY WORLD

yamabuki kokoa | 山吹心愛

➺ nothing here right now...

katsuragi riko | 葛城璃子

➺ nothing here right now...

hayase ayano | 瀬彩希

➺ nothing here right now...

tsukiyama mai | 月山夢

➺ nothing here right now...

[izdatazn]

S.U.I.T.S - Terran's Hidden War

TERRAN 1 - BIRTH OF FIRE

"Miyagawa Akane, do you have it in your sights?" she asked, sprinting through the thick bushes.

"Confirmed, Asuka," replied Akane. She kept her eyes on the figure as it ran into the darkness. "It's heading towards the shed near the border. Aikawa Eiji, where are you?"

"I'm chasing after it," Aikawa responded, increasing his speed. "I had no idea it could retreat so quickly."

"Well, whatever you do, do it quickly, Eiji," Akane urged as she pursued them. She briefly stopped to aim her gun at the hooded figure and fired before continuing her chase. "If it crosses the 38th parallel into North Korea, capturing this hooded figure will become much more difficult."

""Miyoung, can you offer some assistance?" Asuka inquired, tossing her fan at the figure as she caught up to them.

"Certainly," Miyoung replied. Perched on a nearby tree atop a hill, she focused her attention on the hooded figure. Despite Akane's skilled sharpshooting, they were unable to halt the figure's progress. Miyoung aimed her gun at the hooded individual and adjusted her monocle sights.

Her bullet struck the hooded figure's shoulder, causing it to stumble forward. It rolled violently before crawling towards an abandoned shed. Just as it reached for the door handle, Aikawa swiftly intervened and chained the wounded figure before it could attack again. Asuka joined him in restraining it and reached for its hoodie with burning anger in her eyes.

"You're not going anywhere," she hissed vehemently at the hooded figure. Akane arrived shortly after and used her gun to further immobilize it. "I should kill you instead!" Asuka shouted furiously. She retrieved her pistol from her pouch and aimed it directly at their captive's head. "Don't do it, Asuka," Miyoung warned as she spoke. "The SUITs want to interrogate the hooded figure." Asuka stubbornly kept her gun aimed at the figure, her hand visibly trembling. Her anger was evident in her eyes. "Don't jeopardize the mission, Asuka."

Aikawa approached and carefully reached for the gun. Lowering it, he firmly took hold of it. "We have what we need, Shigihara." Aikawa gently released her hold on the pistol and took it away from Asuka. "Asuka, we need to go.”

I gazed around the brightly lit medical room where I was undergoing a check-up. The room was filled with advanced futuristic and sleek medical equipment, unlike anything I had seen in modern hospitals in Japan. I lay on a bed while something above me scanned my vital signs. Standing beside me was a woman tapping on something that was hidden from my view.

She spoke, "If you're speechless because of my beauty, don't bother. I'm way out of your league, Issei Kobayashi." She continued speaking firmly and directly, "Plus, I'm over a couple hundred years old and married to Daisuke Modegi."

"He's married?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Didn't he tell you that he's also a couple hundred years old and mentioned his post-graduation at Tokyo University?" she asked. I nodded. "Seems like he fooled you. By the way, my name is Kokoro Tanaka. It's finally nice to meet you." She continued writing and finished after a few minutes when the machine stopped scanning me. "Well, it doesn't seem like anything serious is happening to you internally or externally, but we'll do a few more check-ups over the next couple of weeks.”

I straightened my posture and extended my dominant arm to grab the guest jacket, only to discover that it had been severed by the hooded figure. Using my non-dominant hand, I carefully wrapped it around my shoulder. This is going to take some getting used to. As I scanned the surroundings momentarily, curiosity engulfed me: "Do you have any information about what happened to my friends?"

Kokoro answered confidently, "They're in the room next door on your right.”

Kokoro Tanaka was born in 1160 into the influential Minamoto clan, which shared power in Japan with the Taira, Fujiwara, and Tachibana clans. In 1180, a civil war erupted between the Minamoto and Taira clans. During this time, Kokoro served under Tomoe Gozen as one of many female warriors who fought alongside samurai men. Unfortunately, Kokoro was later captured by Lady Hangar Gozen of the Taira clan. She endured slavery and abuse at the hands of Gozen until 1201, when both were involved in the Kennin Rebellion and ultimately perished during battle.

I conveyed my gratitude to her and exited the room before making a right turn into the adjacent one. As soon as I stepped inside, Hideki and Ren came into view lying in their beds. Nanako sat by Ren's bedside, attentively monitoring him while holding his hand. Ren was hooked up to several medical devices, indicating a more serious condition compared to Hideki's. Nanako noticed my entrance but remained focused on her little brother's well-being.

I fetched a chair and positioned myself between Hideki and Ren in the SUITS medical ward. Despite a week having passed, they were still in the process of recovering from their intense battle with the red lady. Since that incident, Nanako hadn't left Ren's side for even a moment. Thankfully, he had survived both the explosion and fire; however, he had suffered severe second-degree burns.

I solemnly picked up Hideki's broken eyeglasses from the table and examined them. My reflection stared back at me through the cracked lens. With a heavy heart, I gently touched the noticeable scar that crossed my left eye. A sigh escaped me as I said, "I apologize, Nanako.”

"You don't need to," Nanako replied, firmly grasping Ren's hand. "This isn't your fault anyway." She felt his grip tighten as tears streamed down her face while he slowly regained consciousness. "Oh, thank goodness," she said, her voice trembling as she embraced him tightly. "Please stay at home and live a normal life."

"Nanako," he complained. "You're hurting me.”

I heard footsteps echoing down the hallway, and soon enough, Kumiko appeared before me. With a sigh of relief, she rushed over and embraced me tightly, burying her face in my shoulder. Her voice was muffled as she spoke through tears, "I thought you were dead, Kobayashi. I never expected to see you again."

A groan erupted from the bed on my right, and Hideki whispered irritably, “Can’t you guys be loud somewhere else? I'm trying to rest." Nanako retaliated by throwing a pillow at him and retorting, "You know I'm injured too, Nanako?"

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"It's good to see that you're alive and well," I chuckled at Hideki. He weakly lifted his arm towards me and made a fist. I tapped it with my own hand.

"You owe me a dinner date," he joked.

I glanced over Kumiko's shoulder and noticed a couple of familiar figures standing outside in the hallway. It was Asuka and Aikawa, observing us from a distance. For a brief moment, my eyes met with Asuka's. Her eyes conveyed a sense of relief that I was alive and well. She didn't want to disrupt the emotional reunion.

We shared a room with Asuka, Aikawa, and Akane. Kumiko was not present, but Shiro was with us. It felt like we were back in class as we sat in the front row with Shiro at the center.

"The Grim Reaper," Shiro said, referring to the hooded figure. "Based on recent information from its capture from before, it was following orders from Raquel Gustov, also known as the Red Lady." A holographic scene of our school appeared in the room. "You caused quite a scene, Kobayashi," I observed as I noticed the destruction on campus that I had unknowingly caused.

"Me?" I asked confusedly.

"Yes," Shiro replied. "Fortunately for us, the illusion shield held strong and no civilians were harmed. However, it did take time to rebuild your school before we could turn off the shields." He continued as he showed me a couple of social media videos on popular platforms. The videos depicted The Grim Reaper suddenly emerging from the illusion shield and causing chaos in a restaurant by injuring its patrons. "Within just a few days, these videos garnered millions of views."

"We didn't anticipate things getting out of hand," Asuka said. "That video instilled fear in people."

"We collaborated with world governments and companies to swiftly remove the video before it spread further," Shiro explained further. "Due to Kumiko's recklessness, she will face trial with SUITs council. There are rules that SUITS Agents must abide by; otherwise, they may cause consequences that humanity is not prepared for.”

Asuka inquired, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm famished," I replied. "I haven't eaten since I woke up."

She giggled and suggested, "Come with me, let's grab something to eat."

"Okay, but why is Aikawa following us?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm here to catch my love rival in case you suddenly faint," Aikawa retorted with a smirk.

"Oh, how romantic," teased Asuka.

After leaving the medical wing, we entered a sprawling open atrium bustling with SUITS agents. They strolled around while multiple elevators were attached to the walls for going up or down. As we made our way through another hallway towards the abandoned cafeteria wing, we passed by an information service desk situated at the center of the atrium.

Finally settling at a circular table in the cafeteria, my companions watched as I slowly devoured a bowl of Chicken and Egg Rice along with another bowl of Pork Cutlet and Egg Rice. Additionally, I ordered a plate of sashimi accompanied by miso soup and Japanese dumplings. It was challenging for me to use chopsticks with my non-dominant hand.

"Allow me to assist," Aikawa offered kindly as he extended his hand towards the chopsticks.

"I don't require any help," I argued in response.

"Just take a look at yourself," Aikawa retorted, lifting the pork cutlet with his left hand and reaching for the chopsticks with his right. "It pains me to see you struggling while eating." He proceeded to lend a hand in helping me enjoy my meal.

“This is so cute,” Asuka whispered. She reached for her phone. “I need a picture and send it to the others.” She snapped the picture as she quietly giggled. “Ima savior this. Issei so cute here.”

"Oh, good! I didn't expect to see you here," Daisuke spoke hurriedly as he joined us at the table. "I have a fifteen-minute break before I have to go to work. Welcome back to the land of the living, Issei." He had an energy drink and a cup of water with him.

"How did you revive me?" I asked, taking a bite that Aikawa offered me. Afterward, I lifted up my miso soup and took a sip.

Daisuke explained, "We used a basic serum called A4 to bring dead people back to life as members of SUITS. However, I had to add a few special mixtures in order to revive you." He added, "You have a unique type of revival, just like the three of us sitting at this table." Taking a sip from his energy drink, he continued, "During your time at the atrium, you might not have been aware of this, but there is a difference between regular SUITS members and special operatives. Regular individuals follow standard directives while those who are considered special are part of the Specialized Unit Investigation Tactics and Surveillance (SUITS) team."

"Why are Asuka and Aikawa considered special?" I asked, brimming with curiosity.

Daisuke unscrewed his water bottle. "Watch," he said, gesturing towards Aikawa who placed a bowl and chopsticks on the table. I watched in astonishment as Aikawa manipulated the water, creating a bubble out of it. He then returned the water to the bottle and continued feeding me.

"Aikawa is capable of manipulating water," Daisuke explained.

"And I have the ability to manipulate wind," Asuka added, raising her hand with her palm open. A small tornado appeared over her palm before vanishing instantly.

"That's amazing! What about me?" I eagerly inquired.

"Now comes the exciting part," Daisuke replied. "We don't know yet, so I'm here to deliver a message from Master Shiro. You are supposed to meet him after you finish eating. Asuka, once you are done here, I have a mission for you.” Daisuke took a sip from his water bottle. "It's time to start working now. See you later.” He abruptly stood up.

“What about my right arm?” I asked. 

“I’m working on that right now.” He answered. “I’ll give it to you after you meet with Master Shiro.” Daisuke walked away after that.

"I know he always seems rushed, Asuka," I mumbled with my mouth full of food, "but his face looks incredibly exhausted. I'm surprised he hasn't collapsed from consuming all those energy drinks."

"Well," Asuka answered, "he has been working for the past five days reviving you, Issei.”

I had the opportunity to learn about the real life of Daisuke Modegi. Daisuke Modegi was born in 1850 as a member of the Satsuma clan. He left his samurai lifestyle at a young age under his father's guidance. He witnessed the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration. In 1868, Daisuke took part in the Satsuma Rebellion against the newly established Imperial Japanese Army, during which he was wounded and captured in battle. In 1873, Daisuke joined the Imperial military and participated in the Battle of Shiroyama in 1877, which marked as the final battle of the Satsuma Rebellion. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his wounds after successfully suppressing any remaining rebellion forces.

Auks left our side as soon as we entered the atrium. I was astonished by how vast and spacious it was, exceeding my expectations for an underground facility. Aikawa guided me to another area where the constant movement of people caught my attention - every spot was occupied.

"Welcome to SUITs East Asia's Sector Facility," Aikawa greeted me. "This is just one of many facilities hidden beneath Earth's surface."

"There's more than just this?" I exclaimed.

"You're mistaken if you think there's only one facility," Aikawa chuckled. "Each facility is interconnected, so you'll eventually see the others. Don't worry though, they all look the same." He continued, "Since Master Shiro didn't give you a full tour, I will explain. We have different divisions in the Sector Facilities like Medical/Science Division, Defense Division, Front Line Division, and the newly established Assassination Division."

"Since there are multiple Sector Facilities, does SUITS have a main headquarters?" I inquired.

"Yes, the sector facilities are concealed deep within Earth's Mantle while the main headquarters is hidden in Earth's Inner Core," Aikawa explained. "You will eventually visit there. The main headquarters address issues beyond those of just Earth."

"More issues?" I asked curiously.

"The sector facilities handle problems within their respective sectors like high-value targets operating on Earth's surface," replied Asuka. "The Main Installation deals with extraterrestrial beings such as Raquel Gustov - also known as 'the red lady' - and Master Shiro who are far more complex challenges."

"Master Shiro is a problem?" I questioned.

"He hails not from Earth, yet he played a crucial role in the development of SUITS during a time when Earth had attained enough stability to establish facilities.

"Is he an ally?"

"Yes, indeed an ally. However, he does not adhere to the rules governing SUITS. He is what what we humans  refers to as an independent contractor, much like master Shiro." Aikawa explained. "In any case, gathering this amount of information has been quite overwhelming for me, so I won't delve further into it." Truly fascinating indeed.

Aikawa made his way down the hallway leading to the training sub sector of the Front Line Division. We passed by numerous rooms occupied by combat soldiers and elementalists. Eventually, we arrived at a room where Master Shiro was present, accompanied by another individual. Peering through the transparent window, I realized that it wasn't just him but someone else standing next to him. Asuka opened the door, and we entered.

"Ah, you're finally here, Kobayashi," Shiro spoke. "I invited an officer to join us."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I noticed an officer in uniform stepping forward. 

"Let me introduce myself," she said. "My name is Anita Patel from the South Asia Sector." Suddenly, a gust of wind brushed past my left shoulder followed by something striking against the wall behind me. The object not only missed my left shoulder but also grazed my cheek, causing a small wound that started bleeding slightly. Anita continued speaking: "I'm here to be your partner."

Another rush of wind passed by as Anita's weapon returned to her hand while another weapon materialized in her empty hand. Glancing at Aikawa beside me, I saw that he had vanished from sight too as well as Master Shiro.

From above came Master Shiro's voice echoing throughout the room: "I know you've just awakened from slumber, but we must first determine your element." Anita will take it easy on you."

Once again, Anita hurled her weapon at me with astonishing speed. Reacting quickly, I instinctively snatched it from the air with my left hand—a surprising feat considering how recently I had awakened from sleep mode and regained my fast reflexes. However, in that split second, Anita materialized behind me effortlessly retrieved her weapon from my loose grip as it returned to her possession. Glancing at both weapons for a moment, I noticed they were chakrams—circular weapons with sharp outer edges measuring between 12-30 cm in diameter.

Anita Patel was born during the decline of the Gupta Empire in 450, when Skandagupta ruled as the emperor. Throughout her life, she witnessed several leaders vying for Skandagupta's throne. Tragically, Anita met her untimely demise in 497 at the hands of the Alchon Huns while they were carrying out their incursions across the Indian countryside during Narasimhagupta's reign as Gupta ruler.

Reacting on pure instinct once more as she lunged towards me again, I flung myself forward in an attempt to evade her grasp. In the process of breaking my fall, my dominant hand reached out to catch myself but then realized it was no longer there. Landing forcefully on my chest and rolling several times, I eventually mustered the strength to push myself back onto my feet by relying solely on the power of my left hand.

I was fast, but she proved to be even faster than me. As I skillfully evaded her attacks and even managed to surprise her with some light counterattacks, it became clear that my strikes weren't causing any harm. Desperately trying to escape, I found myself running out of space when she unexpectedly hurled her weapon at me like a submarine pitch. Realizing the imminent danger, I quickly planted my dominant right foot on the wall and launched myself off using my non-dominant leg. Utilizing the momentum, I propelled off the wall and executed a flip just in time to avoid being hit as the weapon collided with the wall behind me.  However, I never anticipated seeing Anita's fist appear in view and landing a successful punch on my face, causing me to spin in multiple directions before crashing onto the ground. For a few seconds, I rolled around in pain as my vision gradually returned.

As I struggled to regain my footing, her weapon returned to her and patiently awaited my recovery. It took some time, but eventually I managed to get back on my feet. However, she wasted no time in launching another attack, catching me off guard with a series of unexpected combinations. In response, I bravely retaliated and attempted to strike back whenever she came within reach. Swiftly sliding underneath her weapon swing, I quickly regained my stance. 

Instead of hesitating, Anita remained determined as I turned to face her once more. Suddenly, she threw her weapon at me with precision, causing it to bounce beneath me and briefly diverting my attention from the ongoing fight. Seizing this split-second distraction, she landed a powerful right straight punch directly on my face.

The impact sent me staggering backwards as she continued relentlessly with various combination. In the second round, I managed to adapt from my previous mistakes and learned to dodge and defend myself more effectively. Despite catching up to her speed, she elevated it even further which made it increasingly difficult for me to track her movements. Her strikes were much more precise and forceful than before; my reaction time was sluggish and frustration began creeping in.

I focused on understanding her perspective, evading some of her attacks successfully while others managed to breach my defense by sheer luck. I stumbled and found myself backed into a corner once again. As Anita suddenly materialized in front of me, brandishing her weapon, she swiftly unleashed a boxing straight towards my face. With little room to maneuver, I stepped forward and slid beneath her strike, only to be caught off guard by another one of Anita's attacks that sent me hurtling forward.

As I came to an abrupt stop, a wave of excruciating pain coursed through my entire body. I forced myself to lie on my back and stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly, Anita materialized above me, descending towards me with her weapons poised. Acting swiftly, I rolled away just in the nick of time to avoid being struck by her as she crashed onto the ground. Struggling to regain my composure, I unsteadily rose to my feet only for Anita to reappear behind me.

With my dominant foot planted firmly on the ground and shifting my weight to the right, I summoned enough strength and momentum to deliver a punch with my non-dominant fist aimed at her face. She retaliated fiercely as our fists collided in an intense exchange of blows. The impact caused a loud shockwave that reverberated throughout the room, creating a small crater beneath us. Her counterattack launched me across the room, slamming into the opposite corner. In that clash, Anita emerged victorious.

As I struggled to maintain my balance, my vision became increasingly blurry. Leaning against the wall for support, I desperately tried to restore clarity to my sight. Suddenly, a figure materialized before me - it was Anita, brandishing her weapon and preparing to strike. Although I couldn't react swiftly enough, an unexpected surge of power compelled me to catch her weapon with my bare hands.

What astonished me was the fire that enveloped my hand, firmly grasping the weapon. Surprisingly, there was no sensation of burning; instead, there was an inexplicable sense of tranquility and beauty emanating from the fire. With a flick of my wrist, I cast the weapon aside as the flames spontaneously extinguished themselves. Anita retrieved her weapon and affixed it securely onto her belt.

"Birth of Fire," breathed Anita heavily.

[class80]

Development Log: Info!

Girls:

Hitomi Abe: July 17 {Cancer} / FC: Manaka Mukaido / 5'1" / Honors Student

Mio Aikawa: August 18 {Leo} / FC: Kokomi Teruhashi / Akane Kurokawa / 6" / Model

Mimi Keito: September 1 {Virgo} / FC: Nijimi Anazawa / 4'10" / Acrobatic

Mariko Shiratori: December 7 {Sagittarius} / FC: Mari Tsutsui / 5'6" / Heiress

Viola Amane: August 31 {Virgo} / FC: Kotone Shiomi / 5'4" / Violinist

Lillie Moore: March 17 {Pisces} / Asuka Kyouno / 5'4" / Lucky Student

Harumi Himura: April 22 {Taurus} / FC: Takina Inoue / 5'3" / Stylist

Ai Suzuki: February 14 {Pisces}  / FC: Kofuku Ebisu / Mona Kawai/ 5'4" / Producer

Boys:

Tetsuo Maeda: December 21 {Sagittarius} / FC: Tetsuo Maeda / 6'2" / Basketball Player

Susumu Deguchi: January 31 {Aquarius} / FC: Yuu Izumi / 5'7" / Waiter

Takashi Fukui: May 21 {Gemini} / FC: Kano Shuuya / 5'5" / Modder

Souma Fukui: June 21 {Gemini} / FC: Shintaro Kisaragi / 5'10" / Speedrunner

Koji Akumu: November 17 {Scorpio} / FC: Daiki Mamura / 5'11" / Barista (Fake) / Spy (Real)

Ryou Nagamatsu: June 29 {Cancer} / FC: Seiya Takehaya / 5'7" / Mangaka

Hiroaki Tachibana: October 12 {Libra} / FC: Kenji Miyazawa / 5'5" / Farmer

Yuichi Suga: March 21: {Aries} / FC: Ciel Phantomhive / 5" / Poet