#Ame & Yuki

[blacksurvivalnostalgichanges]

went to reconnect my twitch account to erbs and found this on the site

i have so many thoughts on this image holy shit

[floraltohru]

THE MOMENT! YOU HAVE ALL! BEEN WAITING FOR! (And by you all. I mean me.)

TRUE FORM! LET'S GO!

once again joined by the lovely @miss-coverly

Cold open. She is currently hiding under her comforter. I'm in danger meme dot jpg.

We are not even fifteen seconds in

She has claimed every one of these characters as her own to love and protect

Shishou seems like "a sweet man"

She will find that this is an understatement

Narrowly avoided her excited smacking when Kyo and Shishou were in Kyo's bedroom. She said "HE LOOKS SO HAPPY" and I am happy for her.

"Baby! So cute! He has a bandaid on his face!"

Brief pause while she takes a business call! Working woman!

Watching Zoe watch my friend while Yukiru crumbles and she's entirely oblivious. Cinema.

She just keeps repeating "I don't understand what's happening"

It's Zoe dancing to the OST in her zoom window while Tohru runs through the woods for me

"Akito is the devil." Close!

Stressed about the yeet. Sad.

"That's my girl," she says through tears as Tohru claws her way to Kyo

I'm pretty sure all three of us are crying at this point

She is sobbing. Openly weeping.

I think we might have a kyoru convert.

"I don't wanna talk about it! I don't understand my feelings! My poor little cat boy!"

Zoe: it was really satisfying to watch someone cry through that entire thing

"My feelings are all like this!" Cue flailing hand motion

She truly had to lie down for a moment to recover

Zoe has just referenced the buzzfeed unsolved "I've connected the dots!" meme regarding her wild theories about Kyo's true form (she thinks he is a demon and smells of sulfur)

She is amped about tiny Kyo

Safe to say she would die for Shishou at this point

"Not the bitch slap!"

She's ugly crying again, this time about Shishou and Kyo and their beautiful relationship

"That was dramatic, Yuki."

She just made the :D face because Haru appeared

I think I have befriended the one singular person on the planet who feels bad for Kagura

"Awww... Look at my cow boy!"

She's living for the little Yukiru tease here at the end. LIVING.

I forgot about Kakeru in this ep and I freaked her out a little bit.

Yuki's tie is getting us both

"Oh man!" Ayame is here. We love to see it.

"Oh everybody's coming over!"

Shigure's "business at the sohma estate" is not sitting well with her.

We talked about it later and she said "I'm feeling a lot of emotions! I don't know what I'm feeling! You know I love our girl with our rat boy but then I saw her with our cat boy and I thought, did I just change my mind!? And now I don't know how to feel."

She's going to be obsessed with Rin. She is already intrigued.

Her parting thought for this episode was: Hmm.

And that is a wrap on season one! Thanks to y'all for reading, I've been having so much fun!

[saiangelo999]

2021 TV Tracker 2

Part 1

Move to Heaven

I love this show. The writing and acting was phenomenal. I love the exploration of grief and loss touching various societal issues affecting various people were done well love the overarching parallel arcs for Han gu ru and his uncle culminating in the final episode. The show hits all the emotional beats perfectly. Upon rewatch the show is just as impactful. Highly recommend!

Lupin, season 2

I really enjoyed how the season picked up from the previous one!! The stakes were amped up and the finale was cathartic. Its a ton of fun overall with some suspension of disbelief.

Prodigal Son

Don't remember how I ended up starting the show but was very intrigued by the premise when I heard about it first releasing. The show is not perfect, but there was a lot to like about it. I really enjoyed the supporting cast - Gil, Danni, JT and the mortician were very likeable characters. Some episodes in s2 were far stronger and better in quality than s1 making it a shame the show was canceled. I do despise the addition of the doctor in s2.

Taxi Driver 2021

I freaking love this show. The exploration of such dark topics in society, the commentary on ultimately what is justice and how can you reform criminals that are truly rotten. There are so many good arcs delving into various issues not frequently given attention to. Episode 13 was the best rollercoaster of an episode I've seen so far.

Doom at Your Service

It was fine for what it was, but not a very memorable show imo.

Kikazaru Koi niha Riyuu ga Atte

A very fun slice-of-life romance Japanese drama. I really loved the main character letting go of her unrequited love, following her dreams and moving forward. I really like how it subverted a lot of typical romance drama cliches and showed relationships in a more realistic and refreshing manner.

Fruits Basket: The Final Season

Re-visiting this story after 10 years or so, it's really amazing how well the show holds up as a whole. I absolutely love the amount of growth that each character was able to go through in such a good period of time! I like how season 2 and season 3 did an excellent job in balancing various character's perspectives and arcs. The show was very cathartic to watch, bringing me to tears at particular arcs (Momiji's arc and Tohru's deep seeded issues affecting me the most). I love re-discovering why I loved Rin as a kid by re-visiting her growth. I love seeing Machi/Yuki and Kakeru grow together.

The IT Crowd

This show started off really strong the first 3 seasons and sort of declined in quality until it ended. I was not a huge fan of the new Renholm industries boss and I felt that once he became a part of the main cast, I was not as interested in the show. Some episodes were truly hilarious while others didn't do much for me. I did appreciate the consistency of running gags throughout the series.

Castlevania season 3

I binged all of this in one day, and it was highly addictive and not as dark as I expected. I definitely was invested in Isaac's storyline as it progressed and was curious to see where the season would take him. I was also interested in Alucard and the new characters, and that relationship did not go where I initially expected it to. Seeing the traitor essentially become the vampire's slave was predictable, and I was surprised about how trusting he was. As usual, Sypha and Belmont's relationship was fun to watch and their plotline was interesting. I am curious to see where season 4 ends up taking these characters.

Stranger/Secret Forest season 1

I watched this mainly for Bae Doona, but I was pleasantly surprised! I like how twisty the main mystery is, the slow burn relationship growth between the main lead and everyone else basically and the twist they had near the end of the season.

March Comes in Like a Lion season 2

I FINALLY finished watching season 2 after a long hiatus caused by Hina's bullying arc. After a long time away, I definitely forgot a little bit of what happened in season two but man, I love this show. The game is fascinating and I love seeing Rei's developments in it, and this season seeing how much he was trying to support Hina and Nikidou was adorable. I have really come to appreciate the show's unique art style and slice-of-life/friendship plotlines. I find that with them shifting away from Kiriyama focus with his foster family, the show became more interesting seeing brief glimpses of challenges other characters face or facing playing shogi. Seeing Kiriyama find a place for himself with the teacher, the science/shogi club and akari and hina's family shows just how far he grew as a person since season one. The ending of season two felt abrupt, but I would love to watch more if they have a season three.

Squid Game

It was good for what it was. It was not a fave for me.

Happiness

I absolutely loved this show, which is surprising since its not at all the kind of show I normally go for. I really enjoy the characterizations of all the residents of the apartments. Loved watching all of the characters progress/regress or stay true to themselves. Absolutely loved the main 3 character - Seo Bom, Yi HYun and Park Seo Yoon. I really enjoyed Han Tae Seok's character trying to handle the situation and how grey he was portrayed. The supporting residents I liked in the show were the writer, the lawyer's wife and Se-hoon. I haven't seen an airing show that I was this obsessed with in quite a while - to the point where I even re-watched certain episodes just waiting for the next one!

[myimaginarywonderland]

Why we don't like Marzipan:

First off, this has nothing to do with money. Both Nicky and Lance come from rich backgrounds and you will find that a lot of people like them or at least are neutral to them as they don't really do anything of track that could draw negative attention to them. Let's also not forget that Lando, one of the most beloved drivers, also has a wealthy background.

What makes all of us dislike Marzipan is the fact that he is a violent and aggressive person.

There was the incident where he punched Callum in the face in their F3 days which was not that long ago. He got a race ban which in my opinion was not enough but whatever. ( https://www.motorsport.com/formula-european-masters/news/ilott-left-shocked-by-mazepin-punch-up-689485/689485/ )

Another incident was the race where he lost his win to Yuki and made a questionable scene. ( Unfortunately I only found a detailed article in German : https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.motorsport-magazin.com/formel2/news-265480-formel-2-spa-kampf-um-sieg-eskaliert-strafe-schild-rammstoss-belgien-gp-nikita-mazepin-yuki-tsunoda/ )

This is the incident ( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2duxC4OaeOY) and this is what happend after with Yuki ( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aaRvFdmsZgY)

You can argue that emotions run high but firstly this could have hurt Yuki and secondly this is just childish and shows that he is not mature enough to drive in a higher sport for me.

Adding on to this there was the accident where he literally was the reason another drive was in the hospital. ( https://formulascout.com/nikita-mazepin-penalised-for-f2-crash-with-nobuharu-matsushita/55083 ) He was also there but it is clear that this was his fault and he was penalized for this.

Let's not forget to mention that moment where he asked a girl for nudes? ( https://ibb.co/z8pxT9r)  And said she could come by races? Gave her her phone number and all because she apparently looked pretty? ( https://ibb.co/FWfSTNz)

Please don't ask who it is, the girl went private and deleted a tweet of hers, I am presuming she maybe was pressured to take it down or received a massive amount of hate but I do not want this to be forgotten and to die down because that is so not okay and also really inappropriate behaviour.

And last but certainly not least that time he went on to George's livestream and made a really weird comment about having a secret that some people might consider a coming out. This is a wrong because if George truly was anything other than straight he would have basically just outed him which is so not okay. But it is also wrong if it was a joke because what the fuck is that supposed to mean? Like, what was he trying to imply/say with that?

If these instance aren't enough for you, I don't know what is. He is a dangerous driver and an aggressive person who does not know how to control his emotions and should not have a seat, no matter his talent because it is clear that he has not learned or grown as a person.

(Another thing that I totally forgot to add was the fact that he congratulated Covid and also spread racist stereotypes yet again in a time where Asian people are already blamed for this pandemic going as far as literal leaders calling it the "Chinese virus."

https://mobile.twitter.com/florisvisman/status/1328671970242736128 )

[weebtarurights]

Seasonal Event: HOLIDAY PARK CARNIVAL - Part 2

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4  || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7  || Part 8 || Part 9 || Part 10 || Epilogue

Izumi: --that's why we decided to accept Mizuno-san's request. Sakuya:  We’re going to America? Amazing ! Banri: Never thought everyone's gonna travel abroad again. Tsumugi: We don't get many opportunities to perform for audience overseas. I'm looking forward to it. Banri: It's gonna be a good experience for the theater company, isn't it? Izumi: Yup! Though, I'm a little worried about the language barrier. Tsumugi: I think we’re going to be okay. Sakuya: I agree ! We were able to perform in Zahra too.. Banri: Plus we've got few people in the group who can speak English. Manager: Boo hoo hoo Banri: Hm? Manager: You're going to leave me behind again? Must be really nice for all of you to go another trip overseas. Looks like everyone will have lots of fun... ijijijiji... Sakyo: Geez... you know we can't afford to leave the dorm unmanned. Izumi: D-don't worry. We'll buy you lots of souvenirs. Manager: Really? Will you do that for me? Then, I want various snacks, sweets, local alcohol.. I'd like some local T-shirts, American Artists CDs, DVDs, concert goods, a branded headphones too--- Sakyo: Rejected. No way we can afford all of that. Banri: You're really shameless when it comes to making request like this, huh. 

Citron: I'm so happy we can all go to abroad. I’m amped-up !*

Omi: Taichi, have you secured your passport? Taichi: Of course ! I won't make the same mistake again ! Juza: .... Guy: Juza, why are you tapping your pocket? Banri: Oi, don't tell me, you left your passport ? Juza: ... Kumon: Ehh !? Nii-chan, you don't have your passport with you !? Sakuya: Is it going to be okay !? Did you place it anywhere else? Tenma: Juza-san, have you checked inside your bag? Juza: Bag? ... ! It's here inside my side pocket. Banri: The heck. Shit ‘s just there... Tenma: I noticed you placed it inside your bag earlier. Juza: Tenma, thanks. Kumon: Phew ! Thank goodness !! That gave me a scare. I thought I won't be able to go with onii-chan! Izumi: It's about time. Let's go, everyone. 

Kazunari: Oh, Azamin ! Check out this page, it says "Perfect for Souvenirs: American Cosmetic Specials!" Azami: Nah, don't really care 'bout this. Let's look for make-up over there. Muku: I wonder where will I go during my free time. I'd like to try American sweets ! Homare: I'm thinking of visiting the museum again. I would like to see a modern arts. Misumi: I wonder what kind of triangles America has~ ? Tsumugi: Yuki-san, you're going to visit fashion store, right? Yuki: That goes without saying. I want to shop for casual outfits. Azuma: Marshmallows are popular in America as well. You might be able to see unusual marshmallow arrangements and recipes. Hisoka: I'm looking forward to try different types of marshmallows. Itaru: So that's Hisoka's plan but senpai will eat only spicy things like habanero and chili-based menus even in America anyways. Chikage: Of course. I am going to buy a special hot sauce that I've been interested in. Masumi: Hey, where are you going? Let's go on a date during our free time. Izumi: Hmm... I don't really know where to go for sightseeing.   Sakyo: Geez. Don't get too carried away. Listen up, the main purpose of this trip is for the company to help with the amusement park's revival. Banri: Yeah, yeah. We know. Izumi: Ah, but it seems like Mizuno-san is arranging a Broadway musical pass for us. Tasuku: It's quite a luxury to watch musicals on Broadway. Tsuzuru: We rarely get this kind of opportunity. I'm looking forward to a lot of things. -- NOTES:

1) Citron used the Japanese slang word 'テンアゲ' (tenage) which is an expression to indicate increased tension or excitement.

[atimefordragons]

Please behave! You're making Nii-chan cry! || EHS

☾♔; May 24, 2020 ☾♔; 4:17am ☾♔; sotd: C'est La Vie (ZOË) ☾♔; cotd: Izumi Uchiha ☾♔; Elite Highschool ☾♔; Storyboard or something like that

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Was gonna have that somewhere near Kenshin (Yuki Kimisawa), but there wasn't any room, so I used it as the title.

☆──════ ⋆ ☽ ⋆ ☾ ⋆ ════──☆

【𝕀ℕ𝕊ℙ𝕆 ℂℝ𝔼𝔻】@.maybones

☆──════ ⋆ ☽ ⋆ ☾ ⋆ ════──☆

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞: Me, an adult: takes a nap in the middle of the day like a toddler, even if I slept adequate hours (for once). Anyway, I am a special kind of stupid. I turned on the AC 'cause it's getting too hot, but as usual, I cranked it to the lowest possible temperature (16 degrees celsius, idk what that is in F, I think 60 something), but, because I'm getting old, the cold does actually bother me now (TTwTT), but instead of just raising the temp a little, I'm using two blankies, 'cause obviously, that's the best solution.

☆──════ ⋆ ☽ ⋆ ☾ ⋆ ════──☆

Tada, a storyboard or something. Idk. I guess I'm gonna go forth with the twins, but make them a little less psychopathic than my usual ones. I also gave them an onii-chan 'cause Gakuen Babysitters and Itachi got me weak for that shit. Besides, Ryoma is too pretty. Oh Ryoma-kun, you sure are an ikemen!

➤ The Moreno ⋆ Xuxa Amalia Reis Moreno FC: Emanuelle Araújo Relation: Biological Mother Has zero contact with Katarina, has not kept any tabs on her either.

➤ The Raevsky's ⋆ Vasily Sergeyevich Raevsky FC: Lars Mikkelsen Relation: Biological Father Has no contact himself with Katarina, but is aware of her location (curtesy of Vitya)

⋆ Polina Nikolayevna Raevskaya FC: Emilia Fox Relation: Mother of Katarina's half-brother, wife of her biological father Not really interested in the topic of Katarina, Vitya doesn't mention it to protect his mother's feelings.

⋆ Viktor Vasilyevich Raevsky FC: Sebastian Stan Relation: Half-brother, secret benefactor Has no contact himself with Katarina, but keeps track of where she is and how she's doing. 100% uses shady FSB, etc contacts to fuck up anyone who hurts her.

➤ The Kamiya's ⋆ 神矢 謙信 (Kamiya Kenshin) FC: Yuki Kimisawa Relation: Elder brother of love interests Head of the Kamiya family, practically raised his younger brothers, is tired.

⋆ 神矢 イザナ (Kamiya Izana) ⋆ 神矢 臨也 (Kamiya Izaya) FC: Ryoma Takeuchi Relation: Love Interests

Fucking weirdos. I haven't really figured out their personalities much, but they're like non-murderous psychopaths I guess. Idk, I guess watered down Izaya Orihara, and amped up Izana Wistaria. Still figuring that shit out, lolz. They definitely cause a lot of trouble though, and poor Kenshin-onii-sama is dying. You're killing your brother boys.

Headcanon: Izana and Izaya started watching Naruto 'cause they realized Katarina liked it. Were moved and cried at Naruto's flashbacks and the few moments he got with his parents.

[vaikarona]

Pas de spoil. Promis.

Ma dernière obsession du moment était autour du festival de Cannes. Il avait été annoncé il y a peu que le prochain film de Mamoru Hosoda serait diffusé en avant-première mondiale lors de la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs le 16 Mai. J’ai beau vivre à 1h de train je n’en avais jamais entendu parlé et la japanime aura encore une fois été un joli prétexte pour m’intéresser à ce qui fait autour. Mon crush du réalisateur n’est pas l’habituel Ame & Yuki, c’est davantage Summer Wars et Digimon, et il y a de quoi expliquer mon obsession puisque pour tout membre du clan digimon, les films de Hosoda sont des merveilleuses machines à éveiller le fanboyisme.

Il y avait un certain nombre de choses que l’on pouvait se dire du film, que ce soit objectif ou juste pour se filer les chocottes. Mamoru Hosoda, du moins à mon gout, n’a pas accompli le défi de faire mieux que les Enfants Loups avec le Garçon et la Bête. C’est certes son film qui a le plus marché au box-office japonais mais ce n’est pas une œuvre qui laisse une trace indélébile. Alors qu’en serait-il avec Mirai ? D’autre part, c’est la deuxième fois avec le Garçon et la Bête que Hosoda se tente à l’écriture en solo (sans l’aide de Satoko Okudera) et vu ce que ça a donné sur le dernier, on a vite fait de se poser des questions. Autre blême : le sujet. Si on est habitué à des films tout public de sa part, en apprenant que le personnage principal est incarné par un enfant de 4 ans et que l’histoire s’inspire de ses propres enfants, il y avait de bonnes chances pour que le film s’adresse davantage aux enfants qu’à un autre public.

Et me voilà embarqué en l’excellente compagnie de Gackao, le résident de Hinotsu, dans une file d’attente composée de journalistes japonais, de consommateurs voraces des films de la Quinzaine, de quelques rares jeunes ou encore d’une foule d’accrédités pour des raisons diverses et variées dans le théâtre Le Croisette (820 places) du Casino Barrière à quelques pas du Palais des festivals. C’est seulement quelques secondes avant la projection qu’apparait le plus attendu des invités. Il répondra à une séance de Questions-Réponses mais à présent, il est temps pour lui de s’effacer à quelques sièges de l’écran pour laisser place à Mirai.

L’entrée du théâtre du Casino Barrière

Le Croisette, 850 places, 2 étages, une bonne ambiance mais un foutu point mort sur le projecteur sans doute

Mamoru Hosoda et la doubleuse de Kun

Le film s’ouvre sur une plongée aérienne vers la ville de Yokohama, une démonstration technique répétée à 2 reprises entre le court mais charmant générique interprété par Tatsuro Yamashita que l’on avait déjà entendu sur Summer Wars. L’histoire nous fait découvrir Kun, notre jeune garçon de 4 ans qui vit la naissance de sa sœur avec pas mal de jalousie.

Kun est une tête à claques. Il fait des bêtises pour se faire remarquer, il peut être bruyant et pleurnichard et peut dépasser les bornes à plusieurs reprises. Il ne serait pas étonnant qu’il vous irrite à quelques moments mais la manière dont Hosoda nous amène toujours à comprendre et partager ce qu’il ressent, le rend constamment adorable. D’autant plus ce sont aussi les moments ou l’on se détache de lui pour rire de sa bêtise qui font qu’il devient assez intéressant à suivre.

L’histoire tourne autour d’évènements fantastiques que va affronter Kun au sein de sa propre maison. Elle devient un théâtre dans lequel Kun se trouve nez à nez avec sa sœur Mirai du futur, son chien personnifié en prince maladroit et différents autres membres de sa famille. Les enjeux ne sont pas immenses,  ces apparitions surviennent à des moments ou notre jeune garçon pique une crise (souvent de manière insolente). Notamment après avoir tapé sa sœur ou après avoir mis un désordre sans nom dans la demeure. Le jeu consiste alors à découvrir qui va faire parti des rêves éveillés du garçon et que va-t-il en tirer. Souvent courts, parfois poétiques et d’autres simplement drôles, ils s’accompagnent constamment d’une morale sans jamais que ce soit agaçant.

https://vaikarona.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MOV_0048.mp4

  L’autre pan du film c’est cette maison ou Kun vit avec ses parents. On suit cette famille ou le père, architecte, a crée un cocon enviable constitué en paliers assez ouverts entre eux : la salle de jeux, le jardin qui la sépare du salon par des baies vitrées et les autres pièces davantage en hauteur. Mamoru Hosoda choisit à maintes reprises de jouer sur la forme particulière de la demeure dans des scènes tantôt dynamiques et des plans englobant quelques unes des différentes pièces : la maison semble ainsi avoir été pensé pour la communication et pour voir tous les membres de la famille d’un coup d’œil.

L’une des qualités les plus appréciables du film éradique littéralement l’un des doutes que j’avais. Le film s’adresse bien à tout le monde et le fait qu’il ait pu faire rire à de nombreuses reprises l’ensemble des spectateurs en est une belle preuve. On doit sans doute cela au fait que le film n’est jamais malveillant et ne prend jamais gratuitement le parti d’un des personnages. Dans cette histoire familiale on est autant à la place du père au foyer qui galère, la mère sévère et cool ou encore les frères et sœurs. La camera se pose dès que nécessaire à la taille des personnages et prend soin d’être là pour leurs soupirs respectifs.

Le film n’est bien sur pas parfait. L’introduction ultra dynamique laisse place à un récit linéaire ou s’enchaine sans surprises les rêves. Le dénouement, bien que beau, manque d’un sentiment d’accomplissement. Mirai se présente comme une histoire ou les enjeux sont ceux d’un petit garçon tout à fait normal mais ne parvient pas au final à conjuguer parfaitement la présence du fantastique dans cette normalité. On ne saura pas jusqu’au bout ce qu’étaient ces rêves mais la manière dont ils se glissent à l’écran et à Kun suggère que c’est le genre de choses que l’imagination pourrait produire d’elle-même. Ces envolés imaginaires que vit Kun l’emportent tantôt dans le fantastique, tantôt dans le futur et sinon dans le passé. Le tout jongle avec les moments devant les albums photos ou à table en parlant d’autrefois ou en fêtant la fête des filles et en évoquant le possible mariage de Mirai : le tout semble confirmer l’idée que Hosoda explicitera plus tard, après le film, que dans la famille tout est une histoire de boucles et de répétition.

https://vaikarona.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/MOV_0051.mp4

  En écoutant le réalisateur et en regardant son film, on observe un homme accompli. Le film fait de multiples références aux fétiches qu’il a développé au cours de ces années comme le Superflat qu’on retrouvait dans Digimon, les décors similaires à ceux du garçon et de la bête, le travail sur le temps plus complexe encore que dans la Traversée du temps, la métamorphose de Kun en chien qui rappelle celle de Ame & Yuki en loup.

Ce film est basé sur sa propre histoire et ses deux enfants. C’est le regard d’un père mais aussi d’un garçon qui aurait voulu avoir un membre fraternel. Il admet pendant les Questions-Réponses ne toujours pas comprendre ce que cela fait vraiment d’avoir un(e) frère/sœur. Bien qu’il s’agisse de son film le plus réaliste, c’est aussi un énième fantastique mais la raison pour lui est simple : le fantastique n’est pas qu’un genre en dehors du réalisme, il reflète la réalité. On remerciera Roberto n°1 qui a voulu que le réalisateur en personne lui dise ce qu’il avait fait comme films auparavant : va sur Wikipedia Roberto, tu connais ? Merci Roberto n°2 qui a osé poser la question qui fâche : Hosoda et Shinkai, les nouveaux Miyazaki ? Plus exactement il demandait si, après la fin de Ghibli et la mort de Takahata, Hosoda et Shinkai incarnaient le renouveau de l’animation japonaise. A cela, Hosoda lui répondit qu’il voyait l’animation comme un moyen de faire des films et que la génération qui suit et suivrait celle de Isao Takahata devrait prendre le relai de son travail cinématographique.

Savoir qui deviendra le “nouveau Miyazaki”, perpétuer des histoires de famille et les raconter ? A vous le loisir de réfléchir à ces questions, je m’en vais manger des konpeito. En attendant s’il y a bien une boucle que vous devriez répéter c’est bien celle qui consiste à regarder un nouveau film de Hosoda.

AVP : Mirai no Mirai & Mamoru Hosoda à Cannes Pas de spoil. Promis. Ma dernière obsession du moment était autour du festival de Cannes. Il avait été annoncé il y a peu que le prochain film de Mamoru Hosoda serait diffusé en avant-première mondiale lors de la Quinzaine des Réalisateurs le 16 Mai.

[animeloveworld]

A Review on Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Note: This review is not mine.I have posted this review here because I feel it summarizes the anime Code Geass very well.

However I will be posting my reviews in the future once I get more experience.

This review is taken myanimelist from the reviewer kiriska.

Overall Rating 9

I was incredibly skeptical about Code Geass at first, but I'm very pleased to say that I was greatly surprised.

STORY - Before I saw this series, it was described to me on multiple occasions as "Death Note with mechas." After seeing it, however, I am inclined to disagree. The similarities between the two series are superficial at best, and though I can see why people would draw the comparison, I don't really think that dis/liking one means that you'll dis/like the other. But anyway, unlike Death Note, I wouldn't say that the story in Code Geass is particularly notable or unique. It's actually rather straightforward and even a little cliche, but that's exactly why this is such a well done series -- the barebones storyline is handled in a refreshing and new way that grabs the viewer's attention. There are enough twists and turns involved to keep you on the edge of your seat. The pacing is excellent and nothing feels rushed or drawn out. Indeed, the progression up to the conclusion is especially brilliant. (It's a cliffhanger "ending," but oh, it's just a fantastic cliffhanger.)

The series is also appealing in its uncanny ability to mix genres. Yes, this is a mecha series, but it really doesn't have to be. Yes, CLAMP did the character designs and there are some very shoujo elements (read: homolust), but there are very shounen rivalries and some pretty epic battle scenes too. Everybody wins! Additionally, because of the number of characters, the story allows for a number of small subplots. I was very happy with how this was handled in particular because all of the subplots relate and affect the main plot directly, whether by revealing some bit of information to both the characters and the viewer or by pushing forward interesting character development. Everything is well thought out and wonderfully executed, so despite the fact that "strong-willed person with plans to change the world receives mysterious power that helps facilitate his goals" isn't a very unique storyline... Code Geass makes it work.

Also. Code Geass utilizes the "best friends trying to kill each other" plotline, and I'm a sucker for that plotline.

CHARACTER - The characters in this series are rather varied. Some are very plain and one-dimensional, while others have an amazing complexity to them that makes them very life-like. I'll be honest. I've become somewhat infatuated with Lelouch as a character (and am rather biased as a result). To me, he is very much a human character -- he has emotions, opinions, a unique point of view, and some very serious flaws, all of which make him incredibly easy to relate to and to sympathize with. He is easily the most complex character in the series, and he feels real to me, even with his supernatural powers and his genius-level intellect. This ability to make the audience relate to him is also probably the series' greatest strength and the main reason why the story is able to remain relevant and interesting despite the fact that there aren't too many new ideas plotwise.

Suzaku would probably be second in line for complexity after Lelouch, though his sense of justice might be called cliche at first (along with Nunnally's and Euphemia's), and his hax-level physical prowess is somehow harder to accept than Lelouch's genius-level intelligence. It's harder to appreciate Suzaku's depth at first, partially because he is presented as Lelouch's main obstacle and the audience's sympathies are with Lelouch, but a great deal is revealed about his character throughout the course of the series, and he becomes an amazing foil to his rival. Their conflicting ideologies and philosophies are fascinating if you really look into it, and gay as it sounds, they really do compliment each other very well.

Much of the rest of the cast seems to fall into typical archetypes -- there's your adorable little sister, your mad scientist and his assistant, your cheerful schoolgirls, your best friend, your most loyal soldier, your second-in-command, your village idiot, your... really creepy lesbian girl? Despite the generic-sounding descriptions, most of the characters are actually pretty fun, or at the very least, interesting. C.C. provides snarky commentary. Shirley spreads innocent schoolgirl love. Nunnally is so moe you'll die. Jeremiah is a good butt of all jokes. Little bits of backstory are tossed in here and there to separate them from the crowd, but it's never enough to actually intrude, and the wide range of characters lets you settle into the world pretty well too; after all, what universe is complete without an animal mascot that shows up now and again?

ARTWORK & ANIMATION - I wasn't too impressed with CLAMP's character designs at first (noodleboys!), but as always seems to be the case, they gradually grew on me, and I remembered just how pretty X was. CLAMP just knows how to make everyone look amazingly sexy, male or female. I really loved how they did all of the facial expressions in the series though, especially for Lelouch. Seriously, that guy had some of the most awesome crazy expressions, some of the most amazingly touching sadface expressions, and of course, some of the most amusing WTF expressions. The mecha designs for the Knightmare Frames were also pretty awesome. I dig the whole rollar blade thing, and some of the technologies they come up with are neat, if a little over-the-top. The animation is fluid and smooth for the most part and very few things stood out as being bad.

MUSIC - Initially, I wasn't particularly fond of any of the OP/EDs for Code Geass except the first ending by ALI PROJECT because 1) they're awesome, and 2) Yuki Kajiura's style seemed to suit the series very well. The screaming violins both convey the high status of Britannia and the intensity of the emotions in the series. The rest of the themes seemed lackluster in comparison, but though I was never a huge fan of FLOW, "COLORS" kind of grew on me after a while. The final insert song, "Innocent Days" by Hitomi is pretty nice as well. Very thoughtful, very poignant, very fitting. The background music during the series was negligible for the most part; there is some pretty generic battle build-up type music and other appropriate, but rather typical, themes. Still, there's some neat classical/opera stuff, and the "All hail Brittania!" theme is definitely awesome.

VOICE ACTING - I've seen all of Code Geass subbed and most of it dubbed. Although I was incredibly turned off by Johnny Yong Bosch's role as Lelouch initially, it kind of grew on me, and now I think it fits well enough, though I do wish he'd change his voice a little more when Lelouch is Zero (make it a little deeper?). Suzaku's dub voice surprised me with how appropriate it was too. One of the things I really wish we could replicate in English though, is the subtle differences in manners between characters, between Lelouch and Suzaku at various stages of their lives, and between Lelouch and Zero. In Japanese, when Lelouch and Suzaku are children, they refer to themselves with "boku" and "ore" respectively. As teenagers, the pronouns are swapped, with Lelouch using "ore" (Zero uses "watashi") and Suzaku using "boku." Euphemia uses "watakushi." I'll skip the grammar lesson (go wiki "Japanese pronouns"), but suffice to say that these differences provide a lot of very interesting insight into each of the characters. It's really too bad English isn't nearly as interesting.

The rest of the voices in the dub are pretty average, perhaps the low end of average, with a stereotypically high-pitched girly voice for Nunnally that is amazingly annoying, and very forgettable voices for virtually all the female characters (Milly, Shirley, and Kallen all kind of sound the same). I was very impressed with Lloyd's dub voice though, even if nothing will ever amount to his amazing original voice, which is uh, amazing! Seriously. One of the most amusing voices I've ever heard. Jun Fukuyama's voice for Lelouch I found to be a bit too deep/old sounding initially, but that grew on me as well, and I really love the badassity of his voice for Zero. Suzaku's original voice sounds a little generic at first, but it grows with his character. There's a good bit of Engrish in the Japanese version as well, which is always fun. I don't think you can ever get tired of their "Yes, my lord(o)!" or their "All hail Britannia!"

Overall, I'd say the original is damn awesome, and the dub is pretty watchable -- always a plus, right?

OVERALL - I really love this series, and I definitely did not see that happening. Honestly, I found the first episode incredibly underwhelming: the opening sequence made it look like a series I wouldn't be interested in watching at all, and all of the expository really turned me off...but the second episode? That was so much more epic than I could have ever predicted, and I was pretty much won over after that. I'm just a sucker for chess analogies, I guess! Seriously though, good story, good characters, good animation, and good music! Mechas, politics, rivalry and comradery, strained friendships, love and hate, complex ideologies, and blowing shit up! What more could you want? :D

[sour--strawberries]

My total love And admiration to you and your fic Under the Sea! in general, but this 2nd part was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

I love how you always picture Rhodey and Tony brotherhood (even Steve and Bucky or Sam in other fics) because that’s exactly how I’ve always pictured their relationship(s) and not like in MCU where Rhodey yells and blame Tony 98% of the movies where he appears

My favorite parts on this fic (because seriously, how I could pick just one?) are when Rhodey and Jan finally got where Tony is and first see Captain Thor XD and Rhodey thinks he’s the one and then… They actually find out the deck boy is THE one!! Because of a little confusion Jan caused… Oh I was forgetting to mention I loved the part where you explained Rhodey’s descendant tribe, that was awesome! You even thought on that!! (for me who comes from a country where are many tribes this was pretty big an important)

Then innocent Tony not knowing what a storm is and later trying to keep his boy under the sea when he fells from the ship again, Rhodes protecting Tony’s feeling, he states that Tony’s perfect boy can’t breathe under the water, I totally love how innocent Tony was on those parts!

I definitely love your Rhodey much more than MCU XD he took care of Steve because was important to Tony and wanted to help his friend, it reminds me the Rhodey from Iron Man that helped Tony 98% of the movie

Also the part where Nat appears was simply great! I can picture a small featherly-looking fish swimming like if she was dancing on the water that grows all fluffy majestic when is tickling Tony <3

(PS I hope you like the sketches I sent too)

- Yuki

——

OMG THOSE SKETCHES ARE SO ADORABLE!! Tony looks so cute and rounded and innocent, and I love his pointy ears!! and the way he lurks and observes Steve, awww!! Steve’s determined face is so cute and Nat looks very adorable!! thank you so much!! I am gonna add them below the fic!

BUT HOLD ON, RHODEY IS ACTUALLY SUPPORTIVE IN THE MCU TOWARDS TONY D: they only had a spat in IM 2, but he always had Tony’s back! and if he sometimes yells at Tony, it is you know, friends sometimes yell at friends! but he is always on a lookout for Tony and that is what I put in my fic! just amped it up ;D

I really wanted to add that part about Rhodey’s tribe, because I think all mermaids have different traits coming from different underwater creatures! it is a nice thing to think about

I realize I maybe made Tony too innocent, but he is in love and love makes him floopy, haha!

thank you ❤ !!

[whisperandmantra]

My Favourite Shows of 2017

Happy New Year! It’s time again for my list of favourite shows of the year. Here’s to another year of good anime. Thank you for following and I hope you are enjoying the good anime we had this year. I present the list, in no particular order.

ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka

Political intrigue, double crossing, and a secret coup. This show was excellent at world building and making the world seem like a real and interesting place. It’s rare to find a nicely wrapped up show in one cour especially when there were so many different plot lines going on with the characters.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen

Continuing off a few years after the first season ended we get to hear the rest of the story. Focusing more on Konatsu and Yotaro, we see the story of Yakumo taking on an apprentice and trying to keep rakugo alive. The second season was a roller coaster of emotions and had some of the most beautiful scenes.

Little Witch Academia

Trigger back to save anime again! This time making a series out of an OVA. This show is charming and adorable. Akko is a genki girl with so much spunk and the supporting cast is just as awesome. In typical Trigger fashion the show amps up the stakes in the final arc and we get a grand finale that is both wonderful and sweet. The animation is great as expected in a Trigger production, and the various little Easter Eggs always make me smile.

Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon / Miss Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon

An otherworldly creature takes up residence in a office worker’s home and decides to live with her. Hi-jinx ensue. This show is full of warm fuzzies and Kana is the cutest. Plenty of jokes to be had here and the animation is very smooth, as expected of Kyo Ani.

Re:Creators

Take the isekai trope and reverse it, that’s what you get with Re:Creators. Fictional protagonists get transported to the real world.Add a dash of Sawano and you have an entertaining series with quite a few twists and turns. I enjoyed that they pulled in different types of protagonists from different genres of shows as well. A mech pilot, a chivalrous knight, a magical girl, and a mage to name a few. I was thoroughly amused by this series and it was good fun. The antagonist was a little too much for me at times with their over powered abilities. But just a minor annoyance in an otherwise great show.

Uchouten Kazoku 2 / The Eccentric Family 2

The long awaited sequel to a show I never thought would get a sequel, but I am so glad that it did. Rejoining the antics of Shimagomo family we get introduced to a few new characters. I love the colours in this show and how vibrant everything looks. Yasaburo is also a babe <3.

Made in Abyss

Wow, this show took me by surprise having heard virtually nothing about it before watching the first episode. The world building is fantastic, and the character designs are so unique. The creatures living in the abyss are also terrifying. Also the soundtrack is PHENOMENAL and inspired. Do yourself a favour and watch this show. The suffering depicted throughout their journey into the abyss was pretty gut-wrenching as well.

Mahoujin Guru Guru

Where do I even begin with this show. I think it was one of the most consistently funny shows that I watched this year. Every episode has me laughing out loud at one joke or another. The gags don’t get stale even when re-used. Kukuri is so precious and her smile must be protected. The animation is really smooth and consistent and they occasionally use 16 bit animation. It actually feels like I’m watching an RPG, they even have status bars that show up throughout the show that sometimes show their levels. It’s really quite hilarious.

Princess Principal

Female spies in an alternate universe steampunk-London. If you can handle a non-linear story progression then you should take a look at this show. The soundtrack is done by one of my favourites, Yuki Kajiura. The episodic nature of the show allows some of the side characters to really shine and I actually like a side character as my favourite character because of their backstory. It’s rare that an original show like this manages to be so captivating so early on in it’s run.The artwork and character designs are nice and Victorian England makes for an exciting setting for spies.

Garo Vanishing Line

I know this show is 2 cour and will spill into 2018, but the first cour was excellent and warrants it’s inclusion on my list of faves. I really am getting into the Garo franchise and Mappa is doing an incredible job of showing their strengths with this franchise. It’s got plenty of action and an interesting plot line. The first cour was mostly episodic in nature, introducing the characters of the series and now the second cour I think will delve into more lengthy story arcs. But so far it has me entertained.

Houseki no Kuni / Land of the Lustrous

OMG this SHOW!!! I think I can say that it is my number 1 favourite show of 2017. Everything about it is so stunning and gorgeous. The choice of using CG has some people divided, but I love it. I’ve been a fan of CG shows since Knights of Sidonia and Ajin, and Houseki no Kuni demonstrates the epitome of awesome things you can do with CG. The camerawork is stunning for fight scenes and you can do things that you’d never see in 2D animation. I think CG is the perfect format for a show like this. The colours are gorgeous and the characters are so endearing and full of life. The show’s universe is mysterious and I desperately want a season 2. I could literally talk about how much I love this show for hours, but I’ll just tell you that you have to watch it. It’s criminally under-watched in my opinion. Story wise, you have these genderless gemstone characters who fight against the Lunarians who are trying to kidnap them, break them into fragments and use them as weapons to capture the remaining gemstone characters. There is also an air of mystery going on and you barely scratch the surface of the truth behind this universe. I love this show it’s a masterpiece of art.

Inuyashiki

Well this show was a pleasant surprise. Not only does it have a complete adaptation, but it’s a pretty badass show. So this old man and teenager get turned into super powered robots. Then you see how different they react with their new found powers. They mix a little CG in when they use their robot powers. It’s a bit clunky at times but the story is compelling enough to make me not notice it. Also the OP is sung by Man With A Mission, one of my favourite Japanese groups so that’s a bonus.

Kekkai Sensen & Beyond / Blood Blockade Battlefront & Beyond

I didn’t think it was possible to top the first season of Kekkai Sensen because it was so cool. But this second season is WAY better. Now you have to be a fan of the episodic format as each episode is pretty much standalone except two two-part arcs. We get a lot more time with side characters and learn more about the background of my favourite character, Chain. <3 <3 Also Steven (total DILF) gets a lot more screen time which is great. It has the same humour and upbeat zany atmosphere as the first season but it really feels more like a labour of love where the characters are given time to shine. And the characters are the strong point of this show. The OST is also really great as it mixes jazz, RnB, rap, hip hop style songs as it’s supposed to be a take on New York. It also has some amazing sakuga scenes because it’s got the BONES people working their magic.

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou / Girls’ Last Tour

This show really surprised me. It was so comfy, yet melancholy. Two girls are just travelling around in a tank in what appears to be a post-nuclear/apocalyptic Earth. The background and atmosphere is really great, it reminds me of Blame or the city of Sidonia with layered city structures and industrial almost steampunk type environment. It’s kind of a lonely show with just snippits of their lives together roaming the wasteland. The OST is glorious and relaxing though. I’d say it’s kind of like a slice of life except not heavy handed with the jokes. You really feel that they are the last few remaining people on Earth. The voice actors also have excellent chemistry as it’s just those two girls talking to each other essentially the entire episode, yet the show remains engaging.

[aelnaute]

Dans mon champ, j’ai trois beaux présents et trois cerfs-volants

Ame & Yuki

[tommyboyproductions]

A Familiar Smell, pt 1

Story Undercut

Another long summer day was coming to an end, but even though it was nearing the evening, the temperature was still at a summer's high. Honda had just finished getting some smoothies with the Festivities Club allowing the cold slush to cool her body from the heat. Even though the summer was nearing an end, Honda couldn't help but smile. It had by far been the most friend filled summer she'd ever experienced. Transferring to Tooro High was no doubt a blessing that was bestowed upon her. Turning the corner of the street, Honda made her way home, hoping to surprise Yuki by coming home a little early. Honda felt her stomach growling and she knew her sister had to be getting hungry as well. Perhaps the two could grab Chinese food and have a movie night! The girls loved doing things like that together. Humming to herself, Honda happily skipped along the side walk, smiling at any passerby's. It wasn't long however, before Honda began to smell and extremely tasty and alluring aroma. Stopping, Honda inhaled, her stomach growling even more than before. Where was this heavenly smell coming from? She looked around, observing each of the buildings on the street, but none were restaurants. Honda was currently in the shopping district and by now, most of the owners had closed up their stores and gone home. But suddenly, Honda remembered. There once was a restaurant in the shopping district. One her and her sister would frequent constantly! It was none other than Ray's family's restaurant, Yamaguchi's. But the Yamaguchi's restaurant had been closed for several years now, so why was the incredible scents leading Honda right to the Yamaguchi building? Continueing forward, Honda slowly made her way over to the tiny restaurant on the end of the street. It still looked the same on the outside, the only difference was the lack of people waiting for Ray's incredible cooking like they used to. When Honda and Yuki would visit for meals as children, sworms of people would be crowding the side walk, trying to get an order in. Without the people outside, the restaurant felt so empty. Honda quietly made her way over to the outside ordering window, peering inside. There had to be something going on in there because the smell of tastey food had only grown stronger. When Honda looked inside, she knew immediately that her suspicions were correct. Inside the tiny kitchen of the Yamaguchi restauant, Ray was busy at work cooking something over the stove while he balanced two spice containers in his free hand, sprinkling them in carefully. Honda could feel her heart beat amp up while she secretly watched her friend do the very thing he was so good at. When Ray cooked, Honda could see a peacefullness on the boys face that she had never seen on anyone before. It was like Ray was there physically, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. Some sort of personal paradise, she figured. Leaning forward a bit, Honda couldn't help but long for whatever dish Ray was in the process of making. The smell was so over powering, she was surprised no one else had stopped by and asked for a bite. But she was glad she had chosen this walk home today and also glad not a lot of other people had. Staring intently, Honda smiled watching Ray flip something in another pan he had resting on a seperate stove eye. He was so graceful. Honda was sure if she attempted even half of the things Ray did, her entire meal would be on the floor. Almost as if she were in a trance, Honda didn't notice when Ray turned her way and walked over to the window. All of sudden, he was just there and Honda jumped immediately and fell backwards a few steps. "Well? Aren't you gonna come in?" Ray smiled his typical cheesy smile and Honda bit her bottom lip while fiddling with her hair. 

"Oh! Uh! Um!" Honda stuttered, nervously twisting her hair with her fingers. She was completely and uttertly embarrassed that he had just caught her staring like that. "Um... Sure!" Honda quickly nodded and made her way over to the entrance. Entering the restaurant was like walking into a brick wall of flavors and scents that were enough to make your body tingle. Honda's mouth was now without a doubt watering, but her main concern was that she had just looked super creepy watching her friend cook. However, when Honda walked over to where Ray stood, he didn't seem like it bothered him one bit. "Everything looks so clean, Ray... But I thought your dad closed the restaurant down after..." Honda paused, realizing that perhaps she shouldn't get into the reason. She couldn't help but want to know how the place seemed so kept up though. Typically, a building that had been abandoned for that long would have spider webs and dust everywhere, but Yamaguchi's looked as if they had just opened shop that day. It was spotless! 

"Yeah, he did! But I still come here every now and then to cook." Ray looked up, continuing to smile as his strawberry haired friend. Honda could feel her cheeks flushing. "One day I want to re-open Yamaguchi's. I miss cooking here for the locals. But for now I figured I could use it for my own reasons. Something's different about cooking here..." Ray exhaled, tilting his head to the side. 

"What're you making? Is it something for the food battle?" Honda inquired, peering over the tiny glass that separated the two.

"Nah... I'm making some chowder for me and my dad!" Ray continued to stir the pot on the stove before turning his focus to some clams he had sizzling in a skillet next to him. Honda was quiet for a moment, slightly surprised that Ray wasn't practicing for the up coming food battle against Iron Chef Okuma.

"Does that mean you decided on a dish to make?" This was Honda's next question, happy to see Ray didn't act as worried as he had a few days before. However, Ray shook his head.

"Nope!" He replied in a surprisingly cheery voice. Honda was confused. The food battle was now only days away and Ray still hadn't decided on a dish to make? This seemed like he was cutting it a bit close. "All of this practice and preparation made me realize something... That's not really who I am." Ray replied, pouring the clams into the soupy mixture he had in the pot. Along with that he added salt and pepper, with some diced onions. The smell only grew more incredible. 

"What do you mean?" Honda asked, cocking her eyebrow.

"Well... Working at a diner, you never know what a customer might order! You have to be prepared to fix anything on the spot. You don't have time to try a hundred recipes until you get it perfect. I've always thought on my feet and thrown something together that seemed right in that moment! So that's what I'm gonna do at the food battle!" Ray looked as if every ounce of stress had completely been drained from his body, when Honda felt the complete opposite. Ray wasn't going up against just any chef! It was crazy for him not to have the perfect dish planned. But on the other hand, maybe he was right. If Ray felt this comfortable with his decision, then maybe that was what needed to happen. "Want some?" Ray brought out a bowl and began to pour some hot clam chowder into it, handing it over the stove to Honda.

"Sure!!" Honda gratefully took the bowl, any doubt about Ray's decision completely vanishing from her mind. Now all that mattered was the food. This would be the second time officially that Honda had tried Ray's food since she met him as a teenager and nothing excited her more. Taking a seat, Honda dipped the spoon into the smoking chowder and blew carefully on the soup to cool it off a bit. Ray turned the heat down on the stove and walked around the counter to join his friend at the table. Without any other hesitation, Honda took the spoonful of chowder into her mouth and an instant burst of flavor exploded inside of her. The taste was entirely intoxicating and Honda could feel her body gaining a burst of energy just from that one bite alone. How could someone make something like clam chowder taste so other worldly?! 

"So?! How's it taste?!" Ray asked earnestly, leaning forward towards Honda with anticipation in his eyes. He could tell she was enjoying it just by her facial expression, but he wanted to hear her say it. Swallowing, Honda's eyes widened and her cheeks turned bright red.

"It's absolutely delicious, Ray!!" Honda squealed, not allowing another second to pass before she took another bite. The texture was so smooth and each bite of clam she took was tastier than the last. The bits of tender meat flourished in her mouth. How could someone so young, Honda's own age, have this much talent? Ray was definitely no ordinary aspiring chef. Maybe he really did have a chance at winning against Iron Chef Okuma! 

"I'm glad you like it!" Ray stood happily and made his way back over behind the stove. "Why don't you take some home? I made more than enough for me and Dad." Ray offered and with a mouth full, Honda eagerly nodded. She knew Yuki would want a bite and if her sister found out she had eaten some of Ray Yamaguchi's food without her, there'd be hell to pay. Ray poured two large bowls of chowder into to-go containers and that action alone brought back a whole world of nistalgioa. Ray truly missed working for his parent's restaurant. It's where his father taught him everything that he knew today and the expressions on people's faces when they tried his food, much like Honda's just now, were everything to Ray. He understood his father's reasoning behind closing the restaurant after his mother passed, but what he didn't quite understand is why his father hadn't mentioned opening it again soon. Now that Ray was older, he didn't need the supervision he once had as a kid, which brought Ray to wonder if his father even wanted to re-open Yamaguchi's again. For now he would be patient however and use the restaurant for his own personal cooking sessions. Grabbing a bag, Ray placed the two containers inside, folding up the top so Honda could easily carry it with her. By now Honda had completely devoured the chowder in her bowl and ecstasy was written all over her face. She knew then she'd have to walk home this way more often for sure just in case she came upon Ray cooking again. Not to mention, this was the second time she had ever been alone with him and it was quickly becoming one of Honda's favorite situations to be caught in. "Here you go!" Ray handed over the bag of chowder to Honda. Honda stood smiling, taking the bag from her friend.

"This is so nice, Ray! I know Yuki's going to freak out when I tell her it's from Yamaguchi's." Honda bowed thankfully and Ray tossed a towel rag over his shoulder. "You know, when we were kids, our parents would leave for trips a lot. So they'd give us coupons to a lot of the restaurants around here. But we got the most coupons for Yamaguchi's. I remember leaving an hour early every time so we could get a good spot in line because the crowd was always so crazy back then..." Honda giggled, looking down. "Do you think you'll really open Yamaguchi's again one day, Ray?" Honda looked up with hope filled eyes and Ray placed his hands in his pockets.

"As long as I'm cooking, Yamaguchi's will always have a future here. I promise!" Ray nodded assuringly, reaching out his pinky finger. At first, Honda just stared, but then jumped when she realized she was clearly leaving Ray hanging.

"Good! A promise is a promise, Ray Yamaguchi!" Honda twisted her pinky around his and the two giggled together. It seemed like such a silly promise, but to Ray it was everything. And to Honda, it was a part of her child hood that she knew she might get back. The two then said their goodbye's and Honda returned to her walk home. The entire way, she couldn't help but smile and her cheeks were warm. She wasn't sure if it was from the hot chowder or her exchange with Ray, or maybe both, but Honda decided then that this summer was easily the best summer of her life.

[okami-no-tsuki]

2018-04-29T05:10:58+0000

[sipelangihidup]

Sebuah Cerita

"kenapa engga blanja di supermarket ajah sih, ay?" Kata-kata itu kluar dari mulut gue yang baru ajah 5menit menginjakan kaki di pasar tradisional. Maklum, tumbuhnya gue di lingkungan orang yang selalu dimanja menjadikan gue engga pernah betah kalo dipasar. Panas, berdebu dan bau, menjadi alasan utama gue. "sekali-kali dong, Yuki. Biar kamu engga pergi ke mall mulu." Aya seolah tau kalo gue engga pernah pergi ke pasar. Aya selangkah lebih maju didepan gue. Dia tidak pernah ragu berjalan santai di pasar. Sedangkan gue dengan susah payah harus berjuang agar sepatu gue engga menginjakan sesuatu yang berbau busuk. Dan deemm gue baru ajah menginjakan genangan lumpur. Aaarrrggg gue benci pasar. Aya tertawa begitu tau sepatu gue udah kotor kena lumpur. Gue cuma nyengir kuda. Si bibi bakalan ngamuk kalo tau sepatu gue kotor macam ini. Batin gue dalam hati. Gue ama Aya emang rencananya mau maen masak-masakan hari ini. Mengingat borosnya gue tiap hari yang makan diluar. Sejak gue kenal sama Aya, pengeluaran gue emang sedikit agak di tahan. Kata Aya biar gue tau enaknya idup sederhana. Gue emang dilahirkan dari seorang rahim Ibu yang bisa dibilang supermom. Engga pernah ada dirumah soalnya. Sibuk dengan kerjaannya. Sehingga segala kebutuhan gue selalu disediakan sama bibi. Termasuk kebutuhan dana. Gue jadi anak yang pemalas. Untungnya gue punya otak cemerlang yang diwariskan dari bokap gue yang pinternya luar biasa. Jadi gue bisa mengikuti jejaknya dengan kuliah di bidang manajemen bisnis. Dan nilai IPK gue 3.8, kumlot cuy... Oia bokap gue sekarang jadi General Marketing Manager di salah satu hotel bintang tujuh di Dubai. Makin jarang pulang dah si doi. Gue punya kaka laki-laki (Wiko Prastegy Putra) satu-satunya yang sekarang lagi S2 di boston university. Sumpaaaahhh kalo lu bisa baca riwayat idup gue, bisa dipastiin gue menjadi anak yang kesepian dirumah. Kenalkan, nama gue Yuki Diandra. Atau cukup terkenal dengan nama Yuki. Gue anak kedua dari dua bersodara. Kalo lu nanya, Yuki itu cewe apa cowo. Gue bakalan jawab, gue 100% cewe. Penampilan gue emang berbeda dari cewe-cewe pada umumnya. Tapi gue emang cewe kok. Rambut gue pendek ala-ala polisi polwan gitu. Gue emang ngefans berat sih sama polwan, bahkan itu sempet jadi cita-cita gue waktu kecil. Waktu jamannya gue belom kenal gunung itu punya cewe, burung itu punya cowo. Tapi apa daya, sikap manjanya gue yang akhirnya rela melepaskan cita-cita itu. Hingga akhirnya gelar Yuki Diandra, SE resmi ada di nama gue sekarang. Entah sejak kapan gue merasakan gue berbeda dari cewe kebanyakan. Kalo waktu jaman SMA dulu rata-rata semua cewe mulai tertarik dengan lawan jenis, gue malah kebalikannya. Yaaa begitulaaahh.... Aya, menjadi sahabat gue dikantor yang udah 1tahun ini deket sama gue. Gue engga inget sejak kapan gue mulai jalan ataupun deket sama dia. Yang gue inget cuma hari ini. Gue kenal Aya udah hampir 1tahunan. Gue deketin dia karna emang dia orangnya unik. Lucu. Dan baik. Sebelumnya dia selalu nolak kalo gue ajakin jalan. Tapi lama kelamaan malah dia duluan yang ngajak ketimbang gue duluan yang menawarkan. Gue emang orang paling pinter nyimpen rahasia. Termasuk rahasia tentang jati diri gue sendiri. Gue cuma cari aman kok. Pagi-pagi banget, Aya udah berdiri disamping tempat tidur gue sambil narik selimut yang masih menutupi tubuh gue. "Wake up, lazy head." Begitu katanya pagi itu. "Busyet, Ay. Masih pagi ini." Kata gue yang sudah sangat hapal dengan suara itu. "Ini udah jam 6. Kamu juga belum mandi. Katanya mau ikut ke pasar. Kalo kesiangan malah keburu abis semua." Sekali lagi Aya menarik selimut gue. "Kalo abis, ya tinggal ke supermarket ajah sih, Ay. Gampang toh?" Aku menarik lagi selimut yang ditarik Aya. Seolah engga mau bangun dari tempat tidur. "Okeh. Baiklah Yuki Diandra. Aku pergi sendiri." "Wait wait wait. Okeh aku mandi ya, sayang. Kita pergi berdua." Spontan aku langsung bangun dari tempat tidurku dan bergegas ke kamar mandi. Selalu engga tega kalo Aya pergi sendiri. Dan...... Traaaaallla.... Here I am. In traditional market yang baunya ngalahin parfum gue pagi ini. Aya, begitu semangat ketika gue menyuruhnya untuk masak dirumah. Semua anak-anak di kantor emang paling tau kalo Aya jago masak. Jadi, waktu itu gue spontan bikin challenge sama dia. Gue bakalan mau pergi ke pasar, asalkan dia mau masakin buat gue. Dan dia setuju. "Kenapa sih kamu engga pernah makan dirumah, Yuki?" Tanyanya pada suatu hari. "Karna dirumah itu tempat gue buat istirahat. Lagipula rumah gue sepi. Cuma ada Bi Inah sama Mang Ujang. Selebihnya engga ada orang, jadi buat apa si Bi inah masak dirumah." Kata gue sambil menyantap steak paling enak di Kota Cirebon. Terdengar nada O pada jawabannya. "Kecuali kalo kamu mau masakin buat gue. Gue pasti makan dirumah." "Hhhhmmmm boleh. Tapi ada syaratnya. Kamu harus ikut ke pasar buat belanja bahan-bahannya. Pasar ya bukan supermarket." Sumpah gue cuma melongo pas Aya bilang begitu. Tapi apa boleh buat. Pasar, I'm coming..... Awalnya gue agak ragu buat pergi ke pasar. Seumur-umur gue belom pernah pergi ke pasar. "Mau ngapain, kamu?" "Manasin mobil. "Ngapain naek mobil. Udah naek scoter aku ajah." Gue seneng bukan kepalang. Kapan lagi diboncengin sama Aya. Gue senyum-senyum genit. "Nih. Kamu yang bawa ya." Seketika itu juga rasa seneng gue hilang. Engga sampe 10menit scoter Aya udah parkir di pasar tradisional paling laris di Kota ini. Ternyata benar kata Aya, kalo kesiangan dikit bisa abis smua bahan-bahan yang kita perlukan. Belum 1jam didalem pasar, keringet gue udah ngucur deres banget. Kaya air pancuran. "Ay, gue saltum nih. Panas banget." Kata gue sambil mengelap keringet yang turun ke mata gue. "Salah sendiri. Udah tau mau ke pasar, malah pake sweeter. Ya panas." Aya meledekku. "Pulang yuukk. Udah dapet semua kan?" Gue merujuk Aya. "Sebentar." Aya mampir ketempat dagangan jajanan pasar. Dia mengambil beberapa jajanan dan menawarkan ke gue. "Mau engga?" "Apaan tuh?" Spontan gue menghidar dari Aya. "Kleppon. " Jawabnya agak sedikit kesel. "Engga aahh. Engga suka." "Payah kamu, Yuki." Aya menyengitkan dahinya begitu melihat muka gue yang udah dibanjirin keringet. "Ya ampun, Yuki." Aya lalu mengelap keringet gue dengan tangannya. "Yuk, pulang." dia lalu menarik tangan gue. Ini sentuhan pertama gue. Sepanjang perjalanan pulang, Aya mulai berani melingkarkan tangannya di pinggang gue. Sumpah gue kembali seneng lagi. Sesampainya dirumah, Aya udah siap-siap berperang didapur. Dibantu Bi Inah, Aya menyiapkan bahan-bahan tempurannya. "Waaaahhh udah jarang banget loh mba aya, ada orang yang masak dirumah ini. Sejak semuanya sibuk sendiri-sendiri, rumah ini udah kaya engga ada aktivitasnya." Bi Inah menceritakan kisahnya yang udah hampir 27thn jadi pembantu rumah tangga dirumah gue. Dan gue jujur cuma bisa senyum ngelihat kedekatan Aya sama Bi Inah. Coba kalo kedekatan itu antara Mamah sama Aya, pasti jauh lebih indah dipandangnya. Sayang mamah lagi di Medan. Ngurus kerjaannya. Siang ini, gue makan dirumah. Ditemanin Bi Inah, Mang Ujang sama Aya. Semuanya larut dalam makan siang yang khitmat. Dari Aya gue banyak belajar. Mulai pergi ke pasar sampai bantuin dia nyuciin semua alat masak dan perabotan rumah tangga. Hal ini tidak pernah terjadi dalam sejarah idup gue. Selesai makan, gue sama Aya kembali ke kamar gue. Kebiasaan kalo Aya lagi maen kerumah, pasti maennya di kamar gue. Aya duduk sebelah gue yang waktu itu lagi asik nyari channel tv yang bagus. Kepala nyandar di pundak gue. Gue langsung freeze engga berkutik. Jari-jarinya diam-diam menyematkan di jemari gue. Perasaan gue dagdigdug banget. Beneran... "Aku seneng banget kamu akhirnya mau pergi ke pasar. Walaupun keringetan sih. Tapi masih ada niat baik dari kamu kok. " Gue cuma tersenyum. "Gue yang harusnya seneng banget. Bisa makan dirumah. Pergi ke pasar. Nyuci piring, wajan sama apa itu hhhmmmm cobek. Engga pernah aku lakuin sejauh ini. Makasih yah. " Tanpa sadar gaya bahasa gue berubah. "Aku?" Tanya Aya, mengoreksi. Lagi-lagi gue cuma tersenyum. Dan Aya ikutan tersenyum. Sumpah Aya cantik banget. 10 detik kemudian gue sama Aya saling tatap-tatapan. Dalem. Bikin gue engga tahan buat cium bibirnya. Tatapan dia semakin tajam. Lambat laun wajah gue semakin deket sama wajah Aya. Gue ampe bisa merasakan desah nafasnya diwajah gue. Dan, bibir gue akhirnya mencium lembut bibir Aya. Tak ada perlawan dari dia. Semua larut begitu saja. Dan kalian tau, sejak saat itu gue sama Aya resmi berpacaran.... Seperti yang gue bilang, gue engga pernah inget sejak kapan gue deket sama Aya, kecuali hari itu. Hari dimana gue akhirnya tau Aya menyukai gue. Iya gue, Yuki Diandra. Sebuah cerita di........ 6 Mei 2017

[hsvoss]

“Ame & Yuki – Die Wolfskinder” Review - Falling in love with a movie

Manchmal gibt es diese Filme in die man sich beim ersten Mal Ansehen direkt verliebt, ohne genau zu wissen warum. Rein objektiv betrachtet sind diese Filme häufig nicht ganz weit vorne. Sie haben ihre Mängel. Ihre Macken. Und doch, ganz selten gibt es Filme, bei denen man manche Macken gar nicht wahrnimmt, weil sie sich für einen subjektiv einfach richtig anfühlen.

Bei mir zumindest passiert das sehr, sehr selten. Ich mag viele Filme und wenn mir ein Film gefällt, dann gucke ich ihn gerne öfters. Das können unterhaltsame Filme sein wie Zurück in die Zukunft oder Indiana Jones sein. Zeitlose Meisterwerke wie Der Pate. Oder kleine Perlen wie Garden State. Es gibt viele gute Filme da draußen. Und dann gibt es eben diese Filme, die einfach einen subjektiven Nerv bei Leuten treffen. Filme, die man selbst für großartige Meisterwerke empfindet, obwohl sie für andere alles andere als Meisterwerke sind.

Beispiele meinerseits?

Zu aller erst natürlich, die bekanntesten Filme, die ich jenseits aller objektiven Maßstäbe einfach liebe: Die alte Star Wars Trilogie. Ich kann jeden dieser drei Filme beinahe unschuldig gucken und sie einfach nur genießen. Ich denke nicht über schauspielerische Leistungen, Schnitte oder Plotlöcher nach. Nein, ich lasse mich einfach komplett von dieser Welt aufsaugen. Ich liebe die Binary Sunset Szene in A new Hope, für mich eine der größten Szenen der Filmgeschichte. Wenn ich Yoda in The Empire strikes back sehe, dann sehe ich keinen Muppet 2.0, sondern ich sehe diese beinahe 900 Jahren alten Charakter und ich glaube ihm, dass er das weiseste Wesen der Galaxis ist. Und wenn ich die Raumschlacht um Endor in Return of the Jedi sehe, dann finde ich sie immer noch überragend inszeniert und jedem heutigen CGI Spektakel absolut überlegen. 

Ich schaue diese Filme und bin einfach glücklich.

Dann gibt es da noch Dreamworks‘ How to train your Dragon. Ein Animationsfilm, der ganz simple Werte wie Respekt, Freundschaft und Familie vermittelt. Ganz objektiv betrachtet ist dieser Film mit seinem Plot, der schwächliche Nerd, der um Anerkennung kämpft und sich diese erkämpft, indem er sich treu bleibt, schon tausend mal da gewesen. Alles nichts Neues. Und auch nicht sonderlich kreativ. Und doch hat dieser Film mit seinem liebevollen Design und herzlichen Art es geschafft sich von der Masse abzuheben. Vielleicht liegt das auch an der Kombination, der liebevollen Charaktere mit den fantastisch inszenierten  Flugszenen, begleitet von einem der besten O.S.T. der letzten Jahre. Aber so genau will ich mir das gar nicht überlegen, denn…

Ich schaue diese Filme und bin einfach glücklich.

Es gäbe noch ein paar wenige weitere Filme für die dieser ganz persönliche Grundsatz gilt. König der Löwen oder auch James Bond – Casino Royale sind Filme, die auf dieser Liste jenseits aller rein objektiven Maßstäbe auftauchen.

Und gestern ist für mich ein weiterer Film dazu gekommen: Ame & Yuki. Der neuste Film von Anime-Regisseur Mamoru Hosoda, dem Macher der auch schon sehr schönen Das Mädchen, das durch die Zeit sprang und Summer Wars. Anime Fans ist er also durchaus ein Begriff und vielleicht sogar dem ein oder anderen normalen Film Fan. 

Worum geht es? Die immer positive Hana verliebt sich an der Universität in einen mysteriösen, jungen Mann. Die beiden kommen sich näher, werden ein Paar und er offenbart ihr sein Geheimnis, er ist ein Wolfsmensch. Er kann sich in beides verwandeln. Das klingt jetzt ein bisschen nach Twilight, aber diesen Vergleich verdient dieser Film nicht. Die beiden bekommen Kinder, die abenteuerlustige Yuki (Yuki ist japanisch für Schnee, das Wetter am Tag ihrer Geburt) und ein Jahr später den ängstlichen Ame (Ame bedeutet Regen). Und mit der Geburt der beiden, ebenfalls Wolfsmenschen, wird aus einer Liebesgeschichte eine Coming-of-Age Geschichte, die sich über dreizehn Jahre erstreckt und das Heranwachsen der beiden Kinder zeigt, die stets zwischen beiden Welten hin und her gerissen scheinen. Und da der Film sich viel Zeit dafür nimmt dieses Familienleben zu zeigen, ist er nur selten kitschig, niemals lächerlich, aber besitzt immer mit einer großen Portion Gefühl. Es ist einfach ein liebevoller Familienfilm, der seiner Familie zwar eine märchenhafte Geschichte verpasst, aber Ende ist er doch nur eine Metapher auf jede Familie dieser Welt. Kinder, die versuchen sich selbst eine Persönlichkeit zu bilden und ihren Weg zu finden. Das ist eine der großen Stärken dieses Films, er fühlt sich (für mich zumindest) einfach richtig und glaubhaft an. Oder um es anders zu sagen:

Ich schaue diese Filme und bin einfach glücklich.

Aber ein paar objektive Punkte will ich natürlich trotzdem abarbeiten. Die Animationen sind perfekt und das Farbbild ist, vor Allem in der Blu-Ray Version, absolut referenzwürdig. Gestochen scharfe 1920x1080p ohne Bildfehler zeigen einmal mehr, dass sich HD vor Allem auf Animationsfilme auswirkt. Die Farben sind nicht so kräftig und bunt wie zum Beispiel bei den Disney Blu-Ray Überarbeitungen, aber das ist wohl auch so gedacht, weil der Film durchaus auf einen „realistischen“ Zeichenstil setzt. Und für jemanden, der noch mit klassischem Zeichentrick aufgewachsen ist und gelegentlich wirklich genervt ist von CGI-Animationsfilmen ist es einfach schön zu sehen, dass zumindest in Japan noch die Flagge des (computerunterstützten) Zeichentricks hochgehalten wird, ohne dass diese Art des Films irgendwie alt aussieht.

Auch der Ton ist absolut makellos. Er liegt in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 vor und Sprache, Kulisse und Musik sind immer perfekt abgemischt. Auf der Blu-Ray Version gibt wie bei den meisten Anime eine japanische und eine deutsche Tonspur. Ich gehöre zu den Leuten, die Anime lieber auf Deutsch gucken als auf Japanisch mit Untertiteln. Und auch in diesem Fall kann ich das guten Gewissens empfehlen. Die deutsche Synchronisation ist sehr gut gemacht und hat mit wirklich gut gefallen, weil die Sprecher die Emotionen der Charaktere wirklich ausgezeichnet rüber bringen. Dazu ein wirklich passender Soundtrack, der diese Gefühle stets mitträgt und sich perfekt in Bild und Story eingliedert.

Was bleibt als Fazit? Eine absolute Empfehlung für Anime Fans und auch ganz normale Film Fans können ruhig mal ein Auge drauf werfen. Ich werde das jedenfalls noch öfters tun, wenn ich ihn in meiner sehr persönlichen Liste in einem Atemzug mit Star Wars, König der Löwen, Casino Royale oder  Drachenzähmen leicht gemacht nenne.

Yuki & Ame - Die Wolfskinder - Trailer

[contre-plongees]

Les Enfants Loups, Ame & Yuki - Réalité Fantastique

Le fantastique, chez Mamoru HOSODA, s'invite comme un convive vu depuis peu longtemps, qui aurait sa place comme n'importe quel autre membre de la famille, ni plus ni moins. Dans Les Enfants Loups, Ame & Yuki, l'intervention du fantastique apparaît comme un prétexte pour partir à la recherche d'un quotidien plus permissif, plus simple, ou peuvent évoluer toutes nos envies d'avenir.

Lorsque Hana rencontre l'homme de sa vie sur les bancs de la fac, il ne faut pas longtemps avant que celui-ci révèle sa particularité : il est le dernier des hommes-loups et peut se transformer à volonté. Cette scène et cette révélation prennent place entre deux blocs narratifs tout imprégnés de normalité, de romantisme aussi. Les premiers rendez-vous avant, les premiers ébats amoureux ensuite, qui se font avec un énorme loup poilu. La thématique de la jeune fille en proie au loup déflorateur est vite désamorcée au profit d'une belle histoire d'amour.

Inexorable hérédité, de l'union d'Hana et du loup naissent deux louveteaux-humains, pour qui l'enfance est le moment difficile de toutes les découvertes, de la vie cachée (différence oblige) et de la perte du père, que son quotidien chez les humains à rendu trop imprudent, jusqu'à à sa mort désolante dans un court d'eau, et son emballage dans un vulgaire sac poubelle. La vie sauvage est irrémédiablement corrompue par la vie citadine et moderne, qui asphyxie ses représentant dans des chapes de plastique.

À cette désolante constatation, Hana vient assez vite et choisit finalement la vie rurale dans les magnifiques paysages ruraux du Japon. Lieu prodige où l'enfance peut s'épanouir et faire ses propres choix d'existence. Le fantastique de la situation, s'il choquait l'entourage urbain d'Hana, ne décontenancera pas les voisins de la montagne. Ainsi, lorsque Yuki, la jeune fille, se change en loup devant deux vieillards invites chez Hana, ceux-ci ne font qu'une remarque : "Tiens, vous avez un chien maintenant ?". Épatante simplicité qui encre l'impossible dans le fertile terreau du quotidien. Plus tard, un ami d'école de Yuki découvre son secret, et n'hésite pas un seul instant à le garder pour lui, comme une évidence.

Des deux enfants-loups, le parcourt est singulier, et peut-être attristant. Tout jeunes, leurs caractères sont radicalement opposés : Yuki est très active, exigeante et n'hésite pas à se changer en loup à chaque colère. Ame au contraire est bien plus réservé, n'aime pas tant que ça se transformer et craint tout ce qui l'entoure. Puis, alors que l'histoire évolue, que la vie s'écoule, les positions vont s'interchanger. L'influence de l'école et du modèle social aliénant sur Yuki va la pousser à renoncer à sa condition sauvage, quand les incursions répétées d'Ame dans les bois le font choisir la vie sauvage de loup et maître de la forêt. Deux visions irréconciliables des frères et sœurs, qui iront jusqu'à l'affrontement pour défendre leurs certitudes.

Que penser de cette bipolarité de choix, au delà de leur condition de frères et sœurs ? Leur père l'homme-loup avait plutôt bien réussi à concilier sa vie sauvage et son existence humaine (jusqu'à sa triste conclusion). Il semble devenu impossible de vivre deux existences simultanées, malgré le refuge trouvé dans la nature et la retraite. Le choix, comme perspective d'existence définie semblé devoir être définitif. En cela, le fantastique disparaît au profit d'un quotidien : d'humaine pour Yuki, de loup pour Ame. Et les transformations disparaissent, s'éclipsent. Sauf dans le cœur d'Hana, qui aura toujours deux enfants : l'une entre au collège, l'autre court dans les bois et hurle les nuits de pleine lune...