#And then some people complaining about San not getting enough lines when he's basically tied for second with Seonghwa

[binary5tar1117]

I made the terrible mistake of checking a line distribution video for Ateez since their latest comeback. Some of the members with fewer lines feel like they were getting more. Which almost seems to be the case? Maybe?

But then I look in the comments... whooo boy lmao

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

HypMic 7 - 9 | Maou-jou 5 - 6 | Akudama Drive 6 - 8 | I7 s2 6 - 9 | Taiso Samurai 5 - 6

HypMic 7

I will never not laugh at the content advisory, haha.

I like Kazuha already. Too bad he’s probably evil…

Oh, is it the day of the DRB in the series already…? Or maybe, because it’s the qualifiers, BB and MTC’s match is on a different day to FP and MTR’s.

Oh? Does Tom know Jakurai well enough to call him “Jakurai-sensei”? (<- middle ground between “Jinguji-sensei/Sensei” and “Jakurai”) Also, Tom uses “ore”.

Ooh, Iris is a motorbike rider, eh? Interesting. I thought they (<- not sure if Iris is a “she” or “he” with a really weird name) were more of a Saburo-type and didn’t bother with things like that, based on their appearance. Update: Someone on Yahoo Answers said based on Iris’s watashi, she is a woman.

Typo fixed! Good job, anime staff! Update: I’m referring to “…darkest hour is just before the down” (sic).

…bukkorosu = “f***in’ slaughter ‘em”. It’s not wrong…it’s just the subbers really like to abuse the F word for MTC. But you knew that already if you got this far…right?

LOL, Ramuda wants to “scratch [Rex’s] back” (figuratively) to…get SNS views? Hahaha.

This Studio Alita is probably a reference to Shinjuku Alta.

Yotsutsuji!!! That was the one big spoiler I got before watching the episode today and I’m so happy I got to see him animated!

(One of) Irihatoma and Degarashi refer to Jakurai as “Jakurai-sensei” as well. Hmm, I never noticed. Update: That’s Degarashi, because Irihatoma speaks to Jakurai alone later this ep.

There’s 50% chance I’m getting this wrong, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say Kazuha is voiced by a veteran VA…one I already know about.

Doppo calls Kazuha by his first name…That upgrade means their relationship escalated quickly (or this is a quirk of HypMic in general, since I noticed most characters are on first name basis with each other). Also, it’s cute Doppo finally has someone in his corner. No other part of the franchise has one, to my memory. Update: It might actually be “Kazuha-kun”…but I’m still surprised though. Update 2: It’s both, actually.

I’ve listened to the phrase “some random guy” several times from Hifumi’s mouth and all I can figure out is the “yatsu” at the end. (Doesn’t help my ears blocked themselves up again, although it’s less than it used to be.)

Harumi Wharf.

R? On a helicopter landing pad?

…uh oh. I was right when I thought Kazuha was going to be evil. Also, Doppler shift/effect. Update: “Doppler” is clearly a pun on “Doppo”.

Hmm? “Hey, Doppo” from “yaa”…it doesn’t have a name referred in there. It’s a small but odd thing to do. (I remember a professional translator was complaining that people with intermediate Japanese were giving them flak for translating things “wrong”, but what I do here is analysis for my future and edificiation. I’m not here to knock down pro translators’ doors and demand a refund, because I’m trying to go pro to atone for my sins as a scanlator.)

The soundtrack’s slightly sinister tone, plus the fact I figured the culprit well before Doppo did, makes me slightly scared…for MTR.

I realised they skimped on the budget…this “hot off the car chase” line seems more like an MTC line, doesn’t it…?...Yeah, it’s almost word for word for MTC in DRB+. Maybe the subbers rushed and used this translation (this link I put here) rather than their actual lyrics…? I will have to get to the bottom of this. Update: Turns out the translation is slightly different, but…yes, there is reference to a car chase in the start of Shinjuku Style. (Sorry, I don’t know every lyrics of every song off the top of my head.)

…wow, this got really Doppo-centric. I’ve never seen the leader relinquish their position when it comes to “leading into battle” before. It just goes to show the staff really do pay attention to how popular Doppo is.

Note “Doppo” means “walk alone”, roughly speaking, hence the “solitary” line.

This song is very, very faithful to its original lyrics, because I was trying to look at Hifumi’s “mixing paint” line and it pretty much matches.

Hifumi’s “my men”, LOL.

Kazuha = “one leaf”, hence the “leaves” in one of Jakurai’s lines.

I cringe every time I hear screaming coming from this episode, y’know…?

…oh dear. MTC’s plot actually bled into MTR’s.

I already knew from browsing Twitter earlier today that Kizuna was going to become FP’s today, but hearing it is another matter entirely.

Kosuke Miyoshi is Kazuha. Apparently, this guy also voiced Mashirao Ojiro (the tail guy) from BnHA, but that’s his only major role…so I was right in that I knew him, but wrong in that he was, again, a relative rookie in comparison to most.

Apparently FP’s sign is a peace sign sideways to represent an F, but…it’s just a sideways peace sign to me…

…how is Dice’s bead ornament attached to him? Is it on his hair, on his ear, on the skin behind his ear…? I was trying to replicate his outfit and got stuck on how to represent it, so I ended up opting for trying (and failing) to do a small braid on the right side.

IWGP shows up this season…it’s the song with the “hoo!” noise BB perform in this episode.

LOL, “Dead men tell no tales” is a perfect saying for MTC.

Akudama 6

Is there a movie called “Brother”…? There’s apparently one that’s the plural of that, but not that itself.

If HypMic likes the F bomb, then Akudama like the S word.

I-Is it just me or is the choreography sped up at some points in this episode…? It’s a bit disorienting to come back to.

I thought the kid was a robot…but close enough.

Oh no! Why does the teacher always have to die for the student to become stronger???

Kairaku/shugi -> pleasure/doctrine (if I didn’t somehow misunderstand the shark’s kanji combo),

The part after the ED looks a little too long…keep watching.

The Japanese says “Lost Children”, but the English says “The City of Lost Children”, probably referring to this French sci-fi film.

I7 s2 6

I like how Gaku is taking special offence to Yamato’s comments about him being a playboy.

Re:vale-san. I never noticed until now.

“I’m already looking forward to it.” That’s how I would translate Tsumugi’s “I’m already excited”.

“…who could possibly complain?” – I think Mitsuki might.

The pun in the MEZZO show is that tai (group/squad) sounds the same as tai (want to ~). Rabbinsta is obviously Instagram + Rabbit (Chat?).

Oh my gosh! It’s the Yotsuba sister!

Mitsuki’s shopping trip OST is nice, man. This piano.

This episode has a really great sense of danger and foreboding for the future.

I7 s2 7

Perfection Gimmick. Never heard it in the anime before.

Even the ramen house’s name is a play on “Idolish7”.

LOL, Yamato sure turned that comment around.

The sign talking about beer says something about coupons below it. (It went by too fast and my CR app’s kinda fiddly, so I can’t really go back…)

Kimi to Ai na Night (pun on Idolish7, aka “AiNana”, again).

Mitsuki, no one hates you! You’re just imagining it all!

I7 s2 8

Momo hugely resembles Sasara, right down to the highlights on the hair…

“…you’re so handsome…” – I’m dying on the inside here, people! *laps up the BL pandering with a derpy smile on my face*

Banri and Tsumugi haven’t been focussed on lately…they’re clearly doing something regarding Banri’s ties with Re:vale, but I can’t quite figure out what that “something” is.

Why is there a basketball and a football in the back of the Takanashi office…?

Please don’t run in heels, Tsumugi…

“I love Idolish7!” - Ah, despite my quibbles, Tsumugi is good after all.

“making one’s best exertions” – Why do those words on the cup worry me a bit…?

Isn’t “I’m watching you” a creepy statement…?

Apparently Tamaki’s symbol is mp (mezzo pianissimo), hence Sougo’s words.

…my gosh! Aya’s foster father is Kujou?!

I7 s2 9

If I heard it right, Tenn’s line was “I can be your idol”, not “your prince”.

“Older Izumi” - …ah, poor Mitsuki.

“Damn you, sexy beast…” – LOL!

…aw, I think this is the first time my heart has been lightened by Tsunashi’s laugh. He’s a good boy.

The chibis…I’m still trying to get used to them…

As a song once said, “You can’t please everyone so you just gotta please yourself.” (Blah blah blah, something about garden parties…)

Takao what now???...okay, Takao Dayuu.

…You’re lucky that wasn’t Tenn doing Takao Dayuu. It would’ve been very “Gentaro does his courtesan voice” if it was.

Nagi doesn’t overpronounce things as much in this season. It’s…pleasant, actually. Give me more of that.

Nagi’s “Oh my god!” was hilarious.

Taiso 5

Ra (ら) and ro (ろ) look kinda similar in hiragana.

Even without the audio, I can guess the words were “yarubeki koto” (things you should do) -> shachihoko.

The texts are written in gyaru-moji. Gyaru-moji is basically indecipherable to anyone who doesn’t know how it works – kind of like the common teen vernacular, to be honest (LOL…?) – and so the subs actually kind of ruin the confusingness of it all, but they did slightly better when they went “UR”.

Movie shiritori! But…has it really been half a year since Leo started? I feel slightly robbed about that plotline with the Men in Black right now…(then again, HypMic is just as bad about important plotlines, if not worse, so…I’m going to be patient and not complain.)

July 5th…Rei is a Cancer…?

They’re…finally moving on this Men in Black plotline! I only complained two points ago! Thank you, staff, for listening to my complaints (…?).

Moon Land finished recently, so I wonder if I’ll lose interest in this anime from here on out…? There was a Pommel Horse Prince in that.

Moon Land taught me that gymnastics has a lot of skills named after their creators, much like the Aragaki previously. The score is out of 10 for both D (difficulty) and E (execution), meaning a 20 is the best you can do, but the judges can get really picky...

The word for “vault” literally means “leaping/jumping horse”…makes sense.

Some of these names are names I’m familiar with from Moon Land already…but I never remember what the skills look like.

…welp, Leo just proved he really is a ninja after all.

Dr Stone’s s2 had its ED announced to be “Koe?” by Hatena and “Yume?” here really makes a theme…does Hatena give all their song titles question marks on the end?

Taiso 6

Colour gangs? Like in IWGP?

It’s nice to see they’re (Jotaro and Rei) communicating properly for the first time in possibly this entire anime.

On the wall, that thing is an evacuation map…of some sort.

…I’ve always wondered: if a bird eats chicken, does that count as cannibalism?

This is like thw Makkachin incident all over again (in YoI).

“…there’s no reason for you to grin and bear it.”

…Leo and Jotaro, both are so dense! Boys *shakes head*.

BB? More like ET (LOL)!

Maou-jou 5

…I didn’t even notice the cast was all dudes bar the princess at this point.

Tatakau Onnatachi. It could mean “fighting women” or “female warriors”.

I’m still vaguely pissed that Kirito is here under my nose…darn Demon King!!!

One of the harpy’s recent worries was that she wanted to become friends with the princess…That’s kinda cute…

Didn’t Syalis already get the coffin that one time? Or did it get confiscated?

*eyes sparkle* Cloud…I’d like to sleep on a cloud…*dreamy look on face* Cloud.

This is basically Princess, ‘Tis Time for Torture in reverse.

Is it “make do” or “make due”…?

I don’t think I need to explain the joke where the harpy is happy.

Gendo pose!

I wonder if the bed or the sheets will talk to her (Syalis) someday?

Maou-jou 6

The New Gearbolt’s quote is “guruguru dokkan”, which is just a bunch of sound effects. It would translate to something like “whir-whir-thud”.

Underwear episodes are some of the worst episodes ever…they’re so juvenile…I dropped at least one series based on the underwear episode alone.

Ah! The seal on the ice monster’s shoulder! Too cute!

How can a mechanical princess mecha (…thing?) have worries?

LOL, never underestimate the hilarity of the teddy demons ganging up on the Demon King.

I like how the Japanese pointed out the demons only moved the princess.

HypMic 8

I thought the robberies were Kazuha’s doing…? Or is this a separate case?

Samatoki answering his phone with his feet up…LOL, there’s just something funny about it. It shows he’s just so badass, he can get away with it.

Riou’s hacking (?) skills come to the fore again. (Or is that listening to enemy intel?)

Ooh, Iris is sassy. I love her already.

…er, Samatoki? Blowing cigarette smoke into Jyuto’s face is just rude…

“…don’t hang up your gloves.” – Considering Jyuto has his red gloves…LOL.

What the heck is that backing track when the 2nd car moved out? That’s a cool track.

Ah! Iris is a Saburo-type…LOL, Saburo’s fake identity.

“a cop who’s in with the yakuza” - Wow, way to diss your own teammate, Samatoki.

For a guy who was only just in the water, Riou doesn’t even look wet.

“2 DIE 4” – Hmm? So did the anime staff know what Riou’s 2nd round song title was at the time…? Update: Judging by the name “Requiem” dropped in the next episode, I would say yes.

“…f*** the police…” - Wow, way to diss your own teammate, Samatoki. X2

Hmm? In Riou’s rap bit near the end, he goes “mad warrior” and that rhymes (in a very loose way of speaking) with “Mad Trigger”. The English didn’t keep that.

I remember seeing a spoiler which said that line (the one about slaves)…but seriously, Jyuto is such a “sexy revenge cop” (as someone once said – I think it might be Slug, or an anon to Slug) that literally nothing else seems to matter about him.

Why do they subtitle the laughing??? I still have no idea.

“Sgt. Iruma”? The guy just says “Iruma-san”. Is he a sergant or some other rank? Update: Yes. (As in, he is a sergant.)

I’ve never actually seen Ramuda sleep in a bed before, come to think of it. Does he not have a bed?

I would assume Gentaro is going…but he said he won’t be going, then negated that and then negated it again. Unless the 2nd time was him admitting it was a lie the first time…is he going or not???

“shinsetsu no human” – (Spoilers for later on/manga)…Yes, that’s actually what Ramuda says. It’s as if Ramuda subtly admits, right there, he isn’t human.

Nodo = throat…If this were translated more literally, it would sound pretty clunky.

“…rappa no inochi…paa!” – Yep, the subbers got the gist of the joke there.

Dice is basically a worm at this point…He’s squirming like one, anyway.

That “number of pips facing up” thing has got to be foreshadowing for something, y’know? Nothing in a story ever goes to waste. Also, it’s likely the dice are weighted or something…

…yep, there you go.

That voice Gentaro used for “I despise lies” was amusing…because it’s so different to his normal voice, and because Gentaro is a serial liar.

The 2nd song…which I already know is called “JACKPOT” from browsing Twitter earlier today…was a bunch of fun.

Udagawacho.

Hmm…emphasis on the candy. I wonder what that means? (<- already knows, I just want to keep it a secret from you, dear reader, if you don’t know it too)

ANIME SHOP is so clearly a pun on Animate, including the colours, that I can’t even…LOL.

FP’s Kizuna sounds distinctly different to the others…probably because of Ramuda. It’s mostly Ramuda carrying the tune there.

“Life is what you make it.” – Hmm, an interesting quote for sure.

HypMic 9

…welp, they don’t call it Fling Posse for nothin’.

I didn’t believe my ears, so I went and listened to it again. Sure enough, Ichiro calls Jakurai -san, not -sensei.

Ramuda’s normal voice! Things are getting serious~!

“Hifuming”? Is that a deliberate choice on the translators’ part? Or is it a mishearing?

…I’m laughing at how Samatoki called Ichiro a “hypocritical piece of s***”. I know the “s***” part is correct at minimum from the audio.

I believe Samatoki said -san, not -sama when he asked for an honorific. Hmm, interesting.

I knew this would get animated, but…I still can’t believe I’m watching it! Amazing…absolutely amazing.

If you’re wondering…yes, that long thing is her entire title and name. It’s said the name “Kadenokouji” is the longest Japanese surname in existence.

I remember reading a tweet earlier today that said somebody wanted “Altercation! Altercation! Altercation!” as a song title…and now I LOL, because the subbers made Gentaro say the exact same word.

Hmm…I only just noticed BB are the only ones with bags. They probably came last, but who took the others’ bags into Chuoku…? Update: Some of the others did have bags, I just never spotted them. For instance, Riou is carrying a large black rectangular bag, but Samatoki and Jyuto don’t have any. Jakurai has the bag from his TDD days.

The 2nd DRB brackets got announced today. BB vs DH, MTR vs BAT, FP vs MTC, rolling out across Japan (and Japan only due to COVID) in 2021.

“What happened between you and him?” - I was going “who?” in Cantonese (as I sometimes do), but turns out they’re just referring to Samatoki.

This is exactly as it played out in the drama tracks and manga…exactly what I was waiting for all this time! So good, dangit!

LOL, in the future, we will have camera drones working our concerts like they do in the DRBs…I think (?)

I wonder what Dice is thinking right now, seeing Otome on the screen…hmm…

…gah! Airhorn! Airhorn to the ears! *tilts to side due to sound*

I still kind of remember Slug’s take on the final battle…”The popo? More like the poopoo!” (or something like that). *sniggers*

The little barking bit after Jiro’s verse was…kinda cute, actually.

…ow, these are some burn-ass words. See? This is the power of the DRB!

…eh? Riou’s mic has his MC name on it. Don’t think I’ve seen that in any other part of the series.

Hoh, Riou even made references to Saburo’s character songs.

You can see “Hc” on Samatoki’s mic too…probably another case of his MC name, but partially obscured by his hand.

Aw, “Samatoki no sabaku toki” is a good lyric. Why couldn’t you try to keep that, instead of translating it literally to “judgement day for Samatoki”?

You can hear a thumping beat in the background when Samatoki prepares himself. That seems to be a similar way to how ARB treats this stuff.

“I’m THE Samatoki” – “Samatoki-sama da”.

I think it was really cool to show Samatoki handing the song over to Riou, but it also indicates there’s a disjunct in the lyrics that would cause such a thing. From this, maybe Riou is MTC’s weak link…?

Skeletons with katanas! Is that not cool?!?

…hey, that joined words thing Ichiro does…I would assume that’s what Rhyme Strike looks like in the HypMic universe?

Notice Samatoki took the word “signal” from Ichiro’s part and put it into his own one.

“Today is a good day to die.” – *eyes bulge* Oh…gosh. What a quote. Update: Someone theorised Ichijiku wrote these titles (the last 2), but someone else – like me – theorised this quote was what FP and M fans thought for this battle.

Akudama 7

…that’s one twisted kid.

Never threaten to kill a kid who can regenerate far better than you, Hoodlum.

Brawler is still in the OP…it’s kind of saddening to see him now.

I noticed a certain character appears on the Executioners’ hands if you pause at the right moment in the OP. It’s the first character in shori (management).

Bunny: set meal/Shark: roasted meat (yakiniku)

…This sounds a heck of a lot like the genbaku dome (Hiroshima Peace Park).

Bunny and Shark’s shirts together: Idiot -> Shark: Bone

Actually, this also reminds me of the Osaka Expo held in 1970. I loved writing about that event – it was just so fun to write about.

This anime is like Appare-Ranman’s sequel, except without the racing and crazy racial stereotypes (although there are still crazy stereotypes).

…whoa! This scene is going on the end of year list for sure. Just…have to remember this scene, where all the children disappeared, exists.

…”The City of Lost Children” is an apt title for this episode.

(HypMic spoilers!) I wonder if they’ll reveal that Ramuda is a clone in what’s left of the HypMic anime?

…oof, Doctor’s a filthy traitor!

Rule number 1 of fighting: never yell out “Smokescreen!” when the smokescreen is meant to cover you.

…LOL, dark censorship bar. Please wait for the Blu-Rays to see this scene uncensored.

What the heck?! The countdown went from 7 to 0 so fast!

Akudama 8

Black Rain, huh? *checks* It’s a movie about a pair of New York policemen who have to save a Japanese gangster from his death.

…don’t jinx it, Swindler!

Your brother isn’t on the moon, Sister. It’s just your dreams on there.

Notice “Neo Lake Biwa” actually has “Reiku” in its name, as opposed to, say, “mizuumi” or “ike” (the Japanese equivalent).

You can still see where Doctor stitched herself up.

What did Doctor “hold on to”?

Way to monologue through the whole morality thing… (<- not as satisfied as they would like from this scene)

I wonder if the seal is electronically tracked…

Tsubo = pot, vase…*thinks about drugs* (Not that pot.)

“…I’ll make you into a real man.” – More like a eunuch, LOL. (partially sarcastic)

I recall from Sarazanmai that “pair look” is the term for “twinsies” in Japanese.

Oh! Swindler kind of looks like the Executioner Boss now.

…I find it ironic that Swindler had long hair up until not too long ago.

Can to the eye! Ouch! That’s gotta be worse than a lightsaber…er, jitte to the eye!

This makes me wonder…was Courier a rich kid once…?

[lightandwinged]

Alright, it’s review time, and it’s going to be spoilery and rambly because I’m still parsing my thoughts on everything SO. 

Sans spoilers: a solid and fitting conclusion, if a bit faster paced than I would’ve liked, but it adhered to the overarching themes of the Skywalker saga probably better than anything in the new trilogy has before, and I don’t know how, considering everything (namely that Space Mom is gone), they could have or would have done things differently. Not my absolute favorite (that will forever be RotJ), but still very good.

Spoilers below, be ye warned.

I found it utterly hilarious that the plot started with Kyle Ron finding the Macguffin and chillin out with Papa Palpatine while the Good Guys had to go on this entire huge quest to FIND the Macguffin to begin with, and the only reason he didn’t just fuck off and finish some dastardly plan while they were scurrying about and trying to find the Pyramid Of Doom was because he’s got a lot to work out in his feelings about Rey. Like shit, no wonder Papa Palpatine decided to just stick with his own bloodline for galactic domination, Skywalkers are useless.

(except Leia, who is awesome)

The inclusion of Carrie Fisher in this film was VERY well done, but it also hurt a lot because you could tell that her scenes were cobbled together from old material and not made of anything new. It was good and necessary, but it also just hurt, like a constant reminder that she’s gone and nobody could replace her ever. And I’ll get more to that in a minute.

The Macguffin questing honestly felt a lot like the first half of RotJ, where we have to go rescue Han right quick because Harrison Ford was pretty sure he didn’t want to Star Wars anymore, so here’s a sidequest for half the movie, with the only difference here being that the questline had to do with the actual Plot. I’ve been following the Star Wars leaks subreddit for a while (don’t read the comments, it’s a wretched hive of scum and villainy and bitterness), and I know that at one point, it was supposed to be this race between Team Dark Side and Team Light Side to get the Pyramid of Destiny and then they’d find out that oh shit, Sheev’s here, but that was scrapped... and I kind of wish it hadn’t been? It would’ve made the first half of frolicking through this planet... no this planet... no, no, it’s on this planet... feel a lot less distracting. 

The dynamic between Finn, Poe, and Rey was fantastic, because those three actors just have amazing chemistry on so many levels. They immediately fell into the dynamic of “we’re a polyamorous triad who’ve been living together for a while, and we really love each other, but we’re also a LITTLE BIT STRESSED RIGHT NOW OK” and that’s fair. I was glad to see all of it, and I just wish that we’d had more of it in both TFA and TLJ. It reminded me a LOT of how the best parts of the OT were always when Luke, Han, and Leia were together. 

And now I’m going to take a sulk break to think about what we could’ve had with that amazing dynamic.

I’m back. 

The new characters were some of the weaker parts of the film, I felt, save for Lando (because Billy Deeeeeeee). Dominic Monaghan, whom I love, could’ve had his role taken entirely by Rose, or Billie Lourde, and nobody would’ve noticed. And I don’t mind the addition of extra women to the cast, but Zorii and Jannah felt like they were just there to be like “Poe fucks women! Finn might too!” And... yanno, cool? But the OT3 stands. 

And then General Pryde, aptly named, should’ve been a bigger part in all three films because it was like... here’s this yahoo out of nowhere who’s apparently a really big Sheev fan and just... like... what? I mean, I’m a huge Sheev fan, too, but I wish he’d been more of a Piett, where we could’ve seen him worming his way up the ranks, which would’ve made his downfall more satisfying. Instead, it was just kind of like... eh? Cool, I guess? With Piett, you felt like “yeah, we’ve seen this guy fucking things up for our heroes for two entire movies now, and here he is, getting destroyed because of his pride, hahaha!” but with Pryde, it was like “wait, who are you? Oh you’re dead now? Okay, cool, I guess?”

And in conjunction with THAT, Hux was just wasted in this film. I fully accept the idea that he rose through the ranks because of nepotism or something, and I also fully accept that he’s an absolutely useless twink who can’t do anything without having Phasma top him weekly (she used to top both him and Ren, which is why they’re such disasters in this movie), but man, couldn’t we have like... taken him with us? Imagine the comedy potential as he’s brought back as a prisoner and Domhnall Gleeson gets even more screen time with Oscar Isaac. I don’t mind that he died a worthless death because he was basically a useless wretch, but I do feel like if the movie had given itself more breathing room, he could’ve been a lot of fun.

RELATED, the pacing. So in the beginning of the movie, the idea of a light skip (basically, just sort of using the hyperdrive without planning or anything) is brought up, and everyone involved in this action bounces from world to world to world in rapid fire fashion to get rid of a bunch of TIE fighters following them, and that’s roughly the pace of this film. There are a few moments of quiet and contemplation, but they’re so rare that they seem to last a lot longer than they actually do, and I think it’s mostly because this movie really feels like a Lord of the Rings style epic packed into a MCU time frame. And I’m not complaining about the time, because by the time the credits rolled, I had to pee so fucking badly, but I feel like also if we’d trimmed out a couple of things (like maybe we can get rid of Kijimi, I think it is? The snow planet? or just merge Kijimi and Pasaana?), we’d have had more time to breathe and that would’ve helped the pacing a lot. 

The slow moments in the film belonged almost exclusively to Rey and Kyle Ron, and honestly, Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver both deserve some sort of award recognition for their acting, the latter particularly. Without going into wild details about the plot, Kyle Ron does change his mind and go back to being Ben Solo, and god bless you so much Adam Driver because the change is instantaneous and delightful. If we’d seen significantly more Ben Solo than Kyle Ron, I’d totally be on board with the r.3y.10.z because this child omg. As it stands, the kiiiiissssss made me do like

in real life. It felt... mm, unearned, we’ll say. Maybe as a moment of “oh fuck that was intense and now we’re both alive” I could’ve bought it, but it wasn’t that, it was supposed to be this “my looooove” moment and just... sorry, but no. 

BUT that said, while I think his death was the only way this series could’ve ended for him because a redemption arc would’ve required a LOT more time and energy, and that just... wasn’t going to happen. The time to have him make the turn if we were going to see a redemption arc was during TLJ, and since he didn’t make that change, we don’t get a Zuko arc. And that’s FINE because that’s a lot of work for a three movie series. And I don’t want a TV series devoted to Ben Solo learning to not be a dick to people. That’s exhausting. 

But I do wish we’d gotten more time with him. The brief time we had, the bit of Han Solo snark that came out (”ow”), that was all delightful and made me understand what people see in the character (who I hate because he’s a great character to hate). 

(omg while I was writing this, someone was saying that they were in a theater with someone talking about how the movie should’ve ended with Kyle Ron giving Rey a Force baby, and Y’ALL THERE IS NOT ENOUGH NOPE IN THE WORLD)

Anyway, bullets now, for the times I cried:

Literally everything with Leia, but especially that her last word was “Ben” and her using every last bit of her energy to save her son because I GET THAT FEEL, and honestly, the only reason she wasn’t there raining death and destruction on Sheev by herself for grooming her baby was because Carrie Fisher died. But anyway, from the moment she dropped her headset on, I was a blubbering mess.

And then Han, just a memory, but looking more at peace than he ever has. He convinces his son to come home, and Ben now says, “Dad?” and Han just says, “I know,” and FUFUUFUFALSKJDLAKSJDF: SOBBING

And then CHEWIE reacting to Leia’s death just... UGH. I am destroyed utterly, still. 

Luke finally managing to Force lift the X-Wing out of the water made me cry as well, weirdly enough. 

And then whatever emotion I felt when Rey heard all the Jedi, and it was LITERALLY EVERYONE WHO HAS PLAYED A JEDI EVER COMING IN AND SAYING A LINE like not just the familiar ones but the ones you wouldn’t know unless you’d watched all the TV series and extra material... it was so much more than tears. I couldn’t cry because it wouldn’t have been enough to encompass everything that made me feel. Very sincerely well done. 

All-in-all, yeah, it was really good. I don’t get what everyone is so fussed over with it... it ties up the themes of the entire nine-movie arc pretty neatly and does basically the best it can with what it has. 

But a bigger point in its favor, for me, was seeing Sam’s reaction to it: jumping up and down in his seat, gasping, grabbing my hand, whispering, “Mommy, they’re going to be okay, right?” and then cheering at the end. Star Wars, as a thing, isn’t for just one person or one group of people, but I consider how people who were kids when the PT came out say without a hint of irony that it’s not that bad, because to them, that’s what Star Wars is and always has been. The joy of it isn’t just the OT but those three movies that were “meh” to those of us who cut our teeth on the OT only. And in a similar vein, the ST is full of that joy for kids now. Like holy moley, Sam and his best friend geeking out over seeing each other in Star Wars costumes at Halloween was just worth everything.

So in the end, like I concluded at the end of TLJ, the message here is that it’s for them. And also that there’s always hope, that ultimately, even when it seems the odds are against light, there’s more of us than there are of them. 

[writer-and-artist27]

Helping a Drunk Marine

Note: To @unlucky-marine, yet again. Happy Birthday, Eli~

Here is another little offering from the writer who loves Davy and your artwork. As thanks for loving Tomoko as much as you do.

Also, throw-out to @ask-lieutenant-wendy, because your character is beautiful and even if I don’t know her that well, Davy does, and they both deserve lots of appreciation~!

The song for this is Clannad’s famous Dango Daikazoku. The original song and/or Kyle Landry’s piano version work really well for this. :)

*curtsies softly before creeping away* That’s all I have to say. Please enjoy~! ;D

“…Wendy-san?”

“Yes, Tomoko-chan?”

I glanced up at the older woman with the nicest frown I could muster, in spite of the questions tugging at every part of my heart and mind. Because I was short in spite of my drinking all the milk in the world. “Why is Davy-san…”

“What the fuck is a circle…” went the named Marine while staring at a blank sheet of paper. He apparently didn’t notice us with the paper in front of his face.

Wendy gave me a sheepish smile while brushing through some of her blond ponytail. “Drunk?”

“Drunk,” I repeated for emphasis, tugging at the hem of my Sylveon-themed kimono dress skirt all the while. “I thought he would be stressed, not drunk…”

Wendy only laughed softly before reaching over to rest a hand on the top of my head, rustling my white hair ribbon with the gesture. “Paperwork is a bit—I mean, a pain in the butt!” I didn’t miss how she immediately backtracked from what was clearly forming a curse word, ruffling my hair all the while. “And no one in the Marines likes doing it, so unfortunately…” she trailed off.

“Circles should be squares! They’re easier to draw!” Davy-san shouted in-between hiccups. “Less stress for all—!” He then face-planted into his desk with a loud slam.

Oh no.

Oh dear, Hisako said for me mentally. Tomoko-chan, do you have any idea of what to do?

Hisako, Vy’s dad never got the chance to be drunk because of an alcohol allergy. I don’t know!

Well, we have to do something!

I know that! Any ideas?!

My Nobody racked her head against the nearest mental armchair in the library before raising an energetic hand. MUFFINS!

…Muffins?

Blueberry muffins. I think Wendy said those are his favorite, right?! Hisako was jumping up and down now, hands flailing all the while as she was grinning like the doofus she was. So go ahead and do that, Tomoko-chan! No one can resist blueberry muffins coming from an adorable ten-year-old girl!

Hisakoooo, I-I’m not adorable…

Too late. Hisako was already on a roll as she ran around the library, happily cooing and squealing praise I couldn’t make out.

Outwardly, I looked up at Wendy while trying not to panic. Blushing was not going to help me at all. And Davy-san was still drunk. “W-Wendy-san?”

“Hm?” The older Marine got down to sit on her knees, looking at me from eye-level now as she smiled. “What is it?”

“Do you have a kitchen? Eggs, sugar, and blueberries?”

The blond woman only blinked at me.

Baking the blueberry muffins were simple enough. Thankfully, no one in the entirety of the Marine kitchen crew seemed to ask why a ten-year-old girl was working in the kitchen, in a white-pink-blue kimono dress too. They essentially steered clear of…well, basically every pathway I needed to get ingredients, strangely enough.

I had a feeling Wendy-san was the person to thank for that.

Still, as expected of a traveling sea crew. They had everything a cook and baker could ask for, from all-purpose flour to things like the regular milk and substitutes like almond milk. For safety reasons, I decided to go with almond milk when stirring it into the batter.

The muffins came out almost too perfect. Smelling sweet, blueberries almost melting, and tops bouncing back from a simple poke.

I couldn’t help but feel nervous when a blue gift box and magenta ribbon magically showed up when I was looking away a few minutes later, just after the muffins cooled from being in the muffin tin.

Hisako?

My Nobody was cleaning the Oblivion Keyblade when I called for her. Nonetheless, she dropped it to look up at me. What is it, dear?

I outwardly put down baking paper to line the box, setting down muffins in an attempt to calm myself. I can do this, right?

Of course you can, Tomoko-chan. Hisako’s voice turned soft. Davy’s still Davy. He’s still a massive dork who gets way too much work on his hands, and he’s never rejected you. You’re okay.

I took a breath as soon as the lid went down to cover the muffins and I tied it down with the magenta ribbon. The bow was nice but finding a nearby star sequin to seal the deal helped. Okay. Okay.

I nodded to myself, slapped my cheeks, and took the box in my hands to walk down the hallways leading back to Davy-san’s office.

I can do this, I can do this.

When I opened the door, Wendy-san was at his immediate right side, organizing some of the loose papers that had scattered from…well, the gigantic piles of paperwork flanking Davy-san’s head. If anything, the scene paralleled some of the worst moments I saw on the Hokage’s side back in Konoha, where canon Tsunade kept complaining to Shizune about the workload. Don’t get me started on how Boruto showed Naruto as a workaholic who couldn’t even spend time with his family.

There was no way I could let Davy-san become like that.

Wendy-san still noticed me as soon as I walked close, smiling happily at the box in my hands before nudging the apparently slumbering Davy with a hand. Not a good sign. Weren’t drunks not supposed to sleep the alcohol off? “Davy, Davy, Tomoko-chan’s here for you.”

“Buuuuh?” he slurred, slowly raising his head from his desk, and I tried not to flinch at the massive bedhead and redness covering his person. He was definitely bowled over. “Tomo—?”

I tried to push the embarrassment down as much as I could, even with the familiar heat of nervousness and anxiety flooding my face. My hair ribbon was on the other side of my head, being the left instead of the right, and I wanted to fiddle with it so much if not for the task at hand.

Tomoko-chan, breathe. You’re okay, you can do this.

I-It’s okay, it’s okay.

As Hisako instructed, I inhaled as much air as I could. Even with how red I was getting, I still extended my arms to offer the box in his direction. If not for me standing a few inches away from his desk, I might as well have shoved them in his face. “Muffins f-for Davy-san! They’re blueberry, and, and, I know that you’re busy and all, but I thought these would help, so—”

Dear gosh, I was rambling. I was doomed.

Davy-san only stared at me blankly.

Wendy-san’s proud stare in my direction helped a bit. At least.

I inhaled again, opening my eyes slowly to look at him with the best smile I could muster right now. Probably shy-looking and nervous as all freaking hell. “I know you work a lot, so I thought you’d like these…” I raised the box again, trying not to jostle the sweets inside. “I baked them myself?”

I was not expecting Davy-san to disappear in a matter of seconds and reappear right behind me, hugging me from behind. “I would literally kill for you.”

What.

“Eh?” I blinked. Something wet was starting to drip into the back of my hair, and the grip on my shoulders was pretty strong as the scent of cologne mixed with something definitely related to alcohol graced my nose. Wendy-san was starting to laugh into her hands, and the muffin box was limp in my own.

He didn’t even take the box.

I was more worried about the declaration that was just said. Without thinking, I detached one of my hands from the muffin box to instead reach over and pat one of the arms still holding onto me. “Davy-san?”

The Marine was silent.

Dork. I smiled while leaning back against him, still holding onto the box while reciprocating the sudden hug via patting his arm. “You don’t have to kill for me, okay? All that would make me happy right now is to see you happy. Relaxed, free of work, and able to enjoy a blueberry muffin. That’s all I want.”

I have enough people willing to kill for me already.

That was left unsaid, though.

Davy-san was quiet for a few more moments, but his grip on my shoulders tightened as a nose brushed the side of my head. “Thanks,” was the soft reply, and he squeezed me again. “Sis.”

OH MY—

My heart leapt up in my chest as Wendy-san nearby started to take on sparkles, raising a camera. I didn’t even have time to think about where she got it. I was in this situation, with a drunk Marine, and gosh. Even with the impending embarrassment and cooing spiel from Hisako and Wendy-san both, my reply was honest. He was a dork. “Love you too, Davy-san.”

“Aaaaah,” was the reply. Then a rough kiss pressed to the top of my head.

Goodness. He really was drunk if he went on to do that.

The scent of alcohol was still strong though, so I poked that same arm with my hand. Talks could be saved for later. “Now c’mon, you need rest! I have muffins!”

It was something. At least.

[nerdwreck]

élin’s eurovision opinions - an essential guide to good taste *ahem*

some people have what in swedish is called ‘vårkänslor’ (literally ‘spring feelings’, could be described as an overall feeling of happiness, relief that winter is over, and/or ‘love is in the air’ kinda thing) in the spring. i on the other hand, i have eurovision feelings. i just neeeeeed to talk about the eurovision with SOMEONE, and since i have barely no friends to talk about the esc, i need to vent a little. so, here are my opinions on this years eurovision contestants, in no particular order (actually in the order they presented them in a panel-program on finnish tv, which i marathoned, because i’m a nerd like that). i excuse my pompousness in advance, call me percy weasley all you like, this is just how i am and how i write 

greece - i’ve generally liked the greek eurovision songs, but this one just doesn’t do it for me. i like the build-up and demy sings very beautifully, but the refrain just sounds like boring regular radio pop, which is okay, but like i said, it does very little for me

moldova - EPIC SAX GUY IS BAAAACK. if one considers only the tune, it’s VERY catchy and a pretty good song, buuut i’m rewatching the video right now, and i’m questioning things. many things... wtf. but the song itself is catchy, i will very likely dance to this, and this will be the resurgence of epic sax guy, if not as fantastical as originally

australia - why are you still here? when did australia become a part of europe? very well, i’ll review your song then. in a year with a lot of ballads and slow songs (yet again), this one is pretty good. but tbh, i forget about it very fast. the song has grown on me since i first heard it. it’s not especially remarkable, but it ain’t bad either

azerbaijan - i like the sound of the song, reminds me a little of t.a.t.u. i don’t have too much else to say about the song. it’s good. but ~something~ is missing. and the grammar disturbs me. and the fact that i keep hearing “ i am skeletor”

cyprys - i always think this is rag’n’bone man’s ‘human’, but no. ‘tis not. the song is, heh, well-constructed and well written, but to me the lyrics just sounds like he’s listing synonyms. and i miss something.. otherwise the song is good. all i say is good... i think need to come up with some synonyms myself...

albania - this song was originally in albanian, but they translated it. it makes me sad. i think this song has great potential, but because it’s in english, it doesn’t get there. i have a soft spot for songs that are sung in the singers native language, so i’m pretty bummed that there are so few of those this year.

iceland - i like this. a lot. it’s stuck in my head very often. i have nothing to complain about. i like the sound, i like svalas voice. it’s one of my faves

latvia -  took me a while to remember what latvia was called in english. not important. the song: it’s my kind of music. i like it a lot. the sound is cool. but now that i see the VERY culturally appropriating fashion in the music video i’m a bit put-off... ummm... I LIKE THE SONG....

georgia - in the panel-show i watched they called this the “worlds worst bond-song”, and i can’t but agree. the lady sings well enough both in the video, and isn’t too bad live either, but it just tries too much

porugal - everyone's’ surprising fave. mine too. portugal has, for as long as they’ve participated in the esc, ONLY sent songs in portuguese, so + + + this man is a human kitten. he is so incredibly cute, and his voice sounds like he’s purring. this song would be perfect in a romantic movie montage, and i’m usually not about that life, but this i looove. salvador, i wanna hug you, is that okay?

sweden - i’m not gonna hold back on this one. i do not like this song one bit. i followed the swedish “semi-finals” (can’t come up with a better word atm) this year (as well) and i liked so many other songs. it’s just so creepy and uuuuughghg. robin competed last year as well, and he was good and sweet and played the harmonica then, and i loved him. while i still want to, TMI, sit on his face, i can’t with this song. it’s on the radio at least twice a day. the song isint bad melody or composing wise, but i hate hate hate it. did i say i hate it?

armenia - this woman looks a lot like ivanka trump. like, A LOT a lot. it is unsetteling. the song has that ~oriental~ sound, and while i like the sound of the song, i can’t get over the not so good lyrics, and the video gives me more of those cultural appropriation vibes... parts of the song are fine, but the rest is forgettable

poland - i didn’t initially like this song, but it has grown on me somewhat. its gone from ‘meh’ to ‘yeeee’. something about this, i don’t know what, gives me twin peaks vibes, twin peaks vibes are almost never bad

belgium - this lady sound like a mix of lorde and birdy. i for one really like both of those women, so this woman, who is 17 btw, is a fave in my book. doesn’t sound so eurovision-y, but i really like it as a song. i will listen to this when it comes on

israel - okay, i guess my opinion on this song has completely changed since i last heard it. then it gave me much to nothing, but now it’s suddenly a lot better. i’m a bit bothered by the very sudden ending, but i guess i will be dancing to this after all

malta - a power ballad that takes a little more place than the others this year. i like a lot of the elements of this song, and as a whole it makes for a very good ballad. not exactly a fave, but i definitely think it better than just ‘good’

hungary - yet another fave. native language, rap, man with beautiful voice, traditional elements, nice sound. only good things. i have absolutely nothing to complain about, i’m just gonna sit here and enjoy the song

danmark - in the verse(s) leading up to the second chorus, this lady sound a lot like philippa soo singing ‘burn’ i hamilton. it’s weird. but yeah, THIS song sounds like a disney end-credit song. this woman sings extremely well, and the song keeps growing on me, and i do not know why

montenegro -  we have arrived. we have arrived at one of my absolute favourite songs of this year. it’s everything a eurovision song should be. this is the new anthem of the gay olympics. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT’S GOT EVERYTHING!! space, a fantastically fabulous man with the longest braid ever, it’s so fucking extra and i love it, DISCO AND I LOVE DISCO, trumpets... there’s nothing to hate and sooo muuuch to love. this will be one of the song that i can not not dance to, like ‘footloose’ and ‘shit up and dance’

austria - the category “cute-guy-with-guitar”. couldn’t care less tbh

macedonia - i guess i like this song. i like some parts a little better than others. very radio friendly, and i don’t think i would change station if this came on. would dance, or at least move some limbs

finland - i’m sooo soo sooo happy that i like the song we’ve sent this year. i haven’t really liked a song we’ve sent to the esc since 2014. i liked this song from the first note, and it just keeps getting better. i find it so incredibly beautiful. i’m not even saying that because i’m finnish, i just love this song so much. it gives me ‘secret garden’ feels. i just wish it was longer. i neeed mooore. love love love. plz vote for us :’)

romania - okay, imagine a line. that line is eurovision. at one en of the line, the good end, is montenegro’s song: and absolute pearl, the best of eurovision-ness and weirdness. and on the other side of the line is romanias song: yodel it. no, i will not, but i will laugh at it. it’s so bad i, resentfully, love it. it’s much for my to comprehend. who thought this was a good idea???????

slovenia - nope. nothing. i feel nothing

the netherlands - these ladies are beautiful AND SING HARMONIES?? the parts of the song when there’s just that nice beat and these angelic voices it’s great, but, i never thought i’d say something like this, get the electric guitar out of there. and that weird beat thingy that went into the bridge.. ugh, let the ladies sing goddammit!!

serbia - i feel very little again. i like the latter-middle part. i’m a slut for violins

ireland - this song felt very westlife-y to me at first. this guy’s voice is so androgynous, i’m intrigued. this is also a song that has grown on me immensely. the last minute is absolutely beautiful. i think this has become one of my minor faves as of late

russia -  i know they’re not competing this year, but i thought i’d say some words at least. the song is nothing special, but it’s an okay song in the end

belarus - it’s basically mumford & sons, but sang by a man and a woman, in belarusian. what’s not to love? another fave.

bulgaria - guys, this guy is a 2000′s kid 2000′s kids can compete now... ya feel old yet, ‘cuz i sure do. ah, the song. i like this song, another one that has grown on me a lot. and as i mention earlier, i’m a slut for pretty much any string instrument. and this child sings very beautifully. and the sound is just up my alley

san marino - i’m sorry valentina, i couldn’t care less

switzerland - the song in itself is good, but as i’m watching the video all i do is stare as this beautiful lady, and so are everyone else. it becomes more about the lead singer than the song. YEAH THAT SHOT WAS DEFINITELY DIRECTED AT HER CLEAVAGE. stop. i’m trying to listen to a gooood sooong

norway - i’m sorry norway, no. why? your’e better than this!! i’m not mad, i’m just disappointed

estonia - estonia have sent some pretty good songs these past years, and while this did get better since the last time i listened to it, i’m still a little disappointed. anyone who sings about romeo and juliet will be a little scary to me...

croatia - he’s singing a duet with himself, which i must admit is pretty impressive, but i think this sound like a youtuber singing disney-songs while doing impressions... especially then he sings ‘let it flow’...

lithuania - this song scares me. i know she’s singing in english, but i can’t understan a word she’s saying. one positive thing tho , to me as a finn, is that she looks a lot like little my. the song? i do not like the song.

ukraine - they sound a little like the old linkin park, and that is GREAT. this kinda music is right up my alley. again, only positive things

united kingdom - song is meh, lucie sings sooo welll, she deserves better

france - i don’t want to be that person, but french is very ~seductive~ my humble, finnish, peasant ears. this whole tune is very ~seductive~ to me. i just wish she’d sing it all in french, and not drag that english into this. it just feels wrong, so wrong.. if it was all in french, then yes yes yes, but rn it’s a yes yes no

spain - no. creepy. slimy. take it away from me. but first, i’d like to ask this creepy gentleman if he knows any other english than “do it for your lover”? i cannot stans this song. id rather listen to swedens song tbh, and ya know how much i hated that song

germany - how do they have the ball to send a song that is such blatant plagiarism of ‘titanium’?? i can’t hear anything else that that. this song is ‘titanium’, if you took all the good stuff out of it

italy - this is my absolute fave. i will vote for this. it’s a good song, a beautiful man singing beautifully in italian, it’s full of irony, there’s a guy in a gorilla suit, the guitar at the end sound like old coldplay. i just love everything about this. i have nothing to complain about really. just that if this doesn’t win, i don’t know what i’ll do.

and that is it. i hope i didn’t miss anyone... it took me about 3 hours to write. i think i’m satisfied. i hope someone reads this, or at least bits of it...

the quality of the eurovison songs have gotten a little even imo. a few years ago, there were still a few great songs and the rest were kinda shitty, but now most of the songs are equally good/bad, with a few exceptions. it’s both fun and a bit sad tbh. but, i shouldn’t complain. the eurovision is still eurovison: it’s great fun and an excuse for me to be really over the top with everything.

happy eurovision season, // élin

[junker-town]

The best and worst of everything from March Madness Day 3

For those of you complaining that the 2017 NCAA tournament had yet to produce a major upset, day three gave you that and much, much more.

Sometimes, non-stop college basketball action featuring the best teams in the country for two days straight isn’t enough to please people. Sometimes people want everything stated above along with results that surprise them and dramatic finishes that make them jump out of their seats.

The first two days of the 2017 NCAA tournament may not have provided that, but Saturday’s slate of second round action certainly did. The third day of the big dance gave us our first No. 1 seed going down, our first double-digit seed advancing to week two, and our biggest officiating controversy to date.

As is the case with any day in the big dance, there was a lot of good, a lot of bad, and a little bit of weird. Let’s take a look at it all.

THE BEST DAY THREE GAME

(8) Wisconsin Badgers 65, (1) Villanova Wildcats 62 (East)

There will be a new national champion in college basketball this year, because the reigning king of the sport and the 2017 tournament’s No. 1 overall seed is no more. Villanova was sent home before the Sweet 16 for the seventh time in eight years thanks to a tremendous effort from a Wisconsin team that wanted to remind the country that no team has won more March Madness games since 2014 than the Badgers.

A back and forth affair resulted in the contest being tied at 62 in the final seconds. With the game on the line, Wisconsin’s most experienced player, Nigel Hayes, made a tremendous move to score what would prove to be the game-winning basket.

Vitto Brown then scored a clean strip of Villanova’s Josh Hart on the other end to seal the victory and send the Badgers to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight season. There is no other team in the country that can make that claim.

THE TEAM THAT WON IT BEST

West Virginia

On paper, Notre Dame seemed like the worst possible second round matchup for West Virginia. The Mountaineers win games by using their trademark pressure to feed off of opponents’ mistakes. The Fighting Irish don’t make many mistakes. They entered Saturday’s game ranking second in the nation in fewest turnovers per game, and were leading the nation in both assist-to-turnover ratio and team free-throw percentage.

Somehow, the Mountaineers still forced a team with that makeup to play right into their hands. West Virginia forced Notre Dame into 14 turnovers (six above their season average), and held them 10-for-28 shooting from beyond the arc, and to 40.7 percent overall from the field as a team.

Because of plays like that, the Mountaineers are moving on to San Jose to face Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.

THE TEAM THAT WAS THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Florida State

Sure, Villanova was the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed and got beat in the second round, but at least they were competitive. Florida State was playing a team seeded eight lines below (more than the differential between ‘Nova and Wisconsin) and was blown out from basically the opening tip to the final horn, which occurred with the scoreboard showing 91-66. The American public didn’t seem to have a whole lot of faith in Leonard Hamilton’s team heading into the tournament, and on Saturday the Seminoles proved all their detractors correct.

THE ALL-DAY THREE TEAM

Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin

The senior hasn’t had the All-American season that some were predicting four months ago, but he was at his best when his team needed him the most. Hayes grabbed eight rebounds and scored 19 points, including what proved to be the game-winning basket with 11 seconds to play.

Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga

The All-Day Three Team loves Nigels. Williams-Goss didn’t have his best shooting day of the year, but he scored a team-high 20 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists in Gonzaga’s 79-73 win over Northwestern.

Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame

The Bonz almost single-handedly kept Notre Dame within striking distance of West Virginia, scoring 27 points and drilling 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc. Unfortunately he was the only Fighting Irish starter who shot better than 50 percent from the field.

Jevon Carter, West Virginia

Every time Notre Dame started to mount a rally, Carter was right there to drill a back-breaking three-pointer at the end of the shot clock. The junior guard finished with a team-high 24 points and connected on four of his five attempts from deep.

Trevon Bluiett, Xavier

The Musketeer star continued his monster March by dropping 29 points in Xavier’s demolition of Florida State.

THREE DAY THREE JEERS

1. The missed goaltending call on Gonzaga

After trailing by as many as 22 points, Northwestern had whittled Gonzaga’s lead all the way down to five with just under five minutes to play. The Wildcats had the ball and all the momentum in the world and an apparent uncontested lay-up to cut the lead to three. Instead, Derek Pardon’s dunk attempt was blocked by Gonzaga’s Zach Collins, who had appeared to come up through the rim for an obvious goaltend. No goaltending was called.

Yeah, that’s supposed to be two points.

Chris Collins ran onto the court and went ballistic, prompting a technical foul call and stopping Northwestern’s momentum dead in its tracts. The Wildcats fought during the game’s final minutes, but could never get any closer than they were before the missed call.

Collins’ reaction after the game when he was told that a missed call had in fact taken place was pretty priceless.

There’s no guarantee that the final outcome would have been different if the proper call had been made, but there’s also no doubt that the sequence completely changed the direction that the game was heading.

2. Defending national champions continuing to disappoint

As the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Villanova had appeared to be in prime position to become college basketball’s first back-to-back national champion in a decade. Instead, the Wildcats became the latest victim of a troubling trend. Not only were the 2006-07 Florida Gators the only defending national champion since 1992 to retain their crown, but they’re the only defending national champions in the last 16 years to even make it back to the Elite 8.

Heavy is the head.

3. Verne Lundquist getting hit in the face with a basketball

When 99 percent of the world gets unexpectedly drilled in the face with a basketball, it’s hilarious. When Uncle Verne does, it’s an act of terrorism.

I don’t care if it was intentional or not, the guilty party must be brought to justice.

Thankfully, Verne is a pro’s pro who played through the pain and even made light of the incident during the West Virginia-Notre Dame broadcast.

THREE DAY THREE CHEERS

1. Upsets!

Look, I would have settled for something as simple as a top two seed being pushed to the brink. Kudos to the tournament for going above and beyond and giving us the No. 1 overall seed bounced in a thriller and a No. 3 seed getting run off the court by a No. 11. Even the way West Virginia-Notre Dame was a bit of a surprise.

You’re keeping us on our toes now. We appreciate that.

2. Dancing usher

Not, like, Usher Usher ... this usher

So better.

Seriously, shoutout to this guy for being the only thing remotely entertaining about Xavier-Florida State for non-Musketeer fans.

3. Vitto Brown’s singing voice

You may have known that Vitto Brown helped Wisconsin knock off Villanova with his 10 points and his defense on Josh Hart in the final seconds. But did you know he had pipes like this?

Vitto Brown of @BadgerMBB gives one smooth rendition of "One Shining Moment" http://pic.twitter.com/RvimOEBTJj

— March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) March 18, 2017

The next time CBS elects to switch up “One Shining Moment” (side note: please don’t do this), I would be fine with Vitto Brown being the one who goes into the booth.

THE BEST DAY THREE DUNK

Vic Law’s put-back dunk came at the height of Northwestern’s run against Gonzaga.

THE BEST DAY THREE PICTURE

A terrific shot here of the no-call that changed it all.

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

THE BEST DAY THREE QUOTE

“They play on ESPN every game, so I’ve just seen them play a few times. But it’s nothing special, nothing we can’t do. We’re not scared to say any team on this planet earth so we’re ready and we’ll be ready to play tomorrow.”

—Wichita State’s Darral Willis Jr. discussing his team’s second round game against Kentucky on Sunday

FULL SUNDAY SCHEDULE

We’ve got one more day left of the weekend that makes March mad. Soak it up, because it figures to be fantastic.

No. 2 Louisville vs. No. 7 Michigan, 12:10 p.m.

Midwest region | Indianapolis, IN

TV: CBS | Announcers: Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery, Tracy Wolfson

No. 2 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Wichita State, 2:40 p.m.*

South region | Indianapolis, IN

TV: CBS | Announcers: Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery, Tracy Wolfson

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 9 Michigan State, 5:15 p.m.

Midwest region | Tulsa, OK

TV: CBS | Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Dana Jacobson

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 8 Arkansas, 6:10 p.m.

South region | Greenville, SC

TV: TNT | Announcers: Brian Anderson, Chris Webber, Lewis Johnson

No. 3 Oregon vs. No. 11 Rhode Island, 7:10 p.m.

Midwest region | Sacramento, CA

TV: TBS | Announcers: Spero Dedes, Steve Smith, Len Elmore, Ros Gold-Onwude

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 11 USC, 7:45 p.m.*

East region | Tulsa, OK

TV: truTV | Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Dan Bonner, Dana Jacobson

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 7 South Carolina, 8:40 p.m.*

East region | Greenville, SC

TV: TNT | Announcers: Brian Anderson, Chris Webber, Lewis Johnson

No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 6 Cincinnati, 9:40 p.m.*

South region | Sacramento, CA

TV: TBS | Announcers: Spero Dedes, Steve Smith, Len Elmore, Ros Gold-Onwude

*start time is approximate. Will tipoff shortly after first game ends

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Showa Genroku 5 – 13, 15 | Classicaloid 14 | Masamune-kun’s Revenge 2 | Osomatsu-san 16

(ep 5)

You can hear the sarcasm in his (Sukeroku’s) voice, even with only subs. Actually, both Kiku and Sukeroku have their sarcastic moments.

How does the charcoal not burn the cushion?

You can clearly tell she’s got him wrapped around her little finger. Pretty ambitious, in those times.

Apparently injured legs can feel when rain is coming…that sort of thing.

In an age without phones, there’s more need for socialisation.

Basically, this is the equivalent to a high school or uni play. Low budget as ever.

Tanuki…well, they’re pranksters. Of course.

It seems pretty sexist in this day and age, but back then…welp. Let’s not complain about comparisons between some so-called “good ol’ days” and the present.

(ep 6)

“I don’t need lectures from a bum like you.” – Especially a drunk bum…

Even if it’s selfish to take something because of the thrill…I do kinda miss my days of scanlation. It’s hard to get a thrill like the one I got when I did that. Heh heh. Well, 2017’s going to be another intense year filled with Japanese, because even though I’ve shifted my education once more, I stuck Japanese in there again.

The texture on the smoking pot is quite something. Huh.

That’s a biiiiiiig cicada…

Hey, a Yotaro. Is that Daiku Shirabe Yakumo 7th’s doing?

Miyokichi says “gokigenyou”. I have enough lip reading skills to detect that, at least.

Who wrote the signs at the rakugo stage? I wonder…

(ep 7)

There always seem to be more women during Kiku’s performances.

The humour in this is a bit slapstick, but that’s why Charlie Chaplin is a household name now, right?

How many Es are in Tennessee, anyway? I never kept count…4? Okay then.

The ear picker is a sign of romance and intimacy. In Japan, anyway.

Extra “that” in the subs.

“Master Bonsai” sounds like such a cliché.

The “slice of eye” technique is just so effective. I’m lucky I’m not a film school student, or else I wouldn’t be eloquent enough.

A two futatsume show wouldn’t sell. Didn’t you say that a few episodes ago, Sukeroku?

(ep 8)

The master’s (Bonsai’s) fanning himself so much, it must be summer.

You need to win favours for a shinuchi promo…hmph. Better note that on the wiki.

Come to think of it, this was the age of letters, wasn’t it? Sukeroku’s right.

The Sukeroku and Miyokichi scene is so powerful, you can’t look away from it.

Drinks solve everything for these guys…sheesh.

Sometimes antagonising Kiku ain’t the answer, Sukeroku.

Without Sukeroku, kiku just kept clinging on to his part…huh. This part suddenly made a lot more sense, now that ep 14’s clarified Yotaro’s purpose.

The thing about this show is that it’s quite the acquired taste – you come for the humour, stay for the drama…or something along those lines. I spotted Sukeroku’s name on the very right, by the way.

(ep 9)

The dressing room is the “comfort room” in Japanese.

Of course Kiku wouldn’t be Sukeroku’s partner in crime for something like pissing the masters off…

I think it was “Edo flair”, subbers, but it was kinda hard to notice…

With those tired eyes, Kiku looks like Jean Otus (of ACCA).

These foreboding shots of light on water…hmph.

Note Amano’s got a fan that says “Japan one” literally, but whether it implies he’s number one in Japan or something else is number one in Japan is entirely up to debate.

There was a typo in the subs, but since the erroneous part was “While her husband it out…”, unless the actual word is “is”...I dunno what the correct word is.

The angles in this show are part of the personality. However, as Hand Shakers tells us, too much of a good thing can spoil it. Good thing this toes the line properly.

“Storyteller” is the appropriate equivalent for rakugoka, but “storyteller” doesn’t seem to do a story about rakugo justice. You need the jargon to make the world come alive, I feel.

You can tell Haruko Kumota used to be a BL author before from the way Sukeroku and Kiku act and react in that end scene of the ep.

(ep 10)

The cat…and the box-in technique from Erased. Letting go…is a theme in this show. Didn’t I say that already?

The kanji for “7th generation” was pretty nasty in regards to stroke count. No wonder they simplified it.

Shinigami. Of course he’d unleash that on the audience. Watching again has allowed me to really study Kiku as a person.

I wonder, are there full texts for these rakugo stories somewhere (like those books the apprentices memorise from)? I’d like to read them all someday, even if it’s just a testament to how much Japanese I’ve learnt.

In a world full of filial piety, the man really shouldn’t piss off his ancestors.

With that hat, Kiku looks like something out of Joker Game. Plus, even though the old person says “these days they have their televisions”, nowadays it’s “these days they have their phones and their internet” (in a spot of irony for me, LOL). In the end, technology will be too good for rakugo…and that’s what makes this show all the more interesting for me. Me, who wants to understand the past but still advance to the future.

For bad pun central, stop right here. The English “equivalents” to some of these Japanese puns really are kinda corny, and that’s saying something…since I’ve been looking at joke books since I was a kid.

How old is “old”, old man? If Konatsu’s calling you old, the internet is old.

(ep 11)

On the wall near Kiku are the signs “beer” and “tsukimi soba” (moon viewing soba). There’s another one past the one with a woman on it, but I can’t really make it out.

Oh, it’s the sign! Unfortunately I don’t know the second kanji, so I can’t tell you what it says.

This scene with the bag always makes me laugh. Every time, I tell you.

Konatsu’s got dango in her mouth. How do I explain dango…they’re sticky. Kinda like mochi. Never had them myself though.

I think ep 11 really shows how far Kiku’s come as a rakugoka.

(ep 12)

The word used for “inn” is ryokan. People tend to translate that as “(traditional) Japanese inn” in order to contrast with “hotel” and such.

The “chopsticks over the edge of the balcony” scene…now that I think of it, that is some heavy foreshadowing.

Is there a man who doesn’t like women? Probably.

Is it possible to make art using the spirit (behind it) alone?

Shibahama. Of course. Also, I’d never heard the term “a total lush” until this episode, I don’t think.

If only Sukeroku were like Kuma…haha. (sad tone)

I never thought about it until TV Tropes brought it up, but Miyokichi really is yandere.

When a grown man is driven to tears…you know stuff’s gone down.

Hey, there was no OP or ED on the ep now, was there?

(ep 13) [Trigger warnings: death, hell, political commentary etc..]

What is “inter[ring] the ashes”?

The world has had some horrors to get globalised like it is today…unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it.

You put an end to oral traditions by not having anyone to pass them on…that’s the scary part of this show. Also, all the boxing in looks like Yakumo’s going to hang himself, and that’s the point. Which is even scarier.

I think this show’s only gone off model once.

Enma being the king of hell.

In English, Konatsu’s words are even more deceiving in regards to her “drink”.

Yotaro does the “bwong” bit more fast and lively than Yakumo.

Such a rebellious spirit (Konatsu) wouldn’t be right, tied down by marriage.

Oh yeah…I forgot they announced the “Rakugo Association President” thing in this ep.

“Lately all we hear about is deaths…” – Basically 2016 for the wider entertainment world. (Then came Trump. Aye carumba, what is the world coming to?)

Wait, do you want to shake Yotaro or the man who impregnated Konatsu?

I wonder how the reality of the Sukeroku scene played out…maybe it demonstrates his senility, interpreted one way.

Lilies, chrysanthemums and daisies…white is the symbol of death in Japan. (The chrysanthemums are yellow but the theme is the same.)

(ep 15)

Fresh new ep…well, I’ve been keeping this one since it first rolled out to the public, so it’s not entirely fresh. However, this is as fresh as it’ll get in regards to how the simulcast commentary goes.

Urk, why must CR be so insistent with turning “Descending Stories” into the title? It’s hardly convenient.

Imawa no Shinigami…I saw the video on ANN. It’s a nice song, but hard to put on repeat because the visuals are so good.

Whoa, even I can tell how fast Yota’s motormouthing, and I’m not even listening to it!

“Fussing to the shamisen”? What’s that?

She (Konatsu) clearly mouthed “papa”, and I think that word goes across multiple languages.

Huh. There’s no identifying name on this story, and it seems so crucial. That’s why I asked for a full guide of them (like the books that you sometimes see Kiku practising out of).

You can tell what books I’ve studied and the random things I’ve picked up from the quotes I can spout at a moment’s notice. For example: “…full of sound and fury, signifying nothing…”

Amaken’s eyes are funny while he gripes about the shinuchi’s role.

Who is this glasses guy? I can’t read the kanji…

Kappore. It’s something like this, anyway.

Was that a non-language-barrier pun? (About how the story suddenly switched to being about women in Yoshiwara.)

He’s (Yotaro’s) motormouthing again…

Higuchi really is a spanner in the works for Yakumo, eh? Especially because it turns out he’s the one who begged Yakumo for work the day 7th Yakumo collapsed. Karma’s such a pain in the butt, isn’t it?

Oh no! I-If Kiku dies next ep…where will the story be? Surely, we have Yotaro/Sukeroku and the Yakumo legacy, Konatsu and Higuchi, but I’ve learnt from the SGRS discord that Kikuhiko really is the glue of this work and this fandom. Don’t let him die or else we’ll all have a real funeral service for him…(well, maybe not that extreme, but people will be in real mourning due to a fictional character…and that’s bad.)

(Classicaloid 14)

I’ve seen from all the “best of 2016 anime” posts that Classicaloid’s gotten on to a lot of critical reviewers’ lists, but looking at my top 10, it didn’t make it. (If you’re wondering, it’s currently in spot 12 and since it’s a 2016 list, it won’t move up from there.) As for 2017, it’s currently in 4th place, but it’s likely to get debunked by later anime (Inuyashiki for one, since I’ve heard about it…if I hear about its source material while it’s still a manga, then its anime has a lot of promise!).

Beethes? On love? That’s new.

A capriccio is “following one’s fancy” according to Google-sensei, while I already knew poco a poco to be “little by little”.

Not all those foods Kanae listed are Russian, right? Pirozhki I know is Russian via YoI, but stroganoff clearly is not. To confirm my suspicions, I asked Google-sensei about gazpacho and that’s Spanish.

Gorbacho…? I might need to check that one over, but Sensei has nothing on it.

Those gyoza buddies have already appeared twice in this ep (excluding the OP) and both were in Kanae’s vicinity.

The foods listed are just local specialties of the area. Okonomiyaki is quite known as an Osakan one, that’s why.

They teach kids how to make vodka in this show…that’s slightly horrifying…Please don’t try making vodka at home, kids.

The birds…are so adorable! Ahh!

“Madol” appears to be a squashing together of “mad idol”.

This is actually very enlightening. At least from Bada’s perspective.

It’s not even the usual credits. It looks like karaoke…and that’s the entire point. There’s even lyrics!

(Masamune-kun 2)

The problem with Kirito-face (Masamune) is that he keeps going over his problems day by day, as if he can’t live without focussing on his revenge. Unfortunately, that’s the point of the show. I know it can do better than that! Plus, Heike Monogatari.

BL sandwich?

Okay, I’m definitely out of here. Ew. Fanservice without any particular reasoning is the worst.

(…but why did I leave the video long enough to find out that Makabe doesn’t even look adorable when stuttering? Yet another reason to leave.)

(Osomatsu-san ep 16)

The one episode I really liked (aside from the feels-getters), aka The Mad Max Parody…I think.

Manekineko behind the interview.

Apparently, Matsuno Matsunan can be read as “Matsuno Makkusu”, but the subs never explained that now, did they?

LOL, Iyami’s too visual kei in this.

Matsu in that case meaning “end”, but…you know…Matsu of the century…

The innuendo…it’s slghtly grating the second time ‘round, but it made me laugh the first time.

Welp, from that one segment, you basically learn how to make a successful non-Gintama…well, success…in Japan.

Highly relatable, but painful due to it being relatable.

Why is the Karamatsu!Ichimatsu not a meme like the Todomatsu face?

Matsu-cest…squick. Why do people ship that?

Technically, only fans of Karamatsu are Karamatsu girls…or boys.

Why is this second face not as memeful as the first?

With a series like this, you really have to be careful that it’s funny every time…because it’s only one third as funny the second time around, at least for this episode.