#As much of 'my art' as it can be using Sakura's little chibi as a base

[wakraya]

A sort of creature, perhaps.

[ops-on-loop]

OP Review #1: Ouran High School Host Club

LINK TO OP: (Here.)

As you know if you’ve read our intro post, we post individual reviews on Wednesdays and Fridays, but for series that we’ve both seen or that we both love, we both review it within the same post. So, enjoy double the thoughts!

For our very first review, we wanted to look at something very near and dear to both of our hearts: Ouran High School Host Club. We both grew up on the series, still love it (while understanding and not supporting its more problematic elements ಠ_ಠ…), and think the OP is a BOP. But how does “Sakura Kiss” hold up when comparing it to our hardcore scoring chart? Let’s find out.

zantids’ review:

Category 1, Artstyle/Animation: The artstyle of “Sakura Kiss” is similar to the artstyle of OHSHC itself. It’s pretty old. If you’re coming from my own review blog, you’re familiar with the fact that I’m a huge fan of old animation. I pretty much give bonus points to an anime if the animation is dated enough. So I’m already a fan of this artstyle. Another thing that’s interesting about “Sakura Kiss” is that instead of drawing the Host Club boys in their full animated beauty, they decide to draw them in this little chibi-style instead. I LOVE it. It’s super cute. There’s not really much else to analyze in terms of animation, they kinda just spin around looking cute the entire opening, so I’ll give it a 2/2

Category 2, Song: “Sakura Kiss” is a classic among classics. I’m pretty sure that the typical anime fan, even one who hasn’t seen OHSHC, can sing along to the theme song. It’s worth noting that we’re specifically reviewing the English version of “Sakura Kiss”, as that’s what most streaming services in the West decide to throw on with the anime (from what I’ve seen at least). The lyrics being in English help a lot with its recognizability and even “singability”. It’s a great song on its own. I’d even go as far to say that I enjoy the song more than the opening itself, and we’ll get to why in later sections. 2/2

Category 3, Relevance: “Sakura Kiss” both does and doesn’t relate to OHSHC as a show. In a way, sitting around and looking pretty is all OHSHC is about, so one could say the opening perfectly reflects the mood and plot of the show, but I feel like they could have done a little more to relate it to its specific plot. Even within the chibi-style they could have thrown in characters like Kasanoda, Nekozawa, or the Lobelia girls in the background. I respect keeping the opening simple, but I also think that having little nods to the plot is so much more fun and engaging. I think a little more relation to the plot itself would have been cool, as we pretty much get the same shots of the same characters for a minute. 1/2

Category 4, Originality: Sigh. It’s not very original. We really only get the same dramatic spinning/running/posing shots of the characters for a minute. I love you “Sakura Kiss”, but I can’t give you points here. Compared to every other opening ever, “Sakura Kiss”, aside from the song, doesn’t have much going for it. If it had a more standard opening song paired with the same intro, I’d go as far to say that it wouldn’t be remembered as fondly. While yes, it’s super cute and I still love it, when looking at it with the question “does it do anything special?” the answer is pretty clearly no. .5/2

Category 5, Bias: Bias time! I’ll have to get used to distributing these bias points as I don’t want to completely boost every series, but I also really like a lot of openings… I really love “Sakura Kiss”. It’s super nostalgic for me, the song is a bop, even if it’s not very original I still think it’s super cute… I’m going to give it a 1.5/2 for my bias.

Ouran High School Host Club’s opening “Sakura Kiss” gets a 7/10 from me. A little unoriginal, the song really carries it, and I’m probably giving it too much of a bias deep down because of my nostalgia goggles. It’s not a perfect opening, but I’d say it’s a pretty damn good one.

Heeho’s review:

Category 1, Artstyle/Animation: ART. I just want to start off real quickly with, the OHSHC manga started in ‘02, and the anime started in April ‘06. Refreshing myself quickly, I’d have to say that the anime --and therefore, OP-- adapted the artstyle pretty faithfully, though they thankfully updated Haruhi’s eyes. Cool. Now, animation... I don’t actually know anything about animation. It’s probably a pretty average-to-above-average OP, thinking about mid-2000s OPs rly quickly... Besides that, a fair amount of backgrounds are images of the hosts, the school, nothing/colours, or that part where it’s the sky/roses.🤔 Let’s just call it a 1/2.

Category 2, Song: “Sakura Kiss”.😳 Like we said in the intro, this is such a bop. Personally speaking, I did watch OHSHC dubbed in English, I think the English voicecast did great... Let’s not continue. This song is literally SO catchy, I still know all the lyrics ✋, the ‘du du du du’ is very iconic, and I always get it in Anime Music Quiz (who only have it in JP, RUDE). Very memorable, JP version also good in and of itself, 10/10 song, thank you Kristine Sa, 2/2.

Category 3, Relevance: I know OHSHC is pretty episodic in nature, but the OP feels barebones in comparison. It gets the ‘Host Club’ part, I suppose, with the boys showing themselves off in glamour shots 2-3/3-4 times, and Haruhi getting chased by some girls quickly, but that’s just not the whole show. We have plenty of Eps with no boys hosting any girls, but they do basically always solve someone’s problem, and OHSHC has a decent cast of reoccurring characters (Renge introduced Ep 2), but the OP just has no space for them, I guess ! The song, on the other hand... Is about the reverse harem part, that I was never really paying attention to. Sorry OHSHC, 1/2.

Category 4, Originality: Not very. Dramatic turns, Hitachiins being crossed because they actually have different personalities, Kyouya in Tamaki’s shadow/crossed because he’s the right-hand man/secretary/Shadow King/really admires (is gay for) Tamaki, spinning/turning with the sky behind them, Haruhi sitting and looking at the sky (nooo, Ok this is kinda loose), birds... The lyrics are also objectively pretty generic, “omg love ??”, but I’d feel kinda mean giving absolute 0... .5/2

Category 5, Bias: Ok so, I do actually love this opening. It might not feel like it with all these scores, but I’m just trying really hard not to wear rose-tinted lenses. OHSHC, as a show, was more-or-less my ‘proper’ introduction to anime, and while I was never big on everyone basically loving Haruhi... It’s a cute show. The OP is great, and you should just experience it superficially. Thanks OHSHC, ily. 1/2

TL;DR: “Sakura Kiss”, dubbed by Kristine Sa, from Ouran High School Host Club, gets a 5.5/10. This puts itself over the half-way decent mark, but know that it’s an OP who’s song is mostly carrying the video. But I still don’t hate it- Seriously. (-Heeho)

Scores- 7/10 (zantids) and 5.5/10 (Heeho)

“You boys, are the homosexual supporting cast !”

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Do you have any favorite magical girl weapons?

Oh yeah, tons!

I love every Madoka weapon, Kyouko’s chain spear is just genuinely awesome as fuck, and Mami’s ribbons and muskets get used in really creative ways, something MagiReco did a good job with as well. It’s hard to deny the simple appeal of Madoka’s bow, and Homura just using actual guns is hilariously cool. But Sayaka’s sword takes the cake for me, they’ve got a really sick design that compliments Sayaka’s look ridiculously well, and she already has my favourite design of the bunch so like, yeah. Plus it’s sick seeing her throw them around everywhere and I mean

She has 8 of them, what more could you want?

I’m also a huge fan of Fate Testarossa’s Bardiche, which feels like cheating since it can be all of these and more

But what can I say other than it’s badass as fuck? I really like Nanoha’s design sense of blending mecha elements with more magical girl stuff and these weapons, though they lean more into mecha than magical girl, I think they fit Fate super well and again they’re just so fucking cool, plus Bardiche itself is a neat personality, even if he’s not quite Raising Heart. There’s a reason I popped off for getting a Fate Nendoroid.

Sakura’s Star Wand has a really simple and quintessentially magical girl design that I absolutely adore, it’s mega cute and goes with like every single outfit she wears it with. But moreover I really love the story behind it, that season 2 finale is super sweet and emotional and having Sakura create her own wand from the power of her own Stars, cause she is a little star after all, fuck dude I’m tearing up thinking about it it’s so good.

Sailor Moon has a lot of really awesome weapons but I love the Kaleidomoon Scope the most, Moon Gorgeous Meditation is one of her best attacks for me and moreover it’s kinda sword shaped, being a baton, which if you haven’t gathered by now I love a lot. I also think it manages to have a really elegant design without being too much, plus it’s the most visually distinct of her 90s weapons imo just because it’s a baton rather than some sort of wand or stave.

Also Sailor Moon, I adore the Silence Glaive. It’s such a simple, and elegant, yet unbelievably foreboding tool, one that complements Saturn’s, compared to the others at least, sinister design, it’s so fitting for the Soldier of Destruction and Rebirth.

For similar reasons I do like Ruler, this little halberd from Magical Girl Raising Project. It’s a pretty cool looking weapon in the anime, but I especially like it for how it looks with Snow White

Not something the anime gets to, and I’ve never read any of the novels or manga, I just know that this happens, and it looks so fucking sick. Sure it’d look more sick if I could find art of Snow White with it that wasn’t chibi, but every other option is fanart so I’ll pass. But yeah I love the contrast in someone who looks so ideal as a magical girl wielding, once again, such a sinister looking weapon, yet one that totally befits a magical girl like her given the series she’s in.

I also really like the Scissor Blade, which might be cheating since I don’t know if this is technically a magical girl weapon since they can be used by anyone, but they were built for Ryuuko and she’s a magical girl so I’m counting it. It’s an appropriately ridiculous and funny weapon for a show like Kill la Kill but it does look pretty fuckin’ epic in spite of that, and like it’s another sword so obviously I’m into it.

I’d also be remiss not to mention whatever the fuck this thing from Flip Flappers is. Memorial Booklet just says “bazooka/combined weapon” so it’s not really got an official name, it’s just a thing Papika and Cocona use. But hey I like it, it’s a fun cooperative effort for the pair, an excuse to have a beam struggle in the show, and even if the design is uh, significantly less conventional than everything so far I still like it a lot, it’s got that Flip Flappers appeal.

And then last, and I guess least based on the order of this post but still good enough to make it...

Yuki Yuna’s fists. Yeah it’s not really a weapon but if she’s as strong as she is and she shouts “Yuusha Paanchu!!” every time then I want to count it because like, I just fucking love seeing cute girls and especially cute magical girls punch things, there’s such a raw and unmatched energy to it, it’s so good. I know they have their Mankai (or Bankai? I can’t remember) forms later which are closer to actual weapons, but those ugly as hell, and I also know her friends all have proper weapons but I remember these punches standing out way more, so they win for me.

And that’s that, hope you had fun reading.

Edit: completely forgot to mention, but I’m also a huge fan of Ren Isuzu’s weapon in Magia Record.

Normally it’s that mostly sort of standard battle staff type thing with the wing for some mahou shoujo flair, and already I really like that, but, and I couldn’t find a photo in my 2 seconds of Googling, but it can also project some magic from the top and become this super awesome scythe, which aside from looking sick as fuck works well for Ren because if I know her backstory she like died twice or something so the scythe gives a really cool grim reaper look, while the staff is more her on her way to happiness again, it’s super good.

Yeah now we’re done.

[sanny-chan5]

The sky’s importance on Dr. Stone.

[This is a long post, you’ve been warned. Also, sorry for that T-T].

Have you guys noticed how much Inagaki-san and Boichi-sensei love to portray the character’s emotional state through the weather/sky? Specially Senku’s’, or so I think...:

When Senku was desperately wating for Taiju to “des-petrify”, it was raining.

Same as when Senku died and his friends were trying to revive him, it was also raining (to make those scenes similar and stand out both Taiju and Senku’s friendship, trust in the other and desperation for each other’s well being).

When Senku needed electricity. It was as if the sky was helping Senku and gave him one last thunder for the magnet, but it also helped Gen to scare Magma a bit when he tried to stop them -which could have ended worse than it did. Magma ultimately attacked Gen, but it was at night and Senku wasn’t with him. That’s why I say “specially Senku’s emotions”.

When Hyouga and the other thugs of Tsukasa Empire attacked for the first time the village. This not only helped them put on an act that convinced then to attack the next storm, but the wind also saved Suika indirectly carrying the sulfuric acid against the bullies -of course both of these things wouldn’t have been possible without Senku’s intervention, like, Suika herself could have died.

Suika was the ultimate MVP for finding the stone they needed to make the mobile phones, but... it was the sun’s first ray which drives Senku’s attention to this stone and told him which one it was. Again, it was as if the sky was giving him a clue.

Also, and an important point, the starry night sky feels calm. When it is shown in the series, it’s always a moment of calmness/emotional fluff: chibi Senku with his father looking at the moon, the onsen Taiju/Yuzuriha romantic moment, Senku telling Taiju to sleep ‘cause being awake would just tire him out (thus, worrying about him), the telescope/birthday moment, watching the first dawn of the year with everyone on the village... AND one of the most important moments for Senku which I’ll leave for analize later.

Finally, not really important maybe, but when the sun is up, or in other words, when it is day, it’s working/thinking moment. Senku revived one ordinary morning of spring(it seemed... also, I think Inagaki choose April 1st because it marks the begginig of many important things for the japaneses, such as the school years or the sakura’s flowering season), when he investigated the petrification, when he’s working with his frriends and the villagers (or for putting them on his side LOL), etc. Ordinary stuff, to summarize.

We also had sunsets for nostalgic feeling and snow sky for the special night of Crhistmas and, curiousl enough, they feel pretty determined to achieve their goals :3

(Episode 1).

(Episode 26, last of the first season).

Like, OMG.

I like to think this is not casual. And this might be going too far, but I also like to believe that this is some way to show that Byakuya (who, we could say, is in the sky’s heaven, following religion) is still helping his son. His son, who also happens to look at the stars softly and still wants to go to the space... which now is also a place nearer him... (again, following religion even if Senku probably doesn’t believe it and just like a “feeling thing”, IYKWIM)

Ah! And this is a moment who’s worth of a special mention. The moment I was talking about before: Senku crying at Byakuya’s “grave”. Another starry night sky moment.

Now someone could argue that it must be raining, since rain is usually portrayed as to represent sadness and all… but in this series, rain/storm is often used for desperate, action situations more than anything. Here, Senku was ovbiously mourning his father’s dead after having emotionally realized what that meant, but it was no agitation, and listen because that is the clue word: it was sad, but it was a calm sadness.

[On a side note, you can skip this, it has nothing to do with the reflection I was doing BTW, I still think he actually pushed his feelings a little, maybe because he “had to do other –logical- things now”, but most probably because he’s a shounen anime main character who has to act cool LOL... (look, I’m not complaining of this kind of characters, I love them and Senku is one of the more emotional “cool characters” I have seen in anime notwithstanding… but I AM saying that this series is NOT logical about the characters emotional reactions LOL. Just think of how well Taiju and Senku took the petrification thingy –OR, you know, even being all alone for 3700+ years and just… thinking, and that actually NOT driving them mad. And LOL, yes I get it, it’s anime phantasy logic after all xD). Yuzuriha’s reaction was far more credible, both the moment she opened her eyes and the moment she opened her eyes, and you know what I mean by that… xD].

But let’s continue with the analysis or I’ll go around the bush.

So, Byakuya’s name means “100 nights”, while Senku’s name means “1000 skies”. Isn’t it suspicious that the moment Inagaki and Boichi chose for Senku to visit his father’s grave was just a calm, starry night sky? It fits them SO DAMN WELL, for their names and for both’s dream or reaching and traveling through it... Night… Sky… (or “how you actually see the sky outside of the Earth”, combination of both names), it’s almost as if they were trying to draw our attention to the sky, quite literally because there was this scene when the reader’s pov was watching Senku’s back from below and we can watch the sky perfectly, with the light of the full moon shining in the middle of the darnkess and all…

What’s more, if you guys follow my way of understanding what the sky means in this series, which for me is a representation of Byakuya somehow, it fits as well!: it keeps calm, as if accepting Senku’s feelings, but also so full of patience and love and fatherly calmness as if it were his father’s spirit itself trying to say “it’s ok” to his son...

Of course, this is not implicitly shown, it’s just me trying to interprete the art in an abstract way, so it’s just a theory of mine and I can totally being mistaken. But I just LOVE watching it like this, I’m being self-indulgent :’3.

So.. that’s it, guys. What do you think about it? I have to say I haven’t read the manga yet, so maybe in the future there are several moments that can finish this interpretation, but... I thought of it and felt it would be nice to share with you and see if someone wants to believe this too. I adds emotion to the scenes, or at least for me ^^ But feel free to disagree and prove me wrong if you want, this is just me being paranoid LOL

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I LOVE to think about some random scenes of a series I like and them BOOM. I find my own interpretation, or sometimes realizing something the autor actually wanted to subtly portray, that actually changes how I view those same scenes the next time I watch them…whether I’m wrong or not.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Seireitsukai no Blade Dance 1

Official English Title: Blade Dance of the Elementalers

Author: Yuu Shimizu

Illustrator: Hanpen Sakura

Label: MF Bunko J

Release Date: 21 December 2010

Art Notes: This series went through 3 different illustrators throughout it’s life and I’ll be talking about each of them as we get to them. Hanpen Sakura was the original artist and covered the series for 13 volumes before having to step down due to health issues. Their art is definitely done in the moe style and, while it’s not really to my taste, I do like the character designs (Restia’s especially) and I think that it suits the series. I do remember Sakura’s art does get better as the series continues so I look forward to seeing that improvement.

Ecchi warning: aside from the cover, there’s also a colour illustration of a nude Claire getting attacked by a slimy water spirit.

So, first off, I have read part of this series before. It was years ago though, back in the day when fan translations reigned supreme, J-Novel Club wasn’t a thing yet, Yen-Press wasn’t licensing many light novels and I hadn’t begun to learnt Japanese yet. While my memories are a bit fuzzy, I do remember quite a bit about it so, while I don’t intend to spoil anything, there’s a possibility that I may do so on accident to please keep that in mind.

Anyway, I enjoyed this, though there were a few scenes that frustrated me a little bit. I especially enjoyed the fight scenes and found the protagonist to be charming. I definitely recommend it if you are into magic battle school series and don’t mind harem and ecchi elements.

Story:

Genre: Ecchi, Harem, Action, Fantasy, Magic school, Comedy

Elementalers - people who are able to make contracts with elemental spirits and use their powers for battle. The power usually only appears in pure maidens but it appears that Kamito is an exception. Having lost some of his memories three years ago, Kamito is on a search to find someone. His search takes him to a prestigious academy for young elementalers and the headmaster forces him to enrol there, telling him to compete in the blade dance, a competition in which elementalers compete in order to have their wish granted. Seeing as the blade dance may lead Kamito to find who he is looking for, he complies. But, this year, the blade dance is a group battle and Kamito must find 4 teammates in order to compete...

Content warnings: the ecchi here isn’t very hardcore (I mean, in comparison to modern ecchi light novels, anyway) but it is still there so I don’t recommend reading this series if you’re bad with that kind of thing. Also, there are violent tsundere characters and a character who has the form of a child but is actually hundreds of years old so, again, if you have issues with these character types then I don’t recommend it.

Yes, this is one of those series with a power that’s only meant to be used by girls except for the male protagonist who can use it because reasons, a bunch of tsundere, ecchi “comedic” scenes, misunderstandings and a magic battle school. I know that a lot people hate these types of series but I’ve always thought that they have a certain charm to them and I found myself enjoying this volume despite all of it’s cliches. The magic system is interesting and the battle scenes are exciting and the characters are likeable and that’s all I really want out of a series like this. There were some scenes that annoyed me like the misunderstanding scenes where Kamito ends up in a situation that looks bad and the girls are quick to jump to conclusions and accuse him of doing something that he didn’t actually do. It gets tiresome after a while but I did manage to look past it, in the end.

One of the main things that is set up in this volume is teamwork. The characters are very strong but they are really terrible at teamwork, especially Rinslet, and I look forward to seeing them get better at it. The other major plot points that are introduced here have to do with Kamito’s and Claire’s past as they’re both searching for someone. I’m really looking forward to unraveling the mysteries behind Kamito’s memory loss.

Character:

Kamito is an interesting and likeable protagonist. He has a mysterious past and slowly more facts about it get revealed over the course of this volume but we still don’t know everything and I look forward to learning more. I also find his personality charming with how he tends to tease the tsundere ojou-sama around him when they yell at him but is willing to apologise when he realises that he’s crossed a line. As you can tell from the cover, Claire, the fiery red-haired tsundere, is our main heroine for this volume. Her catchphrase is “I’ll burn you to cinders”, she weilds a whip that she often uses to wrap around Kamito’s neck and her first meeting with Kamito ends with her declaring that he needs to take responsibility and become her slave. The series has a few tsundere characters but she’s probably the most violent of them so she’s definitely one of those characters that is easy to hate. I think her tsun is made more bearable thanks to Kamito’s personality and his willingness to tease her when she gets violent and I found myself able to like her despite all of her flaws. I think there’s a lot of potential for good development with her and I hope to see her become less abusive as the series goes on.

As for the other heroines, 4 are introduced in this volumes and one’s a spoiler so I’ll just talk about the other 3 for now. Ellis is the captain of the school knights and she initially hates Kamito upon discovering his existence but she comes around to him by the end of the volume. She’s not as violent as Claire is but she is still a tsundere and often threatens to turn Kamito into *insert food of any type here* which I found amusing. Of the girls, Rinslet fits the archetype of “tsundere ojou-sama” the best but she’s less tsun than Claire and Ellis and is probably the least prone to violence of the three. I really enjoy her rivalry with Claire and I love her way of speaking. Est is a spirit that Kamito makes a contract with at the start of the volume. She doesn’t do a whole lot here but readers who enjoy the kuudere loli archetype should enjoy her. The supporting characters in this volume are memorable enough.

Adaptation Notes:

The manga adaptation is complete at 6 volumes and features art by Issei Hyouju (provided the art for the manga adaptations of Slayers Revolution, MM!, Slayers Evolution-R and the ongoing Isekai Meikyuu de Harem wo). It’s pretty good so far and has some great action panels and adorable chibi art. Some stuff is cut or moved but a lot of it improves the story as some of the more silly misundersting scenes are taken out and the moved scenes improve the pacing. It’s worth a mention that the scene in the light novel where Claire gets attacked by the water spirit is changed in the manga so that Claire and Rinslet get attacked by it while clothed. Anyway, I enjoyed the manga and I recommend it as a substitute for the light novel.

Apparently, there is another manga adaptation with art by Zenzai Yoshihira but it was cancelled after a few chapters due to health problems and a volume was never released so I can’t talk about it at all.

The anime adaptation is 12 episodes in length and this volume is adapted in the first 4 episodes. This is one of those cases where I wish that the anime staff had been more willing to cut stuff and change things. This is a short volume and it does not need 4 episodes to adapt it. The mediocre adaptation for this series is why I have to defend adaptations like Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut and Danmachi whose creators knew that volume 3 would not be a good enough stopping point to make an impression and saw opportunities to cut things out and I wish that Blade Dance had received a similar treatment. It’s also really low budgeted and you can tell. As for what I do like about the anime, I do enjoy the character designs and I like that the majority of the voice actors selected for the anime did not have much experience at the time, like Kana Yuuki, Shizuka Ishigami, Makoto Furukawa and Saori Oonishi. And they all nail their performances and are perfectly cast in their roles. There are some well-known voice actors cast as well, like Youko Hikasa, but most of the actors were not expeirenced when the anime was produced and I like that the anime gave the opportunity for these newer actors to shine.

Recommended for:

If you’re into battle school fantasy series and don’t mind harem and ecchi elements, read this. If you’re currently trying to learn Japanese through reading light novels and want to read a fantasy series, I found this easy to read. There is a bit of fantasy jargon but not too much and it’s quite short at around 250 pages.

I’ll be reading volume 2 fairly soon.

[mahou-furbies]

2019 is almost over, and it's time for

The Dazzling Pink Precure were supposed to be handling the ceremony, but then unexpectedly had to go back to the drawing board for some design tweaks, so...

This is the magical girl media that has been consumed here on Mahou-furbies this year!

Anime

(Fresh Precure, Star Twinkle Precure, Invaders of the Rokujouma, Machikado Mazoku, Madoka)

Manga

(the original CCS & Clear Card, Magical Girl Site, Sailor Moon, Madoka Wraith arc, Homura revenge, Oriko Magica, Sakura Hime Kaden, Is this a Zombie?, Flying Witch)

(revisits to old familiar stuff don't qualify for an award unless I had forgotten everything about it)

Other notable stuff that happened over the year:

Before going to the awards, let’s say a few words about the artistic activity here at Mahou-furbies.

The "practise figure drawing while Precure is playing" project still continues! The experience is surreal, with Precure on one half of the screen, and a nude model with a 60 second timer on the other!

Honestly I don't see any progress myself but having watched roughly 3 seasons this way and 20 drawings per episode that's 1000 sketches, that has to count for something? I hope?

The Chibi project started and continues! According to my statistics that is 170 characters and 504 drawings (different outfits) total! Out of the 63 Main Cures (incl. Healin’ Good) 40 are finished. 

The Magical Girl Fusion drawing happened this year! It is the second most popular tumblr post I’ve ever made, and it still continues making its rounds, occasionally showing up as the most popular post of the day in my activity! It’s one of the few posts of mine I really like, I think it has both a good concept and execution, so I’m happy that it has received attention.

After the Fusion post, another chibi series has launched and these even smaller chibis have invaded all three of my other active blogs, and there is more to come to this blog as well... They’re cuter than the main chibi series, but the details aren’t as visible so they’re not going to completely displace it.

And then there’s of course the Dazzling Pink Precure, which has received outstanding support right from the beginning!

It is kind of amazing that whenever I post about them I often get some kind of feedback, when I think it’s more common that artists struggle to get recognition for their OCs while art of canon stuff gets more responses. So I’m very flattered by the interest they’ve received! And they have even been nominated for this year’s fancure awards (thanks to whoever nominated them) which is just incredible. The changes they are going through right now hopefully won’t have a meaningful impact on that since I only plan to alter some of the pink shades or make one skirt hem a little different or stuff like that, and the main concept should stay the same.

I also find it entertaining that Cure Fluffy who was created to be a parody of the spotlight-hogging pink protagonists got upstaged by an all-pink team.

But that’s it for the art life of Mahou-furbies, now let's start with the awards! 

Best henshin design goes tooooo

Tetty Goodgripp from MagiPro Black! I haven’t read it yet (I’m still at Jokers or Aces, whichever was the middle of the trilogy) but I do love this design.

Then, best team henshin design is

Fresh Precure! Though to be fair not a lot of teams this year... But a win is a win and I did rank them #1 in my Precure Team design ranking a few years ago.

Next, best powerup look is

Also Fresh! bonus points for implementing the powerup in a more interesting way than "new once-per-episode stock footage sequence in the latter part of the season" or "thing we see in the final episode for two and a half minutes"

The award for Best civilian design goes to

Cure Cosmo! Surprising for this monochrome a design, but the simple and stylish look is just so good.

Best school uniform is

Magical Girl Site! ...I know the common opinion of this series and kind of agree with it, but I just like the basic black sailor uniform ok?

Then best hair. That is

Cure Star’s ridiculous twintails! I love them!

Best magical item goes to

The Clear Cards! Sakura’s cards are already a fun item, and I like the transparent visuals.

Best Henshin scene is

Cure Passion’s transformation! I love the part where she sinks into water and the one where her earrings and tiara appear.

Best fan creation witnessed in 2019 goes to

Banban! Hero Precure by @aceaeite​! Great designs that work well both individually and as a team, and the designs are recognisable as both Precure and superheroes! Also I love the detail of the little sister not fighting with the rest of the girls and instead having her own adventures.

(link to source)

Then, Best relationship goes to

Love & Setsuna from Fresh! I don’t ship them, but I like them as sisters and Setsuna finding a loving family after all she had gone through was one of the best elements of the season.

The Best mascot of the year was

Chito from Flying Witch! I don’t really consider this kind of witch series to be a part of the magical girl genre, but it’s more fun to have more works on this list so... Anyway I don’t usually care much for mascots but Chito was cute and not annoying.

Best supporting character (i.e. not one of the magical girls) is

Kaoru-chan from Fresh! At times his existence felt a bit superfluous, but he was funny and it was nice that the girls had a supportive adult around to give advice.

Best visuals goes to

The colour palette in Cosmo’s intro! The use of colour really stood out to me. Not a lot of outstanding animation this year it seems... 

Next, Best audio!

The ending for Invaders of the Rokujouma! The song puts me in a happy place (and I also love the little logos for all the girls).

Then, Best scene is

Seconds 0:05 - 0:10 of Cure Cosmo’s attack! It just has such good lighting and music! (don’t care for the rest of the attack...)

Then, the Innovation award for a work that did something cool and new for the genre!

Honestly I don’t think I can give this to anything this year... Sakura Hime kaden had an interesting historical setting and Machikado Mazoku’s concept of having the friendly villain be the main character was amazing, but neither did anything worthwhile with these ideas so I don’t want to award them... Better luck next year!

Then a special award! While it would be all kinds of entertaining to also pick the worst hair, worst henshin etc I thought I’d focus on the positive. However we can’t get through this post without a little bit of bitching, so next is one Golden Mana Award for one thing that didn’t go quite the way I wanted in some way. And that isssss

The henshin designs in TMM Au Lait! I love the original TMM designs but these new boys apparently have no intention of even remotely following the old design ideas. Pah! 

Then the final awards. Best character of the year is

Cure Milky! Love her more serious and down-to-earth personality, she has a cute design in both civilian and henshin form, her voice is lovely and with a unique origin she brings some fresh air to Precure!

And finally, Best series of 2019 goes to

The first half that I’ve seen of Star Twinkle Precure! I haven’t seen all of it yet, but what I have has been a surprisingly positive experience, with a lot of great characters, exploring the space theme and changing the usual formula even a little. Hopefully the quality will remain strong!

Annnd with that we're all set for 2020! Plans and expectations are

Let’s see if I can make even one of these happen!

--

Art-wise I hope to be able to complete all main Cures for the Chibi series (though that also depends on if everyone’s 5-star-card dress will be revealed). But once they are finished there will be compilation posts, and I’m hoping to have some kind of bracket polling thing where we can all vote for the best 5-star-card dress. 

Then there’s the Dazzling Pink Precure, for who I’m currently trying to think of a story and will hopefully be able to put something out.

--

Alright, that was Mahou-furbies 2019. What were your highlights (or worst points) of 2019, and how does 2020 look in terms of magical girls?

[elven-ariaera]

Welcome all!

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re familiar with my work as either an artist, cosplayer, writer or any of the other creative things I do. Recently, I had been asked about some of the work that I do, and I thought a fun way to just that was to fill out a few questionnaires. Here I talk about some of the high and low points of doing what I do, what inspires me, and my process of creativity.

For those who are only interested in certain segments, I’ve broken the article into the following sections for you to easily maneuver your way throughout the piece: Art, cosplay, writing, and questions asked by you.

I know I’m no professional and compared to a lot of others I don’t have as outstanding an amount of followers, but if this article can help inspire at least one artist to try something new or learn something they didn’t know, well, that’s good enough for me! I hope you enjoy!

Art

When did you get into art?

I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember, but I do recall middle school in particular being the time that I really started pursuing art. I had to choose between volleyball and art club after school, and guess which one I picked. It wasn’t just academics either. My notebooks were full of fan art of mostly Link and Zelda, but you could find some Kirby, Pokémon, and Naruto scattered in there as well.

Show us your oldest piece of art you have on hand.

Yeah. It’s… Something.

What defines your artistic style?

I think the faces of the characters I draw distinguish my art. I always have a certain way of drawing the eyes, ears, and other features. I always give my females more prominent eyelashes than males as well. Certain clothing as well — The way I draw capes and hoods are distinct. Not to mention when designing my own clothes, I tend to use similar patterns.

Do you practice other styles/have you tried other styles in the past?

I occasionally dabble outside my comfort zone. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of the “Cal-Arts” style, but I’ve tried it every now and then, especially when creating fan art for shows like Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Amphibia. I don’t really do it too often, but I’ve made a piece for my portfolio mimicking several art styles from a variety of different shows just to demonstrate that I can do it if I’d like to.

What levels of artistic education have you had?

Honestly, just high school. I thought I was going to college for digital illustrations but it turned out communication/graphic design was totally different. I actually got into that because I could draw when not many other people in that field could. Of course, I’m always interested in learning outside of school. I learn through watching other artists on social media, seeing how they create their work. Just watching a speed draw can help so much! The way I learn the most, however, is just by doing. Practice, practice, practice! 

Show us at least one picture you drew or sketched recently that you did not put on a public site.

I’ve been doing a lot of Fire Emblem doodles for my new sticker line, so here’s Setsuna. Honestly, I just like drawing bust portraits like this.

What is your favorite piece that you have done?

I can’t just pick one! I’ve drawn over 900 things since I first joined DeviantArt (and I’ve been drawing even before then), you want me to pick just one? Haha, I’ll narrow it down to three of my favorites (in no particular order):

I love this one because it was like the first cute drawing of Ivysaur I’ve ever done. Ivysaur was always a tricky pokémon for me to draw, but this was the first time I feel like I nailed it. Ivysaur also happens to be one of my absolute favorites, so that’s a plus.

This is Minerva, a Guardian from my fantasy stories. Every time I drew her prior, I could never quite get the look I wanted. This was the one that I really liked and so I colored it and am very happy with how it turned out.

I don’t know why I just love this drawing I did of Dimitri from Three Houses. I think its the eyes and hair. And the color contrast — especially in the original ink sketch (that I hung up over my craft table.) I just love it.

What is your least favorite piece that you have done?

Again, you want just one? Haha, too many failures. I’ll be fair, though, and post three of those as well.

Here’s one from my early days. I was trying so hard to get the hair all detailed like and instead it came out looking like gross looking veins. Not to mention how atrocious the proportions were. Oh man, I’m sorry past me, I know you tried.

Here’s one I was so proud of: I copied the official art for Twilight Princess and thought it came out amazing. So amazing I titled the piece “Awesomeful Link.” Yeah. Um. Nope.

Here’s a more recent one that I’m not too pleased with. I was so excited about the latest batch of Steven Universe episodes (which I would later learn were a big bunch of filler episodes and that didn’t make anything better) I drew Pearl reciting her ‘big line’ of the trailer. I tried to mix styles and I tried something different with the eyes and all in all it just came out… Meh.

What do you like most about your art?

I like the faces that I draw. They’re always the most fun and I think they come out the best. I especially love the eyes, I go into so much detail on them (even though they’re usually so small when I print them.) I’ve had issues in the past where I made all of my characters look like they had the same face, but I feel I’ve been doing a lot better at individualizing the face of each character and that makes it all the more fun as well.

What do you like least about your art?

The hands. Sometimes I draw them well, but I still struggle hard and sometimes it really shows. For chibi drawings, I don’t really care as much, but on my more “serious” art, I get a little bummed when I’ve got a wonky hand hanging off their wrists. Feet also sometimes give me a bit of trouble, but usually only when I do poses that involve more movement, which is why I sometimes make my art stiffer and I don’t like doing that either.

Have you ever considered taking commissions?

I do take commissions. In fact, I’d love to take more if it were possible.

Are you looking to pursue a career in art?

I do it part-time right now. I’m satisfied doing commissions and artist tables at local conventions. I think I’d like to pursue writing more than art, but I do love art just as well, so part-time is perfect for me.

What do you like drawing the most?

As I mentioned before, faces. I love drawing facial expressions, I feel like it’s the very core of a character. It’s the first thing I notice when I look at anyone’s art, so I always go all out on my own. I also like drawing hair and wrinkles in clothing. I used to be really obsessed with wrinkles and it would always look like my characters didn’t iron their laundry, but I’ve definitely toned it down since then, haha.

All in all, I like drawing human characters the best — or humanoid. Elves, fairies, merfolk; I love them the most. I like drawing animals too, but not as much as people. 

What do you like drawing the least?

Once again my answer is hands. They are still as difficult to draw as the day I started.

Backgrounds are also not enjoyable for me to draw. It’s an important part of a piece, but I get so bored drawing anything that’s not a character — which is why you’ll probably notice in a lot of my art that I do a lot of very minimal backgrounds. I’ve been trying very hard not to just take stock photos anymore (with the exception of my Mythical Month art as they’re meant to be stickers,) and I’ve been using games like Skyrim and Breath of the Wild as inspiration with their gorgeous scenery. 

Do you draw more fanart or original art? If fanart, what fandom do you draw the most of?

I post a lot more fan art than original — at least I used to, but I also think I have expanded in sharing my original art more and more with my Mythical Months/Mondays. I guess maybe I’d say about half and half.

What medium/program do you use the most in your art?

Digitally I always use Photoshop. Always. As for traditional art, I’ve been using Copic knock-offs (I’m still learning, so I’d rather not waste the money) and the Sakura Micron pens for my ink sketches. I’ve really been enjoying them, actually, it’s very therapeutic. However, no matter digitally or traditionally, I always, ALWAYS start with a pencil. I like mechanical pencils, I don’t like traditional #2 pencils anymore. The thin lead helps me keep control better.

How would you rank your art? (poor, mediocre, good, etc.)

I always say I think my art is “above average.” I know it’s not bad, but I think it could always use improvement. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a place where I think my art is phenomenal, but I’m content with it, it makes me happy, and that’s all that matters.

List at least one of your “artspirations.”

My art style was greatly inspired by Naruto, Fire Emblem, and Zelda. I always liked more proper body proportions with that hint of anime inspiration. I like bigger eyes on my characters because they help convey emotion so much better, but I also don’t like the oversized baby eyes outside of the occasional chibi style. Avatar: The Last Airbender was also a great influence since the creators did exactly what I like to do and execute it wonderfully.

What do you think you could stand to improve on?

I feel like I can always improve on everything that I do in my art. There are things I’m good at, but I don’t feel like I’ve mastered anything in particular. Then there’s hands and feet again which I definitely need to work on. Lastly, motion. I want to be able to draw more fluid character motions. I’ve been working on it with my original art that I don’t post online, but hopefully I’ll start incorporating it into all my work.

Do you have a shameful art past? (recolor sprite comics, tracing art, etc.?)

Ugh, yes, YES! I admit I was so bad at first, but I also think that’s just how we learn. I used to do a lot of tracing. I started first just full-on tracing images off my computer — That’s right, I’d put the paper up to the computer and trace it like that. Then I started using bases, which was better because at least I had to draw all the details like hair and clothing by myself. Then I finally worked up the courage to stop using them completely. I’d use references, but I would force myself to figure it out by eye rather than copy it straight from the source. I’m happy to say I haven’t been tracing since my late middle school- early high school years.

Cosplay

How many years have you cosplayed?

My first cosplay was when I was fourteen, and I’m twenty-five at the time of writing this article, so eleven years now. Wow.

How did you get into cosplaying?

I honestly don’t know. I was invited to a convention where I heard people dressed up and was like “hey, I want to try that!” I guess it was because I didn’t really do Halloween as a kid and I was so deathly terrified of costumed characters as a toddler that I never took an interest until high school.

How many cosplays have you done?

That’s funny, you want me to remember how many cosplays I’ve ever done. A lot. According to my photo collection, I’ve done about 60 different cosplays (59 exactly if I’m counting correctly.)

What was your first cosplay and why did you choose it?

My first cosplay was Osaka from Azumanga Daioh in her blue summer uniform. Azumanga Daioh was my second ever manga series and my cousin and I were so obsessed with it. She even went as Yukari with me to the convention (though only, like, two people knew who we were.) Tomo is probably my favorite character, but I related personally more to Osaka, being the air-head that I am. I also didn’t have to really style my hair (because that was an era before I used wigs.)

What is your favorite cosplay you’ve done so far?

It’s a tie between my Trainee Link (Hyrule Warriors) costume and my Royal Guard Link (Zelda: Breath of the Wild) costume. Both are alternative costumes for one of my all-time favorite characters that I hand made all the really detailed pieces all from scratch. Link has always been a special character for me to cosplay, but these two are my favorites.

What is your least favorite you’ve cosplayed?

Rapunzel (Tangled). I was obsessed with her at the time which is why I wanted to cosplay her originally, but my dress was not the best and I didn’t look good as her. At least I think so. It was the only costume that made me feel insecure.

What cosplay is the most uncomfortable or troublesome?

Okay, I love this costume and character to pieces, but my gosh the struggles I go through for Pearl (Steven Universe). Blue Diamond (Steven Universe) is the worst in terms of how long it takes me to put my makeup on, but Pearl is right behind her at about 2 hours being my best time. However, the thing that makes Pearl more troublesome to wear is one thing and one thing alone: armsocks.

They look great and prevent you from having to dab makeup all over your body, but I literally couldn’t even hit the home button on my cellphone and it’s not like I could just take them off like gloves. They’re attached at your middle and putting them on is a hassle on its own. Getting your fingers into each tiny socket is so time-consuming. Now imagine this while also being coated in body paint. Plus, having white be the color of the stockings, you have to be conscious of everything you touch because it will stain and show. Because of all this, I refuse to use the restroom dressed as Pearl, and while that is “in character,” it is not healthy and totally NOT recommended you do that.

What is your most comfortable cosplay?

During the winter, Ravio (Zelda: A Link Between Worlds) for sure. It’s like wearing a giant snuggie. However, in summer, it does get hot very quickly (which is why I literally only wear biker shorts and a tank underneath if I ever do take it out on a hot day), so I only wear it in summer if I know there will be AC. Heatstroke is a real thing. Miss Frizzle (Magic School Bus) is probably the best all-year cosplay in terms of comfort. It’s just a dress, stockings, and a wig really.

But in all honesty, most of my cosplays are relatively comfortable. There’s really nothing that I’ve been so uncomfortable that it’s made my physically ill or scarred me physically. My health is important to me, and should safety should always come first.

How do you research the cosplay before you make it?

I look up lots of reference images. I need an image of the front and back, though if it’s not available, I just improvise based on the images I do have on hand. After that, I kind of just wing it.

Do you sew your cosplays yourself?

A good majority of them, yes. There are a few exceptions to this, though: My Disney princesses are all bought since I use them in performances and want them to be durable if children come and tug on the outfit. Pearl, also being a performance cosplay, I did buy as well. For her second reformation outfit (the sleeveless with the ribbon) I got specially commissioned to look and fit me just right whereas her movie/future appearance (jacket and mom-jeans) I literally found at a thrift store. I also love to find costume pieces at thrift stores. Whether I use them as is or make alterations, they make life so much easier when you make a good find for a cheap price. Leni Loud (Loud House) is probably my favorite thrift/sew hybrid. I found a base dress, altered the top and added strap sleeves, put lace around the edges, found a blingy pair of sunglasses, bought earrings and painted them, and made bows for sandals I already had. The most expensive part of that cosplay was the wig I bought from Arda (and it’s always worth it to buy from them in my opinion.)

When I make a costume completely from scratch (like Ravio, Thranduil, any of my Link cosplays) are when I really love the costume and character and want to take on a challenge and bring it to life myself. They also tend to have pieces that can’t be altered from your everyday clothing, but that just makes me work harder and learn more!

How did you learn to sew?

My grandmother taught me how. Osaka was my first cosplay, but my mom altered it from a tee shirt we found at a thrift store and a lucky skirt find. Kabuto Yakushi (Naruto) was the first cosplay I made from scratch (and I won best novice at the convention I wore it to — even with my terrible wig, haha.) She showed me how to use patterns when we made that and my Ayame Sohma cosplay, but after that, I scrapped using patterns and I basically just eyeball everything now. It’s totally not recommended, but I’m a little weirdo and just prefer to do things the way I do. Still, I wouldn’t be able to use a sewing machine if it weren’t for her. Thanks, Nanny!

Do you make your own props?

Most of them. I don’t really use props too often as I find them cumbersome to lug around a convention (which is how I thought of the Fire Emblem, Gravity Falls, and Skyrim book boxes to store your stuff and add some extra flair to a costume.) The few props I have made include Link’s sword, his trainee shield, his original shield from Zelda 1, and Soren’s Wind Tome (which I used for Laurent (Fire Emblem: Awakening) because I didn’t finish Soren (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) yet…) Then there’s my prized cosplay prop; Victreebel for James (Pokémon). That was all thanks to my fleece hat business in high school that taught me the skills to build that thing.

I actually think the only prop I store-bought was my Hylian Shield because it was so lightweight and easy to carry, plus I was dreading doing all those details at the time. Maybe one day I’ll make it from scratch, but for now, I’m content with my store-bought.

Do you style your own wigs?

Yes. I have been improving my styling skills a lot more since I first started. It was always a more difficult task for me, but I’ve been practicing more and more. The first one that I attempted on my own was my short-haired Rapunzel. That was basically just giving it a haircut, though. My first real styling challenge was Breath of the Wild Link. It took a long time, but I actually had fun figuring out his hair.

For most of my costumes, it’s really just the bangs that need that extra pop, to which I use Got2B gel and spray. Does the trick every time and keeps everything in place. For those who are wondering, though: No, I did not style Pearl’s wig. I am not ready for that kind of gravity-defying styling. That was all E-Bay.

What skill has been most useful for making your cosplay?

Well, sewing mostly, but other skills that have come in handy for me personally have been painting, crafting, makeup, styling, and overall decorating. Probably other stuff too, just nothing more I can think of off the top of my head.

What is the hardest thing when making a cosplay?

Probably figuring out how things connect. This is the main reason I’m timid when it comes to armor. I’ve been getting better, but I’m still having trouble figuring out how everything attaches and how to put on these kinds of costumes, which is why my Skyrim Elven Armor has been put on hold.

What was the biggest screw up you’ve had making a cosplay?

I’m not sure if I had any major crisis’ when it comes to making cosplays, but I’ve certainly had my fair share of irritating mishaps and mistakes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally sewn the sleeves on a costume inside out about 4 times before I finally got it right.

I’ve cut holes in my clothing, I’ve sewn sleeves on too tight, and I’ve even completed a hat that took hours just for it to wind up being too small when I put a wig on. I guess most of the major issues I’ve had with sewing are measurement issues, so my advice to you is to always measure and try on your costume as you go. Don’t wait until the day of the con to try out your new cosplay.

How often do you injure yourself while making a cosplay?

Not too often, I occasionally prick my finger with my sewing needles, but I haven’t had too many serious injuries. I think the worst was when I slashed my thumb with the exacto-knife when making my first shield for Link. Needless to say, there was a lot of blood.

Do you try to stay cheap or do you splurge on materials?

I am a frugal soul; if I can save, I will. That’s why I thrift so much. However, on a costume I’m really passionate about, I will spend more to ensure the quality. For example, I spent a little more going to a more shimmery material for Royal Guard Link. It cost about $50 for the blue and red material, which to me, is a lot (and that was with coupons). However, the results were 100% worth it. PS, Michaels and Joann’s ALWAYS have coupons. I totally recommend downloading both apps.

I also stand by that with wigs and contacts. I love Arda, their quality is great, but they are more expensive than Amazon. Contacts I don’t mind spending more for as well since the quality is VERY important in this case; they are going on your eyes, after all.

However, as I said, I am absolutely not opposed to going cheap. If you can make it work, make it work. My Nyo!Austria (Hetalia) cosplay came out very cute and it was literally made from bedsheets. From using mostly thrifted and recycled materials, a lot of my cosplays came to around an overall price of around $30. Some of these costumes include Mega Gardevoir (Pokemon), Tomoyo Sakagami (Clannad), Spyro (Spyro the Dragon), and Luan Loud (Loud House.)

Cosplay can be totally affordable, you just have to be creative and think a little outside the box sometimes to make it work.

Have you ever cosplayed with a partner or group?

Yes, a few times. I’d love to do more group cosplays, but we all have to think of something we all like. Luckily, two of my very good friends decided they would dress up as Steven Universe and Amethyst to go with my Pearl this year for Comic-Con and it was such a great experience! I’m trying to convince them to do others as well, such as The Loud House and The Magic School Bus with me as well, haha.

Do you try to act in character?

Always: but I don’t always succeed. It really depends on the character. Pearl I could roleplay for days. It’s probably because I connect so much with her and performing as her doesn’t hurt either. Dee Dee Magno Hall says her favorite lines to say are peoples names, and after giving it a shot myself, I totally see why. I even practiced Garnets “Stronger than you” monologue in Pearl’s voice and tone (in case no one volunteered to sing during our karaoke event) and it always makes my friends laugh.

The characters that stump me a little more are the more serious characters I choose to portray; Link, Laurent, Thranduil (the Hobbit), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), just to name a few. I’m kind of a goofball/airhead so those characters clash with my personality a little bit, but I am getting better. Blue Diamond is surprisingly the easiest of these types to stay in character for.

That being said, I love being the outgoing, oddball characters. Like I said, Pearl is second nature to me, as well as Anna from Frozen. Back in my Hetalia days, Austria and America were my go-to guys. I could act as them forever, and my friends and I literally lived as them for a while with how much we role-played. Most of the Disney Princesses it’s pretty easy for me to stay in character, especially (like I said before) Anna, Sofia the First, and Merida.

How do you react to cosplayers dressed as a character from the same anime/game/etc?

If there are some good character opportunities, I will role-play on the spot, but more often than not I will ask if we could all get a picture together. There were so many fun interactions with other Steven Universe cosplayers when my friends and I did our little group, but one of my favorite interactions was probably when I was dressed as Laurent and I stumbled across a Miriel cosplayer and I just shouted out “MOM! I FINALLY FOUND YOU!”

Do you try to duplicate your character’s expressions, walk, movements, etc?

I can talk the talk (mostly), but I have more trouble walking the walk. I’ve been trying to replicate movements better, but facial expressions I have trouble with (ironic as it’s my favorite part of drawing.) I’m not as photogenic as I’d like to be, as you could probably tell by most of my pictures being the same face, but I definitely am striving to improve on that.

What was your funniest experience of acting in character?

Okay, there’s a lot that I could share, and eventually, I want to do an article solely on cosplay “in-character” experiences, but the one I HAVE to share right now is a recent experience when I was dressed as Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

I was performing at the family day event my church helps out at my pastor’s air force base as Ariel, and after my sing-a-long, my makeup was a little smudged. I asked a volunteer where the restroom was so I could touch up before I headed back out to the crowds. I thought he’d take me to a private restroom, but he brought me to the public one where there were families waiting outside. They noticed and the dad joked “See? Even princesses have to go.” to which I laughed and gave my best Ariel shrug to play along. I went inside, fixed my makeup, and went back outside.

It wasn’t long, so the family was still outside the men’s room. As I walked by, the man’s son shouted out “Ariel, congratulations on going pee-pee!” to which I bursted out laughing. Everyone was. I mean, if you gotta congratulate a princess on using the bathroom, you picked the right one! After that, I did explain that I was just putting on makeup but I appreciated his enthusiasm and thanked him for it.

Do you compete in cosplay contests?

All the time. I love them. Whether I win or lose, I always get something out of it. I learn tips from other cosplayers, get to meet so many interesting people, and those times I do win I get prizes which is always nice as well. Most importantly, though, the memories that are made there are the very best part.

Have you won anything?

I have won quite a few. I have three trophies, a medal, a few certificates, and have won a cash prize as well. My first win was my second convention as Kabuto where I won the best novice trophy. My most recent win was for Ravio in August of 2019 with best in show. It’s amazing, I never thought I would get this far, but I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been a part of.

Again, it’s totally not about winning, but I’ll admit that it does feel really nice to have my hard work appreciated. Just as drawing, I still feel like I have a lot of room for improvement in my cosplay, so winning a few contests here and there definitely helps my low self-esteem.

Do you prefer skits or walk-ons?

I’ve only ever done walk-ons. I’ve never had anyone to do a skit with and I don’t think I could pull one off on my own. I’d love to do one eventually, but for now, our panels are good enough.

How many friends have you made because of cosplay?

Quite a lot. My Instagram is full of cosplayers I’ve met at conventions and I love seeing their cosplays and drawings, it’s all so inspiring!

Do you attend photoshoots and meet-ups outside of conventions?

Occasionally. I’ve never done a professional photoshoot (though one day I’d like to,) but I have attended a few meetups. I’ve done one for Steven Universe, Once Upon a Time, Disney, and I actually accidentally walked into a Fire Emblem: Awakening one dressed as Laurent, so that worked out.

What is the funniest reaction you’ve gotten cosplaying from people outside of the community?

The best one was when I was dressed as Link and my friend and I were on the subway. There was a mom and her kid sitting across from us and she pointed to me and said to her child, “Look, an elf! You see? Santa’s got his helpers out all year round, so you have to be good!”

I also had another wonderful experience outside of a con dressed as Link, though it’s not as funny but more just a sweet memory. It’s quite a bit, but luckily I’ve already written about it for Zelda Universe so I’ll just link it here for anyone who’s interested. 

Name a few cosplays you’re planning to do next:

I’ve got to get Soren (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) done soon. I’ve been wanting to do this cosplay forever and I did start it, but I need to finally finish it. Dimitri (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) is also on my list to do next. Not sure about who else I want to do for sure, but some ideas that have floated around in my head have been Tilly Green (Big City Greens), Anna with her Frozen 2 look, Princess Peach (Super Mario), and a Thalmor Mage (Skyrim.)

What is your dream cosplay?

Princess Zelda from Twilight Princess. I’m still too scared to try to cosplay her. I bought a cheap starter costume that I was going to build off of and it wasn’t turning out the way I wanted, so I put it off again. One day I’ll feel confident enough to make her costume, but until then I’m totally satisfied with my Link cosplays.

What do you take into consideration when picking a character to cosplay?

Honestly, I just have to love them as a character and the costume itself has to seem do-able. I mean, I’m totally not opposed to buying cosplays if I really want to be a particular character, but like I said, making it means all the more to me. It’s my display of affection towards that character, the creators behind them, and the series as a whole.

Is cosplay serious business for you?

Yes and no. No because I don’t do it for money, likes, or internet fame. I do it because it’s fun and what I like to do. Yes because I go all out when I cosplay. I do everything I can to get the look the way I want it and I put my blood, sweat, and tears into it when I make them by hand. 

What is your favorite thing about cosplay?

Everything: Dressing up as a character I love, roleplaying them, taking photos, just everything! I would do it more often if I could!

How do you want to grow as a cosplayer?

I want to learn how to make more. I want to build armor, I want to learn new makeup and hairstyling techniques, and so much more. I’m happy where I am, but I know I can be better. I will watch others and learn from them and push myself to try new things!

Are you willing to answer questions and help other cosplayers?

Absolutely! I may not be a top dog of cosplaying, but if I can help someone with something I’ve learned along the way, I’m more than happy to help!

Writing

When did you start writing?

I started in middle school as well, I used to write a Nintendo fan fiction called “The Kirby Show,” where Kirby and his friends would get into wacky sitcom scenarios. They were really just knock-offs of the television shows I used to watch back in the day, but hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere.

As for my original writing, I started that more in high school. I still wrote a lot of fan fiction at that point, but I was starting to develop my own characters as well. I thought it about time to think of my own creations, and I did. I remember I was in my Godmother’s car when I thought of the main three characters and since then the cast has expanded so much, their stories are much better developed, and the lore is much more solid.

When you were a beginning writer, what did you write primarily? What do you write now, primarily?  (i.e. romance, fan-fiction, poetry)

As mentioned before, I started out writing stories about characters that were not my own. Now I do all original writing — well, aside from my work at Zelda Universe. There I get to write about all the unique aspects of one of my favorite game series of all time, so there’s that as well. Writing there has helped me start writing little fandom topical posts for my own blog, such as top 10’s, reviews, and other things along those lines. 

How often do you write?

I make it a habit to try and write at least a half-hour a day. If I’m really on a roll, I could write up to a few hours a day before I get burnt out. Even though I’m not always writing, I’m always developing the stories in my head. 

When is your favorite time of the day to write?

I always write a half hour before I go to bed. The later it is, the more ideas keep rolling in. With my early hours for work now it’s harder to stay up late, but that doesn’t stop the ideas. I just gotta push myself a little harder to start earlier to have more time before I need to go to bed. 

Do you have a writing muse? If so, who/what?

Not in particular. I always just write about what I like and incorporate different aspects of my life into it. I guess I’m my own muse in that sense? I don’t know. I just write what I do know. 

What is your most popular lit piece?

Out of all my public pieces, I’d say either my “Animal Crossing Diaries” series or my “Endless Ocean” screenplay. “Vagabond” gets some decent attention as well, which is nice, but honestly, I’d be happy if there was just one person enjoying my work, so I really can’t complain. 

What is the piece you are currently writing?

Out of my public blog works, “Vagabond,” from my Zelda Universe collection I’m working on a character piece on Colin from Twilight Princess. 

What is the piece you most recently finished?

On my blog that would be my “Top 10 Favorite Fire Emblem Characters” list. For Zelda Universe, it’s actually a piece about Fire Emblem as well — It was DS week, I could write about whatever DS game I wanted to, of course I have to sneak in some Fire Emblem.

What piece are you most proud of?

While “Vagabond” definitely needs some more work, out of all the pieces I’ve posted publicly, that one is the one I am the proudest of. If anything just for Kurt and Maerwynn. They are two of my favorite characters to play around with and I’m so happy that somehow I was allowed to think these two up.

In my more private works, my fantasy story is my pride and joy. I feel so blessed to have been able to come up with these characters, and I do hope that someday I will be able to share them, whether on a television screen as I’ve always dreamed of in a novel of some sort. One day, maybe. 

What piece are you most disappointed in?

It’s not so much disappointment, but rather I’ve grown so much in my work, it’s very hard for me to look back at my first romance story. It’s a little cheesy and the dialogue is a bit clunky, some of the actions that my characters had performed totally go against what their characters have become now after spending a lot more time with them. It’s something I would love to revisit and maybe even go public with, but it’s going to take a lot of work. 

From all of your stories, who is/are your favorite character(s) and why? (try to limit it to 3)

Since I only published “Vagabond” online, I’ll stick to characters from this story in particular.

Maerwynn is definitely a favorite because she’s got a lot of qualities that I wish I was bold enough to enact myself. She speaks her mind without a care of what anyone else will think, even if it’s blatantly rude. She goes for her goals, even if they may seem ridiculous, and she pursues them with great passion and ferocity. Even with this rough and tough exterior, she’s still got a softer side that she’s just discovering in her new life at the palace. Now, I wouldn’t ever recommend being like Maerwynn ALL the time, but there’s definitely is a time and place where we could all be a little bit more like her, I think. Her confidence is the thing I admire most about her.

Kurt I connect with as well. Again, he says all the things that we all wish we could get away with at one point or another, but he knows he can because he’s royalty. However, he’s got so much going on underneath the surface as well with the complications of his past. He’s learning to open up, connect with others, and understand his feelings. Despite feeling restricted by the laws of his kingdom and the traditions of the royal family, he finds his own way to feel free and be himself. 

What is the best compliment you ever got on your writing?

My best friend who I’ve been sharing these stories with for as long as we’ve known each other told me the nicest thing not to long ago. I always laugh at myself for going so crazy in-depth with the lore and characters of my fantasy world, but she told me how she’s admired that and the love and care I put into each little thing was what made it so great. It really meant the world to me to hear that and I can’t thank her enough for all the love and support throughout the years! 

What is your main goal in writing?

I don’t know if there’s one main goal in particular, but I suppose if I had to pick just one, it would be to show good through the works of my characters and hope and pray that it inspires others to be like them. Kindness is growing scarce in the world, and if I can just inspire a little bit of it in someone, I suppose that’s all I can ask for. 

Have you ever been published?

No, but I am aiming for it. Once I complete Vagabond, give it another revise myself, and hopefully find an editor to give it another look over, I’d love to find someone to publish my book or even self publish on a platform like Amazon. Just something to get my work out there.

Questions asked by you

Who is an artist that you look up to? There are a few artists online that I follow who I just adore their work. Three that come to mind in particular are Bianca Roman-Stumpff, Bellhenge, and TheStarfishFace. Their art is so different from mine, but I think that’s probably why I love it so much (if that makes sense?)  They each have such a unique style and great subject material, I highly recommend giving them a look!

What did you think of “Frozen 2”?

I loved it. No secret that I’m a huge Frozen fan, so I was bound to like it. I was actually really nervous about how it was going to end, but I can say (without spoilers) that I am 100% satisfied with how it concluded. Also, Kristoff finally gets the spotlight that he deserves, thank you, Disney.

However, as much as I did love it, I do totally admit I do see flaws in it that could have been improved on. That being said, there was that in the first movie too and I stilled loved it. The characters have enough charm to keep the film entertaining throughout and I just adore them!

What does your family think of your art?

My parents have always encouraged me about my art and I know my grandmother loves it; I gave her a sweater with the art she liked of mine last Christmas and my mom says she wears it all the time. The rest of my family knows and supports my art as well, I  never really had any issue with my small art business and the family.

Any memorable cosplay experiences at a con?

So many. I’ve shared a few before, but I think I’d like to make a whole article on the great cosplay experiences I’ve had! There are so many to talk about and stories to share.

Is there a type of art that you would like to get into? I’ve seen a lot of people doing wood carving and burning, but that looks insanely difficult.

I’ve actually been considering wood burning, haha! It does look difficult, that’s why I’ve been hesitant, but maybe in the future I’d give it a shot. I think they’d make my Skyrim wood pieces look legit.

I’m really up for trying anything. If money wasn’t a thing, I’d have tried a lot more by now. In the future, I’d love to try needlepoint as well! 

Recently, I had been asked about some of the work that I do, and I thought a fun way to just that was to fill out a few questionnaires. Here I talk about some of the high and low points of doing what I do, what inspires me, and my process of creativity. Welcome all! If you're reading this, I'm assuming you're familiar with my work as either an artist, cosplayer, writer or any of the other creative things I do.

[starwood-stranded-archived]

Lair Review for Raire #24178

(My lair review thread is here. If images don't display, please view this post on a blog rather than on the dashboard.)

Starting off right at the beginning, this is a very nice accent, and I particularly like that you've matched it with the Thresher's Flatfins. I think the pattern on the fins pairs really well with the interplay of sunlight and water shown on the accent. Also, I like the way that the highnoon hat cuts off the upper portion of the flatfins -- nice layering!

Ooh, gold ... pretty! I like how the transparent colors of the accent's wings highlight the colors already present in the shimmer secondary. Very nice choice of a dragon to go with that accent!

OK, three for three here at the start of your lair. I happen to like Spruce quite a lot, but what I really admire here is how well her colors match the celebration sage stuff -- it's as if that set were made for her! You've got the same shades of orange, red, and green in the apparel that you do in the dragon. Also, the slight orange tint to her pearl? Choice.

That's such a pretty, subtle accent and you've found a great dragon for it. There's almost a parchment or tattoo effect that comes from that accent over her secondary. I enjoy how her tertiary matches her secondary and how the accent purple in her primary matches the subtle purples in the accent.

The subtle circuit on his wings is really cool; combined with the accent, he gives me Subnautica or Abzu vibes: ancient ruins deep in the ocean. Also love the color match between his apparel, especially the collar, and his iridescent. And I like how the glowing clawtips mimic the little glowy spots in the accent.

This is a gorgeous skin to start with but I think the Marigold Flower Crown really adds to it. Nice choice!

Beach dragon beach dragon! The Seashell Mantle can be pretty hard to work with -- I've only managed to work it into an outfit once. But this is a great use of it; I love that you found an accent that matches it so well. Nice job on familiar matching, too. Okeanos' genes are really nicely coordinated as well: normally I'm not a big fan of Freckle, but of course it works very well for a beach-themed dragon.

Ooh, more fantastic accent use. I love the way this accent matches his primary and secondary but I especially love the little hints of Sand Hex peeking out at the top of his wings -- it gives this sweet almost aquarium-like look, making me envision the shore near which all these sharks are swimming.

I love the neat, subtle accents on Galaxy and Borealis, too.

Wow, her crackle does an amazing job matching that accent and giving an impression of ice. It looks especially good against her darker primary.

Oooh, bioluminescence! I love your choice of skin here and even though you've only used one apparel item, it's chosen perfectly. Plus, her tert matches the accent color of her primary and secondary, which is always a big plus for me.

I really like this skin, first off, and I also like how the coppery buckles and such on his clothing match his orange eyes.

A gorgeous skin that you've combined with great apparel! Purple and gold is a great, regal color combination, and I especially like how her eyes match her body colors. And, even though bios aren't the focus of this review, I enjoyed her bio as well. She and my Talise would get along well, I suspect.

I like the accent you've chosen for Hubble but what I really like is his lore. It's cool that he's tied into Nebula not only in her role as a seer but as a star-themed dragon, and the notion of Nebula looking at him and instantly knowing he needs a home is very sweet. I just like him TBH; he seems like he would be a nice dragon to know.

Wow, that skin is gorgeous, and it works so well with his primary! Nice choice.

I've never seen Orca Iridescent before and good lord, it's gorgeous. Also, nice lore! I really like the idea of him working very hard for justice and truth in ways that are typically underappreciated. (And having a legal department or law firm among your dragons is a very cool and original idea.)

Ohhhh. What an accent! What a dragon to use for that accent! She's gorgeous! I also love the art in her bio, especially the pixels and chibis.

Another great accent, and I like how you've matched it to the green silks, the Voltaic Stormclaws, and to her existing Circuit. A very nice choice! I also enjoyed how you've described her in her bio. I definitely got a picture of her personality!

I like the way the curve of the accent at the edge of her wing mimics the curve of the seraph gene on at the middle of her wing. And Stonewash Seraph matches her Ice primary and tert beautifully.

I love the muted colors produced by her Stained -- it's a fantastic gene that creates beautiful color combinations. Also, the way you've layered the sylvan stuff to create similar muted colors is absolutely gorgeous.

Ooh, I really like the way his colors go together. I love the green tint to the White Shimmer and also the way it turns brownish at the edge of the wings, matching the Beige and Stone.

Moooore scales! Such a cool accent. And I enjoy the match between the accent color in the Tarnish Poison and the Abyss.

What a cool accent! And a nice choice of dragon to go with it; I especially like the okapi on his tail, which matches the heavy black lines in the accent, and the splash of color across his eyes.

I really like Fragari's lore -- the idea that he was happy with himself but had to come to terms with his perception of others' expectations. That's an important thing for anyone to be able to do, and I liked reading about how he'd realized that he and his desires were enough.

As with Sargasso: rad accent and very nice color matching.

Oh, he looks so good in the Tree Warden's Garb! And I like the effect of the accent on his tail. (Also I just noticed that his tongue matches his tert, which is neat.)

Satellite's colors are just neat. I love the backlit look of his wings.

That combination of Shimmer and Ghost looks very nice. It's also cool to see so much of the Lightning festival apparel together.

What a cool accent, and what a good dragon to put it on. Her primary and tertiary match the corals very nicely, while her dark secondary provides a good backdrop for the accent's focus. Also, that scarf goes excellently with her colors, especially her little pink toenails.

Copper is a really cool color, and the match between it, Robin, and the accent and apparel you've used is great to see. The way the accent layers over the opal on his leg is especially nice. And good job on the matching familiar, too.

Ooooh. Good skin. Nice choice of name for a Fire ambassador, too.

Wow, Tarnish Tapir and Camo Shimmer look really good together. And the layering of the cloaks creates a beautiful color that matches the bluish green on her face and legs excellently.

Oh ... pretty! I can definitely see the name "Universe" for him. That accent goes so nicely with his colors, as does the kelpie mane.

Wow, she works really well with all the Lightning stuff -- very nice colors. Nice matching familiar, too.

Now she looks like she's up to some cool stuff -- I'm getting monster hunter / supernatural detective vibes. I like her name, and another good accent.

Oh, I love that Aqua Thylacine -- it goes beautifully with the Ivory Shimmer! Look at her little green tongue. It's great.

Such good, soft colors -- I love the Platinum Facet and Lavendar Okapi together. And, once again, nice accent.

I like how the sakura flowers match her secondary, and the silks do a nice job of bringing out the little hint of green from her tert.

His outfit looks so simple and clean -- it's nice! I like how the waistcoat and vest layer together.

Ooh, that accent -- you've found the perfect dragon to use it on. Nice job accessorizing it, too.

I love how that accent looks against the blue of his wings. A very sunshiney, stained-glass vibe ... It reminds me of the art in Tangled, actually.

Beeeees! A very fun accent and a nice choice of dragon to go with it. I especially like how the Sunshine Facet matches the drips of honey on his body.

Ooh, her colors are so nice! I thought she had stained for a second because that's usually the case when I see nice muted colors like that, but nope. Love the Silver Shimmer and Slate Iridescent together.

All the eerie cyan stuff is so pretty on her. At first I thought she was wearing another great accent, actually, with the pendants and stuff. Once again, a great layering job with the two grasps -- I love how you've created a shade of blue-green that matches her very well. Also, some really intriguing lore there. Thank you for showing me your lair; I quite enjoyed it!

[awesomerax]

Day 10: The Year of Not Enough Time

Hey! It’s almost Christmas! Two days left, and I can’t wait to spend ‘em with you! Alright, enough of that sappy s***. Let’s get into this b****! So, as I’ve said before, 2017 has been one of my laziest years when it came to anime. Aside from countless group watches with my friends, i’ve only finished about one or two shows per season, three if lucky. However, I don’t necessarily need to finish a series to have a starting opinion or impression of it. So, let’s see what I can come up with for this year in anime!

WINTER Ah, this season. I remember starting so many shows at the start, like at least 10-15, and only finishing like one or two of them. Konosuba’s second season brought the charming cast of idiots back for some more funny and, in some places, poorly animated antics that kept the charm of the first season as well as the witty sarcasm that we all fell in love with, Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid had the world refusing lewds despite the somewhat risqué situations portrayed in the show, Demi-chan finally gave us a monster girl anime we can show to our parents… compared to others, Masamune-kun… f*** that show, Fuuka was a nice show with a main girl I really liked seeing. AKIBA’STRIP addressed the war on clothes, Blue Exorcist came back with an adaptation of the arc fam weren’t sure they were ever going to see animated, Saga of Tanya the Evil exposed us to our hidden love for psychotic grins, Seiren… I don’t remember much of that one, Kemono Friends, as I said before, was a surprise hit filled with charm and dubstep, and One Room showed us that POV anime can be funny as f*** to riff on.

SPRING Ooookay, on to Spring! This season brought the return of a well anticipated sequel to a shounen series that is a personal favorite of mine, My Hero Academia! Screw you, Attack on Titan! HeroAca brought back the action and emotion that left long-time readers and other viewers hyped as fack throughout each episode, Boruto proved that this was truly his show and not his dad’s, whatever his name was, Eromanga-sensei told the world that “ochinchin” should not be said by little girls, also, STOP F***ING YO FAMILY! GOD! Tsukigakirei gave us a cute romance filled with LINE messaging and tracksuits, Love Tyrant gave us the answer to the question, “What if Death Note was a harem anime?” but in the best way possible, Clockwork Planet… we don’t talk about that one, Sakura Quest brought the charm of the rural life with the art of Shirobako, Alice and Zouroku took responsibility for having the best Ojii-san of 2017, Tsugumomo was aight, Hinako Note brought moe and theatre together, Souryou to Majiwhatever had viewers selling their souls to find the uncut version of the uncensored version, and IDOLM@STER Gekijou gave me an ED to dance to. (The first one)

SUMMER Wow, still two seasons left? Maaaan! Okay, let’s go! Now, I had missed out on some great shows from this season and the one after, because of reasons that I will talk about tomorrow, so no Made in Abyss, sadly. Kakegurui had viewers find gambling arousing, Tsuredure Children brought the lovey dovey feel to its peak with an anthology of love stories somehow interweaving in some nice ways, Hajimete no Gal was an adaptation that took the charm out of the “plot” and focussed more on the money makers. I’d recommend just reading the manga. It’s not as bad. Dub’s good I hear, though! Fate/Apocrypha showed a different version of the Holy Grail War with twice the servants than usual, (by the way, Fran is best girl) Aho Girl was stupidly charming (I feel like I use that word a lot) and introduced one of my favorite anime dogs of the year. New Game returned, bringing some more fun times in the office as well as some new characters that I personally really like. Isekai Restaurant was food porn that was out of this world, and Fastest Finger First gave me some nostalgia because of the time I spent in knowledge bowl back in high school.

FALL Uuuuuhuhuuuugh! So tiiiiiired! But, this is the last of ‘em! So, I gotta finish strong! This season was one that I personally enjoyed. It had a variety of shows that felt in my ballpark, if that makes any sense. For one thing, the anticipated premiere of Ancient Magus Bride came and was as amazing as I’d thought it’d be, MMO Junkie took the isekai element out of the picture, thank god, Kekkai Sensen returned with an amazing first episode, (sadly, I’m waiting for the dub to finish airing so I can binge the heck out of it) Blend S brought moe to the work environment as well as other troupes that, in the context of the kind of show it is, work greatly to add some of that magic CHARM that made me fall in love with shows like Working and New Game. A Sister is All You Need proved that a show with said title could work without having what it initially said it needed… as far as you know, Girls’ Last Tour brought the chibi style of Made in Abyss to a war-torn world with seemingly very little humans left alive, Kino’s Journey was exactly what the title said it was, Shobitch seemed good from the one episode I saw, Animegataris broke anime, and Love Live Sunshine brought our babies back shinier and readier than ever to fight!

And those are all the shows I (noot noot) …and those are all the (noot noooot) …and (NOOT) SHUT THE F*** UP!!! (…) Thank you. So, that’s all the anime from this year that I at least started. There were some shows I had to leave out, because I never got around to them, (Re:Creators, Made in Abyss, Koi to Uso) and others I just decided not to watch, (Attack on Titan season 2, Black Clover, etc.) but wow! Can’t believe you’re still reading. Thank you, and I apologize. If you wanna catch a lot of the shows I talked about, Crunchyroll, Funimation, and/or VRV are the places to go!

There are other sites to visit, but let’s talk about them some other time. How ‘bout tomorrow?! Yeah! See you then!

[slice-of-no-life]

Year End Anime Roundup

Hello all.  this is a list of every anime I watched this year.

A Channel 6 - Meh. Aho Girl 7 - stupid funny Akiba’s Strip 7 - this series was more fun than it had any right to be.  I thoroughly enjoyed it. Alice to Zouroku 8 - I really enjoyed some parts of this but i have a personal weakness for series about adults raising children. Another 7 - Wasn’t bad but didn’t really resonate with me that much. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu S1 9 - thoroughly enjoyed this. Ansatsu Kyoushitsu S2 7 - ending was kinda meh Bakemono no Ko 8 - I really enjoyed this movie.  I had seen it at walmart for ages.  glad i picked it up. Blend S 9 - Ah yes the workplace Rom-Com.  Always a favorite of mine. Boku no Hero Academia S2 10 - don’t look at me like you didn’t know this was gonna have a 10. Carnival Phantasm 8 - had a lot of fun with this. Castlevania 8 - Hoping for more of this Centaur no Nayami 7 - I love monster girls so this was a no brainer. Danmachi Gaiden Sword Oratoria 7 - alright as a companion to danmachi.  can’t really stand on its own merits. Demi-chan wa Katartai* 10 - this was a series I looked forward to each week.  I wish i could say more great things about this but if you’re a fan of SoL, you really can’t do much better than this Durarara (all of it) 8 - I really enjoyed the beginning to this.  i feel like the last season or two could’ve been skipped if the friends even spoke just a little. Eromanga Sensei 10 - masterpiece. Evangelion 1.0 9 - waiting for 4.0 Evangelion 2.0 9 - ^ Evangelion 3.0 9 - ^ Fate/Apocrypha 8 - it’s a goddamn mess but i love it. Fate/Kaleid liner Prisma Illya Movie: Sekka no Chikai 8 - I love seeing heroic spirit emiya anytime I can. Fate/Zero 2nd Season 9 - dont know why i waited so long to finish this.  i enjoyed it. Fuuka (updated and now finished) 6 - started out cool but got boring about midway Gabriel DropOut 8 - CGDCT cute girls subverting religious stereotypes.  you have a Fail-len angel addicted to gaming, a sadistic angel, a mostly harmless prankster demon and a demon who is easily the most pleasant person in the show.  would watch again Gurren Lagann 8 - don’t even know what was even happening at the end but it was cool. Hajimete no Gal 7 - it’s alright. Himouto s2 9 - i thought it fixed a lot of the problems season 1 had and it actually made umaru a tolerable character.  Also bonus points for more cgdct. Hinako Note 7 - eh it was cool.  Kuu-chan was bae. Howl’s Moving Castle 9 - Watched this while cooking Easter dinner. Imouto sae Ireba Il. 8 - Solid show with some of the most ridiculous parody comedy i’ve seen. Inuyashiki 8 - Super robot attack grandpa was pretty cool. Isekai shokudou 8 - I enjoyed it. Isekai wa smartphone to Tomo ni. 7 - vanilla as fuck op character in a harem.  still moderately enjoyable.  I like how they approached the harem scenes. Juuni Taisen 8 - fate meets the chinese zodiac.  it was alright. Kakegurui 8 - i still don’t know how to categorize this. Kancolle Movie 9 - I finally got to meet all the charactersfrom the games that the weebs i follow love so much. Katanagatari 9 - so glad i finally gave this a shot.  it was worth it. Kemono Friends 10 - wholesome. Kimi no Na wa. 8 - it was just alright for me. Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu 8 - that was pretty good. Kizumonogatari 3 10 - it was amazing.  i got to see my favorite series on a movies budget. Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon* 10 - seeing Ms. Kobayashi’s daily life was a treat and I loved seeing how her life changed as other characters were introduced into it.  Going into this show i thought it was gonna be a silly thing but it was much more serious than i anticipated.  Kanna was best loli for the season and it wasn’t even close *megumin always gets honorable mentions* aoty candidate Koe no Katachi 10 - best non monogatari movie of 2017 Koi to Uso 7 - meh Konosuba2* 10 - i love it when s2 live up to a great s1.  they fixed a lot of the problems with s1 but didn’t compromise what made this show magical.  darkness really climbed the best girl chart this season thanks to plenty of storylines.  could always use more megumin.  Aoty candidate Kuzu no Honkai* 9 - wow way to make me feel emotions.  i was initially turned off by all the hype i saw.  im glad i gave it a try. Love Live S1-S2 8 - i really enjoyed this. Made in Abyss 10 - it was pretty.  it had chibi characters.  it was dark it was an anime of the year candidate. Mahouka koukou no rettousei 8 - Magic High was cool if a bit pretentious. Mahoutsukai no Yome 10 - im always a sucker for a fantasy world that didn’t feel cookie-cutter.  Anime of the year candidate. Masamune-kun no Revenge 6 - protag-kun confirmed for shit taste.  main girls best friend was way better and she wasnt even a route.  ending was weak. will probably still get s2. Megane na Kanojo 5 - meh 4 shorts about glasses girls. Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku 8 - Lucky star spinoff that gave me lucky star vibes. Momokuri 7 - an okay rom comedy. Naruto Shippuuden 7 - wow what a trip.  there was only like 70 eps of filler in the last 100 episodes. Nekopara 9 - true to the game and compelling enough to stand on its own.  will probably watch again. Net-juu no Susume 9 - I really enjoyed this series.  MoriMori-chan is a waifu of the year candidate New Game 2 7 - wasn’t as good as the original but it was alright. would watch a s3. NonNon Biyori 9 - enjoyed it.  should start s2 at some point. Noragami s1-s2 8 - didn’t think i would like this as much as i did. Nyanko Days 6 - can’t remember shit about this One Room 7 - alright.  its short episodes so it could knocked out in 40 mins. Ookami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki 9 - really enjoyed wolf children.  watched for mothers day to appreciate my own mother. OwariMonogatari s2 9 - really enjoyed this conclusion to my favorite anime. Renai Boukun 7 - meh it was entertaining for a while. Saekano s2 9 - I was gutted emotionally during the first half of the series.  I still enjoy it though.   Seiren 6 - i’d give arc 1 a 9, and everything else was blah.  i dont even remember arc 3. Shingeki no Kyojin 2 9 - I enjoyed it.  most people said there was too much flashback but i didn’t have a problem with that. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou 8 - cool ambient cute girls.   Spice and Wolf S1-S2 9 - I didn’t know i was gonna get economics lessons from an anime this year.  enjoyed it. Star Fox Zero 6 - nothing important. Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale 8 - enjoyed seeing this in theaters. The iDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS Theater 7 - meh The Kings Avatar 8 - solid series that’ i’d like s2 or another series like it. The Seven Deadly Sins 9 - I see why this is the 4th most binged series on netflix.  everything about it screamed quality. Tsurezure Children 7 - good enjoyable rom com shorts.  i hope theres a s2 coming. Urara Meirochou 8 - solid cgdct.  cute girls are fortune tellers.  Koume for best girl.   Yojouhan Shinwa Talkei 8 - they spoke so fast i struggled to read the subtitles.  It was great though. YuGiOh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions  7 - ive never seen a theater roast a series they paid $12 for.  it was everything i remember about the old show.  Kaiba was hilarious. Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho 8 - solid fantasy series.  Zero for potential waifu of the year   

Waifu Tier characters (no previous characters for earlier years ie Megumin, Megumi Kato, Mikasa) Satou Sakie Kobayashi-San: i loved her Tohru: she’s so cute Hanabi Vigne Koume Tsuneki Hikari Zero MoriMori-chan Chise Ozen the Immovable Natsukawa Kuina Ishida Miyako Satanichia Kurumizawa McDowell Elf Yamada Shiori Shinomiya Mashu Kyrielight Astolfo Frankenstein Jeanne D’Arc

Imouto Tier Nikawa Denkigai Kanna Kamui Natsuki Momohara Sagiri Izumi Yuzuru Nishimiya Alice *spoiler character from A Sisters All You Need*

work in progress anime Boruto 20/38 Cardcaptor sakura 40/70 Dragonball Super 42/121 Sakura Quest 16/25

i’ll compile all the 8, 9, and 10 rated anime in another list and from there, I’ll choose my picks for anime of the year.  I may even steal crunchyrolls categories and place what i saw into those.  i reserve the right to add to this list up until the 15th of January or to change any score on it.  *seriously theres like 70 series on this list and ive probably missed some.*

[mnemo-ink]

Cherik Fusion List

EDIT: As the list grew longer, the links in this post stopped working. I can’t  anymore add links here, so I had to divide the list in two different posts that you’ll find here and here.

I have many weaknesses in fanfic. One of them is fusion. I’ve hesitated doing a list of cherik fusion for quite some time, not sure if people would be interested, but I actually discovered that it relaxed me to do it so… Here it is !

There’s fic and art. Except for a couple of links, all fics are complete.

I’ll update this post when I can to add more.

The Addams Family

House of Xavier-Lehnsherr Family serie by ximeria

The Adjustment Bureau

Photosets (1, 2, 3 and 4) by LunaAzul

Aladdin

Aladdin by swoopswoop (non-powered, ABO verse, you need to log in ao3 to read)

The One Where Erik Pretends to Be a Prince to Woo Charles by groovyphilia

Chibi by thacmis (third one)

Anastasia

Drawing by Takhesis

Anna and the King / The King and I

Drawings by GQD (space AU)

Assassin’s Creed

Drawings by Arisell

Drawings by brilcrist

Manip by captivesea

Drawing by comew (Assassin’s Creed Unity)

Manip, a first photoset and a second photoset by lisas999

Photoset by negative-sex1

Drawings (1, 2, 3 nsfw, 4, 5) by yaya1029

Atonement

NEW The Half Killed by MonstrousRegiment

Drawing by camerata9

Drawings by mohtz

Drawing by rnyfh (aka mohtz)

Attack on Titan

Fanart by kasryalart

Batman

The Masked Man (who has everything) (on anon)

Beauty And The Beast

Something Strange by reeby10

Tale As Old As Time by madneto

Three ficlets (1 , 2 and 3) by Black Betty

A series of drawings ( 1 , 2 and 3) by GQD

Bioshock Infinite

Fanarts by Dwaroxxx

Black Swan

Fanarts (The Kiss, Disintegration, Black Swan and Nobody but me) by kotokto

Buffy

Modern Vampire : A Guide, By Raven Xavier, Vampire Slayer and its sequel by keire_ke

Card Captor Sakura

NEW Catch You, Catch Me by ang3lsh1

Fanart by against-stars

Casablanca

Photoset et prompt by Black-Betty

Cinderella

Cast-Iron Heart by annejumps

So this is love and its sequel So this is what makes life divine by luninosity

So this is love (The Hopeful Serving Boy Remix) by Nostalgic_Kitty

A cute doodle by picklestpickle

Chibi by thacmis (second one)

Drawing and prompt by thacmis (with crossdressing Charles)

NEW Community

The Greendale Dazzlers by winterhill (you need to log in ao3 to read)

Despicable Me

Despicably Yours by Cesare with fanarts by veryorangecat (powered)

The Devil Wears Prada

The Rules Of Making It In Fashion by auworksforme (non-powered)

NEW Doctor Who

A Christmas Carol by IronPunk

The Good Shepherd by melonbutterfly

Drive

Photoset by ittakun

Elementary

Elementary by aesc (powered)

Sobriety by ikeracity (powered)

Emma

A ficlet by lachatblanche

Enchanted

Drawing by pallorsomnium

The Fifth Element

Erik Lehnsherr’s Guide to Saving the Universe By Meeting Your Soul-Mate and Falling in Love in Less than 72 Hours by madneto and Pangea

Photoset and prompt by aesc

Drawings by Comew

Final Fantasy

Seven Nation Army (Couldn’t hold me back) by ang3lsh1 (Final Fantasy VIII)

Final Fantasy-esque mini-fill (on anon)

Friends

A great gifset by littlesmartart

Frozen

Drawings by lyndraws

Fanarts by GQD

Game of Thrones

Ficlet (on anon)

Drawing of Lord Erik by kotokto

Drawing of King Erik by temple-secrets

The Guild

The Knights of X by professor

Hamilton

Drawing by lucerni-resistance

Hamlet

Photoset and prompt by chessandmagnets

Harry Potter

NEW A Fight for Love and Glory by dappertime

The Better Men by TurtleTotem

The Din of the Crowd and the Loud Commotion by MissCatherineEarnshaw

Ficlet by patrioticfrisbee

Ficlet by TurtleTotem

Gryffindor and Slytherin by annejumps

Is It The Cause, My Soul ? serie by BetsyByron

Jealousy Is Slytherin Green by averzierlia

Phase 2 May Need To Be Reworked by Square_Pancake and a fanart inspired by it by quietnightingale

Shall Never See a Password as Secure as Poetry by nextraordinaire

NEW A Small Annoyance by alphabetotter

Solatium by typical-trope

Voyage to the New World by Tsubame

What Passes Between Us (Magic) by fallencrest

Drawings of Slytherin!Erik and Ravenclaw!Charles by 3000w

Drawings of Gryffindor!Erik and Slytherin!Charles by a-ard

Drawing of Slytherin!Erik annd Ravenclaw!Charles by amimochi

Moodboard by bxmyaxsthxtic

Photoset by charlesfrxavier

Photoset of Slytherin!Erik and Ravenclaw!Charles by deadalliandra

Drawing of aurors Erik and Charles with plot, them at Hogwarts in the same universe by fanroi

NEW Photoset of a Chamber of Secrets AU  with Tom!Erik by ittakun

Comic with Slytherin!Erik and Ravenclaw!Charles by Jade Bui

Fanarts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) by Ju Lee

Drawing of Slytherin!Erik and Hufflepuff!Charles by jumpwings

Drawing of Slytherin!Erik and Ravenclaw!Charles by loobeinthesky

Drawing of Slytherin!Erik and Hufflepuff!Charles, Slytherin!Erik and Ravenclaw!Charles and a comic by lyndraws

Drawings of Slytherin!Erik and Gryffindor!Charles by princemilkshake

Drawing of Gryffindor!Erik and Slytherin or Ravenclaw!Charles by seasyndo

Drawing, second version and another by shadow-drawings

Drawing of Slytherin!Erik and Gryffindor!Charles by wshaker

Hercules

Drawings by thacmis

House M.D.

Lehnsherr M.D. by lachatblanche

Hunger Games

Mini-Fill on anon (powered)

A ficlet by ikeracity and kageillusionz (powered)

Into The Fray by miss_aphelion and its prequel The Calm (ABO verse, non-powered)

The Mutant Games by TurtleTotem (powered)

Resistance by Pragnificent (powered)

Inception

Boden’s Mate and its sequels by keydeefalls

Drawing by palalife

Infernal Affairs

Fic by Gerec

James Bond

One Life For Yourself and One For Your Dreams by endingthemes

Secret Agent Man by ximeria

Fanart of Bond!Erik and Q!CHarles by thacmis

Jurassic Park

Photoset and prompt by tobehunted

The King’s Speech

Fanart by comew

Ladyhawke

As Dark Longs For Day by Yahtzee

Fanarts by a-ard

A gif set and a poster by darksideofafangirl

Drawings (Charles with wolf!Erik and Erik with Hawk!Charles) by Takhesis

The Last Of Us

Drawing by temple-secrets

The Last Unicorn

Drawings by brilcrist

Drawing by Takhesis

Legally Blonde

Legally Charles by until_the_earth_is_free (trans!Charles, non-powered)

The Little Mermaid

Chibi by thacmis (first one)

Fanart and prompt (1, 2, 3) by thacmis (crossdressing Charles)

Fanart by Shadow

Lord Of The Rings

Lord of the Flings by Fullmetalcarer

A painting by thacmis and a ficlet inspired by it by theregoesallthecottoncandy

Macbeth

Fanarts by nikorys

Fanart by yaya1029

Mad Max

Fanart by dwaroxxx

Gifs by unearthlydust

Magic Knight Rayearth

A Flowery Band To Bind Us To The Earth by keire_ke

Maid in Manhattan

Can’t Buy Me Love by niniblack (powered)

Maleficent

Once Upon A Dream (You'll Love Me) by FaerieoftheCourt (you need to log in ao3 to read)

True Love's Kiss by Butterynutjob

A great serie of drawings by GQD

Two drawings

Matrix

The Matrix by swoopswoop (you need to log in ao3 to read it)

Megamind

Fanarts by GQD

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children 

Fanart by Ju Lee

Moulin Rouge

Come What May by FuryRed (modern au, powered)

Mini-Fill on anon (powered)

Photoset by ittakun

Much Ado About Nothing

Photoset by chessandmagnets

Mulan

Hold Your Own, Stack Your Stones by primetime (Dom/Sub verse though it’s written more like an A/O verse)

The Mummy

Love Immortal by Gerec

The Mummy by professor

North And South

To Turn and Look Back When Thou Hearest the Sound of My Name by lachatblanche (powered)

Overboard

Sink or Swim by endingthemes (ABO verse, brief Charles/Shaw)

Pacific Rim

Fanart by 4xontuesdays and GQD

The Painted Veil

Fic by turtletotem (ABO verse, non powered)

Parks and Recreation

Battle Strategies and a sequel by madneto

Doors Unlocked and Open by Clocks

Persuasion

No Longer in Silence by Black_Betty which inspired this cover and manip by amarriageoftrueminds

Phantom Of The Opera

NEW Drabble by Kairin16

Drawings by Arisell

Drawing by delannoie

Manip by Krem

Pocahontas

Pocahontas by Schach (mutant!Charles, human!Erik)

Pokemon

Battle Strategy by aesc (11th ficlet, kid!Charles and kid!Erik)

NEW I Will Travel Across the Land by wallhaditcoming

How to Train Your Magneto by Unforgotten

Power Rangers

Go Go XMFC Rangers by professor

Pretty Woman

Downtown (everything's waiting for you) by so_shhy (non-powered)

Pride And Prejudice

A fic inspired by the ending of the movie of 2005 by ikeracity (powered)

Photoset by deadalliandra

Princess Bride

A Tale of Two Bubs by madneto

Twoo Wuv by theapolis

Prometheus

Fanarts by brilcrist

Sailor Moon

In The Name Of The Moon by TurtleTotem

My Heart Is A Kaleidoscope by wallhaditcoming (unfinished but the end could work like that I think, also it’s really good)

Untitled Ficlet by loveydoveyecstasy

Untitled Ficlet by TurtleTotem

Sailor Moon!Charles Doodle by the picklest pickle inspired by TurtleTotem’s drabble

Sleepless in Seattle

Fic by Gerec

Snow White

Love while the night still hides the withering dawn by Kairin16

Chibi by thacmis (fourth one)

Drawing and prompt by thacmis (crossdressing Charles)

Sound of Music

Family Business by cherik-mcbender

The Sound Of Music by Gerec

Drawings by amimochi

Star Trek

Resistance Is Futile by professor

The Trouble with Telepaths by endingthemes

Drawing by jeusus

Star Wars

200 words fic with jedi!Charles and sith!Erik by bad-luck-blue-eyes

Across The Stars by anon (kid!Charles and kid!Erik)

Across The Stars by Gerec

Across The Stars (The Blue-eyed Jedi Remix) by Nostalgic_Kitty

Ficlet with Leia!Erik and Han!Charles by niniblack

Got a Lead Brain ; It’s a Battle Magnet by letosatie

I Promised You Life by Sperare

NEW Lonely Hearts Club by scrapbullet

X-Men VI : Return of the Jedi (comic) by Thacmis

Drawing with both of them jedi by Thacmis which inspired this ficlet by Pangea

Drawing of Padme!Charles and Anakin!Erik by Thacmis which inspired this ficlet by Pangea

Drawings by GQD

Photoset and prompt by liveanddiefortissimo

Manip by Sasheenka

Tarzan

Into The Jungle by madneto

Tarzan by Schach

Titanic

Untitled Ficlet by Ikeracity

Titanic AU Snippets (orphan account)

An inktober drawing by Thacmis

A photoset by Sasheenka and Another edit here

A photoset by

Treasure Planet

To Rattle the Stars by Pangea with drawings by GQD

Tron

Inside the grid (fanart) by spaceAltie

[drink-n-watch]

Genre:  Supernatural, romance, reverse harem, adventure, isekai

Episodes: 26

Studio: Gonzo

  They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. But I’ve long suspected it’s the way to anyone’s heart. It certainly works for me, as well as every single pet I’ve ever had. Turns out, it’s also the way to a Yokai’s heart. This is very good news for Aoi when she finds herself suddenly spirited away to the hidden realm having been left as collateral for her grandfather’s debt to the great Orc master. If it hadn’t been for her prodigious cooking skills she might have found herself married off to the great spirit without so much as a say in the matter. Now at least she has a chance to work off the debt as a chef at the master’s Inn. But great Orcs might not be quite as bad as they seem, there are worse things than a powerful mate to take care of us. Still Aoi is determined to prove her worth on her own in this strange new world full of supernatural threats, wondrous magic and delicious delights.

Occasionally I’ll do this little exercise at the beginning of a new season. I’ll line up a bunch of shows and watch the first few minutes of episode one to determine whether I should just installed drop them, continue watching them as they air or set them aside for binge consumption. Option 2 doesn’t get a lot of use.

Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits was one of those shows I was holding off on until it finished airing and I was really looking forward to it. I already knew it was a calm slightly silly story filled with Yokai and magic. I realized that the art was not my favorite but it was serviceable and the colors were nice. I built up some fairly unreasonable expectations based on my past experiences with Yokai themed anime. Did it live up to my self generated hype?

I’ve exercised, I’ve earned this!

Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits is a two cour show. I mention it because I assume this has some impact on budgeting. I don’t actually know. However, it’s what I’ve decided to blame for just how uneven this production is. Soundtrack is fine but extremely repetitive. The voice cast is a bit all over the place. Although no one is downright awful, you can clearly hear the difference in acting levels between the different characters, which robs a lot of scenes of emotional resonance.

But of all the technical elements, it’s art and animation that suffer most. Animation is fairly minimal in general, which isn’t a bad thing in this case, but occasionally episodes will throw in so many still shots you could start thinking you’re watching an extremely slow stop motion animation. And art is completely uneven. The base designs are pretty good. I think there’s something wrong with the proportions of Ali’s head when her hair is down but otherwise everyone is good to great looking. The problem is the art is so inconsistent it can be difficult to recognize characters if it weren’t for their outfits. You have no idea how many screenshots I threw out because they were ugly.

  others are adorable

This inconsistency is glaring from scene to scene and can really take you out of the moment. The show is mostly an isekai adventure with some romantic elements and a few dramatic beats. It’s the sort of story that really benefits from suspension of disbelief and allowing the audience to get lost in the adventure but this goes straight out the window when you find yourself bursting in laughter at how randomly derpy everyone looks every other episode.

However, I really mean the art is uneven. There are also beautiful scenes and great design choices. I regularly found myself staring at how Ginji’s kimono was held together by a strap around his shoulders. It folded with his movements as well. It’s a traditional men’s kimono design, nothing particularly extravagant but it was well executed band suited the character. Little touches like that are also omnipresent so you just never know what to expect.

this guy is probably the one that is the most difficult to recognize from time to time

I won’t lie. Of course I thought of Natsume. I always think of Natsume so if you give me a story like Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits, full of sad childhoods and feisty Yokai, I really don’t have a choice but to make the comparison. This is unfair to any show and seems particularly cruel to a reverse harem. Not that genre means anything…. Fact is I really should I should have been comparing it to Ayakashi Gohan! For those of you that have never heard of it, it’s a delightful of otome that I played because Naja told me to. The stories aren’t identical but definitely similar with the orphaned lady taken in by Yokai and the importance of and connections we make through food.

That doesn’t tell you much though. Let’s put it this way, Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits is a shaky structure built on strong foundations. The base premise is downright wonderful. After the death of her grandfather and guardian, Aoi, a strong willed young woman who can see Yokai, finds out that her beloved grandad left her as collateral for a huge partying bill he wracked up in the Yokai world. Now she must either marry the ogre lord who owns the Dept or find another way to repay it. It’s a fun and full of possibilities. I really like it as a start off point. Even though the actual plot (or rather plots) stray from it quite a bit, eventually turning the second season closer to a quest based adventure, it’s also consistently interesting.

we even got a villain!

The inhabitants of the southern reaches of the Yokai world must perform a ceremony every 100 years or so to avoid disaster but in order to proceed they must collect an assortment of elusive treasures and face deadly obstacles. Cool right? Sounds like you could have a lot of fun with that. Throw in just a peppering of romance, a bit of humour, and you have a sturdy formula.

Unfortunately, the character building and dialogue just doesn’t do it justice. There’s a lot of clunky exposition and lackluster wordplay. Everyone is a slight variation of eccentric but nice with Raiju being the only exception. Mostly every character was pleasant and the anime as a whole was comfortable but forgettable.

I’m a fan of reverse harems, anime recipes and Yokai centric stories so Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits checked a lot of boxes for me. I can’t say I regret watching all 24 episodes and would probably watch more if available. However, there’s no denying that this is an objectivity average show at best and there’s no need to go out of your way to watch it unless you also have these particular fetishes…

I’m just gonna leave this here

Favorite characters: The krane twins but I’m also team Ginji

What this anime taught me: I was looking at the scene showing Ginji in his beast form and he really reminded me of someone… Is Nyanko a kitsune spirit??

right?

Exercise makes you look better naked, so does wine. Your choice..

Suggested drink: Fir Gin Fix

Every time Aoi is threatened by her fiancee (this will make sense) – take a sip

Every time Aoi cooks – breath in

Every time the debt is mentioned – take a sip

Every time we see Aoi’s grandfather – get some water

if he’s young – switch back to booze

Every time Aoi takes care of an injured or sick yokai – take a sip

Every time we see falling sakura petals – take a sip

Every time discovers something questionable about her grandfather – raise your glass

Every time there’s a double entendre – just me?

Every time anyone says Aoi resembles Shiro – take a sip

Every time anyone gets drunk – join them

Every time flashback to the time Aoi’s mom left – be sad

Every time anyone mentions or eats curry – et a snack

Every time Ginji shapeshifts – clap

Every time chibi eats a cucumber – get a different snack. You’ve drank a lot, you need something to soak that up with.

I took a completely unreasonable amount of screencaps so here are a few, you can see the rest here!

Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits a Light Distraction and Snack Genre:  Supernatural, romance, reverse harem, adventure, isekai Episodes: 26 Studio: Gonzo They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.