#But... That's... Really normal... A lot of authors and mangaka also just keep their personal information separate

[sociallyawkwardseal]

Is it. Really that weird that I like keeping my personal blog away from my writing blog? ._. I'm pretty sure that's normal for a lot of people, especially people who either Do webnovel posting or intend to go into webnovel posting.

[zealsoughtsequesterustanxiedemon]

Okay ye this was great. Kind of the perfect bite-sized romance. I kind of love how casual things go for them. This isn't as over-the-top as a lot of crossdressing manga go (not that i mind those either). The ways they get into it feel relatively grounded and personal.

To Hazuki, it's kind of natural. She's a tomboy who could dress either masc or fem, but always kind of leads towards masc because it suits her more. She sort of fell into it just going about her life normally after doing it for a job and then finding out it was her vibe.

To Iori, it's special. It was this thing he got pushed into that spun into the most wonderful thing in his life. It's a door to a world of lovely experiences he doesn't think the old him could have. Like Hazuki, he doesn't bemoan his non-crossdressing appearance, but crossdressing is something he always wants to do because it feels important to him. It's a feeling I definitely empathize a lot with. I love seeing him push to improve his masculinity and femininity. He never shies away or seems ashamed of either even though his strengths are a little weighted towards one.

These reasons are also a large part of why they love each other so much. It was very refreshing to see the typical GB-reality dream happen and get very easily pushed away because, for Iori, it was missing the things in real life that he actually cared about (Reality Wins). It makes the romance really compelling for me.

I love cute het romcoms like this. Having all of this gender stuff wrapped up in a genre I love makes it feel designed for me. Although I enjoy the shortness of it, i do appreciate the cute extras that the author seems to keep doing. Looks like the Sister and Friend are making progress, which I expected but greatly welcome. They're both lonely, they're the only two other characters in a romance manga, and the mangaka clearly doesn't have an issue with age gaps seeing as the main couple is a 19 year old is dating a 25 year old (although 16 and 25 is obviously a step further). How typical of me to get invested in wlw when it's not in a yuri.

Hmmm

I think this manga may have been made for me

[charmspoint]

how was it ^-^

Let's seee. It was good, perfectly enjoyable, it reads fast and i was never really bored with it. I'd give most chapters like a 7/10 and then chapters 71-82 like 8 or 9/10 and then back to like 7/10 and the ending was weird but also kinda sweet in its own way.

Now to preface anything else: This isn't my type of manga. I can easily see it being a 10/10 for someone who really likes fight scenes and death and gore and what not. I'm not really into that, I'm a character and story driven person which is why the manga as a whole scored as just goodish to me while chapters 71-82 which kinda make a lot of emotional and psychological aspects of the chapters before them come to culmination scored a lot better. You know I don't GET fights. Chainsaw man was very gory but I didn't even really register it. Like because of all the gore I feel I heard people say it has horror aspects but I never really felt scared or off put or anything. It was just kinda like 'oh a lot of people are in pieces rn, okay, that's a thing that's happening'. So yeah that's why the score is the way it is, it simply isn't a manga that focuses on things I like and that's perfectly alright. I couldn't buy into the hype like I did with jjk and I certently didn't feel 'oh this is the best thing ever' like I felt with witch hat atelier.

With all that out of the way let me talk long and hard about Denji and sexual aspects of the series in a surprisingly positive light:

I like Denji as a character. I think he's still a bit rough around the edges but he's not a character made for introspection so that's fine, you really kinda have to take what he says and how he acts and think about it because the author won't do it for you. That being said, I think Denji is probably the most compelling shonen protagonist I've read so far. Like when I read bnha or jjk I see Izuku and Yuji and I'm like 'this is a shonen protagonist'. They are a likable character but they won't be your favorite character. They are largely made for japanese high school boys to project themselves on and I'm not a japanese high school boy. That being said, Denji feels like a character of his own and not something meant to be projected on to. Honestly if anyone projected on to Denji I'd be worried about them. But that makes him probably the most compelling shonen protagonist I've ever read. You just wanna dig a shovel into his skull and go 'man kid ur fucked up'.

I know when you first read csm you were off put by Denji because it felt like a manga put a pervert character as a protag which is naturally off putting and I can 100% see that. Now be it because I was warned about it first or something else, I didn't actually find fanservice jarring at all. It kinda was integrated into the world in a way that made me think 'yeah of course it's like this'. This is a very grim and rough and drty world and things in it would be just like that. It is a story about base desires and sex is one of those. These are people who expect they will die any day now and Denji is a person who's just now getting to experience a somewhat decent standard of living. Here's a thing I noticed though: even as Denji thinks many sexual things (which, he's a teenager, that's normal) he's actually very respectful. I don't think I've ever seen him touch anyone without their permission, in fact i think things like that mostly happen to him. Like example how Power comes in just as Denji is in the middle of his 'i wanna touch some boobs' phase. You would almost expect that what happens next is we see him try to grope Power as she's sleeping or something. But no, he doesn't do a thing until she asks him to help her save her cat and he gets to touch her boobs for it. And it's like this with p much every other sexual encounter through the series. Both partners are consenting and getting something out of the whole thing. Sexual aspects are used as normal bartering chips in a world where your whole body is a bartering chip. It's normal and no one is forced into it. I've told you before that my biggest misgiving with fanservice is that it's often based on embarrassment and unwilling participation of the girls. Like fanservice isn't fanservice because you saw a boob it's fanservice because you saw a boob when you weren't supposed to, when the girl didn't want you, when she's angry or scared or embarrassed because you did. A lot of fanservice feels very much like taking something from the girl, debasing and humiliating her for the sake of watchers/readers satisfaction.

Despite all it's sexual jokes and themes and everything else Chainsaw man never once made me feel like that. It never once made me feel like the author expected me to gain sexual satisfaction out of debasement of female cast. Which is why even though boobs and naked women are literally all over the manga I didn't mind it at all. It stopped being fanservice and became just a natural part of characters lives as sexuality and sex is a natural part of real world.

Back to Denji.

So I mussed a bit about Denji and Maslow before but here it is in total

Denji is 16 years old and at the beginning of the series he's just starting to have his physiological and safety needs met. Like he doesn't live like a human being at the start of the series and Makima recruiting him is A BIG CHANGE for him. Like for a good while Denji is like 'Now I have three meals a day and a place to sleep at so I'm good with whatever'. He's given reliable sources to fulfil his needs and he's given a way to keep those sources stable. He has a job, it's not a good job but he has it. He has a place to live and a theoretical safety net. He's immortal so there's nothing to fear in the death and injury department which means the otherwise unsafe job is perfectly fine for him. Now what Denji gets stuck on through most of the series is Love and Belonging. Because you can't just give someone love like you can give them food (not that Makima doesn't try). People are more complicated. Compromises need to be made and human connections are hard to establish, especially if you are someone like Denji who has no idea how to interact with others aside from obeying orders. This is why his need for love and belonging first manifests as a sexual need (that and he's an allo teenager). Human connections are hard but sexual contact doesn't have to come tied with connections so it's easier (if unsatisfactory as Denji finds out with Power) to achieve. A lot of Denji's personal growth is tied to him finding out that this need can be fulfilled by other things alongside sex. This is why I love chapters 71-82 so much because they are really a culmination of Denji's emotional journey in that category. Along the way along with sexual love he finds romantic one. He wants to spend time with girls he likes, he wants them to like him beyond the sexual. Of course sexuality is always an aspect of it but after that scene with Power it's never the only thing. Human connection, understanding the other person, knowing them, loving them, making them happy. And it all culminates in the familial love he finds with Aki and Power, taking care of someone and being taken care of for no other reason than they are your family and you love them, you care for them, you want them to be well and happy. There's this scene with Power later on when they are taking a bath together and Denji is like 'huh we are both naked but it doesn't feel naughty at all'. He's stopped seeing Power sexually because he started to see her as his sister and it's just really nice, those few chapters we get to see them as a family are really nice.

By the end of the series Denji starts checking off the esteem box too, by people accepting him and loving him and him feeling like he wants to respond to that, but I feel like that aspect and possible self actualization will be more explored in part 2.

There you have it, my essay about why Denji is the most compelling Shonen protagonist I've ever read :)

Also I really liked the girls in this series, it really isn't afraid of letting it's female characters be weird and gross and in Makima's case just plain evil and I appreciate it for that. I just wish Quanxi got more time and things to do but she's a side character and it's not her fault she's cooler than the whole main cast (Power best girl tho).

I feel like I talked a lot already about what was my most important take away from the whole thing but yeah, in general: pretty entertaining read, would probably be a complete blast for someone who's invested in fights, a little thin on psychology and emotion for my tastes but when it delivers them it delivers them good.

Also I like how it basically ended on 'you should give people more hugs' it was cute

Additionally I think the authors idea to basically release manga in seasons like you would an anime is straight up genius I hope that more mangakas start picking this up because it allows them more rest in between big arcs.

Ok now that's it for real this time.

[stillness-in-green]

I'm not really active in the MHA fandom or blog- but I agree a lot with your points on OH. To be fair though- I don't think weekly schedule in itself facilitate great writing imo b/c Mangaka's don't have the time to revise their drafts (they get usually max 6 hours of time to work on each page- everything from name to final touch ups- monthly authors get up to 2 days for each page), there's literally not enough time to think, reread or to adjust things. But I think Hori's reaching a point where it's not sustainable for him to keep at the pace he started MHA with. So he's cutting corners to move the plot faster- but compressed plotlines will come with executional pitfalls. That's just the limits of the medium when you don't have a dedicated writer/ don't have everything pre-planned. It's getting more apparant now, because we're in the final arc- and people are expecting pay offs to start happening. And in considering that the 'conversation' deku and OH had was supposed to be payoff on OH's character thread? It's a lotta waffling imo. I'm over it at this point- because If Hori is actually doing this because it's for his own health- then I'd rather he do that. regardless of whether I like his story or not- it's still his story- so the priority imo is so long as he's happy with his work- that's what should matter more. It doesn't mean it's above critque, or that we should all like it, not at all, ones reactions are one's own, and genuine in their emotions. There's nothing wrong with expressing such on ones own blog, and tagging it in the fanom. Critiques ultimately for those of us doing so, is moreso for ourselves, either those who want to work on creating our own IP, or just want some benchmarks to keep in mind in reading future stories and anticipating what actually appeals to one's own tastes. I just want to make a shoutout of all of that, cause I can tell some of the people reblogging your OH post don't get it at all and are too busy in the "I'm right, you're wrong mindset"- which is-realistically speaking nothing new when it comes to internet fandoms- but still missing the point of what you were saying. Unfortunatly- Tumblr's reply function is pretty much ass when it comes to anything of length on an actual post though. So hope you don't mind the rando tldr from a passer by.

Heya anon, I definitely don't mind the passer-by message. You're right about Hori's ridiculous work schedule. I complained during the war arc about all the breaks, but now I definitely wish he would take a few more than he has been. Not just for the story's sake, but also for his own--it's been AGES since he had one, it seems like. And in fairness, I can hardly expect him to make the time to do a bunch of research on e.g. the detrimental psychological impact of solitary confinement on his schedule.

In truth, the rant was mostly to get it off my chest. Normally, I save my most annoyed complaining for Discord, but sometimes when it feels like no one else is saying the things I want to see said (about Deku's motivations there, about the PLF arrests, about the MLA's views on quirk supremacy, etc), my motivation overflows.

Ultimately, I've been making my peace with the idea of jettisoning canon pretty much since Chapter 240 dropped and featured a Re-Destro whose characterization I liked considerably less than Chapter 239's Re-Destro,* so the idea of writing off the canon after a certain point and just writing the fic I want to write is something I'm very prepared to do.

Still, it'd be nice to be happy with the canon itself, and I really am hoping to be! There's so much good and interesting stuff going on in the series, really challenging material, and like many others, I hope that this arc is about really pushing Hero Society and its defenders to the breaking point so that they can see that the system they have does have to change--just to pick the obvious example, I don't want to see Hawks proven right that a system that could produce him and Lady Nagant is worth salvaging just because Deku is a good person.

Thanks for the message, anon! I grew out of the phase of being bothered by people who willfully miss my point or read me in bad faith many, many fandoms ago, so I'm not too concerned with the people in the comments doing that--I've gotten some very thoughtful responses and much more traction than I'd been expecting, so I'm glad the rant reached some like-feeling people! Here's to hoping Horikoshi gets some rest, and we all can find satisfaction in the story he's working so hard to bring us.

(*Regarding 239 vs. 240's Re-Destro, while I have my problems with how the MLA is being treated in general, the canon has given me more good RD material. I will probably never be over him calling Shigaraki "savior and liberator" and getting indignant about Shigaraki's safety GOOD SHIT GOOD SHIT. Also Clone!RD talking about the relief of only having to present one face to the world and wistfully reflecting on his group's sought-after Liberation as he falls into nothing I am still shook.)

[holycow99]

石田お寿司 12/9/21 stream translation Part 4

This is not the full translation of the stream. I only translated the parts I could understand & interpret or parts I found interesting/important. I’m still a beginner in Japanese, so the translations may not be accurate. If you want to repost, please repost at your own risk.

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(t/n: ** means translation may not be accurate.)

I: We’re talking about the commemoration of 30,000 subscribers, right? What should we do?

C: Is this a chatting stream?

I: Well, yeah.

C: Let’s play game now.

I: I’m totally okay with it.

C: I feel bad that I pinned this person’s comment. Should I unpin it? This is what’ll happen if you guys aren’t careful with your comments. You’ll be exposed. I’ll forgive this person.

C: Please do streaming of you working on lyrics.

I: I’m totally okay with something like that.

C: Have you ever received hair?  

I: I did receive something similar. A deep red colour. Was it a wig or something? This is a true story.

C: Scary!

I: I didn’t think it was scary though. I was like “I see…”. It was unique.

C: Have you received a marriage registration form?

I: No, but I once received a purikura photo from a gal. The letter was cute. She’s seriously a gal, with the round letters and all. She’s super young and the purikara was cute. The content of the letter was hilarious. She’s like “Let’s hang out!”, “It’s fun!” “I read TG! I don’t understand it, but it’s fun!”.  She’s totally a gal. It was amazing. How did I get that? That’s a good one, though I didn’t get to hang out with her.

C: Eh, is it okay to send purikura?

I: I’ll just take a look at it if you send one. I won’t do anything about it. Nothing will happen.

C: Impressive move.

I: Right? But I think it’s the culture. I wanna experience this kind of culture as well. I want gals and Exile fans to read my works, not just people who have read TG. I wanna write something that everyone can enjoy.

C: You wanna interact with gals?

I: I wanna try. Normally, you won’t be able to, right? Have I ever talked to a gal before? A real gal. Avu-chan was super gal-like. Avu-chan is a gal. My first encounter with a gal was with Avu-chan from Queen Bee.

*He’s imitating Avu-chan’s way of talking.

I: I see. So there’s a lot of way to enjoy TG.

C: Seems like you’d be a grandpa.

I: Definitely the case if I ever meet a gal.

C: Are you extremely close with her (avu-chan)?

I: I’m the type who approach the other party. Well, I’m sure everyone is like this, but don’t you have different personas? I wasn’t pretending or anything, but I wore a gal persona for the first time when I was with Avu-chan. Avu-chan has a gal-like personality, so I thought I also needed a new persona.  By the way, have you played the game Persona? Just like how the main character attained new personas, the gal persona came out aggressively from behind me and possessed me.

I: Akechi is cool, right? (t/n: Akechi is a character from Persona 5.)

C: Please impersonate Avu-chan.

I: Avu-chan’s impersonation? “But then~”. How is it again? “Sui Sensei is~”. But she talks about deep stuffs, even though she’s a gal. Although she’s a gal, she’s someone with a lot of knowledge.

C: can you read gal’s alphabet?

I: I can if I try hard enough.

I: I wanna include a gal character in choujin x.

C: Sensei seems to have high communication skill.

I: I don’t think so. There’s a term called ‘communication monster’. My friend, Takahashi Kunimitsu form Osterreich is a communication monster. He knows how to hype people up, since he doesn’t say offensive things.** He can join in conversations with anyone, anywhere like a clown. Then, he’ll be very tired after that. It’s wearing him out on top of having a high communication skill. That is a communication monster. I can join in a conversation as well, but unless it’s with someone I’m fond with, I won’t. It’s tiring.

C: People who are good at getting along with others do exist.

I: Yes. He’s good at that.

I: Kunimitsu’s seriously amazing. He got along with a granny he just met in a bar. I just listened to their conversation the entire time.

C: Isn’t that considered as a communication disability if you get tired by it?

I: I do think it’s a sign of communication disability**, But again, that’s just another side of it. It’s the same as shy people who can speak well.

C: Was it the one you posted on twitter?

I: Yup. The one at the bar in Nogata. Was it in Nogata? Probably there. But I think band men have great communication skill, since they meet various types of people.

Y****: I don’t like gals.

I: That’s not good. You’re in the theatre club, after all. Someone involves in theatres can’t be bias. It’s okay if you don’t like them, but it’s better to come across them.

C: Is it important to talk and meet with various people?

I: Hm, I wonder. I think it’s important, especially when you’re still shaping your identity. I speak like this because I didn’t manage to meet and get along with people. I was super serious whenever I was invited to a live show, like the time I met Mr. TK. I was super serious every time I met people when I was in my 20s.

C: You did meet Gegegay, right? (t/n: Tokyo Gegegay is a Japanese dance & music group.)

I: I did. I might not be able to converse with him if I didn’t come prepared. They’re super nice though. Mr. Mikey’s punch was strong. I was like “so we’re gonna have this kind of conversation on our first meeting.”. But it was really entertaining. He’s actually being considerate of me. Somehow, I’ve had a conversation with Mr. Mikey and Ms. Reol, just the three of us remotely. Mr. Mikey was really considerate during the conversation to make it very enjoyable. I was amazed by it.

(t/n: Mikey is the leader of Tokyo Gegegay. Reol is a Japanese singer.)

C: Have you ever met Hirose Alice? (t/n: Hirose Alice is an actress. She’s a big fan of TG.)

I: Nope. I think it’s better not to meet her. There’s no chance to meet her.

C: Who’s the person you’re most nervous with when you met them?

I: It’s hard to tell, but I felt nervous every time I met someone for the first time. Then, the feeling gradually disappeared after I got to know them. That’s not good, isn’t it? But, when I met Togashi sensei, it’s more like a dream. It’s an indescribable feeling when I met him. I was like “This kind of feeling exists.” I was nervous when I met Avu-chan as well. But rather than feeling nervous, since she was very nice, I was able to talk a lot. It was fun.

*Someone asked if he had meet Masataka Kubota.

I: I’ve met him.

C: Do you have a mentor?

I: Probably Hara sensei. The word ‘mentor’ is hard to describe. But, he’s somewhat a mentor-like presence to me. I don’t know.  

C: Do you like Yonezu Kenshi?

I: That’s needless to say. Everyone likes him.

*Someone asked if he’s met Horikoshi Kohei sensei (BNHA’s author).

I: Nope. We have the same age.

C: He drew the draft while lying down, right? (t/n: OP probably talking about Togashi sensei.)

I: He showed me how he did the draft.

*Someone asked if he’s met Inoue Takehiko sensei (Slam dunk’s author.)

I: Nope. If Hara sensei is considered as my mentor, though I can just call him that, Inoue Takehiko sensei would be my mentor uncle.

C: Was Masataka Kubota good-looking?

I: He’s super good-looking.

*Someone asked if he’s met Kotoyama sensei (Dagashikashi’s author).

I: I’ve never met her.

*Someone asked if he’s met Araki Hirohiko sensei (Jojo’s author).

I: Nope. Wait, I did. It was when I was still an assistant. My senior, Matsubara Toshimitsu sensei, who’s writing a manga called Kurogane no Valhallian in Young jump, was like “Araki Hirohiko is here! Let’s meet him for a bit!”, and I agreed to him. Araki sensei is on another level, as expected. He’s super-duper famous, after all. All the assistants were surrounding him, asking him for pictures. When it was our turn, my smile was so stiff when I took a picture with him. I was too nervous. It was a distorted smile. Then, Mr. Matsubara accidentally stepped on Araki sensei’s foot. He’s like “I’m sorry! I accidentally stepped on your foot!” By the way, I went to the new year’s party in my pajama, which had curry on the sleeve and took a picture with Araki sensei. The clothes were shabby. Since Araki sensei was a nice person, He complimented me saying the it was fashionable. I was so thankful. He complimented my pilled and curry stained clothes. I was happy for that. I went there wearing pajama because I didn’t have any other clothes. The clothes were in a white colour. I went there wearing a parker with dull pants. He was really cool. Very young-looking and a wonderful person.

C: Have you gotten a chance to meet Miura Kentaro sensei (Berserk’s author)?

I: No, I’d never met him. I liked him a lot. I still like him. I can’t continue talking about him. It’s too sad. I can’t express how I feel other than I’m sad. Death. Regarding this, I wish people wouldn’t pray to the dead souls so casually. I don’t like praying to the dead souls nor do I like people doing that as well.

C: Have you met Mengo sensei (Scum’s wish’s author) and Aka sensei (Kaguya sama’s author)?

I: I’ve met Ms. Mengo a long time ago. She’s always present at parties. She’s quite stand out as well. She’s wearing cat ears the first time I met her. It was cute. I think I have met Akasaka sensei.  Probably just introduced myself.  

C: You’re a mangaka, but have you been surprised by other mangakas’ personalities?

I: Pretty much. Like their images or...Well, aren’t you like that with everyone? Isn’t it normal to be surprised by their images, physiques, and voices? Since you never imagine about those things.

C: I want you to meet Isayama sensei.

I: Isayama sensei’s also the same age as me.

C: I have met Itagaki Keisuke sensei (Baki’s author)!

I: So you’ve met him. I see.

C: Have you met Inagawa Junji (actor & director)?

I: I want to.

*Ishida was about to read a comment but stopped.

I: People will keep asking who I’ve met if I answer this, so I’ll skip it.

*He still answered the question.

I: I’ve never met Ryuuichi (illustrator & character designer). He’s gotten married. He looks happy, so it’s all well. Ever since before, I didn’t think he had to be that self-asserting. He didn’t need to tell who he was. It’s already written in his account. I was like “Don’t worry, everyone knows. Everyone sees it.” Well, he looks happy, above all.

C: I was excited seeing Hara sensei at the Kingdom exhibition.

I: Oh, he was there.

Part 5

[watayaaratamblr]

Arata is an unfortunate character.

No, he is NOT!

But if we wish to make him one, then we don't need one fifth of the effort put into making Taichi the "sad" character that most fans keep labeling as "Poor Taichi", and Arata would have been then the most unfortunate character in Chihayafuru. All we need is a good mangaka (Suetsugu is!) & the intention to make him draw sympathy (the whole point), simply because Arata’s story is well packed with good material serving the purpose.

Starting with the fact that he was an almost blind child … Like “looking through a magnifying glass”, hearing voices outside but being unable to see anything~ A child who had to wear glasses from the age of 3, any writer can make this a touching story if so they wished -But Suetsugu sensei did not want to.

Growing up as a weak boy who is a letdown in everything most boys do, crying alone when he fails to fit in, disappointing his father who kept pushing him to go outside and be “normal” like all the other children all while letting go of Karuta that he was confirmed to have liked since he was very young. Writing a bit of his struggles to find a place for himself within the norms could have made readers cry a lot.

His grandfather thankfully extended his hand to him, offered him a place where he can be himself; But that too, created a situation where he maybe had to take a side & deal somehow with the other side because his grandfather & his father had a fight and he can only be torn between them. I’m no writer myself, but I can make this sentimental.

Then his father took him away to Tokyo where he had to be a part of a poor family, and not only to cancel his needs & desires (like for example having different outfits for school instead of the few he will be noticed to wear frequently) but to also work sometimes to support his parents, to wake up before school time in the early mornings when other children are probably sound asleep in their warm beds, to go outside in the cold, to earn some cash and to give it to his parents … I read some real sad stories with this idea. So yeah, Arata could have been one of the saddest characters if Suetsugu wanted him to be.

And not to mention being bullied and laughed at for not only his impoverishment (which he can hope to change) but for his identity (as a boy from Fukui speaking a “weird” dialect). He received all this with lot of patience, and tried to comfort himself by himself with his grandfather’s “gift”, how it was a refugee for him.

Any writer can make a sob story out of Arata’s unspoken loneliness & yearning for home, his grandpa & for playing his beloved Karuta properly.

Or out the fact that he couldn’t make any friends in his new school either (he was confirmed to never have real friends since his childhood through the fact that he struggled to fit in + he stayed like that even after he grew up (like Murao said), and he is not someone who doesn’t care about having friends because he was confirmed to almost worship his bond with Taichi & Chihaya, Taichi specifically even though their friendship isn’t really a comforting one; he longed for friendship however it is!)

He enjoyed that friendship nonetheless, he might even have felt like he was compensated for everything he wished for through it but he was soon robbed of all of it as he was separated from these friends & while he could still enjoy a bit of it through correspondence (at least Chihaya kept in touch), he wasn't as untroubled as needed for that because he was about to lose his precious grandfather.

And the process of losing him wasn’t something to take lightly either. Having busy (or rather negligent?) parents made him (a boy not even 14 years old) a caregiver for an old man who suffered from paralysis on the right side of his body and later dementia, not as simple as that, he had to watch what his most beloved & respected person turn into day & night, when he worked “really hard” (as stated in the manga) with his rehabilitation exercises, when he helped him with his baths, he massaged his limbs, he fed him, constantly talked to him & showed him Karuta cards to “keep him” in this world. And when it's too much for him, he goes outside the room and cries bitter tears silently, all alone! There was this person who suffered from (PTSD) for years because their sick aunt didn’t recognize them (they were her favorite nephew before & they were 17 yo at the time), this person couldn’t visit her since & couldn’t see her before she died & they developed a fear of “getting too close” & of seeing sick people, they had to seek long & serious therapeutic help. And Arata actually suffered from PTSD for over a year & half, any psychologist can easily recognize that from the fact that he quit Karuta, refused to touch & hated to see the cards (I stress on this), how he answered Chihaya when she called him, how the calm & patient him (that we knew from his childhood) was agitated & treated her rudely when she insisted on playing a match. And it was all confirmed in Arata’s last words in the same chapter: “I wanted to see you, I always had, but I didn’t want you to see me like this” (in the official tr), he knew that he wasn’t himself (contrary to what Taichi thought, his friend who decided to abandon him instead of trying to help. Chihaya still had faith in him but Taichi was louder -ch10)

Still, thanks to Chihaya, Arata was back to his beloved Karuta, though we all questioned how much fun he really felt while playing again, how much of him was involved with the game now. And eventually, he himself expressed the pressure (not the fun) he felt while playing. What took his passion away, what turned the feelings of a Karuta baka into mere obligation, this also is good content for an emotionally charged story, it only needs the intention of the writer.

And he shone in the world of Karuta. YET he was never “proud” of it, that was never received as anything special. When he comes back home, none really cares (or at least, none shows any enthusiasm), he goes to the western-challenger qualifiers and his parents won’t even go watch, won’t even prepare some food for him, he comes back home late & finds none, and prepares everything by himself (apart from Yu’s help). His parents pray for his defeat, meaning that his DREAM to become Meijin/be strongest in Karuta doesn’t mean much to them, and he knows it, and he was never shown telling them the news like when you want to share a happy one. Arata’s mother -before giving up after acknowledging Arata’s dedication- wanted his defeat even though there was enough money to support him, the lack of money being the excuse she & her husband claimed to be the reason of their lack of support.

The support system Arata lacks isn’t only in his family. Since the death of his grandfather he seems to stand alone in Karuta too. Murao was the only one who spared some time for him but only after he realized how “alone” he was and took pity on him. Murao's realization implies that the training Arata was doing at the Nagumo society didn’t really count for what he really needed. Kuriyama sensei (being expected by fans to be the “Harada” in Arata’s side) was almost useless & he himself expressed his confusion about what to do with him & how to help him. We never saw him particularly guide him in any way either. "Experiences" & "taking chances" were two factors that helped Mizusawa members for example to grow a lot, but these chances are doors without knobs & we know that they were opened for them by adults who were taking care of them in a way or another + being friends ensured that they encouraged each other then proceeded with every idea they got to learn & experience more. Arata lacks both these sources (adults around him rather burdened him with their expectations) so he kept training on his own mostly & we saw how it felt frustrating to him to be relying only on his solo training & an "image" encouraged by a long-dead teacher, he realized the toll of lacking real opponents in practice with whom he can measure his abilities & correct his mistakes to grow stronger. Support can also be emotional. Did Arata ever receive particular emotional support? I can only remember panels where the people worried for him kept watching him from afar while he dealt with it on his own.

Yu was an exception but even her support was written in a way suggesting that Arata was prepared to go on without it. Because with time, Arata learnt to "not expect much" which is also a very interesting trope for a sad story.

And he was described as “a lonely player on top” but this was never elaborated to show how it felt like to be one for Arata himself. This idea is also brilliant for melancholy if the author wanted fans to sympathize with Arata but she didn't go beyond praising Chihaya who could somehow reach him & Shinobu chan.

And while playing on his own (or working part time to support himself), taking care of himself, he met his two precious friends again (they were the only selfish desire Arata has openly expressed throughout the series). But what he felt is that he was left behind & that he was the only one so far away. And he was. They got to experience so many things he didn’t, they made new friends & new bonds & he didn’t, they got closer to each other & he didn’t… At the end he went back to be the outsider & them the two old childhood friends. If the author wrote just a little bit more about these, if she highlighted these facts they could have made a good drama.

Love is the main reason Taichi is "felt for" (because he progressed in karuta but not in Love ..not yet at least). Arata is also a part of the love triangle in Chihayafuru, and if we try to summarize it with the intention of making it sad, then let's go, there is enough to say for that, we just need a good writer (which I'm not sadly). Still in short: Arata seems to have started to develop feelings for Chihaya a long time ago but he had to keep that in check because he thought she was dating Taichi & he kept his distance out of respect for that assumed relationship even though he craved at least connecting with his old friends. When he came closer, Chihaya was interested in him but he never knew, the enthusiasm she showed him was not different from how she is with everyone, no, Taichi received special treatment, while for him, every time he tries to say something to her he is cut off somehow. Everything seemed to be against them getting close. Later Chihaya seemed to have ultimate fun with Taichi too, maybe that was the only thing he thought he could give her, now she didn't need it. Maybe he had that thought again when she praised his game against Harada sensei that's why he confessed but soon, She is once again so far away, she seemed to need Taichi to function properly, he understood that & he used that to cheer her up in her most important tournament. He wanted badly to play with her again to only be totally iced, he couldn't even be seen by her, he was so far away, she belonged to where he wasn't part of (& even her friend kana found a way to express her disapproval of him) Can we not make a drama out of this? Or out of his stuttering, awkwardness & introversion? Or maybe the fact that his parents don't understand him? And did anyone alse feel that in most of Taichi's mother's appearances, we got this feeling that Taichi is a son who should be cared for while when Arata's parents appeared, many times, we can feel how Arata was used to highlight their feelings as individuals & he was drawn there as the member of the family who had to pay attention to that? Anyway, every single one of these points alone is very good material for a "tearjerker" so what about all of them combined? because they are all facts from Arata's reality.

Again, all we need is a good writer (we have it) & the intention to make it that way which isn't there. Suetsugu decided instead to put double the effort to make Taichi the "sorrowful/anguished" one because Arata is not a character written to feel sorry for or to commiserate. He is rather written for the most part of the manga as an inspiring one, an aspiration, to be a drive & a goal. So despite having all the above circumstances, he is instead written as a character who keeps to himself, doesn't complain, hides his hardships, makes it seem that he fine when he notices that someone is watching, tries to focus on what he has & be happy with it however little or simple. That's why it's easy for him to forget & forgive, easy for him to recover & stand up again because there are other characters who need him there as an example, who think that he is perfectly fine so they should only focus on themselves and thus, Bildungsroman can be used for them. And finally- wait, what were Taichi's problems again?

----------------------------------------------------

Writer adds:

[shadowwater]

Shibito no Koe o Kiku ga Yoi

This is a completed, short manga. I finished this in 2-3 days by reading it properly, and not just scrolling on it. With just 78 chapters, it is a short and sweet read. Well, I can’t exactly say sweet since this is of supernatural horror genre. Truthfully, it’s not that scary and only has some grotesque imagery minus the comical part.

This story is about a boy named Kishida Jun, who has the ability to see things that normal people aren’t able to see ever since he was a little kid (most probably inborn). A lot of strange stuff happens around him, but he fully starts getting involved with them when his classmate disappears, Hayakawa Ryoka. She wasn’t just an ordinary classmate, Hayakawa was Kishida’s childhood friend, and they had started interacting less and less with each other as they grew up. Soon after her disappearance, he started seeing her ghost hanging around him, meaning she is dead. There was also news that another person from his school went missing, so he decided to follow Hayakawa to where she was calling him thinking that it would be the last time he would see her. Hayakawa actually leads Kishida to their school nurse’s house, and he was able to solve the case of all the disappearances. However, contrary to what he imagined, Hayakawa did not disappear and continued to remain beside him and help him as he gets involved with all the strange stuff that keeps on happening around him.

At first, it might seem like a short story collection of sorts because that is what it was meant to be, but since they allowed it to continue, the mangaka did a bit more world-building and keep some recurring characters. In the span of 7 years, 12 volumes were published. Many weren’t that satisfied with the ending since it is kind of a loose ending, but I still think that the author did a good job on finishing the story. Some mysteries or questions were solved, and we get a general idea of the current status of the recurring characters. We also can guess what might happen after the end of the manga. Do I wish that I was able to get a little more information? Yes, I do. But what’s been given is also enough. I don’t want the manga to become stranger than it already is. There is nothing scary about it after the initial shock, but it still kept me interested.

By the way, only later did I start realising that the manga might qualify for the harem genre, but it was barely noticeable. I’m not one for harems so much, but this is one of only times where I am comfortable with a harem. Of course, I have come across other mangas where it is ignorable or tolerable, but I really liked this one. Kudos to the mangaka for that.

[grellsuke]

do you have any good lgbt manga recs? i just finished shimanami tasogare and loved it

yes!!!

Authors:

yuhki kamatani - the author of shimanami tasogare! kamatani is x-gender (and ace!) and thoroughly incorporates lgbt characters into their works. the others aren’t like focused on the lgbt experience like how shimanami is, but they’re all wonderful and beautiful and have lgbt characters and i highly, highly rec them.

akiko morishima - a lesbian mangaka who i really like! she’s really good abt tackling the traditional stereotypes in yuri manga as well as writing stuff about older characters and frankly discussing sexuality and shit. she also has works that are not yuri manga-centric but iirc a good chunk if not all of them still have lgbt characters, so they’re worth checking out as well! (she does have a few works with some fuckshit in them tho, fair warning)

takako shimura - i don’t personally know what her sexuality is (tho shes a woman, i know this), but shimura is pretty well-known for her lgbt works. wandering son and aoi hana are probably her most famous, at least over here in the west! she also tends to incorporate lgbt themes into her works that don’t center on lgbt characters as well.

ebine yamaji - another lesbian mangaka! yamaji’s works are very... realistic, usually about lesbian working through things. there’s a lot of trauma and a lot of sadness in her works, as well as sexual content, and i really love her art. i haven’t read ALL of her works, but what i have, i’m enamored with. they’re sad but rarely TRAGIC.

hiyori otsu - i don’t actually know otsu’s sexuality, but she’s a shoujo ai/yuri mangaka who writes a lot of genuinely sweet stuff. her works tend to very much be on the softer side of things, even if they can be bittersweet, and i’ve really enjoyed all i’ve read by her. it’s nice to just, be able to read a simple and nice lesbian manga without any major angst or tragedy or even sexual content sometimes, you know?

Autobiographies:

honey x honey by sachiko takeuchi - a slice of life little manga about the author and her girlfriend! it is abt a decade old, which you can see some of, but it’s a really cute peek into their lives and japanese lgbt culture. there ARE sequel(s?), but i unfortunately haven’t managed to find any english translations for them. if you do, let me know!

my lesbian experience with loneliness by kabi nagata - i own this manga! i keep it squirreled away in the bottom of my desk and pull it out every few weeks or so because it’s deeply, deeply relatable to me. the first time i read this manga i sat down and cried because i felt it deep in my soul. absolutely rec!!! there’s also a sequel, my solo exchange diary.

the bride was a boy by chii - a cute little manga about a trans woman named chii, recounting her early years up to her current life, her transition and how she met her husband (+ abt their relationship). it’s super cute and sweet, and very informative!! an absolute rec!!

i was born the wrong sex! by mayufu konishi - i haven’t quite finished this one yet, but this is a highly informative manga about a trans woman heading to thailand for her surgery! it’s extremely extremely informative about every single step of the process, and the author is an absolute delight, so it’s one i’d absolutely rec.

our journey to lesbian motherhood by emiko sugiyama/koyuki higashi/hiroko masuhara - have you heard of the lesbians that got married in disneyland tokyo? this is them!!! this is their autobiographical story of, well, their journey to lesbian motherhood! it’s very good, i definitely enjoyed it - it IS a sequel to another manga by them, but i sadly couldn’t find an english translation anywhere… it’s completely understandable without having read it, though!!

fictional manga:

my brother’s husband by gengoroh tagame - this is one i haven’t read myself, but is pretty damn high up on my ‘next to read’ list. the author is a prominent gay bara author - this is his first dabbling into more family-friendly series. he’s also recently started another family-friendly one called our colors that may be worth looking into as well!

whispered words by takashi ikeda - it’s been a good long while since i’ve read this, but i really enjoyed this when i was younger! (has it already been almost 8 years since it ended?? i feel old) it’s about two lesbians who are best friends - one of which is secretly in love with the other. unfortunately, she’s very much not her friend’s type. :( i vaguely remember some kind of weird crossdressing shenanigans with one character, tho, so tread lightly with that.

koimonogatari by tohru tagura - if you liked shimanami, this is also probably right up your alley! it’s a very realistic manga about a boy finding out that one of his classmates is closeted and gay - and he promptly decides to tell no one because he’s not an asshole, which leads to him being one of this boy’s main confidants. it realistically deals with the homophobia that gay people face, as well as the main character’s slow realization that he’s not necessarily straight, either (or at least, that’s my hypothesis - it’s still ongoing!!). i really enjoyed it.

lonely wolf, lonely sheep by fuka mizutani - two women with the same name, same birth month, and same injury end up meeting by complete coincidence at the hospital. i genuinely adore this manga and all it is. despite it only being one volume long, it deals with heavier topics such as depression, self harm, homophobia, and iirc even suicide. it’s really, really good though and i wish all the best for them.

kono koi ni mirai wa nai by morihashi bingo - i recommend this one tentatively, as the last two chapters are not yet translated (as of 1/11/19), but i enjoyed what was there. despite the label as BL on many sites, this story is actually about a trans woman (tho there is also a gay man in the manga!). the note left off on the most recent chapter, chapter 10, was a very uplifting note that she is not alone and that how she feels is completely, utterly normal, and i have hope for the last two chapters! the art’s really pretty, too, and the metaphors. but again - who knows what could go down in the last two chaps. fingers crossed!

i hear the sunspot by yuki fumino - PLEASE read this one. this manga is about two college-aged young men who end up meeting when one LITERALLY stumbles across the other. kouhei, one of the boys, is hard of hearing - and the other boy, taichi, starts taking notes for him in class in exchange for lunch, and thus begins a friendship that will blossom into romance! it absolutely gets in depth on the hoh/Deaf community in Japan, and is definitely informative - and the guys are just genuinely so sweet (as well as the other characters!!!) and I wish them all the happiness. it’s STILL ONGOING so like, warning on that, but i’m really enjoying it so far. i think there’s also a movie based off it!

cirque arachne by nika saida - this one has some sexual elements to it, so fair warning on that, but i really enjoyed it! it’s a single volume manga about two acrobats that fall in love. the art was cute and i genuinely liked the characters, quite a lot. would definitely rec.

yuureitou by tarou nogizaka - i have not actually read this manga, but it’s another that’s amazingly high up on my to read list. it’s a supernatural horror manga, and the main couple is a trans man and a cis man! i’ve heard good things about it - from people i know personally, as well as just in general - and it’s one i can’t wait to check out.

ohana holoholo by shino tarino - i FEEL like this one is completed, but if it is, the translation isn’t done. either way, i did love what i read from this! ohana holoholo is about a bi woman raising her son along with her ex-girlfriend and their neighbor, nico. it’s really good, one that i HIGHLY recommend, and one of the woman is implied to be trans, too! (fingers crossed they explicitly state it please please please-) overall, i absolutely rec it, please check this out!

no. 6 by atsuko asano/hinoki kino - who HASN’T heard of no. 6? no. 6 is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the government is, well, the government. it involves two young men working to take it down alongside others and they fall in love. and one of the other characters is non-binary! ...honestly that’s probably the best i can describe no. 6 because WOW is it a wild trip. it’s a wild trip that i highly, highly recommend though! you want gays taking down the government alongside killer bees and a magical bug goddess? this is the manga for you. please read it.

asagao to kase san by hiromi takashima & bloom into you by nio nakatani - two shoujo ai manga centering around high schoolers that i haven’t actually read yet, both of which recently got animated adaptations!!! i have heard genuinely fantastic things about both of them (ESPECIALLY) the latter, and bloom into you is actually next on my reading list. they absolutely sound fantastic and i can’t wait to read them!!

seven days by rihito takarai/venio tachibana - a two-volume manga about two high school boys. every week, a boy named seryou goes out with a different girl - he treats them very well, showers them in attention, and then promptly breaks up with them at the end of the week because he didn’t fall in love with them. out of curiosity, his upperclassman, shino, asks him out one week - and thus begins their seven day romance. i really loved this, i really really did.

tamen de gushi by tan jiu - it’s an on-going webcomic about how two girls, qui tong and sun jing, meet and fall in love. the characters are all absurdly fantastic, from the two girls to all of the supporting characters around them, and it’s an absolute TREAT to read. i would highly rec it, there’s some lovely shenanigans in there.

last but not least, i highly rec manga written by the year 24 group. this group was a non-formal group of female mangaka in the 1970s that really revolutionized and influenced the shoujo manga genre. many of their works are considered classics today, with works such as kaze to ki no uta, claudine...!, the heart of thomas, and shiroi heya no futari among them. a lot of their works really dug in and examined sexuality and gender, and you can find some of the original shounen ai, shoujo ai, and trans manga among them. i’m a sucker for the classics, and i highly recommend them. i honestly could have listed every single of one these mangaka in my recommend authors list, but decided it was just easier to promote the group as a whole. the best for last, you know?

hope this helps, anon!

[kenkamishiro]

20181116 Translation of Ishida and Takahashi’s interview with BuzzFeed Japan

It took me 3 days to translate this monster of an interview (~3.5k word count lol), but it’s finally done! My hands need a break after typing for so long...

Thank you to the interviewer Kashima Yui for asking some really great questions, and BuzzFeed JP for making this interview happen. I really enjoyed seeing Ishida and Takahashi banter back and forth, you can really tell that they’re great friends, and I’m happy to have witnessed a sliver of their relationship.

Also, I’m far from perfect, so if I’ve made a mistake or mistranslated something, please let me know.

Edit: Fixed a line from Takahashi saying, “You did it,” to “He got me.”

“I’ve always thought about quitting” - Author of Tokyo Ghoul and his sworn friend talk about their creative works and the troubles they’ve faced

Behind the scenes of Tokyo Ghoul’s final chapter, and what it means.

By Kashima Yui, BuzzFeed Staff, Japan

November 16, 2018

Over 37 million volumes of Tokyo Ghoul have been sold worldwide. During the 7 years it has taken to reach its conclusion - from the start of its serialization to July of this year - Ishida Sui has delivered an elaborately portrayed work with a profound story to the world at a tremendous speed.

This enigmatic mangaka has almost never appeared in the media, but there is a certain someone that he’s been influenced by.

That person is Takahashi Kunimitsu of österreich, who was responsible for the Tokyo Ghoul:re anime ending theme, “You of Paradise.” Ishida for some time had a phase where he would only listen to the music that Takahashi composed. “He’s the type who’ll say everything that’s on his mind,” he raves.

At the same time, Takahashi must have also been influenced in turn by Ishida, for he had stopped making music until he received a request from Ishida.

I thought that I would no longer be making music. Why am I...?

Sui-sensei lives in Fukuoka, and Takahashi-san resides in the Kanto region. How did you two first meet?

Ishida: We first met 3 years ago when I requested the opening theme “Incompetence” for the Tokyo Ghoul √A anime. I’d already received many proposals for the opening song, but I more or less shot them all down.

It was because I liked the former band the cabs that Kunimitsu-kun used to be a part of. Right around when I was drawing volume 7 of Tokyo Ghoul, I was pretty much listening to just one the cabs song, “Soldiers in February”, which might be why I’m so strongly attached to the band.

Takahashi: But by then, the cabs had already split up and I’d stopped being a musician.

Ishida: After Kunimitsu-kun took a break from being a musician, I kept an eye out on his SoundCloud (laughs).

Every now and then I’d see a new song uploaded, so I knew that he was still alive and well. Since I knew he was still making music I thought, “Couldn’t he compose music for Tokyo Ghoul too?”

I said that to the anime people about 100 times, that I wanted Takahashi Kunimitsu to make the opening. But because he couldn’t make up his mind, they turned me down 99 out of those 100 times.

Takahashi: That’s ‘cause I never got the news to begin with! Back then the manager of the office I was enrolled at suddenly said to me, “Something big’s happened.” No warning in advance.

Ishida: What do you mean I never told you, are you even hearing yourself right now? (laughs) But it really was an impossible request. Plus the fact that Kunimitsu’s band broke up and was now nonexistent.

Takahashi: I thought to myself that I’d no longer work in music, so I wasn’t willing to accept at the time.

I’d uploaded my music onto SoundCloud, but that page was just a personal space for myself rather than a place to market my music. So when I was approached about a collab I was thinking, “What are they talking about? Why me...?”

Along with the fact that I’d never read Tokyo Ghoul.

Were you scared?

Takahashi: I was terrified. It had already been 3 years since the band broke up, so I felt like I’d lost my ability to compose music. I was thinking, “What’ll happen if I can’t make it?” On top of that, that piece was on a much larger scale than anything I’d ever worked on. That made me anxious on a regular basis.

...but on the other hand, it felt like this was a sign telling me to keep playing music. I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I thought that if I didn’t try here and now, I might not play music for the rest of my life.

I was extremely tight on schedule for “Incompetence”, the opening theme for Tokyo Ghoul √A, but at any rate I frantically worked on it in a frenzy, feeling more and more dead by the end of it. I didn’t read a single page from Tokyo Ghoul so that I wouldn’t get pulled in by it. The result...every single bad thing that had accumulated during my 3-year hiatus showed up all over the song.

Ishida: I basically like everything he composes, so when I heard the demo I thought it was pretty good. I was more than happy. But I have to admit, that song...is way too all over the place (laughs).

Takahashi: Even when I listen to it now I think it’s all over the place.

Did the two of you come to interact through the production of “Incompetence”?

Ishida: No...back then I just received the demo. After it was released, we talked about it on Skype, and that was probably our first ever conversation. After that, was it through Twitter DM or email?...I got a message from him that had an “at this time” kind of vibe, and that’s when we began talking to each other more personally.

[T/N: I’m not exactly sure what Ishida meant by “at this time”, but the word he used, “この度は” is a form of “now” that you’d use in formal/business speech, so perhaps he meant that Takahashi’s message to him felt formal.]

The extent of our conversation for several months was just exchanging texts back and forth, but one day we unexpectedly began voice chatting through Skype. And then Kunimitsu-kun declared out of nowhere, “I am light.” (laughs)

Takahashi: I was overly concerned about my own image, so I’d try to crack jokes or else I’d have a hard time making conversation.

Ishida: I thought he was acting like an extremely gloomy person because he felt like it. Back then that dark part of me was also prominent, so when I tried talking all emo I’d get told, “I’m light.” (laughs)

Takahashi: I told you, that’s just me talking a lot and making jokes.

Ishida: After that, we’d talk on Skype once every month or two. One time we talked for around 6 hours.

Takahashi: Until morning. This guy talks while he works, you know, so he can blabber on for a long time.

Ishida: Funny enough I make more progress if I have someone to talk to while I’m working.

A mangaka and a musician talking on Skype night after night

And that doesn’t reduce your ability to concentrate? Since when you’re talking over the phone there are moments where you have to think about the person you’re talking to.

Ishida: It depends on the work. There’s a term in the manga industry where you’re just moving your hands. The “usual work”, should I put it? The “usual face”, the “usual composition.” When I’m doing that kind of work, I’ll often listen to someone talk, watch TV, or listen to music.

What do you talk about?

Ishida: About creative works, among other topics. Recently we’ve been talking about death matches.

Death matches?

Ishida: A type of fiction where a group of people are forced to kill each other off, you’re guaranteed to find one in any convenience store. Because the death match is such an excellent format, it’s easy to draw and sell in any era. But if the author relies too much on that format, the story will fall apart without them even realizing it...that’s my opinion on it.

The most interesting death match is still “Battle Royale.”

Takahashi: Rigid formats will always exist in any kind of media, including in music. It’s fine if you put a story into that template for starters, that’s what a countless number of creators are aiming for.

Ishida: The format itself isn’t bad, but if you rely too much on it, it no longer becomes your own creation, and the work ends up becoming sloppy and excessive.

When you’re talking things over with each other, are you ever influenced by the other person?

Ishida: I am. Whether it’s music or manga, I realized that there are many factors that I can relate to in terms of creativity, even if I may not be an expert in those fields. When I’m talking to Kunimitsu-kun, it makes me wonder if I can connect with people working in other genres. We can have discussions without building fences between one other.

What about yourself, Takahashi-san?

Takahashi: Objectively speaking, Ishida-kun is a very successful person. In the past I would always hold feelings of inferiority towards those successful people.

But talking to him...I realized that he was a normal person. It might just be by chance that Ishida is normal, but how should I put it, we suffer in similar ways. In that sense I’ve become more open-minded and changed how I think about people running on the front lines.

...I’m a professional too, after all. Since I’m a creator, the last thing I can do is call professionals fools.

I once gave up on music. Ishida Sui has kept going.

Takahashi-san, why did you stop being a musician in the first place? I heard that just before the cabs tour you suddenly disappeared.

Takahashi: ...that’s right. I caused a lot of trouble for many people, especially the band members, so I can’t talk much about it...just that I ran away like a fool. That’s why I thought I wouldn’t be working on music anymore.

After you kept composing music in your “personal space”, you received news of a collaboration. Have your thoughts changed on this matter?

Takahashi: I suppose so. When it comes to anything concerning Ishida Sui, there are two things that have affected me the most. The first is that the act of continuing on no matter what is worth its weight in gold, and to not object to it.

Ishida: It’s a huge feat, putting things out with no regard to its shape or form. I feel it even more since I’m not working on a serialization anymore. Whoever can accomplish this is truly remarkable.

Takahashi: I’ve already given up on music once, so I’ve got some very strong feelings regarding this.

And one more...because Tokyo Ghoul really felt like it reached its conclusion, I realized that “ending things properly” and “continuing” can both be considered equally wonderful.

What do you mean by “ending things properly”?

Takahashi: You know what Ishida-kun said when we first met? “I’d like to end Tokyo Ghoul by turning it into a complete train wreck.”

Ishida: You said you’d demolish it for me (laughs).

Takahashi: But when I actually read the final chapter, it had a pretty clean ending. "He got me...” I thought.

I’ve always thought about quitting

Takahashi: I find it frustrating that I was given the right answer without feeling like I earned it. Here I am strolling on the sidewalk, and before I know it Ishida-kun’s racing down the road...that’s what it feels like. That’s what I was heavily influenced by when I was making “You of Paradise.” How valuable “ending things properly” can be.

You’ve already mentioned how important it is to keep on going, but Sui-sensei, you continued to work on your serialization for 7 years. Did you ever think about quitting?

Ishida: All the time. I underestimated how taxing manga and magazine serializations were.

Why is that?

Ishida: I wonder...I think it was only after I realized that I could rely on other people that I really began to enjoy making manga. The conclusions I came to on my own were mostly self-contained, and I no longer felt that it was fun drawing manga alone.

But I found another way after asking around. And it only took about 6.5 years (laughs).

Have you been worrying on your own until then?

Ishida: This is a personal problem, but I didn’t want to tell anyone about how the story would unfold. I also considered the editor-in-charge as a reader, so I wanted to keep it a secret. In that case, what am I supposed to discuss with the editor? I can only talk about superficial things...that’s what I did for the longest time.

And though I’d been so eager to stop, I said that I wanted to keep going a bit longer during the last half-year...which was why I kept dropping off the manuscripts late every week. It seems that the printers always had to wait until the very last minute for my manuscripts.

The final chapter of Tokyo Ghoul was meant to be a train wreck

Ishida: I’d originally planned to finish it December of last year, but I said, “I’m sorry, I need another 3 months.” I increased the extension bit by bit, and I ended up lengthening it by about 6 months.

When I told the editorial department that I’d be done in 10 chapters, they prepared the cover page of the final chapter’s issue. But right before the deadline I told them, “I’m sorry again, I need 3 more chapters…”

Takahashi: I was reading that issue of Young Jump where it was supposed to end in 10 chapters. I was completely deceived (laughs). I saw the cover and it said, “Tokyo Ghoul climax.” So I thought, “Is it finally over?” but when I read it it just kept going on.

Ishida: When I told them I needed 3 more chapters, it was too late by then. Most likely every department was under chaos then, but I hope you can sympathize with the Young Jump editorial department.

Is that the reason why Tokyo Ghoul was on the back cover of the final chapter’s issue?

Ishida: It is. Thanks to the kindness of the editor-in-chief, he suggested that Tokyo Ghoul could get a cover if it was on the back.

I often see final chapters on the front cover, but it’s kinda cool to have it on the back instead. It might even be better to have the reader see Kaneki and Touka on the back so they can read it and think, “It’s really over.” It wasn’t what I was necessarily aiming for, but thanks to the editor-in-chief’s stylistic sense it made that back cover possible.

The final chapter went from a train wreck to a happy ending. Did you have a chance to change your mind?

Ishida: Probably...once I was aware that the ending was approaching, I lost all meaning of value behind a train wreck ending. At first I thought, “Let’s shock everyone and make myself disappear,” but then I realized that I was misconstruing that as cool.

Nonetheless...the endgame had some parts that were definitely messy, but I changed them to be positive. I’m fine with it not being good, as long as it’s got some definitive answers. That happy ending is also a train wreck in its own way (laughs). I thought that that kind of train wreck would be more interesting.

Takahashi: That ending completely shocked me. “He got me,” I uttered.

Communicating, continuing, ending

How did you feel when you were asked to collaborate with Tokyo Ghoul once again for “You of Paradise”?

Takahashi: As we got to know each other, we’d inevitably talk about the anime. I couldn’t refuse when I was asked to compose the ending song when I’d been watching the course of the final chapter from up close, and been utterly deceived and shocked by it.

...but I was scared.

Why did you think that, even though you achieved it last time without any major hiccups?

Ishida: I think it’s that feeling of, “did I strike gold?” There’s a lot of luck involved when you’re extracting gold from a lode. He was able to do this naturally during the cabs era.

Takahashi: I could compose music almost as if those lodes were exposed to the open.

Ishida: When I asked him to do “You of Paradise”, I got the feeling that he was thinking, “Where can I dig from...” I think he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to dig up that lode. Though I thought he was going to be fine.

How do you think it turned out when you tried composing it with that fear in mind? Were there any changes, compared it to “Incompetence”?

Takahashi: “Incompetence” being all over the place was because I was all over the place.

Up until now I’ve been making music and thinking that I can’t convey my ideas well. When I was in the band, I’d never really been able to express my thoughts so I gave up. I thought it was an impossible feat for me.

“Incompetence” was a song that I tossed out into the world, without any hope that I’d be able to express such a warped feeling. For a while after that song was released, I hardly ever listened to it.

But Ishida-kun and my friends who are still playing in bands...I’ve watched them keep on going or reach a proper end no matter how many years passed by. They’re doing it right.

I came to the conclusion that it was dishonest of me to give up on expressing myself from the beginning when the people around me have been working hard and doing their best.

Sui-sensei, have you ever thought that you couldn’t convey something when drawing your manga?

Ishida: I definitely have.

Takahashi: Sounds like you’ve given up.

Ishida: Maybe, since I have to draw every week. If I don’t follow a set routine then I become overwhelmed very quickly. This means that I’m working on one panel at a time, but I can’t convey my ideas well that way.

And it’s not the reader’s fault, it might just be that I’m not good enough. I couldn’t figure it out no matter how much I thought about it, so I gave up on the issue of not being able to properly convey my ideas.

To be honest, I don’t really feel anything from people reading my stuff. I can’t physically see you reading the manga, and I can’t gauge how you really feel about it by asking how many copies you have. It’s to the point where sometimes I’ll notice someone reading it at a convenience store and think, “I finally found someone.” It makes me think that being a mangaka is a lonely profession.

Takahashi-san, did you compose “You of Paradise” after reading the final chapter this time?

Takahashi: I read it this time (laughs). At first, the song I was using for the ending before “You of Paradise” was some ridiculously abstruse piece. After I sent it to Ishida-kun, he told me, “To be honest, it’s got the things that I want to express and it’s packed with lots of stuff, but I want you to compose a really simple piece that anyone can listen to and enjoy.” And so it got rebuilt and that’s the song you see today (laughs).

First, face what you’re trying to convey. Don’t whine about how you can’t convey your ideas if you haven’t tried in the first place. That’s what I thought. If you start thinking, “I can’t do it in the first place,” you’re running away. Take that first step. It feels like I can now pursue universal virtues.

Ishida: It’s a challenge, huh.

Takahashi: I’ve thought about just giving up in defeat. When I first saw that the final chapter that Ishida-kun wanted to make a wreck of had turned into a beautiful and happy ending...he seemed to have chosen to end it by having it speak to people universally. I was shocked by it, and the desire to go along with it bloomed in me. If Tokyo Ghoul can have that kind of ending, then I can make the music to match it.

You seem to have changed a lot as a person over the last 3 years.

Takahashi: I had a musical spirit who would always whisper in my ear, “You’re that kind of human being, aren’t you?” When it disappeared after having stuck around since my band days, I kept my distance from it. But I feel refreshed now since I think I should finally put an end to my issues.

Ishida: “You of Paradise” is the only song appropriate for that kind of ending. No other song can work.

After a 2 hour interview, Ishida and Takahashi vanished into the streets of Shibuya to go watch a live performance of cinema staff, to which Iida Mizuki, the guest vocalist for “You of Paradise”, is a member of.

As an aside, the name of the cabs live tour that was never realized after Takahashi suddenly disappeared, was called “You of Paradise.”

END OF THE INTERVIEW.

Translator notes:

I think I need to clarify on what I mean by ‘train wreck’. When I say it, it refers to something in ruins, complete shambles, destroyed. Essentially a tragic ending, akin to chapter 143 of :re, so Ishida was thinking about having TG end in tragedy. I chose to use the term ‘train wreck’ and ‘in ruins’ over ‘tragic’ because they have slightly different connotations (台無し vs. 悲劇). It’s the reason why I would consider TG chapter 140 (when Kaneki ‘dies’ to Arima in V14, looks like an end to a classic tragedy play) as tragic ( 悲劇) and TG:re chapter 143 (when Kaneki loses to Juuzou and Hanbee and shit hits the fan for everyone) as 台無し (train wreck/ruined).

[engelchenyugi]

Someone to believe in

Rivalshipping is one of the ships I actually see working out in canon-verse which is more thanks to Takahashi and his illustration for them.

(It feels great that one of my head-canons turned out to be realistic enough for even the mangaka to consider as a possibility.（๑✧∀✧๑）)

I see them forming a business relationship. Kaiba who came back from the Ancient times and made his peace with Atem now has to keep his eyes open in order to find a new rival which is Yuugi. There are quite a few things about Kaiba's and Yuugi's relationship people often seem to overlook. It wasn't Atem who first saw through Kaiba's mask but Yuugi. Yuugi who always had been an outsider in his class must have been used watching people.

He learned to read them because he adapted to them. He never wanted to make people angry or have them think ill of him which of course lead to him being more or less ignored by his classmates. Yuugi has shyness issues in the manga and he can't really say what he thinks as he fears hurting other people or being misunderstood. The manga explains Yuugi's personality, his complexes and how he deals with the people around him perfectly. When the manga starts, Yuugi has been in his class for quite a while but to the reader it is described in a way as if Yuugi was new there. He explains the minor characters and seems to have a lot of knowledge about them although he never actively talked to them. This way of narrative is pretty interesting and unusual.

He is wishing for friends and wants people to see him which is interesting as it shows that Yuugi has spent a lot of time just observing the people around him which explains why Yuugi can tell if someone lies or tells the truth. He has the ability to look through other people's lies which became all the more clearer when Kaiba exchanges his Blue Eyes White Dragon card with a copy.

No, even before that, we see Yuugi look at Kaiba with some kind of concern. He knows that Kaiba is up to something and he is sweating. Kaiba is smiling. Kaiba is acting. He acts like a normal teenager and if we see the whole picture, Kaiba is loved by the masses and he has fans all around the world which is also explained by the shareholders of Kaiba Corporation who only choose Kaiba as the CEO because of his popularity and his reputation among gamers. Kaiba is known as a genius. More than that, he knows how to manipulate people and make them like him. Kaiba is faking a smile and acts like a likable and kind person – which he is absolutely not, as he is pretty devious, self-centered and so full of himself.

Yuugi was the first person who ever saw through his masquerade and Kaiba should have paid more attention to Yuugi and not only to Atem. This is something he will learn after DSOD. I'm pretty sure that Kaiba will accept Yuugi as his true rival (since he already did acknowledge his skills in the end of DSOD) and that they will get closer in a human level during their work on Spherium. I like to imagine how this change slowly comes to them and how Kaiba more and more understands how much he needs people around him, especially his brother and Yuugi. Although Kaiba would never say so, he does need people around him, because if he is all by himself he is rather destructive. He pays no attention to himself and easily gets absorbed in his job, fully forgetting everything around him because he can't deal with his own weaknesses.

And this is something I find very interesting. Yuugi has full right to hate Kaiba. To avoid him, but he chooses not to. Yuugi makes a decision which is surprising to the reader (mostly to Jounouchi) and to Kaiba. He calls Kaiba a friend, saying that they have the same passion and that they're alike. He visits Kaiba in the hospital, fully knowing that he is not going to wake up. This alone shows that Yuugi has forgiven him and that he is even worried about his well-being. The man who put his friends in danger and tried to kill them. The man who would captivate him and make him face his own weaknesses. It's so difficult to understand why Yuugi would forgive him after everything he's done. It’s easy to say that Yuugi is in general a kind boy, but it’s not like he can’t be angry or hate people. Even Yuugi can be quite unforgiving and hold grudges, but there must have been something he gained from his encounter with Kaiba – something he realized during Death-T he wouldn’t have been able without him.

Kaiba and Yuugi have some kind of special bond between them and both know that. Maybe Yuugi is grateful to Kaiba because only due to Death-T he was finally able to address his true feelings and the possibility that there might be someone else inside him that is taking control over his body once he loses consciousness. He needed an extreme situation to say what was bothering him. Without the severe situation they were in, he would have never had the guts to tell his friends his fears. It was the whole situation, facing deaths and not knowing what's happening next, that made him despaired enough to address this matter – which was a good thing and helped him to overcome his fear and realize that his friends would always be there for him, even if he had another person inside him. 

Yuugi calls Kaiba a friend. He offers him help. Both manga and anime. He never shows negative feelings towards the man who put him into hell and even laughed at his misery. There is a lot of respect between them, especially coming from Yuugi’s side who would address him with “Kaiba-kun” while Kaiba would just call him by his forename. Yuugi has a lot of respect for Kaiba and seems to admire him in a way. Yuugi, just like Atem, considers Kaiba a noble duelist. And this way of thinking, the way he sees Kaiba, is to me really exciting to explore.

Kaiba must have realized that, too. Kaiba knows what a kind person Yuugi is and that it makes no difference for their awkward relationship whether he pushes him away, because Yuugi keeps coming back. Yuugi does not give him up and that is something Kaiba needs. Kaiba needs a person who is willing and able to stand up against him and does not mind being rejected. Kaiba rejects Yuugi so many times and shows him that he does not believe in his friendship-is-magic bullshit that one should think Yuugi would finally give up on him. But the more often Kaiba rejects him, the more likely for Yuugi to come back.

And that's why I like their relationship. Kaiba is an asshole and Yuugi still chooses to be nice to him and call him a friend. This whole relationship is messed up and the older they get, the more Kaiba will understand how important Yuugi is for him.

Personally, I really have problems imagining Kaiba in a lovey-dovey relationship because he is does not like showing his weak sides since he is afraid people might take advantage of him. Due to his past with Gozaburo he was taught to suppress his own emotions and strive for success. As the mangaka said, Gozaburo truly thought that this was the best and he actually considered himself a good father which is why he never realized the slowly growing madness inside his son. Furthermore, Kaiba truly regrets having killed his father. He considers himself a patricide and this burdens him. Even stated by the author of the manga:

“To Kaiba, he was a father, but he just wasn't a "typical" father. When he carried out his administration shift, Seto didn't think that Gozaburo would die. Now without a foe due to Gozaburo taking his own life, he slowly started to lose his sanity. He himself felt guilty of committing "patricide." Being an important keyword in this series, the word "patricide" always haunts him. You could say Gozaburo implanted the design that "games equal death" into Seto.”

Kaiba has emotions. Kaiba is easily manipulated. Kaiba is a human-being and it's not like he never regrets anything. There are plenty of things that haunt him. He is obsessed with crushing the past and find a way to the future, because he himself can't go on. He can't do that. He can't forget his past and is chained down by his memories. He needs to repeat these words so often not to convince Yuugi-tachi but himself. Fighting against his own emotions, his past and bounds to other people gives him strength and he seems to believe that this is the only way to reach the future. Abandoning anything around you is the only way to focus.The only way to create a path to the future is to destroy everything. Kaiba tends to think in extremes. All or nothing. Black or white. There is no middle way and he is not willing to accept any other people who oppose his way of thinking.

I'd like to quote something that Takahashi said about Yuugi's and Kaiba's relationship:

“[...]Seto searched for the meaning in fighting said to take down your opponent down in a game on your own. Fighting, and, for example, what's known as war, is a battle between two nations, while Seto considers fighting a personal war to the bitter end. That's why I think Yuugi's character is so significant. Seto, without Yuugi as his rival and without an enemy that he must topple, would not be able to exist.“

Kaiba can't exist without Yuugi, because he would choose the path of destruction and lose himself. Although the mangaka is talking about Yami no Yuugi, rather Atem, it’s something that I see as a general character trait of Kaiba. Kaiba needs someone who gives him a reason to keep fighting, someone to believe in. As shown in DSOD, Kaiba can't deal loss. He absolutely can't. He would never openly admit it or say it out loud, there is a special connection between him and Atem. (I know that the dub destroyed this moment and made him say something he wouldn't say, but I just ignore the bullshit America once again came up for Yuugiou and instead pay more attention to the original version.)

Kaiba does not need to say what he thinks, because it's obvious. His expression shows how he truly feels and that this rivalry-thingy he has going on with Atem is much more than that, equaling the love to an important brother you need to have by your side to realize your own mistakes and show you the way. Atem is Kaiba’s mentor. Kaiba is focused so much on Atem that he can’t see the world around him anymore. That’s just what he is and even in the future, Kaiba will need someone who gives him a reason to be alive. Someone who motivates him to grow and improve and the only one fitting for that role is Yuugi. Yuugi is the only only capable of handling him and has proven that he is worthy to be his next rival.

The movie makes sure to show that Kaibas has a place to return to and that meeting Atem is not the last or the ending of his journey but only a stepping stone to a brighter future where his past stops haunting him.

And later on, it's Yuugi who will fill this role, even going far beyond that. Working together, sharing their passion for games and being able to live their dreams and make anything happen they desire will help Kaiba to regain his humanity. Of course, he will never go head over heels for Yuugi and tell him how much he loves him, because his actions and his looks are enough to ensure Yuugi that Kaiba absolutely treasures him.

[themangaguide]

How to catch the tactical subtlety

Regarding the story!

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To offer a cliff-notes version of what this story is all about. We've Got an Orphan kid called Shin that has an imagine coming to be the best He undergoes lots of a fight with his Closer to his imagine unifying China and also coming to be the best basic ever.

Really makes a series distinct is the way that it develops its personalities as well as brilliantly. Conventional tale beats comply with the authentic historical timeline, this collection is So the Story adheres to Shin as well as his very best buddy Sei, the present king.

Fights which were key for the state of Qin's unification conquests of China. Something which accompanies the dreams of its key actors. This A number of the most intense and nail biting I've ever before seen performed in an enjoyment tool. Normally when you see battle conflicts in flicks or other in a meaningless blaze of glory as we watch the main personalities reduced swathes of opponents in brave fashion.

While there's absolutely nothing wrong keeping that and also can be rather entertaining if done properly, it never truly rested ideal with me. It appeared like they were missing out on an essential and essential element in warfare that nearly never Gets stood for in different stories, which is STRATEGY and TACTICS. While lots of might birthed you in the lead up to the fight with surface Scrubs type discussion Full of meaningless "calculated" mumble jumbo that does not actually suggest anything or is even acted on throughout the Battle itself; mangairo is the 1 collection that really incorporates tactical and also tactical warfare and takes care of to weave it right into its Narrative that really feels similarly enjoyable as well as interesting in a fashion that glues you to the web page, excitedly excited of what happens following.

The means mangairo reveals warfare in its story is the most unique and also is Something that really establishes this collection apart and also makes it unique. momoiro heaven manga Each major tale arc is based around a big scale campaign which, from starting to finish is a critical chess match between both opposing generals. A project in mangairo can cover several facets of warfare from siege fights, guerilla war, and also simply directly pitch fights where each side takes on versus each other on an open level.

For a collection which relies on the success and enjoyment of each fight, it pulls it off really well. Every project arc really feels distinctively remarkable, Exciting, and strained whilst creating the personalities and also subject of this manga throughout. Something That maintains each fight different and also unique is its focus on just how much the fight counts on each sides basic. In this series, a general isn't just some arbitrary guy who motivates his soldiers and gives standard orders. Each general in the collection has a special particular and also styles of war which never ever really feels the same as any type of other.

Each general methods a fight in a different way which is among the numerous points that maintain the viewers on his toes, never knowing what's gon na take place next. If you read/watched Hunter x Hunter, then you'll definitely Really similar to this component of mangairo. Due to the fact that easily series, this mangaka recognizes exactly how to catch the tactical subtlety that includes two Extremely smart individuals with one-of-a-kind approaches to fight trying to figure each other out. While mangairo doesn't have insane Abilities or fascinating incredibly powers, the author does a fantastic task of recording the different approaches each general offers the battlefield. So, If you 'd such as to [review manga online] and also desire some impressive manga to read, then I extremely advise this work of art. Give it a shot and see it yourself! You may also visit https://acousticguitarblog.my-free.website/u0dq5bzzndq2hzphl5n21620143046 for more related info

[arkus-rhapsode]

My response to Hiro Mashima’s recent interview

So I was going to let this slide as I do all of his interviews, but man oh man... Hiro Mashima just had to be Hiro Mashima. Now you can find the interview here, but man, this fucking guy.

Q=Interview Question M=Mashima

Q:How did you feel the first day you woke up and didn't have to work on Fairy Tail?

M: I was actually kind of lonely and sad, so I started doodling.

Yeah, your twitter has been kinda full lately...

Q: Fairy Tail is relatively new compared to other “classic” manga and anime series, but it is already considered a classic among fans. How does this make you feel?

M: I am really glad to hear that.

No. No. FT is nowhere near classic. It definitely came out in the golden age of manga (Big 3, Toriko, SNK, etc) and is still apart of its era, but I doubt that people will still care for it as much as they do now in 5 years from now.

Q: Both Rave Master and Fairy Tail are fantasy works. Have you ever considered doing something outside of the fantasy genre?

M: I personally just really love fantasy works in general, so if I do a new series, I would like to try to make it fantasy again. Rave Master was about friends saving the whole world, but Fairy Tail is about closer-knit relationships. So if I do another fantasy story, I would like to try a different approach.    

How’s about friends going on a journey and having a point to everything? Y’know what a shounen series is in general.

Q: Have you ever considered revisiting Rave Master?

M: At the autograph sessions, I have been experiencing a lot of people actually requesting characters from Rave Master, but I realize that I have forgotten how to draw a lot of the characters from that series, so it might be hard to revisit it.

Well great to know the thing that made you famous in the first place isn’t worth remembering how to draw. I mean seriously I know it’s been 11 years, but you have to at least remember something

Q: Many comic book artists have said that they know the last page of the series before they start. Was that the case for Fairy Tail?

M: I honestly didn't have any idea what the last scene of the story was like in my mind when I started the series. The fact that I didn't know what was going to happen next was actually the best part of working on this series. For example, when there is a cliffhanger where the characters are in a really tight spot, the fans wonder what is going to happen next? Well, that's actually my question and I really have to think about it.

Dude... You’re the author, it is your job to know this! This isn’t a game that you can just wing it and if it fails you can try again, this is a published series with a large following. You need to do it justice, that is the job of a mangaka.

Q: You have traditionally used more Western influences in your work. What kind of Western work do you draw inspiration from?

M: About 30 years ago in Japan, there was a huge boom of RPG fantasy games, so those are where I got my inspiration from. For example, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

No surprises there...

Q: In the world of Fairy Tail, are the magic powers something you inherit or can you obtain them if you work hard enough?

M: In the world of Fairy Tail, if anyone wants to learn a new magic, if they train themselves hard enough, they should be able to. There are a lot of characters who are training themselves to learn a different kind of magic. However, in the guild of Fairy Tail, everybody is collaborating and working together, so most of those characters work on their own talents and refine them so they are able to give more help to the others.

SO Magic is something everyone can use? Then what was the whole point of 90% of the population can’t use magic? Did they just not give a shit about having awesome powers?

Q: I find Zeref very interesting. He isn't your typical bad guy and he is sort of a tragic figure. Why did you decide to make him like that?

M: I didn't want a typical bad guy. I kind of combined all of the elements I had been cultivating and inserted edit into this character, and he became a really highly complex character. 

Then you proceeded to shit all over his character in the final arc. Guess that was the real tragedy.

Q: Everyone likes the female characters in Fairy Tail. They seem to be both strong and sexy at the same time and self-confident. How did you go about making such balanced female characters?

M: This is actually kind of what I like in females. This my personal taste so I inserted it into the character. It's kind of my wish.

Maybe the female characters started out that way, but they sure as shit didn’t stay that way. Lucy became completely pointless in the last arc, Juvia has no personality outside I love Gray, Erza is an unintentional parody of over powered characters, Wendy is a walking Deus Ex Machina, Can needs her dad to solve anything in the end, and Mirajane has zero to any existence in this series.

Q: Is there a particular character you wish you had more time to develop?

M: One of the characters that I think of is Acnologia. In my mind I had a deeper setting for this character. But the story is from the main character's point of view, so I couldn't really do that. I may have some time to explore the story of Acnologia at some point.

No, you can fit in a character’s back story whenever you fucking like. In fact, seeing something from another character’s point of view is important to understand them. Though after seeing that Acnologia is just upset about a girl, I don’t think we need more.

Q: In terms of design, Fairy Tail is unique when it comes to designs.  A lot of the characters change their outfits throughout the series. How do you go about changing the characters’ clothes?

M: Every time I actually make a costume change, there's usually something that I didn't like about the character design so I refresh them. But sometimes I think maybe the previous character design was better so I kind of go back and forth.

Fair enough, you keep their normal look consistent enough.

Q: What Fairy Tail character will you miss the most?

M: There is a character named Brandish. I wish I could draw more of her.

And yet she didn’t make an appearance in the last chapter

Q: In the American comic book industry, it is common for multiple people to work on the same comic. In Japan, one person entirely writes the whole thing. In America, the creators may have died and people are still writing the series. What are your thoughts on this process?

M: One of the great things about American comics is that so many people can work at once to turn it into a movies or different types of comic books or media and that carries over overseas. In terms of manga, it usually one person thinks of the story and everything is centered on that one storyline, so, if there is an opportunity to branch off, that's actually a good thing. In terms of Fairy Tail, a lot of people love the world view of Fairy Tail, so it is actually possible to expand the story into a spin-off taken over by another creator, so it is kind of diversifying the intellectual property.

Yeah surprising how much better it is when it isn’t solely in your

Q: In American spin-offs, they worry a lot about continuity. Did you worry about that over the 11 years you worked on Fairy Tail?

M: I was thinking about it a little bit, but it wasn't the highest priority. It is more important to me to make the story exciting and really portray the emotions of each character. So if the fans find some flaws in the continuity, I am actually excited to know that people are reading that much into it.

Fuck you. No seriously fuck you. Stop being a writer and start being just an artist because that is not the tone of a writer. There are people who would trade their souls just for FT’s popularity or writers who wish they could make this series, and yet you are the one who has it... Go fuck yourself Hiro.

Q: Sometimes in Fairy Tail characters die, but they always come back. Why did you decide to both this?

M: This has to do with the fact that in Rave Master, a lot of characters actually died and it turned out to be a sad story. When you are working on a manga in a magazine, it is up to the reader's polls and feedback whether you can actually stay in the magazine. To be quite honest, the chapters that have the death of a really important character get a lot of reaction. Knowing this, I really wanted to make sure that people don't die in my series.

Yeah but rave was also an infinitely better story. Also that is the sad truth about popularity,but you should always be sure to do what’s good, not what’s popular.

Q: If you were in the world of Fairy Tail and you could have three people on your team, who would it be?

M: Lucy, Erza, and Juvia.

Well now I know what your personal wet dream is...

(There’s more, but I’ve responded to Everything I’v needed to. Hiro Mashima as a person, might not e a bad guy, but Hiro Mashima the author is fucking infuriating)

[immaletyoufinsihbutonew]

The “Yaoi” on Ice Discourse: Perspective of A Yaoi Fan

I am an avid fan of Yuri on Ice. It’s a great show from what I can see, and it does represent one gay relationship healthily in mainstream anime. I think it was incredibly created, and I really love it. But before I loved Yuri on Ice, I loved yaoi/yuri a whole lot more.That’s where the conflict starts. The main reason I didn’t jump on the fandom bandwagon was because there was this habit within the fandom to put the show on a higher pedestal in terms of representation. First off, there’s something fundamentally wrong with that. Yes, they did depict a healthy lgbt relationship, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the only method or depiction out there, and that’s where yaoi/yuri comes in.

When I started being a fan, I was really deep in my sexuality crisis, and it made me really suicidal. Yaoi/yuri not only potrayed the relationships I envisioned romantically, it answered some of the questions I couldn’t dare myself to ask. Like, if I came out and I was kicked to the curb, do I need to stay with the partner I gave up my family with because that’s ethical? Or, can I possibly be someone who is respected and seen as moral if I was lgbt? Some did a good job and some did a bad job, but at the end of the day, these series saved me as a person, and helped me become an open minded being.  To see a show that’s mainstream do that was really uplifting, but I wouldn’t  say that it was the only lgbt show that ever did that. And when people like me started to say that, we got back the yaoi/yuri is homophobic message. 

And when I got that, I was furious. Are you kidding me? The one thing that kept me from OD because of my sexuality crisis was now homophobic?  So I made a post on my side blog about it, and I got actual death threats from people who never knew me or my background. All you cared was that hypersexualized myself apparently. Yeah, those series are sexual and can be fetishizing with the wrong author, but it also answered questions that, in all honestly Yuri on Ice could never have done. I don’t blame fans completely, however. I think the connotation yuri/yaoi had was always negative. But I’m here to prove that it isn’t the case. Since I see most people calling out yaoi instead of yuri, I’ll use yaoi as an example. I’m going to be recommending series that I found helpful during my sexuality crisis, but only the yaoi end of the stick. If you want yuri reccs, please shoot me as message. Without further ado:

LGBT Friendly Yaoi ( Top Five, Not in Order) 

1) Soubi Yamamoto Films -  I feel like these films fit the taste of Yuri on Ice fans best. They are films that are absolutely stunning in art and style, and they are rich in depth and beauty. They also depict healthy LGBT relationships quite well, even though in all honestly, only 3 have come out. They don’t discuss hard hitting topics like homophobia or abuse that much, but they do discuss things like moving on in relationships and just a lot of very... human themes. And they don’t, or rarely talk about sexual behaviors if the sex isn’t your thing. 

Piece I would reccomend:  Kono Danshi, Ningyo Hiroimashita (very gorgeous, helped with insecurities and the fear of rejection from people I loved, doesn’t try to make any character feminine in order to fetishize) 

2) Orgretsu Tanaka Manga - the main complaint I see with Yuri On Ice fans is how they feminize the bottoms in order to fetishize gay relationships. This author is probably the best at denying that claim, and also one of my favorite manga, and I mean manga in general, artists of all time. They don’t shy away from topics like abuse and the causes of it, they don’t shy away from homophobia, and they don’t shy away from BDSM or anything that would be considered too taboo. In this author’s eyes, or pen, human beings are complex beautiful characters, and they don’t hesitate to show you that. Topics like abuse and homophobia are addressed and not romanticized. The abusive, homophobic people are still human and you can still see that, but their actions are never forgiven by this author.

Piece I would recommend:  Sabita Yoru Demo Koi wa Sasayaku (discusses homophobia and abuse without romanticizing it, if that’s what you’re looking for, very meaningful) (WARNING: ABUSE, HOMOPHOBIA)

3)  Shungiku Nakamura Works - to be honest, the reason I recommend any of her works is because she is one of the few authors who are actually popular in certain pockets of mainstream anime. Even though I find her pretty average in her more popular works, she does discuss things in her pieces that helped me as not just someone lgbt, but someone who was growing dependent on romantic relationships. She writes about topics that I wouldn’t normally bring up when discussing lgbt rights. She talks about the pining you felt towards a straight person, if you identified as someone who wasn’t. She talks about how homophobia can be tragic, and she describes the loss of love so touchingly. Her peices actually have anime adaptions, so if that’s more appealing to you compared to manga, go for it.

Piece I would recommend: (this is hard, because I personally identified with Hybrid Child, but when talking to my friends, they found The World’s Greatest Love better representation) I’m going with my gut instinct, and putting... both lol. Although I would say that Hybrid Child was richer in serious topics, and really helped me out. Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi (The World’s Greatest Love) was more for... feel good vibers. 

4) Harada - in the yaoi fandom, this author is NOTORIOUSLY known for writing psychological horrors. The last thing they fear is discussing controversial topics. Almost all the characters in their series do something fucked up, and the main goal is to see how fucked up can get. But what I really liked about Harada is that, when I was younger, I excused some of my not so amazing behavior on things like homophobia. I was very possessive of the people I couldn’t have and did a lot of shitty things. Harada showed me how that was dangerous. I’m not saying all people are like me, but Harada humanizes the worst kinds of people without romanticizing them. So I would totally recommend. Although I the recommendation I make is a little more vanilla compared to their other works, because I’m not gonna throw people in a ring of fucked up mentalities that quickly lol. This recommendation is probably the least happy recommendation of them all, but it’s realistic and it will gut you like a fish if you happen to think saying you crushed on your friend’s love interest in order for your friend not to go out with them. Because your friend was straight and you were attracted to them. (me)

Piece I would recommend: Yatamomo (WARNING: child abuse, rape, mental illness)

5) Historical Pieces - call this cheating, but I REALLY mean it. Historical pieces in any yaoi will give you a sense of the struggle in homophobia, or at least a decent lgbt relationship. I find that a lot of the male yaoi mangakas like to fall in this realm because it’s a way to prove to people that being gay wasn’t just a modern century thing, and it was a part of your lives, whether you liked it or not. There are literally so many to chose from. Brownie points for the ones that are tagged with tragedy, because those REALLY portray homophobia well.  

Piece I would recommend: Est Em’s Carmen (truly tragic) (WARNING: homocide)

This took me awhile. Please don’t let this post flop lol. My main point is that yaoi isn’t just a 30 second clip of Boku No Pico. It’s a evolving genre that’s bustling with writers who experience their own struggles with homophobia. Love your genre, but please don’t shit on someone else’s to put yours on a higher pedestal. 

And these aren’t the only ones. You can explore yaoi/yuri as genre yourself, but please keep in mind that it’s a genre, not a whole entire piece. 

[recentanimenews]

The 5 Most Loved and Hated Vampires in Anime

Welcome to Part 4 of our 5-Part Halloween-themed October series! Last week we checked the ranking for werewolves and this time around we’ll be looking at the oddly captivating hematophages who abhor a good tan. They range from cultured sophisticant to ravenous beasts, but it's usually safe to assume they have some kind of “I only look like a teenager” thing going on.

  Love them or hate them, a garlic-rich diet will probably keep them off your neck. Our friends over at Anime-Planet spend day and night cataloguing these unique features and leaving it to the fans to vote on the best and worst vampires in all of anime. A note before we begin, these are the result of popular votes that I can and will disagree with. Only your democratic will can determine who makes it on this list. With that out of the way, below are the 5 most loved and most hated vampires in anime!

  Loved

  5. Moka Akashiya - Rosario + Vampire

    Moka is actually a pretty hardcore vampire, or would be if she hadn't been sealed away in what turned out to be a surprisingly messed up way. Slapping a sweet, passive high school girls personality into her body while the real her just hangs around in some sort of purgatory. Not quite sure why she cares whether or not the personality designed to supplant her own is happy, but the real one doesn’t mess around and killing other monsters to protect your favorite blood bag is some pretty high level vampire stuff. Creepy as soon as the cross comes off. Also have to respect anybody with a transformation sequence.

  4. Seras Victoria - Hellsing

  The most bright-eyed vampire I’ve ever seen. She took all her enthusiasm as a rookie police officer and poured it right into serving Alucard after she got her throat ripped out. Normally I wouldn’t say this makes for a very good vampire, but she learns to direct all that genki energy right into dismembering her enemies and smearing their body parts across several miles of hallway. Neat arm thing too. Kind of a coming of age for vampires.

  3. Shinobu Oshino - Bakemonogatari

    AKA “Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade” she’s a vampire who is sometimes a voluptuous woman, sometimes a teenager, and sometimes a little girl hanging out in protag-kuns shadow based on plot events difficult to understand and difficult-er to explain. Definitely a badass vampire when the mood strikes causing some major wreckage and ripping out throats but, like the majority of the cast, she spends most of her timing sitting around in sterile, surreal environments trying to sort through her plus size emotional luggage, so it’s a mixed bag.

  2. Zero Kiryu - Vampire Knight

    Surprised it took this long to hit Vampire Knight. Not really sure how I feel about tsundere vampires, although Veldora convinced me there is a certain charm in an immortal being that has trouble admitting they want friends but desperately needs them to make it through eternity. Still, he isn’t a very intimidating dude. Using a weapon forged in the heart’s blood of an ancient vampire is metal as hell though. Now all we need is a Seraph of the End character...

  1. Alucard - Hellsing

    There could be no one else. When you’re 500 years old it probably gives you a lot of time to read all the old vampire literature about being one with the shadows and master of beasts. It also gives you a lot of time to cultivate your own personal style. Nobody else on the list has the raw nightmare power of Alucard and he still sets a high standard for creativity when it comes to dispatching other monsters of the night.

  Hated

  5. Shizuka Hio - Vampire Knight

    Shizuka is one messy vampire and I’m here for it. Although her background is some peak melodrama, she manages to turn her messed up past around by using it as fuel for some seriously next level personal drama only made possible by her vampiric power of possession. Jumping bodies to mess with other vampires over old grudges is just the kind of shenanigans I’d hope for in proper vampire society. It’s scary in its own way so she gets a pass. Also very hateable.

  4. Ferid Bathory - Seraph of the End

    I knew it! Man, vampire stories are so difficult to boil down. Centuries old grudges and a propensity for becoming friends with one's food really leads to some complex grudges. Normally I’d label a guy like this a lameass but he’s so over-the-top evil with his affectations and his tremendously fashion forward hip boots, I just can’t hate him. He’s the bored type of immortal that tries to live vicariously through mortals expressions of terror, I guess. Scary in concept but pretty hard to take seriously. Definitely easy to dislike.

  3. Asato Ichijo - Vampire Knight

    I lack the memory, and likely the article space, to make any sense of what Asato was doing in Vampire Knight. I’m literally not sure if I even understand it. Has a vampire dad thing going on, which is an awful aesthetic combo. Pretty sure he’s just a plot device? He’s also a vampire politician, so that’s two knocks against him. I’m gonna assume you all know what your doing on this one.

  2. Incognito - Hellsing

    Pretty sure this guy is the first on the list that isn’t supposed to be conventionally attractive. Love the nosferatu body modder look he’s got going. Can always trust Hellsing to deliver the crazy horror, appreciate Incognito spending his twilight years experimenting on humans to make super monster vampires because, well, why not? At the end of the day, I suspect some of the hate might come from the fact that he isn’t The Major.

  1. Kaname Kuran - Vampire Knight

    I never realized there were so many hateable characters in Vampire Knight. I’ve also come to realize several centuries of shenanigans are hard to summarize in a snappy paragraph. If I remember correctly this guy went into vampire sleep and was so tired when he woke up he regressed to a human child, growing up with Yuki and damning himself to the role of childhood friend that has no romantic propositions, which doesn’t stop him from being immensely stalkery. I’d put an immortal, blood drinking stalker high on the scary and hated list, so congratulations, Kaname.

That was a lot of Vampire Knight, everybody’s eyes glow red, vampires are way more caught up in melodrama than I remember, and I’m pretty shocked that Vampire Hunter D didn’t make the list. Those are my takeaways.

Have a favorite creepy neck licker that didn’t make the list? Want to know where your favorite appears in the list of most popular vampires? Head over to Anime-Planet’s list of vampires to see where they rank, or comment below with your favorite! Tune in next week, for the 5th and last part of our October series, where we will be examining the most loved and hated ghosts!

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Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[themangaguide]

Without you individuals

This Team Medical Dragon is completed in Japan and it is among my best favorite sport mangas. I've reviewed all the chapters that are equated from different translation groups. Firstly, I simply want to say "thank you" to all of the groups accountable of translating this manga. Without you individuals, I wouldn't have actually really had the ability to review it by any means. Thanks again, men! And I wish you will certainly continue your wonderful jobs to bring us a growing number of mangas that are converted. Love you people so much!!!

Sports mangas are often contacted satisfy a certain devotee of the sports related and honestly I 'd never been a fan of Baseball. While this Team Medical Dragon also known as Daiya no A has not actually blown me away and also normal in its setup as far as I can tell yet it does what it after reviewing the initial chapters I'm hooked and also can't await the next phases.

After that later we're presented with various other participants of that baseball group and also to Eijun's challengers in other and pitching crucial teammates. Even though the narrative seems instead slow-moving in its progression as well as is a little boring at first yet the manga really profits from this slow-moving price down the road when the certification for koshien (nationals) starts and the suits obtain detailed instead well in the author's manner. So far for me in fact and although the storyline is rather slow underway looks it'll be a manga that is long but I find information and its price rather great as well as absolutely will approve it 7 out of 10.

As far as the character drawings goes this Team Medical Dragon manga has a substantial extent of characters as well as yet the mangaka discovers it possible to keep each of their faces merely recognizable and unique which I locate a terrific effort truly.

Inside The Boy in the All-Girls School manga my sight personalities are the principal facet in which this Diamon no Ace manga truly shines. The mangaka takes care of to position sufficient emphasis on numerous minor characters along with the primary characters additionally obtains their story informed. Eijun is kind of a common shounen key personality but truly has his amusing minutes with the story because of his stupidity and distinctive approaches to get influenced, Miyuki is an arrogant bastard and nevertheless is readily considerable for his use of brains in the matches as well as for his dedication to the team, Furuya is instead regular for a completing personalities simply since he's an exceptionally powerful bottle yet actually gets his very own point of views as well as story informed well as well as has his remarkable drawbacks, Kominato is a personality that's so conveniently likable yet has furthermore a good backstory. However, the manga could show up not considerable for the better plan as well as primarily radiates through the authors tries at trying to tell the tales, motivations and perspectives of different minor personalities through the whole manga a lot of which are from other baseball groups. By informing their stories the mangaka additionally shows his commitment for the manga as a whole and takes care of to in any way times maintain the flow fresh.

As the manga is completed, to be sincere I can quickly give it 10 out of 10. I have to state from the bottom of my heart that I really love the whole tale, the art as well as additionally the in-depth personality backstories. This is just one of the most effective manga I have actually read in my life. I believe possibly someday, I'll give baseball a try, hehe. Besides, I just wan na state that you must offer a try to this manga, specifically anyone that had actually like to read manga online. Find out more related details at https://allaboutmanga2016.wordpress.com/2019/10/10/15uazde5k1mtewfubke5gt1570731606/

[recentanimenews]

The 5 Most Loved and Hated Psychics in Anime

Whether mental freaks or gifted mediums, psychics in anime have it surprisingly rough. Reading the thoughts of everyone around you or the power to control minds may make it difficult to build meaningful friendships or a shady government entity might be looking to gather you up for a lifetime of experiments. Safe to say it's hard to live a normal life. Your powers may be convenient, but at what point is there no going back?

Love them or hate them… they can MAKE you love them. Our friends over at Anime-Planet spend day and night cataloguing these unique features and leaving it to the fans to vote on the best and worst characters with psychic powers in all of anime. A note before we begin, these are the result of popular votes that I can and will disagree with. Only your democratic will can determine who makes it on this list. With that out of the way, below are the 5 most loved and most hated psychics in anime!

Loved

5. Staz Charlie Blood - Blood Lad

Coming into this I guess I assumed the list would all be psychics rather than people with psychic powers resulting from weird stuff. I’m not sure if Staz’s abilities really count because they’re due to him being a vampire (vampowers?) but I guess I can work with this. I don’t really have much to say about Staz, but I feel sorry for Fuyumi getting stuck with him, which probably means I don’t like him. Sorry.

4. Accelerator - A Certain Magical Index

Are brooding, misunderstood malcontents obsessed with sex and violence (maybe at the same time?) gonna dominate this list? What’s the association? Have I made a terrible mistake? I guess I can understand the appeal. Everybody loves a good blood knight and Accelerator sure knows how to enjoy himself. It just occurred to me he laughs a lot like Zack in Angel of Death. Oh dang, they’re both Nobuhiko Okamoto. Ok, he’s cool.

3. Hiyori Iki - Noragami

Another one I’m not quite sure is exactly psychic but I’m gonna give this to you because you actually PUT NORAGAMI ON A LIST. You people are alright. Even better, you picked Hiyori! I have a soft spot for girls who are secretly martial arts otaku (you can guess who my favorite Prison School character is). I’m probably never gonna stop laughing about how she got her power either.

2. Yin - Darker Than Black

I’m actually so genuinely happy to see Yin on here. Darker Than Black had its day, but discovering a personal fave I believed to be obscure actually has a considerable fandom is a good feeling. Yin’s cool aesthetic and supercool ability using water as a medium for clairvoyance made her one of my favorite characters and I was super happy to see her get some character development later on rather than the series keeping her an emotionless doll. Yin’s cool. Watch Darker Than Black.

1. Mikoto Misaka - A Certain Magical Index

Where Accelerator’s vector abilities require some mental hoops to fully appreciate, Misaka’s are simple and satisfying. It’s not often you get to see electricity powers used to their fullest by taking advantage of electromagnetism so her fighting style is viscerally satisfying to my inner nerd. If you literally don’t care about stuff like that, she’s also a kind-hearted, awkward kid who does her best and would give you the clothes off her back or her precious DNA to cure muscular dystrophy.

Hated

5. Accelerator - A Certain Magical Index

For real though yeah this guy sucks. I’ve never been in love with “attaining ultimate power” as a reason for villainy. I don’t really buy his spiritual rehabilitation about him only wanting to reach Level 6 so no one would hurt themselves fighting him again since he killed over 10,000 people to achieve it. Even if you don’t consider clones people, that’s pretty messed up. There are plenty of bad guys who have switched sides already.

4. Tornado of Terror - One-Punch Man

This is just poor taste This is IN poor taste. How could you hate this sassy lost child? Tornado is one of the coolest of the A rank heroes and I’m honestly not sure what could even draw any ire toward her given the way some of her peers act. She's also likely the single most powerful psychic on this list, so maybe you shouldn't be putting in bad votes, if you know what I mean? Lotta Genos fans didn’t like her turning him into a wall ornament, I guess.

3. Kuroko Shurai - A Certain Magical Index

Nobody likes a third wheel, I guess. Kuroko’s goofy and her teleportation powers are cool so I’m assuming she’s here because she has a habit of getting “in the way”. Nevermind that most of the most epic non-combat scenes in the series are all starring hers truly. Pretty surprised, to be honest. Figured more people would be into her, uh, type...

2. Legato Bluesummers - Trigun

I feel this so powerfully. How can anyone love a nihilist whose only purpose in life is to robotically carrying out his task of emotionally scarring Vash for the temerity of having basic human compassion? I wish we’d gotten more time with the Gung-ho Guns. They had great aesthetics and abilities but you never really got to learn about why they were working for a punkass who called himself Knives and maybe possibly wanted to kill all humans because something about spiders and butterflies.

1. Chiaotzu - Dragon Ball

Don’t talk to me or my precious pasty unicorn son ever again.

What a sour note to leave off on. Gotta say, I have a new respect for the Index fandom. My only other takeaways are that I’m surprised that some names I was SURE were gonna make it on this list didn’t appear anywhere. Lucy from Elfen Lied, Mob from Mob Psycho, Hitomi from Escaflowne? Where are all the psychic icons? Oh well. Anyway...

Didn’t see your favorite psychic on the list? Are you sure you actually loved them or were they just making you think that? Want to know where they appear among the most loved and hated mismatched irises of anime? Head over to Anime-Planet’s list of characters with psychic powers to see where they rank, or comment below with your favorite! Tune in next week, where we will be exploring the most loved and hated characters with freckles!

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Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com