#Cape Maeda

[leviadraws]

~ The person you want me to be is just a memory

Pls Linuj let them have this confrontation pls

[stumbleimg]

Cape Maeda, Okinawa [OC] [6336 x 7920]

[ao3feed-izch]

Atashi no Hero Academia: Sunshine

by LilyVanily

Akari wants to be a hero. That makes her just like everyone else. Although, most don't have the personal attachment of a mother who wore a cape. She's always been strong, powerful. It's what she is, and what she expects of herself. So of course she wanted to go to UA, the premier high school for heroic education. In another life, maybe she never would've made it, but in this one, she and a couple of other girls take the place of three boys who range from 'disgusting' to 'forgettable' and will not be missed.

Akari isn't the chosen one of this world, but she is a powerful figure in her own right. And maybe, with time, she'll be okay with playing second-fiddle to a boy. But this isn't the story about his Hero Academia; it's hers. Her career, her friendships, her love, her family. It's time for the girls to take centerstage.

Words: 3625, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen

Characters: Suzuki Akari, Maeda Satsuki, Kadota Yuna, Hatsumori Sayuri

Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki/Original Female Character(s), Yaoyorozu Momo/Original Female Character(s), Hagakure Tooru/Original Female Character(s), Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Original Female Character(s), Midoriya Izuku/Uraraka Ochako

Additional Tags: Angst, Trauma, Dead Parents

source: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53833624

[eztouringjp]

Introducing road trip spots in Japan! Learn more about this place👇😊

■Website【TOURING JP】 👉https://trip.kabudata-dll.com/ ■Youtube Channel 👉https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_VvN0xi_IpIzMNYJhoUGLw

[47015741]

Cape Maeda Okinawa,Jp

[mikado-sannoji]

"To be fair, i also escaped the simulation with my own body with my mask still on, it just broke at some point and i was told... I look better without it and i made a new one." He took out the mask before waving it back and forth a bit to put it back into his cape...? One can wonder where he places it. "Though i was stuck in Neo World for quite awhile after the 6th trial, stick with gun wounds for a long time and it was getting rather annoying, funny enough i realized i wasn't capable of dying in the simulation in a pretty harsh way but yes i recall that, i suppose your version of me never stopped with the mask though, i manage to stabalize enough to not need it anymore. Though i will admit that it might still be possible for me to go into my glitch form, i did try to fix it though, i'm in a way relieved that Maeda got out, i hope Sora wasn't left in there... I know i used her but... I didn't- i always wanted to be her friend, she just never gave me that chance, like everyone else, i was never given a chance or the help to get out of my programming. I thought i had to because it was the only reason i was created for."

Mikado stared at the two, not expecting to see the Kinjo and Mekaru again, he huffed a bit to himself. Not really knowing how to speak to them, the A.I was trying to find a reason for them to not lash out on him.

@mikado-sannoji

The two were busy, cleaning the foundation and placing back equipment, without context it just seemed like it was a cleaning day or something. The two didn't notice Mikado for awhile so it gave him a bit of time to think of what to say to them, but inevitably one of them noticed the first being Rei. She stared at him in disbelief before turning her expression into mild annoyance. She spoke up calling tsurugi's name to get his attention.

"Tsurugi we have company.."

"Wh- You...!?"

Of course neither seemed to react well but...That was an expected reaction right?

@mikado-sannoji

[candies-and-sweets]

[mihotose]

ok ive spent several days reading kenran zuroku heres my favourite facts/details i didnt notice bc i dont pay close attention

imanotsurugi’s hair touches the floor when its loose

maeda has leaf patterns on the lining of his cape that change between white and purple depending on the angle

all the awataguchi tantou besides yagen have ribbons around their uchiban shirt collars and most of them have dark grey ribbons but maeda’s is yellow, houchou’s is light grey, and mouri’s is a green darker than his hair

midare’s sentou shorts have a gold flower on his hip (hidden by his dress)

gokotai’s tigers all have unique designs and have either sky blue or gold eyes hence why his kiwame tiger has one gold one sky blue eye

gokotai’s eyes seem to shine in the dark

aizen uses a red cord as a belt but he struggles to untie it every time lmao

sayo isnt good at tying bows so theyre all wonky..........

i already knew this but nikkari doesnt wear Anything under his uchiban jersey

izuminokami and horikawa’s eyes are shinsengumi haori blue (straight up didnt make the connection)

urashima and nagasone’s wear their kotetsu straps the same way but hachisuka has an extra strap on his left upper arm and around each ankle

the white kotetsu shirt is like a blacksmith’s outfit. urashima and hachisuka have the same but urashima’s wears his like nagasone

URASHIMA HAS THE SAME HAIR TEXTURE AS HACHISUKA HE JUST STYLES IT LIKE NAGASONE

urashima has fishscale patterns on his uchiban jinbei

nakigitsune wears a tie during uchiban he just has his jersey zipped up over it

the samonji have a decorative knot hanging from their chest. sayo’s has one loop souza’s two kousetsu’s three

hachisuka is the only kotetsu to wear that long sleeved black top under his kotetsu shirt

hachisuka has a high centre of gravity with a feeling of floating and weightlessness compared to nagasone’s low centre of gravity and groundedness

his waist armour was designed to be like a tennyo’s hagoromo and his hair is like a halo

nagasone’s uchiban vest is soft after many washes

his hair ties are cheap (vs hachisuka’s. golden flower hairpin.) and his hair is “animal-like” (despite not being a ‘real’ kotetsu etc)

nagasone’s waist armour was designed to be like blackbird feathers and i literally couldnt read it properly but urashima’s may be a grass skirt? if i read it right.

akashi has a habit of fiddling with his hair

he rolls his left sleeve up so he can swap to his left hand in emergencies

all the osafune have an emblem on their uchiban jersey’s right sleeve

shokudaikiri has a sliced moon/fire in gold

kenshin and azuki have a sparrow feather/bamboo in blue and pink respectively. i think the small feather filament may represent kenshin and the bigger one azuki?

daihannya has coins in gold

koryuu has a dragon claw in purple

chougi has a flame(?) in grey

shinano’s hair is just long enough to put in a tiny ponytail

he has a kaishi ire (tissue/notepaper case) in his inside jacket pocket

things he keeps in his garter pouches: portable sewing kit, ointment, umeboshi, bandage, candy, nail clippers, etc

hakata is very lucky cat themed

he carries a pen (with a lucky cat logo) and notepad on him into battle

he puts little clips on his trousers in uchiban to keep them rolled up

houchou’s bag has both japanese and western sweets

his armguard has a vague rabbit design

he has a little bird netsuke on his belt behind his back!!!

taikogane’s hair looks like a bird’s nest in the mornings

his uchiban tshirt has date masamune’s maedate moon on it

fudou’s hair goes down to his calves

mouri has to wrap his belt around him twice

kenshin and azuki both have dango hanging from their belts

they have the same handkerchief in their back pockets in uchiban: white with pink azuki beans along the edge

kenshin has azuki beans on the soles of his uchiban wellies

kenshin’s uchiban socks have two azuki beans on the side while azuki’s have three

hyuuga’s two black hair strands comes from the two gomabashi engravings in the blade

the blade was often used as a gift which is why he has so many ribbons and bows

when he puts his hood on he takes his hat off and puts it in his belt

his hair accessories are omodaka shaped (ishida-ke mon)

his uchiban water bottle has an umeboshi onigiri keychain hanging from it

kotegiri has five moles in a circle on the back of his right hand and two under his right eye

several of muramasa’s layers have gaps cut out so he can screw his tail in

kikkou’s uchiban scarf has embroidered chrysanthemums in gold thread

nansen wears toe socks

his kusege flutters in the wind but returns to its original position

his uchiban jersey has the same ring as his collar but in silver as his zip pull

juzumaru’s eyeshadow is made with lapis lazuli which purifies the soul and wards off evil

hes very heavily lotus themed with lotus pink and lapis lazuli blue coloured accessories

his beads change between black and white depending on the lighting except the three large ones which are ultramarine blue

his uchiban boots have a pink version of nikkari’s kyougoku-ke shiroshouzoku pin?

the two metal parts on ookanehira’s collar come together to form a butterfly except he always has his collar open so they dont join

daihannya has a LOUPE

koryuu’s studs are the same purple as his eyes

he has a satchel on the back of his belt with medicine, a compass, letter scroll, writing set, map, koban purse, etc inside

he has five hairpins on his right side and four on the left

higekiri and hizamaru get new white symbols on their jackets with each toku representing onikiri, shishinoko, and tomokiri, and kumokiri and hoemaru

kogarasumaru’s sentou is inspired by the battle of dan no ura, with the frills on his right shoulder representing the waves

the lining of his suihi has a pale cyan to vermilion gradient that changes in the light

he is barefoot and graceful as a ballerina, inspired by an anecdote of a tiptoeing crow

azuki’s uchiban tshirt is white with pink sparrow and bamboo designs

shizuka doesnt wear that black sleeveless turtleneck that tomoe does in uchiban

tomoe doesnt tie his sleeves up like shizuka does

hizen wears the same pants in sentou and uchiban

chougi wears both SHIRT GARTERS and SOCK GARTERS

buzen has tiny zipup pockets in his knees

chiyoganemaru plaits his hair in uchiban and ties it with a yellow scrunchie with an anemonefish charm

hakusan’s skin feels cold to the touch

his hat has a melon flower pin sewn to it and he has a melon flower keychain hanging from his uchiban belt

gokotai’s nails are tiger fur orange after kiwame

on his shoulders, knee pads, socks, and boots he has four orange spots that are like tiger toe beans

gokotai’s crest is on his tiger’s forehead and it disappears temporarily when he gets damaged

the blue/purple fireballs around nikkari are hitodama

souza’s beads become a greenish blue but can look purple sometimes depending on the lights

the pattern on hachisuka’s breastplate is like maki-e flowers

his kiwame coat has tiger stripes in the lining and is just like urashima’s but his flutters more

his hagoromo (he has his own now!) is iridescent and the section behind his head floats slightly

he has the image of flowing water and petals and the light and open feeling is like he is sitting in a lotus which reflects his extreme internal change (he has reached enlightenment!!!!!!)

[clutterfile]

◆PV◆

CYBIRD released an Act II PV for Ikemen Sengoku and I— let me just, my feelings are in shambles.

I want to cry so bad as an ENG fan because how many years must we wait for these boys’ routes 😭

[simone-boccanegra]

Oda vassals: tag yourself game

Maeda Toshiie

hot-headed

a Friend(TM)

negative zero brain cells

himbo

don’t let him and Katsuie be in charge of planning stuff

Hashiba Hideyoshi

trickster

Sun Wukong wannabe

Spech 100

something of a Japanese Odysseus

horny 24/7

Shibata Katsuie

will Fight You

has maybe 1 brain cell but keeps losing it

the Big Guy of the team

always plays Orc Barbarian

can be dared to do almost anything

Niwa Nagahide

Assigned Supporting Character At Birth

never involved in drama

custody of brain cell

team mom

the only one allowed to drive

Akechi Mitsuhide

absolute lightweight

maxed Int but forgot Wis

probably depressed

the quiet type

writes angsty poetry with hidden meanings

meanwhile 

Oda Nobunaga:

drives like an absolute maniac with heavy metal playing at maximum volume

wears capes that are always dramatically billowing (even when there is no wind) and declared War upon the No Capes lady

has read the Evil Overlord list but does not heed any of the advice

edgy bastard

chaos bisexual

[boothinjapan]

As a late spring vacation, I decided to catch a plane and head on down to Okinawa – a group of islands in the south part of Japan. The islands of Okinawa are famous for its subtropical climate – and is often referred to as ‘the poor man’s Hawaii’. But don’t let that perturb you, Okinawa is a fantastic getaway spot with plenty of sea-side activities to enjoy.

Historically, the Okinawan Islands were a part of the Ryukyu Kingdom – an independent kingdom that ruled the region until the area officially became a part of Japan in 1879. Therefore, while Okinawa is officially a part of Japan now, it’s history and culture are often viewed as separate – being heavily influenced by both Japanese and Chinese cultures.

In the modern day, Okinawa Prefecture has become a fantastic holiday spot – with historical sightseeing places in the capital city of Naha, as well as snorkeling and scuba-diving on the smaller islands. And if none of those things tickle your fancy, then you can always enjoy the cool ocean breeze as you sip on a glass of Orion – Okinawa’s original beer.

So, for those of you wondering what to do if you’re down in the south islands, then check out this list of the best things to do in Okinawa!

Sightseeing

For my trip, I spent most of my time in the capital city of Naha. Truthfully, this city is nothing special – it’s much like any other city in Japan. However, there are still some sights that are definitely worth seeing and on my first day in this humid city, I made my way to the most famous building in Naha:

Shurijō (首里城) is a large vermilion-coloured castle in the heart of the historical Shuri district. The castle grounds cover a vast area where visitors can follow the ancient stone roads to the Seiden (the main hall), which is perched at the top of a hill overlooking the whole of Naha.

Unfortunately the front of the castle was under renovation when I visited.

The castle itself once acted as the administrative and residential center of the Ryukyu Kingdom – before officially becoming a part of Japan in the late 1800s. Although the castle was originally built in the 1300s, a series of fires and destruction have caused the castle to be rebuilt numerous times – most recently during the Battle of Okinawa in WWII. Since then, this famous castle has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A view of Naha and the stone walls of Shuri Castle

If you’re interested in history and ancient buildings, then I recommend following the winding paths in the castle grounds before visiting the Seiden. Taking a tour of the main hall is definitely worthwhile (only 300 yen) and you get a great sense of how the powerful lived during the Ryukyu Kingdom. In fact, there is a gorgeous little tea-house in the heart of the castle where you can enjoy local Okinawan tea and treats, all the while learning about how the very same tea-house was used to entertain powerful guests from other cities and countries.

The throne inside Shuri Castle

Located near Shuri Castle, this ancient stone path is a definite must-see. Not only because it connects Shuri Castle with other local sightseeing spots, but because the 300 meter path itself will transport you back to the 16th century.

For my visit, I walked this path at dusk – a less crowded time when local cats come out to play. Indeed, I had more fun playing with the cats than soaking up the ancient feel of the stone paths. But if you love exploring then this place is definitely for you – just be careful in the rain, the limestone gets very slippery!

Fukushu-en (福州園) is a traditional Chinese garden that is located near Naha Beach. Although the garden was built in 1992 to celebrate the links between Okinawa and China, the designers of this space attempted to be as authentic as possible. With water features, ponds, fish and turtles, Fukushu-en is a very relaxing and calming sightseeing spot.

For some reason there are a ton of cats in Okinawa – many of which roam the streets while their masters are away. So, if you’re into cats, then you can spend a lovely afternoon trying to stalk and capture the cats on camera – much like I did:

Activities

While sightseeing is not everyone’s cup of tea, there is still plenty to do on the tropical islands of Okinawa. Here are just a couple that I managed to actually do:

Not wanting to spend all of my time in Naha, I took the opportunity on my second day to travel to Cape Maeda – where plenty of fun activities are available. However, I had the misfortune of going on a particularly rainy day, which meant that such places as Forest Adventure and Bios Hill were off the table.

A rainy day at Cape Maeda

Luckily, the main attraction of Cape Maeda – The Blue Cave – was a still a viable option. This is because The Blue Cave is an excellent snorkeling and scuba diving spot – in other words, a place where you don’t have to worry about getting wet from the rain.

Because I was a bit wary of scuba-diving, I decided to go snorkeling at this local cave. And after taking a short boat ride, I was able to snorkel into the cave where a dazzling blue light is visible – along with a multitude of brightly colored tropical fishies. In fact, although it was raining, I was actually able to see more fishes than usual as the swell of the warm ocean brought them forth.

There are many companies that offer tours to The Blue Cave – both for snorkeling and scuba diving – so it can be a little bit daunting finding the right place. Personally, I recommend Pink Mermaid as they are really friendly and offer a wide variety of activities – all of which can be booked the day before.

If you’re more interested in chilling on the beach, or participating in some water sports, then I highly recommend taking a short ferry ride from Naha to Tokashiki Island (渡嘉敷村). Not only is this a great way to get away from ‘the big city’, but it’s also a stunningly quiet and serene island.

Photos cannot do this island justice – they all turned out darker than expected!

On my third day in Okinawa, the clouds had thankfully parted and allowed some strong sun rays to peak through. So in order to take advantage of the situation, I traveled to this tiny island where I was able to find a nice quiet beach and take part in many water sports – including snorkeling and swimming in the bluest and clearest water you ever did see!

It’s relatively easy to book a ferry ride to Tokashiki Island from Tomari Port, and once you’re there, you’re free to explore the island as much as you like. However, I recommend organizing a day trip package before going to the island – this way you can enjoy many types of island activities without having to worry about transport or finding rental shops, etc.

  Personally, I suggest Marine House Aharen. Not only do they provide transport to a lovely beach with bright blue water, but they also offer many activities and water sports – all for a reasonable price. In fact, if you’re keen on staying on an island like Tokashiki, then Marine House Aharen also offers accommodation.

Food, Drink and Shopping

This street in central Naha is famous for its shops and restaurants. It’s a great place to wonder up and down in order to find the perfect souvenirs for your friends and relatives at home. All the stores along this strip are practically bursting with local items and delicacies – so make sure you set aside a few hours to explore this area.

And once you’re done ‘shopping til you drop’, then you can relax at one of the many local restaurants and enjoy some delicious local meals. And speaking of which…

There are many types of local Okinawan food that you can enjoy in and around Naha. Personally, I recommend trying the spicy Okinawan soba noodles, as well as the local goat sashimi (raw goat) – both of which are mouth-wateringly delicious.

Try some raw goat at this awesome restaurant that overlooks a calming zen garden.

And to wash down this delicious food, you can always be adventurous and try habushu (snake wine) – the alcohol that’s famous for submerging large pit viper snakes in its bottles. Or you could stay tame and stick to Okinawa’s local beer, Orion.

If you’re feeling the heat of the humid Okinawa summer, then you should definitely cool down with some Blue Seal Ice-Cream – a delicious product that was “born in America and raised in Okinawa”. There are plenty of local flavors to try and you can find Blue Seal Ice-Cream stores on many of the islands around Okinawa and Southern Japan – so keep your eye out!

What Not To Do

Of course, just like any other city or town, there are some places and activities that you should definitely avoid, and Naha is no different:

One of the biggest disappointments in Naha is definitely Naminoue Beach. From pictures, I was expecting an idyllic beach with a view of the lovely deep blue ocean. But unfortunately, I was met with a great view of a concrete highway – not exactly something you want to see on an island getaway vacation!

However, if your flight is early in the afternoon, then this is a great spot to get in one last swim before departing Okinawa – so it is completely up to you.

Overall, Okinawa is a great place to visit. And although some people might think it’s a bit ‘touristy’, it’s still a great place for a tropical getaway.

Okinawa: Things to Do on this Island Getaway As a late spring vacation, I decided to catch a plane and head on down to Okinawa - a group of islands in the south part of Japan.

[oddeyesarcpendulumdragon]

Arc V Anniversary Discussion Day 21: Self-Insert/OC Day

So this got long, and i’ll divide it into some categories lol.  First, shipping babies!  Because I can never have enough of those!!

all under the cut cause it’s so long fuck

Pendulumshipping

Sakaki Keahi: the oldest and one of the two Sakaki children who follow into professional dueling.  Reiji and Yuya both help her find ways of navigating an action field to accommodate her paralyzed legs, both with Reiji’s technology and adaptive devices he designs for her, and Yuya teaching her how to trust her monsters to help move her across the stage if she needs a hand.  Keahi is very much a big sister, always mothering her little sisters and nagging at even her friends.  Most of her friends affectionately call her ‘mom.’

Sakaki Kouki: is very much more technologically focused, and she likes to tinker with Solid Vision and stuff.  She’s a shy girl who has trouble socializing. She’s also gender questioning, currently iding as a trans girl.

Sakaki Ray: Kouki’s twin sister. Ray is determined to follow in both her sister’s, father’s, and namesake’s footsteps in order to become the world’s best entertainment duelist.  She’s super emotional and tends to be really hard on herself when she messes things up, but she’s also very determined.  She’s Way into Riding Duels and actually feels more comfortable with those than with Entertainment Duels in the end because there’s less to live up to

Sakaki Sakura: Sakura is the youngest, a precocious seven year old who wants to be a princess astronaut.  Her favorite things to do are watch her sisters duel and play dress up, especially with papa’s big scarf as a cape.

All four girls have the ability to see and hear duel monsters. 

Darkrebelshipping

Kurosaki Fukuro: the older twin.

Kurosaki Yugao: the younger twin. (Yugo tries to be upset that Yugao’s name is so close to his, and Yuto starts to accidentally call the two of them each other’s names, but he loves his “niece and nephew” so he can’t be too mad lol.)

Fukuro and Yugao are both generally quiet, though Yugao is definitely the more assertive of the two.  They like to sit at home and draw, mostly, but they are also rabid fans of various tv shows and if you want them to be loud, get the two of them in a shipping argument.  They usually have different tastes in ships and they will fight each other to the death over them lol.  In general these two are a couple of fucking anime weebs.  They’re also fucking hot topic nerds (what do you expect when they have shun and yuto as dads)

Appleshipping

Sho Sakaki-Atlas: takes after them in loving mechanical stuff and fixing things.  Sho adores machines and they are always getting messy working on them or getting in trouble because they completely don’t pay attention to anything except whatever project they’re hyperfocusing on.

Yumi Sakaki-Atlas: Yumi is the younger of the two, and she’s less interested in building motorcycles as she is in riding them.  She’s very much a daredevil like her father and likes to go on joyrides a lot.

Rin and Yugo argued for hours about what surname to end up taking, Yoko’s or Jack’s, because Yoko basically adopted them but Jack also did kinda unofficially adopt them too and was willing to let them use his name.  They dueled for it and it ended in a tie.

Stealthshipping

Shiunin Hotaru: a very cheerful, exuberant girl who is excited about everything.  Everything is an adventure to her and she has very little sense of trouble, often sticking her nose into things she shoulded. The younger twin.

Shiunin Amaya: a lot more cautious than Hotaru after her time with the Fuma Clan.  She can be haughty and full of herself, but she’s also very much recovering from what she went through at the hands of the Fumas, which makes her try to act a lot stronger and more confident than she actually often is.

Both girls are actually Tsuki’s sister’s kids, but after her husband died in an accident and she herself contracted terminal cancer, she begged Tsuki to take them so that the Fumas couldn’t claim them.  Hotaru they managed to get, but Amaya was taken away by the Fuma Clan for several years before they could retrieve her.

Those were the only kiddos i had the time/energy to doodle, but here’s a few others that I have!

Speaking of Tsuki’s sister, here’s a few more OCs that I came up with to fill out characters’ families/backstories:

Chizaki (Fuma) Kanon: Tsukikage and Hikage’s older sister.  She fled the Fuma clan when they were kids to avoid being executed for getting pregnant with someone outside the family, promising to come back for her brothers one day.  She ultimately was never able to get back to them until she saw Tsukikage listed as one of the Lancers.  She died of cancer a few years after finally reconnecting with her brothers.

Hojo Gekko: Reiji’s cousin from his mother’s side; the Hojo family is incredibly rich and tied to the Fuma family since feudal Japan.  He’s a scarily powerful young man even though he’s the younger brother, and Tsukikage was supposed to be sworn to serve him when he turned 18 before Reiji snapped up both brothers himself.  He’s a scary and possessive person.

Hojo Nikko: Reiji’s cousin and Gekko’s older brother.  He doesn’t give a shit about the Fuma clan anymore and would prefer to leave their archaic connection in the past.  He’s the current owner and CEO of the Hojo Corporation.

Kurosaki Chae-won: Shun and Ruri’s mother, an exuberant and excitable woman who is excessively supportive.

Kurosaki Airi: Shun and Ruri’s other mother, slightly more lowkey than Chae-won, but not by much.  Loves her kids to death and embarrasses them daily.

Kunori Mao: Yuto’s mother, a quiet and kind young woman who has raised Yuto by herself.  Becomes close friends with the Kurosaki moms.

And here’s some of Yoko’s gang members which I came up with for a fic that i will write eventually, whom y’all probably saw already if you saw my art submission for the “gang” prompt earlier this month.

Maeda Maiko: Yoko’s first gf, a rough and tumble kinda girl, but also very fun-loving.

Kobayashi Hikaru: easygoing, tends the bar and helps the girls sort out their problems; can’t usually be bothered to do any of the actual fighting, but when there’s someone in trouble, you don’t want to be on her bad side.

Watanabe Honoka: formerly a rival who was won over by Yoko, she’s a bit of a wild card and is more interested in picking fights than winning them

Katou Satomi: a matronly woman who’s sweet nature belies her dangerous skills.  Often smiling.

Fujioka Tomiko:  a small and ferocious girl who loves joy-riding.

Oshiro Kiku: a nervous girl from a rich family who was once trapped in a relationship with another gang leader before Yoko destroyed the gang, she hangs out with the Shooting Stars to feel safer and helps run their finances.

And finally.....I gotta shout out my self-insert, cause of course I have one of those:

Hale Reiser: an American college student on a study abroad in Japan, she’s dazzled out of her low emotional period by Yuya’s duel against Strong Ishijima, and decides to take up dueling to emulate him.  When the truth of the dimensional war comes out, she joins a program to train at-home Lancers in case of a home invasion.  At some point she meets Grace Tyler and all of my self-indulgent fantasies of dating Grace come to fruition.

[aion-rsa]

10 Best Sonny Chiba Movies You Need to Watch Right Now

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

On August 19, 2021, legendary Japanese actor Sonny Chiba succumbed to complications from Covid-19. He was 82. If you don’t know Chiba, he was a pioneering martial arts movie stars and a genuine master of the martial arts. Long before Bruce Lee, there was Sonny Chiba.

Chiba was his stage name. He was born as Sadaho Maeda and adopted “Chiba” after Japan’s Chiba prefecture where he grew up.  His Japanese stage name was Shinichi Chiba, but he was known internationally as Sonny. 

Chiba was a natural athlete and a contender for Japan’s Olympic gymnastics team until he was sidelined by an injury. He pivoted to study Karate under the venerated master Mas Oyama, a hardened full-contact fighter who was famous for killing bulls with his bare hands. Chiba went on to earn black belts in several schools of Karate, as well as Judo, Kendo, and Ninjitsu. 

In the 60s, Chiba began his acting career in television, specifically in the costumed superhero genre known as tokusatsu (think Ultraman or Mighty Morphin Power Rangers). From there, he jumped to crime thriller movies and quickly established himself as an action star. In 1970, he formed the Japan Action Club, one of the first groups dedicated to stunt people and martial arts actors. His first explicitly martial arts film part was in 1973 in a film called Karate Kiba. 

Chiba is credited with over 200 roles, predominantly in Japanese martial arts films, however he’s appeared in a few Hollywood projects. While he’s known in the west for his martial arts performances, he’s delivered a wide range of characters, mostly leaning towards grindhouse cinema. Since 1959, Chiba has delivered several projects almost every year. The bulk of his work over the last two decades were direct-to-video projects. His final film Bond of Justice: Kizuna, a Yakuza revenge tale, is in post-production and is slated to be released later this year. 

In honor of Sonny Chiba’s illustrious career, Den of Geek has cherry-picked several of his best and most interesting films. 

Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)

Since Chiba got his start in tokusatsu, we had to include at least one title from this uniquely Japanese genre, and this one is truly vintage, shot in black and white. Chiba plays an astronomer with a secret superhero identity. He transforms into Space Chief, a caped crusader clad in a metal helmet and sunglasses who is a friend to little children. Meanwhile, the titular Neptune Men are dressed in classic 1950s-style alien costumes, all silvery with ridiculous bucket-like helmets. Yes, this is one of those films that’s so incredibly bad that it’s good, so much so that it caught the attention of Mystery Science Theater 3000, which is the best way to watch it. 

The Street Fighter (1974)

The Street Fighter was a game changer, one of the very first modern Japanese martial arts films to get international distribution. Riding on the wake of one of the first globally distributed Chinese martial arts films, Five Fingers of Death (1972), The Street Fighter established Chiba as a martial arts star in the eyes of the world. If you’re only going to watch one Sonny Chiba movie ever, this is the one. It was the defining role of his career.

Chiba plays the antihero Teri Tsurugi, whose nickname is “Real mean bastard.” It’s a gratuitously violent film for the time, unapologetically so with Tsurugi ripping out throats, breaking necks with wild abandon, and selling women as sex slaves, often while shirtless to show off his macho barrel chest. When The Street Fighter was released in the U.S., it was the first film to get an X rating for violence.

Chiba reprised the role twice in 1974 with Return of the Street Fighter and The Street Fighter’s Last Revenge. The franchise also spawned a spin off trilogy, Sister Street Fighter, starring another genuine martial artist and actress, Etsuko Shihomi. Shihomi frequently starred alongside Chiba. She appeared in Karate Kiba and its sequel, as well as in the original Street Fighter films. Chiba appears in Sister Street Fighter, but as a completely different character than Tsurugi.

Wolf Guy: Enraged Lycanthrope (1975)

This is not a Mystery Science Theater film, but it should be. Wolf Guy is a hard-to-find cult film where Chiba plays Akira Inugami, the last survivor of a clan of werewolves who uses his lupine powers to solve crimes. However, when the moon triggers him (or a comet or the birth of a two-headed calf – Inugami is easily triggered), Inugami doesn’t transform into a hairy beast. He just gets super wolf powers. It’s a strange film, not for everyone except for those who love psychotropic Japanese cinema.

Note that the Japanese title of this film is Urufugai and that’s a phonetic translation of “wolf guy.” “Urufu” is “wolf’ and “gai” is “guy.” This is an example of wasei-eigo, literally “Japanese-made English.”  “Anime” is another wasei-eigo term, derived from the English word “animation.” The Japanese title of Karate Kiba is Bodigaado Kiba – Bodigaado is “Bodyguard.”

Karate Bullfighter aka Champion of Death (1975)

Chiba played his illustrious sensei Masutatsu “Mas” Oyama in a film trilogy based on a biographical manga titled Karate Baka Ichidai (Karate fanatic) by Ikki Kajiwara that began in 1971 and ran until 1977. Karate Bullfighter was the first. Karate Bearfighter came out the same year and Karate for Life was two years later. There’s also an anime version of the manga that came out in 1973. The manga and anime are credited with stimulating a Karate trend in Japan. 

Oyama Sensei had cameos in the first two films. Oyama was Korean, born in Korea while it was under Japanese rule. His birth name was Choi Yeong-eui, but he changed his name after immigrating to Japan in 1938. He died of lung cancer in 1994.

Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977)

Based on the popular manga series, launched in 1968 and still running to today, Golgo 13 is Japan’s answer to James Bond. He’s an international assassin, a crack shot sniper with Karate chops. Chiba plays Golgo 13 on a mission to sanction a Hong Kong crime boss. This is a classic ’70s grindhouse film, and Chiba captures Golgo 13’s cold-blooded ruthlessness with his signature vicious aplomb. 

Message from Space (1978)

In the wake of Star Wars, Message from Space was a blatant rip-off with a tokusatsu bent. It had Japan’s biggest budget at the time, but you wouldn’t know it now. It’s horribly dated with cheesy special effects, another “so bad it’s good” movie — Mystery Science Theater could have a field day with Chiba’s filmography. Chiba and his street fighting counterpart Etsuko Shihomi shared top billing alongside Vic Morrow. 

Hunter in the Dark (1979)

We had to include one of Chiba’s period films, and Hunter in the Dark is a fine example of the samurai genre. Led by one of the greatest samurai film actors of all, Tatsuya Nakadai, and directed by the influential Hideo Gosha, Chiba is in a supporting role as Shimoguni Samon. When the grindhouse films get too much, this is a welcomed change — an unsung masterpiece by some of the leaders of the samurai genre. 

The Storm Riders (1998)

The Storm Riders was another gamechanger, an epic Chinese fantasy martial arts film based on the manhua by Ma Wing-shing (manhua is Chinese comics like manga is Japanese comics). Starring Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok, this special effects-driven film won many accolades at Asian film festivals and ushered in a new era for the period martial arts fantasy film genre known as wuxia. Chiba played the villain, Lord Conqueror. 

Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2 (2003 & 2004)

Quentin Tarantino cast Chiba as Hattori Hanzo, the retired swordmaker and sushi chef who created the Bride’s (Uma Thurman) katana. It was an homage role. Tarantino was paying respects to Chiba as a longtime fan. He also inserted easter eggs honoring Chiba’s work in Pulp Fiction. When Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) claims to quote Ezekiel 25:17 – “The path of the righteous man…” – it’s a reference to the opening of Karate Kiba, which paraphrases the same passage in the American version.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

Chiba played Kamata, a yakuza boss and the father of the films main rival. Like with Kill Bill, Chiba’s Hollywood roles are the most cited in his obituaries, but both were minor in comparison to his vast and diverse body of work.

A prolific actor who did most of his own stunts long before Jackie Chan claimed to do so, Chiba was a cinematic maverick who attacked moviemaking with an unprecedented and unapologetic sense of ultraviolence. While many of his films seem dated and low brow now, his impact on action film is undeniable and his passing marks an incalculable loss to the genre.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post 10 Best Sonny Chiba Movies You Need to Watch Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3ke3huG

[expatimes]

Africa experienced 30% rise in COVID cases during 2nd wave: Study

Africa experienced 30% rise in COVID cases during 2nd wave: Study

Africa experienced a 30 percent rise in infections in its second wave of coronavirus last year but implemented fewer public health measures than in the first, research showed on Thursday.

Writing in The Lancet medical journal, researchers said the loosening of public health measures such as distancing and intermittent lockdowns probably contributed to higher death tolls during the second wave.

The study looked at COVID-19 case, death, recovery and test data carried out across all 55 African Union member states between February 14 and December 31 2020.

Using publicly available data, it also analysed health control measures such as school closures and travel restrictions.

At the end of 2020, the continent had reported nearly 2.8 million COVID-19 cases – three percent of the global total – and just over 65,000 deaths.

Daily new cases during the first wave numbered 18,273. During the second wave this figure stood at 27,790 – a 30-percent rise.

Among the 38 nations that experienced a pronounced second wave and for which control measures were available, the study found that almost half had fewer measures in place compared with the first.

“This first comprehensive analysis of the pandemic in Africa provides greater insights into the impacts of COVID-19 on the continent as a whole, and within its diverse regions,” said Dr Justin Maeda, from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

“Better understanding of the challenges posed at national, regional, and continental levels are essential for informing ongoing efforts to tackle current outbreaks and future waves of infections.”

The researchers said it was highly likely new variants had contributed to higher caseloads across the continent’s second wave.

The highest incidences of cases per 100,000 population were recorded in Cape Verde (1,973), South Africa (1,819), Libya (1,526), Morocco (1,200), and Tunisia (1,191), the study showed.

And while African COVID-19 cases were not overall more deadly than the global average, this varied greatly between nations.

Of the 53 countries that reported more than 100 virus cases, one-third had case-fatality ratios – the proportion of deaths compared with total cases – higher than the global average of 2.2 percent.

“These insights reveal a need to improve testing capacity and reinvigorate public health campaigns,” said John Nkengasong, a study author and virologist who is also director of Africa CDC.

Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=19423&feed_id=39331

[skalaarimonikerta]

The Touken Ranbu nicknames saga continues with Hanamaru! This was is going to be long af.

Kashuu Kiyomitsu aka ‘The Boyfriend’ or ‘The Brother��

Yamatonokami Yasusada aka ‘The Shinsengumi’ or ‘Main Character’ (also ‘Boyfriend’ or ‘Brother’)

Aizan Kunitoshi aka ‘The Redhead’

Akashi Kuniyuki aka ‘The Sexy Megane’ (also ‘who the fuck’?!)

Akita Toushirou aka ‘Yagen’s Little Brother - the pink one’

Atsushi Toushirou aka ‘Yagen’s little brother - the normal one’

Doudanuki Masakuni aka ‘The Scar Dude’

Gokotai aka ‘The Tiger Shota’

Hachisuka Kotetsu aka ‘The Fashionista’

Hakata Toushirou aka ‘Yagen’s Little Brother - The Mini-Tsukki (or Megane)’

Heshikiri Hasebe aka ‘The Coach’ (It’s the outfit okay)

Hirano Toushirou aka ‘Yagen’s Little Brother - The Pot Head’ (This is litetal translation, we did not mean pothead in Finnish. It’s his hair, it looks like a pot!)

Honebami Toushirou aka ‘Honebami’ (Behold we learnt another name!)

Horikawa Kunihiro aka ‘The Previous Main Character’

Hotarumaru aka ‘Redhead’s little brother’

Ichigo Hitofuri aka ‘The Big Brother’

Imanotsurugi aka ‘The Weird Hair’

Ishikirimaru aka ‘The Monk’

Iwatooshi aka ‘Miroku Monk’ (The monk from Inuyasha, you know?)

Izuminokami Kanesada aka ‘Kane’ (Also put some trousers on, geez!)

Jiroutachi aka ‘The Drunk One’

Kasen Kanesada aka ‘The Laundry Guy’

Kogitsunemari aka ‘Kogitsunemaru’ (Behold another learnt name!)

Kousetsu Samonji aka ‘The Silent Cool One With Ridiculous Bangs’

Maeda Toushirou aka ‘Yagen’s Little Brother - I-don’t-even-remember’

Midare Toushirou aka ‘Yagen’s Little Brother - The Ultimate Trap One’

Mikazuki Munechika aka ‘The Grandma’

Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki aka ‘Kane’s Boyfriend’

Nagasone Kotetsu aka ‘The Ugly Hair’ or ‘The Fake One’

Nakigitsune aka ‘The Small Fox’ or ‘The Mask Boy’ (Also “It speaks?!”)

Namazuo Toushirou aka ‘Yagen’s Little Brother - The One Who Looks Like Kane’

Nihongou aka ‘The Guy Who Chased The Bird’ or ‘Another Spear’

Nikkari Aoe aka ‘The Ghost Guy’ or ‘Nikkari’ (It’s not that we learned a name, in Finnish nikkari means tinkerer…)

Ookurikara aka ‘The Gets Shipped To The Eye-Patch Guy’

Otegine aka ‘”I only know how to poke”-Guy’ or ‘The Green One’

Sayo Samonji aka ‘The Pink One’s Little Brother’

Shishiou aka ‘The Yellow One’

Shokudaikiri Mitsutada aka ‘The Eye-Patch Guy’

Souza Samonji aka ‘The Delicate Flower’ or ‘The Pink One’

Taroutachi aka …. (we actually don’t have one for him, poor guy)

Tonbokiri aka ‘The Original Spear’ (since we watched Katsugeki first and all)

Tsurumaru Kuninaga aka ‘The White One’ or ‘Tsurumaru’ (he’s my bae so I learnt his name pretty fast while googling xD)

Uguisumaru aka ‘Old Man nro. 2′ (also drinks tea with grandma)

Urashima Kotetsu aka ‘The Turtle Boy’

Yagen Toushirou aka ‘Yagen

Yamabushi Kunihiro aka *Ho Ho Hoo’

Yamanbakiri Kunihiro aka ‘The Cape Dude’

Finally done, there were way too many characters in this one. (Also Yagen, you have way too many brothers)

[cagsun]

We walked like 22km on this day. We first visited the Cape Maeda and then we continued to Cape Manzamo where we reached before sunset.

We decided to spend the night on this cape, where we saw very few visitors and they left already by the time sun was set. So the whole cape was ours. Really nice views on both capes.

Biggest problem on days like this is the mosquitos. Other than that we are quite lucky with the camping spots we end up with. The world is hosting us well on these days.

May 9th, Cape Manzamo