#Charm omatsu

[thetravelingymleader]

So my grandma Bertha was going through some old photos and apparently found a picture of one of our family's ancient Hisuian ancestors!

She said I could share it with y'all so here ya go!

Bertha says her name was Omatsu but she went by "Charm". She was also part of a group of thieves known as "The misfortune sisters".

So yea. I have a criminal ancestor.

AKA Girlboss.

Also I think Gym Leader Candice's ancestor was in her crew too.

[atopearth]

Ken ga Kimi Part 6 - Kuroba Saneaki Route

Yayy Saneaki! I liked how Saneaki took into account Kayo's feelings of fear towards wolves howling because of her unfamiliarity with it and having never encountered it before. It was really sweet how he held her hand and helped her feel more comfortable with hearing it beside him so she could fall asleep properly, that was very kind. I wonder what Saneaki did that he feels like nothing can cleanse him of his sins and that he doesn't deserve to be able to be like Kayo and smile happily. I felt so bad for Kayo when she tried to think of topics to talk about with Saneaki and ended up bringing up swordsmanship and he totally cut her off. He probably has his reasons, but even I felt the strong rejection enough that I lost any will to even think about wanting to continue the conversation lol. Saneaki is very much a sad boy but it's nice that he went along with Kayo to get a charm for her father and gave her the fancy cloth he received. I was surprised when she gave him her mother's charm though! Like yeah, she has the naginata to remember her with but this charm is also precious and she barely knows Saneaki that well! I guess she had nothing else and she really wanted to give him something but still!

Saneaki is truly beautiful but also a tragic man. I don't know how long he's been seeking forgiveness and fervently living a life dedicated to not killing but it must be quite a while since it seems like he prays daily and has his life revolved around making up for his sins. Crazy that Kayo fell down a cliff running away from youkai and met Saneaki, like how random is that haha! Munenori losing to Saneaki because he strained his back was pretty funny haha. I mean I understand why he would want Saneaki to join the Bakufu considering his skills but Saneaki wouldn't be of much use in his current state anyway considering his utter distaste towards killing. I knew Saneaki was impressive and a big deal but I didn't realise that he won that sword tournament three times! I've always wondered why Saneaki would join the tournament again but I guess it's understandable that he would want to show the sword/Ootenta that there's someone more worthy to be chosen to wield it than himself. I'm glad Tsuzuramaru was able to convince the hard-headed Saneaki to help Kayo. It was really frustrating to have to watch Kayo, her teacher and her friend be bullied and kicked out of their own dojo by ruffians who have no respect and can only play dirty. Considering how regal and well put Saneaki is, it's surprising that he did laborious and tough jobs since he was 12 because he lost his parents and was all alone. But I guess it's to be expected because his ethereal beauty stands out and he's obviously "different". I'm happy Tsuzuramaru was able to convince Saneaki to help Kayo and the dojo, but it seems like Omatsu actually knows Saneaki and is probably somehow related to his reasons for giving up on killing. I'm glad Kayo stood her ground against Munenori trying to ask her to get Saneaki to join the Bakufu because it's really not her place considering she knows nothing about Saneaki's reasons and she doesn't know enough about working with the Bakufu itself. But yes, I agree with her that even though he likes her, this is not something he would do just because she asked and it would be silly to think that Saneaki would change his mind so easily.

I felt bad for Kayo that she was basically threatened by Enishi to lead him to Saneaki's place. Even though what Enishi did was distasteful, after doing his route, you can understand how "incapable" he thinks he is, so he feels like it's his responsibility to find someone worthy to protect Edo since he can't do it. I think it was cute how Kayo was able to stop the both of them from fighting with her level-headed reason that Saneaki said he didn't want to hurt people with his sword anymore. It was very thoughtful of Kayo to be more concerned about Saneaki possibly breaking his oath to not hurt people than her being caught up in this and getting threatened when it's got nothing to do with her. I see..so Saneaki gave up on the sword because he accidentally killed an innocent woman when he couldn't stop his sword trying to kill a criminal who was her lover. As someone so righteous and strong, it must have been a great hit to everything he believed in to have done something he could never take back to an innocent person, which in turn made him question all the people he had killed before even if they were criminals. Saneaki liking flowers and growing them is a very him thing, I could imagine him as a florist, he has that care and kindness. It's sad that he regards himself as a murderer but it is understandable because he's probably killed so many people in his life that he's lost count. To others, he would probably be viewed as a murderer, but to Kayo, she will always see him as the one who fought to protect her and only used his sword to protect and not to kill.

My heart felt so warm when Saneaki got Kayo some sweet glutinous rice balls for her to eat because he knew she was down and wanted to cheer her up somehow since she wasn't saying anything. Kayo was soo cutee when she brought leftover tofu from the restaurant to Saneaki and then became so happy when he agreed to her cooking for him as thanks for caring for her and guiding her on the naginata the other day. Lmaoo I love how Kayo calls Saneaki's sword spirit ting Habaki-chan after finding out her existence🤣🤣 I assumed the girl Saneaki killed would be Omatsu's sister, and I knew Saneaki would give his life to her if she wants it considering his guilt, but I didn't think Omatsu practised the naginata all this time to kill him. My heart broke when Omatsu and Kayo hugged each other crying, with Kayo telling her that she loves Saneaki and can't support her friend killing him, and Omatsu unable to let go of her hatred and desire for revenge. Omatsu's sister was really strong and really loved this man, enough to run away from home back to Sunpu to find him. Even though Omatsu let go of it kinda easily, I think in a sense I can believe that she will truly try to let this go, because just as her sister gave her life to protect the one she loved, I think she can recognise that Kayo loves Saneaki enough that she would risk her life for him, or at least I hope she really does understand anyway. Saneaki's life was very tough... In order to live, he chose this way of life and followed orders to cut down people he thought deserved to be killed. I think it's sad that he was forcefully separated from his father who was Spanish because a law was passed that forced foreigners to go back to their country, and then he lost his mother not long after because she was Christian and at the time, Japan didn't accept Christianity and killed those who refused to abandon it. Ohh, his father's friend took care of him until he was 12 and then this friend who was a trader from the Netherlands was also forced to go back to his country. I think the saddest thing is that he wanted to take Saneaki with him and tried his best to do it but failed. I'm sure his father probably wanted to do the same for his mother and him...

I think what we can be glad for in terms of Omatsu is that she has Taichi to help her get through her pain just as Kayo will be there to carry the burden of Saneaki's sins. I support Habakitsuki pushing Saneaki on to Kayo haha! Kayo already took the biggest step by confessing to him, so it's about time he also admitted to his feelings for her. The way Saneaki so shyly but sweetly told her he was also in love with her was cute! I never thought about the idea of Kayo's father remarrying so I was just as taken aback as Kayo tbh. Saneaki and Kayo reading a book that was left by his father was sweet. Just seeing him more open to Kayo knowing about him is nice. I'm glad that through spending time with Saneaki, Kayo was able to come to terms with the fact that just as she loves and wants to spend time with Saneaki, her father has also found someone he cherishes very much too. I loved how Kayo was able to use the naginata training she did with Saneaki to help Nanae and Choushichirou escape. Naturally, she wasn't able to fend off real soldiers who were alerted to her now, but I think she was really cool and I liked that she got a moment to see her training come to fruition. Knowing that Tsuzumi and Nanae have a relatively peaceful life with a good ending in the fortune ending makes me happy. Even though I understand that there's not much time for her to explain to her father properly that she needs to leave Edo, but I still feel bad for him that he'll come back to a letter basically saying she's leaving with a man he's never seen. I would be so worried and sad. I'm happy for them though, because Saneaki can finally leave without being burdened by his sword and the responsibility since Tsuzumi is here. I didn't think I needed it but I'm glad we could get proper closure with Omatsu and Saneaki, especially him finally deciding that he does want to live for Kayo now. Omatsu is such a great friend though😭 and since Omatsu got to see them, we can rest assured that she will tell Kayo's father about them and to not worry and happily be with her aunt. I didn't think they'd end up at a place where they can practise Christianity safely and live their lives in peace but I'm glad they found somewhere Saneaki could finally find solace in and pray for the future rather than for repentance. Even though they're still very polite with each other, it's nice to see them slowly get used to each other.

I like how in the harmony ending, Tsuzumi and Nanae are still able to find a place for themselves in Edo, and Saneaki can live a peaceful life working at Kayo's restaurant! Ohh, I didn't think Kayo's father actually asked Saneaki to marry into their family and then gave the restaurant to Kayo and Saneaki while he went to open a new restaurant somewhere else. Saneaki being the chef is quite fitting! Kayo and Saneaki watching over the sunset as he asks Kayo to call him Saneaki is so touching and heartwarming. They've come a long way and I'm happy to see them both get to live in peace. I think I personally prefer the harmony ending the most because I like them getting to stay with the people Kayo loves and not feeling like they have to move so far away in order to be accepted. I loved the epilogue. Saneaki thinking about Kayo and always thinking about her smile when cooking food makes me so happy for them. I like how the reason his food is so good is because he wants Kayo to enjoy his food. It was so sweet seeing Kayo enjoy his food so much, and so very sweet to see Saneaki smile so happily watching over her eat. It truly is the ending I love!

I think it's sad to think about Omatsu's older sister's lover who didn't resist Saneaki killing him after she died to protect him. What I like about this Wild (Blue) ending is that you get to see more of Saneaki's thoughts that once he watched over their bodies, he finally came to the realisation that maybe not all the people he's killed really deserved it or were as guilty as others had told him, because even his mother who was innocent was killed. I'm actually so sad that because Saneaki has picked up his sword again to fulfil his promise with Omatsu to serve the Bakufu, he doesn't feel like he can pray anymore after killing so many more people like Asakura and them. It's so heartbreaking to see Saneaki only able to grip on to his sanity by believing that he is killing people and monsters with his sword to protect Kayo. He's living his life sinfully and probably feels like dying everyday but is forced to live with his crimes because of his promise to Omatsu and because he doesn't want Kayo to be sad. The most terrible thing is that he only sees Kayo once a month, and even though Habakitsuki is cute, she just encourages Saneaki to kill people and just takes away more and more of his sanity, enough that seeing Kayo might not be enough to save him anymore. Honestly, this was a very cruel ending and Saneaki didn't deserve to be condemned to live a life where he all he does is kill, to the point that he can't even be with Kayo anymore because it's too dangerous. It was so painful to read knowing that he would literally have to live like that for the rest of his life with no one beside him and no one to care for him no matter how much pain he's going through, and since he's so capable, it's unlikely he'll die and be "relieved" that way, not that he would let that easily happen because wants Edo to be safe for Kayo to live in, but it's just so so sad.. Asakura is so despicable in the Strange (Green) ending. Him pushing Nanae in between Saneaki and Tsuzumi's fight was disgusting. I felt so bad for Saneaki nearly having to relive his trauma, and I felt so bad for Tsuzumi nearly killing the one he loves with his own hands. Saneaki kissing Kayo knowing that he won't live to see her again as he sacrifices himself to push back the marebito and close the door to the underworld just makes me so sad. Kayo saved him from pain but in the end, his death will cause her so much grief. It was heartbreaking to watch Kayo reach out to an illusion. I'm not sure how I feel about Kayo praying and waiting for him knowing that he's most likely gone, that's just heartwrenching.

Overall, Saneaki is a tragically beautiful man. I quite enjoyed his route because it really shows the atmosphere surrounding Saneaki's life very well in that you can feel that every living moment torments him as he lives the life of a sinner and basically lives to repent or die, whichever is required of him. I like his and Kayo's relationship because it's as elegant as it is respectful and it is as beautiful as it is passionate in that Kayo is ready to accept his pain and to live a life of redemption alongside him. She cares for him, and he learns through her that he does have a reason to want to live and I think that's sweet for someone who thinks his life is disposable for his crimes. Considering his elegance, it's crazy to know the childhood he had lol. I also liked Omatsu because initially, I wasn't sure what kind of character she would be after knowing her reasons for hating him, but I actually really liked how her story was handled. I felt that it was very mature, understandable and kind. I'm just sad that Taichi doesn't get much of a role haha! Otherwise, I think Saneaki's route may lack romance in the sense of physical interactions but I think that's because of Saneaki's nature and it's understandable haha so I liked the traditional kind of relationship they had where it was very polite, but still very sweet because you could see how much they loved each other through their actions rather than their words.

[russicnroses]

RUSSIAN ROSE | VOLUME ONE | PART 9

EPILOGUE: [N/A]

PAGES: 216 - 218

TRANSLATION TOOL: Chatgpt

CONTENT / WARNINGS: long post, blood, death mention.

This book is part of the Romanov arc of "BLOOD+," which airs nationwide on the MBS and TBS network every Saturday evening at six (commonly known as "Doroku"!). It is a story from the past of the anime's main character, Saya, and her knight, Hagi, set during their few days in the splendid, somewhat decadent Saint Petersburg, Russia.

I can hardly believe I had the chance to write such a story... With some hesitation, I experienced many precious moments different from working alone, like the production announcement event and the first episode screening. Somehow, I managed to reach the epilogue of the first volume.

Oh, yes. There was something surprising at that screening.

The opening song's promotional video featured a huge underground channel in Tokyo used as a backdrop for Saya.

Actually, I had participated in a tour of that underground channel. (I'm a fan of underground channels.)

Seeing Saya from the anime and Hitomi Takahashi, who sings the theme song, moving in a place I had just recently visited was a strange and incredible coincidence.

Isn't that an amazing coincidence? And that underground channel was incredibly hot. Wow, but Ms. Takahashi is wearing winter clothes... Seeing such a delicate, cute person working hard made me realize that adults must work even harder. Am I working hard enough...?

In the Romanov arc, I just wanted to write about happy moments for Saya and Hagi, with that in mind. They go through a lot because of their destiny, but... there's still a second volume... but anyway! I hope I can depict the bond between them and showcase Saya's charm and strength.

I know I will still cause trouble for many people, but I want to thank those who helped me reach this point. Director Fujisaku and Mr. Omatsu, who took time out of their busy schedules. (I didn't even know what to ask, and in the end, I did whatever I wanted with just the words "Hagi is good at housework" and "He talks more and is a bit gentler during this time" in mind...)

To everyone at Production IG and Aniplex, and illustrator Ryo Takagi, and my editor N, who I troubled more than usual. And of course, to the readers who picked up this book. I hope I didn't detract too much from the image of the anime...

Thank you very much. I hope to see you again in the second volume.

- Shigetsu Karino

[littleeyesofpallas]

Was talking with a friend about Pokemon character names, and walking them thru the logic of my attempts to puzzle out some of pokemon Legends Arceus' more obscure ancestor characters by shared themes(since most parent-child characters before now have had shared name references) and my friend seemed surprised that all the core pokemon characters have been named after plants/flowers since day one. I kinda forgot that not everyone immediately commits weird factoids they heard a decade ago to memory, so I figured that's a fun bit of trivia I could probably ramble on about for a few posts.

Even though I kinda broadly knew the references, I realized I definitely don't know what all these plants looked like off the top of my head, so I figured it'd be cool to get them all kinda side by side. Plus it gave me the excuse to crop images, which is just how I compulsively waste time.

(Now, granted, a lot of these are also puns on other things besides the plants, usually tying into the pokemon type specialties, but I'm really just focusing on the plant parts for this, so don't at me because I didn't get into the rest of the names' meanings/references. I know.)

Brock's name in japanese is Takeshi evoking take[竹]: "bamboo," common, basic, resilient; a good feature for the starter gym.

Misty is Kasumi from kasumi-so[霞草]: lit."mist+grass" refers to what we call in English, Baby's Breath. Obviously the name was a very easy jump to make in localization.

Lt.Surge is Matis(Machisu[マチス]) from Clematis, which is both the Genus name as well as the common name in English. (Ironically, most species of clematis seem to be native to Japan and China.)

Erika is just the direct katakana of Erica, a Genus of Heath/Heather.

Koga is named after the ninja clan in English, but his Japanese name is Kyo from kyo[杏]: "apricot," which is alternatively read as anzu[杏], his daughter's name.

Sabrina's name is Natsume from Natsume[棗], referring to the "Chinese Date" or "Chinese Jujube"

Blaine's name is Katsura from Katsura[桂], the Japanese name of what is sometimes called the "Sweet Osmanthus."

Giovanni is Sakaki, from sakaki[榊] a tree sacred to the Shinto faith, the kanji itself is even a compound of [木]:"tree" and [神]: "god."

Lorelei's name is Kanna, from the Genus Canna, covering the various species of "Canna Lily," although they are not true lilies. Oddly they are a tropical plant, which seems a poor choice for an ice trainer.

Bruno is Siba(Shiba[シバ]) from shiba[芝], the Japanese name for what we call "Zoysia grass."

Agatha's name is Kikuko from kiku[菊]: "chrysanthemum." (Also, Bertha's name is Kikuno, which is why we knew they were related, even before OMatsu(Charm) was introduced as their mutual ancestor, wielding both Rhydon and Gengar... but I'll get to her later...)

Lance's name is Wataru seemingly referencing wata[綿]: "cotton plant."

I'll get a pic of Blue in a post with all the champs together. Everything was so nice and divisible by 4 otherwise.

[Kanto] [Johto] [Hoenn] [Sinnoh] [Unova] [Kalos] [Alola] [Galar] [Hisui] [Champs] [Paldea] [Paldea2] [Paldea3] [Teams] [Misc.]

[recentanimenews]

INTERVIEW: The Staff Of JORAN: THE PRINCESS OF SNOW AND BLOOD

  The team behind JORAN: THE PRINCESS OF SNOW AND BLOOD is no stranger to making magic for anime fans. Director Susumu Kudo has worked on famous titles ranging from Ghost in the Shell ARISE border: 4 Ghost Stands Alone and Mardock Scramble. Writer Rika Nezu has done some work in the realm of anime, but actually comes equipped with television and film experience. Then, on the other hand, this was Funo Komiyama’s very first credit as a character designer, and it goes without saying that she crushed it. 

  JORAN finally concluded its run in the summer season, and to celebrate the end of the show’s run, Crunchyroll had an opportunity to speak with the staff behind the series. Read on to see how the series came together with insight from the head staff!  

  JORAN has many parallels to Lady Snowblood, a manga from the ’70s. Did that series inspire any elements in JORAN? If so, how?

  Yutaka Omatsu, Lead Producer: One of the first things that was in my head when conceptualizing this project was Meiko Kaji-san. She's a legendary actress in Japan, and though she wasn't big in my generation, I still find her to be amazing. The idea for the anime came from seeing if we could take the beauty, strength, and charm that Kaji-san represented, and bring it into the present with animation. 

  Now, of course, Lady Snowblood is an iconic work of hers, and rewatching those movies, I was struck by the unique charm she has in it, that characters in modern film generally don't have, which became the inspiration for JORAN's protagonist. I believe that there is a link between individuals and the times that they live in that is inseparable. And when thinking about what kind of setting would be the best stage for someone like Meiko Kaji to perform on, I came to the conclusion that, like in Lady Snowblood, a period of unrest or possibly the collapse of a nation would be the best background, which played a big role in establishing the setting. 

  Looking back, one of the biggest themes of JORAN ended up being how to take the image and atmosphere around Kaji-san in those roles and best represent it in animated form, which really says a lot about just how amazing she is, that she was able to inspire an entire anime like this.   

  Now we have some questions for Director Susumu Kudo. What is the most challenging part about directing an original anime?

  Kudo: When you're not adapting source material, there's the upside of getting to determine everything about the story, setting, and visuals yourself, and the downside of not having a built-in hook with the audience, and I think that managing that balance can be pretty difficult. 

  I feel that JORAN’s dramatic structure is very similar to a theatrical play. Was this your goal? Do you enjoy live performances?

  Kudo: We were very intentionally creating a structure where every four episodes would cover a single "chapter," with three chapters in total, and an exciting climax at the end of each, with a story that really moves along quickly. I attended theater performances as a student for class, but after graduating, it's been all movies for me. 

  What do you feel is most unique about JORAN as a series?

  Kudo: The story being based on a fictionalized version of actual Japanese history, and it providing a unique background where a dramatic story unfolds is its biggest charm.

    Now we have some questions for series composition writer Rika Nezu. How long have you and Kudo-san been working on JORAN’s universe? Tell us about the process!

  Nezu: From the process of writing the script until broadcast, it was a period of three years. I was in charge of the overall series composition, in addition to some of the individual scripts. I started after hearing from the producer, Omatsu, in fall 2018, and then continued to attend meetings while working until the draft of the final episode was ready near the end of 2019, so the writing process itself took about a year overall. 

  Upon accepting this project, I had three goals: 

  One, I wanted the protagonist to be an incredibly powerful fighter, burdened with the "flaw" of compassion. 

  Two, I wanted to approach the story like a game of Othello, where certain pieces would flip as it goes on.

  And three, I wanted the emotional core to be a depiction of the kind of drama that comes from the cycle of destruction and creation.

  For the first three months, I met with the director Kudo-san, the other writer Omatsu-san, Okada-san, and Inage-san who worked intermittently as a producer, and we all discussed the type of setting, the direction of the plot, and the characters who would work well with the core concept of, "The story of a beautiful, strong woman's quest for revenge." That was the basis for a project outline that we used internally, drafted by Okada-san, after which I made a more detailed outline for the characters and story. The part where it features a trio of secret assassins, their handler being a man, the protagonist having an animal partner, a little girl who lives with her, those sort of things were decided upon fairly early on. 

  We all came to an understanding that there would be three arcs to the story, and three climaxes to go with them. The idea was to use our limited amount of run time to put a fast-paced story on display, where you can't blink or risk missing something, and I remember being particularly conscientious about what elements to write about. There are ways to deliver details, like monologues and narration and on-screen text, but we intentionally avoided using a lot of them in order to leave certain things to the imagination, which is a lot of fun for certain viewers.

  Another request from Omatsu-san was to "really depict the drama in detail." 

    Nezu: There are a lot of stories that are themed around revenge, and it's my belief that even when you achieve revenge, all that happens is that the score goes from being a negative to a null. So, regardless of whether or not you get revenge, it won't provide the kind of pluses that lead to a happy ending. So I put a lot of care into considering how to add a positive element to the story. What we came up with was Asahi, the girl who would be living with her, to represent hope for the future. There were also people who wanted there to be tension with her presence, instead of her simply being a ray of sunshine, so we made it so that her relationship with Sawa wasn't a simple one. That resulted in Asahi becoming a new point of conflict for Sawa, so much so that she would go on to shake things up for the remainder of the cast: Makoto Tsukishiro, Elena Hanakaze, Jin Kuzuhara, and Rinko Takemichi. 

  I think that the most interesting problems that prevent people from achieving their goals aren't physical ones, but struggles inside of them, irrational desires, and emotions that they have trouble managing. By getting a glimpse of these feelings, despite the story being set in a different time, with a different culture, and other special elements, I think viewers are able to feel what the characters are going through. I like to think that the entire cast has that human touch to them that is interesting.

  As for the relationship between the overall series outline and the plot of individual episodes, during the screenwriting process, the outline really just served as a rough guide instead of a definitive structure. We wanted to respect the way that the characters would evolve, along with making sure we used our allotted run time in the best way possible, and to do that we made sure to be flexible in what would be included, along with sharing opinions among ourselves.

    Nezu: With original concepts, there can be a tendency to drift off from the core ideas, and I think the reason that never happened with this project is thanks to a few things: Director Kudo was gracious enough to listen to everyone's ideas, Omatsu-san's clarity of vision, the skill Okada-san showed when digging into the characters, and the good impartial feedback that Inage-san would provide. Also, the look and feel of the world really brought Yamaguchi-san's design ideas to life. It really was a collaborative effort, centered around our director. 

  This was actually my first time working on a project with Kudo-san, and I really enjoyed how he was flexible enough to have an open mind about all kinds of suggestions. Plus, his positive attitude made meetings something to look forward to. The way that everything was depicted in animation, based on what was written in the script, exceeded my expectations, and I was looking forward to seeing every finished episode. 

  Sawa Yukimura is a complex protagonist with a dark history. Are there more to her ambitions besides revenge? 

  Nezu: Out of all our cast, Sawa is the only one who is familiar with familial love. Since she spent her childhood in a warm and loving environment, it's easy to picture her living a gentle life, without even a hint of violence. But because she is the only survivor when her family is unjustly taken from her, she adopts "revenge" as a goal and tries to survive in pursuit of it. She goes from this girl who loves nature and animals to becoming an assassin for Nue, and even though it's for revenge, it's incredibly painful for her. Sawa struggles with doubts revolving around what she is doing, so she tries to put a lid on all of her emotions, whether good or bad. She doubts she deserves it, but if she were allowed to, she would want to spend her life living quietly alongside Asahi. Watching the colors of the season change, having casual conversation around the dinner table, and speculating about a bright future. She would love a peaceful life like that. You could say that is her other ambition. 

    What inspired you to pursue working in anime?

  Nezu: I had a chance meeting with the producer, Omatsu-san, ten years ago, and that became my gateway into working on anime. I've generally worked on live-action projects in the past, but I love anime and manga, too. My parents operated a cafeteria when I was younger, and we had lots of manga magazines available for the customers to read, like Shonen Jump, Shonen Magazine, and Champion. My parents would read them to me instead of children's books. 

  Since they both worked, and there was no one in the neighborhood who was my age, I spent a lot of time watching anime on TV with my siblings. Transforming witches, combining robots, sports, school romances, battle action series ... I'm going to keep things vague in order to obscure my age. I think we watched a little bit of everything. As I got older, I picked up an interest in live-action television and movies, but the enjoyment I had as a child from manga and anime never went away, and I carry it with me to this day. So I've always wanted to write an anime that people would remember, the same way those shows from my youth were so influential for me. 

  That was when Omatsu-san, who was looking for a live-action writer, contacted me. At first, there weren't a lot of details about what kind of project it would be, but I ultimately ended up contributing the series composition. This was my first time handling composition for an original series, and while I was happy about it, I was really nervous, too. But Omatsu-san said, "This is the kind of thing that only you can write right now, and I'm looking forward to it," which helped me really pour everything I had into writing the series. 

    Now we have some questions for character designer Funo Komiyama. Whose characters and art style do you particularly admire?

  Komiyama: I'm a big fan of the art styles of Satoshi Kon-san, Tetsuro Ueyama-san, and Kazuo Kamimura-san. 

  How did you design characters to fit the alternate history aspect of the series?

  Komiyama: I took into consideration the psychology of the characters, and the way they would have to live when surviving in an era where an oppressive authority is in total control. There was also a desire to include designs that reflected Japanese manga from the '70s and '80s, so that helped me establish a lot of the atmosphere. 

  What did you do to approach your first role as a Character Designer credit?

  Komiyama: This was my first time as both character designer and chief animation director, so the first thing I did was gather material my predecessors had worked on to use for reference. I also looked to the work of other artists who debuted around the same time as me, who had already worked as character designers earlier than me. I always took a look at the works of other chief animation directors and animators inside the studio who were working on other projects and asked them for advice.  

    Finally, is there a message that you’d like to share with worldwide fans of JORAN THE PRINCESS OF SNOW AND BLOOD?

  Kudo: For Episode 11 and the climax, despite having worked on the show as its director, I can't help myself from tearing up at what happens. But that's only because it's the climax of the drama that has been building since the first episode. I hope viewers will experience the saga of these characters not just the one time, but with repeat viewings. 

  Nezu: Thank you so much for your interest in my work. This is really a story that demands your attention when watching it. And once you've seen every episode through to the finale, if you go back and rewatch from the beginning, you'll get a very different impression of the characters and the things they say. I think that's one of the best things about this project. While there will be painful moments that might make you want to look away, I hope you watch to the end to see how things turn out for our cast. 

  Komiyama: This is a story where the characters do their best to survive while going through some very interesting experiences, in an era of social upheaval and chaos. I hope you see their story through to the very end.  

    Alex Poehlman is a Features Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features! 

By: Alex Poehlman

[rierru]

My store is open for preorder again! ❤️ I've added new designs and samples of my other merch! Kindly check it out!:  http://rierru.tictail.com 💕 Thank you! Reblogs are appreciated!  💕

Items in my store:

Fire Emblem Heroes: Bridal Blessings Glitter charms - Designs available: Caeda, Lyn, Charlotte, and Cordelia Full details : http://rierru.tictail.com/…/fire-emblem-heroes-bridal-bless…

Fire Emblem Heroes: Spring Festival -Designs available: Camilla, Xander, Lucina and Chrom

Full details : http://rierru.tictail.com/…/fire-emblem-heroes-spring-festi…

Ken ga Kimi - Designs available: Kayo, Omatsu, Tsuzuramaru, Kei, Enishi , Sakyo, Suzukake, Iemitsu Full details: http://rierru.tictail.com/product/ken-ga-kimi-keychains

These designs will also be sold at Cosplay Mania in the Philippines.I will post details later on! I plan to add Ylissian Summer later on ! :) For updates about your order kindly follow my twitter or notify me in any of my pages!

[littleeyesofpallas]

Continuing from this last thing... I realize now, already, that this is going to turn into a whole obnoxious congaline of posts.... but oh well, I'm in it now.

Falkner's name is Hayato, which is technically just hayato[隼人]: "Falcon man/person," an indigenous people of kyushu prior to Yamato conquest, but also taken from hayatori[隼人瓜], what's called a "Chayote" or "Merleton." The Japanese name is literally "Falcon+People+Melon."

Bugsy's name is Tsukushi from tsukushi[土筆], the Japanese name for "Horsetail"/"Snake grass" but written in Japanese as "Ground+(writing)Brush."

Whitney's name is Akane, from akane[茜], a specific species of Japanese Madder: Rubia argyi, aka "Red Madder," hence her hair color.

Morty's name is Matsuba, taken from matsuba[松葉]: "Pine needle," specifically and not just matsu[松]: "pine tree." Oddly he shares a theme with Omatsu(aka Charm), Agatha and Bertha's ancestor, which they don't. (There's more to Omatsu's name but I'll get to it later.)

Chuck's Japanese name is Shijima, seemingly taken from the Haworthia shijima, a species of Zebra plant. Makes sense to name a tough guy after a succulent as they're both known to be resilient under harsh conditions.

Jasmine's name is Mikan from mikan[���柑], the Satsuma Mandarin, hence her little orange ball hair ties.

Pryce's name is Yanagi like yanagi[柳]: "willow." The fuzzy white flowers of the pussywillow seem appropriate imagery for a whitehaired old man.

Clair's name is Ibuki, same ibuki[伊吹] as the "Chinese Juniper" tree. Somehow i thought she'd have a name more closely related to Wataru's(Lance). I feel like her general color palette as well as the town name Fusube City, evoking fusube-iro[燻べ色]: "Smoke color"(a shade of black) point specifically to the dark, waxy, blue-ish color of Juniper berries. She shares a general theme with Nezu(Piers) in Galar.

Will's name is Itsuki, referencing Tsuki[槻], the "Japanese Zelkova" tree, aka the "Japanese Elm." Its flowers are rather unremarkable but they do change into a pretty shade of red in the autumn. Not sure I really see any parallels with him and his design tho...

Koga we've tackled before*

Siba's in the same boat as above*

Karen is just a lazy localization of the Japanese Karin[花梨], which is the Japanese name of both the "Burmese Rosewood" as well as a few different species of Quince tree. (I went with the rosewood for the image on second thought her bauble belt thing is definitely a reference to the shape and color of the Quince fruit, so i changed it) Her ancestor Sazanka's name references sazanka[山茶花] the Camellia sasanqua, the japanese camellia. It doesn't really relate to Karin's name at all, but curiously it does share a theme with Diamond Warden Melli's name, Tsubaki[椿]: "camellia."

and as stated previously, champs will get their own post, but obvious Lance was also covered in the *previous post as well.

[Kanto] [Johto] [Hoenn] [Sinnoh] [Unova] [Kalos] [Alola] [Galar] [Hisui] [Champs] [Paldea] [Paldea2] [Paldea3] [Teams] [Misc.]