#FIRST he becomes japan's number one delinquent

[gratuiciel]

funny (probably only to me) kisa/take scenario that won't leave my head: takemichi (reluctantly) does something nice for kisaki once, thinking nothing of it at the time, but then when he returns to the present he finds out they are lovers now bc kisaki made another ten-year plan with HIM as the end goal

[voxvulpina]

I always wonder whether HY actually made a good money. I have seen photos of a very small section of its merch. Like very small and still full. Then, the news about it was very limited in some anime sites, like no one actually make articles of it unless they have too (example of it's crowned as one of the most boring anime, articles about how it happened then how it ended, articles on sequels which turn off fans. There were some, but not hyped or many of them). Even Fumination and Viz mag only made an article of it after it ended where they confirmed Rin as Mom.

None of my fanatic anime fans actually aware of it. Once I saw them opened a streaming site with YH on the screen, they just thought it was another childish boring anime and just immediately skipped it. They didn't even have any clue it was an Inuyasha sequel.

The viewership ratings also never reached significant number. The highest is no 4 but it's because SNK wasn't aired. Usually on 9th but then fell off the top 10 since eps 15 to the last episode.

Did it make any profit at all? Even many shippers (at least who I know) didn't show off their SessRin merch/magz. Most of them just kept on harassing people and the most weirdest act was drawing SessRin and twins her bedroom wall. Only the translators actually bought magz and showed it off like a treasure. The rating on streaming sites are high but the total number of people who gave it reviews are very low compared to other animes. The only time it trended on social media in Japan was eps 15 and only for a small moment about them making a joke about PEDOMARU then it's gone. The final eps didn't make any wave at all. Like it just went and gone so quick.

Am I just imagining something or Sunrise didn't prepare for all its downfall? Did they really expect it to be as popular as Inuyasha? Is that why they keep releasing bullshits like guidebook about how parents met and fell in love despite we have hundreds of anime episode and manga chapters about them already? Not to mention movies?

What I am sure of is that Sunrise was overconfident and thought that Sesshomaru's popularity could rivaled Inuyasha. He's not. His character development is just too weak compared to Inuyasha. There is a reason why many popular main characters on anime have similar behaviour (Inuyasha, Ichigo, Naruto, Kagami, Luffy) they could carry a show with layers of personality. There is a reason why cold, ice block characters become just side character (Sesshomaru, Itachi, Byakuya, Sasuke).

This makes me wonder how well Season 2 will do with only SessRin shippers as the viewers. In addition of many more interesting animes come out too.

Gawd, I hope Season 2 flops like a dying fish (I'm sure I don't need to say this, but for the love of all things holy, folks, if you're going to watch the new episodes, do it in a way that won't give Shitrise views or cash 💀).

I think the studio started out fairly confidently - people were excited at the prospect of an Inuyasha sequel and the Yashahimes were marketed as the three MCs, attracting droves of InuKags. It still boggles my mind how Sunrise managed to squander all that enthusiasm and all those viewers. Yashahime is so bad they had to disable comments on their YouTube channel, because of the awful reception the trailer for Season 2 was getting. Comments were disabled on their Instagram too a couple of months ago (I haven't checked if they're back on or not). I'm sure Yashahime's not making them any money - in fact, it's probably losing them OG fans, some of whom are so sickened by HNY, they're stepping away from the original show as well.

It's not only Sesshomaru's popularity that can't rival Inuyasha's - putting the pedopairing aside for a moment, one of Yashahime's big issues is that Sesshomaru's daughters, like their dad, aren't cut out to be MCs. Setsuna is too reserved and quiet. Towa, that is, delinquent Towa from the first few eps, is too selfish and cold-hearted. She only cares about Setsuna and isn't above being manipulative, which is interesting in a side character, but doesn't make for an MC everyone can get behind. They tried to fix this in later episodes, but ended up making Towa a whiny Mary Sue with shit for brains and no personality at all. She's proof that, in most cases, pushing side characters into the limelight ruins them. To force them into the MC mold, you have to twist their personalities to make them as appealing as possible...and chances are it won't work rotfl

[shadow-otousan]

Deciphering the years in which Shadowsan grew up in

 Alternative title: Debunking the supposed fact that Shadowsan is 40+ (I’m looking at you, cs wiki)

Since Shadowsan’s flashback in s02e03, this has been on my mind. After some intense image searching, I can finally share the fruits of my research. 

Let’s cut to the chase. 

This is Shadowsan as a child, then known as Suhara. (Also pictured are most likely his playmates.) The style of clothing they wear, which you can see mostly on the other kids, were fashionable as everyday wear for children during the 60s (and possibly earlier during the late 50s). This nostalgic blog in Japanese in which the author talks about their childhood and details the timeline of the decade, also describes the fashion worn by himself and his peers.

The caption (fortunately in English) as follows:

Children of everyday wear of 1965 is this is it !!

The boy on the far right and the two boys on the far left are wearing the style most similar to what we see in the flashback--sweaters worn over their shirts, and shorts that barely stop at the thighs or, if longer, above the knees. We can safely say that Shadowsan spent his childhood at least somewhere in the mid-60s.

Now on to the second decade and this time, we’ll be looking at Shadowsan and his brother. But first, we’ll be focusing on the most conspicuous example for what was considered the style of that decade.

This is Hideo as a young adult. Now the decade in which this took place was easier to figure. It might help that I had a 70s phase in college lol. The type of glasses he wore originated in the late 60s as a reaction to the unattractive and sometimes even downright butt-ugly spectacles of the past decades (except cat eye glasses but even that was a mixed bag). However, this style of eyewear really peaked in popularity during the 70s and it endured somewhat into the 80s.

Glasses became seen as fashionable with their large, thick, and colorful frames as seen in these ads. Tinted lenses, if we’re talking about sunglasses. Now what only stumps me is that I cannot find the exact example for Hideo’s glasses, as I see only one bridge on his frames instead of the more common two (those are the type of glasses Shadowsan buys for himself during the Fashionista Caper showing us that fashion is cyclical, but I digress). Regardless, the shapes are there.

As for his hair, you can simply find it by typing “70年代 アイドル 男性” in google image search. But for the sake of one example:

The only slight difference is that apparently, most of them parted their hair to the right instead of slightly to the left like Hideo does (and Masashi Sada as you can see above. Bonus points for being the few famous people in Japan who wears glasses so now I’m given the theory that the character designers lowkey based Hideo off of him. Highly unlikely, but it’s a nice thought. While we’re here, check out one of his songs like this one). His hairstyle also lasted until the 80s (because any start of the decade will always have holdovers from the previous one) until perms and hairspray made them even crazier. Hideo’s hairstyle can be describe as ‘feathered.’ Hideo’s clothes lack the then ubiquitous bell-bottom pants and wide lapels of the 70s though I’m chalking that up to even Hideo thinking those were silly (bell-bottoms could actually sweep up the dirt if you don’t wear platform shoes..I also tripped on them twice while walking ;w;).

Next, Shadowsan--este, Suhara as a teen.

Because he’s a rebel, it’s a given that his style does NOT reflect the popular fashion of his youth unless you’re in a gang (or trying to look like you’re a part of one). They seem to have one thing in common though: a buzzcut.

This was a photo of what seems to be gang members, taken by Katsumi Watanabe in 1972. The man on the middle right is the closest we have to Suhara’s style, befitting a misfit of Japanese society. On the contrary to medium-length feathered hair and colorful clothes, such rebels would go out of their way to stick out from the norm. Worth noting that the bosozoku fashion--in which elements of American choppers and 50s greasers are combined with Japanese elements (i.e. gakuran--high school uniform for males, hachimaki, sarashi, tokkou-fuku--”special fighting jacket”, etc.)--did not become quite popular until the 80s, so what Suhara wears is more or less a prototype of what will become the stereotypical look of Japanese delinquents (although those styles have actually coexisted too).

Now with all that out of the way. We can estimate as to how old they really are.

If Shadowsan was a 60s kid, that would place his birth years somewhere during the end of the 50s or the very beginning of the 60s, making him 50 plus or early 60s at the time of the show’s setting (2019).

Hideo, meanwhile, I’m just gonna take a wild guess and say he’s 5 to 7 years older (or even 10 considering how much older he looks compared to his brother in the current show), which would place his birth years squarely in the 50s, beggining, mid, or late. In the show’s setting, that would make him either 60 plus or pushing 70 years old. If 10, mid 70s or plus.

Until a concise number is given to us by the CS crew, I will strictly hold on to these conclusions as their more or less true ages. Of course, everyone is free to disagree because, after all, these are only theories and if they were to be debunked in the future, I won’t be surprised. Just a little heartbroken lol Because I’m not a historian of any sort nor am I Japanese, feel free to add on this or correct me on some mistakes I might have made.

And that concludes this post. Class dismissed ;P

(Last minute addendum: I would also like to point out that though it seems that most VILE operatives recruited are young as some argue that any VILE operative student had to be 20, nowhere in the show does it require only a certain group of young people can join. It might be entirely possible that as long as one is an adult (20 or older), one can join VILE. And Shadowsan, from the looks of it, seems to be in his late 30s or early 40s when he was a student going by his facial features. He just used to look really young bc Asian aging is a paradox. You can be older than you look, vice versa, and suddenly look like your age. But hey, like I said, only theories)

Ok, now I’m done~

[geckosong]

Anime Recommendations

Here is a list of ten anime (in no particular order) that are definitely worth watching, yet don’t seem to get nearly as much recognition as they deserve. 

Terror in Resonance (2014)

This is my personal favorite anime and I push people to watch it whenever I can, which is exactly what I’m doing here.

This show is set-in present-day Tokyo, which has been decimated by a terrorist attack, and the only hint to the identities of the culprits is a bizarre video uploaded on the internet. For the majority of the show the plot follows two different narratives: those of the investigators tasked with bringing down the terrorists, and of the terrorists themselves.

           My Rating: 10/10

Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun (2020)

This anime is probably one of my favorites, if not my number one, in terms of art style. I love everything about the character designs and the colors used. It is just so soothing to look at.

The famous "Seven Wonders" that every school seems to have are a staple of Japanese urban legends. One of the most well-known of these tales is that of Hanako-san: Rumors claim that if one successfully manages to summon Hanako-san, the ghost of a young girl who haunts the school's bathrooms, she will grant her summoner any wish. When Nene Yashiro, a girl hoping for romantic fortune, dares to summon Hanako-san, she discovers that the rumored "girl" is actually a boy! After a series of unfortunate events involving Nene's romantic desires, she is unwillingly entangled in the world of the supernatural, becoming Hanako-kun's assistant. Soon, she finds out about Hanako-kun's lesser-known duty: maintaining the fragile balance between mortals and apparitions.

My Rating: 8/10

Kids on the Slope (2012)

If you love jazz, or history, or even heartwarming tales of friendship then this is the show for you. I will admit that is has a bit of a slow start, but by the time you get to the end you’ll be wishing for more.

In 1966, introverted classical pianist and top student Kaoru Nishimi has just arrived in Kyushu for his first year of high school. Having constantly moved from place to place since his childhood, he abandons all hope of fitting in, preparing himself for another lonely, meaningless year. That is, until he encounters the notorious delinquent Sentarou Kawabuchi.    

Sentarou's immeasurable love for jazz music inspires Kaoru to learn more about the genre, and as a result, he slowly starts to break out of his shell, making his very first friend. Kaoru begins playing the piano at after-school jazz sessions, located in the basement of fellow student Ritsuko Mukae's family-owned record shop. As he discovers the immense joy of using his musical talents to bring enjoyment to himself and others, Kaoru's summer might just crescendo into one that he will remember forever.

My Rating: 6/10

Hyouka (2012)

Energy-conservative high school student Houtarou Oreki ends up with more than he bargained for when he signs up for the Classics Club at his sister's behest—especially when he realizes how deep-rooted the club's history really is. Begrudgingly, Oreki is dragged into an investigation concerning the 45-year-old mystery that surrounds the club room.

Accompanied by his fellow club members, the knowledgeable Satoshi Fukube, the stern but benign Mayaka Ibara, and the ever-curious Eru Chitanda, Oreki must combat deadlines and lack of information with resourcefulness and hidden talent, in order to not only find the truth buried beneath the dust of works created years before them, but of other small side cases as well.

           My Rating: 6/10

Tonari no Seki-Kun: The Master of Killing Time (2014)

I absolutely adore this show. The episodes are only about 8 minutes long, and there is very little talking, yet the story still comes through perfectly. It never fails to brighten my day when I’m feeling down.

All Rumi Yokoi wants to do is focus during school, but she is constantly distracted by Toshinari Seki, her neighboring classmate. Paying attention during class is the least of Seki's worries, as he obsesses over intricate setups created using an assortment of items, from an elaborate domino course on his desk to a treacherous war played out with shogi pieces. Yokoi desperately attempts to focus in class, only to be repeatedly sucked into his intriguing eccentricities; however, they always seem to end up with her getting in trouble with their teacher. Fortunately, lessons will never be dull with Seki's antics around!

           My Rating: 9/10

Classroom of the Elite (2017)

On the surface, Koudo Ikusei Senior High School is a utopia. The students enjoy an unparalleled amount of freedom, and it is ranked highly in Japan. However, the reality is less than ideal. Four classes, A through D, are ranked in order of merit, and only the top classes receive favorable treatment.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a student of Class D, where the school dumps its worst. There he meets the unsociable Suzune Horikita, who believes she was placed in Class D by mistake and desires to climb all the way to Class A, and the seemingly amicable class idol Kikyou Kushida, whose aim is to make as many friends as possible.

While class membership is permanent, class rankings are not; students in lower ranked classes can rise in rankings if they score better than those in the top ones. Additionally, in Class D, there are no bars on what methods can be used to get ahead. In this cutthroat school, can they prevail against the odds and reach the top?

           My Rating: 7/10

The Morose Mononokean (2016)

The start of Hanae Ashiya's high school career has not been easy—he has spent all of the first week in the infirmary, and his inexplicable condition is only getting worse. The cause of his torment is the mysterious fuzzy creature that has attached itself to him ever since he stumbled upon it the day before school began.

As his health continues to decline and the creature grows in size, Hanae comes across a flyer advertising an exorcist who expels youkai. Desperate and with nothing left to lose, he calls the number and is led to the Mononokean, a tea room which suddenly appears next to the infirmary. A morose-sounding man, Haruitsuki Abeno, reluctantly helps Hanae but demands payment afterward. Much to Hanae's dismay, he cannot afford the fee and must become an employee at the Mononokean to work off his debt. And to make things worse, his new boss is actually one of his classmates. If Hanae ever hopes to settle his debt, he must work together with Abeno to guide a variety of dangerous, strange, and interesting youkai back to the Underworld.

           My Rating: 6/10

Beyond the Boundary (2013)

Another of my favorite aesthetically pleasing anime, this show has been the one that I show to friends who claim that anime cannot be beautiful (yes, several of my friends have actually said things along that line).

Mirai Kuriyama is the sole survivor of a clan of Spirit World warriors with the power to employ their blood as weapons. As such, Mirai is tasked with hunting down and killing "youmu"—creatures said to be the manifestation of negative human emotions. One day, while deep in thought on the school roof, Mirai comes across Akihito Kanbara, a rare half-breed of youmu in human form. In a panicked state, she plunges her blood saber into him only to realize that he's an immortal being. From then on, the two form an impromptu friendship that revolves around Mirai constantly trying to kill Akihito, in an effort to boost her own wavering confidence as a Spirit World warrior. Eventually, Akihito also manages to convince her to join the Literary Club, which houses two other powerful Spirit World warriors, Hiroomi and Mitsuki Nase.

As the group's bond strengthens, however, so does the tenacity of the youmu around them. Their misadventures will soon turn into a fight for survival as the inevitable release of the most powerful youmu, Beyond the Boundary, approaches.

           My Rating: 7/10

Mekakucity Actors (2014)

I think about this show far more than I’d like to admit. The way they bring different plot lines together continues to amaze me 6 years after watching it for the first time.

On the hot summer day of August 14, Shintarou Kisaragi is forced to leave his room for the first time in two years. While arguing with the cyber girl Ene who lives in his computer, Shintarou Kisaragi accidentally spills soda all over his keyboard. Though they try to find a replacement online, most stores are closed due to the Obon festival, leaving them with no other choice but to visit the local department store. Venturing outside makes Shintarou extremely anxious, but the thought of living without his computer is even worse. It's just his luck that on the day he finally goes out, he's caught in a terrifying hostage situation.

Luckily, a group of teenagers with mysterious eye powers, who call themselves the "Mekakushi Dan," assist Shintarou in resolving the situation. As a result, he is forced to join their group, along with Ene. Their abilities seem to be like pieces of a puzzle, connecting one another, and as each member's past is unveiled, the secret that ties them together is slowly brought to light.

           My Rating: 8/10

Angels of Death (2018)

You totally want to get emotionally attached to cereal killers, right? Of course you do, that’s why you should totally watch this anime.

With dead and lifeless eyes, Rachel Gardner wishes only to die. Waking up in the basement of a building, she has no idea how or why she's there. She stumbles across a bandaged murderer named Zack, who is trying to escape. After promising to kill her as soon as he is free, Rachel and Zack set out to ascend through the building floor by floor until they escape.

However, as they progress upward, they meet more twisted people, and all of them seem familiar with Rachel. What is her connection to the building, and why was she placed in it? Facing a new boss on each floor, can Rachel and Zack both achieve their wishes?

           My Rating: 7/10

Bonus: Stars Align (2019)

I am adding one extra because this anime deserves so much more than it got. I adore every single character in this show and want nothing but to see them be happy. There is so much I adore about this show that I can’t put it all into words. I would recommend you watch this so you can share in my rage that the story was cut off halfway through with no current plans of completing it. There is no manga. There is no way of knowing what happens next. This recommendation is entirely for the purpose of generating more public outcry in the hopes that that causes them to finish the show. Please anime gods, if you are reading this I need to know what happens to my smol tennis boys. Are they safe? Are they alright? 

Constantly outperformed by the girls' club, the boys' soft tennis club faces disbandment due to their poor skills and lack of positive results in matches. In desperate need of members,

Toma Shinjou is looking to recruit capable players, but he fails to scout anyone. Enter Maki Katsuragi, a new transfer student who demonstrates great reflexes when he catches a stray cat in his classroom, instantly capturing Toma's attention. With his interest piqued, Toma ambitiously asks Maki to join the boys' team but is quickly rejected, as Maki doesn't wish to join any clubs. Toma refuses to back down and ends up persuading Maki—only under the condition that Toma will pay him for his participation and cover other club expenses.

As Maki joins the team, his incredible form and quick learning allow him to immediately outshine the rest of the team. Although this gives rise to conflict among the boys, Maki challenges and pushes his fellow team members to not only keep up with his seemingly natural talent, but also drive them to devote themselves to the game they once neglected.

This story focuses on the potential of the boys' soft tennis club and their discovery of their own capability, while also enduring personal hardships and dealing with the darker side of growing up in middle school.

[commentaryvorg]

Digimon Data Squad Dub Comparison Episode 1 - There Are Monsters Among Us!

This is a companion to my commentary on the original Japanese Digimon Savers! Reading my commentary on the original version of this episode (which you can find here) is recommended before reading this dub comparison.

Original name ~ Dubbed name

Masaru Daimon ~ Marcus Damon

Yoshino Fujieda ~ Yoshino “Yoshi” Fujieda

Captain Rentarou Satsuma ~ Commander Richard Sampson

[Since several characters share the same name between the original and the dub, quotes from the dub will always be in italics, while quotes from the original will not, in order to distinguish them.]

First off, can we talk about the characters’ dub names? The dub doesn’t actively draw attention to its setting much (but then again neither does the original, really), but it also does not change the fact that this is taking place in Japan and these characters are actually Japanese, despite that we’re hearing them speak English. Some of them keep their Japanese names, too, even if maybe they have slight shortenings of them to be easier for a Western audience to remember. But then some characters’ names are randomly changed to completely English ones, even though these characters are apparently still meant to be Japanese and living in Japan. It’s just strange – if they’re okay with keeping some of the Japanese names, why not keep all of them?

(Honestly, despite my complaints, I am kind of a little glad that they changed Masaru’s name in the dub, because Marcus comes across somewhat of a different character to Masaru for reasons I will be discussing at length. In that sense, it’s convenient to have different names to differentiate them by.)

Kudamon:  “He’s a renegade to begin with. We have no choice but to dispose of him.”

~~~~~

Kudamon: “The target is a renegade. We must catch him before he gets out.”

This is actually more reasonable than what Kudamon says here in the original.

Satsuma:  “The only ones who can keep Digimon under control… are Digimon!”

~~~~~

Sampson: “Only a high-level DATS agent can capture a Digimon.”

The original version of this line was already awkwardly expositiony, sure, but this one just doesn’t make as much sense. The point is not that Yoshi is a high level DATS agent, but that she has a Digimon partner.

The dub completely replaces the original’s soundtrack. I did a shoutout to the BGM here in the original, and I also want to do a BGM shoutout here in the dub! This piece here is very different sounding from Provocation Infinity but still gives a similar sort of actiony gung-ho feel appropriate for Marcus and Agumon being fighty dorks, and I like it. It’s used often enough in moments like this such that it’s the only dub theme aside from the evolution theme that I’ve become able to pick out and recognise the melody of, even though this is only my second time watching the dub. Though I don’t know what the dub soundtrack’s titles are (actually, after having a look, it seems like the dub OST was never released, so nobody does), I like to think that this one is probably Marcus’s theme based on the moments its used in, so I’m going to be calling it Probably Marcus’s Theme.

Marcus: “This is my training ground!”

This park is apparently specifically his “training ground”, even though it’s just an ordinary park that anyone can visit. Um, okay? (More on this at the end of this episode.)

Masaru:  “I’m the number one street fighter in Japan, Daimon Masaru-sama!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “One day, I’m gonna be a champion ultimate fighter!”

They’ve changed “street fighter” to “ultimate fighter”, which, okay, makes him come across a bit less like a delinquent, fair enough. But a noteworthy difference is that he’s only trying to be the best ultimate fighter. Masaru, on the other hand, feels like he already is Japan’s number one street fighter. This change still sounds fine and in-character enough on the surface, but it’s a meaningful distinction that will become quite relevant further in as we get more into Masaru’s character, so keep this in mind.

Marcus: “Fans all over will chant my name! They’ll say, ‘Marcus Damon is the best!’”

I get that what the dubbers are going for here is something equivalent in spirit to Masaru using -sama on himself. But there’s other, simpler ways to do that – just have him call himself “the great Marcus Damon”, or something like that.

As it is, what they’ve done here is make it seem like, apparently, Marcus has fans, or at least he wants to have fans. Which is not even remotely the point of his fighting thing in the original, nor will it be in the dub, either. He’s not doing this for recognition from others; this is something he’s doing entirely for himself.

Yoshi: “Raptor-1 can talk…?”

This was not a thing implied in the original – that apparently, Yoshi (and presumably therefore everyone else at DATS) hadn’t even heard Agumon talk until now. I guess they’re going for giving more of an explanation as to why DATS treated him like a monster, but I find it difficult to buy that Agumon really wouldn’t have said at least some stuff while trapped at DATS HQ. (“I’m hungry,” if nothing else, right?)

Lalamon: “Yoshi, he’ll destroy the human!”

Oh, boy. This is one of those English dubs that refuses to directly acknowledge the concept of death because apparently the poor kiddies can’t handle that or something. I will attempt to not rag on it every time it does so – only because that’d get really boringly repetitive – but I will be talking about it a lot in future episodes when death becomes quite a story-important thing that is happening.

For now, let’s just point out that it sounds really silly to talk like a human can be “destroyed”. There’s plenty of other ways to get across that Agumon is dangerous without directly referencing death that would sound more natural.

Marcus: “Then I’ll knock you out like I did these guys!”

Masaru did not mention the fact that he was responsible for beating up all the dudes this early on. I guess here in the dub, Yoshi just isn’t paying proper attention, because she’s going to continue to assume it was Agumon who hurt all the students.

Kudamon:  “He’s too dangerous.”

~~~~~

Kudamon:  “We cannot let this escalate.”

I am sad that the dub lost the fun “who’s too dangerous?” double meaning of Kudamon’s original line.

Yoshino:  “Hey, you! Get away from him! You’ll only lose if you fight him!”

Masaru:  “Huh? This isn’t about win or lose! This is about fighting man-to-man!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “You can’t fight that creature! He’s too dangerous!”

Marcus: “Huh? Look, toots, I’m the dangerous fighter here! And I don’t need any babysitter to hold my hand!”

We really, really did not need Marcus being vaguely misogynistic by calling Yoshi “toots”, or by implying that she’s nothing but a babysitter. We really didn’t.

This also replaces Masaru’s original line that has that fun aspect of him not even caring about winning and just wanting to have a good challenging fight with a worthy opponent, so we lose that, too.

(Though, ignoring the misogyny, I do enjoy Marcus responding to “he’s too dangerous!” with “hey, I’m dangerous”.)

Agumon:  “Yeah! It’s man-to-man!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “That’s right! This is between him and me!”

Agumon then also isn’t able to agree about this being man-to-man, and this just becomes a less interestingly nuanced “stay out of our fight”, rather than really about the kind of fight they want to have.

Masaru:  “Got it? Now stay out of this!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “This is a fight between men, so stay out of it!”

Having removed Masaru’s reference to men a few lines earlier, the dub does something which is going to be extremely rare by its standards and actually adds in a reference to men here. …Unfortunately, because they’d also added in Marcus’s random misogynistic lines earlier, this comes across much more like it’s about gender, and he’s just essentially saying “we don’t want any girls in our fight”. Which, no. Masaru talking about manliness is never actually that much about gender at all, despite the word he uses.

Masaru:  “I see you’re pretty brave.”

~~~~~

Marcus:  “I dunno what you are, but you’re goin’ down!”

We lose the sense of Masaru having respect for Agumon challenging him in place of some basic I’m-better-than-you trash talk. And this also adds in Marcus calling Agumon a what, rather than a who, indicating that apparently Marcus is paying some attention to Agumon’s species and is seeing him, at least a little, as not quite worthy of the same respect as a human.

After their big cross-counter…

Agumon:  “I wasn’t ready. But you won’t get me this time!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Hey! I wasn’t ready! I was waitin’ for you to say, ‘One, two, three, go!’”

The dubbers completely missed the point of the original, “I wasn’t ready.” Original-Agumon’s line comes across as “I wasn’t expecting you to be that strong, but now I’ve got the measure of you”, like he’s gained more respect for Masaru’s strength. Meanwhile dub-Agumon is just whining and acting like Marcus totally cheated rather than acknowledging his unexpected strength.

Agumon kicking Marcus in the crotch is cut, replaced with a rather cheesy-looking comic book POW sort of effect across the whole screen.

There’s a cute acoustic guitar BGM here for their bonding moment that I like, especially after recognising its melody and realising that this is a variation on Probably Marcus’s Theme! That seems very appropriate.

Agumon: “You’re… pretty good… for a human.”

Geez, what a backhanded compliment. Apparently dub-Agumon still sees Marcus as below him simply because he’s human, rather than fully acknowledging his strength regardless of species.

Agumon: “Let’s call it a draw.”

This line fills a silence, stating something that was already perfectly well implied in the first place by the fact that they’re no longer fighting and yet there’s no clear winner. It shouldn’t need to be said. In fact, it makes it seem a lot more like this fight really was just about winning or losing to both of them, when in the original that was never the point.

Rather than “Aniki”, which, okay, works fine in subs but can’t really be kept in a proper official English dub, Agumon calls Marcus “Boss”. I guess this is acceptable, but I feel like it would have been better for them to lean into the “big brother” meaning of aniki, rather than the “boss” one, for reasons I will be grumbling about a lot.

Masaru:  “Aniki?”

Agumon:  “Yeah. You’re the first person to acknowledge me as a full-fledged individual, Aniki.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Boss?”

Agumon: “Yeah. Y’see, you’re the only guy who’s ever matched me blow-for-blow in a fight before.”

So, in this version, Agumon gaining respect for Marcus has absolutely nothing to do with Marcus treating him like a person. It’s just because of his strength, nothing else. Way to lose that really fun little bit of nuance and character depth on both sides.

(Also, what does Agumon even mean, “before”? It’s not like he’d have been able to have proper fights that weren’t just defending himself while trying to escape until now.)

Agumon:  “That’s why, from now on, I’ll be your follower!”

~~~~~

Agumon: “That makes you the boss. From now on, you give the orders and I’ll faithfully follow!”

Matching Agumon in a fight shouldn’t really suddenly make Marcus the boss who gets to order him around, should it? Plus, here’s Agumon explicitly saying Marcus can give him orders, which was not at all part of the arrangement originally. This whole thing has such a different tone to “you treated me like a person when nobody else did, so now I look up to you and will be loyal to you.”

Marcus:  “I never thought one day that I’d have an employee that’s as funny-lookin’ as you are.”

Oh, boy. Meanwhile, instead of “follower”, we have… employee. That is even more completely missing the point of the aniki-and-follower relationship of the original. If they didn’t like the gang connotations of “boss”, maybe they should have gone for “big bro” instead, perhaps? But no, they just doubled down on the “boss” in a totally different and inappropriate direction. Marcus has apparently just started up a small business.

The heartwarming BGM gets a record scratch as Yoshi reminds them she’s still there. I admit, it made me chuckle.

Yoshi: “So, are you gonna come quietly, or do I have to use force?”

Marcus: “Who’s she talkin’ to, you or me?”

I do enjoy this – a little implication that Marcus has some experience with being treated in a similar way, perhaps by the regular police.

Masaru:  “It’s the aniki’s job to look after his follower. I’m not handing him over to you!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “I’ve never had an employee before, and I’m not turning my only one over to you!”

Instead of Masaru doing this out of feeling like it’s an aniki’s responsibility, Marcus is making it about himself. He doesn’t want to lose his new and only employee. Like Agumon’s just a possession of his now. Nothing about how this is something that should be expected of him as a boss.

Later, at the tower, as Agumon asks Marcus to help him evade DATS:

Marcus: “What am I getting myself into this time?”

I enjoy this too. More implications that Marcus is used to getting himself into all sorts of Trouble.

Agumon: “I’m starved!”

Marcus: “Well, suck it up and act like a real man!”

Again with the dub adding in references to manliness that weren’t there originally, as if Marcus actually has a concept of manliness that will continue to be a running theme. Haha, I wish. Get ready for me complaining about the exact opposite of this in basically every other dub episode.

Agumon: “I’m a growing boy!”

How does Agumon even know this phrase? This is an entirely human concept. Dub Agumon will be doing a lot of this, awkwardly invoking human ideas that he shouldn’t have any conception of.

Yoshi: “Yum. I love chocolate pudding – it reminds me of being a little kid again!”

Yoshino’s coffee jelly gets localised into chocolate pudding, because I guess coffee jelly is more of a Japanese thing that Westerners might be unfamiliar with? I enjoy the added detail that it reminds her of being a kid and that’s why she likes it.

Masaru:  “I don’t know anyone by that name!”

~~~~~

Marcus:  “I have no idea who this ‘Raptor-1’ is!”

Marcus’s line loses the technically-not-lying and respecting-Agumon’s-identity of the original line. He does know who this “Raptor-1” that Yoshi’s talking about is, even if that isn’t actually his name.

Masaru:  “How’d you know my name?”

Yoshino:  “You yelled it out earlier for everyone to hear.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “How do you know my name, anyway?”

Yoshi:  “I know everything about you.”

No pointing out that he yelled it out earlier like a huge dork. Instead, she just really leans into the DATS-are-creepily-authoritative vibe that she already had a little of in the original.

Yoshi: “Born April 2nd in Tokyo, blood type B, Ootori middle school eighth grade.”

Him being born in Tokyo was not a detail mentioned in the original. And also probably not true in the original, since the series is set in Yokohama and there’s no indication that his family moved here. The dub is presumably still set in Yokohama even though it’s never mentioned, just because the scenery is that of Yokohama, so I guess they’ve just established some dub-only canon that the Damon family moved home at some point. This will actually come up briefly later. I am shocked that I’m saying this.

At least, props to the dub for mentioning Tokyo and making it pretty overt that, yes, this is set in Japan. (You know, with this Japanese guy called Marcus.)

Yoshi also does not explicitly specify Marcus’s age, only that he’s in eighth grade. Which (I’m pretty sure, though I’m unfamiliar with American school grades and may be wrong) would make him fourteen anyway, at least assuming he hasn’t been held back at any point. Keep this in mind, because this will also come up later.

Yoshi: “…and you now live with your mother Sarah and your little sister Kristy, who looks up to you even though you generally act like a jerk.”

First of all, how the hell does DATS have so much information that they even know how his sister feels about him?

Second of all, more importantly, way to just tell us that, hey, did you know, Marcus is A Jerk, hey, guys, you’re supposed to think he’s a jerk, because… he fights things, I guess?

The reality? Masaru is not a jerk. Not even slightly. He’s reckless and hot-headed and will fight anything that poses a challenge, but that is not even remotely the same thing as being a jerk to people.

But apparently the dub doesn’t understand this, and they seem to think that being a jerk is somehow meant to be one of his most noticeable character traits. And I guess they’re trying to present the idea that he’s going to slowly grow into being a nicer person through the power of Digimon and friendship? Which is not at all any kind of arc that Masaru is going to have, because he is not actually a jerk in the first place.

If it was just this one line that seemed to think this, I wouldn’t be that annoyed. But one of the biggest things I’m going to be complaining about with the dub is the fact that they actually do change Marcus’s character significantly to make him noticeably more of a jerk than Masaru ever was. We’ve already seen a little bit of this sort of thing going on so far in this episode, with how they’ve removed focus from the bits with Masaru treating Agumon like a person and instead made it all about fighting, and specifically winning those fights. But, oh boy, there’s going to be a lot more, to an extent that it has to be deliberate.

And aside from me just finding this very frustrating as someone who deeply loves Masaru’s character to see him distorted like this, I also can’t help but boggle at why they would ever want to do this at all. Why would you deliberately adapt a character – the main character – to be less likeable than in the original version of the work? How does it not occur to you that this is only going to make your new audience enjoy the work less? I do not get it.

Lines like this one here are even worse, because they blatantly violate “show don’t tell”. Along with making Marcus act like a jerk and showing us that, the dub’s narrative is also telling us that he’s a jerk and insisting we should think that about him instead of letting us make up our own minds. It’s so lazy and heavy-handed. There will be more like this and I do not like it one bit.

Yoshi: “I’m with the Digimon Data Squad.”

I guess the Data Squad really is its full name in the dub. Even though the acronym is still DATS. Don’t ask me how that’s meant to work.

Marcus: “That’s a great story, dollface, but what’s it gotta do with me?”

Can we not with the Marcus being casually misogynistic? Can we not? (Thankfully, this isn’t going to be a recurring thing. Other ways in which Marcus is being made less likeable will be, but at least not this.)

Marcus does not say anything about assuming Agumon was just a frog. Since Masaru having thought that is going to be relevant again later in the series, this is a loss of not just a moment of amusing dorkiness but something actually meaningful.

(One thing that is very clear about the dub is that, with a few exceptions, they do not appear to have watched ahead to see the whole series first and are just dubbing episode-by-episode. For a series like this with quite a strong overarching plot and lots of little things like this that get callbacks, that means that a lot of this overarching sense of cohesiveness will be lost, simply by accident, because they didn’t realise there was something important there worth keeping around. This is another thing I will be talking about a lot.)

Yoshino:  “As long as you keep running from DATS, Raptor-1 will only starve to death.”

~~~~~

Yoshi:  “If you don’t return Raptor-1 to us, he’ll starve to death!”

This is a little different. Yoshino was only trying to get Masaru to come to DATS, supposedly to pick up some Digimon food. Yoshi, meanwhile, wants Marcus to bring Agumon to DATS. Which on the one hand is a more helpful strategy for what she’s trying to achieve. But on the other hand, he doesn’t bring Agumon, because obviously the dub can’t change the episode that much, so instead we’re just left with that awkwardly not being what happens despite it being brought up.

Yoshino:  “You…”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “Thank you.”

The hint that Yoshino is gaining a new respect for Masaru from his desire to help Agumon gets lost here, in favour of simply a thanks-for-finally-co-operating. Might partly be just lip-flap’s fault – the Japanese “you” is two syllables – but still, Yoshi’s tone of voice could at least have done some of the work to imply the same as the original, and it doesn’t really.

Kudamon:  “This is the boy that put Raptor-1 under control? He doesn’t appear to have any special power, at any rate.”

~~~~~

Kudamon: “Interesting that this is the boy who fought Raptor-1, because nothing about him indicates that he’s able to fight at that level.”

We lose any implication that Satsuma might have been telling Kudamon things about Masaru offscreen, and instead here’s dub-Kudamon simply refusing to believe the evidence of his own eyes. You literally watched him fight Agumon on your screen. He very evidently can fight at that level.

Kamemon: “Enjoy.”

Marcus: “I’m not thirsty.”

Kamemon: “Suit yourself.”

Kamemon actually says words in the dub as he brings Marcus tea! This was very bizarre to me when I’m used to original-Kamemon, who almost never speaks at all.

Masaru:  “Just hand over what I came for.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Just say what ya have to say and stop wasting my time!”

Apparently the dub has forgotten that Marcus only came here to pick up Digimon food for Agumon, and suddenly he expects to be receiving a speech here when he shouldn’t.

Masaru:  “Renegades?”

Kudamon:  “Yes. Raptor-1 has already entered the human world and injured humans. He cannot be allowed to go free.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Why are you calling him a renegade?”

Kudamon: “Because Raptor-1 has already entered the human world and made contact with human beings, so he can no longer be allowed to go free.”

I would complain that it’s a bit much that Agumon’s getting in so much trouble simply for meeting humans in the dub, and not specifically injuring them like they were assuming in the original. But, as it turns out, the original is also going to call Digimon simply meeting humans a “crime” in the next episode, possibly as part of its early weirdness. So, eh, this isn’t really the dub being any sillier than the original here.

Satsuma:  “Daimon Masaru, you should work with us to create a bright future for both humans and Digimon!”

~~~~~

Sampson: “Please co-operate. The future relationship between humans and Digimon depends on you returning Raptor-1 to us.”

Also, apparently Sampson isn’t actually trying to recruit Masaru to join DATS with this speech. I can understand the logic behind changing that, since Satsuma was going about that whole thing weirdly vaguely.

That said, saying that the entire relationship between the two species hinges on this one Digimon being returned doesn’t make any sense. So I get the feeling that the implication of what Satsuma really wanted in the original line just went completely over the dubbers’ heads, and they simply thought they were translating his intent directly and made it sound rather silly as a result.

Masaru:  “What the hell is this? Stop pestering without even listening to what I have to say first!”

~~~~~

Marcus:  “Why not? Because I don’t owe you people a single thing!”

We lose the fun subtle Masaru-y nuance of him caring about being given a chance to express how he feels here. Though I suppose it’s also relevant and illustrative that Marcus is implying he would help them if he felt like he owed them, showing a sense of responsibility there.

Masaru:  “…but have you even considered why he suddenly showed up in this world? He admired this place! He admired this wide world, filled with things moving around that he’d never seen before.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Have you thought about why he came to the human world in the first place? What if he didn’t have a choice? Maybe things were bad for him back in the Digital World!”

This would be Marcus being sweet and thinking about how Agumon feels… if it wasn’t for the fact that Agumon told him he doesn’t know about anything except the institution, and therefore clearly didn’t deliberately try and run away from something bad in the Digital World. Pay attention to your foll – uh, employee, Marcus. Masaru’s line there had somewhat forgotten or misinterpreted what Agumon had told him, but Marcus’s is doing so to a much greater extent.

Masaru:  “But if he starts rampaging, then I’ll be responsible.”

~~~~~

Marcus: “And if he gets into any sort of trouble, I’ll claim full responsibility for his actions.”

This sounds like a perfectly reasonable translation, but the dub version of the sentence does not work nearly as well to foreshadow the thing that the original line is foreshadowing and this makes me sad.

Marcus: “But only if you give me some food for him!”

…This is immediately following the previous line. So I guess, since they never give him any food, Marcus doesn’t end up obligated to take any responsibility for Agumon getting into trouble. (Even though that’s still what he is going to do when they think Agumon’s attacking the hamburger shop. But this makes him come across like someone who’s less willing to do so no matter what and has less of a strong sense of responsibility.)

Kudamon:  “It looks like you’ll have to take responsibility sooner than you thought.”

~~~~~

Kudamon:  “Do you now see how hiding him has created a security breach for all of us?”

This change makes a fair amount of sense, since original-Kudamon was being unreasonable by insisting Masaru should take responsibility for Agumon’s hunger when that was really Yoshino’s fault. And it also fits with the fact that Marcus never actually promised to take responsibility since he wasn’t given any food.

Yoshino:  “So this is where you were hiding him. Since he’s nowhere to be seen, it must be him who attacked the hamburger shop.”

~~~~~

Yoshi:  “So this is where you were hiding Raptor-1. A lot of good it did you, since we confirmed it was definitely him who attacked the hamburger stand.”

No, you didn’t! How did you confirm a thing that isn’t true? If this is Yoshi lying, that’s just a dick move; she doesn’t even have anything to gain from it. It feels more like this was the dubbers not paying attention and missing the original’s meaning, which is very obviously that Yoshino was assuming based simply on the fact that Agumon went missing. But he didn’t actually attack the hamburger stand! Did they not even watch ahead to the rest of this episode to realise that?

Marcus: “Why’d you attack a hamburger stand?”

Marcus asks this of Agumon after finding him with his head dorkily stuck in a trashcan, not really all that close to the explosions and flames. Way to jump to freaking conclusions after basically just finding proof that Agumon isn’t the culprit, geez! …Though I suppose that can be partly blamed on Yoshi inexplicably insisting he definitely was.

Agumon: “Huh? I didn’t attack anything, but a hamburger sure sounds good!”

Agumon should not know what a hamburger is. Again with his dub version knowing more human things than he should.

Kudamon:  “He hasn’t been tamed. I don’t understand why he’s fighting alongside human beings.”

This just makes no sense. What the hell does “tamed” even mean? Doesn’t it just mean “has become willing to work with humans”? Because if so, he evidently has been tamed, actually. Just sounds frustratingly like Kudamon trying to insist he Knows Better than this nobody kid, and I don’t think that’s meant to be his character.

Agumon:  “Aniki! He’s really strong…!”

Masaru:  “Doesn’t that just fire you up!?”

Agumon:  “Y… yeah!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “No! Agumon!”

Agumon: “Boss! I’m fine, but could you lend a hand?”

Marcus: “Ha! How about I lend a couple of fists!?”

The dub’s version of this exchange is kinda still cute, but it loses that fun nuance that Masaru loves how strong their opponent is, and that Agumon is learning to agree with that idea thanks to him.

Yoshi: “That thing will tear you to pieces!”

See, here’s a way to avoid directly using the word “die” or “kill” while still making it clear that’s what she’s referring to, without awkwardly acting like humans can be “destroyed”.

Masaru:  “When you’re in a man’s fight, you’re already risking your life! The moment you get scared of dying is the moment you’ve lost the fight!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “Besides, the ultimate fighter is always willing to make the ultimate sacrifice!”

This significantly changes the meaning here, and instead Marcus is apparently consciously willing to get himself killed if necessary, even though the kinds of fights he’s been in before really aren’t something that’s actually worth dying for at all. Masaru’s philosophy of acknowledging but then choosing to brush aside the potential risk in order to fight better makes more sense, because he’s not actually intending to die for anything.

The dub’s changed version of this line will also not work for the callback that the original line is going to get later in the series. I’d talk a lot more about why not, but, spoilers, so I’ll save that for then.

There’s a brief snippet of music here during the Anime Sads that appears to be a sad piano variation of Probably Marcus’s Theme, which feels appropriate. I don’t remember it from my one previous dub watch-through, but I hope it gets used in some of the future much more substantial moments of Marcus being sad about things.

Masaru:  “You… How dare you hurt my follower!”

~~~~~

Marcus: “It’s… It’s fightin’ time!”

We also lose another future callback here. But on the other hand, “it’s fightin’ time!” is going to become Marcus’s catchphrase that he uses basically every time he fights (a dub-only catchphrase that Masaru has no equivalent of, and that I’m really pretty happy with), and this moment when he’s avenging Agumon getting hurt is definitely an appropriate moment for it to start being a thing.

The dub’s term for Digisoul is, instead, DNA. Luckily for the biologist in me, who would otherwise be tearing my hair out over this, this stands for something entirely different from deoxyribonucleic acid, because boy would it being that kind of DNA make absolutely zero sense. It’s still pretty awkward that it happens to be the same acronym as a commonly-known thing that it could easily be mistaken for, mind you.

I don’t know why they couldn’t just keep the term Digisoul, though. It’s a perfectly good term! It can’t even be that the dubbers have some kind of oh-no-religious-references objection to using the word “soul”, because that word is also in the dub’s opening song that we’ll be hearing every episode.

Old man:  “By mastering this technique, your Digimon can Digivolve.”

Um, sure. The technique of waving your glowing hand over the Digivice is definitely something that needs to be “mastered”.

Marcus also yells “DNA Charge!” out of nowhere for the first time. But in his case, the old man never actually mentioned the word “charge” when telling him what to do here, so it’s even less clear how he knew that was what he was supposed to say.

Alas, the English dub does not dub the original evolution songs in Digimon. The evolution music instead is an instrumental version of the dub’s opening song, which, though I prefer Believer, is an acceptable replacement in terms of creating a similarly triumphant mood.

Marcus: “That’ll teach ya! Don’t mess with my employee!”

Oh my god, wow, way to completely unintentionally mood-whiplash the triumphant moment by reminding us that this huge powerful dinosaur is actually just your subordinate in the new small business you’ve set up here, Marcus. A small business of punching everything.

Agumon:  “Aniki! I’m hungry!”

Masaru:  “What the hell… That’s so anti-climactic…”

~~~~~

Agumon: “Boss! I’m hungry.”

Marcus: “What else is new? I’m just glad you’re safe.”

This addition is cute. Originally Masaru’s just referring to the anticlimax of Agumon devolving so fast.

Masaru:  “How about going for a hamburger?”

Agumon:  “Does that taste good?”

~~~~~

Marcus: “How about a nice hamburger?”

Agumon: “Ooh! With cheese, too?”

On the one hand, at least the dub remembered the fact that this Agumon somehow already knows what a hamburger is. On the other, this raises even more questions in terms of how he also knows that they can come with cheese.

Yoshino:  “But that one’s already injured 13 students!”

~~~~~

Yoshi: “But Agumon still injured fifteen men!”

Remember how the original tried to calculate fifteen minus one and got thirteen? Well, the dub tried it and got fifteen. Somehow each of them managed to get this very simple sum wrong in a different way.

(And yes, the dub did also specifically have Lalamon sense fifteen humans at the park in the beginning. Actually, it flashes back here to a part where Yoshi was then relaying to HQ that there are fifteen victims, but that was before she saw that Marcus was still standing. I guess it’s plausible to assume that Yoshi herself forgot to subtract Marcus after that and this is her mistake rather than the writers. Not convinced that’s the case, though.)

Also, told you the dub would forget about the part in the beginning where Marcus yelled out within Yoshi’s earshot that he beat up the dudes.

Marcus: “Those were some punks claiming to be ultimate fighters who wanted to train in my area, so I fought them for it, and guess what, I won!”

This begs the question: how the hell is that park supposed to be Marcus’s training ground? Surely, it’d make most sense as a training ground if it was where people regularly come to challenge him to fights? Instead, he only fought the dudes there because he wanted to drive them away from his training ground, so that he can continue to train there, alone, in a perfectly ordinary park that isn’t a gym or anything like that. How is he supposed to train there without opponents? Does he just, like… punch the trees?

I understand if the dub wants to make Marcus have slightly less of a teenage delinquent vibe, but the resulting implications they have here instead are just amusingly nonsensical. It does not seem like they actually thought about this very hard at all.

Overall differences

Overall, the dub of this episode shows a pattern of things generally making a bit less sense and having a bit less nuance, and Marcus in particular being just a bit less interesting and distinctive than Masaru. This is going to be such a regular pattern for every single dub episode that I probably won’t even bother to remark on it in most of these summaries going forward.

In terms of more specific effect on how this episode comes across, I think the most noticeable shift is that the sense of Marcus’s empathy towards Agumon despite his species is watered down slightly. Perhaps most notably, Agumon did not become loyal to Marcus because Marcus treated him like a person, but instead just because he matched him in a fight, which is less meaningful.

The terms “boss” and “employee” also give something of a different vibe to their relationship than in the original. Obviously the dub had to localise “aniki” to something, but I don’t think this was the best choice. This’ll be a thing in every episode, of course, but I’m bringing it up here because this is where it starts.

Then there’s the part where one of Yoshi’s lines casually established that Agumon had never spoken before. As much as this doesn’t make any sense to be a thing – why would he not have spoken while being held in DATS? – I guess it makes it slightly more reasonable that DATS then sees him as just a monster? Though they should also be changing their tune quite quickly when they realise he can speak, which of course they don’t. I guess this could have been an attempt to justify the original’s issues with DATS’s attitude towards Agumon… but not a very effective one.

[backtobackbakubabe]

I am the Alpha Now Part 19

Bakugo x Reader

Words : 2311

Masterlist

Reader is from America and somewhat of a delinquent with an alpha quirk that allows her to turn into a wolf as well as bond with dogs. She is sent to UA to straighten out her attitude. She ends up in a power struggle with none other than our favorite hot head. Words in Italics are words said telepathically.

**********************************************************************

You let Bakugo cradle you to him as you both were overwhelmed with the bond being open again and all that comes with it. He was suddenly hit with the amount of fatigue your body was under. He took in his surrounding and it didn’t take him long to piece it together. “Are you okay? This looks… bad.”

You closed your eyes and inhaled his calming scent. “I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep it off. My eyes… won’t stop glowing. It’s wearing me out.” You snuggled further into Bakugo’s chest and listened to his strong heartbeat.

Midoriya was currently arguing with Hawks behind you somewhere. “This just doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t you have called someone for back up? Or at least told Bakugo.”

Hawks shrugged, “He’s too close to this. I didn’t want his emotions getting in the way of rescuing her.” You didn’t miss the way Hawk’s eyes darted to yours before going back to Midoriya.

Midoriya narrowed his eyes, “I’m just going to be honest with you. Bakugo came to us with this crazy story and told us you and Dabi were the ones who had y/n. I thought he was losing it. But wouldn’t you know it, we followed you here to find y/n and Dabi?”

Hawks rolled his eyes, “The kid was losing it, which is why I called you in the first place to take care of him. But if you don’t believe me just ask her yourself. Ask y/n what happened.”

Midoriya turned to look you and his face softened when he saw the emotional state you and Bakugo were in. “Y/n? Can you please tell us what happened to you?”

You took a deep breath, trying to quickly formulate a lie they would believe. “I uh… started to panic about what my future was going to look like here in Japan. So… I went for a walk to clear my head. Dabi cornered and abducted me. He brought me to Shigaraki and he’s been trying to convince me to join their side for the past few days. I finally built up enough strength to take him on, so we fought. I guess we were louder than I thought because someone must have heard us and called in a noise complaint or something.”

Bakugo’s grip on you tightened, “You’re lying. I can feel it through the bond. Why?”

You could feel your palms start to sweat. Was it even worth it anymore? If you didn’t play along, they’d release your dirty little secrets. But was it even worth it at this point? Maybe if you told them the truth they’d help. They probably want to take down Shigaraki just as much if not more. But then again, they’re heroes. They aren’t supposed to kill. Your mind was whirling out of control.

Hawks cleared his throat, “You’re not exactly making me look good here y/n.”

What do you do? They had once threatened to kidnap Katsuki again, and after spending enough time with Dabi, you know he doesn’t make idle threats.

You looked at Bakugo, “You would love me no matter what? Right?”

He kissed your forehead, “Yes, of course dumbass.”

Hawks eyes grew as he remembered that you and Bakugo could communicate telepathically. “Hey conversations need to be said out loud for the rest of the class to hear!”

You knew by telling them the truth you would be fucking over Hawks. He would lose his hero license. He would probably be arrested. Could you do that to him? Is what he’s doing now, that much different than what you used to do in the states?

You stood up on shaky legs and walked over to where your file was. The one you had refused to look at earlier. You handed Bakugo the file, “Everything I’ve never told you about me is in that file.”

Bakugo took the file from you but he didn’t open it. After talking to Mercy, he had a pretty good idea of what was in it and that wasn’t something he really wanted to see. “What’s this got to do with anything? Are they blackmailing you? I don’t understand!”

You swayed on your feet, and you squeezed your eyes shut. You were still incredibly tired, but at least you could finally feel the power that had been humming at the back of your head start to simmer down. “I got an email from the league threatening to leak my past if I didn’t meet with them.” You opened your eyes to look at the three men staring at you. Bakugo looked worried, Midoriya looked confused, and Hawks looked nervous. “They wanted me to become a spy for them. Jokes on them though because there was already a slim chance of me actually becoming a hero.”

Midoriya looked between you and Hawks, “Okay, but how does Hawks play into this. It doesn’t make any sense.”

You needed to really focus on how you answered this question. Bakugo would be able to tell if you were lying. So, you would just have to bend the truth a little. “Hawks was running some secret operation trying to take down Shigaraki. He wanted me to help him from the inside.” You looked at Hawks who looked like he was ready to jump out of the window. “I know it was supposed to be confidential, but I’m sure they won’t tell anyone.”

You reached out to Bakugo through the bond to feel him out. If he was suspicious, he was doing a really good job hiding it. Without saying anything he stood and scooped you up bridal style. “I can feel how exhausted you are. Let’s go home. We can talk more about this after you’ve recouped.” You leaned into him eyelids already drooping. “Deku can you call Icy Hot and catch him up on everything. Let him know we’re on our way home.” He tucked some of your unruly hair behind your ear. “Mercy’s downstairs and itching to see you. He didn’t want to overwhelm you with having to feel both of us again, so he’s tried to keep his side of the bond quite.”

You hummed as you reached out to Mercy through the bond. “Hey buddy. We’re on our way down.”

“Thank god! I was so worried. Are you okay?”

You yawned and felt Katsuki pull you closer. “I’m fine, j-just a little… tired.”

With that you passed out. Letting the fatigue and exhaustion from the past few days take over you.

*******************Bakugo’s POV****************

Something was wrong. The story made sense sure, but there was something in the back of his head screaming at him that the danger hadn’t passed. He was still very suspicious of Hawks. He trusted you, so even if you were lying, he’d assume it was for a good reason. He just hated feeling like you couldn’t trust him. He’d play along with whatever game you were playing for now. He knew if he pushed at all, you’d push right back stubborn as always. He needed to stay close to you. He needed to keep you safe. So, if the only way he can do that is by pretending he’s stupid then that’s what he’ll do.

He carried you into the new townhouse. Boxes and half assembled furniture still littered the place. He hadn’t seen the new place at all considering he had been out looking for you the past few days since graduation. He had seen pictures though and he knew which room was meant to be his… well yours. Now that were moving in to.

He climbed the stairs very slowly, careful not to wake you up. When he opened the door leading to your shared room he was surprised to see all of the furniture was already put in place and the bed was made. Everything else was still in boxes stacked up against the wall. But the fact the one of the guys had been nice enough to do this… it meant a lot to him.

He passed the bed and went straight to the bathroom. This was going to be a little bit trickier. He got the water running to fill up the tub, then he carefully sat you on the edge of the sink while keeping you leaned against him. It was a tedious task to take your clothes off without waking you up. But you needed to be cleaned up before getting into bed.

He really wanted to comb your hair for you but he knew how wild your tangles got and that wasn’t something he could do right now. He gently placed you in the tub, careful to keep your head above water. It was odd. He was your boyfriend and he had seen you naked plenty of times. But something about this made him feel uncomfortable. He made sure to be as respectful as possible while scrubbing the blood, soot, and dried sweat from your body.

His hands began to shake as he thought about all the shit you must have gone through. After all he’d been in your shoes once. Kidnapped by the league, wanting to force him to join their side. He knew how he’d felt afterwards, and hell there were still moments now he cringed at the memories. He’d felt useless, dumb, and worst he had this feeling of dread. What had they seen in him that would make them think he was villainous?

He wrapped you in a towel and carried you to bed. He walked over to a box of clothes and pulled out one of his t-shirts for you. When he returned his eyes kept being drawn back to the folder that he had tossed on the bed earlier. He didn’t want to look in it. It seemed like an invasion of your privacy. But you were also the one who had given it to him. He may have never understood why they chose him. But here in his hands was the evidence as to why they chose you. He didn’t know if it was better not knowing. At least he could pretend it was a mistake, that they had just misjudged him. But that wasn’t option for you. You knew exactly why they thought you could be a villain and that made his heart hurt.

He crawled into bed behind you and pulled your back to his chest. He was just going to have to remind you every day that you were a good person until you started believing it. He gave the back of your head a kiss before reaching to turn the lamp off.

In the darkness of the room he saw your phone screen light up. Not to be nosy but with everything going on he just wanted to make sure the league still wasn’t trying to contact you.

It was a text from an unknown number and all it said was – “Hey the package you were waiting on is arriving a little sooner than expected. I can drop it off at the new place tomorrow night ;)”

***************** Dabi’s POV******************************

He can’t fucking believe you. Sure, your stupid boyfriend showing up threw a wrench in the plan, but then you just had to go and totally derail it. Dusty was coming back early and he was going to want to see his new prize. You didn’t realize that by going home you were just putting all of your precious new roommates in danger, including your boyfriend, and Dabi’s own brother.

He huffed as he hit send. Hoping this would be obvious enough for you to understand you needed to get the fuck out of that house before Shiggy decided to disintegrate the entire thing and everything in it.

“Hey relax would you. This is probably a good thing. She’ll get some much-needed rest after the hell you put her through.” Hawks took a sip of his beer, feet up on the coffee table. “Besides if Bakugo and his pals are anywhere near her when Shigaraki shows up you know they’ll help. I can’t see him taking them all on and succeeding.”

Dabi popped the top off of his own beer and threw it at his feathered frenemy. “That’s not the point. No one else was supposed to be involved. She was supposed to meet him for her “evaluation” and take him down. One on one. No one else gets hurt. Now she’s fucked everything up!” His finger hovered over the send button. All he had to do was press it and all her secrets are out there. Sure, it would be a petty move on his part. But he wanted her to know he means business. She can’t back out of this.

Hawks must have known what he was thinking because he sighed, “Look man, if you do that. You ruin her life. You know how hard it is living life as an outcast. Don’t be selfish.”

“Selfish? How the fuck is this selfish? I told her what was at stake, she did this to herself.” Dabi could feel his hands start to heat up and he took a few breaths to calm himself before he melted his phone.

“You push that button and she’ll run. You know that! And where do you think she’ll go? Straight to us! You want her around so badly your willing to ruin her life.” Hawks chugged the rest of his beer before standing up and walking over to where Dabi’s finger still hovered over his phone’s screen. “Don’t ruin her life just because you finally found someone who can tolerate your bullshit.”

Dabi narrowed his eyes, “I don’t know why you think I care about her, or her fucking cushy life. This is business, nothing personal about it.” He hit send and was surprised when guilt immediately washed over him. There was no taking it back now.

***********************************************************************

Tags : @tspice283 , @realityisoftendisapointing , @imbi-101 , @thoughtfulpandazine2, @hotarumorikawa , @huh-iwasntpayingattention , @starfishlovingbnha , @weebnumber3622 , @mixedfeeelings , @munchmunch01 , @inumorph@xxoperatexx @runrabbitrun3 @insane-without-delirium @yolei94 @let-love-bleeds-red

[hammeredalcoholic]

Jotaro falling in love durring the events of part 4? 🥺🥺

hell yeah, my boy, my one true love ///

ah god this got so long,,, i just fucking love part 4 jotaro

in which jotaro catches feelings for the first time when he’s 28

rated: sfw

You were a stand user that had been there during the events of Egypt in 1989, helping Jotaro and the Stardust Crusaders on their trip to defeat DIO. It wasn’t easy, to say the least, but you were lucky you got out with your life. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, Avdol, Kakyoin and Iggy were not so lucky. 

You had stayed with Jotaro and Joseph as they recovered, and finished high school while bound to your hospital room. But after graduating, you had left Jojo to go study abroad in America. You had given him your contact information though, and told him that you would still check in with the Speedwagon Foundation if any help was needed. 

10 years had passed, and you had found your way in becoming an extremely talented journalist. You worked in New York City, and still continued to check it with the Foundation, despite no word of any bad news. 

That was until the summer, when you got a phone call from a number you didn’t recognize. Picking it up, you put your phone between your shoulder and ear, continuing to write out your report. “Hello?” 

“Hey.” That voice. It was familiar. Who was it? Your mind ran instantly back to Egypt and that delinquent who basically saved the world. You gasped and dropped your pen onto the paper. “Jotaro? Jotaro Kujo?” 

“Yeah, it’s me. It’s been awhile.” You laughed into the receiver. “A while? It’s been 10 years! You should have called sooner!” You heard him chuckle slightly. “I’ve been a bit busy.” 

Jotaro had asked you to come investigate some of the bizarre happenings in Morioh, Japan. Now you couldn’t just say no to that, could you? You spoke with your boss, managed to get a month off of work, and booked your ticket the next day. 

Arriving in Japan, everything hit you at once. You were finally back at home- albeit not your actual home town, but Japan is Japan after all. Getting off the plane and grabbing your luggage, you hauled yourself to the pick up center. Jotaro had said he’d get you at 2, right? It was 1:55 now- 

Your thoughts were cut off by a tall man in a white coat approaching you. You glanced up at him, and grinned ear to ear. Dropping your luggage were you stood, you ran up to him and practically threw yourself in his arms. 

“God, it’s felt like forever, Jojo!” 

He smiled down at you, as a thought crossed his mind. When did you become so beautiful? 

Soon enough you had met Josuke and his groupies. They were a nice bunch, but you had preferred to stick with Jotaro and Mr. Joestar, you were an adult after all. You had also been clued in about the happenings is Morioh, after Jotaro took you to a nice cafe to chat. 

“So yeah, that’s the gist of it.” Jotaro spoke slowly, sipping his drink and looking over at you. You were slightly taken aback, but then again, you did fight a vampire that had stolen Jotaro’s great grandfathers body, so it didn’t surprise you that much. 

“Bow and arrow, supposed serial killer. I would agree, it’s very bizarre.” You said, taking out your note pad from your satchel and writing a few words down. Glancing back up at the man in front of you, you sighed. “But, that doesn’t mean we have to get to work right away. Tell me what you’ve done in the last 10 years, Jojo.” 

Jotaro had told you about trying to finish his thesis for his Doctorate in Marine Biology, and how he was thinking about studying the starfish on Morioh’s coast. You also shared your accomplishments, and informed him of the company you worked for back in the States. 

The both of you sat and talked in that cafe for hours, until you had noticed the sun setting. 

Weeks had went by, and you had fought off your share of enemy Stand users. You were also getting closer to finding the killer and the bow and arrow, all while at Jotaro’s side. 

Jotaro on the other hand, was noticing things that he wasn’t sure about. He had noticed that you had created a successful life for yourself, as well as growing into a rather mature, but fun loving person. Your personality hadn’t changed much from Egypt, but the way you held yourself up did. 

Another thing he noticed was your lack of a wedding ring. As well as how your looks had become very attractive to him. It was unnerving to say the least, and he wasn’t sure how to go about it. He decided that maybe his old man would have at least some advice. 

Jotaro stood in the window of his hotel room, smoking a cigarette as he looked over at Joseph and Shizuka. “Old man, I have a question to ask you.” 

Joseph looked up at him, blinking a few times. “Eh? Well let me hear it, then.” 

He then thoroughly explained the situation he was in. He thought your personality was charming, your looks were attractive, and he wanted to spend more and more time with you as the days pass by. As soon as he was finished, Joseph looked back up at him, cradling the baby in his arms. 

“Ah, Jojo. You’re in love.” 

In love? Jotaro never thought he would be in love. That word bounced around in his head, especially when he got close to you, or interacted with you in any way. You were a strong stand user, independent and capable of handling yourself. He had learned this 10 years ago in Cairo, but now it was hitting him harder than ever.

He was in love. He was in love with you.

As soon as Jotaro had come to this conclusion, he decided that the best course of action would be to just tell you and get it over with. If you didn’t feel the same way, that’s fine, he just needed to know before you got in any sort of danger. So logically, he called you and set up a date of sorts, saying that he needed to discuss something with you.

The same day you were meeting up with Jotaro, many thoughts ran through your mind. What did he need to talk to you about? Did a new breakthrough happen? Did something awful happen? You weren’t sure what you would do if something like Egypt happened again. It took a long time for those wounds to heal. 

You walked along the street to the cafe, your mind on completely different things, and you managed to run into Jotaro. Face to chest. You looked up at him, eyes wide. “Jojo! Sorry, I was just thinking a little too hard.” He smiled at you, and said it was fine. 

Following him into the cafe, the same one you went to when you first arrived in Morioh. You ordered drinks and some light food, before actually settling into your seats. Looking at him from across the table, you sighed. “Did something bad happen? Is that why you wanted to talk to me here and not over the phone?”

Jotaro’s eyes widened. Is that what you thought this was about? No, is was something completely opposite. He chuckled slightly, tugging on his hat. “No, nothing bad has happened. Don’t worry about anything like that.” 

He watched your composure relax, and you put your elbows on the table, holding your face up. It was, in certain terms, fucking adorable. “Then what is it, Jojo?” 

Jotaro took a breath, but looked into your eyes. “I- um. I have feelings for you.” He coughed slightly, turning away from your gaze. “I actually think I’ve fallen in love with you.” He covered his eyes with his hat, awaiting your reply. 

You were shocked, to say the least. Jotaro Kujo… The man that saved your ass more than once back in Egypt, as well as here in Morioh, was in love with you? You couldn’t believe it, but you knew that Jotaro would never pull a prank on you like this. He wouldn’t joke about his feelings. 

Reaching over and grabbing his hand that sat on the table, you pulled slightly. He looked at you, and you swear you saw vulnerability in his eyes. He was definitely telling the truth. You smiled softly at him. 

“Jotaro…” You spoke his name this time, which caught his attention. He stared into your eyes, desperately looking for an answer. Your hand traveled up his arm, then shoulder, then to his cheek. Pulling him closer, you pressed your lips against his, in a sweet kiss. 

He melted almost immediately, his hands going to find your face, holding onto your for what felt like dear life. Like he would never be able to see you again. You stayed like that for a moment, kissing him, running your hands through the hair at the base of his neck. 

You pulled back slowly, tilting his hat up and putting your forehead against his. 

“Jotaro Kujo. I love you too.”

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Moriarty 8 - 11 (FINAL) | HypMic 12 - 13 (FINAL) | Taiso Samurai 7 - 9 | Akudama 9 - 12 (FINAL)

Hopefully I’ll be able to get on to all that backlog soon, because...I don’t want it to keep accumulating and Skate-Leading Stars (first winter 2021 anime) already has an advance 1st ep. up...

Moriarty 8

(Moriarty 8 notes deleted accidentally…)

Moriarty 9

If you want a modern equivalent to the Baker Street Irregulars, then I’d suggest you look this way *jabs finger at Odd Jobs Yamada (from HypMic)*.

These CGI background horse and carriages are…kind of distracting…

I’m guessing back in those days, the Irregulars were better than Google at finding info…because Google didn’t exist until the internet did.

Moriarty 10

Just this ep and one more until the end…at least, until spring 2021.

Wow, the use of colour here is really striking!

White lilies mean…purity/chastity…?

I’ve never heard of “bending someone’s ear” until now. It means to talk to someone, especially to ask a favour or to talk at length.

Probatio diabolica: the devil’s proof. I didn’t even know that was a concept until now…(I never once studied law, as you can tell.)

“William” isn’t normally shortened to “Liam”…It’s normally “Will”…also, notice all the footprints on the floor…

Moriarty 11 (FINAL)

Last ep. before spring 2021.

LOL, kabedon.

The fishy thing about Brits is that they’ve named things across the world names from Britain. I know there’s a Doncaster which isn’t anywhere near Britain, for one thing…

Observe the weird finger-like marking made by one of the bloodstains and the scratches on the suitcase. The latter was probably forced open.

Considering the number of signs the killer left, he was clearly in a hurry…

Well, based on that shoeprint we can find the killer if we can find traces of blood on his shoe.

“Duram” (sic).

Ah! If it was raining in Durham, then there would be traces of mud on the killer’s shoes. I remember early on in Detective Conan Shinichi, then newly shrunk, deduced Agasa was running in the rain based on the mud on his pants…this is similar.

Chloral (hydrate…?).

The “washroom” (apparently a Canadian term, the British term is “water closet”) has privacy and a place to get rid of the evidence, to some extent.

What about the rest of Eddie’s clothes?

Considering there are still 5 minutes of the ep. left…there’s going to be some kind of stinger for the next season. I can feel it.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait…Director Holmes??? Y’mean, Mycroft?! That is a good stinger! See you next time.

HypMic 12

“Ever since I was born, there was never a time I’d felt I’d accomplished something.” – Aw, Doppo, sweetpea (<- this blogger calls people “sweetpea” when they’re feeling lots of moe feels for them). Please don’t say that. You’ve accomplished more than enough in your life!

…Oh, almost didn’t notice it until Hifumi hid behind Doppo and the angle changed to confirm the jacket was on the bed, but Hifumi doesn’t have his jacket on.

I think I saw a tweet that said something about a wall being wrecked (specifically “Wall: Ow…”) but I wasn’t sure of the context, so I saved it in my bookmarks…LOL, so that’s what it means?

Samatoki, I know you don’t like Ichiro…but please stop trying to preach what his 2nd character song says in the title…(i.e. Break the Wall, LOL)

Jyuto’s very much a “I’ll leave this problem to the other guy” guy.

When the Funi subs say “dame”, I think Samatoki is just referring to an “onna” (woman). It’s a bit of an odd choice, really…although I can’t go and interrogate whoever was responsible for it. I don’t have the authority or the contacts that will allow me to.

This is not the time for fighting one another!!!

Notably, in the manga, Jakurai was going to chaffeur Hifumi and Doppo to their place, but then he had to go to work and so they rode the train with their prize money. This “run from Special Forces” ending is better, I think, since people got grumpy at Jakurai for having to abandon them with the money.

“…permission to cover a story.” - Permission from…who?

*screams* I was thinking Tom, Rex and Iris worked for a foreign government! They work for Ichijiku – why didn’t I think of that?!

LOL, I couldn’t even tell what Tom was saying until I played it back…it’s English, just…said in a spot where you don’t expect it.

“…that scares me.” – This may be nitpicky of me, but osoreru is actually a derivative of osore (fear), so “it strikes fear in me”…? “It strikes fear in my heart”? What would sound right…?

Go, host mode Hifumi! (...but does that imply host mode Hifumi is the only “version” of Hifumi able to rap? Certainly, he was able to do Wrap and Rap without his jacket, right…?)

You can tell Tom still respects Jakurai after all this time because he (the former) calls him (the latter) “Sensei”. Also, this’ll be interesting, we haven’t seen many mics and speakers beyond the standard bad guy ones (depicted in both the anime and the manga).

My gosh! All I knew of this song was that m-flo, also responsible for Human Lost’s theme song (and notably they’re a hip hop group with techno influences), was responsible for this song. Man, this s*** slaps! It’s great! (Sorry, I’ve just never really had the chance to capitalise on all the info I gathered on EDM DJs when talking in terms of things from Japan…m-flo is basically the only act I know which does that, so I’m really excited…can’t you tell from how verbose I’m getting in this note?)

That’s interesting that Matenrou won and Tom still took the gold chair symbolism to represent him and the Secret Aliens as the victor instead.

Iris’s parts are awesome. M-flo has a female vocalist and so I’d assume Iris takes on Lisa’s (m-flo’s vocalist’s) parts.

…Hmm, Gentaro’s made a reference to the track “Me Against the World”, has he?...Maybe.

I’m not quite sure, but I think Ramuda said “majo” (witch) when he was referring to Beauty and the Beast in the English subs.

…gosh, what is up with that airhorn…? Still, next time is the last time. See you on Christmas…no, Boxing Day.

HypMic 13 (FINAL)

This is the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning…y’know, considering how stuff trended on Twitter, I’d say this anime’s gonna get a 2nd season, but you can’t really say that until it actually happens. I mean, Boueibu is much less popular than HypMic and that got a 2nd season…

This is the 1st episode where I woke up early enough to watch without spoilers and had no obligations to place over it, so…this is exciting, in its own sense, but in a sense, it could also be called “profoundly disappointing” because this experience is only available to me as of the final episode.

One of the tweets I saw a few weeks back came to mind – someone became interested in sakuga houkai (terrible animation, literally “animation collapse”) because of HypMic…I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing…

…Dude, you probably shouldn’t answer a call from someone who just revealed themselves to be a traitor last episode…*sweatdrops*

(Spoiler for rest of franchise) Hmm…Dice’s face is pretty straight. Assuming at this point we knew Dice was Otome’s son, this is a good poker face from him…!

This thing about gangs was mentioned in their profiles (although the words used implies they “went delinquent”), so it actually doesn’t surprise me.

I wonder if this subway exists in the mainline story…?

According to the next ep. preview I saw on Twitter, TDD will reform to take down the Secret Aliens. I’m not sure if that was a guess or whether that’s true, so I’m waiting for the shoe to drop on it.

Samatoki-san, not -sama. Hmm…

There was definitely the word “team” in Dice’s line, so it’s “what the legendary team was made of”.

…oh gosh…they’re still using that airhorn…?

Again with the play on “lonely thunder”. It’s a really fun pun, but one I’d like to see in the rest of the series more.

Notably, Iris’s rap in English missed the word “charisma” where it could have fit (unless I missed reading it the first time).

Note Samatoki does actually use the word “shinsensa” (freshness), so there’s no lie there.

I still love how much they went in on Rex’s theme, even in his raps.

Huh, that’s new. Never seen a tag team like this before.

It seems Tom’s signature is using a lot of English, which makes it easy for us English/Japanese pair translators.

Saburo didn’t actually say “Ichi-nii”, did he…?

…based on the rock intro, this is Rhyme Anima, the OP, or something that sounds similar. What I’d need to confirm this is the “nautilus” line and the “ends corruption” line, which are the OP’s two biggest tells for AMQ.

“rainmaking” – Hmm, another link from Gentaro to Rei. This might be a different part of Rhyme Anima (OP) that wasn’t used as the OP proper.

“this white light invites and heals” (<- paraphrased) – Sounds like Sensei, alright!

…now that (rainbow bit). That’s sakuga!

*a silhouette appears* - Oh nooooooooooooooo! Now they‘ve done it! They’ve included Rei! That’s more than enough spoilers to last a lifetime for y’all anime-onlys!

I wish someone would work on this collaboration between Saburo and Riou…

Hmm…what is the series endgame? Putting in Dice as the new ruler??? I mean, Dice is the worst possible politician ever. He’s far too lax about things.

*Nemu enters* - No! Nemu!

Not only is Iris a “ramen shop owner”, it’s Tom’s favourite food…No wonder ramen has significance to her.

…ooh! A new song! Update: I don’t know what this song’s name is, although it probably will become clear what its name is on the 13th. I’ll keep my eye on Twitter in case the answer is there.

…I knew it was far too early to say if there was an s2 – the DVD’s live events go until September 5th and the 2nd DRB finishes in March. That almost felt like a stinger right there. Oh well, I’m more than happy to call this anime a success, even if I would call it the worst of the arms of the franchise. All HypMic’s anime had to do was deliver fun, before anything else, and it delivered on that front. See you around!

Taiso Samurai 7

Anime burnout means I’m coming back to the anime after the day it finishes.

This dancing scene is kind of like the one at the start of ep. 2 of IWGP, except it has the owl to represent the setting as well as the dance stage.

Leo doesn’t seem to know kanji or katakana, only hiragana.

Even though this part of the anime is set in London, the characters are still speaking Japanese (lel…?).

LOL, Edward Scissorhands much?

LOL, these background gossips are like the Plastics from Mean Girls…haha.

…LOL, that’s not one of those dismounting moves, is it? It’s just kind of…jumping off the bar.

Lookit how Leo’s sticker is 90 deg. sideways from what it should be, haha.

I don’t think it’s true that Olympic gymnasts have never failed. Like other people at the top of their game, they’re probably failed millions of times, but only outside the view of most of the world. Persistence and passion are what’s key to becoming the best at what you are, no matter what field you’re in.

Now Aragaki’s what I call a “determinator” (see TV Tropes on what that is).

Taiso Samurai 8

Notably, the word used for “clothes” is specifically for Western clothing, like dresses.

Well, now we know why Leo can do those stretches…

They’ve clearly sped up the dance here, but…it’s basically the same sort of movements Yuri on Ice used to suck me in. I’m here for it!

Leo seems to be the type who tries to push away his worries by distracting people (including himself) with other things…I see. I didn’t have much of a grasp of his character beforehand.

Britney! F*** you, Britney!

Ah, that must be the (a?) fabled owl of Ikebukuro. I’ve never actually been to Ikebukuro…the closest I got was Akihabara (to memory) and even then, that was for electronics, not anime…so I’ve never seen the owl statue I’ve been talking about close up.

Rei does kind of look like her mother like this.

Ah! Rei and Kitty have a pair look now! “Twinsies”, they call it.

Amakusa’s head is located right next to Leo’s butt, so I end up staring at it…LOL.

The Hoover mission.

“I <3 Ninja”, LOL.

LOL, “Nyapoo!”

*sighs* The problem with being multi-talented is that you’re going to be told to one day put one passion above the others, even if you don’t want that.

LOL, you can be a ninja with this WikiHow article. (I was looking for Kitty’s quote, but found that instead. It seems to be a quote from one of Tomoyo’s movies.) Update: I was right.

There’s a movie in the back where the title is “Black Rainmaker”. (Tomoyo, I presume) Mifune is the 1st person credited.

Considering this is 2003…you won’t be on Mars in 2013, Kitty.

Wow, a tape! That brings me back to 2003, indeed.

Charlie’s Angels…so that’s what the tape was.

LOL, a shoebill.

“blade in your heart” – That would refer to the character for “ninja”, which has a blade over a heart. Y’know Kiss Shot Acerola Heart-Under-Blade (from Monogatari), yeah? Like that.

…you might think emails were out of place in 2003, but a virus from an email caused me to be an avid reader and that virus was unleashed around the late 90s – early 2000s.

LOL, Kitty’s cat belt buckle.

You said it, Rei. You said it.

Taiso Samurai 9

Lausanne, Switzerland.

I noticed one of the boxes at the start of the OP says “Horizontal Bars”, rather than some random name to make the boxes look like they were discarded.

Someone encoded the video funny…

LOL, BB’s getting possessive of his territory.

Fuku-chan the fukurou (owl) in Ikebukuro…LOL.

LOL, randomly there’s a skeleton with a hat in the background of Britney’s clinic.

Notably, one of the wall hangings says “heart” on it – alternatively, “soul”.

Notably, Atlanta was the 1996 Summer Olympics…there is no 1997 Lausanne Olympics, as far as I know.

Akudama 9

I watched the part where it glitches twice and I can’t quite figure out what that circular symbol is…maybe it’s Hacker’s symbol…?

Ah! Only now they properly confirm Swindler used to work in the Seal centre.

“Life that never dies is defective.” – Doctor

Does that mean Doctor is actually older than she looks, due to plastic surgery…?

Marker? What marker?

Apparently that flower is a cherry blossom…according to Detective Conan.

…I know this anime wasn’t made in America (it wouldn’t be “anime” otherwise), but Anime Feminist is going to have a field day with this one…if they haven’t abandoned it already due to their idea of morals.

…now I can even see parallels between HypMic’s authorities and Akudama’s. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

“Why did this have to happen when I’m chief?” – Sounds like…basically every authority during COVID and BLM, to be honest.

See? Akudama likes the S word. I told you.

I haven’t watched The Shining, but reading the synopsis, you can figure out why Cutthroat is the way he is…sort of.

How does the iconic quote go? “Heeeeeeeeeeeere’s Danny!” (or something…?)

They even copied the iconic eye shot! There you go!

Way to take a guy out (with the door, LOL).

…with all this killing, I can see why Akudama Drive was only in one magazine now. (Then again, HypMic was in basically all of them and that also has a tonne of problems…)

Akudama 10

万死 literally means “10000 deaths”.

Babel.

That police chief is such a mood, LOL.

I can see why people didn’t recognise Swindler, but Courier never changes his look, so…uh…

You can’t become a police chief without a sense of justice, no?

“Since when did you know that I’m not-“ - *facepalms*

Is this what they call an “ass-kickin’ Christmas”? (LOL)

Y’know, Sister, you could just do the whole “wherever you are, I’m also seeing the same sky as you” thing some other anime do.

Notably, there are shide (the paper strips) and a rope over the vault…they really do treat the shinkansen and its immortal children as a single god, huh?

Hmm? They don’t care about Sister anymore? Just Brother? (Somewhere along the way, the priorities must have shifted.)

In the end, the best ship is Brawler and Hoodlum (lel).

Akudama 11

One more ep after this. I’m gonna miss this anime, even if it was crazy over-the-top and I didn’t finish it until after the day it ended.

I think the scariest scene in all of Akudama Drive is the one where the “cleaner” tosses the girl aside.

“This nowhere place!” – Around this time, the bunny and shark’s shirts say “morning”/”afternoon” (shark) and “evening” (bunny).

The blue bird of happiness…literally. That character on the birds is the one for “happy”.

…LOL, that one glitched Courier looks more like Cutthroat.

Hacker’s drone matches Courier’s head angles, LOL.

I guess if you think you’re falling in Kanto, you’re falling in Kanto and if you think you’re floating (like Courier did), you float. I always liked that concept.

War Games. Now the title makes sense!

…but they can be together if they stay here in Kanto as vessels for the citizens? (That sounds mighty antagonistic of me, but…that logic does compute.)

Maybe swindlers play games with the truth…? (What an interesting concept.)

“Just fine.” – I think Hacker needs a “This is fine” meme.

“We can hear your heart talking.” – It means something like “We can hear you spouting your true intentions.”

“…worth every last penny…” – That’s a weird thing to say for someone whose life got changed by 500 yen…Just goes to tell you how American the subbers can be sometimes.

Swindler’s smug face is so good, LOL.

Akudama 12 (FINAL)

This episode isn’t named after a movie. It’s named after the anime itself.

The TV says “Please watch away from the TV”, i.e. stand back from the TV while you watch.

“They came and stole the offerings…” – At this point, bunny’s shirt says “freedom” and shark’s says honpou, meaning “wild, uninhibited, rampant, extravagant”.

…where did Shikoku come from? Is that where Swindler and Sister landed after they tried going to the moon?

Ohh! That Christian imagery! That’s scary!

Is Akudama Drive a tragedy? No, I think…on the contrary, it’s a story of hope.

LOL, “s*** guy”.

I thought the girl had a bomb. Turns out she has a gun, which is…far worse, come to think of it.

Instead of red characters which say things about the situation, now Shark and Bunny have Hacker’s symbol on them.

There’s no way anyone who wasn’t immortal would survive the attack Courier took…

…why is it that falling over represents vulnerability in children in all of these stores where a war has happened and/or there’s a chase? Hmm?

Wow, Sister did everything with heels on…?!

Anyways, that was a fun time. See you next time!

[mirkwoodshewolf]

My mentor, my idol; Freddie Mercury x teen reader

*Author’s note*

Hey guys well here’s a new update. Now before you all read this next chapter of the Rock Angel I want to point out something, this is ANOTHER past chapter so for all you newcomers here, this takes place before you reader-chan become the Rock Angel (well truthfully for this chapter it’s a bit of both). Now on the BoRhap/Queen masterlist I’ve got this in order of how to read it so if you want to do a binge reading of this series that has helped me bond with so many users on tumblr in my 3 years since getting Tumblr, be my guest :) 

Plus I’ve been wanting to do this chapter for LITERALLY FOREVER. To really show more of Freddie’s bond with you as the Rock Angel both before and after you become said Rock Angel. I REALLY wanted to showcase that so I hope I did for any Freddie stans out there ;)

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things​

@psychosupernatural​

@waddles03​

@simonedk​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

@queensdivas​

@platawnic​

@queendeakyy​

@geek-and-proud​

@kairosfreddie​

@onebigfangirlworld​

@naturalswifty89​

@starswin​

@isabella-bby​

@labessieisallama​

@bohemiansweede​

@5sos-wdw​

_______________________________________________________________

*Feb. 2nd, 1981*

It kinda felt strange not going back to the studio anymore.  After a 4 month internship, I was once again back in college with that internship with Miami and Queen under my belt.  I was currently working on some homework (now that Adam had been kicked out of the apartment so that he could live with that bimbo).

As I was writing out my answer to a question, my phone rang.  I stood up from the living room and picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

‘(Y/n).’ I smiled softly.

“Hi Freddie.”

‘Hello my little Rock angel.’ I shook my head at the nickname.

“So what’s the occasion for this phone call?”

‘What? Can’t a fabulous superstar call one of the best interns he and his bandmates have ever had?’

“Freddie you know I’m no longer your intern anymore.”

‘I know. But seriously darling. I miss you. We all do.’ I placed my hand over my heart.

“I miss you guys too. My days are quite boring now with just school and homework.”

‘Of course it’s boring darling because I’m not around you anymore.’ We both chuckled.

“You are so ridiculous.” I laughed.

‘But you know you love me.’

“I do Freddie. Very much. Truthfully, I wish the summer would come faster. I want to be with you guys again. To tour with you guys again.”

‘(Y/n) dear.’

“Yeah?”

‘You don’t have any plans this Saturday do you?’

“I mean I was gonna study for an exam I’ve got next Tuesday, why do you ask?”

‘Now I don’t want you to ask any questions, but come over to my place for a while. I want to do something.’

“Freddie what are you planning?”

‘I just told you, you can’t ask any questions!’ He chuckled.  I shook my head.

“Right sorry. Umm……I don’t know Fred, I mean this exam is pretty important to this class.”

‘Come on. To make up for it I’ll send Brian and Deacy over to your place on Sunday to help you study.’ I did an internal debate in my head, weighing the pros and cons before I finally said.

“What time do you want me to come over?” I heard him cheer on the other side of the phone before he told me to be at his house at exactly high noon.  I agreed and with that he reminded me to not be late or else he’d have Roger tickle me till the next generation.

The week went by fairly quickly and soon it was Saturday.  I was thankful that this time around we had some sunny weather (between the cloudy or rainy weather, sunny days are rare in the mid-winter here in England).  So I grabbed my keys and my helmet and proceeded to head out to Freddie’s place.

It took a while to get there (thanks London traffic) but just 2 minutes till noon, I finally arrived at Freddie’s place at Garden Lodge.  

After getting access into the gate and parking my bike at the entrance, I walked across the front garden and walked up to the front door.  I rang the doorbell and soon opening the door was the frontman himself.

“Ahh (y/n) darling. You managed to just get here just in the nick of time. I was just about to call blondie and let him know his new task.”

“Hilarious Fred.” I sassed back sarcastically as he allowed me inside.

I was—amazed at the inside of it.  It was—huge! But beautiful. Like those mansions you see on the telly or in a James Bond film.  There were expensive vases standing on a few pillars, tons of artwork and architecture that looked like they came out from ancient Japan, and almost everywhere there was some hint of yellow coloring in the walls.

Suddenly I felt something rub against my leg.  I looked down and there was an orange tabby cat at my feet.  He sniffed my right foot before rubbing his head against it and collapsing on the floor as he continued to rub against my shoe.

“Oscar, behave yourself we have company!” Freddie scolded. “I’m so sorry darling Oscar’s been getting this habit of wanting to rub up against people’s feet.”

“It’s no trouble at all Freddie, really.”

“I—I hate to ask this but you aren’t—allergic to cats are you?”

“Oh no not at all. I love cats.” I knelt down which startled Oscar for a second.  I reached my hand out for him and he gently sniffed it before going in and rubbing against my finger, begging to be petted.

“Oh that’s good. I really do hate having to lock them up whenever I have guests that are allergic. Tiffany and Romeo especially hate it. Always wanting to mingle with everyone they meet, so don’t be surprised if they come up to you and want to sleep on your lap.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”

“Now then, if you’ll follow me we can begin our training.” He walked off without another word. Wait what?

“Training?” I said as I stood up following behind Freddie.

We now stood before a large music room with a grand piano (the very piano that goes on tour with them), a record player in the corner with a bunch of vinyl’s surrounding it.

“Freddie? Fred? Did-did you just say training?”

“Yes my darling, your training begins now.”

“What training?”

“What training?” he mocked me in a posh tone before stating firmly again, “Your rise to stardom training of course.”

“What?”

“Am I going deaf or something? I said—”

“No I heard you Fred, it’s just…..why?”

“Because (y/n) dear, you once said it was your dream to one day be amongst the greatest rock and rollers.”

“Yeah. A dream. Only in my dreams will that happen.”

“You sell yourself short darling.”

“No Fred, I’m logical about this. Because I know it’s true. I—can you honestly see someone like me up on stage?” his brow furrowed at my statement.

“Come with me.” He grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the bathroom where a large mirror stood over the vanity. “Look in the mirror and tell me who you see?”

“I see you.”

“Alright smartass, besides the fabulous me.”

“I—I see a girl who has too much imperfections, who sees why her douche of an ex-boyfriend dumped her for a slutty bimbo, and……”

“Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!” he tutted. “What was that?”

“The truth?” I said perplexed.

“No. That. That was bullshit. That’s not what I see when I look at you.”

“And just what do you see?” I demanded. Freddie pressed himself against me, leaning his head on top of mine as his arms wrapped around me.

“Who I see before me; is a strong young woman.” I scoffed. “I’m serious darling. You have been through so much shit in your life and yet you still stand before the world with your head held high and your heart open. Anyone who started off like you would’ve ended up either as a delinquent or cold-hearted. But you—you’ve managed to hold on to your sanity.”

He removed himself from me and continued as he now began to brush my hair back and even braid a few strands together.

“Not only that but I see a woman who can change the way music can be.”

“You really think so?”

“Trust me darling. You could be the next Gladys Knight, Stevie Nick, Aretha Franklin, you know how much I love Aretha. You could be up in the big leagues with them. Pouring your heart and soul out to the world through your songs. Showing people that even through hardships, they can still find the light at the end of the tunnel.” He finished the braid and placed his hands on my shoulders as he leaned his head against mine once more.

“But how can I when I can barely stand before you and the guys when you asked me to sing ‘Set it all free’ for you guys?”

“That takes time. Believe me darling you think that Queen’s first gig was with the number of people we’ve got now? Oh no. Every good performer starts off small before gradually getting bigger and bigger. And any artist that says they weren’t scared at their first gig, is a dirty, rotten liar. Back when Queen had their first gig in Truro city hall, I was scared shitless.”

“Get outta town.”

“No, no it’s true. You ask Rog and he’ll tell you that I nearly forgot the lineup for the songs we were going to sing. And Brian will tell you that I mixed up some of the lyrics to Keep yourself alive.” I shook my head.

“I don’t believe you.”

“But it’s true though.”

“But you always seem so confident on stage Fred. I—I’d give anything to have that kind of bravery on stage.”

“Well darling, believe it or not I’m not like that all the time.”

“Okay now I know you’re lying. I’ve seen how you act—”

“Ah tut, tut, tut. That’s only because I act that way towards people I really trust. Which includes you. Any other time like for interviews or TV appearances, all I want is to just go home and be with my furbabies.” I turned to fully face him and I asked him.

“Then how do you do it? How can you find the courage to get up on that stage almost every night?”

“Because of the audience. Most performers want to just put on a show but not make every single person out there a part of it. To make them feel like they too can influence the performance. As Queen, we make them feel like we belong to them and not the other way around. Plus it gives them a chance to get a taste of the heavens whenever we’re on stage.”

God……never would I guess that the Freddie Mercury could be a shy person, only to reveal his fun side to only those he was really close to and trusted with his life.

“Now darling answer me this; what helps you break out of your shell? I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”  I looked down embarrassed.

“You’ll probably think it’s silly.”

“Try me.” He challenged.  I looked up at him and his brown eyes shined with a serious intent.  I exhaled heavily and muttered.

“It’s…..it’s dancing.”

“Dancing?” he questioned.

“Yep. Specifically when I can sing and dance.” Then the worst thing I had imagined came true, Freddie actually began laughing. I crossed my arms over my chest and said, “You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

“I’m sorry darling. Believe me I’m not laughing at you.” he said through his giggles.

“Then why are you still doing it?!”

“Because you and Deacy are more alike than you give yourself credit for.” I then let out a couple of coughs into his fist trying to rid of his laughter. “He told me the same thing comforts him whenever we go up on stage. Why do you think he does all those funky little dance moves of his? And you have seen him at parties right? Get some alcohol into him and a disco beat and you’ve got the concoction for Freaky Disco Deacy.”

I softly laughed to myself remembering all the times when Deacy did get a little shitfaced and he’d be dancing all crazily. Guess the two Leicester siblings have a lot more in common with each other.

“Now darling, what songs get you on your feet?”

“Well, I have always been a fan of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Don’t you worry about a thing’. I guess it’s the Latin vibes he puts into the song. Back then I never believed an artist could take another culture into their music, that’s really what inspired me to get into music in the first place.”

“But we do that too darling remember?”

“Well yes but to be fair the song came out before ‘A Night at the Opera’ when you guys really took in Opera, Folk song, and hard rock.” Freddie shrugged in agreement.

“Okay, so let me hear you sing it.”

“What?”

“You heard me darling.” God he really was persistent.  But there’s no way out of this.  I walked towards the piano and I said as I pointed out to it.

“May I…..”

“Absolutely darling.” I sat down at the bench and had an inner fangirl moment.  Seriously how many people, like me, can say that you’re allowed to play Queen’s tour piano?

I played a couple of keys trying to find the right range I wanted to sing the song in.  Tuning the piano as best I could before I took a deep breath and slowly began playing a ballet like-introduction.  I turned to Fred who came to sit down beside me and he nodded telling me to start singing.

Softly I began singing the first verse of the song.

Play video

Everybody's got a thing But some don't know how to handle it Always reachin' out in vain Just takin' the things not worth having

But don't you worry 'bout a thing Don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama 'Cause I'll be standin' on the side When you check it out

        “Not bad for a ballet introduction to the song, but now really give me that Latin spice you love about the song.”

        “Fred…..”

        “No buts darling, show me those mini-Deacy moves!” he quickly raced over to his record player and took a blank record on it and insert it on the vinyl player and soon a familiar record began playing.

Yes it was like the original Stevie Wonder record but it had a more upbeat rhythm to it.  This was actually a record that I had made around my first year at college for an exam.  The assignment for the final was to take a song and make our own spin to it without fully replicating the song itself.  So I had picked Don’t you worry bout a thing and I managed to get a B+ as the final grade.

“Wait….how did you get this?!” I asked.  “Did you steal this from my record collection!?!”

“You wound me darling of course I didn’t. It was Brian.” I glared at him. “Okay so Rog and I might’ve played it at your house last time you invited us over and he might’ve swiped it secretly so we could listen to it more. But darling this is brilliant and how dare you not share with us that you already made a spin of a fairly good song! So in truth it’s your fault it got borrowed.”

“You guys are gonna give me grey hairs very early.” I muttered.

“Don’t be so dramatic darling. You’re going to be an ageless beauty. Now stand up and give me your best moves. Less you want me to join you!” He pulled me up from the bench and spun me around till once again my back was against his front.

“No! Okay Fred I’ll—I’ll do something. But it’ll be……awkward actually performing my version in front of someone.”

“Little piece of advice for you darling that I once gave Deacy when he first joined Queen, for now pretend I’m not even here. Just allow the music to take control. Perform as you would in your bedroom. There’s no judgement from me.”

He spun me once again so that now I was away from him and he sat down at once of the loveseats near the piano.  As the next verse began to play, I felt the music take over my body as my hips began to slowly shake from side to side and I sung the next verse.

This time feeling a bit more confident as my dancing became ore confident.  I even threw my voice around from upper to lower register on the vocalizations. Swinging my hips, sashaying my shoulders and moving my head around.

They say your style of life's a drag And that you must go other places Just don't you feel too bad When you get fooled by smiling faces

Don't you worry 'bout a thing Don't you worry 'bout a thing, baby 'Cause I'll be standing on the side When you check it out When you get off your trip

Don't you worry 'bout a thing Don't you worry 'bout a thing          My dancing continued to get more passionate as my version of my favorite Stevie Wonder song began to take over me and I really tested my voice to hit the high soprano range I was once praised at during my last few years of secondary school.

        When I reached the vocalization part of it, I just let my voice waver both up and down before finally hitting the highest note I could reach.

Everybody needs a change A chance to check out the new, yeah You're the only one to sees The changes you take yourself through Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, ooh!

In the future I’ll never know how it happened, but somehow I had managed to break a glass flower vase that sat at the other end of the room.  As soon as we both heard that vase burst, I stopped singing and let out a shriek of fear.

“Oh my god Fred I-I-I-I’m sorry I’ve never once hit that note that high before I didn’t……”

“Seems Rog better watch out, there’s a new dog whistle register in town. And her name is (Y/n) (l/n)!” he jumped up from his seat and twirled me around in his arms.

“Freddie, Freddie put me down!” I laughed out. “So you’re not mad at your broken vase?”

“Oh never mind that darling, I just bought it cause it looked good, what’s really important is those secret pipes of yours that you have been hiding from us! Are you certain you’re not some ethereal being in human form?”

“No Freddie I’m all mortal.”

“Fuck, cause I swear it was really like listening to an angel. And your dancing ugh! Darling those people who call themselves experts especially in the Latin style of dancing better watch out. Both in his generation and in generations to come.”

“Stop it, you’re making me flustered!” I shied away.

“Never darling. I only speak the truth. You’ve got the moves, the talent, the skill, a little more work on the self-confidence and soon enough you’ll be up performing on stage in no time.”

“You really think so?”

“Darling, by the time you reach stardom, Stevie Wonder himself will be calling you up to perform his song with you together. Now what say we keep working on your stage presence?”

“Sure!”

“That’s my rock angel!” after embracing each other tightly, Freddie soon taught me all that he knew about how to command your audience and interact with them.  How to make sure each one of them was just as special as the people in the first 4 rows were.

And how to most of all, have fun on stage.

*FF fall of 1981*

Freddie must’ve been psychic or something because shortly after everyone knew of the Rock Angel, and after fully performing my version of Stevie’s song.  One guest at the part happened to be one of the Saxophone players for Stevie Wonder himself.

On a little show in America known as Saturday Night Live, Stevie Wonder was asked to be the special guest performer but he had asked the show that if it would be okay if two performers could play.  NBC agreed and that’s when I got the call to perform alongside the man himself.

It was in the middle of a live show and I decided that for this special performance, I wanted to fully embrace the Latin vibe this song had.  

So I was wearing a red bodysuit.  It was skin tight and it exposed my stomach in a diamond shape from my ribs to my lower stomach.  The suit was dazzling with sparkles, the sleeves crossed over around my neck in an X and I wore high heeled shoes that were used in Latin dance competitions.

My long hair was volumized and moussed up, and my eyes were given some special red sparkles to make my eyes pop.  It was like I was a full Latin dancer performing on stage.

As I sang the rest of the song, I had finally gotten my whole body into the dancing and I got the audience to sing along to the last part (they had also been clapping along the entire song).  I would occasionally look towards Stevie Wonder at the electric piano, and all he had was a wide smile spread across his face.

At the ‘papa-papa’s’ I soon began to do a Cha-Cha step backwards while having my hands up like I was in a boxing position. I would move my front arm to the beat two times before Cha-Chaing to show my other side and doing the same thing.

The audience was loving it as I made my dancing as sassy as I could, doing the wave with my shoulders and doing that sassy head movement.

Don't you worry 'bout a thing (A-a-ayy) Don't you worry 'bout a thing (A-a-ayy) Don't you worry 'bout a thing (A-a-ayy) Don't you worry 'bout a thing (A-a-ayy)

Oh! Pa-pa-p, pa-pa-pa-pa Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa Pa-pa-p, pa-pa-pa-pa Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa

Don't you worry Don't you worry 'bout a thing, mama

'Cause I'll be standin' (I'll be standin' for you) Ooh, ooh, whoa Don't you worry 'bout a thing!

After hitting out that high note, and throwing my head back striking a pose the entire studio audience, the actors and even some of the stagehands were applauding for me.  Through my heavy breathing, I looked around to see the audience applauding as loudly as they would at a concert arena, I turned to Stevie who clapped along with his backup band and backup singers.

Stevie came down to me and that’s when the guest host came up and closed off the show.

“Stevie Wonder and the rising star of England, (Y/n) (l/n) the Rock Angel! That is it for our show I’m Bernadette Peters, goodnight everyone!” I hugged both Stevie and Bernadette who both congratulated me on a job well done.

*Freddie’s POV*

As the credits rolled on the TV screen, I winked and said.

“That’s my Rock Angel.”

“Not bad for her first TV performance.” Deacy said.

“I just hope she doesn’t fall off the rock wagon and end up as one of those pop divas.” Roger said.

“Oh you rotter, let her be what she wants to be.” I bragged.

“She did phenomenal though. And with Stevie Wonder no less. He’s particularly picky about who sings his songs.” Brian said.

“Indeed.” Another voice spoke up.  We all turned around and coming into the room was his majesty David Bowie. “So….that was the Rock Angel you never cease to stop talking Freddie?” he asked.

“It is indeed. What did you think of her David dear?” I asked.

“She’s talented. Far beyond her years.” He said with a grin.

“She’s our little protégé.” Said Brian.

“Oh no, no, no, no. She’s much too good for you lot.” David teased.

“Boys, we’re ready to continue with the song. David, we can start with your part first.” Said one of the producers peeking into the reck room.  Deacy turned off the telly as David left the room to record our newest song he was working with us on.  All the while, my thoughts kept going back to our special girl who was already making a name for herself since her performance in Madison Square Garden.

My little Rock Angel.  She truly was flying high into the spotlight, and I’m honored that I could help her gain the confidence I knew she had in her.  I knew at this rate, she was only gonna get bigger and bigger.  

And I was gonna be sure to see every achievement she would get because she was my little Rock Angel

[himetsuri]

Observer

[Takechi Yuusuke's story from the second novel. He’s the detective who appears in chapter 87, after Ageha and the others return from the future after rescuing #07 from Usui, questioning Ageha about his and Oboro’s disappearance.]

It was three years after the war, that is, one year later after Kabuto Kirisaki came to this land. Since it's pretty close to the equator, this land doesn't have winter. But it definitely had the war going on and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning against travel there. One side was claiming for "Peace" and the other was claiming for "Freedom."

"You're Kirisaki Kabuto, aren't you?"

Kabuto, having finished work, was at his usual place at the counter of a worn-down bar named “Breakdown” by the locals, due to the large hole in the wall on the outskirts of the slums that allowed view of the main street. He was about to down his usual cup of sake, good for nothing but its low price, really, when that man called out to him. "Japanese?" That was the first thing to come to his mind. It had been three years since that battle–––and almost a year since Kirisaki Kabuto had come to this place. This country, which was close to the equator and had no winter, was currently caught in a crossfire between two sides: one side pushed for “peace,” while the other brandished support for “freedom.” As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a travel advisory. Kirisaki Kabuto had come to this land to be a war photographer and had earned the nickname of “Miracle Man” for all the times he’d returned from dangerous battlefields without so much as a scratch, due to his ability of "Menace" that allowed him to sense death several seconds beforehand. In this bar that was in the city closest to the frontline, even Kabuto himself didn't speak Japanese much. "Uhh…who are you? And aren't you hot?" "I've regretted not changing into something more appropriate since I touched down at the airport…" This country was in the tropics, making the temperature and humidity far higher than in Japan. The black suit the man was wearing must've been like a torture device. “Figured as much…so, who are you? Someone from the government? The Ministry of Foreign Affairs…the embassy?" There wasn’t a soul who would come to this country unless it was work-related. And there wasn’t anything of value here whatsoever, unless you were someone from the government. "Yeah…temporarily working for the government…I'm with the police." "Haah? Again, really…I’m not a part of some worldwide crime ring or anything, alright?" "Be at ease…I haven't come to arrest you. I just have a few things I'd like to ask…quite frankly, this doesn't even have to do with my job." For a moment, a sudden self-mocking smile arose on the man's face. "Things you wanna ask…? Also, it seems you already know my name, so maybe you could find it in you to tell me yours…otherwise, it just seems like a regular old interrogation, y'know?“ "Haha…that is true. My name is Takechi Yuusuke, a detective from Aichi's Shirataki police station."

July 2008–––actor Mochizuki Oboro had somehow managed to vanish into thin air in broad daylight. Contrary to the mass media’s frenzied uproar, Takechi, who had been put in charge of the incident, kept his composure. Mochizuki Oboro had last been seen on surveillance camera in the airport's parking lot. With him was a fifteen year old boy, who had also gone missing–––Yoshina Ageha, who apparently was reasonably well-known around his neighborhood as a delinquent. Though it was mostly for getting into fights, not for theft or reckless rampages. Takechi merely assumed that the eccentric TV star had gotten into some “mischief” with his poorly-behaved friend and wound up kidnapped and locked away somewhere, or something along those lines. Yoshina Ageha returned home several days later, so he immediately went over to investigate. All he had to do was raise his voice, grab him by his lapels, and shout at him; he would get his answers, even to questions he hadn't asked, and there would be his neat and tidy case closed–––or so he thought. The boy named Yoshina Ageha was not, by any means, what one would call "normal." In Takechi's experience, anyone would start to grow weary after a ten-hour long interrogation, no matter how tough they acted or how much of a professional they were. But that boy simply yawned, as if this wasn’t even worth his time––– "Me and Amamiya eloped. We split up with Oboro at the airport, I dunno what he did after." –––and tried to end things off with such a blatant lie. He said this right to a full-fledged detective’s face, with eyes that practically ordered, “We’re gonna leave it at that, got it?" If this had been anyone else, he would’ve wasted no time in yelling at them, "Don't play dumb!" or "You're lying!" But he couldn't. Instead, he let the cigarette between his lips fall and let Ageha go back home. The reason behind this was truly quite simple. It was because "he had been afraid." He–––a full-fledged detective who knew both judo and kendo, who knew how to safely apprehend a target, and who had experience capturing culprits in possession of deadly weapons–––felt "he would be killed" by a fifteen year old boy. There were those who'd laugh at Takechi upon hearing that. But the feeling he had gotten from being before Yoshina Ageha was strong enough to silence those voices. This wasn’t comparable to the “kill or be killed” life that an average hoodlum or delinquent would speak of. Yoshina Ageha had an air that only one who'd truly survived a battlefield, one in which death was certain unless one killed first, possessed. And, if he so felt like it, he had the power to make killing Takechi mere child's play. Even if Takechi were to confront him with a readied handgun, he wouldn't be able to win. He truly believed that. Takechi had no idea if this was what one would call a detective's intuition or not. At this point, no thoughts about "Mochizuki Oboro's disappearance" were left in his head. His objective had now changed to ripping off this boy's mask.

"I started by thoroughly reexamining Yoshina Ageha and those connected to him…many interesting things came to light as a result…first was the fact that Asaga Hiryuu also went missing on that same day. Additionally, Asaga Hiryuu's friend, Mana Tatsuo, had also been missing for an extended period of time.” "Uwaa…you sure did your homework, huh…" "Hmph. A detective requires a sense of duty and a sense of justice; however, what he requires most, above all else…is an unyielding persistence." Takechi gave a snort and downed some cheap sake full of impurities. He wanted to wet his lips before spinning more of his tale.

There was definitely something more lurking behind all this––––– At the very least, it wasn't just some cut-and-dried case of high schoolers eloping and an intentional disappearance, as Yoshina Ageha had asserted. There was something deeper to it, he thought, but right when he was about press further with his investigation, he received abrupt orders to call off the whole thing. It hadn't been from a chief or prefectural manager. It had been from much farther up. But that wasn't nearly enough the extinguish the flame of Takechi's persistence. After receiving the orders to cease, he'd requested a paid vacation, something he’d been painstakingly building up and hadn't even taken for his daughter's birthday–––if he couldn’t continue this investigation officially, Takechi would do it himself. And so the investigation continued, slow and steady, until at last it led him to one key word that would become the crux of the matter. It was what Mochizuki Oboro had attempted to talk about on a live show before collapsing, unconscious, halfway through; what Tenjuin Elmore, who was currently sheltering Yoshina Ageha from the mass media's inflamed reach, had even gone so far as to place a monetary reward of five hundred million yen on for anyone who could pinpoint its truth. That word was "PSYREN"––– For the past several years, or at the bare minimum the past two years, a large number of those involved with it had gone missing. Semitani Kouji, Sugita Nozomi…the list went on. Far too many to attribute to mere coincidence. According to a worker who routinely visited Elmore's mansion, there was no longer any trace of Yoshina Ageha on the grounds. "Maybe he's been 'erased' once again–––" By now, Takechi had begun to feel a strange sense of kinship with this boy. Perhaps there was a reason he couldn't say anything to his parents or to the police, a reason such as he was being held hostage or something had been done to him. Among those who had passed away after involvement with PSYREN, there were many for whom the cause of death was still unknown.

"However, I've been forced to suspend my investigation here…" "Why's that? Vacation days run out?" "…Well, there's that. Though there's more to it." Here, Takechi took a quick turn from chatty to tight-lipped. “Now that I think of it…Kirisaki? It appears you also went missing for a year or so around the same time Yoshina Ageha did…where'd you go off to?" "Uh, well…funny story, that~…I kinda went away from Japan for a bit, see…" Takechi, seeing how Kabuto had started speaking vaguely, shot him a slightly pointed look before continuing on as if to say, "Well, whatever." "Then…you weren't directly involved in W.I.S.E's all-out acts of destruction in 2009…"

It was the first time in human history there'd been an organized string of destruction caused by those with supernatural powers. Just one of them wielded power equivalent to that of an entire army; when tried-and-true strategies and maneuvers failed, the military resorted to human wave attacks and unbridled assaults–––to attempting retaliation with brute force and sheer numbers. It was a showdown between no more than ten Psychicers with tremendous powers and a military of over ten million lacking in strength. Strangely enough, it depicted the current state of the world where antagonism ran rampant between those with power and those without. As a result, it was the military, and not W.I.S.E, who caused more damage during urban warfare and a proportionate amount of human injuries and casualties. But that wasn’t the end of it. There were those with abnormal powers among the humans––– Those who saw those supernatural abilities with their own eyes grew incredibly agitated and fell into a panic. What if their own neighbor was a monster? The ones enslaved to their fear and paranoia began carrying out what could be called modern-day witch hunts. You could have different colored hair, eyes, or skin. You could be aggressive by nature, you could try to avoid interactions with others as much as possible–––if there was anything at all that set you apart from “those who were normal,” you would be labeled as “abnormal,” condemned, and sentenced to trial by the masses. Any attempts to deny being one with power would invite demands for the “devil’s proof”–––“Well then, show us proof that we’re wrong!”–––and incite many acts of violence without any opportunities to put in any words otherwise. This tendency was especially strong in urban areas, where mobs formed and houses were burned down. ‘This world is teeming with piles of refuse that feign sainthood. It is a world brimming with prejudice towards those who are different.’ The words of W.I.S.E's leader, Amagi Miroku, had proven to be true in the most ironic form.

For the sake of maintaining peace, the police were forced to work overtime for far more than 24 hours; miraculously enough, Takechi was assigned to Tenjuin Elmore’s mansion, the very same place he’d been looking into himself. It would’ve been out of his jurisdiction under normal circumstances, but apparently it was impossible to assign anyone from the local police in Shizuoka due to a fear of leaking information. Takechi was not informed of how dangerous those inside the mansion actually were. However, every so often it would be children, not much older than his own daughter, who would come peek over the wall. They had been called from out of jurisdiction to create such a tight watch, set up some of the military’s fully automatic rocket launchers a few kilometers in front, all due to these children. If anything happened, they were to bring an end to both the humans they were keeping watch over and the mansion. “Must seem laughable…a bunch of full-grown adults, quivering in their boots because of an old woman and her five kids…kukuku.” It was around midnight, several days into the watch, when a strange man tasked with monitoring the mansion grounds called out to Takechi. The police, as mentioned previously, were assigned to the outside of the mansion; there was a separate group of men assigned to the inside. Takechi had no clue who they were. He wasn’t permitted to try and find out. The one assumed to be directing them, a man with an eyepatch and an almost reptilian–––snake-like air to him, continued by asking, “Do you, perhaps, have a light?” “My apologies. My subordinates are all non-smokers…” “Well, I know you yourself are quite the smoker…” Takechi’s first impression of the man: truly disconcerting. “Oh, you just had that smell about you…my nose is quite sharp, you see. …Fufu, please don’t think so poorly of me.” The man had the most unsettling smile creep its way onto his face as he spoke, with eyes that seemed to see deep into one’s innermost thoughts. “Are you…aware of who exactly it is…that resides within this mansion?” “Tenjuin Elmore…right? She’s a famous fortune-teller, I believe, who also has some connections in both politics and business…” “You sure are well-informed…but, you are only partially correct. Elmore is hardly a simple ‘fortune-teller.’ She’s one who possesses supernatural powers…a Psychicer.” “Wh…!?” Psychicer…that was what those living in this country, after seeing the destruction brought about by W.I.S.E with their very own eyes, had labeled the ones carrying out such evil deeds. “Ah, now don’t get the wrong idea. Elmore is not a part of W.I.S.E. That old woman holds the power of ‘future vision,’ and she knew these current events would, someday, happen. As such, it appears she had set out on gathering children yet untainted by Amagi Miroku’s poison in order to form a resistance…quite honestly, they are Psychicers who fight on the side of you humans.” The way he said this gave off the subtle implication that he did not count himself on the “side of humans.” “Then…why are they…why are those children being treated like this!? Are they not our allies?” Takechi’s words only made the man more amused, and he laughed mockingly. “Why? Why, you ask, Takechi-kun? Surely you must understand… Those without power fear those with it…that is a simple fact of life. Say there is a lion before you, able to tear a human to pieces, its mouth open wide and fangs bared. Even should you know ‘it will not bite me, ever,’ you would not offer your neck to it…the same applies here.” “…So the government doesn’t believe them…doesn’t trust them?” And, most likely, truly wanted to just “put an end” to them already. Elmore’s connections made that impossible, but above all was probably a more twisted logic holding them back: should worst come to worst, they would still have one means of retaliation to utilize against W.I.S.E. “Is it not foolish, Takechi-kun…so foolish, in fact, it becomes laughable…though, if I do say myself, that old woman is quite laughable in her own right, knowing this would happen yet struggling to change it all the same…” After saying so much, the cigarette held between the man’s fingertips was more than half gone. “Everything has been preordained…it is impossible to change. Everything…is proceeding according to PSYREN’s wishes…” “–––!?” “PSYREN.” The word that had been avoiding Takechi for half a year now fell suddenly from this man’s mouth. He started and looked up, but the man had already tossed his cigarette to the ground, crushed it beneath his heel, and was walking off towards the mansion courtyard where Takechi and the other members of the police force were prohibited from entering. “Wait! Just who in the world are–––!?” “Takechi-kun? You are a very splendid officer…should you survive the coming several years, pay a visit to Shimabara…it’s a wonderful place…a very, very wonderful place, beaming with sunlight.” Leaving those words behind, the man departed without ever turning back to Takechi again.

“I don’t give a damn about that man’s identity. What matters is that PSYREN was even somehow involved with all that devastation W.I.S.E caused!” Takechi, thoroughly worked up, slammed his fist down onto the counter with a thud. The glass resting there nearly toppled over as a result, which caused Kabuto to scramble to keep it upright. When the other customers took notice, he shot them a stiff smile and explained, in local tongue, “Sorry for the ruckus. Nothing’s wrong, so don’t worry.” “After that…October 2009. Amagi Miroku and the rest of W.I.S.E had perished after a fierce onslaught by the military, they declared…peace had finally returned to us…and then, as if on cue, Yoshina Ageha also made his return. Along with Mochizuki Oboro, Asaga Hiryuu…and you. Isn’t that right, Kirisaki?” “…” “But right as I was going to begin my investigation anew again, the unthinkable happened!” Takechi pulled out a stack of pure white paper from his suit’s inner pocket. It looked like regular copy paper, but there wasn’t a single sentence or character or anything at all on it. It was just a stack of white paper, held together by an ordinary clip on the lefthand side. Nothing more, nothing less. “What’s…that?” Kabuto was clearly confused, and Takechi answered him bitterly. “My investigation report. I wrote everything I uncovered about PSYREN in it.” “You wrote…but there’s nothing here…oh, it’s in invisible ink!” “No!”

It was about half a year since November of 2009, when the government had lifted the state of emergency–––Takechi had felt it was finally time to start up his investigation once more when something unbelievably strange occurred. Every single bit of data he had gathered up until that point had vanished. But it wasn’t that someone had deleted it. It extended even to the backups he’d created on other devices in order to stay on the safe side. It had all just vanished, like it never existed in the first place. And it went even further. Even the data he’d printed out on paper had turned back into blank sheets. The attached photos, too, had been whited out. At first he thought someone had done this to impede the investigation…and for a moment, that man he’d met at Elmore’s mansion rose up in his thoughts. But he quickly concluded that couldn’t have been the case. If someone truly wanted to obstruct his investigation, they would’ve just destroyed everything. There was no reason to instead go through such convoluted means. Additionally––– From what Takechi remembered, something strange happened among those involved with PSYREN. Those who had gone missing, or supposedly died, had slotted back into their normal lives. Neither they nor those close to them had any recollection of them disappearing, and there were no records of it occurring either. It was as if an entire portion of the world had been rewritten: that whole event had simply “never happened.” “What the hell is going on?” Takechi went so far as to wonder if he was losing it. But there was one piece of undeniable truth that tethered him. “Mochizuki Oboro’s disappearance” and his subsequent “interrogation of Yoshina Ageha” were both events that still verifiably happened, indisputably. Yoshina Ageha and the others had reappeared after October 2009. He’d wanted to go and ask them about the truth of the matter as soon as possible, but once again the upper management brought its foot down and forbade any and all involvement or contact with the matter. But Takechi couldn’t give up on his investigation. Though he was looking into “something that no longer existed”–––on a wild goose chase, one might say–––he persisted, going over his findings over and over again. In doing so, he found, from the day when Mochizuki Oboro had disappeared, security footage from a service area that featured Asaga Hiryuu and Amamiya Sakurako. And it was here that he discovered Kirisaki Kabuto, riding with them in the rental car.

~~~~~~ [Notes: *While the service area (or SA in Japan) Amamiya and co visit is probably nothing too extravagant, some of them can be far more than a simple ‘drive in, drive out’ area. The part where they go to this service area is actually depicted in the manga, in chapter 59.]

| Part 2 →

[iristial]

5 headcanons: Shinkenger as High School AU

Takeru is a twenty four year old sword fighting specialist who got called in for several P.E. sessions. He was home schooled all his life so his new job, surrounded by all these teenagers, is baffling to him. But a vast number of the girls find him endearing and handsome so they start calling him their “lord” (helps that he’s descended from a long line of samurai). The guys call him “lord” because he can take on ten students with wooden practice swords and still win. Despite not being a regular teacher, he gets the most Valentine chocolates

Ryuunosuke is the twenty three year old drama teacher with a particular fondness for kabuki. He always ends his lessons by encouraging students to join his kabuki club, complete with flyers. He’s a stickler to rules, from uniform to appearing on time, so he voluntarily takes on detention sessions to “encourage better behaviour”. But he’s still a good old soul who gets impressed by small things and admits his wrongdoings with vigour, so everyone calls him “Ryu-san” - to his despair

Mako is a twenty three year old homeroom teacher and a favourite of her students. She gives a three penalty limit to students, but does her best to be understanding yet firm with everyone. Her competency had her recommended to teaching at the best high school in Japan, despite her focus on pre-school and elementary education. A secret motivation motto the students use consists of “having Miss Shiraishi as the home economics teacher”. She once made obligatory chocolates for everyone but Ryuunosuke was the first to eat one with...results that involve a two hour session in the bathroom, therefore cancelling that day’s drama class

Chiaki is a third year student who gets branded a delinquent for skipping classes and his bad grades. The only trouble is that he is smart, but he isn’t interested in what high school had to offer. He picks up an interest in swords fighting after watching a demonstration by Takeru + he got thoroughly beaten in a match. Said interest is what gets Hikoma, the school’s principal, to have Takeru come in to establish the sword fighting club. Also a member of the video game club. Ryuunosuke does his best to “reform” him, so they fight a lot (just don’t try to insult one of the other because they’ll take offense to that)

Kotoha is a second year student who transferred from the country at the beginning of the year. Her grades aren’t the best but she makes up for it with her sweet nature and ability to see the silver lining in everything (except herself - which is another story altogether). Initially she was in a lot of clubs because she’d get roped into commitments easily. As the year progresses, she settles on music club, the sword fighting club and the kabuki club. Easily Ryuunosuke’s favourite because she does her best. She adores Mako as her homeroom teacher. She becomes close to Chiaki after she attempted to take detention in his place

Genta is the school’s chef who specializes in sushi but makes amazing curry. He cares about the students a lot and will support them all, even if they’re bad eggs. He has a habit of interrupting Takeru’s teaching sessions to watch, provide refreshments or narrate some embarrassing tale from their childhoods. Since he also works outside of school hours, he knows everything that transpires among the students. They’re lucky that he’s not mean-spirited to use that against them. The kitchen is a place where one can talk with Genta and get some free sushi

send-me an au and i'll give you 5+ headcanons about it

[sparklyjojos]

THE SAIMON FAMILY CASE recaps [1/13]

These will be full recaps of the latest JDC book, The Saimon Family Case (彩紋家事件) from 2004, which is a prequel taking place in the late 70s. While it’s a prequel, it can be read without any knowledge about the series. (It does spoil one death from Carnival at the end, but I feel like everyone already knows about this particular one).

It won’t be obvious in the recaps, but the book consists of seven parts seven chapters each (similar to Maijo’s Tsukumojuku) with two additional parts at the end.

The novel is light in terms of content warnings (for a murder mystery, anyway), but small kids WILL die in this, and we’ll be talking a lot about a specific type of systemic xenophobic violence near the end.

See that big family tree above? Save it somewhere for future reference. Believe me when I say you will need it. (Also, as always in the recaps, family name will be given first, Japanese-style.)

Well then—has everyone found their seats? Is everyone ready to witness the most splendid illusion?

Let's start the show.

PART 1

A note at the beginning informs us that soon 20 years will have passed from the end of the famous Saimon Family Murder Case, often called the “Crime Revolution” because of its impact on the future of similar complicated incidents. The details of the case have been hidden from the masses, but the time will soon come when everyone will learn the truth.

--

It’s the very last day of the year 1999. The mysterious first person narrator of the framing device is an older gentleman attending a New Years celebration in Las Vegas with his wife. They watch a fairly young blond magician perform close up magic for the guests. The magician borrows a 10,000 yen bill from the narrator, seals it in an envelope, sets it on fire, and it suddenly turns into a rose in his hand. When the narrator is asked to check his wallet, inside he finds a bill with the same denomination and serial number, but of a noticeably larger size… among a few other stunning differences.

“Happy New Millenium!” the magician exclaims.

This little illusion awakens memories from that case in both the narrator and his wife. As the world heads towards the new century, they are the only people left who were so closely involved in those tragic events of old.

--

It's September 19th 1977, and the entire Saimon family celebrates the 99th birthday of their old matriarch, Saimon Tamako. The celebration takes place on a performance stage next to the family's main residence in Tsuwano, Shimane Prefecture. Tamako’s daughter Akiko pushes the matriarch’s wheelchair towards the stage.

A perceptive guest may notice two other old women in the crowd who look astonishingly like Saimon Tamako, though they are a little younger (97). These are twin sisters called—if you can believe it—Tsukumo Tamako and Tousen Tamako. The three Tamakos look near identical, and in fact once used that similarity for their magic acts: all secretly shared the single stage name of Soga Tenju. That was decades ago, of course. The Tamakos no longer look like the beautiful young woman (actually women plural) known from her most famous illusion, Courtisane and Bell.

Once Akiko and Tamako take their place on the stage, all the lights suddenly go out for just a second, and in that brief darkness two things happen.

One: the red-and-white stripes of the celebratory curtain decorating the stage suddenly turn into black-and-white stripes of a funeral curtain.

Two: Saimon Tamako dies.

--

Saimon Tamako is ruled to have died of natural causes, not unusual at her age, and the curtain changing color must have been just someone’s attempt at a distasteful joke.

However, the threat of something darker going on still seems to lurk in the background. There’s a lot of people with bad intentions in this world. As part of the Saimons, Akiko is well aware of that. She recalls what she knows about the family's past.

Back at the beginning of the 20th century, Saimon Tamako made her living performing magic with a traveling circus group. Eventually she met a rich man, married him, and with his financial help established the Soga Tenju troupe.

Of course, the magician Soga Tenju was actually three women, all looking identical, all having similarly unclear pasts and wandering with the same group, all being called simply Tamako because no one even knew their real names.

It happened that three rich men of Tsuwano, who all have been friends—Saimon Taishin, Tsukumo Taigen, and Tousen Taikun—fell for the same “Soga Tenju”, and upon discovering the secret behind the magician decided to marry one member of the trio each. Since this was the era it was, the women didn’t really have a say in the matter. (Akiko hopes for more emancipation in the future and feels sad that she probably won’t live to see it; she’s over sixty herself.)

The tendency for similar names came with all sides of the family, it seemed. The three rich men were themselves a little weird, and that shared “Tai” in their names was something they added intentionally to show their bond. Their respective firstborn children—Tsukumo Haruko, Tousen Natsuko and Saimon Akiko—were given names referring to haru (spring), natsu (summer) and aki (fall). Since the Tamakos were so similar looking, their daughters also looked close enough that one could mistake them for triplets.

Akiko herself has three sons—Taishi, Akio, and Takayoshi—but now that they are all adults, they no longer feel so close to her, especially the youngest Takayoshi, who never felt inclined to stage illusion and broke all contact with the family. He didn’t show up for Tamako’s birthday and even now, a month later, hasn’t contacted them yet.

On October 19th, Akiko is busy sewing new props for a magic routine, the Five-Ball Cascade, in which juggled balls seem to change colors between red and white in mid-air. Remembering her times as the young magician Soga Tenshuu, she attempts the act just one more time. As she throws the balls in the air, she feels a stabbing pain in her chest and suddenly sees familiar faces in the balls—her mother, her husband, her sons—changing from white to red, like a bloody cascade. As they fall to the ground, Akiko does too.

--

A month later, on November 19th, a few members of the Saimon family are combing the Tottori sand dunes in search for young Saimon Yuuta, who went missing the previous day after announcing he’d like to show them something at the site. Everyone’s on edge; it’s barely been a month since Akiko's death.

A rope is found sticking out of Umanose, the famous “horse-back” dune, and several people pulling on it manage to unearth what looks like a giant card—four of diamonds—and Yuuta’s corpse tied to it.

--

--

Not even a few years have passed since JDC’s founding when young detective Ajiro Souji and his wife Mizuki take part in Saimon Tamako’s tragic birthday celebration.

The couple feels at home in Shimane, both because Mizuki was born in the prefecture, and because Ajiro has been friends with the Saimon family ever since receiving their help during the Ajiro Family Murder Case—the experience which prompted him to create JDC in the first place.

That case, as usual, was solved by his grandfater Soujin and mentor Shiranui Zenzou [and if you want to know more about it, read Carnival]. Both of them are splendid detectives, but decided young Souji should be the one to become JDC’s representative instead.

...but we keep saying "JDC" here, and the truth is the tiny group doesn’t call itself by the fancy English name Japan Detectives Club yet. It goes simply by Nihon Tantei Club and occupies the third floor of an office building filled with boutiques, clinics and the like.

Aside from Ajiro the representative, the staff consists of six office workers and twelve detectives (not counting Soujin, who is almost always out on business). The detectives are divided into the Shiranui Section and Kirigirisu Section, named after their respective leaders. There is some tension between the sections: the Shiranui part puts more value on past experience and doesn’t approve of choosing young Souji as their representative, while the Kirigirisu part praises his potential and thinks of the organization’s future.

So far Nihon Tantei Club is pretty unknown, no dramatic and giant solved cases to their name, and everyone has a strange conflicting feeling: at once wishing for the peace to never end and wishing for the inevitable tragedy to just happen already; to just get to the point where what should be unusual becomes the new normal, because everyone knows deep down it has to happen one day.

On November 22nd, Kirigirisu Tarou as usual takes the train to work, thinking about how the world will inevitably change as the new century comes around—though, of course, he can’t be sure he will actually get to see it, as nobody knows what will have happened in over twenty years.

Maybe he’s mulling over the passage of time and worries about the future so much because he's a man without a past. Kirigirisu lost all his memories to head injury a few years ago, at the same time when he was wrongly accused of murder. Fortunately, he was proven innocent thanks to both Ajiros, could begin new life as a detective, and even found a wonderful wife called Kano. He would love it if this usual everyday life could continue indefinitely… although without crime, a detective like him would be out of a job. For now he wants to focus on helping the Ajiros as he can.

Kirigirisu arrives at the office, which is mostly empty this early in the morning. Well, except for the delinquent detective Raiouji Rokenrou, looking just like you’d expect a punk named after rock’n’roll to look like (sunglasses, a lot of hair gel…) and taking a nap on the couch. Apparently Ajiro Souji had a long meeting with him about something last night, and now wants to talk to Kirigirisu.

Ajiro Souji is a sharply dressed 29-year-old man, easy to mistake for a normal office worker in the crowd. (Kirigirisu always flinches a bit seeing his elegant tie; he himself has a strange phobia of wearing anything around his neck, which he suspects has to do with an unknown event forever hidden behind his amnesia).

They each light a cigarette and have a friendly conversation. Ajiro mentions that he recently tried to switch to cigars, but alas, it seems that it’s still “too early” for him to appreciate them; about forty years too early, according to grandpa Soujin. [Seeing as Ajiro is a huge cigar fan in most of the series, grandpa miscalculated by at least two decades.]

Soujin is a thin man of short stature who hardly looks like someone in their seventies, although his hair is just as white as his usual suit, with just a black bowtie breaking the color. He always gives off the air of a mafia boss, his sheer power of personality taking hold of everyone around. Soujin apparently feels constant wanderlust, so he almost never shows up at the office. In fact, Kirigirisu hasn't seen him in over two months now. Who knows what he’s doing.

But back to the situation at hand, Ajiro wants Kirigirisu's help. For the next few days, they will investigate a case together in another prefecture, Rokenrou taking care of Kirigirisu’s section in his absence.

The case surrounds a strange series of deaths. First, Saimon Tamako dying (seemingly) of old age on her birthday on September 19th. Second, her daughter Akiko suffering a (seemingly) accidental death on October 19th, when a misplaced sewing needle stabbed into her heart. And third, a very strange but (seemingly) accidental death of another Saimon family member that has just happened on November 19th. Ajiro and Kirigirisu are to investigate whether or not the perfectly spaced string of incidents may be an act of serial killing.

The case is of personal importance to Ajiro. After all, the person who requested their services is the same man that helped solve the Ajiro Family Murder Case: Saimon Ryuusui, known better as the great magician Soga Tensui.

--

(The third person narration swaps here to a completely different font, and informs us helpfully: but ah, before the two detectives could head to Tsuwano, they would go to Yamaguchi first, to watch the magic show of the Saimon family, a marvelous experience that Ajiro has already had a few times because of his friendship with the family, and that Kirigirisu would witness for the first time.

And from the very moment they were invited to see the show first, they felt uneasiness settle inside them. Only much, much later would one realize just how deep the hidden meaning of the show really was, and that solving all its mysteries was crucial to solving the Saimon Family Murder Case.

You could even say that the show itself, filled with so many wondrous mysteries to solve, was the true Saimon Family Murder Case. If so, then the magician Soga Tensui could be defined as its culprit—and if so, then Ajiro and Kirigirisu have just walked right into a marvelous illusion indeed.)

--

[>>>NEXT PART>>>]

[geckosong]

Anime Recommendations

Here lies even more shows that are worth watching

Demon Slayer (2019)

A family is attacked by demons and only two members survive - Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko, who is turning into a demon slowly. Tanjiro sets out to become a demon slayer to avenge his family and cure his sister.

My Rating: 8/10

Death Parade (2015)

After death, there is no heaven or hell, only a bar that stands between reincarnation and oblivion. There the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of either ascending into reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered. Whether it's bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, each person's true nature will be revealed in a ghastly parade of death and memories, dancing to the whims of the bar's master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, arbiter of the afterlife, awaits! Death Parade expands upon the original one-shot intended to train young animators. It follows yet more people receiving judgment—until a strange, black-haired guest causes Decim to begin questioning his own rulings.

My Rating: 8/10

Noragami (2014)

In times of need, if you look in the right place, you just may see a strange telephone number scrawled in red. If you call this number, you will hear a young man introduce himself as the God Yato. Yato is a minor deity and a self-proclaimed "Delivery God," who dreams of having millions of worshippers. Without a single shrine dedicated to his name, however, his goals are far from being realized. He spends his days doing odd jobs for five yen apiece, until his weapon partner becomes fed up with her useless master and deserts him. Just as things seem to be looking grim for the god, his fortune changes when a middle school girl, Hiyori Iki, supposedly saves Yato from a car accident, taking the hit for him. Remarkably, she survives, but the event has caused her soul to become loose and hence able to leave her body. Hiyori demands that Yato return her to normal, but upon learning that he needs a new partner to do so, reluctantly agrees to help him find one. And with Hiyori's help, Yato's luck may finally be turning around.

My Rating: 9/10

Yona of the Dawn (2014-2015)

Princess Yona lives a life of luxury and ease, completely sheltered from the problems of the seemingly peaceful Kingdom of Kouka; however, the sudden murder of the king and betrayal of her beloved cousin Su-won places Yona's life in mortal peril. Forced to escape only with Son Hak, who is both her childhood friend and bodyguard, the naïve princess soon discovers that Kouka is not the idyllic place she envisioned it to be. Poverty, strife, and corruption run rampant, making reclaiming the throne nothing more than a wishful fantasy given the kingdom's current state. With only a mysterious legend to guide her, Yona must discover a way to restore Kouka to its former glory while being pursued relentlessly by the forces of the new King of Kouka.

My Rating: 8/10

Haikyu! (2014-Present)

Inspired after watching a volleyball ace nicknamed "Little Giant" in action, small-statured Shouyou Hinata revives the volleyball club at his middle school. The newly-formed team even makes it to a tournament; however, their first match turns out to be their last when they are brutally squashed by the "King of the Court," Tobio Kageyama. Hinata vows to surpass Kageyama, and so after graduating from middle school, he joins Karasuno High School's volleyball team—only to find that his sworn rival, Kageyama, is now his teammate. Thanks to his short height, Hinata struggles to find his role on the team, even with his superior jumping power. Surprisingly, Kageyama has his own problems that only Hinata can help with, and learning to work together appears to be the only way for the team to be successful.

My Rating: 9/10

The Devil is a Part-Timer (2013)

Striking fear into the hearts of mortals, the Demon Lord Satan begins to conquer the land of Ente Isla with his vast demon armies. However, while embarking on this brutal quest to take over the continent, his efforts are foiled by the hero Emilia, forcing Satan to make his swift retreat through a dimensional portal only to land in the human world. Along with his loyal general Alsiel, the demon finds himself stranded in modern-day Tokyo and vows to return and complete his subjugation of Ente Isla—that is, if they can find a way back! Powerless in a world without magic, Satan assumes the guise of a human named Sadao Maou and begins working at MgRonald's—a local fast-food restaurant—to make ends meet. He soon realizes that his goal of conquering Ente Isla is just not enough as he grows determined to climb the corporate ladder and become the ruler of Earth, one satisfied customer at a time!

My Rating: 9/10

The Promised Neverland (2019-Present)

Surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance, the Grace Field House is inhabited by orphans happily living together as one big family, looked after by their "Mama," Isabella. Although they are required to take tests daily, the children are free to spend their time as they see fit, usually playing outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage—a rule they are expected to follow no matter what. However, all good times must come to an end, as every few months, a child is adopted and sent to live with their new family... never to be heard from again. However, the three oldest siblings have their suspicions about what is actually happening at the orphanage, and they are about to discover the cruel fate that awaits the children living at Grace Field, including the twisted nature of their beloved Mama.

My Rating: 8/10

Toradora (2008-2009)

Ryuuji Takasu is a gentle high school student with a love for housework; but in contrast to his kind nature, he has an intimidating face that often gets him labeled as a delinquent. On the other hand is Taiga Aisaka, a small, doll-like student, who is anything but a cute and fragile girl. Equipped with a wooden katana and feisty personality, Taiga is known throughout the school as the "Palmtop Tiger." One day, an embarrassing mistake causes the two students to cross paths. Ryuuji discovers that Taiga actually has a sweet side: she has a crush on the popular vice president, Yuusaku Kitamura, who happens to be his best friend. But things only get crazier when Ryuuji reveals that he has a crush on Minori Kushieda—Taiga's best friend! Toradora! is a romantic comedy that follows this odd duo as they embark on a quest to help each other with their respective crushes, forming an unlikely alliance in the process.

My Rating: 9/10

Hypnosis Microphone: Division Rap Battle - Rhyme Anima (2020)

In a world overtaken by war and conflict, "Hypnosis Microphones"—devices through which a user channels lyrics that can affect the listener's brain and even cause physical damage—were introduced to the masses by the Party of Words. Revolutionizing warfare, Hypnosis Mics have transformed words and music into the sole weapons used by gangsters, terrorists, and the military, with physical weapons having been banned from use. As a result of swooping in during the chaos, the all-female Party of Words rules over the Japanese government. Women in Japan now live in Chuuouku, while men battle over surrounding territories outside the ward through rap battles. With intentions unknown, the Party of Words begins to gather the former members of the now-disbanded legendary rap crew The Dirty Dawg to fight not for territory or war, but for their respective crew's pride and honor in the greatest rap battle of all time. The first Division Rap Battle is about to commence, and practice isn't something these rappers are going to need.

My Rating: 6/10

Kamisama Kiss (2012)

High schooler Nanami Momozono has quite a few problems of late, beginning with her absentee father being in such extreme debt that they lose everything. Downtrodden and homeless, she runs into a man being harassed by a dog. After helping him, she explains her situation, and to her surprise, he offers her his home in gratitude. But when she discovers that said home is a rundown shrine, she tries to leave; however, she is caught by two shrine spirits and a fox familiar named Tomoe. They mistake her for the man Nanami rescued—the land god of the shrine, Mikage. Realizing that Mikage must have sent her there as a replacement god, Tomoe leaves abruptly, refusing to serve a human. Rather than going back to being homeless, Nanami immerses herself in her divine duties. But if she must keep things running smoothly, she will need the help of a certain hot-headed fox. In her fumbling attempt to seek out Tomoe, she lands in trouble and ends up sealing a contract with him. Now the two must traverse the path of godhood together as god and familiar; but it will not be easy, for new threats arise in the form of a youkai who wants to devour the girl, a snake that wants to marry her, and Nanami's own unexpected feelings for her new familiar.

My Rating: 7/10

My Roommate is a Cat (2019)

Subaru Mikazuki is a 23-year-old mystery novel author, major introvert, and an awkwardly shy person. He would much rather stay home to read a book than go outside and interact with others. Further exacerbating this life of solitude, his parents tragically died in an accident many years ago, leaving him alone in the world. One day, while giving offerings at his parents' grave, Subaru runs into a small black and white cat named Haru, which he ends up taking home with him. Subaru, however, has never taken care of anyone else in his life—can he even take care of a cat? Haru is grateful toward Subaru, as he gives her all the food she wants—a luxury for a cat who is used to a rough life on the streets. But she notices that Subaru can't even seem to take care of himself! Will she be okay with this dunce?

My Rating: 7/10

[cherry-valentine]

Fall 2019 Anime Season

Here’s what I’m watching:

Stand: My Heroes is an otome series that’s pretty and refreshing in that it stars an adult lady protagonist who has a career - she works as a “scout” for a new program that works to gather talented individuals (all handsome single men, of course) from various fields to solve drug-related cases. The art is nice and the music is above average, with really cool opening and ending themes. My biggest issue with the show is that it has way too many characters, many of whom look very similar. Honestly, for the first few episodes I could only tell some of them apart by their voice actors. Luckily the show has some very well known voice talent. It gets a bit easier as the show becomes a little more episodic, dealing with small groups of the men at a time. But still. If all of these guys were in the game, it must have been hell trying to get all the endings! The overall plot is a little vague but I do like that the heroine is independent and respected by the men on her team. There are a couple of the usual tsundere guys but they mellow out pretty quickly. The show is interesting and attractive to look at, but it would have benefited a lot from narrowing its focus and cutting down on the number of hot guys (now that’s something I never thought I’d type).

Ahiru no Sora is a new sports anime about basketball. It actually follows a similar plot setup to Hinomaru Sumo - a talented player starts at a new school and goes to join the club of his favored sport, only to find it overrun by violent delinquents whom he’ll have to defeat (via his sports skills) in order to officially join the club and start a team. The protagonists even share the same problem of being considered way too short to participate in the sport they love and also the fact that their ill mothers gave them encouragement. The biggest difference, however, is that Hinomaru was already a very accomplished and even somewhat famous sumo wrestler when the series begins, whereas Sora is talented but has never even played in a real basketball game, making him very much an underdog. He’s a likable character, as are the delinquents that gradually come around to playing basketball with him and cleaning up their acts. I was a little annoyed by the fact that there is a peephole the guys use to watch the girls changing into their uniforms. Not by the fact that it existed, because it’s actually kinda realistic that delinquent teenage boys would do something like that, but by the fact that Sora is shown this peephole in the first episode and is never seen doing anything to close it up despite becoming friends with one of the girls and him being presented as a moral, upstanding guy. I hope they address it in the future because it kinda bugs me. On the plus side, the main female character (there’s always one in any sports anime) is a very talented player on the girls’ basketball team, rather than the team manager or whatever. I like that she’s a player of the sport rather than just a fan or support character. Also, the fact that Sora’s main source of inspiration is his mom, who was a famous basketball player herself in her youth, is pretty cool. Overall, the show is enjoyable even if it feels a little overly familiar.

Hoshiai no Sora is a revelation. It feels like a very important moment for anime that will no doubt be talked about for years into the future. Be warned that I venture into possible spoilers territory here, though I don’t share any plot details. I started the series because I saw boys holding tennis rackets in the artwork, fully expecting “just another sports anime” (which is fine, because I love sports anime). What I got was a very big, very nice surprise. Hoshiai no Sora is a sports anime, in that it follows a sports team and spends some time showing training routines and matches with rival schools. But it’s also a realistic, nuanced, heartwarming, and often painfully traumatic coming of age story about the boys on the tennis team, most of whom have compelling back stories or home lives.  Almost every parent in the show is an absolute nightmare, to the point that when a non-terrible parent shows up, every commenter on the episode was immediately suspicious of them. It should be clear by now that there are some massive trigger warnings to apply to this show. There are rather graphic depictions of child abuse, from physical to verbal to emotional, and all of it is horrifying (and kudos to the show for recognizing that there are so many different forms of abuse and all of them are traumatic). Thankfully, the show is not all doom and gloom. In fact, the show is one of the sweetest, most uplifting, most touching series I’ve seen in years, mostly due to the fact that these traumatized kids are all so supportive of each other. They’re kind to each other, even if they bicker here and there about silly stuff. They defend each other from bullies. One character in particular goes to some rather extreme lengths to look out for his friend. It’s also very important to note that the show tackles issues I’ve legitimately never seen addressed in anime, at least not in such a respectful and tasteful way. One character in particular is first presented as gay (and it seems all the other characters are aware that this person is gay, and the tennis team will NOT be having your homophobic bullshit, thank you very much) but then is revealed to be non-binary/questioning their gender, and the show seriously spends almost an entire episode talking about this, about gender identity, with one character relating the story of the transgender man who practically raised him. An anime series actually, seriously, discussed these issues. As a straight, cisgender person, I can’t speak for how accurate all of this was, but judging by the reaction to the episode by folks in the LGBTQ+ community, I’m willing to assume the show did a great job. I’m also willing to bet that somewhere in Japan, there are young people watching this that desperately need to see it, that desperately need to hear the positive messages presented (protagonist Maki kindly gives encouragement and support to his non-binary friend, and at times it feels like he’s speaking to the audience). I know some of this stuff would be considered spoilers, but honestly, I feel like more people would give this anime a shot if they knew it featured all this awesomeness. The art is lovely. The music is great. This is a series that needs to be watched by as many people as possible. Don’t sleep on this one, please.

Boku no Hero Academia Season 4 is more of the same. I’ve already talked several times now about my issues with the series (how female characters are handled in general pretty much sums most of it up) and I’ve already talked about how much I enjoy the show despite those issues. This season introduces an interesting and imposing new villain in Chiaki, who has a cool design and power. I’m also pleased that the show seems to be making an attempt to actually let the female characters DO STUFF, as well as introducing some cool new lady heroes who actually have interesting powers. So... yeah. A good show got better. Special mention goes to new character Sir Nighteye, who is a perfect example of how voice casting can really make or break a character. I would have found him pretty boring if he wasn’t voiced by the supremely talented Shinichirou Miki, who brings all his various characters to life in such a vivid way, I’ve never come across one I didn’t like.

Special 7 falls into the “urban fantasy” genre, the kind we see a lot of in anime lately, with supernatural elements mixed in with modern life. In this case, we have races like elves and vampires living peacefully alongside humans in the modern world. The story follows a certain police unit made up of various fantasy races and humans formed to deal with a terrorist group called Nine who aim to bring back dragons (something about dragons used to rule the world or maybe terrorized the world, I don’t remember). There’s a nice mix of characters in the core team, many of whom will feel familiar. They’re still fun though, and their chemistry as a team and as friends is one of the main reasons to watch. I’m particularly fond of the vampire lady named Shikisai who uses a samurai sword and is, from what I can tell, the most physically badass member of the team. She also appears to have an adorably sweet home life with her husband (or boyfriend?) and is just generally a cool chick. The animation is okay and the music is above average. The plot has several mysteries that are slowly being revealed, but has enough humor to keep from getting too serious. Fairly low on my watch list, but still has a solid spot.

Psycho-Pass Season 3 is a show I was looking forward to. I still think season one was one of the best anime seasons in the past ten years. Season two was good but couldn’t really contend with season one. The movie was great. The OVA’s were great. I was pretty hyped for season three, and so far... eh. It’s okay. Honestly if it were a new show I’d probably rate it much higher, but as a continuation of a story like this, I’m finding it a bit lacking. At times it actually does feel like a new show. There are two entirely new protagonists, who are both interesting and likable, but neither immediately gripped me the way Akane and Kogami did in previous seasons. Some elements of the show seem to contradict, or at least stretch, the world-building that had already been established. New protagonist Arata has an ability that verges on supernatural (in a show that has never had supernatural elements at all). They try to explain it away as something “anyone can do” with enough practice, but that sounds ridiculous when you see his ability in use. We also see “abandoned” areas where there are apparently criminal groups just... living there. Doing whatever. I guess they’re supposed to be like Yakuza, which makes zero sense in this series. If you can escape the oppression of the Sibyl System by just walking across town to an abandoned area, why did a character in season one have to flee the country? It just seems to fly in the face of all the setup that came before. Overall, this season has a general feel that doesn’t gel well with the rest of the series. That being said, taken on its own, it’s still entertaining, with high production values that afford it smooth animation and excellent music. The stories so far have been fairly engaging, but they give off a vibe of “really well done fanfiction”. But whatever, I’d watch paint dry to get an occasional glimpse of Kogami.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons: Black Clover Diamond no Ace Dr. Stone

Best of Season: Best New Show: Hoshiai no Sora Best Opening Theme: Black Clover Best Ending Theme: Diamond no Ace Best New Male Character: Toma (Hoshiai no Sora) Best New Female Character: Shikisai (Special 7)

[kazarinn]

Some comments on Deltarune’s official Japanese translation, and the process of translating Undertale and Deltarune to Japanese, from creator Toby Fox and translator Keiko Fukuichi.

tobyfox (@tobyfox)

(x) Incidentally, this year I’ve been taking the time to properly study Japanese, so I was actually able to have a direct hand in the Japanese translation. For instance, making Susie use “ore” for her first-person pronoun and Lancer “boku-sama” for his was my idea. (Oho.)

Keiko Fukuichi (@keiko_fukuichi)

(x) (quoting above tweet) Even back when I was translating Undertale, I actually mistook Toby for someone who was already intimately familiar with Japanese...That’s how committed to the Japanese version he was, it was quite amazing. (And now, in the space of only one year, he’s already become “intimately familiar” with it, to the point it blew me away...)

(x) When we were consulting with @tobyfox, he wanted to make Susie come off as a delinquent who talks dirty and aggressive, so he said "I would like it if she used 'ore'," and I was a little worried because "the game uses pixel sprites, so the players might mistake her for a boy." In the end we decided "let's just try it for now," and that turned out to be for the best. We managed to get her across as a girl, and I think we managed to create the best possible depiction of Susie in Japanese.

(x) As for Lancer's "boku-sama", @tobyfox requested that in the very early stages and I immediately responded with "oh, that's a great idea!" And then when I finally started translating it with "boku-sama" in mind, I figured "if he calls himself 'boku-sama', he should probably call his father 'papa-ue'", and it naturally flowed from there.

(x) For the author to consider the Japanese version so deeply and make suggestions, and for me to receive inspiration from that and come up with ideas so easily...These kinds of experiences don't come very often. It's always so exciting to work with @tobyfox, and it makes me want to put in the maximum range of my abilities. I can't even explain how in only 140 characters...

(x) And I think the really amazing part about @tobyfox is that after very clearly delineating "I want you to do this," he then follows it up with "...but you're the one translating this, so please use my opinion only as reference" and places so much trust in me in regards to the actual translation work. It's just the right amount of involvement, not too much or too little, it's really humbling.

(x) And so with that, I can put everything I have into it with full peace of mind, and every time I come up with an idea it leads to even more ideas. He's a wonderful person who can bring those kinds of abilities out of people.

(x) He just released a post saying that "I may not be able to succeed because I have no experience successfully directing a team," but the first thing that came to my head was an emphatic "no, no, don't worry about it, you'll be fine!"

(x) I sound like a Twitter bot singing praises to Toby...but I'm just being honest about what it was like!

TL notes:

Understanding these tweets fully probably requires some context. Undertale's official Japanese translation was released in August 2017, a whole two years after the original game released, during which time a considerable amount of people had already played the unofficial Japanese translation patch. As a result, by the time the official localization had released, there were already a number of people who had developed very particular ideas about how they believed Undertale should be translated, and would often disparage the official localization for not conforming to their standards. (This might be an uncomfortably familiar scenario to many of you who have dealt with fan translations.) In rebuttal, it would often be pointed out that 8-4, the localization company behind it, worked very closely with Toby to make sure the translation respected his vision; in rebuttal to that, it would often be claimed that "Toby doesn't understand Japanese, so he wouldn't know the difference anyway.”

The Deltarune official Japanese localization was released simultaneously with the English.

Susie uses the "ore" first-person pronoun, which is a pronoun generally used by very assertive or aggressive characters, and is very rarely seen in use by female characters in Japanese media. Lancer's "boku-sama" is the boyish, semi-polite boku pronoun combined with the haughty (when applied to oneself, anyway) -sama suffix, meaning that he has a childish demeanor mixed in with high-and-mightiness. Lancer refers to his father as "papa-ue", which again indicates childishness, combined with a sense of the kind of respect fitting for a royal family. (In both cases, there’s a deliberate sense of paradox.)

Fukuichi's concern about Susie is a legitimate one. As stated above, the "ore" pronoun is rarely used by female characters; most Japanese players won't have the benefit of intuitively knowing that "Susie" is a feminine name, and the Japanese language doesn't often use third-person pronouns like "she" or "her". There is a very strong likelihood that in the absence of other factors a Japanese player could legitimately assume her to be male on first sight, so Fukuichi is indirectly implying that she was looking for a way to make it clear that Susie is female without compromising her characterization by making her seem stereotypically feminine. The translation in the game has her use the casual-feminine "atashi" first-person pronoun in her first line to Kris, before she reveals her true colors of aggression and promptly switches to "ore" for the rest of the game (although she does drop a few instances of “atashi” when caught particularly off-guard).

For more context, Japanese first-person pronouns have historically been rather overly serious business among Japanese Undertale fans. There was an infamous debate over what pronoun Sans would use, primarily between the aggressive-assertive "ore" and the boyish-polite "boku" (the latter group argued that Toby had apparently made a joke once centering around it, while the former group assessed that "boyish" and "polite" didn't quite fit Sans). Things came to a head when pre-release screenshots for the official localization revealed it to be "oira", an uncommonly-used variant of "ore" that has a twang of laid-back country bumpkin. This threw everyone off guard, and the resulting fallout was termed the "Oira Shock" by fans. (Toby eventually admitted that he didn't know much about Japanese pronouns at the time and that he didn't expect anyone to actually take the "boku" thing seriously, but that 8-4 properly explained the meaning of "oira" to him.)

[recentanimenews]

Anime's Top 10 Vampires of All Time!

  As the time for Halloween approaches, it makes us nostalgic for all of our favorite monsters, goblins, ghouls, and ghosts that haunt our anime. But what about the regal, majestic vampire? While they seem to be popular, vampires are pretty rare in starring roles, and separating the wheat from the chaff is an even harder task. A lot of times, the poor vampire is relegated to cannon fodder for powerful main characters to dispatch, treated as nothing more than lowly monsters to be exterminated, meaning it can be easy to disregard them as something uninteresting or weak. But fear not; we’ve learned from the best Van Helsing School of Vampire Hunters to catalogue who we think are the 10 top vampires in all of anime! Think you can stomach the challenge of standing up to these terrible titans, keep scrolling… If you dare! 

HONORABLE MENTION: Dracula Man (Dragon Ball)

Our list wouldn’t be complete without at least one honorable mention, and we felt it was hard to leave Dracula Man (AKA Fangs) here off the list. While not quite famous for being a vampire in the traditional sense, fans of Dragon Ball likely recognize this Thai Kickboxing Vampire! Dracula Man is far from the only vampire in Dragon Ball, with quite a few of the movies seemingly love the idea of pitting the Z Warriors against undead bloodsuckers, he’s the only one who appears in the canonical show itself. Of course, Dracula Man also has another dubious “honor”: being one of the only foes in the entire series defeated by Puar (with help from Upa, of course)! Dracula Man would go on to be something of a Dragon Ball in-joke, appearing in some of the games released well after his initial debut in the series, so we figured we’d say “fangs” for the memories, but not quite enough to make the top ten!

10) Staz Charlie Blood (Blood Lad)

Blood Lad was a quirky title that featured various supernatural types going at one another in a struggle to control the underworld. The protagonist, Staz, is a bit of an oddball compared to other vampires: he isn’t really affected by garlic, doesn’t mind crosses, can’t fly, and doesn’t even have wings. What he does have, however, is a huge obsession with Japanese anime and video games! Aside from that, Staz is the a territory leader in Demon World East, making him more of a delinquent than a refined aristocrat, but he is a descendant of Dracula himself (not an uncommon thing for most anime vampires, to be fair)! Staz is certainly a unique take on the modern vampire, and earns his spot at number ten for being a quirky, but likeable, modern rendition of the blood sucking creature of myth.

9) Sunako Kirishiki (Shiki)

Shiki was a pretty heavy and dark show, and we figured we’d get that warning out of the way first for anyone who might be curious to check it out after reading our list: things get dark, and we mean DARK. The vampires of Shiki tend towards the ghoulish side, with their dark eyes making them seem even more inhuman than usual. Perhaps most unusual is Sunako, a seemingly young girl that resembles a doll more than a dangerous monster. Sunako wants nothing more than to find some way for the Shiki and humans to live in some sort of harmony, but the cruel world she lives in, and the actions of both groups, makes her dream seemingly impossible. Like Staz and a few other good vampires, Sunako only feeds to survive, trying to limit her need to do so as much as possible and cause as little suffering as she can. 

8) Saya Otonashi (Blood The Last Vampire / Blood +)

While technically the same character, the two versions of Saya are quite different, and equally memorable. Blood the Last Vampire’s version of Saya is that of a cold, seemingly aloof young woman who becomes a cold blooded killer, hunting down the monsterous Chiropterans. Fighting vampiric beasts with a katana is cool, but it’s even cooler when you’re also the last remaining “true” vampire that exists! In Blood+, this version of Saya similarly hunts Chiropterans, although her past is far more mysterious and her own existence as a vampire is clouded in mystery and intrigue. Either version of Saya is worthy of being on a list, but we wanted to highlight both, as the movie and TV show were amazing and worth the watch! 

7) Mina Tepes (Dance in the Vampire Bund)

Mina Tepes' standing of the queen of all vampires sounds great, until you realize that everyone is seemingly out to kill you! After paying off all of Japan’s debts, Mina sets up a supposed vampire safe zone known as the “Bund”, but human aggressors and vampiric plots of usurping the throne threaten Mina’s life… Until she turns the tables on her would be attackers! Mina isn’t quite the little girl she appears to be, and while her bodyguards are quite capable, Mina is a full fledged vampire who has some serious skills and abilities. Mina certainly embodies that sense of aristocracy associated with vampires, what with paying off an entire country’s debts, but the way she carries herself and the vampire culture of the Bund cement the series as having one of the more interesting takes on vampires not as monsters, but as a unique culture separate from humanity. Just make sure you don’t call her a little girl, or you might not live long enough to even regret it! 

6) Seras Victoria (Hellsing / Hellsing Ultimate)

Originally a rookie police officer, a fateful and fatal encounter leaves Seras Victoria at the mercy of a cruel choice: die, or become a vampire! Deciding to choose “life”, Seras becomes the ward of the most powerful vampire there is: Alucard! Trying her hardest to resist the temptation to feed and bumbling through her transition from human to vampire, Seras is equal parts adorable and terrifying, as many people who’ve seen her true powers manifest can attest to. If you’re not familiar with her, let’s just say that coming between her and what she wants most is a fine way to get ground to dust! Seras lends a much more “human” component to the vampires of Hellsing, and frankly seems even more rational than some of the humans at times, making her a memorable character for just trying to do her best in the crazy hellscape she lives in. Good luck, Seras! 

5) Miyu (Vampire Princess Miyu)

The OG lady anime vampire princess, Miyu is an anime icon that fans of a certain age likely remember as one of their first anime titles ever! A classic horror series, Vampire Princess Miyu followed the titular main character as she hunted down Shinma, demons, that would wander into the human realm to do harm. Miyu is another compassionate vampire, generally selecting people to feed on that she can leave in an eternal state of “happiness” in exchange for the blood they give her. The Miyu series is an absolute classic, starting off as a manga in the 80's and still running today, with numerous anime spin offs in the forms of OVAs and TV shows. I remember first encountering Vampire Princess Miyu in a Blockbuster Video aisle (remember those stores?), and coupled with another high ranking vampire on this list, became one of many reasons why I ended up diving deeper into the wonderful world of anime.

4) Shinobu Oshino (Bakemonogatari)

We will try to avoid too many spoilers here, because one of the joys of the Bakemonogatari series is discovering the web of ways characters interconnect and the secrets that they hide. What we can say is that when the series first debuted, the donut munching young vampire known simply as Shinobu stood out from the rest of the eccentric cast, and seemed to catch the eye of many other fans. Shinobu is a relative mystery in the series, a skulking shadow that doesn’t seem to quite fit in with the things going on around the other characters, and diving further into the Bakemonogatari series reveals why this is. But we don’t want to say too much more about it; go check out the series for yourself and discover why Shinobu rates so highly as one of the most unique vampires we’ve seen in a long time. 

3) Vampire Hunter D (Vampire Hunter D)

Along with Vampire Princess Miyu, Vampire Hunter D is an anime that some fans might remember as one of their first anime ever. The star of a long running series of novels illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, Vampire Hunter D comes to the anime world rarely, and generally in the form of feature films: 1985’s Vampire Hunter D, and 2000’s Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Both films are amazing and still hold up today, and D is one of the best semi-silent protagonists there is, hunting down vampires in the post-nuclear future world they inhabit. The mixture of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and medieval style horror make the series truly unique, and whether you’re an anime fan from 30 years ago, 20 years ago, you probably think of D and his fabulous hat when you think of anime vampires! 

2) Dio Brando (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

While he’s certainly an odd style of vampire compared to some of the more traditional ones on the list, there are few that can hold a candle to the one, the only, Dio Brando. Originally a human boy who discovered the secret of the Stone Mask, Dio is a being of pure evil and selfish desires that fits perfectly with the image of vampire, and his original vampiric run through Phantom Blood truly feels like a classic movie monster villain. When he re-appears in Stardust Crusaders, Dio’s vampirism takes a bit of a backseat to his Stand abilities, but his classic vampiric cry, “WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”, still remains! Fans who had a chance to see the original JoJo OVA from the 90s might remember Dio’s fabulous vampire cape, but even without it, his fanged grin and inhuman stamina make Dio one of the top vampires in anime; after all, not many of the others can claim the ability to stop time and drop road rollers on people! Dio, we love you, even if you are a terrible monster.

1) Alucard (Hellsing / Hellsing Ultimate)

  When you talk about anime vampires, though, it is really hard to ignore the lanky, leering, and imposing presence of Alucard from the Hellsing series. The huge red hat and coat, the glasses, the wide, inhuman toothy grin, and the huge guns give Alucard a timeless profile, and coupled with his absolutely bonkers assortment of abilities, makes him perhaps the most terrifying vampire on the list. Stopping time for a few seconds seems like child's play compared to some of the abilities that Alucard possesses, and the absolute terror his foes suffer when they realize just how outclassed they are by Alucard makes for some of the best moments in anime. Of all the vampires on the list, Alucard is also the most “authentic”, detesting sunlight, holy symbols and consecrated weapons, and even being unable to cross bodies of water without his coffin and soil. Whether it’s being the most accurate to vampire lore, striking a memorable profile, or just being ridiculously powerful and scary, Alucard really hits all the right buttons when it comes to the top anime vampire!

  And with that, we put the last stake into our list! Vampires certainly seem far more popular than they are prevalent, but when a vampire is a good character, they really leave an everlasting impression. So as you get ready to enjoy your Halloween festivities, maybe take some time to revisit some of these amazing vampires, or check them out for the first time. Just beware… If they ask you for a drink, you better protect your neck! 

  What do you think of our list of vampires? Have any that we didn’t include here? Let us know what you think in the comments, and have a Happy Halloween! 

  ----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

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

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com