#I’ve definitely posted kaoru here before but it’s been a while!!

[mosspodge]

who let my get my hands on miitopia.

this took me 3 hrs,,,,, but Kaoru is real and she is coming for you

Base mii + no wig so you can see the makeup!!!

ALSO HER EARS MOOOOOOOOOOVE LETS GOOOOOOOOO

[thepriceofbeingaroseisloneliness]

Kaoru (DIR EN GREY) & Hazuki SPECIAL INTERVIEW 1/2 Translation

Notes before reading: This is the first part of the special interview broadcasted on Hazuki’s Youtube channel, you can still watch it there. The special interview is 45 min long, this part covers until minute 24. I will upload the second part in a day or two.

You can watch the interview here  Please watch and support Hazuki’s channel!

Feel free to correct me if you spot any mistakes or any confusing parts. Links or credits to this post when the content is reposted or captured in other SNS is appreciated :) ----- Hazuki: Today’s guest is already here! Kaoru from Dir en grey! Kaoru: Thank you (laughs) Hazuki: Thank you for being here! (laughs) Kaoru: Well, somehow as the tension is different than usual, I got a bit surprised…(laughs)  *he means the program started suddenly* Hazuki: (The program started) In a single blow…I cut in with a single blow…. I’m sorry… Well, I’ve been on Youtube since last year….I already had Ryuichi Kawamura (Luna Sea’s vocalist) and an acquaintance who is a death metal/death growls instructor….being able to do talks like this it’s a bit special so I want to do more and more….like for example, telling everyone stories about Kaoru they’ve never heard before….I would like to see that more and more….I asked you (to come here) and you agreed immediately so thank you so much… Kaoru: No,no…you don’t need to (thank me)…. Hazuki: I’m really thankful…. Kaoru: But, the first time we talked about this was last year…. Hazuki: It was actually a while ago, that’s true… Kaoru: But somehow, I wondered if there was something good we could talk about here…. Hazuki: This time, “Oboro” will be released on 28th April….so I’d like to talk about that as well…there are also a few things here *pointing at the table* so it’s not just that…. I often met Kaoru but there are times we meet from the beginning but sometimes we meet in a second or third different stages…. Kaoru: After eating… Hazuki: There are some patterns about coming together, like sometimes it’s the two of us at the beginning…. Kaoru: Yes Hazuki: Or both of us staying until the end…..to this day, I haven’t get used to that situation at all….*laughs* Kaoru: At those times, you are a bit…..like this…..*starts imitating Hazuki, making awkward movements* Like this…..*Hazuki laughs, Kaoru too* At that moment I feel like  “ohh” *ego boost gesture lol* Hazuki: No,no…. (laughs) It feels exactly like that to me…..yes….I feel it…. So, before these talks, I get a drink for the guest that is here. I brought a lot of things but for the time being, let’s open a beer and after getting some alcohol in our bodies… Kaoru: That’s right… let’s start with this, right?.... because if you don’t drink, you won’t say anything…. Hazuki: I’m sorry….as there is a little distance between us…. I’m nervous so I need to drink alcohol…because you are a big senpai for me….cheers! Kaoru: Cheers! They both toast with their beer cans. Hazuki: It’s good…everyone is curious about one thing…. It’s really in the way….*Hazuki puts his hand on a bottle that it’s on the centre of the table, covered by a cloth* It’s really an object that stands out but,  the drink that I want to serve for Kaoru today is….well, for me this…..how long has it been?  I think 15-16 years… but in this long time there is especially one drink that left an impression in me…. Kaoru: Is something we drank together? Hazuki: We did….I get to know this type of alcohol/sake from Kaoru…. I couldn’t drink it at that time… Kaoru: I wonder what it is… Hazuki:I couldn’t drink it but as you were really into it and drank it….I was like….”I want to drink it with Kaoru”, so I tried  and it was delicious….so I was able to drink it that’s why today I brought it…do you know what is it?...*pointing at the cloth* Kaoru:*Laughs* I wonder… what can it be?.... Because of the size I would say it’s whisky… Hazuki: Ah yes the size…..but it’s not….it’s another thing…. Kaoru: Sweet potato shōchū? Hazuki: Ah, you are quite close….it’s a type of shōchū…. Kaoru: Eh? Hazuki: It’s not Sweet potato shōchū Kaoru: Is it Tantakatan? * Tantakatan is a shōchū made with perilla leaves. It is produced in Hokkaido, Japan. Hazuki: *screams* AH!...that’s it…..*Kaoru and Hazuki laugh* That’s amazing *Hazuki starts clapping* You knew it so well…*Hazuki takes off the cloth of the bottle* Kaoru: It’s been a long time! Hazuki: It’s Tantankatan…. Kaoru: This makes me feel really nostalgic…. Hazuki: How many years ago? Kaoru: A lot…. Hazuki: I think it was 23 years ago…. Kaoru: I used to drink this a lot…. Hazuki: Drinking this kind of alcohol on the rocks…. I was still young at that time, I’ve only drank beer, shōchū and highball shōchū. I thought “I should really try this”. When you asked me to join you, drinking this, I drank a lot and got really into it. After this, there was a boom in potato-fermented drinks *Kaoru laughs* But because you asked me to drink it together, I got to like it. *Kaoru laughs* *On the rocks” means serving an alcoholic beverage in a cocktail glass with ice. I think Hazuki means is “a fancy drink”. Kaoru: How nostalgic….I barely drink this anymore…. Hazuki: I drink it…. I thought “this is definitely the drink I want to share with him”…..after drinking this beer…. Kaoru: Let’s drink it….let’s finish the beers… Hazuki: You don’t need to hurry….we still have time…. Hazuki seems to be amazed by Kaoru’s reaction towards the Tantankatan. Kaoru: This makes me feel really nostalgic! Do they sell this at convenience stores? Hazuki: They do. Hazuki wants to know when Kaoru had the first chance to try Tantakatan. Kaoru: Maybe on tour… Hazuki: I see, because it was popular/a trend…to drink it with everyone… Kaoru:  Maybe the first time I drank it…. It was with Mr Ito, from the security company of X (X Japan)….that person’s face looked like a gorilla….*Hazuki laughs* when we started going on tour together, I started drinking it with him…. *Mr. Ito was popular for being in charge of the security of  X Japan and Luna Sea. He worked later with other bands like Dir en grey. He is said to be the saviour of many fans as he worked sometimes in the front lines. Hazuki: He gave it to you and you drank it together….I see…. Actually, it’s not the first time you appear in a program I’m doing…. Kaoru: You mean the radio one? Hazuki: Yes, the one called 「Weekly lynch」. When was it? 8 or 7 years ago. At that time, you were about to release “The Unraveling”. You were releasing “The Unraveling” so you came to the program. Since then, probably most of the people who are watching this haven’t heard that radio program, especially Lynch fans so, roughly I’d like to talk about how we ended up here….I would like to talk about this again…our first encounter….do you remember it? *Hazuki starts laughing softly but ends up laughing loudly when he sees Kaoru struggling to remember it* *Kaoru appeared as a guest in「Weekly lynch」in NACK5 FM on March 2013. Kaoru: It was because of Reo, right? Hazuki: That’s it, that’s it…. Kaoru: I remember it was Reo (Lynch’s guitarist)  who introduced you to me…. About where it was…..I think it was at some hotel lobby… Hazuki: That’s it, that’s it…at that time you were staying at a hotel in Nagoya…. Reo and I went to the lobby to meet you and we went to a shop…..I was really really nervous…I was thinking “finally I’m going to meet Dir en grey”,  as I knew the band since I was in high school…I was really nervous about meeting you for the first time but….at that hotel lobby there were many fans showing up as well…like waiting for the members….I was thinking “as expected from stars/famous people” when you were getting off quickly…*Hazuki laughs* Kaoru: I see….it was at a hotel…

Hazuki: That time we hardly talk…. Kaoru: That’s true….I talked to Reo mostly… Hazuki: But I was listening to you in the sideway….at that time I already liked to drink…. But Reo doesn’t drink right?...*Kaoru nods* I guess he can’t drink…. I don’t know though….but he didn’t drink…the next time you came to Nagoya, I find the courage to invite you, I was like “tonight I’m going to invite Kaoru!”, but at that time you have another plan with other person so you told me “I’m sorry”…so I went back home…. The next day, you contacted me by email to meet in the afternoon… Kaoru: Suddenly? Hazuki: Suddenly…I thought it was weird because it was your day off… I got super excited….and we went to “Mountain”… Kaoru: Aaaaaa Hazuki: (Mountain) in Nagoya….I want everyone to google it….it’s a pasta place among other things… Kaoru: I’m sure your fans know it well….I get to know this place from you…. Hazuki: Is that so?-….*laughs*.. I was the one who introduced this place to you… Kaoru: That’s it, that’s it…. Hazuki: Well….since that moment….. each time that Kaoru came to Nagoya with Dir en grey…we would usually drink together….it was almost like a perfect attendance award, right? Kaoru: Right…. Hazuki talks a little bit more about attending Dir’s live when they came to play at Zepp Nagoya even though he lived in a rural area. Hazuki: At that time, I lived at my parents house in a really rural area of Nagoya.  As going by train to Nagoya was hard, coming back was also hard, manga cafe… Kaoru: *cutting in* That’s it! They both starting laughing. Kaoru: I asked you if you were ok (staying there)…. Hazuki: The first  time after the live was over….at the first after party…..the other members were there….there were many people gathering there… every one was talking and I didn’t do much there… the second time you told me to wait for you….when we finished drinking it was past midnight….early in the morning…. There wasn’t a night bus and I didn’t have money to come back by taxi….so I came to the manga café, slept a bit and came back by train in the morning… Kaoru: That’s it…. Hazuki: For me, that you came to Nagoya and we could drink together….it was something really valuable for me….it makes me feel nostalgic….those days have kept going these 15-16 years….it might feel a bit like “why a vocalist and a guitarist *laughs* but you are really a big senpai that I respect…that’s right…this program….for this talk corner….nothing has been decided…*Kaoru nods* I really didn't decide anything….what could be the first topic?....mmm…I think we could talk about the moment you got into rock music…. Kaoru: Like when I started playing? Hazuki: That’s right….for example, I only listened to kayōkyoku ( Japanese popular music from Showa Era) when I was an elementary student….at that time it started to sound “Rosier” by Luna Sea and I was like “what is this?” so I got into the rock world…is there something like that for you? Something like “oh that’s amazing!” or so…. Kaoru: The first time I listened to something and thought “that’s rock” was BOOWY. Hazuki: Eh?? Is that so? Kaoru: I think it was a thing for my generation…..everyone listened to BOOWY. Hazuki: They were still active? Kaoru: Barely….it was before their disband.…. Hazuki: I see… Kaoru: But at middle school everyone listened to them….but the band I listened to before them was Seikima-II…. Hazuki laughs. Kaoru: Singles at that time were records (LP), right?.. Hazuki: Yes… Kaoru: I bought it and listened to it….even at that time, like when it comes to bands and rock music it was like…..something amazing and flashy… Seikima-II felt like “this is it”….that’s how it felt when I listened and looked at them….I didn’t listen to them with the image of “this is rock” or a “band”…. But when I heard that kind of band, the guitars, the bass….everything together I thought “this is cool”….as expected, BOOWY’s (activities) at that time were decreasing but there was also bands like Barbee Boys and Ziggy…. But among all those bands I listened to….when I was in middle school, a transferred student came to my school to my class….he looked  very serious…in that class he felt like the calm type….he sat next to me….and once we were going back home he invited me to hang out with him…even thought he was a middle school student….his room was full of records…..he had everything….an amplifier, record player, tapes…he also have CDs that were a recent thing at that time….he also had this huge speaker…of course he had a bed as well as it was his room…. Hazuki: But it was your friend’s stuff? Not his father’s? Kaoru: It wasn’t his father’s stuff, all belonged to him… Hazuki: Ehhhh Kaoru: It was amazing….it looked like an unknown world to me….I went to his house often to hang out after school…we would listen to the records that he had, he told to listen to the music he liked….one of the things he made me listen to was metal…. Hazuki: Western music? Kaoru: There was a lot of western music as well…like Iron Maiden and Judas…also Japanese metal and so but….it was like a “no way, no way” for me…. Hazuki: At time it wasn’t your cup of tea? Kaoru: At all…. Hazuki: Eh… Kaoru: I liked music in English….like Michael Jackson…I like Pop….music from the UK…..I listened to new wave bands for example….but that kind of hard rock or metal….I have this image of muscular guys playing in shorts jumping around energetically while playing….with those things in their shoulders that made them look like Saint Seiya….*Hazuki laughs* I had that kind of image… Hazuki: This is after BOOWY? Kaoru: It’s after BOOWY….I still was listening to BOØWY’s all the time….*Kaoru mumbles something about BOOWY’s CD covers?* Hazuki mentions Japan ( A new wave band from the Uk). They also mention again BOOWY’ and finally, X Japan appears. Kaoru mentions X’s Vanishing vision and that he didn’t like it at first because of the fierce and fast tempo songs. Hazuki: Eh? *laughs* I really can’t believe what you are saying right now… Kaoru: It was like a “no,no” for me…but among them, there were one or two songs that I liked… Hazuki: Yes, yes… Kaoru: Then, at high school…..I graduated from middle school and I started high school on April…and the 21st of April “Blue blood” was released…. Hazuki: Oh! Kaoru: At the bookstore and so there were X stuff there, I already knew them….and I preordered the CD…. Hazuki: *Laughs* How did that happen? Kaoru: I don’t know….I just did it… Hazuki: But you didn’t like them at that time….*laughs* Kaoru: But somehow for the first time, I was interested in them so I went the day of the release to buy the CD, I went back home,I listened to it at the radio-cassette and I was like “what on Earth is this?” *Hazuki laughs* Hazuki: That wasn’t too fast and fierce for you… Kaoru: It wasn’t….at all… Hazuki points out that the song called like the album “Blue blood” is fast and fierce but Kaoru seems to not care about that as he was amazed by the album. For Hazuki, it was too fast and fierce so it was a “No” for him at that moment. Kaoru: I was like “what’s this”?.... Hazuki: And because of that opportunity, even though it was fierce and fast, as you bought the CD yourself… Kaoru:  For me, it was the feeling of the whole “Blue blood” album….it was like listening to something amazing… Hazuki: But you got interested in that album when you saw that add (at the bookstore)…. Kaoru; That’s it, That’s it…. Hazuki: From there, you got into that world-view…. Kaoru: Certainly…that’s it, that’s it…at first, as expected, I didn’t know much about instruments and their sound….but the songs…and the atmosphere when I listened to the songs….I saw there was a live at the medium hall of the Kousei Nenkin Kaikan in Osaka but the tickets were already sold out. I feel like going to the venue at that moment…. Hazuki: But you didn’t have a ticket…. Kaoru tells next the story about how he got the ticket after walking around the venue. It seems  he was first offered a ticket by a old guy who asked for 5000 yen for the ticket (the real price was 3000 yen) but Kaoru didn’t have the money for it as he needed some for the train back home. Kaoru gave up about getting a ticket and he was wondering if he should buy some merch as people started to gather for the concert.  Then, another old guy guy approached him and offered him a ticket, that was a seat in the last row of the first floor, and Kaoru got it. Kaoru adds he was kind of careless for doing that? ( getting a ticket from a scalper) And Hazuki starts laughing nervously. Hazuki: Well, well it’s ok…..because  it’s an old story…. Kaoru: Then at the live I was on the right side…. Hazuki: That was Hide’s…. Kaoru: When I saw him….I was shocked…. Hazuki: Like it was something you shouldn’t see…. Were you a middle school student at that moment? Kaoru: A High school student…. Hazuki: Ah, you were in high school…. Kaoru: After seeing him, I just could see this person… Hazuki: But you are Dir en grey’s leader, right? Everyone…that fast and fierce songs were a “no” for you *laughs* Kaoru: It was really a “no-no” for me….for real….no way… Hazuki: And after that, the most intense and fast songs……but you didn’t like that at the beginning….but because of Hide…..X japan at that time was really fierce/violent….*Kaoru nods* With their hair up this way…*makes the gesture of the hair* Kaoru: All of them have their hair up…..but at the beginning, I was a little reluctant to get into foreign metal…. Hazuki: I understand that, it was the same for me….I was reluctant to it…. Kaoru: It was like it felt hard to get into it…. Hazuki: But when I was reading interviews of the artist I liked, they wrote about other musicians they liked, right? I wanted to try to listen to them, but I couldn’t really do it….because I didn’t like it…. Kaoru: That’s right… Hazuki: It was like that….was it the same for you? Kaoru: Like Alice Cooper with all that heavy black make-up…..he looked scary….when I listened to it, I didn’t really understand it… Hazuki: Like “X is better”, right?….it was like that for me too…. Kaoru: Hide was into pop music so I got into some artists because of him. Hazuki: I see… Kaoru: It’s stuff that I still listen nowadays….at that time he introduced these artist to his fans and I got into it. Now I listen to it and I think it’s cool...somehow it became like my roots….but at that time when it comes to rock, it was like “I don’t get it”…. Hazuki: I see….at that time, the members of Luna Sea would talk about Guns N' Roses or Nirvana….I rent some stuff from them but I was like “it’s not fierce, it’s not dark or bright, it’s just different”. Another time I listened to Korn and Slipknot and I was like “Oh, I like this”…until then, I barely listen to anything like that…. Kaoru: So since that time, you started to listen to western music…. Hazuki: Yes, I started to listen to it properly…..you already finished your beer… Kaoru: I did…. Hazuki: Oh, I’m sorry….*Hazuki grabs the bottle of “Tantakatan” to open it* That guy you talked about, the guy with the audio equipment, what happened to him after that? Kaoru: At that time, we graduated from middle school and…. Hazuki: Is that so? Kaoru: I don’t know what he is doing since then at all…. Hazuki: Eh??? Kaoru: Truth is….I would like to try to meet him…. Hazuki: If he is watching this…..if you see this, you can definitely contact us….so,  about music....this talk is because you are going to release  a single and it would be strange to not talk about it… Kaoru: It feels weird… Hazuki: It’s embarrassing for me because I’m not used to this. It’s a bit embarrassing but I really want to ask you about it…. “Oboro”, which is going to be released on 28th April… ....Tbc....

[fearbased]

all this talk about tumblr breaking and it broke on me just before making this post :’)  was trying to come around sooner but funnily enough it was my first day back to work after a brief vacation. it was a very tiring day and i will be crashing after this post but to get to the point, my name is oso (21+, she/her, cst) and it’s been a little while since i’ve rped on tumblr so pls be patient with me! my muse is kaoru (hollow, he/him, 25) and he has the ability to induce fear. to be honest, it’s a new little trick he’s still getting used to as he’s only been in the institute for a little over a year and he only discovered his power a few weeks before that. here’s a link that goes a little more in-depth about kaoru and his ability but there’s still some tinkering around i need to do with his bio/past. under the cut i have a short little rundown of how he discovered his power and definitely a point or two that can spring into connections 

cw // mention of abuse . kaoru discovered his ability after receiving a call from a close friend getting into a violent situation with their partner. kaoru is above all else protective and where his ability would usually only manifest itself enough to intimidate others, this experience became a blowout that left the abusive partner in a catatonic state. kaoru was not aware of his ability until that moment and finally began to put two and two together on why, despite not getting into fights, others feared him when he would begin to get irritated. this happened in seoul so if any muses ran with the ‘outcasts’ or ‘rebellious’ side of society, they could have been this friend with the abusive partner

kaoru is very much a ‘stays on the fringes of society’ kind of person. he’s obviously a foreigner and that creates its own battles but his power continually creeping up throughout his life had always left him in the company of the outcasts rather than the classroom leaders. so, like above, if your muse was an ‘outcast’ or ‘undesirable’ in seoul up to three years before 2033, kaoru and your muse could have crossed paths whether on good or bad terms - or maybe even neutral terms. maybe they just so happened to exist in similar circles but never directly interacted until AFTER joining the institute

now... i’ll be honest, outside of this right now my brain is not working so i will definitely be hitting up the dms i’ve gotten to get to plotting but if anyone would like to plot, feel free to dm me a heart emoji and i could look thru your wcs or we could just chat about our muses until something clicks. i’ll get around to joining the discord once i am more awake and not quite as busy. i do have to say, i am excited to be rping with y’all and can’t wait to see what fun we can have!

[nyaitsu-writes]

Hi! Can I ask for Prompt 5 with Kaoru please (with a fem s/o if that’s okay) and thank u! ~🌹rose anon

out of the scenarios i’ve posted, this one is definitely one of my favs! there’s something extremely comforting about kaoru taking care of his s/o!! he’s such a sweetheart <3 i’ll get to your 4 other requests in some time because,,, there’s a lot in my askbox right now so pls give me a while, i’m doing my best hehehe

✧ kaoru + 5: Let me bandage you up (fem!s/o) ✧

“Ahh, talk about bad timing… Anyways here we go!”

With you safely clutched between his arms, Kaoru had carried you all the way from the campus to the infirmary after seeing you trip and fall to the ground. You had insisted Kaoru at least 10 times that you were okay, that you had barely twisted your ankle a bit and it would go away after a while but there you were. Bridal carried all the way through school because Kaoru absolutely refused to let stand on your own until he had the nurse check on you.

And she wasn’t in there.

“Well don’t worry babe, I’m actually pretty skilled at this! Sooo let me bandage you up, okay? Not the first time I have to deal with a twisted ankle, surfing is kinda tricky at first...”

Kaoru went to rummage through the drawers of a nearby cabinet, in search of a bandage. You smiled as you heard a triumphant “Aha!” and Kaoru went back to your side, happily sitting in the bad and putting your foot onto his lap.

“I think it’s okay, don’t worry. I mean, you don’t have to do this…” As much as being taken care of like this felt reassuring, you couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge on worry after having seen Kaoru go through all the stages of a panic attack in 5 minutes. It was a silly little fall because you hadn’t been paying attention and he had gotten so nervous…

“No, but I want to! As your boyfriend, I should’ve caught you! Like in the movies, a dramatic BAM as the extremely handsome male love interest grabs his beloved between his arms at the very last second! Aghh it would’ve looked so cool…!” Kaoru mumbles the last part under his breath, concentrated on tightly wrapping the bandage around your hurt ankle. Like he had said before, it didn’t feel like his first time doing this.

After some fighting with the cloth, he proudly announced his result, softly patting your leg.

“There, all done! Now, I think you said your next class is on the top floor? Hop over,” with a sweet smile he turned around, pointing at his back. You blinked, heat rushing to your face. He was offering you a piggyback ride? “Well, what’re you waiting for? You said bridal style was embarrassing but I’m still going to carry you for the rest of the day, everything for my cute lil’ patient.”

With his golden locks brushing against your face, you couldn’t help but laugh, grabbing onto his back and resting your head as Kaoru happily trotted to the next floor. Knowing him, you were going to be treated like royalty for the rest of the day.

[cyhyr]

Summer of Whump Day 27: Injured

Fandom: Naruto

Rating: T

Pairing: Hatake Kakashi & Umino Iruka

WC: ~1970

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply; kid whump

Notes: Caning. Tied up. Academy-age Iruka, ANBU Kakashi. Post-Kyūbi attack. AU where Iruka and Kakashi were once friends.

A/N: Happy Birthday To Me!!! I've been looking forward to this one for over a week :)

A/N 2: Combo with my Bad Things Happen Bingo Board square: Caning

~

Kakashi sighs, watching Iruka walk home without a care in the world. That prank he pulled today was genius, and it caught a genin team unawares while they were out cat-catching, but Sandaime-sama could have been a bit harsher during the disciplinary hearing. Kakashi had been in the room—the kid had zoned out, Sarutobi sighed like this was a waste of time, and then the two of them sat down and played shogi and had tea for an hour.

Kakashi steps away as Umino unlocks his door and goes inside. One of these days, his pranks are going to come back to bite him. And worse, he’ll have deserved it.

~

Iruka is particularly proud of today’s prank, having dropped a barrel of day-old frying oil on a genin team because they were too absorbed in their mission and not aware of their surroundings. Really, he did them a favor. If they’d been in a real combat situation, it could have ended with one of them dying instead of the lot of them just needing a serious bath.

He closes and locks the door behind him and slips out of his sandals. He’ll have to wait at least a week to perform the next—

The window is open.

He never leaves the window open.

Iruka fumbles back for the doorknob but there’s already someone behind him, and he yelps and turns around to face them. The kid—he’s not much older than Iruka, how did he get past the wards on his window??—grins maniacally down at him and crowds him back. Iruka takes a few steps further into the apartment, and screams around the hand that covers his mouth from behind. The one behind him drags him into the center of his studio apartment with their other arm around Iruka’s chest, pinning his arms to his side.

He goes to kick out behind himself, to get at the one holding him, but a third sticks a kunai under his chin just before he readies his foot and tsks at him.

Iruka settles down. He’s really outnumbered.

“What’s the Hokage got you doing as punishment?” The first one, the one blocking the way to his door, asks.

Iruka can’t answer. The second one still has their hand over his mouth.

The third one snaps his fingers. “That's right! I heard all about it!” His face darkens and he glowers down at Iruka, “Fucking nothing. A slap on the wrist and an afternoon of tea and shogi with the Hokage—what a punishment!”

This is the genin team he caught in his trap earlier, he realizes. And, Oh, shit, they’re angry.

Number One pulls out a spool of chakra wire with a grin. He takes Iruka’s hands and ties them together in front of him, wrapping the wire between his fingers to keep them still and preventing him from making hand-seals—as if he knew any jutsu that would be particularly useful here. The other end of the wire is threaded through the handle of Number Three’s kunai, and then Three throws it up into the ceiling where it sticks.

“Get the window, Hiro,” Number One says, and Number Two—Hiro—goes and shuts the window, and then pulls back the curtains. Number One pulls on the chakra wire, yanking Iruka’s arms up above his head until he’s on his toes.

He whimpers. “Guys, really, it was just a joke—a prank! I didn’t mean any harm by it! I’m sorry!”

“That’s right,” Number Three sneers, “You should be groveling for forgiveness.”

“Doesn’t mean we have to give it to you,” Hiro says, producing a thin wooden cane from out of his pack and tapping it against his palm.

“Ready for your real punishment, kohai?” Number One grins, stepping forward and pushing a bandana into Iruka’s mouth. He ties it behind Iruka’s head. He then takes a knife to Iruka’s shirt down his back and slices away the fabric, against his muffled cries.

“I think ten strikes should be enough to get the point through to him,” Number Three says, putting his finger into the tears running down Iruka’s cheeks. “Ten strikes each, of course. He wronged all of us.”

~

Kakashi patrols the village vigilantly, and keeps thinking about the three genin covered in frying oil. He tries to be sympathetic. Dirty oil has a way of staining, he supposes; they’ll be lucky to be able to salvage any of what they’d been wearing.

Really, Iruka did those kids a favor. If it had been a field mission and they’d been caught off-guard like that… He won’t admit it out loud, but if losing their clothes and having to wash frying oil out of their hair will teach that genin team to remain vigilant, Iruka likely did them a great service.

Earlier, they had been outside the Hokage’s office, asking about what disciplinary actions were going to be taken against Umino. And they had been pissed to hear that Sandaime-sama only gave him a stern talking-to.

Kakashi wonders if, maybe, he should check in with their jōnin-sensei.

~

Iruka screams through the gag. With each strike of the cane against his back, he sobs harder. He wonders if anyone will notice; probably not. If anyone will care; definitely not. Sandaime-sama says the village is a family but really? An orphan is an orphan. No one will—

“My turn, Kaoru,” Hiro says. Number One, Kaoru apparently, gets one more strike in before handing off the cane. He won’t be able to sleep tonight. Should he go to the hospital after this? How was he going to get to the hospital after this? Would anyone believe him that it wasn’t a prank, that he’s been attacked in his own village?

Iruka cries, trying to beg for mercy through the gag. The genin team ignores him, and Hiro moves into position. The cane comes down onto his back.

~

“I don’t keep track of them after training,” Yūto-sensei says. “As for that Umino kid, he deserves what he gets if he gets something worse than how Sarutobi disciplined him.”

Kakashi makes the call to leave his patrol and head for Umino’s apartment. He doesn’t call his team; he’d make it there faster alone. And he has a bad feeling that he should have stayed after following him home.

~

Iruka sobs heavily, his chin resting against his chest; until the tip of the cane is there, lifting with gentle pressure and sure threat. Iruka meets the eyes of Number Three—Shiori, he’s learned. As if knowing their names makes any difference. In a normal hostage situation, the textbooks say to try and develop a rapport with your captors and find out their names, offer your own. This isn’t a hostage situation; it’s torture.

They haven’t gotten to the torture resistance unit yet.

“Take the gag off,” Shiori orders. Kaoru does so.

Iruka gasps, heaves deep breaths. He licks his lips and then says, “I’m sorry,” over and over again.

Shiori puts the cane against his lips and Iruka whimpers. “I know,” he says, “but you still have to be punished. And I want to hear you scream, unburdened.”

“Shiori—” Hiro starts nervously.

“No one cares about him,” Shiori says, rolling his eyes. “So what if he screams? He’s just another orphan, having another nightmare.” He drags the cane along Iruka’s bare side as he takes up position behind him.

“Please, don’t…” Iruka whines. “No more. I’m sorry.”

“Bad kids need to be taught. You don’t have parents anymore, and if the Sandaime won’t do it, then it falls to us, your senpai, to teach you.”

The cane comes down.

Iruka cries out, thrashing in the chakra wire. Kaoru and Hiro look around nervously as the cane comes down again, pulling another scream from Iruka’s lips.

The third time, a knock comes on his door. “Umino-kun, are you alright?”

A kunai is at his throat immediately, Shiori dropping the cane aside.

Iruka doesn’t know how to respond. He needs to get away from these guys, but he doesn’t know who’s on the other side of the door—it could be a shinobi, but it could also just be the old couple who manages his apartment. He can’t tell by the voice.

“Tell them it was just a bad dream," Shiori orders, hissing in his ear.

He decides to take a chance. He pings a line of chakra through the door, something small, hoping it will hit whoever’s there and alert them. “I—I’m sorry. Bad dream,” he calls back.

He’s relieved to receive a ping of chakra back.

“If you’re sure,” the shinobi at the door says. “Have a good night, Umino-kun.”

“Thank-you,” he mutters.

Shiori waits barely another minute before putting the gag back in Iruka’s mouth and raising the cane again; but he only gets one more strike in, Iruka’s muffled cry echoing in the studio apartment one last time, before the door is kicked in. The ANBU from earlier today stands in the doorway—the one who had picked him up from the scene of his prank and brought him before Sandaime, and who thought he was stealthily following him home but was stupidly obvious.

The three genin try to escape through the window, but they had carefully closed it earlier and aren’t smart enough to break the glass to get away. The ANBU closes the distance easily, performing non-lethal blows and knocking Kaoru and Hiro out; and then when Shiori realizes that he’s outclassed, he tries pulling his kunai back out to threaten Iruka, but the ANBU flickers across the studio and disarms him, first, then knocks him out.

With his attackers unconscious, Iruka’s sobs turn from pained to relieved.

The ANBU stands before him and cuts the chakra wire holding his wrists together above his head. His back aches and he cries out as they ease his shoulders down; he grits his teeth and cuts off the cry, muttering, “Hurts.” He leans into the ANBU chest plate and sniffles.

“Do you need medical assistance?”

Iruka looks up at the voice and, finally, recognizes the mask—Hound. And he’s familiar with the mask, and who’s under the mask; they were friends, once, weren’t they?

“Kaka—”

“Hound,” Kakashi mutters. “In the mask, it’s Hound. Do you need medical assistance?”

Iruka nods, leaning against his friend from long ago. His armor is cold; refreshing against the feverish heat of Iruka’s chest. Kakashi holds him, his gloved hands gently prodding at his back where there aren’t marks. A growl rumbles against Iruka’s temple.

Kakashi seethes above him, and Iruka tries unsuccessfully to tune it out. “In the village, no less. You should have been safe…” Behind his back, Hound makes a series of seals and says, “Kuchiyose no Jutsu.”

Summoning smoke poofs around in the corner of his view, and then Hound says, “Bull, stand guard. Shiba, Akino, go to T&I and have a team come and collect these three. I’ll report later.”

“Why not—?”

“Iruka’s injured,” Hound murmurs. He holds Iruka still, and then turns and crouches down, reaching back for Iruka’s hands. Getting the idea, Iruka flushes, but settles himself over Kakashi’s back and wraps his arms around Kakashi’s neck, letting the older teen position them in a way he’ll be able to run without worrying about Iruka accidentally choking him. Then, he slips his hands under Iruka’s thighs, pulls them around his waist, and stands up. He carries Iruka on his back like he weighs nothing. Iruka hides his face in Kakashi’s neck. “I��m going to get him to the hospital first, then I’ll meet at T&I to debrief.”

“Kakashi—”

“Hound, Iruka,” he says. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” His voice deepens into a growl as he continues, “You won’t get hurt again, not on my watch.”

Iruka closes his eyes, finally feeling safe, and rests as Kakashi flickers them away.

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Anime i’ve Watched

That begin with a K (Part 2)!

Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.

Karneval

Genres: action, fantasy, josei, mystery, sci-fi

Synopsis:  While in search of his precious friend, a young boy named Nai falls captive to a beautiful woman, whose looks are matched only by her taste for human flesh. Meanwhile Gareki, a clever thief, is in the midst of robbing her luxurious home. After causing a distraction, Gareki agrees to help Nai escape, but they are discovered upon the woman's return. As she transforms into a ghoulish monster, the boys flee. On the run, Nai and Gareki are found by "Circus," a government defense agency that deals with criminal activity too difficult for the police to handle and protects civilians from "varuga"—terrible monsters that devour humans for sustenance. In the hope that it will lead Nai to his missing friend, he and Gareki decide to join Circus. On their perilous journey, they face dangerous varuga and begin to uncover the secrets behind a shadowy organization known as Kafka. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2013 with a total of 13 episodes. 

My Thoughts: Love the character design and I was interested in the story but the series is far too short. I’d suggest you go read the manga (which is farther along) but it’s rarely updated so I can’t confidently say it’s worth the read. Your choice is read/ watch this and suffer alongside me with the lack of updates or erase its existence from your mind. Your call! 

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru (Run with the Wind)

Genres: comedy, sports, drama

Synopsis:  Former ace runner of Sendai Josei High School, Kakeru Kurahara is chased away from a convenience store for shoplifting. Shaking off his pursuer, he runs into Haiji Kiyose, another student from his university. Haiji is impressed by Kakeru's agility and persuades him to live in Chikusei-sou, the run-down apartment where Haiji resides along with eight other students. Having lost his entire apartment deposit at a mahjong parlor, Kakeru accepts the offer reluctantly. However, Haiji reveals a secret during Kakeru's welcoming party: the apartment is actually the dormitory of the Kansei University Track Club. He unveils his ultimate goal of participating in the Hakone Ekiden—one of the most prominent university marathon relay races in Japan. Unfortunately, all the residents apart from Haiji and Kakeru are complete running novices. Worse still, none of the inhabitants are even remotely interested in being involved with Haiji's ridiculous plan! With only months before the deadline, will the fourth-year student be able to convince them otherwise and realize his elusive dream of running in the Hakone Ekiden? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 10/10

Finished airing in 2019 with a total of 23 episodes. 

My Thoughts: This was a masterpiece in my opinion, an anime I won’t soon forget and one of the best of its season without a doubt! Good stuff right here and not in a high school setting which is a change of pace for a sports anime! A very satisfying anime that I highly recommend. 

Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises)

Genres: drama, historical, romance, film

Synopsis: Although Jirou Horikoshi's nearsightedness prevents him from ever becoming a pilot, he leaves his hometown to study aeronautical engineering at Tokyo Imperial University for one simple purpose: to design and build planes just like his hero, Italian aircraft pioneer Giovanni Battista Caproni. His arrival in the capital coincides with the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, during which he saves a maid serving the family of a young girl named Naoko Satomi; this disastrous event marks the beginning of over two decades of social unrest and malaise leading up to Japan's eventual surrender in World War II. For Jirou, the years leading up to the production of his infamous Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft will test every fiber of his being. From witnessing firsthand the growing antisemitism in Germany to fatefully reuniting with Naoko at a summer resort, his many travels and life experiences only urge him onward⁠—even as he realizes both the role of his creations in the war and the reality of the waning health of his beloved. As time marches on, he must confront an impossible question: at what cost does he chase his beautiful dream? [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8/10

A film released in 2013

My Thoughts: Beautiful and dreamy but not one of my favourite anime films unfortunately. Still very good though!

Kekkai Sensen

Genres: action, comedy, superpower, supernatural, vampire, fantasy, shounen

Synopsis:  Supersonic monkeys, vampires, talking fishmen, and all sorts of different supernatural monsters living alongside humans—this has been part of daily life in Hellsalem's Lot, formerly known as New York City, for some time now. When a gateway between Earth and the Beyond opened three years ago, New Yorkers and creatures from the other dimension alike were trapped in an impenetrable bubble and were forced to live together. Libra is a secret organization composed of eccentrics and superhumans, tasked with keeping order in the city and making sure that chaos doesn't spread to the rest of the world. Pursuing photography as a hobby, Leonardo Watch is living a normal life with his parents and sister. But when he obtains the "All-seeing Eyes of the Gods" at the expense of his sister's eyesight, he goes to Hellsalem's Lot in order to help her by finding answers about the mysterious powers he received. He soon runs into Libra, and when Leo unexpectedly joins their ranks, he gets more than what he bargained for. Kekkai Sensen follows Leo's misadventures in the strangest place on Earth with his equally strange comrades—as the ordinary boy unwittingly sees his life take a turn for the extraordinary. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8/10

Finished airing in 2015 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: I recall this terribly sad episode that was an absolute masterpiece but to be honest the rest of the series didn’t leave much of an impression on me. I didn’t even bother watching the second season when it came out. Do what you will with that information.

Kenka Banchou Otome: Girl Beats Boys

Genres: action, martial arts, school, shoujo, TV short

Synopsis:  Kenka Banchou Otome - Girl Beats Boys, Hinako Nakayama has spent all of her life being raised in state-run orphanages, without ever knowing her family. As she's about to enter high school, Hinako is approached by Hikaru, a boy who claims to be her twin brother. According to Hikaru, Hikaru and Hinako are the children of the head of the powerful Onigashima yakuza family, and Hikaru wants Hinako to switches places with him at Shishiku Academy, an all-boys school overrun with the nation's toughest delinquents. Can Hinako save her brother, find romance, and become the new boss of the school? (Source: Crunchyroll)

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2017 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: Reverse harem style, tv short with a tomboy female lead. Not really long enough to leave much of an impression but fun enough if you have some time to waste. Surprisingly great art/ animation.

Keppeki Danshi! Aoyama-kun

Genres: comedy, seinen, sports

Synopsis:  He is charming, cool, athletic, a good cook, but more importantly, he's a clean freak. Aoyama is idolized and respected by everyone, but they can only admire him from afar due to his mysophobia. Despite that, he plays soccer—a rather dirty sport! As the playmaker for Fujimi High School's soccer club, Aoyama avoids physical contact at all cost and cleanly dribbles toward victory. However, the path to Nationals will not be easy for Fujimi's underdog team. But alongside striker Kaoru Zaizen, Aoyama will show everyone that even as a clean freak, there are things he's willing to get dirty for. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2017 with a total of 12 episodes. 

My Thoughts: comical with what I recall to be very little focus on the actual playing of sports which is a bummer if that’s what you’re looking for. It was alright but there are definitely better comedy (and for sure sports) anime's out there! 

Kill la Kill

Genres: action, comedy, superpower, school

Synopsis:  After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi has been wandering the land in search of his killer. Following her only lead—the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade—she arrives at the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school unlike any other. The academy is ruled by the imposing and cold-hearted student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin alongside her powerful underlings, the Elite Four. In the school's brutally competitive hierarchy, Satsuki bestows upon those at the top special clothes called "Goku Uniforms," which grant the wearer unique superhuman abilities. Thoroughly beaten in a fight against one of the students in uniform, Ryuuko retreats to her razed home where she stumbles across Senketsu, a rare and sentient "Kamui," or God Clothes. After coming into contact with Ryuuko's blood, Senketsu awakens, latching onto her and providing her with immense power. Now, armed with Senketsu and the Scissor Blade, Ryuuko makes a stand against the Elite Four, hoping to reach Satsuki and uncover the culprit behind her father's murder once and for all. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 9/10

Finished airing in 2014 with a total of 24 episodes. 

My Thoughts: One of my top three favourite anime's of all time despite my not giving it a perfect score and the sole reason i’m such a Trigger fangirl despite the way they continue to disappoint me with each and every new release... Highly recommend! Fair warning there’s plenty of skimpy outfits and fan service which may turn some off but if you can get past it this really is an anime worth checking out. Great story, characters, music and style! A chaotic feast for the eyes and ears! I really should rewatch it... 

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 3 - Michelin Star related suicide.

K: Hi, this is Dir en grey's Kaoru, getting started with the third episode of The Freedom of Expression.

J, T: Yep.

K: Joe Yokomizu san and Tasai san are here again. So, how are we doing, after the second time?

Kami:*interrupts*

J: Ah, He's cutting in early today.

Kami: Yes, yes, yes. Im thinking a lot about my timing.

J: You're entering from every possible angle?

Kami: Yes, thats it.

K: What do you think after the first two episodes? We are on our third today, but does it seem interesting?

K: As a god, im kinda out of things to say.

J: Really?

Kami: Yep

J: You would think a god would know about all sorts of things.

Kami: I don't know all that much. *K laughs* Im studying, Im working on it.

T: Last time, the suspicion arose that he was poverty stricken, didnt it?

J: Yes, he pointed out he was a poverty stricken god.

Kami: I told you not to say that! *K laughs*

T: Sorry..

Kami: Its a problem.

K: After we finished last time, we ended up talking a lot about money, didn't we?

J: Yes, we did. *everyone laughing*

Kami: Yep, yep.

J: After the recording, Kami spoke non stop about money, didn't he? He is really attached to it..for a god. You'd think he'd be the one least interested in that, but he turns out to be the one most interested.

Kami: It wasn't that bad until then. It wasn't like that back on the radio show. It really has become a problem recently.

J: Oh now?

T: I see.

Kami: Yes, now.

K: Right, well, our third episode...

J: Yes, the title is 'Suicide resulting from Michelin stars - In the lawsuit of a former 3 star Michelin star chef, the court rules that....'

This is concerning the Michelin guide which was even popularised in a TV drama last year. In its country of origin, France, there is so much pressure, the fear of losing a star can even lead to suicide. A Chef who lost his third star even filed a lawsuit against Michelin. As for the specific story, Marc Veyrat, who runs the famous restaurant 'La Maison des Bois' in the Alps, recieved the long awaited 3 star rating in 2018. Just one year later, this dropped to a 2 star rating. Veyrat responded angrily, 'The quality of my food hasn't changed at all. Its a mistake in the inspection', and brought the case against Michelin. As well as demading the inspector's qualifications and the report to be made public, as his demotion has led to him to  falling into a state of depression, he is suing Michelin for the sum of just 1 Euro, or in yen, 120 yen. He has been telling the media of his discontent that the inspectors could not recognize the cheese Reblochon, from the Savoy region, and probably mistook it for the widely produced cheddar cheese. Nanterre courthouse in the suburbs of Paris responded, that as well as the evaluation of the inspector coming down to freedom of expression, the plaintiff did not show good enough reason that  his reputation had been marred. The famous chef was defeated, but the agony of chefs over the star rating is becoming a problem in society. By the way, simply put, the standard for the inspection, or the standard for the stars, is the food only. Not the restaurant interior, or the service. The food is assessed on the following five criteria. 1) The quality of the ingrediants. 2) The level of skill and amount of seasoning. 3) Originality. 4) Cost performance. 5) The consistency of the presented dishes on the whole. This is the same all over the world. As for the meaning of the stars, this is as follows. One star = Food that is particularly delicious within its category. Two stars = Spectacular food that is worth making a detour to have it. Three stars = Excellent food that is worth specifically traveling just to have it. The report is produced by a group consisting of the inspectors, the chief editor and all other responsible parties for the Michelin guide book. Every year they recieved around 45,000 emails and letters from thier readers, which they look through, and sometimes even do re-evaluations. ....Food!

K: Food...

J: Yep...I mean, reputation really controls which restaurants we go to.  Kaoru, what do you think?

K: Hmm, well, its an inspection isnt it?

J: Yes, its an inspection.

K: I was in Paris last year. There are loads of these aren't there? * the others laugh*

J: Well, yes. So, he didn't change anything about his food, but his rating still dropped, whats that all about?

K: Isn't it precisely because he didn't do anything new?

J: Oh, could it be that? If others are upping thier game, you will naturally drop.

K: There couldn't really be someone who mistook it for mass produced cheddar cheese.

J: You'd think, wouldn't you?

K: And then, maybe people are just different, no matter what it is. Even if its the same person..

J: Maybe they were feeling bad or something..

K: Hmm, an inspection is...Well, if it was sports or combat sport or something..the observers can easily judge the game, like..oh this one definitely won...But with music, or movies....appraisals of 'things', its different depending on the person isnt it.

J: Yes, you're right.

K: This type of guide is for people who want to expand thier knowledge, the Michelin guide ...For movies it would be the Academy Awards, and there are tv shows doing the same thing.  Its just to make things easier for people...so, in the end, it seems like it can't be helped really.

J: Well, thats it, yes. I dont know about Michelin, but Im in the position to do album reviews, so im in the place to award stars...and, its true, if its a genre you like, you just naturally like it, and are prone to jacking up the stars, but if its a genre you don't listen to, you feel unfamiliar and it takes a while to figure out whether its good or bad. So certainly, as for awarding stars.. asking people, well, im just repeating what you said Kaoru, its not objective information. You have to try and think about the aim. If the orgainisation drops a star from you it doesn't necessarily mean you are bad..

K: Its like a contest or that type of thing, you can still see who's winning the game..

J: Like 1-1, you can see whos winning in front of you, the circumstances are a little different from this though.

K: Eventually, won't it affect thier sales though?

J: I think so.

T: Don't you think diners also rely too much on this kind of guide?

K: You can check anything on your smartphone, you don't really know whats true.

J: You don't, there are these restaurant review sites where some people are paid to write good reviews, and some people are paid to write bad reviews, you know, to destroy thier rivals they will write bad stuff...So its difficult to know how far to trust that type of thing. By the way, Kaoru, do you refer to reviews in relation to food, or new music or anything like that?

K: Well, I do, yes. Guides and such...Usually, I  get information I want to know from all over the place. I ask people, like..'I want to eat this', or 'I wonder if that place is good' or something,  I ask people what they think.

T: But when you want to go to see a movie, do you ask someone who likes movies?

K: I'll read what someone has written about it, or I'll read what they've posted on social media.

J: The main thing is listening to people you can trust.

K: Yes, thats it.

J: Someone you are familiar with, or some well-informed person. Also someone you see eye to eye with.

T: Thats right.

J: If you go out for food with someone, and they say 'this is delicious', if you ask them what else they like, it will be the same kind of things that you like.

K: Really, I've never been to a two star or three star Michelin restaurant * the others laugh*.

J: Well, this internet age isn't going to end...

T: Right

J: Just how far will people trust this kind of assesment, or star rating?

T: Joe, have you ever been hassled by anyone because of this? By artists or such?

J: I havn't actually...I write what I didn't personally like, and sign my name with a star rating, then, 'this is what I think, but what do YOU think', to continue the conversation.

K: Our boss in our office, he was in a band a long time ago, and he got angry about something that was written in a magazine, so he stormed over to the magazine headquarters * the others laugh*  He might ????*1

J,T: Your boss, wow!

J: What was the magazine?

K: Oh, I don't remember..*laughing*

J: Which of them has the freedon of expression? *laughing*

K: They are both clashing with each other.

J: The moment their freedom clashed *laughs*

T: But, Ive heard that kind of story before...A hip hop artist or something, went to a magazine and tried to restrain or kidnap the editor. He took it that seriously.

J: Well, in a music magazine, if you write an article, its the same with interviews, you dont know whether the other party will see or hear it. For me, after editing, I think its good to show it to the artist once. Im only writing my ideas, and there are times where thats not the reality.

For interviews, you dont necessarily hand over the questions in advance, and if im just asking at random, the artist may feel on the spot and not be able to say what they really feel, so i think its good to show them once, to get the facts right.  With reviews too, i think showing them what i intend to write is important. But there are magazines where the boss doesnt get the content checked, 'you said it, so take responsibility', kind of thing. Thats a bit harsh, i think.

T: Well, yes. With interviews, I think its good to show the person. Protecting freedom should be kept independent.

J: Yes, yes, you are free to write what you think, but this is also keeping it real by checking if artists are holding responsibility for what they say. They decide whether they can really say that after checking it first.

K: There are times when you wish you'd used more words..

J: There are! Of course, its limited to the time and place of the interview, for example 1 hour, the time is squeezed. You have to get on with it, with little explanation..sometimes you need to supplement that.

T: Yes, you're right.

K: What do you think, Kami?

J: Kamiii?

Kami: *stifled laugh* Yes, what?

J: I don't know how to address him.

Kami: No no, don't worry about that, we are short on time.

K: Yes, our third installment is ending.

J: It felt quick today..somehow.

K: Originally, one episode was supposed to have two news items.

J: Yeah, i thought that.

K: But it didn't work that way, did it?

J: No, it didnt. What do the viewers think? Is one item enough? Or do they want two items at a faster pace?

K: If its too long, they won't be able to watch it.

J,T: Right.

T: A shorter video is better.

J: As for raising the number of views, right?

K: We talk about quite difficult stuff too, we should try to break into it as much as we can, make it interesting. Oh, and Kami, even his voice is interesting.

J: Its enough.

K: Well, that was the third installment, please tune in next time.

K, J, T: Thank you very much.

*1 I couldn't catch this. 

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki SSL ~sweet school life~ Release Countdown

not something i scheduled... but since the ssl spreadsheet is almost done (well last i checked?), i figured i’d go finish this since I finally found a translation for Kaoru’s snippet for this.... all images in this post were taken from otomate’s ssl blog.

aside from this, i don’t plan on doing anything else ssl related til next year lol.

As always, translation was done from CH -> ENG and final edits will be done later... will definitely be using photoshop later since the the resolution of the original images is on the small-ish side.... ugh. while i hate photoshop (and will always complain about using it hahaha... T_T), i dislike compromising on the quality of things i use in my videos....

Hakuoki SSL ~sweet school life~ Countdown

Translation by KumoriYami

Saito:I am the disciplinary committee's Saito Hajime. The day for the opening ceremony is almost here. Are you nervous, perhaps you haven't prepared enough? Although starting high school may be somewhat nerve-racking, but do not worry [reword or remove 'but']. As your seniors, we will do everything to support you, so you will be able to enjoy your time here/life as a high school student. All you need to do is to bring your expectations and hopes onto campus. Hakuo Gakuen sincerely welcomes your arrival/Welcome to Hakuo Gakuen.

Nagumo: Are you ready for school? I’m contacting my thoughtless/inconsiderate younger sister [will probably change to include “thought it best to contact...” for language flow... unless i can think of a different way to reword that]. Now, since we'll be going to the same school...... You should know, that it was originally an all boys' school. As far as I've been able to tell, the students at this school are all scumbags [lol. well i'll probably change that to 'fools' or just 'scum'?] so I don't know you'll be able to deal with them. Make sure you're always on guard when you do something so you don't cause trouble for me.

Nagakura: Yo~ freshman! I'm Hakuo Gakuen's math teacher, Nagakura Shinpachi! I look forward to when students enroll l every year, but I'm doing that twice as much this year compared to normal! You're asking me why? Right! It's you! Because there's a girl enrolling for the first time/entering the school! Aiyah, a vibrant flower will finally be blossoming in this dreary school full of old men! It's really fired me up! Truly, I'm looking forward to it!

Yamazaki: I'm a second year student at Hakuo Gakuen, Yamazaki Susumu. I will be acting as a guide during the opening ceremony, an will be in charge of addressing any questions and concerns of the new students. If you have any problems at school, do not hesitate to come find me. I was very worried when I first entered the school....... but thanks to help from the/my teachers and (my) classmates, as well as the older students, I've ben able to come this far. If there's anything, please look to your senpais for help. I am also looking forward to the arrival of the underclassmen.

Serizawa: I am the chairman of Hakuo Gakuen, Serizawa Kamo. I didn't expect that a girl would actually enroll at a formerly all-boys' school....... hm, she really has unusual preferences. But whether you are or are not a female student doesn't matter. If you are an excellent student, I will be paying close attention to you. Of course if you're a hindrance, I will treat you as a nuisance. Of course if you're a hindrance, I will treat you as a nuisance. Although I'm not expecting anything... I look forward to your efforts/hard work.

Toudou: I'm Heisuke! Have you been well/How are you doing? There are still 1, 2……8 days until you arrive/come to Hakuo Gakuen! Heheh~  I really can't for that day to come/can't wait for that day! .......Eh? You're asking why I'm so happy, since we already see each other every day as neighbours? That's obvious! While it's true that we see each other every day, it's not the same as going to school together! That's why...... later we'll be to go to school together every day!

Sanan: I am Hakuo Gakuen's school doctor, Sanan Keisuke. There's still a week before you start school/school starts, when you begin a new experience. It'd be unfortunate if you got sick before the school's opening ceremony, so please make sure you take care of yourself. However, if you aren't feeling well on that day, please be sure to come to the school clinic/infirmary. As my first guest/visitor, I will treat you well/carefully [kindly?]. Hehe.

Kondou: I'm Hakuo Gakuen's principal, Kondou Isami! There's less than a week left before the start of the opening ceremony for the school year/week before the opening ceremony for the start of the school year. The school's sakura are also blooming to celebrate your enrollment. On the day of the opening ceremony, they will surely be in full bloom to greet you. Although our school doesn't have a long history, it offers/covers a wide range of subjects. Please do your best while at school/I hope you’ll do your best at this school. The faculty and I are eagerly waiting for your arrival!

Harada:There's not much time left before the start of school. Are you feeling nervous? ......To tell you truth, I'm also quite nervous. LIke the student's the teachers are also nervous about the new students entering/coming in. I don't know what class I'll be responsible/in charge of until the end of the day since the school won't be issuing/giving a notice until then [reword later]. But I'm hoping that I'll be your homeroom teacher.

Kazama: My wife, the moment has finally come. ……Don't ask me such an obvious question right now. You should very well know the answer. Yes, Hakuo Gakuen's opening ceremony is about to start. ——The day where you and I finally/actually go to school together has arrived. My wife, you shall taste the happiness of experiencing this time with me [i think???]

Ibuki:the opening ceremony is in a few days ……It seems that you're a first-year student/freshman, right? Then, there's something I have to/must tell you. The chairman of this school is a very dangerous person. If you want to survive, don't stand in his way. Ah~ah, how can I go to a school that has Serizawa-san as its chairman......

Okita: The opening ceremony will be starting soon. Are you mentally prepared? Are you wearing your school uniform? Are you ready to start calling me "Okita-senpai"? As your senpai, I'll teach you all sorts of fun things after you start school. For example, how to annoy Hijikata-sensei, how to skip the classical literature class, and how to do things behind the vice-principal's back [the last one?????]. There are still two days left. I bet you're feeling impatient, but be a good kid and wait.

Hijikata: I'm Hakuo Gakuen vice-principal, Hijikata Toshizou. Allow me to address all the new students who will be entering Hakuo Gakuen next week. Although these words are a bit formal, please listen carefully. First of all, thank you for choosing Hakuo Gakuen. As we all know, the teachers here all quite young and our school isn't very old/doesn't have a lot of history. But that's why we need you all to work together to create the history of Hakuo Gakuen [reword later]. Our graduates will surely be able to say that they were proud to have studied at Hakuo Gakuen. To the new students about to make history/establish themselves for/at Hakuo Gakuen, I am very much looking forward to meeting you all at the opening ceremony. 

---

well, the ssl countdown is the last countdown ive been able to find complete tl and audio for. all links that i found that might have been for reimeiroku or the shinkai games were dead and what tl i managed to find for what might have been for those countdowns were all incomplete. ah well. less work for me lol.

[osakaso5]

Yuki Twelve Hits Rabbit Chat Part 2: Request Hits 1

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Tsumugi: Thank you for joining, everyone! We'll be accepting requests for Tsunashi-san's RADIO STATION Twelve Hits! here. 

Tsumugi: I'll be your moderator once again. I look forward to chatting with you!

Momo: Thanks for coming, guys~ \(*´∀`)ノ♪

Rinto: Thank you for taking the time to join us.

Kaoru: I knew his partner and manager would start talking before him.

Momo: Yuki's today's star, so I just couldn't wait! I've been waiting to start posting all morning ☆

Rinto: Momo-kun came all the way to our office, even though it's his day off.

Momo: I know I could've chatted just fine from my home, lol But I heard Yuki would be here, too~!

Gaku: Speaking of our star, he still hasn't said anything.

Mitsuki: Yuki-san, are you even in here!?

Yuki: Of course I am

Yuki: I was listening to Momo and Okarin's cute and soothing chatter

Yuki: Thanks for coming ^^

Yamato: You take things way too easy.

Riku: Re:vale's getting along well, as always!

Nagi: It is wonderful to be so close to someone :-)

Tsumugi: We've barely even started, and Re:vale's already displaying their affection..!

Tsumugi: Let's get started with the requests. As always, we'll start with Tamaki-san, the youngest here!

Tamaki: Yup

Tamaki: Yukirin, do an English test

Yuki: Did you have a test at school

Tamaki: Yeah. I got it all wrong

Tamaki: Iorin was super pissed, sighing and complaining about how bad I was

Tamaki: So I'm gonna show him that even adults can't clear that thing!

Yuki: Does this mean Tamaki-kun thinks I'm stupid?

Iori: I stayed late for your supplementary lessons. I think my sighing is more than warranted.

Tamaki: I said you could leave without me

Iori: If I had left, you wouldn't have made it to the recording *angry*

Mitsuki: But Tamaki's wrong answers can be pretty entertaining! Especially during quiz shows and stuff.

Yamato: Come to think of it, just the other day he did a grade school kanji test that asked him to fill in the phrase "strong [ishi]", and he wrote down the kanji for "rock" (lol)

Nagi; Ishi, as in "rock",  and ishi, as in "will"! Japanese homonyms are quite difficult :-(

Tamaki: Rocks are strong too! Since they're all hard!

Momo: That's a great answer, from a variety perspective っ(・∀・)=b

Yuki: I think Tamaki-kun's answer was good, too.

Yuki: It shows how hard-headed he is

Tamaki: Yukiriiiin

Tamaki: 

Tenn: Was that supposed to be a pun, Yuki-san?

Sogo: Tamaki-kun, I'll help you study too.

Tamaki: 

Tsumugi: Good work with your supplementary lessons, both of you..!

Tsumugi: You're next, Iori-san!

Iori: Mine is for him to try a new musical instrument.

Iori: We all know he's a songwriter, but I also imagine he can play just about any instrument he wants. Perhaps there are fans who would like to see him try his hand at something new and unusual?

Yuki: Hmm. That sounds fun

Yuki: The musical performances you try to do on your show have been popular, too

Momo: But does an instrument you can't already play even exist!?

Yuki: Of course ^^

Ryunosuke: If you want to try something unusual, why not the Okinawan sanshin? It's beginner-friendly, and I'd like to see how fast you can pluck its strings!

Yuki: Is that the instrument that's like a shamisen

Iori: String instruments aren't all the same, but you can play the guitar, so maybe it would be easier to tackle something similar.

Ryunosuke: I bet Okinawan traditional clothing would suit you, too... I could tell you how to wear it!

Yuki: I'd like to try that, but nobody would see it on radio

Ryunosuke: Oh yeah, lol

Riku: As far as string instruments go, a violin would suit him, too!

Mitsuki: It's kinda high class, so it would totally suit him!

Kaoru: How elegant..!

Nagi: We already have someone elegant here :-(

Yamato: Doesn't mean we can't have another one (lol)

Momo: Speaking of elegance, a harp would be good for that, too!

Momo: All the girls in the world are gonna fall in love with him~!

Banri: It would fit him so well that it's kind of funny.

Yuki: Even if my face is a perfect match, I can't play a harp at all

Iori: A harp would certainly be picturesque, but it would be difficult to get one into the recording booth...

Tsumugi: There's so many instruments that would suit you, it's difficult to choose just one..! We can discuss this again later.

Tsumugi: Riku-san, you're next.

Riku: Let me do a palm reading on you!

Riku: I was taught how to do it on a show the other day, and it was pretty fun. After that, I found a palm reading app!

Yuki: You're going to read my palm?

Riku: Yes! Send me a picture of your hand, and I'll have a reading ready by your show!

Yuki: Wow. A fortune-telling idol

Tenn: Riku's always been one to get into weird stuff.

Sogo: Its important for idols to have extra skills. It may be just an app, but it might come in useful later.

Gaku: A palm reading app, huh. That sounds interesting.

Riku: I'll send you the URL later!

Tamaki: But it's not even accurate

Tamaki: I checked it out a while back

Riku: Huh!? Of course it's accurate!

Iori: Didn't your reading say "Cautious and a late bloomer. Too shy to look people in the eye", Yotsuba-san?

Yuki: Could that be any less like him?

Riku: That's just the app talking..!

Mitsuki: It's not really Riku's special skill if the app's doing all the work, lol

Yuki: It might also be fun to see how completely inaccurate my results will be

Yamato: Maybe it'll say something like, "You're considerate and a philanthropist" (lol)

Yuki: I am considerate and a philanthropist, though

Riku: You're very nice, Yuki-san!

Momo: This is turning out just like your request for me to do a psychological test, lololol

Tenn: Riku, maybe you should get rid of a few of those apps. You told me your phone was running slowly, and that's probably why

Riku: Nooo!

Tsumugi: There's so many fun apps out there! I know plenty, myself!

Tsumugi: Kujo-san, may we hear your request?

Tenn: Mine is for you to give an acoustic performance.

Tenn: I'd like to hear it, as I'm sure many of your fans would, too.

Sogo: There's something special about hearing an acoustic performance on the radio. I'll have to record it...

Gaku: The broadcast's pretty close to Christmas Eve, so I bet they'd like a Christmas song.

Yuki: Do you have any requests, Tenn-kun?

Tenn: I'll leave the choice to you. I'll be happy to hear anything, whether it's something old or completely new.

Yuki: You say the cutest things ^^

Tsumugi: It'll be a luxury to hear your acoustic performance..!

Yuki: By the way, was there any song you wanted me to do?

Tsumugi: Huh!? Me..!?

Yuki: I'm asking just for reference

Tsumugi: This is just my opinion, but...

Choices/outcomes:

1. As someone mentioned earlier, I think a Christmas song would be nice!

Yuki: It fits Decenmber nicely, and it would definitely set the mood. It'd make the listeners feel special

2. A birthday song, since your birthday is so close!

Yuki: Singing a birthday song for myself? Isn't that a little sad?

3. Why don't you just improvise something?

Yuki: Whatever comes to mind, then. That would feel fun and intimate

Tsumugi: I hope this helps, even a little bit..!

Yuki: Thank you. That helped

Momo: Since it's Tenn's request, it'd be fun if you put how you feel about him into song!

Yuki: How I feel about Tenn-kun...

Yuki: My junior~ Who's always polite and cute~♪

Yuki: But on stage he's also professional and cool~♪

Yuki: He was really happy when I gave him lots of strawberries~♪

Yuki: It made me happy too~♪

Yuki: I want to stuff Tenn-kun full of strawberries~♪

Yuki: Like this?

Momo: That was  great, but I feel like it's lacking something..! I wanna hear about a Tenn only you know..!

Yuki: You're raising the bar pretty high. It's getting me excited

Tenn: Um, you really don't need to go that far.

Tenn: Also, I'd rather not be completely full of strawberries.

Yuki: Even your standoffishness~ Is cute~♪

Tsumugi: As a fan, it'd be very interesting to hear your song about Kujo-san..!

Tsumugi: Nagi-san, you're next!

Nagi: Mine is to show off what you most like about yourself!

Nagi: Japanese people can be very restrained. Why not set an example for them by showing off your best side, Mister Yuki?

Yuki: It's not that I don't like anything about myself, or that I'd have trouble talking about that stuff

Yuki: But if I talked about that, it would make people jealous.

Yuki: Even if I'm just speaking the truth.

Nagi: Mister Yuki... I understand your pain very well. Men envy those of us who are more beautiful than them.

Nagi: But I say: let them envy. Hiding your beauty is a graver sin than displaying it.

Yuki: That feels a lot more impactful, coming from you

Iori: You don't have to only talk about your looks, do you..?

Gaku: Right. If it's something positive about him, couldn't it also be personality-related?

Nagi: OH.

Yuki: I'll think of something.

Tsumugi: I'm really curious to know what part of his face he likes, though..! lol

Tsumugi: Sogo-san, it's time for your request!

Sogo: Right. Mine is to talk about something you pay special mind to while songwriting.

Sogo: You're my senior as both an idol and a songwriter. If you have anything to share on how to tackle making music, I'd be happy to hear it.

Yuki: That's exactly the kind of request I expected from you

Sogo: Ever since this project began, I've know that this is the one thing I'd like to request from you!

Yuki: That long, huh?

Tamaki: You've been sitting on that one for 12 months, So-chan?

Yamato: It's been aged like a fine wine (lol)

Mitsuki: Or a cheese!

Ryunosuke: It must've been really important to you!

Yuki: You could've asked any time we ran into each other.

Sogo: I wouldn't dare..! Your opinion is too important to ask on a random encounter..!

Yuki: It's nothing to get that worked up about

Riku: Sogo-san is frozen in a kneeling position..!

Riku: And on top of the sofa, too!

Sogo: R-Riku-kun, don't tell him...

Riku: 

Gaku: Why would you kneel on a sofa?

Yuki: Are you in the i7 dorms right now?

Yuki: If you want to know that badly, how about I come over right now and tell you?

Sogo: No, no, no! That's not necessary!

Sogo: I'll be quietly praying in my heart that you'll get my request...

Sogo: 

Yuki: I'll answer even if I don't get it

Yuki: Let's go out for a drink sometime.

Sogo: T-thank you..!

Banri: Sogo-kun, you'll want to avoid drinking or he'll get you into trouble

Yuki: That was ages ago

Tenn: Excuse me. May we take a small break?

Tenn: Gaku's phone isn't doing so good

Ryunosuke: It froze suddenly..!

Ryunosuke: Gaku's swinging it up and down!

Kaoru: It's not a TV you can fix by banging on it...

Tenn: Gaku's too impatient

Tsumugi: Alright! I hope his phone fixes itself...

Tsumugi: Let me know when you can continue!

Ryunosuke: Got it! (lol)

[venus-says]

Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star Episodes 38-49 + Movie

So this is what I've been missing for all these years???

It has taken me 10 years of being a Precure fan for me to finally watch Splash Star from beginning to end, and I feel like a fool becAUSE I'VE BEEN MISSING SO MUCH, HOW COULD'VE I SPENT TEN YEARS WITHOUT WATCHING THIS??????? This series is so good, THIS ENDING IS SO GOOD!!!!!!! I've finished watching it yesterday and I'm still in awe. Gosh, I love this show.

But before I can talk about the ending, allow me to dedicate a small paragraph to comment on the movie. Originally I thought about making a separate post for the movie, but I don't have much to say about it so I'm adding this extra portion here (thank god I watched the movie before this was posted so I can add this beforehand). This movie is very lackluster, I got excited from the first scenes, watching it in HD and not DVD quality really brings way much more life to the screen and I was pretty impressed, but then Saki and Mai started to fight before their performance and all the joy went down because it immediately started to feel like Friends of the Snow Sky but worse because Saki and Mai were never this "hostile" against each other before so their fight doesn't seem true to their characters especially considering what originated this argument to begin with.

The movie exclusive characters are good, sadly they don't get that much time on screen and they also don't get a lot to do so they're not used to their full potential and they end up being just flat. In fact, I believe this is a good way to describe this movie, interesting concepts that aren't used fully because they wanna focus on this fight that makes no sense and that is something they've already done before. I don't know if this has to do with the weird duration of the movie, it's not even one hour long, or if it's just the script that is weak, but I really didn't enjoy this movie all that much. 😕

But now let's talk about the good stuff, let's talk about the ending of the season.

I have so many feels I don't even know where to begin with. Well to begin with, in the title of this post it says this is a review of episodes 38 to 49 but that's actually a lie since episodes 38 and 39 are just fillers that don't add much so I have nothing to comment on. But from episode 40 onward the show picks itself up and it just goes all out to wrap up this story in a very beautiful, exciting, and emotional way.

I admit I was a bit afraid of how this final stretch would go when I saw that the final Dark Fall general was defeated in episode 40, but they managed to wrap up this ending in a very clever way. Bringing back the defeated generals at first felt like a cheap way to do it, but the fact that the villains weren't back for just a single episode and considering there was no monster of the week, all the fights were against the generals themselves, it really enhanced the experience, it was like in the Mega Man games where you'll fight all the Robot Masters again in one of the Wily stages. It was also great that they came back WAY STRONGER and the girls really had to give their best to win those fights, I especially like that they lost right away when the villains came back because it's not always that we see precure losing so it was great to see just how much more difficult it would be for them to win in the end.

The final twist of Gohyan being the actual final villain wasn't all that much surprising, I mean he's the character who's always plotting something I knew he would betray Akudaikan at some point, and in normal circumstances, I'd wouldn't be pleased with this fake-out, but because Gohyan is a character we've seen since the beginning and he has been active, either plotting against his comrades or actually going against the precure, it worked. I kinda wish they had kept him in his "elderly" form, I think he works better that way, but seeing how great the action was for that final fight I'm more than okay with it.

If I had to say one thing that I completely disliked about this ending it's that, aside of the Christmas episode that once again had the pink try to deal with her feelings for a guy who doesn't look at them on a romantic way, having a four-part ending didn't really feel necessary. I think they could've made it in a way where episodes 46, 47, and 48, where focused in the actual fight, like episode 46 is the raid at Dark Fall, the fight against Akudaikan goes from Part B of 46 and Part A of 47, and then the final battle against Gohyan goes from Part B of 47 and lasts the entirety of episode 48, and then we have episode 49 focused for the aftermath and the epilogue. But that's just a minor thing because they hit the nail in the head in the important stuff so it's all good.

And speaking of action, THEY NAILED IT IN THIS PORTION OF THE STORY. I complained a lot about hoe the fights during the season weren't as good as they could've been, but if they were saving so much just so this ending could be so action-heavy and look so damn good as it was I feel like it was a good trade. Of course, the repeated shots of Bright and (especially) Windy using her powers are still here, but it's incorporated a lot better here and they do some actual creative stuff with it.

But the greatest thing of this finale was seeing Michiru and Kaoru finally being back, again I was reluctant about bringing them back so soon, but they knew what they're doing and they managed to do so much with them in this short amount of time. And I think it only works so well because they did an excellent job with them in their first arc so we as an audience can feel for them and we can also share the feelings Saki and Mai were having because we care about these characters just as much as they do. And I also like that they were brought back and they served a purpose, they weren't just extensions of Saki and Mai, they had their own concerns, they had their own issues so it wasn't like they were there to do just a single thing and they were able to conclude their arcs in a very satisfactory way. They've become really complex characters and I was always excited about seeing them on screen because I knew something great would come out of it every time, that being either them in their fighting scenes or while they were doing mundane stuff like Michiru enjoying helping at Pan Paka Pan or Kaoru spending time with Minori. Kaoru and Michiru's story was everything Kiriya's story wanted to be and more and this is definitely one of the strongest points of this show.

Our protagonists were probably the less worked during this arc, they sort of became an entity rather than two distinctive characters, but it somehow works? I think that because Saki ad Mai are such a great duo, they have so much chemistry, and the show seems to balance pretty well the spotlight they give to each girl, that deciding to focus more on these two as a duo rather than individually doesn't backfire. Their arc is more about solidifying their friendship more and more each time and spreading that out to Kaoru and Michiru, and they do a pretty good job at that. I feel like a lot of people don't have high opinions on them because of that, but I honestly didn't leave the show with the feeling that something was missing in regards to this matter so as far as I'm concerned they're great characters.

Before I wrap up I wanna talk about the ending in specific. It was the perfect pay off that this show needed. After everything Saki, Mai, Kaoru, and Michiru had gone through seeing they fight the big final boss together on an amazing showdown was incredibly awesome, when they lost their powers and the remaining of the spirits still living on Earth gathered together to bring not just Bloom and Egret but also Bright and Windy personified in Kaoru and Michiru felt rewarding as hell. It's pretty sad Kaoru and Michiru aren't considered official Cures because this final battle wouldn't have been the same without them.

If you read my Kamen Rider reviews you know I don't like it when characters come back from the dead immediately after they die. That wasn't the case here, in fact actually cried during that scene. We've said goodbye to them once and it hurt, seeing that they would go disappear again was like having my chest crushed, especially after everything that went down during this final arc and their speech in the fight about not giving up on the future they want to build with Saki and Mai. I knew precure is a kids show so they wouldn't kill them, but I expected they would go back to the Fountain of the Sky to live with Moop and Food there, but the show allowed the girls to stay with their friends in the Land of Greenery and that made me feel all fuzzy and warm inside.

And that montage at the end, with the four together, Kaoru joining Mai in the Art Club so she can learn how to draw so she can spend more time with Minori, Saki teaching Michiru how to bake, gosh, very few things made me as happy as that little montage did. Even seeing that Flappy finally confessed to Choppy and now they're officially a couple I believe was very endearing to see. And this is pretty much why I wanted the epilogue to be it's own separated episode because these are all things I'd love to watch as they were happening. It was still good, don't get me wrong, I have the dumbest smile in my face from just remembering it, but I wish we had more, GIVE ME AN OVA TOEI!!!!!

I'm not sure if I said everything I had to say, a lot of what I enjoyed from Splash Star was how the show touched me with emotional moments centered around characters I've grown to love throughout these 49 episodes and sadly my vocabulary isn't so vast so I can put out all these feelings here without sounding more repetitive than I already do. Splash Star is a really wonderful season, it had a slow start but as soon as they found their identity they really shined brightly, this season definitely shouldn't be so overlooked. So if you never watched it, give it a chance, and if you have watched it already, please do it again, appreciate the show for what it is and spread the love that this season and its characters deserve.

Three seasons of Precure down, thirteen more to go. Thank you so much for reading this far, please share the love for Splash Star in the comments. I'll see you soon for Yes! Pretty Cure 5!

P.S.: I was revising the post and I realized I didn't mention Kintolesky and Shitataare became a couple in the Christmas episode and it makes me really sad that these villains came back to being dust because I'd love to see this relationship. XD Again, GIVE ME AN OVA TOEI (and come up with a dumb excuse for why they're alive like humans and tell us how they've become regulars at Pan Paka Pan and how Kintolesky and Saki's father became the bestest friends ever).

[thepriceofbeingaroseisloneliness]

Kaoru&Toshiya Interview  BURRN!! October 2020 1/2

'Ochita koto no aru sora' was released as the band's first digital single ever. In the middle of what it seems to be nightmarish situation in which they can’t predict at all what’s lies ahead , what are the hopes and emotions that these 5 people put into this song? Text by You Masuda

Notes before reading: This is the first part of the Kaoru and Toshiya interview done by You Masuda for BURRN!! October 2020 Issue, released on September 4th. This part covers more or less half of the interview. Expect second part to be posted around this weekend. You can read the second part here. You can support and get the magazine at Amazon Japan or CDJapan. Feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts. Links or credits to this post when the content is reposted or captured in other SNS is appreciated :) -----

At midnight on August 3rd, DIR EN GREY's latest single 'Ochita Koto no aru Sora' was released through digital distribution. Half a day before this, on 2nd afternoon’s, this magazine had the opportunity to talk to Kaoru (guitar) and Toshiya (bassist). Following the 'TOUR 20 SOGAI’ that was scheduled for this spring, the two-night performances 'The Insulated World-The screams of Alienation', which were supposed to be held on July 23 and 24, at Pia Arena MM, a large venue newly established in Yokohama, were also cancelled. However, this latest song with such a meaningful title was delivered as a promised.

Completed by Josh Wilbur as a mixing engineer, this song should be the starting point for a new direction for the band. On the other hand, the flow of their live activities has been cut off. However, even if they are under such a strange situation, I felt objectivity and calmness that differs from resignation in their words. -I think the situation is different so far from the usual single release timing. When it comes to digital-distribution only releases, things like booklets or extra DVDs are no involved in the process. Kaoru: No, it was supposed to be like that, but this is what we are doing right now. Besides, we are  making an special package for Pia Arena (a packaged version of the same single that will be sent to ticket purchasers who didn’t want a refund due to the cancellation of the two-night performance at Pia Arena MM). Toshiya:  So, in the end, the result is the same thing. Kaoru: It feels like (the idea of) that kind of work (packages) is something that we pursued later so that’s why the talk about if we should do a photoshoot for it or not came out. -I see. This time, the first digital distribution only release was made. It was the result of reassuring the release of new songs at this time, right? Kaoru: That’s right. A digital release is probably the best way to get it on time. Toshiya: In a sense, it's also a new initiative. I always thought the time for us to release something in this this way would come. I couldn't predict when that would happen. But now, at this time and under these circumstances, I feel like a digital release is a very rational thing. On the contrary, if it was not this time, maybe we wouldn’t had known when the right time was to give it a try. -Then, this situation made it happen. In the first place, surely the song ‘Ochita koto no aru sora’ was planned to make its debut at the two-night performance in Yokohama (Pia Arena), After that, you have planned to release it around July, right? As a result, the fact that the performances were cancelled seems to have changed the implications a bit. K: Originally, the flow/world of ‘The Insulated World' was supposed to be finished in those two days, and we were heading to a new path from there, but the lives that were supposed to be the precursor for that, disappeared. So, as a result of that, it feels like the new single will be released while the previous flow is still going on. Of course, just because the tours and live performances that were supposed to be held are gone doesn't mean we can't make new ones, however, but you could say that the way to look at their flow has changed. Well, actually, about those two live shows (PIA ARENA MM), we may try to do them again someday in the future. -But in fact, just because a new flow is about to begin, even if these so-called revenge performances are done in the future, at this point, the things that you wanted to do might have changed. K: Yes. Because I don’t think of them as performances that had a date change. Over time, the songs we want to play will change. We actually talk about that. As expected, I can't say anything about it yet (laughs) -At the same time, the single. I think the way we look at the ‘Ochita koto no aru sora’ will also change. T: It will change naturally. But it can’t be helped, and I don't think it's a bad thing. No matter what kind of work it is, it’s something that gets out of our hands at the moment that we put it out for the world. From that moment, I think it will change depending on the moment that people listen to it and how they feel connected to it. -For the two-night performance in Yokohama, the set list was broadcasted in real time on your official channel of Youtube. The last song of the 2nd day was ’SUSTAIN THE UNTRUTH'. I think that the fans that we were watching it should had listened to it while imagining ‘what kind of atmosphere will have the end of this performance?’. K: I don't think you could imagine what kind of live it was supposed to be even if you tried to (laughs). However, to reveal something at that live…. If we could had done these live, there was no announcement planned after the performance. We had no plans to do a tour beyond that, and there was nothing new to announce at that time. As a result, it only became possible to announce the single properly at that time. -The moment in which the flow from 'The Insulated World' was completed after the two-night performance, the growing curiosity would be “what’s next?”. If nothing is announced, that’s going to make people talk (speculate) about that, right? T: Hahaha. For sure. K: Well, but it was like “but there is nothing! (to announce)’, right? (laughs), But well, we are just about starting the album production. It’s just that we can't announce anything because we haven't decided when we are going to announce it yet. T: But that’s already the greatest implication, right? -For sure. Anyway, the fans have no choice but to use their imagination. Also, a song with such a meaningful title such as ‘Ochita koto no aru sora’…what kind of song it it? Is the kind of song that is ahead of ‘The Insulated World 'and 'The World of Mercy'? Could you say that this song suggests the musical direction you are going to move on? K: Well, we don’t know yet. It's just a song has been completed to be single. It starts from there but who knows what will happen in the future? -In other words, it's better to think of it only as a single song, right? K: Yes. At this point, that’s what it is. -Kaoru, you said in an interview published in 'BURRN! JAPAN VOL 16’done before the completion of this single that I have no choice but to imagine how the music would be from the title. You used the mysterious words “a modern/ a song according to the current times” as way of teasing me. K: I did say such a thing, didn’t I? (laughs) -I had no idea of what that meant, but from the impression of the title, I imagined a slow song that felt dark and heavy. However, when I actually got to listen to it, I found out that it’s not like that at all. It’s a song that doesn’t fit in your common format or a standard song that has gone through a process of changes. Although there are many developments parts and just a few repetitions, it feels like all these the elements are tightly packed in these 3 minutes. Pointing out that it’s a song that debunks the theory I made, I wonder what did you mean with “a song according to the current times/modern”? K: What I wanted to point out when I said that it’s that the high point of the melody(chorus) isn’t the only outstanding thing about the song. Usually there is one high point in the song, usually in the middle of it and a few other highlights during it. That’s what I think that I meant when I say a “modern song” (laughs) -What were your first impressions when you heard the song, Toshiya? T: I don't remember the impression I had when I first heard it. Of course, the song itself has changed a lot since that moment. However, it did change following the flow of DIR EN GREY at the same time in a natural way. I don’t know how to say explain it properly but, I think that it feels like a song that was composed while using limited components very effectively. It’s a very interesting song composed with creativity and originality. -The fact that it’s a song composed with the minimum necessary parts, including the the catchy part makes it interesting and intertwined, isn't it? T: That's right. So, while adding and subtracting parts, it created a good shape for the song. I think that’s very interesting. -In a sense, I feel that it also connectss with "CLEVER SLEAZOID", which is recorded in a new version this time. K: What do you mean? -At that time, that song was also the beginning of a new flow for you, building up the song until a high point. Moreover, there was a compactness in each part that were intertwined in a functional way and finished without needing to repeat parts more than the necessary. That's why I felt there was some intention behind these two songs lined up together in this way. K: Ah, I see. T: But that’s reading too much into it (laughs) K: Actually, before the main song of the single was completed, I've already arranged it, this 'Clever Sleazoid'. “I wish we could live in really safe circumstances. Rules for live might be different, but I definitely want to try it soon” Toshiya -Oh really? What made you decide to re-record this song at this time? K: Somehow, the lyrics…. T:  As he (Kyo) wanted to sing them in Japanese... K: Yes. English is mixed this time as well in the lyrics, but at that time the lyrics were all in English. (Note: In the original song, only one line in Japanese was included in the end). He wanted to sing it in Japanese, we thought we should try it. T: This was... I think it was in France. We had already decided to do it during the European tour from January to February. That's why I remember the time when we were rehearsing it in France. K: Yeah, that's right. T: We raised the tempo a little, change the rhythm, and try to match it together.  It was like… ‘how does it feel like this? ‘Or like that?’ We were kind of checking the atmosphere that it would create (for the song). - The single "Clever sleazoid" was released in 2005. At that time, even from the American label side, the lyrics were requested to be made in English. That’s something that might had cause Kyo feel disappointed. Also, using the English language did not change the way people accepted you in Europe and the United States. So it might me something that created a feeling of discontent. By the way, this song hasn't been on the set list so much in  the last years. K: That was just a coincidence. -It was a little surprising that it wasn't included in the set list for the two-night performance in Yokohama (PIA ARENA). T: Yeah, for sure. K: If we would had put it in this time, you just can’t play the old version. It's just like that. (When the setlist of PIA ARENA was broadcasted in Youtube) -I agree with that. There are many things I would like to ask about the lyrics of this song now that are done in Japanese, and of course, the lyrics of "Ochita koto no aru sora", but this time, Kyo seems that won’t accept interviews about the lyrics. Fans have begun to search for the lyrics of "Ochita koto no aru sora" since the short version of Youtube was released for the first time. The words "August 6th Morning" appear in the lyrics but is the reason of this the continuation of the story that is told in the song “Riyuu” (Song from 'Macabre',released in 2000, the lyrics start with the words "August 5th")or is it pointing out the date when the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima? When the video clip was released, it seemed more natural to interpret it like the latter, because it includes images related to war scenarios. I don’t really want to compare your answers here but, how do you both interpret it? K: Mmm, I think that it’s like something that is restricted, like being trapped in something where you can’t see anything. That kind of feeling. To tell the truth, Kyo told me something like “this is the feeling of it” but, it seems that at some parts, the current situation has also been included. The other day, following the cancellation of the Pia Arena performances, there was a talk event for people who purchased VIP tickets, and this same thing was said there right on the spot. “It’s not unrelated to this situation right now”. -Even if he originally wanted to write about other things, does this mean that this situation has affected it (the lyrics)? K: It seems so. -What do you think of this, Toshiya? T: I don't really try to interpret the lyrics in detail, however, I was wondering if this song was a continuation. I feel the lyrics these days are all connected even if they come from different directions. Also, I basically think of all his lyrics and songs in terms of melody. So, I didn't scrutinize the meaning of the lyrics or anything like that, for me it is like a sound. -Saying so, I can't go asking any further (laughs) In fact, I myself feel that there is a continuation in that sense. I think there should be a connection with "The World of Mercy". What about the title itself, “Ochita koto no aru sora" (“The fallen sky or the sky that has fallen”)? Does this mean that a sky has fallen? Does that mean that you yourself or something has fallen in the past? Initially, I felt it was the first option but now seeing the story, it seems most likely to be the latter. K: I think it could be both things falling, right? But, I think that it’s ok for each person to decide how they do perceived to the lyrics. -I feel like the suffocating feeling as if the sky was falling, overlaps somehow with the current situation. K: Yes. However, when you use “koto no aru”, it means that you have already experienced it. So, in the sense still…. T: I’m not really sure about it. K: I don't feel like the person who wrote the lyrics wants to say "this is it" clearly. In a way, if it were something that wants to be clear, it would be explicit in the lyrics. Rather than that, there is a part in which what is writing is daringly blurry. After all, I don’t think I like explaining the meaning of the words because explaining will weaken the meaning. Isn’t it stronger if everything is in the shape you wrote it? -Yes. I would like to ask Kyo again about this matter sometime after. However, what about the link between the content and the video clip with the lyrics? For example, among those which are known, as  "VINUSHKA" (included in "Uroboros" released in 2008) from the video, it is natural that some people interpret is as "This is a song about the atomic bomb, isn't it? However, it is not a materialization of the lyrics, but rather an answer to the song from the director of the video’s side. The video of "Ochita koto no aru Sora" is directed by Keita Kurosaka, who has worked on "Agitated Screams of Maggots" and "Rinkaku"as well. This time, you asked Mr. Kurosaka to do it because…...? K: First of all, the actual question was who could make the clip. So, it started with looking for a director. It was the same as always, this time, after all, it’s hard to come up with new ideas when it comes to select people for doing it. This time, it’s not directed by Kondo (Hiroyuki: the video director who has worked on many of their video clips) because the previous clip has not been completed yet (laughs). If he hasn’t finished that, we can’t ask him for a new one. So, we talked to Mr. Kurosaka, with whom up until now we have worked together with animation stuff but, as there were also people who took pictures and footage, we decided to mix them up. -So that was the reason why you didn't ask Mr. Kondo? The full version of ‘'The World of Mercy' video clip isn’t out yet… K: It's not finished. It hasn't been done yet, it's true. But….aren’t we a little weird? Somehow, normally, we should be angrier. Actually, I was angry but even so, it wasn’t done yet (laughs) -He is a person who thoroughly goes digs in the content. The video will be  exceeding the 10 minutes as well as the length of the song. However, until now, the video for 'The World of Mercy' has only being shown to our eyes in its limited version. T: We also have seen only that as well (laughs) K: We haven't seen anything more than that. We've only seen the short one, so with those, we still don't get the big picture of the video. That’s why we haven’t been able to do some exchange of opinions like ‘isn’t it really different?’ -That's too bad.Isn’t it something like (the situation) of La Sagrada Familia? T: Isn’t it? (laughs) After all, it seems it’s hard for Kondo to put everything together, because there are too many feelings or enthusiasm towards DIR EN GREY. I’m acting as his spokesman (laughs). But well, I’d like to ask you to do it faster (laughs) (Next part)

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 142

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 43 - “It’s Not a Dream! A Day with Everyone” Date watched: 19 July 2019 Original air date: 10 December 2006 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/3jyC0xj Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

I’m not crying you’re crying

It’s back to the regular episode grind as we settle into the new status quo, gearing up for the endgame. The focus in this block of episodes is more on Michiru and Kaoru, but otherwise not a lot else happens. Let’s dig in!

The Plot

Michiru and Kaoru are finally back! They hang out with Saki and Mai at Panpaka Pan as Princess Filia and Moop and Foop all tell them how glad they are to finally meet, and they genuinely smile!

old Michiru and Kaoru would never look like this

Minori comes up and Saki is about to re-introduce her to the Kiryuus but she instantly recognizes Kaoru and treats her like she’s never been gone. The next day at school, the same thing happens, and Saki and Mai are relieved. After school, Saki invites all of them to come study for finals with her, since the sisters are behind on lessons. As usual, Saki is the one who needs the help most, but Michiru and Kaoru are just happy to be there.

On their way home, the two discuss how nice it is to be reunited and how they want to stay like this forever. Unfortunately, Moerumba and Kintolesky show up with other plans. The villains interrogate them about their betrayal, but all they can say is that while they appreciate Akudaikaan giving them life, they don’t feel that siding with Saki and Mai is wrong. You can imagine how well the villains take this, and they fight vigorously. Michiru and Kaoru cannot manage to destroy the seals on the generals that power them up, due to interference, so the battle goes back and forth until Saki and Mai show up and transform into Bright and Windy. Even then, Moerumba and Kintolesky manage to overpower the Cures, but as Michiru and Kaoru prepare to tank an attack in order to defeat the villains, the Cures jump in to save them, saying they’re so happy to be reunited at last and they don’t want to lose them again. Thus, the cures hold off Moerumba’s fire so the Kiryuus can launch their attack to destroy his seal, and then Bright and Windy finish him off with Spiral Star Splash.

Kintolesky smelled a trap and kept his distance, so he lives to fight another day. Michiru, Kaoru, Saki, and Mai all smile at each other in the sunset, and then the next day at school we find out that Saki managed to score a 78 on her English test, a personal best. Mai got an 85 and Michiru and Kaoru each got 100, because of their photographic memories. They all agree it was because of the group study and it’s smiles all around as we freeze on the sisters for the end card.

The Analysis

It is so, so nice having Michiru and Kaoru back. They’re happier than they were when they worked for Dark Fall and it makes Saki and Mai happy as well. Everybody remembering them and acting like they’ve been there for the last 20 episodes is a little bit of a cop-out but it makes Minori so happy to have Kaoru in back in particular that I can live with it. A happy Minori is a good Minori. I also love all the scenes of them just hanging out with Saki and Mai doing ordinary stuff like studying. They’re having the ordinary life they never got. They know that they’ll understand the material instantly once they read the text, but they enjoy being with their friends, with the people who treat them like people rather than like tools. Sadly, they don’t have the words to articulate this yet, so every time anybody from Dark Fall confronts them with “How could you betray Akudaikaan-sama, after he created you?” they don’t have a solid answer beyond “We like it here and we want to stay!” I don’t remember if they ever manage to spell that out explicitly, we’ll find out.

The Dark Fall scene is a low point of this episode, to me. It kind of emphasizes that the plot has stagnated. Gohyaan holds the Fairy Carafe, but can’t do anything with it, and the girls aren’t really seeking it out at the moment, so the plot is on standstill until the revived generals are all defeated. It’s important character development with the Kiryuus, since they’ve been gone for the last 20 episodes, but it does make me realize that neither side is really working towards a specific objective right now, for the first time in this show.

A lot of this episode is taken up by the fight between the Kiryuus and Dark Fall, with Saki and Mai not showing up until near the end to lend their assistance. It’s an exciting fight where the sisters just barely manage to keep afloat, but they do land some good hits in and there’s some fantastic sequences that I would gif if I had the time.

It seems that their combined beam attack is the only thing powerful enough to break Gohyaan’s seal so that a Splash attack can defeat them, but Moerumba especially blocks their attempts to form this attack with a ring of fire, keeping them at a stalemate. Ultimately, of course, the heroines do show up and in a particularly inspiring moment, they hold back the ring of fire long enough for the twins to do their thing, before destroying Moerumba. Not that I’ve been keeping good track, but this is definitely a highlight fight of the series.

On the technical and animation side of things, there’s a few shots that I am particularly fond of. One is the shot where Kintolesky is spying on the girls at Saki’s place, and the camera zooms out from inside the room all the way to his standpoint:

Another, also involving Kin, is this extremely menacing shot from his battle.

That’s got to be the scariest he’s ever looked.

The last one, not involving the villains this time, is during Michiru and Kaoru’s little chat after school. They’re standing in the shoe locker room, changing shoes, and it’s uncharacteristically dark, symbolizing that they are beings born of darkness and they still feel connected to that darkness. That’s the top picture, in fact. But then Saki and Mai call out to them from outside, and from the sisters’ visual perspective, they’re bathed in light and you could say they resemble the light at the end of the tunnel. The camera flips around and shows Michiru and Kaoru also lit up, symbolizing that Saki and Mai have brought them into the light, into a world where they’re valued, and I love it.

There is some laughable artwork as well, such as this shot where Kaoru’s skirt fuses with her legs and everybody is just kinda bleh, but it’s a good showing for the most part.

The last thing I want to talk about is that Kintolesky doesn’t really get to go full ham in this episode. He plays second fiddle to Moerumba and while he’s still attacking them at his full strength, he doesn’t boast about his honor or discuss the thrill of the fight. I guess he realizes that the girls don’t have anything more to prove to him, since he was defeated once. He’ll get one final time in the spotlight in episode 45, so we’ll see how he acts in that.

Next time, Michiru and Kaoru have an existential crisis. Look forward to it?

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 0 Zekkouchou Nari!

P.S. I’m sorry this took so long to get out, I was just kind of sitting on a half-written review all weekend and got caught up doing things. I’ve got a busy couple weeks ahead of me, which is why I really wanted to finish Splash Star by now, but I should be able to wrap it up by the end of July. I absolutely do not want to let this bleed over into August. Fingers crossed!

[ddumplingsmusic]

January 2021

First month of the new year!! Thank fucking GOD that 2020 is finally over, because i have had absolutely enough of that blasted year. it was not an easy month but since i have been knee-deep into danganronpa, i was able to fixate on that just long enough to make it through the month. this month’s picks seem kind eclectic; lots of japanese songs, some darker-themed songs, some old bangers... it seems i was just about everywhere and nowhere at once haha. Here’s to February!!

song this month: 9 + 1 album

Take a Slice - Glass Animals (xxx)

tiktok has a knack of finding really cool bops and beats. after all, it’s where i found this song! the part that gets the biggest rep is the outro but i feel the rest of the song deserves some love too! it’s got a really funky bassline and the instrumentals are nothing i’ve heard before so it definitely caught my attention

Greek Tragedy - The Wombats (xxx)

it actually took me a few listens to really begin enjoying the song. it was out of my typical music taste but i actually quite enjoyed listening to this song! not to mention the music video was quite... something

i actually found this song through the Oliver Nelson Remix (soundcloud/spotify) and can i say this remix is so fucking groovy like jeez, it’s hard not to bop along to the music

Kago no Naka - Masuda Toshio (xxx)

mushishi is one of my favorite, if not my favorite, animes that i have had the honor of watching; very supernatural but also very serene. it features a soundtrack that is absolutely mesmerizing and perfectly encapsulates the tranquility that comes with the series, this piece is no exception. i’d say i highly recommend watching this series if you haven’t already!!

Dancing Queen - ABBA (xxx)

whenever i feel down in the dumps, i always find myself listening to this song at least once. i guess you could say it’s a comfort song of mine. given that the beginning of this month was a very hard and depressive time for me (from a family member getting COVID, emergency hospital visit, and a really bad family spat), i definitely listened to this song a whole bunch. it’s an oldie but definitely a goodie

glow - keeno ft. Hatsune Miku (xxx)

there’s something about all the songs in keeno’s album In the Rain that invoke a sort of comforting melancholy in me and i always catch myself coming back to this song in particular. i’m not sure what it is about this song but the way it progresses, the timbre of Miku’s voice against the seemingly harsh instrumental bring about some sort of pain that comforts me somehow (talk about contradictions). it’s been especially on my mind this month due to the things going on in life rn

Class of 2013 - Mitski (xxx)

is it really a breakdown episode without a Mitski song thrown into the mix? not to me! i recently came across this song after i found that one spotify playlist that ranked mitski songs based on sadness and wow... i love how absolutely raw Mitski’s vocals are in this song and after reading into the nuances of the lyrics just... dang... i felt that shit in my bones

見せかけのラブソング (Fake Love Song) - Indigo la End (xxx)

this song is really nice to listen to! i especially love the vocalist’s gentle, smooth timbre and the instrumentation is sublime! it’s got that chill-esque vibe that makes me keep coming back to listen to it!

Inuyasha Soundtrack - Kaoru Wada (xxx)

i have always been obsessed with the Inuyasha soundtrack and since i recently found the OST on Spotify, i’ve been freaking hooked. i especially love how Inuyasha’s, Kagome’s, and Kikyo’s themes are utilized throughout the soundtrack while still maintaining their unique melodic themes

my favorite pieces have to be either Aika or Hiun no Miko Kikyo because there’s just something about a somber flute or a longing erhu that really speak to me ahhhhh it’s just so good (i could go on forever just gushing about pieces that use erhu but that’s for another post (; )

Moth to a Flame - Memorial (xxx)

i came across this song from Lucy Rose (my FAVORITE artist) bc she was promoting a new debut group Memorial from her record label, Real Kind Records

i’m not too sure what genre this song would fall under (i’ve never been one to pay attention to genre when listening to music) but their integration of soft brass into this acoustic-sounding song is just a nice touch; i really recommend giving it a listen!!

((maybe it’s folk? some form of indie??))

Four Seasons - Namie Amuro (xxx)

when i tell you i went absolutely feral upon finding this song on spotify after years of searching for any full recording of this song, i absolutely lost it

this song was the ending track to the 3rd inuyasha movie and for some reason it has stuck with me so strongly even after years of not watching the movie itself. maybe it’s just a nostalgia factor but i just think this song is so beautiful

there’s this continuous zither melody playing (at least i think it’s a zither) throughout the song and i think that just adds to the charm of the song

i recently got really invested in danganronpa again, (specifically with kiyotaka ishimaru & mondo owada and subsequently, their ship) so there’s been a shift in the songs i listened to this month but i don’t think that transferred over to my monthly playlist. i also spent a good chunk of the month working on a post i posted on my dr sideblog which required me to listen to a whole bunch of instrumental pieces so that also swayed me into choosing the pieces i chose for this month

[selfshipstuff]

Thanks to @sketchy-galaxy​ for the ask! Here’s my answer for Question 1 of the voice ask meme, which was as follows: 

“Recall how long I’ve known my f/o(s) and how I discovered them/their source material.” 

I’ll put a transcript of my rambling under the cut. 

00:00 - 00:35 - Um... hi. So... for question number 1-- which is about how long I’ve known them and how I discovered their source material-- I’m thinking I’ll start with Hunk, since, Starr, you’re the one who asked and I remember that we bonded a little bit over... um... being with Hunk and Lance respectively-- and Lotor, of course, in your case as well. 

00:36 - 01:34 - Um... Hunk, I met in... 2016, I wanna say? So, it’s going on... 3 years now? Or I guess it is 3 years now, 'cuz I met him... towards the end of 2016. And, I mean... with Voltron... I was introduced to that by-- well. It being so popular on Tumblr. I’m not quite as into Voltron as I was at the time? But... he’s still really special to me.  Obviously, I mean, [laughing] you never really,, [shaky breath] stop loving someone when you love them that much. But... [long pause, awkward laugh] Anyway! Next!

01:35 - 02:28 - Um... mmh. With... Adrien, from... Miraculous Ladybug-- um, Miraculous is another one of the ones that I discovered through Tumblr. Um, it was really fun though, because I’ve always had, like, a soft spot for French, and, um... French culture and France in general, so it’s really cool that there’s this show that’s focused on like, superheroes, and magic, and France, all three of which are like extremely fun to me. And... I don’t really remember when I started watching Miraculous, but I think it was a little bit before or after I started watching Voltron, so probably also around that 2016 area. Mmmh...

02:30 - 04:09 - And then... with the Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru-- um... I could be saying all of their names with the proper, um, accents, but... I... don’t think it would sound good, and I am not confident enough to be recorded [laughing] saying them that way. [deep breath] Um, so, Adrien, Hikaru, and Kaoru it is, rather than all the accented ones. But, with the twins, I, um... they,,, have been around for me for [chuckling] a lot longer than a lot of the others have. Because I’ve liked them since I first watched the anime-- um, it’s Ouran High School Host Club, for anyone who doesn’t know, I guess, although it’s pretty... it’s a classic, I guess, so most people would know, I think. Um... [clears throat] when I first watched it, I was in middle school... so that was probably... um... I wanna say... 7th grade? 8th grade, something like that? So... I graduated this past year, it’s 2019... um... [long silence where I’m basically doing the math lady meme] I wanna say 20...12, 2013? Something like that, but it’s been a while. Um... [laughs sheepishly] 

04:10 - 05:00 - Aaand... then there’s... Krel, who’s really, relatively new, but [chuckling] I love him so much. Um, he’s from 3Below-- Tales of Arcadia-- it’s the second installment in the Tales of Arcadia series, it comes after Trollhunters. Um... I had been meaning to watch Trollhunters... since I started seeing content for it on Tumblr as well. Um... [weird throat noise rip sorry skksjkj] but... I had been putting it off for a while? That’s the case with like, all of them, by the way, that I discovered on Tumblr. Um, I started watching Trollhunters around the time that 3Below was released? So I wanna say... 2016, 2017 as well. 

05:01 - 06:32 - Umm... then there’s Stardew Valley, which I also discovered partially through Tumblr, partially through my boyfriend, who plays as well? He-- his favorite is definitely Shane, um, mine is... Sebastian, although I love [chuckles] all of them... a lot. Um... Demetrius can go eat dirt, but-- maybe some of those like... mushrooms that he put in my,, stupid,,, cave on my property, but... um... I don’t think any of them are poisonous, unfortunately. RIP to anyone who likes Demetrius, but I’m better. [deep breath] UM... [pause] now I feel bad, I shouldn’t’ve said that, that’s mean. But anyway, um... dang... I wanna say Stardew Valley I started playing, errmm... late 2016, early 2017? I know that seems to be, like, a really... popular time for a lot of my-- my babes, but like... I don’t... know why that is. I have a really poor internal clock, so I probably am just like, not remembering the timing properly. Um... but I would say that’s probably about the time that I started playing Stardew Valley and met Sebastian. 

06:33 - 08:32 - Um... [long pause] let’s see. Then... this is getting into... the... not super current territory, but like, still like, “I love you, please be on my list”? Y’know, that kind of area? Where you’re like, [high voice] “I’m not posting about you, but I still love you, I promise.” Um... Cisco from The Flash, I started watching The Flash, I wanna say, 20...17...? Like, mid-2017, I think, and I loved him like right off the bat. He was my favorite character, episode 1 of season 1, and... that has like, not changed, at all. [laughs, then settles down] They did him dirty, I was so mad about all of his, like, canon love interests? ‘Cuz like, they did him so dirty, poor baby... um! [laughing] That’s kind of off-topic though. Um-- then... there’s also... oh. How I discovered The Flash-- um. I mean, honestly? It’s just because the DCU is so, like... I guess... it’s so big, in pop culture, and I hadn’t really watched the MCU or DCU movies or shows? Until like, really recently. So I started trying to catch up to it, so that’s kind of how that happened. I’m all caught up on The Flash through season 5 now, but... for a while, I wasn’t. Um... but anyway. 

08:33 - 09:47 - Next is... let’s go with Connor. Connor Murphy, from Dear Evan Hansen. Um... this is, as you can tell, a [laughing] popular theme throughout all of them, but Dear Evan Hansen is another one that I discovered through Tumblr. Um, it was kind of difficult...? To get to the source material, because... as,, anyone who’s ever been into musicals knows,,, um,,, ya gotta... ya gotta watch those bootlegs. But they’re not like... super legal... [wheezing in laughter] so it involves,, some, like... lowkey piracy... um... I-- technically-- yeah, not technically. Completely, 100%. But it’s worth it. He’s a Boy. He’s so relatable. I’m gonna say 2016 for that as well, but probably af,,ter,,,, I watched,,, Voltron? I wanna say..... um, actually, maybe 2017, that’s probably more accurate. 

09:48 - 10:29 - Um. At this point, I’m just reading down my-- my actual F/O list, um, on my blog, [collapses into laughter] because,, I don’t,,, actually have the capacity or the bandwidth to properly keep a list in my head, and... just talk about them all in an organized fashion without something to look at, ‘cuz I’m a very org-- eh, visual organized person, when it comes to like,, how to like, think and talk about things. So... if thess-- (bluh) if this order sounds familiar, that’s why, I’m literally just reading it off of my list. 

(divided this next one into 3 paragraphs bc it’s so long good god--) 

10:30 - 14:47 - Um... next, I’m gonna say-- I’m not even gonna specify which F/Os, ‘cuz there’s like a looot of them from this source material-- but I’m gonna say Homestuck. Um. I discovered it, again, through Tumblr, but also through like...? I dunno if it’s pronounced Quo Tev or Quote V, but that fanfic website we'd all been to when we were like 11. Um-- [laughs] Um, I first discovered it-- or, I guess... um... [deep breath] I don’t wanna say “interacted with it”, because I really didn’t, I kind of just... observed it for the first time,, when I was, I wanna say... 12, or 11, so 2011... 20-- no, 2012 or 20...13, I wanna say, and then I finally read it in the first couple months of 2016. And, I think-- I actually binged it, and... I didn’t,, I’m not like... a very highly motivated person, so I would read them in like short bursts throughout a couple weeks. 

I think I finished it in like 2 weeks, but... I would read it at like... after midnight hours, [laughing] so I would be sitting in bed, in this dark basement, by myself, and I remember reading about when Gamzee canonically was like... off the shits. [bursts into wheezing laughter] And I was,,, so freaked out, ‘cuz I was sitting in this dark basement, at like 3 in the morning, all by myself, reading about this like, killer clown-- I’m not even afraid of clowns, but like, god! What the fuck! [laughs] ... Um-- so I guess, some of the more prevalent, um, folks from Homestuck for me would be Dave and Davesprite-- um. I know that’s like, a really common one,, for Dave, because he’s like That Guy for the series, but for me it’s more like, “Wow! We have a lot of... shared experiences,” and, I mean... I dunno. That’s something to get into some other time. 

But, I mean... I think I’ve liked... Dave, Davesprite... um, Dirk, in like a palerom way, if you’re familiar with the quadrants from Homestuck? Which is basically kind of like, uhhh, “I wanna be your best friend” but like also, comfort, like-- like-- I don’t know, it’s hard to describe. Um... I guess it would be kind of like a queer-platonic partner, if you’re familiar with, um, ace-spectrum language. Um... I also really liked Roxy for a short time, and... Dave,,peta,sprite??? I don’t know how to pronounce their name. Um, I was never really a fan of Jade, to be honest, um... which I know is like... the bad mojo for that fandom, but... it be like that, I apologize. Um..... anyway, let’s move on before I get into the trolls, because that’s a long list that I don’t even have time to touch right now, we’ve already been going for like 15 minutes and I still have more to talk about... and this is just for question one, I apologize, Starr, what ha-- what can of worms have you opened-- [laughs]

14:48 - 17:30 - Um... I guess, next would be... Donnie, from TMNT. Because... because,, ss-- shocker, surprise! I’m,,, very, very pan,,,, very, very not picky when it comes to who I am loving,,, my stupid heart is like “Not human? Not a problem!” Of course, you still have to be able to consent, yadda yadda yadda, no, bestiality is gross, et cetera, et cetera. Um... but like, when it comes to TMNT, that’s one of those things that... I’ve been... aware of, for like, my whole life, because I mean it’s been around since like-- how long now?? Wh,, since like the 19...8...0s...? Something like that? Um-- oh shoot, my sisters are home. Oh well. 

Um, Donnie is definitely a Main when it comes to the four of them, um, shortly thereafter followed by Mikey, and then it’s Leo, and then I also... I-- I mean, I like all four of them, in separate ways, but like... Raph is definitely, like... Raphael is kind of on the bottom for me? Which I know is kind of odd and uncommon in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fandom, but... that-- I appreciate that he’s [laughs] really passionate,, but I have a hard time,, with, um... people who have, like... quick tempers. Um... due to like, past experiences. So... that’s, um... [long pause] Anyway, I started watching based-- uh, with the 2012 series. Um, I haven’t seen the new one yet-- with the 2D animation, where they’re all different types of turtles? Um, I did watch the 20...14/2016 movies, um... Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and TMNT: Out of the Shadows-- those were really good as well. Um... [huff] and that’s that! I live by that.

17:30 - 19:30 - So, next I guess would be... Merlin, from the show of the same name that aired on BBC. Umm, I don’t actually remember when I watched this? I wanna say 20...14, 2015... probably mid-2015. [burps] ‘Scuse me-- um... I mean... pretty much immediately, I liked him. Um, like, first five minutes of the show, I was immediately like, [surprised voice] “Oh! I love him! He’s mine now.” Um... I discovered him through, um... I mean, general internet culture, same as Homestuck. I did, uh-- kind of find them through Quo Tev-slash-Quote V, however the hell you wanna pronounce it, as well as Tumblr, and like Ao3. Um-- ‘cuz y’know, um, Merlin and Arthur are a really popular ship, so... I did see a lot of that-- I actually do kind of like that ship, but personally, I’m also kind of like, [high voice] “Mmmmmmmm... Arthur,,,....... he’s mine. Go have fun with Gwen.” [pauses, then laughs] ... Not gonna lie though... Morgana before she went, like... crazy, crazy evil? Was like... highkey eyes emoji. And then she went over to the dark side ‘cuz they had cookies or whatever and I was like [high voice] “Mmmmm, I don’t like that.” ‘Cuz,, I’m not, like,, super, like,,,,.... no tea, no shade, y’all who have villain F/Os are super valid, but that’s for me-- [bursts out laughing]

19:31 - 21:08 - Um-- [long pause] And then I guessss... have I mentioned Peter yet? Um,, Spider-Man-- I mean, shh, I totally didn’t just reveal his identity, um-- but... I’ve,, always really liked Spider-Man?? Like, he’s always just kind of been one of my favorite heroes. Um. Even when I hadn’t really watched much of the MCU or DCU, I think Spider-Man was up there with Wonder Woman for me. Um... I still haven’t watched,,, like, anything other than the Tom Holland ones-- [laughter] I do own them, I just,, haven’t watched them-- [collapses into laughter again] Um,, I think,,, [groaning] I don’t know, I just love him... I watched, um... like, I watched... what’s it called? Um-- Homecoming. When it came out. Uh, I saw it in theaters, and I don’t remember when that was, but... I did-- I pretty much immediately was like [high voice] “Mmm, boyfriend material.” So-- I mean, I discovered that through mostly popular culture and cultural osmosis as well, um, but Peter Parker’s been like a childhood one for me as well, I guess. 

21:09 - 23:51 - And then there’s also... uhhh... one second, I’m thinking-- oh. [snaps fingers] Right. I have the list. Right in front of me. Um, Ratchet, from Ratchet & Clank, the 2016 game-- um, I actually haven’t played any of the other ones in the series. Um... I haven’t,, I’m not super familiar with the franchise? I know that he has, like, a canon girlfriend at some point who I’m like... not super comfy with. [starts laughing] Um,,, content for her keeps showing up on my dashboard and I’m like “I don’t want these,,,” But, um... so, I discovered it... through, um. Well. 

Unfortunately, I discovered it through my dad, who I have a very bad relationship with, but he-- at the time, um, he hadn’t disowned me yet, and I was over at his house, because I was-- it was like, visitation weekend. So, I was on the PlayStation, and he had bought Ratchet & Clank in like a weird attempt to like... bribe me with,, affection, or something. And, I guess... I just like... I played it. ‘Cuz like, there wasn’t anything better to play, and I just immediately like fell in love with the game. The graphics are really good, um... the game was fun, it was easy to play once I got a hang of it, which is [snickering] really good because I’m not very good at video games [full-on laughing] even though I love them. Um...

And I mean, that was kind of more of a gradual thing for me. It wasn’t like a [snaps fingers] “I love him,” it was more like [surprised] “... Oh. Ohhh, no,,, I’m starting to love him!” Which is actually kind of strange for me, because it’s kind of like... slow-burn things are less common for me. Um, like normally I’ll at least have like a crush at first, but... for Ratchet, it was really more like... “Ohhh my... Suddenly, I Am Starting to Have Some Affection.” Like, in the middle of playing the game, and it was kind of hilarious. Um... this was, I wanna say, 20...17, 2018. So, more recent. 

23:52 - 25:30 - And then, of course, um, Sans Undertale. Because who doesn’t love The Boy? Ummm... obviously, discovered Undertale through, um... Tumblr, also my boyfriend had it, so I got to watch him play it a bit, and he talked about it as well. Um... popular culture, because everyone was talking about it, it was on YouTube quite a bit, um, and at the time, I was pretty active watching YouTube videos-- I don’t really anymore, but I did at the time. Um... honestly? I never finished the game myself. It’s-- I still have it, it’s like, on my computer, I just haven’t touched it since I like... first got it. I played it for like a couple weeks, but I already kind of knew everything that happened, and I just kind of... didn’t?? Anymore?? So I’m real-- I’m like-- Before I even played the game, though, I was already like “I love him!” because... I mean... I’mma keep it real with you, Chief... I saw a lot of Undertale content on Tumblr and Ao3... and I was just like “Well. I guess I love him now!” Um, I wanna say that was-- I don’t remember when Undertale came out, but I wanna say it wassss... half a year after it came out? Maybe... closer to a year, somewhere around there. 

25:31 - 27:10 - Um... I think those are pretty-- oh! [snaps fingers] Y’know what, I know who I’m forgetting. Um... I also, um, recently started watching Supergirl, and, like, immediately, I loved Winn. He’s so good. Um-- I started watching Supergirl probably... June, July, August of this year? So, it’s very recent, but [shaky voice] oh my god,, I love him. This is again, through like, pop culture, um, it being part of the DCU, being how I discovered it. Um, and also I saw some stuff about lesbians on Tumblr-- um-- I do really like how they handled Alex’s, um... journey through that. And then, I mean... I don’t think I’m gonna say much more, [laughs] ‘cuz I’ll just,, keep going, and I’ve already been recording for like 27 minutes? And I’ve gotten off-topic for probably about half of that. 

So, that’s question number one... if I,, left out any?? That you wanted to hear about, I can do another one, but I think... this should be good for now. 

[shenanigumi]

So I finished Kyoto Winds…

Here’s the comprehensive review I promised!! Keep in mind that I haven’t always paid the closest attention (as my first priority eventually shifted to managing the walkthroughs, since I can replay them anytime), but I’ll do my best to be accurate.

As usual, I’m biased as hell so you’ll want to take a lot of this with a grain of salt, but here we go, with the longest post ever…

Overall

On the gameplay – having been expecting to get to choose the route at the beginning, the fact that I had to navigate all the options and pick accordingly was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. I’ve always been a fan of choice-based gameplay, so really, the only sticking point I hit was Souma’s route. As you may have noticed, I had a bit of trouble figuring out which system of choices was required for me to get to his second appearance. Other than that, everything turned out fine, although the sheer number of options was a little bit overwhelming at first. | 4/5

On the art – fantastic, as always, although there are a couple CGs that look a little funny to me (for instance, I don’t think Kazama’s Ikeda CG looks much like him). I am admittedly also not a fan of the costume recolors in most cases, but it’s not like it gets in the way of my enjoying the game. Additionally, Demons’ Bond also seems to have influenced the Yase backgrounds. We all know how I feel about Demons’ Bond as it relates to Hakuōki, so I’m not too enthusiastic about the parallels, but that’s an entirely different story. | 5/5 – odd-looking CGs and a palette swap I don’t particularly like aren’t enough to knock a point off

On the translation – …ouch. Noticed a huge amount more typos, clumsily written phrases (like using ‘gruff’ to describe someone’s hands), faulty formatting, incorrect dialogue tags, out-of-place swearing (particularly concerning the word ‘bitch’), and plain OOC dialogue (especially from Amagiri) compared to the original. I also hear that Iba’s dialogue wasn’t well-handled either, and it makes me wonder about the accuracy of the ‘new’ lines as well. I don’t have a lot of faith in this one, so I’m going to say the original translation was definitely, and markedly, better. In part because it distinguished between “the Demon” (Hijikata) and “the demon” (Kazama) instead of inexplicably capitalizing the common noun ‘demon’ so it’s possible to confuse the two. Or ‘fury’, for that matter. Yeah, that just makes no sense to me. | 2/5

On the soundtrack – a few tracks are good, and most unremarkable, but on the whole I’d rank it roughly equivalent with the original. I am also a fan of the soundfont; electric acoustic is my jam. I’m also getting a distinctly Demons’ Bond vibe from a lot of them, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does tend to melt into the background so that I can’t really tell the difference between several tracks at first listen. Not that it’s a big deal, but the original stood out a little more to me, I guess. | 3/5

Now, onto the routes! Please note that though the ratings I give the new routes are based exclusively on this game, the ratings I give the six old routes are in comparison to the same routes in the original game, with 1/5 being much worse; 3/5 being about the same; and 5/5 being much better.

Hijikata’s Route

Hijikata’s the same Demon Commander we all know and love, only his relationship and dynamic with Chizuru are fleshed out a little more. Chizuru’s role as his page is given a little more of a spotlight, as is her exact role as his page, and her place in the Shinsengumi as a whole feels a little more solid because of that development. Since the game ends before they reach Edo, they’re not exactly a couple, but since his Memories of Love are included, we see Hijikata’s feelings as well. Overall, this route strikes a good balance, and a believable platform for eventual romance. Which, of course, is ideal on any Implied Canon route. (I was Not Ok with Yamazaki’s death and burial at sea, though. Like… my heart.) | 4/5

Okita’s Route

Okita hasn’t changed a bit, but the reasoning behind his actions is made a little clearer, and his brotherly adoration for Kondou is also stressed a little more. As a character, he feels a little more complete, and I was able to understand his actions a little better without having to guess at his motives (for instance, he repeatedly asserts that he doesn’t like it when other people make inferences about how he or Kondou feels). Because of that, his dynamic with Chizuru also got a little more development, and although the game ends before they’re involved, I can already see the basis for their relationship in the sequel. While OkiChi admittedly felt a little bit sudden in the original, this half-route did a good job of slowing down and zooming in so we can see the shift a little more. Or at least, I could. Maybe it was because I was looking for it. | 4/5

Saito’s Route

THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. This? Right here? Perfect improvement over the original route, adding to all the right places without taking anything away. It includes just enough extra background on Saito and Chizuru and how the two of them interact to make the ship believable. Their relationship is made softer without pulling either of them out of character, and the extent of their compatibility explored. Saito offers just enough reassurance, and Chizuru is just conscious enough of her place in the relationship and in the Shinsengumi, that their development reads as very natural. Excellent. Not much else to say, just like Saito. | 5/5

Heisuke’s Route

Hoo boy. Not a lot of new content and no new CGs, but it’s not like you can do much to improve on Heisuke’s route, anyway, since it was hands down the best in the original. The few things they did add fit in well with the original flow, nothing felt out-of-place, and I was actually enjoying myself quite a bit thanks to all that wonderful HeiChi… until Sen intervened in the conflict between Kazama and Heisuke. Rather than offer herself as the mother of Kazama’s children to spare Chizuru, like in the original, she instead threatens to banish him and his entire clan for interfering with the affairs of humans. However, quite generously, she offers him amnesty if he agrees to leave Heisuke and Chizuru alone. I was… angry. Still am, in fact.

But it’s not just because I ship KazaSen; really, it’s not. It’s because altering that scene threatens the integrity of the entire plot, when you consider that Kazama will eventually join Heisuke and Chizuru in rescuing Sen. Furthermore, her authority to banish an entire clan of demons is never explained, and her threat makes no sense anyway, considering that Yase has literally worked directly for the imperial court for centuries, so she has no business telling Kazama to stand down for allying with the Satsuma. Basically, retconning that scene makes no sense, and plotholes of that magnitude have never sat well with me. I had a bitter taste in my mouth for the rest of the route, which thankfully didn’t last much longer. | 3/5 – the adorableness of HeiChi barely manages to even out the fact that my faith in the plot has been materially damaged

Harada’s Route

Yes. Good. Wonderful development between the two of them, and although there aren’t too many additions until the route split, their relationship is more firmly established—and earlier on—which makes me a little bit more okay with the more mature direction their relationship is headed. Moreover, Harada’s reassurance that Chizuru is just a normal girl and not a monster was sorely needed in the original, and I’m relieved to see that kind of closure here. Otherwise, it was largely unremarkable (in a good way), other than the fact that Shiranui talks a bit more about Takasugi. Which, by the way, was awesome; I still consider TakaShira canon until proven otherwise. | 4/5

Nagakura’s Route

Definitely sweet and enjoyable! I played this one first, so I didn’t actually get all his scenes till I focused on the walkthrough, but there were so many d’aww moments, I lost count. Honestly, they really amped up the sweetness between the two of them (including modifying some of his In Days Past to be a little more romantic), and that kind of mutual innocence is really refreshing since Nagakura’s so… ya know… suggestive. But something feels like it’s missing, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. I think it might be Toba-Fushimi, honestly; I was fine up till then, but the last couple chapters feel kind of rushed in a way I can’t explain. Still a good route, though! | 4/5

Sanan’s Route

I… really don’t have a lot of feelings about this one. I wasn’t really expecting to, considering Sanan is my least favorite, but I expected my lack of feelings to be related more to that than the fact that there’s really not much to say about it. Like, there are still a lot of inconsistencies in his personality since so many of the scenes early on are accessible on all routes, and I can’t really get a solid grasp on who he is or what his relationship is to Chizuru. The best thing I can say about his route—other than that Kaoru makes an appearance—is that Chizuru’s feelings are at least clear. | 3/5

Yamazaki’s Route

He may not appear much in the beginning, but once he starts showing up a little more often, it’s priceless. Although the relationship doesn’t have a lot of time to develop, for some reason, it doesn’t feel rushed or incomplete. Somehow, they managed to devise a pairing that doesn’t need a lot of development to be believable; they’re simply naturally suited to one another from the beginning. The dialogue and narrative can get a little saccharine at times, but I was honestly eating it up. Especially when he was holding her hand. Who’d have thought that Yamazaki, of all people, gets the closest to becoming half of a legit couple with Chizuru within the span of the first game alone? | 5/5

Iba’s Route

I… ugh… just please get him away from me. As I’ve said, you’d have to work really hard to find someone with whom I’m less personally compatible, and because I already find it difficult to put myself in Chizuru’s tabi, I could not for the life of me get into his route at all. The man’s as Mary a Sue as you’ll find anywhere. The Long-Lost, Somehow-Forgotten Childhood Friend of Chizuru, whom she miraculously remembers throughout his route, Iba is Gallant and Pacifistic and Really Nice All the Time. In fact, he Can Do No Wrong, is Inhumanly Selfless, and wants nothing more than Chizuru’s safety and happiness at any given time. He’s also On Really Good/Personal Terms with All the Captains because he also used to frequent Shiei Hall for undisclosed reasons (other than being the son of a dojo master himself—oh yeah, and he’s a master at his style of swordplay, by the way, although he’s never killed anyone because of his Incorruptible Pure Pureness).

So basically, the dude’s already wormed his way into everyone’s hearts long before the route even starts, and that just strikes me as unfair. Basically, the route relies on their pasts to create chemistry and the foundation for a ‘believable’ relationship, instead of showing how they’re suited to one another in the present. Honestly, he creeps me out more than a little. Of course, independently of his character, the plot itself is fine—if a little bland at times. I don’t exactly appreciate the reused/paralleled backgrounds from Demons’ Bond, or the random demons’ arms that just kinda come out of nowhere and don’t seem to have an apparent purpose beyond being attached to Takeda and Iba (why are they even in Yase? how come they weren’t destroyed? what the fuck?), but those are personal grudges. Anyway, yeah, definitely not my favorite. | 2/5

Souma’s Route

After the amount of heartache I had trying to get his route, I remember swearing that he’d better be the best ever. I wasn’t particularly disappointed. Souma’s like… Heisuke’s mirror image, in a way. Both are awkward oblivious sweethearts, but Heisuke’s more fun-loving, while Souma is serious to a fault. In the same way I love Heisuke and HeiChi’s dynamic, Souma and SouChi strike me as very similar. They support one another, learning and growing together, throughout the route. It’s really refreshing to see Chizuru in a different ‘kind’ of relationship, too, considering that she’s Souma’s ‘senpai’ (well, his mentor in being a page) as opposed to being one of the captains’ inferiors. There are also quite a few backstory moments in this route, which I appreciated, although a few of them read as a little bit contrived; I’d have preferred they spread it out a bit. Also, Fuck-and-Run Miki makes a great antagonist, and I’m pleased to see more of him—although I was a bit disappointed to find Kazama once again assuming the same basic role as he does in Saito’s route. Like, can we have more Heisuke’s-route-esque ‘reluctant rivalrous allies’ banter? | 4/5

Sakamoto’s Route

Okay, so… I kinda love this guy, and it’s not all because he resembles Shiranui. He’s an interesting character, and it’s nice to have a route with someone who isn’t affiliated with the Shinsengumi but isn’t also trying to kidnap Chizuru. The thing is, although I wouldn’t say the ship feels forced, Sakamoto moves really fast, like probably faster than Harada fast, considering he’s technically got the first chronological kiss CG—just not on the lips. It’s also a little less clear how, when, and why Chizuru becomes interested in him. It might just be the fact that I like the character enough to let it slide, but I didn’t have any trouble suspending disbelief long enough to squeal at their cute moments. Even though I wouldn’t say it was an incredible route, it was honestly really interesting, because it follows a completely different path than I was used to, departing from the usual set of choices. (Also, any route with more Shiranui is fine by me. I’m a shallow girl with obvious motives; so sue me.) | 4/5

Kazama’s Route

Better than the original for sure, but that’s not exactly saying much. I do like that there are actual options for raising Kazama’s affection prior to the split, because it makes the entire concept of him having a route make much more sense. I can’t say that Chizuru’s reasoning in choosing to follow him specifically makes any more sense than it did before, especially considering that she could easily have chosen to accompany someone else (I’d have chosen Shiranui, to no one’s surprise). Speaking of which, I’m also not entirely sure how I feel about Sen taking them both to Yase without the slightest suspicion about Kazama’s prior intention to abduct her, or the fact that she doesn’t instruct Amagiri to chaperone, but I can live with it because it looks like there’ll be some semblance of an actual plot this time. Meaning that Kaoru and Kodo are in league to resurrect the Yukimura clan through furies, and Kazama and Chizuru are out to stop them. Considering that Kodo’s death felt like an afterthought in Kazama’s original route, I’m all for this change. I still don’t ship KazaChi in the slightest, though. I just… can’t. | 3/5

Final Assessment

Average Meta Score (art, OST, etc.): 3.5 / 5 Average Route Score: 3.75 / 5 Verdict: Pretty Damn Good Overall [Shenanigumi Approved – Except KazaSen’s De-Canonization]

From disappointment to elation, I’ve felt it all across the board, and shed more than a few tears at varying points (and this is before I even explore the bad endings). If you don’t have this game and you’re waiting to see whether you feel like getting it or not, I don’t have any advice for you. Whether or not it’s worth it to get the game or even the system is up to you, but I hope that was enlightening!

[venus-says]

Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star 24-37

Are we on a new moon cycle already? I'm feeling the wind a little different for some reason.

Starting its second half, Splash Star finally got more bold to step further away from the original series. It still has it's similarities, at this point I believe they'll never be completely different, but I do believe they're unique enough to shine on its own and be its own thing. I know I sound repetitive mentioning this thing all the time, but it's because I like seeing this journey of they slowly finding their own identity which I think it's very important seeing that this is the first series without Nagisa and Honoka.

But enough of comparisons, this is a review of Splash Star and not a post to compare both seasons.

I gotta say this third quarter felt a little disappointing, but to their defense, this is something I feel with all precure seasons so it's not much of the show's own fault but the structure of being a year-long show. But even with this disappointment, I feel like I enjoyed this portion a lot more than I enjoyed this same period of time in the most three recent seasons that aired. And I think part of that is because they were able to spread out important plot points, for example the mid-season upgrade came in episode 30 and not right after the new ark began. Another thing that helped a lot during this part was the characters, the cast we already knew was great and the new additions were full of life and personality so even when nothing interesting was happening it was still lots of fun to watch.

Probably the biggest thing that happened here was the introduction of two "new" Cures that brought something new to the table and opened new doors for different things, other dynamics, and just a good change of pace to not make us feel like we've stagnated a whole lot. If there was a point I disliked is that the gloominess for Michiru and Kaoru didn't last long, I know this is a show for kids and more often than not they want to be positive so this wouldn't last all that long anyway, but at least the reveal that Kaoru and Michiru are still alive and they're just being held captive should've happened maybe when they got the new forms or when they defeated one of the generals. But this isn't such a big problem, it just could've been better.

Saki and Mai continue to be very fun, I enjoy watching them and I love that they're still keeping the focus very well balanced between these two. Though I feel like they haven't changed all that much, I thought that after losing Kaoru and Michiru they would grow a little, maybe change a few aspects of their characters, and while we had a deeply emotional moment during episode 24 I feel like very little of that remained with them, and this is pretty much why I wish the reveal had happened a little later. Though I still enjoy them as characters, I wish Saki's crush on Mai's brother had been dropped already because it's pretty obvious this won't go anywhere, but since it's not something that is used a lot it doesn't bother me as much.

The Fairy team has gotten bigger with Moop and Fuup joining the crew and I really like them. I was afraid we would have another Pollun & Lullun situation, but no! They're very different, they're very funny, I love that they're basically children raised by TV and they keep reproducing things they watch on the screen, they were definitely a great addition to the cast. But I have a problem with aesthetics here, not of the characters themselves but the toys they've become. XD Like, what is Flappy and Choppy new item forms supposed to be? You know, I appreciate stepping away from making your fairies cellphones, but really, what are they??? Also who the hell thought a toy PC (not even a laptop!) was a good idea to put your fairies in and grant the Cures new weapons? This is probably one of the most unpractical things EVER!

Going to our "new" Cures, I like their designs just fine. My question is, was it really necessary to give them new Cure names? Because they don't look all that different, especially Windy, and they can change to which form they want to transform into so shouldn't these be called just for changes? I don't know, I think if they wanted to make them really assume new Cure identities they should've made their design way more different, and I reiterate, ESPECIALLY in Windy's case that not only look very similar to Egret but also has basically the same powers. With that being said, I absolutely love their new attack in this form, I love how their stream become two comets and the background is basically a galaxy, I don't know how I've missed this detail in all of the "All Precure Attacks" compilations I've seen on YouTube, honestly this is such a step up from both Twin Stream Splash and Spiral Heart Splash (that is the new attack they got for their original forms), it is just awesome.

I don't think I've mentioned them before, but in this portion, we got a very nice focus on their classmates and it was pretty fun, for some reason, I started to like Yuuko a lot and I can't pinpoint why but I root for her to be with Kenta by the end? Don't ask me for explanations because I don't have them. Maybe this was my subconscious finding a way to become bearable for me to watch Kenta because I absolutely hate him and the show gives him a lot of filler episodes. Whatever the reason may be, the side characters like their teacher, or Saki's senpai in the softball club, were pretty good.

Now, the real stars are the villains, that after a very inexpressive character, blessed us with two amazing new generals. To begin, I like that they really saved the best for last and are using their more powerful generals, and even with the cure's new powers they're still pretty hard to defeat on their own, I think it's very important to keep the power level balanced so the show doesn't become boring, we also got more elaborated fights because of this and I can't stress enough how much I appreciate this.

MS. SHITATAARE IS AWESOME! She's beautiful, she's funny, she's a master disguise, and she's powerful as hell, I absolutely love her and her presence here made everything way much more fun. She's a real queen, if I did drag I'd want my drag to look like that because her aesthetics are on point, she's flawless, she's fierce, she makes me go "yas qween, work mama". And her costumes to blend in with civilians? OMG, I loved that so much, especially because whenever Goohyan went to check on her he would also put on a costume and it was just a joy, I wish our time with her was longer. Speaking of Goohyan I feel like he became more of a comedic character, but he's still very threatening, and I liked that we could see him in action for the first time. Kintolesky is the newest villain, and he's pretty great as well. Like Shitataare he also blends in with the people from the Land of Greenery and I think this is what adds so much to his character, I also like that he's not just an evil general that only thinks on the evil, I feel like if it was on another situation he could easily be a regular customer on Pan Paka Pan and create some sort of bond with Saki's family for example. The dude is also OP as hell and I love that about it, people like to talk about doing the Saitama training routine, I wanna see someone trying the Kintolesky training routine. XD

And this is pretty much it for now, do you have any thoughts? Please let me know in the comments down below. I'm finally up to schedule with the precure reviews and I'm very happy, I hope I won't miss it next week for Splash Star finale's and mess up my planning all again. XD In any case, thank you so much for reading and I'll talk to you all later. Bye-bye~