#I'd like to see them clash a bit in regards to their outlooks on life because they're so different from each other.

[athenaholmesartistsguild]

I love that Ichiban is like. A foil for Nishiki, but not in the way Saejima was in 4 (or I guess Nishiki was a foil for Saejima considering a lot of his backstory was added in Kiwami, not the original PS2 game).

Ichi is totally the 'other one' when you compare his treatment to Masato's. Masato gets the wealth, the power. He has a dad that will send others to prison for him so he doesn't get a record.

And then Ichiban's just kinda there. He goes to prison because Arakawa asks him to and he's lied to about who he's even covering for. Then he gets out and is treated like crap!

I noticed a lot of parallels to Yakuza 1 in LAD's story, but this decision was the most interesting to me because they chose to mirror Nishiki's story when a lot of the narrative beats previously were parallel to Kiryu's.

And it's just... so great that Ichiban and Arakawa are able to reconcile. That Arakawa can say that he's ashamed of the ways he treated Ichiban, even if some of his actions had their justifications and that Ichiban can forgive his dad and look forward to going back to the way things were before he went to prison.

What I've loved about LAD so far is that it's the most earnest, feel-good game I've played in a while, but it can turn around and deliver the most emotionally devastating scenes I've ever seen and leave me a sobbing wreck.

The above scene is a prime example of this.

Ichiban finally gets to reunite with Arakawa and then Arakawa fuckin DIES.

It was so shocking that I just stared at my TV and started crying!!! And then the scene after where Ichiban sees his body? Ughhhh. I felt that shit in my bones.

[caciula-lui-burebista]

"All Sails Up!" book review

"Toate pânzele sus!" ("All Sails Up!") by Radu Tudoran is officially translated in English!!! When I read this book I was absolutely shocked at how amazing it was, I (at least) consider it to be the best Romanian book ever written. In fact, I think it's in my top 3 favorite books.

Below I'll leave my review and a link so you can purchase it/read a sample. The world needs to know about it!

Rating: 5+⭐/5

"All Sails Up!" is a novel about pure adventure, freedom and chasing dreams, with strong-willed and fleshed out, original characters that will make you cry with joy, frown, laugh with tears and look deep within yourself. The premise is about the Romanian Anton Lupan and his lifelong dream, an epic voyage to "The Land of Fire" in South America with his friend, Pierre Vaillant. The trouble comes when Pierre goes missing along with the ship they intended to sail, L'Esperance. Many years and struggles later, Anton finds the shipwreck of L'Esperance and understands that he needs to embark on the journey in that moment or he'll miss his chance.

Lupan then gathers a crew of reliable people and the author proceeds to take the reader in one of the most epic travels. It's like you'll see with your own two eyes sceneries from across the Mediterranean, Atlantic and South American places, described in such magical great detail. Not only that, but my general knowledge about seamanship, various cultures, traditions and history improved in no time. You go from Romania to Greece, Turkey, Arabian islands, France, Argentina, Chile and all the seas in between them. From the Muslim rituals in the Saint Sofia Cathedral in Istanbul to the cockfights in Buenos Aires, I now know a little bit more facts about many places on the Globe.

The crew is mainly from a Romanian background, but it also has characters from Turkey, Greece or the Middle East. It is really interesting to see the attitudes people had (and maybe still have) regarding other cultures and traditions. Despite minor misunderstandings, they all get along and understand each other, Radu Tudoran making a point in promoting multiculturalism and friendship between the nations. For example, Ismail, a Turk (which weren't very well seen by Romanians some time ago because of the Otoman Empire's domination), is one of the most beloved characters in Romanian literature, showing altruism and generosity.

The book also reflects some Romanian outlooks on life (settling with what you have earned for now, aspirations don't really have to be followed) clashing with unconventional ways of thinking, by the end all the characters realising that dreams are worth being transformed into reality and that coming out of your confort zone is actually liberating.

There's even a bit of a love story sub-plot which I found very sweet, not at all complicated and for me it felt like a break from all the problematic scenarios I find in television or new books. It was simple and the kind I want to see more in media, it just adds some flavor but doesn't ruin the main story.

I don't know what to say more, but pirates! Thieves in boat ports! Skillful negotiations! Salty water! Traveling across the Atlantic on a boat with sails! The 1880s! Storms that turn ships upside down! Charles Darwin is actually a character! Spring in Brazil! Exploration, unknown, adventure! Zero (0) overused Romanian stereotypes!

Right now I am reading "All Sails Up!" the second time because the nostalgia was too upsetting. There's even a TV series which is generally stays true to the source material, very entertaining especially if you've read the novel.

The English version translated by Cleopatra Hensby is available in digital format on Amazon and it's only 3.56 dollars! I promise you they're going to be the best 3.56 dollars you've ever spent! click here

The TV series is available on YouTube, but you have to look for all 12 episodes separately. As far as I know it's only in Romanian and without any subtitles :/

I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe give this novel a try! I'd like to discuss it especially with foreigners, my inbox is always open!