#Izu Islands

[falseandrealultravival]

Tomorrow's Leaf" (Ashitaba)

I recently bought seeds of "Tomorrow's Leaf" (Ashitaba) at a home center. 150 yen. This vegetable, which is native to the Izu Islands, grows wild locally. It belongs to the Umbelliferae family, well, it's an Apiaceae, but it is characterized by its exceptionally high content of vitamin B12, which is essential for brain function, along with comfrey among plants. This is a beauty that vegans should cry for joy in. Recommended. It's just a little big.

Babylman

明日葉

私は最近ホームセンターで「明日葉」（アシタバ）の種を購入しました。１５０円。伊豆諸島が原産のこの野菜は、現地では自生しています。セリ科で、まあ、セリの仲間ですが、脳の働きに不可欠なビタミンB12を、植物では、コンフリーと並び、例外的に含有していることが特徴です。これは、完全菜食主義者：ヴィーガンにとって、泣いて喜ぶべき美質です。おススメ。ただちょっと大型です。

[fallershipping]

I've been using this map as my imagined visual of the Japanese Pokemon regions. (Kitakami is an actual real world city located south of "Sinnoh" aka Hokkaido! Actually there's a whole mountain range in that area known as the Kitakami Mountains)

Mossdeep City, the location of the Space Center is actually 1:1 where Japan's Space Center is, not kidding. A bit weird, right? While in the games, we think as Mossdeep being East of Mt. Chimney, but it's actually South of it when oriented the correct way.

Whether regions do make up an entire country when put together is not confirmed, there might not be a typical government that we see IRL, but regions that are very close to one another probably have unity in very similar cultural identities.

Anabel in my verse is Japanese, and I'm wondering about the the idea that she is Kanto born and her parents have business HQs in Kanto (Celadon City is where Tokyo City should be! Gosh, but every city in Kanto looks so small even in remakes! They need to fix this because Celadon is LITERALLY TOKYO i should know i went there) -- and while Anabel is Kanto born, she spent the majority of her life in Hoenn or at least near Hoenn with her grandparents/extended family.

Looker in my verse is European, but he speaks in a distinctly American accent... Wondering if perhaps he was born in a region equivalent to Germany or whatnot and spent a lot of time acclimating to America? Or he's only ever grown up European and he just developed an American accent for hiding identity purposes... Also! Kalos does have two regions! North and South. The mountains that border Paldea are primarily belonging to Southern Kalos. (Just wait until Legends Z-A destroys this with a random line of dialogue or random map asset.)

EDIT: The Legendary Beasts and the Kanto Birds are migratory and have been spotted all over the place! It's interesting to note that Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres go north as Professor Oak said "it is part of their migration," possibly implying they are a Japanese species. Legendary Beasts can appear in Kanto! (Don't hunt for them, FRLG Beasts have three IVs set to 0 due to a glitch they're practically useless) and additionally, Regirock/Regice/Registeel seem to have units in Sinnoh, though another Regigigas can be encountered in Hoenn. Perhaps Wherever there is a Regigigas present, there will be Regi Pokemon somewhere buried in the area?

[nostalblue]

哀愁の欠片35

偉大なものに憧れ切磋琢磨するのも一つの生き方だが、自分の特性を理解し身の丈に合った生き方をするのも悪くない。

————————————————————-

（移住した経緯（その伍）より移載）

 ⇨ 哀愁の欠片一覧へ

[pix4japan]

Silhouette of Island and Crashing Waves (Cape Tsumeki, Shizuoka Pref., Japan shot on January 25, 2023)

The view of Tsumeki Island (爪木島) off the coast of Tsumekizaki  Beach makes for a nice subject with the morning sunrise creating wonderful golden light aided by low cloud cover over Sagami Bay in the far distance.

This shot is just one of the many beautiful views you can enjoy in the Tsumekizaki Natural Park located in the city boundaries of Shimoda in Shizuoka Prefecture.

If you are into fishing, there are several boats that you can charter to take you out to the eastern side of the island where you can go ashore and try your hand at catching medina, parrot fish, red sea bream, grunt, black snapper, etc., depending on the season.

Be sure to check the Pix4Japan blog for access info!

Pentax K-1 II + DFA 28-105mm F3.5-5.6 105 mm ISO 100 for 1/30 sec. at ƒ/11

[cheswirls]

do i wanna sit thru a lets play of frlg postgame or rely on bulba like last time hm..

[dunmeshistash]

Hi! I cant seem to find it on your blog, so sending an ask :] Do you have Toshiro's timeline? Like the ones the main party has with like, with birth year, significant events, when they arrive on the island, etc? Or, does he even have one? I'm wondering about some stuff like when his father sent him and his brothers out, compared to when he arrives on the island...

He doesn't have one unfortunately... :/

Here's his pages

You get some idea from izu's timeline tho

He arrived at the island in 512 along with his retainers, since the island isn't that far I imagine it wasn't long before 512 he was sent?

[todropscience]

MEET THE RYUKYU MASKRAY, A NEW BLUESPOTTED RAY FROM JAPAN

Previously believed to be a single species, the common bluespotted stingray (Neotrygon kuhlii) it was found in 2016 to comprise a complex of several species distributed across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. However, a single species remained undescribed in Japanese waters due to a lack of research conducted in the area.

Now, researchers have finally described the Ryukyu maskray or Japanese Bluespotted Maskray (Neotrygon yakkoei) from Japan. The new species is a small stingray characterized by a greenish-brown body with a single dark, mask-like marking between the eyes, few small pale blue spots surrounded by dark brown outer rings. Genetically, it is distinct from other maskrays and is currently known only from Japan, inhabiting temperate waters from the Japan Sea and Pacific sides, including Hokkaido, Wakasa Bay, the Izu and Ogasawara islands, the Pacific coast of Japan from Sagami Bay to southern Kyushu, and the Osumi, Amami, Okinawa, and Yaeyama islands.

-Fresh and preserved female used in the description of the species.

Despite the recent description of the Ryukyu maskray, much remains unknown about this new species, including its diet, biology, and ecological role. Further research is needed to understand its feeding habits, reproductive behavior, and the threats this ray faces.

Photo: Josy Lai

Reference: Hata & Motomura, 2024. Neotrygon yakkoei, a new bluespotted maskray (Dasyatidae) from Japan. Ichthyol Res

[room-surprise]

Izutsumi's name, meaning and cultural references

This is an excerpt from Chapter 6 of my Dungeon Meshi essay, "Real World Cultural and Linguistic Influences in Delicious in Dungeon"

IZUTSUMI

(Japanese Pronunciation: Idzutsumi)

(Spoilers for the entire manga and post-manga materials!)

Izutsumi (イヅツミ) is a beast-man created by attaching a human soul to a monster cat, which is why she won’t ever be able to “turn back” into a human: she was never human to begin with. We don’t know what Izutsumi’s birth name was, if she even had one. The human that was killed was probably a baby or young child, since they don’t seem to have any memories of their mother, so they may not have ever been named.

We know that Izutsumi is from a different, larger island in the Eastern Archipelago to the northeast of Wa Island, however we do not know if this is the origin point of her human half, her monster cat half, both, or if this is just where she was made.

We do know that when she saw an illusion of what she thought was her human soul’s mother, the illusion was wearing something similar to North or Central Asian clothing, not Japanese clothing, so the island Izutsumi comes from is probably not culturally Japanese like Wa Island.

PLANT: ASEBI

Izutusmi’s code name as a ninja is Asebi (アセビ), which is the Japanese name for Japanese andromeda (pieris japonica), a type of shrub. The kanji for this plant’s name is 馬酔木 and it literally means “horse intoxicating tree” because it was known to be toxic to horses and make their legs go numb. A code name like this could imply a rude sentiment like “you’re so unpleasant, just being near you makes horses sick.” Considering the hostile relationship Izutsumi has with the Nakamoto clan, this code name makes a lot of sense.

IZUTSUMI THE FAMILY NAME

Izutsumi (井堤) is a common family name in central Japan, especially Kanagawa Prefecture. It is historically affiliated with the Tachibana (橘氏) clan, which was one of the four most powerful kuge (court nobility) families in Japan's Nara and early Heian periods.

The Tachibana clan’s founder was Inukai Michiyo (犬養 三千代) whose name was changed to Tachibana Michiyo by Empress Genmei. Michiyo was a court lady of the early Nara period and mother of Empress Kōmyō.

The family name Inukai (犬養) literally means to own or keep a dog, but the character for dog historically refers not only to dogs, but to any four-legged animal, especially those that are ancient or magical.

Over the course of the 9th and 10th centuries, the Tachibana clan’s rivals pushed the Tachibana out of power, and the clan was scattered across the country. I’m not certain, but it sounds to me like “Inukai” as a family name describes a profession, in this case, someone who is in charge of keeping four-legged beasts of all kinds. In the world of Dungeon Meshi, maybe this name implies they are a professional monster keeper, or monster trainer.

Though it’s a somewhat tenuous connection, the idea that Izutsumi’s human half might have been a stolen child from the Tachibana/Inukai family, which tames monsters, is very interesting! Another possibility is that the Tachibana/Inukai family were the ones that provided the monster cat used for making Izutsumi. Perhaps they were experimenting with making beast-kin soldiers in an attempt to fight back against their rival kuge clans.

IZU-TSUMI

Let’s break down the name Izutsumi into its sound components and what they might mean.

TSUMI

The primary meaning for tsumi is 罪, a Japanese word that indicates the violation of legal, social or religious rules, so you could translate it as sin, abomination, or a crime against god and humanity.

In Ancient Japan the word usually implied that a divine punishment was occuring, and something that was tsumi would therefore carry disease, be polluted and unclean, suffer from disasters, or be ugly and unsightly.

Considering the way people of the Eastern Archipelago discriminate against all races that aren’t tall-men, and the way the Nakamotos make Izutsumi cover her body and face up completely, I think Kui probably meant for Izutsumi’s name to convey this meaning.

However, although the negative connotation is the most common, tsumi can also be a name, or part of a name (Tsumigiwa, Tsumiki, Tsumio, Tsumire, etc.) which makes it sound natural when used in Izutsumi’s name.

It can also refer to the Japanese sparrowhawk, Chinese mulberry, a spindle, a whelk, a child's wooden building blocks, to accumulate (bricks, like a wall, or savings, like money), to build a reputation or gain experience, atonement (for sin), to pluck, to load with cargo, or to send away.

These meanings are interesting, since they suggest that Izutsumi is “sent away” by Toshiro when he lets her go, and by joining Laios’ party she is gaining life experience, building herself up (like a wall, like a child with toy blocks), and becoming a more mature person, moving past her old identity of being a sinful mistake. Through the course of the manga she learns to accept herself as she is, and eventually discovers that there was nothing to “fix”, she cannot become a full human, because she wasn’t one to begin with.

IZU THE PERSONAL NAME

Izu is either a girl’s name, or a component of several Japanese names for any gender (Izumi, Izuko, Izuchi, etc), so putting together Izu+tsumi creates a compound that sounds like a Japanese personal name, though I have found no evidence of it as an existing personal name.

IZU THE PLACE

Many names reference where a person or their family are from, so it’s possible that Izutsumi (or her family, or the magicians who made her a beast-man) are from a place called Izu.

Izu (伊豆) is the historic name of a province which is now part of the Shizuoka Prefecture, which is to the west of Tokyo. This area is the Izu peninsula, a large mountainous area, and it contains Izu city, and nearby is the Izu island chain.

Many of the Izu islands are and have been uninhabited, however a few of the islands do have small populations, and Jomon and Yayoi ruins have been found on several of them, indicating that the ancestors of modern Japanese people once lived in these places. I was unable to find any information about whether any other ethnic groups have specifically lived on these islands.

During the Tokugawa shogunate (one of the primary eras that Dungeon Meshi’s Wa Island resembles), the Japanese court frequently sent nobility into exile in the Izu islands because the region was far away from the capital, and it was considered an unlucky and bad place to be. It’s unclear if the Izu islands already had this reputation before they became a place of exile, or if the negative reputation was caused by its use as a prison. There is some indication that the Izu islands were somehow seen as ritually unclean or dangerous.

Eventually the criteria for banishment was broadened and the islands became penal colonies, where people were sent for murder, theft, arson, brawling, gambling, fraud, jailbreak, rape, and belonging to illegal religions (Christianity). Criminals exiled to the island were never told the length of their sentences, and the history of the island is filled with foiled escape attempts.

Not only were the islands used as a prison to keep politically dangerous people away from Kyoto, they also held an important religious role as a barrier between the supposed purity of the central court in Kyoto and the unclean dangers beyond the borders of Japan.

The islands were the first line of magical defense against the dangers that threatened Japan, and the ritual experts, a type of shaman called an urabe, practiced a special kind of turtle-shell divination in Izu.

It’s possible that Izutsumi’s human soul came from the Izu region. Izutsumi’s human part could have been a native of the Izu mainland, an Izu islander, or the child of a prisoner. No matter which one it is, being from Izu would make Izutsumi very low-ranking and unimportant, which would make her human half a perfect target for someone trying to find a baby or child that they could sacrifice to make a beast-man.

It’s also possible that the magician that made Izutsumi lived and worked in Izu, since it’s a place that had magical and ritual significance, was seen as a place of pollution and danger where such “unclean” work could be done, and where there is a ready supply of unwanted human beings (prisoners, islanders and their kin) available to be used as raw materials.

Perhaps they made many beast-men, and so since “tsumi” means abomination, perhaps the name Izutsumi simply means “abomination made in Izu.”

IZU THE VERB

Izu (出ず “dezu”) is also an archaic verb used by the lower-class that can mean a great variety of things, though there does seem to be some common ideas being expressed through all of them. Here are the ones that I think apply the most to Izutsumi:

Doesn’t come out (She’s been hidden in her ninja clothes for a long time.)

To leave on a journey, to depart, to move forward (She leaves her old life behind.)

To appear, to emerge, to be discovered (She surprises Laios’ party and then joins them.)

To be exposed, exhibited, displayed (She grew up displayed in freak shows.)

To sell (She was sold by many people.)

To exceed, to go over (Her behavior is often seen as rude and “too much.”)

To stick out, protrude (Her ears stick out, giving her identity as a beast-man away.) To come from, to be derived from (She “comes from” tsumi, she was created by an abominable act.)

To assume an attitude, to behave in a manner (She behaves like tsumi, an abomination, uncivilized.)

[suzuran777]

Review: Ooe trial version (Adelta)

A few days ago Adelta released the long-awaited trial version of their new game Ooe, so I really wanted to write a (short) review about it! The full game was originally scheduled to be released this summer, but it looks like we will have to be patient for a bit longer as the new release date will be somewhere in fall later this year. I have been following updates about this game for about three years now, so I don’t mind waiting a little longer! You can read a bit more information about the plot and the characters in one of my earlier blog posts here. To summarize, the game takes place in the 30th year of Showa (1955) and focuses on protagonist Oosaki, a detective who travels to the remote island of Ooejima after receiving a request from a client to visit the island and attend a ceremony on his behalf.

The trial version covers the first part of the game, up until the first “incident”. Oosaki doesn't really have any friends or family, and lives in a boarding house in Suga, a short walk from Hiratsuka station near Kamakura. His boss Shinkiba, who runs the detective agency, informs him about a request he received from a client. The client, a man who calls himself Shizuma Daiba, asks Oosaki to attend the memorial service of actress Ooe An on his behalf. Originally, it was Daiba’s father who received the invitation, however he fell ill shortly afterwards. At first Daiba wanted to go in his place, but his father warned him to send someone else instead. Oosaki assumes that the person who invited everyone to the island is a relative of the actress, who passed away three years ago. Even though Oosaki never met her, he remembers reading news about her death.

After a few more meetings, Oosaki makes preparations to travel to Ooejima. The island belongs to the Izu Island group and is located near Hachijojima. Originally, it was used as a military base during the Second World War, however after this it became uninhabited. Even though he has never been there, Oosaki knows about the island because his grandma who raised him was originally from this island. He always felt like he had to visit the island someday, as if it was calling for him. On his way to the island he meets Ariake, who’s also travelling to Ooejima for the memorial service. He's surprised to find out Ariake’s grandmother is also from the island, and similar to Oosaki, it’s his first time actually going there too.

After arriving, they head to the Mikazuki inn, where they meet a trembling man trying to defend himself with a knife, who later introduces himself as Funeno. He also meets Shimbashi, a writer who uses overly polite speech who’s staying at the same inn. The next day, he meets the other group of people who are staying at a different inn (Takeshiba, Shijoumae, Hinode, Aomi and Shiodome). When the ceremony is about to start, they realize that the person who invited them to the island isn’t there. A monk called Toyosu was sent on their behalf. After the ceremony they have dinner together, but when Funeno is asked to join them, he seems to be expriencing some kind of flashback, and starts shouting at them. Embarrassed by his own reaction, he immediately leaves the room.

Shortly afterwards Shimbashi, who always skips his meals, walks in and asks why Oosaki and Ariake are trying to prank him by playing creepy music at the inn. Confused, they follow him. Soon enough they find a record player in a small hidden room near the stairs. At first they think Funeno did this, but then they find his dead body in Oosaki’s room. They meet up with the others and Shijoumae suspects it was a suicide because sleeping pills were found near his body, but Oosaki isn’t convinced. Aomi points out that the telephone has also been destroyed with an axe. Shiodome insists that they at least finish the ritual for Ooe An, which requires burning a straw figure to send off the spirit of the deceased. Even though nobody really feels like doing this anymore after Funeno’s death, they try to collect the materials required.

While the others make their preparations, Oosaki thinks about who the culprit could be. He suspects Shimbashi, Toyosu, Shiodome and Ariake, as they came with him to Mikazuki inn. As they finish the ritual by burning the straw figure, they realize that someone swapped it with Funeno’s body. Afterwards, Shiodome reveals that all this time he actually had Funeno’s invitation letter. One thing Oosaki didn’t know is that all the letters were swapped, and that the invitation letters also included a list of crimes the other person had committed. In Funeno’s case, he killed his younger sister. They decide to return each other’s letters, however because Oosaki doesn’t have one, nobody seems to have Shimbashi's letter. Shiodome tries changing the topic, but Oosaki is determined to find out who killed Funeno, and that’s when the trial version ends.

Thoughts & Impressions After waiting for this game for a long time I was so happy to finally see all the characters interact with each other! The trial version was pretty long too, it took me over 6 hours to finish and I think I read pretty fast, so it might be even longer. I have so many theories about what could possibly happen next but it’s hard to put it all into words! The music, art and story are all amazing so far. It's interesting to see how some of the characters already know each other too, although most of them only met at Ooe An's funeral years ago.

One thing I was thinking about is that Funeno was extremely nervous whenever he was talking to Oosaki (who introduced himself as Daiba) and also knew that they had each other’s invitations, so I think he got the invitation of Daiba’s father. Oosaki mentions he never saw any invitation, so I think it was never shown to him, probably on purpose... I am curious about Ooe An too, the game mentions that she committed suicide by burning herself. However, when Oosaki asks Shimbashi what kind of person she was, he doesn’t really answer and laughs when Oosaki assumes she was an innocent girl. Takeshiba mentions that some theorize that she never actually died, but Shijoumae (a surgeon) and Ariake (who works at a funeral home) both saw her body, so they find that hard to believe.

So far I think my favorite character is Ariake because he's very cute (some of the other characters also agree lol), but honestly everyone seemed interesting. I wonder if Hinode will ever talk because his voice actor is still hidden. I'm also interested in Daiba and why him and Oosaki look identical, they do both have family members from Ooejima, so could they actually be related? In a lot of the promotional material Daiba was introduced as a side character, however it looks like the game does have an additional route (the website says 9 routes + α) so maybe we will get a Daiba route too. For now I will try to be patient until the full game's released in fall!

[lady-ashfade]

What are their top video games?

-mha version. Pt.1

-characters: tenya iida, izuku midoriya, Rikido Sato, Tsuyu Asui, Eijiro Kirishima, Denki Kaminari

- this is my take on things. And my opinion. It’s not canon (kinda in my head) but don’t come after me! And if you have other ideas I would love to hear them!!

- I will be doing other fandoms and characters! Let me know if you want any characters!!

Lets start.

Tenya Iida

He is a big enjoyed of candy crush and you can’t tell me anything else against that. I don’t see him having games on his computer or almost anything, so he plays mostly on his phone. I have a feeling he actually can’t stop and he is so embarrassed over it. Come on? Man is waiting for the new levels every time.

Tetris? A thing for his brain to work and does it kinda fast. He has high scores. MAN IS A BEAST- and when he fails he will get so frustrated and get mad….someone take his phone away please.

Super Mario is a childhood game but he still has it on something. Like a old nintendo, old ds and stuff. He plays it sometimes. And the only thing I see him having new gaming devices wise is a switch, and only has Mario games and plays it only each few mounts.

Izuku Midoriya

Planet zoo I can’t really explain but it’s just feels so right. I think he’s a pro at it. I really wish i could explain why I feel this way….Please tell me you see it to?

Fortnite he only plays with his friends but it’s so often. He does love the game a lot, even has a skin of himself in the game. And he has merch. He just loves to laugh with his friends and vibe. Has never raged quit.

Minecraft….Do I have to explain it? He’s wholesome, the games wholesome. It’s a match. Deku has so many hours it probably scares people. He’s obsessed!!! Mention you found diamonds and he’ll flip.

Rikido Sato

Unraveled is a childhood favorite of mine and I see him playing it for the same reasons. It’s chill but makes the brain think. I think he would love it.

Cooking simulators. This is not just for the meme. Tell me why I think he would rage so much to this because of the controls being whack. If he wasn’t a hero he would own his own restaurant/bakery.

Apex legends- HAVE NO IDEA WHY I THINK THIS. I know nothing about this game. I think he would play a shooter, and he gives apex vibes.

Tsuyu Asui

She’s plays game for chill vibes and vibes only.

Animal crossing?! One of the best games ever. She loves to decorate her island and go villager hunting. Has the best island out of the whole class. (Has many frog villagers)

Minecraft, 100# loves to vibe to the music. She plays with izu a lot too, the whole group. And she’s like the camp mom? Makes sure things are organized and she builds a whole ass city.

Stardew valley….One of the best games ever made again. Farmer Tsu!! She is the person who takes her time and doesn’t stress about anything, she knows everything without the wiki- but she could speed run the whole game so fast.

Eijiro Kirishima

Fortnite bro. Spends so much time on there is so embarrassing. The type of friend to beg his friends to play with him when the say no. He is that guy who doesn’t get up from his seat for hours to play this damn game. Headset, talking to everyone. Random people? He’s befriending them all.

Medieval dynasty is a good game. I see him enjoying building a city up from nothing, he is the type of guy I see. It’s relaxing.

Animal crossing fan and he has no shame. He loves this game so much. Decorates his island. Be proud of him even tho it sucks, but he’s so proud of himself (I relate) and keeps a streak of checking in every day.

Denki Kaminari

HE HAS ALL THE DAMN GAMES!! He talks shit every match. Has fought a child and made them cry (then got his ass handed to him) and I stand by this. He is good at the game, but also then sucks so bad.

Fortnite, yes other shooters because I believe he loves them. But likes to play with the boyz mostly, kiris main bestie in this game because they both are annoying the others.

Minecraft…yes this is getting used a lot but it’s a amazing game. Turns his music down because he’s either falling asleep or crying for questioning his existence. MINING!! He spends so much time mining it’s like he never goes to the surface.

-want more characters? Want another fandom? Just tell me in comments or my inbox

[yama-bato]

Picture of the Seven Islands of Izu: Hachijō-kojima Island Painted by Hasegawa Shinkichi 1846 (Kōka 3) Kondo Marine Memorial Foundation Collection Library 271

www.library.metro.tokyo.lg.jp

[pix4japan]

Volcanic-Formed Island

Location: Suzaki Port, Shimoda, Shizuoka Pref., Japan Photo Taken: Late morning on January 25, 2023

On the opposite side of Suzaki Cove, we have a clear view of Ebisu Island. A 10-minute walk around this island offers fantastic views of the ocean, the Izu shoreline, and beautiful geological formations. Visitors can also visit a lighthouse and a small Shinto shrine located at the top of the island.

I hope to visit this island on my next photo shoot to this region.

Fujifilm X100V (23 mm) with 5% diffusion filter ISO 160 for 1/300 sec. at ƒ/2.2 Astia/Soft film simulation

[leagueofgardens]

Assault Lily New Chapter: At the Seeds' Frontier / When the Bugle Blooms

Yurigaoka Fan Club is proud to present our English fansub of the stage play "Assault Lily New Chapter: At the Seeds' Frontier / When the Bugle Blooms."

Synopsis:

Yurigaoka Girls' Academy is preparing to take back Koshu from the Huge when four new Nests suddenly appear in the waters near Izu Oshima. The Garden dispatches Legions Alfheimr and Sanngrithr to remove the immediate threat. Tasked with the double duty of performing reconnaissance, Sanngrithr are the first to land on Oshima. On that island, Kondo Misaka—the captain of Legion Sanngrithr—encounters someone from her past that she thought she would never meet again. Izu Oshima is under the jurisdiction of the Gardens in Tokyo, and they suspect that the sudden appearance of these Nests is related to the unusual outbreaks of Huge that have happened in the city. The Inter-Garden Conduct Board sends the "Oshima Nest Survey Team", composed of selected Lilies from a variety of Gardens, to respond to the situation. But in addition to helping destroy the Nests, the Survey Team has a secret mission: that of investigating GEHENA's defunct laboratories on the island. Sanngrithr and the Survey Team find themselves fighting side by side on Izu Oshima, neither of them realizing that this battle is just the opening act of a much greater conflict…

Download the subtitle files and other extras here

You will need the Blu-ray disc of the stage play to watch these subtitles. You can buy it from Pius's online shop.

Before watching, install all of the fonts in the Assault Lily New Chapter Font Pack for the best experience.

"[Yurigaoka] Assault Lily New Chapter - At the Seeds' Frontier - When the Bugle Blooms.ass" is the recommended subtitle file.

"[Yurigaoka] Assault Lily New Chapter - At the Seeds' Frontier - When the Bugle Blooms [No Names+FX].ass" is an alternate subtitle file that does not have character names above the dialogue, nor the fancy karaoke effects. This file may work better for watching on low-spec devices.

"Assault Lily Setting Materials featuring Legion Sanngrithr.pdf" is a full English translation of an informational booklet released by acus (the creators of Assault Lily) around the same time as this stage play. It can be read either before or after watching it, but we do recommend that you read it for the best experience.

"Translation Notes.pdf" includes notes on our fansub translation and on some elements of the Assault Lily setting that the play itself doesn't explain. Read it after watching the stage play.

Enjoy the play!

[littleeyesofpallas]

Shihouin[四楓院] Chika[千日]

Shi[四]: "4"

Hou[楓]: "Maple(tree)"

In[院]: "Temple/House(of governmetn)/Institution"

Chi[千]: "1,000"

Ka[日]: "(The)Sun"/"Day"

Given the naming pattern with Yoruichi and Yuushirou reading "Night 1" and "Night 4 Son", it would follow that Chika's name here reads as "1000 Days" or "1000th Day" A curious notion when the Shihouin crest has a moon on it, which was obviously where the night motif in the later heirs came from. Is Chika a blacksheep of the family for not having a night name? Or did the Shihouin change their motif at some point from day/sun to night/moon?

And very noticeably he's wearing what looks like a chinese style of lamellar belt(it's hard to say when there isn't an accompanying suit of armor to go with it) but it evokes to me a lot of Ming dynasty period pieces(or alternatively very anime-ass Romance of the Three Kingdoms designs) and incidentally Journey To The West was written in the Ming Dynasty, and combined with his complexion and his distinctive Xiangyun[祥云]:"auspicious clouds" scarf (and of course my ongoing crackpot theory about there being an unspoken theme of pre-Japanese Buddhism underlying the foundation of Soul Society) makes me think he's specifically Indian but having travelled East across China(or whatever the Soul Society equivalents are)

Izuhara[嚴原] Kinroku[金勒]

Izu[嚴]: "Strict/Stern"

Hara[原]: "Plain/Field/Wilderness"

Kin[金]: "Gold"

Roku[勒]: "Bit/Bridle(like a horse's)"

Makes him sound like a wild stallion type who was only tamed by being bribed with wealth and luxury. At first glance I had pegged him for a cold corporate or medical type, but looking at him again he has a certain yakuza look about him too. Less an overt thug and more a grifter, a penny pincher, a coldblooded loan shark type, and this name seems to vibe with that. It's hard to tell but it looks like he has the archetypal yakuza/laborer bellywarmer like Tetsuzaemon did too.

Shijima[志島] Chikiri[知霧]

Shi[志]: "Will/Resolution/Ambition"

Jima[島]: "Island"

Chi[知]: "Wisdom/jnana"

Kiri[霧]: "Mist/Fog/Haze"

Same root word Shi[志] as in the Shiba family and in Okikiba Genshiro's given name. Weird that all three of these are associated with the water; waves/ripples, islands, and distant waters.

The given name is fun because it seems to describe him as wise but in a hazy way, his wisdom is obscured or unclear; whether that means it's unclear to others, or even to him isn't clear. Either one seems to fit his kind of disheveled appearance.

Now that we can see him properly, he kind of reminds me of Wonderweiss.

Obana[尾花] Danjirou[彈児郎]

O[尾]: "Tail"

Bana[花]: "flower"

Dan[彈]: "Bullet/Pellet/(musket)Ball"

Ji[児]: "newborn baby"

Rou[郎]: "son"

On the one hand the compound [尾花] appears to refer to "(ear of) Japanese pampas grass" which is also known as the Chinese Silver Grass. But it's also part of the compound [鸟尾花] refering to the Crossandra infundibuliformis, the Firecracker Flower. And also [鸢尾花] referring to irises in general. Since, as the 5th division captain, he's not the one with an iris insignia, I'm going to go with the silver grass reference. It does evoke a certain rugged and pastoral landscape that seems to suit the rustic almost hick-ish vibe he has going on.

As for Bullet baby.... I have no idea what to make of it...

Saitou[齊藤] Furofushi[不老不死]

[齊]: "...-Like/as if..."

[藤]: "Wisteria"

[不老]: "No grow old"

[不死]: "No die"

"Wisteria-like" has obvious evocations in her hair color and pigtails. The given name all together is actually a phrase meaning "immortality/perpetual youth." Pretty straight forward.

Shigyou[執行] Nobutsuna[乃武綱]

Shigyou[執行]: "execution/enforcment"/"executive/executor"*

No[乃]: "<possessive indicator>"

Bu[武]: "Military/Martial"

Tsuna[綱]: "Cord/Rope"

*can also refer to a "lead monk performing various tasks in a (buddhist)temple" although his overall appearance is anything but monk-like; certainly there are other captains here that would suit that reading better. So, the "rope or military enforcement."

(The random 3rd division guy with the "Winter Whistle" sword was named Taketsuna[武綱])

Katori[鹿取] Batsuunsai[抜雲齋]

Ka[鹿]: "Deer"

Toribatsu[取抜]: "Drain/Extract"

Un'[雲]: "Cloud"

Sai[齋]: "<indicates a penname>"

Ok, first of all... "Deer Extraction"??? And then her given name is either "Penname: Cloud" or if taken together [雲齋]: "cotten drill" as in the twill weave fabric used for things like khakis?? But that feels like a weird way to go. She is quite bookish looking (i mean... as if she can avoid it in the proximity of Nanao and Risa...) so perhaps she's an author on the side? Hence the penname. But as for the deer collecting... it feels like a weird way to phrase it, but I'm assume it's trying to conjure a disney princess-like scene of her attracting deer to her to show her purity and trustworthiness? Maybe???

Also she has a distinctive, Zhōngguó jié[中國結]: "Chinese knot" ornament at the end of her naginata(?) which wasn't shown in the poster. Although the coloration on this sheet is oddly gold rather than the more typical red. What is probably the most common and recognizable design is the Pán zhǎng jié[盤長結], sometimes called an "endless knot" or "eternal knot" and is used to represent various Buddhist virtues.

[edit]: so i changed the split on the first and last name according to what seems like the confirmed canon, but I stand by "batsuunsai" sounding extremely weird.

Kumoi[久面井] Entetsu[煙鐵]

Ku[久]: "A long time"

Mo[面]: "Face/Mask/Surface"

I[井]: "Well(water source/hole in the ground)"

En'[煙]: "Smoke"

Tetsu[鐵]: "Iron"

He sounds and looks very much like a jailer/torturer, not unlike some vibes Urahara's backstory gave off. Kumoi's zanpakuou is also a Tiěbiān[鐵鞭], a sectioned iron rod, part of a broader family of weapons/tools all called "iron whips."

Interestingly it's the same type of weapon Sui-feng's bankai, Jakuhou Raikouben[雀蜂雷公鞭], is named after.

Outokawa[王途川] Furuoki[雨緒紀]

Ou[王]: "King"

To[途]: "Road/Way"

Kawa[川]: "River"

Furu[雨]: "Rain"

O[緒]: "Cord/String(of an instrument)"

Ki[紀]: "Era/Period(of time)" or "Rule/(Written)Record"

"King's Way River" is a very pompous sounding family name... Interestingly the name Furuoki uses the kanji [雨] for rain, but is pronounced here like furu[降る] which is the verb for "to fall" referring specifically to rain or snow. The "Era of Rain(fall) String." It might be a stretch but I want to interpret that as the lines of rain falling being equated to the string of an instrument, and by proxy comparing the sound of rain fall as music.

But alternatively it could be another play into Kubo's on-again-off-again rain symbolism. Sometimes it's Ichigo's depression, sometimes it's Uryuu's legacy as the last Quincy, sometimes it's Orihime making confusing statements about joining earth and heaven, in direct contradiction to her Tanabata namesake... Is it "The Rule of Rainfall" as in the downpour comes eventually no matter how you run from it? Or as in, heaven and earth are joined eventually if your just wait? Or as in heavens will be clouded over and separated eventually? Or as in, relief comes eventually and even the worst drought can't last forever?

Zenjouji[善定寺] Uhin[有嬪]

Zen'[善]:"Virtue/Goodness/Good deeds

Jou[定]: "certainty/reality/samadhi"

Ji[寺]: "temple"

U[有]: "bhava/becoming/existence"

Hin'[嬪]: "court lady/virtuous woman/concubine"

So I can't quite tell if Kubo's just leaning into the on'yomi here, or if he's specifically aiming for a Chinese reading. I want to say On'yomi, but it is fairly close to the Chinese reading Shàndìngsìyǒ[善定寺] upín[有嬪] it's just the dìng[定] vs jou[定] throwing a wrench in it. And I'm hung up on Jiuhin's name sounding Chinese because with the mandarin style collared shirt and the fact that he has... for some reason two... queue... it all points to a distinctly Chinese influence in the design.

Arguably the face paint could also be pulled erroneously from the broader aesthetic of Chinese opera --as in maybe Kubo was going for a Chinese opera inspired look, but what's here definitely isn't accurate to the style-- but it feels very in line with Kubo's own funky sensibilities either way.

Sakahone[逆骨] Saizou[才藏]

Saka[逆]: "Reverse"

Hone[骨]: "Bone"

Sai[才]:"Talent/Ability"

Zou[藏]: "Hidden"

....the idea that this decrepit old man is named "Reverse Bones" as if he's like that because his bones are just "wrong" is for some reason hilarious and horrifying to me. "Hidden Talent" seems self-explanatory given he looks like he should barely be able to move, let alone fight or kill a person.

[embercub]

The last time I ever saw you

(Yoichi Asakawa x Fem!Reader)

In this the reader is Yoichi's student. I didn't say that they are in a relationship, but I have it subtly hinted that they both like each other. Sorry if this sucks, I tried my best with it even tho I don't know much about the ringu movies.

◇◇◇

"And that concludes today's lesson. The only assignment you have is the final research paper of your choice. I know some of you will be traveling to do some research for your topics, I wish you all safe travels when you do." Yoichi announced as all his students began to pack up their things before leaving the classroom.

It was his first year teaching at the University of Tokyo, so he was nervous about it at first, but now it actually wasn't that bad.

He enjoyed teaching, and his students were all so into marine biology.

He couldn't have asked for a better job.

"Mr. Asakawa?"

Looking up from the papers he was reading, Yoichi saw Y/N, one of the senior students that is going to be graduating after this year.

She was a quiet but very kind woman about two years younger than him.

She was a lot like him personality wise, and he always enjoyed her company whenever he had to stay and do some grading while she did her assignments from his or any of the other classes she had.

"Hello Y/N, I heard you were going to be traveling to do your paper. Where was it you were going again?" He asked with a smile.

"Izu Oshima."

Yoichi froze.

Izu Oshima...

Just then, memories started to stir from the depths of his subconscious.

Flashes of blurred faces on images along with their twisted mouths, the inexplicable deaths, the voices of people calling him a monster for his abilities started to fill his head.

"Mr. Asakawa?"

The touch from Y/N, placing her hand on his shoulder, snapped him out of his trance.

"Ah, sorry. I haven't heard that name in a long time." He muttered.

"Oh, have you been there before?" She asked as she sat next to him.

"Yes, when I was a child." He replied before looking up at Y/N with a serious look on his face.

"Please be careful when you're there. That island is very dangerous. I don't want anything to happen to you." Yoichi said as he grabbed her hand.

Y/N was unsure by what he meant by the island being dangerous but nodded to reassure him.

"Of course. And I'll be traveling with F/N, so I won't be alone." She replied as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"I gotta go back to my apartment and get my luggage and head to the airport."

Yoichi nodded as Y/N grabbed her bag and headed to the doorway.

But before leaving, she looked back to him, giving him a warm smile.

"I'll see you when I get back."

Yoichi smiled back as Y/N left, not knowing that was the last time he would ever see her.

[theearthquaketrackingfox]

INCREASED (yellow): Seram, Kepulauan Batu-Kepulauan Mentawai, Sumatra, Sunda Strait, Java, Bali, Sumbawa, Timor, Flores, Kepulauan Tanimbar, Northern Philippines, Makassar Strait, Papua, Eastern Papua New Guinea, Ceram Sea.

HIGH (orange): Molucca Sea, Kepulauan Sanghe - Kepulauan Talaud, Minahasa, Sulawesi, Halmahera, Kepulauan Barat Daya - Kepulauan Babar, Mindanao and Leyte (Philippines), New Britain region (P.N.G), S Sumatra, Banda Sea, Kepulauan Alor.

During the week, the HIGHEST TECTONIC TRACTIONS will be present in: · Luzon, Leyte and Mindanao, Philippines · Kepulauan Talaud · Minahasa, Sulawesi · Sumbawa · Flores Sea · Nicobar Islands · Bali Region · Halamera · Molucca Sea ​ Regions that will be the most tectonically unstable are: · Sumbawa, Sunda Strait, Kepulauan Tanimbar, Kepulauan Talaud, Halamera · Kepulauan Alor Philippines – northern, central, southern, New Britain Region (Papua), Papua New Guinea.

MODERATE: Kyushu, Shikoku, SE Ryukyu, Izu Islands. INCREASED: ​Kuril Islands, Volcano, Bonin Is, east of Kuril Islands. HIGH: off east coast of Honshu, near east and south coasts of Honshu, Hokkaido, Taiwan.

Due to the passage of strongly active tectonic waves, the active traction will be the highest along east Honshu, Hokkaido, Izu Islands, Kuril Islands, Taiwan, Volcano, Bonin Islands, southeast Ryukyu, and off east coast of Honshu.

According to instability alert field, the most tectonically unstable regions will be Taiwan, the Kuril Islands, near east and west coasts of Honshu and Hokkaido, due to the strong local Time-synchronizations along the regional fault system.

Courtesy of Quantectum - Earthquake Forecasting System