#Koto writes Fates

[nowis-scales]

Rating: Mature Audiences

General Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Fandoms: Fire Emblem Fates

Relationships: Takumi & His Siblings, Takumi & Leo, Takumi & Hinata & Oboro

Additional Tags: References to Depression, Self-Esteem Issues, Revelation Route, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Rivalry, Brotherly Love, Nightmares, Near-Death Experiences, Anxiety, Prince Takumi of Hoshido it may be time to accept that you’re a good person and people like you

Story Chapter Count: 7 chapters

Story Summary:

Takumi’s Solo Ending, JPN:

“Takumi assisted in the restoration of Hoshido, which had been desolated due to the ravages of war. All the human kindness he had seen suppressed the shadow, he was recognized throughout the country as a skilled leader, and he became someone who could be relied on.” (Translated by @.aphonicdreams, Tumblr)

An exploration of just a few of the moments that led Takumi to realize that the world is much kinder than he anticipated.

[Read it on AO3.]

(Please Note:

This story exists in multiple parts. The publication of these parts is ongoing, but the longer explanation of ‘why not all at once’/additional schedule is here.

The content of this story will also be only on AO3 due to recent discussions of AI scraping, thank you for your understanding!)

[koizumicchi]

可愛くなれたらいいのに (HoneyWorks feat. Capi) English Translation

可愛くなれたらいいのに Kawaiku Naretara Ii No Ni I Wish I Could Become Cute

HoneyWorks feat. Capi Lyrics: shito & Gom Composer: shito

Listen here. German TL by kido.

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T/N: Keep in mind that Japanese and English aren’t my first language. I never claim my translation (attempts) to be error-free. As always, if you’re going to use or reference my translations, please do not claim it as your own and credit me.

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可愛くなれたらいいのに 恋したのに 好きとか言っちゃうのに ばか。

Kawaiku naretara ii no ni Koi shita no ni Suki toka icchau no ni Baka.

I wish I could become cute If only I fell in love If only I could say I love it Such a fool I am.

断れない性格で 嫌なことも口に出せない 大人の言いなりだった 人間が嫌いだった

Kotowarenai seikaku de Iya na koto mo kuchi ni dasenai Otona no ii nari datta Ningen ga kirai datta

With a personality that cannot refuse I cannot even say the things I don’t like I did what the adults told me to do I hated humans

ストーリー���本音と愚痴書いて 恋なんてできるはずない 陰キャなんだ

Sutōrī de honne to guchi kaite Koi nante dekiru hazu nai Inkya nanda

Writing down my complaints and my true feelings in a story It is highly unlikely for me to fall in love I am an introvert

可愛くなれたらいいのに 恋したのに 好きとか言っちゃうのに 可愛くなれたらいいのに 夢見たのに きっとぶりっ子したのに ばか。

Kawaiku naretara ii no ni Koi shita no ni Suki toka icchau no ni Kawaiku naretara ii no ni Yumemita no ni Kitto burikko shita no ni Baka.

I wish I could become cute If only I fell in love If only I could say I love it I wish I could become cute Although I dreamed to be I am sure I was only acting coy Such a fool I am.

諦めは必要で 運命は信じていない 友達は見せかけばかり 人間が嫌いだった

Akirame wa hitsuyō de Unmei wa shinjite inai Tomodachi wa misekake bakari Ningen ga kirai datta

Giving up is necessary I don’t believe in fate Friends are merely for show I hated humans

私抜きのLINEグループとか 入れてとか言えるはずない 言いたくない

Watashi nuki no LINE gurūpu toka Irete toka ieru hazu nai Iitakunai

A LINE group chat not including me I cannot just say add me to it I do not want to say it

可愛くなれたらいいのに 好かれたのに 嫌だとか言えちゃうのに 可愛くなれたらいいのに 嫌わないのに きっと強くなれたのに ばか。

Kawaiku naretara ii no ni Sukareta no ni Iyada toka iechau no ni Kawaiku naretara ī no ni Kirawanai no ni Kitto tsuyoku nareta no ni Baka.

I wish I could become cute Although I’d love to be If only I could say no I wish I could become cute If only I am not hated I am sure I could have become stronger Such a fool I am.

君と出会えて世界が 真逆に動いた 人生は単純 間違ってた

Kimi to deaete sekai ga Magyaku ni ugoita Jinsei wa tanjun Machigatteta

When I met you, my world Turned upside down Life is simple. I was wrong.

可愛くなるんだなるんだ 言わせるんだ 好きとか困るくらい 愛して愛して愛して 可愛がって ずっと裏切らないように LOVE

Kawaiku narun da narun da Iwaserun da Suki toka komaru kurai Aishite aishite aishite Kawaigatte Zutto uragiranai yō ni LOVE

I will be cute, I will be cute I will make them say it I will love so much that others will be at a loss Love me, love me, love me Cherish me May I won’t ever be betrayed by anyone LOVE

本当の私は可愛いんだ Hontō no watashi wa kawaiin da The real me is delightful.

[bonjourxrenae]

Re: YGO x Utena AU

So - I do have a little bit of this written, and I’ll link to the document, but ehhhh I figured I’d get some ideas out here

If you want see another cool YGO x Utena AU (aka, the one that inspired me to write my own!) there's this concept!

Ahhh, I dunno… I like the concept of Utena Sword Duel in the Cool Dueling Arena in the Forest, But Also The Duel Monsters Are Here, and the story having both elements and beats from their respective source materials (the Duels are foretold and eventually the protagonist will have to duel End of the World in a bid to gain the power of world revolution; becoming the Shadow Game Heir and stopping the great and terrible evil from destroying the world) but logistically I had trouble making it all Work

Yugi is obviously our protagonist - our Utena. Yamiyu is the Rose Bride(groom) - our Anthy, and Atem is firmly in the role of Dios (Yes, this is a primarily Puzzle-based AU)

The Student Council are the Millennium Item wielders, but they really don’t correspond with anyone from Utena’s student council… Closest association I could get is Pegasus to Mikage but he wouldn’t be on the council so much as he’s a professor at this AU’s Ohtori Academy

Kaiba would be president (naturally), but he doesn’t really fit Touga to a T… if anything he’s a mix of Saionji and Touga. (I will listen to Nanibito mo Kataru Koto Nashi on repeat thinking about what those lyrics mean and SOBBING) But I imagine he does the same Suicidal Duel tactic/acting like the King who met Yugi in the past to shake him, and sort of gets sucked into the mind games of End of the World and phasing into his past life as Set (to a degree) once he gets the Rod back

I also love thinking about Mokuba as Nanami (give that boy a sword and a knife hehehe) and then he essentially takes over the Student Council while Kaiba goes on an Obsessive Depression Bender after losing to Yugi AGAIN. And I need Mokuba to uncover all the fucked up shit behind The Rose Bride and the Nature of the Duels please...

I like the idea that Kaiba’s on he Student Council despite not having a Millennium Item… I think by rights he should have the Rod, and the idea of it being Stolen would be a plot point in a chapter

(speaking of the little shit who stole the Rod) Having Malik as, like, all the motivations of the Black Rose Duelists but with Miki's motifs... just feels right to me. I also imagine the duel split into two parts - one with him and the other with both him and Yami Malik (as another Rose Bride??) I was just stuck on which monster/spell cards to associate with his duel. I had it in my mind that he'd use a combo of Helpoemer and the Mystical Space Typhoon (Spira Mirabilis plays in the BG) but ehhhhhhh

Isis in a mostly Juri-based role... with the themes of Finality, Fate Set in Stone, No Such Thing As Miracles... idk, it wasn't really vibing in my brain, and I was having trouble placing her motives clearly. But I like the idea of her in the Student Council and her suddenly trying to get a handle on the situation with Malik (also I struggled figuring out which monster/spell card to associate with her hrmmm... in my document it's Spiria but EHHHH)

... I don't even know where to even put Shadi hhhhh maybe as a Shadow Player??? idk idk

and then obviously there's the Bakurae, and I can't really do them justice ??? because Ryou is on the Student Council and is the unwitting duelist in a Miki-aligned role, while Yami Bakura is another Rose Bride scheming on the sidelines, puppeteering Ryou with Dark Necrofear and Dark Sanctuary (until Ryou fights back with Change of Heart), and hastening the duels to the final duel for Revolution

TKB/Zorc is Akio/End of the World. Because of course he is. I do refer to him in my documents as The Man In Red, while Atem (Dios) is wearing mostly whites and royal purples.

AS FOR ANZU, JONOUCHI, AND HONDA... they have all been relegated to some aspect of Wakaba - but Jonouchi is especially The Wakaba (the one that attempts to punch out Kaiba and accidentally gets into a fistfight with Yugi) Honestly, if I had the time, I'd like to see all of them becoming Black Rose Duelists and having Yugi absolutely struggle with these duels because "no!!! these are my friends!!!" but Yamiyu is here like "aibou, you have to draw your sword!!!"

Anyway, that's where most of my thoughts were - and then there's the matter of the themes of 'princes' and 'witches' and trying to make those same motifs work with 'kings' and 'thieves' and I just got really tired trying to figure it out

But if you're interested in what I have written for this, you're welcome to check it out here: [Dust and Gold]

[yesterdaylovedme]

RPers Sought via Discord

I am seeking canon x canon ships for fandoms via discord. This will be a 1x1 situation. I am happy to double! For my ships, please reach out for information as many are crack/unusual. I do tend to stick to MxF romances but if we're doubling up and one pair is MxF, I'm open to adding a same-sex pair. When I double, I use a word counter to make sure posts are equal. I don't require this of my partners as long as they look similar in effort. Should favoritism begin to appear, I'll express concerns but if it happens often, I'm going to end the RP.

My posts tend to be several paragraphs (I guess the term might be novella or advanced literate) in third person, past tense. When on Discord, it's not unusual to take a few messages to complete my post but I do indicate with a (c or cont) if it's continued and end with an (end) to indicate that it's all complete. Due to post sizes being lengthy, I tend to give about 2-3 posts a week. Often more but I would say that's a pace I'm happy with getting from a partner. We all have lives. I'm not going to hound anyone to post unless it's been like, a month. People get busy or bored. It happens. That said, I love a lively OOC where we get to know one another and converse freely even if posts come at a slower pace. I'd rather hear about disinterest and work to fix it, than have resentment or complacency build behind the scenes.

NSFW stuff is bound to happen within moderation and with proper development. My RPs are very gradual, slow burn. I'm in this for the long haul and I expect my partner to be as well. Communication ensures longevity and interest.

My discord: MK Meringue }#0169

When messaging me, please tell me where you found my username and what you're interested in discussing, otherwise odds are I won't reply. Nothing more strange than just getting a 'hi' from a stranger online. Again, my ships are a little off-beat so if we chat and find we're not looking for the same thing, no harm. It never hurts to ask.

Looking for RPers for the following fandoms:

Alice in Borderland

I can write as An, Kuina, Arisu, Usagi. I'm looking for a Chishiya or Arisu. As a note, I am happy to drop other canons (like from Yu Yu Hakusho for example) into this universe if that is of interest.

The Queen's Gambit

I can write as Beth, Jolene, Harry, Townes. I'm looking for a Benny or Harry. A crossover with Godless could be fun.

Fire Emblem Three Houses

I can write as Hilda, Flayn, Yuri, Hapi, Dimitri, Annette, Hubert. I'm looking for a Seteth, Claude, Hubert, Linhardt, Lorenz or Edelgard. Adding Fates characters might be fun here.

Gravity Falls

I can write as Mabel, Stan, Candy, Tambry, Gideon. I'm looking for a Ford, Dipper, Wendy. I DO NOT WRITE DIPCIFICA! Crossover with SVTFOE or Amphibia possible.

Naruto

I can write as Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Sasuke, Naruto. I'm looking for a Shikamaru, Ino or Temari.

Game of Thrones

I can write as Sansa, Arya, Cat, Theon, Tyrion. I'm looking for a Joffrey, Ned, Theon or Jon.

MHA

I can write as Momo, Todoroki, Ochako, Bakugo, Denki, Melissa. I'm looking for a Todoroki, Bakugo, All Might, Eraserhead, Tsuyu, Ochako.

Pokemon SV

I can write as Nemona, Arven, Iono, Larry. I'm looking for an Arven or Nemona.

Death Note

I can write as Light, Misa, Naomi, Sayu. I'm looking for an L.

ATLA

I can write as Suki, Aang, Toph, Azula, Zuko. I am looking for a Zuko, Aang or Katara.

Harry Potter

I can write as Hermione, Ron, Luna. I am looking for a Harry or Cho.

Yu Yu Hakusho

I can write as Yusuke, Botan, Koenma, Koto, Kuwabara, Genkai. I am looking for a Kurama, Koenma, Keiko or Hiei.

Fruits Basket

I can write as Kagura, Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Hana, Momiji, Kisa, Shigure. I am looking for a Hatori, Momiji, Haru, Kisa, Ayame, or Tohru.

Phineas and Ferb

I can write as Isabella or Candace. I am looking for a Ferb.

Honorable mentions: Dot Hack, Kaleido Star, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Yokai Watch, The Hunger Games, Final Space, The Orville, Star Trek or Doctor Who.

[headlesshost]

Whatever you proclaim, that is but a single truth of many.

You will live forever among the stars— and people will write of you, of things you have never done.

If you believe your feats to be everlasting, that is but a delusion, a dream to only offer you comfort.

Lyrics: (and translation source)

Count the stars— Corpses of lost desires

それが込める遺志の数だけ そしてまた　星が昇るのなら

sore ga komeru ishi no kazu dake soshite mata hoshi ga noboru no nara

If for every last will placed upon them Those stars will rise once again into the sky…

真実の話をしよう お前のその手が為すこと　そのすべて

shin’jitsu no hanashi wo shiyou omae no sono te ga nasu koto sono subete

Let us talk of truth: For all you have ever accomplished…

求める虚飾と架空 その手に握る歪な物語を

motomeru kyoshoku to kakuu sono te ni nigiru ibitsu na monogatari wo

Pursuing fabrication and ostentatiousness In those twisted tales you grasp in your hands…

ひとつの謎を掲げて ひとつの答えを与える　その無意味

hitosu no nazo wo kakagete hitosu no kotae wo ataeru sono muimi

Know, whenever you raise a single mystery, The meaningless of attaching a single answer

伝える欺瞞と迷妄 その手が為した罪を知るならば

tsutaeru giman’ to meimou sono te ga nashita tsumi wo shiru naraba

For all the deception and delusions you have told If you wish now to understand the sins you have wrought…

その身体が冷え切るまで　息絶えるまで その意味をただ　考えるがいいと

sono karada ga hiekiru made ikitaeru made sono imi wo tada kan’gaeru ga ii to

Until you take your last breath and your body loses all warmth, May you dwell upon the meaning of these words…

遠く高く星空に消えれば 何を追って何を求めるか、彼方

tooku takaku hoshizora ni kiereba nani wo otte nani wo motomeru ka, kanata

When you vanish far and away up into the starlit sky What will you chase and what will you seek, into eternity?

全ては星霞の向こう側

subete wa hoshigasumi no mukougawa

Everything lies beyond a veil of star-mist…

それは一つだけの真実にすぎない

sore wa hitotsu dake no shin’jitsu ni suginai

«that is but one truth among many»

さあ　見上げ　心眩ませ さあ　刻め　願いを溢せ

saa miage kokoro kuramase saa kizame negai wo kobose

Now, look skyward and blind your heart Now, etch and spill out your desires

汝　その哲学を以て 数多の星を　手にかけるなら 汝　その哲学さえも 数多の星の　一つと知れよ

nan’ji sono tetsugaku wo motte amata no hoshi wo te ni kakeru nara nan’ji sono tetsugaku sae mo amata no hoshi no hitotsu to shire yo

If you, with your philosphies deign to Lay your hands on the countless stars above Know you, philosophies, sophistries and all Are naught but one among countless yourself

運命の話をしよう 誰もが生まれたそのとき　背負うなら

un’mei no hanashi wo shiyou dare mo ga umareta sono toki seou nara

Let us talk of fate: If all must shoulder their fate upon birth…

どうして選ばれたのか それこそまた一つの謎となろう

doushite erabareta no ka sore koso mata hitotsu no nazo to narou

“Why was I chosen?” one might ask. Surely that is a mystery, equal to any other…

誰が殺し　誰が放る　皆が見ている それであって尚　誰の仕業でもない

dare ga koroshi dare ga houru mina ga miteiru sore de atte nao dare no shiwaza demo nai

Whomever kills, whomever buries the evidence, all will bear witness Yet even so, above all, no act is the sole responsibility of one

遠く高く星空を臨んで ああ美しき願いの墓標は　彼方

tooku takaku hoshizora wo nozon’de aa utsukushiki negai no bohyou wa kanata

Gaze far and away, up into the starlight sky Into that distant, beautiful graveyard of desires

全ては星霞の向こう側

subete wa hoshigasumi no mukougawa

Everything lies beyond a veil of star-mist…

それは一つだけの真実にすぎない

sore wa hitotsu dake no shin’jitsu ni suginai

«that is but one truth among many»

さあ　見上げ　心眩ませ さあ　刻め　願いを遺せ

saa miage kokoro kuramase saa kizame negai wo nokose

Now, look skyward and blind your heart Now, etch and lay down your final testament

お前は　永遠となる 夢幻の　星空のもと

omae wa eien’ to naru mugen no hoshizora no moto

You will become eternal, placed forever among those dreamlike stars

誰かがいつか　星の下 お前を探し求めては

dare ka ga itsuka hoshi no shita omae wo sagashi motomete wa

One day someone, under those same stars in seeking and searching for you…

ありもしなかった 物語を綴るだろう

ari mo shinakatta monogatari wo tsudzuru darou

Will write of you, of things you have never done…

兆すが 星火の幻想 その魂は灼かれ けして消えぬ灯火が昇るだろう

kizasu ga seika no “rêverie” sono tamashii wa yakare keshite kienu akari ga noboru darou

In the future lies: Not your feats, but a star-fire dream Your soul will burn, while another Unvanishing light takes your place in the sky

そうして

soushite

Thus…

満たすは 光彩の幻想 この夜空の何処までも けして消えぬ灯火が燈るだろう

mitasu wa kousai no “rêverie” kono yozora no doko made mo keshite kienu akari ga noboru darou

Fulfilling your absence: Not your mark, but an illustrious dream As far as the night sky can reach, another Unvanishing light will rise to take your place

[ardenssolis]

@itorisen said (inbox):

SKEDADDLES INTO UR INBOX LIKE A LOONEY TUNES CHARACTER hewwo shi hi hewwo kiths ur forehead do u know that ily & that you're so incredible in your skill of being able to take any character you love & write them perfectly ? LIKE GIMME SOME OF YOUR SKILL PLEASE I AM NOT THAT BIG MASSIVE BRAINED AS YOU i'm so glad we've been friends for so long & koto & ozy have me by the throat do u know this kento & koto too , rengoku & koto too I AM SO SOFT FOR ALL OF THEM MY BABIES honestly i never thought of ozy until you appeared on my dash & we started writing & you made me fall in love with him ? so much ? like i see ozy & i'm like wow shi's oc is great whos fate grand order ozy ? i dont know him i only know shi's ozy because shi has papers stating that ozy is hers ANYWAY LONG STORY SHORT ilysm i love ozy i love kento i love kyojuro & yoshi & tomoe & i just CRIES INTO MY HANDS bless ur face & have a wonderful week BONKS OUR NOGGINS

[GWAH -CLENCHES CHEST- WHAT IS THIS IN MY INBOX YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TODO THIS YASU!!!! DID YOU KNOW ILU???? BECAUSE I DO. Me handing all my muses to you on a plate like here take them. But I always love seeing you on the dash and seeing how passionate you are about writing! Especially when it comes to kny because I can feel that excitement just looking at the dash! You have so many big brained ideas. SO MANY. EATS EVERYTHING YOU PUT OUT THERE LIKE PAC-MAN. Ozy is that muse that I picked up on a whim for superficial reasons and then 5345453 yrs later I'm that standing man emoji as I buy tons of ozy related merchandise and cry on the dash whenever even a sliver of ozy content pops up anywhere at any given time.]

[bnhaobservation]

BNHA Observations, speculations and assorted info: The facts taking place during BNHA first year

So, in order to write my fic, I spend much time observing canon scenes, comparing the manga and the anime version, take note of details, translations and info in them as well as finding out how are some things called.

Since what I noticed/speculated/found out can be of use for other fic authors I thought to share as well.

Resources:

Chapter 1. Midoriya Izuku: Origin (緑谷出久：オリジン Midoriya Izuku: ORIGIN) Chapter 2. Roaring Muscles (うなれ筋肉 Unare Kinniku) Chapter 3. Entrance Exam (入試 Nyūshi) Chapter 4. Starting Line (スタートライン START LINE) Chapter 5. Smashing into Academia (はりさけろ入学 Harisakero Nyūgaku) Chapter 8 Rage, You Damned Nerd (猛れクソナード Takere Kuso NERD) Chapter 111. Smoldering Start (燻りビギニング Kusuburi Biginingu) Chapter 112. What's the Big Idea? (何をしてんだよ Nani o Shitenda yo) Chapter 131. Fighting Fate (抗う運命 Aragau Unmei) Chapter 144. Red Riot, Part 1 (烈怒頼雄斗① RED RIOT ①) Chapter 145. Red Riot, Part 2 (烈怒頼雄斗② RED RIOT ②) Chapter 153. Transform! (変身! Henshin!) Chapter 173. Prepping for the School Festival Is the Funnest Part (Part 2) (文化祭って準備してる時が一番楽しいよね② Bunkasai tte Junbi shiteru Toki ga Ichiban Tanoshī yone②)

Vol. 3 Bonus chap 2

Episode 1 Midoriya Izuku: Origin (緑谷出久：オリジン Midoriya Izuku: ORIGIN) Episode 2 What It Takes to Be a Hero (ヒーローの条件 HERO no Jōken) Episode 3 Roaring Muscles (うなれ筋肉 Unare Kinniku) Episode 4 Start Line (スタートライン START LINE) Episode 5 What I Can Do for Now (今僕に出来ること��� Ima Boku ni Dekiru Koto wo) Episode 6 Rage, You Damned Nerd (猛れクソナード Takere Kuso NERD) Episode 59 What's the Big Idea? (何をしてんだよ Nani o Shitenda yo) Episode 67 Fighting Fate (抗う運命 Aragau Unmei) Episode 72 Red Riot (烈怒頼雄斗 RED RIOT) Episode 75 Unforeseen Hope (見えない希望 Mienai Kibō) Episode 83 Gold Tips Imperial (ゴールドティップスインペリアル GOLD TIPS IMPERIAL)

OBSERVATIONS, SPECULATIONS AND ASSORTED INFO:

You might notice a special focus on the Todoroki family as all their birthdays and statuses are listed. That's because this timeline was originally meant to focus solely on them and then I included info about the other characters.

LEGENDA:

Y1: The birthday was given during the first year of Todoroki Shōto at U.A. (Y1= year 1)

AB: The birthday was given before that character were to have his birthday that year (AB= ante birthday)

BNHA: “Boku no Hero Academia” manga.

TIMELINE (FROM THE BEGINNING OF APRIL TO THE END OF MARCH)

APRIL’S SECOND WEEK (BEGINNING OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR): Todoroki Enji (44) is still Number Two Pro Hero of Japan. Todoroki Rei is still hospitalized at Fujitani Hospital. Todoroki Tōya (22) is still assumed to be dead. Todoroki Fuyumi (21) might have already started being a teacher at Elementary school - Todoroki Natsuo (17) starts his 3rd year at High school - Todoroki Shōto (14) starts his 3rd year at Corusan Middle school.

ENTRANCE EXAM ARC

APRIL (LIKELY ON THE 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL): A giant Villain appears near Tatooin Station (田等院駅 Tatōin Eki). Nishiya Shinji/Kamui Wood (27) tries to stop him with his Lacquered Chain Prison (先制必縛ウルシ鎖牢 Sensei Hitsubaku Urushi Sarō) but, Takeyama Yū/Mt. Lady (22), who is debuting that day, steals the catch from him with her Canyon Cannon (キャニオンカノン). Midoriya Izuku (14) assists at the scene before going to school. 8.45 AM. At Aldera Junior High school (折寺中学校 Aldera Chūgakkō) the teacher points out how he should give future career forms but knows his students wants all to become Heroes. Bakugō Katsuki (14) let everyone know he'll apply for U.A. High school (雄英高校 U.A. Kōkō), planning to become the first in their school to be admitted in it. The teacher let the class know Midoriya too is applying for U.A. which lead the whole class to mock Midoriya, as he's Quirkless. 12.02 PM. In that same city (the translation says downtown but the Japanese test says 'Dōshinai' 同市内 which means "the same city") Toshinori Yagi/All Might spots the Sludge Villain as he runs away after stealing money. 3.31 PM. Once lessons end Bakugō mocks Midoriya telling him he can't dare apply for U.A. After school Midoriya is attacked by the Sludge Villain and saved by All Might who uses the Texas Smash (テキサススマッシュ TEXAS SMASH) against him. In an attempt to talk with All Might, Midoriya inadvertitely cause the Sludge Villain to escape and end up in Tatooin Shopping District (田等院商店街 Tatōin Shōten Machi), where he attacks Bakugō Katsuki (14) in what will become known as 'the Sludge Villain incident' (ヘドロ敵事件 Hedoro VILLAIN Jiken). Midoriya tries to save him spurring All Might into action, defeating the Villain with a Detroit Smash (デトロイトスマッシュ DETROIT SMASH) and having All Might later acknowledge Midoriya too can be a Hero even though he was born Quirkless. All Might will then tell him he will inherit his Quirk, 'One for All'. All Might will later inform of this his ex-sidekick, Sasaki Mirai/Sir Nighteye (37), ending up on arguing with him. This will lead Nighteye to take Tōgata Mirio/Lemillion (16) under his wing, believing him to be a better candidate to All Might’s power. Meanwhile Bakugō will completely stop tormenting Midoriya, whom he previously used to bully. [BNHA Chap 1, 131]

APRIL (2 DAYS AFTER - 6.00 AM): At Takoba Municipal Beach Park (多古場海浜公園 Takoba kaihin kōen) All Might trains Midoriya according to the 'Pass the test, American dream plan' (目指せ合格アメリカンドリームプラン Mezase gōkaku AMERICAN DREAM PLAN), by having him clean the beach. [BNHA Chap 2. 10 months before the entrance exam]

APRIL (3 DAYS AFTER): At Mt. Agency (Mt. 事務所 Mt. Jimusho) Mt. Lady is told she caused so many damages they’re in red. She inadvertitely turns giant and destroys her own agency. [BNHA Vol. 3 Bonus chap 2]

DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR: Aizawa Shōta/Eraser Head (29) expels his whole class and then reenrolled it. [BNHA Chap 7, 254]

SPRING OR SUMMER: At Musutafu private middle school (私立結田府中学校 Shiritsu Musutafu Chūgakkō), 3rd year Kirishima Eijirō (14) is impressed by the way Ashido Mina (14) uses to handle bullies. On the way back to school he sees her dealing with Gigantomachia, who was searching the Springer Hero Agency and scaring some girls who weren’t giving him directions. Kirishima feels bad because he couldn't move and comes to believe he can't be a Hero but, hearing an interview of Crimson Riot finds back his courage. So he decides he'll go to U.A. anyway, the following day apologizes to the girls he couldn't helpand to Ashido and start working hard to enter U.A. [BNHA Chap 144-145]

JULY 1: Todoroki Natsuo turns 18.

AUGUST 8: Todoroki Enji/Endeavor turns 45.

NOVEMBER: All Might realizes Midoriya (15) overworked himself. To respect Midoriya's efforts he changes his 'Pass the test, American dream' plan. U.A. School festival. Kenranzaki Bibimi wins the beauty pageant,Hadō Nejire/Nejire-Chan is the runner up. [BNHA Chap 2, 173]

DECEMBER 6: Todoroki Fuyumi turns 22.

END OF THE YEAR: Birth of Takagi Ken/Rock Lock’s kid [Age 0 Y1AB BNHA Chap 153]

JANUARY 11: Todoroki Shōto turns 15.

JANUARY 18: Todoroki Tōya turns 23.

FEBRUARY: Students submit school entrance application, examination admission card, and school report to the high school. [This is the month in which is usually done in Japan]

FEBRUARY 25: U.A. entrance exam, written portion, usually called Academic Achievement Examination [In Japan it's usually the day before the practical portion... though it can be it was after it]

FEBRUARY 26 (9.00 AM): Midoriya receives One for All then runs to take part to the U.A. entrance exam, Practical Skill Examination. During the test he can't make any Villain point but, unknown to him, totalize 60 resque points by saving Uraraka Ochako (15). Score for the practicals are out. Right after the test, Uraraka goes to Yamada Hizashi/Present Mic (30) and asks him if she can give some of her points to Midoriya but she's told it's unnecessary as the school has given him 60 rescue points. [BNHA Chap 3]

FEBRUARY: U.A. entrance test for recommended students divided into written part, practical test (a three-kilometer footrace) and interview. Todoroki Shōto places second after Yoarashi Inasa (15). Due to his behavior though, he makes an enemy out of Yoarashi Inasa who decides not to go to U.A. High School. [BNHA Chap 111-112. In Japan the entrance exams are all usually in February... We don't know if the recommended students had it prior or after the other students or in the same day but Present Mic is present to both so they take place in different times]

MARCH 5: Midoriya Izuku (as well as the rest of the students) receives the letter that informs him he’s been admitted to U.A. High School. [BNHA Chap 4]

MARCH (LIKELY THE DAY AFTER): After learing Midoriya and Bakugō passed the test their teacher congratulate with them. Bakugō angrily yells at Midoriya who refuses to let the other scare him. [BNHA Chap 5]

MARCH (AROUND THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH OR AFTER IT): Graduation Ceremony for the award of graduation certificates. [This is when it's usually done in Japan]

MARCH (THIRD WEEK): Midoriya, who, like all the students, has to send to school his Quirk registry and bodily specification forms along with a request form so that a support company will create their Hero costumes, when realizing he has to go to the city hall to get his Quirk registry form, phones to All Might, worried because he's been registred as Quirkless and is told he will be allowed to update it. Moments later his mother, Midoriya Inko, gifts him with a Hero costume made by her. [BNHA Chap 8. Three weeks before the school start]

MARCH (END OF THE MONTH): Spring Break. [This is when it's usually done in Japan]

[emblemxeno]

Ok, let’s switch gears from the Edelstan bs and talk about something more fun.

Got any fun Fates headcannons you’d care to share?

-Okay so Elise is canonically great at violin and Corrin is also noted to be a good piano player, so I HC that the Nohr siblings are all trained in some kind of instrument. Xander's good at bagpipes, but he saw Leo being good at bagpipes so he switched to cello. Camilla is great at any kind of percussion, cuz she gets to whack things and they make pretty noises.

-On the flipside, Sakura is the only one in the Hoshido fam who has any musical talent with her koto. The rest of the sibs cheer her on, Ryoma especially (he tried the koto once and the dividers in the palace got broken)

-Camilla dotes on her undead wyvern when she can. She got a baby wyvern as a gift from Garon when he was still good, but it killed by one of the other concubines or their kids. Her mom said if she "took care" of a certain rival within a deadline, she'd get the best sorcerers to revive her dragon friend. And she did it! Love that for her.

-Takumi hates royal gatherings, but partly why is because he has a picky aesthetic sense and the formal outfits were never his thing. That's why he's so appreciative of Oboro's talent. He's canonically a big bookworm, so I think he'd write some amazing poetry, too.

-Niles likes gazing at the full moon so much because it's something that can get dark and bleak but start to shine and be "full of light" again, something he finds beauty and comfort in.

-Rhajat's near death experience which changed her personality changed it in a way where she has an obsession with life and death, hence her lines about reincarnation in the JP version, devoting life and time to someone, creating Faceless as opposed to practicing Hoshidan magic, and her surprising knack for caring for plants (showing that she's good at supporting life's growth) in her support with her mom

-The doors in Nohr's castle had to be resized after Xander hit his growth spurt because he kept hitting his forhead on the top of the doorframe

-All of the ninjas can knit and sew because they're great with their hands, but Saizo doesn't do it anymore because he sees it as frivolous (Kaze still has a blanket his brother knitted for him when he was young)

-Ryoma grew his hair out because he wanted to emulate his father, but also because a baby Sakura once tried to climb it and he broke down in tears from how cute it was (Shiro eventually did the same thing as a baby)

-The scar Benny has on his face is one he got protecting endangered animals from poachers.

-Orochi totally told Kagero the story where Saizo wet himself from fear of the fortune she told him, and she purposefully told it when they were dating because Orochi is just built like that

-The Hoshidan army has a secret fight club, and one time Hinoka entered to get a designer pegasus saddle that was stolen from a merchant. She proceeded to clobber all of the contestants in her bracket. She never returned the saddle.

-Leo once used Brynhildr to grow other fruits and vegetables for a time, but he now only grows tomatoes cuz he got tired of all the puns that Corrin made ("heard anything through the grapevine?" "berry nice shrub you made, Leo" "Leo's my special spuddy buddy") and thanks the gods every day that he hasn't said "Toma-tome" yet (Corrin himself has forgotten this entirely in his shift to making fun of the backwards clothes)

-Corrin had successfully surprise attacked Xander with a love tackle once when he was little (and he has also forgotten about this), and Xander has held a secret grudge ever since and has gotten great at sneaking up on Corrin-despite being a huge motherfucker-just so he can scare his little brother all the time

These were fun to think of, thanks for the suggestion

[nowis-scales]

Rating: General Audiences

General Warnings: N/A

Fandoms: Fire Emblem Fates

Relationships: Corrin/Silas

Additional Tags: Weddings, Wedding Day Jitters, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Family Dynamics, Revelation Route

Story Word Count: 2,458 words

Story Summary: A war seems an odd time to get married, but to Corrin and Silas, there is no better place to unite in their love than the Deeprealm Fortress where they first fell in love.

[Read it on AO3.]

(Note: Due to potential threat of AI-scraping from Tumblr, I have opted to publish the actual text content of this fic only on AO3. Thank you for your understanding.)

[fayesdiary]

I don’t know if you still want asks for the Fire Emblem Series Ask Game (my apologies if you don’t), but 24, 27, and/or 28 all sound cool, if you’d be up to them :)

Hey Koto! Don't worry, you're still on time! Not like this ask games have a proper expiration date, anyway...

24) An FE title you wish would be remade?

Geneaology, hands down.

It's one of the most unique games in the series and has one of the best stories and worlds, but the best parts of it are bogged down by the game being clunky and unintuitive as hell.

But if it got the Echoes treatment? I think it could even have the potential to dethrone it for me.

27) Any fanfics/fan content you'd recommend? (You can plug your own stuff it's fine)

Most of the stuff I'd recommend is about Echoes so I'm not gonna mention it, so I'm gonna plug @iturbide once again!

They make some great Awakening and Fòdlan writings and discussions and fun fact, they were a major inspiration for this blog!

28) Because this fandom doesn't see enough discourse [citation needed], post a spicy hot take here🔥🔥

...I like the Fates localized names more.

While I grow more frustrated with Fates' localization the more I learn about it (my god the game deserved so much better than being butchered like this), I do think the localized names sound better and fit the characters more.

But maybe it's just that it's the names I'm used to, I dunno.

[quetzalpapalotl]

夭聖哀歌 (yousei aika) | Fairy Ranmaru ED - Translation

I can't get this sound out of my head, so I decided to translate it, and just like the anime, it gets cynical. You can stream it in Youtube as well as Spotify. Note that I'm not fluent in Japanese, but I did do my best.

The title translates to Fairy's Lament, sort of, more on that in the notes.

惚れた腫れたするくせい

ほんとんんわかっちゃいなに

愛は迷路　どこまでも

出口なんかありゃしない

horeta hareta suru kuseni

honton to kowaccha inai

ai wa meiro doko made mo

deguchi nanka arya shinai

Despite being madly in love

in truth, I don't understand

Love is a maze, no matter where

there is no exist

世は情け　そうは言うけれど

情けない　そんなことばかり

涙ひとつ汗とともに拭ってまた

他人の為に生きる

yo wa nasake sou wa iu keredo

nasakenai sonna koto bakari

namida hitotsu ase to tomoni nugutte mata

hito no tame ni ikiru

They say the world is merciful but

that's nothing but pathetic

Wipe a tear with your sweat again

Live for the sake of others

今日も昨日も先週も先月だって　一生懸命働いたのさ

あと一寸だと

光があると

己を騙しながら

kyou mo kinou mo senshuu mo sengetsu datte isshou kenmei hataraita no sa

ato chotto da to

hikari ga aru to

onore wo damashi nagara

Today, yesterday, last week and last month as well, I worked as hard as I could

Just a bit more and

there'll be light, I say

while deceiving myself

昨日も先週も先月だって誠心誠意働いたのさ

世界に尽くし

貴方に尽くす

哀れな夭聖

いつまでも励みます　すべて愛の為に

kinou mo senshuu mo sengetsu datte seishin seii hataraita no sa

sekai ni tsukushi

anata ni tsukusu

aware na yousei

itsumademo hagemimasu subete ai no tame ni

Yesterday, last week and last month as well, I worked wholeheartedly

Devoted to the world,

devoted to you

Pitiful fairy*

Forever striving, all for love's sake

そっぽ向けば振り向かれ

すがられちゃまたほだされ

切っても切れぬ赤い糸

愛ってやっぱりいけずね

soppo mukeba furimukare

sugararecha mata hodasare

kitte mo kirenu akai ito

aitte yappari ikezu ne

If you turn to the other side, you will be turned around

Being relied on will led to being moved by affection again

Red string of fate that won't break even if you cut it

Love is cruel after all

ため息をついてみたってさ

相槌を返す人もない

涙ひとつ落としたら何事もなく

また朝がやってくる

tameiki wo tsuite mitatte sa

aizuchi wo kaesu hito mo nai

namida hitotsu otoshitara nanigoto naku

mata asa ga yatte kuru

I tried to breathe a sight

There's no one to return the aidzuchi**

If you shed a tear, nothing happens

Morning will come once again

今日も明日も来週も来月だって　粉骨砕身働いましょう

世界万歳

貴方万歳

哀しき夭聖 Oh, my crying heart…

kyou mo ashita mo raishuu mo raigetsu datte funkotsu saishin hataraki mashou

sekai banzai

anata banzai

kanashiki yousei Oh, my crying heart

Today, tomorrow, next week and next month as well, I will work my best

Hooray for the world

Hooray for you

Sorrowful fairy*. Oh, my crying heart...

嗚呼、人生ってなんだろう

嗚呼、夭聖ってなんだろう

嗚呼、せめて少しでも

貴方は今、笑えていますか…？

aa jinsei tte nan darou

aa yousei tte nan darou

aa semete sukoshi demo

anata wa ima waraete imasu ka

Alas, what is life

Alas, what is a fairy*

Alas, at least, even if it's just a little

are you laughing now?

今日も昨日も先週も先月だって　一生懸命働いたのさ

あと一寸だと

光があると

己を騙しながら

kyou mo kinou mo senshuu mo sengetsu datte isshou kenmei hataraita no sa

ato chotto da to

hikari ga aru to

onore wo damashi nagara

Today, yesterday, last week and last month as well, I worked as hard as I could

Just a bit more and

there'll be light, I say

while deceiving myself

昨日も先週も先月だって誠心誠意働いたのさ

世界に尽くし

貴方に尽くす

哀れな夭聖

いつまでも励みます　すべて愛の為に

kinou mo senshuu mo sengetsu datte seishin seii hataraita no sa

sekai ni tsukushi

anata ni tsukusu

aware na yousei

itsumademo hagemimasu subete ai no tame ni

----

Yesterday, last week and last month as well, I worked wholeheartedly

Devoted to the world,

devoted to you

Pitiful fairy*

Forever striving, all for love's sake

**Aizuchi are Japanese interjections, they indicate that the listener is paying attention and understanding the conversation, is considered rude not to make any sounds when you're being spoken to.

*Rather than using the kanjis for fairy (妖精), the title and lyrics write yousei with the kanjis 夭 (early death, calamity) and 聖 (saint, holy), while they are indeed pronounced you and sei respectively, 夭聖 is not a word (and sei is used as a prefix), given that these guys are indeed fairies, is probably trying to give another connotation to the word and I choose to translate it as that, rather than make up some akward term.

Aditionally, the meanings I get for the kanjis for fairy are 妖 (attractive, bewitching, calamity) and 精 (refined, ghost, fairy, energy, vitality, semen, excellence, purity, skill).

[officialinuyasha]

Yashahime Original Sountrack Translation

Yashahime Original Sountrack Translation Corrected

Pictures of the Soundtrack Booklet was provided to me by Jessica Rich. I typed this all by hand and made grammatical/name/localization corrections. I went to four different people for answers to ensure proper translation corrections: Ayuuria, Eerie, Juli and Kari.

Rules: You must only link back to these posts (Tumblr or Facebook) or reblog/share. You are allowed to talk about any information from this post with credit.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OfficialInuYashaGroup/permalink/1310193236015428

Yashahime Original Soundtrack Kaoru Wada: It has been 10 years since "Inuyasha: The Final Act" concluded with a grand finale.

Even before that and still today, there is an ongoing friendship among staffs and cast members, as well as the original author Rumiko Takahashi (we even went to a certain tropical Island together!). From this great teamwork the idea of a sequel to "Inuyasha" arose naturally, but I never thought it would become a reality...! I first hear about the project while attending Anime Boston held in the United States in 2018. Coincidentally, Michihiko Suwa, the producer of Yomiuri TV (at the time), Hideyuki Tomioka, the producer at Sunrise and the screenwriter Katsuyuki Sumisawa were also attending the conference, and we had a lot of fun talking about the project. "Wada-san, we are counting on you on the music!" - when I was offered the opportunity to work on this project, my imagination started to grow even before the story and characters were developed (laughs). Then the time passed, I heard that the production team led by Mr. Sumisawa was struggling to giving birth to the original story, but when Rumiko-sensei drew the characters of Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha, the production made a huge progress all at once. In the spring of 2020, I received the specific script and synopsis, and the door of "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, which inherited the DNA of "Inuyasha", opened in front of me. Main characters are the twin daughters of Sesshoumaru and the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome. Their births and backgrounds are veiled in mystery and they must follow a rather fateful path in the story. Inevitably, I had a feeling that the music will be quite important. Generally, when the animation is based on an existing story, there is already the original comics available when the animation is being developed. We created the anime around it, so we would have ideas of the world and how the story develops, but the animations with original stories do not, so I often wondered when I was creating the music inside my head. In the end, I asked a few questions to Mr. Sumisawa, and after repeated consultations, I was finally able to find the worldview. Definitely giving birth to the music was difficult as well, but as the new characters succeeding to "Inuyasha" were gradually being drawn up, the motivation to write music also increased. Musically speaking, in keeping the musical DNA of "Inuyasha". Japanese musical instruments such as shinobue, nohkan, shakuhachi, biwa, koto, and also ethnic instruments are incorporated into the orchestra. All of the songs are newly written and recorded, but the story required songs from "Inuyasha", as well, so I made some amendments to the original score and made new recordings of them. In terms of songs, unlike adventurous, action-packed tone of 'Half-Demon Inuyasha', I made the main theme 'Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon fateful and epic. It meant to hint the fate of Yashahime, and to present the meaning of the song which connects generations. Similar to "Inuyasha", there are many different characters in this story. The Yashahime - Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha have theme songs as well as Demon Slayer, Jyuubee, and Takechiyo (please refer to my comments to each song). In particular, the main theme and themes for Towa, Setsuna and Moroha are played by Japanese instruments, while the orchestra adding colors. Antagonists such as Kirinmaru, the Four Perils, Riku, and as the enigmatic Zero are also characterized their personalities through music. Since I recorded the songs during the Covid-19 pandemic, the recording procedure was different from my usual style. The total number of musicians performing in the orchestra, playing Japanese instruments, ethnic percussions, piano and synthesizers accumulated to 50, but if we were to record at the same time, the studio became too crowded, so we had to divide the recording session into four sections. This method is not unique, but personally I like this old-school method of in-one-take recording! As for the music menu, which are discussed in the interview with the director Teruo Sato and sound director Yasushi Nagura, the total number of songs became nearly 60 songs, and if you add different versions, the total number became 76 songs recorded for the first "Inuyasha" was about 40 songs, so it is almost twice as many songs! We wanted to bring you as many songs as possible, so this album consists of a main disc and a bonus disc. The main disc consists of the original pieces for "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon", while the bonus disc contains trailers and new recordings of the original "Inuyasha" pieces. We also designed the booklet rich in content. And as a special treat, the album cover was illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi! In order to make the best out of the illustration, we made the album into an LP jacket packaging, and I think you can even enjoy the art by displaying the album in your room. By the time this soundtrack album is released in March, the story has reached its climax, and we all have sweaty palms over what happens to Towa, Setsuna and Moroha. As the composer, I would be very happy if you can enjoy this album while remembering the story so far. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to everyone involved in the music production of "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon", the successor to "Inuyasha", and especially Rumiko Takahashi who willingly illustrated the jacket artwork. Kaoru Wada

Teruo Sato (Director) X Yasushi Nagura (Sound Director) X Kaoru Wada (Composer) -First of all, please tell us how you all came to be involved in "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon". SATO: I've joined the team through directing "Inuyasha", and I was asked by the producer to be a part of this anime. I worked on Inuyasha: The Final Act as an assistant director and was told "How about making a new series inheriting the worldview (of Inuyasha: The Final Act)?". I gladly accepted the offer. NAGURA: I was working as a recording engineer on Inuyasha. The cast and crew of "Inuyasha" got along very well and met regularly every year. We always talked about doing a story beyond "Inuyasha". I was a little surprised to be asked to be the sound director. Since the story was not for "Inuyasha" but for the next generation, I decided to accept the job. I probably wouldn't have accepted if it were "Inuyasha". But actually, when I was working for "Inuyasha" I was working not only as a recording engineer but also a curator of the music, around the time of "Band of Seven" series. In that sense, I was involved one step further from the recording in this series, so I was able to take it straightforwardly without much pressure. Although I was told that this anime is about the next generation, since the first episode was almost like "Inuyasha", I thought, "Shouldn't the sound director of the first episode be Youta Tsuruoka (who worked on "Inuyasha" and "Inuyasha: The Final act")? (laughs). SATO: Tsuruoka-san visited the recording session of the first episode (laughs). NAGURA: That's right. That's how we enjoy working on this anime as a team (laughs). WADA: Since "Inuyasha" had such as agreat teamwork, I was also able to continue my participation with my trusted friends. Michihiko Suwa (of ytv Nextry, who is working on "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" as a planning collaborator) was the initiator of the idea, and I have heard about this anime from him at a very early stage. Initially it was called "Inuyasha 2", but after some twists and turns, the series became a new story that inherits the world of "Inuyasha".  Even so, many of the actors and staff continue to work on the series, so we feel the series is connected to "Inuyasha".

- This projected was made possible because the bond between the staff and cast of "Inuyasha" still existed. WADA: Yes, when the "Inuyasha" team gets together, staffs from Sunrise, the actors and staffs worked on the series, staffs from Shogakukan, and of course Rumiko Takahashi, the author of the original story are all present. That's why we are quick in many ways (laughs).

-What do you find attractive about "Inuyasha"? WADA: After all, I think Rumiko-sensei's original work is just wonderful. The character and worldview that Rumiko-sensei created, the beautiful ending of the story of "Inuyasha" have an incredible power. The inspiration from that was a huge part of the music as well. That's why making the music for an original series "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" was so difficult (laughs). SATO: The fact that you have to start from scratch is both fun and difficult, when it comes to creating an original series. I am completely relying on others (laughs). The worldview of "Inuyasha" is so special that when I was to direct the series, I said "If possible, I would like to ask the staffs who worked on "Inuyasha" on the design, music, and audiography. There are a lot of characters from "Inuyasha", and it takes time to tell new staffs about them from scratch...in order to eliminate the need for explanations, I wanted the same staff to join me as many as possible (laughs). But it seems that everyone had heard about it from some rumor in the wind and had been planning to do it, and they all came together when Suwa-san said, "let's do it." NAGURA: The characters in "Inuyasha" are very attractive, aren't they? Of course, they are very attractive on Rumiko-sensei's manga, and when the manga was made into an anime, the way the characters were directed, the way the actors put their voices on the characters, made them even more attractive. I believe that the charm of these characters is what makes "Inuyasha" work as an anime. And then there is the music by Wada-sensei. In a way, I think this is the strongest line-up. That's why I decided not to aim for "Inuyasha", when I was working for "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon". If I chase after it, I won't be able to catch up, so I decided to just do my best and have fun with the young actors. I mainly think about how to make the characters in "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" more attractive. WADA: After all, one of the biggest differences between "Inuyasha" and "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" is whether there is an original story or not. Whenever I work on a new piece, I try things around and always wonder if it's good enough or not. That's exactly what happened with "Inuyasha" when I first recorded it in 2000. As a result, we were able to create something that fit the series, but that was largely due to the fact that we had the original comics. This time, since there is no story to begin with, we don't know what will happen next, so we really feel like we are creating the world. It was quite afflicting and difficult. I actually had a lot of secrets meetings with Mr. Katsuyuki Sumisawa (chief writer), asking him for information about the characters and the story (laughs).

-How far as the scenario finished when you were writing the music for "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon?" WADA: I've heard the rough idea of the overall direction, but it kept changing and changing, and I think I had the final draft up to episode 7 or 8. SATO: It was in the single digits. The cutting (editing) process was completed up to episode 3 or 4, and that is all the information we had to ask him to create the music. WADA: There are a lot of characters, and if you just read the summary, you wonder like "Why are these twin sisters separated from each other? Where are their parents? "Why is Moroha alone?" I'm sure the viewers watching the show feel the same way, but at first, I too had a lot of questions (laughs). I heard that there were weekly scenario meetings, and even some major changes and shifts were made. NAGURA: When we ask Wada-sensei to compose the music, I first make a list of songs and ask the director to review it. After receiving the approval from the director, we handed it over to Wada-sensei and held a meeting. This time, I remember trying so hard to gather information from the plot to create the list. I wasn't attending the scenario meeting so I was searching for any small information from what I had (laughs). WADA: This is big birthing pains, isn't it? In "Inuyasha", there were character themes for the unique characters such as Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kikyo, so I wanted to keep that approach and made character themes for Towa, Setsuna, Moroha, and for other characters this time as well. But then I can't stop contacting Sumisawa-san again (laughs). SATO: That's how the number of meetings increased (laughs).

-So you asked Mr. Sumisawa directly "why does this character act this way?" and use that as a hint for writing the songs. WADA: Yes, also there was a part of me that wondered, "Where is this story going?". Although the music is not an answer to the story, but "Half-Demon Inuyasha", the main theme of "Inuyasha", is what we call swashbuckler-like music. But this time it's a little different. "What will happen to the three princesses in the future" was a major key to the motif of the songs, so in that sense I couldn't write without knowing the story.

-Based on Mr. Sumisawa's story, what was the motif in composing the main theme of "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon"? WADA: I can't tell you that at this stage because it would be a spoiler... (laughs). From now on, Towa and Setsuna will have a big mission and destiny waiting for them. That's what this song is about.

-I see NAGURA: By the way, the number of songs has increased quite a it since I initially asked Wada-sensei. That's because after Wada-sensei talked with Sumisawa-san, he came up with saying "Don't you think we need a song for this character?". But I thought "I'm sorry there are so many songs" even when I first handed the list (laughs). SATO: But it came back with even more songs (laughs). In the beginning we asked for 45 songs, which I think is still quite a lot for a 2-cour series. But then, the number of songs increased by 1.5 times. WADA: I don't often write many songs in other projects. I would rather say, "I want to cut down" (laughs). However, when I talked with Sumisawa-san and learned about the future storyline, I thought, "Right....We should make a song for this character...." (laughs). That's how we ended up with more. NAGURA: I will be grateful for the opportunity to use them. SATO: I want to use them to the full. -The film score of "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon has an atmosphere that follows the worldview of "Inuyasha." Do you have a formula for music that is unique to "Inuyasha", such as "using this instrument will give it Inuyasha feel"? WADA: Since the story is set in the Sengoku period, the concept from the begining was to use a lot of Japanese traditional instruments. When you think of Japanese traditional instruments, you might think of traditional music like Noh or Kabuki, but that's not the case, I wanted to introduce them into the orchestra withot feeling uncomfortable. That worked so well in "Inuyasha" that I carried it over to "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" as well. While "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" as a work, is not a position to be called a sequel to "Inuyasha", but it is a sequel in terms of music. SATO: That's what I ordered, too. I wanted the atmosphere of "Inuyasha" for sure however, it is a new series so I want the music to evolve as well. WADA: By the way, 'Half-Demon Inuyasha', the main theme song of "Inuyasha", was played in the first episode, but that was the newly recorded 2020 version. NAGURA: 'Half-Demon Inuyasha' was initially written in 2001, so about 20 years have passed since then. That's why I was concerned that if I mixed the music of "Inuyasha" in it's original form, with the newly recorded music of "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon", they wouldn't fit in the same palette. So, I had an intention to ask to have the minimum number of songs necessary from "Inuyasha" re-recorded. SATO: When the first episode was aired, the fans responded, "It's from Inuyasha"! WADA: After all, I think fans were expecting it. The way Nagura-kun used the music was really superb. NAGURA: No, no, I had no choice but to put it on in that scene (laughs). WADA: The first episode was really a "then and there" story, just like a buffer from "Inuyasha" to "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon". I think that 2020 version of 'Half-Demon Inuyasha' worked well to create a beautiful bridge.

-Earlier, Director Sato said that "I wanted the atmosphere of "Inuyasha" however, it is a new series so I want the music to evolve as well", Mr. Wada, how would you describe this "evolution"? WADA: My film score is basically orchestral, and I mix in various Japanese traditional instruments ad use special performing techniques to build up the worldview. It's the same method as last time, but the biggest part is to consider each character and directions they will take in the future. As in the case of "Inuyasha", there are many variations of one theme, and Nagura-kun chooses the music to suit the situation. I think it will change in the future, depending on the development of Towa and Setsuna's story, and the situation of Moroha.

-As the story unfolds, the way songs are heard is likely to change as well. When you write songs for each character, do you have a kind of main instrument for each character? WADA: Yes there is. It's just an image, but the main theme is basically biwa, shakuhachi and flute, just like in "Inuyasha". As for each piece, Towa is flute-based, Setsuna has koto, and Moroha has percussion and flute. Setsuna's song, Demon Slayer Setsuna, is kind of cool, kind of lyrical, like she's carrying something on her back. Moroha's song, Beniyasha Moroha, includes a djembe, an African drum, and various ethnic instruments. This was also the same in "Inuyasha", but I wanted to expand the sonic world a bit more by adding ethnic elements without focusing entirely on Japanese instruments. By the way, in the Inuyasha era. I also used the Chinese instrument erhu for Kikyou's theme. One more thing on the subject of composition, Moroha's theme is actually a variation of Kagome's theme. The image is that she inherited her mother's blood. I didn't include the theme of "Inuyasha" because no matter how I did it, people would know it is from "Inuyasha" (laughs).

-So there's a parent-child connection built into the music as well. By the way, what about Towa and Setsuna? WADA: As for Towa and Setsuna...It's a little difficult to inherit the motif of Sesshoumaru (laughs). SATO: Right, it could be a bit too stoical (laughs). WADA: I did not include it in Towa and Setsuna's themes because it was too much for the story to develop. Actually, Sumisawa-san once asked me if I could include the theme of Sesshoumaru somewher, but I said, "...I can't" (laughs).

-(laughs) Did Director Sato or Mr. Nagura give Mr. Wada any orders? NAGURA: No, what we have told Wada-sensei is basically just the original song list. This time, our request were quite rough. Not like "We are going to use the music in this particular scene, so please make the song in this direction", it was more like, for example if it was about the main theme, we would say, "this is the main theme" (laughs). Wada-sensei absorbed the concept around it, and we are grateful to use what he came up with. WADA: We can do that because of this team, and also because the story is inherited from "Inuyasha". NAGURA: In particular, for Towa's theme song, "Towa, the girl crossed time," I asked him to write about "The daughter who live in the present age, the puzzlement in the Sengoku period". I'm afraid I've left all the work to Wada-sensei...other than Towa's theme, I asked to write songs with concepts like "strong-willed, sense of justice, martial arts, fighting" and "determination, resolve, faith," so I had a certain image in mind to these songs. On the other hand, "the daughter who lived in the present age, the puzzlement in the Sengoku period"... (laughs). But I thought this would be the themes of Towa. It would be different if the song only reflected the puzzlement side. Wada-sensei was really good at handling this. SATO: In fact, this song helped us a lot. NAGURA: Yes it did. Especially in the beginning of the story, this song worked very effectively. WADA: I think that Towa is the closest to the viewer's point of view. In that sense, Towa's motif has the most arranged versions. I wanted to make them so that they could be used on various perspectives.

-Next, I'd like to talk about the recording process. I think the recording of this album took place during the coronavirus situation. Did you have any difficulties? WADA: The recording took place around the end of July. The orchestra consisted of about 50 people, 4 types of Japanese traditional instruments, ethnic instruments, and synths, as usual. I couldn't use the traditional recording method of "one take" because it would have been too dense for the Corona disaster. So we used the "section recording" method, where we recorded each section separately. The time required for the recording simply doubles, so it was a lot of work. There are more people doing it that way these days, though. But around April, when the state of emergency was declared, many studio musicians said they were too scared to go to the studio. If the session was in that time of year, I am sure I couldn't record such as a large group, no matter how much infection control measures I had taken. SATO: I believe it was about two months from commissioning the songs to the actual recording. I was wondering if you had enough time. WADA: I worked pretty hard (laughs). But for the main theme and themes of three girls, I was thinking about the motifs for a long time. What was difficult to see was how much music was needed for characters like Riku and Zero. Actually, at first, we were talking about writing songs for each of the Four Perils. But as more and more songs came out, we had to stop that.

-What did Mr. Sato and Mr. Nagura think when they listened to Mr. Wada's music? SATO: I was like, "This is Wada-san's songs!" (laughs). I felt so sure that the mixing process would be just fine. When the music was added to the first episode, it really created a worldview, and I felt the power of music after all. NAGURA: As soon as I heard the main theme, I thought, "We've won!" (laughs). In "Inuyasha" there is a big main theme called 'Half-Demon Inuyasha' which is still in everyone's ears, and this time we asked for a song corresponding to that song. Of course, works can never be compared in equal terms, but I was very relieved to have the song "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon" which is very ear-catching. It's very helpful for me to be able to create a solid story flow of Yashahime.

-Is there anything you do to make Mr. Wada's music blend in with the dialogue and sound effects? NAGURA: I don't have to think too much. The sound engineer is Kenji Furukawa, who is also a member of the Inuyasha team, and he's done a very good job of making the scenes stand out. When you put the effects and music together as they are, they sound like they're coming out with a bang. There was no need for me to say, "I can't hear this part so let's do something about it." I'm very grateful for that.

-That's also where the teamwork comes into play. Now, please tell us about your favorite song in particular. SATO: For me, I have to say it is the main theme 'Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon'. As Mr. Nagura mentioned earlier, we asked Mr. Wada to "Write something equivalent to Inuyasha", which is quite an unreasonable request. The song 'Half-Demon Inuyasha' is so well known that it is still played on variety shows about the Sengoku period. But Wada-sensei did his best to respond to such a reckless order. As Nagura-san said, the biggest thing for me was that we felt "We could now express the world of "Yashahime: Princess Half Demon". Of course, I like all the other arrangements, but the fact that he was able to create that song made me realize the amazing talent of Wada-sensei once again. WADA: Thank you so much. From my point of view, all of the songs are my cute children, but if I had to pick one... surprisingly, it would be 'Setsuna's Lullaby' with Setsuna's violin. I still wonder, "Why the violin?" (laughs). I am sure there is a development to it, but I was surprised when I first heard it. SATO: It was quite a sudden order, "I want you to play the Demon Slayer song with the violin" (laughs). WADA: In episode 4 there is a scene where Setsuna was playing and there is also a reminiscing scene, so the song wouldn't work if it was edited, so I asked the director "how long are you going to use the song?" (laughs). SATO: We showed him the film in advance, and he made the song to fit to that scene. The writing process was similar to theatrical films. For this song, Nagura-san was concerned about whether it may give a different meaning. If you use it in various scenes and attach too much meaning to it, you won't be able to get rid of that image when you use it in a different development. He said, "I think only Sumisawa-san knows". NAGURA: Right, it's not just the scene where Setsuna plays the violin, but there is a part of the song where I want to put Setsuna's feelings on it. So I asked him, "You're not going to use it differently in the future, are you? Suddenly Moroha can play the violin too..." (laughs). SATO: I don't think so. (laughs). WADA: (Laughs). Setsuna can't sleep, but this song is actually Setsuna's lullaby. I play the piano myself. The scene where mama Moe played in episode 4. Personally, I hadn't played the piano for a long time, so it was quite a challenge. If you listen carefully, you'll hear that piano not so great but even though mama Moe is a world-class violinist, she's probably not that good at playing the piano (laughs). Because of these memories, 'this song is a bit memorable. NAGURA: I like all of them very much, but my personal favorite is 'Deathlight'. It's one of the songs used in  the battle scene, and it's in 6 beats instead of 4. I love how the increased 2 beats expresses the sense of fear and oppression. I'm tempted to use it in the beginning, but every time I do, I will try to hold back a bit. WADA: Battle music is the key to any action series, so it's quite a struggle to figure out what to do this time (laughs). But on the other hand, the most interesting songs to make are the battle songs. The pictures also move the most, so there is a synergistic effect that makes me feel good. As in the case of "Inuyasha", I've been trying to change things up a bit, by using not so ordinary beats, or by adding contemporary music-like elements. Even though it was difficult, I had fun creating battle music for "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon"

-So you express a sense of urgency in that aspect. WADA: That's right. For example, the theme of "Mission Impossible" is in 5 beats, and when you listen to that rhythm, you feel that it's a suspense story, right? By using such a sense of rhythm, not as it is, but with a slight twist, you evoke a sense of rhythm that is ingrained in your body. So, the composer has to come up with more ideas in that regard. SATO: Is that related to the fact that Wada-sensei is a disciple of Akira Ifukube (composer)? WADA: Ifukube-sensei also specializes in rhythm in many of his works. There are a lot of odd time signatures in his special effects works. Originally, I didn't have many 4-beat songs in my life's work, only odd time signatures. When you listen to it in loops, it doesn't sound so strange. It's just a lot of work to edit (laughs).

-Thank you very much. Lastly, please give us your comments to those who purchased the soundtrack. SATO: For "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon", we have asked to write a lot of songs. I would like to feature as many songs as possible to the series, and at the same time, I would like people to listen to the soundtrack and immerse themselves in the world of "Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon". In addition, I would be happy if you could listen to the soundtrack of "Inuyasha" and feel the "world of Wada-sensei's music". NAGURA: If you want to use music in an animation, you will have to edit the because of the time. Actually, every time I do it, I feel like, "Wada-sensei, I'm sorry, let me cut it off" (laughs). However, when the soundtrack arrives in your hands, you will be able to understand the songs in their original form and enjoy them as songs. I hope you will enjoy the album from a variety of perspectives, either as a companion piece to the series or as a separate piece of music by Wada-sensei. WADA: This time, there are quite a lot of songs, so the album is a gorgeous 2 CD set. In the modern age, digital distribution is the mainstream, but I think it would be nice if people could enjoy the album as a physical object, looking at the pictures, reading the booklet, and imagining various things. As Director Sato and Nagura-kun said earlier, I would be happy if you could listen to the soundtrack and immerse yourself in the anime world again. By the way, you can now listen to the soundtrack of "Inuyasha" on digital platforms as well. I hope you will enjoy both of them.

[arcaneranger]

Final Thoughts - 2019 Long Shows

Dear Lord. This is where all the good shows went.

2019 was absolutely awful on a season-by-season basis (except for Summer, anyway), but that’s mostly because most of the best shows ran longer than what has become the industry norm of a single season. And indeed, heading into the new decade, we seem to be seeing a major renaissance for two- or split-cour shows, given the massive success seen by shows like My Hero Academia, Food Wars, and Haikyuu!!..particularly in comparison to the new perpetual-runners Black Clover (which, despite running for over two straight years now, is still not the most popular show of Fall 2017 by viewer count on MAL, and sits at a ‘meh’ 7.2), and even worse, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which is faring even worse on both counts even though it premiered two whole seasons earlier and the fact that it is the sequel to Naruto.

As a reminder of my rules, the shows on this list may or may not have premiered in 2019, but they finished airing this year. The split-cour rule (stating that I judge any show that “finishes” and then premieres a “new season” within six months) didn’t come into play for any 2018 shows, but it will for Ascendance of a Bookworm and Food Wars this year, at the very least.

With that being said! 25 shows running longer than thirteen episodes finished airing this year after being simulcast, and of those…

I skipped 6:

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part V: Golden Wind, Fairy Tail Final Series, A Certain Magical Index III, Ace Attorney Season 2 and Cardfight Vanguard (2018) because I either dropped or have not finished their previous (also long-running) seasons.

Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS because the simulcast started late and also it was bad.

I Dropped 8:

Worst Long Show of 2019: The Rising of the Shield Hero

It’s always fun to see that a show you hated from its first episode only gets more and more distasteful afterwards, but it’s less fun when a service you have to promote because they’re the legal option is forced to shove it down your throat because they had a hand in making it and it became a massive hit that your friends don’t see any issue with because the author wrote a story that justifies its hero’s patronage of the slave industry. This is my punishment for watching the whole first season of The Asterisk War before I knew better.

YU-NO: A girl who chants love at the bound of this world

A confusing mess from the word go, this ill-fated adaptation of a visual novel from the nineties seems like it was mostly made to cash in on the popularity of the Science Adventure series, but failed to present itself in a way that made an ounce of sense or looked remotely interesting.

Fairy Gone

Am I really the only one that saw potential here? I mean yes, it ended up a boring slog that didn’t care to move its plot in a meaningful direction, but the first episode was at least cool. I guess Izetta: The Last Witch should have taught me better.

We Never Learn

I know that I’m in the minority in terms of the male demographic for shows like this, but honestly, how are bland harem shows still this easy to market? A copy-pasted protagonist with copy-pasted waifus drag down what could be an interesting setup for a story. 

Karakuri Circus

The first episode of this one had me excited, the second and third left me bored to tears and wondering if it would continue to look uglier by the minute. I haven’t seen a three-cour show look this janky since Knight in the Area.

Radiant

Having heard good things about this show from my cohorts, I do feel bad for saying I’ll probably never return to Radiant, but when you have a show that’s notably written by a European author...and it turns out to be a frustratingly standard shounen affair with middling production values, well, you can see my earlier annoyance with Cannon Busters.

Ensemble Stars

This one still gets to me. It almost looked like a male-idol show I would finally be able to get behind, what with its rebellious attitude and oddball setting...that is, until the setting got to be too unbelievable and the show began drowning its audience in side-characters because they had to squeeze every husbando from the mobile game into the story, and it all began to resemble UtaPri a little too much...but without the production value.

Boogiepop and Others

This was a hard drop, honestly. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I felt four episodes in, before concluding that I was bored and not particularly invested, two things that should never describe the experience of watching a Madhouse show. The fact that this was the project responsible for ruining One Punch Man only made it worse. There’s a slow burn, and then there’s walking away without turning the stove on.

And I Finished 11 (holy crap that’s like three hundred episodes just on their own).

That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime (5/10 & 1/10)

I’ll be honest, I had forgotten just how livid I was with the ending (and especially the sad excuse of a recap episode) of Slimesekai, and reading back through my write-up of it, it’s certainly coming back to me. While this year had bigger demons to fight (Shield Hero), the bad taste that Slime left me with hasn’t really faded, and the wasted premise bugs me to this day.

Hinomaru Sumo (7/10)

What Hinomaru lacked in production value, it happily made up for in good execution and earnest heart. I can’t believe this came from the same studio as Conception, Try Knights and 7Seeds, but if they can only get out one good show a year, I’m glad that we got one bringing attention to a sport that many will joke about but few understand, respect and appreciate.

Kono Oto Tomare (7/10)

Speaking of giving love to traditional Japanese culture, here’s a decent-if-unoriginal show about a local high school koto club down on their luck, and the troubled teens coming together under a scrappy protagonist to bring it back to life. Kono Oto Tomare doesn’t have much that you haven’t seen before, but a decently-executed club drama with Your Lie In April-inspired musical performances is more than enough to keep me interested, and since Forest of Piano kinda crashed and burned under the weight of its own self-importance this year, it was nice to have an alternative.

MIX: Meisei Story (8/10)

It’s hard to judge MIX next to the other shows on this list because it’s almost too old-school for its own good, revelling in an eighties storytelling style that didn’t end up jiving with a wide audience this year. But at the same time, its fun character dynamics (and a very good dub from Funimation, despite them saying they’d never touch sports anime again) were very entertaining to watch, even if it didn’t focus as much on the sport it was supposedly about as much as I’d have liked.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (8/10)

I fully admit that I’m very salty about the fact that this won Show of the Decade in Funimation’s poll while it was still on and I thought there were hundreds of more deserving shows, but I can’t deny that Demon Slayer was a very enjoyable experience, albeit one that I had notable problems with. That’s not gonna stop me from getting mad when it sweeps the Anime Awards in a few weeks, though.

Fire Force (8/10)

I was very afraid that David Productions wouldn’t be able to match the energy of Studio Bones’ adaptation of Ohkubo’s previous work, Soul Eater, but I was happy to be proven wrong. Even if the last few episodes contained a bit too much infodumping, it was all sandwiched between jaw-dropping fight scenes that proved that the people who make Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure can still handle the reins of a more traditional action show.

Fruits Basket 1st Season (8/10)

I know that my score for this one is a bit lower than others, but I think that Fruits Basket did pretty well in its first season, considering that it was largely spent setting up future storylines and adapting the part of the manga we’d all seen before, but with much higher production value. I’ve been familiar with this part of the story for over a decade, and the scene with Tohru and Kyo (you know the one) still made me cry. Now, we get the real plot going.

Dr Stone (9/10)

A great start to a totally new spin on shounen, Dr Stone gives me hope for survival in the post-Shokugeki world in which we’ll soon live, as a show that wears its research on its sleeve. A complex plot weaving interesting characters in and out of a narrative surrounding a philosophical battle where both sides actually do have fair points (even if one of them is going about it in a pretty cruel manner). More please.

Vinland Saga (9/10)

Once again, a great start to what will hopefully be years of quality storytelling, Vinland Saga made it seem like it was dragging in the middle only to reveal just what its slow burn had been leading up to, with twist-heavy storytelling and a fantastic cast to match the high visual quality of its brutal battles.

Run With the Wind (9/10)

It’s not often that Production I.G. gets to make a complete, fully-realized show anymore, and this one was a glorious reminder of the potential of the studio in the TV space, and a great rebound for the director of Joker Game. It’s gorgeous to look at, the cast is wonderful, and the story is both realistic and idealistic in a satisfying balance. It’s a miserable process to get to the finish line in real life, but sitting back and watching this was nothing but a treat. At least, until a minor fumble at the end.

Best Long Show of 2019: Dororo (9/10)

Speaking of complete stories, Tezuka Productions and MAPPA teamed up for a breathtaking adaptation of an underappreciated Tezuka classic that expands upon the story in exactly the right way to create a thrilling, savage, beautiful masterpiece that focuses a laser-sharp eye into the relationship between two characters in their journey to, literally and figuratively, become complete people. Also, that opening was killer.

And that’s it! That’s the fun list. Next comes the painful one. Stay tuned for the trash heap.

[robynmarkius]

Remnant

I did promise I’d post this today. I meant to do it this morning, but language conversations happened and I got distracted. lol

I broke the long ‘comic’ into four images in hopes of helping the load times, but they’re still large for readability.

This is just the part with Elidibus. Kanji transcription, romanization, and text-only translation at the bottom as always. <3 I will give a cut to aid loading times and because I’m still not sure; even with the lift on Spoilers; if this might be a bit much since it’s basically the whole bit.

Kanji: エリディブス：これは…………。

エリディブス：ああ……そうだ………。 ゾディアークになれば、みんなを救えると思って…… けれど、なった後にも、仲間たちの嘆きが聞こえたんだ……。

エリディブス：世界の行く末について、たくさんの意見が出た…… そんなことは珍しいから、委員会のみんなが悩んでいた。

エリディブス：だったら、エリディブスが手助けしに行かないと…… そう思って、ゾディアークから零れ落ちたんだ。

エリディブス：そう……私は、好きだったんだ……彼らのことが……。

エリディブス：役目をやり遂げたら、もう一度見られると思っていたんだよ。 彼らの、幸せそうな笑顔を……。

エリディブス：私が最後に残ったって……仕方ないじゃないか……。

Romanization: Elidibus: kore wa......

Elidibus: aa...... sou da...... ZODIAAKU ni nareba, minna o sukueru to omotte...... keredo, natta ato ni mo, nakamatachi no nageki ga kikoeta n'da......

Elidibus: sekai ni yukusue ni tsuite, takusan no iken ga deta...... sonna koto wa mazarashii kara, iinkai no minna ga nayandeita.

Elidibus: dattara, ERIDIBUSU ga tedasukeshi ni ikanai to...... sou omotte, ZODIAAKU kara koboreochitanda.

Elidibus: sou...... watashi wa, sukitatta n'da...... karera no koto ga......

Elidibus: yakume o yaritogetara, mou ichido mirareru to omotteita n'da yo. karera no, shiawase sou na egao o......

Elidibus: watashi ga saigo ni nokotta tte...... shikattanai ja nai ka?

Translation: Elidibus: This is.....

Elidibus: Ah.... that's right... I believed I could save everyone, once I had become Zodiark... but afterwards, I could hear the lamentations and grief of my friends.

Elidibus: A great many opinions were expressed regarding the fate of the world... everyone in the Convocation was troubled, since such a thing was unusual.

Elidibus: That being the case, I could not go help them in my role as Emissary. I believed that they needed Elidibus, so I pulled myself from Zodiark.

Elidibus: Really... I loved... all of them.

Elidibus: I believed that I would see them again, once I had fulfilled my duty. Their happy, smiling faces......

Elidibus: There’s nothing for it then, is there? I'm the last one left......

Blurb/Notes: This translation went through about three iterations, but I’m satisfied with where it landed. I have a whole discussion over some parts of this, and other but I wanted to post this image; this scene; with the English translation. I’m writing up something including French translations for things. There have been some interesting finds I want to share, but this post is long enough as it is and this way, I don’t detract from the focused scene here. <3

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: 5 Anime That Seem a Lot Like Isekai (But Aren't)

  Isekai is a pervasive and imminently popular genre in anime right now, every season we find ourselves with more and more unfortunate characters who find themselves transported one way or another to a new world. So what if I told you there were actually even more isekai out there than you even realized? 

  Just look at this season's Tokyo Revengers, a story about a down-and-out guy named Takemichi who, after a tragedy rocks his life, is sent to the past and given the chance to change fate. Once working a lame job and dealing with normal problems, Takemichi is suddenly thrust into the life of a young gang member — a whole new world for him. When you think about it, for Takemichi 12 years ago is so different it might as well be a different world, and the chance to start over and gain a new lease on life is a core tenet of isekai. In other words, while unconventional, Tokyo Revengers is kind of an isekai in its own right.

  If that blows your mind, let me introduce you to five more anime you might not think of as isekai, but have secretly been part of this popular genre all along!

    Zombie Land Saga

  An idol show with bite — sometimes, literally. Zombie Land Saga follows a group of seven girls and their overly enthusiastic manager as they try to bring attention to the titular Saga Prefecture through their work as pop stars. The twist? They're all zombies from various periods in the past, ranging from the 1800s to 2011, resurrected in the year 2018. This sudden shift in age causes all of them to have different kinds of culture shock as they engage with things that might be new to them, like social media, and pine for things more common in their old "worlds." Though they are all Japanese, none of them are from current times, so we get to see each of them acclimate to their new "world" in their own ways, much like an isekai protagonist. Sort of like seven isekai in one!

  As a bonus, the protagonist Sakura initially dies in the most stereotypical isekai way — from being hit by a truck.

    Dr. STONE

  In most isekai, the hero is moved or transported to their new world in one way or another. Not in Dr. STONE — not only does Senku not have to move, he stays in place for over 3,000 years! While he was living in our current world, a sudden flash turned everyone on the planet into stone, leaving Senku and the rest of humanity stuck inside rocks seemingly forever. Senku eventually manages to escape his stone shell and emerges in an unfamiliar world — still the planet Earth, in the very same spot he was frozen, but with all traces of civilization completely erased by time. Now he has to use his knowledge of science to try and achieve progress as fast as possible to get humanity back where it was before the flash, and maybe even find a way to save all the people petrified thousands of years ago. Senku’s world may be nominally the same place but it actually couldn’t be any more different, and like any good isekai hero, he has to use his wits to save it!

    ERASED

  Much like Takemichi in Tokyo Revengers, ERASED's Satoru is sent back to the past after the murder of a loved one and is given the chance to prevent her death as well as a number of other tragedies. Unlike in Tokyo Revengers, Satoru is sent all the way back to elementary school, creating a very different dynamic for his story and adjustment to his new surroundings. Satoru must deal with being an adult in a child's body, masquerading as a normal kid while trying to unravel a mystery that proves to be much larger and darker than he ever anticipated. Watching him navigate a child's world is both amusing and enlightening. When seen from an adult's perspective, the world of kids feels contradictory, alien in many ways yet familiar in some other surprising ones, much like the world of our favorite isekai.

    Kyousougiga

  Kyousougiga takes place in a fantasy alternate dimension Kyoto where anything that can be imagined seems to be possible. Normally separate from the "real" world, the story really kicks off when a girl named Koto forces her way into this "mirror world" and follows her as she spends her days in Kyoto trying to find a way back to her original home. This is technically a more literal "isekai" than most on this list, since Koto is in an actual fully different universe, but isn't usually thought of as an isekai, probably because Koto wasn't sent to the Mirror Capital — she goes there herself! Directed by Rie Matsumoto, whose boundless creativity you might have seen on display in Blood Blockade Battlefront and the recent Pokemon music video "GOTCHA!", Kyousougiga is great if you're looking for a more traditional isekai in form if not in function.

    Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

  Ledo is a soldier involved in a galactic war involving superweapons, squid aliens, and intelligent AI — that is, until in one battle, he and his robot Chamber are knocked into a wormhole and sent lightyears away. Found by a caravan of ships on a water-covered planet, Ledo and Chamber discover that the wormhole has sent them all the way to Earth, the birthplace of humanity. Ledo and Chamber have to adjust to life in a new world they thought was just a myth, without all the technology and conveniences of their old world, while uncovering some long-forgotten truths about the past along the way. While most isekai protagonists don't start in a world as advanced as Ledo's, moving from a technologically advanced setting to a more simple one is an isekai tradition, and while Earth may not be in the same galaxy, in this case, it might as well be a different world altogether. Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet has all the hallmarks of an isekai but with a sci-fi twist!

    And there we have it — five more shows for you to check out if you're itching for more isekai but think you've drained the well. Or maybe you love the idea of isekai, but you want a new take on the concept and themes it usually comes with. Either way, all of these shows have what you're looking for, so while you're waiting on new episodes of Tokyo Revengers, give them a try!

  Do you have a favorite that you think is secretly an isekai? Let us know in the comments below!

      David Lynn can be found obsessing over Fate/Grand Order on Twitter @navycherub.

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

By: David Lynn

[for-peace-war]

Souseimi-taikoutaigou-no-Yotsumemagomusume-Chūgū, also known as O-Tsuya, is the fourth granddaughter of the late grand-queen Souseimi and the fundamental consort to King Yobotansei.  For a time she was considered the rival of the mysterious O-Seiyuri (mother to Mitsumi), though the two were also known to perform exceptional ballads together.  Her name has been westernized to “Duchess Saccharina.”

As the granddaughter of Queen Souseimi, O-Tsuya was born into the fourth tier of the Mitsukishi social hierarchy, behind the Queen, hereditary princesses, and non-hereditary princesses of the queen’s immediate bloodline. As such, her mother was offered the option of submitting her to the Sen’yaku no Kyūden, where she would be permitted to begin development of regenium or to study as a lady-in-waiting within the palace gardens.

Due to Queen Souseimi’s brutal civil war with her twin sister and co-ruler, Queen Souseibi, Souseimi’s daughter (Queen Komi) wished to reduce the potential for future dynastic splits and incentivized her immediate family to abandon service in Sen’yaku no  Kyūden, thus stunting their ability to perform the duties of a queen should another war break out, O-Tsuya’s mother (Princess Hanakyo) chose to submit her daughter to the latter option.  This decision proved fateful, as a suspicious Queen Komi later purged the Sen’yaku no Kyūden of many “potential” detractors after selecting her daughter, Princess Kakou, to succeed her. 

While her relatives were executed in the purge, O-Tsuya went on to become “Lady of the Golden Koto,” a prestigious position of pleasure and political sway.  She even composed a death poem,  Mojiretsu no Muketsuna Mitsu (Strings of Bloodless Honey), which both captivated her and haunted many. 

As a result of her upbringing and elevation, O-Tsuya developed  a keen respect for the balance between servitude and sacrifice. Thus, she did her best never to venture too far into the one without being aware of the value in the other.  This decorous and gracious nature made her a natural favorite of many.  She became a friend of the future king, Prince-Consort Yobotansei, and tutored and raised his daughter, Mitsumi, in the arts of ettiquette and refinement. She became, in many ways, an adoptive mother to the child.

After Queen Kakou’s assassination and Yobotansei’s elevation to the first male ruler of Mitsukishi, O-Tsuya received the position of “chūgū,” making her the fundamental consort of the king but not his primary (kōgō), a decision that was both crafty and cruel.  O-Tsuya is thus the highest ranking woman in the king’s court, but unless she is promoted to kōgō, is more a morganatic wife than King Yobotansei’s equal. 

Speculation holds that because she was denied the queen’s reginium as a child, O-Tsuya cannot produce her own and thus is unfit to serve as a queen in the ceremonial fashion it held under previous queens. Whether or not this is true, she remains a dedicated and loyal follower of King Yobotansei. On one occasion she did make a daring play to show him the folly of his ways—a play that may in the end, show she chose sacrifice over service, in the end. 

ENORMOUS WRITE UP ASIDE, this was a birthday gift for top bud @lordcaliginous​ from Myar21. More lore for his original game, World of Atma, which recently wrapped up its first chapter and was a hell of a lot of fun.

Sorry for the lateness!  Bee girls forever.