#Minato 1 Shot

[luckyrave]

Minato: Naruto 1 Shot Manga Livestream Discussion/Review: WHIRLWIND INSIDE THE VORTEX!!

Masashi Kishimoto has returned to the Naruto verse with the Minato One Shot Manga that was announced after the Naruto 99 Popularity votes that took place from the tail end of 2022 to the first month of 2023.  This has been something I've been waiting to see from Kishi for a very very long time, and I am very excited to dive back into the Naruto verse and talk about this one shot on Minato Namikaze.

[blmpff]

MINATO'S LAUNDROMAT (2023) 2x1

[ova-kakyoin]

hi guys i wrote a bucchigiri fic lol

[mixelation]

on sakura in reborn au

i was considering team 7 dynamics and going into it, minato & kakashi both assume the issues will be a sasuke-naruto thing. they annoy each other, and naruto considers sasuke a romantic rival and will actively pick fights with him, and sasuke is ready and willing to escalate those fights. minato & kakashi knows naruto likes sakura and sakura likes sasuke (because naruto won't shut up about it), but i don't think they've considered sakura's role in the dynamic beyond "idk, maybe she'll act weird around him"

i think a lot of sakura's canon annoyances with naruto were organic (as in, she just found him annoying, regardless of any social cues about how he was Bad News she was additionally picking up). aside from that one awful comment she made to sasuke, the only times we see sakura being "mean" to naruto are after he's been obnoxious to/around her. she tells him off for trying to prank kakashi because she's a teacher's pet, but she ALSO privately thinks this is funny. we also see multiple instances in part 1 of her actively trying to protect him. in the manga, she tackles naruto out of the way to save him from zabuza. she is ready and willing to tank her own promotion to chunin and sasuke's in order to protect naruto's dream of being hokage (she's told they can't retake the chunin exams if they fail the written test, but they CAN retake if they drop out, and even though she's confident she will pass, she starts to raise her hand to drop out so NARUTO will get a second shot). she gets beat up in the forest of death trying to protect naruto (and sasuke) and then afterwards attempts to protect naruto emotionally by telling him she cut her hair because she "felt like a change" and not explaining what happened (i don't think not telling him is a good call, but i do think she did it because she wanted to protect him). i think her awful comment about naruto not having parents was maybe something she felt was socially normal/acceptable to say because everyone did hate naruto, which was why she thoughtlessly blabbed it to sasuke. she'd maybe even heard other people saying similar things and thought this was just how she's supposed to think about him. but i don't think she ever truly hated him; she just found him kind of annoying

the point of all this is that i don't think sakura dislikes naruto the way some people write her to. but she doesn't like him hitting on her, and she doesn't like when he does crude stuff around her.

so, given that, now imagine a situation where there's not random society-wide shunning of naruto. he's still loud and obnoxious, so i think sakura would find him grating even if she secretly thinks some of his pranks are funny. she doesn't even consider returning his crush. that is not on the table for her. she still likes sasuke. she still breaks up with ino because i maintain that that was an act of sakura trying to make herself an independent agent from ino and not ino's sidekick. but. but. she has fewer overall problems with naruto. naruto is the class clown but he's not a pariah; he's the hokage's kid and he has social clout

so maybe. consider this. sakura does not return naruto's crush, but his attention is now sort of fun and exciting. she's twelve, after all-- this is new to her, and she's feeling out what she likes and she's not necessarily mature or emotionally aware enough to not be a huge brat. it's fun when naruto brings her flowers and she gets to turn him down in front of other people. it's fun that everyone knows the hokage's son is in love with her, and that she doesn't have to love him back to keep this attention on her.

it is extremely fun when naruto sees her sighing over sasuke and then goes to fight him and then sasuke escalates.

kakashi gets his team and is told there might be some typical twelve year old crush drama, but sakura's personality is predicted to balance out naruto and sasuke's tendency towards fist fights.

and then kakashi watches her intentionally goad them into a fight and then fucking preen and he's like. oh. oh no.

[mirai-e-jump]

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger FLT | Pamphlet ft. Main Cast Messages & Takano Minato Interview (pages and translations below, LONG POST)

Publication: mid March 2024

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger FLT (act.1)

The story of the Royal Sentai ended with the defeat of the Uchu King Dagded Dujardin. That's how it was supposed to go, but…

Soon after, there was alittle incident. Make no mistake, Chikyu is also at risk. But, it's hopelessly stupid and ridiculous, and will definitely cause a big commotion. An inconceivable comedy. We'd be happy if it makes you laugh.

-Synopsis-

The kings have gathered for the "Six Kingdom Summit" to decide who's most suitable for the "face" of the new banknotes, but for some reason, the "story" takes an unexpected turn…..

Hehehehe.

Sakai Taisei (Gira Husty/KuwagataOhger) "I'm going to rule the world!"

The king of Shugoddam, the largest country in Chikyu, and the one where the guardian god resides. He transforms into KuwagataOhger. He grew up in an orphanage in Shugoddam's castle town, but it later turned out that he was the younger brother of the (then) king, Racules. However, his true identity is a life form created by the Uchu King Dagded. His ability to communicate with the Shugods and his immortal body were inherited from Dagded.

"Looking back, say a few words for the character you spent a year playing!" I feel like I've also grown after being moved by Gira's feelings for others!! Thank you Gira Husty!

"Out of all 50 episodes, which one was the most memorable?" It's episode 49! It was cool to see everyone working together to take down Dagded! Don't mess with Racules's little brother! Stuff like that was good!

"Sakai Taisei's "confidential episode" that he can only talk about now!" I was given the OK for a take in episode 48 where my pants zipper was wide open! When I checked, it was well hidden. Thank goodness~💦

"Please show us your enthusiasm for the Final Live Tour!" This will be the culmination of King-Ohger, and it may be the last time we'll be able to meet everyone! Let's enjoy it as much as we can!

"A message to the fans who have supported you over the past year!" Thank you for your support over the past year! The warmth and energy I felt when meeting everyone at these events was truly encouraging! It would make me happy if you continue to love Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger from now on! See you later ^_^

Watanabe Aoto (Yanma Gast/TomboOhger) "I'm on top!"

The king of N'kosopa, the country of technology. He transforms into TomboOhger. N'kosopa's national power, which was once a satellite state of Shugoddam, has been greatly enhanced by technological innovations. Although he himself is a top class engineer, he was originally born in a slum and is considered an "upstart" He's got a bad mouth and says "octomush" and "slack jawed tanuki" on a daily basis.

"Looking back, say a few words for the character you spent a year playing!" Thank you Yanma Gast.

"Out of all 50 episodes, which one was the most memorable?" I have fond memories of episode 2, which was shot on location during the cold season, and was created together with the extras who applied to be in the show.

"Watanabe Aoto's "confidential episode" that he can only talk about now!" Halfway through my nose wouldn't stop running, so I was given multiple "runny nose NG" cuts.

"Please show us your enthusiasm for the Final Live Tour!" With the story that everyone's put together in their minds, we'll beat things down with guts and brains until the very end.

"A message to the fans who have supported you over the past year!" Thank you for your support over the past year. The story ends here, but I'd be happy if you remember us again someday and come visit us here in Chikyu to play. And with that, until we meet again!!

Murakami Erica (Hymeno Ran/KamakiriOhger) "I'll do as I please and follow my own path!"

The queen of Ishabana, the country of fine art and medicine. Having lost her parents in the "Wrath of God," she became king at a young age. She transforms into KamakiriOhger. She loves beautiful and cute things, and will always get what she likes by any means necessary. However, on the other hand, she's also a passionate doctor who has no hesitation in "saving someone's life."

"Looking back, say a few words for the character you spent a year playing!" I'd be happy if many people were "saved" by Hymeno's strength!

"Out of all 50 episodes, which one was the most memorable?" It's episode 28, where the kings swap bodies! In any case, we had fun and I think we saw the depth of each other's roles!

"Murakami Erica's "confidential episode" that she can only talk about now!" I brought my own bento to maintain my health and stay in shape, and yet……the famous tokusatsu "popeye onigiri," I never got to try it!!! (laughs)

"Please show us your enthusiasm for the Final Live Tour!" I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone who supported King-Ohger in all the regions around the country! Let's have lots of fun together 💛

"A message to the fans who have supported you over the past year!" Thank you for your support of King-Ohger over the past year! Even though the broadcast is over, I hope that this production will live on in everyone's hearts. Take care~💛💛💛

Hirakawa Yuzuki (Rita Kaniska/PapillonOhger) "Remain immovable"

The king of Gokkan, the country of ice and snow. They also serve as the Chief Judge of the International Court of Justice, which protects the neutrality of the world. Because of their position, not only do they always keep their facial expressions hidden, they rarely show emotion, but when they're at a loss, they sometimes makes strange noises. They're of few words, and never speak in public about anything unnecessary. The only thing they can make an exception for is their plushie of the animated character "Moffun." They transform into PapillonOhger.

"Looking back, say a few words for the character you spent a year playing!" It was difficult, but it was really fun to perform!

"Out of all 50 episodes, which one was the most memorable?" It's episode 5, "The King of Winter is Coming." It was my first trial scene, and it was a very important part of the story, so I clearly remember being very nervous during filming. It was really embarrassing when I said "death penalty" to Gira in the scene where I should've said "not guilty"……It's a fond memory now (laughs).

"Hirakawa Yuzuki's "confidential episode" that she can only talk about now!" To be honest, I'm not good with early mornings, I'm always in high spirits, but in the morning I'm about 2 beats behind in my reactions…(laughs).

"Please show us your enthusiasm for the Final Live Tour!" I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone who's supported King-Ohger!! Definitely look forward to it :) I'm also looking forward to meeting everyone! I also want to eat lots of tasty food~! (laughs).

"A message to the fans who have supported you over the past year!" To everyone who's supported Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger over the past year, thank you so much. Everyone's messages of support and the power you gave me at these events kept me going until the end. I'd be very happy if this production remains in everyone's hearts even after the broadcast is over. King-Ohger is the best!! Thank you!!!

Kaku So (Kaguragi Dybowski/HachiOhger) "By any means necessary!"

The lord of Toufu, the country of agriculture. He transforms into HachiOhger. He's always humble and polite in tone, but the theatrics of his words and actions tend to stick out, so he's what you'd call a "trickster." He's "two faced" and will lie with ease in order to achieve his goals, but he's also willing to take the initiative to sweat and dirty his hands by "tainting them pitch black" in order to protect the lives of his people.

"Looking back, say a few words for the character you spent a year playing!" You're so cool Kaguragi! Just like you, I'll live big so that I can protect what's important to me!

"Out of all 50 episodes, which one was the most memorable?" It's episode 37!! Interacting with the former lord Iroki was fun to perform, and it was cool as Kaguragi too!!

"Kaku So's "confidential episode" that he can only talk about now!" Around the time the script was being finished, I avoided doing muscle training because I figured Kaguragi would be more of a brainy character, but then I thought a powerful character would be more interesting, and so I enjoyed my muscle training life.

"Please show us your enthusiasm for the Final Live Tour!" At last, the final stage! We'll all do our best to bring out the charm of King-Ohger without fail. Please enjoy it until the very last moment!

"A message to the fans who have supported you over the past year!" Thank you very much for your support so far. Without everyone's warm support, I wouldn't have been able to make it through this past year at full power! There's no doubt, King-Ohger has become an irreplaceable and important work in my life! I hope this production will remain in everyone's hearts for a long time!

Ikeda Masashi (Jeramie Brasieri/Spider Kumonos) "I rule over all and decide the fate of the world."

A man born between his father, the sixth hero that saved mankind 2,000 years ago, and his mother Nephila, a Bugnarak. His real name is Jeramie Idmonarak Ne Brasieri. He transforms into Spider Kumonos. As a "storyteller," he has long passed down the history of Chikyu, but finally realized his purpose when he showed up to stop the war between humans and Bugnarak.

"Looking back, say a few words for the character you spent a year playing!" I'm happy that I encountered Jeramie, and that he was loved and accepted.

"Out of all 50 episodes, which one was the most memorable?" The first six person Royal Arms transformation. It's the best part about Sentai heroes, and I remember getting goosebumps the moment I saw the image of those six.

"Ikeda Masashi's "confidential episode" that he can only talk about now!" I spilled coffee on my pure white costume.

"Please show us your enthusiasm for the Final Live Tour!" We'll do our best to make it enjoyable for everyone.

"A message to the fans who have supported you over the past year!" King-Ohger wouldn't have been possible without everyone who has supported us. Thank you for all the love! May it continue to remain in everyone's memories. Thank you for the past year!!

Yano Masato (Racules Husty/OhkuwagataOhger) "May the blessings of the Shugod's be upon these warriors!"

The former king of Shugoddam. He inherited the throne from his father, Causus Husty. He believed that it wouldn't be easy to protect Chikyu from the threat of the Uchu King Dagded, and while acting like a selfish and reckless tyrant himself, his intent was to earn Dagded's trust and patiently wait for his chance to prevail. He transforms into OhkuwagataOhger. He joins forces with the Royal Sentai in the final battle.

"Looking back, say a few words for the character you spent a year playing!" I'm happy that I was able to play Racules!

"Out of all 50 episodes, which one was the most memorable?" For me, I have memories from every episode, including the ones I didn't appear in, but I'll never forget (the performance of) Sakai-kun fighting during filming of the first episode.

"Yano Masato's "confidential episode" that he can only talk about now!" Starting from the second chapter, my body had gotten so big that my costume became abit too tight (laughs).

"Please show us your enthusiasm for the Final Live Tour!" We'll do our very best to entertain everyone!

"A message to the fans who have supported you over the past year!" King-Ohger was really deep, huh? ^_^ I was very happy to be involved in this production! I think I made it through this past year due to everyone's support. From now on, it would make me happy if it continues to live on in everyone's hearts forever!

Friends of the King-Ohgers

Shugoddam Douga: He was the retainer and right hand man for Racules, and was in charge of Shugoddam's "military" affairs. Although he tried to find employment in the other countries, he eventually returned to Shugoddam and became the retainer to the new king, Gira. His personality is always serious. Kogane & Boone: A young girl and boy who love Gira, and who lived with Gira in an orphanage in Shugoddam's castle town. Goroge: In a way, he's a prominent figure, who for better or for worse, is someone who expresses his honest thoughts through words and actions when a major incident occurs.

N'kosopa Shiokara: Yanma's retainer who has deep respect for him. Originally a criminal in an organization that circulated counterfeit money in N'kosopa, he was reformed after meeting Yanma. He took on a supportive position for Yanma, who believes that technology can change the future. Akka, Usuba & Mayuta: These three are citizens of N'kosopa, who along with Shiokara, were once involved in the circulation of counterfeit money. After meeting Yanma, they were reformed like Shiokara. Their relationship with Shiokara hasn't changed since then.

Ishabana Sebastian: Hymeno's retainer. He's actually 25 years old, but when he became Hymeno's butler, he was given special makeup to give him an older appearance, and his name was changed from his real name, Romane Dearborn. Originally, he was the heir to a ducal family that has existed in Ishabana for 1,000 years. Elegance Moun: The chief physician of Ishabana. As her name suggests, she has an elegant appearance, but shows no compromise in her work (medical care), and acts with a strong will and sound judgment. Hymeno also places deep trust in her. Cleo Urbanus: The head maid who serves Hymeno…..which she is, but she has great physical strength and is also good at martial arts. In order to save Hymeno and the others, she once confronted a group of Sanagim and fought them off. In the final battle, she fought bravely alongside Kuroda and the others.

Gokkan Morphonia: Rita's retainer. She's a lazy person, and would rather not work if she can help it, but she does her job well. She's also the person who best understands the pain of loneliness that Rita carries. As a "child of criminals," she has mixed feelings about her position as a candidate to succeed Rita.

Toufu Kuroda: Kaguragi's retainer. Because of his position, he's usually quiet, but when he speaks, he has a smooth voice. His appearance is that of a so called "Kuroko," but the cloth that covers his face has a smile drawn on it. There are other Kuroko's who work at Takitate Castle, but Kuroda is thought to be their leader. Suzume Dybowski: Kaguragi's younger sister whom he dotes on. She calls him "big brother." She was in poor health as a child. She lived in Shugoddam as a "hostage" for the reconstruction of Toufu, but when she realized Racules's "objective," she chose to live as his willing accomplice.

Earth Empire Bugnarak An evil kingdom ruled by Desnarak VIII. After the overthrow of Desnarak VIII, it was reborn as the "Inbetween Land Bugnarak." Although it was once destroyed by the Uchu King Dagded, efforts to rebuild were continued in secret with Jeramie at the forefront.

Desnarak VIII: Ruler of the Bugnarak. Possessing the characteristics of an earthworm, he obtains nutrients from the soil and transforms them into his own energy. He met his end after being betrayed by Prime Minister Kamejim, but emerged from the Land of Death in the final battle. He worked together with the Royal Sentai and sent Kamejim to the Land of the Dead. Kamejim: Although he was the Prime Minister who served Desnarak VIII, he was actually the mastermind behind the battle between humans and Bugnarak, and was "Kamejim of Vanity" of the Uchu Five Jesters, who infiltrated Chikyu under the orders of Dagded. After that, he resumed his activities as Kamejim Unka. Daigorg: General of the Bugnarak who possesses the characteristics of a horned dung beetle. A hero to the Bugnarak, he contributed greatly to the unification of the underground world. He was revived through the technology of Shugoddam, but was defeated in a fierce battle with King Caucasuskabuto. Gerojim: A monster possessing the characteristics of a mayfly. By applying light refraction, he can mimic the appearance of a human. After being saved by Jeramie, he became loyal to him, and soon after was active as Jeramie's retainer, who had become the king of the "Inbetween Land Bugnarak."

Uchu Five Jesters A group of aliens led by the Uchu King Dagded. Up until now, they've led different species on numerous planets to conflict and destruction. With their sights set on Chikyu as their next target, they first attacked the Inbetween Land Bugnarak, and then launched a full scale attack to destroy all living beings on Chikyu.

Dagded Dujardin: The creator of all insect life forms. He has an invulnerable body that's immune to all attacks, and because of this, he always has time to speak and act in a way that belittles his opponents. For him, the destruction of other life forms is merely a form of "tidying up." Goma Rosalia: One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Goma of Suspicion." He possesses the characteristics of a longhorn beetle. He has the ability to swap any concept, from human minds to matter, and has swapped the bodies of the kings of six kingdoms. He unexpectedly died in battle after being brainwashed by Hilbill. Hilbil Leech: One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Hilbill of Enticement." She brainwashed the king's retainers and citizens, turning the human race on Chikyu into mobs. Finally, she brainwashed (it's implied) herself to become a giant in order to corner the King-Ohgers, but was ultimately defeated. Minongan Moth: One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Minongan of Concealment." Just as he looks, he's a "power fighter," with high offensive and defensive power. Angered by the defeat of Hilbil, he challenged the Royal Sentai to a battle in order to give him what he craved, but was defeated by the combined power of Kaguragi and Rita's "King's Proof." Grodie Leucodium: One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Grodie of Tranquility" He's the one responsible for causing the "Wrath of God." In order to defeat this "living corpse," the Royal Sentai implemented a strategy to bring him back to life. Grodie tried to bring upon the "Wrath of God" again, but was dealt the final blow.

"Thank you for your support over the past year"

Main Screenwriter Takano Minato Interview

"By the time this article is published, Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger's broadcast will have already finished airing. At this point (at the time of this interview), the writing process of the script may still be fresh in your mind, but how do you feel after writing a year long drama series?"

Takano: I'm clumsy by nature, so all I've been thinking about for the past year was "King-Ohger." I was just concentrating on the production. It's not an exaggeration to say that I was risking my life. That's why I feel so much attachment to it. In reality, I had to immediately start working on "King-Ohger VS Donbrothers" right after I finished the script for the final episode, so I didn't feel a sense of freedom (laughs), but I did feel a sense of accomplishment that I had made it to the end.

"So far, you've participated in the Kamen Rider series as one offs, but King-Ohger was the first time you participated in the Super Sentai series. Furthermore, it was the position of Main Writer……"

Takano: Toei's Producer Omori Takahito, who I worked with on "Kamen Rider Ex-Aid" and "Kamen Rider Zero-One," called me through his office, where I remember immediately saying, "I'll do it!" (laughs). For me, the most significant thing I had done before King-Ohger was the hour long drama "Shinhannin Flag," which ran for two quarters (half a year). That production was an original project for TV, it wasn't an adaptation, and one hour a month for half a year is about the same as 30 minutes a month over one year, right? I think I was lucky in terms of timing, as I was able to build such a track record.

"There were many challenging factors to the production of King-Ohger."

Takano: The first thing Omori-san told me was the concept of the project, "Everyone is part of the Royal Sentai. Furthermore, all of them are the strongest." Then, a switch was flipped and I thought, "Interesting!" We decided to have a brainstorming session, and on that day, I had created and submitted a complete set of ideas for the worldview of King-Ohger, the image for each country, character settings, and the overall series structure. At that point, I had already included the story surrounding the Uchu King and Racules. Looking back, it was like I had put everything I liked and had accumulated since childhood into it. For the main characters, with the exception of Gira, everything I wrote at the time went almost unchanged.

"What do you mean when you say accumulated?"

Takano: In the household I grew up in, TV and video games were prohibited when I was young, but because of my parents work, I was surrounded by children's literature, picture books, and the shonen manga that my father loved. I grew up devouring a variety of stories, so I was lucky to come across a project that allowed me to make use of that. I think that's why I was able to make it through the past year even though it was my first challenge in the Super Sentai series.

"You've created a magnificent worldview, but how did you feel when you first saw the completed footage?"

Takano: I was surprised. This was the first time for Toei to introduce virtual production in full, so I started writing the script early on, but then Omori-san told me, "You've written so much, but it may be impossible (to visualize it as imagined)." Here too I was like, "Well, you may be right……" And to be honest, I was also worried about how it would turn out. Over time, I wondered if he would eventually say something like, "We can't do this anymore, so let's stop." But, then I saw the footage, and those worries were blown away. Rather, I thought this would allow me to further expand my image. The CG assets (background materials) from each country were also excellent, which further increased my motivation.

"We were told by Director Kamihoriuchi Kazuya, who was the Main Director of the show, that the more Takano-san pushes himself, the better the script gets."

Takano: (laughs). He'd say things like……"Takamina, you only start scratching your head when you're getting serious." When I'm worried, I seem to scratch unconsciously. I think the first time I became numb to that person (Director Kamihoriuchi) was when we were finalizing the script for episodes 1 and 2, and there was a moment when the meeting stalled. At such times, because of my position, the Screenwriter often plays the role of communicator or someone who summarizes everyone's opinions, but when I tried to do so, he firmly said, "No, let's just think about making it interesting right now." That attitude had remained constant throughout. He's very particular about "creating interesting productions." When it comes to scripts, I stick to every last line until the very last minute before the submission deadline. Instead of motivating me, he just lets me write it until the end. It wasn't an easy task, but I could feel that it had become more interesting as I was revising it, and the Director was able to add the finishing touches to make it even better. I think that his uncompromising attitude had a great impact on the production. Just once, I'd like to see the Director make a movie with a budget of atleast 10 billion. I think he could make something amazing.

"Takano-san also visited the filming set as much as possible."

Takano: I myself used to have a theater company, and I just love the current state of creative production. I would look at the set with a feeling of respect, but it was also beyond my imagination. No one ever really talks about it, but everyone's passionate about it, they're all passionate about making something as "interesting as possible." Everything was so ingenious down to the finest detail, that it makes you think, "They'd really go this far?" So, no matter which episode you watch, it's already multiple times more interesting than the draft of the script. It was truly a rewarding job as a Screenwriter. It's not exactly Jeramie, but I included some "between the lines" in the script to think about. There was never a time when I thought, "This is wrong!" when looking at the footage created by those on set. It was more like, "Eh? You picked up on this here too?" I thought they were an amazing team, and I was again reminded of the beauty of "working together to create a work of art." I'll never forget the many warm words of encouragement I received from the staff on site.

"What do you think of the cast? Despite the large number of characters that appeared, we think that all of them became very lovable."

Takano: They were wonderful. What can be said in general is that everyone loved and nurtured their roles above all else. This is true not only for the main six, but also for Racules's Yano-san, and for everyone else who played a part as the retainers……It's all thanks to the cast that the roles expanded beyond what I originally had in mind. I used to do theater, so by getting to know them, I wanted to write scripts that brought out the best in the people performing them. So, when I went to the set, I actively talked to the cast. To give an example, when I asked Watanabe Aoto-kun, who plays Yanma, "Do you have any stories you want to do?," he said, "I've got alot" and he offered lots of ideas. Among them was a story about Yanma giving up everything for Shiokara, and I thought, "That might be good!" I expanded on it and wrote episode 35, "Don't Cry Slack Jawed Tanuki." Another thing was Rita's Hirakawa Yuzuki-chan, who said she wanted to "show her face," so I thought I'd write something with that.

"The enemy was changed from the Earth Empire Bugnarak in the first half, to the Uchu Five Jesters in the second half."

Takano: I also love villains, and even when I watch "Batman," I get emotionally invested with the Joker, so I was very particular about the evil setting. As for the Uchu King Dagded, I wanted him to be absolutely evil, so I decided not to explore any positive aspects of him. The Bugnarak arc was calculated backward from the Uchu Five Jesters arc, but I didn't want it to be a predictable development, so I put alot of thought into the order in which the monsters (Kaijim) would appear. It makes sense that Iragajim (episode 22) and Zarigajim (episode 24) appear at the end of the Bugnarak arc. Since Iragajim can steal Shugod Souls from the Shugods, which Bugnarak need to become gigantic, it was necessary to have him. And since Zarigajim was sent for the plan to destroy Chikyu, his appearance was timed that way. After that, there's the Uchu Five Jesters arc, and once again, all my favorite voice actors were cast (laughs), so I didn't want them to say anything meaningless, even if it was just one line of dialogue…..I was really happy because my favorite elements were included here as well (laughs).

"Please tell us how the final episode was created."

Takano: One climax was the story of Racules (episodes 42 and 43). There has always been some debate about how to conclude Racules, and one possible direction was to have him die, but if he died, he would become a hero. I felt that Racules, as a criminal, needed to pay for his past crimes, which is why it took the form you've all seen. In the following episodes, I again thought, "I'm not sure what I should write," but I decided to work on what I hadn't written yet by that point, and carefully complete them one by one. And so, episode 45 was about Kaguragi and Rita. I originally conceived Kaguragi and Rita as paired characters, but I wanted to rework that part of the story and include the issue of successors, which is inevitable in a story about kings. Then, episode 46 was about Hymeno and Jeramie. While also telling the story of their parents, I dealt with the issue of "life," as it's something those two have in common. Then, episode 47 is the reckoning of the "Wrath of God." The remaining three scripts were episode 48 to the final episode, which of course will be the story of defeating Dagded, but when it came time to decide what to do after that, Director Kamihoriuchi said, "Let's bring out everyone."

"Especially around episodes 49 and 50 (the final episode), the "Characters" section of the script was amazing."

Takano: The last three scripts were written as a way of "giving back" to various people. Even if it was just one word, I tried to write dialogue that would make all the cast members think, "I'm really glad to have been apart of this production." I felt the same way about the viewers, and I wanted to make them feel happy and enjoy watching King-Ohger all the way through to the end. It felt like I was writing a letter of gratitude to all of them.

"Being in charge of a one year drama series for the first time, especially a Sunday morning children's program, was there anything that you were careful about or anything you noticed?"

Takano: Since I don't have a family yet, I did some research with family members I know, but it seems that in reality, it's not easy to have the whole family sitting calmly in front of the TV the whole time during Sunday mornings. However, on the other hand, Toei's Super Sentai series and Kamen Rider series are among the few programs today that are mainly for children, but are also watched by their parents, so the idea was to create something that would be "interesting" to all audiences. So, of course I worked really hard on the aspect of it being a serial drama, but I also tried to include elements that could be enjoyed even if you watch only that episode during the weekly broadcasts. It was difficult to find a balance between it being worth watching as a serial drama and being interesting as a stand alone drama. The range of what I want to show is infinite, but that doesn't mean I should settle for the greatest common denominator, and I wanted to deliver something that was by no means mediocre. That's something I've always been aware of.

"Especially in the second half, we feel that this goal became more apparent. Dagded and the Five Jesters are so unique……(laughs). Normally, when a strong enemy appears, the story tends to go in a more serious and dark direction, but because the main enemy is a guy like that, the visuals of the strategies that are carried out can become funny. We're sure it would be easier to adjust the overall "taste" though."

Takano: I thought it was important to make a topic of conversation in that way, such as "the episode where the characters swap bodies" or, "the episode when the kings become children." No matter how exciting the main story may be, it's difficult to attract new viewers if it becomes contained, right? In recent years, I often see headlines like, "XX and XX have finally teamed up, and XX has been activated!" in online news articles, but for those who haven't seen it yet, It's just a bunch of words they don't understand (laughs). Instead, for example, using words like "trial by combat" or chosing a generic expression such as "sibling confrontation"……I was also particular about that. Then, as I mentioned earlier, there's the awareness of the target audience, which is family. Depending on their age, some children will enjoy different parts from their parents, so I was hoping that they would atleast find a character that they liked or that they could empathize with. If such a character exists, it's a reason to continue watching the show. I thought about this too, but I don't think it would have worked without the efforts of each of the cast members. For example, Douga-san was in a position where it was difficult to make him seem human, but I was inspired by Morioka Yutaka-san's performance, and later ended up writing the story about him looking for a job (laughs). Really, if I talk about each of these things one by one there is no end to it, and I feel that King-Ohger was a production that everyone worked on with a positive and pure passion.

"And finally, the story that'll be performed at the Final Live Tour is also written by Takano-san. We heard that the actual writing is still in the works….."

Takano: Since it's a stage play, It feels abit like I've returned home (laughs). However, since then, I've had the opportunity to write many scripts for movies and TV dramas and gained alot of experience, so I'd like to write what I can write because of who I am now, and what I write is because I'm in the world of King-Ohger. One thing I intentionally avoided in the TV series is that because they're kings, I basically didn't let them make choices like doing something in exchange for their lives. However, now that the kings have bonded with each other, I wonder if such a story is possible. Also, since it's a special stage performance, I'm thinking of ways to involve the audience as well. I hope that visitors who come to the venue will also become residents of "Chikyu" and participate in the story……Some completely different ideas are being thrown around, so I don't know what will happen yet (laughs), but I'll do my best to make sure you enjoy the stage version of King-Ohger as well!

Staff Comments on episodes Main Writer Takano, Producer Kuji Producer Omori, Assistant Producer Takahashi Main Director Kamihoriuchi

Episode 1 Racules's favorite Takano-san's comment: Gira's a character who uses villainous language. I was really worried at whether he'd be liked or not. And then, what Director Kamihoriuchi and Sakai-kun created was that 30 seconds of silence. I was sure that it would be an impactful moment. I could feel the care and passion of all the people involved from every corner of the picture, and I was shaking with happiness knowing that I was going to work with such wonderful people on this production for a year.

Episode 2 Yanma's favorite

Episode 3 Takano-san's comment: A beautiful and glittering princess, and a strong and noble queen. Cute and cool coexisting. There was no need to give up on either. She won't flatter anyone. Still, she wants to protect and be protected, love and be loved. She'll make it all happen. Living selfishly. The character of Hymeno-sama was also the "prayer" for the girls who watched the show.

Episode 5 Rita's favorite Takano-san's comment: It was an unexpected challenge to put judgment in a children's program, but I remember how relieved I felt when we received the positive response. It was also a pleasant miscalculation to find that Rita-sama stuck with adults who have gone through the hardships of society.

Episode 10 Takano-san's comment: I really wrote this with the intention of it being the final episode. I wrote the opening remarks for Legend King-Ohgers descent first, and then wrote everything backwards from there. Thankfully, the response I received was good, but at the same time, I was cursed to go all out on writing opening remarks each time.

Episode 12 Takano-san's comment: It was reeeeeeally tough! Jeramie was difficult! We were all trying to figure out what to and what not to do, but Director Kamihoriuchi turned it all around in the end, and we ended up with the best Jeramie and story! We had to revise the entire script, which I had written up to about 20 episodes at that point, but it was alright!

Kuji-san's comment: The composition, dialogue, action and music…it's a good feeling to feel the bold yet subtle professionalism in every scene. Even reading between the lines was enjoyable, and I become excited no matter how many times I watch it.

Episode 14 Jeramie's favorite

Episode 19 Takano-san's comment: When the relentless and coldhearted Producer Omori said to me, "I want the words Ohsama Sentai to have significance," a "Huh?" flew out of my lips. It took me a whole day to get to the point where I could read "kotozama" (strange) as "kotosama." As a result, I'm really glad I went through all that trouble.

Episode 26 Takano-san's comment: I've loved villains since I was a kid. The true value of a villain is at the end of their life. I loved Desnarak-sama so much that I cried while writing it. It made me really happy when Producer Omori, who shows almost no emotion said, "I cried when I read your script."

Episode 27 Takano-san's comment: Even though it had been decided from the beginning that Dagded would appear, to the viewers, it was the sudden appearance of an unknown character. Furthermore, I had been begging with "Ishida Akira-san will work best," so when it really happened, I wrote the story as if I was put my life on the line. Thanks to the overwhelming visuals and great work done by Director Kamihoriuchi and the CG team, this was an appropriate opening for the new chapter.

Episode 29 Omori-san's comment: With the start of the second chapter, I think the arrangement of this episode, after the completely serious episode 27, and episode 28, which ignored everything and was comical, was actually key for the second half of the series. The unique coolness of Jeramie and his bond with the other kings was shown through a perfect balance of script and direction.

Episode 30 Hymeno's favorite

Episode 32-33 Omori-san's comment: I won't hide it, Ryusei-san was the first one to be given the OK for his appearance. These episodes were made possible because he was already scheduled to appear in the V-Cinext, so I think that's why everyone else also appeared.

Episode 33 Kuji-san's comment: The power of the Great and Mighty Lizards (Kyoryugers), whose bravery has increased over the past 10 years was amazing, but I realized that the charm of the kings is brought out even more when there are strong characters next to them. In any case, it was an extravagant episode.

Episode 35 Takano-san's comment: Aoto-kun said to me, "I want to do a story where I have to give up everything to protect just one person, Shiokara!" This episode was made possible thanks to Chiwata-kun's efforts to develop his character of Shiokara on set and his increasing popularity. I thought this was the best part of working together to create a long story. The last scene made me cry so much that it took me a while to write it.

Episode 37 Kaguragi's favorite Takano-san's comment: It's under the pretense of…a surprise performance by a married couple, but it was a profound human drama, and a dialogue heavy one. Honestly speaking, I thought it is insane to attempt through acting. It wouldn't have been possible if Kaku-san wasn't Kaguragi. I think this is one of those episodes that pushed the limits of morning tokusatsu programs for children.

Episode 38 Takano-san's comment: "I want to do something silly" is what I used to say when writing King-Ohger. It was also a phrase to keep my sanity in check, because if I was too serious, I'd lose sight of its essence as a children's show. This was the culmination of that. The argument of, "Why idols?" was one of the most serious topics that Producer Omori and Director Kamihoriuchi had ever had. Being silly must be taken seriously.

Episode 39 Takahashi-san's comment: The high level action was something that only King-Ohger can create. I think the action scene against Goma was an unprecedented challenge for a Japanese live action drama. I rewatched the 1 minute and 10 seconds of action countless times.

Episode 40 Omori-san's comment: This is the episode where we find out that Gira was born from the Uchu King. You may not have noticed it much, but even when depicting heavier themes, I made it a rule to "always end with a victory or them standing." Even if there's a wall, kings are the ones who always stand up.

Episode 41 Takahashi-san's comment: This is the episode where Racules shows his "real face" for the first time. The line from Racules became the subtitle of the episode. It's not an exaggeration to say that 40 episodes had been accumulated for this single line, so it was the ultimate "catharsis" for me when I heard it. Yano-san's performance was also wonderful.

Episode 42 Takano-san's comment: Although the truth about Racules had been decided before I wrote the first episode, the most important thing I kept thinking about was how to reveal it. I was on a walk while I was thinking about episode 8, when it came to me and I cried. I was absolutely determined that I would not die until I wrote this episode.

Episode 49 Gira's favorite Kamihoriuchi's comment: This is the "culmination" episode of King-Ohger, where the staff and cast were giving it their all.

Episode 50 Takano-san's comment: Episodes 48-50, those three episodes were written as a long final episode. It's a conclusion that couldn't have been written without a buildup, so I wrote this as a gift of gratitude to the cast, staff and viewers. I worked on the manuscript with Producer Omori and Director Kamihoriuchi until morning, and the selfie I took with the big smile on my face while shouting, "I did it!" is my treasure.

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger: Ancient Alphabetical Reference Table

[team7-headquarter]

Do you ever think about how the two kyubi jinchurikis previous to Naruto were married to a hokage? How the women serving as the recipient of the feared beast were some of the most beloved people of the head of the militar state?

The strongest man in the village marries the deadliest woman in the village and people were like "I trust our leader but I am terrified of his wife".

What about the children?

Not even one mention of how the Uzumaki and Senju kekkei genkais mixed. What about the contrast of the Uchihas marrying within the clan to maximize their sharingan users while the Senjus and the Uzumakis married?

There's no mention either of Hashirama and Mito's kids. Would their mixed blood make them more or less powerful? Would some of them still get the red hair? Would some of them choose to move with the majority of the Uzumaki clan? Would they rather use the last name Senju to prevent getting hunted like their cousins outside of Konohagajure?

Tell me, if Tsunade is a direct descendant of Hashirama and Tobirama, doesn't she also has Uzumaki blood from Mito?

What about the influence?

Mito raises all those children and they knew to fear the kyubi, but how did they feel about the jinchuriki? What about their mother? And how did it shape the way they would later perceive Kushina? How did the Senjus treat Kushina? Was she family to them? Had Mito any influence over how Kushina was raised and trained even as old as she was?

What type of influence did Mito have over Hashirama? Even if she never mediated on the Hokages duties, how her beliefs shaped the beliefs of her children? Of the Senju clan? Of the Uzumakis? Of the people of Konoha? When Hashirama died, did Tobirama pushed aside? Or she retired herself given her age?

When did the Uzumakis and the Senjus disappeared from Konoha? If you follow the Minato one-shot manga recently published by Kishimoto, the Uzumakis were still highly respected on Konoha-- or at least had their own space, a place to keep their legacy and train their own. So when did it all come down and when did the Senju and Uzumaki clans started dying enough to be completely gone when Naruto was born?

The Minato manga shows that Kushina was a reason for him to take certain choices. So did he have a plan to change Konoha to become a place for his wife and son to live happy and not rejected? What type or political changes would he have applied if given the chance?

The only real option to try and make sense of the history of Konoha is if you acknowledge that 1) Tobirama did make the militarization more efficient, but not necessarily made life better for everyone; 2) Hiruzen must be the WORST hokage given his indecision between doing what Tobirama did which would have turned him into Danzo or try to benefit the lives of the people under his commands even if it meant risking Konoha as a militar state.

Then again, what exactly means to have the advice of an Uzumaki woman? How does it change things? Did Mito ever tried to be the mediator between Hashirama and Madara? What could a friendship between Kushina and Mikoto could have changed the future?

Is there something to say about the positions of both Mito and Kushina as women from a clan that's hunted down for their power and that has been turned to weapons/sacrifices? How would their identities parallel the Uchiha clan?

How could this all reflect on the story and the theme of the manga?

Framing Naruto as the survivor of a genocide would have been an amazing point to meet or finally understand Sasuke in his rejection of Konoha. Sasuke saw his clan died but they denied Naruto that knowledge. Sasuke lost it but they didn't even allow Naruto to have it. Sasuke can return to the Uchiha compound and visit the sacred secrets of his people, but the story denied Naruto of that. Itachi cursed Sasuke with his choice to kill the clan in order for Sasuke to live and Konoha to be safe, Minato cursed Naruto by sealing Kurama in him to protect his life and the village. They were manipulated from the start, everyone deciding which parts of the story they got to listen to, never allowing them to decide with eyes wide open. Of course they can speak to each other without words. They don't know how similar their experiences are.

Hashirama and Minato didn't mean for the jinchurikis to be just a weapon of the state (those were their wives!!!!!!!), but Tobirama allowed that to happen and Hiruzen actively dictated rules to make sure it'll be the result (isolating Naruto from the village, like they did with the Uchiha clan). Tsunade only tried to keep things rolling, but she at least can defend with her medical achievement and the fact the system was rotten to the core when she became hokage.

Even Sakura and Hinata benefit from this, both in the deepening of their characters and the canon romantic plotlines. To be soft or wild, to be bullied by others or constantly left behind given their lovers' duties, to be raised under the pressure of a legacy or to be helpless and wanting to stop being a burden, to break the expectations and reclaim your identity, to make your own path and become a great kunoichi who can also love and fight to he loved, to be seen, to be there with the man they love.

Thinking about Mito and Kushina make me spiral because they are so important!!! Yet we don't have many mentions of them!!!! Why!!!!

[thefinalcinderella]

Tsurune Book 3 Chapter 6 - Genuine (Part 1)

Finally...finally the last chapter...

Glossary here

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

The kumotatewaku is a traditional Japanese pattern that resembles rising clouds. It is often used in the costumes of ancient nobles

The expression used here is 白羽の矢を立てる (literally: sticking a white feathered arrow), which is an idiom that means "selecting someone out of many people"

A chindonya is a kind of old-timey marching band that dressed in elaborate costumes to advertise for shops

Block style or kaisho style calligraphy is the regular script and the most commonly used. Every stroke is carefully executed

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In early June, the prefectural preliminaries for the National High School Kyudo Tournament, also known as the prefectural tournament, were held.

Kyudo supply stores and photo studios were set up around the venue, and the storefronts were lined with commemorative goods for the tournament. The wind was strong on this day, and the young archers were moving against it. The competition event was close-distance shooting, using thirty-six-centimeter kasumi targets with a shooting distance of twenty-eight meters.

For the boys’ individual competition on the first day, Fujiwara Shuu of Kirisaki High School once again won by landing all his arrows. Second place was Kabashima, also from Kirisaki, and third place went to Asahina from Haneina High School, showing the strength of the powerhouse schools. For the girls’ competition, Seo from Kazemai High School placed fifth.

On the second day, it was finally time for the team competition. The format was five-person teams and four shots in zasha. In the preliminaries, the time limit was eight minutes. Forty-two schools were participating in the boys’ competition, and the top eight teams with the highest number of hits in the two rounds would advance to the final tournament.

Tommy-sensei raised his voice. “Now it’s time for the team competition. Kazemai will show its true strength. Everyone, I wish you good luck!”

“Yes!”

After completing the registration process, Kaito, Kanbayashi, Seiya, Himuro, and Minato put their numbers on their right hips. Ryouhei and Nanao were reserve members.

Himuro was expressionless like he always was, but Kanbayashi gently stroked his number.

“Oh no, I might be really happy after all…”

Keyaki nudged Kanbayshi. “Don’t grin like that and get it together. I don’t wanna hear you whine.”

“Of course.”

Next to them, Ryouhei was tying his yellow-green headband.

“Today, my sister, Sae-chan, and Toujou-san are coming to support us. I’m psyched!”

“That’s great, Ryouhei,” Minato and Seiya said.

The Nanao Fan Club had updated its cheering goods and prepared fans with a frog wearing a crown. They also handed them out to support groups and parents, and when the bright green of them swayed, it looked like a chorus of frogs.

As they were about to pass through the noisy venue, people approached Minato and the others. A young prince, twins, a boy with a square face and thick eyebrows, a boy with pleasant features and a crew cut, and an antique doll.

They were Kirisaki’s Fujiwara Shuu, Sugawara Senichi and Manji, Kabashima Umetarou, Yushima Kaoru, and Kuon Takumi. The twins burst into laughter in front of so many of their rivals.

Shuu brought his face close to Minato’s right ear. Since their master Saionji’s left ear was bad, Shuu only showed this habit to Saionji and Shuu.

“Thanks for the birthday present the other day. I’ll treasure it.”

Shuu put his thumb on his yugake. A white underglove with a purple pattern could be seen beneath it.

“I’m glad I was able to give it to you on May 11th this year. I thought it would be perfect for you.”

“The kumotatewaku pattern is rare for undergloves. (1) ——See you in the finals.”

“Yeah, the finals.”

The two of them bumped yugake and returned to their teammates.

Shuu’s gaze drifted to Kuon. Kuon was in the starting lineup for the day, but he was standing separate from everyone else. Everyone could tell that he was isolated, and was not a proudly solitary existence like Shuu. A dissonant sound was wafting from Kirisaki High School.

Kuon, who didn’t care about other people’s concerns, had moved onward. In fact, he was frustrated because he didn’t do well in yesterday’s individual competition.

Manji rested his elbow on Senichi’s shoulder.

“Will we okay with Kuon? I’m more suited to be the starter.”

“It’s frustrating, but his hitting rate is usually high. The coach said there was no problem either.”

“Alright, everyone, let’s go!”

At President Kabashima’s order, Shuu and the others headed to the venue.

Meanwhile, Tommy-sensei and Masa-san were in the shade of a tree, away from the crowd.

Masa-san straightened his collar.

“Why did you remove Ryouhei and Nanao from the starting lineup? There was nothing to criticize about their results.”

“If we make it to the finals, each person would have to shoot twenty shots in total. Even if it’s difficult to shoot twenty shots and hit, how about twelve shots? The aim is to preserve stamina.”

“There’s one more thing I’d like to confirm before we get into the tournament. On the day of the entrance ceremony, I heard you say to Minato and the others, ‘I have given you white-feathered arrows.’ (2) I’m sure that you knew that saying originated from the custom of playing an arrow with white feathers in front of the house of a girl chosen as a sacrifice. Why did you purposely use it?”

“It’s to prepare them. Once a ship leaves the port, you can’t turn back even if you shout to get off.”

“Are you telling them to prepare to share the same fate? Even though those who are wounded might fail again?”

“Hohoho, I didn’t mean it in such a sad way. Youth is the greatest weapon, since they can just start over again and again. I just felt that they could make it to the new continent. The first fleet, the Kazemai High School’s boy’s kyudo team, started with six members. Takigawa-san, you’re the first-born son. When I was able to convince you, I was convinced that we had completed our mission.”

“That’s a bold opinion, typical of Tommy-sensei.”

“It’s true of all sports, but one cannot win by the strength of the athlete alone. Especially in kyudo, the character of the master comes out strongly. Everyone resembles your shooting, Takigawa-san.”

“…My shooting was said to be very similar to my grandfather’s.”

“It’s the spirit of archer that is passed on.”

“…Yes.”

Masa-san looked at the treetops swaying in the wind and laughed.

Following the opening ceremony, the yawatashi ceremony was held.

The boys’ division was called for the preliminaries, and they headed to the waiting area with Masa-san leading them. As always, the most stressful time was sitting in the chairs and waiting. When the team before them finished, the “stand up” signal was given, and they rose from their chairs and advanced to the honza. They bowed at the signal to “begin,” walked to their shooting positions and knelt down. They chose two arrows from the four they had.

First up was the oomae, Kaito. It was lovely how he never trembled when facing the target. The lovelier he became, the more stubborn he got, and he would end up saying things that were different from his true feelings. He would say, “I have no interest in you,” but would grab the other person’s arm and not let them go in the same breath. He lived and breathed kyudo. That was Kaito’s everyday. After his right hand flicked, shouts of “good” came from the stands.

The second, Kanbayashi, raised his bow. The midsummer sun encouraged growth. He absorbed more and more of what was told to him and expanded towards the blue sky. He had seniors who he admired and pursued the shooting he admired. His longing had a zeal that surpassed his anxiety. His arrow pierced the target with a grand hanare.

The third, Seiya, was quiet. Wearing a straw hat and an insect cage, he entered the forest, but stopped when he saw a field of flowers. The neat and trim flowers swayed. When he lay down and looked up at the rising clouds, he felt like he was about to float away. He heard a familiar voice and stopped returning to the sky—he hit.

It was the fourth, Himuro’s, turn. He took the bowstring with a bodhisattva’s hand and looked at the target with a bodhisattva’s eyes. His ability to make an uncurving douzukuri was probably something he was born with. It was his natural posture with no effort put into it. The frogs in the stands jumped when he hit.

The fifth was the ochi, Minato. The white-feathered arrow was proof that he had been allowed to come into contact with the gods. He didn’t resist, go against it, and accepted it as it was. His limbs, stretching vertically and horizontally, were incredibly supple. His body of sixteen, which couldn’t be wished once more after it had passed, embraced the earth, wide and endless.

The matooto sounded.

Hanazawa, Shiragiku, and Seo, sitting in the stands, held their breath.

“The boys are amazing.”

“I feel like they have become more and more refined.”

“I heard that Narumiya and Takehaya have also been going to Saionji-sensei. Their drive is different.”

For the second shot, everyone except for Kanbayashi hit.

For the third shot, Kaito, Seiya, and Minato hit.

Keyaki’s chest swelled at the success of his fellow first-years. “Kazemai, do your best!” Shuu’s younger sister Sae and their butler Toujou cheered in a small voice.

For the fourth shot, Kaito hit with all four of his arrows and left the shooting range to applause. After him, Kanbayashi, Seiya, Himuro, and Minato all hit the target. Their result was four, two, four, three, and four for seventeen hits out of twenty. It was a very good start.

Kirisaki was the sixth team to enter the shooting range. A wall of people filled the surrounding area to catch a glimpse of the champions’ shooting.

The oomae, Kabashima, released his arrow.

Senichi, Kuon, and Yushima all hit. The ochi was Shuu.

Wash your heart and turn it into incense; revere your body and turn it into flowers. Those were Kukai’s words, meaning that it was the duty of a virtuous person to serve others without any thought. Those who had a pure heart were fragrant. Shuu knew firsthand that this wasn’t a metaphor. The feeling of euphoria he felt when he brought his face close to the owner of that scent. He heard whispers of wanting to be intoxicated, of not minding sinking to the bottom of the lake if he could have it all to himself, but those were the words of a demon. He must not fall for the sweet words of someone who looked like him.

Shuu’s evil-expelling arrow dashed forward.

The results for the two rounds were announced.

For the boys’ division, Kazemai had thirty-four hits out of forty, Kirisaki had thirty-six, and Haneina had thirty-five.

The Kazemai girls had only twenty-eight hits, so unfortunately they didn’t pass the preliminaries.

Minato and his teammates got the ticket to go to the finals.

After lunch, the finals began. In the afternoon, the wind became stronger and their hakamas fluttered violently.

“It’s time to change the lineup. Yamanouchi-kun will be second, and Kisaragi-kun will be fourth. I’m counting on you,” Tommy-sensei said.

Ryouhei and Nanao received their numbers.

Minato adjusted the position of Ryouhei’s number.

“It looks like the five of us will be standing on that stage again. A year ago, you invited me to the information session for the kyudo club. That was the first time we five met face to face.”

“I wasn’t the only one who invited you. Everyone wanted to do kyudo with Minato.”

“Now, I can draw a bow. I’ve never been happier.”

Kaito brusquely held out his right hand, and the five boys looked at each other. Passionate feelings could be conveyed without words or skin contact.

Ryouhei, Nanao, Kaito, Seiya, and Minato bumped their yugakes together.

Kazemai’s opponent was Uyoshiro High School.

They were wearing bright red headbands. They lived in an area associated with military commanders who were famous during the Sengoku period, and when they went to a competition, they wore a certain armament. It was glasses. It might seem comical from the outside, but they did it very seriously.

The group stood in the first shajo. The oomae readied his bow and fixed his eyes on the target.

The bow maker, the yugake maker, and the arrow maker were the three gods of kyudo. The archer was the one who became intimate with these materialized gods. If there was a slight doubt or confusion, the string would make a muddy sound with those negative emotions. The twill brocade woven by the trinity of gods resembled battle attire. The flowers, birds, wind, and moon on the robe were the prayers of the samurai, and the butterflies (moths) represented the parents of the silkworm, production.

The flowers scattered. The flower battle was a warrior’s honor.

The oomae’s matooto resounded.

Kazemai’s oomae, Kaito, was undaunted. The wind beat mercilessly at his face, and his douzukuri felt like it was about to collapse under the wind, but he withstood it. Patience was his natural disposition. He might seem short-tempered, but he had the conviction to never give up. To not run away from the way of the bow. He was determined to cling to it for the rest of his life.

The nimato, Ryouhei, was listening to the news of the wind. Seeing the faces of his parents and sister in the stands, he felt strongly that he wasn’t alone in this fight. It seemed that people became stupid when they were angry and when they were happy. Their brain stopped working properly. The state in which one’s mind was clear and free from all distractions was called munen musou, and he learned from the path of the blade that you couldn’t fulfill your duties if you weren’t passionate.

The naka, Seiya, had found the answer to Minato’s question some time ago.

Why did humans shed their fur? It was to continue walking.

The ancestors of humans who left the forest for the grasslands learned to walk or run long distances in search of food. Body hair had a heat insulating effect and protected the skin from UV rays, but in order to prevent the body temperature from rising too high, they chose to abandon their fur and sweat instead. Humans had great endurance. The way one breathed was important in walking the long way of the bow.

The ochimae, Nanao, was thinking. Thinking was a linguistic activity.

There were two types of word formation. One was to give a name to something that had been hidden and make its existence manifest, and the other involved the intention of first creating a word and having the concept follow. When you learned a language, you not only acquired wisdom, culture, and thinking, but also the spell of words.

Letters and patterns were magical techniques that had their own power. If you looked down on them as just a means of communication, everything would be embodied and pour down upon them. There were no magic words; words were magic. A story was a kind of magic and truth. If you write it as tsurune, it would be called tsurune. A tsurune was the beautiful sound of a bowstring.

Nanao’s sharp hanare brought forth the next wind.

The ochi, Minato, held his bow.

Just how heavy was this shot?

Just how light was this shot?

“I” was the one who gave it meaning. The god of the bow didn’t smile at those who couldn’t love themselves or others. Because humans were incarnations of the gods.

Minato forgot that he was a human and turned into the matooto.

Uyoshiro had three, three, four, two, and four for a total of sixteen hits.

Kazemai had three, four, three, four, four for a total of eighteen hits.

Minato and his team made it through the first round without incident.

The second round began.

The stands were filled with people wearing blue and yellow-green headbands. The two waves struggled, almost swallowing each other up, almost to the point of spilling over onto the yamichi.

Kazemai’s opponent was Konoe High School.

Their blue arrow feathers and headbands were their trademarks.

Only those with kyudo experience would understand the exhilarating feeling of seeing the actions of five people overlap. There were rules even for movements such as taking a step forward, sitting, and nocking an arrow into a bow, and because there were rules, it was possible to match each other. Ikiai was the embodiment of the red droplets that circulated around the body.

They shot arrows every day. The faces were almost the same. The repeated daily routines were a series of miracles. They take up the bow, hoping to grow even just a millimeter better than they were yesterday. For most people, landing a hundred hits with a hundred arrows was just a dream, and it was precisely because they couldn’t do what they wanted to do that they got absorbed in it. The sound of the arrow hitting the target was pleasant, and they wished it would happen again, but the god of hitting was a contrarian. The moment you wished it, the chance escaped. Approaching something without wanting to approach it was nothing but a dilemma for humans, who had developed enlarged brains.

Don’t think, just feel, as a martial artist once said. How long would it take to reach that state? Even if it was achieved, would it be possible to maintain it? If you kept thinking like this, it seemed that you still had a long way to go.

Kazemai’s archers faced themselves in the form of the targets.

The aggressive Kaito, the lively Ryouhei, the intelligent Seiya, the sparkling Nanao, and the pure Minato.

They highlighted and polished their inherent colors.

Their inexperience became a weapon. Even though they were told that there was darkness an inch ahead, they wouldn’t be able to understand unless they looked into it, and they wouldn’t notice it unless they fell into it. Pain was something you only knew when you suffered it, and hate was something you feared only when you possessed it. The cry of the inner soul could only be learned through experience, and words were powerless there. No matter how many words you wrote, they would never be understood by those who never experienced it. Only an archer knew the heart of an archer.

A world of just two people, the bow and the human.

The bow caught the innocent body falling.

The ecstasy a bow gave you was different from that of humans. Skin with goosebumps and surging droplets. It was a ritual to bind the soul that was about to drift away to the body. There was no sound without a container. You couldn’t make a sound with an empty shell.

Minato and the others raised their bows, spread them wide, and released their arrows. Ashibumi, douzukuri, yugamae, uchiokoshi, hikiwake, kai, hanare. They followed these eight stages and headed towards the heights.

The results of the second round were as follows.

Konoe had three, four, four, three, four, for a total of eighteen hits.

Kazemai had four, three, four, four, four, for a total of nineteen hits.

Kazemai won by a difference of one hit.

Since there was some time until the finals, Minato went out to the front.

He wasn’t feeling bad. If anything, he was focusing on calming himself so he didn’t go too fast. A dull mind and a weak body. At first glance, it might seem like a state far removed from martial arts, but eliminating the “self” was the secret to being able to freely manipulate the body. As long as “I��� resided in the body, the god of the bow would not descend upon you.

To become empty.

Even if it could be understood as a concept, it was extremely difficult to embody it.

An elderly man called out to Minato.

“It’s almost time for the finals. Just like last year, the match between Kirisaki and Kazemai is a must-see.”

“Thank you very much. But the match between Kirisaki and Haneina is about to begin.”

“No, no, the match is already decided before it even began, right? Did you see the head of those students from Haneina? A chicken’s cockscomb and a horse’s tail. The training clothes they wore in their Yotube streams looked like something from an old marching band. (3) You’re wearing a clean white kyudogi and your hair is neat. It’s praiseworthy. That’s what a Japanese boy should look like.”

“…I do have short hair, and I like white kyudogi. But, if someone is serious about kyudo, I will acknowledge them as an archer no matter what they wear.”

“What’s with that way of talking? Seems like I thought too highly of you.”

The man left. Minato went outside to focus his mind, but he ended up inviting needless interference.

His yellow-green headband was fluttering. It was something a master had prepared for his disciples.

Minato took a deep breath once more.

The card of Kirisaki versus Haneina in the second round got people excited.

Asahina raised the corner of his mouth.

“Nice. It looks great.”

Eddie tied an orange headband tightly.

“I am trembling at the prospect of a worthy opponent, that I am.”

Matsuda, who had poor eyesight, placed his hand on the shoulder of the poet Kanuma. Igarashi started walking while holding flowers. People naturally gave way to them. The existence of Haneina’s kyudo club was already dramatic in itself. The five of them walked leisurely down the flowery path.

The two schools began to enter the shajo, and the spectators held their breath as they watched.

In the first shajo, Eddie raised his bow. His blond ponytail swayed and sparkled in the sunlight. A stop, an upward turn, and a sweeping stroke. His shooting was like the block style of calligraphy. (4) A work of art that changed seven ways depending on the tools, brushstrokes, style, and word selection. His stance was to never prepare practice sheets, but always treat it as though it was the real thing. He quickly drew back his brush, and the arrow flew towards the target.

The second, Matsuda, hit.

The third, Kanuma, hit.

The fourth, Igarashi, hit.

The fifth, Asahina, begun to raise his bow. His red hair stood out against the green grass. His self-confidence and warm-hearted personality brought out the bright sun. When he drew his bow, his limbs stretched to infinity. The matooto resounded.

Kirisaki also matched their pace.

The oomae, Kabashima, hit.

The nimato, Senichi, hit.

The naka, Kuon, hit.

The ochimae, Yushima, hit.

When the ochi Shuu hit, the scoring board was lined with circle marks.

No one missed their second shot as well. The sound of the matooto and the cheers of the crowd made their bodies numb, and the elation made them desire more and more matooto. They became greedier and greedier.

Kuon was confident that he would never lose to the red-headed guy. If they went on to win, he would be placed in the same picture frame as the Young Prince, Fujiwara Shuu. What a beautiful picture it would be!

He melted into the world of images.

Now, let’s sneak in.

This was Tsujimine High School.

A boy with the hood of his white hoodie pulled deeply over his head walked over. A boy with streaked hair was standing a little further away. He stole the key from the staff room and hid it in his pocket.

Nikaidou and Fuwa were in the music room. They stood in front of the piano and gently opened the lid.

Along with Fuwa’s piano melody, Nikaidou played the drums using his hands and knees. He was very into music games and could even reach an uncanny level of fast drumming in games like Kotaiko no Tatsujin.

One day, after club activities, Nikaidou was tapping a rhythm on his knees on a whim when Fuwa correctly guessed the name of the song.

“Konahanasakuya-hime.”

“…Correct.”

Since then, the sneak-in sessions, not street piano, had continued.

Konohanasakuya-hime no Mikoto, the origin of the song’s title, was the name of the most beautiful goddess in the history of Japanese mythology. Her father was Ooyamatsumi no Mikoto, and her husband was Ninigi no Mikoto, grandson of Amaterasu Oomikami. Her husband accused her of infidelity, and in order to prove her innocence, she set fire to the delivery room and gave birth to three children in the flames.

When the two of them were babies, they had a scarlet seal stamped onto their faces at a festival called Hatsuyama to pray for their healthy growth. It felt creepy thinking that they might have passed by each other somewhere.

Fuwa began to play a song. As he proceeded at a walking pace, Nikaidou stood next to him.

A fearless smile—the start of a duet.

My fingertips hit the keyboard. The melody, chords, and bass line. Nikaidou sped up the main melody while adding improvisations. There was no way Fuwa wouldn’t take up this challenge.

“Nikaidou, can you keep to my speed?”

“Hah, there’s no way I’m following you.”

“Good grief.”

Fuwa ignored Nikaidou and decided to go fast. He was crafty with techniques such as giving someone glimpses and keeping them in suspense. Fuwa always kept his distance from others. Though he had purposely drawn a line telling them not to come over, those who crossed that line were, so to speak, prey. There was no need to hold back. He would shake them, shake them, shake them until they begged for forgiveness.

Nikaidou attended piano lessons when he was a child, but quit after learning “Turkish March” and had been studying on his own ever since. On the other hand, Fuwa’s mother was a piano teacher. Knowing the difference in their abilities, Nikaidou devised a plan. He tried to find rhythms that players might not be comfortable with, such as lowering the key by a semitone or changing chords.

Fuwa made full use of his techniques. Nikaidou clicked his tongue, then reached over Fuwa’s arm and hit a high key. It was more of a fierce battle than a fun session. Sound and breathing filled the room. The music room wasn’t air conditioned in order to prevent unauthorized use. If the sound leaked out, the shame would be unbearable. They played the whole song while sweating.

“It’s not fun at all playing with you,” Fuwa muttered.

“Same here.”

“Get out of here.”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve always been an arrogant king, Koushirou.”

Nikaidou took off his white hoodie. His body was hot and he was breathing heavily. He reached into his bag to get something to wipe off his sweat and grabbed a towel and his phone.

The results of the prefectural tournament where Minato and the others were in were displayed on the screen.

“…Oh man. I think I’m gonna laugh.”

“You laughing by yourself isn’t a good thing. Alright, I’ll ask. What happened?”

“Kirisaki lost in the second round of the final tournament.”

“What!?”

Fuwa stared into Nikaidou’s large eyes.

“That’s a big upset. Who was their opponent?”

“It’s the school of the Yotubers Asahina and Eddie. Shuu-kun really is a lovely man. As expected, my special won’t let me down. I wonder if Minato-chan will entertain me as well.”

Nikaidou loosened the collar of his white shirt.

After the wind that had been blowing since the morning calmed down, an incredibly bright blue sky spread out above Shuu’s head.

Kirisaki had nineteen hits.

Haneina had twenty hits.

The powerhouse Kirisaki High School was defeated in the second round of the prefectural tournament.

Under the sunlight, the Kirisaki members calmly began cleaning up. “We all did well,” the president Kabashima exclaimed, and Yushima smiled and said, “It’s been a fulfilling three years. I’m grateful to everyone,” but Senichi and Manji couldn’t hide the heaviness of their steps. They endured the overwhelming mixture of feelings of inadequacy and jealousy toward those who had earned the smile of the goddess of victory.

There was only one person who missed in this team, and that was Kuon. Despite the weather having returned to calm, he looked as though he had inhaled a cloud of dust.

One could almost hear the crunching sound of it.

“Fujiwara-senpai, I’m so sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“But, still! Even if it’s to yell at me, please just say something to me.”

“I have nothing to say.”

Shuu left without saying any more.

Devastated, Kuon turned to face the person who appeared in the corner of his vision.

Minato, who was going to talk to Shuu, saw what happened.

“Kuon-kun, it’s usual for Shuu to not express his thoughts after a match. Don’t worry about it,” he told him, then immediately followed Shuu.

Kuon stared at Minato’s back and bit his lip.

Was he pitying me?

Who on earth were you talking to when you said “don’t worry about it?”

I can’t believe someone of the lower class is looking down on me!

Minato had no clue about Kuon’s delusions. He was running after someone he must not lose sight of.

He shouted the name of his brother disciple.

“Shuu!”

Shuu turned around and smiled. It was all he could to not drop his bow.

“I’m sorry, Minato. I wasn’t able to fulfill our promise to meet in the finals. It seems that I don’t have any luck with team matches.”

“That’s not true, Shuu. You’re my first bow friend—a genuine archer. We met at that kyudojo when we were little.”

“Minato.”

“Someday, we will definitely team up together.”

“…Yeah, I’m looking forward to that.”

What a cruel person.

You were the one who lit this fire under me.

God of the bow, please save me.

We are babies who don’t know anything. Although no ships nor people have arrived there, the sun is a red, blazing star that will someday turn to dust. We never witnessed the beginning and end of the story, and we believe in an empty dream that cannot be verified. Dreams are seen when one is asleep. People are still sleeping. A dream from which we can never wake. In the darkness, only my old friend knows what I did. Only you can burn me to ashes.

Shuu touched Minato’s forehead with his yugake-covered hand. His cold fingers were trembling.

He couldn’t let go of that unforgettable body warmth.

Previous | Next

[mixu]

Naruto and H1n0t0's wedding chapter confirms SNS

Today in why Shippuden’s ending actually supports sns case, we’ll analyze the last sequence of the last chapter. (If you haven’t read the previous parts, you can find them here pt. 1&2, pt. 3, pt.4, although it’s not necessary to read them in order.) So, without further ado:

Pt 5. Naruto would rather be anywhere but here

As usual I leave my crappy clip from the scene then we’ll examine the expressions, body language of the characters and some of the editing. There’s very little dialogue but a lot to unpack.

The scene starts with Naruto and Hinata staring up at the Hokage Monument.

Who knows how long they’ve been at it, but Hinata is making the same face I make when I go to the museum and fail to understand why someone takes more than 5 minutes to appreciate a painting (excuse my uncultured ass). She then tells Neji’s ghost she is getting married (as if poor Neji cared) and turns to look at Naruto who is uncannily serious for someone who is about to marry the love of his life.

We get a close off of Minato’s face and Naruto’s profile, still serious. What is he thinking about? I very highly doubt he’s thinking about the honeymoon.

Then we get Hinata true to her stalker self, blushing, looking lovingly, dreamingly at Naruto, when Naruto doesn’t even know she’s there. She’s getting married to the man she loves (if you count that as love) so, acceptable, understandable expressions. And I want to emphasize how many expressions of Hinata they show us in contrast to Naruto’s during the whole sequence (3 is being generous).

One could argue that Naruto is looking back at her, but is he? Then why don’t they show us a broader shot of them staring at each other lovingly? Because that’s not the case. That’s their relationship in a nutshell: Hinata staring at Naruto incessantly while Naruto is barely aware of her presence. Furthermore, when Hanabi and Hiashi enter, making Naruto and Hinata turn around, Naruto first looks at Hinata as if asking “you were here the whole time?” then goes back to serious mode.

The following shots of the Hyuuga give us so much information. Hanabi is excited, smiling because she has no clue of the farce, while Hiashi is stern as he has always been, but he had changed after the Chuunin exams, didn’t he? Why does Hinata suddenly looks so worried? She was smiling a second ago? The transition of Hiashi’s expression reminds me of that meme where the father says “He looks gay to me, but whatever makes my princess happy.” So, with Hiashi’s blessing, Hinata smiles again. Once more, notice how many different expressions she has, when Naruto doesn’t even appear in the shot.

What follows is pure gold.

Is it just me or Naruto takes ages to return Hinata’s handhold?

Next, the first image of this batch is so hilarious to me. Hinata is looking down at their hands as if to confirm it is actually happening. Hanabi is more excited than anyone in the room even when it is Hinata and Naruto who are getting married. Naruto’s expression in images 1, 2 and 6 might have been as well copy pasted. Why? He is your main character, why are you hiding his face on every opportunity. Plus, number 4 is so bad. It looks like he is bracing for battle.

Naruto asks Hinata if she's ready, and off they go into a mediocre, loveless marriage for the sake of Konoha and Kishimoto’s, SJ and SP wallets. Look at Naruto’s half-assed smile.

This clip is 74 sec long and we only get to see Naruto’s face/head during 19 sec. That’s roughly a quarter of the whole sequence, and even when Naruto appears, we rarely get a close off of his face. Furthermore, when we do get a close off, there’s no range of emotion (watch Dragon Ball or FMA Brotherhood’s last chapter and compare Edward and Goku’s portrayal to that of Naruto). Why would the studio hide the main character like this? Why focus so much only in the love interest and not the couple? Because there is no happy ending for Naruto. He got trapped between duty, his promises and the expectations cast upon him, and the worst part is those who were supposed to look after him looked the other way.

You can read this post in which the author analyzes similar inconsistences across Gaiden and Boruto. The conjecture is pretty much the same: Naruto gave up Sasuke and married Hinata because that was what everyone told him, directly or indirectly, he was supposed to do.

None of these choices are accidental. We saw what the studio wanted to show us like we read what Kishimoto wanted us to read. Perhaps those last chapters weren’t as clumsy as we thought, but we were too hurt by the Last, Boruto and chapter 700 to notice the characters were responding accurately given the circumstances they were facing and the values of their world. And, people can say whatever about us sns being delusional, but Naruto didn’t get a happy ending (I won’t even talk about Sasuke because there’s no doubt that he got the short end of the stick). We know how happy Naruto is supposed to look like.

So, this is it. Even this wedding fiasco reinforces SNS and now it hurts a thousand times more. Thanks for reading my ramblings and sorry for the quality of the images and the video. I don’t have time to make better edits but I really wanted to share this. I’ll go back to the fanfic world where everything is right.

[saitama-division]

Hypmic Halloween Shuffle Album Vol. 2

1. Macabre Masquerade

Performed By:

Miku “Hex 13” Shirazuki

Alexis “Agent X” Ward

Yuki “Ice King” Kuraokami

Miho “Iron Maiden” Kobayashi

Kaoru “Arachne” Shinozaki

Yano “Y-STARR” Ietsuna

Akari “Cinder” Himura

Queen Card

2. Just Wanna XXXX With You

Performed By:

Sumire “Diabla” Shinomiya

Reiaki “Black Cat” Suzubayashi

Reika “Belladonna” Aichi

Touya “MC Darling” Kisaragi

Kaiji “Jinx” Sano

3. Pandemonium Parade

Performed By:

Ayumu “Ex-Aid” Hayami

Kyler “Pierce” Aaron

Kai “Veenyle” Quinlan

Seiji “Avenger” Tsukimoto

Luis “El Dorado” Kōkyū

Wataru “Overseer” Sasaki

Teijo “Yama” Masakuza

4. Under Our Spell

Performed By:

Aika “VeeXn” Yumi

Diêu “MC Lotus” Hoàng

5. Killer Queen (Vox Solo)

6. Screech of the Banshee

Performed By:

Meari “Blood Mary” Miracle

Kanra “D.Vil” Akemi

Aranai “Ride or Die” Norikoru

7. Haunted Collab Stream

Performed By:

Makina “Screen Shot” Setsukura

Nikki “1-Up” Yoshie

Kaiji “Jinx” Sano

Kaoru “Arachne” Shinozaki

Ririko “2cute!” Akihara

8. Werewolf Game

Performed By:

Max “Ōkami” Soukoku

Sen “NIX”

Joey “Joker” Kurusu

Asato “AR Master” Rikiya

9. Devil’s Way

Performed By:

Ren “Vox” Nakashima

Lyall “Corvus” Shiba

Tasuku “Katame” Kawanoe

Zakari “Icarus” Hiroya

Masuzō “Malphas” Shinomiya

Aruto “A.R.K.” Shinozaki

Shuu “Men-H” Edogawa

10. Eat Sweet Night (PALADIN Solo)

@shinagawa-division @uenodivision @aoyama-division @roppongi-division @arakawa-division @edogawa-division @shizuokadivision @katsushika-division @niigata-division @minato-division03 @akihabara-division03 @akihabaradivision @minato-division01 @sapporo-division @oita-division @suginami-division @obihiro-division @toyama-division @nakanodivision @fukuokadivision1 @kobedivision @kanazawa-division

[konohagakurekakashi]

any fic recs?

//Full disclosure. I'm not really up to date with Naruto-verse fanfiction, and those I do read are Kakashi centric and a little silly (naturally). Here are some gems I've come across:-

1. Branches by To Mockingbird (https://m.fanfiction.net/s/10631615/1/ )

This feels like being on acid. Kakashi gets sucked into an alternative dimension in which he is still the Jōnin-sensei of Team 7, but Minato-sensei is alive and the Hokage. Jiraiya and Tsunade-sama are married and Uchiha Itachi is a girl. A wild ride, with a lovely ending.

2. A heap of details, uncatalogued, illogical by 100 demons (https://archiveofourown.org/works/1116142 )

This is part 2 of a two piece, but can be read as a standalone. A Genjutsu goes wrong, Kakashi wakes up with the memories of his 14 year old self, much to the confusion of Team 7. The Team 7 dynamic is just the /best/. I love them to bits.

3. My Mr Ukki by Applepie (https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7094767/1/My-Mr-Ukki ).

A funny little one shot. I think we can all agree that Mr Ukki is the most underrated Naruto character. "My Mr Ukki's sick!" Kakashi wailed in a room full of ninjas. So naturally, everyone heard him. Then began, a plethora of misunderstandings. Just who is this mysterious Mr Ukki and what is his relationship with Kakashi - A secret lover? Also Tsunade-sama is a killer wingman in this one.

4. Man's best friend by Applepie

( https://archiveofourown.org/works/3858064 ) The ninken wage war against Mr Ukki for Kakashi's affections. Anything with Pakkun in it, is a must read- obviously! And again, it has Mr Ukki.

5. Hokage Kakashi by Mirror and Image (https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8175136/1/Hokage-Kakashi. )

A funny one shot during Kakashi's tenure as Hokage. Kakashi is made Hokage during the Pein Arc in this one and his near death experience has made him a bit mental (lies, he was actually born that way).

6. Uneasy lies the Head by Hiiraeth (https://m.fanfiction.net/s/11199743/1/Uneasy-Lies-the-Head )

Kakashi and Team 7 centric. The lengthiest one on the list. Takes place two years after the Fourth Shinobi War, with Rokudaime Kakashi being a terrible troll, just as nature intended. Troll behaviour warrants an almost successful assassination attempt, resulting in Team 7 rolling out the Hokage protection bubble-wrap. A good read and I believe there is also a sequel out/ongoing.

7. A warm impression by Hiiraeth (https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12741017/1/A-Warm-Impression ) Minato-sensei meets Sakumo for the first time. I love the characterization. You can honestly read anything by Hiiraeth and won't be disappointed. Like at all.

That's it for now. I'll update the list as I go, but until then, these should do.

[animeyanderetalker]

Yandere! Naruto

Yandere! Plantonic Naruto...how would the Yanderes Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Uzumaki and Naruto aged 15 would react when a jackass thought it would be funny to rip the hearing aids out of Narutos little sister's ears age 12..she made a sound of pain and clutched her left ear when a jolt of pain shot through her body and blood actually began to drip down her arm and onto the floor from her elbow..a friend of hers (Sasukes younger brother *is basically a harmless Yandere* same age as Narutos younger sister asked if she was alright but obviously she wasn't..a bully ripped out her hearing aids for fun and paid the consequences)..Narutos younger sister is basically moderately deaf and needed her hearing aids to be able to hear.

https://youtu.be/2qNeU0kIrfI (go to 1:41 of when the girl made a noise of pain when her hearing aids were ripped out).

Alive Au (The night that Narutos parents died never happened).

You can expect all of them to be at least a little bit more protective over their little daughter/sister because she’s deaf. Kushina probably is against her even becoming a shinobi since she fears that her child might die because with her inability to hear she might be at a disadvantage. Sure, there have been stories of blind and deaf people becoming excellent shinobi but she doesn’t want to risk anything.

When that bully rips the girl’s hearing aid out of her ear and she actually started bleeding, all were furious. Kushina is rushing to her daughter to instantly check her injury, Naruto is screaming at the bully absolutely bewildered and ready to throw hands and Minato switches back and forth between soothing his daughter and throwing cold glares into the direction of the bully. It’s a big mistake considering that this girl is the daughter of the Hokage and the parents of the boy will probably force him to apologize and they themselves will bow and spit out apologizes endlessly when Minato informs them of what their son did.

[twig-tea]

Love in Translation--Everyone Is Right This Show Is Great

Ok so I was convinced by these great posts by @bengiyo here and @lurkingshan here to catch up and prioritize this series.

But then I watched Minato's Laundromat s2 instead (which was a disappointment, bad decision).

And then I lied again and watched Only Friends ep6 as cough you may have noticed based on my posting this past 24hrs.

But now I'm finally actually keeping my word and prioritizing Love in Translation lol

And of course, they were totally right, this show is so good!

I'd already seen episode 1; it was chaotic but cute, and already established the older/younger brother dynamic as well as the chemistry between the two leads and the full cast of supporting characters--who bengiyo rightfully points out are delightful.

Episode 2 hits the ground running and the next few episodes flew by on my catch-up binge; as lurkingshan said, the pacing on this show is FAST and really enjoyable. With the absurd premise established they jumped right into character development and pining! I love a grumpy on the outside because he has too many feelings on the inside character, and Yang is perfect. He fell so hard so fast for Phumjai's sunshine charisma (which bengiyo is so right, is a rare breed of happy and energetic but not annoying). And I love that they've established pretty clearly that Phumjai needs someone to believe in him (hello, Dangerous Romance's Khaotung, I see you), and that Yang warming up and trusting him is going to be the thing to sway his heart. Yang clearly being aware of his feelings and helping Phumjai talk to Tammy anyway is giving me so much of the good kind of pain! I love a pining while helping my love interest with their romance because I am secretly a simp even though I seem cold character. Yang's tiny smiles give me life. And I also really love a smile through my pain because I desperately want to protect everyone around me at cost to myself character, so this show is really giving me everything I could want and then some.

Love in Translation is so good at earning every emotional response the characters give... lurkingshan talked about this in her pitch and I'm going to double down because this show keeps surprising me in the best way. Yang is not just jealous, he knows something. Phumjai is not just inexperienced, he's never been trusted to stand on his own or make any decisions for himself. There's a reason why Phumjai hesitates and why Yang pulls back. Every time there's a character decision that moves forward the plot that in any other show would be handwaved away, it's explained and given context and I am LIVING. I can't wait to find out why his brother is so overprotective, for example, because I now trust this show to give us that.

I can't talk about this show as much as I want to without spoilers so cutting the below for those who have been convinced but don't want to be spoiled. But for those who have not yet been convinced: Below the cut I talk about how this show queues up annoying narrative tropes to undermine them. I also just want to say while I'm still above the line, the chemistry between the two leads is excellent:

this show is very pretty (some really interesting shots and use of the store aisles for framing, as well as lovely colour grading):

the interpersonal drama is so far quite good at staying interwoven with actual work (I know absolutely nothing about running a mini mart but at least they do seem to do work in a workplace show, and at least some of the episodic challenges are about work/sales), and the comedy is not too slapstick. At least one side couple (involving Ngern! My beloved) has an arc clearly forming and I am hopeful the other will too.

And for you colour girlies, @respectthepetty has written brilliantly about the colours in this show meaning things (and already been proven right).

TL;DR Love in Translation is so far a really, really enjoyable viewing experience!

Oh hi! For the record, I will be potentially spoiling through episode 5. This is just me gushing about stuff that might be spoilery, don't expect any brilliance here lol

God I love how this show tees up tropes to undermine them. Tammy is an influencer, but Phumjai fell for her because they met in person and she made him feel competent and listened to. Tammy is a player, but Phumjai is aware and makes no demands. Phumjai made Tammy feel like someone really cared about her and so she decided to be serious about him (rather than Tammy playing into the evil woman stereotype). Yang is clearly already aware of his feelings, but decides to help and Phumjai go on a practice date, and doesn't hold back, AND gives the older brother a baller speech about letting people make their own choices. Phumjai isn't totally thoughtless about Yang during the practice date, he doesn't just focus on Tammy and chooses things Yang would like. And then when he goes on the date he doesn't sublimate, Phumjai realizes something is going on and goes to talk to Yang, who kisses him!!! Phumjai reacts badly and avoids Yang, but it's because he realizes he has a crush and thinks he needs to make it go away rather than because of gay panic. Yang starts pushing Phumjai away, but it's because he's literally under threat rather than because he's scared of having emotions, and he doesn't want to risk Phumjai's safety. And this also puts Yang's intensity, anger, and seriousness about the business and how its doing in context because (I think) he owes folks money and is very worried about being found before he can pay them back.

And because the show gives good reasons for why these characters have these reactions or make these decisions, the show is also able to explain when these reactions or decisions change! Yang doesn't just forget about his crush or his history with Tammy, she proves to him she's serious this time with her actions. Yang thought he was safe and he finds out he isn't, so he stops pursuing Phumjai.

What I'm really, really hoping for in the next ep: we know from the trailer that Phumjai bolts, I'm assuming because Yang says something unclear to push him away again, and Tammy finds him. I'm really hoping this gives Phumjai and Tammy a chance to air things out, and for Yang to realize he needs to be honest with Phumjai about what's going on so that they can ~please for once, BL gods~ face their troubles together!

Also can I just go off on a rant and say how much I love Phumjai? At first I was afraid he would be annoying either because he's so sunshine or because he's incompetent or both, but besides his obsession with Tammy (which I will admit at least is motivating for him lol) he is actually really dedicated to his job and works really hard. Love that Phumjai's recruits are already on his side and defend him to Yang, even moreso than Tag, Phumjai's so-called best friend (I am side eyeing you sir) does to Phojai.

Really holding onto hope that this show keeps surprising me because I'm really enjoying every time it does it!

[bengiyo]

Minato’s Laundromat 2 Ep 1 Stray Thoughts

I was not even hoping for this to get a sequel, but I am so excited that we are. We so often leave characters at their starting line. Minato unpacked a lot of his own internalized homophobia and cowardice in the last season, and I’m excited to see what the showrunners think the early phase of his relationship with Shin will look like. I’m not much of a fan of time skips, and so this is what I’ve not-so-secretly hoped for when I ask for more stories about gay people staying together.

I like that we’re opening this season with a reaffirmation that Minato actually likes running the laundromat.

There he is! My favorite menace!

I like the new intro.

Asuka!! My second favorite menace!

Okay, I’m legitimately excited for Asuka pursuing more learning for himself. There was a melancholy resignation about his life hanging over him before.

Shin is still crushing the hopes and dreams of potential female suitors.

I really love Japanese filmmaking styles around walking. Asuka jumps in step with Shin, revealing that the two are still friends (despite Shin’s apparent irritation with Asuka). When their issues come up, Shin immediately falls behind. They both stop, and this kicks them into an A-B shot conversation briefly. We’ve landed at the first worry that has broken their stride. It’s good! It communicates so much. Shin is worried about his three-month-old relationship with Minato, Asuka is being picked on to study by everyone and teased about his crush on Shun. These two are still the gay friends who’ve been together forever but are always seemingly picking on each other. It’s great.

I’m enjoying this divide in the way these two are handling being together. Shin has known of his attraction for a long time, and wants Minato to be direct and open about his feelings. Minato is still shy about them, and gets embarrassed.

“Have I been a good boy for the last three months?” There’s my favorite menace!

I’m relieved we’re getting Minato’s internal monologue. Shin is going to speak his feelings aloud because he has no shame about them, but we the audience need to hear Minato’s worries. He’s too anxious a character for us to just read them from his face.

Curious where Minato’s specific hang up on saying “I like you” to Shin comes from.

See, this is what I’m talking about with good use of side couples. We cut away from the mains to Asuka telling Shun he likes him and Shun telling him to focus on his studies. Shun is incapable of returning the romantic feelings Asuka is projecting at him, but he’s been clear about that the whole time. Still, he agrees that Asuka’s presence is a positive one in his life. I’m LOCKED IN.

This beach always looks so uncomfortable.

I have missed Minato’s shirts, but not how hungry they make me.

I love that Asuka goes to Minato to complain about Shun. Minato is also the one not meeting his partner’s vocalized needs, so it puts him in the awkward position of defending Shun. Also amused at Minato dodging the question about whether he and Shin have been intimate, because we know for sure they have.

I hope Shin isn’t playing games with Minato about being busy…but also low-key I hope he’s using this as an opportunity to mess with Minato. I’m sorry. I’m a little shallow. I like when characters misuse malicious compliance to give their romantic partners what they say they want.

“Who’s the real kid here? It seems like it’s me.” Love when we read a character correctly.

You know Minato is approaching 30 because he’s excited about a new broom.

Shin working at the same cram school as Shun gives so much potential for other character dynamics.

Just one of these times I want to see Shin throw hands with Asuka.

Shin remains my favorite. Minato is playing avoidance games again and Shin is not having it.

I’m curious if the reason Shin can’t go home tonight is about the ruined refrigerator and he’s just being dramatic.

I’m not sure how living together works when Minato still has all these hang ups.

I like the new version of the beach outro.

Nishigaki Sho and Kusakawa Takuya are just ridiculously attractive. My goodness.

I’m genuinely excited about what domesticity looks like for these two.

I missed these boys so much! I don’t care if we don’t have a manga to rely upon. I am so excited to get a season about these two starting their relationship. This feels like a warmup for TV Tokyo before we get more of What Did You Eat Yesterday? in the fall. I am just so satisfied with my BL experience lately.

[the-madara-squad]

MADARA SQUAD PODCAST ~Episode #1

Hey y'all !

Since the 24th of November, our server discord Madara Squad discord is one years old🎂.

Born from the chaotic warring social media of tumblr, our goal was originally to unit the fandom of those who love Madara from the canon : mission accomplished with flying colours! We did it through many live events :

the Creative Club every week religiously for the last 10 months those endless chit chat gave birth to many fanfics, OC, headcanons, japaneses history classes, drawings, helped finishing homeworks, kept people awake until morning,

japanese Film/Anime reaction live,

Astrology VC

Naruto Video Games session in VC

board games VC

NSFW live

having the biggest database of the Uchiha fanart all sources to their original authors!

having the only Madarapedia : sources the best meta from the Narutoverse

and the cherry on the top : the summer Uchiha Week 2023 where we were the PIONEERS in coding from scratch a character AI of Madara bot for this event.

And if you think we have done enough? Oh boy you're not ready for what's coming this december! 😈

Our community reunites fanfic writers, artists, analysts, debaters, fighters, wifeys but always warm and kind to each other. And we thank you squaddies for making this happened, helping each other and inspiring each other. And it's with a lot of proud that we are announcing a new expansion : The Madara Squad Podcast.

Our smooth voices will continue to debate endlessly about our General-in-Chief, the Uchiha clan but also all the cast from the Narutoverse and why not comparing with others mangas because after all sky is the limit!

Let's start with our first podcast on the Minato one shot released by the sensei Masashi Kishimoto in July 2023.

Follow us on youtube, thumbs up in our videos, leave us a comment if you like our content, and share this post!

Created with love by @margretescrimsonatelier and @al-hekima-madara-blog

[blmpff]

✨2023: A Summary✨

Post your most popular and/or favourite edit/gifset/analysis for each month (it’s okay to skip months!)

Tagged by @lurkingshan, and also @colourme-feral and @troubled-mind as I was working on it, thank you ❣️

My two main ~things~ are uploading actors' photos, and doing my own favorite X posts from shows I'm watching, and considering I've uploaded 5593 posts in 2023, in this essay I'll focus on my own.

disclaimer 1: I started posting my edits in March, so the first two months of the year will be just actors' pics to not skip them disclaimer 2: as for favorites the answer is always my favorite shots posts because each and every single one of them is my precious baby disclaimer 3: I added SHOWS to each month for my compilation posts for them

JANUARY:

- most popular: First Kanaphan from their trip to Japan I think - favorite: ArmyJoe stills from gmmtv twt

FEBRUARY:

- most popular: Fluke and Thor TWE bts - favorite: this MosBank

MARCH:

- most popular: Our Dining Table promo picture - favorite: Midnight Museum ep5, The Eighth Sense ep2, first Shared Location

APRIL:

- most popular: P'Jojo explaining the use of thai soap opera cliches in Our Skyy 2: Never Let Me Go - favorite: T8S x train ride, Jaewon calling Jihyun his boyfriend, shadow kisses, Midnight Museum moon shots 4/4, the post where I save links to all the shows/movies I make posts about - shows: Our Dating Sim, The Eighth Sense, Destiny Seeker, Midnight Museum, Blueming, Bed Friend

MAY:

- most popular: P'Jojo posting about Only Friends getting the green light - favorite: Man's hands, this Between Us scene, this ONHCT scene, OS2 x Win's Adventures - shows: OS2: The Eclipse, OS2: NLMG, Happy Merry Ending, ABAAB, Love Mate, ONHCT, Dear Ex, Please Tell Me So, A First Love Story 1, A First Love Story 2, Step For You

JUNE:

- most popular: Cooheart in a bridal dress at Bangkok Pride - favorite: Fluke's hair poll, IQ subber in House of Stars, ODT Tane - shows: Star Struck, Our Dining Table, Love Tractor

JULY:

- most popular: NeoMark Only Friends Q photo - favorite: these two Tokyo In April Is parallels, this Semantic Error scene - shows: Step by Step, La Pluie, House of Stars, My Ride

AUGUST:

- most popular: P'Jojo talking about sex scenes in Only Friends - favorite: ML Shin being Shin, this scene in SMC - shows: Tokyo In April Is, Sing My Crush, Egoist, Low Frequency, Stay Still, Sonnet 18

SEPTEMBER:

- most popular: the epic journey that was Red Peafowl cast announcement - favorite: Leehyun repeatedly calling An his boyfriend, Joohyuk x Sungmin, hyung, EarthBank - shows: Laws of Attraction, Love Class 2, Marry Go Round, Minato's Laundromat 2, Hidden Agenda, Bon Appetit

OCTOBER:

- most popular: P'Jojo roasting Boston - favorite: IFYLITA dream dancing, bloody Papang, bloody GG kiss&murder - shows: My Personal Weatherman, Only Friends, Grand Guignol, Semantic Error: The Movie

NOVEMBER:

- most popular: new YinWar show Jack&Joker pilot - favorite: this Mermaid's Jade scene, this The Devil Judge scene, these Playboyy posters - shows: I Feel You Linger In The Air, Mermaid's Jade, Kiseki: Dear To Me, Pure Vanilla, One Room Angel

DECEMBER:

- most popular: Babe causing Billy to malfunction - favorite: JellyfishBolster compilation, this AobPuen, DFF I've been impaled - shows: Sweet Home 2, Shadow, To My Star s1, Absolute Zero, Bake Me Please, Moonlight Chicken

Tagging everyone who wants to do it and haven't already, this site helps!

[0ynes]

Kishimoto better give us at least 1 page of cute Minato and Kushina teen romance in the Minato one-shot 🥺🥺