#Player 456

[atomicshinobi]

Watched all of squid game today

[thasa]

The Super Star, Lee Jung-jae!

JJ won Emmy this month 2 years ago, 13th Sept 2022 <3

[2eighteen]

holy crap lois

[dummymcsnortee]

You'll get the reference New art~!

[fei-rest]

“Smile!” Squid Game redraw (I’m very late to the hype but hey)

Also an art style experiment/facial expression study. Had a lot of shading this one.

[would-you-punt-them]

Imagine watching a show with probably the most surface level potrayal of the message of "rich people suck and will use poor people for money" only to be like "hm. as the total anthesis of this message i should totally recreate this"

It's made even worse when you consider the fact that this isn't the first "IRL Squid Game" ever attempted, Netflix UK did one that was specifically based on the actual show in January 2023 called "Squid Game: The Challenge".

(I've seen people in the tags get these two shows confused, they are different - Beast Games is on Amazon, not Netflix, was filmed at the end of July this year, and hasn't come out yet).

But Netflix UK have their own scandal to answer for.

That original British Squid Game was also a disaster. "Beast Games" was filmed in the middle of one of Nevada's hottest Julys on record, hence why so many contestants suffered from extreme dehydration due to the lack of water. On the other hand, "Squid Game: The Challenge" was filmed during an unusually cold British January.

The players had been given coats, leg warmers, space heaters, and so on during the lead up to the game, only to have those warm clothes taken away before the first challenge began, because they needed to wear those paper thin canon-accurate Squid Game tracksuits. They weren't even allowed to zip them up, because the cameras needed to see the numbers on their shirts, and the fake blood spurting out when they were eliminated.

They then had to play Redlight-Greenlight in the blistering cold, holding poses, completely still, for increasing lengths of time (2 minutes at the start of the game, 30 in the late stages). Players starting collapsing from the cold, and had to be rescued by medics.

The game started with 456 competitors on Day 1, and ended up with 228 by Day 2.

Here's the Variety article: Inside Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Reality Show Disaster: ‘The Conditions Were Absolutely Inhumane’

TL;DR - Here are some choice quotes in case you want to read them:

“The second time the song played, I saw in my left peripheral vision that this girl was swaying. Then she just buckled, and you could hear her head actually hit the ground,” says Marlene. “But then someone came on the [microphone] and said to hold our positions because the game is not paused. After that, people were dropping like flies.”

Jenny, a player from outside the U.K. who had been flown in for the game, tells Variety: “I’m infuriated by the narrative that Netflix is putting out there, that only [a few] people were injured…we were all injured just by going through that experience.

“I’ve never been that cold for that long a period in my life. We couldn’t feel our feet or our toes. It was ridiculous,” she says. Jenny also claims that while the game was in production, restroom or water breaks weren’t allowed.

“Take some responsibility for the fact that you were ill-prepared for this kind of thing, with this number of people,” continues Jenny, between tears. “There were some things I guess [producers] didn’t think about, but when they saw the weather was going to be that way, they should have made adjustments.”

All three players [John, Marlene and Jenny] say they returned to the hotel between 7 p.m. and midnight without having dinner. Dinner orders had been taken at lunch, but because the game had run longer than expected, contestants were transported back to their central London hotel without having eaten. Production had ordered pizzas for those arriving, but there wasn’t enough food to go around, and some people went to bed hungry.

“In the morning, I woke up and there was a cold hamburger from McDonald’s and a side salad in front of my door that had been there for God knows how long,” says Marlene.

(Variety, Feb 3, 2023)

(Also, "Marlene and Jenny" are pseudonyms, because like Beast Game they signed NDAs.)

There are some other similarities with Beast Games - denial of bathroom breaks, lack of food, lack of water, inadequate medical care, and so on.

Netflix is denying these claims, or at least denying that they are as bad as contestants are suggesting, and said that while it was undeniably cold on set, "participants were prepared for that". Participants have claimed that they were, in fact, in no way prepared for that.

We know MrBeast has probably seen "Squid Game: The Challenge", because they've tried to one-up it. The British show originally had "the biggest cash-prize ever offered in reality TV" ($4.5 million), until Beast Games showed up with an ever bigger prize of $5 million.

So, it's not just "Jimmy recreating the Torment Nexus after watching the show "Don't recreate the Torment Nexus".

It's closer to "Jimmy recreating the Torment Nexus from the show "Don't create the Torment Nexus", after watching the show "This is what happens when you create the Torment Nexus".

[niki-phoria]

‧₊˚✩ chishiya, arisu, and kuina's habits they get from dating you

warnings: ooc chishiya, mentions of blood, not exactly canon divergent but i kinda expanded on canon (??), kuina's mom being sick

a/n: most of these probably should've been full fics but i want to write more reactions so here we are

gn reader (no pronouns used)

requests open !! read my rules first

‧₊˚✩ chishiya

word count 411 jack of hearts chishiya >>>

playing with your hands

you pull the chair back, sliding into the seat next to chishiya. he’s sure to sit between you and niragi, leaning back in the seat. arisu stands awkwardly at the edge of the room. his gaze remains focused on the only person he’s seen before - chishiya. 

chishiya raises his hand, waving at him similarly to the way he did in ‘tag.’ ann, mira, and kuzuryu sit on the other side of the table. aguni shifts across from kuzuryu, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest. finally, hatter stands at the head of the table. he dramatically raises his arms.

“welcome beach executives,” he bellows before glancing over at arisu. “and potential executive.” he sighs, pushing his hair back and sitting down in the chair. “we are here to debate whether or not a new executive should be instated.” 

next to you, chishiya subtly pulls his left hand from his pocket, reaching over to grab yours. it’s not an uncommon reaction, especially since you’ve become more comfortable in your relationship. he almost does it unconsciously as he casually intertwines your fingers together before stuffing your hands back into his pocket. 

the meeting drones on around you. their voices all blend together as you impatiently wait for the meeting to conclude. after a few minutes of arguing, hatter stands once again. “it’s decided. arisu will be tested, and if he passes, the beach will gain a new executive. this meeting is concluded.” he walks to the door before glancing over his shoulder. “arisu, i’d like to speak to you more. do join me.”  

you ignore arisu’s nervous look as you follow chishiya out of the room. both of you slip through the various different passageways further into the beach. he leads you to his makeshift workshop, only letting go of your hand to begin working on yet another kerosene bomb. 

you lean back against the table as you watch him tinker away. once complete, he slowly feeds the mess of wires into the metal soda can. he passes it to you, hands holding yours for a second longer than necessary. you smile, setting it aside on the table. “you always do that.” 

chishiya raises an eyebrow. “do what?” 

“hold my hand.” he doesn’t react, instead looking away as he glances for another can. but the light flush on his ears is enough confirmation for you. he’s always searching for you, even when you’re standing right next to him. 

always thinking of you

word count 456

the rest of the players crowd around into groups, forming little cliques. they nervously glance around at the other players when they aren’t taking turns turning around and exposing their symbol, relying on the trust of the group to be truthful. 

you observe them from your place at a table in the cafeteria, silently watching. this is nothing new for chishiya - picking up on the little details about people is how he’s been able to survive in the borderland for so long. but as the games become increasingly difficult and your situation becomes more dire, you find yourself replicating his mannerisms. 

chishiya glances over his shoulder at you momentarily before refocusing on the wall of snacks before him. it’s all junk food, but junk is better than nothing. you probably won’t be able to eat much while trying to complete the rest of the games and avoiding the king of spades, he reasons. 

a woman stands at the edge of the shelves, watching him. he reaches out to grab a packet of cookies, opening the bag and taking a bite of one. he glances over at her before nonchalantly raising the packet. “you should try them,” he says. “they’re the best ones.” the woman doesn’t respond. instead, she simply slips back behind the shelf to where her group is. 

despite chishiya’s insistence about his personal choice being the best cookies, he pauses when something catches his eye. this bag is a deep blue. it’s wrapped in plastic instead of the paper he holds against his chest. they’re vanilla. from the look alone he can tell that he won’t enjoy the artificial sweetness, but something makes him take a packet before he goes to find you. they’re your favorite. 

chishiya silently sits down next to you, placing his packet of cookies on the seat beside him. you subtly move closer so your shoulders brush, leaning over to see what he picked. “i didn’t take you for the cookie type.” 

“it’s good to know i can still surprise you, then.” his initial hesitance of which snack to choose immediately disappears as your face lights up when he slides the blue packet to you. 

“i didn’t know they had these!” chishiya is unable to fully suppress his smile, allowing his lips to curl upwards slightly. “thank you.” 

“i thought you would like them.” 

“you know me so well,” you hum, opening the packet before holding out one for him. “want one?” 

chishiya was right when he thought that he wouldn’t enjoy the artificial taste of the vanilla. but when you smile up at him, happily eating another, he realizes he’d be content to eat overly sweet cookies for the rest of his life - as long as it’s with you.

‧₊˚✩ arisu

constantly talking about you (pre-borderland au)

word count 425

“hey, check this out!” chota takes a packet of ramen from the shelf, holding it up. arisu squints, stepping forwards to read the words. the packaging is pink, decorated with a picture of the noodles and… strawberry? 

karube reaches out to grab it, reading the words. “strawberry shortcake ramen?” he reads, raising an eyebrow at chota. “seriously?” 

“why not?” chota shrugs, returning to look through the various options. 

“sure, man,” karube chuckles. “whatever you want.” 

arisu smiles, shaking his head. he picks out a bowl of instant ramen, tucking it in between his arm and holding it against his chest to cook later. from the corner of his eye, a different packet catches his eye. it’s spicy - spicier than he would normally eat. but it’s perfect for you. he doesn’t realize the small smile unconsciously spreading across his face as he imagines the scene. 

going home to you after a day spent with chota and karube, pulling out the noodles, dancing around the kitchen together as you let them overcook on the stove, you teasing him as he tries to eat them and then has to desperately drink milk to soothe his burning mouth. 

he’s brought back to reality when karube places a hand on his shoulder. he leans in with a raised eyebrow, kneeling down to be eye level with him. “are you crazy?” he teases, gesturing to the packet in arisu’s hand. “we all know you can’t eat that.” 

“y/n will like it,” he says. he doesn’t notice the shared glance between chota and karube. 

“wow, man, you’re whipped.” chota comments. 

“seriously, i didn’t think it would get worse than that time he left in the middle of a match because y/n wanted to cuddle,” karube laughs. 

arisu purses his lips, unable to deny their teasing. he knows he’s whipped, or a simp, or a dumb lovestruck fool, or whatever else people want to call him - but he doesn’t care. going home to you, kissing under your kitchen lights, falling asleep to a bad sitcom wrapped in your arms, it’s all worth it. 

so instead of denying it or putting the ramen back, he lets them joke as he follows them to the register. he pays extra for the second packet before rejoining karube and chota by the window of the convenience store. “hey,” karube leans over to pat his shoulder. “in all seriousness, we’re glad you found someone like y/n. we’re proud of you.”

arisu smiles, refocusing on the bowl of instant ramen in front of him. “thank you.” 

trusts you with his life

word count 701 got a little carried away whoops

usagi’s hand stays firmly on the boy’s shoulder, subtly standing in front of him. “don’t worry,” she whispers when she kneels down next to him. “i’ll protect you.” he nods a little before she stands up. 

“we need to go,” you whisper. arisu nods, grabbing your hand as you follow usagi through the structure and up the stairs. other players chasing each other echo along the metal. arisu’s grip on your hand remains tight. he’s nervous- you can tell. he glances at you every now and then, pulling you through the different structures.

“queen’s turn ends. player’s turn begins.” the announcement chimes. you pant, leaning back against the metal. arisu never lets go of your hand, leaning down on his knees to catch his breath. 

“we need to find the other players,” usagi says. “if we can convince them to help us then we can win this.” you nod, squeezing arisu’s hand. “let’s split up. we’ll find more people that way.” 

“meet back here at every round.” arisu says. you note the area, before forcing yourself up, running off in search of the other players. 

arisu curses as you follow him up the winding metal structures. it’s a dead end.you look down over the edge, and then over his shoulder. a chain hangs down from somewhere above. “you need to grab onto that chain,” you point. arisu looks at what you’re pointing at before looking back at you. 

“are you crazy?” 

“look, there’s nowhere else to go!” he seems unconvinced, looking down at the ground below. you reach over to hold his face in your hands, turning him to face you. “do you trust me?” 

arisu nods immediately. “of course i do.” 

“then i need you to grab onto the chain and swing. i’ll catch you, i promise.” he glances back at the chain before nodding. 

“okay.” 

the queen catches up to you seconds later, smirking as she pants. “looks like your luck has finally run out.” you push arisu behind you, standing between them. 

“i wouldn’t call it luck.” she narrows her eyes at you, stepping closer. “arisu, now!” 

he jumps off of the edge of the structure, grabbing onto the chain. you push the queen away, putting distance between yourself and her. you grab arisu when he swings back, helping him down from the chain as you begin running again. 

once you’re sure you’ve lost the queen in the maze of her game, you give yourself a few minutes to relax. arisu leans back against the wall, panting. “thank you,” he whispers. you reach over to grab his hand, nodding.

you lean back against the metal railing for support. “this is the final round for the players,” the announcement chimes. “after this round, the game will end.” a man wearing a bike helmet nods at you before running off towards the left. you take his cue to go right, running  to the area where you agreed to meet up with arisu and usagi, finding them already there. usagi pats your shoulder as you lean up to look up at arisu. 

“there’s only two more players on the queen’s team,” she pants. “we can do this.” you nod, running through in search of any other players. you press the button on a man’s back, sending him to the ground from the shock. “sorry,” you whisper, kneeling down next to him to make sure he’s okay. you lean over the edge of the structure again, reading the scoreboard. 19 players vs. 01 queen. you let out a relieved sigh, making your way over to the area where you first entered the game. 

a few other players are already there, standing around and watching the time tick down. the boy rushes over to your side, standing next to you. you place a hand on his shoulder, watching the timer. “it’ll be okay,” you whisper. he nods, eyes glued to the screen. 

arisu rushes over to your side, quickly followed by usagi. he immediately pulls you into a quick hug. you wrap your arms around his shoulders, keeping him close to you. “y/n,” he sighs. “i’m glad you’re okay.” 

“me too,” you pant. he presses a quick kiss against your temple. 

‧₊˚✩ kuina

doing everything for two

kuina sets the pot over the makeshift stove she created, using the fire to heat the water. a box of noodles sits beside her as she waits for it to boil. the store is almost eerily quiet, the flickering overhead lights being the only other source of noise. 

word count 532 there are literally NO kuina gifs and it makes me so sad ://

she pulls her knees up to her chest as she waits. when the water becomes uninteresting, she finds herself staring at the picture she took from the wall of her mother’s hospital room. she remembers that day clearly, valuing it as one of the most important moments of her life. she was younger when her mother had first been diagnosed. she nervously clutched the straps of her bag as the nurse guided her to the room, leaving them alone in the room. she remembers how her mother had gasped, eyes welling with tears before she wrapped her into a hug for the first time in years, whispering about how she was a beautiful young woman. 

kuina remembers calling you in her car immediately afterwards, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. she remembers the excitement in your voice as she told you the good news and the taste of the noodles you surprised her with when she arrived home. that was the night she fell in love with you. 

she sighs, refocusing on the pot of water. it’s boiling now. she slowly pours the noodles in, stirring them around with a pair of wooden chopsticks she found in the hospital’s cafeteria. it’s only once they finish cooking and she fishes them out of the pot that she realizes she has too much food just for herself. she made enough for two. enough for you.

she curses the tears that build in her eyes. the hope of you being alive fades with each day, let alone being able to find you. a noise at the doors of the store startles her. her body stiffens, anxiously peeking behind a shelf to see who’s there. 

the breath escapes her lungs when she does. bloodied, dirty, and standing on shaky knees, you stand there. you lean against the wall to catch your breath. kuina clambers to her feet, rushing over to you. “y/n?” 

your eyes blink open at the mention of your name. your voice is breathless when you speak. “kuina?” 

she runs to you, wrapping you into a hug. you’re quick to reciprocate, hiding your face into her shoulder. “i was so worried about you,” she whispers, pulling away enough to brush the hair out of your face. “how did you find me?” 

“i figured you would go to the hospital. when you weren’t there, i thought i would check the grocery store next.” kuina doesn’t notice the tears rolling down her cheeks until your hand brushes one away. “don’t cry, baby, i’m here.” 

she smiles through the tears, nodding. “are you hurt?” 

you shake your head. “i’m alright.” 

kuina traces her hand along your jawline. she can’t wait any longer, pressing her lips against yours in a sweet kiss. you smile when she pulls away. “i made food. it’s your favorite.” 

you press another peck against her lips, pulling her a little closer again. “thank you.”

always touching you

“hi,” you smile, lowering your head into a quick bow. they’re quick to reciprocate. “i’m l/n y/n.” 

word count 527

“y/n,” kuina smiles, reaching out to grab your hand as you sit down beside her. there are two people sitting on the beach chair across from her. you recognize them as being the beach’s newest recruits. 

“usagi yazuha,” the woman smiles. her hair is short, cut into a chin length bob. her forehead bangs frame her face nicely. she’s wearing a peach jacket and black biker shorts. 

“arisu ryoehi.” his hair is longer than hers. he’s wearing a white t-shirt and blue swim trunks. they both look uncomfortable surrounded by the frenzy of drunk beach members. 

“don’t worry,” kuina chuckles. “we don’t bite. there are drinks pretty much everywhere, and drugs, if you’re into that.” 

“which games have you played?” you ask. 

they detail how they first met during tag before meeting up again in a club game. kuina grows even closer to you through the course of the night as you laugh and joke around with your newfound friends. her arm interlinks with yours, body leaning into your side. 

in the mix of shared drinks and laughter, she eventually ends up on your lap. you wrap your arm around her waist, both to hold her up as she leans against you and to keep her warm. you’re all too familiar of how cold the beach gets during the night, especially when your girlfriend is only wearing a bikini. 

the night continues on, party raging around you. usagi had decided to find a room in the hotel once the ocean breeze became less of a slight annoyance and more of an unrelenting wind. the night continues to blur as kuina and arisu continue drinking and joking around together. 

“you two are cute together,” arisu’s words slur together as he smiles at you. kuina reciprocates, taking another small sip of her beer. 

“so are you two,” she smiles. 

“ah, we’re not dating,” he sighs. 

“really?” she cocks her head at him. “you should ask her out. she totally likes you!” 

arisu nods to himself, contemplating. “maybe i will.” 

“babe,” you whisper, running your hand against her side. “it’s getting late. we should head to bed.” 

“you’re right,” she hums, finishing off the rest of her beer. 

“i should probably get some sleep too.” arisu nods. 

“the rooms are all unlocked. just pick one that’s empty. we don’t really keep track of room numbers or anything.” kuina wraps her arm around your shoulder, leaning into your chest. 

“thanks,” arisu smiles. “it was nice meeting you guys.” 

“you too!” kuina clings to you as you lift her body, carrying her away from the pool and into your shared room. you use your elbow to open the door before setting her body down on the bed. you set a bottle of water on the table beside her and prepare a trash can just in case before sliding underneath the covers beside her. “i love you,” she smiles, moving to lay on your chest. you pull the blanket up over her body, rubbing your hand against her back. 

“i love you too.”

[rivalsforlife]

Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Interview Highlight

This is coming a little late - on September 1st, just before the release of the AAI collection, there was an interview on Netlab with Tatsuro Iwamoto (character designer), Kenichi Hashimoto (named in this article as the producer of the AA series overall), and Shunsuke Nishida (producer of the AAIC collection) about the games. It's a long interview with a lot of interesting elements including the reactions to the announcement, a brief mention of the consideration of changing some moments for modern times (example given is the LGBTQ content in the 456 collection - I believe referring to some events in DD, but no specifics), details into the process of upgrading the character minisprites, the staff's favorite characters and cases, why Franziska is 13 in the key art, and other fun details. The part I want to highlight here is what they say about upcoming merch and the future of the ace attorney series.

This small segment of the interview had one part previously translated by nintendoeverything, but there are some little details that I noticed in the full interview that were incorrect so I'm posting this here. But please note that I'm doing this primarily with auto-translate with tiny corrections on the tiny bits of AA-related words in Japanese that I know, which isn't much, so there are likely still inaccuracies in this. Please don't hesitate to correct me if you spot any!

--The " Ace Attorney Series" merchandise has been very popular, including the "Ace Attorney Investigations Lottery" held on Capkuji Online. What do you think about fans purchasing merchandise? Hashimoto : As for merchandise, I have the impression that it sells out across the board for the past few years. The "Ace Attorney" series merchandise is basically sold out on the first day, and it's the same for the "Ace Attorney Investigations" series. This year is the 15th anniversary of the "Ace Attorney Investigations" series, and I've been talking to the store staff about "putting out a lot of Ace Attorney Investigations-related merchandise". There are things that we haven't been able to put out before because it's the 15th anniversary, so this year, the "Ace Attorney Investigations" series is especially hot. There are still some goods that haven't been released, so please look forward to them.

Since there hasn't been much AAI merchandise since around the time of the original release of AAI, I'm super looking forward to seeing what they'll put out. The Capkuji Online lottery they speak of is the one that had the giant tsum of Edgeworth, and I really hope they someday will make that available for general purchase.

--Many fans are hoping that purchasing merchandise will lead to new releases, but is that actually the case? Hashimoto: That's true. The fact that we have such passionate players' support is something that the entire company, including the management, can recognize, even more than just us developers, so it's very important. Of course, the sales of merchandise itself do not cover the development costs of new titles, but it does lead to discussions about how to develop the game in the future if it's that popular, so the fact that people are purchasing merchandise is a very important indicator.

AA merchandise does seem to be doing very well.

--Since this is a work with many overseas fans, we asked overseas users, "What would you like to tell the developers? What would you like them to hear?" Particularly impressive was the feedback from users living in independent language regions, who were pleased with the multilingual support for "Ace Attorney Investigations 1 & 2 Collection," following "Ace Attorney Apollo Justice Trilogy." In the midst of all this, the one thing that has been attracting attention is the future development of the "Ace Attorney Investigations Series." What are your thoughts on this? Hashimoto : We will not stop the "Ace Attorney Investigations Series" content. Of course, we want to develop it in various ways, including other media types. I think there will be something to tell you when it is time to make an announcement, but at the moment I can't say anything.

This part is what was translated in the interview I linked, but it misses a few key distinctions: One is the specification of "Ace Attorney Investigations" over "Ace Attorney". (Or "Gyakuten Kenji" vs "Gyakuten Saiban", if that makes things clearer.) So that makes me think that this isn't referring to an AA7 or Apollo Justice anime, but something specific to the AAI games -- whether that's an anime adaptation, maybe another stage play, or possibly in the future...... aai3.

Another note is what the translated interview calls "mixed media", which comes from "メディアミックス" (literally "media mix"). "Mixed media" in English, to my knowledge, generally refers to a single piece of art which is made up of different forms, which is not what they're talking about here. The Japanese term used here appears to mean more of a "multimedia franchise" - extending the series beyond just games, to other forms that will bring in a wider audience - which makes me think they have something in the works that's not a new game, but something in a different form related to AAI. So I'm curious about what they have planned, whether it would be an adaptation of the existing games or original work with the same characters like my favorite stage play Turnabout Teleportation.

And on the topic of stage plays...

--While there are many die-hard fans of the plays, unfortunately the performance of " Ace Attorney: Turnabout Parallel World " has been postponed. Will we ever get to see lawyer Miles Edgeworth, the perfect idol Franziska von Karma, and the number one host Larry Butz? Also, is there any possibility of a novelization? Iwamoto : (Whispering) Please say it. Please say it more (laughs). Hashimoto : Due to the schedules of the cast, it may be difficult to do it in exactly the same format, but I personally would like to see it. I'm always thinking about how I want to do it and make it happen.

Turnabout Parallel World was a stage play intended for 2020 that got postponed for obvious reasons... and then rescheduled for 2021, where it was postponed again for the same obvious reasons. It hasn't been officially cancelled and we haven't heard anything about it since then, and to my knowledge this is the first acknowledgement of it since then. It does sound like they want to include it in some way.

Novelizations of new AA stories aren't a new concept, but have typically been Japan-only and not gained much traction in the English-speaking fandom.

Finally, Hashimoto's comments to close out the interview:

Hashimoto: As I mentioned at the beginning, I thought it was important to have people play existing content on the current platform, and with the release of "Ace Attorney Investigations 1 & 2 Collection," we're finally ready. I want to deliver it to people who don't know about the "Ace Attorney Series" or haven't touched it, including people in countries with additional languages, as well as in Japan. As I mentioned earlier, we will not stop the "Ace Attorney Series" after that, and it will continue to the 25th and 30th anniversaries. We would like to continue preparing for new developments and expand the series.

The use of "Ace Attorney Series" here doesn't make a distinction between mainline or investigations (just "Gyakuten series"). So while there's definitely something in the works for AAI, there's probably something for mainline as well.

The 25th anniversary is coming up fairly soon in 2026, with the 30th anniversary in 2031. This is not nearly as far away as it feels like it should be. Judging by this interview and similar ones over the last year, it feels more and more likely that we will be getting new ace attorney content in one form or another in the next couple of years at least.

Of note to the Athena fans, the interview also contains this comment from Hashimoto, when talking about favorite characters in AAIC and the series overall:

Throughout the series, I've always liked Athena (Cykes). I've always thought to myself, "I wonder if there's something Athena can do as the main character?" (laughs).

It's not the most serious statement or necessarily a promise, but maybe the tiniest nugget of hope for Athena fans.

Anyways, those are the highlights of the interview from me - again please correct me if there's anything that needs correcting. I highly encourage people to check out the full interview since it has lots of interesting stuff, and hopefully there will be a properly translated version of it out someday!

[baratrongirl]

Comparing JP and EN Ace Attorney 4

I fell into a rabbit hole looking for some Ace Attorney essays, and ended up finding a barely-reblogged set of posts comparing the Japanese to English text of Ace Attorney 4. I thought it might be interesting to highlight them considering the Ace Attorney 456 re-release.

Parts 4, 5 and 6 are where things get really interesting.

Apparently in Japanese, Ema refers to Klavier as jara jara oniisan (jingle jangle man) and Jarajarashita kenji-san (Kenji means prosecutor).

In Turnabout Serenade, there's a part in Japanese where Klavier (Kyouya) deduces that Romaine LeTouse could not finish his sentence before he died. This doesn't exist at all in English. Japanese: Mokugeki…..Mega….mi (Eyewitness…Goddess) –> Mokugeki ….Mega….Mi(rarenai) (Witness….is not able to see) Kyouya: His last words, the last part was lost to the darkness because the god of death was grasping onto the victim’s throat. What he wanted to say was INCOMPLETE!

Some of the part where Apollo and Daryan discuss Klavier is extremely different in Japanese.

In English, Daryan says: He may look flashy and showy but he’s as straight as an arrow….’Cept when he’s depressed.

But in Japanese, he says: He looks like he’s flashy and stuff but he’s so forward it’s depressing. No…in reality, he’s a gloomy person.

In English, it seems like Klavier is only depressed occasionally, whereas in Japanese it suggests that he's usually depressed but pretends not to be.

I wonder why they changed this part?

Klavier: Interpreter? I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere. I only speak a few phrases, such as, “I love you,” and, “Where is the toilet?”

Kyouya: Interpreter… sorry about that. When it comes to Borginian, I only know a smattering of it.

In English, what Klavier says is not only funny, but also builds his character as a flashy rock star. Why else would he know "I love you"? In Japanese, it's just a straightforward sentence.

And this is something completely unknown to English players:

Daryan: See, me and planes got a difference of opinion. We don’t like each other much.

Dayan:  I’m not good with planes. The seats are far too cramped for me.

It makes sense that he'd have trouble fitting his hair in!

[simplydannie]

@jules0511 ❤️ My partner in crime! Enjoy!

Fame. Money. Adoration? It sounds to good to be true to a young teen surviving in the under city of Mount Rageous. But Velvet took the gig anyway.

Suddenly, chaos sparks around her…. What has she gotten her and her brother into?

Inspired by the Squid Games.

“Fame. Money. Loved and Adored By Many.” Those words eoched through Velvets mind….

BANG! BANG!

Velvet entered the white tiled room. Stacks and stacks of bunk beds were set up all along the side of the white tiled walls. Glancing around, she saw hundreds upon hundreds of Under Rageouns file into the room. How many constants were there? She looked down at her new attire: a dark green track suit sporting the number 235 on the back.

“Veneer.” It dawned to her that she had not seen her brother since being split apart when they entered. She twisted and turned her head looking desperately for him. “Veneer!” She called out.

“Vels!” She heard his voice. She saw his green swoop of hair make its way toward her, under his stupid little purple beanie. Veneer headed to her a little too happily. “Oh you’re number 235! Im 234! Look!” He spun around to show her the number engraved on his back.

“Really? They let you keep that stupid beanie? Of all things?”

“As long as I didn’t have anything hidden I’m good.” He smiled. Veneer was shoved to ground by a taller Under Rageoun. He snickered as Veneer plummeted to the floor. The Rageoun made a gun signal, pointing it at Veneer, and shot…He was his target. Velvet tore away the beanie from his head.

“Hey!”

“You’re an easy target Veneer! Start acting tough for crying out loud! This is a competition!”

Veneer tore his beanie out from her grasp to put it back on again. “I ain’t change for nothing Vels.” He said sternly.

More and more people continue to poor in. Velvet scoped out the competition, making a mental list of who to watch out for, who looked strong willed, strong physically, and a few whom they should avoid. A screen turned on above what they assumed were entry doors. The screen displayed the names of all the contestants… 456 “players”.

“Were supposed to go against 456 people…and win?” She declared. Next to their names were numbers, slowly those numbers went up on some: Velvet had 35 next her name, while her brother remained at 0.

“Hey! Why am i at zero? Vels, what kind of game is this?” He asked her crossing his arms.

“Fame. Money. Adoration. That’s what they said. So were going to suck this up and come out at the top.” She grasped her brother by the shoulders. “Do you understand? You do everything I say, exactly how I say it.” She stated firmly, eyes filled with determination.

“O-okay.” Veneer stuttered.

“Players, please make your ways to the doors in an orderly fasion. Again, please make your way to the doors in an orderly fasion.” A female voice boomed over the sound system above them. Excitement brewed all around…For Veneer, it was just nerves and anxiety, hoping that what they got themselves into would be okay. Veneer took his place behind his sister, following her through the doors.

In a single file, everyone one was lead through a maze of staircases. Veneer couldn’t help but reach for his sisters hand as the nerves continue to settle in. Velvet retreated her hand.

“No.” She whispered harshly, “No weakness.” Veneer nodded. The staircases were endless, twists and turns at every corner. Eventually everyone came to a stop in front of giant doors, all 456 players lined across. Velvet could hear Veneer’s shaky breath. She elbowed him, causing him to tense and straighten up. No weakness, he reassured himself.

Within moments the doors swung open…odd. The players walked into what was a field, something you would see at school, at the playground, a dirt lot. Straight across the dirt was something pecurliar..

“What in the world…” Velvet murmured.

A giant porcelain doll stood facing them. All the Rageouns took a stance behind the white line looking curiously at the doll. Veneer shook in his shoes, his eyes darting around taking in his surroundings. It looked like they were outside, but the whole enterior of the building was made just to look like it. Veneer know it wasn’t real, becuase he didn’t know what the sun was like, what it felt like. Whatever it was, they mimiced it well, even mimicing what a cool breeze would be like.

“Players please take your mark behind the white line.” The voice boomed again over the speakers. Veneer placed himself right next to Velvet.

“No. Stand more that way. If we’re going to win this, we need to make it seem like were not a team. Make it seem like were not in it together.” She whispered. To make it seem like an act, she shoved Veneer away harshly. There was a hurt look in his eyes, this was not the time her wanted to be away from his sister, but she knew best, he had to believe her.

“Players. Today’s game will be the simple game of red light-green light. When the doll says green-light, you are too proceed. When she says red-light, you are to stop. Players who do not stop will instantly be illimanted. You goal is to cross the other side of the marked field before time is up.” The voice said. As if on cue, the doll turned away, facing her back towards the players.

Everyone took their position behind the white line. Veneer stayed near enought to Velvet, keeping a close watch on her. Velvet’s focus was the finish line…she had to cross it…either her or Veneer…they needed to win this..they needed the money. She noticed cameras all around them. Was this being televised? Or were those cameras there to make sure everyone played by the rules? Silence fell upon the players as the timer appeared on the screen up ahead….a pin needle could be echoed through the quietness of the arena……

………..”Green-light.” The voice of the doll echoed. 456 Rageouns took off running, hoping to cover as much ground as they could before….

“Red-light!” Everyone froze. The dool whipped her head around…They were unsure if she could detect movement or not. Then, one Rageoun losted his balance, wiggling a little to catch it…..

BANG!

The Rageoun fell limp on the ground. Velvet’s eyes widened in horror. Was he? No he couldn’t be….That’s when she saw the pool of blood forming around his body.

“Oh…my…..”

A horrific scream echoed in the areana…

BANG!

Then another..

BANG! BANG!

The players soon began connecting what was going on. Most began to run…they ran towards the doors which they entered upon. Banging on the doors, screaming and pleading.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

One Rageoun ran into Velvet knocking her to the ground. Quickly she moved her hands to cover her ears. She waited for a bullet to strike her chest…but it never did.

BANG! BANG!

She could here the bodies fall to the ground one by one. Velvet’s body shook as the terror and realization of what was happening began to come to her. How? How did she get into this?…Her mind went black for a moment…

She was headed to The Pit to look for any jobs she could pick up, anything to bring food to the table for her and her brother. This particular night, a stranger came and approached Velvet as she was glancing at the bounties listed.

“I believe I’ve seen you around places.” The stranger asked her. Velvet turned towards the voice whom spoke to her: It was a tall male adult Rageoun. Pale skin just like all the Rageouns in the under city, stringy dark gray hair strung into dreadlocks that hung to his waist. He wore a red-mucle shirt with dark brown cargo pants. He gave her a sharped, tooth smile.

“Who hasnt? I’m down here practically all the time. Now excuse me.” She turned to continue to read the list of jobs.

“Not just here sweetheart…everywhere in Under Rageous. You’re a twin arent you?” He asked. She froze. How did he know? True, her and Veneer were the only twins she has ever seen in Under Rageous, kind of hard to miss…But this stranger had a particular interest in them. “Twins are rare here in Rageous. You’d attract the eyes whereever you go I’m sure.” He handed her a card.

“There’s a new competition that Mount Rageous is holding.”

Velvet was stunned in silence. Mount Rageous….only the wealthy, the somebodies dwelled in Mount Rageous. Why was this word getting to her? Why her and her brother?

“I am scout. Scouting talent and those who seem interesting enough to partake in this competition. Twins would definetly catch the eye…Winner of this competition will recieve a high comensation, fame, adoration. Think about it. Call this number.”

Velvet looked down at the card. It was a simply cardboad cut with a square, a triangle, and a cirlce printed in the front. Behind, the card was the number.

“Why? Why me and….” When Velvet looked up, the guy was gone. She was left alone at the center of the bustling pit. Velvet enveloped the card within her hand to hide it from anyone. He didn’t explain what kind of competition it was, only that it was to be held by those up in Mount Rageous. Velvet glanced up, up past the cloud line. She could see the lights of what was the upper atmosphere. This could be the chance her and her brother had been hoping for.

That night she went home, she hadn’t discussed what had happened to her brother. He lay asleep while she turned the card over and over again in her hand. Should she wake up? Should she tell him? Velvet picked out the window of the small apartment, looking up towards the lights of Mount Rageous. They been working so hard, tyring to save up so much to make it to the top…this could finally be their chance. Velvet swung the sheets off of her, tiptoeing to the phone so to not wake her brother…

….She hesitated at first….She dialed the number.

….. Velvets mind came back as she crouched in the arena, clutching her ears, eyes shut tight. Her mind was still ringing as the gunshots continued.

BANG. BANG.

“Fame. Money. Loved and adored by many.” The words echoed through Velvet’s mind…

BANG! BANG!

A few more sounded before they stopped….she heard groans, moans… cries of pain and agony.

“Please do not move when the doll says red-light or else you will be eliminated.”

Killed….. when they meant eliminated, they actually meant killed…. Crouching their in silence, her heart suddenly dropped at the realization….Her brother.

“Veneer….Veneer….” Velvet kept repeating his name to herself. She couldn’t look up. She couldn’t move. They were still on red light….. that’s when she saw a pool of blood getting near her feet…. She knew it wasn’t hers….. the blood began engulfing her shoes….She heard a small cry of pain…..

Oh please no….. please not her brother…. Not Veneer…..What had she gotten him into….

To be continued (?)….

[football-and-fanfics]

The Medic #11 - Eric Dier

About the series: The Medic is an anthology-like series about the reader working for the medical team of the club/national team. Each chapter will feature a different setting/scenario and a different player.

Who: Eric Dier Request: "This might hurt a bit." Requested by: anonymous Word count: 456 Warnings: slight mentions of injury.

The match had gone well. Victory was secured and no injuries had been reported to you during or afterwards, so all in all you were happy with today's results.

Still, Eric came to see you after the match. You were finishing up some final administration, when he quietly walked into the treatment room you sat in. He softly cleared his throat to get you attention, and offered you a friendly smile when you turned around to look at whomever had just stepped in.

"Do you need any treatment?" You frowned, as you couldn't remember anything being reported of him being injured. "I scraped my knees open," Eric said hesitantly, "I'm not sure if this needs any treatment, but it's been bleeding, so..." Your gaze automatically went to his knees, where you indeed saw a few fresh scrapes and abrasions that had clearly been bleeding.

"Sit down." You motioned to one of the chairs. "I'll have a look at it." "I'm sorry, it's only minor, but..." Eric shrugged, looking almost embarrassed that he had come to you with something like this. "Don't apologize." You smiled friendly. "Any injury, no matter how small, is always worth my time." Eric chuckled in reply, but he visibly relaxed.

You bent down to have a look at his knees. Across both his knees he indeed had a few scrapes and abrasions, albeit nasty ones. They had bled and you could still see some dirt in them. "It's nothing to worry about," you concluded, "but I bet it's painful, and I do need to clean it up a bit to prevent any infection."

Eric watched you attentively as you put some disinfectant on a piece of gauze. "This might hurt a bit." You warned before carefully dabbing the gauze to Eric's knees. "Bloody hell!" He winced violently. "You weren't lying about that." "Sorry." You smiled wryly. "I'll be quick."

Cleaning up Eric's knees only took you a few minutes. The worst of the stinging was quickly over, but the bruises you saw forming underneath the scrapes would surely be sensitive for a while longer.

"All done." You sat back. "It's best not to cover it up, let it breathe. But if it bothers you, just put a Band-Aid over it." Eric nodded. "I'm good for now, I think." "I'm afraid you'll be sore for a few days," you continued, "those look like nasty bruises underneath those abrasions. And come see me immediately when the redness or swelling intensifies."

Eric slowly rose to his feet. He winced softly again, when the movement of his knees angered the scrapes. "It's already sore," he commented wryly. You grimaced compassionately. "Nothing I can do about that I'm afraid." "That's alright," Eric chuckled, "thanks for seeing me."

Tags: @stonesyyyy, @footballffbarbiex, @football1921, @laurasstufff1, @hbstre, @sarah10r-blog, @mountsgirlsblog

Add me to the tags list Eric Dier masterlist | Full writing masterlist

[thasa]

The real game begins?? 🫂

I didn't even expect to get season 2, then there will be season 3?? I'm SO looking forward to it!! 😭

[firewireblog-blog]

Squid Game Season 2 Teaser Trailer

Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won. Director Hwang Dong-hyuk, who made history at the 74th Primetime Emmys becoming the first Asian to win…

[bedlam-in-beleriand]

About the campaign

Our first session was January 13th, 2024. We meet once a month, in three groups. Each session is ran again with each group, and through magic and suspension of belief, we make it work quite well.

We have a collection on ao3 here!

We use components of 5e and Adventures in Middle Earth (a 5e branch). Now, onto the story!

It is 2986, and 9 adventurers have recived letters froma mysterious "G", asking to meet in Bree in the Prancing Pony to investigate some rumors in the North, near the ruins of Fornost. The adventurers convence, but the mysterious G can no longer come, and asks them to please still investigate, then to meet him in Rivendell to tell him what they found.

They investigate, and report to Rivendell, to the one and only Gandalf. They tell him of what they found, a group of orcs, wargs, and some nameless thing. And he tells them that it was a test, to see if they were ready... to time travel to the first age, to help the peoples there and save who they can. As they meet new friends in Rivendell, time travel back to First Age 456 and find their footing, the party grows to 15 adventurers.

They soon meet a hero of the first age, and begin their journey into the chaos and bedlam of Beleriand.

Now, we meet our party.

Characters:

Amriel

Elf - Lorinand

Scholar

2986

Packrat of tea & scrolls. Former follower of Amroth. Has packrat friend named Insil.

Baennor

Elf - Rivendell, Noldor

Wanderer

~2890

Smith

Brianna Hornbeam

Human - Breelander

Warden

33

Former Bounder of Bree, now voyager/diplomat in the Southlands. Enjoys a good campfire singalong.

Caranel

Elf - Rivendell, Noldor

Rogue

~500

Though very young by elf standards, knows a bit about the first age because both parents are (former) Feanorians. Is more than he seems.

Celemiril

Elf - Mirkwood

Scholar

~750

Young, frequently visits Rivendell, rather book-smart than street-smart, and due to her young age, her knowledge about the first age is purely theoretical (books/scrolls/discussions with the ones remembering the past)

Clover Cotton

Hobbit - Harfoot

Ranger

Mid 40's

Clover will always put priority on food and safety and will take no one’s BS. She gives great hugs in case of need.

Cormac

Dwarf - Iron Hills

Slayer

[age here]

Egil of Erebor

Dwarf - Erebor

Scholar

~60

Nerd about old stories and preserving historical documents, randomly plays music whenever he has nothing better to do, and likes to look good, might get grumpy if he has to go any more than three days without having the time to properly comb and braid his hair and beard.

Haethrun

Human - Beorning

Fighter

[age here]

Honey connoisseur.

Meledhel

Half elf, half orc - Avari

Druid

3000+

A kind and thoughtful crafter with a love of pink.

Mili

Dwarf - Erebor

Scholar

Early 50's

Is often mistaken for a young man of the bardings by people who don't know her.

Mirenilde, aka "Mirya"

Elf - Valinorian Feanorian

Wanderer

7172

Former follower of Maedhros

Odd

Dwarf - Grey Mountains

Wanderer

77

Would love to be a great craftsman and chemist, regrettably more suited to destroying things.

Trevadriel

Elf - Rivendell

Wanderer

541

Mommy issues. Was supposed to travel to the East. Philosophically confused.

Tirmalda Turkavarno Larpenasta, "Aewglin"

Elf - Valinorian Feanorian

Scholar

Older than Feanor, younger than Finwe

Ancient babysitter, now healer. always open to talk about embarrassing stories of the royal family as children. Helped raise Feanor and his sons, most of the Finweans.

The DM

Possibly Eru Iluvatar

Older than the universe

Has ultimate power, ultimately uses it to torture the players and characters

(joking aside, I'm the DM, and @curiouselleth is my main blog where I post a variety of Silmarillion stuff, fanfic, art, and nonsense 💖)

Guest characters - only present in single sessions

Halwyn

Human - people of Haleth

Slayer

27

Secret sister of Haleth who was hidden away. Loves embroidery.

Hithiel

Elf - Ossiriland

Scholar

[age here]

Diplomat of the Green elves.

[tomorrowedblog]

Squid Game S2 gets new trailer, releases December 26

A new trailer has been released for the second season of Squid Game, which is set to release December 26, 2024.

Three years after winning Squid Game, Player 456 gave up going to the states and comes back with a new resolution in his mind. Gi-hun once again dives into the mysterious survival game, starting another life-or-death game with new participants gathered to win the prize of 45.6 billion won.

[andreisvechnikov]

Sebastian Aho is set to play in his 500th NHL game tonight. He has registered 456 points in his #Canes career and trails only Ron Francis (569) for the most by any player through their first 500 games with the franchise.