#Power Girl Special 1 Review

[dispatchdcu]

Power Girl Special #1 Review

Power Girl Special #1 Review #powergirl #powergirlspecial #DCEU #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #art #info #NCBD #previews #reviews #amazon

Writers: Leah Williams and Joanne Starer Art: Marguerite Sauvage and Natacha Bustos Colors: Marguerite Sauvage, Marissa Louise and Tamra Bonvillain Letters: Becca Carey and Ariana Maher Publisher:  DC Comics Price: $5.99 Release Date: May 30th, 2023 Power Girl and Omen (AKA Lilith) return in Power Girl Special #1.  Power Girl recently gained psionic abilities in the Lazarus Planet event, and she…

[meangirls-imagines]

Welcome to the Poly!Plasticsverse!

collab with: @yungpoetfics (my fav bubs in the world)

Regina George

@queenbgina/@callmereginald (she/her)

North Shore's Queen Bee

Soft for her girlfriends

The mom of the group

Basically a sugar mommy for her girls

Lifehack Geek

TikTok hater

Has rational fear of werewolves

Will fight a bitch

Victoria's Secret girly

Female rapper stan (Doja, Cardi, Megan, etc.)

Gryffindor

Lesbian

Gretchen Wieners

@thegretchenw/@greatgretsby (she/her/it (only if ur special))

The second mom of the group

Softest human

Loves playing with her girlfriends hair

#1 Twilight hater

Has a letterboxd account just to leave bad reviews

The level headed one usually, but will snap when she needs

Cuddly as fuck

Loves Fleur du Mal lingerie

Stubborn as Fuck

Wine drinker/expert

Loves vintage music (Elvis, Elton John, etc.)

Hufflepuff

Bisexual

Karen Shetty

@karebearz/@karensheetty (any pronouns)

Ambidextrous™️

Loves Spongebob

Plant Parent

Knows Britney Spears and Lady Gaga choreo

Kpop girly (Blackpink, BTS, etc.)

Lettering expert

Has Funko Pop collection

Squishmallow lover

Ravenclaw

Pansexual

Cady Heron

@cady_heron/@defnotcaddy (she/her)

The third mom of the group

Whispers when angry

Carries bandaids at all times

Always has snacks

Lactose Intolerant (but LOVES cheese)

Cries at Rom-Coms

LOVES hugs

Cannot handle spicy food

Sleeps with a teddy bear

Happy to be here

Friends with everyone's parents

Token vanilla of the group

Has diary (with a heart shaped lock)

Bisexual

Aaron Samuels

@aaronsammy/@atomicaaron (he/him) or (ho/mie)

1/3 of Terror Trio

Y/N's best friend

North Shore's resident Himbo

Will do anything if someone says "I dare you"

Impulsive buyer

Has one brain cell (shares it with Y/N)

Overuses 💪 emoji

Usually confused

1/2 Golden Retriever duo

Can skateboard

Uses Axe body spray

Co-founder of Stuntmares

Dreams of grabbing a teddy in a claw machine (bucket list item)

Ass man

Owns too many grey sweatpants

Kisses his homies (homiesexual)

Has never watched Harry Potter

Watches lifestyle coaches on YT

Can play the ukulele (really badly)

Loves Eminem and Harry Styles (would fuck Harry Styles)

Writes Larry Stylinson fanfics

Kissed Y/N once (regretted immediately)

Bisexual

Damian Hubbard

@hubbarddamian/@damianishubby (he/him/they)

Learned how to sew from Janis

Does drag and has a YT channel (Anita Dick)

Huge Adore Delano stan

Will fight anyone who hurts Janis

Doesn't like Rupaul as a person, but is a religious Drag Race fan

#1 Poly!Plastics fan

Has an 8 step skincare routine

Cameraman for Stuntmares

Earlybird

Lies about having curfew to go to sleep early

Ravenclaw

(Lowkey wishes he was a Slytherin bc it's the "cuntiest house"

Him and Karen watch The Bachelor

Fav movie is Dirty Dancing (did the lift with Janis)

Learned how to twerk from Y/N

Gay

Janis Imi'Ike

@janiisimiike/@imiikenough (she/they)

Secret Barbie girly(live action and animated movies)

Will go straight for Ryan Gosling

Feral chihuahua of the group

Hozier stan

HATES THE KARDASHIANS

Pain in Regina's ass

Anger Issues™️

Secretly loves Olivia Rodrigo

Mentally Ill friend

Emotional Drunk

Karaoke Queen

Tits girly

Leather Jacket lesbian

Getting piercings > therapy

Has a suit collection

Thrifter

Loves her friends

Dog person (secretly)

Quotes niche memes

Kinky af

Middle Child

Lesbian

Y/N Y/L/N (FC: Chrissy Costanza)

@thisbeyn/@reginaslefttit (she/he/they/it)

2/3 Terror Trio

2/2 Golden Retriever duo

Has matching fried egg tattoo with Aaron.

Co-Founder of Stuntmares

"Hi, I'm Y/N and welcome to Stuntmares" *jumps off roof into pool*

Cuts her own hair

Blooper Reel Queen

North Shore's resident stoner

AUDHD (autistic + ADHD)

Playlists range from Beethoven to ashnikko

"IT'S NOT A PHASE. IT'S A LIFESTYLE."

Demisexual

Plays electric guitar

Has slight speech impediment

Gremlin of the group

D&D Dungeon Master

ALWAYS falls asleep during movie night

Power Nap Addict™️

Insomniac

Monster Energy Drink Enthusiast (collects the cans)

Oddly good at Origami

Tweets everything she thinks

Has been banned from Fortnite and Roblox

Married to Gretchen on The Sims (regina and karen were sad)

Anger issues

✨Spicy✨ Latina (do not fuck with her people)

Matching rings with her gfs

Def had one night stand with Cady

Shane Oman

@shaneomann/@omantastic (he/him) or (dumb/hoe)

Loves Old School Rap (Biggie, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, etc.)

Hates Y/N at first but comes to love her like a sister.

Only person who can outsmoke Y/N.

Has a dropped truck with red LED lights under it.

Blasts music walking down the halls.

Always has the zoomies.

Orange cat friend.

Has elevator music playing in his head 24/7.

Challenged Damian to a dance off. (He lost. But he had girls simping over him)

Posts thirst traps on TikTok. (Regina's mom is his #1 follower)

Has a frying pan tattooed to match Aaron and Y/N.

Always on Stuntmares trying to create new world records.

Or eating a bunch of weird combos.

"Oman! Not again!" *proceeds to eat a marshmallow and spam sandwich*

Ralph Lauren man

Whenever the polycule argues, he's a "fuck this shit, I'm out" person.

Professional party crasher

Dine and Dash expert

Has nipple piercings (Aaron and Y/N dared him to get them)

Curses like a fucking sailor (Half of his lines on Stuntmares are just censor beeps)

Talks way too fast.

Knows Italian and Spanish (Him and Y/N talk shit in Spanish)

His ringtone for Aaron and Y/N is the remix of the Windows error sound

Loves t-shirts with offensive prints (Regina tries to make him dress normally)

Has gc with Aaron and Y/N called "Hoemies"

Would fuck Aaron

TICKLISH

Major gossip (Him and Gretchen meet once a week to talk shit)

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

I'm watching too much stuff. And things are not slowing down with all the things coming in September. So I'm gonna try and keep this short. As much as that's possible given the amount of shows.

QL - Currently Watching

🇹🇭 4 Minutes [6/8] - Finally some answers. I haven't read all the theories floating around about this last episode and what it means, but I'm firmly on the side of, there is another alternative timeline, probably from when Tyme is dying at the start of the show, and also very much in agreement with everything @lurkingshan wrote here that these are just imagined do-overs and nothing will actually change in the real world. Which would be my preferred way.

🇹🇭 Addicted Heroin [2/10] - Haven't watched this weeks episode yet. My review for the first two is here.

🇹🇼 First Note of Love [4/12] - I like them a lot. And I like the pacing of this. I love the intro song. But with a second couple being introduced I think I'm gonna get frustrated having to wait a week for a 20 minute episode. I felt that way a lot during Kiseki.

🇯🇵 I Hear the Sunspot [10/12] - I am annoyed.

🇹🇭 I Saw You In My Dream [7/12] - May the boyfriend era commence. I am enjoying this one. I'm guessing we still have a bit of angst coming and I'm hoping for a good explanation for the dreams.

🇯🇵 Mitsuya Sensei no Keikakutekina Ezuke [6/7] - Just such an incredible show. This week brought the pain and I'm still unwell. As if Frito getting sick wasn't heart breaking enough, that ending left me in tears. I cannot believe we only have one episode left. I am not ready to say goodbye to the three of them.

🇹🇭 Monster Next Door [6/12] - My favourite thing about this is definitely Big. His presence on screen is great. But I'm not fully connecting yet for some reason.

🇹🇭 Peaceful Property [1/10] - It's a lot of fun. Yeah, I know it's not a bl. But it's bl adjacent so it goes here. Also in my head it's gonna be a bl no matter what. Possibly even with a gl side couple. The mind is a powerful thing.

🇯🇵Sugar Dog Life [4/10] - I love Isumi. I really liked that they didn't drag the girl storyline and it served it's purpose. Isumi is now very much aware of it's feelings. I'm looking forward to the date episode.

🇯🇵 Takara No Vidro [9/11] - Takara, my love. This boy has my whole heart. I can't believe I'll have to say goodbye to then tomorrow. I'm bracing for part pain, part happy. Please Japan don't let me down.

🇹🇭 The Loyal Pin [1/16] - I'm waiting to binge.

🇹🇼 The On1y One [4/10] - This show will hurt and I will love every second of it. I really like the look of this show and how we get those little insights into Jiang at the end of the episode. The actors are doing great and I specially love Benjamin Tsang facial expressions. I'm curious to see these two together and how their dynamic will work considering their circumstances. Also, always happy to see the revolving door of cameos Taiwan always grace us with.

🇯🇵Twilight Out of Focus - It's so beautiful. I'm enjoying that we get different couples even if sometimes it feels like we could have more time with them. I like Rei/Shion a lot, but I do miss Mao and Hisashi. 🇹🇭 The Trainee [10/12] - Just to get it out if the way, the Bamhee/Judy storyline was definitely the right call and @lurkingshan was right all along. Also the way the office came together was delightful and it's great to see Pah getting everyone together and once again being the best friend ever. Now. THE OFFICE FLIRTING!!! I was losing my mind giggling like an idiot. I love them. It's pretty obvious at this point that it's mutual and of course Ryan will need to actually be told that, but I still think Jane will wait until the internship is over before confessing or starting anything official. I can't wait to watch all the interns reaction next week. I love it here.

QL - Finished

🇯🇵 Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko! - I'm disappointed in this one. It started off so strong but by the end it lost me. I love Hiroko but I feel like they betrayed the character. And that ending with the kiss in the office was ridiculous. Actually most of the end was weird in the way that it seemed to contradict what came before. I like that they finally got together but it didn't feel as good as it could've.

🇹🇭 Century of Love - Started of great and imo fell apart by the end. I don't think it was consistent all the way through and the mythology was all over the place. Daou did an amazing job though. Also Ju is one of the greatest female characters of the year.

🇯🇵 Cosmetic Playlover - Pretty show. Final thoughts here.

🇹🇭 Knock Knock, Boys! - Probably the biggest surprise of the year for me. It's great. I like the development of both couples. Even if near the end I got a tiny bit annoyed with Peak, I really liked the conclusion of it all. Latte is a great character and the very rare slut unjudged by the narrative.

🇹🇭🇨🇳 Meet You At the Blossom - Look it's great that we got a chinese bl, but this was not it for me. Let's hope this one helps get others made though.

🇹🇭Love Sea - It was fine. I enjoyed Mut but in general I just never connected to this show. And Muk annoyed me to no end. I was so happy to see Aya again and now I just wanna forget that she was ever in this and simply remember her as Yiwa.

🇹🇭 SunsetxVibes - I don't even have words. I don't know if it was my lack of attention or if it never actually made sense but I never really got what the mythology was all about apart from inspiring a truly horrendous looking necklace. I was slogging though this one and I guess the finale was fine.

🇹🇭 This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans - The sides were great, their chemistry was on point. I really wanna see them again. The mains were my favourite thing about Pit Babe but I just didn't like them here.

🇹🇭 The Rebound - I just have to accept that MeenPing will always have bad scripts. They are pretty together but this was a mess.

Dropped

🇹🇭My Love Mix-Up!

Rose Watches OJBL

Pornographer: Spring Life | Playback | Continued Spring Life Finally finished the novelist. Final thoughts.

A LOT of stuff coming this month so if you haven't checked it out, here is the post with all announced upcoming qls for September with a couple of updates that I made today.

As usual my ask box is open. Have a wonderful week💜

[dice-sociation]

Girls Who Don’t DnD

Quick Info

Audio Quality: High-Quality Audio, Effects, Music. (Occasional fan-submitted recordings)

Vibes: Throne of Glass, Doctor Who, Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Princess and the Pauper

Extras: Patreon rewards, Discord Community with Book Club, and more!

System: 5e DnD

Campaign/ Show Length: Long Term Campaign

Average Episode time: 1.5 Hours (varies a bit)

Uploads 1 episode a month. 

Diversity: Majority Women

Platforms: Podcast, Audio Only. 

Number of Episodes This Review is based on: 30+ 

** If you want the TLDR, scroll to the bottom of the post **

Why Girls Who Don’t DnD?

How often have you said to yourself, “Man, I wish I could experience that for the first time again?” While we can’t reset your brain, you can live vicariously through the Girls Who Don’t D&D podcast. 

If you're looking for a podcast with relaxed gameplay, fantastic humor, great editing, and effects, you should read on to learn more. This wonderful adventure showcases the beautiful experience of watching three girls fall in love with Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). 

Starting the Pod

The podcast starts with Cory, the Dungeon Master (DM), explaining that he has invited three girls, Indy, Alana, and Stacey, who have never played D&D, into his world of Kalee with premade characters. If you, the listener, haven’t played before, you’ll learn a lot just from listening. Cory purposely doesn’t edit out explanations of how to play. I’m confident my experience was better because I was still learning to play the game myself as I started listening.

Right from the start you will hear how much work Cory puts into editing and pre-recording. He recruits people to voice-act for non-player characters (NPCs) or to play out memories or scenes. Some additions are just for the listeners, giving us a little extra information about the lore of the world. This includes the origin of magical artifacts, gods, and sometimes an NPC’s perspective that the players don’t get to hear.  It feels like listening to an audiobook and honestly, I think “booktok” would love Girls Who Don’t DnD. 

We learn that the three player characters, Freya, Kaa'Riin, and Morrigan, have lost their memories and need to recover them. The story and the discovery of who the player characters are and what happened to them work in tandem with the players themselves learning the game in a beautiful way. 

Power gamers and hardcore strategy? We don’t need that here. (Tosses book over shoulder). This group is made of story-tellers who usually choose to progress the narrative over strategy. At first, it's like watching Without A Recipe or the British Bake Off challenge where they have no clue what they are supposed to be making. This makes it all the more special when the players get more comfortable with the gameplay and more grounded in their characters. 

About the Team

Cory, "(who owns all the books but hasn't read them)"* completely absorbs the chaos the girls bring to the table and somehow also keeps them immersed in the story. He holds onto the rules of D&D loosely, letting his players use their abilities in different and unique ways. You still get full epic fights with no pulled punches, yet they feel more cinematic than the usual D&D grind. Outside of combat, Cory introduces challenging puzzles and encounters that present more opportunities for his players to think outside the mechanics of the game.

I adore Alana, Indy, and Stacy. I have some difficulty with telling their voices apart, but I never felt like that took away from my enjoyment of the show. Over time they develop their characters and have different play styles. They all have so much personality and bring their own flavor to the table. 

Indy, playing Freya the Rogue, has to be the most classic of first-time players, starting a little hack-and-slash happy, but eventually, she gets really into the strategy of the game. Freya is a cheeky scamp of a character and Indy leans naturally into the rogue class.  

Alana, playing Morrigan the Sorcerer, is usually the most sensible of the group. She is a leader in a way. There is so much more I want to say but I can't think of anything that isn't a big spoiler. Playing a sorcerer for your first time playing D&D is never easy, but Cory was able to ease her into the role and she runs with it.

Stacey, playing Kaa'Riin the Bearbarian (Druid with some Barbarian), has some epic combat moments. She can change from one animal to another without reverting to humanoid form, which deviates from traditional Druid rules. This decision, as well as other tweaks of the rules, help the pacing of the overall production. 

And sure, you're probably thinking their whole schtick is that they don't know D&D, so wouldn't it lose its charm after they get better? Absolutely not. Not even a little bit. This table is casual, silly, charming, and gripping. They make me feel like I am with my best friends playing our chaos gremlins together. 

A special shout to Mia Stegner (https://www.miastegner.com/) who composed and performed the opening and closing songs. It’s the cherry on top of this podcast sunday.

*Referenced from the Podcast Description. https://www.girlswhodontdnd.com/ 

About the world

“There is a saying among the good people of Kalee, when you know what is right, do what is right, and then deliver it all into the endless sea” From Episode 1: Throw it Into the Sea, Aug 16, 2021.

Cory presents a world both complex and informed by the player's choices and features some of the more bizarre parts of typical High Fantasy settings. 

There is just something so satisfying about learning the characters' backstories and how their stories are expertly baked in the many-layered cake that makes the world. Flavors include; wild magic, strange and whimsical characters, Evil Queens, “timey-wimey” stuff, super cute plans, snails, Gods, magic crystals, trapped souls, and Alan (the real star of the later episodes).

Extras

There are so many Patreon perks! You get behind-the-scenes talks, recipes from Indy, DMing tips, Lana's book reviews, and more! You can also join their Discord server where Cory is pretty active and they encourage community gaming and have a book club.

TL;DR: 

This podcast is about girls learning to play D&D using premade characters with amnesia. The girls learning to play parallels the story’s progression as they regain memories. 

Reliving the experience of learning to play for the first time all over again. 

Loosely follows the rules of 5e to keep the pacing up.

DM Cory recruits people to voice act for NPCs or to play out memories or scenes. Some additions are just for the listeners, giving us a little extra information about the lore of the world.

It's a little hard to tell the girls apart, but I don’t think it takes away from my enjoyment at all. 

Wild magic, strange and whimsical characters, Evil Queens, “timey-wimey” stuff, super cute plans, snails, Gods, magic crystals, trapped souls, and Alan. 

DM Cory presents a world both complex and informed by the player's choices and features some of the more bizarre parts of typical High Fantasy settings.

Special thanks to Artax of Who's Taking Watch for helping with editing!

No Context Gifs:

[jenyifer]

Book List Time!!!

And with that I have 10 give or take books to discuss. Now I’m up to over 30 books since May woooo telling tumblr about each one has been a great motivator so I hope my reviews and list help people out in a non spoiler fun way. Gonna rank these in order I want to reread them.

1. Green Creek the series by TJ Klune 🏳️‍🌈🐺🌶️🌲 Wolfsong Ravensong Heartsong Brothersong I am obsessed. Literally read all four books in 3 days. I have bought physical copies and marked them up. Will make you cry, laugh, and stay in your heart forever. Just……. Go read it. But the quick synopsis is Powerful Humans Wolves Witches have to pay for the sins of their fathers over and over again while maintaining their found family and finding their true soulmates. There is Ace Lesbian non binary rep in here as well.

2. The Warden by Daniel Ford🏳️‍🌈 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩🧙‍♀️❄️🪦truly a fantasy masterpiece the romance isn’t the focus but it’s fucking good. First sapphic book to get a 10/10 for me. About a witch(with a magic system that is interesting surprising) growing up and finding herself a family without sacrificing who she is. I loved her and at first you think ehhh is this going to be boring no definitely not. Was surprising made me laugh and cry. Can’t wait for part 2 cause more of the hot gf in there I hope.

3. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland🏳️‍🌈👑⚔️🌶️🌶️ I listened to this book two times in a row I enjoyed it so much. It’s a bodyguard and prince story. The prince’s depiction of depression anxiety panic attacks was so real. The bodyguard is very endearing. The themes of family are strong and interesting. The mystery was easy to solve but I found it rewarding because I wanted the prince to win so badly haha.

4. Spindle Splintered by Alix E Harrow🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👸🏼🥀😢

Short story about a dying girl who has a special interest in sleeping beauty. It does have a…. Debatably Sad ending. I did enjoy it for what it was trying to talk about. I lost a friend when she was too young. I’m glad I read it.

5. Scumbag Villains Self-Saving System series by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu 🏳️‍🌈🚩⚔️😈🕊️🤓🌶️? I’m putting it up this high because besides that scene in chapter 21 that slapped me in the brain I really enjoyed the series. Only Danmei I HAD TO GET THE REST OF THE SERIES IMMEDIATELY Hell I’ve even now written fan fic for the side ship. About a Nerd being put into his favorite love to hate stallion novel (story about a hero who fucks his way to success) but he’s in there as the abusive villain who the hero is destined to kill. The nerd has to save himself and unintentionally builds himself a harem featuring the most red flag the hero who so sololy motivated by the nerd. It’s great easy to read very fun. But 🌶️ scene in book 3 is a definite skip and delete from memory.

6. Case File Compendium Vol 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou 🏳️‍🌈? 😈🚩🩸🕵️🥼

I did just finish reading this so maybe I’m bias but I really did find it a book I couldn’t put down. I even brought it with me to work to read a chapter during my lunch breaks. Main characters are heavy in their homophobic lifestyles but they kiss and protect each other? True crime and mentally ill characters. MC is has a fatal mental illness that makes him unstable and MIL was his former private doctor. MC is trying to date MIL’s little sister. While getting up to shenanigans they stumble into a corrupt hospital and evil forces are maybe after them?! Idk its exciting fun to read but only if you like 🚩’s

7. The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Vol 1 by Xue Shan Fei Hu 🏳️‍🌈🐟👑🎨🖼️ I did genuinely laugh my ass off during reading this book. It was incredibly easy to read I think I finished it in 4 hours. Very cute. I love the inside and outside art. About a nonverbal Prince who has anger issues and his crush on the modern man who is trapped within an ugly little fish. Now yes the Prince is becomes actively in love with the fish. Lucky for us we are stuck in the man who is trapped as the fish’s pov and he is genuinely just trying to get back to his world by obeying the powers that be System’s prompts to go home. Fish is not trying to seduce the Prince or anything. It’s just funny I had a great time with vol 1 probably will read vol 2.

8. So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole 🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨🐉🏝️ while having dragons and diverse cast it ultimately falls short of expectations wishing for more depth and clarity. The asexual spectrum representation feels muddled and Jamaican inspired cultural elements are unexplored which is at odds with its rich backdrop that could have enhanced the story. The story’s mystery element lacked cohesion resulting in a frustrating bittersweet ending that suggests a sequel and left me unsatisfied. I won’t read the next book. Won’t suggest it.

9. Faithless Book2 by C L Clark 🏳️‍🌈🚩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩⚔️👑😩 a big let down from book 1 but I’m locked in for life I guess. Luca is back in France navigating a way to get the crown. While Touraine shows up with a priest and Teen to some how get food for her people. Most of the plot feels useless both MC characters are stupid and do no growing. The new teen character was interesting. I disliked the poly romance I didn’t particularly feel comfortable about Touraine and Luca why not add another person in what could go wrong? Luca’s reign as Queen looks to be very bad and you will feel extremely disappointed at the end. I’m going to read the next book but only because I like the characters who didn’t go to France.

10. Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore.

I read 90% of this book and I regret it. It’s a trans characters as the leads gay retelling of the great gatsby. I was truly excited to read it I’ve read The Great Gatsby many times. However this book just laughs at the source material. I’m tempted to say maybe the Chat GPT’d the plot and didn’t ask for any over arching themes in the book. I couldn’t do it I’m gonna have to find a better trans representation book in my next set of ten.

DNF’s

Last Night at the Telegraph Club, The Once and Future witches, Gearbreakers, the emperor and the endless palace.

[bonaxie]

Japan's n°1 fan (Comfy-vember day 2)

With all the preparations for the Football Frontier International tournament, Gouenji didn't have much free time, which meant he unfortunately rarely saw Yuuka, his little sister. But today, he had the afternoon free, and he intended to spend it with his little sister.

So at midday, he'd picked Yuuka up from school, and after lunch in town, they decided what they'd do. “What do you want to do this afternoon, Yuuka?” Gouenji asked as he crouched in front of his sister.

“Can we go to the Steel Tower Plaza?” Yuuka asked, stars in her eyes.

“Are you sure? That's already where we went last time.”

“But it's so cool! I love Endou's tire!”

Gouenji smiled discreetly. Indeed, it wasn't the first time they'd been to the Steel Tower Plaza, and Yuuka did indeed love the huge tire Endou kept there for his special trainings.

“Well then, let's go. But you hold my hand.” Gouenji agreed as he stood up, holding out his hand to his sister.

Yuuka grumbled rhetorically, but still grasped her brother's hand firmly, and they set off towards Tower Park in silence.

A silence that didn't last long. “Do you know what happened at school this morning?” Yuuka asked excitedly.

Smiling slightly because he'd been expecting it, Gouenji made a questioning little noise. “No, I don't know, you tell me.”

“Henmi said Inazuma Japan wasn't going to win the tournament!”

“Did he?”

“Yes, he said the Americans are too strong because they have the Phoenix.” Yuuka muttered.

“It's true that Ichinose is very strong on the pitch. Remember when he played with Raimon?”

“Yes, but the Unicorns won't win!”

“Oh yeah?”

“No, Inazuma Japan will win!” Yuuka exclaimed, sure of herself.

“You think so?”

“Yes, you're the strongest! Endou's the best goalkeeper, Kidou's the best strategist, Fudou's a grumpy brute but he's also good at strategy, Kazemaru's impassable, Shirou's so strong in attack and defense, Kogure's a devil but he's strong, Tobitaka still sucks but it'll come, Kabeyama's a wall, Someoka always complains but he scores well, Hiroto is powerful, Toramaru doesn't trust himself but that too will come, Hijikata is also a wall, Tachimukai isn't as strong as Endou but he's also strong with all his hands, Tsunami makes big waves, Kurimatsu knows the whole team, Midorikawa is so funny, Sakuma always manages to come back, and you're too strong Nii-san. ”

Gouenji was really impressed. Not only did Yuuka remember all the Japanese team members by name and know their individual strengths. But above all, she'd just said all that without breathing once, and that forced respect.

And the girl was barely out of breath. And she didn't seem to have finished. “And on top of that, Inazuma Japan has the best hissatsu techniques. The Koutei Penguin is too strong, and The Mountain is impassable, and-”

Gouenji stopped listening to his sister for a moment, but he was pretty sure she was reviewing all the team's hissatsu techniques, and just smiled. If anyone on the team ever doubted the loyalty of their fans, he'd send Yuuka their way. The little girl was clearly Inazuma Japan's #1 fan.

While he listened to her speak, Gouenji led his sister to the Steel Tower Plaza, carefully walking the streets.

Eventually, they arrived at the park, where Yuuka rushed to the tire, climbing on it and starting to move in all directions.

“Nii-san, can you sing Mulan?”

“Are you sure? You listened to it just before you left for school this morning.”

“But it's my favorite song!” Yuuka protested.

“Oh yes, I know.” Gouenji sighed. But he also knew a lost battle when he saw one and sat down on the bench. He quickly checked that he had no messages, because he knew that once he'd started, he wouldn't be finished any time soon.

“Let's get down to business, to defeat, the Huns.” He began.

Yuuka began to sing along with her brother, this time upside down, still squirming on the tire.

Singing this song he'd sung hundreds of times and listened to even more, Gouenji couldn't help but smile. Maybe Mulan's ‘I’ll make a man out of you’ was playing in his head all day long, but Yuuka was happy, and that's what mattered most to him.

@comfy-vember

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, September 22nd

Xander: “Hey, Red. What you got in the basket, little girl?” Buffy: “Weapons.” Xander: “Oh.” Buffy: “Just in case. Like the tux, Xander.” Xander: “Bond. James Bond. Insurance, you know, in case we get turned into our costumes again. I’m going for cool, secret agent guy.” Buffy: “I hate to break it to you, but you’ll probably end up cool head waiter guy.” Xander: “As long as I’m cool and wield some kind of power.”

~~Fear, Itself~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Rod Beneath by Ellen_Brand (Batman crossover, Buffy/Jason Todd, Buffy & Giles, G)

Reflections Of Tomorrow by LoneFrog (Xander, FR15)

Just the Way You Are by Zab Jade (Buffy/Spike, 13+)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Something Red - Chapter 1 by Little_Bites (Faith & Willow, not rated)

Truth and Consequences, Ch. 25 by JamesMFan (Buffy/Spike, R)

Hope is the thing with feathers, Ch. 12-13 by will_ (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Degradation of Duality [Series Part 2] Ch. 52 by Ragini (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Little Light, Ch. 9 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Linchpin, Ch. 5 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Troubling Deaf Heaven, Ch. 5 by JuneCurry (Buffy/Spike, R)

Unholy Matrimony, Ch. 1 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Dawn Rising, Ch. 75 by Luna (Buffy, Dawn, FR15, self harm)

Oh My Goddess, Ch. 4 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Drawings by darthmimaulette (Buffy, Buffy/Spike, probably worksafe)

Manips: The Hungry Wolf by spyder-baby (Drusilla, Spike/Drusilla, worksafe)

A Buffy the Vampire Slayer button in progress by lunar-goodness (no people depicted, Buffy quote, worksafe)

Sims by mistyintherivers (Scoobies, Drusilla, worksafe)

drew some buffys! one from the tv show, and one from the medieval flashback in the 1992 movie by nodudeshutup (worksafe)

A Gachnar doll in progress by Nocturnal-Nycticebus (worksafe)

Welcome 2 the Hellmouth collage :) by DefDoomedPod (Buffy, Darla, Luke, the Master, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Episode 5.4 - Hell Bound - crossposted by rock-and-compass

The dialogue in IWMTLY [I Was Made to Love You] by Stoney, HardlyThere

Buffy Season 1 is low key maybe my favorite season by AmbitiousOutside7498

SEDUCED BY A TEACHER? Up The Buff! Ep 4 - Teacher's Pet by bigbadllama

Buffy Season 3: Where will it go from here? by RedRxbin

Vampire F/X- film or tv? by CaseTarot

the way season 3 final episodes are epic is beyond by Kindly_Ad2280

[Fandom Discussions]

I had a dream that Angel was helping Buffy... by oveliagirlhaditright

If you couldn’t have the original cast - which cast would you choose [BtVS S1] by primal-slayer

Skeptical of how realistic it was for the characters to consider working for Wolfram&Hart by thequeenofsastiel

Was Spike a special or unique vampire? by garfan and others

Are any of you involved in Scholarship on Buffy? by friendofathena

Looking for DVD set that has "Once More With Feeling" NTSC 16:9 native NOT letterboxed by Maximum-Telephone268

Fancast: Once More With Feeling - dream cast in music theatre by Icy-Morning6813

Did you know that TV tropes exists because of Buffy The Vampire Slayer? by Cailly_Brard7

Spike VS Faith (who wins in a fight?) by FoxIndependent4310

Has anyone gone to the Buffy Popup in Chicago? by BalrogSlayer00

What campfire songs do you think they sang? by AndrewHeard

Quotes from the show to remember when you're in a dark period of your life? by incantopatronus

A defense of Xander by foreseethefuture

Has your opinion any character shifted as you’ve aged? by Tamika_Olivia

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

James Marsters UltraCon 2024 Reports, Pics & Videos via dontkillspike

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Coming to Free Streaming (Tubi) Just in Time for Halloween

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[louisupdates]

LOUIS TOMLINSON BROUGHT HIS FAITH IN THE FUTURE TOUR TO THE ARENA 1 IN SAN MIGUEL, PERU ON MAY 26TH, 2024.

May 30, 2024

International Concert Reviews

by Ricardo Choy-Kifox Photographer / Chronicle written by Arianna Choy – Kifox

English singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson came back to San Miguel, Peru on May 26th of 2024, after two years of his solo debut concert, for his second album tour Faith in the Future, and even though the place where he played was smaller this time and the field was divided into only two zones, the euphoria, adrenaline, and excitement irradiated from the Arena 1.

There was something different for me too. In 2022 I went as a writer to the venue, so yes, I didn’t have to wait in line to get in but I stood the whole concert in the audience, as a fan, inside the closest zone to the stage, without personal space, with a mask (because of Covid) and a lot of girls pushing each other around me. Basically, I was like one of the sardines in the buses of Spongebob Squarepants, sweating, barely breathing, and without being able to move… but really excited for the show. I still have a toddler face as I mentioned in my previous review but, this time, I upgraded myself, yes man, I got in as part of the press and they let me be in the pit with the rest of the photographers, so I could take photos too, but I saved them for myself, sorry. I’m kidding, but this was my first time doing this, so my dad’s pictures are way better.

The doors of Arena 1 opened at 5:40 pm, but there were fans waiting in line way before that time, some of them camped outside of the Arena weeks before, and a couple of ones spent 7 months outside, wanting to be the first ones to get in and be at the front row. When I arrived at the venue, I saw all the parents sitting in the tents outside the doors, some of them alone, others doing social life between them, while their daughters were already waiting in line to get inside. I always get surprised by the power that an artist can have on their fans (and their parents) to make them do that… and the amount of free time that some people can have. One by one, the security let the fans get in, in a line, to have them controlled and asked them not to run… and obviously, all of them listened. They got in so fast that they pushed the drinks of a seller who was standing in the middle of the field but I think the woman didn’t care, she kept selling her half-empty cups as full ones.

At 8:00 pm the special guest for the Faith in the Future North and South American Tour, the German indie-rock band came onto the stage with a variety of songs from their albums How have you been? and Rookery to their EP New State. For 40 minutes Frederik Rabe, Finn Schwieters, Luca Göttner, Jonathan Wischniowski, and Finn Thomas did an awesome job at warming and hyping up the audience with their energetic presence and really moving music. I could see their frontman Rabe going from one side of the stage to the other and switching instruments from guitar to keyboard to drums; which showed the talent and versatility of this band for making every one of their songs special and having the crowd jumping with them. At their final song, the band and all the Peruvians in the crowd were shouting “Somebody like you” mixed in one single voice.

At 9:00 pm, Louis was supposed to go out on stage but the producers didn’t allow them to start the concert because the audience was out of control. One came out to the stage, twice, to say: “The concert is not going to start until all of you take two steps behind”, while everybody was being pushed and security was carrying girls out of the audience, cause they were crying for air and couldn’t move straight, even some of them were throwing up on the way to the infirmary. I was happy on one side of the field watching all this from afar, with the rest of the press, because now I’m 25 and not in the mood for fighting people for my personal space.

Minutes before the show started, his tour manager took all of us to a side of the stage to give us instructions of how everything was going to work. “You only have three songs for taking pictures inside the pit and you are not allowed to record nor use your phone for any reason”. Don’t worry man, my phone was stolen three days ago in a store, so there’s only my eyes, my camera, and my 25-year-old self trying to control the emotions of my inner 10 old self for not ending up jumping on the stage once I see Louis getting in, everything is totally fine. After that, we started walking to the pit. I could feel the adrenaline and excitement (and importance) pumping through my veins, I felt like outer space, I never experienced being this close to the stage to take pictures of an internationally powerful artist. I was probably the only fan-press standing in the pit, cause everyone else was really chill, so I tried to put on my poker face and pretend that I was a grown adult who had been doing this for years. It didn’t work out though, my dad turned to me and laughed cause I was smiling so big like a little kid. Who let the toddler of 25 years old get here? Suddenly the lights went down, all the band appeared, white reflectors turned on and the silhouette of Louis came to the stage with the music intro of “The Greatest” and the audience went wild. My photographer mode switched on and started to take pictures with the rest. In theory, three songs are not enough for taking pictures, they aren’t even half of the concert, but I felt like the time passed slowly. I was less than one meter away from Louis and being considered as one more photographer, life was good. For the second song “Kill My Mind”, the stage turned red and it had the same vibes as the music video of the song that came out in 2019. The stage was different from the one in 2022. It had moving lightning bars and a lot of hanging medium screens facing different angles. It showed a variety of visual effects, such as black and white motion graphics and the live image of Louis from the stage and the members of the band in black and white and slow motion. By the third song, “Bigger than Me”, I noticed that something with the way I was doing this was probably wrong because everybody was moving together to one side of the pit while I was on the other side alone. That’s when I realized they were following Louis and turning to the side that he was heading towards too, while I was just moving on the same spot, but it was a great first experience anyway. The song finished and all of us headed out of the pit to stay in the crowd, with “Holding onto a Heartache” in the background.

“Lima, you’re so fucking loud!” were some of the words that Louis said, welcoming us to the show and he wasn’t wrong. At times, it was hard for me to listen to and recognize the song he was playing until the chorus because every single fan was screaming really loud and singing with him. For this tour, the setlist had 20 songs. Most of them were from his latest record Faith in the Future but he also sang “We Made It” and “Walls” from the previous one; non-album songs like “Back to you” and “Copy of a Copy”; a couple of covers like “Chemicals” from Post Malone and “505” from Arctic Monkeys and of course a couple of his songs “Night changes” and “Where do broken hearts go?”. The fact that he sang these last two was really special for all of us Directioners, because they never got to play that album here in Peru and, just so you know, it is really hard to jump and freak out with a camera and a telephoto lens hanging on your neck but not impossible.

At the end of his final song “Silver Tongues”, the most awaited thing in his concerts for all the fans in the first row (probably the reason why everybody is so desperate for that spot), Louis got off the stage and came down the stage to greet and hug all the fans, I couldn’t say it myself but I bet security had a pretty hard moment. Fortunately, after that, Louis returned to the stage complete and alive to do the final goodbye. With this being one of the last concerts left of his tour, Louis Tomlinson once again had all the Peruvian fans under his spell for probably two hours and made them lose control from even before the concert began to the last second of it.

[Many photos are on the website.]

[formulaorange]

2024 Winter Anime

It's here! It's finally here!!! Solo Leveling comes out this season! There's definitely a few others to keep an eye out for but this is the star of the winter season:

Solo Leveling One of my most anticipated series. I'm caught up on the english light novels (8 volumes) and I'm honestly so invested in this story. In a way it gives the same impact as One Punch Man but if the story progressed a little faster toward fame and growth in his power. Easily the best of the season. Noteworthy On Going Shows: Frieren - Episodes 17-28 One of the most mesmerizing and well paced fantasies I've seen. Also one of my 10/10s of all time. Worth looking into if you remotely like fantasy. Shangri La Frontier - Episodes 14-25 Another fantasy game series that honestly just looks like it's a fun game. Explores a lot of game mechanics within this full-dive VR type game that almost puts SAO to shame. Fun action, fantasy and fun for game lovers. Apothecary Diaries - Episodes 13-24 My current favourite drama/romance/medical mystery series. The characters are simple but the show highlights the different dynamics and almost feels like an enemies to lovers plot. New Seasons:

Blue Exorcist - Season 3 This is one of the og shows I watched growing up. It's a mythology school themed show that I loved. It's been 13 years since season 1 aired and I'm stoked to see it come back. It's being done by a different studio since A-1 is busy with solo leveling, so I'm not sure if it'll hit the same but I'll still check it out at least for the nostalgia.

Mashle - Season 2 The funniest anime I've seen in a while. Man muscle brains his way through magic school and the whole show is a meme of harry potter and other magic series. Truly entertaining. Can't wait for this season

Delicious In Dungeon This is a series I've wanted to pick up the manga for for a while. It's about dealing with food and hunger when these adventurers are deep in a dungeon and learn to start cooking and eating what they can find down there. Funny concept but honestly looks like a lot of fun.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer I read this manga and light novel so long ago. (Literal years - link to my manga thoughts and summary). I'm looking forward to the adaptation. I think nowadays this kind of story doesn't catch nearly as much attention as it did a few years ago. An adventurer dies in a dungeon and is reborn as an undead who can evolve as he kills other monsters and he deals with trying to fit in with the human realm again and evolving. I'm still looking forward to it after keeping an ear our for so long!

Mr. Villain's Day Off I recently heard about this series and thought it was such a cute concept. Us with all our villain complexes with enjoy this one. Will likely be a background show for me as there won't be a huge plot, regardless, still fun to watch. Burn the Witch - #0.8 - 30 min Special I think this won't be as exciting now that Bleach has come back and we aren't as depraved of Tite Kubo's work but I really enjoyed the original short series. Hoping for more of this world in the future. Sequels: Classroom of the Elite - Season 3 Tsukimichi - Season 2 (Link to review of season 1) The Dangers in My Heart - Season 2 More Continuations: Undead Unluck Ragna Crimson After going through 20+ shows every season, many with sub-par animations and the same fantasy twists, I've become real picky about which series are even worth trying to watch these days. Here are the ones that deserve at least 2 episodes in order: A Sign of Affection - Gets a special spot since it's incredibly rare to see disability representation in anime and it looks like it's done quite well- A romance between a guy and a deaf girl. Looks super sweet Bucchigiri?! - I honestly can't say this looks appealing to me personally but I've hear the name before and well it's MAPPA. (Give em a break) 'Tis Time for "Torture," Princess - looks well animated and just a fun watch Metallic Rouge - The sci-fi series for this season. I'm not sure I have it in me to watch something heavy like this this season but it looks decent. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic The Witch and the Beast - Here for manga readers - lowkey looks like the manga will be much better and this might be a skip for me. Hokkaido Gyaru's are super Adorable (Ecchi) ALSO - Big reminder: Haikyu!! and Demon Slayer have their movies coming out this season as well (both theatrical releases so keep an eye out!!!) Demon Slayer: To the Hashira Training - Feb 2nd 2024 Haikyu!! - The Dumpster Battle - Feb 16th 2024

[spicykaraage]

Tenipuri Complete Character Profile - Kunimitsu Tezuka

[PROFILE]

Birthday: October 7th (Libra)

Blood Type: O

Relatives: Grandfather (Kunikazu Tezuka), Father (Kuniharu Tezuka), Mother (Ayana Tezuka)

Father’s Occupation: Company Employee (trading company, his grandfather was a judo instructor for the police force)

Elementary School: Seiharudai First Elementary School

Middle School: Seishun Academy Junior High School

Grade & Class: Third Year | Class 3-1 | Seat 12

Club: Tennis Club (Captain)

Committee: Student Council (President)

Strong Subjects: World History

Weak Subjects: None

Frequently Visited Spot at School: Library

World Cup Team: U-17 World Cup German Representatives

Favorite Motto: “The enemy is within oneself.”

Daily Routines: Writing in his diary

Hobbies: Mountain climbing, camping, fishing

Favorite Color: Green or Blue

Favorite Music: Classical (Beethoven)

Favorite Movie: Famous classics whether Japanese or foreign

Favorite Book: Foreign books ➜ German-Japanese dictionary (he carries it around with him) [23.5]

Favorite Food: Unacha (broiled eel over rice with dashi poured over it), räucheraal (German smoked eel) [23.5]

Favorite Anniversary: August 23rd

Preferred Type: A girl who tries her best in everything (even if she’s a bit scatterbrained), a serious but cheerful person [PP] ➜ He tries not to think about it now [23.5]

Ideal Date Spot: Fishing in a stream near a mountain ➜ Zugspitze [23.5]

His Gift for a Special Person: A letter of gratitude

Where He Wants to Travel: Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu

What He Wants Most Right Now: A photobook of famous mountains across the world ➜ A mountain diorama kit [23.5]

Dislikes: Laziness, colorful cakes [23.5]

Skills Outside of Tennis: Woodworking, preparing fish [23.5]

Spends Allowance On: Books

Routine During the World Cup: Keeping a diary in German, watching foreign comedy dramas

[DATA]

Height: 179cm

Weight: 58kg ➜ 61kg [23.5]

Shoe Size: 27.5cm

Dominant Arm: Left

Vision: (With glasses) 1.5 Left & Right

Play Style: All-Rounder

Signature Moves: Drop Shot, Zero-Shiki Drop Shot, Selfless State, Pinnacle of Hard Work, Pinnacle of Great Wisdom, Pinnacle of Perfection [23.5], Tezuka Zone, Tezuka Phantom, Zero-Shiki Serve

Number of Laps He Runs in a Year: 5,870

Favorite Brands:

Racket: MIZUNO (PRO LIGHT S90) MAGNETIC TOUR 100

Shoes: MIZUNO (WAVE DUAL LIGHT <6K93009>)

Fitness Test Results:

Side Steps: 63

Shuttle Run: 121

Back Strength: 131kg

Grip Strength: 55.5kg (left)

Backbend: 60.8cm

Seated Forward Bend: 29.1cm

50m Run: 6.43 seconds

Standing Long Jump: 241cm

Handball Throw: 37.1m

Endurance Run (1500m): 4:39

Overall Rating: Speed: 4.5 / Power: 4 / Stamina: 4 / Mental: 5 / Technique: 6 / Total: 23.5

Kurobe Memo: “I obviously intended for him to thrive as a First Stringer, but unfortunately he withdrew. It’s only a matter of time before he reaches the top level of the professional ranks.” [RB]

[POSSESSIONS]

What’s in His Bedroom [10.5]:

Lure collection // A collection of lures neatly arranged hanging on his wall, he likes using his lures as decorations

Photo of a mountain he’s climbed // He had it printed extra large and hung it on his wall. Seeing it calms him

Small locker // A locker for storing his fishing rods and equipment. The doors are glass so the contents can always be viewed

Dresser // He always has his school uniforms neatly folded and placed on top

Bookshelves and a boombox // His only objects of entertainment, he has a considerable amount of books in his possession

What’s in His Bag [10.5]:

Glasses case // He is protective over his glasses and handles them with care

Notebook // He writes an extensive amount of notes for each of his classes and keeps it with him for review

Omamori // He’s kept it with him since he was little. He’s not a religious person, so it’s kept more out of habit

A (foreign) novel // The Big Bad City by Ed McBain. He likes foreign stories and reads them often since they help him learn English

Reference book // He reads it on the bus to and from school

Wristband // He has several different kinds and changes them each day depending on his mood

English-Japanese dictionary // Used to look up words he doesn’t understand when reading foreign books

Spray-on deodorant // Gatsby brand. He hates uncleanliness and always uses it after sweating in matches. He buys five bottles a month

What’s in His Travel Bag [23.5]:

Japanese tea // Siegfried had snuck into his bag and tried some of it

[TRIVIA]

The Prince of Tennis 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 11/02/2001

He likes outdoor activities since they help relieve his stress. He feels that nature heals him

He is actually always tense and nervous about guiding the club members

His favorite mountain is the Matterhorn. His father had taken him to climb it when he was a fourth year in elementary school

He is described to have sharp and fine facial features

Since entering middle school, he has not lost in any official or practice matches

No one else in the Seigaku Tennis Club matches his level

He has trouble looking upward to the right since his hair blocks his view

He gives very terse responses when asked personal questions

He dislikes flirtatious girls and prefers someone as serious as himself. He is currently not interested in romance, however

Despite how skilled he currently is as a player, he was not good at tennis when he first started

When asked if he’s afraid of anything, his reponse is that people cannot grow if they don’t have fears

He is the only member of Seigaku who does not call any of the other members by their nicknames

Konomi states that the editorial staff like to uphold Tezuka’s serious and stoic image despite what he thinks

His personality is described as someone who thinks before he acts and is so perfect that even his friends envy him

His name and appearance is based off of Kunikaze Tezuka, a character in Konomi’s other manga series COOL

Konomi describes him as “strong overall” and considered number one. He had been created since at the time, it was rare to see a character much stronger than the protagonist be on the same team

He and Momoshiro were the first Seigaku members Konomi had created

The Prince of Tennis 20.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 12/04/2003

It is stated that in a previous life, he was an explorer. He is described to have never stayed in the same place, and always moved forward with a desire to improve. He had lived in extreme situations where failure meant death, and was said to be calm, collected and always prepared for every possible situation

He has always been somewhat mature and sensitive to beautiful things since he was younger

He is very self-disciplined, independent and has a personal set of rules for himself

He is described to be suited for professions such as starting his own business by himself or being a novelist

He is an honors student

His secondary sport would be kyudo

He is the character Konomi would like to go up against if he were in the series

His injury and departure was to initiate Seigaku’s growth without him. Since he was their strongest member and final trump card, Konomi felt that there was no sense of urgency in them losing and wanted to emphasize the whole team’s changes by the time he returned

The Prince of Tennis 40.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 12/04/2007

He writes in his diary to record his daily efforts as well as take time to analyze himself. It is a custom he’s set to identify his weaknesses and continuously improve himself

His I Ching Hexagrams are 1. Qián and 13. Tóng Rén respectively

He often makes (unnoticed) efforts in order to facilitate his relationships, such as forcing himself to socialize and/or subtly trying to lighten the mood of situations

He actually has a side to him that gets lonely easily and dislikes being in dark places

He has surprisingly gotten into comedy programs. He’s recently been watching “The Battle of Big Eaters” and actually really enjoyed the “Yakiniku Battle” in Genius 341

He is currently unsure who will be the next captain (it is eventually revealed to be Kaidoh)

He is the second character Konomi has the least in common with, the first being Ryoma

Konomi states he would like to form a doubles pair with him and be able to perform his Tezuka Zone and Tezuka Phantom

Konomi had wanted to depict Tezuka having great difficulty during his match against Kabaji

He is described to “not do doubles” by Konomi, which is why he had played one-on-one against Chitose during their doubles match. However, Konomi states he may team up with Ryoma in Wimbledon someday

Konomi states Tezuka will most likely be seen in Germany sometime in the future

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 1 | Publication Date: 11/04/2009

Mizuki claims to have seen him smiling while writing in his diary

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 2 | Publication Date: 12/04/2009

When asked what he pays attention to when leading the club, he replies with everything, but self-management and discipline being a top priority

He finds being captain to be difficult, but believes the club members would be fine without him

He finds nature healing but also enjoys the interactions he receives when mountain climbing

He does not believe in having a full day off but states if he had one, he would read in his bedroom or go fishing with his grandfather now and then

When asked about his special skill, woodworking, he states it’s come in handy when making racket racks

He is described as being a “leader” type captain

His keyword for leading the club is “discipline”

When an issue arises in the club, he writes about it in his diary and seeks solutions

Currently what weighs on his mind the most is instilling talent and confidence in the first years

He finds members who are talented but don’t show passion are the most difficult to handle

He would like a computer, projector or humidifier for the club room

If he were able take all of the club members on a trip, it would be to Mount Fuji

His favorite sports besides tennis are fishing, skiing and mountain climbing

The people he holds in the highest regard are his father and grandfather

When asked about the story behind his family name, he refuses to answer and states it’s a personal matter between him and his family

He is unsure if he’s good at cooking, but states he tries to do what he can. A dish he is able to make is eel kabayaki

His favorite drink is water/mineral water

He prefers rice over bread

When asked about the possibility of a past life, he replies that the concept is not scientifically proven and therefore is unable to answer

When asked if uses a hair dryer, he replies he does not

He gets confused and slightly irritated after being asked irrelevant questions in his interview

Since meeting Kawamura’s father, the latter often compares his son to him

Kikumaru has agreed that he does not look the same age as the others

Konomi had him wear glasses to give him the image of a perfect and disciplined man

His catchphrase “don’t let your guard down” was created to give him the image that he’s humble and tough on himself, especially during his serves

Tezuka’s special moves were created to express his power to dominate the court

Konomi states that when he draws him, he is careful to add in a touch of warmth within his strictness

One of His School Days:

5:30am - Wakes up, has breakfast after stretching and strength training

6:30am - Listens to an English lesson on the radio

8:40am - 1st Period: Social Studies (world history)

9:40am - 2nd Period: Calligraphy

11:00am - 3rd Period: Math III

12:00pm - 4th Period: Music (classical lesson)

12:50pm - Lunch, unacha (bento)

1:20pm - 5th Period: PE (hurdles)

2:20pm - 6th Period: Science III (physics)

3:20pm - Summarizes a Student Council proposal report

4:00pm - Club activities, free practice

7:00pm - Returns home, bathes

7:30pm - Dinner

8:00pm - Watches a recording of “The Battle of Big Eaters” on the TV

9:00pm - Reads (mostly foreign books)

9:30pm - Writes in his diary, reflects on himself and the day

10:30pm - Goes to bed

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 5 | Publication Date: 03/04/2010

He is shown holding back laughter after watching Koharu and Amane’s comedy skit

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 6 | Publication Date: 06/03/2011

He, Fuji and Kikumaru are shown having a chat with Yamato

The Prince of Tennis II 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 09/04/2013

He can speak German

He recently bought a new pair of climbing boots and is wondering which mountain to climb next

Konomi states he will still be prevalent in the series despite moving to Germany

The Prince of Tennis II 23.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 05/02/2018

Franksteiner helps teach him German

He is well-accepted by most of the German team, has a strong sense of camaraderie and wants to lead them to victory

He had intended to become a professional since he was seven years old

He had gotten into tennis when his father gifted him a racket when he was younger

Konomi states he is not the type to do any club activities half-heartedly

The Prince of Tennis 20th Anniversary Book: Tenipuri Party | Publication Date: 08/02/2019

He was initially hesitant about joining team Germany, but ultimately decided on it since it was necessary in becoming a professional

He enjoys the intense training with Volk

He felt that playing against his former teammates would be difficult to do at first, but then became excited about it. He states that fighting as allies is not the only way to improve themselves, and believes facing each other can provide new growth

He quickly adjusted to life in Germany and likes how disciplined it is, more so than Japan

He enjoys browsing secondhand bookstores and attending classical concerts (when time and money allow) during his off days in Germany

He states that while he has not mastered the German language yet, he is also able to communicate with facial expressions

He has known Sanada since they were younger due to their grandfathers being friends and former coworkers

[ya-world-challenge]

A Magical Girl Retires (🇰🇷 South Korea)

[image 1: book cover: A manhwa-style picture of a girl in a ruffled dress holding a pocketwatch and a card with a rose. She holds these items up with hands crossed, determined look upward. The cover is decorated with roses and sparkles; image 2: a map showing South Korea near Japan and China; image 3: the Mapo Bridge in Seoul, source: wikimedia]

A Magical Girl Retires

Author: Park Seolyeon

YA World Challenge read for 🇰🇷 South Korea

(catching up on reviews from May!)

Review

This light novel imagines bureaucratically-organized magical girls who find climate change the biggest threat to the world. With too much debt, a twenty-something girl cynically decides to throw herself off a bridge when she's saved by Ah Roa the Clairvoyant, who has predicted she is something special, possibly the long-sought Magical Girl of Time, a Sailor Saturn-esque figure with massive power. It's unclear, then, why her talisman emerges as a credit card.

This is a short story with plenty of cynicisms from our world-weary protagonist, an interesting twist on magical talisman powers, and a sapphic tease that I wish would have gone just a little further. In trying to make the unnamed main character so relatable (every twenty-something has a crappy job and is drowning in debt) there was very little that was interesting about her. There was necessarily a lot of setup around the magical girl world, and then it got to give its little twist and that was it. The illustrations for each chapter were a nice touch.

Pick this up from the library if you feel like a short parody of magical girls in real-life society.

★ ★ ★    3 stars

Genres: #magic #parody #contemporary

Other reps: #sapphic side character

Content warnings:

suicidal idealization, magical apocalypse, mentions of sexual assault and murder of abuser

[curedreamy]

Untitled Magical Girl CBT review, guide and first impressions

I have been playing some days already to the closed beta test of Untitled Magical Girl and I'm liking it so much so far! I'm going to review most of the features so keep reading if you are interested in playing!

Home menu

Let's start with the menu and then go into each section of it.

First of all, the UI is very pretty and colorful, and at least to me it was easy to use.

On left top we can see your player level and next to it, your profile (bear icon), 2D option (instead of 3D it shows the 2D art of your character) and change the magical girl and menu background. Below the player level there are more icons; mailbox, announcements, friends, missions and daily bonus, and next to that, the beginner missions.

On right top we have the options, coins, crystals and stamina (the pancakes).

From the hourglass and box icons you can get items.

We have 5 very visible buttons: story, quest, event, shop and the banner. There are as well 7 smaller icons.

The banner just has one ad that opens the website and the event one is locked up, probably not able since this is just a CBT and in the shop you can buy items with game-coins or crystals.

Now I'm going to explain story and quest:

Story

Whitout entering into spoilers, in the game you are "Kuma", the typical mascot and companion of the magical girls, and as per usual, your mission is to find magical girls to save the world

At the beginning of the game you will be able to choose one of the leaders from each group (80s, 90s or 2000s). In my case I chose Yuna, leader of the 2000s group

Each group has a main story were you will see how they met Kuma and how they transform into magical girls and their journey. There are also side stories.

Quest

The way to get more main story parts is doing battles against monsters

The battles are automatic but you have to upgrade your magical girls to win those battles. They also have special movements only available when their power bar goes to 100%

There are also more options like fighting against other players magical girls.

In battles you will get some rewards like crystals, level up items, experience and more.

Now let's talk about the small icons in order:

Chat: there you can talk with other players and send stickers. When people pull in the gacha it will show too.

Magical Girl: Here you can see the stats of all your characters as well level up and spark them, give them items and weapons and level up their habilites.

Also each magical girl uses a different type of weapon, for example, Yuna uses guns as you can see in the little pink icon up the Level counter

Backpack: All the items and weapons you have will appear here.

House Cafe: Send your magical girls to work in the cafe and you will get items like coins, stamina and more.

Team Formation: Make your team and see the total power of the formation

Club: Join teams with other players as a crew and get items by doing special tasks as battles and more

Gacha: Here you can pull for weapons and accessories for your magical girls that will make them more powerful. There are different ranges of items, from N to UR.

You can use 50 paid (I think) crystals daily for 1 item, 150 for 1 or 1500 for 10 items.

When you start playing, you will get extra gifts, a guarenteed SR weapon each 10 solos until 40 solos.

My impression

I really like the game so far, I think is very complete and to think that this is just the CBT version is even more impressive. I love you can make your own unique magical girl by giving them different items and weapons, is a cool feature and the gacha is fine.

Since is a CBT sometimes is a bit laggy or have some graphic errors but nothing serious that will spoil your gameplay.

And I love the 3D models of the characters and the UI, all is very well done.

If you are a magical girl fan (or not), you should definitely try this! The bad thing is that the game is only available in Chinese at this moment. The game is supposed to release full in summer 2023 (Chinese and Japanese).

If you guys like this post and are interested in Untitled Magical Girl, I can do a post talking about the characters!

Last of all, I downloaded the game through Qooapp, here is the link. Keep updated with their official Twitter account

See you :)

[sophia-sol]

The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter, vol 1-3, by Kazuki Irodori & Yatsuki Wakatsu

I thought I had taken more detailed notes on these books to be able to write up a proper book review! These are three volumes in an ongoing manga series which I think is based on a webnovel? but I might be wrong about that. Many things are confusing to me.

Anyway! I saw this recced as a fun transmigration story that had similar vibes to moshang from svsss, and I was like, sold.

The premise:

Our main character, Kondou, gets accidentally sucked from our world into another realm along with a teen girl who is the special chosen one with amazing powers who's the only one who can save the world. Kondou, who isn't supposed to be there, is meanwhile like: "Welp. Better find some way to keep myself busy if I'm here." And volunteers to join the palace accountancy department.

The love interest, Aresh, is a handsome but taciturn captain who takes it on himself to save Kondou from his own self-destructive tendencies.

The first volume felt to me like it was mostly set-up, and it had promise but I didn't really feel like I had a good handle on the characters or their relationships.

The second volume started getting into the good stuff! However this is where my notes oh so helpfully stop, and I read the these multiple months ago so I remember approximately nothing of substance, lol. The relationship vibes are cute, I enjoy that Kondou and the chosen one do still feel a sort of friendship connection with each other since they transmigrated together even though they're very different and end up in very different spheres in this world, iirc the plot/worldbuilding development started to go somewhere in book 3, etc.

I like it and I'll be interested to keep reading! assuming I remember to keep on top of it as it comes out, lol. Which like. it's me. no guarantees.

[ecargmura]

My Happy Marriage Episode 6 Review: Playing With Fire

I am applauding. This is the best episode of the show by far. The way the kidnapping plot gets resolved in one episode, the way Kiyoka comes to rescue his fiancee and the way Miyo stands her ground against her abusive family is just perfection.

I like the fact that everything isn’t slow paced and that rescuing Miyo actually takes the entire episode and not cut into two parts. It is a bit fast-paced but I’m just glad that nothing felt rushed. It was super satisfying to see everything resolved in one episode but while holding more questions for future episodes. I’m just personally biased because the Saimori family is no more!

The action scenes were amazing. The way the supernatural powers were animated was a treat to see! It shows that these people are special in a way, but Kiyoka is a lot more special for he is the strongest ability user in the current generation. It makes you wonder why Miyo’s dumb dad actually sent over his “reject” daughter to wed him and not the favorite Kaya. It matters not because Miyo is happier and better than Kaya. Though, my only gripes with the action scene is that Mr. Tatsuishi and Miyo’s dad were stupid. Mr. Tatsuishi was the reason why the Saimori manor got caught on fire and Mr. Saimori wasn’t even aware of the kidnapping plot but still helped him out. Talk about idiocy…

The way Kiyoka seems calm but is actually furious on the inside shows with how he behaves in this episode. His rage starts with him destroying the gate and then using lightning on Mr. Tatsuishi and then coldly rejecting Kaya by telling her that he’d never marry a girl like her. In fact, the fact that Kiyoka is not only a fire user, but has other abilities in his arsenal like barriers and conjuring lightning. Since he is the best ability user, having multiple abilities makes sense. However, I do wish Kiyoka was a bit more aggressive. That’s just wishful thinking on my part since I want someone to punch or kick Kaya and her mother. I’m glad that he’s not shallow or dumb and just loves Miyo for who she is. 

The way Miyo stands her ground amazed me. If this was Miyo from Episode 1, she’d just give up and apologize, but she’s not the Miyo from before now. She’s a changed girl now! Living with Kiyoka and Yurie helped her realize what happiness is and how precious it is to her. Even if her stepmother and half-sister were beating her, she firmly goes against what they want her to say. The way she fought for her happiness was truly marvelous. Miyo’s trauma might not be fully recovered, but she healed up enough to know that she has someone who loves her and that she loves him back. The way Kiyoka and Yurie were relieved to see her after she awakened was truly warm.

I’m also amazed with how Koji finally stood up to Kaya. He told her that he’s helping her because he loves Miyo and that he doesn’t want her to be sad when someone is hurt. It was very brave of him. I want this guy to be happy with someone who is deserving of him.

I’m curious to see what the second half of the show will bring to the table. There seems to be two new antagonists coming into the picture and they seem to be connected to the Usuba line. The bedridden man seemed to have conspired with Mr. Tatsuishi regarding Miyo’s lineage, but since he failed, it’s time for the bespectacled man to come into the fray. I wonder if the second half of the show will focus around Miyo’s power since it seems that Sumi’s words were hinting at Miyo’s abilities awakening. I do wonder what her abilities are and how powerful they are.

What did you think about how this episode turned out? Was it satisfying for you? Please let me know!

[pretentious-art-love]

Game Reviews #1 - Morrowind

I have the theory that is is likely the best game Bethesda ever did and everything that came afterwards its just a repeat of what they achieved here. The side content ranges from fetch quests to some okay and interesting stuff, but what tops it all is the main quest, there is a sense of discovery not only exploring wise, but in a narrative sense as well.

The story is also tied to the sense of progression and leveling up, you start as a prisoner who is sent to work as a spy by the emperor, and there is a mystery you have to unveil, since you are a spy, you have to make a cover identity on your own, and the game tells you to do side content on your own and level up to get better at what you do, and better yet, it is all part of your mission, your cover identity, there is no weird sense of immersion breaking urgency like in Cyberpunk where you are dying and it just feels off when you want to explore, or like in Breath of the Wild where they say Ganon is about to break free and you are collecting dragonflies for a girl and her sister, Morrowind gives you the perfect mood to explore and do your own story and it only gives you the information you need at the final of the quest when things are about to go wild.

Morrowind also features a more natural and realistic depiction of the chosen one narrative, since this time you have to convince people and go through several tests instead of being told you are the one and being believed as such by others as a matter of fact, you have to win it, you have to convince them with actions, mere words don't do, people are very apathetic about the prophecy because naturally they don't believe it and just want to see results from you, people in Morrowind are all about to see to believe, and weirdly enough, even when it reduces the power fantasy factor, it makes the story feel a lot more real.

The lore is amazing and everything you hear about the Disappearance of the Dwarves is just neat, it is the kind of cryptic shit that scrambles my brain, the mystery about the real truth of the death of Nerevar, that weird wizard dude that clones his wives, the cult and the use of the Kagrenac tools by the tribunal and Dagoth Ur, it's just so good, it's all so good.

Also, no quest markers whatsoever. I first felt it was frustrating not knowing where to go, but Morrowind taught me about how rewarding the sense of exploration can be, and the sense of freedom that comes with it, no compass telling you where to go, its all about your own story, you get clues and get to discover things, beautiful things, scary things, unbelievable things.

The gameplay is fantastic too, there are just so many things you can use to achieve your goal, sure, the RNG combat is weird at first, the stamina use when walking is weird too, but the more you level up the more satisfying it becomes to hit more frequently, you can either specialize in long blades, or you can use stealth, the magic system is vast and full of possibilities. I was sad first when I used all my Icarian flight scrolls and I couldn't find any on the game, but then I learned you can do a spell to increase your jump and reduce your weight and boom, I was able to make a bootleg icarian flight spell myself, jumping from mountain to mountain. It is all about those little tricks and things you can do, the abilities, the possibilities that just add to the repeatability, the ability to levitate between cities, using the voice of the emperor to charm others, it is just all so good, so good.

Some of the lore was taken along with for the next games, but, I feel this is the only game for me worth exploring. I do like the nordic inspired landscapes, but I haven't felt the drive to explore them when its approach feels so soulless, and while Oblivion and Skyrim are the definition of what I would call generic fantasy, Morrowind's world is creepy and alien, it is scary and wonderful. The steampunk inspired Dwarf ruins, the construction in Sadrith Mora and the closer islands, the open maze that can be Vivec city, the houses made of stone and the manor district of Aldrun, the skeleton warrior filled castle of Firemoth, the altars in the Sixth House bases, the master index forts, that bonelord between the lava I found in a cave raiding one of my trials, it is all so good, so good!

While Daggerfall aimed at a sense of freedom and size with the procedurally generated world, Morrowind uses the manual approach and gives you locations that are all lovely handcrafted one by one without cramming up so many things in a small space, still giving you a big land to wander around and sight-see, Morrowind is the joy of being lost and discovering a place for the first time, to discover something beautiful or incredible after hours of walking, to find a lost fella and help them along the way for then discover the witch that cursed him was actually in the right, Morrowind is about dying, about fight your way in, Morrowind is about having an adventure, and it is one of my favorite games right now.

Plus Dagoth Ur is a pretty hot monster husbando. His aura is unmatchable.

10/10

[filthy-mudeoki]

Alchemy of Souls - 환혼

Review and rambles:

Alchemy of souls  (9/10)

(30 episodes - Part I and II) (2022-2023)

[Cast: Lee Jae Wook, Jung So Min, Go Yoon Jung] 

Synopsis: 

The story of a man, Jang UK whose birth was supposedly ill-fated and yet despite the odds continuously rises to overcome every hurdle he is met with. Set in the fictional country of Daeho, the story follows the trials and tribulations of the young mages and their relationship with forbidden magic, more specially something that is referred to as the ‘Alchemy of Souls.’ This allows souls to switch bodies but with frightening consequences. 

The story is split in two parts. Part 1 (20 episodes) follows Jang UK (Lee Jae -wook) and his friends as the battles to unlock his true power and master it. He does this under the guidance of his secret master, the known and feared assassin Naksu who is trapped inside the body of a weak blind girl thanks the alchemy of souls. She assumes the role of his servant, Mu-deok (Jung So-min) and becomes his master, teaching him her skills as they fall in love with each other. 

Part II is set three years after the finale and the tragedy that occurred to Jang Uk and Mu-doeki. Jang Uk has returned from the dead and has the ice stone in his body. With this power he becomes a feared and ruthless hunter of soul shifters who have run wild. Due to these circumstances and his own heartbreak, his has become isolate from everyone. However he meets the mysterious heiress Jin Bu-yeon (Go Yoon-jung) and their lives become entangled in more ways than one. 

Review: 

The series is split into two parts for a complex storytelling. The first part (20 episodes) really lays the foundation for an amazing character arc that comes full circle in part II. You have to be patient at certain points, but overall, the intensity of the characters and attention to detail does not disappoint. The secondary characters are a delight to behold as they bring a vibrancy to the story in an otherwise heavy on the plot story. The dynamics between the Four Seasons (Jang UK, Seo Yul, Park Dang Gu and Cho Yeong) are funny and makes you wish they had included more of those moments. It’s humorous without trying too hard and the endearing moments between the friends is something so real in a story set in a fictional town based entirely in the fantasy genre. Towards the end (especially in part II), I wished there had been more between some of the secondary characters (especially Park Dang Gu and Cho Yeong) as it felt their story was sort of rushed over for the benefit of the main leads. 

The Cast and performance:

The Main male lead – Lee Jae Wook – brings a surprising intensity to the character Jang Uk that immediately has you rooting for him. Part I sees Jung So Min as the female lead and she does a brilliant job of layering the character’s story so beautifully. At one stage there are multiple characters and personalities and she plays them ALL flawlessly. The leads have amazing chemistry and its rather wonderful to see because you don’t quite realise it’s an epic love story until its too late.

The second female lead – Go Yoon Jung, (in part II) was an interesting but apt choice – as she immediately highlights the sharp contrast to the male lead especially to the character he once was. She protects him (Jang Uk) so he can protect everyone else. Her softness contrasts with the harsh reality of his pain and heartbreak. Go Yoon Jung deserves a lot of credit for being able to make the character her own while still drawing from part I so we’re not left feeling like we totally lost something. We grow to love the character she plays, nearly as much as we love Jang Uk does. 

OST: 

I loved the soundtrack on this one. There are some beautiful instrumental pieces that will leave you feeling nothing but utter peace. The opening sequence is pretty catchy and matched with great visuals. The OST can be found on spotify. I added a few of my personal faves to my own spotify playlist as well. 

Final thoughts: 

While the ending might have been a tad bit rushed for me (and others alike), I really enjoyed this from start to finish. The fantasy element really shone through for me. While there might have been more I wanted from the show, there was very little I would have changed. This is a beautiful story told with amazing scenes and an impressive cast. It’s a long haul of a story but definitely worth it.