#Tamayori

[marumofukoyuki]

How Tamayo remembered Yoriichi

[kururu418]

Tamayori, the daughter of Ryujin and former member of the Japanese pantheon. A powerful titan who vanished from Takamagahara some years ago, and had now reappeared to wage a conquest on the continent of Yuyami. Her goals are unknown to those outside of her inner circle, but one thing is for certain. She carries a grudge against any and all gods, and she will not hesitate to bear her fangs against them or anyone else who would stand in the way of her ambitions.

Art by @harchibudytgorichi

I thought it'd be cool to drop the pics again with a little glimpse of the some of the characters as their introduced.

[aeoki]

School Festival ☆ Tamayori’s Haunted Dollhouse - Prologue

Location: Hallway 1F Characters: Hinata, Yuuta & Sora Season: Spring Writer: Yoshino Yuuki

Sora: HaHa~♪ HiHi~♪ HuHu~♪

HeHe~♪ There’s a pretty “colour” all over the place~♪ It’s like a shiny, twinkling star!

HoHo~♪ The “School Festival” is almost soon so everyone is excited? Ehehe, Sora is excited too!

………?

(Hm~ Hmm? Is that Hina-chan and Yuu-chan over there?)

(Sora wonders what they’re doing. Sora can see a gloomy “colour” around them~)

(Hina-chan and Yuu-chan are friends of Sora! If a friend is worried about something, Sora can’t leave them alone!)

HaHa~♪ Hina-chan, Yuu-chan, hello! Sora will greet his friends when he sees them ♪

Hinata: Ah, Sora-kun! What a coincidence meeting you here~♪

Yuuta: Hello, Harukawa-kun. Now that I think about it, we were talking right in front of the door… Were we in your way?

Sora: No, not at all~

By the way, is there something troubling you guys?

Yuuta: Huh? How did you know we were worried about something? Can you read minds!?

Sora: Sora doesn’t have those powers~ There’s a gloomy “colour” around Hina-chan and Yuu-chan, so Sora figured there must be something troubling you guys!

Yuuta: Ohh… I remember hearing that you can see “colours” in sounds and smells and you can also tell from the aura people give off, right?

Hinata: Uhh, we were just talking about taking part in the “School Festival”.

Yuuta: The “School Festival” is a big event where visitors can come to the school so we want to take part if we can… But we don’t know what we should do for it.

Hinata: We’re idols so if we want the visitors to have a lot of fun, we should put on a live performance, right?

But everyone else is probably thinking the same thing, so we can’t get a lot of attention by doing that.

Yuuta: Let’s get away from idols and have a think. People usually have food stalls during a “School Festival”, don’t they?

Hinata: Hmm. That’s a classic choice so I’m sure the other units would have already submitted applications for it…

Oh, what about a haunted house? I looove scaring people…☆

Yuuta: Geez, Aniki~ I don’t like haunted houses, you know!

Besides, there’s no way we can manage to make something as big as a haunted house all on our own!

Hinata: I guess that’s true~ Dang it~ If it wasn’t for that rule which states that only units can take part in the festival, I could’ve gotten my classmates to join me in building that haunted house.

Yuuta: As you can see, we’ve been trying to come up with ideas but the “School Festival” is right around the corner.

If we’re really going to take part, we should hurry and submit an application, otherwise, it would really be too late.

Sora: Ohh~ Sora understands why Hina-chan and Yuu-chan were feeling gloomy now!

Yuuta: What is your unit doing, Harukawa-kun? Something typical for the “School Festival”? Or are you going to do what idols normally do and put on a performance or perform in a band?

Sora: HiHi~♪ Sora hasn’t heard anything about taking part in the “School Festival” from Master~

Hinata: Huh? Then, “Switch” isn’t taking part in it?

Sora: Sora doesn’t know! Maybe Sora hasn’t been told about it yet, so it’s possible we might?

Hinata: Then you should ask soon. Maybe he’s also having a hard time deciding what to do for the festival like us.

Sora: Okay! Sora will go now and ask Master~!

HuHu~♪ Hina-chan, Yuu-chan, thank you for the advice! Sora will say thank you when people have treated him with kindness ♪

Hinata: Ahaha, we didn’t really do anything that would warrant a thank-you, though. Oh, tell us what “Switch” has decided to do when you find out. We’ll come and check it out!

Sora: HeHe~♪ Of course! Hina-chan and Yuu-chan, please also tell Sora what you’ve decided to do~ Sora also wants to hang out with Hina-chan and Yuu-chan then!

Hinata: Okay! It’ll be a shame to be absent from the “School Festival” since it’s a typical student event, so we’ll do our best to come up with something that the two of us can manage.

See you later, Sora-kun. Bye-bye~

Yuuta: Bye, Harukawa-kun.

Sora: HoHo~♪ See you guys next time, bye-bye…☆

Next Chapter →

[piercemybluesky]

fleeting echo

[hy4c1nthh]

@drownedhydrangeas

alt version under cut :3

[satoshi-mochida]

Dessert de Otomate 2024 announcements roundup – Fuyuzono Sacrifice, Honey Vibes, Hakuoki Ibun: Berezinskii no Majo, more

From Gematsu

Idea Factory‘s Otomate brand announced new titles, updates on existing titles, and ports during its Dessert de Otomate 2024 event in Tokyo today.

Get the full roundup of announcements below.

New Titles

Fuyuzono Sacrifice

Platform: Switch

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: A wish for a bride (sacrifice) in a frozen world.

Keywords: Heartrending Love, Western-Style Fantasy

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (producer), Atori Shiina (director), Manuka Midou (character design), Sachi Arino (scenario writer)

Honey Vibes

Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: In a tropical land where beasts (lust) and humans (reason) mesh, a hot and exciting love story awaits you.

Keywords: Beast Ears, Suits, and Three Factions

Staff: Kurage Ichi (character design), Yusuke Takahama (sound), Momoko Terashima (producer), Asami Saitou (director)

Hakuoki Ibun: Berezinskii no Majo

Platform: Switch

Genre: Otome dramatic visual novel

Tagline: “That” makes her both an angel and a demon.

Keywords: Rejuvenating Water, Hakuoki, Napoleon

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (director), Sakigumi Shiki (character design), Kagero Usuba (guest designer)

Updates

Moeyo! Otome Doushi: Kayu Koigatari

Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Keywords: Battle, Love Comedy, Manga

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (producer), Chouko Tsuyuri (director), Ayu Nekoi (original design), Maro Sasaki (scenario), Ririka Yoshimura (scenario), and Satomi Nakayama (scenario)

Voice Cast: Shogo Sakata, Kazuki Ura, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Trouble Magia: Wakeari Shoujo wa Mirai o Kachitoru Tame ni Ikoku no Mahou Gakkou e Ryougaku Shimasu

Platform: Switch

Genre: Magic academy visual novel full of trouble

Tagline: Girl meets boy in this adolescent tale of magic. Your year to seize the future is about to begin!

Keywords: Magic, Animals, Student Council

Staff: Suzunosuke (original design), Akira Natsuno (scenario writer), and Akira Ouse (director)

Voice Cast: Tomoaki Maeno, Atsushi Abe, Ryouta Oosaka, Yuuto Uemura, Kazuyuki Okitsu, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Otomate Graffit: New Titles

Hiiro no Kakera Tamayori-hime Kitan: Omoi Iro no Kioku for Nintendo Switch

Platform: Switch

Release Date: June 20, 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: Destiny is with you once again…

Keyword: Swords, Guardians, Seals

Staff: Tsunekiyo Fujisawa (producer)

Voice Cast: Tomokazu Sugita, Kousuke Okano, Daisuke Namikawa, Daisuke Hirakawa, Hiroki Shimowada, Kazunori Nomiya, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

7’scarlet for Nintendo Switch

Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Otome romance visual novel

Tagline: The truth of this town is illuminated by the moonlight.

Keyword: Mystery, Incidents

Staff: Chinatsu Kurahana (character design)

Voice Cast: Nobunaga Shimazaki, Tetsuya Kakihara, Showtaro Morikubo, Chiharu Sawashiro, Shinichiro Miki, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Natsuzora no Monologue: Another Memory

Platform: Switch

Release Date: 2024

Genre: Summer-themed time loop visual novel

Tagline: We see “dreams” in the summer sky.

Staff: Ijou (director), Yuu Nishimura (scenario writer), Rokumaru (original design)

Voice Cast: Atsushi Abe, Naozumi Takahashi, Shinya Takahashi, Tsubasa Yonaga, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nobuhiko Okamoto, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Altergear: New Titles

Hypnosis Mic: Alternative Rap Battle – 1st Period / Hypnosis Mic: Alternative Rap Battle – 2nd Period

Platform: Switch

Genre: Rhythm and visual novel game

Tagline: This time the battle of right and wrong comes to Nintendo Switch!

Keywords: Rhythm Game, Hypnosis Mic, Rap

Staff: Kazui (character design and original draft), Otomate, King Records (original work), Evil Line Records (original world)

Voice Cast: Subaru Kimura, Haruki Ishiya, Kouhei Amasaki, Shintarou Asanuma, Wataru Komada, Shinichiro Kamio, Yuusuke Shirai, Soma Saito, Yukihiro Nozuyama, Show Hayami, Ryuichi Kijima, Kento Itou, Ryota Iwasaki, Kengo Kawanishi, Takaya Kuroda, Shota Hayama, Yuki Sakakihara, Eiji Takeuchi, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

Altergear: Updates

Rashomon of Shinjuku

Platform: Switch

Release Date: August 8, 2024

Genre: A bakumatsu reincarnation story visual novel refreshed for the modern age.

Tagline: Sever the everlasting karma on the road to carnage.

Staff: Sonoe Kazenomiya (planning, original draft, producer, script), Kanna Natsumi (script), Karin Entertainment (work), Jirou Suzuki (character design)

Voice Cast: Hiromu Mineta, Yukari Shimotsuki, Junichi Yanagita, Kouji Okino, Kouhei Amasaki, Chikahiro Kobayashi, Sho Karino, Atsushi Abe, Kentaro Kumagai, Kenta Nobe, Rowa Kamiie, Takeo Otsuka, Yoshitaka Yamaya, etc.

Official Website: otomate.jp

[oneesanmarket]

Hiiro no Kakera: DVD/CD Cover Case (supports 2 CD)

Price: 12€/17USD

(Shipping price not included)

Units Available:1

(please send mensage or comment if you’re interested)

[shiawasekai]

I cannot sleep in an hotel room so I'm reading instead.

This is How To Badly Cope With Stress And Grief, the Showcase.

[chaztalk]

[dreams-foretold]

Fear! Tamayori's Haunted Dollhouse Prologue

Author: Yuuki Yoshino (結城由乃) || Translator: Vixen Characters: Sora, Hinata, Yuuta

"Besides, The two of us can't run something as large-scale like a haunted house anyways, it's impossible!"

[♪]

(Note: This blog uses oi~ssu! for the best experience, please read the story through my blog♪)

Season: Spring

Sora: HaHa～♪　HiHi～♪　HuHu～♪

HeHe～♪　wow～♪ There are 'colours' everywhere... they're sparkling like stars!

HoHo～♪ It seems like everybody is getting excited for the upcoming 'school festival,' right? Hehe, Sora is looking forward to it as well!

………？

（hmm、hmmm? Is that Hina-chan and Yuu-chan over there?）

(Sora wonders what they're doing over there? There's a dull 'colour' coming from the both of them...?)

(Hina-chan and Yuu-chan are friends with Sora! If Sora's friends are feeling troubled, he should help them out!)

HaHa～♪ Hey, Hina-chan and Yuu-chan! Sora always greets his friends♪

Hinata: Ah, Sora-kun! What a coincidence!

Yuuta: Hello, Harukawa-kun. Now that I think about it, if we're talking like this in front of the doorway...。 Are we in the way for those who are passing by?

Sora: Nope, not at all~

By the way. Hina-chan and Yuu-chan, is there something troubling you guys?

Yuuta: What? How do you know we're troubled? Are you perhaps an esper!?

Sora: Sora can't use psychic powers~. Hina-chan and Yuu-chan have dull 'colours' which made Sora think you were both having trouble!

Yuuta: Ah...｡ I recall hearing Harukawa-kun could sense sounds and smells by 'colour'. It makes me wonder if he can sense the atmosphere by 'colour' as well.

Hinata: Well, we were actually talking about how we could participate in the 'school festival.'

Yuuta: The 'school festival' is a big event, so it draws in a lot of visitors from outside the school and we'd like to join it...。 I'm not sure if we have anything in mind for what we'd be performing though.

Hinata: But we're idols, we can entertain the audience with a live performance.

I think we might do something different though, since we're probably thinking of something everyone else is thinking of as well.

Yuuta: How about we think of something other than idols then. A staple in the 'school festival' is the food and drinks, right?

Hinata: uum. I think the other ‘units’ are applying for that since it's the royal road. [ 1 ]

Oh, but how about a haunted house? I like surprising people...☆

Yuuta: Oh no. Aniki not again~. You know I don't like haunted houses!

Besides, The two of us can't run something as large-scale like a haunted house anyways, it's impossible!

Hinata: That's also true~... Jeez。if it wasn't for the 'unit' program rule, I'd drag my friends in to help put together the haunted house

Yuuta: Well, if we keep talking about this, the 'school festival' is only going to get closer

If we're going to participate, we should probably fill out the form for the student council soon.

Sora: Ohh okay~ Sora understands why Hina-chan and Yuu-chan were so gloomy!

Yuuta: What about Harukawa-kun’s group? Are you guys going with the standard ‘school festival’ system or are you going to perform live with the other idols?

Sora: HiHi~? Sora hasn't heard from Shisho~ about any plans to participate in the ‘school festival’~?

Hinata: What? So ‘Switch’ isn’t participating?

Sora: Sora’s not sure! Sora hasn't heard yet, but Sora could participate?

Hinata: If that's the case, it's best for you to ask early. Maybe they’re like us and are worried about what kind of performance should be made.

Sora: Yes! Sora will ask Shisho~ immediately!

HuHu~♪ Hina-chan, Yuu-chan, thank you for the advice! Sora appreciates his friends’ generosity♪

Hinata: Ahaha, I haven’t done anything but be nice. Ah, be sure to tell me about ‘Switch’s’ performance? I’ll come and visit!

Sora: HeHe~♪ Of course! Hina-chan, Yuu-chan be sure to tell Sora of what you decided on~. Sora wants to visit with Hina-chan and Yuu-chan too!

Hinata: Um! Unfortunately I’m going to be absent from a student event like the ‘school festival,’ so I’ll think of something we could do together until the last minute.

See ya Sora-kun, bye byee

Yuuta: See you later, Harukawa-kun

Sora: HoHo~♪ see you both later, bye byee ...☆

[☆]

The royal road is Japanese slang for something that has a easy or painless method in completing something. In some cases it's also interpreted as a classic approach to something.

[marumofukoyuki]

first post!! YoriiTama

Yoriichi and Tamayo's height difference (Yoriichi took the picture)

[kururu418]

Tales Of Mewni Yuyami Chapter 3: Bad Start

As the group make their way towards Yuyami, Lum fills them in on the situation and the threat behind it all. Their arrival takes a turn however as they're given an unexpected greeting.

[aeoki]

School Festival ☆ Tamayori’s Haunted Dollhouse - Epilogue

Location: Inside Haunted House Characters: Shinobu, Mika, Shuu, Sora, Natsume & Tsumugi

Shuu: …………

Shinobu: Eek…!?

Shuu: “My, I’m sorry for scaring you. Don’t worry, we’re not here to hurt you.”

“If you walk straight in that direction, you’ll find the exit. Oh, it’s dark so watch your step. Make sure you don’t drop her.”

Shinobu: O-Okay. The Transfer Student and I will shoulder the responsibility until we reach the exit!

Shuu: “Thank you. We scared and surprised you because it’s been such a while since we last saw a human, so we were a little giddy.”

“I hope you’ll forgive the others and their mischief.”

“Bye-bye~ We’ll be happy if you come visit us again…♪”

Tsumugi: Fufu. The child has recovered his smile.

Maybe it really was a good idea for Shuu-kun to talk to him through his ventriloquism. If he had talked to him in his normal speech, he would have scared the child again.

No, him simply standing there is already very impactful~ Shuu-kun is the one scaring and surprising the visitors the most.

The child just now was simply scared by his appearance.

Mika: Heheh. That’s ‘cause Oshi-san made that outfit ♪

Natsume: AnywAY, why are you heRE, Senpai?

It’s your and Sora-kun’s job to stand by the exit and surprise the visitors by saying, “You’ve finally reached the goal!”, isn’t iT?

We can’t have you straying from your plaCE. It’s going to be such a hassle, bUT we’re going to have to train you agaIN.

Tsumugi: Train…? I’m not a dog; I’m human. Well, I do feel like you don’t treat me as one at times, Natsume-kun.

Natsume: HmPH. You’re a “vengeful spirit” right nOW, Senpai. I don’t think I need to treat you like a human, dO I?

Tsumugi: Oh, you’re right! But that would be the same for you as well, right, Natsume-kun?

Natsume: …………

Tsumugi: Oh, I was just about to be hit by a Natsume-kun who got annoyed by what I said! Fufu, I’m glad I was able to defend myself in the spur of the moment~♪

Natsume: GeEZ, stop looking so hapPY. Anyway, answer my questiON.

Tsumugi: Oh, right. I heard a loud scream so I came to see what was going on.

But even so, I shouldn’t have left Sora-kun on his own like that. He must be feeling lonely again… I’ll go back to where he is.

Sora: HaHa~♪ Senpai, did you call for Sora?

Tsumugi: Gyaaa!?

Uuu, you scared me~! Umm, did you come all the way here? You must have done so because you felt lonely, I’m so sorry!

Sora: No, Sora saw a fun “colour”~ Sora came because Sora wanted to join in on the fun!

Sora felt kinda sad because there’s been a lot of scary “colours” today~ But there are fun “colours” too? Sora was confused!

Tsumugi: Ahaha. Seeing people scared and frightened is a successful sign of a haunted house, though. But that must have been quite sad for you, Sora-kun.

Sora: Yes! On second thought, fun “colours” are the prettiest! HiHi~♪

Ehehe, everyone has a pretty “colour”! It shines like a rainbow and makes you happy when you look at “it”!

Mika: (...I see. If everyone has a happy “colour”, then that means that applies to Oshi-san too, right?)

(I’m happy to see that, but it feels like Oshi-san was only able to have fun thanks to “Switch’s” help this time…)

(I can’t help but feel a bit of regret as Oshi-san’s doll.)

(Right. It might be hard to do now, but someday, I’ll help Oshi-san stand on top of the stage he’s always dreamed of! I’ll cheer Oshi-san up!)

(I’ve gotta keep workin’ hard in order to do that. It’s okay, my efforts will be rewarded.)

(Well, in any case, I’ve gotta thank Nakkun and the others for invitin’ “Valkyrie” to take part in the “School Festival”.)

Nakkun, Tsumu-chan-senpai. Thanks for invitin’ “Valkyrie” to join you guys. Thanks to you, we got to have a fun “School Festival” ♪

Natsume: There is no need to thank uS. “Valkyrie” also helped us a lOT.

Thanks to you two, the haunted house was a huge succeSS. I hope you’ll continue doing a great job as the ghosTS.

Mika: Yeah! I’ll do my best with Oshi-san to scare the visitors.

We’ll make sure they’re headin’ out with a smile on their faces, of course. We’re not scarin’ them ‘cause we hate humans.

We actually love humans but we’re not honest and choose to be mean to them instead~♪

Shuu: …………

Mika: Ah, Oshi-san! Yer goin’ back to your spot? Wait for me~ I’ll go with you!

Tsumugi: Fufu. They’re mean because they can’t be honest, huh. That sounds like you, Natsume-kun.

Natsume: HuH? What do you mean by thAT?

Tsumugi: Natsume-kun, you’re always mean to me because you’re never honest, right? That’s why–

Gyaa!?

Don’t put the human soul so close to my eye! That’s dangerous~!

Natsume: It’s not real fire so it’s not dangeroUS. And I’m not mean to you because I’m not honeST.

It’s because you say unpleasant thinGS. I’m mean towards you because it annoys mE.

Tsumugi: Uuu, I’m sorry about that… But even so, I don’t think it’s right of you to be mean to me for that reason.

Sora: HuHu~♪ Master~ is mean to Senpai because it’s how he expresses love~♪ He likes you a lot so he’s mean to Senpai!

Natsume: HmPH. I put in a lot of effort for the haunted house becauSE “Valkyrie” and “2wink” are also a part of it and I didn’t want to leave it incompleTE.

The reason why the visitors can leave with a smile on their facES is because “Switch” are magicians who make everyone hapPY.

Sora: Yes! “Switch” will make both the visitors and ghosts happy! HeHe~♪

Tsumugi: That means you’ll also be making me happy, right? Thanks to you two, I’ve made a lot of fun memories of the “School Festival”.

I’m very happy~♪

Natsume: …RigHT. Whether you’re making nice memories or you’re happy or nOT has nothing to do with mE.

Come oN, it seems the next batch of visitors have arrived sO we should get to our placES.

The “School Festival” isn’t over yET. It’s only just started, sO we’ll make sure they’ll have such a fun time, they’ll want to say, “No more”...♪

← Previous Chapter

[yatagarasuhonyaku]

I'm glad people are enjoying it so far! Those are wonderful news as far as I'm concerned.

It's truly shocking what the difference in mediums can do, right? There are a lot of tiny-to-big differences in the first three novels, and I would love to one day cover it but, at this point, what realistically everyone wants is to know what comes next.

The next part is progressing nicely, so look forward to it!

The Raven of the Empty Coffin: Prologue

Disclaimer: This is a fan-translation japanese-english of the original novel. The events of this novel follow after what's already covered by the anime. For an easier understanding, I recommend first reading the few scenes of previous books I've already translated.

Blog version

⊛　　　　　⊛　　　　　 ⊛

As the outer(1) books say: you shall know of the unbending reed in a gale, learn of the perennial tree in the heavy frost, and observe the great mountain in the storm.

Understand the strength of the grass that will not bend when the gale blows, of the tree that will not yield even when the frost falls, of the mountain that will not collapse when the storm rages.

In a peaceful land, many are those whose loyalty is no more than empty words; and few are the ones who act to prove their fealty in times of upheaval. It is only in troubled times when those truly loyal first become apparent.

Hence, I shall concede this place the name of Unbending Reed Monastery, as it is to become the place of learning for those in possession of genuine loyalty.

“The Golden Raven(2) Bestowing Unbending Reed Monastery Its Name”, from “Chronicles of the Temples of Yamauchi”

Prologue

“Hey, have you heard? It sounds like an unbelievable ‘monster’ is joining us this year.”

The rumors first reached him in the morning, the very same day the new trainees were scheduled to arrive.

“What do you mean by ‘monster’?”

“As in someone strong?”

Faced with the questions of a skeptical breakfast-eating crowd, the rumormonger answered. “That much I can’t say, but he seems to be the son of a very distinguished family. He outranks everyone here at the Monastery for sure.”

Oh, no wonder then, was the immediate general consensus. Nobody around the haphazardly placed four-legged trays, filled with an assortment of food, seemed to question it any further.

“I was thinking that the people from the Center seemed weirdly nervous lately. So that was the reason, huh.”

“Well, if they mess things up, they're going to lose all their privileges to the newcomer.”

“Eh, not like they need to mess anything up for that, you know? There’s no way they’ll be able to push people around anymore, not like they did before at least.” After all, they didn't have any talent whatsoever beyond their social status. Assuming a student with a higher rank did actually arrive, it would force them into paying court to him instead. 

“Ridiculous,” Ichiryuu spat out in a low voice, in quite the contrast to his fellow students’ excitement. He had been listening with great interest at first, curious about this ‘unbelievable monster’, but in the end it was all complete rubbish. 

“What's wrong, Ichiryuu?” One of his friends, who had somehow heard him complain, turned to him and asked.

Ichiryuu made a show out of snorting.

“As far as we know, the only thing he has going for him is his rank. To call someone like that a ‘monster’? It makes me laugh. We are warriors,” he added, a frown on his face as he looked around the room, “no matter how high your birth, it means nothing if you lack the skill with a sword. We really should leave the ‘monster’ talk for when we see his performance at the dojo.”

The Unbending Reed Monastery, the institution Ichiryuu and the others belonged to, was the training facility for the Yamauchi Guard: the organization in charge of protecting the Imperial Family. 

The role of commanding the country and leading the Yatagarasu fell on the Golden Raven, who took residence in Central Mountain and the Imperial Court built inside of it, and protecting the Mountain and its surroundings from any harm was the job of the Feathered Grove Heavenly Hosts(3).

Meanwhile, the Yamauchi Guard’s one and only job was to keep the Imperial Family—the Golden Raven's relatives—safe. Furthermore, while the Feathered Grove had a Great General at the top, the Yamauchi Guard only took direct orders from the Imperial Family members they personally served.

The Guard was an elite organization; its warriors’ skill was leagues above the rest. As the position did of course come with matching privileges, it was stipulated that all members had to overcome the harsh training of the Unbending Reed Monastery. Your social status did not matter, only talent was required— at least in theory. A long time had passed since the last time that had actually been true.

Ichiryuu's words were born out of frustration towards his fellow trainees’ obsession with bloodlines. The other trainees, however, looked at him as if he had just grown three heads.

“What’s up with him? Did he eat something bad from the ground?”

“No, no, you got it wrong. He wants to be the cool senior, you see, so he's putting on airs already.”

“Just let him be,” people concluded in whispers, just loud enough for Ichiryuu to hear it all.

“You little—” Ichiryuu moved as if to stand up, but he was cut short by the rumormonger, who had just raised both his arms.

“Now, now, calm down, Ichiryuu. I wouldn't call someone a monster either just because they have high status. I have another good reason,” he said with a knowing smile. “Apparently, this newcomer was Wakamiya's close aide before this.”

“Wakamiya's close aide!?”

“Wait, is that true?”

“Now that's amazing!”

The trainees, their eyes wide open, started a ruckus. Wakamiya was the title of the Crown Prince, referring to the man that would one day shoulder all of Yamauchi. To be his close aide was a near guarantee to become one of the next Golven Raven's close advisers and hence seize power in the Imperial Court in the future. There was no mistaking it: this ‘monster' had one of the brightest futures possible for all Yatagarasu already promised to him.

“...... But, isn't that weird? He could have just joined the Imperial Court directly, why bother to come to the Monastery of all places?” someone said, skeptical.

Ichiryuu found himself frowning. As the Imperial Court stood at the moment, the On'i System was there to guarantee a rank fitting to their birthright for any noble. If Wakamiya had grown fond of someone with a low enough status then, yes, it would make some sense to send him to the Monastery so he could get a promotion through official means. However, this rumored ‘monster’ was supposed to be from the high nobility.

“Apparently, His Highness said that using the On'i System would be a waste of his talents, or something like that.”

“Really? It’s not like there’s any guarantee he'll even manage to graduate from the Monastery.”

The trainees, who knew better than anyone how brutal training at the Unbending Reed Monastery was, all exchanged glances at once.

“Well, there’s no way for us to know right now. No matter how talented they say he is, that's just by the standards of a Central Noble, am I wrong?”

“But, if the rumors are true and he has both the physical strength and the status, then that's truly a total monster.”

“Whatever, we should be fine as long as he isn't some snotty ass brat.”

While Ichiryuu's fellow trainees were all busy discussing the news animatedly, he stayed silent, too busy ruminating on the information he had just been given. The young son of an important noble family, and Wakamiya's close aide. He could have been given a high rank at the Court with no effort whatsoever, yet he still chose to come to Unbending Reed Monastery. Plus, he was young enough to join in the first place.

With a soft thump, the face of a certain boy came to mind.

——No. It couldn't be him, right?

After a moment, Ichiryuu shook his head. It was impossible. He made a point to take that image, that devious smile hiding under an airheaded facade, off his mind. After all, that guy had said so, hadn't he? That there was no way he was attending the Monastery, that he had no plans to enter the Imperial Court. It was the exact reason Ichiryuu had chosen to become a trainee.

As if to shake off the terrible feeling that had just overcome him, Ichiryuu scarfed down the white rice that remained in his bowl.

After breakfast, his entire group went to the dojo. Spring Break was yet to end, so morning training wasn't mandatory. And so, after a few light drills between those who had come on their own, they all set off to the nearby watering hole to clean off their sweat.

Then, at that precise moment—

“Hey, a newcomer has already arrived!” A fellow trainee, who had gone slightly ahead of the rest, called to them. Ichiryuu's group raised their voices in excitement.

“He sure is fast.”

“Is he truly a newcomer?”

“Most likely yes, and he's coming by flying carriage.”

A mode of transportation only available to the high nobility, it was kept in the air by huge horses. This had to be it. The so-called ‘monster’ that had everyone talking in the morning. Upon this realization, the group started to rush over there. Ichiryuu was in less of a hurry, still incapable of shaking off that bad feeling about the ‘monster'. His steps were heavy as he took his time with each one.

By the time he, the very last one to arrive, finally caught up with the rest, his friends were all crammed behind the azalea bushes, getting a look at their junior.

“I see. He arrived early to move all his furniture.”

“Look at that, he’s bringing so much luggage. I only brought a wrapping cloth worth of stuff with me.”

“And look where he's going too, isn't that the newest dormitory room?”

“The instructors must have gone out of their way to keep him happy.”

As his friends kept on with the half-mocking, half-joking remarks, Ichiryuu was busy thinking. As far as he knew, the person he thought of as the potential ‘monster’ was not the kind to enjoy luxury. Yet, still with fear in his heart, Ichiryuu took a look over the others’ shoulders at the teenager in question.

He first saw his back, his shoulder raised all high and mighty under the cherry blossoms in full bloom. His outfit shined impressively under the sunlight: it was a deep red, covered in white embroidery.

The servants kept on carrying his luggage, but the boy didn't move: he simply stood there imposingly. Instead, he gave them instructions with his folding fan, dyed into a light purple gradient with gold leaf speckles all over. His hair was a glossy reddish brown and neatly brushed.

The boy then turned around to talk with the servants, and Ichiryuu finally caught sight of his face. He was handsome, more than anyone he had ever seen before. His skin was the color of newly blossomed white peonies under dusk, his big eyes shone like reflections on a pond, and his face was soft like that of a woman. The boy was not only beautiful, but also had clear charisma. He was the kind that drew people in naturally, overflowing with pride and confidence.

If one of those poets from the Court had been here, his beauty would have called for a poem or two.

Not like any of that mattered to Ichiryuu, who was too busy experiencing relief. The so-called ‘close aide’ standing there wasn't that guy. Thank goodness, it wasn't him! The second he realized, his mood immediately lifted as if it had never dropped in the first place. 

“What a face.”

“Well, nobles only take beauties as concubines, you see.”

“Dammit, wouldn’t it be nice if he fell on his face or something.”

Meanwhile, his friends were still watching the boy and whispering to each other. In stark contrast to them, however, Ichiryuu left the place behind with the lightest of hearts.

Once he had cleaned himself, Ichiryuu went on to his newly assigned dormitory room in the second building, tenth room. It would be his castle for the following year.

The trainees at Unbending Reed Monastery had to overcome three trials, one per year, through their education there. There was a proverb preserved in ancient documents that said as such: ‘you shall know of the unbending reed in a gale, learn of the perennial tree in the heavy frost, and observe the great mountain in the storm.’

It’s when the gales blow that the sturdy grass proves itself. The trees too prove their resilience by surviving the harsh frost, and so it's in times of genuine struggle that the truly strong become clear. The monastery based its trials on it, and thus they were referred to as the Trial of Gale, the Trial of Frost, and the Trial of Storm.

During their first year, trainees were referred to as Seeds(4), as they still had yet to even germinate. It was once they passed the Trial of Gale at the end of the year that they transitioned to Saplings. The Trial of Frost awaited them a year later, and those who managed to pass it would reach their last year and become Evergreens.

Although plenty of seeds sprout, few get to become fully grown trees. In this manner, very few trainees ever became Evergreens. On top of that, those Evergreens also had to overcome the harshest of the tests, the Trial of Storm, and get good enough results to even qualify for the Yamauchi Guard.

Of the three trainee categories, only Evergreens had their own individual rooms. Seeds and Saplings had to share one single tiny room in groups of three. In most cases, this meant one Sapling and two Seeds, with the Sapling in charge of the room, overseeing his juniors, and mentoring them about the fundamentals of life at the Monastery.

For the Seeds, this was a massive problem.

About half of the Seeds resigned every year without ever becoming Saplings and, while a part of the reason was the brutality of the Trial of Gale, social dynamics were often the actual cause. Ichiryuu considered himself fortunate in that regard, but even he struggled with it. To become a Sapling and not have to worry about the seniors’ mood had been a relief, and he was also looking forward to having juniors.

Being told he was ‘playing up the cool senior’ may have pissed him off, but thinking about it, there was some truth to it. Very soon, it would be time for his juniors to arrive in their shared room.

His nerves were fried, but in an attempt to look a bit more imposing to the newcomers, he chose to sit behind the desk at the back of the room. Finally, the surroundings became more lively, and he soon started to hear the rumble of anxiously chattering boys from the nearby rooms. Just as he was thinking about it, he sensed someone standing in front of the door.

“Excuse me, but is the senior of the tenth room already in the room?” someone said with a clear and booming voice. It was as if he had come to ask for a duel instead.

That caught Ichiryuu by surprise. He had expected a shaky, timid voice at the other side.

“Come in.” 

“Excuse me then,” the voice answered as soon as he gave permission.

And, at the same time, the door opened with a loud thud. On the other side, there was an oonyuudou(5)-like giant, barely even fitting within the door's frame. He paid no mind to a dumbfounded Ichiryuu and immediately attempted to enter the room, proceeding to slam his head against the lintel. The giant stood there wincing in pain for a second, but his expression quickly shifted to a shy smile as he knelt in front of Ichiryuu.

“It's an honor to meet you. My name is Shigemaru, and I'll be under your care here in the tenth room.”

Despite Shigemaru's flawless politeness, he was so big Ichiryuu still found himself looking up. He had healthy tanned skin, and his thick unkempt eyebrows looked like massive caterpillars. His imposing face was somehow countered by a round button nose and jet black eyes, which gave him a very gentle aura instead. He looked like a bear that had everything intimidating taken away from him and was, indeed, a perfectly pleasing young man.

“...... How old are you exactly?”

“Ah, I'll be 18 in two months.”

“Eight… teen.”

To enter the Unbending Reed Monastery, and to become a trainee, you had to be between 15 and 17 years old when joining. For the most part, the children of nobility joined as soon as they reached the minimum age possible, as if they had been waiting for the chance to do so. Those who joined at 17 were nearly always commoners.

Ichiryuu was the son of rural aristocracy so, like most others, he became a Seed at 15. Which put him in a strange situation: he was a senior to an older, much bigger junior. And, just like that, his initial dream of being the confident and dependable mentor to a nervous youth was utterly shattered.

Shigemaru was at least very polite and respectful, a small blessing, but, how to put it… he had something different in mind, something more innocent and pure.

“Ah, well, yes. I'm Ichiryuu, a Sapling. We'll be sharing a room this year, it's nice to meet you,” Ichiryuu said in a panic. He had completely forgotten to introduce himself until just then.

“Ah, yes, I know that much,” Shigemaru replied with a carefree smile, “I'm from Shimaki Township(6), you see. Rumors about the third son of our Lord have reached me before. You have become such a wonderful young man. As one of your subjects, I'm filled with pride.”

So he was from his homeland, which made things even harder for him.

As Ichiryuu was struggling to find a good answer, Shigemaru suddenly turned around to look at something behind him.

“You know him too, don't you?”

It was then that Ichiryuu finally realized the other newcomer was already there too, hidden behind Shigemaru's massive frame. He seemed to be quite tiny. Ichiryuu proceeded to try to fix his pose in a desperate attempt to look imposing, at least for this other one. That’s when he realized.

“Yes, of course.”

——That voice sounded terribly familiar for some reason.

“Of course we know each other, Ichiryuu and I are what one could even call childhood friends. Although, it may be impossible to treat him like before, now that he is our senior. I'm still glad I get to share a room with someone I can trust,” the boy said with a carefree laugh.

Just like that, as soon as he heard his voice, those memories—that he couldn’t forget despite himself—came back to haunt him. The pain ruthlessly inflicted onto him, the endless verbal abuse he went through. And, at the same time, an unflinching smile as if painted on his face and the shrill of that crazed laugh.

All of a sudden, the source of his nightmares leaned out of Shigemaru’s shadow.

His brown, soft-looking hair was held up in a ponytail. His face was quite nondescript, with nothing that truly struck one as characteristic. He looked completely harmless, but those terrifying, cunning eyes betrayed his true nature.

“Long time no see, Ichiryuu. Let me introduce myself again, I am Yukiya of Taruhi. Let’s get along from now on too,” the boy said with a bright smile on his lips.

Ichiryuu screamed in horror.

---------------------

1: The original term for Outer Books is 外書, which originally refers to ‘foreign books’ or non-buddhist books. Within the context of the setting and given similar terms used elsewhere, this refers to books written by humans outside Yamauchi.

2: After some consideration and for the sake of narrative clarity later on, all the Raven titles will be fully translated from now on. Those already introduced at this point in the novels are the Golden Raven (Emperor, Kin’u), Scarlet Raven (Empress, Seki’u) and White Raven (Head Priest, Haku’u).

3: The Feathered Grove Heavenly Hosts (羽林天軍, read Urin Tengun) are very briefly referred to in The Golden Raven. They’re the Center Army and don’t concern themselves with imperial matters. Their General is always the Northern Lord, so they’re at present controlled by Yukiya’s grandfather: he is the one to send them out in reconnaissance during the Monkeys’ attack.

4: The original terms for Seed, Sapling and Evergreen are as follows: 荳児, using the kanji for bean and child; 草牙, grass and fang (it itself being one radical away from 芽, meaning bud); and 貞木, which is a word to refer to evergreen trees.

5: Oonyuudou are youkai from Japanese folklore, traditionally giants who look like buddhist monks. Given the setting, they may as well truly exist.

6: After much consideration, I’ve switched the term Village as the anime uses it with Township. Townships (郷) in Yamauchi are provinces within a specific Region. Every Region is divided into a total of three Townships, and the Township Lord governs and controls all villages within their territory. The Townships in the North are Shimaki, Taruhi and Shigure.

[yoga-onion]

Legends of the humanoids

Reptilian humanoids (12)

Toyotama-hime – Wani (Dragon) Goddess disguised as a human

Wani was a dragon or sea monster in Japanese mythology. Wani is discribed as "crocodile", or sometimes "shark".

Toyotamahime (See) is a goddess in Japanese mythology. Daughter of the sea god Watatsumi, she was said to reside in a dragon palace. Their palace was as if made from fish scales and supposedly lies undersea. Her true form was “Yahiro no Owani (meaning giant crocodile, approx. 24 m long)”, and she was the wife of Hoori (See2), is known as the epitome of human–animal marriage tales. She was the mother of Ugayafukiaezu-no-Mikoto (See3), father of Emperor Jinmu (the first Emperor: See4), and sister of Tamayori-hime (See5), the Emperor's mother.

Toyotamahime makes a fateful meeting with the demigod prince, Yamasachi, also known as Hoori ("Fire-Subside"). They married and lived happily in the dragon palace. 3 years later, she and her husband Hoori, who missed home, went ashore to give birth.

She then warned her husband, "All people from other parts of the world give birth in the form of their native country when giving birth. So I will give birth to a child in my true form”, and requested Hoori not watch how she gives birth. Hoori, however, was pazzled and peered in on his wife as she was giving birth, and saw her crawling around as a giant crocodile of about 24 metres (79 ft) long. He then startled in shock and retreated. Toyatama-hime learnt that being witnessed her true form by her husband, "I have always intended to pass through the path of the sea," she said, "but I am ashamed that you should have observed my true form.” She blocked the sea path, leaving the child behind and left.

伝説のヒューマノイドたち

ヒト型爬虫類 (12)

トヨタマヒメ 〜人間に変身する和邇 (龍) の女神

和邇は、日本神話に登場する龍または海の怪物のことである。和邇は「ワニ」、ときには「サメ」と表現されることもある。 

トヨタマヒメ（参照）は、日本神話の女神である。海神ワタツミの娘で、竜宮城に住んでいると言われている。その宮殿は魚の鱗でできたようなもので、海中にあるとされる。その正体は「八尋の大和邇（やひろのおおわに: 体長約24mの巨大な鰐の意）」で、ホオリ（参照2）の妻であったことから、異類婚姻譚の典型として知られる。神武天皇（初代天皇: 参照4）の父である鵜葺草葺不合尊（うがやふきあえずのみこと: 参照3）の母であり、天皇の母である玉依姫（たまよりひめ: 参照5）の姉である。

トヨタマヒメは、半神の王子ヤマサチ、通称ホオリと運命的な出会いを果たす。二人は結婚し、竜宮城で幸せに暮らしたが、3年後、故郷が恋しくなった夫のホオリとともに出産のために陸に上がった。

その時、トヨタマヒメは夫に「すべて他国の者��子を産む時になれば、その本国の形になつて産むのです。それでわたくしももとの身になつて産もうと思いますが、わたくしを御覽遊ばしますな」と忠告した。ところが夫のホオリはその言葉を不思議に思い、妻が今盛んに出産している最中に覗いてみると、八丈 (約24m) もある長い鰐になって這いずり回っていた。そしてホオリは畏れ驚き退いた。しかるにトヨタマヒメは夫が窺見した事を知り、御子を産み置いて去った。「わたくしは常に海の道を通つて通おうと思っておりましたが、わたくしの形を覗いて御覽になつたのは恥かしいことです」と言い、海の道をふさいで帰ってしまった。

[englishotomegames]

Meiji Tokyo Renka Full Moon (明治東亰恋伽 Full Moon)

Release dates (Steam, Nintendo Switch) Japanese (Original PSP version): September 26th, 2013 English: October 3rd, 2024

"The main character, Mei Ayatsuki, an ordinary high-school girl, is transported back in time to the Meiji era by the self-proclaimed magician Charlie, whom she meets on the night of a red full moon. It was a slightly mysterious Meiji period “Tokyo” where the existence of Mononoke was recognized.

With Charlie’s guidance, she arrived at the Rokumeikan. The protagonist sneaks into the party and is met by historical figures such as Ougai Mori, Syunso Hishida, Otojiro Kawakami, Kyoka Izumi, Gori Fujita, Yakumo Koizumi, and Tosuke Iwasaki.

Through her interaction with them, the protagonist realizes that she is a “Tamayori” and has a highly prized ability in the Meiji period that allows her to see Mononoke. Having ability changes her relationship with them....

In this unfamiliar time, love affairs grow as she comes into contact with good-looking men during her daily life. Will the protagonist be able to return to her original time or...? Does love transcend time and space: ...... How does it end?"

This is an otome game originally released in 2013, now released in English for the first time by Dramatic Create! You can buy it for the Nintendo Switch here, or on Steam here.