#The Detective-Student Osaka

[juridical-angel-blog]

Special Poster Anime ''Detective Conan - The Detective Students_Shinichi Kudo & Heiji Hattori''!

[winterfieldfrontiers]

Conan the Movie 27: The Million Dollar Signpost (First synopsis)

Hakodate, Hokkaido, known in Japan as "The million dollar night view city"

Phantom Thief Kid traveling here. to steal a mysterious treasure. But the obstacles that stand in his way are Conan and Hattori. Hattori who came for the purpose of confession to his childhood crush, Kazuha. Hattori is still angry that Kid thwarted his plan to give Kazuha a kiss. still waiting for time to payback (Based on Kid vs. Komei: The Targeted Lips)

Mouri Ran also expects Heiji to confess his love to Kazuha. But the obstacle that stands in their way is Ooka Momiji, a high school student who still hopes to win Heiji's heart after failing in the Osaka competition last time. (Based on the movie 21 The Crimson Love Letter)

Momiji took Muga Iori, a personal butler who used to work for the PSB. Same organization as Amuro and Scotch and saved her life when she was a kid. Including Shinichi's unfailing heart rival, Okita Soshi, who seems to be interested in Ran (Based on The Scarlet School Trip)

Okita Soshi's still hopes to get new match challenge with Heiji after helping solve the mystery and not being able to compete in kendo tournament, last time (Based on The Kendo Tournament of Love and Mystery, which is the first episode where Momiji first appeared before Movie 21)

Snow and blowing snow, dangerous cold settles in, but the worst is coming!!! Mysterious things have happened in the five-point fort "Goryokaku", the tomb of the legendary Shinsengumi.

Kid doesn't just have to deal with Heiji. But he still challenges Conan to solve the mystery.

With lives at stake!!

Heiji vs. Kid Thief

Conan vs. Okita

Ran and Kazuha vs Momiji and Iori

A hidden mystery that comes with a precious hidden love. Than the treasure was begin In this famous port city worth 1 millions dollars, Hakodate.

A work celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Detective Conan manga!!!!

Written by Takahiro Okura, who has made famous odd-numbered films (21, 23, 25) together with Tomoka Nakaoka, making history for female directors once again since movies 23: The Fist Of Blue Sapphire, featuring Yugo Kanno, composer of the best soundtrack from the previous two Detective Conan Movies.

Conan the Movie 27: 1 Million Dollar Signpost

Release in Japan on April 12, 2024.

[battlestory]

How “Battle Royale” Took Over Video Games

With a simple, ingenious formula, a Japanese novel has inspired some of the most successful games in history. By Simon Parkin

In the mid-nineteen-nineties, Koushun Takami was dozing on his futon on the island of Shikoku, Japan, when he was visited by an apparition: a maniacal schoolteacher addressing a group of students. “All right, class, listen up,” Takami heard the teacher say. “Today, I’m going to have you all kill each other.” Takami was in his twenties, and he had recently quit his job as a reporter for a local newspaper to become a novelist. As a literature student at Osaka University, he had started and abandoned several horror-infused detective stories. But the well had long since run dry; he had left his job with neither a plan nor a plot in mind. The visitation wasn’t a haunting; it was an epiphany.

In the novel that followed, an instructor sends forty-two junior high schoolers to a deserted island. The kids awaken to find explosive collars secured around their necks. They’re ordered to collect a backpack containing a map and a random weapon: a gun or an icepick, if they’re lucky, a paper fan or a shamisen banjo if they’re not. The students must compete to become the last person standing. The winner will leave the island with a lifetime pension; if there is more than one survivor, the collars will detonate. Some of the students choose suicide over submission. Most, eventually, comply and fight.

Takami was a fan of professional wrestling. He particularly enjoyed matches that involved wrestlers who made fleeting, mutually beneficial alliances, a style traditionally known as battle royal. There could be only one winner in a battle royal, so pacts were inevitably broken, lending each match a wary frisson. Takami saw a similar dynamic in adolescence, when friendships were easily formed and revoked. Forcing a group of classmates to destroy one another was provocative, but also strangely relatable. When he told a friend that he planned to call the book “Battle Royal,” his friend, confusing the term with a coffee drink, café royale, replied, “You mean ‘Battle Royale’?”

The novel proved controversial. In 1997, the judges of a Japanese writing prize passed on the manuscript, because it was too reminiscent of a recent murder, in Kobe, in which a fourteen-year-old boy impaled the head of another student on the gates of a school. But, in 1999, Ohta Publishing, a company known for provocative titles (it later published the memoir of the Kobe killer), released the book. It became an international best-seller; Stephen King named it to his summer reading list. In 2000, “Battle Royale” became a hit movie, starring Takeshi Kitano as the schoolteacher. Quentin Tarantino later called it one of his favorite films of all time.

Takami’s premise was well suited to video-game adaptation. The rules were clearly defined, the setting neatly contained, and competitive violence had been one of the medium’s primary currencies since the nineteen-sixties. Video-game technology, however, wasn’t quite up to par. In the early two-thousands, very few computers could simulate, in 3-D, the behavior of dozens of characters doing battle across an island, and very few Internet providers could calculate whether a banjo hurled by, say, Bob, in Kansas, would strike the head of Sven, in Stockholm.

Soon, though, such games would be more than possible: they would transform the industry. In 2020, Warzone, the Call of Duty series’ take on “Battle Royale,” attracted more than a hundred million active players, generating revenues of about three billion. The same year, Epic Games reported that Fortnite, its candy-colored, kid-friendly spin on “Battle Royale,” had three hundred and fifty million accounts—more than the population of the United States. (A recent lawsuit revealed that, when Fortnite was available on Apple devices, the game generated an estimated seven hundred million in App Store revenue.) Today, countless games, along with hit TV shows such as “Squid Game,” bear the stamp of “Battle Royale” ’s influence. Takami’s blueprint, drawn from a dream, has become one of the dominant paradigms in entertainment.

The story of that rise might begin in 2013, in Brazil, where Brendan Greene, an Irish Web designer, was living while saving up for a plane ticket home, following a divorce. Greene, who is assiduously private (his online moniker is PlayerUnknown), grew up on the Curragh Camp, an army training center in County Kildare, where his father served. He and his brothers played on the family’s Atari 2600 console “until it fell apart,” he told me, but he later fell out of love with games, which he felt were becoming too scripted—more like movies than the tests of skill and cunning he enjoyed. In Brazil, Greene was browsing Reddit when he read about DayZ, a punishing, survival-based video game that appealed to his desire for challenge. It was the first game he bought in years, and he quickly became obsessed.

DayZ was a mod, a new game built from the parts of an old one—in this case, a military-combat simulator called Arma 2. Mods, which are usually made by amateur enthusiasts, can be arcane and scrappy, but the scene is a hotbed for experimentation. DayZ’s game play fascinated Greene, who, despite lacking technical expertise, began to make his own mods to the mod. He added a fortress in the middle of the map; players would enter empty-handed, scavenge for weapons, then fight to the death. Unlike most competitive video games at the time, in which characters respawned after dying, Greene’s mod radically gave each player a single life. When you were out, you were out.

The rules evoked “The Hunger Games,” a series of books that share a similar premise to “Battle Royale.” (The series’ author, Suzanne Collins, has insisted that she was unaware of Takami’s work when she wrote the books). One of Greene’s collaborators suggested the title “Hunger Gamez,” but Greene had worked long enough in marketing to know he was “going to get sued if we did that,” he told me. While studying fine art in Dublin, Greene had watched “Battle Royale.” Recalling the film’s poster, which showed two schoolchildren, one holding an axe, the other a shotgun, he mocked up an image that placed his game’s character in a similar pose, alongside the text “DayZ: Battle Royale.”

Greene drew further inspiration from the film. He replaced his game’s fortress with a barn, and arranged twenty-four backpacks at its far end, each containing a grenade, a pistol, a bandage, or a chainsaw. At the beginning of a match, which lasted ninety minutes, the players arrived at one end of the barn. “If you were smart, you didn’t give a fuck about the backpacks and you just ran,” Greene told me. “But new players would rush forward. Someone would get the gun. Then everyone would be screaming.”

In Takami’s novel, portions of the island become off limits at regular intervals, forcing the classmates into smaller spaces. Greene wanted a similar way to narrow the field. Dividing the island into squares was beyond his programming ability, so he placed a tightening circle onto the map; if a player wandered outside it, their character would quickly expire. Each match now enjoyed a natural, exhilarating crescendo.

DayZ: Battle Royale went online in September, 2013. The game used six servers, which Greene managed by hand; he stayed awake for forty-eight hours at a time, acting as a virtual bouncer, allowing new players in and locking the room when it was full. An obscure nook of the Web became a coveted hangout. “People were waiting for hours, even days, to get in,” he recalled. Saqib Ali Zahid, a popular American video-game streamer known as Lirik, was an early player. “He kept coming back for one more game,” Greene said. “A guy of discerning taste like that . . . I was onto something.”

Greene’s mod soon caught the attention of industry professionals. On Twitter, he received a message from John Smedley, the then president of Sony Online Entertainment, who invited him to San Diego to design a battle-royale mode for H1Z1, a game in development. “Here was an opportunity to get my game in front of a global audience,” Greene told me. He joined as a consultant, but left after finding that the H1Z1 team had simplified his vision. Several other companies had become interested in making battle-royale games, and Greene worried that his idea was being wrested from his control. “I was, like, ‘Hello?’ ” he said.

In 2016, Greene received an e-mail from Changhan Kim, a game developer from South Korea, offering him the chance to make a battle royale to his specifications. That March, the day before his fortieth birthday, Greene immigrated to South Korea, and a year later his team released PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or pubg. pubg was based closely on Greene’s original mod, with a few elegant adjustments: a hundred players would now enter the map by jumping from a plane, allowing each to choose whether to head toward a popular area, for immediate tussling, or toward a more remote spot, to scavenge. The game was an immediate blockbuster, earning eleven million dollars in three days. In 2018, it passed a billion in sales.

To read or watch a battle royale is an intense experience. But to participate in one involves a different tier of exhilaration, which flings one between states of anguish and euphoria. The sense of being at once hunter and prey feels primal. The first time I played pubg, I forced my character to crouch in his underpants in a bush, hypervigilant for the sound of approaching footsteps. Eventually, having secured a shotgun and a few improving attachments, I trembled my way to the top of a hill, where I lay nauseous with adrenaline. After a while, another player stepped on my character. A brisk fusillade later, I was out.

“Often, in multiplayer games, you’re just running around, racking up points,” Frank Lantz, the founding director of the New York University Game Center, told me. “That works well, but it has a samey intensity, like a piece of music that starts out fast and stays fast. Battle royale has a built-in structure and dramatic arc.” In 2021, Lantz released a Scrabble-themed battle-royale game called Babble Royale, which he co-designed with his son. “In game design, you’re always looking for rules that interact in particularly interesting ways,” he told me. A battle royale’s steadily reducing map heightens a game’s intensity, and the fact that each player has a single life raises the stakes, making each victory unforgettable. “Every action matters,” the professional Call of Duty player Ben Perkin told me. “The closer you get to the end, the more invested you become on staying alive, for that rush of a win.”

Video games broadly fall into two categories: those which, like sports, emphasize competition, and those which, like films, emphasize storytelling. Battle royale is a rare harmonious combination, a mode that encourages both dynamic, dramatic vignettes and high-stakes rivalry. At Infinity Ward, the Los Angeles-based co-developer of the Call of Duty series, which has long established the template for online competitive shooting games, pubg was disruptive and divisive. “You could see it propagating through the office like wildfire,” Joe Cecot, the studio’s multiplayer-design director, said. “People were, like, ‘How do we make something like this? What would our twist on this be?’ ”

Introducing battle royale to a marquee series was a major risk. Call of Duty’s dominant mode had been Team Deathmatch, where two teams compete across small, carefully engineered environments, and where players can reënter the field a few moments after they’re eliminated. Battle royale, with its meandering combat and vast map, required a profound redesign. The team got to work on a new mode called Warzone, assigning six designers to build a large-scale environment using the game’s existing engine. (They loosely based the map on the Ukrainian city of Donetsk.) In order to introduce bullet drop-off over long distances, they rewrote the game’s ballistics system, and in the process realized that the series had sped up over the years, with characters running at about fifty miles per hour. In Warzone, this made it nearly impossible to hit a moving target at range. The animators installed a line of L.E.D. lights in the studio, which would trigger in sequence to show the speed at which characters ran; after attempting to race the lights, they reduced the top speed by twenty per cent, causing some on the team to balk. “One designer said to me, ‘Congratulations, you have ruined this game,’ ” Infinity Ward’s studio head, Patrick Kelly, told me.

The team also played with the established template. “We felt that battle royale was a bit too punishing,” Kelly said. “The fact you can randomly get shot in the head encourages players to hide until the herd is culled. That brutality promotes conservatism over action.” Inspired by a popular in-house mode, Kelly suggested that they introduce a kind of purgatory: eliminated players would be sent to a “gulag,” where they would take part in a one-on-one match against another loser, with the victor returning to action. This, too, was contentious. “We heard, ‘This is not battle royale—this is terrible,’ ” Kelly said.

The anxiety that Warzone would ruin the Call of Duty franchise was intense. One afternoon, Kelly was so preoccupied while driving home from the office that he ran into a stop sign, crashing his car. But when Warzone launched, in March, 2020, it became an immediate success, with more than six million downloads in twenty-four hours. “It was a transcendent moment,” Joel Emslie, the studio’s art director, told me. “It completely reënergized the franchise. Now the sky is the limit.”

One of battle royale’s virtues is its legibility: any onlooker can understand what’s happening, which is often not true with video games. On YouTube, the channel TopWARZONEMoments posts a daily twenty-minute-long highlight reel showing skilled or amusing moments of play. Within hours, each video attracts tens of thousands of views.

In the past, this straightforward voyeurism has occasionally been paired with political critique. Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” begins with a battle royale: a group of young Black men are blindfolded, then forced to fight in a basement for the amusement of drunk, wealthy white professionals. Even Takami’s book, though less overtly symbolic, uses the game to question the status quo. The novel takes place in a world where Japan won the Second World War, emerged as a Fascist power, and brutally suppressed any rebels; the battle royale is a military program meant to seed fear in the country’s youth. But Takami also targets the lure of conformity. His mother lived through the Second World War, and she told him that, though many citizens opposed Japan’s involvement, they feared the danger of protesting. “Even if a rule is clearly ridiculous, nobody will speak out against it,” he wrote later. In the novel, most of the students acquiesce to the game’s rules.

In the video-game medium, where players prize novelty—and, typically, not social commentary—the key to battle royale’s future may lie not in tweaking its rules but in deepening its story. In November, Activision released Warzone 2.0, which introduces some new mechanics. There’s now more than one safe circle, so players are herded into pockets of refuge, and it’s possible to interrogate downed opponents, making them reveal the position of their teammates. These embellishments add subtle points of difference, but it’s unlikely that they’ll energize the form. “Battle royale will now always be a part of the tool kit, in the same way that we’re never not going to have the fifty-two-card deck,” Lantz said. “But there’s not a lot of people making new games for the fifty-two-card deck. When a thirteen-year-old hears that there’s a new battle-royale game coming out today, it’s already a little bit boring. Like, you know, boomer stuff.”

[rivalsforlife]

Upcoming Takarazuka/Great Ace Attorney Musical

Takarazuka Revue, a long-standing all-female theater troupe in Japan, was the first to do an adaptation of Ace Attorney in 2009, with their two musicals Ace Attorney: The Truth Reborn (a musical loosely based on Rise from the Ashes) and Ace Attorney 2: The Truth Reborn Again (a musical loosely based on Farewell my Turnabout). This was followed in 2013 by a Miles Edgeworth-centric musical involving time travel.

Now, ten years since Takarazuka’s last attempt to bring Ace Attorney to musical life, they’re returning with a fourth musical (link goes to official Capcom announcement in Japanese), this time based off of the Great Ace Attorney games.

Like the previous three musicals, this will be performed by Takarazuka’s Cosmos Troupe. It will also be directed by Suzuki Kei, who directed the other three Ace Attorney musicals. According to the official Takarazuka page, as of right now, they plan two runs in July and August 2023:

July 19th - July 26th 2023 at the Umeda Arts Theater in Osaka, Japan

August 1st - August 8th 2023 at the KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater in Yokohama, Japan

So far, cast lists have not been announced, except that the actress Rukaze Hikaru will be playing the lead role of Ryunosuke Naruhodo, and judging by the synopsis, Susato Mikotoba and Herlock Sholmes will also be present.

A (google translated) synopsis from the Takarazuka page (with minor modifications + square bracket notes for clarity):

A stage adaptation of the blockbuster "Great Gyakuten Saiban" [Great Ace Attorney] featuring Ryunosuke Naruhodo, the ancestor of Ryuichi Naruhodo [Phoenix Wright]! Set in a courtroom, the game "Gyakuten Saiban" is a popular series that has sold more than 9.8 million copies in total. The unique characters and intricately crafted storylines have garnered tremendous support, and have been mixed in media such as movies and TV animations, not limited to games. In the Takarazuka Revue, after its first performance in Sora [Cosmos] Troupe in 2009, "Ace Attorney 2" was performed in the same year, and "Ace Attorney 3" was performed in 2013, both of which were very popular works. Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a college student who aspires to become a lawyer, goes from the Empire of Japan in the Meiji era to study abroad in the British Empire with the World Exposition just around the corner, in order to learn about the latest judicial system. Ryunosuke, who is involved in one difficult case after another, stands up for his client with judicial assistant Susato, but the great detective of the century, Sherlock Holmes, appears... From the famous line "There is an objection!"

From this synopsis, there is little information on what specific cases may be loosely adapted, or what other similarities the musical may share with the games. 

To clarify for English-speaking AA fans, as I understand it, Takarazuka does not translate their plays, so any fans who are interested will have to either wait for fan subtitles or find a way to watch a recording (possibly dvd release, if they’ll do that for this one) without them.

I’ll try to update this post as new information is released. Please let me know if there is anything that I missed or is incorrect that you would like me to add.

[elfchensdcartblog]

Special Summer Vacation (3)

For the HeiZuhaWeek on @heizuhaevents Day 3!

Part 1 Part 2

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The sun was high in the sky and the beach was crowded with people longing to cool off. So were the two high school students from Osaka, who entered the beach in swim wear. "Heh, we should’ve been here significantly earlier." Heiji surveyed the crowd and strained to find a free spot for their blanket and parasol, both of which he carried under his arm. "Just ‘cause a certain gentleman at the station had ta solve another case!" "I can't help if it literally falls at my feet! Am I supposed to climb over the corpse as if I can't see it?" "Of course not…yet that's why we missed the train!" With a quick sideways glance at his best friend, Heiji went ahead to a free spot he had spotted before it could be occupied again. Finally they could spread out the blanket and set up the umbrella for a little shade.

It didn't look like a relaxing day at the beach with all the noise, but they didn't want to let it spoil their mood and plunged straight into the waves to cool off. In the cool water, the uncomfortable heat was then quickly forgotten and a water battle in the waves ensued between them. At some point, the many other people who populated the beach were forgotten and they simply enjoyed the time together and in the water.

Back on the beach, Heiji put a towel around his shoulders and Kazuha dried off, then put on a thin jacket that protected her skin from the sun. "Do ya want to go get some ice cream? I saw they have soft ice cream over there." Kazuha pointed in the direction of the beach bar and Heiji followed her pointing with his gaze. "Doesn't sound wrong." But no sooner had they turned toward the beach bar than a scream could be heard in the other direction. Kazuha could almost guess what that meant when she saw Heiji's head jerk directly in that direction. It disappointed her a little, but she also knew that somehow he couldn't help it. "I'll go ahead and get the ice cream," she then announced and went ahead. She didn't look back at Heiji, but she knew that he would ponder for a moment at most before investigating the matter of the scream. But there might be a human life in danger, so she just let him do it while she got in line at the bar - which wasn't exactly short given the amount of people on the beach. She suspected that she would either stand here until he was done, or go meet him with the ice cream then.

But when it was finally her turn and she returned to the beach with the ice cream…. she could not discover him anywhere. Kazuha looked around searchingly, two waffle cones with soft ice cream crowns in her hand. But neither could she see a crowd of people about a possible murder case or something similar, nor her best friend. Somewhat thoughtfully, she took a bite from the ice cream in her right hand. Then she went first to her place with the blanket and the parasol. But there was no sign of him there either. She looked around in all directions to see if he might have come running back to their place somewhere, then she went in the direction from which the scream had come before. Of course, she could have just waited on the blanket, but possibly the ice would have melted until Mister Detective showed himself.

She walked for a while through the crowd of people on the beach, but neither did she see anything near a possible crime scene, nor was anyone talking about such an incident. And the further she walked across the beach and turned back to look again in the other direction, the more uncertain she became. Did he have his cell phone with him? Probably just as little as she just did. It was hard to take it with you in your bathing suit. Maybe she should go to the locker where she had left her cell phone? But what good would it do her if he didn't have his? At most, if she was lucky and he had the same idea. Kazuha thoughtfully ate the rest of her ice cream before it completely melted. Then she also began to eat the meager bit of ice cream in her other hand. Almost defiantly. What an idiot. Why hadn't he gone straight to the beach bar when he was done - with whatever he was doing now?

Frustrated, Kazuha watched after a few hours how the beach slowly emptied. The sun had begun to set and slowly it was even a little cool. No trace from Heiji and his ice cream she had eaten in the meantime itself. Slowly she shuffled back to her place to at least pack up her things until he would come back. Then she heard someone calling her name. "Kazuha!" She turned and looked at her best friend, who came running across the beach and paused somewhat breathlessly by her. Kazuha's eyebrows drew together. "Well, done with yer case? Then we can go back home!" "What kind of case? There hadn’t been any!" Heiji grumbled back in a huff. "What do ya mean, there was none? Someone did scream!" Heiji snorted lightly. "Not every scream means 'murder'!" She was really paranoid, wasn't she? One case a day was really enough. Kazuha blinked slightly. No case? But where… She frowned a little. "But then where have ya been all this time?!" In her head, whole scenarios were already playing out, how he had pleasured himself elsewhere - possibly with other women. "I could ask ya the same thing!", Heiji returned the argument, causing a perplexed look on his girlfriend's face. "Me? Well, at the beach bar. I got us ice cream!" "But I couldn't find ya there. I helped someone here find the way to the station and then I couldn't find ya anymore. I just spent hours looking for ya!"

Kazuha's gaze widened as she understood. And Heiji seemed to understand now, too, because he looked at her with a similar look. They had apparently been walking past each other in the crowd the whole time. Her mistake had been that they had not simply waited at her blanket, but had sought each other out. They both began to laugh at this silly realization. Then Heiji turned his gaze to the sunset. "Well… Are we going to stay until the sun goes down?" "Yeah… otherwise we wouldn't have anything left of our beach day." They settled comfortably on the blanket and looked out at the sea, towards the sunset reflected in the water.

It was a quiet moment and really beautiful. The play of colors on the water and the warm light that settled on everything was like something out of one of her romantic love movies. How she wished she could have sat here with him as a couple and seen this. But they were just friends. „Kazuha…“ Goosebumps spread across her skin at the soft sound of his voice. She turned her face to Heiji, who still had his eyes fixed on the sunset in front of him and his towel wrapped warming around his shoulders. The warm light made him look even more attractive than he already was in her eyes. „I really wanted to stay with ya until sunset,“ he admitted then, turning his gaze over to her. His cheeks had reddened a bit - or was she just imagining it because of the light of the setting sun? Still, it made her breath catch for a moment when their eyes met. „R-Really…?“ she brought out a little irritated and breathless. Was this really happening? Heiji’s eyelids lowered slightly, making his gaze seem even softer. „Yes, I wanted to take the moment to-“ A scream rang out. Mark-shocking. And this time it left no doubt that something really bad had happened. Both high school students turned their eyes around in the direction of the source. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, then Kazuha turned her gaze back to Heiji, who had a slightly resigned look on his face. „Don’t ya want to go?“ Heiji sighed strained and rose from his seat. „Yeah… Well… Guess, ya can get ready to go back.“

To be continued...

Part 4

[akahoku]

In truth, Tatsuya was not all too sure how he had allowed himself to be roped into this by his brother, Katsuya. Detective work was a far cry from what the younger sibling had found in life, having left behind his ambitions for being a police officer, and yet... here he was. Effectively playing half chaperone half security for his older brother, the relatively renowned detective. Katsuya was beside himself though, having been blindsided and not informed by the producers that he wasn't the only detective guest on the program today. As it had turned out, it was actually a panel of discussion on the ongoing Phantom Thieves case.

Katsuya had ultimately taken more offence over the fact that he wasn't part of the assigned unit investigating. He was from Sumaru, after all, and not Tokyo. Considerate as he was though, he was ultimately talked down from leaving the show.

"There's only a couple hours until we go on air! How would we fill your spot?" "We already advertised with your likeness!" "We would have to send some of the staff home early!"

Fortunately, the panel had largely gone off without a hitch. Katsuya wasn't the only renowned detective from another city, it turned out — a young private detective from rural Yamanashi, as well as a pair from Kyoto and Osaka. Ultimately though, the intended star of the show was Tokyo's own, Akechi Goro. The hosts of the panel did their best to steer the questions to their darling celebrity, the cameras entirely on him.

With time though, the panel became much more a discussion between Katsuya and Akechi. The Kansai duo, local celebrities in their own right, had checked out knowing their chance for the spotlight had been usurped. The Yamanashi detective found it all to be a farce from the beginning.

The hosts all but sidelined as well, Katsuya and Akechi were all too happy to steer the conversation. Though Katsuya didn't have the insight of being an assigned investigator, he did have his own history and plenty of his own insights. The audience had been glued to their seats, the usually humming and hawing gone silent, not even the usual fangirl squealing over Akechi every other sentence. The producers, while annoyed that the program had gotten away from their original intentions, couldn't deny that it had been a success ratings wise.

Much to Tatsuya's chagrin though, their conversation hadn't ended there. For whatever reason, Akechi had invited Katsuya along for coffee afterwards, and in turn Tatsuya had been pulled along. A small coffee shop in an otherwise unremarkable neighborhood of Tokyo — at least the coffee was good.

Sitting at the bar-top while the two detectives went on and on behind Tatsuya in a booth, it seemed Akechi was a friend of the owner as well, not minding to let them stay past closing. It wasn't as if any other customers had come to pass, aside from a shaggy headed student who had quickly holed himself up somewhere in the back.

The two detectives had, it seemed, lost track of time. Checking his watch, the last train had already come and gone. The owner of the shop had closed up as well, only asking the student upstairs to lock up after their guests had finally departed. Katsuya had seemingly become aware of it now as well, panicking and apologetic to the younger detective.

"I really am sorry. I've kept you far too late. You're a student as well, no? I really ought to be more considerate." Each apology from Katsuya was disarmed and deflected by Akechi in turn, but the elder detectived remained insistent. After a few moments of this though, it seemed an idea had come to cross his mind. "Ah! Tatsuya! Could you give our friend here a ride home? I can take a cab back and bill it to the TV station if need be." Before Tatsuya could refuse, his elder brother was already slipping on his blazer, sliding a business card across the table to Akechi. A gesture of camaraderie, as well as saying his door was open in case the younger detective ever wanted an off the record second opinion.

And like that, he was out the door, the bell jingling behind him. With it being past midnight and in a residential neighborhood, Katsuya would've likely had to walk all the way to Shibuya before he found a cab.

Exhaling to release his irritation, Tatsuya was soon enough reaching for his own jacket, thrown over the barstool next to his own. It would've been easier to get this over with sooner rather than later — the sooner he could get Akechi back home as well, the better his odds of finding a business hotel or a capsule for him to rest. He didn't intend to stay in Tokyo any longer than he needed to.

"... Well," slipping his jacket over his shoulders, he turned to Akechi, "let's get going." Both hands in his pockets, one gripped the keys to the ignition of his motorcycle, the other thumbing over the cap of an old, sentimental zippo lighter. @chaoskalo

[kudosmyhero]

Giant-Size X-Men (vol. 1) #1: Deadly Genesis!

Read Date: June 18, 2023 Cover Date: May 1975 ● Writer: Len Wein ● Penciler: Dave Cockrum ● Inker: Dave Cockrum ◦ Peter Iro ● Colorist: Glynis Wein ● Letterer: John Costanza ● Editor: Len Wein ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● my first x-men comic ● Storm meets Professor X

● 👏👏👏

Synopsis: Chapter 1: Second Genesis

In Winzeldorf, Germany, an angry mob rages through the streets in search of a monster: the mutant Kurt Wagner. Kurt pleads that he only wants to be left alone, but the hysterical mob attack and overwhelm him through sheer numbers. Suddenly, the whole mob literally freezes in their tracks, subdued by Professor Charles Xavier’s telepathy. Xavier offers Kurt refuge at his school, which is a haven for mutants. Kurt asks if the Professor can make him normal, but he responds by asking if, after that night, he truly wants to be normal (i.e., like his persecutors). Kurt accepts the Professor’s invitation.

Quebec, Canada: Professor X visits a government base and meets Major Chasen and the mutant referred to as Weapon X, but better known as Wolverine. Charles offers Wolverine a chance to join him and become a free agent, an offer Wolverine accepts on the spot. Chasen objects but Wolverine officially resigns from duty by slicing off his tie. As Wolverine leaves, Chasen warns him this isn’t over.

Nashville, Tennessee: Banshee is attending a show at the Grand Ole Opry when he receives a telepathic message from the Professor with an urgent plea for help. He quickly agrees to do what he can.

Kenya, Africa: A woman named Ororo is being worshipped by local tribesmen as a rain/fertility goddess. Xavier approaches her with an offer he hopes she will not refuse. After listening to his request, she accepts.

Osaka, Japan: Xavier pays a visit to Sunfire, pitching him a similar offer. Sunfire is disinterested in helping white westerners, but reasons that he owes it to himself to test his abilities.

On a commune in Siberia, Farmer Piotr Rasputin is harvesting crops when a fellow farmhand notices a neighbor's tractor has gone out of control and is heading straight for Piotr’s young sister Illyana. As Piotr runs towards her, he transforms into a giant metal being. The tractor collides with him but is destroyed by the impact with Piotr’s metallic body. Xavier invites him to come to America to his school. Upon asking his parents’ permission, he accepts Xavier's offer.

Arizona: An Apache Indian, John Proudstar, chases a bison on the plain, easily chasing it down and tackling it. Xavier offers him acceptance into his school. Proudstar refuses to help a white man at first, but Professor X counters that perhaps he is just a coward. Infuriated, Proudstar accepts Xavier's offer in order to prove him wrong.

Chapter 2: And When There Was One

The seven disparate mutants meet at Xavier’s school in Westchester and are given new costumes composed of unstable molecules. A narrative caption relates that Professor X gave each of the international students instant fluency in English, via telepathy. Proudstar questions why Xavier has brought them together. Xavier introduces them to Cyclops, who makes a dramatic entrance sporting a new visor and slightly redesigned costume. He informs them that this new team of X-Men has been assembled to find and rescue the missing original team.

Cyclops shows them Cerebro, the mutant-detecting supercomputer which Xavier used to find them. A flashback depicts that just recently, Cerebro had alerted Professor X and the original team (Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Angel, Iceman, Havok, and Lorna Dane) to the existence of an extremely powerful mutant on the remote Pacific island of Krakoa. The team headed off to find this mutant (there is a passing mention to the Beast having departed from the team). Immediately upon their arrival, they were ambushed. Later, an amnesiac Cyclops awoke alone on the X-Men’s stratojet, which was already in flight on cruise control. His visor was missing but his eyes were inexplicably no longer emitting optic blasts. Upon returning to Xavier’s school, though, his optic blast began firing once again but with more power than ever; so much more power in fact that Professor X had to build a new visor for Cyclops to control them.

Sunfire initially refuses to participate on the rescue mission and flies off in a huff. The rest of the new members agree, however, and depart in the stratojet. In midair, though, the group see Sunfire flying alongside their plane. He boards it and tells Cyclops he’s changed his mind and will participate in the mission.

Chapter 3: Assault Force

As the Stratojet approaches Krakoa Isle, Cyclops directs the team to split up into pairs: Storm (Ororo) and Colossus (Piotr), Banshee and Wolverine, Sunfire and Nightcrawler (Kurt), and lastly Thunderbird (Proudstar) and Cyclops. There are minor disagreements and bickering among the new members, who are still just a pack of strangers to each other.

Cyclops and Thunderbird land the Stratojet and begin their search. They have barely begun exploring the island before the Stratojet vanishes inexplicably. Upon seeing a temple in the distance, they head towards it. En route, they are attacked by creeper vines but take care of them quickly.

Along the shore, Wolverine and Banshee are attacked by giant crabs. Elsewhere, Colossus and Storm trek toward the temple and are nearly struck by an avalanche. As they run for cover, the rocks follow them and Colossus uses a tree as a makeshift bat to swat them away. Finally, Nightcrawler and Sunfire battle a group of angry birds. Nightcrawler teleports around the attacking birds while Sunfire just blasts them. Each pair of heroes has spotted the temple and they all convene outside of it.

They enter the temple, busting through a pair of tightly-sealed doors. Inside, they find the missing X-Men. Weird tendrils bind the captives and appear to feed off them. The new team quickly gets their predecessors to (relative) safety outside. The Angel scolds Cyclops for returning. He explains that this was all just a trap. The ground shakes, the temple rises out of the ground, and the entire island moves. The X-Men had come to Krakoa to find a mutant, but that mutant is the island itself!

Chapter 4: Krakoa…the Island That Walks Like a Man

In a flashback, it is revealed that radiation from atomic tests near the island caused a host of mutations on the island’s indigenous life before the island itself eventually mutated into a single group-mind entity. Krakoa needs to feed off the life energies of other mutants and found the X-Men to be an excellent source of sustenance. It allowed Cyclops to escape in order to bring back more mutants, which he did.

James Howlett (Earth-616) from Giant-Size X-Men Vol 1 1 001 Krakoa launches an all-out assault on the combined teams. Despite the combined power of old X-Men and new, none of their attacks seem to affect the island. Professor X then intervenes via a telepathic message and tells Cyclops he thinks he knows of its sole weakness.

As Professor X attacks the island with his mind to distract its communal intellect, Storm flies into the sky and shoots electricity down into Lorna Dane, stimulating her magnetic powers. Fearing that the tactic may kill Lorna, Havok pleads with Cyclops to put a stop to it. But Cyclops tells his brother that he cannot risk the life of one woman, even the woman Alex loves, for the safety of the entire world. Suffering from fatigue, Professor X's assault falters and Krakoa regains its strength from the typhoon that Storm has created.

Scott and Alex combine their powers with Lorna's own and she directs it downward. Her magnetic power penetrates to the center of the Earth, causing Krakoa to cry out in terror. As everyone flees to safety, Iceman snatches up an unconscious Lorna, refusing to allow Havok to help her. This angers Havok, but Cyclops tells him to set aside their personal feud until later. As the island begins breaking up, everyone jumps onto Iceman's ice raft. Lorna has disrupted the magnetic energy in the vicinity of the island's location, effectively canceling out gravity. Krakoa is flung out into the vacuum of space. The ocean at its (now former) location churns into a swirling whirlpool.

Iceman covers his raft in an ice-bubble just before it is sucked into the whirlpool. Eventually, it breaks the (once again calm) ocean surface and the team emerges to find the Stratajet afloat nearby. After boarding the ship and flying off, slight disagreements that occurred between the new members are (almost) sorted out. Angel then ponders aloud to the assembled group what they will do with thirteen X-Men.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Giant-Size_X-Men_Vol_1_1)

Fan Art: X-Men color by YamaOrce

Accompanying Podcast: ● Amazing Spider-Man Chronicles - episode 02

[straycatboogie]

2023/06/24 English

2023/06/24 BGM: Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.

It was a day off today. This morning I read Karen Cheung's "The Impossible City" with Blur's "Parklife". I guess that I had misunderstood about this book (or the place Hong Kong itself). TBH I had expected THE Hong Kong where people try to achieve their democracy. The place where is crowded with the atmosphere of tear gas and political demonstration. But this book doesn't show that kind of Hong Kong. I won't say that this book has no worth to be read by this fact. I have to think about this again because I could be trying to find "THE Hong Kong by various social media" and "THE Hong Kong I wanted to watch/enjoy". NO! I guess this author would say this. NO! The real Hong Kong, and the life in that town must be richer than that banal bias of mine. This book must be one of the best books I have read in this year. Yes, it is a great masterpiece. I have been attracted by her straight/honest words which describe her difficulties of life. It "knocks" my mind actually.

Influenced by that "The Impossible City", I look back to my youthful days (but not in anger). Ah, at that time I was really a idiot student. For me at that time, Damon Albarn from Blur was actually my hero. Almost everyday I had been into Blur's great albums. "Modern Life is Rubbish", "Parklife", and "The Great Escape". As you know, these are quite British albums. I can treat them as "Blue-eyed music", not any "funky/groovy ones" (of course, I welcome your different opinions!). Now I remember this... At that time, I could have these ideas in my "young and lovely" head as "Why was I born in this world as this kind of Asian one?", "Why is this town not London, Liverpool, or Manchester?", and "Heaven knows I'm miserable now"...At least, at that time I had NO interest in any funky/groovy music (Jazz, Funk, Hiphop) or world music (Reggae, Rocksteady)... I might blame myself too much. I believe that Damon Albarn could learn a lot from those sources of rich global music masterpieces.

This afternoon I went to the main house of my group home. There, I confessed about the failure of money management to the chief. I also talked about the "comfort zone". TBH I have a twisted mind so could feel comfortable if I was blamed terribly. If I am praised a lot (Ah, I can feel a lot of actual kindness from a lot of people on Discord, MeWe, and also my private life scene!), then I feel uncomfortable. I tend to think by that as "I am not such a great one". I can't accept that "praised" myself. "I must be a piece of rubbish", "I can be nothing but an idiot", and I do eat a lot or buy various things too much (my virtual self-hurt I guess). But this can't be any excuses. I want to "enjoy" those praising words... The evening I talked about this with a Russian friend of mine o WhatsApp. She taught me honestly as she had showed her braveness to attend various meeting. That's her important trial to go out of her "comfort zone"... I thought I should say farewell to my comfortable nest in my mind. I decided to go to another English meeting.

And this evening I enjoyed a presentation on ZOOM by a French translator and Rakugo (a traditional Japanese comedy) performer, Cyril Coppini. He has translated Gosyo Aoyama's popular manga "Detective Conan" from Japanese into English. He taught us how he had encountered the Japanese language. And he had learned Japanese literature and culture by ancient books, quested Rakugo's greatness, the reason why he started translating "Conan"... And at Q&A time I asked him as bravely as I could. "There are a lot of forms/styles of Japanese language. Ancient literature's one, Rakugo's traditional one, and manga also has funny one... Cyril san, what kind of Japanese language is your favorite?".  Then Cyril answered us that "I like Osaka dialect, But every Japanese form must be profound. I can't stop studying because of its depth". I thought it could be the same as my idea about learning English... Ah, today was a really grateful, happy day (Indeed I made a failure about money). About identity as Japanese, and how precious learning foreign languages are... I thought about them once again.

[marshmallowgoop]

[Image descriptions: Screenshots from Episode 345 of Detective Conan/Case Closed. Heiji thinks to himself, “What worries me is the girl they left sleepin’ and locked up in old Agasa’s basement... Kudou said that as long as she didn’t hide the spare pair of trackin’ glasses, it’d be all right, but... If I were her... And Kudou was gonna go as her to face down that dangerous bunch all on his own... I wouldn’t be able to just sit there and let him. I’d force the door open... Do somethin’... No matter what. No matter what, Kudou. I’d go find you.” As he thinks, there are images of Ai doing just as he imagines. End image description.]

I know I’m like 20 years late to the party, but I recently watched Episode 345 of Detective Conan/Case Closed for the first time, and I loved this bit. For a 1,000+-episode series, it’s almost remarkable how infrequently some major characters interact, and while Heiji and Ai aren’t exactly doing that here, they are absolutely vibing, and I adore it.

‘Cause Heiji’s only met with Ai once before this? And that was a brief and limited encounter, where he thought she was Shinichi for a huge chunk of the time? But still, even with just that, he deeply understands that this girl’s as infatuated with Shinichi as he is. They did both dress up as the guy in an effort to protect him, after all.

[Image description: A screenshot from Episode 190 of Detective Conan. Heiji, disguised as Shinichi, sits next to Ai, disguised as Conan. End image description.]

And it really makes me wish that they got to interact more! Ai and Heiji are vastly different people, but they do share their strong love for Shinichi, and seeing such clashing personalities work together towards the same goals is fun. I’m sad that the only on-screen conversation I can think of between these two is just a lot of Ai crapping all over Heiji:

[Image descriptions: Screenshots from Episode 521 of Detective Conan. Heiji talks to Ai on the phone, while Ran watches behind him. He grimaces in response to Ai’s words; in the first image, she says, “Idiot!”, while in the second, she says, “What kind of brain-dead things are you saying?” End image descriptions.]

And, granted, there are like over 600 episodes that I haven’t seen, and this is a high-stress situation that Heiji didn’t understand the full severity of, but still. While it was certainly funny to watch Ai totally brush off Heiji and walk away without saying anything when he thought she was Shinichi...

[Image description: A screenshot from Episode 191 of Detective Conan. Heiji tells Ai, who is disguised as Conan, “All we need is the evidence, then our theory’s perfect...” Ai takes Heiji’s hand off her shoulder. End image description.]

She also trusts him and enlists in his help when things look bad. Further, she doesn’t hesitate to tell Shinichi that he ought to give Heiji some more consideration for all the lengths the guy goes to for his sake:

[Image descriptions: Screenshots from Episode 192 of Detective Conan. Ai, disguised as Conan, tells Shinichi, “You should thank that friend of yours from Osaka. When you collapsed, after I told him what was going on, he told everyone not to talk about the case...” As she says this, there’s a flashback to the event, with Ai, disguised as Conan, whispering in Heiji’s ear, and then Heiji holding a microphone and shouting to a group of students. End image descriptions.]

Ai knows, just as Heiji makes explicit about her in Episode 345, that this “Osaka friend” would do anything to protect Shinichi, no matter what. 

And they’d be a fun duo, gosh darn it!

Tl;dr, more Ai and Heiji vibing, please. It’s so good.

[tired-gay-wreck9]

SDR2 talentswap hcs

Ultimate Animal Breeder, Mahiru Koizumi

She grew up on a farm.

As a child, she often saw her mother helping animals she rescued from the war, who would often stay at the farm until they were rehomed.

She and her mother used to work together to help the animals recover, and thus she gained a love for animals

When her family fell on problems at the farm, because their breed of cows didn't produce enough milk, Mahiru studied animal breeding and how to get the cows to produce more milk.

She eventually bred the cows, and bred the other animals on the farm as well to help out the farm

However, her mother ended up spending a lot more time as she got older away from the farm, helping her cause

Mahiru teaches a class online about animal breeding, and has competed in many competitions

Ultimate Lucky Student, Nekomaru Nidai

Nekomaru was born with a heart defect, and thus spent a lot of his time as a child bedridden, and in the hospital

He was thought to only live until twenty

His father was also put out of work, so money was tight

He also had other bad luck as a child, such losing a lot of his stuff, generally being pretty clumsy, and never making any friends

However, his luck turned around when the doctors found a cure for his illness, and his family won the lottery. He was also selected by a gym out of a billion people to have a free gym membership for life

He then gained a passion for bodybuilding, but nothing that amazing

His luck works in long spells of good luck, and then bad luck

Ultimate Swordswoman, Chiaki Nanami

Chiaki was a very normal child, and learned sword fighting from a fencing class her parents put her in as a child

She continued to learn fencing, and then swordsmanship

She dislikes video games, being the worst at dating sims and Tetris

Her parents used to be middle class, but as she won many fencing and swordsmanship competitions, they became rich

Ultimate Nurse, Imposter

They still are the imposter, it was too fundamental a part of their backstory

They found two comforts in their travels; fast food, and health

Their second impersonation was Shouko Sato, a medical student in Osaka

Because of that, they had to learn a lot about health in a small amount of time, and developed a passion for it

Even when they were impersonating other people, they still tried to learn as much about health as they could

Reserve Course Student, Peko Pekoyama

Peko was abandoned as a child in the middle of the woods. Little did her parents know, an amateur yakuza group resided nearby and was in need of new members

They raised her in their hideout, but lacked the money to give her special talents, and even sent her to school as a normal child as they felt that she needed an education

However, the yakuza group was busted by the police, and she was taken into foster care

The yakuza group realized their wrongs, and gave her all the money they had earned from their front as a diner, as an apology for raising her in such conditions, and because they had grown to love her over the years

They told her to use the money to further her education, as they wanted her to have a good life

She took their advice, and spent most of the money on attending the reserve course at Hope's Peak Academy, and saved the rest for college

Ultimate Photographer, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu

Fuyuhiko's uncle was a yakuza member who destroyed their family, and so his parents developed their lives to stopping the yakuza

His dad was a cop, and his mom was a detective

Because of his parents were involved with the police, he and his sister were often exposed to crime

He and his sister were both interested in the cases, and Natsumi was even able to solve cases as quickly as their parents

Fuyuhiko thought that the evidence photos were interested, and would often practice taking photos of things so he would be able to help his parents the same way his sister was

His parents often compared him to his sister, causing him to be more competitive with her just so that they would see him as not a disappointment

He poured himself into photography, often spending multiple days without eating or sleeping

This behavior continued until his sister noticed, and told him that he was better at photography than she would ever be at solving crimes, and that their parents opinion of him didn't matter because she cared for him

because of his parents being involved in destroying the yakuza, they were heavily involved in Peko's case

He and Peko became friends since then, and he inspired her to attend Hope's Peak

Ultimate Yakuza, Akane Owari

Akane came from a terrible home life, in a place where it wasn't strange to find bodies outside in the morning

Both of her parents were unemployed, and "would sometimes change"

She has many siblings, and tries her hardest to care for them

When her family was almost evicted when she was seven, she would do anything for work, even pickpocket strangers

One time, she pickpocketed the head of a yakuza clan, who didn't realize until she was already long gone

The yakuza head then tracked her down, but when she finally met Akane, she realized that the girl had great skill and would do anything for money

She then offered a position working for the yakuza to Akane, which was to pickpocket strangers. In return, the head of the clan would move past her crime. If Akane refused, she would kill her.

Akane accepted, and quickly moved through the ranks

She and the head of the clan grew close, and when Akane was sexually assaulted by her mother's boyfriend, the head of the clan killed the man herself

When Akane was thirteen, the head of the clan took her aside and confessed that she did not trust any members of her own family to take over when she died, but knew Akane would do perfectly, even though they were not related.

After training to be the next head of the clan, she was named as the official heir at fifteen, and moved in with her younger siblings to live at the yakuza headquarters

Ultimate Gamer, Kazuichi Souda

Kazuichi lived with his parents above his father's failing retail shop

His father worked three jobs including the retail shop, and the family was still low on money

whenever the family had money to buy gifts, Kazuichi usually got video games

When his father lost his two other jobs, his mother left them, Kazuichi was seven

His father was prone to violent outbursts, then serious depression, so Kazuichi usually had to run the shop, even with occasional bruises

A few times, people gave the retail shop video games, and since Kazuichi had to sell the other games he'd had as a child, he would play them when there were no customers in the shop, which was most of the time

When he got to middle school, he was given a school computer, which he used to stream video games

He had a friend in middle school, who he had met through their mutual appreciation of video games, who practically begged him for the answers on a math test. Kazuichi was great at math, as he had played a lot of math games as a child.

The teacher found out, and his friend threw him under the bus

After that, Kazuichi decided to change his appearance

He took a lot of inspiration from his favorite video game character, but the game is so obscure that no one notices

Kazuichi pirates most of the video games he plays, as he doesn't have the money to buy them

Ultimate Gymnast, Mikan Tsumiki

Mikan was emotionally and physically abused by her peers and family

Her schoolmates would splash her with mud, put out cigarettes on her, and do many other terrible things

They would also make her do things, such as eat bug, imitate animals, strip, and physically exhaust herself

They would make her lift heavy objects, run until she passed out, fight physically stronger kids, and do other physically demanding things and make fun of her for being 'weak'

Because of this, and because she started training outside of school to become stronger, she eventually became better and better at these things

However, even with her physical strength and agility, she would often be made fun of, being called weak and talentless at home at school

This continues to motivate her, even causing her to often overwork herself to the point of passing out

However, in the district she lived in, she was not the only one with a terrible home life. Most other kids also didn't have good home lives, causing her to believe that it was normal.

When she gets to the island, and at hopes peak, Ibuki tries to convince her to take a break, and they form a fast friendship

Ultimate Chef, Gundham Tanaka

Gundham's father left before he was born, and his mother worked at a low-paying job, so they never had much money. They weren't poor, but they didn't have much money to spare

Because of this, they couldn't afford high-quality ingredients for food, and his mother wasn't a great cook to begin with, so the food he ate tasted terrible, causing him to believe his body was 'brimming with poison'.

He didn't have any friends at school, so he and his mother were very close

He would often help her cook, and spent a lot of his free time learning about cooking, since he didn't have anything else to do, and wanted to eat good food

He eventually began cooking for his family, and started selling his cooking when he was twelve, so that he could buy more and better quality ingredients, and at some point, he didn't even want to eat it all, he just wanted to cook

He often compares his cooking to brewing potions and performing spells

When he was fourteen, he opened his own restaurant, where his mother works as a dishwasher

Thanks to his cooking, he and his mother have plenty of money now

Ultimate Musician, Sonia Nevermind

Sonia's family lived in Germany before moving to Japan

Her family is extremely wealthy, and they were major political figures before moving to Japan.

Her family wanted to live a simpler life, and could not in Germany because of their fame

Because of her families' fame, she was tutored at home for her safety, and because her parents secretly resented their fame, and did not want to expose their daughter to it

Her family had sheltered her for her entire childhood, so she acts quite strange, and does not understand her classmates when they talk about most of their struggles

She took an interest in music, and would've been famous for her skill in piano, violin, and other classical instruments had her parents not sheltered her

Sonia has always dreamed to rebel against her parents, and play instruments that they deem 'improper', like the electric guitar, and drums

Another way she wants to rebel is to become a famous musician

She also has a great interest in the occult, but it has nothing to do with her parents

Ultimate Team Manager, Teruteru Hanamura

Teruteru had always loved sports, but because of his height and lack of athleticism he never got the chance to play

However, his sister and brother both excelled at sports, and were candidates for being ultimates themselves

That only furthered his desire to be involved in sports, but as he grew older, he didn't want to play anymore, as he disliked fitness.

He still studied sports rigorously, as it was his passion

When his middle school's baseball team's coach quit, and no other people would volunteer to be coach, Teruteru volunteered to take his place. The school didn't let him, and instead dissolved the team

However, Teruteru noticed his team's skill, and convinced them to practice under his guidance. The team was originally terrible, but over just a few months, he led the team to greatness.

When his principal drove past the place where the team practiced, he saw how amazing the team was, and let the team compete, but refused to buy them anything, so they raided the dump

The team came in first, and as time went on, his skill as a team manager was noticed by many schools, and he took side jobs as team managers at other schools.

Ultimate Mechanic, Hiyoko Saionji

Hiyoko's family owned a very famous women's school for art.

However, Hiyoko lived with her father. Her parents were divorced, and her father had received full custody, as he lived far away, and led a less stressful life as a mechanic.

Hiyoko looked up to her father as a child, and wanted to be just like him

Because of that, her father would teach her about mechanics.

Even after she outgrew her idolization of him, her interest in mechanics stayed the same.

But when she was around eleven, her grandmother took custody after claiming that her father was an improper guardian because of his financial status, and that Hiyoko would live a better life with her.

Her grandmother made her attend her school for art, but around the school, she became known as someone who could fix anything around the school.

The staff would rather just ask Hiyoko to fix something than hire a mechanic, as it was easier. They took care to not let her grandmother know, as she would surely detest it.

As Hiyoko continued to become better at mechanics, she reached a stopping point, as she didn't know how to do more than basic repairs.

Because Hiyoko's painting teacher was a cheapskate, and Hiyoko was awful at painting, she would have Hiyoko fix things around the school for good grades.

When the teacher's car broke down, she took it upon herself to get Hiyoko books on mechanics so that she could continue to fix her things, but also developed a soft spot for Hiyoko, even with all her bullying.

Ultimate Prince, Hajime Hinata

Hajime was the sole heir to the Novosleic kingdom

He can read, write, and speak fluently in over thirty different languages

He has many other abilities, such as knowlege in military warfare, foreign affairs, but has always wanted to attend Hope's Peak

He was rebellious, and snuck out and has secret social media accounts to live a normal life, and thus does not act like a prince

he is quite brutal, but can be a leader when he needs to

[azure-bliss]

shinran oneshot

Fandom: DC

Pairing: Shinran

Excerpt: 

“Shinichi,” she whispered, warm blue orbs losing focus as she looked at him, though her smile remained. She rose her hand to caress his cheek (she’s so, so cold). “You found us.”

Her chapped lips met his, and then, “Arigato.”

A/N: I swear that this was supposed to be fluffy but brain said nope, angst-infused it is. Also, I’m no expert in medicine nor the Japanese police system, even criminology for that matter. Spare me. Enjoy!

Day 9

“I should write a book.”

Shinichi’s first instinct was to snort, as he was reminded of Kogoro-ojisan’s—who he should really be calling otousan nowadays—intention of becoming a mystery novelist, much like his actual father. Kudo Yusaku had made millions writing his thrillers, and today, years after the older Kudo patriarch decided to publish his final novel, he was still adding money to the Kudo fortune.

Perhaps his mother playing the titular character in one of Night Baron’s spinoff adaptations, Lady Baron, played a huge factor too. His parents were weird that way, almost like a tag-team, because the moment Kudo Yusaku announced his writing retirement, Kudo Yukiko came out of hers.

It was as if they thought that the world could not handle more than three (he was pretty sure his popularity was on par with his parents, despite his lack of big screen appearances) famous Kudos at a time.

“Finally jumping on the full Kudo experience?” he teased, adjusting himself on the hospital bed where his wife sat, left arm wrapped around her whole frame, right palm covering hers.

Eyes focused on the little bundle in her arms, she hummed before answering, “A best-seller for sure.”

As if on cue, their newborn squirmed before revealing twin orbs that matched his mother’s, unfocused eyes looking up to the woman who went through hell and back prior to his birth.

“Anata,” she called, her tired voice laced with a hint of excitement. “He’s beautiful.”

 Day 1

He stood in an abandoned room of an equally abandoned motel located just 50 km on the outskirts of Tokyo, the very location that had him and nearly the whole Tokyo Metropolitan Police Taskforce wrecking their brains and exhausting their resources to find. The identified suspect was one Seisaku Miyazaki, a serial rapist and killer with a tendency for flairs. The 27 crime scenes he left always had distinct blood splatter to them, resulting from either gunshot wounds straight to the temple, or intraoral ones.

Shinichi had never seen a crime scene so gruesome in his life.

As soon as Shinichi stepped into the room, the first thing he should have registered was the blood-spattered left wall and Seisaku’s limp and lifeless body on a chair in the same left corner, his riffle trapped in between his legs.

Instead, Shinichi’s frantic eyes zeroed on the figure on the bed in the middle of the room, merely 10 feet away from Seisaku’s body. The woman had her back against the headboard with an ungodly amount of blood running down her bottom half, arms cocooning a small bundle wrapped with a violet-colored cardigan—the same one she was last saw wearing before her disappearance.

She had her eyes on her baby, as if the newborn was the only person who mattered, seemingly unbothered by the chaos unfolding before her. It took the lead detective a full five seconds to notice that the newborn—oh God, their newborn—was not crying.

He was beside her in her flash, holding her tighter than he should. His wife was again, unbothered, but he noticed that she closed their baby more to her semi-naked chest. The cuts and bruises on her face and torso did not go unnoticed by him. All of Seisaku’s victims had the same markings, but unlike those women who bled from their heads, she was bleeding from bottom down.

Kudo Shinichi screamed for the medic.

It was only then did he hear a soft cry, and he released a breath he did not know he was holding.

“Anata,” she called, finally removing her gaze from their son to look at him “He’s beautiful.”

Her face was pale and hollow, but there was no mistaking the warmth in her eyes and the gentleness of her smile.

His heart both bloomed and broke for her.

“Ran,” he choked out the name he’d been desperately calling for the past few hours. “You’re going to be okay.”

When the medic team finally appeared, his wife first handed the closest medic the baby, “Take care of him, onegai,” she requested, sounding too much like a plea. “He’s a good boy.”

Releasing her son’s warmth, the brunette fell back onto her husband, who caught her naked shoulders, throwing her full weight onto his.

“Shinichi,” she whispered, warm blue orbs losing focus as she looked at him, though her smile remained. She rose her hand to caress his cheek (she’s so, so cold). “You found us.”

Her chapped lips meet his, and then, “Arigato.”

With a sigh of relief, she shut her eyes, and rolled limp further into her husband’s embrace.

Shinichi’s world stood still, the only things registering in his mind were his wife’s cold body, and their newborn’s loud cries in the distant.

 Day 8

She was in pure fight mode, forcing her body to function and conscious to stay awake. Once she knew that her child was safe, all the injuries and agony finally caught up to her, and she welcomed the numbing darkness.

The last thing Ran remembered was Shinichi’s rapid heartbeat drumming her ears.

The new mother woke up a week later, on an unfamiliar bed, to the familiar but tormented eyes of her husband.

“Baby,” she mustered breathily, and her husband’s eyes all but softened.

She knew that they were safe.

   Day 10

It was another two whole days before she was deemed fit enough to hold her newborn.

“Anata,” she beams, “He’s beautiful.”

“He is,” the Heisei-Reiwa Holmes agreed. “The brat gave the doctors and nurses a fright with his fever, would not stop crying too.”

If his wife was worried, she did not show it. “Is that true?” she cooed, “But you’re okay now, aren’t you sweetheart? Your Papa found us after all.”

Day 0

Kudo Ran did not fit Seisaku Miyazaki’s victim profiles by the slightest. The females he preyed on were usually late teens to early twenties, lived alone, physically petite, and had questionable practices in their private lives.

Or, in the words of Seisaku himself, whores.

Catching the serial killer had been the detective’s top priority, with the death count at 27 and the most recent killings at the heart of Tokyo, it was one of the most challenging cases for him to date.

With half of the murders in Tokyo and the other half in Osaka, it was a no brainer for both Detective of the East and West to join hands, special taskforces from Tokyo and Osaka rallying under their (unofficial) command. The investigation had been ongoing for more than four months before special unit finally made a definite progress, being able to identify a potential victim, shadowing her day and night, coming in to save her just in time from being abducted, and arresting Seisaku’s paid minion.

Genzo Okubo was no Seisaku, the two detectives figured. The latter was confident, methodical, a true psychopathic mastermind, yet the man they caught fumbled with his words, sweated profusely, and most importantly, had little loyalty as he quickly confessed to everything.

The unit rejoiced, but Shinichi and Heiji knew that it was too simple, as if Seisaku wanted Gento to be caught.

By the time they were finished with the guy, it was already 2 a.m.

The lack of miscalls from him wife caught him off guard.

He tried not to panic, reasoning to himself that Ran was probably at her parents’, fell asleep, and his in-laws forgot to inform him. After all, it would not be the first time this had happened. If anything, the Mouris had not stopped fussing over their daughter, and with this case constantly on his mind, Shinichi had not really been the doting husband and father-to-be that he ought to be. Their six-year-old twins were away with his parents somewhere in New York, the elder Kudo couple wanting to give the once-again new parents space to get ready for the youngest Kudo’s arrival.

Halfway through dialing Eri’s number (because his mother-in-law was a light sleeper), Heiji burst into the break room with a suspicious package in his hands.

“Kudo,” the dark-skinned detective panted, as if he just ran up flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator, “that bastard’s got Nee-chan.”

Inside the package were two things: a picture of a very pregnant Kudo Ran, blindfolded and gagged, and a lone platinum wedding band.

  Day 10

“He panicked.”

“Hmm?”

“Seisaku-san, he panicked.” His wife stated, the name of her kidnapper rolling of her tongue like she was mentioning a student of hers. “I started having contractions, started bleeding too. He mumbled something about ‘not following his plan’.”

Shinichi rose his brows, puzzled by Ran’s statement, but he let her continue.

“I think,” she paused, readjusting her hold on their son when they boy started to writhe, “that he was halfway out when Seisaku-san decided to shoot himself.”

Her voice was cool, too indifferent, and deep down, Shinichi knew that his wife may be scarred for life.

“Three sounds,” she gulped then snickered. “Me screaming during the final push, the baby’s cries, and the riffle going off.”

Shinichi held her tighter.

“His blood was everywhere, Shinichi. On the walls, the carpet, the bed, my face,” There are now cracks in her voice, the memories flooding her overwhelmed mind as she remembers it all again, “On our baby boy.”

“Ran…” He trailed off, not knowing what to say. His wife and son were alive, but the trauma she went through was something he wished on no one, not even Seisaku himself.

“I didn’t want him to get cold, so I wrapped him with my cardigan. Not the most hygienic, I know, but I didn’t exactly have many choices,” a chuckle. “He locked the door, so I couldn’t escape, and I couldn’t exactly kick the door open, my energy was spent on giving birth. So, I started breastfeeding the baby, burping him…making sure he was alive long enough for you to find us.”

Something in him shattered even more.

Ran averted her eyes away from their son to look at her husband, their faces only a few centimeters apart.  There were no tears in their eyes, the pain and regret that remained in their hearts too crushing to be expressed by mere crying. “I’m safe, our boy is safe, because you found us. None of this is your fault, so please, Anata,” she kisses him before continuing, “don’t blame yourself.”

Shinichi could not imagine what life would be without her. She was his wife, partner, lover, best friend, soulmate, the mother of his children, his world, his everything.

“Okay,” he promised simply, capturing her lips for a second time before kissing her forehead. “I love you.”

He felt her smiling into his neck, and at that moment, nothing was wrong; they were whole.

They stayed like that for a few more moments, savoring the peaceful yet short time they had with their baby boy before one of the nurses took him away for the night.

    Day 11

 “Your book,” Shinichi remembered far into the night. “What are you going to write about?”

A mischievous look twinkled in Ran’s eyes, and the man knows that his wife will heal just fine. “Kidnapped 101.”

- end

A/N: Nope, not their firstborn. And I also imagine that Ran has had her fair share of getting kidnapped so might as well write a book on it lmao. 

[juridical-angel-blog]

Special Artistic Poster ''Couples'' Detective Conan!

[yuniv-bluetea]

Detective Conan : Next Generation

HeiZuha Children

It’s been over three years and my DC headcanons for the ‘Next Generation’returned,so... I have to many headcanons for DC Characters as parents and their kids.. Always excited to hear other dc headcanons by the way <3 “Come on ! Just reply already...”, she sighed as none of her childhood friends seemed to have time to look up their chat group. Feeling defeated Yume hid her phone under her pillow and went for a walk in the neighborhood since there was nothing else to do. It took Yume only some minutes to realize that it was way too hot outside. But the summers in Osaka were always like that. Sadly. I feel like I’m melting... Maybe I should pay Kazuki a visit..? Knowing her older brother he is probably at the school gym perfecting his kendo skills..not that there was any serious competition for the reigning ace of Osaka’s strongest high school kendo team. Why must life be so unfair ? If there was one thing Yume Hattori didn’t inherited from her family it was definitely their astonishing atlethic abilities. She wouldn’t be so mad, if she could at least perform the basics of aikido or kendo, but no.. she was a hopeless case. Honoka is most likely with him anyway.. Without wasting a second thought on it, Yume headed back to her home and tried not to look as if she was dying while feeling the humid air basically punch her whole body. These two.. Being already quite popular in middle school it took not long before one of Kazuki’s friends introduced him to Honoka Ujo, a new student that would not only go to the same class as him, but also live right in his neighborhood.

“Finally..”, out of breath Yume striped off her shoes and welcomed the refreshing temperature inside the house. “Is that you, Yume ?” “..Ah, Obaa-chan you’re already back from your visit to the museum ?” Preparing something in the kitchen her grandma looked effortless as always. “I am...Although I was invited to a round of cards by some other members of my book club, but then I thought I also could keep you company instead, so here I am.. “, responded Shizuka Hattori with a warm smile on her lips. Oh dear..am I that pitiful ? Sure it wasn’t unusual for Yume to be the only one at home while everyone else was at work or in her grandma and brother’s case out with friends. If her whole friend group would not live in Tokyo things would be quite different. Also if her stubborn dad and grandpas would allow her to help solve murder ca- There was no point in getting mad over that right now. “I appreciate the thought Obaa-chan ~ I’m just going to change my clothes quickly !” “Damnit..”, she whispered when see saw that nobody replied to her message. Think Yume, think... Alright, this could work ! Realizing what time it already was, she hastily picked a summer dress her grandma would approve of ,put it on and packed a small bag. Making sure that she has not forgotten anything, Yume joined her grandma in the kitchen who was unlike her not slightly out of breath. “ Change of plans, Obaa-chan ! Takumi invited me to spend the weekend in Tokyo, so let’s just pack this here”, she announced while packing the fruit sandwiches in some wooden lunchboxes “ And then I can accompany you to Iwasa-san on my way to the train station. She and the other members will surely be delighted by your tasteful treats ~”

“It’s not safe to ride a train by yourself, Yume. I would feel much better if you would let Kazuki go with you..”, her grandma explained while they were already on their way to Iwasa’s home right across the Osaka Station. “Don’t worry, Obaa-chan~ It’s not a long ride and you can reach me by phone any time !” Shizuka Hattori still wasn’t fully convinced. “Maybe I should check in with your parents before letting you go” Crap...No..Arghh.. I don’t have time for that..there has to be something else I can argue wi- There were times were life did treat Yume quite well. Reaching the Iwasa household they were welcomed by Daisuke Otaki who was about to leave. As expected of Daisuke Otaki he not only politely greeted them, but also brought their lunchboxes to the dining room. “Domo arigato Daisuke-kun”, replied Yume’s grandmother while sliding into her slippers from home as the young man was about to leave for real now. Now or never ! “Say Daisuke-kun you wouldn’t mind if we went to Tokyo together ,now would you ? I mean you probably are on your way there for your weekly ‘business meetings’ anyway so..” There was nothing in the way of Yume’s trip to Tokyo now. Because of his uncle Goro Otaki her companion was a family friend, so her grandma would certainly agree of the idea. And there was no way Daisuke could talk himself out of the situation. He was way too afraid that Yume would expose his secret regarding his weekly ‘business meetings’, not that she would ever really do that, but he didn’t want to take any risk. As soon as they sat done Yume reached into her bag and fished out her phone. Still nothing. After writing a second message announcing her suprise visit, she called Takumi to make sure he knew about his part in her plan. It took a while before Yume got hold of him. “I’m really sorry for not answering sooner, but Obaa-chan dragged me to a casting for a commercial and it’s been-” “Don’t worry about it ! ....Please don’t be mad, but I may be on my way to Tokyo right now and might have indicated that you have invited me there for the weekend..” “...” “ I already informed Hikaru and Mamoru over our chat group about my visit, they will surely read it ...sooner or later, but just so you know if you or your parents would get a call from someone of my family..” “Which will be definitely the case” “ Yeah..I don’t know why they are recently so overprotective..” “It’s not like our families attract dead bodies or serial killers..” A small giggle escaped Daisuke’s mouth who was reading a magazin. Yume couldn’t hold back a smile herself. “Totally not..So, see you in Tokyo ?” “You’re lucky that I have such a big heart ~ I will try to call Hikaru later - OHH..Obaa-chan looks mad..Have to go- !”

Finishing her book it just came in handy that they reached their destination. “Arigato Daisuke-kun for helping me out today”, said Yume as they walked out of the train station. Daisuke just waved aside her gratitude. He probably feels like I used him..which I technically kind of did “It’s nothing,glad I could help you”, he replied politely . “Your friends will pick you up soon ?” Yume nodded and tried to think about something that she could say that would make Daisuke less mad at her. But before Yume could even blink, Daisuke said goodbye and disappeared in the crowd. That went well.. She quickly wrote her grandma a message that she arrived in Tokyo and put her phone back in her bag. With a big smile on her face Yume dived into the ocean of people. This is going to be such a fun weekend ! Yume couldn’t know at that time that this weekend would be special...

[makairodonx]

A short comic inspired by the old Japanese media franchise called “Sukeban Deka”,

(Here’s a short blog post about the franchise, if you’re curious kayokyokuplus.blogspot.com/201…). It is loosely based on both the ‘80s show Sukeban Deka ll: Shoujo Tekkamen Densetsu [スケバン刑事II 少女鉄仮面伝説] and the 1987 movie “Sukeban Deka” [スケバン刑事], in particular

Panel 1: Yoko Godai, a native of the Kansai Region town of Tosa, was once an orphan who lost her parents at a very young age. Ever since kindergarten she was often bullied by a bunch of sadistic classmates who forced her to wear an iron mask at the age of 8. Despite being very uncomfortable on her head, as well as being the main source of mockery for all the students at the school she attends, the mask somehow gives the girl supernatural physical strength, hardens her resolve to fight others who stand in her way, and slowly turns her into a cold-hearted sociopath. Some crazy local businessmen from the criminal underworld manage to take advantage of Yoko’s fighting skills, honed from constant brawls at school, and pit her against a few professional wrestlers, and once she triumphs in all the matches, the businessmen seek a way to prove that “The Girl with the Iron Mask” who causes constant mayhem for her fellow students and teachers is indeed the single greatest fighting champion of the town of Tosa. So they decide to pit the girl against a powerful Tosa Inu (pictured) who once earned a legendary reputation for winning every single dog fight without sustaining any scars or injuries. In a single match, she happens to tackle the dog head on with her bare hands and eventually kill it after a long, gruesome fight.

Panel ll: The Girl with the Iron Mask continues to remain a deeply troubled fellow who often gets involved in fights at school and terrorizes everyone around her. One day she gets hunted down by the police and is imprisoned in an immense juvenile detention facility (operated by a sadistic ex-JGSDF soldier known as Hattori) built with maximum-security features, along with a large bunch of other juvenile delinquents, whom she happens to subdue in a series of brawls held every night at prison. It is through winning those fights that Yoko gains the trust of her fellow prisoners and earns her reputation among them as a tough, stoic girl gang leader with a cold-blooded personality and no remorse for insubordination among her peers. Yoko soon devises a plan to liberate everyone from the juvenile detention facility and demand that the Japanese government should provide better, humane treatment for mentally insane school students like her. So one night, Yoko and her comrades successfully stage a prison escape (pictured) and, once they become national fugitives on the run, Hattori and his minions launch a full-scale operation to locate the girls and kill them all, whilst he takes advantage of the general public’s fears of Yoko Godai as a cold-hearted monster on the loose with the use of a brilliant propaganda campaign; Through posters, loudspeakers mounted on moving vans, and radio/TV PSAs, Hattori promises a reward of one million yen for anyone who takes part in capturing her or bringing her back to him alive.

Panel lll: Nishiwaki, Assistant Director of the Japan National Police Agency’s top-secret “Sukeban Deka Project”, which is based in Tokyo, catches Yoko Godai on the orders of Director Toshiro Yamamoto. He removes her iron mask, and offers her an opportunity (pictured) to take the name and role of Saki Asamiya a legendary crime-fighting schoolgirl of the 1970s who once was the first “Sukeban Deka” or “Delinquent Girl Detective.” She was killed by nuclear radiation after she tried to rescue her fellow students from a nuclear accident caused by an unknown, high-ranking villain. Yoko initially refuses the offer at first, but changes her mind once Nishiwaki promises that he would help her find her missing parents in exchange for her service.

Panel lV: So after a single week of intensive crime-fighting training, Yoko Godai is given the alias of “Saki Asamiya” in honor of the first Sukeban Deka, assumes her place as “Sukeban Deka No. 2”, and is given the same powerful red-colored steel yo-yo which was Saki’s trademark weapon of choice. As an undercover police agent, Saki Asamiya soon recruits two other crimefighting schoolgirls who join her cause: The Osaka native Kyoko Nakamura and the Kyoto native Yukino Yajima. Together the three girls would fight a wide assortment of villains such as youth gang leaders and other strange criminals. In one instance Saki vanquishes two Mohawk-wearing Chicano-wannabes who were cocaine lords with the use of her yo-yo (pictured). Saki and her friends also defeat the nefarious Hattori and his scheming minions and bring them all to justice.

Panel V: At the end of each day spent on fighting the villains and bringing them to justice, the three Sukeban girls would go on short, pleasant trips together in and around the city. Here they are watching a sunset on the outskirts of a few suburbs (pictured).

[readerbookclub]

Alright, we’re back with a new book list! This time we’re looking at murder mysteries (I must say I was very surprised with how popular this theme was in last month’s survey). As always, be sure to vote using the link at the end and if you want to join the book club just message me!

This first book was suggested to me on one of our surveys. I don’t know who recommended it, but I’m very happy they did. Its got murder and Shakespeare, which sounds wonderful to me:

1. If We Were Villains, by M. L. Rio

On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extras. But in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make-believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.

Now our next book has a very classic “whodunnit” premise. A group of old friends take a trip to a far and secluded estate... you can guess what happens next:

2. The Hunting Party, by Lucy Foley

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

The trip begins innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps, just as a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. . . and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage says. But how close is too close?

I didn’t want all of the novels to be set in western countries, so the next two are set in Asia and written by Asian writers. The first one is  written by the author who’s book inspired the film “Slumdog Millionaire” (I’ve never actually seen this movie or read the book, but it seems to be a pretty big deal). Anyway, it doesn’t have the typical murder mystery structure, but nonetheless, someone is killed and there are...

3. Six Suspects, by Vikas Swarup

Seven years ago, Vivek 'Vicky' Rai, the playboy son of the Home Minister of Uttar Pradesh, murdered Ruby Gill at a trendy restaurant in New Delhi simply because she refused to serve him a drink. Now Vicky Rai is dead, killed at his farmhouse at a party he had thrown to celebrate his acquittal. The police search each and every guest. Six of them are discovered with guns in their possession. In this elaborate murder mystery we join Arun Advani, India's best-known investigative journalist, as the lives of these six suspects unravel before our eyes: a corrupt bureaucrat; an American tourist; a stone-age tribesman; a Bollywood sex symbol; a mobile phone thief; and an ambitious politician. Each is equally likely to have pulled the trigger. Inspired by actual events, Vikas Swarup's eagerly awaited second novel is both a riveting page turner and an insightful peek into the heart and soul of contemporary India.

Although we’re used to murder mysteries where the amateur sleuth needs to crack the case under pressure, this next book looks at what happens when a case is left unsolved for decades. I have to say, this book is a little longer than most (540 pages according to goodreads, and 560 according to amazon), but I still think it’s still a reasonable length: 

4. Under the Midnight Sun, written by Keigo Higashino and translated by Alexander O. Smith: 

*note: sometimes the title is written as “Journey Under the Midnight Sun”, same book though. 

This is the compelling story of a brutal crime and the two teenagers—Ryo, the son of the murdered man, and Yukiho, the daughter of the main suspect—whose lives remain inextricably linked over the twenty-year search for the truth behind the crime.

In Osaka in 1973, the body of a murdered man is found in an abandoned building. Investigating the crime, Detective SasagakI is unable to find the killer. Over the next twenty years, through the lens of a succession of characters, Higashino tells the story of two teens, Ryo and Yukiho, whose lives are most affected by the crime, and the obsessed detective, Sasagaki, who continues to investigate the murder, looking for the elusive truth.

And of course, a murder mystery book list would be incomplete without the queen herself, Miss Agatha Christie. It was hard to pick one of her novels, but it had to be a standalone book, so no Poirot or Miss Marple (sorry Isola). I ended up choosing this one, because it was highly rated but not so popular that everyone would’ve already read it:

5. Crooked House, by Agatha Christie:

In the sprawling, half-timbered mansion in the affluent suburb of Swinly Dean, Aristide Leonides lies dead from barbiturate poisoning. An accident? Not likely. In fact, suspicion has already fallen on his luscious widow, a cunning beauty fifty years his junior, set to inherit a sizeable fortune, and rumored to be carrying on with a strapping young tutor comfortably ensconced in the family estate. But criminologist Charles Hayward is casting his own doubts on the innocence of the entire Leonides brood. He knows them intimately. And he's certain that in a crooked house such as Three Gables, no one's on the level...

That’s it for this month! Please click here to vote for your favourite. 

For anyone who’s new here, we’re a book club and we’ll be reading one of these next month! If you want to join us, just let me know! New members are always welcome :)

Member’s List: @solitarystudies @endystudyblog @adhyayana-v (by the way, this is mybookishescapes, but they changed their username) @gordinmegan @sillyarcadeexpert @appleinducedsleep @morphedphase @zorasmith @justmesoffie​ @meatofslaughtaredbeggar​ @unicornlurvvv​ @lilian-evans​ @mishousdiaries​ @macgilliluv​ @omgreading​ @bowieziggyfan​ @calebprior25​ @sanatoriaa​ @littledrlings​ @booksandbones​ @bluebellraven​ @readakins​

As always, if anyone wants to be removed from this list, just let me know :)

[tabloidtoc]

People, September 28

Cover: A Killer in the Woods and a Teen’s Brave Escape 

Page 3: Chatter -- Demi Lovato on getting engaged to Max Ehrich after four months together, John Legend joking about expecting a third child with his wife Chrissy Teigen, Kelly Clarkson on moving on after filing for divorce in June, Keith Urban on wife Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry on struggling to get roles after her 2002 Oscar win, Jennifer Garner responding to a commenter who’d asked if she was pregnant on Instagram 

Page 4: 5 Things We’re Talking About This Week -- Golden Girls gets an all-Black reimagining, Rick Moranis makes a comeback for an ad with Ryan Reynolds, Keeping Up with the Kardashians goes kaput, Franzia introduces a boxed-wine backpack 

Page 6: Contents 

Page 8: StarTracks -- Naomi Osaka won the U.S. Open final and sported face masks honoring Black people who have been victims of racial violence 

Page 9: Mariah Carey styling daughter Monroe’s hair, Shakira showed off a bikini she designed, Kate Hudson wore a cute cat face mask while she did some shopping at Palisades Village 

Page 10: Stars’ Best Friends -- Dua Lipa and Anwar Hadid walked their new pup Dexter in West Hollywood, Dennis Quaid was all smiles when he met a rescue pup on the set of Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, Hugh Jackman strolled through N.Y.C. with his dogs Allegra and Dali, Ryan Reynolds wished his dog a happy birthday, PLEASE ADOPT, DON’T SHOP 

Page 11: Tom Brady’s first game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in New Orleans, Russell Dickerson and wife Kailey welcomes their first child Remington Edward, Bethenny Frankel during a surf lesson in the Hamptons 

Page 12: Royals Back Out & About -- Camilla Duchess of Cornwall visited the Medical Detection Dogs training center where trials are underway to determine if dogs can detect COVID-19, newlywed Princess Beatrice stepped out for a shopping trip in London as her husband waited in the car nearby, Prince William attended a Police Service of Northern Ireland Wellbeing Volunteer Training course in Belfast 

Page 15: Scoop -- Katie Holmes’ hot new romance with Emilio Vitolo Jr. 

Page 16: When they announced their split The Bachelor’s Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph said they’d remain friends but that is decidedly not the case -- Cassie was granted a restraining order against Colton claiming he showed up unannounced outside her Southern California home and placed a tracking device on her car

Page 17: Tyra Banks takes charge on Dancing with the Stars 

Page 18: Heart Monitor -- Lily Allen and David Harbour just married, Justin and Hailey Bieber happy anniversary, Jacob Elordi and Kaia Gerber new couple

Page 20: Tenet’s John David Washington on fame and family and a bold new movie, Baby Boom -- Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester 

Page 21: Kate Gosselin accuses Jon Gosselin of abuse 

Page 22: Passages, Why I Care -- after losing her brother to leukemia when they were kids Cindy Crawford is raising awareness about pediatric cancer 

Page 23: Diana Rigg 1938-2020 

Page 24: Stories to make you smile 

Page 27: People Picks -- Ratched 

Page 28: Micky Guyton -- Bridges, Q&A with Chris Messina

Page 29: Blackbird, Unpregnant 

Page 30: The Devil All the Time, Long Way Up 

Page 31: Antebellum 

Page 32: Books 

Page 34: Cover Story -- Terror in the Woods -- Jack Gershman and his dad Ari were off-roading in a California forest when they stopped to get their bearings and a stranger opened fire -- Ari was murdered and Jack escaped into the wilderness running for his life 

Page 40: Willie Nelson and his sister Bobbie Nelson -- she’s still my closest friend -- in a new book the country star and his sibling and longtime musical collaborator look back on their tragedies and triumphs 

Page 45: Regina King -- all hail the king! -- the winner of 3 Emmys and an Oscar just directed her first film and is loving every minute of being on top 

Page 48: Tragedy on the West Coast -- it’s like the end of the world -- unprecedented wildfires in California and Oregon and Washington turn millions of acres into ash forcing thousands to flee and choking the region with toxic smoke 

Page 52: Pauly Shore -- still crazy after all these years -- the ‘90s comedy star survived a career implosion and coped with private grief and now at 52 he’s ready to be his goofy self again 

Page 56: Lady Gaga and her mom Cynthia Germanotta -- how we healed our relationship -- the star and her mother’s new book Channel Kindness was inspired by their own journey from trauma to understanding 

Page 58: Gabourey Sidibe -- you’re lucky to have me -- the actress is feeling some serious swagger these days with a new movie and a live-in love and a blessed career turn 

Page 60: The Home Edit founders Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer -- building an empire organizing stars’ stuff -- two Nashville moms had the idea that getting rid of clutter could be fun and pretty and now they’re celebrity gurus and TV stars 

Page 65: The It Gets Better Project: 10 Years Later -- I learned how to really live -- as a closeted LGBTQ teen Lark Doolan contemplated taking his own life and now as an openly trans man he reflects on the video series that helped him find hope 

Page 68: Kim Cattrall -- finding joy in letting go -- the former Sex and the City star is back on TV with a hot new show and ready to move on from the past 

Page 70: Coronavirus in America -- back to school -- as the pandemic continues to claim lives parents and students and teachers and administrators around the nation share their hopes and fears for this strange new school year 

Page 74: Country singer Lauren Alaina -- single and stronger than ever -- following two painful breakups the country star is embracing independence after healing her heart 

Page 76: The Fall family survival guide 

Page 81: Melanie Griffith -- what my life’s really like -- the actress opens up about finding balance and staying friends with her exes and managing all this group texting 

Page 82: Style -- it’s time to update your underwear drawer 

Page 87: Second Look -- Evan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez in Kajillionaire 

Page 88: One Last Thing -- Ziggy Marley -- the Grammy winner and dad of seven is releasing a new kids’ album