#WHY DOES IT HAVE STUFF FROM WORLD ETUDE

[caramelmochacrow]

NO FCUKING TOLD ME BLOOMING ROSE FULL VERSION WAS RELEASED WHAT THE FUCK

[tn4na]

14012023 thoughts from bed

i am without my journal. feeling bleh. i had many things i wanted to do that i have not done.

before winter break, i had some thoughts. like. oh, i’ll try to draw over break. and journal, and develop my perception of the world. i have not drawn, i have not journaled. i think i have had some interesting thoughts and observed some things that i will think about. i think i will redownload tumblr so i can collect all my things in one place. maybe i will post this there also.

i hate that i’m so affected by instagram. i think that it plays a consequential role in my feelings of bleh. not that my post didn’t do well, but it still doesn’t really make me happy to think about. i like that it’s there on my profile, but i wish i would stop having thoughts about it beyond that.

my laptop has increasingly become a place where i click the same three buttons and feel nothing inside. my phone use i’m not bothered by. i redid my homescreen so there’s not much there. it’s not like i want to use it, but that sometimes i can’t handle just sitting with myself.

with this much time on my hands, i’m reminded of fall junior year, when i made my first active effort to get off my phone. it was so difficult. but now i don’t have those same instagram rabbit holes i used to. progress isn’t linear, i suppose.

with this much time, i just don’t know what to do. suppose i get off my phone and laptop. well, i guess there’s things to do. i’ve been reading a lot. staring out windows, at ceilings. i really want to play the piano. or draw, or write, or go for a nice walk. but these things require more of me.

i wonder if things would be different if i were alone. i wonder if the bleh comes from the fact that i’m really just here to spend time with my family, and everything else is extra, and sometimes these things are hard to do for reasons i do not wish to control.

i do miss playing the piano. i was never amazing, but i could work hard and be good. and i miss the feeling of having something to work towards, the feeling of craft. i always loved being able to perform a piece, even just for myself. i miss it. and it’s difficult to start again. it’s always difficult to start things just by myself. i still think about that last chopin etude i played.

it’s difficult to start things by myself. that’s why it’s good to have friends, and school. but i feel like i should be a self starter. the only thing i can do by myself is write these personal things that are not meant to be performed anyways. though i do appreciate that. to write without performance is wonderful. it feels almost pure, like breathing. i like this about myself, my ability to write what’s on my mind. even if words don’t capture it all, i’ve tried my best.

and i think i do try my best. did i ever outline goals for 2023? i forget. i only pulled out my journal one time.

i want to draw. i don’t know why. maybe i just want another piano type thing in my life, that’s maybe a bit easier to do on the go. maybe i want to say i draw. maybe i want my doodles to look a little better, or to be able to put my visions down as i see them. the last option makes the most sense. maybe in the future, i will understand these things enough to want to make art, but i doubt it. i feel like i’ve seen an okay amount of art—paintings, sculptures, etc. these things don’t make me feel so deeply though. i mean, just in general. some stuff does make me feel. but for the most part it’s books, movies, music. the natural world. water. more than anything, light. i want to capture light. light and water.

nothing is as striking to me as these two things, although a lot of things about nature are also striking to me. a truly deep breath of fresh air is also very profound.

maybe i start my artistic journey in search of capturing light and water. how they make me feel. i think that makes a lot of sense. like what it feels to stand at the edge of the ocean. to walk into a cold lake. to listen to the sounds and smell the salt. to walk into a room and be struck by the lighting, to look at the trees and see the lush green, to wake up early on a winter morning and be accompanied by nothing but the sun…

it’s really more about what these things bring out in me, isn’t it? is that the point i’m getting at? can’t be sure. trying my best to understand.

i think i should also try to think more about photography. i’ve liked trying to capture things for a while just on my phone, but maybe i should try something more serious. or even just look back at what i have to see what i’ve been doing. i’m gonna buy a hard drive so i can take stuff off my phone and laptop, too. i’m running out of storage.

i should look at the world and think about what i want to capture. in whatever it is i do. the next step is figuring out how. or maybe just learning basic skills first.

i kind of hate how much more i can write when i write on my phone. i think it’s even better than when i type on my laptop, too. it feels more honest. i love the feeling of pen on paper, but it does tire me out. maybe that’s why i was into voice recordings for a while.

i feel better already after typing all this. it feels like i’m with myself again. it’s so difficult to be truly alone. even now, i’m not really alone. i checked my email once while writing this. but i’m less alone lately. it’s nice, very nice, but it makes me feel a bit like i have nothing for myself. i guess reading helps with that, too.

for now, my main purpose is to enjoy time spent with family. i really shouldn’t worry about all this. it stays in the background. time with these people is precious. and so is rest. i forgot to mention, i’m in a period of rest.

[sweetsforhikari]

Happy Birthday, Sakuya 🌸

Without you, there won’t be Mankai Company and our story together wouldn’t have begun. In honor of your birthday and the release of your second solo song, please read the letters that I wrote for you about how the troupe members think about you.

a.n. 

I know the format might be weird, but I wrote this addressing Sakuya, so the ‘you’ here refers to Sakuya. I just thought of writing something for him to read so yes, do take note that you need to read everything below as if you’re Sakuya!

Masumi Usui

Your days of taking care of him as a leader, as a friend, as a brother really made an impact to him. Although Masumi never explicitly reciprocated your love, he has grown to listen and respect you. Allowing you to be involved in his business, hugging him, choosing to depend on you, and taking the time to listen to your words are mere proofs of him considering you as part of his family.

Both you and Masumi never really knew what true family should be like, but I’m sure your time together made both of you understand what it meant to have a brother who would stick by your side no matter what.

Tsuzuru Minagi

He has immense faith in you, Sakuya. All the scripts he had written for your role have definitely been adjusted to suit you and you alone. He would have never written a role where he knew you couldn’t perform in.

Without you as the leader, he would also have gone mad dealing with the antiques of the other members. As much as he acts as the mediator, the middle ground of the chaos ensuing in Spring Troupe from time to time, he appreciates your presence as the leader who has grown so much more dependable throughout the years. 

Dare I say, sometimes, he glances at you and smiles softly, proud you as one of his little brothers that he cherishes deeply.

Itaru Chigasaki

Sure, he might view you as a token of gacha luck to bring that SSR home, but you’re definitely more than that. Him accepting his role as the father of Spring Troupe was his way of committing to the found family that he has now. The family that you have established.

Deep down, he’s eternally grateful for your ceaseless attempts to convince him to stay and perform with the troupe during Romeo and Julius. Without you, he wouldn’t have met this group of people with whom he could drop his mask and completely be his true self.

Citron

He enjoys seeing your face light up with wonder and excitement not because he takes pleasure in teasing you, but I believe he wants to preserve that childlike innocence in you as much as possible.

Despite what others might think, I genuinely believe Citron only wants you to feel happy and ignore the negativity and evil that lie in this world. The greatest pleasure in his days has always been to see you smile right after you wake up and before you fall asleep at night. Don’t you think that’s why he enjoys telling you those magical, bombastic, wonderous stories?

Chikage Utsuki

Admittedly, he still enjoys tricking you during your daily coin toss, but he will stop at nothing to ensure you do not need to worry about a thing in life.

After all, you were the first to not give up on him and still saw him favorably (or should I say objectively without any judgment) despite his actions towards Izumi and Mankai in general.

Putting all the other troupe members under the cut so this won’t get too long! 

Tenma Sumeragi

You do know this child actor genius took the audition for Mankai because of you, right? You, who thought your acting was sub-par, turned out to inspire a veteran to face his fears and took that step.

How could Tenma ever thank you properly for that? That’s why as a fellow troupe leader, he would make sure to practice often with you, giving you acting pointers whenever he could. Not to demean you, but to lift you up so both of you can bloom together on stage as equals.

Yuki Rurikawa

He comments about your naivety, but I dare say he actually envies you for it. Being part of the minority and adopting a cynical approach to life proves to be tiring at times. The positive outlook in life despite your background is definitely something that he has considered to adopt at some point in time.

To him, you’re a reminder that being positive is an option. As much as he seems baffled by your innocence, he is part of the crew that does his best to preserve that side of you.

Muku Sakisaka

You two are angels! I can only imagine both of you continue being the precious babies that you are. Muku adores you and definitely considers you one of his precious older brothers.

His enthusiasm is reciprocated with you around and your presence lifts up his spirit as well. You are each other’s healing spirit in a way. Always be there for each other, and just by being together, both of you remind all of us that staying pure is a choice and such sight heals us on a daily basis.

Misumi Ikaruga

He’s off on scavenging triangles for your birthday! Apparently, he heard the cats sang praises about you the other day. As thanks for being his friend and for being kind to the kitties, he’s going to find a special triangle just for you.

Thank you for being so kind and understanding to him, and for becoming his faithful friend, one of his precious treasures in life.

Kazunari Miyoshi

How many times have you appeared in Kazu’s Inste feed, I wonder. He always seem to find joy in sharing what he found that might be of interest to you.

Both of you are expressive so it’s no surprise either when Kazu wants to hear your opinion on anything. Hope you find those times to be exciting. It is after all, quite rare, to find someone to be candid with these days.

Kumon Hyodo

Both of you are quite literally sunshine in human form. At times too bright for some, but that’s why both of you should continue being you.

Even Kumon admits watching you lifts his spirits, can you imagine the influence you have in improving the mood of those around you? Sakuya, as Kumon said, please stay true to yourself and keep being you. Your smile and positivity radiate and I honestly think we all need someone like you in our lives.

Banri Settsu

Don’t feel bad if he lets you borrow his clothes, or if he buys you stuff! It’s his way of letting you know he cares deeply for you. Please don’t think that you’re not worthy of receiving such gifts or even having his company.

If anything, all he wants is to see you all happy with that beaming smile. Keep being the sunshine that you are because I’m sure that’s what Banri wants for you!

Juza Hyodo

The passionate duo; both of you talk about acting a lot and I’m glad you have someone to share your thoughts and passion with.

Juza considers you as a companion of some sort, he seems to always asking you to practice or do etudes together. Just knowing that both of you can support one another in your endeavours is heartwarming. But, please don’t eat too much sweets if you can’t take it. I’m sure Juza would understand.

Taichi Nanao

He likes to try out new things and he’s grateful that you are always open to his idea and agrees to accompany him whenever he tries them out.

Thank you for being a great friend for Taichi, but please make sure that you guys don’t go overboard and hurt yourselves. Wouldn’t want that to happen when you’re having fun, right?

Omi Fushimi

How’s the Neapolitan that he cooked for you today? It must be delicious! All the love and affection he has for you has always been included in his cooking.

Thank you for being the best at helping him out in the kitchen and actually doing the chores. He appreciates it a lot, especially since the dishes don’t clean themselves and with more hands on deck, he is eternally grateful.

Sakyo Furuichi

Both of you really have come along way, from him being doubtful about your potential until today. You did it, Sakuya! You proved him wrong, alright.

I believe you are his reminder to stay true to what your dreams are. In both of your cases, you both want to be an acknowledged actor. What a long way you two have come. Remember that you have the power to prove people wrong with your earnest determination and always remember that you manage to get Sakyo’s approval on your leadership and acting skills! 

Azami Izumida

This kid needs to learn a lot from you and he knows that even though he doesn’t readily admit to it. Being a leader isn’t a walk in the park, he realises that as soon as he meets the other troupe members.

Although both of you come from an entirely different background, with him being rebellious and all, he is bound to understand that being earnest as Sakyo has said, will benefit him in the long run. You are a great example for him to follow, and don’t need to feel the pressure! You’re fine the way you are, and this kid will soon learn so both of you can bloom together!

Tsumugi Tsukioka

I’m pretty sure the cherry blossoms in the courtyard are well taken care of by Tsumugi because it also reminds him of you.

He looks out for you in the smallest ways which you might not have noticed. I’m pretty sure you realise by now that you can talk to him whenever you’re troubled, right? He will listen and he will be grateful he could be an emotional support for you.

Tasuku Takato

Have you been working out a lot with him? I could start seeing those muscle lines on your arms and legs. Keep up the good work!

He cheers you on by always thinking of training menus for you, knowing that your motivation to be stronger is to build your stamina for better endurance while acting. Tasuku might not say anything, but deep down he appreciates you depending on him for such matters. (Don’t tell him I said this, please. He’ll deny it anyway)

Hisoka Mikage

Being in the Christmas play together must have made you guys closer. Hisoka even mentioned how he looks forward to acting with you again.

Your caring nature did not go unnoticed. I believe he even gave you some marshmallows to try? And if that’s not him accepting you as one of his own, I don’t know what is.

Thank you for always looking out for him. He has you to thank for all the times he slept and was protected by the cold weather. 

Homare Arisugawa

I’m curious whether you actually understand Homare when he’s gushing about an inspiration for his poems. But, you always seem to listen intently and take the time to attempt at digesting the verses. 

Homare adores you for that; not everyone can appreciate his poems, he knows that very well, but those who put in the effort to understand his world will always be remembered. And you, Sakuya, are one of them.

Azuma Yukishiro

Being one of the oldest members of the company also meant that witnessing youth in action is always something that he looks out for everyday. This might explain why he’s a bit sad you’re one year older and more mature now.

His wish for you is simply to let you have no worries in life as you experience youth and the splendour it brings. You’re still young, so many doors of opportunities left to open. With that in mind, feel free to embrace your passion and continue pushing forward to reach your dream, Sakuya. He has your back and nothing will ever get in your way anymore.

Guy

Honestly, please convince him that you enjoy Citron’s company. I’m confident that you never once considered Citron to be a nuisance or burden of any sort.

Just know that Guy is at your service for all the trouble that Citron has caused you. And in times of need, he will always be ready to assist you.

[fmdminhee]

task. #famedrstask1.

notes: word counts are included with each individual answer! completed for +5 tracker points.

assuming your muse has changed in some way, be it internally or as a result of a change of the external factors around them, how is your muse different? these can be as small as an opinion on a song they hadn’t released previously or as big as a major change in their background. word count: 261.

minhee’s childhood prior to becoming a trainee is pretty much the exact same as before the restructuring. dance prodigy says fuck u crazy dance mom, i’m not gonna be maddie ziegler, and ends up becoming an idol. she started training a year earlier than before though, so she had a slightly longer training process! i think the most obvious change to everyone else is her faceclaim, which is now lee hyeri. buuuut if you take a look at her pages or app or anything else, you’ll see that she’s now a main dancer, lead vocal & rapper, rather than being a main dancer, lead rapper & vocal! this was sort of a selfish change on my part, because i wanted to open her up to some opportunities for solo work that wouldn’t have suited her before because of her position, but that would’ve fitted more along the lines of what i initially imagined for her image than the options actually available to her. she’s also been a lot happier for a lot longer, because instead of debuting with a concept she hated, minhee got to debut in ... an age appropriate group! if you look here, you can see some examples of what i thought of when thinking of minhee’s ideal group and ... yeah, lily lines up with that pretty well. not perfectly, but pretty well. she’s still dealing with her issues surrounding her family, her sexuality and her fear of aging, but for the most part, minhee’s a lot more settled, or even satisfied, in terms of her career.

what does your muse think of their company and their group? word count: 255.

let’s start with lily, minhee’s beloved. she loves her members, she loves the overwhelming majority of their songs, and she’s proud as hell of the legacy they’ve built up for themselves so far. to be honest, sometimes she it just hits her that oh shit, she’s minnie from lily! and oh shit, they’re basically the biggest girl group ever. no one tell her that candy inherited nation’s girl group or that ultraviolet are taking over the world, let her be dumb. no, but genuinely, she can’t believe the scale of what they’ve achieved sometimes. she doesn’t totally feel like she deserves all the love she gets. then there’s the company behind it all; bc entertainment. she wonders all the time if her mother would’ve went along with everything if it was any other company that minhee came home with a callback from. probably not. for that alone, she’s thankful. she sort of dislikes being portrayed as perfect and untouchable -- more silly and down to earth than a lot of her peers under the company, but still. it’s just part and parcel of bc’s status. the reason it gets to her is that she’s very much not that perfect girl next door that the company wants her to be, and she puts a lot of pressure on herself to live up to it. as such, minhee probably doesn’t take advantage of all of the resources being under bc allows her access to as much as she should, choosing instead to just grin and bear it. 

is your muse on their first contract or their second? if they’ve renewed, what were their feelings around that at the time and what were their hopes for their second contract? if they haven’t renewed, what are their current thoughts on the end of their eventual first contract? word count: 260.

minhee is on her second contract. she renewed with bc in 2019 for a further seven years, which doesn’t feel like that long of a time. seven years seemed like a liftetime when she signed her debut contract in 2012, but it went by pretty fast for her. finding out what the rest of her members were doing was the most important thing for minhee when choosing whether or not to renew. with lily’s status in the industry, the money she made over the previous years, and the wealth belonging to her family, she felt confident that she’d be okay no matter what happened. a safety net. but her preference was always going to be to continue with the rest of lily if possible. she wouldn’t have forced the issue if the others didn’t want to though ... at least not on purpose. knowing minhee, she probably would’ve been crying all over the place and ended up messing with everyone’s plans like that. maybe she would’ve put out an ad like, “nation’s girl group in search of new agency. must be willing to take in four fully grown women and meet all of their demands.” as for the terms in her second contract, minhee was looking for some more royalties and some reassurance that lily would continue to receive the levels of resources and investment that they were already receiving from the company, as well as more opportunities for her to grow as a soloist. she didn’t want them falling by the wayside. she’s too young to be washed up! 

what are your muse’s goals and motivations? word count: 259.

in terms of her career, minhee actually has some pretty lofty ambitions. her top two focuses are solo music and modeling, and they’re basically split an even 50/50. she wants to continue releasing upbeat solo songs, but as for the music itself, aside from some dabbling in lyrics, she’s happy to leave it to the professionals. her primary interest, aside from the obvious performance and promotion aspects, lies in developing her own choreography. for her own songs firstly, but also for lily’s songs, and maybe even others within the company. outside of bc remains to be seen. she’s been really inspired over the years by a lot of the dancers and choreographers that she’s worked with, even from before entering bc, and she’d like to inspire someone else some day too! and modeling ... i can’t lie, minhee just likes looking pretty and getting free stuff, so she’d like to do some more of that. 

as for her personal life ... messy as hell! she still really wants to find love but still only goes looking for it with fuckboys. she wants to get closer with her dad and her extended family, but is finding it difficult to pull off while also keeping her mother at arm’s length. she also can’t help antagonising her mother because she’s a dumb brat. i don’t think minhee realises it yet, but she’s slowly coming to a place of self acceptance too. when she does realise it, i think that’s something that will really motivate her to be the best she can be.

what is one conflict, internal or external, that your muse is currently dealing with, has recently dealt with, or will need to deal with in the future? word count: 262.

i’ve talked in depth about minhee’s conflict over her sexuality here, which all still holds true, but i want to take this opportunity to talk about something else very close to my heart concerning minhee that i’ve mentioned once or twice in passing but never explicitly. minhee is autistic. she just doesn’t know it yet. some fun mun trivia is that i’m autistic! but, as is typical for a lot of afab people, i was basically an adult by the time it was diagnosed. you might say, hey sucy, stop projecting on your muses, but i say no! write what you know and all that. it’s kind of ironic though, because not even i realised minhee could very well be autistic until i’d written her for two years, and deciding took me another. and now she has to go through the diagnostic process again in character, smh me. anyways, yeah, minhee is probably going to have it suggested to her pretty soon while seeking some help for her anxiety about aging, and after that she’s gonna have to recontextualise her whole life because it’s truly like a lightbulb moment for a lot of people, myself included. suddenly everything that was weird to you growing up makes sense. it’s kind of a lot to wrap your head around, and would be for anyone, so writing about that for minhee is going to be interesting. i mentioned above that she’s been kind of moving towards self acceptance anyways, and i think this will be a very big turning point for her on that journey.

if your muse has established career claims, what are their thoughts on their career so far? if they do not, how do they feel about not having individual activities yet? what would they like to do in the future, if anything? if they don’t have ambitions for individual activities, explain why. word count: 277.

she does! her individual activities consist of modeling jobs and a couple of variety show cast positions, because i felt that these were the avenues she would’ve been pushed down up until more recently in her career, when her interest in choreographing for herself would’ve really taken off. minhee has really enjoyed her career so far. she feels settled within the entertainment industry, and that type of security is so sexy to her. the less chance that her mother can say i told you so the better.it’s kind of a big difference for her in terms of character actually, but this incarnation of minhee likes being on variety shows! she’s actually confident appearing on them! this is because of the difference in concept between lily and lipstick. lipstick’s minnie’s confidence took a long time to build up. lily’s minnie’s didn’t. she’d like to be on more variety shows in the future, especially something competition based, like dancing with the stars ... or masterchef, for a laugh, because she’d be the first person eliminated. and then, there’s the modeling. as mentioned a couple of questions ago, it’s something she wants to focus pretty tightly on going forward. her favourite brand that she’s been the ambassador for so far is crocs. she loves her crocs. she has, like, five different colours. crocs, please sign minhee again. working with etude house and kloud was pretty cool too though. sometimes she’s still able to swing free beers when she goes out. so, going forward, she wants to continue with those types of gigs, as well as pursuing more solo music and developing her skills as a choreographer, like i mentioned earlier!

[damejanai]

Dameraji

2020.10.28

(This is the 3rd radio episode in a row that they recorded)

[TRANS]

K: mfnndndndbdbs

S: What?

K: I was taught not to talk with my mouth full

S: By your grandma

K: Yerp. I told my grandma not to spam me messages

S: Hahahaa, but this Tiramisu looks really delicious eh?

K: Um

S: But I'm sure programmes have celebrated your birthday in many ways right

K: Um

S: This time, Dameraji did

K: Um

S: Celebrate your birthday quite properly right?

K: Um

S: Like how we went with your request to be "Music artist Ishikawa Kaito" too

K: Yeah this time, they thought of the skit for us properly too

S:You know, I guess, Kaito kun you're really good at etudes right?

K: *swallows* Right?

S: Hehehehe

K: Hahaha, right?

S: Have you forgotten what being humble is? Somewhere along the way

K: If I'm praised I'll accept it straightforwardly, that's what I've been doing recently

S: Ahh so, you've learnt that from someone

K: No, that's what I've learnt myself, recently

S: Ahh true, I guess you accepting it straight forwardly is good for the balance of this world

K: If I don't I can't keep my morale up

S: Hahhaha so you're the one that brings your morale down eh? Well you know, good, this was, this is actually the 3rd episode in a row we're recording

K: When we do 3 in a row, we run out of things to say you know

S: Yeah totally, nothing, like, I always think before hand about what to say, right at the start right?

K: Um

S: I really had nuffing, nothing

K: Hahahaa, you're totally tired now right? that's rare

S: I really have nothing to say, that I feel like writing a cross on the wall, with this red pen

K: That's baaaad

S: But I don't think you are able to see it but, I doodled here

K: Uh huh.

S: That is all

K: I've lost interest

----

K: You know what, if we could talk about things we can't say on radio we could go on forever you know

S: Hahahhaa

K: Hahahhaa

S: That's totally true!

K: Like you know -beep- was -beep- and became -beep- Gyahahaa, and stuff

S: Right? Well well well, with included, that's radio entertainment

K: Wait? but the person who is always talking about things we can't talk about on radio, is me

S: That's true...

K: Soma san always becomes the listener.. most of the time

S: Well i'd like the conversation to stay within the safe limits so..

K: You omitted some information there

S: Hahahha, that's probably why October feels like it went by so far

K: You asshole!

S: Hahahhaa

K: Give me back those information! Hahahhaa

S: Well, when I have nothing to talk about, Kaito kun starts another topic so, I'm being spoilt by him actually

K: Well, if you call that being spoilt, it's not, .... it's trust

S: Ah, that's right

S/K: Hahhahaa

K: Eh? eh? eh? How long have you been in this career?

S: Hahahaha

K: This ass, seriously

S: Well I learnt that I should accept it straightforwardly, from Ishikawa san

K: Right, but this makes me a little irritated yeah

S: Hahhaha! I wonder why, why is it that I'm speaking normally but making the other person feel the opposite from what they should be feeling

K: But you know, you sound fake, since a long time ago

S: Is that so? (fakeish voice)

K: Ahhh that's it that's it that's it, but it makes you feel good too

S: I wonder why

K: I wonder why! Maybe a nice sounding voice makes one be wary easily

S: Like you know, recently, someone said this to me, which I felt might be true

K: Um

S: I, was born in Yamanashi, but mother is from the Kansai region

K: Right right right right

S: So she speaks Kansai ben at home

K: Ooh ooh

S: So that accent is sort of mixed in me. But I look like the kind of person who would be speaking in Tokyo accent, right?

K: Yea

S: But i think sometimes some Kansai accent is slightly mixed in, apparently

K: Like sometimes you say voiceless sounds like voiced sounds

S: Yes yes yes, that's just my articulation problem

K: No that's not it, you're able to produced voiceless sounds right, stop being prejudiced against yourself!

S: That's scary! wwww That's scary!

K: Hhahaha, you know, the only thing i can do is to talk loudly

S: When we have reached the 3rd recording right?

K: Yeah

S: Well shall we stop here then

K: All we've talked about is that Saito Soma is shady

S: wwww

K: But that's not true anyway

---

~About the possibility of a collab with Yuma~

K: Yuma is just entertainment itself, whatever he does. But on his own show he's always on his "on" mode. It'll be good if Yuma comes here and is in his "off" mode, and the 3 of us just have a casual chat

K: I would want this radio to be a radio that is not interesting... like.. everyone would have this "oooh" reaction to everything

S: A radio where the listeners could be fiddling with their phones while listening

~Dame raji photo studio~

Theme: commemorating recording 3 episodes in a row

[natsthinkitythinkthinkthonk]

Format: Interviewer Sakura: [her own words] [...] = Stuff left out * = Context notes

Ayane Sakura is now 25 years old, so this interview was probably taken two years ago!

Wikipedia: Ayane Sakura (佐倉 綾音 Sakura Ayane, born January 29, 1994) is a Japanese voice actress and narrator who is affiliated with I'm Enterprise. Some of her major roles are Natsumi Koshigaya in Non-Non Biyori, Tsubaki Sawabe in Your Lie in April, Iroha Isshiki in Oregairu, Ochaco Uraraka in My Hero Academia, Cocoa Hoto in Is the Order a Rabbit?, Yotsuba Nakano in The Quintessential Quintuplets, and Nao Tomori in Charlotte. She has also performed theme songs and character songs for various series she has appeared in. In 2018, she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 12th Seiyu Awards. 

For our 5th interview, we have the seiyuu Sakura Ayane-san. A young seiyuu to look out for, Sakura-san not only does voice acting work in popular airing anime such as Juuni Taisen, Ballroom e Youkoso, and Houseki no Kuni but also appears in works of gravure and the front covers of magazines.

While being only 23 years of age, Sakura-san is a young woman whose career is already nearing its 7th year. To start off, we interviewed her about the turning point of her career.

―Debuting as a 16-year-old is quite early, but in reality, you weren’t necessarily thinking of becoming a seiyuu from a young age, correct?

Sakura: The reason I started being a seiyuu was because when I was a middle school student, my voice trainer from the troupe I was a part of (Gekidan Touhai) told me I was better off doing voicework.

―Initially, were you aspiring to become an actress?

Sakura: It wasn’t a very serious dream for me. I’ve been physically weak from a young age, so I was thinking of doing work that would teach me how to comprehensively use my physical ability. In addition to acting, I am able to learn Japanese dance, stretching, sword fighting, voice training, etc. so I joined Touhai.

Also, I’ve always liked seeing the making of movies and anime, so I had an admiration for the world of behind-the-scenes work -- make-up artists, costume designers and producers… Beyond becoming an actress, I was thinking that if I joined a troupe, I would be able to catch a glimpse of those people’s work, and that was also a big part of it.

―Why did you switch to voicework from there?

Sakura: From a middle schooler’s point of view, joining a troupe was a good idea. However, the moment I actually stood up on stage, I thought “Ah, I was wrong.”

―What do you mean by “wrong”?

Sakura: Since I was the type to not want to learn more about myself, I didn’t know what to express. In the troupe, we often did plays similar to études* where they asked us to perform freely. But, I had zero desires to express myself so I couldn’t answer to that. That’s when I first realized that maybe I wasn’t fit for acting.

* Etudes refers to the improvisation that actors do after learning their script.

[...]I think I just had a quality of voice that was a better fit for the microphone. Also, I’m really awful at memorizing the script, but I was relatively good at acting while reading. They probably also had that part in mind when they thought I was more fit for voicework.

―However, despite saying “I’m not fit for acting,” you switched to voicework and quickly got a debut, right?

Sakura: Yes. But that’s also exactly why I was very troubled. I don’t have a clear memory of those days. I still remember taking phone calls when I was starting to regularly work on anime, but my memories of the period before that were foggy.

―About how long was that period?

Sakura: If I remember correctly… about 3 years

―Isn’t that a bit too long for a time you don’t remember much!?

Sakura: I’d say the year I budded into a proper seiyuu was 2013.

―It’s as if you’re talking about yourself like a newborn baby.

Sakura: (laughs) But really, that year was also a big turning point for my career. I clearly remember that an hour before the after-recording session for an anime called “Vividred Operation’s” second episode, my voice wouldn’t come out at all. After going to the hospital, I was diagnosed with this thing called a “vocal nodule.*” I thought I might have had to quit being a seiyuu. After that, it took half a year for me to fully recover, and every time I writhed in pain as I did my job, I started thinking seriously about how I could connect voicework to my next job.

* Vocal nodules are hard, rough, noncancerous growths on your vocal cords. They can be as small as a pinhead or as large as a pea. You get nodules from straining or overusing your voice, especially from singing, yelling, or talking loudly or for a long period of time.

―In other words, 2013 was the year you confronted the risk of losing your seiyuu career and first developed a sense of responsibility as a professional?

Sakura: I started to see everything like how much I grew to love being a seiyuu, and just how much my manager worked hard for my sake. I didn’t really see my manager as a human being before that much.

―”As a human being”...?

Sakura: I debuted as a teenager, so I didn’t really understand the concept of “adults” much back then. I wasn’t one to understand what everyone around me were thinking. However, at that time, by causing trouble for others, I really felt just how much those adults worked hard for my sake. After that, I started seeing my manager as a fellow human being too. That’s when I realized I didn’t have many opportunities in my life thus far to be deeply influenced by other people. I mean, I only made one friend in primary school due to not being in the same circle as those who had many friends, moving from one group to another, transferring schools halfway through my middle school life and having a job. I was unable to be deeply affected by another because I was always lived worrying about what others thought about me. Since my youth was of that nature, I think I couldn’t see others as fellow human beings.

―Following that train of thought, losing your voice was a kind of an “initiation” to become an adult, right?

Sakura: That might be the case. (laughs) That was when I was 19, just about to turn 20. My life truly changed in those 6 months.

―Through that period of turning points when it came to your life and your job, how have you changed?

Sakura: Hmm… I started cherishing others more than myself. (laughs)

―You’ve finally developed human feelings, huh. (laughs)

Sakura: Finally, for the first time after I debuted 4 years ago. (laughs) Also, I started to understand the workings of my company. I started thinking “the manager does this job, and the staff does these jobs, so I have to do this job.”

―So not only did you become a professional, but above all, you also became an adult, yes?

Sakura: Yes, that was also part of it. For instance, I got to broaden my horizons at once by being able to talk to my senpai. 

―Also, with regards to entering this industry, the reason you did was because you were interested in the making of anime and movies, and the fact that you thought of the world of adults as a wall to overcome. Since you’ve now experienced it, can you say that you have achieved your dreams?

Sakura: It’s true that I’ve admired adults since a long time ago. I’ve always wanted to grow up quickly that even now, I feel like I want to become 30 or 40 sooner.

―Sakura-san, you have many opportunities to appear in gravure*, but aren’t you afraid of getting older?

* Gravure refers to photography and videos of female models (or seiyuu in this case) in Japan. It can range from clothed and tame to nude and provocative.

She has her first photobook out! It was released on her 24th birthday.

Sakura: I’m quite excited about it. Besides, I have this habit of thinking about my job in long spans of time and that’s exactly why the younger workers are leaving from the bottom, right? I’m thinking about things like how long I’ll stay in this industry, and what my older self can do.

―But, you’re still 23 years old!

Sakura: I think it’s probably because life after I turned 20, was hard. (laughs) I felt like many happenings in my life were condensed to a shorter time frame and I’ve experienced things many times more than I have in my life before.

I’m not sure whether there should be anything else added, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask! She has won a seiyuu award since then, and her career is really looking up!

[detrimental--scientist]

What is Detrimental Scientist’s daily makeup routine?

As a girl who grew up with books and highlighters on my hand, I never really had all the time in the world to wear make up and prioritize my looks over studies. Make up, liptint, blush on, and foundation, those are unfamiliar stuffs when you get yourself involved with healthcare students/professionals. Yes, we do know the basics, but it’s not so much of an issue if we wear it or not. I was the powder-only type of girl before, until my life’s greatest plot twist happened - my long term boyfriend cheated on me with someone who knows how to maintain herself. Reality slapped me and made me realize that, I, too, must exert effort in making my self presentable in front of people, so that’s when I learned how to apply light make up, etc.

But that didn’t really push me to join the bandwagon and dig deeper into the art of MAKE UP. I live by my belief that the best kind of make up routine is making it look simple, but fresh and classy. Girls have to remember that it’s not about applying full make up and such, we just have to own it and slay, but remember not to overdo it and turn us into a bitch or whore face. So, enough with the long intro, here’s how I do my everyday look.

1. BB Cream/Foundation

I always prefer using BB Cream over foundation because it gives a lighter look and feeling on the face. For BB Cream, I stick loyal to Missha, not only it serves as a cream, but also moisturizes and protects the skin from the sun. It costs around 1,500 php but it’s totally worth it. For foundation, I use Loreal and of course Maybelline (my boyfriend actually bought it for me lol).

Reminder: Be keen in choosing your foundation color, make sure it matches your skin tone. You don’t wanna look like a mumu or geisha ayt? Wag ambisyosa, don’t choose a lighter color lol.

✔️Apply small amount on the face and neck. You can use a foundation brush or foam, but I don’t have time for that so I just use bare fingers lol. After spreading, apply light powder (you don’t wanna over apply it, choose a powder that blends with your skin color).

2. Eyebrows

This is the best part for me because I have nice brows. I always get compliments like “how do you do your brows? Galing mo naman. They’re perfect!” Well, to be deeply honest, it’s not skills, it’s really my brow shape that makes it really good with make up on. I use Etude House brow pencil, simply because duh why not? I think it’s the best brow pencil one could ever look for. It doesn’t cost that much, but definitely not chipipay as well, so yeah, quality over quantity.

✔️You can search for tutorials over the net on how to perfectly do your eyebrows. I’ll make a tutorial pretty soon, if I get a chance to. But for now, the only thing that I can advice is when choosing a pencil color, pick the one that’s one shade darker than your hair color so it will complement. Second, don’t draw lines or fill the middle parts of both brows (nearest to the nose) so it would look natural. Lastly, use an eyebrow mascara (I use Nichido) to make the brows last for the whole day.

3. Eyes

I have three parts for this, first is eye shadow followed by eyeliner then mascara.

a.) Eye shadow

I’m not into bold colors, I only use one color when it comes to eye shadows - BROWN. I’m gonna bet on my life this color really gives the classy and pang mayaman look. One hack, you can use an old brown liquid lipstick (I use my old Kylie nude lippie). It lasts longer and the color is different from a normal eye shadow.

b.) Eyeliner

It was difficult to learn how to perfectly apply my liner, but if you want a trick, don’t use the tip to draw, tilt the pen horizontally and make the sides of the pen touch your lids. Cat eyes aren’t necessary, because for me it does look a little off the classy look. Just draw one straight line and make it as thin as possible.

c.) Mascara

I don’t always apply mascara because it’s really hard to take it off before bed lol. But if I do, I make it as natural as possible by not applying too much. For this, I also use Etude House and Loreal.

4. Cheeks

Here comes everyone’s favorite, but I think one of the most critical. Some girls overdo this part. They really think drunk blush really slays, but little did they know, that depends on the skin type. If you’re fair skinned, you can definitely slay a drunk blush look, but if you’re morena, then don’t overdo it, apply moderate amounts. And for both cases, too much blush on makes you look like the girls around q ave ready to get paid (you know what I mean). Wag pa-pokpok pls lang.

✔️What I use for my cheeks is really affordable and budget ready. It’s EB’s lip and cheek stain. I also use other lip tints such as Tony Moly and Etude of course but EB’s really the best for me because it spreads easily and doesn’t create dots and lines. I also have a powder version (Clinique) that I use when I attend special occasions. Apply a little amount on your middle finger then spread it with the other one, then dap on your cheeks, don’t forget the nose part so it would come out naturally. You can also choose not to apply blush, if you wanted to look a little more fresh and fair.

5. Lips

I have lots of lippies but currently my favorite is Maybelline’s Superstay. This is because of the fact that I don’t have to reapply every now and then just to maintain it. It lasts, no joke. And quick trivia about me, I don’t have dark red lippies. I stick to the nude or brown color because I really wanted to maintain the classy look. For liptints, Tony Moly is a favorite of course, followed by Etude and many others.

A little reminder to all of you tho, quit buying fake lippies and lip tints. It’s better to invest than to get your lips cracked, and worst thing you could have are lesions that can lead to cancer.

Brown/nude matte- I use this color whenever I meet up with my boyfriend’s parents, family members, employees, etc. Also, when I go to job interviews or anything formal.

Pinkish nude matte- I don’t know how to describe the color but definitely not light pink. This one’s a little nude but pinkish and I use this whenever I go on a date with my boyfriend. This gives a fresh and pretty aura.

Red-violet liptint- I use this to slay my party-goer look. This one makes me look a little badass chick and bold.

Light red liptint- this is my to go liptint because it looks natural. I use this whenever I go grocery or when I meet with close friends.

That ends my make up routine. If you would notice, it would qualify as a simple and light make up. There were no contours and extras, and I think that’s the reason why till now, my skin isn’t prone to acne and other skin problems. I make sure I test products first before I use, and I stick to limited make up brands that are safe and quality tested.

[chisashinju]

pictorial: natural glam (with aegyo-sal)

hello! this is going to be my first pictorial so please excuse me if i make any mistakes! (´∩ω∩｀) i’m going to show you my favorite eyelook lately which is perfect for everyday makeup because it’s glamorous but at the same time it’s subtle ~ (also, please excuse my bad, dry skin... the weather is constantly changing here and it’s so bad for my skin...)

the warmth of my pictures change throughout the pictorial because i do my makeup at my window!

what i use:

etude house drawing eye brow pencil

essence lash & brow gel mascara

becca under eye brightening corrector

maybelline instant age rewind eraser

essence all about matt! fixing compact powder

catrice nude illusion loose powder in ‘transparent matt’

too faced shadow insurance

too faced sweet peach palette

holika holika gudetama eyeshadow palette in ‘tiramisu’ (limited edition)

183 days gem pop eye shadow in 040 ‘glamourized’

essence i♥extreme crazy volume brown mascara

first, i begin with creating a base. i start by drawing on my eyebrows. for this i use the etude house drawing eye brow pencil and fill my brows in. then, i set my brow hairs in place by using the essence lash & brow gel mascara. when i’m done i fix mistakes with concealer if i need to. afterwards i apply my too faced shadow insurance on my eyelid and gently pat the becca under eye brightening corrector on my under eyes.

when both the primer and the corrector dried down i set the primer with a bit of the essence all about matt! fixing compact powder. on my under eyes i now apply the maybelline instant age rewind eraser and bake with catrice’s nude illusion loose powder in ‘transparent matt’. 

now i’m finally ready to apply the eyeshadow! these are the products i will use:

sadly, the gudetama palette was limited edition and isn’t available anymore. there’s only a permament version of the second gudetama palette which has more reddish hues. so, if you’re interested in that you can get it here. it’s the red velvet one!

the 183 days eye shadow is only available in germany and austria, i think... but there are plenty of similar products on yesstyle for example! 183 days is a new brand in dm (a drugstore in germany and austria) and it makes products that are inspired by trends all over the world so i’m pretty sure this product is inspired by korean liquid glitter eyeshadows!

back to the tutorial! ( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ i begin by applying the lightest shade in the holika holika gudetama eyeshadow palette all over my lid. if i had a base on (foundation etc) i would also directly apply it under my bottom lash line because i would have already brushed away the baking powder.

then, i take the shimmery shade and pat it on my outer and inner corners. afterwards i use what’s left on the brush to connect the shadow in the crease. 

little hint: not using more product will prevent a harsh line in your crease and overall leaves you with a soft, blended shadow.

next, i use the dark brown matte shadow (unfortunately, the cute gudetama face is almost already gone... ;;) to deepen my outer corner and blend it outwards like a triangle if that makes sense... i pat what’s left on the brush on my inner corners. then i connect the shadow in the crease the same way i did it with the shimmer shade before.

i now take the brush i used to apply the lightest shade in the beginning with to blend everything together.

when everything looks nicely blended i apply the glitter shade all over the lid with my finger. first, i dab it on so i have glitter everywhere on my lid. then, i lightly rub the glitter on. using the finger to apply shimmers/glitter makes it look way prettier and more pigmented.

i now use the dark brown matte shade again to create the illusion of an eyeliner. i take an angle liner brush and pat the shadow right above my lash line and wing it out at the outer corner. then, i take my first brush again to blend out and soften the wing a bit.

to finish the look on my lid i apply some of the 183 days gem pop eye shadow in 040 ‘glamourized’ on a flat brush. the liquid shadow is white but has a slightly warm undertone to it which fits perfectly to this eyelook. actually, it has a doe foot applicator but if i use that one i apply way too much. that’s why i use a different brush. i just want a soft highlight in the middle of my lid that still shows the color underneath it.

now, i highlight my inner corner and beneath my brow by mixing white peach and nectar from the too faced sweet peach palette. as you can see i just apply it with my pinkie. when i’m done with that i finally brush away the baking powder. but be careful! if you don’t brush softly/pat the powder away you might mess up your concealer.

after removing the baking powder i work on my undereyes. first, i apply the lightest shade under my bottom lash line. then, i apply the shimmer shadow on the outer corner. (i hate doing my bottom lash line because i always get stuff in my eyes then... i’m an idiot (´;ω;｀) )

to create the illusion of puffy eyes i mix the shades charmed, i’m sure and puree from the sweet peach palette to create the perfect hue for my skintone. with a small brush i apply it under my eyes.

little hint: when you half-close your eyes you can easily see where you have to put the shadow!

afterwards i apply the glitter shade with my finger between my bottom lash line and the shadow i just applied.

to highlight even more i use the 183 days glitter eye shadow again and apply it on top of the glitter shadow of the gudetama palette. this time i apply it on the whole part, not just the middle. then, i finish the whole look by applying the essence i♥extreme crazy volume brown mascara to my top lashes. if you want to you can also apply it to the bottom lashes and glue on some lashes. i personally adore the look like this because it’s not too much. it’s perfect for school, work, going out... whatever you’re about to do!

unfortunately, the lighting makes it look like the eyeshadow on my undereyes is very dark. in other lighting it looks like aegyo-sal, i promise! (٭°̧̧̧꒳°̧̧̧٭)

that’s it. i hope you like the pictorial and it inspired you for your next look. thank you for reading! goodbye ~ ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧

[qianvevo]

4,6,9,10,11,14,16,17,23,24,25,26,29,31,32,40,42,49,57,61,65,76,77,78,85,86,88,90,92,93,100

fam u glad im bored rn

4. do you like your name? why?

its ok i guess. there are worse names out there. if i had the chance to change it i would probably do it tho.

6. describe your personality in 3 words or less

loud, funny, unique.

9. where do you shop?

wtf kind of question is that and why does it interest you lmao. anyways, i like urban outfitters, zara, mango and all that generic stuff...

10. how would you describe your style?

im pretty flexible when it comes to that. i sometimes wear cute stuff, other times im more into that ‘dont fkn touch me’ look. i would like to wear more cute outfits though.

11. favorite social media account

bts_twt obviously lol.

14. if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why?

my mom always tells me i should move to busan lol. actually ive never been there but i like the combination between traditional and modern. i love cities near the sea, so thats a huge plus too. and they have so many amazing cycling tracks. other than that i would probably like to live in iceland. such a pretty country. fairies, northern lights, snow, nice people. gotta love it.

16. favorite makeup brand(s)

ysl has very pretty lipsticks, chanel has the best mascara wands. i also really want to try a mac highlighter. other than that i like etude house.

17. how many times a week do you shower?

i shower every day. sometimes twice when i come home from the gym etc.

23. describe your dream date

1. meeting at a local coffee shop, enjoying some nice warm cocoa while watching the snow falling outside. chatting about this and that, making each other laugh. then taking the train home, resting my head on his shoulder eventually falling asleep as he puts his arm around me. wow thats gross but im a sucker for romance these days

2. getting picked up at home for a trip to an amusement park, all excited for the roller coasters and other fun stuff. holding hands while roaming through the park, eventually getting onto a ride, having the time of our lives. hopping off the ride sharing excitement caused by adrenaline, later on sharing some cotton candy and playing more chill arcade games.

24. how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment?

idk, probably a few cents.

25. what color socks are you wearing?

not wearing any socks right now.

26. how many pillows do you sleep with?

two.

29. whats the worst thing you have ever done?

doing what was expected of me, not doing what i really wanted and needed.

31. 3 favorite boy names

i dont have any fav names but i choose some at random lmao. eli, silas, yoongi 

32. 3 favorite girl names

again, i dont have any preference in names. adelaide, hyeri, eunseo

40. how many times have you been to the hospital?

idk, obviously ive been at the hospital at my birth, other than that i think ive been there once when i was really young because i had otitis media.

42. do you take any medications daily?

nope.

49. what was the last compliment you received?

you look pretty.

57. do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels?

no, and i dont understand people who do so.

61. have you ever peed in the woods?

whoever answers this question with no is a big liar.

65. what do you wear to bed?

boxers and a loose fit tee.

76. what color looks best on you?

camel, creme and white.

77. do you miss anyone right now?

my non-existant bf like where are u im waiting.

78. do you sleep with your door open or closed?

closed.

85. what shirt are you wearing?

longsleeve in burgundy with grey stripes.

86. what is your phone background?

a pic of wjsns bona and eunseo.

88. do you like it when people play with your hair?

hell to the yes (if i like that person, otherwise its a no no).

90. do you wash your face? at night? in the morning?

i religiously wash my face in the morning and evening. i have a classic 10 step skincare routine.

92. have you ever been drunk?

not fully drunk, but ive been tipsy before.

93. last thing you ate?

fried chicken.

100. who was the last person you cried in front of?

i dont wanna talk about that.

[dream-farm-animation-studios]

Character design gives the animation a reason to survive!

The most important part of producing animation is character design. No matter what kind of animation you are working on (2D animations or 3D animations), you have to pay the utmost attention to character design. Because in the end, the only thing that lingers in the audiences’ mind is the character.

As the animation is being produced, the character design process is started too. It requires the knowledge of textures, colors, forms and all the things about a character that needs to be born.

Why do we remember our childhood animated characters?

Close your eyes and try to remember some of your favorite animated characters. I bet Tom and Jerry, Sponge Bob Square Pants and Winnie the Pooh, Homer Simpson and Wall.E are on top of the list.

What has made them so special?

We vividly remember our childhood comic and animated characters because they had what we didn’t have. We couldn’t fly or jump the way they did or we couldn’t do silly stuff and not being afraid of the consequences. Animation brought a world full of new experiences to our limited perception of the world.

Why character design is important?

Character design is one of the first steps in producing an animated video. Without characters, there would be no animation. One of the first steps in designing a character is to list the personalities, temperaments, physical attributes and appearance. The key to designing a character is to focus on the details.

What makes a character memorable?

Giving a strong personality and a cute weakness would do a great job in the course of animation production. Characterization depends on the type of animation you are producing which is real or fantasy and surreal. Thus, research is demanded in this case. After finding a reference, the main work starts. Your characters should be one of a kind unless it will be forgotten soon. You have to give the uniqueness to your character.

Uniqueness of personality

To make a character unique, it’s not necessary to bring strange and weird features. Just make sure your character doesn’t look or act like other animated characters. You can give your character any kind of traits you wish. From the kindness of Casper “Casper the friendly ghost” to the humor of Sponge Bob Square Pants and Patrick and weirdness of Cat-Dog! Hence, we tend to remember characters that we made an emotional bond with.

Principles to design a character

Who this character is designed for?

First of all, it is important to be aware of the audience. Designing a character for children is different from designing for adults. For children, it is crucial to use bright colors, deformed creatures with exaggerated facial expression and movements with music. While for adults it is completely different. Colors, movements and reacts are more moderate.

What this character is designed for?

After answering several questions about the age and interest of the audience, and content, animation moves on to the next level which is considering the medium. Depends on the medium, the style and the purpose of animation might vary. A character in a mobile game has fewer details and doesn’t react to the user or even it doesn’t start any emotional bond. Therefore, it is different from an animated promo video or an educational video.

Realize your ideas

After giving identity to your character, it’s time to start sketching. It may take 2 or 3 days with more than 20 etudes to finalize one sketch. Physical attributes are assigned based on the personalities that are given to a character beforehand.

Characters can be fat, chubby, to be one of a kind or so distorted that can be barely recognized as something familiar. It might start from a simple doodle to an elegant sketch. After being approved by the animation studios, director, producer, and the customer, your finalized sketch is ready to move on to the next step of character design.

Application Time!

it’s time to apply what you had in mind, on the screen. At first, you need to choose the primary color pallets. You choose the colors and the skin tones based on some factors. One of them is your work’s style that can be either fantasy or real. You wouldn’t use a pink or green skin tone on a real character with the humorless storyline. Another influential factor is creativity. Director decides what color is suitable for a character to finalize a work.

It was in this stage that, Shrek was born with green skin tone or Patrick became a pink starfish! Afterward, you apply textures and accessories or physical attributes such as hairstyle, mustache, and freckles.

Finish it!

Next step in the animation production process is to polish your character. In this stage, the details will be fixed, the colors will be regulated and all the possible expressions, models and movements will be drawn.

Character design has no end but this post does!

The animation is a novel field, you think about a world with imaginary features, you design characters for it and make them live in that. Character design, on the one hand, is one of the most creativity demanding works to do and on the other hand, you can give life to the traits and personalities or colors you always loved to have, to the creature that you made them yourself.

[caramelmochacrow]

i am a bit mad bc of me playing some fighting games a while ago so i wont be able to. like. point out everything and word things properly but i'll try my best to point out stuff i noticed in the mv of world etude and from quickly checking the wiki page haha.

ok. world etude's bpm is 142, close to prayer[s] (bpm is 145) so that means that's what it's probably connected to (like w merm4id's being connected to princess advent)

this could be my terrible memory speaking but im sure i hear a few sounds and synths from ultramarino, nirvana, nocturne, and i thiiink tenshi to akuma in the song. (also some of the guitar parts are a bit similar to the breakdown in prayer[s])

the way tsubaki is singing sounds a bit close to how aoi was singing in blooming rose w how high her voice is but yet again, that could be my terrible memory tricking me. that or she's trying to replicate the kind of sound she had in ultramarino flor seca.

now, enough abt the song and how it sounds, onto the mv!

the mv has a lot of compass stuff, and if u didn't know, abyssmare is suppossed to represent the four cardinal directions (North South East and West or Neo Sophia Elsie and Weronika) why do they have this? im not sure, but something that's a bit interesting to me is that neo likes chess and rondo's 2nd anniversary cards are based on four chess pieces (aoi the king, tsubaki the queen, hiiro the bishop, and nagisa the knight). the fact that the mv makes references to the four cardinal directions and rondo having chess related stuff might mean something personal might be happening between abyssmare and rondo that it's affecting all four of them and not just the vocalists.

at 0:49 in the mv, they show a giant spiral stair case as a tiny golden compass falls down the screen, they cut to a bird's eye view of the spiral staircase that looks like it's descending downward as the compass follows too. it looks like this one part of the traumerei mv at 0:49 (hey, isn't that funny?) and 1:41, which implies this song has a connection to traumerei, meaning that it's either a sequel or prequel to it.

and then at 1:55 it's a very quick scene but i went frame by frame to see clearly and they show the silhouettes of rondo's first promo art (them in the outfits, yk, standing and stuff) all in their own lines, by themselves, then the lines all intertwine w each other in some way which leads them to the silhouettes for the 1st anniversary outfits, still far apart but a bit closer than the last, until they finally stop at the 2nd anniversary outfits w them being seen clearly, then they show rondo's logo and the song ends.

this probably implies that rondo will become closer in their side origin? they were already close before but i think bc of something that happens in the event (possibly relating to abyssmare) that will cause them to become closer than before.

the text above is probably a wrong now but im still keeping it bc i saw the new cards for side origin and. :)

tsubaki's card is called wandering which might imply that rondo is kinda not in a good time rn and hiiro's card does not help w this at all since the tarot card she's playing with her hand is the tower arcana upright and the tower arcana usually means disruptive change or sudden revelations, aka: it's bad. it's terrible, bad shit is going to happen. if it was reversed that would be worse bc reversed it means: negligence, absence, distribution, carelessness, distraction, apathy, nullity, and vanity.

so..... i hope rondo the very best in side origin :D

[thestoryofanencounter-blog]

Chapter 4: studies and love

On Friday 8th of November, we were meeting for the third time. We went for a coffee at Darius, just in front of the university. (Great coffee, great people.) After we ordered, we sat down and started our little meeting. Michel likes to start with some questions, or corrections he would like to bring to our texts. We try to send him our drafts before posting our articles (Camille is always a bit ahead of me on this, oops). So, Michel did his homework very well, he has printed out our articles, underlined some parts and looked up words he didn’t understand.

He came back on something Camille and I didn’t interpret really accurately. Michel told us that he was not ‘happy’ to have left Syria. Actually, he misses how Syria was before the war started, he misses his girlfriend and his work too. What he wanted to convey with the word ‘happy’, was that he was glad to live here in Belgium. According to Michel (and understandably) it is easy to live in Belgium: you are taken good care of and you are not woken up by the noise of military airplanes and bombs. He told us we had no idea how difficult it could be to live with that constant threatening noise.

Michel: “When Belgian people see the military in the streets, they are afraid”.

*

Michel told us that he does not show his emotions easily but when I heard him speak about his girlfriend, Marie Joud, I was really touched and felt some emotions going through him.

Joud (as Michel calls her) stayed in Syria because she’s still studying and because it’s too complicated for Michel to welcome her. He told us that the conditions to make her come live with him were really exorbitant (a certain salary per month, a house with a certain number of rooms, etc…). My heart kind of broke when he told us it was impossible for her to come right now and that he will have to wait.

Again… waiting.

He didn’t show us a picture of her but if it is the girl on Michel’s profile picture on Facebook, I must say that she’s really pretty. Michel and Joud know each other from when they were still kids, they’ve met at their Scouts unit. They weren’t really friends at the time but four years ago I guess something happened and (pouf) they fell in love.

  Like I said before, Joud is still studying but the problem is that she really doesn’t like her study option. You’ll ask me: “Why has she chosen something she doesn’t like? Why doesn’t she study something else?” Well, the educational system in Syria is completely different and less free than here.

In Syria, your access to the different superior studies is determined by your score at your secondary school final test (here we talk about the CESS, Certificat des Etudes Sécondaires Supérieures). I think it will be clearer with an example: Michel wanted to go for architecture. Therefore, he had to obtain at least 208/240 at his final test. Unfortunately he got 204/240 and wasn’t allowed to study architecture. Instead, he chose economics and it turned out quite well for Michel.

As for Joud, she wanted to study pharmacy but for a difference of 2 or 3 points on her final test she wasn’t allowed to. That’s why she finally opted for telecommunication engineering.

I think Belgians (and not only them but a lot of other people in the world) tend to forget how lucky they are to have the right to make their own choices.

*

Now, I would like to come back on something I briefly mentioned at the end of my previous article. The last time we spoke, Michel told us that he decided not to follow his master’s classes anymore. Mainly, this was because of his knowledge of French. He told us that he has a lot of difficulties understanding what’s said during the classes. Reading and learning new things in French turn out to be arduous. To read something we could absorb in 15 minutes, it takes him about 45 minutes.

The secondary reasons are the administration and the CPAS (Centre Public d'Action Sociale who would like him to work, not to study of course…). Michel had to wait for a very long time to get his diploma equivalency. In addition, his diploma equivalency is not that advantageous. According to the FWB (Féderation Wallonie-Bruxelles), his Syrian university degree is equal to a ‘grade académique general de Bachelier’. In other words, there is no specialization or master’s degree attached to it. Michel explains that in Flanders (the Northern part of Belgium) it would have been the case. There, their specialization is recognized as something like ‘banking’ or ‘marketing’.

Because of all these delays and complications, Michel was not able to register on time. Fortunately, thanks to the President of the Jury, Michel and his friend George were allowed to make a late registration at the university. Michel told us that he had the full support of the President of the Jury and that he/she did a lot of things for him and his friend George.

So, Michel will do his best to succeed in his master this year and if it doesn’t work, he told us that he was probably going to follow some training in logistics or something similar.

I would like to end this chapter with a funny anecdote after all this serious stuff. When we ended our conversation, Camille wanted to communicate a life changing discovery: she has found a little electronic device that eases pain during that particular period of the month. Great to me but Michel suddenly started to blush and to feel uncomfortable, so that I started to laugh and then everybody laughed!

Okay, I’m not a good story teller … I hope you that you can imagine the scene by yourself. 

[ricardosousalemos]

Shinichi Atobe: From the Heart, It’s a Start, a Work of Art

It might not feel like it now, at a time when the internet has rendered so many mysteries of the era moot, but from the mid 1990s until not long after the turn of the millennium, Berlin’s Chain Reaction label was among the most cryptic operations in electronic music. Label heads Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, better known as Basic Channel, kept a defiantly low profile, and the label’s artists trafficked in a dizzying array of aliases; some, like the solo project known simply as Various Artists (Torsten Pröfrock, aka T++, Erosion, et al), continue to flummox databases decades later. The label’s sound didn’t exactly lend itself to transparency, either: grainy dub techno emphasizing collective ethos over individual ego, in which shadows and murk threatened to drown out techno’s steady footfall.

Chain Reaction’s most enduring mystery came with its penultimate release, in 2001: Ship-Scope, a near-perfect EP of shimmering ambient techno credited to one Shinichi Atobe, a total unknown. Unknown he remained: Chain Reaction gave up the ghost two years later, and Atobe dropped out of sight, seemingly for good. Many listeners assumed that he was really another Chain Reaction artist in disguise. Then, in 2014, Demdike Stare’s Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker, allegedly following a tip from the Basic Channel office, claimed to have tracked down the artist at home in Saitama, Japan; they came away with an album’s worth of unreleased material, some new and some archival. The result, Butterfly Effect, built upon Ship-Scope’s dream-world architecture with a tantalizing assortment of styles, from glistening, minimalist house to dissonant musique concrete to lumpy rhythm studies poised somewhere between Dettinger and Burial.

Whoever Atobe may be—and the promise of an upcoming live debut in Japan suggests that maybe he really is just a reclusive dude—the past few years have found the project definitively revitalized. Since Butterfly Effect, he has released a Ship-Scope reissue, the mini-album World, and the short Rebuild Mix 1.2.3 EP, a remix project in which Atobe’s hand obliterated all traces of the original. From the Heart, It’s a Start, a Work of Art fleshes out his catalog with 40 more minutes of music, and it is uniformly striking stuff. While not as wide-ranging as Butterfly Effect, it is richer and fuller than World, and though it retains ambient music’s atmospheres, it focuses squarely on dancefloor energies while amping up the emotional content.

That’s particularly true of its two most substantial cuts. In “Regret,” bright chords reminiscent of DJ Sprinkles flare over a bare-bones boom-tick rhythm, with hi-hats chirping like crickets. In “Republic,” a flayed open hi-hat suggests peak-time techno at its most severe, yet watery synths and midsection-caressing sub-bass suggest almost shoegaze-like vibes. Both tracks are little more than static loops, all but unchanging over the course of their nearly 10-minute run, yet their hypnotic repetitions and naïve melodies wrap you up in a kind of cocoon.

It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what it is that’s so enveloping, and so moving, about Atobe’s work. Some of it comes down to his tonal sensibility. Like “Rainstick” and “The Red Line,” from his debut EP, his best tracks here seem to emanate a rosy glow, and his chord progressions, simple as they are, are masterful exercises in tension and release. Not everything is such a wistful reverie, though. “The Test of Machine 2” sounds like an etude for melting wind chimes, while “The Test of Machine 1” hammers uneven kick drums over a backdrop of bell tones and mechanical clatter, like a fax machine eating an old Jeff Mills cassette.

For many, the most fascinating material here will be three tracks that build upon the Shinichi Atobe mystery. Before Chain Reaction ever released Ship-Scope, claim Canty and Whittaker, Atobe recorded a three-track EP that was cut to acetate—a vinyl-like material, often used for dubplates, more susceptible to wear and tear than the wax used in commercially released records—in an edition of five. But it was never commercially released until now, having been allegedly remastered directly from one of those crumbling acetates. “First Plate 1” is a luminous dub techno sketch that certainly sounds like it could have been recorded in 2000, with a muted, compressed quality reminiscent of a seventh-generation cassette dub. The vinyl crackle is even thicker and creamier on “First Plate 2,” a deliciously dubby stepper that suggests a more narcotic take on Basic Channel’s Maurizio project. And on “First Plate 3,” surface noise settles over a resonant dub-techno roller like a low mist hugging the countryside.

The story raises more questions than it does answers: Why were only five acetates made, and then no records pressed? Why didn’t they utilize the original master disk for the reissue, or, better, the original DAT or digital file? And why, if they really did work off of such a damaged acetate, did they choose to emphasize all that surface noise, rather than minimizing it? It’s impossible to tell how much of the sound design is intentional, and how much is a result of the alleged remastering process. But as with William Basinski’s The Disintegration Loops or Burial’s “Distant Lights,” the degraded sound quality becomes an integral part of the music’s emotional experience. Wherever and whenever the music has come to us from, it wears all the signs of a great journey. And as with bards of yore, it’s the storytelling, not the veracity of the tale, that keeps us rapt.