#Youko-chan

[magicalgirloftheday]

✧・ﾟ:*Today’s magical girl of the morning is: Youko-chan from Inari Shoujo Youko-chan!✧・ﾟ:*

[dailyfigures]

Tushan Yaya ; Fox Spirit Matchmaker ☆ Yuewen Haowu

[thefigureresource]

Yaya Tushan : Qing Lin Bi Lu ver [Fox Spirit Matchmaker] 1/7 scale from Yuewen Goods coming January 2024.

[ljaesch]

Crunchyroll Announces Simulcasts for the Summer 2024 Anime Season

Crunchyroll has announced its anime simulcast lineup for the Summer 2024 season. Tower of God Season 2 Airtime: July 7, 2024 (Time TBA) Available in: North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East and CIS My Hero Academia Season 7 Airtime: Saturdays at 2:30 a.m. PDT Available in: North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the…

[kazimakuwabara]

Feral 2

Summary: a continuation of "Feral." Koenma reminds Team Urameshi, that a demon is still a demon. Kurama is dangerous.

***

“It’ll wear off,” Koenma said, not unkindly about Kurama’s condition, but with not much concern. "He's fine."

The Youko was currently sitting with Hiei canoodled into his lap, his chin plopped on top of Hiei’s. Hiei, surprisingly, was quite relaxed and neutral about Kurama snuggling him and taking up his space. He didn’t even seem to mind when Kurama started rubbing his cheek against Hiei’s neck, yipping cheerfully as he scented him. To Yusuke and Kuwabara's amazement, it seemed that Hiei might have even been used to such behavior from the fox.

“I think it’s best to just let it run its course. We’re still analyzing what Kurama was injected with, but we’re already sure it’s temporary. It’ll be a week a best. We might as well just let it pass naturally,” Koenma said, smiling from a safe distance behind his desk. He tapped his chin, “Although, he should remain in the Makai. Close to you three. I don’t think he’d like it if you’re not close.”

“Pff, so we gotta give into fox-boy’s whims?” Yusuke asked, reaching over to ruffle Kurama’s ears.

Kurama all too happily leaned into the attention.

“Despite his friendly attitude… he is still a Kistsune. He's still, Youko Kurama. He’s dangerous,” Koenma insisted gravely. He nodded slowly, “It’s probably best you three stay nearby to help him keep calm.”

“You sayin’ that cuddle monster is dangerous?” Kuwabara chortled, wincing as Yukina’s hands glided over his back. She was healing his injuries, her cool hands doing their best to soothe away his pains.

“A demon is still a demon. And a demon with an animalistic nature is most dangerous… no matter how friendly they may seem,” Koenma intoned, his eyes serious.

“I’ve got to get your leg now Kazuma… this will be painful,” Yukina gently told Kuwabara, her face sympathetic as moved her hands down to Kuwabara’s leg.

Kuwabara nodded at her, flashing her an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry about it Yukina-chan!”

“Hard to imagine him dangerous!” Yusuke chattered, grinning as Kurama now leaned into his palm, moving his head in an attempt to get Yusuke to scratch his ears. “He’s so different like this! This isn’t how Youko Kurama acted, right?”

“Hardly,” Hiei snorted. “I think he has his Youko form, but his mind has regressed a little more to his fox state of old. The fox he was before a demon.”

“Exactly,” Koenma agreed. "If he was Youko Kurama, as he was when he was a criminal, I'm sure that would be a different flavor of danger. But we could at least talk to him, and convince him we're not his enemy. In this state, it's a bit more complicated."

There was an audible pop as Yukina pressed down on Kuwabara’s injured shin, her hands rapidly glowing as she fixed the fractured bones and torn muscles of his leg. Kuwabara let out a strangled cry, that trailed off into a hiss. His eyes closed in pain, and slammed his mouth shut as he tried to repress the painful grunt.

The growl that filled the room on top of Kuwabara's whimpering, was ferocious.

Several shouts went up as the Youko sprang from behind Hiei to snap at Yukina, his golden eyes glowing with a pale light. His softer, almost cheerful expression had completely vanished, as his jaw rippled with fierce anger. He had gone a shade paler at the sound of Kuwabara's muffled pain, and it made him look more like a charging ghoul as he sprang on all fours towards Kuwabara, and Yukina.

He rushed the ice maiden on all fours, growling and showing fangs as he moved wild and fast towards her. Yukina kept her calm, and simply backed up and away from Kuwabara, holding her hands out submissively with her hands full of her medical herbs.

Kurama crawled over Kuwabara when he reached him, positioning himself on all fours over the man. His chest was out, and his teeth were flashed as the fur of his ears and tail bristled, his face lowered as he stared at the perceived threat with anger. He snapped, emitting a low sound that was quite different from the high-pitched yipping he had been doing all day.

“Whoa,” Yusuke managed, slowly getting to his feet, “Holy shit!” Kurama had moved so fast, that neither he nor Hiei had been able to stop him.

“Kurama…” Kuwabara gently tried, very surprised by the Youko’s abrupt behavior flip.

Kurama pressed into Kuwabara, his gaze fixed on Yukina, who kept her head slightly bowed, her hands and the medicinal herbs still held out before her. He sniffed the air in her general direction before he settled around Kuwabara, a clawed hand cupping his head, and going to warp around the back. Kurama then tugged Kuwabara to him, shifting so that his body was a clear block between Yukina and Kuwabara, his tail twitching with irritation.

“Kurama, no,” Hiei said patiently, his voice firm. Slow but sure, Hiei walked to stand in front of Yukina, his red eyes fixing Kurama with a look. “She is helping Kuwabara. Do you smell?” Hiei kept his eyes on the angered fox, while he reached back and took up some of the medicinal herbs. He approached Kurama slowly, holding the dried herbs out.

“Do you see? Can you smell it?” Hiei prompted patiently. “She is helping. Do not snap at her. You will not harm her!”

Kurama sniffed the air again, a growl in the back of his throat and rumbling around the room look an ominous storm. There were a few more seconds of quiet tension, and then Kurama flopped against Kuwabara, taking the large man by surprise. Kuwabara fell on his back as the Youko stretched out on him, pinning Kuwabara beneath his arms as he nuzzled against Kuwabara’s face.

“Is he uh… good now?” Kuwabara asked, voice wobbly with tension.

“He’s fine. He’s protective of his pack. Maybe he doesn’t quite understand our words in the state,” Hiei sighed. He turned back to Yukina and returned the herbs. A faint smile touched his lips, “Sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine… I think he knows I’m helping. He can surely smell it… but I don’t think he liked that I caused Kazuma further pain,” Yukina giggled, non-plussed by the fox demon’s behavior. “I got the biggest injuries sorted, so Kazuma should be okay.”

Yukina peeked over Hiei’s shoulder, and cupped a hand to her mouth, “I think for my safety though, you’ll have to let the rest heal up on its own!”

“No problem,” Kuwabara weakly laughed, gently patting Kurama’s sides as the Youko shot Yukina a mistrustful expression.

“Like I said. A demon is still a demon. No matter how friendly… he’s dangerous,” Koenma cautioned. “I think you three are going to be the best people to stick by him. To make sure he doesn’t maim someone he doesn’t remember…”

Yusuke nodded, “Yeah, I see your point now.”

Hiei approached Kurama who was still perched atop Kuwabara, keeping him pressed to the floor. He pat Kurama’s head, and Youko leaned against it, practically purring with delight.

“Do not snap at my sister,” Hiei warned in a quiet tone mingled with affection.

Kurama whined and exposed his throat to Hiei. Hiei sighed, and scratched him under his chin, “Though if he is going to snap at others… we should invite Yomi over.”

Yusuke perked up at the thought immediately, “Oh my God, can we please? I wanna see him maul that ear-fucker!”

“No, no, no! Don’t you cause trouble!” Koenma snapped.

Kurama snapped his head over at Koenma, his hackles raised once again. Pressing protectively over Kuwabara again, he growled.

Panicking Koenma held up his hands, “Now, now! Easy Kurama! Be a good boy! I’m not threatening your friends!”

Kuwabara chuckled, most of his nerves resettled, “This is going to be some week!”

[sundove88]

Avians (Planes Parody Casting)

Tsubasa Yuunagi is a small-town bird who dreams of one day competing as a high-flying avian racer. However, poor Tsubasa has two strikes against him: He's not built for racing, and he's terribly afraid of heights. To achieve his dream, Tsubasa turns to naval aviator Mighty Eagle. Mighty Eagle helps Tsubasa qualify to take on Dark Raven, the race circuit's defending champion. Tsubasa’s courage faces the ultimate test, as he takes aim at heights he never dreamed were possible.

Tsubasa Yuunagi, the famous racing bird, learns that his core is damaged, so he must shift gears and find a new career. He joins an elite corps of firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park. When a massive wildfire threatens the park, Tsubasa -- with the help of his fearless colleagues Terra, Splash Woman, Gyro Man, Meta Knight and the Brave Gang -- learns what it takes to become a real hero.

Tsubasa Yuunagi/Cure Wing as Dusty Crophopper (Hirogaru Sky PreCure)

Mighty Eagle as Skipper Riley (Angry Birds)

Ageha Hijiri/Cure Butterfly as Chug (Hirogaru Sky PreCure)

Skyla as Dottie (Pokemon)

Sora Harewataru/Cure Sky, Mashiro Nijigaoka/Cure Prism, and Elle-Chan/Cure Majesty as Themselves/Dusty’s Friends (Hirogaru Sky PreCure)

Chill Penguin as Sparky (Mega Man X)

Kakeru and Puwa Yuunagi as Themselves/Dusty’s Parents (Hirogaru Sky PreCure)

Storm Eagle as El Chupacabra (Mega Man X)

Panchito Pistoles and Jose Carioca as Themselves/El Chu’s Coworkers (The Three Caballeros)

Golden Cheese Cookie as Ishani (Cookie Run)

Dark Raven as Ripslinger (Billy Hatcher and The Giant Egg)

Stop and Freeze as Ned and Zed (Go Princess PreCure)

Storm Owl as Bulldog (Mega Man X)

Guardian Bird as Rochelle (Balan Wonderworld)

Various Other Bird Characters as the Wings Around The Globe Racers

Pigeot as Leadbottom (Pokemon)

Boomer Kuwanger as Echo (Mega Man X)

Gravity Beetle as Bravo (Mega Man X)

Pilot Cookie as Colin Cowling (Cookie Run)

Haoyu Chang as Franz (Balan Wonderworld)

Tropius as Little King (Pokemon)

Host Cookie/Fruit Roll Up Cookie as Judge Davis (Cookie Run)

SplashWoman as Lil Dipper (Mega Man)

Bandana Waddle Dee as Maru (Kirby)

Terra as Blade Ranger (Mega Man)

GyroMan as Windlifter (Mega Man)

Meta Knight as Cabbie (Kirby)

The Brave Gang/Gingerbrave, Strawberry Cookie, Wizard Cookie, Custard Cookie III, and Chili Pepper Cookie as The Smokejumpers (Dynamite, Drip, Blackout, Avalanche, and Blackout) (Cookie Run)

Professor Kukui as The Secretary of The Interior (Pokemon)

Harukichi and Youko Hoshina as Harvey and Winnie (Star Twinkle PreCure)

Hikaru Hoshina and Parents as Themselves/Harvey and Winnie’s Family (Star Twinkle PreCure)

Green Biker Dude as Nick Loopin Lopez (Mega Man X)

Mammon as Cad Spinner (Helluva Boss)

Ramos as Ol Jammer (Pokemon)

PumpMan as Mayday (MegaMan)

FlashMan as Ryker (MegaMan)

HydroMan as Pulaski (MegaMan)

Waddle Doo as Flap (Kirby)

Iris as Patch (Mega Man X)

JewelMan as Andre (Mega Man)

Here’s your hint for the next casting (It’s Dreamworks):

⚜️🌆🌴

[yyh4ever]

Canaria x Yu Yu Hakusho ~ Ataritsuki Trading Can Badges

Prizes: BIG Acrylic Stands; Stand Set (60 pulls)

The guys are showing off their skins on those stands! I like navels. Kurama is wearing too many clothes >_<. And, I can't believe they left Kuwabara out. I want shirtless Kuwa-chan!

This collab is scheduled to be released on July 29, 2023 by Canaria, a production company of anime and game goods. We don't have many info about it yet, but they usually release their products at anime and on online stores. Those atari-tsuki (lottery/vending machines) collabs, as the name suggests, are all about luck.

It costs 500 yen for a pull. You'll get one random can badge (diameter 58mm) out of 19 types. There are also 4 rare versions with holograms.

At least, they included anime pictures of Kuwabara, Koenma, the girls, Jin and Sensui in some badges.

Inside the can badge packet, you can get a ticket that corresponds to one of the 4 types of BIG Stands.

Then, exchange your ticket for the corresponding prize at the sales counter.

Prize 1: Yusuke

Prize 2: Kurama

Prize 3: Hiei

Prize 4: Youko Kurama (he is 273 mm!)

Last Prize: Stand Set

When you draw the last badge (60 pulls), you'll get the last prize: a "Stand Set" with the four guys.

Size: H190 x W65mm (maximum)

More info will be released on July 29th.

[crehador]

3-ep standings: winter 2024

now that everything i'm watching has had at least three episodes out... it's looking like a pretty solid season! time for some rough rankings (minus sequels and continuations from last season)

will be interested in seeing how these change by the end of the season, because there have already been since big moves since first impressions lol

ANIME OF THE SEASON CONTENDERS BUCCHIGIRI?! easily leading the pack rn, it's dumb as hell but it's my favorite flavor of dumb; dunmesh and majo to yajuu both still very much in the running though

GOOD himesama goumon no jikan desu, cherry magic, metallic rouge, yubisaki to renren

NOT BAD sengoku youko, akuyakulv99 — nothing to really complain about with these, but they're not the most special/compelling things either

TECHNICALLY NOT BAD BUT BRO WHAT HAPPENED ishura and pi-chan — both of these had such strong first episodes to me, but fell off very hard and very quickly; still not technically bad or anything, but imo just not nearly as interesting as they could have been

RIDICULOUS (AFFECTIONATE) gekkan mousou kagaku gets its own category bc i can't in good conscience say it's good, but it is absurd and silly in a way i enjoy; it doesn't fill the boueibu void but alas nothing does

DISQUALIFIED my asnm bias is too strong for me to be even remotely objective about warumono-san lmao so it too gets its own category. i lov u warumono-san (but it's at LEAST very good if not straight up aots... ok the bias is showing now)

[claire-starsword]

Authentic Story of the Shining Force - Saint Fencer Max - Chapter 1

First, a small preamble on what's this. This manga adaptation was published monthly by Shogakukan from March to August 1992. In other words, it started at the same time as the game was released. According to the artist, they began discussing the work in January 1992, and he got to play a in-development version of the game then, which gives us some interesting insight into things that might have changed before the game's launch, especially when it comes to Max and Cain's backstory. Really, if you like Cain you should read this, I'm doing this for you.

Scans of this complete book (only published in 1994) can be found on the Internet Archive. I did not find scans of the magazine issues it originally ran in. The artist is Toshihiro Ono, of the infamous Electric Tale of Pikachu. Thankfully it isn't as weird about women as that one, but that's a low bar. You will see a couple of boob jokes, alas.

I currently do not have the energy to typeset and clean up 130+ pages, so i'll be nevermind! i'm incapable of half-assing things lmao, will be cleaning and typesetting everything to the best of my ability (i've never translated a manga before. be nice to me).

Now, let's enjoy the story together.

Translation notes:

Even the title already requires some explanation. The way is it written in this book at least (シャイニングフォース正伝聖剣士MAX) doesn't make it clear which part is title or subtitle, so I've seen other places translate it as "Shining Force - Authentic Biography of Saint Fencer Max". I feel my version is more accurate though. As for the "Saint Fencer" part, this english reading is given by the book itself, while writing it as 聖剣士, which I feel would be more accurately translated as "holy swordsman", especially when 剣士 is already the swordsman class in english. This is likely a case of non-english speaking artist picking out a random reading from the dictionary just for style points, just like Max's name also get rendered in latin letters just because. So yeah I considered changing it, but you know? This manga is already so goddamn weird. Why not make that obvious from the title itself.

Cat panel!

Did you know that there are unused cat sprites in the final game, which show up multiple times in early builds of Guardiana? This is a deep cut reference! Or not, maybe the artist just wanted a cat independently, who cares I need everyone to know about the cat, we were robbed.

"Well, Claire, is Lowe being a small child some sort of scrapped content too?" Ahahahaha. NO. Lowe's design and role were announced way back in October, in the earliest coverage of the game. I have no clue why the artist decided to do this. I assumed for months that this was fanmade because of this. The same goes for Lou, I have no reason to believe a love interest was ever in the cards for Max in the game. The writer probably just wanted to fall into some common fantasy tropes of "man who fights to protect family".

Speaking of, Lowe usually refers to Lou as just sister (nee-chan) and brother (nii-chan). This doesn't sound natural in english so I usually ignore it and use the character's names, however, there's little else establishing that he and Lou are siblings in this chapter and I wanted to get that across already. It will also be important to establish that Max is a big brother figure to him, but there'll be time for that in next chapters.

Max's "alright!/yes!" is meant to be kind of a catchphrase. According to the artist, it was inspired by a magical girl anime called "Yousoko Youko". I don't know about it to comment, though.

Runefaust's name being rendered as two words is also something that shows up in some earlier coverage of the game as well. It will already go away by the next chapter, but I wanted to point it out.

[lumilasi]

MAJOR UPDATE: I ended up changing his story and BG lore a lot, AND redesigned his wings. He was the only one with none of the complementary color details in his wings when compared to the other 4, so I decided to add it in them.

Bio below:

Name: Yoruga Avara (Yoruga translates to Night Moth, Avara is the surname of the guardians of the tree he manifested from, that are still listed as his next-of-kin)

Nicknames: Yoru-chan/Yoru (Hayden, Alois) Mothy (Youko) Koi (Roman, it means moth in Italian as he's from Italy) Nephew (Iris), Stick-bug/bugstick (Claude)

Age: He died around the age of 20-21, but is now 25, so he has existed in his new form for 4-5 years

Height: 164 cm

Family: He stayed with the keepers of his birth tree for a while (The Avara family), then moved to the Capital once he was emotionally and mentally stable enough to go and start his new life properly. Since he's still listed under their guardianship, Yoruga continues to use their surname.

Friends: Hayden (his absolute bestie), Alois (his boss) Roman, Bianca (his coworkers) Caelan (the BF of Hayden's brother) Youko (A kid he sometimes babysits) Miriam (His boss in his second job/his honorary aunt Iris' best friend)

Love interest: None (he’s Aro-ace)

Occupation: Arcane Library Keeper assistant/Cafeteria employee in charge of the freakshake specials. (Formerly paranormal investigator)

Personality: 

Yoruga comes off like a goofy weirdo who everyone accepts just Does Things, and nobody questions it. Be it painting smileyfaces on random things and calling them “friends” or vibrating so rapidly he breaks whatever he’s sitting on. He's often compared to a cat with his mannerism and good stealth.

Beneath this childlike exterior however, exists a serious, cautious and always prepared fighting spirit, who also enjoys taunting his opponents and make them think they have the upper hand on him, before getting the rug pulled from under them so to speak. This readiness for trouble is likely due to his past life meddling into paranormal hauntings, which could be quite dangerous.

He’s very protective over his best friend Hayden and basically anyone he's close with, to the point when he switches to his more serious self, he can even come off scary. (he's good with stabby things after all)

Abilities:

WINGS: His wings are fire- and stab-attack proof, and he can poof into hundreds of tiny black moths and reform himself back. Yoruga can also use these butterflies to blanket large areas into complete darkness

VOICE: He has a supersonic scream that can shatter glass and rupture eardrums. Can even cause a heart-attack on weaker people

STEALTH: He’s very good at blending into shadows, and he can use his little butterflies to spy on people. Generally he's super stealthy, to the point he has to warn his coworker Roman beforehand about his presence, or the former mobster might accidentally attack him when startled.

POCKET DIMENSION: Yoruga, like other moth spirits, has a pocket dimension to store things in. His is particularly big even among his kin, allowing him to store objects bigger than himself, and even engulf an area into his pocket dimension. He uses this both for transporting things (sometimes even people)

SPEED: Yoruga's speed at utilizing his pocket is also unusually fast; normally when a moth spirit summons something from there, it forms out of glowing butterflies matching the spirit's colors. In Yoruga's case, it looks like he just pulls things out from inside his robes. (without them, it looks like he just pulls them from his body somehow)

STAB: Yoruga is excellent in using short bladed weapons in fights, and can even recognize what type of enchanted blade one has/what materials it is made of and how durable it is.

WEAKNESSES:

Due to his oddball behavior, he's not good at making friends, hence he tends to be a bit clingy to Hayden when he's in need of social interactions.

Since it is likely that Yoruga died in a building collapse, he tends to be uncomfortable and anxious in tight, constrained spaces, to the point he prefers using his own wings as a blanket over actual ones.

FUN FACTS:

His foster family surname he still uses for official documents and such - Avara - is Finnish and means "open/spacious"

His name translates to Night Moth, which is likely the name of the place he died at; old abandoned theater, a nightclub, he's not sure what the place was exactly as he can't remember.

Iris is another honorary family member who was fostered by the family, and she considers Yoruga a honorary nephew, which is why she refers to him as such usually. She was also the one who got Yoruga his job under Miriam.

Yoruga likes chin scratches and might randomly ask some from people, typically his best friend Hayden, Roman, or Youko's adoptive parents Shura and Shika. (Roman was weirded out at first, but is now used to his weird cat-like behavior)

Yoruga makes really excellent freak-shakes (over-the-top milkshakes) though he's banned from making one for Youko before dinner, as the kid will get a massive sugar rush. His shakes are one of the specialties of the cafeteria.

Some people can see through his goofy facade, but react to it somewhat differently; his boss Alois, his boss' LI Jurou and Alois' niece Avane find it amusing, whereas Hayden's brother Claude finds him spooky and weird.

He and Hayden often get up to Shenanigans in their free time, especially during Halloween; they might go to the human world to spook people, as both are good at it.

His style is basically "Weird funky details mixed with cutesy childlike vibes or spoooooooky"

[fragmentsoflulu]

Short fall season animes thoughts

because I'm still not able to do full reviews. And I'm very not up to date.

Dandadan: that was one fucking weird first episode.

Kabushiki Gaisha Magi Lumiere: a lot more enjoyable than I thought, actually! A pretty new concept for Magical girls, both opening and ending are pretty good, and the execution is interesting.

Sword Art Online Gun Gale Online 2nd season: after binging the first season in one day, I'm also eating that one up. I missed Llenn-chan!! I can't wait to see more!!

Mahoutsukai ni Narenakatta Onnanoko no Hanashi: yes i had to paste the title from anilist. But!! It's worth checking out at least for the artstyle and colors. It's so soft and pastel, it's the reason I got into it in the first place, and then I came to like the characters and the plot that seems to be unfolding.

Fairy Tail 100 years Quest: welp I'm 15 again.

Goukon ni Ittara Onna ga Inakatta Hanashi: the first episode was a lot more well done than the trailer and concept showed first. I gotta watch more of it!

Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri 2nd Season: still mid.

Sengoku Youko: Senma Konton-hen: STILL A BANGER IN EVERY ASPECTS!!! MORE PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH IT!!! I JUST WANT MORE!!

that's it.

[atopearth]

White Album 2 Part 10 - Mini After Stories

The Way Towards Happiness

Ohhh they're married now! It's nice to see Haruki try to tell Setsuna to get up on a Sunday and not spend the whole morning sleeping haha. They're so cute. It was so funny to watch the banter between Setsuna and her mother. A definite plus being with Setsuna is having the Ogiso family, they're all very kind and sweet in their own way. It's so cute and relatable how Setsuna's mother coming over to help them pack for moving was so unproductive because her and Setsuna just chatted about everything they found lol. It's also unsurprising that Setsuna's mother was able to get through to Haruki's mother and even hang with her. Honestly, Setsuna always felt like the epitome of "the correct path" in life where you have the "perfect" girl, great family that heals everything and helps Haruki strive upwards in his career but as the famous meme goes, just because it's correct doesn't mean it's right and that's why we have Kazusa's route imo😆 There's something quite funny about how on Christmas Eve this time, both Setsuna and Haruki were so busy that they both couldn't make it for their plans lol. I guess it's because just like Setsuna said, she doesn't feel the need to and won't lie anymore like all those times where she said she wasn't waiting for Haruki when she in fact did. Having hotpot on Christmas is a very interesting choice though haha! Maybe that's how it is in real life, but honestly considering the angst and everything with Takeya and Io, I always find it underwhelming how they got together. I feel like it was only shown like once and it was so forgettable for such important side characters lol. I guess it's good that they're happy now and thinking about kids lol.

I really enjoyed Haruki and Setsuna's walk down memory lane right before they moved. It reminded me of when I graduated from university the first time and I took a nice long walk around campus to all the places that held memories for me. Overall, I think Setsuna's after story was very nice and sweet. I think the best thing about being with Setsuna will always be the friends she comes along with haha. I'm honestly not the biggest fan of Io and Tomo but having Takeya is always great for Haruki. Anyway, their peaceful married life is exactly how you would picture it and they're definitely the "perfect couple" after enduring all the years of pain they had to go through because of each other's actions. The ending was fulfilling in that it made me smile and happy that they were finally able to be openly honest with each other about everything and truly treat the other as a life partner without anything hindering them anymore. It was great to see and I loved their cute little banter.

The Way Back to Happiness

Just seeing Youko alive and healthy enough to see Haruki and Kazusa come back to Japan is good enough for me tbh. I always feel sorry for Miyo-chan having to deal with Youko and Kazusa though hahaha, poor lady has it rough. As for Kazusa and Haruki arguing the moment they appear, it just feels so natural hahaha. Lmao, I love how when it comes to arguments, Kazusa is the one who comes to whine first because she's lonely and Haruki is ignoring her, she's such a cute baby haha. I really felt for Miyo-chan when she said maybe she really should quit her job after hearing Kazusa through the phone pouncing on Haruki lmaooo. Lady needs a break. Although I love the Ogiso family too with their warmth, I don't think anything beats my love for Youko. It was so funny when she said she thinks she'll be able to live to see her grandchild grow up and even attend the funeral, she's such a riot, I love her🤣 Haruki teasing Kazusa with the phone booth story when she lost all her stuff and could only remember Haruki's number was so cute, especially since she was embarrassed haha. I love how Kazusa got her revenge by taking Haruki to the concert hall and asking him if he knew this place since he never appeared for her concerts, so savage but true🤣 Seeing them go back to the place where they revealed their true feelings for each other really made me feel nostalgic, because not only was it an iconic scene in the novel, but I still remember it from watching the anime many years ago.

I think there's something sweet about Youko now living in the house Kazusa used to live in alone as a teenager. I'm glad Miyo-chan lives with her. I wanted to cry when Youko told Kazusa that her and Haruki had been forgiven for a long time and that she visited the Ogiso household many times to try and talk to them and apologise for her. It was so heartwarming to see Youko help Kazusa retrieve a place for her here in Japan so that she could come back without feeling guilty anymore. Honestly, Haruki and Kazusa's memories are definitely the best and my favourite. I don't think any of Setsuna's can really compare. Anyway, I loved how they went back to their high school and talked about how Haruki used to love watching Kazusa's sleeping and would always wake her up because he wanted to see her face. I can't find a more fitting place for them to have their wedding ceremony, and honestly Kazusa looks beautiful all the time but she was really gorgeous in her wedding dress. And there's just something about seeing Kazusa in white when that's usually Setsuna's colour. The only thing I'm sad about is that we never really got to see Kazusa and Setsuna talk again even though it's basically shown that everyone is friends again. But I guess when it comes to Kazusa and Haruki, their story was always focused very much on the relationship of the two of them rather than anyone else so I guess it is a fitting end. Overall, I definitely loved this after story more but I'm biased because I always enjoy Haruki and Kazusa's banter more, and when it comes to Youko, all their interactions become so entertaining to watch and yet so heartwarming as well. It's really beautiful to see how far Kazusa and her mother have come to mending and communicating in their relationship, if anything, I loved watching over their relationship progress and show each other how much they loved and cared for the other. Walking back on all those memories is definitely something I very much enjoyed and it makes me so happy to see everything culminate into the beautiful Kazusa wedding dress CG. To be honest, I could probably listen to Haruki and Kazusa talk for an entire game and I'd still love it because they're just so fun.

Extra episode - To My Sworn Enemy

Sometimes, I don't know how I should describe Setsuna when she always goes back to Haruki no matter how many times he cheats on her, and the thing is, he emotionally and physically cheats on her to the point that is unforgivable because you know how seriously he loves Kazusa. So yeah, I don't know if I should call her resilient? Obsessed? Silly? Disrespectful to herself? I really don't know but as someone who thinks that you should always put yourself first, I can never really understand how she basically tortures herself to be with Haruki alot of the time. Of course I can understand taking him to the psychiatrist and stuff considering Haruki's condition but I'm sure Takeya could do that. Especially since Setsuna supporting him is a form of torture to Haruki himself too. He's already been abandoned by Kazusa and now he's forced to face the guilt of betraying Setsuna again and be smothered in her kindness and care when he's wallowing in guilt and negative emotions. I really can't see how this is beneficial to either of them no matter how much she loves him. Honestly though, alot of the time Haruki is with Setsuna, I feel like just as it's probably love, a part of it is also guilt that he "should" be with her and maybe that's why I'm never really on board with their relationship. I won't deny that he likes her, but I'm sure over the years with Io and Takeya constantly pressuring him to get back with her properly blah blah blah, I'm sure being with Setsuna is naturally considered to be the "right path" and the only path rather than a choice he truly made for himself. I guess this toxic relationship is what they both "want" though. Haruki doesn't want to be alone and abandoned and needs her, and she wants Haruki to completely depend on her so she can have him in that way even if he's not completely him.

Considering how big of a deal it always was for Youko to want to spend her last remaining days in Japan, seeing her go to Vienna for Kazusa to protect her in her last moments instead is just so sweet. It's difficult to watch Haruki stressed about missing work and thinking of himself as weak and useless, and that everyone will forget he ever existed at the rate he's going, because it's too relatable to me. However, unlike Haruki, I was stressed from work itself and life which in the end led me to quitting altogether. I didn't mind being forgotten but that guilt of not going to work (it was volunteering but still work) coupled with feelings of inadequacy really can drive you very down. I think Setsuna's mother was a bit too much to tell Setsuna that she's young and can start over with another guy but from Setsuna's father's perspective, I can understand why he wants to bring Haruki's mother into this and I agree with his methods because Setsuna is obviously breaking herself down. Seeing Youko's condition deteriorate breaks my heart though and now I can't help but wish she stayed in Japan, because even though she's here in Vienna supporting Kazusa, no one is really supporting her. Kazusa will always be her child and she will always worry about her. It's hard to watch Setsuna crack because she hurts everyone around her in her desperation to protect her and Haruki's relationship. Sigh. And now we experience Setsuna breaking down and being unable to move to go to Haruki's place because of the stress it's put on her. Honestly, it's so hard to read because I've experienced this as well. Back in the day, I made it all the way to the city to go to work but I couldn't go the rest of the way. I stood in one spot, unable to move forward, unable to go back until I just started crying uncontrollably and had to go home in the end. It was terrifying that I could "want" to go to work but be physically unable to go. However, unlike Setsuna, I never had the strength to go back once I left that day. So, honestly, despite my grievances with Setsuna, I really do admire her for always moving forward no matter what, I'm definitely much more like Kazusa. I'm glad Haruki told her to never come back and to help and protect herself before she becomes like him, because at this moment, they are definitely both bringing each other down. I always love Setsuna and Kazusa fighting it out with their emotions and true thoughts so that is always welcome. It's nice that it led to a breakthrough for Setsuna to rejuvenate herself. What I really enjoyed was knowing that Haruki left a note everyday he went out to tell Setsuna where he was, hoping that one day she would come back after everything and still choosing to be with him. It was also really great to see Youko pick herself up after Kazusa's concerto, it's always wonderful to see Kazusa and her mother so full of life.

Overall, the mini after stories were nice and short, true to their name, and I enjoyed them as a happy end to everything. It really feels endearing to watch over them look back on the past as they move forward together in life, it was really sweet. I do have to say though, My Sworn Enemy was better than I expected and probably my favourite read here. It was really nice to see everyone falling apart in their own ways but picking themselves up for their various reasons. It was as dramatic as the main story and I guess that's what we're all here for haha. As for my impressions of the whole game itself, I would rate it an 8/10 for me but it was definitely a very long journey. I can't tell you how many breaks I needed because each and every character frustrated me in some way and I would need a break haha. But just as they frustrated me, it also made understand this story truly is a drama through and through and just as it's terrible because of how frustrating it is, the story is great because this is its main focus. I will always love Kazusa the most and despite everything, the Introductory Chapter will always be the most nostalgic favourite because that's when everyone got to be together, but going through the Closing Chapter just made seeing Kazusa again in Coda so exciting. Anyway, it's hard for me to put in words but it was a nice ride because the emotions displayed in each and every character was something you really felt. Even if it was ridiculous, even if it was annoying, you could really feel the weight of everyone's decisions and thoughts and I guess that's what makes this game so great.

[stickers-on-a-laptop]

we need more of youko!!!

also...

oren was did dirty in the special lol

we do need more of her, hence why i'm rewatching gorider lmao

yeah but because of it, hase-chan came back jfsdiofijfiofas

[kazimakuwabara]

Hot Goss

Summary: While trying on clothes, Botan and Keiko gossip about who is "hot" in the Makai. (humor)

***

“For as hot as Kurama is, why don’t more people approach him?”

Botan paused her movement, half in and half out of her shirt. She twisted away from the fitting room's mirror to look at Keiko. "What do you mean? Girls approach him all the time."

"Human girls! Human boys, for that matter too," Keiko corrected with a casual sniff. She titled her head at Botan, "But the last time I was at the Makai, it felt like people were avoiding Kurama like the plague!"

Botan laughed with sudden understanding and yanked her shirt off.

“Because he was ruthless as fuck when he was Youko Kurama, infamous thief and bandit. You should have seen the rap sheet he had! You would not want to cross paths with him back in the day, and demons have long memories.”

“Huh… so I guess demons are also scared of Hiei?”

“He’s not nearly as infamous, but yes. Hiei was also given a wide birth back in the day, but it's worse now that he’s Mukuro’s right-hand man. Everyone is afraid of her. No one wants to even look at Hiei while he's on her side!”

“No kidding?”

“She was considered a king for years, and years. Ask anyone in her territory and she’s still king!”

Keiko nodded at Botan’s explanation. She wiggled as she tried to squeeze herself into a pair of pink jeans that were just an inch or two off. “Okay… so then Yusuke…?”

“Oh, demons find him hot of course, but they don’t really know what to make of him, you know?” Botan tittered, pulling her long hair up into a scrunchy before trying on the striped sweater. “Half demons are kinda rare, and then he also comes from the Mazoku bloodline… so demons are like in awe of him, but also want to fight him.”

“Which Yusuke loves people challenging him!” Keiko snorted, smiling at the thought of a line of demons waiting to have a chance to challenge Yusuke.

She gave up on trying to button the jeans and sighed as she began to struggle back out of them. It was too bad they wouldn't work, the jeans were cute. She'd managed to get the ill-fitting jeans off when Keiko came around to the other question she wanted to ask. “So then Kuwabara…?”

“Bingo. He’s considered a hotty!” Botan chirped, twirling in her new outfit as she observed herself in the mirror. She turned to Keiko, presenting her new outfit.

“Cute!” Keiko chirped, flashing a grin.

“Thank you! So, anyway, Kuwabara’s really strong, and he puts up a good fight, which demons like. And because he’s human he’s more approachable!”

“I thought demons wouldn’t like that he’s a human?” Keiko mused.

Botan sighed and plopped a hand on her hip, “Yeah well, that’s the thing. Some demons are into him as like… a gross fetish thing. They want to like… screw him and then probably eat him…”

“Oh gross! Poor Kuwabara!” Keiko gasped, as she went back to changing into her own clothes, “No wonder Yusuke is so protective!”

“All the boys are! Because there are demons who see how strong Kuwabara is, they’re like, "Oh wow, I didn’t know a human could be so strong." And they get interested. And then he’s also sincerely nice, with enough strength to defend himself against anyone who could try to take advantage, so that gets other demons interested. And then there are all the gross demons, who think shagging a human would be easy, and go: Look! This Kuwabara guy is a human. Let’s go for him! He'll love me! And then the last, even grosser demons, that are into him are the ones who have the fetish thing!” Botan ranted, struggling out of her shirt.

She sighed as she began to put it back on the hanger, “And that’s why dear Keiko, Kuwa-chan is the popular one among demons.”

“Not that Kuwabara’s not a sweetheart, but I’m surprised he's so sought after. Simply because Kurama is otherworldly gorgeous, and Hiei and Yusuke have really fine merits too!” Keiko said, smoothing out her clothes. "But if demons are so into going after humans, I get why Yusuke won't let us out of sight when we visit the Makai."

"Yeah, cuz then there are demons that of course are into the whole frail human thing," Botan agreed with an eye roll, "And we fit the bill!"

Keiko snorted, "Uh-huh, "frail human thing," my ass. I think Shizuru killed the last demon she decked."

Botan laughed and sighed, "Yeah, and then that's the problem too. For demons, their attraction is mostly about power. So any time we put up a fight, or show we're willing to kick some ass, they think we're so hot. But Kuwabara is the babe in the demon world!" Botan shook her head, "Kuwabara’s a unique enough powerhouse to make all the demon boys and girls wet!” Botan giggled.

“Gross Botan!” Keiko laughed. “Are you going to buy the sweater?”

“I think so! The jeans not work?” Botan asked opening the door to the fitting room for Keiko.

“Sadly not,” Keiko sighed as she exited the fitting room first. She’d only just managed to get out the door when she froze in place with a choked noise in the back of her throat.

“Keiko? Why’d you stop?” Botan asked in confusion as she slipped behind Keiko. But when she looked over Keiko’s shoulder she saw what had stopped her.

Shizuru Kuwabara was standing in the lobby, waiting for a fitting room to be free, with a dress draped over her arm. She was staring at their door, her expression stiff.

“Oooo…” Botan winced as she smiled at Shizuru, “Hey there Shizuru.”

Shizuru closed her eyes and took a long breath. On the exhale, with barely contained irritation, she asked, “...You got names of these perverted fetishist demons checking out my baby brother, or what?"

[spreaddit]

[crehador]

winter 2024 list final(ish)ized

continuing: dog signal, ragna crimson, shangri-la frontier, sousou no frieren, undead unluck sequels: high card, mashle, synduality noir new picks: 30-sai made doutei da to mahou tsukai ni nareru rashii (cherry magic), akuyaku reijou lv 99, bucchigiri?!, dungeon meshi, gekkan mousou kagaku, hime-sama goumon no jikan desu, ishura, kyuujitsu no warumono-san, majo to yajuu, metallic rouge, sasaki to pi-chan, sengoku youko, yubisaki to renren

looks like a fairly promising season, excited to continue frieren, slf, and undead unluck, very excited to finally see (and more importantly hear) warumono-san