#ai japanese mature woman

[aiarts-posts]

Kimono

[midnightactual]

Its funny, Yoruichi x Ichigo is the fandoms favorite crack ship for Ichigo particularly lol. What's your thoughts on this? Why do you think people like this ship and do you think it could happen if Ichigo became close to her like everyone likes to think?

I'd dispute that and say that fandom's favorite crackship for Ichigo is GrimmIchi, but I'll admit it really depends on what segment of fandom we're talking about, because GrimmIchi is the purview of transformative yaoi fangirls, while YoruIchi is the purview of curative horny hetmen who now mostly use AI to make porn of her while generally giving him a harem. (IchiBambi is also weirdly popular for some reason despite them never meeting.)

Why do the curative horny hetmen create YoruIchi porn? Well, that's an onion of a question.

The first and most important reason is because Ichigo is the main character, so he is automatically the main focus and fixation of the bulk of the curative audience. Now while Ichigo definitely does have a personality, it gets deemphasized enough over the course of the series that he can reliably function as a self-insert for the average guy, who is both the main creator and consumer of porn of Yoruichi. (As an aside, this is also a primary driver of UraYoru porn, which mainly revolves around Kisuke being perceived as "cool" and "a baller" despite being a nerd, rather than any kind of misapprehension of romance between them.) So, Ichigo is settled on first and foremost because he's the most obvious male to include in M/F porn. Obviously, Yoruichi is the real main focus.

The second reason is because "hot for teacher" is an extremely common trope and fantasy all by itself, and Yoruichi's canonical "teasing" of Ichigo forms a convenient onboarding point for imagining she might have some kind of interest in him, even though that's absolutely not what it actually signified. Picking Ichigo specifically caters to this better than any other male character would.

The third reason is because only slightly less common as a fantasy is the idea of taking a powerful woman and "putting her in place" through sexual prowess. YoruIchi porn usually has an air of "putting that uppity bitch in her proper place" rather than being tender or affectionate or whatever else. It's almost always explicitly sexual rather than sensual. Considering Yoruichi effortlessly disabled Ichigo during SS Arc, and in TYBW endlessly berates him, picking him imbues works with this element of powerplay and one-upmanship.

The fourth reason is because most of this art, coming from the West, has weird racial tensions behind it, given Yoruichi's ambiguously "exotic" appearance. Light-skinned anime characters are generally treated by Western audiences as white, even if they are known to be Japanese, rather than as Asian. Dark-skinned anime characters are generally treated by Western audiences as black, even if they are more accurately described as ambiguously brown. It isn't really hard to see that the "BWC" phenomenon is generally being appealed to, and for what audience.

[Future me editing in here: another reason is the Bleach equivalent of when Asuka or Rei is discussed, and someone answers Misato. Yoruichi is the most plausible stand-in for Misato, to Rukia and Orihime's Asuka and Rei, not that any of them actually fit those archetypes well. She's the "cultured" choice.]

So, basically, YoruIchi porn is thinly-veiled self-insert wish-fulfillment. (And so is most UraYoru porn.)

Now, at about this point, you're probably thinking, "Okay, but what about stuff that isn't porn?" and it is true that there is some art and fic of them that doesn't necessarily revolve around sexual conquest and/or titillation, and which exists for reasons other than the above, although it isn't that common.

Most of that work is also wish-fulfillment, just of a different nature. It tends to fixate more upon the idea of Yoruichi as a "mature" woman (as opposed to Rukia, Orihime, Riruka, and to some extent Nelliel) while also not carrying the pseudo-incestuous undertones of Ikumi, who overtly presented herself as like Ichigo's big sister he never had, and who nonetheless comes across as motherly toward him because she's actually a mom. Yoruichi doesn't have that same issue and is therefore a less "weird" older woman for Ichigo to be attracted to, yet one he actually kind of interacted with substantively unlike, say, Rangiku. Rangiku also lacks the "hot for teacher" element, as would Retsu, Kūkaku would actually be incestuous, and so on. (Ostensibly people like the idea of Ichigo with Bambietta and/or Candice as an enemies-to-lovers kind of thing? And because it's a mostly blank slate, they can do whatever they want.)

So, basically, Yoruichi is the "cleanest" option for putting Ichigo with an older woman he actually has some known interaction with. It's simply expediency by process of elimination.

In both cases, pretty much none of this ever has anything to do with what Yoruichi would think was attractive, appealing, supportive, sexy, and so on, and is almost always and forever to do with what the creator thinks would be aesthetically appealing. This is generally true of almost all Yoruichi ships, but I'll come back to that later.

So, is there some way it could it work out between them?

Not in canon. There is no possible canonical or pseudo-canonical telling of events where Yoruichi would have any interest in Ichigo. I'm phrasing it as an absolute because in my understanding there is no way Yoruichi would ever show any actual attraction toward Ichigo. He's too young, he's too naive, he's too foolish, and he generally just gets on her nerves... exactly like Yūshirō. In fact, she derisively makes the comparison herself in chapter 629:

If she sees him as anything in canon besides as a project to be babysat, she sees him as an annoying younger brother. I don't really think I need to explain that no matter how much "closer" they became platonically, she would never have any interest in him romantically.

So, to reemphasize: anything with YoruIchi within or near canon is ridiculous and out of character and is purely for the sake of the creator or audience.

Now, do there exist alternate universes where Yoruichi could find some (older) version of Ichigo appealing, say if they were much closer in age? Like, a human verse where she's 27 and he's 23 or 24? Yeah, sure, that's possible. I can readily imagine a version of Ichigo that could appeal to a version of Yoruichi, under other circumstances. That Ichigo would probably have to be a mixture of Ichigo at his most mature (circa FKT) and at his most confident (early Bleach) in terms of personality in order to get her attention.

Here's the problem though: Kūkaku exists, and she already is that without all the extra baggage.

To return to my point on Yoruichi ships in general, they generally exist to service the creator/audience, or their actual fave. As I have laid out here, YoruIchi mostly exists to facilitate fantasies which Ichigo is standing-in to enable. UraYoru generally treats Yoruichi as Kisuke's prize and accessory that he regularly gets to fuck as a reward for being so awesome. YoruSoi broadly treats Yoruichi as Soifon's prize for showing such "piety" and "faith" toward her "idol", which she "deserves" because "she loves Yoruichi so much" (in an ironic reprise of how most IchiHime that I have seen, regards Ichigo as Orihime's prize for "loving him so much").

Because you've happened to catch me on a day where I've taken my meds and I am very actively and continually choosing violence (I'm listening to "Set The World Afire" by Megadeth on loop as I write this), I'm going to go over the other two a little more before proceeding onto my final argument.

The entire "Yoruichi and Kisuke are childhood friends (to lovers)" construct is a misunderstanding that comes from a failure to understand the nuances of Japanese-to-English translation, to appreciate that Shinigami do not experience time and growth as humans do, and to appreciate that characters are often vague and imprecise in their speech, if not outright lying.

When Kubo answered in Klub Outside recently that Aizen was aware of Kisuke even before Kisuke and Yoruichi met, the correct solution to that was not to assume that Aizen met Kisuke in the Muppet Babies playpen, it was to realize that "very young" for a Shinigami can extend out to their 100th to 150th birthday, or even more. Shinigami appear to categorize periods of their life by relevance to their current existence, not strictly by chronology, and this is likely a function of their nonlinear aging. Time in the strictest sense is less important than the major events in their lives, and takes on a relative nature, which has a long history in Japan anyway. You might consider this as like the "11 lives" concept. Yoruichi met Kisuke a few "lifetimes" ago, a time which she now considers "very young" in her life. That's all.

With the childhood friends angle thrown out, we come to the idea that Kisuke and Yoruichi are in fact good friends, which I dispute. As I think much of this blog serves as testament to, people are generally not particularly interested in figuring out who Yoruichi is, why, and why she does what she does, let alone what she may have been up to. They're not interested in analyzing what is known, because if they were, I would not be discovering and presenting a lot of these things for the first time—they would be well known already. So, when people fill in Yoruichi for UraYoru, they fill her in in such a way as to accommodate and coddle Kisuke, their actual blorbo.

I find that disrespectful to her in the extreme.

I will also tell you that YoruSoi is the exact same thing, simply lesbian as opposed to het. The actual blorbo is Soifon, and she is "awarded" Yoruichi for her troubles in the exact same way.

I actually personally find YoruSoi even more absurd, to be honest. First, because the misunderstandings that created UraYoru are simpler to understand, second because YoruSoi overwhelmingly only exists in the anime, but third and foremost because YoruSoi is presented as this great triumph of sapphism in response to the icky heteronormativity of UraYoru, and yet it somehow exists in the face of the now well-known LGTBQIA+ meme, "historians will say they were just very good friends".

That is exactly how people treat Yoruichi and Kūkaku, without a single hint of irony or self-awareness, even as they proclaim how "obviously" gay Yoruichi and Soifon are for one another.

Now, people are free to ship what they like, but I want to be fully clear that I am immovably of the opinion that both those two ships exist exclusively to benefit Kisuke and Soifon, and always twist Yoruichi to suit what they think would accommodate those two most. They do not exist, and have never existed, for even a measure of Yoruichi's sake. She is an object within them.

She is also an object within YoruIchi, as already documented, and we come to the sixth and final reason why it exists: because people can correctly surmise that she belongs with a Shiba, but they do not have the courage or honesty to admit which one and accept that that equation doesn't include a penis.

Wrong Shiba.

(Much like Renji is clearly far more fascinated with Kuchiki Byakuya than he is Kuchiki Rukia. Wrong Kuchiki.)

As I have previously written:

But this is the truth: we have an incredibly sensual, sexual love poem by an incredibly sensual, sexy, powerful (brown) woman, which is clearly directed at her “best friend”, who is also an incredibly sensual, sexy, powerful woman. And that really brings us back to this post. WLW content from Japan is about cute fluffy innocence, not the intense female “When you’re both TOPS” energy that Yoruichi and Kūkaku radiate together (which I will again note was also present in CFYOW). Japan still isn’t ready for that today. It sure as hell wasn’t ready for it in 2005. And yet there it is nonetheless.

The world is simply not ready to accept YoruKū. This is especially hilarious in a world where CaitVi is currently running wild to rave acclaim.

(To be super clear here for the sake of nuance that nobody cares about: it is not "if you don't ship what I ship, you are wrong and bad", it is "if you ship these things I feel that you lack respect for Yoruichi and thus your ship is invalid and illegitimate in my eyes", and yes, there is a distinction.)

Basically, as far I'm concerned, only cowards ship YoruIchi. I'll be waiting at the adult table for them when they grow up and develop a taste for more than chicken nuggets and hotdogs with ketchup on them.

[toonabby]

4 days until Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution is released

Today marks the 20th anniversary of OS-tan, a Japanese meme that originated on 2chan, depicting several operating systems (namely Windows) as anime girls. ME-tan, their first creation, is based on Windows ME, a bug-ridden mess of an OS that was discontinued by Microsoft not long after it was released. Futaba Channel's portrayal of her is of a ditzy but kind-hearted Cute Clumsy Girl with a leak as an item. Later OS-tans would be followed, from the mature business woman 2k-tan to the lovable big eater XP-tan aka Saseko.

In 2009, Microsoft Japan released their own official OS-tan to promote the release of Windows 7 in Japan. Her name is Nanami Madobe, a friendly and peppy girl who represents Windows 7 and is voiced by popular idol/voice actor Nana Mizuki. Later on, other members of the Madobe family would be introduced - Yuu and Ai Madobe, the twins who represent Windows 8, Claudia Madobe, the business woman who represents Microsoft Azure, along with a spin-off comic called Cloud Girl, and Touko Madobe , the time traveler from 100 years in the future who represents Windows 10. Microsoft Singapore and Microsoft Taiwan would follow suit with their own respective versions of Internet Explorer and Microsoft Silverlight - Inori and Hikaru Aizawa. Personally I prefer this version over the above version, though both are equally as good.

[jazzystudios82]

Diabolik Lovers - An Angel's Embrace AU: Adelaide Sakamaki ♦️

Bio for one of my DL OCS, Adelaide Sakamaki. Image was made in this picrew.

WARNING: Diabolik Lovers is a dark series with mature themes and topics. Discretion is advised. . . .

——————————————————————————

Biographical Information

Kanji: 愛蘭 (Ai-ran)

Romaji: Sakamaki Adelaide

Nickname(s): My Beloved (Johan); Grandmother Adelaide (Shuu, Reiji, and Akira); Grandma Adelaide (Ayato, Kanato, Laito, Subaru, Sofia, and Kino); Mom/Mother (Karlheinz & Richter); Mother of Karlheinz and Richter (Carla, Shin, and Stella)

Birthday: Info Coming Soon!

Sign: Info Coming Soon!

Age: Over a hundred + (at time of death)

Status: Deceased

Physical and Vital Statistics

Race: Vampire

Ethnicity: Demon

Gender: Female

Height: Unknown (taller than her husband)

Weight: Unknown

Blood Type: Unknown

Hair: Dark Green

Eyes: Liquid Gold

Professional Status

Occupation: Vampire Queen (former); Matriarch of the Sakamaki family (former)

Affiliation: The Sakamaki Family

Personal Status

Family:

Unnamed Father +; Unnamed Mother +; Unnamed Father-in-law +; Unnamed Mother-in-law; Johan + (Husband); Felix + (Brother-in-law); Kasumi + (Sister-in-law); Karlheinz (Eldest son); Richter (Youngest son); Cordelia + (1st Daughter-in-law); Beatrix + (2nd Daughter-in-law); Christa (Niece/3rd Daughter-in-law); Angelica (4th Daughter-in-law); Akira (Eldest grandson); Shuu (2nd Eldest grandson); Reiji (3rd Eldest grandson); Ayato (4th Eldest grandson); Kanato (5th Eldest grandson); Laito (6th Eldest grandson); Kino (7th Eldest grandson); Subaru (Youngest grandson); Sofia (Youngest/Only granddaughter)

Hobbies: Gardening

Favorite Food: Franzbrötchen

VC * (Voice Claim): Lihua from The Apothecary Diaries (Japanese); Morticia Addams from The Addams Family *1991* (English)

Adelaide Sakamaki is the previous queen consort of the Vampire Clan, as she was the wife of Johan Sakamaki. She is also the mother of Karlheinz and Richter Sakamaki.

Appearance

Adelaide is a beautiful woman with very pale skin, wavy dark green hair, and lovely gold eyes with long dark lashes. She also had a tall, statuesque figure that was coveted by many women in the land.

For clothing, Adelaide only wore the most lovely and extravagant dresses and jewelry. Adelaide also only wore clothing colored in jewel tones and dark colors.

Personality

Not much is known about Adelaide's personality. However, her sons have stated that while she seems cold on the surface due to her having to be the Vampire Queen, she was in actuality the kindest and the warmest person they knew.

History

Adelaide is the daughter of a high ranking vampiric nobleman in Eden. As she was his only child, and a part of a family that was a high enough rank, Adelaide and Johan, the young Vampire King, were arranged to be married when she was only nineteen years old.

Fearing that he'd be a cruel man, Adelaide attempted to run away the day before her wedding, but she is stopped by a charming young man, a 22 year old Johan Sakamaki. After they got to know each other, the two preceded to get married and the rest was history.

Between her and her husband, Adelaide was the most involved with her two sons, more specifically Richter since Karlheinz was made to study and prepare himself as Johan's heir. When she and her husband passed, Adelaide was the only one her sons mourned. Like with her husband, Adelaide's portrait was hanged in the "family room".

Relationships

Adelaide's relationships with the Sakamaki family

AU! Relationships

Info Coming Soon!

Powers and Abilities

Inhuman strength; increased speed; increased vision and hearing; increased smell; fast healing; healing saliva; flight (during a full moon); summoning familiars

Etymology

Adelaide's surname Sakamaki means "reverse winding" (逆巻).

Fun Facts

Adelaide is loosely based off of characters such as Morticia Addams from the Addams Family and Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton.

She wore many dresses that would make other noblewomen try to copy her in some way.

Due to her husband being busy as the Vampire King, Adelaide was the one who was around the most for their sons.

Adelaide was taller than her husband when they were alive.

When Karlheinz shape-shifted and changed his appearance to his current look, he made his eyes the same color as his mother's.

If Adelaide managed to live long enough to meet her grandchildren, she'd be similar SpongeBob's grandmother.

She liked to read horror novels.

Here's Karlheinz and Richter's mom! What do you think?

——————————————————————————

[livyslabyrinth]

also, following this up but way darker— i was talking w my bf and we realized somehow all 3 of them got groomed in some way. lord, help this mess of a family.

spoilers under the cut: trigger warnings for subjects like abuse, and grooming (the action of attempting to form a relationship with a child or young person, with the intention of sexually assaulting them or inducing them to commit an illegal act such as selling drugs or joining a terrorist organization.)

kanna reveals that kugie was being romanced by a “mature/adult” woman in the original japanese version of your time to shine. sara is still called “underage” by mishima when keiji thinks about drinking with her, so i assume the simulation takes place with everyone at their same ages as in the death game.

shin was groomed by sou, whether you see their relationship as romantic or not. i personally see it with slight “romantic” undertones due to the excess of photos of shin being placed around sou’s house (possibly one sided as shin, at his most affectionate points with sou, states he viewed him as a sibling or an anti-hero) but either way… it was definitely abusive. shin’s ai reveals that sou was not even a student at his school, just a random grown ass man attending.

(side tangent and personal head cannon : i wonder how much coke sou was snorting to be able to balance high school, being a “psychologist”, “prison guard”, cashier at the ice cream shop, shin’s “friend”, a “nurse”, meeting with the yabusames, working for asunaro… like, half of their funding probably goes to his booger sugar because no way you’re doing all that without speed.)

but back to the main point, he specifically picked an emotionally vulnerable teenage boy with no friends, making it easy to groom him with the intention of forcing him into the death game. shin was very uncomfortable throughout the time they shared. during the lantern scene he says they spoke between computer monitors when at his house due to how uncomfortable he felt with him, and became even more disturbed upon seeing sou peek from between them.

when clicking photos of him he claims sara is “making him remember the bad parts”. he shows the most disdain in the chapter when upon inserting the fake id card into the control room several smiling photos of him appear.

i believe one of the most heartbreaking things shin has said is when confesses relief at the sou’s death despite the loneliness of losing his only friend.

i really hate the romanticization of their relationship. it’s sad seeing a complex character have clear grooming overlooked by gooner-fans (chainsaw man fandom is rlly bad with this as well) and the “i love toxic yaoi” crowd. shin is a victim who deserved much better. he was, at best, a kid who was groomed into joining a death game due to the trust he put into his first “friend”. at worst, there’s a possibility he was groomed romantically or sexually as well.

i do like their relationship. i find it incredibly interesting from a psychological perspective— but the romanticization of it genuinely takes away from a well-written character.

upon taking sou’s name, shin also took upon himself the man’s personality. believing that a psychotic, sadistic, and morally dubious demeanor would save him. but upon doing so— he continued the cycle of violence (fortunately ending it out of genuine love for his victim in chapter 2.) he latched onto the weakest of the group, manipulating kanna to his will with the sacrifice card.

i frequently wonder if he did this because he saw some of himself in kanna. that same timid highschool boy that was manipulated by sou hiyori, the man he has “become”.

regardless of his later intentions and affection, he originally sought to groom her into becoming someone he could use, bend to his will, make part of his plans.

but in chapter two, he broke the cycle. he found himself becoming affectionate towards kanna— and her self-sacrifice distressed him to the point that he was willing to die for her.

that’s one of the reasons i find his name reveal so perfect— we learn of shin tsukimi when we first see that true side of himself that he tried to “kill”. sou hiyori would never care for another human being the way shin tsukimi does. sou hioyri would never feel empathy for his playthings and feared death until the end, while shin tsukimi died at peace giving himself up for kanna.

tragically — even if kanna had been the sacrifice, he was prepared to die. he knew she would choose sara to live alongside her as her surrogate sister.

shin tsukimi broke the cycle, and i find it so tragically beautiful.

favorite thing about kugie + greenblings is somehow— despite the biological siblings being separated and kugie not even being related to them… all three of them ended up gay.

shin and kugie are pretty self explanatory, but kanna gives me gay vibes as well. (this is NOT shipping in any way, just general observation) her blushing sprite is only used when sara says she smells nice in 2-2, if i remember correctly. and i don’t even know what to say about the hot springs scene… she’s visually checking her out and nobody knows wtf happens when the screen goes black. kanna in the hot tub cutscene photo always reminds me so much of the feeling of changing in locker rooms in middle school when you first start to question your sexuality— poor girl. also, either intentionally or unintentionally grabbing reko’s ass in the emotion route 😭

like, its not due to influence between them as kanna only recently found out about kugie’s girlfriend pre-death game and neither of them knew shin. it’s not genetics, since kanna and shin aren’t directly related to kugie.

just genuinely blows my mind how ALL OF THEM ended up gay.

…honestly, that could be said for most of the cast though

[strawberrycupsforever]

Let’s talk about Shin

Nana has many complex characters and I think Shin is sometimes misunderstood.

When we are first introduced to Shin he’s only 15 years old (lying about being 18, even though no one really believed that to be the case). He comes from an emotionally abusive household, his father admits to not being able to care for him and the only interaction we see him have with his brother is just terrible. One can only imagine the level of neglect and pain he had to experience throughout his childhood.

It’s mentioned that he wasn’t raised in Japan, having sometimes issues with the language and culture (his lack of knowledge about Japanese culture is an ongoing gag amongst the group). He escapes his home and ends up being taken advantage of by a predatory woman (that flight attendant), who not only abuses him, but introduces him to pr*stitution. Whenever he mentions this in the manga, especially in the beginning, he seems to be very nonchalant about this fact, distancing himself from how serious the issue is, by simply describing it as work. He is many times portrayed as being mature and “wise beyond his years”, even going as far as to give advice to Nobu and Reira about their emotional problems. There are times where we can forget how young he actually is.

I think Ai Yazawa does this on purpose.

At the beginning, we see Shin as a very mature young person: the way he acts, the people he surrounds himself with, his way of expressing himself... He seems very secure in this persona he puts forward, and for a big part of the manga he almost manages to fool us. 

But Shin is still a child, and a very hurt one at that. Hachi is one of the few people who recognizes this, she gives Shin something he has never experienced: unconditional love. Shin admits this himself, the bond he has with Hachi is so special because for the first time in his life someone loves him for him, selflessly, without expecting anything in return.

One of the most frustrating parts of the way his character is treated is people’s reaction to his relationship with Reira. Throughout the manga people expect this teenager to be Reira’s saving grace (I could write an entire analysis on how the people around her have enabled her to be the way she is). Not a single adult steps forward to comment on how inappropriate this relationship is. Only Takumi, and just to protect Reira’s image from a possible scandal. He even asks him to wait for her until he turns 18. It’s honestly sickening. Not once did anyone think of removing him from that relationship for his own good. Shin is left confused without understanding his feelings, wanting to “save” Reira and do good by her and his band. It’s honestly heartbreaking to read, the amount of pressure he has to deal with.

It’s not surprising he ends up giving into self-destructive tendencies after Reira (a whole adult who has no business being involved with a teenager), breaks up with him. His first reaction is going back to the woman who took advantage of him the first time, and then the chaos with his arrest ensues.

Honestly, Shin just need to be protected at all costs, so many people seem to forget how young he actually is. 

[satoshi-mochida]

AI: The Sominum Files will launch worldwide for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam on July 25, publisher and developer Spike Chunsoft announced.

In addition to the standard edition, a North America-exclusive “Special Agent Edition” will also be available for $89.99. It includes:

A copy of AI: The Somnium Files for PlayStation 4 or Switch

A-set acrylic stand – Approx. six inches tall

Outer box – Original Artwork by character designer Yusuke Kozaki

THOUGHTS REMaiN BELOW art book – 30-plus pages of sketchesand concept art

REVERIES IN THE RaiN soundtrack

A-set’s #1 fan stickers – Three vinyl stickers

Here is the official fact sheet:

Specifications

Title: AI: The Somnium Files

Release Date: July 25, 2019 (worldwide)

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Switch, PC (Steam)

Price: Standard Edition: $59.99, Special Agent Edition: $89.99

Players: One

Genre: Adventure

Website: Spike Chunsoft, Steam

Rating: Mature

Languages: English and Traditional Chinese text, Japanese and English audio

Developer: Spike Chunsoft, Co., Ltd.

About the Game

The mind never lies…

In a near-future Tokyo, detective Kaname Date is on the case of a mysterious serial killer. Date must investigate crime scenes as well as dreams on the hunt for clues. From the mind of Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape series director), with character design by the Yusuke Kozaki (No More Heroes, Fire Emblem series), a thrilling neonoir detective adventure is about to unfold.

Story

One rainy night in November, a woman’s body is found at an abandoned theme park, mounted on a merry-go-round horse. She had been stabbed repeatedly, and her left eye was gouged out.

Kaname Date of the Metropolitan Police Department arrives on the scene. He recognizes the woman. Suddenly, he hears a noise from inside the merry-go-round.

He breaks into the merry-go-round’s central column to find a young girl. And in her hands, she grips a bloody ice pick…

Get the announcement trailer, a more in-depth overview, and our interview with director Kotaro Uchikoshi and designer Akira Okada below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

GDC 2019 Trailer

Game Developers Conference 2019 Presentation

■ Setting

Set in a near-future Tokyo.

Real-world settings and science fiction elements.

Travel between dreams and reality to investigate crimes.

■ Characters

Iris Sagan

Name: Iris Sagan

Voice Actor: Jackie Lastra (English), Nao Shiraki (Japanese)

Sex: Female

Age: 18

Profession: High School Senior/ Internet Idol

Iris is an internet idol (musician) belonging to the entertainment office Lemniscate. Her stage name is “A-set,” but her fans call her “Tesa.”

Ota Matsushita

Name: Ota Matsushita

Voice Actor: Zach Aguilar (English), Natsumi Fujiwara (Japanese)

Sex: Male

Age: 24

Profession: Light Novel Author (Self-Declared)

Mizuki

Name: Mizuki

Voice Actor: Corina Boettger (English), Tomoyo Kurosawa (Japanese)

Sex: Female

Age: 12

Profession: 6th Grader

Aiba

Name: Aiba (AI-Ball)

Voice Actor: Erika Harlacher (English), Akari Kito (Japanese)

Sex: Female (According to Settings)

Age: 5

Occupation: Investigation Assistant

Interview

When the Zero Escape series ended and you began work on AI: The Somnium Files, what were the main things you set out to do differently?

Kotaro Uchikoshi, Director: “In Zero Escape, I used a lot of cutscenes, but for AI: The Somnium Files, I wanted to create a game mainly for adventure game fans. That was my main goal in creating this.”

Akira Okada, Designer: “In Zero Escape, I was mainly focused on the escape parts, but in this one, I wanted to create a game where you solve the mysteries, such as using your intuition where you have to think a little bit.”

How does Date’s artificial eye play into the gameplay?

Uchikoshi: “The artificial eye has special powers that will aid you in your investigation.”

OK, so Date can extract information by entering a person’s memories. What forms will these dreamscapes take on?

Okada: “Every person dreams differently in real life. Some parts are memories, things that you don’t expect happen. So I wanted to reflect that in the game as well. Unexpected things happen, maybe dive into a memory. That’s what form it takes.”

Can you tell me a bit about the gameplay systems? What will players be doing specifically?

Spike Chunsoft representative: “We’ll be able to share more information about the gameplay soon. We’ll have some trailers and stuff for that coming up. For now we’d like to focus on the characters and stories.”

Gotcha. Maybe I can get in this question at least, feel free to deflect it as well. Is AI: The Somnium Files a point-and-click-type adventure game or do you control Date himself? What is the player perspective?

Spike Chunsoft representative: “I would say that’s also more of a gameplay question, which we will answer at a later time.”

Fair enough. Alright, so being set in near-future Tokyo, I would imagine there is more than just Date’s eye in the field of advanced technology. What other futuristic technology will players utilize in the game?

Uchikoshi: “The setting is close to our era—cell phones, cars, and what not are all there. But in this world, the artificial eye has special powers, and that is a huge part of this game.”

The latest trailer paints AI: The Somnium Files as having a serious mood, but will there be any lighter-hearted moments?

Uchikoshi: “AI: The Somnium Files is generally a serious game with a serious mood, but it has its fun parts and gags in there to keep the player having fun. And there are some heartwarming parts, as well. There’s a mix of everything in there.”

There has been talk online about how Iris is Siri backwards, and how the devil-worshiping demon cult Naixatloz she is a part of is Zoltaxian backwards, which is a word Siri has been known to use, and whether Iris’ last name Sagan is connected to NASA’s Carl Sagan. Can you comment on any of that?

Uchikoshi: “It’s exactly how you imagine.”

So the internet did good, huh… Thank you for your time, Uchikoshi-san and Okada-san!

[arishamod]

Ultra Jump May 2018: 100 Questions for Komiya Arisa

“I’ll affect you with the magic of love  ♪”

TL: Arishamod QC: Ippi, Yuja

Komiya Arisa (Voice of Kurosawa Dia)

Nickname: Arisha

Birthday: 5th February

Blood Type: B

Hobbies: Reading Manga, Sleeping

Skills: Drawing portraits, Classical ballet

Notable Roles:

Movies: “Love X Doc”, “50 First Dates”, “After School War”, “Yumeji: Ai no Tobashiri”, “Evergreen Love”

Drama:   “Teru Konda's Legal Recipes”, “ Uchu Sentai Kyuranger (Akyanbaa)”

TV: “Tsuukai TV Sukattojapan”, “Tonight’s Nazotore”

1. Favorite food?

Meat.

2. Disliked food?

Hot tofu.

3. Favorite sweets?

Japanese rice crackers.

4. Your number one favorite home-cooked dish?

Although my mom is really good at cooking, and I love all the food she cooks, my favourite is still Ebi Fry (fried shrimp)!

5. Favorite color?

White.

6. Favorite scent?

A slightly sweet floral scent.

7. Favorite season?

Winter.

8. Favorite event of the year?

Birthday.

9. What sport do you like watching?

Figure Skating.

10. What sport do you like playing?

I don’t know how many years it’s been since I’ve played sports. Although I like to watch it, I might not say the same about playing it.

11. Favorite animal?

Dogs, but if it comes to looking at them only, it would be cats.

12. If you were to compare yourself to an animal, what would you be?

I look like a cat.

13. Are you a dog person? Or a cat person?

Dog person.

14. Favorite manga?

“Black Butler”.

15. Favorite genre of manga?

A clichéd shojou manga.

16. First manga you read?

“Ciao (Cha-o)”.

17. First anime you watched?

“Sailor moon”.

18. Favorite movie?

“Les Misérables”.

19. Favorite musical artist?

No one in particular.

20. Song(s) you listen to every day?

I don’t really listen to music…

21. First CD you bought?

A “Morning Musume” CD.

22. Your specialty song at karaoke?

I almost never go to the karaoke.

23. Phone lock screen?

The portrait that was drawn by Kubonouchi Eisaku that was used for my collaboration goods.*

*the same one that was used for her 3rd fan meeting.

24. A clothing brand you often buy?

UN3D and Elendeek.

25. Your best outfit?

None in particular.

26. Favorite place in your house?

Bed.

27. What do you want most right now?

A small Balenciaga purse.

28. What’s something that you’ll always carry in your bag?

My purse and portable charger.

29. What’s something you’ve been collecting unintentionally?

Cosmetics for the lips.

30. What’s your treasure?

The necklace that was given to me by my parents on my 20th birthday.

31. What kind of child were you?

Even now I am a child who has freedom.

32. Your childhood treasure?

The stuffed bear that my grandma gave to me.

33. Your childhood dream?

To be in “Sailor Moon”.

34. Someone you respect?

My parents.

35. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Domestically, I would want to travel to Shikoku*. If it’s overseas, I would like  to travel to Iceland, where I previously traveled to for work once.

*Shikoku is the smallest major island in Japan.

36. What country do you want to try visiting?

France.

37. Any bad habits?

Recently I feel like I am hunching my back.

38. Do you have a catchphrase?

Demo sa (but).

39. Charm point?

My eyes.*

*I’m pretty sure this is her SFW answer because she has mentioned that her butt is her charm point in her gravure interviews ><

40. A strength you have?

I diligently do what needs to be done.

41. A shortcoming you have?

Frequently changing my mood.

42. Your special skill?

Classical ballet and drawing portraits.

43. Something you’re bad at?

Staying still.

44. A precise weakness of yours?

I am useless when I don’t have enough sleep.

45. What do you want to fix about yourself?

Since I realised that I get lonely too easily, so I want to feel secure when I am by myself.

46. What are you confident you can imitate well?

The faces of people with their eyes wide open from the manga by Mr. Umezu Kazuo.

47. What’s something you could live off of?

Food.

48. Your current obsession?

Since I have received a Kindle, I have been reading.

49. A phrase you’ve been using a lot?

None in particular.

50. Favorite motto?

Do it one way or another.

51. If you could describe yourself with one word, what would it be?

Doing as one wishes.

52. Something you’ve been picky about recently?

When they are doing my partial makeup for our stage costumes for Aqours, I sometimes insist that they “must use this eye shadow”.

53. Fill in the blank with something positive: I’m actually _.

Able to forget anything completely once I go to sleep.

54. Fill in the blank with something negative: I’m actually _.

Lonely.

55. Anything but this!

Being touched randomly by things around me

56. What would the world be better off without?

I do not know.

57. How do you kill time?

Sleep.

58. How do you relieve stress and refresh yourself?

Sleep.

59. What app have you been using often recently?

The calendar app that I use for managing my schedule.

60. What’s something you always do once you wake up?

Brush my teeth.

61. What’s something you always do before you sleep?

Drink water.

62. What do you do when you ride the train?

Things like reviewing Aqours’ dances and checking my Twitter.

63. What do you do to maintain your health?

Food definitely helps.

64. What do you do when you have the day off?

Sleep or go shopping.

65. What do you do when you have time to yourself?

Sleep or lie on my bed and do nothing.

66. What do you do when you hang out with friends?

We go to cafes.

67. Where do you want to go on a  date?

A meal would be fine.

68. If you were to confess to someone, what kind of situation would you want it to be?

I don’t really intend on confessing...

69. If someone were to confess to you, what kind of situation would you want it to be?

I want them to confess to me in person!

70. Something fun that happened recently?

When I was in Tokyo and Osaka for 3 days for my birthday event, there were many people who came to the event. It was difficult, but together with everyone who came to the event, I did my best! I had fun during this event.

71. Something sad that happened recently?

When I can’t remember what kind of work I did when I return home everyday.

72. Something funny that happened recently?

I often wear my western clothes backwards. I find that funny yet sad (laughs).

73. Something about your past you want to erase?

Nothing! Right now I should use all of it as a source of encouragement…

74. A moment that made you think “This is a miracle!”?

The time when I was heading to the station without checking the schedule, and the train came at a really good time.

75. A moment that made you think “I’m glad to be alive”?

When I am eating a delicious meal.

76. What wish do you want granted in the future?

To appear in a morning drama.

77. What’s something you wished for that came true?

Becoming a heroine.

78. Any fond memories of 2017?

I was able to travel to many different regions through the lives and events.

79. What went wrong in 2017?

I guess the year passed without any failures that was big enough to immediately come to mind...

80. What would you do if you won 100 million yen from the lottery?

Put money into my savings and buy a house.

81. What would you do if you had a time machine?

Since I neither want to know the future, nor do I want to change the past, I wouldn’t use it.

82. What would you want to do if the world were to end tomorrow?

Live a normal day with my family.

83. What would you want to eat if the world were to end tomorrow?

A meal cooked by my mom.

84. If you could bring one thing to a deserted island, what would it be?

“Anywhere Door”*

*The same one used by Doraemon

85. If you were reborn in another world, what would you want to become?

A human with save points.

86. If you were reborn in this world, what would you want to become?

Human.

87. If you were to be reborn, would you want to be male or female?

Female.

88. What’s good about being a girl?

Being able to wear many different cute western clothes each day.

89. What’s something you’d want to try if you were male?

I want be a playboy.

90. A challenge you want to take on?

I want to drive down from a mountain pass…

Though even if I got a license, I definitely wouldn’t do it.

91. A voice role you want to try in the future?

A normal girl. I think that it’s different trying to portray a normal girl.

92. If you could do any job outside of voice acting, what would it be?

Currently, I am doing gravure as part of my actress work outside of being a voice actress. When I was young, aside from the entertainment industry, I wanted to be either a pharmacist or nutritionist.

93. What made you the happiest out of everything you’ve been told?

“You have become such a mature woman”, which was said by a staff member that I’ve have known for some time.

94. Have you been keeping any secrets from the rest of Aqours?

There isn’t anything important enough that I will keep a secret from them…!

95. Where in Numazu would you like to visit again?

The frog museum.

96. Praise yourself as much as possible!

Your skin is so smooth!

97. Memories of your first love?

Around the time when I was an elementary school student?

I have forgotten it, just like how I forgot what I did yesterday. I don’t really remember much…

98. Please tell us a life changing experience.

Right before I turned 18, I had to live on my own, but I did not know how to use a washing machine.

99. Your thoughts on today’s photoshoot?

Since it is the season for spring clothes, being able to have pictures of us taken with the poses from the AZALEA cover with the room filled with balloons, really makes me happy.

        100. Finally, a word for your fans!

There will be many more events, so please do come for them!

Let’s watch out for each other’s health (laughs).

[taliya-writes]

Judgment Day snippet - DCMK

Shinichi hummed as he exited headquarters, ducking into Sakuradamon Station to catch the Yurakucho train bound for Wakoshi Station before switching trains at Ikebukuro Station.  He alighted at Ekoda Station, the journey from police headquarters to the Kuroba home as familiar to him as breathing.  He smiled upon seeing the house he had grown up in: nondescript, well-kept, and outwardly boring.  The conventional exterior betrayed nothing about its rather unconventional occupants—a neurosurgeon and retired phantom thief, a ranked police officer, and their twice-de-aged, adopted son.

Unlocking the front door, he announced, “I’m home.”

“Welcome home,” two people chorused, and Shinichi’s face cracked into a smile at hearing his father and godmother’s voices.  A moment later Kuroba Kaito and Haibara Ai emerged from the living room, and father and son hugged each other after Shinichi had slipped into his house slippers.

Kuroba Kaito was a wiry but spry man of fifty-seven years of age.  The outer corners of his mischievous indigo eyes were creased with laughter lines and his espresso-colored hair was liberally sprinkled with strands of silver concentrated around his temples—if still as wild as ever.

“Hi, Tou-san,” Shinichi whispered, then stepped back and glanced at his godmother before sweeping her into a hug as well. “Hello, Haibara.”

“Hello, Shinichi.”  Haibara Ai was ten years younger than Kaito.  A petite woman of mixed Japanese-Irish descent, her grey eyes were warm as she looked her godson over.  Silver also threaded through her auburn chin-length locks, but that was the only outward indication of her age.

“Where’s Kaa-san?” he asked as they trooped into the living room, where a tray of tea had been prepared.

Kaito filled and handed a teacup to his son. “She’ll be on her way soon.  I caught her in the middle of a meeting.” He groaned as he sat down on the sofa, chuckling at his son’s raised brow.  “I’m allowed to feel my age,” he griped somewhat defensively.

Shinichi snorted.  “You rarely ever act your age.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel it in my joints.”

“You’ve no one to blame but yourself for that.”

“I’d like to see you be Kaitou KID for almost thirty years first, and then tell me your joints don’t feel like they are all falling apart.”

“Children,” Ai admonished, cutting through the father-son bickering.  “Behave.”

“He started it,” Kaito muttered with a pout at Shinichi, who replied by sticking his tongue out at his father.

The scientist sighed.  “How utterly mature of the both of you.”

The three chatted on various topics as they waited for Aoko to arrive.  After Kaito had greeted his wife home with a kiss to the cheek, the four sat down in the living room with mugs of green tea—Kaito and Ai on one side of the coffee table, and Aoko and Shinichi on the other.

“So,” Kaito began, and glanced somewhat nervously at his research partner.

“We wanted to discuss this with you before we bring it up with everyone else tomorrow evening,” Ai finished.  She took a deep breath.  “Shinichi, Kaito and I have developed something that might be able to bring your memories back.”

[169pd]

2018 Character List update

Adèle Doucette(France, Independent, 2018): Artist who uses a Blackbox Innovations magic paintbrush and reusable canvas.

Alfonzo Vercelloni(Italy, Shadow-Ops, 2006): Sierra Team's main pilot and reconnaissance operative.

Ayumi Myeong(Korea, Military Juggernaut 001, 2009): The first Military Juggernaut of the new viking class operatives and ace paintball player.

Billis McPhail(Ireland, Detroit Outsiders, 2005): Pedro's roommate and pool hall employee.

Blackjack[James Riley](USA, Military Juggernaut Officer 100, 2008): Commanding officer of Charlie Team with a card game motif.

Blaque[Nathaniel Kingston](USA, Military Juggernaut 187, 2008): Automotive customization enthusiast and Charlie Team's engineer.

Bullshark[Bentley McGuffin](England, Military Juggernaut 108, 2008): Former SAS operative and Charlie Team's point man, an old man with a temper.

Charlie Biggins(USA, Military Juggernaut 007, 2008): Support unit for Charlie Team and main driver, known to be rather flamboyant and childish.

Chihiro Jihara(Japan, Tokyo Crew, 2004): Clothes store employee, Mr. Morris' love interest, and fastest character in the series.

Corina Dimesworth(Wales, Thunderfist Group, 2008): Genetic look-alike to Mina, and right hand woman of the Thunderfist Group.

Crokk [Hunter Ramsey](Australia, Military Juggernaut 121, 2008[was once scrapped, now revived]): Charlie Team's main sniper and good natured Ausie, prefers the DSR-1.

Crystal Tracey(USA, Wild Girls, 2006): Warm hearted adult video star, joins in on Mandy's antics.

Daedalus(Nethuron Realm, Reformed AI, 2012): Once the guardian of the Hypnophobia realm, currently Mr. Morris' AI helper.

Detective LaFrench(France, Independent, 2005): French entertainer and private eye with questionable track record.

Dissidius(Neturon Realm, Alien AI, 2010): Creator of the Abstraction Zone, and self aware Artificial Intelligence with access to universe warping technology.

Frankie MacDougal(USA, The Buddies, 2006): Alabama fat dude who's a man of simple tastes, one of the stars on the Buddies podcast & livestream show.

Freida Reinhardt(Switzerland, Military Juggernaut 141, 2016): Medical specialist for Foxtrot Team, close friend of Reiner.

Garry Thompson(USA, Kings Men, 2006): Clumsy squire on the TV show, The Kings Men.

Gecko Newt(Beastalia, Secret Agency, 2008): Anthropomorphic Gecko and secret agent for FBI-like agency.

Gerald Thunderfist(France, Thunderfist Group, 2007): Top hat and monocle donning terrorist leader with a handlebar mustache and 1930's villain motif.

Gold Rolla\Maxwell Keyes(USA, Detroit Crew, 2005): Bling salesman who gets involved in the various Detroit Crew antics.

Grimm Finch(USA, The Buddies, 2006): Grin bearing Alaskan dude with nerdy interests, one of the stars on the Buddies podcast & livestream show.

Izumi Morimura[Previously Ichigo](Japan, Tokyo Cafe, 2006): Catgirl super heroine who specializes in hand-to-hand & whips.

Jason L. Wilson(USA, Marine Corps, 2007): USMC sergeant and man of cultured tastes.

Joe Johnson(USA, Military Juggernaut 221, 2004): Sierra Team's sniper, husband to Molly and tallest character in the series.

John "Snake" Bauer(USA, Shadow-Ops, 2008): Charlie Team's stealth operative who makes use of long range rifles, prefers the M24.

Kaori Asayama(Japan, Tokyo Crew, 2004): Meteorologist for JNN Tokyo News, obsessed with Satomi.

King Haroldson Flooperbottom(USA, Kings Men, 2016): The king on the TV show, The Kings Men.

Kotone Takamura(Japan, Military Juggernaut 086, 2017): Fire Ant operative of Foxtrot Team, has immense pyrophilia and gets gassy when arroused.

K-Rocka\Karl Stansfield[Previously The Thug](USA, Detroit Crew, 2005): Regular homeboy of the Pimpuh's Homies, the more rambunctious of the brothers.

Krummy the Crabber(USA, Kings Men, 2006): Source of surreal comedy on the TV show, The Kings Men.

Larry Connors(USA, The Buddies, 2006): Main star of the Buddies podcast & livestream show, has a showman's voice and optimistic personality

Lenny Floyd(USA, Kings Men, 2006): Nervous squire on the TV show, The Kings Men.

Maleena Binks(USA, Detroit Outsiders, 2005): Obnoxious girl who resides in Detroit, originally from Arkansas.

Mandy Miller(USA, Wild Girls, 2006): Short and stout adult video star who often gets into silly shenanigans, boisterous and dominant.

Mark Beavis(USA, Military Juggernaut 134, 2004): Sierra Team's engineer with farmboy like physique and deep voice, mostly uses assault rifles.

Maurice Serpent(Neo Gaia, Independent, 2008): Broody edgy vampire from a earth-esque planet.

Mavis[Real Name is Mahir Majrashi](Israel, Independent, 2006): Israeli refugee who lives with Sierra Team.

Megumi Chisaka(Japan, Western Industries, 2018): Head scientist of Western Industries in Barrie and source of cuteness.

Mikey Carlson(USA, Military Juggernaut 127, 2004): Sierra Team's demolition operative, with a Cartman-like voice and personality, shortest character in the series.

Millie Summers(England, VSAC, 2017): Lead scientist for Valkyrie Star, warm-hearted and good with galactic mapping.

Mina Aimoto[Previously Mint](Japan, Tokyo Cafe, 2006): Birdgirl super heroine with gassy tendencies, proficient with bow-type weapons

Mindy LeBlanc(Scotland, VSAC, 2017): Lead scientist for Valkyrie Star, bluntly honest and vulgar with a knack for pulse engines and machines.

Molly Johnson(USA, Johnson Family, 2008): Wife of Joe, southern belle and embodiment of the rural south.

Mr. Morris(Canada, Military Juggernaut Officer 169, 1998 [Revised in 2004]): Main hero, commander of Sierra Team, Chihiro's love interest & wielder of the Electro-Blade.

Oscar Warner[Usually called the Jazz Man](USA, Independent, 2006): Louisiana jazz musician who gets involved with everyone's antics.

Pedro Fernandez(Mexico, Detroit Outsiders, 2005): Billis' roommate and occasional luchador.

Pimpuh Simmons\William Stansfield(USA, Detroit Crew, 2005): Detroit pimp and lead of the Pimpuh's Homies, the mature and rational of the brothers.

Quince "The Boo Man" Brandis USA, Detroit Outsiders, 2005): Hitman for hire on the streets of Detroit, was once contracted to assassinate Malina.

Reiner Vorschlaghammer(Germany, Military Juggernaut Officer 116, 2004): Sierra Team's medic, arrogant but intelligent, and uses shotguns.

Ross Pilkington(USA, The Buddies, 2006): Boisterous muscular man with manly interests, one of the stars on the Buddies podcast & livestream show.

Ryoko Makino(Japan, Tokyo Cafe, 2018): Dolphin-girl super heroine who is left-handed, wields a bo staff.

Satomi Nozaki(Japan, Ex-Shadow Ops, 2016): Tallest female character, admirer of anything cute and owner of a plushie store.

Tim Jenkins(USA, The Buddies, 2006): Short boy with meatwad-like voice and prankster tendencies, one of the stars on the Buddies podcast & livestream show.

Tommy C\Thomas Stansfield[Previously The Goon](USA, Detroit Crew, 2005): Regular homeboy of the Pimpuh's Homies, the calmer of the brothers.

Tony Antoini(USA, Mafia Boss, 2005): Mob boss, sometimes gets wrapped up in the schemes of Gerald Thunderfist.

Vanessa Dixon(USA, Independent, 2001): Gassy woman and McFatty's enthusiast, Mr. Morris' online friend.

Yumei Jiang(China, Military Juggernaut 097, 2016): Support operative of Kilo Team and expert cook, uses robotic arms.

Yumeko Minohara(Japan, Shadow Ops/Western Industries Asia, 2017): CEO of Japanese branch of Western Industries, once was a pilot during Second Korean Uprising operation.

Zakuya Fujima(Japan, Tokyo Cafe, 2011): Coyote-fox-girl super heroine, fashion model and movie star, plasma beam sword specialist.

[pioneergender-blog]

Alluring Secret - Black Vow

   There is a lot of creativity and art put into storytelling. Nowadays in modern society there are millions of ways to do so. Vocaloids are popular Japanese ai voice boxes that can be made to talk, dance, and interact. One of their more widely known and popular uses is singing, specifically singing songs created by various creators anywhere. Vocaloid music today has become another way for people to tell stories but to create such intricacies and meaning behind the music, creators use a variety of tools to help shape the story into the minds of their audience. One of these tools being symbolism.

  Symbolism plays a key part in many good stories. Symbolism is when a creator takes a simple object/item and gives it a meaning beyond what it truly is. Creators use symbolism to give an object something to represent that doesn’t necessarily relate to the actual item. Usually the object will be given a meaning connected to the meaning/idea of the story. 

  In Alluring Secret - Black Vow there are two instances where the perspective of the characters is changed to show the backs of the characters. It is drawn to show that they are supposed to be holding something. The first instance is between the two women, when it switches, the watcher can see that the long haired woman has nothing in her hand while the blonde woman holds a red apple in hers. The second instance is between the long haired woman and the blonde man. When it switches to show what they are holding the audience can now see that the long haired woman carries a red apple now while the blonde man carries a rotten apple. 

  The apple in this story represents love in two forms. The red apple represents pure love, the rotten apple representing a tainted one. This is important to the story because it shows the audience clearly the feelings of the characters and those feelings give an explanation for the actions that are taken by said characters. Simply listening to the music cannot create the whole story the creator wanted to tell but with the time constraints and other limitations of storytelling through an animated music video, tools like symbolism is a key factor in overcoming these limitations to create a story as complex yet meaningful like this one. 

Content Warning for video: Mature Themes

https://youtu.be/YxzmspNVUzY

by Mikeila Montemayor

[rieshon]

Best of 2019

It wouldn't be a best of the year post if it wasn't hopelessly late.

10: Shinchou Yuusha ~Kono Yuusha ga Ore TUEEE Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru~ ∥ White Fox ∥ Dir. Sakoi Masayuki: The title makes this sound like it could be terrible but this series has a Konosuba-like aplomb that makes it one of the best comedies of the year. Toyosaki Aki is absolutely brilliant as the shithead damegami Listarte and the animation consistently matches her over-the-top comedic masterclass. The show even has a real ending; opinion is split but I found it surprisingly satisfying.

9: Babylon ∥ Revoroot ∥ Dir. Suzuki Kiyotaka: This is the first Strand-type anime. Babylon is incredibly hard to describe and, having only seen it once, I'm not even fully confident in saying what it's about. It is a wild ride that meditates on some serious themes and seems to come to conclusions that won't be entirely comfortable for a lot of readers. This is one you really have to experience for yourself.

8: Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari ∥ Kinema Citrus ∥ Dir. Abo Takao: The most discoursed-about series of 2019 ends up being a surprisingly mature take on the isekai tensei genre. Like the best entries in the genre it features a protagonist who is deeply flawed and Naofumi's journey to learning to trust and love again is genuinely moving. It definitely does come off a bit like an incel fantasy at first but it is ultimately way more nuanced than that could ever suggest. Also, Raphtalia is best wife.

7: Kouya no Kotobuki Hikoutai ∥ Gemba ∥ Dir. Mizushima Tsutomu: Tsutomu, you son of a bitch, you did it again. While Kotobuki doesn't reach the rareified air of Garupan (pun not intended) it is very much in the same vein, and offers unending joy to any nerd who loves warplanes or just aviation in general. The script from the always-excellent Yokote Michiko is tight and compelling and gives a genuinely interesting backdrop to the frenetic plane action. Kotobuki is an excellent example of the power of showing rather than telling, something anime is woefully bad at: the fact that Kotobuki's isekai setting is never really expounded on makes it that much more interesting.

6: Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu ∥ C2C ∥ Dir. Anzai Takefumi: If Katsuwo's other work to be adapted into anime, Mitsuboshi Colors, is about being a child, then Bocchi is about the fraught transition from childhood into early adulthood. The titular Hitori Bocchi will be a frighteningly relatable character (my comment for the first episode on my blog was 'We Are All Bocchi') but unlike other series clearly aimed at alienated nerds, the show never feels sorry for Bocchi and most importantly, Bocchi doesn't feel sorry for herself. The show is explicitly about the importance of stepping outside of your comfort zone and although it's hard for Bocchi to do this, with the help of her friends she's able to work up the courage necessary to grow from a scared child into a functioning young adult. Also she's cute as fuck.

5: Machikado Mazoku ∥ J.C. Staff ∥ Dir. Sakurai Hiroaki: This is one of the best Kirara anime in ages. Kohara Konomi and Kitou Akari are a wonderful comedic combination, and Shamiko is probably the cutest girl of the whole year. She's pretty much the definition of the phrase "moe through helplessness" which makes her quest to be an evil demon truly hilarious. Like all the best Kirara anime, Machikado Mazoku slowly becomes a yuri anime as Momo's character develops and it becomes increasingly clear that she's just hard gay for Shamiko. I could watch these two be tsundere for each other forever.

4: Joshikousei no Mudazukai ∥ Passione ∥ Dir. Takahashi Takeo: There were a lot of excellent comedies this year and I always find them hard to review. Where Mudazukai particularly excels is the crassness of its characters: like the title suggests these aren't your typical cutesy anime JKs. They crack dirty jokes, take the piss out of each other, and feel more genuinely like friends than a lot of high school girls in anime. Akasaki Chinatsu in particular is pitch-perfect as 'Baka,'  its like she was born to be stupid. Probably the funniest show of the year, even though I have one comedy ranked above it.

3: Senkizesshou Symphogear XV ∥ Satelight ∥ Dir. Ono Katsumi: The fact that a Symphogear series could end up this high on the rankings is something like a miracle. After years of me shitting all over it for incomprehensible plotlines and disposable characters, they somehow not only fixed it in the last season, but even retroactively redeemed some of the elements from those shitty third and fourth seasons and created some of the most thrilling moments of the year in the process. It even goes as far as to reach back to the first season and address the latent themes of Japanese nationalism that have always hung over the show in resolving Tsubasa's character arc. XV delivers such a satisfying conclusion that it fully justifies the past six years spent on developing the Symphogear series in a way I never thought possible. It's a beautiful thing to behold.

2: Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai ~Tensai-tachi no Ren'ai Zunousen~ ∥ A-1 Pictures ∥ Dir. Hatakeyama Mamoru: The romantic comedy is probably the most prolific genre in late night anime, and Kaguya-sama stands shoulder to shoulder with the greats. Everything from the voice acting (Koga Aoi should be a superstar, and Kohara Konomi is already on her way to being a household name) to the animation to the direction to the writing is superb. Kaguya even delivers in spades in the "romantic" side of "romantic comedy" which isn't something every rabukome can say. The number of series that I can say have made me cry from laughing and from emotion is pretty small, but Kaguya is proudly among them.

1: Araburu Kisetsu no Otome-domo yo ∥ Lay-duce ∥ Dir. Andou Masahiro & Tsukada Takurou: After all these years, Okada Mari has finally delivered her magnum opus. There has perhaps never been a more frank discussion of female adolescent sexuality than Araoto, drawing heavily as it does from Okada's own lived experience as a confused and bullied teenager. These girls are fragile people who are walking a knife's edge between childhood and adulthood, and they don't always keep their balance. As someone who didn't grow up as a girl, it's not something I can intrinsically understand, but it's a testament to Okada's writing that Araoto MAKES you understand what it's like to be a teenage girl going through puberty. It's ugly, it's dangerous, it's scary, and... it's something every woman goes through. Araoto deftly tackles themes of discovering ones sexuality, homosexuality, and the pressure put on young women by a society that both sexualizes them against their will but also demands that they remain chaste and pure. It is unlike almost anything else that's ever been made in this medium, and that's why it's my anime of the year.

Honorable mentions... Like I said above, this was a strong year for comedy so some good series didn't make the cut. Ueno-san wa Bukiyou was a great showcase for Serizawa Yuu's comedic chops (which us Pripara fans have known about for years) and featured some of the most memorable gags of the year... Kemurikusa saw Tatsuki triumphantly return to television with his first full length work since Kemono Friends, and I frankly found it to be better than Kemofure; a truly enjoyable work of post-apocalyptic science fiction... Speaking of science fiction, I also feel compelled to mention Kanata no Astra, which seemed underappreciated but ended up being an extremely well-written SF series. Of course, we also have to mention Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO if we're talking about science fiction; I didn't particularly like YU-NO's second half that much, but it's worth watching if only to understand where so much of modern anime comes from in the first place.

The awards go to...

Best Actress: Koga Aoi as Shinomiya Kaguya, Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai. I mentioned above that this girl should be a superstar, and it's frankly absurd that she hasn't gotten more leading roles considering the considerable talent she shows off as Kaguya. She's a one-woman wrecking crew in this series, with her ability to effortlessly straddle the range between "cold and detached psychopath" and "petulant 8 year old throwing a tantrum" being the lynchpin of a lot of the series fundamental humor.

(Honorable mention: Akasaki Chinatsu as "Baka," Joshikousei no Mudazukai; Yukino Satsuki as Magase Ai, Babylon)

Newcomer Seiyuu of the Year: Kohara Konomi. It's a sweep for Kaguya-sama, and the voice acting is a big part of the reason that show was so exceptional. It kind of feels like cheating to give this to someone who's already played a Precure, but Toei were just really ahead of the curve on this one. 'Koko-chan' exploded onto the scene in 2019 between her roles as Fujiwara-shoki and Shamiko in Machikado Mazoku, with a distinctive vocal style and a knack for comedic delivery. Several of the most memetic lines of the year, like Fujiwara's "Don da yo!" and Shamiko's "Kore de katta to omou nayo!" come courtesy of her, and I feel like that ability to stick in people's minds is a testament to her level of talent. Though I gave Koga the nod overall for her performance as Kaguya, it's clear that Kohara is the one the industry has earmarked for future success with the level of prominence she's had over the past year or so, so she gets this award.

(Honorable mention: Fairouz Ai. "Fai-chan" made a splash thanks to her unusual background, but she's also proven to be a talented actress after appearing from seemingly out of nowhere to play Hibiki in the Onegai Muscle anime. It's out of the scope of this post, but she really made an impression in Oshibudo as Eripiyo, but her body of work is still too thin for her to win this award outright. She's shown she has a knack for the funny with her brusque and aggressive delivery, but I'd really like to hear her as a dramatic lead sometime soon.)

[currycheesecakeold]

Here’s another redesign. This time it’s Megami!

For Megami, I wanted her design to be more sophisticated, dressed professionally and to show that she’s a mature, serious school council president.

The one thing I have changed from her is her face shape. He face needs to so-what reflect her personality, so now her face is abit long and her cheekbones are more defined. Showing more maturity and sophistication.

Her hair is now black but she has a streak of silver on her bangs, she has Poliosis in which a part of her hair is lacking melanin.

As for her name, I changed it to Megumi Enoki, Megumi is written in hiragana in this case because her name can be interpreted in many different meanings (you can call this a pun name of sorts) depending on the kanji used to pronounce the name, it can mean:

- 恵:  “ blessing, grace" - 恵美: "blessing, favour; beauty" - 愛 (alternatively read as “Ai” but it also reads as Megumi):  “love, affection’ - 斡美: "administer, go around, rule; beauty"

Enoki might be a name of a mushroom, however, this surname also belongs to a Japanese politician, pharmacist and feminist, Misako Enoki, who was a symbol for woman’s rights in Japan during her time.

Another thing to note that, I might give her a few flaws in her personality, sure she might be strong, confident and an heiress to a big company, however, I feel like it’s better to flesh her out since she is a big character and ‘mary-sue’ won’t cut it. I feel like despite Megami being so serious, sophisticated and strong, I feel like that makes her a bit cold and distant to the other students in her school, she only talks during work related matters and she doesn’t have much time to socialise because of all the work she spends her time mostly doing. She is rather business savvy too, and there’s a possibility that she might not believe in romance as she only cares about the safety of the school and work, however that doesn’t say she would not change. Hopefully, in the future, I can try to weave in connecting stories with all the other characters. but for now, this is all I got. 

Thank you~!

Tools used: Sai, Photoshop  

[deann1120]

Connections in Precure Names

I’ve noticed a lot lately that a lot of the Precure’s normal names have some sort of connection to their Cure self (not that I’m the only one that’s probably noticed it). Here’s another not-so-extensive list of “research” (aka google translating) that i’ve done:

*WARNING: IM NOT FLUENT IN JAPANESE AND I DID JUST RELY ON GOOGLE, SO PLZ DONT YELL AT ME IF I GET SOMEETHING WRONG* CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR FRESH AND SUITE

Honoka Yukishiro/Cure White: “Yukishiro” literally means “snow white” (Yuki being snow and shiro being white)

Hikari Kujou/Shiny Luminous: “Hikari” is the word for light. Nozomi Yumehara/Cure Dream: “Nozomi” means hope (Dream is the Cure of hope) and “Yume” means dream. Miki Aono/Cure Berry: “Aono” is the word for blue, her theme color. Inori Yamabuki/Cure Pine: “Inori” is the word for prayer (a center of her attacks, you can hear her say it during her introduction). Setsuna Higashi/Cure Passion: “Higashi” is the word for east, referencing her previous identity of Eas. Tsubomi Hanasaki/Cure Blossom: “Tsubomi” means bud, as in a flower bud, and “Hana” is the word for flower. Yuri Tsukikage/Cure Moonlight: Interestingly, “Tsukikage” translates to Moon Shadow. Hibiki Hojo/Cure Melody: “Hibiki” is the word for sound, going along with the music theme of the season. Eren Kurokawa/Cure Beat: Don’t know if this means anything, but “Kuro” translates to black. I’m assuming this also references her past as a black cat. Akane Hino/Cure Sunny: "Aka" is the word for red, her sub-color. Also, “Hi” can translate to sun, but I think it can also translate to fire, her element. Nao Midorikawa/Cure March: “Midori” is the word for green, her theme color. Reika Aoki/Cure Beauty: “Reika” apparently translates to below zero??? I mean, her element is ice, but something about that seems a little wrong to me? i dunno. maybe that’s where diamond’s name comes from, since they share it. Mana Aida/Cure Heart: "Ai" is the word for love. Alice Yotsuba/Cure Rosetta: Getting off track with an English derivative, “Alice” means ‘noble’, possibly referencing her high status and maturity. Megumi Aino/Cure Lovely: "Megumi" can mean love, and “Aino” means of love. Hime Shirayuki/Cure Princess: “Hime” is the word for princess, and “Shirayuki” is Honoka’s name low-key switched (‘white snow’). I guess it refers to her Sherbert Ballet form. Haruka Haruno/Cure Flora: “Haru” is the word for spring (as in the season of flowers). Kirara Amanogawa/Cure Twinkle: I realize it’s not exact, but “Kirara” looks like “Kirakira”, the word for twinkling. Also “Amanogawa” is the word for milky way, one of her big attacks. Towa Akagi/Cure Scarlet: Again, “Aka” is the word for red, her theme color. Kotoha Hanami/Cure Felice: Once again, “Hana” is the word for flower, her theme. Aoi Tategami/Cure Gelato: “Aoi” is another translation of blue, her theme color, and “Tategami” is the word for mane, as in a lion’s (her animal) mane. Akira Kenjo/Cure Chocolate: “Kenjo” might translate to wise woman, which reflects on her personality. 'Tis all! thx ♥️