#also i want to make this into one of those edits with lyrics and photos but tbh i don't know how to do that

[strawberriesinmoominvalley]

ribs by the crane wives is about catra in she-ra season five.

'the dark doesn't frighten me i chose to close my eyes/it is mine' horde prime lights up everything bright and clean. catra chooses to find solace in the shadows - she chooses to change. this is especially clear in 'corridors', when she stands between the bright light of horde prime and the dim corridor that the memory of her and adora is in. she chooses the darkness, chooses the safety - chooses the right path.

'the night doesn't frighten me i chose to let it thrive/it is mine' very few people trust catra when she returns. she has to be on the same team as shadow weaver. she has so many reasons why she could turn her back on everyone. she almost does. but she chooses to continue making the right decisions, chooses to endure despite everything. we see so many times throughout the series where she makes bad decisions, turns away from what she knows is the right choice. she tries to squash out the voice telling her to change - until she doesn't. until she makes the right decision and continues to do so. in some ways it was for adora. mostly, i'd argue it was for herself.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Not sure if you've answered something like this before, but how do I write "prettier" sentences? I know one thing that will help would be expanding my vocabulary, but a thesaurus only seems to get me so far. I feel like when I write, especially when I'm describing things, my sentences are so basic. Idk if this makes sense, if it doesn't I can try and find examples from other writers to help describe what I'm talking about!

How to Write "Prettier" Sentences

Pretty prose is something many writers aspire to, however, it's not as easy to achieve as looking up words in a thesaurus. It's something you have to train yourself to do through both learning and practice.

Learn By Reading/Listening

First and foremost, making sure you're reading/listening to a variety of books and stories is essential if you want to learn how to craft prettier prose. Reading and listening to stories helps train your brain to: recognize the cadence of pretty prose, understand the structuring of pretty prose, understand how to craft meaningful imagery, and fills your head with vocabulary.

Expanding Your Vocabulary

Vocabulary is also an important component of crafting pretty prose. Following web sites, pages, and apps that have a "word of the day" (like the Merriam-Webster website) is a great way to learn new words. You can also purchase a word-of-the-day desk calendar for 2024. Some writers like to flip open the thesaurus every day on a random page and read a few random words. You can also read creative articles in newspapers, magazines, websites, etc. to learn new words. You can also look up the specific vocabulary for something you're describing, like if you're describing a house, you can look up the architectural style and general architectural terms to learn how to describe specific things like the style of home, the trim, the windows, etc. Finally, in addition to the thesaurus as a source of new words, you can add other word references to your collection, such as The Describer's Dictionary, the Random House Word Menu, The Writer's Lexicon, etc.

Learning Poetic Cadence and Imagery

Listening to music/reading song lyrics, and reading/listening to poetry are great ways to teach your brain how to craft descriptive imagery. Poetry has to say a lot with few words, so it helps you understand the power of using just the right words in just the right way.

Effective Description is Important

Effective description is of course another piece of the puzzle. Not all writing is description, but a lot of pretty prose is descriptive. So, when you're describing things in your story, make sure to consider the senses--what can be seen, heard, tasted, smelled, felt/touched? You don't want to incorporate all of that into the description of one thing, obviously, but if your character is walking into a forest, considering all of those things can help you come up with a vivid, beautiful description. Sometimes, looking for photos or videos of the thing you want to describe can be helpful, too.

Practice Makes Perfect

And last but not least: practice. Once you've started to train your brain using the methods above, when you go through a draft to revise it and come to a sentence that needs sprucing up, try out different things that you've learned. Don't go overboard with the thesaurus, but perhaps your sentence describes twinkling stars... is there another word you could use instead of twinkling that's more surprising and vivid? The thesaurus suggests: glimmering, shimmering, sparkling, blinking... cross-checking each of these in the dictionary shows they're all appropriate choices for describing the twinkle of a star. You can also read the sentence out loud to listen to the cadence... are there longer or shorter (yet appropriate) words you can use instead to make the sentence more lyrical? Improving your sentences in editing helps you learn to craft pretty sentences as you're writing them the first time.

I hope that helps!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[shimmeringweeds]

For those interested in a sing-along: here is an English translation of the encore song from the Link Click Musical. (you know, the one one with the hug.)

The tentative title, supplied by a weibo user, is 追光者 "Zhuīguāng zhě" <- Recent lyrics call this 《追光的人》

Edit: It didn't hold up lol. Big thank you @chocolatexiaoshi for teaching me! 追光的人 means People who Pursue Light/ Chase Light/ or Seek Light . Some lyrics have been and will continue to be modified as we work on this!

追光 translates to “spotlight” in my dictionary. Literally, it means "to chase light" In this song, 追光 is personified as either 追光者 or 追光的人. Pretty cool term to use in a stage play! Google translates this as “light chaser.” I’ve chosen to go with “guiding light.” We will see how poorly that holds up to official translation ^^;

Each line punches the gut harder that the last. This song basically references the s2 ending, then ties it into the earthquake ark. It's brilliant. It hurts. Listen to the video while you read. Please enjoy :)

Disclaimer: As always, I am a novice translating for fun, because I want to sing-along and know what I'm saying. I can’t speak or read this language. If you've checked google translate, this doesn't add much extra, but! this post conveniently includes Hanzi, Pinyin, and English for you to reference + a few notes. I've primarily used Pleco, inputting word by word, with mdgb.net/google for extra clarification. I'm learning, but fairly confident that this is reliable, though not fluent. Please reach out about any mistakes you find!

link to video

link to origin lyrics: one, two , and a thank you to @sgdlr-asdfghjkl for providing them!

---

-追光者-

LG:

城市一隅寂静角落

Chéngshì yīyú jìjìng jiǎoluò

A quiet nook in the corner of the city

破旧相馆串眹你我

Pòjiù xiàng guǎn chuàn zhèn nǐ wǒ

Our shabby photo studio ties us together

目睹命运莫测

Mùdǔ mìngyùn mò cè

Witnessing unpredictable fate

难逃重蹈覆辙

Nán táo chóngdǎofùzhé <- idom follow the track of the overturned cart.

It's hard to escape the same mistakes

照片窥探他的时空

Zhàopiàn kuīchēn tā de shíkōng

Peaking at his timeline in the photograph

无人知晓真实的我

Wú rén zhīxiǎo zhēnshí de wǒ

No one understands the real me

相遇还是重逢, 他不知, 我也不能说

Xiāngyù háishì lànghuā, Tā bùzhī, Wǒ yě bùnéng shuō

Whether this is our first encounter or our reunion, he doesn't know and I also cannot say.

-

CXS:

善于洒脱遮掩脆弱

Shànyú sǎtuō zhēyǎn cuìruò

I'm good at being at ease to hide weakness

他的出现如光降落

Tā de chūxiàn rú guāng jiàngluò

He emerges like light descending

学会渥手言和

Xuéhuì wò shǒu yán hé

Learning to shake hands and make peace

释怀亲情的枷锁

Shìhuái qīnqíng de jiāsuǒ

I'll let go of the chains of familial affection.

谁都有难圆的梦不止是我

Shéi dōu yǒu nán yuán de mèng bùzhǐ shì wǒ

Everyone has unfulfilled dreams, not just me.

-

LG:

遗憾指引着赶路的我

Yíhàn zhǐyǐnzhe gǎnlù de wǒ

Regret guides me in my pursuit

CXS:

回忆温暖着迷路的我

Huíyì wēn nuǎn zháo mílù de wǒ

Memories warm me when I’m lost

-

Both CXS/LG:

绕过岁月错落, 不问值不值得,

Ràoguò suìyuè cuòluò, bù wèn zhí bù zhídé

Detouring through time scattered around, don’t ask if it’s worth it or not

打破轮回的规则

Dǎpò lúnhuí de guīzé

Break through the rules of the the time loop

Refrain:

我一次又一次全力以赴, 跨越时间的沟壑

Wǒ yīcìyòuyīcì quánlìyǐfù, kuàyuè shíjiān de gōuhè

Again and again I’ll give my all, leaping across the ravine of time

无视黑夜白昼的界限, 试图换一个结果.

Wúshì hēiyè báizhòu de jièxiàn, shìtú huàn yī gè jiéguǒ

Ignore the boundary between night and day, and attempt to exchange one outcome

经历过, 才看破

Jīnglìguò, Cái kànpò

With experience, the ability to perceive

人生剧情总独特又重合

Rénshēng jùqíng zǒng dútè yòu chónghé,

The unique sums of life’s play will coincide again <- (arithmetic language. each timeline = a sum and you add timelines together to find a solution.)

却依旧不妥协不退缩, 让难题被弥合

Què yījiù bù tuǒxié bù tuìsuō ràng nántí bèi míhé

But still, don't compromise, don't cower and the problem twill be solved

-

每一次击掌后踏上旅途重返分岔的路口

Měi yīcì jí zhǎng hòu tà shàng lǚtú chóng fǎn fēn chà de lùkǒu

Every high five sets us back on the journey, we return to the branching crossroads

逆转時空的代价需要感性和理性拉扯

Nìzhuǎn shíkōng de dàijià xūyào gǎnxìng hé lǐxìng lāchě

The price of reversing time requires perception and reason's pull

追光者, 平凡者

Zhuī guāng zhě, píngfán zhě

People pursuing light, Ordinary people

不能插手为何感同身受

Bùnéng chāshǒu wéihé gǎntóngshēnshòu <- idiom: "to feel indebted as if the favor were received in person", meaning: "to feel as if it happened to oneself."

If you can’t lend a hand, why do you sympathize

任往事一幕幕 重演着

Rèn wǎngshì yīmù mù chóngyǎnzhe

Allow past events to play out, reenactor

却只能铭记职责

Què zhǐ néng míngjì zhízé

But we must bear responsibility

-

Chen Xiao and his Mom:

追光的人穿梭不同时空撕开时间的裂缝

Zhuīguāng de rén chuānsuō bùtóng shíkōng sī kāi shíjiān de lièfèng

The people who pursue light go back and forth between different times and space, ripping open cracks in time

尘埃落定的回忆激活过去与现实交错

Chén'āiluòdìng de huíyì jīhuó guòqù yǔ xiànshí jiāocuò

The memory’s dust has settled, causing the past to intertwine with present <-(激活- lit. chemical activation)

翻越着, 感受过

Fānyuè zhe, gǎnshòu guò

To climb over, to experience

不能���来的也还有更多

Bùnéng chóng lái de yěxǔ hái yǒu gèngduō

There are probably many things we cannot do over

却偏要去折叠去缝合让心结被愈合

Què piān yào qù zhédié qù fénghé ràng xīn jié bèi yùhe

But I must go fold, go suture, so this knot in my heart can heal

——

All:

追光的人圆满他们的梦抚平自己的伤口

Zhuīguāng de rén yuánmǎn tāmen de mèng fǔ píng zìjǐ de shāngkǒu

People who pursue light will satisfy their dreams and smooth their own wounds

逆转时针的能力操控宿命与现实相逢

Nìzhuǎn shízhēn de nénglì cāokòng sùmìng yǔ xiànshí xiāngféng

The ability to reverse the hands of the clock manipulates fate to meet reality.

追光者, 旁观者

Zhuīguāng zhě, pángguān zhě

People pursuing light, A bystander

轨迹从不许人失而复得

Guǐjī cóng bùxǔ rén shī'érfùdé

The trajectory will never allow a person to lose and regain

决不能任遗憾摆弄着, 让悔恨成为执着

Jué bùnéng rèn yíhàn bǎinòngzhe, ràng huǐhèn chéngwéi zhízhuó

Never can regrets be fiddled with, remorse will become attachment

-

LG:

追光者守护你救赎我

Zhuīguāng zhě shǒuhù nǐ jiùshú wǒ

People pursuing light will defend you and redeem me

让遗憾告别生活

Ràng yíhàn gàobié shēnghuó

To make regret depart from life

[beacarrot]

Yes, I think I'm doing it again. One day without you turned into a week, and soon it will become a month, but I refuse to let it stretch to a year, ten years… This text is another open letter to share my experience, especially the grief of losing Liam Payne.

I've been a One Direction fan since I was 14. I discovered the band because of Liam, who, back in his “fetus era,” looked like an Australian actor I had a crush on. One day, while browsing the internet, I came across the name “One Direction.” Honestly, I didn’t feel anything phenomenal in that moment; I had no idea how much that name would change my life and my youth as a whole. I didn’t imagine the hours of research, the nearly one hundred songs memorized, the posters, the fan theories I still hope are true, the Pinterest boards full of images, the photo edits of myself with the boys just to get a taste of what it might be like to be near those five special guys. Fanfiction, imagines… the list goes on.

In the beginning, I even mocked their songs, calling them cliché. A few months later, I knew all the lyrics AND the dance from “Best Song Ever" video clip. Life has a way of transforming our paths when we least expect it, when we’re lost enough for any path to seem fine. But life is generous and shows us the "right direction."

The truth is, it was October 16, 2024. I was coming home from school, crying, and, strangely enough, I had no idea that Liam had passed. I’d been introspective in recent days, reflecting on my last months at school and my amazing friends in class. I’d been listening to One Direction more than usual, and that very day I’d listened to “Stand Up”! I got home and was getting ready to go out again; it was almost 7 p.m.

I remember precisely: my mom looked at me with that expression she used to soften bad news, but it didn’t hide her own anxiety. She said, “I want you to hear this from me, but it’s not someone in the family.” I widened my eyes, jeans halfway on. I felt calm; if it wasn’t family, it wouldn’t hurt that much. But then she said it was something about the band and that one of them had fallen from a hotel balcony and was in bad shape.

My heart skipped one, two, maybe five beats. I don’t remember my tone of voice, but I know it was loud, trying to make my mom remember who it was. When she said “Liam,” I still thought, “Well, he just got hurt, but he’s alive, right?”

“Is he okay?” I asked, near panic. Truly, I wasn’t considering the possibility that he could have passed. But my mom’s words echoed: “No… unfortunately, he’s living with God know.”

My world stopped. I wasn’t even fully dressed, and I started shouting Liam’s name over and over, as if trying to confirm the reality, as if pleading for an answer from the heavens. I looked at the photo beside my bed, which I’ll include in this post, and messaged my friends who were also fans. I cried uncontrollably. I smoked so much in those days that I literally got sick, with a sore throat. Only my mom, my friends from youth group, and school saw my true state. Edu, thank you for putting up with my grotesque sobs on your shoulder. I adore you, friend!

The first night was a nightmare, a heavy and negative energy settled in, but I was clinging to the hope that with sunrise, something might change. But it didn’t. The sun rose, and I relived everything in my head, going over the story, just wishing it was truly a nightmare. I think no one has the right to talk about someone else’s pain. Grief is an individual experience, full of complicated nuances.

I’ve been alternating between suffering, crying to the point of dehydration, listening to the songs while every line hurts. There’s the denial phase, when it feels like it didn’t happen; that Liam is out there somewhere, and we’re still in 2012. Then, the reality drops like a piano falling. And there’s anger: “Is this real? He was so young!” And finally, moments of acceptance, when I smile at the memories and look at the photos, though I’m not completely there yet. Grief isn’t a straight line; you repeat and get lost in these stages, and no one should blame themselves for that.

People have lost the capacity for empathy and humanity. It doesn’t matter if Liam didn’t know me; I knew him. Not personally, of course—he had layers, and that’s one reason we couldn’t imagine how he was self-destructing. But he was a singer with an amazing stage presence, always sweet and attentive with the fans, a real warrior in his personal life, and he certainly made his share of mistakes. He lost his way on the crazy road of life, fame, money, media, relationships, addiction; it drained the hope from that 16-year-old boy who didn’t give up on "The X Factor". Liam is a legend.

There are days I can laugh, listening to the songs and remembering their silly dances, like when I watched “This Is Us” two days after his death. I thought I’d cry, but those boys never make me cry; they only make me smile. What makes me cry are the circumstances surrounding 1D. On other nights, I cry knowing there was nothing I could do. The closest I ever got to him was in a dream once, where the boys were having a party at my house. Liam was sitting in the corner of my room, the same spot where I was when I found out he’d passed. I walked over, asked him about Louis and Zayn, and hugged him. It was a sweet, protective hug. That’s my comfort: imagining his face painted in the beautiful blue sky, knowing he was lost and needed rest. I’ll continue with my contradictory life, and when things get hard and tough here on Earth, I’ll smile because he'll be far away and safe, no longer needing to deal with it all.

I’m still hesitant about watching his funeral online. Since finding out, I’ve stepped back from social media. It cleanses my soul to know I didn’t contribute to the hate, negative energy, dirty jokes, or nasty comments thrown his way, in real life or online. I learned from Liam; I let myself be touched by his essence, loving him completely, and I learned to see the world through the lens of songs and art. Words won’t be enough, Liam. This is not a defective goodbye. I still need you, and even if I can’t see you with my eyes, you’ll live forever.

I can't post something that is not just about it, but I will just continue posting some things because they were already ready before I knew about his death.

Gratitude and strength to all!

I don't like to put black pictures blank in these moments because I don't think it's right black and white because Liam brought and still bring so much color to us.

We love you Liam, our eternal red.❤️

[accio-victuuri]

Bunny laoshi’s 1005 birthday CPNs Part II 🎂🎉

part one is here. this covers xz studio’s birthday video and all the clownery that came with it. this day is truly for celebration and i hope all of us are gonna have a good day~

a conversation that’s kinda loud is where the first part of the video was shot, and more importantly, when. because compared to the other sections of the edit, it appears to be his personal time that was added in. and the rest, with them taking photos, those are deliberately for the birthday material.

I thought this was somewhere in IM too, but it’s actually in Beijing. It’s confirmed by the photo he shared on his weibo. The place is at Lianquan Xianggu Natural Scenic Area Tiangong Cave📍Huairou District, Beijing. There are “reviews” from people who visited and said : “Highly recommended as a great place to get close to nature. There are very few people and there are many routes to choose from. No matter what your physical level, you can play!”

So i guess it makes sense for ZZ to visit. But when was this? I’m seeing 2 speculations on when this could have been. However the common denominator is that WYB was with him in this trip. It’s a place where they will not be recognized that much and no crowds.

OPTION NUMBER 1 : September

The theory is simply lining up the date when they were both in Beijing. GG allegedly went back to Beijing on 9/23 to 9/27 for work. Since he has other commitments other than shooting the movie. If you remember, he had a couple of livestreams and shoots. His schedule lined up with WYB who had no public itinerary on 9/26-9/27. So this could be the time window when they went hiking & exploring. Maybe WYB had his camera with him too and they both took pictures.

OPTION NUMBER 2 : August

This one has more clues to it and the guess is 8/14-8-15 which is free time for both of them. 8/13 was also when the mysterious driver was spotted so there’s that. The one who restored the cake mentioned to count the number of the sheep and it should be 32. Also it’s called something like a Beijing Camping cake and the plan for it ( with photos ) was shared 8/15 since this person didn’t know it’s for XZ. However the“original” one who made the concept is from Hangzhou which I already talked about. There are also posts from other people way before this material came out that they did see XZ around that time in the area. Remember there are some parts of LOCH done in Beijing. Tho they said that the filming site was very strict and closed off.

So anyway, I really believe that this was some sort of a joint celebration for them even it’s not 1005. I mean, why would his cast mates celebrate it with him that early??? Unless they both know that the two of them will be busy in the next couple of weeks so why not celebrate it now. While we’re out here camping 🏕️

This photo too, when i first saw it i expected for the XZS bday edit to have the scene where they sang for him. BUT NO. They shared a different “birthday moment”. I’m looking at this and thinking — maybe they didn’t want to share this private moment. They are aware of how eagle eyed CPFs can put things together and notice stuff with photos, all the more in a video. I’m leaning more towards the fact that it’s private and they wanna keep this between.

We could all be wrong about this. As with all CPNs, more clues come out as the days & months go by.

Moving on….

Is this the new favorite mini fan? LOL. I mean the CQL couple fan they have will always have a special place but it’s nice to see him have some “upgrade”.

We are seeing that again! P1 and P3 are a nod to how the sunrise is seen from the space station. P2 which is from XZS video looks like it’s a nod to that too but in a different way.

The whole feel of the vlog too, some of the cuts have that “Like The Sunshine” vibe to it. It’s a common reaction from some turtles, especially if you put the lyrics side by side with some of the stills. You can easily cut the scenic shots and use LTS as the background music and it will fit.

Watching the starry sky with the wild beasts. What is your name, in the shadows. Waking up in the night, silent like me. We lit the bonfire while we chatted. Time sneaks by, falling like flower petals

I have traveled a long way, you have dreamed a long time. If we can exchange our sincere hearts, then we can get through winter. Many lonely nights drift like fallen leaves: But it always finds a way and is always new on the branches. We will meet again, like the world will go on as usual

I have a firefly for you in the palm of my hand. It's some happiness picked up along the way. What is your name, how gentle is your name. Please tell me when the night breaks. We lit the bonfire while we chatted. Time sneaks by, falling like flower petals

Tell me this doesn’t match. 🙃🙃🙃 Their works really complement each other.

I can mention some other elements in the video like the windmills again & that cut with the violin/symphonic sound that wyb just mentioned in his vogue interview. I mean, if you clown hard enough I bet you can connect everything to a candy. But the topics I’ve mentioned here are what’s mostly talked about.

-END.

P.S: I can relate to this so much. The state of turtles right now 😂😂😂

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.12.02] ESSE January 2025 Edition

New Year Special Interview Yuzuru Hanyu

The person who graces the cover of the New Year issue is figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, who continues to challenge himself with new expressions even after turning professional. He shares a message to welcome a fulfilling year ahead.

“Entering his third year as a professional, he has become able to rely on those around him.”

Yuzuru Hanyu, heading towards the crimson-themed photo shoot set, picked up his smartphone and chose the background music for the shoot: the songs "Ryakudatsu" and "Last Ambient" by his close friend, Taisei Miyagawa, with whom he had previously collaborated in an ice show. The staff cheered as he moved his body gracefully, just as if he were performing in a real show.

Since starting his career as a professional in 2022, Hanyu has continued to take on unprecedented challenges, including becoming the first-ever skater to hold a solo show at Tokyo Dome and successfully completing a national tour. Now entering his third year as a professional, he shared, "I've become able to rely on the people around me."

"During my competitive days, there was pressure to carry the expectations of everyone and deliver results. But after getting involved in directing and planning shows as a professional, I’ve been able to expand my world by leveraging the expertise of professionals in various fields. I guess that’s a sign I’ve grown up (laughs). Because I’ve learned to cherish the people around me, I feel like I’m also able to take better care of myself."

"I believe that an athlete is someone who pushes themselves to their limits."

His current challenge is how to create the world of his national tour "Echoes of Life," which will take place from the end of this year into next year.

"I’m nervous about how the upcoming show will be received, but right now, I just want to get better at skating (laughs). Depending on the program, the way I use my stamina changes, so I need to figure out how to manage it this time, and I also need to create the choreography... Right now, I’m in the most intense, tight situation."

The ice shows Hanyu has been involved with since turning professional have all been physically and technically demanding.

"The structure is such that after the show, I’m often so exhausted I can’t stand, so it's hard every time. Actually, I saw something on SNS today that said: 'Even if you can run 10 meters per second, you shouldn’t think you can run a full marathon at the same speed.' I thought that’s true... but I’m the type who tries to run a full marathon at 9.5 meters per second (laughs). But I believe that pushing yourself to the limit is what makes an athlete, and if you compromise, it can't be called art."

 "It's important to acknowledge your own hard work."

Yuzuru Hanyu, who is pursuing his potential even more stoically than during his competitive years, has put in an unimaginable amount of effort behind the scenes.

"But I don't think it's just me; everyone is doing their best in their own places. I have dreams to pursue and a stage to perform on in front of people, so I'm giving it my all, using up all my lung capacity... But even if someone's way of using energy is more subtle or long-lasting, I believe that’s their own form of giving their all. We live in a world where it’s hard to understand the meaning of our existence right now. That’s why, rather than comparing themselves to others, I want everyone to recognize the efforts they've put in and acknowledge their own hard work."

In his 25 years of skating, Hanyu has sometimes felt discouraged, but he has always managed to pick himself up and move forward. One of the keys to maintaining a positive mindset is "falling into despair to the fullest."

"I believe that if you don't half-heartedly suppress your feelings and just let yourself hit rock bottom, a chance to find hope will eventually come. That could be a phrase from a podcast you happened to hear or lyrics from a song playing on the street. I’d be happy if it came from my performance too. But that kind of opportunity doesn’t come just by waiting for it. No matter how down I feel, I make sure not to stop reaching out so I can grab the chance when it comes."

“Nabe and ozoni with ponzu sauce are wintertime delights.”

The performance of "Echoes of Life" is coming up early in 2025, but will there be time to enjoy New Year's food?

"I love ozoni. Ours is soy sauce-based, with chicken, seri (Japanese parsley), and shredded daikon radish and carrots called 'ohikina,' topped with ikura (salmon roe). In the winter, we often eat nabe (hot pot) as well. I'm not good at eating a lot of raw vegetables, so nabe is perfect because I can get plenty of cooked vegetables. It's also easy to make. I like to eat it with a refreshing ponzu sauce."

The first day of the tour, December 7, is also Hanyu’s 30th birthday. When he was a teenager, he thought, "People in their 30s are old," but does he have any habits that help him stay youthful, contrary to those words?

"Keep seeking freshness in both hobbies and work. This is something I've been conscious of since my competitive days, as there is data showing that people are more likely to focus better on new things. For example, in beauty, instead of applying lotion out of habit, I believe that if you learn new knowledge about the right temperature or method of application, it can motivate you. I think accumulating such experiences helps you stay youthful."

Hanyu is constantly evolving. We can't wait to see what new frontiers he will show in 2025.

Source: ESSE January 2025 Special Edition, pg 71-73 https://esse-online.jp/articles/-/30880 Info:��https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0DG5GJCC7

[sleepy-pigeonn]

A Look Into My Hades Fan Animatic

I don't know to call this other than a collection of resources and reflections about the process of making the animatic. Hopefully it's interesting or helpful for someone. But feel free to ask questions if you'd like clarification/more info!

___

Inspiration (A non-exhaustive list)

It's possible that I've seen/read fan works that may have inspired me unconsciously, so there's no way I can possibly include references to them all. However, the ones I listed here are ones I recall looking back at repeatedly.

The fancomics "First Flight" and "Bonehead Boon" by Liana Sposto

Robbie Elliot Art's animation "Take Tonight"

Toastyglow's animation "Glitter & Gold" and PMV "This Year"

Storyboards posted by Paige Caldwell (@/papernewt) on Instagram

Zag admiring some of these beautiful fanworks.

The following sections are below the cut: References, Songs, Script and Thumbnails, Studies, Drawing, Editing, Random Facts

___

References

These were very helpful to creating the animatic!!

In-game references

Hades Wiki

3D Model of Zagreus by @/chunyou_ on Twitter

I also used screenshots I took while playing

General references

"How To Direct A Fight Scene" by Howard Wimshurst

Poses from the photo libraries of The Pose Archives and AdorkaStock

3D Model of Male and Female Heads by William Nguyen

I also just looked stuff up online or took videos of myself acting out some of the movements.

___

Songs

I thought of basing my animatic on any of the following songs:

"Icarus" by Bastille

"Dirty" by grandson

"Underworld" by CYPRSS *

"I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme)" by John Rzeznik

"I'm Gonna Win" by Rob Cantor **

"Could Have Been Me" by the Struts

They all have a varied degree of "Zagreus vibes" but I wanted a song that could be used to show as much of the game as possible. "Could Have Been Me" was the song that I could imagine more things for, so it is the one I ended up using.

* Look at this awesome Zagreus fan art based on this song

** Some of the lyrics for this song are so fitting for Zag but others are pretty ooc.

___

Script and Thumbnails

I've seen other artists annotate the lyrics to the song they are working with and attempted that here. But that process is a little confusing for me, so I kept these descriptions vague. It was helpful in keeping track of ideas, since some of them are faster to write down than draw. Especially for fight sequences.

I used Storyboarder for the thumbnails. I opted for this program because (1) it lets you add an audio file and (2) it has very basic tools. It can be used in a more nuanced way than I did. However, with 3 and a half minutes of frames to work out I needed something that helps me draft down ideas efficiently and without overwhelming me. And this was pretty good program for that.

The script and thumbnails happened in tandem a lot of the time. Think of it as brainstorming, both in vague writing and loose drawings. At this point I am trying to see if these ideas flow with the song, if they are readable, if they achieve what I had in mind.

___

Studies

Okay. So I am happy with my ideas. Now. How do I make sure the drawings are identifiable as taking place in the game?

This is where those in-game references came in handy. I looked back at my thumbnails and made a list of everything I would need. From characters to locations. Once I had these down, I made folders to make sure everything would be nice and organized.

I tend to avoid backgrounds like the plague. However, for some of these shots to work I need to give the viewer a sense of where the action is taking place. I know that I struggle imagining three-dimensional spaces while drawing digitally. So, using my thumbnails and the references I gathered, I did studies of all the locations I thought would be important using good old paper and ink. This also served to fine-tune shot compositions.

___

Drawing

The animatic itself was drawn using Krita. Usually, I worked on all the backgrounds using the studies as a base and then added the characters. My drawings started very rough for a couple of reasons. The main one was that with ~200 frames ahead of me I was afraid of letting my inner perfectionist get me stuck. I kept reminding myself that, being an animatic, the drawings could be rough as long as they are still readable. As I got more comfortable using Krita, I was able to create cleaner backgrounds.

Even so, I hit an art block around the two minute mark where I Could Not Draw. This is where I heavily relied on those References I Keep Talking About. They were my savior and are the main cause for the more "finished" look towards the end of the animatic. I think the best example of this was the shot featuring Thanatos. I was deep in the art block territory by the time I needed to go from thumbnail (top left) to final frame. No matter how much I redrew them, I didn't like how they turned out (top right). To work this out, I found references from The Pose Archives and used them as a guide (bottom left) to get a sketch that I liked (bottom right). I felt this look was more sketchy than I've would like so I ended up cleaning it. I followed a similar process for most of the frames following this one. As a result, the final frames of the video turned out cleaner.

___

Editing

Once I had all my frames ready to go, I imported them into HitFilm Express and made a composite shot where I basically just matched the timing of the frames to the music. Frames that have camera movements (like the very first frame) were made in their own composite shots. I ended up having to delete some frames so some sections didn't feel rushed. In the end, there's like 5 versions of the animatic because I kept making little changes. The biggest was adding Zag's dialogue at the beginning since I felt the video started up too quiet. I don't have any images for this stage. Please have this comparison instead.

___

Random Facts ✨

Adding color was a last minute decision, it was mainly because I thought a colorful sunset would be prettier. My original plan was to shift the gray tones of the background into more yellowish tones once Zagreus reaches the surface, but keeping everything monochromatic.

If you pause quickly on the very last frame you'll see I accidentally made Zag's leggings black instead of red. I was on auto pilot at this point. Adding color was worth it overall but so time consuming. My respects to people who do fully colored animatics.

I wish I made Meg a pinker (or blue) hue rather than purple. In my mind I saved purple for characters related to Nyx (hence why Hypnos, Than, Chaos, and Charon have shades of purple). But I guess it is a sweet detail because of how Meg confides in Nyx in the game.

I kept a log of all my progress. Apparently getting the thumbnails done took about five months (August 2023 - January 2024)?? Anyways I leave you with these entries.

___

Thank you for reading! I hope it goes without saying but I really appreciate all the support this animatic has received. All the hearts and comments and tags, they mean a lot.

[nextstopwonderland]

Masterlist of Bryan/Nigel content I've posted: part 1

Click here for additional masterlists:

Graphics

(Original post with the song lyrics / quotes)

(Original post with quote)

(Original post)

Video clips

Post-2 out of 3 falls match clip + protective Nigel supercut

“You don’t want to see Desmond Wolfe vs. Lloyd Boner?”

In which they slap each other then shake hands

Bryan Danielson & Nigel McGuinness’s promos ahead of their AWF WSW match “International Assault 2” - June 1, 2007

And another AWF promo

Bryan and Nigel’s entrance at NOAH in Japan July 2007

Video of Nigel talking about his love at first sight prior to diving into the Clamdigger origin

Promo after their first singles match

Those sexually charged handshakes tho

Nigel pulls Bryan’s pigtails while also calling him the GOAT

Nigel with Monkey ‘Brittle’ Danielson at All In Fanfest

“Oh he’s fine to wrestle now is he?”

“Nigel McGuinness has succinctly pointed out, many times at this point, that we have 206 bones in our body, and 205 of mine are perfectly okay

Bryan and Zack and Nigel and mox

Nigel meets yarn Danielson

“Yeah, darling, but it’s not your fault” - Bryan and Nigel, post last ROH match (includes photos)

“We’re both here for the same goal.” (Includes screencaps and gifs) aka the one that looks like a porn setup

Nigel and mox on wrestledream commentary

“If it weren’t for Clamdigger brittle Bryan Danielson I would’ve had that match”

“You need me to take care of this for you Nigel?”

In which Nigel is finally confronted on collision by Kevin and Tony about wanting to wrestle Bryan

“You know, Nigel doesn’t like him.” Danny talks Bryan, Daddy Magic brings up Nigel

Tag team comedic gold in ROH

“Are you okay?” - wxw clip

“Looking at me like that!” - in which we get our first official aew interaction

“Does it hurt??” - interaction number 2

“I would love to wrestle Nigel … I worry about fan expectations” - in which Bryan finally addresses Wembley this year, and lies some

“The other night after Collision ended Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness and I sat in the back and talked for an hour.” - Tony S talks about Bryan & Nigel

Video compilations/fanvids

2023 Bryan and Nigel talking about potentially facing each other again (intercut with some 2006 clips)

“There’s something about Bryan Danielson” (video/audio edit)

🎶two of a kind, we’ll find a way🎶 - fanvid set to Slide Away by Oasis

Video compilation of the nigel talking about Bryan parts of aew unrestricted podcast

Pre and post match moments - first in-ring match (trios)

Compilation of Bryan and Nigel talking about Bryan’s 205 good bones + how magic and professional wrestling are intertwined

Nigel being unhinged on commentary

“That’s Dragon’s favorite perch”

Death match supercut

Collision roast supercut (feat ZSJ)

Supercut of Bryan and Nigel from Wrestling Road Diaries (and Nigel once again talking about that certain something of Bryan’s)

Another wrestling road diaries supercut (mostly Bryan) with some screencaps

Tag team supercut

“You’re obsessed with trying to one-up me, aren’t you?”

“I’ve seen that look on Dragon’s face before”

“You don’t meet many people like that…”

Compilation of Bryan parts of Nigel’s HEY(EW) ep

“Yeah darling but it’s not your fault.” - yet another camera angle of this moment, edited with other footage

“Out of the ring, we bicker a lot.” - another compilation of some WRD clips

Audio posts

Nigel’s favorite career moment of course features Bryan (includes interview text, January 2023)

Nigel talks about Bryan's charisma, clamdigging, and how only one of his bones is broken (August 2023)

“I had this very strange sensation” (May 2021)

Sweet nothings from Nigel (circa 2009)

“I enjoy making fun of him.” (Audio edit, February 2024)

Part 2

[wilhelmsbee]

Okay now I also would like a director's commentary, if you'd be willing to do that!

First of all for the book discussion edit you did which is.....INSANITY ...literally one of the best edits ever ever ever

And also maybe "real funny that things go to hell now that I've found it" because I think it's criminally underrated!!

Also, feel free to pick one of those haha and I might take you up on more some time haha

I am gonna do them both but I'll be doing the second one in a standalone post! Starting with this edit!

because this edit has no lyrics I'm gonna do it like the line of dialogue & the scenes played instead :P

And what do you think the dilemma is?- Starting with the actual scene, Simon is asked the question by the teacher, basically showing that the edit is going to be entirely about Simon's interpretation of the book Kris, which is used as a parallel for wilmon! The text is purple for the teacher, but that's also the colour I use to represent wilmon as a couple so its a little nod to that as well :)

That Malin has grown up with strong Christian ideals, that...- Wilhelm walking through the castle, trying on Erik's old jacket, paralleling Wilhelm's upbringing as a Prince to an extremely religious upbringing. He's been raised in this place, with its long-standing traditions and deep beliefs that permeate into the modern world. He's surrounded by this institution and even though he tries his best to be himself and accept who he is, obviously it has fundamentally carved out his brain in a specific way. The royal upbringing is what made him so afraid of his sexuality, and even when he accepts that there are still parts of him that naturally fall into that safe self-serving mindset.

She has trouble combining with how she really feels.- Wilhelm is left out when August and Erik get to see each other, the etiquette book being forced into his hands, leaving Simon after his mother told him 'no more mistakes.', telling Simon that their kiss was a mistake. He doesn't know how to fit into either box, Prince or Wilhelm. He's in a completely new space and all he's trying to do is be exactly what everyone wants him to be, what he's expected to be. He struggles during the photo-op because he wants to be himself, but he's quickly reminded that he should actually just follow everyone else and fit the mould. This mindset is what makes him leave Simon in E4. He's struggling to find the line between what his upbringing expects of him and what he actually wants, and he can't manage to thread that needle no matter how much he wants to. The one time he figured it out, realising his mistake and backtracking, it didn't change anything. He was forced back into that same box. Despite his best efforts, Wilhelm doesn't know how to balance his title and himself.

Especially about Siv.- The anxious hovering before the kiss in episode 4. He's desperately trying to reassure himself this is okay and that he's allowed to be happy and accept himself even as the Prince. It's all he has, nobody else around him cares like Simon does, and still, he has to hesitate, he's afraid that once he crosses that line he can't go back. I always thought this mirrored the party scene, when Wilhelm looked like he wanted to kiss Simon, but the show cuts before we see (and I don't think they did kiss here tbh). He's so terrified of crossing these barriers he's made in his head, consciously or not, because once he does how will he go back? How could he go back? He doesn't know where to put these feelings, there's no space between his royal upbringing and societal expectations. Both of these scenes feel like a free-fall jump. He's risking everything just to see. To feel something that he's held back from himself, allow himself that experience. Get to know himself.

You wish that Malin could just ignore them,- The outside pressures on Wilhelm rearing their ugly heads. He's a poster-child for Hillerska, especially since Henry confirms that the school board thought Wilhelm would bring more students to the school. The plaque reminding him that he is responsible for the legacy of the school causes him to spiral, because he's a public figure whose name can never be separated from the school but he might be falling for a boy who he can't ever really be with, and he hates it. His mother reminding him that he can't make any more mistakes, that he's the sole heir to the throne and he needs to make the family proud, it just cements this fear. Wilhelm is stuck in this cycle of accept himself/ outside pressure to conform/ accept himself... and it's wearing him down already. He's taking his mother's words and applying them to what he knows she wouldn't like, even though she doesn't know about it. [You] in this scenario is Simon, or at least Wilhelm's interpretation of Simon. He imagines it's irritating watching him go between reaching out and pulling back, how draining it must be for Simon, but he also knows that there's no easy solution to this problem.

I mean, the duties and ideas about God- Again, God in this context is the Royal Family. Wilhelm giving his pre-written speech, Wilhelm giving his pre-planned lie about the tape. These scenes show his duties to the throne. He needs to keep up appearances, come hell or high water. There's a distinct lack of emotion in both scripts (though he does go off-book after Erik's passing, but this isn't a public space, so it makes sense). He is just following exactly what is expected of him, with no real personal attachment, even though both of these things are extremely emotional events. His duty to the Royal Family is to pretend that everything is fine, all the time. To rid himself of his humanity, just be the figurehead he's supposed to be.

It's not just coming from outside, it's her own fault, too.- Wilhelm's admission. It's not just the Royal Court deciding his actions, his every word, thought, and movement. He's accepting blame for himself, too. It's something he's been extremely hesitant to do in the series up until this point, but it was extremely necessary. Wilhelm's acceptance of fault is what helps reform that trust with Simon. It was Wilhelm's own recklessness that almost got him taken out of school, and it was his own naivety that made him believe Simon could trust him post-tape-denial. Yes, there were outside sources, but he wasn't acting as a puppet for the Royal Family, he was making his own decisions as well, and he's acknowledging the hurt that it brought to Simon. A lot of Wilhelm's S2 arc is related to taking responsibility and understanding the pain he's caused, as well as trying to amend it to the best of his ability. Of course, he still messes up, he's a teenager, but he puts in as much effort as he can.

She has been forced to...- I always thought the Queen manipulated Wilhelm by using the dead-brother-card to ensure he didn't confirm the sex tape. He was forced into giving that statement, and I think at this point Simon has begun to realise just how much power and reach Wilhelm's family (more specifically his mother) has over him and his own existence. He's forced to be this perfect son, with no problems, not a hair out of place, and it has shaped him. Even when Wilhelm fights against the manipulation, he knows that it's not going to work, because everyone around him is willing to do whatever it takes to get him to agree. Jan-Olof doesn't care about Wilhelm's upset at the song changing, all he has to do is say 'The Queen Requested It' because he knows that's all Wilhelm needs to hear to back down. His mother knows this, too. Although Wilhelm has free will and makes a lot of bad decisions on his own, his mother's ability to control and manipulate him only makes those bad decisions worse.

Follow those rules.- Wilhelm just wants to be the perfect son, and considering the fact the show starts on a PR disaster, it makes sense that he's doing anything he can to fix that public perception. He won't speak about politics because Royals are supposed to be politically neutral, even though he clearly isn't politically neutral. He tries to thread the needle, which endears Simon but also shows his fear of further repercussions. He's already lost so much after the fight video, so he's on his best behaviour now. Even months later, he still struggles with regulating emotions and suppressing his anxiety, causing him to be mad at himself for not doing enough. Not being the perfect boy who doesn't want to be openly queer and isn't upset that his ex-boyfriend has a new boyfriend. He can't pretend that he feels okay with these rules, but he also can't let himself bend them. The breakdown after the first kiss is the biggest reflection of this. Yes, he kissed Simon back the second time, but once he was reminded that this was real life where others were nearby and there could be public ramifications to being caught like that, suddenly he's desperately spewing out anything that could remotely sound like he's straight. When Simon actually listens and tries to leave, though? That's also bad. He can't break the rules, but he also can't imagine letting this go. The rules he has to follow just trample him and cause more harm than good, and Simon recognises this.

She can't just throw away everything she's ever learned about right and wrong.- Mostly just highlighting the differences between when Wilhelm was kissed by Felice and when he was kissed by Simon. The kiss with Simon felt right, he was surprised but wanted it to continue. The kiss with Felice didn't. He can't throw away everything he's learned about what's right and wrong for him. It kind of was supposed to spin the line on its head. It's not what he's been taught as right and wrong, but what he's learned, from experience.

She discovers that- The therapy session with Boris, the one where Wilhelm realises he actually can be emotionally vulnerable with Simon and tell him how he feels, and let him be informed. He's finally learning that he has some say and control in his life, that it isn't just predetermined because of who he is and what he was born into. There's this change in expression that emphasises his sudden realisation, like his whole world has been spun on its head.

She wants to change her life,- Confronting Simon with his feelings!!! Simon had asked him to just be open and honest, and for once, he actually is. He wants to change, he wants to have control in his life, and he wants to pursue what's actually important to him! Of course, he tells Simon don't charge August because then I can't abdicate BUT he gives him the option to do whatever feels right. He isn't demanding control of a situation which is out of his hands, he's just letting Simon know his options. Also he apologises and is the bigger person about the wrongs he's done, he's changing for the better. His love is making him better.

Because of what she learns through her feelings for Siv.- Wilhelm has grown a lot throughout the course of his relationship with Simon, even when they weren't together a lot of his growth is centred around Simon and wanting to fix their relationship- and by extension himself. Happy, silly wilmon contrasted with more emotional and sad wilmon not only shows how much they've been through together, how much they've faced together, but also just hammers home the depth of their connection. Wilhelm feels safe and vulnerable with Simon, and Simon feels comfortable and happy with Wilhelm. They're always reaching out or touching each other in these scenes, the constant affection between them just emphasises their love and connection which is what this edit is all about.

So it isn't all bad, and we don't know what happens after the book ends.- - More wilmon comforting each other, lots of touching and holding and love. Even when their relationship is in a bad place, there's still that love and care there in every action they do together. Everything they do is an output of their love- even when they're upset and fighting is because they love each other and they're hurt and don't know how to express it. They just want to hold each other together and keep close, and the beauty in that pure expression of love just carries through the scenes so nicely. They're in love your honour!!!

Closing Scene- I chose this scene because it is just such a perfect encapsulation of wilmon to me. The soft, gentle movements and the warm lighting, the comfort and safety they feel... it's also my favourite scene in the whole show but that's just my opinion etc... truly what I want is for wilmon to have a silly little morning after scene that isn't tainted with the agony to come. We don't know what happens after young royals ends, but I imagine it is gonna be that scene every morning because they're in love!!!!! and I do not care what anyone else says!!!

FONT CHOICE

The font I used is I'm DW pica!!! it's the folklore/evermore font, and I think it has storytelling vibes and that kinda links back to the whole It's A Story For English Class thing :P

Also the text changes colour between Simon's voice and Wilhelm's voice because usually (read: if I'm making my edit like a conversation) I'll colour the texts to match who's speaking (or who matches the current lyrics, or who's POV I'm editing from). When I do this, Simon's text is always a yellow-gold and Wilhelm's is always a teal-blue.

COLOURING

The beginning of the edit has a pale pinky-reddy colouring over it, it's quite desaturated and it's supposed to feel quite cold and hopeless. In sadder edits I'll usually use a red/pink/purple or sometimes a blue pallet for colouring, and it'll be very desaturated. However, by the line she discovers that the colouring actually shifts to a warm golden tint (most of the time my gold colourings are modified from the S1E5 opening scene). Basically showing how he's gaining control and hope and life is looking better and happier :)

by the way how I shift colours in edits is literally just having two layers with the different colour overlays and making one go from 0-100% opacity at the same rate as the other goes from 100-0%. It looks pretty smooth imo :3

[milkbreadtoast]

Been thinking about orv again which always makes me think of the song "drama" by txt so i wanted to share my attempt at translating the lyrics... (2nd time sharing but I revised the tl and deleted the other one🤧 take 2..!!)

(note: i took a p liberal tl approach, it's not 1:1 ; apologize for any inaccuracies!!!)

----

Those cheers, I'm always behind them

A cool smile is your weapon

That sports field/stadium court where I met you for the first time

was a movie scene where I, too, felt like the protagonist

With a single pass from you, I am also right inside that scene,

my place underneath the spotlight's shine

With those kind words you threw towards me,

I too became a lead actor in that moment

(Oh oh) take a step forward

(Oh oh) Give me a highlight

(Oh oh) the drama that I dreamed of...

Time to show my play

This is my drama

The drama I dreamed of

This is my drama

-

Those cheers, I am nobody

You are the master inside the sticker photo(photobooth picture)

Oh gosh, I'm sorry... I overstepped my line

Extra 1 is edited out today as well

I'm together with you, yet I feel strange...

My body keeps feeling like CG

In front of that exit door that has approached all too soon,

My small and insignificant ending.

(Oh oh) goodbye, my delusion...

(Oh oh) the "bye bye" has drawn near

(Oh oh) this drama, (is) for you

Time to get away

This is your drama

This is your drama

This is your drama

-

Oh my god

Your dazzling drama

What's it got to do with me...

What's it got to do with me...

Oh my god

This magical drama

What's it got to do with me...

What's it got to do with me...

(Oh oh) This drama, on the stage

(Oh oh) Glorious, just as it was before...

(Oh oh) We have no problem

Nothing but my name

(Oh oh) goodbye, my delusion...

(Oh oh) the "bye bye" has drawn near

(Oh oh) this drama, (is) for you

Time to get away

This is your drama

This is your drama

This is your drama

[putschki1969]

Wakana 3rd Album Details Revealed & New Artist Visual

Following the little teasers from yesterday, we finally have some concrete news today.

Wakana’s 3rd original album 『そのさきへ』 ("Sono saki e") will be released physically/digitally on May 31st. The first new album in over 3 years welcomes Satoshi Takebe as producer and is comprised of a total of 10 tracks including the songs "標 (Shirushi)" composed by singer-songwriter Yoshiko Hanzaki, “明日を夢見て歌う(Asu wo Yume Mite Utau)” composed/arranged by Satoshi Takebe with lyrics written by Wakana as well as "Flag", a character theme song for the mobile app “Memento Mori”. Other songs will be announced at a later date. Please look forward to it.

[Comment from Wakana] This 3rd album "Sono Saki e (Beyond this point)" will be the first album in 3 years and 3 months since my previous work "magic moment". The title of this album came from the desire to “walk towards the future together”. We are all living in the same world, living in the same time. As long as we are alive, we are always moving forward. No matter how sad or painful things are, time won't stop or wait for us, we can't stand still. If there are people who feel loneliness in such a time, I want them to remember that they are not alone. I want to make the kind of music that always stays by someone's side. It's not an exaggeration but if my music can make you smile, it makes me happier than anything else. With the help of Satoshi Takebe and many other people, I was able to bring my thoughts and feelings to life. While waiting impatiently for the day we can finally release it, we will carefully work on the final details of the album. Please look forward to the finished result! ***Wakana***

【Original 3rd Album『そのさきへ』Product Specification】

[Title]　 そのさきへ [Release date]　2023/05/31 　 Cover images from left to right (Type A, Type B, Regular)

◆First Press Limited Edition Type A（CD+DVD）：VIZL-2189、6,600円 Bonus Content： ●Live DVD「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」（~86min） ＜Setlist＞  01.約束の夜明け, 02.442, 03.オレンジ, 04.夕焼け, 05.myself, 06.時には昔の話を, 07.愛にできることはまだあるかい, 08.君の銀の庭, 09.標, 10.明日を夢見て歌う, 11. Flag, 12. Happy Hello Day, 13.記憶の人, 14. magic moment ※The Christmas songs (Winter Wonderland & Silent Night) are not included

◆First Press Limited Edition Type B（2CD＋Photo booklet＋Poster、LP Sized Package）：VIZL-2190、6,050円 Bonus content： ●LP Sized Package ●LP Sized Photo booklet ●Poster（B2 size) ●LIVE CD with audio tracks of「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」（~86min）※same setlist as the DVD

◆Regular Edition（CD）：VICL-65821、3,300円

Tower Records In-Store Release Events

In commemoration of the release of the new album "Sono Saki e", two in-store events will be held for the first time in a while at CD shops in Tokyo and Osaka. ◆ [Tokyo] June 10, 19:00- Tower Records Shibuya  ◆ [Osaka] June 17, 14:00- Tower Records Umeda

At both venues, a mini-live and a present handover event will be held. The present will be a signed clear file (A4 size). The mini-live at Tower Records Shibuya on June 10th can be viewed online via teket by all those who purchased at Tower Records nationwide and Tower Records Online. If you can't watch it in real time, there is also a one-week archive period. ※Starting from May 30, those who purchase a copy of the target product in the target stores will receive a ticket voucher which can be exchanged for a numbered admission ticket to the in-store events (tickets are limited!) ※In addition to the above mentioned benefits, customers will also receive the store specific tokuten postcard

Victor Online Sign Events

To celebrate the release of the new album "Sono Saki e", two online sign events will be held for those who purchase the album in the Victor Online Store. ◆【1st】 4/16 13h～　BUY HERE　(Pre-order deadline: 4/15)　 ◆【2nd】5/13 17h～　BUY HERE   (Pre-order deadline: 5/12)

As a purchase privilege, you will receive an alternate version of the "Sono Saki e" cover with a different visual depending on the day. This cover image will be signed by Wakana and include a personal reference with your chosen nickname. Both events will be broadcast on YouTube and archived until April 23, May 20 respectively. ※The store specific tokuten postcard will NOT be included

Store Specific Tokuten

In addition, there will be a first-come-first-served purchase privilege for the new album "Sono Saki e" in nationwide store. Those who purchase the album at "Animate",  "Gamers", "Tower Records", "HMV", "TSUTAYA RECORDS", "Rakuten Books", "Seven Net Shopping" or "Victor Online Store" will receive a "Wakana Visual Postcard" as present. Those who purchase at "Amazon.co.jp" will receive a “Mega Jacket/Cover”.

Fan Club Exclusive Tokuten

For members of Wakana's official fan club "Botanical Land", there will be special presents for those who order a specified copy. Fan club members will receive a CD with a live audio track of "Nagareboshi" which was performed during the fan club exclusive ending section of 「Wakana Classics 2022 ～Christmas Special～」 as well as a photo card (A5 size) with an autograph. Preorder period: 2023/3/15～4/14. More details HERE. ※Specified copies are sold in the Victor Online Store ※The store specific tokuten postcard will be included

Photoshoot Offshots

Wakana Instagram post

[ourstaturestouchtheskies]

how do you find or decide what piece of art to use for an edit? what are your sources for finding artworks to use for your edits?

hello my dear!

what a lovely question! my answer is incredibly long, so I apologize in advance for that, but I tried to make it as organized as possible. I'm also going to put it under a cut, since I rambled on for quite a while 😅 but this was such a rich question - so thank you again!! ☺️☺️

if you have other questions lingering after this, please feel free to reach out again! 🥰🥰

how do I decide which artwork to use for an edit?

for the most part, when deciding what artwork to use, I look for some kind of visual or thematic resonance with the lyrics I plan to use

for example, in this edit, I used the lyrics "I don't like that falling feels like flying til the bone crush" with lament for icarus by herbert james draper. there were a number of parallels I wanted to draw here:

visual parallels: those lyrics come from "gold rush" by taylor swift, and the painting itself is suffused in gold tones. I also used a golden glow on some of the words to emphasize this connection

thematic parallels: icarus is famously known for his fall from the sky, and the lyrics I chose literally discuss falling, so that was another resonance I wanted to pull out

random parallels that perhaps exist only in my mind: I wanted to emphasize the ending of a story with both the lyrics and the painting. in the painting, we see icarus after he has fallen, but for those familiar with the myth, his prior flight and fall are implied. the lyrics discuss the metaphorical joy of flight until it turns into a freefall, but what we are actually seeing here is the "bone crush." in this way, I liked that we're looking at the end of a story that in some ways tells the whole story. the lyrics and art both imply the existence of a previous moment of rapturous flight which turned into a tragic fall, even though they only actually show the aftermath of both. idk if that makes any sense so just ignore this one if this is absolutely incompressible 😅

basically, these are the kinds of resonances I like to seek out. sometimes the lyrics come first and I look for a painting that fits well with them, and sometimes it's the other way around. other times I see an artwork and immediately lyrics will pop into my head, or vice versa, where I'll hear lyrics and instantly think of a painting that would fit them so well

not all of my edits have every level of parallels, but I do like to make sure that they at least have some sort of thematic resonance that ties them together!

I hope that explains my process at least a little! ☺️☺️

where do I find artworks for my edits?

there are four big resources/approaches that I use, so I'll go through each one here ☺️

general art history knowledge: since I'm doing an art history phd, I just happen to have a lot of exposure to a lot of different kinds of art. between the hours I spent in class, doing readings, and doing my own research, I just end up absorbing a lot of potential artists and artworks to use. I actually have a page in my notes app devoted to things I see that I may want to use for edits in the future 😅. however, I completely understand that this is not an experience that a lot of people have. but I am more than happy to offer myself as a resource!! if you ever have a question or a vision in mind but don't know where to start looking for art, feel free to reach out and ask! I am by no means in expert in every facet of art history, but I would be absolutely delighted to use what knowledge I do have to help you in any way I can! 🥰🥰

image collections: there are a number of fantastic digital resources available for browsing historical art! museum websites and their digital collections are always a great place to start. many libraries also have extensive digitized collections which often include prints, drawings, photos, and illustrations, even if they don't have paintings or other larger artworks. a couple that I've used in the past are the library of congress and the bibliotheque nationale de france, but there are so many more out there. if you're affiliated with a university, you may have access to resources like artstor, which has a huge repository of images. depending on the databases to which your local library subscribes (which are often a lot!! libraries are so cool and I highly recommend checking out the resources they have!!), you may have access to a number of other databases like artstor. wikimedia commons is also a fantastic resource, since they have categories you can browse like "women with skulls in art" or "red textiles in portrait paintings." obviously not every artwork that fits those parameters are included, but the amount of images they have is incredible. my one caution here is that the search function doesn't allow for a lot of specificity unless you already know the name of a category you're looking for. finally, google arts & culture/google art project tends to have really high quality images of artworks, but is also not the easiest to search unless you already know the name of an artist or artwork that you're looking for. whew okay that's a lot, but please let me know if I can answer any more specific questions about any of these amazing resources!

art accounts: I truly discover so much fantastic art by following other accounts that post art historical content! I follow a number both on here and on instagram, and it's always amazing to see what other people discover 🥰. some are more specific, like posting art just from a specific era/period, or curating different color themes, while others just post anything that they find compelling. I end up finding so many artworks this way, and it's also a fantastic way to connect with other people who like art historical stuff!

following rabbit holes: this is more of an approach than a specific resource, but I highly encourage everyone to explore things they like!! if you see an artwork that really resonates with you, look up the artist and see what other kind of work they've done. find out if they are identified with a particular period or movement and then look up other artists from that movement. see if you like any of the art produced by those artists and then keep going! I have found so much incredible art just by being curious about a single artwork, and it's also a great way to expand your art historical knowledge in general ☺️

yikes okay now that I've written you a whole novel, I hope that at least some of this info was helpful!!

thank you again for the wonderful question! (and thank you so much for reading this all if you got this far! 🥰)

as I said above, I would be genuinely delighted to help with anything that I can! the reason that I want to be a professor is to let people get excited about art, so anything I can do to facilitate that is pretty much my dream 🥰

thank you again dearest anon and I hope you have a lovely, art-filled day!! 💖💕💖💕

[firespirited]

Enjoyed The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity and Love by bell hooks very much.

Lots of photos of passages that hit hard that I'll edit and post eventually.

It's easy reading and also not. And it's well named.

There are people who you can support and love unconditionally, to whom you provide the care and emotional space to grow and the grace when they mess up... and it doesn't work. We can pour ourselves into giving the gift of a safe, stable environment to grow and get back in touch with all that their inner child cut off and stuff that they need to deal with... And nothing... because there's no will to change. Not even when the change would make them happier, have stable relationships, get into less trouble.

I really appreciate that hooks made that flipside a part of the message. It's so easy to blame yourself for not managing to save someone who didn't want saving and doesn't think they need to grow at all.

She addresses her failed relationships despite seeing so many men in group discussions and in her life come to massive realisations about themselves and undertaking life-changing growth like daring to truly love their kids openly. She also shouted out the queer amab folks who've rejected toxic masculinity: not just the misogyny and repression but the whole shebang : redefining manliness, de-gendering nurturing, refusing any dominance based relationships.

The book is written in binary gender wording in the hope it'll reach the most needing audience (2004 was a while back too) but its thesis is that gender roles hurt us all and people who deviate from that norm are no longer considered correct and good males or females whatever different sexuality, gender change, gender non conformity visible or practiced landed you in the 'queer' box. The language is not up to date but the message is on point.

If you prefer video essays Fiq da signifier has several about men and boys, black men and boys, and who gets brainwashed into the manosphere.

But bell hooks has a way of presenting a thesis with quotes, evidence anecdotes then a one line summary that'll punch you in the neurons.

I was listening to some music from 'pop and indie you need to hear this week' and my brain was seeing patterns clearer than just 'dump the asshole' or 'no you're not fixed and whole because or this relationship as lovely as they are, your lyrics (and past lyrics) suggest you've done the work on yourself and are ready now that someone who's also done the work has arrived and that would be an even better song than this one) because of those two books. As much as I felt the first 'All about Love' was preaching to this choir, it also gave focus and succinct concepts.

I look forward to hearing what mum has to say about this one. She fell out with 'feminism' because of the separatists and gender essentialists (bullied by girls and women and also a social worker until burn out - leaves you no illusions about the natural nurturing divine feminine)

She's known men (and both parents) with little to no will to change who were love black holes and men who've defied their upbringing and culture to be the best dad or partner even though they've been shamed for it. Then again, she might give me a brief 'it was interesting' and shut down conversation because feelings are too much. And in two years time she'll drop 'as bell hooks said' into a conversation and I'll know it helped a little.

[newmusicradionetwork]

In a time of growing conflict and division in the U.S., singer-songwriter Camille Harrison offers an expressive and elegant rendition of the iconic song “America The Beautiful.” Camille’s version reminds us of the beauty that exists in our country and among its people—encouraging unity, respect, and compassion, despite our differences. As an accomplished adult contemporary singer-songwriter, Camille has graced the stage with legends like Hank Williams, Jr., and Dolly Parton, and recorded with the renowned Floyd Cramer at RCA Studios in Nashville. Known for her versatility across genres including jazz, traditional pop, and country, Camille also penned the Top 40 Billboard hit “Standing Still” for The Clark Family Experience and contributed to the soundtrack of The Prince of Egypt. “My intention for recording ‘America, the Beautiful’ is with this year being an election year in the U.S.,” Camille says, “there will be, and is a lot of disagreement and discord, to say the least. I wanted to remind us to remember to see the beauty in America, as well as in our friends and neighbors. To be mindful of how we can keep encouraging each other instead of losing friendships or making enemies by having different beliefs, and to keep America beautiful and safe. I wanted to think of how I could contribute to that, and for me, it’s pretty much always music. Creating something new and uplifting out of something classic was my goal.” In her rendition, Camille honors not only the country’s landscape but also those who have sacrificed for its freedom. “I wanted to honor those who paid the ultimate price and fought for our freedom. By having mercy and faithfulness to their families, the memories of their loved ones are honored in our renditions of this piece of music. Starting with bass and acoustic guitar by Kerry Marx, I added keys and percussion with Jeffrey Roach and Gary Prim, edited by Brian Willis, and throughout the additions I sang lead and whole lotta vocal parts in my home, later mixed by Clarke Schleicher. The record cover design is a photo taken from a photo session with the late Rusty Russell. Drawing on the original lyrics written by Katherine Lee Bates, Camille reflects on the song’s origins around September 11 and the election year. “Having spent a good bit of time writing songs, I also think about where songs come from. As a country facing a fork in the road, it seems to me it’s a good time to reflect on where we as a country come from. To remain on the side of wisdom and light, we want to appreciate the bright blue sunny spacious skies, embrace the falling rain, and stand amazed by our majestic mountains that lyricist Katherine Lee Bates wrote of the sights she saw on a train to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and remain in awe of the powerful and relentless oceans from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.” Camille adds, “How do we continue to stretch and extend the beauty of our country around the world? Just as the memorable tune came to organist and choir director Samuel Ward while he was on a ferry boat trip from Coney Island back to his home in New York City, we too can make the music made in the US reach around the world.” As Camille’s version delightfully captures, there is a profound need to appreciate the unity of our nation amidst current challenges. “There’s so much war and strife. Now is the time to open our hearts, make peace with one another, and move forward together” she adds. Through this, her intention is to inspire a sense of togetherness and respect, encouraging us all to focus on the common ground that binds us. For more information and to connect with Camille Harrison, please visit Website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify , Apple Music, and Amazon Music. To schedule an interview or for more information, contact Dead Horse Branding at the following: Danielle Reiss Dead Horse Branding publicity@deadhb.com Phone: (949) 421-9787 About Camille Harrison Camille Harrison, an American singer-songwriter, hails from the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee, and has also spent time in the vibrant musical hub of Memphis, Tennessee. Her natural talent for singing was evident from an early age, nurtured by performing in country music jamborees produced by her father, and singing church and classical pieces with her mother, a classical pianist. Music was woven into the fabric of Camille’s life from the very beginning. She developed a profound connection to it during her early years and credits her parents as her greatest influences. As a child, she studied piano and would sing every day after school, inspired by artists like Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Olivia Newton-John, Ella Fitzgerald, Rickie Lee Jones, and Hank Williams, Jr. Her experiences as a state champion gymnast at age 12 and an award-winning dancer taught her the importance of discipline and striving for excellence to achieve her dreams. By the time Camille was twenty, her professional music career was on a fast track. She performed at numerous prestigious venues, including Mid-South Concerts, Memphis Country Jubilee, Millington Navy Base, the Orpheum, Mid-South Coliseum, and Beale Street nightspots. She headlined the Memphis Symphony Orchestra’s Sunset Symphony and Memphis in May Festivals for three consecutive years, toured Italy, and opened for legendary artists like Hank Williams, Jr., Conway Twitty, Dottie West, and Dolly Parton. Her role as Mabel in Pirates of Penzance deepened her appreciation for a wide range of musical genres. Her early recordings with pianist and producer Floyd Cramer at the iconic RCA Studios in Nashville led to her being featured in People Magazine. Carl Perkins, who happened to walk by the studio while Camille was recording, famously remarked, “Let that girl sing, and I predict she’ll soon be ‘Miss Camille,’ just like Dolly Parton is Miss Dolly.” During this time, Camille had offers to pursue classical music through vocal scholarships, but her passion for contemporary pop, jazz, and country music prevailed. She earned a BS in Music with an emphasis in jazz and invested in a home studio to continue writing, recording, and performing. Throughout college, she also mentored youth and participated in organizations like Young Life and Kanakuk Kanakomo Sports Camp. After returning to Nashville, she quickly established herself as a session singer and performer at popular venues like Douglas Corner and Merchants. Camille has produced numerous solo records and has written and co-written a wide array of songs. Her works include a singer-songwriter album When it Comes to Love, a traditional jazz album The Big Parade, the semi-classical Christian piece When God Did Children Make, and The Jelly Bean Jar. She also co-wrote the Top 40 Billboard hit Standing Still by The Clark Family Experience. Camille has lent her voice to many recording sessions, including The Prince of Egypt soundtrack, and was the featured female singer on Hank Williams, Jr.’s The Blues Man for The Songs of Hank, Jr. She has worked with artists like Chris LeDoux on One Road Man, and worked as a staff songwriter for Warner Chappell and others, earning accolades from organizations like the Memphis Songwriters Association. Notably, she has co-written songs with legendary songwriter Merle Kilgore, known for Ring of Fire. About Dead Horse Branding Dead Horse Branding is an award-winning public relations, management and branding agency with headquarters in both Nashville, TN, and Sydney, Australia. Dead Horse Branding creates, designs, and refines each component of a brand, ensuring that the brand will always hit the right chord on every level. Dead Horse Branding’s business model is a cutting-edge management and branding service all-in-house that spans multiple industries, including music, fashion, design, business, culinary, entertainment, fitness, and more. There are 7 primary formulas to branding and Dead Horse does them all under one roof, making them a very competitive branding agency. Branding is an identity developed through our DH7 branding formula, which includes: strategic planning, logo and image design, photography and visual assets, website design, marketing and social media, publicity, licensing, and distribution. Dead Horse Branding’s brand-building technique has been implemented into the education system in the USA and Australia. Rick Caballo and Melissa Core-Caballo were instrumental in helping to lead Kennesaw State University’s Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business program (MEBUS) as one of top curriculums ranked by Billboard Magazine 2022. Baha Men, LOVING MARY (Steven Tyler’s solo band), Cyndi Lauper, Hachette Book Group, Simon and Schuster, Bo Diddley Estate, HENDRIX Music Academy, Grammy Winning Mark O’Connor Band, Universal Music Group, MTSU, Sony Music, ACPI Group, Interior Designer Kathy Anderson, Gigi Butler of Gigi Cupcakes, TEDx, NAMM, Songwriting University, Marc Jordan, Music Producer Tony Brown, Jayne Denham, Average Joes Entertainment, Music Expo, Joel A. Katz MEBUS Program, The Today Show, Lionsgate, and Hallmark are some of the brands we have had the pleasure of working within the USA and internationally. Visit deadhorsebranding.com for more information! Read the full article

[sweetmusingss]

Oscar leans into your touch, staring back at you with an intense expression. Hearing you bring up your father gave him another touch of guilt. He knew that this was wrong in every way but it also felt so good. He felt so right when the two of you were together and he tended to forget about everything and everyone else. “Well, I am glad you are here with me now and not Charles,” he said softly to you, wanting you to know that he noticed you were spending time with him tonight and not Charles. Charles didn’t have a girlfriend and your father was not his boss. On paper, Charles was probably perfect for you. It gave him butterflies though to know you saw the connection between the two of you.

We spend the rest of the night in his bed, kissing on and off but he always stopped himself before it got to any extreme point which I was thankful for. I wasn’t the type to have sex with just anyone, also knowing Oscar wasn’t that type either, and regardless of how badly I wanted to, I knew that it was way too soon and it would just make things 10x messier with his whole Sophie situation. I was passed out, my head resting on Oscar’s chest and my legs intertwined with his as I slept soundly, not even hearing Lando being obnoxiously loud with George and Alex, sleeping through it like a baby, feeling so content and at peace in bed with Oscar.

__

“Oh, I definitely love the fan edits. Especially the ones of the two of us,” I smile softly when glancing over my shoulder at you. I had sent you a few and there had even been articles written about how I had liked a few. At first I was surprised by all the attention our relationship was getting but sometimes it made me smile to see people reposting photos and videos of us. “Well, the best part is that most of my songs on the album are about you so that should give you a nice ego boost,” I giggle softly, squeezing your hand gently.

“I do love those ones the most... although sometimes I wish people would just leave us alone.” Max chuckled, always being the one who wanted as much privacy as possible, but knowing that was nearly impossible with your career. He was just a driver, he could be as private as he wanted for the most part, but you were the biggest pop star in the world, everything you did was under a microscope and Max was okay with that. He just sometimes found it all a bit much, but never because of you. He was always used to being the famous one, but he was dating someone who was even more famous than himself and it definitely took some getting used to but Max was happy that the camera wasn’t always aimed at him, eager and willing to give you the spotlight. “It will give me a great ego boost until Lando comes and starts talking to me about our sex life and asking what certain things mean. He loves to pick apart song lyrics and try to infiltrate our personal lives that way.” Lando was like your adopted child, the two of you taking him in and always inviting him along to things, Lando always being around now and Max truly loved the friendship you two had created. 

[bisluthq]

Hey Nat :) so since ttpd release I have passionately hated the alchemy and mentioned it in a few anons to you lmao. I like the last line of the chorus and that's been it.

Anyway I now think it's fucking cute, but still grates me a bit and this is my story 😆

So my mum started watching Taylor videos on YouTube and now is always being suggested Taylor related YouTube shorts and she ended up on the tayvis side of YouTube. Btw she doesn't understand algorithms and is just like 'oh a couple on the red carpet. I like one half of them so I hope the other half is nice :) they had some sweet photos :)'. Like she's not invested, she goes 'cute!' and moves on. She now knows so much Taylor lore and various fan lore lmao.

She was saying how she was watching videos about the alchemy and ended up watching some by Gaylors who said the alchemy was copywrited in 2023 so can't be about the Superbowl and therefore is a red herring but those who look will find it because of the lyrics book date.

But when she told me this, she said how 'isnt that so sweet then that she didn't write it about the Superbowl? It's just a regular game, or she thought he would win and wanted him to win the big game so manifested it into song... Because if they shouldn't fight the alchemy of their love,why shouldn't they also accept and expect good things like winning?' and then she went on about how she's written songs where she's looked into the future (eg. Mine), and the thing that stood out to my mum was that Taylor feels so loved that even if he won the Superbowl, he'd prioritise her because that's the real win....

This woman never does song analysis and rarely notices the lyrics but thinks the alchemy is so beautiful because it shows Taylor feeling secure.

I'll be honest, I have only played it twice since this conversation when I actually made a TTPD playlist without it lol. But I really like my mums interpretation and have a higher opinion of the song now.

I also love that she saw a gaylor theory video and instead of asking about that, it just made her see the timestamp as making it sweeter because it wasn't a recount of the Superbowl like others say lol

Anyway she's very normal and doesn't care as such about tayvis, but she loves Taylor, she lives what Taylor means to me and she has seen enough fan edit videos to hope they make it because of all the coincidences like 87 and 89 😂😂😂 but I swear she's not parasocial and isn't on social media even.

I just really wanted to share 🥰

that’s super cute!!