#based on the dog shogun lol

[theothervonkarmagirl]

"You know...I learned in my history lessons that there was a Hoshidan king who made harming a dog punishable by death."

"If I weren't so far down in the succession line, a lot of people would be in trouble~"

Why was she saying this while sharpening a knife...

[doubleddenden]

Decided to indulge myself with another trainer sprite and trainer card for myself- once again using this site to help with team organization and overall for clean assets and clean asset sizing

More info under the cut

Something different I wanted to do was try to make myself comfortable with easing up my usual shading style.

These two, for instance, are May and Tracey in my usual style (i forget if i uploaded these- these are from ny Ash AU basically). Personally, I think it can pop, but there's also a lot more work put into them and they come across as less authentic, not to mention I'd like to steer towards a simpler style that I can make pop with less shading.

For a standard splice edit, i think it's not too bad. The outfit is based on a combo of clothes I own I wish I felt confident wearing in public, lighter weight clothes I wear in the summer to cool off, and I even gave myself the headband I wear when I do outdoor work. Also, I wanted to indulge a little- I'm getting a bit more muscular and slightly leaner lately, and I wanted a sprite to kind of reflect this.

As for the card itself, it's a modified Academy Key I made previously for a bunch of OCs, and again, I kinda see this as a Keychain kinda deal. There's also sort of influence from a driver's license- grade indicating what type of trainer you are (and not grading percentage in school lol). Kinda like how real life licenses can show certification for normal cars are different vehicles.

I imagine you insert the pass key into a pc like a thumb drive to access your pc and your party that way, with your party being represented and changed digitally.

The team I chose is basically a mix and mash of Pokemon I've had on my mind lately and wanna use more often. It was actually kinda hard to narrow it down due to all the type clashes with my favs (for instance, having Hisuian Samurott, Scizor, Golisopod, Corviknight, Alolan Marowak, and Hisuian Typhlosion would have so much type overlap, and I'm way too picky about that).

They're all Pokemon I've owned and used and could see myself taking a vacation with em.

1. Doujikiri/Shiny Hisuian Samurott, the same shiny I shiny bred for in my Indigo Disk adventure. It was between this or my shiny Umbreon, but I ended up going with Hamurott because it's my favorite starter, and I can see myself walking with it like it's a big dog (which it does in SV) or swim with it.

2. Klamps/Scizor, my main ace in my last playthrough of Soul Silver. I've had a strange hyperfixation on it lately, and who could blame me? It's a cool design. I'd imagine this would probably be the "sakuga" Pokemon- or at least the designated close combat fight scene Pokemon.

3. Lightning/Jolteon, I own 3 but Lightning is the one I used in XD GoD in my first successful playthrough of it. Jolteon actually used to be my favorite eeveelution for a while, and I want a little spunky doggo to run around with

The next three were actually on my Teal Mask team

4. Yoginator/Blood Moon Ursaluna, who is easily one of my strongest mons. Idk, mine hates me lol, so maybe we'd bond.

Nah for real he hates me. This was from a selfie I took in game

5. Hollabax/Baxcalibur. I dunno, he's not particularly strong and tanks hits like a missile through tissue paper, but I kinda wanna vibe with it again. Could see us using its ice to keep cool

6. Shogun/Hisuian Typhlosion. Again, kinda missed mine. Johtonian Typhlosion was my first Pokemon, and I vibed with the Hisuian variant a bit. Could see it as a stand in for my old girl. It was between this and Alolan Marowak, and I just like Typhlosion a little more.

That's all for them.

The team is made using the team maker link, the trainer sprites are a mix of editing from official sprites and scratch work, and the card is a template I made myself.

[canmom]

Animation Night 150: INU-OH

Hello everyone! Tonight we celebrate ✨Animation Night 150✨. I never imagined I would still be running without pause for that long. In a few weeks it will be our third anniversary. They still haven’t banned me!

Tonight our subject will be Masaaki Yuasa, one of the most brilliantly inventive directors in the whole medium. Yuasa was the very first director I wrote about on here on Animation Night 12, and once again on Animation Night 28, which between them gave a pretty good survey of his works - works such as Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Devilman Crybaby, Kaiba, and Night Is Short Walk On Girl to name a few favourites. However, since then he’s gone and released another movie! Inu-Oh spent a long time touring the festivals, and then a while longer going around cinemas. I wrote this at the time I saw it...

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, seriously you gotta - Masaaki Yuasa totally outdid himself, the choreography and flow if it is just incredible and the whole concept (a biwa hōshi and the cursed mutant son of a noh performer invent glam rock to tell the story of fallen Heike soldiers) is both so out there I struggle to imagine how they came up with it, and yet a perfect evolution of the themes Yuasa explored in his films so far.

So… I was completely spellbound the whole time, it’s one of those films that really rekindles the firey love for animation after days of drawing tiedowns lol. The ideas for movement, the creative shot choices, the solidity and weight of the animation, the visual motifs, the music behind the animation… gaahh you guys it’s such a good movie that ties together so well. So glad to finally get the chance to see it. And you can trust that the very minute it becomes available on blu-ray, or at least the very week, I’ll be screening it on Animation Night.

Well, that day has come! I’ve got the movie and I’m gonna show it to ya.

So what’s this all about?

Perhaps you remember when we watched Naoko Yamada’s brilliant adaptation of the Heike Monogatari. This is the story of how the Taira or Heike clan, who once effectively ruled Japan back in the artistic and peaceful Heian period (literally ‘peace period’!) of 794-1185, got too ambitious and were annihilated by their rival Minamoto clan in what would later be called the Genpei War, bringing an end to the period of peace, and putting the samurai and their shogunate in ascendance.

You don’t need to know much more than that to follow Inu-Oh, which is set in the years after the fall of the Heike. The story was transmitted forward through history by the biwa hōshi, blind biwa-playing itinerant monks who would go about singing stories.

However, Inu-Oh isn’t really about strict adherence to actual history, as you’ll see! The premise is essentially that a radical young biwa player Tomoaru, blinded as a child by an ill-fated attempt to fish up the sword Kusanagi, encounters the mutant son of a noh troupe, who is haunted by the ghosts of the Heike soldiers who perished in the war. The effect of this haunting is to give him a strange body with long, distended limbs; he takes on the name ‘Inu-oh’ meaning ‘King of Dogs’. Inu-oh’s father rejected him, leaving him an outcast, but in Tomoaru he finds another outcast who doesn’t give a shit how he looks.

Our two boys quickly become best bros and driven by the ghosts’ call to tell their stories, invent biwa-based glam rock, creating a sensation as they sing untold stories with elaborate, pyrotechnic-laden preformances of songs such as ‘Burial Mound of Arms’... but in so doing, fall afoul of the new shogunate, as Inu-Oh’s father cannot stand to gain a rival in his rejected son.

Inu-oh is full of some of the most inventive and charming animation of music performances I’ve ever seen. I struggle to imagine how they came up with the ideas that drive this film. It feels like it’s constantly in spellbinding motion. The rougher lines and more detailed designs are a departure from the Flash style that Yuasa’s later films mostly used, much more like the ones in Heike Monogatari, but the young international animators at Science Saru pull it off incredibly.

There’s been much discussion of how to interpret Inu-Oh. Is it about Yuasa himself and his weird career? Is it about the struggles of art in general? There’s a nice review of it over on fufuro; for now I will just say that it reminded me why I love animation. (Also it’s gay as hell. Y’know. Just putting that out there.)

Along side this, I’m going to be bringing back a Yuasa work that I feel like we gave an unfair shake back in the day - MInd Game, animated at Madhouse in 2004 at the very beginning of Yuasa’s rise. Known for its incredibly varied and experimental animation, Mind Game follows a man who fails to intervene against an attempted rape and dies, but after a brief meeting with God, drags himself back to life and begins a surreal journey as he flees from the yakuza. Much of the film takes place inside a whale, where they meet an old yakuza who has lived there for decades, following how the characters and their relationships evolve (which is to say they go fucking nuts) - before an absolutely batshit final sequence as they attempt to make their mistake.

Mind Game notally marks the beginning of the collaboration between Yuasa and the brilliant Shinya Ohira, who provided some of his warping, expressionist rough pencils. It’s got a lot of naked people being flung around, wild smears, bright colours. The simplified designs allow the animation to be all the more creative. It’s hard to find anything to compare it with, really! Mind Game doesn’t feel like a Madhouse work. It only somewhat resembles Yuasa’s later works. If anything it feels like something you’d find on Catsuka at 2am. 

So I think it’s about time I revisited it!

I’ve learned a great deal more about animation and its history since I wrote about Yuasa before, and later I’d like to write a more substantial account of his works. But right now, it’s about time we started! Animation Night 150(!) will be going live now at twitch.tv/canmom, with movies due to start in about 15 minutes - I’d love to see you there to see what is probably my favourite movie of 2022! (even though it strictly came out in 2021). see you soon~

[andro-dino]

furries have been on my brain so here are some shogun steel characters and what i think their species would be and why 1. Zyro is a black jaguar!! you are right axel he is pretty kitty but i feel like his backstory and personality fit a wildcat more. i like to imagine he dyes his fur orange to help him stand out cause he blends in with the dark so well haha

2. Maru is a hamster!! this one is mostly based on vibes teehee. she's just a little guy. pick her up and hold her in your palm 💞💞💞 i could also see her being a bear cub tbh, but i just like the image of her stuffing her face and her cheeks get all large as a hamster hehe.

3. Shinobu is an axolotl!! it's literally cause of his antenna hair i gotta be honest with you lol. but besides that i just feel like the colors of axolotls suit him and it's fuel for your mexican hcs cause axolotls are native to mexico 👀 (ive also imagined in this universe where instead of breaking his bones in canon he loses limbs and has to be in the hospital so he can safely regenerate them akdsjfasdfk)

4. the Unabara brothers are sea otters!! i mentioned before that kite's hair being urchin shaped reminds me of how sea otters eat urchins so i found it fitting. plus it fits with the aquatic theme they have going on. in japanese mythology otters were tricksters like kitsune and tanuki and that fits eight to a T. otters also hold hands to stay together in the water and that's soooo unabara-coded <333

5. Ren is a hunting dog, most likely a spaniel. not too certain on the specific breed yet but i like the brittany spaniel!! she just has that dog energy and i feel like her being a hunting dog can represent her rivalries with other bladers, like taka and genjuro (ik she barely has any in canon but let me dream okay 😔)

6. Taka is a leopard or spiny gecko!! dont really have a proper explanation for this one it's mostly just vibes as well, but i feel like you could compare him being a small lizard that easily "sticks" to people and is very loyal to sakyo, who in a way is like a direct opposite to him.

7. speaking of, Sakyo is a maned wolf/dragon hybrid!!! you mentioning sakyo as a maned wolf lit a lightbulb in my head how does it feel to be so right. i feel like you can really dive into his identity as a descendant of the dragon clan with him visibly being half-dragon too yk. just in general it fits his supposedly menacing aura yet when you get to know him he's just silly and kind of a loser lmao. him and zyro's rivalry is so perfect too cause jaguars are the maned wolf's biggest predator! (plus imagining victoria as a really tall maned wolf 😳 like heeeey girl /j)

8. Kira is a wolfdog!! specifically a high content wolfdog (he has more wolf dna than dog). i chose wolfdog specifically because him being part dog really emphasizes his upbringing in dna to me, and how he still genuinely yearns for connection and a home. i like to think he just calls himself a wolf and ignores his dog heritage cause he doesnt want to seem weak or subservient, and eventually he learns to be proud of his dog attributes

i have more specifically for the rest of the dna bladers but i think ive written enough. hope you enjoy axel!!!!

AWAAAAAUUUUUUUU CHRIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSS IM CRYING REAL TEARS OVER THESE 😭💞💞💞💞💞

I’m too tired to be able to put all my thoughts abt these into full sentences but

AWAAUGGG. HAMPSTER. MARU. SO TRUE‼️‼️‼️

axolotl Shinobu losing full limbs and needing time to regenerate is so big brained you don’t understand (also fun fact I was briefly nicknamed axelotl so I have a connection with them that makes me particularly happy abt this one :] )

SEA OTTER UNABARASSSSSS 😭😭😭😭💞💞‼️‼️‼️ the little guys ever

DOGGIRL REN SO TRUE‼️‼️‼️ also her rivalries with taka and genjuro are very real and true TO ME I think about them soooo much

gecko taka forever 🫶 AND SAKYO OURGH!!!! lowkey kinda wanna draw his dragon maned wolf hybrid fursona (and also you are so right about maned wolf Victoria 😳)

ALSO. KIRA SAYING HES JUST A WOLF FIRST BUT ACCEPTING HIS DOG SIDE TOO LATER ON OURGH ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME /POS

[hungnitan]

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS WAN ! CHAPTER 125

Translation before+0 day update since my mood pretty high itself and wait for work time ended too ops plus this time about young Fukuzawa and Mori so it’s pretty interesting (like dark era trio for me)

genshin update again I just read Eula Yanfei profile and I had speculation like cyro vision holder had some dark/unusual past on them then turn out not really miss the mark (lol) after read she’s Lawrence. I kinda suprised since she’s what we called very positive person and how good mhy think to connect Yanfei, Amber and Jean on her (I should read older voiceline to check newer character there). But at same time, I really wanna see Varka design and his vision since he seems become a center to most mondstadt playable chara in good way...

For my gacha, as I can’t get Childe C1 seems I will hold for good know when...maybe on Yae or Shogun or Scaramounche but still long long time to go

I kinda want Archon series on my account (here I am not pulling on Venti) aside my ikemen gathering pokemon (lol) since Archons positively support based

Ouch too much unneccesary talk, like always english really not my language so bear it with me~

[aethxr-ash]

Hi Ash! First of all, how are you? i hope youre doing well! Ive only seen your blog recently and i love your works! And i saw you’re doing matchups and ive never done one of these so i wanted to give it a try. May i request a matchup for genshin impact , bsd, and sk8 if thats alright

- genderfluid (but currently she/they)

- panromantic asexual

- gemini, intp, 5w6

For appearance, I look pretty androgynous and can pass as any gender (thankfully)with some makeup help. my aesthetic changes based on my current preferred gender; grunge (masc) 90s (they) or elegant/cottage core(femme) altho i mix and match when im in the mood. The closest character i look like is gin akutagawa, same eyes, same hair but wavy, and same physique but shorter and i have slightly tan skin. In fact, i cosplayed as her once and it was pretty cool!

For personality, As much as i would like to think otherwise, my friends described me having the same personality and temperament as a grumpy cat and even refer to me as one(lovingly). Silent, comes and goes like a ghost, Constantly judging, looks like is about to stab someone, hates being around people, sassy and sarcastic. Im the ‘leader’ of the group by virtue of being the oldest and looks like i got my shit together but i am as clueless if not more, im only good at pretending I understand and just going with it. when im in my element though i do talk alot more and i can go on and on about things im currently invested in. i would want to have more friends and talk to more people but i always chicken out and stare at people accidentally because i get stuck trying to gather the nerves to talk to them(which paired with my resting bitch face looks like a death glare).

As my friend said, im basically raiden shogun/ei(both the puppet and ei herself) but with scaramouche’s height and sass. I have been kin assigned and i didnt even know what that was at the time

I like aesthetics, fashion, food, art and music. I really like cute and fluffy things especially plushies!(My bed is mostly plushies now) My hobbies are drawing and painting or any kind of art and crafts. Though my free time is currently preoccupied with either reading or playing video games. Really i do anything that keeps me indoors and with least social interaction. If i dont have to leave my room, i wont.

As a person who reads a lot of fics, my favorite dynamics are enemies to lovers and idiot x “oh no thats my idiot”. My love language are quality time, acts of service and physical touch. Memories are my most cherished treasures, although i keep them all to myself and the closest to me only.

I hope i did it correctly. I look forward to reading more from you! Have a nice day and dont forget to hydrate and rest!

- 👻 (you can call me ghost :))

Ps: typing in mobile is hard lol

⊱┊personality matchup for ghost (anon) !

hi ^^ ! thank you for the compliments, it made me smile :) i hope you're doing well too ! enjoy ^^

⊱┊ genshin impact

jean !

✧ knows how to keep you in check if need be

✧ gently but firmly

✧ you'll have to stop her from working herself to death though

✧ she'll listen to you talk whenever you need

✧ she's insanely good at multitasking, so she usually listens while doing paperwork (someone get her an actual assistant please, she's going to work herself into a grave)

✧ she has quite a few of your artworks in her office and she adores them

✧ acts of service as a love language !

⊱┊ bungou stray dogs

margaret mitchell !

✧ she definitely calls her partner things like "honey" and "darling"

✧ you both are incredibly sassy and sarcastic but have a kindness in you

✧ she'll kill for you - after all, you're part of her family now, your honor must be protected

✧ she'll be the social face for you two

✧ loves making memories with you, no matter how small they may seem

⊱┊ sk8: the infinity

reki kyan !

✧ lots of physical touch + quality time with reki

✧ he's not as sarcastic or sassy as you are but he thinks it's badass

✧ he'll teach you to skate (if you want)

✧ or encourage you to skate with him

✧ he really likes it when you come to the skate park to watch him skate, although he won't force you to at all

✧ idiot x oh no thats my idiot vibe

✧ he does stupid stuff sometimes but it's adorable <3

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Drama: Shinsengumi Oni-tan Track 1 Translation

Well im more or less back so I’ll start by asking you to please support me if you can either on ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/V7V2W0HO), or through paypal (paypal.me/KumoriYami ) …. also let me know if you have any hakuoki drama cds that you’d be willing to share that are on my looking for list since i don’t have the audio for those…..

I’ve also gotten around to getting my patreon account in order (https://www.patreon.com/KumoriYami) while deleting all blog post tls here. My patreon will really only for blog post tls, of which I will be putting out at least 3 each month, and for early access to my next planned post. Right now, I can only do early access for one post since I have nothing stockpiled and since Chinese New Year is this month....I’ll be busy with stuff so I probably won’t be getting around to doing a lot for the foreseeable future.... though I intend to bump that up to 2 posts when I’m no longer as busy....

I hope everyone had a good new year’s day.... cuz im feeling exhausted and my mind feels all waaaaaugh rn cuz of beating Psychedelia of the Ashen Hawk which i keep spelling as Hawke because of Dragon Age.... especially with those endings (i surprisingly couldn’t find anything for it in Chinese but oh well)..... 

Anyway, since this drama is roughly an hour and eight minutes long... it is going to take an extended amount of time to be completely translated since this translation was taken off not exactly great quality/sized images (though i’ll be aided by JP mtl since it’s available for me) which has been a real pain given how condensed some of the Chinese words are... and because im probably going to look at doing this on an on-off basis cuz my mind doesn’t work well focusing on one thing to translate for long periods of time (you have to pay me to do that since i equate that to mental torture lol xD).

enjoy this tl~

Hakuoki Shinsengumi Oni-tan Track 1 “A certain male oni and the Shinsengumi”

Translation by KumoriYami

Kazama: Oni. In this country of Japan, since ancient times, there have been a race known as the oni living here. Holding power that transcended that of ordinary people, no, it should be said that because of this power which transcends that of ordinary humans, they are depicted as evil creatures/beings in folklore and legends.

Sometimes, they are killed, and other times they are used by humans. (the translation of 驱逐 is "expelled" which doesn't seem right so i changed to "killed"]

For this reason we oni have chosen to sever our ties with humans and live in secluded/ hidden villages. However due to the scarcity of oni, marriage with humans has increased, and some oni have chosen to live like/as humans.

And then, there are oni who live unaware of their heritage because of their weak bloodlines.

Yes, for example, the day I met that man.

(intro music)

Flower petals scatter and leaves wither as they fall. The season has already changed to winter. The city was loud despite how cold it was [Despite how cold it was, the city was bustling with activity/ was loud].

When nightfall arrived, it became quite cold. Alright, it's done. Leave/head back before it gets any darker. If [I] return too late, Amagiri will begin preaching again, which will indeed be unbearable. [rephrase later...?]

(sound of running footsteps) But, what's that sound? It sounded like there was a disturbance from a back-alley.

Roshi: che, damn it, the shinsengumi is here!

???: Ronin, there's no escape! Stay where you are!

Roshi: Damn it---  since it's like this let's break this jar, give me some good entertainment! [take a break and get ready? check later.]

(sound of sword being drawn)

Kazama:  hn, that's the light blue haori of the shinsengumi. the bakufu's dog is fighting a wild/stray dog, really what a horrible showing/senseless game/trick.

(blades crossing)

Roshi: Heh heh.... it seems like you're out of tricks. what's wrong shinsengumi, (you're?) all talk! /you seem to be all talk!

???: Che.... Don't... get too... cocky bastard!

Kazama: Nn?

Roshi: Why, why has this guy's eye colour changed....!

(sounds of blades hitting each other again)

Roshi: Uoaaaaah!

???: (heavy breaths) finally caught, caught, caught [my] breath, i just need to wait for the captains to come over.

Kazama: Oi. you. For someone of an oni clan, what are you doing in a place like this?

???: Hm? who are you?

Kazama: Leader of the western clans, the Kazama family head, Chikage.

???: For this first meeting, I am called Sasanami Kurō. Although you speak as though you know me, however(/perhaps) you have the wrong person. [rephrase later]

kazama: it turned out to be the case. i do not recognize that name. However, as a member of an oni clan, why are you wearing the the haori(/uniform) of the shogun[ate's?]'s dog?

Sasanami: Oni clan?

Kazama: Exactly. in my eyes, there is no doubt that you are my compatriot/kin/clansman, that is to say---

heisuke: hey new guy - really , where did you [assuming *he?*] go?

Harada: I can understand how people want to show off a bit because of the team's examination, but to go off chasing someone alone is dangerous/puts one in a really dangerous situation [im assuming its to join the Shinsengumi based on the summary on the drama info page].

Heisuke: although having enthusiasm/being enthusiastic is a good thing, those guys tend to die faster.

Harada: Anyway, pray/hope that he wasn't killed due to his carelessness. Heisuke, check over there, I'll look over here.

(more footsteps)

Sasanami:  oh, Captain Toudou, Captain Harada! I'm [over] here! The roshi has already been captured/arrested.

Harada: oh, over there. It looks like there's nothing wrong...

heisuke: although being popular/recognition is good, it can cause problems...

Kazama: Che, those troublesome guys are around/nearby. No choice then, it's time to go/retreat. The reason for your position, I will listen to it in two days.

Sasanami: Wait, At the end [who are] you----- [rephrase later?]

(sound of Kazama walking away)

Kazama: That/this person, although his lineage is quite weak, there is no doubt of his bloodline. But/However why is there there an oni aside from my wife in the Shinsengumi?

----

final edits will be done when video is posted since im feeling lazy rn.... also i decided that i’d post this drama track by track for text. not sure bout videos yet since i wanna double check the context for what i think is the recruitment examination vs team examination. once that’s done... i think i’ll start making the videos to publish though im going to leave everything unlisted on youtube all 9 tracks of this drama are done.

on a side note, is there something about a location guide in the Hakuoki 3ds game or the ds yuugiroku english patch game (never tried it so iuno how well that worked or if that was even finished but that was one of my first google search bar suggestions)? Asking because I found a Chinese translation/summary of the Zuisouroku ds travel guide (commentary/exchange of certain locations. ex - saito’s room, hanaguri gate, fushimi magistrate)... and well, i just wanna make sure im not looking at game content that was already translated since I know Hakuoki tends to recycle a lot of their stuff before considering to translate it....

also.... this is the only drama where i might translate the interview with the cast (its 4 qs to the VAs sans roshi in text format)... though that would be after i finish this.... whenever the hell that is.

[furederiko]

Great Caesar!!! Kyuranger episode 36 reveals that the Lion of Rebellion... has unresolved daddy issues! NOTE: By the way... HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2017!!!

- In case you haven't realized, after spending a bulk amount of time and episodes on Earth, our Space Rebellion is now hopping from one Star System to another. That's a terrific fact! And the team is heading to yet another System in this episode. - Yep, after that Idol visit to the Pavo System, which works great in their favor (Hoshi Minato is now an ally, spreading words of Rebellion against Jark Matter), half of the team has to make a quick detour to Planet Luth to answer a strange distress call. If that name rings a bell, that's because it's Lucky's very own home-planet... from the Leo Minor System. Remember that devastating childhood flashback that haunted our Lion? It's high time to address that flamed past... - Luth is under attack by Menaster Unjet, who is looking for a legendary machine supposedly hidden in the planet. The one sending the call for help is Lucky's best friend Caesar, and surprise, surprise, he's not a person! Remember Minityra, or last year's Cube Animals? Caesar joins their club, because he's a small red mechanical lion-cub. That explains why the distress call sounded like a wild cat's growl. It doesn't take a genius to see that Caesar might be the one Unjet is looking for. Even the Menaster seems to land on that conclusion quickly... despite slightly missing the point. Fun fact: Takes a while for me to realize, but Unjet is most likely based on the Kraang from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". He shares the same color to that fictional alien species, and has the same tentacled-blob body that attaches itself to a bigger mechanical body. And about Lucky's four-legged best friend. Great Caesar! His name could be a smart pun to either the word 'Shisha' that means 'messenger, envoy, or emissary', and 'Seiza' that easily means 'Constellation'. - The adorable Caesar holds a special place in Lucky's heart. He's the last present that Lucky's father gave him when he was just a child (played by Rei Tanaka), before the parent and child were somehow separated. But Caesar is not the only one who knows Lucky personally. His Gramps (no name, just 'Jiiya' in Japanese, played by Kazuhiro Nakahara) also immediately recognizes that Leo Red is Lucky, and wastes no time to scold him. DUH?! Only one person in the universe spouts "Talk about lucky!". Great point! LOL. - Guess what? Turns out Lucky LIED when he said that he's just passing by to see the edge of the universe. He DID have other personal reason to do so. Much to Gramps' disapproval, he actually ran away from home for one particular goal: to look for his father. Aaaaaw. See? Daddy issues. - Elsewhere, the rest of the team continues their primary course to the Crux System. I love how our protagonists are smart, because they easily deduce by analyzing the last battle, that Don Armage's main body must have existed somewhere. And the easiest candidate for its location, would be in Planet Southern Cross. As if a solid confirmation, turns out the System is being covered by a powerful barrier produced by its four main stars. A horde of Consumarz and Moaiders are also protecting it. Tsurugi seems to have a plan to break this barrier, and it involves Balance. - Lucky heads out to rescue Caesar, who has been captured by Unjet. Garu tags along for a minor but fun jealousy plot, just because Lucky keeps on refering Caesar as his 'only friend'. Aaaaw Garu, Tsurugi was right. You really DO behave like a dog (notice that Cat & Dog sequence in the ending? LOL). Naturally, Lucky ends up sharing his childhood secret to his 'trusty comrade' Garu, while the others hear the same thing from Gramps. - That's not the entire truth though. It is revealed later on, that Gramps actually knows where Lucky's father is. Somehow he has decided to keep it a secret, and refuses to tell the boy. The fact that Gramps also never told Lucky about the existence of Jark Matter, easily enforces that the two situations are related (kudos to Spada for figuring this out). Moreso, Gramps is NOT even related to Lucky by blood. He was just a caretaker ordered by Lucky's biological father to protect him at all cost. Why? - Lucky's father is King Aslan (his face might be deliberately masked in this episode, but TOEI's official site has already revealed that he is played by actor Ginnojou Yamazaki)! A royalty in Planet Cayenne of the Leo System. That means Lucky is a natural crown Prince from an actual Kingdom, who is destined to lead his Star System one day. Wowzers! Problem is, King Aslan is still pretty much alive, but is openly colluding with Jark Matter. That's the reason why Gramps tried to hide his existence from Lucky. Yes folks, turns out, instead of pulling a Darth Vader twist as I've speculated for a very long time, the show ends up mirroring Marvel Comics' Star-Lord and his antagonistic father J'son of Spartax instead. - The interesting bit here, the cliffhanger and preview are leading us to believe that Aslan IS a bad guy. But hold on, don't you find it weird, that he actually sent Gramps and Lucky to live hidden in Luth? He's working with Jark Matter, so he must have known that Lucky is a Kyuranger. So why not pay a visit to Luth to capture his son, right? This minor fact shows that somehow Aslan DOES care for his son, and how he might not be as evil as the show wants us to see. Of course, this is just my speculation for now. Let's just see if this theory pans out or not in the next episode. Trivia: The name Aslan obviously reminds pretty much everyone of a famous character from "The Chronicles of Narnia". Did you know, that as a word, 'aslan' itself means 'lion' in Turkish? - For now, let's go back to Caesar. The little growling friend is none other than the Leo Minor Voyager! He IS the legendary machine that Unjet has been searching. His #77 Leo Minor Kyu Globe is a special one, because it allows his super-deformed body to combine with Leo Voyager, changing its look into actual lion with legs! It also transforms Kyuren-Oh into Super Kyuren-Oh. Giving the first mecha a neat crown-esque white and gold mane, while equipping it with a grand cannon. Impressive new form! Fun fact: Leo Minor Kyu Globe is numbered 77. That is a neat little pun on its own, because the word 'Seven' is 'Shichi' in Japanese, and the word 'Lion' is 'Shishi'. Get it? Shichi-Shishi? - We get one more cliffhanger from this episode, and it's another massive confirmation. Kukuruga is being revived in a Jark Matter laboratory! This means, similar to Champ and Unit-0, the Vice-Shoguns (you can see Akyanba and Tecchu in the back room) are highly likely ROBOTS. That's why they keep coming back to live. Furthermore, a mysterious Professor is behind this. Should we even guess WHO that is? Hmmm... the answer's too obvious, huh? *grins*

Overall: What's the deal with the Reds lately? Each and every one of them has daddy issues! LOL. Seriously though, is this a mirror to actual condition in Japanese society nowadays? That's concerning. Anyway, Lucky IS a good Red. I'm not being sarcastic, because it's actually the truth. Unfortunately, that doesn't instantly mean that his personal story would be... more interesting than the other members. This generally simple (and clearly promotional) episode served as a good proof to that. It ended up feeling very predictable. Many of us have suspected that Lucky is something more important than just a random carefree explorer, and this episode blatantly provided the confirmation. I don't know, I feel Lucky is more suited to be a catalyst for other members, instead of for himself. Of course, as with several other not-so-great episodes before this, it's definitely NOT a bad episode. More planet-hopping and more backstory is always a plus, Caesar was easily adorable, and I personally loved Garu's implicit jealousy to the little beast. Kyuranger hasn't once let me down until now. Next week: Behold... the Lion King! PS: No episode next week due to annual Culture Day! Episode 37, the beginning of the show's final quarter (aaaaw, it's that time already, huh? -_-), will air on November 12th, 2017.

Episode 36 Score: 7,7 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: October 31st, 2017 - Version 3.04. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[love-cutter]

BEST MAN SOUGO 01 [Okikagu]

Summary: 

Sougo infiltrates the Oedo Pyschiatric Hospital in order to catch his target, Kuraba Touma, who happens to be feigning an incurable mental illness. Instead, he stumbles onto a persistent escapee, a recently-admitted vermillion-haired mental patient.

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The vermillion-haired girl continued to speak.

"Hey Mister. Will we have to go back to the hospital again?"

I shook my head. I'd rather be anywhere else but that psych ward.

Later on...

She continued to stare at me with those curious blue eyes of hers following my every move.

I could feel my heart speed up even though I know I was used to running away. Was being mentally ill contagious?

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This is a crossover of Gintama and the 2014 American remake of the German movie, The Wedding Guest. Although, the story is becoming more loosely based on the movie. Features Madao, Kyuubei, Gintoki, and many more troublemakers.

Alternative TItle is “Bare With Me”:

P.s. That title is not a typo. I really mean "Bare With Me" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) NOT "bear with me".

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[[01 - The Stakeout]]

A badminton-wielding officer impatiently reveals himself from behind an old vending machine on the eighth day of his stakeout.

Crunch.

The sound of the wrapper he had just stepped on echoed throughout the dark alley, ultimately giving away his position. Upon lifting his right foot, he sees the familiar packaging of his all-time favorite snack.

Anpan.

He had a bad feeling about this mission. Nothing good ever happened to him whenever that snack showed up.

What he failed to realize was that his target had planted the snack at his feet.

Maybe, it was the lack of proper nutrients from his anpan stakeout diet, but even his target started to look like an anpan. The man's red kimono became the red bean paste surrounded by the warm, toasty bun that was once his long, sandy ponytail and white hakama.

He chased after the large anpan with hungry eyes before it left the alleyway and entered into the crowds gathered for one of Edo's annual summer festivals. No matter where he turned his head, he could only see walking, talking, living anpan.

Did I finally die and reach anpan heaven?

The iconic soundtrack to the Saw movie played in the background, successfully spooking its owner from his thoughts before realizing it was the ringtone he set for his demonic supervising officer.

"Yamazaki. Report. Where's the suspect now?"

"About that. I have good news and bad news."

"Tell me the bad news first."

"I lost the anpan...err...I mean suspect."

His supervising officer sighed.

"What's the good news?"

"I think I'm in heaven. I just found a lifetime supply of anpan."

"Yamazaki, get your head straight! Get some rest, eat an actual meal or do whatever it is you need to do to find him before the Shogun arrives next week or you'll commit seppuku and really be in anpan heaven."

The death threat laced into that last statement brought back some sense of reality into his head.

"Yes, Vice Chief. I'll report to you soon."

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"Kyaa!"

A group of ladies clad in a variety of yukata surrounded the young, sandy-haired lad in red.

"Where are you going handsome?" One of the older girls asked as she boldly latched onto his arm.

"That depends. Think you can handle some rough play for the whole night?" He answered slyly, pulling out a dog leash from out of thin air.

"Sorry. Wrong person." She excused herself along with her group of friends.

The man chuckled to himself. That line never failed to ward them off. Now that all the annoying distractions were out of the way, he could finally continue his own investigation.

Kuraba Touma, the head of the trading company Tenkaiya, was his target. Concerns were raised when his superiors from the central police HQ heard rumours about the big brown doe-eyed man's ties with the Joui. After following the guy for months, he already had all the evidence that he needed to put the guy behind bars, but there was a catch, Kuraba had just been admitted into the Big Edo Hospital under the pretense that he was "mentally ill".

The sandy-haired lad went over the details of the plan in his head. All he had to do was infiltrate the hospital staff, nab Kuraba when he's defenseless, maybe even torture him for all his hard work and the case should be closed.

It couldn't be that hard, right?

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Up Next: The Disguise

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A/N: I've had this draft for almost a year now. I wanted to release it after I actually finished it. But, then again, when will that happen? Lol. Also, if you can't remember, Kuraba Touma is actually Mitsuba's fiancee in the anime. He isn't here though. So no worries.

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[furederiko]

Holy Moly! My recap-view for Kyuranger episode 22 is sooo waaay behind! Better late than never though, because it's nothing but the stuffs of a legend...

- Tsurugi Ootori's debut two weeks ago was so memorable (to say the least), that the Kyurangers themselves are hyped by his arrival. The happy-go-lucky sanguine ones, like Lucky, are happy that they now have the Argo to easily take down Jark Matter, while the melancholic ones are more concerned about... WHO is Tsurugi, really? - Spada points out that someone from Planet Keel might know the truth about Tsurugi: the annoying Eris!!! So Balance and Champ are Kyulette-d away to pay her a visit, and dig more info about this 'new' Kyuranger. It's basically an excuse to dismiss both characters from the rest of the episode, but as always with this show, a good acceptable one. It also makes sense that a third party would be able to tell about Tsurugi without sugarcoating the truth, right? Fun fact: Just so you know, there's currently a hot rumor running around that Eris could end up becoming the next addition to the team! It's a rumor, so grains of salt, but certainly has gotten people talking. - Speak of the devil, the Phoenix Soldier himself pops up in the Orion! Unlike last year's "Zyuohger", this show certainly doesn't waste time with questions (nor adding the character to the opening and ending sequences). Tsurugi boards the Orion to tell the story of... his glorious legend. Yep! It's unclear for now if these are facts or merely bold baseless claimes, but the details consist of: First Earthling to travel beyond the Moon, so he's Neil Armstrong/Buzz Aldrin part Deux . First man to discover a Kyu Globe, so... the first ever Kyuranger. Immortal. Puts to cold-sleep for... around 300 years. Oh, and he's also the man who united the universe, as President of the Space Federation! Whooooaaa. There's more, but they will be more clearer along the way. - If you think, those tall-tales are 'too good' to be true, then you're not alone. Even the Kyurangers are thinking the same way! In less than 4 minutes of their formal encounter, Tsurugi is already butting heads with the Kyurangers (particularly Lucky). Why? Because he wants to singlehandedly take over their duty. To put it simple, he's saying they are no longer required to save the universe. - Yikes, Tsurugi is... well... what an ATTITUDE! Once again, a huge departure from last year's '6th Ranger', considering Misao Mondou was unexpectedly timid, frail, and extremely unsure of himself. Tsurugi exhibits the complete opposite to that! He's acting like a corporate big boss, so full of himself, with massive pride and uh... equally massive self-confidence, that the guy easily comes of as... conceited and/or snobbish. Strangely, while I wasn't too keen about him in the last episode, this guy easily grows on me! And have I mentioned his over-the-top vocal-tone always gets me to LOL every time? XD Second fun fact: Tsurugi addresses himself with "Ore-sama". The suffix '-sama' is usually used as honorifics to other subject with highest respect (usually older in age, but can also refer to role model). For example, 'Nobunaga-sama' means 'Lord Nobunaga', and even the Japanese for GOD is 'Kami-sama'. Basically, regular people won't likely refer to themselves in this manner. Unless they think VERY highly of themselves. LOL. You get the point, right? One more thing. It'll be really fascinating to see what happens when Tsurugi ends up meeting Misao in the Versus movie. Just the thought of these two polarizing personalities bouncing off each other is enough to make me geek out. - Much to everyone's surprise, Commander Xiao plays along with Tsurugi's wish, assigning Raptor and Spada as his personal aides. Knowing Xiao, he must be scheming something with this move. He did send Stinger to infiltrate Jark Matter as a spy, right? But... it can also be just his daily whimsy. LOL. This odd-trio then heads out to Jark Matter University, and in Tsurugi's case, creeping out many people along the way. He deduces that Jark Matter has "purged the tale of my glorious legend from history". The culprit? Malistrate Manavil, who slips out that Tsurugi is INDEED at the top of Jark Matter's black list. A battle of boastin... er, history then commence between the two. - Where's the Yellow-Pink duo (which is a regular annual trope of Super Sentai)? They do join the fight, but Tsurugi then hushes them away, because "you people aren't suited for battle". Wait WHAT?! Lucky arrives with Hammy, Garu, Naga, and Kotarou, and almost engages in a heated argument with him because of that. Thankfully, that has to be saved for another time, because there's an over-capacity Consumarz about to blow up nearby, that urgently needs to be taken care of. Tsurugi couldn't care less, he's more concerned in... restoring his reputation. YIKES! Someone please slaps this selfish self-centered narcissist into reality! - But then the next big Tsurugi fact arrives! Seemingly kabe-don-ing Raptor, Tsurugi reveals that Raptor is malfunctioning. How so? Because it turns out, the original android that 'evolved' into Raptor, was in fact... his OWN DESIGN. At the same time, Kotarou discovers that the Consumarz their team needs to take care, rests on a building called... the "Tsurugi Ootori Science Laboratory". Cue instant jaw-dropping, right there! By the way, Spada's AMAZING 'jealous' followed by 'awkward' reactions upon seeing Raptor with Tsurugi, is the priceless scene-stealer moment of the episode. It gets me chuckling like crazy. So comedy gold! The part where he stands up for her being a Kyuranger, also harkens back nicely (also ironically) to that time when Spada himself once prohibited Raptor to be one. A scene that also involved a Red! This is a subtle but sweet indication, that Spada indeed harbors a certain... 'feeling' for Raptor. Also, Spada's actor is the closest in age to Tsurugi's, so seeing the two argues and banters feels... right. LOL. - Tsurugi's all high-and-mighty super-confidence easily reminds me of Abare Killer, with the sass of Mega Silver. Though the more appropriate comparison would be with Time Fire. From what I read online, the fanbase are split because half of them seems to be... misunderstanding him. He DOES sound arrogant by looking down at the Kyurangers, but when you stop and think about it, that argument is based on facts and valid logic. After all, most of the core Kyurangers are in fact regular folks (a guy relying on luck, teenager, thieves, chef, android pilot, a kid, a 'dog'... Ouch!), without any trained combat-skills. He might act and well... behave like a selfish douche, but at the same time he also has the expertise to back that up. That Herakles Kyu Globe we've seen before? That was just a red-herring, because he doesn't even need it to be powerful (he gives it to Hammy to solve the Consumarz' valve problem, proving that the solution is quite simple). The point here is, he's NOT just bullshiting around. He is indeed the real deal. And when it's revealed that he's also a scientist (hence the facts and logics angle)? That's when I have an epiphany: He's the Tony Stark of this show! Another fun fact: Spada and Raptor both have the more simpler Kyu the Weapon form of the team. It's a minor detail, but a fact that helps reinforce Tsurugi's argument that the two are 'not fit' to be in the battlefield. Particularly compared to his giant blade and shield. - After a neatly choreographed action scene that teams up Dorado Yellow and Phoenix Soldier, it's time for the last (for the episode), but arguably most startling fact-drop of Tsurugi's history. Don Armage is supposed to be... DEAD! Yes, Tsurugi has fought and killed him, the 'real' one at least, before he even went into cold-sleep. If that's the case, then by Heavens, who the Hell is masquerading as him all these time (at least since Episode 1)???!!! Because even Manavil doesn't even have a slightest clue. Now that I think about it, we NEVER really see the Shogun's physical body. He's always seen via holographic image. That last scene of him summoning his three Vice-Shoguns is yet another prove. This means, he can simply be... ANYONE. You know, just like... Supreme Leader Snoke in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"? This is huge, and I honestly didn't expect such twist to be delivered so early in the series. We're not even halfway through the show! - Anyways, let's worry about that later. Time for mecha battle. And Phoenix Soldier isn't willing to let the Kyurangers reclaim their spotlight. He summons the Legendary Argo Ship, and reveals that its true form is a Three-Parts Arsenal (clearly inspired by its three minor constellations). The space-shuttle/rocket-esque Phoenix Voyager, the launcher-pad Phoenix Base, and the satellite-esque Phoenix Station. The whole sequence, albeit slightly long, is clearly an obvious nod to "Thunderbirds Are Go!". Phoenix Voyager is Thunderbird 1, as proven by the cockpit. The whole launching sequence, mimics both the Earth-bound (those landing lights) Thunderbird 2 and the atmosphere-frictions of Thunderbird 3. And Phoenix Station? That's Thunderbird 5. Don't forget the countdown! Fans of the ITV series would've recognized this from the get go. - All three then combines into Phoenix Soldier's private mecha, the Gigant Phoenix. And no surprise, it's as flashy and over-the-top like its pilot. Its "Super Galaxy! Gigant Phoenix Blazing" scorches an enemy to death. While its finishing move "Gigant Fire Break!", practically rocket-rams Manavil to his grave. It's equally flashy and so wicked, that I can't stop shaking my head throughout this outlandish sequence (which is a tad too long, just a minor nitpick). I wasn't too keen on this new mecha design before, but let's just say... I'm seeing it in a different light now. - But you know what I really, super seriously love about this new mecha? Its theme song. It truly rocks!!! It's a rare event to see me get hyped with an action BGM (I'm more of a character song kind of guy), but this tune easily makes me dancing to the beat. I found myself already moving in reflex! And it's performed by Shinichi Ishihara, or at least I think it's him. Because it sounds A LOT like that epic spirit-lifting adrenaline-inducing goosebump-raising opening song of "Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive". If you haven't heard that song, hurry up and check it out and you'll have an idea why I'm over-hyping it. I believe it's one of the best, or at least most memorable Super Sentai theme song of all time! More fun fact: Sungel of RangerBoard pointed out, that Phoenix Soldier likely serves as a tribute to "Dengeki Sentai Changeman". A VERY good point! The name Tsurugi, military-trained astronauts angle, blade-shield, the mystical animal element, and also the cone-headed robot, all feels strangely similar! It's not confirmed, but I think it's quite obvious, eh? As for "GoGoFive"? A line in its opening called the team "Rescue Soldiers". Soldier?! I rest my case. - Lucky's attitude in the end? Just like with Tsurugi's persona, some people might be getting the wrong message here. If I didn't know any better, it actually makes me more and more certain of one thing: Don Armage might very well be HIS FATHER. The keyword here is his strangely prophetic/foreshadowy statement... "It doesn't matter who he is". Which falls in line with that angry look on Lucky's eyes, his peculiar eagerness to stop Jark Matter, and him admitting himself to be 'unlucky'. Remember, this show is clearly inspired by "Star Wars", so as I said over and over again, I wouldn't be surprised if it pulls off a Darth Vader reveal. Who knows, perhaps that mysterious Olion (yes, because it's pronounced 'O-rye-on', not 'O-ree-on') dude that Eris couldn't stop bragging about, turns out to be Lucky's biological father and the true face behind the new 'Don Armage' all along. After all, this show is taking such strong cues from "Kyoryuger" (the extended team, the toyline, the "Dino Charge" vibe), and we all know that its Red ended up facing his own father, even for a brief moment. This is just a subjective theory for now, but... we'll see! - Last but not least, the "Kyu Globe Ondo". I didn't expect it to debut this early! Music-wise, I'm actually rather disappointed by the fact that it's basically just "Kyutama Dancing" performed in the style of Ondo. But that cinematography? That lantern illuminated circle around the taiko? Dang it, TOEI! THAT. IS. BEAUTIFUL. I'm a sucker to this kind of traditional stuff, and that's undoubtedly a fun crowd I would LOVE to be a part of. And the Kyurangers (sans poor Champ) get to wear their own style of Yukata too! Spada with that fancy old-man straw-hat, Garu with the happi and headband, Xiao with that indigo-dyed dragon-motif attire, Tsurugi with that classy over-the-top furry scarf, and ever smiling Kotarou with that casual kid yukata style? And here I thought TOEI could not pull off something better than the first ending. Now I prefer to see this version over and over again! Dang it, TOEI. Dang it! XD Final fun fact: Not just singer Tsuyoshi Matsubara who can be seen performing this song (he's behind Lucky), you can also see Hiroya Matsumoto's Hoshi Minato in the Taiko box, while Tomohiro Hatano (singer to the opening theme) is dancing along among the crowd too (he's wearing the black-beige hakama-less yukata). I suspect because this footage will be used as the ending theme for the upcoming movie? Also, the only Super Sentai seasons that has a special 'Summer Ondo' ending, is the first (Megaranger) and last (this one) title occupying the 07:30AM JST timeslot. NICE!!!

Overall: WOW! That was a wonderful, SERIOUSLY wonderful shake-up episode, huh? I'm glad it took a while before I was able to see this episode again with subtitles, because I've seen it in a MUCH better light now. And Tsurugi... he's truly something else, right? I mean, he's someone with the type of personality whom I would likely dislike and avoid to meet in real life. But in this story, he served a truly vital role, to the point that, I ended up... genuinely LIKING him. Not only his presence added a startling contrast of color and tone to the team, Tsurugi also elevated the series to a new level, heralding a major plot point by giving the most gigantic mystery of all: Who IS Don Armage? Suffice to say, THIS was a solid 'actual debut' for Tsurugi. At the same time, it gave some much needed spotlight for Spada and Raptor, handing them their big "We are heroes" moment. To sum up, this episode truly nailed all its parts just right. Definitely among the best episodes of the Season. Next week: Rivalry of the Reds!!!

Episode 22 Score: 8,4 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: July 29th, 2017 - Version 2.09. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.