#be blamed for the original riko’s actions?

[dayurno]

those r all so funny im guffawing helpp 😭😭 they’re all gonna die 💔

transmigrator riko transmigrator neil and transmigrator nora sakavic (she’s neil’s fbi agent)

[365days365movies]

March 5, 2021: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Review)

Well, shit. That’s another 98%.

I’M NOT TRYING TO DO THIS! It’s just...this one’s also really good, and I can’t find any significant flaws in it! Except for...well, one. And it’s...the same one as Spirited Away BUT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT!

Look, I’ll go into ore detail this time, but I really didn’t think Spirited Away was going to be matched, and...well, it was. Because this movie is stellar. It’s gorgeous, it’s tragic, it’s fantastic fantasy, and it’s genuinely just a very good movie. But I do have a little more to say this time.

Starting with the original story. You gotta go back to the 800s for this one. No missing 1 there, I’m talking the 9th century! The original story is a little different than the movie’s version, but it plays it mostly straight. The bamboo-cutter isn’t quite as gung-ho about the whole “royalty” thing, and her growth is actually faster in the original story.

Most of the other beats are the same, although some minute things differ. She actually becomes friends with the Emperor, although she definitely doesn’t get together with him. But there is a MAJOR omission in this adaptation: the elixir of immortality.

Remember that anime I was talking about, Kaguya-sama: Love is War? It has an episode where this story specifically is brought up, and the elixir of immortality is a major feature of it. See, the Elixir is actually what one needs to survive on the Moon, and the mortal Kaguya drinks it once the Celestial Parade comes to take her back. She sends some of it to the Emperor with a letter before she puts on the forget-me-robe, and then she leaves.

That’s where the movie ends, and I think that’s an amazing place for it to end, but the original story continues. Kaguya’s earthly parents become ill, and the Emperor is given the letter and elixir. In his sorrow, the dumbass writes her a letter and elixir and has his men BURN it on the highest mountaintop, sending his message to the princess. The smoke from that fire was ever-burning and immortal, and the mountain was renamed as “The Immortal Mountain”, or...

Yeah! It’s Mount Fuji! Neat, huh? Anyway, I called the Emperor a dumbass for burning the Elixir. He did it because he didn’t want to live forever without her, but DUDE! Maybe she would’ve COME BACK FOR YOU ONE DAY! But now, she’s gonna live forever, and you’re dead as shit. Buddy...think these things through.

So, yeah, that’s the difference between the two, and I actually quite like the movie’s version. Didn’t need the extra stuff with the elixir, because this didn’t need to be a love story. Instead, it’s a story that celebrates human life and life on Earth, as Kaguya’s last speech outright says. And yeah, that’s kinda beautiful. Hell, why do you think the backgrounds are so lush in this movie? Because it’s not just about Kaguya...it’s about life on Earth.

So, with that, let’s get into the Review, huh? This movie was fantastic, and I do think it deserves a Review in full. Check out all three parts of the Recap here, here, and here!

Review

Cast and Acting: 9/10

James Caan was...not the best choice for Miyatsuki in the dub. He really clashes with the rest of the cast for me, and with the setting as well. But he’s the only performance that I’d consider bad. Not even bad, just ill-fitting! Put simply, it’s only really OK, when it isn’t outright jarring. But everybody else? Fantastic. Mary Steenburgen is arguably the best of the cast, pulling double-duty as Narrator and Mom, and that’s to say nothing bad about Chloe Grace Moretz as the Princess herself! Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Hynden Walch, James Marsden, even Geaorge Segal and Dean Cain all do a pretty good job! I mean...fuck Dan Cain, but he did OK here.

And yeah, this is the dub cast, because I unfortunately didn’t have access to the sub. But are they good? Yeah, they’re still good. Ghibli has good dubs, what can I tell ya? Except for James Caan. That wasn’t the best choice.

Plot and Writing: 10/10

It’s fantastic. Not only is it a great adaptation of the original story, but it’s a great interpretation of it as well! It takes the original story, but gives it a new meaning as compared to the original story, and builds the screenplay from there! It’s...it’s genuinely one of the best adaptations I’ve ever seen of a story from classic mythology and folklore. Credit to Isao Takahata and Riko Sakaguchi, because they did a stellar job with this adaptation.

Can we...can we do this for other mythologies, please? I want a Paul Bunyan movie that’s actually about the value of natural wonders, or a Hercules movie about the nature of immortality through deeds, or true forgiveness for one’s actions, or...I just need more adaptations like this! This film made me want to see a change in film, and it helped to change my tastes a bit as well. And really...what better compliment can a film be given?

Directing and Cinematography: 10/10

Isao Takahata was one of Hayao Miyazaki’s contemporaries, and it FUCKING SHOWS. As does the cinematography skill of Keisuke Nakamura, because this film is...wonderful. I don’t really have anything to say. It’s just an amazingly storyboarded film. And once again, that’s closely linked to...

Production and Art Design: 10/10

The artistry is unparalleled in a lot of ways, but not specifically because of skill and detail. No, it’s the stylization of the film that sets it apart, and it’s gorgeous. Japan’s art is best known worldwide from the period of minimalist watercolor paintings they produced, and that period is well-replicated and represented in this...just genuinely gorgeous movie. The art director is Kazuo Oga, and he’s apparently, like...amazing? He’s worked on a BUTT-ton of great looking films, including many of the Ghibli films. His experience shows, even though has bee his last film he’s worked on in that capacity, so far. Which is a shame, because...I mean, come on. It’s amazing.

Music and Editing: 10/10

Joe Hisaishi. Yup. Kiki’s, Spirited Away, and this movie. He’s a goddamn musical prince, and it’s gorgeous. Not a lofi mix this time, but definitely some good background music for your life. It’s just beautiful, and I can’t recommend this music enough. 

And the editing? Toshihiko Kojima is fantastic as well, and the sound and visual editing is essentially flawless here. I just...THIS MOVIE IS SO GOOD YOU GUYS

I know, a 98% twice in a row is ridiculous...but...

Can you blame me? This movie is fantastic, and basically flawless. I’ve said all I can say about it. Well, other than to say that you need to see this movie if you haven’t already. And NOW I don’t think I’m topping this one. Watch me say that, and then the next movie’s also gonna be amazing.

Well, I’ll tempt fate. What are the odds, right? Right? Just to test that, I’m leaving Japan finally. But, that doesn’t mean I have to leave animation, right?

March 6, 2021: Wolfwalkers (2020)

[dreadnought-despair]

[CHAPTER 1 - 018]

[PREVIOUS] [NEXT]

Well, I'd talked to... mostly everyone. A few among us still hid their secrets in the shadows, but we had a day before MONO-9000 would air our dirty laundry to the world. Maybe the stragglers would come to terms with things before then. Whether they did or not, one thing was for sure-- nobody was going to die over any of this gossip. What kind of people did that robot think we were? Honestly.

It was about lunchtime, so I headed over to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. On my way out, though, I heard chatter coming from the rec room... I decided to peek in and see what was going on.

Several people were crowded around the shelf of movies against the far wall. Honoka looked to be in charge, as usual.

"Is there really nothing any good here?"

"Not that I can see..."

"Someone went out of their way to pick the most childish, pointless movies possible for this room. I don't know why I even bother."

"Are you trying to tell me Kool Kat Saves The Kids isn't a masterpiece of modern cinema?"

"What the fuck? That can't be real." Ishi snatched the plastic case from his hands and stared at the cover. A moment of silence, a sigh of resignation. "...It's real."

"I'd recommend you don't take any of Michi's movie picks at face value..."

"Wow. Wow. I'm hurt, Tim."

"Oh!" Honoka looked up, apparently having just noticed my presence. "Timaeus! We're having a movie night tonight at 9, and everyone's invited!"

"O-oh, okay... why a movie night?"

"I think it's a good idea for everyone to spend some time together! Just because we're stuck up here doesn't mean we can't have fun!"

"Ah yes, because love and friendship's gonna make everything better, right?"

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas, smartass." Ishi stuck her tongue out at him, and he let out a snicker.

"W-well I also think we should stick together, y'know, in case... s-something happens... Not that anything will happen! But just to be safe..."

"N-no, I think it sounds like a good idea! But there's just not really anything to watch..."

"Oh, I think there might be one more place on this ship with movies, if my hunch is correct..." They looked up at Riko with a grin.

"..."

"..."

"...Fine. I have collector's editions of all the Star Trek movies and TV series in my dorm. But if you get a single scratch on those discs..."

Aoi pumped their fists in victory.

"Riko, you're a lifesaver!"

“Which one are we gonna watch? Is it the one with Chris Pine in it? Tim, you like Chris Pine, right?” Thanks for announcing my celebrity crush to the entire room, Ishi.

“No, we’re going to watch a real Star Trek movie,” Riko hissed.

“Aw, the Abrams movies aren’t that bad! Though I feel like they don’t really capture the spirit of the original show...”

With that, Riko stalked off towards the dorms, Aoi tagging along behind as they debated which movie would be the best introduction to the series.

"So now we just need snacks, and decorations, and invitations--"

"I don't think it needs to be that big of an ordeal..."

"Speak for yourself, I want free food!"

“Maybe one of the kitchen-dwellers will help us out...”

With our feature film decided, the impromptu party planning committee made its way back out to the cafeteria, where we found a few more of the students eating lunch. Jurou was the first to notice and wave us over, cordial as always.

"Well howdy! What's the big ol' crowd here for?"

"D-did something happen?" Vasundhara looked like she was doing better than before, but her voice was still a little panicky.

"No no, everything's fine! We were just thinking about watching a movie tonight..."

"Oh, that sounds lovely!~"

"Hrm... At a time like this?" Siegfried didn't seem so impressed by the idea... though I suppose at this point, that's to be expected.

"Well, why not? We could all use some cheering up! Especially you, mister grumpyguts." Honoka bopped him on the shoulder with her cane, provoking a grumble from her target and a snort-laugh from Jurou.

"Sounds like a plan, hawhaw! I'm in!"

"Y-yeah, I'll go if everyone else is going..."

“...!” Kapono nodded brightly.

"Come on, Sieg, would it kill you to lighten up a little?"

"Ja? It could, in fact, kill me! Or do you forget the danger we are in?"

"In that case... isn't there safety in numbers? Nobody's gonna try anything in a room full of witnesses! I love a handsome lone wolf as much as anybody else, but wandering around by yourself is such an easy way to get killed...~"

Salvatore grinned his shark-tooth grin up at Siegfried, who frowned back at him as he tried to decide if that was a threat or a pick-up line.

"... Fine."

"Alright! Let's break out the popcorn! Yeehaw!" Jurou whooped and hopped up from his chair.

"Oh, right! Jurou, I was gonna talk to you about the snack situation..."

He bobbed his head excitedly. "'Course I'll help! I can throw y'all together some--"

"Okay, this is just getting ridiculous! I'm not gonna sit back and watch this any longer!"

"AAAH! Where’d ya come from?!"

“The door, dumbass!”

Alas, we would never find out Jurou's favorite movie snack, as our conversation was interrupted by the worst possible intruder.

"HEY! Fuck off!" Ishi bellowed as soon as she sighted MONO-9000’s glaring eye. 

"Man... right on cue, huh."

"..."

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"B-b-but we haven't d-done anything wrong..."

"That's right! We haven't broken any of your rules!"

"Well not technically I guess... But you're totally missing the spirit of the game!"

"The spirit of the game...?”

“What the fuck does THAT have to do with anything?!"

"Listen, it was bad enough that you people had such boring-ass backstories to work with in the first place! Then half of you just straight up told everyone your darkest secrets with your lives on the line and now you're planning a MOVIE NIGHT?! That's just disrespectful!"

He waved his claws at us as if all this was somehow our fault.

"S-so what? You're the one that kidnapped us!"

"YEAH!! You fuckin' drag him, Tim!"

"Heaven forbid we communicate like reasonable human beings, right?"

“I can do some cartwheels for you if we’re not entertaining enough!”

"Man, if I'd know you people were gonna be such frakking goody-two-shoes... I guess I'm just gonna have to resort to boring old Plan B!"

“I got a baaad feeling ‘bout this...”

"W-was meinen sie--"

A microphone popped out of a hatch in MONO-9000's chassis, and suddenly his voice boomed from every speaker in the room-- and presumably, every speaker on the station.

"The kitchen, pantry, and all other sources of food will be locked away until SOMEONE gets off their ass and kills somebody! Rationally discuss your way out of THAT one, meatbags!"

“W-w-what?!”

"What the FUCK?!"

“Holy shit?”

"Y-you can't just do that--"

Honoka's outburst was interrupted by the SLAM of a sturdy metal grate over the entrance to the kitchen. Apparently, he could just do that. Rather than respond to the sudden chaos, MONO-9000 simply whined to himelf as he bobbed away from the cafeteria.

"Weh... I thought my motive was cool..."

It wasn't long before the rest of the students stampeded into the room, having just heard the announcement themselves.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"God, I knew someone was gonna fuck this up..."

“Everybody stay calm, we can--”

"What are we gonna do what are we gonna do--"

"I told you this was a terrible idea! And now we all suffer for it!"

"I-I'm sorry I'm sorry--"

"EVERYBODY SHUT UUUUUUUP!!!"

Gugalanna's roar silenced (and deafened) the room as she stood on one of the tables and glared around at the crowd.

"YOU PENDEJOS FACE DEATH LIKE COWARDS!! IS THIS HOW YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED? GIVING UP AT THE SLIGHTEST DANGER AND SQUEALING LIKE PIGS?! I REFUSE TO MEET MY MAKER SURROUNDED BY BICKERING CHANCHITOS!!"

I wasn't sure what a pendejo or a chanchito was, but neither sounded terribly flattering. Salvatore took advantage of the silence to try and calm things down.

"She's right, you know. Pointing fingers is useless.”

“MONO-9000 wasn’t going to just let us be, no matter what we did..."

"B-but if I hadn't said anything..." Honoka started to stammer out, but Salvatore cut her off.

"Don't blame yourself for what was a logical idea at the time, dear. In fact, I think we should go through with it! What's the movie?"

"Oh? We were trying to decide between the first Star Trek movie or Wrath of Khan, but..." 

"You can’t be serious!" Siegfried growled.

“I-I don’t really feel like watching anything now...”

"Ah... but it’s like Sal was saying earlier! It's safest for us to stick together."

“I think I’d rather just hole up in my room and fucking starve to death, if that’s chill.”

“No one’s stopping you, dear. But I think it’s too soon to give up on escaping--”

This time, Salvatore was interrupted by a much higher-pitched voice.

“Y-y-you really still think we can just-- up and leave this place?! We’re in space! MONO could kill us any moment now! He knows everything little thing about us! A-and now there’s no food and we’re fifty bajillion miles from home and we--”

“N-Nik! Nik are you-- listen, we’re gonna figure something out j-just take a deep breath...”

“Jesus, this is a mess.”

“If we can just get a distress signal out, maybe someone will find us and--”

“But there’s no way we could get to the communication systems from where we are--”

“There’s gotta be something we can do, right? But right now we need to--”

“There is no time for this silly dancing around the truth! Someone must die, and we all know it!”

“Cut that shit out, Sieg, you are not helping--”

“D-don’t say that!! Uwaaaaaahh!”

“Th-they gotta be lookin’ for us! My folks are out there! They gotta be!”

“This is all fuckin’ bullshit!!”

“Jesus Christ, you people are gonna give me a migraine.”

“Excuse me, Gugalanna, would you...”

The Bull of Heaven nodded and stomped on the table again. That was an... extremely sturdy table.

“QUIIIIIEEEEEETTTTTTTT!!!”

Another silence fell over the cafeteria, much more tense than the last one.

“We are all obviously too worked up about this to come up with a reasonable plan of action.”

“Tell me about it...”

“Tomorrow we should regroup, and if no one’s had any ideas overnight we can search the station one more time. Until then...”

“...I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Star Trek movie!”

“...You still want to...?”

“Yeah! S-sorry there won’t be any snacks, though...”

“That’s not your fault, you know...”

“Yeah I’m not going. Have fun with your nerd movies or whatever. Don’t knock unless you find some food, bye.” With that pleasant parting remark, Tiffani staggered off back to the dorms, prompting the rest of the crowd to begin to disperse.

“I suppose I will see you tonight... those who choose to come.”

“What are you gonna do, Tim?”

“Oh... me?”

I’d gotten so lost trying to keep up with the pandemonium that I hadn’t really thought about how I felt about the situation. This punishment from MONO-9000 really did sound like a death sentence... but was there still a chance, like Yusra had said, of setting off a distress signal? Would someone come to help us?

There was one thing I did know for sure, though-- nothing like that would get resolved tonight. Tomorrow, maybe, we could find answers... We just needed to get through tonight. I did wonder if it would be safer to just stay locked up, but...

“I’m gonna go to the movie night. Better to mope around with some friends and a movie than mope around by myself, right?”

“You just wanna see Chris Pine one more time, don’t cha?”

“Shut up.”

[PREVIOUS] [NEXT]

[athyrabunlord]

Daydream [V]. Dia

Reminder: This is based off of Daydream Warrior and this fanart I did Warning: Profanity, violence and sex. Ships: You>Chika>Kanan>Riko>?; with mentions of YouMari & KanaMari, and implied DiaYoshi & Maruby Words: 2,397

[I. Mari] [II. Chika] [III. Yohane] [IV. Kanan] [V. Dia] [VI. Hanamaru & Ruby] [VII. You] [VIII. Riko] [IX. ???]

V. Dia

“Even as I search, I don't want to find you Once I find you, I have to attack ”

You absolutely hated the hospital.

There was something about the artificial scents, the inhuman bleach-white wall and the carefully neutral expressions of the staff that put her on edge. This was a place where some lives were saved and some were not. People came to the hospital for a reason, whether to seek treatment for ailments, to receive operations so they could be functional again, or just to visit those who were unfortunate enough to become confined.

Here, even the toughest and proudest of people were forced to shed their cover, exposing the vulnerable part of themselves to complete strangers.

You despised that.

She didn’t mind the pain. Her injuries would eventually heal without her ever visiting the hospital. She had long grown numb to the concept of time, so she was fine with waiting in spite of the inconveniences her limited movements would cause.

But she promised Chika that she would go to the hospital.

Chika tasted so sweet and warm. Just as Kanan said.

Infuriated by the reminder, You shifted and deepened the kiss. How dare Kanan had claimed Chika. No, she shall mark Chika as hers. Watanabe You was just a human too. Was it so wrong to seek physical connection with the girl she loved? Chika wasn’t resisting at all, so perhaps there was hope for her?

You kissed the corner of Chika’s mouth, jaw and neck, relishing in the warm and soft skin as she pushed the latter onto the floor. She palmed up Chika’s smooth thigh but found herself unable to move any higher. Her trembling hand stopped at the hem of the oversized shirt, frozen by an automatic decree not to trespass the forbidden.

I am hurting her, aren’t I?

“You-chan…” Chika’s hand gingerly cupped You’s cheek, her movement so gentle as if mindful of the horrid bruises that marred her wet face. Wet from blood or tears, You no longer knew, but the soothing sensation was a jarring contrast to that animalistic desire gripping her mind earlier.

Now snapped back to her senses, You recoiled and got off Chika.

“I-I… I was…”

What the fuck did she do to Chika? What had she almost fucking done to the girl she swore to protect?

Ashamed and horrified, You staggered towards the door, desperate to leave this place so she could somewhat think again.

“You-chan! Wait-”

“Don’t come after me!” You gripped the door frame and kept her gaze at the ground. She was too scared to look back and see Chika’s expression. “I shouldn’t be anywhere near you right now. I don’t trust myself, Chika-chan. Who knows what else I might do?”

There was shuffling noise and quiet steps until she felt Chika tug at the back of her shirt. “Then promise me you’ll go to the hospital or clinic at least, okay? Y-you’re really hurt. I-I want you to be o-okay.”

“... even after what I’ve done to you?”

“You’re still my best friend-” Chika stopped abruptly, and You carefully loosened her grip on the doorframe. “You’re still You-chan. P-Promise me you’ll get your injuries checked. Afterwards, please c-come back and w-we’ll talk, okay?”

You breathed shakily and slouched in her seat. Even though she had picked an unoccupied bench at an inconspicuous corner, she could still feel people glancing her way. Such scrutiny angered and amused her at the same time. She hated the innocently curious and pitiful eyes, condemning these strangers for drawing their own conclusion about her story when they didn’t even have a damn clue.

On the other hand, well, she wasn’t as invincible as she believed herself to be.

Images of what happened at Chika’s place kept assaulting her mind. Groaning, she sank deeper in her seat and pressed her clenched fists against her face, though that did nothing to alleviate the nausea. Pain was scorching her body, yet it did not originate from her wounds but from her chest and head. The guilt was making it so damn hard to breathe.

Sure, she was fuelled by rage and a myriad of hideous emotions back then, but that did not excuse her actions. She could no longer blame Kanan, now that she had done the same thing.

No, not the same. Chika at least loved Kanan, while Watanabe goddamn You was supposed to be Chika’s best friend, yet…

And there was something else that perturbed her. When she kissed Chika, memories of another girl flashed faintly but unquestionably behind her closed eyelids.

Mari.

You whimpered and tightened her fists. Just what the fuck was wrong with her? She frequently pictured Chika whenever she had sex with Mari, yet now that she had briefly and dastardly got to taste the girl of her dreams, her thoughts had gone back to Mari?

What exactly did she feel guilty for? For almost violating Chika? For cheating on Mari even though they weren’t in a relationship? Or was it for-

“Breathe, and try to relax.”

You felt an unfamiliar presence sit beside her, and a steady hand prevented her from bolting away, not that she was in any condition to do so anyway. The rhythmic pats on her back helped her get her breathing under control and gradually, she was able to unclench her fists and sit up.

“...thanks, I guess. Who are you?”

The stranger had long black hair and a severe expression that commanded the primal part of You to be civil towards her.

“Dia.” She said curtly, and stared at her. Though uncomfortable with Dia’s searching gaze, she remained still.

“...I’m You.”

Dia nodded distractedly, as if satisfied by the formality of exchanging names but not really caring about the knowledge itself. “You are waiting for your turn?”

You glanced down the hallway, where the number of people lining up had not diminished since she last checked. “Yeah, I guess. Maybe I’ve already missed my turn, I don’t know.”

Dia did not seem happy with her response. She stood up and gestured for her to follow. Though bemused, You decided to see what this stranger wanted and hobbled after her.  She stubbornly shook off Dia’s hand when the latter tried to help her.

“I can walk by myself.”

“I can see that you are doing a fine job of it,” Dia said flatly. Warningly.

You winced but allowed the taller girl to support her weight afterwards. “So, where are we going?”

“To a nurse station. Get your wounds looked at at least.”

“I can just do that? Don’t I have to report in, wait in line or some sh-” You stopped herself, thinking Dia most likely would not appreciate the coarse language. “Er, isn’t there some kind of rule?”

“There is protocol, but I did not expect you to be concerned about that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Dia shrugged but did not offer more explanation. There were curious glances as they made their way down the hallways, but by the time they reached the station, the nurses there only gave Dia a brief nod in greeting and let them be. Dia bid You to sit in an empty chair while she perused the antiseptics, bandages and other items with great familiarity.

“I am here frequently enough that I sometimes help out,” Dia elaborated when she noticed You’s bewildered expression.

“What… is this even allowed? Seriously, who are you?”

“Dia, I have said that already.”

You scowled at the taller girl, trying to see if she was joking or teasing. However, Dia’s features remained as infallible as ever. Sensing that she would not receive any more explanations, You allowed Dia to treat her wounds.

“Quite the fight you were in.”

“Cheh, you should’ve seen what I did to the other person.”

“I was not complimenting you.”

You was about to retort, but she had to muster all her strength and pride to muffle a pained squeak when Dia tightened the bandages around her arm. Again, her base instincts commanded her to just shut her mouth and let the older girl check her wounds. For some reason, she felt like a chided child when Dia’s disapproving eyes swept over her bruised stomach.

“Even if I were to advise you to actually wait for a professional, you would not wait, would you?”

“Nope. You’ve treated most of my injuries now. Whatever internal ones I have, feh, they’ll heal eventually.”

Unimpressed, Dia prodded at her stomach, making her flinch and hastily roll down her top.

“Very well then. You are free to go now.”

You rolled her shoulders, glanced over her forearms and touched her face. The bandages were itchy, the cuts dabbed with iodine stung like hell, and her tummy still felt sore but she knew that numbness would set in soon enough. It always did.

However, she did feel slightly better overall and, this way, she could tell Chika that she had fulfilled her promise.

Time to leave this suffocating place, but there was no reason not to be polite to the helpful albeit stringent stranger.

“Thanks… for all this. You didn’t have to though, so why did you?”

Dia tilted her head. “I felt like it.”

“Huh. Well, I sometimes just go with the flow too so I guess I can relate?” You shrugged and stood up to stretch a little. She tried to think of what else to say but nothing came to mind. “Whatever. Maybe we’ll see each other again. Later-”

“You feel like you’re unworthy of her forgiveness, do you not?”

You tensed. “How did you-?”

“I do not know what happened to you, and I do not understand how you feel, but… this sense of helplessness, and the need to seek punishment, is something I can relate to.”

Dia slowly stood up and looked down at her. They stared at each other for a moment until the taller girl’s deep voice struck her again.

“You have to learn to forgive as well. You are not the only one suffering. There is nothing to gain from allowing wounds to fester.”

Perhaps she had imagined it, but there was a flicker of something foreboding in Dia’s impenetrable gaze. You swallowed hard, now unsettled by Dia’s proximity.

“Let it heal,” the older girl hissed.

“Don’t speak as if you know me, stranger.”

Dia smiled coldly, but the slight change was fleeting and her expression reverted to the blank one.

“I know you better than you know yourself, Watanabe You.”

You’s eyes widened. She never told Dia her surname, did she? Had she met this Dia before? Not trusting herself to reply properly, she shook her head and walked away at a brisk pace. To her relief, she did not hear Dia following her, though she did feel Dia’s gaze until she turned corner.

She leaned against the wall and exhaled shakily. Something clicked in her mind and she pursed her lips in confusion.

Dia was Riko-chan’s friend, wasn’t she? Indeed, whenever Riko wasn’t with Kanan, there were usually two other girls that Riko hung out with. One must be this Dia, and who was the other one?

“You should be nicer to her.”

“Fuc- where did you come from?” You snarled raspily and clutched her chest in indignation. It was only because her throat was parched and sore, otherwise she might have yelped in shock. How pathetic would that be? She glared at Yohane, whose smirk showed just how pleased she was at her reaction.

“I’m wherever you want me to be, You.” The dark-haired girl stood out in the empty bleached hallway, donned in her signature gothic dress. The black and white contrast was almost ridiculous, really.

“That’s creepy. You’re lucky I’m not in the mood or I’d pound you the ground, hospital or not.”

Unfazed by the threat, Yohane made a pose. “Tsk tsk, here you go again. I know you want some company, so be glad the great Yohane-sama is here to provide you just that.”

“No I don’t. Seriously, why do you always pop up randomly? What, you like me or something?”

“Dream on. I’m just worried.”

The younger girl’s response caused You to frown. Worried, like how Chika worried about Kanan? You stared at her suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve always been the voice at the back of your mind, so I’ll be here whenever you need me.” Yohane held up her chin, grinning proudly with such sincerity that You didn’t know whether to feel weirded out or touched by the concern.

“Er, thanks? Not that I need you or anything-”

“Yeesh, what happened to you this time though? I thought you looked like crap before but now, wow.”

There went the heartwarming feeling.

“I… was in a fight alright?”

Yohane whistled and crossed her arms. “Really? Finally met your match? Never seen you so beaten up before.”

The reprieve from their meaningless banter vanished and You was reminded of the fight again. Kanan. Chika. Herself. Mari. Riko.

“Fuck off…” You stuffed her hands in her pockets and stormed away. Yohane really knew how to push her buttons, didn’t she? And it frustrated You to no end that she could never follow through with her threats. As much as she wanted to scare off Yohane a little, she just couldn’t bring herself to harm the eccentric girl.

After a few moments of silence, You turned around and found that she was alone in the hallway. Guilt seeped through her conscience and she called out softly. “Hey, I was just… it’s not like you to just back off when I tell you to. When have you ever listened to me anyway?”

There was no response, as if Yohane had really left the area. The eerily quiet environment made her realize that she was still in the damn hospital. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed, deciding that she really needed to get out of this place before she lost her mind or something. She needed fresh air. As she looked for a directory for this accursed labyrinth and passed by many rooms in this secluded wing, one of the nameplates caught her attention.

Tsushima Yoshiko.

You frowned and glanced at the name again. She was certain that she had never heard of the name before yet the sense of familiarity was there.

Shaking her head, she resumed her search for the exit.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 12/26/18

Abara | By Tsutomu Nihei | Viz Media – Although it’s up for debate how directly or tangentially related Abara actually is to Knights of Sidonia, in my mind the manga is unquestionably a precursor to Nihei’s later work. Even if they take different forms, the two series at the very least share elements of the same dystopic vision, a grim future in which humanity’s survival is not guaranteed in the face of the existence of creatures known as Gauna. Collected in a single, deluxe hardcover volume (along with another of Nihei’s earlier stories, “Digimortal”), Abara feels like the beginning of something grand even while being a complete work unto itself. Rather than prioritizing a narrative telling a coherent story, more than anything else the plot serves as a vehicle to showcase Nihei’s artwork and the astonishing, nightmarish atmosphere it creates. And that is just fine—the illustrations in Abara are stunning, managing to be simultaneously  beautiful and grotesque. – Ash Brown

Again!!, Vol. 6 | By Mitsurou Kubo | Kodansha Comics – In the original timeline, the fate of the ouendan was sealed when Usami was responsible for a disaster at a baseball practice game. This time, Imamura is working very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen. True, he still blames himself for the team’s eventual loss, since he wounded the pitcher’s fragile ego, but some things have clearly changed as a result of his actions. Namely, Usami is able to get the crowd on their side, rallying their spirits with her cheers when all seemed lost, and earning some praise from the school principal for her leadership. Sometimes this series is frustrating in that characters have to work harder for the kind of sports manga successes that make me sniff, but man, there are a few brief, glorious moments in this volume that are all the sweeter for having been hard-won. – Michelle Smith

Giant Spider & Me, Vol. 3 | By Kikori Morino | Seven Seas – There’s a bit of seriousness at the start of the third Giant Spider manga, as we find out why our kidnapper is so upset about the spider—his daughter was clawed by a cute baby bear, and died from an infection from the wounds. The rest of the volume, though, is relatively sedate, and even the big finale, in which Asa appears to be either ill or grumpy but is merely molting is pretty low-key. And yes, it’s a big finale as this is the final volume, even though the author says they know Nagi and Asa have lots more adventures. This is the sort of series that doesn’t really need a dramatic climax, but Nagi has changed thanks to her giant spider friend—she’s now surrounded by other friends as well. This was sweet. – Sean Gaffney

Girls’ Last Tour, Vol. 5 | By Tsukumizu| Ywn Press – Each volume of this gets darker than the last, while still maintaining its mood of “two girls wander around a city in their tank.” Chito almost dies a couple of times, and sprains her ankle at one point, leading to Yuu attempting to do leader-like things, which does lead to some laughs. And there’s a fascinating sequence when they look at modern art in a deserted museum. They’re still going up, though, and are helped in this (after breaking into a building using more high explosives) by an AI unit that begs for them to turn it off. We also get a flashback to how their journey began, showing that they were kids staying with adults at one point, and that things are terrible all over. One more volume to go. Will it end in death? – Sean Gaffney

Haganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends, Vol. 16 | By Yomi Hirasaka and Itachi | Seven Seas – The big surprise in this volume is that the student council president happens to be Yozora’s older sister. We’ve seen for a while that family issues are a large part of what makes Yozora the way she is, and it’s no surprise that she’s in a relatively foul mood this volume, where the Neighbors Club and the Student Council go on a vacation together. Before that, though, we do get Yozora returning to the Neighbors Club, and a virtual reality game that I will just gloss over as I found it the weakest part of the book. And for fans of Kodaka and Sena, there’s the final scene, even though it’s just a dream that… Rika has? Why is Rika dreaming of things like that? A good, fun volume, though even more perverse than usual. – Sean Gaffney

Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods, Vol. 3 | By Takuto Kashiki | Yen Press – Adorable and relaxing take a back seat to ADVENTURE in this volume, as Conju is kidnapped while in a “rough section” of town, requiring a rescue that involves a lost liquor, hang-gliding, and lots of faux badasses who really aren’t all that. It’s a heck of a lot of fun, and really shows off our heroes at their best. They also do well taking Hakumei’s boss out for a day on the town, showing him that life is not just work 24/7. And there’s a chapter involving sweets and some badgers that is quite funny. I’m really enjoying this series, though it has to be said—Hakumei and Mikochi are a married couple, they’re just not aware of it yet. (Nor do I expect that to change.) – Sean Gaffney

Hatsu*Haru, Vol. 4 | By Shizuki Fujisawa | Yen Press – How much you enjoy this volume may depend on how much you can take “I am oblivious to even a direct confession” on the part of Riko, which makes Kai once again spend half the book holed up in his room wondering where everything went wrong. Even when he returns to school and tries to take up his playboy ways once more, things go wrong—right now Riko needs a good friend more than a boyfriend, and if Kai’s not there, well, maybe Takaya will do. (Honestly, Takaya seems to be like he has his own issues, which I suspect may get revealed in a future volume.) Will Riko ever get Kai’s feelings? Does she like him back? Is she even ready to move on? And what of Ayumi, the intrepid newshound? Hatsu*Haru is a well-written soap. – Sean Gaffney

Horimiya, Vol. 12 | By Hero and Daisuke Hagiwara | Yen Press – I imagine there may be some people who have dropped Horimiya by now, and I get it—Hori is sort of a terrible person, groping her friends and joking about getting “technical” consent, and still being upset that Miyamura isn’t hitting her like she really wants him to. She’s a bit of a teenage mess, really. Fortunately, the cast around her have their shit together, so I don’t think things will get that bad. Honestly, seeing Hori groping Sakura reminded me that Sakura is one of the group now—in fact, one chapter has other students surmise that she may have a harem of hot guys. I still love reading Horimiya, even as it’s gone from “romance I’d happily recommend” to “problematic fave.” – Sean Gaffney

Slumbering Beauty, Vol. 2 | By Yumi Unita | Seven Seas – For the most part this was an OK, not great final volume of this series. The majority of it deals with Nerimu’s master trying to recruit Yoneko for the job permanently, and Nerimu trying to point out that this would involve essentially dying. That said, there was a fantastic moment near the end, as Yoneko is shown that her neglectful parents started off with good intentions and are not merely terrible people. And Yoneko says that this is true, and acknowledges it… but also reminds readers (and Nerimu) that the majority of her time growing up has been spent unhappy, and seeing that her parents have good sides as well is not going to change that. Still, at least she decides to live on for now. Like other Unita series, this was weird but worth reading. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 10 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The third and final day of the Inter-High begins and since Midousuji got a somewhat sympathetic backstory that might be the start of a redemption arc of sorts it’s time to introduce another odious foe, this time in the form of Eikichi Machimiya, a schemer from Hiroshima who’s got a huge grudge against Hakone due to how things played out the previous year. This is a pretty fun volume, since Machimiya organizes a huge peloton that gobbles up stray riders, Jaws-like, and Sohoku must contend with leaving Onoda—who worked so hard on previous days for the team—behind to be devoured. Tadokoro even cries. Of course, plucky Onoda can’t be counted out yet, but neither can Hiroshima! Looking forward to the next installment, as always. – Michelle Smith

By: Ash Brown