#bless the people uploading english translations of the stories to youtube

[sawsquared]

bitter choco decoration

[solradguy]

Hi, hope you're doing alright and your time is well!

This is an entirely non-GG question about translation of a different project, I'd like to commission somebody to translate a pretty obscure OVA and I was wondering if you know who I can approach for both transcription and translation I've recently got really inspired by an animation project Bibliomania from 2013 - it's not very accessible on the English speaking net, with only available ways to watch it being either ordering a DVD from Japan or the singular YouTube upload that exists of it (bless that person), I personally haven't managed to find it on any torrent aggregator or other pirated source.

I wanted to preserve it and make sure there will be more ways to find it online if it gets lost off YouTube, so I've got the DVD on the way, but I never found any translation of it and sadly I'm not yet fluent in Japanese enough. There was a manga adaptation of the animation serialized between 2016-2018 which was translated into English, so I have understood the gist of the story and the main beats but still would love to appreciate the work more deeply (at least until my Japanese catches up haha, I sadly cannot even fulfill the transcription part of the translation)

If you know anyone that you would recommend approaching, it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time <3

Oh wow this sounds awesome!! Kudos to you for hunting this thing down and wanting to bring it into the English-speaking world.

Transcribing and then translating an entire movie is a hell of a lot of work, so commissioning someone to do it may end up being kind of expensive. You probably already know/figured that would be the case but I wanted to mention it anyway so you can brace for monetary impact ahaha If the DVD has Japanese subtitles though, that'll help a TON. Fingers crossed for that.

Unfortunately, none of us in the Guilty Gear spheres have really had the budget to commission professionals to do any of the transcriptions/translations that are out there right now, but Vaporbabe (ShimoBabe @ Twitter) IS a professional translator and did the latest Night of Knives transcriptions and translations. Contacting him would probably be a good place to start for finding a reliable translator for this project. He may be open to the idea of doing it himself too, but I'd approach him assuming he won't just because it's gonna be a big project he might not have time for.

You could also try reaching out on the r/translator subreddit and they may be able to redirect you towards a professional service or maybe even someone there will be down for doing this project (especially since it's a paid one). I'd be careful to make sure they have some kind of like résumé or something first though, I'd feel really bad if you took my advice and then got scammed ^^;;

If the DVD does have Japanese subtitles I may be able to help with this too. But I have to be honest with the fact that my Japanese auditory skills aren't the greatest and I may not be able to deliver as good a quality translation as a professional recommended by either Vaporbabe or someone on r/translator.

Sorry I don't have anything more specific to give you, but I hope either of these suggestions ends up leading somewhere useful. If you're able to get this translated I'd love to give it a shoutout/boost; the art style is super unique and the premise sounds like something people that're into the weirder/more fantasy-leaning side of Guilty Gear might enjoy.

Good luck!!

[onlinetyping]

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Form for Money

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Produce a Money-Making Website

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Tutor

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[clarencenicholsonata]

4 Mind-Blowing Ways to Promote Your App with Video Content

If your business has an app, I probably don’t have to tell you that competition is brutal. Thousands of new apps are uploaded each day on platforms like Google Play and the App Store, and it takes a lot to get noticed!

Thankfully, video content can give your app that extra push it needs to stand out from the crowd.

Sure, plenty of other apps out there are already trying to use video as part of their marketing strategy. But, as the finest video marketing teams out there will tell you, it’s rarely used to its full potential.

In this piece, we’ll tell you how to do it right!

From the best style of video for apps, to inside-baseball tips and tricks on how to get the most out of them - Let's put that awesome app in front of as many eyes as possible, and build the community it needs to grow.

Two Main Reasons Why Video is Worth a Thousand Pictures

Having some pictures and a text description just doesn’t do it anymore for most audiences, and won’t do your app any justice! Next, to actually demoing your app, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better way to promote your app (and try to figure out the best way to get people to download and try that demo! I’ll give you three guesses…)

In the last few years, video content has become a key strand of the digital marketing tapestry, and here’s mainly why:

There is a type of video for each of your marketing needs For starters, the medium gives developers an incredibly wide range of possible angles to tackle: Your video can focus on your brand’s story, the benefits of your app, or establishing and nurturing a relationship with potential customers.

Videos are engaging and easy to understand Unlike most other products out there, some apps can get very complex. How can you explain all the features in your app in a simple way? Quickly and clearly conveying what your app is all about can be a tricky challenge for more traditional advertising methods, but not for video.

Remember, as novel as they are, at the end of the day, apps remain as dependent on promotion as any other product out there! No awareness equals no purchases/downloads.

To give you an example, let’s use “Search N Map”, a search engine application that uses a complex algorithm based on people’s comments and reviews. This video does a great job at explaining how the app works in a very simple way, something you couldn’t possibly achieve with just a picture or text.

Add Videos to Your App Profile

Platforms like Google Play and the App Store let you add a video right on your app’s profile, so why not make the best of it? Let’s go over some of the specs and advantages offered by each platform.

Take Advantage of Google Play’s Flexible Video Features

This app storefront for Android devices requires you to host your video through YouTube. This means you need to upload your piece on that planform before you can embed it on your app’s profile.

Why is this good news? Because any views of the video on the store, will count as a view on YouTube as well, and thus will improve your ranking. Moreover, YouTube videos rank independently in Google searches, increasing your chances for further organic exposure.

A useful but lesser-known tip about Google Play in this regard is its video localization option. If you’re targeting consumers in non-English-speaking countries, you have the possibility to add a video for more than one language.

Consider making language-specific versions of your video, or at least add translated captions. Your users will automatically see the version in their language based on their location settings, which is likely to impact your downloads.

Get To Know the App Store’s Video Requirements

Apple calls the videos featured on your app’s profile “app previews”. They have some strict guidelines, but don’t worry! Those won’t stop you from making an engaging video for your users.

Apple allows up to three previews for each language your app supports. Also, your preview can be no more than 30 seconds long! You can think of this as a constraint, but take it as a challenge or, even better, a blessing in disguise: your video should be short and fast-paced to keep it engaging.

Another guideline is that your preview shouldn’t look like an ad. What does this mean exactly? Well, Apple isn’t very specific on that subject, but they do suggest your video should be composed primarily of device-captured footage. (More on that later!)

Lastly, your preview must be device-specific, which means you need to create different previews if you’ve developed an iPad and an iPhone version of your app.

Explore Other App Distribution Platforms

The App Store and Google Play are, hands down, the most popular app stores in the industry. But there are other app stores that offer different amounts of visibility and lower competition. Here are some you might want to check out:

Amazon Appstore

Microsoft Store

Samsung Galaxy Apps

Ubuntu App Store

Windows Phone Store

Each of them has its own requirements as far as video content with its own pros and cons. And while we can’t cover all of them in detail for this piece, they might be worth considering for some apps!

Using Explainer Videos to Promote Your App

Different types of videos can be more or less effective at accomplishing different marketing goals. But when it comes to promoting your app, you cannot go wrong with an awesome explainer video.

By focusing on your app’s benefits and not just its features, explainer videos show how your app will make life easier for your customers. They are great at making the complex simple, by answering three main questions: the "what," "how," and "why" of your app.

Explainer videos get two jobs done in one fell swoop: they introduce people to your app’s features while also creating an emotional bond with the power of storytelling. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are one of the most powerful options for your marketing arsenal!

Tips on How to Get Your Explainer Video Right:

Write a compelling script: By taking your time to develop an effective script, you’re making sure your video will cover all the essential features and benefits from your app. You’ll need to be smart about what to keep and what to leave out, but the end product will benefit greatly for it.

Keep it short and sweet: And on the topic of leaving things out, nobody has the time to sit through a long app video! As we’ve said, your video should get to the point in the shortest time possible. Don’t spend five minutes saying what could be said in 90 seconds or less.

End with a clear call to action: A strong CTA is an essential part of any ad, and it should be part of your app’s marketing video as well. Most of the time, all it takes is telling people to go download your app! It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised!

To understand these points better, let’s go over a perfect example of an engaging explainer video.

“Toast” is a money transfer app that allows Filipinos to send money back home. The video shows how the life of Maria, the main character, was drastically improved by using the application.

The script is compelling and simple enough to give the character some depth while also sticking to the app’s benefits. And, of course, it ends with the Google Play Store logo as a CTA, so the audience knows where to go next.

Illustrate the Specific Problems Your App Can Solve

While working with explainers gives you an easy-to-follow framework to create videos for your apps, it’s by no means the only approach you can take. That said, regardless of the specific style you go for, no app video will work without a key ingredient: Context.

You’re not doing a good job at promoting your app with video content if you don’t show your app in context. Your audience needs to watch your app being used in different scenarios to understand how it can make their lives easier!

You can approach this in many ways. If you are going for a live-action piece, you can share captures or live streams of your app in action. I'd warn you about overdoing it, though! As audiences can quickly grow bored with a video like this.

On the other hand, animation can be a fantastic way to overcome this hurdle. By creating attractive visual representations of your app’s functions, you get to keep the viewers visually and mentally engaged long enough to deliver your message!

Having said all that, if you take only one thing from this piece, let it be this: Your app’s video shouldn’t be just about how your app works! It should also be about how it can make the viewer’s life better.

Take this piece as an example.

“I’m Here” is a location sharing application, and therefore can be used in an infinite number of different contexts. You can use it to set a meeting point for your date, to locate your friends in the massive convention, to find the closest exit in a park… the list could go on forever.

This explainer video chooses one scenario in which the app can be useful: travel emergencies. By sticking to this specific and imaginative situation, it makes it easier to understand the app’s benefits.

Ready to start marketing your app?

Book a free call to learn how our team of marketing experts can help you create high converting marketing campaigns today.

Summing Up!

As the old proverb goes: if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, if you make an app, but nobody downloads it, does it even exist?

So, let’s sum up the actions you need to take to promote your app:

Use video content to explain how your app works in an engaging way.

Add video to your app’s profile following the technical specs of each platform.

Create an explainer video that shows your app’s benefits and creates a connection with your users.

Use examples to show the specific scenarios in which your app can be useful.

Video content is the most engaging way of communicating your app’s benefits and features, while also building an emotional bond with potential downloaders. So, what are you waiting for? Time to start developing that kick-ass video your app needs today!

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[asumplicity]

NieR: Automata - game diary pt. 1

Hey. I've felt like doing something with the games I play for a while. Like creating some kind of content with them, written or video or whatever. Recording and uploading let's plays to Youtube or something. But that wasn't really my thing. Just writing reviews seemed boring to me, too. So I decided I'll do game diaries. I started playing NieR: Automata yesterday. I'll do a write-up of my day 1 experience. Full spoilers ahead.

I honestly was really excited for what was expecting me in NieR: Automata. I looked at the series and knew what kind of genre it was, that it was made in Japan and some of the history around it. I hadn't really looked at much more than trailers and Wikipedia articles for any of the games though. I didn't know how the actual gameplay would go, what kind of story it was or anything. All the actual info that was known to me was that it was supposedly good, the main characters were called "2B" and "9S" and there were mech enemies with kinda cute looking faces (I find them fucking adorable for some reason), so I decided I would want to give it a try.

(Just for the info: I’m playing the game with Japanese audio, English subtitles and on Normal difficulty.)

I jumped in. The game didn't give me a lot of time to breathe. First thing I get is a white screen and a female voice talking to me. "Everything that lives is designed to end. We are perpetually trapped in a never-ending spiral of life and death. Is this a curse? Or some kind of punishment? I often think about the god who blessed us with this cryptic puzzle and wonder if we'll ever have the chance to kill him."

Well that's unsettling. Here I am, not knowing a thing and some unknown voice gives me that. Stating life as something like a curse and wanting to kill their creator. Alright then. I wasn’t expecting that, but I was already getting excited. The game goes on to start with a fun to play and decently made shmup sequence, which I didn't even know the game had any of, in which my allies just died like flies and I got left alone. Five allies. Just wiped away. They all got one shotted by some huge scary laser. Did I already say it all felt unsettling to me? I wasn't prepared for anything the game threw at me to that point.

Eventually, it settled down a little, when my flying mech-thingy was destroyed and I was left on foot. That's what I actually was kinda prepared for. Seeing my character and fighting on foot. I encountered the mechs with the cute looking faces and killed 'em. I felt how I wasn't ready to take in the combat system yet and took hits all over the place. Since there was auto-use of healing items when you got low hp it was all good so far though. I got through my first on-foot fighting sequence and got to meet 9S. He’s a polite and really chill dude imo. Before moving on I ran in circles, admiring the scenery for about 5 minutes. Everything looked nice. It was some kinda factory and some things looked kinda broken and everything, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere and I‌ still liked the looks of everything.

I moved on, ready to face and kill more mechs and complete my mission, which apparently was to find and destroy some "Goliath". I figured "Goliath" would translate to something like "real fucking big machine" and I got a destination marker on my map, which I supposed would be where the fight will take place. Every fight on the way was rather clunky on my part. I tried to get used to the game's mechanics and how they worked and took a lot of damage and used up a bunch of items in the meantime. I already noticed how there were a few alternative paths to take, which rewarded me with items, if I saw and took them. The game felt really immersive to me, I really got into the atmosphere and everything that was going on. Not much before I reached my first destination, I saw birds and a patch of green and when the birds flew away 2B slowed down and in disbelief mumbled "Are those..?" and 9S was like "You mean the birds? Yeah, there are more plants and animals here than there used to be" and I was feeling that moment.

I arrived at my destination. I had thought right. A boss fight took place. At this point, let me mention how much I like the music. Even in fights before that boss I already was lifted up by the music, featuring very distinct vocals and instrumentals which I really enjoy. It's hard for me to describe. Go give it a listen if you're interested in music, because it's fairly interesting (and good) music imo. Anyway, I died miserably after two giant sawblades hit me like 20 times in 5 attacks, because everything was way too much for me. Then, the game returned me to the main menu. I thought "wow, that looked quite hard. Weird it returned me to the main menu. But I'll restart at some kind of checkpoint for sure, right?" Let me tell you, I was wrong. I got returned to the very start, with the voice telling me how everything is designed to end and the shmup sequence. I looked at the time. I had played for like 40-45 minutes. I closed the game, mad, googling if that's actually what's supposed to happen, since the PC port, as I had noticed, did have some problems. Luckily nothing was spoiled storywise, but it was confirmed that that's what's supposed to happen.

I was pissed. I was going to go back to that guy and beat him up real bad. I jumped back in. The shmup sequence's controls came to me quite intuitively on the first run already, so that went equally good. When I got into the first fight on foot I noticed how it went much better than the first time. My determination to go and beat up the guy certainly helped with the speed I went through. Within 15-20 minutes I was at the same point I was at before, again fighting the boss. The sawblades-phase I died at before went flawless, if I recall correctly I didn't get hit once. It was a really satisfying feeling. That wasn't all there was to it though and the fight was a lot more than just beating up two sawblade-arms. It was a fun ~10 minute dance of kicking ass and getting ass kicked. However, I managed it. When I took the Goliath down, the game went into a cutscene, where I went to 9S' aid, who got badly damaged during the fight. There was some dialogue. The camera angle changed and I saw how there were 5 or 6 or something more of the same Goliaths surrounding the destroyed one we were chilling on. 9S held up a black cube and told me that the "black box" is ready. I had one too, I don't know if I didn't pay attention or if it wasn't introduced before, I didn't know what it was and where it came from. They triggered it, and everything blew up, including 2B, 9S and supposedly the Goliaths and the mech-producing factory the prologue took place in (not confirmed though).

The screen faded out and the next thing I know is that I was on some kinda space station. Everything seemed strange to me tbh. I just exploded right? So how did I get there? Dialogues happened, I learned that 2B and 9S are androids, that don't really die and even though we blew up ourselves, we simply were brought back. (I think for the sake of this moment of surprise + the message this sends combined with the opening dialogue of the game, the whole prologue had to be started over on death?) I encountered operators/commanders and other fighting units on that station called “Bunker”, which I imagine is going to be something like the main hub for the game. People told me I did great and stuff and sent me off to the next mission, to meet up with the human resistance on earth. To a stunning place introduced as “City Ruins”. I was allowed to roam around freely. There were more machines, but they were neutral/only hostile if I attacked. Plants everywhere and peaceful music.

I went exploring for a while, because I was amazed and wanted to look around before heading to the camp. I found loot lying around a lot, some hostile machines that I could kill without feeling too evil and saving points, which also provided map data. (I saved at every one obviously after the traumatic prologue death.) I didn’t have any problems with any encounters, though I found a couple of dead bodies by other players lying around the place. I approached enemies with care and was able to take them down smoothly. Eventually I went to the resistance camp and did some quests, but honestly it was more of a side thing. I was much more focused on absorbing the beautiful environment, exploring, enjoying the music and having fun. I afkd at least 10 minutes in the camp just listening to the music. Eventually while exploring I found an old rusty tower I could climb up, which I did and decided that beautiful sight was a great point to stop playing for the day.

Aight, that’s it for the write-up of my first session with NieR. I’ll be quite amazed if you actually read this far. It’s been fun writing this and I can’t wait to continue playing, haha. So far I’ve really enjoyed it and I absolutely can’t wait to fight the next boss and learn more about the story, even though I kinda also want to just explore everything around the City Ruins. I hope I’ll have the commitment to finish my diary throughout the whole game. I imagine it’ll be a lot to write once I start going for progress-heavy playing sessions, but I guess I’ll also get a little more routine into it and I’ll be much faster. We’ll see. If you did read up to here, I’ll admit that it would make me happy if you shared this, as I don’t have a real readership, but this has been a bit of effort and I imagine future entries to be as well and it would motivate me if people would read. No pressure though, I’m happy if you read this either way.

I’ll send you off with a listening recommendation, since I really love this song. Thanks for reading, cya.

[supergenial]

Top 8 Doujin Albums 2019

Hi everyone, Superthony Genialtano here the internet’s busiest doujin music nerd, and it’s time to bring out the yellow flannel for the yearly roundup that I completely forgot to do last year. Just a neat little list of my favorite doujin albums of the year.

I will include releases from last year’s winter comiket, and won’t include things from this year’s winter comiket though. As I always say: “If you want to be included in yearly rankings, then don’t release your shit in december”, much less in the very last 3 days of the year which is when winter comiket usually takes place. I will also simply list my favorite picks from the year without any kind of objective measuring or strict order, consider them to be placed at random as I do not believe in strict numeric rankings for music. Having said that, click below to continue on to the list and happy holidays to you all.

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-Gensou Crisis by IRON ATTACK! (Metal)

As I often say, Iron Attack is very hit or miss, and this one's a complete hit. Ever since sadame yuku kamikaze they hadn’t made a song that truly wowed me but this time they went ahead and exceeded expectations not once, but 5 times. The eponymous Gensou Crisis, Nihon no Stage, Isekai Stage, Space Stage and Last Boss Stage are some of the better work they've ever done in my opinion. I also just like how the american stage is chock in the middle of Isekai Stage and Space Stage, like sure, that is a totally normal level progression, America is somehow more badass than a whole other world but not as much as space, sure. Just an awesome album, can easily recommend this one. 

(Also pretty funny that they tried to re-capture the glory of Nihon no Stage in their latest album, Japonism, but the results weren’t as good)

-Metatron by DJ DEPATH&M​-​Project (electronic, hardcore, rave) (Bandcamp)

Yeah, I listen to non-chu2 non-denpa stuff too, don't genreshame me. This album is a banger, just sick, can’t even call it a rollercoaster because it never slows down for any reason. Throughout it's longitudinal 16 tracks it keeps me hyped up, I'm parsing really hard to try and find a song to say something negative about but I just fucking cannot, these guys really went out and made an album with no lulls in it, just a full hour of non stop climax action, though to be fair it is a compilation of their older works so it had to be at least this good. Still, awesome, 10/10.

-Crimson of the Sleeping Princess by Elymusia (Gothic Metal) (Booth)

I was not expecting to fall so hard for this album but here we are. We've previously translated 2 songs from the album and will probably get around to doing the rest Someday. Tokeitou no majo, owari no hajimari and the eponymous song are all just absolutely amazing tracks among my favorites for the year. Sure, the eponymous does go on for a bit longer than it should, but I still listen to it entirely so that's quite a feat. Kuro no majo Athena is also a really cool track. Steam World and Tada Sore Dake no ohanashi, to be fair, are not amazing but at least they set the tone for the character Machina. The contrast of steampunk characters fighting gothic witches is a really good idea, so I dig it even if the shift from the first to second song is a bit jarring.

I also find it hilarious how in trying to go for an english name for 深紅の眠り姫(Crimson Sleeping Princess) they went and added two unnecessary words, but idk, it makes it funny so it’s cute. Overall great album, liked it from the beginning and it has only grown on me further. 

-Kyousou Rinne Roosen Renetto by Ariabl'eyeS (gothic) (translations)

The sequel to a classic. Anyone could've predicted this is one of my favorites for the year so there's really no surprise here. SUI's song is still a stand out for me, but the eponymous song is also pretty amazing. I really, really would've loved to attend the live as they told the audience beforehand to sing along with a certain part and I'm sure it would've felt so fucking powerful to be there, but we are but slaves to our own prisons in this life. Still, great album, also as far as Ariabl’eyeS goes this is actually their album with the least recycled tunes since automata, so good going for them on coming up with some new stuff every once in a while.

-SPD GAR 02 by Megarex Label (rave) (bandcamp)

I've had my eye on Megarex Label for a while since their Fugene albums, and they have not disappointed me yet. Just really exciting, new-sounding music. I was actually really debating myself on which was their better album of the year between SPD GAR 02 or NEONSTRIDE and I ultimately went with this one but it's a pretty good sign when a group can put out two amazing records within a single year, even if to be fair it's a collaboration between several music producers and talents. Speaking of putting out too many records in one year-

-Mugen Ayakashi Yakou by Hatsuki Yura (neo-japanese) (lyrics)

Look, Onyx Veil was an amazing album, sure, I like basically every song in it, sure. BUT I ASK: does it have Yura singing about taking lives with her demon blade? In a duet song with a cool male voice for the sword? No? Didn't think so. Therefore, Ayakashi Yakou edges out a victory if only slightly. This album goes for a japanese sound rather than sticking to the fantasy tunes Yura usually brings us and boy, it fucking works, if you enjoy the likes of Wagakki Band then you gotta give this one a try. Right from the get go Oiran Yagyou is an absolute banger and it's about a cool prostitute, then Renkai shifts things up by being fairly cheerful and when you least expect it, bang: Youtou Raikouzan. Give a nerd a song about a girl with a demon blade and he won't shut up about it. I'm the nerd. Excellent album, but then again Onyx Veil is also high up there for me even if this one edged out the victory, maybe it's just the recency effect why I prefer it, who knows. Also make sure to visit Meri's blog where she has extremely in-depth translations for these and many other albums by Yura, god bless her soul.

-Mukunaru Hoshi no Koujo Planetalica to Yutaka na Shikisai to Uta no Koujo Asterika, by el ma Riu (Fantasy) (booth)

Very conflicted on this one. The imagery to the album is pretty captivating with those two princesses on the cover and the way the title turns upside down, I'm sure Claude Von Riegan would get along with Asterika. This album has my favorite song of the year, which is undoubtedly Ancient Call「火」. Yet the rest of the album is simply good, not super fantastic and not nearly on the same level as the first track. 

Naming 4 songs the exact same and having them each represent a different element, I would've expected a fairly similar rhythm to all of them but instead they're all entirely different. I do think the fire one is the real bomb in the album so maybe building up to it would've had a better effect than dropping it right out in the first track. I say all this because prior to listening to the album I remember being super impressed with the last track which is the one she uploaded on her youtube. But once I listened to the album entirely all I was thinking was wow, I want more of that first track, I need more. Not that the rest is bad, but just, the first track is so amazing dear god.

Still, it got me to follow el ma Riu more closely and her twitter presence is honestly adorable, she uses emojis all the time and even name searches herself and gets super excited whenever people praise her and basically, she rules, and her newer albums Vert and Akatoki were also pretty cool so it's an overall victory. Also check out this more recent artwork of the two girls, they’re so cute.

-Zettou no Labyrinth by Ariabl'eyes (gothic) (tumblr won’t let me embed more videos lol)

Yes I'm putting them twice, you know I have favoritism for them so might as well not dance around that fact. No announcement this year has made me as excited as knowing they'd revive chiisana majo to himitsu no hon even if only for one of the 6 worlds in it. Yes, that shit hyped me up even more than the Bravely Default 2 announcement.

It’s also just so weird, like it’s fanservice for me or like I summoned this into existence, like a monkey’s paw. “I want chiisana majo to himitsu no hon 2″ bam, this does it, a forgotten project from over half a decade ago revived for no reason. “I liked that witch better when she had no back story” bam, this has an evil witch with no backstory. “The best songs are the ones with both Luna and Rena” bam, this has like 3 of them, way more than usual. Are they reading me? I doubt it, but this means that their japanese fanbase has been thinking the same things as I so it actually feels pretty cool how we’re on the same page. Like Bunnyhop said about Death Stranding: “I know it’s pretentious to say you have a personal connection with a work but...” yeah, it does feel like that for me.

The album does take six minutes to get going (with two small narration tracks sandwhiching a decently rehashed old track), but once we get into it kokou no megami, ao no kajitsu and zettou no majo are amazing songs even if they so, SO blatantly rehash older sounds of the band like come on, the influences from automata and coffin are so blatant it's almost a parody, not to mention we also get a girl in a coffin and an evil witch trying to bring about the end because she's a dick so it's like, you're just gonna rehash coffin and romanesque like that and call it a day? Not only do you rehash sounds in every album but also stories now? Yes, that's exactly what they did and it still worked. Aaaahhh, I hate to love this band, they have me grabbed by the balls and I can't escape, awesome album I loved it.

And that is it folks, what a nice year for doujin music this has been, I truly hope the next is even better because I really do have fun checking out new bands and shit. Also in case if you want more well let’s give it up for those that almost made the cut.

Runner ups:

-Artificial Flower by Mame (gothic) (booth)

This album is a diamond in the rough, it’s truly excellent just needs a bit more polish to make it into the big leagues with me, plus maybe a more scarring vocal performance. Not that it’s bad, it almost made the cut! but the vocals are permanently subdued in their tone, just give me some fang and I’ll swoon.

- ななめが王国 by ななひら and mega  (denpa) (translation)

I mean what can I say, 4 tracks are ok and the other 4 are amazing, it balances out. Plus if they do conquer the world one day I don't want to be on their gulag list, might as well praise them while it still counts.

-Vocis Helix by Sennzai  (fucking epic) (booth)

This is like the epitome of "music I'd like people to believe I listen to, but that I don't actually listen to that much". 

-Extra in Out by Cytekinesis (lolicore) (bandcamp)

“Lolicore? I haven’t heard that name in years...”

-Papermoon by Polysha (electronic, psytrance) (bandcamp)

A surprising latecomer, maybe with a bit more time it’d be up there with Megarex but alas, fate and synchronicity did not work in it’s favor.

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And many others, we could be here all day! so let’s cut it short and call this a darn good year for doujin music. Next year I’ll probably spend less time listening to doujin music as I’ll be gushing over the inevitable new Sound Horizon album and the Bravely Default 2 soundtrack, plus it’s inevitable Linked Horizon album about it. Yes, this is the year, Rinne HAS to be this year folks. Anyway, see you all next time and remember: if you like an artist with a very small audience, tell them about it, they’ll probably be thrilled.