#but vol 3 is only coming out in august

[jewishcissiekj]

Star Wars: The High Republic: Edge of Balance Vol. 1-2, Precedent - Covers and Development art by Mizuki Skakibara (Vol. 1-2) & Tomio Ogata

[moiraimyths]

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) | Official Trailer

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a lore-rich and choice-driven historical fantasy visual novel inspired by Irish mythology and Celtic folklore. Play as a tenant farmer from mid-19th century Ireland, whose path becomes inexplicably entwined in fairy affairs after getting robbed by the roadside and lured into the mythic and war-torn world of Tír na nÓg: A once unified land, now divided into the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Will you escape and return home with your stolen belongings? Or does fate have something else in mind?

🍃 STEAM 🍂 ITCH.IO 🍃PATREON 🍂DISCORD 🍃

Eager to play? Certain route content is available NOW in early access on Steam and Itch.io! For more information, click below👇

Meet the Cast

Facts & Questions: The Game

🍃 The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) is a Kickstarter-funded project currently in development. Due to the scope of the story, we will be releasing it serially over several years to Steam and Itch.io, and discounting it while in early access. The earlier it's bought, the cheaper it will be overall, and you'll only need to buy the game once!

🍂 Not all routes are currently available! As of Nov. 1, 2024, you can play half of Shae and Maeve's routes; both approximately 50k words. If you're not sure about paying for an unfinished game, feel free to check out our free demo first. It consists of Vol. 1, Book of the Traveller (the pre-route content). Differences between the demo's Vol. 1 and the paid game's Vol. 1 are marginal following our August 1, 2024 re-release of the demo.

🍃 The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) has a recommended reading order (Vol. 1, then 2, then 3, etc.), which will correspond to the release order of the routes. For more information on our reasoning behind this, click here.

🍂 Due to its setting, The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) will occasionally feature instances of characters speaking in Gaeilge, i.e. the Irish language. All instances of Gaeilge are linked to an internal translation tool, which is voiced by Nigel McKeon, a Gaeilgeoir.

🍃 The main character is yours to shape. At minimum, you must choose a nickname, pronouns, and one of four default appearances, the last of which can be your own artwork (instructions are included in the game's files). You may also choose to discard the True Name…

🍂 All routes, both current and upcoming, will have both romantic and platonic choice options. If you're uninterested in romance, feel free to make friends instead! No matter the nature of your relationship, you will still be able to reach the good end. (Want to learn more? Refer to this post!)

🍃 Our cast consists of two men, two women, and two non-binary characters. All are romancable no matter the MC, but some characters are asexual or on the aromantic spectrum, which may impact aspects of their romances.

🍂 If you are a Mac user and are having issues launching the game via the Itch direct download, refer to this guide for troubleshooting before sending us an ask. We strongly recommend purchasing the game through Steam instead of Itch if you are a Mac user; it is the best way to avoid issues with launching the game.

🍃 NDM is very intentionally set just prior to the onset of the Great Famine, which is both thematically and textually relevant to the leftist, anti-imperialist story we're aiming to tell. If you would like more insight into this, refer to this post.

🐎 There are secrets to be found in this game, with more yet to come. Prepare yourself for a lot of horse related shenanigans. 🐎

Facts & Questions: The Company

🧵 Moirai Myths is a five-person company based out of Canada. The core devs/founders go by Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. All writing and programming are done by this collective, i.e. the Fates.

🪡 Moirai Myths has a two person in-house artist team consisting of Kazane, our Character/UI Designer, and Melinoe, our Environmental Designer. In addition to them, though, we have had a number of guest artists assist us with the creation of sprites, CGs, and an assortment of other materials. If you'd like to meet them, check out our about page on our website!

✂️ Moirai Myths stands with the people of Palestine 🇵🇸

Disclaimer: This description will be updated periodically. If you're reading this in a reblog, you may want to check our current pinned post for potential changes.

[choochooboss]

Sketch dump! Vol. 5

September 2022 (Part 1/2)

The first piece on top summarised my cosplay rush for Tracon 2022! The second is an old idea for a charm.

"SURPRISE!!"

Back in 2022 I hosted an art raffle for reaching 777 followers on Twitter! The winner would get their submas themed idea realised (which was their friends throwing a surprise party for the twins!). I wanted to make a little comic and have the bosses walk in their office where depot agents, Elesa, Drayden, Skyla, Clay etc. would be waiting with decorations and treats and games.

Emmet is all smiles of course while Ingo gets so emotional he could only whisper a "super bravo".

Not really headcanons anymore but still funny ideas.

1. Emmet gets clumsy when off-rhythm! He starts walking in curves if there is nobody else around to match his rhythm with.

2. Emmet spaces out/forgets to say things aloud when someone speaks too long or when things go off-script! His thinking gets interrupted easily.

3. Ingo sometimes bumps into doors because he is too used to automatic doors!

4. When things go off-script Ingo speaks too much and rushes in straight lines"

Also my little inexpensive sketchbook & my trusty tools! Mechanical pencil and eraser pen are life when scribbling my skrimblos smaller than a postage stamp!

More Ingo~ I utilise a wide range of sources for references, including CSP's poseable 3D models, they can come really handy with perspectives and proportions!

The second piece is my very first attempt at cosplay in Tracon 2022: Blingo! I walked in with a sequin hat, leather jacket, leather pants and high heel patent leather boots.

The hardest part of cosplaying Ingo is remembering NOT to smile ahaha!

Some hairstyle tests

I drew these for a huge submas art collaboration over Twitter hosted by @/mimizukeii!! It was technically my first art collab before I started arranging them myself with Aggie/Magma.

While looking for train related songs I found this cute nursery rhyme to go with the marching:

"Over the mountains,

Over the plains,

Over the rivers,

Here come the trains.

Carrying passengers,

Carrying mail,

Bringing their precious loads In without fail"

I wanted to compare these silly twins, planning to do something more silly with them later. Also a sketch of @/fukurow's butler designs I never finished.. The capes compliment them so well, I love them!!

Prequel to this piece! Emmet is so confident in himself he thinks Pierce wants to learn from him but is invited for a duet on the stage instead!!

Emmet has really great voice actors in Pokemas! I especially love how his english VA gives him that bri'ish/posh/sophisticated vibe while also soft and melodic! I know for SURE this VA/Emmet can sing, I can show you later!

One of my favourite sketches!! I wanted to add a bunch of characters in the BG reacting to this sonic blast of emotion over a performance!

Heyyy it's the smile buddies comic!! I really hope Ingo gets to interact with Marnie in Pokemas one day!!

I feel Ingo's eyes in the mirror panel is a little off in the final comic, I meant to keep it softer like in the sketch!

It's Nimbasa trio!! Idea inspired by submas EX uniform colors. Might continue this later!

Some BG tests for this piece! Compositing is hard but absolutely worth the effort, it can make a huge difference in the appeal of your piece!!

Practise piece drawing over a photo I thought was cool! I want to get more experimental with lighting and perspective!

'How's it hanging bro?' Who hung him up there anyway??

Sketch for this arguing scene! Something REALLY BAD needs to happen for them to end up that tense! Even if I want to present them close to the canon material I still want to put them in really challenging situations to see how far I can push their emotions!

Thank you so much for coming all the way down here!! This set was pretty loaded, I hope you enjoyed scrolling through all this ahah!

Previous posts:

Sketch dump Vol. 1: April-June 2022

Sketch dump Vol. 2: July 2022

Sketch dump Vol. 3: August 2022

Sketch dump Vol. 4: July 2022 Part 2

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

“Yatagarasu” characters and their ages+ when the anime has begun *

Wakamiya/Nazukihiko, 16/17 years old (from the novel Vol 2/Vol 5) upon meeting Yukiya. I must add that character designer Takumo Norita canonically made that Wakamiya stands 188 cm tall despite his young age. Chisato Abe wrote: “Yukiya heard that His Highness was sixteen or seventeen years old, but for his age he turned out to be quite tall and slender.” (His possible birthday month could be August/summer, Shōwa 45. In 1995, he was said to be 25 years old. **)

Yukiya, 13 years old at the start of the episodes, but turned 14 (his birthday probably falls in spring, 1974**) after his stint in the Ravine/Taniai (from the novel Vol 2, manga, and the short story, “Thinking of Fuyuki” ). Yukiya, on the other hand, is small for his age, according to Wakamiya and Rokon. The boy stands 150 cm tall in the anime, while mangaka Natsumi’s rendition says that Yukiya is three centimetres lower, 147.

Sumio, between 18 and 19 years old (he finished the three-year rigorous education program from the Keisoin Academy and was the top of his class. Children usually enter this institution when they are 15 years of age.)

Natsuka, 21/22 years old (from the novel Vol 2 and anime)

The Princesses/First Arc

Asebi, 18 years old (from the fan book), has turned 19 at the time for Wakamiya’s bride selection. Chisato Abe wrote on the fan book that Asebi and Hamayu are of the same age.

Hamayu, 18 years old (from the fan book), must have turned 19 during the bride selection

Masuho no Susuki, 16/17 years old (from the fan book)

Shiratama, 14 years old (from the anime), has turned 15 for the next spring

Others

Yukima, 14 years old but will turn 15 that year to celebrate his coming of age during the New Year’s banquet with the North House first couple (from the manga Chapter 2)

Fujinami, 12/13 years old

Yukichi, 8 years old (from the manga)

Kazumi, 18 years old (from the manga and novel)

The Golden Raven arc

Yukiya, now 15 years old (Chapter 2 of the Book 3: The Golden Raven), he left Wakamiya’s service only to return to him, but this time voluntarily

Koume, 15 years old, the same age as Yukiya

*Subject to change

** Source: Volume 5: Tamayorihime (The Girl for God) (Timeline happens in 1995, calculating back, it seems that Nazukihiko was born in 1970, when it says that he is 25 years old in the book. Yukiya, on the other hand, was born in 1974.)

[bluelocksource]

Kiyora Jin’s trivia

☆ Character color: Peacock blue.

☆ Birthday: 31st August.

☆ Current age: 17 (2nd year high schooler).

☆ Zodiac: Virgo.

☆ Birthplace: Fukuoka Prefecture.

☆ Family structure: Father, mother, older brother, himself, younger brother.

☆ Current height: 165 cm.

☆ Foot size: 26 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right foot.

☆ Blood type: A.

☆ Visual acuity: 1.2

☆ Grip strength: 55kg.

☆ Nickname: "Dance Battle Footballer"

☆ Motto: "Sharpen your blade, prepare for battle."

☆ Starts playing football: At age 2. “Before I knew it, I was playing soccer with my big brother.”

☆ Team before joining BLUE LOCK: Murasame High School Soccer Club.

村雨 (Murasame) means "village rain".

☆ Hobby: Breakdancing. "Come breakdancing with me".

☆ Favorite food: Candied grapes (budō ame). "I got addicted to its crunchy texture and juiciness."

☆ Food he dislike: Mizuna (Japanese mustard greens). “Isn't that just a leaf?”

☆ What goes best with rice: One stick of mentaiko. "Beware of overeating!"

☆ Favorite animal: Peacocks. "The difference between the moment they closes and opens their feathers are amazing."

☆ Favorite season: Summer. “It ignites my fighting spirit.”

☆ Favorite football player: Yuki Soma.

☆ Favorite song: "NIGHT DANCER" by imase.

☆ Favorite manga: Vagabond.

☆ Favorite movie: Fight Club. "Passionate film directing. Clever composition."

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: Mushroom. "I feel like bamboo shoots always win, so I’ll side with mushrooms."

☆ What makes him happy: Provocation "The thought of me crushing someone gets me excited."

☆ What makes him upset: Atrophy. "This is what makes me lose strength. Don't freak out, you pigs."

☆ What he thinks his strength is: Extremely competitive.

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: Tends to think everything is a fight. "Sorry, I can't change that"

☆ What made him cry recently: “I hit my head during breakdancing practice. I got 3 stitches.”

☆ Favorite/best subject: P.E. "I like competitive sports. You can really engage!"

☆ Weak/least favorite subject: Overall studying. "I aim for the borderline of failing grades."

☆ Ideal type: Someone who likes sports. Good at making up after fights.

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: 7.

☆ At what age he experiences first love: 10 years old.

☆ The first time he got confessed to: “In the second year of middle school, I was confessed to by both of my twin classmates. I got confused about who was who, so I turned both of them down.”

☆ Fixation: Sweats. "I like people who are sweating."

☆ Average sleeping time: 8 hours (6.5 hours + 1.5 hours nap)

☆ How he spend his holiday: “I participate in dance battle events. Of course, I aim to win.”

☆ When taking a bath, which part he washes first: "My bottom. I loosen up while washing."

☆ What he usually buy from the convenience store: Red Bull. "I feel energized after drinking it."

☆ What will he do if he received 100 million yen: "I would return it. I want to earn it with my own hands. Money earned with blood and sweat is not just paper."

☆ At what age he stops receiving presents from Santa: 11 years old.

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: Weight training equipment. "To win fights against my older brother and younger brother."

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: Dance and play soccer. "I’d probably do it while crying, thinking it might be the last time."

☆ Favorite historical figure: Sasaki Kojirō.

☆ If he hadn’t encountered soccer, what will he be doing: “Breakdancing. I’d probably have won a gold medal”

☆ If he could only take one thing to a deserted island, what would it be: A sleeping bag. “I can't stand being cold.”

☆ If he had a time machine, would he go to the past or the future: The future. “I have no interest in the past. Living for the future is what it means to be human.”

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

source: twt & vol. 26 & Egoist Bible 2.

Last updated: 28/10/2024

[jenyifer]

August September LGBTQIA book list.

Now quick disclaimer: I moved during this time. Very stressful. So maybe that’s why I have so many dropped and disliked books. I’m going to give these quick reviews in a specific order of would recommend to mehhh only if you are that type of person. I don’t give spoilers this is just a taste. I am lesbian who is 30 so that also colors my perception of these stories. Only going to include pics of the top 5 to drag you in for easy screenshotting.

Okay Let’s go.

1. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by Tj Klune 🏳️‍🌈👨🏼‍🍼👬🔥🏡⛓️‍💥 okay once again when I take over the world House in the Cerulean Sea and Somewhere Beyond the Sea will be required reading I didn’t think the follow up book to one of the best books in the modern age about feel good found family foster family could get any better. But I was proven wrong. The sequel gives you all you need. You can tell the author felt the pain of our world as he wrote this but the children and characters give those stories life. I cried I laughed. There is nothing quite like it.

2. The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth by Andrew Joseph White 🏳️‍⚧️💕😱🩸👁️🐰 You know what I am putting this one as 2 because despite it making me have countless panic attacks because I’m not fond of… gore? Horror? I adored this book still thinking about it. The romance is 10/10 T4T. I adored the mystery and intrigue. The main character is autistic and very anxiety ridden I can’t describe to you how this book will change you. Although approach with caution.

3. The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Vol2. 🏳️‍🌈🐟🤴🏻🤣 mild 🌶️ on a completely different note the “IS THAT MAN IN LOVE WITH A FISH” is a treat that always surprises me with the amount I love it. Maybe I am trash crazy but I find this funny easy to read and in this second book we got even more time with the fish and his prince actually in human shape. The miscommunication trope is strong with this one but so is consent and romance. Idk I just fucking love it. I want the prince to become emperor with his fishy lover haha.

4. The Name Bearer by Natalia Hernandez 💃💐🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍👩💜💜 Okay quick disclaimer here the book is an classic style fantasy journey it is slow. However I really loved how beautifully thought out the universe was it’s a latinx woman forward book. The romance is not the point but it feels very natural which I appreciate. Main character might even be ace spec. There are great side characters. I really love the apprentice wizard but WARRIOR NUNS!!! Hehehe also things seem to be not what they seem which is always cool. I’d definitely suggest this to any fantasy lover.

5. Grandmaster of Demon Cultivation the comic vol 1-3 🏳️‍🌈👬🪄🪦💀🫏necromancer evil wizard is reincarnated into his nephew’s body years after his death. Or is he evil? Or is he 🏳️‍🌈? Hahah yes he is. Anyways in the present he’s finding the consequences of his actions while his…. Love interest is going to make sure nothing happens to this version of him. You slowly get the past. I find the comic is the easiest way to consume this fantasy story. Yes there is anime, book, and a Netflix series and a new Japanese manga is being released but I like this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

6. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire 💜🪦🚪 about a school for those who come back from other universes and long to go back. Main Character is probably ace spec. Very interesting fantasy book for someone who consumed a lot of fantasy as a child. Thought it was also very thoughtful book. I had fun it’s not super surprising or new ground but I enjoyed it for a quick read.

7. Spell Bound by FT Lukens 🏳️‍🌈🐈‍⬛🧙‍♀️🧑‍💻 well it’s YA. Out of the other FT Lukens books I semi enjoyed this one. The characters are still dumb as rocks and the setting could use some more fleshing. But it’s okay. For a fun quick read that semi reminds you of urban fantasy? It’s good. The side ship found family was a little forced but I enjoyed the side characters.

8. Psalm for the wild built 💜🍵🤖🏕️ it’s a chill cozy book for people who are over worked. I’d say if you want scifi it’s not. It’s closer to fantasy. Very short and preachy.

9. Casefile Compendium vol2 by Meatbun 🏳️‍🌈🩸🌶️🚩🔍🐉🥼 Danmei Murder mystery modern times age gap. Does have 2 chapters of non consent and absolutely off the wall opinions about the medical industry.

10. Otherworldly by FT Lukens 🧚‍♂️🏳️‍🌈🥶❄️ YA familiar escapes fairy world finds a skeptical person decides they’ll def fall in love and make a deal. I listened to 50% the characters are intensely idiotic and just…. So so so blind. I couldn’t do it. The skeptic is a person who moved to the city for their family but they do stuff for their family without really caring for them I’m just not buying it. The familiar is infact a psychopath or so low iq he doesn’t care to live or feel or observe anything in 5 years. So so so stupid. Omg.

I had several DNF

I made my parents listen to Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell in my mission to make my parents less homophobic. My mom enjoyed it. My dad said it was way too gay. 😩 man I wish it was way too gay.

What am I reading next? Hummm idk yet. Suggestions are always appreciated!!!

[obstinaterixatrix]

yo bookwalker’s having a coin boost event on yuri until 6/25/23, there’s a sale but it only applies to ‘yuri is my job’ (personally I wasn’t compelled by that one). anyway here are some of the series on the list I like:

Still Sick—office lady romance about a woman who draws yuri being found at a convention by a coworker, one of my absolute faves (3 volumes, complete)

5 seconds before a witch falls in love—collection of stories, main story is a two-shot about a witch hunter and a witch duking it out (really like this one) and there’s a oneshot about the most normal girl in existence but a demon and angel obsess over her (not personally a fan). regardless if you like the oneshot, imo the main story is SUUUUPER worth it, I love it a lot (1 volume, complete)

Failed Princesses—high school romance with the energy of a hot-blooded shounen. these gals shout passionately about their feelings. the main character is a popular girl who’d talk shit about the unpopular girl but then her boyfriend cheated on her and the unpopular girl was like ‘hey. you have to be happy. you’re not allowed to be unhappy (because I resent you for being the perfect popular girl)’ and the popular girl was like ‘oh my god… you are sooo NICE I’m obsessed you forever now’ (this is all in like the first two chapters) (6 volumes, complete)

black and white—honestly? I’m not entirely sold on the writing (I don’t think it really coheres in terms of why the relationship develops how it does) but the novelty of having office ladies violently beat the shit out of each other carries it, especially since sal jiang’s art is really good. like those gals are BRAWLING for real, it’s kind of refreshing (1 volume, incomplete)

here are series that I fell off of because I lost interest but they weren’t bad or anything:

The two of them are pretty much like this—slice of life established relationship between a voice actress in her early 20s and a novelist in her 30s (I think). it’s cute, it’s good for folks who like fluff, I fell off because it felt more meandering whereas I like stories with heated drama and momentum (3 volumes, probably ongoing?)

School zone girls—high school gag 4koma, really good for folks who like the *stupid* high school energy. This is a manga with rowdy gals who are idiots. I fell off because it’s one of those really long + big cast kinda manga, yknow, like tsurezure children or gekkan shoujo, so it’ll probably suit folks who like those types (4 volumes, ongoing)

Hello Melancholic—high school gals in a band (I think they do jazz? or it’s some kind of brass band? well the main character plays trumpet), it’s pretty cute and has a solid gloomy gal with hella anxiety + excitable gal who Will Get Her Way No Matter What dynamic, I just fell off of it because I wasn’t interested at the time (3 volumes, complete)

Otherside Picnic—college gals investigating another world/urban legends, the main character is someone who just wanted to chill in another world and the love interest is Looking For Someone Who Disappeared. it’s fun and entertaining, it’s a light novel and the main character has a lot of fun biases—when she says she’s just a normal girl who has experienced a normal life, she is absolutely lying. Good for folks who like urban legends and kind of… investigative arcs? Action and mystery vibes? I read up to volume 4 and fell off because that was all that was out (7 volumes, incomplete, vol 8 is coming out in august)

She loves to cook, she loves to eat—slice of life with working women, the main character loves to cook, the love interest loves to eat. Good for folks who like more grounded stories, the main character thinks a lot about how she’s seen as A Great Potential Wife rather than someone who just has a hobby and the love interest gets underestimated a lot (I think she works in construction??) and gets judgement from being a woman who, yknow, likes to eat. from what I read it’s a very tentative kind of romance of a couple of women finding someone comfortable to be around, I fell off because I get more grabbed by internal/interpersonal conflict rather than external/societal influences but I think it’ll grab folks who 1) like more grounded stories, 2) likes food (3 volumes, I think incomplete?)

Catch these hands!—ex-delinquent and her old classmate that’s obsessed with her. The artist did love live doujins, I think? Anyway it’s fun, would appeal to folks who like things that are lighthearted and who enjoy weird women. I don’t think I was compelled by the emotional focus but I don’t think that means it was bad (4 volumes, complete I think)

I didn’t like these but a lot of people do:

Even Though We’re Adults—messy adult relationship, one of them is married to a man and the other one is like ‘this is so fucking stupid do NOT go through with this it is SUCH a bad idea’ and she goes through with it. shimura is a pretty renowned yuri mangaka, she’s the one who did aoi hana, it’ll probably be a good read for people who like emotionally complex and pretty miserable stories. didn’t have enough humor for my tastes and I fell off pretty early (6 volumes, ongoing)

Run away with me, girl—gorgeous and unique art, it’s about two gals who were high school sweethearts and then one of them went off to be with a guy, the gals reunite as adults and they end up running away together. one of the gals is pregnant and was in an abusive relationship, which is why she’s running. again, for people who like emotionally complex stories. I wasn’t satisfied with the love interest’s development, kinda reminded me of octave, but I know other folks who would probably enjoy how the narrative approaches her (3 volumes, complete)

SHWD—buff women and sci-fi action horror. good art. I don’t think any of the character archetypes or dynamics appealed to me but if you’re desperate for buff women and like sci-fi/action/horror this will help probably (1 volume, incomplete? idk)

Roadqueen—mira’s art is gorgeous but I’m not super compelled by the writing. Good for people who want something goofy and hot-blooded, the vibes are kind of… shounen gag manga? I think? (1 volume, complete)

I’m in love with the villainess—manga adaption of a light novel, one of the most successful (and. one of the very few) villainess transmigration romances, the main character transmigrates into the protagonist and her favorite character is the villainess. one of my friends really likes it and there’s some Sincere Feelings on What It’s Like To Be A Lesbian, but I find it to comedy-focused for my tastes in the beginning. There’s also a spinoff from the villainess’ perspective. Actually I don’t remember if I linked to the manga adaption or the light novel… uh… figure it out yourself.

Bloom into you—everybody loves this one. It has good writing. I don’t like it. High school slice of life coming of age, very emotions-focused, probably like 10 volumes or something I dunno

Superwomen in love—I actually despise this one but according to my strict principles I’m including it because the concept is unique and would appeal to people probably. it’s like tokusatsu yuri with a general defecting from the evil organization and teaming up with the hero. I would’ve liked it more if it was more sincere and less gag-focused. Read it for a fun time but not a deep time until they sprinkle in pathos of heroism and love etc and then they go back to comedy. I guess. I fell off a couple volumes in I dunno it probably gets better. However I like tokusatsu and romance too much to continue.

[theoneprecioustome]

The Journey: Aikoto Chronology

With P3RE on the horizon, I thought it'd be useful to gather the Aikoto moments that happen in The Journey across the various P3-related releases.

The list will cover:

Vanilla P3 (OG)

FES

P3P

Drama CD

Just in case, given that Atlus seems to be taking some inspiration from the movies, I'll also list some of the stuff the movies added

(Spoilers for the entire game below the cut!)

Note: Out of the Drama CD, there are some that are meant to be considered as canonical, official side-stories. These are Daylight, Moonlight, New Moon and Full Moon. I'll mark the rest with a * since I'm not sure whether they're meant to be considered canon or not.

Note 2: Moments that have been confirmed to be in P3R will be marked with a ✅. Meanwhile, moments that have been confirmed not to be in P3R will be crossed out.

July

✤ Fateful Meeting:

OG/FES: Aigis is introduced with an animated cut-scene. Makoto gets a heart over his head when he sees her and is also disappointment when he doesn't get to approach her first.

Movies: Makoto is "into it" for the first time when he sees Aigis, and he's blown away when she turns to face him.

✤ Reunion:

✅ OG/FES/P3P: Aigis goes into the woods and Makoto has to chase her. Aigis hugs him (in OG/FES, she stops hugging him when Ikutsuki gets there, while in P3P she hugs him for way longer).

Movie: Makoto doesn't chase Aigis; there is a shadow attack that night and Aigis comes to save him, leading to the Aikoto hug from the game.

✤ OG/FES: Akihiko and Junpei are shown to be disappointed when Aigis is revealed to be a robot, but not Makoto.

✤ ✅ OG/FES/P3P/Movies: Aigis wakes Makoto up "five minutes earlier" and proposes she be allowed to stay in his room. In the games, Yukari's last dialogues imply Makoto wasn't against the idea (either "I don't care" or "She can stay"; knowing him, likely the first lol).

August

✤ Movie-Only: Aigis tries to protect Makoto during the Justice & Chariot fight. Makoto worries for her and tries to reach her when she overheats.

✤ ✅ (Optional) FES/P3P: You can walk Koromaru with Aigis (the very first Koro walk!) on August, 15th. Aigis keeps her distance.

✤ (Optional) Summer Festival:

OG/FES: When you go alone to the Summer Festival, Makoto runs into Aigis and Mitsuru. He tries to call out to them, but neither of them hear him.

✅ P3P: When you turn everyone down, the game defaults to sending Makoto to the festival with Aigis and Mitsuru. Once there, Makoto and Aigis share some takoyaki and you even have the option to make them hold hands.

Movie: Makoto goes to the festival with Aigis and they play at the stands. Instead of going with Mitsuru, they run into Shinjiro and Ken.

✤ (Optional) FES/P3P: You can go to the Film Festival with Aigis on August, 28th (the game gives you a heads-up about it the day before).

September

✤ Movie-Only: Aigis drops by Makoto's room and the two talk about his motives.

✤ ✅ OG/FES/P3P/Movie: Aigis starts going to school (and gets assigned the seat next to Makoto). She tells the entire class that she wishes to always be by Makoto's side.

✤ Drama CD (Daylight): It features various events and a lot of Aikoto stuff, including Aigis & Makoto going with Junpei to visit Chidori at the hospital, Aigis & Makoto patrolling the city together, Aigis being curious about ice-cream and Makoto promising to buy her some, etc. It also features the introduction of the "Mysterious Girl" that would later become relevant in Arena thanks to Labrys, as well as a direct tie-in with Labrys' wish and Aigis' route in P4A.

Security Camera:

FES/P3P: When Makoto gets sick because of the typhoon, Aigis goes to his room to look after him. Despite confirming he's doing fine, Aigis decides to keep watch over him. In FES, she sits on the ground; in P3P, she sits on the bed by the side of his head.

Drama CD (Character Drama Vol 3*): It shows Aigis' thoughts as she decides to "follow her heart" and muses on how illogical she has become.

✤ Drama CD (Character Drama Vol 5*): While this CD focuses on Akihiko and Shinjiro, there is some slight Aikoto, since Makoto immediately recognizes Aigis' handwriting and is the only one to figure out what she meant by her note.

September-October

✤ Drama CD (P3P Vol 2*): Makoto and Aigis tease Junpei, plus Aikoto + Koromaru go look for Bunkichi when he goes missing. (The screenshot above is unrelated to this.)

November

✤ OG (Cutscene)/FES (Cutscene)/P3P/Movies: Aigis breaks out of Ikutsuki's control as she and Makoto stare at each other (this isn't shown in P3P, so we have Aigis stuttering Makoto's name instead). The movies add Aigis falling due to the effort and Makoto holding her in his arms, as well as Ikutsuki trying to control Aigis a second time and Aigis resisting to not shoot Makoto.

✤ Drama CD (Full Moon): Aigis is paralyzed by her fear of hurting those who matter to her. Pharos reaches out to her, reminding her that she has to fight if she has someone who is truly important to her.

✤ Movie-Only: Aigis reassures Makoto that she will never leave him (a moment based on her S-Link with him). Makoto hugs her close.

✤ Drama CD (Episode Luck*): Ryoji thinks Aigis is glaring at Makoto rather than at him because she fears Makoto likes another girl. Makoto corrects him: Aigis' animosity is very much reserved for Ryoji lol

✤ Movie-Only: In the game, the girls comment on how much better Junpei is doing now that he is friends with Ryoji. In the movies, they give Ryoji's friendship with Junpei to Makoto, so the girls say this comment to Aigis, who starts thinking about what matters more: Makoto's well-being or her mistrust of Ryoji.

✤ Kyoto School Trip:

OG/FES/P3P/Movie: Aigis wants to share a room with Makoto.

Movie-Only: The movies add a hilarious scene where Aigis takes matters into her own hands lol Also, since Ryoji hangs around Makoto during the trip, Aigis makes sure to tag along.

✤ OG/FES/P3P: As everyone leaves to study, Makoto briefly hangs back with Aigis. As he makes it to leave, Aigis tells him that thinking of anything happening to him and of not being able to be by his side again (this dialogue is present in Japanese, but missing from the ENG translation) has made her understand the concept of "loss". She also tells him that while she doesn't know why, he is very special to her and she wishes to protect him and to always be by his side.

December

✤ Moonlight Bridge:

OG/FES/P3P/Movie: Aigis gets her memories back and realizes why she wanted to be by Makoto's side.

OG/FES: Aigis reaches out for Makoto, who kneels down to hold her hand without player input. When Aigis passes out, he touches her head.

Movie-Only: Since Aigis is laying down instead, Makoto holds her in his arms.

✤ Movie-Only: Makoto goes to visit Aigis at the lab.

✤ OG/FES/P3P: Aigis comes back to the dorm and apologizes to him for what she did 10 years ago. All of Makoto's dialogue choices are supportive of her, showing he doesn't hold it against her: “It was the only way”, “You had no choice” and “You did the right thing”.

✤ Movie-Only: The movies merge Aigis' resolution with the Aikoto scene that takes place in January during Career Counseling. The movie's version notably features Makoto asking Aigis to go see the cherry blossoms with him next spring.

January

✤ (Optional) FES/P3P: Last walk with Aigis and Koromaru. This time, Aigis sits by Makoto's side like everyone else.

✤ (Optional) FES/P3P: You can start Aigis' S-Link on January 8th.

✤ Drama CD (Moonlight): The most Aikoto out of the Drama CD. Words don't do it justice, so here's a link!

✤ OG/FES/P3P: Toriumi asks Makoto to call Aigis for Career Counseling. He finds her on the rooftop, and Aigis proceeds to confess that even though Death is gone now, she still wishes to be by his side. This scene is titled "The Promise Between Aigis and the Main Character".

✤ (Optional) FES/P3P: First and last group walk with Koromaru on January 29th! Everyone tries to "make the most of this moment", as Makoto and Aigis hang out together playing with Koromaru.

✤ The Battle for Everyone's Souls

OG/FES (Cutscene): We can see Aigis looking at Makoto and trying to stand up while they’re crushed under gravity.

Movie-Only: As the shadows swarm SEES, Aigis protects Makoto before being overpowered herself. Makoto screams his heart out. (Note: This scene likely inspired the Aikoto Dance at the Persona Concert 2022, where Aigis gets taken by shadows and Makoto falls to his knees in despair).

OG/FES (Cutscene)/P3P/Movie: Aigis cries out “No, don’t go!” as Makoto levitates away from them. In P3P, we're shown Aigis calling out to him is the last thing he hears before his consciousness fades.

Movie-Only: Makoto's Evoker falls from his hold and Aigis grabs it. He turns to her and says his last words to her, "Live."

OG/FES/P3P: Aigis and Shinji are the last voices Makoto hears before he casts the seal. Aigis says that she won't allow the world that gave birth to him to be destroyed.

Movie-Only: Instead of her line from the game, Aigis reminds Makoto of the promise they all made and tells him that he has to come back no matter what.

OG/FES/P3P/Movie: Aigis laments her lack of strength because she couldn't protect the one she cherishes. The English translation of the games omitted the last part.

OG/FES/P3P: Tiny detail, but it’s only after Aigis calls out to Makoto that we get a >everyone is calling out to you and the option to reply. Her reaction is also the first we see.

OG/FES (Cutscene): A cutscene shows us Makoto returning to SEES. In the cutscene, SEES are split into groups and only Aigis is shown on her own. We also see Makoto's smile widening and his eyes trembling as Aigis sheds tears for the first time. P3P has none of this, but Aigis is the first one to notice Makoto coming back to them.

March

✤ OG/FES/P3P: Aigis sadly watches Makoto from afar (March 3rd).

✤ Movie-Only: Aigis watching Makoto happens on March 5th. Seeing her triggers Makoto's memories, and he struggles to make his way to the rooftop. Aigis is waiting for him there. As the two make their way towards each other, Makoto collapses. Aigis catches him in her arms and hugs him close, welcoming him home.

✤ OG/FES/P3P: Aigis comes to find Makoto on Graduation Day. She picks him up in his room and together they go to the rooftop to wait for everyone. As they wait, Aigis thanks Makoto for everything and reaffirms her desire to protect him and to always be by his side. In OG and FES, Makoto wipes her tears away (once again without player-input).

✤ OG/FES (Cutscene): He falls asleep with a smile on his face, laying on her lap.

✤ OG/FES: Memories of You opens with Makoto and closes with Aigis.

[declanlikesmusic]

Today's Listens: Episode 005

August 10th, 2023

So I'm writing this one the morning after and that makes it seem like I didn't have time to write because I was busy that day, but the truth was, I was on a day off and I wanted to marinate on my thoughts before putting pen to paper before, oops, my mood soured at the end of the night. Hopefully I'll get back on track in the coming days, or else I might end up having to skip days for this. Yay.

Just a content warning. At least one of the album covers here has depicted nudity, with a particular instance needing to be censored. I'm using a censored cover art sourced from Spotify, yet I don't even know if that's gonna be enough for this to fly under Tumblr's radar. Let's hope.

Infinity Frequencies – Between two worlds (2018)

I started yesterday off with an Infinity Frequencies album. This artist may very well be argued as being one of, if not the greatest broken transmission producer working today, but I was hesitant to go back to this one in particular. Namely because, on previous listens, the record felt a little too ambient and sparse to really captivate me. Luckily, since my last checking-out of this album, there was this phenomenon I call the Pad Chenningtonification (patent-pending) where a popular YouTuber shouts out a record that is not the artist's best work and it becomes commonly seen as their best work. Yay. Luckily I was fresh off of finding out that their 2015 album Into the light was way better than I initially thought it was, so I got to this one with an open mind and was treated to an experience that was only just barely consistently great. This is still not their best album in my view, but I'm glad that I can at least say I pretty much loved my experience here. Check this out, but also check out Computer Death and Into the light and I guarentee, you will find yourself a fan of InFreq at the end of the day.

7.5 / 10

Highlights: Under the city, Replica encounter, Between two worlds, Synthetic remains, Obsolete request, The time that remains Unraveling

Xepter Rose – Selenitic Landscapes (2014)

This one's a little random, but if you know death's dynamic shroud in any capacity, you'll be surprised to find that one of the members James Webster has made some ambient music on the side! Just as the trio were taking off, he made a pretty decent progressive electronic experience. I'm a little biased because I really loved his Virtual Utopia Experience visual thing, but two of the best tracks here show up on that movie as well and of course, they're great here. Aside from those two and Clock Tower Ruin, I cannot say that I am fully enamoured with this one. It's often sprawling and sparse in a way that doesn't flatter it all too much for me. That said, if you like modern synth ambient music, I'd give this one a shot. I already like it, but you might love it more than I do.

7.0 / 10

Highlights: Meteor Storm, Perpetual Twilight, Pottery & Stairs, Clock Tower Ruin

Magdalena Bay – mini mix vol. 3 (2023)

I wanted to cover more music from the current year, so I rolled upon this tiny mixtape from the rising pop duo Magdalena Bay. I wasn't expecting too much out of this one, just a one-off of decent tracks, but I found myself really in love with this one! It comes off as a mini mix, duh, of new material and they're all blended together very seamlessly while still coming across as their own songs! From the underrated intro to the simultaneously catchy and almost ascendent run of cuts by the end, they've knocked this one out of the park! It's not much (again, mini) but if you need a pop palette cleanser for just a quarter of an hour, this will undeniably satiate that for you!

8.2 / 10

Highlights: Slug Song, Top Dog, Tonguetwister

Torn Hawk – Through Force of Will (2014)

This one comes from an artist that always allured me from the mysterious realms of hypnagogic pop and specifically this tape and its glitchy cover art ripping an iconic still from a movie, I can't tell which. We have elements all over this record that primarily pull from outsider house and some of the tracks here are honestly great. They don't seem that captivating at first, but as they draw on, they start to become hypnotic. I really dug this one. I don't think every track works for me, this one again straddled the line between like and love for me, especially with the ambient cuts, but if you're already a fan of hypnagogic pop and want to dive in further, I'd totally suggest this one!

7.5 / 10

Highlights:

HELLCOM – ACID MP3s (2016)

Here's where things start to turn sour for me. I adore HELLCOM, I really do. His two concept albums under this alias, spanning mere months between eachother, are among the most creative, captivating and awe-inspiring vaporwave albums in the Business Casual catalogue! I'd recommend them to anybody, even non-fans of the genre who've already dipped their toes in. However, as a big fan of the format of DJ mixes, rating the two that he's put out before moving on to HDMIRROR are difficult. Timestamping this one specifically was particularly hellish; there are tracks listed that I'm convinced don't show up here, so that made rating this nearly impossible. I pushed through it though, but not without a little bit of a headache. His plunderphonic electropop and EDM sensibilities shine through here, but in the most surreal, glitch-centric ways possible that I struggle to fully recommend unless you huge fans of those sounds. Try it at your own risk; I liked it, but the more I thought about it, the less sense it just made for me.

7.2 / 10

Highlights: She Doesn't Mind, Hunter / N-Trance Forever, TIll I Come (Remix), Everytime

Xiu Xiu – A Promise (2003)

I've always been torn on Xiu Xiu. They have albums that I fully love and I'll get to those when I do, but the reason why I haven't covered them yet was because I was very hesitant to find the right time and mood for their sophomore effort that I remembered really liking but also not knowing why. I bit the bullet and just decided to finally go for this and I really don't think this was ever meant for me. I think I was lying to myself then. Don't get it twisted, it's obviously good, but it is surreal and incredibly depressive. It's often sparse in ways that, again, don't work for me, but it can also be very noisy in ways that just don't capture me. The whole thing is completely unhinged and that's no thanks to the themes of suicide throughout that just really disconnect me from the experience. I at least appreciated the Fast Car cover and how the record was trying to start out, but as it went on, I almost stopped respecting it entirely. This is purely for fans of experimental and post-industrial music that enjoy records that are this sad and intense to listen to.

6.4 / 10

Highlights: Sad Pony Guerrilla Girl, 20,000 Deaths for Eidelyn Gonzales, 20,000 Deaths for Jamie Peterson, Fast Car

Deftones – Around the Fur (1997)

By this point, I felt like I was ready for pretty much anything after that, so I thought: fuck it, why not tackle some metal? Nu metal specifically. We have Deftones' sophomore album here, I've already enjoyed other work of theirs, especially Ohms, so what could go wrong here? Well, it definitely sounds good. The recording quality is about as good as what you'd expect from any popular subgenre of modern metal. The performances are tight as well, they honestly put a lot of thought into the energy of the record. So what gives, how come I don't love it? Well, you see, they have to be songs. This is why metal struggles a lot for me, it hardly finds any hooks or riffs that function as hooks or riffs. One of the only moments that were at all memorable to me was the first ten seconds of it and I only know it because I know it was used as a sample; I don't love this riff! The only other thing I remember was the closing track and it's pretty cool use of back-and-forth backing vocals. I found that to be cool! Otherwise, this just functioned as a metal album to me and I can sadly say not much more. If you like metal, go for it, but that's not for me.

6.4 / 10

Highlights: My Own Summer (Shove It), Mascara, Around the Fur, MX

3RA1N1AC – H1551NG PRI95 1N 5TAT1C COUTUR3 (1996)

So, how could my evening get any worse? Well, you see, I was approaching my 1,337th rating at this time, my leet rating as I was anticipating. I was given Hissing Prigs in Static Couture by a few friends and it looked like a perfect match for it! However, I am, as the doctors would say, an R slur and briefly missed that milestone when I heard Around the Fur. I didn't want to let that slide, so I cheated by swapping these two albums' placements, but I'm still gonna talk about this after Around the Fur because this was just not a good end to my night. I expected a pretty loud, semi-raucous, energetic and wild listen of a rock & punk and I'm glad to say that I've got it! But in a way that was not very good to me. At first, I thought this record was gonna be okay; not for me, but an enjoyable & worthwhile listen nonetheless, but um. It didn't even last long as that for me either. This listening experience was constantly diminishing returns and I'm too tired even now to fully express why, other than the noises, the instruments, the melodies and especially the vocals got more and more grating with each and every track. I thought by the start, I was merely losing interest and getting tired, but at a certain point, this album just lost it. By the end, this came off as completely obnoxious and irritably annoying. I know I disappointed my friends with that, but that's just how it felt to me. I'm sorry, but the way this closed my night was a complete letdown and while you're likely to enjoy it more than I do, I'd personally steer clear of it unless it interests you.

4.1 / 10

Highlights: 1ND1AN POK3R (PART 3), PU55YFOOT1N'

So yeah, I'm sorry to rant, but that sucked. I couldn't muster up writing any of that until the following morning because I was just having a hard time comprehending how sour I felt by the end of this. I want to make it clear, this is not to the fault of any of the musicians and it's definitely not the fault of the people that recommended them either. This was all just me and not having good ears. Overtime, I've started to realise that my wishlist was looking less and less appealing as I've knocked more ratings out. I don't think I'm gonna purge it, but I might just try to clean it up at some point and realise where I've gotta draw the line for some of these artists, because over 750 of them unfathomable at this point. I'll see ya next time.

[dhampiravidi]

(ignore this) spotify wrapped '23

just me using this post to type my Spotify Wrapped so I don't have to keep going back to that page 😅 I like the stats but also I have ask memes riding on this--

if you feel like using a song title as a prompt, go ahead!

Top Genres:

Pop

Alt Metal

Modern Rock

Pop Punk

Rock

Top Song: "bloody mary (lady gaga) - sped up version" by sped up viral; played 203 times

Top Artist: Bring Me the Horizon (in the top 0.1% of fans); played 5550 minutes (no surprise there)

Other Top Artists(?)

Bring Me the Horizon (peak listening month: September)

Fall Out Boy (peak listening month: August)

30 Seconds to Mars (peak listening month: August)

Måneskin (peak listening month: September)

Dua Lipa (peak listening month: September)

Total Min: 42, 427

Then I temporarily switched to SoundCloud for a better deal, hehe

Top Songs, 1-100

bloody mary (lady gaga) - sped up version by sped up viral

Heartbreak Feels So Good - Fall Out Boy

AmEN! (ft. Lil Uzi Vert & Daryl Palumbo) - BMTH

Love Again - Dua Lipa

Let's Get the Party Started - Tom Morello, BMTH

Stuck - 30STM

Grown Man - Marshmello, Polo G, Southside

BABY SAID - Måneskin

No Love in LA - Palaye Royale

Just Pretend - Bad Omens

Black Hole - We Came As Romans, Caleb Shomo

What You Need - BMTH

Shakira Bizzarap Music Sessions, Vol. 53 - Shakira, Bizarrap

All Around Me - Envied by Angels

Start the Fire - Jamie Bower

Bad Habits (ft. BMTH) - Ed Sheeran

Woman - Doja Cat

Bones - Imagine Dragons

SUPERMODEL - Måneskin

maybe (ft. BMTH) - Machine Gun Kelly

Heat Waves - Glass Animals

Enemy (from "Arcane") - Imagine Dragons, JID

Warrior - Atreyu, Travis Barker

Strangers - BMTH

Unholy (ft. Kim Petras) - Sam Smith

Running Up the Hill - Our Last Night

The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie - RHCP

One Day the Only Butterflies...(ft. Amy Lee) - BMTH

Beggin' - Måneskin

God's Menu - Stray Kids

I Ain't Worried - OneRepublic

Happy Song - BMTH

Records - Weezer

Paralysed - Jamie Bower

Transylvania - McFly

I Wish - Skee-Lo

Pump It - Black Eyed Peas

Parasite Eve - BMTH

Say So - Doja Cat

The Worst in Me - Bad Omens

Blackbird - Alter Bridge

Teardrops - BMTH

Drowning - Atreyu

fleabag - YUNGBLUD

Shockwave - Marshmello

Shadow Moses - BMTH

Alejandro - Lady Gaga

I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE - Måneskin

You're Going Down - Sick Puppies

DiE4u - BMTH

Teeth - 5SOS

Best Things in Life Aren't Free - The Unlikely Candidates

Fancy - Iggy Azalea, Charli XCX

IDGAF - Dua Lipa

CODE MISTAKE - CORPSE, BMTH

Sunshine - OneRepublic

Ghost - Badflower

Animal I Have Become - 3 Days Grace

Contemptress - MIW, Maria Brink

Monsters (ft. Demi Lovato & Blackbear) - All Time Low

Wonder Woman Main Theme - Tina Guo

maybe (ft. BMTH) acoustic version - Machine Gun Kelly

Levitating - Dua Lipa

Pain - Jimmy Eat World

Die Young - Ke$ha

Angel - Theory of a Deadman

Lost - Linkin Park

Come as You Are - Nirvana

Dark Passenger - MIW

Betty (Get Money) - Yung Gravy

La Tortura (ft. Alejandro Sanz) - Shakira

I'm Good (Blue) - David Guetta, Bebe Rexha

Renegades - X Ambassadors

Judas - Lady Gaga

Hips Don't Lie (ft. Wyclef Jean) - Shakira

Save Me - Remy Zero

The World I Used to Know - We Came As Romans

MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT - Elley Duhé 

Two Against One (ft. Jack White) - Danger Mouse, Daniele Luppi

Here We Go Again - Pixie Lott

Astronaut in the Ocean - Our Last Night

Tribute - Tenacious D

Follow Me - BMTH

Lose Control (ft. Ciara & Fatman Scoop) - Missy Elliot

Dani California - RHCP

House of the Rising Sun - Five Finger Death Punch

In the End - BVB

Cake by the Ocean - DNCE

Last Resort - Papa Roach

Attack - 30STM

Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

High Enough - K.Flay

Behind Blue Eyes - Limp Bizkit

Kings and Queens - 30STM

Been Away Too Long - Soundgarden

Lived a Lie - You Me at Six

Los Angeles - Sugarcult

Sundial - Wolfmother

Broken Generation - Of Mice & Men

Round & Round - Selena Gomez & The Scene

[afrobeatsindacity]

2023 Round-Up: The Year In Music

With Wizkid’s EP, Soundman Vol. 2, arriving ten days to the close of the year, 2023 has delivered an experience that confers on it a special place in Nigerian music lore—an album by each member of our putative big 3. Timeless, Davido’s well crafted, much appreciated comeback piece arrived in March, while Burna Boy's seventh studio album, the sonically brilliant but thematically petulant I Told Them… debuted in August. It is the first time since 2020 that these three stars have aligned in a single year, but this convergence is only one in a long list of the truly significant events of Nigerian music in 2023.

The music scene this year has delivered the expected good, with underground artists breaking through barriers to emerge the year's most successful singers; the unexpected bad, in the mysterious death of the young, promising Mohbad; and the numerous ugly, best-forgotten events, like when artist Oladips appeared to fake his own death in promotion of his new album. To navigate through this topsy-turvy sea, here is our round-up of the biggest Nigerian music happenings in 2023.

Our 2022 edition of this round-up was expectedly dominated, much like the year was, by tales of the exploits of Asake, who was a mainstay in the year's music scene, successfully arresting the attention of an entire country with a series of hits, each a little more fiery than the last, until his debut album arrived to cement his place in Nigerian music. 2023 has seen him continue his run with no break in stride, as he released his sophomore album, Work Of Art in June, which spawned tracks like "Lonely At The Top" and "Amapiano" that ensured his name continued to ring out in the new year. At the same time, it was also a gathering of the harvest of last year's sedulous work. He received Headies Awards for Album Of The Year and Next Rated, a Trace Award for Best Anglophone artist, and a nomination for the inaugural Best Afrobeats song at the MTV VMAs. And with his song, "Amapiano" already receiving a nomination for the 2024 Grammy's new Best African Music Performance category, it remains to be seen if Asake can bring his dominance to a third consecutive year.

Elsewhere, other rising stars continued to follow the paths that were first charted years ago. Rema, long earmarked to be Afropop's future prince, took several large steps towards his throne in 2023. The most visible of these was securing a global hit, "Calm Down", which, with its Selena Gomez–assisted remix, was a fixture on UK and US charts, eventually peaking at number 3 on Billboard Hot 100 in September. For these exploits, accolades came in droves, from national platforms like The Headies and Soundcity, to African award organisations like AFRIMMA and Trace Awards, with his crowning moment coming at the MTV Video Music Awards, where he clinched the prize for Best Afrobeats song alongside Selena Gomez. Seyi Vibez, another artist who had made a standout showing of consistency last year, sustained his momentum in 2023 with two albums and two EPs released over the course of the year.

As these stars ascended the next stages of their respective careers, 2023 provided a new set of upcoming acts writing the first chapters of their mainstream stories. Two of them, Odumodublvck and Shallipopi, spent the year dividing opinions for the sounds and themes of their music, but what is surely beyond argument is how much progress they made in 2023, propelling themselves to clinch the headlines this year, for good and bad. Odumodublvck released Eziokwu and its deluxe, that held fan favourites like Dog Eat Dog and Declan Rice side by side with new entries like "Blood On The Dance Floor" and "Kubolor", ensuring he remained in circulation on radio channels for most of the year. Shallipopi's debut EP, Planet Pluto and album, Presido La Pluto also debuted to strong reactions.

And 2023 was a year that would bring the spotlight to emerging female acts as well, which merits acknowledgement in Nigeria’s male-dominated music industry. Qing Madi's "Ole" featured Bnxn, and was propelled by its combination of brilliant storytelling, exquisite delivery and smart collaboration to a spot in the top 20 of the Turntable top 100. She quickly built on this with her eponymous debut EP, which included other tracks like "Vision" and "American Love" that are providing her with.

Bloody Civilian is another female act whose career has been driven thus far by a combination of talent and an eye for ingenious collaboration. It was how she made her entry on the most auspicious of stages, singing opposite Rema on "Wake Up", a track off the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever album. If that debut flew under the radar for most Nigerians, then her feature on "Blood On The Dance Floor", providing a piquant variation to Odumodublvck and Wale's rugged sensibilities, did not. In 2023, she released first her debut EP, Anger Management in June, before its sequel arrived in November, this time sporting remixes from the original that featured stars like Joeboy, Odumodublvck, Fave and more. For female acts higher placed in the ladder of Nigerian music—Tems, Ayra Starr and Tiwa Savage, and Fave—it was a relatively quiet year, so we can expect a lot more in 2024, especially from Tems, who has already released two singles in anticipation of her debut album.

A dark cloud was cast over the musically prolific year with the passing of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, AKA Mohbad, best known for tracks like "Feel Good" and "Ask About Me", under circumstances that are yet to be fully understood. Whilst the initial outrage over his maltreatment at the hands of Marlian Music, his record label, has now waned, Nigerian music lovers still carry in their hearts the memory of an artist whose music brought peace to millions, even as it seemingly eluded the singer himself.

As Nigerians struggled, and still do, to accept his untimely death, a few other singers took to the studio to pay him proper homage. Bella Shmurda released "My Brother" in his late friend's honour. Chiké and Zoro released their cross-country collaborations with the artist, titled "M.A.D." and "Egwu" respectively. The latter took his tribute a step further, pledging the proceeds from the song to Mohbad's family, a wholesome gesture similar to that made by fast-rising singer Khaid when he released his own tribute to Mohbad, "Forever".

2023 was also a year for big albums by big artists. Already counting the projects by Davido (Timeless), Burna Boy (I Told Them…) and Wizkid (Soundman Vol. 2), other Nigerian music veterans glided the year with full length projects, including Wande Coal (Legend Or No Legend), Olamide (Unruly), Adekunle Gold (Tequila Ever After) and Kizz Daniel (Maverick). Also sustaining Nigeria's relatively new album culture were the younger stars, who logged in albums like Ru The World (Ruger), Boy Alone Deluxe (Omah Lay), Emeka Must Shine (Blaqbonez) and Tears Of The Sun (Teni, making a long awaited return)

In all, a lot of indicators from 2023 suggest Nigerian music's global flight will not be ending anytime soon—with global music platforms like The Grammys and MTV carving out categories for Afrobeats, and Wizkid and Burna Boy bolstering their UK profiles with performances in Tottenham Hotspur and London stadiums respectively. In sound, Nigerian music gained more depth and diversity, with artists like Odumodublvck, Zlatan, Blaqbonez Jeriq and Kcee helping to incorporate Igbo culture, and especially its iconic Oja flute, into mainstream music. With so many young talents making their entrances, and a host of seasoned veterans showing no signs of slowing down, 2024 promises to be an even more enjoyable experience for lovers of Nigerian music.

This article was written by Afrobeats City Contributor Ezema Patrick - @ezemapatrick (Twitter)

Afrobeats City doesn’t own the right to the images

[fiftytwotwentythree]

Wellness Wednesday:

The Groundhog Day Diet

Sunday I officially started my Groundhog Day Diet (the same daily meal on repeat). Obviously the name of the diet stems from the 1993 Bill Murray film, but the month long challenge was more inspired by Morgan Spurlock's 2004 documentary, Super Size Me (a challenge to eat McDonald's for 30 days straight).

I settled on the following specific daily foods for the month:

Lunch:

Turkey & Swiss Sandwich, a Side of Baby Carrots, a Cup Peaches

Snack:

A Serving of Trail Mix

Supper:

Bowl of Soup and a Glass of Milk.

All ^that^ comes out to approximately 1,290 Calories.

Now, I didn't necessarily do this to keep better tabs on my calories - no - I merely did it to see if I could do it - or - better yet see how long before my tongue goes mad.

As well, I am hoping this "diet" will assist my pocketbook as I have planned out my meals, purchased a large majority of all my fixings, thus hopefully minimizing my grocery bill for the month of October. The only items I forsee having to purchase is fresh Turkey, Bread, Milk, and Carrots.

So far, 4 days in, things aren't too shabby. I wish I would have thrown in some popcorn to booster my snack intake... but... I'll know better for next time.

.

.

40th CHECK-IN:

Current Goals:

Lose 52 lbs

Completed as of 4/12/2023

New Goal: Maintain or Continue on The Weight Loss Path

Avoid "Junk Food"

Minimize Take-Out / Fast Food Consumption

Short Term:

Vegetarian-ish Diet: Completed

End Date: 4/09/2023 - 46 Days Total

Groundhog Day Diet:

10/01/2023 - 10/31/2023

Eat the Same Thing Each Day for 31 Days

*Not Photographed*

Turkey Deli Meat, Wheat Bread, Swiss Cheese, Milk.

.

.

Stats from August:

Food:

Leftover Meals: 20

Oranges: 20

Salads: 18

Bags of Popcorn: 17

Cans of Soup: 9

Take Out: 0

Candy/Sweets: 0

Workout:

Jumping Jacks: 12,800

Push-Ups: 3,200

Glute Bridges: 3,200

Reverse Leg Lifts: 3,200

Leg Kickbacks: 3,200

Sit-Ups: 3,200

Squats: 800

Plank (mins): 160 mins

Assisted Push-Ups: 0

Weight Loss:

Weightloss This Month: -1.0 lbs

Average Weightloss per Week: -0.25 lbs

Total Weightloss: -85.6 lbs

Entertainment:

Movies Watched: 19

Favorite from the Month:

They Cloned Tyrone

"TV":

Hours of Television Watched: ~ 40 hours ( How To with John Wilson, Modern Family, Outer Banks, Ink Master, Muscles & Mayhem, Only Murders in the Building, Ms. Marvel, Detriot Lions vs KC, Detroit Lions vs Atlanta, Detroit Loins vs Green Bay)

Books:

Books Completed This Month: 0

Book Title(s) Completed This Month: -n/a-

Book Total for the Year: 2

Comics:

Comics Completed: 4

Trades Completed: 7

Comic/Trade Titles Completed:

Lumberjanes Vol. 1

Amazing Spider-Man Masterworks Vol. 1 (Marvel Masterworks)

Chew Vol. 3: Just Desserts

Deadpool by Skottie Young Vol. 2: Good Night (Deadpool (2018-2019))

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Vol. 3

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures (2022-2023) #1

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures (2022-2023) #2

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures (2022-2023) #3

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures (2022-2023) #4

New X-Men by Grant Morrison Vol. 1: E Is For Extinction (New X-Men (2001-2004))

Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol. 0: Don't Call It A Team-Up (Spider-Man/Deadpool (2016-2019))

Favorite Comic/Trade Read:

Deadpool by Skottie Young Vol. 2: Good Night (Deadpool (2018-2019))

Magazine(s):

Magazine(s) Completed: 0

.

.

Meal Tracker:

THURSDAY

Lunch:

(2) Hotdogs

Individual Cup of Bob Evan's Macaroni and Cheese

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

Snack:

Bag of Ranch Corn Nuts

Bag of BBQ Corn Nuts

(4oz) Bag of Sahale Snacks Pomegranate Vanilla Flavored Cashews Glazed Mix

(4oz) Bag of Sahale Snacks Pomegranate Flavored Pistachios Glazed Mix

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

Supper:

Can of Progresso Creamy Tomato with Penne

- 10 Crackers

(2) Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

(1) Glass of Chocolate Milk

(2) Small Oranges

FRIDAY

Lunch:

Bowl of Leftover White Chicken Chili

- 10 Crackers

(1) Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Snack:

Bowl of Wonderful's Shelled Sweet Chili Pistachios

(4oz) Bag of Sahale Snacks Pomegranate Vanilla Flavored Cashews Glazed Mix

(4oz) Bag of Sahale Snacks Pomegranate Flavored Pistachios Glazed Mix

Supper:

Individual Cup of Bob Evan's Macaroni and Cheese

SATURDAY

Lunch:

Skillet Chicken Quesadilla

- Leftover Chicken

- Busch's Taco Fiesta Black Beans

- Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice

- Shredded Mild Cheddar

- Good & Gather's Queso Blanco

- Side of Sour Cream mixed with Herdez's Street Taco Rojo and Verde Sauce

Snack:

(2) Individual Bags of Sahale Snacks Pomegranate Vanilla Flavored Cashews Glazed Mix

(2) Individual Bags of Smartfood's White Cheddar Popcorn

(1) Glass of Pumpkin Spice Flavored Milk

Bag of Black Jewel Popcorn

(1) Colorado Peach

Supper:

(2) Skillet Quesadilla

- Leftover Chicken

- Leftover Busch's Taco Fiesta Black Beans

- Leftover Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice

- Shredded Mild Cheddar

- Good & Gather's Queso Blanco

(1) Glass of Pumpkin Spice Flavored Milk

SUNDAY

Lunch:

Turkey & Swiss with Toasted Wheat Sandwich

(5) Baby Carrots

(1) Cup of Del Monte Peaches

Snack:

Serving of Good & Gather's Tex Mex Trail Mix

Supper:

Can of Progresso Lasagna Style Soup

- 10 Crackers

(1) Glass of Milk

MONDAY

Lunch:

Turkey & Swiss with Toasted Wheat Sandwich

(5) Baby Carrots

(1) Cup of Del Monte Peaches

Snack:

Serving of Good & Gather's Tex Mex Trail Mix

Supper:

Can of Progresso Lasagna Style Soup

- 10 Crackers

(1) Glass of Milk

TUESDAY

Lunch:

Turkey & Swiss with Toasted Wheat Sandwich

(5) Baby Carrots

(1) Cup of Del Monte Peaches

Snack:

Serving of Good & Gather's Tex Mex Trail Mix

Supper:

Can of Progresso Lasagna Style Soup

- 10 Crackers

(1) Glass of Milk

WEDNESDAY

Lunch:

Turkey & Swiss with Toasted Wheat Sandwich

(5) Baby Carrots

(1) Cup of Del Monte Peaches

Snack:

Serving of Good & Gather's Tex Mex Trail Mix

Supper:

Can of Progresso Lasagna Style Soup

- 10 Crackers

(1) Glass of Milk

.

.

Workouts:

THURSDAY

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

FRIDAY

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(10) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(10) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

SATURDAY

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

SUNDAY

* Afternoon Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

* Evening Workout *

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

MONDAY

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

TUESDAY

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges [4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

WEDNESDAY

(400) Jumping Jacks [8 sets of 50]

(100) Glute Bridges[4 sets of 25]

(100) Push-Ups [10 sets of 10]

(100) Reverse Leg Lifts [10 sets of 10]

(100) Leg Kickbacks [10 sets of 10]

(100) Sit-Ups [5 Sets of 20]

(5 min) Planks [5 Sets of 1 min]

.

.

WEIGHT TRACKER:

Starting Weight (Noon, 1/01/2023): XXX.X lbs

Weight at Last Check-In, 9/27/2023: -0.8 lbs

Weight As of Noon, 10/04/2023: +1.0 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -84.6 lbs

.

.

Closing Thoughts:

The Good:

Had an opportunity to take PTO in the middle of the work week. Using it for some R&R.

The Bad:

I quasi wish I included a daily bag of popcorn in to my Groundhog Day Diet... You Live and You Learn.

Gained a pound - which put be under 85 pounds of weight loss.

The Ugly:

I have insane pain in my lower leg/shin. Been icing my leg throughout the day.

[donotmindme1]

My idea for a potential DEATH BATTLE! #2

2023, August 16-31

Link to first post;

Yang Xiao Long vs. Akihiko Sanada (RWBY vs. Persona)

RWBY's heavy hitter and Persona's bruising boxer duke it out!

(I wanted to use "electric emperor", but Kanji Tatsumi can also be called that)

Fighter 1: Yang Xiao Long, the blazing dragon from RWBY.

Fighter 2: Akihiko Sanada, the specialist boxer of Persona's SEES.

Wiz: We may lose our loved ones to events out of our control, but that only leads us down a path to finding a new family to look after and care for.

Boomstick: And the best way to do it is by saving the world through punching! He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.

PREFACE:

We had Weiss vs. Mitsuru as an actual episode and Yates did a commission for Penny Polendina vs. Aegis, so why not our hard-hitting punching people? P.S., Don't think I hate RWBY. I just love the idea of certain RWBY characters fighting, nay, interacting with other fictional characters that are similar to them, especially if they have some sort of connection through crossovers.

WHY:

Connections:

1. Both fight via boxing and punching.

2. Both lost family members that served as motivation for their actions. Yang lost her stepmom and was abandoned by her birth mother, which led to a rough childhood for Yang, resulting in her thrill-seeking lifestyle (essentially living her childhood later on as she couldn't do it as a kid). Akihiko's sister died when they were both young and his best friend Shinjiro died, but he steeled his resolve which led to his Persona's growth. You can also add in Blake leaving Yang.

3. Both have a specific trait that they don't exhibit much but are now seen as the chore trait of their personalities due to side material. Those are their passions for puns and protein respectively.

4. Funnily enough, both have powerful connections to a younger sister (Ruby and Miki respectively).

Personal reasons: I'll be blunt, I want this to be another Balrog vs. TJ Combo. I think it could work, but the only other way I see this match starting would be an encounter similar to those of Tartarus, the Yellow Trailer, or Yang's interactions with Shay. What I want the most from the fight is for them to compliment each other's physical strength, treating the fight first like a friendly spar and then turning up the heat (like All Might vs. Might Guy). The encounter could happen in the open since both have a history of wandering in search of something (Yang would be on her bike, and she has searched for info on her mom and Akihiko traveled the world, searching to become stronger), which would come into play in the Notable Events. If Akihiko is shown in his P4A model, I'd want him to use his knife, but it'll likely not happen. I also want some lighting and hothead puns, and I think the golden colors of Yang's Blaze and golden colors will complement Caesar's blue and violet lighting as well as Aki's scarlet and black clothes.

THE FIGHT:

Art and animation: This one will either be 3D like Weiss vs. Mitsuru. It could also be a 2D fight like a potential BBCTB fight, but I think they'll go with the former because all RWBY fights (as of me writing this) have been in 3D so they could distinguish themselves from BBCTB. I think the animation from All Might vs. Might Guy or even Blake vs. Mikasa could work with the CQC involved, but the former is the better option.

Possible setup:

OPTION A: They're part of a tournament like the Yang vs. Bakugo DBX (Yang would look like she did in Vol. 1-3 and Aki would look like he did in P3 for some reason) or a boxing match a la Balrog and TJ Combo, or even Heihachi vs Geese. The prize is cash, which Yang wants for her bike and Aki wants for equipment, be it for boxing or the Tartarus quests. Or ramen.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Introducing our fighters! In one corner, you have the blazing sunny dragon from Beacon, the fiery and explosive Yang Xiao Long! On the other, Gekkougan High's boxing captain, the shocking protein junky, Akihiko Sanada!" The announcer mumbles, asking someone near him whether or not this is the chick that broke a kid's leg even after she won a tournament match, but quickly gets back into the job.

Yang: "You better not go easy on me."

Akihiko: "Same to you, blondie."

They walk back to their corners and prepare themselves.

OPTION B: They encounter out in the open, likely in an urban scene like the Kingdom of Vale or Tatsumi Port Island. Yang is riding her bike, searching for something, be it info or thrills. However, a screaming man falls in front of her and she swerves out of the way, only to find more people falling out of the sky. She hopes to find the source of the commotion and see Aki punching out thugs. She speeds in, excited and ready for a fight.

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!/FIGHT! :

1. If the fight starts with Option B, then Yang enters like in Vol. 6's fight against Adam, so away goes her bike! Aki notices, and either punches away the vehicle or dodges out of the way. Yang skydives in, reeling in a punch. Aki prepares his own strike, and BOOM!

2. They both relish the combat. Their competitive natures lead them to be ever so slightly boastful, but they'll complement each other's power.

3. Akihiko summons Caesar and lightning is launched. Yang makes puns as a result: "Well, that was shocking."

4. Yang uses Ember Celica and Aki dodges.

5. Combos from BBCTB and P4A/U.

6. Yang takes advantage of both their up-close approaches and uses her bombs. The explosives catch Aki off guard.

7. Eventually, a strand of Yang's hair falls, and she notices. She thusly activates Blaze, and Aki is in awe of the increase in firepower (ba-dum-tss), even if momentarily, but he then embraces the challenge and rises to the occasion. "Bring it on!".

8. The ending is a clash of fists like in the cover of Brandon Yates's Blazing Fury, and it would pay homage to the Yellow Trailer and Akihiko's one-hit KO from the Arena games. If it's option A, then the arena, the spectators, and the announcer are blown away (ba-dum-tss) by the impact, and the winner is left standing, panting, and tired. However, they thank the loser for the fun and challenge. I want the winner to take one of the loser's weapons as a memorandum, but I don't think it'd be in character.

RESULT:

Strengths and weaknesses:

Yang:

+ Blaze allows for strength increase

+ Has ranged weaponry

≥ Has slight versatility due to her kicks and weapons

≥ Likely has longer experience due to her training under Taiyang

≥ Can likely dodge Caesar's lightning if scaled to Mercury

- Aura takes a long time to recharge

- Cannot activate Blaze without Aura

- Cannot exploit any weakness

Akihiko:

+ Caesar can quickly recharge if broken

+ Stronger and more durable

+ Has greater support due to Caesar's support spells like Power Charge

+ Has faced more dangerous opponents in Straega, the Full Moon Shadows, and the Red Fog clones.

= Can likely keep up with Yang as he has avoided lightning attacks

Ending puns:

"Don't Celica short; Akihiko went out in Blaze of glory."

"Yang was handed a defeat and Akihiko Caesar (see-zar) victory."

I wanted to use "got beaten to the punch" but Roshi vs. Jiraya had that as a punch line. Dio vs. Alucard used the "owned" punch line like Mario vs. Sonic 2018 but then added to it.

MUSIC:

Name: "Beat You To The Punch"

The title makes reference to Yang's love of puns and both their primary methods of fighting.

Art: The art would depict the two arm wrestling, Yang's arm blazing and Aki's having lightning coursing about it. There could be a Strawberry Sunrise with Caesar's sword in it in the background.

Sound: I Burn + Mass Destruction. The beginning is MD but with a rock vibe, and the climax has I Burn, like in Yang vs. Mercury.

THANK YOU AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS!

[denimbex1986]

'It was not too long ago that the future of cinemas looked decidedly grim.

Empire Cinemas fell into administration in early July, as the lingering effects of Covid allied to the cost of living crisis took its toll on the company.

Six Empire cinemas were closed immediately with the loss of 150 jobs, while the future of a further seven, including one in Clydebank, remain in the balance, as they continue to trade and administrators at BDO strive to find a buyer. The company had employed 437 people in total before the failure.

Around the same time, the much bigger Cineworld Group, similarly blighted by the fall-out from Covid, was completing a long-running financial restructuring process which formally ended on August 1, when it exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US.

Cineworld emerged with lower debt and a new management team, its assets having transferred to a new company, though the process resulted in heavy losses for investors.

Throughout the bankruptcy process, business carried on as usual at all the Cineworld outlets, including those trading under the Regal, Cinema City, Picturehouse and Planet brands.

Now, thanks to some of the biggest releases in living memory, many of those theatres will be enjoying their best summers in years.

Cinemas were one of the biggest business victims of the pandemic, as restrictions forced the closure of multiplexes and independents for long spells and the production of films was severely hampered, curbing the flow of new releases.

This year, however, the industry is back with a bang, aided in no small measure by a sequence of summer blockbusters which have attracted audiences in their droves.

Two hotly anticipated movies have been crucial to the revival.

Barbie, a story based on the Mattel doll starring Margot Robbie and directed by Greta Gerwig, hit the billion-dollar mark in gross takings this week, just 17 days after its release, Warner Bros Pictures announced, following one of the biggest marketing campaigns seen for a film in years.

Released on the same day as Barbie was Oppenheimer, the latest epic from director Christopher Nolan, which charts US efforts to develop the atomic bomb as the Second World War drew to a close through the story of physicist J Robert Oppenheimer.

While Oppenheimer has not scaled the same financial heights as Barbie, it had still grossed more than $500m in ticket sales by this week.

Both films have drawn huge audiences in the UK, with Barbie generating sales of £18.5m and Oppenheimer £10.9m on their opening weekend, according to figures compiled by the British Film Institute, and are continuing to pack them in.

But “Barbenheimer”, as the two films have been collectively termed owing to their simultaneous release date, have not been the only shows in town this summer.

Prior to their arrival in theatres, UK cinemas have also been able to drum up millions of pounds in ticket sales from Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which is likely to be Harrison Ford’s final outing as the titular archaeologist-come-adventurer.

And there is more to come, with Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Dune: Part Two, The Marvels, and The Creator still to come before the year is out.

A recent visit to my local multiplex as various family members took in Barbenheimer underlined the impact which this summer’s big releases have had. People were milling about the foyer in what looked to be unprecedented numbers, which was no doubt great for sales of popcorn and hot dogs.

But the cinemas are not the only businesses which seem to be benefiting from this big summer of film. As we walked through the mall on our way from the car park to the theatre, it was abundantly clear that restaurants, cafes, and shops were doing well too.

With kids off school for the summer, many parents have no doubt been taking their children (Barbie is rated 12A by the British Board of Film Classification) to the cinema over recent weeks to keep them occupied.

David Pierotti, general manager for the Silverburn shopping and leisure mall in Glasgow, said this summer had been a “standout” for the destination, with the “temperamental Scottish weather” playing its part as footfall and sales have risen by 22% and 11% compared with the same period last year.

And he is in no doubt the release of the summer blockbusters has helped.

Mr Pierotti told The Herald: “We are in no doubt that the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer have been massive hits – we believe our Cineworld has enjoyed one of its best months yet which, given the global success of the films, is no surprise and this has also encouraged spend in our other stores and restaurants.”

Of course, going to the cinema is far from cheap so, at a time when inflation is still rampant and interest rates are continuing to rise, businesses will have been encouraged that consumers are showing resilience by going to the movies and visiting restaurants as part of the experience.

How this will all pan out in the longer term is difficult to forecast. The summer holidays will end soon, and the next slate of big movies is unlikely to match the broad appeal of Barbie and Oppenheimer, meaning there will be perhaps less impetus for people to visit their local multiplex.

Cost of living pressures and high interest rates are not going away, and when Christmas eventually comes into view for parents in the autumn, many families will have other things to spend their diminishing disposable income on than trips to the pictures.

Moreover, there is another danger lurking in the wings for the cinema industry.

Ongoing industrial action by actors and screenwriters in the US, who are in dispute with studios over pay and safeguards around artificial intelligence, has disrupted production activity, sparking concerns that the release of films and television shows will be delayed. It was recently reported in the US that Warner Bros may seek to delay the release of Dune: Part 2 until 2024 to ensure its stars, including Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, will be available to promote the movie on its release.

Film buffs here will be keeping a close eye on developments. In the meantime, cinemas will be hoping the magic of Barbenheimer is just the start of a great theatrical revival.'

[kokiafans]

KOKIA in flashback - 2009

After her 10th anniversary year, KOKIA does decidedly not take it easier in 2009. She releases two albums on the same day: KOKIA∞AKIKO ~Balance~ and AKIKO∞KOKIA ~Balance~, to celebrate the conclusion of her 10th anniversary year. The AKIKO album is only available via her webshop and at concert venues and is distributed via her own office, anco&co, whereas the KOKIA album is distributed via Victor Entertainment. She explains that the AKIKO album deals more with her ‘inner’ songs, as she feels she is both KOKIA the artist and Akiko the person.

She departs on a world tour this year, called infinity (as the ∞ symbol from her albums is the symbol for infinity), starting in Japan before traveling to France, Ireland, Poland, Belgium and Germany. This results in two concert DVDs: 2009 infinity tour at Tokyo, recording the performance in Tokyo, and Wherever I am, a 3 disc documentary covering her journey and performances abroad.

2009 also marks the start of her Life Trilogy digital singles, with the first two releasing this year. The final one will come out next year.

◆ Lives and events ◆

January 16 Essential Time (Ebisu LIQUIDROOM)

February 28-March 1 KOKIA Live in Naeba Prince white notes vol.3 (Naeba Prince Hotel Chatelaine)

March 31 YOU SING, YOU WANT (Shibuya DUO Music Exchange)

【KOKIA world tour 2009 「∞」 Infinity】 April 29 - Tokyo, Bunkamura Orchard Hall May 4 - Osaka, Sankei Hall Breeze June 12 - European tour 2009: Paris, La Cigale June 13 - performance on a cruise over the Seine river June 14 - Paris, Le Divian du Monde June 16 - Dublin, Button Factory June 17 - Poznań, Blue Note June 19 - Brussels, Botanique-Orangerie June 20 - Cologne, Blue Shell

July 11 4th Keyaki festival (Niigata, Nagaoka City School for Handicapped Children gymnasium)

July 20 8th Kobe Love Port - Port Festival (Kobe Meriken Park)

July 21 Eclipse festival KOKIA talk session & mini concert (Kagoshima Port, Honkô-ku, Waterfront Park)

July 26 Gion Kashiwazaki festival (Minatomachi beachside park, sunset dome)

August 7 D-51×KOKIA BEACH LIVE in OTODAMA SEA STUDIO (Kanagawa, Zushi Kaigan OTODAMA SEA STUDIO)

August 29 KOKIA sebone LIVE 2009 (Aichi, Arc Riche Toyohashi, The Grace)

September 12 (September 26/October 10) KOKIA tokai no kakurega concert ('hideout in the city’) (Tokyo, sonorium) ※ Event exclusively for members of the KOKIA fanclub, club ancoro, 4 performances total

October 17 Niigata Prefectural Niitsu-minami senior high school memorial ceremony on the 30th anniversary of its founding: KOKIA live (Niitsu-minami senior high school)

November 21 BREEZE BREEZE Music Live KOKIA (Osaka, Breeze Breeze Media Court)

November 26 Uiguru kara kita shounen ('Boy from the Uyghurs’) screening & KOKIA mini live (Tokyo, Uplink Factory) ※Movie for social awareness, Uiguru kara kita shounen ('Boy from the Uyghurs’) which uses KOKIA’s Lacrima ('Tear’) as end theme

November 28 Saturday Hot Request (Tokyo, NHK broadcasting center) ※ Public live broadcast by NHK-FM

December 5 SATURDAY GO AROUND from Jazz Dream Nagashima ※ Public live broadcast by ZIP-FM

【KOKIA Winter Live Tour 2009 12 gatsu no okurimono ('December present’)】 December 11 - Aichi, Nagoya City Chikusa small theater December 13 - Fukuoka, Hakata Gate's7 December 14 - Hiroshima, Club Quattro December 15 - Osaka, Sankei Hall Breeze December 21 - Miyagi, Sendai retro Back Page December 23-24 - Kanagawa, Yokohama Landmark Hall

December 25 KOKIA Kokoro no akari live ('light in the heart’) vol. 2 in KYOTO 2009 (The Museum of Kyoto, Annex Hall)

◆ Releases ◆

March 4 Release of the French edition of Fairy Dance ~KOKIA meets Ireland (Wasabi Records)

March 18 Release of original album KOKIA∞AKIKO ~balance~ (Victor Entertainment)

March 18 Release of original album AKIKO∞KOKIA ~balance~ (anco&co.) ※ Simultaneous release of a mainstream version and indie version, KOKIA and AKIKO, two albums that are each other’s counterparts (On April 29, a ∞ album 2 disc collection BOX including both albums gets released. It includes image clips for Ooki na senaka ('Broad back’).)

May 20 Release of the French edition of Balance (Wasabi Records) ※ 2-disc box with KOKIA∞AKIKO ~balance~ and AKIKO∞KOKIA ~balance~

July 22 Release of concert DVD KOKIA 2009 infinity tour at Tokyo (anco&co.)

August 5 Release of the iTunes Store exclusive digital EP Kimi o sagashite/last love song ('searching for you’) (Victor Entertainment) ※ Chapter 1 in the <Life Trilogy ~inochi no 3-busaku> ('trilogy of life’). Mini album with 4 tracks

September 23 Release of the European Tour documentary DVD Wherever I am ~wordt tour 2009 in Europe~ (Victor Entertainment)

November 18 Release of the iTunes Store exclusive digital EP single mother/Christmas no hibiki ('Christmas echo’) (Victor Entertainment) ※ Chapter 2 in the <Life Trilogy ~inochi no 3-busaku> ('trilogy of life’). Mini album with 4 tracks

December 2 Release of best-of album Coquillage ~The Best Collection II~ (Victor Entertainment)

December 2 Release of the French edition KOKIA COLLECTION 2 (Wasabi Records) 3-disc collection box including the albums KOKIA∞AKIKO ~balance~, AKIKO∞KOKIA ~balance~ and Fairy Dance (French edition of each)

◆ Other releases ◆

January 21 Release of the omnibus album Okaeri ('Welcome home’) (Sony Music) ※ Concept album collecting only timeless classics sung about great love for humans. Arigatou… (the pearl edition) ('Thank you…’) is included on this.

February 5 Release of the PlayStation 3 game Demon’s Souls ※ Vocals and chorus for the opening theme song Demon’s Souls and the end theme Return to Slumber

February 18 Release of Dare mo shiranai nakeru uta official compilation album (‘songs no-one knows that make you cry’) (VAP) ※ Official CD for the Nippon TV show Dare mo shiranai nakeru uta (‘songs no-one knows that make you cry’). Includes Watashi ni dekiru koto ('the things I can do’)

February 18 Release of Dare mo shiranai nakeru uta gaiden ~ staff ga erabu kokoro no best one ~ (‘songs no-one knows that make you cry extra – best from the heart chosen by staff’) (Victor Entertainment) ※ Official program album for the Nippon TV series Dare mo shiranai nakeru uta (‘songs no-one knows that make you cry’), Victor Entertainment compilation. Includes Watashi ni dekiru koto ('the things I can do’)

April 22 Release of the single KARMA (Glory Heaven) ※ Opening theme for the animated TV series Phantom -Requiem for the Phantom

August 15 Release of the image sound album Bungaku shoujo to yumeutsutsu no senritsu (‘Book girl and the half-asleep melody’) (Lantis) ※ Performed the song Anata to deatte (‘Meeting you’)

August 26 Release of the single Transparent (Glory Heaven) ※ end theme for the animated TV series Phantom -Requiem for the Phantom

October 21 Release of Kidou senshi gundam 00 ('Mobile Suit Gundam’) Voice actor single Ayahi Takagaki come across Feldt Grace (Inori †/Justice) ('prayer’) (flying DOG) ※ First single produced by KOKIA. Also did the chorus for the B-side song Justice.

[kudosmyhero]

The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 3) #16: The Graveyard Shift, part 1: The Late, Late Mr. Parker

Read Date: August 27, 2023 Cover Date: May 2015 ● Writer: Dan Slott ◦ Christos N. Gage ● Penciler: Humberto Ramos ● Inker: Victor Olazaba ● Colorist: Edgar Delgado ● Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos ● Editor: Nick Lowe ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers (👏=didn't like it, 👏👏=it was ok, 👏👏👏=I liked it, 👏👏👏👏=I really liked it!, 👏👏👏👏👏=I loved it!)

Reactions As I Read: ● I really hope we're done with the Spider-verse stuff

● ok, a step in the right direction ● 👏👏👏

Synopsis: In the reptile house of the Central Park Zoo, Spider-Man is battling Iguana and various crocodiles. Iguana tries to hypnotize Spider-Man but his special lenses don't allow it. He then tackles Spidey out of the reptile house and Peter gets a call from his Aunt May. May tells Peter she hasn't seen him in days and asks him if he and Anna Maria are coming to dinner, making him realize she still thinks they are dating. Jay reminds May that Peter is having an important presentation today and May says goodbye. Peter then gets a call from Anna, much to Iguana's annoyance.

Anna asks Peter where is he as they need him for a meeting and that he was gone for days. He tells her he was hopping dimensions fighting for his life. Sajani takes the phone and tells Peter that the prison contract was his idea and she won't talk in favor of a project she doesn't believes in. Peter tells her that he is sorry for being late, but that he won't apologize for the project after what the Goblin and his goons did to the city and what happened with Electro when his powers where out of control; telling her they need to not only sweep the problem, but to solve it.

He insists that many have changed into something monstrous and need their compassion, ironically beating the Iguana at the same time. Sajani tells him to go there and tell that to those who matter as they are next after Alchemax. Defeating and webbing Iguana, he swings away to the meeting knowing that Alchemax gaining influence is worse than the cycle of battling guys like Iguana and waiting for them to break out of prision.

In the meeting, Liz Allan tries to convince the board members of choosing Alchemax to build their new prison, showing them her brother Mark, the former Molten Man, having been depowered and now working as their head of security. After they finish, Liz taunts Sajani and Anna. Sajani points out that Alchemax employed the Green Goblin for months but Tiberius reminds them that Parker Industries founder isn't even there just as Peter arrives. Liz tells him he hasn't changed since High School, and he always got late to class. Peter points out he still was the valedictorian and he will also pull this off before going to the meeting. Liz admits that Peter always found a way to snatch victory and wishes they could stop his plans, which Mark and Tiberius overhear.

Later, both of them arrive at the Slide-Away Casino, the Black Cat's hideout. Tiberius is reluctant in trusting one of the criminals in there since he doesn't want a loose cannon. Mark tells him he knows some of them and that they are professionals and the man they come for specializes on this.

The Black Cat's goons take the Ringer to the Back Room as Max and Tiberius contract the Ghost. He asks them if they want to sabotage or steal plans from Parker Industries but Mark tells him that they need Parker permanently out of business, which he agrees to do.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_3_16)

Fan Art: Alley Cat by Nerdvana21

Accompanying Podcast: ● Amazing Spider-Talk - episode 16