#ga bunko

[cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga]

目をそらしちゃダメですよ…♡ by kr木@1日目(金)西め45a

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Danmachi Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu 2

Author: Fujino Omori

Illustrator: Nilitsu

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 13 October 2023

My Score: 5/5

This volume is split into 3 short stories with the first one taking up most of the volume (a good 80% or more). This story fills in the blanks of Lyu's reunion with Astrea before the war game in volume 18 and it's really, really good. Seeing Astrea and Lyu reunite in person is fantastic itself but we also get to see Lyu trying to be a senpai to the new members of Astrea Familia. In particular, there's a blacksmith named Cecil who strongly resents Lyu for abandoning Astrea, and her character arc as a foil for Lyu's is a highlight of the short story. This short story was amazing and satisfying and it's one that I would love to see animated in the upcoming Danmachi V anime. It's probably my favourite story in the Familia Chronicle volumes so far.

The other two stories are much shorter and less relevant to the main plot. The second one features a sweet interaction between Ardee and Lyu. The third story features an event from 5 years ago in which Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra discuss Lyu's future. These stories are bittersweet, and while they aren't as good as the main one, they are definitely worth reading. I can see why they were included in the volume.

So with this volume, the 13 months of Danmachi volumes have officially concluded and it's been a blast. While I may not have read all the volumes in the month that they were released in, it's been great to have a steady stream of Danmachi content. There's been some top quality volumes and it's made me appreciate the Danmachi franchise more. All of the authors, illustrators, editors, and everyone else have done an amazing job this past year and I hope that everyone is able to take a well-deserved break now.

Side note: I did finally listen to the drama CD that was bundled with Danmachi 19 and it was pretty good. In it, Bell finds himself in the Dark Period of Orario where the Astrea Familia are fighting against Evilus. He meets the members of Astrea Familia and Ardee, who he gets along well with as a fellow Argonaut stan. He realises that he is in a position to change the fate of the Astrea Familia and Ardee, and has to make decision about what to do. The story was okay. I enjoyed seeing Bell interacting with Alise, Kaguya, and Lyra a lot and there was a good amount of angst and humor in it. The voice actors all did an amazing job at conveying the feelings of the characters with just their voices. It was a good way to spend an hour but I wouldn't call it a must listen.

[smirkingcat]

Kirino Kousaka

[rolfyramc]

Bunko

[thefigureresource]

Bunko Daikokutei [My Master Has No Tail] 1/7 scale from FuRyu coming October 2023.

[ashitakaxsan]

 I finished watching the anime My Stepmom's Daughter Is My Ex.It leaves me the impression of worth sof my time. While things had started with the two being hostile against one another, by First episode’s end it seems likely their former relationship maybe shouldn’t be former. If this is how things start, where do things go from here? It’s the maturity of their decision (to hide from their parents the animosity)that goes hand-hand with comedic situations.

See my old post a year ago abou it: https://ashitakaxsan.tumblr.com/post/682585936538796033/upcoming-anime-my-stepmoms-daughter-is-my-ex

  The supporting cast is pretty Good,each character is interesting:)

  Intelligent  and kind Yume is attempting to figure out the true reasons of their misunderstanding(that lead to their breakup),plus to understand why Mizuto is what and how he is.”If he’s not a bad person,nor toxic then  how  actually is he?”,I daresay this sums up Yume san’s pondering. So can things get mended between them?

[bo1908]

Bunko

[yurimother]

Shakaijin Yuri Light Novel 'Did You Think My Yuri Was a Sales Pitch?' License in English

On Saturday, at Anime NYC 2024, Yen Press announced that it has licensed Neru Asakura's Yuri light novel Did You Think My Yuri Was a Sales Pitch? (Watashi no Yuri mo, Eigyou da to Omotta?). The single-volume is illustrated by Chigusa Minori (Shino to Ren).

Yen Press describes the light novel:

Suzune Senmiya, a young voice actress, has been struggling for six months to get over the retirement of her favorite idol, Karin Kanezuki. One day, Karin shows up as a new voice actress in Suzune’s agency! While Suzune tries to play it cool and keep her distance, Karin aggressively closes the gap between them. And as Suzune starts to see unexpected sides of Karin, she begins to perceive her not just as an idol but as a woman. 

Did You Think My Yuri Was a Sales Pitch? was published in Japan in 2023 under Kadokawa's Dengeki Bunko imprint. It received generally positive reviews from audiences who noted it was short, light, and cute with just a little bit of drama.

The novel is written by Yuri light novel author Neru Asakura, who has published a few light novels in the past few years, including Kare nanka yori, Watashi no Hou ga Ii desho? Did You Think My Yuri Was a Sales Pitch? is their first work to be licensed in English. It is illustrated by Minori Chigusa who is primarily known for their original Yuri works and light novel illustrations. Jenny McKeon (Bloom Into You, Kobayashi's Dragon Maid) translates the light novel into English.

Source: Press Release

[fictionalbara]

Reita and his books posts. As a bookworm, I just had to do this...

"Golgotha" by Makoto Fukami "Yamori" by Shogo Utano "During one's life, and (Shueisha Bunko) goodbye" by Tatsuya Yoshimura "Alex" by Pierre Lemaitre (originally French, has ENG translation) "Thinking of you in the season of leaf cherry" by Shogo Utano "Motherhood" by Minato Kanae (has ENG translation) "13 steps" by Kazuaki Takano (didn't found ENG, but I saw German and French translation... and it has movie adaptation) "Memory you loved" by Tetsuya Honda "Rumors" by Hiroshi Ogiwara "The Goddess Chronicle" by Natsuo Kirino (has ENG translation) "Sleep on a Bean" by Minato Kanae "Innocent days" by Hayami Kazumasa (has a TV mini-series adaptation) "Sickness That Leads To The Death Penalty" by Riu Kushiki (has movie adaptation "Lesson in Murder") "Rubin no tsubo ga wareta" by Yadono Kahoru "What did you do that day?" by Toshika Masaki

If you're into crime, mystery, murders etc. you will definitely enjoy it!

There may be more books with English translations or with translations into other languages, but this is what I found so far.

[apothecaryscript]

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Teaser PV 2 / 薬屋のひとりごと　第2期ティザーPV 第2弾

Please note that English sentences are just my translation.

『新章、開幕――』

“Shinsho, kaimaku――”

“New chapter begins――”

猫猫「壬氏様、何かご用でしょうか」

Maomao “Jinshi-sama, nanika goyo deshoka.”

Maomao “Master Jinshi, is there anything I can help you with?”

壬氏「薬屋。少し、調べてほしいことがあるのだが―」

Jinshi “Kusuriya. Sukoshi, shirabete-hoshii-kotoga aruno-daga―”

Jinshi “Apothecary. I’d like you to look into something.”

猫猫（また面倒ごとか… いや、待てよ…）

Maomao (Mata mendo-gotoka… Iya, mateyo…)

Maomao (Another trouble again… No, wait a minute…)

猫猫「それ、詳しく聞かせてくれませんか？」

Maomao “Sore, kuwashiku kikasete kure-masenka?”

Maomao “Can you tell me more about that?”

『原作　日向夏　『薬屋のひとりごと』　ヒーロー文庫/イマジカインフォス刊』

Gensaku  Hyuga-Natsu “Kusuriya-no Hitori-goto” Hīrō bunko / Imajika-Infosu-kan

Original: “The Apothecary Diaries” written by Natsu Hyuga, published by Hero Bunko, Imagica Infos

語り「薬屋の少女が挑む、謎解きエンターテイメントが、今、再び幕を開けるー」

Katari “Kusuriya-no shojoga idomu, nazo-toki entāteimento-ga, ima, futatabi maku’o akeru―”

Narration “Now, the curtain is rising on another entertaining mystery for our young apothecary to challenge.”

『宮中に渦巻く暗雲』

“Kyuchu-ni uzu-maku an-un”

“Dark clouds, swirling in the palace”

猫猫「考え過ぎだと思いたいが…」

Maomao “Kangae-sugi-dato omoi-taiga…”

Maomao “I’d like to think I’m overthinking it, but…”

『ふたりを待ち受ける、新たな難事件』

“Futari’o machi-ukeru, aratana nan-jiken”

“A new difficult case awaits the two.”

猫猫「何だか引っかかる…」

Maomao “Nandaka hikkakaru…”

Maomao “Something’s stuck in my mind…”

壬氏「一体誰が……」

Jinshi “Ittai darega……”

Jinshi “Who on earth…”

猫猫「憶測にすぎませんが、これ、あの事件に似てるとは思いませんか？」

Maomao “Okusoku-ni sugi-masenga, kore, ano jikenni niteru-towa omoi-masenka?”

Maomao “This is just speculation, but don’t you think this is similar to that incident?”

壬氏「――まさか！」

Jinshi “――Masaka!”

Jinshi “――No way!”

猫猫「壬氏様」

Maomao “Jinshi-sama.”

Maomao “Master Jinshi.”

壬氏「ああ。薬屋、行くぞ」

Jinshi “Aa. Kusuriya, ikuzo.”

Jinshi “Yes. Let’s go, Apothecary.”

『毒を、暴け―――』

“Doku’o, abake―――”

“Expose the poison――”

『薬屋のひとりごと』

“Kusuriya-no Hitori-goto”

“The Apothecary Diaries”

『2025年1月10日（金）放送開始』

“Nisen-niju-go-nen ichi-gatsu tooka (Kin) hoso-kaishi”

“Broadcast begins on Friday, January 10, 2025.”

語り「薬屋のひとりごと、第2期。2025年1月10日、放送開始」

Katari “Kusuriya-no Hitori-goto, dai-niki. Nisen-niju-go-nen ichi-gatsu tooka, hoso-kaishi.”

Narration “The Apothecary Diaries, Season 2. Broadcast begins on January 10, 2025.”

『毎週金曜よる１１：００より、FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT（フラアニ） 日本テレビ系30局ネットにて全国同時放送！放送終了後、各種配信プラットフォームでも順次配信予定！　＊放送日時は予告なく変更になる場合がございます』

“Maishu kin-yo yoru ju-ichi-ji-yori, Furaidē Anime Naito (Fura-Ani) Nihon-Terebi-kei sanjukkyoku-netto-nite zen-koku doji hoso! Hoso shuryogo, kakushu haishin puratto-fōmu-demo junji haishin yotei! *Hoso-nichijiwa yokoku-naku henkoni naru baaiga gozai-masu.”

“Every Friday night from 11:00 p.m., by Friday Anime Night (Fura-Ani), it will be broadcast simultaneously nationwide on 30 Nippon Television Network stations! After the broadcast, it will be distributed sequentially on various streaming services! *Broadcast dates and times may be subject to change without notice.”

『CAST 　猫猫 ： 悠木碧　壬氏 : 大塚剛央　高順 : 小西克幸　玉葉妃 : 種崎敦美　梨花妃 : 石川由依　里樹妃 : 木野日菜　小蘭 : 久野美咲　ナレーション : 島本須美』

“Kyasuto  Maomao: Yuki Aoi  Jinshi: Otsuka Takeo  Gaoshun: Konishi Katsuyuki  Gyokuyo-hi: Tanezaki Atsumi Rifa-hi: Ishikawa Yui  Rīshu-hi: Kino Hina  Shaoran: Kuno Misaki  Narēshon: Shimamoto Sumi”

“Cast  Maomao: Aoi Yuki, Jinshi: Takeshi Otsuka, Gaoshun: Katsuyuki Konishi, Concubine Gyokuyou: Atsumi Tanezaki, Concubine Lihua: Yui Ishikawa, Concubine Lishu: Hina Kino, Shaolan: Misaki Kuno, Narration: Sumi Shimamoto”

『STAFF 原作 : 薬屋のひとりごと（ヒーロー文庫/イマジカインフォス刊）　キャラクター原案 : しのとうこ…』

“Staffu Gen-saku: Kusuriyano Hitorigoto (Hīrō bunko / Imajika-Infosu-kan) Kyarakutā gen-an: Shino Touko…”

“Staff  Original : The Apothecary Diaries (published by Hero Bunko, Imagica Infos), Character draft: Touko Shino…”

―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

I would like to ask if there’s better English sentence for the green-colored translation.

[ultra-violet-heart]

THE 2018 DENGEKI BUNKO INTERVIEW WITH 86--EIGHTY-SIX AUTHOR ASATO ASATO

Disclaimer: This translation is made by me for fandom purposes only. This interview, conducted in 2017, gives major insights on how the sci-fi mecha series 86--EIGHTY-SIX was conceived and written before it eventually won the Dengeki Novel Prize back in 2016.

Please ask my permission and credit me+this post if you will be re-translating this to other languages. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST ON YOUTUBE AND TIKTOK AND PLEASE DO NOT REPOST THE IMAGES ON THIS INTERVIEW. Please take the fan translations here with a grain of salt. 

Credits to @Yashamise from Twitter for copies of this Dengeki Bunko Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi magazine.

Erratum: This interview was conducted and printed in 2017, but this Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi magazine is dated 2018 as an advance issue of sorts. This interview has been summarized here. My apologies for the title.

I’m posting my Ko-Fi here as currently, I’ve been having financial trouble regarding my medicine, so if anyone can donate, I would be much grateful for the help, thank you very much.

AN INTERVIEW WITH 86--EIGHTY-SIX AUTHOR ASATO ASATO

“I wrote what I liked, in the way I liked them,” this author says. This tale is filled with the grief from war, the ugliness of racial discrimination, as well as the romance of mechas and of garter belts! In this interview, she reveals to us everything about its roots and its appeal! 

Text and Composition: My Street 

Illustrator: Shirabii

Translator’s Note: For purposes of this interview translation, the interviewer will be labelled as “MS” for My Street, since they layouted and probably conducted this transcribed interview. Also, for words that have brackets or parenthesis:

{} = implied by context                             

() = given emphasis/given parenthesis in the interview itself

[] = included in the footnotes/translator’s notes

A robot lover as far as she could remember

MS: Thank you very much for your time today for this interview. It was surprising to learn that the author {for 86--EIGHTY-SIX}, Ms. Asato, is a woman.

ASATO: I get that a lot (haha). My family says the contents of my work is just “the usual {for Asato}” though. I think my Afterwords have the impression they’re written by a woman, and I never hid that in particular (haha).

MS: This year {2018}, 86--EIGHTY-SIX placed first in the New Works category and second in the bunkobon {paperback} category overall. How do you feel about this now?

ASATO: I’m very happy. I knew of KonoRano’s existence [1], so I was hoping {86--EIGHTY-SIX} might be listed there somewhere, but it was a surprise that it placed higher than expected. As I said in this interview’s foreword: “I wrote what I liked, in the way I liked them.” I’m thankful that many readers found it interesting.

MS: For readers who haven’t heard of 86--EIGHTY-SIX, can you give us a summary of this work?

ASATO: It’s a lively, filled-with-clanks story of the protagonist Shin, his merry band of thieves, and their remotely-working-class-president Lena. [2] (LOL)

MS: 86--EIGHTY-SIX is your debut work. Can you tell us about the time you started writing this work?

ASATO: I’ve been writing ever since I can remember, and I started with writing manga {scripts}. I switched to writing novels around before I started junior high school and have been writing them ever since.

MS: You’ve been interested in robots and military-related things ever since elementary school, is that right?

ASATO: Yes, that’s correct. My mother liked {Space Battleship} Yamato [3] and Gundam, and as I have a younger brother, I got into watching and reading anime and manga targeted at boys. I was rarely exposed to anime and manga targeted at girls. We had the Mobile Suit Gundam movie trilogy [4] at home (which I’ve seen many times), and I also watched The Brave Police J-Decker [5] and The Brave Express Might Gaine [6], as well as other shows in The Brave [7] series. The only anime I had watched that is {targeted at girls} is Magic Knight Rayearth [8], which is another story with robots fighting in it (haha).

MS: I reckon such an environment led you to writing 86--EIGHTY-SIX. Can you tell us about your writing process?

ASATO: I originally submitted {works} to the Kadokawa Beans [9] Bunko Newcomer Awards. I avoided the Dengeki Novel Prize as it was rather {too hard to enter} due to the large number of entries [10] there. The novel entry I made on the 21st year of the Dengeki Novel Prize (2014), however, was totally not aimed at women at all, so I didn’t have any other choice but to submit that to said contest, as it has the closest deadline. It was a sci-fi fantasy work, with a theme of redemption, set on a time before and after {a} revolution. At that time, I thought, maybe I can go past beyond the 3rd round of screenings and unexpectedly, maybe placed on a good spot? However, the evaluation I got from the judges were “This is a 100% a work targeted at girls” and “Next time, we hope you will submit a work that should be Dengeki Bunko-like”. As Dengeki Bunko [11] is an all-kinds-of-genre publication, I didn’t know what ‘Dengeki Bunko-like’ even meant. I thought about it a lot but couldn’t figure it out, so I just kept on writing and finished my next entry, which is 86--EIGHTY-SIX.

MS: How did you come up with the idea and structure of 86, a war drama where unmanned drones and “unmanned manned drones” battle each other?

ASATO: I once read a newspaper article whose main message was “It won’t be good if a country sends its citizens to war, but it shouldn’t be a problem if they made an army of foreigners fight in their stead.” In that case, I felt very afraid that other people will be forced to fight instead of us, with the idea of “those aren’t people, but drones” justifying this and everyone just allowing it {to happen}.

MS: As written in Volume 1’s Afterword, looking back at history, it. is true that racism and racial exclusion existed to no small extent. So, why did you decide to incorporate “racism” into your work?

ASATO: Ever since I started writing novels, I have repeatedly written about boundary lines between “human beings and those who are human but not treated as human beings”, with 86--EIGHTY-SIX being in a similar vein. One of the bases for this is probably the class discrimination found in Final Fantasy Tactics [12], for example. A character there, Argath, who is an aristocrat, tells a commoner character: “But the gods have no eyes for chattel! [12]” This line has stayed with me ever since. After that, I continued to write with the motifs of “human beings and livestock in human form” and “human and those considered not humans”. I think BLACK/MATRIX+ [13] influenced me as well. This game deals with ethnic discrimination, set in a world where black-winged people are ruled over by white-winged people. In there, those who were discriminated against were treated harshly. They were treated like livestock, with the game having this line of, “Why is a mere slave like you wearing clothes?”

MS: Do you often play games?

ASATO: When my gaming consoles weren’t connected yet to the Internet, I used to play a lot of RPGs. I’m not good at action games. I did play a lot of Final Fantasy, like Final Fantasy VI, Tactics, VIII, IX, and X [14].

MS: Are there other works which influenced you? I wonder if there’s something similar like the war situation in Knights of Sidonia [15], which was mentioned in Volume 1’s afterword.

ASATO: I often watch a lot of robot shows, Knights of Sidonia included. In addition to the Gundam series mentioned earlier, I also watched Full Metal Panic [16] and Gunparade March: A New Song for the March [17]. It’s not a robot series, but I also have read Battle Faery Yukikaze [18] over and over. I like {literary} structures where the protagonist side is overwhelmingly inferior while the antagonist side is the superior one. I want to see the flow of emotions from the characters more than the fight scenes themselves. I think emotions such as fear, resignation and desperation show more in situations where {characters} are hopelessly in a big disadvantage. Winning a battle by domination can be exhilarating, yes, but those other emotions don’t show as much during that. That’s why I prefer for the protagonists to win through unrefined and tenacious means, rather than them winning by outsmarting {enemies}.

The work’s influences from horror films and in-depth military research

MS: The Legion are getting more ominous, and the deteriorating situation for Shin and his group is putting them on a very big disadvantage, if I’m not mistaken.

ASATO: 86--EIGHTY-SIX has been influenced more by horror movies than robot anime, with it being based on movies such as The Mist [19] and Screamers [20]. Mist is a horror story where the protagonists get trapped in a supermarket due to a mysterious fog and monsters, and the people gradually lose their ability to make rational judgments as they are unable to defend themselves or escape, without any rescue in sight. This horror movie has a great ending, so I’m inviting you all to watch it without further spoilers. 86--EIGHTY-SIX was initially set as a novel about a fog of nanomachines covering the walls outside of the Republic, and the “Legion” being an aggregation of said nanomachines. However, that kind of thing couldn’t exactly be defeated by conventional weapons, so it was rejected at the setting phase. These elements from this setting, however, were retained in the form of Volume 1’s final boss character and the appearance of those electromagnetic jammers clouding the sun.

MS: It’s rather surprising this came from a horror setting.

ASATO: The other {inspiration mentioned earlier}, Screamers, is a sci-fi horror film where autonomous war weapons evolved on their own and went out of control. In 86--EIGHTY-SIX, the Self-Propelled Mines, which look like wounded soldiers, are based on Screamers. The work is rather interesting as one has no ideas who their enemies are and everything else looks suspicious.

MS: So you have a situation like this, and you applied what kind of emotions you want to be shown in that situation, correct?

ASATO: Yes. Looking back, I think I was strongly influenced by the novel Chaos Legion [21] {in this regard}. Shin’s Personal Mark, which has a shovel on it, was influenced by his special ability as well as his role being the “Undertaker” responsible for collecting the fragments of his comrade-in-arms’ {Feldreẞ} units.

MS: The more I hear about it, it seems this work is really packed full of things {you} like.

ASATO: While I was writing this, I played the Black Hawk Down [22] movie repeatedly instead of just background music. It’s also a favorite {movie} of mine.

MS: I would like to ask you about military-related matters. What kind of material did you use for your research?

ASATO: I borrowed all relevant materials I use from the library, so I don’t have any specific references… About racial discrimination, I read materials about Nazi Germany [23], the internment camps in US as well as the 442nd Infantry Regiment [24] and Scroll of Agony: The Warsaw Ghetto Diary [25]. As for the weapons, the Juggernaut and the Legion are based and patterned from tanks, so I’ve read materials dating back from World War II [26] as well as the Gulf War [26], where 120mm tanks were the main weapons used. The Juggernaut’s 57mm cannon wasn’t used very often, so I had a difficult time finding research material for it. The unit itself is based on the M551 Sheridan [27]. This airborne assault tank has aluminum alloy armor, but the Juggernaut reflects the pitiful aspect of said flimsy armor which explodes upon impact by any stray attack.

MS: Why did you make the Juggernaut and the Legion multi-legged tanks?

ASATO: Because it’s romantic! I love multi-legged tanks! My first exposure with them is the X-ATM092 [28], a spider-shaped mobile unit from FFVIII. The loud, resounding footsteps it produced as it chased you away was very scary, and it left this impression of being a symbol of a very powerful weapon. I also like Ghost in the Shell’s Tachikoma [29] and the Tobigumo from the Swallowtail novel series [30]. In reality, multi-legged tank units aren’t really fast enough, and there is too much ground pressure for those to actually carry a 120mm cannon… but I make up for it with my imagination (LOL)

A character that embodies the idea of “to be human” walks alone

MS: Concerning those people called “Eighty-Six”, what do you think it means “to be human”, which you tried to depict in Volume 1?

ASATO: What I tried to depict in this work is “to respect other human beings, and to live without regrets.” However, I don’t think everything I wrote in this main part is actually correct. I think this is the answer the “Eighty-Six” came up with due to the environment they lived in. In Volume 2, the stage now shifts to the Federacy, so the theme there is now what will happen if said environment has changed.

MS: In Volume 2, I see this as a story where the “Eighty-Six”, who managed to get safety for the time being, nevertheless still returned to the battlefield. I think this sentiment was portrayed very well.

ASATO: Volume 3 will focus on what happens inside {Shin’s head} after he made that choice, so please look forward to that. After all, they don’t feel safe even after coming to the Federal Republic of Giad. And the war against the Legion isn’t over yet. Since the Eighty-Six think they will not survive if they don’t fight, I think they will continue to fight until the Legion disappeared. Then… what will they do after the Legion are eventually gone? …They will certainly have to think about that in the future as well.

MS: Do you have a favorite among all the characters?

ASATO: It’s Raiden. Of course, I love the two protagonists, Shin and Lena, but Shin isn’t really a very cooperative character with me, so I have a certain attachment to Raiden, who provides much support. Instead of simply just crafting the plot, I write in a way that captures how each character would act in line with {the type of} world I've created. That’s why I do not know what the characters think, what goals they have, or what pasts they bear unless they “talk” to me. Shin is not the type {of character} to talk about anything in particular, and he doesn’t even say anything much except for his name. It wasn’t until I finished writing that climax of a battle in Volume 1 that I realized what he was fighting for. After I wrote it, I was like, “Huh?! So, this is it?!” and was surprised as the author (LOL).

MS: So, you didn’t think about Shin’s background at first?

ASATO: Yes, that’s right. During that climax, I finally understood {everything} concerning Shin, so I went back on that part and wrote the details that I then added. 

MS: So even at the plotting stage, you haven’t put together the {setting and background} for each of the characters?

ASATO: To begin with, when I wrote Volume 1, I haven’t even made a plot. I didn’t even have a story structure in particular, and just wrote while letting the characters act. The first time I finished this volume, the last two pages were still missing, but Shin brought them to me, saying, “Sure enough, write up to this far.”

MS: What happened after Volume 2?

ASATO: I have submitted the plot… but stressed on the important scene that “I won’t know everything until I write it” then submitted it. As a result of this, only the boss character from Volume 3 remained in that plot I submitted. {I caused} my editors a lot of trouble.

MS: How did Frederica (the character) come to be?

ASATO: Frederica is a character with a part further on in the series, so I intended to debut her in Volume 2. As I was writing her, however, it seemed she and Shin have similarities on what they carry on their backs. Since then, she acts as a mirror to Shin. As Shin is a character who is not very good at grasping his own emotions, {I had Frederica} serve as the one who verbalizes those emotions. I wondered then, what does it mean to have a 10-year-old verbalize {another person’s feelings}? (LOL) I simply wanted to show a little girl. In Volume 2, the heroine, Lena, is absent, but I can’t have another girl the same age as her as this volume’s heroine… and so, under this pretext, I brought out {Frederica as} the little girl heroine.

MS: For some reason, I thought there’s other many works featuring little girls in the battlefield.

ASATO: If this were about a real battlefield, it would have been filled with old men. I like older men soldier characters, so that would have been fun to see, but I don’t think readers would find that interesting. Cute little girls adding a touch of color {to a work} is important (LOL).

MS: Did you decide on the setting from the start?

ASATO: The setting was generally decided from the beginning. The scenes were written out as needed. For example, regarding the battlefield, the Legion are ground-based weapons, and it would be troubling if they’re easily eradicated by aircraft weapons. That’s why {I had} the Eintagsfliege, a Legion unit which has jamming, and restricted the use of aircraft and communication devices. This, however, would have prevented Shin and Lena from communicating with each other, so I then devised the special communication device called the Para-RAID.

MS: How deeply did you think about this world’s setting on itself?

ASATO: The necessary scenes have been chosen in detail, otherwise, the rest of the details aren’t fixed. For example, it’s not in the main story, but the Republic’s population has already been decided upon. It’s the reverse with the countries on the edge of the continent that aren’t scheduled to appear, as they might have a Chinese-like culture… that’s all I thought of it right now. There’s also this “sensory tuning”, which hasn’t been written in the setting yet, but is scheduled to be involved in the future part of the plot. However, as I said just a short while ago, the story {as a whole} is influenced greatly by how the characters act, so it depends on them to make the best use of the setting. From this point on, who will survive and who will die… is something that I still don’t know.

MS: Is it still unknown how the war against the Legion will move forward?

ASATO: The basic points {for that} have been decided, with the foreshadowing being built onto step by step. However, it is up to those two, Shin and Lena, if they will follow suit. (LOL)

MS: What about the Legion, then?

ASATO: About the Legion, the setting about them has been solidly established, including the future boss characters. However, I can’t say anything about them yet. Details about them have been foreshadowed little by little. I write hoping the readers will be surprised by this later.

The love for garter belts explodes! A talk about eroticism

MS: Changing the subject, what it is about your particular fixation towards garter belts [31] and pilot suits [32], both of which you spoke so passionately about in your Afterwords?

ASATO: About the pilot suits, on the outline for volume 2, I wrote "I don’t want men’s pilot suits paired with ground-based armaments!!!" using half of the A4 outline paper and submitted that (LOL). I’ve wondered whether pilot suits are really necessary, apart from space or aircraft or even ground battles. I’ve my doubts about it, and with said doubts I don’t want {characters} just wearing pilot suits, even in a robot thing. I do agree with the editor-in-charge about “Female pilot suits are justice!” so Lena wearing a pilot suit is scheduled to appear in the future [32]. After all, the garter belt shows a good place between sexy and cute. I think the eroticism {from the garter belt} dwells in its self-contradictory element: it’s just one additional item {in a set of clothes}, and somehow manages to show more skin―I think that’s the charm of the garter belt. In particular, if the color {of the garter belt} contrasts strongly with the skin color {of the wearer}, the impression of bare skin is more emphasized in spite of the wearer. Because of this, I think it’s wonderful that Shirabii colored the belt part {of Lena’s garter belts} black.

MS: It’s amazing the garter belt drawn by Shirabii has the functions of both a belt and a ring, isn’t it?

ASATO: Furthermore, Lena’s military uniform, a garment that is very much seen in public, has garter belts, which are usually private items, and I think that adds further to her ambivalent charm even more. As a matter of fact, at first, I argued that it would be better if {her} thighs were not visible all the time but could be glimpsed at occasionally, but after a 2 AM discussion with the editors-in-charge while looking at the rough draft of the cover art, they convinced me that “That ‘occasionally’ should be now!”, and we settled on its current form. The ideal situation {we have} was when {Lena} lifts her legs up and a glimpse of the black lace garter can be seen through the slit of {her} dress. However, as Lena is a prim and proper lady, the only situation I can think of where she lifts her legs while wearing a dress is when she is about to wear heels… I’ll have to ask Shin to do his best on this one.

MS: Rather a difficult situation, isn’t it?

ASATO: It’s Shin, after all. Also, a military uniform with pretty boy shorts + sock garters is also cute, and as Theo hasn’t appeared with his military uniform yet, I’m thinking to add that to his outfit now… (LOL). However, middle-aged soldier uncles shouldn’t show their bare legs with shirt garters! (Editor’s note: Please Google “shirt garters” for more info)

MS: Are there any {role/inspiring} models for your characters?

ASATO: Basically, none. However, as mentioned earlier, Shin is partly inspired by Sieg Wahrheit [33] from Chaos Legion, while Lena is partly inspired by General Garrison [34] from Black Hawk Down. In the film, {Garrison} is placed on a situation where he could do nothing but only communicate with his subordinates in adverse circumstances, and this inspired Lena’s position {in the series}. In Black Hawk Down, many characters died before we even understood them, and I think that influenced 86--EIGHTY-SIX as well.

MS: That’s right. They die when the chapters change. When you are writing, you’re writing without knowing who is going to die, isn’t it?

ASATO: There are some characters whose manner of death came to mind as I was writing them. I think they’re good kids, but I have no choice but to let them face their fates (oops).

MS: If the names of the Eighty-Six characters were names of Japanese people, would they still make good names?

ASATO: Yes. All their names can be written in kanji. For example, Shin’s surname, “Nouzen” is from the kanji of the Chinese trumpet creeper (凌霄花) {pronounced as “nouzenkazura”} [35].  I actually like the arrangement of the kanji {from that plant} within the kanji for “surpassing the sky” (霄を凌ぐ) {pronounced as “sora wo shinogu”}. If you use the same kanji and put the honorific (君) {pronounced as “kun”} on it, you can form the characters for the Eurasian goshawk (凌霄君) {pronounced as “ryoshoukun”} [36]. This is also a reference to Shin’s image, as he does resemble a hawk.

What’s next for this series? There’s so much more to write about!

MS: What will happen in Volume 3 of 86--EIGHTY-SIX? [37]

ASATO: It will be properly connected to Volume 1’s Epilogues, so please don’t worry about that. The battle scenes, which were limited in Volume 2, will be much increased here. It might be even tragic.

EDITOR KIYOSE: This paperback series will, of course, continue to be serialized, and the series will also be expanded into various adaptations such as comics [38] and other various media. This work will have a lot of side stories, so we hope you will all appreciate this series as a whole.

MS: Can you please tell us about the future developments of 86--EIGHTY-SIX?

ASATO: The stage has shifted to the Federacy from Volume 2, and as the war situation gets more violent, the environment surrounding the Eighty-Six and the others is about to deteriorate further. There will be new enemies for mankind to face, and their own numerous personal conflicts standing on their way one by one. However, they have survived far difficult circumstances up until now, and since Lena will join them in earnest by Volume 4, I think they will still survive, stubbornly, shamelessly, and boisterously. However, I really wouldn’t know what would happen unless I write them. (LOL)

MS: How many volumes does this series will have?

ASATO: Currently, I'm thinking of around 13 volumes. The war against the Legion has a general flow and an ending in sight already, so I'd like to get to that point first. In addition to that, I’d like to like to write a side story about Raiden and Shin when they just first met, if I have the opportunity [39]. There’s so much more I want to write about. From Volume 4 onward, countries other than the Federacy will be related, and there’s plans to stretch out the stage even more. The Queen's Knights [40], led by Lena, will also make their appearance. I think there might be some slight surprises about Shiden, who first appeared in Volume 2.

MS: Lastly, any message for the readers who have supported you and the series?

ASATO: I was never active on the web at all, and I was totally an unknown newcomer writer. I believe the reason why I and the 86--EIGHTY-SIX series have come this far is due to the readers who picked up the books and supported us. So, everyone, I will do my best to write bringing Shin and Lena and the Eighty-Six’s battle to conclusion, so from this point on, I look forward to your continued support!

{End of Interview}

Translator’s Notes (Most of the blurbs here are taken from respective relevant Wikipedia articles, and the notes also include the Magazine Notes from the actual interview):

[1] Kono Light Novel Ga Sugoi: Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (このライトノベルがすごい!, lit. This Light Novel is Amazing!) is an annual light novel guidebook published by Takarajimasha. The guidebook publishes a list of the top ten most popular light novels according to readers polled on the Internet and votes from critics, influencers, and other people related to the light novel industry. 86--EIGHTY-SIX ranked 2nd and 5th in the bunkobon category here in 2018 and 2019.

[2] Lena is the class president of Class 2-E in the 86--EIGHTY-SIX Operation High School spin-off side stories and the manga. This is probably among the first references to said spin-off.

[3] Space Battleship Yamato: one of Japan’s most influential sci-fi/mecha series, a Japanese science fiction anime series produced and written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions.

[4] Mobile Suit Gundam: The first series in this very popular Japanese military science fiction media franchise, it was re-released into a film trilogy in 1981.

[5] The Brave Police J-Decker: The fifth installment in the Barve series.

[6] The Brave Express Might Gaine: The fourth installment in the Brave series.

[7] The Brave mecha and sci-fi series: a Japanese toy and anime franchise Brave series made by Takara and Sunrise, and currently owned by Bandai Namco.

[8] Magic Knight Rayearth: a mecha, fantasy and isekai shoujo manga series made by the all-female manga artist group CLAMP.

[9] Kadokawa BEANS Bunko Award: The contest launched by Kadokawa’s female-focused light novel imprint, Kadokawa Beans Bunko.

[10] Dengeki Novel Prize: a literary award handed out annually (since 1994) by the Japanese publisher ASCII Media Works for their Dengeki Bunko light novel imprint, spearheaded by parent company Kadokawa. It is among Japan’s largest light novel contests, with more than 4500 entries submitted annually. 86--EIGHTY-SIX won 1st place in the Rookie Awards category in 2016, launching it to the spotlight.

[11] Dengeki Bunko: a publishing imprint affiliated with Kadokawa’s ASCII Media Works. Many anime adaptations from light novels were published by Dengeki Bunko, including 86--EIGHTY-SIX.

[12] [Magazine Note 1] Final Fantasy Tactics: A tactical simulation RPG released in 1997. The socially conscious storyline, which tackled friction between nations and the gap between the rich and the poor, became very much a hot topic during its time.

Please take note I used the Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions translation here as contextually I believe this translation has more in line with EIGHTY-SIX than the translation of the actual game Asato played, which is the original Final Fantasy Tactics. Also, Argath vs Algus :3

[13] [Magazine Note 2] BLACK/MATRIX+: A tactical simulation RPG for Sega Saturn, with the PlayStation port released in 1998. It has a unique setting where virtue and vice are said to be reversed.

[14] Final Fantasy: a fantasy anthology media franchise, first and mainly developed as RPGs, owned, published, and distributed by Square Enix. Currently this franchise has 16 main series game releases. One of these games, Final Fantasy VIII, has its main soundtrack (“Eyes on Me” by Faye Wong) featured on the Afterword of 86--EIGHTY-SIX Volume 7: Mist.

[15] Knights of Sidonia: A sci-fi/mecha seinen manga, made by Tsutomu Nihei and ran from 2009-2015 in Kodansha’s Monthly Afternoon magazine. Its anime adaptation, which ran for two seasons, was produced by Polygon Pictures and aired from 2014 to 2015.

[16] Full Metal Panic!: a series of mecha light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji, published by Kadokawa’s Fujimi Fantasia Bunko and ran from 1998-2011. Its anime adaptations were produced by Gonzo, Kyoto Animation and Xebec respectively, from 2003 to 2018.

[17] Gunparade March: A New Song for the March: The anime adaptation for the Playstation video game Gunparade March, produced by J.C. Staff and aired in 2003.

[18] Battle Faery Yukikaze: a Japanese military science fiction novel series written by Chouhei Kambayashi. Its five-episode OVA adaptation ran from 2002-2005.

[19] [Magazine Note 3] Mist: A 2007 film based on the award-winning science fiction horror novella by Stephen King.

[20] [Magazine Note 4] Screamers: A 1995 futuristic science fiction horror film, based on Phillip K. Dick’s novelette “Second Variety”.

[21] [Magazine Note 5] Chaos Legion: A mixed-media action RPG released in 2003, getting a novelization by Tow Ubukata.

[22] [Magazine Note 6] Black Hawk Down: A 2001 war movie. Based on a non-fiction work about an actual urban war between international forces and guerillas that occurred in Somalia. The film depicts how a UH-60 Black Hawk​ gets taken down and this being dragged into a war situation.

[23] This is a very extensive subject, so please feel free to check out Nazi Germany on Wikipedia to get at least an overview.

[24] Another extensive subject, so feel free to check out 442nd Infantry Regiment on Wikipedia to get an overview.

[25] [Magazine Note 7] Scroll of Agony: The Warsaw Ghetto Diary: A diary kept by a Jewish teacher, {Chaim A. Kaplan}. It described the persecution and pillaging by the Nazis, as well as the three harsh years of {Kaplan’s} life.

Printed in Japan as (ワルシャワ・ゲットー日記―ユダヤ人教師の記録 or “Warsaw Ghetto Diary: A Jewish Teacher’s Record”), with Kaplan implied to have died in 1942 when he was sent to the Treblinka death camp along with other Warsaw Jews.

[26] Another extensive subject, so feel free to check out World War II on Wikipedia to get an overview. Feel free to also check out Gulf War on Wikipedia to get an overview on this topic.

[27] [Magazine Note 8] M551 Sheridan: an American tank developed to be amphibious, airborne tank. Its body was made of aluminum alloy to help reduce weight, but this made it vulnerable to anti-tank weapons and land mines, and it could explode when the shells it’s equipped with are triggered.

[28] X-ATM092: A spider-like robot boss enemy found in Final Fantasy VIII.

[29] Tachikoma: a blue-colored AI walker/roller tank that looks like a spider in the Ghost in the Shell cyberpunk media franchise.

[30] Swallowtail series: The sci-fi novel series written by Chitose Touma and published by Dengeki Bunko in 2008. The series is about artificial fairies, androids created in the form of humans, to be companions to still-living humans after parts of Tokyo’s population were wiped out in a pandemic, and one of these fairies, Ageha, is investigating a serial killer causing destruction. The work also has this multi-legged armored tank called “Tobigumo”. So far as I know this mecha doesn’t have official art, however, a fanart can be found in Pixiv here.

[31] [Magazine Note 9] Garter: They’re suspenders of sorts. “Garter belt” is the term for {a fabric strap which} which is clipped on over-the-knee socks or stockings. Having no shorts above garters is righteous! between the rich and the poor, became very much a hot topic during its time.

Asato’s interest in garter belts is not only shown in the novels, but also in the anime, which is noted to have a lot of thigh shots of Lena wearing said garter belts.

[32] [Magazine Note 10] Pilot suit: In this case, this is the type of suit that sticks really close to the body. As it shows the body lines quite clearly, it’s considered quite fetishistic. 

In the current time, 86--EIGHTY-SIX Volume 5: Death, Be Not Proud, has already been published, and Lena did wear the Cicada, which is Asato’s homage to pilot suits.

[33] Sieg Wahrheit: the protagonist of Chaos Legion.

[34] William F. Garrison: a retired major general of the United States Army who commanded United States forces during Operation Gothic Serpent including the Battle of Mogadishu, which served as an inspiration for the novel Black Hawk Down.

[35] The Chinese trumpet creeper, a native flowering vine species found in East Asia, usually in China, can mean “fame”, “honor”, “glory”, “abundant love” and “life filled with flowers” in the flower language.

[36] Eurasian goshawk: a medium-large bird-of-prey found in Europe and Asia and is among the species considered as “true” hawks. The kanji used in the article actually just refers to how Shinei Nouzen looks like a hawk, but upon further examination of said kanji in this reference, it pertained to that goshawk as well.

[37] Volume 3 of 86--EIGHTY-SIX was just about to be released in Japan around the moment this article was published, serving as a promotion of sorts.

[38] Several manga adaptations of 86--EIGHTY-SIX have been published as of current time. For more information, please check out this 86 Reddit Manga FAQ for further details.

[39] Besides Volume 1, Eighty-Six’s Interlude: Headless Knight II, Asato has managed to write this in the side stories Volume 10, Fragmental Neoteny Chapter 8: The Banks of Lethe and Alter.1: Claymore Squadron.

[40] The Queen’s Knights, formally known as the Brísingamen Squadron, was the squadron Lena became the Handler with after the Spearhead Squadron was sent on the Special Reconnaissance Mission. It was led by Shiden Iida and was pivotal in the Republic of San Magnolia’s defense during the 1st Legion Large Scale Offensive.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

Danmachi 19

Author: Fujino Omori

Illustrator: Suzuhito Yasuda

Label: GA Bunko

Release Date: 14 September 2023

My Score: 4/5

English Release: Yen-press is currently releasing this series in English under the title of Is it Wrong to try to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon?.

Note: this edition of volume 19 came with a drama CD that I still haven't had the time to listen to. I'm not the best with just sitting still and listening to something without having anything to stimulate me visually. Hoping to get around to it soon. It seems like it features the Astrea Familia so it should be fun. Maybe I'll write a review of it when I've finished listening to it if it's really good.

This volume starts off with following up on the events of volume 18. We learn what everyone is up to after the war game, with many of the former Freya Familia members now working at the Hostess of Fertility pub. We also get to see a development that I never thought would happen: Lyuu officially joins Hestia Familia. After reuniting with Astrea, she's ready to move on with her life and Hestia Familia is the place where she wants to be. I seriously didn't expect this but it feels like it's been a long time coming. Lyuu being part of the Hestia Familia just feels right. I am disappointed that there were no level ups after last volume though. I really feel like Lili deserved it. I know the level ups are meant to take a long time to happen but Bell levels up far too quickly compared to the rest of the characters.

The main plot of this volume concerns the arrival of the School Grounds*, a ship for students to study all kinds of subjects, including battle. It returns to Orario once every three years and the familia's send a representative there to recruit new members. Thanks to Hermes being up to his old tricks, Bell ends up enrolling in the school under the name Rapi and disguises himself as a rabbit demi-human to get some more experience. There he meets the student Nina Tulle who, along with sharing the same last name, strongly resembles Eina.

It's been a long time since we've had a one volume arc and this is definitely a good breather volume. The new characters were all charming enough, especially Nina, who gets quite a bit of character development and would be a welcome addition to the main cast if she ends up joining it. Aside from being a good breather, this volume also focuses on Bell and it was nice to see just how much Bell has matured since volume 1. Bell's learnt a lot from his experiences and from his friends, and it's nice to see him use those experiences to help the young students. I loved seeing him take on the supporter role in the party, since fighting would surely reveal his true identity. He's able to reflect on what an amazing job Lili does and being a supporter helps him to form strategies for the Hestia Familia as well. Overall, I thought this was a really good follow-up to volume 18 and a perfect way to let the characters breathe before things will surely get hectic soon.

I still have one volume left to read before I've finished the thirteen months of Danmachi releases and that's the new Familia Chronicle volume featuring Lyuu. I'm really looking forward to reading it soon. I've head a lot of fun reading Danamchi this past year. I hope Fujino Omori and the artists are able to get some well deserved rest now. Also, a season 5 for the anime was announced which is very exciting. I hope it gets a similar treatment to season 4 and is a bit longer due to the length of volume 18. I am really excited to hear all of the voice performances for that arc, especially Minori Inase's.

*the wiki calls it the "School District" but as there is no official English release of the volumes where it features yet and I called it the "School Grounds" in my Sword Oratoria 13 review, this is what I'm sticking with for the sake of consistency.

[animemakeblog]

“Kanpekisugite Kawaige ga Nai to Konyaku Haki sareta Seijo wa Ringoku ni Urareru” The Light Novel For Gets TV Anime in 2025

At the 10th Anniversary Memorial Festival, Kouki Fuyutsuki revealed a television anime adaptation of his light novel Kanpekisugite Kawaige ga Nai to Konyaku Haki sareta Seijo wa Ringoku ni Urareru (The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiance and Sold to Another Kingdom). The fifth part of the Overlap Bunko All-Star Gathering special event.

[jariten]

2022 YEAR ROUNDUP: FAVORITE ANTHOLOGIES I READ IN 2022

Separating the long form and short form manga I read this year.   Some one-shot anthologies I read this year that I won’t forget are:

サバの夏が来た (Sava no Natsu ga Kita) by Yumiko Oshima [Hakusensha, bunko ver]

キャンディとチョコボンボン (Candy to Choco Bonbon) by Chiki Ooya [Shogakukan, bunko ver]

青い春 (Blue Spring) by Taiyo Matsumoto [Shogakukan, bunko ver]

SFマンガ傑作選 (SF Manga Kessakusen) edited by Kenta Fukui [Tokyo Sogensha, bunko ver]

天使も夢みるローソク夜 (Tenshi mo Yumemiru Rosokuya) by A-ko Mutsu [Shueisha, bunko ver]

鬼子���神 (Kishimojin) by Ryoko Yamagishi [Bunshun, bunko ver]

I want to jump straight to my personal highlight: Kenta Fukui has amazing taste because this is one of the greatest best-of anthologies I’ve read. With a special highlight on what he calls the golden era of Science Fiction manga, the 1970′s, this selection is a perfectly even mix of male and female artists of the time who made important contributions to the Sci-fi genre. There’s too many to list here as I find them all to be very noteworthy so please take a look at its anilist page for the full details. 

Speaking of the 1970′s I was able to make even more time for some of the women who got their start during that era. Such as A-ko Mutsu, who immediately captured me with “Tenshi mo Yumemiru Rosokuya”. By far her most memorable stories and a perfect introduction to the fantasy-like world she creates in all of her manga from the 70´s-80´s.  Similarly I got to dive even deeper into the world of Yumiko Oshima and it was her autobiographical work in the Sava series that truly cemented her perspective and worldview to me. In a world full of manga about nothing, the  stories that in all honesty portrayed a luxuriously quiet and uneventful life deeply moved me. Chika Ooya made the switch to the more lucrative career as an illustrator early in her career, but the manga she made before leaving the manga artist life behind is so good varied and this bunko selection really captured that range. With everything from screwball comedy to drama to surreal experiments. On the opposite ends are the unnerving and grotesque stories of Ryoko Yamagishi. This newest best-of compilation themed around toxic mothers includes some of her well known stories like Yasha Gozen, Blue Roses, and Cosmos.

Blue Spring I was able to squeeze in at the end of the year and I already love this rough (in every sense) early years Matsumoto. Truly hope Viz decides to give this one a rerelease.

[satoshi-mochida]

Visual Novel ‘Lilja and Natsuka Painting Lies’ Gets June Release Date on PC

From Noisy Pixel

Frontwing announced that their visual novel Lilja and Natsuka Painting Lies will launch on PC via Steam on June 6, 2024.

In a world where art transcends mere aesthetics, a uniquely talented painter, known for their whimsical and selective nature, only takes on commissions that spark their interest. This reclusive artist is accompanied by Lilja, a figure of ethereal beauty with long, silvery hair and eyes that gleam like precious stones. Despite her blindness and reliance on a wheelchair, Lilja’s creative spirit remains unbridled, her talent undisputed among those fortunate enough to witness her work.

Enter Natsuka, Lilja’s vibrant and dedicated assistant, who embodies the roles of both sight and mobility for the gifted artist. With an infectious energy, Natsuka navigates the world on behalf of Lilja, gathering the elusive inspirations and secrets necessary for the painter’s next masterpiece. Together, they explore the depths of human emotion and perception, turning each commission into an unparalleled depiction of beauty as perceived through Lilja’s unique perspective. Through their collaboration, they not only create art that surpasses expectations but also embark on a journey of healing and discovery, piecing together a future filled with hope and newfound purpose.

Product Description:

Title: Lilja and Natsuka: Painting Lies

Brand: Frontwing

Genre: Visual Novel

Operating System: Windows 10/11 (*Windows RT/Windows 10 Mobile not supported)

Platform: Steam and others

Languages: Japanese, English, Chinese (Simplified)

Planning/Story: Asou Ei

Denno Tenshi Djibril (Online Game, Frontwing)

Sakura no Uta – Toritani Makoto Route (PC Game, Makura)

Natsu no Kusari (PC Game, CLOCKUP)

Character Design/Art: Kippu

No-Rin (Light Novel, GA Bunko): Illustrations

Fire Emblem Heroes (Mobile Game App, Nintendo): Character Illustrations

Production: Frontwing

The Fruit of Grisaia (PC Game)

Grisaia: Phantom Trigger (PC Game Series)

Grisaia Phantom Trigger: THE ANIMATION (OVA Series)

ISLAND (PC Game and TV Anime)

GINKA (PC Game)

[annon-guy2]

Soul Calibur Guest Character Question (Part 2)

"Transcending history and the world, a tale of souls and swords, eternally retold..."

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1. Shana and Yuji Sakai from Shakugan no Shana [Dengeki Bunko]

2. Tor Kokonoe and Julie Sigtuna from Absolute Duo [MF Bunko J/Media Factory]

3. Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev from The Slayers [Fujimi Fantasia Bunko]

4. Ikki Kurogane and Stella Vermillion from Chivalry of a Failed Knight [GA Bunko]

5. Kenshin Himura and Kaoru Kamiya from Rurouni Kenshin [Shonen Jump]

6. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru from InuYasha [Shonen Sunday]

7. Haru Glory and Elie from Rave Master [Shonen Magazine]

8. Tatsumi and Mine from Akame ga Kill! [Gangan Joker]

9. Kanbei Shimada and Kikuchiyo from Samurai 7 [Gonzo]

10.Ryuko Matoi and Satsuki Kiryuin from Kill la Kill [Trigger]

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