#i like how his interaction with souta turned out

[keichanz]

Family

@inukag-week Day Four: Family 

I know I’m a lameass by titling these things after the prompt word but I’m too lazy to think of anything else lmao

Hands tucked into his sleeves and releasing a wide yawn as he casually strolled into the kitchen, Inuyasha was greeted with the sight of Kagome’s mom humming a jovial little tune while she stirred a pot at the stove a green herb. A discreet sniff told him it was rosemary. He watched curiously as she spooned up a small amount and took a delicate sip, frowning in contemplation, and then finally seemed to notice him hovering nearby and watching.

Her expression lit up and she smiled at him. “Oh, Inuyasha, perfect timing,” she said and gestured him over. Cocking his head, Inuyasha approached as she spooned up a bit more. “Would you be a dear and taste this for me? I can’t quite put my finger on what it needs so maybe you can help me.” She lifted it up and held a hand beneath to catch any stray drops and with a mental shrug, Inuyasha obediently leaned in and slurped up what was offered to him.

 Licking his lips, he deliberated and then eyed the various spices and herbs laid out on the counter, leaning in to differentiate their scents. “That, and…that,” he said, and pointed to two of them.

 Completely trusting his judgment, Mama nodded, grabbed them both, and smiled when she read their labels. “Basil and thyme. Perfect. Thank you, dear. I appreciate it, and your nose,” she said with a soft laugh as she sprinkled a little of both into the pot and stirred them in.

 Inuyasha shrugged and a soft blush tinted his cheeks. “S’nothing. I don’t mind.” Secretly pleased, however, he took another sniff of the concoction and fought a smug grin. It smelled delicious.

 “Are you hungry, dear?” Mama asked lightly, not failing to miss him sniffing tonight’s dinner. “I can whip you up a cup of ramen if you’d like. Dinner won’t be for a while yet.” Already she was putting the kettle on to boil and retrieving the Styrofoam cup of noodles from the cupboard.

 Visibly perking, Inuyasha nodded. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Thanks.” He was content to loiter around in the kitchen while she prepared his snack and after a few companionable minutes of silence, he asked, “Where’s Kagome?”

 “She’s out with some friends studying for one of her exams,” she supplied, popping open the oven door a crack to check on the loaf of bread inside. “It’ll be another few hours before she’s home, I’m afraid.” She bustled over to the fridge and retrieved a water bottle for him, setting it on the table. “Will you be staying for dinner, dear?”

 Inuyasha’s ear flicked behind him as the sound of footstep running down the stairs registered. “I guess.” Bending his knees slightly, bracing his legs and tensing his muscles in preparation for impact, Inuyasha gave a soft grunt when a small body suddenly jumped onto his back and short arms clung to his shoulders.

 “Inuyasha, you’re here!” Souta cried happily, grinning from ear to ear.

 “Keh. Hey, squirt,” he greeted Kagome’s little brother and stood to his full height again, confident in the kid’s ability to hang from his shoulders without falling. It was not the first time Souta had greeted him this way, and he doubted it would be the last. Not that he minded, though.

 “How long are you staying?! Did you kill any demons today?! Can you show me your sword?! Can we play some soccer later?! Please?! I wanna show you some cool new moves I learned!” Excited at the prospect of playing his favorite game with his hero, Souta fired off question after question and his mother chuckled softly in amusement as she set a steaming cup of noodles on the table with some chopsticks.

 Inuyasha glanced at him over his shoulder. “I dunno…” he hedged, then cast a sidelong glance at Mama in silent inquiry; he knew how this worked.

 Mama smiled. “Finish all of your homework, dear, then you can play with Inuyasha. Studies come first, you know that.” She wiped her hands on her apron and slipped on an oven mitt before taking the bread out of the oven.

 Souta pouted. “But Mamaaaaaa,” he whined.

 Inuyasha grinned. “Keh. You heard her, runt,” he said and reached up, curling his fingers carefully around the kid’s wrist then swiftly pulling him off his back and easily holding him aloft in front of him by his thin wrist. Souta giggled and wriggled around; for reasons unknown to the half-demon, the kid loved it when he did this. “Get your studies done, then I promise I’ll kick that ball of yours around with ya before me an’ Kagome leave. Deal?”

 Souta instantly brightened and nodded vigorously, beaming up at him. “Alright! Deal!” Inuyasha set the boy back on his feet and he took off, running up the stairs faster than a blink and shouting over his shoulder, “Thanks, Inuyasha!”

 “Don’t mention it, squirt,” he called back, shaking his head in amusement before sitting down at the table and finally slurping up his noodles. They were the perfect temperature now since they’d been sitting for a bit cooling off and he didn’t burn his tongue. Life was good.

 Just as he was tipping back the last of it into his mouth, Gramps trundled in, spotted the half-demon licking his lips appreciatively, and pointed an accusing finger at him. “Demon!” he screeched, hastily searching his robes for his sutras, then belatedly remembered his granddaughter had hidden them so he couldn’t throw them at the demon sitting at his kitchen table anymore. He grumbled in annoyance.

 Inuyasha rolled his eyes and unscrewed the cap to the bottle of water. “Always a pleasure, old man,” he drawled and downed half the bottle with several gulps, sighing in satisfaction as he lowered it from his lips. Sometimes cold, fresh water tasted so great and he had no idea why. It was weird.

 Glaring at the hanyou, to which said hanyou ignored, Gramps shuffled further in and claimed his usual seat at the table just as Inuyasha vacated his and gave a long, languorous stretch. “Boy,” he old man suddenly snapped and golden eyes peered over at him with an air of disinterest. Gramps crossed his arms and eyed the red-clad half-demon.

 Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms, staring back and cocking a brow. He was used to this song and dance now; it happened almost every single time he crossed to this side of the well and the codger’s attempts at intimidating him still were ineffective. He had to give the old man credit, though; he was stubborn as an ox and Inuyasha knew he was only looking out after his only granddaughter, which he understood and thought it admirable.

 That was one thing they could relate on, Inuyasha surmised; they both cared for Kagome’s welfare, and the elderly man also knew this, which was why, Inuyasha suspected, most of his attempts to “exorcise” him ended in failure. It was an awkward truce of sorts, a silent agreement between men that Inuyasha took very seriously and he showed it by bringing Kagome home time and again unscathed and relatively happy.

 …Most of time. When they weren’t fighting, anyway.

 Gramps saw and recognized this, and in return, he gave the boy from the past his unquestioning trust in keeping his precious granddaughter safe with only minimal complaining – mostly about dog-eared demon’s eating them out of house and home – and always made sure to have an excuse for her school ready whenever she left for the past.

 Inuyasha had to admit, it was a better outcome than he could have ever imagined and swore to always uphold his end of their agreement. He’d protect Kagome with his life, and made sure the old man knew that.

 Gramps narrowed his eyes at him and still said nothing. Inuyasha’s face turned serious and shifted to face him fully, staring directly into Kagome’s grandpa’s eyes and nodding once. Grandpa Higurashi studied him silently for another minute, gave a minuscule nod back, and then grunted, dismissing the youngster with a wave of his hand before picking up the mail and leaving through it.

 Relaxing his shoulders, Inuyasha’s mouth kicked up into a tiny half-grin but he turned before anyone could see it and walked out of the kitchen, deciding a nap in the Goshinboku sounded like a good idea while he waited for Kagome to get back.

 -X-

 Hours later, after Kagome had returned, dinner had been eaten and the obligatory game of soccer with the kid had been played, Inuyasha and Kagome sat in the living room in the dark, the decision to leave for the Feudal Era in the morning determined by Kagome, though Inuyasha had fought it at first before finally giving in after she’d batted her eyelashes and bribed him with ramen.

 Sneaky wench.

 The glow of the television was the only illumination provided and the volume was down low so as to now disturb the slumbering members of Kagome’s family upstairs. Said wench was currently situated on the floor with him and between his legs, reclined back on his chest with her head tucked into the crook of his neck and her breathes deep and even as she slept.

 Staring down at the head of dark hair, Inuyasha pondered on just how she’d ended up in that position in the first place. She’d started out on the couch, sprawled out and cuddled up in a blanket while he’d already been on the floor, leaning back against the sofa by her head and quite comfortable. Then suddenly Kagome announced she was cold, promptly rolled off the couch onto the floor and wiggled herself between his legs, forcing him to accommodate her invasion. He had, with lots of blushing and demands on just what the hell she was doing, but she’d only responded in cute little grunts before splaying the blanket over both of them, snuggling back into him and finally going still with a content sigh, a blissful little smile on her face. Inuyasha gradually relaxed after a while and had hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. She hadn’t protested and laid her arms over his, even going so far as to slide her fingers in between his own.

 That had been two hours ago, and Inuyasha smiled at the memory, giving the hand interlocked with this own a squeeze. Kagome muttered something in her sleep and gave a soft sigh, still managing to squeeze his hand back. Staring at her peaceful face, he reflected on the day’s events, Mama Higurashi’s easy acceptance and warm nature, Souta’s refreshing exuberance with his eager-to-please attitude, and even the old man’s grumbling but reassuring recognition that as long as Kagome was alive and well, he had breath in his body and strength in his limbs, he was here to stay and that would never change if he had anything to say about it.

 They were strange, a little over bearing at times, definitely nothing he was used to, but he decided those were all good things. But despite being all of those things, Kagome’s family was just that; a family, and for the first time since his mother died, Inuyasha felt like he truly belonged.

 A family, Inuyasha mused, and smiled tenderly down at the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms. Maybe one day…Kagome and I…can have one of our own. Without thinking he bent and brushed a kiss across her temple, nuzzling her hair and heaving a soft, content sigh as he tightened his arms around her.

 And if by some miracle his greatest wish did come true and their family ended up being anything like the one he found himself included in right now…well, that’d be just fine with him.

[emperorwriter]

Warning: Age Gap, Degrading, Impregnated, Light Bondage, Rough Smut, Possessive, Jealous, Short, and not proof read. If your an minor don’t interact. Clicking keep reading means you have accepted and acknowledged this is mature. (Reader is supposed to be a female.)

Souya was pissed.

And not like that's his 'resting bitch face' pissed more like 'How dare you test me' pissed. And you knew it. Cause that's what you and Souta wanted.

You recalled the conversation with Souya's son. "You need to make him jealous in order to get him to confess first." Souta explained, folding his arms across his chest.

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb miss babysitter. My father was eye your ass and you were eyeing his." He huffed, picking up his toy. "And I just so happen to want a brother."

"You want a what? we're not even in a relationship kid."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I have the perfect plan." He laughed.

"So, here's what we're going to do. . .

Why you even listen to a six your old kid was beyond you, however his plan had work much better than you though. Cause when you friend went home and you were left alone with a pissed DILF hell broke lose.

Souya shoved you against the wall with a loud thud. Fingers laced with yours as his tongue skillfully worked it’s way into your mouth. One hand holding your jaw while he dominated you against his front door.

This had been long past over due and he could not wait any longer for you. “It’s a cute game you got going on here,” he whispered. Detaching his mouth with a long thin line of saliva following. “Always turning me on and running away. Rinse and repeat right?” He asked, eyes filled with a lust that only a single lonely dad would have.

After six years of it only being him and his son with the no girls rule. It was time for him to get his dick wet. And it just so happened that his target was tesingt his patients. "You think you're cute flirting with Nahoya friend in my home, huh?" he growled, your folds getting wet thinking about all the things he could do to you

Everybody knew he needed it. His brother, his coworkers, and his friends. Hell even his son knew it. Homie wanted a mother figure and his babysitter happens to have a thing for his single dad vice versa.

Thus begin the cat and mouse flirty game between them both.

“What are you talking about?” You chuckled nervously. Despite the fact that he looked angry he was quite happy to had caught you off guard today thanks to his devious son. Yet, a part of him feels like had lost to his son. Just how much control did he have over you?

'This wasn't how it was suppose to go this way.' You thought.

Plan didn't fall though since you caught Souya's attraction, however that brat betrayed you. Leaving you to the wolves. So, next best move is to escape.

Suddenly Souya was pulled out of deep thoughts by your fail attempted to escape. Gently crushing you in that father hug you lewd every chance you got.

All those time where you have though about being dominated by those muscly arm and his vainly hands all over your body. Snapping back into your reality as he tied your wrist together giving that rare smile.

Cheeks dusted with a break red that contrasted with his blue hair. "I'm not done with you missy," he hissed, taking you back to his bedroom before tossing you roughly onto the bed.

Only for you to open your legs willingly which caught him off guard. Souya throw his hands over his mouth.

There you were in that nice short dress he bought you and never thought you would ware. Legs open cunt wet and ready for him. He could feel his jeans tighten at the thought of how tight you might feel, or how warm you we're on the coldest day.

Imagine his surprise when your cunt sucked him in sending him into to such a bliss. Felt so good he almost came the moment he went in. subconsciously moving his hips slowly due to holding back. His hands on either side of you head keeping his weight from crushing you.

Before he stopped moving and open his eyes wide as if remember he was suppose to b made.

"Who the hell was that?" Souya asked, cocking his head to the side. His hips stop moving as he stared you in your eyes.

"W-who?" You said, rubbing your tied wrist together. That innocent act wasn't going to work anymore. H frowned if that was even possible.

"That was just a friend," you whimper. "Souta brought him home and said he was a friend and then we became friends."

"You're a little slut aren't you?" He asked, a smirked appeared on his face as his hands grabbed your waist. Sliding his dick in your wet folds with a harsh thrust. You scream in pleasure. Deciding to not begging him cause it would only cause him to do it even more.

This was one side that you love about Souya. That he was that he didn't like when men gotten closer to you in any shape or form.

"He was just a friend." You mumbled. He raised yours hips to get a better angle to your sweet spot. His nails digging into your soft skin to get another grip.

Suddenly his hand cover you mouth while he leaned forward to whisper in your ear "Shh don't want to wake Souta up. Imagine having to explained why I'm inside you." He grunted and groans speeding his hip up causing the bed to the he wall.

"Do you wanna be a mommy?" He relased you mouth.

"Yes!" you whispered scream.

"That's right baby you're going to become a mommy for my baby."

With one last thrust he painted your insides white.

Don't question the name. Had to name it something.

@nkogneatho

[thisnoodlewritesao3]

AAA HI IM HERE FOR THE LATE EVENT😙😙 COULD PLS HAVE KAGEYAMA + WITH THE AU WHERE "Everyone is born with a unique number only they and their soulmates have" + ANGST TO FLUFF PLS 🥺🥺 THAK YOU FOR LETTING ME DO THIS LATE I APPRECIATE YOU AND LOVE YOU MWAH HAVE A GOOD DAY DARLING

Okay, so, I sort of went on a wild one with this one. And I hope you like this because ya know, it is definitely angst and there is some fluff, but it was getting so long and it’s already like nearly 2k words i think. lemme check. yeah, 1.7k words. omg. i did love this little story i made so i hope you do skjfhdskjfhsdfsdkf

----

Life, for you, was perfect.

In a world of soulmates, you were one of the lucky few that had actually managed to meet your destined other half. 

You met Fujinaga Souta when you were 8 years old - barely a second year in elementary school - you’d transferred to his school a few weeks into the year, when friend groups had been established and you were left to try and find a place where you could be.

It wasn’t like you were sitting in the seat next to him, and he picked up a pen you’d drop on the ground. It actually wouldn’t be until you were 10 years old that you’d ever talk to him.

Because Fujinaga Souta felt like he was a thousand miles ahead of you, so close yet so out of reach in everything he did. He played volleyball so beautifully, setting with ease and wonder that you couldn’t help but be captivated by him. You had a crush with a boy who didn’t know you existed, and back then it felt okay, because you could always imagine what it felt like to hold hands with him. When his blue eyes found yours, you’d melt, and feel the warm spread to your cheeks before turning away. Black hair that dangled in front of his eyes.

A small group - including him and you - were talking one day, and he started complaining about the way his hair fell in front of his eyes. Being the person you were, you offered a clip to keep it out of his eyes. Being the person he is, he accepted.

It was at that moment he finally paid attention to the numbers that traced along your jaw. 539268. The ones that matched his own perfectly. He almost screamed, pushing your head to the side so he could get a closer look and ensure he wasn’t reading it wrong (you’d complain later in life that this is where your neck problems came from, but you both knew it was from your posture). After he was done pointing and rambling, he pulled down his sock to reveal the numbers on his ankle. 539268.

You almost fainted. It was strange. Your friends exclaimed how lucky you were - because he was a popular boy, loved by so many.

You were 11 when you found out he was your soulmate.

When you told your mother, she immediately set up a celebration; you couldn’t have been more embarrassed, but Souta made it feel like the most normal thing in the world.

Souta was your world. That’s why when he started to get sick, you were by his side as often as you could be. Each day at school would be filled with messages you’d send to him about things you would do when he got out of the hospital.

Only he never got out of the hospital.

On February 16th, 2012, Souta passed away.

Ripped from your arms before you’d gotten a chance to live.

You spent so many months locked away in your room, crying and screaming from the physical pain losing him had caused you. Your only solace was the pile of shirts his mother had let you have because she recognised how painful it was to lose someone who would be the one to know you better than you knew yourself.

The first time you visited his grave made your soul weaker and you could only cry as you clawed at the dirt.

The first day at your high school - which you started months later than most - was like hell. Everyone had heard of you, of the girl who lost her soulmate. They offered empty condolences that you had to pretend made things better.

The first friend you made - a sweet girl named Yachi Hitoka - didn’t pretend she knew what it felt like. In fact, she didn’t even make you talk about Souta at all (for that, you were grateful). She filled up your world with notes and studying, a pleasant distraction from a world outside of your own.

Your friendship with Yachi remained in the classroom, but that was fine by you. She had her own worries and troubles.

A few months in, and you weren’t crying as much anymore. Your heart still yearned for his touch, but you found some love in visiting his grave and telling him about your days, hoping that, by some miracle, he could still hear you.

The first time you see someone that looks so much like him, you’re sure you’re hallucinating that it sends you back into a spiral.

Kageyama Tobio. That was his name. The one you’d silently curse when you saw him in the halls; the one that made you move further away from Yachi when you learnt she’d been tutoring him; the one that looked so much like your soulmate it opened up the tear in your heart.

It wasn’t like you had to interact with him, you didn’t, he wasn’t in your class, wasn’t in your club, you didn’t have anything in common with him. Not until you walked to the vending machine one lunch and stood for too long trying to work out what to get and heard his gruff voice, “can you hurry up?” He grumbled.

You didn’t even take the time to glare over your shoulder before you chose milk, just because it was easier - that, and it was the last carton and something about the blue on it made you think of Souta again. How were you supposed to know that milk just happened to be this boy's favourite drink? You weren’t.

That wasn’t the last run in you would have with Kageyama Tobio - much to your demise - it only got worse through your second and third years, where your visits to Souta’s grave became more filled with anxiety about your future.

It isn’t until one Summer day during your second year that you seem an all too familiar face standing next to Souta’s grave (or the one next to it).

You try your best to ignore Kageyama as you kneel down in front of your soulmate's grave, but his eyes seem to find you immediately. “Do you mind if I talk?” You ask, not looking up at him for fear you might break. He didn’t answer, so you took matters into your own hands.

You talked to Souta about this week. About how you visited his family the day before and how his mom said you were growing to be a lovely young woman. About how you hadn’t cried this week, and you were proud of yourself. You told him that nothing exciting had happened since he was gone, and that the world seemed to lose more colour with each passing day.

You were talking without realising you had someone actually listening.

“Does that help?” He asked without thinking. Maybe he made a mistake, because the light in your eyes seemed to flutter out, but you answered him nonetheless.

“I guess so, although I’m not doing it to help.” You sighed, brushing your fingers over the petals on the flowers placed there by someone. “I’m doing it because I love him, and he deserves to hear this. To talk to me. Ya know?” And he nodded as if he understood - but you knew he didn't.

That was the start of a small arrangement with Kageyama Tobio. Once a week, he’d show up at the graveyard (not just because you were there, but also because that was where his grandfather was buried). You’d both talk to your respective people, and it was nice.

You stopped seeing Kageyama as a wrong version of Souta and started seeing him for himself.

One day, near the end of your third year, you somehow end up arguing with Kageyama. “Yeah, well, you hated me for no reason all throughout my first year.” He bit back at a comment you made and you shoved your hands into your hair gripping the roots (why is the only thing you can think is how your Souta would never act like this).

“I didn’t hate you!” You cried back.

“Then what was it?” He hissed.

You wanted to explode, everything hurt all over again.

“You reminded me of him. Of Souta.” You said, hoping he wouldn’t ask for an explanation.

“But I’m not him, so how?”

That was enough for you to realise that Kageyama had never seen what Souta looked like. He wasn’t aware of the fact that he was the spitting image of your soulmate. So, as you’re rummaging through your bag for a picture you kept on you, you start explaining to him. “Because Souta was sweet, and kind, and considerate, and loving.” You say, and you can tell he’s confused. “And you’re sweet but blind, kind but dense. Not quite as considerate and loving, but you try even when it doesn’t look like you are.” You sigh, ignoring the pang of pain in your heart. “You play volleyball - a setter - and you play it so effortlessly. You remind me of him in every single way without knowing it, but I know it and it hurt me. It still hurts me. Because how am I meant to feel when I look up at you and somehow stopped seeing him and started seeing you?” You ask, though you aren’t really asking him. It’s a general question.

You manage to find the picture and pass it to him. His reaction speaks a thousand words, the way his eyes widen because this boy does look like the spitting image of him and he can see why you were hurt by him.

He explains that he didn’t understand what the big deal about soulmates was until he met you. That the reason he’d never really cared about that was because he was born without a soulmate mark (you traced the numbers on your jaw); he had to be like the many who just had to make their own soulmates, but he’d never even have the option to meet a soulmate. You almost felt ashamed. He told you you didn't need to feel ashamed.

That night, as you sat watching a movie to forget about the argument, you’d experience your first kiss with a boy that wasn’t your soulmate. You didn’t feel any guilt about it. Because you knew Souta would want you to be happy.

You and Kageyama had a rocky friendship; your relationship wasn’t any easier. But you made it work. Because soulmates normally don’t get to meet, but you can make soulmates with enough time and care. And, luckily for you, Kageyama was willing to give all the time in the world to you (as long as you didn't get in the way of volleyball, but you normally didn’t).

----

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[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Itoshi no XL Saizu 2

Title:  愛しのXLサイズ (Itoshi no XL Saizu)

Author: Omoimi

Release date: 2020/09/16

Cast: 

Nakajima Yoshiki x Saitou Souma

Yamashita Seiichirou

Taito Ban

Synopsis: Sequel of the series of the same name. But to give some over view, it’s about their third year of dating where they go into a long distance relationship as Anaconbayashi-kun pursues a bona fide career in sake while Yamamoto-kun trains to enter the same world as well.

Review Proper

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHA

BRILLIANT!!!

It started out somber and sad because they were parting and then it quickly transcends into the old wildlife series I knew and loved! I still can’t get over the fact that Yamamoto-kun came to Nara expecting deer. And then he got ronerii because there were no anacondas in Nara. ​💀 Their interactions with Shouta (Anaconbayashi-kun’s bro) was so fucking gold ​I think I died and got revived constantly during them. Mans literally is a proud XL himself and his and his brother’s family jewels are famous!!! Find yourself a loose hole or at least someone who’s brave enough to try and ride, Souta! 😌 You can do it!!!

Man, I really didn’t expect the series to have a sequel, but to even have a BLCD for it?! Gotta hand it to Omoimi and their antics. It be rare to have a comedy-smut BL which isn’t overly gaudy and exaggerated. I wonder if Chishanomi and Omoimi are friends. And if they were, I dang hope they’re close!

Moving on to the voice work,

Excuse me? How fucking dare you, Saitou Souma??? 

Again, it all started so sad and you can really hear it in SS’s voice. But then motherfucker hit me out of nowhere with the 

You don’t understand. He went idk 4 pitches lower and it was so close to his Akai Ito’s Hiro, so I definitely wasn’t prepared for that! I THOUGHT THAT HE WAS GOING TO TOP NAKAJIMA YOSHIKI AND GO FULL AKAI ITO HERE FOR A MINUTE. Looking at the manga now, I really wouldn't have expected that he’d go with such a tone. I swear, y’all gotta hear it to believe. ALSO! I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK HE’S BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS BECAUSE WHEN I SAY THAT HE SOUNDS LIKE SEX ON LEGS, HE REALLY DOES!!! Like??? His Yamamoto-kun in the first BLCD was already hot as it is, but he managed to turn it up a notch here! I swear to god, this is by far, the sexiest Saitou Souma’s ever sounded in a BLCD. Even more than his Koisuru Ryuu and Me o Tojite! And it’s for Omoimi whose art isn’t at all that expressive!!! I really don’t know how Nakajima handled Saitou Souma with a straight face because his Yamamoto-kun certainly did numbers on me??? Made me just wanna push Anaconbayashi-kun out of the picture and tap that Yamamoto ass myself! And what did I say the last review? 

“It’s like each time I say that this performance of so-and-so is the best of them I’ve heard yet, their next performance automatically turns out to be better!”

This is almost always true when it comes to Saitou Souma and Okitsu. Ugh. Dare I say, this is the most believable bottom performance I’ve ever heard anyone do. I’m sorry, Tattsun, but it really is. If it turns out that Saitou Souma really has no experience with bottoming in real life or no experience in anything sexual at all, I will literally lose my shit. He better win this year’s awards again or someone’s gonna catch these 🔪🔪🔪. This is definitely not my most favorite out of all his performances in 2020, but it sure is the best!

As for Nakajima Yoshiki—I mean, I guess it was okay, but I still don’t like his Anaconbayashi-kun. Something about it is just so unnatural, but as I’ve said in the prequel, I can’t imagine anyone else voicing him. On the bright side, unlike the first BLCD, he didn’t get swallowed up by Saitou Souma’s acting here just his dick. Also, he didn’t sound strained here as much. But again, the most notable thing Nakajima Yoshiki did in this BLCD was being so professional and not tackling Saitou Souma down the recording studio floor. 💀 As per the cast talk, it also seemed like he had fun recording, so good on him!

As for our side characters, I really loved Souta and Taito Ban’s portrayal of him. Really brought our Anacondabros to life. *wipes tear* Yamashita Seiichirou, on the other hand, didn’t have a lot of screen time here. Been quite a while ever since I’ve last heard him in a BLCD, but I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon enough. Both did well and were good choices for their roles if not the best.

Not really sure what went down with the prequel’s BGM, but that problem wasn’t present here. Still had the same staff on sound here. 🤷 The BLCD was also pretty accurate to the manga, so I will recommend doing a read-along. There aren’t a lot of hard words used here aside from a few technical terms about brewing and sake, but reading the manga would help a lot. I’d definitely recommend this and the prequel to beginners. I hope this places in Best BLCD this year sksksks. It’s Saitou Souma domination, y’all!

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Animage November 2020 Issue

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! @officialinuyasha will be making a video version of this so stay tuned!

The Three Girls’ Incident Fill Journey

While carrying the expectations of “Inuyasha” fans, the story of the 3 girls begins to move. What sort of fate awaits the 3 girls with different personalities and grew up in different eras?

The original anime that succeeds the world of “Inuyasha”, “Hanyou no Yashahime”, has finally begun broadcast! (We are) sure there were a lot of people who were surprised after watching episode 1. Afterall, not only were the trio of protagonists on screen, but also the characters of “Inuyasha”, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Sesshomaru, were freely moving around!

In episode 1, the story started with Towa being told the story of Inuyasha and Kagome (A priestess who came from ‘Tokyo’ 10 years ago and the half demon that exterminated demons with her) while she was captured at the Kanto region’s governor-general’s mansion of Ougigayatsu-Hiiragi. As Inuyasha and others live while exterminating demons, after ending the battle with the half demon, Naraku, it is said they fought a demon called Root Head… Familiar scenes are jammed together showing everyone’s traits such as the black Tessaiga unleashing Meidozangetsuha and Kagome’s “sit”. It truly was a festive curtain opening.

However, this was just the prologue of the Yashahime’s adventure since as Setsuna’s voice actress, Komatsu Mikako, put it “Episode 2 is the first episode “Hanyou no Yashahime”. A “new age of feudal fairytale” with the 3 girls has finally begun!

Moroha Inuyasha and Kagome’s quarter-demon daughter. She makes a living as a bounty hunter. She doesn’t have any memories of her parents, but she inherited “demonic powers” and “spiritual powers of a priestess”.

It really is the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome! Moroha’s voice actress: Tadokoro Azusa

“Moroha is Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter so from the time I auditioned for her, I wanted to incorporate elements from the two of them. I focused on things like how Inuyasha sits like a dog and his beast like manner when he speaks as well as Kagome’s strength as a woman and her suppleness. However, when I really thought about it, I thought the two of them had similar dispositions. It’s like they became similar as they journeyed together. Things like the kindness of when they end up saving people and how quickly the blood rushes to their heads when angered; (these) are traits they both have. That is why I thought Moroha might be like that too. I truly thought she was a child born from Inuyasha and Kagome from how emotional she is and how lightly she carries her body.”

Setsuna Towa’s younger twin sister. She is a member of the demon slayers and has a calm, collected personality. She was separated from Towa when she was young and does not remember anything from that time.

Staying calm while thinking of Sesshomaru Setsuna’s voice actress: Komatsu Mikako

“I was directed to “remember the way Narita Ken played Sesshomaru” when it came time to play Setsuna. During the audition, I did a version that had a cool aura at the forefront and a version that focused a little on being a realistic girl. At first I wasn’t sure which one to go with so I acted lightly but was told “More deeper, it’s okay to have a threatening quality in your voice.” Now I diligently act with complete collectedness while thinking of Sesshomaru. While I haven’t done any recording work with Narita-san yet, I worked with him a little over a year ago on a different work where we had a parent/child role so I can’t wait to show how happy I am to be his daughter again (laughs).”

Higurashi Towa Sesshomaru’s daughter and Setsuna’s older twin sister. She time traveled to the modern era when she was little. She excels at martial arts to the point that she can beat up gangs by herself.

She is good at fighting but she is still a regular girl Towa’s voice actress: Matsumoto Sara

“Since Towa spent 10 years under Papa Souta and does not remember her real parents, I think she’s more of a Modern girl than a Feudal girl. The first audition tape I submitted, I really focused on her being the daughter of Sesshomaru and had her sounding completely boyish. However afterwards I was told “Sounds too much like a boy.” Based on that, I think I got it just right with sounding like a 14-year-old middle school girl who’s good at fighting. Also just like Mikako-san, I have played a role as Narita-san’s daughter in a different work. As of now, I’m curious to see if there will be any parent/child interactions from here on.”

Cycling in Feudal Lands!?

The figures of Towa and Setsuna riding a bicycle while Moroha follows after them reminds one of the scene that unfolded in “Inuyasha”. In episode 1, Towa was presented with Kagome’s bicycle seat at Ougigayatsu-Hiiragi mansion. Does that mean a bicycle will be a key item in “Yashahime”?

Round Table Discussion with the Cast of the 3 Girls

The 3 of them who grew up influenced by “Inuyasha”

Everyone, (speaking) purely as “Inuyasha” fans. First, please tell us your favorite character or episode from “Inuyasha”

Matsumoto: Once we start talking about “Inuyasha”, forget the interview time, we’re going be talking past midnight! (laughs) For me, my favorites were Miroku and Naraku.

Tadokoro: Miroku! He’s precocious!

Komatsu: You liked Naraku?!

Matsumoto: First, I was overwhelmed by Miroku’s adult sexiness. I loved that fraudulent part of him. You know how whenever the air got tense within the Inuyasha group, Miroku would chime in with “Now then” and the air would soften. I felt that that was really cool. Back then, I ended up drawing Miroku’s wind tunnel on my hand and copying him (laughs).

Komatsu and Tadokoro: I did that too~! (in unison)

Matsumoto: On the other end, I felt charmed by how Naraku was too evil. I thought “There’s someone this evil!”.  I was shocked that even though he was originally human, as a result of getting all sorts of humans and demons involved, he became like that. I became completely enamored by the “true villain”.

Komatsu: If I were to speak in terms of Naraku’s faction, I loved Kagura.

Matsumoto and Tadokoro: Aah~ Kagura~!  (in unison)

Komatsu: Naraku is an existence that became a demon from the negative aspects of humans such as tenacity and envy. Yet from that, Kagura in a sense was born with a human like heart and I felt that that was attractive. Her life was always in Naraku’s hands. In reality, she wanted to join Inuyasha’s side but she couldn’t. Even so she wanted to be free like the wind and ironically at the end, she became the wind by Naraku’s hand. Then, in her last moments when she met Sesshomaru she said “I got to see you”….!

Matsumoto and Tadokoro: Yeah~!!

Komatsu: Kagura was the only character on the enemy’s side that I liked. On Inuyasha’s side, I’d have to say I liked the Inuyasha and Kagome pair. “Inuyasha” had a romance element to it; for me it was both a shounen and shoujo manga and it was a work that was truly like a textbook on life. I did things like ask my parents to make the Japanese style room in our house “my room” and bought folding fans because I said “I want to become a wind user too!”

Tadokoro: Mine is mainstream but I liked Sesshomaru.

Matsumoto and Komatsu: Aah~ Lord Sesshomaru~!!

Komatsu: Well our Papa is too cool.

Tadokoro: I can’t go against that charm. He doesn’t say much but despite it all, he does look out for the others. At first, he kept going after Inuyasha in order to take his sword but in the end, he ended up helping Inuyasha grow right? Something like that (laughs).

Matsumoto: He’s too tsundere!

Tadokoro: Exactly! Rin obviously but despite everything, he does consider Jaken important. My favorite episode was the one where Rin gets taken into the underworld.

Matsumoto and Komatsu: I feel you!

Tadokoro: To think that that Sesshomaru would say “There’s nothing that could ever be worth trading Rin’s life for”… I think that was the moment everyone fell for Sesshomaru (laughs). Also Kohaku. He went through something extremely painful and continued to suffer for a long time so that makes him do unnecessary things. He tends to value his life poorly and because of that, there are a lot of scenes where he’s saved by others. At first I thought “Please stop”, however in the anime because of Yajima Akiko’s voice, I really felt “It’s not that he’s getting in everyone’s way, he just takes action because he’s tormented”. Yajima-san’s acting of Kohaku is what made me want to be become a voice actor so I have a lot of feelings this character. When I saw him become an adult in “Hanyou no Yashahime”, I had this feeling of “Thank you for choosing to live”.

There is no end to the “Inuyasha“ talk. Then please tell us your impression of “Hanyou no Yashahime”. Did all of you audition for all 3 girls?

Tadokoro: I only did Moroha for the tape audition but afterwards I did all 3 girls in the studio audition. It’s just that there’s the fact that I just did Moroha for the tape so I was interested in her the most. My very first impression was that I was moved when I saw that the child born from Inuyasha and Kagome was this girl, and I was so happy to see their child. She really looks like them and she’s so lively that I thought she would actually come to life. I arbitrarily thought “I wonder if she’s living a happy life?”.

Matsumoto: I only auditioned for Towa. From her appearance, I thought she was cool but before anything else I was so shocked at the idea of “Sesshomaru’s daughter” that I was at a complete loss. I was like “S-Sesshomaru had a d-daughter…?!” (laughs)

All: (Laughs)

Matsumoto: I ended up thinking “How did he give birth when he’s a guy?”

Komatsu: With Sesshomaru, I can certainly see him doing something like cutting off his hair and breathing life into by blowing on it (laughs).

Matsumoto: I can see that smoking up and turning into a baby (laughs). While Towa has a twin sister named Setsuna, there was that setting of Towa spent time in the modern era. I felt there was a lot of ground for thought like “What happened between her and Setsuna?” or “Do they have different personalities?”.

Komatsu: In my case, when I received the notice for the audition, I only saw the title “Hanyou no Yashahime” and thought “This is going to be a title like “Inuyasha”” (laughs). When I read the explanation it really had “a work that succeeds the world of “Inuyasha”” written on it so I was really surprised. Not only that but it had the catch phrase “Sesshomaru has a daughter” so I was like “That Sesshomaru!?”. In any case, I was completely surprised. For the audition, I only did Setsuna but upon seeing the documents, her facial features and the white fluff (moko moko) around her neck, I thought she really is the daughter of Sesshomaru. In the audition manuscript, there were a few lines that showed that she didn’t seem to really remember her father but her closed off aura gave me the sense of ‘like father, like daughter’.

As you got into acting your roles, have there been any changes from your first impression?

Komatsu: Each of their backbones are slowly being dug up but among them, there a lot of scenes where you can tell that Towa has been heavily influenced by the modern era from having lived there so long.

Matsumoto: Yes. There’s a contrast like when they’re confronted by a demon; Towa will pull back where as Setsuna and Moroha will go on the offensive. Also when Towa hesitates to make the final blow, the two of them scold her.

Komatsu: For Setsuna and Moroha, exterminating demons is a job but for Towa, she exterminates demons with the idea of saving others. Hence, due to the difference in their way of thinking, they butt heads but as the 3 of them spend more time together, their sense of comradery will gradually deepen… I feel my impression is slowly changing as the story progresses like how Setsuna surprisingly participates in the joke scenes and how they move as a 3 person team.

Tadokoro: With Moroha’s change, I was first directed with “It’s okay to make it sillier”. Actually, while she does act on her emotions like a child and she can be a little stupid, in battle she’ll give out directions like “Do this” and I think she’s good at assisting. Based on appearances, Towa and Setsuna seem like they would be better at combat but the fact that Moroha has a sharp mind is something that surprised me.

Matsumoto: My impression of Towa hasn’t really changed but I’m curious to see how Towa will adapt to the Feudal Era and how the 3 of them will work as one. Even when Towa returns to the Feudal Era, it’s not like she forgets the modern era and she will show things to Setsuna, Moroha, and Takechiyo like “In the modern era, we have something like this”. Towa doesn’t seem to find it hard to go from the modern era to the Feudal Era and when recording began, I once again thought “It’s like this afterall”.

Komatsu: … I think the way Towa closes the gap between herself and others is similar to “that person”.

Matsumoto: You just made a big statement like it was nothing!

Komatsu: I thought the way Towa concerns herself with Setsuna and Setsuna responding with “Shut up! Leave me alone!” was a relationship similar to that of their parents… If you look at Towa, I think you can figure out who the mother is.

Tadokoro: Definitely get an idea. Then how about the possibility of Jaken? (laughs)

Matsumoto: The ‘Jaken is the mother’ theory huh! (laughs) What makes me get emotional is when even though Setsuna pushes Towa away and goes on ahead, she’ll stop, look back, and watch Towa complain behind her. She’s just like her father when she does that!

Komatsu: I feel! She’s totally concerned about her.

Tadokoro: To Moroha, despite what Towa and Setsuna say to eachother, they’re pretty lovey-dovey so she feels a little “left out”.

All: (laughs)

Matsumoto: The other day when we were recording a preview, Azusa-san said to me “Towa really doesn’t call for Moroha does she.” When I thought about it, it’s true that there’s a lot of “Setsuna and I did this” sort of talk (laughs).

Tadokoro: Moroha’s there too~! (laughs)

Matsumoto: To Towa, Setsuna is very precious. Even though Setsuna and Moroha are veterans when it comes to surviving in the Feudal Era, Towa still wants to be an older sister to Setsuna. That aspect is pretty amusing.

That is definitely something to keep an eye on in future broadcasts. Now then, please tell us your thoughts on episode 1 that was broadcasted.

Komatsu: The story of “Inuyasha” since then was drawn so I don’t suppose fans felt as if they had “come home”? I think it was a first episode that was like “First of all, welcome back and welcome to a new world of Inuyasha!”

Tadokoro: It really is moving isn’t it… I was also really excited for the broadcast.

Matsumoto: All the more since during the recording, the different casts recorded their scenes separately, so we never got to watch the “Inuyasha” cast acting directly.

Komatsu: Also there were nostalgic scenes that were just as they were in the original anime which is something that got me excited.

Matsumoto: There were. From episode 2 onwards, there will be lingering remnants of demons that appeared in “Inuyasha”. When past scenes come in, I myself become moved like “There was a scene like that!”

Komatsu: Episode 2 in a sense is the first episode of “Hanyou no Yashahime”. The first enemy demon that appears is a little similar to the first demon that appeared in “Inuyasha” so I think that’s a point that will make fans happy.

Tadokoro: Also in the TV anime, demons that appeared in scenes in the original work will also appear as “Hanyou no Yashahime” versions. That also makes me emotional.

Episode 2 onwards will be exciting for production key points that strike “Inuyasha” fans. Even in this edition’s illustration (P. 36-37), connecting with the bicycle Kagome was always rode in “Inuyasha”, we have a bicycle and the 3 girls.

Matsumoto: My heart is skipping seeing Setsuna wrap her hands around Towa’s waist.

Komatsu: She’s really looking (at her)! (laughs) Within the work, Setsuna hasn’t opened up to Towa yet but I wonder how much time has passed for the gap between them to close like this?

Tadokoro: Setsuna’s completely riding like a “girlfriend”! Moroha’s been taken off the bicycle (laughs)

Komatsu: We need to attach a side car to the bicycle for her (laughs)

Do you have any situations that you want to see illustrations of from here on?

Komatsu: I want to see everyone in a school uniform!

Matsumoto: Yes! Please put Moroha in Kagome’s sailor uniform.

Tadokoro: Yeah, I definitely want to see her wear that! Going along that line, I want to see Towa and Setsuna dressed like Lord Sesshomaru.

Matsumoto: Each one dressed like their parents, I like that. Not just a sailor uniform for Moroha but also in a priestess’s attire too.

Tadokoro: She has black hair so I’m sure it will look good on her.

Matsumoto: Moroha and Setsuna normally have their hair tied back so I want to see them with their hair down.

Komatsu: A situation where the 3 of them are in a hot spring. There were scenes like that in “Inuyasha” where there were monkeys in the hot spring. (laugh)

Matsumoto: Me personally, I want to see Setsuna and Moroha fully dressed in modern clothes. Something like all 3 of them going to an amusement park.

Komatsu: I want to see them taking tests for school!

Q. What do you think will happen when Towa and Setsuna reunite with Sesshomaru?

Komatsu: First, what will they call Sesshomaru? Will they call him “Father”? To begin with, I’ve been curious as to if Sesshomaru was the one who named them.

Tadokoro: That’s true. Who did name them?

Komatsu: “Towa = Eternity” and “Setsuna = Moment” … What sort of meaning do these complete opposite names have?

Matsumoto: I feel Setsuna’s is more fleeting. The wild ideas (translators note: head cannons to put it in western terms) won’t stop.

Tadokoro: Kagome’s was too but the names tend to have an uneasy nuance implied about them. For Moroha, the words “Double edged sword” and “Fragile” can have a close resemblance. There was a meaning to Kagome’s name so I tend to think there’s also a meaning in Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha. Also, Moroha’s red clothes is the robe of the fire rat Inuyasha wore that apparently, she remodeled herself so I’m really curious about that. Is it by chance��� a memento? I don’t want that~!!

Q. Among the 3 of you, who resembles their character the most?

Komatsu: Probably Towa (Matsumoto)? Her aura is similar to Towa in a gutsy, cheerful sense. It doesn’t feel like an “act” when she’s acting.

Tadokoro: Me too, my first thought was Towa. I thought they looked similar in appearances.

Matsumoto: That makes me so happy….! There are times where I feel I’m similar to Towa but I think everyone has something similar (to their characters). I feel like Azusa-san is mischievous and sparkling like Moroha and Komatsu-san has Setsuna’s cool beauty.

Komatsu: No, I have zero coolness within me (laughs). I think the rock essence that Koroazu (referring to Tadokoro) has during a concert performance is close to Moroha!

Tadokoro: That’s true, I try to bring out a wild flavor (laughs).

Episode 1 Play Back: Inuyasha Since Then

Inuyasha and Kagome exterminated Root Head with there superb combination (?)… or so it was thought, but in actuality, it entangled itself with the roots of the Sacred Tree/Tree of Ages deep within the earth. The still living Root Head extends its roots to the fates of Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha. And the true identity of Munehisa, who told the tale, comes to light as the demon Yotsume (the 4 eyed owl). Just what is he is something to keep an eye on from here on.

Inuyasha Moroha’s half-demon father. After winning the battle against Naraku, he chose to live together with Kagome in the Feudal Era. He also drove back Root Head combining his power with Kagome’s but…

Sesshomaru A greater demon who is Towa and Setsuna’s father. While Inuyasha was fighting Root Head, he did not lend a hand but rather he quietly watched over Sango’s house where Rin was taking refuge.

[bunny-wk-fanfic]

In My Humble Opinion: Reboots/Revivals/Sequels/Prequels/Spin-Offs

I’ve written and rewritten what I’ve been trying to say about... we’ll call them refreshers, to fandoms. It’s just, refreshers can be a bit complicated, so coming up with a clear and structured response to them is a little tricky.

In general, I have nothing against refreshers. They tend to revive the fandom, which in turn; revives the interest in fanmade content that already exists, brings in new fans, starts up a wave of new fanmade content... Let’s just say it greases the wheels of the fandom and helps keep things going. So, are refreshers good? Bad? Do we need them? Want them? Sometimes we get them when we didn’t ask for them, the responses to such refreshers are mixed. Sometimes fans ask for them for years, and when they do get them, the responses are mixed.

Refreshes tend to come with a mixed bag of responses to them. It’s part of the deal, as the creators behind them try to please everyone, which is impossible. A lesson that is never learned despite the history of refreshers.

So a good refresher, one that allows a new audience to connect with the fandom while the older fans can appreciate something new. Let’s use She-Ra for an example. It aired originally in the 80s that lasted no longer than a year if I read the information correctly. Then in 2018, they revived it and the older fans were not happy, most of them. The changes to the series were significant. She-Ra was made younger, the style in which the series was done in was completely different, the themes in the series changed as well. Why? To allow a newer, younger, audience the ability to connect to this character. All of these changes pissed off a lot of the older fans, which were predominantly adult males, whereas the female fans seemed to have appreciated the redesign. But pushing those older man-fans aside, one has to remember 32 years had gone between the original and the reboot. Things needed to change, because the audience of today would not be able to connect with She-Ra otherwise. Or, at least, not as well. So this is an example of what I see as a good refresher.

A bad refresher, is the complete opposite. It tends to push the older fans away for various reasons, which will confuse newer ones as they will more likely go to the internet to try to connect with the older fans, only to have the older fans pointing out what they see as wrong and thus sway the newer fans to agree and leave/ignore the refresher. Whew, that was a mouth full. These sorts of refreshes feels as if they lost sight of the creative direction the original fandom was going in, or that certain aspects either get watered down or boundaries are pushed until the concept is lost entirely. Yes, some changes are needed, especially if the creators want to keep the fandom significant due to the changes of time. So things that were “hinted” at in the past, can now be open for display for the fans in the refresher. Time has allowed a lot to be published; there is a lot more gray areas in fandoms where before things were more black and white. However, creators tend to go for the whole buffet rather than focus on a few key points, making the refresher a big hot mess. At the moment I can’t think of a refresher to a fandom that falls more into this category that’s already been done, but I’m sure there are plenty.

But let’s get to the subject at hand, I’m going to go on about Hanyo no Yashahime: Sengoku Otogi Soshi, the supposed sequel to Inuyasha. I will use supposed a lot, as this is all still very new. So the idea of a sequel in and of itself for Inuyasha, is not... too bad. I think. I personally don’t see the need for one, and the original series had focused on the Shikon, and at the end of the original, the Shikon had been dealt with. The last chapter had closed that rather well, in my personal opinion.

What was shared, concept wise, about the supposed sequel... Well, to be honest, left a bad taste in my mouth. So it’s about the daughters of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru respectively, nothing wrong with that. How they went about with these daughters is what leaves a lot to be desired. The daughter between Inuyasha and Kagome has no happy memories of her parents, which pretty much pissed the whole fandom off. Even those that don’t ship Inuyasha and Kagome. The original series with its original fans all agree that Kagome would never neglect nor abandon her children nor would she allow Inuyasha to do so either, just look at how she interacted with children when she herself was 15 throughout the original series. If she was that motherly at that age, then it’s hard to see her as a horrible mother in the sequel. So everyone seems to be in an agreement that Inuyasha and Kagome must be dead in the sequel, most likely died off when their daughter was still very young. Or missing.

Now for Sesshoumaru’s daughters. It’s said the mother was an unknown human woman, but a lot of fans speculate that it’s Rin. Now, to those that ship the pairing, they are more likely over the moon at the idea. For the rest of us, not so much, but I’ll leave that particular discussion for another post. And that’s not even scratching at what happens to the twins. One falls through the Well and gets adopted by an older Souta. I mean, kudos for him for doing so, but after the original series, a child showing up with demonic attributes and dressed in fashions of the past, he should have realized that this child was from the past and sent them back on their way. If he couldn’t do so, I could then see him adopting her as a viable option until things could be figured out on how to get this girl back to her family. Besides, the original series had the Shikon as a catalyst that allowed the Well to be used for time travel, so with it gone, how did this girl travel through time? Sure there was one incident where Kagome didn’t need the shards to do so, but... technicalities. And if the Shikon is not needed, then anyone and anything could use the Well to travel through time when before only Inuyasha and Kagome could do so. Why though? What changed? And can Kagome use it to visit her family now? Did she return to the future and end up stuck? As for the other twin, she has her memories of her sister stolen from her. Okay... I mean, for immediately after the disappearance understandable, not far fetched, but what about the long run? Sesshoumaru is the father, I highly doubt he would let one of his children roam about in the future, so he would go collect her, since the Well allows anyone through it now. Nor would he allow his other daughter to continue thinking she was an only child. He would see to it that that was fixed up right away. At the least, family and friends would remind her of her sister, showing evidence of such. In the worst case scenario, Sesshomaur is dead or missing as well to allow something like this to continue.

That’s about it in the concepts that were share, but it’s a hot mess already. If the sequel is real, that it’s going to happen, a lot of us are hoping that things change by the time it’s published. Otherwise...

What most of us are asking, is why now? Was the sequel already planned for, but for various reasons is only happening now? Understandable if that’s so, life is the way it is. If not, then why do it now? Is it due to the various other fandoms that are going through revivals/reboot/sequels? Is this just a bandwagon thing? If so, then it feels very unnecessary.

Some are willing to wait to see, as the concepts are still very new and can change by the time the sequel does come out. But for many of us, it’s either forbidden fruit or rotting fruit, something best left alone. So, with that said, I’ll finish my opinion here.

I welcome comments and arguments, healthy ones, about what everyone thinks on the idea of an Inuyasha sequel. Do you agree? Disagree? Please let me know.

[mamabearcat]

Into the Woods - Part One

Yes, as usual, it started as a one shot and then.... maaaaybe three parts to this? Not sure what to rate this one - it’s sorta dark but no more graphic than the original manga I guess, where people get ripped apart on the daily. For the moment, I’m gonna say T. Listened to The Cure’s Lullaby while writing this one...

On candy stripe legs the Spiderman comes Softly through the shadow of the evening sun Stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead Looking for the victim shivering in bed Searching out fear in the gathering gloom and Suddenly A movement in the corner of the room And there is nothing I can do When I realize with fright That the Spiderman is having me for dinner tonight

Tagging everyone who asked to be @clearwillow @keichanz @redflamesofpassion @xxracheyxx You know what to do if you wanna join the tag train.

Kagome’s heart thudded in her ears as she careered out of the doorway, half fastened boots slipping on the gravelled path. The plastic toggle on the drawstring of her oversized red hoodie whipped into her cheek as she skidded around the corner of the house. The chilled mountain air felt harsh, catching in her throat as she gasped for breath, the oxygen in her lungs stolen by the horrifying images just left behind.

A vision of her loving grandfather’s face, his features twisted almost beyond recognition into a mask of lust and violence swam before her eyes and she pushed it away, madly dashing towards the crumbling steps leading downwards towards the moss-covered Torii gate, uncaring of the high possibility of falling and snapping her neck in her eagerness to get away.

“There’s no point running little girl. I seeee yooouu.”

Kagome smothered a sound midway between a terrified shriek and a sob behind her shaking hand. A childhood memory of hide and seek with her grandfather tore at her, made her gasp, tears threatening to spill. It was still her grandfather’s voice, but she knew. She knew it wasn’t him.

She began running down the eroded stone steps, her loose boots almost tripping her up. The worn dirt path stretched out ahead of her, a clear escape route all the way to the main road. But wouldn’t he expect her to use the path? The road was a forty-minute hike away, and it was doubtful that any cars would be travelling towards the isolated shrine at dusk. And what if he caught up to her? He’d already proven that even though he looked like her grandfather, his strength and speed wasn’t that of a frail man in his late seventies.

Her thoughts leaped towards the only other person she’d seen in the forest today – the grumpy woodcutter who’d warned her to stay on the path, the inu youkai with silver hair and ears and piercing amber eyes. Could she find him in the dwindling light? He’d told her he lived in the forest, but she had no idea where.

The only thing she could do was run. Mama was far away in Tokyo. No one else apart from the woodcutter even knew she was here. No one would be coming to save her. Choking back another sob she plunged into the increasing gloom of the forest next to the path and ran, heedless of the sharp twigs tearing bloodied scratches into her pale skin.

---

 “Are you sure you have everything you need honey?”

Kagome smiled at her mother as she shrugged her yellow backpack onto her shoulder, heavy with a week’s worth of clothes and her mother’s gifts of food for her grandfather.

“Yup, I’m all set.” She knew the tightness around her mother’s eyes and mouth were due to more than the early morning start to make it to the station on time; she was really worried about Grandpa. Kagome was glad that she could ease her mother’s burden by travelling to the isolated mountain shrine to check up on him.

“You know I’ll be there by Sunday, right?” The slightly shaky tone of her mother’s voice confirmed Kagome’s theory. “I’m so sorry I can’t come straight away, but there’s no one available to take over the project at work, and with Souta having his high school entrance exams this week… Grandpa sounded so frail and frightened on the phone, not like himself at all, and I just…”

“Mama, calm down! It’s not like I’m a little kid anymore - we’ve been over this.” She stroked her mother’s arm, trying to reassure her. “I’m happy that I can go check on Grandpa. It’s just lucky that I have time before my next semester begins at university.” She smiled at her mother, watching her take a deep calming breath. “And besides, I haven’t visited the shrine yet since he moved there. It’ll be nice to have time to visit with him and breathe a little fresh mountain air.”

“You remember which bus to catch from the station right?” fussed her mother in a worried tone. “And you’ve got the map? Make sure you get there before it’s dark, the forest trails can be slippery if it rains or gets foggy. And make sure you stay on the path – I don’t want to get a call to tell me you’ve broken your leg getting your foot stuck in a fox hole or something.”

“Mama, you worry too much!” Kagome grinned, leaning forward to embrace the slightly shorter woman in a swift hug. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see; Grandpa probably just has a bad cold, and after I pamper him for a few days with all the food you’ve packed he’ll be feeling much better, chewing my ear off with one of those old youkai folktales he used to tell me at bedtime. You might not even have to come at the end of the week – I promise I’ll call tonight and let you know how things are.”

Her mother returned her hug tightly, pressing her cheek against Kagome’s and rocking her slightly from side to side. “I know, honey, I know, I’m probably worrying over nothing, but just humour your mother okay? I just have a feeling that somethings not right. Please, please be careful.”

The whooshing sound of the Shinkansen approaching the station cut short their conversation. Kagome lined up behind the number painted on the platform that corresponded to her assigned carriage. She blew her mother a final kiss as the door slid open and stepped onto the train.

 ---

Kagome swung her backpack down to the ground, and pushed her hands into the small of her back glad to be able to stretch after sitting on public transport all day. She had been walking up the steep mountain trail for about twenty minutes, and guessed she was about halfway to the shrine. Time for a little break and she definitely deserved a snack. She sat down on a moss-covered log next to the path, sipping water and munching appreciatively on the pale pink mochi bought at the little family run stall near the bus stop at the base of the mountain trail. It was well past her usual lunch time, and the sakura mochi sweetened with red bean paste was just what she’d needed.

Her mind pondered the weird interaction with the stall owner as she swallowed the last mouthful. She’d been chatting happily to the smiling old lady after she made her choice and handed over her coins, and it had been a total surprise when the woman had gasped in horror when she’d explained where she was travelling. The tiny woman had shuffled away into a back room, pushing aside the sun faded noren that hung in the doorway and returning moments later with a small object clutched in her arthritic hand. She had thrust it into Kagome’s palm – a yakuyoke omamori.

“For protection against evil”, she’d whispered, looking around suspiciously as if they might be overheard by someone, folding Kagome’s fingers over the small yellow brocade talisman and squeezing them tight. “Stay on the path – I warned your Grandfather, but he refused to listen.” Before Kagome could thank her, she’d disappeared behind the fabric divider again. The conversation was obviously over.

Kagome pulled the small rectangular amulet out of the pocket of her cut off denim shorts and held it in her palm again. She held it up by the looped string, watched it twisting in the sunlight filtering down through the green canopy above, the gold brocade glinting. She smiled indulgently at the old woman’s superstition. Her Grandfather was the same; he’d been brought up in a Shinto shrine and still followed the old ways.

He had spent many hours telling her traditional stories about youkai and miko, and his childhood growing up in a shrine. She’d even considered taking on a part-time position as a miko at a nearby shrine while she completed her university degree as a way to earn a little extra, seeing she was already familiar with many of the duties. But then she’d found a job at her local café that fit her lecture timetable and nursing placement at the hospital, so she hadn’t pursued it, even though she was sure it would have made her Grandfather very proud.

Mama had been a little worried about Grandpa moving back to the mountain shrine traditionally run by his family, but Kagome had understood. He’d moved from Kumamoto prefecture to Tokyo to help look after them when Papa had died, but he’d never really been happy there. Now that his older brother had passed away, he was the last person left to take over as caretaker, unless her or Souta decided to move here.

She breathed in the clean crisp air, enjoying the novelty of solitude. A gentle breeze rushed through the branches above, reminding her of the sound of the sea. Small birds chirped nearby, and black and white butterflies flittered through the soft beams of afternoon sunlight dappling the dirt path in front of her. She took another deep breath. All was quiet and tranquil, so different from the constant bustle of Tokyo. There probably wasn’t another soul around for miles.

“You know, that little scrap a cloth ain’t gonna do shit for ya.”

Kagome shrieked, jumping up from her seat on the fallen log and away from the deep voice that had whispered directly into her ear.  She twisted, almost losing her balance and tripping over as she turned abruptly to see who had broken the silence.

A man was standing there behind the log. Lean, but broad shouldered and a whole head taller than her, a teasing grin on his face. No wait – fangs? Along with claws, short silver hair and… were those dog ears? A youkai then? Kagome wasn’t frightened; she had a few friends at university who were youkai. Shippou was one of her best friends, and Jinenji wouldn’t hurt a fly. She frowned at the grinning male, taking in his black and red checked jacket, dusty jeans and axe resting on his shoulder as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

“You scared me you jerk! What are you, some kind of wood cutter?”

“That’s exactly what I am”, he smirked. “And I take it you are lost.”

Kagome bristled slightly at the insinuation. Obviously, he was under the impression that the weak little woman needed saving. “No, I’m not lost! I know exactly where I’m going. I’m walking that way”, she said, pointing up the mountain path.

“Then you’re headin’ in the wrong direction woman. The main road’s back behind you.”

Kagome hmphed, crossing her arms. “Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not headed to the main road. I’m walking up to the shrine.”

The tall man’s eyebrows lowered, and he frowned at her, shrugging the wooden axe handle from his shoulder to drop the heavy metal blade on the forest floor with a dull thud. “Why would ya wanna go up there? It’s just a long dusty walk with not much to look at. Nothin’ interesting, no pretty stalls to buy trinkets at, no food, not even a vending machine. You’re wastin’ ya time. You’d better head on back to the road before the last bus comes.”

“Shows how much you know. My Grandpa lives there, he moved there about three months ago. I’m going to visit him.”

The man’s amber eyes widened in surprise. “So, you’re jiji’s granddaughter huh? He’s a stubborn old coot.”

Kagome frowned at him. “You just told me that no-one lived there!”

He smirked, leaning forward a little. “No, if you’d been listening woman, you’d know that I said there was nothing of interest up there – that’s not a lie.”

“Hey, don’t be rude!”

He sighed, scratching his chin with a clawed forefinger and looking upwards to the tree line above as if the conversation was already boring him. “Well, since you’re related to him, and he is kinda my neighbour, I suppose I should introduce myself. Name’s Inuyasha.” He nodded his head in what Kagome supposed could be called an approximation of a bow.

Kagome sighed, clasping her fingers together on her thighs and leaning forward. Just because he was an overly macho grump didn’t mean she couldn’t be polite. “My name is Higurashi Kagome. It’s a pleasure to meet you Inuyasha-san.”

He grinned at her again, one white fang poking over his bottom lip. “It ain’t nice to lie to people Higurashi – no one’s ever been pleased to meet me my whole life, and I doubt you’re gonna be the first.”

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him as she straightened up. “My apologies Inuyasha-san”, she huffed. “My Grandpa is expecting me.” She swung her heavy backpack up onto her shoulders and turned to continue up the mountain path. A grumbling growl followed her.

“Hey, Higurashi Kagome.” She paused. “If you are gonna waste your time goin’ up there, keep your wits about you. You’ve got a couple a hours before sunset, make sure you get there before it gets dark. And stay on the path.”

Kagome turned to face him again, her eyebrow twitching. “You’re the third person to say that to me today. I didn’t think there were any bears left in Kyushu!”

“It ain’t bears ya gotta worry about around here”, he said with a growl. “Just stay on the path Higurashi. And trust your gut!” With that he shouldered his axe and turned to head off into the trees.

“Hey, what about you?!” Kagome yelled behind him as he disappeared in amongst the trees, only the occasional flash of white or red showing his whereabouts, his progress through the heavily wooded forest almost silent.

“Doesn’t apply to me woman; I live here! And I ain’t a weak human like you are. Stay on the path!”

“Jerk!” Grumbling, Kagome hitched her backpack more comfortably on her shoulders and shoved the tiny talisman back in her pocket. If she never saw that grump again, it would be too soon for her.

 ___

 “Grandpa, are you here? It’s me Kagome!” She tapped on the door of the little house behind the shrine. The shrine building and grounds had been still and empty, the bell silent, no incense burning in the large holder, and twigs and leaves littering the gravel around it. Maybe Grandpa wasn’t feeling well enough to sweep them away? The little house seemed silent also, and a small shard of disquiet lodged in Kagome’s chest. What if Mama was right, and there was something really wrong with Grandpa? She tried the front door, but it was locked firmly.

The windows at the front were covered by blinds, so Kagome headed around the side of the house. A small window near the back of the house was uncovered, and she cupped her hands around her face, trying to peer in. The late afternoon sunshine lit up the small kitchen and the scene inside increased her worry. The sink was filled with more than a day’s worth of dirty dishes, and broken glass and spilled rice littered the floor. The door to the refrigerator was wide open.

Kagome ran to the rear of the house, knocking frantically on the back door. “Grandpa! Grandpa, can you hear me? Are you okay? Please open the door!” She twisted the doorknob, and sighed in relief when she found it unlocked. She dropped her backpack and loosened the tops of her hiking boots, toeing them off next to her Grandfather’s neatly arranged shoes.

“Grandpa? Grandpa, where are you?” Kagome ran into the kitchen, stepping carefully around the broken glass on the wooden floor to avoid cutting her sock clad feet. The small tatami room off to one side was empty save for a low table and seating cushions.  The short hallway ended in a bathroom; an open bottle of pain medication left on the sink.

Kagome slid open the door to the next room – her Grandfather’s sleeping futon was still laid out on the tatami mats, the quilt messily turned aside. Kagome was beginning to panic now. She had never known her Grandfather to leave his futon out after sleeping. She glanced unhappily around the room for clues to his whereabouts, her hands clenching and unclenching, but there was nothing except for dust motes drifting through bright beams of sunlight filtering through the paper shoji screens.

She walked back to the kitchen unsure of what to do. Should she call Mama straight away? She pulled her phone out of her pocket, noticing that her battery was nearly dead – she’d been reading and listening to music on the train and bus for hours, so she wasn’t surprised. But calling Mama without knowing where Grandpa was would just frighten her. What should she do? She turned to close the door of the refrigerator and was startled by a sudden tap on her shoulder.

“Grandpa!” She dropped her phone in her surprise, flinging her arms around the old man and bending down to hug him close. “Where were you, I was so worried!” She pulled back to look at his face. His eyes looked bloodshot and his eyelashes were wet, and it looked like there were traces of tears on his pale cheeks. Had he been crying? And the way he was looking at her was like he didn’t recognise her at all!

“Grandpa?” she said uncertainly. “Are you okay? It’s me, Kagome.”

His eyes blinked, and then a wide smile curved his lips. “Ah, Kagome my child, it’s good to see you. Your mother said you would be visiting during your semester break. How are your studies progressing?”

“Never mind that Grandpa! What happened?” She pointed towards the broken glass and spilled rice on the floor.

The old man shrugged and walked towards the broom resting against the refrigerator. “Nothing to worry about. I’ve had a slight cold this week. I was making lunch and had a bit of a dizzy spell. I decided to go sit in the open air outside the shrine and clear my head a little before I cleaned up.”

Kagome bit her lip, trying to push back the pure panic that had been rushing through her only moments before. “But why didn’t I see you? I looked everywhere for you Grandpa!”

Kagome blinked. For a moment, she had thought she saw a look of extreme anger on her Grandfather’s face, but she must have been mistaken. Her Grandfather reached up and patted her shoulder.

“We must have just missed each other dear girl. Go sit down and I’ll make some tea.”

“No, no, I’ll do it. You haven’t been well, and that’s why I’m visiting after all. Please let me look after you Grandpa.” He smiled at her indulgently.

“Very well, if you insist. I’ll go sit down.” She watched him walk out of the kitchen, his steps a little uncertain, like he was still dizzy. She was concerned, but thankful. Things weren’t as bad as she had feared. She would look after him for a few days, and he would be back to his normal blustery self.

 ---

 Kagome bustled around the little kitchen, putting the kettle on the stove and emptying her backpack of the treats her mother had made to bring, twisted azuki bread, tiny matcha butter cookies and a selection of her Grandfather’s favourite tea. She put a plate of treats and a cup of tea on a tray for him, trying to make it look as beautifully presented as Mama would have, and carried it into the tatami room where he was seated on a cushion, gazing at nothing with a vacant expression on his face.

He turned his head towards her at her as she entered the room. She noticed his eyes still looked a little bloodshot; even his iris looked different, the usual dark brown looking almost dark red. He blinked at her, taking a moment to respond to her presence as if he had been deep in thought. Maybe he had a headache? He tilted his head to look at the tray.

“Thank you, child, this looks lovely.”

Smiling happily, Kagome placed the tray down in front of him. “It’s no problem at all Grandpa. I’m just going to go clean up in the kitchen, and then start on dinner okay? Drink your tea before it gets cold.” She watched him reach for the cup, tremors shaking fingers as he reached for his tea. He was definitely ill, but knowing him, he was probably hiding exactly how ill he was from her. She almost chuckled, thinking of what that rude woodcutter she’d met on the trail had said to her earlier - he really was a stubborn old coot wasn’t he.

Kagome plugged in her phone to charge, then finished the washing up, leaving it on the side of the sink to dry, ready to put away later. She used the broom to sweep the spilled rice and broken glass into a little heap near the bin, but couldn’t find a dustpan and brush. Rather than disturb her grandfather, she picked up the biggest pieces with her fingers. A jagged piece sliced across her palm and she dropped the collected glass with a yelp.

“Is everything alright granddaughter?”

“Don’t worry Grandpa, just a little cut, everything’s okay”, she called back. Holding her other hand under her dripping palm she walked over to the now empty sink, wondering where her grandfather might keep his first aid kit. She didn’t think the cut was deep enough to need stitching, but it was stinging quite badly. She must have nicked a blood vessel, because it seemed to be bleeding a lot. She turned on the tap, ready to run it under the water, when her grandfather’s hand shot out from behind her and grabbed hold of her wrist.

“Show me your hand.” Kagome flinched. How did he get into the kitchen so fast, when he had looked so dizzy before? And his voice sounded… odd. Not caring like it usually would if she had injured herself. She turned to look at him as he inspected her palm carefully, the bright red blood pooling in her cupped hand.

“Grandpa, please, it’s gonna drip everywhere and make a mess. Let me… ow, you’re hurting me!’

His grip on her wrist was suddenly fierce, and she whimpered trying to tug her arm back. When did her frail Grandfather suddenly get this strong? His slightly long fingernails were almost piercing her skin and it felt like the bones in her wrist were close to cracking. “Grandpa, please stop!” She tried to look into his eyes to catch his attention, but he seemed to be almost mesmerised by the warm blood that was now beginning to run down her wrist and over his fingers.

“It smells so sweet”, he muttered to himself, ignoring Kagome’s whimpers and efforts to pull back her hand entirely. “I can sense the power of it. Who would have thought such a prize would come to me willingly? I had thought to wait until the mother arrived, but it would be a shame to waste this.” He suddenly jammed the forefinger of his other hand into the open wound and Kagome shrieked, watching him with horror as he pulled back his finger and placed it into his mouth, tasting her blood. He moaned softly, almost like a lover would, then bent his head to slurp and lick the blood out of her palm, pulling at the cut with his other hand to encourage the blood flow.

Kagome tugged backwards frantically trying to get away, her sock covered feet slipping on the wooden floor. This made absolutely no sense. Had her Grandfather gone insane? Had the isolation of the shrine made him crazy? This couldn’t be real! She moaned in horror and he looked up at her, his lips, teeth and chin coated in her blood. His irises were pure red, full of rage and lust and a horrible stench reached her nose, like rotten meat. He grinned at her; his once kindly face unrecognisable.

“No need to prepare dinner Kagome-chan”, he grinned malevolently. “I already have plans.” Purplish black miasma began to leak out of his eyes and mouth and Kagome felt her stomach turn. She reached behind her frantically with her other hand, feeling for anything that might aid her escape. Her fist closed around a heavy cast iron fry pan and she swung it at her Grandfather’s head with all her might, connecting with the side of his skull. There was a flash of bright pink light and she heard a wet cracking sound. The crushing grip on her arm loosened.

Kagome tore her arm away and bolted towards the doorway, shoving her feet haphazardly in her boots. She couldn’t look behind her. She felt like she needed to vomit, but she held it in, retching as she slid open the door, ignoring the beauty of the sunset highlighting the sea of green stretched out below as far as the eye could see. She had hit him. What if she’d killed him? What if she’d killed her own grandfather?

“Kagomeee-chaan…”

Kagome put down her head and ran, shuddering with horror. Whoever it was in that kitchen, it wasn’t her Grandfather.

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Into the Woods - Part 2

[xoxopandapanda]

InuKag 2019: Day 1

@inukag-week (HI!!! Thanks for putting this together again this year! Very excited to participate!!)

Opposites Attract

“You two are so much alike, it almost hurts.”

Souta’s offhand comment may have appeared to be innocent, but Kagome knew better. Souta never said anything unless there was a meaning behind it. He was a cunning preteen after all.

“Oh yeah?” she turned around in her chair, silently thankful for the break from her algebra homework. “What makes you say that, you little twerp?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Souta entered her room, drawling out the vowels while speaking to his older sister. Settling himself down onto her bed, he leaned back onto his hands and tossed her a reproachful look. “Maybe your attitudes?”

Kagome scoffed and crossed her arms, fully facing her brother. “What attitude? The only one with an attitude here is you.”

Souta kicked his feet and carefully considered his next move. The verbal sparring between siblings required careful consideration. He took in her seated position: feet firmly on the ground, arms crossed and hands holding opposite elbows. She meant business, so he had to get her off her guard. “You know, you look almost exactly like him sitting like that. He does the same thing when you scold him.”

Kagome blinked, taken aback by this new information. This was not where she thought this was going to go. Souta had bested her expectations and preparations for this conversation, and there was not a whole lot of time to retort. Mentally conceding to the defeat, she unfolded her arms and tucked them into her lap. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the eleven-year-old across from her. He may have bested her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want information out of him. “When did you get so observant?” She asked, hoping to stare him down.

Points could still be won.

“I see you less and less these days. I noticed changes easier.”

Or not. Kagome felt fully defeated in that moment and realized that Souta had a point.

Kagome sighed and kicked her feet awkwardly. She didn’t know how to respond to his statement. It was true. She was around less and less these days, barely keeping up with homework and killing her social life in the modern era.

But she was needed in the feudal era. There was not a whole lot else she could do.

Kagome wondered what brought on Souta’s inquiry and invasion of her room. Normally, he was very respectful of her study time, although he had no problem wandering in and out of his sister’s room when he pleased. Maybe he missed her.

Kagome stood, stretching by raising her hands above her head and swinging her arms in circles, much like how Inuyasha stretched just before going into battle. She motioned for Souta to follow her and walked towards the door. “I could use a break. Wanna watch a movie?”

Souta leapt off her bed in excitement, beating her to the open doorway and rushing down stairs.

“Only if I get to pick it!” He called after her, bounding down the stairs, two at a time.

Kagome walked slowly after him, snorting out a comment about not wanting to watch a children’s movie.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Inuyasha walked through the front door and into the living room. Grandpa had been reading the morning paper, enjoying the quiet of the morning and peace of the empty household, but he knew with the arrival of his honorary grandson, the peace was gone. He continued to hold the paper up to his face, but stopped reading it, watching the other person in the room very carefully.

Inuyasha tossed Grandpa a half-interested look, rather unconcerned with him. A quick assessment of the situation told Inuyasha, however, that no one else was home.

Inuyasha plopped down and stared out the window. Mama Higurashi had put a bird house just outside the living room giving him something to look at. He stuck his legs under the table and leaned back on his hands, getting comfortable for a long wait.

Grandpa watched the teenager with careful eyes.

Normally he would have fussed about Kagome not being home or being hungry when he first walked through the door.

But here he was, sitting quietly and watching the birds come and go from the birdhouse.

Grandpa was suspicious.

He knew he should have taken this time to finish reading the newspaper and be grateful for the quiet, but he couldn’t overlook Inuyasha’s sudden stillness.

Grandpa lowered the paper and rested his hands on the table.

Inuyasha, finally noticing Grandpa’s stare, flicked an ear over in his direction, but did nothing else.

“What’s gotten into you, boy?” Grandpa’s voice broke the silence.

Inuyasha turned his head and rested his cheek on his shoulder. Squinting his eyes at the older man before him, Inuyasha responded, “What do you mean, old man?”

“You aren’t making any kind of fuss about leaving or eating. Are you feeling okay?” Grandpa leaned forward to put a hand on Inuyasha’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”

Inuyasha stared hard at Grandpa. “Kagome told me I had to be more patient. That’s what I’m doing,” Inuyasha shook his head to remove Grandpa’s hand. “I’m being patient.”

Grandpa glowered at the boy before him. “Since when do you have any idea of how to be patient?”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. “I can be if I want to be.”

“Oh, so you want to be patient.”

Inuyasha didn’t respond at first. He watched a little swallow duke it out with a slightly bigger one for access to the bird house. Inuyasha had never really been a patient person, a fact he was well aware of. But since Kagome had come into his life, he found himself wanting to be.

It was strange, the affect she had on him.

“Yeah,” Inuyasha said, “I guess I do.”

Grandpa was seemingly pleased by this response and folded his paper up and started to read the weather forecast for the week. “You remind me of Kagome, sitting like that.”

Inuyasha looked away once again from the birds outside. “What?”

Grandpa didn’t look at Inuyasha, but repeated, “You remind me of Kagome. She sits like that when she’s relaxed.”

Inuyasha thought about how he was sitting, legs in front and arms behind. How many times had he seen Kagome doing the exact same thing on a grassy hillside on a quiet day?

Maybe the old man had a point, Inuyasha considered.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Kaede watched Kagome pick off her peppers from the stew and put them in Inuyasha’s bowl. Inuyasha for his part, only slightly paused in his scarfing to accept the offering of extra food.

Kaede thought back to when the two of them first met. They couldn’t have been more opposite. She was kind in her approach to things; he was brash and unwavering. He was reluctant to trust anyone and faster to pick a fight; she was an open book and trusted to willingly. She was open to new experiences and quick to forgive others; he was jaded by a world that had rejected him and offered no one a second chance. He relied on himself only, self-sufficient in every sense; she relied on her community and those around her.

But here they were, what felt like a lifetime later, talking and sharing food.

Kaede could tell that Inuyasha’s strength and resilience was rubbing off on Kagome. She had become a strong young miko, one that stood on her own two feet and stood up for what she believed in. She was steadily becoming more and more of a force to be reckoned with.

Inuyasha had taken in some of Kagome’s softness. While he still picked on Shippo and started fights where ever he could, Inuyasha had become kinder. He was watching his mouth more, and he was offering help around the village when he was around.

The changes in both of them were so miniscule that someone who was meeting them for the first time would have no idea about them.

But Kaede did.

Watching the two youth interact, Kagome sharing her food (although unwanted portions) with Inuyasha and Inuyasha trusting Kagome enough to eat that close to her told Kaede much more than the other occupants in the room could ever know.

Opposites attract for a reason.

[recentanimenews]

Horimiya – 13 (Fin) – Gifting the Sky

Like Yuru Camp, Horimiya ends with an ending, namely high school graduation, and all the bitter-sweetness that comes with such an event. Kyouko and Shuu had been gradually emptying out their lockers day by day, but no one else thought to do so, which means they’re forced by default to help Yuki, Izumi, and Tooru with her much larger loads.

While cleaning up the StuCo office, Remi, Kakeru, Sakura, and Akane all agree to go on a post-graduation trip once one of them gets a driver’s license. Remi momentarily feels a bit lonely about the prospect of her boyfriend being able to drive far away from her, but…he’d never actually do that!

Speaking of hypotheticals, while Kyouko is napping in Izumi’s lap (a cute quiet couple moment I wish there’d been more of), he ponders what might have been were it not for all of the little coincidences—like saving Souta—that led to him not only befriending and falling for Kyouko, but everyone else in their circle of friends.

He imagines an alternate reality in which no one ever approached him or interacted with him, but things simply happened around him. Remi has shorter hair for some reason, Sakura doesn’t know Tooru, while Kyouko and an unnamed friend ogle Akane.

Kyouko wakes up, snaps him out of his daydream, sits in his lap, and says it must be fate that brought them together. But even if fate didn’t exist, Izumi likes to think the world would gradually move in the direction he wanted.

Graduation Day arrives, and as StuCo president and class rep, Kakeru is ready to give his big speech, only for Izumi to sneeze loudly before he can get a full word out, causing the entire class to start snickering. After the speech, Kakeru chases a contrite Izumi, who hides up on the roof.

There, he encounters his old, lonely self, tells him how well things have gone and how happy he is, and then looks at his old self for the first time, promising he won’t look away again. The old Izumi, in turn, decides he’ll “disappear” for him, no longer needed.

A parade of farewells and see-you-laters ensue. Tooru stumbles over a goodbye with Sakura before she holds her hand out for him to shake, and tells him she genuinely had the most fun ever this year, and he was a part of that. Awww. Similarly, Akane tells Yuki how he wants to join everyone on a post-graduation trip, and Yuki preemptively thanks him for doing the driving.

Kyousuke arrives after school to see Izumi, much to Hori’s chagrin, and is momentarily mistaken for Izumi’s dad (as opposed to future dad-in-law). Finally, Motoko gets a taste of Iura’s loud, peppy high school persona, and it’s a shock to say the least, though no doubt she’s happy to see that side of her brother.

Finally, our cozy lovey-dovey titular couple walk together to get some sushi with Kyouko’s fam, hand-in-hand. Izumi remarks how he once feared all the boundaries between him and Kyouko, but no longer. The two are so close, they might as well share the name Horimiya…and that’s fine with him, because wherever she goes, sunny days follow.

The spring sky looks bluer and more beautiful than he’s ever seen—so much so that he wishes he could repay Kyouko for shattering his old reality and wanting a future with him…by gifting her that sky. The vivid colors, soft focus, and dancing sakura petals add to the sense that Kyouko and Izumi are on cloud nine. If this ends up being the last we see them in anime form, I couldn’t ask for a lovelier parting shot!

Horimiya was by no means perfect. I didn’t always agree with some of the narrative choices made after the couple slept together, and there were ultimately a few too many characters to juggle (with Shuu, Akane, and Sawada getting particularly short shrift) but at its best the central romance was as fun and electric as anything I’ve seen in the genre. It certainly won’t be a series I’ll be forgetting anytime soon.

By: sesameacrylic

[chamomilehoneytea]

i just read your recent post of knt and ohmygod. oh god. i really feel like crying :') it's gonna end soon and they all are gonna part ways. can't wait to see the ending esp for the side couples!! anyway, i'm really into friends-to-lovers stories, can you recommend some animes/mangas that are based on that? i need to distract myself from knt ;-; thank you sm for bringing us updates and everything!!

Hey @chokokonhanbin​!! I’m sorry for replying so late!

I’m crying right there withyou!! Even though the story has been winding down for about a year nowthis announcement really makes the impending conclusion seem real… While I’mgoing to miss the series a ton, I really can’t wait to see how Shiina wraps everythingup for our main characters! She’s been working on this series for over tenyears, so I’m sure she’ll take great care with the ending. And hopefully we’llget that heavily foreshadowed timeskip epilogue so that we can see them allworking and married and having babies (omg!!). 

Friends-to-loversstories are the best! I’ve compiled a list for you of some anime and manga thatI think fit that category, although some of these might be a bit of a stretch.I tried to pick series in which the relationship isn’t mutually romantic fromthe very beginning (of course, sometimes one harbors secret feelings for theother, as in the case of Ryu and Chizu :D). Many of the series I’m recommending are not “romances” but they do contain romantic subplots and relationships.

Theremay be some small spoilers in here, but I’ll try not to give anything majoraway - just enough for you to see if you might be interested.

Let’stalk more under the cut…

ANIME

1. Akatsuki no Yona (Yona ofthe Dawn) 

Thisseries is a really popular shoujo about a sheltered young princess, Yona, whois forced to flee her kingdom after her father, the king, is murdered. Shenarrowly escapes with the help of her childhood friend / bodyguard, Hak,and the two set out on a long and dangerous journey…

I’veonly seen the anime adaptation, but the story is really great; Yona grows a lot and hasexcellent character development. Her relationship with Hak is also reallywell-done - if you like protective male love interests who would die for the girls they love, I think you’ll enjoy this!

(Bonus,she collects a lot of male friends throughout the story, so if you’re intoreverse harems…)

2. Gosick

Ifyou’re a fan of mysteries with a little gothic flair, you might really enjoyGosick! The story is set in the first half of the 20th century at a fancyacademy in the fictional European country of Sauville. Kazuya Kujou, a bulliedstudent at the school, meets a mysterious, doll-like girl in the library - thetwo lonely teens gradually become friends while unraveling all kinds of mysteries.

Thisseries has some dark elements, although I don’t remember it being too graphicor intense. The two main characters come to rely on each other, and theirrelationship is really sweet. 

3. Kiznaiver 

Ican’t say too much about this one without getting into spoiler territory, butit’s about a group of teenagers, all from different backgrounds and social circles, who arebrought together as part of a secret experiment. The story is literally allabout feelings (literally haha), and there’s a lot of falling in love and romantic angst. While I would say the story is primarily focused on the natureof friendship and empathy, there are a few friends to lovers pairings…

4. Shinsekai yori 

Thisis an incredible, thought-provoking story, and I highly recommend it for that.If you like dystopian / sci-fi settings and themes, this will probably appeal to you -again, I don’t want to give too much away, but there are a few friends tolovers relationships. Though I wouldn’t call this series a romance, it does explorehuman relationships, and consequently, romantic relationships do receive a fair amount of focus. 

5. Toradora! 

Toradorais, in my opinion, one of the best romance series out there. The two maincharacters are both outcasts, for different reasons; Ryuuji is a kind, gentleboy with an intimidating face, while Taiga is prickly and aggressive in spiteof her small stature. These two unlikely friends unite to help each other findlove - Ryuuji has a crush on Taiga’s best friend, Minori, and Taiga has a crushon Ryuuji’s best friend, Yuusaku. Their relationship is developed really well,and there are a lot of really emotional moments. Can’t recommend it enough!

6. The Rose of Versailles

Anoldie but such a goodie! This series from the 1970s takes place in pre-revolutionaryFrance and follows Oscar de Jarjayes, a girl from a noble family who hasbeen raised as a boy from birth. The only biologically female guard at court,Oscar is assigned to protect the newly arrived future queen of France: the verykind, but very naive, Marie Antoinette. 

Thisseries is completely amazing. Oscar is an incredible and complex character whowrestles with her gender identity while kicking ass and thwarting all kinds ofassassination plots. Plus, there’s a pretty complicated relationship with herbest friend since childhood, Andre… If you like history, drama, courtscheming, sword fights, old school bishies, sparkles, and tons of angst, I think you’ll enjoy this. I will warnyou, this is not a happy or light-hearted series (French Revolution) and it’skind of on the long side (40 episodes).

MANGA

1.Hotaru no Hikari

Hotaru is a young woman in her late 20s whose social life is practicallynonexistent; she loves nothing more than lounging around at home in casualclothes, eating junk food, reading manga, and sleeping. She finds herself living in a house that is owned and occupied by her handsome 40 year-old boss, Takano; though he likes to pick on her for being a “dried up woman”, he always helps her through the problems in her messy love life.

Hotaru and Takano are at very different points in their lives, but they become such good friends over the course of the series; they feel completely relaxed and at home when they’re together. Will this unconventional friendship blossom into something more…?

2. Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare

This manga is by the author of “Ao Haru Ride” and “Strobe Edge” and is currently serialized in Bessatsu Margaret, alongside “Kimi ni Todoke.” The story revolves around 4 high school students, two girls and two boys. One female protagonist, Yuna, is a shy but sweet girl who loves shoujo manga and has a very idealistic view of love. The other, Akari, is a bit more jaded and has had experience with relationships, giving her a slightly more cynical, realistic perspective. Rio is Akari’s stepbrother, and though Yuna has a crush on him, he’s secretly been in love with Akari since before their parents started dating. Kazuomi is Yuna’s childhood friend, who despite his seemingly carefree nature, has a lot going on under the surface.

Both pairings begin as friends and are still building towards romantic relationships. It’s interesting to see how the characters change through their interactions with each other - it’s a great high school shoujo, and I think the characters are fairly complex for teenagers. 

3. Koiiji

This series is a pretty mature love story. The main character, Mame, is a 30 year old woman who has harbored unrequited feelings for her childhood friend, 35 year old father and widower, Souta. Throughout her life she has confessed to him, only to be turned down; still, she continues to love him. 

The story is not sugary or idealistic - it feels very grounded in reality, even if that reality is complicated and at times disappointing. Souta doesn’t magically fall for Mame, and her love may come to nothing in the end. But the story is really interesting, and the characters are pretty well-realized - they’re always capable of surprising themselves and the reader. If you want a more realistic, bittersweet story, then I think you might enjoy this.

I hope some of these series interest you! Looking at this list I realized I don’t actually watch / read too many friends to lovers stories - but I do really enjoy them, and these in particular had relationships that stood out to me. I saw that you liked another recommendation ask I published recently - I would also recommend all of those manga series to you as well! Thank you so much for reaching out to me, and happy watching / reading!! :)

[srchani]

Re:Creators E8

I have to talk about this. It’s been an hour since I first watched it but my head has yet to stop tingling from the excitement this episode.

The first thing on this list is the ending. It’s too strong of an ending that it almost wiped out everything that came before out of my mind. Mamika acted upon the information she just obtained after talking things out with her best friend in this world. There is another story there but let’s stay focused. Mamika’s discourse with the Military Uniform Princess went as expected if the story is to continue. But what happened was so fast, so savage, and so explosive that my mind got scrambled by this quick exchange, then it stopped at the climax. I want nothing more than the next episode airing right now.

I get the feeling that many people like this episode only for the ending. Seeing someone turned into a pincushion then into a nuclear bomb is definitely more intriguing and more memorable than several minutes of dialogue. However, this episode is more than the payoff at the end and the things that it does well, it does really well.

Maybe it’s just me but I really like how much the characters talk in Re:Creators. In some cases, it is an overbearing method of conveying ideas but I find that the nuances almost always make every interaction engaging. In addition, dialogue is most natural in this what-if scenario because of how different world views are. Meteora and Mamika exemplify this sentiment in their attempts to make sense of the new world they find themselves in.

In this episode, we have several conversations, the most important ones being Mamika’s conversations with Aliceteria and Altair. 

The first one is a discussion about the nature of secondary creation, in relation to Altair’s existence. The content is an interesting rumination but we’re slowly reaching a dead end that needs some serious work to breakthrough, because it’s becoming clear that all this digging around is leading to nothing helpful. 

The second one is a brief meeting between Mirokuji and his creator. It doesn’t seem to have much significance currently but it serves as a contrast to the other characters’ reaction in the same situation. This is an example of the what-if scenarios that I’m watching the anime for.

The third one is Souta’s consultation with Meteora. Souta seems to have resolved himself to share some of his thoughts, perhaps inspired by his conversation with Mamika. Then he learned that everyone kind of sorted things out without him. He almost folded but Meteora managed to open him up for new information, then shared some of her wisdom for Souta to process. Regardless of the story, it is a rather touching scene that I wouldn’t mind experiencing for myself (meaning that I want to be friends with a game character and maybe cry to her). 

Another thing that is worth talking about is how the anime makes the characters act. This scene makes me understand Souta and Meteora better just by their action. This is present in other scenes but because of how quiet the scene is, the actions feel bigger. 

Aside: Souta is a sympathetic character who has his personal conflict that has a still unclear connection to the main story with Altair. However, I can’t get invested in his character because has been is rather ineffectual so far and the story failed to spell out what exactly he can do to help with the situation. This is just me connecting the dots but the most he can do is changing Altair by redeeming himself before her. Although, this solution would then make the rest of the creation have less weight in the story.

The fourth is the conversation between Mamika and Aliceteria. This seems to be the final scene with them together and it was very good farewell. Aliceteria isn’t primed but I’m pretty sure she understand what a person who is planning to disappear is like. The two girls shared one final moment before the confrontation and they confirmed their affection for each other. I like how they shared their thoughts about the world and the events that had happened. Aliceteria puts her grievances to words and Mamika spins it into a positive light, as much as she could. This is just another step in developing their relationship but then it’s one that I had come to appreciate more than the simple what-if scenario it started as. 

This scene also serves as a contrast to Souta’s consultation with Meteora. Since the last episode, I’ve been thinking about how Mamika seem to just show Souta how to be an active character or “how a protagonist would act”, which makes Souta’s character seem even more egregious that it normally would be. Mamika has the power to affect change and she has the will to seek information and act upon it. Mamika can connect with Aliceteria; Souta had to be opened up by Meteora and even then he still has some reservations. The different is more apparent looking at the scenes where the characters hold hands. Maybe it’s an unfair comparison because one pair shares the experience of being summoned into an unfamiliar world and gathered under a false messiah of sort while the other has a more distant friendship.

The fifth is Souta’s chance encounter with Magane. We got a bit more out of Souta but like with Meteora, the partner, Magane did most of the work. There is cut where Magane nabbed Souta’s phone which can be connected to on how these characters relate to each other. Meteora reached out to Souta, Mamika connected with Alicetera, now Magane imposes on Souta. Maybe this is looking too deeply but I like the idea here. It shows how vulnerable of a target Souta is.

This encounters is setting up for further developments. I don’t know much where things would go but given the current information, I’d guess that Magane just wants to harass people. Really, this is just me failing to understand Souta’s significance in the main narrative of saving the world from edgelord Altair.

The sixth is Mamika’s confrontation with Altair. It is the culmination of Mamika’s character arc, from the point she realizes that this world is different from the one she existed in up to her facing villain who took advantage of her naivety. This is an interesting dialogue, considering everything that came before it, because Altair had no plan to back down. Mamika’s words have a lot of weight to them and really speaks a lot to her status as a heroine. There is also a sort of novelty to hearing two characters with their concrete beliefs clash ideologies. I didn’t seem very natural but the audience can just think these are fictional characters come to life, then it just becomes more convincing. This is an example of the what-if scenarios that I really enjoy in Re:Creators. What if this bitter character who wishes for destruction meets this childish warrior of justice? 

---

Other notes: 

-I find the visuals of this anime hit or miss. I think it is too ambitious. There are shots where “the camera” just does whatever even though a more effective and less distracting one would do. There are also parts where the characters emote or act but it doesn’t quite look right. In this episode, Meteora tilts her head like she usually does when she affirmed Souta that she is a friend, but her left eye looks a bit too low. 

-The song kinda ruins the mood at the end lol

-It took me too long to write this so my thoughts kinda got lost and tangled over time. 

[too-raph]

For the character meme ... Wakiya,Naoki ,Ukyo,Quon ,Xhaka aaaand Daina! (I'd say Rantaro but then i will feel like I don't know you at all! Haha)

Under a cut bc, predictably, it got long. Sorry it took me a while to do!

quick note: it would have taken me forever to determine my favorite headcanon for everyone, so instead it’s just the first one I thought of, haha

Wakiya!First impression:A Little Shit. I thought he was funny, but honestly wasn’t sure if I’d like him all that much.Impression now:A lovable little shit, completely ridiculous, and actually a very good kid. I love him a whole lot more than I thought I would.Favorite moment:Episode 28 is a really good time tbqh. And anytime he mocks people by imitating them. ALSO whenever he argues with Rantaro, of course. When he gets along with people for a change.That Wakiya has lots of good moments.Idea for a story:WELL there’s that prince AU we discussed that one time. Wherein Wakiya is an unhappy prince in a tower, and rescue/escape shenanigans take place with regular-civilian Hoji and son-of-a-guard Rantaro. (Yes all of my ideas are 100% self-indulgent don’t look at me like that.)I actually would love to write smth with it one day, if I can figure out how to multi-chapter fic again….Unpopular opinion:I was going to say that I think he’s way too popular in general but I don’t really mind thatFavorite relationship:KumiWaki or WakiHoji, I love them both so much.Favorite headcanon:Hoji’s parents treat him like just another one of their kids when he comes over - albeit more formal, but it’s easier to drop the “young master” when he’s staying at their house for dinner and the like.…I p much really love any headcanon dealing with Wakiya+found family (whether it be Hoji, BeyClub, the staff at his house, etc), bc I wish the show dealt more with his constantly absent parents/need to make his dad proud.

Naoki!First impression:

Impression now:Not as annoyed with him as I was at first. Like, I want to protect him now. I usually hate his character type, tbh, but BeyBurst does a really good job of making me care about characters when I ordinarily wouldn’t, bc everyone is just A Good Kid deep down. Like. He’s just lonely… Someone please be his friend…Favorite moment:

Idea for a story:Naoki Makes FriendsUnpopular opinion:Idk if anyone even thought it was accurate but his calculations about who has the most influence over Valt are SUPER WRONGFavorite relationship:??? I haven’t thought about it, but now that I’m thinking about it, I want to see him interact with Team Beasts. Kensuke, Ben, and the rest would be good for himFavorite headcanon:He becomes a regular at Valt’s mom’s bread shop/bakery.

Ukyo!First impression:That his introduction was hilarious (newsflash Ukyo’s been here the whole time) and also that his bey was really nice colors.Impression now:Nerd. Probably does the Naruto run. Very pretty hair and less insufferable than I assumed. :’DFavorite moment:The scene where Daina is like “stop just showing up behind me” and Ukyo is just like “LIKE THIS?” as he shows up behind Daina. Comedy gold.Also when he’s just casually fixing Quon’s skateboard?? He’s Sword Flames’ resident handyman I guess.Idea for a story:¯\_(ツ)_/¯Unpopular opinion:Yugo Is CoolerFavorite relationship:SWORD FLAMES IS A GOOD TEAM. When he and Yugo stand around talking about people gives me life.Favorite headcanon:he wears heelys

Quon!First impression:Sk8er Boi, very talented, with pretty eyesImpression now:Same as above, tbh. He’s a good kid!! Quetzalcoatl is cool.Favorite moment:The scene where he lets Valt try out his skateboard is cute. I also love how his bey can also do Cool Skater Tricks, just like him.Idea for a story:Something about his training journey would be fun.Unpopular opinion:???Favorite relationship:I really want to see him interact with the other members of Sword Flames more.Favorite headcanon:He likes snakes!

Xhaka!First impression:A Large FriendI loved him right off the bat, tho I think his pointy teeth had me worried that he’d turn out to not be as nice as I was hoping? Glad that was dispelled pretty quick.Impression now:I STILL LOVE HIM, HE’S SO GOOD, WHAT A KIND SOULFavorite moment:*sobs* when he says nice things to Kumicho,,,Also that part where he’s just…exercising in a tree like

what’s up guysAH, and when he carries Tokonatsu and Nika around!! Cute!!Idea for a story:A collection of one-shots where Xhaka goes around picking people up for various reasons (to help them reach smth, gave too enthusiastic of a hug, etc)Unpopular opinion:He’s my personal favorite spin emperor, and I’m mad he got knocked out of the tournament before any of the others…bc now everyone’s like “so he doesn’t count as a spin emperor anymore right” and I’m like…rude…Favorite relationship:I LOVE..SWORD FLAMES…Just the fact that he’s pretty friendly with everyone is so cute.Favorite headcanon:No matter how tall he gets, he has a talent for never hitting his head on a single doorway

Daina!First impression:He looked like a pirate so I was automatically excitedImpression now:Such a wonderful kid. A good brother and friend. So small. But so mighty. The goth we’ve all been waiting for.Favorite moment:thE CAT SLEEPING ON HIMAlso anytime his deadpan humor is a thing, I love it.Idea for a story:Daina and Rantaro and That Time They Didn’t Go To Nationals With The Rest Of The Squad.Also I’ve had this idea for a kinda cliche AU where Daina can see ghosts and Shu is, in fact, a ghostUnpopular opinion:I...I like his English dub voice. (not better than his original voice, but.)Favorite relationship:Shu, (BBG please don’t..forget..)Also his friendship with Kensuke is cute, especially in the early BeyClub days when it was p much those two thinking Valt and Rantaro were ridiculous.His place as a Wakiya Apologist can’t be ignored either.aND SOUTA, boy do I love siblings,Favorite headcanon:His hair is just kinda...Like That naturally. I mean, not 100%, but,

....And I’m going to do Rantaro, too, bc you said his name and I will take literally any excuse to talk about my son. Do Not Feel Obligated To Read This Predictable ThingFirst impression:the second I saw his character design, I Knew(TM)Impression now:!!!!! Most important child, the light of my life, an absolute treasure, etc. Favorite moment:EVERYTHING...Well, I do love whenever he wins. And when he carried Tokonatsu and Nika home from the park. That time he trained with Valt until they got so tired they collapsed in the beydish. Those little instances when he talked to Hoji! Picking Valt up in an excited hug! Literally every time he gets mad at Wakiya! Stealing off of Trad!I LOVEIdea for a story:Too Many....including some I’ve already started that I really need to finish, oops.Unpopular opinion:He absolutely deserves to be in Spain with Valt.Favorite relationship:Wakiya and Hoji of course - and also Valt!! Favorite headcanon:When he was younger he injured his nose doing something ridiculous (like, walking into a door/wall) and thought the bandage made him look tough so he kept wearing one.Also: Bottomless Pockets

[linkspooky]

I love your personal opinion about ui! I.e coconut head XD yeah and despite his cute appereance he very strong n that explain why ishida throw away all suffer to him :' but what ur opinion about other cute man like furuta? To be honest im neutral to him, but i dont know why i like when they both together. Not in plot perspective, but my personal interest with cute man :'D

I’m actually really interested in Furuta and Ui’s relationship. Even though I said Furuta will never regard Ui as an actual friend, that doesn’t mean that their interaction and the way their personalities clash isn’t interesting. It’s basically Ui being promoted from Arima’s babysitter, to babysitter of the world’s worst six year old. 

As for my opinion of Furuta, well I sure do talk about him a lot. I regard Furuta the same way I do Arima, in that they’re both characters with really delicate to balance writing that could either turn out fantastic or terrible. Which is why I think it’s no coincidence at all that both Arima and Furuta tend to be totally polarizing love them or hate them characters. 

Arima’s writing has always been a lot more solid though. Arima was established from the beginning as the strongest character, and him showing up at the end of Tokyo Ghoul and his enigmatic actions throughout the few chapters he did show up are all giant signs that blare ‘this character is important.’ Therefore when he did become important again in :re, his foiling to Kaneki and his setup as Kaneki’s ultimate antagonist of the cochlea arc all came about pretty flawlessly. However, Arima’s writing also falls apart almost completely at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I still do personally like Arima. I’ve wrote about him countless times. However, there’s a problem with the way Arima is framed after his death that I like to call “Saint Arima.” Since the story is told from Kaneki’s perspective, the flawed characteristics that Arima portrayed is pretty much completely erased after his death. 

Tokyo Ghoul is a manga that is thematically opposed to the idea of martyrdom. That’s why Kaneki’s martyr complex has always been treated as selfish. The manga wants to say “All you can do is live with loss” as Yomo would put it. Therefore Arima’s death really should have been portrayed as what it was. Arima not having the confidence to reach past what he was born as, and live as himself, and instead choosing to frame the conditions of the world’s revolution around his death. 

In less poetic terms, if Arima was the most powerful ghoul on the planet and he didn’t want to kill ghouls anymore, why didn’t he just?? you know kill the washuu??

That’s not a dig against Arima’s character, that’s just his flaw. He genuinely couldn’t conceive any redemption or path for himself that did not end in his own death. It’s tragic and sad, but it’s also pathetic and should have been treated as such. If the narrative condemned Kaneki’s martyrdom it should have condemned Arima’s as well. Instead we get about five chapters of his death, then several after of characters just mentioning the fact that “Arima is dead” and how much that sucks. 

I still think the content of Arima’s actual character is really quality, and I’m in love with the concept of a character raised to kill, who secretly values life and because of that only wants for death. However, I think the framing around his character falls apart at the end. 

I went on a large tangent about Airma, because I wanted to explain how important I think character framing is, and how framing can even ruin a well developed and complex character. It’s a delicate balance too, especially with more controversial characters like Furuta and Arima. I think the problem with Furuta is exactly the opposite of Arima. Furuta has a really weak introduction and narrative framing with almost no substance to establish his place in the narrative. However, once Furuta is there, everything he’s done so far has at least been active and interesting enough to make him gain momentum as a character. 

Rather then getting a really strong introduction like killing the main character, Furuta’s introduction is as Souta. Then as himself in one panel that we didn’t even realize he was a main character till about 80 chapters later. Souta himself didn’t really exist in the narrative as anything more than a background character. Not even an interesting one like Uta, who just screams “I have a backstory”.  @randomthoughtpatterns​ even did a piece on how Uta had more narrative clout to make the Washuu reveal seem more important that Furuta did. [x]

Noro, had more narrative intrigue than Souta did.  At least Noro’s strange kagune makes you want to figure him out and immediately calls a mystery to mind. The reveal that it was Souta himself who dropped the bars on Kaneki at the end of Tokyo Ghoul meant basically nothing because he wasn’t really a character. He was just some guy who followed Nico around and showed up at the Gourmet club twice. 

Since Furuta had a weak introduction, Sensei had to do a lot of hurrying to make Furuta seem important when it was his time to shine. The Matsumae scene is one of these examples, where the twist is that it’s Furuta rather than Hairu who cashes in Matsumae’s obvious death flag. This was probably the most well done of Furuta’s introduction scenes, because everything was set up beforehand, you knew Matsumae was going to die but you did not know how. It took a surprise turn when Hairu and Kijima were both defeated, because it looked for a moment like there was no other investigator that could kill her. Hairu and Kijima also, have important foreshadowings that could qualify as red herrings for Furuta. Hairu was a garden child, and Kijima had many signals that looked like he was associated with V from the way he dressed to his introduction mirroring Kaiko’s. In the end, it’s Furuta who cashes in both of those foreshadowing, being a garden child and an important V member. 

However, the two other demonstration of Furuta’s power after that are both really rushed scenes. The Furuta Eto fight, which was built up for an entire arc ended in a one way beat down offscreen, and possible fridging of Eto to estalbish Furuta’s strength. How lame it is to fridge a character aside, it’s just not entertaining in general to watch an entire fight happen offscreen. Especially a fight with substance, because Furuta and Eto represent two different kinds of revolution. Besides, we don’t know a lot about how Furuta is strong, is it garden training? Is it entirely Kanou’s fault? Does he just know a lot about surprise and trickery?

We don’t know it all happened offscreen. The other major one is the happening in chapter 98 where Furuta basically just teleports to the Washuu island, slaughters what have been the head of a 100 year regime that controls Tokyo with an iron fist overnight, and apparently kills a man whose been established as being able to fight SSS ranked ghouls, known as the demon Tsuneyoshi, apparently while he was sleeping on his desk. The thing is there’s also a lot of potential to establish things about Furuta with this scene if it had been just given the time it needed. You could have shown what Furuta’s plan was, how exactly he convinced the clowns and V to side with him and exterminate the Main Washuu family. Furuta could have walked the grounds as the Washuu were being slaughtered, and had flashbacks of his childhood and what led him to this point. We could have at least seen the Washuu put up a decent fight so they didn’t seem like the lamest conspiracy managers ever. However, it all happened offscreen so who cares. 

Everything that has happened to establish Furuta has been super rushed and shaky. He’s a character that came out of nowhere and now the entire narrative revolves around him. However, if this is going where I think it is and Furuta’s not the true final boss of Tokyo Ghoul then at least Furuta’s arc will be thematically sound. 

He’s Kaneki’s shadow after all. He literally did not show his true nature until Kaneki remembered his true self. Then suddenly as Kaneki takes importance in the narrative on the ghoul’s side, Furuta occupies the place he would have on the CCG side. In the illusion of the moon arc, Furuta seems like the most important character then. However, what establishes him is shallow and he likely won’t last long.

If he sticks into that strict framework then I might find myself liking Furuta. The problem though is the same as Arima, Furuta risks becoming a very bad character if his framework loosens even a little bit. He can quickly seem like a character motivated only by misogyny and an unfounded grudge towards Rize. I think the character should focus a lot more on the Washuu, and how Furuta feels towards the hollow system of patriarchy he was born into rather than his weird childhood crush on Rize he can’t let go of. The writing with him shines a lot more when he’s pointing at the CCG and laughing.  

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Animate Times Online Interview

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Talking About Their “Love of the Work” For “Hanyō no Yashahime”! An Interview with Matsumoto Sara-san, Komatsu Mikako-san, and Tadokoro Azusa-san Who Voice the Half-Demon Princesses!

“Hanyō no Yashahime” has been broadcasting on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV since October 3, 2020 (Saturday). With the pasts of the “Yashahimes”, the daughters of Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha who appeared in “Inuyasha”, having been revealed, mysteries have become clear but conversely deeper… The surprising yet complex development has received a big response.

With that, we were able to speak with Matsumoto Sara-san (role of Higurashi Towa), Komatsu Mikako-san (role of Setsuna), and Tadokoro Azusa-san (role of Moroha) who voice the heroines!

As something that inherits the world of “Inuyasha”, the three play the Yashahimes while placing importance on the dialogue atmosphere of the (recording) site. They discussed a lot about the recording situation and their love for the work.

A Major Analysis of the “Yashahimes’” Charm and Explanation of Each Character

— To start with, what sort of impression did you get when you first found out that a new story about the daughters of “Inuyasha” was going to be created?

Matsumoto Sara-san (written as Matsumoto going forward): 1. The shock was huge. When I heard that the characters I watched as a child had kids, I was like “I wonder how they were born!?” (laughs).

“Inuyasha” is a work with a fantasy element to it, so it was to the point that I had this weird idea that they wouldn’t be born like how humans are normally (laughs).

I was also excited to see what sort of different things the children of the next generation inherited.

Tadokoro Azusa-san (written as Tadokoro going forward): I was also really surprised. It was a work that I loved, so I knew it had been wrapped up beautifully.

That’s why I was surprised like “To think there would be a new sequel story!” but at the same time, I felt happy that the story would inherit from “Inuyasha”. I can understand Inuyasha and Kagome-san having a child but Sesshōmaru-san?! (laughs).

Before I started preparing for the audition, first I wondered “Who’s child is it with!?” (laughs). I received the character design so that I would be able audition and Moroha’s character design was deeply moving. What physical appearance she inherited from both of them (Inuyasha and Kagome) was as and beyond what I imagined.

Komatsu Mikako-san (written as Komatsu going forward): When I was first told about the audition, I saw just the title and thought “I got something that’s titled like “Inuyasha”” (laughs).

Then it turned out to be a work that legitimately inherited the world of Inuyasha. Not to mention it was the story about Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru’s daughters. I was surprised but Miroku’s (and Sango) children were depicted in the final episode, so I thought “It’s possible!”.

I could see a continuation after that. As someone who read the original work, I felt nostalgia and happiness that I could touch a work that I enjoyed as a child all over again.

I was really excited that the world of “Inuyasha” that we didn’t know was about to be born and we could get to touch the Inuyasha world again.

— Could you please tell us about the charms of Higurashi Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha that each of you play?

Matsumoto: Since Towa’s backstory alone was that she was raised in the modern era, unlike Moroha and Setsuna, I think she feels the closest to our “current” reality amongst the characters.

Since Towa’s thought process is based on what she’s seen in the modern era and influenced from being raised by Souta’s (Kagome’s little brother) family, there are scenes where she’s told “From a feudal era standpoint, you’re weak” or “No, you’re too soft” … I wondered “Will Towa be able to deny that in her own way?”, but she attempts to accept what they say like “Guu” (laughs). She’s kind at her core, so it felt as though she inherited that blood from her mother.

I think she’s a child that other people will say “She’s just like that person”.

Tadokoro: Moroha seems like a fool at first glance (laughs). She’s rather reckless to the point that even sound director Nagura Yasushi-san tells me “Please act more stupid”. Her facial expressions and emotions change constantly and it’s to the point that it’s hard for me to keep up (laughs). But that’s the part that I never get tired of watching.

She has a simple-minded side that acts before thinking, but she has a surprising side like how she’s managed to live on her own under fairly difficult circumstances, exceling in battle, working out a plan, and giving out orders. I think she’s a character that the more you get to know her, the more you like her.

Because she’s survived on her own, she has a noble, determined, adult-like aspect to her, but she also posses the innocence of a child so I think she’s a really cute.

Komatsu:  Setsuna is the opposite of Towa, who grew up in the modern era, in that she grew up in the feudal era. In terms of Sesshōmaru’s personality, she has his calmness and closely resembles his speaking mannerism, so you can feel she really inherited his blood.

But having grown up in a village and getting involved with the (demon) slayers on top of that, she can understand others (emotionally), so you could say that’s a direct difference from Sesshōmaru. I can feel a kindness towards humans or rather, a sense of humanity from her.

After meeting with Towa… While not having her childhood memories is a big part of it, Towa lived a soft way of life completely opposite to her (laughs) so she gets annoyed but because she acknowledges that Towa has an aspect to her that she (Setsuna) doesn’t have from that, it sways her in her own way.

There’s still the fact that she’s 14 years old so I think that she “properly displays the realistic swaying of the heart”. In contrast to staying composed in battle, I think she feels “So there’s that way of thinking too” from watching how Towa does things and her way of life. She won’t say it out loud though.

In scenes where “……” is written in the script, I think she’s reflecting on things first in her own way.

She does take part in the periodic comedic scenes (laughs). She surprisingly gets into the mood. She’s the type that can read the mood (laughs).

Tadokoro: You’re right! (laughs) She’s well rounded.

Komatsu: I’m thinking that being raised with people had an influence.

Placing Importance On the “Atmosphere” During Recording

— With times being what they are, we heard that recording is being done in small groups. Among them, it seems there are many times where the Yashahimes are the last to record, so how is recording like?

Matsumoto: Though we’re in this situation, acting is a living thing, so they’ve made it where we record with people we have interactions with as much as possible.

There are times where it’s only Azusa-san, the two of us (Towa and Setsuna), and then interacting with other casts members which is how we’ve been recording. The three of us interact a lot, so there are many times where we’re together.

Tadokoro:  Conversely if we don’t interact (in Moroha’s case), we don’t really get to see each other (laughs). There are many times where I record with the Takechiyo and Jyuubee-san team.

Komatsu: That’s right. There are many times where Moroha acts independently, so there’s a pattern of her getting left behind and we don’ get to meet. We’re like “Sorry Moroha” (laughs).

Tadokoro: …… It’s lonely (laughs).

Komatsu: (laughs) We’ve placed importance on scene changes while recording, but I’ve been able to firmly interact with the voice actors of guest characters that I may not have been able to meet with this kind of recording.

From that, I’ve heard voice acting seniors tell me “My daughter is enjoying the anime”. If we’ve been influenced by “Inuyasha”, then there are voice actors whose daughters are watching the anime, so there are times where we talk about our love for the work.

I think it’s a work that allows cast members to communicate with each other in such a short time.

— I could tell the three of you get along based on our current conversation, do you have many opportunities to talk to each other like for example, before recording?

Komatsu: We talk before and after recording.

Matsumoto: We do. Whenever we go to record, the script for the next episode is set out. When we arrive, first we sneakily read it and check with each other like “Did you read it?” (laughs).

Komatsu: While being perplexed (laughs). We all get along.

Tadokoro: After we’re done recording, there are times where the actors go visit the “Inuyasha” Collaboration Café. There’s a feeling that we’ve been accepted into the Inuyasha family for which we’re grateful.

– Are there not many times where you are motivated by each other’s acting?

Matsumoto: Hmm yes… The first documents I received was a character design done by Takahashi Rumiko-sensei and a simple correlation diagram. I was told “These three are who you’re going to be auditioning for” and I thought “When the Yashahimes get a voice and move, what sort of character will emerge?”.

But now that recording has started, hearing your (Komatsu and Tadokoro) voices and seeing your acting before my eyes, I’ve come to understand like “Aah, I see!”. However, at the beginning, I thought “in any case, I can’t cause trouble to the two of you”.

Komatsu and Tadokoro: No no no, not at all!

Matsumoto: No no no! (laughs) I thought “No, I’ve got to keep it together!”. I receive a lot from the two of you.

It’s just that, as mentioned earlier, there a lot of times where we’re moving independently from Moroha. But even if we don’t interact with each other, if we’re creating something serious, then Moroha’s scene will become more fun and vice versa. Even if they’re in different places, their emotions are still linked together is what it feels like a lot of the time.

There are lot of things for me to take in from going to the recording studio and starting the test (recording). “I’m receiving things (from Moroha and the others) like this so I have to work harder” is how I feel.

Tadokoro: That makes me happy. You see during the audition, I auditioned for the roles of the other two besides Moroha. But to be honest, I couldn’t picture the voice. When we actually recorded together, I thought (while smiling) “this is it” (laughs)

Komatsu: “This is it” (laughs)

Tadokoro: It’s not wrong to say that everyone fits their role perfectly… How do I say it? It felt as though I saw the answer like “Aah, it can only be this!”.

Towa spent her time in the modern era, but it was depicted as though she didn’t really fit in. However, she’s a character that really sways as she hasn’t gotten used to the feudal era either.

That’s why she makes remarks that are little off, but with Sara-san’s straight forward and honest acting, it makes me feel “Ah, Towa can say things because she has her own beliefs”.

Even though it’s a difficult role to play, the acting makes you want to be Towa’s ally and I really like it. Her personality is really mixed in.

Komatsu-san’s acting really has Sesshōmaru-san mixed in which makes me go “Wow!”. I think it’s really difficult to incorporate Narita-san’s (Ken) acting because she’s a girl. While bringing out that strength, there’s still the cuteness of a 14-year-old.

I also auditioned, so I truly felt how difficult it was. I think it’s Komatsu-san’s skill that brings out Setsuna’s broadness. She’s really cute when she shows affection (laughs).

Komatsu: I’m so happy, thank you very much! Just as Koroazu-chan (Tadokoro) said, I think each person’s character has their “personality” mixed in.

Towa has a sharp appearance and you get the impression that she’s boyish at first glance, but she’s very friendly. She could probably survive in any era. She probably likes people because she grew up with the Higurashi family.

She’s the same with demons in terms of killing of them, her thinking is “No, killing is wrong”. She’s good at fighting, but it’s as though she understands the weight of a life. That friendliness is something that Sara-san also has.

She has strong communication skills, flatly interacts with people at the (recording) studio no matter who it is, and she’s fun to talk to. It’s like she’s a drawer full of fun conversations, which I think is similar to Towa. If you look just at Towa’s lines, “What a bother” “What a pain” are straightforward but when you add that friendliness, it becomes softer.

I think Setsuna feels “It’s not bad” too (laughs).

Moroha’s acting of truly being Inuyasha and Kagome’s daughter is straightforward, so when I first heard her voice I thought “This truly is it! This is Moroha!”.

I think only Koroazu-chan… can bring out Inuyasha’s crudeness and Kagome’s strong core and suppleness. Koroazu-chan’s sort of playful silliness overlaps with Moroha and makes her cute.

If Inuyasha’s character was the only thing inherited, she would simply be a crude girl, but she adds Kagome’s strength and cuteness. Because Moroha has something about her that’s a little off, Setsuna lets it slide as she talks (laughs). This is Koroazu’s magic!

To Setsuna, the two of them are “people she can love”, so even though she couldn’t straight out accept things in the beginning, she’s slowly coming to accept the three of them…. Well, they are relatives after all (laughs).

— Earlier, Matsumoto-san said she didn’t want to cause the two of you trouble, but did you feel that kind of strong pressure?

Matsumoto: Yes. It might be to the point that I’m pulling my cheek like “You’re just being soft!” but I don’t have much experience (in animation) ……

Komatsu and Tadokoro: No no no, not at all……!

Tadokoro: On the contrary, I’m the one who feels that “I need to keep up with the two of them”. I always go home feeling depressed (laughs).

Matsumoto and Komatsu: No no no (laughs).

— This has turned into a chorus of no’s (laughs)

Matsumoto: My heart really pounds. Every time, just before I go to record, I mumble to myself (in a somber voice) “Yeah… I’ll do my best today… yeah” (bitter smile).

When I actually interact with their (Komatsu and Tadokoro) acting, I feel uplifted like “Aah, right! That’s right!”. There are a lot scenes in the story too where I’m told “Get a hold of yourself!”, so it reverberates.

— Matsumoto-san, as both the character and yourself. During such scenes, is there anything that you are careful or mindful of?

Matsumoto: If I had to pick, I would say I’m conscious of not becoming too tense. Rather than creating the story from 1 to 10, getting pulled by the others, or conversely pulling the others too hard, I want to create the scene with the two of them. I’ve been careful of this even before episode 1.

Komatsu: At the beginning of the story, a lot of the times, Towa speaks first. In other words, with the first lines, Towa brings out the story’s energy.

I, on the other hand, have found that helpful. Like “Alright, Towa’s going to drag me around today too!” or “You can do it Towa!” (laughs).

Matsumoto: (laughs)

Komatsu: Towa and Setsuna are like “stillness and motion”. Towa’s an energetic child, so she puts her all into everything she does. She brings that energy at the beginning, so that pulls me along. Part of the (recording) site’s atmosphere.

Tadokoro: That’s true. When recording starts and I hear Towa’s voice, it feels like “Yashahime has begun!”

Matsumoto: That makes me happy, thank you so much! You’re always treating me kindly. It’s truly a state of “What can I offer?” (laughs).

Tadokoro: I’m glad that were able to do “And…!” (translator’s note: Like “On the count of three” or “1, 2, 3…”) together from the first episode. The atmosphere of the (recording) site is harmonious like "Let’s do this together!”. I’m a timid person so that’s saved me.

— I’m sure each of you feels an atmosphere that can only be felt at the (recording) site, but is there a sort of “Inuyasha”-ism in the air as well?

Komatsu: The “Inuyasha” team already has something put together as the “Inuyasha” team, but I think that team feeling is something that’s carried on via the production team and cast formation.

Because it’s a work that we know and love from the start, there’s something like “a common interpretation” so the bonds are strong.

Especially Sara-chan, who thoroughly reads the script. She’ll clearly ask questions and doubts like “Would it be alright if we acted this part like this?” ####--.

Matsumoto: (as though panicking) What!? You saw……!?

Komatsu: Fu fu (laughs). The sound director and director Satō Teruo-san properly answer those questions and doubts. I think there are cases where asking those kinds of questions at a (recording) site to get clear answers can be hard and answering can be hard, but this (recording) site has room for discussion. Not only will they accept, but based on that, you can take a stance of “Let’s do that no matter what” which I really like.

— What a wonderful team.

Komatsu: Yes. It’s just as I said before, we all simply get along.

Matsumoto: I can really feel that. I can feel something like a “team spirit” from being able to communicate with everyone.

Tadokoro: But I feel like the two of you are creating that atmosphere. It’s like the seniors are also comfortable (laughs).

I’m the type that doesn’t talk much due to being nervous, but because people who voice the guest characters explain the work and come talk to me, I always feel a gentle atmosphere flowing.

Thanks to that, I’m able to talk to my seniors. I’ve come to call Koyama-san (Tsuyoshi), who voices Jyuubee, “Big Brother!” and Fairouz Ai-chan, who voices Takechiyo, immediately comes to talk to me. There are a lot of scenes where the three of us (Fairouz Ai-chan, Koyama-san, and myself) talk to each other, so creating that laid back atmosphere at the (recording) site really saved me.

The Explanations During Battle Really Hit Hard with the Feel of Inuyasha

— We would like for you to please tell us what scenes you played that left an impression on you and what scenes you found difficult.

Matsumoto: Episode 14. It’s the episode where you learn why Towa and Setsuna got caught in the forest fire when they were young…… Regardless of the fact that the enemy appeared, I felt sorry for him.

Komatsu: Ah yeah~ It was so passionate wasn’t it!

Matsumoto: Yes! There’s the scene where Homura, who burned the forest, took his own life and it tugged at my heart during recording.

When Towa became unable to move at sight unfolding in front of her, the feeling of Setsuna calling her back like “Get a hold of yourself!” is so heartrending, fleeting, and beautiful that I can’t forget it even now.

However, there is an intolerable truth that makes me furious……

There’s a scene where… just when we thought we found the culprit in that episode, someone was actually pulling the strings from behind and father was near that person. We also don’t know anything, so we were honestly like “Father what are you doing!”.

Everyone: (laughs)

Tadokoro: What made me think this was just like “Inuyasha” was that even when they’re surprised, in a critical situation, attacking with their moves…  or any scenes like that, they thoroughly explain things (laughs).

Matsumoto: That might be especially true for Moroha!

Komatsu: Moroha really does a lot of explaining (laughs).

Tadokoro: It’s like “This is what the seniors did!”. For example, when the enemy explains their attack (laughs).

Although, even without an explanation, you still have to project the force of the battle scene or sense of surprise. It’s hard on a technical level but when I think that “This is what our seniors did”, I get fired up. Like Miroku-sama talked a lot (laughs).

Komatsu: Yeah yeah, he gave clear explanations (laugh). For me… the episode I looked forward to like “As long as you’re a half-demon, there’s definitely going to be this episode!” was when Towa’s hair color changed in “Night of the New Moon, Black-Haired Towa” (episode 12). Also, the episode with Miroku and Setsuna.

Setsuna kind of forgot but she remembered like “Oh yeah, there was something like that”. Unable to withstand the seething blood she inherited from Sessh��maru, the fact that it was actually Miroku who placed the seal surprised me. I thought there would definitely be episodes with the new moon and demon transformations like in “Inuyasha”, so I was looking forward to it.

The relationship between Miroku-sama and his son, Hisui, was good too. I fell for him all over again like “Look at you Dad! You’re not a father who just isolates himself in the mountains doing (spiritual) training!”.

The Existences of Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru Will Become Addictive

— We are going to change the subject a little bit, but was there a character that influenced you personally? Tadokoro-san, you professed that seeing Yajima Akiko-san’s performance as Kohaku in “Inuyasha” is what made you pursue voice acting.

Tadokoro: Yes. That’s why I would say Kohaku was the character who influenced me. Until then, I never paid attention to the person behind the voice.

However, coming in contact with the work “Inuyasha” left a deep impression on me of the amazingness of acting. Especially Yajima-san’s voice…… for example with daily conversation, it exuded the sort of life he had lived to reach where he was now. That was the moment I became aware of the work of voice acting, so I think Kohaku influenced me the most.

Komatsu: In terms of a character that influenced me, I would say Kagome. She was closest to my age when I was watching “Inuyasha” at the time and a heroine… I followed the story from Kagome’s point of view, and I thought “I want become a girl like Kagome!”.

She was a little strong-willed but optimistic, and she always faced people properly. Kagome has special powers but even when you took that out, Kagome herself is a very strong girl. I grew up thinking I wanted to become that kind of strong girl.

In terms of other girls, I would say Sango and Kikyō. I feel as though I was quite influenced by the girls.

Matsumoto: For me, the character named Riku in “Yashahime” is mysterious and I’m really curious about him as I act. There’s the fact that what he truly is still hasn’t been revealed yet… In “Inuyasha”, it was clear which characters were depicted as good or evil, so on one hand, I personally discovered that if you look at it from the opposing perspective “This is just another form of justice”.

However, you don’t know if Riku is a friend or foe. He’s a character that your eyes end up following. I think viewers are also going to get strung along.

— We asked a variety of questions today but lastly, could you once again tell us the appeal of “Hanyō no Yashahime”?

Matsumoto: It was the same in “Inuyasha”, but the depiction of going between the feudal and modern eras was carried over into “Hanyō no Yashahime”.

The work’s time setting is the same as “Inuyasha” so people who watched “Inuyasha” can enjoy it, and I think it’s easy for people who haven’t seen it to understand. There’s a variety of ways that people of all generations can enjoy.

I think there’s the appeal that you can casually enjoy the work, but at the same time, there’s a lot of things entwined at different places. I think there’s a lot of people doing investigations. I think it would be fun unravel things in your own way and then compare to the story afterwards.

You can fantasize who will get with who in “Yashahime” (laughs), it would be great if you can enjoy it in many different ways. It’s such an appealing work that I want to say, “Everything is appealing!” (laughs).

Tadokoro: I totally get the fun in investigating. They don’t really tell us much about the story ahead, so we just hype on our own with our imaginations. Because the world of “Inuyasha” was that appealing and filled with loveable characters, as fans, we’re curious to see what sort of lives their children will have.

Watching as an average viewer, everyone’s beautiful aspects, including the characters that make you go “are they villains?”, are appealing (laughs). Like I instantly liked Kirinmaru. His appeal is so great that you end up looking ahead so to say. You can’t overlook things because there’s a lot of mysteries, and that aspect of things getting complicated is a charm that I think is carried over from “Inuyasha”.

Komatsu: What “Inuyasha” didn’t have was “the girls are the protagonists”. Furthermore, though they are girls, the three are half demons that are not girly at all. There are no humans among the protagonists (laughs). If you think hard on that, that’s a fun aspect.

From the perspective of the generation that watched “Inuyasha”, in a sense, an Inuyasha world without Inuyasha and the others feels strange. Their daughters are the protagonists and the answer behind the question of why they can’t meet their parents is a key point of the story.

Meanwhile, there’s a lot of cheerful dialogue among the three girls, so I think that enjoyment is one of the highlights. In a way, you could say it’s “a daily life of slaying demons”. If we were in this world slaying demons, it would be something like this.

Like “I slayed demons today too, but I didn’t leave anything to show for it! I don’t have money~! I can’t get a meal~!” (laughs)

There’s a joy that you can see the silver lining of “In order to live in that world!”. We’re part of the generation that wanted to travel to that era by jumping into the well in Inuyasha, so we’re grateful that we’re able to enter that world.

Also, every important point that smells of Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru will become addictive.

Tadokoro: The way they appear is good.

Komatsu: Yeah! Only their feet appear! (laughs)

Tadokoro: Just when I think “I want a little something of Inuyasha”, it shows up in a nice way.

Komatsu: Yes yes yes! And then periodically they show clear flashbacks of the past which I think existing “Inuyasha” fans find irresistible.

— We look forward to the developments ahead. Thank you very much!

[geirutoneido]

Yumihikooo

[ #aai2 spoilers #death m ]

A: what I think realisticallyyumihiko looking up to miles is good but miles pushed an extremely vulnerable yumihiko to accuse his own dad for a crime that could very well end with bansai receiving death sentence, and even though bansai deserved to be accused by his own kid who he treated very badly, yumihiko loves and adores his dad and this would have been an extremely traumatizing event and i still havent forgiven miles for this! what the fuck dude!

so consider: yumihiko interacting with franziska instead and looking up to her a ton, theyre in a closer age range, have extremely similar parent loss trauma, and franziska would absolutely work on that self esteem of yumihikos because franziska only has perfect friends

seriously capcom they were both there why did they not interact at all

B: what I think is fucking hilariousevery time yumihiko meets a new CoolTM person he starts imitating them to try and be cool and smart and impressive too and with what a trip the prosecutors office is, that’s, something

yumihiko has a goth edgy phase because of blackquill (and blackquill notices but thinks its funny, especially since blackquill herself took notes on godot and franziska on how to appear confident but while being a jerk/standoffish so that no one can get close. same hat dude)

obviously music duo klavier/yumihiko if thats not already basically canon since yumihiko might already be imprinting on klav w/ his own twist

C: what is heart-crushing and awful but fun to inflict on friendsi like to think yumihiko attempts multiple times to see bansai in prison, but his dad refuses to see him every time, and he even goes as far as to use his status as a prosecutor (and benefits of knowing more influential people) to be allowed directly into the prison and still no dice.

in the end souta and tsukasa get kinda worried about him and he just ends up hanging out with them and it turns out theres like 354354 characters in prison who have dealt with parent loss/abandonment/etc and they all look out for him

souta and ryouken teach yumihiko how to play chess so he can impress miles. since yumihiko is playing with really good players he gets really good at it eventually and even though he isn’t so smart otherwise it becomes one of the things he absolutely excels at, while he stays unpredictable to miles because his play style is “make stupid mistake and then try to save your ass”

D: what would never work with canon but the canon is shit so I believe it anywayi want yumihiko and souta to be friends i literally dont care what happens in canon blease

[mononohke-archive]

Anime Roundup Pt.2 - Fall 2016 [Spoilers]

More rambling~

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable [8/10]

Another season of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure has come and gone, and it’s been quite a wild ride. Personally, I think it was about on par with the first season of JJBA. I liked it better than Stardust Crusaders because I liked the main characters better and the plot was not as much of a repetitive “monster of the week” affair, but unfortunately, it seems like they didn’t put as much effort into the animation and production values. This 39 episode season was also a full 11 episodes shorter than the two 25 episode seasons of SDC, despite the manga being slightly longer. It definitely felt a little rushed, and I’ve had my manga reader friends inform me that some of their favorite parts were cut out.

But there were a lot of things I really loved about DiU as well. Josuke quickly became my favorite Jojo after Joseph, and I like Jotaro more in this part than I ever did in SDC. The villain, Kira, is also one of my favorite characters period and so is Rohan Kishibe, played brilliantly by Takahiro Sakurai as usual. Many of the stands are hilarious and creative in this part too. I also loved the whole Scooby Doo-esque mystery of a serial killer in the town and the slice of life elements. The scale was brought down from “evil villains try to take over the world” to one serial killer who “just wants to live a normal life”... and kill women and take their hands to satisfy his compulsions, of course. It was a really refreshing change from the typical formula.

The only thing or character that I didn’t like is Koichi - partially because he gets more attention than Josuke, kind of like Polnareff in SDC (except much less likable) and partially because his voice actor, Yuki Kaji, is fucking annoying as him. Unfortunately, on top of that, he’s the character who spends most of his screen time yelling exactly what’s happening, like Polnareff and Speedwagon before him, except his voice is literally ear-splittingly irritating.

I sincerely hope that in the next part, they don’t take shortcuts like they did with this part. JJBA is one of my favorites, so I will still be waiting for it eagerly.

Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru [5/10]

I wasn’t expecting much from this anime and it still disappointed me lol. Touken Ranbu is basically a moe anime (but with a diversity in character designs that moeblobs wish they had), except the characters are male. Some of it was sort of mildly entertaining and cute, but for the most part, it was pretty boring.

... Maybe I’m just peeved because they didn’t focus that much on characters I personally find attractive, like Kogitsunemaru. You know the only reason I watched this show in the first place was because I’ve seen a ridiculous amount of yaoi for it on pixiv? The porn was nice, but I would never play the game itself, so I figured the anime would give me a little more insight into the characters and their relationships. The anime did, but it still failed at entertaining me.

So, yeah, this anime perfectly average and forgettable. Only watch if you’re super dedicated to the game.

Poco’s Udon World [9/10]

The biggest surprise of this season for me was this show. Yes, this show is my AotS (by about .2 points) over that other anime which got super popular and had a ton of praise. Well, we all go against the grain sometimes and this is my turn. Poco’s Udon World is an underrated masterpiece in my opinion. This show came off the heels of the much more popular Sweetness and Lightning, which came out the previous season. Both shows have a similar premise - a young man in his early 30s with black haired (voiced by Yuuichi Nakamura) becomes a single father due to sudden circumstances and has to take care of an adorable toddler-aged child. There are some key differences, of course, but they are still similar enough to be comparable.

Personally I think Poco’s Udon World is far superior (for reasons I will discuss), and it saddens me that it hasn’t got half the popularity of S&L. (Probably because there isn’t a cute waifu character as one of the mains, heh.) So what makes PUW so good to me? Well, besides all the cute and the incredibly heartwarming/touching nature of the show, it’s also just very well-written. The characters and their development, as well as a plethora of themes I don’t see being portrayed very often in anime or when they are brought up, are handled in ways that make me uncomfortable.

Here is just a short list of themes PUW manages to masterfully cover in a 12-episode, single cour season:

career vs family

career and family separately

fatherhood

grief and nostalgia

growing up

love

And those are just the main themes? There are other things that are covered on a more subtle level. See, I explained in my review of S&L that it was lacking an exploration of its themes and was constrained by its repetitive slice of life format. Most of the supporting characters were not very fleshed out either. PUW fixes all or most of these problems.

Every episode brings something new to the table and there is no set episode format. I also absolutely love that every character outside of Poco and Souta feels like they could be a real person, instead of being a plot device or 2-dimensional character. They all have lives outside of their interactions with the main characters, so that even when they don't get much screen time, they feel fleshed out. All of them represent a different sort of family or different sort of lifestyle or different sort of mindset, which you can easily compare to Souta's situation because they all serve as foils to him. A lot of supporting characters even get their own character development like Nakaji and Rin (Souta' sister).

And... okay, I want to analyze this show in-depth one day, but I need to rewatch it (maybe several times) before I do. Trust me, it’s cute and all, but it’s much more than that too. You might be surprised at how high it is on my Top 10 Anime of 2016 list.

Kiss Him, Not Me [7/10]

After watching two absolutely terrible otome/harem anime that really pissed me off (Uta no Prince Sama and Kamigami no Asobi), I went back on my decision to never watch an otome because this one was about a fujoshi and written by a yaoi mangaka. Somehow... it paid off. I came out of this pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this show.

Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty that annoyed me (the fatshaming, how Serinuma’s voice changes, the shoujo cliches, etc), but overall I enjoyed it more than I disliked it. Although I was only rooting for two of the love interests, Mutsumi-senpai (who is mild mannered, friendly, genuine, liked her when she was fat) and Nishina (the gay option™, also a fujoshi and otaku who has a lot in common with Serinuma, also liked her even when she was fat), I didn’t really mind or hate the others either. All of them still treated her more respectfully than LIs in the other otome I watched.

The ending was brilliant too, and if they make a second season, I would still watch it for the characters and humor.

Yuri!!! on Ice [9/10]

How do I even begin to tackle Yuri!!! on Ice? This is the AoTS for sure (in general, not to me personally) and is by far the runaway smash hit in terms of both popularity and ratings. This anime is a game changer, to put it lightly. It did something no other popular anime has done before, and the praise is honestly well deserved. But, hey, remember that it’s still not perfect. In fact, up until the very last episode, I was debating on whether it deserved an 8 or a 9 on MAL. I settled on a 9 (a low nine by my standards) only because I cried a whole lot the last episode and realized that the overall impact of the show is bigger than my minor gripes. What are those minor gripes?

#1) Off-model/inconsistent animation. I will give a slight break to the animators because I know that animating ice skating is very complex and intricate, especially if you consider just how much ice skating there is in almost every episode. There are about a dozen ice skaters, each with two different 2-minute routines. Yes, many of them are reused multiple times, but regardless it’s still a lot of work. Unfortunately, YoI missed the chance to be stunning all the way through and join the other always-praised animation greats like Cowboy Bebop and much more recently, Mob Psycho 100. Only the first episode truly impressed me with how perfect and fluid the animation was, and I was dearly hoping that they would keep up that level of quality all the way through. Sadly they don’t, but we should all thank the writing of this show for being so damn good and making up for it. Besides, aside from a few, rather obvious off-model shots, it didn’t ever get too bad, not like Cheer Danshi!! from the Summer season.

#2) Slightly rushed pacing. Yeah, some of the events of this anime just go by too fast, especially the beginning few episodes where months pass between Victor arriving in Japan and Yuuri beginning his journey to the Grand Prix Final. It’s not really made clear to the viewers how much time has passed, and even I didn’t realize until I read a tumblr post on it. Originally, I wanted a whole other cour so that I could see the ice skaters interact more outside of work, but I think that would be too much as well. One more episode (a full 13 episode cour) would’ve been perfect, imo. Thankfully, we are getting another season, so there will definitely be more time to develop the other side characters and resolve some of the remaining threads! But seriously, I hope they do slow down a little bit in season 2.

Other than that...? Gripes so minor that they’re not even worth mentioning. The amount of good that YoI has done is overwhelming my comparison. I’ll just go through them like a list again because why not?

#1) Viktor and Yuuri’s relationship. A healthy canon gay interracial relationship in a non-yaoi anime. That is just shy of revolutionary in terms of LGBT representation in an anime. “We are born to make history”, indeed. Yes, some other anime have done it too like No.6 and Revolutionary Girl Utena. But was No.6, the other one where the main couple is M/M, popular like YoI is? Not particularly. Most of the viewership comes from yaoi fangirls or LGBT anime fans seeking an anime with a canon gay ship in it. What about Utena? Well, Utena didn’t have a happy ending, not for the canon lesbian character and not for the main F/F relationship of the show. Nothing is also explicitly stated like it is in YoI. Ofc, Utena by the very nature of the show, explicitly states very little but still. There’s also a goddamn kiss!

The best part of this is that Viktor and Yuuri is that, despite their happy ending, they don’t sacrifice depth or conflict between them and the drama doesn’t feel forced either. That balance is hard to achieve and it takes writing talent to pull it off. Every action and reaction feels natural and in-character. The writing featuring them is as good as any well-written romantic drama with a hetero couple! The other great thing is that even though Viktor and Yuuri’s relationship is incredibly important to the narrative and is the main relationship overall, romance is still not the primary genre. It equally shares genres with sports, comedy, and drama.

TL:DR; Their relationship is important. It sets a precedent that a gay couple can be the main couple of an anime and still be wildly successful. Now future manga and anime writers can take risks knowing that they won’t end up being financially compromised due the lgbtphobic culture of Japan.

2) Yuri on Ice perfectly balances its genres. This may not seem that important, but it kind of is and ties into the last point about how romance is not the main genre. If romance were the main genre, then this would be a yaoi/shounen-ai anime and it wouldn’t have gotten nearly as popular as it did. Yuuri’s evolution as an athlete and his desire to win the gold for the first time is just as important as his relationship with Viktor. Yurio, Viktor, and the other skaters’ relationships with each other and ice skating is also given a lot of attention. The love and dedication to ice skating in general is prominent and that passion has attracted the attention of countless professional ice skaters. (In fact, It’s like the anime singlehandedly brought attention to a niche sport that doesn’t get a whole lot of industry unlike American football and soccer/European football.)

There’s also a lot of comedy, which may be hit and miss for some people, but I found it pretty damn hilarious when it happens. Of all the sports anime I’ve seen, only a few others try others bringing in other genres. Most are pure sports because pure sports are usually the most successful (Haikyuu!! and Kuroko no Basket). So far for me, only YoI has successfully melded together all the genres it attempts.

3) Characters. It is said that sports anime highly depends on its characters to be good and set itself apart from other sports anime... and that’s pretty true. Most sports anime follow a rigid, predictable plot structure that doesn’t allow for much creativity on that front, so aside from technical aspects like the production values, the characters’ likability are the only things that it can rely on for originality. Of course, as I’ve already discussed, YoI blends genres and isn’t just pure sports so it has more freedom, but even it follows the same basic plot structure: main character is an underdog (they’re usually underdogs) who wants to win the finals.

So, what about the characters? Honestly, they’re fucking great. The problem with sports anime characters in most cases is that authors will fall back on tired stereotypes. Even the best of sports anime tends to have really obvious archetype characters you can recognize instantly. YoI doesn’t really have that. Yes, some of the characters do follow archetypes a litte, but even in the short amount of time they are given, they end up having miles more depth than the average sports anime character. It helps that we get to see them interacting with each other off the ice too. YoI is a character driven show much more than it is a plot-driven one. The plot is fairly simple, but the characters and their development are the most important part, particularly the main character, Yuuri Katsuki. He is relatable but also very believably talented and multifaceted. Viktor comes off as kind of a passive aggressive jerk at first, but he is one of the kindest and most caring characters in the show. Yurio comes off like an aggressive little brat (and he is still a little shit, I hope he gets more development in s2), but he’s genuinely a prodigy and he cares about Yuuri’s career. Listen, I could keep going and list another 5 characters that I like, but that’s not the point of this review.

That about covers the major things... I could go on, but then I might never shut up. To summarize, YoI is not perfect, but it is still so important for the gains in made for gay representation and besides that, it’s a rich, funny, heartwarming, and interesting portrayal of figure skating. I am sincerely looking forward to season 2 and hope that it’s just as good or even better than season 1.