#i love taiyo save me save me

[jacki3moon1e]

AHKSOkdnnq

the urge to dress my gijinkas with that magical girl shit was big..

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

Any advice on how to write overprotective giants or other large monstrosities? How do I make them strongly morally gray, know when to limit the dehumanization and adoration of tiny person of interest, and how the giant seems to believe they are in the right with detaining a tiny person? Asking for a friend! Definitely not me, a lurker questioning if I should start writing on tumblr or any other writing websites....

Ooooh, fun!!

It definitely all boils down to what your giant views their brand new tiny as and whether or not they can understand each other. You can take Edix and Jacob, for example, where Edix solely sees Jacob as a pet which is heightened by the fact Jacob cannot verbally stand up for himself to disprove that. Of course Edix loves him and would never intentionally hurt him, but that love is only as strong as that for a puppy at best. It's pure adoration at the cost of being a plaything and because Edix assumes that Jacob is so weak and helpless, he fully believes he's in the right to do whatever he feels is necessary to protect him.

Comparatively, you have Ben and Milo, who can perfectly understand each other and have a tentative parent-child relationship. The problem is that Ben doesn't know how to be a legit parent, especially to something so small and foreign to him, so he has to rely on what he knows as an exterminator to keep Milo safe (trapping and caging). He's not trying to be cruel on purpose or upset him, but he can only use what limited knowledge he has at his disposal until Elysie can put him on the right track. In that case, the dehumanization can't really be helped, but Ben still recognizes it for what it is and feels guilty all the while.

Then you have someone like Taiyo who is more morally grey. His mission is to destroy all the parasites festering on Earth, which will in turn save humanity, but if humans also happen to get caught in the crossfire of a fight, well...oh well. He doesn't go out of his way to hurt them, but he's not too pressed if they are, and the only human he actively protects is Kumiko for his own personal reasons. He respects her boundaries for the most part, but that doesn't stop him from grabbing her, moving her, or shielding her when she's in immediate danger, despite what she might protest. That's an example of balanced adoration and dehumanizing, in which he'll give her some of the space she asks for to keep her content, but he'll be damned if he ever lets her try to hold her ground even though she's more than capable of doing so.

All in all, it really depends on how the tiny is first viewed by the giant. A pet, a toy, a friend in need, a crush at first sight? What kind of love are they blinded by that would make their morally grey views shift in favor of keeping this tiny from harm, and is there any real harm to begin with? Do they think the tiny needs defending simply because they small and weak in comparison to the giant, or is it because they're young, or injured, or recently defenseless?

Can the tiny ever sway their opinions that they don't need to be coddled either by telling them or showing with their actions, or will there always be some reason that the giant won't budge on despite conceding on other points? Does the giant feel guilty for their behavior, are they able to imagine themself in the tiny's shoes and knowing they'd also detest the same kind of treatment, or is it still a necessary evil in the grand scheme of things? Are they worried for the tiny's safety, or are they just possessive and want them all to themself?

If the tiny is deemed a pet or a toy, the giant probably isn't going to care much, maybe even joke about how much tiny puts up a fight despite living a new life of snuggled, babied luxury. If the tiny is something of a platonic or romantic interest, the giant might be more willing to meet them halfway on some treatments, even if they can never fully give in on leaving them totally alone in fear or something happening.

[royalberryriku]

Beta Readers Wanted!

I'd like some help with my Kingdom Hearts fanfic; Dreams of Tomorrow, with any kind of proofreading in general. Also, you don't have to be into Kingdom Hearts to help with proofreading, as I want to make this story accessible to people new in the fandom.

[Further Details Below]

The help I want includes things such as:

sensitivity readers

spelling/ grammar

just to give me an opinion on how it is to read/ how well it flows

any advice on structure

if the length is too much or too little

or you just have some general tips on the story itself!

And it's okay if you aren't comfortable with helping with spelling or grammar, even just general advice and your opinion on the story is welcome!

༺☆༻

What kind of story is it?

It is OC (original character) centric, but it does include many characters from the main series and expands on them some more. It is set pre the first game and sets up its events, so the main lore will be uncovered through the lens of someone as new to it as someone just starting the series. I want it to be for anyone of any age so I want to avoid overly mature content, but there will be some deeper and darker themes explored in a very all-ages sort of way.

As for genre, it is mostly:

Adventure

Mystery

Fantasy

Drama

With hints of:

Minor Levels of Horror

Sci Fi

Political Commentary

Romance

I'd probably define it as mostly Adventure/ Mystery.

༺☆༻

Summary (Spoiler Free):

'While we all know the story of Sora and his friends as the worlds are saved thrice over; little is known of the heroes and villains of those who struggled far away, in distant times and places. Sora encounters a travelling storyteller, whose tales of adventure, friendship, loss and love draw in the young hero. Maybe these fairy tales are merely for entertainment, or perhaps they hold a greater meaning. Sora must listen to the end to understand the truth of the tale; are these simply far off dreams, or a scattered truth to be awakened in time?'

༺☆༻

Synopsis (Not As Spoiler Free):

'Yoru, Zorya and Taiyo embark on a quest to find their respective missing loved ones, only to find each of their own motives overlap between a string of mysteries; missing students of a grand city of historical importance, a missing king whose disappearance seems to tie into the appearance of strange creatures that threaten the realm and the sudden threat from a new organisation that call themselves the 'Sin Seekers'. All the while, during this, the general populace speak of strange dreams and, inexplicably, the stars seem to be disappearing.'

༺☆༻

(I will update in the link itself as I go, but from posting I will go from the first 5-6 chapters and go from there)

[fijiwater33]

Just finished chapter 101.1 of Mission Yozakura Family, and I wanted to give my current thoughts on it at this point.

So with that said. WARNING!!!!! HERE HUGE SPOILERS FOR ANIME WATCHERS ARE BELOW!

I’ll just say this now. THIS IS A HIDDEN GEM! I’ve really enjoyed reading this story, and now I wish I read this years ago. Around the time I started reading manga again when SxF re-ignited that love.

Taiyo has such a good story going for him. The way he’s taken in by the family makes me go wild. It really feels like he’s become their brother when he married Mutsumi. My favorite moment right now being him saving Nanao from having to dropout because he couldn’t control his form. But overall it’s nice to see someone who was devastated by loss be surrounded by love.

With Mutsumi I find her very interesting. Despite not having any special powers like her siblings, and also being very sick; she’s in my opinion one of the best leading female characters in shonen jump. Despite that she’s brave in the face of danger, a quick thinker, and a great leader with a big heart. The best part is we get to see this like when Shinzo because he ran out of ammo she comforted him with a story, or when she saved Taiyo from the killer in the library.

Now the juiciest part. Their marriage. Taiyo and Mutsumi are adorable together. They are just so sweet, and wholesome with how much they love each other. Honestly best romance in any shonen series hands down!

I’ll do a part two for my current thoughts just to not make this too long of a post. And I’ll definitely post more as I catch up.

[tokiro07]

I've realized that in doing my reviews for Undead Unluck and Ichi the Witch, I'm putting a lot of focus on remembering their stories, events and themes but not much on doing the same for the rest of Jump

In the interest of trying to improve my engagement and retention for Jump as a whole, I'm going to try summarizing the events and narrative or thematic significance of every chapter in this week's issue from memory (only looking up things like names for accuracy)

If this goes well/isn't too difficult to do, I may start to do this consistently, but we'll see. With that:

Toki Reads Shonen Jump 2024, issue #46

One Piece: Luffy and co. are revealed to have been captured by Road, Hajrudin's navigator, who doesn't accept that the New Giant Warrior Pirates are now subordinate to the Straw Hats. This may lead to internal conflicts within the Straw Hat Grand Fleet

HxH: Kaiser has Fugetsu visit each of the remaining Princes on the pretense of delivering letters from the deceased Kacho so that she can use her ability to infiltrate Prince Luzurus' room and assassinate him. I honestly have no idea how this will contribute, I feel very lost when reading HxH piecemeal

Mission Yozakura Family: The Yozakuras begin their battle with the Asa-possessed Taiyo. Things are going too well, so the Bad News phase is likely to come up soon

Undead Unluck: Julia fights her way to Apocalypse and nearly loses an arm in the process, but Apocalypse's vision of justice allows him to return to his senses and show Julia Juiz's memories in retaliation to Luna's attempts to cheat. Apocalypse's death may in and of itself be the trigger for Unjustice

Me & Roboco: Three brothers straight out of a romcom move next door and try to hit on Roboco, attracted by how unattracted she is to them and their one-note, stupid gags. This is a rare gag that actually puts Roboco on the backfoot

Sakamoto Days: Shin and Heisuke reach the maze-like B2 of the prison and meet Tenkyu, a member of Slur. Tenkyu likely wants to find Atari for Uzuki's sake, which will likely put him in conflict with Shin and Heisuke and make him the antagonist of the arc

Elusive Samurai: Shizuku's human emotions of love and jealousy allow her to manifest a human body at the cost of her divine powers, saving her from vanishing from their overuse. With Mima and Shizuku's divinity lost to both sides, the war between Tokiyuki and Takauji can no longer rely on miracles or divine protection

Witch Watch: Suzuka once again asks for help cheating on one of her grandmother's traditional arts tests, this time on haiku. Tenryuu's perceptions of haiku are changed in the process, though this likely won't have...too big of an effect on his character going forward

Blue Box: The boys basketball team goes out of their way to keep Taiki and Chinatsu separated out of envy, resulting in Taiki being locked in a shed. This moves the focus back to the main couple and adds a little bit of drama to their relationship, which has otherwise been going pretty swimmingly so far

Akane-Banashi: Shiguma is diagnosed with throat cancer and may lose his voice; Issho dissolves the Shiguma School and forcefully inducts Akane into his own school. Whether Issho plans to sabotage Akane's attempts to learn Shiguma's Art or aid in it is unclear, but Akane will certainly learn something useful for it in the process

Kill Blue: Shin sacrifices himself to save Juzo from losing the cavalry battle. The battle will likely conclude next chapter, as otherwise it would now be two-on-one

Nue's Exorcist: To better understand Rido's philosophy on love, Gakuro asks to be introduced to Rido's girlfriend; it turns out that she left him because she has a terminal illness. This will likely impact Gakuro's views on love and motivate him to make a decision on which girl to confess to - hopefully we'll take the polyamory route?

Kagurabachi: Hiruhiko continues to pressure Chihiro into risking the lives of civilians so he can convince him that they're both the same kind of psychopathic killers, but instead Chihiro finds a new way to use Enten to escape his trap. Chihiro's views on murder are further elaborated on as the idolization of the Swordbearers as the heroes of the war is criticized

Super Psychic Policeman Chojo: Chojo is plagued by visions of perverse tragedies occurring to the women around him that will supposedly damage their faith in him. An ominous voice tells him that fate cannot be avoided, suggesting that even after saving the women, his strange behavior in the meantime may have still hurt his standing

Astro Royale: Himuro's backup cops are revealed to be artificially created Asteroids, taking drugs to enhance their abilities that are specifically designed to synergize with Himuro's Astro. The possibility for artificial Asteroids raises the threat level beyond what people happened to wish for when they didn't know they'd get powers from doing so

Yokai Buster Murakami: To save Kuin from execution by a council of Gendo Ikari imposters, Murakami convinces each of them to take on a new, albeit kind of cliche persona; in the process, he establishes Kuin as the new Gendo-like leader of the exorcist organization. Whether Kuin will continue as the leader is questionable, but such a sudden rise in the ranks has troubling implications for the series' longevity

Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi: Kiyoshi decimates his proctor for the Grand Cross exam, denouncing the ideology that talent is necessary to reach that rank. Kiyoshi may or may not have precluded himself from being given Grand Cross rank in doing so, but his convictions to Effort and Friendship will likely prove far more valuable

Hima-Ten: Tenichi goes to Himari for advice on his potential relationship with Kanai, which she seems all too happy to give. With this early of a development, something is either going to get in Tenichi's way (likely the new girl, Kanna) OR they'll date for a short while and break up

Ichi the Witch: Ichi rejects Uroro's proposal to go on a witch hunt, earning the approval of the Witches Association; Ichi is finally given his iconic uniform, and Kumugi is forced to join Team Desscaras. This likely marks the end of the prologue, and the real story can finally begin

Shinobi Undercover: Hibari is troubled by her lack of friendship with Mukai, despite being assigned to be her best friend, and asks Yodaka's advice; receiving nothing helpful, Hibari just becomes confused until she's attacked by Miyake and needs to protect another classmate. The main difference between Hibari and Yodaka is likely that Hibari puts on an act while Yodaka is genuine, which she will likely learn through getting to go all out against Miyake

Hakutaku: To gain experience and get some networking in, Hikuma and Noto join a game jam; there, they meet Seo, a programmer, and likely their first major rival, Kitahara. This both builds the roster and establishes the flow of the series, as competitions like this will likely be a recurring element

I think I had a little trouble this time since it's my first attempt, but I remembered a lot more than I actually expected! If I do keep up with it, my hope is that I'll have better insight than I did this time, as I don't have a strong connection to a lot of these series and can't remember or articulate their themes as well as I can for my favorites

If I end up refining this process, great! If I end up dropping it, oh well! For what I got done this time, though, I did enjoy it, and I hope you do too!

[felikatze]

of course i understand that undercutting the aki vs denji fight with a snowball fight is meant to make it more tragic.

firstly in that snowball fight being the last memory that aki has that was untainted by the tragedy that befell him because of the gun devil. that memory, the last he has of his brother, is now also dragged under and desecrated.

second, this puts denji into the position of aki's younger brother. we've already seen that aki's hatred has mellowed. that he wanted to back out so denji and power wouldnt get hurt. it's directly paralleing denji and taiyo. aki wants to save denji, just as he failed to save taiyo, and now it is cruel irony that he is that same threat.

third, a longing for what could have been! the chapters prior to this focused HARD on the hayakawa trio getting closer. how denji and power made aki think about something else except that tragedy for the first time in years. he couldnt even stew in his anger at his family's grave, for crying out loud, what use is revenge for him now? and... he knew his time was up. but he wanted those peaceful days to last longer. he wanted to see more of denji's and power's stupid antics. because he's grown to love them, despite everything. if only they met sooner, and if only none of this ever happend.

fourth, classic tonal whiplash! pivoting between childish innocence and wanton destruction! showing clearly that aki is no longer in full control of himself! the tragedy of it all!!!

and analysing it like this DOES NOT STOP ME FROM CRYING AT IT AGAIN.

[simlit]

Chosen of the Sun | | portal // fifty-four

| @keibea | @catamano

INTERACTIVE POLL |   Searching Åse's body, Eira finds the [SUMMONING TOKEN] Åse won during the last trial. She can use this token to call upon one of their fellow Chosen. Eve, a healer, or Taiyo, the owner of the [HEALING BEADS] are her best options to save Åse's life. Choose which contestant Eira will call upon. Vote now!

next / previous / beginning

EIRA: Åse, you can barely walk. We have to stop. ÅSE: Oh, very well. ÅSE: coughing I can see now why you do not like jungle. EIRA: Just rest. Don’t talk. ÅSE: Don’t be boring, Witcher. If I’m going to die, at least entertain me. EIRA: You’re not going to die. ÅSE: You see? You’re good at making things up. Tell me a story. EIRA: Once upon a time— ÅSE: Bad! Try again! EIRA: You’re unbelievable! ÅSE: laughing Come now! You can do better than that! EIRA: Many years ago, in a village far to the north, a baby was born… a girl with eyes and hair like darkened snow. Believing her to be cursed, the villagers cast her out; leaving her in the frozen forests to die. And she would have, if not for a traveling witcher passing through on a contract. ÅSE: What happened to her? EIRA: The witcher took pity on the child, and brought her back to his school. There, he and his ilk raised her as if their own. And she, wanting nothing more than to be like them, asked to undergo the Trials of the Grasses. ÅSE: And did she? EIRA: They refused. For her safety, because they… cared for her. ÅSE: She wouldn’t take no for an answer, would she? EIRA: shaking head She searched far and wide for some way to be more like those she loved most. Even if it meant doing the one thing they never wanted for her. ÅSE: Stubborn little girl… EIRA: Maybe she should have listened to them. Maybe she would have been better off. EIRA: Åse? Åse! Wake up, please! EIRA: Wait, what is this…? ÅSE: …summoning… token… EIRA: A summoning— Why didn’t you say so sooner? You idiot!

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group C Round 2: #C6 vs #C4

#C6: Sports anime for people who prefer bildungsromans to sports

#C4: Lesbians with swords

Details and poll under the cut!

#C6: Ping Pong the Animation

Summary:

Despite being polar opposites, Makoto "Smile" Tsukimoto and Yutaka "Peco" Hoshino have been best friends since childhood. Although the overly confident Peco strives to be the best ping-pong player in the world, he often skips practice, earning the ire of his fellow teammates on the Katase High School ping-pong team. Meanwhile, Smile—in spite of his innate talent for the sport—cannot help but hold back his full strength when playing against others. Through their mutual love for ping-pong, the two have developed a bond that is seemingly unbreakable.

When Peco hears that an ex-national team player from China is coming to Japan, he drags Smile over to rival Tsujido High School to observe them. The subsequent trip leads to a clash between Peco and Kong Wenge, who overwhelmingly defeats the former in one game. Stunned by such a comprehensive loss, Peco finds himself questioning why he plays to begin with. Seeing his potential as a player, Katase's coach begins to train Smile to overcome his hesitation, but he is reluctant to play if it is not for enjoyment.

As the two struggle to find meaning in the sport, a plethora of stronger players—each with their own internal strifes—await them at the inter-high tournament, where only the very best can persevere. But when these young athletes let their unbridled ambition go unchecked, the hardships they face paint a somber reality as they pursue glory.

Propaganda:

An experimental director (Masaaki Yuasa) adapting a work from a very stylized and emotionally-focused shonen mangaka (Taiyo Matsumoto). This is an anime that feels more like watching an indie arthouse movie than a shonen anime. Featuring characters and arcs that subvert standard anime tropes, it gives an incisive picture into youths on the verge of growing up and learning responsibility. If you want to watch a short anime (one 11-episode season!) which will include cool sports action (and that’s coming from someone who is not generally into sports animes) the matches given weight by the primary use of them in narrative being as checkpoint in the characters’ growths.

I tend to prefer shojo over shonen for being more introspective, with the emotional arcs developed slower and more subtly, but for me this shonen hits a sweet middle ground of having that more internal feel, while getting to do the shonen things of having cooler, action-focused animation and character relationships which are about friendship rather than romance, and character arcs that are about trying to strive hard to achieve a dream. The show is quite well critically regarded, but a lot of anime fans get turned off by the unusual art style, and there isn’t really a fandom for it, so I think it counts as underrated anyways! Anyways, I think it delivers a really impactful and complete story-arc in a short time, and it leaves you feeling like you’ve grown alongside the characters, no matter how old you are (no seriously, my 50-year-old mother walked away saying she didn’t know anime was such a profound genre when I made her watch this).

Trigger Warnings: None.

#C4: Katana Maidens: Toji no Miko

Summary:

Throughout history, an elite group of shrine maidens known as "Toji" have saved the world from "Aratama," strange and malevolent beings bent on destroying humanity. In modern times, these warriors have been assigned to a special police squad to exterminate Aratama. The government has also set up five elite schools across the country to provide young girls the necessary sword fighting skills to eradicate these monsters and eventually join their fellow Toji in protecting the world.

A student of one of those five schools, Kanami Etou is chosen to represent Minoseki Academy in a sword fighting tournament, where she meets the mysterious Hiyori Juujou. Although Kanami and Hiyori rise to the top of the tournament, their battle takes an unexpected turn, throwing the world of the Toji into chaos. Likely that the Toji are facing betrayal from within, the two are forced to flee the tournament, clashing with former comrades on the way.

Propaganda:

The depth of this show was seriously mindblowing to me. For much of the series it was just a fun romp, with some pretty interesting twists and turns along the way. But as these characters develop, as the plot gets moving, it all comes together in the end. I have not seen a more concentrated concoction of doomed tragic yuri in my life.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Self-Harm

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how they’re presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[cherrylng]

Great Guitarists 100 - Metallica, Slash, J Mascis, and John Squire [CROSSBEAT (November 2009)]

Metallica The thrashing guitars that attack at high speeds would not have been possible without James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett. The band's production had a light texture similar to that of early punk, but at the same time it had the weight of metal. The band's full-throttle, blazing hardcore speed is combined with long, intricate, progressive-style numbers. The uniqueness of Metallica's ability to balance and integrate these seemingly contradictory elements was their signature. The band evolved quickly, and this was directly linked to the weight of "The Black Album (Metallica)" of 1991, which was born out of an early awareness of the rise of grunge. It eventually became the template for new metal. The band tried to evolve after that, but for better or worse, failed to break away from metal due to the limitations of Kirk, a typical metal guitarist. But Metallica is also Metallica, including such clumsiness. -Taiyo Sawada

Representative albums "Metal Master" (1986, photo) Metallica "Metallica" (1991)

Slash In the 80s, when everything was high-fidelity, even hard rock guitars were polished to a shine, but Slash's guitar work in Guns N' Roses was a clear throwback to this trend. His playing had the punk urgency and destructive force of a top-slapper, and his stroking and picking had a scratchy feel, as if he were scratching at frosted glass. Despite this inherent uncontrolled coarseness of rock 'n' roll, when it came to solo playing, he shows off the expert barefoot playing that blues and metal fans love, with its powerful extension of high notes. Slash was always behind Guns' popularity with everyone from metalheads to punks at the time. However, his style has not developed since he left the Guns, and it is a shame that he plays in his own mould, just as the Guns have lost their sparkle and dynamism with his departure. -Taiyo Sawada

Representative Albums "Appetite for Destruction" (1987, photo) Guns N' Roses "Use Your Illusion I" (1991)

J Mascis At the end of the 1980s, a wave of digitalisation swept over the guitar world and high sound quality was quickly developed. J. Mascis went completely against this historical background. He rediscovered the appeal of old fuzz boxes, which at the time were sold for a couple of quid. He established his originality by incorporating a bombastic sound generator that had nothing to do with hi-fi. J is also a record collector and has a deep knowledge of classic rock. He learnt guitar playing by copying guitar solos by Ron Asheton, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, and others in his own style. He developed his unique style by playing it through a fuzz box. Bringing bombastic guitar solos to hardcore punk. The novelty of the idea came from inquiring about the old, and it is truly a product of the past and the present. J. Maskis is a surprisingly studious guitarist. -Junya Shimofusa

Representative albums "You're Living All Over Me" (1987, photo), Dinosaur Jr. "Farm" (2009)

John Squire John Squire was born in 1962. He is a direct descendant of the punk generation. He was inspired to play guitar by "God Save the Queen". When asked about influences, he naturally cites the Sex Pistols. However, it was one instructional book he picked up to become like Steve Jones that greatly influenced John's later guitar style. The book contained the scores of Keith Richards, Steve Cropper, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, and others. John practised the standard phrases listed there without knowing the sound sources. This is how he learnt to play the guitar. In other words, he was exposed to punk/new wave in real time, but as a guitarist, he was based on classic rock. This is the reason for the wide range of styles found in the Roses' works. The first Roses album was the former, while the second was more of the latter. -Junya Shimofusa

Representative albums "The Stone Roses" (1989, photo) The Stone Roses "Second Coming" (1994)

[kustas]

Hello! I have three non-related questions/comments. Love ur blog btw.

1 - Have you read Houseki no Kuni? If yes, what are your thoughts on it?

2 - Do you know if Taiyo Matsumoto has any social media? I'd love to share my admiration.

3 - I totally agree with you that WHA is missing its political fantasy war in this arc, I must say. I love that chapter where Beldarut and the King threaten each other, I wanted to story to keep going in that direction (while being faithful to its way of developing the plot, it just doesn't seem to be developing at all. And now we are once again entering a new beef while the main story isn't progressing at all. Guys there's a blood leech outside come on).

Have you read Houseki no Kuni?

I have not! Now that the series is finished, I might. I have a few friends who have heavily recommended it to me and find the art intriguing.

Does Taiyô Matsumoto have social media?

No. From what I know he is straight up not online, like, at all (king). He doesn't have a website either. I know he's mentioned getting letters from his fans in an interview, but it was japanese fans, idk if his mailing address is available online. Your best bet would be to meet him in real life unfortunately. I don't see him making an Instagram but who knows.

On witch hat's latest arc - I've personally given up. The latest arc made my mind ranking for the series dip a few points down the ladder and I don't think it's going to be saved. I'm awaiting the next arc to see how things turn out, and just accepting what we get :) while it's not going the way I (or I must say we in this case hehe) wanted, it's still an enjoyable series, and I've heard from other fans who just purchased the last volume that it reads much better as a volume than it did as solo chapter releases!

[ngt48fanshub]

ISSHUN NO HANABI RELAY INTERVIEW - SEIJI REINA

"I Want to Express a 'Fleeting but Powerful' Firework" This second installment brings you an interview with Rena Seiji, a first-generation member of NGT48.

New Single "Isshun no Hanabi" Is... "Another Masterpiece for NGT48!"

Ⓠ Tell us how you feel about being selected as a member for this single. Reina: First of all, I’m grateful that we can release our 10th single at the milestone of NGT48's 10th year. I’m genuinely happy that the fans who always support me can see me singing the title track. I hope this song becomes one that many people love for a long time. Ⓠ What was your first impression when you heard the single "Isshun no Hanabi"? Reina: A bittersweet and fleeting love song! Another masterpiece has come to NGT48!! The lyrics and the underlying melody express the fleeting nature of fireworks, making it a song that somehow feels nostalgic.

Ⓠ How do you plan to express the outlook of this song? Reina: I want to express a “fleeting but powerful” firework with a performance that uses my entire body! Please also pay attention to the costume that was created with the image of fireworks in mind.

Ⓠ What did you think when you heard the coupling track? Reina: When I first heard "Namida ga Kareru Made Soba ni Iru" sung by the 1st to 3rd generation members, tears started flowing down just like the title says, and I felt a sense of being saved. I believe it’s a song that will always be there for you and won’t fade no matter how many years go by.

Showing Off Skateboarding Skills in the MV!

Ⓠ Could you share some memorable episodes related to the recording or MV shooting for the 10th single? Reina: I got to ride a skateboard during the MV shooting. I never imagined a day would come when my hard work in skateboarding would be filmed for a single's MV, so I was very happy. The members and staff hyped me up when I nailed a trick, and we shot in a warm atmosphere.

Ⓠ What's your charming point? Reina: I’ve loved singing since I was little. My hobby is skateboarding. No one can beat my strictness when I decide to do something! While working as an idol, I’m also serious about skateboarding! On Instagram, I have two accounts: my idol account ‘seiji_0007’ and my skateboarding account ‘@reinaseiji’. I hope you enjoy the gap between them! I also have two skateboarding serials, so please check them out!

Ⓠ What TV shows or music do you like? Reina: My favorite TV show is "Shabekuri 007"! I love the friendly atmosphere among the cast members, especially Tetsuhei Ariyoshi, who lovingly teases the guests! Recently, I’ve been into J-hip hop and love the straightforward lyrics of Japanese rap.

Ⓠ What are your dreams and goals for your future activities? Reina: I want to travel to various regions with NGT48 and do out-of-town performances! Personally, as the "National Skateboarding Facility Liaison Council Ambassador," a title I was appointed to in June this year, I want to energize skate parks nationwide!

Ⓠ What’s the appeal of NGT48’s theater performances? Reina: NGT48 has crazy and fun MCs!! (LOL) Each member has a strong personality, and when someone says something, everyone collapses in laughter. NGT48 theater is where you can always smile!!

Ⓠ Can you recommend a spot in Niigata? Reina: The recommended place is, of course, the NGT48 theater on the 4th floor of "Lovela 2"! For fans, it’s the closest place to see their favorite members perform! Even first-time visitors will surely find a favorite member once they see the stage! My recommended ramen shop is "Ramen Taiyo" in the Nishi Ward!

Ⓠ Who among the NGT48 members are you paying attention to? Reina: 3rd generation member Rua Isobe! She’s an excellent dancer, and her performance skill is top-level in NGT48!! On top of that, her baby-like smile is super adorable, and her funny faces are also top-level in NGT48!! The gap is amazing!

Ⓠ A message to fans and readers? Reina: Thank you for reading until the end. NGT48 has just celebrated its 9th anniversary, and each member is active in various genres. As idols and as individuals, we have many charming members! I want to see more and more wonderful scenery together with the fans who always support us. Please continue to support NGT48!

(From The Television web, published 2024/08/19)

[pink-pages]

Shadow of the Fox

This book has been on my to-read list for about a century and a half and I finally got around to reading it. BOY, AM I GLAD I DID!!!! I'm going to try to make this review as spoiler free as possible, but seeing as I have specific opinions on the ending, that may be a bit difficult. I'm just going to issue a spoiler warning for the entire review.

One of the things I absolutely loved about Shadow of the Fox was Kagawa's writing. Her descriptions, particularly the descriptions of the settings were so fucking fantastic that if I closed my eyes, I probably would've been able to trick myself into thinking I was in Iwagoto. Her descriptions of people were also brilliant, I just had a hard time imagining the clothes. I don't know much about what kimonos and other traditional Japanese clothing look like so I just kept imagining Yumeko in a hanbok (which is Korean and therefore from the wrong culture entirely).

The pacing of the book was also pretty nice. It started out with a bang, like, first chapter and there's already an army of demons. That was pretty nice because it really hooked me in and kept my attention through the next few chapters of exposition (you know, the part where the author sets up the plot and introduces the characters which is kinda necessary but also not terribly exciting). Then when the whole adventure started, it was pretty much one thing after another. It was a good mix of epic action scenes and scenes centered around dialogue.

Characters

Yumeko: I FUCKING LOVED Yumeko. Some of my favorite quotes in the entire book (I prefer funny quotes to profound ones) were made possible because Yumeko did not understand sarcasm. One of the things that I loved the most about Yumeko is that she didn't fall into the damsel in distress category (which would've been easy considering her lack of experience of life outside the temple) but she also didn't fall into the inexplicably a warrior category (you know, put the girl with absolutely no training against an enemy and suddenly she's got a black belt in Capoeira). She was able to hold her own and even save Kage Tatsumi (the infamous demonslayer) on occasion and she did that through things she had already mastered (her illusion magic, for example).

Kage Tatsumi: Ok, so, I must admit, I wasn't as fond of Tatsumi as literally everyone else who read this book but that's not because he's badly written or anything, it's because I rarely love the dark-past emotionally-constipated mysterious-badboy type characters. I did love his levels of badassery though. I guess I just wish we could've seen more personality although I suppose the whole point of his character is that he's not SUPPOSED to have a personality.

Okame: He was definitely the character I had the most fun reading about by far. Okame was hands down the funniest and I think he added a lightheartedness to the squad that was severely needed. I also always appreciate an archer. Personally, I think archery is cooler than swordplay. I also think his character as compared to Tatsumi brings up some interesting points. He's constantly talking about being an honorless Ronin as opposed to Tatsumi who is a Samurai and abides by the code of bushido but that begs the question of what honor really is.

Taiyo Daisuke: My favorite character!!! I swear, Kagawa created this man specifically to make me fall in love. I mean, a young nobleman (who's actually noble and not an asshole) with pretty features and long silver hair. Yes, please. Aside from the fact that he's totally my newest book boyfriend, I also think that Daisuke is the purest character in a way. He's the only character who's not either keeping secrets/decieving/misleading the other characters (Yumeko and Tatsumi) or in possession of questionable morals (Okame). Of course, that also makes me a bit anxious because he seems to0 good to be true

Reika: She may have come in a little close to the end, but I still consider her to be pretty important. Reika is another one of my favorite characters. She's a shrine maiden, not a warrior, so she's probably not embarking on many dangerous missions. Still, she does not hesitate to do extremely dangerous things to protect the shrine. Reika is the character I respect the most.

Lady Satomi: The big bad. I didn't have any huge opinions on Satomi and interestingly enough, I hated her more for abusing her waitstaff than for, you know, sending an army of demons to steal a magic scroll and attempting to kill the main characters multiple times. She was a worthy villain but there was nothing about her that really stood out to me

I said at the beginning of this review that I have opinions on the ending. I really loved that Tatsumi gets possessed by Hakaimono at the end because I was dreading the moment Tatsumi uncovered Yumeko's lies and carries through his orders to kill her but with Hakaimono possessing Tatsumi, that heartbreaking moment never actually happened. Yeah, I know that also means that one of the most dangerous demons Jigoku has to offer is now running around the mortal realm in the body of an elite warrior, but at least Yumeko and Tatsumi don't hate each other.

I do have a bone to pick with the epilogue, though. I feel like Lady Satomi's death should have been more dramatic. She does all this crazy evil badass magicy stuff but in the end, she's just stabbed in her bed chambers?! It's just a bit underwhelming. At the same time, though, I understand why Kagawa had her killed that way. She was too powerful to fight head on, so having a character sneak in and assassinate her was probably the best way to ensure that she died.

[goinghostie]

Same, I love how everyone bonded on the team! Watching how things progressed and everyone went from being pretty cold towards Maki toward understanding he was helping them improve was really heartwarming (the same can be said for Arashi becoming friends with the team!).

re: Ryoma's comment - this was actually a translation error. Akane-sensei said that Ryoma was referring to Maki here and how he is practically a little brother to him (something that very well could lead to Toma's falling out with Maki since Ryoma seems to give more attention to Maki than him, making that distance grow since his mom literally throws him over to his dad to separate him from her and Ryoma).

So many theories can be thrown around for Maki and Toma's falling out but I really feel like Toma distanced himself from Maki and Ryoma because of what happened with his mom. There's also the scar on Toma's arm, which is scary considering Maki's dad literally threatened him (and maybe he goes after Toma somehow to get back at Maki for threatening to kill him?) I don't believe Maki actually went through with it because he's in school and still playing soft tennis with Arashi.

I'm really glad you brought up Rintaro's struggles because I don't see many fans talking about him. I hope he's able to meet his bio mom too, though it does seem like she's purposefully trying to avoid him (which may be because she feels guilty of having to give him up for adoption due to having him at such a young age).

So Shingo's situation was another that was misunderstood by a lot of fans. An is his stepsister and apparently since Shingo looks like his bio mom (I'm guessing she wasn't a good person) his stepmom doesn't trust him and kinda treats him like an outcast in the family. His dad seems really nice at least. Though from the looks of the fan movie he is attending military school which could have been a way to get out of the house (really hoping his stepmom didn't force him to go - he looked happy though!) Shingo and An's sibling relationship is really sweet and wholesome and so I hope that doesn't change.

Aya (Maki's mom) is the best and must be protected at all costs!! I'm terrified at what could have happened to her at the end of ep 12...it can't have been anything good with how it literally triggered Maki to want to murder Kenji.

Shou is such a great character and father figure for Maki and I really hope we see more of him in the second half! He would be such a great mentor for Yuu while they are navigating their gender identity.

Taiyo's parents are sweet, though definitely overprotective of their son. It is interesting because Taiyo and Nao both have overprotective parents but in different ways. Taiyo's situation is much healthier because his parents are controlling of him. They try to do what's best but back off if they get called out on being wrong.

Naooo - with his mom's threatening words in ep 12 I believe she pulled him out of shijo minami and forced him to go to another school to get him away from soft tennis. This obviously leads him down the dark path that had been hinted at with the whole An-locked-in-the-infirmary incident. The soft tennis crew kept Nao in check and was a safe space for him to get away from his overbearing mother, but when that is forcibly taken away from him he is going to spiral badly. From the looks of it he goes down the path of being a delinquent, and so his new friends most likely do not lift him up the same way the soft tennis team did - instead of finding a positive outlet for his negative emotions, he will resort to violence. He will become exactly what his mother was trying her best to prevent (ironic karma). I truly hope Nao is able to reconnect with Taiyo and the others so he can be saved before it's too late...

The soft art style is actually the first thing that drew me in! I love the contrast of such an adorable art style but also the dark themes the series addresses. It gets so real and raw with the emotions it presents. Akane-sensei mentioned in an interview how much time they put into facial expressions during scenes like the end of episode 1 - words weren't needed because the emotion and fear were there.

The rep is absolutely amazing and deserves so much more attention! The series wasn't afraid to bring up topics in a careful and well-informed way. Maki's entire convo with Yuu in episode 8 was handled so well. I actually headcanon Maki as aroace - his words about feeling like something is off but not knowing what resonated so strongly with me.

I feel like there is something relatable with each of the characters and that many can relate with someone in the series for that reason. While some people claim it is unrealistic for so many kids to come from negative home situations, that just shows they do not realize how many people are quietly struggling with things they don't understand.

Stars Align brought so many things to light in a way that many media don't dare to address. A lot of time and care was put into their characters and the story, and I truly hope we can see the rest in the future. It deserves the opportunity to be resolved properly, as intended.

TLDR: Watch and support Hoshiai no Sora for its accurate portrayal of negative parenting styles and the impact they have on children, as well as the amazingly handled LGBTQ+ rep!! (just check trigger warnings, if needed)

Ok here are all of my thoughts, questions, comments, etc about Stars Align

This might be messy sorry lmao I'll try to keep it organized tho (Spoiler warning)

So starting off, I wouldn't have minded if they did this but I'm glad that Maki wasn't always cold and reserved (again I wouldn't have minded). It was refreshing to see him smile, laugh, and enjoy his time with the team. You can tell that he loves all of the people on the team and its fun to watch.

Also, I am pretty concerned about Maki after watching that ending. Yeah his father is a major piece of shit and I fucking hate him but I hope Maki didn't kill him. I just don't want anything bad to happen to Maki. Like all of the boys, I hope they get a hug and happiness.

So, Toma's brother brought up that they have another brother but where is he? Did he move out? How old is he?? From a passing comment it doesn't seem like this other brother wants anything to do with them judging by the fact that we never see him, but I could be way wrong.

I really do hate Toma's mother, he's done nothing wrong and she hates him for no reason. She compares him to his brother but they are not the same person! And she hates him for that?

Speaking of Toma and Maki, from the tribute video that they dropped, it looked like they had a falling out :((( Maybe they become rivals, I kinda hope it becomes a Free! situation where Rin and Haru started out as friends when they were young, then became rivals, then became friends once again. I would be happy if something like that happens with Toma and Maki because they were such great friends but what happened?

Ok on the topic of rivals, I really liked that the rivalry with Oji was also really fun to watch because it wasn't like they had to have their rivalry on 100% of the time. Like they really enjoyed having him around during the BBQ and they even kinda cheered each other on (if they could) during the tournament. They even let him be apart of their hype ritual!

I feel that Rintaro definitely has good parents, at least from what we've seen. They really do care about their son and want what's best for him. I do also hope that Rintaro gets to meet his birth mother if he wants to and I hope she's good to him.

With Rintaro, I understand him feeling like he isn't good enough and he failed as the vice president. I mean it did seem like Maki took over his job and I wish that we got to see them talk about this issue and come up with a middle ground.

I also thought that Shingo's parents weren't that bad either, maybe a little overprotective but not as bad as some of the other parents. It seemed that they really cared about their children's safety, especially, their daughter (obviously lmao she's like 4).

I feel like Maki's mother did a great job honestly, she seemed like one of the best parents and it has to be very hard for her to be in a situation like that. But it seemed like she did a pretty good job.

The only other set of good parents imo is Taiyo's parents, they seemed like they were pretty supportive, even if they thought their son wasn't a great player at the time. Yeah maybe they went about the responsibility thing a bit wrong, everyone makes mistakes and they seem to try and correct themselves after he stood of for him and Nao. They still didn't have a problem with him playing even if Taiyo's pair didn't win.

Everyone else's parents fucking sucked, I do not need to get into why lmao.

I'm going to be completely honest, but at first I didn't like Soga and Ameno but they quickly grew on me! I was pretty sad that Soga couldn't play in the tournament. Him and Shingo worked so hard only for it not to happen, but at the same time they really did help Nao and Taiyo with their confidence which I think is important.

Speaking of Nao, in the tribute video we see that his knuckles are bruised and bandaged, which makes me wound what could have happened. Obviously something wrong is going on and I wanna know what! Let my boys be happy pls :(

I also want to mention that the art style is fucking gorgeous! And omg the representation is fantastic holy shit!!! Yu is non-binary and the show explicitly says it, which I haven't really seen done in an anime, especially a sports anime. I actually have some LGBT+ headcannons for some of the characters lmao

I think this is all I'll say for rn, this is already really long slkdjf I hope this made sense!

[btzone]

B-T fan returns to Japan 2016 - part 4: the concert

I meet up my friend at the train station so we can head out to the show. But before I even get there, I’m having trouble with rush hour trains. I swore the sign said the train is coming and then I don’t think it came or I couldn’t read the sign on the actual train and then it left. Everyone is in line to boot so I can’t really see. Anyway, I think I go back and forth a few times trying to figure out where I’m supposed to be. We don’t have trains in Okinawa. Trains are the best and worst part about navigating Japan. Eventually, I get there and there’s still time before the show starts. When you have assigned seats, then you have the freedom to check out the merchandise booth for as long as you wish. Curiously, one of the Toll produced items looks like it’s a menstrual pad holder. I picked up the parka and wore it everyday I was in Tokyo, which wasn’t long. I also was listening to the Atom Miraiha No.9 album non-stop in my iPod. It has echoes of the past. I can’t quite place it. Sounds like Kurutta Taiyo here and some other album there. Moments of wandering the city and having the album as my personal soundtrack were quite nice.

They sold rubber wristbands for each show. Each show has a different color and the date on it or the venue too, etc. I saw someone wearing so many. It made me a bit mad at the business side of things. Buck-Tick sells so much merchandise that to be a “true” fan who buys a lot or a collector who buys everything, well you better have an amazing job or born into money. I also hate this notion of having to prove yourself by showing how much merch you’re wearing. It may not be true but it felt that way in that moment. A pamphlet, a couple t-shirts, and maybe a couple other things like guitar picks and badges. That’s all that’s really needed. I stopped treating my Buck-Tick items as sacred because it’s such a waste to buy something and never use it. I’ve never used the stickers but I feel like there’s also people who buy one to use and one to save in pristine condition, shit like that. I cry for our collective bank accounts.

We get to our seats and I’m further away than I had hoped for but I knew I wouldn’t be up front. There’s some strange shape projected up there. Doesn’t look like any atom I know. A quick photo before the show starts. Looks terrible because very few people were even doing that! Japanese being way too polite. The concert hasn’t even started. No harm in a photo of the stage in anticipation of what is to be a great night.

The show is great. The sound is on point. I brought ear plugs just in case but Japanese venues have the volume just right. I’ve been to concerts outside of Japan where even though I’m wearing ear plugs, it still feels too damn loud and my ears ring for awhile after. 

Almost every show has the same setlist. Buck-Tick tends to do that, with just a couple songs varying, usually in the encore. Honestly, it annoys me. It’s why I could not be one of those people who go to multiple shows. I want more variety, spontaneity, a sense of excitement because the show is an unknown. Not they start 3 minutes exactly after the printed start time and you can expect these 10-15 songs in a row and 3 out of these 6 songs in the encore. I try not to look at setlists before attending concerts for that very reason. Surprise me. Entertain me. Get lost in the moment. I’m not here to watch a musical. This is rock ‘n’ roll!

Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate professionalism. I love how well-rehearsed Buck-Tick is. How the sound is flawless. The group is very tight and that’s not as easy to find in a live show. But sometimes you can be too rehearsed and it makes it rigid. I like when there’s room for improvisation. When you have a vast catalogue, you can’t possibly love every song from your past, nor be well-rehearsed for every song. I completely understand that. But there could be more randomizing of the song order. Once I went to see another band live 2 nights in a row and it was pretty obvious they were playing the exact same set. I was younger then so I had memorized what they played on night 1. Before each song, everyone is shouting what they want to hear. I was shouting the title of the next song that I knew they were going to play. Some people next to me caught on that I knew what they were going to play so they started copying me and chanting the same song title. It was kinda funny.

Before one of the encore songs started, there was just a note, a chord, a sound. Just one sound and as soon as I heard that, I knew exactly what they were going to play and I couldn’t believe they were going to play it. I got very excited and had to take a photo to remember the time when I got to hear Misty Zone live again.

Almost every setlist is comprised of these as the main set: 1. Cum Uh Sol Nu -Flask No Besshu-  2. Pinoa Icchio -Odoru Atom- (some shows: 3. My Fuckin’ Valentine) 3 or 4. Bi Neo Universe 4 or 5. Baby, I Want You. (some shows: 5. My Fuckin' Valentine) 6. El Dorado 7. Jukai 8. Melancholia -Electria- 9. Devil's Wings 10. Boy Septem Peccata Mortalia (9 and 10 sometimes switched) 11. Future Song -Mirai Ga Tooru- 12. The Seaside Story 13. Cuba Libre 14. Manjusaka 15. Ai No Souretsu

All possible encore songs: (6 songs were played; final show 7 songs) Kirameki No Naka De... Mienai Mono Wo Miyou To Suru Gokai    Subete Gokai Da Mudai Keijijou Ryuusei Buster Makka Na Yoru Misty Zone Tenshi Wa Dare Da Romance New World -Beginning-

And with that, the show was over. The house lights came on. I snapped a goodbye photo of the venue.

And that was it. Haven’t seen Buck-Tick live since. Haven’t been back to Japan since. The next Uchinanchu Taikai was supposed to be held in 2021 but pandemic. It’s been postponed to 2022 but I don’t think I will be going. Buck-Tick has announced some shows this year but if venues will be using the Japan only app for vaccinations, I probably won’t be able to get in as I was vaccinated outside of Japan. So I wait. Wait for this pandemic to end and hope I have some time and money to continue to see more parts of Japan that I have never been to, to see my family again, and to see Buck-Tick live.

[fumikomiyasaki]

🍻/⛳️/🎤 any one !

🍻 : to get some drinks

Mira dragged Henry from Work to a night relax to the local Bar Cosmospolitan to Grab some Drinks.

He could See her sly eyes from His Seat.

"Seems you took a liking to my drunk state If you bring me here that excited."

"I can't Help it. Your drunk self lets loose and says the Things He wants and Shows His desires. Don't worry, If you try to undress again I Stop you If people are around. But I would prefer later that we could spend some time alone."

He smiled raising His Glass and wrapped His arm around her waist. Looking deep Into her eyes.

"If its seductive Henry you want, you can get him tonight, but know that I can't be stopped."

She grabbed him playfully by His tie and smiled.

"Challenge accepted!"

He grabbed her Close for a kiss and smiled at her.

"See and so tense Henry vanishes for a night and you are having fun."

"Your right, thank you Mira."

⛳️ : to go mini golfing

"No fair, why do you have such precission. I come here a Lot and you never train and Always win."

Irene pouted a Bit as Tyler Made a third hole in one in a row.

"Your posture doesn't Work... Here let me Help you."

He wrapped His Arms around her leaving Irene to get Red while He focused on teaching her how to do it.

"With sewing you learned Where to start so remember the Angles Like we did when we Cut the Fabrics. And then you Swing..."

He Backed away and she swung, right Into the hole..

"I did it... You are right. I guess I have to See it that way."

His smile was light and warm.

However the chaos didn't end as one Person Had Problem with their Golf cart and drove Into Irene direction..

"Look Out!"

Tyler jumped to protect her and they landed on the Floor. Him Holding her in His arms.

They stood Up, Irene brushing some dirt of her skirt.

"You saved me.... Thanks."

He layed a Hand on her shoulder.

"I would always after all, without you, my Work wouldn't be as good."

Irene smiled brightly at that comment.

They continued with their golfing.

🎤 : to the karaoke (Double Date edition)

Kumo seemed a Bit grumpy, being invited with all the Girls as the only Boy to Karaoke.

However it was good Tsuki was Outside Walking around with Elisa given the Fight Potential.

However He Always eyes annoyingly at Rae because Taiyo was so Close to her, but as He looked at Eva leaning her head against him, He felt Happy again.

"I wanna sing the next one, Rae you have to Join me."

She jumped up excited while Rae seemed still a bit nervous while singing.

Eva smiled brightly and realised Kumos uneasyness.

"You don't have to sing, If you don't want to."

"If you want to sing with me, I will, I promised to be with you after all. I Just Hope you don't choose something too emberassing."

"Don't worry, I don't."

She gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

As Rae and Taiyo finished they started. As time Went by Taiyo Fell asleep on Raes shoulder. As usual.

Rae picked her up carefully.

"I Bring her Back to her Room. Sorry we couldn't stay longer."

"Its fine, maybe Kumo and I get something to eat."

Rae waved them a good Bye and left with Taiyo.

Eva spoke Up.

"I know you are still worried about her.I mean you three were Like Family, but I know Rae can be trusted, I know her for Long after all."

He sighed.

"Its just to me a lot to get used to. But, to have you by my Side calms me enough.And I would Fight Elisa any day for your Love."

Eva Had to chuckle.

They both walked on to the Sunset.

[ibuki-loves-you]

Ajdjdjde if this ends up being a miniature story I-

This'll answer to Taiyo's relationship with spiders, and who said the thingy.

------

"When I grow up, I KNOW you'll be my queen! Alright Spider!? You're making my declaration of love not romantic anymore..." Taiyo whined, crossing him arms with a huff. He quickly swiveled around, ready to walk away. Taiyo wouldn't though, but if he did he'd go quite slow...

"T-Taiyoo! Taiyo wait!! I'm sooorrryy..." The girl standing next to him, Yamanashi Kai, or Spider, barreled straight into him.

At first glance, you'd never guess she'd practically mastered Taekgyeon and Wushu already. Yamanashi was quite small; frail-looking. Yet, that allowed her to easily trick her opponents into letting their guard down. She'd never let her small defect(Yamanashi actually only has 8 fingers! That and some other things are why Taiyo calls her Spider.) lead her life.

Taiyo, on the other hand, didn't quite bother with self defense. He, one, found it useless(no one would EVER hurt their prince!!), and two, would never accomplish anything with it.

The two were an unexpected duo, but an inseparable one at that. Taiyo was warm-hearted, naive, and generally a very nice person(if you counted out his many pranks). Yamanashi was quite a cold, sarcastic, rude person. At least she respected her elders?

"Taiyo... You believe in me, right? Because that belief in me is needed right now. I need you to stay right here, and don't move for quite a while." Yamanashi whispered, giving Taiyo's hand a small squeeze, then dashing off.

Taiyo waited. Waited some more. He waited what felt like an eternity, until his gut feeling got too strong for him to handle.

So, being the impulsive kid he was, Taiyo dashed in the direction he last saw "Spider" go.

"Sp-Spider? Hello?..." Taiyo glanced around frantically, his eyes eventually landing on a half-dead body. Soaked in blood, no one else but Taiyo would recognize the person.

"...Spider? Spider? Spider respond to me!!" He sobbed, dashing towards Yamanashi with unbelievable speed.

Taiyo clutched onto her martial arts uniform, sniffling quite loudly. "Y-You- you aren't allowed to die, alright!? I-I won't let my future queen die!! We- we have to- to- rule together! S-So get it together stupid-head!! Cmon, respond to me!" Taiyo squinted, hoping to see even the slightest movement. He knew she was still alive, her heart was beating... Even though it was slower than it should be.

All Taiyo got from the one person who understood him, and loved him nearly as much as he loved them, was a weak "Shhh... You've done great, you survived. Yay! I'm going to be gone soon, so you need to accept there's no saving me...", as she smiled ever so slightly and lifted her arm up to drape it over his back.

She let him cry. Didn't attempt to stop it at all. Yamanashi knew of what she did, sacrifice herself. A "stupid-head thing to do", if you asked Taiyo. Yamanashi knew how Taiyo would respond, how he wouldn't wait like she told him to, how he'd run after her. She understood the reasoning behind his breakdown. She was the only person he really loved, and still did...even after her eyesight blurred, darkened, her heart slowed more. The last thing she heard was "Yama-Yamanashi Kai!! Y-You better not die on me just yet-", and the last thing she said was "Enjoy life for me, Prince Hinode...Your princess will watch over you forever."

And all went blank.

------

WoO, I think we can all agree that s u c k e d.

Ye 👌 🕺✨

So here's young Taiyo and Yamanashi trying to remember how to ball dance lmao-

SUCKED!? HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AWESOME (IN AN ANGSTY WAY) POOR TAIYO I JUST- SOBS - MOD IBUKI