#i think japanese learning materials

[brown-little-robin]

in case any of you were imagining me being a bright shining presence in real life, please know that a fun guy came into the ceramics studio three days in a row to visit his ceramics-artist girlfriend and saw me working while sitting on my customary stool. and the 4th day he commented "you sit like uhhhh, like L. from Death Note"

[bonicedemandarina]

Losing the idgaf wars about a random shojo again

[ros3ybabe]

🎀 Hobbies 🎀

I feel as tho I don't have much time to do things besides school, work, some chores, and survive right now, but I've been thinking about some hobbies I enjoy and would like to incorporate into my life when I decide to make the time without burning out!

Reading - I used to be big on reading just about any books I could get my hands on. Then I was really focused on reading self help, and now that I haven't been reading at all, I've been thinking about getting back into reading. Always looking for book recommendations, and I do have my eye on some books I'd like to purchase.

Gardening - if I had the time and space, I'd love to have a flower garden or a vegetable garden. It always makes me happy when the fruits of my efforts come to life, so tending to plants and gardening sounds super fun and relaxing.

Video Games - I used to play video games on and off, but I wouldn't mind owning a PS4 or a Switch and spending some time playing video games whenever I'd want time to wind down.

Cooking/Baking - I love learning things, and the sense of pride I've gotten in the past when receiving praise for things I've cooked or baked has really driven me to want to increase my skill. I've only baked something from scratch once in my life, but I'd really like to expand my skills in making desserts.

Exercise - I'm talking all forms of it! Dancing, martial arts/kickboxing type activities, yoga, pilates, running, swimming, spin/cycling, weight lifting (again), calisthenics, all of it! I don't currently look like the exercise type but I find various forms of movement to be so fun! If I had more time, I'd be trying new things all the time!

Volunteer work - This is something I used to do all the time, and it's a hobby that I enjoyed that kept me humble. Not only that, but I thoroughly enjoy showing kindness and compassion to others. Making a difference in anuwau brings me so much joy, and I love meeting new people and learning their stories. I also would love to volunteer with animals, because they deserve so much love and affection too!

Drawing/Art - I used to draw for fun but when I started college, I didn't have the time to devote to continuously increasing my art skills. I still own a sketch kit, coloring materials, and several sketchbooks so it really is a matter of having time.

Crochet - The thought of making things that I can gift to others seriously makes me so excited!! Crochet seems like such a fun, crafty, relaxing activity and the added fun of gifting those crafts to others would make it so fun!!

Scrapbooking - I don't know if I'd ever do this one, but I do Ike the idea of keeping my memories in a physical space, and not just in like pictures on my phone.

Learning - if school wasn't crazy busy, I'd spend all my time learning languages (ASL, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Italian, etc), computer coding skills, how to make and do certain things, just anything I can do to keep my mind enriched.

Upcycling/Altering Clothes - I would love to upcycle or alter articles of clothes into more personalized pieces for myself. The thought of having a personalized, hand made closet full of clothes makes me really want to buy a sewing machine and learn how to use it to my advantage!

That's all I can think of for now that I'd like to someday incorporate into my life. Having hobbies is always so fun, but I've been so busy and tired that I don't mess with any of the hobbies I'd want to do. If anyone has any tips for time management, or resources for beginning new hobbies, please let me know!!

til next time lovelies 🩷

[copticcowgirl]

Fanbinding: BLOODY, SLUTTY, AND PATHETIC

This bind took a hot minute to finish. I made it my goal to complete two copies of BSP during the month of February, for @renegadeguild's 2025 Binderary. One for myself, and one for the author, who gave me permission in late January.

BSP is my first official author copy, gifted to and recently received by WhatMurdah, whom I can't thank enough for both writing this stellar fic and for allowing me to bind them a copy. I read BSP in mid-2024 and have been thinking about it as a bind since.

Lots of firsts with this one. First-ever typeset. Have a long way to go on that front, as it's definitely not my favorite part of binding. I prefer getting into the nitty-gritty of the bind itself instead of staring at a laptop screen for hours and agonizing over fonts and scene break flourishes. I kept it simple and still learned a lot, so that's a win!

I also had the honor of receiving the "Found Typo(s) After Printing" badge.

However, my dedication page to WhatMurdah made the entire typeset worthwhile.

It was also my first time attempting Renaissance chevron endbands (another goal for binderary! aaand there's a reason you don't see them on the bind itself, ha). When those didn't turn out as I'd hoped, it was my first time doing "random chaos" endbands, a la @maleekamolscreates.

Thank you, Maleeka and Marissa, for holding my hands through that one. I like to know what's coming, so letting go of structure to embrace the chaos of go-with-your-gut-feeling-for-your-endband-pattern was...hard.

But gorgeous, no? Can I get a "good girl," Maleeka??

Another first was creating a full-fledged dust jacket that looks like it came from a professional. I owe that to @phoenixortheflame, who sat with me on a Zoom call for 2+ hours and guided me through her artistic process. We worked in tandem in Canva so that I could pepper her with questions like, "You can pull the rulers across the page like that?!" Thank you for showing me how to center align correctly and for gently critiquing my choice of keep-all-fonts-the-same.

The before/after must be shown because honestly, every time I look at it I want to cry happy tears.

And while I know she will say, "But you had the vision, I just gave you some structure!" I'll still heap praise all over her because JUST LOOK AT IT.

Art by the incredible @jjuuppiter, who posted this work well before BSP was published but somehow must have KNOWN it would be written into existence one day. Please go check out their page. I fell in love with their art for "The Politician's Wife" first, and eventually found "Bloody Witch and Her Worshipper."

And finally, details of the bind itself below and behind-the-scenes photos (my favorite to look back on!) below that.

Bind details:

bind style: full cloth bind, rounded and backed, sewn endpapers, ramie bands

endpapers: "french marble strawberry" from Hollanders, chosen in mid-2024 after reading BSP for the first time 

cover material: "love dove" fabric, designed by Kathy Doughty. chosen solely for its bold colors. 

book edge decoration: head & tail edges hand sanded to 1,000 grit, DIY'd maroon acrylic ink to match fabric, applied in layers, then burnished with Renaissance wax & agate stone. maroon acrylic ink applied directly to deckled fore-edge for author copy. we don't talk about the fore-edge for my own copy.

endbands: double faux core, 4mm leather core, Japanese silk thread

typeset: this was my first-ever typeset, which meant I spent hours meticulously ensuring I didn't mess anything up (full disclosure: I did, but those mistakes are all my own)

dust jacket: designed in Canva; title font, Villanelle; author font, ITC Blaze; body & flap fonts, IBM Plex Serif; art by jjuuppiter 

Did you know? To make a deep maroon color, take 1 drop blue, 11 drops red, and 2 drops yellow. Voila! Deep maroon.

Now you know.

These copies were made for personal use only; no profit was made and all associated costs came from my own pocket. Please abide by the code of binding fanfiction, which amounts to: if you want it on your shelf, bind it yourself.

[thehmn]

I only recently learned about the japandi interior design style that strive to mix the Japanese and Scandinavian styles.

It makes sense because both are simple and minimalistic and it made me wonder what japandi fashion would look like but looking around I feel like modern Scandinavian fashion already is as close as it gets to matching the japandi design?

Japandi is supposed to be minimalistic with a focus on natural materials and an appreciation for the imperfect and modern Scandinavian style already has a huge focus on natural materials like cotton and wool and lots of clean lines. Maybe it would be japandi to make it more asymmetrical?

Extremely random I know but I think this question tickles the character design part of my brain.

[alexa-yukiyu]

Hello I hope you've been sleeping and eating well, may I request this? Whitebeard Pirates x Inosuke reader like he was the smallest and youngest among them, he gets into a lot of trouble

Inosuke was raised by boars his life and he has little to no human contact

Inosuke is influenced more and more by the Whitebeard pirates ways ways and becomes more accustomed to affection and generosity, learning to also acknowledge the strength of people besides himself and develop feelings of friendship towards the Whitebeard pirates , although he does still retain his proud nature and constant want for praise. He also begins to think more strategically when engaging in combat, using smarter tactics he has picked up from more experienced Demon Slayers and not just rushing into fights head-on without thinking, he goes mad when anyone tries to hurt his family, though despite being a troublemaker he can be shy and quiet whenever it comes to new things like Inosuke would hold Marco sleeve and watch in awe as a parade was happening

So how would the Whitebeard pirates react seeing their youngest and smallest crewmate being quiet for the first time like someone made a comment like "I wonder why would they allow a troublemaker boar into their crew?" And Inosuke started wondering that too and started being quiet as the Whitebeard pirates were behind him glaring at the bastard who made their youngest upset

Doubtful affections ( Whitebeard pirates x m!reader)

I don’t know how to feel about this one yall I really liked it at the beginning but then it was eh maybe I tried to hard using different characters I think that lowkey ruined it but nevertheless here we are I am proud that I finished dit today though! :)

Personification of Fossa was heavily inspired by @hannahbarberra162 ‘s own take on the character :)

Reader here has been replaced by Dokucha which stands for Reader in japanese

Dividers by @/saradika and @/fireflygraphics

“Why does it have to be boars anyway? We haven’t had sparrows in a while, and they are here by the plenty,” Ace whined as he followed after his brother.

“Cos’ the sparrows are here to control the caterpillar population, the villagers recently managed to get it under control and save their crops; boars are killin’ off their livestock,” Thatch huffed out, venturing further into the forest and away from the grasslands the village had made a home in

“We can get some good meat, and they will trade us materials if we help hunt them down; it’s a win-win for both sides.”

Ace let out a hum in response, looking further into the forest and placing an arm out to halt Thatch, gesturing for him to be quiet and lower himself on the ground.

Thatch is quick to understand the reasoning behind his actions as not far from there was a large sounder grazing on the wild vegetation. Letting out a smile as he unsheathed his knife and edged closer to them

“We goin’ to eat good tonight,” he grinned, stalking closer to the boars, knife raised and ready to strike; the opportunity ended as elated for the hunt he had failed to notice the foliage beneath his feet, cringing at the loud crinkling sound that quickly alerted the sounder.

“Ha...Howdy”

“Good going, Thatch,” Ace sarcastically called after they had managed to fend off the angry mothers that had charged at them the minute they realized someone had gotten too close to them and their piglets.

“Quit yer Hollerin; it ain’t matter how it got done. What matters is we got the meat,” he called, rolling his eyes and taking a glance at a nearby bush for a moment, his attention going back to the gathering of their hunt.

“Make yer’self useful and take care of the last one, think might be anotha piglet.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain,”” he called dismissively, igniting one of his hands as he approached the bush.

“Come here, piggy, piggy, come....here? Thatch you might want to take a look at this:”

“What is it? Oh.” The two men gawked at the sight in front of them; perhaps if they were not as worried at the fact that in front of them sat a toddler alone in the middle of the woods, they would have found it amusing at the mannerisms it showed as it let out what they guessed were small growls and charges towards them, a mask just as small as he was decorating his head.

Ace grinned gingerly. He picked up the aggressive child and boosted him up in the air for a few seconds. A laugh escaped him as the boy started giggling, his small hands trying to reach the man.

“Ya ain’t a boar, ain’tcha? What are ya doin’ all alone here?”” Thatch questioned, looking up at the giggling boy

“You don’t think he was being raised by one of the boars, do you?” Ace mulled lowering the toddler onto his hip, occasionally bouncing him

“Don’ see any other way he coulda survive alone out here” he mumbled, slipping off the boy’s mask to take a peak at his features.

“Well, it doesn’t matter cause he’s coming with us”” Ace laughed, but it was cut short as the child sank his teeth into his torso, gaining a hiss from the man.

“He’s gonna give Marco a run for his money.”” Thatch grinned, finding humor in his brother’s glowering

Thatch was definitely not wrong when he spoke those words as Marco stood in front of the child watching at his latest achievement; he had made a mistake in giving his back to a child who had been raised in the wild, and what did this cost him? A clinical bed, as the current one was now trashed, with small claw and bite marks littering it, springs and stuffing exposed to the frigid air of the room

Marco let out a sigh at the sight

“Alright, let’s set things straight; you do not destroy things,” Marco called, stopping the child from digging his teeth into the bed once again. He placed him on his lap, facing him, and held him as he struggled to get away from him and attack him.

“We can do this all day,”” he stated, looking down at the boy, who eventually stopped trying to headbutt his way out and began pointing to the bed.

“Don’t destroy my clinic,” he called sternly. He complied with his silent request and placed the child on the bed, watching him for a while to see if he would repeat her actions. He nodded when he didn’t and simply sat there staring at him. He then began assessing the child, taking all measurements, and, much to his displeasure, vaccinating him.

“There we go, you did great. Now I think it’s time you meet the rest of your brothers. Pops is waiting too.” he called, lowering the boy to the ground, his eyes softening as he gingerly took hold of his sleeve as they left the clinic, slowly walking closer to the deck, the rowdiness of the crowd getting louder and louder the closer they got

“You have improved greatly, Dokucha,” Vista applauded as he approached the small boy after he had successfully beaten his opponents under his brother’s watch.

A now older Dokucha spun around to meet his brother grinning at him

“You think so, Vista-nii?!” He called excitedly as he pulled up his mask and sheathed his wakizashi. Even though six years had already gone by since the day he had been found in that forest among boars, the young boy had kept his signature mask, having to replace it every year to fit his growing body.

“Your agility with the wakizashi has increased. Your movements are much smoother than last time, and your stance has improved as well. You no longer stumble on your feet when you must spin to meet opponents behind you,” he complimented, mirroring the child’s wide smile.

“Of course, I did a good job! I am the best after all!” he boasted as he put his hands on his hips in a proud manner.

“Remember to not underestimate your opponent regardless of their skill, or it will be your downfall on the battlefield,” He said as he placed a hand on the child’s head.

“I won’t, Vista-nii, don’t worry!”

“Now then, I must finish some training with my unit before we depart. Are you able to stock up on some of our supplies? We need new whetstones and truingstones"

“Leave it to me, Vista-nii!”

“Atta boy! I will see you shortly!” He called as he walked away

“Alright! I Saw a blacksmith right around the corner!” Dokucha noted as he made his way into the local village

“Here it is,” he remarked as he made his way inside the store, easily finding the items he was searching for and making his payment. Waving off the store owner as he made his exit, stopping as he heard the shop owner begin to talk, he turned around to see what the owner needed, only to once again be stopped as another voice spoke up.

“Who was that dear?”

“It was one of the Whitebeard pirates; he came to refill some of their smithing supplies.

He knew he was quick to jump into action; he had greatly improved this in the last years as he was less prone to suddenly lash out and act out on impulse. Under his brother’s tutelage, he now analyzed the situation and thought of a solution before his body moved. Much to Marco’s surprise and pleasure, the small boy had shown a great ability to strategize, coming up with strategies and views that never failed to impress him, much to his pleasure.

“Oh, was it one of the commanders? I heard Vista was around.”

“No, it was the boy,”

“That small child that tags along with them? I heard he was up to no good.”

Nevertheless, since he was still a child, it was only normal that many mannerisms he gained during his first two years of life still prevailed, which his brothers and father welcomed as they had grown to be a part of him. This, however, was not the case with people outside his circle; he was not deaf to the people’s words, the whispers of judgment following everywhere he went. He usually never let this get to him as he knew better than to care for stranger's words, but today was not one of those times.

“I wonder why they even keep such a boy.”

“I know, right? If anything, he would be a liability. That crew comprises such strong people, and then there’s him.”

“Maybe they felt bad for the boy, heard he was raised by boars. Can you believe that?” he said with a small laugh.

“Boars?! HA! I'm sure they keep him for entertainment. Their days at sea are very long after all.”

“Oh! That must be it I'm sure they...

Dokucha turned around, not waiting to hear the rest of the conversation, as he made his way back to the ship

“Have any of you seen Dokucha?” Namur questioned as he entered the mess hall, looking around for said boy

“He asked me for swimming lessons, and then the little rascal didn’t show up,” he grumbled, making his way to the table where the rest of the commanders sat at

“I asked him to get some materials from me, but I haven’t seen him since then,” Vista piped up

“I saw him go to his room earlier. Has he not left since then? It’s been hours since then,” Jozu noted, sharing a few worried glances with his brothers

“I will go check in on him,” Izou stated as he made his out of the mess hall

“Dokucha, are you there?” Izou called as he knocked on the door to his room, frowning as he received no response

‘He’s a light sleeper, so there’s no way he didn’t hear my knocking,’ he thought as he took a bobby pin out of his hair and easily unlocked the door, his frown deepening as his eyes fell on the lump on the bed.

“Dokucha?” He called sitting down on the bed

“The door was closed for a reason, Izou-nii,” the child grumbled, his voice muffled by the bed sheets. Despite this, the roughness and scratchiness of the voice was not lost to Izou as he swiftly removed the covers from the boy and pulled him closer to him.

“I have told you that it is unbecoming to not look as someone when you speak,” he called, tightening his hold as Dokucha tried pushing him away.

“Just leave Izou-nii,” he growled.

“I will not leave until you tell me what has had you acting this way.”

“Why do you even care? I’m just a form of entertainment for you guys, so you don’t have to pretend anymore, so...just leave me alone!” he cried.

Shocked by his words, Izou is quick to release him, watching as he broke down in front of him.

“Who told you this?”

“So it’s true!” he wailed, his cries growing louder as he turned away until a delicate hand made his place under his chin and softly turned it back.

“Dokucha. I do not know where you have heard of this, but know that it could not be farther from the truth,” he softly spoke as he lifted his face.

“We care for you deeply; we were all so happy the day Ace and Thatch brought you aboard. Trust me, living in a ship surrounded by such barbarians can become tiring after a while.” He started gaining a small giggle from the child at his words

“But then there was you; you were the most delicate yet wildest thing I had seen,” he voiced with a small smile.

“It was quite a sight, having a toddler run around amock and causing experienced warriors to lose their minds over such a small thing,” he recalled with a smile.

“It’s concerning how quickly you became the most precious treasure that any of us have found. And that is why I would like to know how you ever thought you were simply a means for entertainment,” he finished, looking down at Dokucha.

The child, comforted by the words, threw himself into Izou's arms, sobs racking his small body.

“Was it because of something we said or did? Despite not being as uncivilized as some of them, I understand some of us can be a lot,” he spoke as he hugged the boy closer to him, rubbing his back to soothe his cries.

“No, it wasn’t you guys.”

“Then?”

Encouraged by his words, Dokusha told him of what he had heard in the shop earlier. After a while, his brother smiled at him and encouraged him to relax for a while as he and the others 'handled it.’

“Say Fossa-nii, why did everyone leave?” Dokucha wondered as he looked up at the stars that filled the sky

“They had something that needed ta be handled,” he huffed out as he lay beside the boy.

“What is it?”

“What with the damn questions?! Just shut up n’ go to sleep,” the man growled, only getting a small snicker in response.

“I love you, Fossa-nii!” he exclaimed, throwing himself towards said man, hugging him tightly.

“Tch, yer lucky m' in a good mood,” he grunted out.

"Hey, hey, did you sneak any out today?" the child whispered, looking up at him

"Ya better not tell that idiot about this," he grumbled as he pulled out a small pastry from his pocket, handing it to the boy.

"I won't! Cause then I won't get any treats after hours!" he exclaimed, munching on the pastry and ignoring the snickers escaping his brother.

Ahhhh im tired yall but I finally finished it. What are we thinking?

Taglist:

@Imaginarydreams

@amethystviolin

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

@hannahbarberra162

[ckret2]

do you have any tips on fueling a hyperfixation enough to finish a long fic? specifically when the media has a smaller fandom

sure here's several tips:

1) for me, this is the most imporant one, so it's long: if you've run out of canon material and there's only a little bit of fanfic/fanart, start consuming things adjacent to the fandom that are relevant to your fic. This means doing research! Nonfiction research, even! it'll be fun, it's for fanfic.

If your main character was in the radio industry in the 1920s? then buddy, you're gonna read every book that's ever been written about the first years of radio broadcasting—and then you're gonna listen to a million early radio dramas that have been posted to youtube & old time radio podcasts.

If he was a trans man in Victorian England? Then you're emailing your library begging them to get a copy of a book about how American & British society perceived trans men & crossdressing women from 1600-1900.

If your main character ran a cult? Then you're about to get really familiar with a true crime podcast on the psychology of cults and their leaders.

If your character's an Italian theater nerd in the 1700s, you're about to watch a lot of videos about comedia dell'arte. If your character's a Japanese theater nerd in the 1700s, you're about to watch a lot of videos about kabuki. Is a character's name an allusion to a mythological figure? You're gonna read every myth about that figure possible to see whether any of it can be incorporated into your characterization. Is your character a big reader? What genres are they into and what years were they a teenager? You're googling "pre-lovecraftian cosmic horror" for your tentacle-loving goth born in 1890 and that's what you're reading for the next two months.

I've devoured books, websites, research papers, podcasts, infotainment youtubers, movies, documentaries, and whole TV shows powered purely by love for blorbo from a different show. The topics I've researched have been as varied as:

the physics & geology of volcanoes

how to make friendship bracelets

a travel podcast for tourists to New Orleans

Victorian-era sci-fi novels that preclude modern steampunk

hundreds & hundreds of real people's self-reported ghost stories

how to tie a sarong (which required digging past a billion links to white people who think a "sarong" is simply a rectangle of fabric you can knot any old way)

the history of Mardi Gras celebration practices

lockpicking

a wide variety of neurodivergencies (and do you know how goddamn hard it is to find psychology books that are sympathetic to narcissists?? goddamn. i did it tho)

the entirety of Care Bears and Rainbow Brite

the native names of islands & geological formations around the Ring of Fire

Mexican folk religion

pre-Hays Code comedy movies

how & where people consumed pop music before radios & record players

Indonesian airport locations

how much weight a battleship can carry...

and if you do it for Love Of A Character, it's fun. If blorbo loves cheesy pulp romances and you don't, you will if you're reading them with an eye to see what blorbo gets out of these books and how this reflects on their character.

Hyperfixation-tangential research can help stretch a hyperfixation indefinitely. Plus you learn lots of new stuff, and even when the hyperfixation dies, that knowledge is with you forever!

(did you know volcanos aren't hot enough to melt glass? did you know the fires built for glassblowing aren't hot enough to melt glass?? did you know magma isn't hot enough to melt itself??? i once spent a whole day frantically trying to figure out how glass & rocks melt. it resulted in two lines in a fanfic. i regret nothing.)

and a few other tips:

2) Find 3-4 trusted colleagues/partners in crime you can go feral with in DMs. A fandom with 10,000 people and a fandom with 100 people look the same size when viewed from within a ship-dedicated discord with 5 people.

3) if you rewatch/reread the source material CONSTANTLY, it's easy to risk squeezing out the last drops of dopamine it offers too quickly, so like, don't force feed it to yourself every other day. But periodically reconsuming bits of it somewhat regularly can help stoke the fire, remind you what you like about the source material, and inspire you to think over the parts that are relevant to your fic. AND helps you remember how to write the characters. (the aforementioned research is usually what I do for my fun watching/reading in between reconsuming canon.)

4) make sure the fic you're writing is short enough to be completed before the hyperfixation expires. this is CRUCIAL. i've never actually done this step.

[shsl-hubris-guy]

In-Depth Analysis On All The DR Characters Because What, Are You Gonna Try And Stop Me? Who Are You, My Mom? Yeah, I Didn't Think So- Part 2: Mondo Owada

So yeah, I decided to do Mondo's next. After all the material I ended up inadvertently collecting for him in my Taka analysis, it just made more sense to go ahead and get him out of the way, even if I'd rather go for my personal favorite characters first.

As noted previously, this analysis will only be using canon material. It'll primarily focus on the game and its english translation since that's what I'm most familiar with, but may also pull from the original Japanese, as well as the animation, stageplay, etc. If you aren't interested, just keep scrolling. Mondo fans, prepare some popcorn, and perhaps a tissue box since if you're anything like the Taka fans you may end up crying. You're welcome.

Part 1- Character Design

Mondo Owada is a delinquent character whose design pays homage to manga series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable, and is modeled after its protagonist, Josuke Hikashigata. Mondo sports a massive pompadour and a modified uniform that mimics Josuke's, and is the leader of a biker gang called the Crazy Diamonds, a direct reference to Josuke's Stand, Crazy Diamond.

Due to leading this biker gang, he was given the title of SHSL Gang Leader, or Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.

Part 2- Character Introduction

Most of Mondo's character introduction isn't actually from himself, but from the researching Makoto did prior to entering the school in-game. We know immediately that he's leader of the largest biker gang in Japan, and get a look into his public image via Makoto. Despite the fact that Mondo is being fairly chill with his greeting, Makoto remains terrified of him based off of reputation alone- "I'd better be careful around him. One wrong word and I could wake up at the bottom of the sea..."

However, we can quickly see that this reputation is built mainly on bravado, as when Monokuma first calls for the entrance ceremony, we can see Mondo begin to sweat, despite his claiming otherwise- "Well hell, it ain't like I'm scared or nothin'. Let's just get this over with!"

He continues to sweat throughout Monokuma's explanation of the communal life, attempting to cover it up by yelling at the bear to let them out. We get a brief look at his more protective nature, as he purposefully puts himself between Hiro and Monokuma in order to confront him. We also quickly learn just how easily provoked he is.

Despite this provocation, he's not completely swept up in his rage, as he's able to listen to Kyoko's warning of the bomb and follows her advice- to throw it away- without hesitation. So our first real impression of him is that he's a short-tempered and intimidating- but well-intentioned- protector of sorts. He's not completely brainless; he's considerate of his classmates and their safety even when putting himself at risk.

Part 3- Early Game Development

Mondo is an interesting case, as he's a character that almost immediately looks directly into the camera and tells the player directly what their main motivation is. The only other character in this series that's as transparent about their goals so early in is Sayaka, and even then the game makes you ask for that information.

He tells us, in no uncertain terms, that keeping promises is the #1 most important thing to him. He also tells us indirectly how highly he values his family and personal connections, holding his brother's word as law. These combined with his talent being that of a gang leader all suggest a pack leader mentality, which is immediately confirmed by his anger at Byakuya for trying to separate from the group- "Like hell I'm gonna let you run off and do whatever you want!"

Not only is this loss of control upsetting to him, but he's then immediately provoked and called insignificant by Byakuya, leading him to lash out at the closest person in an attempt to regain that hold of power- which just so happens to be Makoto. Not only is this response irrational and violent, but it knocks out Makoto for 10-11 hours. Mondo is a leader, yes, but he's a gang leader, and his bite does match his bark.

Mondo's aggressive and fairly single-minded nature is made apparent when he continuously tries to break down the hatch in the main hall. Not only does he attempt to bust it open with Sakura on the first day, but he then returns to the hatch with Leon the following day, despite the fact he already admitted there was probably no way to open it from inside, and continues to check into the following chapter. He sees one possible way out, and zeroes in on it, just in case.

The game continues to double down on the irrational, defensive aspects of his character when Monokuma appears again to present the first motive. He again confronts Monokuma directly- pretending as if he knows who's piloting the bear for a fact("We know who you are!")- and attempting to intimidate him into letting them go. Once again, this demonstrates both his desire to protect himself and his classmates, and his unwavering confidence in the intelligence of said classmates, as Chihiro was the one to suggest the mastermind being Genocide Jack based only off her gut feeling. He then proceeds to immediately turn around and make Makoto be the one to go find the motive instead of going himself, getting extremely angry when Makoto doesn't instantly do as he's told- "Hey... Hey hey hey hey hey... HEEEEEY!!! You see how passionately I'm begging you!? What's the big deal? Just check it out real quick!"

He then calms down the second Makoto agrees.

It creates a sort of duality with his character between his more protective nature and his need to exert control, something the game makes a point to call out.

Part 4- Relationships

Mondo develops a fair number of relationships across his time in the game, to varying levels of importance- some antagonistic, some exceedingly complex. We'll go from least to most important to the overarching story.

4.1- Celeste

Celeste and Mondo are written in directly opposing ways, as while they're both fairly short-tempered, Celeste is much better at hiding it. It's by this logic that throughout the early game, oftentimes when Mondo starts to get riled up by the rules of the school and/or their circumstances, it's Celeste who ends up deescalating before he can explode, maintaining a facade of calm where he can't.

4.2- Sakuraoi

While not very touched upon, Mondo does end up developing a mutual respect for Sakura and Hina. When the class splits up to investigate the school on the first day, he joins the two of them in trying to find a way to get back to the outside, and he and Sakura work together to try and bust open the hatch in the main hall.

Hina's the one that stops Mondo from attacking Byakuya in the library, and when Chihiro begins to cry over Mondo saying that 'women are naturally weak anyway', it's Hina who calls him out for 'screaming like a lunatic.'

His relationship with Taka is also directly contrasted to Sakura's with Hina by Sakura herself- "Friendship between men seems very simplistic. Nothing like what I'm used to with girls." "Yeah, for real..." It's an interesting comparison, considering both Sakura and Mondo end up dying and leaving the responsibility of failure on Hina and Taka.

4.3- Byakuya

Byakuya antagonizes Mondo more than once, first as they're splitting up to search the school, and again after the library opens. Both times he seems to take enjoyment from it, calling him unimportant more than once and refusing to even entertain the idea that he might die.

"So miniscule, so insignificant, they couldn't possibly have any kind of influence on the boundless ocean."

"You know, I still just can't believe it..." "Believe what?" "That an uneducated, brain-dead, useless piece of garbage like you has survived this long."

"You all need to try harder. If an opponent isn't going to give it their best, where's the fun for me?"

It's enough of a threat for Mondo to genuinely believe that he's dangerous and want to keep him bound so he can't attack (foreshadowing when Byakuya himself would go one to tie Chihiro up? Probably not but it's a neat connection)

He also goes on to fuck with Chihiro, both by mocking her fear and by purposefully tampering with (what he believed to be) the crime scene of her death. On both counts, this directly affects Mondo, calling him out for his bullying("Hey, shithead! You get off on bullying people that can't fight back?") and letting Byakuya pin the crime of killing Chihiro on himself in the trial.

However, despite all this, Mondo never gets the chance to give Byakuya his comeuppance for his words and actions.

4.4- Ishimondo (yeah these bitches gay)

Similarly to Byakuya, Taka starts in a more antagonistic position, directly opposing Mondo as the unofficial, self-designated 'leader' of the class and remaining insensitive to the feelings of his classmates.

Unlike Byakuya, there's no actual intent to harm here, and their banter remains more focused on their differing ideas on how to help their classmates than anything else. Still, as time continues to pass, Mondo's impatience combined with the recent losses from ch 1 starts to push him over the edge, getting angrier with the class's lack of urgency.

This impatience only leads him to butt heads with Taka more, who's trying to keep the class together and safe first and foremost. On top of that, Mondo's delinquency is directly opposed to Taka's disciplinary background, making it all too easy to see each other as foes. Despite the fact they consider themselves the better type of man to the other, they have similar views on how men are to face each other, leading to the sauna scene.

Both characters' strong-willed determination and stubbornness inadvertently puts them on the same path, attempting to use their physical abilities to prove himself a more worthy leader than the other. It's a simplistic way of deciding, but it's one they both wholeheartedly believe in, and this gives them the opportunity to connect with each other in a way they're unable to with anyone else in the class. Thus, the following morning, when asked about the contest, the two have formed an inseparable brotherhood and refuse to even acknowledge the contest, as having a winner would put them on different levels. Interestingly, Mondo shares the belief with Taka that men bond by being naked around each other("Guys gotta expose themselves to each other, ya know?"), suggesting that he removed his clothes in order for this 'brotherhood' to form.

4.5- Daiya

The first thing we learn about Mondo's older brother in-game is that he was the one who taught Mondo to always keep his promises, no matter the cost. The second thing we learn is that he fucking died. And until nearly the end of Mondo's run in the game, that's all we as an audience need to know. He had an older brother that taught him his core values and passed away, leaving Mondo to carry out his wishes. It's not until after the chapter 2 trial is said and done that we learn anything more about him through Mondo's secret: "That embarrassing memory, that secret he didn't want anyone to know... You know what he did? He killed his own brother!"

It's through Monokuma that we learn the truth of Mondo's history with his brother: Daiya was his only family growing up, and thus, became his role model, the man Mondo himself wanted to become. He respected Daiya and Daiya alone. He followed him everywhere, and together, they formed the Crazy Diamonds, which went from a local biker gang to one of the greatest in Japan. It was through his brother that he developed his biking talent, and acted as his right hand. But some of the gang didn't believe in Mondo or trust him the way Daiya did. As Daiya grew older and prepared to retire, rumors of nepotism circulated throughout the gang, saying that Mondo was nothing compared to Daiya, that he wasn't worthy to take over the gang.

"Daiya created the gang with his bare hands! Mondo's just along for the ride." "Can someone like that be our leader?" "All that'll do is make the gang look bad."

Any accomplishments Mondo had made within the gang didn't count to the gang, or to Mondo himself, because they were put next to the leader's achievements. He compared himself to Daiya as well, feeding into the rumors and developing a deep-rooted jealousy. He felt like he had to be the stronger man, had to prove himself to the gang, had to best his brother or he wouldn't be accepted. So he challenged him. He challenged Daiya, and lost all restraint on the road, charging forward with the desperation of a dead man. And it cost him his brother's life.

His brother made him promise not to let the gang go as he passed; Mondo became shackled by his honor to stay. He fully believes it was his fault Daiya died, and now not only is he indebted to stay with the gang, but can never admit blame for fear of tarnishing not only his own reputation, but tearing his brother's gang apart. His community demands unwavering macho leadership, and he can't afford to break character for even a second.

4.6- Chihiro (will be using mostly he/him due to discussing canon)

Mondo and Chihiro exist on 2 sides of the same coin- toxic masculinity. Both characters (canonically speaking here) are men, but are perceived totally differently, both by those around them and by themselves. And because of this design, when put into the high-stress scenario that they were, they were doomed to drive each other to ruin.

Even before chapter 2 starts, there are multiple instances of Mondo listening to Chihiro and respecting his words without doubt(his theory of Genocide Jack and asking his opinion on '11037'). We've also seen Mondo's confrontational and protective nature in action. So it's no surprise at all when he stands up to Byakuya on Chihiro's behalf when he clams up. And while this is done with good intentions, it only serves to make Chihiro feel weaker. Mondo is physically stronger- anyone can see that- and he's not afraid to mouth off to someone showing excitement at the killing game they were all forced into. So when asked if he's okay the following morning, he can't help but explain himself- he feels weak, and doesn't like having someone else stand up for him. For Mondo, this goes directly against his idea of strength, and can't comprehend why "she'd" possibly care.

With all of Mondo's toughness, he carries not just the expectations of a man, but the misogynist beliefs that often come with it. But regardless of that, he's immediately able to tell he fucked up("Hey, c'mon, don't cry... I-It's my fault, okay? I won't yell anymore...") as far as the narrative will allow him due to writer's bias*. He feels bad about this, genuinely, enough to offer Chihiro his promise as a man. It's enough of a gesture for Chihiro to trust him completely, believing in the man's promise he's emphasized as being the most important thing to him since the very beginning.

(*Writer's bias in this case means the author is also sexist to a degree. Mondo is very clearly meant to be a tough guy with good intentions but because the creator appears to agree with the sentiment that women are weaker on average, we as an audience are meant to take issue with the fact that he's yelling and not the sexist statement. Said bias is made pretty clear by the fact their 'weak boy' character is dressed like a woman to emphasize his weakness and be a 'gotcha', as well as the fact they later have Kyoko force Makoto to tear paper out of Hifumi's rigor mortis hand because Makoto's a boy and she's a girl, even though earlier in that same game she, still a girl, was allowed to examine Chihiro's corpse in enough detail to find her dick. Writer's biases can and does affect the final product, so it's always important to consider that when looking at a character's development to determine whether they're being shitty because they're supposed to be or if it's some fault with the creator themself inputting their biases into something that otherwise wouldn't develop in this way. This has been Critical Consumption of Media 101.)

When Chihiro's found dead, Mondo keeps his head hung, lamenting about the fact that Chihiro wanted to be stronger, and when Makoto points out Chihiro was a woman anyway, Mondo just dismisses it, contradicting his earlier statement.

He respects Chihiro's memory and refuses to speak poorly of him. And while at first glance this is all it appears to be, as the trial unfolds and we learn the truth about what happened to Chihiro, a dual meaning behind this reveals itself- another showcasing of his devotion to the promises he keeps and the desire to protect his friend, even in death.

Chihiro is physically weak; a strong wind could probably knock him over, and he's much more in-tune with his emotions than your average guy. He mourns the losses of Sayaka, "Junko", and Leon all deeply, and has a deep shame for not being able to defend himself against Byakuya. But despite all this, when tested by Monokuma's secrets motive, he doesn't crumble away. He thrives, taking that threat and turning it into motivation to push his limits. He has the self-awareness to know when to ask for help, and isn't swayed by the threat of death. He's physically weak, but is incredibly strong mentally and is able to conquer his fears and face the lie he created for himself. Unfortunately for him, living with this toxic idea of what masculinity is supposed to look like makes him believe the way to do this can only be found in becoming physically stronger, and dies without ever seeing the strength he already had.

Mondo, on the inverse, is extremely physically capable, even without trying. He's 187 cm of muscle, and is confrontational to a fault, only giving him more opportunities to show off that physical strength. But on the inside, he can't face the sins of his past, can't admit his faults, and can't comprehend how to make peace with himself. All this is exacerbated by the weight he carries of leading the gang his brother formed, unable to release that weight from his conscience.

"N-No matter what... I couldn't let the other gang members find out. If that happened, everything would've been ruined... Everything me and my brother worked to create... woulda been destroyed... His death... all the guilt I'd been carrying around... it all woulda been for nothing."

And when Monokuma tests his resolve, he completely crumbles. Unable to admit the truth to himself, he's faced with Chihiro, someone who has the mental capability he could only dream of. That primal fear of breaking the promise he made for his brother on his deathbed, combined with Chihiro's unwavering confidence as he happily chimes how unbothered Mondo must be, blocks out all rationale. He spirals, forgetting where he is and who he's talking to, trying to make the panic go away as he throws the dumbbell in his hand.

Chihiro and Mondo each have everything the other wants, and drive each other to death trying to get it.

Part 5- Chihiro's Trial

For most of the trial, Mondo doesn't appear suspicious at all. So much time is spent on Byakuya's suspicious behavior and his framing of Genocide Jack that you barely notice him. He fully appears to be trying to find Chihiro's killer and find justice for her, following Makoto's line of reasoning to find Byakuya as the killer- with the body's suspension and the subtle differences between Jack's methods of killing and the murder of Chihiro herself. He's all too eager to declare Byakuya as the killer- and though we can't know for sure, he may have genuinely believed it. After all, walking into the girls' locker room to find her body suspended and the message of 'Bloodlust' written on the walls certainly wasn't his doing. Unfortunately for him, that's all Byakuya did, and the conversation continues.

In the end, Mondo brings about his own execution. Even after slipping up with his words, the conversation is able to continue on, sfifting focus over to Chihiro's missing E-Handbook and what exactly happened to it. And when Mondo becomes cornered with Makoto's mention of the sauna, it's not Mondo who goes on the defensive; it's Taka. Mondo gives up; he lets his tough-guy persona go. He finally faces the truth; he's undoubtedly the one that ended Chihiro's life, no matter how he may have wanted to delude himself otherwise. He sees his bro defending him, and he accepts that he has to die. It's not beyond reason to say that Taka's insistence of his innocence was what pushed him to truly admit his guilt, both to the class and to himself. Up until this point, he'd still been trying to play it off and get away with it. But was it worth it to live and kill his bro, and everyone else, just to protect his pride? No. He admits to being the killer, straight up.

"Yeah. Yeah... I did it... I killed him."

"Go ahead, Monokuma. Get it over with... Ask for the goddamned verdict..."

Part 6- The Cage of Death

The first person that comments with some variation of OH MY GOD YOU'RE SO EVIL HOW COULD YOU PUT THE EXECUTION IN THIS gets a cookie. Anyways, the executions in these games are always thematic to the characters and are meant to send them into the worst possible despair in their final moments, so let's break this down.

The execution begins with Mondo forcefully strapped to his motorcycle by Monokuma, who's sporting the same pompadour as him. This may be representative of Mondo feeling confined to the biker gang by his guilt; he was never able to break free of the lie he created about that night. The pompadour is likely just Monokuma making fun of him for his hair again, as the thing that nearly killed him in the prologue.

The kanji written on the motorcycle reads 'Little Black Sambo,' a reference to a children's story of the same title. The entire execution is an inverse of this story as well. In the story, a boy named Sambo is surrounded by four hungry tigers, and gives up his clothes to avoid being eaten. The tigers are all conceited and argue over who's the best-dressed, chasing each other in circles until they churn themselves into butter. Sambo is then able to recollect his clothes and the butter, and his mother uses the butter to make pancakes. This story is well-known and beloved in Japan, but isn't in basically the entire rest of the world on account of the racist caricatures of the POC present in it.

Mondo's execution is a inversed version of the story(and also, because Mondo isn't blasian there's thankfully no directly racist art in it, just tigers). Rather than being the one to trick the tigers, he's the one who's full of pride, and so he's sent into a motorcycle cage and left to spin around and around, while the tigers dance on either side of him. He ends up being the one who's turned into butter, and Monokuma gets to enjoy a delicious plate of Mondocakes. It's meant to represent the downfall of Mondo's macho personality and how he sent himself into a spiral, but loses a lot of its meaning if you aren't familiar with the story.

Part 7- Jealousy

So, we've torn this character apart. We know what makes him tick, but why does that all matter? What was the point of his story? Simple- it's a cautionary tale. It's a warning against everything he stands for. Mondo, through all his faults, is NOT someone you're actually supposed to idealize or hold up as the epitome of manhood in the way that Chihiro does. Rather, he's a deconstruction of everything society views as 'manly', and a demonstration of why that line of thinking is inherently flawed. He's big and tough, he yells and cusses at the people around him, he doesn't have a handle on his own strength. He knocks a dude out for like, 10 hours straight because he was mad at someone else!!! That's not a healthy way to get your frustration out!!!

Simply put, your image and pride are not worth your mental health, and comparing yourself to the people around you not only tortures yourself, but can hurt those who you love. Mondo couldn't stop comparing his own faults to the strengths of others, and ended up pushing himself too hard trying to prove himself. Not only did he lose his brother over it, but he felt like he had to keep all his pain and regret locked up for the sake of an image they'd painted together. It pushed him up to the edge, and he never learned to cope with it in a way that was healthy. It only led to him lashing out more and more, and repeating history when he killed Chihiro. Your trauma can't be fixed by ignoring it or shoving it down; seek out help when you need it. It's okay to confide in your friends; they aren't your enemy, and they aren't making fun of you. That line of thinking will only push you over the edge.

Afterword

So yeah, this was longer than anticipated. Even after doing Taka's and creating a point of reference for myself, I still ended up surprised. I mean, Taka survived longer, so you'd think his would be longer, right? But no, Mondo is not only a very well-established character, but he has more important connections and a much more impactful storyline. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say Mondo may be one of the easiest characters to understand from THH, considering how in-your-face they make him. And I respect that, even if his whole facade can be kind of annoying for me. I totally see why this guy is so popular among fans. Happy birthday Mondo!

Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed this one, and be sure to stick around! Sayaka's analysis is coming up next, and holy shit am I excited for this one.

[amorchai]

𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐊𝐄𝐘𝐒.

this is a repost from my old blog. original post was 150 notes.

pairing(s): walter ‘keys’ mckey x reader

words: 824

warnings/tags: friends to lovers.

walter mckey was caring to say in the least. from before you were dating him, he still did little things that would make your heart swish and beat rapidly. whenever you went somewhere, he held the chair out for you. if your leg was bouncing he would rest a reassuring hand on your knee to tell you it’s okay. if you were off sick he would be at your door with numerous items to help.

it only got more affectionate when you started going out, the entire first date went even better than you had expected. you could feel your heart hammering in your chest the entire night and you were overwhelming warm by how flustered you were.

his cute smile and the softness beneath his eyes that hid behind the reflect of his glasses, you could simply get lost in him for the rest of your life and not mind. every time there was an opportunity for a gesture, walter was rushing to do so.

the moment you answered the door you were met with a nervous walter holding flowers and through the entire night he held every door open for you, held your hand, and kept the conversation going, light and fun.

you never knew you could have this much fun on a date until tonight, and it only meant you wished it would last. he was such boyfriend material, and after your crush on him for months at work dealing with your aching heart and butterflies whenever he spoke to you or did something nice, it was overwhelming that he felt the same way.

after a nice dinner at a japanese restaurant, he held your hand the entire way out the restaurant, holding the door open for you once again and asking if you’d like to take a walk. you never wanted the night to end, and it seemed like he didn’t either, so you agreed.

the streets were busy and walter’s hand never faltered from yours the entire time, fingers squeezed together while his thumb delicately grazes over the back of your hand. you felt tingly and dizzy at the thought that bystanders will merely think you’re a couple, something you’d been pining for a while now.

you got to know each other better, learning about his music taste and in-depth opinions on movies, his other hobbies apart from video game creating and you felt like you could easily get used to this. you and him together.

you were so flustered within every compliment walter paid you, fuzzy mind almost making you miss the fact you didn’t wear a jacket tonight, and it was a chilly fall evening around the city. goosebumps were invading the edge of your skin and your teeth fought the urge to chitter.

“would you like an ice cream?” you’re both stopped in front of a small desserts place and walter cuts into your thoughts, you turn to him and break your reverie with a small nod and smile, “that would be nice.”

he stares at you for a moment, really stares, as if he’s taking in every detail across your face with the most beautiful eyes you’ve ever seen. using the hand that isn’t holding yours, his pointer finger gently drags over your cheek and he hisses at the temperature before moving laying his palm flat.

“you’re freezing! are you cold?” walter asks and you giggle airly while leaning into the warm touch of his hand, squeezing his hold on yours, “a little.”

“a little? your cheek feels like ice, you could get sick- here!” he rushes his words, frantic while moving away from you — much to your disappointment — only to tug his jacket off. you can feel your knees grow weak but you hold your hand up, “no, it’s okay! i have a cardigan on, i’ll be fine i don’t want you to get cold.”

walter only shrugs your comment off while swinging the jacket around so it sits across your shoulders and he adjusts it at the front so your covered by it, entirely engulfed by the warmth it brings and the scent of him across the collar.

instantly you feel better.

“how does a hot chocolate sound instead?” walter offers, one hand resting on your lower back to push you into his body while your gaze follows his other, pointing towards a little café across the road. you’re surprised it’s even opened.

you turn to face him, looking up at his curious face before leaning up to gently settle a kiss to his cheek, and then briefly by the corner of his mouth. a small ‘thank you’ for how caring he has been tonight, and he settles kisses against your palm while you cross the road to get hot drinks instead.

you’re already warm from the feeling of his jacket and scent around you, and his palm in yours. but you don’t say anything, the moment too pure and walter too adorating.

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amorchai © ─ all rights reserved. no reposting/translating/copying will be tolerated.

[mage-of-mip]

Half-Foots and Ainu Culture in Dungeon Meshi

It sometimes feels like I might be grasping at straws with this, but I do feel like it's not completely unfounded. Please note, I am a white woman living in the USA, I am by no means an expert on Japanese culture in general, much less a marginalized subculture. I have simply made limited attempts to educate myself out of genuine interest born from exposure to media about Ainu characters and culture. I am always hoping to learn more.

I think it's fairly obvious that many parallels can be drawn between Ryoko Kui's Half-Foot race, and more than one ethnicity or subculture in real life. Romani, Irish, and Jewish stereotypes come to mind immediately.

But I think there's another one that may be explored less in the text, and much harder to catch by a western reader, but nonetheless could be intended by Kui, or perhaps was at one point. That of the Ainu people of Hokkaido, Japan.

There's not a lot of translated information about the Ainu online, so please bear with my limited knowledge. In short, the Ainu are the indigenous people of Northern Japan. For generations, their way of life has been taken from them and they were forced to assimilate to the wider Japanese culture. There are not many who still fully practice the cultural heritage in this day, but there are movements to bring the Ainu culture back.

In Delicious in Dungeon, there are two instances that reference the Ainu, both relating to Chilchuck. This could, of course, be a coincidence, especially if there are more references that I missed. It may be flimsy, but it still feels significant that this is the case, and that Half-Foots are or were meant to be an allusion to the Ainu.

This is the first instance. A significant panel in the context of the story. To my knowledge, this is the only specifically Ainu dish that's referenced in the text. On it's own, its just an interesting factoid, and the same dark humor that's being used for all the other character deaths in this fight against Thistle.

This is the second instance. From the supplemental material rather than the main story, Chilchuck is discussing what Half-Foots are called across the languages. The one that caught my eye here is the one in the top corner. Korpokkur.

The Korpokkur are a race of small people in Ainu folklore, their name meaning "those who live under the butterbur leaves".

Again, in a vacuum, this could just be a Japanese person using a Japanese word [Edit: Correction; An Ainu word] in her manga. But I think it's interesting that the two instances of Ainu culture being referenced have to do with Chilchuck and Half-Foots as a whole. It could warrant a deeper read-through looking for other references, perhaps by someone more educated than myself.

I think this could have some interesting implications in the wider worldbuilding. Perhaps the Half-Foots have faced similar cultural erasure and assimilation attempts, which is why a lot of their customs and clothing are just "Tallman but smaller", and why other races regularly mistake them for the children of tallmen, despite having pretty noticeable differences in how they look other than just their height(their disproportionately large ears, for example).

This idea might be a tad more indulgent, but I also like the idea that Half-Foot children don't receive a permanent name until they are toddlers. At one point, in Ainu culture(this may not be practiced today, I could not find information on that), the Ainu would give their children "vulgar" placeholder names until they started forming personalities, as a ward against evil spirits. Perhaps the same is done for Half-Foot children, and their two part names are selected when they are a little older.

Again, these are just the observations of an outsider looking in, please feel free to correct any mistakes I may have made! And if I'm completely off-base or have said something offensive, I apologize and will delete or amend the post as necessary.

[caineinthecorner]

Language (The Demon Brothers)

★ Based on my language general hcs. Part 2 is here.

Hi. Today we have the demon brothers language hcs, brought to you by a single dumbass bilingual. :D

I include mentions of bilingual/multilingual MC, but I use the term MC and you interchangeably in the bullet points. It's the same thing who cares (you can also add whatever languages you think fit I am just going off vibes tbh)

★ Lucifer.

Since he was the strongest and highest ranked out of the brothers, his innate abilities were muddled the least.

This is to say that he remembers a lot from his innate knowledge as an angel, and can actually fare incredibly well on his own if you leave him in the human realm.

(the language he preferred back in his angel days was Archaic Latin, which is also Simeon's preferred language)

When Diavolo brought up the idea of the human exchange program he was like "(: ok" and binged human language for like two months straight like a total psychopath

He's like one of those fancy 10+ languages fluent polyglots (how)

Despite his fluency, it is rare to ever see him speak them. He has better things to do and prefers demon tongue.

Or if he does, the Loquar Ad Vos that was applied to you once you arrived in Devildom doesn't allow you to hear it.

You try to swear in your native language around him and oh boy it backfires

That is how you learn he's fluent in everything under the sun (exaggeration)

Frustrated, you grumble that you will learn demon tongue just to one up him

He takes it like a challenge. Enjoy reading a million books on the demonic language and having double the homework for your little joke.

(he gives you hard material to learn on purpose to see you fail. Enjoy hell buckoo. Double hell? Hell²)

You kept misspelling good morning in demon tongue as a demonic death threat and that somehow turned into an inside joke between the two of you.

He has to keep himself from chuckling whenever MC screws up words

Your accent is lovely though. Keep it up

★ Mammon.

Spanish and English.

Ok I actually can't justify myself further than "Mams would absolutely fucking go to Vegas" and the fact that USA has a large Latino population but hear me out

You cannot tell me that he would not watch telenovelas. Like. C'mon.

he has the vibes of a Spanish speaker is what I am saying

he was SO frustrated about having to learn human languages you have no idea

In fact he probably still struggles a bit and that makes him really mad

Why is it so complicated all of the sudden?! It wasn't complicated Before!

He unconsciously associates human languages with the trauma of the fall, and the stress and hurt and turbulent emotions it conveys

So learning new languages besides the two he knows is a touchy subject for him

(but like, he will learn MC's native language despite this. Whining to hell about it, but he will. Everything for MC)

You are actually very lucky that you have Loquar Ad Vos with you, bcs he actually switches from demon tongue to either English or Spanish mid sentence sometimes.

Not that you notice with your crusty translator (Loquar also works for human languages it supports), of course.

"Ayo can you [Spanish phrase], oh and give me a [English word], for a [spanglish nonsense]" <- Mammon's dumbass not functioning in trilingual

Also he has an accent but he's trying

The others are used to it so they don't question it anymore, but they deadass could not understand Mammon at some point because trilingual was not computing

It was frustrating to say the least

You two play charades with each other when the other forgets a word in your respective languages

"MC WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE ANIMAL FUCK THAT CHANGES HOME" "... Hermit crab?" "THATS THE BITCH"

★ Leviathan.

Japanese (very decent) and English (bad) are musts.

You cannot tell me for a second this fuck watches anime subbed OR dubbed. He's too weeb for that. He will watch the original dub version for the full emotional impact

He wanted to know what happens in the weeb world of the west (and internet discourse), so he learned English through shitty 2000s anime forums and Duolingo

Probably plays Duolingo competitively and/or cries if he loses his streak

His hearing and speaking English is okay, his writing is literally so so shit

Tried to learn a romantic language to be corny but failed miserably.

(He steered clear of languages his brothers know so he isn't self conscious)

It was probably Portuguese or something since Mammon kept talking about being good at figuring it out as a Spanish speaker (due to it being a romantic language)

The diacritical marks killed him on the spot

Meu português não é bom... (crying)

Victim of the you're* corrections

Runs his several-paragraphs-long rants about weeb stuff through Satan so the grammar is legit

Actually thinking about it would be absolutely fucking hilarious if he knew russian just for funsies. Yeah add Russian to the list

He sends you crusty Russian memes at unholy hours in the morning. Calls that bonding

Would absolutely swear in loud ass Russian while playing Valorant or smt

"ПИЗДЕЦ" "LEVI IT'S 2AM SHUT THE FUCK UP"

Ah + he knows Morse code (obviously). He was really excited when he discovered it and proceeded to obsess over it for like three weeks straight.

Although by the time he learned about it humans had already moved on from its wide-spead use at sea (post-1999), the Devildom Navy adapted Morse code for their own use as per Levi's command.

He teaches MC how to use Morse code (bashfully) and they send lil' messages to each other for fun

★ Satan.

He inherited a good chunk of Lucifer’s angel-knows-all-languages innate talents.

He doesn't have the angel knowledge of every language, of course, but he definitely has a really high count since birth; Unlike his brothers who had to relearn their languages of interest.

However, he can tell™ that the topic of languages is kinda taboo-y, as it signifies the traumatic fall he himself was not there to witness, and kept quiet about it.

The others (mostly) think he just learned languages in his free time.

He is the designated google translate person. When the other brothers need translations, they ask him.

He gets very frustrated when he has to translate something on the spot

Absolutely knows Chinese and Latin just to read fancy old human books and be a menace about it

He has a copy of the Art Of War in Chinese I will fight you on that

Actually he probably owns every important human book in its native language

Culprit of the you're* corrections

If he has to read another thesis-length essay abt weeb shit by leviathan he will actually lose his shit

You know the Voynich manuscript? He's probably trying to decode it for funsies.

If you and him (unfortunately) share a language, he will absolutely correct the living shit out of you when you speak it

Look me in the eyes and tell me he wouldn't "erm ACtuAllY" MC. You can't.

His ass does not understand slang. At all. You tell him See You Later Alligator and he'll be like "tf you smoking ಠಿ⁠_⁠ಠ?"

★ Asmodeus.

French. And Korean. Maybe very mid English.

Ok so french is the language of lOVe and whatever + Korea is known for their heavy beauty-focused culture

I can see Asmo definitely picking up Korean just for makeup and self care brands purposes.

Like it is easier to browse for products he wants if he can actually browse the original places/websites himself

It's just more convenient and he's actually very good at language learning

+ Korean it is a "cutesy" language so it fits his vibe.

Like he absolutely would go "안녕 teehee (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)" to look disarming is what I am saying

He flirts to hell with Solomon in French. It is a language they both know and isn't supported by Loquar for translation so nobody can snoop their conversations

If you have the misfortune of knowing French I am so sorry for you bcs they are NASTY

Solomon is teaching him English. Asmo fakes being bad at it on purpose

★ Beelzebub.

He knows a decent amount of English.

What does he use it for? Order food. Obviously.

In fact everyone kinda assumes he just knows a few food orders and that's it but no he's actually very decent at English (borderline fluent)

He learned through clunky conversation with small restaurant owners

Beel actually makes a great effort to enunciate every word clearly, so he doesn't like speaking long sentences

"Would you like Salsa with that, sweetheart?" "... Yes," <- Beel has no fucking clue wtf salsa is but it tastes good so who is he to defy food gods (a nice Mexican grandma with a killer Pozole) whom have blessed him

I also think he would probably know some kind of sign language

Fingerspelling maybe, solely because it allows him to talk while having his mouth full or bcs his games are loud and he can't hear words very well

That and, like, the Devildom equivalent of sign language. DSL or something.

Look at him. Absolute sweetheart. He would absolutely want to include deaf or hard of hearing ppl.

★ Belphegor.

Ok so

I am going to be very fr with you

I believe Belphie would be the only monolingual (demon tongue "native") of the brothers

at most he would remember a few phrases of a few languages from back when he was an angel, but not any specifics

Like this dude has ZERO interest in human culture I cannot think he would sit down to (re)learn anything

he would fall asleep trying to learn human verbs actually

He only knows how to tell you to fuck off on 4 languages (/hj)

None which you speak. So that's kinda awkward

He doesn't know how to cast Loquar (nor has any interest in learning how)

Beel casts it for him if he needs it

He can and will deadass just remove the translator spell from you if you try to annoy/interact with him (except if Beel is who casts it on you).

(so Beel now also casts Loquar for you)

Begone >:(

[kkulbeolyeonghwa]

How I keep up with university and 5+ active languages at the same time!

Someone was curious about how I use my time to study this many languages effectively, so today I will write a post about it!

Note types

I like writing notes by hand. Digital notes do not stick in my head at all. On top of that, I do not use textbooks (North Sámi is an exception since I am studying it through my university) and only use free materials! I have a few different "types" of notes I write, here are some of them! (Sorry for any mistakes as some of these are old. I can see them too now that I am revisiting the notebooks)

The Korean Type

The Korean type is pretty much just word lists. I use this type of notation when studying a language I am good at and don't need to learn as many grammar points. Notes may be in English or the language itself!

The Ainu/Japanese type

This type includes grammar points. I use it for languages I have been learning for a while, but I still need to write down the grammar points. This type of note usually includes longer texts in which I make my own translations and highlight grammar points.

The North Sámi type

I use this type exclusively for Sámi for now. It requires a bigger notebook, this one here is A4. For this language, words are generally longer, there are many conjugations I need to write out and the volume of vocab I need to learn is bigger. This is why I prefer a bigger spread.

Time management

I use a study clock, so I get accurate data on how much I study. Here is the data from this past month:

My daily average is 3 hours. This month, my top studied subjects were Okinawan (32 hours), Linguistics (15.5h), R**sian (9h), Sámi (8h), Uralic languages (5.5h) and Ainu (3h). You could be surprised; how come I am studying so much in such little time? I think that the time you study is not important, but the quality is the top priority.

As you can see, I do not study all subjects equally. I do not set myself rules on what to study on what day. On some days, I feel like studying one language and one on another. The only rule I have is that I need to study something every day!

With this study routine, I have brought my Ainu from 0 to B1 in one year and my Okinawan from A1 to B1 in one week. I could share my exact study routine here later (what I include in my notes and how I structure what I learn), I don't want to make this post too long!

Feel free to send me an ask if you want to learn more about my study routine!

[ascendance-bookworm]

Ascendance of a Bookworm Musical

Musical Ascendance of a Bookworm

本好きの下剋上 ～司書になるためには手段を選んでいられません～

The live-action stage musical at Tokyo and Osaka in Fall 2024.

Ascendance of a Bookworm Wiki

Ascendance of a Bookworm Musical Official Website

There were two versions, an A Team and B Team for the double roles for the kids in the play.

Adult Cast is the same for both versions.

Urano Motosu / Myne's inner voice (seiyuu): Yuka Iguchi

Gunther: Yuhi Tanaka, Effa: Yuka Ishibashi, Benno: Tōma Yano, Otto: Yusuke Anazawa

Bezewanst: Koichi Miura, Ferdinand: Kento Tsuji

Ensemble

Sora Fuji, Daiki Saitō, Dai Satō, Kento Tachibana, Chiaki Watanabe, Kana Sakurai, Sakura Nishio, Maisaki Ōkubo, Otowa Koyasu, Yuki Asano, Maho Takemura, Yuhei Iriuchijima

Children

Team A: Aoi Ikemura (Age 8) Matinée Show

Myne: Aoi Ikemura, Lutz: Ayumi Misaki, Tuuli: Sakura Mikami, Freida: Yurika Matsui

Ensemble (children): Otowa Koyasu, Yuki Asano, Mayuka Motoki, Hana Edamura

Team B: Akari Miura (Age 12) Soirée Show

Myne: Akari Miura, Lutz: Seiran Ina, Tuuli: Shimoriha Ikuta, Freida: Seizora Kusumi

Ensemble (children): Maho Takemura, Yuhei Iriuchijima, Kanano Isogawa, Mizuki Konishi

I finally watched both versions of the musical and I thought I would give a little mini-review of my thoughts on both performances. I downloaded the musicals from nyaa.si and I would recommend them to anyone interested, but take note that they clock in at about 3 hours and 15 minutes each, there are about 30 minutes before each play starts and a 15-20 minute intermission in the middle that are simple title markers (this was streamed online and I think that is where the copies were made), but still it is a long watch - and there are two of them! I do recommend both as the different performers brought something a little different to the roles and I think both teams did a great job.

The musical covers part one of the light novels, and the songs and voice overs are often used to speed thru the material and cover large segments of the story. There were no subtitles, but if you know the story it really isn't difficult to follow along, at least it wasn't for me. It was clearly made for kids and families, so the language is simple. I was actually pleased at how much of the story it covered, not all the characters get as much focus, but all the basics are covered pretty well.

This is typical of the anime to Japanese live-action musicals I've seen before, these are not big productions like a broadway show, they tend to stick to the story and try and adapt it pretty closely, but are definitely done on a budget ^_^

The play is structured with Ferdinand learning about Myne's life thru the mind-reading device as she (Adult Urano) tells him the story of her life as a commoner. I can't help but think that if this was the real Ferdinand, Urano choosing to tell her story thru song would be most annoying to him, lol

Yuka Iguchi, the voice actress for Myne in the anime, does the voice over work. I really like how they captured the various moments, and the voice over aspect really worked well, as so much of the time we are in Myne's head, so including it was a smart choice as her original self's feeling and thoughts are a major part of Urano/Myne's story. I also liked how they displayed the mana powers throughout the show.

Gunther and Effa were just as you would imagine, both well performed. I really liked Effa's voice, and Gunther fits the bold and brash Gunther to a tee.

Benno was fun, I think he was captured pretty well, his song is funny. Mark was appropriately Mark, I like how the actor committed to his closed eye look, lol. Otto was is his cheeky self, I missed Corrina though.

Gustav / Bezewanst is played by the same actor, and he really hammed it up, lol. I kinda like how they go all out on his less than scrupulous 'tastes' as the High Bishop, the actor clearly had fun with his dual roles and Ferdinand's frustration with him is funny.

Ferdinand was appropriately stern, didn't like the wig on him though, felt unflattering to the actor, I don't know the wig was a miss, maybe it was the hair behind the ears. The actor did fine, not much for Ferdinand to do in part one. He is basically used as a frame work to ask questions and receive exposition when needed. He has a few numbers at the end that were fine, but well he is Ferdinand, too subtle to be 'entertaining' at least in this part of the series.

The main difference between the two versions are of course the kid performers: Myne, Lutz, Tulli, and Frieda - everyone else is the same. I don't want to compare the kids too much, but I thought it I should give a few thoughts.

Team A was essentially the Matinée Show, or the one with the younger, less experienced kids. Team B was the Soirée Show, which would be the main show, all the kids in the Soirée show are lightly older and give more 'mature' performances. I feel both have their charms, the younger kids feel more like kids, and the older kids feel more seasoned and professional in their performances, definitely stronger, more confident singers all around too. If the quality of the singing is important to you, then you will prefer the Soirée for the singing.

The main character Myne is played by Aoi Ikemura (Team A, Age 8, perhaps 7 when it was filmed) and she is a real cutie! Honestly, she made for a perfect Myne in age and size, she is so tiny and yet full of gremlin energy that she captures Myne really well in her on stage performance. She did a really good job with the dramatic moments too, you could hear the emotion in her voice. I was really moved by her performance overall, she is obviously so happy to be there (on stage, probably her first lead performance) that it rubs off on you. She is very likable.

Aoi Ikemura feels more raw and natural in her performance, especially as a singer - she goes in and out of tune often, doesn't sound bad, but it is noticeable in that it sounds like a regular kid who hasn't mastered their singing voice. I don't mind her singing, but then again I don't mind a raw singer, especially if it fits the characterization, but if you prefer a more professional sound, Akari's voice is much stronger.

Akari Miura (Team B, Age 12) is also very good, she is a better, more consistent performer, and is the far better singer. She is older and it shows in her more seasoned performance overall. If they were to make a recording of this, her voice work and singing is already record quality. It feels like a CD worthy performance, imho. Honestly the only negative I can come up with is that she feels too old by comparison, but that is not really a knock on her or her performance, but just the reality of any child roles. I liked her performance, but I think I liked Aoi's Myne slightly better, simply because she fit my image of the role so perfectly (I also watched it first, so perhaps that's influenced me too). But hands down, Akari is the stronger performer, she never missed a note and is also likable in the role.

Of course Myne has to carry the entire show, there are few moments where she isn't on stage, but Lutz also plays a pretty big secondary role. Ayumi Misak (Team A) plays Lutz more like how I think of him, a kinda quiet, serious kid. Seira Ina (Team B) has a lot of charisma, the boy can't help letting his charming self shine through, he is a little too smilie, lol (Is that too harsh? he always has a smile on his face :) They both give good performances and handle the emotional parts well.

Tulli didn't get much to do, she didn't even get a solo song, or anything. She is mostly included in the group or family numbers. Both actresses are cute and perform their roles well.

Frieda gets a couple of song and scene highlights, I like the outfit they give her, and both actresses do a fine job.

Overall I really enjoyed watching the musical, even if it was a tad long, lol wish it was subtitled, but I know the story so well that I really didn't have any problems following along with the story. Will there be musicals for any of the other parts? I really can't see how they could pull off the other parts, part one is short and a simple and the easiest to adapt in this format.

It does make me wonder if we will ever get a live-action drama for AoB, would it work or would it eventually need too big a budget to pull off, at least for the later parts? Asking too much?

Anyone else watch these?

[littlefoxwithbighat]

10(ish) Deltarune theories and lore to catch up on before Chapter 3 & 4

As someone who has been deep (AND I MEAN DEEP) in the trenches of Deltarune theories and analysis, I thought I'd share a few ones that you might want to catch up on before Chapters 3 & 4 drop for real, so we can be on the lookout for more secrets! There is so much thought and love and secrets inbuilt into the series, so its really fun to learn about this stuff!

Bolded videos are the ones I would highly recommend watching before Ch3 and 4 drop.

"Everything to look out for in Chapters 3 and 4 of Deltarune" by KazooCat covers most of the lore we are expecting to see in these chapters from the previous newsletters and special events. If you just want a quick recap of what's coming and where we're at, this is a great resource.

2. "The Burgerpants Conspiracy" by cammyboiG is a bit of a crack theory and a very silly video, and it isn't something I necessarily subscribe to, but it does cover some big theories and important ideas, such as chess theory, several candidates for the knight and some general lore, and it's all around a good time with a genuine love for the source material. Go check it out!

3. "The Importance of The Dreamurr divorce in Chapter 3" by StuffedAlpaca discusses the Dreamurr family throughout Undertale and Deltarune with some really insightful and empathetic analysis, very good video for any Kris fans and will almost certainly be relevant in Chapter 3. All around lovely video and a great channel.

I would also recommend Stuffed Alpaca's video on:

A) "Susie and Ralsei's relationship will be more important than you think" discussing how their opposing relationships with both Kris and the player might affect the storyline

4. "Why is Kris so weird?" by HalfBreadChaos. This is a must-watch in my opinion, although I am a bit biased because I absolutely love this channel, it's incredibly smart. Covers some really important elements of Kris's characters and their relevance to magic and ocean and death imagery, and absolutely opened my eyes to some deeper lore within the game. Also, HBC uses a TTS due to their disabilities, so if thats a no for you, thats fair, but please don't hassle them or their community for it, they aren't a bot!

B) "Why is Berdly in Deltarune? An (Over)Analysis" A beautiful character analysis of Berdly for his fans to celebrate and his haters to learn a little bit more about him.

I would also really recommend HalfBreadChaos's video on:

A) "Who is December Holiday in Deltarune" A MUST WATCH if you are behind on Dess lore, or you still don't know who she is. This is your best resource to learn about her.

B) "Don't forget, who is with us in the dark?" discussing potential candidates for the singer of the main song of the series, including taking apart the japanese characters and their significance to each character.

C) "What the Four Shadows Foreshadow" discussing the foreshadowing of the shadow puzzle in Queens mansion in Ch.2.

D) "Puppets and Cats: Elements Revealed in The Spamton Sweepstakes" discussing the element system in the pvp, which will probably become increasingly significant in later chapters.

E) "Who is the Man With The Egg in Deltarune?" discussing the secret egg room and its significance to Gaster and the knight as well as other easter eggs.

F)The smile motifs in Deltarune, which as you might guess, covers the way smiling is used in UTDR universe and why.

Honestly, just go watch all HalfBreadChaos's videos if you want to learn Deltarune lore in full, they use code and translations and previous lore expertly to flesh out theories. But these are my favourites/ the most important ones to know.

5. "Noelle's mother worries me" by Dorked. Covers a bit about what we know about Noelle's family relationships and how it relates to Noelle's personality. Will also probably be relevant in future chapters.

I would also recommend from Dorked:

A) "Ralsei and The Player's concerning relationship." What it says on the tin, but incredibly important for any Ralsei analysis.

B) "The Sans & Ice-E Conspiracy, and Deltarune Papyrus Mysteries" maybe a bit out there, but it does provide a lot of insight into ICE-E and its relevance.

C) "Toriel and Asgore's parenting problems." Like Stuffed Alpaca's video, this covers how Toriel and Asgore's parenting issues affect their children. A lovely character analysis.

Again, a really lovely and insightful channel. These are just a few picks and I would highly recommend you check out more of their videos.

6. "The Universal Mother Theory" by Kooki914. Explores how Queen's relationship to each of the characters resembles their relationship to their mothers. Chapter 2 specific, but I do think it's interesting to consider for other chapters, especially when we begin to learn more about the characters families.

From Kooki914, I would also recommend:

A) "Snowgrave: An exploration of relationships" which explores how Kris and Susie's relationship in the snowgrave route is likened to an abuse marriage.

7. "I think I know what Ralsei is" by SonsaKay." I don't know if I fully subscribe to this theory but O.M.G. I had SO MANY revelations and jaw drop moments watching this video. If you are at all interested in Ralsei's character you MUST MUST watch this.

8. "A Thematic Analysis of Darkness in Deltarune" by Virat Veritas. Just a nice old fashioned thematic analysis; what is says on the tin.

9. "Names, Endings, Prophecy, Power" by Snarlinger. Explores the significance of character names in the UT/DR universe, and links them to religious themes within the text.

Related to this video:

10. "I know what the angel's heaven is & how Deltarune will end" by Black Chesnut and "The Religious Symbolism of Deltarune" by Detective Mar. Grouping these together because they're both good insights into the religious symbolism in Deltarune, which is shaping up to be a really prominent theme, and worth knowing a little bit about.

A. In this video, Snarlinger mentions, "Deltarune's story is strongly tied to the Book of Revelation" by Doom64hunter. This is a brilliant in-depth read about how the story of deltarune mirrors the end of the New Testament and so smartly put together.

and a bonus

11. "Who Dr. Gaster Is and Why That Matters to Deltarune" by Mystic Sparkles. Come on guys, we had to have ONE big gaster theory in here and I DID save it to the end. In all seriousness, if you are behind on Gaster lore, or you don't understand why people are using him in Deltarune Analysis, this is a really great resource, and Mystic Sparkles is a delightful commentator.

NOW LISTEN GUYS. I AM TRUSTING YOU TO BE NICE AND RESPECTFUL TO THESE CREATORS, EVEN IF YOU STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THESE THEORIES, OK? DON'T MAKE ME REGRET SHARING THESE, I'M TRUSTING YOU ALL TO BE GOOD. Now have fun theorising and analysing mwah <33.

[noxiatoxia]

heyyy.. I’ve been learning Japanese because I’m very interested, I’ve only been using Duolingo so far and I’m not satisfied with it for a number of reasons

anyway do you have any resources you’d recommend for a beginner level in Japanese? I know the entire hiragana alphabet, including sounds like “pu” and “gi” (I can’t figure out the Japanese keyboard yet lmao)

Hi! I'm very flattered you'd come to me! Please keep in mind I do not have a degree in Japanese nor English or any Language Teaching, so this is just advice from a normal guy.

Firstly, it was a good idea to ditch Duolingo. Duolingo is good for learning the JP alphabet, or - and if you don't care/don't want to become fluent - if you just need to learn a handful of phrases to make your Summer trip to Japan survivable. If you wish to become fluent though, it's a really awful tool. For one big reason:

There are no 1:1s in language.

Put simply...there is no "English translation" to any given Japanese word. This is true of any language, I think - not just ENG <--> JP. Sure, some simple nouns can be reliably translated with accuracy - りんご ringo means "apple", or 犬 いぬ inu means "dog". But even then, context matters. There's idioms, sayings - and when you get to verbs, more complex nouns, adjectives...there simply is no 1:1 anymore.

This is why we get translations like Danganronpa which read (70% of the time) like they looked up the word in a JP to ENG dictionary and figured that must be it.

For example... "zetsubou" , "despair", doesn't actually mean despair, really. The way it's used in Japanese is much more common/versatile than how it is used in English. Really think about it. How often in day to day normal conversation do you hear the word despair?

In Japanese, 絶望 ぜつぼう zetsubou is sort of like...misery, negativity, the absence of any feeling of things will be good or okay. This makes it far more common in Japanese natural dialogue.

So please keep that in mind with every word you learn! Learn the feeling, write down as many example sentences you need to help you with it.

This may feel daunting, and it's okay to rely on basic definitions as a beginner if you need to. Everyone starts somewhere. But it's something to keep in mind.

Elsewise, I think toddler cartoons are actually good. Cartoons made for babies and toddlers are designed to help them learn basic things, such as colors, shapes, being nice...etc. Because of the simplistic nature, small words are used, speech is usually slower, and words are repeated consistently. Even just sitting down every hour once a week to watch a toddler show in Japanese is helpful.

The Japanese dub of Bluey and Peppa Pig are very good. Also available (and my personal favorite) is Paboo and Mojies. If you want some material for kids but not toddlers, NHK for School is good.

Watching the Japanese Dub of a show you know like the back of your hand (preferably a kids' show for easier to understand dialogue) is great too, as you can hear how the sentence gets translated into Japanese. The MLP 5 movie is great in Japanese, and I don't know much about Miraculous Ladybug in English, but I caught it on JP Disney Junior a few times and thought it was fun, and I think if you are able to understand some of the toddler shows with relative ease, these would be good places to move to.

Toddler shows are also careful to generally keep the words spoken normal since kids will likely emulate them. It helps keep you from talking like an anime character.

When it comes to reading, little kid books with Hiragana are good, but manga is actually helpful! Manga uses Kanji, but includes Furigana by the Kanji so you can see how to say it. The Yotsubato Manga in Japanese is a good one to start with. You can look up the words you find in a dictionary.

If you need discipline and can't learn without deadlines and such, a language school may be good. While Japanese textbooks can often be misleading for English learners, it's not necessarily incorrect info, and if you need the school environment, then I'd say the pros outweighs the cons.

Also, don't be afraid to use MTL for help, to look up words, and to google in Japanese.

Also for Hiragana and Katakana, this is a good site. I know you already know Hiragana, but just in case.

Watching Japanese vlogs and YT videos are a good way to hear natural Japanese as well. Finding people who know Japanese to talk to is important for practicing your speaking skills as well.

I hope this helps at all!

[reality-detective]

I've been asked to share my opinion on the recent Economist magazine cover that depicts a very interesting symbolic collage type of image. In no particular priority order, here are my impressions:

1. Saturn, which has profound occult meaning, sits atop the world order, above all world leaders and changing international dynamics. They are saying that regardless of changing conditions in the world ultimate authority will remain with Saturn and the cult of Saturn.

2. The image is dyed with black and red which is especially significant in 2025 because black is the traditional color of Saturn and red is the classical color of Aries where Saturn is heading in 2025. In other words, the dominant colors of the image reflect Saturn's astrological entry into Aries next year which the "elites" are aware of and planning with (Saturn centric strategy).

3. The value of the U.S. dollar will rise, perhaps as sharply as a rocket, through President Trump's leadership. Currency speculators should take this very seriously as I believe he's on a mission to save the USD through extraordinary means and measures like gold.

4. Zelensky holds the lowest hierarchical rank within the image which resonates with my recent prediction that 'Zelensky the Aquarius' will be falling after the next new moon in Aquarius which comes on January 29th, 2025.

5. Nuclear and radiological imagery conveys the message of crisis of this nature that dark forces intend to amplify and exploit to negatively change power dynamics within the world. The eye with the radiation symbol correlates with Pluto's entry into Aquarius.

6. The other eye to the right appears to be the same from the pyramid on the USD, an easy read here is "watch what we do with the USD" which has of course been used as an economic weapon for a long, long time. President Trump can 'game change' this with gold. The hour glass next to the 'dollar eye' says that the dollar will have more time or that the clock on it will be refreshed.

7. The Japanese Yen appears forecasted (or plotted) to decline along with the power and influence of Ursula Von Der Leyen who is likely to be axed by Saturn in '25.

8. There is a certain city beneath Saturn that seems unaffected in a negative way, a city above President Trump and perhaps the USA which he represents. The "City of Saturn" is a concept that should be kept in mind, especially a new "City of Saturn" as Saturn will be transitioning into Aries, the house of all things new.

9. President Putin, the great Christian hope and power of the East, is placed beneath a globe showing his region in emergency red beside a syringe which inclines me to think of a new biological threat in his area. I pray that his new cancer vaccine hasn't been tampered with.

10. EV battery supply issues also appear forecasted, with Saturn entering Aries battles for land, territory and raw materials will definitely be intensifying globally.

11. The white rocket next to President Trump seems to be an admission that 'Trump world' will be taking off. The rocket can also symbolize @elonmusk who has (thank God) propelled President Trump's ambitions.

12. The red communist fist at the bottom of the image implies a series weakening of communist social power.

13. I'm not quite sure who the woman is at the bottom but I feel inspired to think of Marine Le Pen as a new power player on the global chessboard. Watch her.

14. Xi and Putin are 'to the right' of Saturn (implying that they are philosophical good actors) while Ursula and Zelenksy are 'to the left' of Saturn (implying that they are bad actors). Trump is in the middle, between worlds, where he'll be tested in his 'bridge making' ability in '25.

15. The eyes to the left and right of Trump convey a message that he is being watched in an "all seeing" manner by shadow powers. Saturn above Trump, in a 'third eye' position, inspires me to think that he has a blind spot for Saturn, especially the astrological Saturn, which he should learn to see through his inner eye.

16. President Xi is depicted with a higher status than President Trump although the imagery near Trump implies a 'rise to the occasion' type of momentum and challenge that Trump will pose to Xi and China in economic terms. Between this and the Yen decline imagery I get chills for the Asian market in general.

17. Imagery for the secret AI arms race is suspiciously missing although the text reads, "crunch year for AI, will the $1T gamble pay off?" In other words, look at this and look at that but don't think of the secret AI arms race.

In closing I must state, as I have repeatedly through the years, that 'world elites' use astrology in secret and here they are putting Saturn at the top of their 2025 agenda.

Watching wisely,

Astrologer Salvador Russo

It's a pretty good description 🤔