#i very badly want to at least somewhat catch up on the manga but also i hate it

[tboykrillin]

i can feel bsd lurking. i dont have much time

[tiggymalvern]

Rambling Trigun meta ongoing

For the sake of my followers, all but maybe two of whom don't want to have to keep scrolling past all this stuff, I'm going to take some discussions from this post and start a new post that doesn't contain everything that came before. If only this was a DW-like format and we could have this conversation in a thread without keep pushing it up in everyone else's face! Maybe he (Vash) thought that weird limbs and emitting huge amounts of energy were a bulb plant thing? Even when he was a kid he saw himself as more similar to humans than bulb plants…Without direct evidence, he probably had no reason to assume he had the same powers as bulb plants. But Vash also had no reason to assume he didn't? He's NOT human, and there were definitely people on the SEEDS ship who wanted to make sure he knew he wasn't human. That's a hell of a lot to airbrush out, to try and deny the things that you have in common with your own species. And if that's what Vash did, then wow... Rem did a lot of damage. Certainly without intending to, but if being raised by a human that way made Vash want to associate only with humans and ignore everything that made him a Plant, in a sort of internalised racism directed at himself, then that's doubly tragic. Both for Vash himself and for everyone else, given the consequences of it. He spends the whole time trying to get Vash to join him (the angel arm thing) and agree with him (sending the Gung Ho Guns to make him miserable). Also, iirc, up until the final battle, Knives doesn’t attack Vash and seems genuinely surprised when Vash shoots at him. That sounds like someone who cares very much, but is unwilling to compromise. He wants his brother to agree with him, so he approaches it by torturing his brother. How likely is that to work? There are only two explanations for that - either Knives is the most seriously fucked up individual on the face of the planet or Knives doesn't actually care about his brother at all. Those two aren't mutually exclusive, of course - Knives can be just that fucked up that he thinks he cares about his brother while simultaneously being able to justify making his life hell. But that's not actually caring. That's being fucked up and obsessive. That's an abuser's way of 'caring' and it needs a very different word. I wonder if his motivations changed over time. It’s been over 100 years. You’d think if he doesn’t repeatedly have interactions where humans treat him badly during that time, the pain and resentment would eventually fade This is exactly what I think Knives didn't do. You're right - if he'd spent more time mixing with people, his opinions might have changed as he matured into an adult and became more capable of seeing nuance. But Knives hated humans. He wanted and wants nothing more than to erase them from the face of the universe. Why would he spend time among those despicable ants? Vash hung out with the humans. Knives probably sat way out in the desert and watched the humans spread across the planet and fumed. The only humans we have any evidence that Knives spent time with are the ones he found and exploited - the outcasts, who had no more reason to look kindly upon humanity in general than Knives did. I don't think associating with Legato was going to give Knives many human-positive vibes, unfortunately.... Considering that they were at least somewhat telepathically connected and spent almost every moment of their early lives together, it would be incredibly painful to separate. Which is partly why Vash spent so long following Knives around even when they irreparably disagreed about everything. It’s weird that Knives seems so torn up about it and Vash doesn’t seem to care much. The best explanation I can give is that when they were kids, when it came to the central people in their lives, Vash had Rem, and Knives had Vash). Absolutely. Vash clung to Knives immediately after planetfall, even while he hated what Knives had done, because he had nobody else. But then Vash grew and matured as a peron. He found other people and made friends. He learned to live without his brother and get on with his own life, which is something Knives never did. Knives instead became the abuser, believing that only he deserved his brother, because they're the same, and the human scum didn't deserve Vash. He treats his brother more like property than someone valued - he believes Vash's choices and opinions hold no value, and acts like Vash is a straying dog that needs to be beaten until he's too scared to run away again. Oh, and ignore the bit about twin telepathy. I think that was only in the manga. I think it's valid in either canon. It's only explicit in the manga, but the anime covers that Vash can sense the feelings of the bulb plants, so I think it's likely something of the kind was true with Knives. When do you think Wolfwood would have first seen the scars? It was probably before Augusta, because he doesn’t seem very surprised or horrified about them when Eriks is humiliating himself. I feel like it would be a long time before Vash would trust anyone enough to show them. Also, Wolfwood would probably make exactly the argument you just did and would be more disputatious in general afterwards, I think. So it would’ve been after Episode 11, but when? You mentioned before that a fair bit of time must have passed between episodes that we didn't see, and this is definitely something we didn't see. Honestly, I don't think Wolfwood would have a dramatic reaction to it, though, not like Meryl. Wolfwood's seen a lot - he's seen some of the other Gung Ho Guns with their massive body modifications. I think Wolfwood would have been sad, but not surprised. and the sad part would have been well hidden. It could have happened at pretty much any point, to be honest, but I agree before Augusta. By the time Wolfwood tracks down Vash as Ericks, their relationship is fully established and they both seem to understand pretty much everything. Wow, that’s dedication, translating the manga yourself! Wish I had the language skills for that Trust me, I don't have the language skills :-( I got a couple of self-teaching courses and learned the basics of Japanese grammar and how to use a kanji dictionary and then went through it extremely slowly and laboriously. Don't expect me to hold a conversation in Japanese! Though if I did, I'd hold up better if we were talking about guns and blood and killing people rather than where to catch a train...

[hyakunana]

Day 7: Free Day!

Did I ever mention about a fic draft I had since October? Because about that... 8)

Kisses

Summary: The first was an accident, the second an experiment, the third a challenge, and he kept track of all of them.

Words: 2345

Notes:

Special thanks to @nemirutami for editing this fic! <3 

I wanted to post it on ao3 too, but I don’t have an account and my email is on queue to get an invitation, so I’ll be late there. orz

I hope you like it!

Their first kiss was an accident.

Tuesday was supposed to be just another afternoon exploring Mementos. It had become routine already, no big threats, a lot of bumps, a few treasure chests, some requests to fulfill, shadows blocking their way… just another day.

Until a badly executed curve abruptly threw everyone to one side of the car. And the two guys in the backseat just happened to be facing each other in that one instant.

It had almost gone by unnoticed, since the girls were too busy complaining about the driver and Mona to mind them. But for some cursed reason, their minds decided to register the very moment their lips clashed.

It was too fast to process any taste, too light because their masks were in the way - and it hurt -, but the mortified expression from the punk was printed in the painter’s memory, and that touch alone would disturb the both of them for the following nights to come.

*

Their second kiss was an experiment.

What happens in Hawaii stays in Hawaii. Or so they say.

It was with that thought that the blond invited his eccentric friend for a walk around the city. No one they knew was around. Everybody seemed too excited to make the last day on beach count, since it was unlikely for another chance like this one to appear.

Perhaps the fact that the boys were so different and distant, yet managed to become teammates and friends, was what allowed them to trust each other enough to conceal their doubts and curiosity. 

That wouldn’t be their first time together.

The kiss was chaste, but now, deliberated. Their moist lips pressed lightly against the other, chilly on their flushed skin and warm breaths. Gawky fingers mindlessly brushed against tender palms, looking for some small ounce of support. It only took a second, but the turmoil they had been feeling inside was dissolved, like butterflies fluttering away.

They promised to not talk about it again and forget what happened. But the smile the vulgar boy had on his lips proved impossible to ignore.

That promise was doomed to be broken.

*

Their third kiss was a challenge.

It was like a silent, secretive game the two teens were playing, and the reward was the jolts of satisfaction whenever they exchanged affection without anyone else noticing. Every glance was a calling for the other, each time the troublemaker bit his lower lip, he meant “wait a minute, I’m coming.”, and in reply, the taller brushed his dark hair behind the ear, “I am waiting.”.

They stood next to each other more frequently, and the closer they got, the more they teased. A hand hovered on the other, a leg leaned against another under the table, shoulders nudged for attention, wishing for some contact, and small murmurs were exchanged in whispers.

It happened in Mementos again - a moment of distraction when the group found a locked treasure chest - when Skull tugged Fox’s sleeve and took a chance. It was as fast as they expected it to be; more like a face clumsily pushing against another as quickly as possible, and it wasn’t enough to cease their desires.

But it was something Ryuji was proud of stealing.

* Their fourth kiss was an answer.

The two friends could keep pretending they didn’t know the meaning behind their caressing exchanges, feeding their needs with small hidden touches and excuses to stay close, fooling themselves that what they did was nothing more than curiosity and self-satisfaction. It was a fun game for them, and a somewhat comfortable one.

But they would never learn how it felt to have more than that.

Instead, Yusuke found himself holding Ryuji’s hand, leaning against the diner’s narrow corridor wall as they watched a sudden storm strike down right when they were about to leave.

They still agreed on keeping their exchanges a secret from others to avoid unnecessary attention, but when a cold wind blew into the corridor, the idea of being discreet escaped their minds. The athlete instinctively jumped in front of him, using his free arm to block the rain. Drops of water ran down Ryuji’s trembling chin as he laughed and looked up at his boyfriend to close the distance, humming.

“Not the ideal first date, huh?”

* Their seventh kiss was a step forward.

They hadn’t been alone like that since the diner, and the safety of Ryuji’s home gave them the freedom to experiment to their heart's content. It was just a matter of time until little teases and caresses became more intimate. They took it slow, letting lips meet again, relaxing as their touches became more familiar, and tasting the flavor of the beverages they both had just minutes ago. Warm tea coated lips brushed softly against cool coke coated ones, pecking them a few times while Yusuke’s slender fingers stroked the blond’s face, and then slipped behind his head to pull him closer and kiss him even deeper.

Soon, lips weren’t enough, and they pulled each other into embraces and new stirring touches. Naughty hands slid down their bodies, exploring the other’s skin and tracing muscles, provoking gasps and more kisses. Noses and teeth got in the way, and the teens laughed when it happened. But they kept going, and they got better.

Their kiss couldn’t go on forever though. At some point, both had to pull back to catch their breath. It was only then that Ryuji realized the current situation: He was lying on the couch, with Yusuke straddling on his lap. The mangas they were reading before were scattered on the floor, the sketchbook that was carefully placed on the couch’s arm got kicked away…

and he heard his mother arriving home.

*

“Ah! Sorry! I didn’t mean to stare.” Haru squeaked when she caught their twelfth kiss.

Maybe they really should stop trying their luck, now that the group got bigger. Just maybe.

At least she kept it secret from the rest.

As if the others had never noticed it.

*

Their twenty-sixth kiss was a lull.

Yusuke sensed distress in his partner. He was even louder than usual. He tapped his foot and shrugged more often, he leaned against his chair so much he almost fell down twice, he read the same manga page three times over before proceeding, he made up excuses to just touch his boyfriend even more even if his hands were sweating cold.

He kissed Ryuji to shut him up, caressing his cheek to calm him down, and held his hand to give him some reassurance. It took a while to feel the torment inside the other slowly subside, his tense lips finally relaxing and his face tilting against Yusuke’s soft palm. When their lips parted, he gently leaned on the shorter’s forehead to confess one thing.

“I’m scared as well.”

*

Their thirty-seventh kiss was eager.

Tomorrow was the big day. Their target had been called out publicly, thus there was no turning back - not that they’d ever do it. However, as much as they prepared for it, no confidence could calm down their anxiety.

They could feel it in every touch, how rough hands quivered, grabbing the other fiercely to steady them, how Yusuke wrapped tight his arms and legs around the toned body, seeking safety, how Ryuji swore more often and louder under his breath, and how he instantly relaxed after humming his lover’s name.

The smell of the rainy breeze mixed with their steamy puffs, and the drops hitting the window didn’t match the sound of hearts drumming in their chests. Desirous lips smacked ferociously, getting side tracked to trail smooches across the jaw and neck to recover some air.

Their presence gave them some peace of mind, but restlessness only became stronger.

At some point, Yusuke broke the kiss again for another breath, and took this moment to gaze at Ryuji, admiring the way the dim light from the city illuminated his partner - he wanted to memorize everything, his short messy hair, the glossy brown eyes, the red spots on his neck down to collarbone, his flushed smile, and how his lips moved to form the phrase the artist heard for the first time.

“I love you, Yusuke.”

*

Their thirty-ninth kiss tasted like salt and fear.

Yusuke could feel his teammates around, shouting worried and powerless. One voice called out Ryuji’s stupidity and recklessness. A quiet mumble regretted the decision of going this far, another yelled in frustration, blaming and cursing their target, while someone else called an emergency. He also could feel a hand stroking his back, an attempt to soothe his mind, in vain.

The painter couldn’t focus on anything except his lover’s unconscious body. Faltering arms enveloped and carefully pulled Ryuji closer, nesting the blond head on his chest, and hoping for this to be just some cognition or a bad taste prank. He pecked his forehead, cheeks, lips, ear, whispered comfort, love words, asking to wake up and not abandon him, that they all needed him, anything to get some reaction.

But there was nothing.

*

On the following days, their kisses tasted like paper and memories.

*

The last kiss was followed by a goodbye.

It was a simple, fast, but tender touch, enough to recall all the sensations that it brought back. The taste of his skin, the breath against his cheek, the smacking sound of their lips parting, the soft squeeze in his hand, the butterflies fluttering in his stomach…

Yusuke missed it. He missed it so much, he missed him too much. The thought of losing someone again was too dreadful, and no one could guess the kind of damage his mind had suffered, or if it left any brain damage.

But Ryuji was here, looking up with the most loving gaze and his always cheerful smile. A vision the painter wished to witness forever. “See you tomorrow, babe.”

And for now, that was all that mattered.

*

*

*

“Is this for me…?” Ryuji held his present with a care, something that was rare coming from him.

“Yes. I want you to have it.” Yusuke explained, gently. “It’s not much. Most of them are quick sketches, but I drew them thinking of you.”

“What do you mean ‘not much’!? You filled the whole notebook!!”

“Not entirely. I ripped out the pages I was unsatisfied with.”

“Oh, so there was MORE!?”

The punk flushed as he leafed through the sketchbook, noticing that all of them were indeed scribbled. He could see himself clearly in some pages, smiling, posing or fighting, and recognize places they’d visited together before. Leblanc, the Diner, Okiburo, his house, even Mementos appeared a couple of times. A few of them depicted only hands touching in different ways, others depicted… things, like a curious sketch of a cup of tea and a glass of coke.

As much as he loved Yusuke, understanding his artistic views was a challenge. Still, even in the most confusing sketches, he could sense some familiarity, as if they were tickling his memories and making him giggle. Perhaps it was just the fact the artist mentioned before that those sketches were all done thinking of him.

Another page made him stop and burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha!!! What!? Damn! Is this Haru!? Why is she here!? Did she see it!?”

“Yes, she did.” The companion chuckled, amused by his reaction. “I drew this on the day she caught us. You could say it’s a small token of appreciation for not calling us out.”

“Hahaha! Yeah, true. That’s a good one, thou-” a sudden realization crossed his mind. “Wait a minute. These sketches… did you draw all of these since we started dating…?”

“I believe even before that.” Yusuke rubbed his shoulder, averting his eyes. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you since our first incident in Mementos. It was bothersome.” He didn’t hear his boyfriend wowing, offended. “So I began to draw it to relieve my mind, and I found myself enjoying picturing you. You have an energy and passion that I wanted to replicate in my art, and a distinct beauty that is… hard to see at first glance. But once I opened my eyes and accepted it, I was captivated. In no time, I had fallen for you.”

The bedridden lost his words, cheeks flushing even redder than before, and soon he was laughing again. They had been dating for just a few months, but the way the painter’s thoughts were spoken was so charming and honest that it always struck him by surprise.

Ryuji flipped back to the first page again, this time, imagining a flustered Yusuke sketching it, probably fighting against his own heart rather than the shadows, and creating that chaotic first piece. Yes, that was definitely Mementos. Is that a skull silhouette?

“T-That’s effin’ cheesy, man!”

“You don’t like it…?”

“I loved it!! Hahahahahahaha!!”

In a certain way, the troublemaker related with those feelings. He remembered how disturbing those nights after the Mementos incident were, when his dreams only recalled that kiss and reimagined how it could be if they kept going. The more he tried to avoid thinking about it, the worse his dreams became. Little did his past self know how far they would go, and how happy they were because of it.

His laugh slowly fades, and brown eyes rest on his lover again, contemplating the present. His body didn’t have a notion of how long he slept, but it felt like an eternity. 

“You know… Thanks…” the blond offered his hand to Yusuke, who gently took it so he could place a kiss on his knuckles. “Anyway, I’m guessin’ you got a fresh new sketchbook, now that you’re givin’ me this?”

“You guessed right. I just bought it before coming here.”

Ryuji brushed Yusuke's hair back behind his ear, hands caressing his face on their way down his cheek. A cheeky grin was drawn on his pale, pink lips.

“So… Do you wanna start fillin’ it in now?”

[lia-nikiforov]

Spring 2018 Anime Final Review

So, uh, this is six months late. I’ve had half of this post in my drafts forever. To make it short, as I’ve mentioned previously, mom lost her job, which has not only been a heavy hit to my sense of stability for the last six months, but also means my time to watch anime was seriously reduced and even now a slight change of plans fucks up my whole schedule and sets me back for a full week. Anyway, nobody cares about any of these shows anymore so let’s get straight to it? I’m gonna ommit the two-cours that continued into the Summer - hopefully I’ll be able to make that post soonish? idk. Worst to best, same as usual

The crappy gender politics pit of shame

Darling in the FRANXX: I think everyone has ripped this show to threads at this point and there isn’t much I could add to that. It is quite funny to me to see how many people flipped out when the show went completely bananas in its last few episodes. Feels a bit like KADO, I’ve been telling y’all this was a ton of empty crap since episode 2, it just took the writing to completely self-destruct for everyone else to notice. A part of me feels tempted to do a long post breaking down just how badly the show collapsed in its final shebang, specifically how every single twist and turn completely nulled any remote kind of message or central thesis the show may have had, but at the same time it doesn’t seem worth the time. In the end, I may have given What is Internal Consistency, The anime way too much credit. It’s not hateful antigay propaganda, it’s just dumb as shits, with a writer and creators who didn’t think for half a second of the implications of what they were doing, and who were so incompetent they couldn’t even conserve the minimal plot and character coherency within a single episode, let alone 24. In other words, Darling isn’t saying “gays shouldn’t exist” but “I have no idea of anything regarding gay people”. What makes it egregious is that the show spent so much time acting like it was “meaningful” and “important” and yet it ended saying absolutely fucking nothing. Except mayb “have babies”. Down to oblivion you go, along with the likes of KADO, to the void of shows that couldn’t even be offensively bad and no one will remember a year from now. Bonus garbage points for the half-assed “bury your gays”.

Nil of Libra Admirari or whatever this show was called: I’m not trying to diss on the show, I just genuinely never remember the title because I have the JP and EN all mixed up. Not that it matters much, as far as I could tell, the show could call Shalabalabatuna and it would have the same significance in regard to the content. But the title isn’t important. In fact, it may be a bit unfair to have this show in this section. For the most part, Main Girl is very self-determined and has an active role in the story.... but then the last two episodes heavily featured a lot of rape threats or rape themes and forced pregnancy (real and threat) and I don’t really understand why they’d go there all of a sudden. One of them was treated relatively well, even empowering the victim in the process, but when the ikemen bad guy was rambling endlessly about how he wanted to impregnate the protagonist it really turned me off :/ I’m also not a fan of “main boy was her secret fiancé all along”, but at least they also handled that somewhat decently. It’s a very disposable series, but since I watched all of Amnesia, I think I owe every otoge adaptation at least the smallest chance to clear that very low bar, and Libra of Nil does it, more competently than most other stuff in the same genre.

Hisone to Masotan: I really, really wanted to love this show. Even now, as I put it in the pit of shame category, I’m pained. There was a good show in this, and a lot of it made it to the screen: an adorable, charming little story about a woman finding her place in the world, making new friends, finding her calling and bonding with an adorable dragon. Unfortunately, it got buried down under this opressing, horrendous gender politics that tried to do something with bringing attention to sexism in the military only to cancel it out making the one dude that embodied that sexism getting rewarded with the affections of a girl he explicitly tried to crush. It also called back on the virgin or whore fallacy and even managed to shove in a “bury your gays” trope. Even though Hisone challenges the ritual bullshit, it’s too little, too late, and she does end up carrying it out anyway, so the defiance to the status quo is of little importance in terms of problematizing the ritual itself. Sorry BONES, it wasn’t meant to be this time. 

The ni fu ni fa section

Ni fu ni fa is a Mexican colloquialism for “It was okay but it didn’t change my life.”

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu HAPPY KISS: This soft reboot of the franchise had some really great episodes and did an actually good job of developping its characters. For the most part, it achieved what its predecessor did in terms of satirical comedy and I enjoyed it quite a bit. However, what bunked it down so low in the list was the final episode. At some point, the writers forgot they were doing a parody and made the show somewhat self-serious, way closer in tone to the magical girl anime it was supposed to be making fun of, rather than the satire its predecessor was. Whereas S1 ended with the whole Magical boy stuff being revealed as a crappy space reality TV show, this one ended with a real cheesy conflict about happiness and family and blablabla. Which is not bad by itself if this were a Precure show, but that kind of self-serious plot development just didn’t work for this series. I still enjoyed it, and the fanservice episode is one of the best of the whole franchise, but I’m a bit sad the finale missed the mark so badly.

Hinamatsuri: Hinamatsuri was very hit-or-miss for me. There were some truly brilliant episodes, a lot of funny vignettes and heart-warming stories, and then there was some stuff that made me uncomfortable -like every single Hitomi story- or felt unnecessary and dry. It also threw me off that the superpower dynamic completely disappeared in the second half of the show, especially in Anzu’s part of the story. It was okay but I feel like I needed something that felt like a closing, and choosing to end it with Mao who featured very minimally in the show overall didn’t cut it. It’s a fun show, I’d reccommend people check it out, but it felt a bit too disjointed for me

Persona 5: The Animation: This is a hard show to place because I love the looks of it and I think the concept is interesting and pretty cool, but there is something that’s keeping me from connecting emotionally to the story. The part where changing the villains’ heart makes them repent from their sins and become “good” feels very artificial and very tasteless when you’re dealing with rapists and abusers. I ended dropping it at episode 16, I just couldn’t find the motivation to catch up with the 6 episodes i’d fallen behind on because my schedule is a tragedy

Tokyo Ghoul: Re: I guess it’s fair to say I’ve kind of outgrown Tokyo Ghoul. There’s something messy and confusing about how this season panned out, and there comes a point in which misery porn just doesn’t cut it anymore. I still watch because Ishida has a way to make every single goddamn character extremely sympathetic, which makes for an emotionally engaging viewing even when you’re not sure of what the plot is supposed to be or who you should be rooting for. I tried picking up the new season that just started airing and immediately found I had no idea of what was going on, who was on who’s side and in general, who the fuck were 90% of the characters, so I dropped it.

Nanatsu no Taizai: Imashime no Fukkatsu: I’ve mentioned it before, this second season had the opposite problem than the first one: the pace was too slow. It took more than half of it to get to Escanor, and then the season ends at a kind of random spot. I really thought we’d get further along on the story, since Gowther’s backstory was hinted at in the openings, but no such thing happened. They did manage to give us a variety of cool moments and fights, and I love Ban so his scenes with Zhivago and Elaine made me quite happy, though I really wish the romance between Elizabeth and Meliodas wasn’t su dubious and cringy. In light of some revelations that take place further along the manga, going out of their way to emphasize that Meliodas was a sort of mentor figure for Elizabeth when she was a toddler seems unncessary and just very squeamish. I do hope we get a third season though, and an OVA of the Vampires of whatever side story would be great too.

Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori: I was pleasantly surprised by this show, and it’s closer to being one of my top of the season than it is to “meh”. It had some weaker, cheesier segments, but it also managed great whacky moments and a genuine soothing atmosphere. What surprised me most is that the vanilla looking cast of moderately handsome dudes managed to develop into interesting, funny individuals with a dynamic that made every episode enjoyable. A solid reccommendation for anyone wanting to see delicious looking food and moderately handsome dudes being ridiculous. Also, the cat episode is the best episode of anime ever produced.

The I’m probably the only person alive who enjoys these shows

Mahou Shoujo Ore: This is a difficult show to place because it wasn’t quite as great as I wanted it to be and its parodic nature took me by surprise, but somehow I was still seriously entertained more often than not. The twists in the final quarter and the absolutely bonkers finale was a total riot, but I definitely advise caution before going in, given that some of the jokes may seem insensitive or in poor taste in regards to gender presentation, sexuality and there are even some mild harrassment jokes that certainly made me roll my eyes.

Yowamushi Pedal: Glory Line: I don’t know if anyone’s noticed, but I think through half of the show’s 25 episode run, I was convinced the title was actually Glory Road. It’s kind of anticlimactic that it’s called Glory Line if they don’t actually reach the final Goal btw. Anyway, I feel I say this a lot, but really, if you didn’t like the previous Yowapeda seasons, there’s nothing here for you, and if you did, you’re probably not gonna hop off this late in the game. This season does suffer from the same dragging than its predecessors, with the added issue of being quite pessimistic for no reason in about half the episodes, and a diminished presence for Onoda. I really wish they hadn’t dragged the Day 2 goal so long, I really hoped we’d see the end of the race, but no such luck I guess. Still love most of it and hope we get one more season or a movie to complete the story.

The favorites of the season

Golden Kamuy: In spite of its pacing issues, terrible animation and general clunkiness, I can’t help but love this show. When season 1 ended my feelings for it had mellowed quite a bit, but as soon as I picked up season 2 this Fall I just fell in love all over again. It’s fun, unique, over-the-top in some ways, incredibly grounded in others, and the dynamics between the characters are incredibly charming. 

Hozuki no Reitetsu: It’s hard to talk about this one because it feels repetitive, given how tonally the show remains just the same across its three seasons. It could’ve very well been a one-season, 36 episode show, for how little it changes in spite of the time that transpired between the first season and the second. But in short, the comedy continues to be as spot on as always, the Zashikiwarashi twins are the best addition to the cast. It’s definitely a show I could watch endless episodes off, and the rare case of an episodic series with no overarching plot that I can enjoy wholeheartedly. 

Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card arc: Over the course of the series, I’ve expressed a few concerns and misgivings about how the story of this 20th anniversary sequel was playing out. The final episode was particularly troublesome in that it left the story unfinished in spite of deviating from the manga. In spite of this, more than anything I’m very happy that this continuation still retains what made the original so special, that they captured the magic behind Sakura’s “everything will be alright” spell and gave us the chance to spend more time with these beloved characters and see their stories continue. The slow but sweet development of Sakura and Syaoran’s puppy love is a definite highlight. Needs more Touya/Yukito and Yue in general.

Piano no Mori: This show got heavily overlooked because it was kidnapped by Netflix (pls stop immediately), and then when it was finally unceremoniously dumped a month or two ago, it came under fire for the wonky CGI during the piano scenes -and it is indeed very wonky-. But beyond that, I found the story very engaging, especially because Kai is such a fascinating protagonist, his intense rivalry-friendship with Megane-kun (sorry, it’s been six months, i can’t remember names) is exactly the type I can’t help but root for. Kai’s participation in the final episode gave me goosebumps. I’m very happy we’re getting a continuation,  can’t wait to see how the Chopin competition develops.

Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii: Sweet, funny and absolutely delightful from start to finish, Wotakoi was easily one of the highlights of the season. Although there were some aspects about Cosplayer-senpai and Yuri Otaku-senpai’s (I’m really trying to remember the names, I’m sorry!! ;---;) that didn’t work for me -namely the izakaya segment- Narumi and Hirotaka more than made up for it with their clumsy yet adorable romance. I spent the entirety of the amusement park episode screeching. I really hope we get a continuation -and get a chance to see more of Hirotaka’s brother and his gamer friend too- and that in general we can get more anime about adult stories

Megalobox: Who would’ve thought that a show that wasn’t even in my radar before the season started would’ve end as one of my favorites, possibly of the year? Even as someone who’s only marginally acquainted with Ashita no Joe and has no interst in the sport of boxing, I was completely enthralled by the style and passion of this production. As I said a bit above, intense rivalries are very appealing to me, and the build up in the tension between Joe and Yuri was almost palpable, their mutual respect gave me chills. Definitely the surprise of the season, made even better by its optimistic happy ending to contrast with its predecessor’s tragedy. Megalobox is a unique anniversary project that is closer to an homage and it works perfectly. Definitely check it out.

That’s it for the Spring season! I hope i can do the summer season this weekend and maaaybe even my watchlist for the Fall season. Fingers crossed i won’t get swallowed up in other stuff :’D 

[withloveishi]

When You Have 64 Crayons But Only Use Goldenrod (Southeast Asian Underrepresentation in the Context of “Asian” Culture)

TO NOTE: I will be using Japanese culture and experience to synthesize some of the broader points I’m getting at, mostly to exemplify what I mean by the East Asian experience. In doing so, I surmise some similar cultural and experiential examples in other East Asian countries (i.e. Kpop, Kdramas, etc.). If you have problems, you can bring them up with my non-existent care for your opinion, at least on this point.

ANOTHER NOTE: I talk a lot about East Asian and Southeast Asian representation full knowing that there is also a deficit in South Asian representation in the states. I am unable to elaborate on the experiences of South Asian people (because I don’t have any experiences to elaborate on, nor am I South Asian) but, they also deserve the same amount of representation at Southeast and East Asian people.

ANOTHER ANOTHER NOTE, BUT IT’S AN OPEN NOTE: I am not any sort of *insert subregion of Asia* Cultural Studies Major. So deep anthropological analysis and citation of scholarly journals is not in my arsenal. All I’m doing is using some of my life experiences and observations to draw some vaguely profound, and mostly bulshit conclusion to a very large issue. If you have a problem with that, just let me know.

Being in college has challenged me to think about all parts of my identity, not just the parts that are most convenient. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always played into and written about my experiences being Japanese far more than my experiences being Filipino. And why did I do this? I’m not quite sure (After all, I am not very smart), but I do have theories about my generally fucked up view of identity. Considering the external culture and people I have always surrounded myself, East Asian culture was just more recognizable than Southeast Asian (SEA) culture. In order for me to seem more relatable or recognizable to others, I play off of my Japanese identity more. And if you don’t understand this, try this little exercise.

Which do you recognize more?

Anime or Teleseryes

Ramen or Sotanghon

Japanese or Tagalog

I’m hoping many of you are smart enough and have figured the point I’m trying to get at. But if you haven’t, then keep reading. I’m sure you’ll catch my drift the more you read more paragraphs of my point, reiterated less and less eloquently each time.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m very pleased to see a rise in East Asian representation, both in the form of pop culture that has found its way to the states, like anime and kpop, and in the stories being told from the East Asian perspective. However, it’s kind of odd to see “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Attack on Titan” be the height of East Asian representation, and the tag on your clothes that say “Made in Cambodia” as the height of SEA representation. Even then, “Made in China” occurs more frequently than that, so really, there’s just no SEA representation in comparison.

The point I’m trying to (unsuccessfully) get across is the relationship between the amount of representation something gets and how that influences what we believe is reality: a concept simultaneously not new and entirely new. From the Vietnam War to Instagram, it is a concept that has reappeared time and time again, and but one no one seems to learn from.

When people (especially non-Southeast Asian people) are surrounded by predominantly East Asian culture and experiences, the SEA culture and experiences get lost among popularization of these things. When our surrounding floods us with the culture of East Asian countries without another frame of cultural reference, our frame of what is considered Asian is becomes predominantly, if not entirely, consumed by East Asian ideals. To some of you out there, I’m sure it feels somewhat ridiculous to excuse the existence of an entire chunk of Asia, but it happens. Now I’m not asking for the hit drama Pangako Sa ‘Yo to hit Netflix any time soon, but there needs to be a way where we shift our lens of what we call Asian from just considering East Asia to the literal whole of Asia. Or conversely, using East Asian, Southeast Asia and South Asia to describe these regions separately.

     However, the million dollar question (or however much money my opinions are worth in this world): why the fuck do I care so much? Well, I’m sort of obligated to, because it’s in my blood.

    In my own life, I’ve veered towards adopting a more Japanese externality. Why? Because people care more about you if you do that in my area. I wanted people to either relate to me or find some sense of understanding or who I was on what could be considered, “an authentic portrayal of myself”. Because after all, saying I’m Japanese is not a lie, it’s just not entirely the truth. If I say I’m Japanese, people then find some common ground with me, either on the basis of Anime or Manga, or just how much they “love Japanese people”. When I say I’m Filipino, many people react with, “Oh, isn’t that where *insert really awful political or social news headline here*?” or “Duerte?”. For me, it’s just more convenient to open with being Japanese. But why do I ignore that literal fact that I’m only half Japanese; probably for a couple main reasons:

Like I said in the beginning, I’m half Japanese and Half Filipino, I had a choice. Many of my friends who are fully SEA are confronted with their identity because both their parents are of SEA decent. There’s no work around to your identity. You deal with it because that is fully who you are. Me, on the other hand, have the foot on two different borders. Being half Japanese gave me an escape to having to confront my Filipino identity. Because being Japanese is on the “more culturally familiar ground”, I just chose to lead with that.

My mom never really elaborated on her experience as a Filipino woman. I don't think she was ashamed of it, but she never really cared to talk about her childhood, or her experiences emigrating to the states for school as a Filipino woman. Those were never topics of discussion between me an her. So, it naturally faded to the background, especially coupled with my dad’s poignant conversations about his experience and my grandma’s experience being Japanese.

Consider that last point. The non-existence of my mom’s Filipino perspective to things allowed me to adopt an almost entirely Japanese externality to myself, and feel okay with doing that for a very long time of my life. By mentioning this, I’m trying to make it a point that I understand how easy it is to dismiss the SEA viewpoint when it is not the reality we have to face head on. When we both have a path to ignorance laid out for us, plus all signs telling us to follow that path, it’s really hard to do otherwise.

Unlike many of the people at my college, I am not the most socially aware person. So I’m not always quite sure how to go about tackling these really large-scale issues. But here’s my take on forming a somewhat organized opinion on this issue.

In a world where our trajectory is heavily influenced but our unchoosable characteristics (like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.), it become increasingly more important to then at least categorize people by vaguely correct assumptions. The matter of the fact is that East Asian people and SEA people are not on same platform. When my mom had me, she refused to teach me Tagalog for a long time, because she was under the belief that Tagalog would make me dumb, or seem dumb. She was under the impression that by Tagalog being a SEA language, that it would make me seem inferior to others. Conversely, if I knew Japanese or Mandarin, I would be considered smarter and more articulate than other people. This is the world we live in. So, to use the identifier “Asian”, we are asking people to reach a certain expectation that they are simply unable to achieve.

However, assuming you don’t care about any of that, look at it from a black and white perspective. To use “Asia” or “Asian” to describe anything but the continent of Asia or someone from Asia is just the more incorrect term. If you have the option to be specific and correct, why not do that? “Southeast Asian” is just two more syllables than “Asian” and “East Asian” just one. It’s very simple.

The matter of the fact is that we cannot allow SEA stories to become lost, especially at the foot of East Asian culture. And the only way for that to happen is to give it an equal opportunity to represent itself. More Southeast Asian perspectives being represented in TV and movies, more education of Southeast Asian culture not cast in a negative light, and pushing the teaching of Southeast Asian languages. This is how we do it. And no, a new documentary on the corrupt government in the Philippines is not the representation I’m asking for. For now, documentaries on street food in Vietnam and fun little tourist advertisements for the Himalayas will have to do.

I know this was a long post, and I’m sure I missed a lot of things. This might have pissed some of you off. I didn’t intentionally try and miss anything, but if something irked you really badly, I’m happy to re edit this post. As always just let me know. It helps me gain more perspective on an issue I am still trying to understand myself.

If you read this far down, let me know! I’m always excited when more than zero people read my writing, and even more so, when they enjoy reading it. Thanks so much for your time kids, and I’ll see you whenever.

[bid00f-archive]

my boy tamama for the character thing. and or keroro

Yeah buddy! Time for a double feature, I can practically write an essay about these two, though really, I can write an essay about all five of the main Keronians. It is Not That Deep, but it certainly could be. So, thank you! They are surprisingly interesting characters to talk about in length if you read between the lines, so time to blab about the sugar guzzling tadpole and the sergeant himself~! 

Favorite Thing About Them: 

🔰Ever since I got into Keroro like, three years back, I absolutely adored how he is the parody of the classic “cute and lovely” mascot character. He is obviously designed to look the cutest out of a cast of cute critters, just look at those huge eyes, sweet smile, and adorable little tail; so when it was shown that he has a less than cutesy side to him, I started to like him! It made him less of an archetype. I do have major issues with episode 7 Part B, but that was the episode that made me actually like Tamama since it showed that despite being cute, he still has problems and consequences for what he does which causes that sweet, sweet internal conflict.Tamama is truly a good guy, he just needs to grow but in an anime/manga that is like, 99.9% gags and slapstick that is on shaky ground.

⭐What I like most about Keroro is that, he can actually be a very sweet guy even though he usually has his own interests front and center. Episodes that show him actually helping out others tend to be the sweetest to watch, even when it ends more bittersweet, such as episode 5 when he tries to help a doomed toy store and its’ owner. He may be lazy and incompetent, or at least appears to be, but that is what actually makes him more appealing to me!

Least Favorite Thing About Them: 

🔰 His love for Keroro, while sort of sweet, can make him do some uncool things. First example being the aforementioned episode 7 Part B, the episode is done less severely than in the manga where he kidnaps Angol Mois to take naughty photos of her to send to Keroro, even going as far to strip her down. The anime  adaptation took it down a notch by having Tamama put her through “bootcamp”, but still, not cool! There is also episode 266 when he tries to kiss Keroro without his consent despite Keroro very obviously begging him not to, luckily Tamama realizes that the mature thing to do is to cut it out (plus he looked ridiculous in that pink lipstick) but again, still not cool! Actually, if I remember it right, he goes back at it by the end of the episode. What gives!

⭐Let’s be real here, there are times where Keroro is the one who first antagonizes Natsumi. She is already not very popular with fans because of her role, like how Dib is in Invader Zim though I am 95% sure that folks are less sympathetic to how many of Keroro’s schemes seem to focus more on just plain humiliating Natsumi than invading Pekopon because she is a girl. It is a shame because there is more to their relationship than being constantly at each other’s throats. In the beta, Keroro was supposed to be Natsumi’s Keronian partner and they still share enough similarities reminiscent of that. But anyway, sometimes it seems like Keroro targets Natsumi rather than her being the main obstacle blocking his invasion plans, since she is just a thirteen/fourteen year old kid it feels kind of weird to me. Prime example of this being episode 99.

Favorite Line: I still do not keep track of favorite lines, but here a paraphase from the dub that really made me laugh;

Tamama: “Well, he’s smarter than a jellybean, or most of ‘em.”

Angol Mois: “He tries his best when he’s not busy not trying.“

Tamama: “A jellybean can try but I’m still gonna eat it.”

brOTP: 

🔰 Taruru for Tamama! Though I do ship them romantically together, it is an underrated and uncommon pairing but it actually has some traction on with JPN/Korean fans and for good reason! Taruru may not hero worship Tamama as much as he did, and they may have clashed during the Garuru Platoon arc, but there are still no hard feelings between the two! 

Taruru still throws a shoutout to Tamama in the manga chapters afterwards, and in the anime, lying to Taruru about the Keroro Platoon and the Pekopon invasion was Tamama’s biggest regret until he comes to peace with it and that only happens seasons after the Garuru Arc, Tamama still remembered and felt bad about it for all that time, and resolved it peacefully, and felt much better after it! That is probably the closest thing Tamama will get to positive character development so savor it. Like the Chibi-Keroro segments, sometimes I wish that the audience could be shown snippets of Taruru and Tamama’s time training in the Keron Army together, it could be a great way to world build since the Keron Army is still shrouded with ~mystery~.

⭐Keroro and Kululu is like a match made in heaven! Okay, maybe I am exaggerating that but those two are yet another underrated pairing even though they work so well together in all the wrong ways; they both like to scheme and can be self-centered jerks but with a heart of gold… which is located deep, deep down in Kululu’s case. I wish there was more focus on these two in canon, Kululu is one of the very few characters who seems to catch on that there is more to Keroro than Gundam, Gundam, blah, blah. After all, Kululu is the whole reason why Keroro has the Keron ☆ (Star) in the first place; but why would Kululu pull the strings to bring who is probably the least qualified to one of the top positions in the Keron Army? Did he do it for kicks or does he actually think Keroro can somehow pull it off? …It is most likely the former, but at least Keroro can make the job *~interesting~*, Kululu likes chaos and things that go against the status quo to keep himself from getting too bored, Keroro practically makes it his job description. Kululu probably has all the opportunity and resources to move to a higher elite platoon if he wanted, Sergeant Major remember, so to me it sometimes almost seems like he sticks around just to see what Keroro does next…and how badly he can screw it up this time.

OTP: 

🔰 KeroTama, baby’s first gays! Though honestly, I am not sure who was the first to bring it up but I second the idea that Keroro is sort of like, Tamama’s awakening. Sure he loves him, but Tamama is still young and as far as we know, nobody else has made him feel quite the same way as Keroro does and he copes with this badly. What I do like most about this pairing is that Tamama truly idolizes Keroro but he is just as ready to call him out and keep him in check too; like checks and balances, I think Keroro/any works best when he is with someone who is willing to go along with him but can also tell it to him straight. This is most apparent in the later (subbed) seasons and manga, Tamama becomes less of a yes-tadpole and more aware that Keroro is not the all mighty-hero he used to think back on Keron.

⭐On the other hand, for Keroro…he is my shipping bicycle, I dunno know exactly why but he seems to work out so well with so many characters though it varies a lot. Like, compare KeroDoro with KeroTama and the dynamics become very different; though for the record I am not a huge fan of KeroDoro due to how anime!Keroro lacks the most tact when it comes to Dororo, and how manga!Dororo basically treats Keroro like an annoying ex. Not exactly healthy but I do feel like there is potential if the two found some common ground and reconciliation, but that defeats the fun of shipping, canon is supposed to do the heavy lifting. So anyhoo, there is no OTP for Keroro; which may contradict what I had already said about Tamama, but in Keroro’s case it opens a whole different perspective.

nOTP:

🔰 Oh geeze, I think I have only seen this once and thank goodness but Tamama/Momoka. They are an underrated pair, Momoka herself is a very underrated character but together they are just plain underrated. Hm. I feel like the anime is somewhat at fault since Brutal Momoka is often seen snapping at Tamama, but to be fair, Brutal Momoka will snap at Paul, her guards, her maids, and just about anybody besides Fuyuki. 

There are certainly moments cute moments between the two where you know they care for each beyond Momoka putting up with him so she can get closer to Fuyuki, and Tamama only sticking around to freeload, but I still think this comes across to an audience that Momoka does not care much for Tamama at all. I personally see their relationship more like an older brother and younger sister, which is kind of funny given Tamama’s more childish tendencies. I do feel like that he sees her as the little sister who can 100% beat him up while Momoka sees him as an older brother who can still annoy her sometimes at best…or a beloved pet at worst, which is not so bad since Tamama tried to do the same thing. They are two birds of a feather who flock together, but it is far, far, far away from a romantic context.

⭐A nOTP for Keroro would be Fuyuki, which for the life of me I have no idea why it has traction with JPN fans but it is…there, I guess. I think I see it popping up more often than GiroNatsu, to put it in perspective. Keroro is very obviously an adult, alien or not, and there is enough emphasis on the power of friendship to show that Fuyuki is doing what Mois should probably be taking notes on. Keroro is the fun and goofy adopted uncle who takes Fuyuki out for adventures, and they have been through like, six near-life or death experiences together and pulled through so if that is not a sign of a beautiful friendship then I dunno what is.

Random Headcanon: 

🔰 Tamama likes eating fruits and vegetables, on an occasion! The food has to practically jump through hoops for him to accept it though. Fruit has to be candied or covered in chocolate, and the vegetables have to be very tender and thoroughly glazed with honey. It kind of defeats the purpose of healthy eating, but hey, Tamama may love sweets but even he has limits such as in episode 310.

⭐Keroro has ADHD and dyscalcuia, though the ADHD bit in particular might as well be canon. He is a very relatable character and call it self-projecting but I am preeetty sure that he has like, learning/neurodivergent disorders up the wazoo much like how Tamama acts like he has an almost textbook case of Borderline Personality Disorder. I doubt that Yoshizaki actually researches mental illnesses/disorders though, special mention going to his portrayal of Momoka and her mother’s disassociative disorders which are far from accurate.

Unpopular Opinion: 

🔰 Tamama’s jealous behavior is not a good thing, it is not cute. I almost never find it funny, it is more…sad. Seeing him antagonize, hit, and verbally abuse Angol Mois is close to painful to watch because you know Tamama is only doing it to make himself feel better and Mois, who genuinely sees him as a close friend, just takes it and no one intervenes. In the end, Tamama still feels like crap and one way or another, gets what’s coming to him. There is no actual conflict resolution so the joke becomes old hat.

It may be played off for laughs, but Tamama’s infamous jealousy is self-destructive and while this may be ~relatable~ to other fans, it is obvious to see how unhappy Tamama is when it comes to dealing with his negative emotions or even maintaining a sense of self, like, his greatest fear is a glamorized version of himself as seen in episode 123. That was…interesting. When Tamama acts out on negative impluses, which is always, he never comes on top so why anybody would say “that’s so me!” especially when considering Tamama rarely makes the effort to hold his own actions accountable is beyond me.

I would probably be more receptive towards it if Tamama’s jealousy tick was not so selective. Like, you would think he would be more jealous and resentful of Giroro or even Dororo’s relationship with Keroro since those three have known each other since childhood and still keep it pretty tight; or even Pururu since she can be just as tooth-achingly sweet as Angol Mois and shares close moments with Keroro yet Tamama has never felt threatened by any of them.

Jealousy may be a natural emotion but Tamama’s attitude is unhealthy and it is flanderized to the extreme in the anime. He almost got himself killed for bottling up his negative feelings but lashing out at others (*cough*Angol Mois*cough*) is not the way to go either. The manga version of himself seems to be more adjusted, or at the least by comparison though the regrets and self-loathing is kept consistent. Tamama in the manga may not even be as infatuated with Keroro anymore, in the later volumes it so rarely gets brought up again and in particular, his reaction to being asked if he “still respected Keroro ” was such as strange response that I am just like 🤔. Of course, infatuation is different from love and “respect” could be just how Tamama no longer trusts in Keroro’s leadership at all, but still, the idea of Tamama not being obsessed with gaining Keroro’s affection anymore is almost like imagining an entirely different character after watching 300+ episodes. But, the way I see it…in the manga, the fixation is just not there anymore.

⭐For Keroro’s case, hmmmm…well, not much to say about Keroro since the anime and manga does a bang up job at calling out his flaws and holding him responsible when things mess up, he gets away with nothing. There is no widely accepted headcanon or canon interpretation of him that I feel like counteracting either; in my bloomin’ onion Keroro is well rounded enough for being the resident loser/villain protagonist.

Song I associate with them:

Party Up (Up In Here) by DMX 🔰

Crayola Sunrise by RunFoxRun! ⭐

Favorite picture of them:

This is so sweet, so pure, so perfect!

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 11/1/17

SEAN: (stares brokenly)

We’ll start off with the titles that are already out but were announced too late to be in last week’s column, which is unfortunately becoming a weekly occurrence. First off, Bookwalker debuts a new digital light novel, The Ryuo’s Work Is Never Done! This is a very popular series in Japan about a teenage shogi master who takes an elementary school girl as his apprentice. The prologue is jaw-droppingly appalling, but I am hoping for the best? Maybe?

MICHELLE: I thought I might check this out for a moment before I read some of the preview.

SEAN: Kodansha also has its digital horror debut, I Want to Hold Aono-kun So Badly I Could Die. Despite the title, not based on a light novel. It runs in Afternoon.

MICHELLE: I find this kind of intriguing, actually. It doesn’t appear gory, at least.

SEAN: Now on to next week, and it’s a killer week even based on the experience of previous killer weeks. Dark Horse gives us yet another Hatsune Miku manga spinoff with Future Delivery.

Drawn & Quarterly delights us with another Kitaro volume, Kitaro’s Strange Adventures.

ASH: Yes! I’m always looking forward to more Kitaro.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has *five* novels debuting next week, which I think may be a record for them. We have Clockwork Planet 2, Demon King Daimaou 3, Infinite Dendrogram 3, Invaders of the Rokujouma!? 7.5 (no, you’re reading that right, there’s a reason for the .5), and Paying to Win in a VRMMO 5. Phew!

Kodansha also has a GIANT PILE of digital coming out. In addition to whatever new horror title they debut next week, we have All Out!! 2 (more rugby!), Beauty Bunny 2, Black Panther and Sweet 16 3, DAYS 6, DEATHTOPIA 5, Drowning Love 3, Love’s Reach 4, and Peach Heaven 8. More titles to get behind on!

MICHELLE: Dang! I’m definitely keen on several of those.

ASH: It’s great that so much digital is being released these days, but it’s so easy to loose track of what is being released (and when, apparently).

SEAN: In print, the big release next week is the Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set. If you want a new, huge, handsome version of Akira, this is the title for you. Do Millennials remember Akira?

MICHELLE: Random note: years before it became a fandom word, there was a panel of a rat in Akira who had the dialogue, “Squee.”

MELINDA: That rat was ahead of its time.

SEAN: Animal Land has its 2nd to last volume (13)! The last one is not yet scheduled because, well, y’know, Animal Land. But yay anyway!

ASH: I will be glad if we can actually make it to the end! The series ended up really growing on me.

SEAN: Fairy Tail has a 5th volume of its Master’s Edition, which tries to impress next to Akira’s box set but sadly comes in second. Which, well, Fairy Tail should be used to.

ASH: Ha! This probably is the edition to get for anyone starting to collect the series, though.

SEAN: Kigurumi Guardians gets a 2nd volume. The first was very… strange. I wonder what direction it will go.

MICHELLE: I need to read these!

SEAN: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime also has a 2nd manga volume, as we wait for December to see the light novel.

ASH: I found the first volume surprisingly entertaining.

SEAN: The big debut from Kodansha is To Your Eternity, the new series from the author of A Silent Voice. I’m hoping for big things! It runs in Weekly Shonen Magazine, and is far more supernatural than her prior series.

MICHELLE: Ooh.

ASH: I am definitely looking forward to this one. The artwork is beautiful and the story devastating, from what I’ve heard.

MELINDA: Well, that sounds pretty interesting.

SEAN: Seven Seas has the first of its releases in the Devilman franchise with Devilman Grimoire. This remake of Devilman ran in Champion Red Ichigo, and all I can tell you is try not to get too attached to the characters.

ASH: That seems to be fair advice.

SEAN: There’s another omnibus of Freezing, containing Vols. 17-18..

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil A Run has a 3rd volume of vaguely heartwarming, vaguely disquieting beauty.

MICHELLE: I am looking forward to this very, very much.

ASH: Same. The Girl from the Other Side is a tremendous series.

SEAN: Seven Seas’ big release next week (sorry, Devilman) is In This Corner of the World which is coming out as one big omnibus. Old-timers may recall that J-Manga released some of this series digitally, but here it is in print. It ran in Futabasha’s Manga Action, and is from the creator of Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms.

ASH: I’m planning on picking this one up. I actually still need to see the anime adaptation, too.

SEAN: Speaking of omnibuses, Vertical Comics has the first in their omnibus re-release of The Flowers of Evil.

And now it’s time for Yen. Amusingly, this list was originally larger – some titles are delayed due to shipping issues with the recent storms, and so be prepared for a pile of Yen every week for the next few weeks. This is a REALLY big pile even so, though.

Digital? We have you covered. There’s Corpse Princess 13 and Saki 12. There are also digital editions of Accel World and The Irregular at Magic High School’s light novels, being released in chunks to catch up ASAP. We get Accel World 1-4 and Mahouka 1-2.

On the light novel front, Yen On debuts a new series, The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria. This is somewhat unique as, like Psycome, it does not seem to have a manga or anime attached to it but was licensed anyway. It seems to involve time loops – which we know Western fans LOVE after Endless Eight.

ASH: Say that again?

SEAN: On the light novel front, Yen On debuts a new series, The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria. This is somewhat unique as, like Psycome, it does not seem to have a manga or anime attached to it but was licensed anyway. It seems to involve time loops – which we know Western fans LOVE after Endless Eight.

There’s also a 4th DanMachi: Sword Oratoria, 9th Log Horizon, 5th (and penultimate) Psycome, and 5th Re: Zero.

Debuts from Yen Press next week are Gabriel Dropout, a Dengeki Daioh comedy about Angels down on Earth, Hybrid x Heart Magias Academy Ataraxia (Masou Gakuen HxH), which is another very ecchi title set at a magical school, based on a light novel (which Yen doesn’t have). There’s also a new spinoff debuting with Danmachi: Sword Oratoria’s manga debuting.

Ending next week is The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan with its 10th volume. You can see what I said about this in my review here.

The rest we’ll divide into two: manga based on light novels and manga that is not. For the former, we have the 11th A Certain Magical Index; 2nd Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash; 4th Overlord; two Re: Zero volumes with the 3rd volume of the 2nd arc and the first volume of the 3rd arc; and the 4th in the Sword Art Online spinoff Girls’ Ops.

We also have a 12th Akame Ga KILL!, a 24th Black Butler, the 9th Horimiya, the 2nd Sekirei omnibus (in print), and the 14th Triage X.

MICHELLE: I’ll always appreciate more Horimiya!

ASH: It’s such a great series.

SEAN: And there is the 6th Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro, which I love so much it gets kudos away from the group.

Lastly, there’s another Soul Eater artbook, imaginatively called Soul Eater: Soul Art 2.

I compressed this list a lot, and it still looks long. And remember, Yen delayed 9 titles to the week after! What are you getting next week?

By: Sean Gaffney