#it's not 50 posts about the same subject in a row that makes it fun

[windfighter]

Oh, "for you" is back on the explore-page again!

Now if it can just automatically go there instead of to the stupid "today on tumblr"-blog when I open it that'd be nice thanks.

[princip1914]

A few thoughts on writing longfic

I’ve had this post brewing for a while and I figured since today is a Friday I might as well let it out into the wild. 

First off, this is not writing advice. I don’t feel qualified to give writing advice. This is a few observations I’ve made over the course of trying to write something that feels, well, long. Fandom is full of excellent authors writing long chaptered fic, but I don’t see a lot of people talking about how they go about producing such fics. I remember feeling like long fic was really out of reach for me when I started writing again in the summer of 2019 after not writing for years and years and I wanted to talk a bit about how that changed for me. Of course, this post comes with all the caveats that there is no need to ever write long fic if you’re not feeling it. Some of my favorite authors write mostly or only oneshots! But, if you are interested, here’s my lengthy, self indulgent, and entirely personal take on ~the longfic process~ below the cut. 

First, to get this out of the way: long fic is anything that feels long or complicated to you, the author. “I’m working on my long fic” can mean that you’re branching out from microfiction to write something that’s 2k long, or it can mean you’ve got a multi-part 800k epic. There’s no objective measure of if something is “long fic,” Your own personal definitions can also change as you grow in confidence or change your focus as a writer (a little over a year ago when I finished Doubt Thou the Stars are Fire topping out at 31k, that felt very very long to me. Now it feels….still long, but not very very long.) 

Here are a few specific things that helped me write something long. I don’t know if they will be interesting for anyone else, but at the very least writing these down has been a fun way for me to reflect on my own process. 

Practice exercises. Ok, this is going to sound exceedingly obvious, but writing one shots prepares you for writing chaptered fic. Here’s what I mean more specifically: if you know you want to write (as a totally hypothetical example) a chaptered fic set in America in the summer that relies heavily on a nature metaphors, is written out of chronological order, and features a melancholy tone--it helps to write a few one shots like that before you embark on the Big Fic. Just like artists tend to do sketches before starting a big piece, it’s very helpful to write something small that gives you a feel for the ~vibe~ of what you’re trying to do in the long fic. It’s helpful for all the usual reasons--you get to know a specific version of the characters which helps plan out a character driven plot for the long fic--but it’s also helpful because you will learn if the tone and mood of the fic has enough staying power to capture your interest for the long haul. For instance, I have a few unfinished chaptered fics that have a humorous tone. I wish I had done more short humorous fics before starting them, because I would have realized that I don’t currently have the mental stamina to hold up a humorous tone for the length of a chaptered fic (hopefully that will change and I will finish Last Days some time this century!). 

Plan it out ahead of time. I used google sheets for The False and the Fair. I do not think God intended google sheets to be used for fiction, but that was not going to stop me. On a more serious note, I think the best tool for planning fiction is the one you’re the most comfortable with--the notes app in your phone, handwriting, word, google drive, sheets, chalk board, summoning circle, the blood of your enemies, etc. The reason I chose to use sheets is that I knew from the very beginning that I wanted certain things to happen at specific places in the story--for instance, I wanted the first kiss to happen at the end of the first third of the story and I wanted the “reveal” about the mine accident to happen at the end of the second third of the story. But, I didn’t know what was supposed to go in between those elements. A traditional outline for a story at this point in development might have looked like: 

Meet cute

Kiss

Reveal 

Ending 

But, what my brain needed was to preserve the blank spaces in between these story elements, and specifically to preserve the right amount of blank space between these story elements so that it didn’t end up, for instance, that the first kiss was halfway through rather than a third of the way through. In this way, I found google sheets an invaluable tool for pacing in the early parts of the planning process. I simply made 30 rows assuming 30 chapters, and started plugging in the elements I knew I wanted in the locations I wanted them. Then I filled in the blank spaces by asking myself “how do we get from X plot element to Y plot element in Z amount of chapters.” I’m not a mountain climber, but I’ve often thought about the first things that go into the spreadsheet in terms of mountain climbing terminology.  In climbing, a crux move, which can be anywhere along the route, is the most difficult move of the route: if you can’t do it, you can’t do the route. I think of the first things that go into the planning spreadsheet as the crux moves of the story, the most important pieces around which everything else turns. It was not an accident that those were also all the first scenes of the fic that I wrote; if I couldn’t do those scenes, I couldn’t do the story the way I planned it so I wanted to know early on if I needed to make changes.

Make changes if you have to: even though it helps to have things planned in advance, don’t resist the story if it tries to change on you while you’re writing it. Usually the feeling that you have to make changes stems from having a plot that is not entirely character driven. As you write the story, the characters reveal themselves and sometimes the plot has to change to change with the characters’ motivations. Here’s an area where fanfic writers have a leg up on everyone else: if you write fic, you already know the characters really well. That means, (in my experience anyway) it’s less likely that you’ll have a surprise character development which leads to a rethinking of the whole plot. Less likely, but not completely unlikely, unfortunately.

Lie to yourself: The False and the Fair was supposed to be 90k words. I thought that sounded reasonable, a little less than 3x the longest fic I had ever written. Now it's 161k and will probably top out a little over 170k. Ooops. But I never would have set out to write something that long. I wouldn’t have thought I could do it, even though anyone more experienced looking at my plans for the fic probably would have laughed at the idea I could cover all those plot points in 90k. Ignorance is bliss. Protect your ignorance.

Scrivener: Long fic for me means “fic that is long enough you can’t hold all the parts of it in your head at once.” That’s where Scrivener comes in (or another app if you’d rather, but I really like Scrivener for the ability to see the project either linearly or as condensed notecards). You can put together an organizational scaffold in Scrivener that allows you to move back and forth between the forest and the trees. So, for instance, you might be going for a jog and come up with the perfect line of dialogue for chapter 27 when you’re only up to chapter 5 in terms of writing progress. With Scrivener, you can go home, and put that dialogue in the “bucket”/index card/whatever for chapter 27 without compromising your ability to see chapter 5 clearly or muddying up your google doc. You can then use the fact that you’ve started writing bits and pieces of the later chapters in conjunction with the tool of lying to yourself that, actually, you’ve written a lot more of the fic than you realize and that when you get to chapter 27 it won’t be as hard as chapter 5 because you’ve put in the groundwork already. In my experience, this lie turns out to be true about 50% of the time, which is better than 0% of the time.

Digestible mini arcs: The False and the Fair was originally broken up into thirds. I thought it would be 90k and 30k was the longest I had written, so thirds seemed to make sense. Also, 3 is a nice, time honored storytelling number. I think it’s good to give yourself seemingly achievable milestones along the way to completion. These milestones (for me anyway) lined up well with the “crux moments” I’ve described. If you’re someone who likes to write out of order, writing your way to an already written milestone can feel like sailing to an island where you get to rest for a bit from the stormy seas before setting out for the next island in the archipelago.

“It's all part of the process”: I’m categorically incapable of describing things without resorting to running metaphors, and so I apologize in advance, but I am now going to do the insufferable thing of comparing writing a long fic to running a marathon. Here’s the thing with a marathon. You are not going to feel good every step of the way. We all know this. It’s a marathon, it’s supposed to hurt a little bit, especially at the end. In the same way you literally cannot write something novel length or even novella or long short story length without, at least at some point, feeling bad about yourself and your writing. But you also can’t run a marathon if the whole thing is agony, and for most people, it’s not--your meat sack shuffling along the course is subjected to the slings and arrows of all sorts of weird body chemistry that only happens when you push it to its limits. So, you’ll be in agony and then the endorphins will kick in for a while and you’ll be thinking “this isn’t nearly as bad as everyone said,” and then you’ll drink some water at a rest stop and feel like a God for half a mile before you crash and you’re in agony again until that one perfect song comes up on the playlist...and you get the idea. Writing something long, for me at least, is a bit like that. There are massive ups and downs. The key for me is to just understand it’s all part of the process, a necessary step on the way to the finish line. If the fic is 10 chapters long, at some point you have to write chapter 5. Just like you have to write chapter 5, at some point you also have to go through a bit of despair before reaching the end. It is unfortunately non-optional. In fact, despairing is something you can check off your list each time you’ve done it. Cut dialogue tags, check. Feel awful about my writing for thirty minutes, check. Write ending section, check. Often I feel that the stress and shame and fear that come with bad emotions while writing are worse than the bad emotions themselves. It really helps me to remember these emotions are all part of the process and nothing to worry about. If I didn’t have them, then I would worry! 

I certainly have plenty more to say about writing, but this ramble has gone on long enough. If you’re interested in any of this stuff, please feel free to send me an ask. 

I would also love to know more about everyone else’s writing processes, so feel free to pop into my ask box to talk about your own approach too! I am very interested in this stuff! 

[awed-frog]

Do you have any tips for good ways of learning languages? I'm getting back into Spanish - I can read most basic stuff pretty well but my speaking and writing aren't great. Trying to store up on new vocab right now but I wonder if there are good techniques.

Speaking and writing are the hardest parts in any language, but the good news is that you don’t necessarily need them. Someone who enjoys Spanish culture can easily read Spanish books, watch Spanish movies, and only need a few sentences for that random holiday. But if you want to get better at it, the key is always regular practice. If you have Spanish-speaking friends or relatives, ask them if they’ll speak Spanish with you; if you don’t, you can join a class, practice on your own with a specific textbook or videos, or even talk to yourself - I actually do a lot of that, and it’s surprisingly effective. Just narrate your day so you feel more comfortable discussing daily actions, or improvise a speech about a subject you’re interested in and look up the words you need. Obviously if you don’t have a teacher correcting you every second you’ll make mistakes and not even realize it, but that doesn’t matter. Unless you’re preparing an exam or something, the goal is being understood.

As for writing - writing is tricky, but the good news is, the majority of people suck at it. Writing well and without mistakes in your own language is a struggle for most people, so don’t feel bad if you can’t manage it in a foreign language. Again, if you need it for a specific purpose - for instance, for work or uni - then you’ll need to work hard, because good writing means you need to have all your ducks in a row - good grammar, good spelling, declensions, verbs, expressions, register, and enough experience to turn a sentence around if you’re stuck - but if you’re a casual learning, just focus on slowly fixing the parts you’re not sure about. Keep reading as much as you can, and whenever you notice something weird, look it up, find a textbook or a work sheet and practice.

And: learning vocabulary can be very personal because our brains tend to work in different ways. If you’ve been studying for a while, you probably know what works for you? Here are a few popular techniques:

writing out words

writing words on post-it notes and leave them around the house

write down sentences

write the same word or sentence several times

using different colours depending on gender or part of speech or anything else that makes sense to you

creating sound associations: ‘Buscar means looking for because I’m always looking for a damn bus and can never find one’

learning words that rhyme together

looking up the etymology and/or build word families

learning words by theme (the office, animals, travel...)

learning poems, songs or nursery rhymes by heart

I recommend writing, and specifically writing by hand, as we now know hand movements are linked in some way to cognitive abilities, but also daily practice in whatever form you like. I generally use Quizlet or Memrise, either with user-made content or with stuff I write down on Excel sheets and then import.

For reference, here is my Farsi sheet:

I couldn’t find a vocab list I liked, so I rewrote the one in my textbook - it took about three weeks, but that’s what background music is for.

(Unless you’re an exceptionally gifted polymath, keep your vocab lists short on those websites: it’s much more effective to learn groups of 15-25 words than it is long lists of 300.

If you’re using Duolingo, you can also get their vocab by registering yourself as a teacher and then accessing the learning resources for your language.)

As for specific resources, I can’t help you because I never actually learned Spanish (I can’t speak it at all, and my reading comprehension is just 50% habit and 50% family resemblance to Italian), but Spanish is pretty popular, so I’m sure there’s tons of excellent resources out there. This could be a good place to start, but again, I don’t have personal experience here.

Good luck and remember to have fun!

[cheri-translates]

[CN] 100 Days - Lucien (Day 51 - 100)

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for e-mails which have not been released in English servers! 🍒

What’s the 100 Days Companionship Event?

Day 1 - 3: here

Day 4 - 30: here

Day 31 - 50: here

Day 51

I saw the new bracelet you bought, and wonder if I have the fortune to select a matching necklace for you?

Day 52

Since a certain student seems to have high praise for the dried fruits in the research centre, I’ve prepared some. Could I pair them with the white tea from last time?

Day 53

Your record book ended up with me. I accidentally saw quite a number of bold and imaginative questions. Next time, why don’t you ask me directly?

Day 54

It was a little cold last night, but it felt warmer when I saw the light from the house. Looks like temperature is even more subjective than I imagined.

Day 55

I’ve watched that trending video clip you mentioned. It isn’t an alien life form.  It’s just a deep sea creature which has a more ‘casual’ appearance.

Day 56

A new dessert has been released by that dessert shop you often visit. Want me to buy some on my way home tonight?

Day 57

The new intern is rash and quick-tempered. I miss the times when you, the “class prefect”, helped out.

Day 58

I’ve hooked the little felt fox you made with my keys. Each time I look at it, my mood becomes better.

Day 59

One small flower along the roadside is still blooming tenaciously. I wonder if I’ll still see it again the next time I walk by.

Day 60

A curious white kitten sneaked into the laboratory, and left an “already read” paw mark on my experiment report.

Day 61

I heard that during this season, there wouldn’t be many people at the amusement park. We can take a non-cursory visit to it once.

Day 62

The weather has become slightly cooler, and it’s suitable for wearing that overcoat you picked with me the last time.

Day 63

Seeing your cotton slipper and fluffy cartoon pyjamas, I sense that this winter wouldn’t be cold.

Day 64

I came across a fairy tale. There’s a black goat in the story, and it has a pair of beautiful horns… Do you still want to hear the rest?

Day 65

I seem to have improved in my origami skills, and it seems I can now fold more vivid little creatures now.

Day 66

Why do you need to perplex yourself over having a low laughing point? It shows that you can produce the dopamine to be happy over any trivial matter.

Day 67

When I passed by the park, I discovered that the Rosa chinensis we once saw together have turned into colourful chrysanthemums. Time seems to go by exceptionally quickly when signing in with you.

Day 68 (Halloween)

Title: Mysterious story exhibition

I heard there’s a mysterious Halloween story exhibition today. I wonder if a certain little friend who’s filled with curiosity is interested in going tonight?

Day 69

I’ve spent this October very happily. A large part of the reason is because you’re sharing it with me.

Day 70

I chanced on the postcard you sent me before. The handwriting is very cute, and the contents on it are even cuter.

Day 71

There’s a picture stuffed in the crack of the door. Is that bespectacled person conducting experiments me? He looks very engrossed.

Day 72

I haven’t thought of the answer to the riddle you came up with yesterday. Looks like I’ll have to learn from you this time.

Day 73

You mentioned wanting to learn how to make dimsum using yam paste, but couldn’t find the chance to do so. Do you have time today? We can give it a try together.

Day 74

The mornings of this season are especially moving. It’s just that little lazy bugs like you are likely too cold to get out of bed.

Day 75

The coffee you gave me the last time has a very nice taste. I tried preparing it once, but it didn’t have the same taste. Could you tell me your secret?

Day 76

I had a strange dream, and it seems to be indicating something. I’ll tell you about it another day.

Day 77

The weather forecasts says that it might rain today. Remember to bring an umbrella when you head out, just in case.

Day 78

If nobody does things that may not reap results, this world would likely lose some degrees of fun. Don’t you agree?

Day 79 (Single’s Day)

Received your final wishlist for 2020. It so happens that fulfilling each one of them will require an entire winter.

Day 80

You’re asking me if I’ve ever thought of travelling through time? I have. Each time we part ways, I want to travel to the time when we’d meet again.

Day 81

I’ve bought the material you wanted. Is our agreement from last week to have autumn afternoon tea still valid?

Day 82

You seem very busy recently, and I haven’t seen you appearing at the last row of the classroom. Is my “Class President” free to sign the attendance tomorrow?

Day 83

I like every birthday present you give me each year. Of course, my favourite gift is the one I can see at first glance - you.

Day 84 (Lucien’s birthday)

Having gone through yesterday’s “unhappiness”, I’ve prepared double the amount of “happiness” today. Could I share it with you?

Day 85

The place I’ve gone to attend the meeting at is the northern city you mentioned in Moments last year. Perhaps I could follow your footsteps and check in.

Day 86

When I woke up this morning, I realised that it has already started snowing in the city. I won’t enjoy the first snow on my own, which is why I’m sharing it with you immediately.

Day 87

I realised that you changed to bluetooth earpieces. In that case, will the distance between us be as close as when we listen to songs together using a wired earpiece?

Day 88

The rainbows seen in winter are even gentler than the ones in summer.

Day 89

Lately, I’ve been having some trouble sleeping too. This time, it might be your turn to be my little sleep assistant.

Day 90

Thank you for the gloves you gave me. They’re very soft and warm.

Day 91

I enjoy this feeling very much - eating a bowl of piping hot noodles in a warm, small store with you during cold weather.

Day 92

When I was tidying the bookshelf, a card fell out of one of the books you once borrowed. Do you still remember what you wrote on it?

Day 93

Without realising it, the agreed-to conclusion of the signing in is about to arrive. For some reason, I don’t really want it to end.

Day 94

Something to be grateful for is every day that I get to keep you company.

Day 95

A few petals from that pot of flowers you’re tending to fell onto my window sill. I’ve made them into two dried flower bookmarks.

Day 96

Saw a pair of earmuffs which suit you. This way, your ears wouldn’t always be red from the cold.

Day 97

Sorry, I’ve been tidying up data in the laboratory today, and just saw your message. I wonder if it’s too late to agree to your dinner invitation?

Day 98

You don’t always have to meet my expectations, because you often surpass my expectations.

Day 99

The movie salon you mentioned sounds really interesting. If I’m participating in it with you, I'm definitely very willing to go.

[Note] The word ‘salon’ here refers to a social gathering!

Day 100

To me, a hundred days is too short. Even without such an event, my company will definitely not stop at just a hundred days.

[myupostsheadcanons]

Books “Read” in 2019

I am going to rank these by how much i enjoyed them vs. any actual literary quality. often well written books aren’t always the most entertaining books.

Note: i listen to many of these books at work, which is why i am able to go through so many of them in a year.

List from 2017 List from 2018

------- My Favs of the Year ----

Novels from The First Law:

Best Served Cold (#1), The Heroes(#3), Red Country(#4), Sharp Ends(#5).

A Little Hatred (#2) (Age of Madness, sequel to The First Law)

I read “The First Law Trilogy” about a year or two ago and finally got around to reading the rest of the books, just in time for a new series taking place in the same world to start up (Age of Madness) and now i am waiting like everybody else for the next two books to come out in 2020 and 2021. A Little Hatred shouldn’t be read as a stand alone, a lot of what goes on is dependent mainly on knowledge from the first trilogy and in The Heroes, then bits and pieces from Best Served Cold and Red Country. So much of your enjoyment of each book is based on what you’ve learned in other ones (character development or seemingly useless information being not so useless later).

Age of Legend (Book 4,  Legend of the First Empire)

This is more-or-less an “aftermath” book where the main characters are still reeling about what happened in the previous book and are trying to make plans for what they are going to do next. I still like the characters and the world/setting it takes place in.

House of Assassins (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, Book 2)

I’ve been waiting for the next book in this series to come out the second i finished the first book in the series. It is one of those Science fiction in the disguise of Fantasy settings and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see how that plot/revelation comes out (I am certain that the location the story takes place is Earth, more specifically around Asia/India, but in a post-invasion apocalypse setting where nobody remembers anything prior to the invasion). I also really like how much of a badass Ashok is... i have a thing for emotionally stunted badass characters, especially when their flaws are held up to a mirror and have real consequences.

R. R. Haywood’s Worldship Humility & Extinct (Extracted, Book 3)

I love the way Haywood writes characters and dialog. I was at-first iffy about WSH, but was won over after i warmed up to the new characters.

Shades of Magic Trilogy (A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, A Conjuring of Shadows)

Solid multi-verse and magic system world. Well-written characters, some minor nitpicks on plot points, but can be easily ignored. LGBTQ rep, the gays don’t stay buried.

“Don’t you have enough [knives]?” “You can never have too many.” [me, every time: LOL]

One of the few times when a character deserves a redemption arc, doesn’t really get one, dies, and i am perfectly fine with it because it is done well.

Assassin’s Fate (Fitz and the Fool, Book 3)

I read this one in book-book form, but i already knew most of the emotionally painful parts of the book by spoiling it to myself when it first came out a couple years ago. The main appeal is the inner monologues of the two main characters, even if like 50% of this trilogy is basically spending weeks/months trying to go from Point A to Point B, when many other books would have glossed over the details of travel.. but you can really feel the stress as they dwell in their thoughts and struggles.

Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles & Circe

Re-Imagining of the Iliad and The Odyssey. Focusing not on the characters of Achilles or Odysseus, but on Petroclus (Achilles’ lover) and Circe the sea nymph witch that Odysseus had an affair and child with.

The Spear of the Stars (Cycle of Galand, Book 5)

Still love Dante and Bleys... This is where they really get into the meat of world building and solving the mysteries of the Arawn Cycle (the book/bible) and peel back the layers of their reality.

Dust (Silo Book 3)

A great ending to a good series, it answers whether or not humanity can or has survived what had caused them to be locked away in the silos.

Blackthorn and Grim (Dreamer’s Pool, Tower of Thorns, Den of Wolves)

I like the premise of the books, the two main characters first seeking out revenge, but end up wanting to become better people due to magic shenanigans.... One part Fantasy, One Part Mystery, One Part Lovestory.

The Dispatcher (Audible Free Book) 

I want a whole series based off this novella. It is John Scalzi so he can write a good story. I had previously read Android’s Dream by him, which it didn’t make it into my top-10 that year, but was still decent, even if the subject matter was a bit gross... The Dispatcher world is a Sci-Fi Noir, not quite Cyberpunk, where people don’t die by anything other than natural causes. The Dispatcher’s job is to kill people before something goes does wrong and the person “resets” to when they where safe and sound.

---- this is the “Above Average” Zone ----

All the Pretty Horses & Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West

The master of bleak and depressing fiction. if regular Dark Fiction isn’t enough for you.... there is Cormac McCarthy books. Get use to the “purple prose” that fills up pages with no dialog.

The Golem and the Jinni

Supernatural world of the far past dealing with Edwardian New York and Immigration. It not only is a “fish out of water” story of the two main characters trying to fit in with society but they are among communities that are also new to America and trying to find their own place in the world. There are love subplots but most of those kind of fizzle out.

The Axe and the Throne: Bounds of Redemption Vol. 1.

“Discount First Law” book... it is lacking the dark humor that made TFL series far more entertaining.  This was also the book that was prefaced by warning people about how grim and dark the setting was... Hahahaha. I still found it entertaining none the less, and hope the rest would show up on audible soon.

Black Snow, White Crow (Audible Free Book) 

Another one of those short stories that should have a larger saga to its name. Fantasy Industrial Punk. It has the whole equality role reversal thing going on, it isn’t done quite as well as Left Hand of Darkness (but that book leaned onto the boring side of things).

Stephen King’s IT, Pet Semetary, and Carrie

It’s Stephen King. Classic King. Not much else to say.

Watership Down

Depressing Rabbit Book. Though I did like all the stories and mythology the rabbits had.

Bloody Acquisitions (Fred the Vampire Accountant, Book 3)

A series that is always fun to listen to. I wish the audio books were cheaper because they are rather short.

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, Book 4)

shuddup, i don’t care if it is Rowling... i have a low-key crush on Cormoran.... he just hits that big-burly tragic-backstory man-shaped soft-spot of mine. These stories are also her “for adults” writings so...  expect more racism and garbage values.

The Eye of the World (Book 1, Wheel of Time)

Classic set up to a long running series, though i am reluctant to go further as the middling books in this series are said to drag out the story too much.... It’s not as self-centered as Wizard’s First Rule and the characters are more relatable and stick to their fantasy tropes. This is the “mold” that other modern fantasy try to subvert by going “darker and edgier.”

The Exorcist

If you like the movie, read the book. There is a lot of back story that the movie wasn’t able to adapt.

---- This is the “AVERAGE, but Still Good”  Zone ---

The Iliad and The Odyssey

Classics. I am still on the hunt for an unabridged version of Jason and the Argonauts story. I also have Virgil’s Aeneid in my wishlist to get too soon.

Phillipa Gregory’s Plantagonate Novels (The Lady of the Rivers, The Red Queen, White Queen, The Kingmaker’s Daughter)

Sometimes it is like reading the same book 5x in a row. other times you end up not liking the previous protagonist in a book you just finished reading because of how the current protagonist sees them from their POV.

Return of the King (Lord of the Rings, Book 3)

Read the other books last year and didn’t get around to this one for a few months.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Fuck... I’m a janitor... why can’t i afford a house?   If you liked Stephen King’s “IT” go back and read this book.

Alien Franchise Dramatizations: Alien: Sea of Sorrows, Alien: The Cold Forge (Audible Free Book) Alien III (Audible Free Book)

I don’t mind that they all are done with a full cast. Though often I end up wanting to find the actual book and listen to them with just one narrator and descriptions.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Narnia, Book 1)

I would like to get the rest of the books in this series, but for books that are only 5-7 hours long they want 20$ a book for them. It needs to go into an omnibus.

Stephen Fry’s Victorian Secrets (Audible Free Book)

It’s Stephen Fry... he’s funny and a good narrator.

Wizard’s First Rule (Book 1, Sword of Truth)

I don’t like Richard. He started off alright, but even before he got tortured 2/3rds into the book, i was starting to dislike his personality.  Other than that, the side characters and world are solid, but it was like taking an R-rated movie and cutting it down for TV. There is somethings that are vaguely described when i am use to harder fiction like ASoIaF, The First Law, Dresden, and McCarthy books actually describing those things.

Halloween (2018, movie novel)

Like I said when i first read the book, it would’ve benefited by a second re-write before being published. But, i like the movie and so I liked the book.

Don Quixote

Another classic read. I did find it hilarious that the Author spent a good chunk of the second book complaining about Fanfiction of his own book... in the 1600′s.

The Princess Diarist

I listened this book instead of going to see TROS. worth it.

Smoke Gets in Your eyes: And other Lessons from the Crematorium

Non-Fiction, If you want to know the ins and outs of the funeral business and get told in an informative yet non-clinical way with lots of tidbits and history facts tossed in as well as a semi-autobiographical account of the Author’s life.

--- These Books are “Alright” ---

Frank L. Baum’s Wizard of Oz books

I ligit got into an argument with a 70yo man in a comic book shop about how Canon the other Oz books were post Baum’s death. He was looking for Oz comic books and I brought up reading the first 14 books, and he’s like “There’s over 100 of them” and i was all “but all those are written by somebody else.” and he got all “they are still canon...” 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

If you want to know about the In//cel ideology in a classic literary form, this fits the bill. So much man pain.

A Christmas Carol (Tim Curry) (Audible Free Book)

Tim Curry, guys.....

The Poetic Edda (Norse God Mythology)

I listened this book twice. I bought two Edda books thinking I’d get some extra content, but no... same book just different production teams and readers. Returned the one with the worst translation.

Treasure Island (Audible Free Book, dramatization)

I need to read the actual book sometime, but i did like the cast and thought they did a good job.

Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic (Audible Free Book)

A YA coming of age story about diversity and acceptance... with wacky science fiction. 

Carmilla (Audible Free Book, dramatization)

The vampire before Dracula. Victorian Lesbian love story.

Even Tree Nymphs get the Blues (Audible Free Book)

A novella from one of those “love on the Bayou” romance series with supernatural creatures. Could practically take place in the same world of either True Blood, Dresden, or Fred the Vampire Accountant.

Mystwick School of Musicraft (Audible Free Book)

Harry Potter lite. For 10yo girls.

A Grown-up’s Guide to Dinosaurs (Audible Free Book)

I like dinosaurs.

Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World (Audible Free Book, Dramatization)

Interesting way on telling us about the Fossil Wars and Puma vs. Adidas.

True-Crime from Audible: Body of Proof (Audible Free Book),   Midnight Son (Audible Free Book), The Demon Next Door (Audible Free Book), Killer By Nature (Audible Free Book)

Why is True-Crime or YA fiction the only halfway-decent things Audible is giving us? But yeah, these are basically the type of reporting that the two journalists from Halloween were trying to do. Where they go around and gather up information about semi-famous cases and present it in a Podcast-like format.

---- Meh... ---

Camp Red Moon (Audible Free Book)

Would’ve been better if they were actually written by R. L. Stein.

More Bedtime Stories for Cynics (Audible Free Book)

No... half of these aren’t written very well.

The Darkwater Bride (Audible Free Book, Dramatization)

The setting is nice, but it is far too .... Soap Opera Dramatic.

Junk (Audible Free Book)

A cross between Alien Invasion and Zombie outbreak, read by John Waters and written as if it was a bad version of a Philip K. Dick Novel.

Rip Off!! (Audible Free Book)

Most of them are duds and boring. I don’t even remember half of them without having to look them up. The two that stood out the most for me where the “Other Darren/Bewitched” and the “Dark and Stormy Night” stories, the rest were rather garbled.

--- Garbage... ---

Dodge and Twist (Audible Free Book, Dramatization)

No, you are not being edgy or kool.

Unread:

Siege Tactics (Spells, Swords, & Stealth. Book 4)

Triumphant (Genesis Fleet, Book 3)

Earthsea (Tehanu and Tales from Earthsea, i am going to re-listen to the first three before i get to these)

Into the Wilds (Warriors, Book 1)

Pout Neuf (Audible Free Book)

House of Teeth (Audible Free Book)

Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons (Audible Free Book)

The Other Boleyn Girl (Phillipa Gregory)

[milesgonzalomorales]

1-50 for studyblr (all or nothing motherfucker ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°))

I owe you my life anon I wanted to answer these 

What year are you?Third-year as of summer 2018

What’s your major/what do you think you want to major in?Double major in Political Science and History

If applicable, what is your thesis about?                                                        n/a

Do you think you picked the right major?                                                      For sure. At first I was uncertain in my choice bc I switched quite a bit in my first/second year bw English and History, but then I realized that English classes were making me dislike my relationship w/ literature. I love my poli sci and history classes 

Ultimate educational goals?                                                                                 Getting my PhD in International Relations but i have no job to pay for it 

Career goals?                                                                                                         Working with an international organization like the UN or the IMF

Do you think your goals are realistic?                                                                 Certainly. They may be difficult to reach, but they are within my grasp so long as I keep working towards them. 

What classes are you taking right now?                                                             Canadian government/politics, introductory political theory and a comparative history class on race relations in the US and SA                                      

Favorite class out of everything you’ve ever taken and why?                          Introduction to international relations parts 1 and 2, I took them both in my second year back to back (one in the fall, the other in the winter) while I was still in the political science minor. I loved this class for several reasons. First, the content was so interesting that reading the textbook was never a chore and I was always in the first row of the lecture hall ready 15 minutes before classes even started. Another reason I liked this class was bc I had a really good experience with the ta who was my tut. leader in both semesters - there is only one other ta that I’ve had who has been that phenomenal in their teaching. This ta along with another prof have been really influential in my learning and I don’t think thank you will ever be enough for what they both did.  It was actually through these classes that I decided to major in poli sci bc I loved it so much. 

Least favorite class ever and why?                                                                       An Ancient Greek history class bc it was at night and the prof had us read exclusively from a sourebook and his slides sucked.                                

Current favorite class and why?                                                                          Canadian government, I’m learning a lot of cool stuff about my country that high-school teachers never did justice to. Also the prof is really enthusiastic and it’s contagious. 

Current least favorite class and why?                                                                 Political theory… it’s not that I hate it, but some of the texts are really difficult to read at times. Lectures are fun though, the prof really knows how to keep an audience engaged.                                                                                   

Favorite STEM field?                                                                                            I took an anthropology class in first year and loved it, the tutorials were really interesting bc we actually got to handle bone material!! It was nothing like humanities tutorials where you discuss and debate. A fun experience overall and I loved learning about the science parts too even if it was a little complicated sometimes…                      

Favorite humanities subject?                                                                               Political science, hands down. 

Class that you’ve always wanted to take but never had the chance?              I want to take a class on ethnic conflict and security, but it’s a 4th year class and i don’t have the prereqs (yet!) 

Do you use caffeine and if so how much daily?                                                 Never, unless Coffee Crisp counts 

What’s your preferred method of taking in caffeine?                                         ^ see above answer                                                                          

Have you ever tried study drugs?                                                                        Nope, not a huge fan of supplements like that.  

Are you a homework-in-the-morning kind of person?                                       Homework whenever I can type of person                         

Do you listen to music while you study?                                                            Used to, but now it distracts more than anything so I’ll put on some ambient noises or just work silently. 

Crowded area or quiet place?                                                                               Quiet place, but one that has people in it so I feel obligated to work 

What’s your preferred writing implement?                                                          bic gelocity 0.7 black and blue pens. i cannot write w/o them but they run out so fast.                         

Do you need to work out before you can study well?                                        work out??? haven’t heard that term in years 

Describe your perfect study environment.                                                          Idk the specifics, but good lighting, nice temperature, a rolling chair and a high desk i guess? 

Are you procrastinating right now?                                                                     Not really, I have time before assignment deadlines roll in. 

What was the last thing you procrastinated?                                                     Reading Thomas Hobbes Leviathan, the language was too complex and I shied away from it 

Are you a perfectionist?                                                                                        Not really, you make a mistake and you move on, I find that studyblr aesthetic notes are counterproductive 

Do you like easy classes or do you feel bad if you’re not working hard?       I don’t think there is such thing as ‘easy’ classes, it depends on what an individual’s strengths and weaknesses are. That being said, I had a light course load for a first year class where the prof felt bad for assigning us 10 pages of reading a week when another prof was assigning 80-100.    

Are you a good test taker?                                                                                    Most of the time, but with essays, I need to write outlines or I lose my train of thought and get frustrated and anxious about the time and my argument. 

What are you the proudest of out of all the assignments you’ve ever had?   A paper I did for my critical writing for history class 2 semesters ago, I contacted that professor regularly and was in her office all the time working with her to keep making it better and when I saw my final grade of 38/40, I cried with happiness. 

Do you talk to your teachers/professors a lot?                                                  Oh yeah, I’m that student who stays after class, spends half the time at office hours, asks questions during class, you name it. Professors are people too, just really accomplished people. Also they’re pretty cool and they want to see you succeed. 

Describe your favorite teacher/professor and why you like them.                   Okay again not a prof, but this person is training to become a prof and i truly hope he’s successful for several reasons. He has a lot of cool book recs both academic/non-academic, calls out the bullcrap that is academic writing, genuinely goes above the paygrade to make sure that students succeed and most importantly, is enthusiastic about the content himself. (press f to pay respects) 

Describe your least favorite teacher/professor and why you dislike them.     Hnghhhh there was these 2 profs who taught intro ir part 1 and one of those guys was an absolute loser, he constantly made holocaust jokes and other tasteless comments and when i went to talk to him about my final paper, he told me that i’d look like someone who might like to write mine about is/s like ://. never told that prof anything about my academic interests so shut your mouth 

Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher/professor?                         A few times, but I don’t think I could do it. I’d be one of those rambling profs who never end up finishing their scheduled content. 

Most profound thing ever said to you by a teacher/professor?                         Not a prof, but a ta once said that my ideas were worthy of respect and that i shouldn’t feel the need to apologize for contributions (ta: you are valid me: holy fuck i’d die for you) 

Best feedback you’ve ever gotten on something academic?                            Best feedback I’ve ever gotten was on a paper I wrote for my ir class in the first semester where i had a lot of pitfalls in my argumentation style so when i wrote one the next semester w/ the same ta marking it, i got a better mark bc i incorporated that feedback. 

Worst study habit and how are you working on it?                                            My worst habit is lacking discipline and I’m working on it by trying to stick to schedules so I can fall back into routine and ultimately be on top of things 

Are you an in-class fidgeter?                                                                                moment of silence for all the pens i’ve dropped while twirling them/taking them apart. 

How’s your handwriting?                                                                                      pretty neat, not to brag. but apparently my f’s are jumping off the lines practically. 

Write “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and post a photo.         sorry, too late for that I’m headed to sleep soon. 

Neat or messy notes?                                                                                            A weird combo?? Like messy enough that you have arrows sticking out from all corners and sometimes things are disorganized, but the writing itself is usually very neat unless i’m tired. 

A lot of notes or the bare minimum?                                                                   A lot, for me, the slides are the skeleton and the meat comes from the prof’s mouth. 

Post a photo/scan of your notes from your favorite class.                               I think I uploaded them to my side blog?? anyway it’s late now so can’t do that 

Are you a doodler?                                                                                                I used to be, but I cut the habit bc sometimes I miss key info if I’m not paying attention. 

Post a photo of your doodles if you have any.                                                    lol i used to post a lot under the tag naailah draws 

Do you have pre-test rituals and what are they?                                                Making sure I have more pens than I’ll ever need and checking the ink refills to ensure there’s enough. 

Are you a tangent-question asker?                                                                      Yup, there’s no such thing as a dumb question. Unless it’s answered on the syllabus. That’s a dumb q. 

Do you make jokes in class?                                                                                Sometimes. I’ve cracked some awful puns in my comparative poli class once and the prof’s mic picked up on it bc i sit at the front so you have a room of 200 or so students hearing me laugh about poverty and i swear it sounds bad but it was not as bad w/ context. 

How many hours do you spend on academics per day?                                   A lot… most of my time is spent on studying/procrastinating on it 

What’s something more important to you than school?                                    Life after school and making a real impact in the world, whether it’s small-scale or large. 

[privpro]

Beard Love

Written for & inspired by @joleanart​‘s art post here

If there was one thing that Jason could say about college, it was that it was a fucking ride. Growing up the son of the world’s most prominent (and arguably most arrogant) businessmen and getting sent off to a prestigious boarding school practically the minute he could talk, Jason thought he had it all down. He was self-reliant, studious, charming, a natural leader and so, so unprepared for public school.

Lupa Capitolina Military Institution and Jupiter Preparatory Academy were both excellent for breeding youths of character discipline and strength. Most of Jason’s former classmates were now off attending law, business and medical school or prepping to take over their parent’s companies. Jason, meanwhile, had opted to attend NYU and was studying the Classics – partially out of rebellion to his father and stepmother and partially because it actually interested him. His friend Frank recommended the school after applying there himself for International Studies. Aside from occasional run-ins with Frank in the history building, however, Jason found himself almost completely alone.

Enter, Greek life.

Greek life had simultaneously become the most wonderful and most terrifying thing Jason had ever experienced. Practically the moment his last midterm was over, Jason’s roommate, one randomly assigned Perseus Jackson, literally dragged him across campus to one of the frat houses. Jason doesn’t remember half of what happened that night, but he’s pretty sure it changed his life. He woke up the next morning with a standing invitation to pledge to Chi Eta Beta and possibly a girlfriend. As it turned out CHB and Piper made the rest of his freshman year a lot more enjoyable than, well, pretty much his entire school experience up to that point.

Fast forward two years and Jason found himself with a room in CHB’s row house, a fantastic group of both wild and studious friends and, somehow, a beard.

And okay, a week prior all of the brothers were sporting facial hair in honor of no-shave-november (and because it was hilarious to watch some of the younger pledges try to grow facial hair), but by now the only other person who’d kept their beard was Beckendorf, who’d had a beard almost the entire time Jason had known him. No one had brought it up until now, when Percy – still Jason’s roommate finally broached the subject.

“So is the beard gonna be a permanent thing now?”

He asked, his own face baby smooth since Annabeth Chase informed him it was no longer November, during their 9am lecture on December 1st. Said face was currently pulled into Percy’s signature lop-sided smirk as he plopped down on the couch beside Jason and stole some of Leo’s popcorn, despite the fact that he’d only gotten up in the first place to get more snacks.

“Hey!”

The Hispanic protested, leaning over to try and snatch the snacks back and nearly rolling off the loveseat in the process.

“Here,” Piper said, nimbly snatching the unopened Doritos Percy had fetched from his other side and tossing them at Leo’s head. All of this gave Jason time to pretend to finish reading his page and internally freak out.

The thing was, Jason might be keeping the beard because it was easier to take care of than shaving his face daily – like Charlies claimed. Or, he might be keeping it because two weeks ago at their “fratsgiving” Percy got wasted and spent an hour rambling about how hot beards were. While the other male was distracted, Jason sent a silent plea for help in Piper’s direction. When she caught the glance, his girlfriend (ex-girlfriend? “On a break for Jason’s emotional and sexual discovery” friend?), she just smiled encouragingly and shrugged. Thanks Pipes.

With nothing particularly elegant or solid enough to really satisfy Percy’s curiosity, Jason followed his ex’s example and simply shrugged when the native New Yorker turned his attention back to him. He carefully kept his eyes glued to the book in front of him rather than looking at Percy’s reaction when he deflected.

“Why?”

Percy returned the shrug but then leaned back into the couch and wrapped an arm around Jason’s shoulder. His smirk then went from mischievously friendly to deviously enticing.

“Well, you see,” he started, his voice pitched lower like when he fake flirts with Piper. “If you get anymore handsome, then I’m gonna have to fuck you.”

Once again, Jason was saved from immediately answering by an outburst from Leo and he used the time to decide how he wanted to reply. On the one hand, it was completely possible that Percy was just messing around and had only platonic (or, as Leo liked to call it “bromance”) feelings towards him. On the other hand…well, they might have told everyone they were taking a break because Piper needed to spend more time studying this semester, but the actual reason was because Jason had confessed his confusing feelings for his roommate and she’d encouraged him to try and figure things out for himself without any pressure – and shared that her own preferences had nothing to do with gender and were also open to multiple partners.

Currently, Piper was texting and therefore no help at all, but Jason found that maybe he didn’t need it. There was really only one way to figure out if Percy meant it or not. So, before either Percy or Leo could get too worked up defending his “handsomeness” v. “masculine dignity” (yeah, he wasn’t going to touch that with a ten-foot pole), he gave his own reply as nonchalantly as possible.

“I guess I’ll have to swear off shaving forever, then.”

The living room quieted significantly after that, with only the sound of the Hallmark channel filling the air. Next to Jason, Percy seemed to have stopped breathing, let alone moving, but the blonde very deliberately forced himself to actually finish reading his page before he looked up.

When he did, Piper was still texting, Leo was frozen half off the loveseat with his mouth open, and Percy was sporting one of the deepest blushes Jason had ever seen. It was Leo who spoke first.

“Wha – what is happening?”

His tone was level, but his voice cracked slightly out of either shock or disbelief. Thankfully, Piper chose that moment to finally look up from her phone.

“What’s happening,” She said plainly, standing up from the couch and then pulling Leo up as well, “Is that I’m going to study with Annabeth and you’re going to tell the Stolls that they owe me fifty bucks.”

“Fifty bucks? Oh! Right, the bet!”

Leo puzzled and then practically shot up with excitement. This, it seemed was also enough to finally pull Percy out of his stupor, though Piper and Leo were halfway to the door before he could fully form his sentence of outrage.

“Hey, wait! You’ve been betting on if we’d get together? What kind of friends are you??”

“Not if,” Piper corrected with a grin, shoving Leo out of the door. “How.”

And with that, she too exited the house, leaving Jason and Percy alone inside.

Percy fish-mouthed at the closed door and then all but collapsed back onto the couch next to Jason.

“I can’t decide if I’m more upset that they set up a betting pool, that apparently everyone else saw our feelings before we did, or that the winning bet was only worth $50.”

He groused, rubbing a hand over his face before thumping his head back against the couch and closing his eyes. Jason, no longer feeling insecure, just smiled and turned so that he could lean over and kiss the boy. At the first press of their lips, Percy jolted like he’d completely forgotten the reason their friends were making bets in the first place. He very quickly got over the shock of it however, and started reciprocating.

Jason found that while it wasn’t better or worse than kissing Piper, making out with Percy was certainly different. For one, Percy treated the kiss like he was some kind of underwater explorer, trying to discover and coax out as much as possible and only coming up for air when absolutely necessary. For another thing, Piper never tasted like an unholy mix of leftover pie and Doritos, nor did she ever spend quite as much of her time appreciating his beard. The biggest difference, of course, came in the way that Percy levered him onto his back across the couch so the brunette lay atop him and then started grinding their hips together with practically liquid rolls of his hips.

It was so much sensation that neither of them noticed when the front door opened again until Hazel’s voice filled the air.

“Oh wait, Frank! Nico just texted. He said that Percy and Jason are –.”

There was a pause, one that both boys were now very well aware of given that they’d pretty much frozen themselves.

“Uh yeah, doing that.”

Jason cracked an eye open and felt rather embarrassed as Frank let out a sigh and then pointed behind him back at the door. Percy, for his part, had taken to burying his face into Jason’s chest as if that could hide him.

“Yeah…we’re just gonna go be…literally anywhere else. Uh, have fun?”

He sounded about as awkward as Jason felt, even though he was clearly well-meaning. Percy turned his head towards them just in time to see Hazel wink and shoot them a double thumbs-up before following her boyfriend out. Jason stifled a laugh as Percy weakly returned the gesture, his face going tomato red once more. In the silence that followed, the pair heard her ask “How much money do you think Nico won from the betting pool?” Percy groaned and buried his face in Jason’s neck.

“What did we do to deserve such terrible friends? Using our emotional turmoil to yield a profit. I feel so betrayed.”

Jason laughed and stroked his hand through Percy’s hair because, well, because he could.

“Yield a profit?”

He asked, amusement in his voice. Percy nodded against his skin.

“I may have just finished my econ essay at 4:00 this morning.” The blonde smiled at that and thought suddenly how glad he was that despite the big change between them, all of the little things had stayed the same. They were still Percy and Jason, and out of the things that had changed well…

“Hey,” he waited for Percy to look at him. “You wanna keep complaining about our friends, or do you wanna make good on that promise you made earlier?”

At that, Percy shot up so quickly that he nearly smacked his head on Jason’s jaw and he did elbow him in the stomach. Momentary pain aside, Jason found himself grinning the whole way up the stairs.

[ahouseoflies]

The Best Films of 2019, Part IV

Part III, Part II, Part I PRETTY PRETTY GOOD MOVIES

62. Shazam! (David F. Sandberg)- One of the most comic-booky movies to come around in a while in the sense that it seems to be in fast forward for the first third, using shorthands because it has too much story to tell. I am sad to report that Shazam! has no Movie Stars in it, and I didn't realize how essential those were to the superhero genre. There is a cagey standalone quality to its modest bets though. I like that it's anchored in a real place and isn't afraid to be a little too scary for kids. I would see it mostly as a product of potential though, for a funny Jack Dylan Grazer, for the filmmakers, and for the studio. As a student of weird billing, I have so many questions about Adam Brody getting awarded fifth lead for a bit part.

61. Fighting with My Family (Stephen Merchant)- Dwayne Johnson as producer feels like the auteur here, since the formulaic story has more to do with his combed-over, please-everyone persona than with Stephen Merchant's more messy, improvisatory style. I couldn't care less about the time spent on Jack Lowden's brother character, but I was impressed with the physical part of Florence Pugh's performance. This is a movie you've seen a hundred times, but it hits most of its marks skillfully. 60. Spider-Man: Far From Home (Jon Watts)- This is a movie in which a spurned tech innovator uses drone projectors to stage a battle in which he defeats an elemental water monster to save Venice. The best sequence is one in which a boy tries to trick his friends into letting him sit next to the girl he likes on a flight.  59. John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum (Chad Stahelski)- What a criticism it is to claim that the filmmakers give in too much to fanservice, especially since I don't know what that word means anymore if something like this is the monoculture. So they gave us, the audience, what we wanted, and I was upset that it was two hours and ten minutes? Seriously though, have you ever eaten too much ice cream? 58. Fyre (Chris Smith)- An interesting yarn that gets at the foolishness of Internet influencing better than anything else that I've seen. I was surprised by how distant many of the subjects seemed, as if only the Big Bad Billy was responsible for any misleading. And I was grateful that, despite the level of criminality on display, it was still as funny as the tweets were at the time. The film lacks shape though, and it would be nice to have somebody smart on hand to answer questions. Can someone explain to me why it's so important that the island used to be Pablo Escobar's? Why should I want to be like Pablo Escobar? 57. Leaving Neverland (Dan Reed)- Part 1 works because of the striking similarities in the parallel stories, as well as the subjects' perspicacious understanding of their own emotions and childhood psychology. So Part 2 gets extremely frustrating when these men, who have already proven how articulate they are, seem puzzled by the obvious psychological problems they have as adults. 56. Diane (Kent Jones)- This movie is kind of good when it's purely slice-of-life, before it declares what it is. It's very good once it declares itself as a routine of self-flagellation, a sort of Raging Bull for women with multiple recipes for tater tot hotdish. It's a little less good when it speeds up and goes back on that thesis near the end. For the record, I think Mary Kay Place is fine. I don't get the critical adoration.

55. Rocketman (Dexter Fletcher)- If the choice is Bohemian Rhapsody or this, then I'll take this every time. Unlike the former, Elton John's life doesn't present an obvious high point in the second half or easy conflict for the first half. As a result, the relationships within John's family seem broad with manufactured conflict. (His birth father's hardness isn't that far off from Walk Hard's "wrong kid died.") But there's an authenticity here that's refreshing, a respect to the unique friendship between Elton and Bernie and a respect for the transformative power of the music. That sincerity extends to Egerton's generous performance, which nails the self-effacing Elton John smile. So there are some biopic structural problems that can't be helped, but if only to admire the '80s fits that Elton gets off, attention must be paid. 54. Triple Frontier (J.C. Chandor)- A useful example for differentiating between tropes and cliches of the action drama genre. For someone who gets less amped than I do for dudes meeting in a shipping container to have a conversation about how "now is the time to get out," it's probably full of cliches. For fans of hyper-masculine parables about getting a team together (that are also sort of meta-commentaries on their lead actor's fallen star), it's full of tropes. 53. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Mike Mitchell)- The plot is nearly incoherent, and the sequel isn't really satirizing anything like the first one was. But the jokes come at a Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker clip. A character in a car chase saying, "It's like she knows my every move" before a cut reveals he's been using turn signals? That's some Frank Drebin stuff. 52. Long Shot (Jonathan Levine)- Jonathan Levine has carved out an interesting directorial space for himself, with a career far different from what I imagined when I saw and loved The Wackness, a film to which I'm a little afraid to return. Levine is making, at the highest level possible ($40 million budget?), the types of movies that we claim don't get made anymore. A one-crazy-night Christmas comedy, an adventure comedy, and now a political romantic comedy, all with top flight Movie Stars. Long Shot seems like a rare opportunity to put Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron together and do something special, and what we come out with is...cute. For every good decision the film makes--what a supporting cast, all playing rounded characters--it makes a bad one--leaning too heavily into Rogen's patented "I don't really know what we're yelling about" delivery. The music is uninspired, but the presidential satire is pretty clever. The rhythm of the film is jagged and doesn't really cut together, but the script is very fair to the Theron character. Even in the general tone of the film's politics, it declares a few ideals, but those positions are still too neutral and obvious. I had a good time, but in a more capable director's hands, this experience wouldn't feel like math. 51. Isn’t It Romantic (Todd Strauss-Schulson)- So frothy that it almost doesn't believe in itself, especially near the end, but I found myself laughing a lot. Regarding the gay best friend, I'm very interested in the space of politically incorrect humor that is acceptable only because the work has built up self-awareness in other areas. That's a difficult negotiation, but this movie balances it. 50. Yesterday (Danny Boyle)- There's one twist that stretches the moral center of the film, and two minutes later there's a twist that's probably just a bridge too far in good taste. Other than that, this is a really cute Richard Curtis script, and it's nice to hear "Hey Jude" on movie speakers. 49. Ready or Not (Radio Silence)- Short and spicy, despite one or two too many twists. I'm in the front row of the Adam Brody Revival, but I appreciated the movie more as an exercise in the paranoid misery built into wealth. I wish I could have written the line down, but Alex says something like, "I didn't realize how much you could do just because your family said that it was okay," and that's the whole film. If you can, see it without watching the trailer first.

48. The Laundromat (Steven Soderbergh)- Mary Ann Bernard is a Steven Soderbergh pseudonym, but what if he did hire an outside editor? What if someone saved him from himself? It's hard to believe that Meryl Streep is the heart of the film--if the film's thesis is "The meek will inherit the Earth?"--if we go on a twenty-minute detour to an African family and a ten-minute detour to China. I laughed quite a bit, and I admire the audacity of the ending. But this is a movie that knows what it's about without knowing how to be about it.

47. High Flying Bird (Steven Soderbergh)- As a person who can cite most NBA players' cap figures off the top of my head, I should love High Flying Bird, a movie about a sports agent who tries to topple the system during an NBA lockout. Instead I liked it okay. It takes an hour to kick into high gear, but once it does, some self-contained scenes are powerhouses, and the writer of Moonlight was always going to provide an emotional kick that is sometimes absent from Soderbergh's work. Like Soderbergh's Unsane from last year, High Flying Bird is shot on an iPhone, an appropriate form given that the execution is a do-it-yourself parable that takes place mostly inside. Soderbergh is a man who has always tried to trade the ossified system of moviemaking for experimentation, so most reviews have pointed toward the meta quality of capturing a character doing that same thing in another medium. Like most of his post-retirement work, however, I find myself asking one question: "Would anyone care if this were made by another director?" 46. Piercing (Nicolas Pesce)- Good sick fun with a taste for the theatrical. I saw twist one and twist three coming, but twist two was ingenious. It ends the only way it can, which is okay. 45. Booksmart (Olivia Wilde)- At first the film is hard to acclimate to, stylized as it is into a very specific but absurd setting, counteracted by a very specific and realistic relationship. The music cues are all awful until the Perfume Genius one, which is so perfect that it erases the half-dozen clunkers.But it's smartly funny, funnily warm, and warmly smart. The screenplay does some clever things with swapping the protagonists' wants and needs at crucial times. Molly will have an obvious drive that overrides Amy's fear, and then a few scenes later, there will be an organic reversal. 44. Joker (Todd Phillips)- Joker presents more ideas than it cogently lands. I don't disagree with Amanda Dobbins's burn that it feels more like a vision board than a coherent story. Still, its success kind of fascinates me. This dark provocation, shot on real locations, has way more in common with Phoenix entries like You Were Never Really Here than it does with the DCEU. In fact, the comic book shoehorns feel like intrusions into a story about a guy who likes to Jame Gumb skinny-dance. Dunk on me if you want, but I think it's most eerie and affecting as a portrait of mental illness. Whereas Joker is a criminal mastermind in Batman lore, this is a guy helpless enough to scrawl into a notebook, "The worst part about having a mental illness is pretending to people that you don't." And that idea gets borne out in a scene in which he's pausing and rewinding a tape to study how a talk show guest sits and waves like a regular person. It's rare enough to see a person this mentally ill depicted on screen; it's even rarer to see someone this aware of his own isolation and otherness.

[thisdaynews]

Wimbledon junior champion Noah Rubin on improving mental health in tennis

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/wimbledon-junior-champion-noah-rubin-on-improving-mental-health-in-tennis/

Wimbledon junior champion Noah Rubin on improving mental health in tennis

Noah Rubin (centre) has captured the stories of Grand Slam finalists Bianca Andreescu, Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys (top row), comedian Miranda Hart and LMFAO singer Redfoo (middle row), plus British players Heather Watson, Cameron Norrie and Katie Swan (bottom row)

Recently crowned US Open champion Bianca Andreescu speaks of “feeling worthless” as she struggled to cope with the attention of being a rising teenage star.

Former Grand Slam finalist Madison Keys reveals an eating disorder left her living off three low-calorie bars a day.

British player Katie Swan talks about the impact of her coach’s son falling through a glass window and needing life-saving surgery.

Mental health issues. Sexuality. Financial worries. Leaving home for the first time. Death.

American player Noah Rubin, the 2014 Wimbledon junior champion seeking to fulfil his promise on the ATP Tour, is giving his fellow professionals a platform to open up – whatever the subject.

His Behind The Racquet project, inspired by Humans of New York – a revealing photoblog of the city’s residents now tracked by millions of social media users worldwide, sees current players, former players and celebrity fans including British comedian Miranda Hart pose behind the strings of a racquet.

Accompanying the striking image is an emotive personal story.

“This has never really been done before, something that shows what these people, who are thought of as having perfect lives or doing really well because they are professional players, are really going through,” Rubin tells BBC Sport.

“You really get an understanding of what they’re going through on a day-to-day basis, what their thought process is, what their mentality is, how they are feeling, how their family is, just how difficult tennis is.”

Rubin, 23, is determined to influence change in a sport which he says is “very tough on the body and the mind”.

Belgian player Alison van Uytvanck, in a post published earlier this month, gives a candid insight into the low self-esteem she felt as a youngster when she was bullied at training camps because of her ginger hair.

“I never felt so alone, having no friends and unable to really talk to parents,” she says. “I had no-one to lean on for help and found myself crying in my room day after day.”

Rubin believes a fundamental overhaul of the game is needed to help improve the mental wellbeing of the players, while he also says more support pathways need to be opened up.

Improved access to psychologists and the creation of outreach programmes for youngsters, where a former professional is easily contactable to offer advice, is a key strategy outlined by Rubin.

“The seasons are way too long, the matches are too long, it is not fan-friendly, it is not promotable, it is not TV-friendly. There are so many issues,” Rubin says.

“I think we are a little scared of making true fundamental changes – but we have to.”

The ATP Tour’s 2020 season begins on 2 January with the newly launched ATP Cup, starting just six weeks after some of the world’s leading male players took part in the inaugural Davis Cup finals.

Top female players have a slightly longer break – the season-opening Brisbane International on 6 January comes two months after the WTA Finals finished.

While men’s five-set matches are now reserved for Grand Slams and the Olympic final, the length of matches has still prompted plenty of debate.

Tentative attempts to introduce shorter formats of the game have been made – notably with first-to-four-games sets at the ATP NextGen finals and the creation of the Tie Break Tens events, but are yet to break through on the main ATP and WTA Tours.

Uniform change is difficult, however, with seven governing bodies – the ITF, ATP, WTA and four Grand Slams – rarely pulling in the same direction.

“We’re at a time where we have to break down the sport of tennis, invest, take a hit for a year or two and bring the sport to a place to where it has never been before,” Rubin says.

The WTA says the health and safety of its players – physical and mental – are its “number one priority”.

“The WTA has a comprehensive sports science and medicine and athlete assistance support system in place, which is staffed by experienced and expert therapists within the WTA,” it said in a statement.

“The WTA provides extensive resources and education to [help] players manage the challenges professional athletes may face, such as performing under pressure, international travel, managing health, public scrutiny, public commentary and ‘growing up’ in the public eye.”

The WTA added that players can receive individual counselling and support if needed from qualified mental health care providers, both at WTA tournaments and remotely.

The ATP said it was “continually looking to build on its duty of care towards its players” and had recently carried out a review of this area with players, team members and industry experts.

In a statement, the ATP said: “Tournament physicians and physiotherapists on the ATP Tour are in continual contact with players and their support teams throughout the year. In cases where a player were to express psychological concerns, we have an infrastructure that would refer them to the appropriate consultant.

“In situations where ATP physios and tournament physicians are concerned about a player’s mental, emotional and psychological health, we would recommend that the player seek treatment and assist in the initiation of the appropriate care.”

‘I had dark times. This sport isn’t conducive to happiness’

Passionate, articulate and determined to influence change, Rubin speaks from the heart.

Around the time of this year’s French Open, he almost stopped playing a sport to which he has dedicated most of his life. As an 11-year-old, he was said to have been described as “one of the most talented players” fellow New Yorker John McEnroe had come across.

“I didn’t know whether I was going to stop for good or just some real time off. I was telling my family and friends that I just don’t want to play the sport any more,” Rubin remembers.

“I wasn’t happy – the sport isn’t conducive to happiness. I don’t know if I want to throw the word depressed around, but at moments I felt like that.

“I was really thinking this was the end and the last time I was going to hit a tennis ball competitively.”

What changed for the world number 212 was spending less time on court, addressing his work-life balance and rediscovering the fun which made him enjoy tennis in the first place.

Rubin moved back to New York from Florida, practised about an hour a day, and then qualified for Wimbledon where he missed out on a third-round meeting with Roger Federer by losing to British youngster Jay Clarke.

Rubin repeatedly makes it clear he still loves the sport, and believes a change of focus – he talks of his love for fashion and photography, as well as still having time for Netflix and HBO – can enable him to crack the world’s top 50 next year.

“I started to figure out that it is far more important to put happiness on a pedestal rather than spend eight hours on a court,” he concludes.

“I had dark times where I didn’t know if I was going to make it out as a tennis player.

“This world of Behind The Racquet has opened up my eyes, it has given me another passion and helped take some pressure of the world of tennis.

“Now I understand it is far more important to be happy.”

Rubin pauses as he recalls one story, which he says still gives him “chills”.

“It was Jolene Watanabe, who was a top-100 player and played in the Grand Slams in the 1990s. She had cancer, was in remission, and I thought she was going to make it.

“Then I got a message from her husband on Instagram saying ‘I just want you to know she is saying her final goodbyes right now and it would be very much appreciated if you could post her story’.

“To hear that they’re going through something where she’s not going to make it and he was thinking he wanted me to post her story on Behind The Racquet so people could know about it, be a part of it and inspire them… it leaves me speechless.

“To have that kind of impact was something I could not have fathomed, especially this early on, and that’s why I keep pushing on.”

Jolene Watanabe, who famously beat Jennifer Capriati at the 1997 Australian Open, had her story posted by Behind The Racquet on 2 May this year. She died on 22 June.

How it began… and what next?

It was during a sleepless night after arriving home from Australia that Rubin formulated the concept of Behind The Racquet.

After inspiration struck at 3am, he acquired the name of his new project on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Within three days he had posted for the first time.

Ten months later, Behind The Racquet has about 35,000 followers across the three platforms, along with a podcast and clothing range as Rubin aims to build the brand.

The next phase is already being worked on, with Rubin aiming to link-up with Talkspace, an online therapy platform which boasts legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps as an ambassador, and the National Association of Mental Illness, as he looks to set up mental health camps for players and perhaps film a docu-series.

Sharing the stories of the sport’s biggest names – Rubin hopes seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams and US Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev will feature before the end of the year – is another target.

“Not only are many in a sport where they can’t make money, they’re in a sport where you don’t win very often, so they’re combining failure on the court with failure financially,” Rubin says.

“What I’m really trying to do is pave a way for people that, in five or 10 years from now, are saying ‘this is better because of Behind The Racquet’.”

Noah Rubin launched Behind The Racquet with a post on 19 January where he revealed his “most daunting fear” was letting down family and friends

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[dustedmagazine]

Dust, Volume 3, Number 10

We celebrate midsummer with the usual oddball mix of styles and genres, from post-apocalyptic techno to bubblegum pop to a Moroccan trio delivered from obscurity (sort of) by the Sun City Girls. Contributors this time around included Ian Mathers, Bill Meyer, Derek Taylor, Justin Cober-Lake and Jennifer Kelly.

Clark — Death Peak (Warp) 

Given Chris Clark’s long, influential history of making weird and often dark techno and the title Death Peak, you’d be forgiven for approaching his newest album as Clark with some trepidation. And at times he’ll reward that approach; certainly the children’s choir intoning “we are your ancestors” between pulsing waves and sparse beats on “Catastrophe Anthem” sounds somehow post-apocalyptic, and there are plenty of tones and moments here that practically throb with foreboding. But as the rumpled, brightly colored cover art might indicate, there’s more at work here, and much of Death Peak isn’t so much stark as it is the sound of the world’s most upbeat industrial equipment (“Slap Drones”) or a song based around just about the most cheerfully wibbling sound you can imagine (“Butterfly Prowler”). Such is Clark’s steady hand and keen, err, ear that none of this feels out of place, and by the time the length, steadily morphing “Un U.K.” closes things out it actually feels like a coherent statement. Clark has frequently been this interesting and occasionally hard to parse, but the advance here is that he’s rarely been as immediately ingratiating will doing so.  

Ian Mathers

Dominique Eade & Ran Blake — Town and Country (Sunnyside) 

Ran Blake remains a singular romantic, although the majority of his musical encounters over the past 50-plus years have been of the staunchly agape sort. A sizeable side of the pianist’s catalog involves intimate pairings with disparate vocalists dating back to an early and fiercely iconoclastic tandem with the late Jeanne Lee. Fifty-something chanteuse Dominique Eade fits right into that august lineage and with a robust rapport evident throughout Town and Country. The duo’s song net casts wide, pulling in a passel of tunes that range from an acrobatic wordless improvisation on a tone row devised by Gunther Schuller to the hoary torch song staple “Moon River” corralling cuts by Cash and Ives along the way. On Dylan’s “It’s Alright, Ma” Eade matches the rhythmic rapidity of the songwriter in her stylized oration of the tongue-twisting lyrics. Two tracks receive double renderings, the subtle differences divergent enough to invite close scrutiny in comparison. The decision to end with Leadbelly’s “Goodnight, Irene” proves a pitch perfect one with Blake bringing a disorienting whiff of destabilizing dissonance as Eade intones a soulful entreaty to the lullaby’s subject.

Derek Taylor

Les Frères Mégri — Les Frères Mégri (Sudiphone) 

You could say many things about the Sun City Girls, but one thing you can’t dispute is that they had great taste in covers. One of them originates on this LP, which was originally released by Phillips in 1974. The Mégri family included three brothers, all veteran session men in their native Morocco; their sister contributes some backing vocals and doesn’t get her photo on the cover with the boys. “Leili Twil,” which the Sun City Girls renamed “Cruel And Thin,” is even more stirring in this incarnation than it is on 300,003 Crossdressers From Beyond The Rig Veda, but it’s not the only thing on this record that’ll take you somewhere else. Jalila’s ethereal voice and electric sitar accents make “Galouli Ensaha” an apt tune to soundtrack some desert road movie; wah-wah guitar and impetuous bass make “Sebar” the song you’d deploy for the car chase ‘round the cliff sequence. Lightly applied psychedelic production and insistent hooks make this one lost psych classic that you’ll want to play, not flip.

Bill Meyer 

King James & the Special Men — Act Like You Know (Special Man Industries) 

Act Like You Know by King James & the Special Men

Skip to the end on this one, not because the beginning is bad, but because once you’ve heard “9th Ward Blues,” you’re going to want to hear it again…and again…and maybe all night long. It’s the longest cut on the disc and it’s got the crazed shuffle of the Stooges “1969” crossed with Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?” spliced with a New Orleans-style second line. A mid-cut brass fracas with dueling trumpets, trombone and tuba, grounds this cut in Dixieland, but elsewhere it has the hazy forever horizon of psychedelic punk. Now back to the beginning before we wear out the repeat button. “Special Man Boogie” is trance-y R&B with a Caribbean lilt, “Baby Girl” a serrated soul-ful slow dance that would make Charles Bradley proud. “Eat Chicken” is silly and slight, saved with filthy guitar blues and blowsy sax, and “The End Is Near” sways like a roadhouse drunk, bleary blasts of saxophone pushing it forward. And then, like magic, you’re back at “9th Ward Blues,” which is where you wanted to be the whole time.  

Jennifer Kelly 

Mike Majkowski—Days and Other Days (Astral Spirits) 

Days and Other Days by Mike Majkowski

p>“Touch wood.” You might say it when you’re invoking protection from misfortune, but double bassist Mike Majkowski does it in ways that make you aware of his main instrument’s physical dimensions. Raised in Australia and based in Berlin, Majkowski is the sort of working musician who declines to be pinned down. He can lay down grooves with Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia, or enact a close dance of shadows with violinist Johnny Chang in the duo Illogical Harmonies. When bow meets strings on latest solo effort Days and Other Days, you know that a big box is being touched vigorously enough for plenty of air to move. Since Majkowski is free to make spontaneous music elsewhere, his solo work is more worked over. He layers percussion, siren-like samples and slow-bubbling synths over and around the big woody thump of his bass, and the result is music big enough to live in. We’re all a bit lucky to live in a time when we can hear such great stuff.

Bill Meyer 

Rob Mazurek—Chants and Corners (Clean Feed) 

When it comes to the creative peregrinations of Rob Mazurek, company does not necessarily dictate content. Bar the addition of pianist Philip Somervell, Chants And Corners was recorded with the same musicians that made Return The Tides , an ultra-emotional and deeply psychedelic sonic wake for Mazurek’s mother. But the territory mapped out here is more like an electro-acoustic take on free improvisation. Out go the overt grooves and commanding solos, replaced by huge flashing masses of hard-to-source sound punctuated by Somervell’s halting by heavy punctuations. Mazurek spends at least as much time tickling synth keys as blowing horn, but it’s often the acoustic input — a whistle, a horn, a creeping bass line — that makes this music cohere. This album was recorded, as was Return the Tides, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but that only serves to underline the fact that wherever Mazurek is, he’s somewhere else.

Bill Meyer 

Red River Dialect — Bowing for the Rook (Lono) 

Bowing for the Rook by Red River Dialect

These four songs were written in the gap between awellupontheway and Tender Gold and Gentle Blue (both entirely worth checking out), after Red River Dialect’s David Morris had moved from Cornwall to Hackney and the future of the band was somewhat in doubt. Morris’ main collaborator here is Coral Rose, who plays the cello, looping velvet swathes of string sounds around the spare contours of “Bowing (For Mark)” and slipping a wild alto drone into moody “St. Buryan to Sennen.”  The songs dip and sway with gentle melancholy, shading from straight folk into blues and, occasionally, jazz, like Pentangle did and like Starless and Bible Black still occasionally manage. The best cut here is “The Rook” a reeling, string-swelling sea song that is full to the brim without sounding at all forced. Morris is in fine, restrained vocal shape on this one, barely breathing the lyrics yet infusing them with vibrating, pulsing life. If you’re just getting to know Red River Dialect, this way station recording is probably not the place to start, but it’s a lovely place to rest in between. I’ll be looking for the full-length later this year.

Jennifer Kelly 

Various Artists — Matinée Idols (Matinée) 

As it hits its 20th anniversary, Matinée Recordings has pulled together 14 tracks from some of its key artists (and, yes, they should have gone for 20). The tracks should please long-time fans. While there's nothing too shocking in the indie-pop presented here, the songs are rare or previously unreleased music rather than a series of the label's greatest hits, without including throwaway material. While the Lucksmiths aren't present, their jangly sound survives in Last Leaves, (who including former Lucksmiths). They provide the disc's best track with “Something Falls,” mixing a happy Australian sound with a thoughtful singer. Another new band, Royal Landscaping Society shows a more patient, atmospheric approach that isn't necessarily associated with the label, and may be suggestive of what's to come.

Of course, the anniversary disc isn't about promoting the new acts. The labels staples do what they do. Bubblegum Lemonade, besides having a name that epitomizes the label, provides “Set the Boy Free,” which epitomizes what they do. Likewise the Math and Physics Club, the Hermit Crabs, and the Catenary Wires put in an appearance, but, more notably, Azure Blue close the disc with their electro-pop. The mix shows the breadth of Matinée's sound; its roots may be in a Go-Betweens approach, but its artists haven't stuck to the strictures of the down under sound (or Glaswegian influences). Lining everyone up together makes for a fun little and a nice reminder of the term indie-pop can be simultaneously right on the money and remarkably vague.

Justin Cober-Lake

Andrew St. James — The “Big Ole Veronica Apology Record” (Island Jar)

Andrew St. James had a couple Veronicas that he needed to tell he was sorry. Instead of doing that, he made a record. And named a song for Laura. The album isn't noticeably an autobiographical confession. He does capture the feeling of regret at moments; the calmer his folk-rock, the more down he feels. St. James resists that mood with his pop leanings. For every talkin' Bob Dylan feeling lost numbers, there's an indie-rock track aided by unobtrustive electronic drums. St. James might feel at home in the Village, but his closest contemporary colleague might be Kurt Vile. While St. James isn't as precise or expansive, he shows a good knack for capturing his atmosphere, sometimes a gauzy update on his indie-folk predecessors. He's a storyteller, and this album sounds like he's starting to come into his own. At twenty-one, he might be hitting his stride. He still needs to say he's sorry.

Justin Cober-Lake

Raoul Vignal — The Silver Veil (Talitres) 

The Silver Veil by Raoul Vignal

The Silver Veil opens with a bold guitar harmonic and several figures that hang in the air. Then Raoul Vignal’s fingers set up a flowing pattern and his voice comes in, moving smoothly from the back of his throat to the front of the mix. That combination sounds sets up an instant association with Nick Drake, and nothing over the course of Vignal’s debut LP dispels it. Since Drake’s soul is busy doing whatever ghosts due with Volkswagen royalties, and Vignal is alive and making a record 40 years after Drake’s passing. Let’s concede him the right to make a record that sounds the way he wants it to sound and say that he got it right. Working mostly alone, he’s crafted a sequence of songs that fold shy singing into fleet picking so closely, you could wrap them around you like a double-layered blanket with soft fleece on the inside and warm but prickly wool on the outside.  

Bill Meyer 

[det-vackraste]

Okey, so you're really supposed to be tagged by someone to do this, but since I don't have time to wait for that, imma go ahead and tag myself

1. selfie I’m on mobile, so… sorry, but check my “me” tag 2. what would you name your future kids? jeez, I don’t know.. If I have a boy I think I want one of his names to be Finn, cause that was my grandpa’s name plus it’s a cute name. If a girl, maybe give her my middle name Märta, just to pass that on down, but other than that I don’t know.. 3. do you miss anyone? Hmm.. maybe one of my friends who’s been away backpacking since January, and isn’t getting back home until June 4. what are you looking forward to? My mum, sister and I are planning a spa trip, so I’m looking forward to that 5. is there anyone who can always make you smile? My boyfriend, my dog or my best friend since 11 years 6. is it hard for you to get over someone? I haven’t really had to get over someone before, so I don’t know, but I can imagine I either don’t give a fuck or have a really hard time, no in between. 7. what was your life like last year? Real good. Last semester of school, so everything was chill, fun and exciting 8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed? Well, I’m a crier when I’m angry or frustrated enough, so yeah probably 9. who did you last see in person? My boyfriend, who’s sleeping next to me 10. are you good at hiding your feelings? I can be if I want to 11. are you listening to music right now? Nope 12. what is something you want right now? grapes and cash 13. how do you feel right now? Pretty good. Chilling in bed, a little sleepy. A tad bit too warm, cause Sebastian is clinging to every inch of me in his sleep, but I really don’t mind 14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you? If his current clinging counts as a hug; my boyfriend 15. personality description I can come off as a bit bitchy/boring/shy, but if I find you funny I’ll open up and be more fun and crazy. If I like you enough I’m also probably the most loyal bitch on this planet. 16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t? Yeah I have. Two of my friends who dated for a year had a nasty breakup, and quite soon after that the guy had sex with someone else. I promised him that I wouldn’t tell his ex. That was hard. But I didn’t… 17. opinion on insecurities. Not sure what this question wants, but… Insecurities are shit, and I’m doing pretty good with ignoring mine 18. do you miss how things were a year ago? On one hand yes, cause I had a clear routine and somewhere to be everyday, and everything was so chill and exciting since it was a few months before graduation. But on the other hand I’m okey with moving on with my life. I still have the people from a year ago that I care about, and I’m starting to get a clearer view of my future life choices so it almost excites me 19. have you ever been to New York? No I haven’t, would like to go though 20. what is your favourite song at the moment? Man, I don’t know… I’m a junkie for “Balladen om herr Fredrik Åkare och den söta fröken Cecilia Lind” by Cornelis Vreeswijk 21. age and birthday? 20 years old, January 7th 22. description of crush. Except for my boyfriend I don’t have a crush atm. But when I do, they’re pretty much always the same type of guy(my boyfriend included.. I have a very specific type, okey?); * Dark, a lil longer, curly-curlyish hair * Tall, lanky * (Harry Styles, Kit Harington, Robert Sheehan, Sirius Black) *Skinny jeans in legs for days *Big hands *Tall 23. fear(s) 
I’m scared to death of spiders, no joke. Also scared of darker things, like the future, being lonely and such 24. height 167cm, whatever that is in feet 25. role model Uhh… don’t know really..? 26. idol(s) Harry Styles is a really good human being tbh 27. things i hate Cold places, brushing my teeth (it’s the most boring fucking thing I know) 28. i’ll love you if… You love me, probably. I’m trash for affection 29. favourite film(s) Man I don’t know… I’m not at all picky with movies, and usually like every movie I see, so….? 30. favourite tv show(s) Game of thrones & friends 31. 3 random facts * I’ve seen every season of “RuPaul’s drag race”. Pearl is my babe. * I’m basically CONSTANTLY moving/jerking/twitching at least one of my feet or toes in some kind of way. Don’t know why, but I’ve done it for like 8 years now, feels weird when I don’t * I don’t eat sauce. Not on burgers, or pizza, or Kebab or anything. Basically only eat ketchup. 32. are your friends mainly girls or guys? My closest, closest friends are mainly girls, but among all (lol, makes it sound like a lot) of my friends, it’s quite evenly divided 33. something you want to learn More languages, although I hate actually learning it, so I doubt it’s gonna happen.. I would also like to be better than I am at piano 34. most embarrassing moment ?? I’m an embarrassing person so… don’t know 35. favourite subject I like English and Swedish (my 1st language) cause I enjoy writing. Other than that, biology 36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill? * Want to find my dream occupation * Want to go to Australia * Want to share an apartment with either bestie or boyfriend 37. favourite actor/actress Leonardo DiCaprio is nice, I don’t know 38. favourite comedian(s) Asså mannen, Johan Glans 39. favourite sport(s) I don’t really do sports… but like… figure skating? (Eller gång, det är nog min favvo) 40. favourite memory I have a few: * Front row on One Direction’s where we are tour concert at Wembley. The whole 24 hours prior to the concert itself was amazing, and then being in the front row was just unreal. And then Harry screaming “köttbullar” (=meatballs, cause we had a Swedish flag) at us. Best day. * Like the entire week before graduation was great. Prom, chilling in the sun, graduating. It was all really nice. We bought a big, inflatable pool, so when the rest of the students were still in school, all of the graduates had pool parties in the school yard * One time when my boyfriend was playing some game on his computer, to gain his attention, I climbed up into his lap and latched myself around him like a backwards backpack, and then I accidentally fell asleep there. Slept for about an hour. Best nap of my life. 41. relationship status In a relationship since three years 42. favourite book(s) I’m such an embarrassing sucker for the entire Harry Potter series and that entire universe. Other than that I loved “the Book thief” by Marcus Zusak 43. favourite song ever God…….. I don’t know 44. age you get mistaken for I don’t think I’ve been mistaken ever… But quite often my friends have to show ID at bars, but I don’t? 45. how you found out about your idol My best friend showed me this boy band she had discovered, and well there he was 46. what my last text message says “Where’s the lie tho” in response to a screenshot of a funny text post I was sent 47. turn ons Oh god, where do i start.. * cockiness, but not in a gross way, but just a smug, confident way..? Making sense? * Hands. Long, slim fingers; hands of a pianist * Long, slim legs in skinny jeans * Jaw lines * Tiny man butts * Veiny forearms * Tall people * Smoking..? I don’t know why? I don’t even like smoking? It’s just something aesthetically pleasing with long, slender fingers holding a cigarette * HAIR, dark, long luscious locks * Kissing. Anywhere but the lips (lips too tho) * Biting * Teasing * Hands, grabbing, groping, gentle slapping. You name it, it probably turns me on 48. turn offs Like…. pissing? And snus (snuff). So fucking gross 49. where i want to be right now Somewhere with a lowest temperature of 25 degrees Celsius 50. favourite picture of your idol I’m on mobile, man, but probably like… messy bun, a flimsy shirt that’s really out there, and some sparkly boots 51. starsign I’m your typical Capricorn 52. something i’m talented at Like… music stuff.. I have a really good ear for keys and such in music..? 53. 5 things that make me happy * Sunshine * Dogs * Travelling * My boyfriend and best friend * Reading/drawing 54. Name something you’re currently worried about The future; what do I want to do for a living, and hence; what do I want to study at uni? 55. tumblr friends I’m not really tumblr active in that way.. I just reblog nice pictures of nice things and that’s that. One time TT answered one of my asks 56. favourite food(s) Tacos. 57. favourite animal(s) Dogs Foxes, because they’re extra pretty dogs 58. description of my best friend Real smol. 59. why i joined tumblr Facebook was so 2010

[queerloquial]

tl;dr- saints row hawke family au. bethany amell sends fanmail to a rising gang warlord to cope with a shitty personal life, jasper hawke continues searching for a connection to his estranged baby sister

the first postcard arrives shortly after he takes stilwater for the second time, penned in an unsteady cursive slope: “dear mister jasper hawke,” the blue loops eventually align themselves to read, “i have a homework assignment today to write a letter to my hero. i think i am supposed to pick gandhi or my mother, but i picked you instead because it would make both of them mad. how are you? i am annoyed and twelve and will get a c on this because you are a bad influence. don't tell my mom.”

he gives a soft huff of a laugh and sets the card on his desk, on top of a stack of takeout menus, movie ticket stubs, and old post-it reminders. after a couple weeks it’s joined by another card in the same wandering handwriting, “dear mister jasper, are you really as tall as you look on tv? have you always been that tall? i’m almost thirteen and i can still fit my fourth grade clothes. i think if i stood next to you i would only be as tall as your elbow maybe”

on the same schedule, a third. “dear mister jasper, we did family trees today in history. it took the teacher almost the entire class time to figure out i was making everything up. i probably shouldn’t have said that my dad is in witness protection because he witnessed a brutal murder. i got a b though”

“dear mister jasper, i hope you had a nice day today. i wonder if that would involve more explosions than normal for you or less?”

“dear mister jasper, the girl beside me in language arts copied off my test and told the teacher i cheated off of her. i got a 0, so i punched her in the nose the way i saw you do to a reporter in an interview last week. i think you would be proud of me. mom wasn’t” he does, in fact, feel a small swell of pride at this nameless kid standing up for themselves, as he shelves this card with the rest, under a tabloid clipping proclaiming ‘leandra amell’s out-of-control daughter suspended- again! jazz icon refuses to comment on preteen’s violent rampage’

“dear mister jasper, i heard my favorite song on the radio and wondered if my dad was listening to it too”

“dear mister jasper, mom visited the school today and gave a speech about following your dreams, and made me stand up and sing to demonstrate a point. i didn't get swallowed up by the earth, so i can't say i'm following my dreams”

“dear mister jasper, do you ever get scared of things? i have a math test tomorrow and if i get three wrong then my gpa will drop and i won’t get into the college mom wants. i’m also scared of eels. they’re creepy”

only a few days later comes the apparent follow-up, “dear mister jasper, do gangsters accept apprentices like in hogwarts? or maybe interns? i think i could be a good intern even though i don’t know what interns do. my report cards say i’m a fast learner”

“dear mister jasper, it was my birthday today. my roommate gave me fuzzy socks that her cousin sent her for her birthday last month and a card made from notebook paper. mom sent her love. at least i think she did. she didn’t say anything to me”

“dear mister jasper, today i saw a young mom with a baby and i wanted to ask her when she would get bored of it and put it in a boarding school. i couldn’t leave my field trip group though. we were at the art museum. it was nice”

“dear mister jasper, i tried to draw the saints logo. i think i did a good job on the shading. i want you to have it, and only a little bit because i already got in trouble for having a saints t-shirt” he pins the lopsided fleur-de-lis, carefully lined in glittery purple gel pen, to the wall above the desk

“dear mister jasper, my teacher wants us to write a letter to our dads for fathers day. i think you are more fun and would probably be a better dad than whoever my dad is. mom never tells me when i ask”

“dear mister jasper, mom had a party today and made me play a song for everyone. i wrote it myself and they all said it sounded nice. i will tell you a secret though: the lyrics are in italian i learned from the exchange student across the hall and they’re about telling my mom to sit on a cactus. among other things. it makes it easier to smile in front of everyone”

“dear mister jasper, you ran away from your home when you became a saint, right? how did you know where to go? or when to leave? were you afraid? did you pack a lot? the documentary i watched said you only had a dog, a gun and a hundred dollars. i don’t know if i think that is true but i have a stuffed cow, a pair of scissors, and fourteen dollars and seventy-three cents”

“i think i know where this is going and i don’t like it one bit, kid. wish you would put a return address that didn’t come out to some random fast food joint for once...” he mutters into his drink

sure enough, the next postcard comes, “dear mister jasper, i am leaving today to find a new family. i hope yours makes you happy”

he gives a grim sigh and sets it with the others. the next day the gas station newspaper stand shouts to anyone who will look down that bethany amell has been reported missing. ice crystals grow along his ribs and the small part of him that still believes in higher powers prays for more cards to come. it’s a full three weeks before he shuffles through his daily mail to find a familiar looping scrawl,

"dear mister jasper, i wonder if you got scared when new strangers cared more than old family. did you feel guilty, too?"

another several cards come through over time, narrating in brief a journey across half the country that- to his dismay- mirror the one he’d taken himself almost five years earlier. the kid moves in a wide arc around stilwater, though, wandering aimlessly and getting wrapped up in more obscure gangs

at length, ‘the kid’ starts to confirm their identity

"dear mister jasper hawke, she said i abandoned her on tv today. didn't expect that to feel like i got shot again"

he vaguely remembers hearing something like that, possibly from leandra- one of the other saints had an interview on the tv in the other room while he was trying and failing to take a nap. maybe it was her, maybe it was some other woman. either way, he thinks, if he ever meets this kid in person he’s taking custody on the spot

"dear mister jasper hawke, she always told me not to cry about my problems if it doesn't change anything. is it dumb that i keep writing these? i know she's right, but there's no one else to tell"

"dear mister jasper hawke, it's my birthday today. saw on the tv that she has a dog now. she takes it everywhere. i hope it gets taken away"

he distinctly remembers flipping through a checkout-line magazine and passing over a picture of leandra with a purse dog. one of the hairless glorified rats with a toupee of wispy white fur, sticking its head out from under her arm and staring directly into the camera with soulless beady eyes

with every new hint that drops, he doubles down on efforts to pinning down just where bethany is and who she’s running with. it takes months- she’s clever enough to stay out of the spotlight, smarter than he’d been. she wouldn’t be going and getting herself put on a bomb-rigged yacht anytime soon. eventually, though, a heist goes sour, her so-called new family leaves her to take the fall, and she lands herself squarely in the county jail

never one to pass up an opportunity, he pens a letter of his own, one that’s been building up in the back of his mind for almost three years

nothing fancy, there’s no earth-shattering revelations like ‘hey i think you’re my long-lost baby sister’ or ‘you had two dads and two older siblings and a twin and your asshole mother took you away from all of them because she was a selfish bitch’ or ‘if you’ve ever had an inexplicable craving for apple pie on your birthday it’s because our family has always celebrated with pie instead of cake’. just a constructed persona letting her know that she has someone watching out for her. that she’s not nearly as alone as she feels.

it’s a good month before the next postcard arrives. “dear mister jasper, i think i got punk’d by jehova’s witnesses. also state-funded cafeterias are terrible. i’m pretty sure you already knew that though”

he pins that one to the wall after a good laugh and immediately sits down to fire back, “dear miss bethany, i’m not religious. try again”

"dear mister jasper, i am impressed and mildly concerned. did stilwater have a slow week, or did you hire a private detective to read your fan mail"

"dear miss bethany, you’d be surprised how much free time there is at my job. got a lot of underlings, now, who i can just delegate to. besides, detectives charge too much and take too long to do their work"

they trade postcards back and forth for a short bit before a lengthy silence follows his last response. eventually she turns up again, in a new city, flying new colors.

"dear mister jasper, a girl kissed me today. when she asked me if it was okay, i panicked and left without a word"

"dear miss bethany, it happens. i did the same thing. she'll probably be okay with if it you explain to her, or you can leave it and move on. both work" this one he sends in an envelope, with $50 and an extra note- "i know staying on your feet on your own is hard. if you feel like it, come find me someday"

she doesn’t, although they keep talking anyways. it’s another two years before the subject comes up again, this time from bethany, in a scrawled card that reads only,

“think i’ll take you up on that offer soon”

[slickpic-com]

Perspective

New Post has been published on https://www.slickpic.com/blog/perspective/

Perspective

Has Instagram ruined or helped photography? Like anything, it depends on who you ask. In my case, the question speaks to high quality photography – not the everyday snapshots which abound ad nauseam. 

It used to be that I could pack up my camera and travel near or far and take original photographs. Even if I was shooting iconic scenes or structures, I could do it in a way that made the image mine. 

Now things have changed. Everywhere I go there are people taking pictures with cameras or phones. If I go to a well-known site, there will be 50 or 100 tripods set up in a row. Some of the results will make their way on to Instagram and some of the results will be very good. The one thing I can count on is that if I line up with them, I won’t get anything original anymore. 

I found myself getting a bit depressed over this. I wanted the shots I took to be unmistakably mine. I wanted them to convey what I saw and felt at the moment I clicked the shutter. It occurred to me that if that was my intent that first, I needed to identify what I was seeing – how I was seeing it – what I was feeling – and how could I convey that? 

Tall order. But it has led me down new paths of photography and has resulted in unique photographs – in fact, the most exciting photographs I have ever taken. 

It became all about perspective. Not in the usual terms of perspective – but in new terms which gave different results. Traditionally, perspective in photography is about camera level – is it eye level – ground level – up on a ladder – or? 

This perspective was more total in its content. It was about what was happening. What was the atmosphere – motion or still – my intent? Everything around my subject came into play. I found if I introduced camera motion with a long exposure, I would get interesting/exciting results. 

    Another way to photograph in an urban area was to look at my subject from a reflection. That way I could add altered reality to what I was going to shoot. Framing my subject in a different context allowed me to see it in a whole new way. 

A simple street photo became very untraditional. 

    Plain windows sharing advertising on a reflecting window across the street take on more interest. 

    And sometimes, just the reflection itself becomes the subject on its own. 

    Another interesting perspective is multiple exposure. Taking a good look at a single subject from a few different angles is one way to accomplish it. 

    It’s also interesting to add camera motion to multiple exposures. An entirely different look and feel shows itself. It’s especially fun and challenging to build these kinds of shots in-camera and not rely on software. 

    Unexpected results occur when you take some random photographs of a specific area and merge them into a single composite. Everything is related but in a unique way. 

    An unexpected bonus came from this path. I found all kinds of interesting subjects that I had totally ignored in the past. I was busy looking for that perfect shot – you know – the beautiful, breathtaking image. Now I find breathtaking images all over the place. Common sights seen in unexpected ways net fascinating photography. 

Here I worked on capturing the Empire State Building into a meaningful image that differs from what I usually see. 

    When I get one of those shots, it sends me out looking for more – and they are everywhere! 

    Experimentation has given me new insights in how I might want to capture subjects. It has given me new paths to explore. In the exploration, I have discovered new ways to see things and my own personal horizons have expanded beyond what had become a bit too ordinary for me. 

The New York City skyline has been shot and shot and shot. I wanted to shoot it too. 

    These new horizons have been exhilarating. Every time I think I can’t possibly come up with a new approach, I find myself seeing some of the same old things in unexpectedly new ways and I figure out how to capture them. 

What I have outlined above has been part of the journey I have been on with my photography in more recent years. For awhile I felt guilty when I went places and only took these non traditional photographs. But not anymore. I let all those people on Instagram do that. 

PS – you’ll find me and my posts on Instagram too. Please stop by for a visit. 

    Please visit www.roxanneoverton.com — where you will find more photography and information on my instructional and travel series photography books. 

[chelseyroseblog]

22 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR N.E.A.T. (HOW TO BURN CALORIES SERIES # 1 OF 4).

Hi mama!

After I did my most recent poll on Instagram, I learned that you guys are actually really interested in learning more about health and fitness beyond what to eat and simple workouts. I feel like I’m learning about this stuff on a daily basis but I wasn’t sure how much ya’ll wanted to know so I kept things really simple BUT now that I know, I’m super stoked to take you guys through as much as I can :)

I just got home from SD which was super fun but it was also a lot of sitting, eating and drinking, AKA GAINING WEIGHT lol.

I just got back this afternoon and literally went for a 90 minute walk 5 minutes after I got home then went to Costco and walked around there then cleaned my house and now we’re here!

You might feel like that’s useless information for you right now but it actually is why I thought to do this post!

So let’s rewind a little and talk about the subject of today’s blog…N.E.A.T.

As I was explaining in this post - NEAT is one of the top 4 ways that we burn calories and I feel like it is HIGHLY underutilized.

The other three ways are, BMI (BODY MASS INDEX), AF (ACTIVITY FACTOR), AND TEF (THERMOGENIC EFFECT OF FOOD), which I will talk more about over the next few weeks for this “How To Burn Calories Series”.

NEAT stands for, NON EXERCISE ACTIVITY THERMOGENESIS.

Say wha…?

Basically it’s the calories that you burn through movement that’s not considered your actual workout. In my opinion, a LOT of people could start dropping weight if they would increase their non exercise activity factor So I wanted to give you guys some examples today of how I do it on the daily, and other examples that you could potentially incorporate.

STOP LOOKING FOR THE CLOSEST PARKING SPOT.

Yoooo I used to be the BIGGEST front row parking snob. I would drive and drive and drive and wait around until the closest spot to where I was going would open up. Then I started occupying my boyfriends passenger seat and went through a phase where I wanted to murder him because he would park in the back of every parking lot without even CHECKING the front. (I legit would offer to drive so that I could park). Now I do the same thing because it’s an AMAZING way to get in so many more extra steps. TRUST ME.

2. DO EMAILS/TEXTS/POST WHILE WALKING.

If you’re not cautious of this, it’s super easy to sit in front of your phone or computer while you’re on the couch . It took me some time to be more aware of it but now I time batch my texts, emails, and posting into one 60-90 minute time slot during the day and regardless of where I am, I just put in my headphones and walk outside while I go through everything. It’s also WAY more relaxing, it' doesn’t feel like work it just feels more like a stress reliever.

3. WALK TO THE STORE INSTEAD OF DRIVE

Uhh yeah I also used to be pathetic at this. I would literally go to the bank and then instead of walking across the crosswalk and down the street a little to run my next errand, I would get back in my car and drive there. Seriously. TERRIBLE. Now one of my favorite things to do is bring a bag with me that can help me carry groceries or dry cleaning or whatever and just walk from place to place to knock out my errands. Remember if you’re thinking your too busy for this, that you’re knocking out exercise while you’re running errands! It’s a win.

4. SIT UP STRAIGHT > SLOUCHING

Sounds minimal but our bodies are wired to like minimal. Our bodies are always wanting to conserve energy so they will always want to take the path of least resistance but YOU have the power to tell you body who is boss and tell it that WE’RE MOVIN. Sitting up straight engages our core where as slouching most certainly does not, so sit up straight, work on that core and burn more calories.

5. FIDGET > SITTING STILL

This article is a really interesting read about how fidgeting burns more calories so check it out when you can. Sometimes I will be writing a blog and I’ll snap back to reality and realize that my leg is bouncing around and I have no idea how long it’s been doing it for haha and stopping just feels unnatural. This is why I can’t sit criss cross while working because then I can’t move anything and it’s almost more distracting than moving around. if you’re not a fidgeter, see if you can pick up a little pep in your step while you’re at your desk.

OTHER WAYS TO DEVELOP YOUR N.E.A.T. THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

6. Clean your house for 20 minutes a day.

7. Walk while you chat on the phone, even if it’s just in circles around your apartment.

8. Stand > sit whenever possible.

9. ALWAYS take the stairs over the elevator. I’m always SO surprised when I see people skipping the stairs and taking the escalators and the airport. MOVE. Or when I go to the mall, my doctors office, parking garages, etc. I always take the stairs.

10. Squeeze your glutes at least 200 times while driving. Sounds weird, I know, but your glutes are totally turned off whenever you’re sitting so take a few minutes to wake them up and give your hip flexors a break.

11. Do planks, glute bridges and crunches during commercials. I did this during the last award show and seriously got in a full workout haha.

12. Do calf raises while you’re waiting in line. I do this OFTEN lol, at the grocery store or the bank and I always did it when i was waiting around as a cocktail server.

13. Tighten your core at stop lights until it turns green.

14. Read > scroll through insta. Using our brain burns more calories. According to this article, a person uses about 320 calories a day just to THINK. Just like with a lot of these tips, the calories burned won’t be a HUGE amount if you change your habits but say you burn 50 more calories a day just from reading instead of watching tv and you do that everyday, you could burn an extra 1,400 calories a month which is almost half a pound. Just something to think about ;)

15. Rent a bike for the day instead of driving.

16. If you sit a lot, set a timer for 1 hour and get up to walk for 5 minutes every time it goes off.

17. Make a simple workout challenge for yourself to complete by the end of the day like 50 push ups or 10K steps or 80 squats. Having little goals at least keeps movement on our minds and allows us to push ourselves a little bit further. Imagine doing 10 push ups 5 different times throughout the day. That’s 350 push ups a week! It would feel like nothing and your arms would LOOOOVE you!

I think that’s a good start haha. Pick 5 of these and comment below to let me know which ones you’re going to try to do starting this week! Also let me know if you liked this blog and if you have any other ideas I would love to read them!

X

[digitalmark18-blog]

Google Correlate: The Best SEO Research Tool You Aren’t Using by @MyNameIsTylor

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/google-correlate-the-best-seo-research-tool-you-arent-using-by-mynameistylor/

Google Correlate: The Best SEO Research Tool You Aren’t Using by @MyNameIsTylor

I get it. We say we like learning about tools, but very few of us mean it.

Either you’re just getting started in SEO and overwhelmed by the tsunami of web-based programs, Chrome extensions and local apps flooding your brain, or you’re a seasoned vet comfortably content with the tools that have earned their place in your routine.

But…

It’s free. And it may not be here forever. And your competitors probably aren’t using it. And you’ve already read this much. And FOMO.

Still with me? Let’s dive in. Here’s a comprehensive guide to Google Correlate.

What is Google Correlate?

How to Use Google Correlate

Google Correlate Use Cases

Why Don’t We Use Google Correlate More Often?

So Now What? Further Reading

What Is Google Correlate?

Google Correlate uncovers keywords with similar time-based or regional search patterns to the data series or search query you provide.

It’s been described as the Google Trends antonym, where instead of keywords producing patterns, patterns point to keywords.

Marketers, anthropologists, economists, and many others leverage Google Correlate to study and predict human behavior.

The History of Google Correlate

Knowing when and where influenza is spreading is critical. It helps us identify virus subtypes, learn when vaccines aren’t working, and when we ought to be more risk-averse to go out in public.

However, the CDC’s reporting was on a two-week delay, which can seem like an eternity when it comes to viruses.

Then came Google Flu Trends in 2008.

Researchers at Google hypothesized that using real-time, flu-related Google search activity would allow them to nowcast flu prevalence.

At first, it was incredibly accurate and received a lot of acclaim as a result.

It didn’t take long for folks at Google to realize this concept – correlating search trends with real-world data to build predictive models – could have unlimited uses beyond just the flu.

In 2011, Google Correlate was born.

How Google Correlate Works

I’ll keep this section brief because it’s admittedly over my head.

Google Correlate has trending data for all phrase-match search terms that exceed a certain threshold of search volume and endurance, and aren’t pornographic or misspelled.

It uses an Asymmetric Hashing algorithm and Approximate Nearest Neighbor (ANN) retrieval to strike a balance between speed and accuracy, because no one wants to wait 10 minutes for their results.

Finally, Google Correlate uses the Pearson correlation to compare normalized query data to surface the highest correlative terms.

If you’re more like Will from “Good Will Hunting”, you can read more about the retrieval and calculative methods here.

If you’re more like Charlie from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (and me), read this instead.

How to Use Google Correlate

On the Google Correlate homepage, you’re faced with a few decisions.

Do you want a time-based or U.S. state-based correlation?

Are you typing in a query, uploading your own data or drawing a trend line freehand?

Let’s explore each of these routes.

Inputs

Keywords

Using Google Correlate via a keyword search is incredibly easy.

Type in a keyword, press “Search correlations” and you’ll immediately get a list of highly correlative terms according to these default settings: including your terms, weekly time series with no series shift, and United States (this may vary by IP).

The list includes 10 words sorted by correlation with 1.0 representing a perfect correlation and -1.0 a true negative correlation.

However, Google Correlate won’t show anything below a 0.6.

Select “Show more” at the bottom of the keyword list to see the next 10 most correlative terms.

You may continue doing this until 100 words are displayed, all of which can be exported into a CSV.

You can also choose to “Exclude terms containing [your phrase]” to get less redundant (but usually less correlative) results.

Spreadsheet

While using Google Correlate through keyword entries is simple, the spreadsheet method can be a little frustrating.

However, I’ve worked out the kinks to make it as painless as possible.

When setting up your spreadsheet, make sure it only has two columns and no header row. Any more than exactly what is required will trigger an error.

Next, save it in one of these formats: CSV (MS-DOS) or CSV UTF-8.

Each time you re-open those files, instead of just saving them, select Save-As and choose one of those CSV formats again.

When uploading a spreadsheet, select “Enter your own data” next to the search button. The window defaults to the Weekly Time Series tab, but you can switch to Monthly or U.S. States.

State-based

Finding correlations by states can be a great way to identify regional search patterns.

In the first column, list out the states with their full spelling. Not all states must be listed for this to work.

In the second column, list the values. The values can be anything you can imagine: sales, customers, leads, returns, tweets, etc.

You can also use 1’s and 0’s for absolute characteristics.

For instance, here are the highest correlative keywords with all coastal states assigned a value of one and the rest with zero.

Time-series

The time-series has two frequency options: weekly or monthly.

The first column is for the dates and the second column is for the values.

The date column must be in yyyy-mm-dd format, which requires you to format those cells as text since Excel will otherwise change it to mm/dd/yyyy.

Each time you re-open the spreadsheet, that column will automatically switch to the mm/dd/yyyy format.

I’m sure there’s a more permanent fix in the settings, but here is the best workaround I could find.

Add a column between columns A and B, where column A has the dates, B is blank and C has the values.

In cell B1, insert this formula =TEXT(A1, “yyyy-mm-dd”) and copy it down until it matches every populated row in column A. (Thanks for the tip, deadcode!)

Copy column B, then Paste Special-Values back into B.

Delete column A.

Save-As CSV (MS-DOS) or CSV UTF-8

After selecting “Enter your own data” and the frequency you want, upload your file, choose the country in which the search data will originate, and name your time series.

While your searches by keyword are not saved, all uploaded files and drawings are, so give it a name that will make sense to you later.

For the monthly time series, the day of the month does not matter, and it doesn’t need to be consistent.

For instance, you could put these varying end-of-the-month values and it will work just fine:

The weekly time-series is a bit pickier. Each week must be represented by a Sunday.

Drawings

Using Google Correlate by drawing may be the least useful input, but it’s arguably the most fun.

Search by Drawing can be selected on the left side of the page. It uses the weekly time-series dataset with the y-axis measuring search activity, the x-axis representing 2004 to the most recent day, and the graph as your blank canvas.

Here I tried to draw the outline of a Donald Trump picture. Maybe it isn’t so useless with words around credit issues, shady foreclosure companies, casinos, and cute… well, maybe not.

Outputs

Time Series

For all time-series outputs, the default display is a line graph where your input and the highest correlative term are charted.

You can select another correlated keyword to have it graphed against your input instead.

There is an option to toggle between a line graph and scatter plot when viewing the data. Also, you can choose to view search activity from 50 countries.

The only real difference between the two frequencies, weekly and monthly, is the Search by Drawing inputs can only be graphed weekly.

Input Weekly Display Monthly Display Keyword YES YES Spreadsheet YES YES Drawing YES NO

Before we jump to the U.S. map output, there are two less obvious features within the time-series display:

Drag to Zoom: You can click-and-drag over a portion of the line graph to zoom in on a specific period. From there, you can “Click to search on this section only.” to find the highest correlations within just that time frame. This can be especially useful when you’re less interested about seasonal trends and more about specific happenings.

Shift Series: On the left side of the page, you can shift the time series ahead or behind your input. Obviously, correlation doesn’t equal causation, and this doesn’t even mean the terms were searched by the same people. However, it can be interesting to string together queries and hypothesize around a typical search journey.

Let’s use the query “custom landscaping” as an example. With no time-series shift, the search patterns all make sense as nearly all relate to landscaping.

However, when we move the time-series three weeks before, the queries have nothing to do with landscaping at all, but it also doesn’t seem random either.

Nearly all of them are related to baseball and softball.

It’s fairly safe to say there’s a decent overlap between landscaping prospects and baseball equipment consumers.

If you were a landscaping company, how could knowing this influence your media targeting and content marketing strategy?

Since reading Ian Laurie’s article on Random Affinities nearly six years ago, I’ve been fascinated with the subject.

Using the Google Correlate Shift Series feature could be another way to uncover new random affinities to explore.

U.S. Map

The U.S. map output is much less dynamic, but it can still be useful.

Instead of a line graph, the default display is a map of the United States where darker shades indicate higher state-based correlations to your input.

Like the time-series display, this also has a scatter plot view as an option.

The scatter plot option is even more useful here because it appears to fix a glitch within the map display.

At first, only the input is graphed on the map. After toggling to the scatter plot and back, however, a new map of the highest correlative term (or whatever you select) appears just below.

In any output, the data can also be exported into a CSV for further analysis.

Google Correlate Use Cases

With many tools, learning what they can do and how to use them are relatively easy. It’s understanding when best to apply this knowledge that can get us stuck.

Below are possible use cases for Google Correlate.

By no means is this a comprehensive list, but hopefully it gives you some helpful thought starters on which to expand.

1. Targeting Customers Before They’re Ready

We can use tools like Google Trends, web analytics and sales data to know when to target customers just before they’re seasonally ready to engage with your brand.

However, Google Correlate can generate ideas on how to talk to them at that time (remember the baseball example?).

Additionally, some businesses experience seasonality in layers.

Take weight loss for example. There are the obvious New Year’s resolutions in January, but major life events that tend to happen during certain times of the year can also trigger the motivation to lose weight.

Planning a wedding, finding a new place to live and shopping for a car may spark the desire for a complete fresh start, which includes weight loss.

I’ll say it again; correlation does not equal causation. But when this kind of data leads to a hypothesis, it’s supported by other research, and it intuitively makes sense, isn’t it at least worth testing out?

2. Finding Your Seasonal Antithesis

Knowing when your audience is most likely to receive your message can help you market more efficiently.

Similarly, knowing when and how they’re least likely to listen can be equally helpful.

With Google Correlate, we can find the search terms that have the most opposed trendlines.

Export the weekly or monthly trending for a search term in either Google Correlate or Google Trends.

Multiply the values by negative one.

Follow the same spreadsheet directions as described earlier in this article and you’re good to go.

Here is a list of the most negatively correlated search terms to “weight loss”:

While I’m still scratching my head when it comes to the environment and wildlife terms, the rest make sense.

When I’m lighting holiday candles and eating an entire tarte tartin by myself, don’t talk to me about my weight.

3. Understanding the Present & Predicting What’s Next

This is the aspect of Google Correlate where cultural anthropologists, economists and statistical-minded marketers have found most value.

It’s also the catalyst to Google Correlate’s existence (Google Flu Trends).

Conceptually, it’s simple: find a correlation, develop a hypothesis, build a model, validate it and refine it over time.

However, as we get more granular, the complexity grows.

I’ve managed to avoid learning Python, R and really anything else in the data science field up to now. So, I’ll just scratch the surface on a few themes and provide some further reading.

Find a Correlation

Google Correlate does all the work for you here, but keep a few things in mind.

Make sure the dataset you leverage to create a predictive model is accurate and reliable. The shakier your input is, the more doomed your output will be.

You’ll want to strike a balance between quality and quantity when choosing your correlative terms. By choosing only the highest correlative term to build your model, all your predictive eggs will be in one basket. At the same time, if you open the door to too many, less correlative terms, the data can get too normalized and inaccurate.

Develop a Hypothesis 

Once you find a correlation, try to make sense of it by forming it into a hypothesis.

In his book, “Everybody Lies”, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz described his experience in using Google Correlate to try to help predict unemployment rate. After uploading monthly unemployment rates from 2004 to 2011, he found a pornographic site had the highest correlation.

His hypothesis? Folks who are unemployed are often alone, bored, and have a lot of time on their hands…

Build a Model 

Here’s where my expertise leaves a lot to be desired, unfortunately.

I recommend reading the first part of Stephens-Davidowtiz and Hal Varian’s paper called A Hands-on Guide to Google Data. They cover how to clean up the data by removing spurious correlations and keywords likely to have a short shelf-life. Then they dive into regression techniques that specialize in time-series data with a sizeable number of predictors, like spike-and-slab regression.

Validate It 

There are generally two ways to know if your model works:

Wait and see.

Leverage hold-out periods.

The second option has zero risk and is much faster.

Hold-out periods, also called out-of-sample tests, are when values are intentionally removed from your dataset for a certain amount of time. The purpose is to test your model by “holding out” the most recent historical data and seeing how closely it predicts what actually happened during that time.

This article from SAS Institute Inc. explains this concept in layman’s terms.

To upload hold-out periods in a Google Correlate, just delete the values (not the dates) in your spreadsheet.

Refine It over Time 

Remember when I said Google Flu Trends was highly accurate at the start? Well, it didn’t last.

As you might imagine, with this space evolving so rapidly, few predictive models using search data can take a set-it-and-forget-it approach. That’s exactly what Google Flu Trends did.

News articles provided temporary spikes in search behavior. Google Suggest began influencing how people searched. People’s search patterns changed over time.

Each of these factors led to Google Flu Trends becoming increasingly inaccurate, with it missing the peak of the 2013 flu season by 140 percent.

For most of the media coverage, the story ended here.

However, some smart folks at the Warwick Business School concluded that the best approach was to use Google Flu Trends and the CDC’s delayed numbers to recalibrate each other for the most accurate estimates.

So, whether it’s simply refining the keyword list used for your model or finding ways to marry offline data with search behavior, you’ll want to periodically adjust the model for sustained accuracy.

4. Discovering Regional Distinctions

As I mentioned earlier, you can assign values to states based on any number of factors.

Real-world numbers – e.g., purchases, revenue, customers, returns, share of voice

Definitive characteristics – e.g., states without income tax, states with legalized marijuana

Rankings – e.g., by cost of living, by population density

In 2016, 24/7 Wall St. published an article ranking states by gender inequality.

I used that ranking to create two Google Correlate spreadsheets.

The first one (ole boys club) had the fairest state with a value of 50 and the state with the most rampant inequality at one:

The second spreadsheet (glass sheiling) had the values reversed:

5. Buying Low, Selling High

Looking for an industry, topic or term on the rise so you can piggy back on its momentum? Or maybe you’d rather find something dropping quickly to jump in at a lower cost?

Either way, go to Search by Drawing and create the trend you’re seeking.

Make sure you read The Finicky Data section before getting too excited about this idea.

6. Have Fun!

Did you know:

While spurious correlations can be a real issue when building models, they can often provide a good laugh at face value.

So, if you don’t feel like going down Wikipedia rabbit holes or binge-watching something on Netflix, get lost in Google Correlate for a few hours.

Oh, is that just me?

I was bored and found a few other funny Google Correlate examples for your entertainment.

Why Don’t We Use Google Correlate More Often?

The title of this article not so subtly suggests most of us rarely use this tool.

I’ll admit most of this assertion is anecdotal, but I do have some numbers to lean on as well.

Search Volume: Moz Keyword Explorer estimates between 501-850 searches for Google Correlate occur each month. This pales in comparison to Google Trends, which has an estimated monthly search volume of at least 118,000.

SEJ Coverage: How many Search Engine Journal articles are centered on Google Correlate until now? None (also true for Moz, Stone Temple and other SEO publications). How many even mention it? Three. To put it in perspective, Tom Cruise is mentioned in 10 articles. Yes, Tom Cruise.

Show of Hands: In two recent digital marketing conferences, I asked the audience to raise their hand if they had used Google Correlate. Out of approximately 300 people, just one person said they had.

What’s keeping Google Correlate from being in our regular research rotation?

The Inevitability of Dimensionality

In the context of big data, high dimensionality refers to the challenges massive sample sizes with tons of variables can produce.

When faced with a substantial dataset, spurious correlations are bound to occur.

You know what has a substantial dataset? Google Correlate.

As I mentioned earlier, Google Flu Trends became increasingly inaccurate, and its high dimensionality was a big reason for it. Additionally, some tried to use the tool to forecast the stock market, which many claim is impossible to predict.

While this dimensionality has likely turned some away, I would argue in many cases it isn’t the tool or the data causing the issue; it’s the methodology or interpretation.

The Van Wilder of Betas

If you’ve followed Google over the years, you’ll know it’s not uncommon for its products to remain beta for a while.

Some of it is certainly semantics, but it has rubbed more than a few people the wrong way.

Google Correlate has been in beta for seven years.

The question is whether this is just semantics (like with Gmail), or if it’s truly still in early stages of development.

The Problematic User Interface

I’ve covered the UI issues in the How to Use Google Correlate section, so I won’t belabor the point here.

As you can see in Google’s suggestions, I’m not the only one who has experienced difficulties.

Between this and the shaky data (more on that in a second), Google Correlate can sometimes seem like more trouble than it’s worth.

The Finicky Data

A problematic UI is one thing, but limited data is another.

Here are three ways Google Correlate’s data leaves more to be desired:

In 2011, several countries were added to Google Correlate. As a result, the U.S. sample size was reduced to the same level of countries that were added. This meant larger variances for lower-volume queries, as well as the elimination of some low volume queries altogether.

Although the FAQ page claims the data begins in January of 2003, none of the graphs start until January 2004.

Frustratingly, Google Correlate stopped updating on March 12, 2017. There was no announcement from Google that I’m aware of. I’ve reached out to folks at Google via Twitter, submitted feedback and have even emailed some of the original creators of the tool. No response yet.

This third data issue towers over the other two. The longer we go without fresh data, the less valuable Google Correlate is. Eventually, it’ll be a deal breaker, rendering the tool useless. If you’re so inclined, please submit your own feedback and request for Google Correlate to resume reporting on fresh data. If enough of us ask, perhaps it will rise on the priority list, or at least get an answer.

So Now What?

At this point you may be inspired to give this tool a(nother) go, or you could just as likely be deflated by its drawbacks.

If I’m being honest, I’ve ping-ponged to each extreme while writing this.

Google Correlate can be polarizing for some, but if you’re a search marketer, it’s worth it to have first-hand experience to decide for yourself.

Oh, and don’t forget to bug Google about turning the fresh data back on!

Further Reading:

Image Credits

Google Trends vs. Google Correlate: Google Correlate Donald Trump: naukrinama.com All other images, screenshots, and video taken by author, July-August 2018

Source: http://tracking.feedpress.it/link/13962/10188198

[animeindoblog-blog]

Summer Preview 2018!

New Post has been published on https://animeindo.org/blog/2018/07/01/summer-preview-2018/

Summer Preview 2018!

After a scorcher of a spring (and an unusual delay in the previewing process—sorry about that), the summer season is looking down right sleepy. Are anime studios trying to get people to go out into the sticky Tokyo summers? Those monsters! Fortunately there are a few stars lurking amid the sleepers, which means outside activity will not be required. Some of the biggest headliners are hotly-anticipated sequels, from the split-cour continuation of the lich conquering hero protagonist of Overlord III, the return of the glistening swimming boys of Free! -Dive to the Future-, the final season of Gintama, and the third season of the world-shattering hit Shingeki no Kyojin. There are plenty of promising new adaptations as well, such as the crime thriller set in 1980s New York City BANANA FISH, adaptations of the acclaimed Front Wing visual novel ISLAND, the supernatural comedy romance Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, and a look at the more, uh, dedicated side of love with Happy Sugar Life. There are fewer originals, but I’m keeping my eye on several, including the absolutely bonkers Planet With, a supernatural stint with pretty boys in London in Phantom in the Twilight, and the other anime with jaegers and vampires by the name of Sirius the Jaeger. There’s always more anime to watch, so join us as we tell you all about it. This is the Random Curiosity Summer 2018 Preview!

This season we’ll continue using the Excitement Levels we introduced last year. Don’t recall why? Because trying to anticipate how a show is going to turn out is a fool’s errand, but we can definitely tell you how excited we are! Just remember that these levels reflect our own subjective excitement for each show, and do not necessarily reflect how each will pan out. For more information, check out the Overall Impressions section at the bottom, which includes an expanded explanation of each category and a list of all shows by excitement level.

Disclaimer: Back in ye olde year of 2012—which is practically ancient history now—previews were done by a single writer, Divine. Since none of the current writers are bonkers enough to take time off of work and/or school to solo this thing, we’ve divided everything up among our staff (Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, and Zephyr) in order to maintain the quality of this preview. We will try to point out what appeals to us in each series, in the hope that it will help you determine if it coincides with your tastes.

Disclaimer #2: Please note that this list does not reflect all the series airing this coming season. It is meant to be as comprehensive as possible, but omissions have been made for shows that stray from the anime norm or seem to be oriented toward young children. Please check out MOON PHASE for complete listings, syoboi for specific air times, and Fansub DB for a list of potential sources for each series.

I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the entire Random Curiosity crew for working together to finish this preview. This past season has been rocky for everyone, and we ran into several unexpected roadblocks while working on this post that were the cause of its horrific lateness (sorry!), but everyone banded together to get it done. I love you all, and you rock. Special thanks go to Xumbra for encoding the PVs; Zephyr for doing early prep work; Stilts (that’s me!) for editing, people wrangling, and formatting; Cherrie for doing the rest of the formatting, links, and etc; Passerby for proofreading and the shorts section; Takaii for gathering the images; and Zaiden and Pancakes for being swiss army minions who jumped on any extra tasks that were needed last minute. Also, thanks to everyone who wrote previews, which was most of us. For a more Enzo-centric point of view, give a gander to the LiA summer preview for a second opinion on many of these shows.

Finally, thank you to all of you, the readers and community of Random Curiosity. Thank you for sticking with us when the site went down, thanks for having patience while we were working on this preview, and thank to everyone who keeps coming back, even amid the doldrums of the mid-season views/comments slump. We really appreciate everyone who stops by to read, no matter how infrequently, but those who drop by during a sleepy week of episode sevens surely do boost our spirits something extra. We wouldn’t keep doing this if it wasn’t fun, and it’s fun because of you, so thank you, thank you, thank you. Now, on to the anime!

Technical Note: The chart below is ordered by the date and time that the shows premiere. The links in the schedule will take you to a series’ corresponding entry and the “Top” links on the right will bring you back. You can also use the back/forward buttons in your browser to jump between links you’ve clicked. All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.

Preview by Takaii

Based off one of the longest running manga out there, Baki returns to the small screen via Netflix with a new 26-episode adaptation revolving around the “Most Evil Death Row Convicts” arc from the manga. An arc that, as the name implies, involves some of the deadliest people on the planet who have reached the point of being so powerful they’re trying to die. Which is why when it’s revealed that the star of the show, Hanma Baki (Shimazaki Nobunaga), is training to be stronger than the Strongest Man in the World (his dad), these deadly convicts take this opportunity to travel to Tokyo to challenge Baki in hopes that he’ll be able to completely and utterly destroy them. And when you have the world’s deadliest convicts coming for you, you’ll need a group of friends to watch your back, which luckily Baki has from his travels in the underground fighting scene. Together Baki and his friends will band together to take on these foes with their lives on the line.

I have mixed feelings about Baki. On one hand it has a really unique aesthetic that gives off JoJo vibes but, once you get past the cool factor of insanely skilled buff dudes fighting each other, is there enough substance to keep things interesting? That said, I think action fans and people looking for a fun time of watching insanely strong fighters beat the living crap out of each other will be in for a surprise. For Baki, I think its success will revolve around just how well its showrunners are able to adapt its premise from manga to anime. Luckily, with 26 episodes to work with and a plethora of source material to supplement everything that’s going on, it feels like this series has a lot of good things going for it. Even if the art style isn’t your thing (I wasn’t loving it at first either), Baki might be something to keep on your radar for some unexpected fun.

Watching This: Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zephyr

From studio feel. comes an adaptation of the Front Wing visual novel Island. Set on an island called Urashima, the story revolves around a series of misfortunes which have led the island to cut off all contact with the mainland. As Urashima falls into decline due to an unwillingness to abandon tradition and a suspicion of the mainland as the origin of a mysterious disease, a lone man washes ashore. Claiming to be from the future, Setsuna’s (Suzuki Tatsuhisa) arrival creates a stir as the island’s inhabitants recall a local legend telling of a tragic love between a boy named Setsuna and a girl named Rinne. With his arrival, individuals with both names are now on the island, making others wonder about the legend’s significance and the role the daughters of the Urashima’s three great families will play in saving the island. Kawaguchi Keiichiro (Hayate no Gotoku!, Minami-ke Tadaima) will direct the series and Arakawa Naruhisa (Outbreak Company, Sousei no Onmyouji) will handle series composition.

Following in the footsteps of the award winning Grisaia franchise, Island is the most recent Front Wing work to receive an adaptation, as well as an official English release of its source material. While I haven’t had the chance to read the visual novel yet, the general reception seems to be good and the fact that they’re taking a chance by releasing it in English without using Kickstarter hints at a novel they feel will succeed on its own merits. A well-received source doesn’t always translate into a good adaptation, however, and I worry whether Island will suffer from the same issues the Grisaia adaptations had early on, given that Island is similarly lengthy (30-50 hours to complete). I’m optimistic given the staff’s experience and the source’s reception, but with the visual novel’s English release coinciding with the anime, there is an alternative to consider if you want the full experience as originally intended.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Takaii

Badminton fans, rejoice! Hanebado! is a new sports show devoted to demonstrating just how amazing a sport badminton really is. The setup is simple. Enthusiastic high school badminton coach Tachibana Kentarou (Okamoto Nobuhiko) ends up in a sticky situation where his new team dwindles to just a few members. With his back against the wall and the future of his new team (and career) at stake, he has a chance encounter with a student named Hanesaki Ayano (Ohwada Hitomi). A girl who, though at first glance you would never guess, has the physical skill and aptitude of an Olympian. With the key to saving the badminton team in sight, Kentarou tries his best to convince Ayano to join, only to be constantly shot down. However, with a once in a lifetime athlete right in front of him Kentarou refuses to give up, and inadvertently gets the ball rolling when he tricks Ayano into accompanying him and the team to a training camp.

Hanebado! is definitely a tough series for me to pick apart since there are so many things that I both love and hate about it. When it comes to sports anime, I have fairly easy to satisfy requirements: fun and memorable characters, a story that integrates something more than just the journey to the finals, and a shtick or two that you can only do with whatever sport you’re focused on. In Hanebado’s case though, there’s this strange vibe about it that doesn’t pull me in like other shows have, the biggest of which has to be coach Tachibana’s extreme drive to get Ayano to join the team. Unlike other shows where a surprise star player appears to help the team kick things into gear, Hanebado is odd in that it disregards all of its other players in favor of making Ayano feel like this mythical creature that they must have to find success. Sure, as we make our way through the first few chapters of the source material the characters realize that people are people and not URs in a game, but even then it feels like there’s a certain human element missing. That said, I’m hoping the transition from manga to anime means the material can be tweaked to sell the stronger points of the story while downplaying all the negatives. If you’re looking for a badminton show that has a fun group of characters, you won’t go wrong taking a peek at Hanebado.

Watching This: Choya, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Pancakes

After a devastating nuclear war left the world completely ruined, humanity came together and united through the efforts of the World Government. Sweeping away the ashes of the old, the World Government helped rebuild society, but in the process stripped away all semblance of freedom, regulating down to the smallest of actions and banning personal ownership of any and all weapons. Such tyrannical rule, however, is not without its critics, with a small resistance group called the Kijuushi emerging to fight back and recover humanity’s freedom. Arming themselves with antique guns left behind as art, these fighters inherit the “spirit” of their weapons during battle, becoming incarnations of the very guns they now valiantly wield. The Kijuushi don’t know if this power and their determination will be enough to prevail in their struggle, but they will do whatever it takes to see their mission through.

At face value Senjuushi is a funny one to look at. Based on the mobile game of the same name, this one is an eclectic mix of post-apocalypse shenanigans and Upotte-esque anthropomorphism which runs Enlightenment aesthetics and an all-male cast against a backdrop of authoritarian dystopia. Or in other words, SukaSuka without the fantasy-romance. Especially the romance. Given Senjuushi’s mobile game origins and the quality of similar adaptations, it’s a total crapshoot what manner of story we wind up with, but with a unique military flair and a largely dark plot, the show easily has all the pieces needed to truly surprise. It’d be best to hedge bets as to any dark horse proclamations, but if Senjuushi can stick to seriousness and minimize the structural flaws plaguing similar series like Norn9, it stands a good chance at being one of this season’s more unique fantasy offerings.

Watching This: Pancakes Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Stilts

Back Street Girls is the story of three young yakuza who screw up big, causing their boss to lose millions. Normally said yakuza would have their fingers chopped off, but he decides to have mercy on them since that wouldn’t bring back his money anyway. Instead he gives them a choice: become idols or die. With the decision quickly made, the three men are sent to Thailand for sex reassignment surgery and are promoted as an idol group. Back Street Girls follows the men girls of Gokudolls Nijigumi as they navigate their (unexpectedly successful) careers while trying to hide their true identities from their fans, as well as battle the frustration they feel at having to live two lives they never wanted, both on and off stage.

This is another of those shows that make you say, “Only in anime!” The idea is absurd, but it’s the presentation that will determine whether you want to watch this. First, check out the promo videos. The animation is atypical, and has more in common with a grimy yakuza comic than a slick anime, idol-based or otherwise. The switching between male and female seiyuu for the main characters leads to some fun, though the entire premise has this aura of such depressing frustration and dread that—well, your mileage may vary. It’s a comedy, after all, so what tickles your tongue is unique to you. The main characters are hapless and depressed, but easily riled up and quickly led astray. It’s a heady mixture, and I can’t think of anything else quite like it. Other stories where characters are unwillingly genderbent usually plumb the premise for drama, for the idea is anxiety-inducing to many. Back Street Girls goes in for dark humor instead, so whether you’re on board for that sort of ride is up to you.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

You might have heard about Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor, the story of an unlucky man who found himself gambling in life-and-death games aboard an illegal cruise ship. Chuukan Kanriroku Tonegawa is an off-shoot of Kaiji’s dark adventures, focusing on Tonegawa Yukio (Morikawa Toshiyuki), a middle manager who works at the evil whims of business magnate Kazutaka Hyoudou (Tsukayama Masane). In this precursor to the events of Kaiji, Hyoudou is an extremely wealthy individual who enjoys preying on desperate debt-ridden individuals, and orders Tonegawa to set up secret death games involving these unfortunate victims. Despite the morally objectionable nature of such a task, Tonegawa must now collaborate with his subordinates to create these death games, in order to keep the president in a good mood. Otherwise, considering the volatile and sadistic temperament of Hyoudou, the kind of retribution they might receive would be nigh unimaginable.

Madhouse takes charge and have reunited with veteran director Sato Yuzu to continue their work on the Kaiji franchise. However, we should pay particular attention to the original mangaka. I’d highly encourage those who are put off by the art style to give this a chance, because any work by FKMT has substantial depth in its relentless cynicism, which typically levies scathing commentary on the state of society. Fukumoto Nobuyuki (affectionately known as FKMT) takes a back seat as a creative influence this time around, leaving most of the story to his successor, Hagiwara Tensei. Consequently there will be a difference in tone compared with other FKMT works, although the dark humour remains ever-present, alongside the distinctive art style. If it continues along similar lines to FKMT’s previous works, this series won’t be for the faint of heart, as it will strive to showcase the worst in humanity. People get horrifically betrayed to their dooms, greed rules beyond ordinary comprehension, and some individuals take warped delight in seeing people cry and beg for their lives. Pretty disturbing to say the least. But if this is something you can stomach, Tonegawa’s adventures may prove a morbidly engrossing account that keeps you at the edge of your seat.

Watching This: Zaiden Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

The pectorals of young men glisten to the symphony of youth, gleaming with a wet masculine charm, just as they’re about to dive into the swimming pool. That’s right, our boys in speedos are back, and who isn’t excited for Free’s triumphant return? Dive to the Future looks to continue the story of Iwatobi Swim Club’s members: Nanase Haruka (Shimazaki Nobunaga), Tachibana Makoto (Tatsuhisa Suzuki), Hazuki Nagasaki (Yonaga Tsubasa), and Ryuugazaki Rei (Hirakawa Daisuke). Of course, things are never complete without Matsuoka Rin (Miyano Mamoru), Haruka’s eternal friend and rival where swimming is concerned. Join the group on their journey of self-discovery and friendship through the wonderful world of competitive swimming!

There is very little to be gleaned from the visuals and trailers for this sequel, with KyoAni guarding against any leaks that could be considered spoilers. However, it seems apparent that many new characters will be introduced, which suggests a far greater focus on the competitive aspect than ever. As a guy who watched Free! for the competitive swimming, and who felt really invested in the narrative of Haruka vs Rin from the first season, this is exactly what I want from the series. Also, there is absolutely no doubting that KyoAni will put up a visual stunner for everybody to enjoy, even if the content is not to your taste. If you’re new to this series and it caught your interest, I highly recommend marathoning the first two seasons, as well as the movies. But it will be important to note that Utsumi Hiroko left KyoAni after directing both seasons of Free!, which means that the third season will be helmed by another. She’ll be replaced by Kawanami Eisaku, a veteran who directed the Free! movies Take Your Marks, Timeless Medley, and Starting Days. Whether he can live up to his directorial predecessor is one thing, but I’m sure Free!’s loyal fanbase will love this third season no matter what. All that’s left is to wait and see the exact kind of future we’ll be diving into!

Watching This: Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Choya

A beautiful girl from Italy named Euphrosyne (Hayami Saori) had been zombified and kept in the basement of a university building for one hundred years. One day during summer vacation, six undergraduate college students accidentally disturb her slumber and steal the “Secret Stone” which maintains her body’s integrity. After they run away, a maid named Alma (Ogura Yui) confronts Euphrosyne to tell her to kill the six students to regain the stone. But as she starts to kill the students, she encounters unexpected counterattacks from them.

Much like Euphrosyne, this series had quite the slumber itself. It was the year 2012, when Kadokawa originally announced the anime adaptation in June and streamed a promotional video a month later. Since then, no new information about the series came out until April 2018, when this anime adaptation was announced for the summer season. Studios Stingray and Gonzo share double-duty as they produce the newly re-announced anime. The story sounds unique as Euphrosyne goes on a violent, dark, and comical—yes, comical—manhunt against college students that rustle through her belongings and wake her up. The set-up is akin to many slasher films, yet the focus on Euphrosyne gives us the chance to see it unfold from her perspective as she must kill her way toward the path to her own survival.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Stilts

Sunohara-sou no Kanrinin-san is the story of a boy who looks like a girl, and a slightly perverted woman with huge boobs. Shiina Aki (Kitamura Eri) is the boy; back home he was constantly treated like a girl due to his feminine looks, so he decided to move to Tokyo for middle school to change himself. Sunohara Ayaka (Satou Rina) is the woman; she’s the kindhearted caretaker of the dorm. Add in the three female members of Aki’s school’s student council who are also living there, and Ayaka’s busty little sister, and the liquor store owner, and Aki’s older sister, and others, and it looks like Aki is going to have a lively time in his new Tokyo life with the girls of Sunohara-sou.

This is a fun little manga, all the chapters I read were charming, goofy, and made me smile, but the killer selling point is the anime’s staff. I don’t usually focus too much on the studio in charge of production, because it doesn’t matter as much as you think, but combine Silver Link’s house animation style with a bevy of talented, experienced, and just damn damn good staff members with a history working at Silver Link (that helps), and that’s a recipe for success. Oonuma Shin is the chief director. Shimo Fumihiko is on series composition, and just stop and look at his resume right there! I needn’t go on, and I shan’t, save to say that everyone has worked on comedies, romantic comedies, and/or Silver Link productions I highly enjoyed, and for many of them Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya is among that list, which means they’ve worked together as well. Add on a solid source material, luscious animation, and a great seiyuu cast, and I see all sorts of reasons to get hyped up. But of course, this is still a creature of its genre, and I don’t expect it to subvert our expectations and become the next trope-shattering apple of critics’ eyes. I do expect it to execute on the source material faithfully, though. I’m looking forward to this one, and I hope you’ll join me when it premieres as well.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Stilts

In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Sakamoto Takuma (Mizunaka Masaaki) was known as the Demon King due to his overwhelming power, equipment, and skill. Offline he was less impressive, as a NEET with crippling social anxieties and a deep hatred for riajuu (normies), but that’s neither here nor there. In game he was unparalleled—until one day he was summoned to another world with the exact appearance of the game. There, he meets elf Shera L Greenwood (Serizawa Yuu) and pantherian Rem Galleu (Waki Azumi), who both claim to be his real summoner. Takuma is targeted by enslavement magic—but it backfires! His Magic Reflection ring activates, and the two girls are turned into his slaves instead. Now Takuma, in the guise of Diablo, is in a world where he possesses unparalleled power, but he doesn’t have any social skills to speak of. In a panic for how to talk to a real girl, he falls back on the only thing he knows how to do: act the like the Demon King he roleplayed in the game! this is the story of the Demon King (acting) that would soon inspire the world, and his adventures as he takes the alternate world by storm with his absolute strength!

Here’s your isekai light novel adaptation of the season. That might sound dismissive, and it’s true that if you’re skeptical of isekai stories you’re probably not going to be won over by this one, because the parts of the source material I read were rife with the usual tropes. The key to a good isekai story, though, is to lean into the wish fulfillment while making the main character not feel like an insufferable Gary Stu, even if they have the power of one. It’s not easy, but series like Death March show it’s possible by focusing on different elements. Here it’s the Demon King roleplay, where Takuma/Diablo becomes trapped in his persona because he doesn’t know how to operate without it, and the whole setup would be totally depressing if he wasn’t also really powerful while being constitutionally unable to exploit people with his power most of the time. Also the promos show off a whole bunch of ecchi, so it has that going for it. My feeling is that this won’t rock the world, but the animation is nice, the story is undemanding, and series composer Fudeyasu Kazuyuki has one helluva resume. Maybe it won’t light the world on fire, but it could be a fun little story. If you’re predisposed to isekai stories, nothing I’ve seen so far should dissuade you from giving this a watch.

Watching This: Pancakes, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

The Heroine (Kimura Haruka) is your average girl, who randomly receives an invitation to become the princess of a world powered by energy generated from the dreams of its inhabitants. One day, the dream world is attacked by a dream eater, sending many princes into a catatonic state. Haruka must now rescue their dreams in order to wake them up. Let’s accompany the heroine on her adventure to save the princes and prevent the dream world from being destroyed by the malevolent dream eater!

As of now there is no detail on the production team aside from the entirely novice studio GCREST in charge, so I’ll have to sell you the premise based off its source material. Yume Oukoku to Nemureru 100-nin no Ouji-sama is a smartphone puzzle role-playing game that has the manservice dialed up way past 11 as a way of enticing its female demographic. Seeing how it ranked as Japan’s 15th favourite game in the Otamart poll at the end of 2017, I would say it did a pretty good job of meeting that goal. To give you an idea of what it features, demon princes are chained up in shirtless glory, while having a tendency to blush if you take the time to appreciate their exquisite physique. Might I also add that there’s a shota witch, and even a splendid tsundere snow prince? Sounds too good to be true. Fujoshis from all over the world must be delighted with this summer entry, and whether your best boy made it or not should be somewhat alleviated by the good selection you’ll still have to choose from. As they say, different strokes for different folks.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Passerby

1985, New York City. A series of puzzling suicides are baffling the NYPD. But down in the Bronx it is not the law that holds sway, but crime, and mafioso Papa Dino Golzine (Ishizuka Unshou) rules. He is intent on killing off any investigation into these suicides for good, literally, being quite comfortable with murdering whomever pokes their nose into this suspicious business. This heavy-handedness piques the curiosity of Papa Dino’s 17-year-old adopted son and charismatic gang leader Ash (Uchida Yuuma), especially when he is given a vial of a mysterious substance and an address in the dying breaths of one of the syndicate’s latest victims. Pieces start to fall into place when Ash comes across Okumura Eiji (Nojima Kenji), a Japanese photojournalist assisting on a piece on New York’s street gangs. Perhaps the suicides are related to a story from the Vietnam war. Towards the end of the war, one American soldier had gone mad, gunned down his buddies, and then fallen comatose. In brief moments of consciousness he can be heard muttering one thing to himself, over and over: ‘banana fish’.

Banana Fish is based on a manga of the same name by Yoshida Akimi, and boy is it old. 33 years old. That means that it’s from a time when a manga can be considered ‘shoujo’ just because there are gay men in it. Perhaps things aren’t much different now and a target demographic is a target demographic, but don’t be so quick to pigeonhole Banana Fish. At its core it’s a hard-boiled crime drama with a gritty, twisting plot that will keep you gripped. Sure, the cast is basically all male and Free! director Utsumi Hiroko is heading the project, but overall it should be a show with wide appeal. It could well carry itself by quality alone; in addition to the director, we have the accomplished Seko Hiroshi on series composition, and animation studio MAPPA has been doing lots of excellent work. If all else fails, it’s a mature story set in 80s New York City, which is rare enough to stand out. All in all, with all the good things that have been lined up, this is a perfect season for Banana Fish.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Pancakes

In the modern world there existed a widely popular MMORPG called Union, and in it a famous party named Subaru. Composed of a bunch of elementary school friends, Subaru did what no one else could, pushing boundaries and exceeding game limits by taking advantage of Union’s unique “Sense” system. At least, until catastrophe struck. After Subaru member Kuga Asahi (Omori Nichika) died while inside the game, Union was shut down and the remaining Subaru members drifted apart. For Subaru’s vanguard Amou Haruto (Takanashi Tengo), this proved devastating, and he spiraled into a six year state of depression which only ends when a classmate convinces him to try Reunion, Union’s rebooted sequel. Reunion, though, winds up being more than simple rehabilitation when Haruto stumbles across Asahi in the game world. Shocked, confused, and more than a little dubious, Haruto doesn’t know whether to believe his eyes, but with Asahi before him once again, he’s determined to find out what’s really going on.

You like alternate worlds? You like mystery? Want more than simple save the world? Well boys and girls, Shichisei no Subaru has you covered. Compared to the recent wave of similar series, SnS takes its thematic cues from .hack and AnoHana, effectively offering up an alternate world murder mystery complete with personal struggles, dealing with regrets, and more than a little drama. It’s your tried and true character-driven story, meaning the game world and its mechanics will play second fiddle to the trials, tribulations, and love triangles of the Subaru cast. SnS’s writing will naturally determine how well it works in practice, but with the talented Yoshioka Takao handling the series composition and Lerche having a good deal of fantasy adaptation experience, a train wreck is probably not on the cards. It may be too soon to bet on it rising to the level of Re:Zero and company, but if there’s one alternate world story to pay attention to this season, this is it.

Watching This: Pancakes, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Choya

Based on the episodic psycho horror adventure game also known as “Angels of Death”, the premise focuses on Rachel Gardener (Chisuga Haruka), a young girl who wakes up in the basement of an abandoned building. Without any memories of what happened to her or where she is, she wanders the building, dazed and lost. That is, until she encounters a sickle-wielding murderer covered in bandages named Zack (Okamoto Nobuhiko). Although they are initially adversaries and they only form a bond based on a strange promise they made with each other, Rachel eventually finds herself learning more about her own identity as the two unravel the secrets behind their imprisonment.

There’s something special about a property that can go from being a freeware game made on RPG Maker to becoming a full-on franchise that is highly inspiring. It’s easy to get a soft spot for indie horror games like this series, where you can create genuinely creepy imagery in a game made by a handful of people with easy assets and talented writing, so it must be exciting to have been involved with the original and see it blossom into an anime series with a high-profile studio and seiyuu lending their talents to the work. It’ll also be fun to see how the anime adapts the story, as the game thrives on the unnerving feeling of diving deeper into the building to witness one terrifying, trippy scenario after another with every new secret revealed. The trailer has an edgy atmosphere to it, but its indie horror cred gives it an eccentric, quirky vibe that is bound to bring a far more amusing and freaky experience to this anime.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Takaii

In a world where there’s an anime for just about every sport, in comes Harukana Receive, a new beach volleyball anime that’s going to tackle the intricacies of playing a high-intensity sport on sand with only a third of the players you typically have in a regular volleyball match. For those out of the loop, beach volleyball has a vastly different playstyle compared to indoors volleyball. With a total of four people on the court (two per team), the matches have a different feeling as the players not only compete against each other but the elements themselves. From constantly changing wind speeds to the sand shifting under their feet, it’s almost like you’re watching an entirely different sport.

In Harukana Receive’s case, the story revolves around Oozora Haruka (Yuuki Kana), a second year high school student who has just moved to Okinawa, and her cousin Higa Kanata (Miyashita Saki), who is also a second year student. The two end up becoming partners and play beach volleyball together after Haruka unintentionally takes on a challenge from the current high school national champions. All of which might sound like a pretty standard setup for a sports show, but let me dive into a few points that might help turn your mind around. Just like every other successful sports anime, Harukana Receive understands that it takes more than great “action” moments to grasp a viewer, and there’s a lot of supplemental material to help you learn to love and/or hate characters. One big selling point is the focus on not being the right size for what you want to do. Be it the struggles of being tall and unable to find clothes and shoes, or being shorter and constantly worrying that you’re bringing your partner down due to your physical limitations, the human element thrown into the mix is definitely one we see quite a lot of. The other huge factor (at least for me) is how a show looks and based off of the PVs, and it looks beautiful. From the thickness of the lines to the choice of how eyes are stylized, all the way down to the sound effects whenever a volleyball is smacked—this show will, if nothing else, be fun to watch. All-in-all, this is shaping up to be a great looking sports show that has a lot more than just eye-candy going for it.

Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Takaii

Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro is a wild show that revolves around our titular character Miyamo Chio (Oozora Naomi), who without a doubt will end up in some kind of wild situation on her way to school. With each day starting out pretty rough, since she tends to stay up way too late playing computer games, it’s not atypical to find Chio trying to parkour her way around town à la Assassin’s Creed or roughing up a tough biker dude in order to show him how to get back on the straight and narrow. That said, Chio has one major weakness and it’s her need to not draw the attention of others. So when it comes to things that you and I take for granted, like interacting with another human being, Chio ends up doing the wildest things to try (usually in vain) to stay hidden.

In a nutshell, Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro is kind of like the realization of the fantasy anyone who’s ever commuted to school has had. A fantasy where you wish your everyday mundane walk or ride to school could turn into something so much more than just simply … going to school. Instead of just letting societal norms, life, or even reality boss you around, you look any of the three straight in the eyes and tell them that you’re about to do your own thing since you refuse to be late. Honestly, I’m not quite sure how the source material did it, but there’s so much charm oozing from this one that I can’t wait to see it come to life. No matter who’s watching, you’ll be able to see some part of yourself in Chio since she’s such a well fleshed out character. Be it regretting staying up late playing games, being unable to mingle with others because of your social anxiety, or wondering whether or not you’d be able to punk out a rough looking guy because you’ve committed to your act, there’s something for just about anyone here who’s looking for a fun time out of a show that’s managed to take something we’ve all done before and enhanced it through the power of the medium its being adapted to. If you’ve been looking for a comedy that’s a little different from your typical fare, Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro is definitely for you!

Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Stilts

Ongaku Shoujo follows the titular 11-member idol unit organized under Pine Records. Despite abysmal sales numbers, producer Ikebashi and the girls are trying their best to up their game. They decide what Ongaku Shoujo needs is a new member who can be a catalyst for success, so they start holding auditions. That’s when the soon-to-be legendary group meets a girl named Yamadaki Hanako (Fukagawa Seria).

Ongaku Shoujo (TV) was spawned from the short film of the same name, originally produced by Studio Deen for Anime Mirai 2015. The original followed two of the twelve girls from this iteration, though the story is completely different and the character designs have changed so much I can’t tell which is whom, so I don’t think seeing the original is necessary. Or even helpful—it may be more confusing than anything, if those two are only the same in name and seiyuu. That leaves this as a mostly-original series, which means we don’t know much. It’s an idol story, certainly, in the striving-for-greatness sports anime mold, which has always been my favorite type even if we’ve been getting a glut. The staff isn’t chock full of experience, though they are promising, which can be said for several of the seiyuu as well. Animation looks fine, with no hint of CGI so far, though maybe they just left that out of the trailers. The issue with this show is that while it looks perfectly serviceable, it’s not doing a lot to suggest itself either. If you like idols or JPop, then certainly give it a shot, but I can’t say much for everyone else. We’ll have to see if it surprises once it begins airing.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Zaiden

What exactly goes on inside your body? Trillions of cells carry out their jobs to keep us alive, but Hataraku Saibou puts a spin on this concept as the human body is treated like a microcosm of human society. And since we’re talking about the human body, these cells never get a moment of rest. Supplying oxygen to your body parts? Red Blood Cell-chan (Hanazawa Kana) can handle that. Policing out germs and viruses? Let White Blood Cell-kun (Maeno Tomoaki) put them in their place. And little Platelet-chan (Naganawa Maria) makes sure that your body is fixed up shortly after incurring an injury. Between keeping clear of antigens and delivering proper materials to various parts of the body, there is an oddly relatable story in the daily lives of these cells, filled with character and personality that are reflective of the roles they play.

Hataraku Saibou is a manga by Shimizu Akane about all the wonders of the human body, told through an anthropomorphized perspective, with cells characterised as being humans themselves. (Editor’s note: something something Osmosis Jones.) Suzuki Kenichi has been tasked with directing this adaptation, and upon closer inspection, Drifters and Stardust Crusaders both stand out as impressive on his portfolio. So there will definitely be a wildcard type of expectation, provided that action between white blood cells and foreign pathogens take the spotlight, which isn’t too far-fetched when the immune system serves as the focus for the series. That said, I have mixed feelings about the how the series composition might turn out. Kakihara Yuuko presents a worrying flip of the coin, since her scripts can either make a whole lot of sense (Chihayafuru S2, Gakuen Babysitters, Tsuki ga Kirei) or make absolutely no sense even with a great source material (Orange, Unbreakable Machine Doll), with practically nothing in between. Will this be a hit or miss? That’s hard to predict right now, but going by recent track records, this should turn out fine. Even if you dislike biology as an academic subject, keep an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised by Hataraku Saibou.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Pancakes

Suou Yuuto (Sakai Koudai) is just an ordinary boy in an ordinary world. He lives life to the fullest, has plenty of friends, and retains a healthy taste for all manner of urban legend. It’s the latter which winds up wreaking havoc on his life when Yuuto joins his childhood friend Shimoya Mizuki (Uchida Aya) in testing out a local myth. After taking a selfie in front of his community’s divine shrine mirror, Yuuto finds himself whisked off to a Norse-influenced world in the midst of war, with only a solar-powered smartphone for help. This phone, however, gives Yuuto all he needs to find a place for himself in the local Wolf Clan, rapidly rising through its ranks to become its king and suzerain. Now protector of the clan and overlord to several powerful Einherjar, it falls to Yuuto to not only rescue his adopted people, but help save their world from fated destruction.

If there’s one constant for anime these days, it’s that every season will feature an alternate world story adaptation or three, and Hyakuren no Haou continues that time honoured tradition. This one sticks close to the well-trodden formula: we’ve got the overpowered main character, the deus ex machina device, and the ever essential harem of pretty girls to round everything off. It’s your quintessential wish fulfillment story, but HnH does have some things that help set it apart. Unlike Isekai wa Smartphone, problems in HnH are largely solved through Yuuto’s own ingenuity rather than any smartphone shenanigans, and Norse mythos in place of the usual fantasy story and setting gives a good foundation for interesting plot and characters. The main concern is that, with Kobayashi Kousuke being a novice director and Takahashi Natsuko of Isekai wa Smartphone fame handling series composition, we may not be too likely to see much thematic imagination. HnH certainly has the pieces needed to be an entertaining ride, but until we can see it in action, expecting the usual alternate world hijinks is a pretty good idea.

Watching This: Pancakes, Zephyr Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Choya

This surreal gag comedy centers around three friends as they play games with each other. Kasumi (Kohara Konomi) is studious at everything but English and a natural at games, but has built up a hatred for them after years of losing to her older sister and being made to do chores with every loss. Olivia (Nagae Rika) is an American girl who was raised in Japan, but pretends to be bad at Japanese. The pig-tailed Hanako (Kino Hina) has a bright personality and enjoys observing games, but has a hard time becoming the normal person she aspires to be and consistently loses against the other two girls. Together, they take on traditional hand games, board games, card games, and anything in-between.

What makes this series stand out as a promising comedy is how looks can be deceiving. The artwork and premise seem like they could fall under a cozy slice-of-life, up until you dive into it and find out how eccentric, hilarious, and clever the chapters get. They weren’t lying when they said it was, above all else, a surreal gag comedy that just happens to be about cute girls bonding. One of the aspects of the show that’s intriguing is the character of Olivia, considering how many anime with Americans or Westerners have them either as side characters or as people in the background as opposed to being in the front seat. It will be cool to see how deep they get into the games they play and if it will be the type of series to indulge and geek out over how fun they can be.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Stilts

Kuroi Souya (Abe Atsushi) lives a peaceful life despite having no memories of his past. But one day, the world is attacked by huge unidentified floating objects that cause a panic (and look like giant cats with five arms, three ears, and a giant back-nose). Soldiers are sent to stop them, but they desert and head home to their families. Then seven heroes arrive to fight the unknown threat, by first flying through the sky in a flash of light and then enveloping themselves in giant robot frames. Souya is dragged into the fight by the cat-like Sensei (Koyama Rikiya) and gothic lolita Ginko (Izawa Shiori). Is this the time for Souya to join the heroes and fight for humanity? No. Apparently he has to fight off the heroes instead.

Coming to us from Mizukami Satoshi (Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer), Planet With is a story only manga and anime could tell. Not because other mediums couldn’t do it, but because they wouldn’t even think to try. The first two chapters of the manga, released in advance of the anime, are bizarre. They weren’t the weirdest thing I’ve read in a manga—that’s a hard prize to win—but Planet With is scratching that itch. The whole thing is a big ol’ “Wait, WTF!?”, which should make for a fun first few episodes even if I have no idea what it will settle down into after that. What I can say is that this was an original I wasn’t all that interested in prior to previewing it, but now I’m intrigued, dammit. Because I want to know why Souya is fighting the heroes—even he doesn’t fully remember—but also because this is a story I can’t get anywhere else. Anime is good when it’s serious, funny, flirty, or mysterious, but it may be the best when it’s flat out weird. That’s the flavor you can only get here. The main character getting swallowed up for a cabbage-eating cat in order to manifest the mecha to fight off the heroes? You have my attention!

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Choya

Set in an alternate history where aliens conquer late-Edo period Japan and outlaw carrying swords, Gintama is centered around three characters: Sakata Gintoki (Sugita Tomokazu), an eccentric samurai equipped with a sharp blade and an incurable sweet tooth; Shimura Shinpachi (Sakaguchi Daisuke), a teenager who aims to help out his older sister Tae and keep Gintoki focused on important matters at hand as his apprentice; and Kagura (Kugimiya Rie), a skilled girl with a violent past who finds normalcy in sharing Gintoki’s bad habits, eating pickled seaweed, and taking care of her massive dog Sadaharu. Together, they set up shop in Gintoki’s apartment room as Yorozuya, an odd-jobs company that would do just about any freelance work to cover their monthly rent. Along the way, they form a rivalry with the local police force, meet old comrades from a bygone era, and face off against the dreaded PTA. Will unforgettable bonds be forged through blood, sweat, tears, and laughter? Is it really the final season!? Because I have some ideas to keep the show on-air. We have them fight vampires that consume souls, visit the Land of Tea, or get trapped on an island for an entire arc. I can mail out the scripts I’ve written if you’d like! If that doesn’t sound appealing, take year-long hiatuses every two episodes to play Id*lm@ster or Dr*gon Quest. Please Pierrot, it’s all I have left!

After a brief hiatus, Gintama is back in gear to wrap up its final season. In the process of writing out the synopsis of the anime, it became increasingly difficult to cope with the idea of bidding farewell to Gintoki, Shinpachi, and Kagura. It’s been a highly enjoyable shounen series to follow with how much fun it has with its humor and parodies of pop culture, and how well-done its action sequences and drama have been. Gintama truly is one-of-a-kind because of how it manages to be hilarious with its comedic chapters yet engaging and dramatic with its serious segments. As the story ends, it will be interesting to see what culminates in this last season’s efforts to unite the cast against a common foe, bringing an end to the conflict that stands in the way of their peace. Will their send-off be a tongue-in-cheek wave goodbye or a bittersweet reminder to be less sad that the series is over and happier that the series happened? Hopefully, Gintama’s curtain call will be something special and will give the wonderful cast that’s grown over the years a worthy farewell.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Established

Preview by Pancakes

From the manga of the same name, Jashin-chan Dropkick tells the epic tale of a little demon girl named Jashin (Suzuki Aina) and her struggle to return home. Abruptly summoned to the human world one day, Jashin finds herself in a dilapidated apartment owned by gothic lolita Hanazono Yurine (Omori Nichika), a university student with the taste for the arcane and a serious love of horror. While Yurine summoned Jashin, she had no idea how to send the half-snake demon back, and with Jashin as equally confused over her summoning, both girls wind up forced to live with one another. At least until Jashin comes up with the bright idea to kill Yurine in the hopes that’ll send her back home. Now locked in a constant fight against death, Yurine must find a way to ship Jashin back to where she came before her cute summoning experiment ends up blowing her to hell.

Oh boy do we have a fun one here. If it wasn’t immediately obvious, Jashin-chan Dropkick is pure slapstick comedy, effectively mashing together the likes of Binbougami ga!, Gabriel Dropout, and the monster girl series of the season into one seriously outrageous and gut busting package. Emotional damage, physical abuse, and a whole host of hilarious situations are on feature here, and that’s before getting into Yurine’s terminal case of goth-infused chuunibyou. How well it works will of course come down to personal preference and one’s taste in humour, but with over nine volumes of material to adapt and some equally ridiculous side characters to feature (Medusa, you timid cutie pie, I’m looking at you), Jashin-chan Dropkick will not be lacking for raucous entertainment. It may not be setting any new comedy records, but if you’re in need of a good laugh this summer, Jashin-chan Dropkick more than has you covered.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Choya

Ai (Matsui Eriko) is an ordinary girl and a dancer whose friend, Machi (Shibasaki Noriko), is superior in her knowledge and dancing abilities. Despite finding Machi’s talent to be disheartening, Aya discovers her secret: the existence of the Aguu, palm-size entities who grant those who hold them talent far beyond those of anyone else. Machi is trapped in her role as a “Seamstress” who makes Aguu, but Ai pushes to rescue Machi by becoming a “Savior”. Because Saviors have been fighting Seamstresses for generations, Ai now finds herself needing to face Machi to free her from the Aguu.

Aguu: Tensai Ningyouhas potential to be a neat supernatural anime. A concept where talents can be given to someone by possessing supernatural entities offers up numerous possibilities on what shapes the people who have them and how they use the talents. The characters’ abilities are put to the test, and their strengths must go beyond what the Aguu can grant them to become either Seamstresses or Saviors. Other factors play into the anime’s intrigue as well, such as the story’s origins as a manhua, the versatility of Studio DEEN as of late, and the character design’s refined yet artistic flair. You might just want to grab onto the Aguu for keeping up with multiple anime by adding this one to your watch list.

Watching This: Choya, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

My favourite café in London would be the Rainforest Café next to the Trocadero, because it’s such a vibrant and fun place that brings back happy childhood memories. However, word on the street is that a new establishment has opened up for a very particular niche of customers. Café Forbidden is a mysterious café that only opens at night, where handsome men work to serve coffee, while upholding their duty as guardians of the boundary between humanity and the supernatural world. Bayrou Ton (Hanazawa Kana) is our lead heroine, and a girl who came to London as an international student. After a sequence of unpredictable events, she finds herself accidentally stumbling into Café Forbidden. Her subsequent encounter with the supernatural will be sure to alter the trajectory of her life, as she plunges into a world filled with magic and conspiracies.

If I gave Phantom in the Twilight a chance, it would be down to the fact it is set in my home city, and Kana-chan is voicing the protagonist. Kunihiro Mori has an uninspiring CV as director, but Maruto Fumiaki’s involvement in the series composition gives me cause for hope, given his track record as the writer of SaeKano and White Album 2. We have some aesthetically pleasing character design and the music is guaranteed to be a blast thanks to TOMISIRO, who is highly acclaimed for his role behind Macross Delta’s legendary music score. But since there’s so little that’s been revealed about the premise, it’s difficult to predict how well this might turn out, even with what seems like a highly capable staff on paper. If I had to guess judging by the few trailers, there will be a dose of reverse harem for all the fujoshis out there. So if that’s the kind of thing you enjoy, or simply wouldn’t bother you, then it could be worth checking out Phantom in the Twilight for its considerable dark horse potential.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Choya

In this light, antique mystery, high school girl Mashiro Aoi (Tomita Miyu) finds herself working part-time at the “Kura” antique shop nestled in Kyoto’s Teramachi Sanjou shopping district after running into Yagashira Kiyotaka (Ishikata Kaito), the grandson of the store’s owner. The polite yet hot-tempered Kiyotaka is known as the “Holmes of Teramachi” for his keen intellect in solving mysteries within the town, often due to his experience with antiques. With Kiyotaka’s talents as an apprentice appraiser and Aoi’s sharp eye, they solve odd cases together related to antiques and items brought to them by various clients.

True to any anime involving the word “Holmes”, we are taken into the realm of mystery in this anime. However, the tone is calming and light, allowing the show to take on an identity of its own as a charming, mellow, and lighthearted mystery anime. Much of the tone comes from just how cozy the artwork looks, with warm colors and bright lighting, as well as its traditional setting in the elegant, refined city of Kyoto. The chemistry between Kiyotaka and Aoi should also provide for some engaging material as they work together to solve mysteries and learn more about each other. There are other cast members that join along the way, but it will be the mysteries that these two work to solve that will make for a nice relaxing mystery anime.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Pancakes

In the year 2138 after a crazy twelve year run, the leading MMORPG game Yggdrasil is finally set to shut down. Scheduled to turn off at midnight, everyone but the elder lich Momonga (Hino Satoshi), one of Yggdrasil’s strongest wizards and head of the powerful clan Ainz Ooal Gown, has called it quits, leaving him alone to ride the servers until they turn dark. Rather than being thrown out as expected, however, Momonga is shocked to discover he’s still conscious as his character, and more importantly, unable to log out. With all player functions unusable and only the loyal NPCs of Ainz Ooal Gown present with him, Momonga decides to find out what happened the only way he knows how: by taking over this newly transformed game world.

That’s right boys and girls, Papa Bones is back for more. After a successful second season largely spent fleshing out the world building of the first, Overlord surprised quite a few with its sly split cour announcement and reveal that some of the best arcs of the light novel series would see full adaptation. For a show unapologetically devoted to slow but steady development it’s the best possible outcome, particularly with another full cour to work with and the story poised to show (finally) Momonga’s conquering spirit in action. How far we actually get with this new season is an open question, but with all cast and crew returning significant shakeups shouldn’t be expected, and with Madhouse remaining at the helm you can bet any fights will get the royal treatment. While everyone will have an opinion or two on Overlord at this stage (Lizard arc says hi), if the series continues to remain faithful to the light novels and adapts the next set of arcs in the order expected, this season stands a very good chance of being the best material it has put forward yet.

Watching This: Pancakes, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Passerby

The year was 1268. Kublai Khan was growing restless. He was the Khagan of the Mongols — the supreme emperor, the King of Kings. His enlightened reign had swept through northern China and pressed Korea into vassalage. But still the western hordes did not respect his rule, and still the Chinese Song dynasty put up their futile resistance. And now, some island nation to the east dared defy him, too. Twice the great Khan had sent emissaries to Japan, offering them his mercy in return for tribute. Twice he had been rebuffed. They test the limits of his magnanimity, but Kublai Khan was no fool. He knew that to conquer Japan he will need a sizeable navy, one his empire could not afford presently. But in six years, he will be prepared. In six years, the Mongols will bring theses islanders to heel. And Japan will also need to prepare, as exiled samurai Kuuchi Jinzaburou (Ono Yuuki) knows all too well as he comes face to face with the Mongol invasion. For the first time in history, the samurai will need to stop their political infighting and come together in their country’s defence. It is here that they can truly call themselves warriors of Japan.

For a medium so rooted in Japanese culture, there aren’t really all that many anime about Japanese history. Those that are seem mostly preoccupied with the Sengoku Jidai or the Bakumatsu. This is not to fault those shows, as those times make for some great stories, but when an anime goes out of its way to explore other periods we should pay attention. In particular, the Mongolian invasion of Japan is quite relevant for anime fans like us, for it forms the basis of much of the samurai mythology. Samurai basically just fought each other for political power and oppressed the occasional peasant, but the idea that they are the martial face of Japan finds its roots in their defence against the Mongols. And more: the katana came out of this war, as did the idea that Japan was sacred ground that could never be successfully invaded, as did the now familiar word ‘kamikaze’. Now, I don’t know how historically faithful Angolmois will be (perhaps not very, since the first war was basically just Japan getting thrashed until a freak typhoon swept the invasion away). I don’t even know how good Angolmois will be (series composer Yasukawa Shogo is experienced enough, but director Kuriyama Takayuki is completely fresh). But the PVs look good, the show is promising, and the setting alone makes Angolmois worth checking out this season.

Watching This: Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Choya

A reboot of a gag manga by Akatsuka Fujio, this anime will bring the misadventures of Bakabon (Irino Miyu), his father (Furuta Arata), and his family to a contemporary setting. The story follows a dim-witted boy named Bakabon, an elementary school student who enjoys causing mischief and working part-time to give his mother a birthday gift. His partner in crime is none other than his father, who eventually becomes a central character in the series as the mastermind of the harebrained solutions to otherwise simple tasks the two are involved with. Along with Bakabon’s child prodigy brother, his patient mother, and the devious people that live nearby, the family has their work cut out for them if they want to stick together without getting themselves hurt.

Much of the enthusiasm for the show comes from the resurgence of interest in Akatsuka’s work after two seasons of the highly successful reboot of Osomatsu-kun emerged. Now Pierrot is working their magic again with a modern take on Bakabon’s manga 18 years after its last adaptation aired. On top of a very talented seiyuu cast, the big question will be how the anime will depict the family, as Osomatsu-san went the extra mile by transforming six children identical in looks and behavior into 20-year-old slackers each with their own abhorrent personalities. While it’d be easy not to take as many liberties given how everyone seems to be the same age as before, it’ll be interesting to see if this adaptation shares the distinction of bringing a bawdier sense of humor to the series.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Passerby

Tokyo, 1930. Vampires! That’s basically the gist of Tenrou: Sirius the Jaeger, the latest anime original offering from the studio P.A. Works. Apparently, vampires had always existed and had long steered the course of human history. But, there is push-back. An organisation styling itself as ‘Jeagers’ has been rooting out the vampires sequestered within human society. One such Jaeger is a young man named Yuliy (Uemura Yuuto), who happens to be a werewolf. Vampires destroyed his hometown, and now he kills them in the name of vengeance. He and the crew of Jaegers he joined have been chasing one clan all across the globe, finally cornering them in the far ends of the Orient. Here in Japan, the vampires seek a mystical artefact, the Ark of Sirius, with which they will be able to regain their rightful place as the rulers of the world. Whatever conspiracy the vampires are hatching means little to the Jaeger; their hunt continues apace. But even these skilled professionals need to be careful. When the prey are so deadly, it is all too easy for the hunter to become the hunted.

It’s always risky to make too many predictions about an original series. They are, by their very nature, untested, and where Hollywood likes putting the entire movie in a trailer, anime studios instead have a predilection for surprise. Which is great, and we should always encourage experimentation, but sometimes experimentation creates the cure for cancer and other times it sets the lab on fire. While P.A. Works is a studio that puts out a lot of good work, now and again they also manage to make Glasslip (which I will unfairly never let them live down). The most useful prognostication we can do, really, is based on who’s actually making this show; after all, almost any premise is viable so long as it’s matched with skillful execution. The most notable name on that front is director Ando Masahiro, who’s worked on quality anime like Akagami no Shirayukihime and Sword of the Stranger. And, hey, have a look at the PVs. Engrish aside, Sirius the Jaeger simply looks good. If there’s one thing anime does well, it’s stylish period pieces, and 1930s Tokyo, post-Modernisation but pre-War, is an ideal period for style. So at the very least we should have a snazzy action thriller on our hands, and if Sirius the Jaeger aims to be more, that’s just a bonus.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Stilts

Part of Bushiroad’s latest mixed media project, the Shoujo ☆ Kageki Revue Starlight franchise centers on Starlight, a song and dance revue troupe loved throughout the world. Aijou Karen (Koyama Momoyo) and Kagura Hikari (Mimori Suzuko) made a promise with each other when they were young that one day they would stand on that stage together. Now the girls are 16 years old, and Karen is enthusiastic about the lessons she takes every day, holding her promise close to heart. Meanwhile Hikari has transferred schools and is now far away. But the cogs of fate turn, and the two are destined to meet again. The two friends, along with other Stage Girls, will compete in a mysterious audition to gain acceptance into the revue.

When I first heard about this, I thought it was another idol thing. Then I watched the preview, which has dramatic music and a series of on-stage sword fights, and now I don’t know what to think. This is one of Bushiroad’s mixed media things, which is usually a red flag—and still is, but the really money grubbing-sounding 2.5D live action concerts have already happened, so maybe they’re trying to earn the next round of exploitation with some good storytelling. We can only hope. The trailer animation fluctuates between pretty close-up shots and more cartoony remote shots, while the seiyuu are primarily new faces. My big question is whether the story will be worth our time, and the over-serious trailer has really thrown me for a loop. If this will be super serious, I don’t know if I can hang, but those sword fights were stylish as heck. I’m conflicted. I may have to give the first episode a peek to see what this thing’s about.

Watching This: Passerby Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

It is 1991, the height of popularity for arcade gaming in Japan. High Score Girl goes back to to relive this nostalgic period through the perspective of 6th grader Yaguchi Haruo (Amasaki Kouhei). A social outcast at school who doesn’t care about his education or chores (much to his mother’s dismay), Haruo would rather spend time playing Street Fiighter II at the local arcade, earning him the epithet “Beastly Fingers Haruo”. But one day, he gets served a sequence of humiliating defeats. His classmate Oono Akira (Suzushiro Sayumi), a rich honour student who looks totally out of place in an arcade, demonstrates her skills as a top-class gamer. She goes about wrecking scrubs using her mastery of Zangeev, in what can only be described as complete and utter domination. Having lost to Akira seven times in a row, and keen to end her 29-win streak, Haruo resorts to cheap and dirty tactics using Guyl. Not only do these underhanded measures fail, they also provoke a well-deserved punch and a kick from the otherwise demure Akira. This incident serves as a rocky start to their dynamic relationship, as she brazenly follows him from arcade to arcade after school, while he marks her as a rival who must be defeated. As they continue to face off, they build a fierce reputation which precedes them wherever they go.

After surviving a lawsuit from SNK Playmore for infringing the copyright for King of Fighters, I’m truly glad to see High Score Girl bounce back and receive an anime adaptation. The magnum opus of mangaka Oshikiri Rensuke, we can look forward to a coming-of-age romantic drama/comedy that examines the unique relationship between its main characters. Outside of their passion for arcade games, as well as having violent tempers, Haruo and Akira are pretty much polar opposites. I can’t wait to see how their seiyuu bring their petty squabbles to life, while catching the nuance of their feelings for one another via subtle interactions. J.C. Staff has entrusted Yamakawa Yoshiki with directing, a stalwart of the industry who has a fantastic record on many beloved shows (B: The Beginning, DanMachi, Little Busters). I’m expecting the sound direction to be stellar with the inclusion of Aketagawa Jin, and the series composition is in the experienced hands of Urahata Tatsuhiko (Kyoukaisen, Monster, Tsurezure Children). With a fantastic premise and excellent staff, I’m highly optimistic for this adaptation of High Score Girl, as it looks to be nothing short of a guaranteed hit.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Pancakes

Based on the collectible card game of the same name, Lord of Vermilion takes place in a near-future Tokyo rocked by the extraordinary. After a mysterious high frequency sound and red mist knocks several thousand unconscious in the suburbs, Tokyo is forcibly quarantined until those affected miraculously awaken six days later. A rapid return to normality, however, is nowhere in sight, as strange incidents begin plaguing the relieved city while numerous high schoolers start discovering powers long hidden within their blood. Called Hero’s Blood Weapons, the affected teens know little of this power besides its attraction to others possessing the same, and that its awakening is likely due to the “Great Resonance” that disrupted Tokyo so much. Now caught up in a situation growing stranger by the moment, these kids will soon find themselves involved in a struggle where their futures and lives are all on the line.

Card adaptations in anime typically go one of two ways: using the game mechanics as a plot device in of itself (Yu-Gi-Oh), or treating it as flavour in a thematically “different” story (WIXOSS). In this case Lord of Vermilion looks to be the latter, focusing heavily on its conventional fantasy plot of prophecies, fates, and gods with little involvement (if any) of the game mechanics central to its name—don’t expect too much in the way of gritty urban fantasy card battling here. For a card game with minimal lore such a strategy is quite ambitious, but should LoV successfully replicate WIXOSS’s ingenuity in a fantasy-action format, it stands a good chance of being pretty damn impressive. Plus having Kodomo no Jikan’s Sugunuma Eiji serving as director doesn’t hurt either. Scepticism is always recommended when it comes to any type of game adaptation, but should LoV manage to pull off what few game adaptations have managed before, it could easily be one of this season’s biggest surprises.

Watching This: Pancakes, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Passerby

Matsuzaka Satou (Hanazawa Kana) is a model high school girl. She is smart. She is pretty. She is popular. The problem is, her parents passed away when she was young and she has never understood love. So she flits from one boyfriend to the next, saying yes to anybody without care for commitment nor reputation. But one day, she decides to put an end to her frivolous lifestyle. She had fallen in love. Specifically, with a little girl named Koube Shio (Kuno Misaki). To Satou, there is only one thing to do: kidnap Shio and start a new life devoted only to her. Satou makes preparations. She puts in the hours. She saves up money. And in her life with the innocent Shio, she finds bliss. But despite Satou’s efforts, there still seems to be so many people who get in her way. So many rotten souls who don’t understand her love. And that just will not do. Love is sweet. Love is bright. Love is beautiful. It is the highest calling and Satou will do any ugly thing for its sake. It doesn’t matter whom she hurts, how much blood is on her hands, whatever sins she commits. All can be forgiven to protect her happy sugar life.

Happy Sugar Life is an adaptation of a manga of the same title by Kagisora Tomiyaki, and it is this title that we should be paying attention to. In our cynical, post-modern age, not even the fluffiest cute-girls-doing-cute-things slice-of-life would dare call itself something as saccharine as ‘Happy Sugar Life’. Such titles must either be shameless or ironic, and Happy Sugar Life is, for better or worse, the latter. It is not ‘happy’, not ‘sugar’, and the body count disqualifies the ‘life’. Protagonist Satou is a crazy yandere of the highest calibre, but while a criminal sociopath may usually have a villainous role, here one kind of has to root for her, simply because those around her are even more broken — or, perhaps, are not broken enough to have Satou’s steely-eyed clarity. Despite this, and despite Satou’s relationship with Shio being genuinely sweet at times (and making for morbid juxtaposition), Satou’s life is an oncoming trainwreck. But it’s a trainwreck from which it’s hard to tear one’s eyes away, and it makes for a fascinating look into the obsessive and self-destructive ways of this thing humans call love. I’m a tad concerned about the adaptation, though, as neither directors Kusakawa Keizo and Nagayama Nobuyoshi nor writer Machida Touko have particular experience making a show like this, and their actual experience can be dubitable. But the voice cast is star-studded and the premise itself can be enough to carry the show. Happy Sugar Life is genuine psychological darkness, beyond just gore or torture, and that is the kind of twisted mirror worth facing from time to time.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Zaiden

Kitahara Iori (Uchida Yuuma) begins his studies for mechanical engineering in the sleepy seaside city of Izu, where he spent his childhood holidays visiting extended relatives. He envisions a fulfilling college life, complete with beautiful girls and good friends. But upon moving into his uncle’s diving store, named Grand Blue, he is met by an inexplicable sight: a dozen or so rowdy and naked upperclassmen, who just happen to be hankering for a freshman victim to join the university’s diving club. After being forced to sign up, there’s just one small problem: Iori doesn’t know how to swim! But is that really an issue when the club’s activities mainly consist of being naked and getting drunk? We’ll soon see. With a new best friend in Imamura Kouhei (Kimura Ryohei), an ikemen otaku who is open about his fetish for little sisters, and his tsun cousin Kotegawa Chisa (Anzai Chika) to look over him, he shouldn’t have problems passing through the crazy ordeals that come his way.

I’m amused that this manga got the greenlight for an anime adaptation, considering that the age of drinking is 20 in Japan, a threshold that most of the characters do not meet in spite of their copious drinking habits. But it seems that Grand Blue might have gotten by on a narrow technicality, with the author claiming that it falls under the ‘isekai fantasy’ genre as follows: Isekai – A world in which the age of drinking is different than the real world; Fantasy – the existence of demi-humans who can chug high-grade alcohol in one go. Even if all else fails, just claim that they are drinking Oolong tea – flammable Oolong tea! But as a big fan of this ‘diving’ manga, you won’t catch me complaining too much, even if all the controversial stuff ends up getting censored. Grand Blue (not to be confused with Granblue Fantasy), is the creative lovechild of Inoue Kenji (writer of Baka to Test) and Yoshioka Kimitake (artist of the Amagi Brilliant Park manga), which means it was destined for spontaneous ingenuity. What sets it apart from most slice-of-life stories is a setting and cast that often go under explored within anime: college and college students. While there are no overt sexual acts on display, talk of it is rampant between the characters, and excessive alcohol consumption occurs irrespective of the time in the day. But don’t let this distract you from the fact that Grand Blue is a diving manga at heart! While the characters don’t spend every waking moment underwater, effort is clearly put into preparing for trips, getting licences, and getting important information about diving techniques and risks. I cannot recommend Grand Blue enough, and if you decide to give it a chance, you will be in for an intoxicating treat.

Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Zaiden

Fuyuzora Kogarashi (Ono Yuuki) has been possessed by ghosts since childhood, granting him spiritual powers. But it has mostly been a source of trouble, leaving him destitute and wishing for a better life. In his pursuit of cheap accommodations, he stumbles across Yuragi-sou, a boarding house with an urban legend behind it. Formerly a popular hot spring inn, it is rumoured that the spirit of a murdered high school girl haunts the place. Kogarashi doesn’t think this will be a problem for him and agrees to become a tenant, immediately setting out to banish this evil spirit. But the ghost turns out to be a dorky 16-year-old girl named Yunohana Yuuna (Shimabukuro Miyuri), who is cute and well-endowed. Instead of exorcising her, he agrees to help her overcome the lingering regret that binds her to the living world, which means they will continue living together in a room for the time being. Soon, Kogarashi discovers that the inn is a hotspot for more supernatural activity than he expected, meaning that his daily life certainly won’t fail to excite!

As a rookie mangaka, Miura Tadahiro wrote a series I really liked called Koisome Momoji. I started following his subsequent releases, and after three years of failing to land a long-term serialisation, he struck gold with Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san, which has been dubbed the spiritual successor of To Love-Ru. This is a weighty claim it fully lives up to. Back in the days, tosh (of Shokugeki fame) was once an assistant to Miura, which should speak to Miura’s credentials as an ecchi artist. And while there’s a lack of timey wimey sci-fi aliens, the supernatural serves as an adequate replacement for the ecchi shenanigans, generously laden with misunderstandings. However, the staff is questionable. As well as having limited experience in the role, Nagasawa Tsuyoshi’s only success as a director came long ago, with Haiyore! Nyaruko-san in 2012, whereas the recent Clockwork Planet sticks out as a sore thumb. Koyasu Hideaki barely has any series compositions to his name, and most of them weren’t memorable. Fortunately, I’m expecting the musical score to be pretty good with both Kikuya Tomoki and Aketagawa Jin on board, so there will definitely be awesome accompanying tracks for the actions scenes. Regardless of staff concerns, I’d say it’s pretty difficult to mess up such a simple and honest premise, where action and fanservice are both tinged by spiritual elements. Expect Yuragi-sou to be a complete package of supernatural fun!

Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Passerby

Cities have historically been dangerous places. Packing so many people and their dwellings in one place invites both disease and disaster, and back in the day one of the statistically easiest ways to lower one’s life expectancy was to move to the city. This was no less true for Tokyo, especially before it was called Tokyo and was instead called Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. We may take for granted our modern public health infrastructure and emergency services, but the people of old Edo had little recourse against Japan’s infamous earthquakes and tidal turbulence. In fact, in the Fukugawa ward, fires and floods were so common that, rather than anachronistically invent fire insurance to protect their assets, residents decided to outsource their material possessions. Instead of buying their own pots and futons and clothes — things that will weigh them down when fleeing — they rented them from specialised shops. In Tsukumogami Kashimasu, one such shop, the Izumaya, is run by Okou (Komatsu Mikako) and her younger brother Seiji (Enoki Junya), but their humble store deals in more than mundane household appliances. According to Shinto mythology, man-made items can, after a century of abandonment and disuse, gain life as spirits called ‘tsukumogami’. The sibling can see and talk to these spirits, and sometimes even rent them out to customers. Some of their clientèle have some unique problems, and perhaps can be aided by just a bit of supernatural assistance.

Wow, two-thirds of the shows I preview this season are period pieces. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. Period pieces are one of the more interesting ways to learn history, as long as you consider learning history to be more than just memorising dates. And it is. History is nothing without culture, and that’s what Tsukumogami Kashimasu, based on the novel by Hatakenaka Megumi, provides. As a bonus, the supernatural elements also gives us a look into the mythology of the era, and if any of you are Tolkien fans you’ll understand the fascinating interplay between culture, mythology and language. Besides all the needlessly high-brow stuff, Tsukumogami Kashimasu looks to be a charming little show. Sure, neither director Murata Masahiko nor screenwriter Shimoyama Kento have particularly impressive records, and Telecom Animation Film is not an industry titan by any stretch, but the execution challenge of Tsukugami Kashimasu is not particularly high. It’ll be a pleasant slice-of-life with a dash of the supernatural mixed. Can’t really go wrong with those.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

One year after the second season of Isayama Hajime’s blockbuster manga, Wit Studio returns with the third instalment of Shingeki no Kyojin, a prospect that is bound to excite anime fans worldwide. The series takes place in a world where monstrous creatures known as Titans have put humanity on the brink of extinction, with the last vestiges of civilisation retreating behind walled off cities. Following one hundred years of peace, the sudden arrival of a new Colossal Titan leads to the destruction of the city’s outer walls. And on that day, mankind received a grim reminder that they lived in fear of the Titans, disgraced to live in these cages called walls. Having survived the initial onslaught, two children – Eren Yaeger (Kaji Yuuki) and Mikasa Ackerman (Ishikawa Yui) – find themselves at the centre of the fight for humanity’s survival as they join the Survey Corps, a military branch in charge of exploring and reclaiming territory outside the city’s protective walls. At the end of season two, in the face of despair, Eren awakens a power deep inside of him that the Titans seem to be after. Can he use his newfound ability to pave a way for humanity to prevail, or will it spell the end for civilisation as our characters know it?

For those that need an explanation, after its first season in 2013, Shingeki no Kyojin became one of the most popular and recognizable series of the last decade, briefly rivaling the likes of One Piece in terms of sales. As stated by Zephyr in his preview for S2, it rose to fame on the backs of its blade-wielding protagonists, nightmare-inducing enemies, and dramatic plot twists. This was a series whose opening sequence alone inspired a wave of memes and recreations, and it blew up to a point where it was impossible not to stumble onto something Titan related even if you weren’t watching the show. The third season announcement immediately followed the end of the second season, with Wit Studio and the same staff returning for a slice of the action. Consequently, there’s no reason to expect anything different outside of continued success for this franchise, even if some of the hype has cooled down in recent years. As someone who keeps up with the manga, the upcoming arc wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. But with a focus on political machinations that rivals Game of Thrones, in both complexity and brutality, I’m sure my sentiment won’t be shared by the majority of fans.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Passerby

Japan has a problem the supernatural. Vengeful ghosts haunt public places, mischievous spirits pester honest citizens, and all manner grotesque beasts pose dangers for civilised society. Mundane law enforcement is not equipped to deal with these supernatural crimes, and thus a new ordinance is passed: to punish magical crimes, one needs magical laws! And obviously, to prosecute magical laws, one needs magical lawyers. Duh. Enter Muhyo Torou (Murase Ayumu) and Kusano ‘Rouji’ Jirou (Hayashi Yuu). One is a young prodigy and merciless executor of the magical law. The other is his friend/apprentice/lackey. Together, they fight crime! Specifically, they run the creatively named Muhyo & Rouji’s Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, where they take on cases brought to them by concerned victims. In this capacity Muhyo is not just a lawyer, but also the judge, jury and executioner, deciding the fate of the spirits he exorcises. Most only need be banished or sent on their way, but there also exists true evil, and there’s only one thing to do: condemn it straight to hell.

The original Muhyo to Rouji no Mahouritsu Soudan Jimusho manga by Nishi Yoshiyuki ended back in 2008, clocking in at a healthy 18 volumes. Now in 2018, a good ten years after, it’s getting a sequel, which means it’s a good time to launch an anime adaptation of the first series to drum up publicity and get new fans up to speed. Which brings us here. The actual story is something of a cross between paranormal mystery and human drama, in which some mundane conflict inevitably leads to a supernatural problem and both need to be resolved jointly. That’s a common enough premise in anime and brought us hits like Bakemonogatari and Mushishi, though in this case it’s a significantly simpler narrative spiced with some magical legalese that brings up themes of tempering justice with mercy. It’s also very ‘shounen’, having strings of monsters-of-the-week that must be defeated with magical powers. Appropriately, we have a shounen director Kondo Nobuhiro in the big chair and Naruto screenwriter Suzuki Yasuyuki on series composition, and they are workhorses who should do well with Muhyo & Rouji. It’s set to be a good time, and if you’ve been interested in the new manga this year there’s scarcely a better way to catch up than a round of anime.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: Average

Technical Note: As of the Fall 2016 Preview onward, short one-cour series that are being broadcast with irregular duration times (under the 24 minute per episode norm) have been separated from the main preview into their own section. This is to account for the increasing number of short series and to allow for ease of viewing for those who have a preference for one type of series over another. While the list should be complete, two notes: we have excluded shows intended for younger audiences, and there are short series that have been announced very close to the start of a season that may not have made it onto the list. If you notice an anything missing, incomplete, or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail Passerby directly.

Technical Note: OVAs are sorted by the date they are released. For series that have multiple episodes coming out over the course of the season, please refer to the Notes column for additional dates. More information on each OVA can be found on their respective websites, including promotional videos in some cases. Movie premiere dates are not included since they don’t mean a whole lot to viewers outside of Japan. BD/DVD movie releases are, however. This list is likely incomplete and will be updated as more titles surface (usually by the next season’s preview). If you notice anything missing or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail one of us directly (Stilts, Zephyr).

Once could be a fluke, but twice is a pattern. After recent summers have been surprisingly strong, it was something of a surprise when summer 2017 rolled around with a relatively weak line up, but now that summer 2018 has pulled the same trick, we shouldn’t be surprised. Yes I, Stilts, the eternal optimist, am a bit down on this anime season. Not because there’s nothing good to watch—there’s always something fun to watch—but because there’s not much of it, and because few shows seem to be reaching for the stars. Maybe the studios tired themselves out in spring, and now they’re unloading their more sketchy offerings. Maybe there are a ton of sleeper hits lurking amid these premises, and time will prove them out. Or maybe everyone didn’t want to compete for attention with Shingeki no Kyojin. Whatever the case, there are still good anime to be had, we all just may need to dig deeper and give more series a chance, or finally work on those backlogs we’re all lying to ourselves about all the time.

As for levels, we’ll continue with the Excitement Levels introduced last year, which includes four main levels plus Established for special cases. Our goal with this change was to make it easier to use the top and bottom of the scale, and to take away the incentive to hedge our bets—after all, we’re not saying these shows will be good or bad, we’re just saying how excited we are. Exciting things can be flawed, and unambitious things can be fun! Hopefully this guide will help those of you with limited time understand which shows to try first, based on our preliminary examination of each show’s staff, seiyuu, and source material. Failing that, it’ll give you another reason to laugh when we get all hyped up about a show that ended up failing in spectacular fashion.

As usual, these levels were arrived at by our regular (and reliably shady) “Excitement Council” of Passerby, Zephyr, and yours truly, Stilts. While we’ve gone to great lengths to consider multiple viewpoints and not get swept away by their own proclivities, these aren’t predictions, and shouldn’t be taken as such. Take these labels with the requisite helping of salt.

Note: Lists are sorted in alphabetical order.

High excitement shows are the ones we’re truly pumped about. These are the shows we want to watch the most, and which we think have a good chance of being exemplars of their kind — or at least come close. Shows in this category might be sequels to excellent anime, adaptations of highly regarded source material, projects with stellar pedigrees, or even originals that just light up our minds. They don’t have to be perfect, but they do have to feel like something special. If you consider yourself a casual fan who only gets your toes wet every season, then these are the shows we feel you should most keep an eye on.

Optimistic shows are ones that we’re hopeful will be really good, and which we have good reasons to think they might be. The underpinnings of these are generally strong, with a lot to suggest in each of them, but with one or two elements that give us pause and keep our enthusiasm from boiling over. They still have most of the makings of very strong series, though, and many stellar anime will arise from this category. If you’ve exhausted all the High shows, or want to delve deeper into your favored genres, check out these as well.

Average excitement shows look middle-of-the-road to us. They could be good or they could be bad, but they don’t provide much immediate indication that they’ll be amazing in retrospect. This is often the case with shows that are firmly ensconced in their genres’ tropes, or which overly rely on some of anime’s overused plot devices. It can also apply to shows that seem deeply flawed, with elements that could make them amazing, but with so many potential pitfalls that we’re not getting hyped up. However, in many of our experiences these shows still provide a great deal of entertainment, and may turn out a lot better than they appear. Personal taste comes heavily into play, so your mileage will vary.

Limited excitement shows are ones that we simply aren’t all that excited about. They often don’t seem to be striving for much, and choose to focus on more frivolous aspects such as senseless humor and fanservice. Other times they’re doing the same thing we’ve seen a thousand times, with few mitigating signs that they’ll rise above their tropes. That doesn’t mean they’re the bottom of the barrel and shouldn’t get any consideration, but simply that they’re not doing a lot to suggest themselves. Keep in mind what kind of show they are, though, and you might find something you enjoy amid this cohort.

Established shows are any series that has aired for more than 40 episodes or has been previewed three or more times. This can include anything from never-ending shounen and decade-spanning dramas to that quirky comedy that keeps getting renewed season after season. The only commonality is that they’ve aired a lot of episodes, and that they’re the kind of show that most viewers will want to catch up on all the previous content before watching the new. Spin-offs and remakes don’t automatically qualify, since they’re considered new series.