#japanese free to air is so funny

[website-com]

FUCK YES ! my dorm will have a stovetop. never been more hyped

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

I am moving this round up to Saturdays through end of year, as we have two great late in the week shows airing that I want to be able to post about in a more timely manner. Please note: the final episode of Smells Like Green Spirit has been delayed due to people once again misbehaving and disrespecting fan subbers. I will cover it once it gets released more broadly. These are all streaming on Gaga or provided via fansub (feel free to ask if you don’t know where to find them).

Our Youth

This show continues to be compelling as hell as well as technically impressive--it's a high quality drama all around. This week Minase and Hirukawa grew closer as they invited each other into their respective homes and talked cinema. Minase continues to seek out and care about Hirukawa despite everyone around him telling him not to, and Hirukawa continues to be brave about asking Minase for what he wants. These characters are already sticking with me.

Love is Like a Poison

The Battle Couple era continues, with Haruto and Shiba teaming up to convince a witness to testify for their side in court. In the end they got outmaneuvered, as Shiba's former mentor got to the witness and convinced him to change his testimony (or perhaps set him up as bait for Haruto and Shiba from the beginning). Despite this setback, they battled through their insecurities about failing each other and resolved to keep fighting together, which is good because it looks like the shit is finally about to hit the fan re: Haruto's scamming past.

Love in the Air Koi

Episodes 2 and 3 of this show continued to be solid, and I am having a lot of fun thinking about the Thai show it's adapting and comparing the two as we go along. I don't think either version is superior to the other, they just feel different in interesting ways. I like that Rei feels more knowing about what is going on with Arashi in this one, but there are still scenes I think the Thai version did better. In today's episode I noted the changes to their final scene together at Arashi's house and how the Japanese version changed the order of some of the action and dialogue in a way that made it all feel colder, in addition to ending on that abrupt cliffhanger implying Arashi is telling Rei to back off. I'm curious to see where the next episode goes and why they shifted the scene in that way. In the meantime, I'm grateful that they added a dream sequence for Rei to make sure we still got our dose of shirtless Arashi for the week.

The Fragrance You Inherit

This family drama with an unrequited lesbian love story at its heart has started airing in Japan, and @isaksbestpillow is generously providing subtitles so international fans can watch. I really loved the first episode; Sakura is an easy character to root for, her relationship with her son is adorable, and the show is smart and funny as it navigates her life as a single mom and her feelings about her lost love and seeing her again via their children coincidentally meeting and dating. Plus, Takeda Kouhei of Old Fashion Cupcake is here playing Sakura's longtime friend! Looking forward to more of this one.

[rikeijo]

Hi, I'd like to ask how fans in Japan have reacted to the movie cancellation and if you have any theories about the reasons behind the decision. I saw fans speculating that it was cancelled because of geopolitics (main character is Russian -> war, doping, anti-lgbtq laws etc.) and I think that would be really tone-deaf. A mostly finished movie doesn't get shelved without very good reasons.

Thank you so much for your translations. Hope you're okay over there!

Hi, thank you for your ask!

Yeah, that's right! Most people assume it's because of politics. It would make sense if IceAdo problems haven't started loong before the War. Japanese fandom is very hostile to any controversies (as an example, YoI still has the reputation of being 'copyright infringement anime', because of background of that one scene that was aired almost 10 years ago), so the idea of anime that may be interpreted as praising the country, that attacked another country and in addition to that, their skaters are cheaters and were banned from competitions is just not something that sits well with a lot of otakus. Not even necessarily because they are so noble etc., but because it means that their beloved anime is an easy target for (difficult to dispute) hate from antis.

The movie, however, I'm 99% sure, was cancelled because of money. Not because of MAPPA, of course, they don't have the rights to cancel it - Otsuka CEO was whining about not having enough power in production committees in relatively recent interviews (funny how he even mentioned specifically YoI's situation, isn't it? here). The rights to YoI are owned by Avex Pictures, it's their trademark.

It's really very simple - in January of 2019, the teaser was released in Jp cinemas together with the TV series split into 3 parts. Even though they had merch with new illustration as a free gift for every person that bought the ticket, most screening were like 90% empty. VicYuu fujos celebrated that the teaser without their uke, Yuuri, flopped and feminine Victor movie will likely flop now (I'm not going to post a link to their online archive because it's cursed, but it's easy to find) - I mean literally, they celebrated. After the teaser, the production committee just stopped caring about the IP. It's possible that after that they still tired behind the scene to make it work somehow, but I've also seen rumors recently that Sayo run away from the production (with a nuance of 'she had enough and just disappeared on them').

Here you can read a Jp anime journalist's analysis of the possible reasons behind cancelling of shows like YoI, and he also points out that it's mainly just about saying goodbye to unprofitable IPs.

[nanamimizz]

i’ve heard u have some…dubcon sae thoughts lamb…….

𝐅𝚶𝐑 𝐌𝚬 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝚶𝐑 𝐌𝚬 𝚶𝐍𝐋𝐘

Tags: fem! Reader dubcon, fingering, somnophilia, established relationship, reader’s clothes are described as “skimpy”, possessiveness, reader has japanese nationally (they grew up there!) - let me know if i missed something

Synopsis:  You’re the only thing Sae loves from Japan, so just keep being pretty for him?

Sae gets home from his red-eye flight at two in the morning - some parts of the cities are still alive but your apartment is dead quiet, the lights are out and he’s sure when he steps in you’ll be in bed. Tucked in your too-soft blankets that are soft and fuzzy because you always run too cold for your own good. He bets you even have that little pink bear that you’ve had since you were a baby; you always bring it into your bed when you miss him. Sae can’t help but think it’s cute, how earnestly you miss him even if all he’ll do is scoff and keep his cool facade.

You gave him keys to your place a long time ago, a little too soon in his opinion but he’s glad you trust him enough to enter your home when he’s too tired for the long trip to his family home. The scent of honey and vanilla is in the air, a ghost of a smile on his handsome face when he sees you light the candle he brought you from Spain. The soft green of the wax reminded him of you - you were his green, his safe space like an open meadow free from any sort of worry. He sets his bag down quietly and takes off his shoes, putting them aside neatly in the clean space that shines in the soft light from the lamps in the hall that automatically turn on and off. As he walks further into your home he makes his way to the closet in the hallway, it’s where you store his spare clothes for when he drops by. 

Sae is almost jealous. You have an unspoken talent for laundry, all his clothes come out smelling nicer and feeling softer when they are washed under your careful hands than his. A new set of clothes in hand he makes his way to take a quick shower - you enjoy keeping clean and Sae would rather die than bring the germs from the plane into your bed sheets that he knows you washed today. When he sees his products lining your shower he hums amusedly when grabs his shampoo and begins to lather the product in his hair.

You had even stocked up for him. How cute, how earnest, how could Sae ever stay away from you?

He’s all done now, in fifteen minutes or less, and pads quietly into your bedroom. Sae rarely smiles, wearing his emotions openly was something he never needed to do around Rin but when he went overseas at the tender age of fifteen it became his outer shell more than anything else. Now, it’s a habit he can’t curve but it helps when you are asleep and he can smile broadly as your sleeping form; your face is being smushed into the pillow and he was right, you did have the little bear at your side.

You had missed him something fierce this time around and his hand is out to pet your head in a way that makes you drowsy. Sae shakes his head when he hears sleepily mumble something that sounds like the three letters of his name and he feels you getting closer to his hand. The crown of your head fits perfectly into the palm of his hand and Sae can’t help but think if that’s what your heart weighs. He pulls back the sheets, the smell of your detergent and it’s funny how well Sae knows-

Oh.

Sae Itoshi did not expect this.

He was right about everything but what you wore to bed, makes him freeze in place. Never before had he seen so much of your skin and even his stoic outer shell crumbles when he can so blatantly take in the curve of your stomach and the swell of your hips. A soft black top that shows off your belly and shoulders paired with panties he’s never seen before. Charcoal gray, low on your hips, and trimmed by lace. Sae swallows around the lump in his throat when he greedily consumes how the skimpy underwear rests below your belly button - he can see the cute birthmark you have underneath it and it takes all he has in his heart to stop himself from reaching out to kiss the little spot.

The puppet master knows not what to do when he does not hold the strings, he wonders if maybe they have been held in your comparable dainty hand all this time.

His hand twitches and for once Sae moves without careful foresight, letting the tips of his fingers trace up the soft swell of your thighs. You’re ticklish so even the slightest touch makes you twitch and make a soft little noise that is too muddled by sleep for him to read what it means. He folds the blanket away and you whine, there is something charming in the way you curl up under him from the loss of warmth. His hands grow greedy, and the tips of his fingers become his palms to skim against the skin of your exposed belly.

He wonders if this is why cats purr as there is a flower of contentment in his chest as he paws at your skin and where he is all hard lines and definition your skin is satin and silk and all things smooth in the world. Sae doesn’t know what’s come over him, in a blink of an eye his gentle touches turn hungry and they take to separate ways. His right hand goes to the north where the swell of your chest is more prominent and his left hand goes to where your thighs meet. Desire is a tricky thing, blindsiding not only you but the object of your wanting too - it’s why you wake up with a jolt and a sleepy call of his name on your lips.

“Sae? What are you-”

“Shh, it’s okay just lay back.” he cuts off with a whisper that is as gentle as it is wicked and Sae lets his fingers sink into the plush of your breast as he traces the gusset of your panties.

“W-when did you get back?” He answers you with a hum, following the seam of your underwear until he finds the pretty little lacy that frames the soft plush of your bottom. His thumb digs into the fat, tracing the stretching marks and thumbing the cute little birthmark you have on your cheek.

“Just got here - tonight. Was going to join you in bed but then I saw you wearing this skimpy shit for me and I couldn’t help myself.” He whispers as he peels back your panties only to laugh under his breath when he can see the way a string of slick clings to the fabric. Your hand blindly reaches out, barely getting to his wrist before you feel it - his fingers swiping through your damp folds.

“Ah, Sae it’s not skimpy, s’not for you and - Sae wait please I’m too sleepy,” You whine back, twisting and arching your back as his fingers find the swelling pearl of your clit and begin to swipe at it in the way that your knees tremble. His body follows yours and he bends over you until his mouth is to your ear.

“You can go back to bed if you want. This is more for me than for you, you’re the prettiest for me when you cum.” You shudder into the pillows, turning your face back into them as you fall into a state of half sleepiness and half pleasure lidded. Sae’s finger slips inside and with the precision of a machine, he finds all your weak spots like he hasn’t been gone for four months across the world.

You moan girlish little sounds - high and thin into the pillow and you can hear Sae tease you from above you, “What? I thought you were too sleepy for this?” You don’t even have it in you to say anything back, only further melting in your place between the bed and the hardness you feel above you. In the low light, he sits back on his haunches still giving you his fingers as he watches the clear, tacky slick that seeps from you and clings to his hand down to his wrist.

“You expect me to believe this isn’t skimpy? Bet you wanted this to happen, wanted to get your little cunt finger fucked by your boyfriend, huh?” He whispers to you, loud enough that you can hear because he knows you’re still awake, the pleasure thrumming in your system too much to let you sleep deeply and truly. Your back arches deeper this time and you squeal as the band of heat that had been growing in your stomach - right underneath that cute little birthmark under your belly button snaps as you gush down the lines of his palm. Whines and huffs leave your lips, you sound like a little puppy which only endears him more to you if that was possible.

Sae feels you twitch when you feel the heat that’s being pressed against your too-sensitive cunt, his crouching all around you now, letting you feel the bulge in his sweats.

“Everything about you is for me and me only. Don’t ever forget it, got it?” You lift your face from the pillows and something in him coos at how water your eyes are as you blink away the remaining sleep that had tucked itself into them. Teal eyes glow green from greed as he looks down at you through unstyled mauve hair.

“Let me do the work, just be pretty for me, yeah?” You nod, because everything about you is for Sae and Sae only.

[kaiowut99]

ARC-V “Dub-Uncut” Series Masterpost - A Lance99 Project

Ladies and gentlemen! (And all in between!)

Thought to get a little masterpost going for this [mini?-]project and compile stuff as more ground gets broken on this, lol. As mentioned in my release of episode 1, this is a project that's been on the backburner for a while as I worked on other things (and dealt with a drive failure in '22 that made me have to restart)--the original catalyst being an attempted Dub/JP OST edit years back with episode 10 [being a fave of mine] that I got up to the eyecatch with prior to stuff like UltimateVocalRemover providing much cleaner vocal isolation--and after working on/off on it for a while, I dipped into it more over the past few months to finally get it polished and finished up.

If you were around for my little 5D's "dub-uncut" mini-project working off the erroneously-uploaded-without-music episodes uploaded to the official Spanish YGO YouTube channel a few years back (and if you weren't, do feel free to check it out!), the concept here is pretty much the same: I find that there's some potential in the 4K/KCM dubs, but overall it's usually hampered by the dub's music [which especially hurts for ARC-V given the solid Japanese score by Kotaro Nakagawa], some writing/voice-direction choices, and other little oddities/cuts; the goal is to re-score the dub with the Japanese soundtrack, while also modifying the dialogue in spots to be closer to the Japanese dialogue while editing it to the Japanese footage (using either dialogue from other episodes or Duel Links/Cross Duel voicelines as needed)--oh, and also fixing "Zuzu" back "Yuzu" bc why. There may be some scenes where I'll have to use the Japanese audio with subs if 4K cut something and I couldn't quite work enough editing magic to make something work, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. And I'm hoping to do a fair amount of episodes, but would love to work on the whole series if able.

Along with the more accurately-paced dialogue, I’ve also translated the OP/EN (using the singable translations I've worked on for the lyrics), the title cards, and previews (where I also threw in the corresponding lines to the Japanese preview from the next episode, if able) to give this an actual “What if they actually did this uncut” feel, along with some visual translation edits to that effect as feasible. I also commissioned voiceover artist mattsindt over on Fiverr to provide narration for the pre-OP prologues used throughout ARC-V that weren't dubbed, and I love how they all came out. I'll be going into more of the specifics with each episode’s own release post, as I did with episode 1's, so check out the tag here to see what I’ve done with them! If you’re curious about how things look/sound as I edit everything, check out the work-in-progress videos and posts I’ve done here.

Footage-wise, I chose to work off the raw DVD video I've had for years (encodes for episodes 1-4 provided by GX_ST), largely because they have touchups done to the art/animation after the episodes' airings on TV that aren't used in the CR/Amazon TV masters that make up the 1080p downloads available. (I do think the dub itself works off the DVD masters overall, and I may see if it's feasible to try and splice that footage as needed with the 1080p downloads, since the DVD masters are unfortunately not at their total best for a show that aired in HD... pls save us Discotek].) (That said, I might shift to those in mid-Synchro since that's about as far as the saved DVD footage I have goes, so... we'll see, lol.)

I'll also be posting these over for download over on NeoArkCradle (where I also share my GX subbing work), with both a) the more hardsubbed video using the translated OP/EN and visual translations and b) dual-audio .mkv files using Crunchyroll's subs as edited by me for the JP audio (funny how I said years back I wouldn't sub ARC-V since CR took the wheel on it, but with the revisions I made/will make to be more faithful, I guess I am in some way lol), along with "Signs/Lyrics" subs for the dubbed and Japanese audio, which may also contain dub corrections as needed depending on how later episodes go.

Anywho, the show must go on, so check these out below! And always check this original post as episodes are added or in case any of the links break! Note that season breaks are denoted like this; arc breaks are in italics.

Current Update (11/27/24): Project launch! Episode 1 is now live below.

Pre-Maiami Championship Arc

A Trail of Light -- The Pendulum Summon (Swing Into Action)

[thisispoggers]

Heyyyy! I've got fandom questions for yaaaaa

1) What is the best season of Supa Strikas for you?

2) What team in the Supa Strikas Universe would you play for?

3) Any headcanons?

OOOOOOHHH QUESTIONS FOR MOI??

1. Best Season?

Season 1 is my favourite as it is my literal start to the series! But when it comes to best season then I’d say Season 6 cuz they got bangers, El Life is my favourite of that season cuz El Matador is far too funny and I just love him sm

2. What team would you play for?

None cuz I’m not athletic and I trip on thin air I’d probably go for either Technicalli or Orion cuz I get to have access to tech cuz I’m a player?? Hell yeah!

3. Headcanons?

K so

Jomo is still alive and kicking (HEHEHEHEH pls laugh I’m funny) but he kept up a lie so Vince doesn’t actually know his true whereabouts (and plotting something too idk) (I need more Jomo Lore istg)

Shakes learns a couple other languages cuz Brislovian took him down a rabbit hole and now he knows a bit of Spanish and Japanese (Tiger helped!)

El Matador hosts Guy’s Nights at his place where he would spill the latest gossip and force everyone to have an everything spa day cuz in the off-season he’s so done with bunking with them and having to deal with the STENCH of the room cuz istg these guys don’t even have extra socks and still kept using the same pair for practice and on the game

Blok knows how to sew cuz he would repair his plushies and he would sometimes make quilts and other handmade stuff for the team

Rasta has a small personal library that he stores books he collected over the years, he reads in his free time and often recommends his favourites to the rest of the team

North Shaw takes the guys out camping whenever they got the time and often times it ends up in disaster either cuz El Matador is trying to escape to civilisation and got lost or North tried to climb the tallest tree and almost fell

Cool Joe hosts karaoke nights at his place (or plan with Rasta!) and would have to fight off Klaus and El Matador off the microphone cuz those two suck at singing but they always hog the machine

Tiger sometimes talks with the Nakama Team during off-season (behind Ura Giri’s back ofc) cuz he reconciled with them after the entire “Between Friends” incident, him and Miko chat more often tho

Big Bo won prettiest Supa Strikas Member in an online poll and he sometimes jokes about it to El Matador (he doesn’t care that much cuz he finds it funny but El Matador was salty about coming in 3rd)

Klaus often talks Shakes’s ear out about his nerd findings and somehow Shakes can keep up with him cuz he also knows the lingo (he also knows how to bake!)

[baronaliswritingcorner]

TOS Replay Stray Thoughts #1:

Ahh, playing Tales of Symphonia is like coming home. ❤️

It's been some time since I wrapped up my years-long 100% completion run, so just for fun, I'll provide some wisened/wisecracking commentary along the way. Starting...NOW!!!

-As I'm playing the GC version, it's funny how I went from "the NA opening instrumental is totally rad and Starry Heavens is generic anime schlock" to, uh, kinda the opposite.

To this TOS veteran, said instrumental still "represents" the game for me, but in retrospect removing the Japanese songs is a really cynical practice. (And I'm saying this as someone who doesn't care for Modern Tales at all.)

-HNNNNGGHHH THAT ISELIA THEME JUST INSTANTLY DROWNS YOU WITH NOSTALGIA JUST LISTEN TO THAT RUSTIC AIR

(Seriously, what's up with the different instrument in the PS2/OST versions??? Dunno what that sound is, but it's no good.)

-Who is Vidarr? What's his deal? No one knows, but I'm thinking he's in desperate need of a character study -- one diving into the complex themes of Do Not Get In Our Way and Ugh I Lost To A Bunch Of Kids.

-"I gave the Chosen a lifetime's supply of gels for her journey!"

Then where are they, guy? 'Cause I didn't get a single one when they joined my party.

(There's a story here...were they lost in a tragic accident? Or is Kratos a gel addict?)

-"What are you saying? Do you realize how many died here because of him?"

Scott Menville condemning Scott Menville.

-Kratos in Triet: Lloyd, you are growing stronger -- you've realized you can't just swing your swords mindlessly.

Also Kratos in Triet: Your swordsmanship is bad and you should feel bad.

(Both in-character! But they're bundled too closely.)

-Colette: ohnoitsbroken

That needed another take.

-Lloyd shoots a Renegade with the Sorcerer's Ring and that frees him because??? (As you can tell, nitpicking's a habit of mine.)

-One storytelling flaw of TOS -- particularly in the first act -- is that it's a little *too* frontloaded with foreshadowing. It practically spells out Colette's fate no less than three times before you leave Iselia! That resigned "yeah" of hers on Lloyd's balcony was enough.

-I love Clumsy Colette, but I've always felt Ditzy Colette comes off as a little too dumb/mean-spirited. (Never liked the "you need to act more Chosen-like!" scene early on) I guess you could say it's a coping mechanism of sorts to distract herself from her inevitable death, but I don't know if that works.

-"You got re-ject-ed!"

See, even Genis knows Lloyd and Colette are meant to be. Oh, sure, he's laughing at Lloyd's expense now, but he's crying on the inside. I promise.

Annnnd that's it for now! I'll be posting more thoughts on the regular, so stay tuned for further Tales of Symphonia geekiness!

[prettysweetprettysweet]

I cannot fully express it with words but Cherry Magic (Thai version) is an infinite source of joy for me right now and I want you to watch it!! Its up both on MKVdrama (1080 res) and Dramacool (720 res) and airs for free on Viu every Saturday (you need a VPN set to Thailand or one of its other streaming countries). Please let me pitch it to you:

If you aren't familiar with the Japanese source material + TV show/movie, Cherry Magic is about an 'unaccomplished' 30 year old office admin who hasn't met any major life milestones yet, and is still a virgin. He eventually learns that if you're still a virgin by your 30th birthday, you will develop the ability to read the thoughts of anyone you come into physical contact with. With this new ability, he discovers that the kindest, most hardworking, most handsome and universally desired man in the office has a wild crush on him. The show has married the source material with Thai culture beautifully while also paying homage to its Japanese roots, and uses the culture change to build on and enrich the story in a lot of ways. It is delightfully sweet, funny, and vibrant.

New Thitipoom plays Achi, the office admin. New has a particularly special gift with physical comedy. He is also very, very beautiful.

And Tay Tawan, who is one of the most charismatic actors in Thai entertainment right now, plays Karan, who is so sweet and pure and gorgeous and lovely in all of his genuine affection for Achi.

PLEASE WATCH IT AND THEN REPORT BACK TO ME TO WITH YOUR THOUGHTS AND WHALE SCREAMS

[runabout-river]

Thoughts on JJK chapter 243 (Spoilers)

Can you believe that some people seriously say that JJK is predictable???

Anyway, Gege subverted the BoBo theory by cutting right to the end and finishing the Takaba "fight" with 4 chapters. The end of the last chapter did feel like this one would be the finale (so Gege is consistent in his writing) but I believed in the BoBo theory too when I heard it 😤

Kenjaku and Takaba make their duo sketch and it was funny to read but I personally never watch this type of (Japanese) show so it was a little left field for me.

There were also these three judges(?) who I'm reasonably sure are real people. Like, look at that face! It has way too much detail and that guy has 5x more of a nose than Gojo.

I'm going to take these tidbits of information as true for Kenjaku's character. That guy lacks a backstory, so now he (or she) grew up without a father and (s)he doesn't eat anything that someone else has touched. Canon

Is this true foreshadowing or is Gege playing with our expectations again? As far as Gojo was concerned, they had to have him go solo but for the rest 🤔 And for Kenjaku too they went one after the other but at least here it seems to have worked

And on the sign the woman is holding: Take your stitches off is just the SFW version of take your clothes off but more morbid because it's Kenjaku 😂

In 4 chapters only, Gege created a brand-new relationship dynamic between Takaba and Kenjaku. It's really impressive actually and adds so much to Kenjaku's character. The last time we saw him this personable was with the Disaster Curses and that's been a long time

Now right here comes the fucking twist!

The good guys made the right play! Their plan succeeded! Kenjaku lost his head! (And somehow he still has air from somewhere to talk)

But this feels so early that I have doubts that it really happened like this. It feels like Kenjaku's story still needs to be told and that he should've had an actual fight before he died.

So some thoughts:

Kenjaku is only a brain. Can his brain be transferred to a new body like this?

What if Takaba doesn't want his new buddy to die? What if he puts Kenjaku's head in a glass cylinder and walks off with him and as long as he's funny Kenny lives on?

Who tf is going to inherit his will? Kenjaku has absolutely no one around him to do that for him. It's not Choso, he wanted to kill that son, so could it be Yuji?

I doubt that it's Yuji. He's too unpredictable except Kenjaku meant his will being passed on more as a bomb that will go off and not a person to finish his plans

Could Kaori, Yuji's mother, or maybe even his father come back into play here? Or maybe another offspring from him.

If Kenjaku is really dead right now, then the backstory that's missing of him will most likely come with a flashback or a Kenjaku centric chapter where we'll hear his thoughts about everything

Toji didn't kill Geto in HI because he didn't know what would happen with the curses he kept in his body. That circumstance is back again, so it could happen that an unbelievable amount of curses are going to get loose

I just wrote my theory on a potential short term revival of Nanami. At the end, on why that wouldn't happen at this time, I said that he wasn't needed because 90% of the good guys don't have anything to do right now. They only had 3 villains! Not even fodder was there to fight! But with the potential of hundreds of curses roaming free and a new villain, Nanami might get needed in the future

In the end, Gege does his own unbelievably unpredictable things and I'm all here for it.

[rokudokei]

Because I was bored and GL players often ask me about the ship. Full disclaimer, I'm not forcing my preferences on anyone, I mostly wrote this for me for fun, and several people who are fluent in Japanese helped make this article who had no bias. While I do love their relationship, I like both as individual characters as well, and my biggest memories in the game are tied to the game itself. Hamelin is my CC.

Pre-debute. Sadly it is deleted from the official YT page, but Hamelin had a debute stream. In this stream it was said Hamelin was designed with Aladdin in mind, and that they are going to be meeting soon in the upcoming event (Butler) and that they would be important to each other for later. Several jokes about the ship was made, and they even gave everyone a questionable stamp for both in the same event that when put together, looked very… suspicious. It was almost as if they wanted players to ship them. I had Lily's permission to use screenshots from her own post.

First event -Butler Halloween I feel their first meeting is very important. Hamelin did not like Aladdin despite the fact Aladdin was his usual gentle, kind self to him. He felt his obsession with money was unsightly, and he called him a bother. Aladdin defends Hamelin when Pino says Hamelin is weird, saying everyone is a little weird. Aladdin grew wary of Hamelin's cold demeaner and began to not trust him, but decided to partner up with him in this event anyways. He questions Hamelin's motifs, which Hamelin takes offense to. Hamelin also insists he doesn't need Aladdin's help. They get in each other's faces and grin to which Pinocchio trembles in fear. They clear the air with each other and decided to go on a hunting game, which causes Aladdin to have so much fun he loses track of time and how many beasts they captured. They don't get any more one-on-one time together and this is unrelated but get his ass Gretel lives rent free in my mind forever. Thanks Global. The two had a pretty rocky start, needless to say.

Many ads were done for this event due to the game having their second male. Some of these ads made it look as though they were a couple on Pixiv (yeah yeah I am aware of how advertising works thanks) Interestingly they were also featured in a BL magazine together. They also became the app icon for October 2019 together.

Side evidence 1: Hoshi's hammer from the idol collab talks about Aladdin and Hamelin being together and XOXOing. Global censored this for whatever reason. Apparently the joke is that she's into that, but it's still an odd thing to throw out.

Side evidence 2: During the V-day 2021 event, Sleeping says that Aladdin had told her all about how picky Hamelin is. It was then said in a discordant poem the two came to an understanding and have been spending some time together.

Side evidence 3: Aladdin mentions Hamelin checking himself out in the mirror after getting a tan, saying he gets why Hamelin is so fascinated with himself. Even with the context and intention, it's still funny his mind was on Hamelin in that moment.

Side evidence 4: During the Black Butler collab, Hamelin is doing the commentary with the shinigami. Anyways. He cheered Aladdin on several times (Snow too, but he mentions Aladdin more).

Side evidence 5: In Hamelin's wolf hammer, he is brought to a world where wrath reigns and people weren't allowed to honestly talk about their feelings or be moved by art. He thinks back to what was implied to be Act of SIN0 world where genuine love and beauty were absent saying he learned of “loving wholeheartedly, even in the face of adversity" there. Act of SIN0 will be talked about later.

Side evidence 6: Jino has mentioned once in a magazine they were designed to compliment each other. They have the same flower texture in their outfits, Aladdin is wearing Hamelin's colors in the VR outfit where they go to the musuem together in, Aladdin's breaker looks inspired by Hamelin, and so on. Aladdin has a bright color scheme with blonde hair, and Hamelin has a dark color scheme with black hair, and their personalities mesh surprisingly well. A lot of people say Hamelin is just a narcissist with no other qualities, but he has a genuine, good side to him and deep down he cares about others. This was especially shown in the final year. It's clear he gets a soft spot for Aladdin and it's clear Aladdin is one of the only, if not the only, character who trusts Hamelin in the end and enjoys being around him. Both of their stories revolve around politics and money. Halloween VR Event: The two are in a challenge of 'be as fruity as possible every appearance together'. The two have costumes with matching accessories. Dorothy doesn't believe in Aladdin's crypto money scheme, but this time it's Hamelin who defends Aladdin and helps Aladdin take selfies with everyone to get his plan going. The two partner up in this event while the girls do their own thing. Aladdin decides to take Hamelin to an art museum, just the two of them, knowing how much art means to Hamelin. There the two begin to walk and talk and smile and support each other's ideologies. Like the first Halloween event, the two get so into it that they are gone for hours, with Aladdin saying they can just explore the endless museum together anyway. A passer by npc sees them and says the two should go to the main event together since they seem to be having a good time. They do, and it's only by coincidence that they meet up with the other three.

Act of SIN0: Aladdin and Hamelin arrive in our world for two years -they come before any other character and stayed the longest here. It was said the two saw eye to eye right away. Everyone in this world wants beauty and money. The two work so well together and are such a force that they become aids to the Prime Minister in that time. Aladdin and Hamelin refer to each other as partners in this arc, and compliment everything the other does. Hamelin has Aladdin's lamp is marvelous and almost enviable, and that Aladdin's political knowledge and his leadership skills is amazing. Aladdin says he can reply on Hamelin and trusts him. The two begin using each other's catchphrases even and speech mannerisms without even knowing it, pointing it out to the reader even. Aladdin says having a dependable partner like Aladdin is invaluable, and Hamelin says having such a beautiful partner is something he treasures. Everything the two do, they do together, because they see each other as partners and fully believe in each other. They want each other by each other's side and this is clear as the story goes on. When they fight, they are in perfect sync. They say the same thing at the same time. They are perfectly synced. In the chapter with Dorothy and the Pigs, the female devs say they were meant for each other and argue over who is dominant and which one isn't. Hamelin is disgusted by this because they see each other as equals and think letting their desires be shown is ugly. Not that two were disgusted at the idea they could be something more. Interestingly, the devs were pointing out facts in the character's designs here as well, so make of that what you will. The two come up with plans insisting to do them together to save the world, pointing out that they made it this far in this world because they did it together. After they make their plans, Hamelin says Aladdin is efficient and beautiful and that he is happy it was Aladdin who came to our world with him. Aladdin says he is also glad he came here with Hamelin, and says money can't buy the relationship they established. This is a big deal for Aladdin, because he always believed money could buy even love, as seen in his chapter with Rapunzel and even his princess. Hamelin doesn't want anything from Aladdin as well which is a big deal. He just wants him at his side. Things don't go as planned though. The two are hiding out in an apartment outside looking at the Christmas lights and scenery which is rampant with nightmares because their plans failed. But they still had each other. It's also Christmas Eve, which in Japan, is the most romantic holiday of the year. Interesting! Aladdin is completely tired and broken down at this point and asks Hamelin what would happen if one of them also turned into a nightmare. Hamelin sounded really eager when Aladdin called him by his name, but after Aladdin says that, Hamelin sort of laughs it off which is suspicious. The two put their hands on each other's shoulders out of reassurance and look at each other.... But then the Prime Minister comes and Aladdin turns into a nightmare and loses his mind. Because him and Hamelin were holding on to each other, Hamelin was sadly attacked because Aladdin lost his mind. They lay on the ground with each other tangled and covered in blood as midnight hits, and Christmas' first snow falls on their body. It is revealed in hard mode that a detective has been looking at journals Aladdin and Hamelin left to find them. People they worked for said the two often took nights on the town together while they all stayed behind to work. It is also said that Hamelin tried to calm Aladdin down when he saw him transforming. Instead of letting go of him and running, he said they would burn their audits and go hide somewhere but once he realized Aladdin was gone, he despaired and turned into a nightmare too.

Act of Desire: Most of the characters are in groups of three, but Aladdin and Hamelin are seen standing alone together. This doesn't necessarily mean anything though. I'm putting it down anyways just because.

Other: The third anniversary cafe had a drink for the two. A drink in Aladdin's color with Hamelin's glasses. In a q&a on a private post eos stream, Aoki Takt says that the player can determine their relationship and only Taro knows what their status was. The two were frequently together in advertising material. Hamelin has a lot of queer thematics and has shown attraction to males rather than females. Aladdin says gender doesn't matter to him in a partner in the White Day event, though he clearly at the least has a female preference. Several characters over the years have pointed out how close the two were getting. The two frequently vagued each other in events they were in. Learning money can't buy love is something big in Aladdin's story, as well as his weapon and jobs. The end gacha has Aladdin telling the player he did learn what money couldn't buy, and although it's probably about the player, I also feel it could also be a nod to Act of SIN0. I think deep down he truly loved his princess, but hard mode of Act of Elimination shows he truly loved his princess but also accepts his princess' death. His story with Rapunzel was just them in love with the IDEA of each other and that their love wasn't beyond surface level. Likewise, Hamelin has been hit on by Rapunzel several times and always rejects her, and makes it clear to her in Elimination II he doesn't want her like that. I've seen a lot of people say this ship is just bl bait, but I find that nonsense. Whether or not its a canon ship or not, there is no denying their relationship, be it romantic or platonic. Canonically, the two are close and important to each other, they see each other as partners and work the best when they're together.

[teecupangel]

Are you familiar with demon slayer and the AC JPN dubbing , if you do. Then be prepared for this. The demon slayer voice casting has 6 VAs who does the voices of the AC protagonists

Altair & Uzui

Ezio & Sanemi

Connor & haganezuka

Arno & tanjiro’s dad

Jacob & enmu

Bayek & yahaba “arrow demon”

Aya & Daki

Imagine them meeting the voice counter parts

Oh, yeah, I’m a bit familiar with the Japanese dub of Assassin’s Creed and I watch Demon Slayer when it’s airing in Japan then I rewatch it in the English dub because I enjoy watching English dubs in general XD.

Before anything…

Imma list the names of their JP voices and a few other characters they voice. (And I will be focusing on the ones listed by @ullyaboo because… well… this would get too long if I start listing everybody...)

Altaïr is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi

(Sombron/Hubert/Xander/Randal from Fire Emblem, @princesslikesfanfics might recognize him as Tory Innis from Ancient Magus’ Bride, Diavolo from Jojo, Lloyd Irving from Tales series, America/Canada from Hetalia, and mecha fans might recognize him as our bestest aniki Kamina)

No, seriously.

Can we just take a moment to think about how Altaïr’s JP voice also voiced these characters as well:

Also, shoutout to him being the voice of the dead big brother of my Trails blorbo XD

Ezio is voiced by Tomokazu Seki

(HE VOICED MIGUEL O’HARA IN THE JP DUB OF ATSV, oh and Toad in the Mario movie, Jojo fans will probably find it funny that he voices Father Pucci and his stand, Panda from JJK, Gilgamesh from Fates, mecha fans would remember his “SHINING FISTS” as Domon Kasshu, he’s also Toya in Cardcaptor Sakura, and Van Fanel of Vision of Escaflowne (one of the earliest isekai anime))

Ratonhnhaké:ton is voiced by Daisuke Namikawa

(Lindel from Ancient Magus’ Bride, Anasui AND Giogio from Jojo, Yamato from Digimon, Persona 4’s MC, the jp voice of Sekiro from… well… Sekiro, Richard from Tales series, Italy from Hetalia, and Lupin the 3rd’s Goemon)

This deserves to be seen: Ratonhnhaké:ton’s JP Voice also voices Oikawa (Haikyuu) and Italy (Hetalia - also Romano) (this means that Ratonhnhaké:ton sang the Hetalia ending song)

And he’s the JP voice of Jake Muller, Wesker’s kid in RE6.

Arno is voiced by Shinichiro Miki

(ROY MUSTANG from FMA, Randy Orlando from Trails, Sir Nighteye from BNHA/MHA, James from Pokemon, Alucard from Castlevania, Lockon Stratos (*haro voice* Lockon, Lockon, Lockon, incoherent sobbing) from Gundam, Hijikata from Hakuoki)

(side note: Elise’s JP voice is Toyoguchi Megumi who voices Rengoku’s mother and I don’t want to mess up Tanjiro’s family but… half-brothers Tanjiro and Rengoku AU???)

Jacob is voiced by Daisuke Hirakawa

(Kakyoin from Jojo, Cao Lee and Rufus Albarea from Trails, Rei from Free, Makoto Ito from School Days (lollol, at least Jacob doesn't have the worst love life in this list), and Orlando Bloom in Kingdom Hearts games XD)

Bayek is voiced by Jun Fukuyama (JP voices of Origin (and Valhalla) weren't in Behind the Voice Actor so I had to doublecheck with JP wiki XD)

(Persona 5’s MC, Lelouch Vi Brittania/Zero from Code Geass, Yukio from Blue Exorcist, Korosensei from Assassination Classroom, Maximilian from Valkyria Chronicles, Watanuki from xxxHolic)

Aya is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro

(female Robin from Fire Emblem, Milla Maxwell from Tales, Katalina from GBF, Elizabeth from Persona, Jolyn Cujoh from Jojo, Shinku in Rozen Maiden, Franziska von Karma in Ace Attorney, Celty from Durarara!!, Touko from Danganronpa)

Now…

For the actual ask portion:

Altaïr would probably be annoyed at Uzui at first because he’s so flashy. They’d probably spar and Altaïr would start to respect him after understanding that, underneath all that ‘flashiness’, Uzui is strong and has conviction (side note: Uzui’s three wives makes me think Makio - Maria, Hinatsuru - Adha and Suma - Kadar XD)

Ezio would think of Sanemi as having skills and potential but he won’t like his attitude. AC2!Ezio would definitely butt heads with Sanemi a lot, especially after he sees how Sanemi acts around his younger brother (since he doesn’t know the whole story) and he’d definitely try to act like a nice big brother to Genya, Brotherhood!Ezio and Revelations!Ezio would not be provoked by Sanemi and act more like an older brother/mentor role that Sanemi doesn’t want at all and thinks is super annoying.

Haganezuka would totally like Ratonhnhaké:ton because Ratonhnhaké:ton would take care of any weapon he receives from Haganezuka. Ratonhnhaké:ton will also be willing to listen to Haganezuka talk about swords for houurrrss. Achilles would have to be the one to smack Haganezuka to get out of the homestead after giving Ratonhnhaké:ton his sword. (Why is Achilles there? Idk, crossover???)

All I can think of is Arno getting adopted by the Kamado family. Tanjuro is quite frail and he’s been sick for a while now so their meeting would probably remind Arno of his late father. But, man, just imagine Arno dancing Hinokami Kagura…

Oh god. Enmu would totally fuck with Jacob using his dreams/nightmares. Like, every pain and weakness Jacob has, Enmu would take advantage of it. Worst of all? Jack the Ripper's actions would definitely haunt Jacob till the day he dies so Enmu using Jack in the attack would really hurt. Enmu wasn’t even a good person as a human but considering Jacob’s luck and bad judge of character? Absolutely won’t be surprised if he invites human!Enmu to the Rooks as a ‘doctor’.

I think Bayek has a good chance of taking out Yahaba. Dude got an actual flaming sword in the main story and I’m sure Reda would have a weapon made of Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore for some reason and, as long as Bayek understood how Yahaba’s blood demon art works, he’d be fine. Bayek took out giant gods (in the Animus), he can take out this demon.

Oh, Aya would not like Daki at all. She might even be reminded of Cleopatra a bit because of her arrogant and dismissive personality which wouldn’t help the situation. They’d definitely fight and… Aya would probably need help on this one. I’m not sure if she ever got into any Isu BS that ended in a boss fight so I can’t be sure how she would handle fighting Daki and her obi attacks. Human!Daki though? Aya would definitely recruit her and her brother to the Hidden Ones if she found them as kids. But if she saw her as her usual cruel self? Yeah, Aya’s not going to like her.

If anyone wants an actual Demon Slayer x AC crossover idea, let me know?

[blackthorn-legion-irl]

ongoing arc thing: Mall Santas Save The World aka Holiday Semi-Hiatus (plural server post link) (some day i will actually improve this post) (i have it in drafts even)

mod info:

age 27 / she/her pronouns / autism/adhd/anxiety And More™

RP blogs followed from this account

non-RP blogs followed from @demifiendcruithne

jack frost sideblog: @unidentified-flying-heeho

boundaries: apply to all legion members + sideblogs

if sending IC hate that could be taken as OOC, please put an OOC note saying it's IC

flirting/suggestiveness OK but pre-warning that relationships/other situations won't be happening with other OCs. i allow it because it's Funny (especially if i don't understand it either lol)

magic anons/pelipper mail Encouraged, but i have a firewall IC to block things i don't want to deal with / delay things i currently can't

while i'll generally be low-stakes, i'm happy to participate in higher-stakes things in a support role, just ask :) this will most likely be in hacking skills (or reverse demon summoning for worlds that are ok with that)

Super Temporary Links to the pokeirl plural server post (ooc post) (ic post)

low(-mid?)-stakes RP with an outsider's view of rotomblr. the Legion's world is vaguely based on SMT Devil Survivor 2 mechanically, and historically there was a japanese empire instead of a roman empire so england has more japanese influences, notably using yen (and macca when demons are involved)

the Legion is an ever-shifting group of people moving in and out of one apartment due to capitalism being a heck. Known Residents of the Legion: Human: Blackthorn Legion - she/her, ace/aro - the primary poster, accountholder, the one actually renting the apartment the Legion live in. has a bad habit of revealing that she knows people's history if they're in a game she played. snarky but has a soft spot. slightly a wanted hacker but don't worry about that. yes her surname is Legion she changed it to heck with genji overwatch. her sibling/good twin is Literally madeline celeste (no her last name is not celeste) Simon - he/him, masc-leaning bi - the butt monkey castlevania stan. came up with the legion name. Blackthorn's most tolerable apartmentmate. often the voice of reason except when it comes to wall chicken. has a boring horsesona and is salty about it. TWC - any pronouns - joined as The Wiggles Cultist (<(:0)OOoo>) but changes what the initials stand for pretty often. or basically every post at this point. They Speak In All Capitalised Words Legion Resident - any other human resident.

Non-Human: Aeros - pronouns unknown - air elemental who is generally either trapped in a vacuum cleaner or chasing people (aka simon) around. Aeros' location is unknown after being sent to pokemart manglement and released somewhere Bonk - they/he - a Beldum who true to their name can and will headbonk people as a main form of communication. trained service mon :) Nickit - he/him - a Nickit slightly longer than average, who is white with black accents and green markings on their face. (art source) naive and nods off a lot, can talk to humans, name currently unknown. has gmax meowth/furret/(hisuian?) zorua ancestry (source | longcat trace) Dr. Slushy - he/him - a Jack Frost. he's in the pokeworld now but he may still send messages through here for convenience Ghost - a ghost who's basically hanging out here possessing random people. name and pronouns vary based on host body

Associates: free to ask about, may not appear much Angy - weird stripey floating dude who gave Blackthorn the base for the MVSP. knows Something about world administration. Pixie of Amala - the Uberpixie who helped Demi-fiend (aka Sir Not Currently Appearing In This Universe He's Just Vibing)

any posts without a --blackthorn or whoever don't have who posted them defined; either it doesn't matter or i forgor. assume blackthorn but may get retconned any brackets like (simon: something) are a cut-in from someone else. ooc is marked with // or ooc: or both

The MVRS.py: stands for 'MultiVersal Reverse Summoning', pronounced 'movers'. Blackthorn's method of accessing rotumblr, which she's hacked to Try and send items through. it isn't the most reliable - anything she sends with it may get... altered at receiver's will. it's a py file because python my beloved

IC: Blackthorn and Simon

//drawn by @yewwantstobattle &lt;;3 /platonic

Blackthorn Legion - 27 - she/her (gender sucks. i just use what i'm used to) - autism/adhd/fibromyalgia - ace/aro - picrews

i live in an apartment with like 20-30 other people. any stupid comments it's probably them. or the demon internet cafe i've basically set up at this point my place is basically just. for people to come get back on their feet. why is capitalism making /me/ the best option.

if you're reading this i probably freaked you out by knowing something i 'shouldn't'. see, my universe turned a bunch of events from other worlds into games and other media, so i know more history of your world than i do mine. so that's fun

yes my surname is legally* legion. yes i changed it to heck with someone *in the sense that it's what the authorities/most wanted list etc. know me by. birth identity doesn't exist any more and civilian identity is under the radar

---

Simon. bi (masc-leaning) he/him. too old to have a boring horsesona are you kidding me--- picrews i guess.

okay it's basically out at this point - hecker - YES i used to have a crush on blackthorn that is Not why i am here we are still friends and honestly i prefer guys these days anyway.

i somehow get the feeling that angy is trolling me. doesn't he have anything better to do?

[sollucets]

Hiiiiii soliciting you for any good asian girls love shows bc I know u Know Shows !!!!! My qpp wants to watch some but it's harder to find recommendations for them :<

calico hii!!! 💜🥺✨ yes of course hehe. i will do my best

i’m gonna first direct you to my friend & mutual @twig-tea’s gl series recs roundup post here! i trust their taste and believe in them. my favorite shows from that list are she makes my heart flutter & tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna, which has a whole second season i haven’t seen at all like a bad person

that post was in february and the gl scene is very happening this year if im honest, even if i’ve been not watching too many shows, so a few more notes -

if youve been on my blog, you’ve probably seen me talk about 23.5 degrees, which i like a lot but would not necessarily call good wholeheartedly. its sugar candy cute for most of it & free on youtube and has a (very) side pairing of t4t lesbian teachers, though :’)

i also want to rec a really new/ongoing japanese show, ayaka is in love with hiroko - it’s airing on gagaoolala right now, i think. i watched the first episode a few days ago and i find it really charming and funny. i think e2 should be out soon!

aaaand there are a couple currently-airing gl shows that i know a little about but can’t vouch for quality, secret of us and my marvellous dream is you. i think the people are enjoying secret of us more based on dashboard frequency, but that’s all i know for sure.

this is all i can think of for now but i hope it will help ✨

[alexin-wonderlust]

Day 1 - Japan Blog - 7 February 2024

Day One: Adelaide to Tokyo Virgin Airlines via Melbourne and Cairns

Let's begin our departure to Japan. My sixth time visiting Nippon, and this time I hope to see and experience new things I havent been able to before.

My previous trips have been more to the cities to shop and to Disneyland but as I become more infatuated with this country, I am drawn to more meaningful experiences. It used to be about the video games, the collectables, the cute accessories and conveniences I couldnt get at home -- but now I am intrigued with the history, culture and nature of Japan. Hopefully I can manage to do everything I want to do and all the things, I wasnt expecting. (Because, theyre always the best!)

Leaving our house at 4am this morning was always a challenge; especially when I finished packing at 2am. So, we jumped in the uber which was driven by a super eccentric female driver who made me want to drop everying and start uber driving -- how is this even a thing I would want to do? She was so funny and chirpy and smart. It made the ride memorable and we made it to the airport with the rest of our holiday to look forward to.

Second up, checking in at Virgin Airlines in Adelaide Airport was also a huge highlight. The person helped us with our check in -- not that we needed it, but she upgraded our domestic flights to extra legroom which made my travel partner very happy.

I'm travelling with my partner of 4 years; Ben. He is 6"3 and loves an extra legroom seat! You'll probably learn a lot about him through my posts. He likes good food and music!

Well, after discovering that our VA fare is NOT a full service fare (I am NOT happy about this, shook, stricken, SLANDER!) as I would NEVER... but apparently; flying trans-tasman with VA doesn't mean you get a meal or a blanket or a pillow or a nice piece of metal. We are on a Boeing 737-800 Max for 9 hours with NO SNACKS. I think, because I booked this hastily, on their website (opposed to through a GDS with the option to see ancillaries) without the complete details -- I assumed it was a short haul international flight, and compared it with Qantas' service. I was wrong. The inflight entertainment is BYO device (which I didnt...) and the 737800 isnt fitted with Wifi onboard so I couldnt even download anything to watch. Their WiFi was working, so you could use their Free Entertainment, however I found it lagged and I couldn't even watch it through the buffering. So I just stuck to my knitting -- without music though because my Spotify decided I didnt need my downloaded music either.

It was a very long and semi-uncomfortable flight.

After the gruelling hours of trying to sleep, trying to finish my knitting and also doing some work... we landed in Haneda! HOORAY! Now time to do customs, and head to our hotel. Almost there.

For those playing at home; here is a quick breakdown of how to enter Japan.

-Grab an entry card and declaration card from your air host/ess. They will provide the physical card for you to fill in to give when you go through customs.

  or

-Alternatively; visit Japanweb.gov.jp (I dont have a photo of it, because you cant use cameras in customs, and I used the physical card option -- I love filling out these things!!) and you can do it all online and scan your QR at the gate.

The entry card tells the Japanese Government what your intentions on visiting Japan. IE: Tourism, visiting a relative, Business, etc -- and how long you intend to stay, where you're going to be staying -- all that jazz.

The declarations card is about what you are BRINGING in to JAPAN. So please dont bring things like fruit, meat, dangerous goods, illegal substances (this can be some medications like Codeine and Pseudoephedrine so please check with your doctor -- and get a note if you take medication regularly that might not be "legal" in Japan). If you dont bring any of this with you; you dont need to declare anything and you can walk straight through once you've shown your passport.

-Line up and have your passport at the ready. Keep your entry cards with your passport.

-They will scan your finger prints and take your photo first. (We had to do this twice...)

-Line up again to go through the gates.

-This is where they will stamp your passport and grant your access.

Once youve gone through this part; you're almost there!!

-Pick up your bags.

-Find the carosel with the flight you just arrived on. (IE: VA77 is on carosel 6) Your bags will come out here.

-Collect your bags and take them to the gates on the other side.

-Show your passport and declaration card and you *should* be good to enter.

Here we go! We are in JAPAN -- the first port of call is to get our mascot for the trip. This is something Ive done since my 2018 trip and it's fun and cute and it makes me happy to share my experience through a silly icon's eyes. Walk towards the "Keihan" Train Line which will get you to Tokyo. This is a trainline that goes direct from Haneda airport to Tokyo and connects to any of the main train networks in Tokyo. It really doesn't matter what neighbourhood you are staying in; 90% of the time this will be the train you need to get you to where you want to go. On the LEFT there is a 7/11 (get money from the ATM in the left corner, and then grab some snacks and a drink so you've got some coins..) because on the RIGHT there are a bunch of Gacha Machines where I like to find my mascot.

This time; NOTHING. No lil dudes. So, we will keep looking. 

Take the Escalators down to the train platform and board the train to TOKYO/SHINAGAWA and you're on your way.

Back to my blog; Ben and I had our heart set on this ramen place we found by accident last time we were in Akihabara. We call it "Midnight Ramen" because he wanted ramen at midnight and it came through with the GOODS... alas. We dropped our bags at our hotel in Shinagawa and did a quick change into something warm. (It was 36degrees when we left Adelaide and now we are facing 2degrees and SNOW!) Slammed on a beanie and caught the Yamanote to Akiba; to find that our ramen place was closed for renovations. The SADDEST TIME! Akiba isn't known for its ramen so we had to find something else... how devastating.

We found a Hakata style ramen place. It was a 6/10. It got a point for being open. Also, it was okay. The Nori (seaweed) had cute printed sayings on it which I thought was cute (gross, but cute). Then I found out that another branch of the other ramen place was open in Shinagawa, only a 6 minute walk from our hotel. Let's pretend like that didnt happen.

After we ate, we became acquainted with our new local Kombini (7/11, convenience store) attached to our hotel, and purchased some necessities.

[magic-biscuit]

Hi.

Are you a Rufus fan, too?

Yes I am indeed, haha!

He's ended up being one of the few things I liked about 3hopes in the end. Like his design is so perfect for a pathetic, guilt-ridden & miserable old fart. Also his voice was an instant win for me (big probs to whoever is his VA!)

The thing that gave me Rufus brainworms though was this note about his crown in the 3hopes artbook. It's in japanese, but from what I've seen online the note translates to "Given by Cornelia. Increases his skin(?) strength" and like that's so sus??? Like Cornelia is from TWSITD after all, who tf knows what she did to that thing before she put it on Rufus' head??? And while "Lambert pushed me the other day so I'm starting a petition to have him put down. The benefits are that I will be pushed way less" Rufus is extremely funny to me the idea that his agency is kinda up in the air just sendt him into full rotation mode in my brain. Peak angst material (tfw feh didnt add him as a fallen unit this year 😔)

While I've mostly moved onto Engage these days Rufus (+ his family & Rhea) still live rent free in my head lmao (sorry if this is too ramble-y or anything ichicguc I'm not really used to ppl asking me about fe stuff on tumblr ^^;;;)

[celestialdescendant]

[250102] Culinary Class Wars (2024)

It's actually kinda funny to me that this was the first new media piece I consumed for the year, but it's also not that surprising HAHAHA considering how I love to binge all MasterChef videos on youtube when I can, this was just a piece media waiting to be consumed. 🫡 At the time this aired, I saw a lot of my friends watching it and the reception seemed pretty good so I noted it for watch when I felt like it and apparently that meant the new year. HAHAHA

I really like the premise of this show! 100 chefs competing for the champion title; 20 of which are the "white spoon chefs" who have already established themselves in the culinary world who got the free pass in the first round, and the remaining 80 are "black spoon chefs" who are also professional chefs in their own right but have yet to have the supposed same level of expertise or popularity as the WSCs.

So already you're drawn to root for these BSCs with the whole "underdog" or "surpassing the elites" premise they got going on. Especially during the first elimination round where the 80 BSCs were competing for the top 20 spots, and it was revealed that some of these BSCs were actually the apprentices or trained under the WSCs or even the hosts! It's all very compelling and the storyline really draws you in and gets you invested. (K-TV dramatization wins again!)

It was really so cool to see so many of these different chefs all with different backgrounds. The fact that there are chefs there who weren't formally trained or even self-taught is so impressive, but you can really see the passion and pride they all have with regards to their cooking or even just food in general.

The second round was the 1:1 WSC v BSC and it was so good. The BSCs get to challenge a WSC of their choosing and they will compete in a head-to-head competition to make a food using a key ingredient randomly assigned to them. And best of all—the judges will be blindfolded as they're judging the dishes. Ultimately, taste is king. I really love that. What an equalizer, honestly. What better way to cut down the contestants in half than to have this challenge. It's amazing tho that even then the number of chefs remaining on both sides were equal to each other, that was such a nice coincidence.

The third round being a team challenge of WSCs v BSCs split into meat v seafood teams was... very enlightening. HAHAHA No because the white spoon chefs from the meat team are so used to being the leaders in their own chefs that they kinda set themselves up. The hosts even said, "They're like a bunch of alpha wolves" in that they're all having a hard time really getting into who's doing what 😭 They managed to pull through tho, I'm proud of them!

Having the Japanese cuisine chefs in the seafood was the smart thing to do honestly yes everyone else pick amongst yourselves but the Japanese cuisine chefs stay. HAHAHA I could watch the WSCs handle the seafood prep for hours I love those kinds of videos and their expertise in handling the ingredients is so fun to watch.

And I know it has been said before but the hoarding of the ingredients [by the WSCs seafood team] is so foul 😵‍💫 but I respect it honestly HAHAHAHA I definitely felt bad for the BSCs but it's a competition, mehn, what are you expecting them to be. The winner is going to be the ones who has the best strategy and whoever is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Much respect to all the chefs tho! It's not easy to cook 100 dishes in that time frame with just only a handful of you, and seeing all the dishes laid out like that really put things to perspective.

For the consolation match of the losing teams, I actually screamed and clapped with delight when I saw the convenience store setup I'm not exaggerating. I truly love that. The fact that even some of the chefs admitted that they haven't been to a convenience store in a long time if not at all is such a great thing to see. This really put their creativity and skills to the test, I really adored this challenge.

The restaurant challenge was just insane, simply insane. That one team that decided to "fuck it yolo" and do the most insane menu and prices were actually big brained in hindsight. I wouldn't have gone for that restaurant in real life but in that competition that was just genius actually. They nailed that challenge. ALTHO. UGHKJDHFD. I really hated the fact that the last-minute team were eliminated here. 🥲 I was able to guess that there was going to be a new team last minute to add a twist to the challenge and I lowkey really hoped they would have passed the challenge (insert tyra banks we-were-all-rooting-for-you meme) ❤️‍🩹

The first semi-final deciding match being a "Cook Your Life" type was so heartwarming. Giving a stage for the top 8 chefs to talk about food and cooking and how they ended up where they are. Really close to shedding a few tears but I held strong (lol).

For the second semifinal deciding match... I didn't participate in the challenge but even I was traumatized by the amount of tofu they had. An absolutely horrifying amount. If they ever have a second season, I really hope they modify this because to cook nonstop like that with no breaks shouldn't be physically and mentally allowed in any way. 💀 All the chefs had my outmost respect for going through that challenge. 🙏

The finale being another cook-until-the-chefs-unanimously-agree format was so intimidating at first, but it was good. Finale-wise, I liked watching the MC format but works for them because the MC contestants had to show all the skills they obtained and prove themselves capable in cooking many types of dishes, whereas the CCW chefs are already established in the cooking industry and just competing for their names to be put out there. It was especially amusing because the two hosts (Chef Paik and Chef Ahn) were infamously known to have a lot of disagreements regarding types of food they liked HAHAHA but they somehow managed to keep it to one round only, congrats!

The ending was also so touching and really tied in everything together. Really emphasizing what has been hinted and mentioned time and time again throughout the show, the passion and drive they chefs all share to make food and make people smile with their food. It's just so sincere and honestly the perfect way to end the show. It really leaves you with such a nice and touching feeling.

Congrats to all of the chefs that participated, and especially to Chef Kwon Sung-jun (Napoli Mafia) who won the show! Hoping for more success to you all with your own cooking endeavors!