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videostarblogs · 3 months ago

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11. mori kei

mori kei, meaning forest sty;e, is a Japanese fashion subculture inspired by the calm, natural beauty of the forest and countryside. known for its earthy tones, layering, and vintage inspired aesthetics, mori kei captures a peaceful, whimsical lifestyle centered on a connection with nature. here's a break down on mori kei!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

origins and development

influence of nature: mori kei was born from a desire to embody a tranquil, forest like atmosphere. it emphasized living slowly, appreciating nature, and creating an aesthetic that feels like stepping into a fairytale

mori girl: mori keis popularity grew in the late 2000s through a Japanese social media community called mixing, where users shared photos of their mori inspired looks, the style was popularized by designers and mori kei icon choco yamada, who outlined the mori girl rules on mixing, helping solidify its distinct, dreamy aesthetic.

philosophy: mori kei is not only a style but a lifestyle rooted in minimalism, nostalgia, and simplicity. it often encompasses interests like photography, nature walks, drinking tea, and home made crafts!!1

key motifs

earth tones and natural colors: mori keis color palette includes soft, earthy hues like beige, cream, brown, olive, and moss green. muted pastels and off-whites are also used to create a delicate and harmonious feel, imitating the forest.

loose, layered silhouettes: the clothing in mori kei is loose fitting and layered to create a cozy, lived in look. layers of dresses, cardigans, oversized sweaters, shawls, and skirts are worn over each other to give an impression of softness and comfort.

vintage and handmade accessories: mori kei incorporates vintage inspired clothing, often resembles garments from simpler times. dresses with lace, floral prints, Peter pan collars, and earthy textures like wool, linen, and cotton are popular. items are sometimes handmade or thrifted to add a personal, nostalgic feel.

natural accessories: accessories in mori kei are inspired by nature--- think floral pins, straw hats, scarves, and woven bags. jewelry is kept simple and often handmade, featuring materials like wood, dried flowers, and stones

natural makeup and hair: makeup is usually kept minimal and natural, focusing on soft, rosy cheeks, and nude lips to give a gentle, healthy glow. hair is typically styled in loose waves, braids, or buns, and natural or warm hair colors like brown and dark blonde are common to match the earthy vibes or the outfit.

music

mori kei is often associated with peaceful and fold inspired music that eachoes the serene, introspective spirit of the forest. genres like acoustic, folk, and indie are popular, as are artists like iron & wine, fleet foxes, and Japanese indie artists such as ichiko aoba. instrumental and ambient music, including soft piano or nature sounds, are also fitting for mori kei enthusiasts who enjoy quiet moments of reflection. here are 10 artists I recommend

cocoon

iron & wine

fleet foxes

sufjan stevens

kina grannis

lisa mitchell

angus & Julia stone

first aid kit

soley

aoi teshima

movies

studio ghibli: films like my neighbor totoro, nausicaa of the valley of the wind. an princess mononoke, reflect the mori kei values of nature and simplicity. these films emphasize a harmonious connection with nature, which resonates with the mori kei aesthetics

period and fairy tale films: movies like the secret garden, and little women, feature vintage, countryside settings and styles that aligns with the look and feel of mori kei. the film Anne of green gables also embodies the quiet, pastoral lifestyle that mori kei represents. here are more movies I suggest

my neighbor totoro (1988)

only yesterday (1991)

the secret world of arrietty (2010)

wolf children (2012)

when marine was there (2014)

the tale of the princess kaguya (2013)

the fox and the child (2007)

the whisper of the heart (1995)

song of the sea (2014)

the village (2004)

books and other media

classic and nature inspired literature: books that emphasize the beauty of nature, simplicity =, and introspection are popular within mori kei. titles like Anne of green gables, the secret garden, and works by Jane Austen offer vintage inspired worlds that match mori kei aesthetic.

photography and nature journals: mori kei enthusiasts often enjoy photography that nature natures quiet moments -- forest trails, close ups of flora, and cozy indoor settings with vintage decor nature journals re also popular, where one con press flowers, write poetry, and record observations about nature.

social media: platforms like Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest have vibrant mori kei communities, where enthusiasts share their looks, document forest outings, and connect over shared interests in slow living and natural aesthetics

inspo

overall, mori kei is a fashion style and lifestyle that embodies peace, simplicity, and a connection to nature. with its soft, earthy palette, loose layering, and vintage inspired clothing, mori kei celebrates the beauty of the natural world and a quiet, introspective way of life. it offers an escape from the fast pace of modern life, creating a cozy, fairytale like world filled with warmth, comfort, and a deep respect for nature.

feels free to like, reblog and follow for more fashion deep dives like this!!!!! click my questions box in my bio to suggest styles you'd want me to breakdown!!! thank you for reading!

videostar signing off.........................................................................................................................................

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soul-eater-novel · 26 days ago

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Suikoden I Soul Eater Light Novel Translation - Chapter 23!

For your reading pleasure and enjoyment, below the cut is the full rough English translation of chapter 23 of the official 1998 Suikoden I Soul Eater novel (volume 3 of 3). Individual page translations and original Japanese text can be found in the chapter 23 tag. As always, feedback on translations is welcome. Thank you so much to everyone for your support and your comments. They keep me going! Eventually I want to run a Kickstarter to officially license and print these books! Email me at [email protected] if you're interested in helping organize or run this Kickstarter.

Chapter 23: Journey to the Past

The next morning, Tir and the others departed the Warrior’s Village, galloping west to visit Qlon Temple. Flik told them he had gone to the temple with friends when he was a boy. “It’s not like we went inside though, so I don’t know much about it. Back then there was this scary old monk, Fukien. When he found us sneaking around, he got really angry and yelled at us. ‘This is no place for you brats!’. Wonder if he’s still kicking...”

While this account was not terribly reassuring, they were just happy Flik remembered where the temple was. Though they could see the Lorimar mountain range in the distance, the plains of the Lorimar region spread out around them in every direction. If they took a wrong turn, Tir doubted they would come across any man-made structures at all, never mind the one they were actually looking for. They slept outdoors twice and took any number of breaks throughout the day. Finally, past noon on the third day...

“Oh, there it is!” Flik cried, pointing west and galloping ahead. Tir and the others squinted and could just make out a light-brown building standing alone in the distance.

As they traveled on, the details of the building became clearer—it was Qlon temple, surrounded by a thin moat. The temple was octogonal and multistoried in the architectural style of the Kunan region, but made of wood. The walls were made of thin wooden planks, the roof covered in black planks. While the building looked unassuming, the fragrance of incense wafted out toward them, giving it the air of a temple.

As they stood before the temple, the heavy-looking gates slowly swung open and a man’s solemn voice greeted them. “I have long awaited your arrival, Keeper of the Stars...”

To their shock, a single man stood there. He had opened the gates alone. His head was shaved like a monk’s, and his eyes sparkled behind long eyebrows that drooped down to nearly cover them. A string of large prayer beads hung around his neck and he wore bright crimson robes.

“The old geezer’s still alive, huh?” whispered Flik. The monk shot a withering look at him and then bowed deeply to Tir. “Lord Tir, bearer of the Tenkai star of destiny. I am Fukien. I care for Qlon temple. I have waited all of you here for what seems like an eternity.”

“Master Fukien, how do you know about that?” Tir asked without thinking, as everyone got down off their horses. I thought only Leknaat knew about the stars of destiny and my role in all this.

Viktor butted in before the monk could answer. “Tenkai? Stars of destiny? What the heck are those? And you know Tir, monk?”

“Of course I do. After all, Lord Tir is the one who leads us, the heavenly stars of destiny.” Fukien turned, peering into each of their faces. “Viktor, you are under the Tenko star. Cleo, yours is the Tenman star. And Flik, who was such an obnoxious little brat not so long ago, the Tenan star. It is your destiny to band together under Lord Tir and fight.”

Tir listened to the monk’s words in wonder. He had known that he had to gather one hundred and seven allies, but he had not known which star each of them bore. However, Tir wasn’t the only one interested in what Fukien had to say. Viktor stared at Fukien in evident suspicion, while Cleo looked like she didn’t know whether or not to believe the elderly man. Flik clicked his tongue. “So he does remember me...”

“Lord Fukien, do you remember Flik?” asked Cleo and the old monk grinned. “Indeed I do. I scolded this mischievous little boy once, long ago. He rode all the way here on a horse to scribble graffiti on my temple walls. Caused me quite the headache.”

Looking up at Flik, who hung his head, embarrassed, Fukien went on. “But seeing him now, accompanying the Tenkai star in accordance with the stars of destiny brings me some peace of mind.” He turned to Tir. “Lord Tir, what you seek lies within this temple.”

Before Tir could respond, Viktor’s attitude toward the monk completely changed. “Really?! Why didn’t ya say so sooner, old man! Finally, we can take down Neclord!”

“Oh, yes.” Fukien said, gazing at Viktor. “What you seek lies within this temple as well, Viktor.”

“Huh?” Confusion showed on Viktor, Flik, and Cleo’s faces. Only Tir understood what Fukien meant. They had come to this temple seeking different things—Tir wanted to discover the true nature of the Soul Eater, and Viktor was looking for a method to defeat Neclord.

Fukien calling them all by name had been enough for Tir to believe in his powers of observation.

An answer to the riddle of the Soul Eater is right here in front of me.

“Then, by all means, Lord Fukien...” Tir said. “Will you give us the answers we seek?”

“Certainly, Lord Tenkai.” The old monk abruptly turned away from Tir and walked into the temple. The rune on his right hand throbbing, Tir followed after him, passing through the gates.

***

“We’re supposed to believe there’s a weapon that’s gonna bring down Neclord in here?” Muttered Viktor, looking around at the cave they were in, dimly illuminated by flickering torchlight. Tir and the others were now exploring the Cave of Runes in the mountain behind Qlon Temple.

When Fukien had opened the heavily-sealed cave entrance, he had said, “What you seek is here. Especially you, Lord Tir. There is much that you must accept within these walls. Please think of this as a trial you need to undergo as the Tenkai.”

Tir had expected Fukien to just bring out some dusty old tomes and tell him about the Soul Eater, so he had been a little taken aback when the monk led them to the mouth of the cave instead. But the moment he heard the word “trial”, he felt a shiver pass through him.

Whatever awaits us, I’m going to uncover the Soul Eater’s secrets. He held these thoughts to himself as they proceeded through the cave.

Cleo, at the front of the group, raised her torch. “What’s that?”

“What? What is it?” Viktor slipped past Cleo, running ahead. The path dead-ended at a pedestal. “Is this the weapon?!” Viktor’s voice echoed in the cave.

Tir and the others rushed to join Viktor and found an odd sight waiting there for them. A white pedestal made of stone. Above the pedestal floated a thin sword, the naked blade pointed up. The sword was not stuck in the stone, nor suspended by any means they could see—it simply floated there in midair.

“What the heck is this supposed to be?” Flik asked, surprised. As if in response, the sword shook. It felt to Tir like the sword had wanted to turn toward Flik and tell him to shut up. But, delighted to have found the weapon, Viktor strode straight toward the pedestal. “So this is what the monk was talking about?”

“Viktor, wait! Stay away from it!” Cleo shouted, on guard.

The sword shook once more, but Viktor couldn’t care less. “Come on, it’s totally fine!”

The moment Viktor reached out to grasp the hilt... a deep voice rumbled, echoing around the cave’s chambers. “Just who do you think you are?” It seemed to come from the sword. As they stared in shock, the voice spoke again. “I shall curse any who dare disturb my slumber!”

“What?!” grunted Viktor as a dazzling light shone from the sword’s hilt. They all looked at the carving on the hilt—it was a carving of a face. Its eyes blinked, as if sleepy, and then opened wide to glare at the four of them. A light shot out of its eyes, enveloping them Tir and the others, and they lost consciousness.

***

“Ugh...” Tir groaned, his mind a jumbled haze. Maybe due to that mysterious light the sword had emitted, his body still felt numb and he couldn't move. As his senses returned, Tir tried wiggling his fingers. Once he moved them, he noticed something unexpected. He tried moving them again. Yes, there it is.

“What’s this doing in a cave...?” He could feel grass growing in the ground under his fingers. We were in the Cave of Runes... where are we now?

He took a deep breath. The smell of dry grass and dirt filled his nostrils. He slowly opened his heavy eyelids and saw that, somehow, they all lay sprawled on the floor of a forest, sunlight filtering through the branches. They had entered the cave at the height of summer, but now the air felt unpleasantly chilly.

“Urgh...” He sat up, shaking his head experimentally. As the numbness faded away, he began to be able to discern their surroundings more clearly. Next to them lay a small wooden wayside shrine. Not fifty paces from them the forest opened up and they could see a small village.

“Ugh...” Groaning a little, Cleo sat up, too. “What is this place?”

Next, Viktor and Flik both regained consciousness, and looked around them curiously. “Where the heck are we...?” Flik muttered.

“Well, not in the Cave of Runes, that’s for sure,” Cleo replied, glaring at Viktor. “Looks like a certain careless somebody got us kicked out, hm?”

“H-hey, now. At least we’re alive, eh?” His expression sheepish, Viktor pointed at the village beyond the forest. “Look, there’s a village over there. Let’s just go ask ‘em where we are.”

He stood, brushing off the dirt that clung to his clothes. Everyone else sighed and got up, all looking like they would like to give Viktor a piece of their minds, but had decided not to bother. Tir begin to lead the party toward the village. But then he stopped suddenly. “Huh?!”

Cleo was right behind him and looked to see what had startled him. She stopped dead in her tracks, too. They stood there, dumbfounded. “Isn’t that...?”

A little ways away from the village, near the forest, was a large fir tree. A child stood in its shadow, staring right at Tir. He had bright chestnut-brown hair, light brown eyes, round cheeks, and an easy, friendly smile. Tir was sure he knew this boy.

“Heya!” the child called out. “Are you guys here to steal our treasure?”

Tir approached him. “Treasure? No, not us.”

“Oh, that’s good, then. Gramps looked real mad, so I was gettin’ kinda worried.” The boy grinned so big his eyes nearly shut.

Tir did want to ask about the treasure, but there was one thing he wanted to know more than that. He crouched down in front of the boy. “Now then, can you tell us your name?”

“Oh, I’m...”

“Ted! Come back here!”

Startled at the sudden shout, Tir looked up and around for the source. An old man stood at the entrance to the house closest to the forest, glaring at them.

“Oops! Gramps is calling me. Better run!”

“Ah, wait just a—”

Before he could stop him, the boy dashed off toward the old man. The elderly man pushed the boy called Ted into the house and, sparing one final glare at Tir and the others, slammed the door shut.

“Lord Tir, he just called that boy ‘Ted’...” Cleo said behind him.

“I know,” Tir answered, gazing at the door. “What in the world is going on here...?”

Tir’s head was spinning. If he’s the Ted that we know... When Ted lived with us in Gregminster, his body was still that of a young boy’s, as it had been for 300 years due to the power of the rune. But the Ted I just spoke to was a child. Which means...? Following that train of thought logically shocked Tir to his core. Which means this is Ted before he received the Soul Eater rune?! So we’ve travelled more than 300 years back in time?!

“Hey, what’s got you two so spooked?” Flik asked from behind them, jolting Tir back to the present.

“S-sorry. We were just surprised by that boy.”

“Yeah, that treasure he mentioned got me wonderin’, too!” Viktor chimed in, looking like he was having fun. “Let’s go ask at that house to find out where we are!”

“Yes, let’s.” agreed Cleo, clearly wanting to learn more about Ted. They quickened their pace and entered the village, a smattering of houses cozily lined up. The village was in a forest halfway up a mountain. Behind the village towered the tall mountain. To the front, the village overlooked a large, flat meadow, visible past the pine forest.

I guess this place feels so chilly because it’s up high, thought Tir, as he knocked on the door of the house the boy had gone into. “Sorry to bother you, but we just have a quick question.”

“What do you want?!” yelled the old man from inside the house, his tone about as inviting as a bed of thorns. They heard the sound of footsteps thumping on the wooden floor and then the old man yanked the door open a crack, glaring out at them. He had a head full of white hair and a bushy white beard. He was small in stature but sturdily built, clad in blue clothes under a fur vest. His expression remained stern. “You lot working for that witch? Then tell her this for me. What she’s looking for isn’t here, so kindly don’t go destroying our peaceful lives.”

“No, um...” Tir hastened to explain. “I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding, honorable elder. We are simple travelers who just happened to come upon your village in the middle of our journey.”

“Really?” The old man eyed them in obvious distrust. As the elderly man paused to look them over, over his shoulder Tir noticed Ted inside the house. The boy grinned at him. That’s definitely the Ted I know.

“Well, I might buy your story. Any cronies of that witch would be radiating a bit more evil, I guess.”

His attention caught again by the man’s words, Tir looked back to him. “Evil, you say?”

The old man shook his head and answered quietly. “No, I can’t speak to you of it. If you have no connection to that woman, it is not something for your ears. Get out of here as fast as you can. Nothing good will come of lingering here.”

“Perhaps we could help you, honorable elder.” Cleo said, moving to stand beside Tir. “Would you tell us more about what is troubling you? Who is this ‘witch’ you mentioned?”

But the old man stubbornly refused. “I appreciate the thought, but I won’t speak of this to outsiders. Now get out. Out of my house, and out of this village.” He turned the door handle, about to shut it in their faces. And then...

“Come now,” rang out a woman’s voice, haughtily. “It isn’t nice to greet questions with silence, hmm? Or to call people “witches”, for that matter.”

Tir and Cleo both whipped around, aghast. “Windy?!”

Lady Windy stood in the town square along with her retinue. She was not wearing the fancy clothes she had on when Tir had seen her at his audience with the king. Instead, she wore a blue cape over a light lavender dress. She glared daggers at the old man.

Viktor’s gaze, however, was arrested not by Windy, but by the man who stood beside her. His hand went to his sword. “So this is where that bastard Neclord is,” he breathed.

Neclord’s face was a pale, unhealthy color. His black cape fluttered in the wind. But since they had not yet obtained a weapon that could defeat Neclord, Victor’s hands were tied. All four stood motionless, each wrapped in their own thoughts. The old man came out of his house and pushed past them. “What do you want with our village, Windy?” He said in a loud, strong voice that carried, looking directly at her.

“My dear mayor,” Windy responded, that mocking smile still on her lips. “Since you refuse to just hand the rune over to us, I have come all this way to meet with you personally. Now, you will give the Soul Eater rune to me.”

Her words made Tir remember what Ted had told him when he gave him the rune. “Windy almost snatched this rune away once before,” he had said, grimacing in pain.

Am I standing here watching that very moment now?

“I don’t know what that is!” The old man walked to stand in front of Windy. “I have no idea what you’re talking about! Get out of my village!”

“Hmph. There is no point in trying to hide it. The fact that you ran from us and started this village itself is proof that you have the rune.”

She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. First came a sound like the howling wind—

WHAM!

The earth itself rumbled and balls of fire began to rain down on the village. They stared in shock as the fireballs destroyed one house and then another, enveloped in crimson flames. In moments, the village was awash in a sea of flames, the villagers screaming as they fled their burning homes. Unwilling to stand by and watch as this tragedy unfolded, Tir finally shouted, “Help the villagers!”

“Yes, sir!”

Their team of four leapt into the fray, helping the villagers escape the flames. A number of corpses already littered the road; they focused on helping the survivors first. They put out those whose clothes had caught fire and led the panicked villagers to the relative safety of the forest.

Windy’s laugh rang out once again over the village wrapped in flames and chaos. “Ahahaha! While you were busy playing the fool, Mayor, it appears Yuber got tired of waiting. He is not someone you want to anger. Now hand the rune over to me at once—or we will burn the rest of your precious village to ashes!”

“Windy! If you want to see the power of this cursed rune so badly, I’ll show you!”

Tir turned in reflex at the steel resolution in the old man’s voice. The elderly man stood in front of Windy, his right hand in the air. His eyes were shut tight, and he spoke softly. “O, Cursed Rune Soul Eater! Show your power—vanquish my enemy!”

As Tir watched, darkness gushed out of the elder’s right hand. It was the same darkness that Ted had called upon to defeat the queen ant at Mt. Seifu.

The old man was trying to use the Soul Eater to defeat Windy, but she just went on laughing. “Ohoho! You show yourself at last!” And she, too, raised her right hand. A white light also poured forth from her hand, in the same way the blackness gushed from the old man’s. “I knew you had the soul eater! There was really no need to make us force your hand with all these threats!”

The minute the words were out of her mouth, the darkness swooped down on her. But just a second before the darkness reached them, a white light enveloped Windy and Neclord and they vanished. The darkness engulfed the empty air and disappeared into the earth.

＊＊＊

“Urgh... they got away.” The old man grumbled, clearly frustrated, and started to rush back to his house.

“Oh! Please wait, sir!”

The old man halted at Tir’s cry. When he turned to look at Tir, his gaze had softened. “Traveler, I have a favor to beg of you.” He looked at Tir sadly.

“Of course, we will do anything we can to help.”

“Well, my place is a mess, but please, come in.” He beckoned them in, and they slipped in through the door that had been left ajar. Since most of the villagers had been evacuated to the nearby forest, Cleo and the others followed Tir inside.

Tir looked around the house. He saw Ted, frightened by the uproar in the village, crouched in front of the blazing fireplace. Tir called his name softly and the boy stood and turned to him with a smile. “Heheh. I was kinda scared, but it’s okay. Boys gotta be strong, y’know!”

“That’s right, Ted. Boys have to be strong.” The old man said, having followed them in and shut the door behind him. He walked over to stand beside Ted, who was in front of the fire, bowing his head to Tir and the others in apology. “I am so sorry to have gotten you all wrapped up in this, travelers.”

“Don’t worry about it,” replied Flik. “But what in the world is with that woman, Windy? Why is she targeting your village like this?”

“Please don’t ask. I don’t want to involve you in this any further than you are already.” The old man said, his expression pained.

“We hear you, elder,” said Tir, taking a step toward him. “And we won’t press you for more information. What is it you want us to do?”

“It is a terribly selfish request on my part...” responded the old man, taking Ted by the arm as he spoke. “Please, I want you to take this child somewhere far away. Anywhere, as long as it is out of that woman’s reach...”

We traveled here from three hundred years in the future... whether or not there’s any way for us to return to our time, is his request something we can grant?

Tir thought for a time and at last answered. “Yes, of course. We will do as much as is within our power.”

“Thank you so much. All right, Ted, listen to me.” He told Ted to turn to face him and to raise his right hand, palm facing the old man. “Good. Now stay just like that.”

The old man also raised his right hand and pressed his palm against Ted’s. Tir thought he knew what the old man would do next because it was the same thing Ted had done to him.

Perhaps because everyone was there watching over them, the old man quietly closed his eyes. “O, Soul Eater, rune that governs life and death... Pass from me and take Ted as your new master...”

Darkness soundlessly gushed from the old man’s right arm. No sooner had the darkness wrapped around Ted than it seemed to soak into his little body, gathering at the back of his right hand. The darkness vanished, leaving a black brand on Ted’s skin—the mark of the Soul Eater was engraved on his hand.

“G-grandpa...” stuttered Ted, gazing at the Soul Eater. “What is this? It’s kinda scary...”

“It’s nothing to be afraid of, Ted. You’re a big boy, so don’t be scared.” He hugged Ted gently. “Please forgive me... Yours is a difficult fate you must bear. But this rune’s power is something that must never be used.”

They all looked on in silence as the old man wrapped Ted tight in a long hug in front of the quietly burning hearth. It seemed he intended to say farewell to his grandson here and now. To protect the rune from Windy, the old man would hand it over to little Ted. Tir’s head spun. I had no idea the soul eater had such a sorrowful history...

Windy’s voice called from outside. “Oh, Mayor! Where have you scurried off to? Come on out!”

His grandpa grasped Ted by the shoulders. Looking into his eyes, he said simply, “Be well, Ted,” and stood up. “Please look after Ted, travelers,” he said, taking down the axe that hung above the hearth.

Drawing his own conclusions from the old man’s actions, Tir quickly interjected, “What are you planning to do?”

“I will act as decoy. While I distract them, please—take Ted and run. As far, far away as you can...” Said the old man, his expression determined. His words moved Tir to tears. The old man had said exactly what Ted had said to him when they parted. Passing the rune on to a new bearer, as he had just done right in front of them, and then using himself as a decoy was also exactly what Ted had done.

Perhaps all who bear the soul eater share this destiny...

The thought made Tir’s chest tighten. But there was no time for tears.

A man’s hoarse, ominous voice rang out from the center of the town. “Are you coming out or not, you worm?! No? Then I’ll burn this town all the way to the ground! I am Yuber! Fear my might!”

The earth rumbled. Windy’s vassal Yuber once again began raining down fireballs. Grasping his axe tight in both hands, the old man said to Tir, “You all need to stay here. I’m sorry. Goodbye.” He rushed outside, deaf to their pleas for him to wait.

The rumbling grew more intense. Ted cried and shouted after his grandfather. They could do nothing except hold him back and wait inside the house. Soon the rumbling in the earth moved from the village toward the forest. The old man had run into the forest. Yuber was raining down fireballs into the trees with abandon. Faroff in the forest, the villagers screamed.

By the time little Ted’s tears had dried, the ground had also ceased its rumbling. They could no longer hear screams from the forest.

[End of Chapter 23]

*** Table of Contents

★ Chapters 0-1 ★ Chapters 2-3 ★ Chapters 4-5 ★ Chapters 6-7 ★ Chapters 8-9 ★ Chapters 10-11 ★ Chapters 12-13 ★ Chapters 14-15 ★ Chapters 16-17 ★ Chapters 18-19 ★ Chapter 20-21 ★ Chapter 22-23

«-first // archive // Ramsus-kun Scanslations

#Suikoden #Soul Eater #Chapter 23 #HAPPY NEW YEAR!#did this chapter in about a month!!#Thank you #as always to everyone who comments and reblogs #really excited to keep going on this book!!!

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the-final-high-noon-rings · 6 months ago

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(late) painting for day 7 of dr. carmilla week. prompt was death, but she's more of an un-dead type gal, so i tried to draw her alive(ish) in an empty grave.

@drcarmillaappreciationweek

[Image ID: A watercolour painting of Maki Yamazaki as Dr. Carmilla lying in an open grave from a bird's eye view, only showing mid-chest and upwards. She is a slim, tan, Japanese woman who has chin-length dark blue hair that has hints of teal, pointy ears, brown eyes, a sharp nose, and has makeup around her left eye that looks a bit like an upside-down lowercase T, with swirls as well as two dots right underneath her lashes. Carmilla's right eye is entirely closed, but her left eye is cracked slightly open as she looks at the camera, eyebrows furrowed as she tries to focus. She has a small smirk on her face. Carmilla's hands are crossed over her chest, loosely clasped together near her neck, with fingernails that are painted a dark brown. She wears a high collared white shirt, that looks purple in the lighting, which has small purple flower print on it, as well as a dark red vest. The background is a rough body shape of brown colours, meant to show the upturned dirt from a fresh grave. The linework of the painting is thick, and several parts are shaded with markers applied on top of the paint. Some of the paint is still wet, especially the background. Some of the linework runs, and the entire drawing has a pinkish tint, presumably from the pink lighting that can be seen in the paint's reflection. End ID]

original attempt below cut because i got a bit too ambitious with the posing i think

i had a vision for this piece. unfortunately i am not that good at perspective

[Image ID: A photograph of Kae's, the OP's, desk. On the left of the photo, there is a sketchbook, which has a half-finished painting of Doctor Carmilla in a grave, similar to the one above. Her hair is bluer than the previous painting, and the perspective is as if one was looking from the crown of her head down the rest of her body. She is winking at the camera, but her features are not as recognizable as being Dr. Carmilla as the first painting. She is wearing a dark brown shirt, with a longer-sleeved red shirt underneath, and blue pants. Below the drawing is a sketched nameplate/grave that says "Carmilla XX12-XX24". To the right of the drawing is an open case of watercolors. They are a bit messy, with the colour blue specifically splattered across much of the pallette. Near the top of the photograph, there is the partial view of several book spines as well as a cup of murky paint water and the edge of a mug. Several pens and highlighters are scattered across the desk, which is wood painted turquoise, with the grain visible. End ID]

#organisation tags:#their esteemed creator #exhumed unplugged and dangerous #the crew of the starship aurora #drawn in the light of the tube sun #reach tags:#dr. carmilla and the mechanisms #doctor carmilla #traditional art #watercolor and markers #described #notes: anyway i had a super rad time this week! thank you so much for hosting such a fun event! 💗💗 much love

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euri-matsuri · 6 months ago

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i wanted. to make him an astral duo costume . i plan to make him a beach one too in the future when i have the energy. but i cant keep procrastinating finalizing his actual normal outfit . but its just so fun to draw him . so heres euri in the thralls of astral duo

ill keep my rambling about design choices for this under the cut ♫

his outfit just pulls elements both from kuyas & quincys . mostly because im not great at coming up with costumes and while studying theirs, what started as "i'll use a white/black balance!" turned into "i really like this midnight/gold combination". he also already utilizes some gold and midnight themes in his story / standard character design, so i ended up sticking to it

aside from that he doesnt actually have two tails .. thats just thanks to the moons. euri's struggle ends up sitting more in the realm of combatting his history (bordering on amnesiac tbh) & more literally that his human and tiger form split during the eclipse. though they dont create two physical forms, his transformations get really intense and unstable!

he's stuck literally just resisting the urge to act without thinking. constant, reckless and harmful naivete and impulse & back-and-forths with the presence and voice of his tiger form (which manifests his actual history) vs. his human self (the current-day him, who he feels "closer" to). so i played into it with lots of imbalance on his outfit—like the double vs. split leg garters, only one glove, asymmetrical arm belts, etc !

his coat pulls a lot of tiger/leopard prints . hes a youkai/youjuu himself (learned that latter term from some people speculating about the original word in the japanese sub. i love it) and did you know i literally did not know about sooley or leogers when i made him? (hadnt gotten to that point in the story). i just wanted the theme of cheetahs/leopards (because i was thinking about those nervous cheetahs with anxiety?) & the tiger was just "damn. ive never had a tiger character!"

anyways. that made it really fun, realizing that i dont think leogers are native to the wood territory? or at least i cant tell/remember.

ok im rambling off topic on i gotta shut up this is what character pages or toyhouses are for

#nu: carnival #nu carnival #nucarnival #nu carnival oc #nuca oc #nucarni oc #i dont know the tags here!!! weeps #euri matsuri #youjuu #maybe ill use this as his character page icon until i make his normal outfit #my art

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mybeingthere · 1 year ago

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Unichi Hiratsuka (1895–1997), born in Matsue, Shimane, was a Japanese woodblock printmaker. He was one of the prominent leaders of the sōsaku hanga ("creative print") movement in 20th century Japan.

Hiratsuka's father was a shrine carpenter, and his grandfather was an architect who designed houses and temples. Therefore, the artist was introduced to wood-working and architecture early in his life.

Hiratsuka was the best–trained woodcarver in the sōsaku hanga movement. From 1928 onwards he taught the renowned sōsaku hanga artist Shikō Munakata (1903–1975) wood carving. The same year he joined with seven other like-minded artists to work on the 100 Views of New Tokyo series, to which he contributed twelve prints; his prints were lauded for their "technical beauty and perfection."[1] Between 1935 and 1944 Hiratsuka taught the first blockprinting course at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts.

He moved to Washington D.C. in 1962 and spent thirty three years in the United States. While living in Washington DC, he was commissioned by three standing Presidents to carve woodblock prints of National Landmarks, which included the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Library of Congress which are in the collections of The National Gallery and Freer Gallery today. He ultimately returned to Japan in 1994.

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macalo-veloce · 9 months ago

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Today I want to show you my Banana Fish Merch! I was so happy they announced a rerelease for this stunning figure of Ash and Eiji <3.

The aftermarked prices where insane. I'm so in love with this figure and it's the only one with Eiji this size (give my boy some love too q.q).

I have a funny story to tell about this figure (spoiler: it is not funny). The day this figure arrived I got home late. I was so exited and unpacked the figure. As I wondered where to put it I looked out the window. There was a man starring right at me and it scared me to death. It scared me so much I dropped Ash. As wonderful as this figure is...Ash is not connected to anything he is just sitting there like the angel he is. Long story short nothing is broken (thank god!) but he has a red dot on one of his shoes because he fell on it and the color broke off. The man was btw the mail man with a package for me and he wasn't sure where he had to go to get to my door haha.

Now a funfact about this figure (this time it is funny. Trust me). Someone once mentioned how the window looks like a toilet and now i can't unsee it haha.

The last pirctures are my Banana Fish Manga, the artbook and some pictures printed on wood. I made them myself at school years ago. I plan on getting some acrylic stands too. :D

And yes I got the japanese manga bookset because I really wanted Eijis photo book haha.

Amyways this enough blabbing. Thank you if you read all that and i wish you all a nice day~

#collection #figure #manga #banana fish #ash and eiji #merchandise #banana fish manga #ash lynx #eiji okumura

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mofffun · 1 year ago

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G-ROSSO Super Sentai stage show guide (7/2023)

Theatre G-Rosso is located within the theme park Tokyo Dome City. The theme park had a long history of Hero Shows running back to the 70s. The theatre was established in 2009 as a permanent indoor stage. There are 4 seasons each year with showings on weekends and holidays. Suidobashi station is a little closer than Korakuen/Kasuga subway. I visited it for the first time in July 2023.

Ticketing

Seats

Post-show activities

Merch

Review

TICKETING

G-rosso ticketing depends on which seasons really. Tickets should be plentiful for the first two seasons, especially S2/August when they show every day. S3 and S4 with the face actors might be harder but the show runs for 3 months too so it should be possible.

ticket types + availibility / show schedule

There are three classes of G-rosso tickets (single adult admission) :

Premium (¥2500): first 3 rows + special gift

General (¥1900): rest of the theatre

Free Seating (¥1500): same-day showings for the last 5 rows at the end of the theatre. cash only, vending machine at the door.

You can of course book online through a proxy (bypassing japanse phone verification) but I think you can save that fee especially if you're staying for more than a week in Japan. For S2, I was able to buy the last Premium ticket for the next day (Saturday), and there were enough general seats available. Can't say for sure the same applies to S3/4 with face actors. As a foreigner, the most convenient way is to buy a ticket is from the convenience store Family Mart. Find any store with the photocopier-looking machine and follow the instructions to choose the show times and pricing, pay with cash at the counter and the staff will print you a paper ticket. same go for photo ops and handshake.

(Free Seating vending machine, photo ops ticket)

CHOOSING A SEAT

The theatre is two stories high and you can see the seating plan here. I was in the third row mid-right. What surprised me was how close to the stage the first rows are, barely an arm's distance. At one point Kuwagata Ohger leaned on the railing of the first row. The actors would also walk up to interact with the audience.

I think if you want to enjoy the whole stage and not aiming at the special gift, you can skip the Premium ticket and get a few rows further back. Another recommended seat is Row L just between the two blocks. That's where Spider Kumonos descends UPSIDE DOWN from the sky right in front of your eyes.

If for some reason you g-rosso on a whim / sneaked it into the schedule, the free entry ticket is available only at the vending machine on-site with cash. It's designated to the last rows but staff aren't strict on you moving if the theatre is not crowded.

(view from middle block)

PHOTO OPS & HANDSHAKE

as you'd've seen in commercials, you can pay extra to take a photo (with red only!) (¥1100) and shake hands (with all six) of the heroes (¥600) after the show. The tickets for those are available prior online and in convenience stores too, but if you ask the staff, they'll let you buy one with cash on an old-fashioned vending machine. Since it's my first time attending G-rosso, I did the whole package with birthday perks (no id checked).

A new backstage tour is available since August. Lottery ticketing required.

(merch haul)

MERCH

The most iconic G-rosso exclusive merch is probably the hero hand light. I didn't really see a lot of kids holding it so I kinda forgot about it in the rush. the other true exclusive is a wooden plaque gashapon machine (¥300). There were booths for name badges for kids and you can get a bromide for ¥440. There was a cart selling DX toys and plushies. The special stuff is some toei online store acrylic stands, the muffler towel, cup and plate. Outside you'd find the food stall with collab items like popcorns and drinks with an original coaster.

(Collab menu with coasters, Exclusive wood plaque)

(kids play area, past hero show posters)

REVIEW

As a kid's show the japanese won't be too difficult but I was so captivated by the action I wasn't really listening to the words. The plot is easy enough to follow though, and the website says an English pamphlet is available for borrowing (but I forgot to ask). It feels so professional compared to park stage shows but so tangible compared to tv. They make good use of the space with an under-stage pit/trampoline and the high ceiling with platforms and wires. my eyes were busy darting when the action was in one corner and then next. childhood wonder!!

leaving the theatre is a row of gashapon machines and a kids' play area with all the DX toys (:( no adults) and when you go up the escalator, on the side of the theatre entrance is a wall of pass hero show posters!

(i barely have any coherent notes about this) the plot is there's a cicada MOTW and he is brainwashed to make the earth's temperature rise and make evil clones of the team. Rita, raised in the land of snow, is bad at heat and went to sit in a corner and covered their head with the mantle. When facing their/Gira's evil clone, they said 'i'll just cut down both of them'. My notes said 'someday Rita is even gonna plead innocence for the bugs'. six of them roll call together with jeramie!! i was watching papillon-sama's fight style the whole time. and there were trampolines and flips and cartwheels and white spider man falling from the sky while the digital background zooms in and out and legit tears when we started cheering for the heroes. it's an experience okay.

(outside the theatre)

#super sentai #g rosso #kingohger #ohsama sentai king ohger #tokutrip #mon mon #tokyo #japan #tokusatsu #had this written up mid aug tor dou yi ga sin post hehheh

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ryuden2 · 1 year ago

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#art #japan #illustration #download #printmaking #japanese wood print likes #home #dinner #old #昭和初期 #日本 #食事 #版画風 #イラスト

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kozyndan · 2 months ago

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"Minka-Ski Space"

Edition: 50 prints, signed and numbered Fine Art Matte Paper 41 x 65 cm (16 x 26 inch) paper size with a 33.4 x 57 cm (13 x 22.4 inch) image area. $150US

This print is of our most recent kakejiku nihonga painting and was inspired by the old wood timber frame joinery in our 140 year old farmhouse in the Japanese countryside, as well our young cats, who figured out they could ascend the columns like a tree trunk and have a whole new world to explore in the rafters over our heads. Like many of our cat paintings, almost all the cats are ours, or our friends’ cats. The cats are not, however, existing in one dimension, but we seem to be seeing multiple dimensions of cats and joinery in the same moment. It may seem to make sense to our perception and then not and back again - they appear to have their own kind of logic!

(Check out the process of making the original painting HERE)

#limited edition #kozyndan #painting #cat #cat art #cats #japanese art #japan #yamanashi #kitties #kitties climbing

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qthyy · 3 months ago

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Visual Diary 5

HARUKI MURAKAMI Book Collection Cover

by Suzanne Dean - creative director at Penguin’s VINTAGE

If you’ve ever read a Haruki Murakami book, you’ll know that venturing into any of his fictional worlds comes with an inevitable sense of mystery. And as a designer and also an avid Haruki Murakami reader, I pride myself on obsessing with not only the stories within his novels but also with the covers of each book I’ve ever gotten.

Suzanne—a creative director at Vintage—is the author of the covers for the above books, when she was asked to give Murakami's current catalogue a more cohesive look. That's when she came up with the concept of the symbolic circle.

Cultural Symbol

These circles on book covers regularly appear on packaging and printed materials in Japanese and Taiwanese. The consistent use of this iconic circle on book covers has silently conveyed the cultures of these two countries to readers.

Color contrast

The sharp contrast between black, white and red - a limited clor pallete but still creates a visually striking design.

Negative space

I also like the clever use of negative space. The result is a series of covers that not only look beautiful as a set, but also have hidden meanings within them, like the obscured image of a trunk in The Elephant Vanishes or Norwegian Wood’s tree trunks that double up as the legs of the story’s three central characters.

#design #design principle #contrast #symbolic #negative #negative space

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cerealandchoccymilk · 2 years ago

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Trigun Bookclub: Trigun Vol.1-2, Chapter #10

previous | all

I’m doing a deep-read of the Japanese original print (reread) and Overhaul 1.0 (first read) side-by-side, and writing down everything I notice from small details, version differences, translation differences, etc.

The volume numbers will be mismatched for most of the remainder of Trigun, since the Japanese first edition is 3 volumes while all later versions are 2 volumes.

As always, here are the non-analysis panels:

And the rest is under the cut.

[link for if the images aren’t in horizontal rows]

A lot of annotation transcriptions for this entry.

My 3 girlies!!!!!!!!!!! Ever!!!!!!!!

I was waiting for Vash's antennae to go back up, but it looks like 2 of them are permanently bent now. I think it's stayed half-bent since his first encounter with Kaito in the last arc. Haven't double checked to make sure though.

Milly my beloved..... (I keep spelling it Millie every time. help) In the Japanese version, the speech bubble is "good morning," but in a barely comprehensible yawn. The yawning onomatopoea is written in small text.

Various translation corrections -

「先輩は書いても絵ハガキ程度ですよねー」 "Ma'am, you only send postcards at most, right?"

「ソレが普通ですわよ　それにもともと家訓からして「自立せよ」ですからね」 "And that's the normal amount. Besides, our family motto was 'be independent!'"

「ドライといえばドライなのかも…」 "Maybe it could be a bit unemotional/pragmatic [now that you mention it], but..."

Badwick's first appearance. Just looked ahead to check his name... I forgot how stupid it is... Badwick...... The first time we see one of my favorite art style aspects, single forms!! Love seeing black blocks and non-distinguishable limbs!! This is used a lot with Wolfwood's suit and I love it so much...

I would say Vash's line here is more like "I get it now."

Images I can hear!! I loved this scene in '98... 聞いておるのかご老体！！ By the way, Vash uses polite speech here, but in a (half-)sarcastic way. (If that makes sense...)

The background mob in this panel is... unique for sure. Skin-and-bones, some guy holding (eating?) seaweed, and a sparkly prince?

Badwick's「笑うね！！」line here is more like "You make me laugh!!" or "Ha ha, very funny!!" I know Vash jumping in front of the old couple is probably intended to just be an instinctive act of protection, but thinking about my analysis in the previous arc (#08 I think?), I can't help but think about his self-sacrificial tendencies...

On a lighter note, Meryl ends her rant with マヂ(ジ)で！！ which is kind of like... "FR!!" lol Also Vash is literally dead. Honestly he might've been better off taking the bullet than getting bonked.

Classic MillyMeryl manzai routine (not a single braincell between them). Featuring a pissed Vash.

Milly's joke is a bit hard to translate.... She's actually saying an idiom wrong. The correct phrase (what she says in Overhaul) is 大事の前の小事, which literally means "a small event before/in front of the big event." (this idiom is also an contranym but I won't get into that lol) However, the kanji she uses for 小事(shōji, small event) is switched for 障子(shōji, wood-and-paper sliding door). They look the same in romaji, but they have different tones.

Meryl's response uses English loanwords/Japanglish that's all slightly incorrect for the situation.

So, the Gramps's comments are about the fact that they're using the words wrong. Apparently Granny didn't notice!? lol

Another silly Milly... Gramps's line is a sort of double-meaning, since ボケる(bokeru) means both to be silly (as in the funny man role in manzai)(which Milly has been doing throughout) and to go senile. I love how Vash is 100% tired of this shit and just stares at us.

Japanese-only thing, but I love how he says「わーかってますって　超OKっスよ」. silly goober....

「ジオ・プラント――　肥沃化プラントの影響を受けて植物が育つ事ができる土地の総称である」 "Geoplant— The general term for land that is capable of growing flora due to the effect of a fertilizing Plant."

The term "geoplant" is actually for the affected land, not the Plant itself. Which is... confusing to be honest....

The Plants mentioned here are the capital P generator Plants, not lowercase p flora plants. This line means that among the Plants on the ships, some of them were also of the fertilization variety necessary for geoplant land. "Naturally" is continued into Gramps's line, so it should end with an ellipsis.

He says that the property became worth about the same as the area of a 300-yard radius around a ship (which I would imagine is INSANELY valuable), whether they wanted the price to rise or not.

These two lines are actually by Vash.

「おそらく地脈を伝って影響が『飛び地』したんだろうな」 "Perhaps the effects of a Plant spread along a mineral vein and ended up forming an 'enclave' here."

「でもここまでになるにはただそれだけじゃ駄目だ」 "But just that's not enough for it to get to this scale."

I love how quickly he could tell this is a geoplant and recognize how much work and love the couple has put into it.

「それにどれだけ我々が支えられてきたか言葉にならんよ」 "I can't even begin to describe how much hope it has given us."

The word he uses is actually "support," but I couldn't think of a way to make it sound decent other than the next closest word, "give hope."

Not really a translation fix - in Japanese, he says something more like "This is where our lives and hopes are."

I missed it during the annotation (will mark it later), but I think the article for "tycoon" should be "the" or "a," since Morgan hasn't appeared yet. Gramps mentions that the incident from earlier that day was also one of Morgan's threats. (The annotation should be "like what happened this morning/noon." Will also fix that later.)

I feel like this line by Gramps comes across as a bit too harshly apologetic in English compared to the original? I'm not sure how to convey it accurately though... it's more of a Japanese cultural thing.

The first speech bubble is probably by one of the elderly couple, most likely Gramps, since it says "Vash-kun". Milly calls him "Vash-san."

Also about the "lover's quarrel" tease and Meryl's response:

A common tease for male+female character pairs (and real life...), but the nice thing about this is that there's no hinting of hidden romantic feelings whatsoever (stammering, blushing, etc.). Even through a Vash/Meryl truthing lens, I think at this point there truly is nothing (realized) there yet. There's no forced hetero-amatonormative romance!! (my pet peeve in manga)

These lines are actually an exchange between Badwick and Marilyn.

「うわーーっ　いくらすっと思ってるんだその門柱！！」 "Aaahh!! [Watch what you're doing!] Just how much do you think that pillar's worth!?"

「ケチくせー事いいっこなし！！どうせアコギなマネして建てたんでしょ」 "Oh, don't be so stingy!! I bet you guilt it with shady money(/through shady means) anyways."

And that’s it for Chapter #10! As always, the Japanese annotations will be in the reblogs.

#EDIT: I LABELED THIS AS CH9 (ITS CH10) AND DIDNT NOTICE FOR A MONTH SORRY #this ones kinda boring lmao #already said most of the stuff i want to say in the annotation...#btw all my annotations will be revised to match the bookclub entry before theyre distributed into pdf #thats what i mean when i say fix later #trigunbookclub #trigun annotation #trigun #trigun manga

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