#just a reminder this blog uses she/her for Chihiro

[livingdeadhorse]

Another art dump below cut….perdónenme…

[velvetvexations]

Even putting aside what a ridiculous comparison that is, I need it understood that the primary way transradfems engage with "material reality" is through movies from the previous century.

It's hypervisibility vs. invisibility. Trans women were openly mocked and trans men were ignored or just subsumed into a range of experiences for cis women. That's changing now that trans men are getting more spotlight than they had before, although it's still tilted in those directions.

But there was genuinely nothing transphobic about Chihiro's story and to say there was you have to prove his model was trans women and transitioning children when there is an extremely well-established category of AMAB people who present as girls in Japanese culture that is infinitely more talked about in pop culture over there. You have to insist upon the fact that he was ever connected to people who sincerely identify as girls in the first place. If this was America, it'd make more sense, but it is actually just genuinely racist to be told all that and still be like "well, but it makes me think of trans women."

This is why transradfems hate me, too. A trans woman disagreeing with them breaks their rules.

Especially the person who cannot stop fucking bypassing my block to screenshot my blog and then justifying it by claiming I do it, even though I fucking deleted those posts after she complained and have not mentioned her a single time since unless she did first.

Here's the thing: I DON'T THINK NOT WANTING TO ASSOCIATE WITH AGAB LANGUAGE IS UNREASONABLE AT ALL! But it's fucking projecting as fuck to say that people who don't like TMA/TME language must simply want to cling to AGAB. I mean, holy fuck, right? That's not what's being argued dumbass - but she can't think of any other way to divide trans people based on AGAB without referencing it in some way, so her ideal replacement is TMA/TME, that's the two kinds of trans people that exist, you're not AMAB or AFAB you're TMA or TME, this is so fucking masks off it's wild that other transradfems aren't mortified by her saying the quiet part out loud. This should just completely obliterate every trace of protest when someone points out TME is in practice exclusively used to refer to AFAB trans people and no one else ever, unless what she's actually saying is that AFAB trans people are so close to cis women that they might as well just by default be called the same thing and have no other way of identifying themselves when you talk about categories of trans people and their experiences.

But it's so intensely psychologically revealing. I don't think she's ever been misgendered a single time in her life. I don't think she's ever had even the slightest actual barrier to hop in her quest to live as a woman, because this oversensitivity where someone acknowledging transphobes see us as our assigned sex counts as them misgendering you? That's just not the behavior of someone who actually deals with these things in the real world. Or even online. Again, I get pedojacketed and threatened with actual cancelation from my actual career because I engage with actual TERFs. These people never do anything but moan about tee-em-ees misgendering them by discussing how the enemy perceives us. And she in particular is the most desperate to shut that out, because that is the only reminder there could ever possibly be a hypothetical obstacle to her claiming her girl card. I have zero doubt she lives in the queerest city on the planet and if she didn't have internet she would literally be unable to even conceive of transphobia as a concept. And she fucking hates me for not just being a trans woman who agrees with the transandrobros, but also personally identifies with my AGAB. The implication that it's possible for a trans woman to be okay with the term "male" shatters her self-esteem. That is the extent of "misgendering" she has ever faced and ever will face. Me identifying the way I do terrifies her, I have to be objectively wrong about claiming identification with my AGAB because she copes with insecurity by imagining a world where TERFs are right but instead of biology everyone's soul is either Male and Female and you can only be one or the other. Gender can't just be people figuring out who they are and the ways they want to express themselves and live their lives, that's not real enough for her, she has to be Trve Fymyle the way TERFs go on about, except instead of centering around wombs it's this weird vaguely spiritual concept that she forces everyone else to fit into because if they don't it implies her framework isn't the tangible reality she so desperately needs to feel valid.

And that's why she "needs" TMA/TME, because she reasonably wants to talk about the experiences of people who share her category but doesn't want to identify as anything that references what those experiences fucking are (e.g. having been assigned male at birth). And again, that's FINE. I GET THAT. THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. I CAN SEE HOW THAT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. But that doesn't mean TMA/TME doesn't also have issues and I'm sorry if she's having a hard time coming up with something else because it's difficult to navigate the inherent paradox of wanting to associate with something that unfortunately makes her feel bad to associate with it, but she needs to pick something else, and not say "weh the TMEs are making us change our language" as though (a) transradfems aren't telling trans men what language they can use for themselves and (b) it's impossible to come up with terms that don't explicitly make claims about the experiences of others and 100% defines them by suffering less.

And isn't it strange how other transradfems are insisting they have to call themselves CAMAB and CAFAB, but THEY aren't clinging to AGAB language? Weird, right? I mean there is a group of people insistently arguing that it is simply paramount that we use AGAB language, but they're perisex trans women stealing it from intersex people so I guess it's fine?

But I don't CARE. I don't like her and I don't want to look at her stupid blog and I sure as fuck don't want to report on it. I just wish she'd stop talking about me. I literally just want her to stop block evading me and telling people my identity revolves around wanting to suck up to TERFs*. I do not talk about her except when she talks about me. AND I'M STILL NOT EVEN NAMING HER.

When she complained about me screenshotting her posts, I deleted them. They got zero notes. Her screenshots of me have hundreds and she keeps taking them because she's fucking obsessed because she can't feel like a girl if someone else identifies a little differently than she does. I don't even screenshot other people if they have me blocked but I see other people debating their takes, I make a post that references no one with unspecified prompting. And I've never done even done that with her, not only because she keeps baselessly accusing me of harassment, but because she infuriates me on a level where I just sincerely do not like seeing her fucking content in any way for any reason.

God I fucking hate radfems.

*which she happily admits to knowing is a lie but is like "yeah well I say she's mean so I'm going to keep deliberately fabricating falsehoods about her"

Thank you. <3

I have enlightened another soul!

If you asked these people, ten times out of ten they would say detransition and rape are the worst things that can possibly happen to someone and murder is no comparison, but they'll see trans men talking about their sexual abuse to be like "wow so lucky you guys just have to LARP The Handmaid's Tale, but we get KILLED."

And it's like. Okay. But fuck off, though? It's fine to personally see murder as worse and to grieve more over that, ig, it's like, whatever, but to openly state that it's a PRIVILEGE to be raped and detransitioned makes my brain melt. It's like they are physically incapable of not putting down other trans people. It is the one single area of activism they engage in. That is the war they are waging. They don't give a fuck about trans rights because they live in privileged areas with supportive families. Their battle is with the TME trans people on social media.

lolllll

"I hate how misogynistic Velvet is, she's everyone's cumrag"

^actual thing actually said and believed by the TMA/TME tankies

Before anyone accuses this anon of saying transradfems are engaging in male behavior or whatever, I'll note as I always have that they're just as sexually predatory and entitled to the bodies of others as TERFs are. That is the actual comparison being made. The worst trans women are identical to the worst cis women. Diversity win.

[loissays]

BLOG POST #2: Ghibli-fied

The Kingdom of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is one of the renowned and acclaimed film studios that was founded in 1985. It is known for the high quality of its filmmaking and artistry. For my blog’s second entry, I will be talking about some of Studio Ghibli’s films that captivated my heart.

Growing up, I used to watch animated films that are usually from Disney or Studio Ghibli. But hey! I am today years old when I found out that Studio Ghibli and Disney have a partnership. Anyway, as stated earlier, I will be talking about three motion pictures from Studio Ghibli that I treat as my comfort films. These are:

1. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

“Sophie has an uneventful life at her late father's hat shop, but all that changes when she befriends wizard Howl, who lives in a magical flying castle. However, the evil Witch of Waste takes issue with their budding relationship and casts a spell on young Sophie, which ages her prematurely. Now Howl must use all his magical talents to battle the jealous hag and return Sophie to her former youth and beauty.” (IMDB)

This movie captured my heart in many ways. Every time I rewatch this movie, Howl Jenkins Pendragon makes me fall in love with him again and again. Howl and Sophie made me think of destiny, youth, courage, and of course—love.

2. Spirited Away (2001)

“10-year-old Chihiro and her parents stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku, who explains that the park is a resort for supernatural beings who need a break from their time spent in the earthly realm and that she must work there to free herself and her parents.” (IMDB)

This film is beautiful, yet sad. Chihiro and Haku had so much potential together, yet they just can be together. The story encompasses the importance of family, sacrifices, and courage. It taught its audience about accepting their responsibilities and taking over their direction in life as they grow up. Indeed, it is a very nice film that you can watch together with your family and loved ones.

3. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

“A devastating meditation on the human cost of war, this animated tale follows Seita, a teenager charged with the care of his younger sister, Setsuko, after an American firebombing during World War II separates the two children from their parents. Their tale of survival is as heartbreaking as it is true to life. The siblings rely completely on each other and struggle against all odds to stay together and stay alive.” (IMDB)

Heart-wrenching, yet heartwarming. Words are not enough to express how I love and adore this film. After I first watched it, I spent bawling my eyes out for days. Even so, it did not stop me to love it. This movie holds a very dear place in my heart and my whole well-being. It touched me to my core, I swear. It taught its audience the value of life; it made me appreciate the small moments in life I spend with my loved ones. It reminded me that even if life throws us in the most hopeless moments, we are still capable of experiencing joy and wonders.

These movies play a huge role in my childhood, and I bet they do for you too. Even so, if you haven’t watched these films yet, I highly recommend you to watch them even for once (if maybe only once). Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Grave of the Fireflies have different storylines, but these three films have the same ability: to enthrall and mesmerize their audience in very much different ways.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Okay- first request ever Can I get Mikan, Chiaki, Chihiro, Celeste, Kirumi, Byakuya And Hiyoko with an S/O/or friend that got scared by a bug and called them for help?- Great blog by the way! Adore your writing ❤️

Tysm! I’ll just give hcs if that’s okay ^^

..................

Mikan

She would be the one freaking out more--why call her for help of all people?

Will probably just tell you to avoid the room for the rest of the day.

Just be prepared to hear her shrill screams at any time should it suddenly disappear and reappear somewhere else.

You’ll have to be the one to kill it or put it back outside.

Chiaki

When she’s summoned for help, she’ll stare at the bug and be like “oh this is just like Ant Smasher hold on.”

And she just...calmly walks over and stomps on it. No hesitance. No emotion.

Then she returns to your side and says “don’t worry, it’s gone now. Let’s just clean it up.”

You can’t fathom how tf she’s so calm about it.

Chihiro

Instant panic.

“No you kill it!!” “I-I can’t!! Why don’t you?!!” “That’s why I called you in here!!” “I can deal with computer bugs but not real life ones!!!!”

It’s just back-and-forth arguing between you both on who should deal with it..

Until one of you finally realizes the bug disappeared.

Eventually, Chihiro tries to prove his masculinity by going back into the room to kill it.

And he does, though you gotta comfort him afterwards as he’s crying about how it was the scariest thing he ever experienced.

Celeste

Utterly disgusted by the sight of the bug.

She’ll just hand you a broom, say “good luck”, and leave immediately.

She ain’t putting up with that. Nope. No way.

God forbid the bug ends up hiding in her drills, though.

The whole house would burn down.

Kirumi

Has absolutely no problems killing the bug. She’s used to getting rid of household pests.

She can also catch it and put it back outside if you want her to.

Though she might remind you that the bug’s more scared of you than you are of it.

Will prob use bug spray to prevent any other unwanted critters from sneaking in.

Byakuya

Is a bit squicked by the sight.

He’ll have one of the servants take care of it ASAP.

But if it’s just you two, he’ll give it a swift death by broom.

You’ll have to clean it up, though, as repayment for forcing him to deal with that nasty critter himself.

Hiyoko

She giggles and runs to the bug.

“Hehe, little bug goes squish!”

And that’s exactly what she does--squish it with whatever’s nearby.

Will probably call you a scaredy cat.

Unless you tell her you knew she’d wanna squish it herself, and then she’ll thank you.

“Next time tho we’re gonna squish bugs together!”

[danganronpedits-archived]

hello helloo!! i was browsing through some kin blogs and i absolutely love yours!! may i please get a kin matchup? can be any source, i'm up for everything! INFP. Just an introvert, can get very nervous/insecure over the tiniest of things. pretty lazy but can be hard-working when i need to. i judge people only based on their actions. I love anything that involves creative work, video games (especially adventure games) and reading comics/manga. Thank you! Really hope it won't be too hard,,

ahh... such a nice compliment FLKJSDFJKSDF... thank you so much!! you can absolutely get a kin matchup, you seem really sweet anon!! sorry that it’s taken me a second to get to!

first off, from danganronpa, i match you with...

chihiro fujisaki!

honestly i thought of chihiro really fast because you guys seem to have a similar kind of vibe- they definitely seem like an introvert, as i’m sure that they enjoy being around other people, but spend a lot of time alone... being the ultimate programmer does that. they also can be very nervous and insecure, especially over the tiniest of things(though you might be exaggerating, but chihiro literally wouldn’t hurt a mosquito because it might have a family). chihiro’s a rather fragile individual, to an extent. they aren’t exactly lazy, but are a bit easygoing with their work, but their arc in ch2 of trigger happy havoc is definitely more on the hard-working side. while i don’t think they get exactly angry at others for these, they do tend to judge people like mondo and byakuya based on the two’s actions instead of trying to get into their heads. programming is technically creative work, though they don’t exactly do what you’d stereotypically consider ‘art’, but they have made three different alter egos based on other people they know. i’d also consider them to enjoy video games, as their unused execution was based around mario, and i don’t exactly know their thoughts on manga. but that’s alright.

second off, from my little pony, i match you with...

wallflower blush!

she’s introvert. that’s it, she’s a very shy and reserved person that has trouble talking to others, other people drain her, she’s introvert. wallflower is also rather rather nervous and insecure- she literally has a stone that she uses to erase memories of her seeming awkward in conversation. she is rather passive, but is dedicated to her garden and the yearbook club since she really does enjoy those clubs. she definitely judges others based on their actions, seen as in... you know, how she doesn’t know how to understand sunset until she literally gave up years of her memories so the mane six wouldn’t instead. she came around in the end, but before then she just held resentment for everyone because of their actions. while we don’t know how she feels about things like video games, comics, or manga, she does seem like the type to enjoy more do-it-by-yourself things like those, and she does like creative work a lot. she works on the school’s yearbook, she does photo editing in the movie, and the garden of hers is so pretty my guy.

and lastly, from bang dream/bandori, i match you with...

kanon matsubara!

to start off, kanon is definitely an introvert. like, there’s no doubt about it, in my mind. she’s probably the person in hello! happy world that’s most concerned about the consequences of kokoro’s overenthusiastic... ness. she’s always seeming worried about what shenanigans kokoro’s started, or what’s going to happen next- it’s not that kanon dislikes her, but her actions are very sporadic and hard to keep up with. i think that both you and her could see that as frustrating- not bad, but a little frustrating. misaki is a close friend of hers for a reason! she gets nervous very easily(it’s plain to see, as the kids say) and is rather unsure of herself, and was honestly dragged into hello! happy, rather than wanting to be in the band. however, she is rather hardworking and dedicated to the band now, and is the voice of reason along with misaki that keeps everyone together. she tends to mostly see what other people do and react based on that, and the reason i didn’t match you with shirokane is because she more judges based on what kind of person you are in your own head. she is interested in creative work, actually, as she makes felt dolls with misaki! i also kind of imagine her to be good at adventure/rpg games, and liking the strategy that some enforce. if you know any good adventure games, i’d love to hear some of your recommendations anon! :”)

-

you all know what’s up! minor matchups time! from banana fish, you remind me somewhat of eiji okumura. from my little pony, you remind me somewhat strongly of fluttershy. from love live, you remind me a bit of eli ayase and kotori minami. from bandori/bang dream you also remind me of misaki okusawa and shirokane rinko! finally, from danganronpa, you remind me of mikan tsumiki, toko fukawa, and jataro kemuri!

that’s a lot, but... i hope this is still okay! keeping the outro short for length’s sake. let me know if you need anything about this changed, anon! it wasn’t too hard, i don’t think <:)...,,,

-mod tsu

[lossenpai]

Spirited Away and Goodbye

I love this movie. I have a fascination with animation. While watching this film, my love for animation was reassured.  The bright colors, magical characters, and consistent pace of the film were just some of the factors that made this film a hit.

Everything happened so fast. One moment Chihiro is with her parents wandering in an “abandoned amusement park” to then a contract bound worker at a spa house for unimaginable creatures. 

Her named is change to Sen and she begins to forget who she is. That is how one would get trapped in this world, like Haku. It is Chihiro’s kindness and selflessness that saves her. She does so many wonderful things for different people on accident. She frees that dragon that was trapped in all that muk. She saves Haku when he is a dragon. She takes Boh on the greatest adventure of his life by simply taking a train. She helps Haku remember his name by the power of love. She finds No-Face a home. 

I believe that this film resonates more with Japan. I am not fond of Japanese culture, legends , or stories so I could be assuming completely incorrectly; but; the film definitely deals with Japan’s complex cultural identity. 

Man, I am so tired. I wish I could be “Spirited Away.” I think about what I would do if I was in Chihiro’s situation. I’d probably get turned into a frog. The film touch many genres for it was funny and scary at time. No-face creeped me out but now I get the references from all the memes about him. I thought the use of two identical witches was genius for it changes the perspective of leadership. In one “world,” its busy and chaotic. Hustle and bustle with a grumpy, mean boss. In the other “world,” with the nice sister, its relaxing and welcoming. Like the lantern even waved goodbye when Chihro and gang were leaving. It reminds me of Good Witch, Bad Witch. 

All in all, great film. I hope to create an animation film like that in my lifetime. This being the last blog post for this class (and me needing to reach that word count) I would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye. This has probably been my favorite class in my entire college experience. I graduate this semester so this is it for me! Not only has this class been valuable and benefitting my interest towards Japanese, I have met so amazing individuals and these are the people I wish I had met earlier. Thank you classmates and thank you professor for a class I will forever cherish.

[animejanaihontounoeigasa]

Spirited Away - Miyazaki

For this blog post I will be discussing Spirited Away by Miyazaki. I, unlike most people, had not seen a Miyazaki film until I watched Spirited Away in this class. I always thought “I’ll get around to it eventually”, and it would always be on the end of an infinite anime backlog.

It was about what I expected in terms of story and animation. The story was simple, but was engaging enough for the purposes of the movie. Considering that this movie was made for children I guess you probably should not expect anything too complex in terms of story or themes. I feel like the highlight of the movie was by far the animation. Everything seemed to be just teeming with life and it really captured your attention. I, being an enjoyer of anime myself, like Tarantino in Sukiyaki Western Django, am familiar with the animation shortcuts and tropes. It never felt like they were skimping out on animation or using a still frame while just moving a mouth for a frame or two. The animation also never felt choppy, so there were not any moments I noticed where it felt like a slide show (like when you are playing an online game with a poor connection and the frames drop). Everything very fluid and you could really feel movement in the world of Spirited Away. The character that best exemplifies this would be Haku when he is in his dragon form and is flying through the sky.

In terms of the movies themes, the first one I thought of was identity. Chihiro’s name was stolen by Yubaba when she signs the contract for the job. While it prevents her from turning into an animal, it makes her lose her name (which is what traps people in this spirit world). Haku the river spirit remembers Chihiro’s name which is what allows her to be able to try and escape the spirit world. Similarly Chihiro is able to remember Haku’s name, in turn freeing him. Essentially the movie tries to show why it’s important to remember who you are.

The movie also briefly commentate on pollution and the environment with the stink spirit. The stink spirit wasn’t actually a stink spirit at all, but was a great river spirit. Chihiro cleans it in the bath and pulls out a bunch of trash out of it, which revealed its true nature. It wasn’t a small amount of trash; it was an entire mountain of trash. This may be a criticism of the pollution of water by things such as chemicals and plastics, which is a persistent problem throughout the world.

The movie also teaches a lesson about greed, since the parents are turned into pigs for eating the spirit’s food. I don’t know why they ate the food in a place that was obviously creepy. I would not eat some random unattended food in a place without any people, the food would obviously seem suspicious.

The music in the movie was really good, especially the orchestrated themes. It really helped me to get invested in the world and the action of the movie. It honestly reminded me a bit of The Great Ace Attorney soundtrack (大逆転裁判).

Overall I enjoyed the movie a lot. I did feel that it was a bit overhyped; I thought it was good, but not one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Perhaps its because I don’t have the nostalgia for it since I never watched it when I was younger. Regardless it is a very solid movie.

[kosmodoggo-blog]

001. DanganRonpa, 002. Josuhan, 003. Yuri Plisetsky. :3

001 | Send me a fandom and I will tell you my:

Favorite character: GUNDAM. MY SWEET SWEET BOY.

Least Favorite character: God what’s her face...the really short bitchy one from the 2nd game lmao. Hiyoko I think her name was lkjdsafsdf. I had to google it lmao. I usually love bitchy girl characters but she was like insufferable to me.  

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Gundam/Sonia, Makoto/Byakuya, Genocide Jack/Byakuya, Mondo/Chihiro, Makoto/Kirigiri

Character I find most attractive: Gundam!! omg my prince of darkness.

Character I would marry: lmao I’d say Gundam but I rly don’t think either of us are the romance types lskjdadsf. 

Character I would be best friends with: I rly wanna be friends with Gundam and Sonia lmao. We can be the airhead trio lost in lala land who day dream too much and take care animals together. I’d also really love to be friends with Chiaki and play video games with her.

a random thought: I really hope that in some fictional timeline, Gundam meets Phichit from Yuri on Ice and they discuss hamsters for hours upon hours on end.

An unpopular opinion: I rly don’t like the headcanon that Chihiro is a transwoman alsdkjsdaf. I’m okay if people see them that way and relate to them that way! I encourage people to explore characterization however they want and however they need to or relate to, it’s all fine and I support all of it! But me personally I don’t vibe with it and it makes me uncomfortable asflkjsadfsafd. omg pls no one yell at me ahaha...

My Canon OTP: ...was there even any canon pairings in DR I don’t even remember lmao. I can’t remember what was canon or what has been heavily implied in fandom lol. But u know what??? I’m just gonna say Sakura and Asahina.

My Non-canon OTP: Gundam and Sonia!!! God they are so perfect together I love them lmao. 

Most Badass Character: KIRIGIRI HOLY CRAP. I LOVE HER. 

Most Epic Villain: JUNKO!!!! Holy crap I love u girl u doing everything wrong good job sweetie i support u. 

Pairing I am not a fan of: Honestly i’m really not involved in the DR fandom enough to really know what pairings exist hahaha. First one that comes to mind is Sonia/Souda tho so I guess I will say that. 

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Hiyoko. Not even that they necessarily screwed her up like I feel like she was exactly what the writers intended her to be, but even at the end of her arc I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to hate her or feel bad for her lol. 

Favourite Friendship: While it’s obvious I really, really don’t care for Hiyoko, I really loved her friendship with Mahiru.

Character I most identify with: Chiaki!! Omg i relate to her so much lol. 

Character I wish I could be: god i wouldn’t wanna be any of them, nope, not even if u paid me a million dollars have u evern played dangan ronpa. 

002 | Send me a ship and I will tell you:

When I started shipping them: God I really don’t remember lmao. I wanna say during Highway Star??? Lmao it was either that or the Gambling arc. 

My thoughts: I LOVE THEM. Like they’re not even enemies, or rivals, but they really just don’t vibe w/ each other and act like petty assholes to each other. I mean jfc just look at the gambling arc they are such petty morons. XD But then slowly throughout the series you can see them awkwardly and slowly come to respect each other while still being assholes to each other and it’s wonderful. Then by the Rohan spin offs they are actually friends and go get coffee at the cafe together lmao. They truly are a slow and awkward burn couple and i love it. 

What makes me happy about them: Everything about them is so entertaining lol. From the pettiness to the awkward support they give each other to the fact they always gotta be more extra than the other. It’s like these 2 morons care about each other but they’re too busy pretending they can’t stand each other hahaha. Oh boys....

What makes me sad about them: Nothing about them per se, but i’m really sad we don’t get to see more of them actually getting along. :c

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I haven’t read Josuhan fanfic in a long while, but I always got annoyed when ppl wrote Rohan really flatly. Like his personality was pretty much “asshole” and he had no other traits lol. I mean yes, don’t get me wrong, Rohan is 100% an asshole but like...he has other traits too? XD 

Things I look for in fanfic: THEM AWKWARDLY TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER HOLY CRAP. Them awkwardly being affectionate with each other, Rohan being in denial about his feeligs for Josuke. Just them being 2 dorks in an awkward budding romance hahaha. :’D But I also really like the established relationship fic where they’ve been together for years and their affection is still hella awkward because that’s just who Rohan is as a person lol. But it’s fine bc it’s so them!! 

My wishlist: God araki just give me a spin off abt Josuke and Rohan being friends and getting along. That’s all I want. 

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: To be honest I really can’t imagine Rohan getting involved romantically with anyone lol, even Josuke canonically. I really only ship him with Rohan, and occasionally Koichi. Josuke on the other hand, I would be ok if he ended up with Okuyasu even if I much prefer them as bros hahaha.

My happily ever after for them: Just let them be close. Let them admit they like each other. Let them be friends. I don’t care if they are romantic with each other I just want to see them genuinely enjoying each other haha!

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you:

How I feel about this character: GOD I LOVE THEM THEY ARE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE YURI PLISETSKY SAVED YURI ON ICE. Seriously I literally watched the entire show just for him laskjfasdfasfd. If he wasn’t there I would have dropped it. 

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: YUURI/YURI HOLY DICKS YO. Srsly that was the theme of my yuri on ice blog, their relationship lmaooooo. I been shippin’ them since day 1 i am an OG Yuuri/Yuri shipper. I can tell you EVERYTHING. I also ship Viktor/Yuri, Viktor/Yuuri/Yuri, JJ/Yuri, Georgi/Yuri, and Mila/Yuri!! 

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Otabek and Yuri!!! Oh my god their friendship gives me so much life hahaha. It’s so wonderful. ;_____; It actually makes me really emotional because it reminds me of the time I made my first friend aha.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Man do I have an unpopular Yuri opinion??? I feel like all of my various headcanons are generally accepted, ship ones aside. 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: NOTHING MY BOY GOT EVERYTHING I WANTED FOR HIM. (tho I really would have liked a reconciliation scene between him and Viktor but whatever)

Favorite friendship for this character: OTABEK AND YURI!!!! And while I adore romantic yuuri/yuri, I also really, really truly adore Yuuri and Yuri’s platonic friendship.

My crossover ship: I don’t rly do or enjoy crossovers ;;;;;;; I’M SORRY.........

[especia-va-bien]

OTOTOY: Manager Hiromitsu Shimizu looks back at the last 5 years with Especia

INTERVIEW: Hiromitsu Shimizu

Especia who began their career in April 2012 in Horie, Osaka, will be pulling down their curtains for the final time this March in Shinjuku, Tokyo. By comparing the group’s current standing with their humble beginnings, it is clear how much they have transformed; from idols to artists. It would be a lie to say that this transformation did not meet any challenges along the way. After becoming a trio, the members of Especia had lost their platforms to communicate publicly due to the removal of their Twitter accounts and official blogs. Members Haruka Tominaga, Erika Mori, and Mia Nascimento expressed their frustrations and frank thoughts in their last interview with Billboard JAPAN published last month.

However, they were not the only ones who had lost their privileges to communicate publicly. The man who conceived Especia, Hiromitsu Shimizu, also suffered the same fate. Starting from a certain period, Shimizu faded away from forefront of the group. Whilst this may be a topic that need not be discussed in the media, or may be a matter he is unable to discuss, it is unfathomable that he has not uttered anything even leading up to Especia’s final hours until the group disbands. Curiously, a photo circulated on Twitter after Especia’s Osaka leg of their “SPICE” Tour of the members—current and former—and the man himself, all with beaming carefree smiles. There, we saw the man who loves Especia more so than anyone else on this planet.

Original article published on OTOTOY (25 March 2017) Interviewed by: Hiroo Nishizawa

Translated by: @especia-va-bien

Especia’s indie era (2012-2014)

Especia was a project that you began when you still worked at the Osaka branch of Tsubasa Plus. When exactly was the project put into motion?

Hiromitsu Shimizu: “It was in April of 2012. I made a proposal to company to make a girl-group which centred around Haruka Tominaga who was runner-up of the SOKUDEBI audition which we co-operated with karaoke chain JANKARA. At first I wanted to make a group which centred around jazz and other sorts of sophisticated genres.”

Why did you want it to be centred around Haruka’s achievements as a runner-up?

Shimizu: “As a runner-up, she was entitled to free tuition at our music training school. She was with us for a whole year as she completed Year 12 at high school. I put the project into motion around the same time she finished her vocal coaching. Chika Sannomiya was also a student at that school at the time. The ones who Chika and Haruka invited to audition and actually passed were Chihiro Mise and Monari Wakita.

While the group began with 10 members, the group began their activities with 7 members two months after, and released their debut EP DULCE which was sold exclusively at TOWER RECORDS Shinjuku. Yokohama (Schtein&Longer) was their sound producer from the very beginning, right?

Shimizu: “I made a phone call to Yokoyama the moment I was thinking of starting the group. I was blown away at his production and arrangement of the “pink ver” and “white ver” of Pour Lui’s Elegant no Kaibutsu!! Having those songs in mind, I asked him if he could send over any scrapped BiS demos he had lying around, but instead he stated that he wanted to make something properly instead of simply sending over leftovers. From there, we began to reformulate the group’s entire concept completely.”

Especia began to centralise their activities in Osaka for a while. But what do you think was the cause for the group to have their name spread around Tokyo?

Shimizu: “It was that day! The day we were interviewed by OTOTOY for the very first time. At the POP SONG 2 U event at Nishi-Azabu eleven on the 4th of November 2012. Before that point, we only ever had about 3 people in the audience at the idol events we performed in, or some of the members had no choice but to only be part of the audience since they couldn’t make it to rehearsals as they had commitments with school. Gradually our circumstances began to change.”

Was there a reason why the group’s debut EP DULCE was sold exclusively at TOWER RECORDS Shinjuku at the time?

Shimizu: “We were still unknown at the time and I didn’t think we would sell much. So we mostly sold our CDs independently at first. But at the time, Furuki-san, who was a member of staff at TOWER RECORDS heard the record and thought how amazing it sounded. It was then decided that it would be sold exclusively at the Shinjuku store.”

You left quite an impression at the beginning with those videos of the girls singing along and dancing in odd places such as the desert and along Yokohama.

Shimizu: “Somehow we were invited to perform in Tottori, so we decided to shoot a video at Tottori Sand Dunes because we could and I thought it would be fun (laughs).”

(Laughs). Moving along, you managed to collect 1.3 million yen through crowdfunding the Taste of Spice vinyl. What was the overall response at that time?

Shimizu: “There was an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the songs. Before that, we had uploaded the songs over on SoundCloud and gave listeners opportunities to download the tracks if they shared the song over on Twitter. They were downloaded quite a bit.”

While Especia’s music has been refined from the very beginning, they weren’t destroyed by the intensely idol-approach of marketing you engaged in.

Shimizu: “Looking at the idol market of Osaka, I noticed that there were many idol groups who were content as just local acts. Since we were beginning to gain some recognition, I wasn’t settling on the idea of staying limited to the Osaka area. I wanted the group to be known as Osaka’s top idol group, eventually branching out.”

At the time, audience members were not sure about the way they could enjoy the group’s music at live venues. I felt that the members moving onto the floor with the audience mid-performance really helped build a bridge between the way fans could interact with and enjoy the performances.

Shimizu: “It’s all thanks to the song Good Times, which is available for free download on OTOTOY.”

At a glance, the girls of Especia have always seemed polite and obedient. Shimizu-san, could you tell us how you were able to nurture them?

Shimizu: “I don’t tell them directly that they can’t sing or that their choreography isn’t in sync. Of course I give them advice on how they can refine the finer details of their performances and practice. More importantly, I make sure to remind them to make necessary preparations even before rehearsals, or things like making sure they each send a message expressing their gratitude to all the staff whenever they release a song. I tell them that being able to officially release music is something that is never guaranteed.”

As a manager, it would be challenging to be able to perfectly balance your nurturing and care. Could you tell us what is the basis of your methods to nurture the group?

Shimizu: “This is something I’ve always believed myself, but I strongly believe that we cannot complete tasks alone; we always need the assisstance of others. I have no ability to compose music, and I’m not at all in tuned to what is at the forefront of leading ideas and trends. The basis of these ideas are inspired by the people who are around me. Thus, I have the belief that we need to work whole heartedly with the people who share the same ideas around us.”

In 2014, Especia were able to join forces with Negicco to form Negipecia.

Shimizu: “At the time, we performed alongside with Negicco at many different events. Especia’s joint concert with Negicco and lyrical school became a huge topic at the time. We decided to collaborate with Negicco as not only did they have a name for themselves, their music was also just as refined and sophisticated, and they were also local idols who represented Niigata.”

Especia’s major-label era (2015-2016)

At the group’s tour finale at O-EAST in December 2014, the group announced their major-label record deal.

Shimizu: “I was still working at the Osaka branch at the time, so it was difficult for the group to get big jobs in Tokyo. Our promotional work was limited, resulting in tie-up endorsement deals and campaigns eventually folding before taking off, or being unable to make appearance on certain media platforms. I won’t doubt that our staff at Tsubasa Plus weren’t working hard, but this was something that I wasn’t able to put into motion as an individual. I envisioned that the group would be able to reach a wider audience by signing onto a major label.”

I remember there was a lot of negative reactions to the first track We are Especia ~Nakinagara Dancing~ off of the group’s major-label debut mini album Primera. People heard the lyrics written by the girls of their worries going major, leading to fans fearing the group would be taking a completely different creative route following the new record deal.

Shimizu: “The thing is, that song was a perfect disco tune. It wasn’t that listeners were uncomfortable at the music itself, but they were concerned at the contents of the lyrics. Especia weren’t a group who had the individual members’ personalities at the forefront of their image. But personally, I knew that Haruka, Erika, Chika, Chihiro, Monari, and even Akane who left, all had their own unique character traits, and I wanted the world to gradually appreciate them as well. We were given the opportunity to collaborate with Wakadanna who is very passionate, so it was interesting to see him fuse his vision with our initial vision.”

Speaking of individual charms, Chika and Chihiro were known as being the dancers of the group, right? Each member was given their own platform to shine at the groups’ live performances.

Shimizu: “In terms of vocals, Haruka and Monari led the group, with Erika eventually catching up with them both with her own ability. Unfortunately, as Chika and Chihiro’s vocals fell behind they both expressed that they wanted to do more of the dance parts. The two of them were given most of the dance solos.”

As a result of performing under a major label for approximately an entire year, Chika, Chihiro, and Monari announced their graduation from the group at the Especia “Estrella” Tour 2015 -Viva Final- concert on the 17th of January 2016 at Shinkiba STUDIO COAST. Why exactly did these bleak circumstances eventually come into fruition?

Shimizu: “There were many different factors which happened actually. I moved back to Tokyo, so the group’s management was entrusted to another staff. As a result a distance grew between myself and the group. Ultimately, my goal was to get all members to make the move to Tokyo as well, but that wasn’t able to come into fruition as we did not meet our projected sales and audience quotas. I think this would have been a different story if CARTA sold more than 10,000 copies, but unfortunately we couldn’t achieve that either.”

To sum up, a spanner was thrown into the works with results not meeting their expectations as result of the physical distance between you in Tokyo and the girls in Osaka.

Shimizu: “Yes, I believe that’s one of the factors.”

Especia: The Second Chapter (2016-2017)

Thus, with Haruka and Erika making the move to Tokyo, and the introduction of Mia Nascimento as a new member, Especia began their Second Chapter. The group’s music and art direction was polished further, however, the girls lost their blogs and Twitter accounts. Just why was there this huge change?

Shimizu: “To put it simply, it was to present the group more as refined artists. They were presenting themselves too much like idols by posting selfies onto Twitter, even though they had such sophisticated and refined music. The truth is that I wanted to them to reclaim their autonomy—their own private lives.”

While the group were in training preparing for their return, it seems that the members were given the opportunity to study music theory earnestly.

Shimizu: “Yeah. For example, up until recently, whenever the girls would be ad-libbing, they’ve been just doing it by copying the way they were shown to do it. However, during that training period of studying music theory, they’ve learnt to ad-lib freely through improvisation based on the rhythm and key of the music.

In other words, Especia restarted themselves completely so that they could be presented as trained musicians. Despite the group’s move to Tokyo closing the geographical distance with yourself, and the strengthened improvement of the artistic direction of the group, ultimately the response to the group also deteriorated.

Shimizu: “We had 150 to 200 people show up at Especia’s first performance in their Second Chapter. This dwindled down to around 100 by their next live performance. By their third performance, we only had audiences of about 30 to 40 people.”

Almost several months after only starting Especia’s Second Chapter, you decided to disband the group in October. Could you tell us what was the cause for the disbandment?

Shimizu: “Given the circumstances, I just could not save Especia any more. That is all. While it was essentially the job of the manager to boost the motivation and morale or the members along with overseeing the overall direction, I just could not envision any other ways we could continue the group.”

Putting it like this would have you painted as the villain who destroyed Especia, but I believe that isn’t the case. With the Second Chapter, you were appointed the role as producer and managed the group from afar, mobilising the cogs of the team involved in Especia.

Shimizu: “Even so, the fans would say that that has nothing to do with it. There are fans who noticed that I was eventually not a part of Especia’s production for a period of time. I wasn’t present at Especia’s performances and events during most of the group’s Second Chapter.”

No matter how much Especia changes, that does not change the fact that Especia are loved by so many people. Whether there are smiles or tears, the group will be holding their final concert on the 26th of March at Shinjuku BLAZE. How are you feeling about the group’s farewell tour?

Shimizu: “I feel that this tour is an amalgamation of the group’s previous incarnations with the current incarnation. While the group have been unable to do certain things in the Second Chapter, they have also gained so many other skills as well. I especially believe the three of them have strengthened their vocal harmonies as a group. While we will be supported by a live band for the Osaka and Tokyo concerts, we want the line-up to be simple instead of having three additional back-up singers supporting them. This is a chance for the group to really showcase the degree of their perfection of the last couple of months. However, the group have lost their cohesion with the songs. Before, I would change the setlist right in the middle of the performance without warning the girls countless times. They wouldn’t know what song was coming next, so the girls would just have to be ready and perform what I play. The girls each only had to know their own lines and that was it. But we can’t do that these days. What really I find really symbolic was when I realised Mia couldn’t sing Especia’s iconic track No1 Sweeper. I stopped doing that because she would get flustered if I just played something without her knowing what to actually do. We’re not that kind of group any more.”

I feel that this tour is a way for Especia to reclaim their true quality by showcasing themselves at their peak, right at the very end.

Shimizu: “This tour is not to showcase what Especia has achieved in the last half year, but to summarise the fruits of Especia’s hardworking career over the last 5 years. The three of them have achieved so much just by going on their first tour together; through things they cultivated in their previous incarnation, and as a trio. This is their final performance where the members and myself will showcase our entire hearts and soul.”

[hentaihunblog-blog]

Love is Like After the Rain Episode 6: Fine Rain

New Post has been published on https://hentaihun.com/blog/2018/02/18/love-is-like-after-the-rain-episode-6-fine-rain/

Love is Like After the Rain Episode 6: Fine Rain

This episode is a perfect example of the “show, don’t tell” thing I was talking about in the first couple episodes. This episode had so little dialogue and instead focused on character close ups, and scenic shots to show the passage of time. If I had to be honest, this was probably my least favorite episode but it wasn’t a bad one by any chance. It was a lot slower than usual, though we had a lot of focus on Akira’s strained friendship with Haruka, and then we got something really interesting in the very end with Kondo.

This episode was filler, except it kind of wasn’t filler either because some progress was made. Little Akira with pigtails is adorable and I’ll be damned if we ever see a wide smile like that from her ever again. The distancing between Haruka and Akira is sad, and very realistic. I hate to say that I’ve dealt with things like this more times than I’ve ever wanted to, so I know how terrible Haruka is feeling, though it’s worse in her case because she’s been close friends with Akira since they were children. Ever since her incident, Akira has spent more time at work and chasing after Kondo than hanging out with Haruka. Though I found it pretty cute that Akira was hanging out with Yui during the weekend, but again that’s bad for Haruka. To Akira, Haruka is everything she cannot be. She reminds her of the one thing she can’t do anymore, and that’s track and field. Being around her would just remind her of that, and to save herself from the pain, they’ve distanced themselves. There’s no hard feelings between them or anything, but it’s that one little detail that’s getting in their way. Akira doesn’t exactly see how she’s hurting her friend, so I had wished that Haruka had actually said something other than the little note she left in the kitty gatcha. It’s hard, but at least with how direct the note was “Our friendship isn’t all about track and field, right?”, their friendship can probably mend itself back to what it used to be. Especially since she gave her the special kitty keychain that’s supposed to bring the person you like closer to you. Kind of funny that she has no idea how significant that ugly cat is to Akira. With with Akira checking out a book about running, maybe their friendship will turn in a better direction.

We’re slowly unraveling Kondo’s inner mind, but I really wish we had one episode at least dedicated to just him. I’m not sure what they meant by “pure literature” but looking it up I think it means literature that all should read and analyze? So it’s basically what we all know literature to be, but then again there’s many ways you can define literature, but as an English graduate that has had these discussions numerous times…no thanks, not again. Point is, Kondo seems to love reading classics. Though the stories we saw in his room are pretty telling. The Complete Collection of Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Notes from Underground are more dark pieces of literature. I’ve never read Notes from Underground but I looked it up to read a quick synopsis and it’s not exactly a happy one. And I’ve read a couple short stories of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, In a Grove and Rashomon. The first was strange and grisly, and the second one was absolutely creepy and unsettling. Thanks to a Japanese Short Story class I took in university, I was able to read these stories and I still have more, including a couple Natsume Soseki poems so I should check those out. I don’t want to read (haha) too much into this, but it’s interesting that those are the books that were shown to us. We know that Kondo is a depressed man who doesn’t think too much of himself, and the choices of his literature may show that. But what was absolutely most interesting was the book he checked out in the end that changed the mood completely. Window by the Wave by Chihiro Kujo. I didn’t dare look this one up in case of spoilers, whether it’s a real book or a fictional one in this world. I’m going to guess that maybe Chihiro is his ex-wife? That would probably be the best guess because seeing the book affected him so much.

It was such a huge emotional shift that it’s absolutely significant, and I hope the show doesn’t dawdle too much. If we’re going to get at least one episode centered around Kondo, it better be the next one.

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[livingdeadhorse]

They are about to watch the shittiest horror movie to ever exist. . .

+ art dump for things that I don’t wanna post individually below cut

[recentanimenews]

Space Nazis and Little Sisters? Get Hooked on Fall Shows You Missed!

  The winter season is so close, we can almost taste it! But we've still got the New Year to ring in before we can start digging into the lastest anime straight from Japan. How can we pass the week until then? Catching up on the shows we missed this season, of course!

  This week, we're diving into Dies Irae and A Sister's All You Need -- two shows you may have given a miss for Reasons, but that are worth a look. Also, we're breaking one of the main rules of The Hook by looking at two episodes for one of them... but you'll see why when we get there.

  Ready to get hooked? Here we go!

  A Sister's All You Need

Okay, kids. For the first two minutes of the first episode, you're going to have to trust us. Just hang in there. It looks terrible, but we promise it's not what you're getting.

  Survive the opening scene of our hero being distressingly, dimension-bendingly intimate with his little sister Alice, and you discover that this isn't our protagonist. Instead, our focus is Itsuki, who penned the awkward situation we just saw. He's a light novel writer whose stories star little sister characters, and his first attempt to move his writing away from his all-encompassing fetish has failed miserably.

  From here, the episode is about Itsuki and his fellow writers: Nayuta (an 18-year-old light novel prodigy who's got it bad for him), Miyako (who attempts to rein in Nayuta's blatant behavior), and Haruto (a more successful light novelist). Also in the mix is Chihiro, Itsuki's 16-year-old stepbrother, who looks after all of them.

  The Hook: The fact that it's not what it professes to be at first is more a relief than a hook. But the presence and personality of Chihiro raises a few questions...

  Who It It For: Even though the opening scene is a fake-out, do bear in mind that there are plenty of ecchi moments in this show. If that's a deal-breaker, this is probably not for you. But other than that, this is a fun slice-of-life rom-com for people looking for something a little less dramatic and violent in their queue.

  A Sister's All You Need is available on Crunchyroll.

    Dies Irae

For those of you looking for something more dramatic and violent, there's Dies Irae. And this is where we break one of the prime rules of The Hook -- because we're looking at both Episode 0 and Episode 1.

  While Episode 0 was the first to air, it also doesn't contain the protagonist or primary setting at all. Instead, we see the back story of the villains -- which is interesting in its own right, as it involves paranormal action and World War II weirdness and rituals. But considering it's labeled as "Zero" instead of "One," we'll package them both together.

  Episode 0 centers on Reinhard Heydrich, a high-ranking German officer who joins forces with the mysterious Kart Kraft during World War II and recruits many of his best soldiers to fight off supernatural mutants. The episode ends with the pair disappearing into the depths of space-time on a giant gold skeleton-castle.

  The real episode 1 brings us around to Ren, our protagonist, as he leaves the hospital after a knock-down fight with one of his friends. His first day back in society ends with his friend Kasumi taking him to a sword exhibit, where he becomes haunted by the spirit of a girl within a guillotine.

  The Hook: Maybe it's the flashbacks. Maybe it's the reminders that both he and his absent friend have been experiencing some serious deja-vu. Maybe it's the fact that there are actual murders happening around the school. Or maybe it's this whole thing with random strangers turning into eerie visions of red skulls. But it seems like Ren's problems are slightly greater than just having his daily life disturbed a bit.

  Who Is It For: Dies Irae is based on an adult visual novel, but while the tells are there (such as the variety of girls introduced into the story), this isn't an "adult" series. If you're a fan of supernatural shonen action, the freaky, high-powered battles will definitely catch your eye. And fans of mysteries will want to dig deeper into both the historical and present-day aspects of the plot.

  Dies Irae is available on Crunchyroll.

  -----

  Kara Dennison is responsible for multiple webcomics, blogs and runs interviews for (Re)Generation Who and PotterVerse, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos. Her latest stories can be found in Whoblique Strategies.

Kara Dennison is responsible for multiple webcomics, blogs and runs interviews for (Re)Generation Who and PotterVerse, and is half the creative team behind the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. She blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos. Her latest stories can be found in Whoblique Strategies.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com