#keiretsu

[hyhunter7]

ISREAL IS LITERALLY THE SHINRA COMPANY

I’m sure that anyone who’s played Final Fantasy 7 or even knows the general lore knows what I’m talking about and Palestine will look like the world of ff7 (it’s already on its way there) if this continues, if not places like Egypt, Jordan, etc bc Israel’s already bombing them too. All to reach the Promise Land (TM)

[asagi-asagiri]

People who are neurodivergent and communist or libertarian/other form of hardcore capitalism are something else. Like, fam you're the exact kind of person who'd get screwed over by the gatekeeping inherent in this.

[wanderersrest]

An Abbreviated History of Mecha Part 4.1: THE EAST IS BURNING RED!!! (1990-1995)

(Read in the voices of Yosuke Akimoto and Tomokazu Seki) ANSWER ME, DOMON! THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST!!

THE WIND OF KINGS!!

ZENSHIN!!

KEIRETSU!!

TEMPA KYOURAN!!!

LOOK, THE EAST IS BURNING RED!!!

Welcome back to An Abbreviated History of Mecha! Last time, we saw the proliferation of mecha shows throughout the 80's. We also saw the introduction of an incomplete list of influential industry people who got their start in the 80's. In the 90's, we will begin to see a continuation of this proliferation of mecha works throughout the decade. The 90's will also see a lot of the stories I have talked about pay off, as

What we will also see in the 90's are a few major events that will affect the world of mecha in pretty major ways. The first is the bursting of the Japanese economic bubble, which would cause the Japanese economy to go from an era of excess to one of stagnation known as the Lost Decade. Another is the sudden arrival of a third honorary mecha series, except this honorary mecha series would arguably help to kickstart the slow decline of mecha stories. It should be noted that this series is not the only reason for the slow decline of mecha shows. That is a whole conversation in and of itself, and one that, maybe one day, I will talk about.

The last thing that should be noted about the 90's is that this would also see the creation of a handful of networks in the US that would help to bring anime over to the west, namely one Cartoon Network (and more importantly, its spinoff networks Toonami and [adult swim]) for the people in the US. While anime had seen some popularity in the west thanks to shows and movies like Robotech, Voltron, Ghost in the Shell, and Akira, it would be the four-part knockout of two of the series mentioned here alongside animanga juggernauts Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon that would cause anime to become mainstream.

That should be everything. With all of that out of the way...

Gundam Fight!

READY?! GO!!!

Yuusha Exkaiser/Brave Exkaiser (1991)

Starting us off in 1991, Takara would realize that, due to the sudden success of Transformers in the US, it might be time to diversify as Transformers had no longer felt like it was truly their property anymore. As such, they would create the Yuusha line, with their debut series being Brave Exkaiser. Exkaiser would prove to be a massive hit amongst its intended younger audience and would kickstart a whole franchise, which would also include:

The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn (1992)

The Brave Express Might Gaine (1993)

The Brave Police J-Decker (1994)

The Brave of Gold Goldran (1995)

Brave Command Dagwon (1996)

The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar (1997), which I will talk about next time.

The Brave franchise is important due to how often this series gets referenced by other works, with the usual reference points being either Might Gaine or GaoGaiGar. More importantly, both Brave Exkaiser and the Giant Robo OVA would usher in an era of works that looked to the older mecha shows like Tetsujin 28, Mazinger Z, and Getter Robo for inspiration as opposed to Mobile Suit Gundam.

Super Robot Wars (1991) & Another Century's Episode (2003)

1991 would also see the start of Banpresto's Super Robot Wars, the ultimate crossover of in terms of mecha works. Super Robot Wars is where a lot of mecha-related terminology such as Super Robots, Real Robots, and the Holy Trinity (Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, Gundam 0079) come from. Super Robot Wars would also introduce its own set of original robot designs, each with their own unique pilots. Super Robot Wars would eventually gain a sister series in the form of 2003's Another Century's Episode.

One of the most important factors of Super Robot Wars is that, due to its celebratory (some might even say masturbatory) nature, these games can serve as a good metric behind what is a mecha story.

Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1992)

In 1992, Yasuhiro Imagawa and company would release the first episode of the now-legendary OVA Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still. This OVA, along with Brave Exkaiser, would begin the push for giant robot shows to take inspiration from works that were not Mobile Suit Gundam. The Giant Robo OVA, on top of being one of Imagawa's magnum opera (fun fact: the plural of magnum opus is magnum opera) alongside Mobile Fighter G Gundam, would also be the direct inspiration for western darling The Big O.

Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger (1992) & Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (1993)

If you're wondering why I mentioned Super Sentai in part 2, this series is why.

In 1992, the Super Sentai series Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger would release in Japan. While, to my understanding, it was about as popular as the rest of the Super Sentai franchise, this specific series in particular would attract the attention of one Haim Saban. With some editing here and there, along with filming new segments featuring an American cast as opposed to using the original footage featuring the original Japanese cast, Saban and company would create Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, which would air for the first time in 1993. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers would go down in history as one of many series that would help pave the way for animanga to gain a foothold in western media.

Denkou Choujin Gridman/Gridman the Hyper Agent (1993) & Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad (1994)

1993 would also see the legendary Tsuburaya Productions, after a long period of struggles, finally make a comeback with their new series Gridman the Hyper Agent. With its smaller budget, the Hero of Dreams would come to be known as the hero who would help Tsuburaya Productions come back to relevance in the 90's.

Due to the success of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, other US companies would want in on the action. DiC Entertainment would buy the US distribution rights for Gridman and would try to put their own spin on Power Rangers by creating Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad.

Eventually, the people at Studio Trigger, who were interested in making an anime based off of Ultraman, would reach out to Tsuburaya Productions in an attempt to get permission to do so. While their initial request for Ultraman specifically was shot down, they were allowed to choose any of Tsuburaya's other properties for their anime adaptation. And they would choose Gridman for their subject, which would lead to the creation of SSSS.Gridman (a show I will talk about later).

If you have time to spare, you should also check out Cheese GX's video on the history behind Gridman.

Patlabor 2 (1993)

The fan-beloved Patlabor 2 would also release in 1993. Reflecting the realities of post-economic bubble Japan and the ensuing Lost Decade, Patlabor 2 would trade out the optimism commonly associated with the franchise with a much more cynical and grounded (even by Patlabor standards) tone. People tend to view this movie as being what Patlabor is all about, but in my opinion, this movie is an anomaly that can only truly be appreciated by knowing the context of everything that came before it.

Magic Knight Rayearth (1993)

1993 would also see the publishing of the shoujo manga series Magic Knight Rayearth. Created by the legendary mangaka group CLAMP, Rayearth would be one of the first magical girl series to really escape the long shadow cast by one Sailor Moon (if I understand my magical girl history correctly, Sailor Moon is basically the magical girl equivalent of the original Mobile Suit Gundam). How was Magic Knight Rayearth able to do this?

By adding giant robots into the mix. That's right: Magic Knight Rayearth is most likely the reason why there is overlap between magical girl and mecha fans. While remembered by many as being an important series in the canons of mecha, magical girls, and CLAMP, Rayearth's legacy would largely be overshadowed by one Cardcaptor Sakura.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)

1994 would see Gundam return in a radically different form with the martial arts-inspired Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Often considered to be the other iconic series of Yasuhiro Imagawa, G Gundam would mark the beginning of a new era of Gundam by being the first alternate universe series to exist, thus allowing the franchise to flourish while letting the original Universal Century timeline continue to exist and get its own stories. Because of its radically different nature though, G Gundam is oftentimes looked down upon as a series that spits on the legacy of the Gundam franchise.

And again, not to toot my own horn here, but I also have a trilogy of posts all talking about G Gundam. All three posts seemed to be pretty popular relative to my other posts, so there seemed to be something in them that resonated with a lot of readers.

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (1995) & New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1996)

Following on from G Gundam is 1995's New Mobile Report Gundam Wing, which is arguably the most important Gundam series after the original and Gundam Seed in the 2000's. As a return to the war stories of the original Gundam, the reason why this series is important is because Gundam Wing would be one of the big four anime series that would make anime become mainstream in the West.

In my opinion though, Gundam Wing's legacy begins and ends with it being the first Gundam series to air in the West. In Japan, another series would air at around the same time as Gundam Wing, one that would loom over the rest of canon of mecha due to its impact on the anime industry and Japanese pop culture as a whole.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) & The End of Evangelion (1996)

Ah yes, the original "Not Like the Other Girls" mecha anime.

The series that would hamper a lot of Gundam Wing's cultural impact would be Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax's legendary Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the second of Gainax's Big Four alongside Gunbuster. Created as an homage to shows like Ultraman and Space Runaway Ideon, Evangelion would take the zeitgeist by storm, forcing its way into the pantheon of the mecha canon like... well, like an Evangelion Unit tearing through an Angel's AT Field. There was a certain je ne sais quois to the series that made it stick to a lot of viewers at the time, and a lot of the history and context behind this series' production would help shape a lot of its more cerebral moments.

Anno would eventually revisit this series in 2007 by remaking this anime series into a quartet of films known as the Rebuild of Evangelion series. At first just a project to bring Evangelion to the 21st century, the Rebuild films would eventually become the first of the Shin Japan Heroes Thematic Universe, which would come to also include:

Shin Godzilla (2016)

Shin Ultraman (2022)

Shin Kamen Rider (2023)

The problem with a series like Evangelion is that, while it is a culturally important series that deserves a lot of the attention and praise it gets, a lot of Evangelion fans tend to go a little bit too far. It's subversive nature tends to become exaggerated to the point where Evangelion is often treated as being subversive of mecha, and thus, not like the other mecha shows. This is, in large part, why the infamous idea of Evangelion being "Not like other mecha shows because it deals with character drama" comes from, and it's something that I'd like to talk about at some point in the future after all of this.

Conclusion

And there you have it! As we get into the latter half of the 90's, we will see a lot of iconic mecha shows begin to pop up. We will also see [adult swim] begin to really play its part in making anime more mainstream, along with Gundam begin to decline and the end of the Brave franchise. We'll also see the appearance of the crazy man known as Tetsuya Takahashi make his directorial debut in what is quiet possibly the single most ambitious JRPG project of all time along with a surprise appearance by... LEGO?!

Next time, Part 4.2: A Grand Glorious Gathering!!

This will be the key to victory.

[osharenippon]

Shoujo Manga's Golden Decade (Part 2)

Shoujo manga, comics for girls, played a pivotal role in shaping Japanese girls’ culture, and its dynamic evolution mirrors the prevailing trends and aspirations of the era. For many, this genre peaked in the 1970s. But why?

Part 1

The Year of 24 Group

Some of the best-selling work by the Year 24 Artists (l-to-r): Yasuko Aoike's "From Eroica with Love," Ryoko Yamagishi's "Arabesque," Mineko Yamada's "Minori no Shoujo," Toshie Kihara's "Yomie no Ishibume," Yumiko Oshima's "The Star of Cottonland," Yuuko Kishi's "Tamasaburo."

Back in the early '70s, there was the prevailing notion that manga was for young kids. Despite the variety in themes, big magazines like Margaret, Shoujo Club, Nakayoshi, and Ribon were theoretically aimed at elementary school-aged girls.

In practice, the reality was more nuanced. Due to being published in Weekly Margaret, "The Rose of Versailles" was for kids. And it did very well with them. Yet, its revolutionary romance also appealed to broader audiences, exemplifying the crossover potential of shoujo manga. It was the title that opened the door for what is known as "the golden age of shoujo," which was further cemented by several other groundbreaking hits.

These hits widened the shoujo manga field, and soon, other editorial houses also wanted to cash in. Shogakukan, which published the powerful Weekly Shonen Sunday, entered the shoujo market in the late '60s. Shueisha and Shogakukan also partnered to form a keiretsu and open the Hakusensha publisher which deals mostly with shoujo manga.

That is the context in which a batch of artists known as "The Magnificent 24 Group" rose. And they were another key reason as to why '70s shoujo made such a mark. These manga-kas introduced themes such as sci-fi and homosexuality to the segment, revolutionized its art, further explored historical and terror narratives, and generally broke barriers of what was possible in shoujo manga. Their work was intellectually challenging, philosophical, and, above all, fundamental for male manga critics and connoisseurs to finally take shoujo seriously.

The Year 24 Group refers to the fact most artists were born around 1949, which is known as the year 24 of the Showa era in the Japanese calendar. These women came of age during the time artists like Hideko Mizuno were debuting and doing revolutionary work in the shoujo field, and they were eager to follow their lead. The success of unorthodox hits like "The Rose of Versailles" and the emergence of new magazines enabled them to be bold.

The two artists who led the movement are Moto Hagio and Keiko Takemiya. Their shared house in Tokyo, known as the Oizumi Salon, became a gathering place for several young artists keen on breaking new grounds for shoujo manga-kas. These women became the Year 24 group. But there were other two people, besides the artists themselves, who were just as crucial for their collective rise.

Firstly, there was Junya Yamamoto. Yamamoto was a young male editor at Shogakukan who had risen through the ranks of the successful Shonen Sunday weekly manga magazine. Noticing they were lagging behind Shueisha and Kodansha in the manga segment for their lack of a robust shoujo presence, the editorial house appointed Yamamoto to launch Shoujo Comic (known as Sho-Comi) in 1968 and Bessatsu Shoujo Comic (known as Betsucomi) in 1970. However, he quickly ran into an issue: most successful shoujo artists already had exclusive contracts with the competing houses, and aspiring names were vying for positions at the already established titles.

In 1969, the "God of manga," Osamu Tezuka, introduced Yamamoto to Keiko Takemiya, then a university student living in Tokushima City. Takemiya had spent her school years dreaming of becoming a manga-ka and participated extensively in the readers' corner section of COM. COM was an avant-garde manga magazine Tezuka founded to nourish young talents and publish stories without the typical restraints of more commercial shoujo and shonen publications. In her first year of college, Takemiya won a Shueisha's Weekly Margaret newcomer competition and had a work published in the magazine. Still, she was persuaded by her parents to focus on her studies instead and to leave manga as a side hobby.

Yamamoto, in turn, was impressed with her talent and convinced her to chase her dreams. Quickly, she found work in all three publishers and started simultaneously publishing in Kodansha, Shueisha, and Shogakukan's shoujo titles.

Meanwhile, Moto Hagio also grew up enamored with the manga world. During her college years, she had a work selected by Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret (Betsuma) through a competition, but she could not find a fixed slot in the magazine. Then, she got introduced to Kodansha's Nakayoshi editors, who were impressed by her talent. While she did start publishing short stories there, editors rejected most of her submitted work as they did not fit the magazine's mold. One day, an editor introduced her to Takemiya, who, overworked while working for several magazines, was in dire need of an assistant. The two hit off, and Takemiya, who until then had her permanent residence in far away Tokuma City but was planning a move to Tokyo, proposed they both live together. She also decided to introduce Hagio to risk-taker editor Yamamoto, who, impressed by her talent, encouraged her to pursue her path instead of trying to fit into the expected shoujo template.

Then there was Norie Masuyama, who first became acquainted with Moto Hagio before becoming Takemiya's manager. Hagio was from Fukuoka, while Masuyama was from Tokyo, but due to their similar interests, they became penpals. When Hagio first moved to Tokyo, Masuyama hosted her in her home in Oizumi. Eventually, Hagio introduced Masuyama to Takemiya, and the three of them became close. Because both were artists from outside of Tokyo, Masuyama was the one who first circled the idea they should live together (something Yamamoto presciently warned it could turn into a problem), and she was the one who alerted them of a house in her Oizumi neighborhood being up for rent.

Keiko Takemiya and Moto Hagio, estranged since the late '70s, revealed details of their feud in autobiographic books: Takemiya's "Shonen no na wa Gilbert" (2019) and Hagio's "Ichidou kiri no Oizumi no Hanashi" (2021). The dispute, stemming from Takemiya accusing Hagio of plagiarism, was fueled by Takemiya's jealousy during a challenging creative and personal period. While Takemiya appears self-aware and analytical in her account, Hagio's book indicates she hasn't forgiven Keiko, revealing unresolved feelings. The publications triggered intense online debates.

Masuyama came from a sophisticated family that was very involved in arts and, from a young age, got familiarized with the world of music, literature, and movies. Her refined taste impressed Hagio and Takemiya. At a time when Japanese girls dreamed of Europe, Masuyama actually had friends living there and was up-to-date on the latest European trends. She also had a lot of knowledge of European cinema and literature.

As their rented house was old and rusty, Hagio and Takemiya started spending a lot of time at Masuayama's house across the street. She introduced them to films, songs, books, and paintings. It was Masuyama's taste -- including her interest in movies and books depicting gay romance and her desire for girls' comics to have bolder and riskier themes -- that helped to instill a passion in both artists to go further than the safe cliches usually depicted in shoujo works.

In 1970, editor Yamamoto convinced Takemiya to sign an exclusive contract with Shogakukan. The following year, Hagio also started publishing for Sho-comi and Betsucomi. Their work would attract a loyal fanbase, and aspiring manga-ka would flood their mailboxes. So Takemiya made a decision: to select female artists around her and Hagio's age to mentor and train at their shared home. Thus, the Oizumi Salon was born.

Despite attracting attention, Takemiya and Hagio's works were not always popular. In fact, they'd often rank last in readers' popularity polls, which tend to be all-deciding in manga magazines. But they persevered, and Yamamoto trusted them.

Keiko Takemiya aimed to establish herself with a top-rated series through "Pharaoh no Haka" (left) in order to garner the necessary respect from editors to write the series she wanted, "Kaze to ki no uta" (right). Despite her resolute efforts, "Pharaoh no Haka" never secured the top spot in Sho-comi's readers' poll, peaking at #2. Nevertheless, the series succeeded in elevating her fame and earning her the respect she sought.

In 1972, Hagio had an idea for a serial focused on a male European vampire. However, as she wasn't a famous artist, Yamamoto only allowed her to publish one-shots. So she came up with a plan: to write three interconnected standalone stories. To circumvent another restraint - shoujo editors' avoidance of male leads - she put the first story focus on Marybelle, Edgar's sister. Once Yamamoto realized what Hagio was doing, he was amused and allowed her to continue. And so, "The Poe Clan" series began. In 1974, Shogakukan finally started publishing their shoujo titles in compiled paperback format. In another proof of trust, Yamamoto chose Hagio's "The Poe Clan" as the first title of the Flower Comics imprint.

To everybody's surprise, "The Poe's Clan," in paperback format, was a groundbreaking success, almost instantaneously selling out its initial printing. At the time, Hagio had just started a new serialization, "The Heart of Thomas," a tragic gay love story set in an all-boys German school. As usual for her, the story wasn't all that popular with Sho-Comi's readership, and its lackluster results in the reader's poll almost got the series discontinued. But the notable success of "The Poe's Clan" tankobon assured editors, who allowed Hagio to continue the series. "The Heart of Thomas" went on to become another best-seller and a seminal shoujo title. It also attracted critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase to Moto Hagio, which in turn helped put the Year 24 artists -- who were pretty good at self-promotion -- in the spotlight.

Hagio, Takemiya, and several other "Year 24" authors drifted between being popular and underground. They had a sizable, loyal fanbase that followed them and turned several of their works into best-sellers. On the other hand, by finding a way around the usual shoujo traditions, they weren't particularly popular with the average shoujo reader, ordinary young girls across the country.

Their peculiar position forced them to be clever, so they could fulfill their creative desires as well as their editors' expectations, who were there to make sure the stories published were satisfying to the core readership. Takemiya wrote "Pharaoh no Haka," an Egypt-set romantic adventure, to be well-accepted so that she could then dedicate herself to doing what she truly wanted in "Kaze to Ki no Uta," a gay love story set in a 19th Century French boarding school.

Initially overlooked in popular shoujo magazines, Moto Hagio gained success with "The Poe Clan" in compiled format, launching Shogakukan's Flower Comics imprint. Over time, she became a highly respected manga artist, the only manga-ka alongside legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki to receive a Person of Cultural Merit recognition. In 2016, marking 40 years of the conclusion of her first hit, she released a new "The Poe Clan" chapter in Flower magazine, selling out the increased print run of 50,000 copies in a day. This success marked a significant shift for Hagio, who, despite not being a major magazine seller in earlier years, became a valuable asset to the struggling magazine publishing industry decades later. Following the one-shot, she released three more chapters and, in 2022, began a new sequel series.

Besides Takemiya and Hagio, several other notable shoujo artists who went on to become huge names used to frequent the Oizumi Salon and were part of the "Year 24 group." In the early '70s, most published their work on Shogakukan's titles, which had a "free policy" on storytelling compared to Margaret, Shoujo Friend, Nakayoshi, and Ribon. Then, as Shogakukan started being more strict to properly compete with the market leaders, several moved to newly launched Hakusensha titles Hana to Yume and LaLa. Influential names that were part of the movement included Yumiko Oshima, Yasuko Aoike, and Ryoko Yamagashi, among several others. 

Despite their unorthodox preferences, they weren't necessarily trying to rebel against the system, they simply wanted to put out good quality work they believed in. Like other Japanese girls from that era, they were fascinated by Europe, and plenty of their stories took place on the continent. In 1972, Hagio, Takemiya, Yamagishi, and Masuyama made a 45-day trip to Europe, visiting the Soviet Republic, France, and several other countries, which had a profound impact on them. Still, their narratives were widely innovative. They often had male leads, introduced sci-fi, "boys' love," and other bolder genres to shoujo manga, and contributed to the evolution of shoujo illustration. Above all, this group of artists was the one who made clear to naysayers, once and for all, that shoujo manga is indeed an art form.

But while their influence in manga history is undisputed, other significant -- and much more commercial -- manga movements also shook the shoujo manga world during that decade.

A Need for Drama

When talking about '70s shoujo manga, it's common for minds to drift directly to iconic series from that time, like "Candy Candy" and "Rose of Versailles." But, unlike in present times, in that decade, the manga industry's focus wasn't on successful, long-running series but on the artists themselves.

As opposed to the struggling publishing marketing of today, major shoujo manga magazines all sold over 1 million copies during that decade. Manga in tankobon (standalone paperback) format was turning into a money-maker field, but being able to sell paperback was very much secondary compared to being a name capable of selling magazines. Keiko Takemiya and Moto Hagio, from the Amazing Year 24 Group, would go on to become household names and had best-selling series, but, at the time, they couldn't compete with the actual shoujo manga superstars who were the signboard artists of the Kodansha and Shueisha's shoujo titles, the ones who actually moved publications. These artists' work was the most significant indicator of what the mainstream readers wanted and aspired to back then.

In a December/1975 issue, weekly Josei Seven spotlights the new generation of superstar shoujo manga artists: (l-to-r) Moto Hagio, Machiko Satonaka, Ryoko Ikeda, Yukari Ichijo, Keiko Takemiya, and Ryoko Takahashi. While contemporary manga-kas are highly discreet about their lives and do not even tend to show their faces, in the '70s, they were treated like superstars, and, in the article, the manga-kas openly discuss their love life and details of their high incomes, including how much they had in the bank and how much they spent on rent and daily utilities.

For Kodansha, the top shoujo artist was definitely Machiko Satonaka, who won the Best New Artist competition in 1964, when she was still a freshman in high school. There have been several high-schoolers making their debut in the industry throughout the decades, but, as the first, Satonaka caused a media frenzy. Her ascent gave confidence to countless other young women -- from "Glass Mask"'s Suzue Michi to Keiko Takemiya (who also won a smaller prize in the same competition) -- to pursue their manga careers.

The attention surrounding Satonaka, who went on to become a public personality with TV hosting gigs and other appearances, is another interesting, nostalgic phenomenon. In the past, it was common for manga superstars to have a strong media presence. Nowadays, the norm is the complete opposite: for manga-kas to be highly private, no matter how famous their work is.

In any case, Satonaka quickly proved herself to be more than a sensational news story as she created extremely popular mangas for Kodansha shoujo titles like Shoujo Friend and Nakayoshi. Her style, widely accepted by readers, became symbolical of the story-telling the '70s girls craved: extremely dramatic with emotionally driven plots and lots of bombastic twists and developments.

In his book on subcultures and otaku culture, sociologist Shinji Miyadai notes that '70s shoujo manga can be divided into very few categories. There is the category the Year 24 artists dominated -- which he defines as the "Moto Hagio domain" -- of works with a lot of artistic value, up-to-par with literature. And then there's the far more commercially viable "Satonaka domain," which represented the mainstream taste.

In the "Satonaka category," the artist depicts a stormy life story as a proxy experience for the readers. Of course, there are universal elements of love, friendship, and insecurity that girls can directly relate to. Still, these stories provide adventures that readers could never experience in the real world. 

These facets of the "Satonaka domain" are present in almost all the best-selling, mainstream shoujo series of the '70s, like the revolutionary historical romance of "The Rose of Versailles," the dramatic rags-to-riches story of the beautiful orphan in "Candy Candy," and the rise of an ordinary girl to the top of the sports elite in "Ace wo Nerae." In all of these titles, you'll also spot other defining characteristics of '70s shoujo: the death of beloved characters and well-liked female characters with voluminous blonde hairs and huge, sparkling eyes (a legacy of Macoto Takahashi, the illustrator who, throughout the '50s, created the art that directly influenced subsequent shoujo history).

Yukari Ichijo was the most prominent Ribon signboard artist throughout the '70s, creating popular mangas like "Suna no Shiro" (left) and "Designer (right). Young girls across the country adored her work despite the adult drama in it.

Since these stories are extraordinary and dream-like, many of them use Europe or the US as their setting, another reflection of a time when Japanese youth dreamed with the West.

While Satonaka was Kodansha's star, Shueisha also had its top shoujo artists. For Margaret, it was Ryoko Ikeda who kept creating memorable dramatic manga after the conclusion of "The Rose of Versailles." Other classic '70s dramatic works published in the weekly included Kyoko Ariyoshi's ballet drama "Swan." Meanwhile, over at Ribon, no one shone brighter than Yukari Ichijo. Ichijo's works, which young girls across Japan devoured, contained a lot of adult drama with adult characters. Her 1974 manga, "Love Game," had a bed scene. One of her most celebrated works of the decade, "Suna no Shiro" (Sand Castle), dealt with incest. While Ichijo is the one who stood the test of time, another artist who also enjoyed great popularity in Ribon following this formula was Kei Nogami. 

These mangas served as an escape for girls, who left their ordinary school life behind for a few hours to embark on extraordinary adventures. In contrast, one of the main genres in contemporary shoujo is unassuming, everyday high school romance. How could the shoujo segment go through such a drastic transformation? The reasons for that also dates back to the 1970s.

Part 3

[deusvervewrites]

Do you think the Yaoyorozus are descended from a powerful financial group in the past? Because even today, firms that started in the early 1900s still have major influence in the Japanese economy today (e.g. Mitsubishi, Nissan, Panasonic, etc).

It would make sense for the Yaoyorozus to be from a minor branch of a family that owns one of these corporations that grew to prominence in the industrial rebuilding following the Age of Chaos.

But that’s just my theory. What are your thoughts?

The Yaoyorozu family is clearly meant to be one of the zaibatsu/keiretsu (mostly the more modern keiretsu) conglomerates. Actually, considering the history of these, the Yaoyorozu family rising to prominence from the ashes of the Dawn of Quirks makes sense

[turbobyakuren]

Tumblr code

If I ever see any of you in public, the code is RYUUHA TOUHOU FUHAI WA

OUJA NO KAZEYO

ZENSHIN

KEIRETSU

TENPA KYOURAN

MIYO

TOUHOU WA AKAKU MOETEIRU

[90s-belladonna]

Wannabe Sugar Daddy🍡

part 5 - kind eyes

Kai Chisaki wasn’t the type of person who got nervous easily, however, he couldn’t help but let a multitude of thoughts run through his mind. “What if this is a setup and my parents orchestrated the whole thing?” “What if they’re not as reliable as they seem and leak all of my information?” “What if they have me meet someone absolutely horrible?” On the outside, his cold demeanor adorned his features but the thoughts racing through his mind were anything but calm. It wasn’t until he smelled the intoxicatingly strong scent of violets that he was pulled from his worries. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Chisaki, I assure you Blue Summer Services will take care of you in an efficient manner.” The woman approaching him spoke. She had long purple hair and walked with imperishable confidence, even when faced with the young CEO that so many seemed to immediately fear upon introduction.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Apologies for the mask, I’m a bit of a germaphobe. I assume you’re Nemuri Kayama the handler in charge of my account?” The young CEO questioned as the woman sat in front of him.  She couldn’t help but chuckle as she could tell that he was a bit apprehensive about the situation. “Well yes, I’m the owner of Blue Summer, however, I’ve chosen to handle your match’s account, and by extension yours as I’ve taken a special interest in the young lady.” She had a smirk on her face as she spoke, and frankly, Kai couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad thing. “What’s so interesting about her?” He couldn’t help but wonder what made you so important that you had the owner involved in the match-making process. “She’s a special one of course. However, I asked you here half an hour before your meeting with her because although our system matched you together she recently had a public scandal that might deter you from wanting to be tied to her. Although I believe you both would make a fabulous pairing we value our client’s comfort. So if you choose not to proceed with the match we can find other matches for you both.” This was the first time Nemuri felt anxious, of course, she didn’t show it.

Kai sighed, he really wanted this to work out, it was the only way he could comply with his parents’ demands and still have a choice of his own, he couldn’t let it drag on. He didn’t have time to wait around for another match. “Well, how bad was the scandal?” He figures if it was nothing that would compromise his morals he could overlook it, after all, you were the top choice for him according to Blue Summer’s system. “She was publicly cut off by her parents and blacklisted by them. Of course, not all the Keiretsu families agreed to this but enough did for it to be an issue we had  to inform you of.” Nemuri examined Kai’s eyes and their expressions for any clue as to what his choice would be, unfortunately for her, he was as good as her when it came to masking his thoughts and emotions. On the other hand, the young CEO was racking his brain trying to think back to the chat he and his friends had regarding the heiress who was cut off by her family, trying to remember if maybe he knew you. Sadly he couldn’t remember what family the heiress was from.

“What family does she belong to?” “The Yaoyorozu clan.” Nemuri instantly answered. “Branch?” “Main branch.” Kai hummed. On paper, you’d be the perfect partner to calm his parents’ nerves as well as the public concerns surrounding his bachelor image, but your family might be an issue. While the Chisaki clan prioritized their culture and traditional values the Yaoyorozu clan prioritized etiquette. He would have to teach old Japanese traditions to help you impress his family, but this could work. “Anything else I should be aware of when it comes to her?” He pondered, he was set on you. Perhaps your reputation might be something his parents could take issue with, but they didn’t care enough about the other Keiretsu families to turn it into a problem, in fact being romantically tied to a Chisaki might be enough to overturn your blacklisting. This could be mutually beneficial in more than one way, and Kai was ever a charitable man. 

“No. As I said, she’s the perfect match for you, I think you’ll get a kick out of her personality. Since she was raised in the Keiretsu high society she’ll know how to behave so as to not embarrass you if that’s a concern you hold.” The purple-haired woman clearly wanted this pairing to work out, the young heir couldn’t decipher why but he sensed she held no malevolent intentions so he decided to trust her judgment. “Then let’s proceed with the match for now.” He checked his watch as he spoke. “She should be here in about five minutes anyway.” Nemuri couldn’t help but smile at the young heir’s decision. “I’ll be in my office then. The cafe has been booked for just you two for the next two hours, I figured you’d value the privacy and our staff is discreet. You have nothing to worry about here Mr. Chisaki, both you and Miss Yaoyorozu are in good hands with Blue Summer.” The woman spoke as she got up and began to walk away. Strangely enough, her considerate words were enough to calm Kai’s nerves. 

Sure enough exactly five minutes later you walked in, right on time, he liked that. He quickly removed his black face mask in an attempt to make you feel more comfortable around him. He decided to act as if he were reading a random magazine that was placed at the table he chose for the two of you. Kai figured you might get nervous if he looked at you the entire time as you walked in. Within seconds he was greeted by a soft strawberry scent, he didn’t usually enjoy fruity or sweet scents, but he found yours to be quite pleasing and not too overbearing. “Hi, I’m (name)! A pleasure to meet you.” You greeted. He observed you and how your eyes almost completely closed when you smiled his way. You wore a light purple plaid, tweed mini skirt, crop blazer set, a cream blouse, and gold jewelry. You looked presentable and it was obvious how much care you put into your appearance. He couldn’t help but think that Nemuri was right in her judgment that you would be the perfect crown jewel for this image. “oh.” you let out before nervously sitting down, your reaction making him realize that he failed in greeting you.

“Apologies, I got a bit distracted. I’m Kai Chisaki. Delighted to meet you Miss Yaoyorozu.” his voice was deep and smooth just like the black silk dress shirt he wore. Silver rings adorned his fingers, matching the diamond and silver earrings he wore, the piercings being a clear indicator of his young age. Despite the responsibilities thrust upon him he was only twenty-one, still a kid, just like you. “You can call me (name). The briefing I received said you were looking for someone to act as your girlfriend right? You should speak to me comfortably if we really want to sell this.” You suggested, a soft smile still adorning your lips. “Sure thing, in that case, you can just call me Kai.” He wasn’t sure if he should smile back. His friends were always smiling but he never felt the need to match their energy, and yet he wanted to prioritize your comfort as he realized how strange this situation was for a young woman, and so Kai Chisaki, the infamously cold CEO, attempted a smile. You let out a soft laugh, it was evident to you that he wasn’t used to acting this way. A mischievous glint made a home in your eyes at the realization of how eager to please you he was. “Sure thing, Kai it is then!” You couldn’t help but notice how stunning he was, he had a sharp jawline and striking golden eyes. You made a mental note to thank Geten and Mirio for making you add the handsome component for the characteristics you were looking for in a match because Kai Chisaki’s looks were absolutely otherworldly. Not only was he handsome, but despite being a man his fashion sense was quite unique and divine, he was utterly debonair. You could definitely picture yourself going out with someone like him under different circumstances. 

Soon enough someone came to take your drink order, as you spoke to the waitress Kai comfortably examined your features and came to the conclusion that you were beautiful. He almost wanted to chuckle thinking at how happy Keigo will be when he finds out he got paired with someone as gorgeous as you, his blonde friend would of course be insufferable about it. As he scanned your features he couldn’t help but notice a tender area on your cheek peeking through from underneath your makeup, it clearly wasn’t blush, as the one you wore was a different shade than what the area on your cheek looked like. The area looked a bit swollen, he recognized the situation all too well. Keiretsu families and their punishments. It was obvious you had been harshly slapped, that’s exactly how his cheeks looked when he was recovering from one of his parents’ slaps. Maybe it was your similar traumas or empathy for the situation you found yourself in, but he felt the overwhelming feeling to shield you from the rest of the world. 

How could anyone hurt someone with such kind eyes? Sure he was aware of how bratty some heiresses could be, and he wouldn’t be surprised if you too had some stressful and mischievous components to your personality, but the eyes never lied, they were the window to the soul after all. He was convinced you were a good person, even if you were a bit materialistic like the reports claimed, he could tell you had a good heart. He had a deep distaste for Keiretsu society and the culture surrounding their treatment of their young, so he sympathized with your situation, he understood it all too well. “So kai” your voice broke him out of his thoughts, his golden eyes instantly meeting your glistening ones. “How should we do this? Obviously, we have to get to know each other before we meet your parents but how do you want to go about it?” He liked that you paid attention to the information brief you were given prior to the meeting, it saved him from having to explain his infuriating situation. 

“Well, I figured we could go out on a few dates and get comfortable with each other. I also need to take you to tea ceremony courses before we meet my parents, they like that sort of thing. Once we meet them we can start attending public events together.” You nod along with his plan. “I already know how to do a traditional tea ceremony. My friend Nejire thought it would be cute if we took classes together so we did that last winter, I still remember everything but we can practice if you would like. I’m sure there are components of my technique that I’ll need to clean up to impress your parents.” You suggested, Kai let out a pleased hum and nodded in agreement. 

Before he knew it two hours had flown by, he noticed that you like to talk a lot, not that he minded, he was a quiet man anyway so he preferred more talkative people around him as it removed pressure from him to speak. He also was quite fascinated with your outlook on life and peppy attitude. He could bask in your energy for hours if given the chance, washing away any doubts he still had about the arrangement you two found yourselves in. A familiar clacking of heels distracted him from the strange comfort he’d found in you. “Unfortunately your two hours are up, feel free to remain here. However, I must warn you another couple is set to arrive in thirty minutes, in case you mind the company.” Nemuri informed the two of you, her gaze lingering on you as she softly smiled. Kai couldn’t help but notice how this seemed like the first time the woman wasn’t putting on a mask, she seemed quite fond of you. However, based on your expression and timid wave he could tell you didn’t know who the woman standing before you was. You looked over at Kai with doe eyes as soon as the purple-haired woman stopped speaking. “I’m assuming you wouldn’t like anyone knowing your business.” You were quite perceptive, another thing he enjoyed about you. “You’d be correct. However let’s take this elsewhere, I’m interested in keeping our riveting conversation going.” He stated. 

Truthfully the conversation offered nothing of the essence, you were both just discussing desserts, and you were going on about how one hadn’t truly lived until trying pistachio maamouls. He didn’t care much for sweets, but he sure liked the way you spoke with such passion about something so simple. You were a very worldly person, despite being rich Kai hadn’t traveled much due to being placed in a position of power at such a young age, so he enjoyed your descriptions of all the places you’d been to and your appreciation for all their cultures. “Sure! There’s a great Mexican bakery a block from here anyway, you have to try their flan!” you beamed. He couldn’t help but form a soft smile. His eyes glistened as he too looked upon you with fondness. He dusted himself off as he got up and offered you his hand to help you stand up as well. As soon as you took his hand his ears turned a soft pink shade, his heart skipping a beat as well. He hadn’t felt like this in a really long time, he didn’t think he still could. He appreciated how free you were, and how much light you still held despite being raised in keiretsu society. He was a bit envious, but also impressed by the fire in you. Part of him hoped that in the time you will share together, you’ll rub off on him. 

“You didn’t even exist to them. It’s the first time I’ve seen you get ignored like that.” A gruff voice stated as he walked up to the purple-haired woman. “Oh let them. They’re clearly bonding so I’ll overlook it this one time.” She quipped as she watched you both walk away, a smile forming as she watched you hug the brunette’s arm as he opened the door with his free hand. “Don’t get too attached my love. It could be dangerous.” The blonde man stated as he wrapped an arm around Nemuri’s waist. The woman let out a hearty chuckle before replying. “Come on Toshi, I’m her aunt, if I don’t take care of her then who will? Especially in this situation.” “You see yourself in her don’t you?” Toshinori questioned, looking at his wife with empathetic eyes. “How can I not? It’s worse for her, at least when I got cut off and blacklisted by my family it was kept private. Meanwhile, my brother blasted their business on every tabloid and drama channel that would listen. It’s cruel.” The woman formed a small fist as she spoke. “Blacklisting your own family is insane, I’ll agree.” The blonde quipped. “At least I got to meet you, my hero. Maybe the same will happen for her, we did have a similar arrangement when we met!” Nemuri pointed out, her eyes filled with hope as she turned to face the older man. “Or maybe not?” Toshinori pointed out, an attempt to offer a more realistic point of view on the situation. This caused Nemuri to chuckle once more. “Only time will tell. Won’t it my sweet?” She whispered as she grabbed her husband’s tie and pulled him in for a kiss.

~ A/N: hopefully this wasn’t too long 😭 if it was please let me know i’ll try and make future written parts shorter! ~

☆ WSD Master List

☆ BNHA Master List

[gangnamsearch]

SPOILER #002 — conheça a família Engetsu!

A Corporação Engetsu traça suas raízes ao conglomerado fundado em 1860 como uma trading company no modelo sogo shosha, dando luz a uma keiretsu maior ainda, atuando em diversos segmentos incluindo energia, finanças industriais, bancos, maquinários, químicos e processamento de alimentos. Com o nome já consagrado no mercado, a Engetsu lançou a loja de e-commerce ClickHub em 1997, que ficou conhecida como a “Amazon asiática”. O ClickHub se tornou uma das maiores plataformas de e-commerce do Japão, oferecendo uma vasta gama de produtos e serviços aos consumidores; a Engetsu, porém, também opera globalmente, facilitando o comércio entre vendedores japoneses e compradores internacionais, além de investir em infraestrutura de logística para suportar suas transações mundiais.

Crescendo ao redor de um comércio elevado ao limite, os Engetsu alegam desenvolver tino comercial e lábia antes mesmo de dar os primeiros passos. São capazes de vender areia no deserto, com línguas prateadas que causam confusões homéricas nas cabeças de pessoas menos brilhantes. Para eles, é muito divertido utilizar terceiros como peões em seu jogo de tabuleiro, aproveitando o fato de que dispõem de um dos mais caudalosos rios de dinheiro em Gangnam — e na Ásia inteira. Foi por isso, talvez, que se envolveram com a política e diplomacia, afinal, poucas pessoas acreditam que Hiroshi e Haruka se casaram por amor... E Hideyuki, bem, nós não falamos do Hideyuki. Os Engetsu cresceram viajando do Japão para a Coreia do Sul quase todos os anos, em uma constante batalha entre o código social que deveriam adotar em cada nação — mais polidos em Japão, mais descolados na Coreia. Eles aprenderam as maneiras dos pais e tios, a persuasão que escorre tão fácil de seus lábios como o veneno de uma serpente, e eventualmente sabem que podem ocupar os lugares deles. O problema é: o que acontece quando se coloca tanto poder nas mãos de pessoas tão jovens? Eles vão escolher queimar o mundo ou salvá-lo?

MUSE YEN: Engetsu Hiroshi [ CEO, 1962, japonês, NPC ] — quem vê o manso Hiroshi nunca poderia entreter o pensamento do quão selvagens suas técnicas de venda podem ser. Ele tende a ser uma presença tranquila e calmante em eventos da alta sociedade, poucas vezes chamando atenção até anunciarem seu sobrenome, mas uma vez que abre a boca, ninguém pode ignorá-lo. Pessoalmente, Hiroshi é um sábio, e acaba desprezando aqueles que não conseguem acompanhar seu raciocínio rápido. 

MUSE WON: Engetsu Saori [ Diplomata na Coreia do Sul, 1963, japonesa, NPC ] — em contrapartida à personalidade do marido, que pode se apresentar um tanto arrogante, Saori demonstra um ar de força maternal difícil de se encontrar. Para seu secreto desagrado, tende a lançar tendências de moda no mundo corporativo com brincos lustrosos ou terninhos estampados, mas tudo o que realmente deseja é a paz. Seus filhos se acostumaram aos retiros espirituais, longas sessões de meditação e aulas de ioga da mãe ao longo do tempo.

MUSE EURO [ 1993-1997, etnia japonesa ] 

MUSE DOLLAR [ 1998-2002, etnia japonesa ]

MUSE STERLING: Engetsu Haruka [ Presidente do conselho, 1969, japonesa, NPC ] — irmã do meio e mais nova de Hiroshi, mas tão feroz quanto ele. A diferença é que Haruka de fato aparenta tal ferocidade, conhecida como a “rainha de gelo” da ClickHub. Suas aparições públicas são precedidas por ovação pública devido à elegância e assertividade de suas respostas em entrevistas. Para os filhos, é uma mãe um pouco rígida, que muitas vezes falta no quesito afeto e exagera no quesito exigências. Peso é sua prole do primeiro casamento. 

MUSE FRANC: Ahn Wonjin [ Socialite, 1970, NPC ] — também chamado de “boy toy” nos círculos sociais, Wonjin parece apenas o marido meio banana de Haruka, que entrou no casamento trazendo apenas um filho de outro casamento e um rostinho bonito. Wonjin é alegremente vazio e fútil, passando tardes tomando sol na piscina da casa e flertando com as empregadas. Haruka já tentou presenteá-lo com uma empresa, para ver se pegava no tranco, mas as coisas não deram muito certo e ela apenas desistiu. Real é sua prole do primeiro casamento.

MUSE PESO [ 2000-2003, etnia japonesa ou metade japonesa ]

MUSE REAL [ 1998-2002, etnia coreana ou metade coreana ]

MUSE BITCOIN: Engetsu Hideyuki [ Investidor, 1972, japonês, NPC ] — o caçula dos Engetsu e um tanto quanto… Perdido. Veja bem, todos tem um tio envolvido em negócios meio obscuros, até mesmo os ricos. Hideyuki sempre tem uma nova invenção criativa ou algo incrível para mostrar aos irmãos mais velhos que, após muitos fracassos, já não lhe dão ouvidos. Ele se transformou em persona non grata na maior parte dos eventos de família. Sem muita explicação, adotou uma criança aleatória há alguns anos, mas ninguém sabe a razão. 

MUSE YUAN [ 1996-2002, qualquer etnia ]

[thelreads]

You apparently misread "trillion" as "billion", or perhaps left off a few zero's when converting. It's 1.3 trillion USD. Note the term "Zaibatsu", IRL after WW2 they were broken apart and reformed as the "Keiretsu", now without a controlling family/company at the top. IRL, Keiretsu can and do have assets equal to or exceeding that value, so a Zaibatsu that survived probably would be that rich, and make the family at the top incredibly powerful. And the term is deliberate according to an A/N.

Actually it was the third option: I'm a dumbass that saw the trillion and wrote billion without noticing lmao

[collapsedsquid]

Matt Stoller seems totally convinced that really pushing his "anti-monopoly" stuff requires promoting wholeheartedly whatever vile shit he can find, really convincing me of the value of organizing the american economy around a set of highly integrated keiretsu.

[alexilulu]

Books I Read in 2024 #5: Katana-Ra (Jay Libby (based on an outline by Kosala Ubayasekara), W.R.K.S. Games (self-published), 2023)

(Spoilers below cut for the game systems and worldbuilding)

Got another one for you today, mostly because it was very short and I had to get this out of my head before I spent too long ruminating on cyberpunk. Spoilers below cut for the game systems and worldbuilding.

Another weird one.

Katana-Ra is a difficult to place tabletop rpg system. It's only somewhat edited, spottily punctuated, and at times hilariously strange; there's probably a dozen times in this system where a Japanese loanword based entirely on the English term is used in place of said english term (the onmyoji spell Force Field uses the verbal component of the sacred word Fosufirudo, for one). It's artwork is entirely produced by Midjourney AI (though it does at least have the sense to cite that its artist did their work 'with the assistance of the Midjourney AI'), and its vibes are inscrutable.

The setting itself has some fascinating elements to it; the Katana-Ra island chain on Earth is the home city of the game, a stand-in for Japan that has been plagued by Oni since the third century (the timeline is firmly in the 3500s, having a full listing of period names ala the Japanese eras of history that are entirely), but despite that presence briefly expanding worldwide following the unnamed World War bombing of Nagoshima (it's stand in for Hiroshima, presumably; I'm aware Nagoshima Island exists but I don't know why that would change), the supernatural remains a carefully guarded secret. Eventually, mankind colonizes the stars and eventually Katana-Ra ends up at the front of the Common Federation of worlds.

It's...a lot. The layout of this book is bonkers; Chapter 1 is History, consisting of a table of the years, periods and key events of history, then the...calendar, the heirarchy of nobility from the president down to the primary clans of the Katana-Ra Keiretsu, at which point it launches directly into Chapter 2, Regions of Katana-Ra. It then gives you a run-down on each island, then just goes right into character generation. Theres maybe 30 pages before you start calculating your Kenkoro, your Kokoro and your Sukiru (skills).

The system itself is barely legible, and frankly baffling. To make a roll to do an action, you roll your 'action roll' 1d10+your sub-stat (you've got a main stat, then smaller stats like strength, agility and constitution) and a relevant skill, then a 1d10 'result roll' with no modifier. The table for non-combat results is that 1 is a Failure, 10 is a master, with gradations at 2 and 9 and then simple success at 3-8. True Failures reduce your skill by 1 (skills, while unranked on the character sheets and when you pick them, start at 2 and go from minimum 1 to 4), and masterful successes increase your skill by 1.

You may be able to see the problem here.

By default, you have a 10% chance to get worse at rolling on any simple skill roll that you're trained to do, which is *always* possible because the Results roll is unmodified. (There is a rule that seems like it's supposed to be their patch for this, 'Accuracy Over Skill', which places the skill roll on the Results die instead of the Action roll, but it is worded as only being intended for combat. That said, literally every roll in this book is phrased as being related to combat, and no rolls are described outside of combat anywhere in the text.)

This is also true in combat, when you roll damage it's on the results table and a failure does no damage and also decreases the Skill rolled. Conversely, a 10 automatically kills.

It's a little rocket-taggy, to say the least.

There's some gems in here; the idea of a story on the capital of a spacefaring empire isn't exactly new, but it's interesting in the face of the extremely staunch traditionalism that dominates a fifth of the island that rejects technology entirely despite, you know, all the crazy stuff they've got going on. The Oni stuff also is at least interesting, with oni infection passing through technology and nanotechnology which can be countered by Nexorcists, a Shinto sect that uses blessed nanites to exorcise technological yokai.

There's all the classics of sci-fi; androids who were supposedly hunted to death for being uncontrollable (who have actually set themselves up as internal infiltrators to the Keireitsu, to the point of having made themselves a Clan Of One Blood inside the clan organization that aggressively works to their own benefit first and the corporation second), lasers banned from the planet for being too dangerous (but you can get a laser katana if you're a cool enough samurai), an undercity of cursed individuals living among the oni and eking out a pitiful existence in the land of the dead (literally, where you go when you die and can't leave if you're foolish enough to eat its food or drink its water).

It's...uneven. It has big ideas, but no editing to speak of; sentences are worded in ways that make me think it never passed before one (the book certainly doesn't list one). It feels like a flight of fancy that it even exists, much less in the frankly well-printed copy I got from my Local Game Store (alongside a copy of the Roleplaying in Glorantha Runequest core book, which i'm looking forward to reading).

The company seems to have disappeared; both websites listed in the credits page are defunct, but a quick search shows that W.R.K.S. games also released a Katana-Ra CRPG game on Steam that's still available for purchase, and that search also shows another game in the Katana-Ra universe that is either a mobile game or long since defunct and gone from storefronts. After a bit of searching, it looks like the company closed as an entity in September 2023, 3 months after Katana-Ra hit on DTRPG and presumably had a full paper print run. Since then, it appears Kosala Ubesekawa is working as a solo developer via Patreon on a Katana-Ra city-builder titled Lords of Kensai.

It's pretty rare to run into a heartbreaker in the cyberpunk space, much less one that had as grand ambitions as this one seemed to, with full games developed under its name and released. I don't know what could have been done to give it a gentler path out of the hell that is self-publishing an RPG in the modern era without any publisher backing, but it truly does feel like a labor of love by a small team devoted to an idea that could have flourished with some more structure and care.

[akumanoken]

@liroyalty

KEEP GOING

OKAY BUT IMAGINE!!!!

It's the late Edo period and The Black ships arrive, basically forcing the Shogunate to open up the borders to the country to not just one, but THREE different countries, and not just like... the Dutch down south....

The Ishikawas see this and go "Oh shit these guys are so interested in our culture and our goods," and sidle up to them like "Hello we're here to do business with you" as opposed to other factions who weren't about this shit at all. The Ishikawas were already a wealthy merchant family, and as the so-called "barbarians" had no ill will toward merchants, as many of them, and their cultures, merely see it as another profession, they get along great, hosting them, exchanging the language and culture, arranging alliances with soldiers and politicians just by being open and willing to show them all a good time, which they have the money to do.

It's all about investments, after all.

Fabric sales and the sales of artisan goods have been their oldest trade, and the silks and the beautiful brocade of kimono caught the foreigner's attention, so that was what started their trades with certain members of delegations from Britain and America.

As the Bakamatsu period grew heated, and as a certain Sakamoto Ryoma was arranging the exchange of power from the Shogunate back to the Emperor, the Ishikawas solidified plans to send a few sons to the other countries if there were problems for them to continue business, and they did move toward those plans, though they were not permanent situations.

The Meiji Restoration saw the dissolution of the samurai class, which was a dizzying turn of events. Many prominent families were suddenly without power, and those who "at least had their honor" had not even that, mourning the loss of their top knot and their sword, and were called shizoku, removing even the term samurai from their lives.

Meanwhile, the Ishikawas were enjoying the benefits of their investments. Political ties and trade with foreign nations allowed the family to grow new branches, and the Ishikawa Zaibatsu was formed. It enjoyed prominence until the dissolution of zaibatsu during the Second World War, but the Ishikawa's business now operates as a keiretsu, with the three boys holding the biggest branches. Asami is preparing his son to take over, but he currently runs the holding bank. Ayato holds the fabric manufacturing and trading branch, which is the oldest business in the family, and Akira runs their mobile and electronic branch, newest by far but growing exponentially by the decade.

[whatisonthemoon]

What Was Japan’s Lost Decade? How Did It Happen?

What Was Japan’s Lost Decade? How Did It Happen? (December 12, 2022) Japan, stuck in a liquidity trap, faced a particularly deep economic crisis between 1991 and 2001.

What Was Japan’s Lost Decade?

Between 1991 and 2001, Japan’s once red-hot economy was in trouble. An asset bubble had formed in both its housing and stock markets, and when the Bank of Japan implemented a series of steep interest rate hikes as a way to tame inflationary pressures, you could almost hear the bubble pop.

Japan’s stock market tanked, and asset prices fell. Several big banks, which were overleveraged with speculative investments, either failed outright or needed to be bailed out by the government. Businesses folded, and unemployment rose. Japan became mired in a decade-long recession.

The country was actually experiencing a liquidity trap: It seemed like everything Japan’s central bank did to help didn’t work. Interest rates were cut, but fearful for the future, Japan’s citizens sat on their savings instead of spending them.

The government tried instituting large-scale public works projects, similar to what U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt implemented during the Great Depression, but that only increased Japan’s budget deficit. Finally, its central bank injected huge supplies of yen into the markets through quantitative easing, which lasted for five years. This, along with the resultant inflation, effectively got Japan’s citizens spending again, and the country began a slow recovery.

What Caused Japan’s Lost Decade?

The poster child of 20th-century economic growth, Japan had transformed itself from a largely agricultural nation in the 1960s to the world’s second-largest economy by the 1980s. Japan had figured out ways to make high-quality products cheaply, and these products found their way all over the world.

People sported Sony Walkmans on the street and drove Japanese cars around town. Kids watched Japanese cartoons on Japanese-made televisions. Movies like Shogun dominated the box office, and corporate success manuals extolled the virtues of “Japan, Inc.” Everyone wanted to know Japan’s secret.

A lot of it had to do with how Japan’s businesses were structured. They followed the traditional concept of the keiretsu, a close-knit network of business interests centered around a main bank. These groups took majority shareholder interests in one another instead of being financed through stocks or bonds, and as such, this “socially controlled” investment provided the perfect conditions to nurture, test, and perfect new ideas before they were brought to the larger market.

One well-known keiretsu is the Mitsubishi Group, composed of the MUFG Bank, Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and the Mitsubishi Corporation. Together, it employs over 80,000 people in the automotive, energy, chemicals, and food industries—essentially acting as its own supply chain.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade & Industry allowed easy credit to the keiretsu, in addition to a period of protection from foreign competition, so that their businesses would have time to become cost-effective production powerhouses. Once they gained dominance in their respective industries, the businesses would embark on export programs, which is how Japan’s electronics, computer, automotive, and aircraft industries grew so quickly.

Growing hand-in-hand with Japan’s successful businesses was a booming stock market. The Nikkei Stock Average hit an all-time high of 38,916 on December 29, 1989. In addition, real estate grew incredibly valuable—commercial land prices rose over 300% between 1985 and 1991, and it was said that one square mile in Tokyo’s government center was worth more than the entire state of California. A bubble had formed; that was plain to see.

As asset prices grew, so did speculation, particularly in real estate, which was financed largely by corporate stock profits. Banks were lending and not looking twice. Sometimes, collateral was not even required.

Depositors thought they were in safe hands because Japan’s banks were backed by the government, and in turn, the banks believed the government wouldn’t let them fail, so they bundled these deposits into packages of ever-higher rates of interest and risk, and sold them to speculators.

Worried about inflationary pressures, and attempting to quell the bubble, the Bank of Japan began a series of steep interest rate increases from 2.5% to 4.25% at the end of 1989, and then to 6% in 1990. But since rising rates made borrowing more expensive, speculators quickly defaulted on their investments.

Several of Japan’s biggest keiretsu banks began to fail, threatening to take entire industries down with them. The stock market nosedived. By December 1990—just one year from its all-time height—the Nikkei had lost over 43% of its value.

What Happened During Japan’s Lost Decade?

Between 1991 and 2001, Japan’s economy entered a deep recession. GDP declined, and borrowers became insolvent. Big banks failed, including the Hokkaido Takushoku Bank, the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, and Nippon Credit Bank. The days of easy credit from banking networks were long gone, and to a large effect, the keiretsu unraveled.

Some businesses went under; in others, production simply slowed, but they lost their competitive edge as a result. The country, which once had guaranteed employment for life, now struggled with unemployment—which affected recent grads and young workers most significantly.

Consumer confidence plummeted, demand declined, and deflation took hold—it was a dangerous mix.

How Did Japan Recover From Its Lost Decade?

It seemed like everything Japan’s central bank tried to do to help didn’t work: Interest rates were slashed to zero, and kept there for a very long time; still, the recession continued. Land prices dropped 15% in some of Japan’s largest cities, which meant that homeowners owed more than their homes were worth.

The Japanese government tried to instill confidence through large-scale stimulus packages. It built new roads and bridges, even when they weren’t completely necessary, and by doing so, created new jobs. These efforts helped boost the economy, but it wasn’t enough to lift it out of the malaise—in fact, they just added to the country’s deficit in the long run.

What finally helped was the quantitative easing program Japan’s central bank began in 2001, which would last until 2006. By 2003, GDP reached a healthy 2% clip, and exports grew once again, due in large part to China’s emergence into the global marketplace, since many of China’s products depended on Japanese parts.

What Lessons Can Other Economies Learn from Japan’s Lost Decade?

The 2007–2008 Financial Crisis had shades of Japan’s Lost Decade written all over it: This time, the asset bubble was created by the U.S. housing market, fueled by toxic subprime mortgages. When the Federal Reserve began a series of interest rate hikes, many subprime borrowers, whose loans were tied to adjustable-rate mortgages, quickly saw their monthly bills shoot up, and millions of homeowners defaulted as a result.

Banks had made profits by pooling these loans into mortgage-backed securities, which were traded by investment banks around the world, and as the mortgages imploded, a series of dominoes began to fall, which affected investors up the ranks of the securities markets: Banks experienced a credit crunch, and investment banks, such as Lehman Brothers, declared insolvency. The crisis affected financial markets around the world and would usher in the Great Recession.

With Ben Bernanke at the helm, the Federal Reserve took notes from past crises and acted swiftly—and by doing so, some say Bernanke helped to avoid deflation and the economic stagnation that had plagued Japan for so long.

The Fed cut the Fed funds rate to 0% for an unprecedented 6-year period between 2008 and 2014. It also implemented a series of quantitative easing measures. The U.S. Congress approved a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), which provided emergency aid to banks as well as underwater borrowers. In 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed, safeguarding consumers from predatory home lenders and limiting banks to the amount of speculative trading they could undertake.

The U.S. economy was jump-started again by the middle of 2009—quite a speedy turnaround compared to Japan’s.

Related links below

Reverend Moon Rises Above Ailing Businesses (1999) Washington Post: Moon’s Japanese Profits Bolster Efforts in U.S. (1984) Japan & US at G7 can bask in multilateral momentum (2023)

The Lingering Tragedy of Japan’s Lost Generation by Roland Kelts (on Tetsuya Yamgami and the "lost generation") US, Philippines, Japan set to hold first-ever joint naval drills (2023) Japan to join Salaknib drills between PH, US armies (2023) Even in South Korea, Few Know Extent of Rev. Moon’s Empire (1988) US-Funding in Post-War Japan Why do these Japanese UC women agree to these brokered marriages?

[necrobob]

The School of the Undefeated of the East!
The Winds of the King!

Zenshin!
Keiretsu!
Tenpa kyoran!

Look, the East is Burning Red!

[robpegoraro]

Weekly output: Japanese startups, Paula Abdul's audio glasses, FTC moves to ban non-competes, "dabloons"

Weekly output: Japanese startups, Paula Abdul’s audio glasses, FTC moves to ban non-competes, “dabloons”

My CES travel concluded Sunday morning, but my CES coverage has a few more days to run as I continue to work on pieces from that event. And try to catch up on all the sleep I lost, especially during my red-eye flight home Saturday night. 1/3/2023: Launch.IT, CES With Larry Harrell and Connie Koch Harrell of Keiretsu Forum, I helped judge this pitch competition for Japanese startups exhibiting at…

[gangnamstylehqs]

↝ CONHEÇA A FAMÍLIA ENGETSU !

SETOR ⸻ varejo, logística e e-commerce. ETNIA ⸻ japoneses. VAGAS ⸻ 05 vagas. EMPRESA ⸻ Corporação Engetsu. INSPIRAÇÃO ⸻ Mitsubishi, Itochu, Seven & I Holdings, Aeon, Rakuten. GATILHOS ⸻ traição.

A Corporação Engetsu traça suas raízes ao conglomerado fundado em 1860 como uma trading company (sogo shosha), dando luz a uma keiretsu maior ainda, atuando em diversos segmentos incluindo energia, finanças industriais, bancos, maquinários, químicos e processamento de alimentos. Com o nome já consagrado no mercado, a Engetsu lançou a loja de e-commerce ClickHub em 1997, que ficou conhecida como a “Amazon asiática”. O ClickHub se tornou uma das maiores plataformas de e-commerce do Japão, oferecendo uma vasta gama de produtos e serviços aos consumidores; a Engetsu, porém, também opera globalmente, facilitando o comércio entre vendedores japoneses e compradores internacionais, além de investir em infraestrutura de logística para suportar suas transações mundiais.

Crescendo ao redor de um comércio elevado ao limite, os Engetsu alegam desenvolver tino comercial e lábia antes mesmo de dar os primeiros passos. São capazes de vender areia no deserto, com línguas prateadas que causam confusões homéricas nas cabeças de pessoas menos brilhantes. Para eles, é muito divertido utilizar terceiros como peões em seu jogo de tabuleiro, aproveitando o fato de que dispõem de um dos mais caudalosos rios de dinheiro em Gangnam — e na Ásia inteira. Foi por isso, talvez, que se envolveram com a política e diplomacia, afinal, poucas pessoas acreditam que Hiroshi e Haruka se casaram por amor. 

Os Engetsu cresceram viajando do Japão para a Coreia do Sul quase todos os anos, em uma constante batalha entre o código social que deveriam adotar em cada nação — mais polidos no Japão, mais descolados na Coreia. Eles aprenderam as maneiras dos pais e tios, a persuasão que escorre tão fácil de seus lábios como o veneno de uma serpente, e eventualmente sabem que podem ocupar os lugares deles. O problema é: o que acontece quando se coloca tanto poder nas mãos de pessoas tão jovens? Eles vão escolher queimar o mundo ou salvá-lo?

* Todos os filhos possuem o sobrenome Engetsu, com exceção de Real, que tem o sobrenome Ahn.

↝ PERSONAGENS

MUSE YEN: Engetsu Hiroshi [ CEO, 1962, japonês, NPC ] — quem vê o manso Hiroshi nunca poderia entreter o pensamento do quão selvagens suas técnicas de venda podem ser. Ele tende a ser uma presença tranquila e calmante em eventos da alta sociedade, poucas vezes chamando atenção até anunciarem seu sobrenome, mas uma vez que abre a boca, ninguém pode ignorá-lo. Pessoalmente, Hiroshi é um sábio, e acaba desprezando aqueles que não conseguem acompanhar seu raciocínio rápido.

MUSE WON: Engetsu Saori [ Diplomata na Coreia do Sul, 1963, japonesa, NPC ] — em contrapartida à personalidade do marido, que pode se apresentar um tanto arrogante, Saori demonstra um ar de força maternal difícil de se encontrar. Para seu secreto desagrado, tende a lançar tendências de moda no mundo corporativo com brincos lustrosos ou terninhos estampados, mas tudo o que realmente deseja é a paz. Seus filhos se acostumaram aos retiros espirituais, longas sessões de meditação e aulas de ioga da mãe ao longo do tempo.

MUSE EURO [ 1993-1997, etnia japonesa ] 

MUSE DOLLAR [ 1998-2002, etnia japonesa ]

MUSE STERLING: Engetsu Haruka [ Presidente do conselho, 1967, japonesa, NPC ] — irmã mais nova de Hiroshi, mas tão feroz quanto ele. A diferença é que Haruka de fato aparenta tal ferocidade, conhecida como a “rainha de gelo” da ClickHub. Suas aparições públicas são precedidas por ovação pública devido à elegância e assertividade de suas respostas em entrevistas. Para os filhos, é uma mãe um pouco rígida, que muitas vezes falta no quesito afeto e exagera no quesito exigências. Peso é sua prole do primeiro casamento.

MUSE FRANC: Ahn Wonjin [ Socialite, 1970, NPC ] — também chamado de “boy toy” nos círculos sociais, Wonjin parece apenas o marido meio banana de Haruka, que entrou no casamento trazendo apenas um filho de outro casamento e um rostinho bonito. Wonjin é alegremente vazio e fútil, passando tardes tomando sol na piscina da casa e flertando com as empregadas. Haruka já tentou presenteá-lo com uma empresa, para ver se pegava no tranco, mas as coisas não deram muito certo e ela apenas desistiu. Real é sua prole do primeiro casamento.

MUSE PESO [ 2000-2003, etnia japonesa ou metade japonesa ]

MUSE REAL [ 1998-2002, etnia coreana ou metade coreana ]

MUSE BITCOIN: Engetsu Hideyuki [ Investidor, 1970, japonês, NPC ] — o caçula dos Engetsu e um tanto quanto… Perdido. Veja bem, todos tem um tio envolvido em negócios meio obscuros, até mesmo os ricos. Hideyuki sempre tem uma nova invenção criativa ou algo incrível para mostrar aos irmãos mais velhos que, após muitos fracassos, já não lhe dão ouvidos. Ele se transformou em persona non grata na maior parte dos eventos de família. Sem muita explicação, adotou uma criança aleatória há alguns anos, mas ninguém sabe a razão.

MUSE YUAN [ 1996-2002, qualquer etnia ]