#like has it been front and centre? well kinda at the end of last ep but otherwise no

[buckleysdee]

sorry sorry but I just saw /a buddie/ saying buck and eddie’s friendship is nowhere to be seen this season….they really just say anything over on twitter.com

[idio-cies]

Jatp- Perfect Harmony Dissection

Holy Moly this show has taken me by surprise in the best possible way.

I forgot how good Kenny Ortega is... and omg the dynamics in this show are just *chefs kiss* anyway that’s for another post

All of these songs left an impression with me, but Perfect Harmony just got the cogs working in my brain so I wanted to dissect it because I can’t stop thinking about it.

This will be long but I hope people will bear with me.

I found out that Madison and Charlie wrote this one together for the show, so that’s cool. So, even if this is Julie’s fantasy/daydream, it objectively also has “Luke’s” input as well, considering Madison and Charlie were writing with the characters in mind.

The lead up to this song is Julie realising she is falling for Luke, and has Luke on the brain, so she slips up with calling Nick, Luke yadayada significant to say her crush has changed as well blah blah blah.

I first thought it was strange that they are all in black? They weren’t performing for anyone other than for merit. However Black is of course associated with death, mystery etc, but in this context ,with them being “fancy” it deems them as more elegant than anything. I like using this site for colour reference. Please make of it what you will, but I’m sticking with classy and mysterious with this performance.

Then I noticed how Julie and Nick are the centre of attention, plus Nick and Julie seem to improvise? They aren’t doing as the others are. Whether they are meant to or not. I think this is meant to draw parallels, with Nick sliding on the floor and Luke tumbling, then also the lift, how here it’s short and sweet, yet with Julie and Luke there are two and the second is drawn out and more meaningful etc.

I think she must be dancing normally in reality throughout this, but I’ll come back to that later.

So let’s get into this song.

“Step into my world”- I find this interesting because Luke is the one stepping over into hers, but also this is like some “in-between” that they're in;  significant of the Limbo that the guys are currently stuck in and also the fact that Julie is the bridge. The world is probably metaphorical for music as Luke helps re-establish it in Julie and is also the guy where music is his whole world, as he lets all of his emotions out and connects with people. It’s a running theme being called up again. However, you cannot deny the possible connotation of Julie potentially stepping over with them. It’s also ironic as Luke “steps” into Julie’s world “I’m sorry we came into your life” - Luke, ep 1, and literally steps over here.

“Bittersweet love story about a girl”- undeniable. Their story is bittersweet. Impossible to be together; yet have a connection that runs so deep.

But now we see the scenery, and it’s all monochrome and the candles just scream romance, but also to me, of serenity.

I mean even the dancefloor reflects to make it look as if they are dancing on water or in an in between world. The reason why I point out monochrome gives the intention of “black and white” there is a lack of complexity, it is clear about how true their bond is, and to them it isn’t complex. Also I can’t help but think of yin and yang which can also be included here as they balance each other out. Julie yin, Luke yang. This is ironic considering Julie is always symbolised with light and Luke the contrast with a dark and being, you know, dead.

I also came across a gifset of the parallels to dirty dancing that Perfect Harmony dance had, and again, the colours are flipped with the pair which is just... interesting in this instance.

“Shook me to the core  “Voice like an angel, never heard before”- pretty simple, Luke has always been amazed with Julie’s talent, plus a metaphor commonly attached to Julie, being called an angel. He is also calling her unique. Passage of touch.

But then we get the touch. So I think this whole hand passage thing is reflected in the time they tried to hold hands, then the last time and they could then touch. In this instance though it’s like Julie is the one being resurrected. Again, this could be another metaphor of his hand in helping her find her music again, but you cannot overlook the other implications.

So here is where they dance. I am no dance expert, but dance does have it’s own language that I think everyone can interpret, but I will try my best to explain. I also think “harmony” can be a way to express dance partners as well.

“Here in front of me”- I do think this is in reference being able to touch them, but the drawing up to her hands is so interesting because of the eye contact and draw. It’s more intimate.

Then they go into something similar to what the routine is meant to be in reality, but instead they make it like a pulse on the line “they’re shining so much brighter”

I point out a pulse because it’s “living” and it just juxtaposes with who Julie is talking about; the guys.

A twirl and lift on “than I have ever seen”- This is Julie talking about the guys. Ray calls them angels and then at the end of season they literally freaking glow so... (also pronoun change to collective when Julie starts singing)

“Life can be so mean”- ep 8, after Luke told him their demise would be one of three ways, Julie was going to be hurt all over again. Julie and Flynn had an understanding that the world was being cruel when they were discussing it. Also I just feel their dance here is like they are interpreting a rough ride/rollercoaster. They swing arms then tuck and twist.

“But when he goes, I know he doesn’t leave”- Luke will be in her heart, like she found with her Mum. She did let them go, and she understands she will have to do that, but they will live on in her heart.

Also hand over heart, as she “falls” into him and he doesn’t let her fall. That’s just cute.

“The truth is finally breaking through”- either their feelings or just what will be revealed to us. Though they are parted and Luke does the spinning on the ground so I expect a pitfall somewhere along the way (probs Caleb)

But he rolls right back to her

“Two worlds collide when I’m with you”- Well, the fact that they are the living and the dead.. so. Plus in-between. Don’t know how to interpret the dance here, I just like the swishy steps

“A voice is rising so, so high”- how Julie comes out of her shell. Also can’t help but link to the angel motif. Plus, Julie is lifted up, she is the catalyst, she is rising up in fame really. Luke is one of the people who helps her soar as well.

“We come to life, when we’re in perfect harmony”- Julie always being told she looks “alive again” when she’s doing music again.  Music and playing with Julie is what makes Luke and the guys feel alive. I gotta say, Charlie and Madison do exhibit some good harmonising.

The lift that happened is like the improv that Nick and Julie do, but then Luke and Julie here make eye contact as she comes down again, but goes back to similar to the dance she is meant to be doing. Until she reaches up on the line “We say we’re friends”, he also helps lift them up.

“We play pretend”. I mean, they kinda do. Luke tries to pass off his feelings with the guys, but that boy is WHIPPED.

“You’re more to me”- right off the bat, I like it. Arms out and a hug. YES. Also just look at that bliss on her face, bless her.

“We create” well yes they create “the perfect harmony”

The cut off is abrupt as Julie snaps back to reality. Then she looks in the mirror and realises Luke isn’t there and that she must’ve gone insane. This is what gets me. I think this is the moment that she realises that her feelings for Luke are deeper than she realised and I think she truly thought that they may have been dancing together in the end.

Is this just an extremely vivid daydream, because she had one of these when she mentally performed “I got the Music” and she must’ve done something during that time as she took someone’s drumsticks during her little renaissance. So what happened in real life? Did she just dance around a little, humming a bop? I just... I imagine that this is just a very lucid daydream, which is fair enough, relatable, but it just interacts so much with real life rather than actually just being all in her head. I just find it interesting.

The full version has some lines that I also want to point out. In the second verse there are these lines:

”You set me free”- Luke sings this line which can mean that she will set his soul free- she is a part of his “unfinished business”

“You and me together is more than chemistry”- Julie sings this line. We know that chemistry was pointed out by Alex and Reggie to Luke, and I believe Flynn also says about them being an appealing pair when performing. But they are more than chemistry. I mean they do work well together and they care about each other deeply, but I also can’t help but think of the “signs” her mother was giving her, and believing that the guys were sent to her.

“Love me as I am, I’ll hold your music here inside of my hands”- This is sung by both of them. They already do this, but holding their music in each other’s hand is interesting. I guess this is saying about trust and that they will do it together. I also think this relates to being able to finally hold hands. It’s like the saying “Whatever’s mine is yours”. They share pain, they share lyrics, their passion for music etc.

Then in the bridge we have the lines “I feel your rhythm in my heart”- I have a feeling that they are in sync with each other, they can immediately click and tune in with a melody. It’s also ironic as Luke doesn’t have a heart.

“You are my brightest burning star”- Luke sings this line. It makes sense. As I have said previously, Julie is this beacon of light, Luke clearly is in awe of her and inspires him. He also straight up calls her a star in ep 9 as well

“I never knew a love so real”- oh man, the irony. Their connection is pure and true, it’s just so annoying that he’s a ghost

“We’re heaven on earth, melody and words”- again with the metaphor of the middle ground where I suppose Julie sits. I understand the idiom and the bliss that they feel, and the connection they have and share with people. It’s just interesting as at the moment earth is currently Luke and the guys’ afterlife.

Anyway, that has been my dissection of Perfect Harmony. Thanks for reading if you’ve gotten this far 😅

PS. the lack of visual aids is because Tumblr hates me, I apologise

[sleekervae]

Yoü & I [1.4]

Masterlist

At first thought, eating octopus was not something that was super appealing to Charlotte. Her grandmother had tried to cook it time and time again and she was always adversed to it. It was just never something she could bring herself to like. So, she got shrimp takoyaki as opposed to octopus.

The kids sat on some benches in Prince Shiba Park, the world seeming to pass them by. Luke was feeling much better than he had been before. And Chloe was grounded -- as far as the girls were concerned -- and had her phrase book taken away. They would be leaving Japan the day after tomorrow anyway, and Kimberly vowed she wasn't allowed to pick up any more languages.

Maria was becoming annoyed as Chloe kept picking the octopus out of her takoyaki and placing the fish in her paper carton.

"Really?" Maria glared at her.

"I don't like octopus," Chloe shrugged back.

"Well, then why didn't you get the shrimp one?" Calum asked.

Chloe glowered, "... Because I suck at Japanese, that's why,"

Calum smirked, "You should try learning Spanish first, it's way easier,"

"I tried that bullshit," Chloe replied, "I scraped by with a C,"

"And you just got graded a major F in Japanese," Maria replied, flinging back the octopus into her carton, "Eat your fish!"

"I feel like I'm chewing on latex!"

Charlotte shook her head at her friends, taking another glance at her backpack where the phrasebook was being kept. She felt a tap on her shoulder then, turning around and nearly jumping out of her seat when she found Luke was inches from her face, octopus tentacles sticking out of his lips.

"Oh -- jeez!" she pushed him away, much to his amusement, "Who are you supposed to be? Davy Jones?"

Luke simply shrugged and slurped the tentacles into his mouth, much to Charlotte's disdain, "You got a problem with it, Shorty?"

"You disgust me," she replied casually, "You're like Godzilla, slurping octopus for Pete sakes,"

Michael looked the taller boy up and down, "I wouldn't say so, Charlie," he shrugged, "Luke's the breadstick that comes before the octopus,"

"He's a bland appetizer," Ashton grinned.

Luke proceeded to pout, "What have I done to deserve this, now?"

"We're just teasing, honey," Charlotte smirked, "It's not our fault though that you're a pasty bitch,"

"Oh yeah?" Luke took some of the sweet sauce onto his finger, "How's this for teasing?" and he smeared it over the bridge of Charlotte's nose. She pulled her head away but the damage had been done.

"Really?" she glared back at him, fumbling for a napkin, "Real fucking mature,"

"Says the kid who sucks on lollis at eight in the morning," Luke replied smartly.

"Oh, leave me and my sugar alone, Orange Crush!"

Kimberly quickly interjected, "Alright children. Let's finish lunch and try to get a cab back to the hotel,"

Calum quickly stuffed what little food he had into his mouth and crumbled the carton into a ball, "Actually, that was pretty good," he nodded, "Never had takoyaki before,"

"And I now have a new food pun," Ashton grinned.

Michael glanced at him, "What'cha takoyaki 'bout?"

Ashton glowered back at him, "Hey! I claimed it first!"

"But I used it first," Michael replied.

Chloe crumbled her own carton into a ball, "Well, we never would've found lunch if it wasn't for my great sense of direction," she said, hoping the group wasn't still mad at her.

"Yeah, you did okay," Maria replied, "But from now on, you are not allowed to be our translator. Evangelical Lutheran Church," she shook her head.

"I admit, not my best moment," Chloe nodded, "In my defense..."

The others waited patiently for Chloe to continue, but she was stalled in an elongated pause, "So, what's your defense, Chlo?" Charlotte asked finally.

Chloe simply relented, "I'm an idiot. That's all, really,"

They started walking back, just until they could hail down a couple of cabs and get a ride back to the hotel. The girls were in one and the guys were in another. The ride was silent for the most part, that is, until Charlotte started smiling to herself. Like, a really big smile.

"What is it?" Kimberly asked when she took notice.

Charlotte shook her head, "Nothing. It's stupid,"

"Darling, you're riding in a cab with Stupid," Chloe said, pointing to herself, "Come on, what is it?"

Charlotte only shrugged as the girls had become intrigued. It was a stupid idea, but the more she thought about it the more fun it sounded.

"I don't know, I just thought... what if later on we..."

♛♛♛

A few hours later and Luke was standing in front of the vanity mirror in the dressing room, fixing his hair and popping the collar in his shirt. Just down the hall he could hear the drowned music from Catch the Caper's opener. Right now they were playing a song off of their EP called 'Navy Blue', a sadder song about expired love and reluctantly moving on. It was one of Luke's favorites, not just for the lyrics but for the unexpected bass drop in the chorus that always had the crowd stomping along.

There was a part of him that was expecting another phone call from Melody, and there was another part of him that figured maybe he should go ahead and call her. But he distinctly remembered that she was the one who hung up on him and he pushed the thought aside. He wasn't going to let her make him feel guilty for doing nothing wrong.

"Ya' look handsome, darling," Ashton came sauntering up beside him, ruffling a hand through his floppy hair.

"Oh, thanks sweetheart," Luke replied.

"Everything okay?" the older lad leaned against the vanity table, watching Luke with uncertainty in his face.

Luke simply nodded back, "Fine. Tomorrow we'll try to find the arcade, yeah?"

"Yeah," Ashton simpered, "Got the directions from a guide, there's one just down the street from here. No more Chloe Columbus,"

"The intention was there," Luke said, "And hey, we got to try fried octopus for the first time,"

Ashton grinned at him, happy that he was in much better spirits than he was last night, "How are you doing, mate?" he asked then.

Luke shrugged, "I'm good. Tired but -- can't complain," he replied.

"Good," Ashton nodded, "Ya' know if you ever wanna' talk about --"

"I'm good, man," Luke nodded quickly, knowing fully well what Ash was alluding to, "I swear. I'm good,"

Before Ashton could rebuttal, all heads turned when they heard Michael swearing up a storm in the bathroom, "What the actual fuck!?"

Calum swore under his breath, "Oh, tell me he didn't fall into the toilet bowl again,"

The boys went rushing through the hallway, thinking the worst. Yet, when they arrived, they were quite confused yet pleasantly surprised to find a piece of cardboard had been duct-taped to the bowl with a two inch hole cut into the centre. Around the hole, 'Aim Here' and 'Boss Level' had been scribbled in sharpie.

"I have mixed feelings about this," Calum said, looking perplexed.

Luke just shook his head, and Ashton just clapped his hands together with delight, "Don't tell them, but I'm a little impressed," he giggled deviously.

"The prank war has commenced," Michael announced dramatically, putting his hands on his hips, "The Capers won this round,"

"What makes you say that?" Luke asked.

"They duct-taped the bloody toilet shut! I gotta' pee through a hole!" Michael replied.

"It's no big deal, Mike," Calum said, glancing down between Michael's leg, "I think it'll fit,"

Michael glared down at him, "Fuck off and help me,"

Calum smirked, "Well, which is it? You want me to fuck off or you want my help?"

"I need to take a whizz!" Michael exclaimed, "Quit being a smartarse and help me!"

"Alright, alright!" the two boys crouched down and started to peel off the layers and layers of tape, all the while Michael kept squeezing his legs together so he wouldn't have an accident.

"You know, you could just use the bathroom on the other side of the theatre," Luke told him.

"Are you crazy? He'll wet himself before he makes it past the doors!"

"Shut up, Ash!"

♛♛♛

The concert was another rousing success. Applause was rapid, the screams were deafening and the energy was electrifying. It was easily the best show Catch the Caper had ever played.

Hours later, when the venues were clear, the fans had dissipated and exhaustion was thick in the atmosphere, the girls were somewhat annoyed, somewhat elated when Kimberly had a wild idea.

"Can we try the McDonald's here?"

Maria gawked at her, "Girl, it's nearly eleven at night,"

"I know," Kimberly shrugged sheepishly, "... But I kinda' want a Big Mac. In Japan. Which is like -- double the awesomeness,"

Chloe snickered, "Because she didn't fill up on octopus tentacles..."

Lo and behold, and with little convincing for 5sos, the bands made a quick stop to the nearest Micky D's.

The door to his hotel suite burst open and Luke and Charlotte sauntered in, both of them clutching a small McDonald's bag. Charlotte was curious to try the filet-o-ebi (shrimp) burgers they had both ordered, with a side of fries, of course.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Charlotte huffed as she collapsed onto his couch.

"What're you talking about?" Luke fell down beside her, "We've had McDonald's way later than this,"

"I know," she nodded, unfolding her bag, "I've just never figured McDonald's would be a staple in my visit to Japan,"

Luke grinned as he unwrapped his sandwich, "Having shrimp burgers at eleven at night ain't my usual either, but hey -- I'll try anything once," he pulled back the paper and took a large bite. Charlotte was bemused as a droplet of orange mayonnaise stained both end of his lips. He innocently raised his eyebrows when he saw she was staring at him.

"Wha...?" he mumbled.

Charlotte chuckled and grabbed a napkin out of the bag, "You are a fucking disaster, sometimes," she wiped the mayo from his lips. Luke shrugged back.

"Isn't that why we get along?" he replied, "Eat your fucking burger. It's actually pretty good,"

"Oh, great," she took a tentative bite of her own burger. Charlotte didn't see what the hype was all for; it was shrimp diced up and fried together in a panko patty. She could easily have made it back home. She supposed it was just partaking in the culture -- as culturally relevant a McDonald's could be.

"Tomorrow, first thing after breakfast, we are tearing off for a true, psychedelic Japanese arcade," Luke declared, mouth still full of food.

"I didn't mind today so much," Charlotte shrugged, "I mean -- getting literally lost in Japan is probably the best way to see Japan. And we tried octopus,"

"I ate octopus," he pointed out, "You chickened out with shrimp,"

"You can call me whatever you want, I don't have octopus breath though," she replied.

"You're eating shrimp again!" Luke pointed out.

"I wanted a Big Mac! You convinced me to get this instead!" Charlotte whined, "It's your fault I'm doubling down on my crustacean intake,"

Luke, still chewing away, opened his mouth and putting the mushy mess on display for Charlotte. She gagged and pushed him away, "You're sick,"

It was then Luke's phone began to ring, a shrill scream for attention. Charlotte could see by the disenchanted look on his face she knew Mel was calling, hopefully to apologize.

"I'll be right back," he stood up and disappeared into the bedroom. Charlotte was left alone on the couch. She could hear the faded murmuring from behind the bedroom door, but Luke didn't sound angry or upset. They were making up again.

"I know... I'm sorry too,"

Charlotte had heard those words time and time again, but she was the one saying them. She was the one who was constantly apologizing to Ben after their fights. Luke had fallen into a familiar pattern and Charlotte's concern only grew. She wanted him to be happy, but she didn't want him to circle the drain like she had.

She took a couple of his french fries and popped them into her mouth, the small crunchy ones. She always loved those best and Luke would always get after her for stealing, but she lived for the annoyed pout he's put on afterwards.

Luke came back to stand in the doorway, smiling as he watched Charlotte snatch some of his fries. He snapped his finger to get her attention and she went red, seeing she'd been caught. She flipped him off.

"What time is it over there?" he asked Mel, "We can skype in a bit. I miss your face,"

Charlotte pretended to gag. Luke grabbed the throw pillow off the armchair and tossed it at her. She caught it with ease and tucked it behind her.

"An hour's fine. I'll be up," Luke sat down beside her, "We're having McDonald's shrimp patties. They're not bad actually,"

Charlotte gagged again and Luke shoved her with his foot. Feigning insult, she grabbed the pillow and whacked him with it. Luke covered his head and threw a taunting look her way.

"No, I think they discontinued that McGratin shit. Were no good," he said, trying to ward off more pillow blows from Charlotte.

Charlotte was now like a child begging for attention. When the pillow wasn't working she reached over and squeezed Luke's ribs. He jumped and let out a yelp.

"Jesus! Why?" he whined at her, "No honey... everything's fine," Luke grabbed another pillow and placed it between them. Charlotte was unfazed, she kept reaching over and trying to tickle him.

Luke defended himself as best he could before he couldn't take it anymore, giggling more than he was talking, "Babe, I'll call ya' back. I gotta' take care of a pest!" he didn't even wait for Mel to respond before he launched himself at Charlotte.

"You fucking little shit!" The pair crashed into the cushions, wrestling and trying to pin the other down. They were awash in giggles and squeals until Luke had Charlotte firmly under him, hands darting under her shirt and squeezing her waist and hips.

Charlotte finally kicked him off and Luke dropped to the floor with a hard thud, "That's what you get!" she exclaimed with triumph.

Luke glared back at her with irritation, "You started it!"

"And I also ended it!" with a heavy huff she extended her hand out to him, "Truce?"

"Yeah," Luke grabbed her hand -- only to yank her off the couch with a hard tug. Charlotte screamed before she could even realize what was happened and she landed on the hardwood beside him.

"That was for the toilet seat!"

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Deca-Dence 5 - 6 | Moriarty 3 - 4 | Yashahime 4 - 5 | Maou-jou 4 | I7 s2 5 (22) | Akudama 4 - 5 | HypMic 5 - 6 | Taiso Samurai 4 | HPGC 4

Deca-Dence 5

“…cannon won’t ignite in time!” The subbers spell cannon as “canon” later as well.

Off to the cliffside, where Kaburagi goes to die…

Deca-Dence 6

“Maybe someone intervened.” – I think Minato did, somehow.

This Death Dive reminds me of Wipeout.

Moriarty 3

I once made up a quote that goes, “When life detests you, fight back.” I think it’s also roughly along the lines of advice Albert needs.

I remembered an odd line from Macbeth: “Brother, he has killed me!” Seriously, Moriarty is scarier than some actual horror anime, I swear…Update: It’s actually “he has killed me, Mother!”, but same impact.

I had my hands over my mouth from the moment the fire began. That’s how intense this is.

This ED…doesn’t sound like an ED. It sounds like the OP for a different anime, like Joker Game or something. Also, having Saito Soma as Gentaro and Moriarty…is a bit unsettling because they have a lot of overlap but one’s basically the evil twin of the other.

Yashahime 4

“…was raised here…”

“…we can…”

I felt a heart twinge when I saw Towa tear up…man, it’s been years since I last dealt with Inuyasha properly.

“…nights where I can’t fall asleep.” – So…you’ll play it a lot then, Setsuna.

Oh, so Kirara is a nekomata? I never knew until now.

Kikyo!

According to the mythology, the kirin rules over the middle…so why is Kirinmaru the monster in the east?

Is “s***” unwarranted here? I didn’t have the volume on, so I don’t know…Going back, I think Moroha said “kuso”, but it’s still kinda weird to have a swear word in a mostly family-friendly series in a slot near Detective Conan. (Then again, Detective Conan is where I learnt “kuso” from…so my standards are probably not as up-to-scratch as they should be.)

Rin! People keep saying Rin is the mother of the girls and it’s basically the only conclusion that could be done, considering the relationship the two had…but it’s still kind of squick…(Says a person who has no problem with SGRS s2’s ending.)

Update: Someone on ANN said the teacher’s name (Osamu Kirin) being similar to Kirinmaru is sketchy and I agree.

Maou-jou 4

There’s no pun for Rocket Turtle…that’s kinda startling, actually.

I’m not going to translate the eyecatches anymore. Seems they were actually translated in the manga and someone just copies them over or something.

I’ve seen some characters use wa when they really aren’t that feminine. However, the voice Suwabe uses for the Sorceror leads me to believe this guy really is trying to be feminine, even if in just a vocal capacity.

…aw, no puns here too.

Oh no, the seal…!

…hmm? The Scissors Sorceror’s info is…we’re not allowed to look at it. That’s what the red text says.

…my brain exploded for a second when I suddenly heard jazz music. It’s a Detective Conan parody! *screams*

Iina! doesn’t really mean “Lucky!” It means more like “cool!” or “It’s good, isn’t it?”

I7 s2 5

I missed these boys!

I like the Kinako transition. It’s cute.

I don’t really like it when Tenn looks at the screen…it gives me 1st person cam vibes.

Why is Tsunashi being called “this”, anyway?

Oh yeah…mensore = youkoso = welcome.

Uh oh…is Yuki actually evil???

Riku (earth) vs. Tenn (heaven). Hmm.

I still can’t believe they don’t believe Gaku is the soba guy. It’s so obvious!

Chikuzen-ni.

Someone on staff ships Gaku and Tsumugi together…hmm…

Oh! So this is DESTINY, huh? I’ve probably heard it on Spotify before, but I don’t recognise it by sheer sound like I do HypMic. (Then again, the half-year off the airwaves probably really hurt I7, man…)

Akudama 4

Say what you will about how bad Funi translations can get…they’re definitely entertaining!

Geesh, Doctor gets all the sexy shots, but Brawler gets all the ab shots. Can I get a sexy Courier shot…?

“…she’s right.” – There’s a lot of dialogue here, so…uh, who’s “she” in this case?

What’s a “bro fro”?

Wow, Brawler, talk about being punched into next Tuesday…(partially joking)

Swindler’s face, LOL. (I know she’s an ordinary gal, but calling her “Swindler” is shorter to type.)

I remember reading around and people agree Swindler works at the Seal Centre.

The shark and bunny’s shirts say things like “Kanto/Kansai”, “earth, air/water” and “pollution/clean” during their montage.

“feminist” – Uh, ex-squeeze me?! Feminism does not equal “ladies first” or “going easy on ladies”. Update: I went and listenend to it and although one of my ears is mysteriously almost constantly plugged these days, I’m fairly sure Doctor did not say “feminist” (in katakana). Update 2: Then I listened to it again and…I’m not sure anymore.

LOL, Hoodlum hit the in-series camera. With his face.

Oh, vault = garage or storage. Right, how did I not know that?

Cat, nooooooooooooooooo! Don’t die!

HypMic 5

After the two “darker” divisions, it seems almost strange to not have a “dark” introduction about the seedy underbelly of alt. future Japan…

Oh, my gosh. That’s Ichijiku on the phone.

The studio has the word “drops” on it.

Lemme guess: Neither hand!...Yup.

The only spoiler I know for this ep. is it’s a Halloween episode, and “Ramuda ruins Halloween”. That quote is way too subjective to mean anything, though…

…hmm, Gentaro doesn’t say “shousei” in that sentence involving “this humble bard” (not that I heard, but one of my ears is mysteriously plugged after I stayed up late browsing Twitter on my phone – don’t tell anyone that, though! They’re not meant to know!). Gentaro is not a humble bard (although that would translate “shousei” quite correctly in the Shakespearean), he’s an author.

LOL, that “ding!”

Gentaro actually says “ghostbusters” in katakana, LOL.

I almost thought this Shinjuku man was Doppo…but no, this Aoyama Cemetery exists. It has nice cherry blossoms.

The “dun dun dun” soundtrack is great. It really sets the atmosphere.

Gentaro really is an idiots’ minder, just as I used to characterise him. (Then the FP and M manga and developments regarding Ramuda being evil changed my mind.)

I-Is this just gonna be an episode of FP being scared and Ramuda yelling? It’s fun for a bit, but when you’re stopping to analyse every few seconds, Ramuda’s voice is gonna get annoying eventually…

Kurosu seems to be a cross between Jyushi and Doppo.

This ep…makes FP look money-crazy. Dice is only money-crazy when he’s broke…because of course you would be…but the others aren’t.

That rock track that plays when FP hand out flyers is cool!

Are they…eating squid?...Welp, squid jerky. I’d say I’m correct.

Oh, so they’re all street photographers? Not just Tom?

I was wondering…how would the “tie to a different division” occur in episode 5, considering episode 6 is where the plot really kicks in? Turns out…they tie back to BB, which is not a thing I was expecting at all.

BB have a BB tablet…makes sense, because I think Hypster have iPhone cases for each division.

Oh, they’re planting the seeds of Ramuda’s ability here, so to speak. By knowing what Hypnosis Mics are capable of doing, you can see the building blocks of Rap Abilities as well.

Okonbanwa! The extra O is meant to make things formal, but only in front of nouns (sometimes it’s “go”, e.g. goshujin), so it’s Ramuda being overly formal to be cutesy and unconventional.

*lightbulb goes off in head* It makes sense that the group affiliated with illusions and randomness does the Halloween episode, actually.

…Yargh! Of course all these onee-sans are FP stans!...*lightly touches temple, as if to get rid of a headache* I should’ve known.

The new song is “Shibuya Ghost Night” by Tokyo Health Club, Yuki “T-Groove” Takahashi and Yuma Hara.

*stops video before the darn airhorn sounds* Thank goodness…hey, isn’t this quote from Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka…?

This episode is very seasonal, but doesn’t really make sense outside of airing on Halloween. C’mon, couldn’t you have given us a Sasara appearance instead of having Ramuda yell down the house…? I knew the FP episode was going to be either lighthearted with a dark undercurrent, like the BB ep (considering we haven’t gotten to Ramuda dying yet), or full-on lighthearted, but…I somehow wonder if the staff had an empty spot labelled “Fling Posse episode” due to COVID and went, “Okay, it airs on Halloween this year, let’s make it Halloween-inspired”…or something. Also, I feel Gentaro got the short end of the stick here.

Update: As for yakuwarigo, Ramuda trends towards the feminine side, which is not something I noticed until my groupwork partner pointed it out to me. The message in this episode has a “yone”, which proves that point even further. “Dayo~n” is a variant of the gender-neutral “yo” ending. Meanwhile, I have game samples that prove Dice uses “ze” like BB/MTC, while Gentaro uses “yo” and desu/masu like Jakurai, so it was really Ramuda anyone wanted to pay attention to since his speech patterns are the most feminine-leaning, possibly due to his extensive hanging out with ladies. (I once read a Tofugu post on how non-binary people deal with language that said if you hang out with ladies a lot, you take on feminine yakuwarigo and if you hang out with guys a lot, you do the same in that direction, but I clearly remember Ramuda using “sa”, which is a slightly male-leaning ending.)

Taiso Samurai 4

There’s something in the background which stops me from listening to it and one of my ears is blocked, but I gotta find out what Tackey was saying about the NHK Cup (the joke, I mean). Update: So I think it’s ninja/nukihara/kekkou, but I may have heard that wrong due to my blocked ear…I should get someone to clean it out properly.

Here’s the YoI monologue about competitions again. <- (neutral on it) Also, NHK is in English letters/romaji in the term “NHK Cup”, but the “Cup” isn’t (it’s in kanji).

Sekigahara had a huge historical battle.

Huh? This episode’s called “Samurai Musume (daughter)”, so…where did “Battling Samurai” come from? That’s one of the previous episodes, right?

Selfies, before they were cool.

I was wondering if Leo actually calls Rei “Rachel” like he calls Jotaro “Joe”…and he does. I just haven’t paid much attention to the audio, that’s all.

The Battle of Chibi? Never heard of it until now, but the Battle of Red Cliffs is the same thing.

Leo Naruto runs…LOL.

If Rei was in 4th grade in 2002…are we going to see the characters in the present in the end? She would be 28 in 2020.

I guess I should’ve guessed from “hat trick”, but a Bergkamp trap is related to soccer.

There’s a random Japanese-sounding track in the background…didn’t expect that.

A cemetery…on the day after Halloween.

“Grandma’s place” = the bar…Ohhhhhhhhhh. I was wondering, didn’t the grandma and Rei live together? Then it all came together.

Jim Beeam (sic), LOL.

I wonder, are Tackey and Ayu dating like he asks?

Gotta love a man in a suit! *chef’s kiss*

Yashahime 5

Who’s this Tokotsu guy again…? Also, the “ja” in Jakotsumaru means “young”.

Oh, Myoga. It’s been a while.

Can there be 4 Perils when there’s only 3 of them…?

Well, it makes sense that a dog demon would have demon fleas…in a sense.

Why is “trying to swallow up this world and turn it into a degenerate age” (or whatever Kirinmaru’s aim is) so vague? You could say the present is already an age of mass degeneracy…

Maybe the Dream Butterfly took Moroha’s memories…?

Wait, why is Myoga only allowed to drink Moroha’s blood when she puts on the rouge?

So this is an arhat. Also, aren’t morals an Anglophone ideal imported into Japan and the rest of Asia? That’s what separates Towa from Setsuna.

Akudama 5

This drone definitely won’t come in handy at all…(sarcastic)

There’s an Evangelion feel to these “masks”…

That box is like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! It’s great!

I like how the kids jump to the potential fact (?) this is a Swindler trick.

You can see Courier’s bike in the background when the bunny says “…and I mean everything.”

*Knights of Sidonia music starts playing* Search! And! Destroy! *record scratch as music stops*

I think this little discussion between Courier and Swindler will go down in Akudama Drive history as one of my favourite moments because it’s the little conversations that count. Also…does Courier have a mechanical hand, or is that just me thinking weird things…? Is that a glove?

Ooh, scars. Sexy. (On the Executioner Master, at least.)…Now I get why the guy wears that mouth covering.

HypMic 6

Halfway through the season already…? Yikes, how time flies. By the way, my assignment’s come and gone so I don’t need to focus on it anymore.

Hmm? Why did the subbers put “Prime Minister” when Ichijiku merely says “yes”…?

Wait, 1st question: how does one sign up for a rap battle? I don’t think that’s ever been answered. 2nd question (well, not a question): Dice is paying attention to Otome now…

I’m fairly sure that red brick warehouse was just that…as in the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama, which was also featured in Bungou Stray Dogs. Update: Oh, it’s (partially) a shopping mall…? I didn’t know that until now.

See, I told you they’re (Tom, Iris and Rex) probably foreigners…

That one shot of Jakurai? *chef’s kiss* Beautiful. Give me a million of ‘em. (Okay, I’m kidding to some degree, but I can’t help staring at it. Jakurai’s just too pretty…)

“Tweet-like lyrics”? Eh? When was Twitter a collective pessimist?

Oh, that’s basically the scene from the drama track. Where the heck is Jakurai fishing though…? I always imagined it to be at a river or a pier, not some concrete complex. Update: According to a user on Twitter, the fishing place is called “Ichigaya Fishing Centre”. It is, as you would expect, found in Shinjuku. Apparently, even Osomatsu-san featured the place...which would explain why it looks vaguely familiar to me.

Wow, I can’t believe how upfront they’re being about Ramuda breaking up TDD.

Ramuda thought in his deep voice…I almost didn’t recognise it for a second. It doesn’t even sound like Shirai. It sounds more like…Hayami, in fact.

“F*** yeah!” - …and they’re still going with the F bomb. Keep being you, subbers, keep being you.

That shot of Saburo in a dimly-lit room almost looks like the SR card in ARB, except in that one he has his headphones on (and might be outside, to my memory).

Oh, so the round thing really is Ichiro’s ring. It’s got an “I” on it too, i.e. the Roman numeral for one.

*Ichiro explains what happened to TDD from his and Samatoki’s side* - I don’t think we’ve ever seen the story from Ichiro’s or Samatoki’s perspective enough to know either thought this (or this way).

“Jiro! Saburo! Let’s go!” - …and Tom’s just taking photos as they leave, LOL.

I didn’t expect the TsudaKen guy to be back again, really.

Well, if this Google route is to be believed, “Sadamezuka’s soul” only lasts about 30 minutes by car crossing from one point to the other, hence Jiro’s remark.

Googling “Toyotama” and “Toyotama Line” gets you…Ghost of Tsushima links…?

…hmm. I’m not listening to it on a hugely loud volume, so I can’t quite tell what the pun is, but I think the word for “monk” in this case is “bouzu”. Then what’s the word for “electric dynamo”…? Update: The pun, according to Takahisa Maeyama, is Erekiteruteru Bouzu.

That ticking thing was really effective in terms of the song…but sasuga HypMic. Things went ka-blammo again.

So we’re probably going to see BB’s first DRB round next ep…or Matenrou doing another takedown similar to ep. 3. Or both. Both is good. (Or it could be the FP/M side of things, much like we got the BB/MTC side of things here.)

...Uh, shouldn’t that be “dawn”? The anime’s generally been very good about this (aside from the obvious typo in the BB logo), but…welp, they’ve done it now.

Update: The LOVE you see Hifumi and Doppo near is this one.

Update 2: As for the yakuwarigo, it…turns out, to no one’s surprise, it stays oddly consistent across all media, although individual treatment of the characters can differ depending on the author.

HGPC 4

Ooh, is this Element of Light?

Fate/Stay PreCure! Here we come!

Moriarty 4

Why is the “to” capitalised? (Is that even capitalised?)

Quinine.

I kind of knew the grapefruit and the heart condition and/or quinine would be relevant somehow…and boy howdy, was I right! I just didn’t really know what it was going to do, that’s all.

I thought the ED didn’t match very well, but looking at the translated lyrics…now it kind of makes sense.

[callmeblake]

POSTCARDS FROM SLAM DUNK: FRANK IERO

By

Glen Bushell

Mar 15, 2017 16:31

At the end of May, Slam Dunk Festival, one of the most beloved events in the UK festival calendar, will return once more.

In the run up to the festival we are presenting ‘Postcards From Slam Dunk’, a series of quick fire Q+As with some of the bands set to appear at the event.

Next up, we are joined by Frank Iero to discuss festival experiences, UK fans, and what to his last album, ‘Parachutes’.

This will be your first time playing Slam Dunk. How does it feel to be part of the line up?

I’m really excited. I’ve always heard great things about the festival and when I found out so many of our friends were also playing it made me really happy.

Obviously you have played big festivals in the past, but how are you finding it now being centre stage at these events?

Well I think it differs from festival to festival. Just like no two shows or tours are the same. When it’s run well and everyone behind he scenes is on the same page things go great and it’s a really rad time.

What can people expect from your set at Slam Dunk? Do you feel you have to tailor it differently compared to a club show?

I do tend to approach festival sets a little bit different than a club show set. I think when you’re in your natural habitat you have more of an opportunity to take the crowd on a journey with your song selection, where as at a festival setting it’s more of a battleground. You have half an hour to attack people’s fleeting attention spans and you need to make your mark. It’s all about the headshot.

Whether it’s been playing or attending, what have been some of your best festival memories?

Well, even when I’m playing a festival I’m very much also an attendee. I get the schedule early and make sure I see as many bands as possible. I love the buffet of bands, and getting to see artists that normally would never play together in a regular show setting. Two years ago we played Groezrock and Refused headlined, they completely blew my mind. But that same day I also got to see Bane, American Nightmare, Mineral, Knapsack, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Agnostic Front, and Joyce Manor.

…and any bad ones?

A few years back I played a festival in NJ and the day of the festival they found out they couldn’t use the stages they had rented because of some new safety regulation. So they ended up having to build new ones that day out of rickety plywood, with two stages basically connected. Stage times got messed up and they had my band, Leathermouth, and another band play side by side at the same time while it poured rain all over us and our equipment which we had to wrap garbage bags around in order to prevent electrocution. All of this and then later I found out the “sound guy” had forgotten to turn on the vocal mic for the first 3 songs. Rad.

How would you describe your relationship with the fans in the UK?

I think we like each other a lot, and it’s getting kind of serious. We haven’t moved in together yet but I may have left a toothbrush and a change of clothes at their house.

You released ‘Parachutes’ last year. How have you found the reaction to it?

I feel really lucky to have gotten to tour this record the past few months. To see these songs come to life in the eyes of our fans has been a real blessing. It’s something I’ve wanted and thought about ever since I wrote the songs in my basement and I’d say it’s surpassed every expectation. It’s a really great feeling.

It came relatively quickly after ‘Stomachaches’. How do you feel the two records differ, and what did you learn between them?

I learned a lot actually. While touring for ‘Stomachaches’ I learned a great deal about my vocal range and what is enjoyable for me in a live setting. I think while ‘Stomachaches’ was very much a makeshift private project, ‘Parachutes’ is very much the opposite. I wanted you to feel like you were listening in on ‘Stomachaches’ where as ‘Parachutes’ I wanted to hit you in the chest right out of the gate. The songs really dictated how they needed to sound.

Looking past Slam Dunk, what does the future hold for Frank Iero?

Wow I have no idea, and I think that’s kind of the best part. In the near future: a lot more touring and the release of a new EP. But in the grand scheme of things I’m kinda just riding the wave and seeing where it takes me.

Finally, given that there could be clashes, or even people at the festival who don’t know you, why should our readers make sure they don’t miss your set at Slam Dunk?

Sorry I’m not a used car salesman. I tend to feel like if you know then you know, and if you don’t than you’re probably gonna wish you did.

Slam Dunk Festival takes place across the May Bank Holiday weekend at the dates and venues below. Tickets are on sale now from the official Slam Dunk website.

May 27 BIRMINGHAM NEC 28 LEEDS City Centre 29 HATFIELD The Forum