#loving on purpose vs loving without realizing

[distant-screaming]

Soundwin's 'I want to fall in love with you, I will love you on purpose' vs tinngun's 'my heart is beating for you already, I don't quite know when I fell in love but I did'

[uiuishii]

So I'm thinking about the debate "Agatha did it on purpose" vs "Agatha can't control herself" debate.

If you think about it, Agatha is cursed with a power of absorbing all form of magic until the death of the host. When she was young she probably killed someone because of that and her mother discovered the body. Meanwhile she took interest in the darkhold, maybe to control or to fix things. She probably killed her own son without even realizing it. I mean it does make sense that Nicolas told her to stop when she killed Alice. That is why she was so shocked, realizing she did it again. It was never about her staying with her mother to be punished, but about her curse being exposed to the coven in the most horrible way. Her true punishment is her lack of control. She brings death everywhere she goes.

Thus, it explains why Death is in love with her. They met countless time, Agatha trying to resist her curse, eventually accepting her fate and power. Death knows her struggle, her power and her pain. Agatha, the witch everbody hates, and Death, the ultimate source of fear, sorrow, hatred. Rejected by everyone but themselves.

Agatha embraces the villain everybody saw in her. She accepted this role. Because it is easier and nobody believes her anyway. She can be good. But it will never be enough. So she decided to stop.

When nobody loves you, the only thing left is power. Power to feel alive and complete while you are in fact attracted by Death herself, wanting to let go.

In the end, no one will mourn Agatha except Death.

[linomilkers]

[Chan x Reader x Minho]

Hiii, this wouldn't get out of my head, let me know if you want a part 2!

[warnings: pervert!Chan, voyeurism (very much intentional but he feels guilty-ish about it), sex pollen]

Chan wasn't a pervert.

Or, well, he wasn't normally a pervert -- he guesses that's the most correct way to put it. He was being a pervert right now, for sure, because listening to his roommate fuck someone isn't not perverted. He doesn't think he could really be blamed for it, all too much; the walls are thin, he could practically hear Minho breathing from the living room, so. . .yeah. Maybe he could put on his headphones to drown it out and respect their privacy but he doesn't.

He never does, because this wasn't a one time thing -- Chan is always listening. It isn't like Minho is being loud on purpose, or to be disrespectful, and he can always hear the muffled moans of the person he's fucking -- they were trying to be quiet. He knew that Y/N, in particular, was very considerate of how loud they were, or the sounds in the room. Of all the people that Minho has coming in and out of the flat, he knew why she came around most often, and why Minho seemed to like her best. She was nice and funny, and they don't even always fuck each time she comes around, so Chan thinks they might legitimately be friends.

Chan isn't sure what he wants -- part of him wants to fuck her with Minho and part of him thinks he probably wants to be fucked by Minho too, but. . .that's neither here nor there. All he knows is that depending on his mood, he could listen or not listen to Minho fucking someone.

However, when he knew it was going to be Y/N, well, he was shoving his ear to the wall.

Tonight was no different; she'd come over for a movie and snacks, and Minho played a rather aggressive form of footsie on the couch (he was just shoving his socked foot against her claves, then her shoulder, then wiggling it against her armpit -- he was being annoying to be annoying, and would grin when she'd grab his foot to stop him). She fled from her spot beside Minho to a spot on the floor near Chan, her upper half swaddled in a throw blanket as she pressed herself into his side. Minho accuses her of being a traitor but stretches his feet to the end of the sofa and stretches with a loud yawn before settling back in.

Chan used to get nervous, when she would flee to his side, worried about getting in between them or something but it never seemed to work like that. If anything, he thinks they thrive off getting him involved in their banter back and forth. They love making him pick sides, throwing each other under the bus, fluttering their eyelashes and pouting (and making his dick unbelievably hard) while they beg for him to agree with them.

During a more intense part of the movie, Chan couldn't pull his gaze away from the screen. He watched so intently that when he reached forward to grab for his drink and took maybe too big of a gulp, he realized that he had accidentally grabbed Minho's mug. One that had tea in it -- some special brand that he and Y/N get from. . .he's actually unsure where they get it from. Just knows Minho threatened him once not to drink it without asking, so Chan never bothered -- he wasn't a big tea guy any way.

So when his mouth is flooded with it, he startled. Blinking rapidly -- it'd be rude to spit it out into the mug, so he swallowed it down. It was. . .okay -- a different flavor. He honestly couldn't tell what that flavor might be, but he knew it was one he'd not been privy to before. Thankfully, Minho doesn't notice the mistake, but when he feels the bite of nails into his forearm he glances over to see Y/N, her eyes a little wide.

Chan shrugged, mouthing oops before slowly setting the mug back down and leaning back into his seat. Sure, it may come out at a later date -- in a very Minho vs Y/N fashion, she would somehow spin this into a 'Channie loves me, we even kept the secret about how he drank your tea!' kind of moment. He'd defend himself then -- it's better to ask for Minho's forgiveness when the indiscretion happened a while ago rather than in the moment.

They parted ways when the movie ended without any mention of the tea. Y/N hugged Chan maybe a little too long and told him to have a good night, promising to see him in the morning for breakfast ("or before then," she winked at him, but he imagined it was another thing to get Minho riled up). Then she skipped off to Minho's room, while Min lagged behind, gathering up his phone and the charger.

"You g'na be up late tonight?" He inquired.

Chan cleared his throat, "Yeah," he agreed, "Aren't I always?"

So Minho knew he was going to be awake for a while, and that didn't stop him from doing whatever it is he does to work Y/N up. Typically, Chan can hear them go back and forth, and back and forth about something. He never knew if it was a disagreement, or if they were just fucking around with each other, but there's usually Minho loudly stating his opinion, Y/N scolding him for being too loud, and then it gets quiet. A few minutes will pass and he can hear their lips smacking together, and the low, distinct moans that he knew Minho only had when he was with Y/N. Like he couldn't stop them from leaving his mouth, or -- alternatively -- like he knew it drove her crazy and he wanted to turn her on even more.

And Chan has done this like. . .a thousand times before, it feels like, so he's perfected the art of moving on his creaky bed silently. He shifts his weight just so, inconspicuously enough that he can crawl up to a sit and carefully shove his ear close to the wall. He doesn't even pretend to not be listening for the first five minutes like he used to; he always cracks anyway, when his dick won't flag and he realizes its either listen to them and be unsatisfied or listen to them, get off, be at least halfway satisfied and fall asleep. It's easy to pick the latter, when he finally gets a good night's rest.

This time, it's a little different though. Y/N is muffled, sure, but she sounds more desperate. Hell, even Minho sounds more desperate, like every touch and caress whether it be with their fingers or their tongue, might be too much -- too good. The desperation is palpable; felt through the walls and placed onto him. His heart races, and his mind is a little melty, and the hand that squeezes the stiffening bulge in his briefs feels like fire in the best way. Searing through his clothes, making him warmer, twitchier. He would probably cum quickly tonight, he could tell, maybe just a couple of pumps and he'd be done for. That's what this is about, right? To cum. . .to get off quickly, so he could fall asleep and leave them to do as they pleased, without him listening to every wet sound, and whimpered moan, and slap of skin.

Tonight was different for Chan too; he's always pretty worked up when he's listening to them, but not to the extent he was right now. When he sneaks his hand beneath his briefs, he finds that the insides are already warm, wet and sticky. He's leaking more than he normally would be at this point -- the kind of drip that would a thin, stringy line from his tip if he had been naked -- his cock bobbing. And when his hand makes contact with his shaft, he hisses, toes curling, hovering over himself. Holy fuck, was he going to cum just from that?

"You want him in here, don't you?" His tone is taunting, but that isn't new -- he's always speaks to her like he knows something she doesn't while they fuck. Y/N always cries out a lot louder when he does, "Hm? You think he'll be nice to you? Think Channie will fill you up and make you cum without you having to do any of the work?"

Chan's heart is slamming against his ribcage, his blood roaring in his ears. Why are they bringing them up? They're bringing him up right? He's the only person they call Channie, that he's aware of. . .but they'd never, in all his time listening in, had brought him up during sex.

Y/N moaned, but not without a small, "Shut up," attached to it, and he could imagine the pout she's making, the way she'd thud a loose fist against Minho's shoulder.

"Yeah, he'd love this tiny little pussy, wouldn't he? Maybe I'll tell him how badly you want him to fuck it." She must make a face because he chuckled, warm, taunting, "What're you pretending to be embarrassed about? I feel you squeezing me."

"He'll hear, Minnie," she whimpered, and for the first time in a while, Chan feels a bead of guilt welt up in his chest for listening in. Not enough to take his ear away from the wall though, "You're too loud."

Her pouted lip must be really cute, because Chan hears him pause to smear their mouths together, the sound of them kissing just barely perceptible from the wall to his ear. When they part, it sounds wet -- he could imagine a string of spit connecting their lips, bowing and snapping, "You want him to bend you over and fuck you full. I'll keep your pretty mouth occupied with my cock, hm? So you don't forget who owns you, needy slut."

The moan that leaves her is full, and she must clamp down on him because Minho groans louder than he has all night. Chans cock throbs hard twice before he cums untouched.

The thwack of their thighs colliding echoes in his head as he stares at his lap, the way the fabric wets around the tip, cum pooling through the thin cotton. His cock doesn't flag -- hell, if anything he feels even harder than he did before. The edge just barely taken off after cumin from what? One stroke and the sound of them both moaning? How pathetic could he get?

But they were fantasizing about him, just on the other side of the wall. He was always thinking about them, all the things he would do, or wanted done. He wouldn't make Y/N do anything but sit and look pretty. He always hears how Minho is making her work for it and the way she whines and whimpers when her thighs burn, or when he edges her too many times. It's cute, sure, but he'd just take care of her -- make her cum so much that her mind is empty with nothing but his cock.

And with Minho, he can't decide if he wants to fuck him or be fucked by him. Maybe he wants to be fucked by him while Chan fucks Y/N? To feel the bite of his fingernails into his thighs when he splits him open, calls him pitiful, tells Chan that he's nothing but a greedy hole like the pretty girl on top of him, and fuck Chan's going to cum again.

He felt the telltale lull in his lower belly that his orgasm was approaching, when he hears Minho sigh, heavy and loud. He wouldn't have thought anything of it but when it's a direct order to Chan -- well, it catches his attention.

"Ugh, we know you're listening Dumbass," his voice is calm, measured, like he isn't buried deep inside of her, "Just come in here."

[ilylovelyz]

cherry.

pair : levi x fem!reader

warning(s) : pregnant sex, pregnancy (obviously), fingering, a lil vanilla, breeding, cream-pie, squirting, a lil degradation, humiliation , takes place during the paradis vs. marley/paradis invading marley arc

levi skillfully scribbles his signature on another report before grabbing the corner of the paper to set it in his finished pile of work to work on the next one. he's been working nonstop all day. and the day before that, and the day before that. overall, he's just been working hard lately, but not on purpose.

for some reason, his work pile has doubled and he has no time to breathe and sit back. no time to play with your hair. no time for you at all. i guess it's expected, after all paradis has just recently basically invaded marley so there's much to report on.

he feels frustrated, though. you're currently 6 months pregnant, and the only times he can really see you is when he passes by you in the hallway, at meetings, or at bedtime when you are basically half-asleep, body tired from all the heavy stress the baby puts on you.

not only are you emotional due to all of the pregnancy hormones, but you've also been having to take time off from your duty as a soldier/captain, which hit hard because it made you feel useless. and not only that, you can't even really see levi any of these days. he imagines how miserable you must feel.

suddenly, the door to his office is creaked open, followed by soft pats of feet walking towards him. he turns his head around to look at the intruder, only to be met by the relieving sight of you. he raises his eyebrow in confusion, "...it's really late, aren't you tired? you should go to bed." he urges, a little concerned. you're wearing nothing but a flimsy white nightgown and slippers. you have a light brown cloak draped over your shoulders for comfort. if he looked close enough, he could see the outline of your body underneath. the slippers are a little smaller than your feet, so he assumes they are his. how cute, he thinks.

you don't respond to any of his words. you waddle over to him, and when you finally reach him, you lean down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. "i miss you, i can't go to bed without you lev'." you pout, eyes full yearning and love. he sighs, today he'll let you off for not going to bed on time. "i know. i miss you too." he replies, hand taking yours so he can place a chaste kiss on the back of your hand.

"no.. not in that way.." you whisper out. levi looks up at you once more, eyebrows raised in confusion. why is your face so red? are you sick? should he call a doctor? his eyes widen with surprise when you take his hand in yours, guiding it down underneath your short dress to your core. you place his index and middle finger against your panty clad pussy. he can literally feel your heat, throbbing with want.

oh, he thinks. he just realized the two of you have yet to even have sex in almost a month. "oh.. i'm sorry y/n." he pitifully says, scowling at your discomfort. "can we..?" you mutter, eyes tearing up. "i want it - you. really bad." you sniffle.

he softly smiles at your desperation. without another word, he pushes your cotton panties to the side, index finger finding your clit, rubbing soft circles. you moan out the contact, arm coming to support yourself on his chair. "lev'.." you cry when his middle finger finds your pulsating hole, slowly entering. his fingers continue playing with your pussy, not long afterwords does he slide his ring finger in as well.

he's teasing you. his fingers slowly pump in and out of you, dragging them in so deep but not deep enough like usual to rub against that spot. "levi.." you cry out, "stop teasing me. please, i need you." this is your breaking point, tears finally flowing down your cheeks.

he lets out a tch at your whining before he suddenly pulls out his fingers, ignoring your cries of displeasure. he places his hands on your waist to guide you on his lap. "you're so pitiful." he says, hands undoing his belt and fly so he could pull his cock out. he pumps it lightly before guiding it to your sopping pussy, sighing with relief when his tip pushes in your warm embrace.

your back arches with that. his hands pull your hips into him slowly before you're taking all of him. hip to hip, he connects his lips with yours, hand coming up to support the back of your nape. he supposes that since your pregnant n'all, he'll be nice and do all the work for you. what a gentleman.

he pulls away, letting you limp your silly head into his shoulder as he rocks his hips into yours. his ears listen to the sounds of your lewd cunt slosh with every thrust of his. "you're so wet. i've barely done anything. kinda shameful of you." he teases, free hand coming to grip at your thigh.

he feels your adorable baby bump rub against his stomach as he rocks into you, hand traveling upwards from your thigh to your bump to rub soft circles. he smiles with pride, your bump has gotten bigger. that must mean it's healthy right? healthy and well-grown.

"how are you going to be a good mother when your pregnant and so desperate for cock?" he bluntly said. "can't even go without a month of cock so you have to interrupt my work and beg me to touch you." you whine at his words, shoulders lightly shaking as you sob in pleasure. "no.. i'm a good mommy. just missed you."

he picks up his pace suddenly, thrusting his hard cock into your cunt so deeply he's finally giving in to your whines and hitting that spot. "no, you just missed my cock, like a bitch in heat." he hisses, eyes clenching shut when he feels your pussy pulsate around him. you're so sensitive, you're practically sucking him in.

he grunts when he feels his orgasm near. "bet you wanna be bred again." he taunts, "bet you wanna be bred so well, like a bitch, hm?" he questions. it wasn't much of a question, though. he already knew your answer.

like clockwork, you instantly shake your head, mindlessly babbling words of affirmation and pleas. "yesh- i wanna." you mewl, eyes rolling to the back of your head as your orgasm hits you when he assaults your sensitive spot so roughly. "of course a whore like you would." he spits out. "can't even make a full sentence because of your stupid mommy brain."

suddenly, he's forcing you to take him as deep as possible as he cums deep inside you, burly hands gripping your hips down. you squeal at the sudden fullness, and before you realize it, you're squirting all over his lap. creating a sloppy mess over his thighs and lower abdomen.

he catches his breath, body stilling as you're limp in his arms. "damn brat." he pants, hand coming to rub soothing circles into your sore back. he places a sweet kiss to your shoulder. he'll remember to set up another office rendezvous again.

if you like my work, please leave a like and repost with tags :)

[gayelderstourney]

OLD MAN YAOI BRACKET ROUND 1

Propaganda:

Gerald Robotnik/Black Doom:

Scientist who wants to blow up the world and his evil alien boyfriend

Dude they had a son together and his name is shadow the hedgehog

They created Shadow the hedgehog together. Yes Shadow the hedgehog. This is canon. Theyre also super divorced just trust me on this.their old man yaoi is real

we as a society would not have shadow the hedgehog without their old man yaoi

old man fucks alien so he can bring his daughter back from space safely, gives birth to sad gay hedgehog

you KNOW they fucked

they’re shadow the hedgehogs dads. Like canonically. black doom is an alien god guy and gerald is eggmans grandpa who didn’t love him enough and gave him daddy issues. he also went insane after the government killed his granddaughter (who he loved instead of eggman) and tried to kill humanity :3 these two are like bitter exes to me. they’re both dead. the devil from the bible fucked that old man

Black Doom and Gerald Robotnik are Shadow the Hedgehogs dads. Gerald is a (silly, slightly insane) old scientist and Black Doom is a two thousand year old alien who wants to destroy the Earth. Its not canon but Shadow's gay dads mean everything to me. They kiss and hold hands on the space colony.

IM DOING MY PART!!! GERALDOOM SWEEP BAYBEEEEEEE!!! GO SHADOW’S GAY DADS!

Sheo/The Nailsmith:

It's really nice because you unlock it after the nailsmith asks you to kill him with the pure nail and you refuse and walk away. He then says he was wandering hallownest without purpose until he found sheo who helped him discover that there was more to life than just one calling. These two are probably the only characters in the game to have a genuinely happy ending

The nailsmith loses his purpose in life after finishing his ultimate masterpiece, his lifelong goal, the pure nail. He requests the protagonist to try the nail on him, but If you refuse, he will find sheo who helps him to find new meaning in life and realise that there is more to life by teaching him different crafts. They can then be seen sculping figurines together, and sheo is also painting the nailsmith.They share a common love for art and crafts and inspire each other. Sheo's story is that he was a nailmaster, but got tired of it, and put down his nail to pick up a paintbrush. I think it's beautiful that he could help the nailsmith realise what he himself did. They both also used to live in solitude without even realising how lonely they were, and I think it's cute tuhat they can do art together now :]

They are two bugs retired from their career and making better lives for themselves and they’re gay about it. Nailsmith believes at first that he has nothing left after creating the perfect nail and asks the knight to strike him down, and if you don’t, he meets Sheo, a retired nailmaster finding a new calling in painting and sculpting. They find a shared love in creating things and Nailsmith finds a new calling in art as well. The achievement you get for uniting them is called “Happy Couple”

Gay bugs gay bugs gay bugs (Cw mention of suicide) They both used to pursue their one passion in life: forging the perfect nail (sword) for the Nailsmith and the art of combat for Sheo. Sheo realized he could just leave that life when he lost his passion for fighting, and he found himself a new purpose in life: art. However, he always seemed very lonely, completely isolated by all other bugs in his hidden house in the middle of a thorn jungle. When The Nailsmith achieved his goal and forged the perfect nail, he lost his purpose in life and his will to live. He asks the player to kill him. However, if the player refuses, he can later be found in Sheo's house, modelling for Sheo or sculpting figurines with him. He thanks the player for not fulfilling his request, because he has found a new calling in life here, making art together with Sheo. They both express how happy they are to no longer be alone. This also gives you the "Happy Couple" achievement, confirming that they are a couple.

THEY'RE CANON!!! They're fucking canon!!! You can talk to them at one point after doing a Bunch of Stuff to get them to meet each other and you get an achievement called "Happy Couple"!!! Gotta love old man yuri

[cryptocism]

Since I think about clones like I’m getting paid for it, I've been rotating those alternate universe "what if Bart and Thad were actually raised together" scenarios in my brain, with Thad either post-redemption-arc or pre-villainy. Because adjusting Thad's character to fit an ally role while still keeping true to his core motives and personality is so so fascinating to me.

Like I think there's an immediate first instinct to slot Thad into a "bad" twin category: ie rebellious and prickly, doesn't get along with people, mean lil shit. And obviously it's not wrong bc we're outside the realm of canon, but the reading still feels a little left of center.

Because Thad is mean and prickly in canon. In the Impulse comics he belittles Bart and Bart’s friends/family constantly in his appearances. He loves to goad, and monologue about his own superiority and intelligence. He’s very Not Nice, and he causes many problems, and he even does it on purpose.

But, I think it’s important to consider the context. From the jump Thad knows very little about anything except which team he’s on and who he’s playing for. He gets his orders from an unseen authority and he carries out his tasks because success means his team wins.

For all his self-aggrandizing talk, everything he does is in service of an end goal that doesn't actually center him. He's trying to get revenge for grievances he's never personally suffered, retribution for actions never committed against him. Everything he does is on someone else's behalf.

Thad sees in black and white, us or them. Up until the final few issues of Mercury Falling, Bart and co. are Thad's enemies, of course he's not going to be nice.

So Thad's motivation seems pretty simple: Thawne Supremacy™.

But it’s in Mercury Falling where this starts to fall apart, and the real core of his motivation gets revealed. Thad pretends to be Bart and suddenly Helen is nice to him. Bart’s friends think he’s funny. Bart’s teachers are impressed with his grades. Max ruffles his hair and gives him hugs and tells him he’s done a good job.

If he was actually an inherently mean and standoffish character, if Thad actually had significant personal stake in the Thawne VS Allen conflict, the weight of such tiny acts of kindness wouldn’t completely break him the way that it does in canon.

Thad thinks his goal is superiority and revenge and Thawne Supremacy™, but he's chasing validation. Thad doesn’t have a personal stake in the Thawne VS Allen conflict. He wouldn't get much satisfaction if he actually destroyed Bart and his family. Thad's personal victory would be the recognition after the fact: the praise and attention from the other Thawnes (a group of people he has literally never met) for his success.

He wants validation. That's basically it. And the fact that he gets it so easily from Bart's family and friends doesn't align with how he's told himself things are supposed to work.

Actually tangentially, Bart and Thad’s respective relationships to authority is so diametrically opposed and tbh kind of subversive in a superhero narrative. Where the hero is the one carving his own path without regard to social or societal rules, no fucks to give what anybody thinks of it. And the villain is a chronic people-pleaser.

Just based on Thad’s reaction to simple praise and affection from Max I really think Thad’s motivation has more to do with the response he gets than whatever the details are of any given task. He has no actual personal convictions beyond getting positive attention, and whatever he did have crumbled as soon as Bart’s friends laughed at his joke one time. Which of course leads into the core of his whole conflict at the end of Mercury Falling. He cares too much about Bart’s friends and family now, he doesn’t want to kill them, but worse than that, he’s faced with the sudden realization that he’s on the wrong side.

The Allens gave Thad everything he actually wanted and needed, but his conception of himself is inexorably tied to the Thawnes: who gave him jack shit. These two facts are in opposition to each other, and he can’t reconcile the reality of it.

Anyway all this to say, in an AU where Bart and Thad are raised together or Thad gets an actual redemption arc etc etc, I think my personal take on Thad’s personality whether it be pre-or-post-villainy would be one that is extremely socially conscious. He is much more of a people-person than Bart. Whether he's actually accurate in assessing people's feelings and how to respond to them can be hit or miss, but he wants to behave in a way that gets people to like him.

Pretending to be Bart isn’t remarked upon as, like, a difficult task for Thad. In his internal monologue he’s literally bragging to himself about how easy it is. But what’s especially notable to me is where his act differs from Bart's typical MO. Everyone notices, and lots of people comment, and presumably if Thad didn’t have the excuse of Max’s illness to “motivate” Bart to do better he would’ve been found out immediately. And those things are, specifically: paying attention in class, doing his chores, staying on task, and being helpful around the house. The one thing about Bart he chooses not to emulate is Bart’s rebelliousness.

Thad wants to prove himself, constantly, to whatever authority he respects (probably Max in this scenario) and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. In contrast to Bart, who only listens to authority when the shit they're saying actually makes sense to him. It’s excessively difficult to convince him to go against his own interests. (And I think a key part of that is Bart’s security in knowing that no matter how much he fucks up or doesn’t listen, the people he loves will always love him back.)

Thad’s got the people-pleaser in him that has to deserve whatever he’s given. It’s why he’s happiest when he’s given a clear goal or objective to complete, because it gives him an opening to prove himself.

All this to say that if we are quantifying Bart and Thad as a "good" or "bad" twin, in the eyes of every authority: Bart is the bad twin. Bart is the bad twin, Bart is the bad twin. Bart is the one who doesn’t care about school and whose grades vary wildly depending on his personal interest. He’s the one who goes off to do dangerous shit for fun and gets in trouble constantly and doesn’t do his chores and is thoroughly unconvinced by any authority figure trying to sell him bullshit. 

Thad is the one who needs to know all the rules just so he can experience the joy of following them. Relentlessly obedient. He'll put all his effort into doing all the right things that’ll endear him to whoever he wants to impress - meaning he’s the asshole who reminds the teacher about the assigned homework. Bart might be the most popular boy in school, but Thad is a pleasure to have in class.

Like Thad can (and should) still be high-strung and short-tempered and sarcastic and edgy and mean, because he is. But he can’t be doing all that without rhyme or reason. Colouring every interaction has to be that one-zero binary of ally or enemy. He needs to have somebody he’s proving himself to: a team he’s on and a team he’s against. He’s not an inherently rebellious character. He can go up against The Enemy, whoever he deems as such, but it has to be in service of a hypothetical future in which somebody eventually tells him he did a great job.

And in the interest of continuing to beat a dead horse, it connects to their respective upbringings. Thad and Bart were both raised in VR, but Bart’s experience had the side effect of basically hard-wiring him against insecurity. His world was a playground tailor-made for him, and he was never made to feel bad or insufficient about any aspect of himself. His first interaction with a real human person was Iris moving heaven and earth to save him, without him knowing her, without her knowing him, with no reasoning for the act needed beyond Being Her Grandson. Which is probably a significant factor in why Bart moves through the world with frankly atomic levels of autistic swag.

Thad’s VR upbringing installed self-consciousness in his psyche before any other personality trait. As in: he is immediately made conscious of himself and his relationship with everyone he will ever encounter. He’s told two things: he’s a clone of someone else (inherently derivative, lesser) and that he was made to be superior (a status to achieve). Which is such an instant clarifier for Thad’s everything. Where superiority is a condition that everyone either has, or does not. It’s the one-zero binary again: are they better than me or am I better than them. Being above others is mandatory, and if his superiority is ever challenged by hard evidence or god forbid nuance Thad’s brain physically cannot take it. He needs to be better, to be worse is unthinkable, and there is no other way to be.

And this status of better or worse is, crucially, not up to Thad to decide. He needs The Authority to validate him. Bart never tries to prove himself because he has nothing to prove. Thad’s entire identity hinges on the self-worth he gets from doing a Good Job.

It is such an inherent part of his motives in the Impulse comics canon, which is why it always feels a little off when he’s interpreted as a jackass indiscriminately.

Like I don't think he needs everyone to like him. But I do think he has either one person or a set of very particular people that he needs to like him. Everyone else is either in that circle or outside of it.

(Which is why Bart is such a great foil for Thad tbh. There is no set of words or behaviors that’ll change Bart’s opinion of Thad, because Bart is unaffected by obedience or charm. So ironically Bart is probably one of few people that Thad doesn’t bother to put on even a little bit of an act for.)

While Bart goes with his instincts, his personal beliefs and convictions at all times, Thad is hyper-conscious of big-picture goals. They balance each other out that way. Thad's keeping track of whatever expectations he has placed on him, and how his actions reflect on him and the team beyond short-sighted solutions. He's a team player. AND he's an asshole.

[thejolteonmastertj]

I cannot gush enough about how Echoes Of Wisdom handles Zelda as a character & the ending is no exception.

Like, yea? There was a moment of apprehension at no longer being able to use her sword form at the end of the game… but I now realize it had to happen.

Finishing the game without sword-form drove home how Zelda’s own skills are more than enough to carry the both of them. Her & Link. Bind in-particular turns out to be essential for the final puzzle & final boss.

We’ve seen plenty of action shows with subplots where the support side-character is proven to be essential for the team or main action hero’s success, sure. But this time we’re proving that we are the main character. We are carrying Link (sometimes literally 😂) & for all intents & purposes, he is the support. EOW flips not just the script but the perspective on the whole caster vs melee-dps dynamic & I love that!

Btw it’s extra fun if you have the shoulder guards equipped & can shove enemies into either Link’s or one of your echo’s blade. Very challenging but possible! (Ngl if Zel actually had a melee button there’d be too many parallel processes to keep track of for the late-game in-particular. 😅)

[gaslightgatekeepgirlbosscombat]

Group H, Round 1, Poll 9:

Propaganda under the cut

Ianthe Tridentarius

She is trying so hard to be the main character by lying and manipulating her sister, her cavalier, her mentor, her ?love interests? (Spoiler???) And also god. Not sure how it's working out for her but she does love to lie and manipulate

Worstie Ianthe is the DEFINITION of gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss. She is one of a set of necromancer twins that are the heirs to their houses rule. Except wait, only she is a necromancer and she has spent their entire lives doing necromancy for the both of them. She is constantly mean to their cavalier, Naberius, who she occasionally nibbles on like a chew toy, before eventually killing and eating him to ascend to sainthood. She goes to gods spaceship with another woman who ascended to sainthood who she has a crush on, this other woman is like…. Both incredibly mentally unwell and also haunted by at least 211 ghosts. Ianthes method of flirting with her? Gaslighting her about the corpse that keeps moving around and hiding under her bed. For no real reason tbh. She is clearly plotting to overthrow god, and at the moment that consists of her manipulating him while he’s too sad about his long term partners betraying him and subsequently exploding to really care. She dresses in terrible outfits and makes soup by burning onions to the bottom of a pot, putting meat in and some vegetables and then it doesn’t taste like anything so she puts in a few teaspoons of salt so it tastes like a few teaspoons of salt. She had her crush amputate her arm and regrow her a new one out of bone and it’s one of the horniest things I’ve read in my life.

"Gaslight = told her lobotomized (she helped), schizophrenic girlobsession that there was no corpse under their bed, even tho there totally was. Gatekeep = girl did NOT share the secret to god-like ascension. She kept that shit to herself until it was time to eat her boytoy, and by then everyone knew already. Girlboss = she has a non-necromancer twin sister, and literally Everyone thinks they r both necromancers because Ianthe is so good at it. She reverse engineered ascending to the aforementioned ascension without even completing any of the supplementary tasks. She held her own in a fight against a 10k year old lyctor. She becomes the figurehead of her entire empire. "

She uses a man as a chewtoy in the first book, literally gaslights the protagonist of the second book about a corpse, and elder-abuses God when he gets depressed in the third book. Nobody is doing it like her.

Dives headfirst with no regrets while basically laughing and covered in blood into murdering her cavalier once she realizes what the gothic locked room mystery/competition leads to while everyone else is questioning it, helps perform lobotomy on harrow so she doesn't remember the person she loves, manipulates everyone to get to the top

idk just everything about her

her relationship with her sister is incredibly Bad, she fosters codependency and views Corona(the sister) as an extension of herself. This does not stop her from keeping up the con that Corona actually has magic (She doesn't, it was always just Ianthe) for 22ish years and every single person who interacts with them falls for it. She killed a man against his will (most dying for this purpose specifically go willingly) and she consumed him and she will be burning his soul for eternity. She's completely repulsive and still somehow incredibly hot.

she takes advantage of the fact that the main character is prone to hallucinations. at one point she gaslights the mc into believing that the corpse under her bed isn't real just because she can. she reverse engineered a set of very complex trials on her own without anyone realizing she had the skills to complete them normally. she's also babysat god through his drunk and pathetic era.

Artist:@starcanist

Remy the Rat

Gaslight- 'hmm? Me? Steal papers? I'm just an innocent little ratty rat.' Gatekeep- I would debate he's gatekeeping food and taste from the other rats because they just don't GET it. Ugh! Girlboss- doesn't he own a rat restaurant at the end?

[mirai-e-jump]

King-Ohger VS Donbrothers VS Kyoryuger Movie Pamphlet ft. Main Cast & Staff Interviews (translations below, LONG POST)

Publication: April 26, 2024

🛑 This contains spoilers for both films.

"Gold End!" INTRODUCTION: Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger and Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. Two Super Sentai that probably shouldn't have met have finally met. And of all places, it's in the Land of Death, Hakabaka. Even in death, they continue to fight. Is that the fate of Super Sentai? No, there's only one place for heroes to go!

Ohsama Sentai VS Avataro Sentai (Mysterious Group of Lame Cosplayers VS Mysterious Group of Cringe Weirdos)

STORY: For one reason or another, they're all dead. A confrontation begins without either side knowing who the other is. Is there an end to this battle? No, why did such a battle begin in the first place? Eventually, they'll reach the one profound truth…..!

"Royal Arms!" An alliance formed by the kings to transcend borders, eliminate interests, and defeat the enemies of Chikyu as one. Their alias is derived from the guardian god "King-Ohger".

Gira Husty (Sakai Taisei): The king of Shugoddam, the largest country in Chikyu, and the one where the guardian god resides. He arms himself with the KuwagataOhger royal armor. He grew up in an orphanage in Shugoddam's castle town, but it later turned out that he was the younger brother of the (then) king, Racules. However, his true identity is a life form created by the Uchu King Dagded. His ability to communicate with the Shugods and his immortal body were inherited from Dagded.

Yanma Gast (Watanabe Aoto): The king of N'kosopa, the country of technology. He arms himself with the TomboOhger royal armor. N'kosopa's national power, which was once a satellite state of Shugoddam, has been greatly enhanced by technological innovations. Although he himself is a top class engineer, he was originally born in a slum and is considered an "upstart" He's got a bad mouth and says "octomush" and "slack jawed tanuki" on a daily basis.

Hymeno Ran (Murakami Erica): The queen of Ishabana, the country of fine art and medicine. Having lost her parents in the "Wrath of God," she became king at a young age. She arms herself with the KamakiriOhger royal armor. She loves beautiful and cute things, and will always get what she likes by any means necessary. However, on the other hand, she's also a passionate doctor who has no hesitation in "saving someone's life."

Rita Kaniska (Hirakawa Yuzuki): The king of Gokkan, the country of ice and snow. They also serve as the Chief Judge of the International Court of Justice, which protects the neutrality of the world. Because of their position, not only do they always keep their facial expressions hidden, they rarely show emotion, but when they're at a loss, they sometimes makes strange noises. They're of few words, and never speak in public about anything unnecessary. The only thing they can make an exception for is their plushie of the animated character "Moffun." They arm themself with the PapillonOhger royal armor.

Kaguragi Dybowski (Kaku So): The lord of Toufu, the country of agriculture. He arms himself with the HachiOhger royal armor. He's always humble and polite in tone, but the theatrics of his words and actions tend to stick out, so he's what you'd call a "trickster." He's "two faced" and will lie with ease in order to achieve his goals, but he's also willing to take the initiative to sweat and dirty his hands by "tainting them pitch black" in order to protect the lives of his people.

Jeramie Brasieri (Ikeda Masashi): A man born between his father, the sixth hero that saved mankind 2,000 years ago, and his mother Nephila, a Bugnarak. His real name is Jeramie Idmonarak Ne Brasieri. He arms himself with the Spider Kumonos royal armor. As a "storyteller," he has long passed down the history of Chikyu, but finally realized his purpose when he showed up to stop the war between humans and Bugnarak.

GolDon KuwagataOhger: KuwagataOhger's powered up appearance when wearing the "DonOhger Crown"

"Avatar Change!" Earth's heroes who fight against Hitotsuki to protect people. The six members are Momoi Tarou, his four companions, and Momotani Jiro, known as "the person that replaced Tarou," and were later joined by Sonoi, Sononi and Sonoza, who were exiled by the Noto. Today, not including Sonoi, the group has eight members.

Momoi Tarou (Higuchi Kouhei): He's a descendant of the Don royal family and the leader of Donbrothers. He avatar changes into DonMomotaro. He usually works for the "White Rabbit Delivery Service." He has a condition where he dies if he tells a lie. When he went to deliver a package in Chikyu's Shugoddam, he remembered "Gii-chan the rhino beetle," his childhood friend……

Saruhara Shinichi (Beppu Yuuki): An unemployed man of "refined tastes" whose pastime is writing haiku. He avatar changes into SaruBrother.

Kitou Haruka (Shida Kohaku): She's a successful manga artist. Her best known work is "Avataro Sentai Donbrothers," which depicts her own battle days. She's still working on her creative work in collaboration with her strict editor, Sonoza. She avatar changes into OniSister.

Inuzuka Tsubasa (Totaro): A young man who continues to live an eternal life on the run with Sononi. He avatar changes into InuBrother.

Kijino Tsuyoshi (Suzuki Hirofumi): A young man who avatar changes into KijiBrother. He's a salary man who works for "Pheasant Consultant." He lives together with Natsumi, Tsubasa's ex girlfriend.

Momotani Jiro (Ishikawa Raizou): A young man who for a short period of time was the leader of Donbrothers as "the person that replaced Tarou." After Tarou finished resting, he returned to his former position. He avatar changes into DonDoragoku and DonTorabolt.

GolDon MomotaroOhger: Don Momotaro's powered up appearance when wearing the "DonOhger Crown"

Sononi (Miyazaki Amisa): A female Noto who continues to live an eternal life on the run with Inuzuka Tsubasa. She's also a member of Donbrothers. Her weapon of choice is the double bow Condor Arrow.

Sonoza (Takahashi Shinnosuke): A male Noto who was so moved by Haruka's manga, that he decided to make it his life's work to train her to become a top manga artist. He's also a member of Donbrothers. Haruka respectfully calls him "Chief Editor." His weapon of choice is the three blade Kage Spear.

Sonoi (Tominaga Yuya): In the Land of Death, Hakabaka, a young Noto opened an oden stand. It appears that he and Tarou haven't seen each other in a long time.

Gii-chan: Gii-chan was a rhino beetle that Tarou kept when he was a child and was his only friend. Even now, Tarou longs to see Gii-chan again.

(bottom left): "Inudouga" are wanted criminals in Chikyu who look exactly like Tsubasa and Sononi. It seems that "Tuvasa" and "Sonosono Ninnin" exist, so the two decide to continue running away.

Ono Minoru (Sakakibara Takashi): He's a middle aged man who has frequently been turned into a Hitotsuki, such as Shurikenki, Mahouki and GoGoki. He calls himself Momoi Tarou's sworn enemy, and has fought the Donbrothers multiple times as the Ohsamaki, but this time, he becomes the Ohsamaki again while facing the two Super Sentai.

Ohsamaki: Ono Minoru, the ninja oji-san, is reincarnated in another world due to the shock of being hit by a truck and becomes the strongest Hitotsuki. He went on a rampage in Ishabana, sending Hymeno and Rita, Haruka, and Sonosa to the Land of Death, Hakabaka. He's defeated by the special attack of GolDon KuwagataOhger and GolDon MomotaroOhger.

Zenkaizer Black (voice: Komagine Kiita): Goshikida Kaito, the master of Cafe Donbura, transforms into this form with the Zenkaizer Gear and Geartlinger. He suddenly appears in the Land of Death, Hakabaka.

DonOhger Crown: The DonOhger Crown is what Goshikida Kaito had sent to Gira in Chikyu.

Douga (Morioka Yutaka): Gira's retainer. He has a serious personality. He kicks out Momoi Tarou, who had suddenly appeared in the throne room to deliver a package.

Kuroda (voice: Toriumi Kosuke): Kaguragi's retainer. He's generally quiet, but when he speaks, he has a smooth voice. When Kaguragi and Jiro decided to have a sumo match, he was suddenly put in charge of officiating it.

Boone (Kiso Minato): A young boy who lived with Gira and Kogane in an orphanage in Shugoddam's Castle Town. He loves Gira. He's confused when Momoi Tarou, a deliveryman he's never met before, suddenly talks to him.

Goroge (Kotaro Yagi): An actor from Shugoddam. He was selected to play the role of Panpy, a cryptid hunter who's good friends with Moffun in the live action version of "Together with Moffun."

Shugoddam Knight/Asada Keisuke (Takada Masashi): A strong looking knight who chases after Inuzuka and Sononi, mistaking them for wanted criminals from Shugoddum. His appearance closely resembles that of Asada, the police officer who's been chasing the pair in their original world (Earth).

Racules Husty (Yano Masato): Former king of Shugoddam. Currently a criminal, he's serving his sentence in Gokkan's prison.

Suzume Dybowski (Kamura Mami): Wife of Racules. She's devoted to her incarcerated husband.

(middle right): The kibidango Gira was eating. Who would've thought that this would be what lead to such events……

Sakai Taisei (Gira)

-The Script's Been Sealed Away?!-

"King-Ohger and Donbrothers, Super Sentai who are, in a sense, two extremes, will be working together….."

Sakai: In a good way, Donbrothers is an unconventional show….this time, they'll be fusing with the world of King-Ohger, so I was sure it would be a big deal (laughs). I received the script just as we were filming the final chapter (episodes 48-50) of the TV series. So, at that point, I dared not to open the script (laughs). I wanted to read it, but I felt like I needed to focus on the final chapter at that time. As a result, I feel like I made the right decision not to read it after all (laughs).

"Suddenly, we start with the shocking scene of Gira."

Sakai: I had confidence in this scene (laughs). I realized that I could intentionally make my eyes bloodshot. It's a rare situation to have a kibidango stuck in your throat, so I decided to go all out. I think I was able to give a convincing performance.

"Momoi Tarou puts his hand into Gira's mouth and tries to take out the kibidango….."

Sakai: I had become good friends with Higuchi-kun before we shot the scene, and yet, it was still awkward. I also feel like I should apologize (laughs).

-Hakabaka's oden stand-

"Did you feel any discomfort in having the people from Donbrothers appear in the world of King-Ohger?"

Sakai: That didn't happen! Looking back, working with Nakamura Shido's Reiniol and Sakura Ayane's Devonica in "Adventure Heaven" left a strong impression on me. I feel that being able to work together with everyone in Donbrothers this time was an extension of that.

"As mentioned earlier, Gira has many scenes with Tarou."

Sakai: Higuchi-kun is very friendly, he eagerly attached himself to me right from the start, which was a big help for me as a shy person. In addition to the kibidango part, there's a scene where the two of us visit an oden stand….

"There's a familiar situation in Donbrothers."

Sakai: To begin with, it's an unlikely scene to have happen in King-Ohger (laughs). On set, there was a food stand set up in the middle of the full green screen. It was fun and unusual to act as Gira in a realistic setting like a food stand. This time, the other kings will also meet and interact with the members of Donbrothers, but there are many scenes that I haven't seen yet, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the completed film.

"Please tell us your thoughts after filming ended."

Sakai: Watching everyone in Donbrothers, I felt the depth of the bonds between them. We're a close team, but there were moments when I felt that the Donbrothers were more than just friends……they were more like family. I hope that we in King-Ohger can continue to have a good relationship like that for a long time to come.

Watanabe Aoto (Yanma)

-The Blue Warriors, Yanma and Saruhara-

"How was the experience of King-Ohger working together with Donbrothers?"

Watanabe: The Super Sentai series airs every year with different "tastes," but I felt that these two shows had a particularly large gap between them. That's why I was personally looking forward to seeing how we'd interact. What stuck out to me was that Director Kato seemed to be having alot of fun directing the film. I got the feeling that Donbrothers must've been a production that the Director was very attached to.

"Watanabe-san has been long time friends with Beppu Yuuki-san, who plays Saruhara Shinichi."

Watanabe: That's right. That's why I watched Donbrothers and was familiar with Saruhara, the character he plays. In my opinion, there's not that much of a difference between Beppu Yuuki and Saruhara. I think he's a perfect fit for the role. However, when we actually performed together this time, he acted alittle differently than I had expected. It's possible he intentionally betrayed me because I was his partner (laughs). Even with that in mind, it was fun working together. I wasn't screwing around or anything, but I felt like filming ended while I was still basking in the joy of being able to work together like this.

"What were your impressions of the Donbrothers team?"

Watanabe: They seemed like alot of fun. Their close friendships came naturally to me. For this production, they got together for the first time in awhile, so the impression I had of them is that they mess around all the time (laughs). However, since filming for King-Ohger is basically done with a green screen, everyone was at abit of a loss. If you think about it, I guess you could say that we're special (laughs). We didn't go on location that often. The King-Ohger cast is used to this kind of filming method, which is why they were surprised by it.

-The Greatest Highlight-

"Did you discover anything new through the filming?"

Watanabe: I usually wear a protector under my costume during action scenes to protect myself from injury, but Hirofumi-san, who plays Kijino, was rolling around in a flashy way during the rehearsal stage without any protection, possibly because he was wearing a (business) suit. I was surprised by that. It's not that he forgot about it or anything, but in his own way, he seemed to be perfectly fine with it.

"What scene in VS Donbrothers do you us to pay special attention to?"

Watanabe: In the very beginning, Gira chokes on a kibidango. Our lead actor's ridiculous expressions are shown close up on the big screen at the movie theater (laughs). And, it's pretty amazing. Something like that I guess you can't air on Sunday mornings. Sakai Taisei's passionate performance is, in my opinion, the best part of the film, even in "VS Kyoryuger." So, you especially can't miss that part (laughs).

Murakami Erica (Hymeno)

-Free Avataro-

"What were your impressions of everyone in the Donbrothers cast?"

Murakami: There's alot of interesting people, and there was constant laughter on set. When the cameras weren't rolling, I felt like I was in a never ending state of comedy (laughs). However, what I found amazing was that even in the short takes, their dialogue kept popping out in an improvised style. I'd immediately think, "If I were XX, I'd say something like this." Since we play the role of kings, the only time we were asked to adlib was when the kings are talking to each other, but when the time came, it was difficult to come up with the right idea. Even though they had been away from their roles for awhile, everyone in Donbrothers was very responsive. I felt that each one of them had completely made the role their own, which is why they were able to come up with so many ideas so freely.

"How about the scene where the two teams are facing off?"

Murakami: It was a strange sensation to see another group of heroes transform right in front of our eyes. When the Kyoryuger members appeared in the TV series, their transformations were separate. That's why it felt so fresh to me. It's a situation typical of a "VS" productions, and I think that's definitely the highlight of the film.

-What Hymeno Taught Me-

"Hymeno and Rita meet Haruka and Sonoza in Ishabana."

Murakami: What left an impression on me in that scene was Kohaku-chan's facial expressions. In any case, she's very amusing. She has alot of "patterns," even when it comes to strange faces. I really respect her. If it were me, I'd run out of material immediately.

"Towards the end, we thought that Gira would be saved by some kind of medical treatment, but it was interesting to see that Hymeno also had to rely on Boone's small hands."

Murakami: The scene in the beginning where Gira dies was surprising. I wondered if it was okay to show such a close up of the main hero's expression on screen (laughs). However, thanks to Gira's efforts, I think we were able to leave an impact that was as strong as Haruka's strange faces. During filming for the ending, Boone-chan (Kiso Minato) was also working hard with all his might.

"By the way, Hymeno's unwavering belief in the production of "Together with Moffun" is revealed in a line in the film."

Murakami: It's typical of Hymeno. What Hymeno calls "selfish" is not necessarily "self serving," but it always comes with "responsibility." I myself have learned alot from Hymeno over the past year. I can say "I like" to what I like, and "it's good" to what I think is good. I think it's important to live with strong values, and I'd be happy if the children who watched the TV series aspire to "be like Hymeno."

Hirakawa Yuzuki (Rita)

-Tears in Their Right Eye-

"What were your thoughts when you read the script?"

Hirakawa: I wondered how the characters from King-Ohger and Donbrother, who have different worldviews, would work together, and was surprised to see the word "Hakabaka" written in the script from the very beginning. Furthermore, it was also a shock to find out that we were all really dead! Then, I began to wonder why we died, but starting off with Gira's kibidango caused me to think, "Eh? Are you serious?" (laughs). So, it really felt like a spinoff.

"From the first day of filming, the main characters of the two shows were gathered in a scene."

Hirakawa: It was refreshing to see people dressed as normal humans in the world of King-Ohger. As for Raizou-kun's Jiro, I think he's just about as close to being from our world as you can get (laughs).

"What was it like being on set with everyone from the Donbrothers cast?"

Hirakawa: Since I had seen their show, it didn't feel like it was our first time working together. We had a fun time. The eight of them are a lively group, and everyone was cheerful and powerful. Not only are their roles distinctive, but the individuality of the cast also stands out in their own ways.

"There's a scene in the film where you and Hymeno are together watching a live action version of "Together with Moffun." Goroge plays the role of Panpy."

Hirakawa: The script for that scene said, "Rita cries uncontrollably," and just like that, tears really started flowing uncontrollably. However, tears only came out of my right eye, which is hidden…it was frustrating.

"Then, a woman (Haruka) who claims to be a "manga artist" and her Chief Editor (Sonoza) appear out of nowhere, and a discussion begins about how entertainment productions for children should be produced……"

Hirakawa: Because Kohaku-chan, who plays Haruka, was smaller than I expected, and since Rita wears heels, the scene where the two of them argue with each other gives off the impression of Rita putting pressure on her from above. Even still, Kohaku-chan wasn't intimidated by this and came at me as Haruka, which I think made the scene even more interesting. And, speaking of Haruka, her facial expressions have alot of variety. I thought they were already at the level of fine art.

-Playing Rita-

"We felt that Rita and Hymeno, and Haruka and Sonoza, all had a point, but that none of them had the correct answer."

Hirakawa: My friend's nephew is just an older kindergarten student, but I was very surprised that he understood more about the show than I could've imagined. He can also explain the Shugod's abilities in perfect words. Of course, there are differences among individuals, but it made me happy to know that he was that enthusiastic about the show. I hope that these children will revisit King-Ohger in a few years from now. I'm sure that they'll be able to understand it even more deeply. It'd make me happy if people could love King-Ohger like that for a long time.

Kaku So (Kaguragi)

-Creating Synergy-

"We were wondering how King-Ohger and Donbrothers would come together……"

Kaku: First, Takamina-sensei's book (script) was very interesting. In the film, it felt like the Donbrothers were entering the world of King-Ohger, but in terms of content, it was more like we were entering the world of Donbrothers. I think that Takamina-sensei himself also respects the work of Donbrothers and tried to draw from it. After reading the script, I was impressed by how well he utilized the qualities of both works. I feel that this created alot more synergy than I had anticipated. Things that would never happen in the world of King-Ohger are allowed in this time in VS Donbrothers (laughs).

"Kings who were so powerful died easily one after another, even just by simply tripping over a stone……"

Kaku: That area is completely in the world of Donbrothers. For our part, we hoped to have fun performing it.

"As is typical of VS films, there are interactions with individual members, but in the case of Kaguragi, it's more of a "muscle showdown" with Momotani Jiro (laughs)."

Kaku: Since I've played a sumo wrestler in other productions, I basically didn't take off my clothes for King-Ohger (laughs), but for some reason, in both "VS Donbrothers" and "VS Kyoryuger," there are scenes where Kaguragi sumo wrestles. I guess they thought it was something I had in common with Raizo-kun, but the connection to muscles was interesting. Raizo-kun and I talked about muscle training all the time between filming (laughs). He's also a model, so he's forced to limit his training because if he builds up his muscles beyond a certain point, it'll interfere with his work. I thought that was alittle saddening.

-Lovely Team-

"What was your impression of the Donbrothers team?"

Kaku: At first, I was overwhelmed by the number of eight people. I was alittle bit caught up in the atmosphere, so I had to tell myself, "Don't give in" (laughs). In the film, we eventually join forces, but in my mind, it's a "VS" in a good way. "Avatar Change!" is also cool. The situation in which everyone transforms at the same time wasn't in King-Ohger, so I felt it had a Super Sentai feel to it.

"6 and 8 becomes 14 people. What was memorable about the scene where everyone gathered?"

Kaku: The impression I got from everyone in Donbrothers is that they're lively and eager to make others laugh (laughs). A big reason might be the fact that two of them are from the Kansai region. I think it's Suzuki-san and Kouhei-kun. In any case, I remember that it was a fun to film. It's a good contrast to the other film, VS Kyoryuger, but I think they're both interesting and special works in their own right!

Ikeda Masashi (Jeramie)

-Phantom Desnarak VIII-

"What were your impressions of everyone in Donbrothers?"

Ikeda: They're very lively (laughs). I think it's been about a year since they had all been together for a film shoot like this, so perhaps their happiness was pouring out. They're all interesting people. I remember laughing all the way through filming on the day both teams came together. However, when they get serious, they're still cool. Even during "Avatar Change!," they were perfectly assembled. I was impressed by the Donbrothers transformation, as there were few opportunities for "same time transformations" in King-Ohger.

"Shida Kohaku-san, who plays Kitou Haruka, is from the same agency as you."

Ikeda: That's right. Furthermore, Haruka was the "storyteller" in Donbrothers, and in King-Ohger was Jeramie, so at the beginning, we both explain the situation. When I say explain, it's just, "Everyone's dead" (laughs). However, it was very emotional. I didn't expect it to start with two narratives. Kohaku-san was the first one to record.

"Did you know each other before?"

Ikeda: We did. And, in fact, Kohaku-san also participated in my audition for Jeramie.

"As a partner in the show?"

Ikeda: At first, for the video judging, I shot a video in which I played a scene from the show, and at that time, the voice of Desnarak VIII was done by Kohaku-san.

-Phantom "VS" Match?!-

"What were your thoughts after filming for VS Donbrothers ended?"

Ikeda: I think we, the Royal Sentai, are a team with strong personalities, but I got the impression that we've been drawn in by the Donbrothers personalities. Although the story takes place in Hakabaka of King-Ohger, I think that the content of the film has alot of the fun of Donbrothers. For us, it was a fresh new experience.

"Do you have any stories from filming?"

Ikeda: There's a scene where the King-Ohgers and Donbrothers face each other and transform. When we were doing test shots for that scene, when one team was shown, the other team's faces weren't shown, so we were both making funny faces and trying to make the other laugh. When I think about it, it was abit like a "VS" too.

"And then you'd get a NG or something, right?"

Ikeda: No, of course we didn't do it during the real take, only during the tests. However, I feel that a sense of camaraderie was created through exchanges like that. The shoot itself went by very quickly, but it was a great memory. The King-Ohgers and Donbrothers are two completely different Sentai with different vibes, but I hope everyone will enjoy the mysterious "flavor" created by their collaboration.

Higuchi Kouhei (Tarou)

-The Return of Momoi Tarou-

"What were your thoughts on the collaboration between King-Ohger and Donbrothers?"

Higuchi: Donbrothers and King-Ohger……more specifically, I believe that since "Zenkaiger" before us, the Super Sentai series has continued to experiment with new ideas. The character I play, Momoi Tarou, is a very unconventional protagonist. I was very excited to be filming with Gira, the main character in King-Ohger, who took over the baton from me. Personally, I don't know how much I was able to accomplish in the year of Donbrothers because it happened so fast. Sometimes, I think I could have done more. In any case, I had a strong desire to pass on the baton I got from Zenkaiger to the next. By playing Tarou for the first time in a year, I wanted to show the staff that I had grown, even if only alittle. It's been a long time since I last worked on set, and I was very happy to be able to feel the passion of all the cast members of King-Ohger, and was very inspired by them.

"Was it difficult for you to go back to being Tarou?"

Higuchi: No, not at all. I became Tarou right away just by talking to everyone when I entered the set. To be honest, there were some parts of this story that I didn't understand, such as when Tarou suddenly goes to deliver a package to Gira, but I thought that's what Donbrothers is all about (laughs), so I was able to play the role without feeling particularly confused.

"There's a part with Gii-chan the rhino beetle."

Higuchi: He may be an important part of Tarou's story, but it was abit surprising that it suddenly became a feature here. But, I guess you could say that this is also typical of Donbrothers. I thought this was foreshadowing, but it turns out it's not, on the other hand, things like "what is this!?" lead to connections later on (laughs).

-Reunited with Sonoi-

"What did you find "distant" about King-Ohger and Donbrothers?"

Higuchi: Roughly speaking, it's "Western (foreign)" VS "Japanese." King-Ohger has a western vibe, while we've got Momotaro, oni, inu, saru, and kiji……is how it seems. They're completely different, but I thought the best parts of both were shown in this film. What impressed me at the set was the way filming was conducted. It takes imagination to perform on a green screen. I thought it was amazing that they've been doing this for the past year. We were also filming on location, so we were often helped by the atmosphere on set.

"There's also a "reunion" with Sonoi"

Higuchi: The combination of Tarou and Sonoi have played a number of strong scenes together, so I was happy to be able to work with him again. However, filming for it went by so quickly (laughs). Whenever we filmed at an oden stand, we all enjoyed oden together afterwards, which seems to be unusual for King-Ohger, as Gira's Taisei-kun was surprised by it.

"Please tell us your ambitions for the future."

Higuchi: After filming finished, I thought that this is a set I'd like to return to someday. In order to achieve this goal, I must continue to work hard and do my best to make all the staff members who helped me grow my career want to "see me again."

Beppu Yuuki (Saruhara)

-Tightening power-

"What were your thoughts after filming for King-Ohger VS Donbrothers ended?"

Beppu: Director Kato, who's worked on both shows and is well versed in the appeal and point of view of each, was able to shoot the film, so we were able to participate without any worries. As for Saruhara Shinichi, who I played for the first time in awhile, I don't think he's "exactly the same" as he was back then. I've played other roles in the past six months or so, and I'm sure I've changed without knowing it. So, I rewatched some footage before we started filming. I couldn't immediately remember how Shinichi stands or how he said his lines. It was a strange thing though, as I remembered how to do things like move my hands. After all, it's just "tightening." Costumes are very powerful, and it helped me alot.

"What do you think of the filming techniques used in King-Ohger?"

Beppu: We also had experience performing in front of a green screen in Donbrothers. There's the scenes where we'd go to meet Momoi Jin, played by Wada Sohkoh-san. However, while I got used to it as we went along, in the case of King-Ohger, it was everywhere. It was difficult and confusing, but I did learn alot. There may be more productions using this method in the future, so I'm glad to have had this experience. With the exception of the first scene, I also appreciated the fact that there were no cold locations. The casts of both Donbrothers VS Zenkaiger met last year on the day of a big cold wave. Speaking of Donbrothers, Jiro, Sononi, and Shinichi are in the "lightly dressed" group (laughs), so I was wondering what to do if that happened again this time…..we were saved.

-Saru and Tombo-

"You're friends with Watanabe Aoto-san, who plays Yanma Gast, right?"

Beppu: A long time ago, we used to work at the same place part time, and would hang out in our private time. I thought it was an amazing coincidence that we both consecutively became the Blue members in Super Sentai. Aoto is a manly guy who values honor and taking care of people, so I thought that Yanma was a perfect role for him, and I was happy that he was chosen for this show. We occasionally met during filming of King-Ohger, when suddenly, he had blonde hair. I was shocked. I was worried about what was going on…….that maybe he'd stop showing up. Then, the story entered its second chapter, and that was the reason for his changed image (laughs). Of course, I wasn't told that because it would be a spoiler……but I was still relieved when I found out the reason.

"The feeling this time is that the Donbrothers are giving off the vibe that they can appear anytime and anywhere."

Beppu: I have a feeling……we'll be back again someday. Sonoi made an appearance this time, but I'm glad that they didn't try to bring him back to life so easily. It's possible Scriptwriter Takano-san, who wrote the script, thought that if it was going to be written, Inoue-san should do it. This is all just my guess though. However, the reunion of the nine Donbrothers could still be in development. Some fans may have wished that Sonoi came back to life, but I think it would be better if they thought, "I'm looking forward to watching a sequel." Going forward, I'd be happy if you could remember Donbrothers from time to time, since there's still room for our imaginations to grow.

Shida Kohaku (Haruka)

-Thoughts on "Haruka"-

"What was your impression of the King-Ohger team?"

Shida: They're cool, aren't they? I once said to the cast of Donbrothers, "Now this is Super Sentai" (laughs). Of course, Donbrothers is also Super Sentai, and I think we have many advantages over the King-Ohgers, but if we were to have a real "VS," I don't think the Donbrothers, aside from Tarou, would win (laughs).

"We think it's been a while since you played Haruka, how was it?"

Shida: I feel like I've come a long way without much preparation. After Donbrothers, I've been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take on a variety of roles, and I have fond memories for all of them, but Donbrothers was the first drama that I appeared in, and I played the role for more than a year, so it's still remained with me. I enjoy playing Haruka, and this time, I was excited just thinking that I could be Haruka again after such a long time.

"Haruka is sent to Ishabana with Sonoza, known as her Chief Editor."

Shida: In last year's Donbrothers VS Zenkaiger, I had almost no opportunity to interact with the characters from Zenkaiger, so I was happy to have the opportunity to work with Hymeno-san and Rita-san in this production. Both of them have beautiful costumes, whereas I have casual clothes. Even though I was envious, I was determined not to let my feelings get the best of me. Rita-san's eyes are hidden except the their left one, so normally, they couldn't see the mark (tape placed on the floor to show where you stand), but when that happened, Hymeno-san naturally guided them, and I could see abit of the relationship that the two of them had built.

"When the four of them are together, Ono-san, also known as the ninja oji-san, appears as Ohsamaki……"

Shida: Everyone was defeated by Ohsamaki, but Director Kato said to me, "Haruka, I'm counting on you." They just took a close up of my dead face. It's been awhile, but when speaking of Haruka, she makes strange faces……(laughs).

"By the way, have you ever been asked to do something like that on other productions?"

Shida: I haven't (laughs). I try to do it as a suggestion, but it always seems to be "too much," and they tell me to "tone it down abit."

-From 17 to 20-

"We think it's been awhile since you did dub recording."

Shida: That's right. However, when I tried it, it was much harder than I expected, and I regretted that I didn't practice my vocalization alittle more beforehand. Afterward, my throat was alittle scratchy. A year ago, I was doing this all the time, but the gap in recording is alittle different from that in acting. I was happy to hear that Jeramie and Haruka would be narrating the story. Since we're from the same agency, I thought it would be interesting if that happened.

"By the way, it'll be your 20th birthday shortly after this film is released."

Shida: I started filming Donbrothers when I was 17, so three years have already passed. The past three years have gone by so quickly. I hope to continue to spend my days acting. I also hope that King-Ohger VS Donbrothers will be a hit as the last film to be released in my teens. Also……I'm attending driving school right now, and hope to get my license by the time I turn 20!

Totaro (Tsubasa)

-The End of Fleeing-

"What were your thoughts on the script for King-Ohger VS Donbrothers?"

Totaro: When I heard that Inoue-san wouldn't be in charge of the project, I was honestly alittle worried. I thought that the unique vibe of Donbrothers was something that only Inoue-san could create. However, when I read the script written by Takano-san, I found it to be very well paced and exciting. Even the cast members talked to each other and said, "It's interesting." Also, what made me happy was that in the case of Donbrothers VS Zenkaiger, there was a special setup, so we weren't able to interact with the characters from Zenkaiger, but this time, we were able to. I thought that was the real thrill VS films, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the others performed in their screentime.

"Bluntly speaking, Inuzuka Tsubasa is personally out of the loop this time as well……"

Totaro: He's just been running away with Sononi for a long time (laughs). In the world of King-Ohger, there are wanted criminals just like Tsubasa and Sononi, so they took pictures for that as well. Director Kato is said to be good at directing things like this, so it was fun. I think it was in episode 17? There's a scene where Tsubasa dresses up as a devil, and the makeup I wore for the wanted photos is abit like that.

"We didn't expect to see "Black Devil" in the Reiwa era (laughs)."

Totaro: And, it's Takada-san who chases us in both worlds. In the world of Donbrothers, he's a police officer, and in King-Ohger, he's a knight. We've been running away for so long that I was sad when I thought, "Maybe this'll be the last time." On set I said, "Should we get caught already?" (laugh).

-Meeting the Kings-

"What were your impressions of everyone in King-Ohger?"

Totaro: It might've been because many of them were older than I am, but since they play the role of kings, I felt that they were all "carrying the country on their shoulders." The claim that "all of us are the strongest" isn't an exaggeration. Their costumes were cool, and I got the impression that each of them had a strong personality and was full of confidence. Also, it's amazing that they were able to act within that green screen for so long. It requires alot of imagination, and I think everyone has it locked down. What confused us alittle was that on location, we could run as far as we wanted, but in the green screen, the distance is limited. Towards the end, the two of us fall down for some reason, but when I watched the video during dubbing, I was surprised and thought, "We fell form such a high place!" (laughs).

"What were you thinking after playing Tsubasa for the first time in awhile?"

Totaro: It was alittle embarrassing. No, it was fun to talk with people in a normal way. However, then there was the moment when I became Tsubasa (laughs). Also, I remembered that when I played Tsubasa, I kept my voice low. At the time, I guess I did it unconsciously. After Tsubasa, I wanted to try my hand at some lighthearted roles, but since I kept playing similar roles, I had completely forgotten about it. I'd like to continue to challenge myself with various character roles. I want people to think, "This was the guy who played Tsubasa in Donbrothers!"

Suzuki Hirofumi (Kijino)

-To the Kings World-

"What were your thoughts after reading the script for King-Ohger Vs Donbrothers?"

Suzuki: I thought it showed Takamina-sensei's personality. He pulled elements from Donbrothers that Inoue-sensei probably wouldn't have been able to pull out, and created an interesting story. I also thought the characters selected to be paired up with each other from each show was wonderful.

"What is your impression of the production of King-Ohger?"

Suzuki: The heroes are cool and the story is wonderful. The setting in which everyone is a king is good, and the attention to visuals is amazing. Once again, it made me realize that Donbrothers was a unique show (laughs). Also, I thought about the filming technique when I entered the set. This time, we were filming with green screens, so to put it another way, it's an everyday situation for King-Ohger, but an extraordinary one for Donbrothers. In this situation, I wondered what kind of approach I should take, and decided to take on the challenge of a "big performance." For example, when leaving the prison Racules-san and Suzume-san are in, the setting is different from the real world, so I think it would work even if it I was abit flashy. Rather, I thought it would be more realistic for me to perform against this background. Racules's Yano-san and Suzume's Kamura-san each have long careers, and it was alot of fun to work with them.

-The Mysterious Donbros World-

"Tsuyoshi says he was traumatized by guardian god King-Ohger……"

Suzuki: It's just like Takamina-sensei to bring up a part like that. Although there's no detailed explanation in the film, we can assume that Tsuyoshi's relationship with Natsumi-san has settled down. So, I guess I don't have to worry about becoming a Hitotsuki for awhile. Tsuyoshi always became a Hitotsuki because of what happened with Miho-chan.

"There was a scene shot on location at the beginning, how did that go?"

Suzuki: I was alittle nervous. I wondered if I'd be able to recreate the atmosphere that I had when I was filming the TV series. But, when it was over, it was alot of fun. That's a great scene too. Almost instantly, most of Donbrothers main characters gather in one place as if they were meant to be together (laughs). It wasn't like we had any other plans to meet. Still, I was strangely convinced that that is what Donbrothers is all about.

"In the final scene, Tsuyoshi says a meta line."

Suzuki: That made me happy. If any member of Donbrothers were to be asked to say a line like that, I think it would be Haruka or Tsuyoshi. So, since Haruka is already extravagant, with her very existence being like the Joker, perhaps that's why the line was given to Tsuyoshi. I was honored to have the opportunity to say this line, as it connects the first and second films in this double feature.

"Please give a message to all the fans."

Suzuki: My life really changed when I encountered Donbrothers. The fact that so many people have become aware of our show made me reevaluate my approach to acting. I can't afford to show an improper performance to the people who support me, so I'll continue to work hard from now on!

Ishikawa Raizou (Jiro)

-Jiro's Position-

"Please tell us your honest thoughts on the collaboration between King-Ohger and Donbrothers."

Ishikawa: At first I thought, "How will we join up?," I couldn't imagine it. But in the end, when the "Donbros" element is added, "anything goes" (laughs). It was more like, "This is it," rather than, "This is how it turned out." Personally, however, I was worried about Jiro's position (laughs). Jiro is a "doer," especially when it comes to these kind of productions, right? During Donbrothers VS Zenkaiger, he was the new leader, but this led to the risk of them breaking up, and in TTFC's "Donbrothers VS Donburies," he somehow ended up on the enemy side……

"He's definitely a "problem child" (laughs)."

Ishikawa: This time too, the script didn't clearly state what point in time the story would take place, so I consulted with Director Kato. Since Tarou had already returned, and since I was told that I could play the role in the neutral, former image of Jiro, it became much easier to perform. As long as I can decide on that, I can go back.

"How was it actually working together with everyone in King-Ohgers cast?"

Ishikawa: They have a good vibe. Our group is close, but I felt that they seemed to be close as well. However, ours is……Donbothers is very noisy (laughs). I guess it's because we hadn't gotten together in such a long time, but I still want to apologize for being so noisy all the time. This is my own impression, but if King-Ohger is a coed school, then Donbros is an all boys school……Once we start joking around, we can't stop. King-Ohger seems to have proper brakes. On the first day, we shot a scene with both teams in formation, and even though we're all apart of Super Sentai, their visuals were very different (laughs). I was jealous of King-Ohger's cool costumes. On our side, we're characterized by our lack of inconsistency, with types like Jiro and Sononi, ordinary office workers (Tsuyoshi), and the main character (Tarou) dressed as a delivery man all going to Hakabaka (laughs).

-Muscle talk-

"Jiro wanted to have a "muscle showdown" with Kaguragi."

Ishikawa: Kaku-san and I spent all of our free time talking about muscles (laughs). Things like, "How much can you bench press?" I also knew about the films in which Kaku-san played the role of a sumo wrestler, so I asked him about it. The match between Jiro and Kaguragi ends in a draw……or rather, it ends up as a kind of a tie, but no matter how you look at it, Kaku-san……Kaguragi seems to be stronger. I thought, "You're kidding, right?" (laughs).

"Please give a message to all the fans."

Ishikawa: No matter where they go, Donbrothers will always be Donbrothers (laughs). With this film, I'm once again convinced of this. So, Donbrothers fans can rest assured that they'll have a great time. From now on, I'd like to challenge myself more and more. I want to always cherish this feeling of approaching something for the first time with a sense of nervousness. From now on, thank you for your continued support!

Director Kato Hiroyuki

-Committed to Small Details-

"Kato-san was the only one who directed both Donbrothers and King-Ohger regularly throughout their years, right?"

Kato: I don't know if this had anything to do with it, but I heard rather early on that I was going to be asked to shoot a VS film. I think it was around September or October, when we were still in the middle of filming for the King-Ohger TV series. At that point, they had yet to discuss the specifics, and since I was concentrating on the TV series, I didn't dare to ask. The only thing I heard was that it was going to be set in Hakabaka. Also, I don't remember the order in which I was told, but this time there would be two films, "VS Donbrothers" and "VS Kyoryuger." So, I was told that it would be about half the length (run time) of the VS films of previous years. The script was written by Takano-san, the Scriptwriter of King-Ohger, and I heard that in spite of his busy schedule, he rewatched all episodes of Donbrothers. It seemed like it was going to be tough for him since he was a regular for the TV series, but his script for VS Donbrothers was also written with enthusiasm.

"What suggestions did the Director give you as you were working on the script?"

Kato: Since this is a story about going to Hakabaka, it's only natural that the majority of the story takes place in the world of King-Ohger. Besides, Hakabaka is the "Land of Death," so everyone has to die. Takano-san had worked out the general framework, including how they would die, and the involvement of Sonoi, Gii-chan the rhino beetle, and other characters. I also requested that if we were going to involve Sonoi, we would like to have an oden stand. I was conscious of the connection to the ending of last year's Donbrothers VS Zenkaiger. We also discussed who would be paired with who from King-Ohger and Donbrothers. I had heard that Yanma's Watanabe Aoto-kun and Saruhara's Beppu Yuuki-kun were friends, so I decided to pair them up. I wonder if the pairing of of Kaguragi and Jiro was decided first, and then Takano-san came up with the idea of a "muscle showdown." Takano-san wanted to bring out Ono, the ninja oji-san (laughs). If someone were to become a Hitotsuki, Tsuyoshi or Ono would be a good choice, but if Tsuyoshi becomes a Hitotsuki in VS, there'll be a bunch of complications. That's why I stopped thinking about it, but Takano-san was very good at properly intertwining the "fate" between Tsuyoshi and the guardian god King-Ohger. However, it was actually his first time to write about Ono. Ono has appeared many times, so no one around him thought it was his first time (laughs).

"You also filmed Keisuke Asada, the police officer who chases Tsubasa and Sononi, didn't you?"

Kato: That's right. Tsubasa and Sononi have been on the run for a long time, so even if they're sent to Chikyu, there's a knight there with the same face as Keisuke Asada, the one who chases them……I think I also came up with that idea (laughs). I also made the wanted sign in Chikyu by having new photos taken. I took advantage of the opportunity by trying to make Tsubasa's makeup look like the makeup he used when he played the "Black Devil" looking devil in the TV series.

-A Series of Studies-

"What was your impression of the Donbrothers cast, who you haven't directed in such a long time?"

Kato: They're already dignified. They're very reliable. I met with some of them who needed costume fittings before filming started, and when I said, "Any questions?" They all answered, "Nope." (laughs). Was Jiro the only one who spoke? In Jiro's case, he became the leader in Donbrothers VS Zenkaiger and was hated by the members……Raizo-kun seemed to be concerned about whether or not that would drag on. Regarding that, we talked about how maybe Tarou had come back and the relationship had returned to something close to how it was before. Therefore, Jiro is played in a similar image to that of the TV series.

"You mentioned earlier the combination of characters from the two shows, but which combination was particularly interesting?"

Kato: All of them (laughs). Everyone went above and beyond what I had imagined. Gira, for example, understood our intentions and showed us a great death scene. I also liked the part of Tsuyoshi with the married couple, Racules and Suzume. If I hadn't made some cuts to that scene, the film would probably have gone on forever. Everyone was having fun, but it was my job to keep them in check. It's a shame that the length is so short, but I think the highlights have been condensed into it.

"By the way, over the past two years, what was your most memorable experience in both Donbrothers and King-Ohger?"

Kato: Looking back on Donbrothers, I had the opportunity to film alot of scenes involving Tsubasa and Natsumi. Natsumi's ending was heavy for a drama, so I remember worrying about how to present it. For King-Ohger, I had to learn alot of new things, even more than the previous years, so it was hard just trying to study (laughs). As a Director, I could never say, "I don't know," so I was desperate to keep up with the younger staff members. In the case of King-Ohger, the main storyline was a vertical one that spanned the entire year, so I think there was alot of consideration given to that aspect.

"The way it's presented as a serial drama, huh?"

Kato: Yes, but everyone was very enthusiastic, so if the Director of the group in front of us did something like this, it made us want to "make it even more exciting." I think that's why the story continued to be as exciting as the final episode.

"While adopting new filming techniques, you were also improving the quality of the work right in front of our eyes….."

Kato: I've been working on Super Sentai series for more than 15 years now, and especially in the last few years, from Zenakiger to Donbrothers to King-Ohger, I had to learn alot. In this day and age, I think it's inevitable that this will continue to be the case going forward.

"Lastly, tell us your response to the end of filming."

Kato: I thought it would be an interesting film just to have the Donbrothers visit the world of King-Ohger, but the cast worked very hard to create a "chemical reaction" that exceeded my expectations. The film is both King-Ohger and Donbrothers, so please pay attention to the "blending" of the two.

King-Ohger VS Kyoryuger

INTRODUCTION: The two Super Sentai, King-Ohger, who fought to protect Chikyu from the Uchu King Dagded, and Kyoryuger, who defended Earth from Deboth's Army, have now transcend time and space to miraculously come together. What the Kings and Mighty Lizards join forces to face is……the new Uchu King, Gira?! The strongest warriors approach a desperate situation……!

STORY: Kiryu Daigo and Utsusemimaru set off in pursuit of the Uchu King Dagded, who has invaded Earth. However, Daigo was captured by Dagded and Utsusemimaru was sent to another timeline of Earth. It's 20 years after the invasion of Earth by Deboth's Army……Utsusemimaru is entrusted by Amy Yuuzuki with her and Daigo's son, Prince, and together they attempt to return to their original timeline. However, something is wrong with Prince?! If they don't rescue Daigo soon, Prince will never be born and will cease to exist. Utsusemimaru rushes to Chikyu where Dagded is, but further timeline alterations give birth to a new Uchu King, Gira. The fate of the other kings have also undergone dramatic changes……!

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger was sent to Earth, a different planet from Chikyu, and together with Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, they defeat the Deboth Army sent by the Uchu King Dagded. However, their destinies will overlap once more in an unexpected way. What in the world happened to the kings?

Gira Husty: The king of Shugoddam, the largest country in Chikyu, and the one where the guardian god resides. He's armed with the KuwagataOhger and King KuwagataOhger royal armor. In the altered timeline, has he truly become an "Evil King"?!

Yanma Gast: The king of N'kosopa, country of technology. He's armed with the TomboOhger royal armor. N'kosopa's national power, which was once a satellite state of Shugoddam, has been greatly enhanced by technological innovations. However, in the altered timeline, he couldn't make a name for himself with his technology and his ventures failed. He lives a meager life running a scrapyard……

Hymeno Ran: The queen of Ishabana, the country of fine art and medicine. Having lost her parents in the "Wrath of God," she became king at a young age. She's armed with the KamakiriOhger royal armor. In the altered timeline, she was banished from Flopital Castle due to her selfishness being at the government's expense. She becomes a flower beggar.

Rita Kaniska: The king of Gokkan, the country of ice and snow. They also serve as the Chief Judge of the International Court of Justice, which protects the neutrality of the world. They're armed with the PapillonOhger royal armor. In the altered timeline, after retiring as the Presiding Judge due to a mental issue, they become active as a "top star" who can sing and dance.

Kaguragi Dybowski: The lord of Toufu, the country of agriculture. He's armed with the HachiOhger royal armor. He's always humble and polite in tone, but the theatrics of his words and actions tend to stick out, so he's what you'd call a "trickster." In the altered timeline, he's hated by many enemies for deceiving the other countries, and his castle and fields were taken away from him. He's being used by his sister, Suzume, as a sumo wrestler.

Jeramie Brasieri: A man born between his father, the sixth hero that saved mankind 2,000 years ago, and his mother Nephila, a Bugnarak. He's armed with the Spider Kumonos royal armor. In the altered timeline, he appears before Utsusemimaru and Prince, claiming to be Chikyu's guide, "Jeracchi."

Shiokara (Chiwata Yuhei): Yanma's retainer who has deep respect for him. Originally a criminal in an organization that circulated counterfeit money in N'kosopa, he was reformed after meeting Yanma. He took on a supportive position for Yanma, who believes that technology can change the future. However, in the altered timeline, he abuses Yanma.

Morphonia (Hasegawa Kasumi): Rita's retainer. She's a lazy person, and would rather not work if she can help it, but she does her job well. She's also the person who best understands the pain of loneliness that Rita carries. In the altered timeline, she's an obsessed fan of Rita, who had become a top star, and cheers for them in a high pitched voice.

Sebastian (Yoshimitsu Hiroto): Hymeno's retainer. He's actually 25 years old, but when he became Hymeno's butler, he was given special makeup to give him an older appearance, and his name was changed from his real name, Romane Dearborn. Originally, he was the heir to a ducal family that has existed in Ishabana for 1,000 years. In the altered timeline, he coldly rejects Hymeno, who has become a flower beggar.

Suzume: Kaguragi's younger sister whom he dotes on. She calls him "big brother." She was in poor health as a child. She lived in Shugoddam as a "hostage" for the reconstruction of Toufu, but when she realized Racules's "objective," she chose to live as his willing accomplice. In the altered timeline, she uses her older brother, Kaguragi, in fixed sumo matches.

Yasemitsu Hatchin (Jackie-chan): He's a wrestler of small stature who doesn't look like he's any match for Kaguragi, but since the match is fixed, he ends up beating Kaguragi.

KuwagataOhger Carnival: KuwagataOhgers appearance when he's powered up with the Gaburimix Shooter. He fights by arming both his arms with the Gabutyra Fang, KyoryuRed's weapon.

Gaburimix Shooter: Jeramie's Venomix Shooter has changed. With the power of this item, the King-Ohgers can now be armed with and fight with the Kyoryuger's weapons.

A Super Sentai formed by "Strong Lizard People" who overcome their battles along with their Zyudenryu. Each warrior has a Zyudenryu as a partner. 10 years have passed since the battle against Deboth's Army, and now the strongest Braves in history have miraculously assembled. You'll be surprised when you hear, look at us and cry!

Kiryu Daigo (Ryusei Ryo): A young man who changes into KyoryuRed. His nickname is "King." He's an adventurer who's been traveling around the world since he was a child. He set off from Earth in pursuit of the Uchu King Dagded, but ended up trapped in Dagded's amber.

Ian Yorkland (Saito Syuusuke): A young man who changes into KyoryuBlack. He's a researcher of super ancient civilizations, and is a flirtatious playboy.

Udo Nobuharu (Kinjo Yamato): A young man who changes into KyoryuBlue. He's a former trading company employee who now runs "Nandemoya Marufuku." He's set to marry to Candelilla.

Rippukan Souji (Shiono Akihisa): A young man who changes into KyoryuGreen. As the successor of the traditional "Rippukan Dojo," he's improving his swordsmanship skills every day. At Daigo's request, he trains Prince.

Amy Yuuzuki (Konno Ayuri): A woman who changes into KyoryuPink. She's the daughter of a large conglomerate. She's bright and caring, and is the emotional support of the Zyuden Sentai. She's married to Daigo and have a son, Kiryu Daigoro, known as Prince.

Utsusemimaru (Maruyama Atsushi): A swordsman who became a Kyoryuger during the Sengoku period. For about 400 years, his body was controlled by Dogold, but he was rescued by the modern day Kyoryugers and was set free. He and Daigo pursue Dagded, but in the future 20 years later, he finds his own grave……?!

Yayoi Ulshade (Iitoyo Marie): Doctor Ulshade's granddaughter. She becomes the second in line to inherit KyoryuViolet from her grandfather. Piloting Plezuon, she flew into space with Daigo and Utsusemimaru in pursuit of Dagded, but……

Kiryu Daigoro (Kawana Rintaro): A young man who changes into King KyoryuRed. His nickname is "Prince." He's the son of Daigo and Amy, and boasts the same high level of physical ability as his parents. In his father's absence on Earth, he fought bravely as a member of Kyoryuger, but was affected by the alteration of time and space, and is on the verge of vanishing.

(bottom right): Utsusemimaru arrives in the future world. 20 years have passed since the Earth was invaded by Deboth's Army. An aging Amy asks Utsusemimaru to take her son, Prince, back to 20 years ago. In order to stop the Deboth invasion……

Gabutyra KyoryuRed Anniversary Carnival: Daigo's new form changed by Minityra (miniature Gabutyra) using the changed Gaburivolver. He uses number 24 "Quetzalcoatlu Zyudenchi," and number 25 "Mosasarus Zyudenchi," and fights by donning the Zyuden Arms, "Quetzalcoatlu Bowgun Arm" and "Mosasarus Chainsaw Arm."

King Gaburucannon/Gabutyvolver: Combine King KyoryuRed's King Gaburicalibur and Gabutyra KyoryuRed's Gabutyvolver to release the Father and Son King Gaburucannon!

Wise God Torin (voice: Morikawa Toshiyuki): An entity that's been fighting against the Deboth Army for about 100 million years. He evolves Earth's dinosaurs into Zyudenryu. He transforms into KyoryuSilver. After defeating his brother, Hundred Faced High Priest Chaos, he left this world……

Candelilla (voice: Tomatsu Haruka) & Luckyuro (voice: Orikasa Ai): Formerly members of the Deboth Army, they now work for humans. Candelilla is set to marry Udo Nobuharu.

Kiryu Dantetsu (Yamashita Shinji): Daigo's father and an adventurer. He's Prince's (Daigoro) grandfather.

KyoryuGray (voice: Deai Masayuki), KyoryuSilver (voice: Morikawa Toshiyuki), KyoryuCyan (voice: Robert Baldwin): The Spirit Rangers (those who have lost their bodies but retain their immortal souls) also arrived from beyond time and space. Here, all the Kyoryugers have assembled!

Sanagim: Combat soldiers that possess the characteristics of pupa. Their exclusive weapon, the "Gun Shovel," can also be used as a rifle. They multiply infinitely.

Uchu King Gira: The appearance of Gira who defeated Dagded and became the new Uchu King after Utsusemimaru fed a large amount of Rainbow Jururira to Gira as a young child. He tries to publicly execute Yanma and the others.

Evil King (voice: Sakai Taisei): Uchu King Gira in his royal armor form. Even after Gira was restored to his original state, the evil spirits that had escaped from Gira's body combined into one and a new Evil King was born.

Dagded Dujardin (voice: Ishida Akira): The creator of all insect life forms. He has an invulnerable body that's immune to all attacks, and because of this, he always has time to speak and act in a way that belittles his opponents. For him, the destruction of other life forms is merely a form of "tidying up." He's being pursued from Earth by KyoryuRed, who he traps in amber.

Debo Senking: A king Deboth monster, who can absorb all emotions, was created to fully revive the power of Kabutobushin Deboth, who Dagded had summoned to Earth. Using his Freezing Staff, he continues to "Brave-cuein" human braves from all over the world and send them to Kabutobushin Deboth.

Uchu Five Jesters A group of aliens led by the Uchu King Dagded. Up until now, they've lead different species on numerous planets to conflict and destruction. The alteration of time and space also affects them, and they emerge as servants of the Evil King.

Hilbil Leech (voice: Sawashiro Miyuki): One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Hilbill of Enticement." She brainwashed the king's retainers and citizens, turning the human race on Chikyu into mobs.

Grodie Leucodium (voice: Amano Kousei): One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Grodie of Tranquility" He's the one responsible for causing the "Wrath of God." He tries to bring forth the "Wrath of God" again, but is stopped by the King-Ohgers.

Kamejim (voice: Miki Shinichiro): Although he was the Prime Minister who served Desnarak VIII, he was actually the mastermind behind the battle between humans and Bugnarak, and was "Kamejim of Vanity" of the Uchu Five Jesters, who infiltrated Chikyu under the orders of Dagded.

Goma Rosalia (voice: Yamaji Kazuhiro): One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Goma of Suspicion." He possesses the characteristics of a longhorn beetle. He has the ability to swap any concept, from human minds to matter, and has swapped the bodies of the kings of six kingdoms.

Minongan Moth (voice: Seki Tomokazu): One of the Uchu Five Jesters known as "Minongan of Concealment." Just as he looks, he's a "power fighter," with high offensive and defensive power.

Sakai Taisei

-The Commitment of the Uchu King Gira-

"In this film, for most scenes, you appeared as the Uchu King Gira."

Sakai: I've been saying I'm the "Evil King" for a long time, and now finally, I've really become one (laughs). When I played the role, I was conscious of "combining insanity and coolness" in my own way. How could I differentiate myself from the usual Gira? For facial expressions, I tried to keep my eyes wide open and slow my tone alittle bit…..but, it was pretty difficult. For example, my dialogue was fine when I was speaking on my own, but when I tried to keep up the pace in conversation, it sometimes didn't go well. It was difficult, but I learned alot, and I'd be happy if everyone could share their opinions after watching the film.

"The other cast members are also challenging themselves to perform in a different way from usual."

Sakai: I look forward to watching each "changed fate" parts of the film. Yanma's deviation is also extreme. I'm sure Aoto was able to play the "uncool Yanma" role very well.

"What about action scenes?"

Sakai: As the Uchu King Gira, I was thrilled to cross swords with the other kings. There was strong wind at the filming location, so it was very difficult (laughs). I haven't been in such a tough situation on location since N'kosopa in episode 2……when we were at the Saitama Super Arena. If I had to compare them, this one was the best (laughs). Conversely, the heat was unforgettable for the collaboration with Kyoryuger, with episodes 32 and 33 being filmed on location. Director Sakamoto's filming is fast paced, and the action is learned on the spot, so I was always frantic, but the atmosphere on set was cheerful and fun.

-Gira and Daigo-

"This'll be the second time you've worked together with the Kyoryuger members."

Sakai: I'm truly grateful to have been able to work with veteran members of the Super Sentai series in this way. I thought it was amazing that everyone hadn't changed at all from the appearance they had 10 years ago. We also saw the scene where all the members transform together, and in the case of the Kyoryugers, even though there's dancing involved, they're all perfectly in sync. I was surprised by that as well.

"What was it like for Gira and Daigo, fellow Reds, to meet?"

Sakai: Ryusei Ryo-san has the aura of a star, and I was thinking about what I would say to him when we meet, but he came off as Daigo when he said to me, "It's tough performing at G-Rosso, huh?" I've already become a big fan of him (laughs). He gives off the impression of a "dependable aniki" and is the very definition of a hero.

"What do you want Sakai Taisei to be like in 10 years?"

Sakai: Now that I'm beginning to understand how interesting my job as an actor is, I'd like to continue acting, but even if I were to take up something else, I'd be happy if I were still leading a fulfilling life. I want to pursue what I enjoy and what I believe in. I also hope that the Super Sentai series will continue into the future. It's an irreplaceable work for me personally, so I hope that the baton will be passed on to everyone who plays the hero for a long time to come.

Watanabe Aoto

-Shiokara's Revenge-

"Tell us about the planning for VS Kyoryuger."

Watanabe: More than anything, it's amazing to see all the main cast members together, even though it's already been 10 years. When the TV series started filming, Toei's Producer Omori gave us a speech in which he encouraged us to, "Please keep acting even after 10 years." Still, that's not always an easy thing to do. Recently, various 10th and 20th anniversary films for the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series have been made, and I think it's truly miraculous…..This film made me grateful to have witnessed such a miracle in front of my eyes, and it also served as a source of encouragement for me. 10 years later, everyone gathered at the same place on the same day and struck the same transformation pose as they did back then. It was a wonderful moment. I was also impressed that their style hadn't changed.

"Yanma is no longer king, having been affected by the alteration of time and space."

Watanabe: I was conscious of being cool as Yanma for a whole year, but then this kind of setting comes along……(laughs). I enjoyed performing. I mean, the one who was more lively than me was without a doubt Shiokara's Chiwata-san. Maybe he was aiming to use this opportunity to release all the resentment he's felt over the past year. The line, "Lick my shoes!" isn't written anywhere in the script (laughs).

-Thoughts on the Future-

"Unusual for a King-Ohger related production, there was alot of filming on location for this film."

Watanabe: Since it's a Director Sakamoto production, I expected from the beginning that we'd be able to do some action. There was action in episodes 32 and 33 of the TV series, and it was all shot on location. I'm glad we were able to do it again this time. However, when we were filming for TV, it was in the middle of a heat wave, while this time it was the other way around. It wasn't just us, I thought that the Director and staff must have gone through alot of hardships. I'm truly grateful to everyone who worked so hard to make the film as good as possible under such harsh conditions.

"By the time the VS double feature film is released, the Final Live Tour will be over, and you'll have reached the end of your activities as a King-Ohger cast member."

Watanabe: Now, I'm so excited to support everyone in "Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger." A year ago, the cast of Donbrothers were promoting King-Ohger any chance they could, and I thought "They're so kind……", and when I was in the position to pass the baton to the next show, I naturally felt that way. It's no longer someone else's problem…….I hope they'll do their best to deliver an interesting show to the children during the year, while taking good care of themselves.

"Regarding where you'll be 10 years from now."

Watanabe: I think that children who were fans of Kyoryuger 10 years ago will definitely be pleased to see this film. Even after 10 years, everyone's still a "cool hero." No matter what kind of life I lead, I'd be happy if I could become a "cool adult" in the eyes of the children who are now supporting Yanma, and I'll make every effort to become such an adult.

Murakami Erica

-The Reborn Kings-

"In VS Kyoryuger, the depiction of the kings, whose situations have been changed by the altered timeline, was impressive."

Murakami: Everyone seemed to enjoy playing their parts. I hope the audience will enjoy it as well. In the scene with Hymeno, Sebastian's Yoshimitsu-san played the role in a coercive manner, so he was able to break away from his usual character. I like the styling of "Uchu King Gira," as he's really cool. I think it gives off the feeling of a dark hero. It's interesting to see that Yanma had fallen just as far as Hymeno. There's an honor student like quality to him, and the visuals of that Yanma is also appealing. Rita, who has become a star, is majestically cool. Kaguragi made the most of Kaku-san's "weapons," and Jeramie was the complete opposite of his usual style, which was nice.

"This was your second time collaborating with Kyoryuger."

Murakami: Everyone has alot of experience in acting, so they had alot to offer. It was a great learning experience to be able to work with them. I felt the weight of every line of dialogue. It's possible everyone else felt the same way. Even though we didn't really appear, on the day when all the Kyoryuger members assembled for their shoot, we gathered in front of the monitor and watched everyone's performance.

-Tackling the Action-

"The action scenes in episodes 32 and 33 of the TV series, as well as in this film, are the main highlights."

Murakami: When it was on TV, the setting was that the kings had gone to a different planet, so it was the first time we were completely on location. That in itself was a new experience for me, but I was also allowed to do alot of action, and I think I was able to show the coolness of a "fighting king." The action is really deep. On site, I was always looking for the best and coolest swordplay. The way I move, the way the camera moves with me, and the angles of the camera, all make a small difference in the impression you'll get. While filming, Hymeno looks beautiful and strong, thanks to the skillful guidance of the Action Department members who played the enemies. But, the amazing thing is that it didn't look like that……There were a number of professional techniques packed into short takes. However, the last day was pretty challenging (laughs). In the scene where we were being held captive, it was so cold and windy.

"It seems like the last day left a deep impression on everyone."

Murakami: This is a bit of a behind the scenes story, but there are some shots where the wind is blowing very hard, and in the same scene, other shots contain no wind at all……

"Do you have an ideal image of yourself 10 years from now?"

Murakami: Since this is my type of work, I think that the direction I take will be influenced by various encounters, but as a person, I want to be like my grandmother. She's a very playful and lovely woman. I don't think I'll be able to be like that in 10 years, but I'd like to keep aiming for it. Also, I'd be happy if 10 years from now, there'll be an outcry of people saying, "I want to see King-Ohger again." I hope that such a future will be possible.

Hirakawa Yuzuki

-Rita Sings and Dances Again-

"This was the first collaboration with Kyoryuger since the TV series."

Hirakawa: Episode 32 and 33 remain as fond memories for me. Everyone on the Kyoryuger team was really nice, and I learned alot from their on set behavior, and most importantly, I could feel how well they got along with each other. I also thought it'd be great if we could have a relationship like them forever. At the same time, this was the first time I realized that King-Ohger was coming to an end. When I realized that one day I'd have to say goodbye to everyone and my role as Rita, I felt sad. Looking back, time really flew by quickly in the second half. Specifically around the time we finished filming the Summer movie, it was like a brief moment for me. I feel like I've come this far all at once.

"In this film, the fate of the kings have changed, but to our surprise, Rita's living their life as a star."

Hirakawa: In the TV series, there was an idol episode (38), but this time it was a repeating pattern……To add some variety, I sung "Moffun no Uta" one octave lower. The choreography was also created for this shoot, and I memorized it and performed it on that day. Until filming finished, I was constantly worried, wondering what would happen (laughs).

-Wholeheartedly Thankful-

"In VS Kyoryuger, all the members have finally assembled."

Hirakawa: The atmosphere on set was even more lively and pleasant than in the TV series. Since there's dancing involved, I thought it'd be difficult to get everyone's transformations to match up perfectly, but it was truly amazing to see them all perfectly coordinated. Also, everyone was kind and friendly, and I felt like I wanted to be like them. It was also reassuring to have Shiono-san from the same agency there.

"There were also action scenes."

Hirakawa: On the last day of filming, it was incredibly windy……(laughs). During the captivity scene, I tried not to blink as much as possible, but then the tears started coming out. I'm not sure if you can see it on screen, but please be sure to check it out. The more times I tried the actions, the quicker I learned them. However, since Rita's right eye is hidden, it's very difficult for me to sense the distance between me and my opponent. I was grateful that the JAE staff told me, "It doesn't matter if we get hit, just come at us as hard as you can." This time, it was refreshing to see that even in the post transformation action, KyoryuViolet was the same color as PapillonOhger. I always feel that each warrior has their own unique fighting style, and it's wonderful that the Suit Actors were able to accurately express this. There are 11 people in Kyoryuger alone, so I think it's difficult just to differentiate them. I think it shows everyone's high level of professionalism.

"Where do you want to be in 10 years from now?"

Hirakawa: I'm still a "kid" right now, so of course I want to be able to walk on my own, but even 10 years from now, I want to be able to "get lost in something I'm passionate about," and live my life in constant excitement. In addition, little by little, I'd like to repay my parents who raised me.

Kako So

-Fighting the Weather-

"This was a collaboration with the Kyoryugers following the TV series, and this time, with the full lineup."

Kaku: It's amazing, isn't it? In any case, everyone in Kyoryuger is really close to each other, and their unity and teamwork are wonderful. I thought that they were very good at action and dancing. In the story, Utsusemimaru (KyoryuGold) is abit of a troublemaker who stirs things up, and because of that, we in the Royal Sentai end up becoming unusually strange (laughs). Everyone was able to play a different character than usual in this production. It was alot of fun. Things like Masashi's sketchy Jeramie I was enthusiastic about (laughs). There are some scenes that I haven't seen yet, but I'm really looking forward to seeing them, such as the scene between Yanma and Shiokara.

"Regarding the action scenes."

Kaku: This time, there's a situation where kings fight each other, and I think that's one of the highlights. The flow of the action was decided on the spot, and I memorized it and started filming right away. I was worried about whether we'd be able to do it right, but what was more troubling was the weather on location on the day of the shoot. As you can feel from the video, there was an incredible wind blowing at the site. I was okay with it, but I think it would've been very difficult for someone like Hymeno, who was wearing light clothing.

"To begin with, there weren't that many locations in King-Ohger."

Kaku: That's right. Unlike my seniors of previous generations, we finished filming until the final episode without knowing anything about the hardships of filming on location. And then, with VS Kyoryuger…….on the last day of filming, we did it all at once (laughs). The interesting thing is that, as you'll notice in the footage, in a series of scenes, there are times when the wind is blowing strongly and other times when it's not. I'll leave the reasoning to your imagination (laughs).

-A 10 Year Journey-

"Once again, please give us your thoughts on the collaboration with Kyoryuger."

Kaku: I'm a senior member of Super Sentai by 10 years, but with the exception of Kinjo-san and Maruyama-san, everyone is actually younger than me. Ryusei-san too. That was abit of a strange feeling. Also, when I thought about my future 10 years from now, I was worried about whether I'd be able to do Kakuragi at 43 years old……but, then I thought about it, and I realized that Amano Kousei-san, who plays the role of Grodie, one of the Uchu Five Jesters, will be 46 years old this year, and he's so cool, isn't he? He maintains such youthfulness, that it's hard to believe that it was 20 years ago that he was performing in Kamen Rider, so I want to make that one of my goals. Not only Amano-san, but also his wife……Iroki's Hinagata-san has always been beautiful. I felt that I should do my best too. If we could get together again in 10 years……I'd be happy if we could work on the project while living fulfilling lives. And I'd like the Scriptwriter, Takamina-san, to write the script for it.

Ikeda Masashi

-Jeracchi and the Strange Kings-

"In VS Kyoryuger, Jeramie became Chikyu's charming guide, Jeracchi."

Ikeda: It was fun (laughs). Actually, this was the first time for me to wear a different costume as Jeramie. I didn't wear a yukata in the Summer festival episode (episode 24), and I didn't change into Earth clothes in the collaboration episode with Kyoryuger in the TV series (episodes 32 and 33). Personally, I was most impressed by the costumes. Although I was playing the role of Jeramie, it was a strange feeling to be in a completely different position. Everyone else also has different visuals. I think that's why I was able to play with more freedom. Yanma and Hymeno are in a tragic situation…..What was funny was Kaku-san's Kaguragi. His setting is about losing in a fixed sumo match, but because he has the aura of a strong man, he doesn't look weak (laughs).

"It's a different kind of comedy than what was in VS Donbrothers, huh?"

Ikeda: I think that you'll laugh at this film as well. I could sense that the Kyoryuger members were enjoying the Super Sentai set for the first time in a long time. What surprised me was that their youngest, Iitoyo-san, is only two years older than me. It was abit of a shock to know that she was 15 years old at the time of Kyoryuger.

-The Wind and Kings-

"Following the TV series, since the collaboration with Kyoryuger involves Sakamoto's team, there's some action as well."

Ikeda: We didn't have many opportunities to try our hand at acting during regular filming. That's why the Sakamoto team left an impression on me twice. This time in particular, there's the situation where Gira, who's become the Uchu King, and the other kings cross swords. I was very enthusiastic there. I'm sure everyone felt the same way. However, it was on the last day, and as you can clearly see from the footage, the wind was incredibly strong. It was on an almost unusual level, including how cold it was (laughs). We haven't been on location much during the past year, so this was our last taste of the "location hardships" at the very end. Now that I think about it, the Kyoryuger episodes for TV were also filmed entirely on location, but they were in the middle of Summer. I would've loved to go on location during the Spring or Fall (laughs). Because of this situation, everyone greeted each other in a brief way at the beginning of filming……but, that was also a good memory. Something like that is a rare experience.

"Ikeda-san, where do you see yourself 10 years from now?"

Ikeda: 10 years seems so far into the future that it's hard to imagine, but in terms of familiarity, Kaku-san is 9 years older than me. Kaku-san is always aware of what's going on around him, and he's always looking out for us. I want to grow up to be like that. I don't know if we'll be able to get together again like the Kyoryuger members 10 years from now, but I'd like to see the King-Ohgers active in even more advanced video technology.

Ryusei Ryo (Daigo)

-King's Return-

"You were recording just a few minutes ago, what are your thoughts?"

Ryusei: As expected, doing the dub as Kiryu Daigo is exhausting (laughs). I gave it my all. Daigo is a very passionate character, and Kyoryuger itself is a show like that. 10 years ago, we used to do recordings like this every week. The amount of work back then was almost certainly greater than what I recorded today, so I think I did a good job. At the time, I was between 19 and 20 years old, so I guess it was because I was young (laughs). This time, I had the opportunity to work with the cast of King-Ohger, and I felt the rush of energy that's typical of currently active heroes. They were filming the TV series just the other day, and they must've had a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment from having survived their long journey, as they all had good expressions on their faces. They were glowing. Compared to them, I may inevitably be called "old." Even now, I'm alittle nervous about it (laughs).

"What made you agree to appear in the film?"

Ryusei: It's my way of showing gratitude to all the fans and staff. I'm happy to have this opportunity to work on a production after 10 years with all of the main cast together. Including KyoryuRed's Osshi-san (Oshikawa Yoshifumi), to the full extent, the Suit Actors were the same as they were back then, and Director Sakamoto filmed it……It's almost a miracle. I thought this would be the last time I'd be able to do something like this, so I really wanted to do it. Daigo's line, "This is the final battle!" was added on set, but I put all my feelings into it in my own way.

-Brave Youth-

"What were you conscious of when playing the role of Daigo again?"

Ryusei: At first, there was an idea to have everyone appear in completely different costumes. However, I thought that fans would like to see the costumes as they were back in the day. I asked if they still had them……and to use them. Conversely, what also surprised me was the action. There was nothing specifically written in the script. When I arrived on set in the morning, preparations were already underway, and Director Sakamoto was like, "Of course (we're doing action)!" (laughs). I learned the flow on the spot, tried to match it quickly, did a test, and then immediately did the real thing. This is also a "given" in Kyoryuger. You can't find this on other sets. I also missed these kinds of things.

"What does Kyoryuger mean to Ryusei?"

Ryusei: It's youth. I was happy, but at the same time embarrassed to play the role of Kiryu Daigo for the first time in such a long time. For a whole year……no, including the Final Live Tour, I've been carrying the responsibility of one show as its main character for about a year and a half. Currently, I don't have the opportunity to work on the same production for that long. It's impossible not to become deeply attached to it. To be honest, there were times when it was tough and I thought, "I can't wait to work on a different show." However, I think that I was able to learn alot on that set, and experience many things that I could only have done 10 years ago. There are many fans who have continued to support me since that time, and I'm definitely very happy to have performed in this film.

Kawana Rintaro (Daigoro)

-Admiration of the Mighty Lizards-

"You made your appearance in King-Ohgers TV series, how did that happen?"

Kawana: My father's (Kawana Motoki) senior in the action industry is Director Sakamoto, and I've been invited to work with him several times. This time too, he asked me if I'd like to audition for the role of Prince.

"What did you do during the audition?"

Kawana: In addition to watching action, I also performed one scene from episode 32. From there, I was chosen and was able to perform.

"Originally, did you study action and acting?"

Kawana: I've been learning action from my father since I was a child. I've also been taking acting lessons since I was in elementary school.

"Did you know about Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger?"

Kawana: I've been watching the Super Sentai series since I was about 2 years old, and I believe Kyoryuger was the year I started elementary school. At the time, I felt that I had started a show that was right in the middle of my tastes. I liked dinosaurs, I liked the designs of the Kyoryugers suits, and the action was cool. Kyoryuger is what got me hooked the most.

"What was it like appearing in the TV series?"

Kawana: As expected, the actual film site was different from my lessons. The large number of staff members working so diligently and quickly made me realize once again how hard and fun it is to create video productions. I was painfully aware of my lack of experience, but I was also inspired. Everyone in King-Ohger was very friendly and talked to me about a bunch of things. Since our ages aren't that far apart, I was able to fit in quickly on set. Especially with Gira's Sakai Taisei, I became closer to him, and every time I appeared in the show, it became easier for me to perform. I've often heard that the atmosphere of the set is reflected in the footage, and I felt that this was the case.

"After your performance, what was the reaction from those around you?"

Kawana: I was happy that many of my friends at school seemed to have seen it (laughs). They said various things to me, like, "You've become a Kyoryuger?" and "That's Brave!" I think everyone remembered Kyoryuger because we're all the same age.

-The Inherited Brave-

"Prince is the son of Daigo (King), and this time they're finally working together."

Kawana: Ryusei Ryo-san was on a completely different level from me, as his appearance was very powerful. This time, there's a scene where I transformed with the Kyoryuger members, but for some reason, it felt like I was just a fan that had got mixed in……I always had this feeling of, "Is it okay for me to be here?" However, I'm grateful for this truly valuable experience. Director Sakamoto has continued to shoot many films, and I respect him for always putting his all into filming

"What are your future ambitions?"

Kawana: Being like Jackie Chan from the olden days has always been my number one goal. I saw a variety of his films and was impressed by how amazing he is……He's a star who always tries to thoroughly entertain his viewers, so I started thinking that I wanted to be like that too. I'd like to continue to take on action, and eventually, I'd like to work overseas.

Saito Syuusuke (Ian) x Kinjo Yamato (Nobuharu)

-Emotional Full Gathering-

"You two first appeared in the King-Ohger TV series."

Saito: To begin with, around the beginning of last year (2023), I thought, "Right, this year is the 10th anniversary……" But, at that time, I never imagined that we'd be collaborating with a currently active Super Sentai. I used to watch King-Ohger every week (laughs). Not only did we get to meet them, but we also got to perform with them as the Kyoryugers, it made me happy……

Kinjo: However, during the TV series, there were only four of us who appeared in the show. King (Daigo) and Ucchi (Utsusemimaru) performed through their voices. I wonder if we'll all get together……is what I thought, and this time it's a V-Cinext. King, Ucchi, and even Yayoi-chan make their appearance, and the four of us were allowed to appear again. Is this what you'd call "emotional"? Is that too old fashioned now? Will a new word be created in 10 years?

Saito: (laughs). Still, I'm grateful. The show is 10 years old, but recently, it's become possible to watch past series through streaming services. I often hear that people who didn't watch the show when it aired, or who weren't even born yet, become "hooked" after watching Kyoryuger.

Kinjo: Younger children may have never heard of Kyoryuger, and may have wondered, "Who are these guys?" when they saw the TV series guest episodes (episodes 32 and 33). Still, I never lost hope.

Saito: Yeah. Since we were appearing, I thought, "Let's go wild."

-With King Again-

"It's wonderful to see not only the cast assembled, but also the Suit Actors and even the Voice Actors."

Saito: That's right. KyoryuBlack is played by Takeuchi Yasuhiro-san, and Tsutamune Masato-kun, who plays KyoryuGold this time, played the role of KyoryuBlack in G-Rosso's show 10 years ago. For me, it was heart warming to have the three of us gathered on the same set.

Kinjo: For KyoryuBlue's Takada Masashi-kun, Kyoryuger was the first time he played a regular hero role. He plays Spider Kumonos in King-Ohger. I was happy to see that despite his busy schedule, he played KyoryuBlue with such energy in this film.

Saito: Even those who have left JAE came back, such as KyoryuRed's Osshi-san and KyoryuPink's Nogawa Mizuho-san.

Kinjo: By the way, Takeuchi-san is amazing. 10 years ago, he was sharp, but he's evolved even further. His list of techniques is also increasing. Is such a thing even possible? (laughs).

Saito: No, he's definitely amazing……

Kinjo: It was like a strong man becoming a "super strong man."

"The major difference between the TV series and this film is that Ryusei Ryo-san, know as King, has made his long awaited appearance."

Saito: For some reason, it felt strange. I've met him in our private time, but seeing him in front of me in that costume and hair style was like stepping back in time.

Kinjo: I instantly thought, "Ah! It's Daigo!"

Saito: On the day we all got together, we did some action. It's the Sakamoto team after all.

Kinjo: Yeah, yeah, we did, this old man's body took a beating (laughs).

Saito: Ian's main point of focus is his gunplay, but Nossan (Nobuharu) also has some acrobatic movements.

Kinjo: No matter what Nobuharu does, he's always got a story to tell.

Saito: Nossan's old man jokes (laughs). Didn't they already come up endlessly back then?

Kinjo: Every time, he always had something to say……However, after analyzing it in detail, I think he actually has a pattern of saying the same four or five things (laughs).

"You participated in the dub not that long ago, and we assume that you've seen some of the current footage, what are your thoughts?"

Saito: The lineup is really impressive, isn't it? It's amazing even at 8 people, but then Silver, Cyan, and Gray were added, and including King-Ohger, there's……17 members? That scene was, as expected, numbing.

Kinjo: During the dub, we got to watch a few scenes that we're not in. That's why I was like, "What's with this bearded Ucchi?!" (laughs). Even though I've read the script, there are many scenes where I don't know how they turned out, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the completed film.

Saito: Ucchi is the main focus. Ucchi stirs up the whole thing, and it becomes a big mess. Ucchi's our clumsy samurai (laughs).

Kinjo: He even influenced the world of King-Ohger.

Saito: But in the end, he brought us all together, or rather, he made it necessary for us to come together. It was thanks to Maruyama Atsushi. No, maybe it was Ucchi? (laughs).

-Everyone is Someone's Hero-

"What does the show Kyoryuger mean to the two of you?

Saito: I've always loved tokusatsu heroes, and it was truly a dream come true for me to become a hero myself. Even though he's an enemy, I was able to transform into a Kamen Rider as a guest in the show……

Kinjo: I was in Kamen Rider too. In my case though, I'm not sure if I'm considered a Rider or not……(laughs).

Saito: It's amazing to be able to appear in the same role again on the 10th anniversary. There was a great response on SNS, and I'll continue to live my life while always being aware that I was KyoryuBlack. In fact, I feel that the character of Ian still exists within me. From time to time, I end up saying, "Oh my" (Ian's favorite phrase) (laughs).

Kinjo: In recent years, I've been working as a Voice Actor, mainly dubbing American movies and foreign dramas, but my first experience with dubbing was for Kyoryuger. In that sense, my encounter with Kyoryuger was significant. Depending on the role I'm playing, I sometimes channel the voice I used when I was Nobuharu.

Saito: Heroes are wonderful. All I can say is that everyone is also a hero to someone who's standing beside them.

Kinjo: Now, I hope that the boys and girls who have admired heroes through King-Ohger will aim to become heroes for their loved ones going forward.

Saito: I'd be happy if you could feel that passionate message through this film.

Kinjo: Let's meet again someday!

Shiono Akihisa (Souji) x Konno Ayuri (Amy) x Maruyama Atsushi (Utsusemimaru)

-After Recording-

Maruyama: I'm Atsushi!

Konno: I'm Ayuri!

Shiono: I'm Akihisa!

All: We're the triple "A" of Kyoryuger!

Maruyama: Whether you use that or not, we did it because you've got these three specific people here. And now, I'll leave the rest up to you (laughs).

"Thank you very much! I guess it's because you were doing the dub a few minutes ago, but your good mood is really helpful (laughs)."

Maruyama: We've begun recording the dub! How was it for Hime (Konno)? You were in the TV version of King-Ohger and it was your first time recording in a long time, right?

Konno: Yeah. But, it didn't feel like it had been a long time at all. It was as if I had been doing it just recently (laughs).

Maruyama: That's amazing.

Shiono: I really didn't feel blank at all.

Konno: What about you? I myself didn't feel out of place, but…..

Maruyama: It's amazing that Hime was able to get back to the way she used to feel immediately after being away from the acting business for such a long time, let alone us. And then Akki's (Shiono) voice was powerful. It was definitely different compared to 10 years ago, wouldn't you say?

Shiono: I played a high school student, and was actually 18 years old. Since 10 years have passed since then, I wanted to express the growth of Souji. Not just in my voice, but also in acting and action. It's been my "theme" ever since I made the guest appearance in the TV series. Considering Souji was given the Feather Edge by Torin at the end of Kyoryuger, I was also deeply moved by the fact that Souji was the one who trained Prince

Konno: I think Souji seemed calm and even dependable this time.

Maruyama: That's right. That's our Akki, and that's our Souji. Every year, I'm becoming more and more unstable……

Shiono: Weren't you always like that?

Konno: Can it get any worse?

Maruyama: Hey! (everyone laughs).

Shiono: But, when I watched the footage, as expected, the action scenes after the transformation were very cool. The direction was typical of Director Sakamoto, including the introductions being linked to the offensive and defensive movements.

Maruyama: Is it okay if I say something about the dub? While KyoryuGreen and KamakiriOhger were fighting together, the Suit Actors on set created a few seconds of interaction between the two. And then, I wondered what kind of line Akki would put in there, but he just said one word, "……Yeah." He's left everything up to Murakami Erica-chan, who'll do her recording later.

Shiono: Don't say that (laughs). It was difficult for me to do it. Especially for Souji, who's not a very talkative person, so after thinking about it desperately, I was like, "……Yeah" (laughs).

"Speaking of the storyline development, Ucchi was difficult in this film."

Maruyama: I broke new ground (laughs).

Shiono: That's for sure. This is just Ucchi's story.

Konno: Ucchi is very active in this.

Maruyama: I wonder if it's "active"…….He causes nothing but trouble, and then gives an earnest apology to everyone at the very end.

Konno: He also has some cool parts!

Maruyama: Thanks (laughs). But, the cool parts are really an "also." Otherwise he's nothing but bad (laughs). 95% of him is bad, and only about 5% is cool. This time, however, Akki is 100% cool.

Shiono: Really?

Maruyama: To be more specific, the old Souji had a certain "cuteness" to him. Now, on the other hand, he's become an "adult" swordsman.

Shiono: That makes me happy!

Maruyama: I think the charm of "Souji becoming an adult" is shown. By the way, Hime wore elderly makeup this time, didn't she? How old do you think she is?

"Amy was 18-19 years old at the time of the battle with Deboth's Army, it's 10 years later, and then another 20 years after that, so we imagine her to be close to 50 years old."

Konno: At first, that makeup was much darker. It emphasized more of the fact that time had passed. But, I thought it might be alittle too thick, so I lightened it during the filming stage.

Maruyama: That scene was alot of fun. Compared to the usual Amy-dono, she spoke alittle slower. I already had an image of older Amy-dono, so I thought, "Ah, her rhythm's off," but you did that with the age setting in mind, right?

Konno: Yeah. The speed and tone of my voice is different from when I was younger.

Maruyama: What'd you think when creating this role?! The adjustments you made were perfect. Not too slow, but subtly different from the old Amy-dono. It'd be nice if you could return (to being an actress).

Konno: (laughs).

Maruyama: Don't you get approached in your daily life? Especially after things like the guest appearance on TV. They might've said, "Are you Amy?"……..

Konno: No, no…..but, I might see an "Ah" look on people's faces every once in a while.

Maruyama: That's it! I'm sure people think, "That person is KyoryuPink."

Konno: Are you sure? Wouldn't it be more like, "That person looks like someone I know…"

Maruyama: Well, I guess that's true (laughs).

Shiono: Getting back into it, the scene where Ucchi meets Amy and Prince 20 years in the future, from our perspective, shows Acchan's (Maruyama) own happiness. Of course, there's the joy of meeting Amy as Ucchi, but there was also the feelings of Acchan himself (laughs).

Maruyama: I didn't expect to see Amy again like this on set, let alone in our private lives……I was so happy to see her again. All at once, I was taken back to the way I felt back then.

"The "There there~" after learning that Prince is Daigo and Amy's son wasn't in the script."

Maruyama: That part was also fun. As Utsusemimaru, I think of myself as Prince's uncle.

Konno: We're supposed to be parent and child, but Prince's Kawana-kun isn't really that far off in age from me (laughs), but I still felt at ease when I was with him……The parent and child setting was a good fit for us. I think his character fit well with that part as well.

Maruyama: I agree. No, It truly overwhelms me with emotion. It truly overwhelms me with emotion.

Konno: Why'd you say it twice? (laughs).

Maruyama: As Utsusemimaru, Yayoi-dono……it was refreshing to have so many scenes with Marie. Even 10 years ago, I probably said the line, "Yayoi-dono!" many times. What was interesting was that there were no takes where we couldn't help but look at each other, even when we weren't meant to interact. I was glad to see that the unique spirit of Kyoryuger was still there in both of us.

-Super Sentai, Through the Ages-

"What were your impressions of the King-Ohger cast?"

Maruyama: They're what you'd expect of current heroes! They're sparkling.

Shiono: As expected, they were different from us (laughs).

Maruyama: They're shining.

Konno: They made me feel young.

Shiono: But, we're actually quite close in age to them.

Maruyama: That's true for you two. I'm different though (laughs).

Konno: If I could go back to those days, I would. Kyoryuger was about youth.

Maruyama: Me too. I'm already 30 years old.

Shiono: Everyone in the Kyoryuger cast has a deep love for our show. Of course, that can be said for any Super Sentai……

Maruyama: And among us, Ryusei Ryo is the one with the strongest love for it. Even at karaoke, when he's feeling it, he sings the theme song.

Shiono: That's true (laughs). And, he has an overwhelming sense of being the main character. This time, when he was wearing the costume he wore back then for the first time in such a long time, I thought, "It's King! King is here!" (laughs).

Maruyama: It was a combination of various miracles. Everyone participated, including those who only performed with their voices.

Konno: It's a full course.

Maruyama: It's a dream.

Shiono: It's a 40 minute film, but it's a condensed version of about two and a half hours worth of content. I guess most of the people who come to the movie theaters are King-Ohger fans, but I'd be happy if they took this opportunity to go back and watch Kyoryuger as well.

Maruyama: On the other hand, for those who were fans of Kyoryuger or have been away from the Super Sentai series for awhile but came to see this film, I hope they'll see the appeal of King-Ohger and become Super Sentai fans again.

Shiono: It's exactly because the series has continued that we've been invited back. I'm truly aware of how grateful I am. By the way, my friend's child is around the age where they're watching King-Ohger. Recently, they recognized me as Souji from Kyoryuger. That made me happy.

Konno: What a nice story!

Maruyama: Is it okay if I meet this kid too?

Shiono: Why? (everyone laughs).

-Reunion and the Future-

"The 10th anniversary of Kyoryuger, from the TV series to the V-Cinext, was a wonderful plan to celebrate."

Maruyama: That's right. When filming for the TV series……

Shiono: Acchan didn't appear (laughs). No, I didn't think it would happen this way either. Our predecessors were also doing new films for their 10th and 20th anniversaries. Every time I heard something like that, I was concerned. But realistically, I think it's quite difficult. Then, at that time, it was decided that Konno Ayuri would make a sincere comeback (laughs).

Konno: The sincere comeback was for a limited time (laughs). When I first heard about it, they were working on getting everyone together, but I wondered why I was the only one missing……So I said, "Let me in!" However, when it came time to decide, there were only four of us in the TV series, and I was unable to meet the others due to my filming schedule. It felt incomplete and I thought, "This story is wrong!"

Maruyama: That's when you grabbed Producer Omori by the collar and……

Konno: I didn't do that! (laughs).

Shiono: But, there was another version, this V-Cinext.

Konno: After all, if we were going to do it, we wanted to have everyone together, right? I was happy to see that finally happen. Furthermore, with Director Sakamoto and all the Suit Actors from that time, it was a great honor to be able to work with them.

Shiono: The day we all gathered together was like a dream.

Konno: Even with relatives for example, if you only see each other once a year, you get alittle nervous (laughs). But with the cast and crew of Kyoryuger, I don't feel that way at all. They're irreplaceable. I hope that we can continue to communicate with each other forever.

Shiono: Asai Kosuke-san, the Suit Actor for KyoryuGreen, was unable to make the schedule for the TV series, but he was able to come this time. He was as humble as ever, and we were alittle nervous when greeting each other. It was nostalgic. It's nice to hear that he's been able to play Red many times after Green.

Konno: I had heard that Nogawa-san was going to play the role of KyoryuPink, but I dared not to contact her until the day of filming for the TV series. I thought that would make it more moving when we were reunited on set (laughs). Nogawa-san came to the VS this time as well, and in addition to Pink, she stood in and did some of Amy's actions.

Maruyama: KyoryuGold was played by Tsutamune-kun, who played Black at G-Rosso 10 years ago. I was very grateful that he came.

Shiono: Everyone in the King-Ohger cast seemed to get along well.

Maruyama: The atmosphere when everyone was together was really good.

Shiono: Their visuals are cool too. They incorporate some good points from anime as well.

Konno: It has the flashiness typical of Super Sentai. Their costumes before transforming were also gorgeous. We mostly wear casual clothes (laughs).

Maruyama: Utsusemimaru is the only one who can compete with them……but I still think he'd lose (laughs).

Konno: But, I think it's great that Super Sentai continues to evolve in this way. I was on a train once and saw an excited child with a Sentai toy getting off at Suidobashi station with their parents. I think they'd probably be watching G-Rosso's show from then on. 10 years ago, I was performing at G-Rosso, so I thought to myself, "I hope you enjoy it!" as I saw them off. I hope that the Super Sentai series continues forever for the benefit of such children.

Iitoyo Marie (Yayoi)

-Resurrected Memories-

"Just now, you participated in the recording session, how was it?"

Iitoyo: I was shown a video from 10 years ago as reference, but the first thing I noticed was my baby face (laughs). I was 15 years old at the time……My voice sounded so young, that I felt as if it wasn't mine. I've done dubbing for anime productions over the past few years, but there's something special about tokusatsu dubs, so I was worried about doing it after such a long absence. But it was a strange thing, as when I started, my memories came back to me, as if I had been doing this only yesterday. When I turned around, I naturally said stuff like, "Hah!" I even surprised myself.

"How was it decided that you'd appear this time?"

Iitoyo: When the Kyoryugers were going to make a guest appearance in the King-Ohger TV series, there were rumors that I might appear as well (laughs). But at that time, I didn't get an offer. I myself was an additional warrior and semi regular, so I thought it was inevitable. However, after that, there was a dinner party for this film, and Kinjo-san contacted me and asked, "Will monkey be joining us?" Ah, back in the day, I was called monkey (laughs). So, I had a chance to attend that dinner party. At that point I thought, "They're just flattering me" and didn't take it seriously (laughs), but after awhile, I found out that I was actually going to be able to appear and thought, "Yay!" What's more, the script had Yayoi playing an important role, which made me really happy. Of course I was able to perform, but the fact that everyone would be together was unbelievable. I want to thank everyone involved from the bottom of my heart.

-Greatest Joy-

"There were also action scenes."

Iitoyo: Recently, I had the opportunity to work on the production "Love You as the World Ends," and I think my experience during Kyoryuger definitely helped me in my ability to see and learn the flow of the action and shoot it immediately. Of course, the reason it looks so good isn't because I'm good at it, but because of the help of the members in the Action Department. Also, it was refreshing to see that I have many interactions with Utsusemimaru-san this time. We have an important mission, but the two of us end up distorting space and time……Yayoi isn't in the wrong at all (laughs). The comedic exchanges were fun to perform.

"Iitoyo-san, what does Kyoryuger mean to you?"

Iitoyo: I'll never forget this precious show. For example, even if I wear glasses for a moment, fans will say, "You remind me of Yayoi." Also, I've had many opportunities to perform with cast members from other series, and they always talk about it like, "XX and KyoryuViolet are doing a dream collab together!" For me, it's the great pleasure just to be remembered for my performance, but to be invited to a commemorative film like this is the greatest joy. I'd be happy if movie theaters could be a place of "reunion" for all fans.

Director Sakamoto Koichi

-A Miraculous Gathering!-

"Kyoryuger was the show in which the Director, who had been working on "Power Rangers" for many years, was finally in charge of the main part of the original Japanese Super Sentai series.

Sakamoto: I've enjoyed working on all of the productions I've been involved with, but if I were asked which is the best, I'd say Kyoryuger since every day of filming was fun. I had been involved in Super Sentai for 15 years with "Power Rangers," but that was the first time I had been involved in a Super Sentai project in Japan from its very beginning, so I aimed to make the most of my knowledge and experience to create a show that would be enjoyable. Sanjo-san, the Scriptwriter, who also worked on "Kamen Rider W" and "Kamen Rider Fourze," wrote a wonderful script that effectively utilized the characters and items, the talented cast, and as Producer Omori's first show as Chief Director, it's a very energetic show that concentrates everyone's energy. With the support of many fans and strong sales of its related merch, I think this was a memorable show in the history of Super Sentai. That's why I'm really happy to be able to participate in the 10th anniversary festivities this time!

"The first thing that surprised us was that the story was connected to episodes 32 and 33 of the King-Ohger TV series, as well as other episodes."

Sakamoto: The plan was to show all four except Daigo and Ucchi on TV, and save the complete group for the VS. So, I started working on the script early, but I was uncertain until the very end whether the cast would be able to assemble according to their schedules. Everyone was busy, including Ryusei. In the end, everyone including Marie-chan was able to make adjustments, and the day of the shoot was a beautiful sunny day. It was truly a miracle that they came together. However, on the day we mainly shot the post transformation action, there was still snow from the previous day, and on the day we mainly shot the King-Ohger cast, there was strong wind, so overall, filming was quite hard (laughs).

"On the day the Kyoryuger cast gathered, individual action scenes were also prepared."

Sakamoto: I think they're some of the best members of Super Sentai who have done some of the best action of all time. Therefore, in this film too, we've prepared action for each of them, although we didn't have enough time to spare. Once you learn to ride a bicycle, your body remembers it even if you haven't ridden it in awhile, right? For them, it's the same with action and the Kyoryu dance, and they did it in a snap even though it's been 10 years (laughs). Usually, when we shoot action with the cast members, it takes more time than in the Action Department, as we have to test it many times and teach them the movements in detail. But the members of Kyoryuger learn the action quickly and are able to film the action at almost the same speed as the Action Club. Takes unique to Super Sentai, such as running in and lining up side by side, can be done in a single shot. I once again thought, "Sentai is amazing" (laughs).

"It was also impressive to see how everyone seemed to be having fun on set."

Sakamoto: They probably did, but so did we……the staff was very happy (laughs). They've grown up in their own ways, while still retaining some of the same characteristics as back then. Also, most of the Suit Actors from back then, including Osshi, were there, so it felt as if the atmosphere on set 10 years ago had been revived and unchanged.

-For the Future of the Action World-

"The story is about all kinds of trouble going on because of Utsusemimaru……behind the scenes, the main character is Utsusemimaru, who's very active."

Sakamoto: Maruyama was disappointed that he didn't get a part in the TV series, so I told him, "I'll prepare a good role for you in VS!" I also put pressure on him saying, "The success or failure of the film depends on Utsusemimaru" (laughs).

"On the King-Ohgers side, it turned out feeling pretty outrageous."

Sakamoto: While in the process of writing the script, the climax of the TV series was set and I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with VS. Since it would be difficult to make the film more exciting than the final trilogy due to the length of the film, we aimed to create an enjoyable experience that included elements similar to the "Returns~" series that Toei Video had previously produced. I thought that by taking a different approach from the roles in the TV series, the audience watching and the actors performing would be able to enjoy the show. I had alot of fun filming them because of their confidence and growth after completing the 1 year series, and their openness to make suggestions about "wanting to act like this."

"Please tell us about Kawana Rintaro-san, who has participated in a series of collaborations since the TV series."

Sakamoto: When I was watching tokusatsu hero shows, there were actors like Ohba Kenji-san and Haruta Junichi-san, who could perform advanced action and stunt work even before transforming. In addition, JAC (now JAE) at that time had big stars such as Shihomi Etsuko-san and Sanada Hiroyuki-san, and many of us admired them and entered the world of action films. One of my goals was to develop action stars who can be "objects of admiration." Rintaro, who plays the role of Prince, is the son of Motoki Kawana-kun, my junior, and grew up with a gifted education in action from a young age. He's appeared in several of my own productions, and I wanted to give him something of a big "chance" when I offered him an audition for the role of Prince. I recommended him for the role, and he won. It seems that he was well received when he appeared in the TV series, so I'm really looking forward to the future. He's the same age as my own son, very pure and cute~. I hope he'll continue to absorb more and more on various sets in the future.

"And, as for Kyoryuger, Chiba Shigeru-san's screaming narration is always a must! This time as well, his excitement was strong."

Sakamoto: Chiba-san is amazing! It's truly amazing that he continues to be active at the forefront of the industry. I've felt my body deteriorate rapidly since turning 50, so I've recently started working out again (laughs). Holding workshops gives me exercise and allows me to meet new talents, so I try to be proactive about doing them these days. I'd like to continue to film, so I'll keep doing my best from now on!

[remember-digimon]

Next up is my favorite, Matt!

Wow what a cool guy.

So, Matt is usually described as a loner, Tai's rival, and the Angsty Cool Guy. None of these actually describe who he is, so let's dive into that.

1. Loner. Matt isn't a loner, he's lonely. Big difference. He keeps others at a very long arm's length as a self-preservation mechanism; due to his parents' divorce basically breaking his little heart at a really young age. He learned then that other people could hurt him by leaving, and decided from then on he wouldn't give them the opportunity to hurt him. His loneliness is so deeply rooted that it's interpreted by others as aloofness, while he is only 11 years old. Like damn wtf

2. Tai's rival. Outside of the Cherrymon incident, which was just good ol' manipulation to get the two most powerful Digimon in the group to fight, Matt was really only considered Tai's rival in early promotional stuff that had a little bio for each character. Matt likely gets interpreted as Tai's rival because they fight a lot, but it's not that simple. Matt doesn't want to compete with Tai, he doesn't want to be the leader. He butts heads with Tai because they're basically opposites. Matt is acutely aware of the group's feelings and needs, while Tai remains laser-focused on the goal at hand. This dynamic isn't like Ash vs Gary, where they're actively competing with each other. Matt gets frustrated with Tai very easily, and he feels things so intensely that he can't really help but blow up.

3. Cool Guy. Let's get one thing straight, this kid right here is not cool. This was more of a thing in the dub iirc, but regardless, his attitude is just a cover to keep people from getting too close. Hell, it takes Gabumon a few episodes longer than the other Digimon to really get close to Matt; before that point, Matt certainly isn't a total dick to Gabumon, but he isn't fully trusting yet either.

Matt's relationship with TK is an interesting one. He feels like it's his sole purpose to protect TK, not just from monsters but from anything unpleasant in life. All of the familial love and affection he gets comes from TK so it's understandable why he would feel this way.

One complaint I often hear about Matt is that his breakdown in the Dark Masters arc when TK gets kidnapped by Puppetmon is way overblown, that he wouldn't normally react that way. He left TK at the amusement park during Weregarurumon's Diner, and when he couldn't immediately leave he didn't break down like that.

The difference in these situations is obvious if you pay close attention. First of all, from the time the kids get up on the day Bakemon raid Odaiba to when they're back at the digital world and split up after talking to Homeostasis, is all one day. It feels much longer because of how many episodes that is, but they're all on at least 24 hours without sleep or taking a break. Also, keep in mind that Matt woke up earlier than the others, before sunrise, as his dad got him and Gabumon to the warehouse to keep them from getting abducted by the Bakemon.

Second, in that span of time the kids have all realized what they're up against. They've lost Wizardmon, Chuumon, Piximon, and Whamon in quick succession, the last three to the Dark Masters. Learning that his little brother has now been captured by one of these Dark Masters would lead Matt to fearing the worst.

Then there's the big fight he had with Tai just prior to the breakdown. He accused Tai of being obsessed with fighting and ignoring the others' grief at the loss of their Digimon friends. By the time he and TK are in the tree with their Digimon, he's already showing signs of wanting to break away from the group, saying that they don't need the others.

Matt also feels that his growth is stagnant compared to the others; this is untrue, as Gabumon would not be able to digivolve to higher levels if Matt wasn't growing and changing. But his self-image is so damaged that he always sees the negative aspects of his personality when comparing himself to his peers.

And of course we have to talk about the Dark Cave. Because of how the Digital World operates, Matt's depression materializes and manifests as a cave that he can't escape until he comes to terms with it. Obviously this quick recovery from a depression spiral is not based in reality, but this is an episodic kid's show so I'm surprised we even got this much.

Matt's experience in the cave is one that a lot of people who have dealt with depression and loneliness can relate to. He says he wants to be alone, but Gabumon calls him out on that and makes him realize that isn't what he wants, actually. He wants to be more open with people, he's just under the impression that he's not really important, not wanted, so it's better off to just not even try. His relationship with his mother is highly strained because of the divorce, and because he has an overwhelming sense of loyalty he probably feels he has to be cold to her for his father's sake.

As for his father, Hiroaki is at work more often than not. Every time we see Hiroaki and Matt interact, Hiroaki is either brisk and business-like or even annoyed; when Matt meets up with him at the TV station, Hiroaki is angry that he didn't stay hidden. Obviously this is out of concern for his son, but still. A moment later, when TK shows up, suddenly Hiroaki is much softer in speaking. So I imagine that this dynamic would also have an impact on Matt's mental health; his dad is almost always at work, and when we do see him with his dad, Hiroaki is a bit tough with him.

But it isn't all sad times and angst with Matt. He loves music, later forming a popular band in middle school and high school. Once he realizes that he can open up to people, and they won't intentionally hurt him, he's able to create real, lasting relationships that aren't based on the cold exterior he uses to protect himself. It's clear that he needed to learn to let others in, and once he did learn that, he becomes much happier and more willing to open up and let those walls down. Even if it's just a little bit.

[hayesflint]

i love caught-in-the-rain-wet-cat man and his goober husband

sharing my thoughts under the cut for those of you who felt let down (spoilers for the last dance, obviously) (long)

a friend of mine, despite loving the movie, felt disappointed by how the movie handled venom and eddies relationship and lack of explicit queerness. and yet, upon discussing it with me, there is so much there. if you feel disappointment, please consider:

-the way they behaved with each other: constant contact intimacy, licking his face, fixing up his clothes, venom constantly fussing over Eddie, always talking and chatting in his head.

-wishing they had a slow, family life explicitly. "you'd make a good dad."

-eddie looking wistfully at a bride and groom

-venom admitting that to save eddies life in the first movie, he merged their souls. if that's not soulmates, idk what is. a soul bond so powerful that one of the most powerful beings in the universe desires it (in this version, we will just work with the movie lore for the purposes of this post, yeah?)

-the whole movie, their relationship was never in question. it was always framed as "you and me vs the world". the promise of the movie was 'eddie and venom want to get out of this situation to go and see a landmark together.' can you think of another movie of the same genre that has such a small, domestic character promise?

-speaking of genre, the fact we got an action movie so character relationship based around two characters is already groundbreaking. like, they weren't fighting to save the world, that was secondary. their primary goal was each other. they pushed the absolute boundaries of the genre all to favour telling a story about how much venom and Eddie mean to each other, not how heroic they would be if they saved the world.

like, the helicopter scene? so many unnecessary shots of just them making eye contact and crying because they start realizing that maybe it might not work out. they aren't grieving losing the battle or the fate of the world, venom knows he can fix that. that scene is them grieving the time they would lose with each other to do that.

-about the 'he is my best friend' line to leaf. in context, he was just about to reveal an alien to the boy who explicitly said he didn't want to meet one. i interpreted him saying 'he is my best friend' as a way to help the kid prepare and cope, keeping with the whole 'he is good with kids' thread that venom praised him for earlier. 'best friend' translates to 'not murderous like those other ones down there ok?' in context. if they were to make them explicit in the movies, that would not be a good scene to go it.

all of this was done in a action superhero movie. this was a relationship movie that wasn't between a hero and the girl he wants. a superhero movie without a prize love interest or even a love triangle for tension and conflict.

the last dance did so much, and even though we didn't get the last step of explicit queerness, we got everything else they needed to pull that off and they broke alot of genre tropes to do it

and i think we would all feel a bit better if we recognize that. (and my friend thought i should post this hahaha)

[lasandra]

Super Massive End Game Veilguard Spoilers Under the Cut!

Seriously. If you haven't finished playing Veilguard, DO. NOT. READ. So I finished DA:tV and I have been really trying to sort out my thoughts... And well...

Sdlkajshdfklajhsdfklajhsdflkjahsdklfjhaskldfjhaskldfhj I CAN'T!!! My dudes I am SO conflicted!!! Solas is the only character I have ever come across that I both love to pieces and want the best for him but I also want to beat him until he is a puddle of bruised yolk and cracked shells. This dude KILLED VARRIC FOR REALSIES! I am not okay with that. My Hawke's GOING to hunt him down when she finds out. If the Tevinter Magisters can get into the Black City then dammit so can she. And when she does, I am not sure even Lavellan can save him. Amelia (My Hawke) has lost so many of her friends/family/loved ones she can't handle this anymore. He also killed God's gift to elves Felassan. It's been over a decade since I read The Masked Empire but I don't remember there being a great reason other than him being upset that Felassan failed. Dude has GOT to stop killing his friends lol. Especially the hot ones. Like. Come on. As if that wasn't enough, he manipulated Rook. I love my first Rook (Carwyn de Riva) so much that I am STRUGGLING to play another playthrough with any of the other Rooks I had planned. To see that he manipulated her with blood magic... Stopped her from being able to mourn Varric with the others properly.... AND tricked her into that prison??? He didn't think she'd be able to get out. Luckily she had plot armor because if she hadn't gotten out I would find a way into Thedas to rip him apart myself. *Aggressive breathing noises* I feel very normal about this, obviously. Seriously though, guys, I came THIIIIIIIS close to tricking him with the fake dagger even knowing that Lanaya (my Lavellan) wouldn't have gotten her happy ending. JUST so I could see the LOOK on his face when he realized ROOK outplayed him at his own game! At the SAME time however... The idea of sending him into the Black City alone... hurts me lol! I don't want him to suffer. Dude has suffered a lot and honestly, I'm not entirely sure his being a friend-murdering ass is *entirely his fault... The longer I sit with everything, the more certain I am that Solas didn't really have a choice. Seems very much like he was sort of bound to the will of Mythal. Maybe I've missed something, I'm not as lore-savvy as I once was. But in the end when Mythal tells Solas that she releases him from her service and only THEN (NOT when Lavellan BEGS him to stop) is he willing to do the right thing? I don't know. It just reminded me SO much of his personal quest in Inquisition where his Wisdom Spirit friend had been bound and twisted against its purpose. If it works anything like what we saw in Inquisition with whoever drank from the Well of Sorrows, who's to say when something was him vs the will of Mythal? It could be a bit of a stretch but, there's certainly room for that interpretation, I think. And if that's the case, then he doesn't deserve the hell that awaits him. It's also the only interpretation I can really accept Lanaya still wanting to be with him. Varric was her friend too. While forgiveness is something I give freely, I cannot imagine reconciling with a man who did what Solas did without him having been essentially forced into doing it. *Sighs deeply* I saw the different versions of his endgame images... Shit man. The only way this man gets a happy ending is with Lavellan. Dude looks so miserable and gloomy in all the other endings. Moire (Trevelyan) was Solas' friend. She wouldn't want to send him off to be alone in such a terrible place. That would seriously eat at her. (Rook wouldn't care. Her give a damn was busted after he betrayed her for the twenty-billionth time.) It can never be anything but a complete and utter rollercoaster with this man! I do think that the ending I got with him was as good as it possibly could have been though, given everything. Sorry for this really poorly written rant. I needed to get this out of my system and it's almost 3am lol.

[violetszone]

PlayStation VS Date

Charles x fem!reader

From this request

Summary: Because you didn't have a plan, you decided to spend Valentine's Day playing PlayStation with your neighbor Charles. When someone wanted to take you out to dinner at the last minute, Charles did everything he could to stop you from going because he loved you.

Prompts:“I’ve been hit with Cupid’s arrow. / “Why? Because I’m in love with you, that’s why!”

WARNINGS: Quick finish,not edited writing

You and Charles had a good friendship because you were neighbors. On Valentine's Day, you both had no job or plan, so you were thinking of playing PlayStation together. You bought something and went to his house, he knew you are coming, so he had arranged the game.

"Are you ready to lose today lord Perceval" he laughed and sat next to you shaking his head "You're talking too soon madame we'll see" you started the game, you were going ahead, even if you cheated, Charles was ignoring and sometimes even losing on purpose.

You got a notification on your phone for a moment, so you got distracted. You looked at the text you got on your phone. There was a boy you've been talking to for a while and he wanted to take you out to dinner. It actually sounded good, you think Charles wouldn't mind

You stopped the game Charles rebelled "Come on, YN I was going to win, what are you doing" you stood up and shook your phone "I have a date plan sorry it happened suddenly, we can continue tomorrow"

Charles left the console on the couch and stood up, "You didn't have a plan in the morning, who are you going to go with? Don't tell me that idiot you've been talking to for the past few months, please, the man is an idiot he doesn't know how to treat women"

You rolled your eyes and put your phone in your pocket You grabbed Charles's face with both hands and kissed his cheek "Sorry Charles, we'll continue tomorrow" you left Charles in the living room and went to the door, just as you opened it Charles closed the door, you turned to him to understand what had happened. He had you stuck between the door and himself.

the distance between you was too short You pushed Charles a little bit but he still didn't move "Don't go on a date" You crossed your arms over your chest "Why" he looked at the ceiling for a while as if hesitant to tell the reason he looked into your eyes again without realizing you held your breath “Why? Because I’m in love with you, that’s why!” You uncrossed your arms and studied his face, he wasn't kidding.

"I don't know YN it's like since the first time I saw you I’ve been hit with Cupid’s arrow.” You were really surprised because that's how you felt when you first saw Charles, even though you didn't want to admit it, you loved him too.

You opened your mouth to speak but the words weren't coming out, you couldn't find what to say."Your kind behavior, you don't stop competing with me even though you are terrible at games, your excellent cooking skills, your bad jokes and even that hair habit tick impresses me a lot YN" 

"Hey I'm not bad at games" he laughed and bit his lip and said "You suck" you whispered "I know" he put one hand on your cheek "I tried really hard to stay away from you and leave you alone but every morning when you go out on that balcony and look at me something happened to my heart, YN please say something" you took his hand on your cheek and kissed the inside "I love you more than you love me Charles"

You let go of his hand and hugged him and after a while you left him behind and walked into the hall "I have a bone to pick with you. Perceval come here, I'll show you who is suck" he entered the room laughing and continued the game from where you left off.

[strawberryshortcake1495]

As if I couldn’t make my Lebam AU even darker… 😭

In Dipper and Mabel VS the Future, Mabel finds out that Dipper will become Ford’s apprentice and therefore will be leaving her to a cruel, unforgiving, and unpredictable world all by herself. This is when Mabel truly starts to delve into McGucket levels of insanity. When Dipper goes home, instead of asking him to tell her he’s joking, Mabel simply asks him if it’s true. Confused, Dipper gently touches her shoulder and she pounces on him. Pinning him to the wooden floor with an iron grip, Mabel interrogates him. She’s sacrificed so much for him. Her happiness, her dignity, her identity. It was all for him. Now he wants to run away and leave her to rot in the mud? She’s sad and angry but her mind is churning like a pot of boiling water. It’s confused because the whole point of Lebam is to protect Dipper, now she’s hurting him? It didn’t make sense. Mabel realizes this as she’s strangling her brother to death. Horrified, she drags him out to the forest and buries his body before proceeding to have a loud hysterical breakdown. She prepares to take her own life when she’s stopped by Blendin. He tells her he can fix everything for her, make all the pain go away, as long as she joins him. She takes the offer. Her sole purpose in life was to love and cherish her twin brother, but now he’s dead. She has nothing left to lose. She’s whisked away, not knowing Dipper was still alive.

Now here’s the difference: Mabeland is more of a dream-like realm inside Mabel’s mind and Bill simply shoved all the memories of her past life down to make room in her mindscape for Mabeland. Mabel is very much conscious and aware of Weirdmageddon, but as I said, she has nothing to lose. But as she’s curled up in the corner of the Fearamid, the realization of what she’s truly done starts to seep in. She can’t stop thinking about Dipper. He’s really gone. Mabel tries to distract herself by going to sleep and traveling to Mabeland but it doesn’t fill the void in her heart. That’s when Mabel realizes she can’t live without her brother, so she needs to be her own brother. With Bill’s help, she cuts her hair and styles it to look like Dipper’s and takes her sweater and headband off, replacing her shirt with a Pinetree shirt to really go with the vibe. Now she has 3 separate personalities: Mabel, Lebam, and Pinetree.

Meanwhile, Dipper manages to dig himself out of the ground but he’s extremely weak. Wendy scours the woods for shelter and finds his limp body on the ground. She brings him to a cave and nurses him back to health, well at least until he’s able to stand and speak. Then they go to find Ford and Mabel.

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Meaningless vs. useful angst

Kiko is about to fucking rant.

Maybe I'm beating a dead horse, but I feel like this is something that people will relate to more than I realized before. Plus, as someone who is going through a lot of shit IRL, I completely understand the need to read some angst as an outlet. But the constant angst caused purely by the exact same issues over and over and over with zero growth over 100k+ word fics gets incredibly exhausting and sometimes it genuinely ruins my day because the angst didn't serve as a useful outlet; in the end, it actually just filled me with more grief.

In my (likely unpopular) opinion, these stories show a lack of depth and creativity in a writer. They give the impression that the writer doesn't know how to write conflict without falling back onto the exact same issues and tropes, and it just becomes a revolving door that will never have a satisfying end.

Meaningless angst leaves readers unsatisfied and empty. It provides characters that readers don't want to root for. It lacks proper character development and typically includes angst for the sake of angst, for the sake of piling the pain and anguish onto characters (and readers) until it's just more than anyone can take. It reaches a point where absolutely no ending will be satisfying for anyone. Eventually, characters are irredeemable and beyond saving.

Making your readers feel grief through your writing does not make you a good writer by default. Sometimes, it just means that you've written a shit ton of angst with no clear direction and it left your readers feeling unfulfilled and empty. Angst with no purpose beyond drawing a reaction from people isn't good writing, it's lazy and uncreative. Most of the time, it's used as a means to keep people hooked because they're compelled to read until there's a satisfying end, but the problem is that there won't be. Essentially, what you've done is you've opened a wound that will never be closed.

For angst to work, there has to be a clear goal and characters worth rooting for. We want them to make it through the angst because they're strong and compelling. But once you have characters making the exact same mistakes for the fifth or sixth time with no signs of growth or any attempts to learn, it becomes drawn out and meaningless. The issue with this kind of angst is that it doesn't drive us forward, it either takes us backward or keeps us stagnant. It leaves your readers unsatisfied, and it traps you in a cycle that feels absolutely hopeless. We start just wishing for the end no matter what that may be. We don't want them to keep going.

The purpose of angst is not just to cause pain. Angst is a rhetorical vehicle to reach a clear goal. Angst works when it has purpose beyond evoking strong reactions from readers. It works when it's necessary to move the story forward.

These are all reasons why, in my writing (Another Level, Physical Paradox, and even in Before I Love You), I've tried to make sure that angst has a clear meaning and purpose. In Another Level, our angst didn't last too long. It wasn't drawn out for no reason, and it had a clear result. Every time we had angst, we clearly saw the growth in Rinko and Gojo. In the end, it always worked toward strengthening their trust, not completely destroying it. The angst began because of 'realistic' reasons, not cheap plot twists that make you angry and leave you unfulfilled (I hope).

Anyway, that's my rant about angst because it seems like there are no stories that can balance the angst well enough to reach a satisfying conclusion.

[gayelderstourney]

OLD MAN YAOI BRACKET ROUND 2

Propaganda:

Sheo/The Nailsmith:

It's really nice because you unlock it after the nailsmith asks you to kill him with the pure nail and you refuse and walk away. He then says he was wandering hallownest without purpose until he found sheo who helped him discover that there was more to life than just one calling. These two are probably the only characters in the game to have a genuinely happy ending

The nailsmith loses his purpose in life after finishing his ultimate masterpiece, his lifelong goal, the pure nail. He requests the protagonist to try the nail on him, but If you refuse, he will find sheo who helps him to find new meaning in life and realise that there is more to life by teaching him different crafts. They can then be seen sculping figurines together, and sheo is also painting the nailsmith.They share a common love for art and crafts and inspire each other. Sheo's story is that he was a nailmaster, but got tired of it, and put down his nail to pick up a paintbrush. I think it's beautiful that he could help the nailsmith realise what he himself did. They both also used to live in solitude without even realising how lonely they were, and I think it's cute tuhat they can do art together now :]

They are two bugs retired from their career and making better lives for themselves and they’re gay about it. Nailsmith believes at first that he has nothing left after creating the perfect nail and asks the knight to strike him down, and if you don’t, he meets Sheo, a retired nailmaster finding a new calling in painting and sculpting. They find a shared love in creating things and Nailsmith finds a new calling in art as well. The achievement you get for uniting them is called “Happy Couple”

Gay bugs gay bugs gay bugs (Cw mention of suicide) They both used to pursue their one passion in life: forging the perfect nail (sword) for the Nailsmith and the art of combat for Sheo. Sheo realized he could just leave that life when he lost his passion for fighting, and he found himself a new purpose in life: art. However, he always seemed very lonely, completely isolated by all other bugs in his hidden house in the middle of a thorn jungle. When The Nailsmith achieved his goal and forged the perfect nail, he lost his purpose in life and his will to live. He asks the player to kill him. However, if the player refuses, he can later be found in Sheo's house, modelling for Sheo or sculpting figurines with him. He thanks the player for not fulfilling his request, because he has found a new calling in life here, making art together with Sheo. They both express how happy they are to no longer be alone. This also gives you the "Happy Couple" achievement, confirming that they are a couple.

THEY'RE CANON!!! They're fucking canon!!! You can talk to them at one point after doing a Bunch of Stuff to get them to meet each other and you get an achievement called "Happy Couple"!!! Gotta love old man yuri

Jean-Luc Picard/Q:

theyre kind of the ogs. q fucked that old man for SURE. if they arent old enough for you in the next generation (1987-1984) they probably will be in picard (2020-2023). also when i went looking for the pic i included i googled “star trek picard q in bed” and there were actually multiple different instances of that happening that popped up

um it’s unclear what age Q is supposed to be in TNG but in Picard they’re both undeniably old as balls. Q has godlike powers that he just uses to hang out with this bald old man in increasingly strange and annoying ways. And call him “mon capitane” like a freak and materialize next to him in bed and say Good Morning Darling and lounge all over the Enterprise like a fruit anyways I think they’re abnormal and I like them

what if you were an all powerful nearly omnipotent being who has been worshipped as a god on planets across the farthest reaches of space and the first guy to just not give a shit about you makes you fall madly in love with him

I can’t get my thoughts clear right now but they mean so much to me. They’re meant to be with each other ok. the sequel to spirk. they would be canon if paramount werent COWARDS

if I were an entity as old as the universe itself and I kept visiting some old guy on a spaceship trying to justify the existence of humanity it would 100% be for gay reasons and Q understands this concept on an intimate level actually