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ranchstoryblog · 7 months ago

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Ranch Story Community Q&A Volume 3: Igusa Matsuyama Returns!

Igusa Matsuyama, the legendary artist behind the Story of Seasons series since the original 1996 game has once again agreed to a Q&A featuring questions from fans from around the world! A big thank you to all the members of the community who helped make this possible.

Some aspects of the text have been altered to match localization people are familiar with. (Japanese names to English names, for example: Bokujou Monogatari (牧場物語) was formerly localized as Harvest Moon and is now localized as Story of Seasons, etc). Images were not part of the original text and have been added as a visual aid. Though we translated as many questions as we could, we did not include questions involving personal information or regarding unannounced releases. Please understand.

If you would like to read our original correspondence (in Japanese), that will be provided in a separate post.

Additional cosplay photo provided by Foxface from our community Discord.

Translations: @artycharmy (correspondence, outline) Editing and Clean-up: Jerome, @artycharmy, and @regularcelery

——— Anonymous asks: What is the relationship between Jamie and the Harvest Goddess?

Igusa Matsuyama: Jamie was treated as a fairy or spirit. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if there's any points that link them and the Goddess.

Editor's note: the term Matsuyama uses is "妖精."

Tomato asks: I would like to ask about what their inspiration was for the outfits designs in the original release of harvest moon another wonderful life. Since I got reminded of the girl clothing brand Mezzo Piano when looking at the I love Kuma/I love bears outfit.

Igusa Matsuyama: I remember the only thing I thought of was using Spring-like colours! (All designs were made with seasonal colours In mind) When I knew that Daachan, who was planned to be used in a lot of events, wouldn't actually play a big role in the game, I put him on the T-Shirt so he could at least get some attention as a mascot-like existence.

Pansy asks: If you were able to create your own game for the Story of Seasons franchise, with no rules or limitations whatsoever, what do you think it might look like?

Igusa Mastuyama: Since I love dogs, I'd like to try making a Story of Seasons that's set in a world just full of dogs. Though that dream of mine probably won't come true.

Anonymous asks: The look of Story of Seasons has changed a lot over the years! What would you say is more challenging to create - simple designs, where you have to work with very little space, or complicated designs, where you have to consider many little details?

Igusa Matsuyama: A long time ago there were a lot of things you weren't able to replicate in video games. There were constraints for things like the number of colours and patterns for hair styles and clothes. It was difficult to work around those constraints, but at the same time a lot of fun. Nowadays, it's the complete opposite. Now we can design anything with hardly any constraints. And unlike a long time ago, now I'm asked to make more complicated designs, like patterns and decorations. However, if it's a big request, sometimes I run into quite a lot of trouble when designing. They each have had their own difficulties.

Anonymous asks: Hello, Matsuyama! Thank you for bringing the worlds of Bokujou Monogatari to life for many years. Your art has had a huge influence on me!

One of my favorite candidates is “Rock” from “A Wonderful Life.” I’d love to know any particular influences for his character design from 21 years ago, and his new design for the remake.

Igusa Matsuyama: I was told that he was a young, wannabe playboy, so I somehow ended up with that sort of design. For the remake, I made his clothes a little looser without changing his design, so he'd look even more playful. I, too, wanted to avoid changing him as much as I could as there are other people among the staff that also like the original for his “Rockness”. So, he got that makeover after everybody shared and checked their opinions with each other.

Jerome asks: On page 130 of the "Special Comic" manga there's artwork of Super Famicom characters that have never been printed anywhere else. Do you or Marvelous still have these? It would be great to see them in more detail in the future some time.

Igusa Matsuyama: They're all characters that appeared in the SNES version of "Harvest Moon." Nina's parents, Ellen's mother, Ann's father, Maria's parents (The mayor couple). I'm sorry. My SNES illustrations have gone missing...

Raven Bloom, Ryan, and Moth ask: How did you feel when your designs for the men in A Wonderful Life were repurposed to be bachelors? What do you think of the changes made to the bachelors in the remake of A Wonderful Life? I miss the “Bruce Campbell” look Matthew used to have.

Igusa Matsuyama: Matthew (マシュー) is Masshu (マッシュ) in the Japanese A Wonderful Life (Editors note: Charmy made a careless mistake when translating the questions, sorry Matsuyama san 🫣) When I first heard this name, the first thing that came to mind was Evil Dead's protagonist, Ash. You're right. I designed him after Bruce Campbell. I still love Bruce Campbell today. When Wonderful Life was under production, I had heard they weren't going to make a girl version, so I designed him not as a love interest, but as a quirky character. Knowing that he'd appear in the remake as a marriage candidate, I redesigned him as a character that would be liked by many. I hope you can enjoy the game for its nostalgia, as well as for being a shiny, brand new release.

Salmon Axe and Anonymous ask: I personally adore Doraemon x SOS game. Are you interested in working directly with or collaborating with other franchises in the future? And is there a series outside Story of Seasons you would like to work with now as a guest artist? (Could it be Pokemon?)

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved Doraemon manga since I was a kid! Working as a guest artist? Hmm, I'm happier being the main illustrator, so nothing in particular comes to mind. I enjoy a lot of games in my free time, such as Fallout, Far Cry and Border Lands.

Anonymous asks: Even though we never see his face, was there ever a concept of how Woofio would look without his costume?

Igusa Matsuyama: I designed Woofio as the being that is Woofio, so there's no design of him without his costume.

Idris asks: Your style has upgraded a lot over the time to match the trends. Do you think you will ever go for an old school look (early HM) for a SoS game again? What do you think is the secret to your art’s charm?

Igusa Matsuyama: What I'm particular about when designing for Story of Seasons is making characters with head/body proportions and an atmosphere that go well with that release. First, I listen to the client's request then think of a design according to that. These days, game visuals have gotten fancier and fancier, so there's not many opportunities for characters with short proportions to make an appearance. To me, what's important when designing is "playfulness." More so than "pretty" or "cool" and such, I get attached to the character, have fun making the character. I find joy in character creation itself.

MacGyver asks: Yasuhiro Wada has shared some interesting stories about how chaotic the original game's development was. Is there anything interesting you remember from around that time?

Igusa Matsuyama: Now it's a memory I can look back on and laugh about, but I'm not sure how much I can talk about it so please forgive me. If Wada hadn't been there back then, then "Harvest Moon" wouldn't have become a thing.

Toyberb and Anonymous ask: There’s a lot of different cow designs now, which is your favorite to draw?

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved drawing animals since I was a kid, so I love all of the cows. Although the easiest one to draw is the cow with the big nose.

Anonymous asks: Were there any games where you made designs for protagonists of genders that did not end up available to play as? (Like a girl protagonist for Save the Homeland/Hero of Leaf Valley or a nonbinary protagonist for any game before A Wonderful Life)

Igusa Matsuyama: There's so many designs that got scrapped, but as far as I recall, there's not really many where that character's setting itself was scrapped. (Excluding Thumbelina, mentioned below)

Koharu asks: Were there ever any character designs made for other older SNES characters like Ellen for 64? Some magazines had Marie with blue hair, like the SNES character, so it made me wonder if she (SNES Maria) was meant to also be there at some point.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm not in the position to make settings or scenarios where characters from other games appear, so I can't say, but I like the idea of older characters making an appearance!

Amina/k0iisu asks: Hello! I really love Hiro’s design specifically. Could you tell me a few facts about him/his design that might not be well known information? Thank you so much! I love your art :D

Igusa Matsuyama: Thank you very much! Hiro is a future doctor, so I tried to make them look as much like a doctor as I could. Also, to make him look friendlier, I designed him as your average everyday boy you'd see in the neighbourhood. He doesn't have a flashy face or hairstyle, but he's one of my favourite designs, too. I wrote this in the guidebook too, but what I like about him is the Asian flair I added to his clothes and the spot of colour around his feet.

Bunbun asks: I'm excited for the Nendoroid that was announced of Claire! I hope there will be ones of HM64 designs too. Since you have a lot of figures on your blog, how does it feel to be able to add one of your own characters to your collection? Are there any of your other characters you hope will get figures of?

Igusa Matsuyama: A nendoroid of Claire! I'm looking forward to it too, but when is it going to be released? If it's possible, I'd like one of Woofio.

Editor's note: Preorders are open for Nendoroid Claire now!

Chickee asks: A purple-haired princess character was rumored to have existed in Harvest Moon 64, but she didn't make it to the published game. Did you create a design for this character?

Igusa Matsuyama: That's probably Princess Thumbelina. Wasn't she Incredibly small? What I designed didn't end up being used. Speaking of HM64 characters, I pushed for them to include a pet turtle, but in the end it only appeared as an ornament. For A Wonderful Life, I asked for a turtle to be included again and designed a tortoise with a scarf, but it didn't make it as a pet and appeared only as a wild turtle that walks around the pond. I'm waiting for the day they finally include a pet turtle in the game.

emery flower147 asks: omg I saw the pics where the AWL girls are in a team and Muffy has a shotgun and stuff? Do you think any other characters would work in a cool team like that?

Igusa Matsuyama: For the Friends of Mineral Town guide book, I had the five girls, Popuri, Marie, Ran, Elly and Karen work hard as Harvest Sprites. Also, for the guide books, I drew Pete (The old male protagonist), Sarah (The GB version female protagonist), and Claire doing whatever I wanted them to. I don't know if you can call it cool or not, but it was fun being in charge of that.

Ixur asks: A lot of the PoOT character designs for the regular villagers seem more popular than the marriage candidates in my region. Is that something that's been noticed by you/Marvelous in Japan? Lars, Clemens, Beth, and Misaki for example.

Igusa Matsuyama: Marvelous doesn't really talk about that sort of thing so I'm not sure if they're aware of it or not. I don't do social media so I'm also not sure which characters are popular. I'm happy as long as the characters are liked. The design on Lars’s shirt is modeled after my beloved dog, so I’d be especially happy if you like his shirt too.

Anonymous asks: What do you think about people cosplaying your designs?

Igusa Matsuyama: It makes me very happy! I'm no good at sewing, so I really admire people who can make their own clothes. It's an honour having the designs I made be made into real clothes, and I think it's great to have fun acting out the characters.

Afro Fae asks: When creating designs for characters, how do you settle on a specific color palette? Do you take color meanings into account with a character's personality or do you go purely off of feeling?

Igusa Matsuyama: I keep in mind the overall colours the client asked for while designing. Sometimes I propose a new colour when I think there's one that fits better. I'm also careful when choosing colours and everyone's traits to make sure it's easy to tell which character is which when seen from a distance. However, in the cases of families and such, I do the opposite and give them all a common colour to give them a sense of kinship.

———

From all of us at Ranch Story, we'd like to thank Matsuyama from the bottom of our hearts for answering our questions again! Whether a fan has only just discovered the series or has grown up alongside it, so many people have loved these characters and worlds that Igusa Matsuyama brings to life, so it feels truly special to be able to have this opportunity. We'll end this article with Matsuyama's own words, as well as a parting gift.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm so glad I could answer your questions again. I'm the one that should be saying thank you. It means the world to me knowing that everyone enjoys my illustrations! I added an illustration as thanks. I'll keep up the hard work!

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eurothug4000 · 8 months ago

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INTERVIEW WITH SHIGENOBU MATSUYAMA - PRODUCER ON SILENT HILL THE ARCADE

I had the pleasure of interviewing Matsuyama-san, one of the producers on Silent Hill the Arcade! Here's what he had to say :)

Q - How did the idea for Silent Hill The Arcade come to be?

A - During the arcade boom of the 1990s and the 2000s, a desire was born to combine the unique worldview of the Silent Hill series - which was already a very strong IP console game-wise – with the haunted houses one might find in an amusement part. We wanted something that could provide an easy and pleasurable experience to an extremely varied range of customers… as in, the casual users. This is the idea that brought Silent Hill Arcade (SHA in short) to life. However, since our goal was to create a new kind of experience that could not be replicated anywhere else, we designed a game that could make the most effective use of the 5.1ch surround sound system, which was something that arcade games hadn’t adopted until that point, with a type of cabinet that could be somewhat isolated from the rest of the arcade via the use of curtains.

Q - Roughly how long did development for the game take?

A - At the time, the development cycle of an arcade game was so short it would be unimaginable today. The shortest one was around six months, the longest about one year and a half. I think SHA took us around one year and two months.

Q - What parts of development were most enjoyable for you?

A – Usually, arcade games are tested a certain number of times, both during development and just before launch in each and every country where their release has been scheduled (which, for SHA, meant Japan, the US, the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Hong Kong and Singapore). In order to keep the development budget for SHA as low as possible, however, I personally traveled alone to the US for the market testing, assembled the cabinet all by myself, repaired it when it was out of order, and stood next to it for days on end, pen and paper in my hand, ready to collect the players’ data. Game development, nearly 20 years ago, was very much an analog experience. It was also hard work, but when I look back, I have so many good memories of that time.

Q - Do you remember any kinds of ideas that you and the team wanted to include in the game, but didn’t in the end?

A – I’m sure this will sound obvious, since SHA was based on a pre-existing IP, but since the framework was pretty much already set when it came to characters and plot, we had to be extremely careful not to deviate from it so that we wouldn’t create inconsistencies. Personally, I would have loved to take the story in slightly wilder directions and include new and fresh ideas.

Q - I loved seeing so many locations from Silent Hill 3 and 4 make an appearance in the game! Was the team who worked on those two games involved in making any decisions for Silent Hill The Arcade?

A - We of course personally consulted select staff members of Konami, like for example Producer Yamaoka, with whom I had been acquainted with since before SHA. However, most development teams had a mix of internal and external members that changed pretty fluidly with each and every year, so there was no real collaboration between the various teams.

Q - What level of freedom were you given for creating this original story within the Silent Hill universe? Were you given any specific directives on what you could or could not integrate/use in the story?

A - If I have to express my personal point of view on the matter, however, should you compare the storyline for SHA with the timeline of the other games, you would indeed notice a few minor inconsistencies that we were not able to completely solve. That’s something I still have regrets about.

Q - Tell me about translating a traditional survival horror experience into the rail shooter genre and control style. What kind of considerations did you have to make for this?

A - The biggest challenge was by far to design a game system that could be as simple as possible, and to regulate the level of challenge in a way that felt balanced, because we didn't want to force complicated controls or an exceedingly high difficulty level on the casual arcade players. Moreover, there was another balance we had to strike perfectly: more specifically, the one between the aforementioned "haunted house" element - the one that was unique to SHA, with its sequences of terrifying events - and the thrilling playstyle that a rail shooter should provide to the player.

Q - As a final product, what are your personal thoughts on the game?

A - I think it had a state-of-the-art sound system, that the design of the cabinet, with its creepy-looking curtains, made people want to take a peek inside, and that the rail shooting system was simple and could be enjoyed by virtually everyone. I think we managed to combine these various elements with a one-of-a-kind worldview of Silent Hill in a way that was in my opinion pretty good! Of course, each and every member of the staff did their part, and I thank all of them wholeheartedly.

Q - Are you working on anything currently that you’d like me to mention?

A - Feel free to write whatever you prefer! If anything, I should thank you, since you allowed me to walk down the nostalgia lane and recall memories from almost 20 years ago that had been dimmed down by the passage of time. Thank you very much!

Shigenobu Matsuyama's site: shig.jp

#silenthill #silenthillarcade

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valfeathers · 2 years ago

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you know what. go wild. tell us more L headcanons !!! i'm listening with great attention !!!! i will read 3k of it if that's what you send. v wammyposting enabler agenda !!! 💙

gladly!! olorea enabling me in the inbox oh no

ookay so first i'm gonna info dump about how i choose to draw him bcs i just love talking abt my process & i put way too much thought into my own art lol

i remember some people talking about how i made him look healthier and i've had ppl say that i draw him pretty (which,, thanks sm i try !!)

so i like to mishmash several aspects from different L iterations over the years into my own art! such as the mole on his nose as a nod to the actor ken'ichi matsuyama who played him in L:CTW (& the 2006 dn live actions), and i tend to branch out & draw him with little bits of jewelry because of the 2015 jdrama

and the green jacket that he wears in the musical! (bcs i love that characterization and i think he should be allowed to be more unhinged)

i've noticed that his bitten nails reappear in different media as well, so i try to include those wherever i can

and as for the bitten lips & perpetually scratched knuckles,,, that's mostly projection haha

but anyways here are some more little hcs that i didn't have the opportunity to draw :)

the laces of those beat-up trainers he wears are literally never tied. can he tie them? yes. will he? nope!

he cuts his own hair,, that man has never set foot in a barber's in his life

maybe this is projection but i just cannot imagine him with a posh accent, an autistic non-accent at most

i feel like if he had gone to a proper college he'd have done a course on criminal psychology, and he would have absolutely excelled at the challenge of puzzling out the motives of criminals alongside the just. the crimes themselves.

man's hands are just perpetually cold, i mean it, terrible circulation all round

i think the jdrama might have inspired this one but germaphobe L is so so real to me. he really is just like me fr.

this one is just straight-up canon but i HAVE to mention this. his ability to like,, copy different dialects?? the fact that he's multi-lingual?? cool as fuck

OH AND,, i'm an ace-spectrum L truther. he's asexual on this page babey

this was a little short but!! this'll do for now so i don't wind up losing my mind and rambling for like 10 years straight,,

i relate so so deeply to this weird man and i won't apologise for it!!

#asks #v wammyposting #l lawliet #death note #death note hcs #this was fun <3 ty for the ask olorea u slay as usual !!#typing out these hcs with my cold hands & bitten nails #L my actual beloved he's so important to me

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d4dj-popularity-tournament · 9 months ago

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With the bottom 8 girls having settled for the last 4 spots, it's time now for the main event. We begin our 6 week journey in earnest now as the full bracket opens up.

Starting in the same #2 spot as last year, will the previous champion Rika repeat?

Or will the new #1 Kyoko push through after being knocked out of last year's Final 4?

Last year's runner up Tsubaki has dropped down to the #4 spot, can she make another run at the championship or is her slide a sign of an early knockout?

Meanwhile last year's Cinderella Kokoa, who made a run from her #27 spot all the way to the region final, finds herself with a much higher #16 spot. Wil that higher ranking turn into another run, maybe even to the championship? It'll mean going through Kyoko, her eliminator and new top dog, much earlier in the tournament.

Or will a new Cinderella rise from the lower ranks to challenge one of the top spots?

All these questions and more will be answered, and it all start now!

In the Peaky P-key region we have

#1 Kyoko Yamate vs #32 Yuka Jennifer Sasago

#16 Kokoa Shinomiya vs #17 Maho Akashi

#8 Aoi Miyake vs #25 Weronika

#9 Muni Ohnaruto vs #24 Lumina Ichihoshi

In the Merm4id region we have

#2 Seto Rika vs #31 Miiko Takeshita

#15 Towa Hanamaki vs #18 Marika Mizushima

#7 Noa Fukushima vs #26 Ibuki Niijima

#10 Rinku Aimoto vs #23 Nagisa Tsukimiyama

In the RONDO region we have

#4 Tsubaki Aoyagi vs #29 Neo

#13 Esora Shimizu vs #20 Michiru Kaibara

#5 Saki Izumo vs #28 Hiiro Yano

#12 Kurumi Shiratori vs #21 Haruna Kasuga

And in the Unichørd region we have

#3 Saori Hidaka vs #30 Rei Togetsu

#14 Shinobu Inuyose vs #19 Dalia Matsuyama

#6 Hayate Tendo vs #27 Elsie

#11 Miyu Sakurada vs #22 Sophia

#d4dj #d4dj popularity tournament

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jonathanvik · 1 year ago

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Starlight Dream - Chapter 48

“Well, well. Look who’s walked into the wrong neighborhood?” A freckled teen with a pompadour said.

“Oh dear, is the little girl lost?” Another thug said, getting into Arisu’s face.

Despite the four punks surrounding her, each with a weapon in easy reach, Arisu kept her usual steely eyes as she glared at them. She had to admire their guts. She’d made high schoolers wet themselves with that glower.

“It’s a free street, dumbass. Step aside.”

“Some mouth for a little brat.” The largest said, leaning closer to her face. “This daughter of a worthless drunk needs to learn some manners! You’re talking to the Guardian of Koiwa No. 4 Junior High!”

This comment made Arisu’s right eye twitch, the only emotion revealed on her face. Nothing earned her ire more than insulting her father. She might have spared them an ass-kicking if it wasn’t for that comment.

“Gah!” The leader howled in pain as he received a sudden knee to the gut, blowing the wind from his lungs.

“Boss!” His gang responded by pulling out their weapons, butter knives, chains, wooden kendo swords and other instruments of death. This only earned a slight smile from Arisu. She’d enjoy this.

“You’ll regret this, brat!” The leader gasped, hulled away on the shoulders of his buddies. Arisu watched with disdain as the Koiwa No. 4 Junior High students limped away. Serves them right for trying to encroach on the territory of Daini Kameido Junior. As a Guardian herself, called the Kameido Queen by some, she couldn’t allow such a blatant challenge to go unchallenged.

But such was Arisu’s life in her short twelve years, in a world where only the strongest survived. Frankly, Arisu thought she'd let them off lightly. After finally lighting her cigarette with her favorite lighter, she walked to school.

She was late, of course, but nobody cared. The homeroom was rowdy as usual, with students laughing and carousing, instead of doing any schoolwork, the home teacher was nowhere in sight, too scared of the delinquents in his class. But such was Daini Kameido Junior High School, the shithole home to the worst kids in Koto. The adults had long since given up trying to save them.

“Hey, Arisu!” But one student was studying, her vibrant pink hair swishing as she lifted from her book as Arisu took her desk.

“Hey, Hinata,” Arisu waved to her cousin, the only girl who didn’t deserve to go to this shithole of a school. Unlike the rest of them, she actually had some brains. Not that she wasn’t a delinquent herself; her dyed pink hair was evidence of that. “You’re hurt! Your cheek is bleeding.”

It was true, crimson dripping onto her dark blue sailor suit. Thanks to its color, however, the stain won’t be noticeable. “Some idiot pulled a knife on me.” Arisu gave a genuine smile. Besides her pops, Hinata was the only person who gave a crap about her. “Only a scratch. No big deal.”

Hinata frowned but otherwise said nothing. She knew her cousin’s propensity for getting into fights. It didn’t stop her from worrying about her.

After a school day in which nothing was learned, she joined Hinata as they walked home. As usual, Arisu smoked as she walked. It was a habit Hinata hated but tolerated for her cousin’s sake.

“You need to check it out. It’s super fun,” Hinata said. “The new arcade has this shooting game I’m sure you’d like.”

“Not today. I got Guardian business day. Some Ariake Junior jumped Matsuyama the other day, and I need to pay them a visit.” Even if she thought the guy was a class-act moron, Arisu protected her own.

“Okay.” Hinata sagged, disappointed.

Before Arisu turned to leave, her cousin stopped her. “Is this all you want for your life, Arisu?”

“What do you mean?”

“All this fighting. Don’t you want to do more? Do better? You can’t just spend your entire life fighting on the streets.”

After taking a long drag of her cigarette, Arisu looked away. “Got nothing else. Someone like me has no future. I accepted that long ago. You’re the only one who’s got a chance to be anything. Unlike my dumb ass, you’re smart.”

“Arisu.” Hinata faltered, lost for words. Arisu vanished down an alley. There was nothing to say.

Before anything else, Arisu checked into her apartment. It was a rundown dump in the worst part of Kota. Past due bills greeted her as she passed the mailbox, trash was scattered across the floor. Snoring at the dinner table was her father, drunk again.

After the economic bubble collapsed, Japan went downhill, and her father was one of many who’d lost their job and suffered. Unable to find another job, he’d turned to drink. Only money from her grandparents kept them afloat. She spent the next half-hour cleaning up trash and discarded beer bottles, tidying up the best she could.

“I’ll come back with dinner, poppa,” Arisu said, kissing her sleeping father on the cheek. After a half-muttered sleepy thanks, her father fell back to sleep. After turning off the light, she left their apartment.

“If I recall, those Ariake Junior like hanging around the seaside.” There’d be at least fifteen to deal with. Tough bastards, all of them. She brought along a baseball bat for insurance in case things got messy. A white surgical mask covered her face, proof she was entering a serious battle. With these odds, Arisu didn’t dare hold back.

People scattered as she approached. Arisu had developed an infamous reputation in the neighborhood, and others wisely kept their distance. Her metal bat sparked as it dragged along the pavement, eager to bust some skulls.

“What’s that you’re eating, fatty?” A girl said from a side street.

“Oink. Oink. Pigging out as usual.” Another said.

Two girls were tormenting a younger girl from their school, laughing at her as she tried to eat her bento box. The girl said nothing, looking down, not wanting to cause any fuss. The two bullies laughed and pointed, enjoying how they were making the other girl squirm. They yelped as a bat banged against a nearby metal sign, whitening as they saw who’d caused the sound.

“You have some nerve showing your faces around here,” Arisu said, swinging her bat across her shoulder. “I’m in a bad mood. Wanna meet a good friend of mine?”

“No, sorry!” The two bullies scattered to the wind. In their haste, they’d dropped their bags. Arisu beamed and crouched down, helping herself to whatever money they had.

“You really need to stick up for yourself, Kaguya,” Arisu said, pocketing some coins. “Those dumbasses shouldn’t talk to you like that.”

“I’m not as strong as you.” The girl said, looking down. “Never will be.”

They’d known each other back in elementary school as friends of sorts. Kaguya had been a heavier girl then, a prime target for bullying. She’d shed that weight, but the stigma had still carried to her new school.

“You sell yourself short,” Arisu said, standing up. “It’s about attitude. Got that, and people won’t dare bother you.”

“You make it sound easy,” Kaguya said, bitterness creeping into her voice. “Some of us aren’t you, Ikehara.”

Arisu sighed, shaking her head. Maybe someday her old friend would learn some spine and show her inner demon. But that was Kaguya’s problem. It was nothing she could fix. After saying her goodbyes, the stinging scent of the sea struck her nostrils.

The sound of punks guffawing and jesting grew louder as she approached, Ariake Junior making their presence known through graffiti and tags. They’d made an abandoned warehouse their home, its owners long scared away by the Ariake thugs. Two guards blocked her way, their bodies blocking their hideout’s broken, rusted entrance.

“What are you doing here?” One crouching thug said, taking a swig from a beer can. “Get lost, kid. Else you’ll get hurt.”

“You idiot, that’s the Kameido Queen, Arisu Ikehara!” Another thug said, trembling.

“What?” The first dropped his beer can in surprise, hair-raising in tension.

“Got some business with your boss. Ya gonna move, or do I have t’a make you?” Arisu crouched down and lit a cigarette, showing her most unappealing smile as she pulled away her mask to reveal her face.

“Um.” Both guards trembled, knowing their day had turned for the worst.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” A massive brute exited the warehouse, glowering at the impudent intruder. Almost a year and a half her senior, he’d grown to an impressive size, nearly twice her height. But Arisu was unintimidated, taking another disinterested drag on her cigarette.

“Kenji Ono,” Arisu said, matching the giant brute eye to eye from her crouched position. “One of your idiots hurt someone from my school. The guy’s a fool, but we at Daini Kameido Junior have a reputation to protect.”

“That right?” Ono passed a comb through his pompadour, his tone just as disinterested. “And you expect to do something about it on your lonesome?”

“Against you wusses?” Arisu gave a dismissive snort. “I won’t even need to break a sweat.”

“Why you!” One thug lost his temper, pulling out a metal chain, eager to strangle the intruder to death. But his boss stopped him.

“Temper. You’re just as bold as I’ve heard, Arisu Ikehara. I’m going to enjoy this. Stay out of this, boys. It’s just me and her. It’s a fight between Guardians.” Ono cracked his knuckles, standing to his full height.

A slight smile grew on Arisu’s lips, eager to get into this fun rumble. Ono was a karate black belt. He had gotten kicked out for picking too many fights. Just her sort. She rose and got into a fighting position with her bat.

Before it could come to blows, however, the unexpected happened. Lightning flashed, despite there not being a cloud anywhere. The air became heavy, like she’d climbed to the top of a mountain. The lightning flashed again, but Arisu blinked as she thought she saw creatures within the storm. Impossible! Monsters didn’t exist.

“What the hell was that?” Ono said, their fight forgotten. Everybody yelped in surprise as figures dropped from the sky, their appearance something from a nightmare. Human in appearance but with a bulbous body with sickly gray skin. Their faces resembled pigs, but oily tendrils wiggled free from their mouths, tasting the air. Each digit held a jagged spike, twice the size of her bat. They looked at the surprised teenagers with gleeful malevolence, licking their tentacles in hunger.

“Alright men, grab everyone you can.” The biggest said, towering twice over Ono’s already impressive height. “The king’s looking forward to a feast tonight, and we want the delectables ready for seasoning. Leave the women folk. I have something special planned for them.” This voice was oily, making one ill just listening to him. His chuckle was like metal scraping together.

“You sick ****!” Arisu kicked forward, hitting the leader right between the legs. The monster squealed in pain before toppling over. She didn’t stop kicking him in the royal jewels until her leg got tired. Arisu won’t allow these idiots to do as they please. While this city was a shithole, it was her shithole.

“Boss!” The monstrosities said, frightened by this sudden assault by a seemingly puny twelve-year-old girl.

“You want some too?” Arisu glared at the monsters, her bat ready for action. They backed away, their tentacles wiggling in distress.

“What’s going on here?” An unfamiliar voice said. Arisu watched in amazement as someone floated down from the air, flying like a bird without wings. Unlike his twisted buddies, this man looked human, though his long glam rock star hair was bright blue and neon-like. He wore leather, all black from head to toe. He glared at the humans with obvious disdain, pissing Arisu off royally.

“Lord Captain Vice!” The monsters said, tear sparking in their eyes in relief.

“Fools, you can’t handle a single girl?” Vice said. “I expect better from our elite of the elite. Succeed, or our lord will learn personally about this.”

This got the monsters’ attention, deciding that Arisu was a lesser danger than disappointing their leader. On trembling legs, the big guy rose to his menacing height.

“You got lucky, brat.” The big guy said, the pavement cracking as it failed to hold his weight. “Come on, boys. She can’t beat all of us.”

“Tsk, how annoying.” Arisu pulled her mask into position, ready to face the rushing horde of monstrosities. Dozens of tendrils lashed around her weapon arm, holding her baseball bat in place. The monsters showed impressive speed but yelped as they faced her fists instead.

“Die!” The big guy pulled a sword the size of a tree from his belt, lashing out at the distracted Arisu. Steel clashed as someone intercepted the blow.

“Ono. I didn’t ask for your help.” Arisu went back to back with him as they faced the monstrous horde together.

“You’re not the only one who wants to protect his shithole of a city.” Her guardian rival said. A monster squealed as the stupid tentacled face met fist, yellowish viscous blood oozed from it’s shattered nose. “To me, gang. Let’s show these freaks why they can’t mess with Tokyo!”

“Yeah!” The Ariake Junior thugs said, their voices rising to a fever pitch as they backed up their leader.

It was a rough bout as the delinquents gave as good as they got. Yellow blood pooled under their shoes as they pounded their foes into dust. Arisu received a nasty blow to the shoulder, definitely dislocating it. Crimson dripped into her eyes from multiple head wounds, the monster’s claws were sharp as knives. Ono was an ugly mess, his school uniform having several bloody slash wounds.

“You’re next!” Arisu said, standing on the fallen head monster’s face. She pointed her bat at the final monster, eager to learn if he also bled yellow.

“Like that, freak?” Ono cracked his knuckles. “I’m ready for round two.”

“Tsk.” The leader said, scowling as he lowered closer to earth. “I wasn’t expecting such heavy resistance. But your pretty act of defiance ends here,”

“Gah!” Arisu howled in pain as a gust of something shot from his extended hand. The force of a mini-cyclone tore their feet from the ground, sending them flying. Arisu screamed as she struck the pavement hard, skin scratched raw by the impact.

“And here’s where you die, pest.”

---

“This is bad!” Charity flitted about in distress, horrified by the damage the Slithcar Empire was causing to this helpless planet. Like many others, they planned to consume this planet whole before moving to their next victim. While the humans were fighting back, they fought an impossible battle. King Slithcar was beyond anything they could face. Even magical girls were powerless against his might.

But saving this planet wasn’t her mission. Starlight Dream had sent her to observe and analyze possible countermeasures. Magical girls were coming, but they’d likely arrive too late to save anyone.

“Gah!”

A scream of pain caught the fairy’s attention, watching in baffled astonishment as a young girl pounded the largest of Slithcar’s monsters, Captain Deathlok, to the ground, each debilitating blow striking between his legs. A preteen girl did this?

And the young, noble humans fought well, keeping their own against the monstrous horde. They fought with a courageous spirit, receiving a terrible beating, but fighting the monsters back.

“Bastards!” The young girl among them said, paying back a nasty gash across the forehead with a baseball bat into the Deathlok’s tentacled face. The creature babbled nonsense before getting knocked unconscious from a second, heavier blow.

Impressive. Was the girl part of some baseball club? It made sense. While else would the young girl randomly carry around a bat?

“Tsk,” Vice said, scowling as the rest of his monsters fell.

“Like that, freak?” The giant human said, crushing a tentacled monster with a foot. Other than some bloody gashes staining his school uniform, he seemed fine.

“And you’re next!” Much to Charity’s alarm, the girl pointed her bat at the airborne Lord Captain. Didn’t the girl realize just who’d she challenged? The monster lackeys were one thing, but Vice was on an entirely different level. He could level cities with a flick of a finger!

Before Charity could warn the poor humans, Vice lashed out. Light gathered within his hands, lashing out as a viper-like whip. Charity screamed in horror as an explosion of light blasted the young humans to the four winds, many getting blown into the water. The heat and force of the blast left them blackened and battered. It was over. In a single stroke, the Lord Captain had defeated them all.

“Bastard!” A pained voice said. The taller human weakly lifted a head, struggling to his feet. “Ikehara, you still alive?”

“Damn right.” The girl had also pushed herself to her feet despite her terrible wounds. Her mask slipped from her face, revealing a mouth that was smiling a wolfish grin. “Takes more than that to kill me! You hear that, you bastard!”

Vice remained unimpressed, glaring down at the still-defiant humans. This time, he’d ensure the humans wouldn’t defy him again. Charity couldn’t hold back anymore. While breaking protocol, she refused to allow these brave, noble humans to die.

“No!” Before Vice could strike another killing stroke, a small white figure drove into his chest at full force, blowing the wind from his lungs.

“Huh?” The humans watched the scene in evident confusion.

While the Lord Captain was still recovering. Charity flew towards the young, brave girl, taking a risk that likely wouldn’t work.

“Quick, grab my paw!” The fairy extended a paw.

“What? What the hell are you?” The girl asked, eyes wide.

“A friend. If we bond, Charity can give you the power to fight this monster.” Charity replied. It was a long shot. Only fairies that matched a human’s wavelength could bond, but it was this planet’s only chance.

“What the hell are you talking about?” The girl said, baffled. Charity noticed details she’d missed from high in the air. The girl had a rough demeanor with hard, scary eyes. She reeked of cigarette smoke, odd for a preteen. And her hands were rough, like someone who often got into fights. Wait, what had she gotten into?

“Fairy?” Vice said, eyes blazing with hatred. “So, Starlight Dream thinks they can save this world? Fool. Haven’t you already learned your lesson? Wasn’t the corpse of the last magical girl Master Slithcar sent you enough proof of the folly of opposing us?”

“What is it you hope to accomplish, little fairy?” The Lord Captain said, voice dripping with mocking contempt. “Like bonding with this fool girl would accomplish anything. You so-called protectors of the cosmos are impudent little children, trying to police an adult’s world they can’t begin to comprehend! Burn in hell with the last three magical girls.”

No! What had she been doing? Why had she broken protocol? She should have known it’d be pointless. She trembled as Vice gathered light into his palm, eager to extinguish her with a single blow. A gasp escaped Charity as something grabbed her paw.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but if you can give me the power to kick this guy’s arrogant ass, I’ll take it. Name’s Arisu Ikehara.”

“Charity.” She stared, awestruck, sensing something within her, bright and warm. Was this hope? They both gasped as a red-colored diamond-encrusted brooch dropped into Arisu’s hand.

“What’s this?” Arisu said, examining it.

“Hold up your brooch and yell, Change Change, Magical Love Dress Up.”

“What? That’s stupid.”

“Trust me.”

“Impossible,” Vice said, eyes widening in shock as he noticed the brooch in Charity’s new partner’s hand.

“Watch this. I’m about to kick your ass!” Much to Charity’s dismay, Arisu pulled out a cigarette and lit it. After taking a deep drag, she thrust her brooch skyward. “Change Change, Magical Love Dress Up!”

Blinding light filled the dockyard, warm and intense. Arisu stared at herself in astonishment as her school uniform changed, becoming a long frilly skirt. Five pinkish-white petals extended from it, both simple and elegant. Additional petals spouted from her chest, with her red brooch shining as a beacon of power.

“You did it! You’ve become a magical girl!” Charity whooped, flipping around in the air.

“Is that what I am?” Arisu examined her new costume with astonishment, pulling at her skirt.

“So what? You’re dead all the same,” Vice said, unimpressed.

“Wow.” The tall human watched this, eyes wide. “Arisu, you’ve become some kinda hero!”

“Guess so.” Arisu squatted down, cold eyes glaring at the Lord Captain. “Call me, Arisu Ikehara, the Wicked Queen!”

“Um, are you sure?” Charity cringed. What kind of magical girl moniker was that? She sounded like a villain. Whatever. She’d convince her partner to think of a better name later. “Extend your hand. You can summon your magical girl weapon!”

“Got it!” Arisu extended a hand, and a staff embedded with an apple-like jewel landed in it.

“Like some newbie magical girl can beat me. Try your best, little girl.” The smirk vanished off Vice’s face as the apple jewel embedded itself into his face, blood spurted everywhere.

“Take that, you bastard!”

“What are you doing?!” Charity said, alarmed. “That staff is meant for channeling magic, not brawling!”

“That sounds lame.” The Lord Captain’s whip cracked at her partner at impossible speed. But Arisu slipped past like the wind, hitting him in the chest. He coughed blood as ribs pierced his lungs. “This works way better!”

“You haven’t seen the last of me,” Vice said through pained gasps of air. “You only got lucky!” Before her partner could finish him, he teleported away.

“Tsk, coward. And it was just getting good.” Her partner released her transformation.

“That was incredible, Ikehara. You kicked ass!” The tall human said, rushing over. The other humans, which Charity realized were delinquents, ran over to give their congratulations.

“What has Charity gotten herself into?” She put her paws into her face. This was her life now? What would her friends say? Or Captain Izanami?!

“Hey, what are you so glum about?” Arisu said, putting a hand on Charity’s shoulder. “We kicked ass!”

Charity only sighed. “Nothing. Charity’s glad we fought them back for now.”

“What was that? It was like I could sense the danger before it happened.” Arisu said, looking at her brooch in amazement.

“That’s your power. Every magical girl possesses one. Charity thinks you must have some ability to sense future events.” That was a rare power. It’d serve them well in future battles against Slithcar’s forces.

“Why do you refer to yourself in the third person? It sounds stupid.”

“No, it doesn’t! It’s cute!” The nerve of this girl! Everyone laughed as the fairy fumed at her partner, inflaming her temper hotter. Unbeknownst to them, this random encounter would change the entirety of the cosmos forever.

---

I apologize to any real life schools used in this chapter. I'm sure you're very nice and aren't a delinquent ridden hellhole.

#anime #spells #magical girl #starlight dream #anime stories #humor #action #fantasy #fiction #starlightdream #stories #delinquents #alien invasion #alien invaders #battle #pompadour

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historyhermann · 2 years ago

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The Demon Girl Next Door Review

On July 1st, this supernatural slice-of-life comedy anime directed by Hiroaki Sakurai came to an end. This series, which recently concluded, is based on an ongoing six volume manga series by Izumo Itō of the same name.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs, my History Hermann WordPress blog on Feb. 7, 2023, and Wayback Machine. This was the twelfth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on July 18, 2022. This article was originally supposed to be published on The Geekiary, but they rejected it, saying it was too similar to my previous review.

The Demon Girl Next Door tells the story of a demon girl, and her two magical girl companions, as they learn more about themselves and face unexpected challenges.

The last six episodes of this anime continue with the same levity as the first nineteen episodes, with continued comedic moments, especially when it comes to the relations between Shamiko (Konomi Kohara), also known as Yuko Yoshida, and two magical girls.

The latter have their own internal problems. Mikan Hinatsuki (Tomoyo Takayanagi) has a curse that causes others to experience calamities when she gets flustered. Momo Chiyoda (Akari Kitō) is on the precipice between the powers of light and dark.

Although Shamiko is similar to the protagonist of The Great Jahy Will Not Be Defeated!, Jahy, in that she lives in a run-down apartment, she isn't alone in this. Mikan and Momo move in next door, and they all live in the same apartment complex. None of them are well-off.

Shamiko also gains a support network, of sorts, apart from help the magical girls give her. She has school friends like Anri Sata (Sayaka Senbongi) and Sion Ogura (Ayaka Suwa). The latter is a lover of the occult. She is able to conjure up recipes to help Momo, especially to stop her from slipping to the dark side. Notes left behind by Sakura Chiyoda (Hisako Kanemoto), the elder adopted sister of Momo, and magical girl, who gave her energy to keep Shamiko alive, assist her in this endeavor.

In another similarity with Jahy, Shamiko works in a part time job. Unlike that series, in The Demon Girl Next Door the bar is staffed by two magical beings: a demon tapir named Shirosawa, and a Hula jing fox named Lico.

As it turns out, Shirosawa (Takashi Matsuyama), who runs the coffee shop. He even created the mascot of the shopping district when the cat form of Sakura inspired him. As for Lico (Ayasa Itō), she is a waitress at the shop and she often uses magical leaves to bewitch people who eat the food that she makes. This includes, at one point, Shamiko.

Similar to other series in Western animation, like Amphibia, The Owl House, Steven Universe, gen:LOCK, and Inside Job, memories, manipulation, and mindscapes are an important part of this series.

Part of this is shown in the fact that Lilith (Minami Takahashi), an ancestor of Shamiko, can appear in the dreams of Shamiko. She can even take over Shamiko's body if a switch is flipped on her statue.

Lilith often guides Shamiko and Momo, especially when they enter mindscapes. However, she can only be connected to such mindscapes for a short period of time, and her connection can get fuzzy at times.

Then, there's times when Shirosawa has psychedelic hallucinations caused by eating Lico's food. The same is the case for Shamiko.

In one episode, Shamiko and Ryo go into Lilith's dreamspace, discovering she has a lot of manifestations of her loneliness there. Ultimately, she ends up defeating them all by changing her magic rod into stuff from video games she likes.

The final episodes of the series focus on Momo and Shamiko going into the heart of Mikan, with help from Lilith. They vow to tell the protective demon inside Mikan, Ugullu (Fairouz Ai) to calm down and end her curse once and for all. They are able to successfully negotiate with Ugullu and get her to realize the damage she is causing.

In a nice end to the series, Mikan's school friends help her out, by coming late one night to summon Ugullu into a new body, and a dish made at the cafe Shamiko works at. Ugullu comes into a new form and Mikan accepts her as part of her family.

In a post-credit scene, Ugullu clear has found her place, coming to terms with her new identity outside of Mikan, no longer tasked with defending Mikan from evil.

Like any other magical girl, or magical boy, series, magical transformations are a big part of the series. Similar to the aforementioned The Great Jahy, the magical girls and the demons can both transform. Shamiko can transform into the "crisis management form" which gives her some additional powers. In contrast, Momo and Mikan have their own specific magical girl forms.

At other points, Shamiko's sister Ryoko "Ryo" Yoshida (Hitomi Ōwada) helps create weapons with her magic rod. She realizes that Shamiko's subconscious is holding her back and helps her get over her mental hurdles. This is in-keeping with the series playing off many common elements of magical girls in anime and manga.

Unlike Mikan, Momo has a dark form which is known as "Darkness Peach". She occasionally transforms into this form when she is teetering on the edge of dark and light. At one point, she struggles to keep the two separated, but Shamiko helps her, as does Sion.

At another point, Shamiko tries to develop a special attack and inherits a wand from her father which can transform into anything she wants. She is helped in this task by Shamiko, and in coming up with a super special move. Both seem to have some feelings for each other.

There is also talk in the series as to how magical girls are ordinary girls who make a pact with the light clan, with demons getting a token for each magical girl they defeat. All the while, Shamiko often utters her line "don't think this means you've won". In a funny reference to this line, Momo says it at one point, almost becoming an in-joke of sorts.

Even worse is the fact that Momo's "Darkness Peach" form can break anything she touches. It turns out that when she is happy and content, the balance between the dark and light sides can come to a balance. She even goes to a hot healing spring said to be of therapeutic value, but it turns out to be a healing waterfall. What she finds there is turned into an elixir by Sion, which ends up helping her later on.

Related to this are the magic barriers put on doors, either with magic by Momo, Mikan, or Shamiko. Hilariously, these barriers are just weak pieces of paper, but apparently have all sorts of magical power.

In the final scene of the series, Ugullu declares that Shamiko is the boss of Momo, who is overjoyed. It ends with Momo teasing Shamiko, as they both walk off into the distance.

youtube

Since The Demon Girl Next Door is based on a manga parody series, it is no surprise that the series doesn't really take itself too seriously. The characters are never in series danger. Instead there are occasional breaks in the fourth wall. There's even a hilarious shirt worn by Lilith on multiple occasions which says "my blood sugar level is dangerous".

At other points there are faulty recaps which don't make sense and fun interplay between Momo and Shamiko. This involves Momo trying to motivate Shamiko to do homework and the fact that Momo wants to see a baby tiger at the zoo.

Also comedic is Momo's reaction when she drinks disgusting potions from Sion. At others, the characters are saying that they don't have many lines of dialogue or when Lilith tries to send a picture of herself into the camera but it doesn't work.

Its also funny how Mikan, who lives alone, is afraid of cockroaches even though she is an all-powerful magical girl. Shamiko helps her, even assisting in cleaning up her trash. It is a bit amazing that Shamiko, who has only known Momo for a few months, is able to help Mikan more than Momo, who has been a friend of Mikan for 10 years.

In some ways, Mikan is socially awkward. In the show's next to last episode, she worries about her school introduction as a transfer student. It ends up going well, however, with Anri helping her. She ropes in Momo to help with prepare with sports day preparations.

Family is an important theme in The Demon Girl Next Door too. Shamiko has a tight family, with a loving sister, Ryo, and mother, Seiko Yoshida (Sayaka Ohara). She has a smile on her face, no matter how absurd the situation is. In an interesting twist, Joshua (Hideyuki Umezu), the father of Ryo and Shamiko, was sealed in a cardboard box by Sakura, the same box they eat many meals on!

Family is important to Momo too. She deals with the past actions of her sister and tries to figure out why she did what she did. She and Mikan find a chosen family among Shamiko, her family, and many school friends.

While some have argued that the series is a "mid-tier offering" with animators told to not "overtax their assets", the series has a certain charm to it. This is due to the fact that J.C. Staff, responsible for recently ended The Executioner and Her Way of Life, and series such as Edens Zero, Sweet Blue Flowers, R.O.D.-The TV, Azumanga Daioh, and Revolutionary Girl Utena, animated this series. While the animation of this series does not have the same quality as the aforementioned series, it still fits with the slice-of-life vibe.

The show's voice actors have voiced characters in series ranging from Bloom Into You to Akebi's Sailor Uniform. Many of these series, and others, like Adachi and Shimamura, Asteroid in Love, Kageki Shojo!!, have direct and indirect yuri themes.

Others are about socially awkward characters, like Hitori Bocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu and Komi Can't Communicate. This undoubtedly set the groundwork for their voice acting in this series. The same can be said for those who voiced characters in slice-of-life series like Chronicles of the Going Home Club, Kin-iro Mosaic, Gabriel DropOut, and Let's Make a Mug Too.

I loved that some of the voice actors in this series voiced characters in Bodacious Space Pirates. The latter is a niche sci-fi adventure anime which has two supporting characters (Lynn Lambretta and Jenny Dolittle) in a romantic relationship.

The series director, Hiroaki Sakurai, is just as talented. He is known for directing comedies like Kodocha, Di Gi Charat, Di Gi Charat Nyo!, and Nanaka 6/17. He also directed a ninja anime, Jubei-chan: The Ninja Girl, and a magical girl parody, Majokko Tsukune-chan. This directing experience, and that of other series, undoubtedly had a positive impact on The Demon Girl Next Door.

While the final episode of the series is a fitting season end, there is a possibility for continuation. A third season could be focused on the continued adventures of Mikan, Momo, and Shamiko. Another season would continue to be slice of life, with a continued focus on trying to make the town a place that's easy for everyone to live in as the narrator says at the end.

Perhaps even Momo and Shamiko could be shown as more than ambiguously together. They could be even closer like the protagonists of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Kobayashi and Tohru. It could be more than "shipping fodder" between them then, with often fanservicey outfits of Momo, Shamiko, and other characters. This series does not have any explicit queer representation, just heavy subtext.

In the end, while The Demon Girl Next Door is not my favorite anime series that I've watched this year, it is still a must-see for those interested in magical girls, demons, supernatural themes, and yuri subtext.

The Demon Girl Next Door can be watched on HIDIVE.

#the demon girl next door #yuri #anime #manga #lgbtq #reviews #pop culture #magical girls #the great jahy will not be defeated #magical transformation #hidive #miss kobayashi's dragon maid #fan service #Youtube

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skdjfzzz · 1 day ago

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Going to the finals with all five Super Round games, ··Taiwan's first championship challenge in 24 years

The South Korean batters, who remained silent until the third inning, also recovered from the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth inning, 해외배팅사이트리스트 leadoff hitter Park Sun-hong (Busan Suyeong Elementary School) got on base due to a throwing error by the Chinese defense and attempted to steal a base, and advanced to the third base when the opponent catcher's throw fell back. Kim Do-yoon (Seoul Dogok Elementary School) then hit a timely double to bring Park home and scored the first run. In the continued attack, 해외배팅사이트KRW Jang Ji-hyung (Gyeongnam Yangdeok Elementary School) got on base with a pitch that hit him, and succeeded in a double steal, and when Cha Dong-hyun (Galsan Elementary School in Seoul) grounded out with runners on the second and third bases with one out, Kim Do-yoon stepped home and ran away 2-0.

South Korea scored six points in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a fast-footed steal and a series of throwing errors by the opponent's defense, 메이저사이트 completely defeating China's willingness to chase and securing a complete victory.

Korea will play the final match against Taiwan for the championship cup at the Matsuyama Central Park Baseball Stadium at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Korea, which won the runner-up prize after losing to Taiwan at the 10th event in 2018, will avenge its vic

#해외배팅사이트리스트 #해외배팅사이트KRW #메이저사이트

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sportsgr8 · 9 months ago

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Matsuyama Takes Historic Ninth PGA TOUR Victory At Genesis, Theegala 37th

The Genesis Invitational: Japan’s star Hideki Matsuyama secured an historic three-stroke victory at The Genesis Invitational to become the leading Asian golfer with the most PGA TOUR titles with an unprecedented nine career wins.The 31-year-old started the final round six shots off the lead but put together one of the greatest rounds at the iconic Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles with a sensational 9-under 62 to win comfortably from Will Zalatoris (69) and Luke List (68). Overnight leader Patrick Cantlay finished tied fourth after a 72. The win was worth $4 million from the $20 million purse and moves him to No. 20 in the world with the entire major season ahead of him. Matsuyama now has 18 wins worldwide, eight on the Japan Golf Tour and the unofficial Hero World Challenge, also hosted by Tiger Woods. Indian-American Sahith Theegala (72-69-70-71) at 2-under had an average week in T-37th place, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (66) was T-10 and Rory McIlroy (70) was T-24. Earlier tournament host Tiger Woods withdrew from the event in the second round due to illness. Matsuyama’s nine-birdie round without a bogey was the lowest final day score in history at Riviera and ended a frustrating two-year title drought. He broke a tie with Korea’s K.J. Choi for most victories by an Asian player. His only disappointment was not being able to receive The Genesis Invitational trophy from tournament host Tiger Woods, who had to withdraw from the event on Friday due to illness. “You know, to win in this tournament was one of my goals ever since I became a pro. After Tiger being the host, that goal became a lot bigger. A little disappointed I wasn't able to take a picture with Tiger today,” smiled Matsuyama, who won the Masters Tournament in 2021 to become Japan’s first male major champion. Woods did offer his congratulations to the newest PGA TOUR Signature event champion, who also became the second Asian to win The Genesis Invitational following Chinese Taipei’s T.C. Chen in 1987. “Congratulations to @hidekiofficial_ on an incredible win at @thegenesisinv. I was watching all day and seeing a record breaking 62 and coming from six shots back is truly special,” the American legend posted on X (formerly Twitter). Read the full article

#AmericanSahithTheegala #HeroWorldChallenge #HidekiMatsuyama #JapanGolfTour #LosAngeles #LukeList #PatrickCantlay #PGATour #RivieraCountryClub #RoryMcIlroy #ScottieScheffler #TheGenesisInvitational #TigerWoods #WillZalatoris #WorldNo

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flydotnet · 1 year ago

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WHUMPTOBER 2023, DAY 13: “It comes and goes like the strength in your bones.”

Cold Compress | Infection | “I don’t feel so good.”

I suppose the HSAU Taro and AkeJun fics aren't my only annual fic - "Matsuyama gets a wound infected and Yoshiko has to wrestle that out of him" is another. 2021 had my first CT fic, "Little Things", serve as a fill for "Infected Wound". 2022 had "Helping Hand", another challenge fic which was a take on traditional H/C, but make it my OTP. And now 2023 has this fic! Wowie kazoowie, mental illness never stops!

I did swerve a bit on the formula by setting this a year after both LT and HH (…not Hungry Heart)... so that's something, I guess?

Okay, more seriously, the quote prompt was just prime MatsuYoshi material, I couldn't resist. Also, it's Friday, and around here we do F/M Fridays sometimes, and Whumptober won't be an exception dammit.

I owe being on time, somehow, to rewatching some Detective Conan stuff to jolt me back awake. Life hasn't been very nice to my mental health lately, I'm afraid. Oh, and spite. Spite and not wanting to miss my chance at the bingo at the end of the month! Nice carrots to have.

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Fragile in the Rough

Summary: Matsuyama has a confession to make; not of love, but of weakness. It does have a similar level of intimacy, at least.

Fandom: Captain Tsubasa

Word Count: 1.2K words

AO3 version available here.

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There are things you learn throughout your life for which it’s worth sucking up your pride and ask for someone else’s help. There’s improving yourself when just doing it on your own isn’t cutting it anymore. There’s asking for help when it involves someone other than you and your skills or knowledge isn’t enough.

And there’s admitting when you’re not doing well. It takes a bold amount of trust in whoever you need to tell that too, a good assessment of one’s limits and – most painfully – an admission of vulnerability that’s not easy for everyone.

The thing is, right now, that’s exactly when he needs to do, but he can’t do it; yet this isn’t even a matter of pride.

He’d guess, for some, it’d be a gigantic bruise to their ego they may never recover from – but for him, it’s not. How do you expect a good team captain to consider admitting to your weaknesses something to be ashamed of? None of your teammates will ever tell you what’s wrong with them if they read on your face disdain and shame about it. Even just for their sake, upholding such a senseless sense of pride wouldn’t be of any use – quite the opposite.

But this isn’t a matter of pride. He isn’t above admitting he needs help. He has before and he will do it until he dies, that’s just how being a human is. He isn’t stupid enough not to know that nor too proud not to recognize that, actually, today’s difficult on him and he’s tired.

He just hates worrying people, man. Every single time he’s unwell, he sees the weight it puts on the shoulders of those who care about him and the way it drags their faces down. He sees how his friends will drop what they’re doing, ask if he’s fine, and never be able to fully focus back on what they were doing before that. All of it, he hates it, because he isn’t worth distracting yourself. He can take care of himself without any issue… most of the time.

A leader has to take on himself, sometimes – well, in his case, it’s most of the time. He treats colds like he’d treat small scrapes and handles it all on his own. The leader, however, is also the one who serves as an example, and for all of his unwillingness to worry people, there’s also an undeniable feeling that he can’t let his teammates follow in his footsteps, in this instance…

Well, if he’s come to this conclusion, it’s ironically because his brain’s much too fuzzy to properly work on anything and the guys have noticed. Oda has said multiple times he’d take care of his workload and he’s noticed Kato very unsubtly assume a role as assistant coach. Neither of them is slick, but he appreciates it, no matter how much his sense of responsibilities and duty is barking at him to get back to work, not to let anyone worry about him.

Not to mention, there’s nobody he wants to confess this crap to. Who even has time for that? He’s supposed to streamline the team’s efforts, not add onto the pile. A pair of hands is never too much around here, not when there’s snow to shovel away and strategies to brainstorm. All in all, no, there’s nobody he should be telling this stuff about.

Well… that’s not entirely accurate. There is one person he’d be willing to talk to about this. Unfortunately, it happens to be the one person he’d rather not worry at all, because of all people he knows, she’s the one who’s plenty concerned for him already on a good day, perhaps even more so than his parents because she isn’t too used to him yet.

Fujisawa has become perhaps not the centre of his life, but saying she’s half his heart is pretty accurate. The fact they’re even both dating is somewhat of a miracle, because he’s rough and while she’s solid as steel, she’s also soft to the touch and not the sort who likes rubbing elbows and getting dirty. He does love the parts of her who will get her hands dirty and do it, fix what needs to be fixed, without a complaint. Oh, that’s part of why he doesn’t want to burden her with worry, her natural compassion, her strive to take care of issues and the inability to speak of her feelings if she feels they’d also be a burden… (They’re kind of made for each other, in that sense, huh?).

But you know what his parents have always told him? That a husband and a wife are always here for each other – and if they’re not married (they’re sixteen, give them some time dammit)

So there he is, inside the clubroom, holding onto an aching arm that’s not stopped causing him issues for a couple days – hey, maybe it’s part of the issue, actually.

“Hey, Fujisawa,” he says without any real intonation.

She turns around almost immediately, the unhappy expression on her face all but confirming she has noticed something was off before he could even tell her about it.

“Oh, it’s you, Matsuyama,” she greets him. “What can I do for you?”

“Can I… ask you something a bit private?”

The flush that comes to her face, oh so quickly, is beyond endearing. He’s really down bad, but also, isn’t that the point?

“Of course.”

He gets closer to her, to the point where he can start counting her hairs.

“See, I’m a bit, uh… I’m a bit loopy, today.” Yeah that sounds accurate. “By that, I mean, uh… I don’t feel so good.”

He’s pretty sure confessing his feelings to her was less difficult. Even now, he doesn’t really want any of this.

“I thought you were feeling off,” she replies in a tendre tone. “Can I take your rtemperature to check something?”

“Oh, sure, go for it.”

He expects her to get a thermometer from the first-aid kit under the desk; but all she does is tiptoe to his height, push his hair out of the way and put a hand on his forehead. The contact is enough to make him have to repress a chill – it’s not a bad feeling, far from it, just a little overwhelming.

“You do have a fever, I’m pretty sure,” she tells him as she recovers her normal footing.

“Ah, crap, that doesn’t sound good.”

Her eyes slide to his left arm.

“Is your wound not getting any better?”

“Ah, uh… No, it doesn’t seem to. I dunno why, maybe I’ve done something wrong when I dressed it….?”

“Can I check it?”

“Oh, sure! Sure.”

He tends his arm so she can easily unwrap the bandage… or try to, because as it turns out, she has trouble taking off his skin, the damn fabric sticking to the wound. There’s fresh blood just peeking through the worst of it and the stench – oh, he forgot how much this thing stinks.

“It’s gotten infected,” she verbally recoils as she announces it. “That’d explain your fever pretty well…”

He forgot to disinfect the thing the other day. Goddammit, that didn’t sound too hard to do too.

“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.”

Fujisawa frets a little, looking around, before settling on him back again.

“Can you sit down, please? I’ll take care of it, but I need you to sit still as I do.”

“No worries.” He takes a seat right where she needs him to be. “You’re sure you don’t mind, though? I could do that myself or just ask the nurse.”

“No, it’s fine, I’ve learned to do it. Plus…” She blushes again, right as she opens the first-aid kit. “I want to do it for you.”

“Then go for it.” He watches her prepare the operation with undenied fondness in his eyes. “Thank you so much, Fujisawa.”

“Don’t fret it. Now, I apologize, but it’s going to sting a little…”

A dab of water on the wound just to wash it does remind him to be more careful, next time.

#whumptober 2023 #no.13 #infection #“i don't feel so good”#captain tsubasa #fic #otp: feelings across the ocean

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