#or I guess shinshi really | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

morimyulyrics · 3 years ago

Audio

Updated: May 29, 2024

Who would have thought that Sherliam singing a duet about a crime scene would be a great idea? Tadasuke, I guess. What a genius, that man. Upon watching and reading the train scene, I really loved how Sherliam go back and forth explaining the clues. But this is the best adaptation yet, imo. The way they just sing one after another, in a rushed sort of way. It just shows how up to speed they are with each other. It’s SO GOOD.

I know I normally label who sings what in lyrics, but there was so much back and forth going on in this one I’ll just leave it as is. Enjoy listening to who sings which part!

The Two Detectives

二人の探偵 | Futari no Tantei Characters: Sherlock Holmes, William James Moriarty, George Lestrade

Kanji

モリアーティ家の名に恥じぬよう　全力で尽くしましょう面白れぇ…っ　どっちが先に犯人を上げるか　勝負だな！

時間がねぇ！　速攻でやるぞリアム！望むところです

列車の見取り図　場客員名簿をはい！扉のマスターキーを必要ねぇ　こんなもん　一発だぜ

何か分かったか！被害者は宝石商犯人は男始発駅ダラムで乗車昏睡強盗をし損なってナイフで刺殺 …ななぜ分かった！

明白ですよ　／　明らかじゃん

床の二人の　紳士靴の足跡一つは被害者　一つは犯人ダラムから乗った　８インチの靴何故なにどうして　ダラムからだと

レストラードちょっとは考えろえ？

ダラム大学の　教授の靴を見ろ靴を靴を…？　はっ、泥か！はい、今日のダラムは　雨でしたからこれで犯人の　乗車駅性別が絞られた

殺しが目的なら　列車はナンセンス盗みが目的何故ならウィスキーここからは抱水　クロラールの匂い酒に混ぜると　昏睡する劇薬

眠り盗みを　するつもりだったが予想しない　出来事が起こったケースには　開けようとした痕跡被害者の首元　押さえた手の跡

犯人は被害者に　薬を飲ませて眠らせて宝石　盗む気だったけれど　効き悪かったか　耐性あったか被害者は... 目覚めてしまった

犯人は咄嗟に　ナイフで刺殺ケースは結局　開けずじまい凶器と鍵を持って　施錠するそれしかもう　気が回らなかった犯人の狼狽が　ありありと見える突発的な　犯行だ（です）

***

Romaji

Moriarty-ke no na ni hajinu you zenryoku wo tukushimashou Omoshiree docchi ga saki ni hannin wo ageru ka shoubu da na!

Jikan ga nee sokkou de yaru zo Liam Nozomu tokoro desu

Ressha no mitorizu joukyakuin menbo wo Hai! Tobira no master key wo Hitsuyou nee konna mon ippatsu da ze

Nani ka wakatta ka! Higaisha wa houseki shou Hannin wa otoko Shihatsu eki Daramu de jousha Konsui goutou wo shi son natte Naifu de shisatsu Na-naze wakatta!

Meihaku desu yo / Akiraka jan

Yuka no futari no shinshi kutsu no ashi ato Hitotsu wa higaisha hitotsu wa hannin Daramu kara notta hachi inchi no kutsu Naze Nani Doushite Daramu kara da to?

Lestrade, chotto wa kangaero Eh?

Daramu daigaku no kyouju no kutsu wo miro Kutsu wo? Kutsu wo... Ah, doro ka! Hai, kyou no Daramu wa ame deshita kara Kore de hannin no jousha eki seibetsu ga shiborareta

Koroshi ga mokuteki nara ressha wa Nonsense Nusumi ga mokuteki naze nara Whiskey Koko kara housui kuroaru no nioi Sake ni mazeru to konsui suru gekiyaku

Nemurase nusumi wo suru tsumori datta ga Yosou shinai dekigoto ga okotta Keesu ni wa akeyou toshita konseki Higaisha no kubimoto osaeta te no ato

Hannin wa higaisha ni kusuri wo nomasete Nemurasete houseki nusumu ki datta Keredo kiki warukatta ka taisei atta ka Higaisha wa... Mezamete shimatta

Hannin wa tossa ni naifu de shisatsu Keesu wa kekkyoku akerazu jimai Kyouki to kagi wo motte sejou suru Sore shika mou ki ga mawaranakatta Hannin no roubai ga ariari to mieru Toppatsu teki na hankou da (desu)

English

I shall not put shame to the Moriarty name. I shall give this my all. This is fun! Whoever finds the criminal first wins!

There’s no time. Let’s do this quickly, Liam. My thoughts exactly.

May I ask for the blueprint and list of passengers? Yes, sir. Get us the master key as well No need for that. This’ll just take me a sec

What have you found? The victim is a jeweler The criminal is a male He got on the train from Durham he failed his attempt to steal this man’s jewelry and stabbed him with a knife H-How did you even know?

Simply elementary. / Isn’t it obvious?

Notice the two footsteps on the floor, of a gentlemen’s shoes One is the victim’s, the other is the criminal’s A 8-inch shoes, of a person who rode the train from Durham How? What? How did you conclude they boarded at Durham?

Lestrade, use your brain a little! Eh?

Look at the shoes of the Durham professor His shoes? His shoes... Ah, mud! True, for it rained in Durham today This determines the criminal’s gender and where he boarded the train

[Lestrade] The victim’s belongings are still here The criminal’s aim must’ve been to kill him!

If his aim was to kill, then getting on the train was nonsense If his aim was to steal, then we can say it because of the whiskey There’s a scent of chloral hydrate mixed with alcohol, it turns into a drug that induces sleep

He must’ve planned to steal while the victim was sleeping But something they didn’t expect happened There are traces of difficulty opening the case And there are traces of his hand on the victim’s neck

The criminal had the victim drink sleeping drugs to steal the jewels while he was asleep However, it may be because the amount was too little, or the victim had a tolerance But the victim had awakened

The criminal immediately stabbed him with the knife yet the case remained unopened All that the criminal could think about was to escape with the weapon and key The criminal was clearly panicked Thus, this crime was an act of impulse

(Note: William using ‘desu’ to show his respectful way of speaking. Sherlock using ‘da’ to show his rough way of speaking.)

#morimyu #yuukoku no moriarty #yuumori #ynm #musical moriarty #op2 #op2lyrics #mine #audio #updated

44 notes · View notes

mirrorfalls · 3 years ago

Note

Was that an invitation to ask one of the things? September.

This one's harder than it looks at a glance - I'm not a prolific writer by any stretch, so my pool of commentary is accordingly small. In fact, I'm pretty sure the commentary to my own comments on other people's stories is about seven or eight times bigger. ^^;

And yet - I've gotten a surprising amount of genuinely heartfelt ones from friends and strangers alike, enough that I feel kinda guilty playing favorites. Buuut not guilty enough to not shout-out ShinShi Queen @momocicerone:

There are several things i didn't expect from you-- i didn't expect you to have so few fics, i didn't expect them to be so short, i didn't expect them to be this good-- i am pleasantly surprised ((had i known this, i would have shamelessly recruited you for the zine, even when shipping is kind of an after thought for you)).

About this particular fic: i really love the simple narrative, straight to the point but never lacking to give the right amount of information. I think this is a first for me, i've never read a fic i enjoyed so much but i have no idea how to review? The concept, of course is very interesting with Shinichi being revealed to be part of the murder plot, big zoomeyes moment right there. It actually paints the entire series in a different light, and that's very refreshing.

In all, a very pleasant read, thank you for sharing.

(I still don’t know if I’m ever going to continue the story in question, but I’ve given it more thought these past few months than ever before.)

Now, as a bonus: witness the first piece of concrit I ever got, waaaaaaay back in Ye Olde FFN Days. This was for a One Piece story (which is still up, but all the Googling in the world probably won't help you find), but IMO it's surprisingly readable on its own, without needing to know a lick about the source material.

I'm still not sure what kept me reading this far. I can't say that this is really all that good, because it's tasteless and runny and sort of plays out like the aftermath of Tom Dickson visiting an Anime Exchange with nothing more than a digital camera and his ever-trusty Blendtec to keep him company. The Jokes are often tasteless or overplayed, I don't like a lot of what happens here, and your timing is sometimes slightly off, sometimes non-existant. Also, your particular imagining of the Joker seems so one-dimensional. I've seen Richard, Lord of the Dance (and the Thirteen Hells), act less single-mindedly bent on destruction. Many of the characters, sadly, follow suit. Anyways, enough with the negative. I guess I can say whatever I want, but I kept reading it. I think I wanted to see Blackbeard rock some faces, or any of the massively underplayed but cool characters get some screentime. I like to see what other writers do with them. But again, I digress, and how! I was going to skip writing a review, but I basically had to once you popped that "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" reference. Having not even so much as heard mention of that book in the last seventeen years or so, that missing-nineteenth-story gag caught me right in the funnybone and stuck me hard with a heavy dose of some intoxicating nostalgia. That earned you at least one giant kudos, all other comments aside. Keeping the tone positive, you seem to have a good feel for and love of the original work. Annotating your works with descriptions of obscure references or Japanese words is a handy thing to do, and I'm glad to see more and more authors doing so. Basically, here's the long story made short: I know this work is essentially "crack humour" at it's truest, but keep in mind that throwing reason to the wind doesn't mean you can't build on a foundation. Think steady hands. Whenever you find yourself sitting on a joke that's incredibly over the top, ask yourself if it does anything for the story as a whole. An episode of Family guy often contains more non-sequitors than a jar of baby food contains rat pellets, but when the episode is over they've each become a distinct part of it, so much so that when someone invariably refferences one of them the avid fan will immediately remember the actual plot of the episode it originated from. Now, if I can get Rick Astley to take his leave of my head for a few minutes, I'll finish off this shindig with Chapter Nine and call it a night.

(Am I subconsciously channeling this guy - with 75% fewer barbs - whenever I write one of my famously overlong comments? Maybe so, maybe so...)

3 notes · View notes

wolfram-kun · 5 years ago

Note

Hi! I am currently trying to convince my friends why Shiho and Shinichi should end up together and I find it hard because I feel like it's just natural for two people who understand each other so well to end up together but my friends don't see what I mean. This makes me curious about others' perspective too, what is your reason for shipping them? Thanks!

I’m very sorry it took so long to answer this! Hm, let’s see…why I ship these two…

The short version is, much like you, I guess, I enjoy their interactions, and the way the anime (I’ve never read the manga entirely, just bits and pieces) shows the progression of their relationship and the nature of that relationship e.g. their complicity when solving cases, their instant synchronicity.

End of short version...

Okay, hopefully this will be the only time I have to make the tedious ShinRan vs. ShinShi/CoAi argument, I mean most people find trashing on one ship the main justification for shipping the other, well that’s not going to be me because for a good chunk of two decades I’d shipped ShinRan, and probably I still sort of do, It’s just not what I “prefer” right now.

For a good part of the first half of the series, the anime did a good job at getting me invested on that couple all on its own but as of late, even after Ep928, it feels like the main reason why those two are now an official couple is because of the ‘childhood friends-to-lovers’ trope and nothing more. I’m only speaking for myself here, but my perspective on the characters’ relationships have been changing with the years and it’s just that the inevitability of ShinRan happening despite anything and everything kind of makes it boring and takes some of my investment from it, whereas Shinichi and Shiho – the only other female character I see him getting an interest on, non-canonically speaking – have the potential to be a more interesting/challenging pair due to the unpredictable shift in their relationship’s nature, because ShinShi happening is something no one would see coming…yet upon Haibara’s introduction, the anime gives (or at least used to, anyway) little moments that could give room to "possibility".

That aside, there is a shallow reason I would like Haibara to end up with Shinichi and that’s the fact of her character being voiced by Megumi-freaking-Hayashibara! I have a tendency to like certain characters because of their voices and I’m extremely weak for Megumi’s, especially the kind of voice she provides for characters such as Haibara (another example would be Anna from the Shaman King anime, but I digress^^u). So, I’d naturally want for her whatever she may want for herself and once upon a time that used to be to get Shinichi’s attention, so to speak. I could say she wanted to get together with him but she never pondered on that specifically. It always struck me as her just wanting her feelings to be acknowledged regardless of being returned or not.

That’s my view mainly from the Haibara-angle, as for Shinichi? I really think the guy needs someone like her, that can understand him in every level. Throughout the series Haibara’s done fairly good work trying to keep him grounded, always resorting to reason when making him see the recklessness of his actions. Yet, she goes against her better judgment to aid him on situations that are beneficial only to him, despite it could have dangerous consequences for everyone else involved if he messes up.

It goes to show that although she’s apprehensive to him going briefly back to his real body, she doesn’t dismiss that which is most important to him.

On the other hand Conan has a similar effect on her when pushing her to certain actions that would result in her overcoming a certain fear.

Also, ever since the Bus Hijacking Case, Conan’s righteousness (which she admires, btw) has gradually been rubbing off on her and become the main force for her wanting to take control of her fate and stop running from her demons. And it is through him – and subsequently the Detective Boys – that she gets a second chance at a normal childhood, which turns her life for the better.

On another note, their banter is always fun to watch and whenever they tease one another it brings out their mutual understanding of each other. I think what I’m trying to say, what attracts me the most about them is the level of rapport they share and how it comes effortlessly, their gazes meeting (sometimes that’s not even the case, and still they know what the other’s thinking!), or their matching smiles.

There are also specific actions they take for the other’s sake that simply pull me in. In Shinichi’s case, I just mentioned the Bus Hijacking episode: we know the crazy lengths he’s willing to go to protect those he cares about, but none of those occasions had such an impact on me as Conan grabbing Haibara and jumping through the glass seconds before the bomb goes off...

...moreover, he rubs his own blood on to her just so she can get away as fast as possible from whom, at the time, they didn’t know was Vermouth and ensure she was safe. I mean, covering someone with your blood just to ensure their safety? That is HARDCORE!

The defining moment on Haibara’s part for me, would be close to the end of the 2.5 hours Special “Head-to-Head Match with the Black Organization”: Haibara’s real confrontation with Vermouth…in one of the most intricate cases yet, Vermouth is finally revealed as been posing as Dr. Araide. I still remember the first time I saw that episode and I spent the next hour taking it all in. Lots of faces were unmasked on that one, literally and metaphorically, but if there’s a moment that stops my breathing whenever I see it is Haibara getting out of the cab, freezing in terror at the sight Vermouth. She’s visibly shaking but steels herself when she sees Conan and she just runs towards him.

You could say she’s taking a reckless risk (something not unheard of for Conan), but I see it as her finally facing her greatest fear (not counting Gin here) and taking charge in doing so – not in small part due to his influence either, mind you.

Sure, her showing up foils Shinichi's efforts to capture Vermouth in the end but that wouldn’t have been the case had they previously discussed the situation. It’s her fault as much as ‘their’ fault. I’m being realistic, they may understand each other all the time, but they don’t trust each other all the time. Their relationship is not perfect and I get that, I think it gives room to growth, something for them to work on, which they would manage together if given the chance.

Still, although they may keep things from each other, I have no doubt that when push comes to shove there’s no one they would rely on more.

Most examples like these are from the movies, which may not be canon to some, but neither is CoAi/ShinShi so, my point still stands XD

My attachment to this ship is the same as an on-and-off relationship, I like them one year, I might not the next, but to me they make sense, and I just enjoy them together.

Come to think of it, as impossible as them becoming a couple is, there’s always a “something” that pulls me back in and that’s amusing to me. Considering how dull things can get sometimes in life, I simply don’t take it for granted :)

Whoah, that took a while to put together lol A while back, you thanked me for taking your question seriously, well, since you took the interest and time to even ask in the first place, I couldn’t have responded in any other way^^

#intothesolitude #Wolframkotae #coai #shinshi #edogawa conan #haibara ai #kudo shinichi #miyano shiho

70 notes · View notes

momocicerone · 5 years ago

Text

Precipitation

also on ffnet | ao3

Fandom: Detective Conan / Case Closed

Summary: And how is she supposed to tell him the answer is always, when he wouldn’t have a clue what to do with her heart once she gave it to him?

[CoAi] [ShinShi] [Shinichi x Shiho]

Pairing: Kudo Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Miyano Shiho | Haibara Ai

Genre and Rating: Romance/Friendship ; K

A/N:

anonymous said: It's raining today and I'm in need of reading some ShinShi under the rain.

Late, but I wanted to write this for the dear anon who keeps sending me kind messages on tumblr. Ask and you shall receive! Paying this one forward.

“Come closer,” Shinichi says, inching so close to Shiho that their shoulders bump softly against each other under the shade of his umbrella. “Your sleeve is getting wet.”

“I’m not —you are the one getting wet!”

“That’s because you’re too far, stop squirming away!”

The rain pitter-patters over his backpack as they adjust to the newfound proximity, the warmth of his arm brushing against her own. She fights back the urge to hold on to it, her hands clutching around the strap of her school bag instead. The way back home suddenly feels too short, and she curses herself mentally for even entertaining the idea— feeding off impossible daydreams will eventually starve her to death.

Yet Shinichi’s firm grasp is there, holding her in place though the slippery streets as she loses her balance— ever the gentleman, ever the hero she never asked him to be.

He makes it hard for her not to wonder .

She stiffens at his touch, jerking her arm away and ignoring his soft-whispered ` Are you okay?` .

Her brows furrow instead.

“ Ne , Kudo... why are you so kind to me?”

Her somber tone confuses him, but he brushes it off dismissively.

“Are you stupid? I’m always this kind.” He says in a childish manner. She holds back an eyeroll.

“Yes, alright but... you don’t have to , you know? It’s not like—“

Not like we’re friends. Not like we like each other.

Shinichi waits for her to finish, but the words never come. He raises a questioning eyebrow, “Like what? Do you really need a reason to be nice to people?”

She takes a second to consider his words.“To certain people, yes.”

He huffs, half amused, half exasperated.

“By that logic, why are you always kind to me then? Is it because of guilt?”

“What— no!”

“Well, either that or you actually like my company.”

“I don’t.”

“Is that so? You’re doing a terrible job, then, if what you want is to atone for your imaginary sins. And, quoting your own words: you don’t have to .”

“I told you it’s not like that.”

“You like me, then.”

It’s her turn to huff, heat crawling up her face as the rain falls relentlessly over the red umbrella, echoing the irregular beating of her heart. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“You didn’t deny it.”

“I tolerate you.” She clarifies.

“Gee, thanks. And why is that?”

“Shut up.”

“You started it!” His chest rumble with laughter, and she suddenly feels warmer under the chilling rain. She could get used to this— to the closeness and his breathing next to hers, to the jokes and the camaraderie, to the idea of Kudo Shinichi as her safe haven in the midst of every thunderstorm. She could, but she knows she shouldn’t.

“I don’t know why... I’m bored, you’re here. It kills time.”

“Wow.” He deadpans. ”Best friend of the year.”

“Since when are we best friends?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I just assumed facing near-death experiences on a weekly basis and knowing each other’s darkest secrets would somehow qualify me as your best friend. Guess I was wrong.”

“If you put it that way, it just means we are friends by circumstances.”

He pauses to think for a second before blurting out, “I’d still choose you.”

“H-Huh!?”

“I said, even if we didn’t meet on these crazy circumstances, I’d still choose you.”

“Oh,” Shiho seems at a loss of words, which pleases and marvels him at the same time.

“Would you choose me?” He asks innocuously, all but curiosity across his face.

And how is she supposed to tell him the answer is always , when he wouldn’t have a clue what to do with her heart once she gave it to him?

“On a rainy day like this, of course I would.” Half-truths, she decides, are the only thing she can afford to lose. “What kind of fool would refuse a human umbrella?”

His face falls. “Oi, I thought we were having a moment! That’s it, you deserve to walk in the rain—“ He mockingly makes a motion to pull the umbrella away, and she yelps as the furious rain splashes on her black uniform shoes. Her arms instinctively wrap around his bended elbow to keep him from pulling away.

“H-Hey!” Shiho complains, a death grip on his arm, “Watch out! Are you serious!?”

He hovers over, making it hard for her to breathe, “ Are you? ”

“Ah, alright!” She concedes, “I’d choose you too.”

He doesn’t seem convinced. “For real?”

“Yes, for-freaking-real ! Damn you, Kudo, put down the umbrella, we’re both getting soaked!”

“Ah, crap. I'm sorry about that.” Shinichi holds out his sleeve and starts rubbing the rain drops on her hair, her shoulders, her face— she’s dying , and he seems to realize that too because when he sees her looking at him like a deer in the headlights, with her cheeks burning pink from his touch and lips quivering for reasons outside the cold, he suddenly stops and loses the ability to form a coherent sentence.

“L-Let’s just hurry back home!” He finally manages to blurt after a few failed attempts.

She nods, her arms still tightly wrapped around his, the sound of their thumping heartbeats muffled by the soft pitter-patter dancing on the red umbrella.

#coai #shinshi #kudo shinichi #edogawa conan #miyano shiho #haibara ai #detective conan #meitantei conan #case closed #dcmk #shinichi x shiho #haibara x conan #conan x ai #myfanfiction

33 notes · View notes

mayonaka-no-sasayaki · 5 years ago

Text

CoAi/ShinShi Week 2019 - Day 5: Choice

@coai

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or it's characters.

August 29th - Day 5: Choice

Summary: Considering the circumstances, Shiho finds that the best way to protect Kudou and the people they both care about is to have the Organisation shift their attention elsewhere; on a bigger target than Kudou.

And who better to be it, than Sherry?

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20439038

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13375386/1/Infinite-Possibilities

Infinite Possibilities

Bloody hell.

"What will it be, Sherry? Your life?" The cool barrel of a gun presses against her forehead and it takes everything within her not to flinch back when cold green eyes flick behind her. "Or theirs?"

A soft whimper sounds from one of the kids and Shiho lets out a snarl at Gin, too furious to be afraid of her tormentor.

An ambush.

With the rumours of Kudou-kun sudden return from when he was in Kyōtō spreading like wildfire, despite it being put to rest— the Organisation's second-in-command; the ever elusive Rum, had ordered elite agents to track down leads regarding the detective.

And what better way to start than to go to the people closest to Kudou-kun. It's even more of a pain since Rum is meticulous and paranoid; using connections to have the Suzuki family invite Kudou-kun's friends and family to a gathering at Haido Hotel as a means to monitor and eventually, take them hostage along with all the important people that the Suzuki family are connected to as a means to further their agenda.

Two birds with one stone.

Initially, they were all separated into certain groups; CEOs, celebrities, athletes, so on and so forth. It was misleading since it gave the impression that it's done by a greedy criminal group that Kudou-kun seems to attract. Or even a rival company of the Suzuki family looking to get rid of the competition. Those kind of idiots are easier to handle than the threat They pose. Of course, it's just her luck that both Gin and Vermouth are amongst the agents sent to this particular task. But it's not her that They are hunting down; not after 'killing' her on the Mystery Train all those months ago. It should have been a relief to know that she's not the target.

Until her mind realised how carefully all the people in attendance are selected. They are all the people who are close or connected to Kudou Shinichi in some way or another.

Shiho wants to face palm so badly when she figured that part out. Honestly, that reckless idiot is going to be the death of her one of these days.

They want to draw out Kudou-kun by taking all those he cares about as hostages. Brilliant.

Shiho has had her suspicions before but this proves the fact that Rum really is a bloody bastard.

Considering that Kudou-kun is one of the key players to finally bring Them down once and for all, Shiho obviously can't let Them dispose of Kudou-kun or the people here. So she makes her choice. Considering the circumstances, Shiho finds that the best way to protect Kudou-kun and the people they both care about is to have the Organisation shift their attention elsewhere; on a bigger target than Kudou-kun.

And who better to be it, than Sherry?

As far as They are concern, while Kudou-kun is a famous high school detective, he is still just a teenager and an unfortunate witness to Gin and Vodka's deal at Tropical Land. Herself, on the other hand? Well, she knows things that not many in Their ranks know about, mostly in regards to That Person's obsession with the Apoptoxin and the lengths he'd take to achieve it. And that includes orders and experiments that not even Vermouth knows about. It should be a terrifying choice; sneaking away to take the temporary antidote and revealing herself to Gin of all people.

Honestly? Shiho is too numb and furious to even be afraid.

From her peripheral vision, Shiho can see that Kudou-kun is white as a sheet. She worries if the brunet is even breathing considering how still he is. It's the first time that she's ever seen Kudou-kun so terrified but then, she can't blame him. All the people he's sworn to protect are hostages to Them right now— Shiho would be surprised if the detective isn't at least a bit afraid.

"Shouldn't that be obvious, Gin?" Stepping forward so that the muzzle is pressed more firmly against her forehead, she glares up at the assassin. "Leave them be and I'll come quietly."

Vodka chuckles at Gin's side, a constant shadow. "No can do, Sherry. Got orders to dispose of a certain detective."

"Fool," she drawls out with a scoff. "That detective you're searching for is dead. You're wasting your time."

The gun barrel almost cuts her skin from the sudden pressure as Gin levels a smirk at her. "Hoh~? And how can you so sure, little traitor?"

"Simple." Despite her old fear, Shiho doesn't look away from Gin. "The one who confirmed his death on the database and performed his autopsy— was me."

There's a pause before Gin lightens the pressure. "Explain."

"Aniki," Vodka implores, a skeptical frown on his face. "She could be lying."

Shiho lets herself smirk. "I'm not. Blood and DNA samples can prove that. Along with the autopsy report I wrote up for the subject."

"Then why is Rum so hellbent in finding the brat if it's confirmed that he's dead?"

Huffing, she gives Gin a pointed glance. "The reports are only accessible to That Person."

"And why is that?" Vodka demands while Gin sighs, before he finally pulls the gun back.

"Because the brat's results are what the Boss is looking for." Gin raises a brow at her. "Isn't that right?"

Shiho nods, relieved but still on guard. "He came closest out of all the test subjects, yes."

Sirens wail from the distance. Shiho wonders if it was Bourbon or Rye (despite Kudou-kun's best efforts, she's not fooled. She would recognise the man who her sister loved anywhere after putting him under surveillance for so long) who tipped the authorities. Either way, she's grateful. There's no need for Rye to blow his cover and come back from the dead as well; Okiya Subaru is just a graduate student after all and should stay that way until the moment is right.

From a nearby window, Chianti curses aloud and tears away from her rifle scope. "Cops are surrounding the place. Shit tons of 'em too. Let's just take Sherry and go already."

"But that detective brat!" Vodka protests, looking between her and Gin.

"Is dead," she repeats firmly then, tilts her head with a widening smirk. "Or did you forget who was the one that created the poison in the first place? I know very well how effective it is."

The sounds of shouting and ricocheting bullets are edging closer and a quick glance to the side shows her the desperation in Kudou-kun's eyes as he tries to think of a way out for everyone. Rye is much the same, looking ready to pounce on the nearest grunt at a moments notice. Even Bourbon appears to want to jump into the fray despite being a NOC.

Shiho makes her choice and steps closer to Gin. "Keep me alive and I'll prove it to Rum myself."

"...very well."

Shots fire, terrified screams cut through the air as people curl up close together.

Shiho drops to the ground with a grimace, mouth pressed tight from the pain, twin bullets dug deep into her things. The carpet underneath her is getting soaked from the blood streaming out of the wounds.

"No!"

Even through the pain, she can see Kudou-kun struggling to free himself from Mouri-san's hold, glasses askew and snarling hatefully up at Gin.

"Leave her alone!"

Exasperated, she turns her head to pin Kudou-kun a reproachful glare. "Shush now, brat."

"Brat trying to play superhero or something?" Vodka comments, coming closer to haul her up. "Ya know him?"

Shiho hisses, the wound searing into her. As expected of Gin. He aimed at the right place to make sure her legs would be useless; making an escape impossible for her.

Knowing that she has to be careful with her words lest they pay too much attention to the too clever child, Shiho shrugs with a breathless chuckle. "Just a brat that I just met tonight that likes quizzes too much." Shiho feels her lips twist into an apologetic smile at Kudou-kun. "Guess he's a bit angry that he won't get the answer to the quiz I gave him. Don't worry, brat. You're almost at the right answer."

The permanent antidote is almost complete and with the instructions she left for the Professor and Kudou-kun in case of emergencies like this, they'll be able to finish it even without her.

Kudou-kun's expression blanks for a moment until he connects the dots, before it turns absolutely livid. "I don't care about that, you infuriating woman!"

That's hard to believe, considering how much the detective likes to beg for an antidote.

"Rude brat," she comments with a pained chuckle, shuffling forward and bites back another hiss when Vodka shoves her. She's caught by the one woman she had hoped she'll never meet again.

The cold smirk Vermouth gives her brings a chill down her spine but she endures to edge closer and whispers furiously to the other woman.

"Protect him, Vermouth."

"Of course," the pale blonde says loftily, smirk taking on a condescending edge. "He is the precious Silver Bullet after all."

A snarl on her lips, indignation and protectiveness flaring. "He is not a pawn to your sick games."

"How noble of you, Sherry." Vermouth then passes her back to Vodka. "Let's hurry up, now— before our uninvited guests come barging in."

There's a commotion behind her, and she sees one of the locked double doors to the dining hall straining to be broken down from the other side. Guns still trained on the hostages by the grunts, Shiho snaps off a pained yelp when she's unceremoniously hauled out by Gin towards the only other set of doors.

"Conan-kun!"

"Let me go, Ran-neechan!"

Shiho watches as Kudou-kun; pale and terrified trying to claw his way out of Mouri-san's protective hold, hand outstretched and reaching out for her.

Unbidden, a smile curves along her lips and Kudou-kun stops struggling, blue eyes wide and glassy as a tear streams down his face before his mouth parts.

I'm sorry.

Despite the fear that's finally creeping in, she continues to smile, eyes flitting to all the people she cares about.

Agasa-hakase. The Tantei-dan.

Her gaze finally lands back to a stricken Kudou-kun and she allows herself to show how much she cares for the detective (is it love? Shiho isn't sure but she does know that there's no other man as incorrigible as Kudou-kun). She doesn't break eye contact even as the doors close shut behind her.

But I'm not.

She's led to the only working elevator on the floor with Gin while Vodka waits for his turn with the grunts. Once the doors slide closed, she's shoved against a wall with Gin's gun back on her forehead.

"If neither Rum or myself are satisfied with your report, Sherry..."

The threat goes unfinished but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what will happen. And just like that, the old fear is returning with a vengeance and she shakily nods, trembling.

"Understood."

Gin steps away from her and she lets out a quiet sigh of relief. Shiho tries to distract herself from the pain of her wounds by looking up at the floor numbers as they make their descent.

Seven, six, five—

Don't run away from fate, Haibara.

Cold sweat dribbles down onto her chin and she feels her lips lifting into a wan smile. Of course the voice of the boy who inspires her to live would snap her out of the despair that's threatening to swallow her whole.

Four.

No more running. She has people that she still needs to protect. There's still so much to do before Shiho can rest her weary bones. Until the day comes where she doesn't have to be afraid of every shadow that lurks in the corners, she will continue to fight.

I won't, Kudou-kun.

But more importantly, she will survive and live.

"Three."

Gin throws her a sharp glance. "What?"

"You gave me two choices." Blinking sluggishly up at Gin, she gives him a deadpanned stare. "There's actually...three."

Looking as if he's actually humouring her, Gin scoffs. "Is that so?"

"Yes." Shiho sways as her vision swims from the blood lost but she has to do this. It was hasty but she didn't reveal herself to Them unprepared. "Me." A finger points to herself then, to the elevator doors. "Them."

Two.

"Or you."

A scream; more surprised than pained resounds in the tiny space of the elevator as Shiho digs the syringe deeper into Gin's jugular. The toxin has an instant numbing agent that she's been experimenting on in case if she ever runs into Them. Never before has she ever been grateful for her paranoia that she even thought of bringing the damnable thing tonight.

Gin roars, eyes so wide that there's barely any green in them. "Sherry...!"

"This is for all the people you've hurt," she hisses into Gin's ear.

Gin takes a swipe at her and she dodges in time, only to cry out in pain when she hits the floor hard. Not a second later, Gin descends on her, hands wrapped tight around her throat with a mad grin.

Gasping, she claws at Gin's eyes and hears the satisfying grunt of pain. There's a clatter and she doesn't even stop to think as she grabs Gin's beretta and takes aim.

"This," she chokes out, firing at Gin's chest; at exactly where Onee-chan was shot at, "is for my sister!"

Though he stumbles, Gin presses a hand to his chest and lunges at her. Shiho tries to scramble away but her legs are useless and she's lost too much blood to even think of overpowering Gin. They struggle against one another and her eyes blur from the pain and fear; from the sheer frustration of it all. Enough. No more. She's made the choice to live and she is going to continue on living because she…! Is. Not. Done!

One.

"And this…!" The effects of her toxin is finally taking effect and she levels the gun to Gin's forehead with a grim smirk. "This, is for me!"

The shot echoes long after it's fired and she coughs as Gin slumps on top of her, the assassin's blood and brain matter soaking her clothes. Eyes burning, she blinks up at the ceiling as the elevator doors slide opened.

"Goodbye, Gin." Shiho places a hand on top of blood matted silver hair, tears streaming down her face. Relief and grief war in her. Although there's no love lost between them, Gin had been a companion of sorts and maybe some part of her had wished that Gin was someone that could've been saved. "May you burn in Hell."

Reaching a hand out to stop the doors from closing, Shiho quickly shoots the panels to make sure it won't go back up to be used as an escape route for any of Their agents. Ripping strips of cloth from Gin's coat, she wraps up her wounds and crawls out of the elevator. Shiho tries to be careful not to leave obvious trails of blood in her wake but she's not sure if she succeeds. Dragging herself to the nearest break room, she manages to find a first aid kit and proceeds to take the bullets out, lest the apoptoxin causes more damage than help in closing her wounds once the antidote wears off. Once done, she rehydrates herself from the water dispenser and a chocolate bar from the fridge.

Hiding herself in a nook at the far corner of the break room, she holds onto Gin's gun close and waits for the apoptoxin to take affect. Shiho isn't sure for how long she hides, blinking in and out of consciousness until she hears a pair of footsteps getting closer. Hotel staff? Or perhaps one of Them? Maybe Gin's corpse was found and They are looking for retribution?

As whoever it is comes closer, Shiho takes aim until familiar sneakers come into view. The rest of the body follows soon enough to show the shrunken form of Kudou Shinichi with his Tracking Glasses on. Ah…Kudou-kun must've tracked her down by following the signal of her Tantei-dan badge. And if Kudou-kun can actually sneak away to take the chance in trying to find her then, that means the hostages are safe. Thank goodness.

There's a smile on Kudou-kun's face as pure relief washes over childlike features, before Kudou-kun rapidly pales at the state she's in. "Haibara..."

"Kudou-kun," she mumbles back, and seeing the horrified look on Kudou-kun's face because there's no doubt the detective has already deduced what happened for her to be soaked in blood and brain matter, she lets out a tired sigh. "I am not sorry."

Shiho is well aware of Kudou-kun's aversion to killing but in this, she refuses to be ashamed of her actions. She does regret it had to come down to it but she's not sorry for making the choice in defending herself or those she loves from the monster that was Gin.

"I know…but, I am," Kudou-kun says, blue eyes terribly sad but lacking any pity or censure. "And honestly? I don't blame you."

That's unexpected. A relief but unexpected all the same.

"You should be with the others." Strength starting to come back, Shiho can already feel the apoptoxin reactivating and replenishing the blood she's lost. If there's one good thing about the poison she made, it's that it activates the necessary cells to heal wounds as time reverses back. "Go. I'll join you once the antidote wears off—"

She glances down at her blood soaked clothes and feels her shoulders drop. "— and wash up as well."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Kudou-kun…" Shiho sighs, head rising up to give Kudou-kun an unimpressed stare.

The glare Kudou-kun sends her is stern and perhaps even a little terrifying. "I. Am. Not. Leaving. You."

"Fine," she eventually grits out, turning away to lean her head against the wall. "But stay away, I'm filthy."

Ignoring her warning, the idiot has the gall to plop himself beside her. "Don't care."

"Little punk."

"Tsundere brat."

"…you did not just called me that."

"I so did."

"Ugh."

Steam rises as the antidote starts to wear off, and Kudou-kun finds one of her hands to grasp in his own as her body spasm with the familiar pain of being shrunken ten years younger than she should be. Shiho appreciates it, clutching Kudou-kun's hand to help anchor herself from being washed away from the pain.

"Thank you," Kudou-kun whispers once the transformation subsides, voice hoarse and still holding onto her hand like its a lifeline. "For protecting everyone I care about. Protecting me. I…just—" Kudou-kun ducks his head, tone hushed with heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you."

There's guilt mixing in with the gratitude of Kudou-kun's voice. That won't do. While the circumstances were dire, Shiho was the one who decided to reveal herself for being alive. True, she's a target again. But honestly, she's too tired in being afraid all the time and thinks it's best to let it be. With Gin dead, she has a better chance in protecting herself and others so she supposes in retrospect, it's not a too terrible situation to be in.

Shiho flicks Kudou-kun's forehead, smirking at the yelp the detective lets out. "Wasn't even a choice."

"Yeah?" Kudou-kun rubs his forehead with a scowl, brow raised. The guilt in his eyes have lessened from indignation. That's good. "What, like I'm a fact?"

"Exactly that." At the stunned look she receives, Shiho lets her smirk turns teasing. "No matter how absolutely exasperating you are."

"Like you're one to talk," Kudou-kun grumbles out, before his face softens as he folds her hand into his grasp with both of his own. "You should know that it's mutual."

Shiho lets out a very unlady-like snort at that. "As if you'd choose me."

Kudou-kun's priority always has and always will be Mouri Ran. Anybody with a working braincell knows that.

"Oi, oi, you did say it wasn't even a choice for you." There's something like hurt in Kudou-kun's eyes as he looks at her. "What makes you think that it can't be the same for me?"

Shiho honestly doubts that Kudou-kun would ever choose her if there's ever a situation that calls for it and— that's not even adding to the fact that she doesn't need Kudou-kun to play her knight in shining armour. But the hurt in Kudou-kun's expression is making her feel guilty so she decides to humour the detective, looking away as she does so. "...I see."

"Yeah," Kudou-kun whispers, determined and ever stubborn. It makes Shiho feels a sliver of hope in Kudou-kun's words before she quickly locks it away.

There's no use to think about things that aren't meant to be.

Once she's washed up and changed back into the clothes that she wore earlier that night...or is it morning now? (which Kudou-kun was kind enough to retrieve for Shiho before searching out for her), Shiho shuffles out of the restroom and gratefully lets Kudou-kun guides her by the hand back to where everyone is. Thankfully, the apoptoxin has healed the majority of her wounds, including the bruises around her neck. Shiho knows it's a relief for Kudou-kun as well since he had flinched so badly when he first saw it. Kinda odd since Kudou-kun has probably seen far worse; being a homicide detective and all.

"We're gonna live, y'know? All of us." Kudou-kun turns bright, determined eyes to her and says firmly. "Both of us."

Lips quirking into a wry smile, she tightens her hold on Kudou-kun's hand. "Together?"

"Always," Kudou-kun promises, grin rivalling the sun that's peaking over the horizon as they walk out of the hotel.

Shiho laughs and follows Kudou-kun into the light.

21 notes · View notes

phantomthiefjeanne · 7 years ago

Text

My Top 5 Arina Tanemura Series

This is a rather loaded question, so get ready for A List that Massively Overcomplicates What Should Have Been a Simple, One-and-done Affair! Ft. extensive reviews of all the series named.

This is a very subjective list, but I do try and work in what is objectively high quality vs. what I simply Like (which imo is just as important in a genre that’s all about fluttery hearts and feeeelings!). Mild spoilers for Tanemura’s work ahead.

#5: Full Moon O Sagashite

Cue gasps from the peanut gallery for what some (especially international audiences) might consider Tanemura’s magnum opus being ranked so low. Here’s the thing: if this list had been about objective quality, I would concede that this series is too good for just spot five. But since this is about personal favourites, FMoS still straddles the bottom of my own list of bests only because I read it in a time in my life when the themes of cancer! and death! just didn’t sit well when I had to confront those demons in real life as well as on the page. Such personal biases might have also explained why I never fully connected with the characters: Mitsuki, sweet child she is, felt too idealistic for a girl who’d been my age and going through similar struggles, like a distant fairytale princess. I loved and admired her but never fully stepped into her shoes, creating a disconnect the rest of the equally lovable cast could never overcome.

The “She Knew!!” Twist was a game changer in my perception of Mitsuki and the series, however, and the series remains a showcase of what Tanemura does best: classic-literature-worthy monologues, true-to-life humour (because no real life tragedy is all gloom and doom!), and breathlessly emotive art. It’s a love letter to and deconstruction of a tropey genre in equal measure; Full Moon takes the Pierrot idols by STORM in showing that transforming into a new body can mean more than just surface-level wish fulfillment for some in our society. Its shinigami mythology deftly communicates heavy themes without getting bogged down by irrelevant details, and the pacing balances its diverse plot lines without tonal whiplash—not an easy task to do so seamlessly when you really consider how ambitious and complex the series’ premise is.

For one, it definitely runs the Tragic Back Story Gamut in a more organic manner than SHK, letting the past actually affect the present in a satisfyingly circular way. And the romance! If you squint past some of the more forceful scenes and the Takuto-age-debacle, it’s got one of the most wholly original main pairings around, swoony and engrossing because of the tragedy edging in on the sides and the Found Family aspect, but also because you’re never quiiiite sure until the very end if you’re getting the happy ending less creative shoujo setups promise. And, confession: even though FMoS is #5 here, I actually like its anime adaption better than my precious KKJ’s. It had music worthy of its source material and changes that didn’t completely uproot what the illusively elaborate manga stood for.

#4: Time Stranger Kyoko

TSK could have been good. Like, really, really good. It’s an exercise in What Could Have Been, if only the editorial staff had given the series a chance to settle into its voice, yes, but also if Tanemura had exercised more focus and constraint in her execution of this weird, weird tale’s starting chapters. I’ve heard reviewers call it confusing on a worldbuilding level, and I’d be inclined to agree, but the logistical ramifications of its admittedly scattered lore are captivating. The details of the Earth Kingdom’s technology and governing system might be questionable, but the details Arina embeds in the relationships between the central love triangle, the intersections of the twelve strangers’ side stories with that of the main one (the witch story in SDC, actually Yume’s story upon conception, is proof of how lovely even the stories we never got to see were D:), and the heroine’s unconventional personality (they say they cut the series short because of her?! every complaint about Tanemura’s heroines being too heroic, too candy-like should be addressed to the editors that shut down Kyoko—the girl who struggles to connect with the tragedies in her friends’ lives because she’s never experienced strife like that and can’t will tragedy upon herself or anything! That’s. So. Relatable. To readers! And relevant to the very tropes Tanemura plays with! AUGHHHH!) elevate the manga waaaay above your standard MacGuffin Hunt, which could have been interesting in itself when you have all of time as well as space to explore. The fact that the rushed ending not only makes story-sense but feels emotionally satisfying, like you wouldn’t even have guessed there was that much behind-the-scenes drama to what’s presented, proves Tanemura’s talent as a storyteller.

Still, you can’t give an award to the imagined greatness of What Could Have Been, and Tanemura’s storytelling wasn’t entirely faultless in inciting what was essentially the series’ cancellation. As entertaining as they were, characters like the thieves and Chocola detracted from the story’s forward momentum and frankly made the series strange in ways that weren’t creative but rather just uncomfortable. The inexplicably incessant focus on the harassment of the teenaged girl characters unsettled me—odd for a series that contains one of the sweetest, most consensual pairings in Arina’s career.

Kyoko and Sakataki, as a couple but also as separate characters, saved so much else about the series for me. The brash, lazy princess and her stoic, loyal knight...They’re such well-established characters that even with the mounds of untold chapters, you can sort of fill in the blanks on what their love line and separate characters arcs Could Have Been.

And also, since this is a list of my self-indulgent personal favourites, I just really love elementalists and twins, y’all. TSK has BOTH elementalists AND twins, PLUS angsty brothers and secret royalty trying to blend in in high school (it was only the first chapter, but whatever). TSK checks so many of my boxes. That’s why it ranks so high despite its flaws.

#3: Sakura Hime Kaden / Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura

Full disclosure: I grew up with Asian period dramas, with its stunning sets and sweeping costumes. Sometimes they had demons and magic swords. Sometimes they just dealt with the cutthroat machinations of palace politics. Either way, I loved them, and so how could I not love Tanemura’s take on the genre with a series that deals with BOTH?!

SHK’s pacing gets so muddled later in its run you can see the boom mike and stunt wires trying to very mechanically drive the once-promising series to an abrupt end, and the lack of very distinct features in the main character’s personality made it hard to sympathize with her as her destructive fate came into fruition…

but Y’ALL. As a period fantasy and romance and showcase of East Asian myths and even as a shounen manga, something the series is technically not, it is a MASTER CLASS. Tanemura excels in taking what you expect and not so much as stomping on those expectations as much as perfecting them and filtering out the impurities holding them back. Tanemura’s art is also at the top of its game here; the drama and dynamism her detailed style and heavy screen tones deliver fit the series like a glove. The perfunctory bumps along the way to the expansive legend Arina is trying to tell are disregardable in light of how epic and original this series is. With its massive cast of demons and royalty and everything in between, it tries to do a LOT, and for everything it does wrong, it does twenty other things right—and most of the time, it’s the first to do it, in what might be the only period-magical girl series out there.

Its strengths are especially evident in the first three volumes, before the story is bogged down by the Princess Rescue arc, which caused a halt in forward momentum that the series never really recovers from. These starting chapters are perfectly paced, with gorgeous worldbuilding (the soul symbols! what a clever character device!) and deliciously dark stakes that seem to get higher and higher without running out of steam—and we haven’t even met our main villain yet!

As interesting as the main villain is, though (I absolutely despise him but understand where he’s coming from—finally, Arina has broken the Weak Villains curse she and the MCU had both been cursed by), the introduction of him and his demon posse bloats the series to the point where, like TSK, we get sad about What Could Have Been because a lot of what these beginning chapters achingly builds up to, like the xenophobic tension between the emperor and the demons, or Asagiri’s character arc regarding personal sacrifices, falls to the wayside in favour of later, less promising developments.

BUT STILL. Those beautiful transformations. The unconventional way Sakura and Aoba’s swoony romance unfolds (even if the Yuri arc was misplaced). The lush costumes and backdrops. The breathless revelations Tanemura doles out with ease throughout...SHK is severely underrated in the overseas fandom, in my opinion, and I highly implore everyone to at least give the 12-volume series a try, especially now that the series is complete and you won’t wreck your heart agonizing at the cliffhangers between the chapters. If you think you’ve grown out of Tanemura, SHK might just change your mind. It’s dark without being cynical, with a heroine who proudly exclaims that she loves the sensation of just BEING ALIVE even as the world collapses around her. Maron and Mitsuki would be proud.

#2: The Gentlemen’s Alliance Cross / Shinshi Doumei Cross

In the grand tradition of Hana Yori Dango, and the Heirs and Gossip Girl-types that followed, GAC is a story about the dramatic lives of rich kids at a rich school, with Cinderella imagery to boot.

But this is an Arina Tanemura series, so YOU KNOW it’s going to take the outdated, melodramatic clichés that plague such seemingly unintellectual stories, like birth secrets and arranged marriages, and turn them into something new and deeply meaningful…just like how the Fairy Godmother makes magic happen with Cinderella’s old rags.

The junk-food quality of other (to borrow a word from Korean dramas) “makjang” Cinderella stories is still there, to ensure maximum entertainment and enthralment, but with SDC and the surprisingly deep themes it has to convey, we discover that it was never the genre itself or even its well-worn tropes that was lazy—it was the previous writers, who could never quite pace character arcs or plant plot twists in the masterful manner Arina does. Ouran takes standard shoujo tropes and parodies them. SDC makes a convincing argument defending them by showing how, in the right hands, these devices can work and work well without irony.

Is the series unrealistic? Sure, but instead of treating it like the simplistic slice-of-life it was never meant to be, read it from the lens you’d use for a lore-heavy fantasy novel or palace drama, and you’ll see the genius in Arina’s intricate storytelling, ambitious themes, and breathtaking academy politics. It’s got surprisingly nuanced messages to convey about relationships of all kinds (not just romance!) and enough self-respect to never repeat a plot line, never let a character remain a stereotype, never let the story be as simple as “plucky girl falls in love with cold heir”… The situations the characters are thrown in may not be familiar to us, but their emotions always are. These emotions bounce off the page and speak volumes even when we’re reading between the lines—even when they’re so heart wrenchingly, humanly complex only one of Tanemura’s transcendent analogies could do them justice.

SDC is shoujo at its best: fluffy and fun, but even when your heart gets on its rollercoaster to sink and fly per a wave of Fairy Godmother Tanemura’s magic pen, your brain comes along for the ride. You get as much out of SDC intellectually as you would emotionally—and that’s a whole lot.

(Now if only I could get that live action adaption!)

(Also, btw for those who haven’t read it, SDC is a little funky with its LGBTQ+ representation. It’s there (I saw my bi daughter Ushio’s cameo in idol dreams the other day, and CRIED), and it’s mostly positive, but definitely a lil tone-deaf and misguided. Just a forewarning. This is also partially why this series isn’t #1.)

#1: Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne / Phantom Thief Jeanne

I don’t really need to write a blurb on why I love KKJ, do I? This whole blog, despite it being my personal, already feels like a 7-year-old shrine to the series. I’ve talked a bit about my relationship with the series here and here. I honestly can’t remember if I’ve ever divulged on Tumblr how important this series is to my very core, however: at a time when I was having the darkest of thoughts and my family came tumbling down around me, I took solace in reading and re-reading KKJ. I looked up to Maron but connected with her as well; at a time when I felt abandoned, she showed me how to survive...because it’s ok not to thrive 100% of the time. You can see in Arina’s freetalks, for better and for worst, she really put her truest self into the pages of the manga. It remains to be one of the rawest works of fiction I’ve ever read–and thanks to KKJ itself, I was able to move on from that dark period and later interact with Pretentiously Serious Fiction in my academic career, but nothing’s ever quite hit the genuineness and vulnerability Tanemura expresses within KKJ’s 7 volumes.

Even when Maron’s lessons ended, the series introduced me to an online community that I can honestly say saved my life. The debt I owe to KKJ as a reader, a creator, and a living human being is immense.

And that’s not even getting into how good it genuinely is, you guys. Even if you aren’t big on Tanemura’s nuanced approach to human feelings and sweeping universal truths about the human connection, you gotta admire the genius of her pacing. The series is so fluid, with no moving parts missing nor extraneous–a rarity in this genre. KKJ’s plot twists and character arcs unspool organically, with unmatched grace. Looking at some of the male characters’ actions, I’ll admit it’s not perfect, but the experience it provides very well may be. Dear reader, even if KKJ is not your #1, I hope your #1 book, song, film, whatever provides you with the same kind of sanctuary that KKJ was for me, way back when.

As if this list wasn’t long enough, some honourable mentions:

Almost made the cut: (Absolute awakening angels) Mistress Fortune It’s so cute! And does what it sets out to do so well! It’s a short, sweet romcom starring a magical girl duo...what more could you want? I used to agonize over how the side story left their feelings (Arina had promised to go back to them! She’d PROMISED!) but after having lived, loved, and learned past the duo’s age bracket, I totally get it now, Kisaki. I do.

Now if only Giniro hadn’t been quite so forceful, and if the weight loss plot lines could have been dropped entirely...

Favourite oneshot: The Short-Tempered Melancholic I love both parts of this duology! Even if it’s straightup silly in what I think is supposed to be feminism, the romance is adorable and it’s ultimately inoffensive. Like with Kyoko, the well-crafted heroine and hero carry this one home, and I wouldn’t have minded an entire series just about them and those ninja hijinks. Runner-up for oneshots would be Shoujo Eve: 24 Hours.

Favourite *new* Arina series: Idol Dreams/ 31 idream The pacing’s a little messy and the story’s logistics don’t quite click as well as, say, FMoS, but of the smaller projects Arina has taken on since SHK, this one’s definitely my favourite. Even with all of its cameos and references, it stands alone well enough as a good josei series, rather than a TanemuraTM series. As with KKJ, here she tackles subjects that feel personal to her, and the authenticity works.

Phew! That was probably more than you asked for, which is why I left this post until Reading Week to write. As well as a Top 5 list, I think this doubles as a Top Recommendations list–so feel free to message me if you’re interested in anything I listed! ;)

14 notes · View notes

multiply014 · 7 years ago

Text

I’m sorry I took so long answering the post you tagged me in, @hcibara!!!

I don’t even know how to copy the post with formatting, I mean is there an easy way to do so because I literally just copied the text and added the formatting??? =)) okay sorry HAHA

I put a short fic at the end because... we... friends... :') For you, @hcibara, because you're a blessing!

Fandom (Pairing): DCMK (CoAi) Title: Morning Summary (Word Count): He sneaks visits in the early morning... (305) Links: Entry on AO3 and FF

RULES: Choose any three fandoms (in random order) and answer the questions. Then tag some friends.

friends i’m gonna tag:

…I don’t have friends????????????? I’ll tag you back @hcibara LOL sry for ppl kind enough to read this pls answer this and be my friend???? No? Yes???

I choose: dead fandoms. No, not really, just kidding… 1/3 kidding.

Detective Conan (obvsly, I do nothing but post about this)

Yakitate!! Japan

Eyeshield 21

The first character you loved:

Haibara Ai/Miyano Shiho (because how can you not??? That was a rhetorical q btw, no need to answer guys pls this bb deserves only love)

Azuma Kazuma (or is it Kazuma Azuma lord ppl would think I don’t have a fandom besides dc)

Hiruma Youichi (because senpai is cool ya-ha! Okay sry)

The character you never expected to love so much:

Agasa-hakase (at first, he’s meh, but but but how he cares for queen Ai-kun is perf)

Kanmuri Shigeru (I liked him already when he was introduced but no no no not to this extent maybe I just have a weakness for genius)

Kobayakawa Sena (I usually don’t like spineless main chara but but but senaaaaaa)

The character you relate to most:

Haibara Ai (current height to actual age ratio lol jk but she’s full of contradictions i love her)

Kawachi Kyousuke (srsly I react to anything)

Kobayakawa Sena (because I’m awkward as hell)

The character you’d slap:

Kudo Shinichi (b o i why you always lying)

Azusagawa Yukino (G U RL NO also if I can include Mizuno here also????)

Kongou Agon (u so petty bro)

Three favorite characters (these are in order of preference): I’m guessing the first one is my ult?

Haibara Ai, Miyano Shiho, Sherry—wait what you mean I have to include two more???? Lol—Agasa Hiroshi, Kuroba Kaito (I wish him and the queen interact in canon; honorable mentions: canon ran is a gem a true angel, conan on the other hand boy u consider my bb’s feelings first before I put u in top 3, k?)

Kanmuri Shigeru, Kazuma Azuma, their baby idk maybe it’s possible with bread jk errrrr Kinoshita Kageto lelelel

Hiruma Youichi, Seijuurou Shin, Kobayakawa Sena

A character you liked at first but not so much anymore:

Shinichi Kudo/Edogawa Conan (I still like him, though not as much…)

Matsushiro Ken (his chara was kinda put on the back-burner in the mid-late chaps, sadly…)

Taki Suzuna (because it was fine until she occupied the late panels which could have been for best girl Anezaki Mamori huhuhu)

A character you did not like at first, but they’ve grown on you:

Kuroba Kaito (I’m not rly fond of magicians but huhu this precious precious kid)

Coo (HAHAHA sorry but i rly didn’t like the bird at first but well birds are pretty and ahem Hatoful Boyfriend lel)

Raimon Tarou (huhu, bb acts/is stupid but has times of depth as well????? ????????? Also Juumonji Kazuki and Yukimitsu Manabu but huhu monta wins by just a little bit huhuhu)

3 OTPs: Again, I’m guessing the first one’s the true otp lol totp? ottp? Sorry, don’t mind me, this is why I don’t have friends?

CoAi, ShinShi, ConAi (HAHAHA okay srsly anyone or anything with sass queen Haibara Ai/Miyano Shiho, I ship as in you know coai can actually stand for coffee x ai lel)

Kanmuri Shigeru x Kazuma Azuma, Kanmuri Shigeru x Kuroyanagi Ryou

None AND THAT’S A MIRACLE so I’ll just put some of my OTP’s in other dead fandoms, yes? i can’t do that????? But this is my post so I’ll do it anyway??????? Imonoyama Nokoru x Takamura Suoh, SuzaLulu, Yuuri Shibuya x Wolfram von Bielefield (HUHUHUHUHUHU)

It’s fun answering q’s and reading answers too so if you managed to read until here, i’d love to see your answers also! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

Morning

A girl is sitting at the couch, alone in the dark. Strawberry blonde locks fall across her face, making it difficult to see her expression. Has she fallen asleep on the couch again? The quiet intruder fetches a blanket and carefully drapes it on the girl. She doesn’t stir, and he wears an expression of exasperation, though a fond smile makes it way on his face and stays.

For a while, he stands motionless, just staring at her. But the break of dawn is near, and he must go—he visited this early only to check on her after all, however much he tries to convince himself otherwise. But he needs to do one last thing, for himself too, later, he thinks, but he almost laughs at how absurd he’s acting, sneaking into his friend’s house just to make coffee for a grumpy old lady. He smirks—she’d hate it if I told her—then flushes—no, this is NOT for her—as he shuffles around the kitchen and fusses over the coffeemaker.

He leaves as silently as he had come.

They meet moments later in the same house. As she brings the cup of coffee to her face, she takes in its aroma with her eyes closed, and she smiles a full second. A scene he first witnessed three days ago when he stayed over and prepared coffee. His undoing.

The rim reaches her lips and she drinks. As the cup is placed back on the saucer, the usually frigid air around her during mornings has considerably warmed, which, for a few days now, is seemingly becoming her new norm.

Today, though, she raises her brow at him, asking, “Problem?”

Countless. How about you, do you only ever smile at pets and... coffee???

He brings his own cup down, answering, “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

#x tagged #x writes #dcmk #coai

12 notes · View notes

presumenothing · 8 years ago

Text

modus operandi

aka the one literally entitled “sick day” in my drafts. not entirely as serious as it might sound. am I ever going to be done writing these two? nah

(AO3) (FFN)

Bzzt. Bzzt.

He groaned.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

What was that noise? He was trying to sleep here -

Bzzt. Bz-

It cut off mid-buzz. Conan sighed in relief, and went back to sleep…

Only to have a new noise start up again what felt like milliseconds later, along with the distant sensation of a hand on his shoulder.

Conan turned his face into the couch cushions and shut his eyes even tighter, pointedly ignoring the buzzing.

Though it was starting to sound a lot less like buzzing, and a lot more like a voice. A familiar voice, at that.

“Shinichi-kun?” said the buzzy voice, while the hand on his shoulder shook him slightly. “You’ve got a call. It’s from Ai-kun, she says it’s - ”

It went on to say more stuff, which he didn’t pay much attention to, though he did open his eyes to find the source.

Which was Agasa-hakase, as it turned out, his expression concerned as he leaned over the back of the couch to look at Conan. “It’s alright if you’re not feeling up to it, Shinichi-kun, I’m sure she can - ”

“No, ’s fine,” Conan just about managed to mumble, his mind finally processing the disjointed sentences he’d heard. “She called, must be imp’rtant.”

Agasa-hakase nodded, and held out the handphone to him.

Haibara?, he tried to say, but it came out more like a garbled string of syllables as he pushed himself to a sitting position and tried not to feel the world spinning about him.

“Good afternoon to you too, Edogawa-kun,” came the crisp reply anyway, followed by a babble of sound in the background. “The kids say hi too, and Ayumi-chan hopes you’re feeling better.”

“I don’t, but tell her I said thanks anyway.” He reached for the glass of orange juice that Agasa held out to him and took several quick sips, feeling - well, not better, but at least infinitesimally closer to functional. “Why’d you call?”

“Because your luck appears to have come with us on the outing, even if you didn’t.”

…okay, not functional enough to process Haibara’s particular brand of snark, apparently. “What?”

There was a long-suffering sigh. “We ran into a murder, Edogawa-kun. And you’re really out of it, aren’t you. Have you been drinking enough water? Taking your meds?”

“Yes and yes.” Conan yawned, and rubbed at his eyes. “Like I had a choice, what with you and Agasa-hakase clucking like mother hens. He’s been trying to drown me in orange juice, too, I think I’ve drunk two litres of it since this morning.”

“Good, I told him to.” Haibara sounded mostly satisfied… and possibly a bit sympathetic? (He might’ve just been imagining that one, it wasn’t exactly like he could tell right now.) “I could call Hattori-kun instead. You sound terrible, frankly.”

“Gee, thanks,” he retorted. “Hattori would never let me hear the end of it. You mentioned a murder?”

“Hardly, Hattori-kun knows how bad your colds always get, he probably wouldn’t hold it over you.” She paused, seeming to consider it for a moment. “Not for long, anyway. And yes, a man was murdered at the cafe we’re at. I can make a good guess at the poison used to do it, and the most likely suspect, but as to how it was done…”

“Oh? You couldn’t figure it out?” Conan suppressed a snicker at that - maybe he’d take a page from Hattori’s book and hold this over Haibara instead. (And then, as the comparatively less medicine-addled part of his mind pointed out, she’d go on personal mission to make his life hell. So not worth it, but he couldn’t deny that the idea was tempting.)

Haibara sounded like she knew what he’d been thinking, anyway. “That’s why I’m the scientist, and you’re the detective. Or, as I like to put it, the brains and the brawn. The second one’s you, by the way.”

“I’ll show you who’s the brawn, just you wait,” he grumbled, before forcibly pulling his mind back on track. “So, about the murder?”

“We’re at a cafe, downtown Ekoda.” She paused. “There should be pen and paper on the coffee table, by the way, assuming the professor hasn’t forgotten to put it back there again like I keep telling him to.”

“I don’t need to - ” write stuff down, Conan had been going to say, but then reconsidered the dull yet insistent pounding in his head and sighed. Coffee table, coffee table - ah, there. He put the handphone on speaker at maximum volume and set it down on the couch.

“Speaking of coffee,” came Haibara’s voice, sounding weirdly tinny over the speaker (not that he was actually going to risk saying that to her), “we should come here some other time when you’re feeling better. The cafe au lait is excellent, even for those of us who prefer caffeine of the non-paint stripping variety.”

“Ha ha,” Conan said dryly, as he stood up and walked unsteadily over, picking up the spiral-bound notepad and the pen that sat atop it before making his way back to the couch. “And that’s unfair, by the way. How come you can order actual coffee without adults trying to give you coffee milk instead?”

“Maturity, Edogawa-kun,” she answered primly. “Though I’ll admit that you’re better at the whole ‘cordoning off the scene and suspects’ part.”

“Practice, Haibara. And you were being too polite, probably,” he replied absently, flipping quickly through the notepad (mostly Agasa-hakase’s scribbles and invention drawings, he noted, though there were a few pages filled with chemical formulae in Haibara’s neat handwriting) until he found an empty page. “Okay, go ahead.”

“Victim is a man, mid-thirties,” she listed off quickly, her voice falling into businesslike brisk tones. “Death occurred at 3:38pm, approximately fifteen minutes after he entered the shop. He showed signs of ricin poisoning while having his tea, and the speed of symptoms onset suggest a reasonably large dosage - ”

later:

“Ai-chan was super cool!” Ayumi gushed excitedly. (Though at a slightly lower volume than usual, Conan thought thankfully, because the professor had apparently warned the kids about his headache when they’d dropped by for dinner.) “Right, Mitsuhiko-kun?”

“Yeah!” agreed the other boy, nodding enthusiastically. “Haibara-san even did the whole accusing-the-suspect routine, I think even the police officers were impressed.”

“Really.” Conan raised an eyebrow, looking to where the usually silent girl was being - well, even more conspicuously silent than usual. “It’s kind of hard to imagine, I’d say…”

Haibara turned away with a huff, though he would’ve bet his limited edition Holmes novels that there’d been a slight blush on her face. “Stop talking and finish your soup, Edogawa-kun, or you’re never going to get better at this rate.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Haibara-san,” Okiya answered instead, having apparently chosen this moment to walk out of the kitchen, where he’d been putting away the extra portions of chicken soup. “It sounded like you made an excellent detective back there, maybe you could consider doing Conan-kun’s deduction shows while he’s recovering?”

Haibara glared.

Okiya was, predictably enough, unperturbed as he headed towards the front door. “Just a suggestion, Haibara-san. I’ll be on my way then. Hope you feel better soon, Conan-kun!”

“Thanks, Subaru-san!” Conan called out as they watched him leave, Haibara still glaring daggers at his back.

(It was a good thing that looks couldn’t actually kill, Conan thought, otherwise Jodie-sensei and the others would’ve probably been quite upset by that.)

mostly written a while ago – and partially inspired by the "detective and scientist" prompt from last year's CoAi / ShinShi week (yes, that long ago, it’s been a long year ok), if memory serves. can't remember if I was going anywhere in particular with this, but was tidying up my WIPs and figured I'd post it anyway?

also I literally could not resist putting in that last part okay forgive me Ai-chan

#dcmk #detective conan #edogawa conan #haibara ai #agasa hiroshi #and surprise cameo from you know who #hint: not voldemort #...i'm sorry i think i've a bit too much green tea here #but anyway #the futile attempt to clear my wip folder continues #fanfiction #mine #(i continue to be terrible at figuring out titles @swingingrobin save me)

14 notes · View notes

letstrywritingmaybe · 5 months ago

Text

Umbrella

Summary: For someone who’s always prepared, she never seems to carry an umbrella.

Posted on ao3 <3

A/N: idk what it was for but I saw on Twitter there was a prompt of sorts for umbrella? I couldn’t stop thinking about how that’s such a great prompt for them, and since I can’t sleep I decided to try and write something

#CoAi #shinshi #redamancy series #umbrella #I wasn’t originally gonna put it in the series but then I was like eh I guess it sorta fits cause it’s a self prompt of sorts #tbh this has a lot of the same vibes as my first ever coai week entry for Rain in Superposition #speaking of… I should really try and work on CoAi week for this year… *sigh

4 notes · View notes

namo-or-death · 8 years ago

Text

Just some rambling about Ushio Amamiya from Shinshi Doumei Cross. Please don’t mind this. I just needed to release feels.

Okay. So I don’t know how I got into watching that mmv of Haine and Ushio on youtube again but all the feels came rushing back.

When I think about it, I wasn’t really sure if I knew I was gay then, but I could feel Ushio’s pain like sooooo much? Listen, I know their dynamic was a troublesome seeing as Ushio was bordering (or might already be) on codependency towards Haine but I guess I could relate because so was I.

So this is not really going to be a rant on how they should gotten together, but I just want to express my love for Ushio as a character. Ushio would give everything up for Haine and does not really shy away from blatantly using her influence if it will serve Haine’s (and therefore her) benefit.

Whenever I read her line in the manga where she sees beauty in things when Haine is looking at it with her, I just...ahhh. Idk, I think I’m also partial towards characters with a past. Ushio also seems like a cross between a type b tsundere and a kuudere which are like 2 of my favorite dere types.

Not to mention Ushio is aesthetically pleasing af.

Oh. And that bit in the manga where Haine was Cinderella and Ushio was an (evil) stepsister and fed her good things while trying to be tsun about it. Iconic.

#personal #shinshi doumei cross #the gentleman's alliance of the cross #ushio amamiya

2 notes · View notes

sphjinx14-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Jakkusu za Akuma Part 1

Utagai

After escaping the orpanage with Jeshika he decided to go to live with his uncle, who for some reason, Jax's parents had nothing to do with. But he was the only family member that would take them in. After arriving to his house they were greeted with open arms. "Jax! Jeshika! I haven't seen you two in at least two years!" "Hi uncle Utagai." "What brings you here?" "Mom and Dad are dead..." "What? I wasn't informed..." "No one told you?" "No...It's shameful that no one would tell me that my own brother died." "Yeah..." "So, i'm guessing that's why you two are here." "Yes. We wish to stay with you. But first, why did Mom and Dad shun you?" "Because, i'm a theorist." "A theorist? What's wrong with that?" "I theorize about a cult that wants to conquer the world." "Really? The orphanage me and Jeshika came from was ran by a cult like that." "What? Yes! I knew I wasn't crazy! Ha ha!" "Yeah, and I found this in a room." Jax pulls out the mask and suit. "Ah, That's...The mask and suit of Shi." "Shi?" "Yes, Shi. He's an ancient demonic warlord that tried to conquer the planet thousands of years ago..." "Did he do it?" "Like I said, he tried. He was defeated by an ancient warrior named Kasai." "Was he an average warrior?" "No, he was pure of heart. That's the only way that anyone can beat his evil demonic magic of mind control." "Mind control?" "Yes, he takes control of his enemies bodies and uses them to fight for him." "Wow..." "That suit and mask were his. I want you to keep them." "Why?" "I'm going to teach you the art of combat."

After Training

After two years of training, Jax believed he was ready to become a hero. Jax, strapped on his mask, put on his suit, and Utagai gave him two swords, two pistols, and a grapple to start off with. he went out into the night with his uncles knowledge of combat. "Okay, this is a new feeling. Heh, 15 years old and already playing hero." Just then someone cried out. "Help!" "Ah, someone needs help!" Jax runs across the rooftops. "There they are! Uh, is that...Shinshi!" Shinshi is a girl Jax knows from high school. "Help me!" "Ha ha ha.." "I'm being mugged!" "Hey you!" "Huh...Who the hell are you..." "That doesn't matter...That's no way to treat a lady!" "What would you know, boyscout?" "A lot more than you think!" Jax pulls out his swords. "Now, let's go!" The man pulls out a sub machine gun. "What the?!" Right as he started to fire a source of evil enveloped Jax. The bullets hit and disintegrate. "What...The hell...Are you!" "Heh heh heh...You can call me...Death incarnate!" The evil magic was controlling Jax. He couldn't fight it. The magic made him seem bigger than he actually was. The mugger ran away. "Soon...All will feel my wra-" Jax returns to normal. "Uhhh...What happened?" "I-I-I..." Shinshi runs away." "Damn it." Jax climbs on top of a building. "Man, this hero stuff is weird." Jax waited for a while. "Well...I have school in the morning, might as well head hom-" "Hello...Jax Saxsune." "Jax? Who's that?" "Don't play stupid with me!" "Fine! I'm...Jax Saxsune. Well, now that you know who I am...Who are you?" "That doesn't matter...I'm just on a mission." The person is wearing a robotic suit. "What kind of mission?" "You are the one who escaped from an orphanage called Minashigo-in Orphanage, right?" "Yes. And why does that matter?" "That mask belongs to my...Father!" The person attacks Jax. They were on par for most of the fight. Then, when they pulled out their swords the person began to gain the upper hand. His robotic suit made him stronger than Jax. He could put more force behind his swings. Still, neither of them would break. "Wow, impressive. My father had hired the best trainers on the planet to teach me combat...And yet, you're matching my skill." "That suit...It's robotic, is it not?" "It is." "Nice...Ahhhhh!" Just then Jax got cut. "Sorry whoever you are...But I have to split." Jax cuts a steam pipe, blinding the persons view of him. In the steam, he escaped. The person yells, hoping that Jax could hear him. "Jax Saxsune! See you at school tomorrow!" "Did he say...he'd see me at school?" Jax returns home. "Jax! You're back!" "Hi Jeshika." "Ah, you're hurt." "Argh...I-I'm fine..." "Uncle!" Utagai comes into the room. "Jax! You're back...And you're bleeding. What happened?" "I...Was cut...By a man in a robotic suit." "Robotic?" "Yes. He said he'd see me at school tomorrow." Jax get's badaged up and goes to sleep. Meanwhile... "Father...I failed, he escaped my grasp." "Koru, my son, failure is not acceptable." "Yes father." Someone else enters the room. "Father, I suggest that we kill Koru like you did Yowai. He's weak." "Tero, my only daughter, your older brother Yowai had three chances and failed all three times. I think all of you deserve three chances." "Father, does that mean-" "Yes Koru. When you go to school tomorrow attack him." "Yes father."

School Day

The next day at school, Jax was in gym and was changing into his gym clothes in the boys locker room. "Hey, Ljime check this out..." Jax was bent over taking off his shoes. "Haaa!" Burei kicks Jax in the butt and he hits his head off of a sink. "Ahhh! That hurt!" "Ha ha ha ha! See, told you it would be funny!" "It's not really that funny Burei." "Oh, come on Koru." "Hey, Jax..." "Yeah, Koru?" "I want to speak to you once everyone leaves." "Okay." A few moments later. "Okay, what is it Koru?" Jax only has underwear and gym shorts on. "Tell me...Do you fear death?" "What? Ah...It's you..." "Yes, it is. Now...Die!" He tackles Jax into a sink. "Ahhhh!" Jax punches Koru and kicks him into a locker. "Ah! You son of a..." Koru hits Jax in the side of his head and knocked him into a stone wall. "Heh, you really think you can beat me." Meanwhile, outside of the locker room... "Shinshi, what do you think is happening in there?" "I don't know, Kinboshi." "It sounds like fighting." "Yeah, it does Kinboshi." After fighting for a while, Jax ran into the gym. "Hey! Koru, come out here!" "Fine!" Koru walks out. "Bring it..." Koru runs at Jax. Right as Koru gets to him, Jax nails him in between the legs with his foot. "Ahhhhhh! Argh...That...Hurt." "Now, give it up Koru!" "N-never..." Koru pushes a button on his watch. His robotic suit shoots out and forms around his body. "Heh heh heh...What are you thinking now!" "No..." Koru rushes at Jax, hits him in his stomach, and knees him in his chin. Making him spit up blood. "Argh...*Cough cough* Uhhh..." "Ha! Now die-" "Hey you!" "Huh?" "Leave him alone!" "Shinshi...Don't...You'll...Just.." "I'm not just going to stand here and watch someone die to this monster that we called a friend!" Shinshi starts to cry. "Koru...I trusted you! You weren't just a friend! You were...You were...You were more to me!" She falls to her knees. "W-why?" "Unfinished business." "What kind of business is worth killing someone?!" She yells at him. "I don't even know Jax that well...But seeing how he's fighting you, he must be a good guy!" Shinshi runs at Koru and knocks him down. "I-I-I-I..." Koru is stunned by what she said. Jax stands up. "Argh...Thank you Shinshi." Shinshi hugs him. "Y-you're welcome." Koru throws a smoke bomb. When the smoke clears, he's gone.

After School

" *Cough cough* What the?" "He's gone." "What?" "Hey Shinshi, come to my house today. I need to show you something." "Okay." Jax goes back into the locker room and changes back into his other clothes. He goes out the locker room window. "Guess i'll go home. I mean, there is only five minutes left." Jax climbs over a chain link fence. Then he runs into an alley way, jumps onto a dumpster, and climbs onto a fire escape. "Hmmm...I wonder what time it is? If only I had that watch that Koru had." Jax heads home. "Jax you're back from school?" "Yes I am uncle Utagai. And I have a friend coming over." "You do?" "Yeah, she saw me last night when I helped her. But she didn't know it was me." "So..." "So, i'm going to show her who I really am." "Is that a good idea?" "Yes. She helped me today. That guy I fought last night, fought me again at school. She distracted him and knocked him down. He realized that he couldn't beat us both, so he escaped." "Okay. I think you can trust her." "Good. I'm just going to wait for her now." "Okay, hungry?" Meanwhile... "Koru? Did you fail again. Heh, I bet you did. Pathetic idiot. No wonder why father likes me more." Koru just tries to ignore Tero's comment. "Don't ignore me you disgrace." "Shut up!" "Ohh, seems like I touched a nerve. Listen, i'm sorry that you're such a disappointment to the family blood line. Failed two day's in a row, not even Yowai had managed that." "I said, shut up!" Koru walks away. "Koru, father wants you." "Thank you for telling me, Arekkusu." "You're welcome." Arekkusu is the youngest out of his three siblings. He looks to Koru as a role model. "Koru, you're here. Good." "What do you want father?" "I heard of your failure to end Saxsune." "Father I-" "Silent!" "Ah, yes father." "Failure two days in a row...That's a new record...You're officially an embarrassment to our family." "But father..." Koru starts to tear up. "I-I tried!" "You have to do better than try...Soldiers! Grab him! Call the executioner...You looked up to Yomai right? If so...You're about to be reunited..." "Father!" "Huh, Arekkusu!" Arekkusu has his robotic armor on. "Stop it! You can't!" "Don't make me do the same to you..." Arekkusu is twelve years old. He runs to Koru and gives him a watch. "Koru, push the button!" Koru pushes it and a robotic suit covers his body. "Let's get out!" "What?! No one is escaping! Tero! Shen! Come here! Stop your brothers!" "Father, i'll see you soon..." Koru and Arekkusu open a hatch in the ceiling, activate jet packs on their suits, and fly out. "Father, what is it!" "Your younger brothers just escaped." "Both of them." "Yes! They're traitors. Go...Find them, and kill them." "Yes father!" Tero and Shen go to find Koru and Arekkusu. *Knock knock* "Is that her bub?" "It must be!" Jax opens the door. "Hi..." "Shinshi you're here!" "I told you I would come." "Okay, are you hungry?" "No, I ate already." "Okay. This is my uncle Utagai and my younger sister Jeshika." "Hi, i'm Shinshi." "Hi, are you and my brother dating?" "What? No. Of course not." "Jeshika, mind your own business." "Yes uncle." "No, it's fine mister Utagai." "You're very nice." "Thank you. My family taught me to respect my elders." "Now that's how children should be raised. I heard you helped Jax in his fight today." "Yes, he's very good at fighting." "Thank you. I taught him how to fight." "You did? you taught him well." "Thank you. I think Jax wants to speak to you." "Yeah, I do. Follow me." "Okay." They go upstairs to Jax's bedroom. "Okay, Shinshi wait out here." Jax goes inside his room. "I wonder what she'll think?" He changes into his suit. "Okay. Shinshi, you can come in!" "Okay." Shinshi opens the door. "Ah, y-you're..." "Wait. Before you run...I don't know what scared you off last time. But...It hasn't happened since." "I-it hasn't?" "No." "Oh..." Jax opens his bedroom window. "Follow me." "O-okay." They climb onto a neighboring rooftop. "Come on." Right as they go a few rooftops over, Koru arrived. "Hi." "Ah, you!" Jax pulls out his pistol. "Wait! Before you shoot, listen." "Fine. What?" "This is my brother Arekkusu. Because of me failing to kill you twice. My father was going to have me executed. But then, Arekkusu stopped him, and saved my life. I have a feeling that our father sent our older brother and sister after us." "How is that my problem?" "They'll probably come after you too. I just tried to kill you because I feared my father. Now, that fear doesn't mean anything." "I still don't know if we should trust you." Just then... *Boom* Part of the house exploded. In the distance... "Jax!" "Ah, uncle Utagai!" "We can help!" "Fine. Come on!" When they get to the house. "Oh...Brother, you're helping the enemy I see." "Tero..." "Hi, Arekkusu." "Huh, Shen!" "You're my favorite traitor." "Shen, father said if we failed it would be fine right?" "Yes, Tero." "Then, since they're our brothers, let's spare them. This time, at least." They leave. "I thought for sure we'd fight." "Jeshika! Uncle Utagai!" " *Cough cough* Bub?" "Ah, Jeshika!" Jeshika was laying with a wooden beam over her waist. "Jeshika! Hold on i'll get you out!" "Argh...It hurts." "Hold on!" Jax tries to lift the beam. "Grrrrr. I can't lift it!" "Jax. Move! This suit gives me super human strength." "Okay!" Jax lets go. Koru grabs it and lifts it. Jax grabs Jeshika and pulls her out from underneath it. "B-bub?" "It's alright. Where's uncle?" "I-i'm right here...Argh!" "Uncle Utagai!" "Jax...Take this. It has my keys to my van and keys to my summer house. You know, the Emerald Island." "Yes..." "Do you remember how to get there?" "Y-yes I do." "Good." "What about you?" "I'll pass. But that's fine. You have one mission and you'll figure it out soon...Now, go! Before they change their minds." "Bye unlce." They walk to his van. "There's room for all of us. Get in." "I'm coming too." "But shinshi..." "I'm not letting you possibly die!" "Fine. You can come." Jax starts the van and starts driving it to the harbor.

Emerald Island

After getting to the harbor, they all got out of the van. "Now, this is uncle Utagai's private harbor. And there, off the coast of the mainland, is Emerald Island." "Whoa...That's it? It's so beautiful..." "Heh..." "Wait. A boat? How are we going to get there without a boat?" "We do have a boat Koru." "Okay...do you have keys for said boat?" "Ohh..." "We don't. Do we?" "Well.......No." "Great, Great. We come all this way...And yet...No keys." "On the bright side, I know how to hot wire." "A boat?" "Yep, and a plane, and a helicopter, and a car, and-" "Okay! Okay...I get it...Now, would you please just do it." "Okay...Follow me." They walk to the dock. "Oh, is this the boat Jax?" "Yes, it is Shinshi." "Wow, it looks...Old." "It is old Koru." "How old?" "About...Fifteen." "F-fifteen?!" "Yeah, but it still works. It's 2030. It wasn't that long since it was 2015." "You were born that year! Don't tell me it wasn't that long ago!" "Yeah...But..." "But what?!" "We used it last summer." Jax gets in it. "Okay now..." Jax starts messing around with the wires. "And...There." The boat starts up. "Now we can go." Everyone gets in the boat. Jax starts driving. "Okay...Jax, how do you know to drive so many things?" "Guess." "Oh right, your uncle." "Yep." They arrive at the island. "Is that the house?" "Yes. It's nice isn't it?" "Yeah." "Uncle Utagai built it himself. He said him and his daughter used to come here a lot." "Daughter?" "Yeah, he had a sixteen years old daughter." "Wait, he had?" "Yeah...She died. Well, uncle Utagai used to say that this place had a lot of magic. I just thought he meant fun and happy memories. He might have meant more." "What do you mean, more?" "I guess we'll find out." They go inside the house. "I just thought about something." "What Koru?" "What are we going to use as clothes?" "Well, me and Jeshika have clothes here." "Okay, what about me, Arekkusu, and Shinshi?" "Um, Koru, you're my size. We could share..." "Fine, whatever." "Shinshi, my uncles daughter had some clothes here. And they're still here." "Okay, thanks. I'll check if they fit me in a second." "Okay, and Arekkusu, uncle has a son who is grown now. He was your size at that age. He should have clothes here." "Okay, Thank you and you can call me Arek." "Okay, Arek." "Now, where will we sleep?" "Um, there's three rooms. I'll get one, Jeshika and Shinshi can share one, and Koru and Arek can share one." "Do ours have to beds?" "Yes Koru. And Shinshi, yours and Jeshika's room has two beds also." "Good." Everyone gets settled. "Jax tomorrow what are we doing?" "Relaxing." "Really?" "Yep, we are Shinshi." "Great. Good thing I found a swimsuit." "Well, tomorrow i'll probably explore the island. Uncle Utagai must have wanted us to come here for some reason." "Okay. Uh, Jax?" "Yeah, Shinshi?" "Is there a bath?" "There's a bath house." "That's what I meant. Thanks." "You're welcome." Jax goes to bed. "Hey Koru?" "Yeah, Arek?" "Do you hate Jax?" "Not necessarily." "Then why do you get angry at him easily?" "Because I'm not used to helping him. I tried to kill him twice! Not once, twice!" "But he seems to forgive you." "He seems to...What about deep down inside. Does he forgive me deep down inside?!" "I-I don't know..." "Well, every time I try to do something I fail! I failed killing him, I failed my family, and my ancestors are looking down at me with a shameful gaze for betraying my heritage!" Shinshi walks into the living room. "Everything will be fine..." "S-Shinshi! What are you doing here..." "I just got out of the bath. What did you mean that you always fail?" "I fail at everything. My mom would be ashamed of me and my actions!" "Your mom? What happened to her?" "My father. He was married to her and she had five children. Once he had the children he didn't need her anymore. He killed her! He said she was assassinated, but all of us knew. That's one reason that my brother Yowai plotted to kill him and his empire." "By himself?" "No. He had a small group of friends to help him. They became known as the World Savers. They believe that there is a hero that will come and defeat my father with them. They said he's a reincarnation of an ancient hero Kasai." "Really?" "Yeah. I know, it's far fetched right?" "Yeah. But I think Jax believes in magic now." "Really?" "Yeah." "Hmmm..." "I'm going to bed. Goodnight." "Goodnight." The next morning. "Ah...That sleep was well needed." Jax heard people outside. "What the? Oh, their already awake." Jax stands up and puts on swimming trunks. He goes outside. "Hi Jax!" "Hi Shinshi. You're playing volley ball?" "Yeah, wanna play?" "No, i'm fine, I have things to do." "Oh, okay." "Jax!" "Jeshika." "Where are you going?" "Into the wilderness of the island." "Can I come?" "I guess so. But, it might be a bit too scary for you." "What do you mean?" "There's monsters in the wilderness." "There is?" "Yes..." "No there isn't." "Fine. you'll see." They walk into the wilderness. "Hey Jeshika, what's that!" "Huh?" Jeshika looks where Jax pointed. "...Boo!" "Ahhh!" "Hahahahaha!" "That's not funny." "It actually is." "Fine, maybe it was a little funny..." "That was hilarious!" "No it wasn't! I peed a little!" "That makes it even funnier..." "No it doesn't!" She kicks Jax in between his legs. "Ah! What...Was...That...For..." "For laughing at me." "I think...Argh...We're...even." "I do to." Someone walks in front of them. "Hello..." "Who are you?" "I'm Kashikoi." "What do you want?" "You're looking for a source of magic aren't you?" "Yes. How did you know?" "There's a prophecy that you would arrive here, Kasai." "Kasai? I'm Jax." "But that's only because you've been reborn into a new life." "A what? New life? What are you talking about?" "Follow me." "Fine." They walk for a while. "Here we are. This is the magical center of the world." "Whoa..." It's a tree of magic that looks like a portal. "You see, this is the tree of life. It is the link between the Demon Realm and Earth. If it should fall, the demon Shi will be unleashed from that Demon Realm" "What?" "You see, you are Shi's host. That's why when you fight, your strength is increased and your speed and agility increases. Have you noticed that?" "Yes." "He protects you. Not because he cares about you, he just does that because if you die, he'll have to wait thousands more years for another reincarnation of you to be born. He has a cult hunting for the tree of life to destroy it and free him. He has to have a host when it's destroyed for him to escape." "W-what?"

The Decision

"If he escapes, he will wreak havoc upon this world. His link to you will be destroyed. And he will destroy you. And if you are destroyed, the reincarnation will end, and he will conquer the planet." "Isn't there a way to defeat him if he escapes? Hasn't he been beaten before?" "Yes, by you in your previous life. But his demonic powers have increased dramatically since he was put in the Demon Realm." "This is a lot to take in." "Yes. It is. But, this is your destiny. You can't deny that. What ever you do, you have to keep Shi from escaping." "I-I'll have to think." "Okay. Now, who is that with you?" "I-I'm Jeshika." "I can sense a lot of magical prowess in you." "A what?" "Let me see your hand." He grabs Jeshika's hand. "Now, put your hand like this...And...There. Now, tighten all of the muscles in your hand." "Okay." Jeshika struggles to tighten her muscles. "I understand that this must be difficult. But it will get easier the longer you use magic." She's struggling so much that she starts to sweat. "I....Can't...." "Listen, don't say that you can't, because I can see that you're going to excel in magic if you learn here, and now." "I-I don't...Know...How...To..." "Concentrate...You can do this." All of a sudden, magic comes out of her hand. It looks like glowing dust. "Ahh! I-I'm doing it!" "Wow...I've never seen someone so young use magic before." "This is so cool! I didn't think I could do this!" "Jax, have you made up your mind?" "Yes." "What is your decision?" "I'll do it. And if he does escape, I'll still beat him. Even if I have to sacrifice my life. The cost of me dying to him is too great." "Good. I'm glad you decided." Just then, smoke appeared. And when it cleared, Kashikoi was gone. Jax and Jeshika walk back to the house. Jax explained to everyone. After everyone went inside, Shinshi and Jax spoke. "Jax, I know this must be a lot of pressure on you." "It is." "Remember, we'll always be there for you. I'll, always be there for you." "What do you-" Shinshi kisses Jax. "I-I-I..." "I love you, Jax." "I'm sorry. I can't do this right now." "You can't?" "Listen, I do love you. And I would risk my life for you. But we have things to do. You understand right?" "Yeah. I just-" "I know." "No. You don't. I just have had a hard life. My mother died in childbirth, and I nearly died two years ago." "What?" "Look." She turns her back towards Jax and lifts her shirt up a bit. "See. I have a scar. The doctors had to do surgery. They said if something hit me hard enough, that it could cause a heart attack. And if it does, I could die." "What? Don't worry. You won't die on my watch." "Don't make promises you can't keep." Jax kisses Shinshi. "I thought you couldn't do that." "That's my promise. I'll defend you with my life."

0 notes

rieshon · 6 years ago

Text

Summer 2018 Preview

I haven't been keeping up on anime news too well lately so I have almost no idea about anything that's airing next season. This might not be a very good preview.

1 Yama no Susume Third Season: Fuck yes. One of the best cute girls doing cute things series of the past decade is back and it's going to be amazing. I just hope the pattern holds and we get four cours worth.

2 Sunoharasou no Kanrininsan: Cute girl 4koma anime from Oonuma Shin? It's a masterpiece. Girls all look adorable and there's definitely something here for everyone, but holy shit Ayaneru as a lewd brown gyaru? Anime of the year right here.

3 Asobi Asobase: I read some of the manga of this when it was free on eBookJapan and let me tell you, you have no idea what you're getting into here. It's supposed to be about "cute girls playing cute games" but it's actually insane. This anime is going to be great.

4 Jashin-chan Dropkick: I've been hype for this one for a while. Cute monster girls get into shenanigans. The PV gives nothing away, but I've seen some of the original manga and it's pretty funny.

5 Chuukan Kanri Roku Tonegawa: Everyone's favorite middle manager is back! We may well never get a third season of Kaiji proper, but man, just seeing that Madhouse FKMT art style again is getting me misty-eyed. Don't know a whole lot about the manga but I'm sure it will be godlike.

6 Harukana Receive: I swear guys I only watch it for the volleyball... Another all girls sports anime, but this one looks like it's going all in on the lewd beach bods. It doesn't look it, but this is actually a Kirara anime (albeit one from Forward) so I'm definitely optimistic about it.

7 Yuragisou no Yuuna-san: If you know me you know how much I love cute ghost girls, so you should be able to guess how excited I am for this anime. I've actually read some of the manga (cause cute ghost girls) and it's a pretty good if standard lewd romantic comedy, with the added bonus of CUTE GHOST GIRL WOO WOO. She even has the head triangle which is the most important part.

8 Chio-chan no Tsuugakuro: Why do I get Hinamatsuri vibes from this? It's not just cause that one guy looks like Nitta either. I think I remember seeing the trailer for this a while back and it looks bonkers. This'll also be the first time in a long while I've heard Omigawa Chiaki in a major role... interested to see if she's improved in the intervening years.

9 Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight: It's like an idol anime but they're doing musicals instead. At least it's something different. If it's anything like all-female theater in real life it'll be gay as hell, and some of the girls look great.

10 Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu: The title is... what it is, but this actually looks like a pretty decent shinshi anime. Character designs are lewd, animation looks great... sign me the fuck up. Finally some good fucking Blade Dance anime.

11 ISLAND: This is animated by based feel so I'll definitely still watch it, but I'm super bitter about them removing Rieshon from the leading role because the director didn't get along with her. This would have been a great Rieshon girl goddamnit. Eroge adaptations are sadly vanishing from the Earth but this is coming out of Front Wing so hopefully it'll still have that same aesthetic.

12 Hataraku Saibou: So I can't watch the trailer for this because Youtube, but holy shit it's Japanese Osmosis Jones. Definitely a concept for an anime I haven't seen before (besides, you know, Osmosis Jones) so I'm looking forward to it for the novelty if nothing else. Red blood cell looks cute!! I bet this is going to be full of all kind of blood type bullshit though, because Japan.

13 HaneBad!: Badminton club with sometimes badminton? The girl with the glasses looks super cute. Not a whole lot else to say about a sports anime, I think we all know what we're getting into here.

14 Back Street Girls: Back street's back alright! Come on guys you can't just make an idol anime and call it this. Apparently this is about yakuza idols, which sounds like it could be amazing, but I guess it's more of a goofy thing than a scathing indictment of the corruption of the idol industry.

15 High Score Girl: It's funny to think that a couple years ago this series was on the verge of death because of unlicensed use of Sega trademarks in the manga, and now it's getting an anime full of actual game footage and shit. They even lampshade this in the trailer for it. The CG looks pretty garbo, but a lot of people like the manga so hopefully it'll be amusing.

16 Ongaku Shoujo: For a second I thought this was that light novel series where famous composers are cute little girls, but nope, just another generic-ass looking idol anime. If the character designs weren't so fucking amazing I would already have checked out, but damn, these grils.

17 Planet With: I can't tell if this is supposed to be a kid's anime of if it's just meant to look like one. Regardless, a kiddy robot anime might be fun, and it's got J.C. production values.

18 Aru Zombie Shoujo no Sainan: Can't believe they're making Zombiko into an anime. This honestly looks kind of terrible but Hayamin and Chanyui is a powerful combo so I guess. Just really not digging the character designs, and it looks like one of those anime that's too dark (tonally) for its own good.

19 Satsuriku no Tenshi: Be careful not to cut yourself on all the sharp edges on this one. It's got bloody lolis, maniacally laughing men who love murder, death games... This looks like one of those "drop halfway through the first episode" shows. The loli does look real cute though! Real good blondenblu.

20 Happy Sugar Life: With a title like this you would expect the cutest anime ever, so of course it's actually some edgy bullshit with girls with butcher's knives and tasers. Why you gotta do this to me anime? Is it so wrong to just want some cute girls cuting? I just wanna see cute Za-san girl adopt a cute loli damnit.

21 Tenrou Sirius the Jaeger: It looks like they're going really hard on trying to capture the Western audience with this one (the PV even has hilariously bad English subtitles) which immediately gives me pause, but the production values do look pretty high and there's a couple pretty hot girls in it. Not expecting to actually watch this one through though.

22 Lord of Vermillion Guren no Ou: I thought the title of this sounded familiar, and I guess it's based on a card game. I really like the look of that Ao-chan girl but that's pretty much the only thing here I like the look of. WIXOSS will always have the best cute girl card game anime.

23 Hyakuren no Haou to Seiyaku no Valkyrja: Boy that is a title. While our other LN adaptation with an embarassing title this season looks pretty good, this one definitely looks like a bottom-of-the-barrel reject. When the art in your key visual doesn't even really look good, you know you're gonna have problems.

24 Shichisei no Subaru: This looks extremely generic even by generic fantasy light novel standards... Not a single thing about it stands out, other than the fact that a couple of my favorite up-and-coming seiyuu are in it. I guess I'll watch an episode, maybe it'll surprise me.

25 Phantom in the Twilight: This is based on a game from Happy Elements, the same company behind Last Period, which immediately gives me expectations that are way too high, even if it's unfair. This one's not even a comedy and looks like some kind of edgy otome game. Actually I'm not even going to watch this, I just wanted to say how fucking good Last Period was.

#preview

0 notes