#places: sakurajima

[hellaciousfaith]

Sakurajima looks beautiful across the bay, and makes for a tempting enough sight that Shiro is half considering the idea of hiding himself away somewhere on the volcano. The risk of being in danger from volcanic activity is high with this plan, but those very same dangers could prove favorable for him as well. Demons and humans alike will leave the force of nature alone to do its business and thus leave him by proxy as well.

Age has him hesitant though. Roughing it out in the woods is tough, and he's ill prepared for such a journey. He can prep for it, but does he have time now?

Does it even matter if Satan is still watching him anyway?

The old Paladin sighs. Picking enough pockets to get enough cash for a motel and some food should be easy enough. It's as good of a place to start as any. Hopefully Mephisto can be bothered to share some wealth or insight whenever he decides to arrive too...

[17webs]

#0012. ❝ ICON PACK: MAI SAKURAJIMA

❝ SERIES: Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume. ❝ NUMBER OF ICONS: 1947. ❝ DIMENSIONS: 100x100. ❝ CONTENT WARNING: None. ❝ PRICE: Paid.

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[linkspooky]

I feel like Noritoshi’s arc in the Sakurajima arc recently had a really weird and unsatisfying conclusion. Like his problem was that he’d been abandoned by both his families essentially, his clan no longer needed him as their heir, and his mother had replaced him with a new son and husband. So for someone who’s dedicated his life to his duty to both of those families, he essentially has nothing to live for.

Except his mother does love him actually. His problem was basically imagined. He just didn’t talk to his mother, so he didn’t know she still loved him. His arc feels trivial, nothing actually serious despite his borderline suicidal actions, he just misunderstood because he didn’t wanna talk with his mum I guess.

Personally I was interested in seeing how he could learn to establish himself as an individual and not just a member of a family, or even if Gege would just let him play out how self destructive Noritoshi would become as a result of losing everything, a sort of parallel to Geto’s arc.

Does any of this mean anything to you? Thanks anyway for reading

Yeah, Kamo Noritoshi's arc suffers from a rushed conclusion. Both Kamo and Mai seem like characters who were set up for larger character development arcs until Gege wanted to start tying up loose ends at a faster rate so he cut their arcs short. If anything I have seen Kamo's main character flaw and trouble is that he is essentially a child who is forced to act in the role of an adult.

Parentification, or parent-child role reversal is the process of role reversal whereby a child or adolescent is obliged to act as a parent to their own parent or sibling. Two distinct times of parentification have been identified technically: instrumental parentification and emotional parentification. Instrumental parentification involves the child completing physical tass for the family, such as looking after a sick relative, paying bills, or providing assistance to younger siblings that would normally be provided by parent. Emotional parentification occurs when a child or adolescent must take on the role of confidante or mediator for parents or family members.

Kamo's central problem is that his mom who should have been his guardian or caretaker, instead left the clan and left him at the mercy of the clan. Not only does Kamo have no parent besides a neglectful father who only seems to see him as a successor because of his Jujutsu Technique, but Kamo now believes that it is his responsibility to protect his mother. Because his mother has been bullied out of the clan and left, the child now believes it is their job to make the clan a safer place for his mother when it should have been the other way around.

Kamo's mother made two pretty big mistakes, number one she let him see her distress at being treated by the clan and let him believe it was his responsibility to protect her, and number two she just left him there when she left the clan. She may have not had much power in that situation, but you know who had no power whatsoever? Kamo. He was just a child. He didn't choose to be born. He didn't choose to have an affair with Kamo's father.

Kamo is born out of infidelity, his mother is relentlessly bullied because of that infidelity until she leaves, but she also as his only loving parental figure leaves him there. Kamo then internalizes two false lessons from this, one that if he can make the clan a better place for his mother his mother will come back, number two it's his job to make the clan better and protect his mother.

Kamo essentially believes he has to parent the parent. Kamo is the result of adult responsibilities being thrust onto a child because of the carelessness of both of his parents. Which makes sense, because he's a child of infidelity, he was a bastard that was never meant to be conceived unlike his mother's new child, with her new husband.

Even if Gege meant it to be protrayed as a happy ending that Kamo wasn't really replaced and his mother is waiting for him to make contact, his mother still seems incredibly careless and callous to her child's well being to me. She left him in an abusive home. She straight up walked out and left him there. She gave birth to him, she has an obligation to raise and protect him and she totally failed in that obligation.

Kamo believing if he does the right thing, or reforms the clan from the inside, or if he's good enough he can get his mother back is in response to his mother his only good parent leaving him.

Kamo is forced to play the role of responsible adult because neither of his parent's did in his life. Apparently, his mother knows he's still out there and her new family knows her first son exists but she's not even bothering to try and make contact with him.

It's his mother's responsibility to do that, not Kamo's! If what she wanted all along was for him to ditch them and come home to her then why not bring him with in the first place? Why not run away with him? Kamo's mother is still essentially putting the responsibility of reconnecting with Kamo entirely on him when she fully has the ability to reach out and communicate with him.

Just like how she gave him that name without really thinking of what it meant, just giving him a cursed name because she was angry without thinking of the full implications, Kamo's mom doesn't really think about what it's her responsibility to do as a mother. If Kamo's mother wanted him to come home she definitely didn't communicate that. What she told him was that she had to leave, so he could be the heir of the clan and she wouldn't hold him back anymore. She didn't so much make a selfless sacrifice so Kamo could have a better life as the family heir, as ditch the kid so she could leave.

Kamo is a child. He can only understand things the way a teenager would. It's his mother's job to communicate. It's his mother's job to make him understand. It's his mother's job to be the adult in the relationship, but for Kamo she's not. This is probably the last we're getting of Kamo's arc, but it really has not been resolved. A proper ending would have been his mother taking responsibility and being the adult, so he could be allowed to be a child again.

It's not really Kamo who should have to change, or figure out what his mother wants here, because his whole flaw is thinking he had to be the parent to his mother and not the other way around. The ideal ending for Kamo's arc should be someone telling him it's okay if he couldn't become head of the clan because that wasn't his responsibility in the first place. He didn't need to be an adult or anyone special. It was just okay for him to be her son.

His mother should really be the one to reach out and tell him these things, it shouldn't be Kamo's responsibility because he's already taken on far too much responsibility himself. At least there's a small hopeful note that Kamo might now have the confidence to talk to his mother when he didn't before, but that's it.

[pockysquirrel]

You have in fact been saved from having to think about our beloved nemesis Inoue because I just remembered something older:

Hongo/Ichimonji, OG and Shin versions, compare and contrast? (And any other versions you happen to have encountered)

(Also totally agree Kaguragi-shipping contains unexplored possibilities, as much as I love his backstabbing games with Racles. Himeno, Rita and Jeramie would all be very strong dynamics)

(I'm glad you're doing this ask thing because it's fun chatting to you, disabled replies etc (which to be clear--very sensible in this hell world) would normally mean bombarding you with more asks would be the only way of directly replying haha)

OH MAN I AM FAILING AT TUMBLR

I read this and couldn't figure out why you couldn't reply...the problem was, evidently, we weren't mutuals. Do I know why? Nope. 🤦 Anyway, fixed that and adjusted my settings, because I do like replies, just not from randos.

ANYWAY!

All forms of Hongo/Ichimonji are valid and good! It makes sense and I am compelled by it! I am QUITE compelled by it. But you asked for more analysis and I can't do that while actively drooling, so let's mop up and proceed.

The KR71 version of the pairing, true originators of love in the 1970s, are one of those ships (and these are among my favorite kinds) that gives you a lot to think about in relatively little content. It's not often you get both Riders in the same place at the same time, but when you do, it instantly feels like a big deal. Obviously because it signals that the stakes are rising in the story, but also because, IMO, of the chemistry they have with each other. I point out the coin flip scene in the Sakurajima arc as an obvious example, but there are more.

Then I found out they have a canonical telepathic bond and basically catapulted into full fandom mode. There really are few things more intimate than the ability to touch minds.

And speaking of the types of weird intimacy you can only find in genre fiction, I must of course mention the manga, and one page thereof that has lived rent-free in my brain since the day I read it. The characterization is different here - for Ichimonji in particular - and it affects how they relate to each other in a way I don't care for as much. But come on. These guys got to share a body! Their minds joined together, all of their senses experienced as one! And that's incredibly sexy! (I wrote fic about that. And it takes A Lot for me to be into something enough to surpass my hangups and write smut.)

Which brings me to Shin, and the literal flailing meltdown I had in the movie theater when I saw my favorite manga page replicated in exact detail. These poor guys. They both wear their emotional wounds much more openly than their 71 counterparts, but they are also much more visibly healed by each other. This version I think offers the best example of how much of a relief it can be to find someone who shares your experiences, your pain, and to realize you aren't alone.

I love Shin KR dearly, wouldn't change a thing, so this is much more me lamenting the constraints of a feature film format than it is an actual complaint. I wish we had more time to see the Double Riders getting to know each other. But hey, that leaves plenty of room for fic, and I am more than good with that.

I've seen First/Next twice now and my brain still tries to pretend those movies don't exist most of the time. We'll leave it at that.

[maguro13-2]

[FARTING+PLOPPING]

Naruto : Yep. Gotta cut back on those meat in the ramen noodles. All of that ninja eating stuff gave me the schlitz. (chuckles) Oh, what's on the news today? (his eyes enlarges that pops through the newspaper) WHAT!?! CAST OF BLACK CLOVER NOW ENJOYS CASINO FOR THE FIRST TIME FROM JUMP GIGA!?! Why would that Devil dude would want to own a casino in the first place!? Wizards don't own a casino! I smell something fishy about the Jumpers owning and gambling at casinos and even waitresses that serves the drinks as bunny girls.

[Phone vibrating]

Naruto : Huh? [answers phone] Asta! What's going on? Why do you look like a playboy or something

Asta : (on facetime) Hey, Naruto! You're just in time for us to have the great opening of-, I mean our first time at the Casino! I'm into gambling that knows how gambling in japanese anime and mangas works!

Naruto : Jump Giga allowed you to have a Casino of your own and we didn't noticed! Why didn't we think of that!?

Asta : Yeah, I know, right!? It's cool that I missed out all the fun that Shounen Jump, but in terms of it, I finally get a chance that I, Asta of Black Clover, have something important for you all, all the girls in the Black Bull guild are dressed as Bunny Girls! Pretty hot, huh, Naruto!!

Naruto : Dude! We've been like this with Shounen Jump for a long time and you just wanted to have a casino, and did you say that the female members of your guild are dressed as bunny girls. You sure that you don't want anything from Shounen Jump, I mean, come on. I've been with shounen jump for years.

Asta : Maybe it's your luck dude, If i opened a casino in your world how does that make you feel, oh wait! You don't have a casino! we're all good with the booze man! Trust me! I know you will! At least Noelle looks in that bunny girl outfit!

Noelle : Hey!

Naruto : [on facetime] Well, yeah, dude! If anyone feels like that! Why didn't ask me sooner before you opened the casino of your first time on Jump Giga. Is it really front page?

Asta : Probably is, man. Probably is.

Naruto : So, I get no extra credit on why gambling your self on casinos.

Asta : Money and fanservice!

Naruto : Oh yeah! If you want fanservice at a casino, then how about fanservice from Bulma Briefs, it just so happened that Naruto doesn't do a lot things to bunny girls and I certainly don't do fast food in America! Hope you like your nuggets gold, because I'm taking the gold here of having all the girls of Shounen Jump to wear a bunny girl costume for free! And we'll see how you like it, Asta! I bet know one thing that does all the bunny girls we needed!

Asta : We'll see about that, hope you might get something prove of what you're capable of having girls in hot bunny girl outfit!

Naruto : And that's why I got someone that is a bunny girl who knows about Bunny Girls and I like it hot. Real...Hot.

"later..."

[The Dreamy Stage - Fumie Kumatani, Kenichi Tokoi]

Asta : Where is Naruto? He should be here any minute now. I hope it's not too late that he'll miss out all the glory of this here casino.

Mimosa : Hey, guys! There's one coming and Naruto sent a bunny girl to the place we have opened for the first time!

Asta : Oh good! This will be a moment to have ourselves a slam dunk...? (sees a group of bunny girls) Oh great. More bunny girls. Hope this isn't the last time that we've seen more bunny girls than that. [To Mai] So, you're that Bunny Girl from Bunny Girl Senpai. What do you Bunny Girls that recquires excellent of service providing us in this establishment.

Mai Sakurajima : [shrugs]

Asta : You don't know? Well now. Let's not be in bit of a rush here, fellas. I know, I know, Jump Giga made establish this place give us glory and money gamblings here at a vegas-style casino where we can have all the money we needed. So what are you here in for, would you recquire excellent services on our gambling.

Mai Sakurajima : Oh, I don't know. We bunny Girls are humbling insterested of your great casino. We understand hardships of gambling in the great world of the many casinos from the cities that never sleeps. I, happened to be a Bunny Girl, but everyone realizes that only one person can see me as a Bunny Girl, your casino good, a fine well establishment, it's very astonishing, I'd like it in any kind of casino that you fine bunny girls are interested free drinks, but we hardly accept that Bunny Girls are the alternative forms of waitresses and waiters that gives free drinks at the casino.

Noelle : So, umm, what are you in here for?

Mai Sakurajima : I believe you forgot one thing for all of us, bunny girls, if you wanted to get into bunny girl action, I mean, Bunny Girl traditions. The only reason that a jumper like you owning casino for the first time, because this is not your casino, buddy.

Asta : Oh yeah? Then who owns this place?

Mai Sakurajima: It's our casino, punk!

[multiple guns cocks]

Asta : Huh? What the hell is going on!?

Ichika : Sorry to bother you, Asta. I forgot that this is their casino and not yours.

Asta : Huh? [To Noelle] Noelle, why didn't tell me this was a bunny girls casino!?

Noelle : Oh yeah, that reminds us, this casino was a fine establishment for bunny girls, I didn't know that it belongs to the greatest of all Bunny Girls, I mean, you bunny girls are great, so pristine, so intelligent, and superb. Yeah, let's all agree that bunny girls are quite the essential to all the casinos that people like to gamble. Let me do all the bunny girl talk for real.

(garbled talking)

Asta : [to Yuno] I have no idea what's she talking about.

Yuno : Me neither, dude.

Charmy : Maybe it's her bunny girl talk. That's what she'll remind us what kind of establishment we owned.

Noelle : I guaranteed that I owe humble gratitude to have a fine establish to the bunny girls of bunny girl history. Everything is great for bunny girls.

Mai Sakurajima : Fair enough.

Asta : So, umm, what did they say?

Noelle : Sorry, Asta. I don't think this isn't the casino we owned by Black Bulls, it belongs to bunny girls. I guess the casino that Jump Giga gave us was rigged, this is their's!

Asta : Does this mean that they'll ever let us go? I-I mean this was some kind of mix up going on here! You've got to be joking, right? This is some kind of weird set up on how did we not know that bunny girls own this establishment!

Bulma : Because the casino is for everyone and for us Bunny Girls, whether, you're a lesbian, straight, or gay, I think that you hardly forgot that we own this establish to bring all the live and fortunate with all biggest fortune, so I have this plaque right here. This plaque is what we owned this establishment and we wouldn't make a share out of our lives. We Bunny Girls are the true gamblers.

Asta : Noelle! Please tell her that having a casino for Black Cover is a stupid idea, you got us all mixed up, right? Uhh, Noelle...?

Yuno : [To Charmy] Uhh, Charmy?

Asta : Girls, what's wrong? Why are you so quiet? Are you all going to surrender like us?

Noelle : Sorry, Bakasta. I just couldn't help it. But being a Bunny Girl makes me a true gambler.

Charmy : Yeah, we all felt like this. We all got ourselves mixed up, we have everything what needed for Bunny Girls heritage, we have fame, fortune, and...(Knocks Yuno out with a Gun) Double Cross, b*tch!

Noelle : I guess that it's a shame that we took all the mistakes here for nothing. So I'm turning the tables now, Asta.

Asta : Like what?

(gun cocks)

Noelle : Like we're with them now. You guys are the wolfs of serving us gamblers. We bunny girls don't take orders from wolves like you.

Asta : Why did I even bother owing to a casino!?[looks up] WHYYYYYYYY!?

*scenario ends to reality*

Asta : And we decided that all of our girls decides to betray us to think that Bunny Girls do own the casinos and we may never know about it, since we had no choice but to surrender as casino wolves of gambling. Plus, including the girls of Black Bull.

Naruto : Yeah, that's a really theory about you going to a casino, but in terms of this case, do you ever heard about owning a highway that goes to play Bingo?

Asta : What?

Noelle : Sorry, Asta. When it comes to Bunny Girls like us, you guys are here to gamble at a casino... with some "Bingo"!

Asta : AW, WHAT!?!

Yami : Hey, this wasn't part of Jump Giga's deal!

Asta : No! You girls tricked us! I didn't sign up for this! Okay! I promise to never own illegal casinos again! I promise! Do whatever you want! Just don't make us die into this abyss falling into a casino-themed city!

Noelle : Sorry, the rules are the rules of what it means to be an Usagi Shoujo in person. Humans don't control bunny girls, Bunny Girls can control you.

Charmy : Here we go!

Yami : Why you little piece of--(Grey hits ball with a hamer) SH******T!!!

Yuno : (in a ball) Sorry, Asta! I love to gamble for some casinos, but I believe that you're on your own to play some Bin-(Charmy hits ball with a hammer) GOOOOOOOO!

Noelle : In you go, Asta! Hope you like a BINGO Highway surprise! Cause I'm winning big here!

Asta : [To the viewers] Well, I guess we all learned a valuable lesson about casinos and bunny girls, those things can come together when it comes to gambling. But just to remind you, gambling doesn't make you greedy, gambling makes you rich and care for others at those who like to gamble. [To Noelle] I'm sorry that Jump Giga tricked me into Gambling and owning a casino, I'd love to gamble with you as a bunny girl, Noelle. But I don't mind that I could go for some Bingo right about--(Noelle hits ball with hammer) NOOOOOOOOW!!!

[Bingo Highway (Dream Spirit Mix) - Keiichi Sugiyama]

Asta : (yelling and grunting) This is not what I planned for!

Yuno : Somebody please! Stop this crazy thing!

Yami : Can't anyone tell me how to control on these balls!? IT'S BUSTING MY BALLS!!!

Asta : This is the most deadliest thing we ever rode on!

Yuno : I can feel my whole body spinning around!

Yami : That is it! We are never owning illegal establishments again!

Ichika : You think them boys had enough fun of being in balls at a highway of BINGO?

Charmy : It's my luck that wearing bunny girl suits are always a tradition for gambling at a casino and of course serving drinks.

Mimosa : Well, this whole gig turned out so well.

Noelle : Do you think the boys we'll learn their lesson?

Grey : You'd tell me, never own a casino with legal rights. Hope Vegas might be a good choice to make Bunny Girls a great place for gamblers and waitresses.

Mereoleona : Like that'll ever happen in a million years.

Asta : Okay, girls! We get it! We get it! (to Yuno and Yami) Guys why are you all going that way? Huh? (sees a spring in the middle of his way, to the viewers) Mommy?

*Sonic SFX : Spring Jump*

Asta : WOAAAAAAAAAH!!!

Noelle : Alright! Aerial Bingo!

Asta : Huh? (looks down and sees a bunch of Bingo) Oh, man.

*Zoom+WHISTLING*

Asta : Not the numbers! Anything but numbers! This is going to get hurt, alot! (gets hit by Bingo numbers)

"BINGO 1!"

Noelle : Bingo!

"BINGO 2!"

Charmy : Bingo!

"Bingo 3!"

Mimosa : Bingo!

Noelle : Last one!

Asta : (sees the number 9 that is coming towards) AWW, CRA-!!

"PERFECT!"

Noelle : Perfect Bingo!

*DBZ SFX : Wall Hit/Crash*

Asta : (moaning in pain) Is someone having Chips today?

Charmy the Bee : You mean potato chips?

Asta : Not those kind of Chips!

(crowd cheering)

(girls cheering)

Noelle : Alright! Alright! We won! This whole Casino thing turned out well! This is way better than gambling in Roppongi, which kinda sucked, Ichika.

Ichika : You know I was out of town for a meeting in Hawaii. Also, this Bingo Highway establishment is actually owned by a mad scientist with an IQ of 3000 and he needed us to pay for our rent.

Yumeko : So, Wizard boy. What did we learn today about owning casinos and gambling addiction at a fair price?

Asta : Never own or establish a casino without asking permission and do not get yourself addicted to gambling.

Yumeko : Very good. As matter of a result, here's your prize money. This is our share from the endless sleeping cities of the many casinos.

Asta : Oh good! I'm getting all the stakes to become a millionaire.

Noelle : I'll be taking that! (takes bag of money and gives it to Kaiji) Here you go sir. It's all yours. I believe I have something for you. (gives Asta a penny) Here, you can keep it. It will give you a luck of stopping your addiction.

Asta : You know what? Screw casinos! Screw my gambling addiction! I AM NEVER EVER GETTING A NEW GIG EVER AGAIN! I'M DONE WITH CASINOS! I'M DONE WITH THEM! I'm going to be a food critic.

Man : And that will show you the means of what future gambling addicts like him will always be a problem and that will be your problem on gambling at casinos!

"DON'T BE ADDICTED TO GAMBLING!"

"Brought to you part by...THE SPACE POPE".

(TV turns off)

Asta : So...Umm...Now that we understand the hardships of Bunny Girls, Gambling at casinos and being addict all the time, who wants to go Nevada?

Noelle : Not on your life, Devil boy. Bunny Girls orders.

[derowan]

鹿児島県大好き。仙巌園に行ったり、指宿市で砂むしをしたり、桜島で美味しかったみかんを食べたりしました。昨日かっこいい人と会いました。けんさんとたかさんとこたさんすごかったです。

Kagoshima, I love you! I came with no expectations and leave now with a warm feeling in my heart. I went to Sengan-En one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, had a sand bath in Ibuzuki and ate Satsuma mandarins at the foot of Mount Sakurajima. I can't be more greatful for all these experiences I got here. Yesterday meeting Ken, Taka and Kota, 3 japanese guys, was definitely one of my highlights.

Mit keinen Erwartungen rein, mit viel Liebe wieder raus. Kagoshima, du hast mein Herz gestohlen. Alles an dir (ausser dein Bussystem) war grossartig und ich bin froh, dass ich mir die Zeit genommen habe, etwas länger hier Tourist spielen zu können.

Dass ich dann auch noch an meinem letzten Abend noch 3 sehr nette Japner kennenlernen durfte, hat mich wirklich sehr gefreut.

[bongaboi]

ISML 2022: Mikoto Misaka Wins Aquamarine Necklace

ISML 2022: Mikoto Misaka Wins Aquamarine Necklace Hachiman Hikigaya Takes Aquamarine Pendant

By Jo-Ryan Salazar The Bedlam On Baltic Avenue 12 December 2022

Mention the words Mikoto Misaka and Aquamarine and you mention a combo that withstands the tests of time. A clear-cut favorite to finally get over the hump and win re-election as Saimoe Prime Minister, Misaka routed Rikka Takamashi 4048-1923 to win the Necklace on Match Day 6 of the 2022 International Saimoe League Aquamarine Period. Yukino Yukinoshita was third with 1649 votes, Violet Evergarden was fourth with 1314 votes, Kurumi Tokisaki was fifth with 1058 votes, Mai Sakurajima was sixth with 643 votes, Rem was seventh with 541 votes and Eru Chitanda was last with 467 votes in a rare tough day out for Hyouka.

Hachiman Hikigaya won the Aquamarine Pendant, accelerating past Accelerator 3786-2455. Yuuta Togashi was third with 1891 votes, Houtarou Oreki was fourth with 1298 votes, Sakuta Azusagawa was fifth with 862 votes, Kazuto Kirigaya was sixth with 738 votes, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji was seventh with 544 votes and Sora was last with 487 votes.

A number of faces were spared the cut in the Female Division Wildcard: Sora Kasugano (2813), Isla (2867), Kanade Tachibana (2869), Index Prohibitorum (3540), Ritsu Tainaka (2786) and Ai Haibara (3183). In the Male Division Wildcard, advancing to the Amethyst were Masamune Izumi (1991), Kaito Kuroba (2304), Dio Brando (1900), Saika Totsuka (2239), Nasa Yuzaki (2097) and Ainz Ooal Gown (1894).

Seasonal matches also took place. In Seasonal action, Nezuiko Kamado defeated Illyasviel von Einzbern 2785-2230, Silence Suzuka raced past Tooru Amuro 2727-2111, Kotoko Iwanaga prevailed over Sakura Matou 2337-2066, Takagi thumped Ninym Ralei (3070-1686, Special Week stormed past Momo Chiyoda 2640-1569, Renge Miyauchi blew past Toge Inumaki 2885-1559, Kobayashi roared past Kyaru 2620-1995 and Sajina Inui cruised past Wakana Gojou 2960-1146.

Eris Boreas Greyrat defeated Yuuko Yoshida 2363-1811, Ai Hayasaka routed Zhuge Kongming 3696-1559, Miko Iino tore down Zhong Lanzhu 3255-1181, Tohka Yatogami crushed Eika Tsukimi 3116-1653, Yoshino leveled Shouko Komi 3057-1914, Shikimori rolled past Filo 2817-1426, Tomoyo Sakagami upended Kogorou Mouri 3022-2047 anf Ushio Kofune defeated Reina Aharen 2556-2095.

Wrapping up Seasonal action, Ushio Okazaki hammered Serena 3308-1144, Fuuko Ibuko blazed pastMio Kofune 2958-1653, Kurumi trounced Hinata Hyuuga 3249-1876, Ruka Sarashina slayed Son Goku 2619-1704, Sumi Sakurasawa won the closest race of the round, a 2119-2102 thriller over Shalltear Bloodfallen, Kei Karuizawa annihilated Hizuru Minakata 3010-1736, Yume Irido mowed down Jolyn Kuujou 2780-1865, Albedo defeated Ayano Yugiri 2310-1994, Suzune Horikita whipped past Nazuna Nanakusa 2938-1840, Kisaraslammed David Martinez 3104-1409 and Lucy eased past Rin Shima 2333-1881.

Match Day 1 of the 2022 International Saimoe League Amethyst Period is scheduledfor 13 December 2022. Vote for your favorite characters at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate. And keep it right here on the Bedlam on Baltic Avenue for continuing coverage of the world's premier anime character competition, the International Saimoe League.

[crystal-in-nagasaki]

the great kyushu road trip of 2023, part 3: kagoshima

Welcome to the third and final part of our Kyushu road trip adventures! After a few fun days exploring scenic and spiritual places in Kumamoto and Miyazaki, we finally arrived in our final destination of Kagoshima prefecture.

We drove into Kagoshima in the evening after spending the day in Miyazaki, and we first looked for a place to have dinner. We ended up going to a very small "restaurant," which was more like a room rented out by an old woman who cooked a single set course each night. It was really cozy and felt a lot like our grandmother was cooking us a home cooked meal. I forgot all of the courses she brought, but we had red juice made from shiso leaves, rice balls, soup, and more.

After this comforting meal, we drove for a bit longer on the country roads until we arrived in Kagoshima city, where we checked into our hostel and called it a night.

The next morning, we took my car onto a nearby ferry which crossed a small stretch of water between Kagoshima city and Sakurajima, Japan's most active volcano and an iconic symbol of Kagoshima prefecture.

The entirety of the volcanic island can be traversed by car in just about an hour, so we spent some time exploring various sights of the island before returning on the ferry to Kagoshima city.

It's not possible to go to the top of the volcano because, well, it's an active volcano, so to get a good view of it, we visited one of the many observation decks. We were able to enjoy not only the view of the volcano from below, but the view of Kagoshima city and the waterway between it and the island, which was very beautiful.

Next we headed to a famous monument called Portrait of a Shout. The statue is made of volcanic rock and depicts the rockstar Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, a Sakurajima native who held an all-night rock concert on Sakurajima in 2004. Although the population of Sakurajima is only 6,000 people, the rock concert attracted a staggering 75,000 people to Sakurajima from all over Japan. The statue was sculpted by artist Hiroshi Onari less than a year later to commemorate the event. (source)

Since Sakurajima is an active volcano and has been for a long time, you can find formations of volcanic rock all over the island, and you can buy volcanic rock souvenirs and even pottery made from volcanic ash. As we drove around the island, we also noticed many shelters along the roadside for people to take cover in were there to be a sudden eruption. It's been forecasted that there will be at least one major eruption in the next thirty years, so island residents must be ready at all times should they need to seek shelter.

I've been referring to Sakurajima as an island, but it's actually not technically an island anymore. In 1914, a huge eruption caused a large flow of lava to actually form a land bridge on the east side of the island, connecting it to the Osumi peninsula, so you can now drive onto it from the east side of the volcano. On the day this eruption happened, it buried the village below it in two meters of lava. The three-meter-tall shrine gate of Haragosha Shrine was also almost completely buried. The residents of Sakurajima decided to leave it buried there as a warning and sign of rememberance of the village, and it can now be visited as a tourist spot. Seeing the once tall shrine gate buried to the top in what was once hot volcanic rock really gives you a feel of just how massive the eruption really was.

On our next stop on the island, we visited a small shrine called Tsukiyomi Shrine, which was nestled under the volcano overlooking the sea.

After taking in the beautiful view, we next headed to some tourist shops where we came across a giant daikon statue. Since Sakurajima has quite fertile volcanic soil, they are famous for their daikon and komikan oranges. The record for largest daikon ever grown was actually from Sakurajima, which weighed 31.1 kg (about 68 lbs) and had a circumference of 119 cm (so I was disappointed to find out that the huge daikon statue was not actually true to size, haha.) According to this article, Sakurajima daikon even grow and can be harvested twice as fast as normal daikon, in just six months!

After enjoying our souvenir shopping and admiring the giant daikon statue, we returned to the ferry and made our way back to Kagoshima city for lunch, where we enjoyed a famous food of Kagoshima, kurobuta tonkatsu, a pork cutlet made from Kagoshima's special black pigs. Apparently the black pigs were first brought from the Ryukyu kingdom of Okinawa 400 years ago and became a staple of the area. The pigs are free range for almost their whole lives, and can scavenge in the forest in a stress free environment with a balanced diet. The amount of amino acids in the pork has been studied, giving a scientific seal of approval to its deliciousness. (source) But because of the care with which the pigs are raised, the pork can be a bit expensive. I think I paid about $20 for my meal, which wasn't too steep, but was about double the price of a normal tonkatsu meal.

The next stop on our gourmet adventure was a famous spot in Kagoshima city known for their shaved ice. This place is so popular that many people were lined up down the street to get a seat inside. We didn't want to wait, so we joined the slightly shorter line at the outside of the store to get some shaved ice to go. This shaved ice is called shirokuma, meaning polar bear, characterized by its topping of condensed milk and fruit. I just ordered the classic version which was admittedly delicious, but the fruit obviously was not fresh and came from a can, so that was a bit disappointing.

We decided to finish out the day by going to the beach. We went to Iso Beach, located directly across the water from Sakurajima which had a stunning view of the volcano across the water. We enjoyed swimming in the remaining day's heat and sitting on the sand relaxing and enjoying the sights and sounds of the sea. After enjoying the beach for a while, we packed up and headed to our hostel to close out the final night of the trip.

The next morning we had a bit of a drive ahead of us, so we kept our morning adventures short. We heard about a Studio Ghibli exhibit happening at the Kagoshima prefectural center from a friend and decided to take a look. We found that it was actually the same exhibit we visited in Fukuoka the previous year, which I wrote about in this blog post. Although it was pretty much the same exhibit, it was still nice to see the work behind certain animation, and we also got to pose inside this giant Catbus! There was also a very pretty lotus pond outside the building, though the lotuses weren't in bloom.

From there we hopped back in my car and started the long drive back up the coast to the Kumamoto ferry, which we took back over to Shimabara before driving back up north to our home in Omura (aka HOMEura, haha get it?...get it?)

Kumamon even kept us company on the ferry on our way back. Once you get past the terrifying thousand-yard stare, he really can be kind of cute.

We've finally reached the end of the Great Kyushu Road Trip of 2023! It really was a ton of fun and I got to see and experience so many cool things. I really enjoyed doing research on all of the things I saw too, because I basically got to experience it all over again! I hope you enjoyed it too, and stay tuned to hear more about my other adventures! <3

[rhonddaandallaneuro]

Cruising is hard to take but someone has to do it.

At sea it was really calming and we basically spent the day trying to understand exactly what the cruise has to offer. Not being rude but we played ”spot the Aussie” through a multitude of nationalities. Everyone is very polite and the different people we have shared time with very interesting. We love seeing the Japanese in their traditional Kimonas. They are elegant to say the least and the people so soft and polite.

The entertainment on the other hand is far from an expectational standard and while the Japanese clap at everything in Australia they would not get work. Even gave the third night a miss preferring to just drink. Haha

On Thursday we visited the port of Kagoshima where we visited the local Senganen gardens, which has a huge display of ornamental flower arrangements and travelled over to Mount Sakurajima which is an active volcano. Great experience to see the ash shelters and massive man made lava flow channels.

Throughout the bus travel we saw streets completely trash free and saw petrol stations where the pumps hang from the ceiling to create more space for cars. How you know what you have spent I do not understand. Over here housing is for existence not about image but more practical.

From here we were taken to have an authentic Japanese banquet. Food was beautiful but one would hate to do the washing up afterwards. Every placing involved thirteen pieces of cutlery and plates. Worth doing though.

Back on board we did the cruising thing watching the sun go down from the eighteenth deck listening to live classical music. Very calming and beautiful.

Today we visited South Korea through Bosan and what an experience. This place is beautiful and a “must see” location. Basically established through the Korean War the stories told by our guide were amazing.

First stop was the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple where you need to climb down 108 steps (same steps back up) on a steep cliff face to reach the temple itself. Stunning views and ancient skills in abundance. So proud of Rhondda doing the steps. They were really old steep and worn form the thousands of tourists and worshipers who make the trek.

From here we headed to Nurimaru APEC House which was used to establish the first free trade agreement for the Pacific region. This place has been set aside as a respect for the role South Korea played in unifying the region. It is a modern museum of history.

We kept on walking and came to the local beach which is about 400 metres long, which in tourist season (late July to second week of August) over 1,500,000 visitors. Not my cup of tea.

Back on the bus we drove to Gamcheon Culture Village which was where 14,000 residents from Seoul where displaced to from the war in an emergency evacuation. The shacks became home to so many and still are resided within today.

This area is in total contrast to the modern Bosan which has huge high (100 stories) rises constantly replacing what were once only 40 storey buildings. The guide explained that they believe building are only built to last 40 years and only natural to build bigger to cater for growth in citizens. The work ethic and future commitment here is something our politicians could learn a lot from.

The region has a South American feel with houses painted bright colours with small lanes. UNICEF has heritage listed the housing.

Sadly out time was done here as headed back to our ship.

[sergioguymanproust]

My globetrotting days are peppered with visits to places where volcanoes still are active,Sakurajima in Kagoshima prefecture was one of the many that I had the pleasure of visiting. Where you can actually buy lava rocks in a bag as souvenirs from the slopes of the volcano,hahaha. Talk about making money from an active volcano ,when you could just pick a few on the way out of the area. Well, visiting was a great experience. I do recommend this place if you come to japan.Words by SergioGuyman Proust.

The morning sun on the slope of Sakurajima volcano

桜島火山の斜面に出た朝日

[importanttigercreation]

Welcome to the news channel of the Angry Nature, Today we will tell you about Sakurajima Volcano,Japan, Erta ale volcano 👇 https://youtu.be/CACqNi-rvcw Video taken from an unmanned fixed-point camera in Tarumizu, Kagoshima Prefecture, shows an eruption on Sakurajima volcano. Sakurajima is an active stratovolcano, formerly an island and now a peninsula, in Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. The lava flows of the 1914 eruption connected it with the Ōsumi Peninsula. It is the most active volcano in Japan.  It was the first explosive eruption since April 2018 at the volcano's Showa crater. A local weather observatory warned those within a 2-kilometer radius against pyroclastic flows and falling rocks. The eruption was observed at 10:52 a.m., with plumes rising to 1,000 meters noted at 11:10 a.m., according to the Kagoshima Meteorological Office. The meteorological office said it had detected a slight swelling of the mountain from around Jan. 14. Whether the movement is connected to the eruption is unknown, although the likelihood of a larger explosion increases when the swelling suddenly subsides. Sakurajima is a modern active vent of the same Aira caldera volcano. Sakurajima was formed by later activity within the caldera, beginning about 13,000 years ago. It is about 8 km (5 mi) south of the centre of the caldera. Its first eruption in recorded history was in 963 AD. #sakurajima_volcano #japan_volcano #angry_nature #lava #karangetang #geology #explosion #volcano_eruption _______________________________ The channel lists such natural disasters as: 1) Geological emergencies: #earthquake  #volcanic_eruption  mudflow, #landslide landfall, avalanche; 2) Hydrological emergencies:  #flash_flood #tsunami  Limnological catastrophe, floods, flooding; 3) Fires: Forest fire, Peat fire, Glass Fire, Wildfire; 4) Meteorological emergencies: #tornado, ATTENTION: All videos are taken from open sources. The selection is based on publication date, title, description, and venue. Sometimes, due to unfair posting of news on social networks, the video may contain frames that do not correspond to the date and place. It is not always possible to check all videos. We apologize for any errors! Thank you for watching, don't forget to subscribe our channel, We Wish you good Weather,

[omegahopper]

What figure (or figures) in your collection do you feel are the most "you" or "yours"?

(Interpret the meaning of that as you will; the most "youcore" looking figure, the one you're most attached to, a favorite character or from a favorite character designer, etc. Your pick.)

I'm giving up on the hard task of narrowing my choices down so buckle up (in no particular order):

Kamen Rider Ichigo Sakurajima ver. (Figuarts, pre-seihou): This design is still the absolute quintessential Kamen Rider to me, keeping the distinctive look of the original suit but making the colors look as bright as it feels like they were always meant to. This is what a hero of justice looks like.

Kamen Rider Black/Shadowmoon (Figuarts, pre-seihou; I think one of them is considered a V2 release but they're so old I don't totally remember): Just having these two on the shelf together brings to mind just how genuinely tragic their rivalry was in Black. There's plenty of really good themes in Showa Rider, but I've rarely gotten the same sense of reality from it that the conflict between these two had. Their designs are also just certified classics, at the end of the day.

Kamen Rider Kuuga Ultimate form (Figuarts, pre-seihou, old enough to have die-cast feet): If you know, you know.

Kamen Rider Kabuto (Figuarts, seihou): Kabuto was the very first Rider show I watched all the way through, so it'll always have a special place in my heart just because of that. It's also just a beautiful suit, and having a version of it that looks like it stepped right out of the screen is pretty special to me.

Kamen Rider Den-O Liner form (Figuarts): The thematic throughline of Den-O made tangible.

Mordred (1/7th scale statue from Goodsmile): Not technically a figure, but. Possibly my favorite character of all time rendered in a level of quality and detail that still awes me. It's almost certainly the most expensive thing in my collection, but I can't say it wasn't worth it.

Honorable mentions (figures I really like but don't have anything specific to say about): Amazing Yamaguchi Revoltech Spider-Gwen, Lightning Collection Dekamaster, Kamen Rider Kuuga Rising Mighty form (Figuarts, Seihou)

[asterinjapan]

An attempt to summarize a week in Fukuoka in pictures. 

In order: 

Sakurajima volcano as seen from the footbath 

Sakurajima erupting 

Karatsu castle as seen from Maizuru bridge 

Kunchi festival floats on display in Karatsu 

view from Karatsu castle on Niji no matsubara pine forest

Umi jigoku (sea hell) in Beppu

one of the hells at Kamado jigoku (cooking pot hell) in Beppu 

Kushida shrine in Fukuoka

detail on the float on display at Kushida shrine

Yoshinogari historical park

[metahulk]

These shows managed to stay relevant even after their season ended, let it be through memes, show being memorable or fan arts.

I know there are many other shows as well but I had to make compromises.

And squeals were not even considered because they were already popular enough to get a "squeal".

[tempenensis]

Since Maki entered the barrier, where do you think she'll go? I was talking to my friend and I said that it would be interesting if she went to Megumi, since (if I remember correctly) Angel removes cursed energy/technique and Maki has none.

Yes, but Sakurajima is so far away. Please forgive my poor attempt below but I marked it

The yellow dot is the Sakurajima colony, it's basically in the south tip of Japan (excluding Okinawa). The Tokyo colony 1 &2 are the orange dots in the middle, while the green one above is Sendai colony, where Yuuta fights. The logical thing is going to gather together, so they have more manpower in one place and it's better to keep everyone safe. However, considering the huge distance, anyone from Sakurajima going to Tokyo colony would need quite some times - maybe in several days

[cursedvibes]

My Culling Game 1st Phase Ranking

(This is based on my personal taste and very subjective. I have enjoyed all the colonies, so just because one is last place, doesn't mean I hate it. I split up Yuuji and Megumi's parts because they are tonally so different.)

Tokyo 1 (Yuuji edition): A big part of why it's in first place is because Yuuji is my 2nd favourite character but that's not all. The dynamic with Higuruma is just perfect. They are such a good match in theme & personality, we don't really find that in the other colonies (Hakari & Kashimo to an extend but it doesn't run as deep). Yuuji confronting his guilt and getting to open up about it at least a little bit, was very touching to read and Higuruma's development over the fight and how he is changed by Yuuji is so well portrayed as well. Plus, we got a glimpse at Yuuji's childhood which is always interesting.

Sakurajima: Reading it in one bunch makes it flow much better. I don't think that the appearance of Daido & Miyo breaks the flow of the story. The colony's greatest feat is making me deeply care about Noritoshi when before he was barely on my radar outside Kamo lore. Maki and him parallel each other nicely and the little talk about their mothers at the end was the icing on the cake. Maki's ascention and mastering of her new body was beautiful to see. My only problem is Naoya. I understand why he's capable of coming back and how he's supposed to symbolize the full destruction of the Zenin Clan, but his impact was just lacking. Maki didn't seem particularly bothered by him outside of general annoyance. An amalgamation of Zenin Clan spirits could've served the same purpose and potentially been more interesting.

Tokyo 2: I didn't care much for Charles but Hakari makes up for it. Kashimo is bringing some sweet gore, which is always appreciated. It still bugs me that Panda's sister died so easily. I guess Akutami changed whatever they had initially planned for Panda. That death scene in Panda's internal world was still touching. The fight between Hakari & Kashimo is super entertaining and feels much less dragged than when reading it weekly. Actually, I was basically flying through the pages. Love the dynamic of the two and a great introduction to both of them. The Edo flashback got me excited for what they have in store for the Heian era.

Sendai: This one made me love Takako but it also made my opinion on Yuuta go from indifferent to annoyed. He needs a mini-Megumi on his shoulder to remind him of what's important. The colony introduced a lot of interesting new themes and gave us some Heian lore to look forward to, that's why I still liked a lot. However, as much as I love Takako and the cockroaches, Hakari vs Kashimo was more entertaining and versatile than Yuuta & Ryuu's energy blasts.

Tokyo 1 (Megumi edition): Even if it ended up in last place, I still enjoyed this part a lot. I love Reggie, and Takaba & Hazenoki (especially his technique) are fun. Megumi got to improve his domain and kill for the first time. The information Reggie provided was essential and I hope it means the others won't be as trusting of Tengen in the future either. All the lore we got was probably my favourite part of this. Still, there wasn't that much character development on Megumi's part or introspection as in the other colonies, so that's why it ended up here. I just liked the others more.