#queen chichi

[urbanowa]

Chichi 【 チチ 💕 🌹💐🖤❤️ 】

By:[ ふぇにょん@fenyo_n]

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the gals

[tsukiyadori]

Reading (Watching) Log 2024.02-2024.03 - February-March

Previous: Reading Log 2023.12-2024.01 - December-January

Finding the good things be just like chasing after elusive bubbles and wondering how long they'll last

Reading languages: German, English, French, Japanese, not listing which was what

Titles are as I’ve read them either first or most and thus remember it for that title mostly

Not going to bother putting in the original titles of translated reads unless there is something worthy of note to it

Cursive titles have been completed

Tumblr's four thousand so and so max characters per block is annoying as hell

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FEBRUARY

JNC Nina licenses Unnamed Memory both in French in February and German in March. And so now I am reading it for a second and third time simultaneously and also got a subscription for it and then you gotta not waste the buffet, do you?

The reason I never subbed to the JNC English site was because I feared I'd never read my other backlog if I'd get roped into chasing expiry deadlines over all the time, so there was extra zeal on that too avoid the nightmare scenario.

And soooo the LN pile read off has had an increase not seen in years.

Light Novels:

Anime Supremacy

Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki LN 8.5-9

Hell Mode v1-2.7

I Met You After the End of the World v1-2

See You When the Snow Falls

Spice & Wolf v21

The Apothecary Diaries v1-2

The Eminence in Shadow v1

Unnamed Memory LN v1.p1

Manga:

100-nengo ni Tenseishita Watashi, Zense no Juukishi ni Kyuukonsaremashita: Heika wa Watashi ga Moto Oujo da to Okizukidenai you desu ch15.1-3

A Certain Scientific Accelerator v10-v12

A Certain Scientific Railgun v17-18

A Kingdom of Quartz ch1

A Side Character's Love Story ch35.2-50.1

After God ch53-54

Alabaster ch5.3-10.2

Ano Natsu ga Houwa suru. ch15-16.1

Beauty as the Beast ch36-49

Black Butler v31

Bloody Bites at Boarding School v1

Boku no Diamond Star final chapter

Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki Manga ch8-24.2

Buta no Liver wa Kanetsushiro ch33-34.4

Captain Ken ch1-7

Close to your Skin

Daijuukou to Unicornis no Otome ch14.1

Dance Dance Danseur v1-3 (JP v1-6)

Dekiru Neko wa Kyou mo Yuuutsu ch104

Der Geschmack nach Melone v1

Diamond in the Rough v1

Die Braut des Wasserdrachen v8-9 (out of order read)

Gebt mir mehr, bitte sehr v2

Geliebter Wetterfrosch v2ch6-11

Girl Crush ch62-63, ch81-82

Give Her Back to Me

Gleipnir v2-9, ch59-88

Haikyu v34-39

Harebare Biyori ch23.1

Hari to Hitsuji no Fune ch9.1-2

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Meguri ch19.1-2

I have a Crush at Work ch1

I'm cute enough to get away with it ch20

Iki Dekinai no wa Kimi no Sei: Super Pink

In the Sunset ch0-12

Isekai de Ane ni Namae wo Ubawaremashita ch17.2-4

Kakan no Oukoku no Hanagirai Hime ch10-11.2

Kijima-san & Yamada-san ch1-6

Knitter's High ch25-26.2

Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata ch79

Kono Koi wo Hoshi ni wa Negawanai ch11.1-2

Lust auf ein Date? v9-10

Miryou no Otome to Katabutsu Hittou Majutsushi no Hatsukoi Kiroku ch18.2-4

Mr. Villain's Day Off ch54-64

My Awkward Senpai ch1-37

Okaeri Aureole

Okazari Ouhi ni Nattanode, Kossori Hataraki ni deru koto ni Shimashita ~Usagi ga Iru node Hitorine mo Sabishiku Arimasen!~ ch23.2-3

Oshi no Ko ch139

Our Dedication

Porno Superstar

Porträt eines Vampirs v2

Ran the Peerless Beauty v4

Reincarnated as the Daughter of the Legendary Hero and the Queen of Spirits ch19.4-58

Rental Girlfriend v19

Requiem Of The Rose King v9-10

Resist Destiny v3ch10-15

Ride-On King v3

Sakura, Saku v3ch11

Sasaki and Miyano v7

She is also cute today ch52-75

Shinde Miro to Iwareta no de Shinimashita. ch9-10

Shuumatsu Touring ch35

Sky Link v1

Snow Fairy v1

Snowball Earth v2-5

Solange wir zusammen sind v1

Sonna Kazoku nara Sutechaeba? ch64-66

Sooper Spooky ch1-4

Spice & Wolf - Die Abenteuer von Col und Miyuri v1-2

Suicide Notes Laid on the Table ch1-9

Sweet & Tart Boyfriend Ch39-53

Take Over Zone v1ch5

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten ch13.3-14.1

The Diamond of Heart v3ch11-15

The Heroic Legend of Arslan v12ch71-76

The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl ch16-38

The Killer Inside v1-6, ch53-97

The Villainess's Guide to (Not) Falling in Love ch12.2-15.1

To be Winner ch76-114

Together Forever ch36.2-42.2

Tomorrow, make me yours

Unnamed Memory Manga ch34.1

Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi ch35.1-36.1

Zombie 100 v10ch38

Webtoons:

Breed my Dear Enemy ch92-110

Can the Grand Duke and the Marquis be Friends? ch13-32

Flowers in the Secret Place ch1-52

Ice Lamp: The Chronicles of Kira ch8-41

Marry my Enemy ch8-60.5

SOS My Love has a Bug ch0-3

Spirit of Peach Blossom ch49-80

Taberare Usa ch88-92

The Giantess wants Love ch96-170

The Mermaid Wears a Dress ch38-60

The Villainess Behind the Mask ch1-53

To be or not to be ch12-36

Non-Fiction:

Some Greek mythology book (ISBN 9789463598965)

Notes:

Bottom Tier Character Tomozaki LN 8.5-9 Wow. Wow. So I thought volume 8 was kinda really not too great for me, but ultimately that (and v8.5) are built up to volume 9, and ho boy was this a surprise. It even starts right off with doing the right thing about dating - talking it out - then root issues and problems are being pointed out and then there is also still the Popol and the Fireling analogy going on. And Kikuchi's then even in world essentially totally realizing that she is effectively up against narrative fate. And then there is Hinami. And it's not like Tomozaki has a crush on her, like he does with Kikuchi. While he can perfectly be attracted to her, it's not like he has all the crushy feels he has for Kikuchi. But that bond is there. And it's so paramount, most important he's ready to let go from Kikuchi, when it looks like he can't have both without some sort of suffering happening somewhere. At this point I steadfastly declare this series as being pretty much queer. I thought this before already, that Tomozaki isn't really all that straight, like he is easily attracted to a lot of the girls, but also he's got the heart flutter moment with Misuzawa already and just generally looks up at him copying it. If this had wanted to take a BL turn, this wouldn't really have come out of nowhere either. While this potential route probably is not ever going to be explored, what he has there with Hinami just screams queerplatonic to me. They have all the issues of naming and describing it, the next best thing they can tangibly go for is, she is his mentor in the game of life. But there is definitely more going on from both sides, and at least for Tomozaki it's overly clear how huge her existence is in his life. And he longs to keep it. But it's not the same thing he has with Kikuchi and what's more Kikuchi just.... gets it. And yes, it's a queasy and axiety inducing, but ultimately that ending being like all in the break up mood and she being like she's gotta make a decision herself, so asks him to let her make the request - how often do we get a girl finally stands up to make a decision for herself to end things? Not Kikuchi, she does the entire opposite. Rather than ending it, she reinforces that ending of v7, that this is a selfish wish, but she desires him. And it's not just her crush, it's because he also is her ideal Popol. Which he wouldn't be without Hinami being there as such a paramount existence. And it's just this whole great thing about that ultimately decisions and what one makes out of it is the most supreme thing of all. And what Kikuchi did is, she gave narrative fate a middle finger.

The thing with the badges is kinda a bit of sappy cheese, but it definitely feels well earned. And next to that, there is also this whole setting of boundaries with Hinami, too. When Tomozaki just goes and requests Hinami to shut up, when she is saying her logical, but not empathetic reasoning and he makes it clear, that this is not rejection, not rejecting her, not rejecting her values, but self-preservation, that he needs that distance to protect his emotions and to prevent himself for developing bad ones towards her. It's just so really beautifully respectful while drawing that important boundary. And he also follows up with that game meeting, just to prove, it wasn't just empty talk. He still fully intends to have her in his life. That makes it just buyable. And that also makes the ending clear, that he is upset with her for using him like that, but he does not even contradict her on her methods of working. He just doesn't agree with her attitude and motivation in this. And it's a clear telling off, but it also doesn't feel salty, because clearly after all this, he's not just going to let her walk out of his life AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING ROMANCE. (In a RomCom(Drama), set up a bit harem-like no less.)

You have all that talking with Mizuzawa about you can't have it all, things are spilling, you gotta at least be aware and deliberately toss something and usually this is where people go and pick Za most important loved one to become the OTP and what does this guy do? Starts ditching everything that by all means logic is transient and "replaceable" - until Mimimi makes it clear to any reader she is way too good to let go - is all ready to ditch his new self he has come to like himself, is ready to ultimately ditch the notorious supreme SO. breathes in ISN'T THIS OUTRAGEOUS??

Like completely outrageously rare. I did not expect this. I was all whining that I didn't want to see it end on Tomozaki and Hinami winding up the OTP simply by virtue of the narrative fate of first girl to show up, and the Kikuchi just comes and trashes it down. This is great stuff. And then it is even more, it's talking about compatibility, it's talking unbalance, it's talking about how the solution ultimately was Kikuchi sucked it up, but it's not entirely one sided, either, as it also was her deliberate intentional steadfast choice to put an ideal over her anxious feelings. And it's just so neatly full circle to v7. And it also manages to level up Rena who really was slap worthy in v8. She really is in it to push the limits, but once Tomozaki clearly tells her off, she backs away. So all you have to be steadfast, for everything else, you only deserve to be her prey. That's an interesting one, too, especially considering, who she really comes off as somebody who doesn't respect any boundaries, but all it needed was steadfastness? And then her and Mr. Professional Player talk about relationships from an adult perspective, it being about setting boundaries for the partner meaning relationships and it's all really interesting and convincing for a healthy relationship and Tomozaki is pondering about it and it all looking like it completely falls apart, but then Kikuchi finds a different way that does away with the conflict. .... Isn't that kinda quintessentially queer(platonic)? To not be all following whichever norm was out there set by your predecessors. But not necessarily denying all and everything of it either. And then it ALSO brings in the subject of what loser or winner means in life and that line about how Tomozaki actually is a winner type - because he can recognize status and value, but it entirely not attached it so has no second qualms to just let go it, because he doesn't see it as something that propels himself forward - was really a thing to think about, while it finally tied the gamer aspect into it the rest. Tomozaki never had a need to validate himself, and it was actually something he's had from the beginning. But since he had such a self-sabotaging resigned attitude and approach it perverted it into merely being an arrogant loser. But turns out it actually was just lacking the toolset and guidance to make use of what he's always had. And really just the sheer miracle of meeting somebody, who is equipped with an eye to see that value and then confront and nourish it, even if it may be out of questionable motivations (but it's not like they are exactly harmful to him), it's just so so grand, and.... I think I'm rather jealous of it. Does this even happen in reality? This series makes it buyable that it may actually be possible.

Hell Mode v1-2.7 Here we go with a case of you just read it, because it was there. One of the few current titles on JNC Nina and it just felt like a waste to not make use of it. Turned out, it's not so bad, although it's nothing I'd ever actually pick up on my own. The steady leveling up and checking out stats and experimenting with it is quite like By the Grace of Gods, just without any of it's healing compf properties. The protagonist kinda reminds of the one from Gamers!, just in less of a pathetic loose-type. Maybe that makes him more like the protagonist of Shangri-La Frontier, but in terms of personality he's a bit off. But it takes its very decent solid time to establish actual stakes, the one major thing that made Shangri-La entirely not work for me. The MC even mentions it himself, it's a whole pain to have been reborn and spending all these years, but though it he has a bond with them (which kinda is like Ascendance of a Bookworm, now that I think about it), and these are his stakes. He doesn't just do things because of his gaming obsession, but also because he wants/needs his family to get into better conditions. Not a bad read, it solidly does what it sets out to do so far.

See You When the Snow Falls Uh, hmmmmm. This tried to jug multiple genres and then none of them were exactly terrible, but somehow though the split none of them managed to shine. The split was actually fairly even, too. The mystery bit turns out to be an actual murder mystery, and it was even guessable to the reader, but because it's always background focus it ends kinda anticlimatic, despite being fairly round. And to begin with, nothing about the premise (and the compf cover) looks like a murder mystery.

Cheese wise it was, err, uncommon, I guess? Meets the ghost, looks like a the fated person, meets another girl, also has an air of a fated person, actually starts dating somebody entirely else, and after some detour winds up with his future wife. Some lines really weren't bad, and there is some of the ugly side of relationships depicted quite down to earthly, but maybe it was just way too matter of factually reported, this hardly qualifies as romance as in the genre either. And as a coming of age drama of something who lacks any direction and purpose in life it's too entangled to those two subplots than to shine, he kinda gets dragged around by them and big dramatic moment happens and then just happens to do his thing, because why not.

It has a nice realistic sense to it at places, but somehow it's completely not what you'd think it'd be from the cover and blurb.

(Also has nothing to do with that other 2 volume series, which I only found out after finishing this one.)

As an oel otherwise it was a bit weird at places. Aside from "a kuro tech company" it uses words like chikan, keiko just like that in Japanese with italics and those are words that really need not have to be Japanese, next to some Nee sentence starts (why not simply "groping", "honorifics", "hey"?). Not too many lines, but they have a strange weeb show off effect. At some point it also has a bit of an air about flaunting knowledge of that culture, like how it comes around with explaining how onsen were used for talks because nude means you can't hide weapons. I'd guess this is an obvious snippet of knowledge to any native writer as I've never seen it show up explained anyway beyond No Game, No Life where it was just in a tirade to distract from the main topic and Zombie 100 where the weeb foreigner comes to flaunt her knowledge. 🤔

I Met You After the End of the World v1-2 And there I thought these were all the volumes of this series, but apparently there's gonna be a v3… I was surprised by this series. It was present already in See You When the Snow Falls, but it's clearer here. This writer's style has a distinctive male gaze, and it doesn't shy away from sexuality and being just a bit philosophical contemplating. This kinda reminds me a lot of Asano Inio or Haruki Murakami or Oshimi, but it's not like…. as wrecked. Not that it is to say that there isn’t lots and lots of doom material by premise and setting, as well as plenty of assholes, but the few that are there are kinda all side characters (who get their just desserts by plot). The MC is quite upstanding instead and treats the female MC very respectfully. And it starts off with a mood that comes to a close around a third to half line in the first volume. They are alone in a Tokyo, where everyone died of a virus. It takes months until the stink of the corpses emerges and then it needs the electricity network breaking down for them to properly have it sink in, that they were spending their whole time next to corpses en masse and now need to leave the place. I was thinking the reason why there was no stink was kinda hard to buy at first, but then it's maybe not entirely impossible either. And you'd think, why are they such idiots and didn't prepare stocking up on fuel before gas station electric pumps would fail, why not stock up on battery charge, but not look for this and that. Didn't they know this was gonna break down sooner or later? They even mentioned having feared it before. But it all seems so plausible with the mood. You have this guy, who just is totally burned out from life and was all ready to simply wait for his death by the virus and the girl has her own share of issues and they just are there enjoying the luxury of modern life without its responsibilities and artificial social pressures and they just spend their time to… heal. Did they know to be more clever in preparing more? Probably. Somewhere in the back of their heads. But they also looked to me entirely not being in the mental state of actually following up on it. And this is just the worst thing about extended periods of exhaust. You lose that onlook or care about even a mildly midterm future. Just floating in and out of the days. I didn't even know I'd find that mood interesting, but here were are.

After this it turns into a road trip and the obligatory romance was gonna progress, too. Heads up for a perspective of, the female character can get horny as well and that being solidified as something perfectly not shameful. (Even if the phrasing of “people have their needs” used to cement it is a clunky one that can go to hell.) And some meetings are almost always mystery cases, in between. (I find it rather funny that she'd carry that book about cults of all things all the way from Tokyo to the south, just to have it ready at the right time, lol.)  All the hints of more survivors being there is a nice set up for potentially something grander and will be interesting how this is going to weave together with the romance between the two. It gives me slight Eden It's an Endless World vibes there. The end of the world, humanity and everything…. but look there, after a while you'll see humans still survive after all and you gotta see how to live in this world where some things just never change. Could imagine that coming in as a theme, too, but we're not there yet. The MC is already contemplating personal true value vs. artificial social value and the whole thing about it already was dead, but the tsunami comes and and sinks everything down and even the hubris is gone. There was just such a solemn mood about it, like all the things you hated, but you also realize you were attached to it nonetheless. And just how that hits down as a very lonely thing. Kinda reminded me when I heard that my old school was torn down and I looked up some pictures taken from the teardown side filled of rubble. AND THEN volume 2 comes in with…. a ghost and a deity. Huh???? Suddenly it's also Fantasy???? I have no idea where it is wanting to go. But not even a date for v3 yet…

The Apothecary Diaries v1-2 I have to say the beginning was a bit dry and if there was anything at all it was just the narrator’s cheeky tone going for me. It was like the narrator has a personality entirely of their own, while omnipotently knowing about everything past and future and present and sometimes doing a little commentary. (Unfortunately that one vanished quite soon enough.) It requires its time to set up all the characters and especially Maomao. I was expecting that it would just utilize the fact that she is just too into her special interest and doesn’t see anything else of the world trope to justify it until said interest would shift, but surprisingly she is not wholly obsessed about it for larger parts of the first volume at all. And her being so entirely in the know about the Red District certainly doesn’t make her the too innocent-trope. So when the narration goes to state she expressly has no interest, despite the ability to see the attraction by common standards my eartips perked up. This increased with all the weary moods over watching other people’s marriage going right or going wrong and there is just this whole mood of like Ah-Dou and the emperor not really being lovers but bosom friends and confidantes and her just being a strong support to him rather ever really be his concubine. Or Maomao and her adoptive father and just how remote romance and sexual indulgence can be from a home to get back to. At that point I thought that would have been interesting with Jinshi being an Eunuch and that being mentioned as 'losing sometime vital', something that isn’t at all so vital to Maomao herself. If Maomao was pretty much as good as ace, that could have made an interesting match, of one who is dumbly in love and the other entirely not, but slowly finding some intellectual and emotional ways to connect. Like she did with her entire found family. But duh, of course that couldn’t stay that way. 

I raged at that v1 epilogue. WTH do you mean she got pink cheeks, blushing from a darn cheese move? At the end? This last minute?? It felt so entirely like, that v1 was set up to work standalone and then it’s just bait, like, imagine the rest of that ship on your own. Which felt entirely like betrayal to the set up of Maomao herself and also if that was where it was gonna go, then it was just half-baked. My best guess was that it was just being bait, and look there volume 2 just goes and essentially retconned it. And then adds a comment in that volume to have Maomao say it was she left everything love in the womb of her mother. Now that’s a really cool phrasing that I’m inclined to use for myself if a need may pop out. In any case, Maomao is such a mood (just replace poison with rabbits for me), her facial descriptions about Jinshin’s cheese advances or the deadpan expressions of exhaust, resignation to annoyance when others have gossips are so quintessentially me as a teenager and her aloofness about just really knowing a whole lot about worldly flesh matters (but all theoretical) and then being stared at is similar to my adult self now. I was surprised how quickly that escalated with everyone getting headaches and Jinshi even resorting to wall punching. What I found too bad about v2 is that ultimate her poison hobby obsession got played as the expected trope after all and then Jinshi just has to be the Ugly Duck (or more like the swan among ducks?) that he is and I was kinda disappointed that Maomao wound up being blood related to her adoptive father after all. Like it was really interesting how things interconnected with the mystery cases, but then it says that coincidences piling up like this suggest something intentional and things in her surroundings and family are also all too coincidentally also very connected and who’s the mastermind there? (It looks a bit like the former empress?) Anyhow. Volume 1 and 2’s mood and tone does feel considerably different at places, I’m not sure which one I actually like better. (What I think is also kind of funny is how it’s like a sort of reverse Jeweler Richard? Both guys are described has heavenly beautiful defying gender and having everyone turn their heads and the narrator and even Maomao can’t stop making mention of this, but Maomao and Seigi are at complete opposite extremes of reacting to it, and yet Jinshi is already like a v6 Richard and Maomao is like a mix of dofus Seigi and early volumes Richard?)

Later I found out that the shousetsu ni narou version was still up and it looks like v1's content is largely the same to the WN. So looking up the phrasing of that v1 epilogue it says utsuru for her thought esclamation that it's catching on to her and then she gets those pink cheeks. Now utsuru is a word descibing catching diseases other things contagious. Which is to say, this is reminicent of that explanation Oda does in One Piece about Ruffy having a reaction at nude Nami, simply because he is in a group and the group mentality caught on. I still entirely don't like that bit of the epilogue, but I suppose this makes it look a bit less disappointingly baity.

That and that the author writes in a postscript to WN v1 that from then on it'd be all about raising flags and then destroying them. So maybe that was intentional. But then it was also one comment I'd have wanted to read right after the epilogue, because darn, was I annoyed/disappointed by that last minute titbit. ._.

The Eminence in Shadow v1 - Another one, read because not reading would be a waste of the subscription, but helluva what even is this. I don't know. 

Unnamed Memory LN v1.p1 I said I was gonna be quick to sub if for example UN showed up and then it actually did show up on JNC Nina. Okay, so sub done and started reading it. And I have ??? about the translations. Like I'd say my French sucks, so at some places I had the English version next to it as a crutch for double checking. Which inevitably makes me notice that it differs at some places from the English one and it's not just the name romanizations. And when I compared some of them with the JP preview and looks like the French one.... actually looks more accurate by those samples? That was interesting, but now I am in doubt about the English translation, which on its own actually had read itself just fine.

Black Butler v31 After Zombies, Titanic, Harry Potter Houses, Cricket, and Idol Group (WTH?) Now we have HAZARD SUITS. I don't even with this series.... It’s boldly thick skinned in doing whatever it wants, that much is for sure. Also, I somehow managed to buy volume 23 again instead of buying 32. How the hell did that happen...

Dance Dance Danseur v1-3 (JP v1-6) It’s a very good sports series. It’s been utterly exhausting however. If one had to sum up the first 4-5 volumes it’s like TEENAGERS. All the stupidity, all the worries, body changes, nervousness, and attraction and horniness and lots, lots, lots of it. That’s just everything I do not resonate with because I never really had that phase. In between it shows some really assy prejudices, but also goes to kick them in the ass. While the latter is rewarding the former still happens and just makes me go yuck right of the first pages. But it does a fair job of not just demonizing that side and even the characters with that assy attitude turn out to be really just human in their own way.

German ramblings from right after reading v3: Wandert auf die wird weitergelesen (wenn auch nicht mit Prio) Liste. Ist zwar immer noch so voll mit Elementen zum Weglaufen für mich, aber es ist mittlerweile nicht mehr ganz so übel TEENAGER und wie das alles zusammenkommt mit den Nebenfigurenelemente ist echt schickt zusammengefädelt.

Die Doppelbände bleiben aber ein Krampf zum in der Hand Halten q_q"

Es hat leider sind es immer noch weitgehend Zutaten, die bevorzuge ich eher in kleiner Dosis, selbst wenn es gut verpackt ist…. Beim Pantyshot und dem "mach doch was männliches" oder den Mobbinszenen hatte ich schon paar 🤢 Momente. Das ganze Pubertäts-Hormonmoster-blabla, ist teilweise auch sehr OTL, vermute mal einigermaßen realistisch getroffen? Hatte das halt nie und dann das ganze hin und her mit Miyako oder er ist nur bei der Schule gelandet, weil der Pantyshot im den Kopf verdreht hat. ufffffz. (Bei Bakemonogatari fängt effektiv auch alles mit einen Pantyshot an, aber da ist es durch die Eskalation der Ereignisskette so extra absurd, dass es was passend sureales hat.) Und das Thema um Passion/Talent wiederfinden/verfolgen/fördern ist halt auch bisschen weiter weg als jemand der gar weder das eine noch das andere hat. Und mit Tanzen kann man mich IRL eigentlich jagen gehen. 🩸

Aber ist schon gut eingebaut mit Nuancen und aufeinander abgestimmt, sieht man selten so, aber auch, Band 2 war echt bisschen zu viel TEENAGER HORMOOOONNEEEEEE. Die Richtung seit Band 3 war mir da echt willkommen. Grad auch dass das mit dem Mobbing wieder kommt. Das hatte sich zwischenzeitlich recht verwässert und unter den Tisch gekehrt angefühlt, aber dann war es doch nur die Ruhe vor dem Sturm.. Also erzählerisch macht es eine sehr gute Figur und bei so vielen Bänden sieht es nach Mehrgängemenü aus~

Diamond in the Rough - Finished It is a pretty solid Shonen read, with an interesting setting, but hell, what is this ending? Did it get axed? It totally just feels like an arc ending shortly before a post time skip part 2 and then it’s suddenly simply just the end.

Girl Crush ch62-63, ch81-82 I found out that it actually has a web serialization elsewhere than just Line Manga (which is geoblocked), so straight shoot at it even if it meant gap jumping. It's still rock solid and great, also it's clearly in the build up stages for the next fireworks. Tenka is just so gorgeous. 

Give Her Back to Me That was... creepy, in an intended way. It was interesting, but also just slightly brain frying. I suppose that was also intended.

Iki Dekinai no wa Kimi no Sei: Super Pink I also call this 'the horny porny that shouldn't exist'. It's a spin off doujin by the author from Iki Dekinai no wa Kimi no Sei/Breathless Momentum and it's, well, been quite honest about what its content was going to be about from the preview of the thing. Which is to say it has no plot only plot. All I had when I learned of this release was a jerk reaction of WHY. Didn't the author tweet before there were never gonna be ero scenes in her work? And isn't Breathless Momentum really great, because it's just so utterly unabashed horny, but manages to be that while also never being porny or smutty? (You don't usually get this.) Why now this. I'm all whiny. That being said, as for PLOT it was still one of the better ones I guess. You don't just get horny, it's not just about shanking another up till insanity, but it's also about foreplay and really just enjoying the whole thing with their minds still all sound (you also rarely get something like that) and it's just two who are really hot and horny about another, it's far from their first time, and there is just this sort of self-evident natural playfulness to it. And there's even funny little panels and humor in between. And visual cuteness (they get all hearts in their eyes as pupils over their delectable snacks.) So now, please can I have all the elements like these without the need of beams and holes and overly explicitness and also have it actually be integrated into a main plot please? At least it established the horniness in the main series already, unlike say What did you eat yesterday? - which is also to say, unlike some doujins there, where I wanna scream why it wasn't part of the main plot, because of very important emotional characterization, Super Pink is entirely neglectable to the main plot. But some of its seasonings would have peppered the main series nicely, too, if they were spread out more and not going deep into the horny pot like that....

Isekai de Ane ni Namae wo Ubawaremashita ch17.2-4 This series got licensed by Yen Press. Everyone go read it. It's good~

Lust auf ein Date? (How do we Relationship?) v9-10 Finally the How to we NOT relationship manual turns into a How DO we relationship advice box. But ho girl was the path to it exhausting. A very good series that does lots of things right and well written, but that are things I just don't manage to really like. But how the two mains are going for and knowing how people are gonna likely misunderstand it and one of their girlfriends being all like “you can’t have enough harbors outside of just your lover” just really really makes it looks like it’s going for some queerplatonic angle and I think I’m gonna whine a whole lot if those two wind up being a couple after all in the end.

Okaeri Aureole This is 50% cute-wholesome and 50% the guy deserves a bloody punch. Like how can you have things like this:

And then also have one go and assault the other one in some run in the mill-bad nonCon trope? 

Reincarnated as the Daughter of the Legendary Hero and the Queen of Spirits ch19.4-58 This was a surprise and probably not one I would have touched if I couldn’t have tried checking it out on Manga Up. the title is kinda really unfortunate as is its isekai reincarnation premise. It’s kind of pretty irrelevant to the plot and MC literally goes like “but that’s not relevant so story for another time” (which probably will never really happen?) Well, anyway. It has a nice mix of badass girls and mums, intrigues and politics, an interesting fantasy world with some lore, two parents who are just dumbly in love with each other (they remind me of Spice and Wolf, but just more stupid-funny-cute), who can be funny, idiots, dorks and then entirely mature and serious at the switch of a button. The art is cute, too and in general it just has this playful air about it, being very compf, while it’s still interspersed with darker bits of the world and it’s a really nice balance of savory and compf-cute-sweet.

Ride-On King v3 I am not sure what I read there. Probaby same stuff as v1-2, but it has been a while.

Sasaki and Miyano v7 I closed the gap from print and web-reading. Good heavens I’ve read this as it was chapter-serialized in JP, so I already knew what was coming, but darn it is this cheese death worthy collected in a book like this. How to despair as you gotta rereaed the last few pages every 5 pages because your brain just chimed out. 

Sonna Kazoku nara Sutechaeba? ch64-66 I’m entirely not sure where this is going to go. The premise conflicts are more resolved than not, so a new character comes in to retrace some of it and then it opens up new themes. Which is like…. gender/trans/nonbinary themes? One scheming girl who’s not below selling her own body?? I’m not entirely sure, as I dumbly missed out on reading some chapters in time before their free reading expired. The kuudere MC teenager's starting to go cheese, while her mother is finding all her sappyness back? Ok.. But it’s kind of interesting how Ichika went from “I’m just on their way, they can spend more cheese twosome time with each other” to But if she went back, she’d not have as much time to spend time with her cheese-subject. 

This was still cute tho and absolute nothing I'd ever have expected from this series:

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten ch13.3-14.1 TINY BITS OF FLUFF FODDERRRRRR, where is the next chapterrrrrr q_q But anyhow! The release date of v1 in German is out and there’s a limited edition with extras and a variant cover, everyone go buy the fluff perfection (for as long as it lasts to be that)~

Ice Lamp: The Chronicles of Kira ch8-41 This has turned into a slight surprise hit so far. The art is solid and knows to be pretty when it needs to. The premise is very fantasy and gender bender driven, but frankly, if this wasn’t fantasy and Kira simply was a boy, it still would have a lot going for it simply by virtue of the art, character interactions and the politics and norms of the world spinning around. Unfortunately I'm now caught up on comikey and have no idea when there’s gonna be more chapters… (until finding out the month after they seem to come regularly now.)

The Villainess Behind the Mask - Finished This seemed like it started with Shinde Mirou to Iwareta Shinimashite x 7th Time Loop at first, it’s like the former in the MC having all that special magic, it is the later in terms of the MC’s character and personality, just not as rich and optimistic and more vengeful. It’s decent enough, but the ending was just a tat anticlimactic and in terms of romance it has a few moments, but they never really got enough room to build up enough chemistry and there’s a whole “buts…!” raised up only to be smashed down at an ending that does feel a little bit too much like axed. Too bad. 

To be Winner - Finished. From beginning to end this has positively cute to gorgeous art. The later has been fairly abundantly with the fantasy game settings, but ultimately, it’s just characters on a screen in the world of this story that is just like everyday contemporary RL life so it just felt a bit dissonant. In terms of its actual plot it’s a sports-plot with a romance side-plot with solid execution. E-Sports really is anything but my field of interest, but the rest kept it going regardless. The ending feels round enough, but also a bit like being on the fence about between stretching it on or just finishing on a side plot in the last arc and by the time it decided to be the last chapter it didn’t feel like one whatsoever…

——————————————————————————

MARCH

It is a whole scrumble to keep up with expiry dates on JNC Nina already.

Reading in French is slow business, as is Japanese compared to Englisch and German, and darn it. q_q

One little accidential anime slipped in. Actually I did feel like watching Apothecaries and maybe something else, too, but somehow in the end I just wound up putting all their soundtracks into the playlist to listen to instead...

Anime:

Winter Memories Honkai Impact 3rd Concept Animation

Light Novels:

7th Time Loop V1

Fushi no Kami V1

Hell Mode v2

How to Survive As a Villain Novel ch1-41

Spice & Wolf V21-22

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard v13p10-14

The Eminence in Shadow v2p1-6

The Executioner and Her Way of Life v1

Wolf and Parchment v4

Your Forma v4

Manga:

100-nengo ni Tenseishita Watashi, Zense no Juukishi ni Kyuukonsaremashita: Heika wa Watashi ga Moto Oujo da to Okizukidenai you desu final chapter.1

A Side Character's Love Story Ch49-50.1

Akuma to Keiyaku v1

Ano Natsu ga Houwa suru. ch16.2

Are You Okay with a Slightly Older Girlfriend? Ch1-2.3

Arte Ch84-85

At 30, I Realized I Had No Gender

Black Butler v32

Captain Ken Ch1-16

Cherish v1

Daijuukou to Unicornis no Otome ch14.2-15.1

Domestic na Kanojo v4

Frieren - Nach dem Ende der Reise v4

Girl Crush ch82

Goblin Slayer Year One v9ch61-70

Haikyu v40ch357

Harebare Biyori ch23.2

Hari to Hitsuji no Fune ch10.1

Hiso Hiso v2-3

Horimiya v14-16

I Cannot Reach You v6

I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs ch1

I'm cute enough to get away with it Ch20-23

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Familia Chronicle Episode Freya Manga v1ch4

Josou Joushi no Nakasekata v1

Kakan no Oukoku no Hanagirai Hime ch11.3-12.2

Keine Cheats für die Liebe v9-11

Kemutai Hanashi ch13-16

Kijima-san & Yamada-san Ch4-17.2

Knitter's High ch26.3

Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata ch80-81

Kono Koi wo Hoshi ni wa Negawanai ch12.1-2

Koroshi Ai After File prologue, ch1

Küss den Kater v5ch20

Living With My Brother's Wife Ch1-11

Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimama na Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsusuru ch30

Love and Fortune v6ch31

Lovers High - Meine beste Freundin, ihr Freund und ich v1-2

Marry my Enemy Ch59-60.5

Miryou no Otome to Katabutsu Hittou Majutsushi no Hatsukoi Kiroku bangaihen1-2

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Elma's Office Lady Diary v4ch36

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Kanna's Daily Life v8

Mr. Mallow Blue ch29

My Awkward Senpai Ch28-54

Okazari Ouhi ni Nattanode, Kossori Hataraki ni deru koto ni Shimashita ~Usagi ga Iru no de Hitorine mo Sabishiku Arimasen!~ ch23.4-25.2

Oshi no Ko ch140-144

Repeating Your End Together ch5

Sasaki and Miyano v7-9ch46

She is also cute today Ch60-125

Shin Henkei Shoujo Ch1-2

Shuumatsu Touring ch36.1-4

Sick v1

Solange wir zusammen sind v2-v7ch28

Sonna Kazoku nara Sutechaeba? ch67

Sooper Spooky Ch1-17

Spring, Love and You v3-5

Suicide Notes Laid on the Table Ch8-19

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses Ch71-80

The Heroic Legend of Arslan v13-v15ch94

The Ice Guy and the Cool Girl Ch39-56

The Strongest Tank's Labyrinth Raids Ch1-2

Unnamed Memory ch34.2-35.2

Urban Prince and the Amazon Girl Ch1-4

Victoria's Electric Coffin v1ch4

Virgin Road v2ch13

Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi ch36.2-37.2

Wind Breaker v1ch5

Webtoons:

Breed my Dear Enemy Ch99-181

Flowers in the Secret Place Ch45-87

Ice Lamp: The Chronicles of Kira Ch42-44

Taberare Usa ch93-96

The Blind & The Homeless Ch1-7

The Giantess wants Love Ch164-218

The Goddess of Healing Ch54-66

The Mermaid Wears a Dress ch50-60

To be or not be Ch24-122, 1-23

You Are My Lovely Dragon King Ch1-16

Non-Fiction:

Some Greek mythology book (ISBN 9789463598965)

Notes:

How to Survive as a Villain AKA This Villain Emperor's Gotta Charm the Male Lead to Survive! AKA To Be or Not to Be AKA Please Decide on a Title Already The former is the closest translation to the Chinese title, while the second's length and summary-in-title does all the justice to it being an isekai and the last is a bit ??? in hindsight after reading it, but then it's apparantely the official English subtitle and also what made me pick it up on Comikey in the first place, so I should not complain. This is also a series I can dub as 'how to get interested only really at chapter 41 of 122 and then get hooked at chapter 88ish after having everything before read with pretty much just half attention' and it's another specimen to prove that me getting hooked tends always to happen rather late, which makes finding the next great thing really complicated beyond grinding though as much of everything as possible by sheer brute force and patience. (What do I envy people who can judge that right from the beginning.) Well, I'm gonna have some fun rereading it.

Anyway, this series by premise is a bit like My Next Life as a Villainess, but the isekai'd main doesn't have baka trait of Bakarina, then the world being reincarnated to isn't a tropey heavy otome-game thing, but a novel set in Ancient China (no cultivation and other fantasy elements there as a bonus) and the whole thing is also a BL and the narrative has slices of Romeo & Julia, but without that one's teen pathos (stupidity). The isekai'd main Xiao YuAn is a bit ridiculous and funnily goofy at times, but not dumb and stupid either. It's also been strangely weird, but convincing to me how it takes like 60ish chapters for him to notice he's fallen in love with his favorite novel male lead-turned real, and that it doesn't even occur to him until it's being spelled out in clear words and to boot, he is being transmigrated into the body of an emperor known to be gay and everyone's being thinking the thing for far longer and even his beloved male lead Yang HeQing caught onto his own feelings by what, chapter 12? And yet it felt strangely buyable to me at the same time. Very slow burn and organic progression. In the middle there is even a dish of melancholic facing your impossibilities in the world. (Maybe that’s some Weltschmerz and what the Hamlet quote title tries to reference? The vengeance part probably is less so.)

It sets up a lot and then develops it until it reaps its payoff. Which is to say, the series has 3 parts/seasons and the first two and beginning of the third are really rock solid, but the third is there to reap off all the payoffs from before and does it well, but in comparison feels weak because unlike the prior two parts it doesn't set up anyone or anything for itself much beyond the minimum and just reaps previous buildups. There's no new side character beyond the sister of a side character (Hong Xiu kicked ass really) that got killed off and really she is just a paler, meeker Hong Xiu 2.0, which is really too bad, because it could have integrated another new Kingdom into the spotlight, have some mentioned original novel side character show up or have some more side characters come back like they did from part one to two. The overarching plot is also not has interweaved with all the side tales going on and as a result it feels--- a bit simple I guess. That also makes the focus on the pair's lovey dovey shenanigans more heavy and Xiao YuAn is actually just about as silly and goofy as ever, just now knowing what he wants and entirely unhinged about it, and otherwise it's not so very different to the beginning, but due to the extra spotlight it has with not much more else going on it looks more lower dimensional than it needs to be.

Also somehow the last part seemed a bit visually weaker. And I've been really wondering why. Because it wasn't the art's lines or coloring itself. Was that because his second transmigration has made him get a more manly body than that slender, sickly more androgynous body and I maybe liked that style better? But then this never came across as one of those BLs that just shoves a female strereotype on one of the guys as often the case and if it did I'd likely hate it. Or was it the completely unhinged air? Or that he has a more sturdy body that far better can fend itself, but gets all those princess carries and doesn't even complain about them? Was it the thicker eyebrows? Eventually it turned out to be.... Eyelashes!!! The two mains of them, they both have fairly long eyelashes. And supposedly his second transmigration's body is pretty much like his original body, same face and everything, but!!! Every show up of that one at the beginning totally also has him have those longer eyelashes!! And yet in the third part the only times he mostly gets to have longer eyelashes is when he makes pretty eyes for his guy and it's... it's strangely weirdly irritating. Where is the consistency!!! Or well, I didn't know I found longer eyelashes aesthetically pleasing. What do I do with that titbit of knowledge now... Anyway, to my chagrin I had to find out that there was a Japanese print release for this series, but weirdly enough they only released one volume which has firm 1 cipher plastered on its cover and then no further volume afterwards. It's also licensed in English, but by Monogatari Novels who apparently still haven't released any of their releases in English and keep pushing the dates. :/

The art is also really nice, tho I have to moan about its key illustrations that really really look a bit misleading in terms of vibes and the third main key illustration is basically either misleading or a big fat spoiler. (And the fourth that also is being used on Anilist apparently is mostly used as a merch illustration?) Artwise it's really nice to look at, a really nice color palette that freely uses vibrant to darker parts of the spectrum, lots of wardrobes and because guys in Ancient China also all had long hair, lots of wavy fluttering bangs and ponytails in the wind or hairdos or decorations. And long sleeves and robes, too. It looks good (and just made the special chapters in contemporary times look immensely boring in comparison. Where's the wavy hair!! (and the eyelashes!!). (.... I'm getting ridiculous about this.)

That bit in the middle about the conflict of being yourself but also being that new entirely different identity after being isekai'd and the limited amount of people knowing that is also a quite nice mood I feel like that has gone lost from many of the genre from the modern wave. There's also a nice conversation about how the man's caught up in choices and how he's all doubting to being guilty about the choice being made and how ultimately it was never about doing the right thing, but making a choice and feeling bad, because all choices were important, but he had to pick. Also choices are the thing that defy fate literally. There is something soothingly comfy about it there.

How to Survive as a Villain Novel As it goes, the webtoon on Comikey has.............. parts of overtly dubios translation and editing quality and then also other parts with fairly interesting side notes (clearly these parts have to be from diffrent staff working on it??) and while the translation overall feels more clunky than not, it definitely made hints of making a fair number of literary or cultural references that all got lost in translation. And then I found out there's a novel and also there is a fantranslation and that it was taken down because an English release was licensed in Singapour by a somewhat new publisher and pre-orders closed on that on in January, like 2 darn month before I discovered this series. How cursed. Well, not like that the fantransation isn't to be found elsewhere, and it's worth already just for the footnotes on all the literary references and idioms and occasional contemporary slang. Really interesting. But aggregator rip off sites are still all cursed, because there's a good bunch of chapters that have annotation number markings but they haven't copied the footnotes over. Dang it, I'm interested in those!!!

Anyway. The webtoon definitely cut and changed a good few of things, which makes for a more smooth read and at places with additional flourish. Especially the beginning of the novel is equal parts of wtfh and lmao. And it then it dawned on me why it seemed strangely convincing to me that the main Xiao YuAn gets transmigrated into the body of that gay emperor and while he perfectly knows that fact, he doesn't even ever really think much about his attraction to his favorite male lead (that he has been fawning in a few ways over from the beginning). The way he is introduced in those beginning chapters of the novel pretty much introduces him as never having fallen for any woman, his family goes nuts, tries to ship him with some women, but then he's like bolting and running and family goes like wait, no, is he gay then?? and try to ship him into dubious BL ships and he is running and beating them up and like just. Nope. There's nobody. Probably. Anway, onto more important things!!! How about just focus on work and be a useful person to society. Which is such a mood. And add how it takes him a while to accept that Ancient-China-from-the-novel world as properly a real thing of its/his own now and his not even considering the idea despite being perfectly acquainted with the flags kinda feels like more than just the usual amount of density. Besides he really isn't dumb about it, he quickly gets it once it's been clearly spelled out and he gives it its due thinking over, so like just the whole air of him having all the pieces before his eyes all along but not even considering it at all in that way that's not even exactly dense or phobic of some sort is kind of really interesting.

The other part is how he had already killed himself in his original life to begin with. More or less because he was terminally ill and doomed anyway, but also because some brother asked him to. Which is a bit ??? It checks with how the big turning point in the third part plays out and the man may be whiny and a scaredy cat and all silly with his fear of death but actually doesn't even think twice about facing death in all the serious moments that count (which thinking about it is very reminicent of Haku from Utawarerumono Maskt of Deception/Truth), but him just jumping off the fifth floor in those beginning chapters also feels just random. The webtoon definitely did a good job kicking that brother character out of the plot. Apparently the sheer ludicrousness of attempted shipping offs by his family still made it to the webtoon in post-chapter extra scenes; at least I saw some on chinese raws, but the comikey version has them all cut. (And he's got long eyelashes in his original body there!!) Anyway, less than 1/4 read so far and I'll probably space it out for it to last longer. Also, darn it, somebody license the book already. With lots of translation notes and everything please!

Breed my Dear Enemy Ch99-181 So, apparently that’s actually two completely separate series under the same title belt and the first one finishes here. (with a completely nuts numbering order at the end of it on Comikey.) Isekai-transmigration into the body of a child, spanning over a decade, that has a short reverse-isekai adventure, court intrigues, knowing the novel contents already-cheats and there is a deal of courting and romance and a slice of cultivation and some really pretty art at places (especiallyfemale MC Ye Mu’s wardrobe). Ye Mu is also pretty cool in being just absolutely badass in wits and kicking ass herself. The isekai cheat is a bit excessively convenient though - She hasn't even read the book on her own accord, but while she accidentially trips into the book Fushigi Yuugi-style while doing a military raid and gets sucked into that world she literally gets the book contents downloaded into her brain. It does more with the isekai that you'd expect at the end, but somehow that plot device for plotline cheat skills was still extremely deus ex machina. What I also thought was a bit surprising between this and To be and Not to Be both having it was how their last thirds are both quite so very unhinged at being horny and explicitly things happening but without them being graphically explicit. Also both are from China. I did not expect this level of unhinged horniness from that country at all. What happened.

This panel background otherwise was almost phone wallpaper worthy:

It also had some nice ones ones with bamboo trees.

Domestic na Kanojo v4 I am not sure I know what I am even reading.

Frieren - Nach dem Ende der Reise v4 Fern deserves some sla… stern talking tos about her treatment to Stark and no Sein, I very much disagree, they should totally not be together already like that at all. 

Fushi no Kami V1 The isekai premise is so old now it is annoying the MC himself already and lots of cheats, but the world’s cultural mystery hook is not too uninteresting, but everything Maika side it a whole slog and I feel like wanting to drop it out of the window every time a PoV change comes to this cheese stricken girl.

Girl Crush ch82 It’s good, it’s still good!

Hell Mode v2 This is strangely keeping me interested enough to stick to it despite it not really having anything outstanding. My best guess is really just that it’s my surrogate to By the Grace of Gods after all. 

Horimiya v14-16 - Finished That took some years to get to these last few vols. But I was taken off guard. First I don’t remember any of the side characters anymore. Second. Was Hori always this bad of an obnoxious violent tsundere despite the guy clearly suffering from it? And you can’t even slap her for it, because she’d enjoy it!!

I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs ch1 I’m crying. In “What a whole darn waste!!” So I am still following Adekan. And when it’s good it’s gorgeous in its art and just all that morbid twistedness of human nature and desires so when it’s good it’s usually really good and when it’s bad it's also atrociously bad to my tastes. This one from the same author ditches any chance of a setting to flaunt or otherwise exhibit her talent for all that gorgeous dreamlike, fantastical artwork. And it’s so dumb and it’s kinda bad and it knows it, which I suppose makes it more bearable than the worst parts of Adekan due to the self-aware 4th wall element. But also it’s just such a waste!!! and yet you can clearly feel, this is what the author has fun with and plenty of fun Nao Tsukiji has with this particularness and who am I to criticize a person doing what they like, but still. I cannot help but cry out: What a waste!!!!

Kemutai Hanashi ch13-16 It's been a great series already and now it addresses yet another thing that is hard to put in words, but was captured brilliantly in its mood design by sheer power of character expressiveness. It will be very interesting if it does go on to capture it in words, too, like that brilliant conversation I raved about last time.

Koisuru (Otome) no Tsukurikata ch80-81 Wow. So we had this Aishiteru Game-ish arc, but it quickly moved on to the theatre play arc and frankly that was sweet and solid, but lacked any sense of a wow effect and probably that was the whole point, because wow did that twist (caused through one of the most old trodden tropes boring tropes at that!) hit at the end. It’s like… of course that was always in the cards. But somehow it managed to catch a surprise anyway and wow does it well circling back to one of its main messages it had been delivering so very well across all the series before.

Sasaki and Miyano v7-9ch46 I died a few cheese deaths and I had even read the web version before. I am regressing in my cheese resistance. Help!

Spice & Wolf V21-22 It was easy enough to get back into that after all those years it took me to pick it up again and the Holo-Lawrence bantering just really doesn’t get old. And everytime at the end of the books, where there are stories about Myuri and Col it just strikes how much less engaging that duo is as main characters. Also, seriously, at the end of all the church reforms it’s just gonna be like marriage is allowed for priests and those get together, is it? Hurry up and please get it over already. sigh.

Wolf and Parchment v4 Actually in their own series, it’s less of a slog to read, as there is still a mystery plot to be had around politics and the setting and everything. But I retain, those two are a bit exhausting…

Spring, Love and You v3-5 I had read v1 and actually thought it was surprisingly pretty aroace and also describing how the friction of being that way and the world not being that way can be hurtful and then I read v2 and OF COURSE this was a shoujo and she was gonna fall in love and then I dropped it for years. But now with having read the rest of it… Not like it ever addressed it as such, but the two mains impress a bit as demi or otherwise still a good deal as still on the aroace spectrum and cluenessness about ok, so they are dating and now? and then there is a side character who really looks like very aroace to the end and there is this girl having a crush at him and confessing in a really respectful way of not making him feel guilty or indebted and there’s a really wholesome part to her being kinda in pain, but also just placing good wishes and hopes for him to have somebody special to him, if it comes to that. And the guy goes like instead of feeling happy about any such a confession he feels like he lost something important and ultimately it ends on him hurrying after her, because he doesn’t want to lose her, a really close, trusted friend so far. And then they are dating and the series ends and the girl is happily blushing in the midst of her crush and he is entertaining her crush with a romantically coded gesture (that he does with a completely straight face), but if you ask me, this looks so much like an act of despair of not wanting to lose something precious and not because it winds up he fell for her like that. It would have been really interesting if that could have been explored, because this setup is bound to have all sorts of challenges, but then this series never was gonna be about something like this, was it? Which is a bit sad, because to me it unfortunately will be the only thing I will actually remember about this series. The characters aren’t exactly bad, they are buyably realistically portrayed, but they are also a bit (very) unmemorable and there isn’t much of an actual plot in this school setting to hook you in either. 

She is also Cute Today - Finished (??) This was supposed to be some GL, but then it was more like deep friendship and finding your crowd, with a bunch of opposites attract comedy but after some dozens of chapters it's having more clear hints about being more romantic than not, but before it really ever went to get into that more deeply it says end of part 1 and somehow no more other chapters. (According to Anime Planet it's finished??) Well, in terms im GL that's now kinda like what you get from most GL. Something that just barely has a little bit more than a regular deep intimate friendship. But it does introduce a gender NC theme across the series that has a clear queer message said out loud, so just when I starting to think it could go beyond the usual fare but.... Where is Part 2? :<

Taberare Usa ch93-96 Just what the hell am I even reading there now…

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard v13p10-14 I ACTUALLY STARTED. Meanwhile even v7 in English has arrived and I haven’t even touched v6 after that disappointing peek into it. 

The Giantess wants Love - Finished It turned out to be a nicely decent read. There’s some solid art throughout and once the romance is official it actually is mature and makes no big deal out of it. The fashion industry setting is nicely used for a number of pretty outfits. One of the last chapters also just barely turned the scales around over at humanizing a gay side character who went to be all like this predatory asshole criminal. There’s quite a gap between the villains and the good guys, with a few having feets on both sides, but like some of these villains just are a bit taxing on patience to sit though. 

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses Ch71-80 Seriously, this series and all its cheese is above my wits.

The Goddess of Healing Ch54-66 picked it up where I originally went on a binging frenzy to the end. It’s still good and the MCs bantering is cute, dorky, wholesome and fun, but the villains are getting a whole deal more annoying now. There is also less ambivalence in character being virtuous or not. While motivations are being shown how the villains became that way, there is still a clear divide between the good guys and the bad ones. Looks like I like the ambivalence more that How to Survive as a Villain offers in that same Ancient Chinese setting.

Your Forma v4 Solid. But one plotline was unfortunately super obvious already right at the beginning of the book. It still managed to play with it and put another twist over it, but the first one was unfortunately a bit too obvious to not guess. But then, actually that was already the case in the previous volume, so maybe it’s a bit of a pattern?

[loverboybrightsideghost]

to wong foo is the movie ever

[animemakeblog]

“Chichi wa Eiyuu, Haha wa Seirei, Musume no Watashi wa Tenseisha.” The Light Novel For Receives TV Anime

A television anime adaptation of Matsuura's light novel Chichi wa Eiyuu, Haha wa Seirei, Musume no Watashi wa Tenseisha (Reincarnated as the Daughter of the Legendary Hero and the Queen of Spirits) was announced by publishing company Kadokawa.

[bambolinaebarracuda]

Ad ogni regina la sua schiava... #chichi 🐈‍⬛ #queen👑❤️ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn-IF7KK4TM8SgS5ECBVoOjmUUjkB5ANkly_1o0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[wishballs]

An alternative reality in which Chichi is the queen of Frypan and teaches her knowledge to Pan.

[grimmcheems]

Buff Chichi😤💖

Just thought it’d be funny to draw this, but at the same time I’m so mad we were robbed of a buff Chichi. Like….Miss Ma’am was the world’s strongest woman at some point and you’re saying she had no muscle mass whatsoever?!!?!?!asiwybfuheu

There is no way she wasn’t able to have that body 😭 I can understand maybe losing some of it when she was having Gohan, but to lose all that FOREVER?!?! Nahhhh. GOKU WOULD’VE BEEN ALL OVER HER TOO, don’t lie. Punching the air rn. This originally didn’t even have all the other doodles, it was just gonna be a meme art of Chichi carrying her man but it evolved during the second phase of the sketch 🗿

either way it’s a crime that we never see much of her to begin with, much less for her to actually have a body that could hold up to her old title. I’ve seen other buff chichi arts on here and they make me laugh so much bc y’all are wild so that’s why I made this😎. Anyways, if you are part of Chichi nation please rise up bc I don’t see many who appreciate her character, our queen was lost to bad writing and lack of screen time.😢

Also toddler Gohan is-aeljnfwljnf. He would def tell some bully that his mom can “beat their a$$”, though she would flip for just hearing about him using that language by his teacher and would more likely monitor him around Goku’s friends there on out lmao.

HC that OX King very much treats Chichi like a “daddy’s girl” therefore he always keeps mementos of her milestones growing up, hence the photos of her being ripped while going to tournaments or just training in their villages’ dojo. He got into scrapbooking when he got into taking more photos of her and definitely commissions or makes borders for them and adds stickers to them for funsies. :)

Goku may or may not also be a thigh type of guy, idk he would fr go wild with it if he had a more sculpted chichi but that could just be me🤷🏽‍♀️

[fuctacles]

The day Eddie quit his job

Me: it would be fun to mix this months microfic prompt with last years Me: hey I don't have anything for rarepair *proceeds to write CheerScoops for STEDDIEmicrofic prompts*

ANYWAY

for @stevieweek Day 7: Rare Pair + sapphic (+ one + pool) | M | 1111 | Stevie/Chrissy &Eddie, mentioned Chrissy/Eddie | open relationship, streamer!Stevie, FanslyModel!Chrissy, friends with benefits (?) lots of wiggle room for interpretation, CHAT FIC

Short stream, big announcement!

elderning: is it time????

beatred: Cheer100 this better be about the pool stream

"Chat, chat, calm down, it is about the pool stream." Stevie is rolling her eyes as soon as she appears on the screen. "I had a nice speech prepared and you're ruining it." She frowns, pouting her full lips. "Can you stop yapping for five seconds and let me speak?"

bimbothelotrguy: No yapping

ballstothewall007: Proceed queen

bimbothelotrguy: :x

"So, we recently hit one million subscribers on YouTube, which, thank you so fucking much, holy shit!" She grins. "And, true to my word, I'll be doing a pool stream as promised. Don't know when yet, but stay tuned, I'll give you a heads-up. And thank you again, though I know you had ulterior motives." She smirks at the camera.

mojito_chan: ulterior motives?? us??

mojito_chan: must have mistaken us with a different chat

bimbothelotrguy: BADONKERS

powerdrill1000: message deleted by a moderator

"Yeah, exactly," she snorts. "Okay, I don't have much time today, but there's this one game I want to check out and we can talk out the details while we're at it."

MasterOfChatters: I have a bad feeling about this

Stevie looks at her chat, and smiles.

"Are you high again, Master?"

MasterOfChatters: would you fire me if I was?

"No!" she laughs.

MasterOfChatters: then yes

She leans close to the mic.

"There's someone in your house, Eddie."

MasterOfChatters: FUCK OFF

big stream big surprise!

beatred: oh

bilbothebimbo: oh no

mojito_chan: I mean...

Stevie's not there yet, but they can see the set-up for today's stream. The pool behind SailorSteph's house is right there. Still behind her house. Still behind the glass door. Behind a huge inflatable pool full of colorful plastic balls.

ballstothewall007: is there at least some water in there?

footjoblover: -slow clap- well played

MasterOfChatters: STEPH YOU MINX

MasterOfChatters: KNEW YOU WERE COOKING SOMETHING

MasterOfChatters: @footjoblover nice nick

SailorSteph: @MasterOfChatters oh I'm not done cooking

footjoblover: @MasterOfChatters thank you good sir

The chat starts flooding after her brief appearance, and her moderator has to put it in slow mode.

"Chat, I'm coming! Calm down!" the microphone picks her up from somewhere in the house, and soon she appears in the camera's view. Her outfit is skimpier than usual, with a tiny crop top and bootcut shorts. She's holding a colourful drink and she steps into the ball pit to settle down.

footjoblover: F E E T

MasterOfChatters: @footjoblover I'll let it slide this once

She sips on her drink while adjusting the stream settings.

"I know some of you might be disappointed..." She skims over the chat briefly. "Yeah, I'm not sorry about that. If you didn't see it coming it means you're new here. Anyway, since you're not getting your softcore fix, I have another surprise for you big babies. We're having a guest today."

ggiirrllss: is it ChiChi???

prawncocktail: please be cheerscoops

bimbothelotrguy: oooo a collab?

elderning: if it's a secret boyfriend announcement imma kms

thepizzaguy: is your hot mod visiting? owo

MasterOfChatters: @thepizzaguy nope, still in my basement. thank you though

bimbothelotrguy: @thepizzaguy boooo sucking up to the mod

MasterOfChatters: @bimbothelotrguy you're just angry you weren't first

bimbothelotrguy: @MasterOfChatters u got me there hot mod daddy

"I'd be angry that I'm playing into your guy's sick fantasies, and I've seen your fanfiction, okay?" She looks straight into the camera, leaning in, eyes squinting. "So don't even try denying. I know what you're thinking about. Anyway, I would be angry if she wasn't such a genuinely lovely person. And she agreed to play with me today."

prawncocktail: SHE

bimbothelotrguy: chichi???

prawncocktail: please be chichi please be chichi please

"Come on babe, don't be shy." Stevie smiles at someone off-camera, and then stands up to help them step into the pool.

"You know, chat..." The mic picks up a new voice. "I've actually been lied to as well, and I flew in here with a bag full of swimsuits." The girl pouts and when she sits down you can indeed see she's wearing a bikini with a kimono-cut short robe thrown over it.

"I didn't lie, you all just assumed pool means water." Stevie rolls her eyes. "Besides, we can still go take a dip later." She sends a suggestive smile to the girl on her left, who takes a sip of her drink and wiggles her eyebrows with a smile.

"I think we broke your chat," she points out. Stevie turns to one of her monitors to see what's happening.

Among the slew of emotes, only her mod's messages can be seen.

MasterOfChatters: CHRIS WHAT THE FUCK

MasterOfChatters: YOU SAID YOU'RE VISITING YOUR MOM

Chrissy, aka CheerCheer or ChiChi, as she's known online, stirs her drink slowly.

"No, I said I'm visiting Mommy." She grins, throwing her long, bare legs over Stevie's lap. Stevie smiles brightly and her mod, who's also Chrissy's boyfriend, knows it's directed at him.

MasterOfChatters: I'm

MasterOfChatters: appaled. speechless. mad.

MasterOfChatters: and so glad I put these fuckers in emote-only

MasterOfChatters: iF ANY OF YOU EVEN SUGGESTS A THREESOME I'M TIMING YOU OUT FOR 24H

emote-only mode is off

footjoblover: message deleted by a moderator

MasterOfChatters: OR A FOURSOME OR IS JUST NASTY IN GENERAL

milkpudding: message deleted by a moderator

milkpudding: I need fanart refs

MasterOfChatters: @milkpudding THIN ICE

Chrissy, unfazed, turns to Stevie.

"One hundred?"

"I'd do it for free." Stevie gives her the most charming smile while idly stroking up her shin. It finally makes Chrissy blush.

MasterOfChatters: GODDAMNIT CHRIS

MasterOfChatters: ENABLERS

MasterOfChatters: @SailorSteph UNMOD ME PLEASE I CAN'T HANDLE THE CHAOS

milkpudding sent $100

"Well," Stevie shrugs, already leaning in. "A hundred dollars is a hundred dollars, right?"

"Right," Chrissy says softly, parting her lips for the other girl to slot into.

The kiss is sweet and chaste, Stevie's hand squeezing briefly her knee before caressing her cheek and letting go. She smiles at her, pecks her nose, and turns back to the camera.

"Hope you got your money's worth, milkpudding. Thank you for the one hundred." She smiles sweetly.

milkpudding: yes thank you!!!

milkpudding: see you in #fanart on discord later! teheheh

prawncocktail shared a clip: CHEERSCOOPS IS REAL

"Should we tell them now?" They share a thoughtful look. Chrissy shrugs.

"Better get this out now before Eds gets a heart attack."

MasterOfChatters: ?????????

"We made something for Chrissy's socials too," Stevie starts, playing with the hem of her friend's robe. "We can't link it here, but keep an eye out in Discord and her Fansly." She smiles at her with mischief before looking back to the chat to see the chaos they've surely created.

emote-only mode is on

MasterOfChatters: GODDAMNIT GIRLS 

[urbanowa]

Happy Birthday Chi-Chi (November 5) 【チチのお誕生日❤️🖤💐🎉】

By:

[@youngjijii]

[@Kz]

[@k_kimera]

[@sbmg86e]

(Reblog do not remove the source. Please follow and retweet the artist's works)

[luxxuriantt]

Little details about your future lover/spouse ✨

So i know that most of the community here is curious and loves FS readings, and i love dragon ball, so i figured lets make another short PAC before my exam season starts lol. Choose your fave gif

Pile one- Vegeta and Bulma ( 3 of swords, the 9of pentacles, 2 of cups, the chariot)

This connection may form when one of you( more so you) feels hopeless and disappointed and is kinda done with love, or is struggling in some area in their life

The relationship itself will be healing and this person will be of major help

Confident, financially stable, knows how to style themselves

This person is charismatic, the way they enter a room is captivating

Grounded, practical, veryy ambitious and hard working but also visionary

They have a healthy expression of their masculine side, a good leader who is also very humble

Most likely taller then you, or on the taller side

Lighter features

Very open minded

Has a big circle and is lowkey famous

Pile two-Goku and ChiChi ( the queen of swords, the 4 of pentacles, the page of cups and the hierophant)

Has a cold facade/bad boy attitude

Looks like a hard cookie, is a fruit cake underneath lmao

They are very smart and good with their words, i feel like they excel academically or in their job

Reads people easily, is very honest and does not take bullshit

It takes time for them to open up, but once they do, they are like a little kid

Hopeless romantic

Very loyal

Most likely you will marry this person and might start the family you desire

I feel like they dream for the traditional, house with a white fence, kids and pets, Sunday barbecues

For most of you, its someone older, with slender built and dark hair or eyes

Pile three - Gohan and Videl( the six of cups, the fool, the five of wands, 3of cups)

This has heavy friends to lovers vibe, or it is someone you know/ was your friend but you lost touch and for some of you it could be a previous lover

If you believe in past lives , this is it :)

Omg they are so fuuun, gonna tease you a lot and make your stomach hurt

A jack of all trades, brave, spontaneous, goes with the flow

This person know how to blend in, can mix with all folks, yet is somehow noticed and stands out

Curious, witty, unconventional

Life of the party

Around your age

I feel this person has a nice smile, their style can go thru changes but they seem to have a nice voice and are very charismatics

They will always stick by you tho, gonna make you feel like an equal, partner in crimes type of connection

Well that was it, thank you for your attention and support, much love to you all! 💖

[clinrollmuribyeoul]

Ox Queen Chichi VS Oozaru Goku

“It's time to hunt the beast!“

[evenmorefatallyobsessed]

What other crossover characters would you not give an Arc Mark because they are with someone else? Rarity with Spike is an example. This goes to anyone that you might draw in the future.

Asta and Yami's ships from Black Clover Merlin cuz she is Lord Escanors! (PRIASE THE SUN!!!) Krillin is always under 18 (Lol) Cheelai and Broly is probably the most adorble ship in the entire Dragon Ball Series Bulma and Chichi are Vegeta and Gokus... (Except for when their fused, but they don't talk about that, cuz only a fool would say no to Vegito or Gogeta) Vidal is half of Gohan's everything (Was was his everything before their precious daughter was born) Mai is Trunk's Future Hayase Nagatoro and Naoto Hachioji are the oddest couple I've ever love. Naruto and Hinata are a ship all others should strive to be (Also Tsunade, if Naruto's personal Gilf and Hinata needs a hand cuz let's face it Naruto is a walking gangbang, hell throw Shizune and Naruto's many Movie Waifus into that mix too. Maybe even Sarada just to throw a little age gap in the mix) Shikamaru and Temari are just too damn cute together for me to accept anything else. Karui Akimichi may be sorta bitchy but honest to god lets face facts she loves Choji and more importantly we know for a fact he can make parts of his body WAY bigger... Let that sink in. She is for sure a Size Queen. Gojou and Kitagawa from 'My Dress Up Darling' and if we're being honest it's cuz Gojou is just too fucking adorble of a man and a hell of a artisan. Ichijo and Orihime, I've loved this ship since forever and nothing and nobody will convince me otherwise. Bleaches best couple in my opinion. Kaguya-sama: Love Is War has made it in my mind that Shirogane/ Kaguya and Miko and Yuu are simply too pure and perfect to be with anyone else.

Ash and Serena, I never thought I would be invested in a love story in Pokémon of all series, but here we are.

INUYASHA, KAGOME AND KIKIYO, fuck anyone and everyone who can adore the former and feel bad for the later girl. The only solace is that as her reincarnation that at least to some extent Kikyo is with Inuyasha. Also Moroha is the best part of Yashahime, hands down without doubt

These are what come to me off the top of my head, any and all these are off limits period.

[artzychic27]

Hi hi! I made some Ocs to ship With the Austins! (A, Q and B, Boulet being a platonic ship)

Their desings!

Camile:

• Omnisexual (More towards man and Nb) She/her

• French and Mexican

•Works at a café owned by her parents (Cozy café)

• Has a Doberman named peanut Chichi!

• Big sister!

• Has a mostly calm and friendly personality, but can be loud if the subject is about sports, like soccer

•Ballet queen✨🩰

• Has insecurities of her body because of past situations (cof cof- bad ex cof-cof)

• Has a soft, cozy style of clothes

•Determined and brave with the things she wants to do ୧⁠(⁠＾⁠ ⁠〰⁠ ⁠＾⁠)⁠୨

• Good hugger and head patter (confirmed by Austin A)

• Her favorite food is pumpkin pie!

• Will totally pinch your cheeks playfully

Sophia:

•Demigirl she/they

• Russian and French

• Has a Guine Pig called Soup

• Plays the clarinet🎵🎶

• Has a swiss Gyaru BFF! Lily!

• Make up! ✨

• Goth girl but her room is filled with pink/ black, squishmellows and Kuromi from onegai my melody things

• She *will* talk back to you, she ain't afraid of confrontation

• Sarcastic humor and bratty personality (Not a bratty Chloe personality tho, they aren't that kind of mean;-;)

•Young sister of Biker older brother, a good relathionship with him! (Dmitri)

•Actually a sweet person, just likes to annoy the shit out of people

• Insecure of her body, she doesnt think that is pretty \:(

• Favorite food is Shchi! (Cabbage soup, kinda)

Erica:

• Aceflux she/her

• Greek and French

• Has a Cockatoo named Presly

•Makes part of a group called "The Disasters", the cool kids of her school, her nickname is Earthquake!

• Makes part of the school Voleyball team!

• Pokemon *nerd*, Sylveon fan, has merch, plushies, and etc of it

• Toned for going to the gym 4 times a week

• Really carefull with diet due to Diabetes

• She may look spooky for her higth and harsh face, but she'll get as red as a tomato if you say her hair is nice

• Besties with Boulet, totally go shiny haunting with him

• Should be protected, she doesnt have the courage to ask to take out the pickles from her burger

• *DO NOT* comment on her mom, she unfortunaly passed away when she was a toddler

• Favorite food is Grilled fish with lemon (yummy)

THEMMMMM!!!

[elisajdb]

In the Marketplace

 AN: Congratulations to @blauvixen winner for Favourte AU in the @the-gochi-awards​

Her heart raced. Her palms sweated. She was scared yet excited, and despite it all, knew this is what she had to do.

 Princess ChiChi pulled the hood of her cloak tighter as she traveled through an unguarded, hidden tunnel on the grounds of her castle. She studied the routine of the guards for weeks before finding a weak spot in security where she could escape. Her father, King Gyumao, loved her but as doting as he was to her, was a strict King with a violent temper. He wasn’t always this way but the death of her mother sent her father into a spiral of depression where his heart hardened and he became fiercely protective of ChiChi. That protectiveness led ChiChi to have a sheltered life. He won’t be happy about her running away but she hoped her decision will open his eyes to her feelings.

 For eighteen years, ChiChi felt like a prisoner in her castle. She lived as a sheltered future Queen not allowed outside the protective walls of her palace. She was not allowed to engage with people she will one day rule. Decisions of her life were made without her voice. She was dictated on what to eat, how to dress, and how to be a Princess and Future Queen.

 When her father decided to choose her husband after ChiChi’s many rejections of suitors, ChiChi reached her limit. All her suitors were pompous and rude. They were not interested in her. She was a prize because she was the heir to the throne. ChiChi wanted to marry for love but her father didn’t listen to her concerns.

 “These princes with their wealth and army will protect you, ChiChi. I failed to protect your mother. I won’t lose you.”

 ChiChi knew of the invasion that cost her mother’s life. Her father and his teacher battled King Piccolo and his minions. The castle was left with limited guards since most of the army was wiped out and the remaining soldiers were on the battlefield. While her father and his teacher seal away the wicked King Piccolo in a magical lamp, his minion, Tambourine, breached the castle walls and killed her mother.

 ChiChi used the tragedy to become a strong and exceptional fighter. Her father taught ChiChi how to fight but still had an archaic mind she should marry heirs of richer kingdoms who can provide the protection he thought ChiChi needed.

 If she were to be Queen, ChiChi wanted a life outside the palace. She wanted to know her people and choose her husband. She didn’t know of any way to do this other than running away. ChiChi always overheard the maids and cooks talk about the marketplace; how it was lively with food, people, and shops.

 It excited her so much that when she escaped her home, the marketplace was the place she went to. It was like stepping into a new world. Voices from all directions yelled for food from their booths. There were so many varieties of foods with appeasing sights and smells. People performed fire and magic tricks in the middle of the streets. People happily converse with each other as they shopped. ChiChi saw mothers with their children, kids playing and people happily going about their lives.

 Walking through the marketplace, ChiChi realized how much she missed out. Her father didn’t allow her the freedom her people celebrated every day. For her protection he said but ChiChi saw a price of that protection.

 True friendships. Natural growth. True love.

 Her stomach growled.

 And the value of money.

 ChiChi heard of money but never used it. Her status didn’t require her to use money but in the marketplace, she wasn’t Princess ChiChi of Mt. Fry Pan. She was an ordinary woman walking through the market.

 Her stomach growled again.

 A hungry ordinary woman.

 She wanted to taste the foods offered; wanted to purchase the jewelry trinkets and clothes being sold but couldn’t because she didn’t have money.

 Money was needed to live and she had none. ChiChi looked in the direction of the palace. She couldn’t sneak back for any. She made her decision to leave. She’ll have to try to make it on her own.

 ChiChi wasn’t sure how. She turned to leave and venture to another area of the marketplace to think of her next steps when a stick of meat covered in sauce jumped in her face. ChiChi stepped back startled. Where did that come from?

 “Don’t you want it? You were looking at it.”

 ChiChi turned to the voice and saw a young man looking down at her. He had unusual black spikes of hair that defied the laws of gravity, coal-black eyes that peered at her warmly, and a cute smile.

“For me?”

 “It’s on sale two for one. I was gonna eat it but I saw you staring and heard your stomach. I figured you were hungry and didn’t have any money.” He chuckled. “I’ve been there.”

 ChiChi put a hand on her stomach embarrassed she was heard. “Was it loud?”

 “I’ve got good ears.” He waved the stick of food at her. “Want it?”

 “Thank you.” It was a simple act of kindness but it touched ChiChi he did this for her.

 “I’m Son Goku,” he snacked on the greasy meat. “Who are you?”

 “I’m……” He doesn’t know I’m the princess. “I’m Chi.”

 “Are you new here?” Goku’s lips smacked as he nosily ate his food. “I haven’t seen you here before.”

 With her cloak, ChiChi thought she blended with the other women dressed in a similar fashion. “How do you know I’m new here?”

 “If I’d seen you before, I would know it.”

 “Why is that?”

 The warm gaze Goku gave her as he said, “You stand out,” touched ChiChi more than any poetic compliment her suitors gave her. Oh, they spoke honeyed words to her but none of them looked at her the way Son Goku did.  

 Like she is the only woman in the world.

 Goku’s words felt genuine. ChiChi felt she could be a little honest with him. “I’ve been stuck at home my entire life. My Dad doesn’t want me to go out. Today, I left.”

 “You ran away,” Goku spoke the truth. “I come and go as I please.”

 The freedom to leave when one wants sounded like a dream to ChiChi. “What about your parents? Don’t they stop you?”

 “Don’t have any. I was orphaned as a baby and found by an old man. I called him Gramps. He raised me until he died when I was seven.”

 Orphan? ChiChi’s heart ached for him. “And you’ve been on your own ever since?”

 “Yeah,” Goku said it with a smile but ChiChi knew he was hiding his sadness. He had to be her heart told her.  

 “It’s fine,” Goku was aware of how his story sounded. He was used to pitying looks. He didn’t care for those looks but the way ChiChi looked at him wasn’t pity. He would say she looked at him with admiration and something welcoming; kind of how Gramps looked at him but something much deeper. She was a different kind of girl. Goku knew that because he gave her his food. Goku never did that before. On his own for years and having to fight for everything, Goku looked out for himself, but when he saw ChiChi exploring the marketplace alone, staring at the food and heard her stomach growl, he was drawn to help her.

 “Gramps taught me enough,” Goku went on. “He taught me how to fight. It helped me survive. I fight for food or money to buy me food.” He tugged the bulky tote bag on his right shoulder. “I came from a fight and I bought food to last me until my next match.”

 “You’re a fighter?” That would explain his build. All her suitors wore the finest clothes but even with fashionable clothes, ChiChi noticed they were padded and the men were skinny. Nothing was padded on Son Goku and she liked that. She also liked Goku could fight. “I can fight. My Dad taught me.”

 “Really?” Goku’s eyes lit up. “I never met a girl who can fight. Let’s fight each other.”

 Oh, she couldn’t fight him. She’ll embarrass him. She was trained by her father who fought King Piccolo. Goku was a boy from the streets. Her skills excelled his. “I couldn’t do that.”

 “If you want, I’ll go easy on you since you’re a girl.”

 ChiChi glowered at him. Oh, she didn’t like that. She didn’t want to fight him to save his pride and he insult hers!

 “If that’s what you want,” ChiChi accepted the challenge, “but I won’t go light on you for being a boy and you will regret treating me lightly because I’m a girl!”

 ****

 Impossible! How can he be so skilled?

 That was one of many thoughts running through ChiChi’s mind as she found herself knocked on her back again. She couldn’t lay a hand on him but Goku was able to flip her, block and dodge every kick and punch she threw at him.

 It was insulting that she, the daughter of King Gyumao, couldn’t beat a fighter who learned his skills from an old man on the streets. What made it even more insulting, Goku hadn’t broken a sweat, whereas she was sweating in her cloak.

 As if reading her thoughts, Goku told her. “Maybe if you remove that cloak, it would give you some speed. It’s slowing you down.”

 He was trying to be helpful with his advice but ChiChi thought it was insulting. She didn’t want to remove her cloak. She wore it to conceal herself. If she removes it, she worried Son Goku will know who she is.

 “But maybe not,” Goku thought out loud. “Even if you remove that cloak, I’ll still beat you.”

 Who cares if he learns her identity!

 “Oh yeah?” ChiChi rose and removed her cloak. “We’ll see about that!”

 Goku’s eyes widened and his mouth open slightly. He recognized her but ChiChi didn’t care. She wanted her pride back and she wanted to defeat Goku. Removing the cloak did make ChiChi faster but it still wasn’t enough. With another block and leg sweep, ChiChi was on her back kissing the rooftop.

 Again.  

 “You’re good.” Goku’s praise didn’t heal ChiChi’s pride. “Sorry if I was rough on ya. Gramps told me to be gentle with girls.” He took her hands and pulled ChiChi to her feet. “I really should especially because of your situation. Sorry,” Goku apologized. “I didn’t know.”

 ChiChi rolled her eyes. Being a princess wasn’t a situation. “All right. You know my secret. You don’t have to treat me differently. It’s why I left home.”

 “You’re right,” Goku agreed. “I’m poor like you, too, and I don’t want people treating me differently.”

 “Poor?” ChiChi picked up her cloak. “Why do you think I’m poor?”

 Goku pointed at her. “Because of your clothes. You’re wearing a bra.” He pointed to himself. “I can only afford a vest and pants. I can’t afford shoes.” He wiggled his bare toes to make his point. “I could substitute the money I make from fighting to buy shoes but I like eating too much.”

 ChiChi gaped at Goku. He thought she was poor because of her clothes? What about the gold bands on her wrists and ankles on her pants? What about her jeweled headband and earrings? Did he think she wore fake jewelry?

 “So, um…..” Goku rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “you’re not mad at me?”

 And just like that, what anger ChiChi had towards Goku evaporated. How could she stay mad at him when he thought so innocently? “No. I’m not mad at you. I don’t understand how I couldn’t beat you.  My father trained me and he was trained by Master Roshi. He’s a legend.”

 Goku’s face lit up. “Gramps was trained by him! No wonder you’re so good!”

 Good? She couldn’t hit him! But that wasn’t important now. “Your grandfather was trained by Master Roshi? My Dad told me there was another person who trained with him. My Dad couldn’t beat him.” If that person was Goku’s grandfather, that explained why he’s so skilled. And why I couldn’t beat Goku.

 “So, you’re not mad I beat you?”

 Her pride will sting for a few days but she wasn’t mad. She was impressed. She didn’t think a guy could beat her in a fight. “No, I’m not, but next time,” she lightly punched his face, “I’ll beat you.”

 “I look forward to our rematch but not now. I’m starving!”

 Goku went to retrieve his tote bag. ChiChi was going to put her cloak back on but since Goku didn’t recognize her as the princess, changed her mind and tossed it over an arm. She saw lights from homes and smoke coming from the chimneys. “The view is great.”

 Goku saw ChiChi looking at the rooftops. If she liked this, he had a real view of her. “When we get to my place, I’ll show you a real view.” He pointed to two rooftops ahead of them. “Mine is right there.”

 “Where? Oh!” ChiChi gasped as Goku raised ChiChi off her feet. What was he doing she wondered as he held her with one hand under her hip. “Wha-oh!” Her right breast poke his eye. Did that actually happen?

 “Ow!” Goku chuckled as the soft flesh slapped him. “It’s okay, it’s okay, but see my place? It has the red sheet hanging outside.”

 ChiChi raised her hand to her forehead to block the evening sun. She saw a high rooftop with a red sheet hanging in front of the entrance. “I see it. Now put me down.”

 Goku set ChiChi back on her feet. He went to a ledge and made a small jump between rooftops. ChiChi followed.  When they went to the next ledge, ChiChi noticed there was a wider jump between this rooftop and Goku’s rooftop. Goku jumped, making the leap. It was an easy leap for him since he did it every day but ChiChi will need help. He grabbed a broken beam and laid it down connecting his rooftop to the one ChiChi stood on. “It’s too far for you to jump this one but you can cross---”

 Goku’s words fell off when he saw ChiChi make a smooth landing in front of him. He looked at the ledge ChiChi jumped from and back at her speechless before he broke into a smile. “Chi, you’re incredible.”

 ChiChi felt some of her pride return as she caught Goku’s gaze. He was impressed. “You didn’t think I could make that jump.”

 “No, but I’m glad you did. Come on,” he grabbed her hand. “My home is this way.”   

 ChiChi imagined her handmaidens screaming at her and her father furious over how she behaved today with Goku. To them, this would be scandalous but ChiChi trusted her heart. This day brought her wonders and excitement she never felt before. For the first time, she could explore and do what she wanted as a young woman. She could spend time with a handsome young man she liked.

 A man who humiliated and humbled her. He was kind to her and treated her so because she is a person and not because she is a princess. He was strong with an adorable innocence she was falling for hard.

ChiChi was aware of her lack of experience but was confident she can be in control of her feelings. With Son Goku, ChiChi felt out of control and falling deeper and deeper into Goku. The more she knew of him, the more she liked and her curiosity thirsted for more.

 “Is this where you live?” ChiChi stared at the outside entrance of Son Goku’s home. It was in slight disrepair with cracked walls and a torn red sheet that was used as a door. It was smaller than her bedroom but Goku offered his place to her because she ran away.

 “Yup. It’s small but it has all I need.” Goku pushed aside the worn sheet and walked inside. “I hope it has all you need, too.”

 Inside looked smaller than outside. There was a futon in the corner, a table with two mismatch chairs, ragged pillows. No signs of indoor lighting or plumbing. Or windows ChiChi realized as she felt a light breeze blow behind her. It came from sheets being used as a window.

 “Pull it back,” Goku told her. “You’ll get a real good view.”

 Curious, ChiChi pulled the sheet to see a grand view of her home. Of all the things to see…..

 “Great view, ain’t it?”

 He would think so. Her palace represented beauty, grandness, hope and a happy life. ChiChi saw it as an oppressive domicile where she’s trapped. ChiChi pulled the sheet forward shielding her home from her view. “It’s wonderful.”

 “Are you hungry, Chi?”

 “A little. Oh!” ChiChi turned to see Goku slide an apple down his arm. He flipped his hand and jerked the apple in the air where ChiChi caught it. Goku winked at her and went to his table to finish unloading his bag. ChiChi looked at the apple touched again by Goku’s kindness but felt a wave of guilt washing over her. He had so little and was willing to give it all to ChiChi when she was a woman with everything.

 Goku went to the table and opened his bag. He pulled out a loaf of bread and a few slabs of uncooked meat. “We’ll have to cook the meat on the roof. I don’t have that seasoning stuff for---"

 ChiChi put the apple down. “I can’t eat this.”

 Goku reached into his bag for an orange. “I have an orange if---”

 “No,” ChiChi stopped him. “I can’t eat this. You need it more than me.”

 “I’m a little hungry, but….”

 ChiChi shook her head. “No. You’re poor.”  

 Goku frowned deeply at ChiChi. “I ain’t so poor I couldn’t give you part of my lunch and I wanna share dinner.” He pouted. “I was even gonna give you my futon.”

 “I didn’t mean to offend.” ChiChi tried to explain. “I’ve never met a poor person before and I know I shouldn’t take from them.”  Oh, that made it more confusing because Goku thinks she’s poor! “I’m…. I’m not poor, Goku.”

 Goku didn’t react. He stared unsure he heard right. “You’re not poor? But your clothes…..”

 ChiChi heisted because she knew things will change after this and she didn’t want that. “I like you.”

 Goku smiled. “I like you, too.”

 ChiChi wasn’t sure if he will still feel that way when she tells him the truth. I can’t keep lying to him. “I’m Princess ChiChi of Mt. Fry Pan. I’ve done everything everyone’s wanted my whole life but when my father decide to pick who I marry, I couldn’t stay. I want a life of my own. I want to choose my husband.”  She doubted she made sense to Goku. She thought she sounded like a rambling blubbering mess in front of a boy she’s come to care for. “I should go,” she collected herself. “Forget we met. Forget we---”

 ChiChi’s eyes widened as Goku suddenly pressed his lips against hers. Her lips were meant for her future husband, a prince by her father’s preference. Not a poor young man but as she felt his soft lips on hers, inhaled his woodsy scent and felt his arm come around her, ChiChi wanted her lips to only belong to him.

 “I don’t care if you’re a princess,” Goku said when he pulled away. “I like you.”

 This time ChiChi initiated the kiss. And I think I love you. She hugged him feeling a heavy sense of relief Goku wasn’t going to reject her.

 “But you gotta talk to your Dad. Tell him how you feel.”

 “I did, Goku. He won’t listen.”

 “I’ll go with you,” Goku offered. “We’ll talk to him together. Maybe he’ll listen to his training partner’s grandson you should do what you want.”

 He spoke so hopeful and confident it will work. “He might listen to some things.” ChiChi knew Goku’s strength will impress her father enough to listen to him. He might give in on some things but there was one thing ChiChi wasn’t certain her Dad will give in on. “But he might not approve of us dating.”

 “I’ll fight him for that chance.” He winked at ChiChi. “And you know I’ll win.”

 It didn’t matter to ChiChi if her Dad approve. She knew in her heart today in the marketplace, she met the man she will marry.