#sakura haruka my heart my soul my everything

[r4bbitmilk]

Continuously trying to improve my art so i can make increasingly beautiful Sakura Harukas the way god intended for him to be portrayed. My most beautiful boy

[minaramen]

Minami Natsume - 16 Idol Album - Part 3: The best reward from clumsy hands

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 

Minami: I was used to having very balanced meals, and I was rarely allowed to eat the typical food that children like

Minami: I still remember my heart pounding in front of all the plates, that really looked like real children plates,  lined in front of me on the table

Minami: But nothing would make me happier than seeing my mother so pleased because of my award. It was a happy time for me

Minami:.... I’m sure that if my mother praised me now that I’m aware of so many things, I wouldn’t be as happy as I was when I ignored them

Touma: I see…so, that’s the kind of memories you have with your mother…well…it is what it is

Touma: I don’t know if I could celebrate my birthday the same way I did when I was a child. I mean, maybe I’d feel embarrassed and I wouldn’t be able to act so honestly

Torao: Yeah. Especially because of what we’ve become now

Torao: Even if the other person has no intention to do so, we’d definitely wonder if they had some kind of ulterior motive

Minami: Oh dear, are you trying to comfort me?

Touma: No, not at all! I was being honest…

Torao: When you’re a child, your parents are your whole world. I understand that

ZOOL:..........

Haruka:....... by the way, you said that you would like to go back to your childhood

Haruka: Why do you think that?

Minami:.......because I know that it’s something I can’t do. I’m just crying for the moon

Minami: I was so ignorant and innocent, back then. I miss that stupid kid who thought he could protect his tiny world 

Minami:..... and then I snuck out from that life and took my journey to North Meir

Haruka: From that life?

Minami: I don’t know how to say it, but I guess I was escaping from being what other people wanted me to be. Someone who was not my true self

Torao: …it was your first rebellion, basically

Minami: Yes. I wanted to be myself

Touma: You wanted  to be yourself…?

Touma: Every person in this room can understand

Torao: Yeah. Everybody here got pretty tired of being who other people expected, at some point

Haruka:...however, that’s the reason why we could meet

Haruka : I don’t care about the motivations I had back then, or the desire to crave other people’s approbation anymore

Haruka: Having become friends with Touma, Torao and Minami is what makes me proud of myself, above everything else

Minami: It’s the same for me…when Sakura san was alive, he told me that

Minami: He told me to brandish my songs like a machine gun in the darkness, even if someone laughs at me…

Minami: He told me to let my songs carry my soul, to change the world with the people who would sing them…

Torao: Ahah, amazing. Let’s do it and change the world, then

Touma: Yeah…!  I think I can do it as long as I’m with you, guys! 

Haruka:.........! Yes!

Haruka: Eheh, I’m really being carried away right now! Aren’t we all thinking about how lucky we were to meet each other?

Minami: Yes. You were just essential for me

Torao&Haruka&Touma: Eeeh….

Touma:....I think it could make the difference if you had a heart-to-heart talk like this with your mum, Mina

Touma: There are also children who can pay attention to their parents needs, brighten up their mood and try to read their faces

Touma:...I was a bit of a rebel, but you did that all the time, Mina. You did amazing

Minami: I was a little frivolous. The kind of kid who gets excited with the toys that come with children meals

Minami: I was so good at acting and responding to other people’s needs that I was lionized as a prodigious child actor

Minami:...still, I’m not saying that I’m not grateful for those days

Minami: When I produced results, I was allowed to ask for what I wanted. I could play the piano and I was treated with good meals

Minami: I remember these little memories more than I remember the hard times

Haruka:...I understand. I think Kujo is a bastard, but it happens way too often that I only remember the times he praised me 

Torao: Well, there are times when people only want to think about what’s good for them

Torao: Why don’t you just allow yourself to be spoiled like a child now, instead of getting lost in your old convenient memories?

Minami:...what?

Torao: We’ll entertain you as long as you want

Haruka: Ahah, good idea! Minami, you just need to ask for something and allow us to spoil you

Touma: Y’know, when I was a child the guys in the neighborhood were attached to me as if I was their big brother 

Touma: So, you’re jumping on a safe boat when it comes to getting spoiled, Mina!

Minami: Oh dear, the mud boat trick*…

Haruka: So they called you “onii chan”, Touma?

Touma: Aah, that’s because I was older than most of the kids in the neighborhood

Haruka: Mpf…Touma oniichan…

Torao: Are you jealous or what, Haruka?

Touma: Eh, for real, Haru?!

Haruka: What?! Absolutely not! You stupid!

Minami: Fufu…so, can I ask Inumaru oniisan for anything I want?

Touma: Wah, I’m pretty nervous now!

Haruka: Can I be your oniichan as well, Minami?

Torao: You only need to ask. I’m pretty confident I can fulfill your greatest wishes

Minami: Calm down, big brothers

Minami: Would you agree to do some homemade cooking, the three of you, for my birthday?

Torao&Haruka&Touma: …Homemade cooking….?

Haruka: But I don’t think they would be more than a burden…

Torao: Oi, who’s supposed to be a burden?!

Haruka: You and Touma, of course! I will definitely help Minami with his wish!

Minami: Your cooking skills are better than Midou san and Inumaru san’s, am I right?

Haruka: Well…it’s enough to help my grandma, but…

Touma: I may end up making something that’s not even edible, is it okay…?

Minami: Of course, I don’t mind

Minami: You know, I had the food clumsily arranged on the table rather than being calculated in quantity and nutrition, and there was no attention to the color of the plates as well.

Minami:....I would like to have a brown main dish, with no balance and bullshit

Haruka *thinking*: Minami said “bullshit”

Touma *thinking*: Such a gentle voice saying “bullshit”...

Torao *thinking*:  Saying “bullshit” surprisingly fits Minami

Haruka: W-wait…let me verify something before we start. Do the two of you have a clue about the basics of cooking?

Touma: The basics…? I know that when you spin the stoves, they turn on! That’s the basics!

Torao: I suppose that everything actually started with fire. And you can set it on low, medium and strong…right?

Minami: Oh dear…

Haruka: And you’re even saying that with such a proud expression

Haruka: Aah, okay, listen! Do you know what the five fundamental seasonings** are?

Touma: I think I’ve heard that before! The five fundamentals…err…

Torao: It’s sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce and miso

Minami: Correct

Torao: Humpf. Well, that’s common knowledge 

Touma: What?! Did Tora really answer correctly?!

Haruka: Okay, I pretty much got it. When it comes to the basic, Torao is not as bad as Touma

Touma: And how the hell is “se” supposed to stand for “soy sauce”?!

Torao: It’s a play on words. Stop barking, you lost

Touma: Eeh…. I thought I would have won against you

Haruka: It’s silently becoming a competition…hey, Minami, are you okay with that?

Minami: I am. It’ll be an amazing present anyway, because some amazing people will make it for me

Minami: Even the pick stuck in the fried chicken or in the sandwich will be a treasure

Haruka:....somehow, I’m even more determined. We will make something so delicious, Minami, that you won’t want to eat anything else for the rest of your life. C’mon, Touma, Torao!

Touma: Aah…I want to surprise you, Mina! Let’s start training today, Tora!

Torao: I thought I could just ask my chef… well, if you say that our food is amazing, I’ll do it

Torao&Haruka&Touma: Look forward to it!

Minami: …Thank you so much. Isumi san, Inumaru san, Midou san

Minami: I look forward to receiving this reward from you

The End

TL Notes:

1) *  The mud boat trick

Minami is probably referring to a Japan folk tale called “Kachi kachi Yama” , where a rabbit helps a farmer who was his friend avenge his wife’s death by the hand of a tanuki (japanese raccoon dog). At some point in the story the vindictive rabbit, pretending to be the tanuki's friend, asks the tanuki to go fishing together. As the tanuki accepts, the rabbit comes back home and builds two boats: one made of wood and the other one made of mud. The tanuki can’t spot the difference and gratefully accepts the rabbit’s invitation to jump on the mud boat. While they're crossing the lake, the mud boat obviously begins dissolving and the tanuki eventually drows

2) ** The five fundamental seasonings

In japanese the five foundamental seasonings are called 料理のさしそせそ- literally “The sa shi su se so of the cooking”.  This 5 japanese acronyms stand for the 5 most popular seasonings you can find in japanese kitchen

SA > Sato (砂糖) > Sugar

SHI > Shio (塩) > Salt

SU > Su (酢) > Rice Vinegar

SE > Shouyu (醤油) > Soy Sauce

SO > Miso (味噌) > Miso

Touma is confused because Soy sauce in Japanese is pronounced “Shouyu”

Next up: Nagi Rokuya - 16 Idol Album

[herether]

Noragami Chapter 88.2 Thoughts

//breathes\\

This post is gonna be kinda long bc there are a few (a LOT) of important panels this chapter. Holy Smokes. Pls bear with me.

“your sister would whimper things like “I wish I could come back as something else” or “maybe i’d be happier in heaven.””

“and you’d say, “but then you’d have to die, right?” ”

Holy. Fuck.

Idk what AdachiToka was thinking putting this in, but this is the REAL stab in the heart. What the fuck. Especially the next panel:

Run towards the future.

Haru (Yukine) would say they’d get out of there someday, together, running towards the future where they could get away from the abuse they were experiencing and live happily. Their goal was to get out of here, and every time his older sister would whimper about wanting to die, (which, by the way, is fucking devastating and soul crushing), Haru would tell her—hey, I know it’s hard, but we’ll work though it. It’ll ease up on us. We’ll get out of here. You can’t die.

Her little brother.

I cant imagine what’s weighing on her conscience after this. After all, she was the one that ended up living and not him. How absolutely traumatic it must feel for her.

Yukine’s asking why he sent his sister letters when they had telephones, and although I imagine most of you probably figured the answer out, i’ll just add it in here anyways.

It was too dangerous to call her.

After his mother and Yuka left, his mother probably tugging Yuka as quickly as she could out of that house and leaving Haru behind, their trash father .2 was more than likely in such a state of hatred that he never wanted to hear from them again. He would probably demand from Haru not talk to them/see them, so it was too dangerous to do anything other than send her letters.

Regarding his web-search, I was a little confused as to why there’s absolutely nothing about him. But thinking about it more, it could be that as some of you mentioned, it isn’t Yukine’s full name. Haru could be short for ‘Haruka’ or something. Even then, though, the search would still bring up something, right?

So I came up with the conclusion that no, that probably wasn’t why nothing showed up, but rather the fact that nobody looked for him. Nobody bothered, his dad couldn’t care less about it other than those ‘flyers’ (?) he was passing around. 35 years ago might have been a time where stuff like that was just.... hopeless. If a child was gone that was it. You wouldn’t find him again. There was no point. Or maybe— many people in the neighborhood didn’t bother looking because they knew the Tajima family’s father. They knew that he was abusive and assumed that Haru had ran away to find his mother and sister, so they thought, hey, there’s no point. He’s fine where he is.

Although Yukine was talking about his past family with the whole “why did they leave me behind” thing, I think it ties in pretty well to what’s going on now. I’ve already seen a couple posts talking about this, where, the lovely noragami fandom have said that what happened before his death is coming back full circle to what’s happening now. In Yukine’s eyes, everyone around him: Yato, Hiyori (ESPECIALLY THESE TWO.) Kofuku, Ebisu, Tenjin—Daikoku, Mayu— everyone abandoned him again. It’s almost as if he just didn’t matter. No one cares about his existence, now, in Hagusa’s eyes, Father is the only “kind” one.

Then— we get a panel showing the Child abuse cases rising, and Hagusa realizes he isn’t the only one this has happened to. He accepts this darkness, accepts what’s going on, why he is this way, and in the last panel we see Yuuki, Hagusa’s final form finally being able to fully take over him. Hagusa lets him in—accepts him, hence the black hair.

Wanted to put this in here because UM HELLO IMAGINE seeing your CHILD looking like THAT and ?!;&:&:&:!:!:!:¥~$~!;’ The absolute FEAR in Yato’s eyes hohmygod.

Also I swear if Yato loses an eye after that scratch—

We can imagine AdachiToka will probably end up giving him some kind of scar as a reminder, especially for Yukine, that this had happened. Since AdachiToka really likes these fkin reminders. With Sakura, the “ne”, with Bishamon and the “ma”— we might as well give Yukine a reminder of what happened and give Yato one eye :D no? IF THAT HAPPENS IM GONNA LOSE MY SHIT PLS NO.

And finally:

I want to remind every single one of you that Yukine still has Hiyori and Yato’s charms so everything is going to be OK. ALRIGHT. OK.

[medea10]

My Review of Tamako Market

How did I get into this anime? Let’s just say that there were several Kyoto Animation animes I’ve neglected to watch and after the horrific incident back in 2019, I wanted to at least see all of the major Kyoto Animation pieces. No matter if this looks like we’re in the same universe as K-ON!

Tamako Kitashirakawa is a normal, ditzy, moe-looking for a KyoAni anime, teenage girl! She comes from a family that owns a mochi shop inside this tight-knit shopping district. One day, Tamako was at the local flower shop and a bird flew into her face. While stuck to her face, she sneezes him off. And then, the bird spoke.

…

I think I’ll just cross off the theory that we’re in the same universe as K-ON! Give K-ON some credit as they didn’t have a talking bird.

So this bird is named Dera Mochimazzi. I will never pronounce anyone’s last name in this anime! Dera claims he’s royalty from some far-off land and says he is looking for a bride for his country’s prince. Although, it just falls to the waist-side (literally and figuratively) when Dera took up residence at Tamako’s home and gets addicted to eating mochi. I guess for the time being, Dera will be this anime’s adorable mascot. Aside from the misadventures of Dera the talking bird, we also follow this leading lady Tamako in her normal life. We get school stories, friend stories, stuff about her sister, stories surrounding the colorful folks in this shopping district, and mochi. Lots and lots of mochi!

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: Ah yes, another Sentai licensed anime. I actually watched the entire series dubbed and only the movie subbed. Aya Suzuki is perfection as Tamako with all of her bubbliness. As for the dub, is it just me or was Jay Hickman trying to act too much like Excalibur from Soul Eater? Was he trying to unleash his inner Troy Baker for this role? Aside from Hickman, there’s really nothing else extraordinary to say about the dub. I will give them credit for not casting Luci Christian and Monica Rial as any of these characters. Love them dearly, but give a little spotlight to some of the other voice actors they’ve got. This was fine for what it was. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Tamako is played by Aya Suzaki (known for Mako on Kill la Kill, Kaede on Assassination Classroom, Takitsubo on Railgun, and Shouko on Happy Sugar Life)

*Dera is played by Takumi Yamazaki (known for Bansai on Gintama, Kayneth on Fate/Zero, and Jillas on Slayers Try)

*Mochizou is played by Atsuhi Tamaru

ENGLISH CAST: *Tamako is played by Margaret McDonald (known for Rikka on Chunibyo, Haruka on Little Busters, Sakura on Maid-sama, Risa on To Love Ru, Sachi on Maria Holic, and Harumi on Citrus)

*Dera is played by Jay Hickman (known for Jouichiro on Food Wars, Kurama on Elfen Lied, and Ryuuya on Air)

*Mochizou is played by Clint Bickham (known for Renji on ef – a tale of memories, Akihito on Beyond the Boundary, Haru on Tsuritama, Isami on Food Wars, Finland on Hetalia, and Mochizuki on Another)

SHIPPING: We’ve got a girl-next-door type of romance happening. Mochizou lives next door to Tamako and is infatuated with her. There are however a few little problems with this. The big problem is that Tamako and Mochizou’s fathers are business enemies. They both sell mochi, they live across from each other, and they have kids that are friends. It’s almost Romeo and Juliet except Tamako seems oblivious when it comes to Mochizou’s advances. Or Romeo here has a brain-fart and forgets vital things he wants to do for Tamako. Like episode one, he forgets to give her a present for her birthday. I will let him off the hook for this because dude already buys her a present and has plans and everything. But because Tamako’s birthday is on New Years and both kids work on New Years to help their families, things like this can be forgotten. So again, I can’t hate on our by Mochizou. His heart was in the right place, but his brain couldn’t catch up.

Halfway into this series, I shook my head thinking these two will never hookup. Tamako’s baby sister had more of a chance with her crush and he moved away.

Then again, this was all from the series. The movie got really deep with the Mochizou x Tamako ship that so much in Tamako changes. The movie kinda drops a ball on us so I’ll talk about it down below due to spoilery things.

ENDING: So it seems like this series moves quite fast calendar wise and the episodes seem to be like a problem of the day kind of thing. Like there will be an episode about Valentine’s Day, an episode where Dera goes on a diet, an episode with a festival, and so on. But along the way we do get a few cute moments like when Shiroi opens up to Tamako and her friends or when Tamako’s father remembers his wife through song. And let’s not forget that halfway into the series, we’re introduced to Choi, someone who serves a prince (like Dera). She really doesn’t do much to move this plot along for a while and is only there to stay with Tamako’s family and keep Dera on a short leash. But then at the end of episode 10, Choi makes a rash decision.

By this point in the series you might be wondering if Mochizou’s mochi balls are going to drop and he asks Tamako out. Well that might not happen just yet as Choi has set sights on Tamako to be the bride for the prince she serves under. But Tamako has no interest in becoming the prince’s bride. In fact, Tamako was more excited about winning a medal than learning she might get engaged to a prince of a far-off land. Add to that, the entire shopping district is excited for Tamako to become a prince’s bride. Everyone except for Tamako’s father! He got mad, stinkin’ drunk. And as for Mochizou, he’s just a sad sack. So no mochi balls dropping for this lad! Tamako did get a chance to meet the prince through Dera’s communication for a second. But once the prince landed in Tokyo, he ends up in the shopping district and meeting Tamako up close. Everyone in the shopping district was happy for Tamako and excited that this is happening. There are just two big things!

One, Tamako is too attached to her home and the people around it to ever leave them to go marry a prince from a far-off land. And two, there was a misunderstanding on Dera’s part where the prince has said that Tamako is not going to be his bride.

Choi and the prince end up leaving to return home. Dera on the other hand decides to stick around at least until New Years. Dera, being the little hammy-bird he is tries to make a graceful exit without saying goodbye to Tamako. He leaves Tamako without a word, but in same Dera fashion, he falls asleep in a pile of flowers and ends up inside a box. Turns out that box of flowers is going straight back to Tamako. Mochizou actually remembered Tamako’s birthday this year and gave her a box of flowers for the occasion.

When she opened it, there’s Dera! Don’t worry, Dera eventually goes back home with the prince and Choi. We just don’t actually see it here.

TAMAKO LOVE STORY: Now that Tamako, Mochizou, and the rest are all in their third years of high school, the thought of what they’re going to do with their lives hits. Like is Midori going to take over her grandfather’s toy shop in the district? Is Kanna going to do something carpentry related? Is Tamako going to continue working in her father’s mochi shop? Well, the story focuses on two things. One is a competition that Kanna gets interested in that involves the girls of the baton club. And the second, Mochizou’s decision to go to college in Tokyo to work on films.

Obviously, that’s the big story in this movie. Mochizou is madly in love with Tamako and they’ve known each other since they were babies. It’s just that he’s never made his feelings to Tamako known to her until he reveals his decision to leave town. After that, the once mochi-loving ditz we’ve grown to love these past 12 episodes changes. This is the first time we see Tamako feeling this way and it’s unknown what she’ll do. Is this the moment where she bails on her family’s mochi shop and go to Tokyo with Mochizou? After being told she’s loved by Mochizou, she goes through a lot of emotions. She’s distant, spacier than normal, avoiding mochi, and avoiding Mochizou. It wasn’t until she gets a nudge from her friend Midori to go to Mochizou before he leaves for Japan.

And right there, along with her handmade cup phones, she tells Mochizou that she loves him.

We end the movie with kind of a video that I assume was made by Mochizou and that’s how Tamako Market ends. I guess these two are a couple. Not sure if Mochizou stays in the district with Tamako and his family or if Tamako ditches her family and moves to Tokyo to be with Mochizou. I guess it’s one of those leave it up to your imaginations.

So…The anime was just okay. The series I mean! Love Story was almost at peak KyoAni perfection. Seriously, look at the animation here. The backgrounds are freakin’ gorgeous. And after watching the series and the movie, it almost felt as though they were two separate animes. Dera, Choi, and the prince were only shown in pictures at the record shop, one second near the end, and that short before the motion picture. Take all of those out and you’ve got something solid. I mean let’s face it, Tamako Market was fluff on the same level as watching K-ON or Lucky Star. You’ve got a variety of random crap happening throughout the span of one year except this series has the great fortune to have an annoying, talking bird. I don’t want to dunk on the series that bad, it was cute. But the winner with me was definitely Tamako Love Story.

We see Tamako and Mochizou express a vast variety of emotions that we never saw in the series. Especially, Tamako! She was always this ditzy girl with a love for mochi. And Mochizou was seen as that dope that’ll never get his shit together and tell Tamako how he feels. He always forgets her birthday, what makes you think he was going to get his shit together? But then Mochizou grows a pair and tells Tamako he’s leaving town and that he loves her and you see Tamako change. She’s not sure what to think anymore. She even goes through a phase where she can’t be around mochi. But I suppose we needed the silly fluff with the television series. After all, it’s not just Tamako, but all of the people who live in that shopping district. And I suppose Dera was a fun mascot character. If you want that cuteness, watch Tamako Market. But if you want a more romantic-driven story, definitely check out the sequel movie Tamako Love Story.

If you would like to watch Tamako Market, Hidive has all 12 episodes and the movie available for streaming.

Now then, what’s next on my Sentai Filmworks list?

Redo of He…

Choose your next words wisely.

Well Medea, do you love anime that’s directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara?

Oh dear God. What fresh hell did I miss from that iconic enigma? And is it crazier than kappas eating people’s asses?

Okay Penguindrum…please do not contain penguins eating people’s asses.

[waterlinkedgirl]

tagged by @umihoshi , thank you!!! 💛💚

Rules: Name 10 favorite characters from 10 different things and then tag 10 people.

There’s going to be a lot of memory-digging and soul-seeking here I’m afraid... I also don’t know if I know 10 people hcfygjvghjvhj

2. Shiraishi Kuranosuke, from Prince of Tennis 

1. Yukimura Seiichi, from New Prince of Tennis (cheating? me?? nooo)

3. Mikeru, from Mermaid Melody

4. Kunikida Doppo, from Bungou Stray Dogs

5. Sesshomaru, from Inuyasha

6. Jack Vessalius, from Pandora Hearts (I read the manga, yes)

7. Yue, from Cardcaptor Sakura

8. Komaeda Nagito, from Super Dangan Ronpa 2 (I have no taste)

9. Haruka Tenoh, from Sailor Moon

10. Ikuto Tsukuyomi, from Shugo Chara

Can you tell I watched a lot of mahou shoujo in my formative years? I had to exclude a lot of series I loved bc I didn’t have a clear favourite hcgyjvchvgj

Tagging... @nuisancehelicopter, @rikkaidaily, @joshorikkai, @rlkkai, @tenipuri-everything, @a-kuma, @boule-de-riz

[koinodancesite]

“Imasugu Tobikomu Yuukiwo”

Coupled with “Oh My Wish!” and “Sukatto My Heart”

Release date: August 19, 2015

Oricon Weely placement: 2nd

Members: Akane Haga, Ayumi Ishida, Erina Ikuta, Haruka Kudo, Haruna Iikubo, Haruna Ogata, Kanon Suzuki, Maria Makino, Masaki Sato, Miki Nonaka, Mizuki Fukumura, Riho Sayashi, Sakura Oda

If you isolate the song by just the chorus, “Imasugu Tobikomu Yuukiwo” can sound like a typical Numeral-era Morning Musume song about self-progress. The idols try to muster enough courage to take on life’s demanding work flow. They liken their future as a deep pool and the passage of time as a rushing current, and “like a waterfowl,” they prepare to dive into the unknown. The bright pianos provide emotional uplift as they attempt to shake off any signs of weakness, its shine indicative of the kind of future that may lie ahead of them. 

Despite the enthusiasm heard in the idols’ voices to meet their challenge, however, “Imasugu” can also feel like a cautionary tale of youth growing up too fast. “Plenty of things I want to do/ 24 hours is not enough,” Morning Musume sing in the chorus. Time is cruel, but not in the way they think it is. Its intense momentum gives them the illusion that they’re being left behind: “There are so many things I can’t do, it’s frustrating/ I got jealous of people who moved ahead of me,” they lament. It forces them to rush in order to catch up, performing a personality not quite their age to appear mature, and they get carried away in the process to the point they lose their footing in the present.

More cruel is how this rush becomes the new normal. “Time goes fast but it feels comfortable,” they sing so assuredly. “I was vain seeing myself do the most.” They literally mention leaving behind their souls right after. “Imasugu” deals with grand generalities in order for its lyrics to resonate with universality, and yet I can’t help but let their words touch on some autobiography. The song already captures the frustrations of adolescence upon coming to terms that we get a move on in life at different speeds. But it’s easy to also let it speak on idol life, a career specific to young adults that’s infinitely more rigorous than ones teens ought to experience.

However demanding their situation may get, Morning Musume don’t falter in their own songs. They always manage to find strength in the darkest of situations, and “Imasugu” is no exception. The bridge provides a fulfilling climax with its dramatic build via an elegant string arrangement giving way to a cathartic vocal topline. “Even if it seems selfish, I just want to fulfill everything,” they shout before returning to the chorus one last time. They’re aware of how they can be so self-absorbed to a fault and how that tendency can lead to dire consequences. But their ambition to achieve perfection in “Imasugu” makes the bleak, emotionally draining experience ultimately worthwhile.

[6]

[isolaradiale]

Lost in Space 04

Hello, Isolans! We have conducted an activity check for the month of October!

If your character isn’t on this list, make sure to check this page to see how many stars that character has earned this month! Stars can be used for purchases at the marketplace.

The blogs that were removed from the Isola Radiale masterlist are under the cut. Note that both blogs with broken links and deactivated accounts will be included both at the top of this list and in their proper categories.

If you were removed in error, please simply send a re-application message. Several different people work on the activity checks, so it’s possible there are mistakes! If this happens to you, you will be able to keep everything you previously had, you just may be placed in a different residence.

Our general activity rules regarding checks are as follows:

Make at least three in-character posts during a calendar month.

Only one drabble and/or meme response of 300+ words counts as activity.

One-liners or minis not tagged #isola mini also do not count.

Please Note: If you are removed during two consecutive activity checks, you will not be allowed to re-apply as that character for two calendar months. 

Additionally, anyone removed during the activity check will have a 12-hour window from the time of posting to re-claim their character. Any character not reclaimed during that period will be open to the community at large. 

BROKEN URLs:

Jack Skellington (Disney, CONDO 436)

Saiki Kusuo (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, CONDO 448)

Nami (One Piece, CONDO 440)

Maria Robotnik (Sonic the Hedgehog, HOUSE 127)

Yusei Fudo (Yu-Gi-Oh, TOWNHOUSE 252) *DASH ONLY

ANNE WITH AN E

Anne Shirley-Cuthbert (CONDO 472)

ALIEN VS PREDATOR

Scar (TOWNHOUSE 204)

Teresa "Tequila" Aquila (APARTMENT 331)

ARCANA FAMIGLIA

Felicita (CONDO 436)

ARCHIE

Jughead Jones (HOUSE 113)

AVA'S DEMON

Ava Ire (HOUSE 136)

Odin Arrow (CONDO 404)

AVATAR

Katara (HOUSE 154)

Kuvira (CONDO 455)

AZUR LANE

Akagi (TOWNHOUSE 234)

BIOSHOCK

Elizabeth (CONDO 457)

BLEACH

Ichigo Kurosaki (CONDO 447)

BRAVELY DEFAULT

Ringabel (APARTMENT 359)

CHILDREN OF THE WHALES

Suou (APARTMENT 320)

CODE GEASS

Euphemia li Britannia (APARTMENT 362)

Kallen Kozuki (HOUSE 160)

CRITICAL ROLE

Yasha (APARTMENT 326)

D. GRAY MAN

Lenalee Lee (APARTMENT 304)

DANGANRONPA

Angie Yonaga (CONDO 435)

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (HOUSE 171)

Kaito Momota (TOWNHOUSE 214)

Kyouko Kirigiri (CONDO 402)

Sayaka Maizono (APARTMENT 374)

DARK SOULS

Creighton (HOUSE 139)

DETROIT BECOME HUMAN

Alice Williams (CONDO 433)

DIABOLIK LOVERS

Azusa Mukami (TOWNHOUSE 229)

DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA

Argilla (HOUSE 171)

THE DISASTROUS LIFE OF SAIKI K

Saiki Kusuo (CONDO 448) *BROKEN URL

DISGAEA

Seraphina (APARTMENT 365)

DISNEY

Elsa (HOUSE 138)

Prince Edward (HOUSE 161)

Jack Skellington (CONDO 436) *BROKEN URL

DON'T STARVE

Wilson P. Higgsbury (APARTMENT 338)

DRAGON AGE

Garrett Hawke (HOUSE 154)

DRAGON BALL

Android 17 (HOUSE 147)

THE DRAGON PRINCE

Ezran (HOUSE 138)

Runaan (CONDO 424)

DRAGON QUEST

Camus (CONDO 406)

DRAMATICAL MURDER

Koujaku (TOWNHOUSE 275)

ELSWORD

Raven Cronwell (Furious Blade) (TOWNHOUSE 203)

Raven Cronwell (Nova Imperator) (HOUSE 119)

ENSEMBLE STARS

Rei Sakuma (TOWNHOUSE 255)

Tsukasa Suou (APARTMENT 341)

THE EVIL WITHIN

Stefano Valentini (HOUSE 130)

FATE

Archer (Gilgamesh) (HOUSE 129)

Assassin (Carmilla) (CONDO 473)

Assassin (Phantom of the Opera) (APARTMENT 368)

Berserker (Mysterious Heroine X Alter) (TOWNHOUSE 262)

Caster (Leonardo da Vinci) (HOUSE 164)

Caster (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) (CONDO 420)

Kirei Kotomine (HOUSE 166)

Olga-Marie Animusphere (CONDO 427)

Rider (Alexander the Great) (APARTMENT 314)

Rider (Quetzalcoatl) (HOUSE 174)

Rider (Ushiwakamaru) (HOUSE 174)

Sakura Matou (APARTMENT 374)

FINAL FANTASY

Fray Myste (CONDO 442)

Kuja (TOWNHOUSE 261)

Lightning Farron (HOUSE 131)

Oerba yun Fang (TOWNHOUSE 236)

Omega (HOUSE 166)

FIRE EMBLEM

Camilla (CONDO 414)

Ephraim (HOUSE 175)

Grima (M) (APARTMENT 354)

Lene (TOWNHOUSE 257)

Orochi (CONDO 434) *DROPPED

Sonya (HOUSE 157)

FLCL

Canti (CONDO 427)

FRUITS BASKET

Ayame Sohma (HOUSE 166)

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST

Ling Yao/Greed (HOUSE 165)

GINTAMA

Tae Shimura (APARTMENT 352)

GOD EATER

Alisa Ilinichina Amiella (CONDO 416)

Lindow Amamiya (CONDO 423)

GOLDEN KAMUY

Ienaga Kano (HOUSE 172)

GRANBLUE FANTASY

Fenrir (HOUSE 105)

Magisa (HOUSE 130)

Seofon (CONDO 462)

Shiva (HOUSE 152)

GUNDAM 00

Feldt Grace (TOWNHOUSE 272)

HARRY POTTER

Queenie Goldstein (CONDO 441)

HELLO CHARLOTTE

Charlotte Wiltshire (CONDO 470)

HOMESTUCK

Dirk Strider (TOWNHOUSE 241)

Elwurd (CONDO 462)

Lord English (CONDO 422)

Porrim Maryam (APARTMENT 353)

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Victoria (APARTMENT 359)

HYPNOSIS MIC

Dice Arisugawa (Townhouse 260)

Ramuda Anemura (TOWNHOUSE 209)

IDOLISH7

Nagi Rokuya (HOUSE 164)

Ten Kujou (APARTMENT 304)

JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE

Enrico Pucci (APARTMENT 370) *DROPPED

Joseph Joestar (CONDO 467)

Josuke Higashikata (APARTMENT 370)

KAGEROU PROJECT

Haruka Kokonose (Apartment 338)

Kousuke Seto (Condo 428)

KEN GA KIMI

Kayo (Apartment 334)

KINGDOM HEARTS

Namine (HOUSE 104)

Roxas (CONDO 451)

Xion (Condo 415)

LAMENTO BEYOND THE VOICE

Shui (Condo 421)

THE LAST UNICORN

Schmendrick (APARTMENT 364)

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS

Jayce (APARTMENT 331)

Khada Jhin (House 158)

Twisted Fate (CONDO 431)

LOVE LIVE

Mari Ohara (TOWNHOUSE 245)

LUPIN III

Arsene Lupin III (CONDO 429)

Fujiko Mine (APARTMENT 305)

MABINOGI

Elatha (CONDO 405)

MARVEL

Gwen Stacy (Spider-Gwen) (HOUSE 166)

Jean Grey (Phoenix) (APARTMENT 319)

Johnny Storm (HOUSE 121)

Laura Kinney (X-23) (APARTMENT 358)

Matthew Murdock (Daredevil) (HOUSE 101)

MERLIN (BBC)

Merlin (Townhouse 237)

METAL GEAR

Dr. Hal "Otacon" Emmerich (APARTMENT 319)

Quiet (HOUSE 105)

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG

Marinette Dupain Cheng (Ladybug) (Townhouse 246)

MONOGATARI

Hitagi Senjougahara (APARTMENT 301)

MONSTER HIGH

Draculaura (APARTMENT 356)

MONSTER PROM

Vera Oberlin (HOUSE 126)

MOTHER 3

Lucas (TOWNHOUSE 269)

MY HERO ACADEMIA (BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA)

Tamaki Amajiki (Suneater) (TOWNHOUSE 243)

Uraraka Ochaco (Uravity) (HOUSE 144)

NARUTO

Neji Hyuga (CONDO 420)

NEVER SATISFIED

Su-Yeong (APARTMENT 311)

OCTOPATH TRAVELER

Cyrus Albright (APARTMENT 366)

ONE PIECE

Nami (CONDO 440) *BROKEN URL

Shyarly (HOUSE 140)

ONMYOJI

Dodomeki (APARTMENT 326)

Yuki Douji (CONDO 447)

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS

Ba'al (HOUSE 143)

Ebene Sootil (APARTMENT 346)

Eli McKendal (TOWNHOUSE 234)

Ichiko Calleghan (HOUSE 103)

Jounoichi Nakahara (HOUSE 116)

Liu Canglong (APARTMENT 336)

Maurecai (HOUSE 132)

Orion (TOWNHOUSE 212)

Sallajeth Mahoy (TOWNHOUSE 223)

Scottie Valentin Cicogne (TOWNHOUSE 250)

Yenmal Piprin (HOUSE 159)

Zack Ledger (HOUSE 109)

OVERWATCH

Fareeha Amari (Pharah) (TOWNHOUSE 263)

PANDORA HEARTS

Reim Lunettes (TOWNHOUSE 259)

PERSONA

Aigis (HOUSE 145)

Haru Okumura (APARTMENT 355)

Ken Amada (HOUSE 173)

Marie (TOWNHOUSE 235)

Ryoji Mochizuki (CONDO 471)

PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA

Kazumi (TOWNHOUSE 221)

RED VS. BLUE

Dr. Emily Grey (APARTMENT 354)

RWBY

Velvet Scarlatina (APARTMENT 308)

SAILOR MOON

Chibiusa Tsukino (Sailor Chibi Moon) (TOWNHOUSE 231)

Michiru Kaoru (Sailor Neptune) (CONDO 459)

SENNEN MEIKYUU NO NANA OUJI

Titus Ram (HOUSE 107)

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI

Flynn (HOUSE 159)

SILENT HILL

James Sunderland (APARTMENT 307)

SINOALICE

Red Riding Hood (Alternative) (TOWNHOUSE 255)

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

Maria Robotnik (HOUSE 127) *BROKEN URL

SOUL EATER

Maka Albarn (HOUSE 153)

SPAWN

Al Simmons (Spawn) (CONDO 450)

STAR OCEAN

Faize Sheifa Beleth (APARTMENT 309)

Noel Chandler (TOWNHOUSE 248)

STAR TREK

Jim Kirk (CONDO 415)

Spock (HOUSE 114)

STARCRAFT

Alarak (HOUSE 172)

STARFIGHTER

Alexei Cain (CONDO 423)

STARGATE UNIVERSE

Nicholas Rush (CONDO 432)

SUPER MARIO

Peach (TOWNHOUSE 268)

TALES OF

Eizen (CONDO 417)

Emil Castagnier (TOWNHOUSE 216)

Ratatosk (APARTMENT 316)

TEKKEN

Eliza (APARTMENT 340)

TOKYO GHOUL

Ken Kaneki (CONDO 416)

TOUHOU

Rinnosuke Morichika (CONDO 412)

Tenshi Hinanawi (APARTMENT 349)

TOUKEN RANBU

Kashuu Kiyomitsu (HOUSE 173)

Mutsunokami Yoshiyuki (TOWNHOUSE 273)

TRINITY SEVEN

Arata Kasuga (HOUSE 105)

UNDER NIGHT IN BIRTH

Gaien Enkidou (HOUSE 145)

UTA NO PRINCE SAMA

Ranmaru Kurosaki (CONDO 441)

Yamato Hyuga (APARTMENT 368)

VOCALOID

SeeU (HOUSE 157)

WARFRAME

The Operator (CONDO 425)

WE KNOW THE DEVIL

Venus (HOUSE 162)

WELCOME TO NIGHTVALE

Cecil Palmer (TOWNHOUSE 263)

WOLF'S RAIN

Kiba (CONDO 459)

WORLD TRIGGER

Hyuse (HOUSE 165)

YU YU HAKUSHO

Hiei (TOWNHOUSE 247)

YU-GI-OH

Dartz (TOWNHOUSE 233)

Takuma Saiou (TOWNHOUSE 207)

Yusei Fudo (TOWNHOUSE 252) *DASH ONLY

[darkcyradis]

My Top 10 Favorite Women Characters

Thanks so much to @anais-fromanotherplanet for tagging me in this awesome meme! 

Despite my complaints that people don’t write enough awesome female characters in fiction, once I started listing them, the list just went on and on. It was so hard picking my top 10, so I had to throw a few honorable mentions in...

1. Rell (LoL, my own fantasy novel OC) 

Well, being my original character and the badass action hero of the story + comic relief with a kind/loving soul, she’s basically my idea of a perfect woman. So ofc she is my number one. ^^

2. Homura Akemi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) 

No one does the things Homura does for love. No one dares the things Homura dares to do. No one is that courageous. No heart loves so much. Homura is fucking epic. And she’s damn stylish and cool too! XD

3. Moana (Disney’s Moana) 

THE PERFECT HEROINE. Everything about her, from her adorable voice (which is EPIC when she sings!!), her extraordinary hero’s journey arc, to the way the narrative treats her with the respect and dignity a hero of whatever gender deserves. Loved her movie, loved her compassion, loved her bravery, loved her closeness with her family, loved her love of the sea, loved everything about Moana.

4. Daenerys (Game of Thrones) 

People build shrines to her both in real life and in the world of Game of Thrones for a reason. She’s so epic, dares so much and accomplishes so much. She also suffered terribly in the beginning and started from nothing, building everything she eventually grew to have with her own hands. And through it all, she kept her compassion, and still tries to do what’s right, even as she grows wiser and strong enough to do the hard things a ruler must do.

5. Aquila Yuna (Saint Seiya Omega) 

A female underdog hero story done RIGHT. In terms of her journey as a young warrior/Saint of Athena, the way she dresses, carries herself, fights like an utter badass, relates to her friends, and earnestly seeks her way makes her the perfect teenage girl protagonist for me. Plus, she’s just so graceful-looking despite packing such a wallop, and looks epic in armor (my eternal weakness) like all my favorite male Saints.

6. Tachibana (Aoharu x Machine Gun) 

Lol, this girl is teenage me in another life. Her extreme passion for justice, her compassion that balances her towering wrath and extreme smiting power against the evil and the unjust, her tomboyish looks and sensibilities, her kindness, her intelligence—I love this girl.

7. Mrs. Bradley (Diana Rigg – The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries) 

When I grow up, I want to be Diana Rigg. She mixes high intelligence, dignity, and a deep capacity for love and compassion into the perfect, elegant package in any role she plays. I loved her especially as the wry, smart, and modern Mrs. Bradley, who is her own woman, has carved a place of respect for herself in the male-dominated world of Edwardian England, and has a fun, scintillating relationship of wits (and romance?) with her chauffer George. A lady so ahead of her time and making it work—I love her.

8. Historia Reiss (Attack on Titan) 

Easily the most interesting and fascinatingly developed/grown female character in AoT despite not being one of its many awesome badass warrior women. Her outburst against her father in the cave (and the way she bosses Eren around there XD) is one of my favorite moments in the entire series. Plus, the way she uses her political power when she gets it is proof of the kind of genuinely good person she is.

9. Marinette/Miraculous Ladybug (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir)

A perfect teen heroine--full of dreams/hope/excitement, smart, relatable, adorable, fully fleshed out, and fun. The entire show is just so well done and does excellent, diverse characters in spades. I love this unabashedly girl-centric show, its beautiful graphics/aesthetics, its hilarious scripts, and its appealing character designs. 

10. Madoka Kaname (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) 

Had to get her on here, because even if her story arc isn’t as epic as Homura’s, the decision she makes in the end with full knowledge, intent, and foresight, is one for the ages. She’s the very picture of an empowered woman, who grabs back charge of her mind/body/soul/DESTINY from those who tried to disempower and manipulate her, finds clarity, and delivers to us not only the right/perfect answer to an impossible-seeming dilemma, but does so with selfless love and grace. Those who detract from Madoka, saying she doesn’t do anything for the majority of the series, clearly didn’t pay attention to what was going on behind this big, sweet eyes—there was a very intelligent, observant, compassionate soul there, seeing and learning and piecing together the things she needed to to save us all.

Honorable Mentions:

Dowager Countess Grantham (Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey) – in terms of cool factor, few female characters can top the Dowager Countess—and she’s an old lady, which kicks up both her adorable-ness factor and badassery. XD Sharpest of all wits and tongues, and style and dignity for days. I love this lady.

Sailor Neptune/Michiru Kai’ou (Sailor Moon) – with her quiet intelligence, charm, elegance, brimming talent, and courageous/fierce inner character, she’s the perfect role model. I also loved that she holds love and her beloved above all else. As a fellow “follower of Aphrodite” so to speak, I really relate to her.

Ms. Marvel/Kamala Kahn (Marvel Comics) – the first truly relatable American comic book character I’ve ever read. And she reads/writes superhero fanfic. XD I love Kamala.

Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan) – not sure if this is more props to Isayama-sensei, her creator, but I love that Mikasa is universally acknowledged by her peers as the physically strongest warrior among them and is never undercut by the narrative like so many other purportedly “strong female characters,” especially in Shounen manga. I can’t relate to her much in personality/thought process though, which is the only reason she doesn’t make my Top 10.

‎Oscar François de Jarjayes (The Rose of Versailles) – the badass beautiful lady with a compassionate heart and endless dignity who started it all. The Rose of Versailles, the godmother of badass warrior women in manga/anime ever after (and the savior of my beloved Takarazuka Revue ;-)).

Random Bonus:

Chloe (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir)

This is probably a shocking mention because Chloe is AWFUL--the consummate Mean Girl and petty, entitled brat extraordinaire. But she’s just so absurdly over the top in her awfulness that she almost becomes lovable for being so flawed. Also, she has the most hilarious lines and I respect that she’s a girl who definitely knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to go after what she wants. ^^

You poor darlings who read through this whole thing, I tag you all! Please tag me if you do this, I’d love to see your lists! <33333 Also tagging @kiriblabs, @oleanderhoney, @hannibalcatharsis, @sensitive-eruri, @prosotankutu, @careruri, @cherryamber, @momtaku, and @lostcauses-noregrets if you guys are up for it! <333333

Cuz I had so many, here’s a list of more awesome women characters I love under the cut~

Saber/Arturia Pendragon (Fate/Zero)

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

Pocahontas (Disney’s Pocahontas)

Haruka Ten’ou (Sailor Moon)

Misaki Ayuzawa (Maid-sama!)

Hanji Zoe (Attack on Titan)

Furiosa (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Peggy Carter (Captain America)

Sayaka (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Annie Leonhardt (Attack on Titan)

Ymir (Attack on Titan)

Princess Leia (Star Wars)

Mami (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Maya Toomi (Fafner)

Brienne of Tarth (Game of Thrones)

Kyoko Sakura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Squid Girl (Invasion! Squid Girl)

Professor McGonnagall (Harry Potter)