#satou akira

[nocandnc]

When Akira notices his new piece of shit co-worker using a mini-cam to film an upskirt shot of Misaki he doesn't say anything direct, but uses his Unique Set of Skills to screw with the camera instead. Pretty slick!

One could say he acted to keep himself from being recorded, but seeing as he wasn't the focus subject and interfering served no real benefit otherwise, I'll read it as Akira being genuinely concerned for Misaki~

Gosh, I just love it when stone-cold killers are like... nice people...!

[animehouse-moe]

Women In Anime

I came across this tweet a few days back, and did give it a response on Twitter back then, but I keep thinking about it, so I wanted to bring a longer discussion here.

I think hating that anime ends up a male dominated industry is totally fair, I think that hating that men end up bringing a lot of negative stereotypes and tropes and whatnot is valid.

There's a mountain of problems with men in the industry, and just the industry in general. But there's also a problem with the awareness of the NA community. Scrolling about the quote tweets and replies, it's probably one in ten responses at best, that show an opening that's actually from a woman.

Hate like this ends up performative, and targeted at the most negative aspects, rather than being used as a tool to shine a light on the people that deserve it. Directionless and generalized points like this do nothing, and in the end can actually take away from uplifting the voices and talents that they should be.

So, I wanted to bring a list of ten women in anime that have worked on openings over the years.

Karneval OP - Satou Akira

Openings that really cut deep into the core of a series can be a little hard to come by sometimes. I think a lot of openings get suckered into "looking cool" and tend to neglect their creative ability to depict something deeper within. Satou Akira falls into no such trap with Karneval, providing an incredibly strong opening that consistently relays several themes to the viewers through its visuals of things like, well, carnivals, for one. Also included is clock faces, butterflies, gears, and a few other pieces. It's really great work, so it's a shame that they haven't returned to the role since then.

They have, however, been in some pretty impressive roles elsewhere. For example, their biggest role was boarding for the second Fate/Grand Order Camelot movie. Important to note that it's the second movie, and not the first, as the second movie is considerably better.

Akira is still only reaching the tip of the iceberg though, as they recently were the lead director on Ao Ashi, and are being tapped for the Kinnukuman anime in 2024. They certainly have a good relationship with Production I.G, so I'm really hopeful to continue to see them on future projects with the studio.

Skip and Loafer OP - Deai Kotomi

Yeah, it hurts my soul to have different embeds, but I've had to source some of these OPs as they don't exist on YouTube.

Anyways, Deai Kotomi definitely had her limelight moment this year with Skip and Loafer and it's very fun and energetic opening. It's a great reflection of the characters and story, which really highlights Kotomi's understanding and ability to work with the content of the series. She did an absolutely wonderful job leading the production of Skip and Loafer, but I think a lot of people don't know about her history and connection. I mean, the reason she's following up Akira and Karneval is because Kotomi actually did the ending for Karneval! Really cool little piece to learn.

Make no mistake though, this isn't Kotomi's first rodeo, it's just the one she's most known for. But man, does she have a good history. Starting off with assistant direction credits for Kids on the Slope and the first season of Silver Spoon, she then moves on to helm the follow up season of Silver Spoon, and take over for Natsume's Book of Friends.

Though with the new season of Natsume's Book of Friends I'm a little sad to see Kotomi relieved of the role as the Chief Director for the series, Hideki Itou, steps into the role. Still have high hopes, but was looking forward to more Kotomi. Just means I need to wait and see where she ends up next, and I highly doubt it'll take too long for her to appear once more.

Sk8 The Infinity OP - Hiroko Utsumi

Speaking of people that I can't wait to see more of Hiroko Utsumi. I'm sure everyone that's seen it is a fan of Sk8 The Infinity and its opening, and there's not really a better person to handle the opening that Utsumi herself. After all, she's the original creator for the series.

But let's rewind a little before I get ahead of myself. Utsumi has probably one of the most prestigious careers on this list. Utsumi originally started with KyoAni, working her way up from second key animation to first key animation, to episode direction and storyboarding, finally making their directorial debut with Free! back in 2013, quickly following it up with the sequel.

Interestingly enough though, Utsumi then goes silent for 2 years before re-appearing outside of KyoAni, doing some storyboarding work with Bones and Mappa, leading into the next crazy piece of her story: the lead director of Banana Fish. Then of course it's to Sk8 The Infinity, and now she has Bucchigiri?! on the horizon, as well as a continuation of Sk8 The Infinity.

Talk about a career with no misses. Even better is that with her new works, we'll almost certainly be getting more of her expert openings, as with every series she's directed, she's also done the openings. So really, lots and lots to look forward to with Utsumi.

Arakawa Under The Bridge OP - Yamamoto Sayo

I know, not the opening that most would pick, but I wanted to be ✨Different✨. Everybody surely knows Yamamoto Sayo from Yuuri!! on Ice, but I just wanted to show off a bit more of a her range with an opening like this one. Clearly, she's a very talented woman, and the industry recognizes that with her work as she's done quite a few openings, especially with Mappa as of late.

These are all of her openings (and some endings), in order of appearance: Rozen Maiden Traumend, Michiko and Hacchin, Arakawa Under The Bridge S1 & S2, Hanamaru Kindergarten (ED), Attack on Titan S1 (ED), Space Dandy S1 (ED), Yuri On Ice, Kakegurui, and Rage of Bahamut: Virgin Soul.

Quite the list, to be sure. I just wish they did more direction work, as they've been stuck at Mappa for the Yuuri!! on Ice movie. Hopefully that'll come out some day and Sayo will be free of that hell, but all we can do is sit and wait.

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War - Ultra Romantic OP - Eiko Hirayama

I mean, it's Kaguya-Sama, do I really need to say more? Great effort, and great direction from Hirayama here to really cap off the best season of the series. But did you know that she also did the work for the first opening of Love is War?

Hirayama is probably the most curious staff member on this list though. They do have a good few credits for various openings, but by and large they're all special or visual effects credits. For example, they most recently did the visual effects in the opening for the Nier anime, and they also did the same for 2 of the Vivy openings.

I think it's really interesting to see someone like Hirayama step out of their comfort zone to do something like an opening, because you can absolutely feel their experience shape the opening.

Here, let me add a little breakdown of the opening for Kaguya S3. If you pay close attention to the opening, you'll realize that there's not a crazy amount of animation. Rather, there's a lot of camera and 3 dimensional movement, and a lot of interesting composition. I mean, just look at the sequence of Kaguya running, it's a compositor's dream as they shift through all sorts of different visuals and styles.

And I just think that's really cool. Sure, Hirayama isn't a thoroughbred director like the others on this list, but I think their storied experience with composition gives them an angle in this opening that a lot of others just wouldn't find.

Heike Monogatari OP - Naoko Yamada

Naoko, alongside her work with Heike Monogatari, will always have a special place in my heart. Much like Utsumi, Naoko started her career with KyoAni. However, she was a part of the studio for longer, and because of that, was present during the arson attack on the studio in 2019.

This opening, and really the entirety of this story, hits really close to home with its ideas of the loss of family and suffering through a cycle of violence, and she does a beautiful job of juxtaposing that idea against the pieces that Biwa fondly remembers of those around her. It's very, very strong work from Naoko that feels almost like a rebirth as her first major work following the arson attack.

Regardless of what she went through at the end, her time with KyoAni was incredibly impressive. I'm not sure how many will know her name from it, but she was the director behind the incredible success of K-On!. Similarly, she also worked on Tamako Market and the follow up movie. She's an incredibly talented woman, and has continually put her best foot forward with everything she's done, so I'm really hopeful to see her continue that hot streak with wherever she goes next.

Naruto Shippuden OP20 - Chiaki Kon

Had to bring a bit more of a classic pick out, no? Chiaki Kon is certainly not a staff member that tends to really be seen as someone popular, if that makes sense. They're rather light in terms of individual expression, so having a stronger opening like this that hones in on individual character arcs while relating them to larger interactions within the world is really great to see.

Though that's not to say that Chiaki tends to get lost as a staff member, but that I think her work is very subtle. For example, she directed the recent (and popular) Sacrificial Princess anime, which is one of J.C Staff's top 3 anime in the last 5 years. It undoubtedly has Chiaki to thank for a lot of that, where she's kept a reasonable distance on the project while still providing a lot of her overarching vision to it.

But man, has she been active lately. While she does do lead direction, she's insanely present as an episode director and storyboarder, getting anywere from 6 to even 12 or more episodes boarded and/or directed in a year. Odds are if you watch any amount of anime, you've seen an episode done by Chiaki Kon.

Given OP - Hikaru Yamaguchi

Maybe a bit of an odd choice, but I feel like that makes it all the better to give them some spotlight. Not everyone is going to be a "knock it out of the park anime rockstar", and that's perfectly fine. Though I might still argue that Yamaguchi fits that bill. It's just that they're not as productive as others on this list.

After all, they did the OP for Given and directed the series (as well as the movie), and it's a very good show. It's interesting though how long it took her to get another lead direction role. There was 3 years between the Given movie, and the Osomatusu-San movie that she directed in 2023. And you might be thinking, "well hey, what about smaller roles to fill the gap?". Nope, not really any of that.

There was a 2 year gap between the Given movie and her next staff position. Though I mean, it's a pretty damn cool one. She did the storyboard for episode 3 of Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War. For those that don't know, that's the episode of Ichigo vs Quilge Opie (which was very cool, by the way).

Yamaguchi is certainly an interesting staff member in that regard, as she doesn't have many projects she's worked on, but they've almost all been very big name ones. Certainly has me curious to see what she'll manage to appear on next.

Dance Dance Danseur OP - Sarisa Kawamura

If you thought Kawaguchi was an odd pick, wait until you hear about Kawamura. This is the second ever credit for her that I've been able to track down. The other comes from VFX assistant role on the Undead Girl Murder farce ending. So you can imagine my surprise considering the insane quality and creativity displayed with this opening that she boarded for.

I mean, when I first watched it when the anime aired, I was stunned. Absolutely incredible work with the first person perspective and the ideas with all the reflections and the wild expressiveness of the characters. Seriously, this was a shoe-in for opening of the year back in 2022, and I'd still say one of the standouts in this decade for sure.

I just, really, really hope that we'll see Kawamura board something else soon, because I absolutely need more of her incredible vision.

And that's the end of the 10 women, that I chose to use for this list. Seriously, there's a mountain of them that have done all sorts of other openings, or endings, and an unimaginable amount that have done creative work outside of those things.

I wouldn't say I'm disappointed that nobody talks about anime staff (in general, really, but also more specifically women), but a lot of people just don't have the interest in looking this stuff up. I really, really wish that streaming services would start translating credits to make it easier for people to get a grasp of who it is that's working on their favorite series, but we can't always rely on companies to do things like that.

Thankfully, the community out there is really, really dedicated so you can find staff credits on websites like MAL, Anilist, Anidb, and even Anime News Network. Sure, it takes a little bit of time to go and find those credits, but I think it's really valuable time that's well spent. You're bringing more awareness and understanding into the hobby and community, and that can change the trajectory of it in really wonderful ways.

Highlighting the works of women in anime is just one way of doing that. It inspires people in the community, it makes people aware of the idea of who is making their favorite works, that women are a central and pivotal part of the industry.

I really hope that people found out something cool with this list, and I really do encourage everyone to do a bit of digging into their favorite series to find out the names behind them. I mean, we all know who directs a movie or TV series over here, and we certainly know all about the actors and whatnot, so I'd love to see people bring that same understanding to anime.

[brie-draws]

CONSENT。(コンセント。) © Plastic Tree, 2009

[polmcarts]

Wanting to try something different and I love The Fable so I redrew a scene from the OP🖤

[dailaz]

My new Fanfiction!

Isekai Quartet of Smash Bros!

[ilovecats4ever]

our boy a lil off but hes alright

[anime-to-the-t]

[dangerousbrick]

[otaku-republic]

・ Oteyawaraka ni Kusakabe-kun by Towa ・ Masami-kun wa Kiss mo Shiranai by Hitomi Haruma ・ Neko Neko Sweets by Narazaki Souta ・ Honto Yajuu vol.16 by Yamamoto Kotetsuko ・ Takane no Otouto by Kamori Kiki ・ Cosmetic Playlover by Narashima Sachi ・ Romantic Lamento by Satou Sanayuki ・ Kogoeru Kimi ga Tokeru made by Sakuragi Yaya ・ Toudo no Ou to Sennen no Yume vol.2 by Hino Akira ・ Hanbun Ageru by Arima Arashi

[animemakeblog]

“The Fable” The Manga For Gets TV Anime

The production firm VAP unveiled the official website for The Fable, a television anime based on the manga by Katsuhisa Minami. A teaser image (shown) was also made public on the website.

[cacaitos]

this somehow has the smell of a katsuhiro otomo story

[nocandnc]

~A Few Days Later~

TASTE THE KARMA, BITCH.

[thatsyuribabe]

Ebisu-san to Hotei-san / Ebisu-san and Hotei-san

Story by Satou Nanki, Art by Kizuki Akira

Published 2009-2010 by Tsubomi

English translation by Lililicious

[crazydreamerspwn]

The Monster of the Week team I used to play with. They a band of up-and-coming rock stars who fight monsters in the day and rock out at night.

Not inclulded: Lenny Starlight (the lead singer) and Akira Satou (secret agent)

[demonladys]

Journey to Myself - Help Get This Manga about Gender Identity Licensed

Over the past decade, publishers like YenPress and SevenSeas have allowed us to see a greater diversity in manga titles that get licensed. Both in particular have sizeable LGBTQ+ libraries which have led to some incredible works being available in English, such as Adachi and Shimamura and Our Dreams at Dusk.

Unfortunately, many LGBTQ+ stories still remain unavailable in English. One such manga is “Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made.”

Summary:

Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made (roughly “Until He Becomes Her,” “The Girl He Would Become,” or “Until I Become Me”) is a “gender-bender” manga written and illustrated by Satou Hatsuki. It is a coming-of-age story focused on Fujimiya Akira, a young second-grade boy who bullies the girls at school before waking up one day as a girl due to a rare affliction. The boys in class immediately turn against and abuse Akira, while the girls he once harassed shun him completely. With no friends left at school, Akira is forced to move away and live as a girl. Initially resistant to her new life, a budding friendship leads Akira on an emotional journey towards growing up, forming bonds, and learning to be kind while understanding who she wants to be.

For those unaware, “gender-bender” is a genre of fiction wherein a character, through some means – bodyswapping, magic, etc. – becomes another gender. Many of these works do not depict the trans experience per se, but are based in the perspective of tying gender to sex and play around with it in more crude or simplistic terms. They can play into foibles like gender essentialism, but also offer a space to break down societal ideas of identity. As such, some trans people may sometimes see their experiences reflected in these works, while at other times finding them distasteful or overly simplistic in their portrayal of gender and identity.

OreWata is, despite its inciting incident, very grounded in its exploration of gender identity. Early on in the story Akira is told that if she wishes to return to being a boy, she could start puberty blockers and later on use hormones to transition. The acknowledgement of not only gender dysphoria but medical interventions to alleviate that dysphoria are rare in stories in general, and a refreshing inclusion in a series such as this. As Akira adapts to her new life and grows into adolescence, she learns joy in being called cute, wearing skirts and dresses, and being able to express her emotions more vividly with her friends. Meanwhile, she also struggles to tell her mother about these feelings, afraid of her family's expectations and uncertain how they'd react to her desire to remain a girl. These aspects end up feeling deeply resonant with a trans experience, and we wish for more people to be able to read it.

How to help:

YenPress can be contacted via either Twitter/X (@YenPress) or via Email (yenpress@yenpress.com).

1. Contact via Twitter

If using Twitter, be sure your message is being sent via a public account. Include a picture of the volume 1 cover as attached above. Additional anecdotes help, but are optional. (Special thanks to BehindTheManga for base templates!)

Templates

Hello! I'd really love to see オレが私になるまで (Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made) by Satou Hatsuki licensed in English! @yenpress

Hello. A friend of mine recently recommended a manga to me, but it’s not available in English. The manga is オレが私になるまで (Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made) by Satou Hatsuki. Is there any chance we could see it licensed? @yenpress

Hello! There’s an LGBTQ+ manga that I’d really like to read, but it’s not licensed in English at all. It’s called オレが私になるまで (Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made) by Satou Hatsuki. I would really like to see it in your catalog, if possible! @yenpress 

2. Contact via Email

If possible, it could help to add additional writing or anecdotes are encouraged. This is optional, though.

Basic Template

Subject: Manga Request

Recipient: yenpress@yenpress.com

Message: Hello, Yen Press. I have a manga title I wanted to submit for your company to request.

Title: オレが私になるまで (Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made)

Author: Satou Hatsuki

Japanese Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten

Templates for Extra Messages

As an LGBTQ+ reader, I really appreciate your wide selection of stories highlighting experiences of those like myself. It is important to me that stories like this are accessible to as wide an audience as possible, and given the quality in your releases of other LGBTQ+ works like “Adachi and Shimamura” and “I Want to Be a Wall,” I believe your company would be a great fit for bringing this manga to overseas audiences.

I have a lot of transgender friends, so I’m really interested in seeing more manga on the subject of gender identity. A friend recommended this story to me, but it’s only available in Japanese, so I’m not able to read it. I’ve enjoyed your other releases that play with gender in the past, such as “Magical Girl Incident” and “Miss Savage Fang,” so I believe your company would handle this manga with the care required for it to reach a wider audience.

This story has resonated strongly with me, but when I talked about it with some friends that seemed interested in reading it, we sadly found out that it had not yet been licensed in the US. I have read your releases of LGBTQ+ series’ including "Kiss and White Lily for My Dearest Girl" and enjoyed it, therefore I think you would handle this manga well too.

(Please change or add other works if there are other titles you feel strongly about, and expand messages if you have more to say. These are just examples, and we want to avoid spamming identical messages.)

3. SevenSeas Survey

Manga can be requested to SevenSeas via their monthly surveys available in the right sidebar on their website. https://sevenseasentertainment.com/ 

Under “What non-licensed *MANGA FROM JAPAN* would you like us to license and publish in English? Type it here,” fill in with “オレが私になるまで (Ore ga Watashi ni Naru made) by Satou Hatsuki”. Complete the survey, filling out the rest however you see fit.

How else you can help:

If you could share this post to your friends, especially other LGBTQ+ folks who might be interested in the manga and ask them to participate and share as well, it would be greatly appreciated! The important thing is that the publishers need to know there’s an audience who really wishes to see this published in English, both so that we can support the creator and so that this story may reach a wider audience and get the love it deserves.

Thank you so much for even a small amount of help. We hope that with your support, we can see an overseas release for this story.

[webraciszekbastion]

Masterlist

Requests Opens !

Legend:

One Shot - Cup of Tea 🍵

Headcanons - Cup of Coffee ☕

My thoughts on games or characters - Bubble Tea 🧋(NO request)

Fluff - Chocolate Cookie 🍪| Hurt/Comfort - Dark Chocolate 🍫| Angst - Sour Lemon Cupcake 🧁| Suggestive - Angel Food Cake 🍰| Platonic - Piece of Pie 🥧

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code

Yuma Kokohead:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Shinigami:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Kurumi Wendy:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Yakou Furio:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

👻 Yakou Furio x Reader who is a Horror Fanatic 💀☕🍪

Vivia Twilight:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

📖 Vivia Twilght x Baker!Reader 🥐☕🍪

📖 Vivia Twilight x Artist!Male!Reader 🎨☕🍪

Halara Nightmare:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Fubuki Clockford:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Desuhiko Thunderbolt:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Zilch Alexander:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Pucci Lavmin:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Aphex Logan:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Melamie Goldmine:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Zange Eraser:

☔ Some Headcanons from Rain Code ☔☕

Yomie Hellsmile:

Martina Electro:

Seth Burroughs:

Guillaume Hall:

Makoto Kagutsuchi:

All Master Detectives:

All Peacekeepers:

All Characters:

Project Eden's Garden

Damon Maitsu:

📖 Fem s/o Ultimate Novelist who works non-stop, without taking breaks. 📖 ☕🍪

📖 Big Sister s/o who is best friend. 📖 ☕🥧

Cassidy Amber:

Desmond Hall:

Diana Venicia:

Eloise Taulner:

Eva Tsunaka:

🤞 Big Sister s/o who is best friend. 🤞 ☕🥧

Grace Madison:

Ingrid Grimwall:

Jean DeLamer:

Jett Dawson:

Kai Monteago:

Mark "Mayhem" Berskii:

Toshiko Kayura(Only Platonic):

💌 Big Sister s/o who is best friend. 💌 ☕🥧

Ulysses Wilhelm:

Wenona:

Wolfgang Akire:

All Characters:

Danganronpa Despair Time

Teruko Tawaki:

Xander Matthews:

Charles Cuevas:

Ace Markey:

Arei Nageishi:

Rose Lacroix:

Hu Jing:

Eden Tobisa:

Levi Fontana:

📖 Fem s/o Ultimate Novelist who works non-stop, without taking breaks. 📖 ☕🍪

Arturo Giles:

Min Jeung:

Veronika Grebenshchikova:

J Rosales:

Whit Young:

Nico Hakobyan:

All Characters:

Danganronpa F: Shattered Hope

Enigma:

Cancel:

Yaxi:

Grisp:

Cross:

Scarlet:

Moraiteru:

Pocket:

📖 Fem s/o Ultimate Novelist who works non-stop, without taking breaks. 📖 ☕🍪

Corza:

Rock:

Rox:

Twin:

Rissi:

Anon:

All Characters:

My suggestions for the real names of the characters 🧋

Super Danganronpa Another

Yuki Maeda/Utsuro:

Akane Taira:

Ayame Hatano:

Haruhiko Kobashikawa

Kakeru Yamaguchi:

Kanata Inori:

Kinji Uehara:

Kiyoka Maki:

Kizuna Tomori:

Mikako Kurokawa:

Mitsuhiro Higa:

Rei Mekaru:

Satsuki Iranami:

Teruya Otori:

Tsurugi Kinjo:

Yamato Kisaragi:

All Characters:

Super Danganronpa Another 2

Sora:

Emma Magorobi:

Hajime Makunouchi:

Hibiki Otonokoji:

Iroha Nijiue:

Kanade Otonokoji:

Kokoro Mitsube:

Mikado Sannoji:

Nikei Yomiuri:

Setsuka Chiebukuro:

Shinji Kasai:

Shobai Hashimoto:

Teruya Otori V2:

Yoruko Kabuya:

Yuki Maeda:

Yuri Kagarin:

All Characters:

Danganronpa (He)Artless Deceit

Akira Hayasaka:

Chiemi Hattori:

Chou Yoshida:

Hideyoshi Kurosawa:

Itsumi "Bani" Yoko:

Izanami Hoshimiya:

Katsuhiko Minamoto:

Kiyoshi Fujioka:

Kyouran Murashita:

Otome Hanayama:

Rei Fukuno:

Satoru Tachibana:

Shion Morita:

Takeshi Yamamoto:

Tomoya Morita:

Yumeo Arakawa:

Denshi Shigenobu:

All Characters:

Your Turn to Die

Sara Chidouin:

Joe Tazuna:

Keiji Shinogi:

Kanna Kizuchi(Only Platonic):

Q-taro Burgerberg:

Sou Hiyori:

Reko Yabusame:

Nao Egokoro:

Kai Satou:

Gin Ibushi(Only Platonic):

Kazumi Mishima:

Alice Yabusame:

Ranmaru Kageyama:

Hinako Mishuku(Only Platonic):

Naomichi Kurumada:

Mai Tsurugi:

Anzu Kinashi:

Shunsuke Hayasaka:

Sue Miley:

Tia Safalin:

Rio Ranger:

Gashu:

Midori:

Meister:

All Characters:

All Floor Masters: