#storytelling animation maker

[pangolinmarketing]

Captivate Your Audience with Animated Explainer Videos | Pangolin Marketing

Discover the power of animated explainer videos crafted by Pangolin Marketing. Engage your audience, simplify complex ideas, and boost conversions with our dynamic visual storytelling. Elevate your brand's narrative and leave a lasting impression.

Learn more about our animation services today!

Visit https://videos.pangolinmarketing.com/

[doink]

Lights, Camera, Action! Crafting GIFs with Green Screen by DoInk

GIFs have become a staple in modern visual communication, and with Green Screen by DoInk, you can elevate your GIF game to a whole new level. In this blog post, we'll dive into the exciting world of creating GIFs using the versatile features of Green Screen by DoInk. Whether you're a teacher looking to add animated elements to your lessons or a content creator aiming to engage your audience with dynamic visuals, this step-by-step tutorial is your key to bringing your creations to life. This simple GIF maker can used to create GIF's in seconds that can be used for any project, website or slideshow.

What you will learn:

Introduction to GIF creation in Green Screen by DoInk

Step-by-step guide to crafting GIFs for videos

Leveraging the app's tools, overlays, and animations for GIF enhancement

Real-world examples for inspiration and application

Encouraging creativity and dynamic storytelling with GIFs

Elevating your content with animated elements

With Green Screen by DoInk, GIF creation becomes an accessible and dynamic addition to your visual repertoire. From educational content to captivating storytelling, the possibilities are endless.

Embrace the art of GIF creation with Green Screen by DoInk. Share your animated creations with us, and let the visual storytelling unfold!

[artistalley]

Rowan Sugar (@rowansugar)

Hello, I’m Rowan! I am a Portland, OR-based illustrator, maker, and storyteller creating work full of wonder, warmth, and whimsy. Whether I’m breaking out the paints or working digitally, I love to make playful art of cute animals, lovely plants, fantastical stories, and everyday people that fill the viewer with warmth and elevates mundane moments into the memorable and magical.

My merch features a variety of things such as prints, stickers, zines, pins, and jewelry, and they are all cozy, colorful, and sure to make you smile!

Explore more of @rowansugar's art right here on Artist Alley.  Use the code "TUMBLR10" for 10% off all orders their store.

[what-even-is-thiss]

It seems like in this day and age online video creation is a separate artform like movie making or novel writing or something like that. And it's an artform with a very low barrier of entry and I think that's why some people still don't take it seriously.

But you know, I'm a writer. The only qualifications to try and make that kind of art and sell it in this day and age is to be mostly literate and have some sort of access to a computer. And being a writer is an old, old profession. One that's still hard to make a living as, sure, but it has long been established that this is a thing people do.

Online video creation seemingly still isn't taken very seriously by large chunks of society when it's kind of established itself as an industry by now. Video makers provide free entertainment for viewers and advertising for companies. Perhaps if they don't want to provide advertising they open up a patreon and still provide free entertainment but with some added paid service.

There's a lot of junk and low effort garbage out there in the online content space but there's low effort garbage in every creative industry. Every point that people use to not view things like short video creation and youtube content as Not Real Art can be applied to so many types of creative medium.

I think this might partially be a problem of a certain artform being new. There's still people out there that try to make the argument that video games are Not Real Art when clearly they are. Why wouldn't they be? Because they're collaborative? So are movies and plays. Those are unambiguously forms of art in most people's minds.

Like whether you like it or not that youtuber making a bad apology video is participating in an established form of art and collaborative storytelling at this point in history. There's really no reason to not take it seriously. But things that are new and things that have a low barrier of entry and things that are made for the masses often get dismissed by people who have a very limited view of what's a valid form of high art.

A tiktok can have intense editing and brilliant storytelling in such a short space. Or it can just be one guy yelling into the camera for five seconds. One of these things clearly has more effort put into it than the other but both are products of creative output working within the same medium. Just like I as a literary humorist am working within the same medium as bad poorly designed joke books for five year olds or the creators of Into the Spiderverse are working within the same medium as those bad low effort animated movies found in the bottom of the walmart discount bin.

A youtube lets player is often also a form of improv comedian. A musician that's solely on youtube or instagram is still a musician. But society as a larger hole is still getting around to recognizing these things slowly. It's better than it used to be, but the profession/hobby is still often seen as a lesser form of art and I think as a result a lot of people in online spaces don't know their worth. It leads to artists being underpaid and undervalued.

idk what my overall point here is but. Like. Something doesn't have to be profound or established or hard to get into in order to be an artform.

[yukisubmarino]

It doesn’t matter what Kumiko wants.

(Minor Eupho finale spoilers ahead)

That’s the painful reality of Hibike! Euphonium’s third season, especially for the viewer who (presumably) aligns with our hero’s desires.

The third season does an excellent job in rehashing what we all loved about the first, but its biggest success is in twisting our expectations from the familiar to the uncharted. Kumiko becomes president, which means she can exercise greater control in getting what she wants right? Wrong.

As I’ve argued before, this (in part) is what makes Kumiko an excellent president. She realizes her place within the band is as a mediator, a punching bag, a soundboard, and—most importantly—a selfless decision-maker. It doesn’t come without pain, but it’s in learning to live with the disappointment that our hero grows to become the most effective (and successful) leader the Kitauji band has ever seen.

Kumiko isn’t the only one with unfulfilled desires, of course. Asuka doesn’t win gold, Nozomi can’t live out her dream, Shun doesn’t win Kumiko’s heart (yes i know what happens in the source material but let me have this one), Kanade doesn’t play at Nationals, Reina can’t…well…you know. And Kumiko doesn’t get the soli, even when getting the soli would be the most obvious thing in the world to happen for someone who deserves it.

But the thing is, someone else deserves it, too. Someone else will always deserve the thing that you want, and sometimes that means you won’t get it. It happens all the time! But in a medium filled with so much wish-fulfillment, it’s important to get these occasional reminders that disappointment is natural…and that it will all be okay in the end.

There are a lot of reasons why I think Hibike! Euphonium is the greatest televised anime ever made, many of which are technical and aesthetic and lean heavily towards personal taste. But perhaps the biggest reason is how a show about a high school band on the other side of the world—the most innocuous premise conceivable—manages to bring out some of the most important life lessons anyone of any age could possibly learn. Yes, I want what Kumiko wants, and it upset me so much that she doesn’t get it—just as much as it uplifts me to see the results of her growth born from that pain and frustration.

Hibike’s final act is the show’s greatest movement—a soaring testament to KyoAni’s storytelling power and the emotional height of what televised fiction can attain. Perhaps that’s a recency bias showing, but then again—how could I expect less from the greatest anime ever made?

[veone]

“More and more, it feels like I'm doing a really bad impersonation of myself.”― Chuck Palahniuk, Asfixia

🔞▪️About Section▪️🔞

20s▪️black [american variety]▪️story creator▪️wcif pause▪️pose maker......i will get back to this in more detail. i use the sims as an outlet for storytelling. i post gifs of whatever i like from anime to games and enjoy a good distorted screaming with some instrumentals playing the background as music.

▪️Pintrest

▪️Spotify

Downloads

▪️poses

▪️builds

▪️gshade preset

▪️gshade tutorial

▪️🥡Sun Bleach™️ -What would the life of ordinary people be like a the futuristic cyberpunk dystopians we place action movies and video games in? Lets see.

▪️🚬Story Extra: In this tag I like to post my story builds and make little scenes that are a little teasers while I take time in between updates.

▪️My Gifs🎬-gifs from animes and video games i like

[apomaro-mellow]

Demon!Eddie 5

At some point, Eddie had cleaned Steve up a little and dressed him in a tank top and shorts. The shirt had a band he’d never heard of but maybe Eddie would tell him about it sometime. Steve had tried to get up on his own only to immediately fall back onto the bed when he felt a sharp pain. That would be last night, coming back to literally bite him in the ass.

“Job hunting’s gonna have to wait”, Eddie grinned.

Eventually they migrated to the couch back in the apartment, Eddie lying on his back and Steve right on top of him. He found it very easy to imagine if the rest of his life was like this. In Eddie’s clothes, in his place, completely surrounded by him.

Steve didn't even know where his clothes from the first night went and he didn't give a flying fuck. Not when he was laying on top of Eddie, getting his lower back rubbed.

"Don't get a big head about it. That was the first dick I ever took."

“I didn’t say anything”, Eddie said.

“I can feel it in your hands”, Steve replied before letting out a soft hum as Eddie’s fingers pressed a spot on his spine. 

The morning was spent so lazily and for the first time in a long time, Steve wasn’t thinking about his future or what he was supposed to do about it. He just relaxed in Eddie’s hold. The only time he worried was when Eddie got up to say he was making breakfast. Steve ignored any soreness to confirm if his suspicions were correct.

And to his horror, Eddie dumped ground coffee into a pot, filled it with water, and then set it all on the stove. 

“You’re an animal”, Steve said.

“I think we established that last night”, Eddie smirked.

“I’m talking about your coffee set up. Where’s your coffee maker? Your filters?”

“What’s wrong with the way I make coffee?”

“Tony the tiger wouldn’t make it that way.”

Eddie’s retort was cut off by a knock on the door and a man’s voice. “Eddie? Edifice Edacity Edger you open this door right now!”

“Shit!”

“Who’s that?”, Steve asked.

“Uhh, that would be my uncle. Stay here for a second and don’t make a sound.” Eddie pushed Steve towards the magic door and before Steve knew it, he was floating in a dark abyss.

He wasn’t in the lavish bedroom from before, nor was he in any of the places Eddie took him yesterday. It was just an endless void with no gravity. Steve was no stranger to hiding in girls’ closets, but this was definitely different.

“His uncle, huh...”, Steve whispered just in case. He wondered what he was like. Probably terrifying if Eddie was trying to hide him. Maybe he was closer to a more traditional demon and would’ve eaten Steve up or sucked our his soul.

Steve felt like he was flying and floating and descending all at the same time and just as he was starting to feel disoriented, he saw the light of the door opening right next to him and Eddie reaching in. Steve took his hand and was pulled back into the apartment.

“Wayne, this is Steve, my current contractor. Steve, this is my Uncle Wayne.”

Uncle Wayne looked more like the kind of guy who spent his free time at hardware stores and bait shops than a demon. But now Steve felt like it would be rude to ask.

“Hi there, sir. Nice to meet you.”

Wayne’s hands were on his hips as he looked Steve up and down. “Hmph. He’s easy on the eyes, I’ll give ‘im that. But you should know better than to be swayed by a nice face.”

“I’m not being swayed”, Eddie said. “It’s just taking some time to fulfill his request.”

Wayne gave him a disappointed look. Steve knew they were talking about him but couldn’t see what the exact problem was.

“You know how this story ends, son.”

Eddie crossed his arms. “No actually, I don’t. Why don’t you enlighten us, oh wise storyteller.”

“Eddie, don’t be rude to your uncle”, Steve chastised. 

Wayne held up a hand. “He’s a brat, but he ain’t misbehavin’. But my official designation is ‘storykeeper’.”

“A what?”

Wayne waved a hand and glowing tomes materialized all around them. “Every single person that has ever existed, has a story to tell. Demons too. When a life ends, everything gets compiled and their story comes into my hands.”

“So...you know everything that’s ever going to happen?”, Steve asked in awe.

“I’m not omniscient. I only know what happens when the story’s over. But after doing this for as long as I have, you start to notice patterns.”

“And what’s my pattern?”, Eddie raised a brow.

“How does bullheaded young buck gets too caught up in one deal sound? Does that sound like a fit?”

“I’m not-” Eddie rolled his eyes but made the mistake of looking at Steve while doing so and had to quickly avert them.

“I don’t understand how any of this works, but is Eddie doing anything wrong? We have a deal and he’s seeing it through”, Steve said in his defense.

“Most demons ain’t so thorough”, Wayne answered.

“You and I both know most demons ain’t honest either”, Eddie said.

“Eddie, get the deal done. And move on.”

Eddie didn’t respond but Wayne wasn’t waiting for one, already on his way out the door. Steve waited for the door to close to speak again.

“Am I....are you breaking any rules because of me?”

“Rule breaking is a part of my creed, baby. But technically, no. Wayne’s right, most demons would’ve set you up in a new place with a new name and considered their job done. But I pride myself on my customer service.”

Steve smiled. “Right. You serve all your customers the same way?”

Eddie saw the way Steve was looking at him and faltered. “N-no. No, I don’t. But you’re special.”

It certainly made Steve feel special to hear it straight from Eddie. He got the deeper meaning of Wayne’s warning. They were both supposed to be very short chapters in each other’s lives. Ships passing in the night or whatever. Steve knew, once he had figured out what he wanted, Eddie would leave and he’d never hear from him again.

“I think I’m all rested up now. Let’s keep looking.”

“You sure?”, Eddie asked.

“Yeah. After we get some decent coffee.”

--------------------------

Maybe it was because of his uncle’s words, but Eddie kept his distance for the next few jobs. Steve tried not to mind too much. He was going to have to do whatever he chose without Eddie anyway. He spent the rest of the morning into the early afternoon in a summer camp, working as a sports counselor. 

He had plenty of fun teaching some boys the basics of basketball and running them through drills and even getting through a mini game that they all seemed to enjoy. After a couple periods though, he had a free moment and explored the camp. He ended up being wrangled by a group of boys who needed some muscle for a satellite project.

“I didn’t even know we did this kind of thing at this camp”, he admitted, while lugging around machinery he couldn’t even begin to name.

“Yeah, no duh. You sports counselors barely leave Jock Row”, one kid snarked.

“You should come by the Arts and Sciences building some time”, another said. “We’re always doing something cool.”

“Even if it’s not totally legal!”, the one who had grabbed Steve beamed.

“Uh, what’re you guys’ names again?”

“I’m Dustin, the nice one’s Will, and those two are Lucas and Mike.”

“How does Will get ‘nice one’?”, Lucas asked.

“You know Will’s the reason your cabin didn’t get Cinnamon Toast night, right?”, Mike said.

Dustin gave such a gasp, Steve was worried he’d swallowed a lung.

“Our cabin had to do it with biscuits! How could you?”

“They made it a competition and that’s the one kind I can win”, Will shrugged.

They made it to their destination and Steve followed their disjointed directions but eventually the satellite was built and they were talking to the girls camp across the lake. It was completely juvenile and fun and Steve couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something like this. 

The lunch bugle rang and Steve was approached by a black and red frog while the campers went off to eat.

“And what have you been up to? Frog stuff?”

Eddie croaked, then hopped a couple times in place. Steve crossed his arms.

“I’m not picking you up like this. You’re all, slimy. And you look poisonous.”

Frog-Eddie croaked and hopped onto his shoe, still urging at him but Steve was a rock. Eddie transformed back into himself, wearing the camp t-shirt and red shorts that was the counselor uniform.

“You weren’t so picky about my fluids last night”, Eddie smirked, while wrapping his arms around Steve.

“Yeah there’s a difference.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, beautiful~ Lunch and then on to the next?”

“Let’s.”

----------------------------

Eddie had zero idea why Steve wanted to work in an office. But hey, who was he to judge? At least he wasn’t trying to be a cop anymore. 

Steve really just wanted to experience office culture for himself. It was the sort of thing his father had been setting him up for. Before the ritual sacrifice of course. He was put on mailroom duty and that was where he met his worst enemy - Robin Buckley.

She sneered and scoffed at him most of the time. And when she deigned to use words, her comments were always biting. Delivering mail wasn’t too bad, except the fact that most of the employees barely looked him in the face while delivering. He came to the break room and Robin was already there. He tried to ignore her while getting a yogurt from the fridge.

He leaned against it when another guy came in. Steve was pretty sure his name was Kenneth.

“Hey, it’s the mailroom crew!”, he smarmed while refilling his mug with coffee. “You know Robin you should, maybe not scowl so much the boys here appreciate a nice smile.”

Kenneth walked out before he could see Robin’s megawatt dirty look. She glanced at Steve and saw he had the same look as her.

“What an asshole”, Steve said.

“That’s putting it lightly. There’s so much as, there’s no hole left”, Robin snarked.

Steve slid over closer to her so they could continue to talk in whispers. The people here were jerks but he might choose to work with them one day.

“At least he’s better than Nick.”

Robin wretched with her tongue out. “You know he slept with Norma at the Christmas party?”

Steve raised a brow. “Nick? With the ring on his finger and the happy family picture in his cubicle?”

“Yeah.”

“Scumbag.”

They spent more than was probably allowed on their break, trading gossip. Steve only got distracted when he saw a very attractive janitor roll by with his mop and bucket. Without a word, he walked off and followed him right into the closet.

“You’ve been wandering around more”, Steve said as the door closed.

“Just tryina give you space baby. Wouldn’t wanna influence your decision”, Eddie grinned, taking the cap off his head.

“And what if my decision was to blow off work and have some fun with the cleaning guy in the broom closet?”

“Sounds like the opposite of climbing the corporate ladder”, Eddie grinned while unzipping his jumpsuit.

“The opposite of climbing is what again?”, Steve said as he sank down to his knees.

Part 7

Tag Team

@swimmingbirdrunningrock @flustratedcas @estrellami-1 @weirdandabsurd42 @lololol-1234 @chaoticvictorianspirit @giopandaonice @marklee-blackmore @blackpanzy @kacatshi @stevesbipanic @goodolefashionedloverboi @panicatthediaz @gregre369 @littlewildflowerkitten @starryeyedpoet17 @envyadams-vs-me @abbiecadabi-blog @genderless-spoon  @stxrcrossed186 @l0st-strawberry @willowsmelody @bornonthesavage @mxmakessense @roaringgoodshow @potato-of-the-lord @actualwakingnightmare @meccaminayah @irregular-child  @cherr1ehead @anaibis @finalmoondragon @sani-86 @bestwifehaver @tinyplanet95 @mc-i-r @abstractnaturaldisaster @livgil273 @crowley--aziraphale @formacoon @slv-333 @just-a-tiny-void @beckkthewreck @awkwardgravity1 @plasticcrotches

[asklilmissrarity]

WIP - Melodi Opening Cutscene

I won't be revealing a LOT of sneak previews of Melodi, but when this cutscene is complete, it will serve as a teaser for the game being officially in production.

For now, may this serve as a proof of concept and an introduction into what to expect in the world of Melodi.

Melodi is being produced in RPG Maker, and cutscenes will be in this style for storytelling purposes. Not fully animated, but sort of animatic. The animatic style is very much hearkening to using Tumblr's inline image viewing system to make pseudo-animations frame by frame.

The difference between red and gray backgrounds is that red is the color of unshaped dreams, while the other is the waking world. Melodi's species may not sleep, but they can daydream very vividly.

In this scene, we are introduced to our protagonist, Melodi, the scatterbrained Ellinai ("Moon Elf"), and her History Professor, the esteemed Eliah Sterium (He is a Whimzy, magical dream unicorns).

In Melodi's universe, a slap with a ruler isn't even close to the worst things a teacher will do to their students.

[Note: I will be making a Discord server for Melodi game development, and that server will be utilized for asking questions, seeing art production, WIPs and other things, as well as information about how you can support the production of Melodi, be it financially, technically (teaching me how to RPG Maker) or simply with vocal support. It will also have channels for discussion on different topics such as characters, lore, fan art, draw-along streams, spoiler discussion and theories about upcoming story beats. I'll be posting here when the Discord is created and I hope many of you join! Please keep in mind that the game is very violent and raunchy, but is not pornographic. It will be rated M but will not contain nudity. Sexual references, yes, but visually speaking it will not contain porn. I just wanted to make this clear right away before moving forward in production with the game.]

[papermint-airplane]

I took a nap and had a dream that I was playing my game and doing a story update so I'm taking that as a sign. While I'm waiting for my game to load, I thought I'd give everyone a sneak peek into my setup process.

Step 1: Load into the game. Wait an eternity because you're a CC addict.

Step 2: Turn on moveobjects. The best part about posing Sims in the Sims 3 is that you can physically grab the little fuckers and put them where you want, no creepy statues necessary.

Step 3: Hide them speech bubbles. Sit there for a moment and wonder why you went out of your way to download and install a mod that makes the speech bubbles a higher quality when you literally never play with them on.

Step 4: Turn on movie maker mode. You never know when you're going to need a very specific game animation so it's best to have it ready.

Step 5: Teleport your Sim into position. Get ready! Here's the really exciting part!

Step 6: Suddenly realize that you forgot to put your storytelling poses in and quit the game while cursing your past self for their stupidity.

Step 7: Repeat steps 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. God help you if you repeat step 6. You may get trapped in a recursive loop.

[onenettvchannel]

BALITANG ENTERTAINMENT: Wakfu webtoon comic sequel 'The Great Wave' premieres, featuring intimate scenes at starting point between Yugo and Amalia [#K5NewsFMExclusive]

(Written by Rhayniel Saldasal Calimpong / Freelance News Writer, Online Media Reporter and Presenter of OneNETnews)

WARNING!!! SENSITIVE GRAPHIC CONTENT! Reader's discretion is STRONGLY ADVISED!!!

ROUBAIX, FRANCE -- Big exciting news for fans of the French animated series 'Wakfu' - the much-anticipated webtoon comic sequel to the Season 4 finale has premiered! Titled 'The Great Wave', Chapter 1 picks up where the last episode left off, featuring a steamy and intimate love-making scene between Yugo the Eliatrope and Princess Amalia Sheran Sharm (now canonized under a shipping name 'YuMalia').

In a blog post review by a Tumblr user '@cocogum', the webtoon comic doesn't shy away from showcasing the passionate connection between Yugo and Amalia, which now became the 'Sharm' family. From the very start of Chapter 1, readers are treated to a series of insanely and boldingly graphic s*x scenes, which may shock you really bad for the sensitive webtoon comic readers, providing for a deeper look into the characters' relationship.

Such praises for the makers of a French cartoon show like 'Anthony Roux' for not turning himself back from guarding the physical aspect of YuMalia's love that adds such a realistic and raw dimension to their story. Fans of this series dares to enjoy this bold and daring portrayal of the characters' romance.

The release of the webtoon comic comes after the success of the already-funded Kickstarter campaign for the animated series of Season 4 to 'Ankama Studios' and French public broadcaster 'France Televisions'. Not long ago as you might recall, the kids and teens programming block 'Okoo' (part of 'France 3' and 'France 4' for Wakfu) are no longer covering new episodes to animate after this final 4th Season, because of matured audience is currently in effect, and way over targeted demographic limit for the youths, in exception with parents like you.

With the fans of the Wakfu universe eager to be fed more, the decision to continue the story through a webtoon comic format proves to be a wise one. All the chapters will be released every Fridays until late-June 2024, to conclude an extended version after the 4th and final season of the French kids show.

The move of the Wakfu series into different mediums is exiting to be thought of. The webtoon comic does not only take the relationship between Yugo and Amalia (now called on his new marriage name of Mr. Yugo Sharm the Eliatrope) to soar new heights but also provides a new way for fans to delve into the wonderful characters.

For those interested in reading something spicy about 'The Great Wave - Chapter 1' and future chapters on a last post-4th Season finale of Wakfu, the weekly webtoon comic series is out now for purchase at the Ankama Online Store website, or through Ankama launcher when available. With its mind-blowing storyline and bold approach to storytelling, this sequel will just keep fans hooked and on the edge for more.

The best thing will be when the journey of Mr. Yugo Sharm and Prncs. Amalia Sheran Sharm (both were now growned adults) turns into an intense and passionate ride in this exciting new chapter of their life as husband and wife in Sadida Kingdom, and the rest goes history for what does the future bring in a weekly webtoon comic.

COVER PHOTO and SCREENGRAB COURTESY for REPRESENTATION: Ankama Studios & France 4 BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

SOURCE: *https://store.ankama.com/en/a-16459-webtoon-pack [Referenced Listing via Ankama Online Store website] *https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ankamaanimations/wakfu-the-animated-series-season-4/posts/4080520 [Referenced Captioned Status Post via Kickstarter] *https://old.reddit.com/r/wakfu/comments/1c7lq3h/wakfu_the_great_wave_chapter_01_discussion_thread/ [Referenced Subreddit Post via Reddit] *https://cocogum.tumblr.com/post/742135291329036288/ [Referenced Blog Post #1 via Cocogum] and *https://cocogum.tumblr.com/post/748456382070751233/ [Referenced Blog Post #2f via Cocogum]

-- OneNETnews Team

[m1ssword]

My favourite retro animes with their perks and perils

Let's start straight away!

1. Lady Oscar / The Rose of Versailles

(70s)

Such a lovely manga/anime series. The story follows the life of a military general's daughter Oscar and Marie Antoinette. Oscar is raised like a boy to succeed her as the commander of the Royal Guards at the Palace of Versailles. The story is set in France before and during the French Revolution.

Perks:

Strong multidimensional female lead

Surprisingly historically accurate

Interestingly captures the large scale of femininity and being a woman

Cool soundtrack

Interesting fact: this anime inspired the makers of Berserk (1997)

Perils:

You'll cry

2. Lady Georgie

(80s)

Lady Georgie tells the growth story of a girl named Georgie who lives in peaceful and pittoresque Australian countryside. Georgie doesn't know the secret about her origin while the rest of her family knows it.

Perks:

absolutely endearing setting

the storytelling of their childhood is beyond cuteness

reminded me of the book "The Little Princess" by F. H. Burnett

Perils:

I was a bit weirded out by the love square (?) which included her two adoptive brothers

The ending is not satisfying and the manga is even worse

The love between Georgie and her main love interest is quite bland

3. City Hunter

(mainly 80s)

City Hunter is a humorous anime classic from the 80s. The story focuses on Ryo Saeba, a famous underground sweeper in Shinjuku, and his partner Kaori Makimura. They together help different customers - which are all beautiful women, since Ryo is also well-known for his lecherous habits. Kaori keeps Ryo in check with her hammer.

Perks:

fun anime with a lot of seasons and movies

interesting characters

pictures the city life of Japan in the 80s

Perils:

the love story between Ryo and Kaori is sometimes frustrating

The fetishism of women in almost every episode starts early to feel like a worn joke (notice the time context)

Episodes follow the same plot almost every time, may start to feel repetitive

Tsukasa Hojo, the maker of City Hunter, has also done an another manga named Angel Heart which shares the same characters with City Hunter but isn't it's continuation. I don't yet have a full review of AH, since I'm currently watching it. Thus far, I have cried during every episode, it's good but different. (Please tell me in the comments would you like to have full review of AH)

And a lot more...

There is a lot more retro animes that I didn't mention in this post, like Candy Candy, Cowboy Bebop, Sailor Moon, Utena, Ranma, Akira, Lupin the III, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Berserk (1997). This is just my list of favourites and I hope that you would like to share your favourites in the comments!

With love,

Jessica

[tamelee]

Hello! I've seen you around before but never really visiting your page and now i have! (✨I don't regret it✨)

I have an ask but I don't know if you're comfortable about it so answering it is a choice, not an obligation

Ask:

Why do you ship sns?

(i also ship it but i like to ask people what they think about it)

✨I’m very glad you have✨- hi~!

Yes of course. I talked about some of it here

There are quite a few of ships that I like, but I rarely talk about those. I know they’re just that— a ship. But even if there’s more to it… maybe? None of them come even close to the amount of wealth of supporting evidence that SNS holds to prove that yes, Kishimoto sat in front of a desk for 15+ years hunched over an entire love story, deliberately meaning for it to be romantic, but not ever really able to spell it out directly because… Shonen demographics. Probably. Mostly. And company decisions; alas the sequel. (That’s why I don’t really ship SNS, it feels off to me, I rather am a fan? Not important at all, just a distinction I’d like to make anyway.)  

And at first it was mostly because other people claim their bond really is romantic through their observations. I wanted to find out for myself and coming to that conclusion took me a lot of digging. The more I did that, the more I started to like SNS, Kishimoto as a storyteller and ‘Naruto’ as a story overall because it stands out in ways other stories don’t.

But.. if you want specifics of my reasons story-wise.. (I will not apologize for the upcoming rant 🧡 you did ask me about SNS after all.. ’s what happens)— feel free to read further:

Major Reason 1— the Manga

Because how do you really start to see layers within a story that aren’t spelled out? I’ve seen some SNS-fans questioning their own beliefs and intuitions, but that’s not a bad thing, nor is it surprising. Kishimoto is a sneaky bastard and we love him for it, but I wouldn’t really agree with people saying how “easy” it is to see true meaning, because “it’s all so obvious” when ‘meaning’ isn’t really always. And it discredits the necessary skill and literary devices Kishimoto used to tell this story from his position as Shonen Mangaka imo. Severely.

Majority of me becoming a fan only started after reading the Manga. Here is where all the extra noise and influence in the Anime from the many (and often different) episode directors and other decision-makers, is removed completely. (I’m not saying that’s all done with ill intent, just, intent best suited for Anime goals that I don’t necessarily agree with in ‘Naruto’s case. I don’t really care otherwise.)  

Manga vs. Anime: In Manga is where all the Mangaka’s true subtext is and where their messages through the Theme are a lot more clear than when you view it through episodes. Each episode has separate goals not necessarily tied to the overall Story (like in Manga), but to structure it in a way that optimizes entertainment within the timeframe of an episode. It’s true art of deliberately selecting and stretching of source material. People sometimes don’t believe me when I say that, because if you ignore fillers and the Anime covers the same things as the Manga, surely it won’t make a difference? But it really does. You can use all the extra elements in Animation to strengthen a message (like voice, action, music, pacing and camera-direction), but the opposite is true also. Even as “simple” as coloring can subtly influence subtext. You can use all the elements in whichever way to tell the story— together very powerful, but not all nearly as aligned with the Mangaka’s “truth”.  To test this out of curiosity, I have put the Manga and several episodes side by side and when you study a scene from the Manga (a case study), the underlying messages are sometimes completely removed in the Anime. Or other perceptions are strengthened by showing moments a character thinks back on to show what they mean with their words even if it’s irrelevant at the time. It doesn’t mean it’s not relevant at all, it’s just not the same thing as in the Manga. (I don’t recommend testing it the way I have because it takes an ungodly amount of time ><) And it’s only natural for the Anime to do that because… it’s literally their job to fill in episodes in a way they think is best and fits their goals with their audience in mind. Anime and Manga audiences aren’t the same even if someone belongs to both. This is true at least in theory and from my understanding talking to animators when I traveled, they aren’t treated the same if you compare strategies. That’s also why saying Kishimoto helped with certain movies or his approval of whatever doesn’t say too much (or at all) regarding his personal vision regarding the source, because the execution of the final product has too many elements that have nothing to do with his role or skills in the project, whereas that’s completely different with the Manga. It’s fairly obvious in ‘Gaiden’ and Minato’s story as well. Yet his name is always used to prove otherwise because it’s a marketing tactic and it (unfortunately) works. 

Major Reason 2— Subverting Expectations

It’s true that a lot about SNS and their bond is just blatant text and spelled out directly making them both sound incredibly insane and incredibly in love. Meaning, that even if you would watch the Anime or read the Manga on a surface level— you’d realize there’s something more going on regardless. If you question whether your intuition is true on this, watch any reaction to certain moments— you’re not alone. It isn’t for nothing that majority of the general audience mockingly calls Sasuke ‘Sasgay’ since the beginning or are only able to filter an opinion about his motivations through what the surface-narrative says it is: bad. (We can talk about that more in a different post.)

Or people hate Naruto for prioritizing something other than his protagonist’ self “should” prioritize; what is narratively seen as “good”. (Konoha for example. Often why people put Konoha vs. Sasuke when there’s a lot more to it and categorizing it as such only enhances that surface view of good vs bad— it works against the argument these people try to make because that automatically puts Sasuke in the bad-category for most people.. ’s kinda funny, but not really.) 

Or how there are complaints because neither Naruto or Sasuke have shown even the slightest interest towards their ‘supposed’ (read: Shonen-‘expected’) love-interests because there isn’t any. Arguing that they should love another character simply because the girlies are stalking and fawning over them holds no ground at all, yet people take it as truth because they don’t know where else to look. To accept or even acknowledge the unexpected means you gotta swim a little deeper to explore the rest of the iceberg. (Yes, ‘Naruto’ really is that special.) If you don’t then it’s pretty easy to blame everything on bad writing, but I don’t think that’s fair at all simply because some people are unwilling/unable to actually see what’s truly written in the first place and can’t connect things otherwise because “no that’d be gay” and “it’s not possible, it’s Shonen so the Hero should fall in love with the most obvious girl-option” despite there being no mutual foundation to support a decision like that. Nor is there any significance that contributes to anything else. (Or in ‘Naruto’s case, Kishimoto mocks the idea of them liking these girls back, which should tell you a lot as well.) 

Major Reason 3— Subtext, Plot-Goals & Theme

So alright, there’s text. There’s them giving up their goals for each other, willing to trade their lives for the other’s wellbeing or dreams, wanting to understand and reach hearts being each other’s one and only’s in different ways as well as driving strength, motivation and the cause of inner conflicts… but all of its meaning is found in context. (Yes, that thing that people love to ignore to make up their own.) The foundation of SNS’s bond and what it means to them (and even other characters) is primarily subtext weaved through their character arcs. Their change as a character has all to do with each other and very little with the actual plot, hence their final battle being an emotional one and more climactic (in theory of storytelling) than the actual war. 

And yeah, possibly the reason why no one could really connect with the war was because it actually had little meaning beyond the surface.  

Naruto was already celebrated as future Hokage and got the acknowledgement he believed would make him happy. But it didn’t, not for long. 

Sasuke killed both his brother (sorta) and Danzo. He had the perfect opportunity to demolish Konoha because he believed that would be the solution, but he didn’t. Because he realized he had to question the former Hokage and learn more to tackle the problem behind his suffering (the system) on a larger scale. (Revolution.)

These things by itself should tell you there is more to it, because had it been any other story, it would’ve been over. It’s the entire revelation that halts a story completely, but it went on didn’t it? The war only strengthened Sasuke’s resolve for his plan for revolution (we can talk about that in another post) and Naruto’s status as Hero is conflicting and can’t actually ever soothe his anger (in fact, you can see during the war that it became worse) which is why Kishimoto sorta lamely (I’m sorry) brushed the problems off during the Waterfall of Truth arc… by having Naruto believe in himself (which he already did) for arguably the wrong reasons. Although admirable and touching, it’s not very believable considering the rules Kishimoto set before.

So, their arcs continue and the characters have to keep growing. As Main-characters, it’s saying “you aren’t there yet, there’s something you have to discover still”. It isn’t “anyway, you still have a war to fight”, because the war isn’t an obstacle to their inner needs. It’s plot conflict mostly. When it comes to Naruto and Sasuke, Kishimoto masterfully used plot conflict between each other as an obstacle to represent how they feel. Naruto’s existence really is an obstacle to Sasuke’s goal, but you gotta wonder why exactly that is. Naruto couldn’t ever become Hokage if he couldn’t save a friend, but if that’s true, then Naruto failed long before that, so why is Sasuke so special, huh? Hehe.  

On top of all that, overcoming these obstacles means they have to fight for it— emotionally and literally. And fight they do, which is why it is so emotional, because it’s both. The discovery lies in acceptance, something a character can’t go back from in a good story and it’s very prevalent during their conversation after VotE2 and Sasuke’s inner monologue at the end. They are each other’s answer to the Thematic questions the story posed in the beginning. These aren’t “can Naruto become Hokage?” Or “Will Sasuke decide to destroy Konoha?” Or “will our heroes be able to win the war?”, those are plot, not Theme and they don’t argue for a Universal truth nor does it repeat throughout the story constantly like their bond is. It's why Sasuke's "I've lost" has nothing to do with giving up the reason behind his goal, nor the physical fight they just had.

Together it creates a promise saying their understanding is the solution to the Narutoverse’s problem we unfortunately weren’t able to see in action because it jumped from that to delulu lala-land. But that didn’t make the former any less true.

Because if it wasn’t, then Kishimoto spent 72 volumes proving a message he never intended to prove which is ridiculous. As is saying that doing so is accidental (lmao).

And come on now, if their love for each other is the growth within their Character Arcs, the answer to the problems the Theme and Plot posed, both supported by Context and Subtext with some insane blatant Text on top, then I’m sold completely. 

Ooohhh and don’t get me started on the insane amount of symbolisms and metaphoric elements and how Kishimoto used minor characters to support and deepen its meaning because I'll be typing forever... ><

[skaruresonic]

Hey! I just read your post about creating visual novels (this one: https://www.tumblr.com/tartrazeen/759072677603524608?source=share)

I'm trying to make one right now. I'm not too sure which tool I should use - I was thinking RPG Maker so I could use the little sprites - but I figured I could do stick people or something as placeholders for actual artwork.

No matter what tools I use, how exactly did you go about "writing" it? Did you script your story out first and then learn how to program it after, or did you need to know how the program worked to tailor your story to that?

I learned to code in tandem with writing the story. It's moreso the case that the writing evolved in the process of learning how to code, began to mold itself to the medium, if that makes sense. Personally, if I had to do it over again, I would take the time to acquaint myself with RenPy's particular scripting language, as it might have made the process a lot faster and less... growing pains-y. I would recommend learning to code first, but again, it doesn't make much sense to make a test VN without a story to support it, so maybe make something small for your first test project where you get to grind for XP commit mistakes in a space where your art isn't riding on it. People make silly test VNs that never see the light of day for the specific purpose of teaching themselves coding, so don't feel afraid to do that. Writing VNs differs from writing other stories in a way that's difficult for me to explain. You have extra tools in which to deliver the story, and it takes time to learn those tools - telling stories not just with words, but with timing, animation, audio, and images as well. You'll find that it isn't enough to simply have images pop up onscreen; you'll want to make them appear with a flourish, and those flourishes also tell a story. The UI tells a story. How you make elements appear and disappear contribute to the overall story. When you think of everything as a potential contributor to the story, that opens up a lot of possibilities and gets you thinking with portals creatively. In that vein, I'd say depending on your angle (because some VNs are just straight-up text, which is valid too), VNs can function somewhat more like movies. They can benefit greatly from an understanding of cinematography.

This might sound weird, given how we naturally tend to think of writing as the most important element - and it is important, just maybe not the only important element - but I think one of the most important things you need to establish right away, even before setting down any words, is a strong aesthetic. As one half of the medium, the visual part of a visual novel cannot be neglected.

What angle are you shooting for? Romance anime? Comic book? Gritty film noir? What are your visual motifs? In addition to helping you decide how to market your VN, the aesthetics will inform your storytelling, give you some concrete image or symbol to latch on, and can serve to subtly reinforce both theme and narrative. For Doki Doki Literature Club, it was the heart and a pen. You'll notice its motif of writing is reflected in the way in which the title resembles a scrapbook:

You and Me and Her has a cell phone as its main McGuffin and so technology becomes one of its motifs. Its textbox resembles a cloud; the text also moves rather slowly, to make you stop and soak in its story. The dreamlike interface later changes into something that resembles an old-school computer UI when a character decides to manipulate your route, reflecting the artifice of the game:

Worldend Syndrome had the pinwheel as a recurring symbol for narrative purposes and is color-coded to represent each of its characters. In addition, it bears a feel-good early summer vibe that I absolutely adore.

The novel I've been reading sporadically on and off over the past year, Hashihime of the Old Book Town, reflects a 1930s Japanese aesthetic, blending traditional Japanese art and literature with Western influences. Note the juxtaposition of traditional and modern elements, like the film reel beside an ink drawing of a koi fish:

It's also brilliant imagery because the game's plot centers around the MC's frequent breaks from reality; the film reel represents exaggerated realities, while the fish reflects how he "jumps" through various parallel worlds through puddles of water.

Everything sort of "trickles down" from there. It doesn't make sense to have a UI befitting a Resident Evil game if you're writing a cutesy otome game, for instance, unless you're aiming for cognitive dissonance.

For OaS I decided early on that, because it was going to be a slapstick comedy in places, the sprites should be more cutesy and cartoonish than the subdued way Sonic characters are usually drawn:

The goofy exaggeration only served to heighten the story's comedy. A "bounce" animation I found and later tweaked served as the basis for a running gag where Sonic gets hurt and "boings" like a rubber ball.

I also liked the Advance series' checkered tiles and wanted to go for a watercolor manga-cover-esque flavor... which, in turn, fed the ridiculousness of the story:

That's a far cry from this current project's aesthetic, which is slower, moodier, more somber, and more, I guess, "erudite," as it's based on Welsh literature and a little on history. So the aesthetic has to match.

Not to say aesthetics should be the only thing going for your story, of course, but because this is a visual medium, it is significant enough to warrant my huge wall of text about it lol. If you're just starting out, I'd recommend grabbing placeholder sprites and backgrounds until you can procure ones of your own. It's perfectly fine to use stick figures, although eventually you will have to start working with finalized pieces since the individual dimensions of your pieces will impact how your code functions.

If it wasn't clear already lol, I work with RenPy. Despite my frequent moaning and complaining, it's probably the easiest program to learn for coding, as it uses its own framework built atop Python. Once you go through the process of learning the syntax, you can pretty much do anything you want with it, as it's infinitely customizable.

Some auxiliary programs I use are FireAlpaca (a free art program that works just as well as MediBang or Photoshop, and even supports animation), Audacity (free audio mixing; can also convert mp3 files to OGG, which is a must since RenPy only recognizes OGG file format) and Notepad for coding.

Btw, all of this stuff you can do for free. Anybody who tells you that you need to pay for fancy programs is trying to sell you something. Don't fall for it lol. As for actually making the thing... My creative process is messy and probably shouldn't be emulated. For lack of a better term, I call it the "dumping everything out on the table" method. First (and note that this step isn't always "completed", it's an ongoing process) I gather all the "raw materials," and then sift through them and play with them until the final product becomes something coherent. The material-gathering includes art, music, and sound effects, which will take some time. I count writing as a "raw material" as well since it can be edited.

From there, the writing and the coding sort of feed into each other. I have to be able to experience the story as the player will experience it, as it's a different experience than when you're staring at a word processor. What will the player feel at this juncture? Does it Hit Different(tm) when I use different wording, or change the song that's playing in the background, or employ a different sprite, or tweak the timing, or use a different animation?

The general rule I try to abide by in this regard is that if it isn't working for me, it probably won't work for the player, either. Put yourself in their shoes, because they're the ones going to be playing it.

Even something as simple as the way you present choices to the player conveys information. Should I offer a choice during this particular scene, or let the moment play out linearly? How many choices should I offer? Do I stick them in a false choice? An infinite loop? Do I hide choices, making the player feel clever for finding them or powerless to stop the narrative? Do I assign variables to choices? Do I disable rollback for choices so the player has to stick with their decisions? If I do have rollback enabled, will I do something with that? What are the consequences of making choice A first, then choice B, if at all? Many things to consider. Sometimes the sheer volume of work can overwhelm you as a solo dev and make it difficult to maintain motivation. Especially since you can't really show off a buggy game the way you would a story excerpt or a rough sketch. Making to-do lists, especially towards the end of the development process when it seems like a million things are screaming for attention, helped me stay on task and break them down into smaller, more manageable chunks. I might not be able to bang out a 20,000-word route in a week, but I can certainly fix a bug that duplicates a character sprite. This is a medium where you have a lot to keep track of, and small details do add up in the end. Crossing tasks off your to-do list provides small wins that add up over time. That's why I decide that certain days are dedicated to specific kinds of work. Some days are for writing, others coding, etc. (Also, RenPy comes built in with its own list function called TODO, although I haven't personally played around with it yet.)

Although OaS technically features choices, thus making it not a kinetic novel in the strictest sense, it's still a very linear novel with only one branching path. There weren't any persistent variables other than the flag which determined your route placement, and it functioned much like an on/off switch. Which is why I have no idea how Random managed to bypass it. xP

This new project, on the other hand, is much less binary in its structure. It tracks seven variables for three different characters and calculates ending eligibility based on the accumulation of those variables. Which, just in terms of sheer coding, is A Lot(tm) to keep track of. I struggle to scale back the scope creep out of fears that a more standard visual novel experience will bore the player. It's likely that if you're playing a visual novel, you're not expecting a hack-and-slash, but ofc that won't prevent the monkey brain from clapping its hands at you like "Your game NEEDS more interactivity or you're gonna lose them!" That's the devil talking. Ignore him.

So then you're gonna be weeks into implementing a QTE, only to realize that the version of RenPy you downloaded bears a glitch that forces repeat interactions at inconvenient times and you might have to scrap that and do something else entirely.

Based on a true story. xP

[moviemunchies]

You know what? The world is stressful. Let’s do something silly. Let’s watch a black-and-white movie about a woodsman trying to beat down some beavers.

Hundreds of Beavers is about Jean Kayak, a brewer whose livelihood is upended by some beavers. After a few days wandering the wilderness hungry, Jean sees how much fortune a fur trapper can earn, especially off of beaver pelts, and starts on the business himself, trying to take out as many beavers as he possibly can through traps, tricks, and just plain weapons. Of course, those wiley beavers are a lot cleverer than you’d expect.

Also, almost all of the animals in this movie are played by people in mascot costumes.

Oh, boy! This movie is ridiculous! Polygon kept calling it the funniest movie of the year; I don’t know if that’s true, but it IS hilarious, in part because of its ridiculous premise, and also because of how absurdly it pulls it off. It’s not just that there are low-budget special effects, it’s that the movie revels in it, and uses those for silly storytelling.

For instance, there’s quite a lot of guts in this movie, from animals being cut open after they’ve been killed. Except… those guts are all plush, and instead of blood, there are bursts of packing peanuts that erupt when an animal has been killed. Dead animals also get an ‘X’ on each eye after they’ve been killed. The violence is almost cartoon in every aspect, and I’m amazed at how the makers of the movie translated it into live-action. And again, most of the animals are played by people in mascot costumes, making it even more absurd.

There are some jokes in here that are more… adult than I really expected? There’s no nudity, at least not with humans; I guess there’s snow-person nudity (if someone cares–they’re not like, alive or anything in this movie)? This isn’t a, “You can’t watch this movie, there are dirty jokes!” This is just a, “Hey, be aware of that, I wasn’t when I started watching this film.” Because a movie without any intelligible, audible dialogue isn’t one where you’d really expect there to be too many dirty jokes. Maybe that’s just me.

I am impressed with how clever and capable Jean becomes over the course of the movie, as well. He’s, quite plainly, an idiot at the beginning of the movie. He’s not a rocket scientist at the end, but he is a lot better at getting things done, figuring out ways to hunt and trap beavers. Again, I don’t expect character development in this kind of movie! But it’s here, even if he doesn’t talk in the entire movie.

The Plot is a bit wandering, though, if we even want to call that a Plot. The thing that actually gives the movie its title isn’t in there until over halfway through the movie. I was under the impression that it would be towards the beginning, so I can understand if some audiences might get annoyed at how much of the movie is Jean wandering around, getting lost, failing to kill beavers, before he has an actual point to his hunting. To me, though, the movie’s funny enough that you almost don’t notice.

The rest of the characters don’t have much depth, though, which is fine: it’s a silly movie about silly characters doing silly things. 

And it makes a very entertaining film! It’s not for everyone, I think, but I suspect a ton of people would get a kick out of this movie. If from this review, you find it interesting, go check it out–it’s on a lot of free platforms, like Tubi. Give it a try! And you’ll get to watch a fur trapper beat the packing peanuts out of a ton of beavers.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Are there any ttrpgs for low fantasy but non-gritty vibes?

THEME: Non-Gritty Low Fantasy

Hello friend! Wow, this request sure threw me for a loop. It took a while, but I hope these games have something that piques your interest. You might find some common themes among these recommendation - namely, Lord of the Rings and Studio Ghibli.

Hearth, Home & Halflings, by Loreshaper Games.

You are an inhabitant of the Eastland Greens. It’s a beautiful place, untouched by the concerns of the world around it. Halflings have lived here for centuries, going about their business (usually eating anything they can get their hands on) with aplomb.

Nothing serious has happened in the last several centuries, but the inhabitants of Eastland Greens need to find ways to entertain themselves. Usually, they channel this into wholesome hobbies—cooking (important, given their voracious appetites!), golf, and raising all sorts of plants and animals.

This is a one-page rpg with extremely simple rules, with very low stakes. Each player uses a d6 to determine whether they succeed, and if they succeed with style (6 or higher) they gain a Mischief token. You can use Mischief tokens to add 1 to a future roll, but you’re also accepting small problems that you’ll have to fix as you go. Will you outperform your rival at the local festival? Make off with a farmer’s best mushrooms? Steal the barkeep’s best keg? You decide!

The Caravan Endures, by g3rmb0y.

The Caravan Endures is a collaborative TTRPG designed to focus on teamwork, planning, and communication skills. Set in a unique Western meets Fantasy world, it embodies the idea of gentle fantasy, encouraging players to find peaceful solutions to encounters rather than violence. 

This is a Western-Fantasy style game, that encourages players to work together to achieve their goals. There are both individual and group dice rolls, depending on whether the group faces an encounter together or whether an individual takes responsibility for a specific action. Players can take the roles of different specialists, which act as classes or playbooks in that they provide each character with abilities and tools that they can use to solve problems. Since it’s expected that your players will look for non-violent solutions to problems, there’s less room for grittiness in this game than you might expect from something with a Western theme. 

There’s also a Vision Accessible version of this game, for folks who use screen readers.

Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine, by Jenna Moran.

The Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine RPG is a diceless RPG from Jenna Katerin Moran. It’s a progressive, warm-hearted game that focuses on adventure and slice-of-life stories — think Laputa: Castle in the Sky or Kiki’s Delivery Service, but also Western stuff like Friendship is Magic, Harry Potter, and Adventure Time!

Pursue fabulous quests.

Progress through Issues.

And find a place for yourself in a world of breathtaking beauty.

Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish Granting Engine contains a sliding scale of genre, from pastoral slice-of-life to epic fantasy. The setting is inspired by Studio Ghibli movies, so if you like that gentle mode of storytelling, this is certainly worth checking out. One thing you might want to keep in mind in this game is that players benefit if they have a log of what happened throughout the game, whether it’s through written notes, or a list of messages on a noticeboard somewhere. There are a few supplements available for this game, such as Fortitude: by the Docks of Big Lake (which immerses you into the pastoral lakeside setting), The Glass-Maker's Dragon (a campaign set in Fortitude), and The Techno Player's Guide (a guide for the "Techno", or "goofy" style of play).

Pipedream, by Role Over, Play Dead.

PIPEDREAM is a #SWORDDREAM roleplaying game of detectives, problem-solving, and rural mysteries in a fantastic world; or a farcical drug comedy. You may play it as both.

The game is played as a conversation between a Referee and 1-4 Wisefellows (halfling detectives). The Referee describes the scenes and supporting characters, and presents problems and threats that players are faced with. The other players portray the Wisefellows and decide on their actions as they experience surprising adventures in the world of Irisfields.

This game is dangerous for the characters, but it it doesn’t take itself too seriously. While your characters will most likely get into trouble, the main goal first and foremost is to solve mysteries. If you like the idea of following clues to various strange places and odd answers, you might want to check out Pipedream!

Back Again from the Broken Land, by Cloven Pine Games.

You are small people who walked into a big war. The Doomslord’s forces were gathered in the Broken Land, and your fellowship unexpectedly played a key role in the Doomslord’s fall. Now, laden with stories to tell and burdens to bear, you set off on the journey home. But the Doomslord’s Hunters are still out there, and it’s a long way to walk... Back Again from the Broken Land. 

Back Again from the Broken Land is a short Powered by the Apocalypse game of small adventurers sharing stories on a long walk home. It is meant to be played in one to three sessions. The game is inspired by the emotional, even bittersweet, stretches of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.  The game is perfect for low-prep and no-prep one-shot gameplay, though you can also use it to play a short campaign of two to three sessions if you want to delve deeper into the characters' journeys. All you need to play are three six-sided dice, three-to-five players plus a GM, and a willingness to spin an emotional fantasy yarn together.

This game expects the scariest part of the adventure to already be over by the time you start play. It’s not about defeating evil, but instead, it’s about the characters connecting as they make their way home. If you want to bask in the beauty of a fantastical world without having to worry about defeating the big bad, this might be the game for you.

Ryuutama, by Atsuhiro Okada. (Found on Kotohi)

Ryuutama is a Japanese tabletop role-playing game, now translated into English. The original author is Atsuhiro Okada, a lifelong gamer who works in a “Tabletop Gaming Cafe” in Tokyo, the first of its kind in the country. He wrote this game to bring new people into tabletop role-playing, as well as to provide a heartwarming experience which other games at the time did not.

Ryuutama calls itself a “Natural Fantasy RPG”. It is a fantasy role-playing game set in a western medieval-style setting. The conceit of this setting is that at one point, in everyone’s lives, people get this intense feeling of wanderlust. They put their daily lives on hold and travel the world with new-found companions. They find out more about the world, and at the same time learn about themselves.

This game is built with the NPCs of regular fantasy games in mind. You are travellers, but you have a role such as merchant, healer, artisan or farmer. The primary source of fantasy is a half-dragon character controlled by the Game Master, called the Ryuujin. This character can provide the characters with magical solutions to problems - although the group is encouraged to prioritize problem solving over combat. This game encourages exploration more than fighting monsters, and while the magic might be a bit more prevalent than in a standard low-fantasy game, the reasons for using it might make it feel more simple and everyday.

Wise Women, by Alessandra Bookman.

Wise Women is tabletop roleplaying game in which the players take on the roles of witches living in a remote village, where life is difficult and people often fall prey to supernatural creatures.

The witches have the ability to use magical properties of plants to protect their community and help it prosper, but their skills are viewed with suspicion and prejudice. After all, magic is another supernatural force and the same plants that can heal, can also be used to cause harm.

 Will the witches continue to strive to protect and improve their community, or will the prejudice drive them to lash out and turn to violence and Dark Magic?

Wise Woman is Powered by the Apocalypse, which is an excellent system for focusing on small, personal stories, with stakes that concern the player characters and their lives, but not the entire world. The characters in this game may not like each-other all the time, but they need each-other, or their magic will reveal them or, even worse, spiral out of control. If you like magic in your fantasy, but want to see a more down-to-earth and everyday use of it, Wise Women might be pointing you in the right direction.

[shadowmaat]

No fun allowed

Internet drama and controversy can be fun to watch, but I also love silly things, feel good stories, and other harmless fun that gets shared on the internet.

I am, however, exhausted by the ever-increasing number of people who feel compelled to state that something-or-other is "obviously fake" or to otherwise question the validity/intentions of the poster.

Look. Kids. Sometimes, yes, it's important to clarify when something being shared is verifiably false. Especially if what's being shared contains dangerous misinformation that could cause harm to someone else.

Most of the time, though, it doesn't matter. And just because you personally believe something is fake doesn't mean you're right. Stop being an asshole just for the sake of trying to prove how much smarter and better you are than everyone else. Stop trying to discredit strangers on the internet who aren't hurting anyone and are very likely telling the truth. Stop assuming everything is fake. There's a time and a place for those kind of conversations and accusations. Learn how to tell the difference.

The most recent example I've seen is on a video of someone unrolling their knitting project only for it to roll off the end of the bed and startle a cat the maker didn't realize was there. Cute. Funny. No harm done.

Someone in the comments questioned why they were filming if they didn't know the cat was there. Condescending. Accusatory. Rude.

The person was clearly intending to show off all the work they'd accomplished on their knitting project. Very cool and stripey and either a scarf or possibly one side of a to-be-completed blanket. Or a bed for a boa constrictor, who knows? Point is, someone was trying to show off something they were proud of and then got a startled cat as a bonus.

Even if it had been a "set-up" though, so what? Is it hurting anyone? No. Does it change the context of what's seen in the video? No. There's no harm and no foul and no goddamn reason to be a petty suspicious jerk about it.

Another example would be any of Seanan McGuire's Tales of Animal Rehab and Chaos. Some of these do sound bizarre, like the alligator lizard in the leg story, but weird things DO happen (especially around Seanan) and accusing her of making stuff up for attention/clout is fucking rude. Sure, she's a storyteller, but some things she doesn't need to make up. Especially if she isn't getting paid for it. lol

Again, no one gets hurt by stories like that (ignoring the injuries sustained in the story itself) and it's also a good example of what NOT to do if you find an alligator lizard in your tent/sleeping bag. Important safety tip: don't try stabbing something anywhere near your own body.

People can, however, get hurt by constant accusations of lying. Seanan no longer shares those awesome stories because when she did it always resulted in a bunch of armchair fact-checkers calling her a liar and demanding "proof" that any of it happened.

When it comes to stuff like AITA or that Neighborhood thing or whatever, sure, some of those stories are made up. But again, who cares? Do you think you'll get points for calling out an obviously fake story about, I dunno, some dude replacing his gf's perfume for skunk spray because he's convinced she's cheating on him? No. No one cares. Other than maybe reassuring people that so-and-so isn't in any danger, you gain literally nothing by outing it as fake.

Sometimes those things are done for fun. And sometimes they're based on real examples of the kinds of things that have happened. And even when they're fake they can act as cautionary tales to help folks identify potentially dangerous behaviors. Maybe a guy hasn't actually replaced a wife's/girlfriend's perfume with skunk spray, but people of all identities have engaged in paranoid, possessive behavior and if you know what the warning signs look like you can take precautions. Same with tall tales from the workplace. Or involving neighbors. Or whatever. If it isn't hurting anyone and isn't spreading dangerous misinformation, maybe consider leaving it alone.