#the actual yakuza were interviewed about what they thought about the Yakuza games and they said that while they were really impressed-

[terubakudan]

A Lesson in Drip by Sakata Gintoki

[carmenxjulia]

I put together a transcript of the 2 hour Q&A Interview the Carmen Sandiego Discord did with Showrunner Duane Capizzi. All of the questions were submitted by server members. You can read everything below the break!

Duane Capizzi:

Hi there!

Am I in? Is this thing on?

PizzaHorse:

Hi, welcome!

Yep, you're in the right place!

Duane Capizzi:

Sorry I'm late, I was wandering around some empty Discord hallways looking for the right room haha

PizzaHorse:

No worries. Let's get started!

Who is your favorite character?

Duane Capizzi:

Moose Boy!

KIDDING!

Alright, how to NOT get myself in trouble if my answer isn't "Carmen" haha.

But really, they are ALL my babies.

So I know it's going to sound like a cop out to some that I can't pick just one. But hmm, some for instances...

I love that she's so morally evolved at such a young age; her ability to always take the high road and never lower herself; her drive and conviction and dedication. Her ability to kick serious booty and look good while doing it. Her progressive values, her fashion sense. I could go on and on. But then there's Shadowsan and his arc; Chase and his. Julia, who's every bit as strong as Carmen but shows it in different ways. The Cleaners don't get enough love.

I'll close that question with an anecdote about The Cleaners ...

I love that all our characters are embraced and that everyone seems to have favorites. Our sound engineer Marcel is a pretty serious guy: he has a serious job that takes high levels of focus and attention. He's always deeply focused and not prone to small talk. Anyway, we were in the middle of our first or second sound mix, and he suddenly stops in the middle and turns around to face us. I'm thinking, "uh oh, we're giving too many notes." That's when I notice he's freeze framed the Cleaners. He says "I really like these guys." Then he turns around, hits play and gets back to work.

PizzaHorse:

What was the biggest challenge for coming up with new stories and plot for the reboot?

Duane Capizzi:

THE biggest? Sigh. I'm not sure I could come up with just one. Plotting is always challenging and we had the brain trust of the room, our trusty white board, and writer assistant to keep the threads of the ongoing storyline together. I think the single biggest ONGOING challenge was tracking which character knew what at any given time.

The caper part was challenging - coming up with new capers and keeping them interesting and fresh. But, it was the characters and their interactions that kept things fresh and interesting. Another museum heist? That's okay - Chase is on the case and he gets to interact with "X" this time (for instance).

There were also some episodes - Duke of Vermeer and Crackle Goes Kiwi come to mind - where there was SO MUCH SET UP needed to get the payoffs to work. I was really worried about too much talk/too much detail. Very "Swiss watch!" It took a lot of work to make sure it all clicked and was clear - hopefully it seems effortless on screen but I can't say there wasn't some sweat and the occasional tear (mostly from me - I'm a big cry baby

But really, what made it fun was that we had so many buckets to draw from: sometimes a story germ initially began with a character idea; sometimes it was inspired by global location; sometimes it was a clever way to update or reimagine an idea from old Carmen lore. Usually, it was some combination of all of the above!

PizzaHorse:

What was your favorite scene to write?

Duane Capizzi:

I think we have a theme here! "How can I pick just one ...?"

As a film buff, I got to indulge in some serious fan nerdery on this show: I got to write spy movies, yakuza movies, spaghetti neo-westerns (though turning it on its head: spaghetti westerns usually involve REVENGE and because of Carmen's character make up, this was sort of anti-revenge).

Is writing coming up with the idea or typing it? Haha. An "if a tree falls in the forest" question. The writing team and I had so many cathartic "that's how it goes" in the room. But on my own, writing the Pilot, was a very inspiring time for me: I remember laughing out loud the moment I thought of Chase falling on his own car (in part because of doing my spin on "that trope" that we've seen in so many hard boiled movies recently). But also how emotional I got when I imagined the simple but potent image of Black Sheep deciding to take her destiny into her own hands and walk that long corridor to the Faculty who we were about to meet for the first time.

I think I've cited this in another interview, but there was a period where I was completely immersed in Chase's arc and the scene where he would crack the location of VILE island ... by listening to Julia in a dream ... was a big one for me. It revealed he was finally open to admitting he needed Julia more than he would ever admit - yet, it was his own subconscious speaking.

The next morning, after cracking that scene, I bumped into Raf Petardi (voice of Chase) ... at the supermarket! It was very strange and hilarious

PizzaHorse:

Did you scrap any lengthy or funny scenes that you would be able to share?

Duane Capizzi:

With few exceptions, most scene cuts are done at the script stage so that the story board team doesn't waste effort over boarding. A variety of trims to any script are common, but they are usually for the better

The easier question to answer might be scenes were part of our "wish list" at writer room stage, but never made it to story or script. I hesitate to go too deep here (in the event that we might ever do more Carmen episodes in this canon - I'm not giving up hope). And there were cases where things we wanted to do earlier in the series wound up getting nixed or not fitting for whatever reason, but we got them in later - USUALLY FOR THE BETTER. So there's sort of a reverse Murphy's Law/rule of good fortune somehow in these things. But some fun things that didn't make it into the show, that leap to mind were: a Bollywood dance sequence (!). A Vegas caper involving Brunt wanting to steal an Elvis jumpsuit against the backdrop of an Elvis impersonator convention. We also thought it would be neat to get Maelstrom imprisoned so that Julia could interrogate him and he would play mind games with her - very Lector/Clarice!

PizzaHorse:

Were there any different treatments of Carmen you pitched before settling on the one we ended up with?

Duane Capizzi:

I was one of several "pitches" that I'm sure HMH heard before running with my version. But I can honestly say I've never pitched anything as fully formed: the take on Carmen felt so right to me, and clearly HMH and by extension Netflix agreed

I'll answer your question with an anecdote: I had the entire Pilot pretty well worked out, and pitched it in the first meeting. But one key thing that changed (much for the better!), simply because it wouldn't have fit without slogging things down ...

In my Pilot pitch, Black Sheep's escape on the boat was off screen: we see Shadowsan corner her, then we cut away. The rest of the Faculty show up to find SS's broken sword on the rocks, and are led to believe BS killed him (!). In the present, Crackle points his weapon at Carmen and prepares to pull the trigger. We know that Chase is on the way and may rescue her. The compartment door opens to reveal - not Chase - but Shadowsan! Big surprise! Then we cut back to BS's escape and find out what really transpired etc etc.

Crazy, right? SS would have been hanging out with the gang in season 1; we might not have gotten to 203 with his back story, since his sword was broken and he couldn't return it. Just one of those magical things where "things work out" the way they are supposed to. THAT SAID, it made for a heckuva pitch

PizzaHorse:

Are there any characters that ended up taking a direction you didn't initially anticipate?

Duane Capizzi:

GRAY.

I didn't know we'd make him amnesiac when I wrote the Pilot, that was something we came up with in our first week Writer Room.

And even then, when it became clear he'd be a key piece of the bigger puzzle, we didn't know how exactly (mostly the Season 4 stuff).

We did get very deep with a version where 404 ended with his protective streak for Carmen kicking into high gear, and they would be fighting off Vile Guards back to back in perfect tandem. Then, having chosen Carmen over VILE, it was Carmen who actually orchestrates Gray going "off grid" so that VILE can never find him again. Funny, I know that is arguably the version of Gray's arc that many fans might have preferred seeing. But in the tradition of spy thrillers and film noir, and for a lone wolf character like Carmen who is focused on her life mission and not romance, we stand behind where we went with him. We felt it was so much more compelling ... and truly more emotional that he totally has a get out of jail free card when he sacrifices everything (including his life, potentially) to save Carmen.

when she needs him most!

I know I made some controversial comments about Gray "not being good enough for Carmen" and I'd like to clarify that I meant, until that final episode. What he did was so selfless and heroic. Is there hope for them in the future? Who knows?! But I do hope we get to explore that one day

I'm sure Gray is living off the grid somewhere now, inspired by Carmen's selfless good and thinking of her from time to time.

PizzaHorse:

You mentioned in the interview with Alicyn that Carmen is a love story, but you were cut off before you could finish discussing. Could you elaborate on your answer now?

Duane Capizzi:

Ugh, yes! Sorry about that. I actually answered that privately for someone so will cut and paste that response here. Let's see if it works.

Something we never said in the show, but something I imparted to the creative team was: Carmen Sandiego is (among other things) a LOVE STORY, where every character in our ensemble is in love with Carmen in one way or another. Even if they don't know it! That love can take different forms: we see how spurned by Carmen Coach Brunt feels and why she retaliates so excessively. Chase eventually comes to realize that he too loves Carmen, even if he wasn't initially aware of it haha. One of the most moving things to me about the series is how all of the different factions come to Carmen's rescue at the end when she's not "in her right mind," without knowing the others are there too. It's a massive group effort to bring back the Carmen they love. But we weren't looking for a fairy tale ending for Carmen with ANYone - Carmen's a classic lone wolf anti-hero, that goes with the territory. At least at this stage in her journey.

PizzaHorse:

Were there other locations that you wanted to feature in the show that didn't make it?

Duane Capizzi:

I think we managed to cover a lot of ground and "cadence" between different countries/cultures/continents was important to us. Many "iconic" locations of course, and it would have been nice to explore some lesser known locations if we had more episodes.

One that we almost did was Niagara Falls, Canada - actually literally going to the Falls and doing a big hydro-electric caper, where Player could actually get into the field with Carmen and the team.

But ultimately, we wound up bringing Player into the fold the way we did and wound up stronger as a result. It made his "first face to face" with Carmen even more impactful, IMO.

PizzaHorse:

Were there any changes in production between the first half and the second half of the series?

Duane Capizzi:

Well, there was that Covid thing

But while it was no doubt a colossal undertaking to get the entire staff transitioned to work from home (animators! and their equipment!), we managed to make up for lost time WITHOUT a dip in animation quality. My fedora's off to our amazing team at Wildbrain for pulling it off!

We did lose some staff between orders, but that is a natural part of production unfortunately. Namely, one of our episodic directors Kenny Park, our first storyboard artist Dennis Crawford, and our story editor May Chan were among those who moved on to other shows during the break. But, as hard as their shoes were to fill, fill them we did!

PizzaHorse:

What is your favorite season?

Duane Capizzi:

Easy. Hands down, Season 3.

(crickets)

KIDDING!

Again, another "they're all my babies" answer (and yes, I love Season 3 equally

It's hard, because really when you step back I'm sure you'll agree it's a series, with stand alone capers; but it's really all ONE BIG MOVIE.

Season 3 is like the scherzo of a symphony: the shortest movement of four, and the one that tees up the big finale.

That's my hoity toity answer but I'm going to put to rest all of the various theories on what happened with season 3. It was a combination of two things: Netflix's desire to experiment with different ways of "dropping" seasons, and their desire to do a holiday themed drop (in this case Halloween, naturally). It became our challenge to come up with a theme (easy enough: masks), and the bigger challenge to serve their need while not interrupting our ongoing narrative. A challenge to be sure, but a challenge met. I think the biggest bump was perception: it was a short season and I know that was disappointing to many. But, by design.

So, Season 3 = an essential part of the whole. I don't think there's a wasted episode, and it gets everyone into position for the big finish. I can't pick a favorite season - you can't make me

PizzaHorse:

Were there any characters you had wanted to give more time to but couldn't due to time/plot restraints?

Duane Capizzi:

Well, there's the "what was on the white board" answer but hopefully some of those ideas will see the light of day in some way, shape or form some day. I think if we had more episodes, we would have shaken up the internal dynamic of VILE a bit more (as hinted at Brunt's displeasure with Maelstrom for leaving her hanging out to dry at end of 405 - a seed we planted "just in case," as some have noted). And we had more scenes in mind with Chase's partnering with Carmen for the first time that we had to cut to the bone because of what little room we had in that otherwise packed episode (worry not: it's mostly more gags, more embellishment, more twists and turns - but the important stuff is there). Mostly, and I don't think it would have been right for Season 4 but I hope to tell in the future, I think there's an interesting history between Shadowsan and Lady Dokuso - possibly tragic - that I would love to explore one day. (She was a cameo in Duke of Vermeer at the dinner party BTW, I'm not sure if anyone noticed. And we built a bigger role for her out of that)

PizzaHorse:

What are some pre-2000/nostalgic Carmen references you snuck into the show? Do you have a favorite reference that was included?

Duane Capizzi:

Doing that was so much fun! I'd say roughly 60% of the characters were from previous iterations of Carmen, though often in name only. We had fun reimagining most everyone to make them more relevant or updated or giving them a more colorful personality for starters.

"Suhara" was Carmen's Japanese mentor when she worked at the ACME Agency in a flashback episode in the 90's series, for instance. I don't think I need to spell out how we turned that one inside out

And Tigress was also one episode only: she was a "rival thief" to Carmen, but revealed to be an ACME agent in disguise - a persona created solely to bait Carmen. It was really cool of course, but it seemed like untapped potential so we made her an ACTUAL Vile Thief.

My own internal rule was to make sure the references/easter eggs wouldn't confuse anyone - they were there for those who were in the loop and window dressing. The one and only time i broke that rule was Dark Carmen's line from 407: "I do it for the mental gymnastics." It was one of the most absurd lines from the 90's series (IMO) and i was determined to have it come out of Dark Carmen's mouth. I'm sure it left some 7 year olds scratching their heads

aside from that, the key references were the music: I still tingle at how we worked the Rockapella theme into the Interactive Special; and the 90's main title theme (composed by Mozart!), in our Vienna episode ("They're playing my song"). If you wanted Rockapella or Carmen as a bad guy, well ... be careful what you wish for!

PizzaHorse:

Was there any improvised content from recording sessions that made it into any episodes?

Duane Capizzi:

Yes! Not much, because a lot of it would have pushed us into TV-MA haha

Mostly Mary Elizabeth - Coach Brunt has a POTTY MOUTH!

Mikey and Abby usually riffed their banter WAY beyond what was on the written page and had us in stitches. Some bits definitely made it in! But mostly there was too much or it would get off point (hmmm, much like my interview answers maybe? haha)

Sharon Muthu did rise to Pun Goddess status with "Mask and you shall receive." And Raf pitched me "Chasse means hunt in French" after one session and I said: "I'm going to write that in." I don't think he believed me. You can't say I'm not a straight shooter.

PizzaHorse:

If you could get more season, would you do it, and what type of story would you tell?

Duane Capizzi:

Well if that hasn't been clear so far, ABSOLUTELY

There have been discussions of course. It's up to the powers that be at this point. I will say this: the beauty and tradition so far has been that every iteration has been its own thing. I definitely think there are more "different canon" versions of Carmen that can be had and be a part of this wonderful tradition. After all, there were many naysayers for our version when it was first announced.

I will also say that if we don't get to tell any more stories in this canon with these characters, we've left a perfect gem that will stand the test of time. I would rather go out on a high note than overstay our welcome.

All that said, we worked within the allotted episodes given, ended it as we wished, but left the door open for other stories. I'd love to do an expansion and a deepening: pick up where we left off; find out what happened in those two years; and proceed to do the equivalent of Godfather II or Better Call Saul as related to the amazing originals they followed.

Let's hope! Keep putting good vibes out there!

PizzaHorse:

If you could pick a character on Carmen Sandiego who'd you switch places with for a day (you get to control their life and they get to control yours) who would you pick, and why?

Duane Capizzi:

Okay, THIS is difficult. So you're going Freaky Friday on me?

on a Sunday?

Hmmm, I know Ivy would get along with my cat ... but then I'd have to hang out with Zack!

That's the trick: I can't pick my favorites cuz I couldn't hang out with them!

(not that I have favorites - they're all my babies haha)

Okay, I have one: ROUNDABOUT. I could fill Shadowsan's seat - how cool is that? Then, I could enact all my evil fantasies - but still have a get out of jail free card cuz he'd be sitting at my desk!

(cut to Duane being brain wiped - D'oh!)

PizzaHorse:

Who are two characters who don't really interact in the show that you think could be good friends or work really well together?

Duane Capizzi:

Hmmmm. Okay, now I'm going to give you quick and sassy answers. Gray and Julia! They'd be so cute banding together to rescue captive Carmen (for instance). And they could also duke it out and maybe settle things between themselves re: shipping controversies instead of dragging me into it

PizzaHorse:

The FINAL QUESTION. Have you learned anything super impactful while working on the show?

Duane Capizzi:

Aside from Iceland's terrifically low crime rate?

I think I have learned to never underestimate how meaningful characters can be to fans. Social media has obviously brought us a lot closer to our fan base in more immediate ways: it's been really gratifying to hear/see/read feedback and not be writing things in a vacuum. It's been gratifying to see that ideas that were meaningful to myself and the creative team on Carmen that were crafted with care, have also resonated with our fan base. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who has traveled on this journey with us - for embracing Carmen's world view, and her friends and foes alike. Take care everyone! Stay safe! This has been fun, thanks for having me!

PizzaHorse:

HUGE thank you to Duane Capizzi: for being here today.

Thank you everyone for watching and reacting!

Duane Capizzi:

Okay, gotta run - just gotta find the door

Anyway, really: THIS HAS BEEN AMAZING. I speak for everyone involved in the creation and production of Carmen: it has been an amazing and inspiring series and we're elated to see it connect with such a CREATIVE, TALENTED and INTELLIGENT fan base. Take care everyone! Until next crime...

[thotsforvillainrights]

Could you do a scenario with Hojo, Setsuno and Tabe with a S/O who is an ex hero?

(The trash trio, my happy little heart is screaming!)

~Hojo/Toya/Tabe’s S/O is an ex hero~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

~Hojo~

-To be honest, it wouldn’t really matter to him if you were an ex hero or if you were still a hero even now. Hojo loves you because he loves you. I’d say if he really had to speak on the matter, he would probably be a little more relived that you were just a regular civilian nowadays. He says it’s because he doesn’t have to worry about you as much. Now he can focus more on your safety concerning the fact that he’s a member of the yakuza rather than worrying about you dying on the job as a pro hero or something. Hojo has always been protective of you so that’s really no secret tbh. Anyway, he’s pretty chill on the matter. He honestly harbored no super ill thoughts for heroes to begin with. The reason why he joined the Hassaikai was the fact that Overhaul saw him dying on a dock somewhere after a bad crystal deal and he saved him. Not once did Hojo mention he had disdain for heroes (if I can remember correctly) so he’s not gonna pester you even if you were still a hero. Hojo is 10/10 husband material baby!

~Setsuno~

-Oh my God it’s gonna be a tough one with him. He’s the least chill out of the trio about this kind of thing. He already really doesn’t vibe with the heroes and it’s been pretty obvious from the moment you guys officially began dating. “But Toya, they tried to save you because your life was worth living!” You try to talk some sense into him for it but it just turned into a tiny argument for you guys (no worries, he apologized for it later). Eventually he comes to the fact that if heroes hadn’t saved him that day then he wouldn’t have a job at the Hassaikai and most importantly he wouldn’t have gotten to meet you. From that point he ends up complaining about heroes just a little less around you so he doesn’t offend you or anything. With you being a former hero, it comes with its own challenges. Just because you’re out of the game doesn’t mean you’re out of the spotlight just yet. You still get a lot of interviews, commercial work, and even a few offers for some movies! You’re still within the spotlight and it’s honestly going to take Toya some work to get used to it. He has to stay out of the way to help keep the Hassaikai in the shadows and honestly he gets a bit jealous of all the attention you get. As long as you keep him reassured that he’s all yours then I think he can maybe get used to it until it dies down.

~Tabe~

-As if it concerns him. If anything, he’s more worried about how you feel about dating a criminal. He can get a little insecure thinking about you and about how you can do better. An ex hero dating a yakuza thug? Tabe always feels as though he doesn’t deserve you. You’ll have to be sooooo patient with him and constantly remind him of how much you care about him and the fact that it doesn’t matter what his occupation is. You tell him you gave up being a hero for a reason and it was mostly because of how open minded you were compared to most other heroes. You actually even agreed with Stain’s ideology and didn’t want to continue contributing to a society like this. Anyway, you keep telling him how you feel about him and maybe soon he begins to believe you. It’s still going to take a lot of time but hey, he  will never ever be caught judging you for any single part of your past as a hero and you always feel secure in knowing his love for you is genuine (despite his insecurities).

»—————————–———————————————————–✄

Instagram: @pastelbattydraws & @pastelbattystore

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRNMJH7vHL7APNobUykhK4w?view_as=subscriber

[side-effect-of-the-meds]

Yo yo yo I need to kno more about Cleo!!!

After nearly a month (possibly more) here are some answers! Thanks for your ask, love

Tradition states that only rival heirs of the Moriyamas are sent to the branch family. As a girl, Riko was never a threat. However, since Riko’s mother died giving birth to her, Kengo blames the death of his wife on Riko and banishes her. The thing about the Moriyamas are that they’re coldhearted bishes so, when they love, they love with everything they’ve got. With Kengo’s wife dead, his life is cold and empty once more. The name Riko is not be uttered in the Moriyama household, especially not near Kengo. He will scream and cry and throw things. His grief is loud and violent. Many of Kengo’s men are from his wife’s family or were saved by her from disease and poverty. They owe her their lives and in her dying moments she called them all together to ask of them one last favor. She asked them to renew their pledges to Kengo and be there for him, no matter the cost. None of them refuse. Many silent tears are shed at her funeral. Anyway, all of the men are exceptionally loyal to him bc of this promise. Knowing Kengo’s frenzied grief if over the loss of the woman who loved them all as if they were her own children strengthens their bond with him. All of them secretly keep tabs on Riko, though. She looks just like her mother and it soothes their ragged souls to see their Mistresses features on her daughter. 

Kengo’s men aren’t the only people secretly seeking solace in Riko. All the mystery shrouding the existence of his sister is the reason Ichirou was so intrigued by her. You know how Ania has a binder full of snippets of Kevin and Riko and their achievements and stuff? He has one too, dedicated solely to his sister. He secretly watches her games and interviews. 

Kengo’s sister, Kana, is always around. She is Kengo’s best friend and closest advisor. When Kengo’s grief gets too much for him, Kana is the one that picks up his broken pieces. At all of the ridiculous fundraising functions they have to attend, Ichirou catches Kana making funny faces at Kengo from across the room. He's stunned by the sight of the soft twitch of his father's lips as he shakes his head in amusement. Unlike his father, Ichirou is all alone. He blames his father for it. It’s hard being the heir to the most feared crime syndicate in America, especially when you’re going it alone. Riko isn’t alone. She has Kevin and Jean and soon she shall have the Wesninski girl too. Ichirou is just a little bit bitter. He spends a lot of time day-dreaming about the day he’ll meet his sister. Never in a thousand years did he imagine it with a gun pressed to her head. As he pulls the trigger, his heart shatters into a thousand pieces. He stares emptily out the window of the car. 

He doesn't find out about Cleo until Riko’s funeral. Everyone thinks he’s crying because his sister is dead. No. He’s crying because he’s an uncle and he hadn’t even known. After some investigation, he finds out the circumstances of Cleo’s conception. I’m not going into detail but let’s put it this way: Tetsuji doesn’t survive Ichirou’s wrath. It isn’t a quick death either. 

Ichirou loved his sister wholeheartedly but he never got to tell her so. Knowing what he does now, he realizes that she was just as lonely as he was. More than anything, he does not want Cleo to suffer as he and Riko did. His first instinct is for him to take Cleo back. He’ll raise her as every Moriyama woman is raised: a Goddess to be feared and revered. At the funeral he has seen the child sleeping soundly in Wesninski’s arms and now a small part of him stalled. Life as the daughter of Riko and Tetsuji Moriyama will not be easy. If the public ever found out the circumstances under which Cleo was conceived, they’d riot at the very idea of her being raised by her uncle. Ichirou had already denounced his uncle and cut ties with him. He was a blemish on the Moriyama name that now threatened to bring them down entirely with his careless actions. No, Ichirou could not take Cleo back. Not if he wanted to preserve some semblance of his family's dignity. Or so her told himself. 

Unlike his father, Ichirou wasn’t quite as coldhearted. Warmth still bloomed in his chest at the laughter of children and smiles still tinged his lips at the sight of the joys of others. Pain still stabbed through him at the sight of men bleeding out on the concrete before him and guilt kept him up at night, tormenting him with thoughts of the families of women left husbandless and children now fatherless. Above all else, he felt nothing but love for his baby niece and he wanted her to love him too. There would come a day when Cleo learned the truth herself. What would she think of Ichirou then? No matter what she might say, there would always be a hint of doubt in her mind insinuating falsehoods about him. Anguish washed over Ichirou at the very thought. He didn’t think he’d survive Cleo harboring so much as a single seed of hate in her heart for him. Staying away from her was for the best. 

It’s a lot harder than he thought it would be, though. Cleo now lived at Palmetto State in the care of Abigail Winfield and David Wymack. Riko was Evermore’s unofficial mascot and now Cleo was Palmetto’s. Her face is plastered across every screen in the nation. Many Raven fans are livid with rage. This is the highest betrayal. Riko Moriyama had a child and no one said anything?!?!?! Riots are a thing. Someone tried to kidnap Cleo to take her back to Evermore. 

The attempted kidnapping is the final straw. First of all, they’re dismembered parts were sent home to their family in a UPS box. Second of all, Ichirou holds a press conference in which he reveals the truth about Cleo’s birth, explaining why he can’t take her in, and making a thinly veiled threat to the remaining Raven fans about what would happen to the next person who tried to harm her. No one ever bothers Palmetto State again. 

Cleo grows up hating Riko. For a long time, she doesn’t know she’s Riko’s daughter. All photos of Riko are banned. The adults only ever talk about her when they think Cleo is asleep. Cleo wakes in the middle of the night for a drink of water and creeps over to the kitchen. She can hear the adults angrily hissing at one another. They’re talking about someone named Riko with as much hate as Cleo’s ever heard. Wymack is always mad but this is something else. Abby seems upset as well, a truly rare sight. She doesn’t know who Riko is but she hates her now. 

Cleo only finds out when she goes to school. After intense debate, the Foxes decided to keep her last name as it was. It was already too well known to do anything about it. Some kid comes from an exy obsessed family and mentions that she looks a lot like Riko Moriyama. Cleo gets sent to the principal's office for punching the kid. 

Wymack and Abby can no longer hide it. They sit her down at the kitchen table and tell her the truth. Cleo doesn’t take it well. Maybe I’ll talk about the specifics later but there’s quite a bit of work that goes into that and I need to clear the asks that are already in my inbox. 

She knows who her father is too but the details are limited because of course they are. She’s like 7 rn. 

After all this drama, she learns about her Uncle Ichirou. She goes behind Wymack and Abby’s backs to send him a letter. It’s written in red crayon on a sheet of black construction paper: Evermore’s colors. Ichirou flips his shit. His beloved little niece has just found out the truth about her birth and the first thing she did was write to him. 

It’s after this that Ichirou ends up abolishing the branch family entirely. He keeps all three of his kids, one daughter and two sons, by his side. He’s still the head of the yakuza tho so I mean… he still tortures and kills people. His kids grow up the same way.  He’s literally only soft for his wife, kids, and Cleo. 

Ania has a bunch of galas and charity balls that she has to attend because she ‘donates’ to the Moriyama foundation. Ichirou makes her bring Cleo along so he can see her. Erin doesn’t like the thought of Ichirou being around Cleo so the three of them always arrive together and Erin is never far from Cleo. If she can’t be around, Jeanie, Jeremy, Kevin, or Thea are there. Ichirou is never left with Cleo unsupervised for obvious reasons. He wishes it didn’t have to be that way but he understands their concern and lets it go.

Since Ichirou isn’t really allowed to show physical affection towards her, Cleo gets spoiled rotten by her uncle. Every Christmas, there’s a shit ton of presents on Wymack’s doorsteps. All the labels read To: Cleo From: Santa in Ichirou’s unmistakable handwriting. There’s also just a bunch of presents that show up out of the blue. At least once a month, there’s some very expensive-as ‘thing’ in the mail. I mean, this shit belongs in museums. They’re almost always Japanese bc Ichirou doesn’t want her to forget her heritage. She’s got a lot of kimonos and a few samurai swords and ornate hair clips and umbrellas and shoes. She’s got a lot of scrolls written in Japanese too which is why she asks Kevin to teach her to speak and write it. Some of the scrolls are actually letters to her from Ichirou. These all go in a special box that she keeps on the top shelf of her closet.

Speaking of Kevin, Thea is an absolute miracle worker. It’s a long road to his recovery but Thea is there for him the whole way. Cleo is the biggest hurdle on this road. She looks just like Riko. She’s got the same bright laugh and brilliant smile. She has the same features as her mother, and grandmother by default, and has the same build. Looking at her, all Kevin can see is Riko. 

One day he goes to pick her up from daycare. He can only watch as one of Cleo’s friends pushes someone else off the swings and offered the seat to Cleo. Kevin’s heart stopped. Riko would most definitely take the seat, kicking up the mulch in the other child’s face. Instead, Cleo shoves her friend aside and extends a hand to the boy on the ground. She helps him to his feet and wipes away the tears on the little boy’s face. She picks the mulch out of his hair and the splinters from his hand. Kevin is close enough to hear her say to him that a kiss will make it better. She kisses his palm and turns back to her friend. She tells the girl off. Before they know it, the little girl is bawling her eyes out. Cleo hugs her but insists that she needs to apologize to the boy. Satisfied by her friend’s meek apology she offers the kid his seat back. He shakes his head and asks if the girls want a turn. It’s the first time Kevin realizes that Riko and Cleo aren’t the same person. Kevin totally isn’t crying when he calls her over and checks her out of the daycare center. 

Growing up at Palmetto, Cleo meets a lot of kids from broken homes. As a result she becomes really compassionate. She also becomes really touchy-feely. When the kids are sad she likes to give them hugs and hold their hands or pet their hair. She also makes? Them? Presents? Like little beaded necklaces and friendships bracelets. She makes an orange and white rubber band bracelet thing for Wymack and now he keeps his keys on it.

As I’ve mentioned, Cleo is ten when Erin and Ania get married and ask her to come and live with them. Wymack and Abby drive her up to the girls’ apartment in New York. Cleo is all nerves when she arrives. She’s grown up calling them Mom and Mama but now she’s going to live with them. Like…. Permanently!!!!!!!!!!

Standing in front of the door, she can’t bring herself to knock. Wymack kneels down in front of her and asks her what’s wrong. 

“What if they’ve changed their minds?” Cleo whispered. 

“Worst case scenario?” Wymack asked. “You’ll come back with us. I don’t think Abby and I are all that bad.” 

“You’re not,” Cleo replied, hastily. Wymack stood back up.

“Look, kid. It’s not going to be easy for them to adjust to having you around but they will. There isn’t a soul on the face of the Earth that loves you more than they do. How could they not? You’re pretty fucking great,” he said. Abby pursed her lips at Wymack’s language but said nothing. 

“You ready, Cleo?” she asked. Cleo nodded and Abby’s face brightened with a smile. The door opened just as Cleo mustered up the courage to knock. Arms wrapped around her and picked her up off the ground. Ania’s laughter rang in Cleo’s ears as the crushing weight of the hug knocked the air from her lungs. Kisses were speckled all across her face as Ania stepped out of the apartment and swung Cleo around until they were too dizzy to go on. The world was still spinning as Cleo collapsed beside Ania. 

“She’s been here less than a minute and you’re already trying to kill her?” The familiar rough voice caught Cleo’s attention. As her vision settled, she saw Erin leaning against the door frame. 

“Mom,” Cleo whispered, in awe as if Erin was an apparition. Erin remained in the doorway, stone-faced and covered in flour. 

“Not going to give your mom a hug?” Erin asked finally. Cleo was on her feet in less than a second. She barrelled into Erin’s open arms, nearly knocking her over. Tears gushed from Cleo’s eyes. “The hell are you crying about, Little One?” Erin muttered into Cleo’s hair. Cleo loosed a shaky laugh. She let Erin pick her up and heard the voices of the others as they entered the house. 

Cleo loves living with Erin and Ania. Like Wymack said, there’s an adjustment period but it’s not super long or uncomfortable. Erin is really good with kids and Ania really loves Cleo so they make it work. 

Sometimes Cleo gets sad, though. Her moms have games that they have to go to often so they’re always flying out to them. Fortunately, Aaron and Katelyn are living up in New York too. It’s about a two hour drive out to Uncle Aaron’s. Cleo loves being with him and her cousins, the twins, Lila and Leena. They’re really nice and Cleo gets along with them really well. They stay up late braiding each others’ hair and whispering secrets and telling stories. Katelyn makes the best mac and cheese on the face of the planet Earth and she always makes it whenever she knows Cleo’s especially down. They all sit on the couch together to watch Cleo’s moms’ games. Cleo catches her uncle hasilty scrubbing tears from his eyes at the sight of his sister’s rare, fierce grin.

Uncle Nicky and Uncle Erik are great. They don’t have kids. Instead they have two corgis named Micheal and Jude that fight all the time. The only time they ever seem to get along is when they’re with Cleo. The two of them like to sit on opposite side of Cleo, sandwiching her in the middle. 

Uncle Erik is a pastor at the church and he sings in the choir. He’s almost as good a singer as Erin… almost. He teaches Cleo how to sing. He also really likes to bake. Often, Cleo’s moms go on dates where they wander around Stuttgart together and just enjoy each other’s company. They almost always come home to find Erik and Cleo coated in flour and sugar and chocolate. Cleo uses her newfound baking skills to make things to her mom. Erin is living for it. Ania doesn’t approve of the unhealthy diet but she knows Cleo bakes with love so she limits how much Cleo is allowed to bake and instates portion control. 

Cleo is mildly claustrophobic and the worst of it happens on planes. Ania and Erin have a pre-flight ritual that they extend to include Cleo in as well. Every time Erin has to get on a plane and Ania is there to see her off, she has Erin roll back her armbands (she doesn’t wear them anymore but this was back in college) and draws a little heart on the inside of her wrist. Once it dries, Ania will press a kiss to the little heart. Growing up, Ania didn’t like plane either so her mother used to do this for her to quiet her fears. It makes Erin and Cleo feel very loved and protected. I mean, they know it doesn’t actually doing anything but it always makes them feel a lot better. 

On Saturday mornings, most kids wake up early to watch cartoons. Cleo wakes up to go snuggle with her moms. She’s around 12/13 when she starts this. Most of her moms’ games are on Fridays and they get back late at night or really early in the morning. Cleo wakes up at 9 a.m. and makes breakfast for the three of them and set the table. Everything is usually ready around 10 so she’ll creep into her moms’ room. Both of them are light sleepers so they’ll hear her come in. They sleep spooning each other but they always make space between the two of them so Cleo can wriggle in between them. Their cats, Sir and King, usually come in too. It soft and warm and all of them are happy. 

Cleo is obviously a part of an exy team. She’s the biological daughter of Riko Moriyama and is being raised by Exy stars Erin and Ania Minyard-Josten. What did you expect? 

She’s a striker. A much better one than her mother was. Better than Kevin too. The only person that outshines her is Ania but it doesn’t bother Cleo. In fact, it gives her something to aspire towards. She and Ania spend a lot of late nights out at the court with Erin in goal. Family bonding time :’)

Cleo likes getting her nails done. She usually does this with Ania. Ania only ever gets her non-dominant hand done and Cleo doesn’t understand. She only starts to understand once she gets married but I’ll get to that in a minute. 

There’s about a 3 year difference between Cleo and Amalia. Okay, look. Kevin’s grad party was wild and he and Thea might have had a little too much to drink. That’s how Amalia is conceived. Thea is mortified. Kevin asks her if she wants an abortion. Both of them are pro-choice, especially after learning everything that went down with the birth of Cleo. Thea believes in the right to choose but she could never have an abortion herself. She gives birth to Amalia and it devastated her. Her entire career is put on hold so she can have her baby. Kevin is stressed. He wants doesn’t want to sacrifice Thea’s happiness for that of their child.  The only compromise they can work out is to have their contracts transferred. They join the team based in Columbia, an hour and a half from the Foxhole Court. They wouldn’t dare ask Wymack to raise their child but they do ask for his help. Whenever they travel, Wymack and Abby babysit their granddaughter. The Monsters are at Palmetto for one more year so they help out too. Ania isn’t good with kids other than Cleo but she does her best to help. Jeanie and Jeremy get named the godparents but they don’t get to see Amalia often until Thea and Kevin move out to the West Coast. The Muldani-Days live in Seattle and the Knoxs remain in California. Visiting them is painful for Ania and Erin but they make new memories with them and so it isn’t all bad. 

Cleo and Amalia are best friends. Kevin and Thea live on the West Coast, on the other end of the nation, so the girls skype a lot. They binge watch shows together like this and help each other with homework too. They always get to see each other when their parents play each other at games and during holidays. Sometimes Kevin will let Amalia stay over with Erin and Ania or vice versa. All of this takes a serious mental toll on Cleo. She’s head over heels for Amalia. Sleeping literal inches from her is going to drive Cleo insane. Amalia is as much of a clingy sleeper as her father so she will often throw and arm over Cleo while asleep and draw her close. Cleo is certain she’s going to die then and there. 

Anyway, Kevin is shook. All his ptsd comes crashing back in a massive wave. He remembers how Riko treated him. What is Cleo does the same to Amalia? It doesn’t take him long to snap out of it. Cleo was raised in a loving home by Wymack, Abby, and the Foxes. All of them are broken but it's part of what made them such good people for her to around. Cleo has learned compassion to a degree that Kevin could only imagine. She is kind-hearted and loving and incredibly genuine. No one was ever going to be good enough for Amalia in Kevin’s eyes but Cleo was definitely as close as he’d hoped to find. 

He doesn’t say anything to Amalia. He doesn’t want to hurt Cleo’s chances but he doesn’t want to force his daughter to pick Cleo for his sake either. 

Amalia picks Cleo of her own free will. Their wedding is massive. Kevin breaks down crying as he walks her down the aisle to Cleo. Cleo rushes off the altar and helps him to his feet. She and Amalia walk him to the end before depositing him in a seat beside Thea. They’re all giggles and bright smiles as they stand together at the altar. 

They honeymoon in the French countryside. They spend most of it in bed together. Amalia is asexual so no that’s not what I meant, you heathens. They just curl up beside one another talking and giggling and kissing bc they’re happy and in love. 

Amalia and Cleo become foster parents. They do adopt but it usually older kids, late teens. Due to their age, few of them live with their moms but they all come together for the holidays. 

Holidays are hell. Cleo and Amalia have like eight kids and then they’re usually fostering someone. A lot of their kids are married and have their own kids plus their parents and uncles/aunts + grandparents show up. This is the only reason Cleo and Amalia live in a mansion. They need to be able to accommodate all these people. 

They grow old together. They have those shared tombstones with their graves side by side. Cleo dies first. Amalia doesn’t cry. She laughs and dances and tells stories about her wife. Cleo’s funeral is a celebration of her life not the mourning of her death, just the way she would have wanted it to be. 

Every day up until her own death, Amaila places pink and white carnations on Cleo’s grave. She’ll sit by her grave and read all her favorite books to her. Amalia misses Cleo dearly but she believes that she’ll return to her beloved when the time comes. 

[clemenlemonsims]

21 Questions

21 Questions

I was tagged by @queer-as-sims Don’t worry. I totally don’t regret following lol

Anywho ~

Rules: answer 21 questions, then tag 21 people you want to get to know better.

Nickname: I don’t have one actually 

Zodiac: Cancer. And yes, I’m as sensative as you think I am lol I’m not obvious about it. A quiet sensitive. 

Height: 5′6

Last thing searched: Live Love Polish. I’m not big on polishing my nails, but I like art and polish is included. Someone I follow on instagram got a Jane Austen collection and I thought it was pretty.

Favorite musicians: That so hard because I listen to random stuff all the time, but I guess I’ll say people who I’ve actually bought albums for and have gone out of my way to listen to all their music. 

(Top 10 current and I can listen to any song of theirs and love it)

Ed. Sheeran. Kendrick Lamar. BTS (Yes I listen to kpop. Mostly the old stuff). Logic. Hoody. Jay Park. Bruno Mars. Jooyoung. Normani.

If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or visit the future? I’d go to the future even though I love history. If I could though, I’d be a spectator and not actually be able to interact with anything. Like a projection because I don’t know how things will end up in the future and it might be bad and I don’t want to get hurt physically.

Do I get asks? No. I just started so I completely understand lol

Following: 107. I follow a lot of writing blogs 

Would you rather be rich or famous? I’d rather be rich. When I was younger I probably would have said famous, but fame comes with a lot of social scrutiny and I like my privacy.

Amount of sleep: It’s really random, but I’d say at the most 6 hours. I sleep really late and wake up really early like clockwork.

What I’m wearing: A tribal pattern tank top and knee length gray sweat pants

Dream job: Freelance writer.

Dream trip: Korea and Japan.

If you were an animal. What would you be? Probably a cat. I’m pretty much a cat already, but I’m really bad at jumping haha

What are some of your favourite books/films/shows/games/etc.? Books: There’s so many, but I’ll go for ones that I always think about when writing.

Harry Potter (Read this series at the age of 24. I’m 25. It’s so good). The Bear and the Nightingale (Beautiful story). All the Crooked Saints (Beyond my expectations). Bakuman & Deathnote (Manga both written and drawn by the same people. I love mental battles). Smoke&Bone. Saint Everything. And everything by Rainbow Rowell.

Films: I love Animations btw. Grease 2 (I know it’s a musical and kinda cheesy but I’m still obsessed with it). Howl’s Moving Castle&Spirited Away (Basically anything Studio Ghibli). Toy Story. All Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Friday. Thirteen Ghosts (A classic). Casper movies. Most movies from my childhood, but I can’t think of all of the good ones I’ve watched. My brain isn’t working lol

Shows: Carnival Row. Bob’s Burgers. X-Files. Case Closed (anime). Elementary. Supernatural. Peaky Blinders. The Simpsons. Hilda (Animation).  Queen In Hyun’s Man&Thirty but Seventeen&He is Psychometric&My Love from another Star (KDramas). The Originals. Stranger Things. There’s a lot more ~ 

Games: Bioshock Infinite (My ULIMATE favorite game ever). Detroit Become Human (My other ULTIMATE fav). Yakuza 0. Crash Bandicoot&Spyro (classic). Little Nightmares. Undertale. Red Dead Redemption. Beyond: Two Souls. The Last of Us. Catherine. Sleeping Dogs. And so much more.

Etc: Favorite Youtubers: Cryaotic (Streamer). Jacksepticeye (Gamer). Christ Stuckman (Movie Reviews). Thoughts on Tomes&Chelseadolling Reads (Book Reviews). JK News (Comedy/News). Asian Boss (Documentaries/Interviews). Neecxle (Simmer). Caleb Joseph (Booktuber/Comentary). Kennie J.D. (Hair/Makeup/Commentary). Binging with Babish (food).

Play any instruments? I used to play the clarinet in middle school lol

Language(s): English. I’m slowly learning Korean (I know how to read and write and I know simple sentences). I want to also learn Spanish..  

Describe yourself as aesthetic: Reserved? Not sure if that’s right or not :D

I TAG 3 people who follow me and anyone else who wants to join in! I feel a little shy tagging people right now since I’m so new and I don’t want to bother anyone ~

@marceltorak @simsulate @dreamstatesims

[recentanimenews]

Yuu Asakawa on Learning English & Why You Should Subscribe to Her Channel

  Voice actors are the passion that drive the anime we love to watch, giving their all in vocal performances that turn amazing moments of animation into memorable ones. But learning who the people are behind the voices can be just as amazing and interesting as the performances they give! At this year’s Crunchyroll Expo, we had the chance to sit down with Yuu Asakawa, a veteran voice actress who lends her voice to Fate/Stay Night’s Rider, as well as Vocaloid Luka Megurine. During our interview, we got a chance to ask her about the vocaloid process, how she got into voice acting, learning English, and even a surprising revelation about streaming video games!

    Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today! 

Yuu Asakawa: No problem, thank you!

Could you introduce yourself for our readers?

Yuu Asakawa: I’m Yuu Asakawa, and I’ve been a Japanese voice actress for over 20 years. Most people would know my role from the Fate series, but for everything else, please Google it. (laughs) It’s easier! 

How has your time in California been so far? Are you having a good time at Crunchyroll Expo?

Yuu Asakawa: Yes, I am! I don’t get to come to California all that often; the last time I was here was 3 years ago for a convention called AOD. And during the autograph sessions, there were fans going “Yeah, I saw you last time at AOD!”, so it was nice to see fans coming back to see me after 3 years.

How did you get started in the voice acting industry? What inspired you to pursue this career path?

Yuu Asakawa: The reason why I started doing anime voice acting was on a hunch. I wasn’t really interested in anime 20 years ago, but one day I was like “I wanna be a voice actress.” Then the next day, I went to a bookstore to check seiyuu magazines, and I found an acting school. I called the school, and I got in the school, and I started to learn acting. (laughs) So yeah, just a hunch!

Could you describe the process of how your voice was used to create Luka Megurine’s vocal library? How different was this process from conventional voice acting?

Yuu Asakawa: It’s very unique and very different from anime, in that Yamaha has a syllabalist. It’s kinda like some magic spell, where you basically have to record every possible syllable there is, so you just keep chanting random syllables over and over.

Wow, how long did that take?

Yuu Asakawa: It was very strenuous, so I could only do about 4 hours a day, with breaks. But, there were a couple of retakes, so it took a total of 5 days. With both the Japanese and English voice samples, it took quite awhile. 

With Luka having versions on both Vocaloid2 and Vocaloid4, do you have to provide new vocal samples with each new version of Vocaloid?

Yuu Asakawa: It was a “renewal” of sorts, so both of those versions got brand-new recordings. Since Crypton is the pioneer of the Vocaloid industry, with a lot of rivals popping up, they have to keep the state of the art technology! So they have to update their systems and microphones, and each time they do, you’ll have to re-record, because you can’t use the old voices recorded in the old version in the new tech.

Vocaloid has exploded in popularity, starting as a relatively small program used for fan creations and becoming a global phenomenon used by world famous musicians. How has it felt watching the franchise grow?

Yuu Asakawa: To put it in one word: it’s amazing! When you’re acting for an anime, the character stays with you, but with Vocaloids, it feels like it splits off; after you give them the voice, they take their own souls and take off on their own. Like I didn’t even know there was a Vocaloid collaborating with Kabuki nowadays! So it’s really hard to keep up with the current progress.

For example, if you voice an anime character and there’s an event coming up, and the character says something, they have to go back to the voice actress and ask “Can you record this for our event?” because that’s on a per event basis, and it needs the voice actress to actually say the line. But for Vocaloids, once you’re done recording, you’re done, so they can create new things without the voice actors! I’m never told what Luka is doing after I’m done recording.

As the voice of Rider, has it been challenging to voice different versions of the same character that pop up in different continuities and universes?

Yuu Asakawa: It’s not that difficult, because the base character is always the same, so you have the same foundation. There might be subtle changes, but since it’s still going to be the same fundamental character, it wasn’t that difficult. Rider is one of the easier characters to portray, because she’s a constant character in the series. Unless you go into the weird extras where the character suddenly falls in love with someone and changes completely, but with Rider, that doesn’t really happen, so it’s easy.

How has the voice acting process changed since the late ‘90s when you got your start? Has new technology affected the process at all?

Yuu Asakawa: The technology has improved to the point where it’s easier on the staff. When I started, they did tape recordings, so if there was an outtake, they had to pause and rewind the tape before the next take! But now since it’s all digital, they don’t have to worry about the rewinding part, so it cuts down on the recording times a lot, so it’s a whole lot easier on the staff.

One thing Western fans have noted is how comfortable you are speaking English! Did you grow up speaking English or was it something you learned on your own?

Yuu Asakawa: When I was growing up, in middle school, I didn’t have really good Math test scores, so I thought “I need to brush up on something!” And I was really good at linguistics, so I thought “Let me improve my English score!”, so it could augment my bad Math score, so that I could get into high school. I kept at it, because after I got into the industry as a voice actress, I felt that around my 10th year, the industry was shifting towards the voice actors needing to do something other than acting. Like they needed voice actors that could sing, cute little voice actress that could sing and look pretty in front of the fans. And I thought, “What could I do that is unique to me?” I learned so much English back then, and there aren’t that many voice actresses who can speak English, so that can be my one thing that I could use. 

So I went overseas to Australia for a while to re-learn English, and that’s how I’ve gotten comfortable with it. Part of the Japanese culture, since English is a mandatory subject starting from junior high, so we feel like trying to talk to anyone in English is like “Am I being tested right now?!”, especially if my conversation partner is my teacher. Am I going to fail at conversation if I make a mistake? So we basically feel that the fear of failure makes them scared to speak to people, but I don’t really feel that fear, especially after coming to different conventions so much, so the comfort level probably comes from not feeling that fear of being tested when I’m speaking to my fans.

If you think that I’m really comfortable speaking in English, it’s partially because the fans and the nature of the people in the US, because the US is such a melting pot of different cultures that they are more open to people who are not completely fluent in English. It might not apply to everyone in the country, but a lot of people, and definitely all the fans, are very receptive and nice; it’s okay to not talk perfectly, but at the same time, they’re willing to compromise and speak in easier terms, so maybe the fans are giving her the comfort to speak.

Would you ever want to provide voice overs for any English animation or video games?

Yuu Asakawa: Yeah, of course! I wish I could. Speaking in English and acting in English are very different, so if I do that, I have to learn acting in English first. So it sounds impossible, but maybe doing a small part is something I really want to try!

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today! Is there anything you would like to say to our readers before we go?

Yuu Asakawa: I play games, and I figured I wanted more ways to contact both my Japanese and overseas fans, so I’ve been streaming on YouTube! So if you could look me up on YouTube and subscribe to my channel, that’d be great, because I have my chat open. Please come in, and say hi! I want to lessen the distance between me and my fans, and streaming is one of the ways I do that, so please come, subscribe and watch my streams!

Cool! What kind of games do you usually play?

Yuu Asakawa: Mostly horror games like Resident Evil, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, stuff like that! Usually games that have blood and gore. (laughs) Extra points if there’s really cute guys in the games! 

  We want to give our thanks again to Asakawa-san for sitting down with us and talking about all this. We’ll be checking out her YouTube channel for sure and saying hi; we think her mission to bridge the gaps between Japanese and English audiences is one we’re happy to support! Remember to smash that like button and don’t forget to subscribe, alright?

    ----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[osmw1]

Crowbar Nurse   Chapter 4 — You Have Been Warned.

Now that we had made our plans, we had to go through with them.

That mentality was only natural for us slaves to society who create and support the nights of Japan. Finishing up our conversation, we put our plans into action.

“After we collect all the items, we will leave our current area of Downtown and hurry towards the safehouse in Uptown.”

I glanced around restlessly at our surroundings as I spoke to Kiryū.

“The safehouse is… well, it should be safer than everywhere else at least.” “… that’s an odd way to put it. It almost sounds like you’re trying to say that the safehouse isn’t actually safe.”

I could but shrug at his keen inference.

“Unfortunately, you’ve hit the nail on the head. More zombies spawn with every moment that passes. That means there are less safe spaces and makes it harder to beat this game. The safehouses are safe for the first few days though…” “Safe until the zombies encroach into the safe zone?” “Yes.”

He guessed everything correctly.

“Zombies will attack at random intervals after the first few days. If you don’t kill all of the zombies within seven days, a cutscene will play, showing the player being overrun by zombies and forcing a game over. Driving them back will probably buy you some more time, but… it’s not like you can do that anyway. It’s best to just not think about the what-ifs of a game over.”

We were back at the large window from which we came. There were already two, three zombies waiting to fall victim to my assault rifle.

“Wahahahaha, rot in hell!” “… umm, no offense, but are you, y’know… someone who gets too excited from killing people?” “Offense taken! I don’t get off on it, if that’s what you mean. I just like to take out my stress and anger on zombies. They’re inherently evil creatures who were created for the sole purpose of getting killed. No mercy, okay? … a-ha, ahahahaha!” “Never have I thought that any human being would have such a beautiful smile on their face while on a murderous rampage. … but having that said, instead of me defending a younger girl, I feel like I’m the one who has to be protected…”

Kiryū scratched the back of his head, awkwardly standing around.

“Not that I actually need it though. But this is full of surprises. I didn’t think I’d be traveling with a zombie game junkie like you either.” “What, was that a compliment? You’re so nice.” “No, that wasn’t. I’m actually quite shaken…”

He scrunched up his face a little before shaking his head, to which I forced a smile.

“… to tell you the truth, I’d been obsessed with zombie games, so you’re not too far off calling me a junkie. Well, before I got caught up with my practicum and work at least. You’re in safe hands, Kiryū, so don’t worry—s’all good. I may be a little scared, but we’ll make it out of here somehow.” “Your easygoing attitude is rather reassuring, y’know? I had pretty much lost all hope until I found you.”

For a moment, our bitter smiles are mutual until Kiryū suddenly frowned.

“… that being said though, isn’t it weird how you can handle an assault rifle in real life like that?” “Is it weird?” “I’d say so. Aren’t small arms at the top of the list of weapons that are hardest for novices? There are so many clips online of people getting blasted away by guns.” “Hmm… now that you mention it, why do I know how to use it?”

More zombies came at us in the middle of our conversation. I had the rifle on burst mode to get more points, but it was getting a little annoying and I switched it to full auto instead. I don’t even know if I even get points like in a game anyway.

Blood sprayed in the air as chunks of flesh rained down—it a wonderful celebration of violence… zombie games are the best. You’d see the nation’s QoL index shoot upwards if everyone would just relief their stress like me.

“Wahahahaha, eat lead! Die!” “At first I thought I made a bad decision, but now I’m glad I picked up this wild beast.”

Kiryū sighed in astonishment as he watched me spray lead with my rifle and get sprayed with blood.

“I game too, but I’m no expert at zombie games unlike you. I didn’t have the slightest idea how to get ahead in this game. The twists and turns of this area was beyond confusing… I would’ve died here if not for you.” “Heheh, leave it all to me. I know this game like the back of my hand.”

Grabbing the window frame, I hopped over the other side and into the alleyway. I turned around, posed with my rifle, and flashed a smile at Kiryū, hoping to raise his spirits.

“Let’s make light work of these zombies so we can get out of this world ASAP!” “… sign me up. I gotta go back and finish work so I can finally go home. I miss my own bed.”

He heaved another sigh as I laughed in agreement.

“I’m ready snuggle up too, but maybe after a good meal though. There’s edamame, chips, and an ice cold one with my name on them back in the nurses’ dorm.” “… you’re the do as I say–type of nurse, eh? Here for a good time, not a long time?” “Hey, I’m still young! Plus, I haven’t been drinking at home lately either… speaking of which, where do you live, Kiryū?” “Oh, East Shinjuku.” “Wow, for real?!”

I couldn’t help myself from blurting out in surprise.

“I can’t believe you live in a proper place in Shinjuku and not like a cheap dorm for nurses. Adults sure have it nice…” “Hah, it’s nothing special.”

He had somewhat of a smile on his face.

“The boss failed with his bed and breakfast venture with the condo, so instead, he stuffed me in there… and since it’s not particularly safe at night in East Shinjuku, locals try to stay away if they can. Thanks to that, I’ve got a cheap place in Shinjuku that’s real close to work… but there’s also the cops lurking in their cruisers on the side of the road, the drunks shouting in the streets, and the creeps who prowl at night. I don’t feel like I live like a high-roller, that’s for sure.” “Wow… I didn’t know East Shinjuku is like that.” “It’s not just that area of town that’s like that, y’know?” “ I know. But still, that’s amazing… are there perhaps any street thugs who pick fights with you? And do you use bicycles to beat them up?” “That’s what it’s like only in a certain yakuza game. You might see it happen in Kita and Adachi, but I’ve never encountered anything like that in Shinjuku.”

Kiryū looked off to the distance. I furrowed my brow at a particular part of what he said though.

“… that’s a pretty big coincidence though. I work in Shinjuku as well.” “… that’s… oddly convenient.” “Right? How strange… I wonder if it’s a coincidence at all. What if only wage slaves working in Shinjuku get trapped in this world…?”

A bunch of zombies staggered from across the street and into the alley. It’s rare to see them bunch up like this.

“Oh, that’s right. We’ll probably be fine since we have the gun, but shall I check their vitals?” “… what do you—?”

Kiryū must have had a bad feeling about what I said, but I ignored his question. Instead, I shoved the rifle at him and charged at a zombie.

“Hey, wha— Sera?!”

He shouted at me, but whatever. After scuffling with the zombie for about tens of seconds, I plunged my hand deep inside it.

 “… you’re literally ripping its guts out?!”

 Kiryū’s quip explained all there was to explain. I’m sure lots of people would get angry and complain about it being too grotesque if I were to write out all the details, so I’ll make it short. In any case, I ripped it guts out.

“What the hell are you thinking, Sera? Wait, I didn’t even know you could do that in this game!” “Level 1.” “Huh? Level 1?!” “I took about a minute for me to rip its guts out. At max level, it’d take only a moment but since it took more than a minute… it seems like Sera Harvey is at level 1 right now.”

I flick off the blood from my hands as I shrugged at Kiryū.

“You risked yourself just for that…?”

What are you, some kind of berserker?! Kiryū wearily sighed but isn’t this a pretty standard way of killing zombies? It’s still way tamer than ripping out someone’s spine while screaming “Fatality!”

“Oh, and Kiryū, I appreciate how straightforward you are with me. I never enjoyed formalities in real life either, let alone Sera.”

I didn’t think it would be this embarrassing to say it out loud.

“Gotcha. So, should I separate the two and call you by your real name?” “… uhh, hmm… let’s not. I don’t feel like myself looking like this. Honestly, I’m not this cute and petite in person.”

I spread my arms wide open as I answered him and he agreed.

“Me too. I’d likely die in agony if you called me by my real name… I don’t go peacocking around looking this flashy in real life.”

Kiryū said as he checked himself out. That’s quite an excuse for his looks.

“Peacocking, huh? If only you knew what that meant to a Rainbow Dreams fan like me… I’m not a huge fangirl, but Kiryū Sōichirō’s fans would kill you if they heard you say that.” “… yeah, I know. Not only are there a lot of Kiryū’s fangirls, but they also tend to be pretty extreme.” “…” “…” “… hmm?”

As soon as I questioned him, Kiryū averted his eyes and put his hand against his mouth. That only led to more questions.

“Kiryū… you mentioned that you saw Rainbow Dreams High School☆Fantasia at the game show?” “…” “Kiryū?” “…” “… oh, I’m sure I’ve read an interview online where the game devs of—" “Agh, Sera! I forgot I had something very important to say to you! Listen to me.”

Kiryū had a very serious look on his face as he said that. Then with one stride, he closed the physical gap between the two of us and grabbed both sides of my cheeks.

“Umm, you’re getting awfully close to me, Kiryū.” “I can’t believe you went and ripped its guts out! Don’t you ever rush to your death like that again!” “Rush to my death…? I’m a zombie game junkie. I know what I’m doing. And, uhh, more importantly, you’re still too close.” “You know what you’re doing? Do you really? It might look like it, but this is absolutely not a game.”

The look in his eyes showed he was being very serious.

“Trust me when I say I’ve seen what someone dying looks like.” “… I had forgotten about that. That’s right…” “Well, I’m glad you understand. Honestly, I couldn’t help but think you had abandoned your life when I watched what you did earlier. … we’re not in a game. You don’t get to respawn.” “Right…” “We don’t know what happens when we die here, so don’t recklessly throw yourself into the face of danger.” “I understand… that is a very valid point…”

I nodded along as I watched Kiryū lips move as if this was some sort of well-drawn cutscene.

“… umm, Kiryū, I understood what you said. Do you think I could get you to stop peacocking your flashy good looks in my face? You’re standing far too close.” “I thought you said you weren’t a fangirl of this good-looking flashy peacock?”

Kiryū forced a smile as he let go of my cheeks. I subconsciously stared at him.

“… you might have just been the hottest guy in the world or are you self-aware?” “Silly. The 3D model of this avatar is just really high-quality. Deep inside is just some plain old 30-year-old, remember? You wouldn’t even bat an eye if you passed me by on the street. Now, I will apologize for getting too close to you, but don’t dwell on it. We’re back to normal.”

We walked as we talked, and another enemy drew close.

 “… ah. Another one presents itself. Shall we?”

Kiryū swung his crowbar at the zombie at almost the same moment as I said that. It sounded oddly heavy when it collided… does he have some sort of superhuman strength?

“That’s a big swarm of ‘em.” “It sure is. Gets your blood pumping, don’t they? There will be more of them too. One of the game’s selling points was the ‘fun of slaying dynamic enemies that get progressively stronger’… whoa?!”

I instinctively shrieked as Kiryū knocked all the zombies down with his crowbar. Here I thought he was just running away.

“Oh… wow, Kiryū… you sure are strong…” “I exercise.”

He rested the crowbar on his shoulder before returning back to the action. I couldn’t help but stare dumbfounded at him. I thought so too when he grabbed my cheeks, but he’s crazy strong.

 He exercises, huh? I don’t think exercise gets anyone that far, but…

I was still in awe as I shouldered my rifle but Kiryū stopped me before I could assist him.

“Hold on, Sera. What did you mean ‘dynamic enemies that get progressively stronger’? I’ve only fought regular zombies before I met you… and I killed all that I’ve seen. Do they get stronger because of that?” “Huh? Oh, right, you don’t really play… it’s because you haven’t killed them all off yet. In this game, the zombies you kill are all just mooks. Part of the fun of this game lies in slaughtering them.” “… kinda like Grand Theft Auto…” “It’s fun, isn’t it? The zombies get tougher and then the tougher ones start to swarm you too. It actually gets pretty hard because of that. And now that I think about it, if that happens, the safehouse becomes not so safe anymore.” “Wait, wait, wait! Isn’t that really, really bad?! The more we kill now, the harder it’ll get later!” “…” “…” “… oh. Oh!” “You just realized?” “I just realized… I’m sorry. The gamer in me got carried away again…”

Now that I think about it, I kinda screwed the pooch. It had become instinctive for me to play like this. Since the more we kill, the harder they get, we should really stop killing them…

“We have to be careful and pick our battles… but that’s a challenge in itself. If we don’t kill them now, we won’t level up and it’ll be harder later too.” “Talk about a catch-22… I’ll do my best with the crowbar, so hold off on the assault rifle. I need to get some levels too.”

We advance on the zombies as we chatted away. Kiryū focused on the “slightly stronger” zombies and swung away at them. How is he that strong?

“… the crowbar isn’t supposed to be that strong of a weapon.” “Is that right? Maybe I’ve gotten used to it, but it feels good in my hand.” “That’s strange. The crowbar is so heavy though…”

Another swarm of zombies showed up as we finished the previous batch.

“This is bad. There are more of them showing up than I expected.” “… you’ve probably overleveled, huh? It might be rough even with the unlimited ammo rifle if there’s any more of them.”

Kiryū sighed as he bashed the brains out of the top of the zombies’ heads. Then, he turned around and looked at me.

“Sera. With all said and done, we still have to go get your phone and Vital Watch, right? And if we keep killing zombies at this pace, the safehouse wouldn’t be safe enough for us to sit and discuss things… right?” “… that’s right. I’m sorry.”

I apologized as I slumped my shoulders. I told him that he was in safe hands and to leave it all to me but look at our predicament now… how pathetic of me. I couldn’t possibly apologize enough. But Kiryū with a spry Keep your head up, he patted me on the back with one hand while holding his crowbar with the other.

“Where did your easygoing attitude go? I prefer the maniacal smile on your face when you committed genocide on the zombies. And plus, we can still do this together.” “… huh?” “I’d be lost in this world if I were just by myself, but now I’ve got you and your wealth of knowledge… now, how do we get back to the starting area of the game?” “Huh? It might be a little hard, but I think we should be able to do it.” “Then, lead the way. Take us to the Vital Watch and your smartphone so we can recover those two key items.” “What are you trying to accomplish?”

I looked up at him and asked. Kiryū—as if peacocking his flashy good looks in my face—smiled brightly at me.

 “—to break out of the confines of this game.”

■Kiryū

A prudent game developer. He has his reasons to be careful of avoiding leaking any sensitive data, so he only lurks other people’s tweets. His avatar is very well put together, but the real person behind it isn’t too far off. The ladies often approach him. However, for some reason, he seems to be a very late bloomer. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that he has closed his heart off to potential romance relationships. He’s taken a liking to his fancy Makita vacuum cleaner that he bought for no good reason.

contents: /ch001/ /ch002/ /ch003/ /ch004/ /next/

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[courage-a-word-of-justice]

BnHA 49 - 50 | Hinamatsuri 11 - 12 (FINAL) | MSO 12 (FINAL) | Boueibu HK 10 - 11 | Rokuhoudou 11

BnHA 49

“Tsukauchi…All Might…” – Come to think of it, what is Tsukauchi doing at this moment in time, anyway?

“…the ones who are smiling are the strongest.” – This reminds me of what Atro Spyker said in Rokka no Yuusha…“If you want to be strong, smile! He who can smile, even when he's so sad that he wants to die, when it's so painful that he wants to give it all up and run away, is the one who becomes strong.”

Why is there a person wearing a LLENN cap in the crowd, anyway? Is that intentional?

“What is with that pitiful back?!” – You can really see parallels between Bakugo and Izuku now between Endeavour and All Might…hmm.

Gran Torino in his prime…looks like Knuckleduster from Vigilantes somewhat.

Interestingly, the word daikokubashira (central pillar) comes to mind with all this talk about pillars. Normally I’d use that word in conjunction with a nuclear family and apparently the word can be used in a more literal sense with a house. However, in both cases, All Might is the pillar to the structure he made with society itself. Now that he’s pretty much done for, it’s like a Jenga game’s end. Everything falls apart. (Hey, I have a post on this topic in progress! Probably shouldn’t have mentioned all this…)

Hypertrophy.

All for One looks…normal when he’s dead. I thought he was creepy when he was still up and about, but now I’m no longer afraid. Ha…haha…

Hey, it’s Uwabami! Haven’t seen her in a while.

Oh, the guy in the ED is Eraserhead with his hair slung back.

Hinamatsuri 11

One more episode until we have to say goodbye to this show…I really liked it while it was around.

Isn’t Rairaiken the name of the Chinese restaurant Anzu works at…?

Wait, so Nitta’s sister knows karate?! What?! Why didn’t anyone mention that earlier?!

This scene with the ashtray reminds me of Nitta’s senpai, although I forgot what the senpai’s name is…wasn’t he in the previous episode though? I really do have a terrible memory sometimes, huh?

“Is he really just a regular nice guy?”

It’s basically the Ember Island Players all over again! Hahaha…

Hina’s shirt says doutoku. The only kanji combo I could get for that means “morals” or “morality”.

What’s up with the line about yaks, anyway?

Hina’s shirt says sugosugi = “too awesome”. Then it said “haha”, which could mean her mother…but I think it’s more the English meaning, out of context.

I’d read in an interview on Seiyuu+ that “Anzu is an angel” and that Nitta wanted to keep Anzu instead of Hina, but I never thought it meant either so literally…

“Reality (Hina) is coming home.” – LOL!

What…? Hina’s gone missing, in the mountains? What if Ikaruga took her??? Oh dear…

Boueibu HK 10

Well, there ain’t nothing more manly than sleeping in nothing but your birthday suit on a futon…right? (kidding)

I laughed so hard at Kyoutarou sneezing. The “person’s drowning” trope for fanservice at least goes back to 2004 or so – DN Angel (the anime, I believe) did it, I definitely remember that.

Poor Kyoutarou is being used as a demo dummy in this set of illustrations, LOL.

Everyone’s using the phrase nechatta, which holds some interesting implications. You see, the meaning of chatta means either completion…or the fact the action being done has negative implications. In this case, it’s both.

I think Kyoutarou called Karurusu “Karuru” or “Karu” or something.

Turtle-kun is so smol, I wanna cuddle him!

Hey, even the subs use “Martha” now…I’m so confused, still.

The word the old men want is “monster” (kaijin), but then the other word they thought of was katsukare- (pork cutlet curry), so I can see why the word was bent out of shape like that now. Notably, Karurusu didn’t age at all…

Taishi’s using the word yancha (naughty), which basically confirms he was a delinquent when he was younger. Just in a very roundabout way.

Notably, Nanao hasn’t stopped drinking tea after all those years, and Karurusu seems to have a very very long lifespan if he comments on it like that…

Inago = locust. Ichigo = strawberry. The former is correct (it’s in katakana, so there’s one stroke’s difference between na and chi).

Wow…spoilers told me I should’ve seen that coming, but watching old men transform is not my gig, so thank goodness I was spared from that ordeal…

Hey, we’re back to our old tradition of dark skies for the finale…although we didn’t have that in s2, eh?

They don’t even have voice roles for smol!Ata, Ryoma and Kyoutarou! That’s unfair!

The reason we all call the show “Boueibu” is because the staff did it first…so here’s (the next ep preview) just some extra proof of that.

MSO 12 (FINAL)

Noticeably, Yamo uses the word taoshite (to collapse), so literally his demand is to “make me collapse”…it’s a bit weird to translate it like that, which is probably why the subbers went with a different translation.

What did Mohiro ever do to be hurt like this, anyway? He doesn’t deserve to be hurt, Yamo…dangit. This is why you can’t be MVP anymore.

More montages…*sigh*

What the-orbefjvpenfp, Hyoue?! Don’t ruin the moment, regardless of whether it constitutes yaoi or not!

So…uh, somehow demons are talked about in terms of code? Y’see, this is why you need a good garbage collector.

I love how they were just called “The Hyoue Squad”, even though this show is called “Mahou Shoujo Ore”.

Gah! Anime-original characters steal the spotlight again…well, there goes my hopes for a good MSO ending, eh?

To think that Michiru’s male form is voiced by Kisho Taniyama – the guy who voiced Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs) – though…I still don’t match those voices with each other in my head, y’know.

…and somehow they were in Tokyo Tower. Of course, because Tokyo is the centre of the universe (sarcastic).

The thing about this show is that it’s so off-the-wall it doesn’t quite make emotional moments work, even ones like Yamo’s final handshake…sure, it kind of hit me in the feels because I’ve known this series for longer than some people, but not really…if you get what I mean.

I think Astral was thinking about this during one of the other episodes, but…they’re only bringing the topic of who Ore is to Michiru now??? Wuh???

The experience of this show wasn’t as bad as I was making it out to be in the beginning, but it wasn’t the most perfect thing either. I would rather they have done more filler with Saki and Sakuyo instead of coming up with anime-original characters to fill the gaps, but I’m also fine with what we got in the end...it’s a complex set of feelings that I don’t think I’ll ever get over. Anyways, that’s another show over and done. See you next time!

Rokuhoudou 11

Demi-glace.

Gotta love Sui’s Gendo poses! By the way, ponzu is some kind of citrus sauce.

This isn’t a particularly standout OP, but I might miss it for a week or two after this show’s end…I don’t want this show to end, actually. But as they say, be careful what you wish for.

(I still have no idea why they say “girls be ambitious” in the OP when the main stars are dudes…)

You might’ve noticed the one I like best from Rokuhoudou is Tokitaka. His voice, his hair, his caring nature (as demonstrated here with the old people), his ability to cook great food…*sighs dreamily* what a man he is!

You might not know this is you haven’t read the character pages for the show, but Tokitaka runs a pottery class. That’s why Osada and co. call him “Sensei”.

“Nagae”? I’ve never seen Sui refer to Tokitaka by his last name before! This is really something!

Oh dear, more Hotel East Side…notably, Osada is using very polite words (keigo) since she’s not really familiar with Sui.

There’s a shot where the light from the window streams on to Sui and you can’t tell if he’s wearing a kimono or a business suit…ooh, that must be symbolic in some way, y’know?

Mirin is a type of alcohol.

Rokuhoudou keeps surprising its customers…I wonder if I, as a blogger, can keep surprising people that way too…then I’d be set for life.

So that’s how Tokitaka uses unused stuff from his classes (using them at the Rokuhoudou)?! Wow, didn’t see that coming!

Osada looked like she was gonna cry, and that almost made me cry for a second!

“My father built East Side Grande.” – *spits out half-eaten food* Holy shiitake mushrooms! Rokuhoudou is best enjoyed with food, but if I keep spitting it out, I’m going to have to clean up around here…(kidding)

I didn’t even realise half the episode had gone so quickly! Yipes!

Hinamatsuri 12 (FINAL)

“It’s snow big deal.” – I get the feeling it was meant to have a pun in Japanese, but I don’t hear one when I listen to the audio…

Oh, there’s no Utako at the end of the OP! I kept skipping it, so that’s why I never knew…

Interestingly, the yuki is in kanji and the rest is in hiragana, which probably means it has to be a riff on the show’s name and not referring to any particular snow festival in particular.

Wait, forcible shipping? C’mon, they’re 13! That just lowered my opinion of the show somewhat.

Doesn’t this remind you of when Mao got stranded on the island and then made Hina go “Feed me”? She was on the ball after all…

Geez, that kid on the left (either Kengo or the other guy) is sadistic…

“Although you’ll be getting a roe deal.” – This was a pun on ikura (salmon roe)…although I can’t tell exactly how the pun works…

Is this Namahage Town, or what? What is up with all the namahage puns? Can someone tell me???

Wait, if credits are appearing here, then why is there half an episode left…?

Montage time…*sigh*

Why did a shot of Anzu appear (LOL)?

The yakuza guys are still watching that documentary?! What (LOL)?!

The horse seems to be called Eiyon Size…or something like that.

Hey, I think it was pretty accurate for “Oi, get your hands off her!” or “Oi, young man, don’t touch her!” in Chinese…or something like that. It is pretty garbled though…

LOL, Atsushi’s screaming in English though…”Mayonnaise is Atsushi!”

The monk’s name is Shinyhead (LOL)!

Ehh? Ain’t this the same scene from the beginning? Aw man, don’t make it like DN Angel…

“Watashi no smartphone ga!” Gets me every time, man.

In the end, Pruny Shinyhead just wants money, eh?...Haha.

Wait, so Pruny Shinyhead is like Mao like the boss man to Hina, huh?

That’s an actual plane company written on the side of that plane! Lufthansa! (The writing gets cut off when it’s at its most visible, though.)

So…in the end, we don’t discover what happened to Hina and Anzu three years later. Read the manga…I get it. *sigh*

BnHA 50

Noticeably, the sign says “stop!” in katakana.

I read on the wiki Shouto’s sister is called Fuyumi. That makes sense if she has an ice quirk like her mother (fuyu = winter).

“I can’t accept it. Not like this…” - Once again, you can see Bakugo in Endeavour…

Yap! (Yahoo!) News, LOL. The site doesn’t even bother parodying the purple or other style things about Yahoo!, though.

They…actually told us what happened to Ragdoll and Best Jeanist? That’s kinda sad, y’know?

Jiro’s parents are rockers? Well…that makes a lot of sense, actually.

Didn’t Brian the Sun do…yep, BnHA ED 1!

I’ve never seen a kid embarrass their dad before. It’s amazing…and so fresh.

Wow, Bakugo’s mum is…really something else. She’s got exactly the same temperament, I wonder how that family functions…

Midoriya’s shirt says “dress shirt”, LOL!

Inko’s feelings for Izuku resonated so strongly with me, I nearly cried…nearly.

I just realised…that computer in the flashback is a Windows 10. It’s got the menu and everything!

Wait…there’s an extra bit after the credits! The credits are way too long! Keep watching, keep watching…

Tartarus…? Like Alcatraz or something?

Hmm…in a lot of stories, the mentor dies. Here, the mentor doesn’t die. Good point, All for One.

Boueibu HK 11

Can I stop screaming “No duh!” every time they say “This is bad!”?

Manza the delinquent is exposed!

They’re attaching –san to the end of people’s magical aliases! Fabulous, if I do say so myself.

“We’ll stand up again and again!” – Uh, Karurusu? Kyoutarou’s sitting down…(LOL)

And…skip the transformation sequence again…and skip the purification sequence again…*sigh*

Notably, the kanji word on the wall not too far away from the pictures is “hope”.

*screams* My LOVE! boys! They’re back! (I knew they were coming because spoilers said they would, but this…this is wonderful…)

“…fail to realise…”

This entire conflict…it really is Kin-chan all over again.

This pink pigeon…is adorable! Like Turtle-kun last episode!

You can clearly see a purple hand (paw?) taking Kamopapa away, which is clearly Wao, that scoundrel of a lemur.

*voice caught in throat as Karurusu cries* Karurusu…don’t cry…

Does this mean the thing Ata wanted all along…was a handshake?

The next ep preview says "Danger is approaching King Kamopapa! Now isn't the time to be arguing!", by the way.

[ac-liveblogs]

Personalog 5: Sae and Shido’s Palaces

...and everything else that isn’t the final Mementos run. 

this definitely isn’t because i forgot to do a separate sae’s palace post

I actually kind of had fun in Sae’s Palace, but I’m still disappointed by the lack of gambling minigames. Which might be for the best, I would’ve played them forever.

on the flipside, you could hear my screams of agony as atlus repeated the same mouse puzzle again... and again... and again...

Sae and Akechi are by far the best bosses in the game, and I actually regret not fighting them on a higher difficulty. 

However, as a penultimate final boss, Shido was... not the most memorable character, at all. You’re mostly going to remember him as “that guy Akechi worked for”, and in some ways that’s fine, and I appreciate the effort to personally tie him to Protag-kun, but he’s not the most interesting character.

For one, I would’ve loved to actually hear his political policies outside of “make Japan great again”.

And I’m. pretty conflicted on “Shido is responsible for absolutely everything” as a last-minute plot twist.

And also. “oh man ryuji and haru ran off to see shido. you go stop them, protag” what the fuck was that what the fuck

Actually, between the lacklustre boss fight, boring and repetitive Palace that felt unnaturally drawn out, and some of the shoddier writing, Shido’s Palace is one of the worst in the game. 

The Akechi scenes save this Palace. Sorry, they do.

Akechi. Fuck. Akechi. This game did him RAW. Akechi is hands down the most interesting party member you get, and the lack of attention and carelessness in his plot is actually really fucking sad. You can tell there are ideas present that never went anywhere, and from what I’m reading there were a lot of changes made to his story late in production. 

The Akechi-Makoto rivalry wasn’t played up as much as it needed to be to be relevant. As it is, Akechi was lowkey a dick to Makoto once. That’s... barely anything.

The pancakes thing was stupidly implemented, because the game expects me to believe we just didn’t do anything about Akechi for months. We didn’t even know he was suspicious until the school festival, but were we seriously going to ignore him and hope he went away? 

There’s a lot of room to improve his handling in a re-release, is what I’m saying. 

I get wanting to avoid the police but, come on? It all chained into this really stupid “OH WE OUTSMARTED AKECHI” plot, but... that plot was stupid anyway? How in god’s name did SAE of all people get Shido’s men to avoid checking to see if Akira was already dead? And forget Akira, what about the security guard? And the gun? Sorry, Sae had to strongarm her way in to even interview Akira. How the hell did she pull any of that off?

On the plus side, the Hierophant Social Link was the best in the game by far. The Hermit was great too, even if I sisterzoned Futaba. Honestly, the best part of this game is the found family route I got to take?

And I thought I had more time to finish SLs I kind of left a lot of people hanging... ooops

Sorry Shinya I gave you a calling card just in time to go destroy mementos forever

sorry iwai never helped you with the yakuza

sorry for leaving you hanging hifumi

fuck you ohya i didn’t want your terrible social link anyway

[gosatsuvns]

Weekly Update #289 - GENBA Research Topics

While continuing my work on the outline for GENBA no Kizuna, which mainly consists of structuring the final discussion/revelation of all the mysteries at the moment, I've ended up doing some more research on various topics. Research is always a very important aspect to me, when it comes to writing a story. Thus, I've decided to give you a little overview of all the things I've looked into so far, just to write my little murder mystery visual novel.

It's quite a lot at this point. When I thought about it and saw the list in front of me, I was honestly shocked myself, haha. So here are all the topics I've done extensive research on (at least the ones I can think of right now):

- Bearded Vultures - Falconry - (Independent) Filmmaking - Animatronics - Telemetry - University Systems - Tōkyō Metropolis (economy, geography, infrastructure) - Kabukichō (entertainment & red-light district) - Hostess Clubs - Loan Sharks - Organized Crime (Yakuza) - Police Organization - Policework - Crime Scene Investigation - Forensic Science - Medical Science - Immune Deficiencies - Paleobotany - Paleontology

(And, of course, various dinosaur-related topics, from the Mesozoic period down to individual species w)

Naturally, this list isn't getting into the finer details. So when I'm talking about "Forensic Science", for instance, it can be further divided into topics like DNA collection, DNA analysis, fingerprinting, etc. Furthermore, with many of these topics (like the university systems), I looked into how it works both in Japan and the U.S.

I've read a lot of articles and research papers, and watched many documentaries and YouTube videos. Basically everything I could get my hands on: interviews with ex-mafia members, forensic scientists breaking down crime scene investigation, a falconer training a bearded vulture, and so on and so forth. All in the pursuit of realism.

It probably doesn't sound exciting to most people, but to be honest, I had a ton of fun doing all this research. It didn't feel like a chore at all. I found all of it fascinating and definitely learned a lot during these past few years. It was a very pleasant experience.

However, I guess that sometimes, I dig a little too deep and lose track of what's important. Having a story that's grounded in reality and doesn't stray too far from it is very important to me. Especially since this is a murder mystery, meaning that "logic" plays a huge role in it. At the same time, I often have to remind myself that I'm making an anime-style visual novel... not a documentary w

As much as realism is important, this is still supposed to be a game. And as such, it needs to be fun to play. So sometimes, realism has to be ditched in order to ensure that. After all, if I were to precisely follow the rules of real life crime scene investigation, this whole thing would become quite a boring, super slowed-paced slog to get through.

Therefore, some crazy things are going to happen and you will come across very eccentric characters. And every now and then, there will be somewhat futuristic elements in order to simplify things (the DPA being the best example of that).

There needs to be a balance between fun and realism. The game should be enjoyable and maybe even a little crazy, but not to an extent where everything seems so ridiculous that it takes you out of the experience. At the same time, it should be realistic enough, so that players won't constantly question what's presented to them (in the worst case scenario even leading to an inability to solve a mystery, because the actual laws of physics would make the culprit's trick impossible to pull off, for example).

It's really hard to strike said balance and sometimes, I get so lost in trying to make things as realistic as possible, that I feel I'm losing a bit of the fun in the process. So this post isn't just a look behind the scenes for you, but a little reminder to myself not to take things too seriously. After all, the mystery games I enjoy the most can be pretty ludicrous, too. And that's what makes them so fun!

Now, as always, please enjoy the rest of your weekend and, until next Saturday, take care! :3

(PS: if you're curious about the original outline for SHINRAI, there is a new post up for patrons!)

Update #288: Outline Progress & SHINRAI OST Update (attaching it here for completion's sake)

Alright, today's gonna be another very quick progress update. I am still continuing my work on the outline for the remaining GENBA chapters, currently structuring the discussion phase in the third one. Here, Keiichi and the others confront Raptor Pack Productions with some of their findings during the initial investigation phase (chapter 2). This chapter works similar to the final one in SHINRAI and mostly revolves around establishing theories and backing them up with evidence and facts.

Just as it was the case with SHINRAI, this is a rather complex task, however. There are many aspects to cover and many ways how the discussion could unfold, so I'm trying to find the most natural/logical but also exciting one, while still covering all the topics I need/want to. I will probably elaborate on this a bit more in a future blog post.

In any case, both chapters 2 and 3 are slowly taking proper shape. It's a constant back and forth between them, as the investigation findings and discussion topics are heavily reliant on each other. I wish I could have made more progress by now, but I also want to make sure that I'll come up with the best results possible and that takes time.

Outside of that, there really isn't anything else to report. I do have some others news, though!

Some of you might have already seen it on Twitter or Discord, but Steam recently made some changes to the way soundtracks are sold. Previously, they could only be offered as DLC, meaning that you had to not only buy the actual game, but also needed to install it, if you wanted to listen to its music. Now, however, soundtracks can be offered as just that: actual soundtracks. As such, I have changed the way SHINRAI's soundtrack is being distributed on Steam. In other words, you can now buy it without the need of owning the actual game

If you have already bought the OST, you will automatically own this newly categorized version, giving you much easier access to it. You can check out the soundtracks store page here.

That more or less wraps it up for today, so please enjoy the rest of your weekend and, until next Saturday, take care! :3

[bascojinn]

What Ardyn did wrong... and why everything was wrong with Noctis’ fate

Ardyn is the most interesting character in FFXV, indeed. Mysterious man of no consequences. Despite his horrible actions, a lot of people being sympathetic to him, because Trash Jesus is very charismatic person with aura of tragic, misunderstood hero, who was punished by terrible Gods for nothing.

But people simply ignore a big elephant in the room.

Ardyn didn’t cure Starscourge. 

He didn’t fullfill God’s task, he absorbed Starscourge within himself, but didn’t destroy the plague properly. 

But why? Why didn’t he sacrifice himself like Noctis? Why did once selfless and kind man choose the path of Accursed?

There is popular fanon that Ardyn was both - Chosen King and Oracle, but I doubt it. There is no evidence for it, aside once dropped “healer” during Ardyn’s speech. But nature of Ardyn’s “healing” was different from actual healing.

One more reason why I didn’t support Oracle!Ardyn fanon - Oracle bloodline has already existed 2000 years ago.

In the distant past, Bahamut, the Draconian, descended to the mortal realm and graced the people of Tenebrae. From among them, he handpicked a pious maiden and bestowed upon her the power of the Stars and his trident. Using these gifts for the good of all, she became the first Oracle—she who joins heaven and earth.

In Cosmogony books Chosen King always portrayed with the First Oracle behind his back.

The Crystal and Ring of the Lucii were delivered to the king of Lucis by the astrals before they entered a deep sleep.

Ancient King had Crystal and Ring. Covenants with Gods were forged. But something went wrong. But something stopped him. 

Okay, here is my theory. 

Ardyn didn’t want his Oracle to die.

[If you don’t like the idea of another forced lovestory and idea of straight Ardyn at all, you can replace Ardyn x Oracle with Ardyn x someone significant to Ardyn, who’s death was required to fullfill the Prophecy. I went with Ardyn x Oracle as example, because it helps to cover massive amount of plotholes in noctluna storyline. I included another variants under the cut.]*

[you can also said that Ardyn x Oracle or “Ardyn wished to save his s/o” wasn’t mentioned in game. But Ardyn’s backstory is very vague and almost nonexistant in game. More information about Ardyn spread across different media (Ultimania, guidebook, interviews). E.g. only recent DLC revealed that first Chosen King had his own Shield and Ardyn has his own Sword of Father]

Just like Noctis he fell in love with her and just like Ravus he wanted to find a way to save her from her destiny.

Why I think so?

Usually we tried to find answers in the past, but due to “glorius” FFXV storytelling I would pay attention to the present, specifically to Noctis x Luna plotline.

Since the first day of release I had wondered why Luna didn’t join Noctis and bros after Insomnia’s fall. She loved him, she wanted to hear his voice once again... but she went her own way. The pursuit of Imperial army wasn’t a big problem, because her brother was in charge of Nifflheim military. But for some reason she avoided Noctis’ company.

It doesn’t make sense at the first sight.

It makes sense if we assume that 2000 years ago happened incident when certain Chosen King failed his job, because he wanted to save Eos, but without Oracle’s* sacrifice.

The earliest accounts of covenants are found in ancient times dating back to the time of the Cosmogony, some two millennia ago. According to such tomes, the rites are a means by which the Oracle summoned forth the gods, that she might make the will of mortals known to the divine.

Lunfreaya is Oracle. She knew about Prophecy, her and Noctis’ fate, Ardyn’s identify and many other important things. I’m pretty sure that she also knew why previous Chosen King was a mistake didn’t comply his mission to cure Starscourge.

[don’t forget that she was trained by Shiva in disguise]

Luna’s illness is weird thing, which seems unnecessary on first sight. Why should we care about it, when she is already dead? What’s the point of this ass-pulled revelation?

Now imagine if Noctis was aware about her illness. Imagine if Luna joined chocobros after events of Kingsglaive. Imagine her travelling with them, making covenants with Gods, helping Noctis with trials... and slowly dying.

What would Noctis do if he learned “price of the covenant”?

I think we know the answer.

Until Luna’s death Noctis didn’t see himself as Chosen King. He wanted to save Luna and nothing else. He fought against Empire, he wanted to beat the shit out of Ravus, because he thought that Ravus hunted Lunafreya, he would have done everything for her, but he didn’t know what actually killed Luna. He was misguided by Luna herself.

[and then Lunafreya... told Noctis about Prophecy again]

It also explains why Gentiana didn’t help to save Luna in Altissia. Luna should’ve died. Her own precense kept Noctis from fulfillment his duty as Chosen King.

Almost everyone, who knew about Prophecy, tried to hide from Noctis horrible truth about his fate and, which is more important, Luna’s illness. Gentiana, Regis, Luna, Ardyn (just how fucked up is plot of this game if “good guys” used exactly the same methods to manipulate Noctis as main villain) deprived him of any chance to change something. Looks like they were afraid that Noctis can choose another path, isn’t it?

I put Luna’s illness over Noctis’ future sacrifice, because Noctis was ready to die young. It was revealed in Ignis Brotherhood Episode, when Noctis realized that like his dad he will spend his life sources to hold the Wall around Insomnia. Ofc, he didn’t expect to die like in this one cutscene, but he was ready to die anyway. Luna is whole different thing. Her death was last straw for him.

Although, there was a moment, when Noctis had a chance to learn the truth from another character, who was also informed about Prophecy and constantly tried to mess up with it.

Back to chapter Five, when Noctis met Ravus first time. There is a common misconception about this scene, a lot of people thought that Ravus wanted to kill Noctis and Ardyn saved him.** But I think that real reason why Ardyn interrupted them was this particular line:

Ravus told Noctis about trials and consequences, but Noctis didn’t mind about it... and you know what happened later. 

Congratulations, Noctis, you fooled yourself.

[now there is another big question - why Luna didn’t write Noctis about Ravus’ true position?]

After this event Ardyn took Ravus on leash. Ravus himself wasn’t dangerous for Noctis, but Ravus’ knowledges and intentions were dangerous for future sacrificial lamb. Remember: Noctis shouldn't have a choice.

People compare FFXV with FFX and FFXIII a lot. These games are opposite to each other. In FFX and FFXIII characters didn’t accept their fate so easy as characters in FFXV, they fought for their lifes and lifes of their beloved (Lightning and Snow wanted to save Sera, Sazh wanted to save his son, Tidus wanted to save Yuna), they fought against destiny, broke the rules and won. 

It always bothered me that chocobros never demonstrated any serious resistance. But, well, they simply didn’t know what’s going on. They were desinformed from the beginning. 

[That one character in FFXV who just wanted to save his sister was labeled as villain and turned into monster. Just think about it]

Now back to Ardyn and his possible past. Imagine him travelling in company of his King’s Shield, Oracle and may be his own versions of Prompto and Ignis. Imagine them fightning daemons, camping, making covenants with Gods...

But something went wrong. Oracle is dying. Ardyn wanted to save the world, but not for this price. He tried to find a loophole... and he was tricked or made a deal with Ifrit. From perspective of mortal man it was perfect deal - he can save everyone by healing absorbing Starscourge into his own body without sacrifices. But from Astrals’ point of view it was nothing. It was temporary solution.*

I never liked Noctis that much***,but I think that his situation was horrible. People that are most dear to him treatened Noctis like possible failure aka Ardyn 2.0. They were afraid that if he finds out the truth, he will get out of control. They did everything to prevent Noctis’ possible resistance to his fate.

All these people prioritized Prophecy over Noctis’ life, happiness and free will.

Just like Ardyn.

It wasn’t even “kill one to save many”.

Everything is wrong with Final Fantasy XV story.

@stephanythedramaqueen it’s not exactly that Regis’ post, which I promised, but it’s something like prequel to it.

*I prefer Chosen King x Oracle, because it’s good parallel to noctluna. But I also thought about Ardyn x Chosen King (not in shipping manner, but what if Ardyn wanted to save previous Chosen from his fate? So, Chosen King could be Ardyn’s brother or son. Or just his good friend. May be Ardyn wanted to avoid his own death, but I think that it’s too... boring?

**Go and rewatch this scene if you think opposite. Ravus had a good opportunity to choke Noctis with MT hand, but he didn’t do it. 

***I wouldn’t mind Regis or Luna actions, if this game didn’t try to show them as epitome of goodness. I wouldn’t mind if Tabata stayed with old concept of Yakuza Regis. I wouldn’t mind if he stayed with concept of antagonistic love interest. But Tabata erased moral ambivalence of Versus XIII. Lunafreya is perfect woman, which Noctis can’t reach and his role model. But she is also woman, who didn’t tell him all truth. Shiva, the most friendly Astral, hides the truth too. And of course, Regis didn’t even try to raise Noctis as king, because he knew true meaning of Chosen King title.

Chosen to die.

[mystic-head-canons]

Hi! I really liked your hc!!! and I also would like a head canon with the RFA +Saeran, V and Vanderwood with MC as the Daughter of a Yakuza boss (sorry if my english is bad)

You’re English is just fine, sweetie! Thank you for your request!

OKAY! Quick explanation about the whole “Yakuza” thing. So, like, I know that technically Yakuza are the Japanese mob, and everyone is Korean in game, but I’m a lazy sack of shit who didn’t know what to write in replacement of that that would be more appropriate, but… we’ll just have to roll with it because I have no idea what else to put down.

Also, before we get into the specifics, here’s a few wide-spanning ideas between them;

MC was the illegitimate second child of the Boss

She has an older half-brother, who is 10 years older

Her biological mother died when she was a baby

Her step-mother was the one who insisted on taking her in, and loved her like a real daughter because she was so freaking cute as a little one

She knows self-defense because her brother taught her

She knows how to act like a proper, respectable woman because her stepmother taught her

Her father’s underlings all dote on her as well

Yoosung

Yoosung is super scared to meet her family when she tells him

“I didn’t want to tell you about each other unless things got really serious.”

They go to her family home and he’s nothing but respectful and terrified as her stepmother serves the tea

MC never removes her hand from him both as reassurance and to protect him

Her stepmother loves how earnest he is

The thing that ultimately convinces her family that he’s the proper fit for MC is when one of the Underlings that’s had a crush on her since they were teenagers starts hitting on her while she’s showing Yoosung around

Yoosung goes a little yandere, steps very obviously between MC and the guy, puts his arm around her, and glares very scarily at this guy

“Hi, I’m Yoosung. Her fiancé. And you are?” “[says his name].” “Hm, funny, MC’s never mentioned you before.”

Immediately they’re sold. Hell, they help plan the wedding.

Jaehee

Well… they didn’t immediately jump for joy

Jaehee really wasn’t sure what to expect when MC led her to a very nice, traditional house

She was ever a little frightened by the people around the entrance, even if she greeted these scary people warmly

It wasn’t until they started doting on her and calling her little pet names from when she was baby that Jaehee understands that they’re like family and she has nothing to fear

When MC’s brother sees Jaehee, he laughs, but asks if Jaehee knows anything about protecting someone

Jaehee is a little offended, so does a judo throw of the older brother

Father and stepmother witness this as well, MC starts laughing and kisses Jaehee for her impressive performance

Stepmother is cautious, but approves of Jaehee being very polite, kind, and hardworking

Father is… well, he’s torn

He was expecting his daughter to present him with a strapping young suitor that he could scare -away- into submission

Instead he gets a woman who he just doesn’t know how to intimidate because she’s faced down the C&R household along with various other CEO and chairmans and walked out without a sweat

But at least his daughter is happy

After they’re home, Jaehee’s knees buckle from the nerves and she’s so happy that they approved of her

Zen

He used to be in a gang, but this… this is a whole new level

But he does know the culture, plus he’s an actor, so he’s able to be confident and friendly when he meets her family for the first time

Zen is immediately fawned over by her stepmother because (a) he’s so handsome and (b) she’s a fan of his.

He reluctantly admits to formerly being part of a gang, and earns the respect of the brother

That just leaves her father who has been eyeing him suspiciously ever since he learned Zen was an actor

His biggest concern is not if he can protect her, but if he’s (a) good enough and (b) will be true to her.

When her father pulls Zen aside to question him about his willingness to be faithful, Zen tells him about the Echogirl incident and says that he would do it again a thousand times, just to be with MC

The father just says, “If you ever hurt her, no one will find your body.”

“I would never dream of it,” Zen says. “Even if you didn’t threaten me.”

Jumin

Jumin is not an easy to intimate man, so when they show up at her father’s home, he just walks in without flinching

He’s the perfect gentleman

MC’s stepmother approves of him quickly because he’s handsome, charming, and very successful

The men of the family aren’t so easily convinced

They know his father’s history with women, and even if they know about the RFA party and everything that happened, they’re still concerned that he’s going to cheat on her

He actually gets kind of scary when her brother implies he will sleep around like his father

Because, even the thought of anyone hurting his love is offensive

Her father ends up speaking up and admitting that, once, when they were children, MC and Jumin actually met

It was at a party at a yacht club that the Han family and he were part of

Her father remembers two things from that party; (1) Chairman Han trying to buy out his business to “legitimize” it and (2) Jumin being kind of a jerk to a younger MC

Granted, Jumin was like, 8 or 9, and she was maybe 4 or 5, so it’s a bit of a hard judge, but MC followed him around that whole party because he was so pretty, and little Jumin thought she was annoying and accidentally made her cry

So of course her doting father still doesn’t forgive him

Meanwhile Jumin immediately apologizes for that, and MC is laughing because it’s an adorable story and Jumin is being ridiculous for apologizing for something that happened so long ago

The men of her family manage to ease up after seeing his reaction, but remain wary

As far as MC sees it, as long her family and his father don’t cause problems, everything will be fine

Saeyoung

He comes prepared with all their information memorized and a bribe of three boxes of Honey Buddha Chips

They’re impressed with his bribe, and when they ask about his job, they’re terrified

Because Saeyougn starts listing off their personal information (SS#, drivers liscense, birth name, date and place of birth, favorite internet search, last 20 things they individually purchased, etc)

They’re terrified, realize he’s a hacker, and they just kind of nod and say, “yeah, okay. We’re good. Please don’t hack us.”

Then they see how happy he make MC

As their leaving, Saeyoung says, “I think that went well.”

“Well as it could go.”

“I can’t believe they didn’t try to kill me after the whole ‘apartment bomb’ thing”

“They don’t know, and if you tell them, my father will find a way to kill you and make you disappear.”

V

V meets the brother first

“I don’t approve,” the brother says. “You can’t protect her if anything happens.”

“I can protect her in my own way.”

“Oh really?”

“Have you ever seen anyone attack a blind man?”

“…well no, but-”

“And if a blind man - or the woman he was with - were being attacked, wouldn’t you want to do something?”

“Yes but-”

“I may not be able to fight, but I can protect her.”

He’s earned points with father and stepmother immediately after this

Brother is still cautious, but he doesn’t go against his parents wishes

Saeran

When he shows up, her family isn’t sure what to think of him

I mean, from the white hair to the black clothes…. he seems… interesting

But then they see the look in his eyes

They talk

He ends up fitting right in

MC would be surprised, except she knows she has a type

her father even briefly considers offering him a job

Vanderwood

He didn’t once try to kill her brother, what?

Okay, but seriously, he didn’t expect to walk into the den of a mob boss when going to meet her parents

But it did explain a few things

Like why she wasn’t afraid of pretty much anything

And how she manages to keep such a cool head in crisis situations

MC is really clever, too, in that she knows how her family would react to knowing his former occupation (in that they’d either want to hire him as muscle or kill him), so she lies to them about it

She says he worked security at a data management facility (she’s not wrong)

Her father legitimately asks Vanderwood to go in for an interview with the security team at his (shady) business

Much to Vanderwoods surprise, things go remarkably well, and he’s invited to join them for dinner again

He’s so glad he ignored his survival instincts for once and didn’t run away

[recentanimenews]

Yakuza Director Toshihiro Nagoshi Heaps Praise Upon Ghost of Tsushima

  You may have heard (or thought) mixed things about developer Sucker Punch's PS4 exclusive open-world samurai game Ghost of Tsushima, but you know who's loving it? Japan. In addition to getting a rare perfect score in Famitsu magazine, one of the most vocal fans turned out to be none other than Yakuza series executive director Toshihiro Nagoshi. 

  Despite some inaccuracies that can easily be picked apart by Japanese history aficionados, Tsushima is a stunner. Nagoshi heaped praised upon it in a recent Sega live stream.

  “Honestly, I was defeated," he laughed. "It’s a game that seems like it needs to be made in Japan, but I heard that they actually went to a hell of a lot of places for research and interviews, and they knew exactly what they were doing."

  Nagoshi continued, commenting more on the way a western studio handled development: "It should have been something that Westerners wouldn’t understand, but that assumption itself is wrong. Those who can make it can, and when you think about it, it’s not simply a great game that was thrown into the mix. It makes me quiver!"

    As for some of the specific aspects he enjoyed, Nagoshi speaks highly of the user interface design. "It has a lot of new elements in it. The wind effect is really well done, and the UI isn’t forced," he said. "You can do a lot of things, but it’s not very forceful. But it’s made with good guidelines so that you can get into a certain storyline. They probably experimented with a lot of things... and that’s awesome."

  The attention to detail both in the acting and in the black-and-white Kurosawa mode wasn't lost on Nagoshi: "I don’t know who’s directing it, but the attention to detail (of the facial expressions) is amazing. It’s not just a matter of just motion capture, but they are probably very good at putting on a play, like how to pull off facial expressions on stage." As for Kurosawa mode, Nagoshi added, "They didn’t just change the color scheme, they changed the number of frames to an old-fashioned one, so they even took a technical approach as well.

    To the folks at Sucker Punch, Nagoshi says, "I feel I should give them my congratulations and respect.” Toshihiro Nagoshi is really cool and makes one of the most enjoyable open world series out there, so I would definitely etch these comments onto a plaque if I worked at Sucker Punch. 

  Do you have this level of appreciation for Ghost of Tsushima? Let us know if you've been playing and what you think in the comments! (I'm loving it, personally.)

  Via Hachima Kikou

Additional reporting: Daryl Harding

    -------

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his webcomic, BIG DUMB FIGHTING IDIOTS at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox. 

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[entergamingxp]

Like a Dragon Wasn’t Supposed to Be an RPG Yet When Its April Fools Video Released

January 15, 2020 4:49 PM EST

Various comments from Sega’s Toshihiro Nagoshi following the Japanese release of PS4 exclusive RPG Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is now available in Japan. And as you already know, Yakuza: Like a Dragon uses a Turn-Based RPG battle system, a big change for the series. In synch with the game’s launch, multiple Japanese outlets (4Gamer, Game Watch, GameSpark) published long interviews with Toshihiro Nagoshi, sharing comments on the game and its development. We’ve read these interviews and summarized the most interesting parts below.

In summary, Toshihiro Nagoshi’s job on Yakuza: Like a Dragon was to decide which directions the game systems and the scenario took, supervising the development team’s progress and thinking of ways to promote the game with the promotional team.

Regarding Yakuza: Like a Dragon‘s Japanese release and if it’ll do well or not, Toshihiro Nagoshi is stressed about the situation but is also confident. He compared his situation to a student before exams, and how it’s similar to what he felt when the very first Yakuza game launched. He’s confident the game will find its audience, and most notably mentioned any skeptical fan he saw ended up loving the game when trying it out, be it at Tokyo Game Show 2019, the various demo events which happened in Japan, or the global feedback after Sega published the Japanese PSN demo of the game.

Toshihiro Nagoshi explained again why the series switched to turn-based RPG battles. After making the Yakuza series for over ten years, even if Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio still had room to improve it as an action game, they thought they were reaching the limits of what they could do, and wished to challenge themselves. The studio hopes fans of the series will appreciate they’re undertaking such a challenge, and try the game out. Toshihiro Nagoshi mentioned how a series that doesn’t challenge itself will end up disappearing at some point.  The development team was conscious that the switch to RPG would cause fan backlash, but they pushed forward anyway because they’re confident in their game.

Toshihiro Nagoshi also explained RPG is a style that goes well with any themes and any type of stories you’ll include in your game. And how they’re confident they managed to coordinate properly the game systems and the friendship themed story of Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

While Yakuza 6 completed Kazuma Kiryu’s story and what would come next would unmistakenly be different, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio didn’t initially plan to include so many changes for the next game. RPG is the answer they reached after a long period of trial and error. They also thought about making a hybrid of RPG and the previous action battle system, and also thought about going with game systems completely different than what the series did so far.

As you remember, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio published in April Fools 2019 a video showing protagonist Ichiban Kasuga fighting in the streets, using a turn-based RPG system. Toshihiro Nagoshi explained how, at the time, the studio actually didn’t decide yet to turn Yakuza: Like a Dragon into an RPG, and it was simply one of the many ideas they had in mind. Some thought they published this video to check out if fans liked a possible RPG battle system, but it was really nothing more than something they made for April Fools. Nagoshi explained how they kept experimenting even after that point.

Through these interviews, Toshihiro Nagoshi also spoke about the various difficulties Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio encountered when developing the game. We’ve detailed that in another article.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon will launch sometime in 2020 in the west. You can read more on the game through our previous coverage. We have details on the story, returning characters, and the various JRPG parodies, how the game parodies Dragon Quest‘s Puff Puff,  some gameplay, details on the Persona-like friendship system, comments from the producers, and how the series will go back to action if this game doesn’t sell. B sure to check out our playthrough of the demo as well.

January 15, 2020 4:49 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/like-a-dragon-wasnt-supposed-to-be-an-rpg-yet-when-its-april-fools-video-released/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=like-a-dragon-wasnt-supposed-to-be-an-rpg-yet-when-its-april-fools-video-released

[worldssmallestbookclub]

Out by Natsuo Kirino (tr. Stephen Snyder)

Natsuo Kirino’s novel tells a story of random violence in the staid Tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works a night shift making boxed lunches brutally strangles her deadbeat husband and then seeks the help of her co-workers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime.

The ringleader of this cover-up, Masako Katori, emerges as the emotional heart of Out and as one of the shrewdest, most clear-eyed creations in recent fiction. Masako’s own search for a way out of the straitjacket of a dead-end life leads her, too, to take drastic action.

The complex yet riveting narrative seamlessly combines a convincing glimpse into the grimy world of Japan’s yakuza with a brilliant portrayal of the psychology of a violent crime and the ensuing game of cat-and-mouse between seasoned detectives and a group of determined but inexperienced criminals. Kirino has mastered a Thelma and Louise kind of graveyard humor that illuminates her stunning evocation of the pressures and prejudices that drive women to extreme deeds and the friendship that bolsters them in the aftermath.

My friend and I definitely found this book an interesting read; its subject matter is grim and brutal, held together by the attention-grabbing puzzle that is Masako Katori. Masako’s rise from the cocoon of her dead-end middle-aged existence while she takes control following her coworker’s spousal murder is a journey laced with fascination and dread for the reader. It’s a dark read, and not for everyone - but if detailed descriptions of dismemberment or cat-and-mouse games with vicious killers don’t faze you, then this might be the book you’ve been looking for. I must warn that the ending perplexed my friend and I in its sudden departure from the narrative trajectory of the rest of the story - but aside from that, we enjoyed this book a great deal.

Consider the title of this novel. The original title in Japanese is the same, but it’s written in katakana, since it is a borrowed word from English. The closest “original” Japanese noun would be 出口 (deguchi), which means “exit” or “way out” (as well as various other things). In contrast, アウト (auto) means out of bounds (in sports), outer/external/outside, and no good/out of line/unacceptable/failure. Why do you think Natsuo Kirino chose auto instead of deguchi for her original title? Do you think the meaning of the title is altered by its translation into English? How did the title shape your expectations for the novel, if at all?

Translating a text is always difficult, but especially so when the two languages are completely different structurally. In translation, there’s always a balance between conveying what is actually said versus what is actually meant, with the added difficulty of keeping the text sounding natural. Without being able to do a line-by-line comparison, what did you think of Stephen Snyder’s translation? (If you’re stumped, try comparing it to other translated novels you have read.)

The novel is specifically set in the urban sprawl of Tokyo. Why do you think Natsuo Kirino chose this for her setting, rather than the countryside or a less massive city? What does the setting contribute to the story she is trying to tell?

Oftentimes the narration in this novel can feel like third-person limited, aside from occasional moments of third-person omniscient; for instance, when Yayoi meets with the detectives and lets slip a mention of Kenji’s habit of playing baccarat, the narration adds, “Although she didn’t know it yet, this one word would prove to be her salvation” (168). Do you believe this style of narration was effective for the story Kirino was trying to tell? Why or why not?

Aside from the four main women and Satake, there are only two other major characters in the novel: Anna and Kazuo, both of whom are immigrants. Why do you think Kirino made these characters immigrants, rather than characters raised in Japanese society? How does an outsider status shape the way Anna views Satake or Kazuo views Masako, in comparison to how those characters are viewed by Japanese natives?

Satake commits a crime so gruesome in his youth that it draws a line between him and everyone else around him, even in the opinion of yakuza members. What was your emotional response to Satake at the start of the novel? How about after he was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit? How about at the end of the novel? What prompted your reactions to Satake throughout the novel, and do you agree with the way Kirino chose to portray him?

When one of the employees from Mika is discussing Satake’s secretiveness with Anna, he says, “But how can you live if you don’t trust anyone? Maybe it means that you really don’t trust yourself?” (194). Masako often is unwilling to trust those around her in this novel, even the people on whom she must rely the most. Where do you think this lack of trust comes from? Who are the people that she does trust, if any? If she does trust anyone, why do you think that person has won her trust? Do you believe Masako trusts herself? Why or why not?

In an interview, Natsuo Kirino said:

I don’t think I exclusively tell stories of women criminals. However, being a woman in this society is mainly an anonymous existence. I don’t think the fact that the environment is such that women are nameless and overlooked is a good thing. For example, a young man once told me that until he read Out, he ‘never realized that regular middle aged women actually had a life.’ What makes these women special is not that they committed a crime, but the circumstances around these normal women that cornered them into that situation. It’s often merely convenient to depict them as seeking an escape from their life through an act of crime.

Do you feel that this book qualifies as a feminist novel, even in part? Why or why not?

During the long and ongoing process of women’s liberation, there has often been discussion of the patriarchal need for women to exist only as objects that are desired, rather than as subjects who desire. When Satake is considering self-awareness in women, he thinks to himself, “It was a quality that was essential in a woman for a man to fall in love with her; but men who were only interested in buying a woman’s body hated it with a vengeance” (368). Satake’s words suggest that men are only able to truly love a woman if they can see her as a subject with her own desires and internal life. Do you agree or disagree with Satake? By Satake’s definition, do you think Masako is ever truly loved in this novel? How about Yoshie, Yayoi, and Kuniko? When these women fail to be loved, is it due to their lack of self-awareness, or is it due to an unwillingness in those around them to appreciate that self-awareness?

What did you think about the end of the book? How did you feel about it - satisfied, disappointed, surprised, etc.? If you feel positively about the ending, explain why you thought it was an appropriate ending for the novel. If you feel negatively, explain why; what could the author have done instead that would have been more fitting, in your opinion?

Page numbers are from the 2005 edition by Vintage.

[undertheinfluencerd]

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Netflix’s highly anticipated action film Kate is out September 10. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the titular role, the film also features Woody Harrelson, Miku Patricia Martineau, and Miyavi. The film is directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, who ComingSoon was able to chat with ahead of the film’s release.

“Meticulous and preternaturally skilled, Kate is the perfect specimen of a finely tuned assassin at the height of her game,” says the official synopsis of Kate. “But when she uncharacteristically blows an assignment targeting a member of the yakuza in Tokyo, she quickly discovers she’s been poisoned, a brutally slow execution that gives her less than 24 hours to exact revenge on her killers. As her body swiftly deteriorates, Kate forms an unlikely bond with the teenage daughter of one of her past victims.”

ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Kate director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan about the action flick, working with Woody Harrelson and Miyavi, and how anime had an impact on the film.

Tyler Treese: Woody Harrelson, what a great performance by him. He’s such a versatile actor and I thought he fit this role so well. Could you just speak to his performance?

Cedric Nicolas-Troyan: So Woody was like, when we were talking about the character of Varrick, we were looking for someone that’s going to embody warmth, but also can turn on a dime. Someone that can be like, you want to hug that person, but then the next minute you’re like, oh no, that guy is actually scary. Woody is just right there, top of the list because he has all those. He has made all those performances where you just kind of love the guy, like, oh, this guy is the coolest, and then all of a sudden you’re like, hold on, wait, what, he might be scary actually. It can turn like that.

He modulates his performance and those looks and those things. He does the smile and then he turns into a look and you’re like, oh. It brings a swagger, and also one thing that is really cool with Woody is that he loves playing. So when I was saying, “Okay, let’s play a little bit on that line. Let’s improv a little bit on this.” He was always up for it. So he brings that swagger and this and that kind of attitude to the film. I wanted to have that rock and roll attitude to have that swagger. So, he brings that all the time and he’s fun.

I saw that you mentioned that you’re a big fan of anime and Hayao Miyazaki as is an influence on your overall work. We see Tokyo Ghoul in one scene, but I’d love to know how anime really influenced this film and the style of Kate?

Yes, absolutely. I grew up with Japanese culture like Grendizer and [Message from Space:] Galactic Wars. All of that was big deals in France. So I was really drawn into that kind of anime culture very, very young and to this day my son is very much into it, so I never really kind of gave up. So that was a big part of the design and the look.

I wanted to find something that was connecting, and that’s why Tokyo Ghoul is in the film because I was looking for a connection with Kate and with the [Ken] Kaneki character has that connection. So to create those images that people who are [fans] of that kind of style, can be like, “oh yeah,” and they know why. People that don’t know Tokyo Ghoul, they’re going to be like, oh, it’s just a cartoon on the building. But people that know they’re going to be like, oh, I can see why Kaneki and Kate are together. Actually, I wrote a letter to the creator of Tokyo Ghoul to ask him to put it in the movie.

Awesome. The casting is just so inspired all around. I loved Miyavi’s role. What led to the samurai guitarist being brought into this film?

Well, Miyavi, he’s like he has that kind of striking look. He’s just so charismatic and I’d seen him in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken, and he was reminding me of the Ryusuke Sakamoto character in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, and I thought it was like he had that really great presence. Then he has this amazing look, you know? So when it was about who is going to play Jojima, Jojima is the only person in the film that beats the crap out of Kate and literally should have win the fight [against Kate].

I wanted that one scene to have someone that you just kind of like, wow, and a friend of mine, Mr. Hide, who is a Japanese director, we were talking about him and he happened to be friends with him and he’s like, “Oh, you know, you should totally get him,” and he texted Miyavi and then Miyavi came to audition for me when I was in Tokyo. Right away, it was great. I’m so blessed he accepted to do the movie. He thought, “Yeah, that’s kind of fun. I never did that. Let’s do this,” and he just came in like, bam. He’s amazing.

The post Interview: Kate Director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Talks Woody Harrelson, Anime’s Influence appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

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