#the anime only introduced 4 so far since it covered up until volume 4

[prodkeiji]

ugh how a realist hero rebuilt the kingdom was sooo good and funny and it wasnt even that sexual (if that made sense, my wording could be rlly off so early apologies for that)

[baconpal]

talkin bout fuckig manga

hey it’s me, haven’t had internet for over a week and i’ve been sick and uni and blah blah blah time for a rant about manga

this time its about  "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru", tl;dr, good manga read it idk

lots of bullshit below the cut

Before anything I say gets too confusing or I go off on an insane tangent, just know my recommendation is that you read "Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru". It's not very easy to find online since it has an official English release (which my recommendation extends far enough to suggest I might pick up in the future, just to have it, but I am very stingy), but there's an alright torrent of all the volumes on your local anime torrenting website, and is at the very least worth the trouble of reading as such. There is also an anime that gets better as it goes, but the manga is my primary recommendation. Beyond this point I'm not gonna give much regard to what I write, so get ready for anything, read the manga and see if you agree with me, or don't and see if I care:

BOUT THE ANIME: The SoreMachi anime is one of those rare comedy anime you find where the animation and overall production is just really extra the entire time. Hopefully you know what I mean because I won't really be able to explain it any other way, it's simply one of those shows where the jokes are decent and it's a fun time for the most part. Unfortunately, the anime makes a couple of critical missteps that kept me from getting far into it when I first tried watching it about a year ago, and in retrospect seem even less reasonable.

Starting with the good, as an adaptation it does a good job with most chapters it covers, it properly sources where each chapter comes from incase you intend to read the manga and skip around to catch up, and the anime adapts some sections to have additional jokes that fit very naturally in to the story. It also covers up some of those problems only manga can have like having a concert segment without any actual music involved, until they invent mp3-paper it's just something we'll have to live with. Translation work was pretty good (I watched the [WhyNot] release for those who care), which is extra important for something as difficult to translate as jokes from another language. The set of episodes they chose to end on was very good, and was expanded to be a lot more impactful in the anime. If it wasn't for the last episode being as strong as it was I may have given up on finding the manga when I saw it wasn't super easy to read online.

As for what the anime fails in, some episodes feature some really blatant over-acting that doesn't really help make characters believable, and there's this obnoxious gag that continues the whole where through where most scenes have a few seconds long line from what is essentially a forced mascot character, which usually mean nothing and only serve to harm the pacing of many episodes (there isn't even any sort of equivalent bit in the manga so I really don't know why they did it, most of the anime original jokes are pretty good so I just really don't get it). The biggest issue the anime faces is that the source material is about 140 chapters, while the anime is only able to cover 24 chapters. This comes with a LOT of problems, the first being what I'd call the "required reading". SoreMachi is not a 1-note simple comedy where you can skip to any chapter and be completely okay; There are many small but meaningful subplots lying beneath, and characters have a fair bit of development throughout. What this means for the anime is that the first 3-4 episodes are just the first few chapters of the manga, which are a bit rough and not as good as the majority of the work, which is true of a lot of comics (god fuck I promise there will be more than a first chapter of my comic I promise it'll get better fuck). In terms of the anime by itself, I'd say episode 1 is decent, 2 is middling, and by 3/4 their still taking a while to introduce members of the cast, and I didn't immediately want to finish it. I put the show down for a long time until my internet started dying and I wanted to watch something fun. Slapping it back on at episode 5 I immediately had a great time and watched the rest of the show pretty soon after. While I understand the reasoning behind doing this, the anime does not pay off this structure, as beyond the first few episodes, the chapters start being presented out of release order and out of chronological order, kind of destroying any consistent throughline. This decision in and of itself isn't the worst, since the comic isn't always chronological, and the volume ordering is a bit different from the release ordering, but the inconsistency makes the first few episodes feel lessened without reason. The other large failure that comes with only animating about 1/7th of the entire work is that many themes and concepts that are core to the manga are not represented in the anime well at all. One of the biggest is the rare but unnerving supernatural chapters, of which only one is animated, and not a particularly good one. In order to talk about these themes I'll have to transition into talking about the manga itself, since they aren't part of the anime.

DA MANGA: So one last recommendation that you read the manga, the whole damn thing. Cus we're gettin into themes and character moments that take a long time to pay off, and obviously is all part of my interpretations, so if that stuff means anything to you don't let me ruin it for ya.

The title of the manga is, in essence, the entire manga's "punchline" in that every chapter could meaningfully end with simply the text "And yet the town still turns..." (My translation of the title, fuck "And yet, the town revolves" or "But the town moves"); by this I mean most chapters end in an anti-climax where a mystery is left unsolved, or a mystery is solved and undercut by the realization that life simply keeps on going without much change. This is used to essentially force your eyes open to all possibilities when reading, as the main character spends her time acting like a detective, and these mysteries end up as either misunderstandings, secrets, riddles, and sometimes something out of the ordinary happens that makes you unable to pin anything down firmly. Similarly, these endings aren't always read-and-forget scenarios. Several chapters come back in the form of a continued joke, a continued mystery, or contribute to some greater purpose later. Readers are properly rewarded for keeping everything they can in mind, while also tormenting such people with loose ends.

I enjoy Hotori as a protagonist due to her character being defined not in flaws and strengths, but in mindedness. Hotori seems like a simple "haha she's dumb" character to start, but consistently throughout she proves that her strengths are in memory, observation, and deduction, while lacking in some more common sense and abilities. Her brain works in strange ways that some people may or may not understand, such as her need to think through even the most trivial fictional scenarios, which I relate to deeply.

The art and paneling throughout are wonderful. Ishiguro Masakazu is one of those artists who draws very simple characters, but knows how to use details and depth to breath so much life into the artwork. He also clearly uses the occasional supernatural happenings as an excuse to draw what he loved, as all sorts of artistic depictions of the supernatural come out that simply look satisfying. These parts obviously meant a lot to him since he's been working on a primarily mystery-action manga that has a lot more of that stuff in it. (Also, as hindsight is 20/20, if you've read any of his new work you'll notice that the main character of it is eerily similar to a character who shows up very late in SoreMachi that the author obviously fell in love with, cus she just keeps coming back and even ends up with a really unsettling end to her character arc despite only being introduced as a component in a harmless mystery. Feel free to call me out for the same shit 30 years from now when I'll probably do the same shit)

I'd like to get into some of the major themes of this work, as a lot of them hit very close to my mind (which I guess is true of any theme you recognize for yourself, you wouldn't really "get it" if it didn't mean something to you...).

The simplest theme, again, comes from the title. The main character, Hotori, expresses a desire that the town she lives in continues going on, unchanged forever. This is obviously a fear of change, which ya know, same, but also an exploration of what it means to fear change. Hotori actively tries to keep businesses from closing down, keep friends from leaving, and keep relationships from changing, while simultaneously making all sorts of new relationships and solving mysteries. Hotori even comes to realize that simply learning the truth about something changes the world through your own perspective, and that such changes can't be undone. In spite of this, Hotori mostly gets her wish, any time she fears that a large change will impact the town, its resolved about the same as any other issue. Whether its a message that even time can't keep you from your loved ones and that change isn't worth fearing, or a concession that large changes to the setting would be a bad idea in terms of humor, I can't really decide. This theme reaches it's conclusion in what is one in a series of "ending" kinda chapters at the end of the series. Hotori is faced with a supernatural ethical situation, save her town from destruction at the cost of her existence, or live through the disaster, knowing her town and the people in it will forever be changed. While the actual result is that nobody disappears and nothing is lost, and the event may have simply been a strange dream, Hotori confidently decides that sparing the people in her town from a life altering event is worth giving up her memories with them. A kind of bold spit-in-the-face to the idea that change is okay, where we find that Hotori didn't fear change for herself, but rather for the people around her.

There's another major idea in this manga, which takes a very long time to pay off, and completes its arc at the very very very actual end of the series, the idea of "leading someone to be something". A character that rides that line between main and side character, Shizuka, is a writer of detective novels, who feels the best person to judge her works would be a version of herself without the bias of being the author. She tries to achieve this by leading Hotori to be interested in detective works (including her own) and generally be just like her, starting from a young age. The end result is a young girl dead set on being a detective herself (or at least another novelist), while Shizuka keeps her identity as an author secret. She then uses Hotori as a scapegoat for herself, attempting to see how she would solve various mysteries and use that as inspiration, and this is depicted as though Shizuka were some sort of villain, which she may feel like she is. The end result of it all, though, is that Hotori was likely already a detective-minded person, and that even if Shizuka pushed her down that path, it was Hotori's decision to continue down it, and the very end of the manga is a scene revealing that Hotori figured out Shizuka's secret at some point, and even still respected Shizuka and aspired to reach her, and the two accept each other for who they are. I enjoy this ending a lot, since as an artist I've worried that some of my love or aspirations for and from other artists came with an ulterior motive of wanting a better community for art to exist in, but people are people and will make their own decisions, and some day everyone may be able to become equals in a truly meaningful sense, where everyone is inspired by and guiding each other together.

So that probably didn't mean shit to nobody and I didn't even really talk about anything in the comic like most of the main characters or any of the shit goin on but ya know fuck you go read it, and thanks for reading this.

[codevassie]

a heart he couldn’t control (destined to love and hate and damn forever) Part 6

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | On Ao3 | Part 7 

CW:  Yelling, Abuse, Feelings of being trapped, Panic Attack, Mention of fainting, Heights, Thoughts of self destruction/self harm, Morally Ambiguous Deceit

***Virgil is not in a good place, physically or mentally, in this chapter. Please pay attention to the chapter warnings and where to skip if you need.

Skip first section (starts with "Virgil was hanging on...") for Yelling, Abuse, Feelings of being trapped, and Panic Attack Skip fourth section (starts with "Virgil had always enjoyed...") for Heights and thoughts of self destruction/self harm

Summaries of the sections will be given at the bottom author's notes. Stay safe everyone!!

@winterwynd @escalatingtoofast @prox-xima

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Virgil was hanging on. Really, he was.

"Again!" the Dragon Witch shrieked. Virgil's nerves vibrated at a higher frequency.

He ground his teeth together and willed himself not to yell back, not to run away.

Picking up the nut, Virgil brought forth his magic.

No, not his magic. Nothing was his anymore.

Stop being so dramatic, Virgil , he scolded himself. The room glowed purple, and his heart rate increased. That was by far the worst part about the kind of magic the witch made him do. It wasn't quick, wasn't instinctual. It wasn't pulled from somewhere deep in him, language only he and the magic shared.

He tore it from elsewhere, ripped it from the sky, and denied his own magic bubbling over in his chest, ready to bolt. Virgil thought if there was any a moment he was powerful enough for teleportation, this would be it.

It was all the more frustrating, knowing this yet unable to act on it.

Virgil shook, sitting ramrod straight in the uncomfortable old chair. His fist was balled tight over the small nut, an ingredient to a potion he'd stopped keeping track of. He knew that was why it didn't work–he couldn't focus, couldn't feel it.

At this point, Virgil couldn't tell what was real anymore. Was this the dream, or had his freedom been? Had Virgil simply woken up, fallen back to where he belonged?

There was too much that had changed for it to be the same, he reminded himself again and again. Remus was gone. Dee had advanced far beyond imagine. And Virgil knew too much.

"Again!" the shriek came once more. He must have tried it. He must have failed it. His magic burned his skin, searing along his finger pads until they felt worn and raw. Virgil flinched away at the sound of her voice.

He tried- he tried so hard to level his breathing. But his mind was swimming; his lungs wouldn't move -

No, they were moving too much–shallow quiver in, quick puff out, over and over and over.

Escape escape escape- his mind chanted.

What escape? The witch despised literature, and he couldn't very well run off into the night. Virgil couldn't even retreat to his room or the mouth of the cave. He was trapped, and there was nothing tying him down. The only things that imprisoned him were the sigil on his arm and his own fear.

He could run. From that room, at least. Virgil could . But he wouldn't.

Frozen. Terrified. Nightmare.

Escape escape escape- his mind wouldn’t stop. The darkness at the edges of his vision beckoned.

Escape escape escape-

So he did.

-/-

Patton had said he could leave the house, but, despite his newly acquired freedom, Virgil was terrified. What sort of horrors could await him in a town where magic was illegal? Who could be lying out there in wait?

But staying inside wasn't so bad. It was like the caves, except Virgil could peek out the windows if he was careful.

Patton said he didn't need to be careful about that. As long as he didn't openly do magic, there was no reason for anyone to be suspicious. As the capital city, they got all sorts of new people around for trade and diplomacy. Patton was introducing Virgil as his cousin, there from a town in the outer regions.

Virgil couldn't quite bring himself to go, to look. As fiercely as he'd craved this freedom, now it was his to enjoy, and he couldn't even do that.

Instead, he stayed inside and sewed a cloak full of purple patches. It was with obsessive precision that he kept coming back to it–stitching a square on, pushing his magic through, and the spells falling right off. He ripped up the stitching again and again, tried again and again, failed again and again.

So it was all a little frustrating, sewing, messing up, trying to take a break, and going right back. Virgil had never been good at sewing or controlled magic or keeping his cool.

“Damn it,” he cursed under his breath. “I’m going to walk away this time. Fuck this.”

He stood up, shoving the needle and cloak and thread aside on the bed – the one Patton let him use in the guest bedroom. Patton had said to treat it like his own – this was his home now, after all. Virgil couldn’t do it. He felt like an outsider here, and this room with its normal walls, its normal window, its normal puzzles in the corner and hook on a normal door, didn’t feel like any home Virgil had ever had.

Virgil was reluctant to touch anything in there, or to make any mess, but today he left his work abandoned where it was and stormed out into the hallway, ready to clear his head of the work as best as he could.

He stomped into the living room – empty, Patton was at work – and Virgil relaxed, breathed a bit better.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Patton. Virgil knew Patton, and he never really felt like he needed to hide from him – not like he had to hide from the witch.

But today, as frustrated as he was, Virgil just really wanted to be alone.

Slowing his gait, Virgil let himself collapse on the couch, basking in a wider space and the dimly lit room. Usually, he preferred the dark, but sewing took a lot of light. It gave him a headache–especially as a boy who'd grown up in murky magic-lit caves.

He closed his eyes for a while, head leaning back on the plush cushion, supporting the curve of his neck. His bed in the guest bedroom nor the one in the caves had ever felt this soft.

A nap there would be heavenly.

Virgil blinked and sat up reluctantly, looking around. Going by the light streaming through the curtains–tightly drawn at Virgil's insistence–it was still relatively early. Surely a short nap out in the living room wouldn't be bad…

He was already curling up on the sofa before he'd even made up his mind, back stretching and feet pressing to the arm of the furniture.

Then, his head bumped something in the way.

Virgil twisted around to get a good look, then sat up once more, taking in the object on the far cushion.

His heartbeat stuttered as he really took in what he was seeing.

"A-a book…" he stuttered, gasping in astonishment.

And it really was. It really was a book–bound in soft fabric and pages crisp and thin. The book itself was skinny, probably less than a hundred pages if he were to take a guess.

Virgil hadn't been permitted to read since the witch had banned library visits four years ago, and it became impossible to smuggle the books in. It had thrown Virgil off, like she'd ripped out a chapter in the middle of his story, and he was the poor confused character left to pick up the pieces.

For a while, Virgil hadn't known what to do with himself. He'd talked to Dee, who encouraged him to study more. So he studied more… a bit.

And the witch had seemed happy with that.

For some reason, that hadn’t brought all the happy feelings it used to–pride, accomplishment, contentment. Never quite joy; always something just short, just lesser than.

But then it made Dee proud of him. No, Dee was always proud of him. Better yet, it made Dee happy.

It was hard to make Dee happy. If Virgil could get Dee to forget about his studies, sometimes he could be. Sometimes when it was just Virgil and Dee, watching the stars in secret, reading a book in secret, staying up late in secret-

There were a lot of secrets in the caves. It was how they survived.

Then Remus had come along, and Virgil could pretend he didn't miss his books. Because Remus was very good at making Dee forget his studies, and Virgil felt like he sort of had a family for a bit.

Yet, it had always been there, at the back of his mind. An old longing for that escape, that wonder of other worlds and other people. An inner peace for that familiar weight in his hands, the dark symbols under the dim light of a candle. Once upon a time, books had felt like another home. Now, they were a foriegn creature.

Virgil felt ridiculous, knowing books really weren't all that rare of a thing. Yet, he was mystified.

Something he'd once loved, once long gone–just sitting there. Within reach.

Within…

Virgil found his arm stretching towards it before he'd even registered the movement. With a gasp, he ripped it away, staring at it as if it'd personally betrayed him.

Then… he looked back to the book.

Where had it come from? It didn't look like any of Patton's things. Virgil hadn't seen any books in the house before, or he would have remembered.

Maybe Patton kept them tucked away. Maybe he wouldn't want Virgil touching this one.

Virgil should leave it alone.

He chewed on his lip, eyes never leaving the volume.

It should be an easy decision. Even if, theoretically, Virgil was allowed to read now, Patton probably didn't want him touching his stuff. What if Virgil lost the man's place? What if he damaged it? What if Patton noticed it'd been moved and got upset that Virgil was using his things without permission?

That… didn't sound like Patton. But still. Virgil could never be sure.

Virgil's hand was already hovering yet again over the cover, breathing shallow and careful. The book might as well have been a wild animal with how Virgil was treating it.

"One look," Virgil said. A reassurance? A stipulation?

He tried to ignore the alarm bells in his head when his fingers brushed the softly bound book. They trailed along lightly, afraid to make any sort of commitment. When they reached the spine, his thumb came down to join, and he almost had a grip on it.

Cautiously, Virgil picked it up and brought it to him. As he placed it in his lap, he didn't let go–afraid to let it fall, afraid to never touch it again. He held it there a moment, marvelling in the feeling.

A book before him. Infinite possibilities of what could be inside. Virgil was practically buzzing in anticipation. He was almost scared he'd be disappointed. Maybe it was just a manual. Maybe it was just…

Virgil couldn't think of many possibilities where he'd be disappointed. In truth, he'd probably be just as enthralled with a manual as a novel, a travel book, a historical text, a cookbook.

He cracked it open, careful of the binding, but it was already well-worn and made no further breaks. When he flipped to a random page, he found himself faced with a sea of dense words, ink dark on the paper and page soft against his fingers. Scanning over dialogue and a short description of the snowy caps of mountains, Virgil figured he was looking at a story of some sort.

He flipped back to the beginning, eyes hovering over the 'One' centered at the middle. Chapters… a novel… of what exactly, Virgil couldn't say.

Before he could give his eyes permission, he was on the fifth page, wrapped entirely in the story. As the setting sun darkened the room, Virgil remained perched at the edge of the couch, hunched over the text. He'd breezed through a couple chapters in the time.

"Have you enjoyed it so far?"

He jumped when a voice greeted him from above. The book toppled to the ground, all caution for the precious volume lost as reflex took over, and Virgil brought up his hands, now shining a bright purple.

He froze, realizing his mistake.

Holy fuck I'm going to get executed.

The man put up his hands calmly, looking not the least bit disturbed. Behind his square spectacles, he blinked at Virgil with a curious look.

"Interesting," the man said. "He hadn't mentioned you had magic too."

That made Virgil pause. "...what?"

The man continued to look on calmly, hands raised to the air. "Patton mentioned his cousin was staying with him. I suppose if you two are related it makes sense that you might share this. Though I do not actually know if magic is a hereditary attribute." A speculative look crossed the man's face and, for a moment, he looked away, eyebrows furrowed in contemplation.

"Where is Patton?" Virgil asked, eyeing the man up and down. He seemed familiar with Virgil's friend, yet he couldn't just let his guard down.

The man jolted back to attention, blinking again in that not-quite-startled way. "Is he not here?" he asked. Virgil shook his head. The man frowned a little. "He must have stayed late. I should talk to him about that."

Finally, reluctantly, Virgil lowered his hands, looking the man up and down. "So you know Pat has magic? And you're cool with it?"

Still keeping one hand high, the man adjusted his glasses with the other, looking on Virgil with speculation. "Of course I am. I do not fear magic, and I certainly don't wish harm to come to Patton. He's a very dear friend of mine."

A friend?

Virgil thought back to long afternoons in the forest, sitting in the tree branches or backs against rocks, talking to Patton. Patton had wanted to know all about what it was like to grow up in a family of sorcerers- or magic-makers, as Patton put it. Virgil, on the other hand, asked question upon question about life in the town.

He remembered Patton talking about family, about friends, about coworkers and old schoolmates and neighbors.

Virgil had never asked if anyone but him and his family knew of Patton's magic because it didn't make sense to tell anyone else. All the normal people were afraid of it. They'd lock Patton in the dungeons or maybe kill him on sight or at least report him. Right?

Right?

Unless… Virgil perked up, curiosity shining through his fear. "Do you have magic too?"

But the man shook his head. Slowly, he lowered his arms, facing Virgil more naturally. "I do not. However, I don't believe having magic is required to support those who do possess it."

"Who are you then?" Virgil asked, suspicious once more. He restrained himself from going back on the defensive.

"You may call me Logan," the man said, extending a hand. "I work with Patton, as well as knit together, read to one another, star-gaze, share the occasional meal, and enjoy amicable conversation from time to time."

"Logan," Virgil said, tasting the familiar name on his tongue. "Yeah, Patton's mentioned you."

Patton talked about a lot of people, to be honest, but 'Logan' had definitely been one of the more popular ones. Virgil squinted at the man, trying to place certain stories to the name. He was shit at remembering details.

He reached out and lightly shook Logan's hand. Logan nodded, satisfied. "And what may be your name then?"

A name?

Names were dangerous things, though.

Virgil still hadn't told Patton his real name. The man had certainly earned it, yet Virgil was still too afraid, too caught up in his worries and teachings. The witch had always taught them the value of a name–after all, she had never told them her own.

It was important, she said, to only give it when necessary. That's why only those in their family knew one another's. That's why, when you heard rumors of the boys guarding the woods, it was with no certainty of any identity.

To Patton, Virgil was still very much Anxiety. However, even if Logan was accepting of magic, the name wouldn't fly in a magicless town.

"Call me Anx," Virgil offered.

Logan nodded again. "Satisfactory. Well, Anx, as I was asking, have you enjoyed my book?"

"Your…" Virgil said, suddenly trailing off. With a horrible realization, he jerked his head to the floor where the book laid splayed across the ground. At once, he sprung to pick it up, straightening the pages and closing it carefully, handling it with the same care as before. "Oh my gods, I am so sorry."

Logan shook his head. "I startled you. It's to be expected that you might drop it."

"But… still. Books are precious, and I dropped yours. I can pay for it if you want. I'd need to find work first, but I could eventually-" Virgil tried to offer, but Logan waved him off.

"While I do appreciate your care for literature, please do not worry," Logan said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Virgil sat dumbstruck. Having known the man for not five minutes, he hadn't made Logan out as one to be so… friendly? He was very straight-forward, but Logan wasn't unkind at all. "Humans will always be worth more than material goods, even something as invaluable as books. It's of no use getting angry for something that can be replaced."

"O-oh," Virgil stuttered, not used to such easy forgiveness. With Patton, he always made it seem like there was nothing to forgive at all, usually distracting Virgil before his mind went spiralling. With Logan, he simply said it as it was. He valued what Virgil had hurt, yet it was no effort to him to forgive Virgil either.

Virgil had always dreamed of places outside the caves, always wondered what the non-magic folk were like–he'd never expected anything like this.

"So?" Logan prompted, once more stealing Virgil's attention. Virgil was still clutching the volume carefully, though marvelling it, still not quite trusting Logan's forgiving nature.

"I- I'm only a couple chapters in," Virgil stuttered. He held the book out. "Is this what you're here for?"

"It was, but if you're reading it, you're welcome to keep it longer. I would love to have someone to converse with about it."

Virgil shook his head. "It's your book."

"I can read it after you. Or perhaps our library has another. Either way, it wouldn't matter if I turned it in late, as my grandmother runs our town's library," Logan noted, but Virgil's breath had suddenly stilled. He couldn't help perking up a bit at the word 'library'.

"Your grandma runs the library?" he asked, voice pitched in awe.

Logan's eyes sparkled in pride, and he too straightened up. "Indeed she does. My family established the town's book collection and circulation four generations ago."

Virgil couldn't help himself. "That's so cool," he said, unable to hold back his honest excitement. He would love to visit the library. He hadn't been to one in years.

But that would require leaving the house… require going around people who would hang him the moment he slipped up and showed his magic.

"I spent many of my formative years among those shelves," Logan said, mouth tilting up at the edges. "I still have hardly made a dent in the collection, however."

"I would have loved to grow up in a library," Virgil said, a sort of bitter tilt to his own expression.

Logan blinked, and, to Virgil's relief, asked nothing of what he'd said. Instead, he offered, "Well, there is still plenty of time to spend there in one's adult years. My grandmother would love the company."

"Yeah…" Virgil said, neither agreeing or disagreeing.

Because as much as he wanted to disagree, to stay here, safe, he was so very tempted.

"Well, I must be going," Logan said, straightening back up and brushing himself of nonexistent particles. "When Patton arrives, please let him know I was searching for him. I will try not to let myself in as I usually do, as I'm sure you aren't used to strangers barging into your home unexpectedly like that."

Virgil went to shake his head. This wasn't his home. Sure, he lived here now, but this was Patton's house. It didn't matter what Virgil was comfortable with when Patton was being so kind as to just let him stay.

However, his thoughts were disrupted when Logan took a few steps towards the front door. Without his book.

Virgil stood, ready to press the volume into the man's hands as insistently as he could. It was what Logan had come looking for–apart from Patton, that is. Before Virgil could take a single step, however, Logan spoke up.

"I implore you to please keep the book for now. I will not have time for it in the next few days anyway with my increased responsibilities at work this week. It would benefit you so much more for the time being."

Virgil froze, looked down at the novel.

"O-okay," he finally agreed. He couldn't believe he'd done it. He tucked the book close to his chest.

Logan nodded once. "Good," he said, then peered back, a small smile on his face. "I will be seeing you around, Anx."

With that, Logan left. And it was just Virgil and the book again.

He looked down at it, cradled in his arms, then back to the door.

"Huh," was all he could say.

-/-

When Virgil walked back into their room, Dee only vaguely looked up from his desk before going back to the sparkling orb he held in the palm of his hand. Virgil felt like death, but that’s what happened when you have a panic attack and pass out in the middle of magic training with the witch.

Virgil shuffled over to his bed, missing the double-take Dee took his way. After collapsing onto the ancient mattress, scooping his old cloak off of the end of the bed to hold tight around him, he glanced back to see Dee openly staring.

Virgil frowned. “What?”

“Training was that rough?” Dee asked, eyes troubled. Virgil bit at his lip, wondering how much he should say – how much he even could say. He’d tested the limits of the curse on his tongue only a few times, but the harder he tried, the more difficult it became to breathe.

The witch must have done that deliberately – not only was it an ironic twist to replicate the sensation Virgil so hated, but it covered up for the fact that he even had a curse at all. If he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t talk, nor would Dee think anything of it other than he was having another panic attack.

"Oh, no," Virgil replied, matter of fact and a bit sarcastic. "Training with the witch is always a walk in the park."

Dee lifted a brow. "Maybe you should leave the lying to me."

Virgil flipped over on his bed. "Maybe," he grumbled. There was silence for a moment, filled with the sensation of eyes boring into Virgil's back.

Virgil closed his own eyes, a deep sigh going out. It wasn't relieving. It was emptying.

"You haven't even touched magic since you left, have you?" Dee asked. Virgil shrugged one shoulder.

"Mostly just to lift books," he said. It was the most controlled his magic could be. All his protection charms around the library, Patton's or Logan's places, on his cloak, in various items he’d gifted his two friends–they were all the result of sudden bursts of magic. Often from the panic of getting found out.

Virgil had layered all his protective charms hundreds of times throughout the years in his terror. Better to be over prepared though.

"Books?" Dee asked. Virgil looked over his shoulder at Dee's speculative gaze.

"I run the library in town," Virgil said, then realized his error. "Well, I ran the library in town."

Over time, Virgil had eventually felt comfortable enough to leave the house. He visited the library often, and, of course, Logan's grandmother was always there.

They never really talked. Virgil picked out a book and, at first, sat where he could be alone. As time had gone on, however, he realized Logan's gran never expected him to talk. He began reading closer to the desk, for the company, and she would work quietly on her own.

Virgil eventually started working there–still both nearly silent each day. When she passed, Virgil remembered crying. Another person in his life he'd never see again.

It was that day that Virgil realized just how much he'd left behind back in these caves.

Logan inherited the library, to no one's surprise. The surprise happened when Logan revealed, however, that he and his grandmother had agreed he should offer Virgil the head librarian position.

Dee tilted his head, turned away.

"You and your books," he said. Virgil could barely hear him.

Dee had never really liked when Virgil read. He didn't like anything kept secret from the witch.

Before, though- Before, Dee used to read to Virgil all the time. They'd curl up in bed, Virgil dozing on Dee's shoulder, and Dee would read for as long as Virgil wanted, or until he fell asleep. Usually, Virgil would fall asleep, insisting on more until he couldn't keep his head up.

Things were different now. Maybe Dee could still keep a secret but…

Virgil took in his brother's profile, backlit by the dim lamp on the desk. It was unreadable, yet not blank. Something danced in those eyes… and Virgil wasn't sure he wanted to know what.

How much had Dee changed?

When he turned away again, Dee didn't say anything more. Their conversation was over, a brief truce in otherwise silence. Virgil buried his head in the pillow, body sagging in a way that felt more like a burden than a relief.

He felt Dee's eyes linger, but he couldn’t quite get himself to look back.

-/-

Virgil had always enjoyed tasks outside the caves. He loved being away, loved looking out at all there was, dreaming he'd one day be a part of it.

Now he'd had his taste of the outside world. There was no joy to these tasks anymore.

Dee had dragged Virgil to the garden for ingredients to a potion he was attempting. The place looked no different than Virgil remembered, just like the caves, like their room and his bed. They were all points fixed in time, like Virgil had never left at all.

Maybe it'd all been a dream. Patton, Roman, Remus. His library and cloak and the sweet taste of freedom, the bitter taste of fear and paranoia. He'd never been quite sure what the better scenario was: the witch finding him or the townspeople finding his magic.

Perhaps the current situation biased him, but he thought he'd made up his mind on that one. Surely nothing could be worse than what he was living.

Virgil sat on the tallest boulder of the garden, looking down on the barely tamed patches of herbs and spices and flowers and weeds that grew about the secure place. Dee was kneeling by a clutch of yellow flowers, tending before he plucked.

The garden was magic, many of the plants sustained through an imbued heat and conjured nutrients. It was sustainable, as long as the sorcerer tending it didn't exhaust themselves. The magical enhancements just promoted natural processes, so it was just like a regular garden.

Sure, some of the plants glowed, some made weird sounds, there were strange orbs that floated around the garden, but altogether it was natural.

An orb floated close, too far above head for Virgil to reach. He stood and blew it away, marvelling as it took off in the opposite direction.

He looked back down, noticing the distance between him and the ground and froze.

Virgil had never been good with heights. When they were younger, the witch had often taken them flying in order to get anywhere efficiently, but Virgil had always cried. There was also the dark, failure, fire…

It was pretty easy for Virgil's head to spin something into danger. Sometimes it felt like he was afraid of absolutely everything, and that in itself always felt like the end of the world. The witch had never liked fear. She would call him a baby, tell him he was too old to be so afraid, to suck it up; his fears were stupid.

No matter how many times he repeated those words in his head, Virgil had never gotten any braver. Often he just swallowed his words and dealt with the fear on his own.

He couldn't remember a time he'd been so high up and hadn't felt fear.

Hadn't felt anything.

He took a step closer, testing this strange nonfeeling. The closer he got, a pervading numbness buzzed in his chest. His breathing didn't pick up. He didn't feel like crouching down, getting a better handle on the rock in case he slipped. From a height like this, he wouldn't die unless he hit his head.

He'd get hurt. Maybe his leg would break. Maybe he’d scrape his skin all over, get littered with bruises.

Virgil took another step closer. He wouldn't die.

The impulse came so frighteningly quick that Virgil couldn't piece it together.

What if I just stepped off?

Virgil clenched his fists, some distant alarm going off in his head. He zoned into it, grabbed tight to the fear.

Fear. Not for the height. For the thought.

Virgil backed up, eyes still on the ground. Counting the seconds, he pulled his gaze away, head disturbingly empty of the fact. He went on autopilot, the only fight against the weird urge that had taken him.

He turned back to the side of the boulder where there were other rocks, the ones he'd used to climb up. Carefully, he climbed down, fear filling him up like an overflowing well. He sat down on one of the rocks closer to the ground.

When he looked around the garden again, he found Dee watching him.

"What?" he asked, knees pulled up close to his chest. He felt nine years old again, small, but emptier. Dee considered him a second longer before turning away.

Still with the silent treatment. Fine.

Virgil couldn't imagine what he'd say anyway.

-/-

"Virgil," a voice roused him. He hadn't been asleep, but his body felt heavy enough atop his bed that he didn't look up. Maybe if Dee thought he was asleep he'd take mercy on him.

"Virgil ," Dee said again, impatient. He'd been nothing but irritated with Virgil since the Dragon Witch had pushed Virgil back into that room. Virgil really didn't want to deal with it today.

A hand nudged his arm and, though it barely touched him, Virgil jumped. When he whirled around, Dee looked shocked at the reaction.

"What," Virgil ground out, trying to throw the past two seconds under the rug. He didn't want Dee's pity. Especially when, once upon a time, he would have known not to touch him unless Virgil could see it coming.

Dee dropped his hand, backed up a few steps. He seemed regretful, but, thankfully, he didn't apologize. In fact, he wiped his face clean and started over–features taking on his usual sly boredom.

"I need you to come to get ingredients again."

"Already?" Virgil asked, brow furrowing. "We just brought in two full baskets."

"I need something different today," Dee said, already turning around. "Get your shoes and cloak."

Virgil took his time getting his stuff just to spite Dee. In one lonely minute, he thought about a time where he'd get on his brother’s nerves just for the fun of it. Virgil almost wished he could go back to that–wished he'd never run away just to have that normalcy.

He cleared his head of the thought quickly.

Perhaps ending up back there had been inevitable, but every second he'd been gone had been worth it.

When they reached the lip of the caves, cloak-bound and two empty baskets between them, Dee surprised Virgil by reaching out a hand.

"No time to scale the cliffside today," he said. Virgil looked at the outstretched hand in shock.

Dee had never asked Virgil to fly before. Even when they had been brothers, and Virgil trusted Dee with his life, even when the witch had given them a chore list a mile long and would have no time to complete it all in a day unless they took every shortcut.

He knew Virgil hated flying, so he simply never considered it.

It stung somewhere in the back of Virgil's throat that Dee would ask now.

Maybe- maybe somewhere in the back of his mind, Virgil had still hoped Dee thought of them as brothers too. Despite Virgil leaving, despite Dee staying, despite the years between them, Virgil had been sure that somewhere in there, somewhere in Dee, his brother still loved him.

But Virgil should have known four years was too long for Dee to still care. Virgil had abandoned him after all.

He couldn't refuse the offer. Dee wasn't giving him a choice, after all. Virgil wasn't there to be a part of the family again. He was their prisoner, and his brother had turned into another ward.

With a heavy grip, he took the hand.

When they shot into the sky, it felt as thought he'd left all his insides on the ground. Virgil clutched to Dee, both his hands now gripping the other's arms tightly, but nothing more. He didn't trust himself to move anymore, lest he fall off the cloud of air supporting them. He did, however, squeeze his eyes shut, refusing to look below or above or anywhere that might send him spiraling and wrapping himself like an octopus around Dee.

He didn't know they'd landed until he heard a snap right in front of his face. Jolting, Virgil blinked back to reality to find his feet on firm, solid ground. It was a miracle he didn't collapse right then and there.

It was a good thing Virgil didn't cry as easily as he used to. Or maybe it was because he didn't quite trust Dee anymore with that part of himself. Thinking it just made him sad, so Virgil decided to move on, subtly shaking himself out as he looked at the forest around them.

Dee started walking, not waiting for him to get his grip. It was a good thing Virgil had become quick at adapting over the years. He followed behind, though keeping a couple yards distance between them.

As he followed, Virgil kept his eyes on Dee to not get lost. He knew this forest better than anywhere else in his whole life, the town and his library included, yet he was afraid to get separated from Dee even a minute.

Even as his eyes never strayed from the figure in front of him, his mind did.

Virgil thought of a new page in an old book, a picture of a man and a woman and a baby. Virgil didn’t know where he’d come from, and he doubted it was anywhere important–not important like Dee. He wondered if it had been somewhere happy, somewhere he could have survived with his magic, like Patton had. Dee, however, was not so inconsequential. His disappearance had disrupted too much–had created a divide that may never be repaired.

He’d wondered about it a lot since he’d found that picture, and, of course, the words under it. However, Virgil hadn’t thought all that much on Dee himself. He didn’t want to think of a world where he’d never known Dee, but would he have been happier?

How different could Dee have been if the witch had never taken him?

Would he walk straighter? Would he hold himself bolder? Dee was already pretty bold, in Virgil’s opinion, but it was a boldness born of necessity, a confidence born of insecurity. Dee had always been the first to try to please the witch, the one who would shield Virgil’s and Remus’ weaknesses with his own strengths. He had been the best of them, always studying and practicing.

They continued walking, Virgil scrutinizing Dee the whole way. As they came to the boulder garden, however, Virgil was surprised to see Dee shoot right past it.

"Where are we going?" he called ahead. As much as they had going on between them, Virgil refused to be scared of Dee.

"The ingredients grow wild," Dee responded, stepping around some mangled roots. As Virgil came to them, he jumped over, still looking perplexed at the answer.

"So we're going to wander until we find them," Virgil said. Not asked–said. This was why Dee had said they didn't have the time, wasn't it? It would take them all day to find the wild plants.

Dee didn't answer. He didn't have to.

However, it really didn't look like he was doing much searching.

"What does it look like?" Virgil asked. This, finally, got Dee to glance back at him.

"What?"

"The ingredient. Or ingredients, I guess. How many are we even finding today? If I know what any of them look like, I can help search instead of just hauling them around for you."

Dee just shook his head. "You don't need to know."

"You think I'm going to sabotage you or something?" Virgil challenged, chest heating with anger towards his broth- towards Dee.

Dee waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, please."

"Oh please what?" Virgil narrowed his eyes. Dee didn't reply.

With a shaky sigh, Virgil let it go.

They continued walking among the trees, gliding at a pace too quick to do any actual searching. Virgil began to wonder if Dee had enchanted his eyes or something to find the supplies because there was no way he was looking at anything for more than a second.

If he looked at any of it at all. That was another strange thing. Dee only looked to the sides or to the forest floor every so often, mostly keeping his gaze resolutely ahead, walking with a persistent need to get… somewhere.

He acted as if he knew exactly where he was going, not someone looking for ingredients that could be anywhere in the forest. Perhaps there were really specific environmental factors the plants grew in? Or areas the fungi attached to? Or spaces the type of sediment formed?

When Dee approached the border of the witch's land, Virgil's alarms started to blare. Honestly, they should have been blaring much earlier but… well…

This was Dee. And, fuck, Virgil couldn't stop trusting him.

Dee stopped at one of the witch’s glowing trees, the sigil reacting golden to his presence. With a wave of his hand, the symbol seared off.

The alarms became deafening. Without the sigil, they were entirely alone. Not even the Dragon Witch could see them.

And Virgil realized–why else would Dee bring him all the way out there? Why guide him away under an obvious lie? He wouldn’t tell Virgil the ingredients. He wouldn’t tell him the spell or potion. And now Virgil couldn’t even get help from the one who still wanted him around–even if it was for her own selfish reasons.

My brother's going to kill me.

Dee turned around, eyes still glowing that golden yellow. Virgil took a step back.

He must have grown tired of Virgil. Virgil certainly wasn't the same as before, and Dee wasn't either. They had grown apart; the divide was too severe to mend.

Dee knew it. It was just Virgil now–just Virgil who had wanted to confide in his brother, read with his brother, hold his brother tight and forget to let go. It was Virgil's fault he'd no longer had Dee in his life, yet he felt as if any moment his brother would slip through his fingers again.

It was too late. Virgil had left. Dee had moved on. He had chosen his loyalties.

Dee looked him over. Virgil's hands rolled into fists.

“I still don’t understand,” Dee said. Virgil bit at his lip to keep it from trembling. He would not–could not– show weakness. Not here. Not now.

If his brother was going to kill him, Virgil had to stand with pride. If this was the end, Virgil would look this new Dee in the eye… and he would forgive him.

He would remember the Dee he had loved, had abandoned, had left under the mercy of the Dragon Witch. Virgil would remember how exactly he had lost his brother and know that this had always been coming.

"You left. And maybe I don't know all the reasons," Dee looked down, shook his head at the ground. "I don't know why you like your books so much, or the towns, living among those… non-magic users. Hiding- Why is it so much better living where you have to hide?"

“It’s not that,” Virgil said, thinking of the fear, of the paranoia that one day, surely, he would get caught. “It’s just…” he trailed off, unsure how to put it, how to not point a finger at the witch–because that’s what he would do with anyone else. Dee wouldn’t understand though. He would never trust Virgil’s word over the witch’s now.

“It’s just us,” Dee said, nodding his head. “I know.”

Virgil’s eyes widened, his throat dried. “What?” he asked.

"You're miserable here," Dee said.

Virgil opened his mouth, ready to protest, but nothing came out. He couldn’t say a word.

He was miserable there. There was no denying it. But that wasn’t because of Dee.

“You know,” Dee continued, oblivious to Virgil’s inner turmoil, “I didn’t know that spell was for you, but I became very curious with it. To manipulate love magic like that? It should be impossible. It’s such difficult magic. It’s uncontrollable, yet she did it.”

“She’s always been pretty powerful,” Virgil said, unsure what it was that Dee wanted. Where was he going with this?

"No one is that powerful," Dee said, shaking his head. He stepped forward, and Virgil, rooted to the spot, let him. "Love magic is unpredictable. Borne of desperation and devotion. She must have used the prince's emotions to make it work. His potential for loving you. His love for his brother. He was just desperate enough, I think."

Dee stepped even closer, eyes locked onto Virgil's. Virgil thought of Roman. His love was tremendous, all-encompassing. He could believe that was enough to create love magic, so much that any sorcerer could harvest it.

"Or maybe it was the witch," Dee said. Virgil frowned. "Maybe her love for you let her bind the magic."

Virgil scoffed. He couldn't help it, yet as soon as he had, he froze. He could feel Dee's scrutiny. When Virgil looked up, however, he didn't look mad.

Dee stepped forward again.

"Love magic doesn't have to be romantic, after all. It can be brotherly, motherly."

"She has never been a mother to me," Virgil said. He didn't know where it came from, but he didn't want to take it back.

If he was going to die, he might as well go honestly.

"Doesn't mean she doesn't love you," Dee said.

Virgil looked away. It was sad, really, that Dee ever believed it was love. But perhaps Virgil hadn't been the best at showing his love either. Maybe Dee could have known love if only Virgil had shown him.

"And even if we aren't brothers anymore," Dee continued, reaching out for Virgil's arm, placing a reassuring hand atop it. Virgil's eyes became magnetized, fixed back on his brother's gaze. "If we aren't brothers anymore, that doesn't mean I don't still love you."

For a moment, Virgil was speechless, trying to take it in.

He had thought Dee had brought him out there to hurt him. Unless this was a really cruel way of saying goodbye, Virgil was beginning to rethink that idea.

"You should be where you're happy, Virgil. That's not with us."

"Dee," Virgil choked out, tears swimming at the edges of his vision. Dee was looking down, and Virgil wished he would just look at him, see what he was trying to say when words failed.

"You belong with your new family. In your town, with your books." Finally, Dee looked up, locked eyes in a resolute gaze. Virgil desperately tried to take it in, tried to talk without words because he couldn't get them to work. If only he could open his mouth, move his lips. Damn it.

Dee lifted Virgil’s arm. Virgil, brow furrowing, looked to where Dee's attention had been the whole time.

And stopped.

"W-where…" Virgil asked, unsure of what he was seeing. That was impossible… Only the Dragon Witch should have been able to…

"Love magic's pretty strong," Dee said, voice low and somber, vulnerable just below the surface. “I’d say I’m desperate enough to get it to work.”

The sigil was gone. Virgil was free.

“Dee…” was all he could say, mind reeling.

“So get out of here,” Dee said. Virgil looked up. Dee was taking a step back, letting Virgil’s arm go. Virgil opened his mouth to say something, but his throat was closing in a little. He stepped toward Dee instead, not letting him get away that easily.

Dee looked away as his face betrayed him. He pursed his lips, took a deep breath.

“You have just enough time, I’d say, before she realizes. Make sure you hide better this time.”

“Come with me,” Virgil said, voicing only just coming out. Dee’s head snapped back, eyes wide in shock. “Seriously, come with me. I should have asked you last time, and I’ve regretted that every day since. We’re family, Dee.”

Dee looked over him, like he was trying to spot something he hadn’t noticed before, something he had skipped right over and was the answer to this all. That thing: Virgil loved him too. Virgil should have never doubted Dee was his brother, even now. They’d always be brothers.

But Dee took another step back, face still confused. Virgil’s heart jumped.

“I-I never wanted you to ask me to come with you,” Dee said. He sighed. “I’ve never wanted to leave, Virgil. All I wanted… was for you to say goodbye.”

“G-Goodbye?” Virgil asked, and Dee’s smile was bittersweet. He took a step back.

“Thank you.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “Wait-” he said.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

But this wasn’t-

“Goodbye, Virgil,” Dee said as his eyes shimmered gold. Virgil tried to leap forward, to grab on, but it was too late.

Dee took off into the sky, magic propelling him easily aloft.

“Wait! Wait!” Virgil shouted. “There’s something-” his tongue twisted. “I need to tell you that-” his throat constricted.

The curse ate every word. Dee’s past remained stuck with Virgil.

And, before he could stop him, Dee had gone.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

CV: 

***The main ideas of these sections are to show that Virgil isn't doing well. The summaries depict this, but in less detail.

First section: Virgil is in a lesson with the witch. The witch demands he keep trying to do the same spell, despite failing over and over. He feels trapped. It is implied he faints from a panic attack. Fourth section: Virgil is at the boulder garden, a garden where they grow ingredients for potions and spells, with Dee. He is sitting up high on one of the boulders. When he stands up, he is surprised he isn't afraid, despite being afraid of heights. He contemplates falling from the boulder. It is implied that Dee sees this all.

I've been waiting to do this chapter for a long time. Mostly for Dee setting him free, but I also consider Virgil's emotional experience very important as well. Also, I really dig the flashback--Logan, at last! This chapter may be freaking long, but it's one of my favorites. Thank you all for your support, and I hope you enjoyed it!

[butchharrydalton]

Madoka Magica’s Beautiful Queerness

I must confess: Puella Magi Madoka Magica is my all-time favorite anime and manga.

I first got into anime when I was 8, sitting down in front of the TV gleefully watching Sailor Moon swinging her sparkly wands around and declaring justice against monster after monster. I’d heard of it from somewhere on the internet, and upon asking my dad, he described it as a story about “a girl who turns into a superhero.” I’d later learn there were countless shows like Naoko Tekuchi’s classic, all falling under the aptly named “Magical Girl” genre.

To be frank, I’m not licensed to talk about Magical Girls as, by being white, I lack that cultural context to fully analyze the common tropes of these kinds of media. As such, I will NOT be talking about Magical Girls as a genre or about how Madoka Magica and Sailor Moon changed it. However, Sailor Moon was what kicked off my interest and from there on out, I sought out other similar anime and stumbled upon something… different.

That was when I came upon Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Unlike many unfortunate (and mentally scarred) fans of the surprisingly dark deconstruction, I was lucky enough to read the Wikipedia article on it and have some foreknowledge on its mature themes. I didn’t actually end up reading or watching the series then and there, and almost forgot about it until the first 3 volumes of the manga appeared in my school’s library.

I’ll admit; I mostly checked it out because of the sparkly rainbow covers, but briefly I remembered that all was not what it seemed. As much as I love girly fluff, I’m also really into psychological horror, and Madoka Magica delivered both.

PMMM follows Madoka Kaname and her friends as they make contracts with an alien cat called Kyubey, allowing them to obtain magical powers and a wish for their souls. Each of the girls realizes, though, that this contract is far more dangerous and sinister than they thought, and that Kyubey may not be fully honest about his actual motivations. It starts out adorable, but then in episode 3, a dark twist quickly turns this innocent show into an emotional and horrifying thrill ride.

The manga’s beautiful art and readability got me obsessed, and I ended up picking up the spinoff manga series and watching the 12-episode anime. Each of course, was equally magical and fantastic, only making me love this fictional universe more. The characters were incredibly human and had a depth that made me care for them, and the series managed to perfectly balance and contrast both its horrific and heartwarming moments. That’s not even mentioning the plot, which was unpredictable and enjoyably surprising, with a perfect ending.

By and large, though, my favorite thing about Madoka Magica was how beautifully queer the story was. The show has been criticized for queerbaiting and pulling out some problematic tropes, as the relationships admittedly are not as obvious as they could be, but upon watching it’s blatant that the main girls are anything but straight. Despite the flaws of this representation, the story manages overall to create an enjoyable narrative about the lives of these girls and the relationships between them.

When the series starts, we first get to know shy, pink-haired Madoka and her spunky, blue-haired best friend Sayaka. In the first episode, a romantic relationship is already teased between the girls, Sayaka hugging Madoka and explicitly calling Madoka her wife.

Sayaka and Madoka are unfortunately something of a rare-pair in the fandom, but their relationship is so genuinely wholesome and loving during the series that it’s a surprise that not many people ship them. They can be seen holding hands and supporting each other through whatever comes, and up until episode 8 they are together through everything.

Sayaka is unashamed to tell Madoka everything she’s feeling, and both are motivated mostly by protecting each other. Unfortunately, they have a falling out because of Sayaka’s increasing distress about her contract, but this is eventually resolved when they are brought back together at the end of the series.

These two aren’t the only couple hinted at, either.

When a new girl, Homura, transfers to Madoka and Sayaka’s class, Sayaka develops somewhat of a crush and remarks about how beautiful Homura is. This is quickly overwritten when Sayaka and Homura become more antagonistic, though.

After Homura joins the cast, Madoka and Sayaka are saved from a “witch” (the monster contracted girls must fight) by a girl named Mami. Both Madoka and Sayaka become fast friends with Mami, both talking a little too much about how “cool” they think she is.

While fighting another witch and alone with Madoka, Mami reveals that she struggles with loneliness and what could even be read as symptoms of mental illness. Madoka responds by holding hands with her, comforting Mami and reminding her that she isn’t alone. Mami then calls the two of them “a magical girl duo,” and monologues about the newfound emotions she feels about her companionship with Madoka. Note that this is only on episode 3 out of a 12-episode anime!

This beautiful moment of non-heterosexuality, though, is again unfortunately brief. Mami becomes careless and is killed by the witch she intended to defeat, leaving Madoka and Sayaka scarred. This is of course, somewhat problematic, given that Mami’s death could be read as an incident of bury your gays. The series does seem to invoke this with the characters’ deaths, and I will concede that I can’t exactly justify this especially since it really seems to take a while to even confirm that character’s queerness. Even so, the deaths are relevant to the plot and drive the story, so avoiding the characters’ demise would actually hinder the story and the message it attempts to deliver.

After Mami dies, the start of Sayaka’s primary arc begins. It’s hinted that Sayaka may have had some deeper feelings for Mami than she shows. She regrets that she didn’t make a contract in time to save her, and fights (and dies) to model how Mami used to. Most of how Sayaka acts from this point forward is in memory of Mami, which is both beautiful and tragic for her character. It’s a testament to the queer undertones of the show that Sayaka is willing to fight in honor of the girl she loved.

Another character named Kyouko is introduced as an antagonist, another one of the “magical girls.” She fights with Sayaka over witch hunting territory, and their philosophical disagreements on how to kill the monsters make them at odds with each other. Despite this, there’s an aspect of Foe Yay to how they interact with each other.

It’s revealed that Kyubey takes a girl’s soul when she makes a contract with him, causing Sayaka to fall off the deep end, while Kyouko begins to see herself in Sayaka and tries to rescue her before it’s too late. Kyouko’s character goes from a villainous one to that of someone who pushes other people away because of their fear of abandonment, supported by what she experienced prior to the series.

She wished for her father’s church to become popular again after he was excommunicated, but once he discovered that his daughter is what he labels a witch, Kyouko is outcast and her family dies by her father’s hand. Her story is reminiscent of the rejection that some queer youth face when they come out to bigoted religious family and can be read as metaphorical for that predicament.

Unfortunately, the series pulls a “bury your gays” moment yet again. It turns out that magical girls are only contracted so they too can turn into witches and so Kyubey can gather energy for his civilization based off this transformation. Sayaka, unable to cope with all the pain that comes with being a magical girl, turns into a witch when she becomes too filled with despair. Kyouko attempts to restore her original form but fails, destroying herself and Sayaka’s witch so that they can be together in death.

It's a sad ending for Kyouko and Sayaka, but it does strangely add more subtext to their relationship considering that they get to a point where they would literally die for each other. The song “And I’m Home” by Wowaka also plays after their deaths, which is a love song between the two of them expressing how despite their sadness, they’ve found safety in each other. During the song, a still image of them holding hands underwater, as if they’re drowning together, is pictured.

Madoka and Homura then become the couple most alluded to during the final 4 episodes of the series. Homura tells Madoka that an apocalypse-wreaking witch is coming to their town, and that she’s been going back in time using her magic to save Madoka from that witch, or to stop Madoka from becoming a witch herself.

Episode 10 is arguably the best episode of the series, where we see the various timelines Homura has lived through and how she bonds with Madoka every time. Madoka and Homura’s relationship during these periods are sadly brushed off as “friendship,” but Homura’s dedication to saving Madoka and Madoka’s willingness to die for Homura in several timelines alludes to something much deeper.

The best scene from this episode is by far when both Madoka and Homura are about to become witches and the two make a promise to destroy the world together as monsters. These two are perfectly willing to fall right beside each other, but when Madoka is able to save Homura from her fate at the last minute, Homura is forced to kill Madoka before she becomes a witch and reset again. The scene is heartbreaking and is really when Homura begins to drastically change compared to the other timelines.

Episode 11 features what’s basically Homura’s confession of love to Madoka, wherein she promises to keep Madoka safe at all costs and embraces her. When the giant witch finally attacks in episode 12, Madoka runs out into the ruins of the city to save Homura, and finally decides what to wish for to become a magical girl.

These final moments of episode 12 are particularly beautiful and filled with things that cannot be brushed away with simple friendship. Madoka wishes to erase witches, and through loopholes in the rules of the magical girl contract, is able to ascend to godhood and save every last magical girl from witch-hood. She basically rewrites the universe in her ideals but has to say goodbye to Homura as she leaves earth.

Madoka calls Homura her “very best friend” and gives Homura her hair ribbons to remember her by. Oh, and did I mention that during this time they’re hugging and naked in space? Yeah. Just gals being pals.

This ending is emotional, cathartic and gives a depressing series a strangely happy ending. Other than the naked space hugging (*suggestive eye raising*), it also summarizes the queer themes built up through the series.

The character Kyubey, an alien who uses these girls to his own advantage, manipulates them and profits off of their despair and personal trust. Many people have written about how he could be metaphorically read as an entitled man who views women as objects and resources to be used. Considering that queer women in today’s society are particularly marginalized due to how cishet men often feel entitled to fetishize and marginalize their gender and sexuality, the subtext in Madoka Magical also plays into this.

When Madoka finally manipulates and one-up’s Kyubey for a change, Kyubey is shocked because of what he doesn’t anticipate. From him predicting Kyouko’s death to his original contract with Homura, Kyubey has used the girls’ love for each other as a weapon against them as many straight men do towards queer and trans women. He doesn’t expect Madoka’s love for Homura and for her friends to win over him, and it creates a fantastic ending because of how Madoka’s love is literally able to rewrite the universe. Yeah, gay love saves the world.

One of the key ideas of the show is the relationship of hope and despair, but the emotion of love can easily be included in either, so even though Kyubey can tip the balance of hope and despair he is incapable of doing anything to the love the girls feel for each other. Though he can weaponize it, as shown by Madoka’s wish he is never fully able to erase it. What gives Madoka the hope to continue standing against Kyubey is nothing but the love she’s felt between herself and her (more than) friends.

The whole of Madoka Magica can even be read as Madoka’s coming out story. In the beginning, she’s shy and unsure of herself. Sayaka is blissfully ignorant to the pain of the world (metaphors for discrimination), and Mami is lonely because she’s set apart as a “magical girl.” Kyouko was also rejected due to religion.

The girls are eventually all taken by the whims of Kyubey and his need to use them, but even so they find solace in their relationships with each other. Madoka witnesses these events and gains a full understanding of what it means to be a magical girl, and instead of giving up, chooses to hope for a better world and actively change it.

But the story is also arguably about Madoka falling in love with Homura and gaining strength from the experience. In the end, she literally becomes a goddess when she embraces herself and defies Kyubey’s (and society’s) expectations.

Madoka Magica isn’t perfect. Bury your gays, and almost canon subtext are features that fall under queerbaiting and are somewhat problematic. Beneath it all, though, Madoka Magica is a great story about a group of queer girls of color opposing a system built against them. It’s got flaws, and more steps need to be taken so that the series improves in this manner, but Madoka Magica is a good start and I hope that the 4th Madoka movie will continue to improve its LGBT themes and perhaps even explicitly confirm the relationships.

Until then, I’d highly recommend Madoka Magica for its storytelling, animation, and it’s beautiful (if not perfect) queerness.

[i-am-the-entertainer]

RevieWBY: Volume 6

This has been stated so many times, but Volume 5 was bad. Okay, it wasn’t terrible, like I don’t feel offended by it being bad (unlike certain folks), but looking back on it I don’t have anything to say to really defend it as something Rooster Teeth should have talked up as much as they did at the time. It had some good things going for it, but the amount of problems it had in terms of animation and writing really put a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. So for Volume 6 to deal with all that fallout, it was going to have to do a lot. And to their credit, CRWBY accepted the criticism in stride, and actively worked to make Volume 6 something that people who despised Volume 5 might enjoy.

Still, one had to go into this season with the understanding that some people were never going to be completely satisfied with whatever CRWBY did. Because at the end of the day, the RWBY that Rooster Teeth currently makes is not Monty Oum’s show anymore. No, this isn’t saying CRWBY is in any way disrespecting his legacy, it’s just Monty Oum had a certain method to running the show that only he could really get away with: epic fight scenes, suddenly throwing giant curveballs into the series’ mythology, taking vital time away from storytelling so the fights looked cool. I mean, there are people who criticize the show for doing that now when they didn’t give two shits when Monty did it, because Monty did it in a manner that somehow worked. I don’t know how he did it, but he did, and, well, he’s not here to do it, and there’s no way even a huge animation team can collectively do things like him. And they shouldn’t: if they can use a better industry standard animation engine than Poser, than the fact that Monty Oum didn’t like animating with Maya shouldn’t stop them.

Blah blah blah...this is all about FNDM reception. What did I think of Volume 6?

Well...

Focus

In my mid-volume review I cited this as Volume 6′s strongest aspect, and as far as I can tell this remains the case. By focusing our hero storyline on one group and for the most part the villain storylines on only a few characters who were paired off, Volume 6 effectively told a story that didn’t force the viewers to juggle multiple things and find some semblance of a continuing story. Everything happened linearly and the whole thing made for a more enjoyable watch overall.

Tone

Building off of that renewed focus, this volume felt like it had more of a consistent tone that lasted from beginning to end. RWBY markets itself as an anime show and uses a lot of that anime-style of humor (slapstick and comedically exaggerated emotions), but honestly it’s always played fast and loose with using that humor in a way that doesn’t feel out of place. In this volume it was more consistently used, and that’s largely thanks to the nailed down focus that allowed character interactions to utilize the humor in a natural way. Ruby and Maria Calavera were especially good sources for humor.

Now, things did get a little more screwball when Cordovin came into the mix, but it was interesting seeing CRWBY take that humor to a logical extreme for the first time in a while (not since the Beacon years). It interrupted the tone for a bit, but not in a manner that overall changed the genre this show is going for.

Animation

Beautiful. The improved production pipeline that we’ve heard about really came through. These episodes were the best they’ve ever looked, minus a few errors here and there, showing just how amazing RWBY can look when you give the animators time to add their own touches. There was some really great fight animation to boot: none of the fights this volume felt awkward, and you could tell the animators had a lot of fun.

Worldbuilding/Storytelling

It feels weird saying that Volume 6 did a better job with worldbuilding than Volume 4, which took place on four different continents and traveled across one, and Volume 5, which took place on two different continents and featured the second major skirmish between the villains and the heroes. I think this has to do with just how well it was integrated into the story: insight into the world came at points where the story needed it and when the viewers wanted it. Nothing ever felt like a massive info dump better suited World of Remnant; where there was just too much information delivered that wasn’t relevant to what was happening in the show. Volumes 4 and 5 had this same problem with establishing the world, often telling us too much in a way that just didn’t feel natural to the story. With Volume 6, almost every chapter up until the final Argus arc included some form of that insight:

Chapter 1 showed us how ordinary civilians deal with traveling through Grimm territory––the steps they take to protect themselves

Chapter 2 showed us some aspects of the Mistral criminal underground, not telling us too much about it but suggesting it was much larger than what Cinder encountered.

Chapter 3 showed us...so many things.

Chapter 4 offered a sense of the stakes RWBY faced in relation to all of Remnant.

Chapter 5 and 6 gave us a glimpse at another form of non-city life in Remnant.

Chapter 7 introduced us to Argus, my favorite of all the Remnant cities we’ve seen; plus a glimpse into the life of the silver-eyed warriors; and a more representative depiction of what domestic life is like in Remnant

Chapter 8 told us what Atlas personnel who aren’t Ironwood or Winter are like, plus the long-awaited insight into how the silver eyes work.

Chapter 9 shows something of the effect the Battle of Beacon, and by extension Pyrrha’s death, had outside of our core group.

Things kind of teeter off with the finale arc, but that’s because worldbuilding became a little less important to what was going on. This is kind of a stretch, but the mech fight and the arrival of the Grimm in Argus give us an idea of how large non-capital cities defend themselves without just spelling everything out.

All in all, this volume delivered on some impressive worldbuilding, probably the best the series has had in a while. It wasn’t massive info dumps unless it needed to be (e.g. Chapter 3), and it offered just enough for other important things like the storytelling and the action to still be in the forefront.

Characters

Volume 5, despite the fact it involved the major reunion of Team RWBY after two volumes, felt like it was simply putting the main characters through situations without those situations really doing anything to develop them or define them as anything beyond what we already knew. Some characters fared better on the development front, namely Yang, but others, especially Ruby, just seemed to be along for the ride without us getting any insight into them. This is where the writing issue that came from separating everyone starting with Volume 4 really came to a head: too many different characters with their own story to cover, and sometimes those stories just didn’t do much for the character beyond existing as a situation they were in.

Volume 6 feels like the refutal of that, and that mostly has to do with the fact that we’re not juggling so many storylines anymore. When a major event happens to the heroes, everyone gets affected at the same time. The train crashes? DEVELOPMENT! Jinn’s story? DEVELOPMENT AND INSIGHT! Snowstorm? INSIGHT! The Apathy? DEVELOPMENT! Telling team JNR about Jinn’s story? DEVELOPMENT! Adam ambushes Blake and Yang for the first time since Volume 3? DEVELOPMENT! WITH A HEALTHY DOSAGE OF ANGST!

Surprisingly, the same thing is happening to two of our favorite villains, Mercury and Emerald: even though they only really appeared in three chapters this Volume, we actually got a surprising chance to see how their defeat at the Battle of Haven affected them, and their increasingly strong misgivings about working for Salem. We get more of an idea of them as people rather than Cinder’s blind followers, understanding why they stuck with such an evil person for so long. It’s the most we’ve learned about them since Volume 3, and we didn’t even need lengthy flashbacks.

Even Adam got some more insight. RWBY has been following the path that Adam was an abusive ex-boyfriend for quite a while now, but there was always this underlying thought that he got into the White Fang business for a seemingly noble cause. The problem was the show hadn’t depicted how he got from Point A to Point B. The Adam Character Short offered us some of that much needed insight, putting some of his actions up to this point in a new context, even if it was set-up for clearing up some things so they could get rid of him.

Of course, there are still exceptions to characters getting character development, and honestly they’re kind of glaring ones. Oscar’s development arc, where he came to accept he was his own person, completely happened offscreen (for reasons that I’ve brought up before and will reiterate in the final section), robbing us of really witnessing his growth as a person. I enjoyed some of the stuff Cinder did this volume, especially her escape from the vault and her fight with Neo. But honestly she continues to be a pretty bland villain with little hints at her motivations for being such a terrible person: the Battle of Haven was such an utter defeat for her there needed to be some form of consequence that would’ve affected her character while also telling us more about her. Maybe it would’ve been her strategizing her revenge, which would’ve gotten more insight into how she thinks as a master planner. Instead, we get her leaving the vault, more or less going back to what she used to do but in a more low-key setting, fighting with Neo, plotting with Neo, and leaving with Neo. It felt more like “Hey, she’s alive, and here’s what she’s doing,” which while I appreciate it feels kind of a waste of time if you’re not doing anything with her beyond that. Honestly, a post-credits reveal that she was alive and then a pre-Volume 7 character short detailing how she made it to Atlas that covered her and Neo’s entire storyline this volume would’ve been more helpful.

Before I go on to my most major critique of this volume, I need to address the two Goliaths in the room.

Adam

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: they needed to get rid of Adam. The way things have been going, there was only so much more you could do with his character before he became a nuisance that was overstaying his welcome. I understand people wanted some deeper insight into him, but the fact was he was never introduced to be a major villain to anyone beyond Blake and later Yang. They could’ve had him have a thing against Weiss, but they didn’t, they focused the time that would’ve made him a major villain for everyone else on making people like Roman and Cinder and Salem the big villains. They decided on the path of abusive ex-boyfriend a very long time ago, and if you hadn’t figured that out after the Adam Character Short I honestly think you were being willfully ignorant to what’s been building up.

The best I can say is that Adam and his history is a missed opportunity for some pretty interesting storytelling and worldbuilding, but the fact remains: it is not his story that they want to tell, it is not his show. It may make something interesting to think about, but Adam’s story is supplementary, and works better in supplementary material, a la character shorts and maybe mangas.

Jaune

Y’all need to quit it with the “Hrrr drr Jaune took up time again moan moan Miles Luna is self indulgent” talk, he barely did anything this volume beyond Chapter 9 and having a sister that the whole fandom loved.

Pacing

This...this is where Volume 6 ran into trouble.

Overall, from the season premiere to the finale arc, this was probably the best-paced season of RWBY we’ve ever had. Major story events happened right when we needed them, and for the most part they didn’t drag out story arcs for any longer than they needed to be.

Well...until they reached Argus, that is.

At face value, a lot happened in the final couple of chapters. Chapter 8 gave us Maria explaining the silver eyes, Chapter 9 had the scene with Pyrrha’s statue and the mysterious Red-Haired Woman (I’ll headcanon whatever I want about who she is, Jen Brown) Chapter 10 started the Cordovin fight, Chapter 11 reinforced Blake and Yang’s partnership, Chapter 12 killed Adam, and Chapter 13 had Ruby finally use her silver eye powers to defeat a Grimm and they made it to Atlas. Yeah, it was a pretty eventful set of episodes.

So then why did it feel like it dragged? Here are a couple reasons that I’ve identified.

1. The Cordovin Battle sidelined story arcs for too long

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: the finale arc should not have been split up like that over so many episodes. It afforded us some pretty well-animated fights, some of the best the series has ever had, but the volume hadn’t been relying on that action to keep up the forward momentum, but on actually telling the stories of these characters. I get the need for CRWBY to prove that they can do well-animated fights, but as I’ve come to accept action should never take precedence over storytelling (I know, that’s hard to swallow when parts of the fndm spends hours complaining about how Monty’s not animating the fights anymore). And it’s clear to me in this final arc put emphasis on the action over the momentum of the story, bringing the actually pretty good storytelling the volume had had up to that point to a grinding halt.

Now, historically RWBY fights have delayed telling stories, but it’s never been for too long, at most maybe two chapters? But if you spend three chapters on a single fight, thereby devoting three weeks of your viewers’ time to high-octane action, people are gonna notice that the story is basically going nowhere.

What could’ve made this less of a problem? Well, perhaps establishing Cordovin earlier and making her less of a buffoon would’ve eased my hatred of this arc. Volume 6 lacks a clear antagonist for the story, but the way Cordovin was treated as a big deal in this final battle made it seem like she was taking up that role, except we didn’t even see her until the final half of the volume, and in her debut we couldn’t take her seriously as a villain, much less an antagonist, because of the pure comedy they used in her intro. There needed to be something about her at least a few episodes early––take this with a grain of salt because I think following JNR in Argus would’ve killed the balanced pacing of the first half of the volume (and just made the Jaune haters apoplectic), but maybe a few quick scenes of JNR arriving in Argus and getting rejected by her would’ve been helpful. Or honestly easing off on the comedy of her intro. Such a one-note character who we are primed to not take seriously isn’t interesting as a major force, so identifying her as a more threatening roadblock for the heroes would’ve made the stakes of the final fight a little more...present.

2. Important storylines got trimmed for time’s sake and weren’t addressed properly.

@hypeathon (whose excellent production analyses for this Volume are well worth a read) identified a tweet Miles made back in October, prior to the premiere and most likely when they were finishing storyboards, about “killing your darlings.” For those unaware and who may have severely misinterpreted that comment, “killing your darlings” is when writers have to sacrifice something they love or want to do so that the story works better. The timeliness of this tweet (after they would’ve finished the script but before they’d wrapped on storyboards and voice acting for the final episodes) suggests the writers’ room had to cut a lot of material from Volume 6 (what Miles called a massacre of darlings), most likely due to production limits or not having enough time to cover them.

Think about it: the story from Chapters 1-7 was really good: everything was properly spaced out, the scripts felt polished, there was a balance of action and comedy and legit storytelling, the good pacing lasted longer than it ever has within a single volume.

Then we hit Chapter 8 and suddenly it all changes: storylines don’t get the proper time devoted to them, arcs come to a screeching halt due to the big fight. Unlike previous volumes, where the imbalance was pretty much the entire volume, there’s actually a clear point right in the middle of this volume where things suddenly took a turn for the worse. And the fact is, some of the problems with the story in the final arc suddenly make more sense if you accept that time that would’ve been devoted to it got sidelined in this “purge”: Qrow’s alcoholism suddenly getting brushed aside after Chapter 9 hopefully to be addressed next volume, Oscar disappearing and all his development happening offscreen, Adam’s completely unsubtle return after only a vague hint in Chapter 1 that would’ve been stronger if he’d kept popping up in Argus. I’d even go so far to say the odd pacing of the final few chapters could easily have been the result of the writing team not being able to devote a single chapter to such a grand fight, so they needed to stretch it out so CRWBY could actually animate it within reasonable deadlines, which meant sacrificing time for those arcs that so desperately needed development.

So what overall is gonna fix RWBY’s pacing in the future? Well, I think at the moment the show is too ambitious. If it wants to keep to a reasonable production schedule, they need to control the scale of their finales so that it can be completed without needing to sacrifice other storylines. If it wants to hold onto that ambition and make the finales as grand as they want it to be to do their boy Monty proud, then they absolutely need to delay the actual release of the volume so they can put in the proper amount of time to both the story and animation. And I don’t think anyone would mind waiting a little longer for Volume 7 if it meant this show got the care and attention it needs to tell the story it clearly wants to tell.

Conclusions

Evaluating Volume 6 is impossible without evaluating what came before it. RWBY was never a perfect show, but when you lose someone who was responsible for the show’s popularity in the first place and have to change how it’s made to make up for his absence, there’s going to be backlash. Backlash from the fans, and, uh, backlash from inside the company. The fact is, people are never going to be satisfied with the RWBY that Rooster Teeth makes today, and Rooster Teeth is never going to push out a RWBY that will make everyone happy. All they can really do is keep moving forward.

And move forward they did. Despite my problems with the finale, Volume 6 was good. I’ve always been sort of ambivalent about the show (I was drawn to it by my brother shortly before Monty’s death and have been watching it out of respect for him and the company as creative artists), and even if I thought some of RWBY’s critics were being too harsh (or seriously needed to find something better to do), I didn’t find Volumes 4 and 5 enjoyable enough that I felt like defending them. But guys, Volume 6 did something amazing: it made RWBY fun to watch again. Focused, consistent, and compelling storytelling plus gradually eased-in worldbuilding made for a story that I could follow along without having to juggle so many different plots. Improvements in the overall animation made things nice to look at and when fights happened they were always entertaining, never making me cringe or grimace, always making me think “Hell yeah, beat the shit out of them!” Just like I felt back in the old days of the show.

I feel as though what’s holding RWBY back at this point, however, is adhering to the production schedule that its old vision called for in making its current vision. And it honestly cannot keep doing that. RWBY is a show trying to reach grand heights, and its rushed production timelines and lost story arcs are keeping it tethered to the ground. Yet I can’t help but say: Volume 6 is RWBY at its finest so far. It can’t fix the problems that previous volumes have had, but it builds on the void those problems left to build a story that makes this show feel like something worth following once more.

So, I can safely say I’ll be following along when RWBY returns for Volume 7...hopefully later rather than sooner (again, it needs a better production schedule).

[hypeathon]

RWBY Volume 6 Adam Character Short - A Shot-by-Shot Analysis

Trailers and shorts in RWBY are very interesting and unique format as far as works of fictional entertainment go. They can be so tricky to describe that even the show’s late creator, Monty Oum himself, admitted he was not entirely sure what to call the pre-volume 1 trailers at the time they were first released. Whatever you or I call them, these small works can serve various purposes for this serialized web-series. On the one hand, they can give a very thorough idea of how the characters being focused on engages in combat through their movements. At the same time, they can also provide a piece of a character’s story, igniting many theories from within the show’s fan base.

How well a short or trailer can convey either of those aspects or any other ones depends greatly on its presentation. This is why I believe the Adam character short sticks out so well. 

Before RTX, things were dead-silent as to what the future of RWBY’s main story would entail. So when RTX Austin 2018’s first RWBY panel showed the premiere of the Adam Character Short, word had naturally spread about the implied quality. This extended to a handful of fans learning of a snippet of the short without the post-production polish via a stream of the RT Animation Audio panel (oops). But aside from this, there was only so much to interpret. That is until Friday, August 17th, when the piece had officially been released to the general public. With the Adam short being the longest of any of the previous character shorts yet at a whopping 7 minutes, there is a lot to cover regarding both the animation and the visual presentation.

Speaking personally, this is by far the strongest of all the character shorts by far based on one factor: its visual direction. And there’s a strongly implied reason as to why this is. Back on February 12th, RWBY’s director & writer, Kerry Shawcross and Miles Luna respectively, as well as RWBY Chibi director, Paula Decanini, took part in an “Ask Me Anything” Session over at the RWBY sub-reddit. It was there when Kerry particularly responded to a question about the matter of “show, don’t tell” by stating that was what stuck with him the most. Love it or hate it, volume 5 left many fans with various mixed emotions, including concern for how the show would visually convey its story in future installments. However, between this character short and the announcement at RTX that Connor Pickens, the lead editor for volumes 3-5 of RWBY being promoted to co-director, these were signs how much Kerry took such particular feedback to heart.

Although it’s one thing to state the short itself applied “show, don’t tell”. It’s a whole other thing to elaborate on all the different ways it was utilized and why it matters. Sadly, there’s no confirmation as to who provided the storyboards, another important role in visual direction. In fairness though, who provides boards for the characters shorts are rarely ever stated to the public with one exception being that Kevin Harger did the ones for the Yang short at the “Just the Fights” RTX panel. What can be confirmed though are the animators confirmed to have been involved with the Adam short, as stated by volume 6 animation director, Joel Mann:

Melanie Stern 

Matt Drury

Joe Vick

Asha Bishi

Hannah Novotny

Michelle Yi

Erika Soosar

Vince Cappelluti

Just like with the matter of “show, don’t tell”, equal concern has been expressed regarding Gen:Lock’s production have more of an influence at Rooster Teeth Animation, leading to certain fan-favorite animators in RWBY’s production being permanently taken away. However, I have gone on record on how vital it is to acknowledge the merits of both newer and veteran talent since like it or not, the former will have more of a presence in RWBY. The Adam character short is especially noteworthy due to not just the number of animators being double that of past shorts, but five of the eight animators were recruited during volume 5′s production while two were recruited during volume 4′s and Melanie Stern, the assistant lead animator for volume 6, was first brought on during volume 3. This makes things both interesting and complicated, the latter of which has to due with how for some animators, there are little-to-no sources confirming who did what in RWBY thus far. Though certain animators have confirmed or at least implied what sequences they did, making for a good opportunity to examine their skills.

With that said, now is the time to decipher how the Adam short stand outs shot-by-shot and scene-by-scene. 

Scene #1: Outside of the Schnee Dust Company Plant

The biggest thing worth talking about in this scene is how the cinematography is in great effect. When Adam is introduced, we don’t just see his model in plain view first thing. We see a shot of his shadow, then his feet, then his mask, and finally a slow pan up to his face as we are teased with not seeing how he actually looks. With reaction shots of the other faunus characters sandwiched in-between, this captures not just importance in Adam’s character for the short itself, but also to his own kind that look up to him. When fans of RWBY think of cinematography, it’s generally believed to not be capable of more then making things prettier. This completely mis-represents the purpose it serves. Cinematography is more about using elements of camera direction, lighting, staging and timing of each shot to help tell the story within a scene. Camera direction as one element, has played a role into helping convey different characters in RWBY since volume 3, as confirmed by certain people in the show’s storyboard and camera layout departments. Ozpin’s level-headed mindset by having the camera point straightforwardly at him, Ironwood’s display of authority from low-angles, Qrow’s drunk nature through the camera tilting, and Nora’s bundle of energy by having the camera dramatically pan and zoom along with her. Their characters have been further utilized by the camera in varied ways and Adam is no different.

Beyond that, one other aspect of visual direction in both this scene and the short in general is the use of transitions, namely the invisible cut. It’s a fairly common trick used in film-making but it has never used in RWBY outside of chapter 9 of volume 2, nor has it been used as consistently until now. More will be talked about this technique, but the gist as to what it greatly presents is the passage of time for Adam’s story.

Scene #2: The forest skirmish between the White Fang and the Humans

Before going over the next scene, it’s worth quickly addressing the setting. Some fans have speculated that too much time and resources may have been spent on the Adam short which could affect the production of volume 6. However, in terms of the models of the environments, specifically the forest set, it seems similar to the set in chapter 4 of volume 5, albeit with more varied placements of trees and open space and different lighting. The same goes for the set in the next scene with Blake and Adam which may have been from the Blake Character short. Although it’s all speculative, these observations can imply that at least on the modeling team’s end, not too much time was spent on the short.

Moving on to the beginning of the sequence itself, one bit that stands out is Sienna’s ears and the way they move. This is actually something seen a little earlier with the one faunus girl when she sees Adam and it’s noteworthy for three reasons. First, while there’s not a lot of information as to how real life tigers communicate through their ears, it’s possibly similar to how house cats use their ears to express various emotions. This in turn leads to the second noteworthy reason, how it adds depth to what certain faunus characters express at a given moment. It can even be seen with Sienna’s character which, assuming such similarities between tigers and cats are there, indicate that Sienna was feeling defensive and alert in the first shot next to Adam. There will be more moments where the animal ears add to a character’s emotion both from Sienna and Blake later on.

The third and final reason this is all worth bringing up is the matter of who animated the beginning of this scene. One animator in RWBY’s production that has made consciously applied movement to animal ears and tails is Asha Bishi. I’ve mentioned before how her way of moving characters, faunus, human, or Grimm, usually feel snappy and lively which makes character acting her greatest strength. And while the character acting is also strong between Ghira, Adam, Sienna and other minior characters here, I’m not positive it’s her. If I were to take a guess, Hannah Novotny may have animated this sequence. Hannah and Asha were both recruited during volume 4′s production and while both are great at providing expression through the characters they animate, the former is slightly less snappy with her movements based on the confirmed shots she did and thus feel a tad slower. That said, she does provide little touches herself when animating scenes like shrinking and shaking of pupils within the eyes and even movement of animal ears, hence my guess.

In the midst of the skirmish, there’s a brief as a bullet hits the window next to Ghira, it leaves off an neat electricity effect. Jumping ahead to when Ghira gets shot with more electricity and aura effects, we get to the first big action sequence in the short and right as he lands on the ground, I love the look of the small dust that forms. The VFX team have expressed in the past taking inspiration from visual effects seen in anime to help compliment RWBY’s aesthetic. They were already accomplishing that by volume 5 in the Anime Skies Fight and I think they almost perfected it here. We’ve definitely come a long way from the days how smoke and dust use to look like in the show.

We then get a quick rotation shot to show where Adam’s target is and according to Matt Drury, this moment is what he animated. He has gone on record as to how much of a fan he is of Adam’s character to the point where he did motion capture for him in volume 5 and even dyed his hair red, and boy, does it show in how he made Adam fight. Between him dashing, parrying, doing jump-inside kicks, and turning around as he crouches to jump for the tree and use it to spring himself across in rapid succession, Adam rides this balance between being using martial arts and being animalistic. The part where he jumps off the tree is an especially good use of squash and stretch and not an example of bad animation, in case anyone considered that. To get a clearer idea of what does and doesn’t make bad animation, Youtube Anime Ajay provided a very insightful video explaining what is and is not bad animation to respond to a practice commonly made by fans in the anime community.

Going back to the short, the camera steadily follows Adam barrel-rolling to the far right, leaving some more good-looking anime dust and then sets some nice staging between him and his enemies in front of him as he blocks their attacks. One quick thing to note is how Adam twirls his weapon with the smear effects. The spinning smears throughout this short have invoked some big groans within the fan base and I would be lying if I didn’t have my minor gripes with it. However, the smear effects themselves are not inherently a problem and there are two instances where I believe it works for different reasons. This is one of them. The reason why it works here is through a combination of where the camera moves and zooms and how Adam’s hand moves is seen twirling the weapon. It’s very subtle when playing in normal speed, but it is there. Really, if there’s anything off about the animation is how the spinning just starts without a slow-in and thus feels a little too instantaneous. Though more will be elaborated on this later.

That tangent aside, what I love is how the camera zooms to angle Adam as being seemingly bigger in perspective compared to both characters he’s blocking bullets from. As icing of the cake, you see the shift in facial expressions from the girl on the right with the hoodie as she expresses being intimidated by Adam and ends up anxious for the girl next to her as she looks to her right. After pinning the one girl in the yellow outfit unconscious, we see a brief yet clean combination of smears and sparks as he blocks another bullet and then he dashes to trip the gray-hoodie girl and hit her in mid-air. As nice as it is to see action scenes done at a break-neck pace, having a moment where a character winds-up before performing a certain action can add more impact. What Adam did as he swung his weapon back before gutting the girl was a classic example of anticipatory action, one of the 12 principles. My only criticism regarding this moment was that I wish the moment where the girl was hit lasted a few frames more. Though it helps that in the next shot, we see the facial expressions of the girl who deeply regrets having faced Adam before being knocked back down to the ground. I can’t help but feel sorry for her in particular.

We then cut to Adam going towards another gunman while swiftly dodging bullets and once again using the tree to his advantage before kicking the latter unconscious. With the bright gunshot effects, because they are so close enough to the center of the camera, it helps makes the speed of Adam’s sidesteps feel somewhat blinding. The only slight problem is the smear effect of Adam’s kicks. Similar to the moment where he kicked the gray-hooded human, both use just red for the smears when they could benefit more from using a combination of red and black to consistently follow with the color of his shoes. But in the grand scheme of everything in motion at normal speed, this is all relatively minor. Then we cut to what is either the end of Matt’s sequence or the start of another animator’s. Either way, the faraway wide shot is really great at showing how unstoppable he is while appropriately charging like a bull. The next set of shots that follow a clever way to make the launch of Adam’s sword show how much force it had to make the girl emit such a reaction when being hit in the gut. Then follows the sword twirling in mid-air and here is where I started having issues with the use of smear animations. Though as I said before, more on that later.

Then there’s the human hiding who gives an anxious facial expression before deciding to fire, effectively displaying the fact he is making a split-second choice. Between what came a couple of shots before and what comes next, Hannah Novotny might have animated these parts. Though it’s somewhat of a shot in the dark based on her tweet of doing some action shots. Speaking of darkness, we then see Adam’s signature slash, which the compositing itself is presented slightly differently from the Black trailer. There, it’s timed so that the darkness fades after he absorbs the laser attack. In this character short though, it’s timed so that it disappears after he strikes. It’s different, but it works well here due to how it blackens his body, making him appear as a silhouette while the background fades to near-black and that all disappears once he draws his swords and strikes, making for great impact. It also helps that the way he’s posing with his back facing the camera and his should in front of him makes him more menacing in a manner akin to that one shot of Neferpitou from Hunter x Hunter.

As the human is struck in the next shot, there’s an interesting effect where the pupils in his eyes disappear that feels like something out of the One Piece anime. Just as an aside to talk about the music, I love how it suddenly stops to add to the shocking effect of Adam having brutally killed someone. Next, in the shot where Ghira and Adam look down at the human, we get really clever staging. Not only are they both framed so that only they follow the rule-of-thirds, but your eyes are easily drawn to the remaining humans that appear behind the tree in the far right and then flee. As the scene follows with Sienna defending Adam and calling him a “hero”, Adam makes a surprised reaction that tells a fair bit considering we can’t register his emotions through his eyes. To close the scene, we get the White Fang members cheering as they walk towards Adam, creating another great invisible cut while Sienna and Ghira stare down.

3) Adam and Blake at the rooftops

I mentioned before that there was another scene I believe Asha Bishi animated and Blake and Adam’s scene is it. At first I was only 70-80 percent sure it was her. But this was before Joel Mann confirmed who animated the short. Since then, I’m now 80-90 percent sure. Much of her tells can be identified here, especially with Blake. The various pupil shifts, the slight expanding and wincing of the eyes, and the abundant character acting with their body language and even Blake’s cat ears.

What I especially liked was the end where her hair is flowing in the wind for two reasons. First, it created an opportunity to show that the strands of.. hair, fur maybe, were flowing from her cat ears, something I’ve admittedly never seen before. It’s a small thing, but it showed a neat attention to detail in the modeling. Second, the way her hair flowed and how her fingers seamlessly dug into them is another sign of how we’ve come a long way from the days where hair when being touched or pull around felt more like large clumps than individual strands that could be felt between the fingers.

We are then shown another invisible cut and by far my favorite one of the fall leaves flowing after the wind gets stronger and harsher, indicating that Blake feels a hidden bit of uncertainty by trusting Adam’s words. These invisible cuts have really excelled at presenting the passage of time in Adam’s story and they reminded me a lot of how the anime Haikyuu used a combination of match cuts and invisible cuts to help visually enhance the story of certain characters. Again, I’m very unsure who provided the storyboards for this short and thus the transitions. Though the invisible cuts may be applied by the editing team. Either way, this is how cinematography is displayed in great effect.

4) Adam, Sienna & Ilia at the White Fang facility

As the short transitions to the second set of action sequences, we are treated to a several-second rotation shot where Sienna flails her chain weapon at her enemies wildly but precisely. Melanie Stern confirmed she animated Sienna fighting and honestly, I had initially thought animator Austin Hardwicke may have done her scenes. So I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong this time. As camera stops to face her, we get more of her cat ears shift, this time to help her confidently stay one step ahead of the Atlesian Knight about to attack her from behind. Next, Sienna uses the mech as a spring board to launch across the hall. Although the camera as she leaps over the Adam and Sienna is zoomed a bit too much and makes the shot feel slightly more claustrophobic than warranted. That being said, moments that follow with Sienna kicking her chain weapon against one mech and then shooting the snapped off arrow-end to the other mech opposite of her are examples of the sequence riding this balance between being chaotic and readable. Sienna delivering her smirk right after also adds a lot to her personality in the limited time we see her fight. 

Now would be a good time to quickly talk about the Atlesian knights themselves. First, while seemingly trivial, it’s an interesting attention to detail to have the electricity around them be red as oppose to a more generic yellow or blue to better match their color scheme. Whether that was the VFX or compositing team’s idea is unclear, but it was neat to see regardless. Second, the way we see one of their feet into the camera after the one prior fell is a brief yet smart way to draw focus to the remaining androids. It also helps that between the White Fang being blurred from afar helps stage the distance between them and their opponents. One thing the camera does consistently well in this entire second fight sequence is stage the distance between characters, as we’ll done again shortly. Moving on, Adam blocks more bullets with with some sword spinning smears, though we do get a bit of slow-in and slow-out smears as he as he draws his sword and again before sheathing it. Then get the staging of the previous shot mentioned in effect as Ilia runs ahead with the camera making a nice low-angle shot with some slight rumbling as it trails her.

Once she finishes her attack, it’s Adam’s turn to run ahead and we see a classic case of slicing a few mechs which cuts pause as he sheathes is sword for dramatic effect. This is where Matt’s other animated sequence in the short is presented and a few things are worth highlighting: First, the slash effects quickly fading one-by-one. Second, the way the ends of Adam’s coat flaps down as a follow-through after he pauses. Third, the way the mechs slightly shifted from where they were cut. And fourth, The way the camera tilts to indicate how much damage was in effect. All of these aspects demonstrated how swift and overwhelming Adam’s attacks were. It also helps to given that quick moment of pause. As I said before in the forest skirmish scene, having a time and place to slow down can make for greater impact on a certain action. The same can go for having a character pause before a certain action is performed as demonstrated here.

The scene then proceeds with a sequence of Adam destroying two Atlesian Knights in quick succession. Right away does this moment one-up the previous one in terms of both direction and animation. With the direction, as Adam shoots his sword, we cut to the hilt hitting the first android and with another example of the camera, perfectly staging the set-up and distance of where Adam’s targets are, The sword being shot and bouncing up also easily draws the viewers eyes to where Adam will go next. We then cut to another shot of the sword twirling in mid-air and here is where the smear animation is best presented in the short. In previous cases, the spinning sword lacks the slow-in and slow-in frames. Here, it properly displays the momentum of the sword as it slows down which leads to the next thing Adam does. Hopefully, this settles the matter that the smear being used at all isn’t the problem, nor is it what it’s referencing to. Rather, it’s about how it’s animated which if you look at various anime, there are a myriad of ways to present smears. Back to the sequence, as Adam jumps to the android and off it by shooting its head, he then kicks the sword in mid-air to the other android in a manner similar to animator Ken’ichi Fujisawa did in a fight scene in Naruto Shippuden.

We end Matt’s animated sequence to move on to the next one where the Schnee Dust Company personnel fire across the hall and we get a nice change to red lighting to signify how treacherous things will get for both sides. As Adam, Sienna and Ilia dodge the bullets, we see some good character acting maintained in how they each take cover. Adam using his sword skills to defend himself, Sienna acrobatically staying out of fire and Ilia clumsily back-stepping which makes her inexperience compared to the former two self-evident. Next is more of Sienna’s tiger ear shifts as she and Adam notice the canister creating some anime smoke screen effects, through they’ve been visually filtered a bit. As Adam and Sienna counterattack, the latter climbs up the wall and jumps off which gives a glimpse of how much her weapon resembles a tail. And following that, we get more of her using her chain weapon to flail the gun she lassoed to knock all three of her enemies around her with slightly chaotic but steady camera shifts,

Next is Adam getting more action through a brief shot of him charging towards the camera which reminded me of how Winter first struck against Qrow in chapter 3 of volume 3. The latter cut was part of animator, Ian Kedward’s sequence in that fight, but I’m unsure of who animated Adam’s portion of this sequence from here-on. Jumping slightly ahead, we get an interesting transition from Adam slicing to Sienna throwing her chain around. Only it’s not completely a transition, but because it’s a split-second and their actions flow well, it feels like one at normal speed. With more of Sienna’s agile moves, she snaps off her arrow again which starts with her facing towards the camera to then cleverly rotate around the arrow to highlight what it’s going to do. Moving ahead, we get one more action moment with Adam, this time with some additional funny character acting from the SDC guard as he tries to dodge the former’s strikes and attempts a right hook only to get schooled by Adam’s hilt again. Though it doesn’t end right there as we see a couple of shots of Adam framed dominantly, about to stab the guard while he’s down and he pleads for his life. Though there’s an excellent delayed reaction where Adam responds to Sienna’s call as if he got caught up in the blood lust. This short has been a good opportunity in general to add character to Adam and Sienna through just their facial expressions alone.

5) Adam and Sienna in the Throne Room

After all is said an done, we get another invisible cut to the throne room with another White Fang member running across the SDC facility hall. It would’ve been funny if it’s the same member that did the invisible cut after the forest scene, but they have different skin tones so that’s sadly not the case. In all seriousness, we don’t get any visual direction that’s too daring aside from the establishing overhead shot starting the sequence. An interesting observation is how in comparison, the seen that first introduced Sienna in volume 5 had he and Adam’s positions mirrored only she’s on her throne and Adam’s kneeling. This may visually support the fact Sienna was considering treating Adam as her equal in the future, so long as he did overstep his boundaries.

Not much else to add before moving on to the next short sequence through a transition that’s not an invisible cut but is something more like a jump cut? It’s honestly hard to describe, but it does go along with the motif of passage of time. One other thing to mention is the flame and how it’s animated. it doesn’t feel at all like a 3-D visual effect and is instead more like it was animated in 2-D with some filtering effects. Beyond that, not much else to add for the remainder of the short, though that’s not a bad thing since a moment of rest is needed to close off after two extensive action scenes. The only two things worth stating have to do with Adam. First is how when Adam is on the throne, there’s one shot where he is of distance from the White Fang members and another where we don’t see his full body from behind the throne. Both indicate the relationship between him and his followers. At this point in his story, he is less concerned about looking out for his fellow kind as he is about stroking his ego. To conclude, we get the most ironically-funny shot in the short where Adam gets exactly what he deserves and walks off leaving his mask behind feeling defeated. Some would find the choice to have him animated walking awkwardly to be strange when connecting to his last scene in volume 5. But in the context of the story of his character short, it works thematically.

Final Note

This was quite a short to cover, but there was so much packed in that both reinforced some things spoken by Blake before about Adam’s character while still peppering in insight into his psyche through a combination of facial expressions, adjustments to his line of dialogue and the in-genius transitioning techniques used. And there were still a couple more small details that weren’t fully covered like the red markings in Adam’s design added after the first scene or Ghira’s slightly younger character model. The visual direction demonstrated in just 7 minutes how in-spite of his hostile streak, Adam’s shift from the White Fang hero looked up to by his people to the tyrant whose thirst for power and dominance made his own followers turn on him.

While the short not totally perfect, its storyboards outmatch even the Weiss character short, which is saying a lot considering it was one of my favorites. It’s still a shame we don’t know who did the boards, but between them, Kerry and Connor, the ideas definitely payed off. The animators themselves also cannot be commended enough for the effort they poured into the short. There have been a few newer recruits being recognized by other more veteran animators, including Erika Soosar, John Yang, Michelle Yi and Jason Dickol. With Matt Drury added as another name, I do hope more fans will keep an eye out for them. Though none of this is to leave out the other animators involved with this short whose shots were unconfirmed, as they deserve to be kept an eye on in the future.

No doubt will there continue be criticisms and concern regarding the short though, as many wonder whether this will hinder on volume 6′s overall production. While the debate is a whole other subject for another day, it’s worth bearing in mind for now that shorts and volumes are two different things and the scale between them in terms of skill-set and more importantly, management, are night and day. For now, I intend to keep enjoying this short for both its story and as a potential sample of things to come.

[bangdreaming]

The results of the November monthly poll are in!

Most Popular Idol Anime/Manga

Love Live! with 122 anime votes and 6 manga votes! (Who didn’t see that coming, though?)

IDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls was second with 26 votes!

IDOLM@STER (OG) was third, with 22 votes!

Most Popular Anime

Puella Magi Madoka Magica was first with 13 votes!

K-On! came in second with 11 votes!

Danganronpa, Haikyuu!!, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure tied for third at 9 votes each!

Most Popular Manga

Boku no Hero Academia was first with 10 votes!

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure comes in second with 7 votes.

And Shokugeki no Soma came in third at 5 votes!

Since the questions were more abstract this time and there’s a lot of parts, all the rest of the numbers and answers are below the cut (along with some of my random ramblings)!

We’d like to thank you all for participating, and the December poll will be up shortly!

What Bandori media do you consume?

Game - 144 people

Anime - 92 people

Lives - 43 people

Livestreams - 40 people

Purchasing Merch - 26 people

Manga - 25 people

Radio Shows - 16 people

Cons - 7 people

Music - 3 people

Helping the Community - 1 person

Mod Rin, is that you? /shot (Mod Rin Note: Yes, this was 100% me, I’m sorry)

None - 1 person

If you watch the Bandori anime, do you watch other idol anime?

Yes - 85% (125 votes)

No - 15% (22 votes)

If you watch the Bandori anime, do you watch other non-idol anime?

Yes - 88.4% (130 votes)

No - 11.6% (17 votes)

Idol Anime List!

Aikatsu! - 8

AKB0048 - 3

B-Project - 3

Dream Festival - 1

IDOLM@STER - 22

IDOLM@STER CG - 26

IDOLM@STER SideM - 6

iDOLiSH7 - 4

Love Live series - 122

Locodol - 1

Macross F - 2

Pretty Rhythm: Rainbow Live - 1

PriPara - 2

Show By Rock!! - 1

Tsukiuta. The Animation - 3

Uta no Prince Sama - 6

Wake Up Girls! - 10

Non-Idol Anime List!

Mod Hina: To start off, I’m disappointed no one answered Cory in the House, which is undoubtedly the best anime of all time.

3-gatsu no Lion - 4

Acchi Kocchi - 1

Akuma no Riddle - 1

Another - 1

Mod Hina: I watched this! I watched it for the death scenes alone...

Aldnoah Zero - 1

Ancient Magus Bride - 3

Angel Beats - 1

Anohana - 1

Mod Hina: I have a friend who refuses to watch this.. I’ve watched both the anime and the movie, however!

Ao Haru Ride - 1

Arakawa Under the Bridge - 1

Assassination Classroom - 2

Attack on Titan - 2

Binbougami - 1

Blood Blockade Battlefront - 1

Barakamon - 2

Bleach - 2

Blend S - 1

Boku no Hero Academia - 6

Bungou Stray Dogs - 5

Charlotte - 2

Chihayafuru - 1

Code Geass - 3

Cowboy Bebop - 2

Mod Hina: This has been on my to watch list for like eight years.

D.Gray-Man - 5

Mod Rin: Best anime or best anime

Danganronpa - 9

Death Note - 2

Digimon series - 5

Durarara!! - 1

Eureka Seven - 1

Fafner in the Azure - 1

Fairy Tail - 2

Fate series - 2

Flip Flappers - 2

Fullmetal Alchemist series - 8

Mod Hina: I love FMA so much? Thanks.

Free! - 1

FSN UBW - 1

Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu - 1

Gatchaman Crowds - 1

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun - 4

Ghost Hunt - 1

Haikyuu!! - 9

Hetalia - 1

Hibike Euphonium - 5

Higurashi - 1

Hikaru no Go - 1

Himouto! Umaru-chan - 1

Hunter x Hunter - 4

Hyouka - 3

Inazuma Eleven - 1

Initial D - 1

Inu x Boku SS - 1

Izetta: the Last Witch - 1

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure - 9

Just Because! - 1

K-ON! - 11

Mod Hina: This is under here because I don’t think it classifies as idol anime. All your votes for it as idol anime went here, instead.

Kagerou Project - 2

Kakegurui - 1

Kamichu - 1

Katekyo Hitman Reborn - 2

Mod Hina: So, I was a huge KHR fangirl during the manga’s original run.. And a couple years back, I went back to China to visit family.. My (male) cousin was watching it and I literally was like “WHY KHR IT’S FANGIRL BAIT”.

Kemono Friends - 1

Kill La Kill - 2

King’s Game - 1

Kiznaiver - 2

Koi to Uso - 2

Kokoro Connect - 1

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! - 2

Kyoukai no Kanata - 5

Little Busters - 1

Little Witch Academia - 1

Mod Hina: I love LWA!

Magi - 1

Magical Girl Raising Project - 2

Mahoujin Guruguru - 1

Mahoutsukai no Yome - 1

Mawaru Penguindrum - 2

Mod Hina: Actually, literally two days ago I was looking at an artist and saw they drew a cute person. Looked them up and bam, the main antagonist of Mawaru Penguindrum. The rest of the conversation to a friend went as follows:

Me: Why do I only like trash.

Friend: Uhhh...

Me: I LITERALLY WAS LIKE “Oh this character looks cute” BAM HE’S GARBAGE A LITERAL VILLAIN

Me: WHY AM I LIKE THIS

Mekakucity Actors - 2

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - 1

Mod Hina: Never forget this dance, and all the failed attempts to cover it.

Mirai Nikki - 1

Mod Hina: Yuki Yuki Yuki~ 

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid - 2

Mob Psycho 100 - 2

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 - 1

Monogatari Series - 3

Mod Hina: The toothbrush scene traumatized me for a while.

Monster - 1

Mod Hina: I have a friend who absolutely adores this anime/manga and highly recommended it to me. I’m lazy so I haven’t gotten around to reading it. It’s been 3 years.

Mouretsu Pirates - 1

Nagi no Asukara - 1

Nanbaka - 2

Naruto - 2

Natsume Yuujinchou - 3

Neon Genesis Evangelion - 4

Mod Hina: I watched 3 episodes of the original anime and then I never finished it but congratulations.

New Game! - 2

Nichijou - 2

No Game No Life - 1

One Piece - 2

Oregairu - 1

Osomatsu-san - 2

Ouran High School Host Club - 1

Mod Hina: CLASSIC. KISS KISS FALL IN LOVE.

Panty & Stocking w/ Garterbelt - 1

Mod Hina: PSG had such? Good? Songs? I used to play L4D/L4D2 a lot and replaced the Tank theme song with Fly Away, lmao.

I loved the art style too. I really loved this anime, and I’d recommend it (although it’s definitely really raunchy so I wouldn’t recommend minors watch it as much).

One of my dreams is still to own the PSG Galaxxxy figures haha.

Parasyte -  1

Pingu in the City - 1

Pokemon - 1

Princess Tutu - 3

Mod Hina: Good Taste™

Prison School - 1

Mod Hina: PZ IS THIS YOU STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME READ/WATCH THIS

PMMM - 13

Mod Hina: The winner by far!

Personal opinion: A bit overrated. Background character animation was the funniest thing ever.

Psycho Pass - 1

RahXephon - 1

Ranma 1/2 - 1

Re:Zero - 3

Revolutionary Girl Utena - 4

RWBY - 1

Sailor Moon - 4

Mod Hina: Classic. Remake art style disappointed me and slightly creeped me out at the same time.

Saki - 1

Sakamichi no Apollo - 1

Selector Infected Wixoss - 1

Seraph of the End - 1

Serial Experiments Lain - 1

Shinsekai Yori - 1

Shirobako - 3

Shokugeki no Soma - 3

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu - 1

Soul Eater - 1

Steins;Gate - 3

Mod Hina: A similar story to Monster. A friend in high school recommended me this... It’s been 7 years.. Still never watched it.

Sword Art Online - 4

Symphogear - 3

Tiger & Bunny - 1

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun - 3

Toaru Majustu no Index - 2

Tokyo Ghoul - 3

Tokyo Ravens - 1

Toradora - 1

Touhou - 1

Mod Hina: I was not aware that Touhou had anime until this point in my life.

Working - 1

Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e - 1

Your Lie in April - 1

Yu-Gi-Oh Series - 1

Yuri!!! On Ice - 3

Yuri Kuma Arashi - 1

Yuru Yuri - 2

Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru - 3

Zatch Bell - 1

Mod Hina: I.. really liked Zatch Bell when I was younger.. I should finish it. (I’ll never finish it.)

Zetsuen no Tempest - 1

Do you read other idol manga?

No - 83% (122 votes)

Yes - 17% (25 votes)

Do you read other non-idol manga?

Yes - 70.1% (103 votes)

No - 29.9% (44 votes)

Idol Manga List

AKB49: Renai Kinshi Jourei - 2

Ensemble Stars! - 2

IM@S Mana - 1

Love Live - 6

Yumeiro Cast - 1

Uta no Prince Sama - 1

Non-Idol Manga List

Mod Hina: I’m a heavy manga reader, so I’ve at least pursued probably 75% of this list... /sweats

Mushishi’s not on this list at all which makes me a little sad but if you’re into really well drawn manga about supernatural fantasy I’d give it a read! It’s mostly episodic and slowly reveals more info about the enigmatic protagonist over the length of the series. It’s really really good.

07 Ghost - 1

Aizawa-san Multiplies - 1

Ajin - 1

Aku no Hana - 2

Akuma No Riddle - 1

Ancient Magus' Bride - 1

Anohana - 1

Ao Haru Ride - 2

Are You Alice? - 1

Mod Hina: I’m surprised to find someone else who’s even heard of this manga! I was close to finishing it but I never got around to it..

Assassination Classroom - 1

Attack on Titan - 1

Azumanga Daioh - 1

Beloved - 1

Berserk - 2

Bleach - 2

Mod Hina: I’ll admit, I didn’t read much of the manga.. But I did skim the last 40 or so chapters after I heard it was ending.

Bloom into You - 1

Boku no Hero Academia - 10

Mod Hina: I’m really into BNHA right now! One of the manga I keep up with on a weekly basis.

Overhaul is.. my favorite.. So is Dabi.. It’s me, Trash Lover Supreme.

Bokurano - 1

Bright and Cheery Amnesia - 2

Bungou Stray Dogs - 4

Mod Hina: I also love BSD?

Canis - 1

Citrus - 3

D.Gray-Man - 2

Death Note - 3

Mod Hina: CLASSIC. This is like one of the first manga that I finished completely. I read it all in middle school too.. My weeb phase...

Don’t talk to me about the Netflix movie.

Doraemon - 1

Dorohedoro - 1

Doukyuusei - 1

Dragonhead - 1

Fairy Tail - 3

Fate series - 1

Franken Fran - 1

Fruits Basket - 1

Mod Hina: Ah. Like Death Note, I also read Fruits Basket in middle school. This is such a nostalgia bomb for me because Fruits Basket was my first manga, iirc.

Fruits Basket actually introduced me to the idea of online scanlation groups too. I couldn’t find the last few volumes in any libraries around me, nor in any bookstores. So I resorted to downloading them online after finding out about the translations.

Fullmetal Alchemist - 1

Mod Hina: Fullmetal Alchemist is one of my all-time favorite manga and I’m very sad that it only got 1 nomination out of all of the nominations.

FMA is very poignant and deals a lot with the consequences and reality of war. It’s very good and it’s very amazing. Please read it if you can.

It’s a longer series and while I did start reading this one in middle school, unlike the others, I took longer to finish reading this. I think I finished sometime in high school.

I think this manga still holds up to the test of time, as well.

If you’re more of an anime person, the anime is really good too! I’d recommend watching the original FMA first, and then FMA:B because of the fact that FMA:B’s beginning is rushed, because it assumes that you’ve either read the manga or watched the original FMA.

The original FMA deviates from the manga canon, which is where FMA:B was made to fix that.

Please appreciate Greedling he is my favorite character of all time.

Fuuka - 2

Gakuen Babysitters - 1

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun - 4

Mod Hina: A good, wholesome manga! I love GSNK too and it’s hilarious.

GIRLS und PANZER - Ribbon no Musha - 1

Golden Kamui - 1

Haikyuu!! - 4

Mod Hina: Another weekly read for me! I love everyone in Haikyuu so much? What a good cast, and what good character development. Even the less significant characters get a chapter or two dedicated to their character arc.

Heart on Kuni no Alice - 1

Helck - 1

Hetalia - 1

HIKARU NO GO - 1

Hinamatsuri - 1

Hirunaka no Ryuusei - 2

Horimiya - 4

Houseki no Kuni - 1

Hunter x Hunter - 2

Iris Zero - 1

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - 7

Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen - 1

Kakegurui - 2

Mod Hina: I picked this up recently, but I’ve fallen behind. I really like the idea of mind games and gambling.

Kasane - 1

Katekyo Hitman Reborn - 1

Mod Hina: As mentioned before... I was a huge KHR fangirl back in the day... My heart still beats for Gokudera... tsundere-ass bomber boy.

Kimi no Na Wa - 1

Kimi to Boku - 1

King Bowling! - 1

Kingdom - 1

Kitchen Princess - 1

Koe no Katachi - 1

Mod Hina: I highly recommend this manga.

Another moment where I’m sad that this didn’t get that many recommendations.

It’s very realistic. Like, you’ll end up hating some characters, but that’s because they’re written to be realistic. There are people who did something wrong, who have character flaws, who know that they’re flawed, and some of them will try to change themselves, while others will disregard it because their life is fine, like in real life.

Overall the story is extremely poignant and touching. The ending is open-ended, which some people might not like, but I really enjoyed this because it’s so well written. It reflects real life, in my opinion.

Kuroshitsuji - 2

Kuzumi-kun, Kuuki Yometemasu ka? - 1

Liar Game - 1

Mod Hina: I started reading this manga years ago. At some point, the group translating it dropped the manga so there was a one year gap before anyone picked it back up, I think.

I need to finish this because I stopped at the gap, but I haven’t read it in years so I’ve forgotten what happened. My plan is to reread the whole thing, but it’s quite long so I don’t know when I’ll get around to that.

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid - 1

Nanbaka - 1

Naruto - 4

Mod Hina: I.. actually own a few volumes of Naruto. Like the Rock Lee vs Gaara fight is in one of the volumes I own.

Nichijou - 2

Nijiiro Days - 1

Nogi Wakaba wa Yuusha de Aru - 1

Noragami - 2

One Punch Man - 4

Mod Hina: I tried reading the original web comic for this a while ago and the art style made me laugh, I’m sorry. I started reading the manga instead.

Orange - 1

Ore Monogatari - 1

Otome Youkai Zakuro - 1

Oyasumi Punpun - 1

Pandora Hearts - 1

Mod Hina: I stopped reading this literally five chapters before it finished. I should read those chapters.

Peach Boy Riverside - 1

Pokemon - 1

Prison School - 1

Mod Hina: Whoever you are, you remind me of my friend who reads this...

The Promised Neverland - 1

Mod Hina: Also on my weekly read list! I really enjoy all the plot twists.

PMMM series - 1

Mod Hina: I was big into PMMM a few years back and I binge read all the related manga.

Railgun - 1

ReLife - 3

Rosario + Vampire II - 1

Rouroni Kenshin - 1

Sailor Moon - 1

Sakamichi no Apollo - 1

Shokugeki no Soma - 5

Mod Hina: Another weekly read for me. I mostly just like the art of food. The plot is kind of weak to me, and I legitimately got mad at the plot armor for one of the main protagonists once, haha.

Shuuen no Shiori - 2

Mod Hina: I’ve read a bit of this! I don’t think a lot of it is translated so I haven’t read beyond that.

Slam Dunk - 1

Soul Eater - 1

Sword Art Online - 1

Taiyou no Ie - 1

Tamen de Gushi - 1

Tenkuu Shinpan - 1

The World God Only Knows - 1

To Love Ru - 1

Tokyo Babylon - 1

Tokyo Ghoul - 4

Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko - 1

Tsubasa Chronicles - 1

Tsurezure Children - 2

Uzumaki - 1

Mod Hina: WHO ARE YOU? WE ARE BEST FRIENDS NOW. SORRY ELLIE.

I love Junji Ito a lot? He’s amazing and I’ve read all the works I can find from him that are translated..

Except Gyo. I have this abject rejection of Gyo for some reason.

I absolutely love the beginning of Uzumaki, although the end gets kind of weird for me.

Vanitas no Carte - 2

We Can't Study - 1

Yagate Kimi ni Naru - 1

Yotsuba - 1

Mod Hina: Yotsuba is also really big nostaglia for me. I never “finished” it (aka caught up since it’s still publishing) but I did start reading it in middle school. It’s one of the first manga I read and it really throws me back to my tweenage days.

Yu Yu Hakusho - 1

Do you read Bandori translations?

Yes - 92.5% (136 votes)

No - 7.5% (11 votes)

If you read translations, which ones do you read?

1koma/4koma - 124 people

Event Stories - 104 people

Conversations - 103 people

Band Stories - 97 people

Character Lines - 78 people

Card Stories - 73 people

Song Lyrics - 70 people

Main Story - 69 people

Manga - 39 people

None - 8 people

How much do you read translations?

38.8% - I read only ones that I'm interested in.

29.9% - I read most of them.

18.4% - I read the occasional translation.

8.8% - I read all of them!

4.1% - I don’t read them.

Do you follow the official Bandori accounts?

YouTube - 96 people

Game Twitter - 94 people

Info Twitter - 79 people

Facebook - 11 people

Websites - 19 people

None - 23 people

If you follow the official accounts, how often do you check them?

Every few days. - 29.3% (43 people)

Daily. - 20.4% (30 people)

I don’t follow them. - 16.3% (24 people)

I rarely check them. - 13.6% (20 people)

Once a week. - 12.9% (19 people)

Multiple times per day. - 4.8% (7 people)

Once a month. - 2% (3 people)

Do you follow unofficial Bandori social media?

Tumblr (@bangdreaming) - 132 people

Bandori.party - 92 people

Twitter (@bandori_updates) - 88 people

Reddit (/r/bangdream) - 71 people

Instagram (@hanasakigawa) - 30 people

Facebook - 14 people

I don’t follow any. - 4 people

If you follow the unofficial accounts, how often do you check them?

Daily. - 35.4% (52 people)

Every few days. - 30.6% (45 people)

Multiple times per day. - 16.3% (24 people)

Once a week. - 8.8% (13 people)

I rarely check them. - 6.1% (9 people)

I don't follow them. - 1.4% (2 people)

I never check them. - 0.7% (1 person)

Once a month. - 0.7% (1 person)

As always, thanks again for voting!

[hempoilfrog1]

31 Surprising Hobbies That Make You Money

Most people do not really enjoy their jobs. They probably just do it because they needed the money to pay their bills. While some people are fortunate to land a job they love, others would rather spend time on their hobbies than their job. But, hey! Your hobbies can also pay for your bills! It may seem far-fetched, but there are actually several hobbies to make some extra money from the thinks that you really like!

Read More:

31 Surprising Hobbies That Make You Money

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Tips Fоr Instant Anxіеtу Relief That Can Help

1) Baking/Cooking

Do you love cooking? Then, let others have a taste of your specialties. There are many ways you can go about this.

You can start cooking and sell them to your neighbors.

You can start a blog sharing recipes with readers. You can monetize via ad placements or creating e-book recipes selling them at $10 – $20.

Shoot short videos showing viewers how to cook meals and baking goods.

2) Cbd Oil (Trending Now)

Cannabidiol, or more commonly referred to as CBD, is arguably the hottest commodity in the present time across the global market.

Forbes Magazine has stated that the CBD market will become the next billion-dollar industry, growing by more than 700% and just the next couple of years. The Cannabis industry is projected to be at 50 billion by 2026.

When we first introduced our TOTALLY FREE Business Opportunity that allows anyone to get paid for sharing our amazing products with others, some people thought we were crazy. But so many people loved it and took advantage of it that we KNEW we were on to something great.

Then as more people discovered our hybrid four-part pay plans with copyrighted profit-sharing positions, that can literally multiply your income from the same sells volume, the word started to spread, “There is something totally different going on at CTFO.” And with our new line of CBD products, there’s never been a simpler or more powerful way to create a lifetime of residual income.

IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREE.

3) Answer Online Surveys

Do you like sharing your opinions or thoughts? Why not join companies such as SurveyJunkie, InboxDollars or SwagBucks and answering surveys for money? They take only a few minutes to complete and you can do them during your office break. Most companies pay points that are redeemable for free gifts, but others can send you cash through PayPal.

Our Nr1 Recommendation:

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4) Photography

If you have the talent to take wonderful and professional portraits of people or your surroundings, then you’re in business. Most websites will be more than happy to get your pictures, selling them on your behalf. Some of the best ones include iStockphoto, Shutterstock, BigStock Photo, Fotopia, and 123rf.

5) Writing

Do you have your way with words? Then it is time to turn that hobby into a side hustle and start asking money from the comforts of your own home. Freelance writing is probably one of the best hobbies that make a huge amount of money this year. Taking clients from websites like Freelancer or Upwork and start writing blogs, e-books, or sales copy. Fiverr is a great place to get started as a freelance writer. Sign Up For Free Here

6) Drive People Around

If you like driving, then you can drive people around town and get paid. Lyft and Uber are some of the companies that can pay you to drive whenever you have free time and earn at least $15 – $25 an hour.

7) Shop For Other People

Shopaholic?

Well, believe it or not, there are certain groups of people like the busy working professionals and homebound senior citizens that hire people to buy their groceries, clothes and other shopping needs, like buying birthday gifts or planning for a party. This simply puts a whole new meaning on “shopping until you drop.”

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8) Dropshipping

If you have the skill to sell products or services effectively but simply can’t handle logistics, shipping, inventory management, and delivery, then you can benefit the most with dropshipping. You will be the middleman, helping the manufacturer sell their products, minus all the hassle and you still get your cut. Sounds great? DropshippingMart is one of the best websites to try.

9) Proofread Documents

If you have this knack of correcting things, especially documents, then earn up to $36,000 just by proofreading documents from home. There is a high demand for proofreading skills since businesses and bloggers want the perfect, error-free content for their blogs while students want their essays to look just nice. Fiverr is a great place to get started as a proofreader. Sign Up For Free Here

10) Play or Sing at Events

If you are blessed with a natural talent for singing or playing an instrument, then you can use that to make money. You can try playing musical instruments or singing at events like weddings or birthdays. You can even use your musical talents at other local events such as banquets, fundraisers or parties. Those garage band dreams that you had in high school can finally become your reality while also learning some nice money.

11) Reselling Digital Services

This is the process of buying digital services (SEO, social media management, web design) and then selling it to your own clients in order to gain profit. The internet has made it so easy for people to sell anything online, especially digital services. ResellerSiteHub is a nice site that trades in Social Media Services, SEO, Virtual Assistant, and Video Production. You can easily make $2,000 – $10,000 a month with 1 sale a day. Check it out and start your own Reseller Business Today

12) Be a Handyman

Can you fix just about anything? Well, sites like TaskRabbit can allow you to put your skill to the test as you work you help people with repairs and other house projects. Most of the tasks are one-time needs like painting a room, loading a moving truck or fixing a kitchen cabinet.

13) Create Courses

If you love teaching and helping others, then you can work with online training courses from sites such as Lynda and Udemy. If you can create a course about playing the acoustic guitar, newest computer program, photography lesson, and then you will definitely get paid for it.

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14) Start a Blog

Probably one of the most awesome hobbies today, blogging not only gives you’re the extra income but also allows you to share ideas with the world. And while being a freelance writer means that you can’t choose what you write, having your own blog means that you can write about topics that interest you. And it does not matter what topic you choose, if there’s a market for it, it’ll be profitable.

15) Sell Fresh Produce

If you have a green thumb and grows a rich garden, then you can sell your bounty of veggies and fruits at your local market. You can also invite people to visit your garden so they can get a good look at your produce source firsthand. And if you can grow flowers, plants, and trees, then you can sell these to your local markets or post on Craigslist. Some people like to look for affordable flowers, trees, and shrubs to decorate their yards.

16) Tutor

If you are academically smart, how about tutoring a high school, elementary or even a college student? Depending on your expertise, hourly rates can be $15 per hour up to $75 an hour. You can search for local advertisements or join online sites such as Tutor.com Chegg and StudyPool to connect with local students.

17) Traveling

This is probably one of the most amazing hobbies ever! Who doesn’t like to go out and see the world? So how can you make money while traveling? Well, certain travel agencies and companies are willing to offer free tours or even allow you to stay at resorts for free in exchange for reviews. You will need to tell them about your experience. However, you will need to have a blog in order to get these sponsored trips.

18) Graphic Design

Probably more of professional skill, but still, if you have the eyes for good designs, then web or graphic design is a pretty high demand skill these days. Authors, bloggers, and online entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for people to create their business cards, logos, websites, and e-book covers. A nice place to start would be 99Designs but you can also try Upwork or Fiverr.com. Fiverr is a great place to get started as a graphic designer. Sign Up For Free Here

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19) Pet-sitting

For animal lovers, you can make money while enjoying the company of various pets. You can earn money by walking the pets of other people or even pet-sitting them when their owners are not around. As a matter of fact, some people earn a 6-figure income by becoming a professional dog walker in the bigger cities. You can start by asking your neighbors or post your services on dog walking service sites, local boards or Care.com.

20) Teach English or Other Language

Magic Ears and VIPKid are the two best teaching websites that hire teachers for virtual teaching. You can earn up to $24 an hour, depending on the company you work for. There are tutoring agencies that hire teachers to teach a new language to kids.

21) Gaming

If you have some experience with developing awesome games that people love, then you can upload them on YouTube or Google Play then monetize using ads. Every time someone clicks on your ads, you will get a commission. The amount can go from a few cents to a few dollars. Although it does not seem that much, if you have the patience, the money will start coming in and in huge amounts.

22) Making Crafts

Crafting is something that has been here for a while now. And if you are gifted in creating nice artwork, jewelry or other handmade goods, then you can easily turn it into a side hustle. Etsy is the most popular site for selling handcrafted materials with ease.

23) Socializing

If you like sharing your ideas and thoughts on social media and have an audience, then you can earn money this way. Social networks suitable for this include Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. All you need to do is to find a topic of interest, regularly post and catch your audience’s attention.

Once there’s trust, you can start posting services or products that your audiences are interested in buying. And every time that someone clicks on the link and buy, you’ll make a commission. Some of the best websites to check for this include Global Influence Network, Pollinate, Social Fabric, MassiveWay, Tomson, BlogDash and Social Spark.

24) Create a YouTube Channel

If you have a habit of shooting yourself as you do your hobby, why not create a YouTube Channel and share it with the world? It does not matter what kind of videos they are, as long as they are good an interesting, you can attract a good following and you can surely make some money. Post your videos to connect with your viewers and apply for AdSense. Every time someone clicks on your ads, you should gain a commission.

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25) Be a Personal Trainer

If you are a fitness buff, then you can start making some money and be a personal trainer. Gyms from all over the world have personal trainers and because there’s a high turnover, they are usually looking for more. Take note, however, that you will need to get some certifications. Another way you can earn money with your fitness passion is to share knowledge on the best workouts and training to follow via blogs or videos.

26) Refereeing

Were you a jock in college or high school but have not been able to find an outlet for it after that? Well, try being a referee. There are recreation leagues and schools always on the hunt for any qualified referees. It may not be anything like getting back on your old sports team, but it is a chance to take your favorite sport back and turn it into a money-making gig.

27) Surfing the Internet

Who does not surf the internet for a day? And for Internet addicts, wouldn’t it be amazing to make money from it? There are various companies that will pay you to surf the internet. For instance, Swagbucks members can make money by using it as their search engine. MobileXpression and Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel will you to share your browsing data

28) Lawn Care and Landscaping

If you love landscaping and the great outdoors, then you can turn your hobby into a money-making gig. Some services can be as simple as mowing to projects that require some experience like building a deck. In order to get you started, you can just talk to people you know or ask your neighbors. You can also post an ad on Craigslist while sites like LawnGuru and GreenPal can help you find clients.

29) Sewing

A talent that becomes increasingly less common today, sewing is a nice hobby that still makes money. For sewing hobby, you can offer repairs and alterations, create and sell home decors, create customer clothes for your clients and even teach sewing classes.

30) Decorating

If you have a good eye and have a knack on decorating and designing, then there are few ways you can turn it into money. Being an interior designer, you can be involved with all kinds of projects including residential and commercial. You can also create and sell your own home décor items. In addition, you can start a podcast, blog or even a YouTube channel on the latest home décor trends and tips.

31) Beauty and Fashion

If you are a fashionista or a beauty artist, then you can start a side hustle working as a stylist, makeup artist, or a fashion consultant. You can even create and sell your own clothing line or products— it can be hand-made or start a private label brand and find a manufacturer to create the products for you.

Read More:

How You Can Make Money Online With CTFO CBD Oil Business

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The post 31 Surprising Hobbies That Make You Money appeared first on Sell CBD Oils.

from https://hempoilfrog.com/hobbies-that-make-you-money/

[sujaykworld]

Indian Railways is linking its trains to associate degree ISRO satellite. How will it use 1.4 crore daily updates? https://ift.tt/2VJxCVw

Indian Railways is linking its trains to associate degree ISRO satellite. How will it use 1.4 crore daily updates?

It is 2.58 pm on Monday. An Indian Railways (IR) controller, Kapil Dev, is that specialize in one train — No. 22430, Pathankot-Delhi Superfast specific, that has simply departed from Karnal station in Haryana. The next 0.5 hour is essential for Dev, settled in New Delhi’s room, as well as a group of track maintainers waiting on the outskirts of Panipat Junction. By the time the train reaches pitched battle, it'll have run past four lesser-known stations — Bazida Jatan, Gharaunda, Kohand, and Babarpur. The track maintainers have asked for what’s known as a block in railways jargon, which suggests no different train can run thereon stretch whereas the block is implemented for repair. At the room, Dev incorporates a fast telecom voice communication with the pitched battle station master while he takes an in-depth cross-check his color-coded dashboard showing the movement of trains — freight, passenger, specific — before granting a 15-minute block close to a pitched battle. For Dev & his fellow controllers taking impromptu and sensitive choices on train movements in 305 section controls unfold across Asian country, what has emerged as a gamechanger is that the Indian Space Research Organisation’s GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that was initially developed for the Indian airspace. It currently relays train-running information — each location and speed — every thirty seconds, creating the system way more correct and economical. Dev, United Nations agency was a railway guard in Jind until he cleared a division examination and got promoted, is one amongst thirty-eight section controllers stationed in Delhi. In his own section, between Delhi and Ambala, he is fully empowered during his six-hour shift to halt a train or allow it to move forward on a priority basis, and even to grant a block for repair. The key distinction is that currently, a controller doesn't have to be compelled to manually feed information, which means he has more time to plan more effectively train movements, including halts. This has the potential to enhance promptness in IR. A controller, for example, can intervene if a train runs at 60 or 70 mph when the maximum permissible limit in that section is 100 km. Earlier, solely details of arrival, departure and running through stations were recorded. Half of IR’s 12,000-odd locomotives are now enabled with Real-time Train Information System (RTIS) that relays signal via GSAT satellites that have GAGAN payloads. The project has cost the IR Rs 120 crore since January. The entire network is anticipated to be coated during a year, say railway officers. ET Magazine has withheld the name of the particular satellite that's getting used by the IR because it is taken into account strategic, demanding confidentiality. This radical modification of track, embracing satellite technology, was first seen on the ground on January 8 when the IR rolled out RTIS in a few routes such as Mumbai-Katra, New Delhi-Patna, New Delhi-Amritsar, and Delhi-Jammu. Earlier, the ISRO had conducted a run in July-September 2017. The system being adopted works as follows: A locomotive is fitted with associate degree RTIS device, which has two units — one is kept in the engine and the other placed on top. SIMs (subscriber identification modules) of 2 mobile operators — Airtel and Vodafone — area unit placed in it. However, thanks to the use of an obsessive satellite, pursuit train movements are feasible even in areas wherever there's poor or no mobile property. The RTIS device uses GAGAN to transmit signals. The satellite then relays knowledge initially to the management hubs, that finally reaches the railway inquiry system. Both passengers and freight customers receive additional correct data on train standing once the train involved is connected to a locomotive equipped with RTIS. “Apart from knowing the precise location and speed of a train, this ISRO-aided system will help us in future planning. In case of a disaster, the driver can directly communicate with the control room by just pressing a button,” says Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav. ET Magazine boarded a locomotive fitted with the new system and conjointly spent quarter-hour in Delhi’s room to piece along this story on however this method is being put to practice. Loco pilot Surendra Kumar, who was introduced to the new system only a couple of months ago, explains how it functions. “Before the journey begins, I need to key in my user name, password, train number and date. The system gets activated and keeps relaying data to the section management. Multiple emergency messages, for example, running over cattle, can be relayed to the control room,” he says. Kumar and assistant haywire pilot Navdeep Kumar were on duty at the capital of India terminal early in the week once this author met them. Significantly, as the location and speed are relayed every 30 seconds, the IR can easily locate its trains between stations as well. Further, special stoppages are detected and interventions created. It conjointly permits haywire pilots to send emergency messages to the room. This is vital as drivers are strictly not allowed to use their mobile phones for reasons of safety. Now, the motive force merely has to push one in all the six buttons on the new device to alert the room and apprise it of the character of the fault — coach-, track- or engine-related, or running over an animal. While the immediate gains of the satellite-enabled relaying of knowledge ar visible, the system will turn out to be far more productive if the IR finds multiple ways to analyze and use the thumping volume of knowledge that it receives daily, for its future coming up with. The correlating of this new knowledge with the data on tracks and topography that the IR already has might open new windows on analysis and development. According to Mukesh Nigam, managing director of CRIS (Centre for Railway Information System), an IR arm that is the custodian of such data, there are 14 million daily updates at present, up from a mere 0.5 1,000,000 before Gregorian calendar month eight. Once all twelve,000 locomotives are equipped with the system during a year, the volume of data is expected to rise to 30 million daily updates, he adds. Can the system in its final avatar forecast for the motive force the eventualities that might happen on the track? “Yes, there's potential to administer forecasts to drivers once trains approach a neutral section (no-electricity zone) so drivers will lower the mechanical device (equipment mounted on the roof of an electric train). We are still working on this,” says Nigam. The only concern is, what if the 30 million daily updates become too voluminous to handle and remain mere statistics? Controllers will currently arrange train movements better: Mukesh Nigam, MD, Centre for Railway Information Systems Mukesh Nigam, managing director of the Centre for Railway Information Systems, the IR arm that is anchoring the project linking locomotives to a GSAT satellite, tells ET how this makes manual plotting of train movements redundant and improves timing. Edited excerpts: How is that the satellite-enabled real-time train system completely different from the one utilized in the past? We are currently creating the use of associate ISRO satellites. The ISRO has given the U.S.A. an information measure for our locomotives to transmit knowledge every thirty seconds. Our knowledge center receives the GPS/GAGAN updates from the devices placed on locomotives, and management rooms across the Indian Railways network receive the updates. The system works even in remote areas wherever the mobile property is incredibly poor or cipher. How has its progress been when the system was initially extended in January? We have thus far placed the system on half a dozen,000 locomotives. By the top of this month, it will be installed on another 300-400 locomotives. We expect all locomotives (about twelve,000) to be covered by the scheme in a year. How will the railways benefit from this system? First of all, we tend to are currently obtaining additional correct data on the placement of trains, as updates come back every thirty seconds. Both our passengers and freight customers are benefitting from it. Second, it's terribly useful for section controllers (those dominant the movement of trains period over the phone with station masters). Let us not forget that the degree of railway traffic in many sections has considerably gone up. So, the plotting of trains manually has become terribly troublesome. Here, charting takes place mechanically, which implies, the controller does not need to use her hand to plot the movement of a train on the chart. So, the controller can now concentrate more on her real task, which is planning the movement of a train. Can this method facilitate the railways in semipermanent strategic planning? The volume of knowledge that has started returning in is big. Earlier, we tend to wont to receive five hundred,000 updates daily — on arrivals, departures and running through stations. Now we receive mid-section updates every 30 seconds. That is why the daily updates are currently concerning one.4 crore. When we cowl the complete fleet, the information on train running can increase to concerning three large integers daily.

https://ift.tt/35xZmkk

[thejollyshiner]

Meme Anime Ask Pt. 2 of 4

@stacys--mum asked me to answer 12, 16, and 30.

Due to my past experience of learning to answer these I will answer them in this order

Pt.1 - 12.  Anime that should get more attention from others?

Pt.2 - 16. 10 animes you have watched to recommend? (alphabetically/1-5)

Pt.3 - 16. 10 animes you have watched to recommend? (alphabetically/6-10)

Pt.4 - 30. One anime conclusion you would change?

Also a quick mention to anyone of what not to do when writing an extensive post since this is now my fifth attempt.

1. Always stick with one network or wi-fi when completing these, otherwise when you connect to a new wi-fi theres a good chance of losing everything you wrote.

2. Don’t ever write on a train even if they promise some sort of wi-fi especially on a moving train. Since your computer is just going to run pretty slow to the point of your computer thinking you had decided to send the answer on private, instead of choosing your gif.

3. Always be cautious where you are leaning your body on the overly sensitive touchpad especially when your unaware of it, while enjoying someones company.

4. Don’t ever try to attempt to make a long post and expect your laptop to still run fast. I learned this the hard way being half way done with this ask only for my computer to stay frozen for over two hours. only to give up hope that my computer can work while still answering this ask, so I decided to restart my laptop and loose everything.

Knowing these are all of the things I’ve learned I encourage everyone to not be me lol.

So, fifth times the charm...I guess.

16.  10 animes you have watched to recommend (alphabetically/ 1-5)

These answers will just focus on plot, background, and genres.

1.Barakamon

Plot: Seishuu Handa is an up-and-coming calligrapher: young, handsome, talented, and unfortunately, a narcissist to boot. When a veteran labels his award-winning piece as "unoriginal," Seishuu quickly loses his cool with severe repercussions. As punishment, and also in order to aid him in self-reflection, Seishuu's father exiles him to the Goto Islands, far from the comfortable Tokyo lifestyle the temperamental artist is used to. Now thrown into a rural setting, Seishuu must attempt to find new inspiration and develop his own unique art style—that is, if boisterous children (headed by the frisky Naru Kotoishi), fujoshi middle schoolers, and energetic old men stop barging into his house! The newest addition to the intimate and quirky Goto community only wants to get some work done, but the islands are far from the peaceful countryside he signed up for. Thanks to his wacky neighbors who are entirely incapable of minding their own business, the arrogant calligrapher learns so much more than he ever hoped to.

Background: The anime originally premiered in summer 2014 with 12 episodes, which adapted chapters from the first five volumes. The manga itself is still ongoing, with twelve compiled volumes so far.

Genres: Comedy and Slice of Life

2. Chihayafuru

Plot: Chihaya Ayase, a strong-willed and tomboyish girl, grows up under the shadow of her older sister. With no dreams of her own, she is contented with her share in life till she meets Arata Wataya. The quiet transfer student in her elementary class introduces her to competitive karuta, a physically and mentally demanding card game inspired by the classic Japanese anthology of Hundred Poets. Captivated by Arata's passion for the game and inspired by the possibility of becoming the best in Japan, Chihaya quickly falls in love with the world of karuta. Along with the prodigy Arata and her haughty but hard-working friend Taichi Mashima, she joins the local Shiranami Society. The trio spends their idyllic childhood days playing together, until circumstances split them up. Now in high school, Chihaya has grown into a karuta freak. She aims to establish the Municipal Mizusawa High Competitive Karuta Club, setting her sights on the national championship at Omi Jingu. Reunited with the now indifferent Taichi, Chihaya's dream of establishing a karuta team is only one step away from becoming true: she must bring together members with a passion for the game that matches her own.

Background: Chihayafuru is the anime adaptation of the manga with the same name written and illustrated by Yuki Suetsugu and serialised in the magazine Be Love. The anime had two live action film adaptations, both released in 2016. The manga won the second Manga Taishou award, and the 35th Kodansha Manga Award in the shoujo category. Chihayafuru has become so popular that it boosted interest in competitive karuta. The manga has sold over 4.5 million copies and has been praised for combining elements of sports and literature. The anime premiered in fall 2011 with 25 episodes.

Genres: Game, Slice of Life, Sports, Drama, Josei

3. Cowboy Bebop

Plot: In the year 2071, humanity has colonized several of the planets and moons of the solar system leaving the now uninhabitable surface of planet Earth behind. The Inter Solar System Police attempts to keep peace in the galaxy, aided in part by outlaw bounty hunters, referred to as "Cowboys." The ragtag team aboard the spaceship Bebop are two such individuals. Mellow and carefree Spike Spiegel is balanced by his boisterous, pragmatic partner Jet Black as the pair makes a living chasing bounties and collecting rewards. Thrown off course by the addition of new members that they meet in their travels—Ein, a genetically engineered, highly intelligent Welsh Corgi; femme fatale Faye Valentine, an enigmatic trickster with memory loss; and the strange computer whiz kid Edward Wong—the crew embarks on thrilling adventures that unravel each member's dark and mysterious past little by little.

Background: When Cowboy Bebop first aired in spring of 1998 on TV Tokyo, only episodes 2, 3, 7-15, and 18 were broadcast, it was concluded with a recap special known as Yose Atsume Blues. This was due to anime censorship having increased following the big controversies over Evangelion, as a result most of the series was pulled from the air due to violent content. Satellite channel WOWOW picked up the series in the fall of that year and aired it in its entirety uncensored. Cowboy Bebop was not a ratings hit in Japan, but sold over 19,000 DVD units in the initial release run, and 81,000 overall. Protagonist Spike Spiegel won Best Male Character, and Megumi Hayashibara won Best Voice Actor for her role as Faye Valentine in the 1999 and 2000 Anime Grand Prix, respectively. Cowboy Bebop's biggest influence has been in the United States, where it premiered on Adult Swim in 2001 with many reruns since. The show's heavy Western influence struck a chord with American viewers, where it became a "gateway drug" to anime aimed at adult audiences.

Another signature trait of Cowboy Bebop is its music: Yoko Kanno composed a soundtrack made up of almost entirely of jazz music. Some of her work on this show even defies categorization. She and her band, The Seatbelts, improvised some tracks to finished footage at the moment of recording. Bebop's soundtrack exists not as a mere afterthought, but as the backbone to nearly everything else about the series; numerous scenes with no dialogue entirely and rely on music to carry the experience.

As the tagline suggests, Bebop frequently evokes both western and film noir, hough the single biggest influence on the look and feel of the series comes from 80s and early 90s heroic bloodshed action movies directed by Johnny Woo. Lupin III also serves as a visible influence, as the main trio comes off like a futuristic version of Lupin, Jigen, and Fujiko. Underneath the sci-fi and action flick surface lies an overall plot line influenced mainly by the most Japanese of all Japanese cinema, the Yakuza picture — a relatively unknown genre in the West.

Cowboy bebop originally aired spring 1998 with 26 episodes.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi, Space

4. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Plot: "In order for something to be obtained, something of equal value must be lost." Alchemy is bound by this Law of Equivalent Exchange—something the young brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric only realize after attempting human transmutation: the one forbidden act of alchemy. They pay a terrible price for their transgression—Edward loses his left leg, Alphonse his physical body. It is only by the desperate sacrifice of Edward's right arm that he is able to affix Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Devastated and alone, it is the hope that they would both eventually return to their original bodies that gives Edward the inspiration to obtain metal limbs called "automail" and become a state alchemist, the Fullmetal Alchemist. Three years of searching later, the brothers seek the Philosopher's Stone, a mythical relic that allows an alchemist to overcome the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Even with military allies Colonel Roy Mustang, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, and Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes on their side, the brothers find themselves caught up in a nationwide conspiracy that leads them not only to the true nature of the elusive Philosopher's Stone, but their country's murky history as well. In between finding a serial killer and racing against time, Edward and Alphonse must ask themselves if what they are doing will make them human again... or take away their humanity.

Background: In 2003, the manga was very loosely adapted into an anime series. While it followed the story at first, it quickly spun off into another direction, and ended up with an entirely different conclusion altogether. This was pretty much inevitable, since the manga was released in a monthly magazine; the weekly anime would have tons of filler to make sure it didn't overrun the story.

In 2009 — as the manga was nearing its end — a new anime series (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) was announced; it followed the manga's story much more faithfully (with nearly no filler) while skimming through material already covered in the 2003 series (so it could get to where the 2003 series went off-track). When it was released in the US, nearly the entire original cast of the 2003 series' dub reprised their parts, to boot. For anyone who wants to watch an accurate animated adaptation of the original manga, this is the series to watch.

The anime originally aired spring 2009 with 64 episodes.

Genre: Action, Military, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Magic, Fantasy, Shounen

5. Kekkai Sensen

Plot: Supersonic monkeys, vampires, talking fishmen, and all sorts of different supernatural monsters living alongside humans—this has been part of daily life in Hellsalem's Lot, formerly known as New York City, for some time now. When a gateway between Earth and the Beyond opened three years ago, New Yorkers and creatures from the other dimension alike were trapped in an impenetrable bubble and were forced to live together. Libra is a secret organization composed of eccentrics and superhumans, tasked with keeping order in the city and making sure that chaos doesn't spread to the rest of the world. Pursuing photography as a hobby, Leonardo Watch is living a normal life with his parents and sister. But when he obtains the "All-seeing Eyes of the Gods" at the expense of his sister's eyesight, he goes to Hellsalem's Lot in order to help her by finding answers about the mysterious powers he received. He soon runs into Libra, and when Leo unexpectedly joins their ranks, he gets more than what he bargained for. Kekkai Sensen follows Leo's misadventures in the strangest place on Earth with his equally strange comrades—as the ordinary boy unwittingly sees his life take a turn for the extraordinary.

Background: Originally this started out as a one-shot story called Barrier War (Kekkai Senso) released in 2008, the story taking place in a contemporary city with an emphasis on vampire hunting. Created by Yasuhiro Nightow, the creator of Trigun and Gungrave. An anime adaption by Studio BONES debuted in spring 2015 with 12 episodes.

After a long delay, its finale finally aired in October 2015. The anime was hugely popular in Japan, leading to the announcement of a second season set to air in 2017 and titled Kekkai Sensen & BEYOND a.k.a Blood Blockade Battlefront and Beyond.

Genres: Action, Super Power, Supernatural, Vampire, Fantasy, Shounen

Thanks for reading Part 2 hope it was an informative read be on the look out for parts 3 and 4 soon to come.

[tanukifucker91]

after i finished star road asuka i read the first 2 and a half volumes of the g manga

it’s really hard to say something quick and concise about it because at every turn i’m comparing it to the anime, but honestly i thought it was quite good. it’s hard to talk about it because while it's certainly different from the anime i’d still say the characters feel more similar to their anime counterparts compared to the cfv reboot/manga and the og anime. there's a few parts that are almost identical to scenes in the anime, and while i feel that the reboot and the og anime are tonally different the g manga kind of doesn’t feel that way at all.

the characters feel a lot more developed from the get go, which is one of those things i don't like at all but that you just gotta deal with because how much shorter a bi-monthly manga will be compared to an original anime series. there’s some scenes here and there though that i really liked, in terms of how chrono, tokoha and shion become friends... they’ve managed to include kumi a whole lot more too which is really great. especially how the friendship between chrono and tokoha is portrayed i like a whole lot, it feels like they’re more consciously trying to understand each other and be friends from the get-go which is quite heartwarming. chrono and shion instead have the rivalry between them played up a lot which i’m less... enthusiastic about because like... in the anime the way shion keeps comparing himself to chrono is literally something that gets in the way of their friendship. i get that shion in the manga is more mature so he can be more responsible about it or whatever i guess. i just think it’s a tired anime/manga trope that the anime did something interesting with so when the manga plays it straight it feels weird.

one thing that feels weird that i didn’t even realize until i sat down to write this is that shion and tokoha get a lot more introspection than chrono does. like, a lot more. where i am we still don’t know much about chrono at all. there’s a few throw away lines in the first chapter and as of volume 3 mikuru appears briefly and we know he lives w her but that's it. makes me wonder if his backstory is gonna be radically different or something... which’d make sense, honestly.

there’s the manga original antagonist, ayato riku. i quite like him actually. he’s funny. basically he feels like “shit guys we need some sort of rival or something but itou akira that slow-ass mf didn't finish the og manga yet so we can use ibuki and we can't have a whole regional tournament arc just to introduce kanzaki and them so uhhh what character can we throw together real quick” except they actually succeeded in making a pretty fun character. tbh idk where to start with him, but he’s funny but still intimidating enough and i like how he’s not a bad person perse but still clashes with the other characters and obstructs things just by being himself. he also stalks chrono and stuff (we couldn’t let go off that plotline now, could we) and lies to mikuru about them being friends and shows up at his school (unclear if he actually enrolled or not) and also they might live together now (i'm not sure how serious he was about that). he’s only been around for so long but i am honestly really curious what they’ll do with him.

the fights are p long and thoroughly covered, which is nice. the cards are old though, like old even when the chapters came out. there’s only like 2 original manga units that i can think of which is honestly way too little to switch things up. like they could have given riku his own gc cards but they didn’t, probs bc they were already getting more than enough support. the chapters end with these little deck info pages and it's cool that people can like, read the manga and then build those exact decks with cards that exist and can be bought at the time of the chapter’s release. in terms of the enjoyment of the manga itself though i think most ppl would agree w me that a mix of old and new cards is better.

anyway 4 manga tankobons have been released so far but only the first 3 are available on kindle so that kinda sucks since it feels like stuff is just about to get started. idk when vol 4 is gonna be available or when it even came out but buying physical copies is so annoying so i hope it’ll be available soon enough

[readingsanctuary]

This months haul is a little out of control. I knew it would possibly be higher than normal because I always buy books while I’m on holiday, but this time it’s worse because I started panic buying books to take with me, because it felt like a good way to fix my reading slump. It only sort of worked, in that I managed to read a few graphic novels. I didn’t do so well with full length books.

Giant Days – volumes 2 & 3

Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of handwringing boys, “personal experimentation,” influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of “academia,” they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird.

I’ve been kicking myself for only buying the first volume for months, so when I finally had the chance, I picked up these from one of my favourite indie comic book stores. I’ve already read both of these and I really enjoyed them. I love the episodic, slice of life format, and the humour that works really well with the fun art style.

The Backstagers – volume 1

All the world’s a stage . . . but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic literally! 

When Jory transfers to an all-boys private high school, he’s taken in by the only ones who don’t treat him like a new kid, the lowly stage crew known as the Backstagers. Not only does he gain great, lifetime friends, Jory is also introduced to an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain. With the unpredictable twists and turns of the underground world, the Backstagers venture into the unknown, determined to put together the best play their high school has ever seen. 

I’ve been wanting to pick this up ever since I read and reviewed the first issue from Netgalley, and loved it. The only reason it’s taken me so long to get to it is that I’ve struggled to find a copy in stores, and I prefer to support physical stores wherever I can. I’ve already read this and I’m in love with the series. I need to get my hands on the second volume soon.

The Ancient Magus Bride volumes 2, 3, 5, 6, & 7

Her name is Chise Hatori, a penniless orphan troubled by visions. Sold as a slave to an inhuman mage, she is about to begin a strange new life, filled with magic, fairies, and other beings of a fantastical nature.

So, I clearly have a problem. This series has sucked me in, in a big way. I loved the anime, and I’m planning on slowly making my way through the manga. I’m having slight difficulty locating volume four in stores, so I might have to order it online.

Bruja Born – by Zoraida Cordova

Three sisters. One spell. Countless dead.

Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister’s newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula’s bruja healing powers can’t fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet, steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings light to her life.

Then a bus crash turns Lula’s world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable. And when the dust settles, Maks isn’t the only one who’s been brought back…

This was a last-minute purchase before I went on holiday because I started panicking about what books to take with me, due to my reading slump making me ridiculously fickle. I mean, I was planning to wait and put it on my birthday wishlist, but I am glad to have this in my hands, even if I haven’t managed to read it just yet.

Lumberjanes: volume 1

FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX!

At Miss Qiunzilla Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s camp for hard-core lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… And they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! The mystery keeps getting bigger, and it all begins here. 

Collects Lumberjanes No. 1-4.

I am always seeing this series recommended, and have been meaning to check it out for a while now. Since I’ve been reading more graphic novels this month, I decided to pick this first volume up and see why so many people love it. I have already started reading this and so far I’m enjoying it. Hopefully this becomes a series that I love, and want to continue on with.

Spinning Silver – by Naomi Novik

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders… but her father isn’t a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife’s dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty–until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers’ pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed–and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.

But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it’s worth–especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

I simply could not resist this stunning hardcover when I saw a signed copy in the bookstore. I’ve seen so many glowing reviews, that I’m confident I’ll enjoy it. I’m even more excited to get to it now that I’ve finally read (and adored) Uprooted. I just hope I don’t wait another three years before reading this one.

The Accident Season – by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

A bewitching, dark and beautiful debut novel about a girl living in the shadow of a mysterious curse.

It’s the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara’s life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara’s family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items – but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free?

I’ve been intrigued by the idea of the book for years, so when I saw it in a second-hand book store while I was on holiday, I didn’t think twice. I feel like this is a very autumnal book, so I’m hoping to read it in a few months time, possibly in October, since that’s when this book takes place.

Love Letters to the Dead – by Ava Dellaira

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more — though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was — lovely and amazing and deeply flawed — can she begin to discover her own path in this stunning debut from Ava Dellaira, Love Letters to the Dead.

This was another second hand book store find, it was more of an impulse purchase than the other books I’ve bouhgt this month. I don’t know too much about it, but it caught my eye, and after reading the first few lines, I was interested enough to want to keep reading. I have no idea what to expect from this, or how I’ll feel about it, and if I’m honest, I’m quite looking forward to going in to it blind.

S.T.A.G.S. – by M.A. Bennett

Nine students. Three bloodsports. One deadly weekend.

It is the autumn term and Greer MacDonald is struggling to settle into the sixth form at the exclusive St. Aidan the Great boarding school, known to its privileged pupils as S.T.A.G.S. Just when she despairs of making friends Greer receives a mysterious invitation with three words embossed upon on it: huntin’ shootin’ fishin’. When Greer learns that the invitation is to spend the half term weekend at the country manor of Henry de Warlencourt, the most popular and wealthy boy at S.T.A.G.S., she is as surprised as she is flattered.

But when Greer joins the other chosen few at the ancient and sprawling Longcross Hall, she realises that Henry’s parents are not at home; the only adults present are a cohort of eerily compliant servants. The students are at the mercy of their capricious host, and, over the next three days, as the three bloodsports – hunting, shooting and fishing – become increasingly dark and twisted, Greer comes to the horrifying realisation that those being hunted are not wild game, but the very misfits Henry has brought with him from school…

This book I bought out of curiosity. I’ve seen some quite mixed reviews that have only made me more intrigued about this book. I’m not sure I would have paid full price to try this book out, but since it was cheap in a second hand book store, I decided to give it a go.

Record of a Spaceborn Few – by Becky Chambers

From the ground, we stand. From our ship, we live. By the stars, we hope

The incredible new novel by Becky Chambers, author of the belovedThe Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.

Centuries after the last humans left Earth, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, a place many are from but few outsiders have seen. Humanity has finally been accepted into the galactic community, but while this has opened doors for many, those who have not yet left for alien cities fear that their carefully cultivated way of life is under threat.

Tessa chose to stay home when her brother Ashby left for the stars, but has to question that decision when her position in the Fleet is threatened.

Kip, a reluctant young apprentice, itches for change but doesn’t know where to find it.

Sawyer, a lost and lonely newcomer, is just looking for a place to belong.

When a disaster rocks this already fragile community, those Exodans who still call the Fleet their home can no longer avoid the inescapable question:

What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination?

I finally have this book in my hands! I can’t even tell you how happy I am that I finally have a copy of this book. It is my most anticipated book of the entire year, and I am so excited to read it, although I do feel compelled to take things slow and savour it. I’m just so very, very happy that this book is in my life!

So, that’s my excessive book haul for the month. I have no idea where most of these books are going to live, I’m kind of overrun by books at the moment. What books are you excited about this month? Have you read any of the books that I’ve hauled this month? What did you think of them? I love hearing from you in the comments! 

Want to chat, about books or anything else, here are some other places you can find me:

Twitter @reading_escape

Instagram: @readingsanctuary

Goodreads

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July Book Haul This months haul is a little out of control. I knew it would possibly be higher than normal because I always buy books while I'm on holiday, but this time it's worse because I started panic buying books to take with me, because it felt like a good way to fix my reading slump.