#this is kind of what inspired Rie's character

[caramelarchive2]

I have a lot of thoughts about angels in death note...

obviously they're not in the original series but I think they'd be a cool addition that would fit in with the world, yk?

because death note angels wouldn't be good.

they'd just be the opposite of Shinigami. some might be good. some might be evil. But Shinigami are apathy, so angels must be love.

how can you have love and still be evil, you ask? how can you have love and still be good, I ask?

angels might burn the world down to save one person.

for love.

because when something has the chance to be strong, it can be both strong and weak. when something has the chance to change the world, it's hard to say how it will shape it: will it build? or will it burn it all down?

apathy is neutral.

love is chaotic.

so yeah. I have a lot of thoughts about angels in death note.

　★━━─・‥…━━━☆

[pattyaifread]

Annon-Guy: I was wondering what you think of the characters from Dawn of the New World?

Emil, Ratatosk, Marta, Tenebrae, Richter, Aqua, Alice and Decus.

I really love Emil and Marta, both as characters and as a couple. Personally, they deserve more love and don't deserve the hate they get.

Sure. My feelings have changed a lot from 9 years ago when I first played to my recent replay. I gave it another chance with an open mind and ended up really enjoying everyone this time around.

Emil - He's really my type, and being voiced by Shimono Hiro is a bonus. I quite like his dynamic with the main cast, and how you can see the various ways they inspire him to grow stronger. With Marta, it's a desire to protect her and be a bit more manly. With Richter, he was able to gain the courage to do what he needed to do. And how despite this, inside he still says the same kind kid, who is still sometimes a bit of a pushover. I really love his conversations with Ratatosk that we get to see in Rays and I wish we had more of it in the base game. It's hard to put into words just what it is I like about Emil most, but he is tied with Ratatosk as my second favorite in the game. I'm just weak to cute types...

Ratatosk - He finally clicked for me when I was reading the DOTNW beach event in Rays. His regrets about killing Aster and how awkward he feels around Richter as a result hits really hard. Despite taking an antagonistic attitude towards him, he understands and regrets that he robbed something dear and precious from Richter, and likely realizes Richter probably feels the same as he did when he lost his Tree. The parallels with them are great. I also just love the way he accepts Emil as a part of himself... and with extra lore dropped from Rays, it only drives me crazier. I wish we got more scenes of him with Marta as I found their dynamic really interesting. The scene when he gets upset over thinking Marta prefers Emil too really tells a lot about him. When I rewatched the ending after he clicked with me, I realized how great of a parallel he was to Richter. His actions caused it all, and they both had things to atone for, but he still showed mercy on Richter and decided to change the laws of the world and to let him free in 1000 years to lessen that burden. Anyways, he's a lot cuter than I expected.

Marta - A young girl with her head a little too far up in the clouds--but coming back down to earth is part of her character arc, so I never minded that. And I think it's fairly realistic for girls that age. In my school days I did nothing but daydream about romance. I appreciate that even though she's not the strongest, she still works hard to meet her goals, and I think she protects Ratatosk+Emil just as much as they do her, in her own way. While her arc could have been more developed, I don't find her role offensive. I like her quite a bit, and once again, being voiced by Kugimiya Rie is another bonus.

Tenebrae - His loyalty to Ratatosk makes me feel so much I can't put it into words... I'm incredibly weak to loyal types. I love that he likes to screw around, and he always makes skits a lot of fun. The fact that he comes to see Emil as another precious master of his makes me wanna cry 🥲

Richter - *takes a deep breath* By far my #1 in the game. Seeing his sidequest this time around is what sent me on a major DOTNW spiral. I couldn't believe how cute he was in it... and that you miss out on a good chunk of his development if you don't see it. My problem only got worse and worse as I read through all his side and Rays material. His dedication to Aster is so intense I still can't believe I'm not hallucinating. He's just... the kindest antagonist to ever exist. His methods were messy, and many things didn't go the way he intended, but all he wanted in the end was to revive his friend and to protect the world that had let him and Aster meet... Onshuu no Richter adds a lot of context to his side as well, and how devastated he was by some events Brute caused after Richter handed him Solum's core. I love how he can't help but look after Emil, even if it at first it was due to him being stunned by having the same appearance as Aster. That even after finding out he's Ratatosk, he still cares for Emil and struggles to resolve himself to fight him. And that he's even willing to sacrifice himself just to keep the Gate closed... I could write a whole essay on Richter and his kindness but what do you mean this is the main antagonist 😭 I'm glad he at least gets to be happy with Aster in Rays.... I have a lot of feelings about how he just wanted to revive the first, and only until that point, friend he ever had...

Aqua - She didn't really grow on me until Onshuu no Richter, where you get to see her perspective on the reckless things Richter is doing. I like that due to her guilt, and her feelings for Richter, that she's still willing to watch over him and help him with his goals, even if she doesn't agree with it. And she doesn't accept it blindly either--she attempts to talk him out of it. In the game most of her scenes were comic relief, so I didn't have strong feelings on her, but her scenes in the manga really helped to shed more light on her character. But of the cast she's probably still my least favorite.

Alice - I like her personality but when I first replayed the game some months ago there were things about her that still went over my head. She started to grow on me a lot after reading Katsura-sensei's Alice & Decus spinoff manga, and Hatenai Omoi vol. 1 also boosted her for me. It helped me understand just what rubs her the wrong way with Marta, when I think the game was messy regarding that. It also helped to flesh out her feelings on Decus a lot, and I can see their ending in a new light. I think she's generally a lot of fun. She grew on me massively over the past few months, and might be my 3rd favorite now. It's between her and Tenebrae, I think.

Decus - On paper he's my type--dumb, but a loyal slave to Alice. I think he's a lot of fun and I enjoy his scenes, but I probably have the least deep feelings regarding him. I think his dedication to Alice is sweet though. That said, I wish them happiness in the next life 🥲 or in Rays.

[lebomboniere06]

Doyo Studio Park Review

Review of Takashi so far in the first half

· dried dog · Weird · Flying fish short poem "

Actor interview · Fukuhara Haruka · Kuwabata Rie · Takahata Junko

The second half hits Akaso himself

· I like reading books just like Takashi

・Decompression method→Bungee jumping

Recently, I am drinking protein

that tastes like strawberry milk

Because the character will always grow beyond his own age and want to be a mature man’s body

Fukuhara accidentally loves to play

. When two people mispronounce the Kansai dialect, they will always say the wrong words to disturb each other 😂😂

The part where Mai’s grandmother Junko Takahata co-stars

He thinks she is a great actress and a great person.

Takahata-san said that Takashi is a weirdo, isn’t it good?

I read the script myself and read it very passionately

. I said it because she said it. more convincing

When Takashi disappeared and went home to see his parents after

Kuwabata Rie, who played the role of mother,completely assumed the mood of his child’s disappearance when he entered the door, and hit him hard. She asked Akaso if it would hurt . Akaso said: It’s okay to use more force🥺

Then Rie San said in other places that Eiji has no aura ww

when we met for the first time, she didn’t wear glasses at all, and I didn’t notice that "Eiji Akaso" came, and then Eiji brought her food and was very polite She thought it was a staff member again, but one day he suddenly looked handsome ww,how he can be my son she said🤣

(Eiji: I don’t know which day it was at all)

Akaso said that he usually wears black clothes and jeans, which is easy to be mistaken for a staff member.

Maybe it is because if he occasionally wears more colorful Rie San would say he is handsome.

Host: Maybe outside, can Akaso Eiji sit next to me in the sinkansen ? He is very kira kira so handsome

Akaso: no, no 🥹He also said very modestly that he wore good clothes, combed his hair and make-up during the shooting... The host also said that his eyes were shining and bright

He said it there was lighting that's why🥺

Like Takashi, I like to read novels, essays, philosophy, and business books ,I like to read everything. When I was young, I also went to second-hand bookstores . I like the decoration and smell.If you have troubles, you can get inspiration from the books

The trouble is that the body is very hard . I'm too stiff

I didn’t squat down enough to demonstrate in the studio. I was worried that I would not be able to walk when I was old, so I try to do stretching and so on everyday 😆.

The decompression method is bungee jumping, although I have only been there once and I have no memory in the middle ww

I like high places and I like the feeling of heartbeat. If I have a chance, I also want to go to sky diving bungee jumping . I have always wanted to try it.

He mentioned again that I also want to go to waterfalls meditation

[Nakamura Tomoya message]

I want a shower (shower head) for my birthday recently, so please Akaso send me that one you use at home, which is very good (tomoya bdays it's on December 24(36yo))

He said Eiji is like a son & also like a daughter "I feel that there will be some small problems if I leave my eyes a little bit. If a car drives over, I will tell Akaso that it is dangerous"(Is it a parent with a child🤣)and then chat When it comes to the topic of love,Akaso said that he would pursue it with a strong momentum, and Nakamura said that Eiji also has this kind of very manly part, and I feel Doki doki (キュン) 😆He felt that he was handsome saying this,

"What if he came to chase me?" what will happened? Akaso: Actually, I started playing recently golf too! do you want to go? do you want to go? Please call me next time when there are not enough people😂

Nakamura said that Akaso should be afraid of being rude and dare not disturb them when he was with Sada masashi

," he really wanted to join, but he looked at him from 3 meters away" 🥺

Eiji said that Nakamura was really a very gentle person and bought him coffee every day during filming,also said he's like a big brother to him,I really like his gentle voice and way of Speaking

He said that he learned a lot from Takashi good at" not "hate"

Ah yes, the present I want from Nakamura or Santa Claus is a humidifier pls 🙏🤲💝

He also said : " I have been receiving gifts from Santa Klaus since I was a child"🥺🥹🥰(*so loved by his parents no wonder he's such a brilliant soul)

& finally he said

Hona,merry Christmas ☃️ 🎄🎅

The interpretation of the role of Takashi is naturally expressed in the live broadcast. It is easy to see that Akaso has studied the script repeatedly and has his own understanding🤗It's great that Takashi is so popular🥳hard work pays off👏

[linkspooky]

I was wondering what was your inspiration for Noran-so and Ito Rie?

I found Noran-so, the curse spirit, in your fic to be really interesting and it’s ability unique. So I was wondering what was the inspiration and how the curse fit in with them theme so far with the fic.

I also found Ito Rie to be very tragic and human as well. And I also see she sort of parallels with Mai in some ways. Was that your intentions? If so was that the inspiration for Ito Rie?

Thank you for sending me the ask, I lovet alking about my fics so let me go and rant underath the readmore. 

Noran-so’s inspiration came from my two friends who each had a twin (that’s four twins in total) who were kind of annoyed at the reveal that twins or at least the type of twins Maki and Mai are, are cursed in Jujutsu Kaisen, and they will always share the same cursed energy. That kind of frames it like it’s Mai’s fault that Maki isn’t as powerful as she wants to be because Mai just won’t try hard enough, when the whole point was supposed to be they were supposed to reconcile and understand each of them was a complicated victim in their own right. 

They were especially annoyed by the whole “I am you, and you are me” thing that implies that Mai is Maki’s Jungian shadow somehow and not her own special person. 

So I wanted to tweak the lore a bit in regards to twins sharing a cursed technique and / or cursed energy. Basically my rewrite is that Maki and Mai are unique in that they both have a heavenly restriction placed on them, and they just happened to be born that way it’s not because they are twins. Twins aren’t actually an omen, that’s just a made up superstition. 

Then, I thought what could be the cause of the superstition, and that’s Noran-so, a horrific set of conjoined twins and member of the Death Painting Wombs whose both halves were ripped apart soon after they were born. 

Also Noran-so being a literal set of conjoined twins, is thematic because it represents how Jujutsu Society at large, and how the people around them see Maki and Mai, treating them like they are the same person just because they are twins who grew up in the same house, and not like they are two different people who deal with their trauma in different ways. Nobara essentailly comapres them because they are sisters, and expects Mai to act like Maki and finds fault in Mai because she doesn’t, and that’s also an expectation Mai sets on herself because she has always viewed Maki as better than her and herself as lacking in comparison. Of course, siblings are often times compared to one another, but being the same person is an expectation that’s uniquely put on twins. 

Also, Noran-so after being ripped away from the other set of conjoined twins, wants to return to the way they were before, when they were still in the womb and perfectly connected to one another. Maki and Mai also wish to return to the simplicty of their childhood where they were always together hand in hand, and Maki could keep a simple promise that she would never let go because they were sisters, but they cannot return to that. 

As for Noran-so’s motivation, concept-wise they were inspired by a light novel called Shinobumonogatari, the basic gist is that a girl who wants an excuse to quit the basketball team begs to be mugged as she comes home, or even eaten by a monster because that will give her an excuse. Afterwards a vampire finds her and on a whim transforms her. The actual story itself was kind of unexciting in its execution but i thought the concept was neat. 

Ito Rie was inspired by two characters, the first is the character Ruri Hijibire. She’s a character from Durarara!! whose backstory is that she grew up in a small village and lost her family, and was bullied because of rumors her grandmother was a vampire (she was). SHe grew up wishing to become a monster, and loving monsters in horror movies especially the special effects makeup that created them, so she apprentices to a legendary makeup artist to get her start in HollyWood. However, she ends up going through serious trauma and turns into the serial killer hollywood, someone who uses her makeup skills to dress up as a different famous hollywood movie monster for each kill. 

Her second inspiration was the novel Confessions by Kanae Minato. Basically, it’s a novel about children inflicting violence against other children. The main (ish) character is beaten by his mother over and over again, and eventually abandoned by her when she divorces his father, because she blamed him for having to give up her career as an academic. Because of that, the child internalizes the idea that he needs to be a genius, and special in some way. When he sees newspaper headlines and all the attention children are getting for acts of violence, he decides he can do better and use his invention a small wallet that shocks people to deliberately kill a much younger child. There’s a lot more than that, but basically the entire book is about analyzing why children who are so young they could possibly become violent (hint hint, they learn it from the adults around them), but then it kind of totally fumbles the message. More or less, the mother of the child gets really violent revenge on the boy who was beaten by his mother, and then tells the audience not to feel sorry for them because he was just telling a very convincing sob story. 

Anyway, the whole website scene and the motivations of Ito are a pretty close tribute to the final third of the book, because I wanted to write something about what could push a child to such violence through a much more sympathetic lens to the child. 

Mai and Ito are parallels in that they both make themselves into monsters, or in Mai’s case, the bad twin as a way of coping with their trauma. They both believe in the absolute worst of themselves. However, this manifests in different ways, Mai has an inferiority complex towards her sister, and Ito wants to prove she is in some way superior to the other children to prove her existence. They isolate me because I am better than them. They are also both people who are not really looking for sympathy, Ito Rie is generally offputting to be around, Mai starts fights with Nobara and tries to make people hate her so they know she doesn’t care what they think. 

Ito is also partially inspired by Junpei, the concept was originally “how Junpei’s victimhood and bullying would manifest if he were female instead of male.” She has the same shared fascination with horror movies, though her interest lies in making models not talking about them in film club. Ito also mentions Junpei once, because Junpei’s violent incident at the high school getting the same kind of sensationalized media coverage that school shootsings got, essentially inspired her plan. 

[whaq]

Fuck You, Animu (2/4) - Re:Zero Episode 1

With non-stop suspense, compelling characterization, and hints at a greater narrative, Re:Zero’s first episode is sure to keep you coming back to the series over, and over, and over, and ove…

Based on a series of light novels, written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shin'ichirō Ōtsuka, Studio White Fox (Goblin Slayer)’s Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World is a new contender for the crown of the eponymous isekai (Another World) genre that has recently taken over the anime industry. Is Re:Zero the breath of fresh air the anime community needed to restart the trend of otaku running into oncoming traffic in an attempt to be reborn? Or just another run-of-the-mill zero in this already saturated market?

The series follows Natsuki Subaru, a hikikomori (shut-in) who finds himself suddenly transported into a fantasy world of swords and sorcery. Following in the footsteps of his fellow isekai protagonists, Subaru explores this whole new world with the help of his vast otaku knowledge. Unlike his isekai brethren, Subaru was seemingly transported with nothing more than a jumpsuit,a bag of convenience store goodies, and a surprisingly good physique, for someone who doesn’t leave the house. When he encounters danger in this new domain, he is saved by a white-haired, half-elf, mage whose kindness sparks inspiration in our hero’s eyes. The story continues as Subaru trial-and-error’s his way through this new land, using a new ability he doesn’t quite comprehend, all for the affections of a lady he eventually gets to know as Emilia.

As series openers go, Re:Zero’s first episode serves as a masterclass in how to introduce, not just a story, but its main players too. From the episode’s cold open, you’re immediately pulled to the edge of your seat as we’re given glimpses of the aftermath of a struggle and hear the last words of a man at the edge of his life. Unbeknownst to us, this scene is intercut with shots of this man, who we later find out to be our protagonist, merely living his life as he peruses the aisles of a convenience store. The show’s director, Masahiro Watanabe, of whom this series serves as his directorial debut, flexes his comprehension of cinematic storytelling by utilizing not-so-subtle visuals to convey exactly who Natsuki Subaru is and what kind of life he lives. In a single minute, we see Subaru read manga, cringe at the sight of a couple, and sulk over his life (or lack thereof), showing us exactly how much of a loser our “hero” is.

The character of Natsuki Subaru is, following the conventions of the genre, an audience insert. He’s a down-on-his-luck otaku whose backstory is practically non-existent to make it easier for the viewer to see themselves in his shoes. That said, unlike his contemporaries like Kazuma of Konosuba fame, Re:Zero does not shy away from the darker side of otaku. While the rest of the series hammers this concept home, the first nail in the coffin of this generic archetype is already set from the start. Upon his arrival, Subaru is faced with his first dilemma in the new world: a child who’s about to be hit by a carriage. You’d expect our dashing hero to well... dash in to save him, right? Not Subaru! He instead contemplates on how his grand entrance into the new world should go first before finally deciding to actually try and help. While it might seem like an off-hand gag meant to get a cheap laugh, this self-centered aspect of our protagonist permeates throughout the rest of his journey.

Upon entering this new world, the show greets us with one of its many iconic audio cues: an angelic gasp from the song Rondo of Love and Darkness. The series’ soundtrack is one of its best aspects. Composer Kenechiro Suehiro, who went on to compose the serene yet atmospheric music of Girls Last Tour, was tasked by Director Watanabe to utilize human voices in its tracks, which he uses to great effect. The music is filled with these ominously chilling chants that sound as if they were straight from a circle of Hell. This is heard in the likes of the aforementioned Rondo, and in the show’s ever-meme’d Call of the Witch that trails every pivotal moment in the anime.

Subaru is suddenly mugged by the city’s under dwellers. It’s during this scene that one of the show’s issues arises. Re:Zero has been praised for its subversion of the genre. While this is accurate at times, like how Subaru’s entrance into another world comes in the form of a blink instead of a glomp from truck-kun like his contemporaries, the show seems to think that acknowledging overused genre tropes gives them an excuse to use overused genre tropes. When Subaru sees a girl in the distance while he gets pummeled on, he hopes and prays for her to be the female savior he sees in manga; this hope is immediately dashed when this girl, Felt, turns out to be a thief and completely runs past our groveling protagonist. This, in and of itself, is hilarious and subverts what we the audience expect from this cliche. But then this gag is immediately followed by the entrance of an actual female savior, completely abusing the trust we put into the show to not be like the other isekai.

But all these technical issues are merely second to Re:Zero’s main strength: its premise. Subaru’s first day involves him helping his savior find a lost item of hers and this leads them to a tavern where he finds a pile of blood and corpses, of which he becomes part of as he’s killed by someone off-screen. The show finally gives us context to the cold open when we see that the people gasping for life in the beginning of the episode were Subaru and Emilia. Giving neither Subaru nor the audience time to breathe, we’re immediately taken back to Subaru’s first interaction with a citizen earlier in the episode. Before our protagonist is able to process what has happened, we’re already introduced to the show’s main mechanic: Return after Death.

Return gives the show a constant sense of suspense. Both the viewer and Subaru are having to work with limited knowledge of the situation that can only be broadened after literally dying, making Subaru’s mantra “what DOES kill you MIGHT make you stronger.” Each of Subaru’s retries unearth, not only new information, but also new character interactions. The show’s main appeal is how each of the character dynamics change when Subaru is given new knowledge about them while said character remains stagnant from the last run.  When your main protagonist’s only ability is an unlimited set of checkpoints, he has to rely on his adaptability and resourcefulness which does a good job of keeping conflicts in the show real and real exciting.

In contrast to Return being the highlight of Re:Zero, there are many parts of the episode that are barely worth mentioning. The voice acting feels like nothing special. While Yusuke Kobayashi and Rie Takashi, who play Subaru and Emilia respectively, seem to be good voice actors, they aren’t given much room to showcase their talents as most of the dialogue in the first episode is limited to world-explaining exposition. The animation was also just passable. While the few fight scenes in the episode were clearly animated, there truly is nothing to write home about with regards to the way things are drawn. There’s even the obvious use of CGI for background elements that feels so jarring to look at. Lastly, while most other critics praise the show for its creative world, the first episode doesn’t do it any favors. We’re shown lizard people, generic magic spells, and just another medieval-ish setting along with the same NPC-like side characters you know from RPGs.

Re:Zero’s opening episode is a thrill from beginning-to-end. Its musical score is top-notch, its cinematography is excellent, and the story, along with its subsequent gimmick, aims to set it apart from the rest of the isekai genre while still holding enough of its DNA to sit comfortably within said genre. Its pitfalls into both tropeyness and technical mediocrity are easily ignored by the oozing quality of the sum of its parts.

[silverlysilence]

A Somewhat Mythology Lesson for the Fae’s Sake

I am now seeing a lot of questions regarding the Fae and have decided to do another of my HoaDS Reference Material Lessons because this was one of the things I researched a lot. Yet again, I will add links to Wikipedia as it has the most basic and easily understandable information, but this time I will also be linking to various Wikia fandoms as I relied heavily on them for inspiration.

First off, Fae (both plural and singular form) also known as fay, fey, fair folk or the traditional fairy are a type of mythical being that does not have a single origin as they are a collection of folk beliefs from a verity of sources.  Some see them as a form of spirit, sometimes spirits of the dead, while others believe them to be demoted angels or demons, minor deities, or even as elementals.  They are not always small-statured winged creatures, as at one-point goblins and gnomes fell into their category as well.  Thus, there is a lot of conflicting information on the fair folk.

More often than not, the fae are usually attracted to those who are beautiful as well as wealthy and seek them out for various reasons.  They are masters of enchantment and tend to only care about themselves even when dealing with humans but fae can be persuaded for a price.  Traditionally, iron (and by extension, steel) is inimical to them and is often referred to as cold iron when used as a weapon against the fae.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy

For Heart of a Dragon’s Soul, I relied heavily on both Merlin and Dresden Files as reference rather than relying on the folklore since that gave me a more narrowed down basis to work with rather than too much conflicting information.  However, as many of my readers have found out, I used the pixies from Disney Fairies for my Wyldfae as to not have to create my own characters.  I also stuck to using Fae(rie) for the fair folk in the series to distinguish them as different to Toothiana’s Fairies.

In most folklore, the two most prominent categories of fae are the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classifications_of_fairies) which I stuck with for the most part but incorporated the Wyldfae as well.  However, it should be noted, that the fae, no matter their classification, are still dangerous if crossed.  Something I adhered to in my writing as well since it paralleled the dragons who are also Creatures of Magic willing to work with the Hairy Hooligan Tribe but are dangerous creatures in their own right.  

The Seelie Court is the more beneficently inclined fair folk whereas the Unseelie Court, are more malicious in nature.  These courts are also referred to as the Summer Court and the Winter Court and in HoaDS, there is a reason for the difference between Seelie Court and Summer Court as well as the Unseelie Court and Winter Court. But I’m not sure how far I will go into explaining that as it is a part of the storyline I haven’t yet to post and carries potential spoilers (there is a reason I am the Norn of Silence after all, and that is because I don’t give spoilers if I can help it). However, just know for the most part, the Summer Court is the Seelie Court and the Winter Court is the Unseelie Court.  

The Seelie Court more often than not would seek help from humans and warn those who accidentally offended them, returning human kindness with favors of their own.  As stated before, they are still dangerous and were quick to avenge any insults to their persons. They also were prone to mischief by playing light-hearted pranks without realizing how the pranks affected humans.

The Unseelie Court, on the other hand, needed no offense to deem it necessary to bring down assault and often attacked travelers out at night.  Just like how the Seelie Court were not always seen as benevolent, neither were the fae of the Unseelie Court always malevolent as they too became fond of particular humans if they were viewed as respectful.  Though, those humans often times made into something of a pet, which reflected their darker aspects compared to the Seelie Court.

The last classification I use is that of the Wyldfae (inspired by the Dresden Files: https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Wyldfae).  These are the fae that are bound to neither of the faerie courts as they are oftentimes seen as insignificant in the eyes of the higher-ranked fae.  Though, in the event of a war, most Wyldfae will associate themselves with the side that they are most inclined.  For the most part, they lived in harmony in the Wyldfae Haven, home of Pixie Hollow and the Winter Woods before it’s fall.  Now, they mostly live in the Nevernever or have carved out a small place for themselves unseen by humans.

Now that classifications are out of the way, let's dive into fae ranks.  Here is where I will go into the Summer and Winter Courts as laid out by the Dresden Files as it gave me the groundwork for the fae hierarchy.

Sídhe (pronounced ‘shee’) literally means “people of the (fairy) hills”.  This comes back to the idea that fae were spirits of the dead since the ‘fairy hills’ were often burial mounts.  Furthermore, Sídhe was the original term for fairies in general but has since changed over time to refer to the nobility of the fae.

In HoaDS, the Sídhe are the nobility of the fae, the upper echelon which is not hereditary—though that can be a determining factor—but based on status and their abilities.  In short, they are powerful as fuck.  They have fought their way to the top and are still there because lower-ranking fae respect their rule and power but also because no one has managed to kill them off yet.

Originally, the Sídhe were made up of the Sídhe Elders which I envision are the Sídhe Kings of Old from Merlin’s time (https://merlin.fandom.com/wiki/Sidhe_Elder) who have seen the Great Purge and witnessed the Balance disturbed.  They might have gone a little insane from their immortality, they could have decided a purge of their own was needed, or they might have seen an opportunity to fill the vacuum of power left from the Great Purge (I’m not saying which), which lead to the destruction of Pixie Hollow and the beginning of the Sídhe War.

During the time of the Sídhe Elders, it was taboo to kill another Sídhe Elder and the punishment was death unless it was another Sídhe Elder that committed the murder.  In which case, the Sídhe who committed such an offense was cursed to live the life of a mortal in body and soul.  However, if the cursed Sídhe sacrificed a human of great worth, either royalty or one with great magical potential, they’d gain back their life as a Sídhe.

After the Sídhe War, both Courts have their own territories in the land of Faerie within the Nevernever governed by the three queens.  The eldest of the Queen, otherwise known as The Queen Who Was, is either Mother Winter or Mother Summer, according to the court she belongs to.  They hold no official power over the court but are extremely powerful beings as the former queens who were not killed during their reign.  The ruling queen, The Queen Who is, is often referred to as the Winter Queen or Summer Queen and she controls the courts. Lastly, the youngest of each court is the Lady Summer or Lady Winter, The Queen Who is to Come, and is considered to be a Queen in training. The rest of the Sídhe are akin to the Lords and Ladies of the court and take offense at not being referred to faerie rather than Sídhe because they are above normal fae.  (https://dresdenfiles.fandom.com/wiki/Faerie_Courts)

The Dresden Files also has a Winter King and Summer King, both of whom are technically Wyldfae but are associated with their respective seasons and are independent of the Queens.  In SoaD, the Winter King and Summer King are more or less the protectors of the Wyldfae. It is an alliance of convenience as the two are not truly their Kings but they call them that out of respect.

Dewdrop Faeries are the weakest of the fae.  They typically only have the magical talent for one type of magic, be it a certain element or skillset, but not much else as their magical reserves are quite low. Their size is in direct correlation with their magical capabilities, the more magic they have, the larger they are but if they expend all of their magic, the dimmer their light shines. The majority of which are Wyldfae since neither of the courts see the need to recruit such lowly creatures into their services.

Brownies are what some would be considered domesticate fae as they come out at night while the owners of the house are asleep to perform various chores and farming tasks.  However, they are far from domesticated as they only complete the tasks in trade for a bowl of milk or cream or some other offering for the brownie left by the hearth. They are easily offended and will leave their homes forever if they feel like they’ve been insulted or taken advantage of in any way.

The Wee Folk are less of a faerie rank and more of a generalization of all the small size fae which include Dewdrop Faeries, Brownies, and the likes.

Pixies are a step above Dewdrop Faeries in power and were the original creators of Pixie Hollow, hence the name. However, upon seeing their power and capabilities, the Sídhe from both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts swayed them to their side with promises of power, forever garnering them as loyal servants to the Sídhe.

Please let me know if this clears things up and if there is still any confusion that doesn’t count as a spoiler, I will do my best to answer.  Hope you enjoyed the lesson.

[writingonesdreams]

10 Questions tag

RULES: ANSWER 10 QUESTIONS, ASK ANOTHER 10, THEN TAG 10 PEOPLE 

Thanks for the tag @emmydavidson! Your questions were so fun to answer!

Which time of day do you write best?

Doesn't matter. Morning or evening or night, whenever the inspiration strikes. ;)

What distracts you the most?

Honestly free time. When I have an open window of free time like several hours, I relax so much and drift of to do things that aren't writing.

Ironically having a schedule, assignments or work awaiting me at certain time kicks me into action to use the free time left for writing. Why does it flow the best when we should be doing other things?😂

Which place on Earth would you travel to in order to research your current WIP?

Japan. Totally Japan. I wanna see the scenary, the shrines, the mountains. Ask to big waterfalls somewhere and to nature reservations with wolves.

Writing at home or in public? Where? Why?

Doesn't matter. I don't mind writing in public, for example on the train on my phone. If there is not too loud and I don't have peopke contralty asking me something I'm good to write anywhere.

What is the one lesson you want every writer to know?

Skip the boring parts. If writing something feels like a chore, it's not worthy to be there.

What kind of dialogue makes your heart race?

Confessions. Angst. Revelations.

What is your pet peeve in physical descriptions of characters?

Hair, hight, eyes, clothes and stature are supposed to be enough right? I don't enjoy getting more detailed than that.

Select four characters and sort them into their Hogwarts houses.

Acacia - Gryffindor

Kyler - Gryffindor

Grayson - Slytherin

Mira - Ravenclaw

Do you make your own covers?

Well I try to play with pictures for a cover but I'm not satisfied with them. Covers will be hard.

What is the second song on your current WIP Playlist?

Get Ugly by Jason Derulo. I have seen Acacia dancing to this song too much😂

---

I'm tagging you for the same questions, cause I really like these and would like to know your answers! :)

Tagging: @thewalkingnerdx @sybil-writes @mjmnorwood @stories-by-rie @tenacious-scripturient @kosmosian-quills @cawolters @bloomseey-writes @this-is-where-i-write-stuff @cilly-the-writer @cawolters @pens-swords-stuff @cirianne @andiwriteunderthemoon

[musicofglassandwords]

10 Questions Tag

Thanks so much for the tag @feathered-quill and possibly @stories-by-rie!

Sorry it took me so long to get around to it, it’s been a week...

1. Do you conciously take inspiration from authors or books you love, or from your genres? Or do you actively try to avoid it?

YES I TOTALLY DO! I used to be terrified that I would accidentally plagiarize, but once I learned the distinction between plagiarizing and taking inspiration, it was quite liberating. 

2. Do you write fanfiction, do roleplaying, or other kinds of fan activity? How do these things influence the way you create original work? Do you feel they’ve given you valuable “tools” in your “creative toolbox?”

Hmm, I used to write fanfic in middle school, but I never published it online. It certainly gave me a certain amount of creativity, and really showed me what I loved about writing! The authors I wrote fanfic off of stirred such emotion in me, that I wanted the characters to experience other things, and I want to do that with my own writing!

3. Do you use WorldAnvil (or something like it) for worldbuilding purposes, or do you prefer to use your own methods/systems for worldbuilding?

I basically just draw a blob and turn that into a kingdom or whatever, I usually don’t think much about the land around the characters, I write the plot first. I do, however, take much inspiration from other cultures and try to incorporate elements from those into my world building. 

4. How do you choose your characters’ appearences? Do you use generators, choose face claims, make sketches, or something else?

I just think about complexion first, I have very blurry thoughts about what they look like in my head, and I’ve never really done face claims, which I probably should. 

5. What are your favorite tropes to read about or watch? Are they the same as the tropes you yourself most like to use in your writing?

I LOVE best friends to lovers, slow burns, and magic! And I also love to write about those things!

6. Do you have a network of writer friends offline, such as a school club, writing workshop partners, etc.?

I have some writer friends that I share work with occasionally, and we talk writing a lot, but most of my writer friends are online!

7. When looking for inspiration for a story, are you more likely to be drawn to visual or auditory elements? (Ex: would you browse through picture prompts, listen to music, seek out a written prompt, or something else?)

Music is always super helpful, I always listen to music when I write. Watching nature panoramas or fight scenes in movies is also very inspiring. 

8. Are the names of your characters and the places in your world important to you? How do you choose them?

Yes, each name has a meaning! I don’t want the names to be super modern, so some of them are culturally old names!

9. Do you utilize any personality types or tests to determine your characters’ personality, like Meyers-Briggs, enegrams, character archetypes, the four temperaments, alignment charts, the elements, Hogwarts houses, or even various types of astrology (Western Zodiac, Celtic tree, Chinese zodiac, etc.?)

Hmmm, no, not really. I probably should....

10. What is your favorite part of worldbuilding? (Ex: building cultures, mapmaking, history and timeline work, making conlangs, religion and mythology, plant and animal making, magic and technology systems…)

I like building cultures the most, I just think it’s so fascinating!

Tagging for the same questions: @lackadaisy-lady, @ladywithalamp, @quillwritten, @limassol-writes

[fourohfourlifenotfound]

11/11/11

Thanks to the wonderful @carmina-solis for tagging me, sorry this took ages.

Rules: Answer the questions from the person who tagged you, write your own 11 questions, and tag 11 other people. 

How long have you been working on your WIP/s?

If you define the start of working as its creation, then a looong time (like 4+ years at most). If you define it as actively working.... then I haven’t started yet.

What is your favorite genre to write? Why? 

I love to read and write anything that takes me away from reality. So fantasy, scifi, etc. I’ve recently gotten into paranormal stuff.

Is there a particular theme you notice cropping up in your work or characters? 

Found family is a huge thing for me, just because it resonated a lot with my life. Also the blurred lines between good and evil have always fascinated me.

Are there any themes you don’t think are all that interesting? 

I can’t think of any.

How do you develop the themes in your works? 

I’m working on figuring it out. The short stuff I’ve written thus far hasn’t really been theme heavy. Anyone have any tips?

What kinds of writing do you like to do (novels, short stories, poetry, etc)? 

Currently I write a lot of short stories, because it’s easy to do.

Describe your favorite character’s room or personal space. 

(Going with the WIP I’ve been thinking about a lot recently.) Sylvie from Gossamer Reality loves her apartment. It’s warm and cozy and gives people a sense of home.

Which of your characters would make the best detective? 

Sylvie kinda already is a detective. She investigates the paranormal based on her father’s previous research.

If you could, would you want to teach a course on writing or conduct a seminar? 

No, I’m too much of a novice still. Also I know from experience that I’m bad at teaching people.

Which book has inspired you to write? 

Lockwood and Co. inspired Gossamer Reality. Just the idea of kids in an agency trying to discover more about the strange world around them while also helping people with their afflictions fascinated me.

Is there an author you can’t stand (even if they’re well-respected)? 

J.K. Rowling? I tried to read book 1 of Harry Potter and just didn’t like it.

I’m tagging (if you want to do it, no pressure) (there’s not eleven so add yourself if you’re not there and want to) @stories-by-rie @the-words-we-never-said @bexminx @midnightsilvermoon @moonflower-writing @inexorableblob @cawolters @inkovert to answer:

How do you plan plots?

What’s your best organization tip?

What genre do you wish you could write better?

How do you want to improve your writing in the next year?

What is your reaction you’ve received to your writing.

What do you do when you don’t feel motivated to write?

What time of day do you write the most?

What’s your favorite part of the tumblr writing community?

What is your biggest pet peeve when you’re reading a work?

What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your writing?

What’s your favorite way to torture OCs?

[animebw]

Zero no Tsukaima: Season 1 Reflection

The line between mindful comfort-zone storytelling and mindless indulgence in anime can be pretty fine at times. There’s no denying that a lot of anime operates from a very self-serving, pandering mindset, existing for no other purpose that to spoonfeed its audience the kind of brainless sludge that pushes all the right lizard-brain pressure points to make up for a lack of creativity and talent in the actual storytelling. Hell, even some good anime fall victim to this mindset at times; that’s how ingrained in the media’s consciousness it is. On the other hand, it’s also possible to utilize these more mindless elements in a more clever, or at least purposeful way, using them to enhance your story as opposed to detract from it. It’s a tricky tightrope to walk, and it’s easy to tip over into the abyss if you’re not careful, but if done well, these kind of indulgent stories can get away with their indulgences without alienating everybody else who doesn’t share those specific fetishes. And while Zero no Tsukaima is by no means a perfect example of that principle, it stands as proof that a genuine thoughtfulness about the story you’re telling can be the key to make your audience settle for “good enough” without feeling like they’ve been robbed.

Make no mistake, there are many things to criticize about Zero when you get down into the details. The animation and art is generally lacking. The show’s use of fanservice often tilts over into cheap, exploitative territory. And it definitely takes a while for its handling of its more dramatic content to really click. Still, though, those issues never become large or persistent enough to truly overwhelm the fact that this show really fucking knows what it’s doing. By setting itself in such a simple, cartoony, goofy magical world, it gives itself free reign to build its own universe from the ground up, marching along to its own offbeat drum. And it doesn’t half-ass any part of it: the way this world functions, from its magic systems to its internal politics to the subtle ways its inhabitants interact with it, all feel incredibly well-realized, grounding the inherent absurdity of a Medieval-style wizarding school in a refreshing degree of believability. It’s clear this wasn’t a rush job by some hack writer: the people putting this thing together paid attention to the details, refusing to accept “goofy” as an acceptable excuse for “half-assed”.

That same care extends over to the story and character side as well. The supporting cast is all incredibly likable, full of memorable personalities that all get chances to take the spotlight outside of the central plot. I enjoy all the time I’ve spent with Mortmoncery’s endearing snark, Tabitha’s understated cool, Guiche’s Tamaki-esque foppiness, and, yes, even Kirche’s enjoyably confident promiscuity. Saito and Louise, meanwhile, ground the main plot with their endlessly entertaining neuroses and their constant striving to better themselves against all odds. And the way the plot weaves all these disparate threats together, planting seeds in early episodes that eventually sprout into threads that all coalesce in time for the climax without you even realizing, is nothing short of impressive. This is no masterpiece of fantasy storytelling, but it’s smart with the choices it makes and confident in its audience’s intelligence not to talk down to them (at least, mostly). 

In the end, the best word I can use to describe Zero no Tsukaima is “charming”. It’s the rare indulgence where it feels like the show is enjoying itself as much as you are, flush with moxie and a can-do attitude that can’t help but be at least a little inspiring. And for all that, I award its first season a score of:

6/10

Well, this was certainly a pleasant surprise! Though, considering I gave Shakugan no Shana a 2 and Toradora got a 10, it’s only fitting that the final entry of the Rie Kugumiya Tsundere trilogy ended up right in the middle for me. Next time? We see if the future seasons can keep the streak alive. See you then!

[kiloplot]

Onlyoneof time leap download

It represents the start of what we do and how this can evolve into our future works. It brings us back to emotional melody lines that we missed from 1 st generation K-pop tracks.Īs mentioned before, we feel that our debut EP is a very honest work as an initiation of our career. 'time-leap' is also one of our favourite tracks from dot point jump Vol. We thought those chill tracks of the 1 st generation K-pop groups were worth revisiting, but with a touch of modern sound from recent K-pop and other pop tracks. 'savanna' reminds us of the mid to late '90s when H.O.T and Deux other 1 st generation K-pop Idols gave this sense of chill vibes and trendy atmosphere through some of their tracks. 1 is our very first work with Jaden so we tried to focus more on what our impression of K-pop that we adored and grew up with. Tell us about your debut EP dot point jump Vol. Our most recent collaboration with the producer GRAY from AOMG was an eye-opening experience for us in that sense, and hopefully, this can be a gateway to more collaboration opportunities with non-idol musicians and producers in Korea. Thus, we aspire to interact with them through our albums and singles that we release. We sincerely hope this global support from K-pop fans can also be a great opportunity to shed light on many great non-idol musicians in Korea who deserves global recognition. We think the insane competition in the K-pop scene is a very good opportunity for us. In light of the competition in the K-pop scene with new groups debuting fairly often, how different is OnlyOneOf from other rookie groups? We do this very casually and of course, we are seeing some progress on what we have achieved from this process and hopefully, we can release some of these tracks in the near future. Yoojung orchestrates and puts everything together by collecting choreography inputs from Junji and Mill. After finding a common ground in their ideas, they share their sketches with Love and Rie, who will brainstorm top lines and potential melodies to add to the tracks. For example, Nine and KB are ones who produce tracks and beats for our tracks. All seven of us have different characters and we have learned how we can maximize the synergies amongst us. We have a long history behind us since our trainee period. We always go back to our name by reflecting our original intention to all our works and try to differentiate ourselves step by step as we move forward.ĭescribe the dynamic between the members. We want to provide a unique value proposition to our fans, through our music and interactions with them that can never be otherwise satisfied. OnlyOneOf represent our aspiration to be a one of a kind artist within the K-pop Idol spectrum. With their artistic voices shining through as one through their self-produced and choreographed songs, it is no surprise that the rookie group earned their title as one of Billboard's Top 5 New K-pop acts to watch in 2020.īandwagon caught up with OnlyOneOf, who shared with us their journey from their days as trainees, idol inspirations, member chemistry, and music. The group consists of Nine (vocalist, beatmaker, maknae), Mill (rapper), Rie (vocalist, dancer), JunJi (vocalist, dancer), Love (leader, main vocalist), YooJung (dancer) and KB (rapper, producer). 1 last May.īoasting a dynamic mix of talents, OnlyOneOf desire to be different. The band made their debut with their first EP dot point jump Vol.1, dropped their latest release, Produced by, Pt. OnlyOneOf's debut in 2019, with their R&B inspired tracks 'time leap' and 'savanna', put a refreshing spin on K-pop and defined the band as a new force to be reckoned with. Upon closer listening, one would then realise that their music makes them truly only one of their kind.īacked by creative director Jaden Jeong, the mastermind behind the LOONA universe, OnlyOneOf is the first boyband created by 8D Creative (RSVP). From afar, OnlyOneOf resemble the perfect equation of a seven-member K-pop group. Between the night sky and the soft glow of street lights, seven lanky silhouettes stand shoulder to shoulder on an abandoned bridge.

[linkspooky]

Oh nice! I’m so glad you’re continuing Werewolf! I loved it!

But I do have a few questions about the fanfic if you don’t mind answering.

I mean. These can be answered later on in the epilogue that you’re planning to add (When are you gonna write that btw?). If that’s the case with some of the questions that I’ll be asking, then you can just say it’ll be in the epilogue.

Hold on tight. This will be a long one.

I’m assuming that Mai got the doll from Mimiko when Mai was driving them. But I suppose my question is how did Mai “called for help”? I know it’s with the doll, but when did he had the time to do that? It was a bit unclear when Mai did it.

Where did Choso went after Maki continue to chase after Noran-so to the roof-top? Did he perhaps stay back in order to recover?

Speaking of Choso. I’m surprised he did try to test Nobara when she was unconscious due to Maki. Is it due to Choso and Mimiko making a deal with Mai offscreen during that car ride? Since I’m assuming Mai told them not to attack them in exchange of getting Noran-so to Choso, but I could be wrong.

I was also a bit surprised how Choso was defeated by Nobara and Mai, and was pretty heavily injured when he went up against Maki. Is it due to Choso being too emotional to think straight? And

Does Nanako communicate through the doll? Or is she the doll now?

When Mai meet the “Faceless Young Maki”, was that thing is what Shoko, Nobara, and Norman-so saw when they said “There’s two of you…”? I’m also still a bit confused on what exactly is Faceless Maki, I understand that it seems to be created due to Mai’s wish to be normal, but what exactly is it? And how did it help Mai to be cured from the curse she was in?

When Mai went to Ito Rie’s house, was it due to Shoko’a order or was it due Mai wanting to go a bit solo?

Speaking about Rie, how did she went to her house to begin with? Did she went there after the bar scene?

Okay. That’s all! Love your Fanfic still!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading my fic and sending me asks about this. I LOVE LOVE LOVE answering asks like this so much. It gives me a lot of motivation to work on the nobaimai sequel, especially since JJK is the fandom I feel the most inspired to write for.

I kind of left things unresolved on a cliffhanger, I meant to write an epilogue that answers a lot of these questions but I wanted to finish my outline for the next fic first because the epilogue was also going to set things up for a sequel.

Okay, basically this was a scene I was going to write in the epilogue. I still plan on writing an epilogue that resolves and explains a lot of the holes in the story that didn’t get covered. I decided to make it an epilogue that’s just like, exposition because I wanted to get the characters through the fight scenes first and everything would be explained in the aftermath. 

I kind of consider my stories to be a little mystery and horror inspired, so you have the question part and the answer part. I said this before I also meant for it to end on a cliffhanger.

Okay, so this happened in a scene I cut and moved around to the epilogue because the chapter was getting long. But, basically there's an explanation for how Mai called Choso and them for help and how they got their so quickly.

Choso and Mimiko drove Mai home, and then gave Mai one of Nanako’s phones. Nanako’s jujutsu technique is never explained, but my headcanon is that she’s able to teleport  between the pictures she takes with her phone.  Mai just pushed the button out of the phone, and they appeared, instant teleport. In the other fics I write with Mimiko and Nanako, Nanako's phone basically works as a short range teleporter in this way able to move people or groups of people between pictures.

Mai doesn’t really care about exorcising curses, and Mimiko also explained they were only really there to retrieve one of Choso’s siblings, and empathizing with Choso Mai decided to accept their cooperation. Basically, from the start Mai decided to help Choso and Mimiko in their retreival of Noranso, and accepting their cooperation she gave them the phone to call for their help.

Choso succumbed to his injuries and stayed back in order to recover. I know Choso and Mimiko basically disappear after this point. As I said, I always envisioned the fic ending at exactly the moment Mai and Maki both collapse, and the fic is written from Maki's perspetive so the reason Choso disappears is because Mai is limited in her worldview and she didn't see him.

What happens in the outline of the epilogue I have planned is Mimiko retrieves Choso, heals her injuries and they telelport out with Nanako's phone. Nanako's phone is her cursed technique, but it's also a cursed object that can short range without Nanako. In an epilogue scene it's revealed while Nanako and Mimiko had a fight before they left, Nanako also gave her sister her phone so they would be safe.

Your guess is correct. Mai unlike Nobara who thinks that cursed spirits need to be exterminated, doesn't really think like the rest of the sorcerer society because she doesn't want to be a sorcerer in the first place. The reason she was able to sit down and talk with Mimiko is because of this difference between herself and other people.

Mimiko and Mai brokered a deal for Nobara's safety, in exchange for Mai's cooperation in helping them retrieve Noranso. The original plan was that Mimiko can sew cursed spirits into her dolls, she was going to retrieve Noranso from its human host and put it's curse in her doll instead. And then her and Choso would leave. This is an alternative option from just killing the girl and exorcising the spirit. Also, Noranso was able to seperate herself from the girl b/c Ito's last action of driving her knife into her neck activated a hidden cursed technique like Junpei had which allows her to "sever" things. She severed the connection of fate between her and Noranso turning them into two seperate entities again.

Why did Nobara and Maki both do so much damage to Choso? 

This one is fun to answer because I actually enjoy writing fight scenes in my fic, and so I put a lot of thought into the general power levels of the characters and how they use their abilities. 

Here is my rationale for both fights. I’m sorry if I didn’t do the best job of making it come across. 

For the Nobara vs. Choso fight. I consider Nobara to be roughly on the same level as Yuji when it comes to cursed energy and control. Mahito mentioned that Nobara was almost as much of a natural enemy to him as Yuji was. Nobara also during the fight with Mahito mentioned she was “close to understanding the core of cursed energy” the same was Gojo was before he upgraded his powers in the Toji fight.

This is also a personal headcanon on mine, I think the next step on Nobara’s evolution of her powers will be figuring out reversed curse energy just like Gojo did.  In the middle of the fight, immediately after Choso hit her in the head with a surprise attack Nobara got back up and came closer to understanding the core of cursed energy. Because of that her blows hit harder. 

There’s also a mention in the Yuji vs Choso fight, that Choso just being born didn’t fully understand how to use his cursed technique yet because he’s only been in his current body for all of five minutes. Because of that Yuji and Choso were fighting at the same level. 

So I intended for the fight to be a double knockout. 

As for the fight against Maki. Maki was relatively uninjured. Choso sustained wounds from Nobara’s cursed technique, which deals damage directly to the soul the same reason it’s such a threat to Mahito. Choso is a cursed spirit bound to a human fleshy body, because Nobara attacked his soul directly he sustained double damage and it was harder for him to just heal. 

He was also very mawad, and that made it hard for him to fight strategically. He was using too much blood and that drained him.

Nanako left Mimiko her cursed object phone and they talk through that.

THe person speaking in the doll is in fact the other half of Noranso. Noranso was seperated from its other half by Kenjaku (Kenjaku ripped them apart when they were born conjoined) and the two halves called out to each other.

One half of Noranso somehow ended up in the doll (there is a reason this will be explained in a future fic) the other awakened in the village at the exact moment that Choso and his brothers were awakened and placed into bodies by Mahito.

The doll had the other half of Noranso in it, it was a haunted doll, MImiko was carrying it around and the only reason that Mimiko knew that Noranso was the cause of the town’s curse in the first place is because she had that cursed doll. The two halves of Noranso called to each other the same way Choso can detect his brothers. (Because Norasno was a set of conjoiend twins they can be pulled apart in half). 

Mai is also cursed by a spirit in the book. The spirit is in her shadow. Shoko, Nobara, and Noran-so are able to see it, but Mai is oblivious. The spirit is clinging to her. The spirit also doesn't get revealed, but it gave Mai some of her curse energy in order to wake her up when she lost consciousness.

It was created by Mai's wish to be normal. Mai made it herself with her "matter creation" ability. Her repressed desire to be normal resulted in her shadow becoming a small cursed spirit. Like peter-pan's shadow running away from him as a seperate entity.

It helped Mai be cured, because it used reversed curse technique. Mai's own technique of matter creation is extremely limited because she has such lower curse energy. Mai's shadow-curse following her around isn't limited in that regard, it can use reverse cursed technique because it's pure energy, also Mai may in fact have low cursed energy because this thing is siphoning off of her.

(That's not the canon, the canon explanation is because of her connection to Mai makes it impossible for either of them to grow strong, but I don't like that explanation because it means Mai has to die for Maki to grow stronger, so I made up this headcanon instead).

I also like the idea that not all cursed spirits are malicious, so Mai's cursed spirit following her around as a shadow, wishes to help her, because she also desires to live as a normal girl.

Mai went to Rie's house because she was playing detective. She feigned she didn't care about the case and didn't care about Rie, but she actually figured out that Rie was suspicious on her own because she is more emotionally intelligent and observant than others give her credit for.

Rie was able to slip away from the others at the bar scene because literally nobody was paying attention to her. All three of them (Maki, Mai, Nobara) just regarded her as an annoying kid they were stuck babysitting.

Thank you so much for reading my fic and having questions, I love to do asks like this so feel free to send more if you're ever curious about anything.

[recentanimenews]

PlatinumGames Talks "World of Demons" and Bringing White-Knuckle Action to Mobile

Disclosure: I was flown to Osaka to visit PlatinumGames' studio for the official reveal of World of Demons. 

    We have one more World of Demons story to round out our coverage, and fans of PlatinumGames should find this one especially illuminating. After trying the developer's first foray into mobile gaming for myself, I had an opportunity to sit down and fire off a few questions in a one-on-three discussion with Platinum's Head of Game Design and World of Demons Creative Director Masaki Yamanaka, Platinum's Lead Game Designer and World of Demons Co-Director Kento Koyama, and World of Demons Producer and Product Owner Andrew Szymanski of DeNA. 

  * * * 

  You mentioned that the move to mobile gaming came first before the World of Demons concept itself. How quickly did you arrive at this concept? 

  Masaki Yamanaka: Actually, at the time when Andrew approached our company about wanting to make a mobile game with us, I already had an idea sort of like this in mind. I had even made a design document for a similar action game with this sort of traditional Japanese styling. From there it took about three months to work out the details. So it wasn't like "oh, let's make a mobile game, okay let's do this," immediately, but the seeds of the idea were already there.  

  What was the most difficult aspect of translating the PlatinumGames vision to a mobile platform?

  For the most part it wasn't that difficult to just put a game on the mobile device, but design-wise I'd say the hardest part was, you know, we're going from having a controller with a lot of buttons to a touch interface where you're much more limited. So, just sort of iterating through, okay, what do we cut? What do we streamline? How do we get a game like this on such a limited input device? That was the biggest challenge. 

  To go a little further on that, our goal was really, how can we make a game that uses this touch interface without losing any of the appeal; any of the enjoyment of playing one of our games on a controller.

  To me, PlatinumGames titles are all about the timing of the dodge. I was surprised at how intuitive it was to pull this off on a touch screen. Did it take a long time to figure out a solution for this type of control scheme?

  We want this sort of touch-based game to still be just as fun as any controller-based game, and one thing we value very highly is the response, the feeling. So we worked really hard to make sure all of the inputs, not just dodging, but everything you do with the touch interface, feels better than it has before. That was something we put a lot of effort into. 

    As your first mobile game, what do you think is most important for keeping players engaged for long periods of time; to keep them playing for months and beyond? 

  Kento Koyama: We feel that the first, most important element that will keep players engaged is this idea of growing and developing as you play. There are really three main axes among which players can do that in World of Demons. They will build out their Samurai, their player character; their collection of Yokai, which provide skills; and then their weapons, which have an effect on the player's attacks themselves. 

  We also want that not to be just an "Oh, I have to play for this amount of time to level up in this way," we want it to actually feel rewarding to players, to develop themselves and grow stronger. We think, whether they're playing for a short amount of time or a long amount of time, we want them to just really enjoy it and stay with it.  

  You mentioned not wanting to introduce any paywall that slows the game down or blocks off content—which is something that's prevalent in mobile gaming—so how do you go about structuring live services for World of Demons and determining value for the content?

  Andrew Szymanski: So yes, I mentioned earlier today that we don't want to lock anything behind a paywall; we want people to experience the content that we have. It's the same reason we don't have artificial timers and things like that, other than very specific instances. Looking at that from a live ops perspective, and touching on what Koyama-san just said about the three different level up mechanics you have, that loop is always going to continue. 

  So the idea is, as he said, whether you're playing for a long time or a short time, to always be having these rewards that are being provided so you can power up your character. The goal with that is, for instance, when we first launch and we have, say, two story chapters, you can go back and play on higher difficulties, which, the only way to beat those difficulties is to level yourself up. Those have better rewards, bigger drops, and things like that.

  I didn't beat an Intermediate stage.

  Yeah. (Laughs.) You're not supposed to at first. 

  I ran out of time. 

  (The laughs continue at my very honest but bad gaming confession.) 

    So getting back to your question about live ops, when we release new content, as I mentioned this morning, it's not gated. If we release a new story chapter, if we release a new character as part of that story—and that also includes Yokai and things like that—as long as you've hit the right level of progression, you've gotten far enough in, you can play immediately. The goal is not to sell that content, by any means, that's the last thing we want. The goal is for people to be engaged with that content and be constantly feeding back into that loop where you're upgrading yourself. The products we offer for purchase are essentially about having either shortcuts or other methods of expanding upon those level up mechanics. 

  You could get any given minion from a drop from a mission, and the higher the difficulty the better the chance for that mission's boss to drop his minion. But, if you're impatient and you just want to catch 'em all, so to speak, you can go in and do the summon using in-game currency and that can provide a method to get a lot of these quicker. We really see that cycle not changing in live ops. It's less about selling individual pieces of content as it is continuing to provide more content to the players who want to see more and more of what we have to offer, and then feeding that back into the existing loop Koyama-san mentioned earlier. 

  You showed off a few different types of multiplayer so far. Were there any other modes you experimented with, or maybe some that will arrive at a later date that you can talk about?

  Masaka Yamanaka: We did of course try out several different multiplayer options, and there are a few of them that made it into our idea stock for future editions. That is something we're looking to expand upon throughout the life of the game. 

  For the single-player story mode, is there an 'endgame' planned, or will you keep new seasons going as long as you have ideas?

  We do have plans for now to extend the story mode for a while; we can't say much more beyond that. 

  Andrew Szymanski: At launch the game will have two story chapters, one of which you were able to access today. That will be followed up within a short period after launch with additional story content. That will kind of form, in a sense, the first season of content, if you will. It will provide a narrative stopping point while also hinting at what will come beyond that. As Yamanaka-san mentioned, we already have a lot of ideas of where we want to take the story after that, and that will be coming into play as we get a little further out from launch. 

    The game has a distinct ukiyo-e style to it, and you even recreated aspects of some of that original art in the game. Was this decision made very early in development, and who is in charge of the art team for World of Demons?

  Masaki Yamanaka: In terms of the overall art direction, that was my idea. The art itself is done by a woman named Rie Ota. One thing we really liked about her work is it doesn't feel like anime, it doesn't feel like a comic; it feels like Japanese traditional artwork, so that was really appealing to us. 

  World of Demons is full of Yokai and Oni; were there any inspirations beyond their origin in Japanese folklore, such as classic manga like GeGeGe no Kitaro and other series that featured mischievous spirits? 

  Of course we're all familiar with the works of Shigeru Mizuki, who made GeGeGe no Kitaro; all of us were familiar with that since we were kids. So actually, we deliberately avoided influences from more pop culture interpretations of Yokai. We really focused on Sekien Toriyama's adaptation of the Yokai parade concept; on those Edo period, traditionalist interpretations. I'd say we actively avoided taking influence from Kitaro. 

  Beyond Yokai, how deep does the folklore connection go? Are there any aspects of the story derived from famous tales like Momotaro or Taketori Monogatari?

  The main influence was the Yokai parade story, but there was another legend in particular which we also drew influence from: The tale of the samurai Onitaiji. It's a story of a samurai fighting this legendary Oni named Shuten-Doji, who also does appear in this game. So that was another big touchstone for us in this. 

  Kento Koyama: This was the story of Miyamoto no Yorimitsu. 

  Andrew Szymanski: He was an actual historical figure, and the records claim that the Emperor at the time had asked him and his band of samurai to go and kill this extremely powerful Oni warlord that was terrorizing the countryside, and this is actually considered to be a historical event. If you go to the Tokyo National Museum there's actually a famous multiple-panel illustration based on that event. That's something the team has tried to bring in and use as a framing device for the story. 

    It might have happened! You mentioned Matt Alt's work on the scenario. How much input did he have in the story, and has this made simultaneous localization easier?

  Masaki Yamanaka: He's had a very deep influence, and we worked together quite closely on the story. I would just send him some advice, like, oh I'd like for this to happen, and we would discuss it. 

  Andrew Szymanski: Matt and his wife Hiroko [Yoda] wrote the script, and the English version was the original version. This isn't even actually a localization, it was originally written for the purpose of taking these traditional Yokai, and the reason we went to Matt and Hiroko is we wanted them to incorporate not only an interesting story, but to also be able to explain and teach about these Yokai in a way that would make sense within that framework. 

  Yeah, I noticed a lot of humor while playing; was that then translated back for the Japanese version? 

  What Matt and Hiroko did was then converted back into Japanese in a way that made most sense for the Japanese audience.

  Masaki Yamanaka: We didn't want the story to be extremely serious, so we wanted to inject moments of humor in there. The big thing behind that is Yokai are just weird; they're strange, they're not all evil, and not all of them that appear in the game are evil. So we didn't want to constantly focus on this terror of fighting these monsters. There is a tension there between the ones that are bad and the ones that are a little funnier, but we didn't want it to be super serious. 

  Moving on to more general questions, what is the game that inspired you to become a developer?

  Masaki Yamanaka: Daimakaimura (Ghouls 'n Ghosts). I played it in the arcade when I was a kid, and it was very difficult, but I did manage to beat it. 

  Both times?

  Yeah! I finally beat it and there was a credit roll, and I was like, "Wait, this was made by people?," and that moment inspired me. 

  Kento Koyama: Smash Bros. There were a lot of games that I played and enjoyed and that inspired me, but Smash Bros. was the first game I played that made me aware that games are made by people; they have creators behind them. 

    This can be the same answer or a different choice, but what is your favorite game of all time? 

  Kento Koyama: To limit it to a recent game, it would be Rainbow Six Siege. It's my favorite recent game because it's not just a lot of fun and well made, it's also really useful to study from a design perspective; it's enjoyable and well designed. 

  To broaden my answer, Final Fantasy V. 

  Masaki Yamanaka: If I were to think back at the game that held my rapt attention for the longest, that I got the deepest into, that would be Puyo Puyo 2. 

  Since I'm with Crunchyroll, I have to know if you have a favorite manga or anime.

  Masaki Yamanaka: Parasyte.

  Kento Koyama: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

  Masaki Yamanaka: I like Parasyte a lot, so when you play Resident Evil 4 and you see that Krauser has—

  Oh, the hands!

  It's not a ripoff. (Laughs). I designed that character but I didn't rip it off, so don't believe anyone who tells you. 

  * * * 

  As a bonus, I thought I'd share a few photos from my visit to Platinum's offices in Osaka. Here's a quick glimpse of what we got to check out during our tour and meeting with various World of Demons staff members.

  Here's a wide view of the office, or at least the portion we were allowed to see:

  Environment Artist Yasutaka Maeki shows off his work:

  Character Modeling Artist Muneyuki Kotegawa puts one of the more spine-tingling demons on display:

  Animator William Iamazi Ferro puts World of Demons' characters through the motions:

  Composer Hiroshi Yamaguchi played a live sample of the pumping traditional soundtrack for us:

  Before leaving, I had to snap a photo of all the consoles they have to play around with: 

  And it was worth waiting for Hideki Kamiya to show up for this. It turns out my head is actually a little shinier! 

  -------

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

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[lovingnikiforov]

2017 Fic Writing Round-Up

Total year-long word count: 397,326 words.....jfc

Word count by fandom:  ~ Bungou Stray Dogs: 304,788 ~ Yuri on Ice: 92,002 ~ Noragami: 536

Fics completed: 34

♥ Drabbles: ~ 15 tumblr prompt fills - bsd, yoi, noragami ~ chasing happy - bsd, odazai

♥ Oneshots: ~ Unwrapped - bsd, soukoku, pwp, IoL companion ~ just a start - bsd, soukoku, eating disorder, pre-canon ~ Seventy-Three Hours - bsd, soukoku, IoL companion ~ Reaching for Normal - bsd, soukoku, first date, IoL companion ~ Masterpiece - bsd, soukoku, tattooed Chuuya, IoL companion ~ all night long - bsd, soukoku, pole dancing Chuuya ~ You're Mine - bsd, soukoku, choker kink, mafia boss dazai, IoL companion ~ PDA - bsd, soukoku, choker kink, mafia boss dazai ~ on cliff's edge - bsd, soukoku, pre-canon, alt first reunion ~ Touch - bsd, reader-insert, pwp, gift fic ~ Closure - bsd, pre-canon, alt first reunion, gift fic ~ Deals Kept - bsd, soukoku, college au, gift fic ~ slow dancing in a burning room - bsd, soukoku, alcoholism, self-harm, gift fic ~ Drop the Act - bsd, soukoku, pwp, mafia spy Dazai ~ reach out and touch - yoi, viktuuri, touch-starved viktor ~ Puppy Love - bsd, soukoku, kid fic, jealous Dazai

♥ Chapter Fics: ~ Illustrations of Lying - bsd, soukoku, mafia boss dazai au ~ don’t you ever tame your demons - bsd, soukoku, dystopian/mafia boss dazai au

Works-in-progress: 3 ~ Equivalent Exchange - viktuuri magic/fantasy au ~ where your loyalties lie - soukoku arranged marriage/yakuza au ~ Rent a (boy)Friend - phichuuri fake dating au

This year I wrote and posted: 37 fics in total: 2 completed multi-chapter fics, 3 wip multi-chapter fics, 16 oneshots, 16 drabbles.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you'd predicted? So, so much more. This is the most fic I've ever written in a year by far.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January? Yuri on Ice. There's already so much content for the fandom and I spent the first 6 months of the year without a single piece of inspiration for a yoi story and now I'm writing two.

What's your own favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest? Rent a (boy)Friend. It's definitely not my normal genre and that's why it's entertaining to write. Also the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing amuses me everytime I go to work on it.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? I feel like my writing theme this year was taking risks. dyetyd was a big one for me: I've never tried my hand at dystopia and I've also never written anything that was as dark as that story. There's also some stylistic choices I was playing with in terms of narration. I also tried writing in present tense for the first time with wyll (which has stuck, I like it). Not to mention the scale of the worldbuilding for EE considering that it's my first yoi fic almost made me not write it.

Your best story of this year: Hmm, this is a hard one. I think I might have to go with Equivalent Exchange even though it's not finished yet. I'm really pleased with the worldbuilding and the character development in the story.

Your most popular story of this year:  Equivalent Exchange, though to be fair the yoi fandom is a lot bigger than the bsd fandom.

Story of yours most under-appreciated by the universe, in your opinion: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Looking through my fics I couldn't pick one that feels under-appreciated. The amount of support I received this year for all of my fics has been humbling.

Most fun story to write: Puppy Love. I had a lot of fun swapping headcanons with Rie (AnonLearnsToWrite) on twitter and the story practically wrote itself.

Story with the single sexiest moment: You’re Mine. Honestly I think this overall was the sexiest story I wrote this year, but I'm partial to the bit when Dazai learns just how prepared Chuuya is.

Most "Holy crap, that's wrong, even for you" story: slow dancing in a burning room, this was a prompt fill though so I feel like there's a gray area here.

Story that shifted your own perceptions of the characters: Illustrations of lying. Since this was my first bsd fic it's the one where I kind of fumbled my way through understanding the characters. Some of the choices I found on accident here ended up really impacting how I characterized Dazai and Chuuya for the rest of the year.

Hardest story to write: don’t you ever tame your demons (i know let’s all act shocked). My goal from the start of this fic was to challenge myself and I think I did too good of a job with that lol.

Biggest disappointment: Closure. There were things I wanted to do conceptually with the fic that didn't end up reading the way I wanted them to. I just always feel like I could've done better with this one.

Biggest surprise: Sora's Piece (wyll companion). I literally wrote this on a whim in response to an ask and was not prepared for my wyll readers to latch onto the character.

Most unintentionally telling story: reach out and touch. While this fic is about a viktor headcanon I've agreed with for a long time this definitely ended up being more of a vent fic than I anticipated.

Favorite opening line(s): ~ Of all the things that Dazai would have expected to find in Chuuya’s apartment, a stripper pole was certainly not one of them. - all night long ~ It is an universal truth that power rests in the hands of only a minority of those who seek it. - don't you ever tame your demons

Favorite closing line(s): ~ (He’s fairly certain this next mission probably would manage to kill the older man, and he’d prefer not to fuck this up). - Puppy Love

Favorite 5 line(s) from anywhere: ~ Her gaze runs over Chuuya’s face and she cocks an eyebrow, “you voluntarily married Dazai?” - wyll, ch. 9 ~ Kouyou turned her back to the city and met Dazai’s gaze. “When you break him, Dazai, do not be surprised if I tell you he is beyond repair.” - dyetyd, ch. 2 ~ Gin’s lips curled into a wry smile, “I don’t think whatever causes some to have abilities and others not to have them gives a damn about how the world handles it. - dyetyd, ch. 16 ~ "Hey, Kunikida-kun, did you know that I finally achieved my dream?" Dazai hums, as if the question was never asked. "I'm blissfully dead."..."If you're dead, why are you still bothering me?" - wyll, ch. 10

Top 5 scenes from anywhere you would choose to have illustrated: ~ Yuuri telling Viktor the story of the First Mage- Equivalent Exchange ~ The reveal of Mary Shelley’s ability- Illustrations of Lying ~ Chuuya touching Dazai’s tattoo- where your loyalties lie ~ That bit in You're Mine with the mirror....u kno what I'm talking about ~ Chuuya and Dazai's first kiss- don't you ever tame your demons

Fic-writing goals for next year: This has been the first time I've had a 100% completion rate for my chapter fics and I want to continue that into 2018. No more abandoned fics from Dessa 2k18.

[writingonesdreams]

Happy STS ✨ Now I am really curious and need to know, do you have a muse? What would 5th Magic look like if it was embodied as a muse?

I have this pretty steady muse that looks a lot like Kyler (or some kind of Sasuke mix really). Some days he just sits around watching me judgingly, sometimes he is super talkative and laid-back and inspiring. Other days he is down right irritating, saying my idea are repeatative or demanding I make more characters like him. He always lists my tendencies and overused tropes, comments on how good my themes are or how he likes my daydreams, but no way are you managing to put that on paper, girl.

He likes to talk after I watch a movie or read something cool to help develop ideas or berate me for not fullfilling my plans or that I'm not catching him in the story right and should try to make a new version for him.

I get the feeling Rie, he also wants to be written down and chooses from my stories and ideas which one will be worth him😂 he can be a jerk but I like him.

Thanks for the question!

[furederiko]

Advance Notice: Behold, for this is my first monthly review for "Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger"...

I had planned on publishing a First Impression post when this show premiered on February 11th, 2018, but I ended up scrapping that idea due to several reasons. I figured I should just go ahead with the review for the first episode having seen it with subs, but another hurdle came barging on my way (forcing me to be off the grid for a brief amount of time prior to my latest post) to the point that now I practically have watched 3 subbed episodes already. LOL. So as you can see, I've finally decided to just convert it into a monthly review (consisting of episode 1 to 3 that aired Sunday, February 25th) for the series anyway. Not unlike what I did with "Kamen Rider Build", of course. But there's a catch! Since I don't want my efforts for the First Impression to go to waste, I'm going to start with them first before heading directly to my Overall thoughts on each episode. Okay then, here goes...

First Impression

NOTE: Another reminder before I start. This list was written as soon as I finished watching the first episode. It contained my personal notes and INITIAL reactions to the story, theme, and also characters, some of most definitely have more or less evolved since then. So if it might sound a bit outdated, that's just the way it is. Can't help it, these were from three weeks ago... XD - Phantom Thief? More like... burglar. I'm talking about the premiere's opening sequence, that is. While it was designed to be cinematic, to me it also felt like a missed opportunity. The writer for this episode (was it lead writer Junko Komura?) probably forgot or got him/herself confused on the basic rule of a 'Kaitou'/Phantom Thieves. What made a Phantom Thief different than regular thieves or pickpockets, was in their modus operand of sending/handing out notice way ahead of their operation in order to challenge the owner of the item. Hence why it is called ADVANCE NOTICE. Moreso, they would infiltrate the target location meticulously and secretly using tricks and deceits while naturally avoiding to cause too much of a fuzz as much as possible. Those are the basics of a Phantom Thief. If you're uninformed and curious to see how this plays out, look no further than towards the many Kaitou Kid-centered story arcs in "Meitantei Conan", or the children show "Mysterious Joker". Even the heist aspect of Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man" fit in perfectly in this method. - This show DID capture the extravagant and stylish flairs of Phantom Thieves in this opening sequence. It was undoubtedly a flashy scene. But the biggest issue here was they did NOT give off an advance notice to the Casino boss, who was, in fact, the first Gangler or MotW of the show. A missed opportunity, because they could have easily inserted that bit in a quick dialogue or two. Breaking and entering, proceeded by shooting randomly at things to retrieve their target was clearly NOT the style of a Phantom Thief. Nope, this was plain robbery or burglary at play. Huge difference, right there! LOL. Handing out a calling card afterward would be considered pretty much useless because it could no longer count as an 'Advance' notice (get it?). The later mission of the episode was better, as it required a good amount of sneaking and sleuthing. No sign of advance notice though, so what a shame *sigh*. Even if this show hasn't managed to get the thieving part correctly, it was pretty apparent that the source of inspiration for the Lupinrangers was the iconic series "Lupin the 3rd". At the very least, I'm instantly reminded of that series every time they got out in action, both in or out of suit. - Oh yeah, there's another missed potential regarding that opening sequence. In this case, it's a bit technical. Debuting the theme song of "Lupinranger VS Patranger" in the first episode sounds natural, right? Well, that should've been the case. Yet when it was played WITHOUT having the Patranger around... it bugged me big time. I personally think they should have either: used the Lupinranger-only version in that scene. Especially because the Patrangers didn't even have the ability to transform until the closing scene. Or...; rewrote the scene and have it showcase both teams at the same time, fully in costume. I know the Lupinranger is first-billed, but if I were this episode's writer, I would totally use the theme song during an actual kerfuffle between the two teams. For example, in that brief part before the episode wrapped? Heck, the episode could've started with that before going into flashback mode or some sort. It would have made a major difference if you ask me... - Characters!!! I know I should never judge a book by its cover, but seriously, Kairi Yano (LupinRed) is unappealing and squeaky. No wonder some folks were surprised that his actor Asahi Itou could be appointed as Red. Plus, it's clear he still needs to improve his acting skill, with all those constant unnerving glares. Touma Yoimachi (LupinBlue) is the usual cool type, who this time gets mixed up with the chef trope. Think of it like Kyuranger's Stinger and Spada in one body. For some reason, Shougo Hama reminded me of Kamen Rider Ibuki or Mamoru Chiba from the live action "Sailor Moon" series. I think Umika Hayami (LupinYellow) is the most likable member of the Lupinranger, albeit being the usual bumbling 'my pace' girl. It felt that graduated Morning Musume member Haruka Kudo's deep affection to tokusatsu really showed, as she looked the most comfortable in her shoes. Their names combine into 'Kai-To-u'. - Keiichirou Asaka (Patren 1-gou) is undoubtedly the better Red for me so far. I sensed that Kousei Yuuki was also more convincing as an actor than Asahi. Unfortunately, Keiichirou is also the loud brash stereotype (kind of reminds you of Go Yellow, huh?), so he and his mysterious endless rage and anger will either impress you or grate on your nerves. The same couldn't be said about the other Patranger members. Sakuya Hikawa (Patren 2-gou) and Tsukasa Myoujin (Patren 3-gou) are nothing more than... generic stereotypes in the premiere. For now at least. Which was disappointing, because Ryo Yokoyama and Kazusa Okuyama (who somehow reminded me of Red Racer and Go-On Silver) could only do so much with the limited materials they were given. These two are likely the lesser important characters (Super Sentai always have ones), which says a lot about the Patranger's position. None of these three managed to... grab my attention, because aside from a stubborn hot-blooded Keiichirou, the other two could be considered as bland. Just like the Lupinranger, their names combined into 'Kei-Sa-Tsu'. - Youichi Nukumizu's Kogure and Ike Nwala's Commisioner Hilltop are the show's MVP for me thus far. In Kogure's case, the air of mystery and elusiveness easily stole my attention and made me want to see more. I think he could work as a secret big boss vibe pulling the strings behind the scene, though it would likely end up as some kind of Alfred Pennyworth scenario instead. Likewise, Hilltop showed hints of eccentric personality due to his Japan Culture-obsessed hobby (mirroring "Sakura Taisen V"'s Sunnyside). I can't help but wonder if he's meant to be the Jim Gordon of the show? It also helped that he joined the limited list of foreign actors who played a crucial role in a tokusatsu show. I hope these two will have bigger and more important roles in the future... as suggested by that recent rumor. Sadly, I couldn't praise the same about Jim Carter (voiced by Rie Kugimiya), the Global Police's mascot robot. I disliked its design, and see no actual use of it. Not to mention that name. Why TOEI, just why? - Comparing these two teams have always been an ordeal since I saw their first images. Each one has their pros and cons that sort of balanced my impression on them. I liked the Patranger cast better, but those suit design totally threw me off the table. I dig the style of the Lupinranger suit, but feel mixed about its actors. It's clear however, that the Lupinranger was put center front in the premiere (as evident by the flashy top-hatted transformation sequence and cool silhouetted roll call), to the point that the Patranger was basically just... there. Thus it felt somewhat premature and unfair to compare them due to the state they are right now. Not surprisingly, the scene in the Bistrot Jurer was executed better than the one in the GSPO's Tactical Unit Operations Room. The latter just looked more... fake somehow *sigh*. - Speaking of suits, Patranger likely had inspirations from "KyuKyu Sentai GoGoFive", "Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger", with a hint of "Go Go Sentai Boukenger". Sadly, these are not as good as those three. The Lupinranger ones are clearly a "Mirai Sentai Timeranger" nod, complete with that giant hands of clock-shaped swords that reminded me of the Vector Swords. Still, they should've gone with a long coat tail like in the transformation sequence (Zyuoh Whale and Draco Commander style). That would've made for a more elegant look. - I'm not that fond of the design for the show's main antagonist (a mixture of dinosaur and... guns?). Not the grenade-inspired but watermelon-looking Destora Mazzio (voiced by Pokemon's Brock himself, Yuuji Ueda), and particularly the hideous Goshu Ru Medu (voiced by "K-ON!"'s Ayana Taketatsu). Perhaps it's the way that every Gangler needs to include a safety box on their body that made them look... I don't know, silly? On the bright side, it does have this interesting mafia family style that would provide great potentials assuming it's explored properly. Cues from "The Godfather" movies can be felt from their so-called leader Dogranio Yabun (voiced by Mitsuru Miyamoto), as well as an obvious nod to Don Dolnero of Timeranger. In the case of those Lupin Collection, I'm sure Super Sentai fans would easily be reminded of Boukenger's Precious. - Neat camera works for the action scenes. Some... inventive movements that involved plenty of 360 shots taken from kinetic angles. Unfortunately, they would work much better in a fast-paced viewing. When you slowed the sequence down, it's more than obvious that the transitions between the different cameras (the regular huge and docked one, and possibly a drone/hand-held for the moving parts) aren't exactly as smooth. The switching was more than apparent, because there's an easily noticeable fluctuation in video quality. Not to mention, it did feel confusing to see after repeated viewings. - Last but not least, the absence of an ending sequence could be a make or break situation for the show. Many audience particularly Japanese kids genuinely loved an ending song that they could dance along with. I know that this one felt more mature already without one, but is that really a good thing? We'll just have to wait and see...

01 - "Here Comes the Flashy Burglar / Off-Beat Arrested Development"

Overall: I admit, after seeing this episode again with English subtitle, it was better than my first initial watch. Unfortunately, many of its issues (that I have pointed out above) are hard to overlook and still render my overall judgment. This was meant to be a groundbreaking series that actually features two existing Super Sentai teams at once, yet in my opinion, it ended up feeling more or less like your standard Super Sentai show. It didn't feel that much 'different', despite being taunted/promoted as such. Same old, same old. Most of that is likely due to the fact that the Patranger didn't have equal footing in it when they really SHOULD. Everything this police unit does (always-late appearance, bland characters, unimpressive significance, etc) didn't account much, giving off a distracting vibe that they were merely a set of supporting characters in a Lupinranger show. Seriously, they didn't even have a proper transformation scene and roll call because of how heavily Lupinranger-focused this has been. I'm not fond of police-themed Sentai, to begin with, hence why I already liked it less than other Super Sentai fans. Not saying this debut episode was bad, but more like... not my cup of tea? Didn't win me over? I do get why many are loving it though. This was a breeze of fresh air, especially when compared to the recent WEAK (I'm being NICE here) seasons of "Power Rangers" adaptations. Still, in my opinion, it's a pretty standard premiere, heavy on expositions, and due to its minor flaws, wasn't really on par with previous Super Sentai premiere episodes. On the bright side, if the show's future development is consistent with a recent rumor flying around the internet, then they will be enough to keep me watching this show. Here's hoping...

02 - "Frozen Back-Story / Fudging-Sweaty Fusion"

Overall: If I have to choose one word to describe this episode, that would be easy: HECTIC. Yes, as fittingly represented by the official opening sequence that... in my honest opinion, could have used better editing. The action parts felt busy and rushed, to the point that when it slowed down for the dramatic parts, the episode became uneven. I have this feeling that the debut of the vaguely disturbing Patren Union (defying all kinds of real life logic) was meant to put or even push the Patranger into the spotlight. Heck, they finally got their own flas... er generic roll call now (it still looks bland compared to the thieves no matter how you put it... *sigh*). Unfortunately, it's the drama part that pretty much stole every attention and became the major highlight of this episode. And sadly, it was particularly shining a light towards the Lupinranger... all over again. Yes, Kairi, Touma, and Umika remained to be the first-billed characters, as the show decided to reveal their real motives/goal to collect the Lupin Collection. Which was emotional and VERY personal at best. Hence our supposedly good officers were still being relegated as second fiddle, showing that the show hasn't managed to divide the focus evenly between the two teams. But hey, the Patranger also helped debuted the sentient-chatterbox Good Striker/Goody (voiced by legendary Virgo Shaka himself, Yuuji Mitsuya), right? Only to jumpstart the arrival of Lupin Kaizer when the Collection Piece combined with the Lupinranger's Dial Fighters instead. And while the show's first mecha (which didn't look as good as its design, I can't tell why) dealt with the Gangler in a flashy way, Keichirou, Sakuya, and Tsukasa only stared blankly into the night sky. Oh Patranger, I feel truly sorry for you... Ignoring the fact that it's still an uneven affair, it's indeed a much better episode than the first. It's not perfect by all means, and probably could do with better editing, but that genuinely intriguing backstory honestly did much of the heavy lifting. It's probably the show's best episode so far, though I'm hoping it's not the extent that this show has to offer.

03 - "Fiance on Ice / A Sticky Reinforcement"

Overall: LOL, did anyone actually expect some secret identities to be exposed, just 3 episodes in? That's NOT how Super Sentai works, especially in a full-year extended version of a Versus movie like this. So in that sense, what a pointless cliffhanger that was at the end of episode 2, huh? This intro scene basically answered one lingering concern I had since episode 1. Remember how Keiichirou and Kairi had a civilian stand-off about that newspaper ball in the park early on? If Keiichirou has good photographic memory and critical analysis skill as a competent police officer, he would've instantly recognized Kairi in Jurer. Not just that, he should also recognize LupinRed's voice coming from his mouth. But noooope, that did NOT happen. Frankly, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I just hope this didn't simply mean that Kei, as well as Sakuya and Tsukasa, are being written off as a bit... slow. That would be a disaster! How could one root for them if they are so unreliable? We got more insight into Touma's character concerning his fiance Aya. Not much of a surprise, because the previous episode had openly shown the identities of the frozen closed ones *sigh*. His character now reminds me of Joe Gibken from "Kaizoku Sentai Go-kaiger", who so happens to be sharing a similar cool-blue stereotype. But I'm not sure why there's something off with Touma that I couldn't really put into words. A relentless darkness that is rubbing me the wrong way. Which is strange, because Joe is my favorite Go-kaiger. It felt like Sakuya was probably meant to be the 2nd focus here, or at least meant to have his share of the spotlight. But since the execution was still uneven, still favoring heavily on the Lupinranger side, inevitably the rookie member of the Global Police ended up being eclipsed by both Touma and also Kairi. On the bright side, him showing instant attraction to Umika at the end implied that he's destined to be the awkward but likable goofball of the series. Assuming this angle will be explored in the future, of course. I might be wrong in this, but it felt like the Patranger has gotten the short end of the stick... again. Three times in a row! I mean, when the whole episode established that the Lupinranger will now be using the Patranger as tools to do their bidding, that... kind of says A LOT, right? The thieves (true to their namesake) kept on stealing attention from the public servant (fittingly so), always acting one step ahead of them. And their version of Good Striker's Finishing Move wasn't even better (lamer IMO) than Union to begin with. Even Kogure singlehandedly stole the scenes with his elusive appearances and mysterious relationship with Goody! Marvel Studios carefully constructed a story that enabled "Captain America: Civil War" audience to be divided between the two conflicting teams, but there's none of that here. For the time being, the Patranger only feels more and more like an afterthought, a lesser team that probably shouldn't even get a mention in the title. I don't think that's fair... Oh well, at least their Pat Kaizer debut was great. I can't say why, but it honestly looked much better in action. That's a hugely pleasant surprise! Was it because Lupin Kaizer's battle relied too heavily on CG to showcase its fluid movement? Not really, because Pat Kaizer also had its fair share of CG. Because the battle took place in the daylight? Regardless, the combined Trigger Machines was sturdy and strong. And though I could do without that pink pole stick, this mecha looked impressive overall and just more fun to see in motion. Next Episode: A Closed Room Case...

Episode 1 Score: 7,2 out of 10 Episode 2 Score: 7,8 out of 10 Episode 3 Score: 7,4 out of 10

All images are screen captured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.