#this is your sign to read chihayafuru.

[watcher-ofthe-sky-art]

“I think this even now that until you get to the urayasu room, you shouldn't look the queen in the eye.”

[seikatsu-ga-tsuzuku]

Hi again Nicky...Okay, here are the thread (sorry no pics).

It's called "Build your own Shoujosei romance"

First, it starts with your birthday month

Jan- Itsuomi (Sign Affection)

Feb- Horikita (Queen Quality)

Mar - Ash Lynx (Banana Fish)

Apr- Tomoe (Kamisama Kiss)

May- Kyo (Fruits Basket)

June - Ren (Skip Beat)

July- Nana (Nana)

Agt- Oscar (Rose of Versailles)

Sept - Kazehaya (Kimi ni Todoke)

Oct- Taichi (Chihayafuru)

Nov - Utena (RGU)

Dec - Hak (Yona)

Then your MBTI

Because you're INFJ you got "Supernatural Slice of Life" (with Natsume as background pic)

Then your birthdate

1-5 'Enemies/ Annoyance to Lovers'

6- 10 'Love Triangle'

11-15 'Reverse Harem'

16-20 'Slow Burn'

21-25 'Ends in Tragedy'

26-31 'Having more Chamistry with Your Rival'

Ends up with your fav color to decide in which art style will be

White - By Aya Kanno (Requiem of Rose King)

Red - By Chiho Saito (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Orange - By Yuki Suetsugu (Chihayafuru)

Pink - Naoko Tekeuchi (Sailor Moon)

Yellow - Yumi Tamura (Basara)

Green - Reiko Shimizu (Himitsu Top Secret)

Purple- Matsuri Hino (Vampire Knight)

Blue - Arina Tanemura (The Gentleman's Alliance Cross)

Black - Kaori Yuki (Godchild)

Other color - Mizuho Kusanagi (Akatsuki no Yona) ; Sorata Akidzuki (Snow White Red Hair) ; Mika Yamamori (Moonlit Dusk)

Sorry for this long ask. Hope you don't mind...(also it's manga recs if you want to have any new read).

I got Queen's Quality, supernatural slice of life, reverse harem, and Arina Tanemura (damn i hate that art style lol)

[theclearblue]

Ooh...Thanks for your kind answer (about fandom ask). So can I ask your top 10 (or top 5) fav manga each from shounen/seinen & shoujo/josei? Thx :D

Oooh of course anon and these aren't really in order but for Shoujo/Josei:

Yona of the Dawn (to anon and to everyone out there, I am BEGGING you to read YOTD please please please it starts kinda slow but it's so amazing)

Fruit's Basket

Sweat & Soap (Look the first volume comes off a little questionable...but this is one of the healthiest relationships I have ever read in my life I love them so much)

Kamisama Kiss

Revolutionary Girl Utena (and I'm also begging everyone to please please please watch Utena it's so good but do look up trigger warnings beforehand)

Chihayafuru

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (the ending is a little...strange on this one to put it lightly lmao but I do still really like it)

A Sign of Affection

Wotakoi: Life is Hard as an Otaku

Skip and Loafer

And for Shounen/Seinen:

One Piece (look...I know it's long...but really it's not long enough please watch or read you won't regret it)

Jujutsu Kaisen (shocking answer I know lmao)

Hunter x Hunter

Monster

Mob Psycho 100

Kaguya Sama: Love is War

Mushishi

Full Metal Alchemist

Chainsaw Man

Haikyuu

[ikeepwatchinghelicopters]

I was tagged by @cha-melodius. Thank you for the tag! I decided to combine the two tag games into one post. I hope that’s not illegal 😅

tea, coffee, or soda? Tea, though I find myself drinking a lot of coffee these days.

dogs or cats? Dogs.

can you play an instrument? I played classical guitar. And the cello. But I haven’t touched the cello for almost 5 years. So I probably can’t play it anymore. I could maybe manage something on the piano.

what’s your sun sign? Scorpio.

first song lyrics that pop into your head? “And the soldiers march behind me” a line from Blossoms by The Amazing Devil, because that’s the last song I listened to.

do you have any tattoos? Nope.

favorite place you’ve traveled? Japan.

what’s the last movie you watched? I rewatched Cars with my mum.

what languages do you speak? English, Slovak, Czech (well, I can understand more than I can speak), Spanish and I know a few sentences in German and Norwegian.

do you have any hobbies? Fanfic reading and writing. Cooking or baking when the mood strikes me (so, very rarely). Watching trains. I might buy an ukulele soon and try to learn to play it a bit.

you can hang out with one fictional character for an hour, who do you choose? Jaskier’s my current obsession, so I’d chat with him.

compliment yourself: Uhm, I hate complimenting myself. I guess I like how my hands look?

1. Are you named after anyone? I don’t think so.

2. When was the last time you cried? Sometime last week when I re-read the first few chapters of Chihayafuru. But I have teared up and shed a tear or two when reading fanfiction a few times since then. Most recently from The Stillness, The Dancing by  giddytf2.

3. Do you have any kids? Nope.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Sometimes. I wouldn’t say it’s a lot.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people? No clue. I’ve never noticed that I notice something in particular.

6. What's your eye color? Brown.

7. Scary movie or happy ending? Happy ending.

8. Any special talents? None that I know of.

9. Where were you born? Slovakia.

10. What are your hobbies? See above, lol.

11. Do you have any pets? Nope.

12. What sports do you play/have played? Tennis, football (when I was a small kid), basketball (but that was mostly just in P.E. in high school). I tried archery for a month.

13. How tall are you? Around 164 cm.

14. Favorite subject in school? Biology, languages, literature. I liked history for a few years, because we had a great teacher.

15. Dream job? Changes depending on the last movie/series I’ve watched 😅 Seriously though, I have a lot of jobs I would like to try but nothing that would qualify as a dream job. Maybe working in a bookstore or a library?

I never know who to tag, so anyone can feel free to answer the questions if they want to.

[sabraeal]

Interview Tag!

Rules: answer the questions and tag 20 blogs you are contractually obligated to know better!

Tagged by: @the-pompous-potato and @eveluboi

Nickname: Jen, Jenna, Sab, sabraeal. I had so many more when I was younger, but I’ve definitely streamlined at this point XD

Pronouns: she/her

Star-Sign: gemini

Height: 5′9 on most days, but my tallest is 5′10 (ahhh, thank you, unreliable hypermobile spine)

Current Time: 8:13pm

When is your birthday: Jun 20

Favourite bands/groups: Guster, Muse, Sonata Arctica, Great Big Sea, The Dear Hunter, Myrath, Two Steps From Hell

Favourite Solo Artist: Vienna Teng, Hozier, Marina, Indila, Florence & the Machine

Song Stuck in your head: I just god Franz Ferdinand’s “Take Me Out” looping through, since I was flipping through my music library

Last Movie Watched: Uhhhhhhhh....I’m honestly not quite sure? I think Onward was the last one we watched with the kids, but husband and I have watched a movie since then....

Last show binged: I don’t tend to binge shows, but husband and I are currently working on Bridgerton, and I’m watching Chihayafuru on my own, with Horimyia on the side. I think the last show I BINGED-binged was BNA

When did you create this blog: March 2014

Last Thing Googled: when should you fight the sword dancer in tales of symphonia (I wanted to make sure I could leave the continent and come back later, I HAVE BEEN BURNED BY TOO MANY JRPGS)

Other Blogs: I co-mod @snowwhite-andtheknight!

Why You chose your url: I have used this as a handle since high school and have no intention of stopping now

Do You get asks: When asked for, and occasionally in the wild, though they’re usually like...confession asks, and I am absolutely not about the Life Advice Blogger life, no thanks

How many people do you follow: 200

How many followers do you have: ...803. LISTEN, I KNOW. I’ll have something after madness. Maybe after bingo. WE’LL SEE

Average hours of sleep: 6-7

Lucky Number: 13

Instrument: I used to play a little piano, but that whole ADHD thing makes reading music hard AF. I mostly just did high school choir

Currently Wearing: Leggings, tank top, husband’s hoodie, and socks

Dream Job: writer

Dream Trip: At this point pretty much anything. THE BAR IS LOW

Favourite Food: I really love Chicken Parmagiana over Fettucini Alfredo. It is a combo. Also cheesecake, om nom nom

Favourite Song: So many! I think the one that never fails to get me in a good space is FaFa by Guster

Top Three Fictional worlds you would like to live in: Pokemon, So You Want to be a Wizard, Star Trek

[keyofjetwolf]

Pitch Me your thing!

HELLO HELLO MY SUNBEAMS. For most every category, there was an impressive turn-out for pitches, so I thought we’d utilize the weirdness of this year’s GIFTENING to give something new a try. The popular vote winner for each category will happen on the first day, but on the second, the winner will be chosen from YOUR PITCHES. Mostly those pitches will be to me. The exception is in Miscellaneous, where you’ll be pitching to my family, because what I want to do and what is most entertaining isn’t necessarily the same thing.

So! How will we do this thing? GLAD YOU ASKED. I’ll link you to a form in a minute with space for one pitch. Once you fill it out, you’ll be asked if you want to do another. There’s no limit to the number of pitches you can send in! But remember that if you submit multiple entries for the same category, you’ll basically be competing against yourself.

NOW WE’VE GOT SOME RULES FOR DOING THIS (which I mostly stole from Holligay, because I have no creativity this year). Please read them carefully! I’ll toss pitches that break any of these, and I’d rather your hard work not go to waste.

Pitch Me is open for your submissions from RIGHT NOW (22 December) through the very last day of this hellyear (31 December) at 11:59pm MT.

The thing you pitch must have come from what was nominated for THE GIFTENING 2020. (Full list of those nominations in every category below the cut on this post.)

Entries must be unsigned! I’m looking to chose based on the pitch alone, regardless of who submitted it.

The pitch itself must be 100 words or less. HAVE PITY ON ME I CAN ONLY CONSUME SO MUCH.

If you’d like to get some help, ideas, feedback, all that good stuff, the Discord is a FANTASTIC resource I encourage you to use.

HERE IS YOUR PITCH SUBMISSION LINK

And, as promised, below the cut you’ll find the list of all the nominees in every category you guys sent in this year. IT’S A LONG LIST HAVE FUN WITH THAT

Anime

A Place Further Than The Universe/Sora Yori mo Toi Basho Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) Action Heroine Cheer Fruits Aggretsuko Aho Girl Air Master Akuma No Riddle Alien Nine Angel Beats! Angelic Layer Appare-Ranman Aria Aria the Animation Arrietty/ The Secret World of Arrietty (Ghibli film) Ascendance of a Bookworm Azumamga Daioh Baccano! Beastars Black Cat Blood + (the series) Bloom Into You Blue Drop/Tenshitachino Gikyoku Bodacious Space Pirates (starting right where you left off) BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense Boku no hero academia Bubblegum Crisis Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card Cardcaptor Sakura Castlevania the Animated Series Cells at Work Chaos; Head Chihayafuru Code Geass cowboy Bebop Cyborg 009 Death Note Death Parade Deca-Dence Demon Girl Next Door Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) Diebuster: Aim For the Top 2 Dog Days dorohedoro Dot Hack//SIGN Dr. Stone Elfen Lied Erased (Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi) Escaflowne Excel Saga Fantastic Children Fate/Zero Flip Flappers Fresh Precure Fruits Basket 2019 Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Ga rei Zero GaoGaiGar gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex Ghost Stories (dubbed) Girls' Last Tour Great Pretender Hoseki no Kuni/ Land of the Lustrous House of Five Leaves/ Saraiya Goyou Inari konkon koi iroha Interviews with Monster Girls Inuyasha Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Jellyfish Princess/ Kuragehime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable Kaguya-sama Love Is War Kaleido Star Kannazuki no Miko Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Kemono Friends Kiki's Delivery Service Kimi ni Todoke: From Me To You Kino's Journey/Kino no Tabi (2003) Land of the Lustrous (Houseki no Kuni) Little Witch Academia Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files EP0 {"A Grave Keeper") Love is Hard for an Otaku Love Live! Sunshine!! lupin the 3rd part 4 Madoka: The Rebellion Movie Magic knight rayearth Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha March Comes in Like a Lion Mardock Scramble Master of Martial Hearts Mawaru Penguindrum Megalobox Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Mob Psycho 100 Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) Monster Mushishi My Bride is a Mermaid (Seto No Hanayome) My Love Story!!! My Neighbor Totoro My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom My Roommate is a Cat NANA Naruto Natsume’s Book of Friends Neon Genesis Evangelion (hateblog) New Cutey Honey Nichijou Ōban Star-Racers One Piece Ouran High school Host club Outlaw Star Paranoia Agent Perfect Blue Please Save My Earth Pop Team Epic Pretty Cure Fresh Princess Jellyfish/ Kuragehime Princess Mononoke Princess Principal Princess Tutu Project A-Ko promised neverland (/yakusoku no neverland) Psycho-Pass Ranma 1/2 Re: Cutie Honey Re:Creators Read or Die (OAV) Red Garden relife Revolutionalry Girl Utena Rose of Versailles Ruroni Kenshin Sailor Moon Sailor Moon (viz dub) Samurai Champloo (english dub) Sarazanmai School Days School-Live! Scum's Wish Senki Zesshou Symphogear (listed as just "Symphogear" on Crunchyroll.) Serei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit) Shin Sekai Yori (From The New World) Shirobako Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Smile Pretty Cure (Japanese original)/ Glitter Force (english adaptation) Snow White with the Red Hair Sound Euphonium Strawberry Panic (yuri) Sweetness and Lightning The Devil is a Part-timer The Devil Lady The disasterous life of saiki k (saiki kusuo no Sai Nan) The End of Evangelion (movie) the Promised Neverland The Twelve Kingdoms Tiger & Bunny Tokimeki Tonight ToraDora Tsubasa Chronicle Umineko When They Cry Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid Vinland Saga Violet Evergarden Whispered Words (Sasameki Koto) With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun Yona of the Dawn Yu Yu Hakusho Yugioh Duel Monster Yuki Yuna is a Hero Yuri Kuma Arashi Yuri On Ice!!! Zoids: Chaotic Century Zombie Land Saga

Non-Anime Animated

Adventure Time Amphibia Animainiacs (Original) Animaniacs (Reboot) Archie's Weird Mysteries As Told By Ginger Barbie Life in The Dreamhouse Batman the Animated Series Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot Big Mouth Bob's Burgers Bojack Horseman Bravest Warriors Captain N: the Game Master Carmen Sandiego (1994) Carmen Sandiego (2019) Castlevania (Netflix) Cats Don't Dance Coco Courage the Cowardly Dog Craig of the Creek Cyber Six Daria Darkwing Duck Dragon Booster Dragons: Riders of Berk DuckTales (2017) Exo-Squad Fern Gully Fillmore! Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Futurama Gargoyles Glitch Techs Godzilla: The Animated Series Green Lantern the Animated Series Hedgehog in the Fog (Ёжик в тумане) Hey Arnold Hilda Infinity Train Iron Giant JEM Kim Possible Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts Legend of Zelda animated series (1989) Legion of Super-Heroes Liberty Kids Magical Girl Friendship Squad Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart The Legend of Korra Moominvalley Motorcity My Little Pony (Classic, NOT FiM) My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks Onyx Equinox Over the Garden Wall Over the Moon (2020 film) Owl House Primal Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Redwall Rise of the TMNT Roco's Modern Life Rugrats RWBY Samurai Jack Seis Manos She-Ra (1985) She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Sonic Boom Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse Star vs. the Forces of Evil Strange Magic Super Mario Brothers Super Show Superman: The Animated Series Teen Titans The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo The Animals of Farthing Wood The Dragon Prince The Hollow The Legend of Tarzan (TV series) The Magic School Bus (1994) The Mysterious Cities of Gold The Pirate Fairy (Disney Fairies) The Powerpuff Girls (1998) The Real Ghostbusters Thundercats (1985) Thundercats (2011) Transformers: Prime Tuca and Bertie Twelve Forever Undone Venture Bros Wakko's Wish Wakfu Wander Over Yonder We Bare Bears (TV) Winx Club Wreck-It Ralph (2012) X-Men Evolution X-Men: The Animated Series Xiaolin Showdown

Live Action

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 28 Days Later 3rd Rock from the Sun A Series of Unfortunate Events American Horror Story: Asylum Babysitter's Club (2020) Batman (the old Adam West version) Better Call Saul Black Mirror Blackbeard's Ghost (Peter Ustinov) Boston Legal Boy Meets World Boys Over Flowers Bromance (Taiwanese tv series) Brooklyn 99 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cadfael Cagney and Lacey Charmed (2018) Chopped Cleopatra 2525 Cloak and Dagger Clue (1985) Community Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Dead Like Me Dead To Me Deadwood Death Note (Netflix) Derry Girls Dimension 20 - The Unsleeping City Doctor Who (New) Doom Patrol Dracula's Daughter (1936) Escape to the Chateau Farscape Fingersmith Galavant Godzilla (2014) Gokushufudo (2020 Japanese TV drama) Golden Girls Good Omens H20: Just Add Water (somewhere in seasons 1-2) Happy New Year Harley Quinn movie Hateblog a REALLY STRAIGHT soap opera. Haunting of Bly Manor His Dark Materials (HBO series) Holes Hot Fuzz House Inception Inside No. 9 Iron Chef America Joan of Arcadia Julie and the Phantoms Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Kamen Rider Build Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Kamen Rider Fourze Killing Eve Knives Out Letterkenny Leverage Little Women (2019) Lucifer Matlock Majisuka Gakuen MASH Merlin Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol Money Talks (1997 film) Motherland: Fort Salem Murder She Wrote Mythbusters Nailed It! Never Have I Ever Once Upon a Time Orphan Black Pen 15 PGSM Pi (1998) Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018) Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical Puppy Bowl Pushing Daisies Rome (hateblog) Russian Doll Sabrina Sense8 Sera Myu: Un Nouveau Voyage Shameless Sierra Burgess Smallville So Weird Star Trek: TOS (or their films) Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Trek: Voyager Stargate Atlantis Suckerpunch Supernatural (out of context speedrun the last three episodes) Sweetheart Switched at Birth Tall Girl Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles The Addams Family (1964) The Big Flower Fight The Booth at the End The Bride With White Hair The Crown The Fresh Prince of Bel Air The Good Place The Kissing Booth The L Word The Librarians The Magicians The Muppet Show The Pregnancy Pact The Room The Steve Harvey Show The Stranded The Untamed The Witcher The Wolfman (1941) Torchwood Twilight Zone (original) Twin Peaks Ultraman Nexus Umbrella Academy Van Helsing Warehouse 13 Warrior Nun What We Do In The Shadows (tv show) Will & Grace Wynonna Earp X-Men 2: X-Men United Xena: Warrior Princess

Miscellaneous

Alpha Flight #41-62 Anime music dance party, the logistics of which are to be determined! Ask Hot Pocket and/or Mina-pup AskSharknado: Giftening Edition Attempt to make French macaroons Commentary on old Goggles Critical Role Crowdsourced: A Black Mirror-style day where Jetty has to ask what her choices are of the audience for everything! I give you a menu, you decide what she has for dinner? What does she wear? Does she walk on the track or do the eliptical? Does she go to a movie with Doc or play a video game with Mike? Can be done alongside other stuff. Doodle Day Dramatic readings of fan fiction! Drunk History (or whatever your favorite subject would be) with Jet Wolf! Drunk Sailor Moon Exorcising Closet Ghost Fic Prompts Day Figuarts Day! (Not specifically freeing anyone, just various fun poses and such) Guess the plot of a show based on its opening Her Shim-Cheong (manhwa) House of X/Powers of X Hubby's Choice IDW Jem comics liveblog Intros Only (watch show openings, give commentary, guess what show is about, etc.) Jackbox Games Jet Wolf paints along with Bob Ross Jet and Doc go to Heaven/Hell, respectively: Jet gets to write reams of words about the awesomeness of Rei Hino and Doc has to read all of them and say ONLY NICE THINGS. Jet does Tiktok dances Jet Liveblogs Holligay: A Nature Documentary Jet Ranks Sailor Moon Image Songs Jet Reads Goosebumps Jet Reads Legion of Super-Heroes Jet redesigns the Wolf and Gay offices! Jet shows off her knitting Jet Wolf attempts to recreate scenes from Sailor Moon with Mina and Hot Pocket and/or whatever is in the house Jet Wolf reacts to Sailor Moon tiktoks (in blog form) Jet Wolf reads Love and Rockets. Jet Wolf reads the Jem comics by IDW Jet Wolf reviews her old top 100 Sailor Moon moments list Jet Wolf talks about Archie Comics Jet Wolf talks about each cel she owns and why they are so awesome. Jet Wolf writes Poetry Jet Wolf's Top 5's Jet, Hubby and/or family play board games Jetty Rants and Raves Jet Wolf tries to crack the Gravity Falls Codes Kiwi Blitz on Hiveworks Let's Play on Webtoon Liveblog: Favorite X-Men comic book arcs Livestream Pathfinder one-shot LOONA (Collection of music videos with an ongoing story/universe about GIRLS who are FRIENDS and SAVE THE UNIVERSE) Lore Olympus on Webtoon Mike regales us with "the story of your love" while you get increasingly embarrassed Mina and Hot Pocket day - liveblog like a nature documentary Mister Tsukino Does His Taxes and the Household Budget (Sailor Moon fan comic by Shadowjack) Nancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake Not So Shoujo Love Story on Webtoon Pitch Mishaps for Untitled Senshi Game (it is a lovely day in Juuban, and you are a Horrible Minako.) Pitching hubby's favorite media at (readers/holligay/jill/momigay) Playing with dolls (because how could 3 women not have any dolls between them) Re-Take By Studio Kimigabuchi (All Ages Version) Real or Fake Anime (people submit descriptions of anime you guess if it is an anime that actually exists or not) Reviewing succulents Scavenger hunt! Not entirely sure how it would work, maybe folks could send in asks for you to show things like your favorite Rei Hino object, or the thing that's been with you the longest, etc. sewing/knitting/baking tutorial Share or rant about a Roman history topic Sleepless Domain on Hiveworks Talking to Docholligay 2: Doc Harder (basically you talking to Doc's future womb evictee while still in there and telling them stuff like say the greatness of Rei Hino) The Monster Duchess and Contract Princess (manhwa) The Polar Bear Plunge--I take Jetty to our finest Lake Elmo in January, and she jumps in! Note: THIS IS NOT DANGEROUS, WORRYWARTS. I'll bring a life preserver, I've done it before, and I would do it with her if I weren't pregnant. The Senshi Helpline--The Senshi, taking your advice questions, here and now! The World of Moral Reversal Virtual knitting/crafting circle! Let us craft and chat with you! What-If #24 Gwen Stacy Lived Worm the web serial Write an explanation for a drawing we send you! Yuri Hell's Kitchen

[watayaaratamblr]

Chihayafuru chapter 226 [long] impressions:

This is more of "everything that went through my mind while reading every page of the chapter"

naturally, gonna be super ..like SUPER long.

1) Shinobu in her fine Kimono was happy or proud? What are the flowers around her? Who knows, we only know that anything they might symbolize is already clear on her face and pose. She played a very strong opponent, she had “special” fun and she won. Only one remaining win and she will preserve her title for the 4th year in a row. Chihaya on the other hand was lost… She did everything she could “come up with” but she still couldn’t win any of the two matches… maybe “come up with something new” was her mistake? Could it be that it’s impossible to defeat the queen in her world, should Chihaya bring her out instead, Chihaya probably didn’t even thought of this because she is completely lost, she worked very hard and her hard work paid off somehow but it is not enough Chihaya seems unable to have any fun; it’s all about needing to win for some reason, why the passionate Chihaya feels so far away?

2) Arata is shook! He is no longer seeing the Meijin in front of him, he is rather calling Chihaya’s name! On the Meijin board we can see 4 poems, (one was shown clearer behind Hiro who was confused with Arata’s sudden distraction; Sudo also noticed and wondered + the 4 poems seem all on Suo’s side?)

30/Ariake no: the poet expresses his hate for dawns after he had to part from his lover at a dawn with a moon that looked so cold and indifferent. 76/Watanohara-ko: This is the second “Arata” poem (as it starts with the word WATA). The poet describes white waves rolling onward which can be mistaken for the white clouds up in the heavens. 20/ Wabi nureba: a consuming passion poem in which the poet tells the woman he loves that he is willing to sacrifice everything to continue their relationship and that he will go meet her despite the heavy price he knows he will have to pay. 74/ Ukari keru: The poet is in distress because the lady he loves is cold to him and his prayers to be happy with her were futile.

The choice of these poems might be clarified when the cards are read but (because Suo seems shadowed somehow and the focus is on Arata), we can still think that they are about Arata’s feelings and what he wants to do about Chihaya’s state now and how she will treat him after her loss .. She already turned her head away from him after her 1st loss, she avoided him, and now she lost again and Arata who is in love with her is really worried.

3) Arata assesses the situation, Chihaya has 2 losses which will put a great pressure on her for the next games and give Shinobu the chance to be more relaxed. The image of Chihaya’s back when she rushed out with her hand on her face as if she was crying was so strong for Arata, the background intensifies what he felt, he was really worried and repeating her name while sweating (dunno if this was intentional, but he wasn’t sweating before he noticed Chihaya (on ch225)) On the other hand, Suo was still completely focused.

4) 78/Awaji shima: was read and Arata was late. Suo took it

This poem tells about the sleepless nights of a guard at some gate caused by the cries of the plover birds crossing the place known as an exile (the plover is also used to symbolize winter) so this poem might invoke the feelings of loneliness and nostalgia.

65/Urami wabi: was the next one and Arata was also late, the difference is now only 1 card. Sudo was cheering for Suo and wandering if a luck of the draw will be the fate of this game. Arata was taken aback!

The poet of Urami wabi is a lady who is separated from her husband so she felt resentment to him, she cried and her sleeves were always wet but what concerned her more was her reputation tainted because of her failed relationship.

These two poems didn’t appear on the board (because only the upper part was showing) but 78 was on Arata’s side & 65 was on Suo’s. The fact that 78 was the poem read to pull Arata out of his thoughts and keep him focused on his match makes me see it as the plover birds keeping the guard from going to sleep. It can also hint at the distraction itself, if sleep is what we do at night but the plovers prevent it, then Arata should focus on his game but his worry for Chihaya also prevents it, so his feelings or Chihaya’s state is the plovers. As for 65, I can’t think of many possible reasons but it might be the “reputation” part, maybe it’s a hint at Arata’s “name” as the “grandchild of eternal meijin Wataya Hajime” that everyone was eager to see through him which might soon be challenged.

5) Murao & Kuriyama wondered what happened to Arata after he achieved such good result till now. Suo had his eyes glued to the Tatami, his aunt was there, he knew but he didn’t try to look. Arata’s club-mates explained that this was a sign of Suo’s strength: he would use the least of your mistakes like losing your focus for even a sec. Riza specifically was very nervous. Arata started to revise what was read and what wasn’t. he kept good track of all read and unread cards, including the dead cards (Taichi was always praised when he did this but now that Arata is doing it, it feels normal and so like him, I believe we all know that Arata is stronger, Taichi showed us the process to arrive there but Arata was the first to arrive there, he definitely passed by most what Taichi experienced.). With this review, Arata knows what he can use his cross sweep on: Wabi & Wata-ko. Ariake is the 3rd remaining card on Tatami (besides the two above & the thress are drawn earlier on the board) but there are also 3 A cards not read yet (dead cards) which are 58/Arima+ 39/Asaji+ 64/Asaborake-u, Arata expects that Suo will wait to make sure of the 3rd syllable. Arata was worried & his grandpa’s ghost came to support him like Taichi and Harada’s ghost too, Hajime analyzed Suo before and he noticed that he wasn’t good with the cards on the outer edge of his own formation, this is something Hajime noticed back when he was alive and sane, was it like 5 years ago? So is Suo’s condition worse than back then?

6) Hajime’s teachings calmed Arata a bit, he is ready to fight again (he moves so handsomely), those where only words told to him by his mentor, but he is also a real deal, his body is ready, his hands are used to attack, he practiced enough to be able to go under his opponent’s hand to take a card, luckily an ‘A’ card on Suo’s side was read, Arata attacked and he practiced enough to be able to protect that card until the kimariji is decided (also Suo didn’t practice enough to know how to break that defense, it was a card on the edge of his playing field too, but there are only 3 cards left, so he could commit it to his memory as Arata said before on ch 223, the most important thing is memorization, having a card in your sight Then committing it to your memory, you’ll be able to see it even with closed eyes and Arata played like that before when he couldn’t find his glasses)

7) 30/Ariake is the one read, Arata put his hand on it when he made sure and Suo couldn’t find a way to it. Among the 4 poems initially shown on the board, this one was read. Who does it refer to? (if it does). Who is the unpitying moon? who parted with what? who feels longing for what? I can’t really think of an answer and I can’t even tell if there is an answer to begin with. But, it might have something to do with the idea of “committing the card to memory after sight” because when this principle was explained on 223, this card was among the ones shown around Arata & Suo. Arata’s family members where happy contrary to Suo’s family members.. These two panels made me think that in these matches between these two, the families of the players are as involved as the players themselves. (And Akira looks more surprised than happy, maybe he still doesn’t realize how his own words back at the hotel are true: “Arata, you are strong”.) The commentator confirmed the greatness of Arata’s move and there was a suspicious man behind him LOL (why was this man drawn there?)

8) Arata’s cover seems to be a high level one too, this is all Arata’s Karuta because he is the one using his body for it. Suo now seems in danger like Chihaya. Kuriyama & Murao are overjoyed and Arata went out with rather an indifferent face? there are no signs of relief or happiness, he looks rather lost in thoughts.. I was thinking that Suo acknowledged Arata’s strength (that beat him), but for some reason and contrary to Harada sensei, it’s not only “I don’t want to play anyone who is not strong”, he seems like he doesn’t even want to play this strong Arata, even when Kyoko tan who gives him enough motivation to play, he still couldn’t bring himself to use enough strength to defeat Arata…it’s like he is disappointed, he wants something else from him that Arata isn’t showing him… Anyway, Arata now doesn’t even look tired or invested in his win in any way.

9) Now he looks surprised, is it because he can’t see Chihaya anywhere? the half black & half white background was used before and in my case, it represents “Confusion”. In addition to the blush, Arata makes a completely unrelated face with the one he made after he won, it’s like the moment he came outside, he became someone else, or better, he was someone else but the moment he came out, he became himself again (can we then take the blush as an “Arata is himself” sign & its disappearance as a “Hajime mode” sign? XD) The SFX isn’t BAM right? because who is still taking cards? According to Google, it’s rather (バツ/ turn suddenly); And seeing Kana searching for her confirmed that she was nowhere around so he went to look for her right away, even before he reports his win and gives back the cards. (he looked like an old man in the 3rd panel lol) and in the 4th, he looked very concerned for Chihaya suddenly sweating and turning around in a hurry. Kana’s way of searching was by shouting loudly everywhere, while Arata’s reflects more of his personality and I like it, he won’t do random things, he goes to the places where she might be, calmly & silently.. I really love this. So he asks around, the bathroom was a good place to look in but she wasn’t there (and he was so amusing being all shy but asking anyway) These few panels tell me more about Arata’s character; he really is used to take matters into his hands. He didn’t go to ask Kana when was the last time Chihaya was seen and where etc. he didn’t approach those who were already searching for her, he went to do it himself. I already said that, but I guess, his parents & his family conditions made him this way. he couldn’t get support, he was rather the one asked to help so he learnt not to ask for help and to take care of things himself instead. The outside was the last place to look in, is it because Arata was more intuitive that he could find her before Kana who was already searching before he even finished his match? Who knows, but I certainly see Arata as a reliable guy, he always was and he is also now. And there she was, Chihaya was crouching on the cold snow…

10) Arata stuttered like usual before he gets Chihaya’s name out; A whole page just to tell us Arata found Chihaya crying desperately in the snow and her bare feet were red from cold. No special backgrounds, no hinting no indirect messages, it’s all snow and white and they were the only ones there. Arata put his hand on her back casually then lowered his head to see her face (imagining this in slow motion is so warm) and then noticed her freezing toes..

11) As Arata noticed Chihaya’s feet, he held her up on his shoulder, no blushing, no shyness, no hesitation, no clumsiness, his familiar self was buried and Chihaya is what matters now! Arata is strong! He is 177cm and weighs 65kgs while Chihaya is 167 and weighs 54kgs, not much difference right? And this wasn’t the 1st time he carries her, He did before when she fainted in her 1st nationals, he carried her bridal style, now it’s an OTS carry (yep, read about this on TV tropes and they gave it an abbreviation lol “Over The Shoulder carry”) Chihaya was surprised but her focus soon was turned to the box of cards that Arata dropped while carrying her, She started to apologize, she certainly sees the cards as living humans now, Arata wasn’t as concerned, she was 1st for him and everything will come after. When the box fell, 4 poems were revealed:

6/kasassagi no: The misty bridge between distant lovers that will bring them together for sure. 51/Kaku to dani: This is about a fierce love that the poet feels burning inside him but doesn’t know how to express it to the woman he loves. 26/Ogurayama: The poet tries to invite an emperor to visit a certain pretty place that his father visited before and he wished his son would come to see it too. He uses the maple leaves to express the felt desire & longing to see the emperor-son. And half shown, 72/Oto ni kiku: it’s about the known waves of "Takashi beach" that the poet doesn’t want to approach not to wet her sleeve, but it’s actually about her not trusting the invitation she got from a man and fearing a love affair that will end in tears, this poem can be used to express avoiding something not to get hurt by it…

Again, none can say for sure why exactly these poems but I strongly believe that they are a hint. And for me, they are saying something about the relationship between Chihaya & Arata (they are a love story!!).

Looking back on the history of poem 6, we can expect that Suetsugu is going back to the idea of "there is a distance between Chihaya & Arata which is like the distance of the two legendary lovers Orihime & Hikoboshi" but this time, Arata is the one who is preoccupied with this distance more... Kaku to dani: needless to say, this is about Arata’s feelings for Chihaya, they are burning again because Chihaya needs something to cheer her up so he needs to convey them somehow. Ogurayama: I believe this is about the maple leaves carrying Arata’s feelings. Even if he doesn’t try to show it or be vocal about it, even though he used his phone only 3 times to send something to Chihaya (was only a msg through Taichi, then a message to her & Taichi and finally a call-what a progress lol), but he longs for her and wants her to be happy like how the emperor would have felt if he came to see those pretty crimson maple leaves. He wants his feelings to make Chihaya happy somehow. And the half-shown Oto ni kiku is about fear of love and tears. This is about Chihaya who isn’t allowing herself to be involved with love yet! there is something she feels lacking which is necessary before she lets herself love and I believe it’s the thing making her turn her head away from Arata ..

Then Chihaya realized, then looked at Arata’s head, he won his much! he now has 2 wins and one more win and he will achieve the dream he shared with her, the kinda promise: “this weekend, let’s make our 1st dream the reality”

12) Then Chihaya cried, helplessly. She congratulated Arata through her tears but she was rather miserable… It’s so hard to be happy for him right? this is not a win which will be enough to get by either him OR her, whichever happens should be good if they are friends right? but no, this is about her!! I have a feeling that if Chihaya won & Arata not, she wouldn’t be very sad for him.. There is something telling me that Chihaya is only scared of being left behind by Arata, as long as he doesn’t, she will be fine, but if he does, she will feel devastated. this is such a strong word, but I mean it.

13) And she voiced a bit of her concern, she was afraid she can never win, even though she lost only by 3 cards, personally, I’ll think that from 7 cards to 3, I can make it in the next game, but Chihaya seems to think that the strongest she can be is the way she was in this second game, then she can only get close to Shinobu that much, not to lose with more than 3 cards. Arata was surprised; maybe he never thought she could lose hope? or maybe he is confused how she can say so when he believes that she can win against Shinobu.. And ofc, before he says anything Kana & Tamaru finally found Chihaya. Kana is as wary of Arata as ever, the n°1 Taichiha shipper. But apparently, she didn’t see Arata bringing Chihaya from outside, she saw only when he put her down and that looked “too close” for her and “hurry up, let’s go to your waiting room, it’s like she is saving her from Arata.. While our gentleman was putting Chihaya down so carefully while looking at her feet whether they are fine or not.

14) Kana is indeed a typical Taichiha shipper, I have seen it a lot, no matter what Arata does, he is always a target for hate or at least disdain. Approaching Chihaya is a big no for them let alone take caring of her. I tried to laugh at this panel, I thought that sensei really is referring to those fans, she might have wanted it to be a comical moment but it’s not. What I saw is that, again, Kana is putting Taichi & herself before Chihaya & it sucks. Arata didn’t even notice her though, thankfully, all he could see was Chihaya, the painful face she was making & her tears (The background of confusion as I call it).. Arata suddenly took us for another rare moment inside his stubbornly concealed heart, the clumsy guy who seems shallow & insensitive to lot of readers.. Chihaya’s weight alone made him look so deep into her and see so much…She is unfamiliar to him, he didn’t get to learn earlier about her everything, but in every second he is given, we saw him pay a lot of attention and see her with more than his eyes. Chihaya’s tears meant that she worked so hard and that didn’t pay off, she wouldn’t have cried this much otherwise. And he can already learn that much about her by just imagining what he wasn’t there to witness, she worked so so hard. Looking at his hands (Chihaya was there lol), he looked so deep in thought, but he remembered the cards he left on the snow..

15) He rushed to bring them but his thoughts were full of Chihaya and how to cheer for her, Arata acknowledged her strength, she is an amazing strong player who can really defeat Shinobu (he seems to believe he can also defeat Suo).but he is not good at communicating his feelings & thoughts, he is clumsy & he knows it..so will he hide his clumsiness to look cool like Taichi does most of the time? No, that wasn’t what Arata thinking, he was rather wondering about a way to make her know what might save her.. He took the cards getting now wet from the snow, he took 77/SE while he was wondering.. “Se” is about the separated ones who will certainly meet again.. it’s like Arata feels a boulder blocking his thoughts and feelings from reaching her and he wants to find a way to bypass it & reach her. “Se” has always been a special card for Arata and it is because of Chihaya..

16) It was the 1st card Chihaya took from him and he already got it back from her in their match but for Arata, SE is more than that. It’s the card that started Chihaya’s journey in Karuta. and Arata is confident that he is the only one who knows, and he is confident that the level she showed in her match with him is the highest she reached, or the highest anyone can reach, or at least, if she is defeated by Shinobu in 2 matches today and was already defeated by her in ch169 then it’s a level she didn’t go to again after her match with him and she still can do it. Arata’s head was really full of Chihaya, he is so focused on her that he totally forgot he too is where he worked to be for so many years, longer and maybe even harder than Chihaya herself (for almost 12 years, more than half of his life, no it’s 2 thirds of his life!!!), so the Murao twins came to remind him of what he forgot since the match ended, of the Meijin title & his grandpa. Only one other win to be were Hajime Wataya seems to have wanted Arata to be (or at least that’s what Arata thought)

17) Yep, Hajime is telling him to focus, to forget about Chihaya & concentrate on him & his goal. “Se” was shown again with the words “the mejin title”, is that the boulder separating the stream of the river?

18) Arata placed Se back on top of the cards in the box next to another card:

18/Su mi no e no: This poem is about hiding from people’s gaze when going to meet the lover, trying to avoid exposure even in dreams.. Doesn’t it suit the moment perfectly? when the twins came to remind Arata of the Meijin title and his status, he hid “SE” (representing also his feelings for Chihaya) in the box, it’s like how the poet who is an aristocrat from the great Fujiwara family (Fujiwara men are known to choose their wives in the family) is afraid of being exposed.

Arata closed the box, it’s also like “Se” keeps him the real Arata (he said that he lacked love to be himself, so maybe Se is his love poem to Chihaya, his love saves him regardless of whether she reciprocates it or not contrary to Taichi, his love always hurt him, like a curse) The Karuta officials are the happiest for Arata’s win it seems, he pleased them, he revived Wataya Hajime for them again, they are blessed, for them, it’s all about them & Hajime it seems, Arata isn’t really seen for who he is… Arata remembered when that man told him that because Arata’s Karuta is exactly like Hajime’s, he was able to see Wataya sensei again. Back then Arata cried, he said that he really loves Karuta.. Could it now turn into a curse? because it’s too much? Because he is losing himself? because he is not seen? Why was Arata happy back then? and is the reason weaker than any probable desire now to be seen for who he is?

19) Suo was upset! His dear aunt that he didn’t meet for 8 years suddenly came all the way from Kyushu to see him, but he wasn’t happy..He lost two games but he doesn’t seem worried about that... Yukiko was kind and looks like the sweets are a family thing? Sudo is confused (he is amusing when he is like that) & Suo’s cousin is more impressed because Suo had lot of female friends lol Suo was nervous, he wanted to ask how and why they were suddenly there but he stuttered and According to Yukiko chan’s answer, we learn that Suo developed the habit of soft talking after he quit Kyushu.

20) After 8 years of separation, she wanted to touch the boy she loved so much and cared immensely for, maybe it’s because she can’t see him well too, but she failed to reach his face, she couldn’t see well, and Suo felt so hurt, but like anyone else with pride, his reaction was based on his suffering not on hers. And instead of being hurt herself, she rather was worried about him, why would he be cruel to her unless he too is suffering from her same illness.

21) The whole conversation in this page feels weird. Suo raised his voice from frustration and these relatives didn’t try to listen to him before. The cousin rather teased him about his loss as if it’s nothing, (he highlighted the fact that Arata is a youngster too) And Yukiko’s answer was soething I didn’t expect! She doesn’t seem to care much about the Meijin thing, she rather looked hopeful (notice the sudden blush), she thought that if Suo is no longer Meijin then he can go back home. What was even more surprising is that Suo looked agitated but his answer wasn’t what I expected, he asn’t worried that his title doesn’t see precious that his relatives would want him to keep, he was rather worried that what they are offering is impossible because he grew up to become a stranger and going back to his home is impossible.

22) Seems that Suo would consider his home any place Yukiko owns, but he knew that she didn’t own the house she told him to go back to. (isn’t this a reason to work harder in univ then get a job and buy a house to bring Yukiko to live with him instead?) The cousin got angry because things like these aren’t considered in a warm loving family where elderly are respected and considered owners before what papers say.. Suo didn’t seem to want to listen, and he left hurriedly causing his condition to beclearer to his aunt as he bumped with many things in his way out. (BACKGROUND of confusion in the last panel)

23) Still, Suo couldn’t leave before knowing why they suddenly came. and the description was so easy to tell him who, Suo realized it right away, the boy with big eyes who would wish for Suo’s family to come watch him (because he is incredible & wants his family to know that? or bc he pities him?) The boy with big eyes was “Mashima kun” they called him this many times, now they didn’t mention the name, I wonder how Sudou would have felt if he knew? would he realize that Taichi really got the closest to Suo, somewhere he couldn’t go?

24) Chitose left, Chihaya’s mom knew but didn’t understand why, Kana, tsukuba & Nishida stayed out of the room while Chihaya, Tamaru, Namida, Sumire & the last boy from Mizusawa that went to Shiranami were all inside, Kana told the mom it’s better to stay out and those inside were all experiencing the reason lol Ah no, Namida was doing great, he is such positive and hard working boy, he is not wasting his time by being afraid or nervous, he is taking notes instead! Chihaya is the most nervous because she is the reason Harada sensei is furious. Harada never taught Chihaya to send back a card because the opponent will place it again in its original place that they remember well (and we know that Chihaya sent it to provoke Shinobu -see ch222), provocative Karuta based on the knowledge of what Shinobu hates and the cards she won’t place next to each other was Watarai’s teaching.

25) Yep, Shiranami’s way is to target the opponent’s memorization as much as possible, Shiranai members are scared of Harada but can’t deny that he is right, he is a great teacher, has a good experience in Karuta and in teaching, maybe them being present here to hear & learn is the biggest proof. Chihaya also didn’t lift her head, she knew he was totally right, she can’t think that losing was because she was unlucky in front of the strongest queen, it’s because of those small mistakes she allowed herself to make.

26) Harada’s words kept hitting hard for Chihaya. Maybe he didn’t say that she was wrong, she learnt a new way in 2 months but she already had a strong way that she could fortify in these 2 months too.. Chihaya focused on Shinobu’s cards and neglected her own? isn’t this beneficial for an offensive Karuta player? I don’t get it well But Harada didn’t understand much of Chihaya’s new method either and he was honest & fair, he acknowledged what Chihaya still achieved: she got a strong reaction from Shinobu. Did Shinobu’s smile mean that she wasn’t indifferent with Chihaya? that she enjoyed the “strong” opponent? Harada told Chihaya that Shinobu seems to have enjoyed her match with her like she enjoyed her match with Arata which means that Chihaya played at Arata’s level back then and that is an achievement!

27) He smiled to her to make her feel better, because she really did great by learning new strong weapons in 2 months.. And now it’s time for the 3rd game. at this point, we don’t really know if Chihaya was better? if she calmed down? While Arata seems to be still in his grandpa mode, (he looks really like an old man here, calm and silent, he wasn’t like in the 1st break And he was completely the opposite of his father who was so energetic and very satisfied with Yuu’s gift, a design with the word “TOP” inspiring more will to do one’s best to reach the top! Akira seems quite fond of Yuu (I am too), she was admitted to her school of choice & he is happy for her, the Watayas talk so familiarly about her like she is really a close relative except Arata…

28) Akira is really hard to deal with, he does whatever he wants and he is very fond of Yuu. Asking for Arata’s phone to call her & thank her, Arata rejected any try to involve him in this mess (he didn’t even react when Akira said that he will make up a lie and say that Arata was touched because of her gift, Yuu would have probably known it’s a lie because Arata wouldn’t react like that… But it’s IC if he does for Chihaya right?), he was trying his best to focus, he didn’t show any enthusiasm about Yuu; Her, his father, the food or anything of the sort couldn’t break his grandpa mode. And finally, Taichi’s message was discovered, Arata didn’t want to read anything before his game but knowing it’s about Taichi, would that be still the case?

29) Arata stopped! getting a message from Taichi who didn’t come to watch made him really stop, Taichi is really special to Arata. And turning back he found Chihaya there too, she heard what Akira said & her face showed surprise!.

30) Chihaya seemed lost in her desperation, she didn’t say a word she just turned quickly wishing to find something for her too from Taichi, she needed him, when Taichi was around he could somehow find a way to make things better and she needs it now because she is not fine, Harada’s words didn’t seem to heal her fully, she sighed when she didn’t find anything.. Arata was confused (the BACKGROUND), and when Chihaya saw him she blushed & turned her head away in embarrassment, Arata lifted her suddenly earlier and she didn’t have time to do this back then. Why? if it was because Taichi now then what about the 1st time? It wasn’t because of Taichi, it was because she looked weak in front of Arata. Chihaya has always worked hard to reach him, to become someone who can meet his passion, to be worth sitting across him in Karuta.. but she kept losing where he kept winning, he was always ahead and she could never arrive there. Chihaya was embarrassed of her weak self who showed more weakness and dependence of Taichi’s help, it’s like she can’t go anywhere without his support… Arata knew that wasn’t true. Akira asked again if Arata wanted to look at Taichi’s message and Chihaya passed him just now without a word (and Kana still looked at him sideway lol) …so many distractions, Hajime Wataya’s voice was calling him again to focus, just a bit more & he’ll be the Meijin, that’s all he was about after all right?

31) NOT RIGHT!!! That wasn’t all Arata was about, not for those who care to look at him properly! Arata wasn’t worried about being ditched, or about what Taichi’s message might contain, he rather remembered when Chihaya showed him her special bond with Taichi that day when she crushed him.. This was good reason to feel jealous or upset but that’s not who Arata was… He took Chihaya’s hand and disobeyed his grandpa’s words!

32) Arata’s face looks desperate trying to reach Chihaya to make her see the truth he believes about her, she can defeat Shinobu & he means it, he knows her strength too and he could compare, he knows when Chihaya was the strongest and how Taichi is the last piece in what Chihaya fought for and became the strongest… The blush on Arata’s face says how much he wanted to make it through to her, how many times does Arata show emotions? the calm and collected guy, what does it mean when he shows such face? “You shouldn’t go play with Shinobu chan in her arena” Harada sensei pointed out Chihaya’s mistakes but he didn’t show her a way to follow, it’s like he no longer has an advice for her, he gave her everything he got and when she strayed from his path he reminded her, but that’s all, And Arata’s advice was something else, like a Karuta expert, he knew what to tell Chihaya, even though he didn’t watch her matches or maybe he did? because he didn’t seem in a pinch in his own vs Suo, maybe he got time to look sometimes…

33) Arata really had what to say, and Chihaya listened because what she heard was useful. She wanted o go where the lonely Shinobu is but she couldn’t face everything in that world and she came out leaving a still lonely Shinobu inside, Arata tells her to bring Shinobu outside instead, to show her the wonderful things outside that can give Chihaya the same strength as Shinobu, something she might want to come out to get? Chihaya saw an illusion for the calm Queen, the plant in the frame was always used for Shinobu too and it seems (and I’m not sure) that Suetsugu uses it for Shinobu who is Shinobu and not the Queen.

34) Chihaya found Arata’s words interesting, that was some good technical support but she had to think more to find her arena Though, Arata wouldn’t let her, he gives her now the emotional support, he knew Chihaya needed Taichi (not the person, but at least sensing his presence in what he left) so he decided to give her that, anything she needs, he wouldn’t be jealous or needy or immature, he put her 1st and I admire the way he loves even more!

35) Everyone saw what Arata wanted to show, it wasn’t a secret or personal message to Chihaya, and Taichi is the captain of Mizusawa, he pushed that team, and Arata brought it to push it again. Arata persisted bc he knew very well how much Chihaya values Taichi & her team, he didn’t need to be there for 3 years to know, he is very attentive and intuitive too and looks at Chihaya really properly!.

36/37) Arata’s words were moving to all Mizusawa members, they all blushed emotionally, and Chihaya cried, maybe because she missed this or maybe because she somehow betrayed it by forgetting it and not working for her team like she said she would before…(this chapter looks so direct, no BACKGROUNDs, no shoujo effects)

38) Arata held Chihaya’s hand so gently (I wonder why sensei drew this panel, it’s totally unnecessary for anything other than highlighting Arata’s love (romantic love because I can’t imagine him do this to Yuu if she ever goes through something like this)) He mentions his loss to her as something big which is a compliment to Chihaya & an acknowledgement of her strength & level. He says it with no embarrassment because her win was well deserved (I want to see Taichi make a confession like this to Arata). And Mizusawa captain was strong because she played for her team, she used all she had for them… so Chihaya again, only has to play her own Karuta, this is the opposite of what Chihaya told Arata in his match against Harada, she told him to play like someone else.. Amusing!

39) In Shinobu’s waiting room, Shinobu was acting like a child, so carefree; she only has 1 remaining win to keep her title after all. She also seems so close with Kokoro chan now (Kokoro called her Shinobu without “chan” or anything, it implies so much familiarity right?) also Shinobu is a bad example it seems lol. Though Kokoro mentions something that might be a hint to Shinobu’s next loss (a 3rd game is tiresome). And then when Shinobu was about to get up, something was off, she felt something but she didn’t see what it was? Kokoro asked but she didn’t answer? Chihaya was shown right after that still having her tears while Arata kept explaining what he wanted to say, like he himself does, he gave her an image he knows will push her to win, she had to think that she is playing in a team tournament, her team is losing, they have two losses and 0 wins, now the remaining 3 members should all win at all costs and Chihaya will play the role of the three players, it’s like when they played in the finals of last year’s high school team tournament vs Fujisaki where both Tsukuba & Tsukue kun lost and Chihaya, Taichi & Nishida felt the responsibility to win each their game, Taichi was the one who voiced this desire 1st (ch81). (That was the game Chihaya felt upset because Arata told her that he didn’t care for teams and now, he is showing her the opposite of what she feared back then, he treasures "teams" & knows exactly how important one is for any member.)

40) And Arata impersonated Taichi for Chihaya! He should have felt jealous, he already experienced that feeling and wanted to be the one Chihaya sees, but now & for her sake, he accepted Taichi and even revived him in her memory to get as much strength from that as she needs. He wasn't there but he must have known Taichi would say that for Chihaya so he reminded her of it for her sake instead of being selfish & feeling miserable or jealous (reminds me of when Chihaya hid in the closet after she lost, the way Taichi brought up Arata’s name all miserable & helpless, he couldn’t forget about himself for a bit for Chihaya contrary to Arata even though he didn’t have anything to be confident about, Chihaya was closer to Taichi, she cared for him so much, she showed him this care in front of his eyes, he had every reason to feel threatened but he didn’t, Chihaya mattered more than that to him …)

[recentanimenews]

Digital Manga Service Azuki Announces June 28 Global Launch

  Disclosure: Two former Crunchyroll employees are among the founders of Azuki. 

  A new digital source for manga is coming this month, with the announcement that digital manga service Azuki is set to launch on June 28. Featuring hundreds of chapters of manga that go live shortly after they debut in Japan, Azuki will be available on web, iOS, and Android. 

  Azuki will have content for both free and subscription users, and registered users can discuss them in comment threads included with each chapter. Free users will be able to access select chapters with ads, and subscribers will get to dig through the full catalog without any ads for a monthly price of $4.99. 

  When Azuki launches it will be available in English worldwide except for Japan. 

  As for the content, Azuki's first publisher partnership is with Kodansha USA. Launch titles include series like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Revengers, Land of the Lustrous, and Chihayafuru, among others.

  Simulpubs—including To Your Eternity, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, A Sign of Affection, and more—will go live on the site and apps shortly after they launch in Japan, and there are also plenty of classics on the way. Among the featured catalog titles from Kodansha are Battle Angel Alita, Chi's Sweet Home, Love Hina, and more. 

  With just over 10 days to go before Azuki launches, you can sign up on the official site for a reminder in the meantime, and follow Azuki on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more.

  Source: Press release

    -------

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his comics at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

  By: Joseph Luster

[winterune]

Was supposed to post this on Mamo’s birthday, but ended up saving it on draft, and now 5 months have passed... ^^;; Well anyway, here’s my Top 5 Favorite Mamoru Miyano Roles.

#1: Rintarou Okabe - Steins;Gate

LOLOLOL ok, Okabe’s a dork, and I love him. Mamo as Okabe was one of the most memorable roles I ever had the chance to see, especially his persona, Hououin Kyouma. Okabe in that first few episodes before the story finally kicks in was so embarrassing that when me and my brother started watching this, we wondered if we should just drop it. So glad we didn’t, though, haha. This boy is perfect in his imperfect way. His character is so well-written. Steins;Gate was so well-written. I love him!

#2: Masaomi Kida - Durarara!!

Durarara was just packed with all sorts of cool characters. I don’t think I have one character I really dislike. Kida is one of the earlier Mamo roles I encountered and it was very memorable. I don’t think I ever see any anime with a story like Durarara. A vastly diverse cast of characters with a seemingly unconnected plot points that at one point converge beautifully and left me feeling awed. Ah~ so this is what they were trying to tell. Also, you can’t get enough of all the easter eggs in these anime’s. Sad that the three-part second season wasn’t as awesome as the first season. I wish they’d animate more of Baccano, though (as I heard there are still material to be animated yet), and also Narita Ryogo’s other works. 

#3: Ignis Scientia - Final Fantasy XV

I’m still salty over XV. I was so hyped but the end product didn’t live up to my expectations. The gameplay was fun, but...it still had so many potential. Mind you, i have not played any of the dlcs, but even if i did, i don’t think it could really erase my saltiness that easy. Sometimes, I still wish there are more of the Versus XIII elements that made the end cut, because from the rumors I’d heard, Versus’s premise sounded much more solid than what we get. But, I know this particular title has gone through quite a development hell during its time, so I’ll stop there. Anyway, among the XV cast, Ignis is my best boy. Maybe I’m biased because Mamo voices him, but really, Ignis is the best character in the game! Not only is he cool, but he cooks (lol yeah I guess I’m mentioning that) and he’s a somewhat strategist?, Noctis’s adviser, and I don’t know why but I just believe that he’s the one person that will always stand by Noct. His cool-headedness always helps Noct whenever Noct can’t think straight. Also, there’s that line from the Episode Ignis trailer, where in the Japanese dub he says: saisho kara kimeteita. Nani ga orouto, Noct wa saigo made mamorinaku, which roughly translates as I’ve decided from the very beginning. Whatever happens, I will protect Noct until the end (or something along that line, forgive me if it’s not entirely correct. i’m still learning the language hehe) right before he wears the Ring of Lucii. And hearing Mamo say that still gives me goosebumps. He is very devoted! I love him!

#4: Osamu Dazai - Bungou Stray Dogs

I still have mixed feelings toward BSD, but I still find myself watching every season it releases haha. I was interested in Dazai (because of Mamo), then found myself disappointed. Then fell in love with him in the Dark Era arc or whatitsname (Dazai’s past arc), and fell out love again once we’re back to our daily BSD life. But, he’s still a cool character...sometimes, and Mamo as Dazai is both cool and fun. 

#5: Ryuji Sakamoto - Persona 5

Yeaahhh! Ryuji!!! He’s cute and fun and I love him and he’s the best friend Ren needs! There’s nothing more to say than that :D

Now, for some honorable mentions

HM1: Riku - Kingdom Hearts

Yeah! Riku, my boy! How can I not make this list without mentioning him? Though I have never played KH in Japanese, but from the clips I have seen, I just have to say that Mamo as Riku is AWESOME! His voice sounds sooo cool!!! #eargasm I didn’t like him at first, but he’s that type of character that slowly grows on me. He’s not like your shounen-hero-stereotype Sora. He was taken by darkness, and he used his own power to overcome it. It was a long journey, but he’s learned to keep the darkness at bay, to find the confidence in himself that he’d be okay. The darkness is still there, but he’s embraced it. He’s a cool character!

HM2: Koutarou Tatsumi - Zombieland Saga

God! This anime is stupid. And Tatsumi is stupid. He’s even more embarrassing than Kyouma xD But Mamo is awesome and tbh, Tatsumi kind of reminds me of Mamo himself lmao

HM3: Tamaki Suou - Ouran Koukou Host Club

This pure and precious boy xD Tbh I haven’t finished Ouran (OK, I’ll be watching Ouran after this lmao, and read the manga after that xD) but Tamaki was so memorable. He’s an ikemen. You’d think with how he exudes all that princely aura and how the girls are just fawning over him, he’s not the type to be embarrassed and blush that easily. But he is! Just like Mikorin HAHAHA. He can be stupid sometimes and he doesn’t catch on quickly to most signs. He’s so pure and precious and endearing! (But i kind of shipped Haruhi with Hikaru in the anime haha).

HM4: Shuu Tsukiyama - Tokyo Ghoul

Yeah...mentioning him because Mamo was awesome as Tsukiyama. Another one of that gaudy voices you know and love (but feel embarrassed at the same time and can’t take him seriously no matter what).

HM5: Taichi Mashima - Chihayafuru

Another one of my best boys. He’s just the type of guy and character I love! Earnest and kind in his own way and he’d do anything for the girl he loves. Mamo’s voice was so soft voicing him. I really want them to end up together and I think (based on the two anime seasons) that Taichi suits Chihaya better than Arata. Gaaah this love triangle is killing me! 

[izumisays]

dear yuletide author

Thank you so much for reading this and taking part in this wonderful annual conspiracy!


First of all, I hope you have a lovely time! If any of the fandoms below pique your interest, I’m delighted already, and ready to hear all the stories you want to tell.

Fandoms:  Chihayafuru, Nirvana in Fire, Thunderbolt Fantasy

As for reading preferences, I’m happy with a wide variety of tones and genres, of any rating, ranging anywhere from lighthearted antics to dramatic casefics. But the core of all the stories I love has always been character interaction and interplay of their competences.

How the characters play off each other and bring out their best/worst, how they’d react to a divergence of events, how true they’d stay to themselves in a different setting – I love fanfiction for allowing us to reconnect with our favourite stories time and again by asking these questions. And there are so many ways to do it! To name a few favourites, I’m always game for POV hijinks, a missing scene, a casefic, canon expansion, backstories and what-ifs.

You may notice that quite a few of my requests lean towards shipfic – those, too, are welcome in a variety of tones – but I also tried to include openings for gen ideas if that’s your jam. Additionally, while it is not usually my top interest, I don’t have anything against AUs if there is something that you are itching to explore: I tend to enjoy them for a new aesthetic that fleshes out the favoured character dynamics in a new light, or a fusion that redefines the playing ground to allow the characters to exhibit their core competences in new and exciting ways.

I would be very grateful if you could avoid a/b/o and similar kinktropes, played-straight soulmate fic, and character interpretation that runs contrary to their core values. If in doubt, please reach out to me on anon - the askbox is open!

CHIHAYAFURU: Mashima Taichi, Wataya Arata, Suou Hisashi

You don’t have to include all three characters, but I’d love to see a fic that explores the connections between them better. I’m up to date with all manga scanlations.

Wataya Arata/ Mashima Taichi

In the immortal words of Henjin Meijin, Arata is that person for Taichi whose opinion makes or breaks him. (His wording may have been different, but if I go rummaging into the chapter archive to find the exact quote, I’ll end up binge-rereading year three into the night again, and then where would my Yule sign-up be?) (On that note, what kind of a MASSIVE LOSER waxes poetics about Taichi’s boyfriend problems to Taichi’s MOTHER, whom he JUST met? Suou Hisashi, that’s who.) Needless to say, that paramount opinion was not always great, and neither was Taichi’s general wellbeing.

Good news is, Arata is confident in his manliness, and he has no problem acknowledging Taichi’s ridiculously pretty and not too bad at karuta these days, and he’s also moving to Tokyo. Taichi’s definitely pretty and has an apartment in Tokyo, where a country bumpkin of paramount importance may possibly stay over until things are sorted out… eventually. Hint hint.

Jokes aside, I pine for the dynamics between the two of them. I nearly lost it, reading the Meijin semifinals — and if you can show me a person who saw them bawl as they crawled into each other’s laps on Japanese national television and didn’t bawl in response, well, that person is sure not me.

I’d like to see a story that lets them build and explore that connect. I do not object to eventual OT3, but I think Chihaya is on a quest to find her own footing and pursue other goals at the moment, and I’d really like it if she was allowed to do this (join forces with Shinobu to drag karuta into a professional league, girl!). I’d like to think that in that space, different bonds and relationships can develop and strengthen, starting with Arata and Taichi.

Taichi the overanalyzer, the hardworker and the looker, the golden boy who at some point surely hit that red button, meme-style: you will be perfect at everything, you will have everything, except the one thing that you want above all. Arata appears to be his perfect foil: steady and serene where Taichi’s scrambling and flawed, adorably awkward and disarmingly sincere where Taichi’s groomed, smooth and miserable about his own deceptions. But they don’t see it like that! And they keep tripping each other up so beautifully!

I’d love to read your take on them growing closer and hopefully smooshing their faces together. Roommates in Tokyo? Long-distance friends? Figuring out how to tell your flatmate you’ve been in love with him since you were 12? Established relationship while hijinks happen? AWKWARD THIRDWHEELING WITH SUOU?!

On that note:

Suou Hisashi & (or / - wejustdon’tknow.gif) Mashima Taichi

I cannot believe that ridiculous man. Did you see a grown ass adult swoon because his unrequited disciple I mean not-friend I mean Taichi just up and went to meet his relatives??? To  help reconnect them?? One can do things like this?? What next, being able to make phonecalls like an adult??

Does not compute.

I was there, Gandalf. I was there when the story first indicated that we might be getting an unlikely team-up of the world’s weirdest Meijin and Tokyo’s most miserable overachiever. But even in my wildest dreams I did not dare hope to see them sprawled on the carpet on a humid summer afternoon, Taichi comfortable in his own skin and Suou, erm, probably not very comfortable with his fascination :D He did not sign up for this. He, a grown ass man in what must be his early twenties, is too old for this youthful seishun sakura bullshit. And yet it is he who mournfully accosts Taichi’s mom to talk about how this other boy is paramount in Taichi’s universe. He who gets offended because Taichi knowing how to adult and work the social ropes is too sexy and competent. He who finds something compelling in the painful struggle of genius and skill.

Arata - Taichi - Suou

For maximum indulgence of yours truly, bring those into one place. Arata coming to Tokyo and finding Suou a fixture in Taichi’s life how?! Suou being infinitely pissy at the Fukuyi upstart and yet dragging himself to socialize with the boys regardless like a totally-not-pathetic adult with a social life of his own? Arata being mildly puzzled about the antagonism, but in there for the sweet snacks?

You tell me! I delight in my anticipation.

NIRVANA IN FIRE: Mei Changsu, Xiao Jingyan

Is this a complex, narratively inevitable historic tapestry strangling people with its treads, full of delicious politicking and identity porn? Yes, it is.

Is my burning – nay, primal – desire so simple as to smoosh two faces together and watch them kiss? Yes, it is :’)

I mean, I will obviously not say no if the kissing is giftwrapped in the said tapestry of beautiful, politicky plot, but the fever I can’t get out of my system is this: LET THEM KISS, GODDAMMIT. LET THEM BE HAPPY. I welcome canon divergences, alternative endings, fix-its, insert eps and codas where it looks like they would have kissed (erm, or at least confronted each other in a way that would inevitably end with them making out) if only Mei Changsu wasn’t so caught up in self-loathing and fluffy foxfur coats, and Jingyan didn’t talk too loudly about his so dead, so very dead beautiful ex to hear Mei Changsu weep stoically into his beautiful white furs.

I adore Prince Jing. He is 90% cheekbones and 20% heartbroken pouting over his so very dead friends, and all of it noble and awkward and stubborn and deserving of happiness. Mei Changsu is ridiculous, and capable, and twisted into pretzels of his own creation: not above gloating over his enemies while daintily dipping cookies into his tea, he gets too caught up in weaving the tapestry to notice he is a part of it.  Pull him off his high horse, Jing! Render him helpless by being yourself! Do something about being hopelessly charmed with each other, through resentment, loss, bitter pining, and narrative inevitability! JUSTKISSALREADY.gif!!

THUNDERBOLT FANTASY: Rin Setsua; Sho Fukan

I LOVE THIS SELF INDULGENT WUXIA NONSENSE AND I CANNOT LIE!

Sanfan is a mixture UTTER GLEE and deep fondness for the genre staples, self-aware and masterful playthrough of all the wuxia tropes in the book, and one goddamn well-constructed story. It plays the tropes straight, calls them out with a knowing wink, walks the tightrope between the two with panache, and just as you are relaxed and enjoying this trapeze show, it grins cheekily at you, sets the discoball on fire and pulls a bunny out of a hat.  It’s DELIGHTFUL and fun and lovingly crafted, just like a good passion project should be.

I want anything that capitalizes on the absolutely hilarious dynamics between Rin Setsua and Sho Fukan (and while personally I end up using the Japanese versions of their names more often, please feel free to go with the Chinese names if you prefer). Sho Fukan does not want any of those heroic quests, he’s the human equivalent of been there, done that mood, and he just wants to REST and hopefully dump a bunch of magical murderswords someplace safe. Rin Setsua is a Totally Respectable and Non-Villainous Member of Society, of which he will inform you firsthand in the most high spoken and verbose way possible, and maybe even produce paperwork that has definitely not been tampered with. He harbours no ulterior motives, ever, and does not trail behind Sho Fukan for any reason beyond the pleasure of his company, and his mission to personally victimize and cockblock every morally derelict villain in two countries, by no-one’s request.

Whether you go shipfic (yiss!) or canon levels teamup circus (also yiss!), don’t hold back your horses. Everything about this is Extra, and should continue to be so <3

I am okay with both expanding the canon and playing with AUs/crossovers/fusions for this one, provided they retain the character dynamics. I love the extended cast as well: any characters including the Seiyou gang (and on that note, if you want to write the Seiyou backstory for Shou’s gang that has no Rin in it, you’re welcome as well), reappearance of the familiar faces from Touri (read: Rin’s victim list, past, future and present), original characters lined up and waiting to be screwed over (guaranteed) and rescued (the administration does not bear any responsibility etc etc).

Thank you for taking the time to read the letter, and I’m greatly looking forward to reading your story — and hopefully, getting to chat about these ridiculous and wonderful characters post-reveals :)

[fatebreaking-a]

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐈'𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑.

ONE ( ALIAS / NAME ):  Winter / Yuki / Glitch / Juniper / Nobody

TWO ( BIRTHDAY ): Mid April.

THREE ( ZODIAC SIGN ): Aries

FOUR ( HEIGHT ):  5′11″.

FIVE ( HOBBIES ): Art, writing, video games, listening to music and taking mega walks.

SEVEN ( FAVOURITE BOOKS ): Books...? Just kidding. Most of my reading is translated web novels, the last books I remember reading are Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and The Stranger by Albert Camus and Candide by Voltaire but that was many, many moons ago.

EIGHT ( LAST SONG LISTENED TO ):  Here ( Ancient Magus’ Bride ) - AmaLee and Death Wish - A Hat In Time ( depending if we’re talking about my YT playlist or pandora shuffle )

NINE ( LAST SHOW WATCHED ): Chihayafuru, I think? I Want To Eat Your Pancreas? That’s not really a show.

TEN ( INSPIRATION FOR MUSE ): Everything I see, read, and experience tends to flow into what I write and draw for my muses - I tend to pick muses and what they get up to based on my feelings. For a long time, the writing for this blog came from a place of hurt and isolation and abandonment, so anything that has a strong rebellious vibe does it for me. Mythology and folklore are also super key, but I try to draw from everything. Just taking a voice class actually did a lot for how I portrayed and understood Sona so.

ELEVEN ( MEANING BEHIND YOUR URL ):  I like my double meanings. fatebreaking is “the one who breaks fate” and “the one whose fate is broken” - depending on whether you read it in more of a passive or active voice. Ties in really well with my interp for Ori / Lia / Sona. Both Sona & Ori ( in my interps ) are strongly tied to the concepts of fate, so it was important.  ( my old url, cutmystrxngs was one as well - whether to cut away ‘support’ or ‘chains’, and a similar passive/active voice thing )

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 : I stole this from @withperfecttempo like a pack of oreos that are mine now. Yoink.

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 : As it was stolen by me, so too should it be stolen from me that the cycle may continue. Just yoink it off me. Twelve people is a lot of people and I’m a big baby.

[queenyuyu]

I need to rant before I start my day. I started to watch Chihayafuru

And I love it; I think it funny and adorable, and I have always been a sucker for friendship-based stories. But can we talk about how utterly annoying the main characters love triangle is, please? Like seriously I hate this unhealthy portraying of being obsessed with one another. And the fans of either couple are toxic.

As for now, neither Taichi, nor Chihaya, nor Arata are ready for a Relationship or should be portrayed romantically. Hence them constantly saying each others name at random times and working “for” each other “to meet again”, becomes so utterly annoying. Yes, I understand the motivation behind it, but it's just freaking frustrating but let me get in depts: Chihaya obsession with Arata is just freaking the worst. Like the amount she randomly says “Arata, Arata, ARATA!” at times that have absolutly no conection to him, is so utterly annoying that I cringe so hard and ugh just urgh! It ruins her character to me because let's keep in mind that dude has not stayed in contact nor cared about her for YEARS! Yes, I have a childhood friends, I daydream about and would love to meet again too, but I'm not obsessed with them, even if they would share the same game obsession it wouldn’t be my number one thought all day long, at every little step I make in my life. GET A LIVE CHIHAYA, START TO LIVE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR DREAMS!

As for now, EVERYONE that has ever played with Arata has the same “connection” as she does, they have nothing more in common than their love for Karuta. Nothing! They simply motivated each other to play once! WOW, HOw couldn’t I see this"SOULMATE MATERIAL” BECAUSE SOMEONE TOLD SOMEONE THEY COULD BE GOOD AT SOMETHING! Keep in mind that therefore Taichi, Retro, Nishida, or Shinobu, heck everyone else that played against him and was in awe, has a connection with him as well. They probably also had more dialogue exchange then Chihaya and Arata ever had and ever will have. If anyone I would probably rout for Shinobu at this point they at least have some chemistry and share some similarities, other then starring at each other blankly saying each others name. They also actually had and I’m serious a deeper conversation then the “main couple”.

  Arata seems to be more interested in Tachi then he is in Chihaya, so can we make him gay now? Because seriously that how he acts imo. He prefers to write Taichi rather then Chihaya, so clearly he is not interested. UNTIL, Of course, he sees her and of course she FAINTS, because that's the ultimate sign that they are meant to be, even though it Taichi that actually catches her, but he is friend zoned so that doesn't count. Even then all he thinks is her name. Now he needs to say and think her name as often as she does and BOOM COUPLE GOALS! Loving each other's Names! Wow, that’s so deep from a natural talent winning everything, and being so deeply in love with his cards. Like all, we learn from all the other character that seems to be important in Karuta is not portrayed in him, but yeah, but I guess plot armor.

And can we talk how freaking rude she is, I get the I need to sleep because I’m so exhausted at random moment comedic relief moments, but bitch please, you can’t even announce your win? Can’t you even hold it together for your teammates? At the time she acts so freakingly egoistic, that I have to give credits to everyone putting up with her.

  Taichi, dude, I get Arata is your Rival, but you share and do so much more with Chihaya that this obsession is really stupid, and either you move the fuck on or tell her because this is stupid.

And I know, I KNOW, Arata will end up with Chihayam the “random” moments, when they “romantically” exchange saying their names and nothing more is foreshadowing to that. And yet they didn’t have a single conversation. NONE! While Taichi *sigh*, pretty much is her best friend, pillow, the one supporting her dreams, and pushing her on. Let’s be honest WITHOUT TAICHI; she would not have made it to where she is now. He is a great friend and cares for everyone beyond a point where she can’t because she lacks empathy or is too self-centered.

So think about you want about Taichi, from annoying brat to be deserving of her love. Their relationship as for now is definitively the better one, but let’s also be straightforward, the amount o time he is self-conscious because of Arata would’ make him a pretty shitty overly jealous boyfriend.  Taichi too is unhealthily attached and obsessed with Arata.

  In short, all three of them are utterly stupid characters when it comes to their relationship with each other. I can’t ship or root for them. The one with the most personality is Taichi, and because the writer chose not to make him perfect, most people don’t like him, when he is the only one who shows great character growth and empathy for everyone even Arata, but then again, she ruins it with his “ARATA!!!!”-jealousy-obsession!!!, and I swear I get so annoyed whenever I hear his name.

  Also, can we fucking speak of how much of a freaking overpowered character Arata is, he does nothing and automatically is better than anyone else. Sorry, that’s quite boring, and I’m so glad the story didn’t involve him too much as for now. I know this changes, and yeah … see my exciting face. I might have to drop this series because the main characters cannot keep up with the strength and the wit of the support characters.

And that frustrates me because the idea of the story is beautiful and great, and the side characters are beautiful and have so much depth to them, even the main characters are loveable. But their “faithful-bond” is so utterly overdone, and thrown in your face, that the story becomes almost secondary to the frustration of this poor excuse of  “relationship” they are supposed to share.

  It almost 2019, and this is still the main romance top young girls are feed to read. CAN WE FINALLY GET FOR ONCE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE BASED ON ACTUAL CHARACTER GROWTH DEVELOPMENT AND GROWING OF FEELINGS BASED ON WORKING ONTO IT- make me care for their relationship because “destiny” doesn’t do it for me. It’s an unrealistic unhealthy portraying of relationship; I wished we could finally move on from.

  Also, the best character is Akito Sudo, fight me!

[chouhatsumimi]

I’m probably behind the times because I really enjoy reading manga in paper/book format, but today I finally started a system for reading manga in Japanese online!

I’m using honto.jp . It has an app that makes your library of manga and books very organized, and the pages are very readable and easy to scroll. (I’m finding the tablet version a little better, just because it’s easier to read at that size.) However, you need to use the webpage (not the app) to find and download a lot of the content.

Right now they have a lot of volumes for free! I got the first three volumes of Chihayafuru, five volumes of Naruto, three volumes of Showa Rakugo, and a few others. I also got volume 1 of Promised Neverland, though it seems like it might only be free to read for the next 6 day’s before it disappears.

I found it fairly easy to sign up and use the site, but it is in Japanese. If anyone is interested, maybe I could do a walkthrough post later.

[hinatashoyyo]

I was tagged by the loverly Lys @bokuto-kou!

Nickname: Han (old work place), Hans (James), number one bae (Binte), macaroni (old high school nickname), hanzie my little pansy (mama), soft boy (Rosie), lychee (Leyla) and peeps used to sing my name at me a lot 

•Zodiac sign: cancer

•Last things you googled: bloom the paper kites 

•Favorite music artists: steam powered giraffe, i’ve been listening to the fossil collective a lot lately, the paper kites, of monsters and men, glutamine, daughter, in love with a ghost

•Song stuck in your head: now it’s bloom by the paper kites, it’s such a pretty spring song 

•Last movie you watched: i don’t know? it might have even been as long ago as when i went to see a silent voice by myself in the cinema like a nerd 

•What are you wearing right now: my sister’s old navy superdry jumper that she didn’t want anymore and navy polka dot jeans w my starfish ring for them mild clannad vibes 

•Why did you choose your url: haikyuu!! is the best yo 

do you have any other blogs: not since the accident (i’ll make a poetry sideblog once i release Driftlight so no one has to look at this mess) 

•How many blankets do you sleep with? 2 atm sometimes more at uni if i can’t get warm

•Dream job: writer and illustrator, nurse 

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single pringle

FAVOURITE COLOUR: pastel blue

LIPSTICK OR CHAPSTICK: lipstick

LAST SONG I LISTENED TO: new york, new york thomas sanders and dodie cover

TOP 3 TV SHOWS: i’m gonna do a tv show list and a anime list bc screw it 

stranger things, call the midwife and gravity falls // fmab, clannad and haikyuu!! 

TOP 3 CHARACTERS: Alphonse elric, Vivi final fantasy ix and Roxas but i have many more

TOP 3 SHIPS: i don’t have that many strong ships tbh but inukag, taichi/chihaya from chihayafuru and syaoran/sakura are what i’m feeling atm i am one for that slow burn tasty pining 

BOOKS I’M CURRENTLY READING: sweetness and lightning manga, Call the Midwife trilogy (left it at uni by mistake oops) and Emma

i will tag @bitlinski, @0hmygon, @laytonbolt, @raavenboys, @clamp and @tsukana

dw if you don't wanna

[itsokaytheyrejustwords-blog]

ADMIN USE ONLY These questions only need yes or no answers. They’re not commitments if you say yes, simply organizational tools. Are you interested in finding critique groups/partners?  yes Are you interested in being a beta-reader?  yes Are you open to being tagged in writing questionnaires/asks/games?  yes Are you open to being messaged to talk about writing?  yes Are you open to being tagged to participate in writing discussions?   yes Would you like to participate in Writeblr by Region?  yes Would you like to participate in the Translation Corner?  no       If so, which languages would you like to be listed under?

Short Profile: Preferred Nickname:  Cam Country/Region:  US/North America Languages:  English Preferred Writing Type:  fiction; novels, short stories, occasionally fanfiction and poems and songs Preferred Genre(s) to Write:  meta, realistic fiction, literary fiction, fantasy, young adult, lgbtqa+ fiction Preferred Genre(s) to Read:  literary fiction, fantasy, young adult fiction, lgbtqa+ fiction Favorite Book(s) and Author(s):  The Infernal Devices (Cassandra Clare), Gregor the Overlander, (Suzanne Collins) Cat’s Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut), Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro), Milk and Honey (Rupi Kaur), Everyday (David Levithan), The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom), The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster), Slaughterhouse Five (Vonnegut), A Mango Shaped Space (Wendy Mass), Tuesdays with Morrie (Albom), Eragon (Christopher Paolini), Every Soul a Star (Mass), Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (Mass) Let the Great World Spin (Colum McCann), The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern), Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell), The Darkest Minds (Alexandra Bracken), Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones), The Giver (Lois Lowry), Gossamer (Lowry), The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) Favorite Music Genre(s)/Artists(s):  Passion Pit, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Bon Iver, Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Modest Mouse, Alt-J, The Way Down Wanderers, Passenger, James Taylor, Fun., Lee DeWyze, Sara Bareilles, ODESZA, Daughter, I Fight Dragons Favorite Fandom(s):     Movies:  Kubo and the Two Strings, The Little Prince, The Polar Express, Inside Out, Inception     TV Shows:  Shadowhunters, Criminal Minds, Riverdale     Anime:  Anohana, Durarara, Yuri!!! on Ice, Kodocha, Bleach, Barakamon, Kimi ni Todoke, 07-Ghost, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Lovely Complex, Ouran Highschool Host Club, Magi, Haikyuu!!, Oofuri, Chihayafuru, Days     Comics:  Snailed It, Nightmare Factory, This is Not Fiction, King’s Folly, Toxic for You, Humor Me, Green & Gold, Spaceboy, George and Johnny, Ultramarine Weather, Flowerpot, A Matter of Life and Death, Sheep + Wolf, Yellow Hearts, Kingdom of Rejects, Cat & Pickle, A Mirror’s Tale, Maggot Boy, The Lonely Moon, Ghostblade, 1111 Comics, Kind of Confidential, Fisheye Placebo, Cheese in the Trap, Super Secret, UnTouchable     Video Games:  Lumino City Hobbies/interests other than writing:  rock climbing, playing guitar

Extended Profile: Personality Zodiac Sign:  Sagittarius —Does it match your personality?  I don’t know enough about it to say, MBTI Type: INFP —Does it match your personality well?  Yes, but I have also gotten INTP and INTJ, and those match as well Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert

Writing Habits Number/Names of WIPs:  Clearly, Don’t Listen Favorite book about writing:  Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott) Planner, Pantser or Plantser?  Plantser Favorite Outlining Method:  Notecards or Scrivener’s outlining tool Do you write on a schedule or sporadically?  Sporadically, theoretically daily, though Any creativity rituals that you use:  I give all of my writing documents titles that are something along the lines of “The Worst Piece of Writing Ever” to counteract my perfectionist side.  For the same reason, I often type without any caps and turn off grammar/spellcheck.

Your Writing Community Tumblr:  it’s okay they’re just words Current writing/creative communities you participate in:  NaNoWriMo Community Name (if applicable):  Campion41 Wattpad Community Name (if applicable):  CampionStar fanfiction.net or AO3 Community Name (if applicable):  n/a DeviantArt Community Name (if applicable):  n/a Patreon Community Name (if applicable):  n/a

[krjpalmer]

While the rhetoric that “you’ll grow out of anime if you know what’s good for you” may have faded into the background for me with time, at the start of 2011 I was a little conscious I just might be about to change everything. Having enjoyed crossing the Atlantic by ship two years before (too busy along the way to watch very much anime), I’d booked a cruise that would start in Japan and make a few stops in the north of that country on the way back across the Pacific. It would be far from an “anime fan pilgrimage” of the sort English-speaking fans talked about, but there did seem the possibility that in experiencing Japan as a normal country, it would be impressed on me at last “animation” of the sort being exported across the Pacific was hidden in a few disparaged nooks and crannies; maybe manga was a bit more respectable, if you were reading the right titles.

Big things got in the way, though, big enough that their effects on me were trivialities by comparison. After an earthquake, tsunami, and reactor meltdown hitting the north of Japan, people started cancelling their cruise reservations until the line changed the itinerary from that country to South Korea and eastern Russia. I almost cancelled my own reservation in petty annoyance, but once I’d got over that I did remember the cruise was still starting from Kobe. After I’d been driven from the Osaka airport to the cruise terminal with a few hours left before sailing, the thought did enter my jet-lagged mind I could chance walking inland for a few blocks just to say I had, and it just so happened I happened on a big multi-floor appliance and electronics store with signs I could tell also mentioned model kits. Ascending the escalators, I wound up among not just model kits but also “anime goods” aplenty; that there didn’t seem any video discs mixed in was a trifle. I bought a Macross Frontier boxed mini-figure, and haven’t got around to opening it to see just who it was. In some way too, happening on some translated manga and model kits in South Korea in just a few more hours there added to a general sense it was a bit harder to call Japan a safely exotic, unique, and unthreatening “other” any more. With all of that said I can hit on some simply memorable anime series from 2011, although this year I’m tempted to start with the quite honourable mentions and work towards the real personal standouts. Puella Magi Madoka Magica has inspired a good few “well, actually...” comments about just where and when “dark magical girl series” really started, although for me a part of what makes it memorable is the sense it was the last big show that broke through with people chasing “fansubs.” Having first seen it that way might have contributed to me buying Aniplex of America’s deluxe releases of it, although in just a few years I’m afraid I had burned out on the privilege of taking expensive and therefore presumably well-encoded releases and wound up leaving them instead. Some might insist they haven’t gone away, but they haven’t taken over the industry here either. I am conscious too the original follow-up movie first seemed interesting as a continuation but wound up feeling sort of depressing as a “that’s all we’ve got” conclusion. Steins;Gate featured for its year in a “recent most-popular anime” piece I happened on after beginning to look for my own personal standouts; its time travel storyline builds slowly (and feels stuffed with “familiar character types” doing it), but does become compelling without being overwhelming. While it had taken me a while longer to see what at least a few people were quite enthusiastic about and watch Chihayfuru, I was impressed when I managed that. A good dose of “whatever you do, do to the utmost of your ability” combined with the sense of “experiencing something unusual” I’d supposed I’d left behind with anime a while ago, although after watching the series I could start recognizing its karuta card game here and there in other series. Thinking back to it had me supposing I’d hit on my standout among standouts for the year, but then I did a bit more looking and realized I’d missed at first that Nichijou had also premiered in 2011. That made the choice harder again; Nichijou is a “cartoony” comedy at first glance but with depth and heart to be found. It also seems my best option for listing a Kyoto Animation production at the top of its year, even if it takes on the style of its original manga (which I followed up on where I haven’t quite dug into the digital releases of the Chihayafuru manga yet) where it’s tempting to claim most of their later series from the decade show off a house style.