#thought maybe it was just a normal yuri hobby anime

[roachymochi]

7 episodes in.

Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight has me going insane over it and I'm only at episode 2. I decided to watch it after reading a post somewhere saying it had the vibes of an Ikuhara show and boy, did it deliver. I definitely see the stylistic inspirations at least.

But Oh god the Themes. The girls are all living in light and learning together to become theater girls and shine on stage but the whole thing is rigged. The top star candidate are actually chosen secretly by a mysterious character (the only man in the whole cast) and pitted against each other in a competition that seems designed for the express purpose of isolating them. All so they can "fullfill their destiny" to shine for an unseen audience. It's all so alienating.

And then you have Karen, a typical friendly but talentless protagonist who goes against the whole system by wanting to be a star with someone else. And she force her way into the system where she was uninvited (obviously, she's too social to be groomed) and completely break the whole thing by giving hope to her defeated opponents? This is sooo fucking good guys.

The Themes seems to be strong and very good in this show. I' tend to be disappointed by 'm often disappointed by animes because the deep layers of the narratives are often unexplored by the end. But with this one I have good hopes it will delivers.

[wavepriisms]

it's that time again, let's liveblog more asdc chapters that weren't animated!!

genuinely so sad they skipped over so much of the manga. mangakakalot also doesn't have 37-45 so i'm wondering what happened to those? asdc lost media

chapter 49, "the wise one enters the jaws of death"

everyone give a warm welcome to kanna!! just from the first page she seems very organized. she even cares about the rules about skirt length even though literally no one else including the teachers care. wuh oh!! here comes nao!! the kind of person kanna wants to stay away from!!

kanna wants to ask about board games, her one and only hobby!! this is beginning to seem like yuri!! girl who stands up for every rule x girl who could not care less about rules. she got lost in her thoughts about board games (moved recently, hasn't found any friends to play with), and almost followed nao home. tripped and fell when she ran away. she is a bit of a girlfailure. nao denies any and all allegations of being a gamer. manager-san shows up, tells her to come back to the shop sometime because the cat is getting lonely.

nao, kanna, and manager-san decide to play ciao ciao!! ciao ciao is a bluffing game. the players have 7 pieces, whoever gets 3 across the board first wins. you roll a dice numbered 1-4 in a tube and move that many spaces. other players can call your bluff if you lie, though!! if you're caught bluffing, that piece is no longer in play, but if you're not lying, the player who called your bluff gets their piece taken away. 5 and 6 are replaced by an x, forcing you to bluff.

nao complains that she can't read manager-san because of his sunglasses, and takes them off!! she puts them back on because she thinks he's too pretty!! girl you are 15 he's not gonna date you!!

kanna wins the game, nao only got one piece across.

kanna says she wants to play more board games together sometime, and nao blushes a little bit!! please be yuri i can't take anymore secondhand embarrassment!! also nao only calls kanna "nerd"

chapter 50, "the magic that binds us together"

kanna asks nao to have lunch with her, maybe go to emmy's board game cafe after school, and nao just straight up says she doesn't want to be friends.

kanna's unnamed classmates (friends? unsure) tell her lots of rumors about nao. drugs, yakuza boyfriend, scammer, thief. someone's wallet was stolen and nao was the only one in the room, and denied any knowledge of the crime. kanna knows she can't lie because she fucking sucks at ciao ciao. kanna catches nao after school, nao asks why she wants to hang out so bad and kanna says she knows nao is just a normal girl deep down. the game shop is closed, so they have some free time together. they go to emmy's game cafe, emmy's dad greets them.

they play magic labyrinth. the box art and logo remind me of the movie labyrinth. in the game, you are an apprentice wizard who needs to find magic symbols in a labyrinth. the game is simple, you roll a die and collect tokens. the pieces are magnetic, however, and a little ball on the underside of the board falls whenever you move against an invisible wall. if you hit a wall, you go back to the start.

nao memorized where most of the walls were, and won!! kanna says she's amazing and could become a super awesome gamer!!

they unironically started blushing when they got close to each other i think there's actually something happening here...

the original dice club showed up, and that's where i'll end my liveblogging entirely!! i'll leave the rest for you all to read yourselves <3

[incorrecttowerofgodquotes]

Tower Of God Anime Episode 1 Breakdown

Spoilers so Anime only’s beware.

-The two hot boys have shown up. Interesting they’re both under honor and pride, since the two hate each other’s guts. Hatz strives to bring honor as swordsman and places a lot of his pride into that. Meanwhile, Khun strives to regain his honor taken away from him after his exile, and his overwhelming pride causes problems for him.

-In this small scene, there’s so much symbolism about Endorsi’s character. First, we focus on her shoes, which links to the idea of how Jahad’s Princesses are called the shoes in the king’s showcase. Right now, she is a shoe, walking towards her destiny of entering the tower. Then we get a shot of her face, a mix of adorable and pretty. These two shots indicate what everyone sees when they first meet Endorsi, a princess and then just a pretty face. Until it finally pulls back and shows the many other shoes in the showcase, to which Endorsi is compared to and what people hope she becomes. However, she stands outside the case because she wants freedom from her duties as a princess.

-Another interesting thing about the showcase shot is that while Endorsi is at first front and center, she’s ultimately dwarfed by the many other shoes that come into frame, showing that even if she’s a princess, she’s just one of many and can easily be made (replaced) again.

-The power and influence line shows Endorsi wants. She wanted power to become stronger than the other girls at her home, and eventually she gained it. Now she wants power to become a popular princess, which will give her influence. With her influence she might be able to change something about the princess system, just like what Yuri wants.

-Shibisu is under the money and wealth, replacing Narae. Now, we don’t actually know Shibisu’s backstory. We’ve gotten hints of it such as someone taking something from him, but we don’t know the full story. Might this give a clue into his past?

-Anaak is probably the most easiest to explain. She wants revenge on the Jahad family for her mother and father’s deaths. However she eventually mellows out with this, preferring to keep her teammates safe then strive for revenge (like in the Name Hunt Station Arc)

-Rak wants to transcend all. Basically become stronger than anyone, and he’ll gain this power by hunting down strong prey and proving he’s stronger.

-I can’t really do an analysis of the op cause most of it is just Bam walking and stuff, so here are my fav shots (Though the yellow one scares me). Interesting that we get a shot of the Jahad symbol in the op, though it makes sense with just how important it is. Though I don’t know what was up with the bird. I guess it’s meant to represent freedom, but ToG is more full of water metaphors than sky. (Also the only time birds are relevant in ToG is when they appear and then die)

-I love Rachel’s little smile after Bam tells her he doesn’t want her to go up the tower. It seems like she’s smiling to calm him down and explain the situation, however you can also see the fakeness in it. She isn’t smiling because she feels bad for Bam, she’s smiling because she feels like she has to.

-This shot still confuses me. It’s like the tower itself is vibe checking Bam.

-Subarashi

-Bam subscribes to the “No Waifu, No Laifu” train of thought. And just as I predicted, people are already calling him a simp. I guess I can let it pass for now, but’s gonna get annoying if people keep calling him that, even after S1.

-Thus, the meeting that forever changed the tower’s fate has occurred. And it all started with a kick to the face.

-Seeing Yuri and Evan together makes me happy. They’re such a great duo that feel better together than split. Also I’m interested in the language they’re using. Is it a real world language, fake, or a mix of a few languages? Either way, it seems that Yuri and Evan might be able to understand each other without a Pocket (maybe because Evan’s guide abilities allow him to know every language in the tower?)

-Gotta say, the CGI looks very crappy, especially in mix with the extremely cartoony style of ToG. Hope we don’t get to much of it.

-Why are they saying Non-Regular. It’s supposed to be Irregular. The trailers got it right, so why is this different?

-Love how Bam’s the only one who reacts to the threat of execution. Evan and Yuri probably hear that on a daily basis so it doesn’t matter as much.

-Yuri went from shitting on him to wanting to fuck him in a second. Normally I’d criticize such a thing but since Yuri has a different agenda, and the circumstances between princesses and men, I can’t blame her for wanting a handsome man to go up. (Seriously all the princesses must be sexually frustrated)

-Anaak’s my favorite girl in S1, but I think Yuri’s gonna convert me if she has more of these great faces.

-Another translation error, but one also translated wrongly in Japanese. It’s supposed to be needle, but they say katana (sword in japanese). If I’m remembering correctly, only one 13 Month Weapon is actually a sword.

-Poor Evan. Then again, even if it seems he has a weak hold on her, he’s probably the best one for the job. Since he’s one of the highest ranking guides, he’s probably stuck taking care of either hard to handle or strong princesses.

-Their relationship is adorable. I have a thing for tall girl x short boy and this fulfills it all the way. Also, Yuri saying she hates being bored is really telling of just how much of an adventurous spirit she has. Even in the tower where things are hectic all the time and she works under Jahad and Wingtree, she still desires a world outside of the norm. I wonder if meeting Phantaminum really broadened her horizons that much?

-Love seeing all the buildup just to get to Bam being eaten. It’s a great way to subvert expectations from him just cutting it normally. Also in the manwha, Yuri says the needle is for stabs and pierces, probably giving Bam the idea of entering the eel.

-Also Yuri for best big sister in anime pls.

-”Welp, let’s go home”

-Yuri was about to try and punt an administrator. How can she walk in such dense shinsu with balls as heavy as hers

-Can we talk about the amount of trust in Yuri and Evan’s relationship. Sure, Yuri protested when grabbed by Evan, but when she heard that Bam had taken the right path she immediately stopped fighting or rushing to break in there. Even if she couldn’t figure out what the path was supposed to be, she believed in Evan’s words that Bam had done it right and stopped fighting.

-Bam’s gonna need a bath

-I love these two shots. Just the raw determination Bam has is inspiring. We should all be like Bam, except maybe focus that determination into a hobby or work instead of stalking a girl.

-Yuri about to punt Headon part 2

-This scene had me tearing up. No matter how horribly the two’s relationship progresses in the future, this scene will always be sweet because it’s the two’s raw, positive emotion. Bam was stuck down there for weeks, months, maybe even years, and finally someone comes along and says they’ll be there with him. Even if he didn’t leave the cave, his world got brighter just by having Rachel there. I’m glad they included this scene because it shows why Bam is so desperate to get Rachel back, to get his light back.

-This is precious

-I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but Rachel looks adorable

-These shots are so simple yet so powerful. If only they could have stayed like this

-Bam is smooth. This dude spent years in a dark hole with no one to talk to and yet he can still pick up girls. Also I think this scene shows that Bam and Rachel have more of a sibling relationship. Ruffling his hair is more of a big sister type of thing.

-Based on Yuri’s reaction, this is probably the most determined she’s seen Evan

-Black March is top tier waifu material even though she’s just a needle. I like that the animators made her look more mature. It shows that she’s an old weapon without needing to say it.

-BEGONE THOT

-I love how Black March’s preference in men was a superstition. Also can we talk about Evan’s face in the last panel? It’s beautiful.

-Honestly, it’s hard to tell who’s in charge of who

-That feeling when a sexy, needle lady will never hold you in her arms, why even live?

-I love how Bam’s first reaction to entering a new place was to eat it’s grass. Bless this precious child

-And finally, it ends off with the RaKhunBam trio. I’m so happy to see all three of them together.

This episode had it’s good points and it’s bad points but either way I’m excited for the rest of this journey, especially seeing the anime onlys reactions.

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #121

You know, I really should stop assuming that the next chapter is going to be the start of Tomoko’s third year, otherwise I’m gonna start looking like one of those pretentious fans who thinks they know the manga better than the creators. 

So after last chapter’s emotional rollercoaster, we follow Tomoko into her spring break where she goes...fishing. Now, I wasn’t expecting a “filler” chapter before Tomoko’s third year, but I can’t complain. We needed a funny, breather chapter of sorts after what went down at the party. I could see other series making a chapter like this and being painfully obvious that they’re dragging the story out, but in Watamote, no chapter is completely devoid of substance. Whether it’s dick pics or fishing, Tomoko will make it entertaining.

Chapter 121: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Spent Time with my Dad

Maybe I’m reading a little too much into it, but I do notice a minor difference in Tomoko’s behavior for how she spends her school breaks. Back in her first year, Tomoko would despair about wasting time doing her otaku hobbies, but she was never really bored. Now unless there really is none of that to occupy her time, then the implication here is that interests like manga and anime no longer give her that sense of engagement. Could it be that Tomoko’s interests have begun to wane, or is it simply that she’s learned some degree of moderation where she nows needs other things to give her a change of pace?

I do appreciate Nico Tanigawa giving us subtle hints as to where Tomoko lives in “our” world. I wonder if the precise location of her home, if there is one, is the the same as where the mangaka lives. I imagine it’d be pretty close, if only for storytelling convenience, but obviously they’re not gonna give us anything direct, lest someone takes that as an invitation to go on a Watamote pilgrimage.

I wonder whether Tomoko’s discomfort is from the bait itself, or if it justs looks too difficult for her to do? We do know that Tomoko isn’t all that squeamish, given that she finds things like dead stingrays to be cool, so I think it’s more likely that isn’t confident she can hook the bait since it’s been so long since she last went fishing.

I’m with you, Tomoko. But even if I don’t like fishing myself, I can respect people who do. I’d like to think that activities/sports like fishing and golf, where a lot of the time is spent in anticipation, is something that only appeals to certain kinds of people. Those who enjoy it may appreciate the atmospheric tension, but for those who are eager only for the results, it probably looks monotonous. 

That doesn’t surprise me. Tomoko was probably at that age where going fishing was considered a summer highlight. It’s one of the various activities parents often have their kids do to broaden their horizons, and while such things are fun to an extent, they usually become a thing of the past once you’ve settled on your own hobbies. Perhaps I’m projecting my own experiences onto Tomoko, but I’d like to think there’s a bit of truth there.

Twins.

So apparently hooking half-dead fish is something that actually happens? Nasty.

Tomoko as a kid, like many others, probably was blinded by some childlike wonder that blocked the harsher realities in favor of that feeling of accomplishment that comes with catching fish. Now that she’s older, fishing is just another facet of reality she’s become apathetic about. Looking back, the things that Tomoko used to associate with adulthood like coffee shops and cabaret girls probably wouldn’t register on her radar now as they did back then.

That timing seems about right. We know that Tomoki became less excitable at the start of middle school, so that’s probably when he became “too old” for fishing.

At this point, I guess I ought to talk about Tomoko’s dad. Previously, what little we knew about him was restricted to the fact that he has the busy life of a salaryman, and the implication that’s he’s a pretty chill and open-minded guy (the massager incident being the prime example). I do appreciate that while he’s aware about things like gendering, he doesn’t discriminate and has no issues on bringing Tomoko along for a “boy’s hobby” despite her now being a “young woman”. I live in a culture where fishing with your dad is often seen as “father-son quality time”, which is why the activity is usually associated as being something masculine. This could be an instance of the mangaka’s own open-minded views being expressed through Tomoko’s dad, one could say. All in all, I’m glad that for all of Tomoko’s problems, having a dysfunctional family has never been one of them.

You know that feeling you get when you build up a goal so fantastically in your mind, but once you have it, the high wears off almost instantly. We as readers can enjoy the dramatic irony of Tomoko’s response since we’ve seen firsthand how relatively exciting her school life as been as of late. But the big point is that Tomoko’s change in-universe was very gradual. She’s never had to make some grand epiphany about her social life because it happened so seamlessly to the point where it became nothing special, or “normal” for her. And honestly, that’s probably for the best.

That’s something we’ve all noticed, I believe. All those chapters of Tomoko wanting to ditch school come to mind. But looking back, Tomoko distaste for school was mostly due to having an unfulling school life than any dislike for the schoolwork. Though I imagine that the old Tomoko would reason the exact opposite so she wouldn’t have to face the hard truth.

C’mon, Tomoko. Don’t you know parents always talk about their kid’s problems in secret?

Exactly my thoughts. If she were being conscientious about it, Tomoko would skip school if she really could. But after making her new circle of friends, the drudgery of school was no longer a large part of her mindset, and was pushed to the back of her mind when dealing with her new buddies took priority. This was most evident back in chapter 109, where Tomoko admitted she was glad to go to school even when she didn’t really have to. I’m not sure if she’s fully realized it herself, but Tomoko’s mind has come to connect the school environment with her new social life, hence why most of her displeasure towards the former is all but gone.

Tomoko, an Instagram girl? Get real, dad.

She said the “f” word...*wipes away fanboy tear.*

You know what’s great, though? It’s that she said it so casually. Even Yuri had to stammer a bit before she could say the word “friend”. Though, having Yuri say it first probably broke the ice and gave Tomoko the assurance to say it too. Still, it’s nice to hear her speak so confidently about them. 

These moments where Tomoko is shown to be acutely aware about her own twisted personality really sheds some light about how she perceives herself. She knows she’s about 50% unlikeable, but where she used to try and “better” herself in the past, she’s now much more unforgiving about this side. Frankly, I find Tomoko much more likeable for accepting herself than those times when she could pass as an oblivious jerk. She’s much more intentional in pulling back her nastiness (though it still slips out at times), and that effort on her part is commendable. 

Relatability Rating: 12/10.

So the eyes are genetic after all. You know, if we were shown this panel with no context whatsoever, I’m sure many people would mistake that eye for Tomoki. Tomoko we’d pick out no problem since that hair horn is all we need to identify her.

Remember what I said about Tomoko knowing when to let out her creepier side?

Well there ya go. 

But in all seriousness, there’s a lot to take from this sequence. The biggest and most obvious takeaway is that Tomoko feels the need to put on an air of innocence with the photo she sent to Yuu, but with Yuri and Mako, her freakier side is a lot more transparent. Even more so, she just seems a lot happier in the photo she sent to her schoolmates.

Does this mean that Tomoko is actually more comfortable with Yuri and Mako now than she is with Yuu? That’s both sweet and kind of depressing, but I think it needs to be stated that while Tomoko does seem to be more cheerful in the second pic, that doesn’t necessarily translate to her liking her schoolmates more than Yuu. I do admit that Tomoko does appear to drifting away from Yuu, but that alone doesn’t mean she likes Yuu any less than she did before. Keep in mind that Yuu is still her only friend whom she can share in her otaku interests. Perhaps Tomoko is just being more mindful of her, i.e. no longer casually harassing her. As for Yuri and Mako, she’s already built herself up as a weirdo, so there’s no harm in expressing that side of her. Tomoko just plays up different parts of her personality depending on the friend she’s with.

Too bad she didn’t send anything to Komiyama or Yoshida. If she had, I imagine it’d probably be a third pic of her trolling them hard. 

Thanks for being patient with my review. I couldn’t wait to get this out, but as expected, boot camp eats up my time. But on the positive side, I feel a lot more engaged when I write these out on my breaks, and that can only make these reactions better in the long run.

Now I know I just said I shouldn’t predict too much about future chapters at the start of this review, but I’m curious to see people’s predictions on who’ll be in Tomoko’s third year class.

My guess: Yuri, Ucchi, Okada, Katou...and Komiyama.

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 4/15/20

SEAN: Mid-April, and manga shipments are still, mostly, normal.

ASH: I appreciate some normalcy, these days.

MELINDA: God, same.

SEAN: J-Novel Club has a debut, and it’s an odd one. This was a doujinshi published by 6 light novel authors, including the creators of Tanya the Evil and Re: Zero. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Isekai is as silly as it sounds, I hear, and is complete in one volume.

ASH: That sounds like it could be fun.

SEAN: Also out next week is By the Grace of the Gods 2, In Another World with My Smartphone 19, Otherside Picnic 3, and Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles 9.

Kodansha, in print, has Attack on Titan 30 and Hitorijime My Hero 7.

ASH: It’s been a while since I’ve thought about Attack on Titan.

ANNA: I generally don’t think about Attack on Titan.

MELINDA: Honestly, I try not to think about Attack on Titan.

SEAN: Digitally, the debut is The Hero Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) “Mediocre” Demon (Jishou! Heibon Mazoku no Eiyuu Life: B-kyuu Mazoku na no ni Cheat Dungeon wo Tsukutte shimatta Kekka). Yes, it’s based on a light novel, no this is not the novel. It runs on NicoNico Seiga, and is about a young demon going to a magic school… and is not, amazingly, The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn As a Typical Nobody *or* The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, both of which seem to have very similar premises.

MICHELLE: If we’re going to get a story about a demon school, why can’t it be Mairimashita! Iruma-kun? (I realize that’s Akita Shoten and not Kodansha; I’m just whining.)

SEAN: And there is also (deep breath) All-Out!! 13, Domestic Girlfriend 24, The Dorm of Love and Secrets 3, Farewell My Dear Cramer 9, My Boyfriend in Orange 9, My Roomie Is a Dino 2, Ran the Peerless Beauty 7 (I have to catch up!) and You Got Me Sempai! 8.

MICHELLE: Some good stuff here, but especially Ran the Peerless Beauty!

SEAN: One Peace has a debut with The New Gate. Yes, it’s based on a novel, no, that’s not licensed. It’s an Alpha Polis series about a guy trapped in a game who wins and frees everyone… but lingers a bit too long, and now is caught in the same game 500 years later.

Three debuts from Seven Seas. The first is a digital-first light novel, Adachi and Shimamura. This yuri series has been long requested, and fans should be happy. I believe its plot is Story A.

Fragtime is a done in one omnibus, which ran (oh dear) in Akita Shoten’s Champion Tap! (which I guess is when your work is not good enough for Champion Red) and is about (oh dear) a girl who stops time to look at her classmates’ panties. It’s hard to have lower expectations for this than I do.

MICHELLE: Ugh. Although, if they’re licensing Akita Shoten titles, maybe I should whine at them about Iruma-kun…

MELINDA: Seven Seas has really come a long way. This feels like old times, and not in a great way.

SEAN: Goodbye My Rose Garden (Sayonara Rose Garden) easily wins the “if I can only buy one yuri title” sweepstakes this week, and ran in Mag Garden’s MAGxiv. A young noblewoman begs her maid to kill her, and they grow closer as a result. It sounds quite good.

ASH: This one seems more up my alley.

ANNA: Sounds interesting!

MELINDA: Sign me up!

SEAN: Also out from Seven Seas: Ghostly Things 2, Himouto! Umaru-chan 9, the 6th light novel of How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom (print), Mushoku Tensei’s 5th light novel (print), and My Room Is a Dungeon Rest Stop 2.

Square Enix debuts My Dress Up Darling (Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru), a Young Gangan title about a reclusive boy and a Gal who end up bonding over their hobbies. This actually sounds interesting. That said, I’ve heard it’s also servicey.

ASH: I can think of a few cute but servicey series I’m enjoying; maybe this manga will join the group.

MELINDA: I’d consider myself cautiously interested.

SEAN: SuBLime’s debut is Secret XXX, which ran in Shinshokan’s Dear +. It’s a story of hot boys and rabbits.

ASH: Oh, there really are rabbits! (I had to double-check – hot boys I expected.)

MELINDA: I’m… maybe there for the rabbits?

SEAN: They’ve also got The World’s Greatest First Love 13.

Vertical gives us a 5th Knights of Sidonia Master Edition.

Viz has no debuts, but does have Case Closed 74, Komi Can’t Communicate 6, the 2nd Persona 5, and Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle 11.

ASH: I’m behind a few volumes, but Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle is consistently delightful.

ANNA: I agree, getting caught up on Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle might be a nice stress-busting activity.

SEAN: Yen time. Fresh off its anime and its cameo in Isekai Quartet, The Hero Is Overpowered But Overly Cautious has a 3rd volume that hopes to answer why this went more than two volumes.

Lastly, the final volume, and I can’t believe I finally get to say that, of BTOOOM!. In fact, it’s two volumes, as it comes in “Light” and “Dark” versions, which I assume have happy and sad ends. Honestly, the mere fact I don’t have to type its name anymore is a happy end. We’ll miss you, bomb-bouncing-off-boob manga.

MICHELLE: I won’t.

ASH: Okay, having two different final volumes is kind of clever… but it’s probably still not a series for me.

ANNA: No thank you!

MELINDA: I suppose I can celebrate the fact that it’s finally over.

SEAN: Anything tickling your fancy?

By: Sean Gaffney