#two button crew visual novel

[rehncohro]

"Two Button Crew - Smash Bros. Is Getting Old", the kinetic visual novel is now available on Gamejolt!

Download here: https://gamejolt.com/games/twobuttoncrewvisualnovel2/276041

[recentanimenews]

It's Isekai Inception in Isekai Quartet the Movie: Another World Trailer

  Get ready to be tossed into a parallel dimension, because a new trailer, a new key visual, and new cast members have all been revealed for Isekai Quartet the Movie: Another World (known in Japan as Gekijouban Isekai Quartet ~Another World~), an upcoming anime theatrical film that continues the mixed-up, mashed-up adventures of dozens of characters from some of the most popular isekai fantasy light novels around.

    The new cast members for Isekai Quartet the Movie: Another World include:

  Minami Tanaka as Pantagruel.

Nana Mizuki as Vera Mitrohina.

And Toshiyuki Morikawa as Alec.

    Crunchyroll currently streams the first two seasons of the Isekai Quartet TV anime, and describes the story of the series as follows:

  The button appeared out of nowhere. There weren’t any signs NOT to push it…so the solution is obvious, right? Is it a trap or the start of something new and exciting? The crews of Re:Zero, Overlord, Konosuba, and The Saga of Tanya the Evil will find out when they go from their world to another and get stuck in…class?! See what adorable chaos they’ll get up to in this collection of shorts!

  In Isekai Quartet the Movie: Another World, the homeroom class gets sucked through a wormhole into - you guessed it! - another world where they encounter a desolate environment dominated by a rampaging magical automaton. There they meet a girl-type golem with mannerisms simllar to Megumin, a woman dressed in the same military uniform as Tanya, and a man with a cane who seems to know Subaru, and hijinks ensue.

    Isekai Quartet the Movie: Another World is written and directed by Minoru Ashina and features animation production by Studio Puyukai. The film is scheduled to hit theaters in Japan on June 10, 2022.

  Source: Comic Natalie

  Copyright notice: © Isekai Quarter the Movie / KADOKAWA

    ---

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

By: Paul Chapman

[choices-owns-my-ass]

My hopes for Distant Shores:

- MC grew up in a rich family but didn’t want to follow that life path and became a pirate in their youth instead.

- OR if MC comes from a pirate family and has been doing this their whole life so they’re a pro at sailing already.

- When we enter the plot, MC at least already knows the basics, I can understand if they’re going to be joining a new crew on a new ship for plot purposes so exposition is easier but I don’t want them to be a complete newbie who has no idea about anything and we have to watch them learn.

- At least one LI who isn’t super badass and rugged, I love those types of LIs too but I think we have a lot of them already in choices books and I’d love to see MC be the badass protecting their LI who’s talents lie elsewhere (like an academic or someone of high political status.) I think it would provide some good contrast for this type of book too so every LI isn’t badass athletic sarcastic pirate who never takes shit from anyone, I think one LI like that would be popular but it’s too easy for this type of book to have all the pirates have the same personality type and I don’t want the LIs to be cardboard cutouts of each other, I really want them to be distinct from each other.

- FACES OTHER THAN THE GODDAMN OH FACES PLEASE PB PLEASE!!! I DONT CARE IF THEYRE RECYCLED FROM ANOTHER PAST BOOK JUST PICK SOMETHING THAT HASNT BEEN USED IN MORE THAN TWO BOOKS BEFORE!

- Cute pirate outfits, I don’t care if they’re historically accurate or super realistic just don’t let them be ugly.

- The young girl in one of the promos is really pretty but she looks around 13 so I’m hoping she has an older sister LI who looks similar and has a similar hairstyle.

- Bringing back the flirt mechanic from MOTY so accidental flirting isn’t a problem.

- One or two customizable LIs, either gender customizable or character design, or both if they want to do that much work.

- Found family dynamics with the crew!

- I’d love for the story to start like TH:M did, where the crew is in the middle of an action sequence when we’re introduced to them and it turns out to either be a flash forward or a flash back.

- If MC is already a part of the crew when the plot starts it could also be sweet to start with a flashback to when they met. Alternatively it could be really dramatic if during a really low moment, we flash back to when we met. I just don’t want it to be paywalled if MC is already a part of the crew.

- Logic puzzles if we ever do something where we have to find treasure or go on some kind of adventure. I personally like when PB has the prompt game where you have to hit the button the corresponds with the prompt in time or logic puzzles that make you think as a part of the book, it makes the story feel less like a visual novel and more interactive.

These are just my personal thoughts while I’ve been thinking about what the book could be like.

I’m also really excited for Blades of Light and Shadow but fantasy is harder to think about and predict for because we have no idea of the mechanics behind the world it’s set in yet so I might write down some thoughts, hopes, and predictions about that book when we get more information about it.

I might add more if I think of them. Feel free to add your own thoughts, hopes, and/or predictions for DS!

[annabellevossen]

Playing the Player: The Stanley Parable and the Gamers’ Expectations

Bachelor Thesis - 2016

INTRODUCTION

Currently, video games are expected to provide interesting narratives as well as to fulfill traditions of gameplay. Regarding gameplay, video games follow a history of conventions, since games have been played before technological advance. In order to train their skills for future events, humans play games. In First-Person Espen Aarseth states that “it could even be argued that games are older than human culture, since even animals play games” (46). Therefore games are not a cultural phenomenon but rather driven by instinct, since for example dogs practice play-fighting in order to measure their strength without seriously hurting each other. However, games are not only played to prepare their skills but also for entertainment. They can be stimulating and a pleasant get away from the serious everyday routine. In the light of the amount of fun attributed to games, they are often regarded as childish.

Accompanying the progression in technology the possibilities of games have evolved. Smartphones, consoles and computers function as platforms to enable play. Since these technologies are still considered new to human history, people do not know what to expect from them. The devices on which video games are played have gained important value to humanity as tools to make life easier. These devices have not only simplified calculation or communication, but also changed input and ways of thinking. With the notabl existence of video games on TV consoles, PCs and smart devices comes the responsibility to use them productively. In order to know what video games contribute to society, it is important to understand what video games have in common. To understand video games they have often been analyzed to their narrative elements, since they adopt aspects of traditional narrative media, such as novels and film. In contrast to literature, which is a text based medium to activate the imagination, video games share actual visual representation with film. Yet there are also arguments that video games differ distinctly from narratives due to their entity as games.

Video games are a young medium and due to their audiovisual representation they share a lot with narrative media, such as film. Narratology deals with narrative elements in video games and primarily discusses what is presented (story) and how it is presented (discourse). Concerning video games it can be analyzed which events they transfer and how they organize them by keeping in mind the player’s possibilities of interaction. Therefore it discusses classical linear fiction, the chapter model and the method of branching. In addition to that narratology approaches on the stories existents, such the visual information that create an atmosphere within games as well as the characters and their functions towards the story.

The theory that defines video games as games is called ludology an deals with the analysis of the aspects that define gameplay. Essentially, it points out the fact that games are systems of rules that need a mutual agreement by its participants to not cheat in order to evaluate actions of play. Debating concepts of time within video games it is important to differentiate between the time o the events (event time) and the time of the player (user time) and whether the game is in control of pace (transient) or the player (intransient). In addition to that it deals with recurring events, since games provide a repetitive factor in contrast to narrative media.

This thesis concentrates principally on the game The Stanley Parable, because it questions conventional gameplay and therefore subverts gamers’ expectations. The Stanley Parable was released in 2013 by Galactic Cafe and >can be played on the computer only. The player experiences the game in the perspective of a man called Stanley, who pauses his job of pressing buttons and gets up to find his co-workers. It is a good example for learning about video game conventions, because it disillusions the players and therefore makes them think about their actions rather than just escape into an other world. In order to describe conventional gameplay, The Stanley Parable will be compared to >aspects of gameplay as well as the depiction of narrative in popular games of the last ten years, such as Portal, Portal 2, Minecraft, Life is Strange and Mass Effect. On the one hand, concerning the aspects of gameplay, The Stanley Parable will be analyzed with regards to its rules, since rules limit reality and create the world of game. Furthermore aspects of time will be differentiated, since narratology also deals with the depiction of time within media. Thirdly, narrative elements, such as characters will be defined in the context of video games. In addition to that the arrangement of events within game will be >opposed to classical linear fiction.

In Portal (2007) the player has to escape an abandoned research facility,

called Aperture Laboratories, which is testing a gun that can shoot two

connecting portals and therefore allows the user to overcome spatial obstacles. The gameplay of Portal constitutes of three-dimensional puzzles, which the player needs to solve. With the help of the “portal gun” players must think laterally since the puzzles’ solutions involve overcoming spatial distances. The AI of Aperture Laboratories, named GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System), seized power and claims to have killed everyone in the building apart from the player character, Chell, whom she condemned to endure portal tests until the end of her days. In Portal 2 (2009) however Chell and GLaDOS need to cooperate in order to kill Wheatley, a detached core of GLaDOS, who takes over power and destroys GLaDOS’s regime. After defeating Wheatley, GLaDOS rewards Chell with her long desired freedom. Minecraft (2011) is a world made out of cubes, which all have the same basic form, but different properties. The players find themselves in the middle of a randomly generated environment and have to harvest cubes in order to craft something new out of it. The simplicity of the design invites players to form complex structures and motivates a creative urge. During the night, the player is endangered by monsters, which explode and kill the player and furthermore destroy the environment near by. Players can also hunt creatures in order to gain more materials. Therefore the game is about player’s creativity and the protection of himself and his creation.

In Life is Strange (2015) the player witnesses the events in a town, named Arcadia Bay, through the character of Maxine Caulfield. Maxine is a student of photography and with the help of her photographs she can travel >back through time and change events. Gameplay therefore is defined by repetition of events and the player’s decisions to change them in order to prevent negative effects. Furthermore it deals with the gamers ability to preserve of memory and moments, since players need to remember specific details to investigate the case of a missing girl. Lastly, it demonstrates that every choice has devastating consequences.

The Mass Effect trilogy (2007-2012) is set in the year 2183 and deals with an extraterrestrial artificial intelligence, called Reapers, that threatens to extinguish every life form in the galaxy. In the perspective of the human Commander Shepard, the player can find a solution to save the galaxy or join the Reapers. As a special agent who has to defend himself and the galax against enemies with weapons, the game involves a lot of third-person shooting as well as quest completion. Since the player character Shepard is in control of his crew’s lives, players are facing difficult decisions concerning non-player characters.

WORKS CITED

PRIMARY SOURCES The Stanley Parable. Galactic Cafe. 2013. Video game. <https://www.stanleyparable.com/>

Minecraft. Mojang. 2009. Video game. <https://minecraft.net/en/> Portal. Valve. 2007. Video game. <http://www.valvesoftware.com/games/portal.html>

Portal 2. Valve. 2009. Video game. <http://www.thinkwithportals.com/>

Mass Effect Triology. BioWare, Edge of Reality. 2007-2012. Video game. <http://masseffect.bioware.com/agegate/?url=%2F>

Life is Strange. Dontnod Entertainment. 2015. Video game. <http://www.lifeisstrange.com/agegate.php>

SECONDARY SOURCES Aarseth, Espen. "Genre Trouble: Narrativism and the Art of Simulation". Wardrip-Fruin, Noah, and Pat Harrigan. First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2004. 45-55. Print.

[pixelgrotto]

Miss Cyberpunk Bartender

If there’s one sub-genre of science fiction that I like the most, it’s cyberpunk. There’s something about that mixture of stylized mecha and Asian cityscape that just reaches into my pores and makes my blood sizzle. I love how cyberpunk is so dark and broody one moment, then plastered in neon purple and swathed in bubblegum Synthwave the next. I love how all cyberpunk characters are always living in a giant urban sprawl (rural Kansas seems to have not made it into the year of 20XX) and eternally sitting around feeling lonely. I love how the genre is essentially a remnant of the 80s, born out of Cold War fears, technological advances and the insane growth of Japan. And ever since I moved to a cyberpunk city myself - Hong Kong, if you must know - my fascination has only grown.

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action is a good ass game that really gets the tropes that cyberpunk excels at investigating - emo dystopia vibes, government conspiracies, the fusion of man/machine and artificial intelligence - and combines 'em with a slice-of-life anime, showcasing all of the intense stuff going on in Glitch City from behind the comfortable position of a bar counter. You play this mildly cynical, bisexual waifu (almost EVERYONE is gay/bisexual in this game, because hey, cyberpunk) named Jill who works at the conveniently named “VA-11 Hall-A” bar. Her motto is “It’s time to mix drinks and change lives,” and even though she doesn’t go about changing lives like that Adam Jensen dude from the Deus Ex games, she still manages to affect the little world around her via the brews she pours for her customers. And quite a motley crew of customers they are, ranging from android sex workers (”MAKE MY BUFFER OVERFLOW! CREATE A BACKDOOR IN ME!”) to hackers, to catgirls, to mechanically-enhanced assassins, to talking corgis, to a guy wearing an Akira jacket and even to another dude who looks just like Jim Fucking Sterling.

In between taking care of customers and making new friends, you can learn more about your co-workers and boss, lose yourself listening to the rad soundtrack (which has great track titles acknowledging the fact that cyberpunk stuff always seems to take place during the evening), decorate your apartment with useless junk, worry about real life crap like paying bills on time (I missed my damn electricity bill and the bastiches cut it, leaving me in darkness) and spend the rest of your precious hours playing vintage games inspired by the Japanese PC-98 and reading Dangerous Opinions, the game’s version of Reddit. Along the way, as Christmas nears, you might learn more about Jill’s past and her ex-girlfriend, and maybe even get a happy ending. By the way, the “spend precious time faffing about on video games and reading shitposts online” thing basically describes my current life perfectly, so...yeah. I kinda loved this game. 

It’s worth mentioning that VA-11 Hall-A is technically a visual novel, which means that it could be considered light on gameplay. Some people might get pissed at this, thinking that “all” you do is look up drinks in a menu and mix them for people. But even the game itself tells you from the get-go that it’s more of a sit-back-and-chill experience where the characters and the writing are the real treat, not the button mashing. Besides, with such A+ writing - not to mention ＡＥＳＴＨＥＴＩＣ - who can bitch for very long? 

I gotta tip my hat to the two Venezuelan dudes who made VA-11 Hall-A. Not only did they use some of their country’s crazy political problems as inspiration for a compelling future dystopia, but they just flat-out made a good ass game too. The greatest praise I can give a game is feeling sad when it finishes and missing the characters that I met along the way, and when I wrapped up VA-11 Hall-A after a whirlwind 12 hour session a week ago, I really couldn’t stop thinking of Jill, Dana, Gillian and all the other folks who stopped by a crummy little bar in the middle of a dark city and lit up my screen with their worries and wisdom. I miss ‘em already. Bring me more cyberpunk bartending action, guys. I don’t wanna say Goodbye Miss Bartender just yet. 

All screens taken by me. As someone originally from New Jersey I can confirm that New Jersey III would be a nightmare beyond human comprehension. 

[gushingaboutgames]

Sega Dreamcast

I hated middle school. There’s a whole swath of memories I’d rather do without as far as the years 1999 through 2002 are concerned. There is, however, one memory I hold near and dear to my heart during this time frame. After reading about it in magazines and being really excited for it, my mother took me to Toys’R’Us one evening to get me a Sega Dreamcast. We brought that puppy home with a copy of Sonic Adventure, hooked it up, fired it up, and took it all in. As the opening cinematic played on my TV, Mum said “It’s like playing a movie!”

Boy, if we only knew what games would go on to look like now.

The Dreamcast was, and to this day remains, my all time favorite console. It’s the swan song of a company that was perhaps a bit too ambitious for its own good, a marvel of gaming technology many years ahead of its time, and home to some of the best and most unique games to ever come out.

At the time of its release, the Dreamcast was the most graphically powerful console on the market. Sony’s Playstation boasted 32-bit graphics, and the Nintendo 64 had double that, at -wait for it- 64 bits. Dreamcast had double of that: 128 bits of beautiful graphics, thanks to the GD-ROM, a proprietary disc format born from squeezing every bit of memory out of a regular old CD as was physically possible, before DVDs and Blu-Ray became as ubiquitous as they are today.

Even the method of memory storage was unlike its competitors; the standard memory card for the Dreamcast was the Visual Memory Unit (VMU), a cross between a memory card and a Gameboy that let you manage data and download minigames to extend the functionality of many games. The only other thing like it that I can think of being made is Sony’s Pocketstation, and that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. You would not believe the number of button-cell batteries I burned through caring for Chao on the go.

Of course, all of the fancy tech and cool gadgets wouldn’t amount to much if the games on offer weren’t fun at all. Tiger’s Game.Com bragged of being a versatily console and handheld device, but the games for it all stank like a fragrant dog poop laying on the sidewalk on a hot Floridian summer day. Thankfully, fun games were something the Dreamcast had no shortage of, even in the brief few years that it was on the market, a slew of which I’d like to bring attention to.

Sonic Adventure 1 & 2

Maybe they haven’t aged as well as I’d like to think, but DAYUM if these weren’t some fun games back in the day. Sonic has always struggled with 3D, but the first attempts at true 3D Sonic games remain quite novel. The first Sonic Adventure had different play styles for each character, some of which were great (Sonic and Gamma, for me at least), others...not so much (the less said about Big, the better), in addition to, for its time, an intricate plot with each character’s story intertwining and playing out differently depending on which character you’re playing as.

Sonic Adventure 2, meanwhile, streamlined the gameplay and improved upon some of the first game’s flaws, cutting out the non-platforming related stages (aside from the treasure hunting stages, which are a touch better than in the first game). It’s story was also very compelling, being one of the darkest storylines in the entire series; government conspiracies, weapons of mass destruction, fucking murder! Maybe that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think we can all agree that SA2 handled “dark and gritty” a lot better than Shadow the Hedgehog’s stand-alone game.

Both games also featured a mini-game that could prove to be just as addicting, if not more so, than the games proper: Chao Gardens. Chao were little, adorable water monsters that players could raise like virtual pets, their popularity likely owed in part to the ubiquity of other virtual pets like Tamagotchi near the end of the millennium, as well as how easy-going and casual raising a Chao was compared to a Digi-Pet that would not wait for you to clean its shit up: you can enter and leave Chao Gardens freely, and you wouldn’t have to worry of your Chao dying of neglect in your absence. There’s also very deep mechanics at work for raising Chao, with their growth and evolution depending heavily on how well you raise them, what animals you give them, and what fruits you feed them, all so you can have them participate in races. The aforementioned VMU also expanded Chao functionality considerably, letting you raise them anywhere you wanted.

Shenmue

My relationship with Shenmue, these days, is very much that of a love-hate relationship. On the one hand, Shenmue popularized two aspects of gaming today that I loathe; Quick-Time Events, and over-blown game budgets (this game would’ve had to be bought by every DC owner TWICE before it could break even). On the other hand, there’s no denying that this game was a labor of love by Yu Suzuki. The attention to detail in Ryo Hazuki’s hometown of Yokosuka is staggering. Everything you can imagine can be interacted with, down to the last dresser drawer in Ryo’s house. Every resident of Yokosuka was unique from the others and had their own behaviors that they would go through, unlike every other NPC in the town, or other games for that matter. The story may be a tad formulaic, and most of the voice work left something to be desired, but the world of Shenmue was one that was very fun to explore.

Plus, this game introduced me to Space Harrier. If that’s not a good thing, you tell me what is.

Jet Set Radio

I had to convince my mother this game wouldn’t turn me into a graffiti-painting delinquent. It was a hard sell, but it paid off, and boy am I glad it did.

Jet Set Radio is very much unlike other games, then and today even. This was the game that helped to popularize cel-shaded graphics; the thick black outlines around the character models made this game look like an anime come to life, and eventually paved the way for the wicked-awesome graphics we see today from Arc System Works with Guilty Gear XRD and Dragonball FighterZ. The idea of playing a roller-blading hooligan throwing tags around the city and evading the police was also unique, and kept players on their toes as techno music accompanies their shenanigans. The game was a bit on the short side, but was challenging and fun enough that multiple playthroughs were warranted.

Making my own graffiti tags was also quite the timesink.

Phantasy Star Online

I may be a late bloomer to the Phantasy Star series, but it has become one very dear to me for helping me meet some of my closest friends (Hi, Tara!).

Phantasy Star was a series of JRPGs by Sega meant to compete with other big franchises like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The original PSO, on the other hand, is an online multiplayer dungeon crawler that would change the course of the series from that point forward. As interstellar colonists investigating mysterious phenomena on an alien planet, players would delve into unique locals with characters they would create themselves to slay monsters, collect valuable items, and unravel the mysteries of the planet Ragol.

The original PSO is also very notable for its attempt to break the language barrier with a unique conversation system. While good ol’ fashioned keyboards remained in vogue, players also had the option of constructing sentences to transmit to other players in the area or party in those players’ native languages. Using this system, you could send a message saying “Help! This dragon is too powerful!”, and your friend in Japan would read it as “助けて！この龍は強すぎる！” It may not have seen much use, since players are more likely to congregate and play with those that can speak a common language fluently, but it was very kind of Sega to provide the option.

One thing that gets me straight in the feels is something from the original beta trailer for this game: “The world of Phantasy Star Online lasts for an eternity!” It is not uncommon for trailers and developers to hype games up with hyperbole (just ask Peter Molyneaux), but this is a statement that has held true for PSO! Even after the last official server for the last iteration of PSO shut down in 2008, private servers continue to run the game to this day, ensuring that the world of PSO truly remains eternal. Even with a proper sequel Phantasy Star Online 2 proving to be a pop culture staple in Japan, the original PSO remains one of the most beloved and enduring MMOs in history.

Skies of Arcadia

I’ve got friends who would skin my hide and leave me to hang like the Predator if I didn’t mention this.

Just about every console since the NES has a JRPG, and the Dreamcast is no exception. While Phantasy Star shifted towards MMO territory, those hoping for a sweeping single-player adventure still had Skies of Arcadia. As the daring sky pirate Vyse and his motley crew of adventurers, players fought to stop an evil empire from awakening an ancient evil while flying across a world of floating continents in a kickass airship. This game is among the most challenging JRPGs in the genre; a clever mind and strategic acumen are needed to survive battles with other pirates, monsters, and rival airships. The world of the game is also incredibly beautiful; I personally think it has much in common with Castle in the Sky, my favorite Hayao Miyazaki film. The soundtrack compliments the game incredibly, and is a joy to listen to by itself.

---

There are plenty of other games that made the Dreamcast incredible, but this article is long enough as it is, so I’ll have to give those games their proper due later. Suffice to say, though, the Dreamcast is a historical console that remains one of the most beloved in the history of the medium, not only by myself, but by hundreds of thousands of gamers the world over. It may have only been on the market for a few years, but it is said that the brightest stars are the ones that burn out the quickest.

And make no mistake, the Dreamcast is one of the brightest stars there ever was.

[habitualdisquiet-blog]

Content is king

We all know that, don’t we? Or is it?

We live in an age where content is not only everywhere, it is also talked about everywhere. It’s part of people’s job titles and the name of their self-help guides. People are making a living out of creating content via YouTube, Instagram and a plethora of other channels, while others are making a living teaching others how to create it. This is a moment in time where increasingly what you say and do is deemed more important than how you say it.

This is the natural evolution of a process that started when we all began to be able create content and distribute it ourselves with little or no experience, training or investment; often from a single device.

This is fantastic. It’s created a demand for, but also an accessibility to, video that we’ve never seen before. We can use it for so much more and how we communicate benefits as a result; not only does video communicate in a way that other media can’t, making it ideal for telling some stories, but it is also increasingly useful in terms of search.

At the same time the value of what we create is often much lower than it might once have been. You can use video for everything and it could also be said that the individual impact and importance of each bit of content has diminished, lost as it is in a sea of others – not only on social media platforms but even on owned channels, be they broadcast/entertainment or digital estate.

We have entered the era of the all-you-can-eat buffet of content. We can consume all we want, gorge ourselves in fact, but, just as it does with food, this very in turn makes it forgettable, disposable, somehow less valuable. It fundamentally alters the parameters by which we judge its worth. No longer do we measure it by the quality of the cooking, but by the amount we can get for our money.

This new reality has come into its own in the times we’re living in. The world is working via low/no cost video – live streamed or the recordings of live streams.

In lock-down I’ve been doing an online screenwriting course at NYU. This is presided over by a very talented writer and hugely effective communicator. He presents live via Youtube using a mic and this works well. On the other hand his pre-recorded lectures are done without a microphone in his poorly lit office. He is indifferently framed and edits are covered by some simple dissolves. I continue to find this ironic, considering his field of expertise. It is, inevitably, a barrier to engagement. To be honest, it makes him look like he doesn’t really care whether he reaches his students or about the course in general.

We’ve created a visual language that reflects the extraordinary times. One formed largely by the limitations it imposes, but one that suits the reality we all share. It works because it reflects the our current situation for us all. The fact is, however, that we are further normalizing poor images, limited visual storytelling, and hitherto unacceptable audio quality. 

One can’t help but fear, however, that, alongside so much else, this may create a lasting change; that our expectations of quality, be it in news gathering, television or advertising and branded content, will be altered permanently. That brands and companies will believe they can either do it themselves, or do it on the cheap, and what’s more that this will be doing the job they want it to just as well as the professionally made content they paid for back in the days before the pandemic.

This isn’t helped by the large numbers of people promoting the use of user generated content (often as an attempt to stay relevant and working in a time where film shoots simply can’t happen), as well as all those communicators offering courses claiming that everything you once needed a film crew to do, you can now achieve on a smart phone.

You can’t. A cursory glance at any of the output of such ‘experts’ reveals this with crystal clarity. It takes more than a phone with 1080 or even 4k video capability to make a good film.

A professional might be able to. One versed in the art of storytelling and the language of film. They won’t achieve anything nearly as good as something made with proper production values, but they could at least make a decent film. One that works. One that perhaps knowingly uses the rawness of the format to its advantage, rather than tries to be what it isn’t.

Overall, however, a number of things have been forgotten in the great democratic explosion of content making:

Firstly, it’s never been easier to make a film, but it’s still just as hard to make a good one.  It’s actually about so much more than being able to point and press the button, or cut it into a rudimentary shape. It’s about storytelling – the knowledge, creativity, talent, experience of how to use the medium to tell stories. Unless you know not only what story to tell, but how best to tell it using film, you won’t create a great piece of content.

Just because you can operate the equipment doesn’t mean you can create a great piece of storytelling. It would be foolish to think anybody can, but it doesn’t stop this happening. People who feel they have something to say film themselves expecting it to work. Companies and brands hand instructions to employees or members of the public and expect to get back coherent, engaging, rushes.

This is like giving my 11 year old a bunch of ingredients, asking him to cook a meal and expecting it to be restaurant quality. Or it’s like saying that just because it’s easy to make music using any number of apps on an iPad, that we will all be able to write and perform a tune. My eldest son can. I’ve heard him do it, but then again he’s done grade 8 violin and grade 6 piano. He can work out how to play any piece of music he’s heard just a couple of times by ear. I could never hope to do what he can do - I have neither the training, the experience or the talent.

The other thing that people also forget is that it’s not just how you construct your narrative, but how you then use the language and techniques of film making to bring it to life. It’s about tone, pace and that most ethereal and elusive thing – how it feels. It’s about all those things you absorb and learn through years as a practitioner that makes this medium so special, so uniquely engaging.

Partially this is the function of making something inherently hugely complex,  that requires input from multiple individuals, look entirely effortless. If you can see the joins, we’re not doing our job properly.

It’s about a whole host of things that individually seem esoteric or unimportant, but cumulatively create something that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. It’s about camera angles and framing, depth of field, image quality, movement, pace, performance, editing, lighting, colour temperature, context, language, tone of voice, music, sound design, grading, casting, production design, wardrobe choices, locations. In other words it’s about the fact that everything matters. Every single, largely invisible or at least unnoticeable, element that contributes to the mood, feeling and engagement of a film; that helps tell your story.

Film making is about creating experiences that are better than life. If it wasn’t, it would be little more than CCTV. It’s about taking what would be much duller lived or seen through two human eyes and making it richer and more comprehensive, more moving, more exciting, more concise and more memorable.

This is the only route to real engagement, rather than to fleeting and transitory experience. It is the only way to permanently, or at least lastingly, affect how someone feels about something; how to help change how they behave.

This is rooted in how we process information. Images are dealt with by our long term memory, whereas words are by the short term. Great visual storytelling gives us a direct route to making a lasting impression.

The irony is that the better you are at making films, the easier the job looks to others. The very function of getting good at what you do undermines people’s understanding of that very fact.

Now I know what you’re thinking. I would say this, wouldn’t I? I’ve made a living making expensive films for people. Not only is it in my financial interests, but you might say I’m also old school, stuck in my ways. To that I would say that I’ve been involved in lots of UGC projects. I actually really like them (something that surprises most people in my profession) and think that the results can be fantastic - when they are properly managed and when this sort of content is suited to the task at hand.

I’m also far from being a luddite or hidebound by method. When I managed a large team of producers I made sure we had no set process to follow, at least in how they made the actual film (it was the civil service after all). I employed them for their expertise and the only thing that mattered was what ended up on screen; was it the best possible use of the budget to make the most effective bit of comms? I didn’t care how they spent the money or what route they took to get to the finished piece.

Now that I am once again a hands-on film maker, I continue embrace new technology and new techniques. I see the accessibility of today’s film-making equipment as an enabler, as something that helps professional, talented people to make even better films. To look at it as just as an excuse to eliminate the  experienced and talented is like saying that, since anybody can use Microsoft Word, anybody can now write a novel. Talent is still important.

As is creativity. Whether that is the use of interesting, exciting, innovative ideas or techniques, or taking a different approach to narrative and story. The sort of creativity that makes really memorable films; ones that really pop, that people talk about and share. The sort of creativity that is the first victim of lower production values. 

This has been brought into sharp relief for me by the Government’s attempt at engaging and communicating with us about Coronavirus. First off we had Chris Whitty staring woodenly into the camera, then subsequent executions that have cobbled together an assortment of news and UGC footage with an emotive sound track.

This contrasts sharply, and I'm afraid to say unfavourably, with the staged response involving a number of different creative and engaging executions we created at the COI for a possible flu pandemic in 2009. It also contrasts with various other pieces of work from various US states and other countries around the world addressing this pandemic, so there’s no real excuse, beyond the fact that the coalition government managed to amputate a key element of its communications response when it closed COI in 2012.

Anyway, that’s history. Back to today. I’m not denying the validity of cheap, immediate communications. There is an increasing need for quick and dirty bits of content. I also can’t help but accept that some fantastic content is created by amateurs, with the lowest of lo-fi equipment.

I would just ask you to remember that for every fantastic influencer, blogger or Youtuber, there are millions more with just a handful of views, if that. In fact last year 30,000 hours of video were uploaded to Youtube every single hour. That’s a lot of stuff that sinks without trace with barely a ripple.

What I am saying is that it is all about value. If you want to shoot a meeting for the dozen people who couldn’t make it to view just once, that’s low value – use a phone. If you want to record an event for posterity or for the Christmas party video, get someone in the office to do it.

I’m all for clients taking a graded response based on value. I think it behoves us as film makers to enable this by being both responsible and confident enough to turn work down; to say, you know what, maybe you don’t need me and the experience and expertise I bring.

On the other hand, if you have something important to say, and it’s important that people not only hear your message, but also act and think differently as a result, please think about what’s going to be needed to really make that happen.

Also remember that the care and attention that is given to your comms is a direct reflection, in the audience’s eyes, of the value you place on the messages and their impact. Nothing says we don’t care like looking like you don’t think its worth doing properly, nothing turns an audience off more than unengaging storytelling; frankly you’d be better off not doing it all.

So when this madness is over, don’t think of it as an opportunity to permanently adopt a cheaper, more DIY approach to content making. To borrow a phrase from Dominic Raab, don’t make this the new normal.

Instead look upon it as a unique opportunity to inspire, surprise, excite, energise and engage afresh an audience starved for too long of decent visual storytelling.

An opportunity to make an even bigger impact, using film as a catalyst to help us all emerge like butterflies from the cocoon of coronavirus lock down. After all, as Keats said: What the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth.

[matchbox-fighting-furies]

The Matchbox Fighting Furies Adventure sets and Packaging

The Matchbox Fighting Furies action figures of the 1970s were originally launched with their own range of six Adventure packs, featuring brilliantly detailed costumes and “disguises” for the two pirates to enjoy jolly japes no less!

Amongst today’s collectors, due to its relative scarcity on the collecting market, the most popular Adventure pack appears to be the Spanish Main Adventure no doubt for its distinct and striking uniform (representative of the 16th and early 17th century) and for its inclusion of a treasure chest and treasures, but the addition of a working cannon (which uses an internal spring) also makes the One-Eyed Sailor pack valued for its equal contribution to Fighting Furies display props. The rarest outfits are now undoubtedly the two European exclusives – the Buccaneer Captain and Spanish Officer disguises - and collectors’ resort to purchasing used figures accompanied by random assortments of clothing which sporadically include elements of these Disguise packs, such as the uniquely striped breeches of the Spanish Officer and his unusually coloured brown boots (only shared with the near identical Spanish Main Adventure outfit).

Packaging:

The figures and their separate adventure outfit packs were all merchandised in wonderfully colourful and highly decorated cardboard packaging and all with their own large window to view the products directly inside and as described in the American trade catalogue as “full-color window display boxes” [sic]. All Fighting Furies carton designs were novel and cutting-edge for their time and awash with beautiful 70s era artistic illustrations of pirates in action, mainsails, and open seas; with the pièce de résistance being the brilliantly painted artwork on the reverse of the main boxes showing the action figures, in hand, demonstrating their “press action sword fighting” prowess.

The national U.S retailer, Sears, also retailed the figures as well as the six adventure packs but their preferred own brand functional packaging couldn’t have been more different to that used elsewhere. Quite why the Sears versions required the extra effort of being packaged in miserly unadorned white boxes emblazoned only with rudimentary black outline cartoon artwork, remains elusive but is presumed to have offered benefits relating to mail order and domestic shipping (and miniscule cost savings for simplified mail order packaging where colourful promotional packaging would be irrelevant). Bewilderingly even the adventure packs – with their clothing and accessories still painstakingly laid out in full display formation and nimbly attached to pale blank inlay cards – were also housed inside solid and plain outer sleeves, identically sized to the ones they replaced and again with the same minimalist and functional carton labelling?

In a curious example of the U.K and Europe perhaps being more equal opportunities conscious the outer retail packing for the ‘Hook’ figure in the U.S.A ensured that he was only ever known as “Hook” [it has been suggested this was to avoid copyright infringement with Disney], whereas in Europe and elsewhere his retail box gave him instant promotion to the status of “Cap’n Hook”; although within the text of the accompanying adventure booklets of both versions – and as supplied in all territories - he continued to be addressed only as ‘Hook’ and was merely acknowledged as a “leader of pirates”. After possibly consulting with his agent, “Hook” managed to get his rank eventually upgraded to “Capt. Hook” in the states if only in official U.S Matchbox trade and consumer catalogues and as a bonus for his ego, he was consistently referred to as the “dynamic ‘Hook’!” on packaging globally; but this did little to resolve the continued confusion caused by Hook being described simply as Peg-leg’s “first mate” in the original U.S 1974 Matchbox trade brochure!?

Similarly, Cap’n Peg Leg’s [sic] European moniker was also a subtle shift from his original U.S version where he would always continue to be labelled as “Capt. Peg-Leg”; with the European alternative for both figures alluding more towards linguistic speech; as in “aye, aye, Cap’n!” This in turn misleadingly implies that their ship’s crew were made up of recruits from the British Cornish coast. More confusingly however, on the reverse side of both retail packs throughout all sales territories the marketing spiel continued to refer to Cap’n Peg-Leg as “Capt. Peg Leg”. In the U.S, Peg-leg was even renamed again as “Captain Peg Leg” on his plain Sears branded packaging and to top it all off, U.K Matchbox literature referred to Pete as “Captain Pegleg” [sic] and at least one U.K advertisement referenced both the leading men by their U.S titles: “Britain is about to be attacked by Capt. Hook and Capt. Peg-Leg”?

All in all, there were at least 4 separate print runs of the windowed cardboard packaging to retail the mountain of pirate figures stock. Some of the European packaging includes a tiny printed statement at the base on the rear advising that “Specification and colour of contents subject to amendment”, but which are also copyrighted 1974 and identical in every other way, while yet another variant also included this statement but more prominently uniquely adds a black key line (outline) to the letters of the large promotional text – “Fights! with his cutlass [...]” – on the front of the packaging; improving its clarity. This could indicate that the later print runs would potentially produce packaging in excess of the remaining original stock and were intended to also cover a second production run of the figures (which never happened). The practice also reveals that relevant packaging was being printed responsively to where the figures were selling best. A hidden detail unique to the original run involves small American flags printed on the hidden fold over flaps at the top of the box for the U.S editions. A further nerd fact also records that some of the European inner trays – which the figures were attached to inside the outer packaging – while being identically printed with the same seafaring vista did not feature, or cater for, the three-dimensional folded pop-out block at the feet, used to keep the figure’s legs splayed and helping them adopt their usual ready-for-action pose!

Presumably because young American children liked to put small plastic toy accessories in their mouths and thought about swallowing them, the boxes for America also featured a warning concerning small parts and that they weren’t recommended for children under 3.

The display boxes (as like their accessorised adventure outfits) featured a product code order number in bold type, with the first two products in the U.S being numbered ’10 00 01’ for Peg-leg and ’10 00 03’ for Hook, doing little to allay Hook’s understandable insecurities. But as these product codes were used in trade catalogues from the 1974 outset, the peculiar absence of a product represented by a ’10 00 02’ code, indicates that a third figure was originally planned or manufactured, but was postponed.

Other than the European display packing featuring four translations of the marketing blurb into foreign languages on the reverse - French, Italian, German and Spanish - perhaps the most significant difference compared with the U.S version was the prominent placement of the Matchbox registered trademark logo. Whereby on the European packaging the logo appears on the front at the bottom left, in America the trademark is relocated to the very top, sitting upon the main ‘Fighting Furies’ title trademark. The decorative skull and crossbones from the plethora of design assets on the box is then relocated to fill the vacated space at the bottom. These differences might have been inspired by a stronger visual design for the European packaging with the Matchbox logo placed more prominently at the top for the U.S marketing, being interpreted as a valuable asset for brand recognition in this overseas market. However, on the reverse side of the cases the Matchbox logo is again moved to join the Fighting Furies trademark on the U.S versions, encouraging us to speculate that this was in all likelihood due to caution surrounding trademark infringements in the U.S - where the name ‘Fighting Furies’ may well already have been in use - and it was more responsible to avoid any confusion by prepending the product brand with ‘Matchbox’; creating a full product title in the U.S of ‘Matchbox Fighting Furies’. In Europe, where the ‘Matchbox’ brand was strongest, naming the range using the full ‘Matchbox …’ version may well have confusingly implied that the figures were only matchbox sized, as like the toy cars for which they were famous.

Inside the boxes the adventure booklets for each figure varied in layout when comparing the American and European designs, as the states didn’t require the various language translations, but they did still managed to need an additional loose page insert inside the leaflets [the “play action instruction leaflet”] giving instructions on how to use the “press action” button (and which may have been to accommodate the plain Sears packaging which omitted any information).

Interestingly, in the U.S there were the same expected minor design differences as well as some more significant rebadging for all six of the Adventure packs. For the American market, once again the Matchbox logo was relocated to join the main Fighting Furies trademark while the recommendation to “Share the action-packed deeds” is uniquely highlighted in red. The U.S packs also opted to use a more formal language when stating “Adventure booklet inside every pack” instead of the decidedly more relaxed devil-may-care British English of the “Adventure booklet in every pack” version (while most of this U.S packaging also attached the contents to their inlay cards with two textile threads, instead of one). However, U.S consumers were not only exclusively warned about small parts and age suitability, but a third incarnation of the outfit packs designed for the U.S market were inexplicably additionally labelled as a “De-Luxe set”. For example, such a version of The Redcoat Adventure box is labelled on all four sides as “The Redcoat Adventure De Luxe Set” [sic] and is so again, partly as a prominent round purple rondel, on the display box face. This alludes to an anticipation of the forthcoming simpler and more competitively priced blister card ‘Disguise Packs’ (and which ultimately would actually only be released in Europe)? Altogether, with the European version, its U.S variant, the U.S De-lux badged version and the U.S Sears own brand version, there are four variations of Adventure kit packaging in total.

In Europe, 1976’s “The Ghost of Cap’n KIDD” figure enjoyed wonderfully inspired and colourful retail packaging, mimicking the size and dimensions of the Peg-leg and Hook boxes, but with an imaginative repurposing as a coffin! This time there was no plastic window at the front, just a small enticing peephole to see Kidd’s face - if you dare – and the cardboard inner sleeve was cleverly illustrated to represent the lavishly padded inner lining of a conventional coffin. Meanwhile the outer case was illustrated with padlocks and afforded the general appearance of a long wooden chest; leaving us to suppose that an enthusiastic crewman with a conscience had lined the ordinary chest with his best special occasion bedsheets? Children everywhere must also have been impressed by the Arthurian proses of Kidd - if not a little bewildered – and being bluntly introduced to the concept of vengeance and damnation, as the “coffin” features Kidd’s chilling warning from the dead as inscribed inside: “Let my bones lie in the light so that my ghostly skeleton absorbs its power – be WARNED! for I swear to inflict my vengeance upon those who damned me!” Somewhat irresponsibly, this particular warning was not made apparent on the outside of the box, where it would have been easily viewable before committing to a purchase. However, sensible priorities did ensure that any choking hazard warnings were usurped by the much more pressing issue of potential deadly terror. Sparing no ambiguity and in large letters, the outer package exclaims “Be Warned!” and explains that inside this chest lies the deadly terror of the Spanish Main! (Retail staff were unable to explain what “Spanish Main” meant, but everyone got the general gist).

Finally, and with yet another exclamation mark the box excitedly highlights that there are secret instructions inside – plural - but these secret instructions understood their target audience well as they literally consisted of only one short abbreviated sentence: “Let the body lie in the light – to re-energise.”

Curiously, within this same cluster of second-wave 1976 products there was also the Cap’n Kidd’s Treasure (“with working compass”) action pack, accompanied with an illustration of pirates digging up buried treasure chests, with which bore zero relation to any of Kidd’s backstory and would have made perfect sense if this were the Treasure of Captain Blood instead? Thankfully children of the time were prepared to overlook the “long lunches” of 1970s marketing departments. (Although the real-life 17th century Scottish-American Captain Kidd was said to have buried his treasures after a career hired to hunt pirates, only to be hanged for having ‘gone-native’ within the world of piracy).

The additional products – two disguise packs and two action packs – launched on card backed blister packs in 1976 also reveal an unrealised intent to upgrade the main figures with “new gripping hands”, which from the dynamic cartoon illustrations are shown to likely be the redesigned hands borrowed from the new Western Series of figures (also released in 76). With a more semi-clenched handshape - better suited to rapidly drawing single action revolvers – the cowboy hands were different, but never did make it onto the pirate figures as promised; which in turn allows us to venture that no pirate figures were ever actually manufactured after the initial stock intake of 1973/74. (This failed commitment was a particular blow for Hook as he was always keen for any improvement).

Taking onboard the information gleaned from the first product codes, the setting of the series firmly around the Spanish Main (with Peg-Leg seemingly of Hispanic or Mediterranean ethnicity) and the product launching initially in the U.S along with the merchandise renaming for European packaging, there is the potential to wonder if the products might have been conceived by the U.S division of Lesney Products at their 141 W. Commercial Avenue, New Jersey address and not in London as is usually assumed; making the Moonachie offices more than just distributors? Unless of course, these creations were simply conceptualized to have the broadest global appeal in the first place and with a sharp eye on the huge U.S market. Either way, the U.S division had given up on Fighting Furies even before Cap’n Kidd’s Ghost figure was launched and so a convenient deal with Sears the national retailer was arranged for some sell-through.

In the intervening years since, toy figure collecting has erupted and with the help of online sales, many of the U.K/Euro market products have ended up with specialist vintage retailers in the states and vice versa; with buyers unwittingly buying the “wrong” version for their region and private sellers repeatedly sending the alien versions back and forth across the Atlantic.  

[sunshine-ita]

71 hours later – A Mass Effect: Andromeda critique

Et voilà! Since March 21, 2017, I’ve passed 71 hours in the Andromeda galaxy. Hated the first hour, because the Character Creator (CC) couldn’t or wouldn’t give me what I wanted. But as soon as I started the game with the default Sara Ryder, I could truly appreciate (and frown at) Mass Effect: Andromeda.

Here is a critique of the game. Let’s see what you scored, Andromeda!

I tried to make this review as spoiler free as possible. Hopefully, you won’t be spoiled. Fingers crossed!

The Game Engine

1. The Design - 9/10

All things considered, ME: A is a beautiful video game. The hardcore Sci-Fi fan in me is in bliss. All the planets are stunning; the ones you can land on and the ones you can scan only. The galaxy map and the travelling between stars and systems is pure delight. The attention was put in the details. The ships, the technology, the clothes, the outposts… Everything screamed Mass Effect to me. The Tempest is very sweet to travel in. And yes, the Nomad too. It resisted better to my bad driving than the Mako!

The design of the characters and most NPCs is on point. The turians and salarians look even more alien than in the previous games of the franchise. The asari bother me a bit, though. They all look alike, except for facial marking and skin color… And for PeeBee and T’Perro, both in the Tempest crew. I expected more diversity among the asari. For the rest, no major concern.

The visual of ME: A is a feast for the eyes, and even more since the release of the patch 1.05 (the character’s eyes are much better and the general coloring of the game too). My computer is old, I played in medium quality (in low quality, my eyes were crying because of the lack of details), and I can’t imagine how amazing it is in high and ultra high settings.

2. The Animation - 8/10

There were a LOT of complaints when the game came out. The animation was, to certain people, a complete disgrace. Honestly… I don’t get it. Fine, the animation is not perfect. But that bad? Come on! Some eyes or mouth movements were a bit weird, same for a couple of body movements and overall animation mechanics; LIKE IN EVERY FREAKING VIDEO GAME I EVER PLAYED. I don’t get the « animation rant ». Sure, Bioware will have to patch a couple of things, but in general, it’s quite playable as it is.

3. The Dialogs - 7/10

I liked the four dialogs options for Ryder. It gave enough versatility to the conversations and I think it’s a nice way to customize your character.

My game had some bad times with dialog synchronization, though. Sometimes, the background conversations would suddenly shut up for no reason; or two dialogs would embark on one another, making a real cacophony in my headphones. And fuck, SAM, stop telling me every 2 minutes, that I have new email… WHEN I DON’T HAVE SOME. So annoying.

4. The Sound Effects, Ambient Sounds and Soundtrack - 10/10

I think it’s one of the elements I prefer in Andromeda. Ship sounds, guns firing, the galaxy map, the scanners… Simply amazing and exactly what I expected. The new soundtrack feels even more cinematic than the Trilogy ones. We hear the resemblance, but it’s just enough to make us smile and want to travel more in Andromeda.

Bioware, you did extremely well on that one.

5. Combat Mechanics - 8/10

Three words: fun, versatile… complicated.

You can basically build your own combat specialist in ME: A, and it’s great. The thing is: I had to lower the difficulty for my first playthrough, because I was overwhelmed by the new fighting system. Combos, 50+ buttons to press on the controller, and all the other combat gear and perks hidden somewhere in the menus. It’s fun, lots of fun, spectacular, but a bit difficult to get around at first. In fact, after 71 hours in Andromeda, I feel like I don’t get the fighting system at all. Need to play again to comprehend it more.

A New Beginning

1. The Story - 7/10

Andromeda is clearly the first game of a new trilogy. Or, at least, there will be a sequel. The end of the game screams at you «THERE WILL BE A FOLLOW UP, GUYS». I’m still deaf from an ear.

The story is good (would not say extraordinary, though), and it leaves you with so many questions. I won’t make a list of the questions I have, because I don’t want to spoil anyone.

The Andromeda storyline was obviously built to pick the curiosity of the players and create a hype for a sequel or other promotional material (novels, comics, DLC). I must admit I had a moment of «That’s it? » at the end. Still, a part of me likes the wide opening.

I’ll be watching out for DLCs, books (already reading Nexus: Uprising), comics and other side stuff; which is a bit frustrating, because it cost a lot of money. But hey… That’s how Bioware/EA works. Not going to change. Must roll with it.

2. The Characters - 8/10

I could write a thesis on this topic, so I’ll be brief, and I’ll stick to the Tempest crew.

I love the characters. The Ryders have enough uncertainty and mystery around them to be interesting and I like the fact that your character, Sis or BroRyder, is inexperienced. It makes a distinct separation with Shepard.

The Tempest crew is nice. It doesn’t feel like it’s the same crew as on the Normandy. Vetra and Drack are the best squad mates; my favorites by far. Cora doesn’t annoy me. I get her; her sense of duty, her insecurities, her asari training who helps her focus. Jaal is sweet and emotional. PeeBee is a Liara on speed and I like how awkward she can be. T’Perro… I just want to marry her. Gosh, I love that doctor. Suvi is so sweet, curious and intelligent. I just want to hang out with her and eat her weird experiments. Kallo is skilled, yet so stuck up. He’s adorkable. Gill and Liam… They’re cool, but I must say they’re the two characters in the crew that don’t bring any reaction from me. I’m… indifferent. What I’m certain of: I want to get to know them better, so I can appreciate these two guys as much as the rest of the crew. I changed my mind about Kaidan Alenko, thanks to the fandom. I certainly can change my mind for Liam and Gill.

3. The Romances - 5/10

Ok. Bioware. *sigh* We need to talk.

I’m SO disappointed. And being disappointed romantically SUCKS.

I expected SO MUCH from the romances. Honestly, I wasn’t tempted by ANY of the romance options and Sara ended up with Reyes… Because her one true love, Lexi T’Perro, is not a romantic option (I’m still crying; Sara too). The sex is a subtext. Come on! And the Kerri date… FUCK. Can’t say more, don’t want to spoil. But... SO DISAPOINTING.

I’ll go on YouTube and watch all the romances, see if one is to my liking. Still, you’re not getting a high note on that one, Bioware.

4. Main Quests & Side Quests - 8/10

Lots of quests, but none that really annoyed me. They’re nicely integrated into the storyline. At the end, though, I was a bit tired of side quests popping every 5 seconds. What I liked is that the quest system makes Ryder be a pathfinder. For real. Stuff to do for your crew, the arks, the Nexus, the outposts. It represented well the extend of Ryder’s job.

My game has a lot of bugs in the quest system, though. I currently have around 10 quests (mostly additional assignments) that I can’t finish. Maybe a patch to help?

5. Hints to the Trilogy - 10/10

One word. P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

Really.

Not too much, not completely absent. Well placed, nicely explained or integrated into the storyline. Surprises, smiles, feels, joy… Only perfection.

Thank you. The fan in me is satisfied to the core on this point.

So, what did you score, Mass Effect: Andromeda?

80%.

Well, this isn’t bad! Because no, 80% doesn’t mean Andromeda is complete shit. It means 80% of the game is great, 20% not so much.

And you know what? It’s normal. It’s normal for a video game, or anything in life, to be imperfect. If it was 100%, there would be no place for headcanons or fanfictions or fanart. Where is the fun in that?

I’m also confident that the next patch, the DLCs and the side stuff will help Andromeda get better and better. Plus, if I recall my own Mass Effect experience, the Trilogy is not perfect either. It’s the whole games, side stuff and fandom that makes it amazing.

Now that my first playthrough of Andromeda is done, I want more; need more. I need more Mass Effect in my veins. That’s why all I want to do now is get along with my post-ME3 fanfic; and start a second playthrough of ME: A. 

Next Ryder, here I come! Oh, and… I should try the multiplayer. Right?

[get-that-face]

Day 49: Pippa Passes, or, The Song of Conscience

(filmed 17-21 August in Edgewater, NJ & NYC studio; released 4 October, 1909)

If the film d'art knockoffs represent D.W. Griffith's earlier efforts to try and prove his films, and film in general, are a legitimate artform, the series of literary-themed Biographs of late 1909, starting with "Pippa Passes", mark a more serious attempt by Griffith to prove the loftiness of his intentions. Even in the infamous Ezra Goodman interview a few months before Griffith's death, he was still holding up "Pippa Passes" as evidence of his commitment to elevating film as an artform, trying to bring the world of literature and poetry to the screen, rather than just silly comedies and melodramatic excesses. Griffith and the Biograph crew filmed this loose adaptation of Robert Browning's poem in rapid succession with a "free adaptation" of Silas Marner entitled "A Fair Exchange", and an adaptation of the works of "James Fenimore Cooper. While other adaptations of literary works--usually very "free" adaptations indeed!--had been done before, there had never been so many of them done in a row, so this seems a very deliberate effort.

While novels naturally make for poor adaptational matter for a ten minute film, a poem seems, at first glance, to be a more reasonable proposition. But how to illustrate a poem in moving pictures? More particularly, how to illustrate this poem? Although the "God's in his heaven/all's right with the world" lines are fairly well-known, even if many today couldn't identify their original source, the poem itself is more properly termed a "verse-drama" and is considerably longer. It has the advantage of being split into a number of discrete incidents linked by a single character, and to filmmakers, it also had the advantage of having been adapted as a stage play before. Strangely enough, Griffith's film adaptation actually adds an incident not in the original poem--the drunkard at the beginning, who is the first man to be swayed to morality by Pippa's song. While it's not unusual for Griffith's Biographs to feature moralizing about drunkards, it is unusual for it to be inserted here into a seemingly unrelated story, though thematically it does fit in with the rest of the plot, and temperance was of course a hot-button political issue at the time. The texts of the original intertitle cards are preserved in the Biograph archives at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and it is interesting to note that they do not exactly align with the titles that appear in the version of the film contained in the video posted below. The first title, for instance, is given merely as "PIPPA'S HOLIDAY" in the version below, but in the original version it apparently contained more of the text of the poem. It is perhaps interesting how little of the poem made it into the version viewable below, which sort of detaches the work more fully from its original context. It is unclear where these different intertitles came from; they could've been made at any point. The film was reissued by Biograph in 1915, two years after Griffith had left, and the surviving copy of the film seems to come from a 35mm paper print held by the Library of Congress, so either of those sources could've potentially provided the new titles.

Visually, the film's most striking aspect is its incredibly slow fade-in at the beginning, coupled by an equally glacial fade-out at the end. Griffith had made many previous films for Biograph utilizing both fade-ins/outs and special lighting effects, but never were they so exaggerated and used in such a deliberate way. One has to wait very long at the beginning for anything to even become visible at all, which is an odd directorial choice. It draws one's attentions to the different aspects of the frame that slowly become visible in turn, however, which is a nice way of grabbing and directing the audience's attention. The way the crucifix on the wall only becomes visible more than a minute into the film vaguely reminds me of Erich von Stroheim's use of a similarly light-catching crucifix in the dark over the counterfeiter's daughter's bed in "Foolish Wives", although I doubt there's any other similarity between the two scenes. That the fade-in and fade-out in the film are matched is typical of Griffith's love of parallelism--he seems to be gradually moving away from the tableaux-style endings to use the medium of film itself to frame and stylistically bookend the story--one is reminded of the pans over the rural scenery at the beginning and end of "The Country Doctor" in the past, and the scenes of the farmer planting the wheat in the soon-to-come "A Corner in Wheat". If the earliest Biographs are characteristically stagey, as film in general was at that time, by the midpoint of 1909, we are beginning to see more and more inherently filmic effects being used--emotional responses and aesthetic moods generated solely through functions like editing. While getting through many of the earliest Biographs for this project has been something of a slog, by now, while the bad films are generally still as bad as they were before, the good films are becoming objects of true interest and beauty.

[rehncohro]

While you wait for my details on my upcoming project, why not check out my Two Button Crew kinetic visual novels?: https://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=45516

[tothestarsskypilot]

@silver-wings-novel

Mehhhh, I tried to write that one part of the Space AU you had written previously with Cooper and Chip, but from Peter’s perspective as something for you to read -- not gonna even bother to email it since it’s not crazy long, I’ll just post it under a read more. I’m not exactly sure what you had planned plot wise, so if anything is off, I’m sorry!

Peter’s perspective

 Apart from the lights on the ship’s control panel, the distant glow of stars were the only things lighting up the cabin of the Orion’s control room.

 It wasn’t unusual for me to power the ship down to its basic functions as I worked inputting information in my logs. Less energy output meant less of a chance of being picked up on someone’s radar, which was something drilled into our heads back at basic training. It was supposed to keep you safe from Space Pirates, or so they’d have you believe.

 With the way the Intergalactic Military went on about piracy, you’d think the entire cosmos would be crawling with them, but I could count on one hand the amount of times I’d seen pirates, and only once had I actually had to jump to FTL flight to elude one.

 Still, I followed my training; I’d powered down to basic functions and got to work scanning and cataloging the things I could scan from the spot I chose to drift in – the stars, the elements present, radiation levels, etc. Anything that could possibly be of use.

 “There’s an incoming call from the Galactic Guard, Peter,” Orion stated, its voice pulling my attention away from the screen I’d been plugging numbers into and over to the main monitor where the AI’s cute form currently sat wagging its tail.

 “Thanks, Orion,” I said, standing from my seat and making my way over to the telecom, “Go ahead and patch it through for me.”

 “Right away,” Orion said, before the telecom monitor lit up with the face of some uniformed member of the Galactic Guard.

 “This is Galactic Guardsmen Peter Sanders of the SS Orion,” I stated upon having a visual on the man, and gave a salute.

 “Guardsman Sanders,” The uniformed man began, “You’ve been flagged for your yearly review. The Galactic Guard requests that you report to the Intergalactic Military base immediately.”

 “Already, Sir?” I said, an uneasy feeling settling in my gut, “I was just reviewed; it hasn’t even been four months,”

 He shrugged somewhat apologetically, “I’m just reporting what I see; it says you’ve been flagged for review.”

 I swallowed and gave an understating nod, “I’ll be there, sir. Sanders out.”

 I disconnected from the telecom, confused and not entirely sure what I’d done to warrant such a sudden call back for another review.

 I walked back to the control panel and punched in the coordinates of the area I’d been studying before finishing the logs. My finger hovered over the upload button that would send all the information I’d gathered back to the Galactic Guard’s database, but the weird feeling in my gut remained.

 After all the fishy stuff Cooper and I had uncovered, whatever it was exactly that we had uncovered, we weren’t even sure at this point, but we knew something was up – it made me feel very uneasy sending anything back to the military.

 Instead, I moved everything I’d just documented to a private file.

 “Orion, I want you to keep this log encrypted until it’s opened by either Cooper or Chip.”

 “Understood,”

 “Now can you patch me through to the Lacerta?”

 I could hear the pinging sound of the ship making the call, and a familiar voice soon filled the cabin of my ship, though it wasn’t either of the two people I was hoping to reach – in fact, it wasn’t a person at all.

 “Peter,” the Lacerta’s AI answered, and I said a polite hello back as his digital form walked onto my monitor screen and waved, “Both of your crew members appear to be busy at the moment. Would you like me to relay a message?”

 “Yeah, could you tell them I’ll be a little late getting back to the ship? I’ve been summoned for my yearly review. Again.” I tried to stretch the significance of the last word.

 “I’ll pass the message along,” Lacerta said, before pulling his goggles down and diving into the bottom of my screen as if it were a pool of water.

 I made my way over to the control panel, reaching out and flipping and toggling the necessary things to power on what I’d need for flight, than sat down and punched in the coordinates to the Intergalactic Military base.

 It was about several hundred parsecs from my current location, but in FTL flight, it wouldn’t take me too long to arrive. I reasoned I’d be able to make it there and back to the Lacerta in time for dinner.

 I was wrong.

 ----

 Decreasing from FTL flight to an average cruising speed, I found myself in front of the large free orbiting Military base.

 “This is the SS Orion requesting permission to dock,” I radioed in, and after a few moments, a woman’s voice granted me permission and directed me towards loading dock E.

 I locked and docked up, shut down my ship and made my way to the exit doors. Standing in front of the exit, I input the door code, but didn’t immediately exit when it lifted open.

 Right in front of the E loading dock entrance stood two uniformed men near a shuttle car. I could tell by the way they alerted at my arrival that they were there for me, though why I wasn’t sure, seeing as I’d never once been escorted in such a way, especially for a standard review.

 I knew my earlier instincts were right. Something was off.

 I felt like I was in trouble but for the life of me I couldn’t think of anything illegal I’d done, unless maybe I landed on a protected planet without knowing it.

 I pretended to adjust my uniform in the hopes it would buy me a second to speak with my ship, “Orion,” I whispered, as I fiddled with the com-tool on my wrist and started a countdown. “If I’m not back by the time my com-tool reaches zero, I want you to send out a distress signal on a private channel for the Lacerta and Vulpecula.”

 “Understood,” Orion said, “And be careful.” The concern seemed heavy in its synthetic voice.

 I patted the cold frame of the ship as I exited as if to placate it, “I’ll try, buddy.”

 The two uniformed men were next to me before I could finish closing my ship.

 “Guardsman Sanders.” It was a statement, not a question.

 “Yes, Sir?” I confirmed and inquired at the same time.

 I was hoping they would explain what was happening and why they were here, but all I got was a stiff, “This way” before being hastily escorted to the awaiting shuttle. We were barely in it long enough for me to buckle my seat belt before it started hovering and took off.

 The atmosphere in the shuttle was awkward and tense, especially since I sat sandwiched between the two men. It worried me that they seemed to think I required such heavy guarding. Just where was I being taken that I’d think jumping from a moving shuttle midflight would be more preferable than reaching the destination?

 My question was somewhat answered when the shuttle left the busy hustle and bustle of the main military hub and landed in an oddly quiet and forlorn area I’d never been to. Exiting the shuttle, I was ushered into a long hallway; it was gloomy and gray, and if not for the even spacing of led lights, it would have been pitch black. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, eerily silent except for the sounds of our boots on the floor panels and the rustling of our uniforms.

 The hall finally opened up into a fairly large, better-lit room filled with several desks, and each desk was filled with a uniformed person typing away on halo-screens. Their uniforms had MP on the sleeve, so I presumed it was safe to assume that I was in the Military Police station, though we must have come in the back entrance since I knew the front entrance was lit up like Christmas and a lot more inviting.

 I was led further still through the building, past the desks of busy people, and into another hallway, thought this one was smaller in diameter and somewhat claustrophobic. There were small halo-screens on the wall every twenty feet or so, which I thought was odd, but pushed to the back of my mind once the man leading me stopped in front of one of the illuminated halo-screens. He typed something into it and the section of walling slid apart to reveal a hidden room. It occurred to me then that the whole hallway must be filled with dozens of these concealed rooms.

 The room was dim except for a deeply disorienting bright imitation-fluorescent light directly above a metal table and two chairs. It looked like an interrogation room straight from the old movies back on Earth.

 I turned to the man who’d opened the door, “I think you have me mistaken for someone else.” Those were the only words my brain managed to produce as I turned my attention back to the room.

 “Just wait here.” The man said, than rattled off a series of codes into his communication headpiece.

 “But, I’m just here for a review…” I added weakly. It was all I could say as I was guided into the small room and the door was slid shut behind me.

 Alone in the small room, the first thing I noticed was a large mirror built into the wall. From the many vintage movies I’d seen on Earth and watched with Chip and Cooper, I knew these where those creepy voyeuristic one-way mirrors that every crime show seemed to have. Had I been more brazen, and had my legs not felt like jelly, I might have flipped the bird at it in case anyone was watching, but I was admittedly scared and also didn’t want to dig any hole I might have accidentally dug myself any deeper, if I could help it. Instead, I sat at the table, choosing the seat that put my back towards the mirror. If someone was watching, I hope they enjoyed the view of the back of my head.

 After a significant amount of time had passed with no word from anyone, I chanced a glance at the com-tool on my wrist. According to the countdown time, it had nearly been a full two hours since I’d set it.

 No sooner then I’d looked at my com-tool did the door slide open, revealing two men, one in a typical, if not fancier and higher ranked, Intergalactic Military uniform; the other man’s uniform was one I hadn’t seen before. It was dark in color, oddly simple in its design, and lacking any identifying markings or insignia, but there was no mistaking in that it was military in nature.

 The oddly uniformed man exchanged a few brief words with the other man who in turn excused himself from the room. When the door slid shut, the man turned to face me, an odd hint of a smirk that really seemed out of place on his face.

 “Guardsman Sanders,” He stated, not offering his name in return, but I nodded in confirmation anyways. “Do you know why you were called here today?” He asked as he sat down opposite me, tossing a halo-pad on the table in front of him; I could see that my Military record was pulled up on it, but I couldn’t read what it said from where I sat.

 “I was told it was for a review, but,” I gestured to the room and laughed uncomfortably, “This ain’t like any review I’ve ever done,” The man didn’t laugh with me but continued to stare intensely in my direction. “Am I in trouble for something?” I finally asked.

 The man ignored my question, instead asking one of his own. “Tell me, Sanders, do you love your planet?” The man now sat with his fingers steepled in front of his face, seemingly studying me as I answered.

 “Of course, Sir.” I wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything.

 “Then tell me why you and your fellow crewmates would commit treason?”

 If I had been drinking something, this is where I would have done a comical spit take, but I wasn’t drinking anything and nothing about the situation was funny, so instead I widened my eyes and let my jaw drop in utter bewilderment.

 “Treason?” I repeated the man’s accusation, “Treason?” I repeated again for good measure. “I can assure you I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 “Of course you’re going to play dumb. They all do,” the man said dryly, wiping at his uniform, though nothing was actually there for him to brush off.

 “Really, I have no idea — treason? Really?” Not a compelling argument on my part, I admit.

 I was hoping this would turn out to be some sort of elaborate joke, some kind of soldier hazing or prank gone a little too far, but nobody came bursting through the door laughing, and the man sitting in front of me certainly wasn’t laughing either.

 “I’ve never done anything wrong out there, at least that I’m aware of, Sir,” I said, “Did I land on a protected planet? I admit, I may have. If I did, it was to save someone who sent out a distress signal,” I offered up, though I wasn’t sure how that could be considered treason. “Or did I fly in an off limits area?”

 I was grasping at straws at this point; all our electronic maps were clearly labeled with where was safe to fly and what was protected or what was off limits airspace. The maps themselves were directly uploaded from the Intergalactic Military servers and updated continuously in live time, so I’d know if I flew somewhere I shouldn’t have – alarms would have rang! – But my job was charting the unexplored regions of space; there really weren’t a whole lot of places I wasn’t allowed to go.

 “If only it were something so trivial,” The man stood from his seat, “Very well. I don’t believe that you don’t know anything—”

 “I don’t.” I interrupted, crossing my arms in a moment of defiance.

 “Of course you don’t,” He rebuffed dryly, “But, if you don’t, maybe one of your crewmates will.”

 I jolted upright and uncrossed my arms to smack them onto the table, “You leave them out of this!”

 The man laughed a sneering sort of laugh, “Oh, it’s “Sacrifice the one for the all,” is it?” He made his way towards the wall where the door was, never taking his eyes off me, “I highly doubt your loyal crewmates will let that happen, though,” His eyes drifted to the table momentarily, and I could tell by the small upward tug on the corner of his mouth that he was pleased with something. “Besides, the SS Lacerta is already being signaled to turn itself over. It’s government property, and as of now, you and the Lacerta crew are fugitives.”

 My heart dropped. The lives that Chip, Cooper, and I had all had worked so hard for was over in an instant.

 The man went quiet a moment, then walked closer to the table and leaned in to whisper threateningly, yet, somehow in awe of what he was saying, “You and your friends are meddling in things you can’t even begin to imagine.”

 I jolted back putting some distance between the man and me, but maintained eye contact as I furrowed my brow at him. Feeling angrier and more upset than I ever had in my life, I leaned forward, and in a voice that seemed completely detached from the situation, I smiled, no, smirked, as I spoke calmly though it tasted acidic in my mouth, “Just what did we find out there that has you shitting the bed, Sir.”

 My heart pounded in my chest, betraying the suddenly detached demeanor I’d adopted, as the man started me down, his jaw clenching slightly. For a moment I thought he was going to hit me, but then he drew back and smiled.

 “We’ll meet again,” He simply said, before turning and making his way to the wall. He rapped against it once, and it slid open. As he exited he turned, and we maintained steady eye contact all the way up until the door closed.

 Alone, I slid down in my seat, releasing a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Our lives were over. This only confirmed Cooper’s and my suspicion that the whole Intergalactic Military was up to something fishy; it was some sort of conspiracy.

 Angry, scared, and beyond upset, I tried to catch my breath as I let my eyes drift to the spot that had caused the strange man to nearly smile to himself. I felt like I’d been doused in a bucket of ice water when I released he’d been eyeing the com-tool on my wrist; the screen was flashing, alerting that the countdown had reached zero. It was with great dread I realized I must have done exactly what he’d expected and wanted me to do — I’d sent out a distress signal that would lure my crewmates directly to me, right into the corrupt clutches of the very organization we were once sworn to protect.

[animeindoblog-blog]

Spring 2018 Preview!

New Post has been published on https://animeindo.org/blog/2018/03/25/spring-2018-preview/

Spring 2018 Preview!

March is said to go out like a lamb, but the next season of anime apparently never got the memo. After several strong showings we are looking at one of the most stacked springs in years, as the hotly anticipated sequels for Shokugeki no Souma and Boku no Hero Academia are accompanied by the return of Tokyo Ghoul, the wildly successful visual novel adaptation Steins;Gate, and incredibly surprising—but no less hyped—continuations of Full Metal Panic, WIXOSS, Amanchu, the ever popular harem High School DxD, and fighting anime’s star Souten no Ken. Not to be outdone are the latest adaptations for Sword Art Online and the Persona series, and even a remake for one of anime’s most influential OVAs in Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Plus, if we weren’t spoiled enough for choice already (hint: we aren’t), there’s a slew of promising newcomers, from the violent magical girl series Mahou Shoujo Site to the psychic comedy Hinamatsuri, the quirky monster family slice of life Jikken-hin Kazoku, and the latest otaku romance in Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii. Spring has never looked stronger, and we are here to tell you all about it. This is the Random Curiosity Spring 2018 Preview!

This season we’ll continue using the Excitement Levels we introduced in Fall 2017. Don’t recall why? Because trying to anticipate how a show is going to turn out is a fool’s errand, but we can definitely tell you how excited we are! Just remember that these levels reflect our own subjective excitement for each show, and do not necessarily reflect how each will pan out. For more information, check out the Overall Impressions section at the bottom, which includes an expanded explanation of each category and a list of all shows by excitement level.

Disclaimer: Back in ye olde year of 2012—which is practically ancient history now—previews were done by a single writer, Divine. Since none of the current writers are superhero enough to take time off of work or school to solo this thing, we’ve divided everything up among our staff (Cherrie, Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, and Zephyr) in order to maintain the quality of this preview. We will try to point out what appeals to us in each series, in the hope that it will help you determine if it coincides with your tastes.

Disclaimer #2: Please note that this list does not reflect all the series airing this coming season. It is meant to be as comprehensive as possible, but omissions have been made for shows that stray from the anime norm or seem to be oriented toward young children. Please check out MOON PHASE for complete listings, syoboi for specific air times, and Fansub DB for a list of potential sources for each series.

As always a big shout out to the entire Random Curiosity crew for banding together to finish this preview. With work obligations, family plans, school responsibilities, and more than a few epic moves across country (or the world) interfering with things, this was a fun preview to put together, but everyone has persevered and the result couldn’t be better. Thanks as always to Xumbra and Divine for encoding the PVs; Zephyr for doing early prep work; Stilts for editing, people wrangling, and for being a slow bad person; Passerby for proofreading and the shorts section; and of course Cherrie for handling all the formatting, links, pictures, and any other nagging issues. Also, thanks to everyone who wrote previews. You all rock! Sometimes.

Last but not least, thank you to you, dear friends and readers of Random Curiosity. I (Pancakes) have only been here a year and a bit, but the fun of chatting with you in the comments and the use so many get from the weekly ramblings is what keeps me (and the rest) coming back every time. Also we might be closet masochists who get a kick out of unpaid labour, who can say? If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be doing this, so once again thank you for being a part of this amazing community, we love you all!

Technical Note: The chart below is ordered by the date and time that the shows premiere. The links in the schedule will take you to a series’ corresponding entry and the “Top” links on the right will bring you back. You can also use the back/forward buttons in your browser to jump between links you’ve clicked. All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.

Preview by Zaiden

An investigator buries two Ghosts, ghoulish humanoids who were the very last of their kind. He keeps the terrible secret of their existence, out of pity for their plight. But a small and decrepit figure digs its way out of the grave, and makes itself known to the world. That would be Kitarou (Sawashiro Miyuki), the last survivor of the Ghost tribe. Despite being physically deformed, Kitarou has a heart of gold, and tries to help both humans and youkai alike. Fortunately, he is not alone in his endeavours. His father, Medama-Oyaji (Nozawa Masako), reincarnates as an eyeball after dying to an incurable disease, and wanders around looking after his beloved son in spite of his minuscule stature. In facing off against monsters who might threaten the harmony between humans and youkai, they are joined by Nezumi-Otoko (Furukawa Toshio), Neko-Musume (Shouji Umeka), and a few other legendary creatures who might haunt the average Japanese nightmare.

Gegege no Kitarou’s generational influence cannot be understated, given how it essentially revived the popularity of classical folklore in Japanese mainstream media – effects which are still felt within the industry today. The jitters and creeps imparted by these horrors mesh delightfully with some hearty wholesomeness, resulting in a cult classic, complete with well-received reruns. Every decade or so, Toei Animation seems to enjoy busting out a new anime adaptation of Gegege no Kitarou, though this isn’t without reason. Since its original publication from 1960-69, Gegege no Kitarou is a series that has withstood the test of time by remaining truly beloved in Japan, even if it never made any impact in the international market. If you enjoy dark humour and supernatural action, you might be in for a pleasant surprise if you give this series a chance.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Pancakes

In a Taisho era that went on for an extra twenty-five years, the young girl Kuze Tsugumi (Kimura Juri) is in the throes of courtship. Needing to marry a man to save her family’s fortunes, Tsugumi is desperate to make the right choice, but runs headfirst into personal disaster when her younger brother commits suicide. Shocked and confused, with only a book clutched by her dead brother as any clue to the tragedy, Tsugumi’s upheaval worsens when Fukurou, an imperial investigation service, requests her assistance with the case. Tsugumi learns that the book is a Maremono, a special tome capable of exerting significant influence over its readers, and she just happens to have an ability able to decipher the sentiments (called Auras) residing within Maremonos. Wanting answers and with nowhere else to turn, Tsugumi agrees to help Fukurou in their investigation, but as she’ll soon find out, the truth can often be more painful than never knowing why.

Did someone order an otome game adaptation? Because we’ve got the next otome game adaptation right here. Nil Admirari no Tenbin is the latest adaptation from Otomate’s catalogue, and like all others of late harems of pretty boys is the name of the game. Expect plentiful amounts of romance and chivalrous swooning amidst the undeniably unique mystery drama and you won’t leave disappointed. The only concern for otome fans will be the execution. Zero-G is a hit or miss studio at the best of times, and director Takada Masahiro has no prior experience at all with full length shows. Nevertheless, should Nil Admirari no Tenbin faithfully adapt the source game story and keep the rushing to a minimum, it’s certainly capable of being a fun bit of mystery-tinged romance. Considering this one has been in the works for over two years, a little leeway is rightfully deserved.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Choya

Special Week (Waki Azumi) is an equine girl who aspires to be an athlete and idol. To follow her dreams, she transfers to Traincent Academy, where other equine girls go to train in racing and singing. Along the way, she becomes acquaintances with colleagues such as Silence Suzuka (Kouno Marika), Toukai Teio (Machico), and Vodka (Ohashi Ayaka), who share her goal of utilizing their talents to become stars. With all of the competition she faces, can Special Week hold a candle to her fellow classmates? Can Special Week withstand the competitive environment that awaits her in Traincent Academy? Find out in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby!

Uma Musume has had quite the journey. It’s supposed to be a mobile game project that Cygames is developing for this year, but has only had promotional material. If you recognize the image of horse girls sprinting on a track-and-field ring like they’re in gym class, it’s because the promotional ONA has been floating around the Internet since 2016 as one of those grand concepts that gaming/anime sites tout as the latest outlandish idea to come from popular anime. In Uma Musume’s case, it combines horse-racing with idol phone games, with your choice of horse idol sprinting across a track to obtain victory and glory. To the series’ credit, they stay true to the spirit of horse racing with all of the funny race-horse names they came up with for the girls. The fact that the girls are only visibly horses by their ears and tails also adds to the moe appeal that could make such a concept seem more normal than people give it credit for. The premise of the show is pretty straight-forward, but P.A. Works’ involvement and the direction of Oikawa Kei does build confidence that we’ll get a competent, well-made project. You’ll know if the idea alone is enough to reel you in, but only time will tell whether you’d want to say “aye” or “neigh” to Uma Musume.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Passerby

Uno Saki (Ohashi Ayaka) had figured out her life. She’s a fledgling idol. She had formed a unit with her best friend, Mikage Sakuyo (Misawa Sachika). She nursed an innocent crush on said friend’s brother, Mohiro (Toyonaga Toshiyuki). They’re mundane things that a normal 15-year-old girl may be expected to deal with. But one day, Mohiro is kidnapped by demons and there are none who can help him! Saki is offered a chance: ‘Make a contract with me and become a magical girl!’. What choice did she have? She accepts. With the power of love, Saki swoops in, rescues Mohiro, and saves the day! Mohiro swoons for his saviour. Textbook happy ending. But wait—why is her magical girl form a guy (Ishikawa Kaito)? Well, a rather built and handsome guy—wait, why does he still wear the frilly skirt? What on earth is going on? What happened to Saki’s normal, 15-year-old-girl life?

In anime, girls transform. Boys transform. Sometimes, boys transform into girls. Girls transforming into boys, why not? Well, besides it being stupid, but it’s okay for anime to be stupid. In comedy, it should even be encouraged. You can’t have absurdity without at least partially short-circuiting the frontal cortex, and Mahou Shoujo Ore, based on a digital manga by Moukon Icchokusen, takes that philosophy and runs with it. Why cross-dressing magical girl idols? Because it’s dumb. Why is the mascot character a yakuza gangster? Because it’s dumb. And dumb is funny. And is humour not born of wit, and wit born of insight? Underneath Mahou Shoujo Ore’s giggles about the downstairs plumbing and the confused sexual tension is a cutting commentary about preconceived gender roles imprinted upon us by socio-eco—no, scratch that, it’s stupid. Mahou Shoujo Ore knows it is stupid. It revels in the stupid. Enjoy.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Pancakes

From the manga of the same name, Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi tells the story of the university student Tsubaki Aoi (Touyama Nao). Born with the inherited ability to see ayakashi (ghosts), Aoi strives to take care of her supernatural brethren, feeding those in need and ensuring none go without. All of that quickly changes one day, however, when Aoi is snatched away by a demon named Oodana (Konishi Katsuyuki). Claiming Aoi’s deceased grandfather owed him a substantial debt, Oodana states Aoi must pay the collateral, and must do so through marriage—to him. Naturally, Aoi refuses such a vulgar demand, but out of respect for her grandfather she offers to pay Oodana back by working as a cook in his private inn Tenjinya. Now stuck serving up hearty food to all manner of supernatural beings while dealing with the whims of one fierce and cranky demon, Aoi’s simple and pleasant life will never be the same again.

Supernatural and anime, like peanut butter and jam it’s a classic combination, and whether as a serious romp through mature themes or a more gentle meander in slice of life, the shows we get seldom disappoint. Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi won’t be breaking that trend. With a humorous and lighthearted romance plot, this one won’t be lacking in character, and with a noticeable foodie flair spicing things up the show is bound to get more than a few stomachs rumbling. In a way KnY is the supernatural form of Isekai Shokudou, where food becomes the means to explore the various memories and relationships of Tenjinya’s clientele, Aoi and Oodana included. It’s excellent relaxation material, although considering Gonzo misses more than it hits and director Okuda Yoshiko has little experience with such series, it’s a shot in the dark just how good it will be. While it would be a good idea to keep expectations in check, if you have a thing for supernatural romance and food, I’d give KnY a chance. It’s on the right course to be more than a simple tale of wining and dining.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Choya

Elementary school student Oozora Tsubasa (Sanpei Yuuko) has a love for soccer that completely encompasses his thoughts and dreams. He started playing at a very young age, and while it was just a fun, recreational sport in his friends’ eyes, it developed into an obsession for Tsubasa. To excel further in his favorite sport, he moves with his mother to Nankatsu City, which is known for its schools with prestigious soccer teams. Although he was the best player in his hometown, Tsubasa has his work cut out for him in Nankatsu, where he will need all of his skills and talents in order to stand out from the tough competition he faces. In Nankatsu, he not only meets new rivals, but also new friends like Nakazawa Sanae (Hara Sayuri) and goalkeeper Wakabayashi Genzo (Suzumura Kenichi), whose shared interest in the same dreams as Tsubasa drives him to help his valuable friend reach his goals. Tsubasa’s ultimate goal is representing Japan at the FIFA World Cup, but it will take more than talent and ambition to live the dream.

To say that Captain Tsubasa is iconic would be an understatement. The manga, which started in 1981, has gone on to inspire professional footballers like Lionel Messi, the film Shaolin Soccer, and was included in the promotional material for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo as a symbol of prosperity in Japanese pop culture and sports. While this reboot is two years shy of the next Olympics, it aligns with the next FIFA World Cup in Russia, and will help to promote Team Japan in their efforts this year. They couldn’t have chosen a better staff to helm such a reboot as David Productions has a track record of doing justice to the source material of older, highly-beloved manga. Director Kato Toshiyuki’s efforts also ensure that the Captain Tsubasa reboot will be in great hands. While many David Productions fans are getting antsy about wanting the Vento Aureo adaptation to just be announced already, there’s no doubt that their take on Captain Tsubasa will create that same spark of magic that readers worldwide have felt when they flipped to the first page of Tsubasa’s story.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Choya

According to Gundam Build Divers, the Gundam franchise hasn’t even begun to peak! At least, not until the near future, when the popularity of Gundam and Gunpla has skyrocketed to such incredible heights that it inspires a new Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online (VRMMO) Game called “Gunpla Battle Nexus Online”. In GBN Online, players can upload themselves and their Gunpla to the internet and battle with players from across the world. The player assumes the role of a Gunpla Diver, and with their chosen Gunpla model, they can take part in the annual Gunpla Force Battle Tournament to test their strength with other Divers and determine who’s the best. Our main protagonist, Mikami Riku (Kobayashi Yuusuke), is a junior high school student and an admirer of famous Gunpla Diver Kujo Kyoya (Kasama Jun). He and his friends Yukio (Fujiwara Natsuki) and Momoka (Hieda Nene) love Gunpla and play GBN together. However, his life is turned upside down when he meets a mysterious Gunpla Diver named Sara (Terui Haruka). As strange events unfold, Riku is guided by his new allies as he forms his first Gunpla Diver group, embarks on epic adventures with his friends and a ferret, dives further into GBA to face off against other Divers, and seeks to become the very best, like no one ever was.

With the success of the Gundam Build Fighters series, Divers has large shoes to fill, and faces questions such as whether it will be better than recent Gundam shows or whether there will be an attractive mom character. Rather than try to continue where the originals left off, this foray into online gaming is a good way of going about it. It lends itself to the conversation on how digital media has overtaken the old ways as the crafting of Gunpla for combat is overtaken by the talent it takes to handle a controller. It does look like it is shamefully capitalizing on the popularity of virtual game anime that are as plentiful as ever in this day and age, but it also looks like a ton of fun and offers a lot for fans of Gundam and Gunpla fans who want more of their Gundam Build fix. Models from Turn A, ZZ, 00, and Age round out our main cast as they go forth and use their mechs to become number one, and it might just be as much of a fun, exciting breath of fresh air as Gundam Build Fighters was when it came out.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Pancakes

A long time in the future, in a galaxy quite the same, two rival interstellar powers—the absolutist Galactic Empire and democratic Free Planets Alliance—battle over the right to rule all of humanity. Locked in a stalemate for over 150 years, both states continuously seek ways to overcome the other, but it’s only when a new group of leaders emerge that the board is finally wiped clean. While the intensely ambitious Reinhard von Müsel (Miyano Mamoru) ascends through the ranks of the Empire’s decadent Goldenbaum dynasty to rescue his sister-made-concubine, the lazy and reserved historian Yang Wenli (Suzumura Kenichi) finds himself thrust into an Alliance wartime command he very much could do without. Winding up leaders in the only conflict they have ever known, Yang and Reinhard will soon find themselves fighting not only each other, but their own sides as the desires of each man run headfirst into the harsh reality of interstellar politics.

At some point every anime fan will have heard of Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu, i.e. Legend of the Galactic Heroes. This is a series with no equal, adapted from a set of novels by the famed Tanaka Yoshiki into the longest ever OVA series featuring the largest ever assembled voice acting cast. More than Space Battleship Yamato or Gundam, LotGH defined modern Japanese space opera, arguably creating the closest version of Star Wars to date with political and philosophical intrigue that left every competitor in the dust. Any sort of remake was always going to have problems living up to LotGH’s larger than life image, and so far all the signs do little to ease concerns. Besides only one confirmed cour (and three follow-up movies) leaving little chance of getting through all the material, all original character designs have been completely (and controversially) altered, and Kuroko no Basket’s flamboyant Tada Shunsuke has been left in charge of directing. There’s nothing to say the new LotGH cannot live up to the hype, but it’s just as likely to morph into promotional pandering as much as proper (re)adaptation. Much like with Star Wars’ recent return, truly anything is possible here, so until we can see the results in action, keeping those expectations in check is firmly advised.

Watching This: Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Zephyr

Hidden in the shadows of Tokyo are man-eating beings known as ghouls. Indistinguishable from humans, they blend in to society, hunting humans for food. In response, the Commission of Counter Ghoul (CCG) is formed to investigate and exterminate ghouls. After being involved in a certain incident, previous protagonist Kaneki Ken finds himself implanted with Ghoul parts, turning him into a half-human, half-ghoul hybrid. As he struggles to maintain his psychological balance and to find a place for himself, CCG launches a raid on Anteiku, Kaneki’s former workplace and a cafe rumored to be the hiding place of a legendary ghoul called the “One Eyed Owl”. Taking place two years after the Anteiku raid, Tokyo Ghoul:re is a sequel to the original series. The fight between CCG and a group of ghouls calling themselves Aogiri Tree continues, with many of the raid’s participants now missing or confirmed dead. To turn the tide, a special Quinx Squad is created composed of members capable of using ghoul abilities. They are led by a half-human, half-ghoul named Sasaki Haise (Hanae Natsuki), who is tasked with managing a squad filled with difficult personalities while grappling with his own powers and lost memories. Pierrot will reprise its role, with Mikasano Chuuji returning for series composition, and Watanabe Odahiro in his second directorial role.

Following the reference to :re at the end of Tokyo Ghoul √A, many of us expected a sequel to arrive eventually. What we didn’t expect was that it’d take three years. Since then, we’ve gotten an English dub of the anime, a live-action adaptation, and even an official English release of the manga! Thankfully the wait is over, and given how well :re answers the original series’ questions while building on its foundations with new characters, the expectations are high. The problem is that Watanabe Odahiro doesn’t have significant experience as a director, and his resume—while lengthy—is filled with key animator or episode director roles that rarely go past a few episodes. We also don’t know if they’ll just adapt :re as is, or alter it based on what happened in the adaptation’s second season, which shuffled and omitted events in an attempt to reach the original series’ ending in a single cour. The expectations based on the source material are there, but I’m hesitant to say that they’ll give the series the adaptation it deserves, especially if (given the ending of √A) they extend this to multiple cours in future seasons.

Watching This: Pancakes, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Choya

Natsuno Hanabi (Tsuda Minami) is moving back to her hometown for high school, assuming that she would return to a wonderful life back where she came from. However, she didn’t know what she signed up for when she chose to live in Tachibana-kan, a dormitory close by. What she thought would be an easy dorm for her to settle into and make her commute much simpler turned out to be much more chaotic than she expected. With a crew of unruly roommates, each with their own personality and quirks, Natsuno’s dorm life is about to be crazy, adventurous, and perhaps a little spicy.

The story that Tachibana-kan to Lie Angle is looking to tell is in the tradition of a multitude of fun dorm-ready anime. Which is a good reason to look forward to it, as it centers on life among a cast of hilarious characters who all have to find a way to cope with living with each other, differences and all. One fascinating thing to note about this anime are the list of genres that it falls under. It’s a shoujo-ai comedy, but also associates itself with ecchi and harem as well. It will be nice to see some comedy from the yuri genre given that the recent surge of yuri shows have been all about the spectacle of relationship drama. It has potential to fall into that dramatic territory with director Hirasawa Hisayoshi, but hopefully it’ll steer more toward a fun route by emphasizing the eccentricities of Natsuno’s roommates. With all the toxic relationships that have stemmed from recent netorare-inspired yuri stories, Tachibana-kan to Lie Angle has the opportunity to brighten up the genre with some humor, quirkiness, and even a little fanservice along the way.

Watching This: Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Passerby

Back in 2015, the venerable swashbuckling adventure Lupin III finally got a new anime series. Now, after a much shorter two-year-and-change wait, here’s more! After a stint capering around Italy, the titular thief Lupin (Kurita Kanichi) and his trusty partners, the crack shot Jigen Daisuke (Kobayashi Kiyoshi) and stoic swordsman Ishikawa Goemon XIII (Namikawa Daisuke), are now going to be traipsing around France. That’s exciting, since the original Lupin III manga by Monkey Punch is loosely based on Maurice Leblanc’s French novels about the gentleman-thief, Arsène Lupin, with Lupin III being, as one may guess by the numbering, the legendary heister’s grandson. So what to make of the new rival, Alber d’Andrezy (Tsuda Kenjiro), who shares the family name of the mother of Arsène Lupin I? In France there will be both history and homeland, and a past that Lupin may not care to face.

While the Lupin III franchise has had a long run, with the manga debuting all the way back in 1967, it was usually fine to jump into the anime whenever one wanted. It was mostly a series of episodic escapades and self-contained stories, with Lupin himself being a something of a timeless creature, a free spirit who always lived in the present and stayed true to his adventurous whims. Lupin III is a constant that has stood the test of time, so why change it? For this 2018 edition, though, I hesitate to offer that same advice. Lupin III (2015) actually had a semblance of continuity, and this new season may be building on that. Lupin is still wearing his blue coat, and the entire anime staff more or less returns in full for production. This includes the voice cast, who are all reprising their roles. So if you’re new to Lupin III I would suggest you at least watch the 2015 series first to get yourself up to speed. If you’re a returning fan, you already know what’s up. It’s Lupin. Even if there may be a bit more narrative this season, it’s still going to be everything we know and love about anime’s most famous thief.

Watching This: Passerby Excitement Level: Established

Preview by Zaiden

The subject specimen, Tsuitsui Hikari (Uenishi Teppei), is a reclusive otaku. Itou Yuuto (Aoi Shouta) is his sole companion, a fellow otaku cast from a similar mould. Both are social outcasts due to their nerdy interests, laughed at by popular girls who dismiss their otaku hobbies as being ‘uncool’, which causes them to develop an aversion towards womenkind. But fortunately, things don’t stay this way in a romance series. One day, Tsuitsui is made to clean up a dirty swimming pool with Igarashi Iroha (Serizawa Yuu), a girl who seems to epitomise all the things he hates in the opposite gender. She skips school, comes across as bitchy, and is rumoured to constantly hang out with guys in a promiscuous fashion. However, after spending some time with her, he comes to realise that not all the things said about her were true. Behind her blunt and beautiful exterior, she’s a person who has complex reasons for her behaviour. Above all, she chooses not to judge Tsuitsui for his hobbies, and even defends him from his tormentors. Can a social misfit like Tsuitsui, who has a deep distrust of women, fall in love? Or is he going to become a mere plaything to satisfy someone’s momentary whim?

Having read the manga, I can tell you that 3D Kanojo has a character-driven story that distinguishes itself from your run of the mill shoujo series. Common archetypes are generally avoided, and each character is substantially fleshed out through the chapters. You may also find it easy to relate to Tsuitsui’s struggles, since he is bullied for having a keen interest in anime. I suspect some of us can relate. Feelings are also dealt with in a mature way and come across as quite realistic, which is successfully maintained even through periods of melodrama. I can’t guarantee an exceptional adaptation though, because with only twelve episodes to work with, either the anime will be incomplete or cuts will be made across the board. I’d prefer the former, because I hope a studio wouldn’t attempt to adapt a single volume per episode. What I can guarantee is that 3D Kanojo is a unique and refreshing story about friendship and love, that also tackles the topics of prejudice and acceptance within a high school setting.

Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

Not to be outdone by last year’s imouto-based rabble, the spring season graces us with Alice or Alice. So how does one do the unthinkable? Quick math tells me that 1 + 1 = 2, so logic dictates that we must have two sisters instead of one. Older Brother (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu), an aptly named protagonist, leads a truly blessed life. Everyday, he looks after his beloved twin sisters, Airi (Hidaka Rina) and Rise (Sakura Ayane). It certainly helps that he harbours a huge sister complex. What’s more, his sisters certainly love him back in their own way. Prepare for trouble, and make it double, as our eccentric family and friends entertain us with their daily antics!

A year on from Eromanga-sensei, an unassuming newcomer is determined to take the spring by storm through the power of incest! Making the step up to a full directorial role, Kobayashi Kousuke seems intent on tackling the taboo from the offset. Fortunately he has capable seiyuu in the main three roles, including the voice of Masamune Izumi from Eromanga-sensei and the Hidaka Rina/Sakura Ayane pair, both of whom have played the little sister role many times. Reading the source material, it would seem that the degeneracy runs particularly deep this time around. While this older brother does the household chores, and smiles all the time, don’t be fooled! He actually dotes a little too much on his younger sisters, to the point where you would consider him to be a creepy pervert. This is mostly played for laughs, so take it as you will, but I understand it can be off-putting for many. However, for those who enjoy a nice bit of incest or moe, this will probably become your weekly source of guilty pleasures.

Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Passerby

The Singularity is here. Biological humans have been made obsolete. This happened by neither design nor serendipity, but disaster. In the year 2031, the Quantum Reactor, a revolutionary new power source meant to solve the world’s energy problems, suddenly explodes. The fallout reaches across the world with bizarre side effects. Animals start mutating spontaneously and rapidly. Machines merge with the wildlife. New hybrid lifeforms rise in dominance and wage a war on humanity that drives them almost to the brink of extinction. But when faced with monster threats mankind always has one fall-back: giant mecha. In the city of Neo Xianlong, one of the last bastions of humanity, maverick scientist Leon Lau (Maeno Tomoaki) and his sister Chloe (Touyama Nao) continue to devise new weaponry and countermeasures, but their efforts may be for naught. How can technology that requires human progress compete with technology that can progress itself?

Every once in a while, Kawamori Shoji decides to make a mecha anime. And out pops something Macross or Aquarion or … Basquash. That’s the great thing about being the executive director of an anime studio, you can make what you want. It’s not like Satelight has done poorly out of that though; no matter one’s opinion on the latest iterations of Macross and Aquarion, it’s undeniable that Satelight has built its mecha-anime bona fides by the hand of Kawamori. That said, Kawamori is not going to be in the director’s role for Juushinki Pandora, instead bringing in Sato Hidekazu from Aquarion Evol with Nemoto Toshizo from Macross Δ on series composition. Unfortunately Sato has a weak record and Nemoto is somewhat inconsistent, so there’s some cause for pessimism, but at least we still have Kawamori doing the mecha designs. Yeah, the mecha are CGI again, but they’re interesting nonetheless, and they also reflect the setting, which is definitely the main draw. We can never get enough apocalyptic science fiction in anime, and Juushinki Pandora looks like it might explore some interesting areas about the relationship between nature and technology and the obsolescence of homo sapien biology. It’s certainly a more interesting human extinction event than the usual great floods and zombie hordes, and if that’s the kind of cheer you enjoy in your anime, give Juushinki Pandora a try.

Watching This: Pancakes, Passerby Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Stilts

Tada-kun Does Not Fall in Love is an original romantic comedy from the folks at Doga Kobo. The story starts when Tada Mitsuyoshi (Nakamura Yuuichi), who is taking pictures of blooming cherry blossoms, meets Teresa Wagner (Iwami Manaka), an exchange student from Luxembourg. Upon arriving in Japan, Teresa got separated from her travel companion. Mitsuyoshi helps her and brings her to his grandfather’s coffee shop. Other characters include Tada’s best friend Ijuuin Kaoru (Miyano Mamoru), little sister Tada Yui (Minase Inori), sempais Sugimoto Hajime (Umehara Yuuichirou) and Hasegawa Hinako (Ishigami Shizuka), kouhai Yamashita Kentarou (Shimono Hiro), and Teresa’s fellow transfer student Alexandra Magritte (Shimoji Shino).

Did you enjoy Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun? Because this original is from the studio (Doga Kobo), director (Yamazaki Mitsue), and script writer (Nakamura Yoshiko) of that series. Heck, Nozaki’s seiyuu is even in the lead role again! I would counsel caution though, because there was more that went into Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun’s success besides studio and staff, including more seiyuu with killer comedic timing and the original mangaka Tsubaki Izumi. This time Nakamura-sensei has to write with no source material, so will it turn out as well? At least the seiyuu crew seems solid, with co-lead Iwami Manaka having proven her cute-and-comedic chops after her performance in Gamers! The vibe here seems to be going more toward romance and less hijinks (there are four girls and four boys—convenient!), which is totally fine in my book, but it is different. I do have a good amount of faith in this staff, the premise looks fun, and the promos so far look really pleasant. If you go into this wanting more Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, you may end up disappointed, but if you’d like something slightly different but hopefully with that same level of quality and execution, Tada-kun wa Koi wo Shinai might be for you. I know I’ll be watching, and hoping for another dark horse win from a series that has all the markers of a great time.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Choya

This adaptation of a 4-koma comedy manga tells the story of the daily lives of up-and-coming female mangaka who must face the trials and tribulations of living together in a dormitory. One of the new girls, Moeta Kaoruko (Akao Hikaru) hits close to home as she is a 4-koma manga artist who writes under the pen name Kaosu. Many of Kaosu’s roommates, however, vary in genre and expertise, such as Koizuka Koyume (Hondo Kaede), who works as a shoujo manga artist under the pen name Koisuru Koyume. Meanwhile, they share their living space with shounen manga artist Katsuki Tsubasa (Takahashi Rie), who’s pen name is Wing V. Finally, they meet one of the more peculiar roommates in Irokawa Ruki (Oonishi Saori), who is the artist behind ecchi manga under her pen name Bakunyuu♥Himeko. Differences in work ethic, stylistic preferences, and personality cause our leading ladies to butt heads as much as they find common ground.

This sounds like quite the fun series, given how it takes subsections of artists behind different genres of manga, and gives them a living space to bounce off of each other, whether its in agreement or adversity. Comic Girls has the potential to explore different facets of manga fandom with how broad they’re able to work with 4-koma, ecchi, shoujo, and shounen genres all at once. Additionally, it is always fascinating to see how anime adaptations of 4-koma manga fare, as each one takes an entirely different approach to how they adapt the material. Some are straightforward in retaining their format as individual segments with little variation to the material, while others adapt the four panel comics into 24-minute episodes that are fluid and integrated naturally enough that you could barely tell they were adapting several strips. Where Comic Girls will lean toward is anyone’s guess, but the finished product looks like it will be as fun and zany as it sounds.

Watching This: Choya, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Stilts

Megalo Box is a spin-off, tribute, and celebration of the 50th anniversary of the classic boxing manga and anime Ashita no Joe. This sci-fi boxing series stars JD (Junk Dog) (Hosoya Yoshimasa), who participates in fixed underground boxing matches in order to make a living. At the beginning of the story he enters the ring once again, but he encounters a certain person. JD decides he wants to take on a challenge that risks everything.

“Sci-fi boxing anime” is a pretty cool idea, though there are a lot of details you’ll need to know before committing to this series. First of all, while I haven’t read or watched Ashita no Joe myself, it appears to be a classic sports story, complete with a sports anime-style protagonist who trains hard, confronts all sorts of difficulties, and wins through grit, spirit, and wanting it more than the other guy. Now take that idea, and move it to a dystopian cyberpunk future where boxers utilize metal prosthetics in the ring, because what boxing clearly needs is more brain damage. The art style is pointedly retro, so viewers who can’t abide by the old school Lupin III-type animation should steer clear. Nostalgia is a helluva drug, though, so I suspect old Joe fans are already tuning in, and sports anime aficionados could be well served by giving this a try. For everyone else, I can only say that I don’t typically go in for retro series, but the dystopian cyberpunk sci-fi boxing got my attention. I may give this a shot after all.

Watching This: Passerby, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Choya

The story focuses on the two main characters, Gaius Sorel (Shimazaki Nobunaga) and Gigina Ashley-Bufh (Hosoya Yoshimasa), the only two employees of spell formulist dispatch office Ashley-Bufh & Sorel Co. They are met with a variety of requests from a variety of clients, all requiring the adept use of spell formulae, which are essentially chemical reactions augmented through Magic Staff weapons that cause a magic spell-like effect. The two leading men use spell formulae to fight against Beasts of Abhorrent Form, natural creatures that use spell formulae and pose a threat to humans.

Don’t be too intimidated by how much detail and description pops up when you look this one up, it should be an easy series to get invested in. The show appears to be a compelling dark fantasy anime that builds off the deep lore of the universe as well as the friendly rivalry between Gaius and Gigina while they work together to survive in this harsh universe. With highly polished visuals and the promise of magic sword fights, it’s bound to be a neat anime to watch if you’re looking to scratch that itch. It looks like enough fun, drama, and action to keep anyone engaged in the jobs and assignments of the Ashley-Bufh & Sorel Co.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

Sticking to the old formula, Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin focuses on a group of boys who love to play football. Or as Americans might call it, ‘soccer’. However, their club is suddenly disbanded, and they are given a single condition for its reinstatement: winning the prestigious Football Frontier. To compete in the tournament, Inamori Asuto (Murase Ayumu) and his friends leave the island they had lived on for their entire lives, enrolling at a high school in Tokyo. However, their first match is against the number one team, Seishou Gakuen. Will Asuto and his friends have their dream come to an end, or is this where it all begins?

Inazuma Eleven is adapted from a series of games made by Level-5. As someone who is not acquainted with the franchise, my general impression is that it looks like an animated version of Shaolin Soccer, dialed up to eleven. The director Hino Akihiro deviates from his norm of being an original concept creator for Level-5, being the brains behind other games like Danball Senki and Youkai Watch. Ares no Tenbin is in fact his first foray into directing anime, but if I had to guess, he’s probably good at catering toward the demographic targeted by his games. Longtime fans of the Inazuma Eleven franchise might get a kick out of this new series, but I wouldn’t expect newcomers to have an easy time finding a comfortable foothold.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Pancakes

As head of the yakuza Ashigawa Group, the young and intelligent bachelor Nitta Yoshifumi (Nakajima Yoshiki) has it made. The jobs are simple, the payout is good, and by god does no one ever come to him with any annoying problems to solve. All of that changes one day when Yoshifumi is literally hit over the head by a mysterious object containing a girl called Nina (Tanaka Takako). Normally Yoshifumi would quickly rid himself of such unwanted surprises, but when Nina displays awesome psychic powers that could come in handy for business—not to mention kill him in the blink of an eye—Yoshifumi is left with little choice but to take the impulsive and lazy girl in. Now stuck playing father to a nuclear bomb of a daughter in the midst of Japan’s chaotic underworld, Yoshifumi’s easygoing yakuza life will never be the same again.

Gentlemen, say hello to the new Mob Psycho 100. Much like that romp through hilarious psychic shenangians, Hinamatsuri is a tale of crazy mental powers combined with an even more outrageous cast of characters. Any “serious” plot here is firmly sidelined in favour of comedy and slice of life as Hinamasturi’s story revolves around bite-sized story arcs focusing on the ridiculous (yet endearing) relationship between Yoshifumi and the hikkikomori-esque Nina. It’s a perfect kick back and laugh story, and with over 13 published manga volumes so far, there’s plenty of it to go around. While adaptations of ongoing manga can have their issues, considering studio feel. has plenty of experience with similar series and director Oikawa Kei is well-versed in the art of easygoing anime, it’s not that unreasonable to expect something amazing here. We won’t know how well it works until the first episode drops of course, but given the story and crew at work, I would expect Hinamatsuri to be one of this season’s top comedy contenders.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Takaii

Akkun to Kanojo revolves around the quirky relationship between male lead Kagari “Akkun” Atsuhiro (Suzuki Tatsuhisa) and female lead Katagiri “Nontan” Non (Suwa Ayaka). On the outside the two look like a normal couple, but their everyday lives couldn’t be anything further. On the one hand you have the extremely tsundere Akkun, who is awfully cold toward his girlfriend but in reality is so madly in love with her that he’ll engage in activities that most people would consider borderline stalking. On the other you have Nontan, a levelheaded, down-to-earth individual who gracefully ignores Akkun’s terrible outward personality and loves him with every fiber in her body. Together, the two form an awkwardly lovable duo. To help round out the cast are Masago Matsuo (Ueda Keisuke), Akkun’s partner-in-crime, and Kagari Chigo (Kouri Arisa), Akkun’s younger sister. Two side characters who are anything but, as they try and work out just how in the world people like Akkun and Nontan could exist.

If you’ve been looking for a romantic comedy with a twist, Akkun to Kanojo could be the one. It’s almost eerie how different it feels when you flip the genders of character types you’ve seen countless times before. Besides the slight paradigm shift, there’s definitely some charm in watching Akkun do his thing. As the main tsundere of the show, it’s really funny to see him have such a cold exterior toward his girlfriend. Especially when you realize just how much he’s into her! Paired with Nontan’s ability to look completely past all of Akkun’s awkward behavior, you end up with this interesting pattern of expecting one thing only to be pleasantly surprised with what actually happens. Toss in two strong secondary characters who help balance things out and you have a story that’ll keep your attention without wearing you out. When it comes to its adaptation, Akkun to Kanojo has some strong people working on it. With Katagai Shin (Eyeshield 21) leading the charge at Yumeta Company works (Tamayura, Yuruyuri) and Yamada Yuka (Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon) handling the writing, it’s tough not to get excited thinking about what a team like this could do. It may be a bit early to call anything, but you can bet I’m excited for this one.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Pancakes

After a two year break, the WIXOSS franchise returns to anime with a brand new sequel in Lostorage conflated WIXOSS. Centered on the wildly popular in-universe trading card game of the same name, WIXOSS involves a group of girls called Selectors who battle one another with LRIGs, living cards serving as in-game avatars. While victory in WIXOSS can see Selectors obtain their most cherished wishes, experiencing three defeats inflicts a curse on the loser designed to ruin any chance at happiness. With last season’s heroine Suzuko (Hashimoto Chinami) proving victorious by saving her childhood friend Chinatsu (Iguchi Yuka), attention now turns to tracking down the new mastermind of the games while some familiar faces from Selector Infected WIXOSS wind up caught in the chaos. As two generations of Selectors and LRIGs find themselves back on familiar [battle]ground, the only goal now on everyone’s mind is putting a stop to the madness once and for all.

Ahh WIXOSS, it’s certainly hard finding a more imaginative anime advertisement. When it first premiered in 2014, WIXOSS quickly became known as the Madoka of TCG, utilizing Okada Mari to forge a psychologically grimdark story of suffering that took conventional card game tropes and thoroughly upended them. It wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but those who stuck around got treated to a wild ride of plot twists and even crazier climaxes. While the follow-up Lostorage Incited WIXOSS unfortunately lost some of the magic—in part from staff changes—it left plenty of openings for a new season to take advantage of, and that indeed is what looks to be happening. With both Selector/LRIG casts featured, it’s very likely this season will answer many outstanding mythos-based questions, and with the franchise focus on psychological suffering remaining you can bet even more outrageous twists await us in the future. While most viewers probably already know where they stand regarding WIXOSS, if you have the curiosity I’d give this one a shot. For all we know this season could end up being the best WIXOSS iteration yet.

Watching This: Pancakes, Zephyr Excitement Level: Established

Preview by Pancakes

For Asagiri Aya (Oono Yuuko), life truly sucks. She’s viciously bullied at school, beaten and tormented by her devil of a brother Kaname (Okamoto Nobuhiko), and ignored by anyone afraid of her pariah status wearing off on them. More often than not suicide seems to be Aya’s only solution, but all that changes one day when she stumbles across the mysterious website Mahou Shoujo Girl. Granting her a magical device capable of making anyone disappear permanently, Aya thinks the website has given her the solution to her misery, but it’s just the harbinger of a more radical transformation. After fellow classmate Yatsumura Tsuruno (Akaneya Himika) catches Aya using her power, Aya rapidly discovers she’s not the only girl with a magical device, and that many are willing to kill over their powers. Now caught up in a world far more insidious than her old tumultuous life, Aya is about to learn what it really means to be a magical girl.

Magical girls and suffering is a well-trodden theme these days; thanks to Madoka’s overwhelming success we receive a variation or two every other season, with only a few ever truly standing out. In this regard MSS is nothing special, but it does have one thing going for it: this one gets violent. Really violent. Compared to Madoka or even Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku, MSS goes all in on the suffering and agony as every character takes twisted and disgusting to the absolute limit, with some like Kaname providing a showcase in reprehensible immorality. It’s textbook torture porn, which means MSS’s success is going to be heavily determined by its handling; if it skips on the violence or overdoes the censoring it could easily become the cutie breaking version of Terra Formars. Thankfully, however, with Tokyo Ghoul’s Matsubayashi Tadahito sitting in the director’s chair and confirmed Amazon simulcasting (i.e. likely no censorship), all signs point toward a fun bit of bloody, suffering-injected entertainment. As long as MSS doesn’t stray far from its pulpy, violence-driven source material, there’s no reason to doubt it being anything but a wicked ride.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Zaiden

As a time traveler from the future, I’m here to tell you that studio Bones is producing the one and only show that’s set to sweep the Crunchyroll Anime Awards for 2018. You guessed it right, the greatly beloved My Hero Academia is about to receive a highly anticipated third season! In a world where 80% of the population possess Quirks, a genetic mutation bestowing superpowers to next generation humans, it just so happens that Midoriya “Deku” Izuku (Yamashita Daiki) is among the 20% born without one. But that doesn’t stop our young boy from striving toward his dreams of becoming a superhero, even if he’s met with crushing difficulties that would make anyone else give up. As fate would have it, Deku ended up having a chance encounter with All Might (Miyake Kenta ), the No.1 hero, with a secret behind his superpower that Deku becomes privy to. Seeing something in the boy, All-Might chooses Deku as his successor and takes him on as his personal disciple. And so Deku’s journey begins with the passing of a torch, and the inheritance of an all-mighty legacy. Plus Ultra!

Given their recent struggles, it’s no secret that Weekly Shounen Jump is fully invested in sorting out their flagships for the next generation. At this point, it’s become pretty obvious that Boku no Hero Academia is the chosen one, destined to save the shounen genre from utter destruction. Through combining a dynamic mix of western comic norms and the conventions typical to the shounen tag, Boku no Hero Academia succeeds in capturing the hearts of many by turning in a refreshing take on Japanese-inspired superheroes. The quality and execution of the story is consistent across the board, and is in fact some of the best in recent years. As outlined by Stilts last year, the series proves to be ‘a masterclass in tension, reversals, justified twists, and well-earned victories’. Since Nagasaki Kenji returns as director, alongside most of his fellow production staff, you can be certain that this will continue to be the case, with much more to follow. With season 3 starting so soon, my excitement cannot be understated for the triumphant return of Boku no Hero Academia. YOU’RE NEXT!

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Takaii

For those of you out of the loop (like I was), this show is actually a spin-off of another baseball show called Major where the story followed Honda Gorou throughout his life as he became a professional baseball player. Fast forward a couple decades and now the story has transitioned from Gorou to his son Shigeno Daigo (Fujiwara Natsumi). That said, if you were expecting a fairy tale story of a professional’s son rising throughout the ranks, you’d be wrong. Unlike the monster of a player that his father was, Daigo didn’t inherit any of his father (or older sister’s) athleticism. Through a lot of hard work and love for the sport, he was able to be just about as good as your typical player except with one fatal flaw: a terrible throwing arm that could probably be out thrown by a three-year-old. Which in turn caused him to be the butt of every comparison the public could think of, leading to Daigo giving it all up and abandoning the sport that he cared about so much. That is, until one day when a transfer student by the name of Satou Hikaru (Nishiyama Koutarou) shows up and manages to flip Daigo’s view of himself upside down.

After ripping myself away from the source material because I was spending way too much time reading it, I have to say that Major 2nd checks all the right boxes when it comes to a sports anime. With the focus equally revolving around the characters and the sport, you avoid the fatal flaw of not caring about the characters who are actually doing the playing. For Major 2nd though, I think it’s greatest strength will come from the rivalry between Daigo and Hikaru. With the former troubled by his status as the son of a professional player (and also putting way too much weight on that notion), and the latter also the son of a professional player who could care less about the implications that the title carries, I can’t wait to see just how exciting things get as Daigo lets go of his inhibitions and becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Takaii Excitement Level: High

Preview by Zephyr

Following a nearly two year wait, Amanchu! returns with its second season in Advance. Based off of Amano Kozue’s (the creator of ARIA) scuba diving manga, the series follows Ooki Futaba (Kayano Ai), a young girl who has recently moved to Ito, a rural town by the sea. Having come from Tokyo, Futaba finds herself in an unfamiliar place filled with few of the conveniences she had in the big city. Combined with her shy nature, she finds herself not looking forward to her first year of high school until she meets fellow first-year Kohinata Hikari (Suzuki Eri). A veritable ball of enthusiastic energy, Hikari drags Futaba out of her shell, introducing her to underwater diving and a group of divers that would become close friends. Through her participation, Futaba finds herself falling in love with a world she never knew existed, all while coming to love the town and life in general. J.C. Staff will return to produce Amanchu! Advance, with Satou Junichi (also of the ARIA series), Mieno Hitomi (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Flying Witch), and Gontiti returning to take roles as director, script writer, and music composer.

As my personal choice for 2016′s best slice of life series, Amanchu! Advance comes in with high expectations. Its first season was every bit the “healing” anime we expected it to be, and given the pedigree of the staff behind it, that says a lot. The magical combination of Satou Junichi, Mieno Hitomi, and Gontiti yielded a feel good story that had virtually everything. Great character interactions, mouth-watering visuals, memorable compositions for its soundtrack and OP/ED, and unique perspectives on life and the sea were all part of Amanchu!’s package, and despite the fact that we seem to get multiple great slice of life series every year now, Amanchu! still sticks out as one of the best in recent history. To say this is a must-watch for fans of the genre is an understatement, and here’s to looking forward to a series that should continue the greatness of its much lauded predecessor.

Watching This: Passerby, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Takaii

Devil’s Line could be one of the best stories I’ve ever read when it comes to vampires and the difficulties they face when you integrate them into the real world. The story revolves around human Taira Tsukasa (Ishikawa Yui) and half-vampire Anzai Yuuki (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu), and it dives into a scenario that resembles something of a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Backtracking a bit, in Devil’s Line’s world vampires are nearly indistinguishable from humans and they don’t need to consume blood to survive. However, there is one distinct difference: their bloodlust, which comes out whenever they sense blood. Be it from a tiny paper cut or a gash on someone’s arm, once a vampire’s bloodlust has been triggered they turn into less of a human and more of a demon. Their eyes change shape and color, their nails grow into claws, and their mind focuses on one thing: how to suck the most blood possible from wherever it’s coming from. In order to protect the public, society has created a secret task force composed of humans and vampires to keep everyone safe. With a vast set of rules and regulations, Devil’s Line dives into what happens when you picture a perfect world but have to deal with the problems that arise when that vision collides with reality.

I’m really excited for this show. It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what it was that caught my interest, but everything from Devil’s Line’s source material was just so damn fun. Maybe it’s how the story manages to juggle three vastly different ideas as it tries to tell a coherent story. If you peek at the genres for this show, you’ll notice that it has Action, Drama, and Romance listed—which is exactly what you get from Devil’s Line. At any point in time you could be experiencing a tragic love story between a human and half-vampire that’s frowned upon, a thrilling police story that tries to fairly police vampires who may or may not be falling victim to their own genetics, or a societal analysis on just how shaky the whole idea of persecuting vampires is and the idea of whether or not it’s fair to persecute some to save the “whole”. In fact, the only uncertainty about this one might be the studio that’s producing it, but a new studio doesn’t mean they can’t do things right! Anyway, don’t let me spoil any more of this one for you—be sure to check it out if anything above managed to grab your attention!

Watching This: Pancakes, Takaii Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Takaii

For those of you who haven’t heard of this little series called Sword Art Online, boy do you have a bunch of stuff to catch up on. Revolving around a certain person who goes by the handle Kirito, the show follows a group of characters as they spend their time in various online virtual worlds tackling problems that tend to have real world implications. HOWEVER, Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online has very little to do with the main story of SAO, due to this being a side story that takes place in Gun Gale Online, a virtual online shooter that played an important part in the main series. This story instead follows 183 centimeter tall Kohiruimaki Karen (Kusunoki Tomori), a college student who has a height complex due to all the bullying she dealt with growing up. That made it difficult for her to interact with people face-to-face. In order to escape from the real world, she enters the world of Gun Gale Online where she ends up making a character named Lleen who’s 150 centimeters tall, likes to wear pink-colored gear, and is a beast at lighting up other players.

With the popularity of SAO, it’s no surprise that the audience for a show like this would be polarized. Based off what we’ve seen thus far, it’s safe to assume that many would blow this off as another spin-off that’s trying to capitalize on the original’s success. However, those people couldn’t be more wrong. Unlike the original show, Alternative Gun Gale Online feels more like a show made for gamers who dream about experiencing the virtual world we all hope will become a reality in the future. Toss in a main character who has to deal with their own problems and finds a way to break free from some of her stress through playing GGO and you have an experience that I think will appeal to just about anyone who’s ever played a video game. If I were to throw out a word of caution, I would say it’s best to set aside your SAO and approach this as its own thing. With new characters who aren’t bound by the already established story, I think there’s a high chance this could become another fan favorite for all of us who really enjoy gamer anime.

Watching This: Pancakes, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Passerby

Shujin Academy appears to be a normal high school in modern Tokyo, and Amamiya Ren (Fukuyama Jun) appears to be a normal transfer student. But he’s actually a criminal. Made to unjustly take the fall for an influential socialite, Ren is assigned to study at Shujin as part of his probation. There he finds himself ostracised, his criminal record leaked to gossiping students by abusive teachers. But Ren finds a chance to strike back at the powerful and unaccountable. He stumbles upon the ability to enter the mental landscapes of these twisted individuals and summon forth a Persona, a spiritual manifestation of his psyche, with which he can ‘steal hearts’ and force his target to have a change of conscience. He and a group of like-minded youths decide to form a team to take down the wicked who are otherwise untouchable by conventional means, and the Phantom Thieves are born.

The Persona franchise by ATLUS is one of the most popular series of Japanese role-playing games, especially with the release of Persona 5 in 2016. It took the industry by storm and still stands as one of the most critically acclaimed titles of recent history. It seemingly had it all: some picaresque here and some dating sim there, deep mythology with an approachable narrative, a power fantasy and a stealth fantasy. How does it translate to an anime, though? Video game adaptations are notoriously inconsistent due to the difficulty of translating game mechanics into a non-interactive medium, and the previous Persona anime have ranged from decent to mediocre. Again, the Persona games are very busy and hard to fit into limited episode time, and the mechanics are often abstract and hard to capture visually. Good news though: Persona 5 the Animation comes with new staff. Shin Sekai Yori’s Ishihama Masashi will be directing, joined by Akatsuki no Yona’s Inotsume Shinichi on series composition. That’s cause for optimism, and as long as Persona 5 the Animation is not treated as just another tug on the cash cow and actually as a valuable investment in the value of the franchise, we may have a good video game adaptation on our hands.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Zaiden

Hell is overflowing with dead souls, who cannot find rest. But in the depths of Japanese Hell, there lurks an effective administrator at the heart of a bureaucratic system, infamous for his demonic efficiency. Feared by his subordinates and superiors alike, our cool-headed Hoozuki (Yasumoto Hiroki) pulls the strings from the background, as he spends every waking moment trying to resolve Hell’s numerous problems.

In the current industry, it seems that splitting a second season into two separate cours has become all the rage. It’s understandable that production teams sometimes require a break in the middle of their projects, and as such, Deen is returning to complete this particular venture. You can be rest assured that the overall quality should be maintained over this break. For the uninitiated, Hoozuki no Reitetsu relies on dark and dry humour to sustain itself, which can be pretty hit or miss. Old fans of the series will know what they’re getting, but if you’re interested in stuff relating to afterlife, you might find this conception of Shinto hell to be worth your while.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Stilts

Lost Song is an original anime from LIDENFILMS and Netflix. It tells the story of two young women in a fantasy world of music and war. One is Rin (Suzuki Konomi), an energetic girl who loves to eat and who lives in a verdant frontier village. The other is Finis (Tamura Yukari), a songstress who spends her lonely days deep within the royal palace. Both share a special power no one else has, a miraculous power that can heal wounds, create water, and stir the wind—the power of song. Guided by destiny, the two young women each face an arduous journey. The shadow of war looms over the kingdom, and loved ones will meet their deaths as silent screams echo through a stone prison. As their destinies intersect, will the final song be one of despair or hope?

This series instantly calls to mind Symphogear or Macross, where the very premise seems designed to put two or more female seiyuu in a position to belt out songs (and sell CDs) in a world that was fashioned so that this would make sense. In this case it’s because songs are the pathway to incredible magic, at least for the two main characters. That first sentence sounded pretty cynical, but there’s a long history of music intertwining with magic, so I’m cool with that. Where it doesn’t work so well is with the glaring CGI the series segues into once the song and dance numbers begin, which reminds me of watching the first episode of Love Live! (“Whoa, sudden CGI!”), without the silly self-awareness to make it work. This is a more serious fantasy tale, with swords dripping blood and the fate of kingdoms hanging in the balance. I do appreciate that one of my favorite anime OP/ED singers (Suzuki Konomi) is going to be in a lead role, and a Yukarin is always appreciated. Lost Song will begin airing on March 31st in Japan and will be be released all at once to the rest of the world later this year, because apparently Netflix doesn’t realize how this is all gonna go. I’ll admit that I might check this out for the music (I’m a sucker for catchy pop songs), though the story is going to have to do some work to get me interested. Hopefully it gets there, because if Netflix is going to be the future of anime, I’d prefer they at least make good anime. And release it all around the world at the same time, you daft fools.

Watching This: Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Choya

Honey Flash! The story of Cutie Honey revolves around a normal school girl, Kisaragi Honey (Sakamoto Maaya). She was your average girl until her father was murdered by the Panther Claw organization, who were seeking something known as the Airbourne Elemental Fixation Device. She then finds out that she is actually an android that her father created with that very device embedded within her. Upon learning about her and her father’s secrets, she aims to strike a balance between her ordinary school life and her quest to avenge her father as she pursues the Panther Claw. While the story and lore of Cutie Honey Universe could differ from Honey’s classic origin story, it aims to recapture the same fast-paced action and erotic fanservice of Nagai Go’s classic 1973 series, only this time, there’s more than one Honey!

This new project, alongside DEVILMAN crybaby, commemorates the 50th anniversary of Nagai Go’s works, and helps to revitalize the interest in his series that crybaby helped to cultivate. Nagai himself has explained that the main theme of this particular adaptation is “Kakko Kawaii Onnanoko” (Cool and Cute Girl), so Honey, her friends, and her foes will undergo a certain stylish flair that is specific to our modern times. Promotional material has steered towards highlighting a certain blonde cohort to Honey as her dakimakura will be available to coincide with the anime’s release. With that alone, it’s easy to see that we can look forward to the series’ trademark tongue-in-cheek fanservice to go along with our cool and cute themes. Universe already has some connection to crybaby, as a staff member (Yokoyama Akitoshi) who assisted with numerous Yuasa Masaaki productions will direct the new adaptation. Although his directorial credentials might raise flags with some viewers, his experience could do justice to both the stylistic choices that made crybaby a success and the titillation that makes Cutie Honey Universe a fitting entry into the classic franchise.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Pancakes

From the RPG of the same name, Caligula takes place in the future where the downtrodden masses can escape their pain by reliving their high school lives in Mobius, a virtual reality program. Simply find meaning in the songs of μ (Ueda Reina), Mobius’ virtual idol AI, and before one knows it one is enjoying life at idyllic Kishimai High School. There’s just one catch: when you enter Mobius, you stay. Forever. For some like second year Shikishima Ritsu (Sawashiro Chiharu), being a student for life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, so with fellow like-minded Mobius members they form the Go-Home Club for the sole purpose of escaping the program. With μ herself opposing their actions alongside a group of Mobius loving oddballs called the Ostinato Musicians, the Go-Home Club has its work cut out for it, but with the promise of Mobius losing its lustre by the day, these kids are determined to break through back to reality once again.

Video game adaptations are an anime crap shoot a lot of the time. Between representing game mechanics and dealing with a different storytelling approach, the results can prove underwhelming, and Caligula isn’t likely to be any different. With the original game releasing to less than stellar ratings and the anime coming out the same time as Caligula’s remake (can someone say promotional material?), it’s hard imagining this being the new Shingeki no Bahamut, but there are some positive signs. Studio Satelight (Log Horizon) for one has good experience tackling similar adaptations, and with SukaSuka’s Wada Junichi handling direction there’s a decent chance at seeing Caligula’s main story at its best. Plus with all of the game cast (who are all seasoned idol anime veterans) reprising their roles, this one won’t be lacking for the complementary array of catchy idol song tie-ins. While always a good idea to remain cautious on any video game adaptation, should Caligula align its pieces right, there’s nothing stopping it from being one of this season’s potential surprises.

Watching This: Pancakes, Zaiden Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

On the edge of a city, inside a sleepy forest, lies a broken piano that has lost all trace of its sound. The kids at school create rumours that it’s haunted, and attempting to play it at night becomes a test of courage. Amamiya Shuhei (Hanae Natsuki), a transfer student hailing from a lineage of distinguished pianists, resents the expectations laid upon him of seeing his family’s musical legacy through. He experiences peer pressure from bullies to try and take this test of courage, in order to prove his manliness. However, Shuhei’s life takes a turn when he meets Ichinose Kai (Saitou Souma), the son of a prostitute. Although Kai has never had any formal musical training, he is able to remember any song he’s ever heard and reproduce melodies from the piano within the forest. This earns him the respect of Ajino Sosuke (Suwabe Junichi), a former master pianist who lost all ability to play following a terrible accident many decades beforehand. Kai firmly refuses to hone his techniques under Ajino’s tutelage, but once he hears Chopin, and discovers that he’s unable to play it with unrefined finger techniques, he returns to properly pursue the path of the piano. Can the wild beauty in Kai’s talent be tamed? Through his encounter with an incredibly prodigy, Shuhei’s previously uninspired path is about to change forevermore.

On the 20th anniversary of its first serialisation in a magazine, Piano no Mori receives a proper anime adaptation, which will hopefully cover the full extent of its 26 volume run. Coming from someone who has read the manga, the source material is truly a masterpiece, and once won the Grand Prize for best manga at the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival. Two boys from completely different backgrounds aspire to be piano maestros, all while overcoming despair and hopelessness in regards to their respective circumstances. Dark and dramatic moments are successfully contrasted, with emotional freedom delivered through a love for music. And much like Nodame Cantabile or Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, it’s able to elicit a musical appreciation for the classical style by sheer virtue of the story alone. Worryingly, Fukushima Gainax is a mere offshoot of Gainax that has never handled a full TV series before. For the good of the anime world, I hope that they can live up to the reputation of their founding father and bring this remarkable series to life.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Passerby, Zaiden Excitement Level: High

Preview by Zephyr

Following a brief hiatus, Shokugeki no Souma’s third season returns with the latter half of its two-cour run. The first cour saw the beginning of Toutsuki Academy’s Moon Banquet Festival, an annual gala and competition where students’ profit margins determine victory. Those who found themselves unable to profit found themselves with the threat of expulsion, naturally bringing Yukihira Souma (Matsuoka Yoshitsugu) into the fray. While competing against Elite Ten member Terunori Kuga (Kaji Yuuki), the return of a dark figure from Erina’s past culminates with a threat to the existence of the Polar Star Dormitory and a plot to overturn the very foundations of Toutsuki Academy. Having weathered the initial wave, Yukihira and a growing group of friends now find themselves caught in between the machinations of the food world’s elite. As one group seeks to keep Toutsuki open to all with talent, another seeks to turn Toutsuki into a haven for select culinary creations and techniques. J.C. Staff will return as the series’ production studio along with the first cour’s main cast and staff.

The Shokugeki train continues and we all know what that means. Mouthwatering culinary creations, cooking showdowns, and foodgasms are the expectation, as is the steady rise of Yukihira Souma to the top of the culinary world. Now shouldering the hopes of those wishing to preserve Toutsuki as the institution it was previously, the stakes are higher and the level of competition more challenging than ever. The Elite Ten have taken center stage as the targets to beat for everyone involved, and it’s hard not to get excited for a series that’s been enjoyable throughout its entire run and continues to add more to its shokugeki formula while maintaining the development of its side characters despite a growing cast. With the same studio, cast, and staff returning as well, look for Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara – Toutsuki Ressha-hen to be one of the better offerings of the spring season.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: Established

Preview by Takaii

Oh boy—after a one season break we have the return of a magical boy classic. Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu HAPPY KISS is the continuation of the Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu series that concluded things in an hour long OVA toward the end of 2017. However, the spirit of Binan High School’s Earth Defense club lives on in this new sequel. For the uninitiated, the Earth Defense Club specializes in doing just about nothing. As more of a joke club (or a way to escape the “going home” club), its members lounge around after school while chatting over a nice hot cup of team. Afterwards they frequent the Kurotama Bathhouse where they enjoy a rather luxurious hot-bath experience. That is, they used to enjoy this type of life, up until they were magically whisked away (naked mind you) by a mysterious prince from the country known as Honyara Land where our five boys end up taking part in deciding who the next heir of the country will be.

I know the intro to Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu HAPPY KISS probably sounded ridiculous, and to an extent it is. But you’d be wrong if you didn’t think this show was taking it every bit as seriously as every other show out there. Because when it comes to execution, the people behind this show manage to do a pretty damn good job at parodying a ton of genres at once. It’s tough to know whether to recommend shows like this which rely so much on comedy, since different things are funny to different people. But if you’re looking for a show that is definitely different from traditional offerings, goes all the way when it comes to executing its ridiculous premise, and somehow found enough commercial success to have two prior seasons and an HOUR long OVA to close out those seasons, there’s nothing wrong in giving Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu HAPPY KISS a shot.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Takaii Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

Having long inhabited Japan prior to the arrival of Japanese people themselves, the Ainu are discontent with becoming second-class citizens. As they stockpile a reserve of gold, preparing to fund an uprising against the Japanese government, a brazen criminal murders some Ainu tribesmen. But with justice catching up to him, the thief hides his ill-gotten gains before being captured by the police. He most certainly will not be let out of prison, at least until he reveals the location of the gold. However, he concocts a plan whereby the details of said location are tattooed across the backs of 24 prisoners. Sugimoto Saichi (Kobayashi Chikahiro), a survivor of the Russo-Japanese war nicknamed “Immortal Sugimoto”, now seeks the riches promised by the gold rush, hoping to save the widowed wife of his now deceased comrade. Through pure chance, he encounters one of the 24 prisoners, gaining his first hint toward the legendary treasure. After partnering with an Ainu girl named Asirpa (Shiraishi Haruka), who is looking for her father’s murderer, they go on a bizarre adventure to discover the stash. Along the way, they fight against powerful factions such as the Japanese army, as well as a powerful criminal syndicate that is also interested in acquiring this sizable wealth.

Crazy and energetic from its inception, yet thoroughly compelling, Golden Kamui has been making waves within manga community. With 4.6 million copies in print and having won the 9th Manga Taishou award, which has previously been awarded to Chihayafuru, 3-gatsu and Gin no Saji, the quality or popularity of this series isn’t in doubt. Particularly impressive is how it doesn’t get too self-important, nor does it pull cheap tricks to keep our interest. It’s also has an admirable dedication to accurately depicting the Ainu culture. It pulls together a mishmash of conflicting genres that just shouldn’t work together, but somehow, they do. Without further spoilers, let’s have a look at the production team. Studio Geno has really impressed me with its exciting adaptation of Kokkoku, which proved itself to be a dark horse of its season. Nanba Hitoshi lacks an inspiring CV as a director, but it seems like he can generate a fair bit of hype and excitement through both his storyboarding and directorial vision. Is this worth a shot? If the prospect of a bloody battle royale between hardened badasses tickles your fancy, then hell yeah!

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zaiden Excitement Level: High

Preview by Choya

Imagine, if you will, a family slice-of-life, except most of the family are mutated! This is the premise of Jikkenhin Kazoku, otherwise known as Frankenstein Family. A scientist couple had children they raised in their laboratory, four of which have been mutated in different ways such as gaining telepathy, plant genes, spider genes, and dog genes. The youngest child, Dannis, is the only one who grew up as a normal human, and tries to find the medicine to give the rest of his siblings their fully human forms back. One day, the couple is arrested for conducting illegal experiments, allegedly for performing genetic modification on their children. How will these family members who grew up in the laboratory survive in the outside world?

This series is particularly interesting because of how bold it looks as it tries to see what obstacles and perks there can be for the kinds of mutations these kids have to live with. It’s described as a slice-of-life, but wants to explore more of its deeper themes such as trying to find a sense of belonging after being shut away from the world for most of their lives, or what to think of their parents for doing Shou Tucker’s big no-no to almost their entire family. It sounds like an intriguing story that combines the serious undertones behind the origin stories of the cast’s mutations and the mellow slice-of-life adventures the cast has as they grow adjusted to their new place in society. Will they be welcomed by people who pity them? Will they be able to apply their powers to their daily activities? Do they want to get rid of their mutations, or has it become so much of a part of them that it feels like they’re getting rid of themselves? These are interesting ideas that it appears Jikkenhin Kazoku will explore.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Zaiden

There was once a man named Kenshiro, who was famed for saying ‘Omae wa mou shindeiru‘ while poking down bad guys, right before they disintegrated into a pile of mush. If we delve into the specifics of things, we can trace everything back to his namesake: Kasumi Kenshiro (Yamadera Kouichi). Known as ‘The King of Death’. Kenshiro Senior roams the streets of 1930s Shanghai, subduing any villains who come across his path. This becomes a frequent occurrence, since the place is embroiled in a power struggle between various factions, each seeking to carve out their own brand of laws and governments. As the 62nd successor of the Hokuto Shinken, it is down to Kasumi Kenshiro to restore peace and justice to his troubled locality.

The access threshold for Souten no Ken REGENESIS is ridiculously high. It’s a sequel to Souten no Ken, which is a prequel to Hokuto no Ken, and takes place in between. Therefore, if you want to watch this show with all the required context, there’s a whole lot of content to crunch through. Alternatively, it can serve as a simple action flick for those who want a quick way of satisfying their fighting itch. There is no production experience to speak of from the staff, but as the industry leader on adopting CGI, Polygon Pictures (Ajin, Sidonia no Kishi, Blame) merges 3D animation with a very old art style to bring us this new series – though this type of combination hasn’t always gone over well with manga fans. Nonetheless, Souten no Ken REGENESIS promises to be an action flick about gangster rivalry and territory wars, that happens to feature the beloved Hokuto Shinken fighting style.

Watching This: Pancakes Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Choya

This slice of life manga’s translated title, Railroad Crossing Time, helps to explain the premise that encapsulates the vignettes captured in the series. The story is told through a series of omnibus short stories featuring conversations from women who are waiting for the next train to arrive. Many topics surface along the railway crossings, from bittersweet talks among high school girls to elementary school students gossiping about occult events they’ve encountered. The idyllic times that these girls and women encounter in their daily lives are the central focus of this anime.

Fumikiri Jikan is a mysterious anime in that it has a plentiful list of characters and voices, but it is a fairly new manga for a fairly new production company, EKACHI EPILKA, by director Suzuki Yoshio, who was previously but an assistant director. Although the details for this anime are relatively mysterious, its status as a slice-of-life, and its interest in creating a small anthology of stories interconnected in their relation to railroad crossings is fascinating. It offers up a level of mystery and nuance that leaves your expectations with something more to hold onto than any projected, preconceived notions of what exactly to expect from each of the characters’ stories. It will be interesting to see how each of the stories is adapted or whether the tone will be toward straight-up comedy, cozy warmth, or the naturalistic feel of just seeing a group of friends talking among themselves.

Watching This: Passerby Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Stilts

The Oppai Dragon is returning for a fourth season! This series once again stars Hyoudou Issei (Kaji Yuki), a shamelessly perverted high schooler who was killed by a girl on his very first date. Fortunately he was resurrected (as a demon) by the beautiful and busty school idol Rias Gremory (Hikasa Yoko). Now Issei is one of Rias’ “chess pieces”—her Pawn—along with her flirty Queen Himejima Akeno (Itou Shizuka), taciturn Rook Toujou Koneko (Taketatsu Ayana), ikemen Knight Kiba Yuuto (Nojima Kenji), ditsy Knight Xenovia Quarta (Taneda Risa), gentle Bishop Asia Argento (Asakura Azumi), ultimate trap Bishop Gasper Vladi (Sakura Ayane), and hopeless Valkyrie-turned-teacher Rook Rossweisse (Kakuma Ai). This season will cover the 9th volume “Pandemonium at the School Trip” and the 10th volume “Lion Heart of the School Festival” arcs.

For anyone who hasn’t heard of High School DxD yet, here’s the long and the short: it’s action fanservice done right. It’s one of the better magical-fantasy-action-harem-ecchi series because it leans into the fanservice (it’s shameless, but that’s endearing), it doesn’t neglect the action (it’s not top tier on its own, but it hits all the right notes), and there’s actually some effort put into the plot. As a bonus all the haremettes are cool with the harem setup, which avoids tiresome drama and lets the wish fulfillment silliness take hold. There are some big changes coming to this season, though. The previous three seasons were all animated by TNK, directed by Yanagisawa Tetsuya, and with series comp by Yoshioka Takao, while this one is animated by Passione, directed by Sueda Yoshifumi, and with series comp by Konuta Kenji. Whether that’s a good change remains to be seen, but the TNK crew arguably earned their firing, because after two and a half good seasons they totally botched the (anime original) ending of BorN. It also means we’re in for new character designs, which are perfectly fine if a bit jarring after so long with the old ones. We’re back to adapting two light novels per season, which is a good pace, so if the new team can just execute on the source material then they’ll be all right. That plus provide plenty of bouncy, booby fanservice. What? The ecchi comes first and foremost with High School DxD, and I’m sure fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Watching This: Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Choya

At the popular Japanese-style tea house Rokuhoudou, customers can count on receiving services far beyond your typical expectations. Guests are not only served excellent food and exquisite drinks, but are treated like family. If customers wish for a helping hand to solve any issues that plague their daily lives, the staff at Rokuhoudou are more than happy to assist. The tea shop is run by four men, tea expert Tougoku Kyousui (Suwabe Junichi), latte artist Gregorio Valentino (Ono Daisuke), patissier Nakao Tsubaki (Yamashita Daiki), and chef Nagae Tokitaka (Nakamura Yuuichi). Together, they are consummate professionals who use their talents to serve the best tea and plates that Rokuhoudou offers, and ensure that their guests leave with a positive outlook on life.

The premise may sound familiar as a blend of the feel-good hospitality of various series and anime’s recent fascination with food and drinks. As a tea fanatic, it’s exciting to see a show that could potentially dive into the nuances and details behind types of tea and methods of brewing that match the quality of traditional Japanese tea shops. For those into attractive men, this is also a must-watch as it has Ono, Suwabe, Nakamura, and Yamashita all in the same place as the voices of the suave, sophisticated men behind Rokuhoudou. For anyone who loves the feel of shows centered around cafes, it is nice to see more material like Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori surface, and hopefully, it spares no expense in capturing what makes the dishes and cups at tea shops delectable and refreshing.

Watching This: Choya Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Stilts

Last Period: The Story of an Endless Spiral is an adaptation of the mobile game of the same name from mobile developer Happy Elements. The story takes place in a world where fantastic beasts called Spirals are born out of isolation. Those who can defeat the beasts are called Periods. 14-year-old Haru (Hanae Natsuki) is one such Period, an apprentice assigned to the Arc End 8th Branch. However, after a mysterious theft sinks the division into bankruptcy, the Arc End headquarters abandons the 8th, leaving it with only three Periods, Haru included. Haru and the others set out to rebuild their branch by completing quests.

I’m a sucker for these semi-generic fantasy adventures, where the world is all about quests, monster battles, and bands of friends struggling together. It was actually a pleasant surprise to find that the premise works for me, because this series originally caught my eye mostly because of the art. The character designs are just so vibrant and full of personality, and the promos show smooth animation that can really suck you in. Story-wise I would go in expecting a light-hearted affair, both because of the art style, the palette choices, and because the main character is 14 years old but looks younger. I doubt this will go grimdark. I’d also go in expecting a fair amount of comedy, because when there’s a trio who looks like Team Rocket with a goofier fashion sense, I don’t think serious business is on the table. Video game adaptations are generally pretty fraught, so approach this with all due caution, but if the art style or the upbeat fantasy adventure appeals to you, consider giving this one a shot.

Watching This: Stilts Excitement Level: Average

Preview by Passerby

We usually spend the first paragraph of these previews giving a summary of the story, but it’s impossible to talk about the story of Steins;Gate 0 without spoiling the original Steins;Gate. This is a direct sequel, and completely without context if lacking the first series. I’ll give the blurb in the second paragraph, and those who have already experienced the original or don’t care about spoilers can jump there. If you’ve never watched the first Steins;Gate, though, I highly recommend it. It was an adaptation of a highly acclaimed visual novel, and a very solidly executed anime in its own right, still one of the top offerings of its genre. It managed to tell well, in a linear medium, a story about time travel and its consequences, and those are always complicated because messing with causality opens a can of worms and the possibility of incoherent timey-whimey balls. That said, Steins;Gate 0 is even more convoluted and is definitely a difficult adaptation. If that wasn’t concern enough, there’s also been a staff shift. I would say that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but unfortunately Steins;Gate 0′s director has been changed to Kawamura Kenichi, whose only prior experience in the main director chair is Qualidea Code. Thankfully, we still have Hanada Jukki held over to oversee the scripts, which will hopefully help the story maintain the same standard as the original. If you’re wondering what it’ll be about, here’s how it goes:

[Spoilers for Steins;Gate] In the year 2010, university student Okabe Rintarou (Miyano Mamoru) accidentally invented a time machine. No good comes out of it. Even with extensive use of the time machine Okabe could find only two possible futures: one where his childhood friend Shiina Mayuri (Hanazawa Kana) is killed and international research organisation SERN takes over the world using time machine technology, or one where his love interest, genius researcher Makise Kurisu (Imai Asami) dies and World War III breaks out. After a recent failed attempt to save Kurisu, a mentally and emotionally drained Okabe finally decides to give up and forswear meddling with time forever. But one day, Okabe attends a presentation by a professor from an American university. His lab, the Brain Science Institute, had invented a method of copying and digitising human memory, which could then be used to create an AI simulation of a human being. One such AI has already been created, based on someone Okabe knew well, someone whose knowledge of time travel theory was responsible for global dystopia in a different timeline, someone who should no longer exist in this world: Makise Kurisu.

Watching This: Choya, Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zaiden, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Preview by Stilts

This quasi-original anime centers on two protagonists. First is Jinguuji “Jay” Kouma (Suzuki Tatsuhisa), the smart and handsome student council president of Koyomi Academy, whose elegant smile captures the hearts of all the women. The other is Hayakawa Tsubasa (Satou Takuya), the talented and gentle shop assistant at a charming cafe, whose cafe latte with owl latte art is very popular with female customers. But the two men have a secret: they’re Butlers, guardians of a clan which has one thousand years of history and a peculiar destiny. They’re also from one hundred years in the past, and only arrived in the present due to an errant timewarp. Together the two men travel through time to fight their archenemy, while also experiencing a slapstick comedic school life.

Do you like bishounen? How about anime based on Chinese mixed media projects? If you answered “yes” to one of these, keep reading. This quasi-original series is based on the mixed media project “Intouchable Butlers” produced by China’s SUMMERACG, and it’s populated almost entirely by pretty men (and one pretty, plot-significant imouto). I’m unsure what tone it’s going for, since some of the promotional material talks about goofy slapstick comedy, but the promo videos are all dire dramatic music and self-serious battles. What’s definitely true is that the boys are pretty, and I appreciate that a woman is doing the series composition for a series aimed squarely at women, even if Shimizu Megumi doesn’t have anything else on her resume. After that, just ask yourself this: Do you want to watch an anime where each character has an image color? (Emerald green, light brown, indigo, etc.) I feel I’ve told you enough.

Watching This: No one yet Excitement Level: Limited

Preview by Stilts

This original series by BONES stars the straightforward and innocent Amakasu Hisone (Kuno Misaki), a rookie with the Air Self-Defense Force who’s stationed at Gifu Base. She’s been struggling with how she sometimes unintentionally hurts people with her words, which is why she decided to join the Air Self-Defense Force in the first place, hoping to keep a certain distance from others. This decision led to a fateful encounter, because it was there that she met an “OTF” (Organic Transformed Flyer) dragon hidden on the base, and it chose Hisone as its pilot. When Maso-tan soared into the sky with Hisone, her fate as a dragon pilot was sealed. What’s more, it is said that dragons have a key to the future of the world…

What if a story about fighter pilots, but their planes are also dragons. But there are also jets too! That’s the quirk to the world of Hisone to Maso-tan, and it’s both deeply weird and intriguing. It’s not an idea that would get my attention in a pitch meeting, but now that someone’s actually made a whole anime about it, I’m curious as to what they know that I’m not seeing. I’m getting vibes of those stories where a small kid befriends a big friendly beast, though in this case Hisone is an adult, and the proceedings are wrapped in a military setting. I actually get an almost relaxing vibe from the the promo videos—let’s call it deliberate—which hints at more low-key drama as opposed to adrenaline-fueled action. The big goofy face on the dragon Maso-tan sure hints at that. As befitting a BONES production the animation is more kinetic and free-flowing than the current norm, something it shares only with Trigger in the modern industry. The staff features some old hands, including an occasional Trigger director and an old Gainax legend, but the most notable (and infamous) is Okada Mari, who at this point has an almost M. Night Shyamalan-esque reputation even though she’s been straying from her old tricks and still doing good work (unlike M. Night Shyamalan). Which is to say, I wouldn’t go in expecting melodrama just because she’s involved, though I might enjoy it if that happens. This is a weird enough idea that I can only say, “Try out an episode or two,” because who knows if it’ll be any good. The pedigree is there, so now we just have to see how it turns out.

Watching This: Choya, Passerby, Stilts Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Takaii

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku isn’t your typical romance story. Revolving around the love life of Momose Narumi (Date Arisa) and Nifuji Hirotaka (Itou Kento), the story asks the question, “How difficult could it be for a fujoshi and a gamer to fall in love?” A question that may seem pretty obvious at first, but in reality is a little more difficult than you would have originally thought. Luckily, Narumi and Hirotaka make for fantastic leads with a back story that could make any romantic’s heart swoon. Childhood friends who lost contact after middle school, the two are reunited when they realize they work together at the same company. Except Narumi (somewhat) tries to keep her otaku tendencies under wraps while Hirotaka couldn’t care less who sees him grinding out dailies on his phone or his PSP. Together with their respective work-senpais—Koyanagi Hanako (Sawashiro Miyuki) for Narumi and Kabakura Tarou (Sugita Tomokazu) for Hirotaka—who also have a history of their own as former high school classmates, Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii takes a slightly more mature and nuanced look at just what it means to be in love with somebody.

Boy, I haven’t been this excited for a romcom in a while, and I’m the type of person who will leap at the opportunity to watch one. For Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii, I must say that the lure of otakus dating reeled me in, but the overall story and the presentation of it all is what kept me coming back for more. As with any romance, the characters and their supporting cast are what make or break a show, and I can only see great things for this one. Keeping things small with a core cast of four characters, everyone gets ample time to develop and become something more than what they started as. Toss in the super relevant material of otaku-related activities (Comiket workshopping, cosplaying, game nights) that are integrated into the “romance” part of the show and could mirror a lot of our own real life’s pretty well. But as if that wasn’t enough, we have the one and only A-1 Pictures leading the charge. Something that in itself doesn’t mean much, but when you look at their track record, there’s definitely something going on there that’s fostering a healthy production environment for a show like this. Which for us (the viewers) should be good news! So, if you’re looking for a romantic comedy that has a fun premise, great characters, and a lot of material to keep you coming back for more, why not give Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii a shot?

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Takaii, Zephyr Excitement Level: Optimistic

Preview by Pancakes

Slavery. Maybe you’ve fantasized about it in some form or another, being able to make your most hated enemy do your bidding or have that crush reciprocate your feelings. In Dorei-ku’s world, such things are reality. Thanks to a small wearable device called an SCM, people can turn others into their permanent slaves, with the only requirement being to beat a fellow SCM wearer at any agreed upon game. Win, and the loser’s life is yours for the taking, but lose and you may never taste freedom again. As word of SCM spreads, many like Oota Yuuga (Suzuki Ryouta) naturally begin turning to the device to solve their problems, whether that be for revenge, attention, or in Yuuga’s case, a simple test of mettle. Everyone has their reason for putting on the device, but as all SCM users like Yuuga will eventually learn, the consequences of use can be far greater than they ever imagined.

Oh boy, now here’s a hot potato. Fetish anime are a dime a dozen any day of the week, but Dorei-ku takes the concept and runs with it all the way. Everything from perverse sexual fantasies to outright physical torment is on the table here, and the manga doesn’t flinch at showing each act in disgustingly brutal detail. It’s truly a cornucopia of psychologically crazy and ridiculous pseudoscience (no magic shenanigans), but the series also has a surprisingly calculating side at work, as every character interaction comes down to a game of some form or another. In effect, Kakegurui on steroids. How well it works will naturally boil down to execution, but with TNK (and Zero-G) animating, and Tsugumomo’s Kuraya Ryouichi directing, you can firmly expect that every ribald and heinous act will be played to its fullest. Excessive censoring, chopping, or simple budgetary constraints can of course sink this show, but if Dorei-ku sticks to the path of pure popcorn entertainment, there’s nothing stopping it from being one hell of a wild ride.

Watching This: Choya, Pancakes Excitement Level: Niche

Preview by Passerby

There is something off with the world as we know it. Anachronistic military technology, decades more advanced than what should be currently possible, have been trickling in since the Cold War, and modern warfare has become defined by improbable super-weapons like giant robots and cloaking devices. This ‘Black Technology’ is made possible by individuals who, unbeknownst to even themselves, contain in their head scientific knowledge of inexplicable origin. They are collectively known as the Whispered, and include people like Chidori Kaname (Yukino Satsuki), who would be an average high school girl if not for her intuitive knowledge of recondite physics. Such knowledge puts her under many crosshairs, and thus international mercenary organisation Mithril dispatched lifetime soldier, professional mecha pilot, and amateur teenager Sagara Sousuke (Seki Tomokazu) to infiltrate Kaname’s school and act as her bodyguard. But Mithril is opposed by a shadowy paramilitary organisation calling itself Amalgam, which seems to have access to Black Technology similar to Mithril. Amalgam has designs for the Whispered, and their reach may be greater than anything Kaname and Sousuke can hope to resist.

Full Metal Panic! has come a long way. Sixteen years ago it was an anime adaptation by the now probably-deceased-but-strangely-not studio Gonzo, later series were picked up by a fledgling Kyoto Animation, and now Xebec will be animating Invisible Victory. Xebec may not be a bad pick, as traditionally they have had, if nothing else, plenty of experience with mecha anime. When one thinks of Xebec, one thinks of mecha and fanservice, and FMP! has always served up both with aplomb. It was half mecha drama, half romantic comedy, and half fish-out-of-water slapstick, 150% anime, with wide appeal. That said, the best of FMP! was arguably its humour—Fumoffu still stands as one of the tightest comedies in anime—but if Invisible victory continues following the source novel, the humour will have to take a back seat. That’s not saying there will be no comic relief, just that it will noticeably recede as the plot moves further into Serious Business. Perhaps we should temper our hype slightly, especially since director Nakayama Katsuichi is relatively fresh (though Planetarian was pretty great). However, original author Gatoh Shouji is going to be doing the writing himself, which is usually promising. And let’s face it, not matter the predictions, we’ve waited more than a decade for more Full Metal Panic! The hype is real.

Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Pancakes, Passerby, Stilts, Zephyr Excitement Level: High

Technical Note: As of the Fall 2016 Preview onward, short one-cour series that are being broadcast with irregular duration times (under the 24 minute per episode norm) have been separated from the main preview into their own section. This is to account for the increasing number of short series and to allow for ease of viewing for those who have a preference for one type of series over another. While the list should be complete, there are short series that have been announced very close to the start of a season, in which case they may not have made it onto the list. If you notice an anything missing, incomplete, or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail Passerby directly.

Technical Note: OVAs are sorted by the date they are released. For series that have multiple episodes coming out over the course of the season, please refer to the Notes column for additional dates. More information on each OVA can be found on their respective websites, including promotional videos in some cases. Movie premiere dates are not included since they don’t mean a whole lot to viewers outside of Japan. BD/DVD movie releases are, however. This list is likely incomplete and will be updated as more titles surface (usually by the next season’s preview). If you notice anything missing or incorrect, please feel free to point it out in the comments or e-mail one of us directly (Stilts, Zephyr).

There’s only one word for this season: wow. It would be a lie to say I (your ever tasty lovable Pancakes) am not ecstatic for a huge number of shows, and that’s before getting into stuff that aren’t a sequel. Spring is always labelled as anime’s best season year over year, but this one takes the cake with the number of nostalgic series returns and new adaptations of popular franchises. We are truly spoiled for choice this time around, and I suspect that the blogging picks for us are going to be a vicious battle when it comes to some of these hard hitters. No guarantee some or all won’t blow up in our faces (it’s been known to happen), but until that occurs we are going to thoroughly enjoy slobbering over the potential of these very tasty morsels.

As for levels, we’ll continue with the Excitement Levels introduced in Fall 2017, which includes four main levels plus Established and Niche for special cases. Our goal with this change was to make it easier to use the top and bottom of the scale, and to take away the incentive to hedge our bets—after all, we’re not saying these shows will be good or bad, we’re just saying how excited we are. Exciting things can be flawed, and unambitious things can be fun! Hopefully this guide will help those of you with limited time understand which shows to try first, based on our preliminary examination of each show’s staff, seiyuu, and source material. Failing that, it’ll give you another reason to laugh when we get all hot and bothered about a show that ended up splattering spectacularly against the wall.

As usual, these levels were arrived at by our regular (and reliably shady) “Excitement Council” of Passerby, Zephyr, and—the boss man himself—Stilts. While we’ve gone to great lengths to consider multiple viewpoints and not get swept away by their own proclivities, these aren’t predictions, and shouldn’t be taken as such. Take these labels with a liberal helping of salt.

Note: Lists are sorted in alphabetical order.

High excitement shows are the ones we’re truly pumped about. These are the shows we want to watch the most, and which we think have a good chance of being exemplars of their kind — or at least come close. Shows in this category might be sequels to excellent anime, adaptations of highly regarded source material, projects with stellar pedigrees, or even originals that just light up our minds. They don’t have to be perfect, but they do have to feel like something special. If you consider yourself a casual fan who only gets your toes wet every season, then these are the shows we feel you should most keep an eye on.

Optimistic shows are ones that we’re hopeful will be really good, and which we have good reasons to think they might be. The underpinnings of these are generally strong, with a lot to suggest in each of them, but with one or two elements that give us pause and keep our enthusiasm from boiling over. They still have most of the makings of very strong series, though, and many stellar anime will arise from this category. If you’ve exhausted all the High shows, or want to delve deeper into your favored genres, check out these as well.

Average excitement shows look middle-of-the-road to us. They could be good or they could be bad, but they don’t provide much immediate indication that they’ll be amazing in retrospect. This is often the case with shows that are firmly ensconced in their genres’ tropes, or which overly rely on some of anime’s overused plot devices. It can also apply to shows that seem deeply flawed, with elements that could make them amazing, but with so many potential pitfalls that we’re not getting hyped up. However, in many of our experiences these shows still provide a great deal of entertainment, and may turn out a lot better than they appear. Personal taste comes heavily into play, so your mileage will vary.

Limited excitement shows are ones that we simply aren’t all that excited about. They often don’t seem to be striving for much, and choose to focus on more frivolous aspects such as senseless humor and fanservice. Other times they’re doing the same thing we’ve seen a thousand times, with few mitigating signs that they’ll rise above their tropes. That doesn’t mean they’re the bottom of the barrel and shouldn’t get any consideration, but simply that they’re not doing a lot to suggest themselves. Keep in mind what kind of show they are, though, and you might find something you enjoy amid this cohort.

Niche shows break away from the norm by being slower-paced, extremely dark/grotesque, or even controversial. In most cases these shows are oriented towards older audiences or those who feel that anime has become far too repetitive and want something different. Shows of this category tend to be highly under-appreciated, but can turn out to be hidden gems for that very reason. Includes some works oriented toward younger audiences.

Established shows are any series that has aired for more than 40 episodes or has been previewed three or more times. This can include anything from never-ending shounen and decade-spanning dramas to that quirky comedy that keeps getting renewed season after season. The only commonality is that they’ve aired a lot of episodes, and that they’re the kind of show that most viewers will want to catch up on all the previous content before watching the new. Spin-offs and remakes don’t automatically qualify, since they’re considered new series.

[giselepham95-blog]

Fifa 18 Ps4 Legends — FIFA Forums

Do you assume 36k fp at first of the game enought to get him? Do you typically buy fifa point dude? I was once anti legends then realized that's simply dumb and if I had the possibility to use some I believe it can be really fun. Now more than ever I find myself needing someone like a legend to link up a hybrid. Im hoping it happens, would also assist the market. Yeah never hate legends tbh. However personally want to use george finest cause he's my idol. Do you assume 36k fp at the start of the game enought to get him? I used to be anti legends then realized that is just dumb and if I had the prospect to use some I believe it can be actually fun. Now greater than ever I discover myself needing someone like a legend to link up a hybrid. Im hoping it happens, would also assist the market. Yeah never hate legends tbh. But personally want to make use of george greatest cause he is my idol. Do you assume 36k fp firstly of the sport enought to get him? Isnt it higher to open pack at first of the sport? I obtained only 200k when purchase 12K fp when toty this year. Methods to make lots of fortune dude?

A FIFA 18 demo will doubtless come to the Xbox One, PS4 and Pc. There is a good likelihood that we will also see a demo on the Xbox 360 and PS3. It’s not clear if there will probably be a Nintendo Change FIFA 18 demo. In the new FIFA 18 gameplay trailer, we get a look at the new FIFA 18 graphics and some of the brand new FIFA 18 features. Expect the perfect wanting video games on the Xbox One and PS4. There's a particular Nintendo Change FIFA 18 release, that isn't constructed on a Xbox 360 or PS3 build, but we still don’t count on it to stay up to the graphics on the Xbox One or PS4. We're approaching that point within the life of the Xbox 360 and PS3 that EA might stop making the sport, but that’s not taking place this year. EA confirms that FIFA 18 is coming to the Xbox 360 and PS3 as a Legacy edition. A ‘Legacy Edition’ of EA Sports FIFA consists of equipment and squad updates to reflect the newest changes on the earth of soccer. FIFA 18 will see the return of its single-participant mode known because the Journey, now called The Journey: Hunter Returns. Much like FIFA 17 it should focus around protagonist Alex Hunter. After a breakthrough first year within the Premier League, the whole world is speaking about Alex Hunter. Now he’s again for a second season, and rumour has it, he’s on the move," reads the mode’s synopsis. Very similar to last 12 months, there’s a star-studded solid of footballers too, led by Cristiano Ronaldo. Count on a jet-setting adventure with matches in Brazil and Los Angeles as well. Here’s what you possibly can anticipate from each of them. For India, the sport prices Rs. Computer. The Ronaldo Edition prices Rs. Icon Edition is Rs. The PS4 model of FIFA 18 prices Rs. The FIFA 18 Ronaldo Edition PS4 is Rs. FIFA 18 Icon Edition is Rs. On Xbox One, the Ronaldo Edition of FIFA 18 is Rs. Icon Version is Rs. FIFA 18 normal edition is Rs. If you would like to buy FIFA 18 on disc in India, your only possibility is Amazon – EA’s official unique retailer in the nation. If you’re questioning why a well-liked franchise like FIFA is exclusive to a single retailer in India, read ourin-depth reportto know why. We mentioned every part we expect from E3 2017 on our weekly gaming podcast Transition. You may subscribe to it by way of Apple Podcasts or RSS or just hearken to this episode by hitting the play button below.

To the broad enthusiastic soccer fans and professional soccer avid gamers, the yell and cheer of the spectators who watching the exciting soccer matches on the stadium in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa have still been heard. Mbappe was the spearhead of a youthful Monaco workers which reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and whereas the crew has already Bernardo Silva to Manchester Metropolis, Mbappe remains to be on the club. With the starting display screen loading and exposing a dark picture of Manchester United’s Paul Pogba earlier than being confirmed the buyer logging into the EA servers earlier than the game’s primary display loads up to showcase some fascinating additions and visuals. Some gamers might excel of their clubs because of the place they're being performed in and, or because of the formation the membership supervisor adopts typically. He appeared strong, fast and, most considerably, decisive. Does The Journey function once more? Produced in a modern, dynamic style harking back to today’s trendy visual applied sciences, the poster’s colors are drawn from the river itself, the solar and the feelings associated with the sport of football. The image is based on waves and movement, very like a soccer staff in motion. Russia’s western-most metropolis, Kaliningrad is unique. The athlete in this poster symbolizes the open spirit of town and area, embracing each the old and the new with a watch in direction of the longer term. It's a city whose spirit is derived from the water that surrounds it, and whose soul is reflected within the soccer made of world-famous amber sunstone. Ekaterinburg, situated near the Ural Mountains is the purpose where the continents of Europe and Asia meet. On the centre of the picture is a "Stone Flower"; the stone is the gorgeous gemstone malachite, famous to the region. The Stone Flower can be the name of a famous Russian novel by Pavel Bazhov, set in the Urals.

For FIFA 18 too, this may very well be an incredible trope to make use of to attract in more gamers in addition to deliver a refreshing change for FIFA veterans. Gameplay:Don’t get us improper, there’s nothing unhealthy about FIFA 17’s gameplay strategies. But FIFA is commonly about so rather more than just matches, and focusing on all these extra elements results in a slower game tempo at instances. The FIFA 17 demo is proof sufficient of that. So for FIFA 18, we hope the developers work a little on the tempo of the matches in the upcoming recreation. Women’s Soccer:FIFA launched women’s football again in 2015, which was undoubtedly among the finest things about the sport that year. The brand new characteristic came in with 12 National groups, but their incorporation was not as extensive as their masculine counterpart. And we don’t quite understand the trepidation surrounding it a couple of years on. This is particularly because the women’s games have been nice and really passable to play. However the truth that they had been brought on in only a couple of modes was disheartening.

MegaRace- Megarace is a wild sport to say the least. Your character is on a loss of life sport present the place the objective is to race however to win you should kill your competitors on the street. The sport takes place in a futuristic world with 14 raceways to compete on. BC Racing- Think, The Flintstones meet Nascar, Lol. Chuck Rock is playable in the sport. Volcanoes, dinosaurs and riders who will assault are in every single place. Corny sport I need to admit however a real basic as a result of it is loads of enjoyable. Racing Aces- The game makes use of full 3D graphics and as a jet pilot you have to win races and shoot them down with heavy firepower along the best way. The game lets me down because you can solely fly from behind the cockpit. Road Rash- A remake of the racing recreation using motorcycles made for the Sega Genesis. You may race and do methods reminiscent of flips off the heel and handle bar holds. The game is nice in break up display screen two participant mode and the music is fast rock music which fits the circulate of the dirt races.

[aardenpress]

The Pirate, Part 1: The Traitor - FREE high-seas action/adventure.

When Jack Turner was arrested for stealing a car in LA, the judge gave him a choice: Two-years on probation or join the military. Now Jack is aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Almayer, 45-nautical miles south of Key West, Florida, standing watch as a lookout, searching for illegal aliens and drug runners. Young deckhand Jack Turner is 45-nautical miles south of Key West, Florida, aboard a Coast Guard Cutter. He's standing watch as a lookout, searching the open ocean for illegal aliens and drug smugglers. When he spots a speedboat that is trying to avoid detection, the chase begins. And so begins The Pirate, Part I: Treason a novel of adventure, thrills and crime that takes you from Los Angeles, to Miami, Key West and Puerto Rico, along with Drug Enforcement Agents, Coast Guard officers and ruthless drug King Pins. We ride along with Jack Turner as he goes on secret missions, gets involved on the wrong side of the law, connects with an old girlfriend who has a secret she's not sure Jack wants to hear. Author Malcolm Torres Edition 1st Smashwords ISBN 9780986022937 Pages 39 Publication Date March 18, 2017 Publisher MT Press Series The Pirate, Book 1 BCRS Rating CA-13 (BCRS ratings? Learn more)

THE PIRATE Part I: The Traitor By Malcolm Torres Look for the continuation and the conclusion of THE PIRATE Part II: The Kingpin Part III: Big Daddy Works by Malcolm Torres Novels Sailors Take Warning Sailors Delight The Pirate Short Stories in the Sea Adventure Collection * Sixty-Four Days Shark Tooth Rosary Back to the Philippines Making Peace with Japan Pacific Northwest Crossing the Line iTunes Podcast: Lost at Sea with Malcolm Torres * Stories in the Sea Adventure Collection can be read in any order. They are often free. For more information about Malcolm Torres and to read the Ships & Sailors Blog go to www.malcolmtorres.com

Smashwords Edition Copyright 2017 by MT Press All Rights Reserved This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

THE PIRATE

Part I: The Traitor By Malcolm Torres  

CHAPTER 1

Six months after volunteering for service in the US Coast Guard, Jack Turner stands lookout with a pair of high-powered binoculars on the bow of the cutter Allmayer, 45 nautical miles south of Key West. He scans the sea slowly as he was trained to do during his recent boot camp and basic seamanship course. He’s looking for boats and ships or rafts of any kind. His position on the ship's bow affords him a circular view to almost all points on the compass. Three days at sea and all they’d seen were pleasure cruise ships out of Miami, a few oil drilling platforms, and a couple of deep sea fishing charters. The sea is running rough as the bow of the cutter rises high out of the water, the humid breeze blows in Jack Turner’s face. Then the cutter crashes down between the swells, a spume of foam and salt blasts up around him. The watch leader had stuck Jack Turner out on the bow because he didn’t turn green and start barfing when the ship left port and began tossing about on rough blue water. And Jack already had a deep tan, so there was no risk of sunburn. During his four-hour watches Jack put his ball cap over his crewcut, clamped the headset over his ears and braced the steel toes of his boots against the scuppers. He rode the bow up and down, scanning the open sea, checking in via radio every few minutes with the watch leader on the bridge. He hadn't seen any rafts even though the watch leader had made a big deal about keeping a sharp eye out for rafts. The watch leader said he had seen many rafts over the years. They were loaded with Cuban or Haitian refugees. He’d said it was the Coast Guard’s job to turn them back. The watch leader also stressed that Jack should look out for speedboats and low flying planes because they might be drug runners. They'd call in a low flying plane and let the DEA go after them, but speedboats they'd intercept and do a board and search. The watch leader said DEA stood for Drug Enforcement Administration. With fifteen minutes until his watch is over, Jack wonders what they are serving in the kitchen for dinner. Then he remembers he isn’t supposed to say, ‘in the kitchen for dinner.’ He reminds himself that he’s supposed to be wondering, ‘what kind of chow are they serving in the galley?’ Jack lowers his binoculars and looks down at the sea sweeping past below the ship's railing. He sees his boots wedged against the scupper. He has to admit he doesn’t mind being in the Coast Guard even though he'd never considered military service, not until he got arrested for stealing a car in Los Angeles, that is. The judge offered him military service instead of probation. His court appointed lawyer called it the jailbird program and encouraged him to take it. "Get out of LA," the lawyer said. "You're only eighteen years old. Do something with your life,” the lawyer said. “Wouldn't you rather be in the Army or the Navy than on probation?" Jack wasn't sure at first. He was such a knucklehead. He had laid in bed in his aunt’s basement, where he’d lived since he was twelve years old, and he thought being on probation would give him street cred'. Being on probation would make him look tough among his friends who were a bunch of punks and thugs. Looking back, Jack realized all they did was peer-pressured each other into petty crime and drugs when they weren't riding skateboards or wind surfing or playing Skyrim on X-Box. Jack looks down at his black boots and his blue uniform. He sees his name, TURNER, embroidered over the Coast Guard logo on his right breast pocket. He feels, ever so tentatively, that he is starting to belong to something. He belongs to the US government, that’s for certain, but he belongs to something else. He belongs to a ship's crew of men and women. They are from all over the US and most of them are from a similar background — divorced or no parents. Most have a high school diploma or a GED. The smart ones have a few junior college credits. Prior to signing up and swearing in most of them had no prospects, no plans at all. Back in Los Angeles, living in his aunt’s basement, under her dilapidated ranch house in Boyle Heights, Jack never thought beyond the next weekend. He was making a thousand dollars here and there stealing cars and SUVs. He thought he had it made. Then he fell for a glossy green Honda Civic that turned out to be a bait car. He remembered popping the driver’s side door with his slimjim and going to work on the ignition. Suddenly two LAPD cops and a Channel-7 news crew surrounded the car. Guns drawn. Cameras rolling. After they put the cuffs on him, the girl who had been holding the pole with the mic on the end, told him, “See yourself on TV this Thursday night at 6 and 10.” He focuses his binoculars on the horizon, then zooms in on a faint white contrail at one o'clock. It seems to be a couple miles away. He stares for a moment but it’s gone. Maybe it’s nothing. Probably just the wind blowing the top off a big wave. He lowers the binoculars and looks down just as two dolphins break the surface and leap through the air together before plunging back beneath the waves. He smiles spontaneously, realizing what an incredible sight he's just seen. Something so beautiful he'd never have seen on the rough streets of LA. Two sleek and dark-skinned dolphins leaping out of the sea right before his eyes. He knows, but isn't sure how he knows, that seeing dolphins jumping ahead of the ship is good luck. He thinks maybe he’s channeling some ancient mariner energy there on the bow of the ship. He wonders what good fortune lays ahead for him. And that's when he looks thorough the binoculars and sees the white spray on the horizon again. He can see it’s a speedboat and it’s moving fast. Jack mashes the transmit button on his radio and says, "Watch leader, this is bow watch, I have a bogie at one o'clock off the bow." "Roger, bow watch, keep 'em in sight." A few seconds later he hears the ship's public address system, with speakers in every compartment and on all the exterior decks, announce, "Launch the alert helo'." And Jack knows the pilot and the aircrew are already sitting in the chopper on the small flight deck on the Allmayer's aft end because he immediately hears it firing up its engine. The low whirr grows louder and louder and the thwock, thwock, thwock sound of its rotating blades echoes off the ship’s metal decks. It fills Jack's ears with a sense of awe, because he realizes that he has kicked off a board and search mission. The metal deck begins to vibrate and shudder, because down in the engine room they’ve fired up the engines and put the ship in high gear. In the blue sky the helicopter shoots past. Jack sees the pilot's helmet as he speaks into a mic wrapped in front of his mouth. And to his surprise, Jack hears the pilot say, "I've got a visual on the speeder at twelve o'clock. Now in pursuit, over." Two aircrew crouch in the chopper's open side door as it takes off across the blue sky growing smaller each second. Jack has a weird sense of vertigo as he realizes how big the sky surrounding him actually is. "Bow watch, keep an eye on that speeder," the bridge watch's voice crackles into his headset. "Roger, he's at twelve o'clock, dead ahead," Jack reports and sees that the ship and the chopper are both making a beeline straight for the speedboat. "We've got a runner," the pilot's voice in Jack’s headset, followed by several verbal interactions between the bridge watch and the chopper pilot. Being new to the Coast Guard, on his first actual deployment at sea, Jack doesn’t understand it all exactly. Between bursts of static there are short terse statements between men and women. Jack listens and understands that the speedboat is trying to run away and the chopper is authorized by the captain to go after it. The Allmayer is speeding up as fast as it can and something else about how far they are from Key West. Jack is surprised to hear that a DEA helicopter might be scrambled to help intercept. There is also something about a Navy ship somewhere nearby that can join the chase if needed. But it doesn’t take long. Jack watches through his binoculars and sees the helicopter bank around and come in at the speedboat. It hovers for a few seconds. "Shots fired," the helicopter pilot's voice again. Jack watches the chopper pitch and weave in what looks like an evasive maneuver. The Allmayer's captain tells the chopper crew to fire back. The Allmayer is crashing across the waves for real now. Jack pulse ratchets up like it did when he'd broken into a car and was scrambling to hotwire the ignition. And then he sees smoke rising from the speedboat. The pilot’s voice again: "Shooter is down, we've taken out one outboard engine and the shooter. The shooter is down." "Have you taken any fire?" the Allmayer's captain asks. "We might have," the pilot's voice comes into Jack's headset, "but all flight control systems appear to operating within normal limits.” They are close enough now for Jack to see a tall lean guy with black hair, sort of Latin looking, standing in the speedboat with his hands raised above his head. The chopper hovers a little way off with both aircrew leaning out the side door, their rifles pointing at the guy on the speedboat. The Allmayer circles but doesn’t get too close. A team on deck lowers a Zodiac raft and a minute later they are motoring across the water. Jack looks around. There are at least a dozen guns pointed at the speedboat. Jack wonders what is on the speedboat. What made the Latin guy try to run away? Why did they shoot at the helicopter? He figures it has to be drugs. Probably marijuana, but more likely cocaine, meth or heroine. He’d heard that decriminalizing marijuana in the US has been driving smugglers to harder more expensive drugs. The sleek green fiberglass hull bobs on the water. It’s designed for a driver, maybe two passengers at most with its long, pointy bow and small cockpit. A hot looking lady in a black bikini appears on deck from down below. Jack raises his binoculars to get a look at her equipment. After all, he’s been at sea for several days and he is a sailor. There are women on the Allmayer crew, but they aren’t bouncing around in bikinis. The team boards the speedboat cautiously, pointing their handguns and rifles at the Latin guy and the woman in the bikini and what Jack figures is a wounded or dead guy on the deck. All three are quickly handcuffed. With the speedboat secured, the boarding party climbs back into the Zodiac and tows it back to the Allmayer. As soon as the Latin guy, the wounded guy and the chick in the bikini are brought on board, Jack is amazed to see his fellow crewmembers descend on the speedboat with chainsaws and pry-bars. They quickly tear up the boat's decks and uncover plastic sealed packages of white powder. Jack wonders if it’s coke, speed or heroine. The watch officer tells Jack to leave his post and go aft to help offload the speedboat. He hustles back there. A senior officer tells him and a few others deckhands to go below and get some large plastic evidence tubs. They bring the tubs up from below and toss them to a few other deckhands who are down on the speedboat. A work crew forms and they set up a metal arm with a pulley on it, then feed a rope through and lower a cargo net to the speedboat. They fall into a steady rhythm of hauling tubs filled with large packages of drugs up from the speedboat to the deck. Then they pass the tubs down the ladder into a compartment that has EVIDENCE in black stencil on the watertight door. This is way more dope than Jack has ever seen. He wants to pull out his iPhone and snap a selfie with the shimmering blue sea in the background and a fat package of dope in his hand. It will be cool to post it a pic like that on Facebook for all his friends to like and comment and share. But he knows taking such a picture is totally unauthorized. Besides, he thinks proudly, I haven’t been on Facebook since joining the Coast Guard eight months ago. The chainsaws cut open the speedboat’s decks and bulkheads, filling the air with a tearing sound and the smell of burned gasoline. The crew hauls up dozens of big plastic tubs filled with packages of white powder. Several tubs come up full of fat vacuum-sealed packages of green weed. Through the clear plastic, Jack sees vibrant green marijuana covered with gold hairs. It’s so weird because he knows it has a pungent odor, but since it is sealed inside plastic there is no smell at all. He wonders if the smugglers had sanitized the packages to outsmart drug-sniffing dogs that might come aboard at sea or upon arrival in Florida. Jack takes turns with the other deckhands, hoisting the tubs up from the speedboat. When his arms get tired of pulling, he takes a turn lugging tubs below. They go through a watertight door on the main deck and climb down a ladders to the evidence room below. He can’t believe all this dope. It must be a million bucks worth on the street. Just being around it gives him a crazy contact high. He imagines having all these drugs and weed in his basement room, back at his aunt’s house in LA. That would mean parties and cash. Lots of parties and lots and lots of cash. After all the contraband is unloaded and taken below, a couple mechanics climbed down to the speedboat. They unbolt the twin outboard Mercury engines and those are hoisted aboard the Allmayer. Next, they lower a hose and siphoned the gasoline from the speedboat's tanks. Jack wonders what they'll do with the gutted craft, certain they aren’t going to tow it all the way back to Key West. That doesn’t make any sense because they are supposed to stay at sea for another three days. Jack thinks it is pretty cool when the Allmayer's captain appears on deck. They are lugging the last few tubs of weed below. Jack is helping fasten cargo nets over the outboard Mercury engines. The captain is a short man and lean with a strong look like Teflon about him. He wears the same dark blue pants and shirt as Jack and the other crew working on deck. The captain’s last name, HALL is stitched above his right breast pocket. Of course the captain has eagles embroidered on the points of his collars. His white hair is trimmed short and combed forward. His eyes and mouth are set in a serious look as he observes the activity on deck. Jack’s memory flashes on the first time he met Captain Hall, a couple weeks ago. Jack’s division officer introduced him. Captain Hall had shook Jack’s hand, asked where he was from. Hall had looked Jack right in the eyes and said, “Welcome aboard, Son.” And Jack truly did feel welcome. And he felt something else; something good down in his bones. Hall had called him ‘Son.’ Nobody had called him son since he was a little kid, since before his parents died when he was twelve. The captain walks over to Jack and says, "Good work spying this drug runner, Seaman Turner.” Jack stands up straight and says, "Thank you, sir." Then he fidgets, not knowing what else to say. "You get the honors, Turner," the captain says. "Honors, sir?" Jack asks. Several crew members standing nearby smile the kind of smiles that tell Jack he is about to experience a seafaring tradition, a secret ritual like crossing the equator or something. "Oh, you'll see," the captain says. One of the senior guys smiles and nods at Jack and Jack feels something unusual, some raw emotion he’d never felt before. It’s a positive feeling; he knows that much right away. Honor maybe? Jack wonders. What is honor? Right then a deckhand who is carrying the last tub of contraband stumbles and drops the tub on the deck. One of the packages breaks open. That dank gold-haired weed is strewn all over the gray steel and black nonskid at their feet. "Clean this up,” the captain says, then waves his hand and the speedboat, “and cut that loose." Then he turns to Jack and says, "You come with me, Turner." Jack follows the captain up two ladders and right onto the bridge. The captain gives orders to the helmsman and the navigator who immediately take to action. Outside the big windows, Jack looks in awe at the cutter's bow jutting out over the vast sea. The wide blue sky arcing over it all. What a spectacular view he thinks at the sight of waves pitching and rolling in all directions. Jack puts his hand on a railing mounted just below the window to steady himself as the cutter turns sharply. The captain and bridge crew shout commands, repeating each other to confirm what was ordered. Jack doesn’t exactly understand them, but he can tell they are making a hard turn and activating a weapon of some kind. "Over here, Turner," the captain waves him to a panel of dials and buttons. A junior officer stands at the wheel with a headset on. She turns to the captain and says, "Sir, we're locked on now." "It's not every day you get to sink a smuggler's wreck, is it, Turner?" The captain points at a computer screen where Jack sees the gutted remains of the speedboat bobbing aimlessly on the waves. "Locked on," the junior officer says again. Captain Hall flips open a hinged plastic cover over a large red button that is embossed with the word FIRE in white letters. "Fire when ready, Seaman Turner," the captain says. Jack's smile beams from ear to ear, "Really?" he asks. "Absolutely," the Captain says boldly. Jack places his thumb on the big red button. He looks from the button to the screen where the wrecked speedboat bobs on the waves. Then he presses down firmly and feels the button click. For a half a second nothing happens. From aft, Jack hears a bell ring, then a mechanical sound of gears turning and a loud click. And then a great roar and a ripping sound all at once. On the computer screen a stream of tracer fire like a laser goes directly at the remains of the speed boat. The water around it boils and foams and the speedboat disintegrates in a cloud of splinters and smoke. Jack stares at the screen. He’s amazed at the power he has just unleashed. He knows exactly what he’s done. He has fired the ship’s Close in Weapons Systems or CIWS as he’s heard it referred to. It is a computer controlled Gatling gun, mounted aft on the ship. It has at least a half dozen barrels and a long mechanical belt full of chunky bullets. The CIWS looks like R2D2 from Star Wars except the CIWS has a mass of gun barrels poking out. The captain puts his hand on Jack’s shoulder and says, “You’ve got good aim to go along with your eagle eye vision, Seaman Turner.” Jack doesn’t know what to say to the captain except, "That was awesome, sir, thank you so much." "The pleasure is all mine, Seaman Turner. Keep up the good work on lookout. Now you may be dismissed." Jack walks proudly across the bridge and exits through the door he'd entered a minute earlier. Outside on deck, he scans the ocean but there are no signs of the speedboat. Only the humid breeze and the warming rays of the sun and the now familiar steady pitching and rolling of the Allmayer's steel decks beneath his feet. Jack walks toward the ladder and holds up his thumb, the one he'd used to press the FIRE button. He looks at the swirl of his thumbprint and whispers, "Wow!" He climbs down the two ladders and sees that the deckhands have put away the pulleys and ropes used to hoist the contraband. Without a thought, Jack glances at the deck and is startled to see a bananasized bud of that gold-haired weed sticking out from under the deckedge scupper. He glances forward and aft and sees that he is alone. Without thinking twice, he quickly leans over and picks up the big bud. Not seeing anyone after glancing forward and aft again, Jack tucks the big bud between the buttons on the front of this shirt and walks aft. He opens a big metal door into the ship, and it occurs to him that by grabbing the bud and sticking it in his shirt, he is a pirate. After all, he thinks, I spotted the speedboat which ordered the crew to board and pillage it. The crew had seized the smuggler’s cargo. This bud — Jack runs his hand over the bulge under his shirt — is my plunder. My booty, he thinks. He growls, “Aaarrrggg,” under his breath. Coming at Jack down the passageway is a guy Jack recognizes from the propulsion plant. The guy holds up a high five and says, “Hey eagle-eye!” Jack reaches up and smacks hands with the guy and feels a pang of guilt in his gut. He continues down the passageway and thinks about dropping the bud into a trash can or throwing it over the side, but now there are other sailors walking past him in the passageway. He puts his head down, stares at the deck and walks aft. Damn, he thinks. Now I’m a pirate and a traitor to the Coast Guard. They all think I’m a hero because I spotted the smugglers. I fired the CIWS. I sunk their boat. They all think I’m a hero but I’m the exact opposite. I’m a traitor.

CHAPTER 2

Max has his dreadlocks tied back with a red bandana because he is bent over waxing his sailboard and he doesn’t want to get wax in his dreads. He heats the wax with an old iron he bought back in LA at Goodwill and then he applies the wax carefully to the board. All this on two sawhorses in the middle of the living room. A ratty cloth couch with no legs sits flat on the floor. The couch doubles as his bed when it isn’t being used as a couch. A second-hand flat-panel TV on a side table. There’s surfing and sailing gear — nylon straps, wetsuits, sails in sail bags, greasy winches, coils of rope — crammed in everywhere in the tiny living room. A disassembled capstan and a mug full of ball bearings sits on an end table next to the pimp bachelor kitchen. In the kitchen, a tiny countertop, two burner stove, an ancient fridge and a microwave under plywood cabinets. Two sailboards, several masts and wetsuits hang on a rack of nailedtogether two-by-fours that looks like it might fall off the ceiling. Max is totally at home in this dump with his music mix of punk and ska playing on his iPod set in a plastic Tupperware bowl. The bowl amplified the little speaker. Max is bopping and rocking and doing an occasional funky dance step to the music as he waxes his sailboard. And that's when Jack Turner barges into the pimp bachelor kitchen from outside with his seabag slung over his shoulder. "You better have a cold beer for me," Jack says. "Dude," Max shouts. They fist-bump. “Dude,” Jack says. “How was it?” Max asks. "Mostly boring up until we busted a speedboat loaded with cocaine and weed." "Damn, dude, it's your fault?” “What’s my fault?” “All the locals say we're in the middle of the biggest drought in South Florida history." "Yup, totally my fault," Jack says as he opens the fridge and pulls out two cans of beer. “I spotted the speedboat and they sent the chopper after it —” Jack tosses a beer to Max and they pop the tops and bang their cans together. Jack tells his tale of adventure on the high seas. Recounts the gun battle, the bikini girl, the boarding party, tearing up the speedboat with chainsaws. “It was crazy,” Jacks says. “Then the bales started coming aboard.” “Bales?” "Yeah, big fat bales of weed.” “How big were these bales?” Max asks. “Five pounds each, at least,” Jack swigs his beer and laughs. “Fat packages of white powder too. DEA guys said it was cocaine.” “Bales of weed and cocaine,” Max is amazed. “Did you know they smuggle coke pure and cut it after they get it over here.” “Pure cocaine,” Max says in disbelief. “DEA guy said it’s a waste to smuggle the cut. So, yeah,” Jack continues, “We were taking these big bales onto the ship and one of the guys stumbled and dropped a big plastic package, must’ve been ten pounds of weed compressed in there —” “Ten pounds,” Max says with a big smile. “It busted open on the deck." "Weed all over?" "Yeah, weed all over." "Did you get your hands on it?" Max wants to know. A big grin spreads across Jack's face and stays there beaming. He tries to stop, but he can’t make his smile go away. "What’s that goofy smirk?" Max says. Jack unhooks the metal clip on the top of his seabag. "Several pounds of stinky buds all over the deck," Jack says. Max frowns. "Man, I called every dealer I know but there’s no weed in the Keys.” “So sad,” Jack says fumbling around in his seabag. “And it’s all your fault,” Max says. “Literally, it is my fault, dude,” Jack smiles. “You guys are choking off the supply lines." "It's terrible." Jack’s smile still beaming. "Not even George in Key Largo can score and that guy knows every dealer in Miami." Jack pulls several items from his bag. A stack of t-shirts and rolled up socks. A belt. A pair of tennis shoes. From one of the shoes, Jack pulls out a plastic bag with the big banana bud wrapped inside. Max freaks out. He leaps across the room and seizes the bag in his greedy hands. He holds the package up like an offering to the Gods. “Oh, the universe provides. It does provide. It does!” he says. Jack bursts out laughing. “It’s all yours, my friend. All yours,” he says. “Smoke it at your leisure.” Max grabs his bong and dumps the dirty water into the pimp bachelor kitchen sink. “This calls for fresh water and ice!” He grabs an ice tray from the freezer and cracks out the cubes, pops them down the bong’s throat. He uses the Tupperware bowl he had the iPhone in to ladle cold water from the kitchen tap to refill the bong. On the end table, Max pinches out a small serving of the precious bud. He holds his breath and examines it closely, like a prospector gazing into a pan of mud and seeing gold. “Wait,” he declares, leaping to his feet, snatches up the iPod and fiddles around with the controls. He chooses one of his favorite classic rock hits. Winking at Jack, who approves the song selection, Max carefully packs himself of one-hitter bowl. He sits back on the couch, clutching his bong and savoring the moment before the unexpected high. Jack stands up and heads for the door. “Second hand smoke, bro’, can’t have it. Don’t want to get popped on a UA!” “Do you want me to go outside?” “No need,” Jack says. “It’s cool.” The door swings shut as Jack walks onto the creaky deck. “Let’s go shoot some pool and knock back a few cold ones,” he says from outside. “Sounds good,” Max says. Then he sparks his Bic lighter and presses the bong to his mouth. The flame bends down as he inhales slowly, catching fire to the bud. The chamber gurgles and fills with smoke. Taking his lips from the bong, Max exhales and holds the bong aside. He admires the thick gray smoke inside. Then he removes his thumb from the carburetor and puts his lips back on the mouthpiece. He inhales, drawing smoke out of the bong and deep into his lungs, filling them to capacity. Removing the bong from his mouth, he smacks his lips and hums — the approval of a refer connoisseur. After several long seconds he exhales a great gray cloud of smoke that swirls against the ceiling. His eyes close halfway, then all the way. He reclines on the couch, his head goes back until he’s blowing smoke straight up at the ceiling. The sound of the classic rock hit fills the little living room. Even though it’s just an iPod speaker, the low-fidelity doesn’t matter, it’s still a hit. “This is some good shit,” Max says as he stands. He rolls up the plastic bag with the bud in it and shoves it into the front pocket of his Levi’s. He steps toward the door and says, “Let’s go get some brews and shoot some pool, bro!” * * * The evening is like many others — handshakes with friends at the bar, tough choices made at the jukebox, air guitars played, cash handed to the waitress as she parks fresh pitchers on the pub table where they stand between incredible bumper shots, scratched eight balls, quarters fed into the gadget on the side of the table. In the alley out back, guys ask Max where he got the shit. Several state emphatically that it’s the biggest drought they can ever remember. Rumors about a drug lord purchasing a submarine from the Nicaraguan Navy because it’s the only way to get past the US Coast Guard, which has completely sealed off the drug smuggling routes into Florida. The night turns to barhopping. They head for another nightclub. Jack steers his hooptie pickup along the streets of Key West, playing it cool, not wanting to get pulled over out of fear of getting a DUI. He keeps it under control, takes the side streets, drives slow, brakes at intersections. It’s the same scene at each place they go. Tunes blasting from speakers, pool balls ricocheting on green felt. Pitchers of beer drained. Clusters of friends gather outside in the shadows. Max is the center of attention. He is the only person on Key West with weed. He’s a popular guy. Around four in the morning they go to a diner for steak and eggs. Laughing about old times in LA, Max tells Jack that Wendy has been calling. Jack doesn’t want to hear about Wendy, his ex-girlfriend back in LA, from before he joined the Coast Guard. When they walk out of the diner, a van slows at the curb and a bundle of newspapers is tossed from the back. It lands on the sidewalk at their feet. On the front page there’s a picture of armed Coast Guard sailors and DEA agents standing shoulder to shoulder behind a hip-high wall of drugs — weed wrapped in plastic, white powder sealed in see-through bags. Behind them, the Allmayer is tied to the pier. The headline over the picture declares, Coast Guard Seizes Record Shipment. * * * Jack and Max are both wearing boxers and T-shirts. They are slurping spoonfuls of Captain Crunch from overflowing bowls at their tiny kitchen table. X-Men cartoon on the flatpanel. “Dude,” Max says. “What?” Jack says. “You heard from Wendy?” “No, dude.” “She called me,” Max says. Wolverine is hit by a Peterbuilt hauling dual trailers. Max grimaces. “So,” Jack says. “You and her need to talk. “Dude, we broke up.” Wolverine crawls out from under the tractor trailer. “I don’t want to talk to her.” Jack tries to say it with conviction, but Max sees a look on his friend’s face that says it might not be over with Wendy. “You need to call her,” Max says. “No.” “You don’t get it, dude.” “What?” Jack asks. “You really need to call her.” “Seriously, dude,” Jack says. “She’s from a rich family. There’s no way me and her are working out.” “You have been off the grid for what?” “Eight months,” Jack says. “You know I’ve had a new phone, nobody knows the number. I haven’t checked Facebook or email the whole time.” “You are out of it, dude,” Max says. “You go off the grid,” Jack says. “It clears your head.” “Whatever, dude. You and Wendy need to talk. It’s important. She said she’s —” On the table, Max’s phone rings. He shows it to Jack. There on the screen is Wendy’s picture. Jack has seen this picture before, months ago back in LA before he joined the Coast Guard. They were together for a few months after high school graduation, before Jack got busted stealing the green Honda Civic. Before he was on the news. Before he stood in front of the judge. Before he volunteered for the Coast Guard. Jack swallowed hard at the sight of Wendy’s face. A few freckles on her nose. A swoosh of red hair across her forehead. Her pretty eyes, there on Max’s phone, looking right into his heart. Jack bolts from the kitchen, through the living room and into the little bedroom at the back of the mobile home. Max answers with loud exaggerated enthusiasm, “Hello, Wendy. How you today?” Wendy is bed in her house in Los Angeles in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. She’s a short distance from where Jack’s aunt’s house where Jack use to live. The shades in her bedroom are closed and it’s dark outside. The sun hasn’t come up on the west coast yet, but it will soon. “Hi, Max,” Wendy says. “Hey, guess who got back off the ship last night?” “Does he want to talk to me?” “Let me see.” Max walks into Jack’s room and they face off. Jack scowls, shakes his head. Max smiles and says, “Wendy, he’s here, but he’s still asleep.” “Let him sleep, but tell him I called, ok?” “No, no. I’m gonna wake him up. Hey, Jack, buddy. You got a phone call. It’s Wendy, that sweet girl from back home?” Jack tries to dart around Max, but Max blocks the door. They collide. “Come on buddy, wake up. You got a phone call.” Max is bracing himself in the doorway, refusing to let his friend pass. Jack is pacing angrily, glaring at Max, shaking his head. Florida sunshine fills the room. Outside the window, there’s a branch with oranges on it and the neighbor’s mobile home a few feet away. In Wendy’s bedroom, even in the predawn, posters are visible tacked to the walls. A boom box and a laptop on a desk beside the bed. The walls are pink and so are the blankets. Wendy’s red locks are black in the dark. She rolls over on her side, bites her lip, thinking now finally she may get a chance to talk to Jack. God, she wishes she had tried to contact him sooner. But she can’t change that. Now is the time to tell him. “Wake up, Jack,” Max yells. He holds the phone out and smiles. “Wake up, Jack. Wendy needs to tell you something.” Jack is gritting his teeth. His fists are clenched at his sides. He stands rigid straight, nostrils flared. “Wake up, Jack,” Max says calmly. “Wendy needs to tell you something.” Jack exhales hard in resignation. He reaches out and takes the phone. He stands there for several seconds, like he’s counting to ten trying to calm down. He looks out the window and notices the oranges on the branch outside. “Hi, Wendy,” Jack says, monotone. “Jack,” Wendy practically squeals. “I’ve missed you. How’s the Coast Guard?” Oh, man, her voice is so sweet. He says, “Ah, it’s pretty good —” Awkward silence. Jack can’t understand why, after eight months, she even wants to talk to him anyway. He hasn’t written or called. Can’t she take a clue? She’s a really good girl. Smart, pretty, cool. Her family has money, unlike him without anything. She’s got lots of friends. He knows she can find another guy easily. Why has she been trying to get a hold of him? He fills the awkward silence. “I’m a deckhand on the ship. We went out to sea. We arrested some drug smugglers last week.” “Sounds exciting.” The first rays of daylight are filling Wendy’s room. Her dark red hair now distinguishable against the pink pillowcase. One hand holds her mobile phone to her ear, the other is still under the covers. Wendy rolls onto her side, feeling a bit better now with Jack on the phone at least. She’d messaged him a million times on Facebook but he never answered — hadn’t updated his status since they said goodbye when he left for the Coast Guard eight months ago. “Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” he says. “How’s LA?” For the first time he wonders, seriously wonders, why she’s calling him. He likes the sound of her voice. He remembers the two of them going to the beach, cruising, running around at night to house parties. They snuck into a bars with fake IDs. They made out a bunch of times. He’d really fallen for her, but deep down he knew he wasn’t ready for any kind of serious relationship. That’s why it wasn’t hard saying good bye to her and joining the Coast Guard. “Things are going good here, but ah —” she knows what she has to say, except the words are stumbling around in her head. She is thinking it through again as if thinking about it will somehow change the situation. She knows there’s no more time to think anymore. She has to say it. She considers not telling him, taking care of it herself. Maybe her mom was right. “But, how are you doing?” he asks suddenly genuine. “What are you up to, Wendy?” The sound of him saying her name propels her over the line. She’s going to tell him. She knows she’s going to tell him. She thinks for the first time, just by the way he said her name, just from that little spark of genuine interest in his voice, she thinks things might just work out ok for them — for Jack and Wendy Turner. She pushes the blankets off and slides her legs out of bed. She’s wearing tight black bootie pants and a pink pajama top. She slides over to the edge of the bed. “I’m glad you asked, Jack. I’m doing well, real well as a matter of fact. And the reason I’m calling you is that —” She pauses again. Rubs her hand across her stomach, feels something move inside. Her eyes open wide and she smiles. “You there?” he asks. “Yes, we’re here.” The room is filling with the LA suburb sunshine. It’s streaming in, dissolving the shadows. “So, what is it you want to tell me,” he asks. He’s such a dopey 18 year old guy. He has no clue. He’s totally oblivious of what she is about to tell him. If he was forced to guess, like a hand had just put a pistol to his temple and a voice said, “Guess what she’s about to tell you, Jack. Guess or I’ll shoot you, Amigo.” He would not have guessed correctly. He’d say she wanted to tell him that she’d signed up for classes at the community college or that her parents had bought her a new car, or that she was going to a concert or she’d ask why he never called. Why hadn’t he returned her messages on Facebook? But there in her bedroom she rubbed her swollen belly and feels the baby’s little tiny foot pressing against her hand. It moves slightly and she can feel a bone in the pinky toe rub against her palm. “Well, Jack, I’m calling to tell you that you are going to be a dad.”

CHAPTER 3

Long cool blue waves are rolling in toward the sugar-white sandy beach on Boca Chica Key. Jack and Max and a dozen other sailboarders are catching the wind, launching off the crests, gliding through the sun shot sky. The water is as clear as gin. Patches of coral and kelp strands are visible here and there. The wind freshens, an earnest gust begins to blow, to really stretch their sails and Jack forgets everything except the power of the wind and the board strapped to his feet beating against the water. The muscles in his arms are tense so he stretches out, leans back and holds on. He’s sliding across the tops of breaking waves. The swells rise and sink and he rides them up and down wanting to just keep right on going to Cuba or Jamaica. He wants to just keep going and never come back. * * * “How do I know it’s even mine?” “You don’t,” Max says. “But the timing points to you.” They are lying on the sand sipping cans of beer. “She’s eight months pregnant.” “And that’s about the time you left LA,” Max smiles. “You know, every time I saw her after you split, she asked about you and she was lit up, like stars in her eyes.” “Stop, man.” “Hey, the only way to know for sure is a paternity test, right? “Yeah.” “But, I’m just saying, I didn’t get the vibe like she was spreading it around, did you?” “No,” Jack admits. “She’s a real sweetheart. But, dude, I’m making like seven hundred and change a month.” “Love is all you need.” “No, man, you need cash for diapers and baby bottles. You need a house and appliances and a four door sedan.” “I can totally see you in a four door.” “Can we just stop talking about this, besides, we got plans. We’re gonna buy a sailboat and head out across the Caribbean.” “Maybe that has to wait,” Max says. “I’m too young to be a dad.” Jack is irritated. “You’re not too young to make a baby.” Max smirks. “Besides a boat is like twenty thousand dollars. Even if we had that kind of money, Dad, buying a boat would be irresponsible.” “Don’t even talk about responsibility, man, like I gotta choose between a baby and a sailboat.” Right then, a forty footer cruiser crosses right in front of them a little ways out from the beach. A few guys and girls are crewing. It’s leaning way over and everyone is sitting up on the high side. A full spinnaker, black with the skull and cross bones, pulls her along. Jack looks at the boat with heartbreak in his eyes. He sees himself on the bow of the Almayer, riding up and down on the ocean swells. He feels the sailor’s carefree attitude calling him back out to sea. But he’s on land right now. All the stress of daily life is clawing at him. He just wants to be out at sea where life is simpler. “Responsibility,” Max says. “Life is thrusting responsibility on you.” Max snickers. “Thrusting,” he whispers and moans, pretending like he’s making passionate love. Jack snaps back to reality. “Listen to you; you grass-smoking, windsurfing, table-waiting beach bum. You have no responsibility.” “Responsibility, Daddy.” Max is in full ballbreaker mode now. “That sounds so harsh, like open a bank account or pay the water bill or shop for appliances.” Max makes a face like he’s in pain. “Change a dirty diaper,” he says. “Can you say dirty diaper, daddy?” The sailboat flying the Jolly Roger swings around so close to the beach, they can hear the crew shouting and laughing as the boom swings around and the crew works the winches. “Give me another beer, will you?” Max says, “Here, this is exactly what you need, another beer. Drink your troubles away.” “Don’t talk to me about responsibility, please.” “Responsibility,” Max says. “Another word for condom —” “Lay off, will you, Max.” “You and Wendy should have thought about wrapping some responsibility around your junk, Jack.” The sailboat has turned away from the beach and is heading out onto the open ocean. Max and Jack sit on the sand, sipping their beers, watching it shrink as the wind sweeps it away across the surface of the blue sea. * * * Later they are driving down the road. Palm trees swaying in the breeze, nice little beachfront bungalows behind hedges and flowering shrubs. Jack is thinking back to LA, to the weeks he and Wendy were together before he left to join the Coast Guard. He remembers it all clearly. He has long hair and a soul patch and they are sitting on a blanket at Redondo Beach but the situation is very tense between them. Wendy is in a bikini, a skimpy pink number with strings. Her knees are drawn up to her chest. Her arms are wrapped around her knees and her chin is stuck down. She is in a stressed-out fetal position. “The judge said either join the military or go to jail,” Jack explains. “How can a judge force you to join the Army?” “I didn’t join the Army, I joined the Coast Guard,” Jack says. “A judge can’t force you to do that!” “The judge didn’t force me. Like I said, him and my lawyer gave me a choice.” “Either they forced you or you volunteered, Jack,” Wendy insists. “You can’t have it both ways.” “It’s a little more complicated than that.” “I’m not stupid. Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid.” Wendy looks incredulous. Jack’s sure she’s not stupid. He’d readily admit that she’s smarter than he is and she has the grades to prove it. “Baby,” he says, “there was that Honda Civic, remember. I told you about it. I just took it for a ride. I wasn’t stealing it.” “You stole a Honda Civic?” “My lawyer and the judge agreed it was joy riding.” “That’s what I’m saying, Jack. They can’t force you to join the Army for joy riding.” “It ain’t the Army, and they’re not forcing me to join, I told you they gave me a choice. I could either join the Coast Guard and they drop the joyriding charge, or if I didn’t join, they woulda charged me with grand theft auto. I coulda got five years in jail.” “Jack, you can’t just walk out of my life right now, I mean —” “I have no choice, besides, it won’t be so bad. The recruiter guaranteed me a special training program.” “What, digging foxholes?” “That would be the Army, I told you I’m going in the Coast Guard. I’m gonna learn how to handle small boats and handguns.” Jack reaches over and rubs her back. Wendy immediately cuddles up to him. “But, you can’t go away now, Jack, we’re really starting to hit it off.” “I’m sorry.” They kiss. “When are you leaving?” “Not for another two weeks. “Good.” She presses against him. They kiss and grope passionately. Nearby, a middle-aged Mexican lady with several small children are building a sand castle. The lady notices Jack and Wendy making out. She rolls her eyes and distracts the kids from looking at the teen lovebirds. For the next three weeks Jack and Wendy are inseparable. It’s a three-week make out session — at Wendy’s house on the family room couch, with their shirts off on Wendy’s twin bed atop her pink comforter, making out on the couch in Jack’s basement apartment, and stripped down to their jimmies in the plush backseat of a new Acura MDX, and finally, the grand finally, on a picnic blanket beside a babbling brook, naked, with a shiny Jeep Grand Cherokee parked nearby. At LAX International Airport, Jack wraps an arm around her waist, an overstuffed gym bag dangles off his shoulder. They kiss as travelers move busily past them with their wheeled suitcases rolling on the dirty marble floor. Wendy pulls away and wipes her eyes with a tissue. Right then Jack is snapped back to reality as his little pickup truck starts making a loud banging noise. It’s coming from the driver’s side, rear. Jack knows what it is. He’s blown a tire. He steers to the side of the road and climbs out. Sailboards are sticking out the truck’s bed. Max climbs under the back to figure out how to loosen the spare. “Tread is showing on this spare, dude.” “Will it get us home?” Max shoves the tire out from under the bed and crawls out after it. Jack lifts it and rolls it around to the driver’s side rear, where the flat is. “Yeah, this thing is in bad shape.” Jack looks closely at the steel belt sticking out where the tread is worn away. “How much is a new tire, fifty bucks or so?” “Heck, I don’t know, probably.” Jacks got flip flops on, and his feet are squishing around as he pries the lugnuts loose on the flat. Cars and trucks are whizzing by a few feet behind him. Max is ratcheting up the jack, positioning it to lift the truck when Jack has the lugs loosened. “It can’t be my kid,” Jack says, frustrated. “Me and Wendy only did it once or twice. Definitely not enough to get pregnant.” He works one of the lugs loose and places the nut on the ground. Max starts working the jack handle and the truck rises, the flat leaves the pavement. Jack quickly loosens the remaining lugs and hands them to Max one at a time. Max holds up one of the nuts, he closes one eye and squints with the other, pretending he’s a jeweler with a loupe. He studies the lugnut as though it is a precious stone. “What are you doing, goofball?” Jack asks. “You know it only takes one nut to make a baby, right?” Jack bangs the lug wrench on the pavement. “It ain’t easy going from being a GED, stealing cars for a living and now I gotta deal with being a sailor, wearing uniforms, calling college guys sir.” Max backs off, gives Jack some space. “I’m earning like no money, and now this with Wendy.” “Sorry, dude. I’m only jazzing ya.” “I got all the jazz I can handle, Max. I can’t support Wendy, not her and a kid, even if it is mine.” Jack begins tightens lug nuts. Silence smolders between them broken only by the sound of car tires zipping past on the hot blacktop. “I don’t mean to pile on, bro’, but this tire is wasted.” Max indicates the just-mounted spare. “We gotta get some new rubber on this rig.” ”That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Jack says emphatically. “I can’t even afford a tire, never mind supporting a wife and kid. Besides, if there’s money laying around, we’re buying a sailboat.” Max tosses the flat in back of the truck. “Let’s roll,” Jack says, hopping back behind the wheel. “I gotta go on watch in an hour.”

CHAPTER 4

In a small office on the Coast Guard Base on Key West, Petty Officer Doogle, a 45-year-old, slightly overweight guy in an unkempt light blue shirt and dark pants, leans back in a cushioned office chair watching an old style WWF wrestling match on a tablet computer. In one hand he holds a can of Mountain Dew and in the other a bag of Flamin’ Hot Funyuns. “Pile driver! Pile driver!” Doogle shouts excitedly as the men on the tablet’s screen engage in hand to hand combat. One wears dungaree coveralls with the legs cut short revealing black high-top boots laced up over bright orange hunting socks. This is Haybaler, Doogle’s hero. The other giant in the ring is Indian Chief, who wears only high-top moccasins and a short deer-skin skirt held up by a colorful beadbelt with feather’s dangling on leather strings. Indian Chief has long black hair that flies wildly as he kick’s free from Haybaler’s grasp, lands on both feet. Indian Chief dashes across the ring, bounces off the ropes and lunges at Haybaler, grabbing him around the neck and twisting savagely. “Oh, no!” Doogle screams, “Not a lock jaw! Haybaler, get away from that injun!” Jack Turner enters the office through a door with a window that is covered by old style metal blinds. The blinds rattle as Jack closes the door behind him. Jack is wearing his Coast Guard blue utility uniform. He props his elbows on the counter surrounding Doogle’s desk and stands there looking bored. A radio and a nightstick hang from his web belt. He watches the WWF match over Doogle’s shoulder. “Can you believe this?” Doogle asks the tablet’s screen. “What a joke. There is no way Indian Chief puts a lockjaw on Haybaler. This is a total crock of nonsense!” Jack picks up a pen. He writes a brief entry in the logbook that is sitting open on the counter. “I’m checking in, Doogle,” Jack says. “It’s eleven-thirty. That’s twenty-three thirty for you die hard military guys.” Through a mouthful of Fiery Funyuns, Doogle says, “Just write it in the book, Turner. Yes! Haybaler, takes the redskin to the mat!” “The warehouse is all secure, but I haven’t checked the doorknobs in over ten minutes, anything could have happened —” Doogle is not listening. “Mexican drug lords are probably breaking in right now, trying to retake all their controlled substances —” “Just write it in the book, Turner.” Doogle’s eyes are glued to his tablet. “Did you hear those gunshots?” Jack whispers, looking around with mock concern, making a silly face. “I think we’re under attack . . . you better sound the alarm —” Doogle has gripped his Funyuns so tight he’s crushing them. He throws a punch and Mountain Dew sloshes from the can. “Kick his ass, Haybaler! Yeah! Kick his aaaaaaaassss!” Jack walks out, the blinds on the back of the door rattle as he goes. Far down the long dark hallway on the opposite end of the warehouse from where Doogle sits watching his old school wrestling matches, Jack leans on the wall. Perspiration is beading on his brow. Rattling around in his head the worried voice of a teenage boy fretting about his uncertain future. What am I supposed to do, get a four door with good tires and a car seat? Behind the beads of perspiration on his brow, Jack begins to form a dismal vision of his future — He sees himself standing in the living room of the mobile home where he and Max now live. The mismatched furniture crammed into the tiny space. He sees himself standing there in uniform. The nightstick and radio are still hanging from his belt. In his hands he holds a screaming infant with a bloated diaper. Wendy is there, but now she looks much older. Poorly applied make-up decorates her face. Her hair is a mess, as if she’s had a few too many discount die jobs. The smell of whatever is bloating the baby’s diaper fills the inside of the cramped mobile home and makes Jack gag. It’s hot, unbearably hot. Jack looks at Wendy’s unwashed housecoat and it’s clear that she is pregnant again. And she’s smoking. Jack hears a little girl singing a song, a lullaby of some kind. He can’t make out the words, but it’s surely a little girl’s voice burbling away. He turns slightly, careful not to drop the infant, and sees right behind him, a toddler in droopy underpants standing there with a black Magic Marker held high over her head, like a psycho with a dagger about to stab. But she’s not stabbing, she is scribbling on the faux-wood paneled wall. Wendy screams at the toddler in a smoker’s rasp, “You stop that you little brat!” Then she glares at Jack and demands, “Make her stop, Jack! Beat her if you have to. I don’t give a shit.” A pit of anxiety opens in Jack’s belly and his entire existence slips into the cesspool of swill and darkness that he knows is waiting for him down there. There in the warehouse, late at night on watch, with his hands hanging at his sides, Jack brain is working so hard it’s crying tears of salty sweat that trickle down his reddening face. In his imagination, he watches his future self, as if he’s standing in the corner of the impossibly-cramped little living room like an invisible observer. He’s certain that Wendy and the kids can’t see him. And the weird thing is he sees himself turn and look directly at himself and he sees his lips pinch into a tight circle. And as he shakes his head, he hears the word, “NOOOOOOOOO!” first a low growl, then louder until it starts to shake the tin and Styrofoam and cheap paneled walls. The infant wails, and the little girl drops the Magic Marker on the dirty carpet in fear and springs to her mother who clutches her close to her ratty housecoat. Wendy and the little girl cower as Jack, who clutches the infant in his shaking hands, screams so loud the wall behind him trembles and explodes outward as if torn loose by a sudden hurricane gale. In the dark warehouse hallway Jack gulps at nothing, like an anxious dog swallowing imaginary food. A single bead of sweat drops from his nose and lands on the front of his shirt. “No way,” he whispers. “No way is that happening to me.” He walks back along the hall, exhaling slowly as if trying to get the smell of a low budget life out of his nose. He pauses for no reason beside a tall metal cabinet standing against the wall. “I don’t want to get married,” Jack says to the cabinet. “I don’t want a kid, either.” His voice kind of whiny. “I want to buy a boat and sail off across the Caribbean.” His brow wrinkles and it looks like he’s gonna break into tears. His head drops in desperations, but suddenly he lifts his head and looks curious. “What is that?” he whispers. From under the cabinet, an ever so slight smear of dim yellow light shines on the black Formica tiles. Jack glances aside, down the long dark hallway and sees, way down at the far end, the window in the watch office where Doogle is sitting. He steps over to the metal cabinet. It’s a standard military unit. There are countless numbers of them in hallways and storage rooms on military installations all over the world. Without even opening it, Jack knows it contains toilet paper, mop heads, scrubbing pads. Jack’s only been in the Coast Guard for seven or eight months, but he knows this for a fact without looking inside. Why, he wonders, is light shining from underneath this cabinet? He steps over beside the cabinet and can now see the metal strip of a doorframe in the wall. Without thinking about it, he slides one hand behind the cabinet and pulls it out from the wall. Sure enough there’s a door in the wall. Following his watch orders, Jack grabs the doorknob and to his absolute amazement it clicks and turns easily in his hand. He pushes but it won’t budge. So he shoves the locker out from the wall and applies his shoulder to the door and pushes harder. It gives a fraction of an inch; not enough to see what’s inside the room though. Something big is blocking the way. Jack figures this is one of the garage bays lining the long side of the building facing the pier. He considers telling Doogle, because there’s probably a three-ring binder with instructions on exactly what to do if a doorknob is found unlocked in the warehouse. But, Jack is too curious, so he bends his knees, sets his feet at angles on the floor and presses his shoulder to the door and begins to shove in earnest, but it still won’t budge. So he presses harder and harder, and sure enough, it gives a tiny bit. * * * In a plain unpainted room, where the dry-wallers hadn’t put tape and putty over the seams or the heads of the screws, several banks of florescent lights hang on metal rods from the high ceiling. One of the lights is blinking and flickering intermittently. There’s a garage door shut tight against the night outside where several large padlocks secure it. On the wall directly across from the garage door there’s a metal door behind wooden pallets. The door opens less than an inch where it bangs against a pallet; one in a row of pallets stacked with pillow-sized, plastic-wrapped bales of marijuana. From outside the door, the sound of someone grunting, pressing shoulder and pushing as hard as possible. Then the door closes and it opens again, this time hitting hard against the pallet, nudging it over ever so slightly. The door closes again and quickly it opens, banging against the pallet, pushing it over a little more. Then in rapid succession, the door is closing and opening, banging against the pallet, pushing each time a little further until finally, Jack Turner sticks his head through into the room. His face is red and slick with sweat after exerting himself and his heart is pounding inside his chest and he’s excited, caught up in the moment. Not really thinking clearly about what he’s doing — which has proven to be a behavior that has gotten him into quite a bit of trouble in the past. But, that’s how he is; not much conscious. He’s always done stuff without thinking it through and that’s the look on his face now as his eyes pop open like a person who, in that exact moment, has learned that he has in fact won the lottery. Jack’s mouth pinches into a dorky sort of kiss shape, and in total disbelief he mutters, “Dude!” * * * The sky glows white from bright-lamps mounted high on utility poles. Across from the pier where the Allmayer is tied up, there’s a parking lot with a few cars scattered here and there. A cargo crane sits silent on railroad tracks. Silent warehouses, stocked with Coast Guard war supplies like mops, desks, paint, inflatable rafts, a hundred thousand boxes of toilet paper, crates full of canned whole chickens. One of the warehouses, according to a sign outside the office where Petty Officer Doogle sits watching wrestling matches, is the headquarters of the Joint Drug Enforcement Agency / Coast Guard Task Force. It’s a storage building for contraband taken from smugglers who were trying to bring it into the United States. Crates of cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, guns, produce, flowers, knockoff designer clothing and Cuban cigars. A door at the end of the warehouse opens. Jack turner sticks his head out and looks around. He scans the pier and doesn’t see anyone. He squints and searches the deck of the Allmayer from bow to stern not seeing anyone. He stares at the ship’s quarterdeck where the gangway comes up from the pier. He knows there is a watch posted there twenty-four-seven while the ship is in port. He doesn’t see any one. He pushes the door open further and walks briskly to his pickup truck in the parking lot. He has two bales of weed under each arm. CHAPTER 5 A narrow wooden plank leads down from the back porch into tall grass behind the bungalow. Beyond the grass there’s a swamp. A man’s voice says, “Here, little fella.” The man makes clicking noises with his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “You guys gotta see him. I’m training him.” The man’s voice takes on a little sing-song, “Heeeeeeere, little fellaaaaa.” A big raccoon comes out of the grass and waddles up the ramp and onto the porch. Max and Jack are there with George. George is a 30-something long-haired, tough-looking stoner. He’s crouched down, holding out a bit of food for the raccoon. As the raccoon approaches across the porch, George stands up and raises the bit of food so the raccoon has to stand up on its hind legs. As it grabs with its outstretched paws, the guys see the creature is gigantic. Its mouth opens and it hisses. Jack steps back at the sight of the coon’s discolored pink gums and sharp teeth. “Look at the size of that critter,” Max says. “Watch, he’ll do a little trick,” George says. “You could get rabies if he bit you,” Jack says. “He’ll never bite me, we’re buddies,” George says. The raccoon stands on hind legs, hops up and down, clapping its front paws. “Hey, look at that,” Max says. “He’s kinda cute.” George holds the food closer and the raccoon takes it; then scurries back down the ramp into the tall grass. “Alright,” George says, “enough fun and games, let’s do business.” “Let’s get going.” They walk down along a path leading to the front of the bungalow toward Jack’s pickup truck which is parked in the driveway. * * * Heavy traffic on a highway on the outskirts of Miami. It’s bumper to bumper but the cars and trucks are going 70 miles an hour like a herd of metal beasts stampeding between the guardrails. Jack is driving, he keeps his eyes on the road, and asks, “How do we know we can trust these people? I mean, they’re drug dealers.” “Right now, Jack, you’re the biggest drug dealer in Florida,” George chuckles. “The only drug dealer in Florida,” Max adds. “What I mean is,” Jack gets all serious, “is how do we know these guys aren’t gonna pull guns and rip us off? George unzips his fanny pack and pulls out a pistol. “That’s exactly why I’m packing.” “Put that away!” Jack swerves a little and a baby-blue Lexus zipping along beside them beeps its horn. The car’s smoked-dark driver’s side window drops five inches and a hairy-knuckled one-fingerwave pops out. Putting the pickup back between the lines, Jack says “Let’s not get in a shootout with a bunch a drug dealers, okay.” “Don’t worry,” George says. “I’m not so sure I want go through with this,” Jack sounds scared. “Don’t worry, these guys aren’t gonna start any trouble.” “Yeah, Jack, calm down,” Max says. “We’re practically giving this grass away.” “This is way out of my league,” Jack admits. “I hope you guys know what we’re getting into.” “These cats will be armed but not dangerous,” George says. “If we don’t get weird, they won’t either. I’ve dealt with them before. They’re almost friends of mine.” “I’m still nervous.” George points the pistol at the big green sign over the highway and says, “Get over, this is our exit.” “Put that thing away!” Jack says. At the bottom of the exit ramp, they enter a light industrial area. Warehouses and cramped parking lots surrounded by barbed-wire-topped cyclone fences. George has Jack make a few turns, and the situation, in Jack’s opinion is deteriorating rapidly. There’s hookers strutting along the sidewalks and lowriders parked at the curbs. It reminds Jack of his old neighborhood back in LA. Boyle Heights was bad, but not this bad. “Pull over here,” George says. “I got a bad feeling about this,” Jack says, but pulls over anyway. Two muscular guys in clean white wife-beater T-shirts approach. One Caucasian, the other Hispanic, in their late 20s but from the way they are dressed with their faces shadowed under the brims of their crisp Miami Heat ball caps it’s hard to tell. They wear saggy dark blue jeans with thick black leather belts and plaid boxers up over their hips. To Jack, they look like hip hop gangsters. They approach the driver’s side window. Jack is having an alien encounter, especially after being around Coast Guard people in military uniforms and being at sea aboard a ship that is way cleaner and more organized than any normal person could possibly understand. The whole situation is strange to say the least. “Hey, Georgie,” the white guy says. “How ya doin?” “I’m great. But I don’t wanna waste time on small talk. We’re holding, you know what I mean?” No, I don’t know what you mean, Georgie,” White Guy says. “What do you mean?” “Major fucking felony,” George says. “Show me some green and we’ll get to work then,” White Guy says. “No,” George says, sticking his head in front of Jack, closer to the windows. “That’s not how it’s going down.” White guy looks at his Cuban friend and smiles. Cuban rolls a toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other. “We show some green as soon as we get off this street. Ok?” “What’s a matter, you don’t trust us?” Cuban asks. “Just like it says on the money,” George says slyly. “In God We Trust.” “You wanna see some green, George?” White guy says, reaching down the front of his pants and pulls out a thick stack of dirty looking twenties. “What’ that?” George asks. “Your lunch money?” The hip hop stars laugh. “Cheddar,” Cuban says. “Cheese for lunch!” White Guy says and they laugh again. “That’s green, but it ain’t enough,” George says. Out of nowhere a police car siren squirts through the air and Jack turns his head to the passenger side and almost shits himself when he sees a Miami PD cruiser parked inches away. The cop has his window down and is signaling Max to lower his window. Max cranks the window down. Jack imagines white guy and Cuban running away down the sidewalk, disappearing into an alley while the cops pull him and George and Max from the truck. He can already feel the handcuffs on his wrists. Fear competes with disgrace as he imagines Captain Hall when he hears that Jack Turner has been arrested in Miami selling marijuana that he stole from the DEA / Coast Guard warehouse. But none of that happens. Max rolls down his window and the cop says, “How you guys doing?” Jack sees the interior of his truck and himself and George and Max and even White Guy and Cuban all reflected in the cop’s gigantic mirrored Ray Bans. Jack opens his mouth to speak, but Cuban speaks first, says, “It’s a fine day here on the street, officer.” “That it is,” the cop says. “That it is.” He smirks and gives a mock salute to Cuban. Slowly the cop car rolls away. His siren is off but the lights on top of his roof are still flashing. “Look man,” White Guy says, suddenly quite serious. “I’m not here to play around with you, George, so you better not be here to play around with me.” “Sorry if I hurt your feelings,” George says. “That’s a big wad of cash you got there, but it ain’t a fifty thousand dollar wad of cash. Like I said on the phone, we got forty five pounds of killer green and we ain’t selling for anything under fifty thousand dollars.” Cuban turns around and gives a signal to a kid standing by the alley. The kid jogs down the alley and a few seconds later he comes jogging back with a gym bag dangling from his hand. The Cuban takes the bag and pulls open the zipper. White guy reaches in and pulls out two bricks of cash bundled in tight blue rubber bands. Jack sees some hundreds, but can’t tell what else is in the stacks. “That’s more like it,” George says. “But we can’t just hand you this merchandise here at the curb. Where can we do this deal?” “Pull around in the alley. We’ll be waiting with the garage open.” Jack puts the car in gear and drives to the corner. He turns left and then goes left again into a narrow alley crowded with dumpsters and trash bags piled against brick walls covered in graffiti and gang tags. A little ways down he sees the Cuban guy standing outside an open garage door. Jacks turns in and white guy closes the door behind them. Jack gulps, knowing this deal is beyond the point of no return. He’s a felon now and it bothers him. What am I doing, a voice in his demands. His mouth is dry and his hands are shaking. It’s like he’s not even operating his own body as he climbs out of the truck. He imagines this is what it’s like when you get in a serious car accident and you are burned or have a broken leg, you’re in shock, but there’s so much adrenaline in your veins you are walking around. He can barely feel anything. George says something. Jack says, “What?” “Get the shit from the back of the truck,” George says. Jack opens the tailgate and pulls out his seabag. He expects the cops to come busting in as he unclasps the hook at the top of the green canvas bag. He takes out two of the large bags of marijuana. White guy takes one of the bags. Cuban tears the corner open and sniffs. Max and George stand nearby. “This is the shit, homeboy,” Cuban says. “Yeah, it’s decent,” White Guy says unimpressed. “So, what are we talking about here?” “We didn’t come to negotiate,” George says. “I told you on the phone, fifty thousand.” White Guy reaches in the gym bag. George immediately reaches into his fanny pack on the front of his pants. White guy hesitates, glaring at George. “What’s up with that?” White Guy points his chin at George’s hand. “I’m just getting ready to make change if you need it,” George says. “White Guy’s hand shifts around, pulls out a couple stacks of cash. “Go on and give it to him,” George says. “So, you’re the money man,” Cuban says to Jack. Jack ignores the question, pulls two more big bags of weed from his seabag. “Where do you want this?” White Guy glances at the kid who ran down the alley earlier to get the gym bag full of money, and quickly the kid rummages in some junk off to one side and produces a black carry-on sized suitcase. “Put it in here,” White Guy says as the kid lays the suitcase down and unzips it. Jack turns the seabag over and dumps all the packages of weed right into the suitcase. White Guy hands Jack several bundles of bills and says, “With all of Florida in a major weed drought, where’d you connect with this kind of weight?” Jack doesn’t answer. Cuban grabs Jack’s seabag and points at the Coast Guard insignia sewn on the side. White Guy is smirking ear to ear as he steps close to Jack and makes a show of studying his short trimmed hair. “Coast ... Guard ... connection,” White guy says. Jack is stunned. He’s thinking, How could I be so stupid? They’re all looking at Cuban who is holding the seabag, showing the big Coast Guard patch sewn on the side. Cuban points at Jack’s license plate and says, “Key West.” “Just be happy the drought is over.” George says. “Ain’t it the truth, though?” White guy says to Cuban. “What’s that?” Cuban asks. “Law enforcement guys always have the best dope.” CHAPTER 6 A muscular tire salesman with a tight cropped afro and clean pin-striped shirt wears a nametag over his left breast pocket that identifies him as Maurice. Maurice is standing in the Tire Guy’s Warehouse showroom in Key Largo. He touches the pen and tire pressure gauge he’s placed in the pocket protector in his left breast pocket, and then slaps his hand on a display tire, an oversized 4x4 black rubber donut with aggressive-looking treads and raised white lettering that shouts DUNE DIGGER 4x4. Jack, George and Max stand beside Maurice. They are all practically drooling at the smell of fresh black rubber tires and shiny custom rims on display in the air conditioned showroom. “These treads are scientifically engineered,” Maurice says, “to give you extra traction.” “Scientifically engineered,” Max whispers. George giggles, then whispers, “Science,” with a weird sort of reverence in his voice. Maurice had figured these guys were baked out of their minds because the odor of burned marijuana was hanging around them like a cloud when they entered the showroom. But Maurice can tell that Jack is the customer in this situation, so he focuses on him. “If you’re climbing sand dunes or mucking around the swamps, this tread is going to give you the traction you need.” “Traction,” Max whispers to George who tries unsuccessfully to contain another chuckle. “They maximize fuel efficiency,” Maurice says, making his voice warble just a little, purposefully messing with the stoners. “Especially when you’re driving at high-way speeds for extended time periods.” “I like ‘em,” Jack says. “How much for a set of four?” “Let me tell you a few more things about these tires before we talk price, fair enough?” “Sure,” Jack says, he feels his consumer confidence, which he’s never experienced before, going up. Maurice senses he might have this sale locked in and he’s already trying to calculate his commission as he continues his pitch. “Underneath these treads you’ve got three steel belts and a reinforced side wall so you can count on at least fifty thousand miles before they start wearing out. This is definitely the tire you want on your sport utility vehicle.” “How about a set of these,” Jack points to a display of custom rims. “Oh, sweet,” Max says in stoner awe, as if a winged angel just flew into the showroom. He’s so high he’s repeating Maurice, and that simple act is pushing his mental horsepower beyond its capacity. George is right there with him — so far baked out of his mind all he can do is giggle about this whole kooky deal. “We can absolutely put your tires on a set of new rims,” Maurice says. “These will make your rig look good!” Max and George wander over to a display that showcases heavy duty shock absorbers. Max is pointing at them, and George seems so overjoyed he can’t speak. “I was just about to suggest upgrading your shocks to take maximum advantage of the traction capability of these new tires.” Maurice wonders if these guys have the cash or credit to cover this sale. He hopes they aren’t just shopping prices. He decides to push it to the point of no return. “Let’s put your rig up on the lift so my mechanics can get the correct specifications for your upgrade, ok?” “No problem,” Jack says handing Maurice the keys. “Are you guys going cash or credit today?” Max and Jack look at each other and snicker, then in unison they say, “Cash.” George bursts out laughing again, and this time he doubles over and puts his hands on his knees and lets the rip-snorting run away with him. * * * Jack’s truck is high on the lift with three mechanics scurrying around it. The old tires come off and one of the mechanics walks around the truck blowing out the wheel wells with compressed air. Dust and dirt fill the shop area for a few minutes as it gradually dissipates. Two of the mechanics grab impact wrenches and tear out the rusty old shock absorbers and install beefy new ones while the third mechanic mounts the new tires on sporty white rims. Inside the showroom, Jack and Maurice are watching through a big window. “Let’s do an oil change while we’re at it,” Jack says. “Good idea,” Maurice says. “How about a new belt and I’ll have the guys check the hoses too?” Maurice wonders how much cash he can wring out of this deal. About an hour later, Jack’s truck rolls out of the garage on new, oversized tires and custom rims. It’s clearly riding several inches higher off the ground. One of the mechanics climbs down from the driver’s seat and Jack shakes his hand. Jack, Max and George get in and drive into traffic on the busy main street. * * * The raccoon pokes his head up above the grass and looks around. He can hear the guys laughing up near the house, so he waddles over and climbs up the narrow wooden ramp and onto the deck. He climbs onto an overturned bucket, puts his paws on the windowsill. Inside the kitchen he can see the three guys sitting around the kitchen table drinking cans of beer. “Three thousand dollars, just like we agreed,” Jack says and plunks down a fat wad of cash. “Not a bad day’s work,” George says as he scoops up the money. “Thanks a lot. And you guys call if you want to move anymore product.” “Sure thing,” Jack says. “Do you think you’ll be getting another shipments?” “Definitely not,” Jack says. “They’d put me away for life if I got caught, and besides when we were in the garage with those guys, I was scared shitless. I don’t want to have anything to do with those guys ever again.” Jack stands up. Max finishes his beer and stands up. They shake hands all around. “Don’t let that raccoon bite you, George,” Max says, pointing toward the window. “That ‘coon is my buddy,” George says. “He won’t bite me.”

CHAPTER 7

Captain Hall walks along the weatherdeck on the bow of the Almayer, conducting his daily walkabout the ship, when a petty officer approaches him and says, “Sir, Mr. Banks is here to see you. He’s waiting on the quarterdeck.” “Ok,” Hall says. “Let’s go see Mr. Banks straight away then.” Hall follows the petty officer back along the siderails toward the quarterdeck. He glances outboard and absentmindedly sees the warehouse and beyond that the low skyline of Key West. Palm tree tops sway lazily in the breeze. He thinks about the recent news headlines: “Coast Guard Seizes Another Big Drug Shipment.” Hall squints at the rows of garage bay doors along the side of the warehouse and imagines the bales of marijuana and plasticwrapped packages of cocaine. It feels good to know that his crew had prevented all those drugs from reaching the streets where it would have undoubtedly done damage to hundreds of young people all over Florida — all over North America for that matter. Hall knows Mr. Banks quite well. Banks is a senior investigator with the Drug Enforcement Agency. The Coast Guard and the DEA work together all the time, with the Coast Guard patrolling, intercepting and boarding ships and boats. The Coast Guard seizing contraband and drugs, and handing it over to the DEA who does investigative work. The DEA files the paperwork necessary for search warrants, investigates interstate trafficking, makes arrests and interfaces with police, the FBI and the courts. Captain Hall and Mr. Banks have some history, both having come up through the ranks of their respective organizations over the last many years. They see eye to eye on politics and procedures and have worked cooperatively with each other on many joint operations. “Good morning, Sir,” Banks says when Hall reaches the quarterdeck. “It is a good morning,” Halls says as the two men shake hands. “Let’s go to my office.” Banks follows Hall up a ladder, through a watertight door and down a narrow passageway. Inside the ship it seems pitch black as their eyes adjusted. Hall has a suspicion about why Banks has coming to see him. Several days earlier when the Almayer had arrived back from patrolling the Gulf with the huge haul of marijuana and cocaine, the two men had met to do the formal handover of the contraband. They oversaw the process, which included weighing and taking pictures of each package of drugs, filling out forms and signing them and then setting it all up for a display picture for the news media. Neither man spoke to reporters. Neither had his picture taken. The last thing either of them wanted was their pictures and names on the news. If one of the disappointed thugs who’d been waiting for the drug shipment that never arrived, saw Hall’s or Banks’ pictures on TV or in the newspapers, things could get ugly for them. Back in the early days of Coast Guard and DEA cooperation, several proud captains and investigators had posed for the media in front of piles of seized drugs, and in a few rare cases, good men had their cars blown up and their houses burned down by drug kingpins seeking revenge. Hall had read several classified files documenting cases where criminals had kidnapped, tortured and killed a Coast Guard captain or a DEA agent after they proudly smiled for the cameras while standing next to a mountain of seized drugs. When the drug dealers saw the faces of the Coast Guard officers or DEA agents, and read their names and duty stations in the caption or the article, they became targets. So, Hall and Banks were sure to keep themselves out of the news. Like the drug smugglers themselves, both men did their difficult work behind the scenes, out of the spotlight. In Captain Hall’s sea cabin Banks says, “Kudos for you have been coming into my office all the way from the Attorney General’s office.” “It’s good to know the big guys upstairs appreciate sailors doing the dangerous work.” “Absolutely, you can count on another commendation in your service jacket.” “I’ll make sure it’s cascaded down to all hands who were involved in the operation.” Banks sits down and looks around for a moment wondering what it would be like to be a captain aboard his own ship at sea. Of course he doesn’t see it as it really is, what he sees is his own impression — no wife and kids, no lawn mower, no having to run to the grocery store for milk and bread late at night, no malfunctioning garage door opener to fiddle around with for hours when he finally has a day off. The practically empty cabin, to Banks, looks like the perfect man-cave. It’s a place where he can go and not be bothered. A small sleeping bunk folded against the wall. A shelf with a few good books strapped down with a bungee cord. A lamp. What a perfect life this must be, Banks thinks to himself. “Well, Captain,” Banks says, “the word on the street is that the marijuana and cocaine supply has dried up across all of the southeastern United States.” “Joint operations are proving to be very effective,” Hall agrees. “Yes, they are, and now we’re going to take it to the next level.” “I assume that’s why you are here.” “Yes it is. The Latin gentleman you snagged on your last bust, well he started singing once we sat him down with an interpreter.” “Interesting,” Hall says. “He led us to a major kingpin based in Puerto Rico, and we put a tail on him. Alfredo Packeto’s his name. He does pharmaceutical manufacturing in Puerto Rico, and now we have good reason to believe he’s up to something.” “And how can I help you?” Hall asks sitting back and crossing his arms on his chest to signal a slight reluctance. Even though he wants to help Banks, he knows the DEA will try to operate the Coast Guard at a tactical level if given half a chance. “Well, we’re resource constrained right now and we need more boots on the ground to pull surveillance in Puerto Rico,” Banks says. “I know the Coast Guard is supposed to cooperate on these joint operations, but the admiral’s staff is coming down to inspect everything from my engine rooms to my personnel files. I don’t think I can spare a pair of hands right now.” “I understand your situation, captain, but this is a very important operation. If you could spare a few senior enlisted for a week or two?” “It really is a bad time to ask,” Hall resists, thinking that he’ll give Banks what he’s asking for, but he wants to make sure there’s a favor to be returned at some point in the future. “Well, how about a deckhand who’s good with small boats and handguns?” Hall thinks for a moment. Faces of different members of the crew occur to him. Then he remembers Jack Turner, the kid with eyes like an eagle. Turner spotted the smuggler’s boat during the most recent deployment. Hall happily remembers the look on Turner’s face when he fired the gun and sank the smuggler’s boat. Banks says, “We’re talking about bringing down a major king pin. We suspect this guy might have a submarine. He could be moving large, and I mean large quantity into cities all along the east coast.” “Well, maybe I can spare one man to you for a couple of weeks, would that help?” “The ideal person will have small arms training, able to handle water craft, excellent eyesight and experience with large quantities of contraband,” Banks says. Hall makes like he’s thinking about it, but he knows already he’s going to volunteer Seaman Jack Turner to Banks for this joint operation. “I have someone in mind, a young man named Turner, Seaman Jack Turner. He has eyes like an eagle and he was our good luck charm on our last deployment.” “Sounds like the guy I’m looking for.” “It makes sense assigning Turner,” Hall says. “He was the young man who spotted the smugglers and led you to this Packeto character you’re tracking now.” “Then it’s appropriate he stay on the case.” Banks sits back happy to be getting a man to help his operation. He wonders if he can get Turner right away, have him in time for the next team meeting in Puerto Rico in a few days. “When can he deploy?” Banks asks. Captain Hall says, “I’ll call Turner’s division officer right now.” He reaches for the phone on his desk. “Turner can be yours for the next few weeks starting immediately.”

CHAPTER 8

Cars pull up to the backstreet corner constantly. Windows go down, cash and small baggies are exchanged and the cars drive away. It’s like a Taco Bell drive through because all the kids do have Late Night Munchies, even in the middle of a sunny Miami afternoon. White guy in the muscle shirt is keeping a look out while his friend the Cuban slings baggies and collects cash. They’ve been pulling so much green the past couple days they’re talking about an investment account. Imagine that. White guy watches a car roll up to the curb. Cuban does another transaction and pockets a hundred dollars. This time the car doesn’t pull away. At the wheel, a tough looking guy in a cheap suit and tie, an actual tie, opens the baggie and sniffs it. Then he hands it to whoever is in the passenger seat and quickly gets out of the car. White guy thinks, is this a fucking detective and considers bolting down the alley. Instead he takes one step backwards, poised to run if the tough guy makes like he’s drawing a gun or a badge. White guy knows in these situations cops draw the gun first, handcuffs second and maybe the badge later as a formality. Tough guy has a leering greasy smile — almost drooling. White guy is convinced he’s not a cop. It’s worse. He’s a hardened criminal. Greasy tough guy says, “Drought’s over, huh?” Cuban says, “Yeah, it sure is.” “I need some quantity,” Tough guy says. “How about an ounce?” Cuban glances back at White. White guy says, “Two-twenty.” The tough guy is standing there with his car door open and his engine still running. He pulls a fat roll of cash from his suit-pants pocket and peels off a few fifties and twenties. White steps over and pulls several small plastic packages from his baggy-saggy pants pocket. He shuffles through them and pulls out an oh-Z, hands it over. Both Cuban and White step back, like they’re packing up, vacating the corner. Tough asks, “Where’d you guys score?” “That’s confidential,” White says. “Sure about that, because I’m gonna need to know.” “We don’t divulge our sources,” Cuban says. “You will,” Tough guy says threateningly and flashes that slippery smile again. Looks like his teeth are coated with sour milk. White and Cuban start walking quickly and they’re a half block away when Tough cruises slowly on the street beside them with the window down. They glance over and see inside the car, a man in the passenger seat, silhouetted in the dark inside the car. He’s holding a shiny pistol, moving it so it catches the light, sparkles. “Fuck,” Cuban whispers to White. “These are Scabado’s guys.” White doesn’t like the situation at all. Tough guy leans out the window and says, “We’ll be back. You can count on it. And you will tell us your source.” “It’s confidential,” Cuban shouts. “Hey,” Tough guy says, “I think I already know where you got this.” “Then why you asking?” White guy shouts back. “I just want to be sure,” Tough guy says. The passenger reaches a hand out his window and points the pistol at them over the roof of the car and fires a bullet in front of them. They stop, poised to run. “This is our dope,” Tough guy says. “Either you stole our shipment or you got this weed from the Coast Guard.” White and Cuban look at each for a split second and then they turn around and run away down the sidewalk. Tough guy stomps on the gas pedal and his car races away down the street.

CHAPTER 9

Jack and Max are climbing from the dock into a sailboat. There’s an old guy in topsiders and shorts already onboard. A Margaretville T-shirt restrains the old guy’s big belly. A flattened old skipper’s cap on his head shades a face that is mostly hidden by a ZZ-Top style beard and Ray Ban Aviators. “This here is a 28 foot xx,” the old guy starts his pitch. Max climbs into the compartment below and opens the in engine hatch. Jack climbs forward onto the bow. “I don’t know, this boat is almost forty years old,” Jack says. “Let’s just give it a once over,” Max says. “I guess you’re right.” The old guys says, “Sure look this rig over.” “We’ve gotta figure out what’s on the market.” Max is poking his head in around the engine, a black and gray mass of hoses and greasy cast iron manifolds. “I’ve got over twenty boats for sale,” the old guy says. “We need something with newer sails and a good engine,” Jack says. “And it’s gotta have GPS navigation equipment,” Max shouts from below where he’s tinkering with the knobs on a radio built into a navigation console. “These lines are old and the rigging is rusty,” Jack says to the old guy. The sun is climbing into the sky and passes noon. Jack and Max are still looking at boats. They follow the old guy from one boat to another. They’re asking a million questions, climbing rigging, squeezing into engine compartments, unfurling sails and cranking winches.

CHAPTER 10

Back in Los Angeles, Wendy is lying in bed eating a fig with one hand and slathering stretch-cream on her enormous belly with the other hand. On the night stand, the tub of stretch cream sits next to a picture of her and Jack taken that day they were laying on the beach blanket. The old Mexican lady with the brood of little kids is photo bombing the picture with a goofy smile in the background as she covers her little son’s eyes. Suddenly, the door burst open and Phyllis, Wendy’s mother, burst in and flips the lights on. Phyllis is 54 years old, her hair has been died so many times it doesn’t know what shade of red or orange it’s supposed to be any more. She has an overbite, but she’s kinda hot in her tight pantsuit that shows off her Kardashian hips and a cute little camel toe. She leers at her daughter’s belly, and Wendy protectively, yanks up the covers. “Are you ready to talk about it yet?” Phyllis’s voice is a desperate screech. “Oh my God, mom, we’ve already talked about —” Wendy stops. Her eyes harden against her mother. It’s been a stretch for Wendy, at 19 to get her mind around exactly where her mother is on her pregnancy. She knows her mom is against being a grandmother and recently she’s been pushing the late term abortion decision. This is the first time she’s referred to the baby as it, though. Unable to restrain her impatience with her daughter’s immaturity, Phyllis continues, “You are running out of time. You have to open your eyes to the reality of your situation, young lady —” “Do not start lecturing me, mother!” “How are you going to go to college and care for a child? Would you mind explaining that to me . . . your father seems to think —” “Stop, just stop. Don’t ever talk again, I’m serious!” “You have to hear this. It’s for your own good! As your mom, it’s part of my job description to tell you all the unpleasant things that you don’t want to hear. Now, dammit, your father seems to think —” Wendy slowly gets herself upright and leans on the headboard. She glares at her mother and in a controlled even tone, she says, “I’m warning you, don’t even mention adoption or abortion to me again. It’s too late for an abortion, I’m over seven months along, mom.” Wendy slides from under the covers, puts her feet on the floor and steps toward Phyllis. She takes her mom’s hand and tries to press it to her tummy. But Phyllis pulls away, jumps back with a look of disgust and disappointment on her face. “Your father found out about a doctor in Mexico, and he’s making arrangements for you. They can —” Wendy covers her belly with her arms and steps back, shocked. “A Tijuana clinic!” Wendy blurts. “It’s not in Tijuana, and besides it’s for your own good —” Wendy is mortified. “In a few months you are going to see this newborn, mother. Your grandchild. How are you going to look at this beautiful baby knowing that you wanted to kill it?” Wendy’s mom completely freaks out. “Be reasonable, damn it! How are you going to get a career off the ground with a child and no husband?” Wendy is struggling to stay calm. She sobs and tears roll down her cheeks. “As long as you’re talking about an abortion, we have nothing to talk about —” “I’m not allowed to ask who the father is, and now I’m not allowed to mention abortion. Great! See how far that attitude gets you in this world, young lady.” Phyllis snatches the photo from Wendy’s nightstand. “Is he the father? Is it Jack?” Wendy tries to grab the photo but Phyllis turns away. In a mocking voice, she says, “He was a nice enough guy, but where is he now? Floating around the ocean somewhere?” “Give me that picture.” “If you’re having a sailor’s baby, young lady,” Phyllis’s voice bends to sarcasm. “I hope you don’t think he’s going to be any kind of real father.” Wendy shoves her mother toward the door. “Get out! Get out of my room you bit —” Phyllis is laughing now. “Good luck trying to get a sailor to the altar.” Through sobs, Wendy says, “You’re going to be a grandmother whether you like it or not! Now get out!” Wendy pushes her mother into the hallway. Fed up now, Phyllis flings the picture at Wendy, striking her in the chest. It hits the floor and the glass shatters. “I might be a bitch. I might even be a grandmother someday —” Wendy slams the door. Phyllis shouts from the hallway. “— but I was never a slut, Wendy! I always knew when to keep my pants on.” “Maybe you wouldn’t be so uptight if you got your pants off once in a while, mother!” Wendy is shaking and sobbing as she pulls a suitcase from the closet and tosses it on the bed. She opens a dresser drawer and snatches handfuls of underwear and socks and drops them in. From the night stand she grabs the package of figs and the stretch cream and pitches them into the suitcase too. * * * From the outside, the house is large, set back from the quiet residential street with a contoured front lawn, neatly-edged flower beds and several properly placed stunted palms — a picture of suburban bliss. But, if there were someone walking by outside, which there isn’t, they’d be able to hear two women screaming in fits of rage at each other inside. The words are not clear, muffled by the sturdy walls and filtered by the well-kept foliage, but it’s clear the women inside the house are having a good old fashioned catfight. The thick wooden front door whooshes opens and now the voices can be heard clearly. “Where do you think you’re going?” Phyllis demands. The storm door bangs open and Wendy emerges onto the shaded slate patio with her suitcase in tow. “Wendy!” Phyllis insists. Her voice trailing off with a desperate defeated squeal because now she’s certain that she’s lost any hold she’s ever had over her dear daughter. Wendy storms down the sloping front walk to the driveway and stops at her black Volkswagen Jetta. Phyllis darts down to the driveway and frantically runs around the car. “Wendy, please, honey, please don’t leave. Not in your condition!” Wendy tosses her suitcase in the backseat and slams the door. Then she climbs into the driver’s seat and starts the car. Phyllis runs to the passenger side and attempts to open the door, but Wendy revs the engine. Her tires screech as she backs out onto the street. Phyllis runs down to the sidewalk, balling and yelling at the top of her lungs, “Wendy, come back! Please don’t go!” Tears are flowing freely down Phyllis’s cheeks as she watches her daughter zoom away down the street. Driving way too fast, barely stopping at intersections, Wendy stomps on the clutch and jams the transmission through its gears until she’s out on a major avenue. She’s crying as she glances up at a highway sign over the entrance ramp and reads Santa Monica Freeway, Interstate 10 East. Jack and Max are sitting in a booth at a roadside diner in Key West drinking frosty pints of beer. The waitress sets platters full of deep fried seafood and wet-looking scoops of coleslaw and French fries on their table and they dig in. “You know,” Max says after washing down a big mouthful of fish and chips. “A few days ago, I could understand where you were coming from on the whole Wendy situation, what with us use to being broke and all, but now things are a bit different, bro’. I mean with you having an actual bankroll now.” “I thought about calling her,” Jack admits. “For real?” Max smiles. “You gonna do right by her?” “I was just thinking about her, that’s all.” “You should send her some money, like, I don’t know, how much do kids cost?” “Fuck, I don’t know. Probably a few thousand for sure.” “With a thousand dollars she could buy shitloads of diapers.” “Shitloads of diapers,” Jack chuckles. “Damn, didn’t see that coming.” “But I’m not sure sending her money is the right thing to do,” Jack adopts a morally upright tone. “Why not?” “It’s admitting the kid’s mine.” “Probably is. And you know something, maybe we shouldn’t be buying a sailboat. Maybe you should be buying a little house and a —” “And a four door sedan?” Jack gets his back up. “Don’t even say it. I might as well buy a burial plot in the cemetery while I’m at it.” “Come on, a house, a wife and a kid, it wouldn’t be so bad, you could —” “What? Wash dishes? Fold clothes? No fucking way, man!” People at tables around them glance at Jack. “Chill out, big guy.” “We finally got the money to buy a boat and cruise the islands,” Jack whispers. “Can’t you feel it, man? We’re about to set out on a real adventure!” Eduardo Scabado’s luxury home is pimped out with white carpets, chrome and glass tables, a plush white leather couch, a matching loveseat and easy chair. Off to the side, in what’s supposed to be a dining area, there’s a bar with a few stools. Thug-1 and Thug-2 are sitting there but they aren’t having any drinks. There’s even a bartender in a tuxedo, a black guy, but he’s not serving any drinks. The bar is closed because Eduardo is taking care of some business. Even though he’s reclined in the middle of the gigantic sofa, which looks like a marshmallow, with a bikini-clad chick kneeling to each side of him — one is filing his nails the other is stroking his thigh. Eduardo has tight-fitting synthetic powder-blue pants on. A garish shirt covered in loud stripes and spangles, unbuttoned down to his belly button, revealing a hairy thick chest and several gold chains. He’s clearly got an erection bulging his crotch area into a pup tent, and clearly the big-breasted girl stroking his thigh is causing it, because every few strokes she shifts her hand over and rubs the pup tent. Behind the couch, outside three tall art deco windows, orange fire, miles long has burned the clouds and the heavens above them a beautiful shade of orange and black. On the table in front of Eduardo, several bags of marijuana are scattered on the glass coffee table. “Where did you get this shit?” Eduardo asks in a thick Cuban accent. “We can’t give up our source, Eduardo,” White says. “That’s a bad business practice.” Thug-1 stands up from the bar and steps over behind White guy. White guy looks warily at Thug-1 and says, “You sickin’ the dogs on me, Eduardo?” “No disrespect, Eduardo,” says Cuban, “but if you can, like, tell us what’s going down, maybe we can, like, help you out.” “Like,” Eduardo mocks Cuban, “you punks are selling my grass.” “We didn’t boost this grass from nobody,” Cuban says. “Like,” Eduardo’s tone is biting, sarcastic. “If you didn’t boost this grass from nobody, where the fuck did you get it?” White and Cuban are slow to respond. “Don’t tell me this shit washed up on Miami Beach?” Eduardo says. “This grass came from an outta town source,” White Guy says. Eduardo glances at Thug-1, who quickly pulls out a pistol and points it at White Guy’s head. “Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa, now,” White guy says. “Let’s not get hasty, no reason for violence.” “Like, I don’t wanna spill your blood on my rugs, punk. So start telling me about this outa town source.” White guy slowly looks at the gun and then back at Eduardo. “You better start talking right now, motherfucker,” Eduardo says. “Because if you don’t, you will die.” It’s Cuban who cracks and says, “Alright, alright, I’ll tell you what you want to know. There’s this cat named George on Key Largo and he —” Jack Turner is standing at attention in front of Captain Hall’s desk sweating bullets. Jack thinks he’s been busted for stealing all that grass from the storage room. Ever since he tossed it in his truck, he’s been worried that a surveillance camera caught him running across the parking lot with those big bags of grass in his arms. And if that’s not it, he figures, an inventory revealed the missing bales and now he’s about to be questioned about what went on that night he was standing watch in the contraband warehouse. Captain Hall has a real poker face, with that steady look that pulls his lips down in a skeptical frown. His demeanor says, I’m already pissed off and I know what you are about to say will disappoint me even further. There’s a guy in a suit sitting in a chair off to his right, and the longer Captain Hall makes him stand there without talking, the longer Jack becomes certain that the guy in the suit is a cop or an FBI agent who is there to arrest him. Oh shit, Jack worries. I knew I shouldn’t have stolen that grass. And the money — it’s blood money, it’s filthy. Jack is about to speak up, to confess. He’s about to open his mouth when Captain Hall inhales deeply through his nostrils and sneers like he’s about to speak. Jack knows his worst possible nightmare has come true, because Hall says, “This is Mister Banks, and he is with the DEA. Do you know what DEA stands for, Turner?” “Drug Enforcement Agency,” Jack says, now certain he’s about to be put in handcuffs and taken away to a federal prison. He’s going to be raped daily in jail for the rest of his life. There’s no doubt. He figures if he speaks up and admits what he’s done before the captain accuses him, maybe they’ll go easy on him. But he can’t bring himself to admit the horrible treason he’s committed. It’s weird, the thought flashes across his mind, since he didn’t smoke any of the marijuana, he only sold it, there’s a part of his conscience that tends to think he didn’t really do anything too wrong. All he did was change a few bags of dead plants into cash. What’s wrong with that? And he suddenly resolves to give all the cash to Wendy. He decides right then and there — makes a solemn promise to God — if he gets away with this, he’s going to give all the money to her and the baby, even if the baby is not his. Just please don’t arrest me. He can feel himself perspiring profusely under his shirt and across his forehead. Captain Hall’s voice breaks through the worried thoughts in Jack’s head. “Correct, Turner, DEA stands for Drug Enforcement Agency, and Mister Banks,” Hall points at the guy in the suit sitting off to Jack’s side, “has asked me to volunteer a member of the crew to assist him with a surveillance operation.” “A surveillance operation?” Jack asks, not making the connection. “Yes, exactly, Turner, a surveillance operation that may last a couple of weeks. And I’d like you to volunteer. What do you say?” Jack thinks it’s kind of cool that Captain Hall is asking him to volunteer. He knows he could have just sent orders to his division officer without giving Jack a choice. Hey, Jack realizes, this is all about me spotting that speedboat. Captain Hall was so impressed he’s actually calling me up here to his office, just like he had me on the bridge to fire that rocket. Jack throws his shoulders back, stands up straight. “Absolutely, sir. I’m honored that you personally are asking me to take this assignment. Of course I’ll do it, but can I ask what it is I’ll be doing?” “Well, go ahead and tell him, Mr. Banks,” Captain Hall says. “You’ll be helping out with surveillance on a drug trafficker in Puerto Rico,” Banks says. “It should take about ten days, two weeks tops.” The fear of being arrested vanishes from Jack’s mind along with the thought of giving all the money to Wendy and the baby. He is totally up for a two week assignment in Puerto Rico. He’d never been there before and wonders exactly what he’ll be doing — imagines himself on lookout with binoculars in the jungle, or patrolling off the coast on a small boat — maybe even flying around in a helicopter which would be very cool. This is exciting, Jack realizes. “I’ll pick you up on the pier at zero five thirty tomorrow morning, okay, Turner?” Banks says. “Sounds great,” Jack replies, thinking that Max can shop for a sailboat on his own. Road trip music plays as Wendy cruises across the dessert. A row of tall wind turbines spin lazily atop a tan mesa beside the highway. Ahead, as far as she can see, there’s only blue sky and dessert dirt speckled with wind turbines and twisted Joshua Trees. Indio next exit, announces a green sign on the roadside, and Wendy realizes this is the furthest east she has ever been. A couple years ago she went to the Coachella music festival in Indio with friends, and that had been quite an adventure, but nothing compared to the trip she is taking now. According to the map app on her phone, there’s 2700 miles between her and Key West, and almost all of that is on Highway 10. When she looked over the directions during her last stop for a snack, she saw that she’d stay on Highway 10 all the way to Florida; from there she’s confident, she’ll figure it out — take a right turn and another couple highways all the way down to Key West. Her biggest concern is breaking down on the dessert or running out of gas. She decides not to let it run below a half a tank. She’s determined to make it to Phoenix tonight. Her phone starts to vibrate on the passenger seat, but she doesn’t answer it. It’s her mom, calling for the like the 80th time. The hell with her. Just don’t shut off the credit card, Wendy thinks, and everything will work out just fine, Grandma. Cruising along like this on the wide-open dessert, knowing she has at least a week of driving ahead of her, having now committed to the fact that she has left her parents for good, she feels an incredible sense of freedom. Her entire life, for the first time ever, is right in front of her. It’s so real she can feel it coming at her at 65 miles per hour. The future is smooth, she believes, like blacktop rolling under her wheels. It kind of freaks her out, realizing that all these years her driveway, right out in front of her house, was connected to the street, and that was connected to the highway, and the highway she’s on right now, this thing made out of melted rocks or whatever, is a continuous ribbon all the way from her house to Key West, almost 3000 miles away. All those years playing jump rope and drawing with chalk on her driveway, and now she really understands that her driveway was connected to Key West all that time. She doesn’t have to slash her way through a jungle or climb a mountain or fight off wild animals or bandits or anything. It makes total sense to her that all she has to do is point her car east and step on the gas and follow the lines on the highway and listen to music and at the end of this long road she’s going to find Jack Turner. She just knows when they see each other they’re going to fall in love again. They’re going to get married and get an apartment and have a baby and live happily ever after. She decides to pull off in Indio for something to eat. At a buffet restaurant, Wendy loads up two plates with baked chicken, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese and steamed broccoli and cauliflower. There’s a mini ice cream scooper in a big bowl of butter and she can’t resist the thought of butter melting all over her hot veggies, so she dollops on two of those little scoopers. While scarfing down she glances at herself in the mirrored wall and sees that she’s gulping her food after barely chewing, so she forces herself to slow down. Wow, she thinks, I’m ravenous! I’ve never felt this kind of hunger before. It’s like there’s a hollow craving inside her abdomen and the food is just falling into this giant hollow space and not even filling her up at all, just disappearing into empty blackness. She wipes both plates clean with a couple of dinner roll. Insatiable, she returns to the buffet for a third plateful. This time she experiences feelings that border on lust as she peruses the metal pans full of tasty food under the sneeze guard. She chooses two pieces of spicy Thai chicken, shovels on another scoop of Mac n Cheese and two pieces of corn on the cob. It’s very relaxing, this sense of anonymity she feels. She is so far from home and she doesn’t know any of the seniors or any of the horribly overweight people who are in the dining area. She places a brownie in the bottom of a bowl and covers it with vanilla soft serve and then pumps on two blasts of chocolate sauce, whipped cream and sprinkles. She hasn’t had sex in over 8 months, since the last time she was with Jack Turner, and right now she doesn’t miss sex at all. Who could miss sex, she thinks while looking at the bowl of sugary sweets, when there’s this? Back on the highway, the Jetta is zipping along effortlessly at 70 miles per hour. Wendy wonders if she’ll start plumping up, especially if she continues eating like a horse. For the first seven and a half months, her appetite barely increased. The baby had grown into a volleyball-sized bump pressing her bellybutton outward a little more each week. But a week or so ago, when she hit 8 months, she started waking up at night because her stomach was growling for food. She’d eat a banana and go back to bed, but she still couldn’t sleep, so she’d go back to the kitchen and toss down a bowl or two of Cheerios. Ever since then, she was piling in the food like a garbage disposal. Even though it was a little scary, she had no problem eating anything. One evening while helping her mom make a salad, she ate the heels of a half-dozen tomatoes sprinkled with salt. They were so good. And cucumbers, all she had to do was dash on a little salt and gulp — they tasted awesome. She kept one hand on the wheel while rubbing the other down her thigh and she wasn’t really worried about consuming so much food. She could still feel her hipbones in the front and around the sides. Above the baby bump, she felt her ribs, same as always like piano keys. Her kneecaps were the same way as they’d been before she got pregnant. She turned up the radio, and punched the button to scan to the next station. A country western song came on and normally she grew bored with the folksy twanging voice and the cheesy slide guitar, but out here on the open range, with buttes and mesas rising above the cactus-speckled sunset, she let it play. She could feel the soulful sadness. It must have been a solid block set, because she didn’t change the station, even after a half a dozen songs. They cycled through all the typical CW themes, including broken hearts, broken-down pickup trucks, parties at the lake, patriotic war ballads and honky-tonk drinking binges. She felt like the world was opening up to her, and these songs were becoming her own. After all, Jack was in the military and their relationship had been bitter sweet so far. She was on a romantic quest from coast to coast to claim her man and she realized with a smile that her situation would make for a heart-aching country western song. She wished she knew how to play guitar.

CHAPTER 15

The raccoon raises its head above the weeds and looks around. The sound of someone getting punched in the face hard comes from the window. Then the sound of a man groaning in pain. A man’s voice says, “I think I broke my hand! This guy has a hard skull. I’m telling you.” The raccoon ambles up the wooden ramp to the porch. It climbs onto the bucket and puts its paws on the window frame to look inside. The raccoon sees Eduardo Scabado and Thug-2 standing in George’s kitchen. They are looking at Thug-1 who is looking at his hand as it swells and begins to turn a shade of purple. George is off to one side, out of the raccoon’s sight, tied to a kitchen chair. “You ready to talk yet?” Thug-1 says. “My hand is getting sore.” “Fuck you.” George spits out a tooth. It clinks against the glass window on the front of the oven. Thug-2 steps over and quickly socks George in the nose twice — bam bam — quick rabbit punches that smear busted cartilage, skin and snot across George’s face. George groans. “Come on, George,” Eduardo Scabado says. “Make it easy on yourself. Tell us who your dope dealing buddies are.” George groans. Thug-1 grabs the toaster off the kitchen counter and walks toward George. He says, “Let me see if this makes him talk.” Suddenly George is scared. “No, man, come on! Not my hair, man, not my hair —” The raccoon sees Scabado smiling and his eyes lighting up. The raccoon senses primal savagery. There’s a crackling sound. Electrical sparks. The light of a fire glows in the kitchen. The raccoon crouches down low so only his bandit eyes are peeking over the window sash. A thin growl beginning to purr in its belly. George is howling in agony as his hair bursts into flames. “Holy shit,” Thug-2 chuckles. “His head is on fire.” George screams, “AAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!” Thug-2 opens the refrigerator and grabs a gallon of milk. He twists the top off and step toward George, pouring milk all over him. “Alright, alright, you fucking cry baby. Stop whining.” “You should have allowed him burn a little longer,” Scabado says. “You ready to talk yet, punk?” “You guys are such assholes!” Scabado shakes head, disappointed. Thug-2 says, “Burnt hair, smells nasty!” “Georgie, you’re not gonna do me any good dead,” Scabado says, “so I’m gonna explain my situation, okay?” Thug-1 chimes in, “And if you don’t talk, I’m gonna burn your fucking face off, got it?” Still George doesn’t say a word. “It’s like this, Georgie,” Scabado says, “a recent shipment of my grass never made it to the pier in Miami, right? I come to find out that the Coast Guard busted the shipment out on the Gulf. Now, shit like this happens in my business, so I didn’t lose any sleep over it. But then, I’ll be damned, I come to find out that you and your buddies show up in Miami with a large quantity of the same high grade grass that I was waiting for on the pier. You follow me, George?” “Yeah,” George grunts. “So, I start asking question and the trail leads straight to you. Now just tell me who these other guys are and we’ll be on our way, okay?” “I can’t just give up my friends like that. How about you give me a message for them and —” “Well, George, you are about to suffer a major injury,” Scabado says. Still George doesn’t talk. “It’s gonna limit one of more your major life function,” Scabado says as he grabs a wine bottle off the kitchen counter and steps toward George. “No,” George says. “Please, please, don’t hit me!” The raccoon’s back paws scratch at the lid of the bucket and the growl rumbles in its chest. Scabado bangs the wine bottle hard on George’s knee and George howls in agony. “Alright, alright,” George blubbers. “I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you!” * * * If you enjoyed The Pirate, Part I: The Traitor, please post an honest review on the eBook site where you downloaded it. Thank You, Malcolm Torres Look for The Pirate, Part II: The Kingpin and Part III: Big Daddy on www.malcolmtorres.com * * * If you enjoyed The Pirate, you’ll also enjoy Sixty-Four Days, A Sea Story. It has over 200 good reviews and it is always FREE on all eReaders. You’ll find links to Sixty-Four Days on all the eBook sites here: www.malcolmtorres.com/free/ Click to Post

[rehncohro]

I made a short little visual novel based off of one of @TwoButtonCrew's videos. Download Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/twobuttoncrewvisualnovel/264329