#uenoyama is such a beautiful name

[sleepyhead-poll]

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE LOSER'S BRACKET ARE OPEN!

Welcome to the Loser's Bracket submissions! If you don't know how it works, here's a rundown:

For about a week, I will have nominations open for the Loser's Bracket. Nominate as many characters as you want who were in the tournament but have lost, but do not nominate someone more than once or someone who wasn't in the main tournament. (All contestants who lost prior to the semifinals have a shot to be nominated.)

After the Loser's Bracket nominations have been recorded, I will take the top 16 most nominated characters and begin the Loser's Bracket, which will last 4 rounds. Each round will last only a day, unlike the main tournament, where each round lasted a week.

The winner of the Loser's Bracket will have an honorary place on the podium and be mentioned in the finals winners post.

All propaganda for the Loser's Bracket will be unique, so feel free to write more propaganda on why you think they deserve this second chance.

I will stop taking nominations the day that the semifinals poll is over, as I want to start the Loser's Bracket the day the finals go up.

I will take nominations through the ask box! Send the name of your character & any propaganda on why you think they should have won.

Under the cut is a list of ALL THE LOSERS thus far and WHICH ROUND THEY LOST IN. Feel free to scroll through it to refresh yourself on anyone you want to nominate. (I hope I spelled everyone's name right because that was a lot to type and I'm not doing that again lmao)

Lost During Round 1

Tanaka (Tanaka-kun is Always Listless)

Sanada Ryu (Kimi ni Todoke)

Yokune Ruko (UTAUloid)

Ritsu Sakuma (Ensemble Stars)

Tsukasa Hiiragi (Lucky Stars)

Chayanne (QSMP)

Koshiba Kiri (Beauty Pop)

Towa Motosu (World Dai Star)

Takenaka Hanbei (Samurai Warriors)

Budwin (Papa Louie)

Meguru Bachira (Blue Lock)

Judai Yuki (Yu-Gi-Oh! GX)

Sleepy Gary (Rick and Morty)

Viva Twilight (Master Detective Archives: Rain Code)

Garfield (Garfield)

Shari (Wayside School)

Takane Enomoto (Kagerou Project)

Howard Philips Lovecraft (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Belphegor (Obey Me! Shall we Date?)

En Yufuin (Cute High Earth Defense Club Love!)

Hyp (Touhou: Fantastic Danmaku Festival 2)

Meitenkun (King of the Fighters)

Mint (My Time at Portia)

Priscilla (Rune Factory 5)

Dreamer / Protagonist (Melatonin)

Clovis (Percy Jackson)

Towtow (Super Smash Bros.)

Link (Legend of Zelda)

Shota Aizawa / Eraser Head (My Hero Academia)

Shikamaru Nara (Naruto)

Vooshvazool's Bat (The Neverending Story)

Enrico Pollini (Rat Race)

Denjiro Kyoshiro (One Piece)

Sans (Undertale)

Midnight (Fairytale)

Ahito (Galactik Football)

Laffey (Azur Lane)

Noelle (NieR Reincarnation)

Nemu (Haibane Renmei)

Snoozing Carpenter (Sky: Children of the Light)

Aurora Sya Lis Goodreste (Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle)

Eve (Eaternal Nocturnal)

Elle (Crush Crush)

Hastings (One Upon a Time in Space)

Briar Beauty (Ever After)

Silver (Twisted Wonderland)

Ganyu (Genshin Impact)

Layla (Genshin Impact)

Totoro (My Neighbor Totor)

Slakoth & Slaking (Pokemon)

Musharna (Pokemon)

Dreaming Nemleria (Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG)

Noddy (Kirby)

Nemukko Nyago (Sanrio)

Citrus (Otherworldly Ravenous Beast)

Espinas (Monster Hunter)

Lazy Smurf (The Smurfs)

Paddi (Pleasant Goat and Big Bad Wolf)

Dozer (Cookie Run)

Forde (Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones)

Trec (Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade)

Mirabilis (Fire Emblem: Heroes)

Sothis (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Ladybird (King of the Hill)

Lost During Round 2

Ritsuka Uenoyama (Given)

Kanata Konoe (love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club)

Yoshihito Usaida (Gakuen Babysitters)

Yuuya Amane (Nukoduke!)

PJ Berri (Parappa the Rapper)

Nagi Seishiro (Blue Lock)

Sleepy Ernst (Destroy All Humans)

Peppermint Patty (Peanuts)

Saiko Yonebayashi (Tokyo Ghoul:re)

Kyoutarou Shuzenji (Cute Earth Defense Club HAPPY KISS!)

Hisoka Mikage (A3!)

Ryker (Rune Factory 5)

Madotsuki (Yume Nikki)

Talon (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

Agares Picero (Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun)

Mister Zzz (Batman)

Roronoa Zoro (One Piece)

Dino (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)

Nemurin (Magical Girl Raising Project)

Siffrin (In Stars and Time)

Sakuma Fueko (The Feelings We All Must Endure)

Sleepy (Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Sleeping Beauty (Shrek)

Sayu (Genshin Impact)

Slowpoke Evolution Line (Pokemon)

Caitlin (Pokemon)

Gudetama (Pokemon)

Number 6 Floof (Monster Hunter Stories)

Flower (Bambi)

Vampire Cookie (Cookie Run)

Mitama (Fire Emblem: Fates)

Durin (Arknights)

Lost During Round 3

Yumemi Nemu (Vocaloid)

Panda (Polar Bear Cafe)

Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair)

Kuro / Sleepy Ash / Sloth (Servamp)

Clorica (Rune Factory 4)

Hypnos (Hades)

Unconscious Argentinean (Moulin Rouge)

Sloth (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Sunny (Omori)

Sleepytime Tea Bear (Celestial Sleepytime Tea)

Jing Beiyuan (Lord Seventh)

Komala (Pokemon)

Rainforest Dragon / RainWings (Wings of Fire)

Judd (Splatoon)

Haar (Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance)

Lost During Round 4

Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga (Azumanga Daioh)

Jeff Wiggle (The Wiggles)

Nanaki Kazuaki (Hatoful Boyfriend)

Olruggio (Witch Hat Atelier)

Bedman (Guilty Gear)

Wonderland Sekai Megurine Luka (Project Sekai: Colorful Stage)

Snorlax (Pokemon)

Lindhardt von Hevring (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Lost During Round 5 (Quarterfinals)

Snoozer (Hamtaro)

Hotaru Yura (Magia Record)

Jade Harley (Homestuck)

Bedtime Bear (Care Bears)

[pillow-anime-talk]

music & vocaloids month ; twentyth day.

synopsis: Quiet evenings are your and Ren’s favorite thing.

# tags: scenario; current trelationship; slice of life; romance; fluff; doing a haircut; touch; warm hands; pet names; sfw

includes: female reader ft. ren jinguji {uta no prince-sama}

You've finished the last piece of your fiancé’s new haircut while adding some white accessories to it. Ren’s long hair was perfect for you to practice doing different hairstyles; braids, buns, high ponytails, curls, waves... His hair was always delicate and smelled of coconut shampoo and raspberry lotion.

The man, of course, couldn’t complain about such care – your warm hands, calm touch, sometimes even a scalp or neck massage were salvation for him after a long day of work or quick training. Your presence, the characteristic aura hovering around you, your light scent of baked apple or mint mist was... perfect. He loved it.

“... I finished, my love.” You smiled, and the man finally opened his both eyes looking at his reflection in the mirror that proudly hung in your huge, light bedroom.

“Oh gosh.” He said in surprise, observing every strand on his head carefully, then looked at you enchanted. “I look great, huh? Tell me.”

“Best in the world, sir.” You admitted with a slight chuckle on your heart, and the fair-haired man looked at the hairstyle one more time, gently touching it with his fingertips. Not wanting to ruin his hairdo, he removed his hand and then turned to you; his lips moved to your forehead and after a moment you felt a hot kiss on your skin.

“Thank you, baby.” A short while later, you felt another sweet kiss, but this time it was a quick but tender kiss right on the lips. The young man’s scent instantly hit your nose, and you melted under the short caress. At the very end, you felt only a gentle touch on your left cheek and the top of your head, and then Ren pulled away from you, rising from the white, soft carpet. “I’ll make us supper. Rest a bit, dove. Okay?”

You nodded, getting under the covers and turning on your phone.

While you were watching TikTok, Ren was preparing the two of you sandwiches with your favorite ingredients and two teas with a beautiful, distinct aroma. Evening like evening; a quiet routine was best for you.

previous day ; ritsuka uenoyama from given ♡ next day ; layla serizawa from trapnest

[v-67]

Anime : Given

I cannot imagine the pain mafuyu went through

I mean, loving someone who was with you since you were a kid, that person was your bestfriend and boyfriend and the comfort, the warmth.

And to know that that person died because of partly you.

It fucking pains me.

When I heard him sing, I was fucking moved.

This anime.

Oh my fucking god.

This is so beautiful, the journey it shows.

The suppression of feelings, the support, the help, the realisation and the healing, the moving on yet still holding on.

I am in awe.

I have that music liked on my Spotify and I still cannot listen to it without my heart being all clenched up and just, the feelings all get stirred.

Also, Uenoyama🙌

The representation of Boundaries🤌😭❤️

The healthy ways of dealing with things. The intimacy of without being intimate.

I am in awe.

Also sidenote, but have you guys noticed how Uenoyama looks like Kageyama from Haikyuu and Haruki looks like a blonde Asahi

Iknow Mafuyu doesn't really resemble Hinata but my mind was like ehhhh, kinda.

Okay I'm done, gooodnight guys.

Also, Uenoyama is such a cute name.

There's one thing I'm kinda unclear about, how does mafuyu's ex (Yuki) die?

Over drinking? But how can one die by over drinking(I mean Iknow but at the same time there were 6-7 cans in the screen) I don't understand, and I don't understand why would mafuyu say something like can you die for me to him, and how can he die?

In my mind it might be something like he drank too much and slept on his back and maybe choked on his own puke.

I'm not sure

[metalandmagi]

Summer 2019 Anime Worth Watching

Summer is here, and with it brings another new season of anime! In case you’re feeling lost and want to find some new shows to pass the time, here’s some of the anime I think are worth checking out...because some really good shows tend to fly under the radar. I think there’s some genuinely interesting stuff this season, so hopefully you’ll find something you like too. 

I also have a Winter list and a Spring list and a fall list now!

And here’s my master list for 2020

New Shows!

Given: A *cough* BL *cough* romance anime in which tsundere highschool guitarist Ritsuka Uenoyama is on the verge of losing his passion for music when he stumbles upon the sleepy-eyed Mafuyu Sato who constantly carries a guitar around that he doesn’t know how to play. Drama and musical shenanigans ensue. This was by far my most anticipated show of the season, because I happen to have read a few chapters of this manga and liked it a lot. The only reason I stopped was because I wanted to hear the music in this music oriented story...so naturally the anime makes me very happy. Not only is it sweet and cute with great animation, but it’s also hilarious. Sato is also basically a human incarnation of a lost puppy, and you just help but fall in love with him and the other characters! AND NOW WE HAVE TWO GAY MUSIC SHOWS THIS SEASON! 

Dr. STONE: An action adventure anime that takes place 3,700 years in the future after the world is struck with a mysterious phenomenon that turns the entire human race to stone. Our protagonists: the genius, scientific minded Senku Ishigami and the muscle-y comic relief Taiju Oki, must find a way to rebuild civilization and turn humanity back to normal using the POWER OF SCIENCE! It’s fun, good looking, and way more interesting than I thought it would be. I’m not very attached to the main characters yet, although it’s still early. I’m mainly sticking around for the plot, the comedy, and the answers to the crazy amount of questions I have after watching the first episode!

Fire Force: An action/drama where super powered fire fighters must protect Tokyo from people who are spontaneously combusting while our hero Shinra must find out who started the fire that killed his mother. More than anything, I’d say this show is definitely worth watching for the cinematography and action because almost every second has been high flying dynamic animation that really grips you. It reminds me a lot of Soul Eater, the story and characters have a lot of potential, and you know an anime will be good when the girls have muscles too!

If it’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord: Can you tell it’s based on a light novel? A slice of life set in a fantasy world where an adventurer named Dale stumbles upon an adorable lost little girl in the woods, who happens to be branded as a criminal. So of course Dale basically adopts her and tries to find out how she came to be with him. It’s basically fantasy School Babysitters without the tragic depth to it (but there’s room for potential). Yes, this is definitely the most wholesome show of the season, but it’s to be expected considering it’s basically Japan’s latest attempt to get people to have more babies. Personally, the most interesting aspect of this show is the fact that Dale and his “daughter” can’t speak the same language. Unfortunately, the light novel ends up pulling a Bunny Drop...so I sincerely hope the anime doesn’t try the creepy romance factor. So for now, if you feel like puking up some rainbows, give this one a try. 

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts: An action drama where, during a civil war, one side used “forbidden technology” to enhance their soldiers and basically turn them into badass monsters. The only problem: the soldiers who were turned start to lose their humanity and end up killing humans for the fun of it. Now our protagonist must hunt down his fellow soldiers and kill them before it’s too late. Honestly, this show has some pacing issues and can be a bit stilted in terms of its character interactions, but what kept me watching was the last 5 minutes of the first episode. I was so not prepared for the roller coaster that was the first episode’s ending, and now I’m extremely intrigued. Besides it’s made by MAPPA so I would at least give it a couple episodes to see if it’s for you.   

Vinland Saga: The story of a young boy named Thorfinn’s journey to become a great warrior and while the adults deal with going to war. IT’S THE ONE WITH THE VIKINGS!!! It basically feels like a darker, grittier viking version of Moana. I’ve heard literally nothing but praise for this manga for so many years that my hopes skyrocketed as soon as I heard Wit was doing the adaption. And it has definitely lived up to the hype so far! It’s a great action historical drama to fill the void after Dororo. The only problem is no one will watch it because it’s on Amazon Prime.

Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga: A fun brightly colored historical anime about the famous warlord Nobunaga when he was a young teenager. I honestly don’t know what the tone of this anime is going to be from here on out, because it’s going to go from “fun thieving shenanigans with pretty boys” to leading people into battle, but it got me interested. I know putting Nobunaga in an anime isn’t exactly original, but this one seems like a fun ride...and it looks gay as fuck. 

And I have to shout out some that haven’t premiered yet...just in case...

Try Knights: This one doesn’t come out until the end of July, but you bet your ass I’m going to be watching it because it’s an original anime about PRETTY BOYS PLAYING RUGBY! And I have a feeling it’s going to be very... different from the other resident rugby anime All Out. 

Yokai Ningen BEM (Humanoid Monster BEM): Okay, this one’s not out yet either, but the trailer had a really cool vibe to it, so I’m including it anyway. It’s a remake of the 1968 anime in which a group of yokai who look like humans fight crime in the big city. If nothing else, the music is cool, and it’s made by Production I.G, so why not?

*UPDATE* The first episode finally dropped, and holy crap I’m so into this. It’s basically Durarara mixed with Psycho Pass mixed with Bungo Stray Dogs. The first episode has me completely hooked!

Next seasons and continuations!

As always there are some leftovers from the spring season that are continuing into the summer that I highly suggest!

Carole and Tuesday: The musical sci-fi anime directed by Shinichiro Watanabe wherein a rich runaway named Tuesday meets a streetwise girl named Carole, and the two decide to start a band together. Now Carole and Tuesday must rise to stardom in a world dominated by android created music. It was by far my favorite new show of the spring, and if you can find a way to watch it (because it’s still not available legally anywhere aside from Japanese Netflix apparently) I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s got the best and most diverse music I’ve seen in an anime in a long time, an interesting setting (apparently it takes place in the Cowboy Bebop universe!?), and very well rounded fun characters. And I'm dying for a soundtrack release with all the songs!!!!

Fruits Basket 2019: Yes, the remake of the classic 2001 anime in which a girl moves in with a family who can turn into animals from the zodiac is getting a full run. And thank God because I just can’t say goodbye to it after only 12 episodes. It is so stunningly beautiful in both animation and story subjects that I don’t know what I would do without it. The characters feel so much more fleshed out, and I feel like I learn a lesson about life each week even though I already know most of what’s going to happen. If you never watched the original because thought you were too “cool” to watch a shoujo anime, give it a chance. Because if you think it’s just a generic love triangle romance show, you couldn’t be more wrong. The reboot is so good at portraying different kinds of love and how the presence of love and family can change lives AND IT’S JUST SO FREAKING GOOD! 

Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: In case you missed Ufotable’s newest project, this is a shounen anime that follows a young boy named Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko who has been possessed by a demon and their journey to turn Nezuko back to normal while fighting demons along the way. I still feel like this is a pretty basic shounen anime story wise, but I really like the characters, especially the villains. It has some of the coolest fighting/power mechanics I’ve seen in awhile, and the animation is very cool and different!

Ace of Diamond act 2: Our favorite shounen baseball anime is continuing into the summer. And I have very mixed feelings about this season so far. We are getting some fun new characters and some great scenes with the team, but the games are very...choppy and rushed. Apparently this is how it goes down in the manga, and we’re in for some good Sawamura development...but it’s still touch and go for me personally.  

That’s it for now. Most of these are available on Crunchyroll, except Vinland Saga, Carole and Tuesday, and Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga. Since Try Knights and Yokai Ningen BEM aren’t out yet, I don’t know where they will be available legally. 

See you next season!

[hide8696]

Yuki Yoshida

"I am made of

memories"

I'm back again with another given character. This time let talk about our sunshine, Yuki Yoshida. Before we start this is just how I thought of Yuki so nothing serious here XD

Based on wiki I found out about Yuki name means : reason/cause (yu) and chronicle (ki) and there also meaning of Yuki right? Snow? Just as his name his story is as cold as snow yet beautiful and he is yes my second most favourite characters after Ugetsu.

So far before Mafuyu meet Uenoyama, he was caged in the never ending guilt since he thought he was the cause of Yuki's death and might can never move on since it was Mafuyu who casting the spell "Then will you die for me?" after their small fight. Again I lost focus XD I'm not going to talk about Mafuyu (maybe later) so yeah let proceed.

They first meeting was so cute btw XD Yuki found Mafuyu hiding under the tree looking so small as in protecting himself and bruised. At first it seems like Yuki wanted to just ignored Mafuyu and continuing playing and well not after Mafuyu replying him. Yuki seems like had a zero interest in Mafuyu at first.

"My dad hits me if I speak."

- Mafuyu

"I don't have a 'dad'."

- Yuki

I take it this is the first time Yuki had fallen in love with Mafuyu. It pretty early to say it since they were just a child but I'm going to stick with my opinions. This is where Yuki had fall in love with Mafuyu. Hard.

I guess it was Yuki's mother who had called a police and told them about the abused (which I guess Yuki who had told his mother). I guess Mafuyu's mother maybe afraid to making a report (maybe she was threatened cause Mafuyu's mother seems like a delicate lady). And look at Yuki's eyes. It was full of hates when he saw Mafuyu's father with the police.

They relationship is so pure as it almost a fairytale. Which is almost impossible to achieve. Always together and holding each other tight. Yuki himself is a sunshine and impossible not to love. As been stated by Hiiragi, Yuki was a flashy, dominant and moody. He was everyone friend. Everyone loves him. While Mafuyu was a submissive, introverted and reserved type. Which is their relationship itself is a complete attraction. Completely opposite. Which is lead to question by everyone just how they can become friend. But, they were a puzzle that complete each other. A soulmate.

"This and this and this."

Truthfully, they relationship remind me a lot of Achilles and Patroclus from "The song of Achilles" book. So in love. So young. So curious. But, unliked the book, this time it was Yuki (Achilles) who died. It was Mafuyu (Patroclus) who was mourning.

Yuki is so soft and gentle whenever he was with Mafuyu. He is type of a person who will sacrifice everything, anything for Mafuyu. Just to see him happy. Just to be happy with him. Since both of them was fatherless and rise by amazing women, Yuki and Mafuyu complete each other. I guess Hiiragi noticed it too it was impossible to enter Yuki and Mafuyu world. What makes it even amazing their mother approved of their relationship. So how perfect it can be?

"Name one hero who is happy."

Biggest mistake they both had committed is loving so much that every words, every act, every touch and every breath is serious. Nothing is a joke whenever it involves them.

Mafuyu is everything to Yuki. Mafuyu was his life. His, god. Every words of Mafuyu is sacred. His love for Mafuyu somehow had turn into his biggest weakness. His greatest blessing yet his biggest curse. Just like Ugetsu. They portraying each other. Their love for someone/something had turn into poison. Killing them slowly and surely. Parallel to each other. One who die for love and one who suffer for love.

"And perhaps it is the greater grief after all, to be left on earth when another is gone."

The parallel between Yuki and Ugetsu just my cup of tea.

Yuki who died for love, Ugetsu who suffer for love.

It was amazing how this story almost connected to each other yet so different.

When I read the scene Yuki and Mafuyu on the beach, it hurt like hell. As in Yuki knows about his own death and accept it. The way he speak it, he just let things happened. Like he wanted Mafuyu to remember about him even just a bit. He wanted Mafuyu to forever kept him in his heart even just for a bit. He seems like a person who will not tied someone their love but will still sacrifice even everything for someone their love. Even it means hurting themselves was the last things to do. Yuki is so innocent and like a tickling bomb which will blown anytime given and he did.

"Mafuyu was after all

his first and last love."

What if Yuki never left? What if Yuki becomes a famous musician? What if everything never happened? I guess Akihiko and Ugetsu will suffering much more? Uenoyama can never understand himself anymore? Haruki and Akihiko never happened? Or maybe all will happened but without Mafuyu in the picture? Ahhh. What I tried to think about it, it only leading me into unexplained pain and happiness but now with Yuki aren't here it still painful cause I also wanted Yuki to be happy. But, I also comes to love Mafuyu and Uenoyama. So hard to choose.

"When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him."

"I will never leave him. It will be this, always, for as long as he will let me. If I had had words to speak such a thing, I would have. But there were none that seemed big enough for it, to hold that swelling truth. As if he had heard me, he reached for my hand. I did not need to look; his fingers were etched into my memory, slender and petal-veined, strong and quick and never wrong. “Patroclus,” he said. He was always better with words than I."

"He smiled, and his face was like the sun."

The Song of Achilles and Yuki&Mafuyu just amazingly perfect for me. (let praying someone will write something about this two) 😂

Credit to the first picture @metiredlr

[notthatiwilleverwriteit]

Sorry if I’m rude, but I really don’t get the Ugetsu hype at all 😕, would you mind explaining it please, I would like to widen my perception of him

Hello, dear anon!

First of all, I’m so sorry for keeping your ask waiting for so long. You would think that as an Ugetsu fan, I would have been jumping up and down because of this question - and don’t get me wrong, I am excited. But much like with my previous Given ask, I found myself a bit puzzled by what to say, to be honest. Turned out this wasn’t as “simple” of a question as I originally thought. 

Secondly, don’t worry, your question isn’t rude. On the contrary, I think it’s admirable if you want to try to understand someone else’s bias and interests. It doesn’t mean you will start liking and being passionate about the same things, but I think it’s always welcomed to ask people why they like something. I’m not expecting you to start liking Ugetsu after reading how I feel about him, but your attitude is something I think we desperately need more of in this fandom.

“I really don’t get the Ugetsu hype at all 😕, would you mind explaining it please”

It’s interesting to me that you speak of “Ugetsu hype”. According to my time in the Given fandon, Ugetsu does have fans but he is probably one of the least liked characters. My gut feeling says that out of the main cast (Uenoyama, Mafuyu, Akihiko, Haruki, Ugetsu), Ugetsu is definitely the least liked among the fans. So, I can’t say I have witnessed any “hype” regarding him. Apart from a couple of hardcore Ugetsu stans, the closest to “hype” I have seen is people wishing he would find happiness after he and Akihiko broke up.

Also, I don’t think I can really “explain” anything either. Certainly not as some kind of fandom phenomenon. I can only speak for myself and myself only. The reasons why I love Ugetsu might not be why some other fans love him. I think that’s important to remember whenever talking about favorite characters/ships in general. We can never know why someone loves something, so I don’t think we should judge anyone on a personal level for liking something in fiction.

To give my answer some structure, I thought I would use some of my favorite Ugetsu illustrations. 

His character design and overall “vibe”:

As a reader/viewer/fan, I am more often than not interested in the somehow controversial characters and they usually end up becoming my favorites. Gotou Masamune (3-gatsu no lion), She Li (19 Days), Sing Soo-Ling (Banana Fish), Bakugou Katsuki (Boku no Hero Academia), Joker (DC Comics), Oikawa Tooru (Haikyuu), Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy (Harry Potter), and Oh Sangwoo (Killing Stalking) to name a few. I have always connected more with the antagonists and found them more interesting.

So, with a track record like that, I wasn’t surprised when my heart made a beeline to Ugetsu’s character. To me, it was pretty much love at first sight. I was instantly drawn to him: dark, sensual, and beautiful. In the anime, I absolutely loved his character’s mischievous and playful voice acting.

Ugetsu had an aura of solitude and distance to him, but he was also needy and affectionate in his own way. His frankness and mischief seemed to work as defense and yet he was also surprisingly vulnerable and even afraid. In many ways, he was like a cat who are often misunderstood as assholes when there is also a lot of character, affection, and intimacy packed in them.

Kizu’s choice of instrument for Ugetsu also fascinated me. To me, the violin is one of the most beautiful and intricate instruments, and it fits Ugetsu’s character perfectly. It's elegant, incredibly difficult, and kind of temperamental. The violin is sorrowful, seductive, and possesses loads of charisma. It sounds beautiful on its own though the more solitary it is, the more lonely it sounds. But it can also be a light, playful and mischievous sound, bouncing and chasing in the air. In either case, the violin won't allow itself to be ignored. 

To pair Ugetsu with the classical violin especially was also great. First of all, learning the violin on the level of becoming a soloist requires incredible discipline, dedication, and passion. Violin is a very unforgiving instrument, but it also gives you freedom. Things like intonation and phrasing are where a talent like a soloist could shine and express themselves. I think that kind of combination of disciplined precision and expressive freedom fits Ugetsu so, so well.

His softer and more vulnerable side:

I often see comments that Ugetsu didn’t really love Akihiko or care about him. Some readers think he was selfish, heartless, and abusive/toxic towards Akihiko in their relationship. And they feel sorry for anyone who later ends up in a relationship with him. To some people, Ugetsu came across as the lowest of low in his time with Akihiko.

Now, I am not going to try and claim that Ugetsu didn’t hurt Akihiko. He most certainly did, oftentimes knowingly when he was trying to push him away. Their relationship was no doubt turbulent and painful for both of them, and I’m sure they will both be happier now freed of their cycle. Even though I am an Ugetsu fan, I don’t want to make it sound like he couldn’t have done a lot of things differently.

However, I also see some parts of myself in Ugetsu. I relate to his certain type of uneasiness when it comes to letting someone/something occupy my priorities. It makes me restless and defensive easily, and I end up rejecting that someone/something which often comes across as being cold. That was an important part of why Ugetsu originally wanted to break up with Akihiko. His love for Akihiko grew so deep it posed as a “threat” to Ugetsu’s sense of “order” when it came to his passion for music. Despite of how their relationship ended, I don’t agree that Ugetsu is somehow incapable of loving someone, it just scares him and is something he needs to figure out for himself. Also, because I somewhat relate to Ugetsu in this sense, it kind of stings when people are so eager to proclaim that his kinds of people don’t deserve someone to love them.

I also believe Ugetsu cared about Akihiko and was worried about him. He did notice Akihiko had started to lose his passion for music and in a way, was giving up on himself. He wanted Akihiko to find his “trigger” again somehow. I have also read interpretations that Ugetsu probably felt guilty about how their relationship seemed to affect Akihiko’s drive. I think that’s an interesting point. Overall, it’s important to remember that partly why Ugetsu initially wanted to break up was to also “free” Akihiko from his suffering. I don’t think that is something that a heartless character would do.

I do think Ugetsu was happy with Akihiko in many ways, but it’s not his style to be flustered and lovey-dovey about it. Which is another thing I find myself somewhat relating to. Instead of being super romantic, I think Ugetsu shows his love and happiness by being clingy, playful/mischievous, and letting someone in his space both mentally and physically (by this, I don’t mean just sleeping with someone but actually letting them see him as a private person). Despite of the lack of proper communication being one of the problems in AkiUgetsu, I think Akihiko was one of the few people who really knew Ugetsu.

AkiUgetsu as roommates:

The beautiful coloring of the panel is by o_yang_o on Twitter.

I think it’s safe to say that most of the Ugetsu-hate stems from his time of being roommates with Akihiko. It was a very dark time for both of them despite the occasional islands of reminiscencing the good parts of their relationship. Ugetsu hurt Akihiko in many ways during that time and realized his behavior was hurting him.

But I think people often forget that Ugetsu was unhappy and hurting, too. Of course, it doesn’t excuse his actions but it explains them. Letting go of Akihiko was just as hard - if not harder - for Ugetsu as letting go of Ugetsu was for Akihiko. In his incapability of cutting the relationship off, Ugetsu resorted in trying to push Akihiko away by hurting him, but Akihiko wouldn’t give up on him. So, his actions didn’t come from some deep-rooted evil but rather being in pain and scared. He wanted the suffering to end but at the same, he couldn’t picture Akihiko not coming back and was terrified of everything, even the music, disappearing in the basement if Akihiko did leave him. 

I think the breakdown Ugetsu had when Akihiko finally broke up with him was telling of how difficult taking that last step had been for Ugetsu as well. He was scared of letting go and being let go of because surely nothing would be left behind. It’s true that it was Ugetsu who originally wanted to break up, but it was Akihiko who needed to walk away first when it finally came down to it. I think Ugetsu’s reaction spoke volumes of how deep his feelings for Akihiko truly ran. In short, AkiUgetsu ended up in a bad and painful direction, but I most definitely believe Ugetsu overall is capable of loving someone and he has a caring/affectionate side to him as well.

Overall, what I love about Ugetsu is his complexity and layers. You need to see deeper than his behavior to see his character as a whole. He’s not innocent and has many flaws, but he’s also not the cold and distant human monster he’s sometimes made out to be. I think Kizu put a lot of care and effort into building his character and did a beautiful job.

Liking a character like Ugetsu ultimately comes down to personal taste and preferences. I can understand that he’s not everyone’s cup of tea or if he evokes negative feelings. But I don’t think it’s fair to see some characters in a black-and-white manner if you’re at the same time making an effort to see behind some other character’s behavior. You don’t have to like every character and you can have biases, but if you catch yourself knowingly ignoring something, your reading probably isn’t the most accurate. A “lesson” I came to realize in my journey with AkiHaru.

Thank you for your question and patience, dear anon!

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Given 5

Title: Given 5 (ギヴン－given－5)

Release Date: 2020/02/25

Author/Artist: Kizu Natsuki

Cast:

Furukawa Makoto + Saitou Souma

Hino Satoshi + Takumi Yasuaki

Tamaru Atsushi

Masuda Toshiki

Hamano Daiki

Enoki Junya

Yashiro Taku

Synopsis: Adaptation of the fifth volume of the series of the same name.

Review Proper

Why am I so weak when it comes to Mafuyu and Uenoyama’s relationship??? Not even a few minutes in and they already show Uenoyama’s anxiety. I JUST WANT MY CHILDREN TO BE HAPPY. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO IN ORDER FOR GUSARI TO JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE??? This is quite ironic seeing as how I was praising Gusari for adding some realism into their relationship in 4. 😂 But I’m honestly so beat up from Itsuka Koi ni Naru Made and Saezuru that I wanted my heart to take a break. Who the hell even made this log list and why the hell is Itsuka Koi ni Naru, Saezuru, and Given right next to each other??? I was initially going to put SuzuMinta’s works before Saezuru and Given, but did I really want to put Saezuru and Given before Therapy Game and Love Nest? That’s gonna be total heart ache after total heart ache! 

Anyway, the voice work and sound direction here was phenomenal as usual. Shout out to MSG for most of the sound work, Misa Sasa for the Ugetsu’s violin, and Yohei Matsui for the lyrics. It’s so sad that all the cast and staff of the BLCD were never brought in for that anime adaptation. I mean, what was the point in getting rid of all of them? Everyone absolutely loved the series and working with each other, so I don’t think any of them would ever refuse appearing in the anime, busy schedule or not. 

Scratch that. I’m gonna say it. I absolutely hated how they scrapped all of the VAs. Where was the need? Are my boys not good enough for the anime adaptation??? When they’ve got a solid fan base that’s about four years old now??? Is Saitou Souma not good enough of a singer for you that you replaced him with some inexperienced VA to voice Mafuyu instead? I know that prods tend to hold cast auditions for anime adaptations, and I don’t have any beef with Yano Shougo and I’m sure he did his best, but the audacity of Blue Lynx to even hold them and not pick Saitou Souma...

I’ve heard the anime version of Fuyu no Hanashi and I dislike how it’s so polished and commercialized when Given’s just an indie band with an inexperienced vocalist. Who y’all fooling? And the lyrics...it completely took away the most important point of the song which is the “fingers getting cold” which is a very vital part of the series because the act of hands slipping away is featured in ALL of the characters’ relationships. If they changed Yoru no Mukou in the movie, I will be livid. Now, I personally don’t care about the anime cast using different tones for their characters so long as they are able to bring their characters to life just as well, but were they really able to do that? Mafuyu was supposed to have “a beautiful husky voice” as per Gusari, but Yano Shougo was more light and sharp which makes his sound less mature and more emotional as compared to Saitou Souma’s more distant and low-key tormented Mafuyu. I definitely prefer Saitou Souma’s soft yet heavy tone over Yano’s because I think that it encapsulates the manga Mafuyu more, but Yano Shougo’s was decent enough for a rookie actor regardless. Yuuma and Nakazawa Masatomo did well in their respective roles even though the former is higher and the latter is lower in pitch than their BLCD counterparts. Yuuma had nailed Makonyan’s Uenoyama down to a degree without going down to his pitch which was nice—UNLIKE SOMEONE. What was the point in making Egu try and replicate Hino Satoshi’s obviously more lower voice??? Egu’s Akihiko might be two to three pitches lower than his Kaburagi and you can clearly hear him strain his throat when he does it—and he goes flat while he does it, too! Please stop making Egu do that, that can’t possibly be good for his throat. I don't want him to go through what Okamoto Nobuhiko did. If Blue Lynx wanted that type of Akihiko, then why didn’t they just cast the original cast in the first place??? If y’all retained all of the Saezuru cast members, then why couldn’t you do the same for Given???

UGH. Way to ruin a franchise. Let’s not even get started with the general animation.

Anyway, back onto the topic of the BLCD, all of my boys slayed their parts as usual. Looking at the cast now, I just feel so proud that they’ve all made names for themselves in the BL industry and have blossoming careers ever since the first BLCD. I would’ve never guessed that Saitou Souma and Makonyan would rise to the top of the industry in just a short span of time. Man, I’m getting emotional. They’re like my children whom I’ve seen grow and robbed right before my very eyes. 😭😭😭 I feel like it was just yesterday when Saitou Souma made his very first appearance as Noiz’ or Hino Satoshi’s younger brother in the DMMD special CDs and now he’s chil-chil’s top 1 BL seiyuu. 😭😭😭 Bless. 

No, we’re not going to talk about Haruki and Akihiko’s relationship here because you really can’t talk sense into someone’s who’s marupok. Anong siya pa den sa hule? MAHINANG NILALANG. If he’s happy being a clown, then let him be a clown. Let’s just hope that Akihiko doesn’t hurt him anymore (even though he’s said that he might hurt him again in the future). 

Red flags: *exists*

Haruki:

This adaptation stuck closely to the manga, so reading it along would be easy. Yoru no Mukou was amazing. I was tearing up while listening to it and I think I like it more than Fuyu no Hanashi (Saitou Souma’s version), but Fuyu no Hanashi is just a different sting yo. These days I just find myself listening to both just to cry myself to sleep at night. HAHAHAHA. I definitely recommend getting the Live Edition instead of just the normal version because you just have to listen to the whole song! 

[star-puff]

OMG GUSARI!!! just.. her way of characterizing them and just her art like she has incredible talent with story-telling and pacing and a wonderful way of putting everything together with a metaphor (whether the metaphor is something obvious or not). like she has this sense of "settled unsettledness" with her writing if that makes sense. if you haven't read the matsuhana oneshot as well - i highly recommend it!!!! idk if you read given either but the moment mafuyu sings for uenoyama is VISCERAL

HHHHHHH I COULD GO ON FOR DAYS ABOUT GUSARI TTTTTT i literally start gnawing on the nearest possible object whenever i think of her doujins, like literally. i just. HHHHH the way she writes is so quiet...like i like how the love she has in her stories is not just like,, its powerful, but in a quiet, subtle, mundane way. it feels real. it feels Raw.

there's that one doujin where its about how like, UGH there's so many but there's that one doujin about iwaoi's past and how oikawa had to go into the hospital and iwaizumi was blaming himself and there's that line about how tooru & hajime's names were like,,,they had a one character difference or smth?? and how their moms wanted to symbolize that iwaizumi completed oikawa i just UGGGHHJDJSKFKKS i read all of the gusari doujin translations when i was home alone and i have never Wailed so viscerally in my life before 😐

AND YEAH I TOTALLY AGREE HER METAPHORS ARE JUST 🤌🤌🤌🤌🤌 HHH i don't think i've read the matsuhana oneshot, i think i didn't come across it when i was doing my gusari binge :( i'll look for it in the morning tho!! matsuhana just...matsuhana <3

DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON GIVEN I JUST 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲 given has me by a chokehold and Wont Let Go... i Hate to be one of Those People but i just think the given manga is better ,,, like dont get me wrong the anime is so good Esp With That Soundtrack <3 but after watching the movie i'm kinda sad they took away the complexity of the overlapping storylines of mafuyu letting go + ugetsu letting go too,,,like they were such good foils for each other so im kinda just 🥲 (+++ THOSE PANELS WHERE MAFUYU GETS REMINDED OF YUKI JUST MAKE ME AAAUUGHHHHHHDHSHHDJWJEJ LITERALLY K WORD ME IT WOULD HURT LESS I THINK .) yeah the ugetsu plotline and everything surrounding that arc is just so. [clenches fist and cries a little.]

also i Love the set up currently with mafuyu's two childhood friends?? i forgot their names but 😭 once again i love how every one of gusari's relationships is depicted with so many layers and it just feels so Raw And Real . i think she's really mastered the art of depicting beauty, in its happiness and its pain.

[bruhkuto]

Given (2019) | Anime

Genre: Drama, Romance, Shounen Ai

Synopsis: Four students come together in an amateur rock band, and explore love. 

This series is one of the best romance anime I’ve watched. This series was so beautiful in crafting the relationship between Mafuyu Satou and Ritsuka Uenoyama, and how Satou finally finds the words he’s been longing to say. The way they build it up to Episode 9 especially was wonderfully done and had the right emotional impact. You can almost feel the pain Satou has been going through, and you will not stop crying! It’s been a whole day since I’ve finished the anime and my heart has yet to calm down. When you are finally introduced to Yoshida Yuki, in mere seconds of clips, it is enough to discover just how important he was to Satou, and the intimacy of their relationship. All this, while our MC sings his heart out. You cannot help but ball. Now you, the viewer, will have a hard time finding the words to express just how this anime made you feel. It is funny as hell, without lacking the emotional punch, and the music rocks. Definitely check out the OST afterwards.

あなたの全てが 明日を失くして 永遠の中を彷徨っているよ さよなら出来ずに 立ち止まったままの 僕と一緒に

By the way, there’s going to be a movie by the same name this year, which will be a direct continuation of the series iirc.

[maddiesup]

Tag game!

I was tagged by @ohbabycupcakes thank u💖

RULES: Name 10 favorite characters from 10 different things then tag 10 people + leave comments on all of them

This is gonna be hard, where do I even start?

1) Keith (Voltron: Legendary Defender)

Okay I'm- trying not to laugh too hard because oh boy, this show was a complete mess. BUT Keith still stays as one of my favorite characters ever just because no matter how badly I was hurt by vld he'll always be precious to me 💖 He's hotheaded, cool and a lone wolf, but needs affection more than anyone else on the team. He's easy for me to relate to as I am more likely to push someone away than to keep them close just to avoid being hurt as well. His development is amazing tho and I love love him so much 😭 also it might be just that I have a soft spot for emo characters lmao

2) Todoroki Shoto (Boku no Hero Academia)

This just reinforces my statement earlier since Todoroki is pretty emo too :') But in a different way than Keith. If you are a part of bnha fandom you know he's generally a little bit overrated, but I couldn't help falling in love with him at first sight anyway lol His backstory is tragic but he keeps pursuing his dream and damn is he good at it. Also the combo of fire and ice is aesthetic goals. However, what I admire the most about Shoto is probably his loyalty to his friends, his will to fight and sometimes his goofy attitude (even if he probably isn't aware that he's being goofy lol) In conclusion: I love him, let's move on.

3) Uenoyama Ritsuka (Given)

Can I just stop to say how much I love given for a moment? Like I've never seen a bl anime/manga that would portray gay characters so respectfully 😭❤️ Ue is basically me gay panicking, I feel the boy so much :') OH also what's up with gays & guitars bc first given, then why r u and now also 2gether :') (I might be falling in love with this trope help) okay so: Ue is panicking when he starts liking Mafuyu but he handles it so well in a way? He doesn't deny his crush even if he is slow to notice it lol He's straightforward and sometimes a little bit rough around the edges, but even if he's supposed to be "the cool guy" we see him in the most hilarious settings and that just makes me love him all the more 💖 he respects Mafuyu and his boundaries and I want more of that in bl anime please

4) Eiji & Ash (Banana Fish)

Uhhhh this anime,,, I CANNOT choose between Ash and Eiji, I'm gonna forever see them as a pair and that's simply it. Ash is another emo one I would like to say that but he's actually not. He's backstory is heartbreaking and the life he has to live is dangerous and scary. He gets used to this reality where he has no one to rely on and no one to trust but then Eiji appears tearing his walls down and making him finally be able to show his soft and sensitive side to someone. Eiji is like a salve for his wounds and yes, I'm still emotional about it bc their relationship is one of the best developped I've ever seen. Their bond is so strong it's beautiful, they would literally die for each other. It's so apparent that they love each other and care for each other so much (don't mind me crying in the corner)

5) Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson & the Olympians)

PJ technically got me into fantasy/sci-fi in elementary school and it stays at the top of my favorite book series list ever (big props to Uncle Rick 👏) The whole series is funny and I would say pretty light-hearted even tho you know,,, Percy saves the world several times, lol, usual demigod things™. He's lovable. Son of Poseidon so he has seaweeds instead of a brain (or so you thought, he is brilliant at strategic planning and has a charisma to be a great leader), has a very good sense of humor, is loyal and would risk everything for his friends. Also he loves his girlfriend very much and I was crying while reading the House of Hades but no one needed to know that oh well. I'm also gonna mention Nico de Angelo here, since he fell in love with Percy (didn't we all tho) and was the first gay character I saw portrayed in the book and oh do I love him 😭💖

6) 707 (Mystic Messenger)

Was I losing sleep over this game? I was. Do I regret anything? Absolutely not. I think my choices are pretty boring tho, since Seven is literally everyone's favorite but oh boy there's a reason for that. Apart from being a talented hacker who knows too much (and I think is cautious of us the most at the start) he has a lovely happy-go-lucky personality composed of all the lame jokes, questions "have you eaten already" and anxiety (another emo one). He's that type of a character who will always try to make you laugh but you never know what's going on inside his head. He's mysterious and we don't get to know him well till his route so pretty much till the end of the game lol. Also he loves his brother, phd pepper, honey buddha chips and Elizabeth 3rd the most in this entire world and I love him for that

7) Evan Hansen (Dear Evan Hansen)

ANOTHER EMO ONE okay but hear me out Evan has social anxiety and its portrayal is almost too real for me. He makes a big oopsie which at the start seems like a little innocent lie but then snowballs to enormous sizes. He gains everything in this bargain, a best (dead) friend, a caring mother, a father, a girlfriend even - and then everything falls apart since it all is built on one fat lie. He makes a lot of mistakes and then some more but you get it and you feel for him, and you cry with him and you're happy for him. And when all of this is over you're glad that he's still there trying his best, taking it one day at a time. And sidenote: Ben Platt's voice is angelic and I love him as Evan 💖💖💖

8) Isak (SKAM)

Another gay panicking one. I'm starting to realize there's a set of traits that I particularly like in fictional characters lol But ye, when I was watching skam ofc it was the third season which gripped me the most and kept me on the edge, bc yet again Isak taking an "are you gay" test was way too real for me. He makes a lot of mistakes along the way of figuring out his sexuality and sometimes stuff with Evan becomes really messy (for both of them) but he stays with him nevertheless ❤️ Skam is literally so good in its portrayal of the characters :') Anyways: alt er love 💖

9) Viktor & Yuuri (Yuri on Ice)

Em, another one that I absolutely can't break up to just one bc how could I? Yuri on ice got me into skating ❤️ I went to an ice rink for the first time bc of this anime and I almost died but now look at me actually finishing my first three months of ice skating training and watching real life figure skating competitions :') Little did I know then. But they're not only my favourites bc of that, I genuinely love the development of their relationship from fan - idol through skater - couch to lovers and history makers in the end. I love how Yuuri is a ball of insecurities and how Viktor manages to reassure him. I love how Viktor fell in love with drunk Yuuri clinging to him. I love how at first Yuuri wasn't able to get too close to Viktor without getting flustered and it changes so drastically to them basically always holding onto each other. I love how Viktor was stuck with no inspiration but then Yuuri came and turned his world upside down. I love how they support and respect each other. I could probably go on into eternity like that and Yuri on ice isn't even the best anime I've ever seen but it's certainly my favourite one ❤️

10) Tutor (WHY R U)

I can't believe I'm so obsessed with thai dramas rn and I'm only gonna include Tor on this list smh He's mental attitude inspires me. He's able to hold so much and appears totally unfazed even if he's barely holding on inside. He's hardworking and doesn't want others to pity him since he can manage it all just fine. He has a kind heart, he's a wonderful friend (especially to Hwa, he always listens to her, gives her pieces of advise, supports her and tries to cheer her up). He never forgets to say thank you when he genuinely feels grateful. But as we've seen he also is passionate and when he loves he LOVES. Also he's the biggest tease to Fighter and I love him for that :') I am so satisfied just by seeing him happy, please do not change that whyru gods 🙏

As it appears I'm done .-. I have no idea what have just happened and if my rambling even makes sense but not that I care at this point. If you read this far, please drink some water now, that was a lot of reading to go through ❤️

Tagging: @wir-ro, @saecookie and any other 8 people who might want to ksks (im too tired to tag lmao)

Don't be like me and go to bed at reasonable hours despite this whole quarantine thing .-. thank again Doreen for tagging since it was really fun 🥺❤️

[uecchi-sama]

CHAPTER 3

Hello, U.A.

“Class, i know it’s a little late into the semester, but we have a new student.”

Aizawa nodded at the girl who stood by the door, telling her it was alright to enter the classroom. Hide took a deep breath, holding her bag tighter as she walked in. She kept her eyes trailed on the floor but that didn’t stop her from noticing the stares and gasps she earned.

“Sensei!” The green haired boy called out. “Th-that’s, that’s -“

“Go ahead, Uenoyama,” Aizawa said, closing his book and cutting off the hasty student, “Introduce yourself.”

Hide finally face forward, getting a good look at her new classmates. It would be the first time in a while that she had gone to school, her hero work had pulled her out of school. But the government and Principal of U.A. Gladly accepted her.

She smiled softly.

“Konnichiwa.” Hide bowed her head slightly. “My name is Uenoyama Hidenka, it’s nice to meet you all.”

“WAAAAAAAH!” The class roared up, startling her a little.

“It’s Jack of Trades Hero!”

“What’s she doing here?’

“To be a pro hero at our age is amazing!”

Hidenka shifted in her stance, a little uncomfortable. Was a pro hero all they saw her to be? To her it couldn’t be helped, there was so much press about her being a pro hero at such a young age it would be hard not to be seen as that.

“Tch. Who cares if she’s a pro hero already?” A deep voice called out, silencing the class. “She’s a student just like us, I’m sure I could beat her fine.”

“Kacchan!” The short green haired boy called out.

Hidenka, let out a laugh. Catching the attention of the whole class. Her laugh was pure and innocent, and it struck the hearts of everyone.

“Hai, hai. That’s right. I’m a student just like you.” She bowed her head once more. “Please see me as your equal. Because it is also my dream to protect people.”

Aizawa sighed, looking at the girl in concern, he had seen her in action and already knew her potential. But the toll of hero work took on her young mind concerned him. She was too young to experience it. He only hoped that coming to school here would help ease that pain he knew all too well for her.

“Alright, Uenoyama.” He patted her back slightly. “You can take the open seat next to Bakugou. Bakugou, please raise your hand.”

__

“Uenoyama-san!” The green haired boy turned around in his chair, facing the girl. Three other people came over with warm smiles. “Would you like to have lunch with us?”

Hide’s eyes lit up, she couldn’t remember the last time someone had invited her to lunch.

“Yes!”

The group of friends sat in one table, their food varying from cold soba to pork cutlet. Hide pushed her food around, a little awkward and not used to the situation.

“Midoriya, should we properly introduce ourselves?”

“Oh! Yes. Forgive me, it slipped my mind.” The green haired boy said scratching the back of his head. “My name is Midoriya Izuku, but people call me Deku.”

“Deku?” Hide tilted her head to the side. “That’s a cute nickname.”

“Ah!” Midoriya’s face lit up in a blush as he hid behind his arms.

“But I think I’ll call you Izuku, if that’s alright?”

“Of course it is.”

To Hide, Midoriya seemed so bright. It was almost as if he shined like the sun. She smiled softly at him and hoped he would stay that way.

“Me next!” The only other girl in the group raised her hand. “My name is Uraraka Ochaco, my hero name is Uravity!”

“Ochaco? Uravity? Does your quirk have anything to do with gravity loss?”

Ochaco smiled with pride, she loved it when people figured out her quirk through her witty hero name.

“My name is Iida Tenya! You might have worked with my brother, Inge-“

“INGENIUM!” Hide cut him off. “Your brother is a kind man, I loved working with him.”

Iida smiled at the girl, hearing her talk about his brother so enthusiastically made his heart warm.

Hidenka looked at the quiet boy who had yet to introduce himself. His hair was a unique half and half colour, and his eyes were two toned as well. He was so beautiful it seemed unreal.

“Todoroki… shoto…”

“It’s nice to meet you, Shoto-kun.”

Shoto stared wide eyed at the girl, he had expected her to react instantly to his last name. But it seemed she didn’t care that he was a Todoroki. He felt as if, she knew the pain it would cause him.

“It’s nice to meet you all.” Hide said. “Uhm… you can call me Hide if you’d like.”

“Oiii!! Midoriya!!!” A bright bubbly pink haired girl slung her arm around Izuku. “We need to go practice now!”

“Practice?” Hide asked, confused.

“Oh!” Midoriya looked at her. “It’s almost the summer festival! We’re putting up a band concert. Would you like to help?”

“Band?”

Hide’s mind wandered off to her brother, and the moments he had taught her how to play the guitar. She remembered the smile on his face the first time her performed on stage. She wanted to know, how that felt as well.

“Yeah! You can totally help!” The pink girl said eccentrically. “Show us what you got, Uecchi-chan!”

“Eh? Uecchi?”

“Mm! I know your brother and his band Given! So I’m calling you Uecchi as well!”

“EHHHHHH?!”

[krshima]

emery!! ✨

hi aki sweetheart!! it pains me to only be able to choose 5 🤧

bokuto gifset—the colors, light filter, shapes/stars, typography, just everything is perfect??

hinata coloring—i’m yelling over these colors it’s like his hair is almost glowing and i love it!!

shinoa gifset—so beautiful and vibrant!! that purple of her hair 😍

mafuyama coloring—i love what you did with the typography and colors!! especially uenoyama’s hair omg

hinata gifset—again the light filter is gorgeous and the stars are so cute!! it all just pops are is so pretty <3

send me ✨and the link to your creations and i’ll name my top five favorite edits of yours! no more please!

[pollys-manganime]

Summer 19 anime I will be watching

I will definitely watch these...

VINLAND SAGA

amazing manga... WIT STUDIOS are doing it, y’know Shingeki no Kyojin? well, get ready for your viking adventure.

For a thousand years, the Vikings have made quite a name and reputation for themselves as the strongest families with a thirst for violence. Thorfinn, the son of one of the Vikings' greatest warriors, spends his boyhood in a battlefield enhancing his skills in his adventure to redeem his most-desired revenge after his father was murdered.

GIVEN

The manga will be released in my country (Spain) in a few days... I am so happy! I’ve read some chapters online and I’m totally in love with this story of a young man who joins a pop/rock band and who is supposed to have an amazing voice (you can’t hear it in the manga after all). And then, there’s love too. The promo video looks amazing, I’m hyped.

"It's stuck deep inside me and I can't get it out of my head. Mafuyu's voice is an insane and dangerous weapon." That day, Ritsuka Uenoyama started to feel that playing the guitar and playing basketball, both of which he liked very much, were becoming boring. He then encounters Mafuyu Sato, who's holding onto a broken guitar, and decides to fix it. The moment Uenoyama finishes fixing the guitar, Mafuyu becomes completely attached to him. However, after hearing Mafuyu sing it leaves a deep impression on him.

KARAKAI JOUZU NO TAKAGI-SAN SEASON 2

Takagi-san comes returns! I love this anime... I binge-watched season 1 a few months ago and fell in love with the story. It’s so funny and beautiful and... they’re so cute. You know Nishikata is on the losing side everytime but you can’t help hoping him to win just this once. Everytime.

With a smirk, the mischievous middle school boy Nishikata glances over at Takagi, the girl seated next to him in class. He has just devised a master plan to finally get back at her for all the merciless teasing inflicted upon him. As he is about to set his plan into motion, Takagi intervenes with a single comment that halts Nishikata right in his tracks. She had turned the tables on him yet again. "If you blush, you lose." That has been the unwritten rule set between the two ever since they encountered one another in middle school. Day after day, loss after loss, Nishikata strives to see Takagi red with embarrassment, but his futile attempts are only met by further ridicule. Beyond this vicious cycle of trying to outwit one another, will their relationship ever evolve?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that’s pretty much it, I’m not really interested in Dr. Stone as everyone else seems to be. But who knows, maybe I’ll end up watching it if it’s good. It happened with Kimetsu no Yaiba, right? 

Of course I’m open to recommendations, so... hit my mailbox any time!

[shinymixedbag]

Given chapter 27 summary

I’m back ~ @things-all-love, Thank you SO MUCH for the raws~ ♡＾▽＾♡ ♡＾▽＾♡

I'm not quite sure how to proceed with the summary this time around because this chapter is a beautiful mess of thoughts and feelings and I wish I didn't have to spoil it. 80% of the chapter is 3 characters' thoughts (Mafuyu, Aki, Ugetsu) and it randomly switches from one person to another :/ I apologize in advance for doing a crap job of summarizing such an incredible chapter. 

***spoiler alert*** I came across many comments on aggregator websites outright spoiling the story for other readers. Please don't do that without warning :/

Before I begin, Kizu Natsuki Sensei had tweeted that she had an opportunity to talk with Yama-San, the guitarist of the J-Rock band WHITE ASH, shortly before the release of chapter 27. So, as a way of expressing her gratitude, Sensei has sketched him among the audience in this chapter. And that we could try looking for him if we have a lot of free time (LOL) Needless to say, I tried [kind of] and failed.

WHITE ASH -> 

They disbanded in 2017 (._.) Yama-san is the one wearing the hat!

Alright then, let's begin :)

Given is on stage and begin their sound check. Akihiko- the drums, go first. The bass, Haruki- follows. There is a palpable nervy tension among the audience and on stage. Take-chan, Shizu, Hiiragi, Itaya, Ueki and Yayoi are all present.

Cover page: "I want to let you know. To those who are beyond this bright light and those who are in its shadow"

Akihiko recalls what happened the day before with Ugetsu. He could not reply immediately when Ugetsu demanded to know if he was going to "abandon the violin". He couldn't deny it on the spot.

After Haruki, is the sound check for the Guitar- Uenoyama, and finally it's done after the vocal- Mafuyu's turn.

Lost in his depressing thoughts, Akihiko drops his drum stick, he looks upset [and a bit unsure?] Haruki picks it up and hits him on the head with it and remarks on his miserable face expression while returning it to him. 

[Ugestu needs a haircut.. and some sleep? Also, is that YAMA-SAN behind him?!]

Given is about to start performing. Mafuyu stands facing the audience, holding the mic, obviously nervous. [These few pages really get you pumped] The buzzing crowd noise is replaced by Mafuyu's breathing. He slowly breathes in and out several times. Meanwhile, he's thinking about a lot of things simultaneously (About his feelings, Uenoyama, music, love.. and how to resonate music with emotion.) He starts singing a capella and the band starts playing. The audience are stunned [even Ugetsu] Akihiko is reminded of Ugetsu playing his violin and he lets out a laugh thinking, "wow"

[Ugetsu really needs a haircut but he's still gorgeous damnit!]

Continuing with Mafuyu's thoughts, he wants to convey his feelings because he knows that he might not always be able to. He thinks that "(intertwined) hands will be separated" no matter how much he wishes it wouldn't [The panel shows Yuuki and Mafuyu’s hands, barely touching] He thinks of Yuuki and the feeling like he (Mafuyu) is moving away one step at a time from the past [ie, "Yuuki" is fading] And the fact that a new day will come and he wouldn't be able to return back- he was afraid of. 

Akihiko's internal monologue picks up from there. He's got goosebumps and wonders how long it has been since he felt like that, and when had he begun to think that music was a burden, even though he had loved it so much. He thinks that this is exact same feeling he'd had when he first listened to Ugetsu play the violin. And then Akihiko realizes that he does indeed love music

Next, Ugetsu's thoughts as he watches them perform [looking thoroughly blown away] reveals that as he watched Given's first performance, he had a hunch that Akihiko could also improve by leaps and bounds if someone influenced him strongly and he realizes that Haruki is the one who did [influence Akihiko, that is]

Mafuyu's internal monologue [yes, again. 80%, remember?] He thinks once again, about Yuuki and how intertwined hands will be separated, even though he cannot go anywhere and he doesn't want to either, things will change [this line is interesting because the actual word used here can mean "to dawn" or "to end" or "to begin"]

Scene cuts to a conversation between Ugetsu and Mafuyu. Ugetsu tells him that he's often asked himself "What if Akihiko doesn't come back?", yet he's unable to imagine what it would actually be like. But all the same, he wants "this suffering" to end. He's conflicted because he doesn't really want his jam packed room to become empty. He thinks that even if they cannot go back to what they were like, and even if they're far away, it would be okay if music alone remained.

Cut back to Mafuyu's thoughts. While thinking of the people currently in his life, he says that "it's okay", no matter what, dawn will come and  it is okay because he can certainly go wherever. Given’s performance thus ends on a powerful note. And when they're done, the audience responds with thunderous applause. Mafuyu says "thank you very much." Ueki and Itaya look stupefied. Hiiragi has his face buried in his hands [and he's shaking] Take-chan is in tears and he cheers loudly, whistling [Take is such an amazing guy :D] The performance is over and the audience is still cheering loudly. Given is getting ready to leave the stage. Akihiko notices Ugetsu leaving and asks Haruki if he could "accompany someone to the station" and promises that he will return immediately. Haruki wishes him a safe trip.

Ugetsu is descending a flight of stairs alone out on the streets and Akihiko rushes after him shouting his name. Ugetsu does not stop and continues walking. Akihiko tells him to wait but Ugetsu cuts him off without turning to look at him, and says "no," "because if I do you're going to talk about breaking up aren't you?" Akihiko is surprised. Ugetsu pauses and tells him that he played the drums well but it was "as delicate as ever" and tries to walk away. Akihiko reaches out, grabs his arm and shouts "listen to me!" Ugetsu stops but does not turn to face him. Akihiko quickly tells him that he loves the violin and he has fun playing drums. And that all the effort he "poured into playing the violin until now" wasn't a lie. Ugetsu looks surprised and asks "what, this isn't about breaking up?" and then understands that it was. Akihiko stares at him, and apologizes to him for "hurting him so much until now" and thanks him. Ugetsu replies after a long pause that he will be cheering for him [I assume he meant the band] Akihiko looks down at their intertwined hands. Ugetsu says, "I get it, so let go of me." Akihiko squeezes his hand tightly for a moment and slowly lets go and turns around, heading back the way he came. Ugetsu finally turns to look at him, tears streaming down his face and sobs as he watches Akihiko's retreating figure and stops himself from calling out when he recalls Mafuyu saying "it's okay" standing in front of the mic. Ugetsu watches Akihiko, looking dazed and says "Bye-bye, Akihiko."

That's it. Chapter 28 will be out on the 30th of November 2018 ^^ 

Soooooooo...My heart is broken. This is undoubtedly my favourite chapter of Given this year. Mafuyu's thoughts were overwhelming. I know I did a poor job of explaining it, I'm sorry~~!! Aaaaand... As much as I wanted Akihiko and Ugetsu to break up, it still hurt a LOT. I hope this isn't Ugetsu's exit from the story. I'd definitely love to see more of him.

Once again, I'm in awe of Sensei. The attention to detail, oml（￣□￣；） The sound check in the beginning and Mafuyu breathing to calm his nerves had me on the edge of my seat! And every single panel was so beautiful! *sigh* I could go on FOREVER about this chapter!!

Hopefully, the next chapter won't be as depressing and I'd really like to see the boys have some fun and celebrate after all their hard work. We have been stewing in angst ever since chapter 16 came out- on the 30th of November 2016 !! Idk about you, but I'm EXHAUSTED! And now that Akihiko and Ugetsu are over, will Haruhiko happen? IDK, I hope sensei will take her sweet time with ships.

Until next time~ 

Chapter summaries (14-26) here

P.S. I'd like to apologize to that one anon who shipped Ugetsu with Take, tbh, there's a 99% chance of that ship never sailing but YOU ARE free to ship whomever you like!!! (￣ー￣)ｂ

Also, DID ANYONE MANAGE TO FIND YAMA-SAN?!?

[karpasan]

Aki, Haru and Ugetsu’s relashionship. Or a beautiful trainwreck (part 1 - chapter 15)

I decided to do a summary (?), I don’t know what name to give, about these three i~I, so you guys can understand a little bit what’s going on. I have no idea of what’s going to happen with them from now on, and although I had a big thing for AkiHaru since the beginning, now that we’re learning more about them and Ugetsu, I just have a lot of conflict feelings hahaha. Aki and Ugetsu’s relashionship is very complex and very painful for both of them. It’s exactly like Aki described before, violent and destructive. It was their first love and they can’t let it go (Although Ugetsu is trying).

Haru until now saw Aki as some sort of idol, someone who he was trying to convince himself he was satisfied looking from a distance, but now, after all the mess that Aki made, they’re finally, fucking finally, looking at each other as they truly are, and on equal ground.

 I don’t really have the time now to make a summary of all the chapters, so I’ll mainly focus on their relashionship, ok? I saw that the last eng release was chapter 13, right? I won’t take long on chapter 14 because is a Mafuyu and Uenoyama centered chap. I read the raws provided by ba-raw on livejournal. I’m using a few parts of their scans, but if there’s a problem with it, I can delete it!

Chapter 14 is about Mafuyu saying he loves Uenoyama and Uenoyama, in shock, having the most funny thoughts about finally graduating in love. But he also remember that in the past he's said that he’d never get involved with someone of the same band, bc that would be troublesome when they had a figth, so he's worried about how to tell Haruki and Aki about them. They go to Haruki’s home and he is worried at first but in the end he supports them, but asks them to be careful not posting dating pics on twitter and etc. Aki is totally unimpressed like "well, congratulations". In chapter 15 they're taking advertisement photos and they give some explanations about it to Mafuyu, and about how amateur bands work. They upload things at their sns (like Haruki’s birthday photos) and make another performance somewhere.

In fact chapter 15 also doesn’t have a lot of interaction between the 3 of them, but there are some important scenes so we can understand Aki a little bit…

We learn that Ugetsu took an interest in Mafuyu and gave Akihiko two tickets for his concert and asked Aki to bring Mafuyu with him. When Mafuyu is going to meet Aki, he sees him in a car with a woman (the woman gives him money) and when they meet, Mafuyu says: 援交 (enkou) that literally means dating with compensation (like financial support, etc.)​ (tn: Mafuyu is so blunt that is funny).

Aki tries to get away saying that’s not the case, that this is just a bad habit of that woman, but Mafuyu didn’t buy it and remember a conversation he had with Haruki. Haruki said that in the past Aki was really rough, like someone who was about to explode (whose look was like a walking knife), but that now he is considerably more amicably. He also says that his relationships with women weren’t good. Mafuyu says to Aki that is not that he’s become nicer, is just that he doesn’t show this side of him (read the bad, gigolo side) in front of Haruki (he says Haruki-sanとか, so it might include other people as well, like Uenoyama and his sis) and Aki is like:

After that they go to the concert and Mafuyu recognize Ugetsu as Aki’s roommate.

I’m working on chapter 16 now, might post it tomorrow. Please keep in mind that though I’m confident with my japanese, english is not my first language, so forgive any mispellings or grammar errors >-<

Part 2

[trashexplorer]

BLCD 2019: February Releases

Legends:

✓ - have      

💡 - interested

✘ - not interested (but will probably still listen to)    

🙏 - dying for

1. Kimi to Boku to Sekai no Hotori Phrase 2: Lost Love Valentine ✓

Release Date: 2019/02/06

Cast: Kumagai Kentarou x Murase Ayumu (ooohhhh is been a minute bb)

Synopsis: When high-school sophomore Sena Sosuke meets the new patisserie in town, Mikura Yukito, he didn’t think much of it. Sosuke, despite being the popular boy he was, had never consider anyone to be special in his life but he slowly becomes as drawn to the older man himself as he was to the taste of his chocolate. He knows that the attraction isn’t that of the ordinary kind - he just couldn’t see Yukito in the same light as he did with his friends and the other adults. It was all new and exciting for Sosuke for a while, but when he sees the man in tears, it was as if something inside him just snapped. He reaches out to the older man to comfort him, but Yukito-san surprisingly rejects his hand.

Comment: OMGGGGG I ALREADY LOVE THIS. Younger seme x older uke ftw! I need this kind of angst in my life! YASSSS ALL MY KINKS IN ONE!

2. Bouai Friendship ✘

Release Date: 2019/02/13

Cast: Satou Takuya x Shirai Yuusuke (what a waste of cast)

Synopsis: With a weak personality, Yuzuru is always by himself and treated as a ghost. He quietly goes through life until one day, he's caught by his kouhai, Kyoya Tachibana. Kyoya, who belongs to the "winners" asks, "Want to be my sex-friend?" Though Yuzuru is initially against the idea, he is intrigued by the occasional glimpses of Kyoya's sad facial expressions. A love story between a twisted selfish boy and an insecure hidden beauty! (xiaojiangworld)

3. No Color Baby Mini Drama CD Dear+ Comic March 2019 💡

Release Date: 2019/01/31

Cast: Kumagai Kentarou x Saitou Souma

Synopsis: Dear+ Mini Drama special.

4.  Kyou mo Petto Hiyori ✘

Release Date: 2019/02/22

Cast: Nakamura Shuugo x Itou Kento

Synopsis: Aragaki Kouta recent daily routine includes a visit to a certain pet store. One fateful day, Mika, the owner, catches him looking and invites him inside. Kouta’s attention is immediately caught by the lone white snake in the back corner of the shop. Mika works hard at his part time to be able to afford the snake and on the morning after he buys him, the snake demands to be fed! Kouta is stunned into silence so his snake, Mashiro, transforms into ahuman before his very eyes! “Call me with Mashiro-sama, you servant!”

5. Oni ga Shitau wa Tatarigami ✓

Release Date: 2019/02/22

Cast: Morikawa Toshiyuki x Nogami Sho (OH MY GOD OH MY GOD HE’S BACK)

Synopsis: Half-demon, half-human Tsubakimaru was saved by a revered god from when he was a child. The god was king enough to take Tsubakimaru in and the two have cohabited since, the latter even naming the god “Shii-sama”. Tsubakimaru’s demon powers (and his libido) grow too great once he’s reached adolescence and it was up to Shii-sama to help him out with his tentacles.

Comment: I know that the synopsis sounds like I just made it up, but IT’S NOT. IT IS WHAT IT IS. 😂 Hey, I’ll take Morikawa Toshiyuki with tentacles any day. 👌

6. Remnant - Kemonohito Omegaverse -  3 Animate & Daria Mini Drama CD 🙏

Release Date: 2019/02/22

Cast: Kawahara Yoshihisa x Satou Takuya

Synopsis: Mini Drama CD released along with Remnant 3 comics.

7. Remnant - Kemonohito Omegaverse -  2 ✓

Release Date: 2019/02/23

Cast: Kawahara Yoshihisa x Satou Takuya

Synopsis: Adaptation of Remnant volume 2.

8. I LOVE I HATE ✓

Release Date: 2019/02/27

Cast: 

Maeno Tomoaki x Uchida Yuuma

Furukawa Makoto x Tamaru Atsushi (you weren’t satisfied with Aki so you’re gonna steal Uenoyama now??? jk)

Synopsis: The only taste you need to know is mine...

Hiro and Kiriya meet again unexpectedly for the first time in ten years. In their last summer of high school, the two of them were "make-out buddies"...

Hiro wishes he could forget, but he is 27 now and still hasn't been able to date anybody: bound to the past. Kiriya is cool and unaffected by seeing Hiro again... or is he?

This deluxe item contains the titular story and an additional episode by Kazuki Natsume, plus "No where, Now here" - a love story about childhood friends connected by a game of picture shiritori!

Cool guys with hot passions - Kazuki Natsume's debut comic is finally being adapted into an audio drama!