#vol 12 for the curious. which i still need to get. i got them all up to 11 a few years ago then they came out with the 12th volume with sid

[moldwood]

lofi studying page

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE BLOOD Vol.8: Sakamaki Subaru [Track 9+10]

Original title: もっと血を吸って & 銀のナイフ

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, Blood Vol. 8: Sakamaki Subaru [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Takashi Kondou

Translator’s note: Just like all other MB CDs, this one also has more of a vague/open ending in which the MC continues to have her blood sucked by one of the boys. However, it did leave me with somewhat of a better feeling than some of the others, albeit I still fear for the MC’s life and sanity. :p I mean, she only has so much blood to go around, right? 

Track 1+2 ll Track 3+4 ll Track 5+6 ll Track 7+8 ll Track 9+10

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 9: Suck My Blood More

“Fuckー!”

*Rustle*

“Argh...I’ve gotten thirsty again...”

*Rustle rustle*

“Ugh...Haah...Ah...I’ve reached my limit. Come on, I’ll bite you now.”

You quiver.

“Heh. ...What? Are you trembling in anticipation? Geez, guess I have no other choice then. You’re really so ーー ...But, I guess that side of you isn’t all too...”

You raise a brow, curious to hear the rest of his sentence.

“...N-Nevermind!”

You protest.

[00:45] “Fuck off! Don’t get all cute with me now! ...I like your blood, that’s all I was gonna say. ...Shit, this pisses me off. Cut it out already!”

*Smooch*

“...Hah. ...Come on, extend your foot a lil’ further.”

*Rustle*

“Exactly. ...I can’t hold back no longer...”

Subaru bites you again.

“Mmh...Nn...”

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“ーー Hah!”

*Gulp*

[01:33] “Hah...Haah...I can feel your blood...flowin’ down my throat...Haah...”

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Mmh...Hah...”

*Gulp gulp*

“Hah...Hah...”

*Gulp*

“Haah, haah...Oi, are you alright?”

*Rustle*

“Oi...Answer me!”

You fail to respond.

[02:11] “Guess you’ve reached your limit, huh? I’d rather not have you die on me here though. ...Don’t get the wrong idea, it’d just be a bother. Given the circumstances and all. I don’t exactly mind suckin’ all the blood from your corpse, but the blood of a dead person tastes disgustin’...Also, there’s nothin’ fun ‘bout suckin’ from someone who can’t even give any reactions. 

[02:47] But...Haah...I feel like I seriously can’t let my guard down for even one second. ...Fuck, this is annoyin’...I feel like I’ve lost all control over my own body. I’m basically a fuckin’ marionette by this point.”

You whimper a response.

“Hah...You want me to suck even more of your blood? ...Do you have any idea what you’re sayin’? You already look like you’re ‘bout to kick the bucket any second now.”

*Rustle* 

[03:27] “No matter how dumb you may be...I’m sure you know what’ll happen if I have any more blood while your body has already been pushed to its limits, right?”

You beg for it.

“Once again, don’t just say those words so casually...”

You force yourself on him. 

*Rustle rustle*

“...!? I-Idiot...!? What are you doin’...!?”

*Gulp*

[03:54] “Forcin’ your bloody wrist on me like that...Hah...Haah...Do you truly understand what kind of the state I’m currently in?”

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Haah...Che...! Haah...”

*Rustle*

*THUD*

Track 10: Silver Knife

“...Come on, look. ...Are you stupid? Why do you try and save me? I don’t get it. ーー Ugh!”

You respond. 

“...You don’t mind if you die? Don’t say such things so easily! It’d be easy for me to revive you as one of us, but is that truly what you want!?”

You frown. 

“...’We’re at the point of no return’, you say? Fuck! You don’t even know how I feel! ...If that’s your intention, then I have a plan of my own.”

*Cling*

[00:46] “You can tell what this is, right? ...It’s a silver knife. You can deliver a fatal blow to a Vampire with one of these. I’ll give this to you.”

*Cling*

You nearly drop it.

“Che...You don’t even have the strength left to hold a knife!? Make sure to grip it tightly.”

You seem confused.

[01:12] “What you should do with this? Why don’t you try and use that nearly-empty brain of yours to its maximum potential to come up with an answer? ーー Ugh!”

Subaru guides your hands so you’d stab him in the chest.

*STAB*

*Rustle rustle*

“Guh...Ugh...Haah, haah...Hahaha...Don’t give me that...dumb expression...Take a look...You...pierced my chest with the knife...Ugh...Hahー!”

You panic.

“I’m bleedin’ more than I expected...”

*Rustle rustle*

[02:14] “If this wound...becomes the end of me...and I die...You’ll finally be free again, right...? You’ll no longer...need to worry ‘bout savin’ me...Heh. At this rate...I’ll just end suckin’ you completely dry after all, soーー Ugh...Cough, cough...”

*Rustle*

“...Ah? What are you doin’...?”

You get upset with him.

“...’Idiot’? ...Who’s the idiot here!? Argh...Hah...”

You tear up.

[03:05] “Hah...Just remember that this is all your fault...I had no other choice but to resort to this...’cause you kept on spoutin’ utter bullshit...Hah...Seems like those guys set us up perfectly...and I’m not capable of stoppin’ myself either...Hehe...I doubt those guys expected me to pull this kinda move though. Hah...Serves them right! Hahaha...I won’t let things go their way...Actually, what have you been doin’ this whole time?”

You beg him to suck your blood so he can heal. 

[04:09] “Hah...? You want me to suck your blood? Fuck off! Do you have any idea why I even did this!? Ugh...Hah...However...I got stabbed right through the heart...so why am I not dead yet...? Hah...This body is really annoyin’...Hah...Also...I’ve gotten thirsty again...’cause you keep on clingin’ to me like this...”

*Rustle*

“Haah...Do you want me to suck your blood that badly? ...God! ...Fine! Whatever...I’ll make you feel good...until I take my final breath...I doubt it’ll take very long...”

*Rustle rustle*

“Now come here...”

You scoot closer.

[05:24] “Exactly. Show me your neck. ...I’ll yearn for you like never before...I’ll die...while holding you tightly in my arms...”

*Rustle rustle*

“Ugh...Your nape looks delicious...Heh...The scent of your blood...really is somethin’ else...Hahn...”

Subaru bites you.

*Sluuuurp*

*Gulp gulp gulp*

[06:13] “Ah...Heh...Hehe...When I drink your blood like this, all of a sudden, the stab wound from earlier seems like just a scratch...I even feel as if it’s healin’ my injury...”

*Gulp gulp*

*Sluuuuurp*

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Hah...Phew...Does it feel good?”

You nod.

[06:55] “I feel amazing too. ...Right now, I almost believe that a Vampire such as myself could ascend to Heaven...”

*Gulp gulp gulp*

“Ah...Hahn...”

*Sluuuurp*

[07:27] “I guess that’s fine too...I’ll go there...Together with you...No matter where...I’m sure I wouldn’t be allowed to love nor hold (1) you...If I’m not willin’ to make that sacrifice at the very least? Hehe...Right?”

You smile.

“Come on...Let’s go. As far as we can go...So I’ll...love you as well. Come here.”

ーー THE END ーー 

Translation notes

(1) だく or ‘daku’ can mean both ‘to embrace/to hold’ as well as ‘to have sex with’ so...Take it as you like. 

[dhwty-writes]

What are some historical misconceptions, that really annoy you?

Oh man... You know, I’m really curious what caused you to send this message to me (and whatever it was, do it more often). Saddle up, nonny, you’re in for a ride

The short answer is: basically, everything that has to do with the middle ages (I’m a middle ages nerd, this is My Thing). I don’t know how, but somehow people manage to make it more horrible than it was, while simultaneously romanticizing it.

The long answer? Glad you asked! This got kinda long, so I put it under a read more.

So, basically everything that promotes the idea of “dark middle ages” you can cross out as bullshit that scholars from the 16th and 17th century try to sell to you. They are those who first introduced the term Middle Ages, as literal “middling” period between the antiquity they idolised and the enlightened modernity they saw themselves as part of.

So, here’s two things to remember about the middle ages:

1) It was better and worse than you think.

And 2) you’re not thinking of the middle ages, you’re thinking of the Renaissance.

Here, let me show you:

Medieval people were unwashed and dirty. Wrong. There were plenty of bathhouses in the cities and people in the countryside (so, most of them) bathed in rivers. No, they didn’t bathe as often as we do, but they did do so between several times a week-several times a month. Also, if they didn’t have a full bath, they wiped themselves down with a cloth. They also kept their faces and hands clean. The aversion to water began in the 16th century.

Witch hunts. Nope. The large ones are 16th century stuff.

Persecution of Jews. Well, yes. There were a few smaller-scale pogroms. The large ones you’re looking for is the Inquisition. 16th century again.

Knights wore full-body plate armour. Wrong. The full-body armour began emerging in the late 14th century. In the nine centuries before they wore a lot of mail and leather. Plate was worn until the end of the 15th century and even longer in the Americas.

Dainty women had no idea what sex was. That’s so wrong I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, please be aware that those dainty women (AKA members of the high nobility) belonged to the upper 0.1-3% of the populace. 90% of the people were rural peasants, the rest lived in cities. But even in the cities, even in a castle you are constantly surrounded by people or even animals having sex. And most people regardless of their sex, had had sex before marriage, if they didn’t belong to those 0.1-3%, even the women.

Everyone died when they were like 20. No. Just no. The average is mid-forties. In a society with up to 1 in 3 children dying before the age of 7 that average seems high, doesn’t it? We also know that people were considered adolescents well into their twenties. So, basically what that means is: if you made it to 15, you had good chances of making it to 50 as well.

Children were just considered tiny adults. That’s actually something I found not so long ago to be false and I was so happy! Basically, this can be disproven by various facts: first of all, there were laws about when you could marry and get betrothed (7 years for a betrothal and 12 and 14 for marriage for girls and boys respectively). This shows us that there was some sense of “oh, they’re too young to be considered adults”. And the second thing is very obvious: we have toys. So many toys that were obviously played with. You wouldn’t have that if children were just tiny adults.

Last point: Girls were married off repeatedly to men old enough to be their grandfathers. I am so glad that I can say that that is very untrue. I had already mentioned these ages, but still, that’s awfully young. So, let me talk a bit more about this. If you look at the documents you can see that the common people usually married in their late teens/early twenties (when they had finished their apprenticeships). As for the nobility, of course there were exceptions. There are examples when boys and girls would be married even earlier or just on the cusp of reaching the age requirements. But if that was the case, the bride and the groom were usually of the relative same age. And it was customary for brides to live with their own family until they were fourteen at least. If you’re thinking of Margaret Beaufort (who was 13 or 14 at the point of Henry VII’s birth), please consider that that was a) heavily frowned upon and b) during the Renaissance (again).

 Next is something that really annoys me on this site, which is the refusal to believe historians and instead choosing to believe some post on the internet, mostly without sources.

Yes, it’s true that there is sexism/racism/homophobia in academia and especially in history. It’s true that there are a lot of untold stories. And of course I’d prefer the stories about queer people/PoC/women in positions of power to be true. A lot of them even are.

But. BUT. History is part of academia and like with sciences there are a few ground rules. The most important of those is that if you have a thought you need to prove it. And if someone else talked about that topic first, you need to disprove that first.

So, many of these posts floating around that claim that historians are actually hiding the truth from us, should learn to interact with sources. Because so often there might be sources to suggest such things, but they are not unambiguous, or simply not numerous enough to act as proof!

 Thanks for this ask, nonny, I had a blast!

 Sources:

Classen, Albrecht. Handbook of Medieval Culture. De Gruyter, 2015. 3 vols.

Cybulskie, Danièle. Life in Medieval Europe: Fact and Fiction. Pen and Sword Books, 2019.

Spieß, Karl-Heinz. Familie und Verwandtschaft im deutschen Hochadel des Spätmittelalters. 2nd ed., Franz Steiner Verlag, 2015.

[ickeyandmian]

On Ian’s Reading Choices and His State of Mind in Prison

Okay so I don’t know if this has been covered already but I was curious about what books Ian was reading in prison and how this relates to his character so I’ve spent more time than I probably should have trying to compile a list based on one blurry screenshot.

This information serves no purpose really and idk most of these books were probably randomly picked up by the props department but it’s still fun to read into!

I think it’s safe to say that the prison library probably hasn’t had any new material for a while so we’ll assume that these aren’t all necessarily books that Ian would choose to read in normal circumstances and has picked them up simply to pass the time (but who knows, maybe the guy’s super into romantic fantasy).

I have not read any of these so I’m literally reading multiple books by their covers but whatever. Here’s some pointless half thought out meta based on what Ian read in prison, enjoy!

Detailed thoughts at the end but from top to bottom, left to right we have:

1. Knight of Darkness - Kinley MacGregor (2006)

This is volume 2 of a fantasy romance series (have you read vol. 1 Ian? U following the story okay?)

2. Circumpolar! - Richard A. Lupoff (1985)

Pulp Fiction sci-fi fantasy action fun according to google!

3. Fifth Planet - Fred Hoyle & Geoffrey Hoyle (1963)

4. A for Andromena - Fred Hoyle & John Elliot (1962)

Some 60s science fiction thrown into the mix

5. The Bard of Sorcery - Gerard Houarner (1986)

Another Fantasy novel. Well who can blame him, dude’s in prison.

6. Demon 4 - David Mace (1986)

Set in a fictitious WWIII, dealing with disarming a nuclear bomb. Maybe it appealed to Ian’s old military leanings.

7. Damiano’s Lute - R. A. Macavoy (1984)

Another romantic fantasy sequel. How likely is it for prisons to have complete series’? Did Ian read the first volume and like it so much he picked up the sequel? Questions that haunt me at night.

Interestingly, in the synopsis we learn that ‘Damiano Delstrego has forsaken his magical heritage to live as a mortal man’ and I may be reaching but you can tie links between that and Mickey giving up his freedom to be with Ian in prison...

8. A Lonely Planet Travel guide for Cambodia (1992)

I have no idea what the significance of Cambodia is. Maybe Ian is simply fantasizing of being able to go on vacation with Mickey 😭. Perhaps ties into the whole escapism theme there seems to be with this selection of books

9. Out to Canaan - Jan Karon (1997)

This seems like a kind of slice of life, easy read type book. A bit of realism in amongst all the fantasy and sci-fi.

10. Science and Human Behavior - B. F. Skinner (1953)

This is an interesting one. Maybe Ian was trying to understand why Mickey shits at the same time everyday who knows.

Jokes aside, there’s some interesting excepts, notably on severe punishment and it’s effects on human behaviour, possibly a very interesting read for someone serving time.

11. Prisoners of Our Thoughts - Alex Pattakos (2008)

Another non fiction and another fascinating addition in terms of Ian’s character. This book takes the teachings of Victor Frankl and deals with the psychology of finding meaning in your life (something which Ian has often struggled with).

A significant quote being ‘everything can be taken from a man but the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances’

Let’s remember that in season 6, Ian lost his purpose for being entirely, he had no ambitions, no career, no Mickey (😔) but he found his purpose again when he became an EMT, a job which is perfect for someone like Ian who has proven time and time again that all he really wants is to help people. Now, significantly, he’s lost that job and with it that sense of purpose he’d gained. As someone with bipolar disorder, this could have potentially affected him significantly, so for him to choose to read a book like this is a nice insight to his character and I love to see evidence of him doing something positive to take care of his mental well being while in prison.

12. The Holy Bible

Such a minuscule reference to Ian’s Gay Jesus phase, I actually love that they included this though. So by now Ian probably recognizes that he went a little out of control but, idk he went full ham on the bible stuff, and maybe he got some comfort out of some of the verses in there, so it’s cool that he keeps a bible around as part of that storyline.

13. Another bible

(Ian, u good?)

14. Peace like a River - Leif Enger (2001)

The synopsis describes an ‘unusual family’ in search of their ‘fugitive older brother’. I imagine the actual story itself probably has no parallels with Ian’s story but that line stuck out for me.

Also ‘peace like a river’ is a phrase taken from the bible, so that ties in with Ian’s spirituality again. Maybe he recognised the phrase from memorising verses so the book caught his eye.

15. The very last one I’m struggling to decipher, it looks old, probably a classic from the style of the binding. It might be Othello but I can’t get a clear shot to read the title, hopefully someone else might have some clue.

*

So what does it all mean? I hear no one asking.

While they might seem random, I think we see a lot of Ian’s character in these books.

The sheer amount of fantasy and sci-fi here is quite telling. I think it’s clearly a form of escapism for Ian, he’s trapped in a tiny cell (albeit with the love his life but it’s still fucking tiny in there okay) he’s gonna need some light-hearted adventure somehow.

He’s a guy with a lot of energy, a huge savior complex who just wants to do good. He’s tough, he’s a fighter, but he also has a softer side to him, a gentle nature so I think the romantic fantasy genre is a perfect fit for his character. Maybe there’s a bit of wish fulfillment there as well since watching your bf use the bathroom every night is hardly the most romantic scenario (sorry Mickey).

The non fiction choices are probably my favourite indicators of Ian’s character. I think we learn a lot about him from those choices there; his remaining spirituality, his state of mind, his hopes for the future, his curiosity. I just love the thought of Ian reading travel guides, hoping to one day see more of the world idk. And him reading books on psychology in the hopes of understanding himself and his mind better? We love to see it 👏👏👏

All in all, I think they’re a good fit for him, and I hope he enjoyed reading them!

I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on this!

[mertonpride]

I have no idea why I suddenly wanted to post my monthly book post on here, but...well, let's try this because I don't really want to use Instagram anymore. ^^

Sherlock Holmes jagt das schwarze Phantom

No idea why this series of Sherlock Holmes pastiches got marketed as children's books – they don't strike me as especially written for children? I liked this series, but this last volume I still had to read kinda let me down. The culprit's identity was pretty obvious, so Holmes didn't have to do that much deduction work, actually. Still an entertaining read and by no means bad.

Satans Fluch

Another series of Sherlock Holmes pastiches. While I really enjoy them, the quality sometimes isn't the best and rather reminds me of some kind of penny dreadful. But like I said, there's is a certain enjoyment in reading those stories because they at least get the atmosphere of the original Holmes stories right. So I don't mind the varying quality of the actual criminal cases too much.

In tiefen Wäldern Träumen lauschen vol. 1

There aren't many Chinese comics/manhua available on the German market, so I got curious about this one. And it's absolutely amazing. I love the detailed art, and the way the story is told just sucked me in. I want to know what happens next to the Princess and her new husband...and also what's the deal with the mysterious storyteller with a monkey mask. I need the next volume. Can't afford it right now though :/

Murcielago vol. 12-13

One of my guilty pleasure series, honestly...or rather, that's what I said when I started reading the first few volumes. But by now I genuinely came to love it and it's one of the few series of which I'm usually preordering the latest volumes. I enjoyed those volumes and the conclusion of the last story arc. The new arc seems promising too, so I'm looking forward to the next volume.

Wandering Island vol.2

I absolutely love this manga series. Sadly there aren't any more volumes than the first two and I couldn't find any information about a possible third volume. I sure hope there'll be another volume though, because the story ended on a cliffhanger. Anyway, I loved how especially volume two had very few speech bubbles and still told so much of a story.

Dragon Ball vol. 1-3

I read all volumes of Dragon Ball years ago, but now I felt like reading the story from the very beginning again (probably because of nostalgia? I really couldn't say). I think the first few chapters were my favourite part of the story anyway, so I'm not sure whether I'll continue reading anytime soon. Maybe if I need a bit of light entertainment, who knows.

Mai Ball! vol. 1

Didn't read a sports manga in ages, so why not try a series about a women's football team? Though there's quite a bit of fanservice in this one, which I personally wouldn't have needed, but fine. They didn't play much football in this first volume, but I'm interested in some of the characters, so I'll probably keep reading.

In/Spectre vol. 1-3

Original title: Kyokou Suiri. I LOVED the anime adaption, so I just had to start reading the manga adaption at some point too. I really like the drawing style, and I still enjoy the first story arc about a urban myth brought to life by people on the internet believing in its existence. Quite thought-provoking, actually. Well, I still need to catch up on some more volumes, but I sure hope the German publisher didn't drop the series though, we didn't get a new volume in months and there's literally no information :/

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 9/15/21

SEAN: Gonna start reversing the list more often as, no offense to Seven Seas, I am tired of Airship getting the first image every week.

So we start with Yen On, who have a plethora of “delayed from August… and July” debuts for us! Four of them, in fact.

Bond and Book (Musubu to Hon) is a new series from the author of the Book Girl light novels, which I greatly enjoyed when they came out ages ago. Sadly, they came out before the LN boom, so sold poorly – I hope this does better. It seems to be a linked story series, as the books overall involve a young man who can “hear the voices of books”, and each book has him dealing with a specific problem. The first is called The Devotion of “The Surgery Room” (a short story by Japanese author Kyōka Izumi).

ASH: This sounds right up my alley. I, too, enjoyed what I read of Book Girl and I like book-ish type stories.

SEAN: Second we have If the RPG World Had Social Media… (Moshi Role Playing Game no Sekai ni SNS ga Attara), a series which I’m going to take a wild guess is a comedy. Would you challenge the demon lord via text?

Third we have Magistellus Bad Trip. A Certain Magical Index may be dead in North America, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a new series by the same author. A VR city with gambling and high stakes is about to be taken by a young man and his succubus partner.

Lastly, we get a spinoff from The Irregular at Magic High School, the appropriately named The The Irregular at Magic High School. Seems to be more of a continuation than a legit spinoff – they’re even keeping the numbering, as this is Vol. 17. But it has to be a new series, I’m sure.

ASH: Huh! That’s an interesting way of doing it.

SEAN: Viz Media debuts Mao, the new Rumiko Takahashi series. This runs in Weekly Shonen Sunday, and is definitely a step back towards serious supernatural/horror themed stories.

MICHELLE: Kinda curious about this one.

ASH: Same!

MELINDA: And me!

SEAN: Also from Viz: a double shot of Kenjiro Hata, as we get Fly Me to the Moon 7 and Hayate the Combat Butler 38. Other than that, it’s tie-ins galore, as we see Kirby Manga Mania 2, Pokemon: Sun & Moon 11, Splatoon 13, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 9, and YO-KAI WATCH 18.

Tokyopop has A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation 4.

SuBLime debuts Black or White (Kuro ka Shiro ka), which runs in Kadokawa’s Emerald. Two actors who are typecast in roles they’d rather not be doing are secretly lovers.

ASH: I’m looking forward to giving this one a try.

MELINDA: That does sound interesting, actually.

SEAN: Also from SuBLime, we have Jealousy 4 and Given 6.

MICHELLE: I am so behind on Given already.

ASH: I’m a bit behind, too, despite enjoying the series!

SEAN: Square Enix has the 4th volume of A Man and His Cat.

MICHELLE: Yay!

MELINDA: Another yay!

SEAN: Another small week from Seven Seas. They have The Ideal Sponger Life 9, Plus-Sized Elf 7, and Reincarnated As a Sword 7.

One Peace debuts Multi-Mind Mayhem (Isekai Tensei Soudouki), based on the as yet unlicensed light novel. This story of a man with three different souls in his body – his own, a Japanese samurai, and a Japanese otaku – comes from Alpha Polis.

ASH: I am possibly intrigued.

SEAN: Kodansha, in print, has Orient 4 and A School Frozen in Time 3.

MICHELLE: I enjoyed the first volume of A School Frozen in Time.

ASH: I still need to read it, but I do have a copy!

SEAN: Digitally, as always, much more. Two debuts. Turns Out My Online Friend is My Real-Life Boss! (Online Game Nakama to Sashi Off shitara Shokuba no Onijoushi ga Kita) is a BL title from Ichijinsha’s Gateau, about a guy who tries to destress after days dealing with his evil boss by talking with a gaming friend online. then they meet up in real life and… yeah, you guessed it.

The other debuts is also BL and also from Ichijinsha’s Gateau. We’re On Our Own From Here (Konosaki wa Futarikiride) is a high school romance between two boys, spurred on by a girl seemingly confessing to one.

MICHELLE: This looks really cute!

MELINDA: I’m a sucker for this type of story.

SEAN: There’s also Abe-kun’s Got Me Now! 7, Ace of the Diamond 34, Giant Killing 26, Police in a Pod 4, The Springtime of My Life Began with You 4, Tokyo Revengers 22, We Must Never Fall in Love 8, and Yamaguchi-kun Isn’t So Bad 2.

MICHELLE: Lots of stuff here that I’m interested in! Mostly the sports, not gonna lie.

ASH: I’ll admit to being fond of sports manga, too.

SEAN: J-Novel Club debuts Dragon Daddy Diaries: A Girl Grows to Greatness (Totsuzen Papa ni Natta Saikyou Dragon no Kosodate Nikki: Kawaii Musume, Honobono to Ningenkai Saikyou ni Sodatsu), a title from the author of Sexiled and A Lily Blooms in Another World, so again, I would not worry about daddy-daughter issues here. This looks super cute, and is about what you’d expect: a dragon adopting and raising a human child.

ASH: Another book to add to the list to check out!

Also on the light novel tip from J-Novel Club: The Apothecary Diaries 3, Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower 3, Perry Rhodan NEO 3, The Sidekick Never Gets the Girl, Let Alone the Protag’s Sister! 2, and A Wild Last Boss Appeared! 6.

Lastly we have Airship. In print, they’ve got How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom 12 and Muscles Are Better Than Magic! 3.

Two early digital debuts. The Most Notorious “Talker” Runs the World’s Greatest Clan (Saikyou no Shien-shoku “Wajutsushi” Dearu ore wa Sekai Saikyou Kuran o Shitagaeru). Sigh. Weak. But really strong. Betrayed. Evil? Probably, but he’s our hero. Moving on.

Planet of the Orcs is from Kodansha’s Legend Novels line, and therefore I expect it to be pretentious as hell, even though when I look at the premise all I can do is sing “ORCS WITH GUNS!” to the tune of Duran Duran’s Girls on Film.

That’s a big chunk of stuff… but is it for you?

By: Sean Gaffney

[tardytothepardy]

Fruits Basket - Vol.15

You think you know someone, and then it turns out you really, really don't. At least, you know a very small portion of that person.

In a pretty hefty chunk of this book, we get a massive flashback into Yuki's childhood. As expected, it wasn't that great. What I didn't expect is how bad it was. It was,,, honestly a lot.

So, because he is the Rat Boy, and because I guess the rat is the closest to God in this whole situation, Yuki ended up being around Akito for most of his childhood. It wasn't ever really anything he wanted to do, it was just something he had to do. And from the short glimpse we get of Akito as a little kid, it seems like he didn't use to be anywhere near as bad as he is in the present (which makes sense). He seemed to have a short temper, but other than that, there wasn't anything unusual. Until one random day, that is. Akito kinda flipped his shit, and has been that way since. How nice.

As a result of always being close to Akito, no one else really wanted to be around Yuki. And after Akito cracked a bit, and started saying that Yuki wasn't wanted, that he was unnecessary, and that no one liked him, Yuki didn't much like being around Akito, but he didn't have any choice. Some time around then, Yuki's parents seem to have kinda sold Yuki to appease Akito, so he didn't even have his family to fall back on. Ayame, his older brother, ignored his existence as a whole. Have we even met Yuki's father in this entire series?

So when Yuki first heard of Kyo, how he was left outside, Yuki was pretty curious. He was alone, and so was this mysterious cat person. Maybe they could be friends? But, of course, the second that Kyo saw Yuki, he blamed Yuki for basically everything that went wrong in his life, just because Yuki was the rat, and he was the cat. Before this point, the whole Juunishi thing doesn't really seem to affect Yuki much, he doesn't seem to categorize people based on what animal spirit they have, but I imagine that after this incident, maybe that changed. After that initial interaction with Kyo, Yuki didn't immediately hate him, he was just sad and confused, but moving on, I bet it was excellent fuel to the fire.

(Oh hey I'll just put this here, that after Kyo yelled at him for "ruining everything" and that everyone would be happier if he just disappeared, he ran into his mom again. He was upset, and probably could've used some nice comfort. Instead of that, he got slapped in the face. So. -1 for Yuki's mom.)

Do you remember way back, probably around the first books, when Yuki brought up that time that he accidently turned into a rat while playing with some kids in elementary school? It went over that. It was already a sad scene, but now there's this additional context that when he was playing around with the other kids, that was basically one of the first times that he was truly happy. But after he changed into a rat, well obviously that had to be covered up, so all those kids that he was starting to make friends with were made to completely forget about him. He wasn't back to square one, he was at square zero, because now he had had a taste of friendship, just for it to be taken away and replaced with Akito (and probably other people) shaming him for having the audacity of being born as a Juunishi, because he totally chose to be like that, right?

Another slight detour, the hat. So the hat was originally Kyo's, but after he saw Yuki holding it, he just decided that it wasn't his anymore. And, oh my fucking god? The following panels are fucking heart wrenching, it's terrible. Did no one hear Yuki crying, or did they just ignore it? Like, I don't like kids, I can't handle them when they're screaming (why do they scream so much it's weird) or crying, but oh my god, that hurts me. That panel hurts me. He just wants a family that loves and cares for him, that doesn't avoid or ignore him. (Put a pin in this sentiment, because it pops up later.)

After a steady diet of this kinda thing, with Akito's acidic words, people's general distaste or indifference for him, he started being scared to reach out to others. (Personally, I kinda feel like screaming at these people, like wtf is wrong with all of them) It's here when he just seems to kinda shut off. All this time, he's still sickly, and feeling like your life is without worth (and having your world confirm it everyday) doesn't exactly make you fight to stay healthy, y'know?

And here's when Yuki kinda is given a purpose, because after Akito visited him when his cough was acting up, and basically asked him, "Are you going to die yet? If you're gonna do it, just do it already", he left the house, and ran out randomly out in town in the early morning, where he overheard Kyoko screaming to the police about how her adorable little daughter in her adorable little dress with her cute hair in adorable little pom-poms was missing and she was going to tear down the town to find her. He kept running down some roads, until he did actually find that adorable little daughter.

On his end, it seemed to be a series of "Well shit. What now?" after finding her, and only continued as Tohru saw him and started following after him until he led her back to her house. This whole thing, as has been explained in previous books, was basically the first time in his life where someone needed him, specifically him, to help them. And that feeling, of knowing that he was able to help someone, and that he was needed, even for a little bit, was enough to pull him through.

Then we're pulled back to present, shortly after Machi broke open the closet door with a chair where Yuki was stuck in, which was the main thing that even started this whole thing, where he's explaining kind of why he came to see and/or love Tohru in maternal way. Thing is, just like when that was revealed, I still don't blame him for it. She's very caring. I'll admit (like Kakeru, who has kinda been there sitting with Yuki this whole time, apparently in silence) that I don't wholly understand it, on a personal level, but I can see why he thinks that. It makes sense.

Now onto to wacky happenings and zany shenanigans! The school is making a play, and Kyo's one of the main characters (despite never really showing that he has literally any interest in acting or theater, but yaknow whatever) in a Cinderella play, with Cinderella herself being played as Hanajima! This has already been brought up in the last book, but I'm just reiterating for fun or something idk

Tohru's having a hard time fitting into the role of an evil stepsister, to the point that she's worried about slowing others down because she just,,, can't,,, make,, herself,,,,, be,, meannnnn omigod it's so hard ;-; Additionally, Kyo's just not showing up for rehearsals and stuff, he's not even bothering. Probably bc it's embarrassing for him. And with these two main problems (the show can't go on if Prince Charming doesn't know his lines, after all), the play is altered, ever so slightly, so that it becomes "Sorta Cinderella". What a marvelous title.

Let's go back to that pin I mentioned earlier, with Yuki wishing he could have had a family that loved and cared for him.

So, before some of this stuff with the play, Yuki brought up The Hat, of the "It was first owned by Kyo but he later abandoned it after seeing that Yuki picked it up, and later wore that hat when he led Tohru back to her mom" fame, in a very off-handed manner. I think he just said that Tohru still has the hat, in her room, that's she's kept it all this time. This throws some unpleasant memories for Kyo into the air, and leaves him rather bitter.

Leading back to the main scene at hand, Kyo kinda goes off on Yuki, saying that Yuki was lucky: he had a mom and dad, he was needed, he was involved in the family matters. He's had it easy, had the world handed to him on a silver platter, and that he'll never understand what it's like to hope for something despite knowing he'll never get it. (and both times i've read that so far, i just want to yoink kyo into the beginning of this book, like, no dude. your childhood was fucked up, but so was his.) He stops mid-rant, however, when he sees that Yuki is not fighting back, at all, and when he remembers something that (probably) Akito said, that Kyo just uses Yuki as something he can hate. Naturally, why would you ever want to feed into something that Akito would say, so he stops, but not before punching a hole in a window. Ow.

Finally, we've gotten to the play, the main event! Hiro, Kisa, Momiji, and Haru (among others) are there to witness the,, the sight? (Idk man it's 12:30am) Hiro is acting strangled, as per usual, trying to keep Kisa away from all the creeps, but also trying his small-child most to not Mess Things Up, as he has a slight history of doing throughout the series thus far.

The play in of itself is pretty funny, personally I think the narrator was doing the heavy lifting in this one. But more importantly, there's a point where "Cinderella" asks "Prince Charming" if all he ever wants out of life is to hide away from people, locked away in his own space, dying alone, (which I heavily doubt was part of the script, because,, whoa) and partway through telling her that he wouldn't affect anyone if he did do that, the "Stepsister" (Tohru) interrupts him, saying that would make her... she stops herself, but one can assume that the end of that statement would likely be that, if "Prince Charming" (psh nah this isn't about the play anymore) Kyo were to do that, she would get very upset, and generally not have a good time. And he had the audacity to be surprised about that like wtf man.

After the play, Yuki runs into a group of girls that are harrassing Machi, because she said that Yuki isn't like a prince. She didn't explain herself after saying it, and so I suppose the Yuki Fan Club (or whatever it's called idk I'd be surprised but also not if it wasn't called that) took offense to her disagreeing with her. After being pushed around (literally), Machi says that Yuki just seems too lonely of a person to be a prince, that despite being surrounded by people, he just kinda seems out of it most of the time. Now, is that true? It kinda seems so, so, props to Machi for seeing that, hopefully she's not going to be kidnapped and tortured (idk stuff happens). Hearing Machi say all that does kinda startle Yuki, but the fight itself stops after Kakeru makes a fake announcement about a photoshoot with Yuki that makes the bullies scatter away.

And that's basically the end of it. Although the flashback thing with Yuki probably didn't even take up a third of the book, it was still some pretty heavy stuff, so it's nice that it was offset slightly with the play. I don't really have much else to say about that.

[temekitsune]

the GazettE CD & DVD for sale

So, I'm selling my collection of merchandise, everything that I've collected in these 15 years.

I still love them, make no mistakes, but I don't feel the need for physical copies anymore. Plus, my collection is still in italy and I've been living in UK for 8 years now, I don't want to leave it there collecting dust for nothing, maybe some of you would like to have some of my stuff.

This is a list of everything I own: CDs, DVDs, magazines and pamphlets.

Everything over lined means is not physically with me at the moment, I'll post an update whenever I'm in Italy or in UK and I'll edit this post accordingly.

Prices are non negotiable.

I ship worldwide with registered air mail. I will ship twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, depending on when you send me the payment. For the shipping costs I will contact you privately and let you know how much is going to be and my PayPal address.

If you have any more questions send me a dm.

First comes, first served rule!

Most of the items are in perfect conditions, although some of the CDs may have small cracks in the case. That's due to shipping damage from Japan not of me not taking proper care of them. If that's the case, I'll show you pictures of the damages. Same goes for the magazine, they are like new but if there are issues, I'll let you know.

I'm in UK now so you can see the list is definitely smaller that what it used to be. I'm gonna go back to Italy for a week at the beginning of December 2020, if you want something tell me in advance and I'll ship it as soon as I'm there.

CDs

Yougenkyou moon - 40£. SOLD

Cockayne soup -40£

Akuyuukai -40£

Sperm margarita -40£

Hankou seimeibun -40£

Madara -40£

Dai Nihon itan geishateki noumiso nakatsuri zechou zekkei ongenshou -40£

14sai no knife -40£

Disorder -regular edition -20£

Chigire - 40£

Reila lesson G -20£

Reila lesson O-20£

Reila lesson D -20£

Gama -40£

Cassis A cd+dvd -25£ yellow

Cassis B -20£ red SOLD

Cassis C-20£ blue

Dai Nihon itan geishateki noumiso gyaku kaiten zekkyou ongaku shou -20£

NIL regular edition  -20£

Filth in the beauty regular -10£

Filth in the beauty dvd -18£

Regret regular -10£

Regret dvd -18£

Hyena regular-10£

Hyena dvd -18£

Leech regular-10£

Leech dvd - 18£

Guren regular -10£

Guren dvd -18£

Distress and coma regular -10£

Distress and coma dvd -18£

Before I decay regular - 10£

Before I decay dvd - 18£

Shiver regular -10£

Shiver dvd -18£

Red regular -10£

Pledge A -10£*

Pledge B -10£*

Pledge C -10£*

*Pledge can be sold separately or as a bundle (all 3 CDs as a whole, for 25£)

Remember the urge regular-10£

Remember the urge dvd -18£

Vortex regular-10£

Fadeless regular -10£

Fadeless dvd -18£

Zetsu -30£

Zakurogata no yuutsu -30£

Misenen -30£

Stacked rubbish -20£

DIM regular edition-20£

TOXIC (with booklet) -30£

Division (2cd + dvd) -35£

UGLY regular -10£

UGLY dvd -18£

DOGMA cd+dvd + pamphlet edition (the big ass edition) -45£

DVDs:

Standing live tour 2006 NAMELESS LIBERTY SIX GUNS final at Budoukan Regular edition (I have the purple version which I'm sure is the regular, I think there was a black version with an extra dvd? Don't remember) - 25£ SOLD

Tour 2006-2007 Decomposition Beauty Final [ MEANINGLESS ART THAT PEOPLE SHOW] at Yokohama Arena - 25£

Tour 2007-2008 STACKED RUBBISH GRAND FINALE [REPEATED COUNTLESS ERROR] at Yoyogi national stadium first gymnasium - 25£

Tour 09 -DIM SCENE- final at Saitama super arena - 25£ SOLD

Tour 11-12 Venomous cell finale OMEGA live at Yokohama Arena - 25£ SOLD

GARISH ROOM:

Garish rooms are 9£ each, including shipping. If you buy them with something else, they go down to 7£

0 (I think I got this one in Japan, it is definitely from 2006 there are pictures of the guys having fun before the BURST INTO A BLAZE 2006 live and it does advertise Regret and Filth in the beauty while number 1 already have Regret's outfit. I'll send you pictures if you're interested/ curious, there's no number on it)

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Magazines

You can request as many pictures as you like of the magazines so you're sure of what you're getting.

Rock and read 005 Ruki -60£

Rock and read 014 Reita - 30£

Rock and read 026 Kai - 30£

Rock and read 033 Ruki - 30£

Rock and read 036 Reita - 30£

Rock and read 041 Uruha - 30£

Rock and read 049 Ruki - 30£

Rock and read eyes Spring 2012 - the GazettE on the cover DECADE outfit (Alice nine, Versailles, vistlip, lynch., Dauto, LM.C) - 20£

Shoxx vol.181 March 2008 the GazettE on the cover (Nightmare, Antikku, Hiroto -Alice9-, Sid, Miyavi, Kaggra) + the GazettE poster - 12£

Shoxx vol.245 July 2013 Ruki on the cover + poster inside - 12£

Neo Genesis vol.07 April 2007 - the GazettE in Regret outfit on the cover (Antikku, Nightmare, Miyavi, Sid, Alice9, Doremidan, Angelo - 12£

Neo Genesis vol.21 August 2008 - the GazettE in Guren outfit on the cover (Antikku, Sid, Alice9, Plastic tree, LM.C, Mucc, HIZUMI - D'espairs Ray) - 12£

Neo Genesis vol.23 October 2008 - Ruki on the cover (Merry, Angelo, Antikku, 12012, Penicillin, SuG, heidi, lynch, chariots, Vidoll) - 12£

Neo Genesis vol.28 March 2009 - the GazettE Leech outfit on the cover (Antikku, Nightmare, Alice9, Miyavi, Kra, SuG, Vidoll, Mix speaker's inc, penicillin, mucc, 12012) - 12£

Neo Genesis vol.44 September 2010 - Uruha and Aoi on the cover (Shou & Tora - alice9-, SuG, LM.C, Miyavi, Merry, The kiddie, kannivalism, Angelo, mix speaker's inc, Daizy stripper) - 12£

FOOL'S MATE N°294 April 2006 - the Gazette on the cover in Ruder outfit (Jeanne Da arc, Kirito, Gackt, Nightmare) - 12£

FOOL'S MATE N°322 Augus 2008 - Alice9 on the cover (Reita solo interview, Antikku, Merry, Nightmare) - 12£

FOOL'S MATE N°324 October 2008 - the GazettE on the cover in LEECH outfit (Acid Black Cherry, LM.C, Antikku, Plasti tree, D) - 12£

FOOL'S MATE N°334 - the GazettE on the cover in DIM outfit (Sid, Nightmare, Merry, Alice9, Antikku) - 12£

SHOCKWAVE N°14 November 2008 - the GazettE on the cover in LEECH outfit (Plastic tree, Kra, Mix speaker's inc) - 12£

GLARE vol.6 February 2008 - Uruha &Aoi on the cover in Guren outfit (Luna sea, Kra, D, Miyavi, Kaggra, Merry, Dolly, Daizy stripper) - 12£

GLARE vol.10 December 2008 - Reita & Kai on the cover in LEEH outfit (Merry, the studs, Gilgamesh, SuG, Screw, D'espairs ray, mello) - 12£

Rockoon! N°01 December 2007/ January 2008 (German magazine) - Ruki on the cover between a bunch of other artists. The photoshoots inside has the outfit for Stacked Rubbish - 5£

CD deeta August 2009 - TM. REVOLUTION x Takuya (UVERworld), x Tetsu (L'arc~en~Ciel), MICRO (HOMEMADEkazoku) on the cover (the GazettE, ORANGE RANGE, Acid Black Cherry, Kobukuro, speed, B'z, UVERworld) - 10£

CURE vol.14 Nivember 2004 - the GazettE on the cover in Zetsu outfit - 15£

ARENA 37° vol.3 March 2008 - the GazettE on the cover in Guren outfit (Sid, Alice9, UVERworld, Nightmare, Miyavi, X Japan) - 12£

ARENA 37° vol.8 August 2008 - TVXQ on the cover with poster inside (Alice9, SS501, ORANGE RA GE, Miyavi, the Gazette, UVERworld, hide) - 12£

ARENA 37° vol.10 Octoer 2008 - Nightmare on the cover (the GazettE, UVERworld, Abingdon boys school, BREKERZ, SuG, Alice9, Miyavi) - 12£

ARENA 37° vol.8 November 2008 - the GazettE on the cover in DIM outfit (Gackt, John-Hoon, Acid Black Cherry, Alice9, BREAKERZ, UVERworld) - 12£

ARENA 37° vol.3 march 2010 - Tsubasa Imai on the cover (Damijaw, Alice9, L'Arc~en~ciel, LM.C, SUGIZO, SuG, Kaggra, the Gazette Reita solo. This is the famous photoshoot where he was jumping for the photos and twisted his ankle in the process) - 12£

ARENA 37° June 2008 - the GazettE in Yoyogi tour 2007-2008 Stacked rubbish grand finale [REPEATED COUNTLESS ERROR] 4.19&20 - 12£

ARENA 37° SPECIAL vol.33 May 2007 - the GazettE on the cover in Chizuru outfit - 12£

ARENA 37° SPECIAL vol.48 September 2008 - Uruha on the cover (Dark hair Uruha) - 12£

ARENA 37° SPECIAL vol.50 Novmber 2008 - Reita on the cover (Wet Reita) x2 (yeah, I've got 2 of this, idk why) - 12£

PAMPHLETS:

Dainippon Itain geisha - circa 2004-2005 - Zetsu & Zakurogata no yuutsu outfit - 50£

MAXIMUM ROYAL DISORDER - 2005.04.16 & 17 - 50£

Gazerock festival in summer 06 [BURST INTO A BLAZE] - 30£

Decomposition beauty Tour 2006 - 30£

Tour 2006 DECOMPOSITION BEAUTY FINAL [Meaningless Art That People Show] 2007.03.11 Yokohama Arena - 30£

Tour 2007-2008 Stacked rubbish [Pulse wriggling to black 01] - 30£

Tour 2007-2008 Stacked rubbish [Pulse wriggling to black 02] - 30£

Tour 2007-2008 Stacked rubbish Gran Finale [REPEATED COUNTLESS ERROR] (One of many pamphlets with a typo, it actually says "Stacled Rubbish". Gotta love PSC for trying) - 30£

Gazerock festival in summer 08 BURST INTO A BLAZE - 30£

DIM SCENE - 30£

Live tour 2011 VENOMOUS CELL - 30£

Standing live tour THE END OF STILLNESS 2010 - 30£

BLACKMORAL the GazettE tour final THE NAMELESS LIBERTY 12.26 TOKYO DOME (another one with a typo, it actually says FONAL both on the cover and on the pamphlet) - 30£

Happy shopping 🤗

[tsukiprotranslations]

[Translation] VAZZROCK BI-COLOR SERIES VOL. 9 - emerald Drama Track 1

Here’s the translation to Reiji’s first drama track~! I hope you enjoy his usual banter with Ayumu lolol

Thank you again to @ryuukia for sharing with me ^^

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission.

Under the cut, enjoy~!

Track 1: [ちょっとは距離を縮めよう] “Let’s shorten our distance just a little”

 [0:00]

  REIJI: (sighs) Tomorrow’s an event with Ayumu, huh.

REIJI: It’s at the outdoor stage where we had rehearsals then, right?

REIJI: It’s been a while since I last had an outdoor event.

AYUMU: It’s the first time for me.

REIJI: A sitting event?

AYUMU: No, a standing one.

REIJI: Don’t tell me… The kind of event where there’s free admission?

AYUMU: The tickets were sold beforehand. I heard that it’s so the stadium wouldn’t be so packed even if it’s a standing event.

REIJI: Oh, is that so? The stage itself was kinda huge too, huh? I thought so during rehearsals.

AYUMU: It just seemed like that because there were no people.

REIJI: We won’t be changing costumes until the last part, right?

AYUMU: Yeah. It was decided so that we could maximize the time we’re standing on stage during the duration of the event.

AYUMU: Didn’t the manager tell you this yesterday?

REIJI: I was just confirming it. Oh, are there other things you’re curious about?

AYUMU: Let me see… What should we do if there’s an encore?

REIJI: Ah, we haven’t decided that yet? Well, I kinda wanna do all that I can but outdoors is…

REIJI: We have to mind the weather and when it becomes dark.

AYUMU: That would probably be the problem. huh.

REIJI: What’s tomorrow’s forecast?

AYUMU: Cloudy with a chance of rain.

REIJI: Ah… It’s ‘cause you were too excited.

AYUMU: Don’t make it my fault!

REIJI: I mean, all of your solo events have had accidents, right?

AYUMU: …! Wh-what about you then?

REIJI: Me? In my case, it was… mostly cloudy?

AYUMU: Alright. If tomorrow’s cloudy then it’s your responsibility.

REIJI: (scoffs) Isn’t that better than the rain though?

AYUMU: But isn’t cloudy weather cold?

REIJI: No, man, rain is even colder!

AYUMU: In the meantime, if the weather’s bad, the equipment will get wet and an encore would be impossible.

REIJI: We’ll get wet too, you know?

AYUMU: You love being drenched, right?

REIJI: Eh? What’s with that idea?

AYUMU: I watched your drama the other day and you fell into the pool.

REIJI: Eh? You watched that? Anyway, it’s not like I fell because I wanted to.

REIJI: It’s only ‘cause of the role and the story, okay?

REIJI: It’s not like I particularly like getting drenched, got it?

REIJI: Since we’re on the topic, aren’t you the one who’s always drenched? You dumb rain man. (1)

AYUMU: How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not a rain man?

REIJI: Just admit it already! Oh~! How about making it your charm point then?

AYUMU: What part of that will make it my charm point?

REIJI: Not getting phased by the rain could be your charm point, y’know?

AYUMU: … I guess it could be welcomed.

REIJI: (scoffs) Don’t start daydreaming now!

AYUMU: In any case, the event is tomorrow. It’s necessary that we clarify everything before the appointed day.

(Ayumu sneezes)

REIJI: Oh…

AYUMU: What?

REIJI: Ah, no… It’s nothing.

[03:10]

  (Ayumu stands up from his chair)

AYUMU: (in a matter-of-fact tone) What time do we have to get to the arena?

REIJI: 12.

AYUMU: What time do we leave here tomorrow?

REIJI: 11.

AYUMU: What time will you wake up?

REIJI: You’re even gonna ask that? I’ll wake up so we’ll make it.

AYUMU: Your “making it on time” is more like “barely making it”.

AYUMU: You’re doing an event with me tomorrow so be there with 10 minutes to spare.

REIJI: (laughs) Yes, ma’am.

AYUMU: Who are you calling “ma’am”?

(Ayumu sneezes again)

REIJI: Hm… Ayumu… Do you have any allergies?

AYUMU: No. Why are you asking me that?

REIJI: “Why,” you ask… Well—never mind…

REIJI: Is there anything else you wanna confirm?

AYUMU: I wanted to confirm the general event but…

AYUMU: Then, could we run over it again—

REIJI: (suddenly interrupts Ayumu) Alright! It’s getting late~

REIJI: Meeting’s over~!

AYUMU: Hey, don’t just end it on your own!

REIJI: Is there still something you need, Mr. Worrywart, Ayuku-kun?

AYUMU: I don’t need anything. You should at least be a little worried.

REIJI: Sure, sure~ Sorry for not being all worried.

REIJI: Anyway, let’s go eat.

AYUMU: I got it.

[04:37]

  AYUMU: But… Is it necessary that we eat together?

REIJI: You see? We’ll be doing an event together tomorrow. Don’t you think we should at least close our distance a little?

REIJI: Eating together is exactly for that purpose.

AYUMU: (scoffs) You’re too naïve. Do you really think that people will get close after eating together once?

REIJI: That… Is that something to be so triumphant about?

AYUMU: Never mind that. There’s nothing wrong with eating together.

AYUMU: Let’s go.

REIJI: Alright~! Well, since we’ll be doing an outdoors event tomorrow, let’s just cook something today.

AYUMU: Eh?

REIJI: My room or your room, which do you prefer?

AYUMU: …! Are those our only choices…?

REIJI: Where else would we go?

AYUMU: If possible, my room isn’t…

REIJI: Ah… My room’s full of stuff right now~ It’d be a big help if we could use Ayumu’s room but~ How about it~?

AYUMU: No, uh…! My room is in a horrible state, too so…

REIJI: I don’t really mind it though~

AYUMU: I do! If you don’t mind a disastrous room anyway then why not use yours?

REIJI: I didn’t say that it was disastrous. But, y’know? I’ve never been to your room before.

REIJI: I feel like I should visit at least once for our friendship’s sake.

REIJI: Or maybe…

REIJI: You’re hiding something~?

AYUMU: It’s a normal room.

REIJI: Then~

AYUMU: Let’s go to your room!

REIJI: O-oh…! Y-you’re direct for once…

REIJI: Do you want to come to my room that much~?

AYUMU: No, not at all.

REIJI: You’re really not honest. Then, I’ll go to your room next time. Today, mine will do.

AYUMU: … Is that so? Thank you.

REIJI: In exchange, bring some plates with you, got it?

AYUMU: Plates?

REIJI: The other day, I was thinking of remodelling so my stuff aren’t really organized.

REIJI: That’s why my room’s kinda empty right now.

AYUMU: I thought you said it was full of stuff?

REIJI: Ah… That’s well… Going with the flow?

AYUMU: You… You were teasing me, weren’t you?

REIJI: A little bit? I kinda wanted to poke fun at you~

REIJI: I think that’s a talent on its own, don’t you~?

AYUMU: (sighs) I take back my thank you from a while ago.

[07:24]

  (door opens)

REIJI: Now then… What should we eat?

REIJI: That Ayumu’s pretty picky…

REIJI: Oh! Tomato? If I bring this out he’ll leave for sure.

  (doorbell rings)

REIJI: Ah, yeah!

REIJI: He got here faster than I thought.

  (Reiji opens the door)

REIJI: Hey, sorry for the wait.

AYUMU: Is this okay? (Ayumu hands him the plates)

REIJI: W-wait…! Y-you… How many did you bring?

AYUMU: It’s a set of six. Don’t break them.

REIJI: No matter how you think about it, six plates is unnecessary…

AYUMU: Don’t hesitate to use them. I’m coming in.

(Ayumu closes the door behind him and walks inside)

  AYUMU: There’s really nothing here… There’s no sofa so where should I sit?

REIJI: There’s a chair by the kitchen counter, right? Wait there.

AYUMU: … Th-this chair that looks like a bar stool…?

(Ayumu sits down)

AYUMU: … I’m not used to it…

REIJI: Bear with it.

REIJI: How hungry are you, Ayumu?

AYUMU: The normal amount.

REIJI: Then, salad, roast beef, and pasta should do, huh?

REIJI: You’re okay with Caesar salad, right?

AYUMU: Y-yeah… You can cook?

REIJI: Simple stuff, yeah. I can make roast beef and use the rice cooker.

AYUMU: Wh-what in the world are you planning to make me eat?

REIJI: Ah, did you just imagine something amazing?

REIJI: It’s okay, I’m sure it’d be more delicious than store-bought food.

[09:33]

  AYUMU: Thank you for the meal.

REIJI: Thank you for enjoying it.

REIJI: Ah, I can return the plates next time, right?

AYUMU: Yeah. If you want, you can have them in exchange for Japanese sweets.

REIJI: You’re bargaining?

(Ayumu coughs)

AYUMU: Want me to help with cleaning?

REIJI: Nah, it’s not much.

AYUMU: Really?

(Ayumu coughs again)

AYUMU: Then, I’ll be heading for home now.

REIJI: This is my first time meeting a guy who says that. (2)

REIJI: Ah, wait!

AYUMU: What?

(Reiji opens a cupboard door)

REIJI: Here, take this with you.

AYUMU: Honey?

REIJI: I’ll give it to you to make up for teasing you~

AYUMU: You… Wh-what are you thinking?

AYUMU: Ah…! You’re bribing me?!

REIJI: What for?!

REIJI: Are you sure you don’t want it? It’s from that shop that sells Japanese sweets so~

AYUMU: …! If that’s the case then I’ll accept it. I’m thankful.

REIJI: As usual, your countenance changes so fast when Japanese sweets are involved.

AYUMU: You don’t need anything else, right?

REIJI: Yeah, you can go back.

REIJI: Ah…! That honey’s expiration date is close so you better eat it fast.

AYUMU: Wha--?! You… You just wanted to get rid of it, huh…

REIJI: Then you don’t need it~

AYUMU: I’m not returning something I’ve already been given! Plus… the honey did nothing wrong. I’ll be eating it soon.

(Ayumu opens the door)

AYUMU: Don’t oversleep tomorrow.

REIJI: I know, I know. Sleep properly too, okay?

AYUMU: I know that, Mom.

REIJI: (laughs)

(Ayumu leaves and closes the door)

REIJI: I hope he got the message… That he’s catching a cold…

REIJI: He’s the type to not notice that about himself…

  ==END==

Translator’s Notes:

(1)  Reiji actually calls Ayumu 「雨男/ameotoko」whose common translation is, “a person whose presence seems to invite rain”. Using that would be too long so I just simplified it to its other (more literal) translation, “rain man” XD

(2)  Ayumu says 「お暇/oitoma」which is kinda like, a lesser/uncommon way of saying “I’ll be taking my leave/I’m going home now/I’ll be heading back” so Reiji was kinda shocked about it.

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission.

If you like this, please consider buying me a ko-fi here to support my work. (o^▽^o)Thank you!!

[mysynthfetish]

Pedals, Predicaments, and Pain.

I ordered a pedal off eBay way back in maybe late October/early November last year. It seems forever ago. Anyway, here it is:

The Harmonic Perkolator. It’s a clone of the pedal Steve Albini used, sorta part of his signature sound from a certain era. Anyway, the seller looked like he was legit, an electronics tech or engineer in Poland. Some reviews said shipping took forever and there was little or very slow communication. Couldn’t be THAT bad, could it? Heh. Yeah, it could, it really could. But, the pedals all looked very well constructed, and he uses high-quality parts, and the designs are pretty damn good so I took a chance. I’m still not sure if it was worth it after all I went through just to get this pedal. First, when I tried to buy it, I got a “seller may not ship to Japan” warning. So, I contacted him, and he got right back to me, saying it wouldn’t be a problem, shipping anywhere in the world is just 7 Euro, no big deal, let’s do business. Right. That should have set off alarms. 7 Euro shipping worldwide? That shit ain’t gonna arrive no time soon. It probably came over by canoe or something. I didn’t get the fucking thing until January! Waiting, waiting, waiting, trying to get a tracking number, not getting a response for days, and even then it was something like “postal worker put wrong classification on package. Simple problem. You get package soon. I have this problem before.” And that was like the second week of December or something. Anyway, it FINALLY arrived and I was like goddam, about fucking time! But then I plug it in and fooled with it, running synths and an SG copy I have here through it, and the results were, well, not what I expected, to put it nicely— Fucking bullshit to say how I really feel. First of all, I don’t hear any real change by twiddling the Harmonics knob. Maybe something is happening, but the change is so subtle that it is almost unnoticeable. Then there’s the Balance knob, which may be an error, having been labeled as Balance when it really works like a Volume knob. With the Balance all the way counterclockwise, you get no sound at all. I contacted the seller about this around January 7th, and I did get a rather quick reply stating “I will write you tomorrow,” only to never hear from him again. And to add insult to injury, the timeframe for me to review the transaction has expired, it seems, so I’m stuck with this great-looking, very well-constructed pedal that doesn’t seem to work the way I thought it would. Moral of this story? Buyer Beware. It’s the age of the internet, I know, and I buy shit online way more than in actual shops, but in cases like this I really wish I had a shop to go to and demand a refund.

custompedals_pl is the guy’s eBay thing. I had a look and there are no more pedals listed. Maybe someone got tired of his slow shit and paid him a visit. Damn shame. I could throw the fucking thing on the auction here and maybe recover my loss, but who knows. Not a happy camper about this experience.

In other news, I have been slowly building a pedal myself, a clone of Death By Audio’s Reverb Machine. I started gathering parts way back in November, figuring I’d have time over winter break to build the thing but then I got the flu so there went that idea. Here’s the strip board when I was finished soldering components:

The big black marketed out area is where I put the reverb brick. All said and done, it may have cost me about $60 plus half a day’s worth of soldering and wiring and carrying on to get this done. Here it is after I’d assembled and tested it:

Not bad looking, and maybe I shoulda left it alone at that stage. But I like to fuck around with stuff and personalize things and make them my own, so I took everything out and broke out the mini-anvil (really it’s a 4-inch-or-so long slice of a train rail, or at least that’s what it looks like, and it weighs a goddam ton) and the letter punch set I bought for cheap off amazon, and went to work. Here’s the final result:

Weird lighting because an LED light was on, so the pedal has a weird color cast going on. From left to right the knobs are Mix, Death (decay, but feedback past 12 o’clock, it will self-oscillate and very angrily at that), Angst (drive, which goes from bass-erasing at zero to mild boomy oomph around 9 o’clock, all the way to distortion from noon onwards), and <O> which came out like that because I meant to stamp VOL but had the fucking V stamp rotated so it came out < and I was like OH GREAT WORK DIPSHIT! But anyway. Fuck. The Day/Night switch is something like light/dark on the original. Day gives a bright, shiny reverb that has lots of initial reflection-like delays, which Night darkens it up a bit and in combination with the Death and Angst knobs can yield a really dark, long, creepy reverb. I quite like this pedal, and am super happy that I was able to successfully build it. I should mention that the original pedal doesn’t have a Death (decay) knob, that was a mod someone on tagboardeffects suggested. That site is well worth checking out if you’re even curious about building a pedal clone yourself. Fantastic resource.

And now for the pain part. The other day my submixer sort of shat itself. Yay! I was using a Mackie MS1402-VLZ that I bought used off the auction here a few years ago. It’s always been kinda finicky, with left/right balance issues, and a VERY touchy/temperamental AUX 1 Master knob (it fucking loses its shit if you touch it but will remain calm if left alone). It works still, but it’s getting to the point that I have to fiddle with things to get them the way I want them, almost like having to bargain with the mixer and reach a compromise. No more of that shit, I decided to sell it and in the meantime I bought a mixer I used a while back but sold when space became an issue: the Soundcraft Spirit Folio Si 18-2. Here it is:

I’m not all that picky about mixers. I have a wee Yamaha that I use as a sub-mixer for drum machines. I use a Mackie ProFX12 as my main mixer. And I need a sub-mixer that can handle multiple stereo inputs, preferably with sliders for channel volume, and with EQ and at least two Aux sends on each channel. This mixer does just that. Honestly, I almost wish they’d released a version that didn’t have any mono channels, just stereo channels. But this one is as close to what I want as I can get. It wasn’t all that expensive either, so at least I was able to sort of get back up and running within a few days of deciding I didn’t wanna deal with the 1402 and its flippancy anymore. Hehehe. Ah and anyway the soundcraft mixer sounds good, it’s quiet, and the EQs are a bit different from the other mixers so there’s a bit of spice there that adds to the overall flavor, if you get what I’m trying to say. The other funny thing is that right when all this was going on I get one of those notices on FaceButt “three years ago...” or whatever and it was a photo of when I first got one of these exact mixers. Strange how things work out sometimes.

[daresplaining]

Luke Cage Countdown: 5 Days

Bushmaster

    In addition to bringing back excellent antagonists from Season 1, we are getting a few exciting additions this season. The primary new villain Luke will be facing is Bushmaster-- who has a longtime connection to Luke and friends in the comics, and looks absolutely amazing in the show. 

    Bushmaster (John McIver) was introduced in the pages of Iron Fist volume 1. At that point he was new on the scene-- a European mobster (he would later become Caribbean, because... eh, Marvel continuity). He grew up poor, but over time achieved wealth and power as a criminal, and is now aiming to extend his influence across the Atlantic. While Misty Knight is no longer on the NYPD, she still has close ties to them via her former partner Rafael Scarfe. When D.A. Tower needs someone to do the dangerous work of infiltrating Bushmaster’s base of operations, he calls in Misty. 

Tower: “...His name is John Bushmaster, and that’s about all we know about him. Except that over the past few years, he’s taken absolute control of the European mobs. Intelligence says that he plans to expand his activities to the United States, starting in New York. Interpol, the FBI-- even the CIA-- have tried to infiltrate his organization, without success. Now it’s our turn.”

Scarfe: “Tell it all, counselor! Every agent who was sent in came out dead. If Bushmaster sees through Misty’s cover--”

Misty: “I can take care of myself, Rafe.”

Iron Fist vol. 1 #15 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and B. Patterson

    Misty accepts the job, and takes up residence on Bushmaster’s yacht under the alias Maya Korday. Bushmaster is a classy criminal, who quickly becomes popular within New York’s high society, despite his shady dealings. For several months Misty remains undercover, earning his trust, and eventually-- to her disgust-- going so far as to start up a romantic relationship with him. However, she prematurely jumps ship when she discovers that Bushmaster has placed a hit on Iron Fist. She breaks cover, beats the snot out of Bushmaster, and runs to save her (at that point) future boyfriend.   

Bushmaster: “Wha--?! Maya! Have you gone mad?!”

Misty: “Not the way you mean, pal-- but if I get mad, you’re gonna get very dead. [...] Where’s the ‘hit’ planned for? And when?”

Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #63 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, and Dave Hunt

    Misty escapes, but Bushmaster is furious about being duped, and vows to have his revenge. He discovers her real identity, and goes shopping for a suitable candidate to capture her. 

    He sets his sights on Power Man, Hero for Hire. Luke has gained a serious reputation by this point as a man who gets things done, and his strength and invulnerability make him an attractive pawn for Bushmaster. But he’s also a good guy, so Bushmaster knows he’ll need extra motivation to convince Luke to commit a kidnapping. He summons Luke to his house in Chicago, and presents him with an ultimatum. 

Luke: “I heard o’ you on the street, man. You’re the European brother been given’ the Maggia so much grief-- wipin’ them out so you can take over. You got the wrong man, Bushmaster. I’m a Hero for Hire.” 

Bushmaster: “And I am most definitely a villain. Nevertheless, Cage, you will do this job for me. Because, you see, Claire Temple and Noah Burstein are my... ‘guests’. And if you turn me down... I’ll have no alternative but to order my men to kill them.”

Power Man #49 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, F, Mouly, et al.

    He also offers Luke a carrot in addition to the stick-- a videotape proving that Luke was innocent of the crime for which he was imprisoned. Claire and Burstein are two of the most important people in Luke’s life at this point, and he is desperate to escape his status as a criminal. As bad as he feels about the whole thing, he doesn’t have any emotional connection to Misty, and so he agrees to deliver her to Bushmaster to save the lives of his loved ones. 

    Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), things don’t go to plan. Luke’s attempt to kidnap Misty flings him right into the path of her loved ones: Danny Rand and Colleen Wing. A massive fight ensues, and Luke nearly commits murder several times over before realizing that he can’t go through with this. Danny, Misty, and Colleen have heard of Power Man’s good reputation, realize something is wrong, and offer to help him. Together, they infiltrate Bushmaster’s base to rescue Claire and Burstein-- only to make a horrifying discovery. In the short time between their encounters, Bushmaster has convinced Burstein to replicate the procedure that gave Luke his powers. When Luke encounters Bushmaster again, he finds himself facing someone who is physically his equal, if not his superior. 

Bushmaster: “You’re a fool, Cage! I am the ultimate product of Burstein’s experiments. In all respects, my power dwarfs yours! You can no more stand against me than against a tidal wave!”

Luke: “The man may have a point there. For each shot I give him, I get two back-- with interest. At most, I’m annoyin’ him. He’s hurtin’ me.”

Power Man #49 by Chris Claremont, John Byrne, F, Mouly, et al.

    The fight ends in an explosion, allowing Luke and friends to escape with the hostages and the tape-- which Danny’s lawyer Jeryn Hogarth later uses to prove Luke’s innocence in court. Bushmaster vanishes, and everyone foolishly assumes he’s gone for good...

    Eighteen issues later, the Heroes for Hire are doing a routine job, beating up some bank robbers, when they both get knocked out by sleeping gas. When Danny wakes up, Luke is gone. After a long, desperate investigation, Danny makes a shocking discovery about the bank that was being robbed. 

Danny: “Heart of the dragon! [...] This letterhead stationary... the second name on the bank’s board of directors...”

Jennie: “John Bushmaster, the Caribbean financier. Do you know him?”

Danny: “You bet I do! He’s the man who brought Luke and me together... and very nearly destroyed us both.”

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 # 67 by Mary Jo Duffy, Kerry Gammill, and Ben Sean

   Realizing the whole thing was a setup, Danny hunts down and sneaks into Bushmaster’s new base of operations. There, he finds Luke, Noah Burstein, and a Bushmaster who is rapidly dying. The procedure that gave him powers didn’t work quite as well as it did for Luke, and has caused his whole body to atrophy. He demands that Burstein use Luke as a guinea pig to figure out a way to reverse the process, or kill him trying, and has kidnapped Burstein’s wife to provide extra motivation. Danny bursts in and rescues Luke, just as Bushmaster turns to metal. 

Danny: “I... don’t understand.”

Burstein: “Bushmaster’s become a creature of metal... like a statue! I don’t know if he’s even alive!”

Power Man and Iron Fist vol. 1 # 67 by Mary Jo Duffy, Kerry Gammill, and Ben Sean

    And that, again, could have been the end of him... but this is a superhero comic, and such things are almost never permanent. Years later, after Danny’s “death”, Luke moves to Chicago and starts over as a solo act. There, he encounters a villain named Hardcore-- a super-smart, super-skilled combatant who sets about ruining Luke’s life. He also co-runs a crooked prison in Colorado, which-- with the help of a kidnapped Noah Burstein (the poor guy goes through this a lot...)-- facilitates experiments in an attempt to perfect the Power Man procedure. It turns out that Hardcore works for Bushmaster’s son, Cruz. After months of physical and psychological attacks, Cruz captures Luke and uses him to siphon power into his father’s corpse. Bushmaster lives again...

Burstein: “I can only surmise-- that he’s somehow using the viral aspects of the process-- he’s leeched the power, and the very life, from his son! And somehow, Bushmaster lives!”

Bushmaster: “No. No more. That name is but a pseudonym, a useless label for a past life. Now-- call me Power Master!”

Cage vol. 1 #12 by Marc McLaurin, Dwayne Turner, and Kris Renkewitz

...before absorbing too much power and exploding. This, amazingly enough, actually does kill him for good. 

    All of the glimpses we have so far of the MCU’s Bushmaster suggest that he will be infinitely cooler in this universe than he is in the comics. Every shot we’ve seen of him so far looks amazing. We know that he is a crime boss in some form, and will be battling Mariah for control of Harlem. We know that he will have Luke’s powers, but are curious whether he’ll receive him the same way. The final scene in Luke Cage Season 1 showed Burstein working on Diamondback, so we know that he’s still out there doing his thing. Maybe he’ll end up getting kidnapped by Bushmaster in this universe too. After all, it’s a tradition! 

    Cheo Hodari Coker has also mentioned in interviews that Bushmaster’s nationality will play a big role in the story. In this universe he is Jamaican, and so Jamaican culture will be explored in this season in much the same way that Harlem’s was last season. This should add an interesting extra layer to his character, and we’re eager to see how this is integrated into the show’s already rich cultural landscape. 

    And we know that unlike in the comics, MCU Bushmaster has some serious martial arts (capoeira, specifically) training. 

    This combined with his powers should make him great fun to watch, and a serious threat to the other characters in the show. We can’t wait to see more of him. 

[chronicles-of-a-paper-heart]

I know everyone says it, but I’m still gonna say it too. How is it already July??* Where did the first half of the year go? Time is going by so fast. So, yes, I’m freaking out about that and to celebrate that I’ll be doing the Mid Year Book freak Out Tag. It’s fun to look back and see what books I’ve read this year so far and how I liked them etc.

*It’s August now because it took me nearly a month to finish this post … don’t ask me, I have no idea why

And because I like stats I’ll start with a few general numbers. I’ve read 55 books so far* (July 10th) and I want to read 91 books this year. So I’m on track.

16 x 5 Stars 20 x 4 Stars 12 x 3 stars 6 x 2 stars 1 x 1 Star

*Edit: 69 books as of right now (Aug 16th) .. but I’m too lazy to count all the books rating again …

Which is an average rating of 3.8 Stars. So I’d say that’s quite good. (I am in a middle of changing my rating system though. I’m usually quite generous with my rating and have rounded up quite a few books. I want to change that because I feel the books I really really loved don’t get the recognition they deserve this way. )

But without further ado let’s jump into the questions.

Question Number 1: Best Book You’ve Read So far In 2018

That is a really hard question and I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one. So here are my four favorite books:

Question Number 2: Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far In 2018

I … I haven’t … did I really just read 5 sequels so far?? That’s … Well, one of my goals this year was to finish more series than I start but obviously it’s not going so well. But of those five the winner is probably Ice like Fire or any of the three Gregor books I’ve read, honestly. Actually, it’s the Gregor books because I rated them all 4 or 5 stars.

Edit: I am currently reading Avenged by Amy Tintera and I’m really enjoying that one so far. Edit 2 (Aug 16th): I still haven’t finished Avenged. But I’ve read the second Artemis Fowl novel (The Arctic Incident or something) and I really loved that one, so …

Question 3: New Release you haven’t read yet but want to

Oh, so many! A Thousand perfect notes. I just bought that one a few days ago and am soooo excited to start it. The cover is mesmerizing and I’m all for finally reading something that Cait has written. Also, the premise sounds amazing. Other than that, I am quite pumped to finally read Queens of Fennbirn and A Court of Frost and Starlight. Both are novellas in series I enjoyed very much so I have no clue why I haven’t read them yet. I definitely need to in August. I’ll try to fit them both into my N.E.W.T.s TBR

Question 4: Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

That’s easy! Kingdom of Ash (though I’m scared!!) and Vengeful. Can’t wait for either of them. I’m not ready for the Throne of Glass series to end but I can’t wait any longer either. And I loved Vicious so ridiculously much and am so curious to see what happens next and if V manages to swap my sympathy from Victor to Eli. Oh, and look at those covers! Yes, I’m shallow like that.

Question 5: Biggest disappointment

Black Bird of the Gallows. This one was a bit of a disappointment. The cover is gorgeous, but the story is weird, to say the least. I won’t forget it that soon that’s for sure. But the romance was lacking, too quick and the chemistry just not there and the ending ruined it for me. I don’t like too clean endings. (It was honestly a little ridiculous.) Another one is The Oddling Prince. I have a review up if you’d like to know more about my thoughts. I hoped for it to be a quick read, something I would get addicted too and fly through. But I struggled so hard to finish it. I didn’t really like any of the characters, maybe one. The story didn’t interest me that much and the writing style got on my nerves. So, that was quite disappointing.

Question 6: Biggest surprise

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I thought this wouldn’t really be my type of book. I heard it was light and funny and while I enjoy books like that from time to time they never come near my favourite shelf. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I loved the writing style, the characters were fleshed out, unique and funny. Monty was an idiot but a lovable one. And it had way more depth than I expected along with some great, deep lines. Loved it. Clockwork Angel also surprised me because I really didn’t like the first three books in The Mortal Instruments series and I thought this was a solid 3-star book right after finishing it. But something about it stuck with me and I really, really want to continue the series. I don’t know what exactly grabbed me like that but it did. And last but not least, Leaving Time. I hadn’t expected the book to make me feel this many different emotions. It’s not the type of book I usually read, but maybe I should more often. This was fantastic and emotional and heartbreaking.

Question 7: Favourite new author (debut or new to you)

Laurie Halse Anderson and Seanan McGuire. I wanted to read a book by Laurie Halse Anderson for forever and I finally did last month. I read and loved Wintergirls. It’s a haunting tale about a girl struggling with an eating disorder while also trying to comprehend the death of her best friend. Truly amazing and I’m so excited to read more from her. Every Heart a Doorway was soo good and could also be an answer to the biggest surprise. I know this book is hyped but I was hesitant to pick it up as it is quite short and maybe also because of the hype. I didn’t want to dislike it. Shouldn’t have worried. I fell in love and can’t wait to pick up Down Among the Sticks and Bones.

*Edit (Aug 16th): I read DatSaB and loved it. Those books are so magical and suck you right in, even though they’re incredibly short

Question 8: Newest fictional crush

This one is way harder to answer than I thought. I don’t think I have a real new fictional crush. Will from The Infernal Devices might evolve into one. Same with Simon from Furyborn. Or actually, Rielle from Furyborn. Liked her quite a lot. I really like Theron in Snow like Ashes but that changed after Ice like Fire … Cas from Ruined is nice, but … yeah. So, sorry. Not really much of an answer.

Question 9: Newest favourite character

Monty probably. I also really love Rielle (Furyborn) and Emelina (#stabby) from Ruined. Meira is quite interesting to read about. Oh, I know! Kippa, the little fox from Montress Vol 1. She is the cutest thing eva!!

*Edit (Aug 16th): I read this book in August, but: The Murderbot from All Systems Red … Could relate way too much. Loved him and the book

Question 10: Book that made you cry

Easy. A Monster Calls. A book has to pack quite punch to make me cry and I cried really hard when reading this. Such a great story and beautifully narrated by Jason Isaacs (I read along so I could also see the beautiful illustrations) And Gregor and the Code of Claw. My heart broke! In a million tiny pieces and I, still, don’t know how to deal. That was absolutely devastating and I loved it so much! I read this to my friend while she visited me. It was her 5th time reading it but she still cried. Trust me, this series is sooo good.

Question 11: Book that made you happy

The little Ghost because I loved this book as a kid and it’s just so cute. Every Heart a Doorway because I loved every second of this book and it had a perfect atmosphere. Leaving Time because my mom got me this as a gift and I loved it. It wasn’t a book I would ever pick for myself so it made me even happier that I loved it so much. The parts about the elephants were sad but they made me happy at the same time.

Question 12: Favourite book to film adaptation you saw this year

Well … ehm … I haven’t watched a single adaptation this year? So … no answer for this one.

Question 13: Favourite review you’ve written this year (Booktube version: Favourite video you have done so far in this year)

Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch

This review captures my thoughts on a lot of books, actually. How I enjoy a book really much while reading and later, when thinking more clearly about it, remembering more and more things that weren’t the best. I struggle to rate books like that. How much do I factor my enjoyment into my rating? I mean, I read for enjoyment, so … but I still have to acknowledge all the not-so-great things, don’t I?

Question 14: Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

     Question 15: What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

A LOT! EVERYTHING! But I want to read all the books I own from Walter Moers, Mark Lawrence, Leigh Bardugo and V.E. Schwab. I also plan to read all the Harry Potter illustrated editions. And I’ll have a list of 18 books I want to read in the rest of 2018 up soon-ish.

  This tag was a lot of fun even though it took me ages to do. But it so interesting to look back at the last 6 (7) months of reading.

What was your fav book of the year so far? Biggest disappointment? What book are you dying to read? Tell me in the comments!

(Not-So) Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag I FINALLY got around to formatting this and am posting this quite late ... but oh well. Hope you like it. I know everyone says it, but I'm still gonna say it too. How is it already July??* Where did the first half of the year go?

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, MORE BLOOD Vol.12 Mukami Ruki [Track 4]

Original title: 泥と血

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, More Blood Vol. 12 Mukami Ruki [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Takahiro Sakurai

Translator’s note: In this household we DO NOT stan a rude man. >(( Ruki keeps roasting the poor MC in this, treating her with 0 respect. I know Diabolik Lovers has always been a dark fantasy with plenty of abusive behavior towards Yui/the MC but I still can’t help but get a weird feeling from this CD. > < It really just feels a little OOC for Ruki to act like this, especially since you are supposed to be dating him by the start of it. Usually the boys have softened up at this point but that is not the case in this CD.

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 + Epilogue

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 4: Dirt and Blood

The two of you walk through town.

“It is crowded per usual. I cannot stand this noisiness. I do not understand why someone would willingly sacrifice their free time to head outside. Just as I thought, I should have devoted this weekend to reading instead.”

You frown, reminding him that he agreed to join you today.

“I won’t deny that I accepted your offer to head out together. I let you choose the place as well. However, that doesn’t mean I’m actually thrilled about it.”

You sigh.

“If you have the time to get depressed, at least try and entertain me a little. Wasn’t there someplace you wanted to visit?”

You explain.

“I see. You sure love making me go through extra trouble. No matter how many clothes you buy, it will all be for nothing when they end up in shreds. There was this one time you got caught on the thorns of the rose bushes and tore them yourself, no? They have also been ripped up by my brothers after you upset them. Right now, they are wasted every time you are punished by me. In that case, you might as well stop wearing clothes all-together?”

You shake your head in protest.

“Hooh? How come? Have you ever seen a cow or a pig wear clothes? I fail to see why they are necessary to you. It would be much easier to suck your blood without any unnecessary obstacles getting in the way. I dare argue it would be very efficient.”

You pout.

“Sucking your blood, huh...?”

You tilt your head to the side.

“No. I haven’t been feeding off you as of late. I was just thinking how it is somewhat unusual.”

You flinch. 

“Taking your blood is an easy task. However, unfortunately for you, I am not that starved. For one, I already got plenty of your blood just by punishing you. So I never felt the need to seek it out on other occasions. That used to be the case, but for some reason, you have been behaving quite well as of late. By the time I realized, I had consumed considerably less of your blood. While I have to give you credit for lowering the burden on your Master, I am curious what changed this sudden change?”

You grow anxious, trying to explain.

“That is a very vague answer. Oh well. Let us quickly get this shopping over with.”

*TIMESKIP*

“Haah...”

*Cling*

“I never thought we wouldn’t just look for clothes for you, but end up choosing something for me as well.”

*Clatter clatter*

“Let me tell you just in case, but I already have everything I need to survive provided to me. There isn’t a single reason for me to buy new clothes. On top of that, I doubt you are capable of choosing something which would suit my tastes. If you understand that, let’s just head back already.”

You show him an outfit. 

“How stubborn. ...You want me to wear this? It reminds me of Yuma’s work clothes. Not my style.”

You insist.

“When would I ever have the opportunity to wear this formal suit? Are you going to organize a banquet every night from here on out?”

You continue looking for clothes.

*Clatter clatter*

“So this won’t end until I give one of them a pass, huh? Hand it to me.”

*Rustle*

“I’ll try them on at least. If that’ll satisfy you, we’re heading straight home afterwards.”

*TIMESKIP*

“...What? Stop looking at me with that dumb expression. (1)”

You continue to stare.

“What is the problem? If there is something you have to tell me, then just say so. Noー I think I know already. You’re satisfied with yourself, aren’t you? Because you got me to wear the clothes you picked out. Not only did you make me purchase it on a whim, but you forced me to wear them right away. If this is your way of tormenting me, you’re doing a pretty good job. You’re making me walk around in the clothes you forced upon me. In one of the busiest parts of the city, on top of that. Haah...I see. I suppose this is your way of spicing up your everyday life.”

You shake your head.

“Hooh? That’s not it? Then why would you do this?”

You explain. 

“So that’s your reason? You call it ‘matching’, but it’s simply clothes from the same brand, no? You are a rather cheap woman if simply walking together wearing these is enough to satisfy you. ...However, I suppose it is fine. It would be a drag to get changed again now. I’ll play along with your little game until we get home.”

You smile, walking besides him.

“What are you so happy for? I’m saying I’ll keep up with it until we’re home. I don’t remember sharing your opinion on this matter.”

You chuckle.

“Don’t make me repeat myself every time. You can be your merry self all you want, but please don’t assume that this is making me happy as well. Also, watch where you’re going. Be mindful of what you’re carrying in your arms as well. Don’t forget that you’re the one holding the clothes I was wearing prior. The underground is still wet from the rain. If you were to drop them, they’d end up covered in mud. Watch your steーー”

You accidentally drop the clothes.

*Splatter*

“...Haah...I didn’t think you’d drop them as if on cue...”

You panic, trying to pick up the clothes.

*Rustle rustle* 

“No need to panic. I am not upset. ...You’re being surprising attentive. It’s because of what I told you earlier, it must have made you worry and therefore you made such a foolish blunder, right?”

You frown, confused by his words.

“When I told you that I have not sucked your blood as of late because you simply haven’t been making very many mistakes. For you to create an ideal opportunity yourself shows your strong devotion towards your Master. However, I understand why you would. I am sure you must be feeling horribly lonely now that I barely get any opportunities to punish you. I can understand why you would try and upset me on purpose like this. A foolish act such as staining my clothes with dirt, that is. ...In that case, I shall treat you hard-handedly just as you wish.”

Ruki grabs hold of your arm.

*Rustle*

“I’ll give you my fangs amidst this crowd. If you fail to suppress your voice, you will be the one getting the weird looks. Show me how well you can endure it.”

You try and offer an alternative solution.

“Yes. You are right that we can simply wash the clothes to clean them. However...that would not change the fact that you dirtied my clothes through a simple slip of the hand. Above all, it is something you pulled because you wanted me to punish you, no? So don’t be modest and accept it.”

*Rustle*

“...I’ll at least do you the favor of sucking from a spot which isn’t very visible. Although I won’t hold back.”

*Smooch*

You flinch.

“What’s wrong? Your breathing has already gotten ragged. You are so shameless, getting worked up over the thought of having your blood sucked. Aah, I suppose that’s not quite right. You’ve had your desires neglected, haven’t you? In that case, I shall quickly give you your reward. Go ahead and writhe in pain.”

Ruki bites you.

*Sluuuurp*

“Mmh...Nn...”

*Gulp*

“...Haah...Phew...Seems like you managed to hold back your voice. However, your new clothes have already been stained by blood. That is exactly why I said you have no use for those. It’s still seeping in...Shall I rub it around? Dyeing your clothes with the color of your blood does not sound like such a bad idea.”

*Rustle*

“You’re letting your voice slip...Aren’t you used to the pain by this point? And above all, this is something you wished for yourself. Why not seem a little happy instead? ...Or is touching the wounds simply not enough to satisfy you? In that case, I shall pierce the same spot with my fangs once more.”

You beg for his mercy.

“Your face looks awful. However, it’s not bad. While we’re out shopping, I’ll use this opportunity to look after my livestock who seems to have gone in heat. I’ll tend to these wounds, as many times as you want.”

*Smooch*

You lose the strength in your legs, falling to the ground.

*Thud*

“Heh...Such a small stimulus did the trick? You’re overreacting. Besides, did I not tell you that the ground is still wet? Yet you chose to sit down yourself. Did you want to play in the mud, perhaps? In that case, I shall push you down, effectively covering you in dirty. Go ahead and cry about, bathing in the mud and your own blood...!

You pull out the hourglass.

*Cling*

*Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock - Tick tock*

ーーー

...

“So that’s your reason? You call it ‘matching’, but it’s simply clothes from the same brand, no? You are a rather cheap woman if simply walking together wearing these is enough to satisfy you. ...However, I suppose it is fine. It would be a drag to get changed again now. I’ll play along with your little game until we get home.”

You come to a halt.

“What are you doing? If you stand still, you’ll get lost in the crowd. ...Did you forgot to buy something, perhaps?”

You shake your head.

“I see. Let us hurry home then. Also...You’re clutching onto those way too tightly. I assume you’re being careful not to drop my clothes. However, you’ll wrinkle them. Just hold them regularly. What are you being so cautious for? No...I suppose they would end up covered in mud if you were to drop them. Which means that was a very wise decision on your part. I am surprised you managed to think of that with that lacking brain of yours.”

You pout.

“On second thought, you have been far too smart as of late. Like a rabbit who skillfully moves around a trap. It seems like clever wild animals are actually capable of avoiding traps set up for them. Don’t you think your current situation is very similar?”

You remain quiet. 

“...I suppose I should have kept that to myself. Well then, let us head home. I want to enjoy a good book once we’re back.”

Ruki starts walking away.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) Ruki describes her face as 締まりのない or ‘shimari no nai’ which literally means ‘slack’ or ‘sloppy’. In Diabolik Lovers, they often use it whenever the MC is smiling at them.

[igotopinions]

Books I Read in 2019

* = Re-read Check out past years: 2012, 2013 (skipped), 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Follow me on Goodreads to get these reviews as they happen. 1) The Right To Be Cold: One Woman's Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet by Sheila Watt-Cloutier 2) Nollywood: The Making of a Film Empire by Emily Witt 3) The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi 4) My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh Reads like a more mature Chuck Palahniuk. 5) Of Dice and Men by ME I won't be a dink and give myself a star rating or glowing review, but I gotta get that credit for my annual reading challenge! I'll also say it's a richly rewarding experience to, after all the work of writing & editing & publishing & promoting, to re-read something you wrote and still feel all the strong, positive feelings it gave as you figured out the first draft. 6) Lagos Noir, edited by Chris Abani 7) The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St. Clair 8) The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi A really fun, cleverly written coming-of-age story with just the right period touches to it. I gobbled this thing down in a couple of days, having no problem seeing why Zadie Smith spoke highly of it in her latest book of essays. 9) Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice 10) America: The Farewell Tour  by Chris Hedges   TL:DR This book is not toilet paper, but it sure is shit-adjacent. It gave me strong feelings, which you can read on Goodreads. 11) The Anatomical Venus: Wax, God, Death & the Ecstatic by Joanna Ebenstein Great introduction to the subject with fantastic photos & illustrations. My only frustration was the layout, which frequently breaks up the main text mid-sentence for two or even four pages of images with details captions to read or full page quotes, so it takes a bit more effort to read linearly. 12) The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany I found this through the ol' Appendix N reading list and it's not hard to see how this influenced D&D in many ways, but it has value well beyond that novelty. This is a wonderful fantasy tale in the vein of classic fairy tales, a welcome break from the kind of epics we mostly associate with the genre these days. By the final run up to the ending I was really immersed in what I was reading and I know I'll be looking up more of his books. 13) The Worst Is Yet to Come: A Post-Capitalist Survival Guide by Peter Fleming *14) A Canticle For Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.   The first third remains perfect. The middle third is better than I remember, which is to say very good indeed, despite the feeling of inevitability running through it. The final third remains a pretty obvious punchline stretched out over too many pages, something basically predicted by the ending of the middle story. But! Ah! That first third! 15) The Gods of Pegana by Edward John Moreton Dunsany In theory this was an influence on Lovecraft's Dreamlands cycle books. 16) Era of Ignition: Coming of Age in a Time of Rage and Revolution by Amber Tamblyn 17) Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria by Noo Saro-Wiwa 18) 1985 by Anthony Burgess 19) Infinite Detail by Tim Maughan 20) Seasonal Associate by Heike Geissler,  Kevin Vennemann (Afterword), Katy Derbyshire (Translation) 21) Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport 22) How To Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck Edited by Jobe Bittman 23) The Immortal of World's End by Lin Carter 24) This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace 25) My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite *26) Idoru by Oliver Brackenbury 27) Conan by Robert E. Howard,  L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter 28) Heroes in the Wind: From Kull to Conan by Robert E. Howard 29) The Postman by David Brin Yes, this is that “The Postman”, the one which was adapted into a universally reviled Kevin Costner film in the mid-to-late nineties. It is, however, significantly different and far more enjoyable. It is an extremely White Straight Guy book with some curious ideas about gender in the back end, a "Rah rah, America!" through-line, and an obsession with describing horses as "steaming". It is also a well-crafted, clear, concise, quickly-moving story that avoids several obvious turns most authors would have plowed right into, and overall serves as a great exploration of the power of lies & myths. Plus, yeah, it is kind of heartwarming to imagine the concept of snail mail & the people who deliver it serving to re-unite us in the post-apocalypse. Unlike the movie, I'd honestly recommend this. Heck, I'm thinking I'll start exploring the rest of his catalog. 30) Beastie Boys Book by Michael Diamond  & Adam Horowitz If you're a fan, then you'll like this. If not? I dunno man! The whole thing feels like hearing stories from your favourite old high school buddies when they're at their most honest and interesting. Great stuff. 31) Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery 32) Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael Shea 33) Conan of Cimmeria by Robert E. Howard,  L. Sprague De Camp, and Lin Carter. As tends to be the case, the pure Howard stories are best. Carter and De Camp are mostly interested in arranging Howard's work into a larger, more coherent universe...which is fine, I guess, but it has a way of making Conan feel less a legend striding in and out of fantastic situations, more a man - a strong, interesting man, sure, yet still just a man. *34) The Hunter by Richard Stark *35) Beast by Paul Kingsnorth 36) The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline 37) It Came from Something Awful: How a Toxic Troll Army Accidentally Memed Donald Trump into Office by Dale Beran 38) Planetes, Vol. 1-4 by Makoto Yukimura 39) The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 40) Reawakening Our Ancestors' Lines: Revitalizing Inuit Traditional Tattooing by Angela Hovak Johnston 41) Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq 42) Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott Part life-as-a-writer therapy, part craft, this leans more toward the latter than Stephen King's ON WRITING and that's plenty fine.  A nice, light read that holds value for writers at all stages of their career, I reckon. 43) Conan The Freebooter by Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp As tends to be the case with these collections, the pure Howard stories are best. That said, Lin Carter carries himself much better here than in some of the earlier volumes. There are no magical abstractions of good and evil arm-wrestling each other while Conan just stares at them... 44) The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie 45) The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft Pretty good stuff but, as was pointed out on the excellent Appendix N Podcast, this story would have been really something had it been edited down a bit. RACISM METER: Honestly, pretty okay, which is saying something for Lovecraft! No cats with awful names or race theory or any of that. Just a good wholesome story of madness and history. 46) Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad by Brett Martin 47) Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber 48) The Enchantress of World's End by Lin Carter 49) The Barbarian of World's End by Lin Carter These are not terribly good books....but I keep reading them for the goofy ideas and setting. Averaging 180 pages, they're not a big investment so hey why not? 50) The Giant of World’s End by Lin Carter The first is the best. I think because it was written as a complete story, not the literary equivalent of another episode of a Saturday morning cartoon, as the other World's End books read. As with the rest of the series it is enjoyed more on the merits of the wacky ideas than the quality of prose, including a part near the end who may well have been a source of inspiration for the Emperor of Mankind in the Warhammer 40K universe. Its main drawback is the classic scifi/fantasy failing of providing multiple asides to historical background meant to add depth to the world but which is ultimately meaningless to the reader as it has little if anything to do with the story - nevermind the characters! Heck, it's only 140 pages. It's fun. The ending actually got to me a little. It's a good place to pluck out ideas for tabletop roleplaying, if you're into that. Yup! 51) Wonder Tales: The Book of Wonder and Tales of Wonder by Lord Dunsany 52) Outcast of Redwall by Brian Jacques It's a fun little story, clearly intended for younger audiences, and I've no regrets having bought it second hand. BUT You could have clipped off nearly a hundred pages if the author didn't feel compelled to give you a highly detailed account of every single meal - including many feasts - had by characters big and small. Holy mother of God do you come out of this knowing a lot about the diets of the various woodland creatures, with their meadowberry pies and etc. 53) Björk's Homogenic by Emily MacKay 54) DCC RPG Annual Vol 1 by Steve Bean, Julian Bernick, Daniel Bishop, Jobe Bittman, Tim Callahan, Colin Chapman, Michael Curtis, Edgar Johnson, Brendan LaSalle, Stephen Newton, Terry Olson, and Harley Stroh 55) Conan the Avenger by Robert Howrd & L Sprague De Camp This is one of the better collections. Only the third story is a reconstruction from one of Howard's outlines, the rest are undiluted and glorious.That said, the back two stories are a bit cringey re: race, *especially* the reconstruction I mentioned. I'd say I don't know who looks at a Howard story and thinks "Ah, this needs more complex racial hierarchy nonsense!" but I do and that man's name is L. Sprague De Camp, apparently!The important thing is now I'm all caught up for the next episode of The Appendix N podcast, which I heartily recommend. 56) Medallion Status: True Stories from Secret Rooms by John Hodgman 57) Grand Union: Stories by Zadie Smith 58) The Singing Citadel by Michael Moorcock 59) White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo 60) The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson *61) Virtual Light by William Gibson 62) The Dragon Masters by Jack Vance *63) Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky, Boris Strugatsky, Ursula K. Le Guin (Foreword), Olena Bormashenko (Translator) *64) Bill, the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison A fun little dunk on Heinlein and his ilk. Very slapstick. 65) Gonzo by Hunter S. Thompson *66) McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh

STATS Non-Fiction: 23 Fiction: 42 Poetry Collections:0 Comic Trades: 0 Wrote Myself: 1

[recentanimenews]

Manga the Week of 1/27/21

SEAN: The end of January still has some choice titles coming out.

Seven Seas has rolled out its Airship imprint, so given I separate Ghost Ship titles I should probably do the same with Airship. Next week we get ROLL OVER AND DIE: I Will Fight for an Ordinary Life with My Love and Cursed Sword! 2 in a digital-first edition.

ASH: I’m really curious to see how the Airship imprint evolves.

SEAN: Cross Infinite world has the 2nd volume of Hello, I am a Witch and my Crush Wants me to Make a Love Potion!.

A bunch of Ghost Ship titles, including Destiny Lovers 5, Parallel Paradise 4, Welcome to Succubus High! 2, and Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs 12.

J-Novel Club’s debut is one that manga fans will have seen before, as Seven Seas has been releasing the manga. The Ideal Sponger Life, where a young man gets isekai’d to another world so that he can be the husband of the reigning Queen. This is definitely one of those “come for the romance, stay for the politics” titles, and I look forward to it.

Also from J-Novel Club: Black Summoner 3, Mapping: The Trash-Tier Skill That Got Me Into a Top-Tier Party 3, and My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me! 3. Three is a magic number?

Kodansha has two print debuts, though one has been out before digitally. Orient is the newest title from the creator of Magi, Shinobu Ohtaka. They’re in Shonen Magazine rather than Shonen Sunday, but despite that, it doesn’t seem to have more fanservice…

ASH: I plan on giving this one a look eventually; I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve read of Magi.

ANNA: One of these days I need to read all of Magi.

SEAN: The other debut is Sachi’s Monstrous Appetite (Ano Hito no i Ni Wa Boku Ga Tarinai), which runs in Morning Two. A boy loves his tall classmate, and she likes him too… because he smells delicious! Turns out she’s a monster, and monsters are drawn to his scent. Fortunately, she agrees to protect him rather than eat him. I admit I might pass on this if it weren’t in Morning Two, a magazine I respect.

ASH: There is that!

SEAN: Also in print: Fire Force 21, Magus of the Library 4, The Seven Deadly Sins 41 (the final volume), and Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches 23-24, which is not only in 2-in-1 status but is also now on a YEARLY schedule. Does it really sell that badly now?

ASH: Magus of the Library has impressed me with how much reality has been accurately incorporated into its fantasy. It looks good doing it, too!

SEAN: Digitally our debut is My Unique Skill Makes Me OP Even at Level 1 (Level 1 Dakedo Unique Skill de Saikyou Desu), which runs in Suiyoubi no Sirius. There’s a bunny girl on the cover, and the “hero” is way in the background. Should tell you everything you want to know about this.

Also out digitally: Am I Actually the Strongest? 3, Maid in Honey 5, My Best () Butler 5, The Great Cleric 6, What I Love About You 2, and When We’re in Love 4.

Seven Seas’ debut manga is The Demon Girl Next Door (Machikado Mazoku), a 4-koma series that runs in Manga Time Kirara Carat. A teenage girl wakes up one morning with demon horns and a tail, and is told her job is to defeat the magical girl. Unfortunately, her power is… kind of like that of the first boss who gets killed off in Episode 3. Could be cute, could be dull.

Also from Seven Seas: The Conditions of Paradise: Azure Dreams (the third in that series), Cutie and the Beast 2, How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord’s 10th manga volume, and Our Teachers Are Dating! 2.

MICHELLE: I hadn’t even managed to read the first Cutie and the Beast yet!

ASH: I’m liking the series, so far, and will be picking up the second volume to see where it goes.

ANNA: I’m with Michelle, I’m already behind on Cutie and the Beast.

SEAN: Square Enix tries to blast us with long titles, as we get The Misfit of Demon King Academy: History’s Strongest Demon King Reincarnates and Goes to School with His Descendants 3 and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest 3. (What is it with Vol. 3s next week?)

Vertical has the 11th volume of To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts.

Yen On has the 2nd light novel volume of High School DxD. Still banned from Kindle!

Yen Press did a lot of very last minute delays when I did Manga the Week of last week, and then un-delayed them even more last-minute, so some titles I didn’t mention are already out. Angels of Death 11, IM: Great Priest Imhotep 7, and the debut of Re: Zero’s 4th arc, The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed, in manga form. Don’t be surprised if I say the same thing next week.

For actual next week stuff, Yen Press has a sort-of debut – this was released chapter by chapter ages ago, and is now getting a collected-in-one omnibus. Grim Reaper and Four Girlfriends (Shinigami-sama to 4-nin no Kanojo) ran in Gangan Joker. A nebbish guy avoids being killed by the Grim Reaper by declaring he’ll live life to the fullest from now on. He writes a confession letter… in fact, he writes four of them, knowing they’ll turn him down. They all accept. Welcome to four-timing! Gotta say, this does not sound great.

ASH: Hmmm.

SEAN: Speaking of omnibuses, there’s also Cirque du Freak: The Manga, which is getting a new omnibus edition. Warning: Darren Shan. (Indeed, in Japan the manga was CALLED Darren Shan, as the author’s pen name is also the main character’s name.)

Also from Yen Press: Fiancée of the Wizard 2 and Hakumei & Mikochi: Tiny Little Life in the Woods 8.

ASH: I meant to give the first volume of Fiancée of the Wizard a read, but haven’t actually done that yet. Better get to it before I get too far behind!

SEAN: Lotsa interesting stuff. Anything for you?

By: Sean Gaffney

[themadpuppy85]

Dandy Shot Vol. 3 Translation

Dandy shot -Spending the night with an old bachelor- Volume 3 Detective VS Surgeon Volume CV: Seki Toshihiko & Fujiwara Keiji

A big thank you to vocaotome and yumegasaki for accepting my commission to translate this! Everyone, please enjoy! <3

(All tracks behind the cut!)

TRACK 1

-footsteps, sound of a chime-

Man 1: Ah, Doumeki-Sensei! It seems like a customer has come! Welcome!

Man 2 (called Doumeki): Please have this seat.

-footsteps, sits-

Man 1: Is this your first time in this shop?

Doumeki: Kodama-kun, what are you asking all on a sudden?

Man 1 (called Kodama): But if she has come before, she might be thinking that it’s strange how the Master is not present.

* "Master" is actually what Japanese people call bartenders in general

Doumeki: That being said, asking her something like that suddenly without even giving her a hot towel is rude, isn’t it?

* An oshibori or hot towel in English is a wet hand towel offered to customers in places such as restaurants or bars in China and Japan and in some Chinese and many Japanese restaurants worldwide. Oshibori are used to clean one's hands before eating.

Kodama: Is it, I wonder? Oh well, don’t sweat the details.

Doumeki: Pardon the rudeness. Please have this. Oh, sorry, I should’ve mentioned how hot they were. Are your hands okay?

Kodama: Doumeki-Sensei?

Doumeki: Ah, thank goodness. There aren’t any burns.

Kodama: What on earth?

Doumeki: Something wrong?

Kodama: Well the way you suddenly gripped the young lady’s hands I thought you were trying to hit on her.

Doumeki: There’s no way I’d do that. I was just looking at the state of her hands.

Kodama: As expected of Doumeki-Sensei.

Doumeki: Hmm?

Kodama: Nah, I just thought that Doctors are really something else. You know, Miss. Doumeki Haruomi-Sensei here normally works as a doctor. He’s a bartender only for today. Right, Sensei?

[01:51]

Doumeki: It isn’t that much of a big deal. We’re just watching the shop.

Kodama: Is that so? I think the bartender uniform really suits you though.

Doumeki: That’s not-

Kodama: And? Let’s get back to the subject. Is it your first time in this shop? I see! If this is your first time here, that means we must give you a thorough play-by-play of the charm of this shop tonight! This shop has delicious alcohol and snacks, and is a really soothing atmosphere, so I think Miss will also like it for sure.

Doumeki: Why are you so overly familiar with the customers, Kodama-Kun?

Kodama: I’m not ‘overly familiar’! Say I have an amicable nature or something.

Doumeki: Good grief, you’re an adult. Act your age.

Kodama: Ah, we’re pretty mature despite our appearance. I’m forty six years old and Doumeki-Sensei is forty seven. How old are you, Miss?

Doumeki: Kodama-Kun! It’s rude to ask a woman her age.

Kodama: Ooops, that really was rude of me!

Doumeki: My apologies. We’ve been rude without even asking you for your order…What would you like?

[03:05]

Kodama: (whispers) One moment, Sensei. Why are you asking something like that? Will you be able to make a cocktail if you’re asked?

Doumeki: There’s no way I would be, is there?

Kodama: Then why are you asking for an order?

Doumeki: Ah, I guess you’ve got a point.

Kodama: Don’t give me “I guess you’ve got a point”! You need to follow proper rules when making mixes, we can’t just play pretend at being the Master!

Doumeki: But is it okay for us to stand around?

Kodama: That’s…

Doumeki: Aren’t you the one who said you would show her the charm of this shop, Kodama-Kun? How do you plan to do that without even giving her a drink?

Kodama: I was thinking of keeping her occupied until the Master returned…

Doumeki: Are you serious?

Kodama: You’re right.

Doumeki: Accepting the Master’s request to man the shop means we also have to properly respond to the customers’ orders, right?

Kodama: You’re right, but…

Doumeki: If it’s Kodama-Kun, I bet you can do something by imitating what you’ve seen-

Kodama: No way, I can’t!....Ah!

[04:14]

Doumeki: What is it?

Kodama: Come to think of it, the Master’s recipe notes should be around somewhere! -rustle- Ah, there it was! This is it! -footsteps-

Doumeki: These notes seem to have seen a lot of years.

Kodama: These notes contain all the recipes the Master has developed so far. Master is pretty serious, right? Most of his cocktails and snacks have original recipes, and he probably noted them all down for a possible successor.

Doumeki: I see. Are there cocktail recipes in there?

Kodama: Ah, seems like there are! With this we have nothing to fear no matter what they order!

Doumeki: Have you decided on your order? Brandy Sour…Understood. One Brandy Sour.

Kodama: Eh?! I’ll have to make it?

Doumeki: Obviously! Who else is here except you?

Kodama: Eeeeh…Even though Doumeki-Sensei seems to be good with his hands…

Doumeki: Surgery and cooking are different things. I’m not good at cooking. On the other hand, you’re good at cooking, right, Kodama-Kun?

Kodama: That’s right, but there’s a delicate difference between cooking and making cocktails…

Doumeki: If you don’t want to, we’ll just be unable to present the Miss with her cocktail.

Kodama: Got it. But don’t blame me if I mess up, okay? -flips page, makes cocktail- Hey hey! I look like a bartender, don’t I?

Doumeki: It suits you.

Kodama: Right? I wonder if I really am better at this type of work!

[06:21]

Doumeki: -chuckles- That might be true. Ah, I didn’t tell you yet. He is Kodama Hideyaki, and in the police force. -laughs loudly- You think he doesn’t look it? I also thought it was a bad joke at first.

Kodama: I won’t make a joke like that! I do work hard to protect the people, you know!

Doumeki: Thank you for your hard work.

Kodama: It’s kind of embarrassing when you say it formally like that…

Doumeki: And he’s even an inspector despite appearances. Isn’t he great for being an inspector at this age?

Kodama: Buttering me up won’t do you any good!

Doumeki: Ah, I know. By the way, Kodama-Kun.

Kodama: Hmm?

Doumeki: How much longer do you plan to shake it?

Kodama: Ah! I wonder if the stuff inside is okay.

Doumeki: Let’s move it to the glass.

Kodama: -drops ice and pours- Oh! Seems good! Here you go, your Brandy Sour. The meaning of the cocktail is ‘perfect memories’.

Doumeki: Why must you be like this…

Kodama: Did you say something?

Doumeki: No, nothing.

Kodama: ?

Doumeki: You don’t have to force yourself to say it was tasty.

Kodama: Nah, Miss is surely saying that from her heart! I’m the one who made it after all. Right, Miss?

Doumeki: Kodama-Kun, that doesn’t look like the expression of someone who’s-

Kodama: No way! And if you’re really set on this, have a sip from her glass.

Doumeki: There’s no way I can do that.

Kodama: Haha, are you worried about an indirect kiss?

Doumeki: -cough- Kodama-Kun!

Kodama: I was just kidding! Even so, Miss is really lucky, you got to drink the first cocktail I’ve made ever since I was born.

Doumeki: Aren’t you a jolly one.

Kodama: That’s right! I’ll make one for Doumeki-Sensei too on this occasion.

Doumeki: I’ll have to decline.

Kodama: Don’t hold back!

Doumeki: We’re manning the shop right now, it’s not okay for us to drin-

Kodama: But Master also drinks when he’s on the job.

[08:40]

Doumeki: -groans-

Kodama: Keeping the customers company in drinking is also part of a bartender’s job. With that said, I’m going to make another shot of Brandy Sour! -clinking and pouring sounds-I might have potential as a bartender, hmm?

Doumeki: Maybe.

Kodama: Sensei said that working the shaker suits me, the young lady also said that my cocktail was tasty.

Doumeki: The young lady’s comment was lip service for the sake of Kodama-Kun’s mental wellbeing-

Kodama: Miss won’t do such a boring thing, I’m telling you! She won’t keep drinking it if it was bad, right?

Doumeki: Indeed, she has finished about half of it.

Kodama: And with that, we are done! -clink- Alright, here you go.

Doumeki: Thank you. -drinks-….Delicious.

Kodama: Right? I really have a knack for this!

Doumeki: I’ll admit that you did well. But…

Kodama: But?

Doumeki: Isn’t that because the Master’s recipe is excellent-

Kodama: Aaah you can’t say that!

[10:12]

Doumeki: I guess I shouldn’t. But being able to make it according to the recipe is also a sort of talent. There are people who end up making completely different things despite following a recipe.

Kodama: There can’t be people like that! Wait, could it be…

Doumeki: Yeah. In the past I got the Master to teach me the recipe of this delicious cocktail he had made, and even though I collected the necessary tools and liquor…

Kodama: Don’t tell me, you messed up?

Doumeki: Exactly. It was so bad that it amazed me. That’s when I realized that everyone has their strong points and weak points.

Kodama: This is unexpected! Doumeki-Sensei is good at massage, right? Surgery and massage, both things that normal people can’t do.

Doumeki: Cooking is also like that. Not everyone can do it.

Kodama: Ah, sorry! Once again we started talking among ourselves.

Doumeki: What about other drinks? What else do you want to drink next?

[11:14]

Kodama: You want to drink what we recommend? Even if you say that, we aren’t that knowledgeable about this…

Doumeki: This is troubling.

Kodama: That’s it! Let’s decide by the meaning of cocktails!

Doumeki: But how would that work?

Kodama: Ta-da! -flips pages-

Doumeki: All of the cocktails have meanings written under their names.

Kodama: Master really is a diligent one, he definitely should be the type that’s popular among women.

Doumeki: Which one are you planning to pick?

Kodama: How about this one?

Doumeki: Isn’t it fine?

Kodama: Then let’s go with this.

Doumeki: Please wait for a little bit.

-clinking, pouring, shaking sounds- 

[12:51]

Kodama: Apricot Fizz.

Doumeki: -chuckles- You’re curious about the meaning of the cocktail? That’s…hmm.

Kodama: That’s still a secret.

Doumeki: Let’s see, I’ll tell you if you keep me company tonight.

Kodama: Aaah, that’s unfair! Doumeki-Sensei stole the march on me!

Doumeki: Stealing the march, you say? It’s your fault for letting it happen.

Kodama: What?!

Doumeki: Wanting to spend a lovely night with a lovely young lady is natural, don’t you think so?

Kodama: That’s true, but…Miss! Rather than Doumeki-Sensei, spend it with me!

Doumeki: Now then, whom do you want to spend tonight with?

Kodama and Domeki: Of course it’s me, right?

TRACK 2 (You chose Kodama)

Going to the amusement park late at night is great! Don’t you think it’s lucky that it’s open all night today?! You see, we’re able to have a date at the amusement park right now! 

I usually can’t come because I’m working.

Well... There aren’t any women who’d go with me either.

Hmm? I’m acting strange?

Ah... Hmm...

I know I was the one who invited you... But I’m actually afraid of the dark. There aren’t many lights  around here either. So... Can I hold your hand?

Thank you! You’re so kind, Miss! 

[01:00]

Your hands are so small and cute! It’s adorable how they fit right inside my hands!

Don’t let go. I really don’t like the dark.

Alright! Here we are!

Thrill rides really are popular. They’re the main attraction at this amusement park too.

I wonder if we look like lovers when we’re waiting in line like this.

[02:00]

Hmm? We might not have looked that way if we were waiting in line normally, but we do because we’re holding hands?

Now that you mention it... So how about we hold hands like this?

Ta-da! Holding hands with our fingers interlocked! This is warmer and it feels like you’re closer to me this way. Is that okay?

I’m glad it’s okay! I thought I might have gone too far, considering we’ve only just met. I’m happy you accepted it.

I’m sorry! I’m getting carried away. I feel as if I can’t keep my cool when I’m not like this. It’s okay though! You’re holding my hand, you see.

[03:01]

You want to know why I’m scared of the dark? It’s a long story, but a long time ago I was trapped somewhere... I couldn’t get out, even though I wanted to. After that...

Let’s talk about something else! Otherwise it’ll ruin the good time we’re having.

It’s our turn now. I’m excited!

I’d be happy if the suspension bridge effect made you fall in love with me!

Ah, it’s started moving! 

[04:08]

Ah, that was fun! Did you enjoy it?

Haha. That’s good! It looks like we’re going to get on well.

What do you want to ride next?

What? The teacups?

No... I was just thinking that I haven’t been on the teacups since I was a child.

Alright. Shall we go then?

We didn’t have to wait in line to ride on the teacups.

[05:06]

We’ve started moving. You spin faster if you turn the handle in the middle, don’t you? Let’s try it!

Hahaha. Was that too much?

But isn’t seeing how fast you can spin the most fun thing about the teacups?

You join in too, Miss!

You really do have a cute smile!

I can see you still have a childlike side when you smile and I’m seriously happy to be the one you’re smiling at! I want to see more of that smile.

I’m smiling in the same way? That’s because I’ve grown into an adult who is a child at heart!

[06:02]

Hey, Miss! Aren’t you spinning it too much?

I feel sick... It looks like we spun the teacup too much.

No, I was spinning it quite a lot too!

But it might be a little tough to go on another thrill ride after this. I think something more relaxing would be good. 

Hmm... How about the Ferris wheel, Miss? We can rest a little while we’re on it and I’m sure there’ll be a beautiful view at this time.

Thank you. I’m happy you offered your hand to me.

Ah, I’m fine! I can walk.

It seems like I’m always going to feel happy when I’m with you.

TRACK 3

I’m fine now. I’ve calmed down.

I can’t remember the last time I rode on a Ferris wheel!

How was your day today? Did you enjoy your first visit to the bar?

I see. I’m glad to hear that.

I was sorry that you had to drink one of my cocktails, so I’m relieved to hear that. The cocktails the bar owner makes are much more delicious. You should come and have a drink when he’s there.

Of course, you can go there with me too.

Okay! Let’s find time to go there soon then.

But you’re asking if I’m busy at work?

It’s true that I’ll have work on my days off if there’s an incident...

[01:04]

But I risk my life to help people who are in trouble. Saving the lives of people who are in danger isn’t something just anyone can do. I enjoy being a policeman and I’m proud of my job too.

There are a lot of reasons that it’s difficult to find a partner though. I think getting another person to understand my job is one of the more challenging reasons.

I don’t have to go if it’s too difficult? It’s not that difficult.

We’ve come up quite high. It takes 15 minutes for this Ferris wheel to go all the way round.

Ah, it was written on the sign.

I was looking carefully? I suppose I just can’t help it because of my work.

[02:01]

I got into the habit of paying attention to my surroundings, and I even notice the little things.

I can’t tell whether that’s good or bad though.

Look outside the window.

Isn’t the scenery beautiful? Don’t you think slowly approaching the sky like this is quite romantic?

Especially because I’m alone with you...

Hey... Sitting opposite you is nice, but would it be okay if I sat beside you instead?

Thank you.

Ah, I’m sorry! It shook quite a lot, didn’t it? Are you okay?

You even look cute when you’re scared.

It’s okay if you keep holding onto me like that. I’m happy that way too. If it’s you, then I’d welcome that anytime.

[03:06]

Of course you’re not bothering me!

There isn’t a man who’d hate to be embraced by a cute girl. Since you’re getting close to me, I think that means you don’t dislike me. Maybe you actually like me.

Ah... You’re blushing.

We’re almost at the top.

I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.

When I saw how cute your face was, I wanted to make you mine.

[04:05]

You were surprised, weren’t you? I’m sorry.

But that’s honestly how I feel right now. It might be selfish, but I don’t want to hide my feelings.

To tell the truth, I thought of you as nothing more than a cute girl when you came to the bar. But when we spent time together and I experienced your kindness, I noticed myself being drawn to you.

How about you? What do you think of me?

I’m sorry. It’s troublesome to be asked something like that all of a sudden, isn’t it?

Forget what I said just now.

I’m not sorry that I kissed you though.

That was how I really felt, you see.

[05:06]

Eh? Is that true?

After spending time with me, you had the feeling that you might like me?

But... Are you sure you’re not forcing yourself to say that? 

You see... You’re a kind person!

I thought you might be saying that so I wouldn’t get hurt...

I see... I’m happy to hear your true feelings too!

Being able to embrace you feels like a dream.

I’ve never wanted someone else in this way before.

Even I don’t really understand why, but when you were scared and held my hand, it felt really warm.

[06:06]

It might be because you felt calm. I was glad that you held my hand without looking unhappy about it. At that time, I didn’t ever want to let go of your hand.

Eh? You held out your hand because it was me? When you say it like that, it makes me too happy!

I’m not embarrassed at all! I’m not cute either! You’re much cuter than me!

I really am happy though. Thank you, Miss.

Will you keep holding hands with me from now on?

You’re also cute when you nod while blushing!

[07:03]

The Ferris wheel is slowly going back down, isn’t it? It’s a bit disappointing because it feels like I’m waking up from a dream!

We won’t be alone together once we leave the Ferris wheel, you see.

Hey... Can I do it one more time?

Maybe I’ve kissed you a little too much. But you’re so cute that I can’t help wanting to do it.

If only the Ferris wheel could stop right now... If it did, then we’d be able to stay like this for a long time.

[08:00]

I want to keep holding you. I want to kiss you too.

Although I said that... We’ve come pretty close to the ground.

I suppose I’ll have to save the third kiss for later. I’d actually like to kiss you right now though.

TRACK 4

The last train has already gone, hasn’t it?

We did a lot of fun things! I haven’t done that many since I was a child.

Let’s come here again. It’s a promise.

I suppose the next time we’ll meet is when we go to the bar together. I haven’t had any proper dates before, so I don’t know the kind of place that’d make you happy. It’s embarrassing not to know that even though I’m older than you. Don’t hesitate to tell me if there’s somewhere you’d like to go. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.

Before we go to the bar, let’s have a proper date sometime soon. I’ll do my best to think up a plan for the date!

[01:03]

Eh? Are you that worried? It’s okay! I’ll ask the others at the bar if I get really stuck.

We’re at the entrance. A gentleman should probably send you home by taxi... But will you stay with me instead of going home?

I don’t want to let you go. I want us to stay together longer. I want to touch you again.

I’ll be honest. I want to do things that are even sweeter than a kiss.

[02:00]

I haven’t wanted anyone else this much before.

It can’t be helped if it seems things are moving too fast. But I want to make you mine and I just can’t bear it.

I’ve said how I feel. You can decide what happens next. If you think it’s too soon, then I’ll take you home today. But if you want to spend time with me too, then I’ll take you back to my place.

You don’t have to answer right away. Take your time thinking about it. I’ll wait for you. 

Of course you want that? You mean you want to come back to my place? Really?

[03:05]

Thank goodness!

Ah, I’m sorry! I was the one getting carried away again!

But no matter how old you get, inviting a woman to your place takes courage. 

Miss, let’s go back to my place together. I’m not going to let you sleep tonight. Make sure you’re ready for that.

[04:08]

Thank you for last night. I had a good time.

Sorry I can only take you as far as the station. I had to hurry because I didn’t wake up earlier. I’ve got to go now.

You want to know when we can see each other again? Well, I suppose that’ll be when you decide that you want to see me. I’m sure we’ll see each other again very soon.

TRACK 5 (You chose Doumeki)

It’s wonderful to be able to spend time with you like this. As you chose me instead of Kodama-kun, I won’t disappoint you.

Leave it to me. I’ll take you somewhere nice.

I’m sure you’ll like it. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll make sure you have a good time.

Here we are. This is the place. As you can see, it’s a members only salon.

What were you expecting?

There’s also a spa here and you can enjoy a stone sauna too. Many different treatments such as beauty treatments, facials, body treatments and reflexology are available here.

[01:13]

I’m going to check whether we can be seen right away, so just wait a moment.

Sorry I kept you waiting. I went to check whether any of the therapists were available, but it unfortunately seems that they’re all busy.

I’m sorry, but you’ll just have to make do with some treatment from me.

Are you surprised that I’m going to do it?

My uncle owns this salon. This may be a surprise to you, but I worked in this salon as a therapist while I was at university. I was the most popular therapist during that time too.

Don’t worry. I’m sure of my skills.

[02:03]

It’s alright. I’m not going to do anything strange here. 

Come on, let’s go.

This is the room.

Put your bag and change of clothes in that cupboard.

You only need to take off what you’re wearing on top. When you’re ready, lay face down on that bed, put that towel on top and wait for me.

I’ll be doing a treatment using essential oils and I’ll prepare one that I recommend. Alright?

[03:01]

I’ll go and prepare for the treatment, so you get undressed before that.

Miss. May I come in?

Please excuse me.

The essential oil I’ll be using for your treatment is grapefruit. It has a refreshing effect and improves circulation.

I’m going to start now.

Your skin looks beautiful. I’ve given this treatment to many women before, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone so beautiful. 

[04:08]

Hmm? Are you embarrassed?

You can feel the oil being absorbed into your skin and my fingers gliding over your body, can’t you?

Even just moving your hands over someone’s skin is said to have a relaxing effect. That’s why I recommend aromatic treatments. You can be relaxed in three different ways. The aromatic treatment, the relaxing effect of someone else’s hands and the stiffness in your body being loosened up.

[05:02]

Does that feel good?

I’m happy to hear that. When I was working here, I really did think that relaxing and calmly receiving the treatment was something to be happy about.

Feeling calm is even important in the job I do now. If someone says to me “I’m glad you’re the one doing the surgery” before an operation, then I feel as if I’m being trusted and it makes me happy. 

Does that hurt? I pressed down a little hard, so I was worried.  

[06:03]

When I’m touching your body like this, I feel as if we’ve become very close. I’ve never felt this way when I’ve been with a customer, so I wonder why that is. I’m sure that your beauty is making me feel that way.

I’ve finished massaging your back.

I’ll turn around while you lie on your back. Tell me when you’re ready.

I’m going to turn around now.

I’ll lower the towel down to beneath where your collarbone is.

[07:16]

No... I was just thinking that your collarbone looks sexy. It’s nice how it isn’t too sharp and comes out just enough. It’s easy for lymph fluid to build up here, so you have to get it out this way.

I’m going to do your upper arms next. You might not expect this, but your upper arms can get quite stiff too.

Yes. They’re quite stiff, aren’t they?

[08:00]

People tend to forget about their upper arms, so make sure you pay careful attention to them from now on.

The treatment is finished now. 

[09:01]

I’ve wiped off the oil, so you should be fine as you are, but since there’s a spa here too, shall we have a look?

Alright. I’ll be waiting in the lounge then. You don’t have to hurry. You can take your time getting changed.

TRACK 6

This is the spa. The spa is in a private room too. It’s amazing, isn’t it?

Don’t worry. The water is a milky white colour and you can wear your towel in the bath, so there’s nothing for you to worry about.

Your face is red. Were you expecting something?

I’ll get changed here and you can get changed over there.

I’m ready, so I’ll get in first. You can come here whenever you’re ready.

[01:20]

Come here.

Were you satisfied with the treatment I gave you?

I’m glad to hear that.

Hmm? Did I ever think about working here?

My uncle had strongly suggested it, but as my father was a surgeon, I hadn’t considered following any other path.

Yes, I suppose it was because I grew up watching my father. I had no hesitation in becoming a surgeon.

[02:05]

I respect my father, but we just don’t get along. I suppose you could call it a feud.

But in the end, when I considered becoming a doctor, I ended up unconsciously following in his footsteps, despite my disagreement with him.

I’ve been talking about myself a little too much, haven’t I? 

You want to know more about me? I didn’t think you’d say that.

I want to know more about you too.

Of course I’m not joking.

[03:03]

I believe that this isn’t something you can say thoughtlessly when you’re my age...

But it seems that I’ve fallen in love with you. I suppose it was somewhat like love at first sight.

I was attracted by your charm when I began talking to you. When I touched your body, I ended up wanting to touch you again. Of course, just as I told you when we came here, I’m not going to do anything strange. Even now, I’m serious...

I suppose it troubles you to hear that all of a sudden, doesn’t it? I just wanted to tell you how I feel, but there’s no need for you to feel pressured because of that.

I’ll take it seriously if you say something like that.

[04:04]

In that case...

So even someone of my age can fall in love in a single moment. I didn’t think that I’d be this forward about romance. I’m even surprised at myself. Your charm is what makes me this way.

This might be the first time I’ve expressed my romantic feelings this much. When I met you at the bar, I felt as if I shouldn’t let you get away. That’s how attractive you were.

[05:03]

I’m surprised that touching your body and lips makes my heart beat so fast. I’d forgotten that feeling for a long time. You gave me many things in a short time. I’m sure that age doesn’t matter when it comes to love. You’re a precious person who makes me feel that way.

It makes me happy to see your honest gaze when you believe all the things I say, even though we’ve only just met.

You were a little suspicious at first?

I suppose that’s to be expected. I suddenly brought you to a salon and said I’d be the one taking care of your treatment.

Thank you though. I was relieved to hear that time doesn’t matter when it comes to the feeling of love.

[06:04]

I want to feel you closer to me. Is that alright? 

When I run my fingers over your smooth skin, I don’t want to stop touching you.

The effect of the aromatic treatment? I suppose that might be part of the reason, but your skin is smooth and beautiful anyway.

I’m going to give you another massage.

Of course I don’t do this for other women. I work as a surgeon. Even if I perform a surgery, I don’t do massages. Don’t worry about it.

[07:05]

But I suppose making someone jealous isn’t so bad. Perhaps it’s a sign that you don’t want to lose me to someone else.

Are you getting dizzy? Your face looks really red.

Mine does too? So that’s why I was feeling a little light-headed.

Shall we get out soon?

I’d actually like to push you down right now...

That’s how I really feel.

TRACK 7

Thank you. I had a good time.

You’re not going home now, are you?

I told you earlier, didn’t I? That I wanted to push you down right then...

You can say no if you want to. Do you have the courage to do that?

You want to spend the night with me too, don’t you?

I can tell by looking. I’m going to make you even more captivated.

Why’d you stop all of a sudden?

[01:00]

You’re nervous? It’ll only last for a moment. There’s nothing to worry about.

You don’t have to do this. I won’t force you.

You’re nervous, but you don’t want to be apart from me?

You’re a spoiled woman, aren’t you?

Don’t worry. I’ll help you relax. I don’t want to be apart from you either, you see.

I don’t want you to go home right now.

I’m being determined? I suppose so. But I won’t get an answer without doing that, will I? You’ll be spending the night with a man you just met, you see. It’s not as if I don’t feel nervous too. No matter how old they get, men lose courage in front of the person they love.

I’m always putting up a strong front, but I do wonder what I should do if I end up being disliked. 

[02:04]

It’s true that I want to be honest around you, no matter how afraid I am of being disliked.

If you see that I’m not acting naturally, then you’ll do the same.

I want to know more about the real you. So let’s go to my place.

I’ll make sure you have a good time tonight.

I think this night is going to be a long one.

Tell me more about yourself. I want to tell you more about myself too.

I’ll definitely make this into an unforgettable night.

[03:09]

Are you awake? It seems that you slept quite well.

You didn’t look nervous to me.

I’m teasing you? I was just telling the truth.

I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go to work soon.

Ah. It may not seem that way, but I’m busy.

You’re asking when we can see each other again?

I’m not sure. But when you want to see me again, I’ll want the same thing.

(Tracks 8 and 9 are not included since they are free talk.)