#yama looks so cool

[imherefortheakirafanart]

this was gonna be super serious and based on a tyler song

but

this is what happened

updates to come

edit:

I FEEL LIKE IVE COMMITTED A CRIME

[v4mpiredi4ries]

[ryin-silverfish]

A Guide to the Chinese Underworld (and what it isn't)

As many FSYY and fox posts as there were on my blog, I am actually a huge fan of the Chinese Underworld mythos. Mostly because I was once a morbid little kid that loved reading about the excavations of ancient tombs, and found the statues depicting hellish torture in the Haw Par Villa "super cool".

Apart from the aesthetics, the history of its evolution is also fascinating. Most of us, Chinese or not, only know the most popular version of the Underworld——the "Ten Kings" system, yet that isn't always the case. So today, I'll start off with a short summary of that.

In pre-Qin era, there was already this generic idea of a "Realm of the Dead" called the Yellow Spring, Youdu, or Youming, but we know very little about it.

Then, in the Han dynasty, two ideas start to emerge: 1) the Underworld is a bureaucracy, 2) the God of Mt. Tai ruled over the dead.

This early bureaucracy might not function as an agent of punishment; the main focus was on keeping the dead segregated from the living so they wouldn't bring diseases and misfortune to the latter, as well as using those ghosts to enforce collective punishments upon people for their lineage's wrongdoings while they were still alive.

Post-Han, after Buddhism entered China and took root, its idea of karmic punishments and reincarnation and the figure of King Yama was merged with folk and Daoist ideas of the Underworld bureaucracy, and, came Tang dynasty, resulted in the "Ten Kings" system that first appeared in Dunhuang manuscripts.

It was very rudimentary and far from well-established, as seen in Tang legends, with some adopting the Ten Kings system, some sticking to the Lord of Mt. Tai and some favoring King Yama, and overall little agreements on who's in charge of the Underworld.

But the "Ten Kings" system would become the mainstream version from then onwards, used in Ming vernacular novels and made even more popular by folk religion scrolls like the Jade Records (Yuli Baochao).

As such, most points in the following sections will be based on the fully matured "Ten Kings" system of the Underworld, as seen in the Jade Records and JTTW.

What happens when you die?

(This is a fictionalized walkthrough of the posthumous fate of souls under the "Ten Kings" system. I try to stick to the very broad progression outlined in the Jade Records, but many creative liberties are taken on the details.)

Let's say there's a guy named Xiao Ming, and he had just died of a heart attack. Bummers. What now?

Well, the first thing he saw would be the ghost cops.

There isn't really an unanimous agreement on who these ghost cops are: they may be a pair of ghosts in white and black robes, wearing tall hats (Heibai Wuchang), they may have the heads of farm animals (Ox-Head and Horse-Face), or they can just be generic ghost bureaucrats. For convenience's sake, let's say it was the first scenario.

"Who are you guys and where are you taking me?"

"Glad you asked!" The taller ghost cop, being the cheerful one of the pair, replied. It wasn't very reassuring, considering that his tongue was dangling out of his mouth way further than it should. "I'm the White Impermanence, my sour-looking colleague here is the Black Impermanence, and we are taking you to the City God's office."

This City God, a.k.a. Chenghuang, is just like how it sounds: the divine guardian of a city, who also pulls double duty as the head of the local Dead People Customs Office. They are usually virtuous officials deified posthumously, and in JTTW, they fall under the category of "Ghostly immortals", together with the Earth Gods a.k.a. Tudi.

So Xiao Ming went with the two ghost cops——not like he had much of a choice, made his way through the long queue at the City God's office, and was now standing in front of a gruff old magistrate in traditional robes.

"Name?"

"Wang Xiao Ming."

"Age and birth dates?"

"21, April 16 2003…"

After he was done asking questions, the City God flipped through his ledger, then picked up a brush, ticked off Xiao Ming's name, and told him to go get his pass in the next room. More waiting in a queue. Wonderful.

"I never heard anything about needing a pass to get to the Underworld," the girl in front of Xiao Ming asked the ghost cops, who were standing guard nearby. "Is this a new policy or something?"

"Yeah. In the old days, we'd just drag y'all straight to the Ghost Gate." The ghost cop in black said, then muttered to himself, "Fuckin' paperworks and overpopulation, man…"

(This "Dead People Passport" thing was popularized in the middle-to-late Ming dynasty, as shown by the discovery of such documents inside tombs in southern China. )

(It might have evolved from similar passes to the Western Pure Land in lay Buddhism that recorded their acts of merits. Which, in turn, might be traced back to the "Dead People Belongings List" of Han dynasty, to be shown to Underworld bureaucrats so that no one would take away the dead's private property down there or something.)

Anyways, after he received his pass, Xiao Ming departed together with the rest of the bunch, to be led to the Ghost Gate. It was like the world's most depressing tourist group, where instead of tour guides, you got two ghost cops in funny hats, and the only scenery in sight was the desolation of the Yellow Spring Road.

They weren't the only travellers on the road, though. Xiao Ming noticed other groups moving in the far distance, behind the fog and the flickering ghostfire, led by similar figures in black and white.

It made a lot of sense; realistically, there was no way two ghost cops could fetch hundreds of thousands of dead people all by themselves.

(SEA Tang-ki mediums believed there were multiple Tua Di Ya Peks——Hokkien name for the Black and White Impermanences, working for different Underworld Courts.)

At last, the Ghost Gate stood in front of Xiao Ming, guarded by two towering figures. Normally, they'd be Ox-Head and Horse-Face, like what you see at Haw Par Villa's Underworld entrance.

However, older Han dynasty works like Wang Chong's 论衡·订鬼 also mentioned two gods, Shenshu and Yulei, as guardians of the Ghost Gate, who would use reed ropes to capture malicious ghosts and feed them to tigers, making them possibly the earliest incarnation of "Gate Gods".

So here, they were what Xiao Ming sees, standing side by side like proper doormen, silently watching herds of ghosts being funneled through the entrance.

The place was more crowded than a train station during the CNY Spring Rush; the ghost cops had already said their quick goodbye and left to fetch the next group of dead people, leaving the resident officials of the Underworld proper to maintain order and quell any would-be riots.

Now you started seeing the Ox-Head and Horse-Face guys, poking at unruly ghosts with their pitchforks and dragging away the violent ones in chains. Among their ranks were other monstrous beings, blue-faced yakshas and imps, but also regular dead humans who look 100% done with their jobs, like the lady who stamped Xiao Ming's pass when it was finally his turn.

After this point, Xiao Ming had entered the Underworld proper, and his next destination would be the First Court, led by King Qin'guang. Here, his fate should be decided by what is revealed in the King's magical mirror.

If Xiao Ming was a good guy, or someone who had done an equal amount of good and bad things in life, he'd be sent straight to the Tenth Court for reincarnation. However, if the mirror, while replaying his life events, had displayed more evil deeds than good ones, he'd be sent to one of the 2nd-9th Courts for judgment and then punished inside the Eighteen Hells.

Each of the Ten Kings was also assisted by ghostly judges. Many of them were righteous and just officials in life who had been recruited into the Ten Courts posthumously——Cui Jue from JTTW is one such example, while others were living people working part-time for the Underworld, like how Wei Zheng, Taizong's minister, works part-time for the Celestial Bureaucracy in JTTW.

We decide to be nice to Xiao Ming, so, after reliving some embarrassing childhood incidents and cringy teenage phases in front of a bunch of dead bureaucrats, he was found innocent and sent to the Tenth Court.

The queue here was almost as long as the First Court's, stretching on and on alongside of the banks of the Nai River. King of the Turning Wheel made his judgment without even lifting his head when it was Xiao Ming's turn:

"Path of Humans, male, healthy in body and mind, ordinary family. Next!"

Exiting the Tenth Court building, Xiao Ming saw the Terrace of Forgetfulness, standing tall before six bridges, made of gold, silver, jade, stone, wood, and…some unidentified material. Before he could get a good look at them and the little dots moving across those bridges, he was hurried into the Terrace by the ghostly officials.

Now, both JTTW and the Jade Records mention multiple bridges across the Nai River. In the former, there is 3, and the latter, 6. The bridges made of precious materials are for people who will reincarnate into better lives, as the wealthy, the fortunate, and the divine, while the Naihe Bridge is either the common option or the terribad shitty option.

However, the Naihe Bridge proved to be so iconic, it became THE bridge you walk across to reincarnate in popular legends.

Anyways, back to Xiao Ming. He found himself standing in a giant soup kitchen of sorts, with an old lady at the counter, scooping soup out of her steaming pot and into one cup after another.

This is Mengpo, the amnesia soup granny; according to the Jade Records, she was born in the Western Han era, and a pious cultivator who thought of neither the past nor the future, only knowing that her surname was Meng.

Made into an Underworld god by the Jade Emperor, she cooks a soup of five flavors that will wipe the memory of the dead, making sure they do not remember any of their past lives once they reincarnate.

It tastes awful. Like what you get after pouring corn syrup, coffee, chilli sauce, lemon juice and seawater into the same cup.

Such was Xiao Ming's last thought, as he gulped down the soup, and then he knew no more.

Things you should know about the Chinese Underworld:

1. It's not the Christian Hell.

Rather, the Chinese Underworld functions somewhat like the Purgatory, in that there are a lot of torment, but the torment's not eternal, however long the duration may be. Once you finish your sentence, you get reincarnated as something else, though that "something else" is not a guaranteed good birth.

Other people can also speed up the process via transferring of merits: hiring a priest/monk to chant sutras and perform rituals, for example, or performing good deeds in life in dedication to the dead, or they can pray to a Daoist/Buddhist deity to save their loved ones from a dreadful fate.

Interestingly enough, a thesis paper I read mentions that, whereas Buddhist salvation from the Hells was based on transference of merits——you give monks offerings and pay them to chant sutras, so they can cancel out the sinners' bad karma with good ones, Daoist ideas of salvation tend to involve the priest going down there, sorting it out with the Underworld officials, and taking the dead out of the Hells themselves.

(The paper also stops at the Northern-Southern and Tang dynasties, so the above is likely period-specific.)

2. Nor is it run by evil demons.

Underworld officials are not nice guys and look pretty monstrous and torture the sinful dead, but they are not the embodiment of evil. Rather, the faction as a whole is what I'd call Lawful Neutral, who function on this "An Eye for An Eye" logic, where every harm the sinner caused in life must be returned to them, in order for their karmic debts to be cleansed and move on to their next life.

They can absolutely be corrupt and incompetent and take bribes——Tang dynasty Zhiguai tales and Qing folklore compendiums featured plenty of such cases, but that's a very mundane and human kind of evil, not a cosmic/innate one.

This is just my personal opinion, but if you want to do an "evil" Chinese Underworld? It should be a very bureaucratic evil, whose leaders are bootlickers to the higher-ups, slavedrivers to their rank-and-file workers, and bullies who abuse their power over regular dead people.

Not, y'know, Satan and his infernal legions or conspiring Cthulu cultists.

3. The Ten Kings are not Hades.

Make no mistake, they still have a lot of power over your average dead mortal. But in the grand scheme of things? They are the backwater department of the pantheon, who only show up in JTTW to get pushed around and revive the occasional dead people.

When Taizong made his trip to the Underworld, the Ten Kings greeted him as equals——kings of ghosts to the king of the living. If they see themselves as equal in status to a mortal emperor, then, like any mortal emperors, they are subordinate to the Celestial Host, and the balance of power is not even remotely equal or in their favor.

Also, it isn't said outright, but under the Zhong-Lv classification of immortals JTTW is using, Underworld officials will likely be considered Ghostly immortals, the lowest and weakest of the five types, much like Tudis and Chenghuangs.

Essentially: they are ghosts that are powerful enough to not reincarnate and linger on and on, spirits of pure Yin as opposed to true immortals, who are beings of pure Yang.

It's pretty much the shittiest form of immortality, the result you get when you try to speedrun cultivation (the Zhong-Lv text also made a dig at Buddhist meditation here), and if they don't reincarnate or regain a physical body, there is no chance of progressing any further.

Oh, and fun fact? In the Song dynasty, commoners and literati elites alike believed that virtuous officials in life would get appointed as ghostly officials in death.

However, the latter viewed it as a punishment. Which was strange, considering how they still held the same position and the same amount of authority, just over dead people instead of living ones, so there should be no big losses, right?

Well...it was precisely the "dead people" part that made it a punishment. See, a lot of the power and prestige they had as officials came from the benefits they could bring to their families and kins and native places, as well as the potential wealth and reputation bonuses for themselves.

A job in the Dead People Supreme Court would give them the same workload, but with none of those benefits. Since all the dead people had to reincarnate eventually, they couldn't have a fixed group as their power base, or keep their old familial ties and connections. At most, they could help out an occasional dead relative or two.

Like, working for the Underworld Courts was the kind of deadend (no pun intended) job not even living officials wanted for themselves in the afterlife. That's how hilariously sad and pathetic they are.

4. In JTTW at least, they aren't even the highest authorities of the Underworld.

That would be Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, who is technically their boss, though he seems to be more of a spiritual leader than someone who is actually involved in running the bureaucracy.

Which makes sense, since he has sworn an oath to not attain Buddhahood until all Hells are empty, and his role is to offer relief and salvation to the suffering souls, not judging and punishing them.

Now, historically...even though Ksitigarbha in early Tang legends was still the savior of the dead, he seemed to be unable to interfere with the judicial process of the Underworld, merely showing up to take people away before they were judged by King Yama.

However, in the mid-Tang apocryphal "Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha" (地藏菩萨经), he had evolved into the equal of King Yama, with the power of supervision over his judgements. By the time the Scripture on the Ten Kings came out, in artistic depictions, the Ten Kings had become fully subservient to him.

5. Diyu usually refers to the prison-torture chamber part, not the courthouse, nor is it the entirety of the Underworld.

And for the majority of souls that haven't committed crimes, they'll only see the courthouse part before they are sent to reincarnation. That's why I personally don't like, or use the name Diyu for the Chinese Underworld: I prefer the term Difu ("Earth Mansions"), which encompasses the whole realm better.

Also: even though historical sources like the Scripture on the Ten Kings and Jade Records seem to suggest that the dead were just funneled through this Courthouse-Prison-Reincarnation pipeline with no breaks in between, in practice, that isn't the case.

According to popular folk beliefs, after the dead were done with their trials/sentences, they stayed in the Underworld for a period of time and led regular lives, while functioning as ancestor spirits and receiving offerings.

Which would imply that the Underworld had a civilian district of sorts, populated by regular ghosts, making the whole realm even less of a direct Hell/Purgatory equivalent.

6. It is located in a different realm, but still part of the Six Paths and doesn't exist outside of reality.

In Buddhist cosmology, like the Celestial Realm, the Underworld is part of the Realm of Desires and thus subject to all the woes of samsara.

The pain and misery of the Path of Hell may be the worst and most obvious, but becoming a celestial being isn't the goal of serious Buddhists either: despite all the pleasures and near-infinite lifespan they enjoy, they are not free from samsara and will eventually have to reincarnate.

So if, say, the world is being destroyed at the end of a kalpa, all beings of the Six Paths will perish alongside it, leaving behind a clean slate for the cycle to start anew. The dead won't all end up in the Underworld and face eternal damnation.

7. The Black and White Impermanences would not appear in the Underworld pantheon formally until the Qing dynasty.

The concept that when you die, you get fetched to the Underworld by petty ghost bureaucrats is already well-established in Tang legends, but these were just generic ghost bureaucrats in all sorts of colorful official robes, with yellow being the most common color.

The idea of there being two specific psychopomps in black and white would only become popular in the Qing dynasty. Mengpo is kinda similar: although she existed before the Ming-Qing era as a goddess of wind, venerated by boatmen, her "amnesia soup granny" incarnation came from the Jade Records.

[acuar-io]

Yama club | a discord server for sim lovers! 18+

Recently, there was a server refresh! Server has a new look, it looks cleaner & its been made to be more minimalistic + channels are all in theme with sims. We've also added a navigation channel so its easier to know what channel is for what. Yama club is a discord server that centers around the sims, but feel free to chat about your interests & other hobbies in our other channels too!

We are also planning out some cool in-server fun!!!

(summer camp au story that involves a satanic cult *cough cough*)

if you're interested in making new friends, chatting about sims, rping together or making a cool summer camp oc, then join the club!

Join here!

[httpserb]

okay so while i work on chapter 2 (I'm so sorry its late I'm a highschool senior with 4 ap classes, 2 gifted classes, and insomnia. I'm trying my best i swear) I'm going to give out some content and stuff like things to expect in the fic

this is friendships/relationships that will kage will experience with small explanations :D (these are out of order)

lev & kage - ok so I plan on having miwa and alisa get together so i find it funny if they were awkward but lev immediately attaches to kage and they're like brothers

akaashi & kage & kenma - ok so they're all introverted and i know kenma and akaashi are cool but like i can see akaashi realize kage is mean or angry just really awkward and weird at times so he recommends him to join his and kenma's game nights and one Minecraft world later they're all attached at the hip

atsumu & osamu & kage - originally i think atsu and kage have a rivalry and mutual respect for each other until atsu realizes samu and kage are good friends (bc kage is always eating samu's curry rice balls, he has become samu unofficial food tester lol) and atsu is obvi trying to be the better twin so they end up getting closer at setters like a more equal standing unlike oikawa & kage or suag & kage who were mentors (in a way looking at you sideways oikawa bc your teaching methods were ... interesting [don't misintterupt this i love oikawa])

ushijima & kage - ok so they're both autistic, you'd have to rip that headcannon out my dead cold hands, and i can see ushijima watching kage and realizing 'oh he is like me' and they just connect like bluetooth

kyotani & kage - i actually love them bc they're both similar to me (i also find oikawa and kyotani's relationship interesting as he is in personality and raw talent and skill similar to kage and ik oikawa felt threatened cb kage was a setter but him moving along with you after the kitagawa incident is very interesting tbh) anyways i imagine they'd accidently connect like at the same gym and bond by shitting on oikawa (i imagine he'd want to hit some of kage's kingly tosses too)

yachi & kage - wlw & mlm solidarity, i love them sm, yachi realizing after seeing kage awkwardly attempt to pet a cat that he is really cute but in a sibling or little kid way so she can no longer find him scary but gets protective and explains social situations for him when he doesn't understand

coach ukai & kage - i imagine while coach takeda was hinata's coach, coach ukai was kage's bc he was blunt in a way kage understood and no extra words for needed, plus i like to think they were both very honest which each other so if ukai said kage was messing up he'd be upset but believe him and take a break

kage & tsuki - so i stand by the fact kage is smart but in odd strangely specific ways like physics but not general science and math and tsuki finds out and loses his shit bc kage is lowkey better than him but doesn't do anything with this, this kinda begins their actual friendship tho bc kage gets to talk about physics (esp astrophysic his favorite bc his dad's job [a personal headcannon])

kogane & kage - kogane worshipping the ground kage walks on bc he is such a good setter and kage trying to help teach kogane but he isn't good with words but despite this kogane understands him somehow!?

kuroo & kage - i think kuroo would recognize kage as someone similar to kenma but not only that but as hinata's best friend and as kenma's best friend who is friends with hinata he'd do some mental math to become kage's friend. plus i think he'd (like tsuki) recognize kage is dumb, but smart in different ways and try to draw it out of him (he also finds it funny to adopt/befriend all the karasuno first years [he has plans for yachi & yama])

tendou & kage - took one look and thought him and ushijima are of the same breed so he could befriend him (probably) but other than that i think tendou being seen as scary or freakish, even being referred to as a monster could relate to kage and his king od the court incident so maybe they'd bond through that

ok that is all i can think of rn and if a friendship isn't on here it's because it probably something I'm already going to do. this list was mostly headcannon or me taking a small relationship, blowing it up, then putting it under a microscope for personal enjoyment

(here is some food: @youwerethedefeated @infinitemilk @ushouldwatchhaikyuu @kagehiner @cosmorom @greynoceur @pixiesnooze @kagehiner )

[quitealotofsodapop]

So can we get more context on this situation for the Tang River Water au?

referencing this au.

Literally one of the first things Peng does when they get released from the Scroll is to try and kill who he thinks is Tripitaka [Tang]. Peng presses on Tang so forcefully that the stone around him cracks. Tang doesn't be looking so great afterwards either.

Only reason Tang isn't passing through Diyu after this scene is Azure mentioning that he's just the monk's reincarnation (which 100% must have tickles Peng pink since they of all people know how embarassing it must have been for Buddha's teacher's pet to fail to break the cycle of rebirth). I have seen aus where Tang does die in this scene and his Golden Cicada powers have to come in clutch to keep his soul there. (link to a really cool animatic)

But in the "Mother Child River Tang" au?

Peng immediately takes one look at this *obviously* pregnant monk and just starts screeching with laughter! You know that sound peacock's make thats like a strangled laugh? That is all Peng is doing for their first five minutes out of the Scroll.

Yellow Tusk has already given Azure a warm welcoming hug and gotten caught up on the most recent millenium by the time Peng manages to catch their breath.

Peng: "The- [peacock cry]! The monk is- [more peacock cries!] ahhhhh! I can't even be mad at him right now! It's so funny!" Tang, still a little hurt, now offended: "Rude. A pregnant man isn't that funny." Peng: "But a pregnant monk is! Looks like that vow of chasity didn't stick eh?" Azure: "Peng, they are not the monk." Peng, laughter stops: "...then who the Diyu are they??" Tang, emboldened: "I'm Tang! Reincarnation and/or decendant of the Great Monk! And this is my husband Pigsy, our son MK, and our friends." Peng, tears in eyes: "HE MARRIED THE-!" [peacock cry!] Azure & Yellow tusk: *both sigh tiredly*

On a more serious note, since Sandy was forced to push Tang out of the way of Yellow tusk's attack + Peng pinned him to the ground, the Monkey King's part of the Scroll is damaged, MK is having a mental breakdown, and if we combine this with "Slow Boiled Stone Egg" au - the Brotherhood has taken Yuebei Xing hostage? Tang is in a lot of physical and emotional distress rn.

Like... enough to trigger early labor-level of distress.

Bodhisattva Guanyin is summoned immediately to Subodhi's temple before any actual training can occur. She's (and many other buddhist deities) so preoccupied in making sure that the Golden Cicada and his baby survives that they are distracted from the threat sieging Heaven at that moment...

Pigsy has to be held back from trying to tear the Brotherhood apart himself. Zhu Bajie wasn't *just* "some demon". He used to be one of the most powerful Marshals in Heaven - commanding 80 thousand heavenly sailors/soldiers. In one mythology, Marshal Tianpeng was even a son of Doumu - the mother of constellations (making him the Queen Mother of the West's brother oddly enough).

Whos to say that Pigsy doesn't accidentally tap into the powers of that life? The whole naval power of Heaven is suddenly at Subodhi's school, waiting for the orders to turn the Brotherhood into a fine red smear on the wall. It's only Tang's own pleading that Pigsy doesn't act rashly.

The chaos does lead to an odd conciencidence occuring though...

Nezha, post-s4: "I do wonder... has the Jade Emperor broken the cycle of rebirth? If not, then that means the location of his soul could prove dangerous if left unchecked. I must contact the Underworld." *starts mediatating* MK: "What do you mean?" Nezha: "The Emperor was eons old. That amount of acculmilated divine power needs a host that can handle it. Like-" Tang & Pigsy's baby: *snorts/burps loudly* Nezha, realising: "-the child of the Golden Cicada and of the Doumu herself..." Yama, King of Hell, astral projecting: "You guys are not gonna believe where the Emperor ended up! He's in a half-demon piglet somewhere- oh there she is!" Tang & Pigsy: ( 0_0) (0_0 ) "uh oh"

[bomber-grl]

Hiro Hamada + tall reader ❤︎

Pairing(s): Hiro Hamada x Gn!Reader (no pronouns)

Ok ok ok

So if you’re taller than him best believe he’s gonna always be casually offending you 😭

He’ll be laughing his little ass off whenever you’re near and tell you his stupid jokes

He’ll always compare you to a giraffe or ask “how’s the weather up there?”

Then proceeds to get upset once you start ignoring him 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️

Because this dude is like 5’0 then he’ll definitely use ask you to help him get stuff he can’t reach

It gets unbearable once he asks you and there’s a stool right next to the shelf

Besides using you as a servant for getting stuff for him he’s constantly asking you to give him piggy back rides 😭

At least only ever when he isn’t getting stiff from the physical contact

Like who does he think he is? 🤨

Doesn’t stop u from still doing it tho

Besides those “offensive” weird lil jokes he makes he thinks its pretty cool how tall you are

At some point he gets curious and asks how he looks from your perspective just to find out how deformed he looks 😭😭

Especially if you’ve been secretly taking those fish eye perspective pictures of hiro

He’s absolutely floored and it’s a blow to his big ass ego 😭

If you ever mention how short he is, well he’ll threaten you by saying he’ll eat your hair at night

(Sorry if you’re bald)

He’d always pretend you make his neck hurt from how much he has to crane his neck and feign annoyance by making you bend down

Honestly hiro isn’t really insecure about his height despite wondering when he’ll hit a growth spurt

So he’ll probably just forget about the whole ordeal tbh

Plus all his threats are honestly just empty and are easily forgotten 😭

Because of this the jokes eventually die down however you’ll still hear an annoying voice at the back of your head asking how the weather is up there

Aka hiro

Ik all I’ve been talking about how much hiro would center his jokes about his heights but that doesn’t make him safe 😭

This honestly gives you so much room to tease him about his height by calling him a “short king” to not only get him riled up but also cringe him out

Just turn the tables when he forces you to look at him at his level cuz his neck “hurts” and exaggerate how much you bend down to eye level w him 😭😭

He’ll absolutely be stunned and will be in denial

But he can’t even say anything cuz then he’d a hypocrite

Would probably give u the side eye anytime he saw you after you decided it’d be a bright idea to rest your arm on his head

It’d be even worst if it was done on accident and subconsciously too 😭

Your guys banter is honestly never ending but y’all know when not to cross the line.

Hiro would probs use your height to intimidate people who try to pick fights w him unprovoked (Yama)

Which is (all jokes aside) the reason he actually does like your height

He feels nice having someone around that he feels he can rely on, especially since you’re the same age

Idk but it just makes him feel like he can rely on someone closer to him.

[kazooreal]

Ventura lyr + TL

yeaaaahhh so i am gonna post all of my Fictions translations now. these lyrics are my favourite in the album so far! i wrote a bit about it at the bottom, if you want my interpretation ...

ベントラー 斉藤壮馬

bentoraa - saitou souma

Ventura - Soma Saito

誰もが単に、歳を重ねていくとしても

dare mo ga tan ni, toshi wo kasanete iku toshite mo

Everyone simply, as we get older,

こんなふうに、いやらしい大人になるとはね

konna fuu ni, iyarashii otona ni naru to ha ne

Just like that, we become dirty adults, right?

名前や論理をどれだけ覚えたとこで

namae ya ronri wo dore dake oboeta toko de

How much of names and logic do you remember?

模範回答だけじゃ届かない

mohan kaitou dake ja todokanai

You can’t get anywhere with a model answer

大事にしていたあの宝箱はとっくに

daiji ni shiteita ano takarabako ha tokku ni

The treasure box you cherished has long since

ゴミの山になっている

gomi no yama ni natteiru

Become a mountain of garbage

いつか信じたあの呪文も

itsuka shinjita ano jumon mo

The magic spell I once believed, and

来るはずだった終末も

kuru hazu datta shuumatsu mo

The weekend that was supposed to come, too

気づけば通りすぎていった笑い話で

kizukeba toori sugiteitta warai banashi de

Before I noticed, they passed, in some short comedy

石ころを蹴って歩いた

ishi koro wo kette aruita

I kicked a pebble and walked

祈りを込め空を見上げた

inori wo kome sora wo miageta

With a prayer, I looked up at the sky

あの気持ちはなんだったっけ

ano kimochi ha nandattakke

What was that feeling, again?

あるいは単に、誰もが気づいてはいたけど

arui ha tan ni, dare mo ga kizuite ha ita kedo

Or simply, everyone was aware of it, but

優しいあまり、見てみぬふりをしてくれていて

yasashii amari, miteminu furi wo shitekureteite

Being so kind, we turn a blind eye

もしかしたらすべて 何もかもが陰謀？

moshikashitara subete nani mo kamo ga inbou?

What if everything’s a conspiracy?

あれもこれも借り物でいいや

are mo kore mo karimono de ii ya

It’s fine to borrow this and that

ずるくて狭いぼくの宝箱はとっくに

zurukute semai boku no takarabako ha tokku ni

My unfairly narrow treasure box has long since

ガラクタで埋まっている

garakuta de umatteiru

Been buried in junk

あの日鳴ったオリジナルコード

ano hi natta orijinaru koodo

The original chord that rang that day

午前4時の世界の温度

gozen yon ji no sekai no ondo

The world at 4 AM’s temperature

肺を満たす空気のにおい 鉱石の色

hai wo mitasu kuuki no nioi kouseki no iro

The smell of air that fills the lungs, the colour of ore

どこで落としたんだろうな

doko de otoshitan darou na

I wonder where it fell?

自ら手放したような

mizukara tebanashita you na

It’s like I purposely let it go

本当に持ってたんだっけ？

hontou ni mottetan dakke?

Did I really have it in the first place?

いつか信じたあの呪文も

itsuka shinjita ano jumon mo

The magic spell I once believed, and

来るはずだった終末も

kuru hazu datta shuumatsu mo

The weekend that was supposed to come, too

気づけば通りすぎていった笑い話で

kizukeba toori sugiteitta warai banashi de

Before I noticed, they passed, in some short comedy

石ころを蹴って歩いた

ishi koro wo kette aruita

I kicked a pebble and walked

祈るように空を見上げていた

inoru you ni sora wo miageteita

Like praying, I looked up at the sky

この気持ちはなんだったっけ

kono kimochi ha nandattakke

What’s this feeling, again?

ベントラー、

bentoraa,

Ventura,

ベントラー、

bentoraa,

Ventura,

スペースピープル

supeesu piipuru

Space people

[’Ventura, ventura, space people’ is chanted when contacting a UFO.]

Souma-san’s songs are as bewildering and open to interpretation as usual! However, this isn’t the first song in ‘Fictions’ to be about looking back on something (gestures to ‘Hiraeth’), and this song evokes SO MUCH nostalgia. I think it’s to do with looking back on something after it’s been lost, and just remembering that, along with the pains with it (hence the scream that SCARES ME EVERY TIME but works so well). The title and repeated ‘Ventura, ventura, space people’ tie the album off with a surreal, ‘Fictions’ feel. This song is looking back on the small things in life; glancing up at the sky, the cool night air (two of my favourite things)-- back to a simpler time.

[amodernpersephone]

愛しちゃってるよ (Aishi Chatteru Yo) English Translation

by Mochizuki Souta (CV: Kaji Yuki)

T/N: This isn't a perfect translation, I got creative with a lot of the lyrics. English and Japanese aren't my first language, this isn't a 1:1 translation, whatever else. I love MochiAka.

kimi o sazukatta hi wa dakiatte yorokondayo harikitte kaisugichatta bebī-fuku to omocha no yama The day we were blessed with you, we hugged each other out of joy I got so excited, I ended up buying you tons of baby clothes and too many toys

mama no onaka ni aisatsu kimi wa kette o henji mama ni no kawaii ko ni naru yo kareshi dekiru no hayadana I say hello to you, in Mama's belly You start kicking in response You'll be a cute girl just like your mom But I don't want you getting a boyfriend hajimemashite shinmai papadesu wagaya futari-me no ohimesama Nice to meet you I'm your new Papa and you are our family's second princess. kyou wa kinenbi nakigoe o kureta kyou mo kinenbi me o akete kureta kazoku kinenbi waratte kureta This day is just so special, when we first heard you cry This day must be so special, when you first opened your eyes A special day for our family It makes me wanna smile. mou hitotsu no ikigai o kureta You've given me another reason to keep living on dakishime sasete yo aishichatteru yo Please let me embrace you, I just love you so much. zangyou sezu ni kaerou kimi ga nechau mae ni 6 ji no densha ni noranakya kimi wa mainichi seichou suru dakara miteitai nda minogashitaku nai nda mama ni mo warawarechau kurai zenryoku de shiawase desu Rushing home without overtime So I can catch you before you sleep I have to get on the train by 6 o'clock You're always growing more every day That's why I want to be there to watch I don't want to miss a thing Even if Mama keeps laughing at me I'll work hard for this happiness ohimesama no kigen toru yo isogashikutatte niya ke chau I'll always keep you safe, princess I can smile no matter how busy I am kyou wa kinenbi deeto shitekureta kyou mo kinenbi tachiagatte kureta kazoku kinenbi yasuragi o kureta This day is just so special, you went out on a date This day must be so special, You stood up for yourself A special day for our family, It gives me peace of mind yuragu koto nai ikigai o kureta You gave me an unwavering purpose to keep living on amaete kinasai aishichatteru yo Come here, let me spoil you I just love you so much. boku ja dame nante mou omowa nai yo kakkoyoku dekinai kedo jiman no papa ni natte miseru yo Whether I'm good enough or not* I don't think like that anymore I can't make myself look cool at all But I'll be a Papa that's always proud of you yakusoku I promise. kyou wa kinenbi nakigoe o kureta kyou mo kinenbi me o akete kureta kazoku kinenbi waratte kureta This day is just so special, when we first heard you cry This day must be so special, when you first opened your eyes A special day for our family It makes me wanna smile mou hitotsu no ikigai o kureta You've given me another reason to keep living on nani ga atte mo zutto kazoku dakara amaete kinasai tayotte ii yo No matter what, forever We'll always be family Come on, let me spoil you You can always count on me aishichatteru yo I just love you so much

*references Mochita's confession to Akari, and the last line of their first song, Yakimochi no Kotae: “Boku ja dame desu ka?” (Would you be okay with someone like me?)

[dire-miralis]

Some oddball elder dragons and elder-adjacent monsters i hope will return in Wilds thanks to the grand scale of the game:

Note: I define an oddball as a monster that either hasn't shown up in a long time, and/or is very distinct from the general vibes that more powerful monsters tend to be given.

Nakarkos and Vaal Hazak: Putting these together because they would inhabit the same kind of biome. It looks like Wilds will be taking place in the New World, and i genuinely hope we will see at least an echo of the weirdness of the Rotten Vale return. Many people wanted Nakarkos is World because of the Rotten Vale, but it's clear it couldn't have happened considering the body type limitations the staff dealt with at the time. This clearly isn't the case anymore. The biomes we have seen so far are pretty tame, and beyond any specific monster wishes, i'm hoping that there are some weird maps in store that will allow more specialized new and returning monsters to show up.

Lao Shan Lung, Yama Tsukami, Shen Gaoren, and Kulve Taroth: I think the larger maps are kind of begging for a rework of sieges. I really hope we get to see more single-player friendly siege monster fights. The Seikret's ability for vertical transportation may allow for less clunky use of larger areas in combat with giant monsters.

Dalamadur [DLC]: Honestly i don't have big hopes for that one, as i don't really see how you could make an encounter with it that is in any way distinct from it's 4th gen fight. I suppose it could belong in the above siege category i mentioned, but i don't really see it just, existing anywhere outside of a giant cave, so it would probably still need an arena. Regardless i like it, it's an oddball, and i share everyone's wish to see it back, so, i might as well mention it.

White Fatalis [DLC post release content]: Only an oddball because it hasn't shown up in newgen as of yet. Obviously a popular monster, and i'm still so confused as to why it never showed up in Rise to save it from being the only game in the franchise with Zero forbidden dragons. I'm also going to be brutally honest and say it like it is: There is no point in Fatalis showing up without White Fatalis in any game after MH1. Fatalis in the first game was interesting because it was the only western-looking dragon, which made it stand out and communicated clearly that there was something unnatural about it. As of Kushala existing though, this idea was made obsolete, and White Fatalis was a good way to mitigate Fatalis's loss of visual purpose. Fatalis in World means Nothing outside of "hey look it's the final boss from the first game oooo". If Fatalis comes back in the DLC, which i'm almost sure it will because this is World devs, i want Grandpa back for moral support.

Dire Miralis [DLC post release content] : Considering what they are aiming to do with Wilds is seemingly to step up the franchise yet another step above what World did, what monster could possibly be more impressive as a final post release update for the DLC than the largest black dragon of the series, which hasn't been seen ever since it first appeared in Tri Ultimate ? Very few monsters could hold the title of being as huge of a flex as Dire Miralis would be. Yes, Dalamadur would be more visually grand, and also never appeared (alive) after 4 Ultimate, but Dire Miralis would also be a very elegant monster to bring back lore-wise: The grand architect said to constructs and destroys continents, returning in a game which is building the franchise's formula anew. Beautiful. And yes, i may be biased.

Shara Ishvalda: I hope it will return, i have no elaborate reason for it really. It's cool, it's weird, the spectacle of it is great, and it's from Iceborne so the assets are already there.

Honorable mentions:

Ceadeus: one of my favorite monsters but unfortunately impossible to wish for, as underwater combat will not feature in Wilds. Gaismagorm: It's so lackluster worldbuilding-wise that the devs would pretty much have to rework it basically from the ground up, and while i hope it does return, i really don't get my hopes up. Morudomunto: Disqualified because it's a spinoff monster. Kinda mad that Arkveld is aesthetically a swagless version of it though.

[marina41trench]

Tamaki & Ryuu Shuffle Talk 2024 - Chocolate Ramen? [2/3]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Ryuu: We made it to Mont des Arts, but it’s easy to forget you’re looking for an insignia because the view is so wonderful……!

Tamaki: Yeah! Anyway, there’s a bronze statue with a guy riding on a horse!

Is he someone important?

Ryuu: That’s…… Albert I’s bronze statue.

It seems that he was the 3rd generation king!

Tamaki: So this is the King’s favorite, then?!

This huge bronze statue was made for him.

Tamaki: “Since riding a horse is my favorite, I'm going to make a bronze statue of it!” Something like that!

Ryuu: I-I see……?!

I’m not sure. I’m starting to feel that way!

Tamaki: Right?

Ryuu: But…… it doesn’t look like it has an insignia, I think……?

Tamaki: Hmm, you’re right.

Tamaki: But, don’t you have something like that too?

Something like, “I like this part of me when I do this!”

Ryuu: A part of me that I like, huh…

Ryuu: That part of me that Gaku and Tenn say that they find my cooking delicious. And then……

Ryuu: I sing and dance as a proud member of TRIGGER.

I deliver the best Tsunashi Ryuunosuke to my fans.

I like…… those parts of me.

Tamaki: Yeah. I really like that part of Ryuu-aniki, too!

I respect you.

Ryuu: Tamaki-kun…… Thank you.

Ryuu: There was a slight diversion until I could be proud of myself……

Because of it, I feel that I’ve found out a lot of important things.

Ryuu: What about you, Tamaki-kun? Which parts of you do you like?

Tamaki: I found something I like recently!

Tamaki: The me who thinks of a choreo, then teaches it to them.

Before, I only thought of my dancing, or rather I should be the only one to stand out.

Tamaki: But, it’s not like that.

Iorin, Yama-san, Mikki……

And then, Sou-chan, Nagicchi, and Rikkun were with me.

Tamaki: I realized that there’s a choreo that makes all seven of us look really cool.

When I thought about it, I started thinking, “Aren’t I amazing?!”.

Ryuu: Yeah……! You’re really amazing, Tamaki-kun!

IDOLiSH7 has grown further because you’re part of it.

Tamaki: Because I’m part of it?

Ryuu: Yeah! I’m glad you met IDOLiSH7, Tamaki-kun……!

Tamaki: …………! Yeah!

I’m glad you met TRIGGER as well, Ryuu-aniki!

Ryuu: ……Haha……

I feel like I’m going to cry.

Tamaki: Hehe, our discussion’s not related to the mission anymore!

Ryuu: Yeah, we have to search for the insignia!

*Growl……*

Ryuu & Tamaki: …………Ah.

Ryuu: Ahaha! We talked so much that we got hungry!

Tamaki: Yeah! Let’s look for food first before searching for the insignia!

Ryuu: ……Actually, there’s a place I really want to go.

Tamaki: What is it?! Where?!

Ryuu: A ramen restaurant in Belgium!

The trained manager back in Japan said that he’s opened a branch here!

Ryuu: He said that there’s currently a limited edition chocolate ramen!

Tamaki: Ramen in Belgium?! And has chocolate?!

I’m gettin’ curious……!

Ryuu: I knew you’d say that!

Tamaki: I’m saying that I can only eat ramen!

Let’s go!

Ryuu: Sure!

Tamaki: It was something… I think I found a new world of possibilities……

Ryuu: It’s delicious beyond imagination……

Ryuu: It’s not sweet because of chocolate, but the savory smell of cacao fits with miso……

Tamaki: I wonder if the guys at the dorms can replicate the strong cacao taste in chocolate miso ramen……

Ryuu: I wonder……! I’m sure it’s because he’s a trained manager that he’s able to make it……

Tamaki: I’ll learn too!

Ryuu: Eh?! How?!

Tamaki: I will offer Yama-san’s stomach as a sacrifice!

Ryuu: Ya-Yamato-kun……!

Tamaki: If Yama-san says my chocolate ramen is delicious, I win.

Ryuu: So it’s a contest……!

*Clap clap clap clap……!*

Ryuu: Hm? I hear applause over there……

Tamaki: They’re hyping something! Let’s go there!

End of Episode 2.

[chaotically-genderfluid]

Continuing with last LMK post we are now analyzing Episode 2!

You now have a spoiler warning, go watch the season before you read this. It’s worth it, trust me on this.

- Episode 2 -

Hi welcome to court.

No I am not kidding we open up with this frame as everyone is in court! Normal monkey stuff! Right?

So yeah we see everyone in court for crimes (mainly Wukong and then MK being wrapped up into this and then Macaque is just there)

And then we can see the ten kings of Yama, the ones running this court session. Y���know, the guys who were tricked by Wukong into letting him scribble his name out of the book of death?

Yeah those guys.

So as we get more cool shots of the ten kings, we learn that due to the scroll being taken something something and in guys own words “the pillar of heaven has been irreparably damaged” which, okay, but what does Macaque or MK have to do with this? There’s probably something I’m not picking up on, but my point stands. MK I can see why they’re blaming him, although I do not think he is to blame. All he did was open the scroll out of curiosity, so sure he did that, but then what about Macaque? Why is he here? what did he do again?

Also I won’t include the screenshot because of the image limit, but the fact that MK just says “OBJECTION” when talking to Li Jing is amazing to me.

Also last thing before we move on, NEZHA!! Sorry I have very specific favorite characters, all of them being either angry, traumatized, characters I relate to, or all three, and somehow this list includes Nezha and Red Child. So I thrive off of more Nezha content.

Well dang Li Jing didn’t really like you at the start but now you do this? Wooowwww

Okay I knew it was a matter of time till the headpiece was at least mentioned in LMK, probably, but that sucks for Wukong.

Okay so now our trio is stuck in heavenly prison or something and we get a funny scene of MK trying to take the headpiece off of Wukong and Wukong just accepting his fate, kinda.

So we get more Nezha as things are explained, specifically the pillar of heaven. Long story short, it’s what holds back chaos, and allows the world to not go boom.

Also Wukong with Tang’s glasses is everything to me I swear—

Like just—

This is amazing to me.

So, the pillar is being destroyed, and we learn that to repair it, we must find these five colorful stones and well save the universe with them. (i’m trying to not say anything) And for whatever reason throughout the season we don’t see anyone but the Monkie Kids looking for the stones??

Anyway, suddenly the captured people are un-captured by Wukong magic and we get an amazing chase scene. We have Macaque commenting on how every time Wukong goes to heaven he makes a scene and with the power of sword Wukong freaking hurls everyone off the side of the walkway and teleport back to the mortal plane.

Sandy is talking about his new car before SWORD and his poor truck gets impaled and crushed. Now the monkeys are here, now the cracks from last season are here, now heavens here. Also Tang has spoken! Finally!

Migraine headband is used on Wukong after everyone tries to escape and Macaque freaking teleports Wukong and MK, saying “go save the world”, into the new TEA, and does a self sacrifice for the time being.

Cool. I honestly remember this episode being more entertaining, but that might also have been me just happy that Nezha is back. Good episode 2!

Also: these things I do with motivation, and halfway though this I lost motivation, so don’t expect a new one for a good minute.

1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

[dark-elf-writes]

Dear Yama,

You know the new defense teacher I was talking about? Well today he flinched away from me like I hit him. I only went to take the book he was handing me…did I do something wrong? Oh, tell Shoto thank you for the new bracelet he got me! I think it’s real silver!

Remus: Harry hates me! Why else would he wear silver! I will never be a part of his life. James and Lily I have failed you again

Harry: Shouto really gives the best gifts doesnt he? Look how shiny it is and it looks like ice! He’s so cool!

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Robin no! The King is not a fighting piece. I thought you'd be better at chess honestly. Digging the red nails but they do look pretty short, especially for a lady. A quirk I've noticed with Oda here and there, every artist has their weak spots with anatomy and it's kinda rare for girls to have them painted in such a long series. Some of that's probably just me though; my hands feel naked without it.

Forget that though, Straw Hat chess set! I love it, thank you for the suggestion Man Who Loves Yamato. I'm sure you're both not alone and only love him for pure reasons. Kinda funny to think he might be like "Shit! Getting my request is rad but it broke up the Yama cover story!" Yes, we're doing Kozuki chess set tomorrow. And yes, I would so spend an unreasonable amount of money on a nice Straw Hat/Kozuki Family chess set. For now though? I think it's cool to pair this color spread with a chapter called "Stalemate" after a chess term. You don't see that a lot with these.

[saffronapplemanga]

Recent Read Manga Recommendation Round Up - Part 2

More manga I’ve been enjoying recently! Part 1 recommendation list here. Twitter link to this post here.

~Links to my other manga posts~ My personal favs/ones I super enjoyed will have a ✨ on them :)

Got more new titles and shorter reads this time around!

Some of these don't have official (or unofficial) EN translations since I read a lot of JP-only manga and I’d like to make people aware of those titles too! My hope is that bringing awareness to them will help get them licensed :) I guess if any sound interesting, ask publishers to license them! I’ll link any dedicated posts I have for each title.

PLEASE LOOK UP ANY TRIGGER WARNINGS!

HISTORICAL, DRAMA

✨Tenmaku no Jadoogar: A Witch’s Life in Mongol by Tomato Soup

(3 volumes, ongoing)

JP only. The first 5 chapters are up for free in JP here. English summary in this post

A learned Irani slave girl is taken captive by the Mongols in the 13th century and has to use her knowledge to survive. Well-researched historical fiction about Fatima, who was a real person in history. I wrote a long detailed post about it, so check it out!

DRAMA, ART

✨Untitled Blue by Natsume Yukiko

(3 volumes, ongoing)

JP only - English summary in this post

I fell for Untitled Blue SO HARD, and I need the next volume immediately. A suicidal boy who just wants to make art uses the name of a burnt-out prodigy girl to sell his works in anonymity. The found family vibes and feels are strong in this one... And there are some absolutely SICK pages in this.

DRAMA, PSYCHOLOGICAL, ROMANCE

Haru’s Curse by Konishi Asuka

(2 volumes, complete)

Available in English

A woman falls for her dead sister's man and we follow a story about guilt and grief. This is a well-written short manga that tackles touchy topics in a thoughtful manner.

PSYCHOLOGICAL, DRAMA, SCI-FI

Takopi’s Original Sin by Taizan5

(2 volumes, complete)

English available to read on mangaplus

A short manga that was quite popular in Japan by the same author of the currently publishing Jump series The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins, this title is a good intro into Taizan 5's work. The art is expressive, the page turn is used well, and it takes a look at human psychology through three children with complicated relationships and living situations.

LGBTQ, SLICE OF LIFE

Kawa yori mo Nagaku Yuruyaka ni by Yoshida Akimi

(2 volumes, complete)

JP only

From Yoshida-sensei of Banana Fish fame, this short manga predates her more well-known work and you can see her explore some of the themes and ideas that you'll often see in Yoshida's works. I didn't relate to the characters (Which is actually nice sometimes! Different perspectives are good!) and it's kind of a weird manga, but it got a few laughs out of me and it was cool seeing Yoshida experiment.

This is how he introduced himself to an American working at the base - WILD

COMEDY, SLICE OF LIFE

✨Let's Go Karaoke! by Wayama Yama

(oneshot)

Available in English

I've been eyeing this title for YEARS and almost bought it so many times. Finally read it and idk why it took me so long. A charming, quirky, silly, wholesome story about a yakuza getting singing lessons from a choir kid. There's a sequel that's currently being published, ファミレス行こ/Famiresu Iko/"Let's Go To a Diner," but it seems to have a slow release schedule and hasn't been released in volume form yet. I don't see it available to read digitally either so I guess we'll just wait for a tankobon release.

COMEDY, SLICE OF LIFE

✨Captivated, by You by Wayama Yama

(oneshot)

Available in English

A wholesome quick read that left me with a smile on my face. The characters in this manga are just sweet kids and it's delightfully mundane. I mean that in the best way. It was just so nice to read.

COMEDY, SLICE OF LIFE

✨Onna no Sono no Hoshi by Wayama Yama

(3 volumes, ongoing)

JP only

More of Wayama Yama's infectious brand of humor and fuzzy feelings that I'm completely in love with at this point. Read what I said for the last two titles - same good stuff.

DRAMA, SCI-FI, MYSTERY

✨Gene Bride by Takano Hitomi

(3 volumes, ongoing)

JP only - English summary in this post

Sci-fi title that slowly unfolds its mystery and features two incredibly charming characters with a hilarious dynamic and tons of personality.

DRAMA, SLICE OF LIFE

✨Ikoku Nikki by Yamashita Tomoko

(11 volumes, complete)

JP only

My current read!

15-year old Asa's parents passed away in a car accident and her aunt, Makio, who works as an author has taken her in. This series is so human and makes me feel too seen and it's too relatable... Gives me the warm and fuzzies but also makes me want to cry. I need Makio in my life tbh.

Just gonna leave this here...

[tadashitea]

I've been holding back on covering the Pacific Wharf section of Disneyland as it's being renovated and such but I will comment on this new news.

All in all, I've been underwhelmed with how it looks because they never really make much from the franchise just in the "theming" of the franchise which I suppose is still a win that it's even getting attention at all but I digress. Perfect example right here, The Aunt Cass Cafe'

Looks cool but nothing like the Lucky Cat like we all know and love but I also understand this is concept art, it's not actually built yet. (Though August seems pretty close)

What I truly wanted to talk about was this-

The Hamada Bot Shop. It's a meet and greet but I really like this idea for the characters, where Hiro opens up a bot shop, keeping the garage like feel where he tinkers with scrap.

(let's just hope he isn't still making them for bot fighting)

But what I see cited in all the articles I've read is "This is where the Big Hero 6 team builds and innovates their hi-tech gear, so you may also see a few of their upcoming inventions." which probably means that they'll have shenanigans where they test a new experiment.

But THIS is Maker's Market right next to it and hey, look it's Good Luck Alley! But it's probably how you'd imagine, something similar to the Savi's Workshop where you build your own lightsabers (they've been doing a lot of that lately).

But those banners are most interesting. In order of left to right-

Smash Bot, Cerberus Bot (which explains the Cerberus Lair sticker below), Worm Bot (Trina made the cut, hooray!), Little Yama, Snips

And of course, the most well known Megabot. (Also Saw Bot but he's beneath Worm where he belongs.)