#yokai culture 101.

[silverhairedinu]

since sess isnt going to participate in valentine’s day, i will touch on the yōkai equivalent :  mating rituals!  instead of gifting prospective partners chocolates, or flowers for a yōkai they take a more  . . .  practical approach. at least, in part.   matches are only made possible by the pursuer proving their worth in strength first and foremost, and ability to provide.  emotions are not typically present in yōkai partners --  at least, not always / initially.  but even still, someone like sesshōmaru would still desire to prove his capabilities as a strong partner by presenting his intended with gifts he hunted.  strong beasts, other yōkai, their enemies or perhaps other suitors, to show how unworthy they were.  that is typically how it begins;  and then, depending on the yōkai, the gifts may be more personal.  handmade kimonos or garments that hold a personal touch (  in seshōmaru’s case, perhaps colors of his crest / house;  or colors / patterns he knows they prefer and that look good on them );  weapons crafted for their use and protection;  possibly small trinkets or jewelry that the one he is courting likes, not but in excess.  even he, as yōkai noble, prefers not to have much in the way of jewelry, in part due to personal taste and to be practical, given that he spends much time being engaged in battle.  these are all traits of showing strength, dedication, a willingness ( and ability ) to provide for various needs;  not only the base ones, like protection and food, but also that he knows their preferences, has watched them with a keen eye, and listened with a keen ear, and tailored his courting style and gifts to compliment them and their interests / desires, while keeping true to his own traditions and desires.

[nova--spark]

Earth 101 : A Manual for the Visiting Cybertronian

Chapter Five: Human Mythos and Folklore

Humans are a young species compared to us, their lives amounting to one century when compared to our own millennium of years we exist in.

While they are young however, their mythology and folklore tales are some of the most astounding I have seen, in all my centuries of time within the Iacon Archives.

I have studied the great tales of the Knights, of utopias, of the great 13, Primus, Unicron, the AllSpark, the Guiding Hand and so many more, that my mentor too once studied in her years.

Many a great civilization was built upon these myths, as they are the stories of their people.

Earth too, and humanity as a whole, have tales of all kinds.

Many various religions of the terran planet are labeled ‘creation myths’.

That a deity, known only as God, spoke the world into existence, and crafted each aspect of their universe over 7 days.

Some speak that the world is one of many, as various other worlds were the product of war and death.

Some speak of reincarnation, that life persists even after the end and all are reborn, and so too is the world.

It is curious how no two stories are ever the same, and yet, at the same time, they are similar in little ways.

Nonetheless, human mythos is a vast range of emotions of all sorts, some range from cautionary tales, some life lessons, some just for entertainment, or passing on of legacies, of cultural importance of all sorts.

Humanity was built on oral storytelling, eons ago, when their people had no method by which to physically record their history. Even then, a large majority of written history and stories of their existence as a whole has been lost to time, due to tragedies.

One such event I was able to study was the famed burning of the Library of Alexandria, which had not just copies but original manuscripts of various human stories, histories, and even possible inventions that could have skyrocketed humanities development.

It is a tragic loss, not unlike some of our own on Cybertron, as many archival halls were decimated.

Knowledge is powerful, and in the right or wrong hands, can be a tool to aid, or weapon to destroy.

Of the many stories I studied from humans, I found a handful which were quite peculiar, yet interesting.

In the Latin American folklore, there exists the story of ‘La Llorona’, which translates to ‘the Weeping Woman.’ There are many varieties of this story, but the key points pertain to a woman who was perhaps a mistress of someone, had children with the man of her affections, but he refused to marry her because of this. She would go on to drown her children on his orders, to marry him finally, only for him in the end to refuse and damn her instead. She would drown in the same river, in her wedding dress,and became a ghost, a wandering Spark if you will, desperate then to find her children, as she would not be allowed entry into the afterlife without them for her crimes, walking the river’s edges at night, wailing for her dead children.

A tragic tale, this story serves as warning for the children who would play by the river at hours far too late, as they would be warned the Llorona would snatch them, confusing them for her OWN children, and drowning them in the river to take to the afterspark.

Other stories tell of creatures that disguise themselves as humans, and be it for malicious reasons, or benevolent, they will interact with humans in various ways.

The country of Japan is apparently known for many a myth wherein items came to life as ‘yokai’ and gained sentience.

Perhaps this is a lingering remnant of our ancestors who at some point touched upon Earth during expeditions long prior.

Upon some research into what is known as the Greek Pantheon, I have reason to believe that possibly, even knowledge of our very own 13 may have touched upon Earth, as there are many parallels to the long gone gods of our people.

There also remains evidence that our most prehistoric ancestors, the Predacons, said to have one day resided on Earth in an eons ago expedition, have left their very mark upon human mythos, as the tales of great dragons of many shapes, gryphons, all great manner of fantastical beasts that have become vital to many a human mythology.

There is great evidence in this manner, that Cybertron and Earth have been long intertwined, even before we as Cybertronians ever left our home to seek refuge here.

Though I remain in the Archives, every visit to Earth I have made in research capacity yields a great many new records, and evidence to this idea being true.

I have studied not just humanity’s ancient mythos, but some of their more recent stories.

By this, I mean the stories many people write now in the modern day.

Humans, long ago during what was a great war that befell their planet, developed what was known as ‘comic books’, which were stories told in pictures and text, on parchment of sometimes little to no color, or vibrant color of all kinds.

The characters within these stories have long become iconic to people, boasting names which become quite wondrous, yet fill hope in people.

‘Superheroes’ is the title these characters are called by, as they are meant to be the peak of humanity, soldiers, guardians and great minds who protect Earth.

Though they are fictional, they are nonetheless impactful, telling meaningful stories of love, loss, protection, and many more.

One could argue that human comic books are now the modern retellings of mythology, or rather it’s newest form by which they can tell stories.

Most interesting is that they have even developed comic books of our own kind, telling rather compelling stories here and there, by which humans can connect with us more and more.

It warms the sparks of many, to see that humans connect with us in such a manner.

That , as our planet flickers to and fro from life and death in our war, they attempt to keep our stories alive in their very own ways, and spread word.

‘We are here. We existed. We remain. ‘

Dear reader, I implore you, to perhaps utilize a holoform, and someday if able to, venture into a human library, or book store.

And spend just a bit of time, seeing just how compelling some of the stories found on their shelves can be.

Both fictional, and historical can be found, and sometimes, you will be surprised to learn which is which.

[via-val]

Okay, so recently it has been brought to my attention that some people get confused with the characters and OC’s in pushing each other to the limits, since there are so many of them. I wasn’t aware of this being an issue, nevertheless I’m glad anon pointed it out, this way I can create a character log and keep y’all updated with the new arrivals and so on!

I’ll start listing under the cut. ^w^

First off,  Ryōmen Utsukushi-sa. She is the first OC to appear and does so halfway through chapter one. She has pastel pink eyes, white and pink hair that resembles that of a fairy, hollow bones and a pair of big feather-covered wings that, when fully developed, will grant her the ability to fly. She has a sweet tooth and publicly humiliated Midoriya because Katsuki shoved Nakisakebu, a friend of hers. Her name means two-sided beauty, referring to her backstabbing yet charming personality. She has yet to come back.

Nakisakebu makes a brief appearance as well, although she isn’t that important. She gets shoved by Bakugou at lunch and then plots a way to get back at him by humiliating Izuku. Her name means weep.

On that same chapter, Shinrai Dekinai makes an appearance. He looks pretty much like a human bumblebee, with clear wings, dark, wide eyes and a pair of antennas on top of his head. He is quite fluent in English and turned his back on Izuku upon learning that the latter was quirkless as he doesn’t appreciate people lying or hiding this from him. His name is supposed to mean something along the lines of “this can’t go well.” Foreshadowing? Maybe.

Chapter two greets us with the presence of Kiru Tsume, better known as Shitty Tygra Knockoff. He doesn’t really stand out, just a common boy with the appearance of a tiger and sliced pupils. His quirk makes him part Tiger and allows him several feline-like abilities. His name is just a word play on the word “kitsune” which means fox in Japanese.

Matsuoka Akiko makes her first appearance on that same chapter. She is a young woman with pale skin, grey eyes and long ebony black hair, often referred to as a yokai because of her scary appearance. She co-owns La Parroquia de Veracruz and is a happy woman with a bubbly personality. Her name means bright, in reference to her happy personality. Her quirk, Whim, allows her to know what people want/need and tell them apart. As a child she was bullied and holds grim memories of her teenage years and school, reason why she decided to drop out of uni, quit out of her job as a waitress and help her internet best friend start his business.

Mateo Flores is a mexican boy with pastel pink skin and slightly darker pink hair. His eyes are a deep violet and he has a pair of flashy fangs that can rarely be seen since he is shy and doesn’t tend to smile as much as Akiko. He is the original owner of La Parroquia de Veracruz and his quirk, Flavour, grants him the ability to make literally anything taste like glory. His name means decisive. He settled down in Japan just after graduating high school and opened a café, hiring his ibf Akiko as a waitress and also business partner.

Takane Hikari worked as a receptionist the first time she appeared in the story, back in chapter two. She currently works as an intern for a big Support Company and resides in Hosu. Her hair is cyan, short, curly and her eyes are an icy blue. Her quirk, Splatter, although quite useless makes up for a good party trick as she can eject paint from her body. Her name means light.

Kirishima Iwao is a buff, tall man with dark skin and even darker hair. His eyes are a light shade of blue and his quirk, Rock, gives him a thick skin. However, can unharden his skin and make himself soft for a couple of minutes. He works as a trainer in a local gym. Because I’m an uncreative little shit his name literally means rock.

Kirishima Mio is a petite woman with dark hair and sharp, shark-like teeth. She has scarlet red eyes and works as a detective in a nearby precinct. Her name can either be interpreted as beautiful or saint. 

Now let’s skip to chapter three. The first to make an appearance here is Bakugou Tsuki. She has white short hair and red eyes that match with a beautiful tanned skin. Her quirk, Ember, lets her set random things on fire and then manipulate the embers. She loves to tease her grandsons and is a single mother. Her name means to thrust.

Yasu Nagisa is Inko’s mother. She is a kind yet untrusting, strict woman with green hair, orange eyes and teal skin. Her quirk, Levitate, allows her to make things fly with a simple glance. Her name means shore.

Yasu Ryuu is Inko’s father. He has blonde curls, blue eyes, and prominent freckles. Unlike his wife, he is a happy-go-lucky kinda guy with a quirk deemed best suited for villany by most people. Appearing allows him to have any object appear on his hands by just knowing what it looks like and its location. His name means dragon.

Chapter four presents us a brand new set of OC’s. First off, there’s Hazuki Kisumi, a boy with dark hair, blue skin and navy blue eyes. He has gills on either side of his neck and fins on both his calves and forearms. His name means mist, like the vague mist that can be seen on the shores at sunrise. His quirk, Introduction, allows him to know how a person would like to be approached. He is quite shy and has a slippery tongue.

Then we have Yamazaki Hiroko, a woman that looks like a triceratops all the way from head to toe. She has broad shoulders and three horns atop her head. Her skin is dark and covered in golden scales, along with her muscled tail. She has dark cocoa hair and partially heterochromatic eyes that go from amber yellow to emerald green, although her prettiest feature are her pair of glassy red lips. She has a flirty personality and likes to joke around. Her name means tolerant and her quirk, Mixing, allows her to mix about anything and everything and make it right. Is she a bartender? Mad scientist? Only time will tell.

Shiozaki Fuji is a short woman with vines for hair and a characteristic stoic face expression. She works as a receptionist in NIK and her quirk grows flowers from her hair. Her name means mountain and she is related to Shiozaki Ibara, student from class 1-B.

Daichi Yuu is an old man with a quirk that allows him to literally blend in with his surroundings. He is the principal at NIK, a responsible adult with a successful career in quirk analysis and quite a lively character. His name means intellect. 

From there we skip all the way over to chapter six, where Ai Chiasa makes her first appearance. She is Shouto’s personal chauffeur and her quirk, Teletransporting, is self-explanatory. She has purple skin and peach coloured hair that match with a calm personality. She enjoys pop culture way too much and loves the Todoroki like if they were her own children. Her name means a thousand mornings.

From the recommended exam we have Fudo Daiki, local pervert and wielder of Nightcrawling, a quirk that allows him to use dark areas to teletransport from one place to another. He has neon bright hair and a sly smile and his name means brightness, a contrast to how his quirk works. We also have Shinju Nyoko whose name means gem treasure. She is a bubbly girl with dark skin and an afro. Her quirk, Space, allows her to bend constellations, stars and such at will.

Last but not least, chapter seven brings what I believe to be the last OC’s from this batch. For starters we have Nakamura Harumi, whose name means springtime beauty. She has medium-short, long cocoa hair that match with a pair of brown eyes and grey skin. She is smart yet shy, has a weird liking for the sun and is very trusting of others. Her quirk, Host, makes her the best at organizing events and such.

Then we get introduced to Interi Hiro, a boy with white hair and pastel purple eyes. He is related to Interi Saiko, a girl from the anime-only filler Provisional License Exam episode in season three. He is a carefree guy, although he can be a little bit bitchy when out of soda since that means he can’t use his quirk, I. Q., properly. His name means abundant.

Ryoko Seina is a girl with dark skin, orange hair and bright red eyes. She is a nice person, although prone to get anxious easily. Her quirk, Moonlight, makes her extra productive at night time and she can also expand her limbs thanks to her father’s genes. Her name means innocent and she is a sweet person.

Natalya Ivanova is an elder Russian lady and the homeroom teacher for Class 101 in NIK. She is a strict teacher and likes to make fun of her students, all in good-hearted nature.

Ito Miya is the second highest ranked student in NIK. She has purple skin, pastel pink hair that’s shaved in one side and curly on the other, a scar along her right cheek, freckles and a pair of brown eyes that get hidden underneath black frames that she doesn’t really need. She has three piercings on her left ear to match Kaoru’s and a pair of demonic purple wings that flutter each time she gets excited. Her quirk, Spotlight, allows her switch the attention from herself at will. Her name means wings.

Finally, we have Watanabe Kaoru. He has tanned skin and ash brown hair along with a cute lil’ mole on the upper right part of his lips. His eyes are a vibrant green deep enough to rival Izuku’s and he has a set of three piercings on his right ear. He needs glasses and so he wears a pair of thick-rimmed frames at all times, his name means fragrance. His quirk, Handsome, allows him to morph into what people find physically appealing as long as he meets the requirements (i. e. he can’t grow boobs to appeal people who are into that). He also has a driver’s license and is a long-time friend of Miya. 

And I think that’s it! Here you can find a couple of visuals I created, just in case things are a bit unclear. You can also message me and I’ll answer your doubts to the best of my ability! <3

[recentanimenews]

Manga Economics 101

Last week, I published a brief summary of articles on the state of the manga industry, drawing on in-depth reports at The Beat, Publisher’s Weekly, ICv2, and Anime News Network. Krystallina, a contributor at The OASG, just posted her own thoughts on the subject in a provocatively titled essay “Is the Industry in a More Precarious Situation Than We Realize?” Her analysis looks at several key factors, from the current retail economy to the abundance of titles. One the strengths of her approach is that she doesn’t just focus on sales figures; she also considers the potential impact of trade deals, box store closings, and the overall economy, arguing that changes in the unemployment rate or NAFTA could have a real impact on the American manga market.

Are we on the verge of a second manga bubble? Krystallina hedges her bets on this question, but I’m inclined to say no. Manga publishers have followed the example of other culture industries — film, music, gaming — by making their products more accessible than before. And while companies such as VIZ, Kodansha, and Yen Press are aggressively pushing digital manga, there’s still a robust market for print.

In other news…

Kodansha just announced four new additions to its digital manga initiative: Natsumi Eguchi’s Hozuki’s Coolheadedness, Kotono Kato’s Altair: A Record of Battles, Ryosuke Tomoe’s Museum, and Tsutomu Nihei’s one-volume Blame! Academy and So On. Look for all four titles on March 21st. [Anime News Network]

Debuting this week at The Japan Times: Neko Pitcher, a gag strip about a cat with a mean fastball. [The Japan Times]

Did you miss the Assassination Classroom train? It’s not too late to find out why this goofy action/comedy is a perennial best-seller; VIZ recently posted a 52-page excerpt from volume one on its website. Go, read! [Weekly Shonen Jump]

Calling experienced editors: VIZ is hiring! [VIZ Media]

After a long hiatus, Melinda Beasi and Michelle Smith have revived their Off the Shelf column. The latest installment looks at three recent releases: Anonymous Noise, Platinum End, and Welcome to the Ballroom. [Manga Bookshelf]

Joe McCulloch puts Zelda: The Twilight Princess under the microscope. [The Comics Journal]

Claire Napier pronounces Saso Akira’s Shindo “timeless, ageless, infinite.” N.B. This smart-looking drama is available through Crunchyroll. [Women Write About Comics]

In case you missed it, here’s a link to Shaenon Garrity’s blistering take-down of Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World. [Otaku USA]

Check out the cover for Ayako Noda’s Sennetsu. *Sigh.* [Brain vs. Book]

Joshua Paul Dale files a mouth-watering, eye-popping report on charaben (character bento boxes). [CNN]

Tyler Rothmar reviews Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien. As Rothmar observes, Toriyama Sekien was an important figure in the development of Japanese art; Utagawa Hiroshige and Kitagawa Utamaro were among his proteges. [The Japan Times]

Angel Cruz jumps in the WABAC machine for a fond look at the Sailor Moon R movie. [Women Write About Comics]

LM compiles a list of interesting links on queer culture, Japanese fashion, and Yuri!! on Ice. [The Lobster Dance]

Emil Ferris’ My Favorite Thing is Monsters is 2017’s first surprise hit. [The Beat]

This week’s must-read essay is Allison Ziebka’s illustrated history of American romance comics. Considering the degree to which superheroes dominate comic book stores today, it’s astonishing to realize that in the late 1940s, “one in every 5 comics published… was a romance.” [Girls Like Comics]

By: Katherine Dacey