#you would not believe how fast this chapter goes from the most heartwarming thing ever to absolutely soul rending angst again

[psychologicalwarclaire]

Soon, @purplepixel. Soon.

[witchofrvnswood]

A Crystal Of Time - Book Review

SPOILER ALERT. THIS REVIEW GOES IN DEPTH AND MAJOR PLOT POINTS WILL BE DISCUSSED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Wow. I am amazed. Beyond amazed. More like speechless.

(But no, this does not steal TLEA's place as my most favorite <3 )

This book was absolutely worth the wait! Never in a million theories could I have guessed the truth behind everything. Never could I have guessed the deaths and plot twists and turns that occurred in this book. And never before has an SGE book left me feeling so satisfied (not even TLEA cause I didn't want the story to end yet!). Even though there are so many loose ends and cliffhangers, this book lived up to my expectations and went beyond. It solved mysteries I didn't even know existed. It explained parts I never questioned.

In other words: pure a m a z i n g. However, as always, I did have a few complaints. Let's dive right in!

PROS:

- The whole crew being reunited

- We find out how our two devil reincarnates came to be (*cough*imstillrecovering*cough*)

- The Unbury me riddle is solved along with the mystery of Rhian and Japeth's education and their time at Arbed house

- Learning more about Kei and his whole history (I don't hate him, he didn't do anything with malicious intent. Rhian was his friend and he was just following him after losing faith in Tedros ((I was glad to learn that Kei gave him a chance)) and he was loyal right to the end) Theory: Since he hates Japeth and Rhian is gone, I think he might shift his loyalties towards Tedros (and hopefully start to have a thing with Dot...like pretty please...like Dot deserves love and happiness and since Kei is confirmed not be an a**hole, they might just be a thing...looking at you, Soman)

- THE ENDING <3333 As in, the last chapter, last paragraph, you know what I mean (I hope). That moment, when Tedros talked to Arthur's spirit and got the locket (I think it's a locket???) and the ring. Those last few sentences really sparked hope in me, rather than terror or cursing  Soman for putting my babies through so much :( I mean, it looks pretty bad for Sophie, but the two chapters after that and all the good things that happened eased my suffering just a little. It's always good to end a book on a hopeful note, rather than ripping out your readers' hearts and leaving them with fear and so much impatience!

- The characters. Man, I just love 'em all. Sophie SLAYED in this book. I love her acting and how perceptive and cunning she is. I love how she used her evil for the greater good and to save lives, rather than pushing it away and treating it like a curse. Agatha was amazing as ever and oh man. Tedros made me so proud. His character development is so real. I love his self-realization and how he's taking steps and putting in an effort to be a better person and a better king. In that dungeon, he showed true leadership skills (he's not that dumb guys, he's brilliant @all you Tedros haters). Of course, he's not all the way there yet (as you can see at times). He still tends to have poor judgment skills (like whenhe automatically believed Rhian about Sophie or provoked the Lady and such). But he's getting there! He! Is! Getting! There!

- Also love the Hicola (no Hophie, I officially turn my back on this ship, nope, never, come at me loyalists). I love Hort and Nicola's characters too. Amazing <333

- DOVEY'S SACRIFICE WAS SUCH AN EMOTIONAL SCENE. This probably sounds insensitive, but her death was one of the best and emotional parts of the book. I love her thought process throughout the chapter and her ultimate sacrifice (when Lady Lesso pulled her to heaven... <3333 my heartttt)

- C.R.R. TEAPEA!!!! OMG, REAPER! I knew he would come back at some point and I wanted him to so bad, but never did I expect he would be king! Of course he's magic and involved with the world and such, but a king? Of Gnomeland? OMG. Also, I love Reaper even more now, especially after learning of his backstory and his whole speech was so heartwarming. I love how he says he will always watch out for Agatha and do his best to getTedros on the throne. Reaper is literally the BEST.

- VALENTINA <3333 She is perfection, I tell you. Perfection.

- And there is so much more, but this is long as it is and I have even more coming, so without further ado, we will proceed!

CONS:

- Lack of coven. These amazing people make the story SO MUCH BETTER. We get one chapter of them, see them in one more chapter after that before they're whisked away on a mission and never heard from again.

- Lack of HESTADIL. We got one Hestadil scene. ONE. Like...I had so many hopes. High, high hopes. I am enraged rn. I mean, couldn't we have had one more coven chapter when they were on their way (as it's now pretty clear that the Caves of Contempo and whatever's happening to Merlin in there is a secret). Then we could have Hestadil scenes!

- (Speaking of Merlin, is he un-aging? Cause his hair is turning from white to brown and the lock of hair he sent removed some of Dovey's wrinkles when she touched it. Is Merlin going to be a teenager or a little boy when he gets back? That would be soooo weird.)

- It's probably just me, but the book seemed to go by so fast? It took me three days to finish it, but the events seemed so...fast. I don't know. I feel like the book spanned over a little more than a week with skipped days? Quests for Glory felt more eventful and so did the other books. I was dunno. Probably just me.

I will post an even more detailed review based on certain scenes soon!

Cheers!

[maychorian]

Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #61

Rules: You can find past weekly rec lists here, and non-list recs in my general fic rec tag. Also follow @maychorianrecs for individually tagged posts, the easier to search and reblog. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!

No Time For Getting Old by QueenofCheese (Supertights) for burrsir Words: 4,509 Author’s Summary: Shiro might’ve forgotten what day it is but no one else in his life has. My Comments: Perfect birthday fic, sweet and warm and lovely. It made me nostalgic and happy. Shiro deserves all the love.

put this stuff back where it came from, or so help me by prettyshiroic (AnalystProductions) Words: 9,055 Author’s Summary: “Unbelievable.” Platt’s eyes widen, posture straightening and perking up at the words. For some reason, the mouse looks positively content. Oh. Right. Keith almost forgot. The mouse doesn’t get sarcasm. “No that - that is not a compliment!!” —- After a long mission away, Keith returns to a few big surprises… My Comments: Sequel to a previously recced fic about Platt going with Keith to the Blade base. It’s funny and heartwarming and sweet and unexpected and so, so good. I love the OCs, and I love how the author writes Keith and Kolivan and Regris, too. Such a fun fic.

You are home to me by thisfairytalegonebad Words: 6,725 Author’s Summary: When Keith is minorly injured in a mission, Kolivan sends him back to Voltron to have him healed in a pod. Keith gets to spend time with his family. My Comments: I love the relationships Keith has in this fic, with both Kolivan and the Voltron team. It really felt like a homecoming, and it was very soft and warm, especially at the end.

The Weak and the Strong by Bandity Words: 10,483 Author’s Summary: Lance was glad it wasn’t actually raining. It would have made him uncomfortable to get soaked. Not that he was comfortable lying in this alleyway, watching the world spin above him. He knew he needed to call for help, but his head hurt so much and, while he was ashamed of it, he was scared. He didn’t know how much time had gone by since he lost consciousness. He didn’t even know where he was exactly. He didn’t know if that man would be back. My Comments: New favorite fic. This just has so many things I love: Lance getting hurt, a protective team, aftermath and follow-up and consequences and just, ugh, it’s so good, so many of those little whumpy details that hit the h/c lover right in the best place, and emotional comfort as well as physical healing, just everything is amazing.

Common Enemy by SonderQuill (underHiswings) Words: 3,689 Author’s Summary: Shiro wished Allura was here. He wasn’t good enough at diplomacy yet. The meeting he was supposed to chair was getting out of hand—and fast. My Comments: Nice, light fic with Shiro figuring out a diplomatic conundrum, with Matt and Pidge along for the ride. Some great action and fun, humorous dialogue along the way.

I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine (it’s not a problem) by AnaliseGrey Words: 8,341 Author’s Summary: Shiro’s definition of ‘ok’ doesn’t always match the definition his team uses. My Comments: Great Shiro whump and comfort, in the style of “5+1,” everyone getting a chance to help Shiro through something difficult. My favorite was probably Lance’s chapter and maybe the last one, but that’s because I’m biased. They’re all lovely.

Birthday bash 2017 by kitsune13tamlin Words: 5,843 Author’s Summary: so it was Shiro’s (kinda) birthday. And why celebrate a day when you can celebrate an entire week? A fic a day, some short, some long, to explore and celebrate a one of a kind guy. My Comments: Lovely collection of ficlets, each different than the last. Some are angsty and some are sweet, but all are worth reading.

Grounded by FroldGapp Words: 2,843 Author’s Summary: There was no rulebook for the life they’d made. All Krolia could do was make it up as she went along. My Comments: Season 5 spoilers. Angsty and sweet and a little heartbreaking. I love the worldbuilding, all the little moments, and especially the ending.

But At Least by yet_intrepid Words: 2,411 Author’s Summary: He should check his texts, Shiro thinks, as he picks his way around scattered clothes and papers and alien objects towards the door. He should see where Keith is, if he’s okay. He should eat something; he should get back to his job search; he should clean the kitchen; there’s so much to do and it’s all so damn small and yet it’s harder than saving the universe ever was. My Comments: Heartbreakingly realistic, but so, so good. I absolutely love these aftermath stories, and I love the idea of the paladins plus Matt sharing an apartment, even though there’s not enough room and they’re exhausted and readjusting to civilian life is so, so hard. It’s gonna be a great series, I can tell already.

Here to See You Through by yet_intrepid Words: 1,931 Author’s Summary: For a second Matt thinks the room is empty, so he swings the door all the way open with a deep breath of relief, letting his backpack slide down from his shoulders. Then he hears the crying. “Shit,” Matt says again, because he is so good at words. So very good at them. “Uh, Pidge?” “Fuck off,” says Pidge. My Comments: Part of a series, and here we get some of that good platonic comfort to counteract all the hurt. Matt and Pidge are the sweetest siblings. Lovely.

Repeat After Me by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 7,512 Author’s Summary: The end of February is coming up, and both of the twins have strong ideas of how it should be spent My Comments: Part of a series, and this is such a great addition, a birthday fic with Shiro and his brand-new twin conspiring behind each other’s backs to give each other great day, and succeeding better than they realize.

A Different Story Much the Same by nadagio Words: 4,205 Author’s Summary: Second Lieutenant Lance McClain isn’t exactly thrilled to be a cargo pilot, but sometimes the job comes with extra perks… Like visiting the Castle of Lions.What should be a simple in and out resupply mission takes an unexpected turn. My Comments: Fun little snippet, just enough to whet your appetite and make you wish for more, but what’s here is delightful.

Fics with Season 5 Spoilers Under the Cut:

Prove It by TheClassiestHat Words: 2,048 Author’s Summary: At long, long last, Krolia finds herself reunited with her son. And the reunion goes… less than perfectly. My Comments: Season 5 spoilers. Angsty and realistic continuation of that scene with Keith and Krolia. I could definitely see it going this way, though I hope it doesn’t.

second guessing real life by hollow_city Words: 2,152 Author’s Summary: ”are you okay?” “i don’t know.” or, shiro asks for help. My Comments: Season 5 spoilers. I like this vision of how things could have gone between Lance and Shiro after their talk. A lot. I think canon is going to be much more dramatic, but something like this would be easier. For everyone.

importance by nigiyakapepper Words: 2,928 Author’s Summary: “Mom left right?” “Kid, you already know this. She had to do something more important.” Keith goes quiet after that. He doesn’t know what more important could be, but he—their family—is less than whatever it is. The knowledge settles under his skin. - - Snapshots of Keith growing up. My Comments: Season 5 spoilers. I love this idea for Keith’s backstory, the details woven into to it, and just the whole thing. It’s a beautiful read. But I do need someone to tell Keith just how very important he is.

Lost and Found by IcyPanther Words: 5,950 Author’s Summary: [Season Five Spoilers] Something is wrong with Shiro. Lance can feel it. He’s determined to find answers and returns to the Astral Plane to do so. All is most definitely not as it seems and it’s going to be up to Lance to save the day. If, well… he can save himself first. / “Sh-Shiro,” he choked out. A dark laugh sounded behind him. “Come now. We both know that’s not true.” My Comments: Season 5 spoilers. Somewhat dark and very cool take on Lance searching for Shiro after the events of the recent episodes. I enjoyed it, though my preference is for a nicer Kuron than we get here.

Strike a Match by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) for cofie Words: 4,938 Author’s Summary: Shiro realizes why his head hurts, and Lance is faced with the reality of responsibility. Based on art by Littlecofeiart. My Comments: Season 5 spoilers. This is horrible, but I love it. I absolutely believe that Shiro, any Shiro, would go this far to protect his team. And I love Lance being so sweet and protective, good lord.

[thisisusfan388]

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

Hey guys -- this is my first ever 'This Is Us' fic, written in conjunction with the This Is Us appreciation week organized by @bigthree :)  I'm submitting this piece for This Is Us  Appreciation Week day 2- favourite character, because Jack Pearson is my favorite character on the show. <3

This takes place shortly after Jack's death. In this chapter, we'll explore Rebecca's POV and how she coped with Jack's death and how she was feeling a month after his death. Enjoy!

P.S. The title inspiration for this chapter is from Celine Dion's song 'It's All Coming Back To Me Now.'

p.p.s Special thanks and gratitude goes to the lovely @private-practice-fan for helping me to proofread and giving me feedback and encouragement for this fic. <3 <3

Rebecca's POV

The silence in the middle of the night is so loud. I lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling.

A month has passed since I've had to scatter my husband's ashes under a tree. One month since I've lost the love of my life, and had my other half ripped apart from me. One month since life as I knew it ended so abruptly.

I've heard that they are 5 stages of grief -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I may have skipped one or more stages. I was definitely in denial when the doctor first told me that Jack was dead. I casually popped the half-eaten chocolate into my mouth and told the doctor he was out of his mind and to back off. Of course, I found it impossible to believe -- just a few minutes ago, the last time I saw Jack, he was fine - sitting up on the hospital bed, teasing me and cracking one of his lame jokes. (Which I now miss so much). But when I rushed back into his room and saw his still body, that's when the harsh reality sank in -- Jack was gone forever. I can barely recall covering my mouth in shock, trying to no avail to suppress the animal-like moan of anguish that escaped my throat as I felt the floor give way from under me and my entire world crumble beneath me.

The infamous question of ‘Why do bad things happen to good people' popped into my head too.

Jack and I were supposed to live happily ever after. We were supposed to grow old together, to be one of those old couples who are still so in love with each other after many decades of marriage, one of those couples who people envy and younger couples aspire to be. One day, we were making out on the couch and planning to start a new business venture together, and the next day, our dreams were all extinguished by the fire. A fire which started with a malfunctioning crockpot. Who knew that fire, which is essential to mankind could destroy an entire house and family in minutes?

For the past month, I felt like a walking zombie, going through all the motions. The first week of being a widow passed by in a blur. I was physically present but emotionally, I was somewhere else. Yes, I was there at Jack's funeral, entertaining the guests who came and offered me their most sincere condolences. I faked a smile as I shook their hands and thanked them. I put on a facade, staying strong for everyone to see. People had been calling up to check on me, sending me well-meaning messages or dropping by to give me some prepared meals. I was so grateful for their help, but the fact is -- nothing can replace the hole that Jack's demise left in my heart. After that, when the generous friends stopped visiting, loneliness started to seep in. However, I need to be strong for my three children -- they have just lost their father and are grieving too. I can't show any sign of weakness in front of them, because I am now the leader of the family. I'm supposed to be the strong one, getting it together for the family. I have no choice, I'm the only parent they have left.  

Even scattering Jack's ashes under the special tree couldn't help me let go of him. Surprisingly, I didn't cry that night but instead brought the kids to watch a movie, where we tried to no avail to laugh away all our heartbreak and grief.

The 3 children are coping with the loss of their beloved dad in their own ways. Kevin has been spending more and more time at Sophie's, only returning to our rented apartment at night to sleep. In fact, he now sleeps over at Sophie's most nights too, so I seldom see him. I know that Sophie is leaving for NYU and he wants to spend as much time with her as possible before she leaves. But he's my son, and I know that this is his coping mechanism, his way of ignoring the fact that he was in an argument with his dad the last time he saw him. When I ask him about his college applications, he would just snap at me.

Kate seems withdrawn in her own world. I know that she was the closest to Jack and they shared a special father-daughter bond which could not be broken. My heart aches for her. I try to reach out to her, but the more I do, the more she withdraws from me. She doesn't talk to me at all; she doesn't even answer me when I show her concern by asking her if she has showered or eaten. She hasn't smiled for the past month. All she does when she's home from school is stare blankly into space with her headphones stuck in her ears. She won’t answer me when I ask her about her college applications.

Randall is the only child who seems to care about me, the only one whose sanity is still intact. He is the one staying by my side the whole time and making sure that I am okay. He is the only one who cares to ask whether I have eaten or slept and how I'm feeling. Even though he is grieving over the loss of his father too, he still cares for me and I really appreciate it. He tells me that he is interested in entering one of the Ivy League universities, although he has yet to decide which university to apply to.

_____________________________________________________________

Now in the middle of one of those lonely nights spent lying alone in bed and staring up at the ceiling, I let myself grieve. I look at the other side of the too huge king-sized bed, which seems so empty. Jack is supposed to be lying here beside me. I'm supposed to be cuddled up in our big comfortable bed with him, safe in his warm embrace. I miss being in his arms, snuggled up close to him, feeling the comfort of his heartbeat. Now the bed seems so empty and cold without him.

"Jack -- you are supposed to be here" I whisper to the empty space beside me. Even now, I still sleep on the same side of the bed. Maybe I'm subconsciously hoping for Jack to appear beside me when I open my eyes in the morning. I sigh as I continue whispering. ‘'You're supposed to be here for our children's graduations. You're supposed to be here for their weddings. You're supposed to be here to see the birth of our grandchildren. We are supposed to grow old together."

I close my eyes and feel a stray tear running down my cheek. Now Big Three Homes will remain a dream. Jack will never see our children get married. He won’t be present to walk Kate down the aisle on her wedding day if she gets married. He'll never get to meet our future grandchildren if we have them. This is so unfair.

My mind wanders to Dr. K's wise words which have made an impact on mine and Jack's lives. "There's no lemon so sour that you can't make something resembling lemonade.'' When Jack first told me about this quote, which Dr. K uttered to him in the hospital when the triplets were born and we lost Kyle, I thought it was a great quote indeed. We decided to use this quote as our life and family motto.

This quote was what got us through all the ups and downs of life, including the loss of Kyle, our 3rd triplet, and our marriage troubles just a couple of years ago. We made lemonade together. But now I have to do this alone, and I don't think I can.

I then recall Dr. K's encouraging words to me at the bench after Jack's funeral. I had been trying to stay strong for too long, but I finally broke down at his words. He reminded me of my strength and reassured me that I could go on even when I thought I couldn't. He told me that I not only made lemonade, but I made the sweetest lemonade ever. In my grief at that moment, I didn't necessarily believe his words, but I clung to them like a lifeline. His words were what got me through the rest of the month. I kept on reminding myself that I must remain strong for the kids.

Another few stray tears roll down my cheeks as I wipe them away with the sleeve of my nightgown. I am alone; Kevin must be at Sophie's -- he hasn't had a single meal with me ever since the night we scattered Jack's ashes. Kate might be at a friend's too -- she has been avoiding me like a plague. And Randall is in his own room, fast asleep.

I feel so lonely indeed. Jack was the glue that kept the family together. Now after his death, it seems like our entire family just disintegrated. As more tears roll down, I recall the wonderful memories that Jack and I had built over the years. I recall the very first time I laid my eyes on him as I was singing ‘Moonshadow'. I almost stopped singing right then as my heart skipped a beat. I finished the song as my eyes never left him the entire time. As soon as I finished singing, I left the stage immediately and went over to say hello. We talked for hours that night, until the pub closed. Since then, we were inseparable. His proposal was simple but so unique and heartwarming. Our wedding, although simple, was one of the best days of my life. I felt like such a beautiful bride that day -- Jack made sure I felt that way. We did everything together -- we watched the Super Bowl together every year without fail. We entered parenthood, grieved through the loss of Kyle and adopted Randall together. We raised 3 children together in a happy and healthy environment. We changed diapers, cleaned up messes, kissed scrapped knees, hosted numerous birthday parties and mediated sibling squabbles together. We made numerous memories as a family. I remember Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations and how we were such a happy family. Even when we had a huge argument a couple of years ago, we still managed to make up and emerge from it stronger than ever. Friends have always mentioned that we were attached at the hip, and I don't think I can argue with that.

I think this had mostly to do with Jack being the near perfect person he was. I know that no one is perfect, but he was the closest to perfect as a human can be. He always made sure to let me know every day how much he loved me and how much I meant to him through his words and actions. When we were courting, he made sure to bring me to the most romantic restaurants and shower me with the best gifts ever, even though I'm sure it must have burnt a hole in his pocket. I expressed my concerns about that, but he always brushed it off, saying that I deserve it. When I was pregnant with the triplets, he purchased our dream house- the house which was full of happy memories, joy and laughter, which ended up being burnt to the ground in an instant. Although the house is no longer physically there, the memories we created in the house will stay with me and the kids forever. When we brought the babies home from the hospital, although it wasn't common for dads to help out with childcare during that time, he erased the stereotype right from the beginning by helping me to feed them and change their diapers and waking up in the middle of the night to soothe their cries. When the children were older, he was the fun parent, always suggesting fun things to do as a family, such as spontaneous road trips and vacations, which delighted them. When one of the children was upset, he would placate them in his own way. He had the talent of turning a pout into a grin in a matter of seconds. He had the knack of resolving squabbles between the siblings effortlessly. The times when I would lose my temper over a petty thing, he would put a smile back on my face almost right away. When the kids drove me up the wall, he knew how to calm me down. When he saw that I was fuming inside, he would make a joke or give me a hug or kiss and tell me how much he loved me, and I would cool down immediately. He was always so level-headed and even-tempered. He had such a big heart; he had shown time and time again that he would do anything for me and our kids, even climb mountains and swim across seas for us. He would even lay down his life for us, which was demonstrated so clearly when he tried to save me, Kate and Randall from the fire. To top it off, he just had to re-enter the house that night to save Kate’s dog and mementos that meant so much to us. Could he have survived had he not gone back into the house to save Kate’s dog and the mementos? No one knows for sure. What I know for sure is that nothing is going to bring him back.

"Jack, I don't know how I can go on without you." I whisper out loud. "I'm not strong enough to carry on living the rest of my life without you. I know I have to be strong for our kids, but I just can't do this anymore." I whimper as I let the tears continue to roll down my cheeks.

I take another glance at the oh so empty space beside me.

"I don't know if you can hear or see me, but if you do, I need a sign that you're ok." I whisper again. I would give anything just to see his face and his smile, hear his voice and laughter, and feel the warmth of his touch one more time.

"I'm ok, Rebecca." I hear Jack's voice calling out from the dark. I am now sitting upright on the bed. Is this real? Am I hallucinating? Is that really Jack's voice I am hearing?

"Jack!" I whisper as I turn frantically towards the direction of the voice.

There in the darkness he stands, my Jack, looking ever so handsome in the same shirt he was wearing the last time I saw him.

He is smiling at me, the smile which I miss so much.

"Jack", I cry out, my words stuck in my throat. Is this really him, standing next to me?

"Jack, I…. I miss you so much." I mutter, at loss of words to say to him. " The kids miss you too. Kevin is barely at home, Kate hides in her room all the time, Randall is the only one who cares but I cannot burden him anymore… Jack, I just can't do this without you. I'm not strong enough to face life without you. I need you. The kids need you. Why did you have to leave?!"

"You can do this, Rebecca. I know you can. I have full faith in you. You're the strongest and most remarkable woman I know." Jack encourages me in his ever-soothing voice.

" But I need you by my side. We're supposed to grow old together!" I cry out.

"I know, and we'll still age together. I'm still here with you -- I'm here in your heart." he says, pointing to his heart. I'll live in the memories we shared together, and through our children. I love you so much Rebecca, more than you'll ever know. You and the kids are my whole life. So you have to be strong for the kids. Let them know that I love them so much too. Let Kevin know that I forgive him, and not to beat himself up over our last argument and that he makes me proud. Tell Kate that she'll be such an amazing singer, and that she shouldn't care so much about what others think of her, because she's already wonderful as she is. Tell Randall that he has such great potential and will go on to do incredible things in life. Tell all 3 of them that I'm so proud of them."

"You're supposed to tell them yourself!" I sob. "You're supposed to be here to see the 3 of them graduate high school and send them off to the college of their choices."

" I'll be there during their graduation. Just picture me smiling proudly at them. I know I'll be so proud of them. We raised 3 incredible kids, Rebecca." Jack points out, smiling.

" We did it together. And now I can't do this alone." I sob again.

"You're not alone, Rebecca. I'm here with you. Just look out for any signs which bring a smile to your face -- a butterfly, a rainbow, a blooming flower. I'll be here with you always." he says.

I look at him for comfort and he just smiles and shows me his perfect teeth.

I wish he would touch my shoulder in a comforting gesture and pull me into a warm embrace like he usually does, but this time he doesn't.

I reach out my hand to touch him, but touch cold air instead.

Meanwhile, he is beginning to fade slowly into the background.

"Jack!" I cry out. I am losing him all over again and it breaks my heart.

"No…no… Jack!!" I cry louder, as I reach my hand out even further, clinging to his presence.

But it's too late -- he's gone.

I stare into the darkness where he stood just a moment ago, before I dissolve into uncontrollable sobs. Why did he have to leave me?!

I sob and sob until I feel someone shaking me.

"Mom?" I hear Randall's voice calling me.

"Mom?" he calls out again as he shakes me awake.

"Huh?" I groggily reply as I rub off sleep from my eyes.

" I was wondering whether you are ok, because it's already 11 am. You never slept in until this late before." Randall says, a tone of concern in his voice. "Are you ok?"

"Mom are you crying?" he asks before I can answer him.

"Yes, I was dreaming about your dad." I tell him, sniffling. " He looked so handsome, wearing the same shirt he wore the last time we saw him. He told me to tell you that you have so much potential and will go on to do incredible things in life and that he's so proud of you and your siblings. He also told me how strong I am. I miss him so much, Randall." I say, my voice cracking.

I can see Randall's eyes begin to water, and a downcast expression on his face.

" I know Mom, I really miss him too." he says.

" He's supposed to see you graduate and go to an Ivy League university." I say, as tears begin rolling down my cheeks again.

Randall takes a seat on the bed beside me and pulls me close for a hug. Feeling the warmth of his embrace, I miss being in Jack's arms even more. I begin to let go of all the emotions I've been hiding inside and sob in his arms. I sob and sob, letting go of all the grief, despair and anguish I feel over losing Jack, and the loneliness and emptiness which losing my soulmate and companion for life left in my heart. We sit in that position for a long time, clinging on tight to each other for support. We need each other to fill the void that losing Jack left in our lives. We need to stay strong for each other.

 This is it guys, my first ever This Is Us fic. Please do let me know what you think, ok -- feedback in any form- be it reblogs with comments, notes, asks, direct messages, etc. are very welcome. I would really love to hear from you all <3

P.S. Do stay tuned for the POVs of each of the Big Three shortly after Jack's death

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 682 Review

In my last review, I talked about how Sorachi uses time-skip in a very effective way and why it stands out brilliantly. I thought the war would be enough satisfaction for me to endure before it ends. Never would I thought a time-skip that could have simply be an epilogue would have me so absorbed. This chapter is another case of why this direction is brilliant, pumping up the excitement for one definitive conclusion.

The beginning is plot heavy, but it gives you everything to consider, including the main problem. I will separate my thoughts on the characters and the main plot because the narration uses Takasugi and Katsura to explain the main agenda of Tengenism. As a whole, it does create a gripping tale that set you off with thrills and chills. Undoubtedly, it’s as final as it can get.

Let’s begin with the plot. The chapter does recap the last moment with Takasugi stabbing Oboro’s bones and himself to obtain one more chance, and yet it doesn’t feel like time has been wasted. It still feel powerful as before, only it connects deeply with the next phase in which I thought he was about to go on a killing spree. On the other hand, if that was the case, Tendoshu may not have lived. Sadly, he passed out, only to wake up when everything is done.

I am amazed with Sorachi manages to squeeze in the explanation of using Utsuro’s blood for semi-immortality. I was fine with the simple dose of blood equals immortal, but this is necessary for many reasons. One in which is to explain the reason why Oboro was slowly dying. He kept spilling blood. The more blood he spilled, the less time he has left to live. Once the body dried out, it’s over. In short, stop getting hurt or you will die eventually. As for the other and main reason, I will save it for later, because this is where it becomes plot heavy.

Takasugi recites how Liberation Army became delusional with the thought of resurrection and immortality, hence working together with Tendoshu. It amazes me how important are Enshou’s words about the people cannot be satisfied for what they may have accomplished. Its meaning holds significant value for the plot to move forward. In this case, these people weren’t satisfied with war ending if they lost their loved one. This is why time-skip is effective.

I like how Takasugi points out that it was all done by normal people, which wages on the thought of how anyone can do anything. They weren’t special or anyone from a hidden organization; they’re just normal people that would do anything with any mean necessary. They only become different when they join the religion or cult, Tengenism, but the point is how anyone can become anything in a matter of deep desire. That is actually scary.

While it did go in-depth, the info isn’t new. The main point however is the establishment of Tendoshu now back in control; this time, they’re no longer frail or decayed. It’s a clever rebound to make them credible because Utsuro is immortal, so he can fight for eternity and Tendoshu has used up their body for so long. It’s a convincing way to not undermine their prowess after being defeated. That’s why the intimidation aura didn’t fade away, so when they returned, I felt fear. Takasugi tried to kill them in places and he did in some, but the revival was complete.

Tendoshu convinced people that immortality can be achieved for everyone, especially how they managed to manipulate Utsuro’s blood to recover their body. The goal is to obtain it in its perfected form alas everyone will become like Utsuro. It’s a hell of a compelling plot that has serious background that makes a whole lot sense, including why Edo is still targeted after 2 years. Utsuro’s heart is needed for them to examine and get closer to achieve their goal, which is why Naraku is being used further, unknown to the actual agenda.

Now we go into the characters because this takes the cake. Takasugi has gone into my top 5 favorites and in Gintama, that is mighty difficult to achieve. He’s so good in this chapter and I don’t mean because of his six pack. I mean his personality and character’s development has been stellar. I thought I wouldn’t like him this much, but this chapter did it.

I don’t know if I should classify him as a tragic character, but I would prefer not because he has been so compelling and compassionate. Takasugi gambled to obtain a second chance, but time is running out. I was sadden of how he couldn’t accomplish the one thing to do 2 years ago and as his body slowly dying out, he at least has the chance to be sincere and do what he really wanted to do. It’s sad how he spent so much time on hating the world, but once he got his passion and care, his death clock is ticking rapidly. That’s the main reason why semi-immortal was explained. Gintoki’s reaction strikes me hard. They may have conflicting issues and indifference agenda, but they’re still friends at heart.

I love the last scene with Gintoki and Takasugi’s interaction so much. It’s when they discuss about what should they do with their beloved sensei when they meet him one more time. In a very rare moment, Takasugi shows his true feeling that deeply cares for Gintoki. He won’t stop him from saving Shouyou, but he wants him to know that he and sensei has suffered enough. Isn’t that the truth?

What got me emotional struck is Takasugi’s encouragement; thought I would never say that in a lifetime. Hell, it’s probably why Gintoki is awestruck by his words; I mean look at his reaction. Takasugi will work together to save sensei because after series of development, they can do it. He has become so sincere that it’s pretty touching; I almost want to cry. Development is a wonderful thing. So not only we have a subplot with Tengenism but we also have one on whether those two can save sensei or not. This arc or part is seriously amazing.

The problem arise when Takasugi announces their destination. It is Edo. I’m scared yet happy. Scared because that would mean another war at Edo, only this time is more concentrated on a personal level. The objective is to take the Altana, which is another reason why Edo is involved. It makes sense since it is technically part of Utsuro, which would evaluate their research further. Happy because Yorozuya reunion is happening earlier than expected and I cannot wait. This is one family that never disappoint.

Speaking of family, another one that hasn’t disappointed me is Shouyo’s disciples. With Takasugi becoming a gentleman, the family is filled with lovable characters. Katsura is not going to be left behind, even as a Prime Minister. That’s very reassuring. I’m not amazed on how much info he has learned in his position because when he gets serious, he gets the job done. Shijaku may channeled some fans’ reaction on his intellect, but for me, it’s Katsura being Katsura. Once again, I was struck by his wisdom for going so far to learn about Utsuro; reminding everyone that he kept his word about helping Gintoki. The reunion is going to be amazing.

That said I am worried about the way Takasugi and Katsura raise their death flags. While the former seems inevitable though fingers cross on miracle, the latter can prevent it. Still, it’s heartwarming of how Katsura prepare for his life to be on the line, goes as far as giving a farewell message to Shijaku. He even thought about how it would feel to be buried with Shoguns. I believe it’s his way of saying that he will achieve peace for Edo. You can say he’s carrying them on his back, metaphorically speaking, so this holds a lot of weight for him to do so.

I was relieved that the guys that are chasing those two are Sougo and others. After the heartfelt and depression tone, this was a great change-up for a good humor. I laughed at Shijaku’s reaction after building up the fear for their true enemy yet they ruined the momentum. What’s funnier is most of them are after him instead of their prime target, Katsura. Sougo just wants bodies hit the floor, so it’s all good. It’s a funny red herring, though it’s only matter of time when the actual enemy arrive.

The deepest thought that reminded me on why I love this series is the end scene with Kagura and Shinpachi. I love the fact they can pinpoint and understand what Gintoki is trying to accomplish all this time, so no need to ask questions. It connects to their reaction towards his undertone sadness after he chased after Utsuro before falling into the Altana. I love how those small details mean so much in the long run. The one question is asked that I was floored and stunned to hear: what should Gintoki do?

I joked about the meme, “the coolest guy ever” because of how Shounen tend to give a villain a slap on the wrist despite the damage they caused. But not Gintama. They made it into a serious discussion, hence why I was stunned. This series isn’t going to sugar coat anything. Gintoki has two choices and it depends on the outcome of Utsuro’s being. If he kills him, there is no going back. He love his sensei, so killing him again will break him as evident throughout the series. If he let him live, the people around him will hate him, deem him as a villain. It’s him or them. That’s deep; is this Shounen?

I love the end with Kagura and Shinpachi thinking on what to do if they were in his place. It’s a hard-hitting question and with this in mind, it can deliver a powerful message for everyone in the end. As long as there is no copout involved. The one message that is great is whether you are stuck in a question, keep going towards your path because your answer will appear. They’re growing up so fast. Gintoki and Takasugi are back in Edo. My hype is through the roof.

This was a heartwarming chapter with signs of sadness coming soon; at least I hope not. The subplots are really intriguing with a lot of grounds to make it believable. Yorozuya reunion is happening sooner and that alone is enough to be hyped. The artwork is solid with tender emotional reactions. The hard-hitting question is planted and the answer can deliver a powerful message for highly likely wonderful conclusion. Seriously curious what Sorachi has in mind. But in due time. For now, enjoy it while it lasts.

[man-i-dont-know]

BNHA Chapter 162 and 163: Thoughts and Spoilers

I am two weeks late, sorry, I’ve been busy. Well I am gonna jump right into it and I will try to keep it short since this is two chapters. I say that every week but trust me this time.

So they found Kurogiri and he was looking for the freaking mountain of a man, named “Giganto-machia” (possibly Gigantomachia, one word who knows). Giant is genuinely terrifying, not to mention that he is a “faithful servant” of All for One, which, tied with religious zeal that was revealed in that one flashback with Ashido, is an unusual combination. I don’t know, to me the religious types are fascinating to me, whether they are zealots or simple believers, the absolute faith is typically tied to something that grounds them, and with a person like Giant, I suppose a faith is the only thing that he could latch onto. Side note: is he naked? I would really like to know if it a Thor Ragnarok situation where the Hulk’s junk is just kinda out there, or if he has a loin cloth. Was Gran Torino fighting a naked mammoth?

Then there are more hospital scenes, Deku still is forbidden from seeing Eri, and he ends up visiting Mirio. The following scene is what cemented my absolute adoration for Mirio as a hero (though arguably that happened when he kept fighting after getting hit with the bullet). Mirio immediately took Sir’s words to heart, he was the one comforting Deku, he was the one who kept smiling despite being the one who lost everything. Deku shows more immaturity with offering Mirio One for All, even if Mirio does not fully understand the offer, he promptly rejects. The rejection was so fast and so sure that I was amazed, it was a seemingly hypothetical offer that Mirio did not even mull over. When a question is posed as hypothetical the typical response would be to think about it, but Mirio is set in his morals that he did not even think of the “what if”.

All Might also over hears this conversation, but from what I’ve seen, in this chapter and the next, he does not scold Deku for sharing this information, which is interesting. That could be because All Might is coming to terms that Deku’s quirk is now his own, and this thought could be driven by loss. He sees it within Deku, something which he once had but now he is without and is painfully helpless. It could because of this that All Might has resigned to himself to letting Deku share the specifics with whoever, though that is a terrible idea. Or it could be a show of trust, either way, Deku needs to learn to shut up.

The next chapter starts off with a heartwarming scene. All the class 1-A kids rushes the four involved with the raid and are immediately comforting them. Iida was also being super kind by not rushing them even though he really wanted to (then the “well then” reaction thing happened and I genuinely hope that it becomes a meme). Ashido goes out of her way to show specific concern for Kirishima and Kirishima thinks he has a long way to go, even though he is already an A+ hero. Uraraka has a flashback with a super supportive Aizawa, and she wants to save people. While I did not think much of that as it happened, thinking about it now, this is amazing development. She starts off wanting to make money for her family, but after this arc, what she wants now is to save people. Originally, she did not fit Stain’s “ideal hero,” but she certainly does now.

Ya boi Bakugou is chilling on the couch. Even though he does not say anything, this is the most compassionate thing he has done in a while. When Deku rushed into the slime monster to save him, Bakugou became angry. When Bakugou was successfully saved from the League of Villains, before the fall of All Might, he was not saying any thank yous. The closest thing to compassion he has achieved was when he told Deku not to follow him through Kurogiri’s gate. In this scene, he was in the room, just to see them, he didn’t say anything probably for a couple reasons. He probably didn’t trust himself to say anything comforting, and he probably knows that if he did comfort someone that more attention would be drawn to himself than what the situation called for. He is capable of comforting people, but he has only ever comforted Kirishima while we was with the Bakusquad, so something like that would be hard for him.

Also Kaminari is straight up fearless when talking with Bakugou, even calling him Kacchan. This in particular gets me, because never once has he ever told anyone to stop calling him that nickname, and now we see someone other than Deku saying it, and since Bakugou doesn’t react at all, can we assume that this isn’t the first time? Did Bakugou give him explicit permission? Did Kaminari say it once, Bakugou just stop in his track for a while and stared at him before silently carrying on? I’ve noticed that Horikoshi like to develop characters off screen without Deku being a part of it (which is great, it shows that Deku doesn’t know everything and that the characters are not dependent on Deku for development).

Bakugou and Todoroki head to bed early and Todoroki seems disturbed with something on his phone, but they have make ups coming up and I want to see how they have grown since then.

Present Mic greets Todoroki and Bakugou by screaming that they are “bad boys.” All Might’s attitude surprised me at first, it being so somber and all, but with Sir’s death in mind, it makes sense. The fact that All Might got information about Giant could also cause this. Gran Torino was forced to retreat from a monster that was reworking the topography of a mountain, that is nothing to sneeze at, even when All Might was at his peak, that is excessive firepower that no individual should have. Good news is that Kurogiri has been captured, and without a team mom I feel like the League is gonna have a harder time mobilizing, unless Giant becomes the team mom... scary...

Todoroki seems discontent that All Might is there, but we see immediately that this is because Endeavor is at the exam sight. Endeavor demands a quick chat with All Might, and Present Mic bails, not that I blame him.

We see Todoroki’s side and I have never seen so much emotion is a fairly straight face before. The text he was upset about was straight up his dad saying that he will be watching the exam. After thinking to himself that it would be better if no one bumps into him, Todoroki bumps into that super loud kid (forgetting his name sorry, the wind dude that is fiery of spirit). Then there is that girl that was being impersonated by Toga showed up, and honestly, I am terrified. Deku needs to out her as soon as possible since he figured out that she was there during the raid. I hope, no I am begging that she is not Toga. I love Toga’s character, but she is just too good.

Then the last couple panels of wanting to “dial it up a couple notches,” really gets me. It gets me because it is Bakugou that is saying this, he is the one focusing people up and is somewhat encouraging. He has always been able to get people to focus (besides Todoroki during the tournament) but it has never been this neutral or this positive before. I am sensing that the supplementary lessons he has been receiving really honed his hero personality skills. I would love to see someone acting as a victim and Bakugou stumble on them and gives them a super forced grin that would be the embodiment of the “your smile is $3″ meme.

Well that is it, but I have two theories that I’d like to share. So what if, and bear with me here, this secondary exam is to weed out a traitor? What if the schools know that they have a student that is a double agent? Think about it, U.A. knows they have a traitor somewhere, why would U.A. be the only one? So if multiple schools are having the same issue, something like this would be great to root out some individuals. Villains disguised as students would not necessarily desire a license because that would remove them from the school that they are trying to get info from. Plus there are a couple other things. If a villain were to try to pass a hero test, they’d fail naturally right? So individuals that have to retake the test are your best villain candidates. There is also the fact that Endeavor is there, and while it seems to be just to check in on Todoroki, I feel like the #1 hero would be busy, plus this is a high priority thing, to root out traitors. Even if the girl Toga was impersonating was returned (which is becoming less likely), her quirk would be different and that would give the schools some place to start. 

And my second theory is a lot more straight forward and almost seems obvious. I think Giant might have a couple quirks in him. He worked for All for One so it is possible, and it would account for his overwhelming strength. But what about the whole “become unresponsive” thing? Well, Gran Torino said that he had a single minded determination, and coupled with the fact that he could very well be a zealot would mean that this mind would be like a steel trap. His incredible concentration and determination could be what has kept him sane, and it could also be due to this that he has become All for One’s greatest modification, greater than the Nomus and anything else he may have created.

Now I am really done, and I failed on keeping it short again. Oh well, I needed it out of my system. Thank you all for taking your time to read this, and I hope you all have great days.

[lttlgreg-blog]

“Setting Things Straight”

By Greg A. Oosterhouse 7-9-2017

It was a gorgeous evening in Royal Woods, Michigan, at least what one home preacher born and raised in Michigan would call gorgeous. The snow was falling, the wind was blowing, and the temperature was a lovely twelve degrees Fahrenheit. Indeed, ideal conditions for any fan of winter such as Greg Ostrander. Greg was relaxing in his recliner reading fan fictions based on his favorite cartoon. “I can’t believe all of these different varieties of stories based on a children’s cartoon!” The forty-one year old observed. “Dark, depressing, incestuous, heartwarming, the whole shebang to choose from.” Greg was enjoying a story about the main character having been diagnosed with a terminal disease, and his family’s reaction to the news. He never felt such emotion, especially from just reading a story. “It’s as if my emotions took a walk down a dark alley and got lynched by a vicious mob.” Near tears, he was startled by the sudden noise of the doorbell. “Now who would that be braving this bracing cold?” he thought to himself as he placed his ipad on the end table and got out of his chair. After putting on his shirt, he went to the door. He opened it to a very pleasant surprise. “Oh, hi Luna!” said Greg with a smile. To what do you owe the pleasure of coming by to see me on this lovely night?” he quipped, purposefully reversing the common greeting. “Hi dude!” There is something I would like to talk to you about, get your opinion on. Are you available to talk for a while?” Luna said while brushing the snow off of her coat. “Yup! You can enter only after paying the admission fee!” answered Greg with a smirk. “What’s that?” asked Luna wondering what Greg was getting at. The man simply opened his arms with a twinkle in his eye. Luna then opened her arms and took a step towards him and they shared a nice, friendly hug. Greg and the Loud family, especially Luna, have been friends since he counseled a close friend of hers after a suicide attempt. He gave her a guilt trip as an unconventional means to convince her that life was worth living. Months after, she was a changed person, even attending services at Greg’s home church. Luna was so grateful, she and the family had him over for dinner. They all became fast friends. Being that Greg was around her parents’ age, Luna thought him more of an uncle figure than a friend. Which is why she felt comfortable enough to tell him what was on her mind. “Brrrr!” shivered Luna as she took off her coat, Greg taking it. “I can’t stand this winter weather!” she complained as she took off her boots as Greg directed her to have a seat. One thing Greg hated was to hear people complain about the winter weather, especially his fellow Michiganders. “Well, I happen to love it! That polar vortex we had a few years ago, I thought that was the best winter we’ve had in a long time! He said with a scoff at Luna’s ‘brazenness’. “To each his own, I guess.” said Luna taking a seat on the couch while Greg returned to his recliner. “So what’s on your mind?” He asked as he flung his pen in the air and catching it between his index and middle fingers without looking. “Well, it’s something serious. I have been thinking about it for a while now.” said Luna with a look of trepidation. “Oh.” responded Greg. The autistic man avoided serious issues like he avoided eye contact. As a preacher however, he was confronted with people’s problems on an occasional basis. That time counseling Luna’s friend was nerve-wracking for him to say the least. Luna continued “Yes. Now I come to you knowing that you will not offer your affirmation. But I have seen in you the type of person that is caring. What I have to say is something that goes against your beliefs; the Bible.” Greg perked up with interest at Luna’s words. “You see, I have feelings, romantic feelings for another girl. She’s a rocker like I am. We have been friends for a good while now. I always get good vibes whenever we’re together. For the last few weeks I realised that I feel more than just friendship towards her.” Greg was taking it all in with a little surprise. Not that he ever really thought of it, but if he were, he would imagine Luna having at least one boy interested in her. Not only was she pretty, she was a very talented musician, and passionate about the things she loved. Most of all, he saw her as a great daughter and sister to her family, and almost as nice and sweet as her immediate older sister Leni. If he were twenty-five years younger, even he may have been captivated by her! Though rock was not his favorite type of music, that was classical and opera, he did love himself some Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd among others. “Just last week I dropped a note in her locker expressing my feelings. She had a smile when she read it, but I have yet to hear from her other than that.” “Well, you’re right that it goes against what I stand for, as God made us all male and female, one for the other. In a way you are wrong about my affirmation. In no way will I ever affirm same sex relationships, in the way that you feel about your friend, that is. However, I do affirm you! I love you Luna. You are a very nice young lady. Anyway, just because you are into another girl does not give me the right to condemn you, for now is not the time for condemnation.” “You came to me with this because you knew that I would not go all Westboro Baptist on you, right?” He asked, interrupting himself. Luna chuckled, “Yes, I came to you because I see you as the caring type. I was sure you were not going to damn me to hell like other Christians I have seen on gay pride parade videos.” Luna said, using air quotes with the word Christians. “Well, I find you to be justified using those air quotes. I also thank you for allowing me to present my opinion on the matter. I knew you were a nice young lady!” He said with a smile. “You know, we can’t really fault all of those who speak on the matter whilst using condemning language, we are to warn others of eminent danger, after all. They do have good intentions, I’m sure. I do agree with most of what they say, I just do not agree with their delivery. I truly believe that Jesus is being sorely misrepresented by most of His followers. Indeed, same sex intimate relations are condemned in the Bible, but so is adultery. An adulteress was caught in the act, and brought to Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to test Him to see if they could find fault in Him. It was the law then that those found in adultery should be stoned. Jesus however said to them “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” Eventually one by one the crowd went away, each dropping their stones. Then Jesus said to the woman that like the others, neither does He condemn her. He told her to go and sin no more. Sounds like love more than the condemning language used by the people you refer to, doesn’t it?” Luna nodded as Greg continued. “You have heard about John chapter 3 verse 16? Well, if you ask me, a lot of Christians seem to neglect the very next verse.” Greg got up to get his Bible and reading glasses then sat down next to Luna. “I’ll start from verse 16.” “16 ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.’” “That is where I get the idea that now is not the time for condemnation. Yes, same sex relations are called abominable, yes, murder is frowned upon, lying, stealing, drunkenness, what have you. All of these and more go against God’s plan for us. Each of those can lead to eternal damnation. But there is another piece of Scripture that mentions sin and where it leads, then tells of the remedy. I Corinthians chapter 6. I’ll turn there now to read that.” “9 ‘Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 theives, covetous, drunkards, revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.’” “Listening to a lot of those street preachers and such one would think that the practitioners of those sins, especially same sex are on their way to hell no question. I applaud their motives, but like I said, it’s the delivery, and lack of John 3 vs. 17 and Jesus dealing with the adulteress and such. You are only going to drive people away like that if you ask me. For example, if you came to me tonight just to talk about whatever, to have some nice friends time, and you told me about your love of rock, how you love to listen to and play it, then I come back with scathing remarks about it, and dared even curse the name of Mick Swagger, I doubt that you would see my point to listen to opera instead as valid, would you? You would either storm out of here, or give me a good thrashing, despite me weighing over two hundred pounds!” “I’d beat you within an inch of your life!” Luna said as she grabbed Greg by his shirt collar and got in his face. Straightening his shirt and sharing a little laugh with her, Greg continued. “But I do like rock, and I like Swagger just fine. I also love to “Rock and Roll’ on the way to the ‘Stairway to Heaven’, where you pay ‘No Quarter’ to visit ‘The Houses of the Holy’. ‘I Want You’ to know that no ‘Idiot Wind’ will make me ‘Run like Hell’ into ‘The Wall.’ Okay, I’ll stop now!” said Greg as he realised that Luna is the only one between them who can quote song titles so expertly. “Good idea!” Luna agreed with an eye roll. “’Hey You’! Ha ha! Just kidding! I realise that I never offered you a drink earlier. Would you like something? Maybe something to eat as well?” “Sure, whatchya got?” After showing Luna his itunes play list, Greg was preparing the snacks. Luna selected ‘Tom Sawyer’ by Rush. “You sure do have an eclectic taste in music. It’s no wonder why you and I are such great friends!” Luna said as she further scanned the list of music on Greg’s ipad. “’Zorba’s Dance’, Luna observed as she clicked on it. When the music started, Greg came in, strutting along with it. Luna laughed as she got up to join him. The two were having fun dancing as the music got faster and faster. When the song ended, Luna resumed her seat. “You wouldn’t know I have heel spurs in both feet and tendonitis in my right ankle, would you!?” Said Greg as he strutted back to the kitchen. “Really? Ouch! That sounds painful. You sure hide it well.” “Yup. I am mostly used to it by now.” “Cool, you even have some jazz as well!” Said Luna as she resumed looking at the play list. “Yup, I love jazz. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong among others. Speaking of jazz, here’s something Luan would appreciate: What do you call a resident of a monastery who commits crimes?” Luna looked befuddled and shrugged her shoulders. “A felonious monk! Ha ha ha! Get it?” Greg quipped, imitating Luna’s comedic sister. “That was actually pretty good. Corny, but good. If I wasn’t sure that Luan has no idea who Thelonious Monk was, I’d swear you got that from her.” Luna said as Greg returned with the snacks. “Well I used to call myself the Duke of Cornball!” Greg mused as he took his place next to Luna. “Okay, we have my ipad here, you know I have to show you some pictures now!” He said as he selected the photo albums icon. “Ah, yes, proud uncle Greg and his adorable nieces! They are so cute!” Luna swooned as she looked on. “How old are they again?” “The older one is four years and seven months, the other just turned one year last month.” Greg answered with a look of immense pride. “They are my little honey’s.” Watching Greg’s expression, Luna responded “Awww, you’re a cutie too!” she said as she put her arm around Greg and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Ooh! That tickles!“ Luna giggled as she rubbed her lips. “You’re the first man with a beard I have ever kissed!” “And you’re the first pretty girl to kiss me in a long time!” Greg said with a flattered smile. After about a minute of silence, enjoying their snacks, Greg decided it was time to return to the subject they were there to discuss. Putting his ipad aside, he grabbed Luna’s hand with both of his, and looked in the general direction of her eyes. “Earlier, if you’ll recall, during my initial response to your confession, I said that I love you.” “Yes, I remember that.” Luna sais anticipating what Greg was leading to. “Well, I meant it. I love you very much. I don’t tell people that if I don’t mean it. When I say’I love you’, I am saying that I care for you. I want you to be safe, happy and healthy. I want only the best for you. You and your family have been a great blessing to me. I am proud to call you my friends.” Greg ended with a smile and a glistening eye. Luna placed her free hand on top of Greg’s. “Well, Greg, we all appreciate your friendship as well. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your part in turning Kathy’s life around. I know that I have said that a lot. She is a treasured friend of mine. I don’t know what I would have done if she had succeeded in killing herself.” Luna finished with tears in her eyes as she wrapped Greg in a tight hug. “I love you, too, uncle Greg!” “That’s my niece!” he said as he returned the hug with the same gusto he felt from her. “What I was getting at is I would not be telling you what I have said before, about same sex relations being sinful. If you love someone, you tell them the truth, no matter how much it may hurt. ‘Better to hurt with the truth than to comfort with a lie’, a famous saying goes.” “Yes, I understand“. Luna said as the two released their embrace. “I may not like everything you have said, but I do appreciate the love that you said it all with.” “I wasn’t expecting anything else from you. Back to the condemnation issue. Do you want to know what really grinded Jesus’ gears? What put the feedback in his sound system? “What?” asked Luna with her interest piqued anew. “Not the sinners or unbelievers, nope. It was the religious folks, acting all holier than thou. Jesus called them vipers and all the insults of the day. Luan is the one that washes the dishes, right?” Luna affirmed with a nod. “Well, let’s say that she decided that after cleaning the outside of a glass, she decided that it was good enough, and put it in the cupboard, surpassing Lucy’s and Lynn’s part of the chore as well. When you come along afterward, and grab that same glass to get a drink. You observe the good job that Luan did with the outside of the glass, but then you see the inside. You are disgusted at the gunk inside. That is the way Jesus saw the actions of the religious people. They were clean on the outside, but stinking, rotting graves on the inside. Also, He went ballistic in a certain type of building. Not a place where adulterers, drunkards, or fornicators gathered, but the temple! Where God is to be worshipped. He was so angry with the misuse of the place. He overturned tables, and even used whips on the people to drive them out. Another instance, Jesus told of two men who were praying. The religious man said something along the lines of ‘Lord, I thank Thee that I am not like other men like this sinner here…’ The other man prayed ‘ Oh, Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I am sure you can guess which one Jesus looked on with favor.” “The one who said he was a sinner.” Luna responded. “Yup! Jesus brings low the proud, and exalts the humble. I tell you what, I have every reason to be grateful for the grace and mercy that Jesus offers, for I sure have not been perfect in this life. Many is the time that I have been so disgusted with myself.” Inspired by that statement, he turned in his Bible to Romans chapter 7, and read the whole chapter. “Just like Paul wrote, I myself long to do what is right, but yet many has been the time I have done the opposite. Just one example of us human beings’ shortcomings, unable to save ourselves. As it says elsewhere …” Greg pauses to look up the phrase he had in mind on his ipad. “There it is.” Turning to Isaiah chapter 64 and read the whole chapter, where it says in verse six that our righteousness is as filthy rags. “We all fall short when it comes to pleasing God. Which is why Jesus came as a perfect substitute. He fulfilled all of the law. So when we put our trust in Him and Him alone, it is like we have fulfilled all of the requirements ourselves. So rich is He in grace and mercy! Considering my faults, I am so grateful that Jesus took my punishment on the cross, punching my ticket to eternal bliss in Heaven. What He did was for all people. He is the only ‘stairway to Heaven’ if you will! As it says in John 14 vs. 6: ‘Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.’ As exclusive as the idea is, it is also inclusive at the same time. Simply putting your faith and trust in His saving work on the cross, that is all it takes. Those who say you need to do this and that and to not do that and this, are placing their hope in their own righteousness, and that won’t cut it. As I said, it is what Jesus did and that alone that saves us. We can go on living in sin if we want, but if we really love Jesus, we would want to show it by doing good works. We do not do good works to get saved, we do good works because we are saved. ’Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.’” “Wow! You have given me a lot to think about there.” Luna said as she stretched. “Well, you asked me for my input on your relationship with your friend, so I gave it! Notice I did not quote Scripture where it says same sex relations are sinful, only one or two instances. I could have beat you over the head with them! But I chose to use gentle love towards you. The harder stuff is for those who should know better. As it says in I Corinthians chapter 13...” Greg pauses to turn to the text. “Okay, verse one, ’Though I may speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.’ Yup, I can tell you what I have said before, but if I did not put love in with it, it is just a bunch of noise. This is my motivation to use love in telling you what the Word of God says.” Said Greg with a hand on Luna’s shoulder. “There is nothing wrong with you loving your friend. Friends should love each other. When we get to what you told me, though, well that’s different. That is what God says, and I go with that.” Greg said as he got up. “Here, may I give you this?” Asked Greg as he held out a Bible to Luna. “So you can see and know for yourself what God’s will is for your life.” Luna took it. “I’ll take it, but don’t expect me to be a scholar anytime soon!” “I don’t expect you to be. I’m not one myself. I still discover new things every now and then reading it. That’s what the Bible does, If you let it, it will speak to you.” “I also suggest some teachers and preachers to listen to on video.” he said as he grabbed a note pad and wrote on it. “These are pretty good teachers of the Word in my opinion. Jacob Prasch, he knows Greek and Hebrew very well, and uses them to make the Bible clear to his listeners. Robert Rubino from Brooklyn. It is from him that I learned that it is the fault of the church for the world being in the mess that it is in. He is very passionate, I love his style. Zac Poonen, is just as passionate, but much more soft spoken like I am.” “I truly hope that you take what I told you to heart. Also that you will read the Bible and really consider what it says. The first four books of the New Testament are about Jesus’ life and His teachings. Any questions you may have, I’ll be ready to answer, or help you find an answer. My door is always open to you and your family. Any time you or they want to talk, please feel free to come to my door, or to invite me over. Is there anything else you would like to talk about or ask me?” “I’m sure there would be, but it is getting late. Wow, almost ten o’clock! We’ve been talking for three hours! I thought we would be talking for one maybe two hours, but three! I think I better get going.” Luna said getting up. “Before you go, may I pray for you?” Asked Greg also getting up. “Sure.” said Luna. Greg stretched his hands out to Luna, who then took his. “Lord Jesus, thank You for sending Luna to me tonight. May the words I spoke to her be pleasing to You, and penetrate her heart. She is such a precious friend to me, I want only the best for her, and that is You, Lord. Move in her Lord, open her eyes to Your truth. Thank You Lord. Amen and amen.” Greg then wrapped Luna in another tight hug, when her phone rang. “Hi mom. Yes, we just finished talking. I am about to head back home. Greg welcomed me warmly. We had a nice time, he truly is a sweet guy. I will tell you what we said when I get home. Okay, bye mom.” “Well, I better get going. Thank you, Greg. Like I said, I may not like everything you had to say, but you said it with love. For that I thank you.” Luna said with a hand on Greg’s shoulder. “You said I’m sweet!” Greg said with an awe shucks expression. “Well, you are!” Luna replied pinching Greg’s cheek. “You are not walking home, I will drive you. I know it’s only four houses away, but still at this time of night, it is much safer.” Greg said as he put on his shoes and got his and Luna’s coats. “That’s fine with me.” Luna said as she finished putting her boots on, then grabbed her coat. “One more thing, I invite you and the family to services here. Sometimes I play videos of those preachers I mentioned, and others, other times I preach a sermon. I hope if you do ever attend, you would be edified by what you hear.” “That is something to consider. I am open to the idea. I’ll have to see how the others feel about it.” said Luna as the two walked out the door. “Well, here we are.” Greg said as he pulled in the driveway and shut his car off. “I’ll walk you to the door.” As they got to the door, Greg turned to Luna. “Once again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the Christian side to the issue. It shows me that you are still thinking about what you should do in pursuing any further relationship with your friend.” “Her name is Sam, by the way. Yes, especially after talking to you, I have lots of thinking to do.” Luna said while watching the snow fall. “Please do not hesitate about coming to see me again. I enjoyed our time tonight. It was a great pleasure to talk with you.” Greg said as he breathed in the fresh, frigid air. Luna just smiled and embraced him one more time. “Thank you, uncle Greg. Thank you for everything.” She said releasing the hug. “Yup!” he said with his Oliver Hardy wave and headed back to his car. Luna watched and waved as Greg drove away. Cradling her Bible, she entered the house, greeted by her parents and her fellow teenaged sisters.

The End

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 9/11/19

Atsumori-kun’s Bride-to-Be, Vol. 1 | By Taamo | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Nishiki loves to study, so when family acquaintance Atsumori suggests attending high school in Tokyo and finding love there as a way to get out of the engagement her father has arranged (to the boy her best friend is in love with), she goes for it. Seizing control of her own future is one facet of her motivation, but so far she seems mostly concerned with getting Atsumori to fall in love with her, since he pledged to take responsibility if she couldn’t find anyone else. Nishiki is okay as a character, but I really like Atsumori. He at first comes across as somewhat snooty and imperious (reminiscent of Naoki Irie), but soon shows a kinder side. I read a few volumes of Taamo’s House of the Sun, but it didn’t really stick with me. I suspect Atsumori-kun’s Bride-to-Be will fare much better at keeping my attention. – Michelle Smith

Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey, Vol. 2 | By Akiko Higashimura | Seven Seas – The second volume of Higashimura’s autobiographical manga Blank Canvas shows her as a young artist making the difficult transition from high school to art school. Granted, for a moment there, it looked like she might have completely failed her entrance exams. And she continues to struggle once she’s actually made it to art school, losing her confidence and creative drive. Blank Canvas comes across as a very honest work. Higashimura softens her story with humor, but there’s still a sense of sadness and regret expressed, especially when it comes to her community art teacher Hidaka. Even though she’s now at art school and she doesn’t see him much at all (and in many cases tries to actively avoid him), Hidaka and his support are still an incredibly important part of her life and of her development as an artist. It can be hard-hitting at times, but Blank Canvas‘ excellence continues. – Ash Brown

D-Frag!, Vol. 13 | By Tomoya Haruno | Seven Seas – So this is now officially a yearly release, I suppose. This is due to Japanese releases rather than low sales, though. The gags still come thick and fast, though, as the game clubs try to game even though it’s too hot and no one wants to leave the house, infiltrate the school to steal back a precious anime figurine, and play virtual-reality games so realistic that they turn intruders in the real world into enemies. And there’s also Takao, her massive crush, and her massive breasts, which as ever get the bulk of the gags. Unfortunately, the long time between volumes means it’s hard to remember anyone, something briefly lampshaded as the club recalls their faculty advisor, who we last saw… when? – Sean Gaffney

Dr. STONE, Vol. 7 | By Riichiro Inagaki and Boichi | Viz Media – I will admit, it’s refreshing to see Dr. STONE actually make you believe that they can create a smartphone in this technologically bereft village. Of course, finding someone to really test it may be a challenge. In the meantime, this very shonen series continues to have very shonen moments, as Senku and Chrome win over one of their former antagonists while spelunking in a cave for minerals. And of course there’s the ridiculous poses, which will make you cry out “YES! TUNGSTEN!” just like the rest of the cast. It’s pretty clear that all the humor that recently vacated One-Punch Man has ended up here, and it’s all the better for it, because honestly would you want this title to be serious? – Sean Gaffney

The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil a Rún, Vol. 7 | By Nagabe | Seven Seas – This series is bad for my heart. I just love Teacher and Shiva so much and bad things keep happening to them! Why can’t they just have adorable snowball fights forever? In this volume, the cursed soldiers have found them and, contrary to the Black Children who believe Teacher is one of them, suggest that Teacher might’ve once been a human doctor named Albert. He’s been clinging to the belief that he was once human this whole time, but once Shiva begins to show signs of the curse at long last, he immediately sheds all those pretenses and actively attempts to use Black Children powers to steal a new soul for her. “If it is for your sake, I will be as monstrous as I must.” It almost feels like a new beginning for the series, and I both dread and deeply anticipate seeing where things go from here. – Michelle Smith

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 10 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – There’s some nice depth added here to Hayasaka, who is bossed around by Kaguya once too often and snaps a bit, though is eventually defeated by the power of Shirogane’s awful singing. We also—finally, after ten volumes of seeing her staring in horror as a background character—meet Maki Shijo, who turns out to be Kaguya’s third cousin twice removed or something, and just as mood swingy if not more than Kaguya is. But the tear-jerking and heartwarming chapters of the volume have Kaguya breaking her cell phone, so ancient she can’t get the pictures restored, and the others sending her new phone photos so she can start to create new memories. This is sweet and funny, as always. – Sean Gaffney

Kino’s Journey: The Beautiful World, Vol. 3 | By Iruka Shiomiya, based on the novels by Keiishi Sigsawa | Vertical Comics – Kino is a lot more active in this one than usual, for reasons that we don’t really figure out until midway through the book. Kino’s in a city where you fight for citizenship, and after discovering it can be lethal decides to join in, even though they’re moving on in three days. Kino’s final opponent, though, is also very invested in this battle—and also has a talking familiar, in this case a dog. As the cover shows, they compare very nicely, and are essentially distaff counterparts of each other. If you want to see some painful moral lessons with a dose of action and badassery, this is a very good volume for that. – Sean Gaffney

My Monster Secret, Vol. 17 | By Eiji Masuda | Seven Seas – This volume devotes most of its page time to Okada, one of “those three guys” and his somewhat half-assed, passive love for Mikan. I do appreciate how the nature of his “confession” is called out for what it is, and like the rest of this cast he has to go through a lot of emotional humiliating shouting before he can actually be redeemed. Of course, Mikan is still in love with Asahi, but let’s face it, that’s not going to be happening in the future. Actually, we’re still not QUITE sure what is going to be happening in the future. At least Akari won’t be immediately fired, though I still dislike this particular relationship. This was OK. – Sean Gaffney

Ran and the Gray World, Vol. 4 | By Aki Irie | VIZ Media – I am so torn about Ran and the Gray World. There are scenes I genuinely like, such as Sango using her thread magic and Ran practicing with her teacher (and new rival pupil) to control her powers. This volume also finally follows up on Otaro getting attacked by bugs and that huge door that Shizuka had been guarding. But it seems like this series’ main mandate is “Get Ran into teen mode and then get her clothes off, ASAP!” It’s not Otaro this time—in fact, he doesn’t avail himself of an opportunity to kiss her—but her tutor, with Irie-sensei putting them into sexy quasi-bondage poses as Tamao attempts to help Ran recognize the breadth of her powers. The action at the end is kind of neat, but do I care enough to finish the series? I’m undecided. – Michelle Smith

Reborn As a Polar Bear: The Legend of How I Became a Forest Guardian, Vol. 1 | By Houki Kusano and Chihiro Mishima | Yen Press – I have to say I thought it would be fine. Yes, it was a reincarnation isekai. Yes, there was a group of cute girls. Yes, the protagonists saves the girls from getting raped, the standard isekai introduction for this sort of character. But he’s a freaking Polar Bear! He doesn’t transform, we don’t see him as a human—he’s a big old bear, out to protect a group of werewolf girls. As such, the fact that they seem to be falling in love with him, and asking about having his children, is even more jarring than it would be if it were something like Bunny Drop or Daughter Demon Lord. HE’S A BEAR! Like Fozzie Bear, but… well, not very much like Fozzie Bear. In any case: no. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 12 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – There are manga that I enjoy more than this on a fannish level, or a shipping level, or on an overanalysis level. But pound for pound there are very few manga that I enjoy as I’m reading them like I do YowaPeda, which manages to turn a cycling race into the most dramatic thing ever. More manly sacrifices are made, more trash is talked, Okita continues to somehow keep up with everyone through the sheer power of being the lead character, and even Midousuji gets through the volume without being the most annoying person ever. The omnibuses also help a lot, as this race is STILL GOING, though all signs point to it ending in the next book. One of the best sports manga coming out here. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 670 Review

As painful it is to keep exploring the flashback that shifted everyone’s path to this day, it is becoming a long swell swan song of the series. I was hoping that I was reading it wrong or too deep into it, but it turns out, I’m nailing it. I should be heavily praising Sorachi for sublime writing, but I’m torn apart. This was another great chapter of the epilogue that was heartwarming, now entertaining with comedy, and a confusing cliffhanger.

As said before, the ending is rather unique compare to other recent Weekly Shounen Jump series, let alone Shounen genre. It’s a bold attempt to attract the audience upmost attention and it’s not only working on that but it creates a strong writing. The linear ending would have been fine, but the technique Sorachi takes is crafty and rich in the overall storytelling. It doesn’t only have us wondering about the next part of the ending, but so does before the end. It’s genius.

The flashback goes back before the farewell scene. It’s the most down to the earth speech by Gintoki that hits all the points of touching tone. I love the fact they didn’t see the War as a win or lose only, because reality is that everyone will lose something. The victor writes the history, but what does that man has become from it. In this case, there are some that can go back to the way they were; Yorozuya sadly cannot.

Sadaharu is not dead but been on hibernation that he may never break off. It’s practically dead in that sense and that just damn cruel. Those painful looks from them just hit me so bad, let alone the feel of losing a pet sting me bad. Ane and Mone have no idea on when he will wake up, but it’s been two years and from the current sight, he’s still asleep. It’s damn sad that it guilt Kagura so severe that she is willing to leave Yorozuya to explore all planets to find the solution. Like father, like daughter.

If you follow through the war with her, she felt that it was her fault for leaving Sadaharu and got him involved. It’s like her war hasn’t ended yet and in her age, it’s sad. She even wants to go alone from Yorozuya because Earth needs them. She would think Shinpachi is a disgrace if he follows her; abandoning the people. Damn...

The most heartwarming scene is with Gintoki being sentimental and explained his reason on why he created the workplace. It’s all because he has nothing to do and it’s a way for him to get some activity. That tragic day did numbers to his soul. It got me when he said after he gathered couple of more messed up people, he lost track of time to when to stop. It’s his way of saying of how much he truly cherished his time with the two kids. They gave him life; now, it’s time to end it.

Gintoki has a look of relief and happiness. He found a purpose and it was finally the time to move forward. The battle against Utsuro may have awakened him to see the path he has all this time. It’s like Gintoki was really broken up when he killed Shouyou, but after the war, he may have found a new answer. The only problem is Shinpachi is left alone and practically carry the Yorozuya legacy for which it is best to end it once and for all.

While it purposely left Shinpachi’s part on his next quest, it’s telling that him continuing to work as Yorozuya is a sign of not moving forward. If this ending message is what I think it is, it’s going to be fantastic. Even the business card keeps the old name in respect to Gintoki. Shinpachi owes his life so deeply to never change the name and honors him like everything remains the same. The sad part is he doesn’t get any credit for the war, so they gave that glory to someone else. The man that has bloomed and perhaps overly bloomed to stardom: Madao!

After a teary segment, we are gifted with hilarious moments to remind us that this is Gintama. Laughter is always welcome. Madao received all the credit for the War; much like Mr. Satan from Dragon Ball Z. I’m happy that he has bloomed, but damn, did he ever skyrocket to the star ever so fast. I laughed at the reenactment scene, especially with that Cloud’s sword. I would love to believe that he single handled stopped the ship from crashing. I do hope for his wife to reunite but I can’t be so sure with his stardom fame.

Otae appears here and her new hairstyle makes her look older in a good way. That said she is now Frieza and would take down Madao because she just can’t stand him. Her cold nature is still there, that’s for certain. It’s pretty funny to watch her summon her minions who happened to look like Frieza’s henchmen. Hell, she even cracks a smile that looks identical. Some things never change.

However, what changed here is Kondo now becoming a house-husband to his soon to be family. He’s been feeding to Otae for a while, more on a friendly term than ever before. She seems to be concerned of everyone’s path but she has her own to concern now. Wow. I’m really shocked that they’re together now...right?

Kondo, wise as ever for a Gorilla, advice Shinpachi that everyone has a role to play and there will be a time when they will have to move on. It shouldn’t come as any surprise but it is sad that he has resigned from Shinsengumi; leaving the next line of generation to take over. Once again, Shinpachi shows a sign of haven’t moved forward; yet understands the fundamental. He technically walked away to avoid the reality, but in due time, he would be left with no choice.

Otose hasn’t aged much in design despite a few wrinkles but Catherine... Good God almighty! What time chamber did she hop on? 50 years jump? She has aged so much that I almost asked about a possible new elder character. It’s hilarious when you recall her time-skip design from Movie 2 being similar; at least she is more of old woman than a man.

I feel that Sorachi is making a mockery of series with a romance ending. It is a funny way to utilize the term, “Final Fantasy.” Somehow, Dragon Quest got snuck in. I can’t help but think Gintoki and Otae as a pair was once penciled but dropped. The gag goes on and on that even Shinpachi caught on that they’re just saying it to make it as a meme. Sorachi sure knows how to run it to the ground intentionally. Now I want to play Final Fantasy for some reason. 

It’s all about the pairing when it comes to the ending, even if the discussion goes haywire with possible result in Final Fantasy. There are fans that just want to see the conclusion for the pairing sake. If you’re under the group of Kondo and Otae, well I’m afraid I have bad news. On one hand, it was a fantastic troll by Sorachi after how it carefully disguised the real story behind them. It had me fooled completely; job well done. On the other hand, that got to sting for Kondo and fans.

Perhaps it was best for Sorachi to not remember every details of his story, because Kondo is going through the political marriage; way back in the older arc. I praised him for remembering, but perhaps this should have been left out. As for Otae, well she is eating his cook plenty of times; enough that she has gained weight and not carrying a child. Makes sense to me. It’s not like Shokugeki no Soma with cooking equal love, so this doesn’t apply for pairing. Best of luck, Kondo. Best of luck.

To top all Final Fantasy possibilities, a kid comes out of nowhere and believes that Shinpachi is the father. The two year time-skip really does wonder. But seriously, what! It’s an odd yet interesting cliffhanger; leaving a room for another character to enter. Who’s that kid belong to? I got no clue. She is older than two years old, so I can’t think anyone from the cast harboring a child. This is killing me...

It was a heartwarming and amusing chapter. After the last chapter that left the fans in the dark with sadness, this was a really nice mix of tears and joy. The mystery continues to remain a mystery, and it still keeps me highly interested. Up next, is Shinpachi the father? If so, well, best of luck to you.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 3/27/17

It’s the Affordable Briefs Act!

The Boy and the Beast, Vol. 3 | By Mamoru Hosada and Renji Asai | Yen Press – This novel, and in turn this manga, is at heart about an adopted dad and son who have issues that cause them to lash out, but get along well anyway. Kyuta has the excuse of being a teenager who has met a nice girl and also runs into his birth father again but can’t pick up where he left off. Kumatetsu is simply a bear man with massive anger and abandonment issues. But they both manage to man up and evolve to another level in this book, which is immensely satisfying until the cliffhanger, where everything goes horribly wrong. This should wrap up next time, and it’s an excellent adaptation, with nicely expressive art and some cool fight scenes at the end. – Sean Gaffney

A Centaur’s Life, Vol. 11 | By Kei Murayama | Seven Seas – I’m still reading this series, mostly because I want to see how many times it makes me stare at the page in disbelief. Half of its is still slice-of-life monster girls, with chapters like “little girls’ first day at school” and “are the main cast good enough to try being idols?.” And then you get chapters with frog terrorists breaking into a brothel and slaughtering nearly everyone in order to rescue one of their own, or the human soldier who’s involved in a war with the same frogs and runs into phenomenal prejudice from the other soldiers, which is clearly meant to be a commentary on World War II. Either of these genres might be interesting by itself. Together they’re a hopeless mishmash, and I mostly just end up frustrated. – Sean Gaffney

Complex Age, Vol. 4 | By Yui Sakuma | Kodansha Comics – If there was an award for introducing a character to a series and immediately making you hate her so much that every time you see her on the cover you’re filled with the urge to kick her face in, then Yui Sakuma would surely win it. Rui is the girl whose shabby cosplay Nagisa shamed back in volume one, and now she’s back, having become a perfectionist herself. Clearly unhinged, she’s outraged by newbie Aya receiving Nagisa’s attention and sics internet trolls on her. I might hate her, but I love that Nagisa must compare herself to Rui and articulate how she’s different. Because of this interaction, and the way Nagisa breaks things off with her boyfriend after he’s critical of a chubby friend enjoying cosplay, I’ve got a stronger sense of her character than ever before. I can’t believe there are only two more volumes of this series! – Michelle Smith

Everyone’s Getting Married, Vol. 4 | By Izumi Miyazono | VIZ Media – Guess what? Asuka still wants to get married and Ryu still doesn’t. Shocker, I know. A sizable portion of this volume focuses on the insecurities each has regarding someone else in the other’s life—for Ryu it’s Kamiya, a banking-industry comrade of Asuka who sees her as his perfect woman and has proposed to her, while for Asuka it’s married actress Yuko Sakura, Ryu’s former lover and co-host of a new music program. The resolutions to these situations are sweet, and there’s one comment by Ryu that suggests a bit of thawing on the marriage question, but I admit it’s all beginning to feel a bit repetitive to me. That said, I did like the oneshot at the end, and will definitely continue reading the series. – Michelle Smith

He’s My Only Vampire, Vol. 10 | By Aya Shouoto | Yen Press – We’ve reached the end of this series, and I will definitely give it credit for not ending the way that I was expecting to. The school life is not making a comeback, as the final battle between Aki and Eriya proves to be life-changing and not something that you can walk back. As for the battle itself, it’s filled with last-minute plot twists and turns that unfortunately did not have as much impact on me as they should have. This series has an unfortunate habit of being interesting while I read it but immediately forgettable otherwise. But it looks quite pretty, and certainly those who love vampire romance got their money’s worth. Probably my favorite Shouoto series, though it still had a lot of issues. – Sean Gaffney

Kiniro Mosaic, Vol. 2 | By Yui Hara | Yen Press – Slice-of-life fluff is always difficult to review, even in brief format. “The cute girls do cute things” doesn’t really tell you anything. We do see more of their teacher, who appears to be well-meaning but a bit ditzy, and Youo seems to settle into her role as the closest this series has to a normal girl. For the most part, if you liked volume one you’ll like the second—there’s still yuri tease that doesn’t really go beyond “I really like you in a blushy way,” there’s still “these girls are all airheads in various ways” humor, and Karen continues to be the only one who suffers from not being a strong enough stereotype. If you enjoy this sort of series, it’s good fun, but it’s quite inessential, even for yuri fans. – Sean Gaffney

Love at Fourteen, Vol. 6 | By Fuka Mizutani | Yen Press – It’s been a year since we last saw this series, but not much has changed. Kanata and Kazuki still awkwardly pursue a secret relationship, even as Kanata realizes that “I love you” has never actually been said. A lot of Japanese romances involve the idea that deeds are always more important than words, and this proves to be the case here as well. We also discover that there is more than one lesbian character in the series, which is surprising, and nice to see. As for Nagai and Hinohara, that’s there as well, and we see she’s not above abusing his obvious crush on her to get him to do something for the school, though it backfires on her somewhat. Ignoring the power issues with that ship, this remains a great manga for romance fans. – Sean Gaffney

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 6 | By nanao and HaccaWorks* | Yen Press – Oh dear, and now we’re running in place again. There’s a lot that goes on here, but there’s less forward progression than I like. We do get some nice backstory between the fox-tailed miko of the shrine and the ayakashi killer, and we also learn, and I shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was, that there is more to Tsubaki’s sister than it appears. (If nothing else, I guess that means I can rely on her to not get killed for the sake of drama in the next book.) But I have similar issues with this series and He’s My Only Vampire, in that I find it very hard to keep track of everything that’s happening, even with the release being relatively fast in North America. For fantasy fans. – Sean Gaffney

Of the Red, the Light, and the Ayakashi, Vol. 6 | By HaccaWorks* and nanao | Yen Press – Akitoshi and Akashi have partnered together to infiltrate the shrine of Utsuwa, but once Akitoshi realizes Akashi doesn’t care if other people get hurt, he joins up with Yue instead to look for their missing friend, Tsubaki. Once everyone gathers inside, Akashi and Mikoto have a standoff, and some of their past is revealed. Honestly, although I found this volume to be fast-paced and interesting, it’s also still fairly confusing at times. Some of what puzzles me are mysteries yet to be explained, but I’m also not sure why Yue, a vessel of someone important like Shin, was also destined to be someone else’s meal. I strongly suspect this series will benefit from a straight-through reading rather than in installments. Still recommended, though! – Michelle Smith

That Wolf-boy Is Mine, Vol. 4 | By Yoko Nogiri | Kodansha Comics – And so, a heartwarming tale comes to a close. Komugi’s memories of Yu and friends have been buried by Yata-sensei, but thankfully it doesn’t take too long for her to recover them. I very much liked seeing the other ayakashi boys arguing in favor of their relationship, and we finally learn what happened twelve years ago. It’s a pleasant and non-surprising ending, and it is satisfying, though I confess I still kind of hoped Komugi would end up with Rin. What pleasantly surprised me, though, was the absolutely lovely bonus story about Senri, the two-tailed cat who has been most distant from the main narrative, and the time he loved and was loved by a human. I enjoyed this series very much and hope we see more of Nogiri’s work here in the future. – Michelle Smith

By: Michelle Smith