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Hero Vision Vol.38 (2010/Autumn) ft. Kamen Rider OOO Cast Members Watanabe Shu x Miura Ryosuke, Asaya Kimijima Yamada Yusuke x Hashimoto Taito Interviews (translations below)

Publication: December 12, 2010

"From "Kamen Rider OOO," comes Watanabe Shu-kun, who plays Eiji Hino and Kamen Rider OOO, and Miura Ryosuke-kun, who plays Ankh and Izumi Shingo. At the time of this interview, it's been about 4 months since filming began, but, this is actually their first face to face interview. While talking about each other in a somewhat clumsy manner, as the conversation began to focus around the production, it became clear that they both have a passion for it, and that they couldn't talk about enough."

-Freedom and Loneliness?-

Miura: This is actually our first face to face interview.

Watanabe: It's been about 4 months since filming started (laughs). The first time we met was at a rehearsal. If I'm remembering right, you told me a simple recipe for carbonara.

Miura: I was like, "The first part is crucial!," and then explained to you how to make it from scratch……you probably still haven't made it, have you?

Watanabe: That's how the conversation started (laughs). I wouldn't stop talking to you.

Miura: You suddenly thrusted yourself into my personal space. To be honest, it startled me.

Watanabe: Miura-kun is the type who dislikes that kind of thing, right? I did it while thinking, "I'm sure he doesn't like it."

Miura: That's right. I was actually thinking of taking a step back…..I think we both got off on the wrong foot in the beginning (laughs).

Watanabe: Don't worry about it. The show will last a year, so we can start over during that time! (laughs).

Miura: Watanabe-kun was more firm when we first met.

Watanabe: Eh? You don't think so now?

Miura: You're very free (laughs). As I mentioned in the previous issue, there's nothing Watanabe-kun can't say or do now since becoming an adult. When I look at Watanabe-kun, he reminds me that I shouldn't forget about being honest.

Watanabe:……I've been wondering for some time now, but you've been addressing me as "Watanabe-kun."

Miura: Forgive me. It should be "Watanabe-san"

Watanabe: It's always either "Shu" or "Shu-kun," right?! (laughs).

Miura: It's because this is our first face to face together. When you print this, have him referred to as "Watanabe-san" (laughs).

Watanabe: It sounds like we're not on good terms.

Miura: Now, now (laughs). I like Shu-kun because he's free and honest. He'll usually say something on set like, "I'm hungry," as he naturally speaks on behalf of what everyone else is actually thinking, so it's nice being around someone like him. Also, when I look at your attitude toward the performance in Kamen Rider OOO, I feel that you're always looking at things with the feeling of, "What should I be doing now?" I think it gives off incredible energy, and it in turn makes me feel like, "I can't give up." I'm grateful for him.

Watanabe: You praise me too much.

Miura: Occasionally (laughs). I'd never say such things on set though.

Watanabe: That's for sure (laughs). Miura-kun, in a good way, hasn't changed since we first met. As his junior, this might be strange for me to say, but he's a very considerate person. It's amazing because he doesn't force it, it's just natural.

Miura: What have you seen that makes you think that way?

Watanabe: You casually moved your bag off a bench, and it give off an aura that said, "It's fine if you sit here."

Miura: That's it?! (laughs).

Watanabe: I feel like you're nicer to everyone else except me.

Miura: There it is! You often say stuff like that in interviews, don't you? Every time I do an interview, the interviewer says to me, "Miura-kun, Watanabe-kun said, "I wish he'd be alittle kinder to me," you say that right?!

Watanabe: Ahahaha! (laughs).

Miura: It's true that I haven't had a chance to have such deep conversations with Shu-kun…..I should be the one saying, "Be nicer to me." You're so close to (Asaya) Kimijima-kun, that I tend to become jealous.

Watanabe: Eh? Really?

Miura: Well, it's because you've always admired him since you saw him modeling, right?

Watanabe: That's true, but I still haven't gotten to know Kimijima-kun that well yet, you know?~.

Miura: No. I'm always thinking, "What? Am I really all alone?"

Watanabe: No way (laughs). Ah, I noticed something different about Miura-kun since the beginning. He's started to tell jokes!

Miura: That's right! (laughs).

Watanabe: At first, he wasn't really into funny stuff. He was like, "Hmmm, is that so?," and it felt like he was ignoring me. Then suddenly, he started to say funny things on his own, and started to open up more. What happened?

Miura: It's because I wanted to get to know everyone better. I'm one of the older people on set, so I'm very conscious and careful in that regard. Still, as expected, the atmosphere is different between the teen group (Watanabe-kun, Riho Takada-san, Mayuko Arisue-san). It's like there's some kind of obvious wall between us…..

Watanabe: No, no! It's more like Miura-kun was the one who put up the wall first.

Miura: Yeah. I'll admit to that (laughs).

-Eiji and Ankh are Incomplete?-

Miura: The episodes from when we first started filming, I remember them well, and I think they're nostalgic.

Watanabe: Like the scene where we first performed together?

Miura:……Hmm?

Watanabe: You don't remember! (laughs).

Miura: No, no! If I remember correctly, I was Shingo, right?

Watanabe: Wrong, it was Miura-kun!

Miura: That's right! (laughs)

Watanabe: I made a mistake (laughs). I meant it was Ankh!

Miura: Yeah. At the end of the first episode, Ankh possesses Shingo.

Watanabe: There's that one scene where Ankh quickly grabs him by the chest and yells, "What do you mean?!" When I saw Miura-kun's performance, I really thought, "He's scary! I see, from now on, Ankh will be getting mad at Eiji like this all the time….."

Miura: Eiji had a calm face, but Shu-kun looked terrified (laughs). When I performed it with Shu-kun, I thought it was very fresh, and I still think about it even now.

Watanabe: What do you mean?

Miura: Shu-kun acts naturally, which is how he becomes Eiji. On the other hand, I'm a pretty well defined character, so it's interesting to see the contrast in the way we act and the characters we portray. From the first time I read the script, I knew I wanted to create a contrasting relationship, so I'm glad to see that I've been able to make it happen.

Watanabe: Eiji and Ankh have a really strange relationship right now. We don't know if they'll stay together or not, if they understand each other or not…..

Miura: We don't know what'll happen in the future, but……Whether Ankh and Eiji continue to work together, or decide to separate, either way, I think it'll be interesting to see what direction OOO heads in. No matter what scene we're in, I enjoy them all. Isn't it fun thinking about where and what Ankh and Eiji are doing, and then finally finding out?

Watanabe: I know! Ankh's a bird monster, so he'd be eating chicken meat (laughs).

Miura: Ankh isn't just about being in high places. Even though he's a bird, maybe there'll be a scene in the future where he goes into water?

Watanabe: Currently, I like the scene in episode 8, where Eiji goes to save Ankh from completely falling apart due to being beaten by Uva. From there, I felt that the two of them were rapidly getting closer. If Eiji had just met Ankh, he would've never done such a thing, but I guess he gradually began to realize that he needs Ankh.

Miura: If someone's in troube right in front of him, Eiji's the kind of guy who can't leave them alone, but is it not the same for Ankh?

Watanabe: Ankh's the one who approached Eiji to take advantage of him. At first, he didn't know that he couldn't transform without Ankh. In episode 8, I think I understood that both Eiji and Ankh are incomplete without each other. I was acting as if it was an important scene for both of them.

Miura: I see.

Watanabe: But, Ankh isn't honest, so he doesn't say "Thank you."

Miura: He'll say, "He's a useful idiot." Basically, he's got a bad mouth (laughs).

-A Role is Coming….?-

Miura: At first, I thought Ankh stood at the top, but Eiji tends to drag him around alot, huh? Now, the only place to stand is at the top of a tree.

Watanabe: Is that what you mean by standing on top? (laughs). It's true that after giving Eiji the medals, he'll often be on a higer spot to view things.

Miura: I think that's what it means. Also, I really like the scenes where the two of us stand side by side. At first, I was wondering how it'd turn out, but when I saw the broadcast, it looked great.

Watanabe: I thought that too!

Miura: The image of two contrasting people standing side by side, it's really good. I don't want to lose to the Kamen Rider W duo (Renn Kiriyama-kun, who played Shotaro Hidari, and Masaki Suda-kun, who played Philip).

Watanabe: For me, when Eiji's next to Ankh as he plays with his iPad….I like the casual feel of those scenes. Even if you think, "What's the point of them being together now?," they're still casually together. Will there be more scenes like that in the future?…..

Miura: As Ankh continues to become more emotional, there'll probably be more conflicts between them.

Watanabe: Eiji's inner self is also coming out. We still don't know whether they'll continue to fight or understand each other. Either way, I'm interested in seeing how Ankh becomes more human like and cute. Especially since Chiyoko-san keeps making him look so cute (laughs).

Miura: I feel bad for Ankh these days (laughs).

Watanabe: From episode 10 onwards, Chiyoko-san starts to discipline him, and Hina-chan uses her incredibly stupid strength to knock him around. Also, in episode 8, Eiji ignored him by saying, "Ah, I see."

Miura: That's right! Gamel's Yummy won't drop that many medals even if it's defeated, so Ankh says that there's no need to fight, but Eiji just ignores him with, "Ah, I see," and fights. It made me think, "He can really say such a thing!" It was an incredibly cold, "Ah, I see." It made me feel lonely. I thought it was Shu-kun's true feelings……

Watanabe: What? Is today the day Miura-kun spreads rumors that we don't get along?! (laughs). But, we've been discussing our thoughts on the broadcast, right? There's that one scene with Ankh that I really like. In episode 6, while riding the motorcycle to the apartment with the Piranha Yummy, he makes eye contact with Hina-chan.

Miura: It was through the helmet.

Watanabe: It was just the expression of his eyes, but it was really cool. Your eyes held various implications.

Miura: Hmm~. That's a nice way of putting it.

Watanabe: There's also episode 5. When Eiji's being chased by Uva, he sends his Battacandroid to Ankh for help, where he scolds him with, "Would you stop playing around?" That's Miura-kun's true nature.

Miura: What? That previous push back? (laughs). That's how Ankh should be! But, I did think, "Huh? This is something I'd often say to Watanabe Shu" (laughs).

Watanabe: Does that mean we're getting closer to our roles? We've only done alittle over 10 episodes so far, but looking back, there's so much to talk about.

Miura: That's because we're enjoying OOO just as much as the viewers.

Watanabe: That's true, I'm a fan (laughs). Everyone who's reading this magazine is watching the relationship between Eiji and Ankh grow deeper and deeper, so I hope you're enjoying it. Also, the songs that play during the combos are rather impactful, so I hope you're enjoying them as well! (laughs).

Miura: We're all working on the show with the hopes that the viewers will enjoy it more than we're enjoying it. I want to capture that feeling better through the filming. OOO still has a long way to go, so let's enjoy it together, with me, Shu-kun, Ankh and Eiji.

Watanabe: We should go to a hot spring together.

Miura: You mean you want to have a naked relationship like Eiji, and open our hearts to each other?

Watanabe: Hmm?

Miura: In the show, Eiji often talks to someone while in his underwear. I thought it symbolized facing the other person while being naked in both body and soul. Maybe that's what we're missing (laughs).

Watanabe: Right, right. I think it'll help bring us closer in our performance.

Miura: Well then, please make a plan and give me a call. I can't do that kind of thing (laughs).

Watanabe: You got it! _

"Shintaro Goto is a 22 year old former police elite, who now works for Kousei Kougami, the Chairman of the Kougami Foundation, as a Ridevendor captain and an observer of OOO. He may have a cool attitude that makes others feel unwelcome, but in reality, he's a passionate person who's determined to "save the world." Asaya Kimijima-kun plays Goto, who becomes more human and appealing as the story progresses. We could see that he's learning and enjoying himself as he performs the constantly changing Goto."

-"Shintaro Goto" is changing-

Kimijima: It's been about 4 months since Kamen Rider OOO started filming, and I'm still learning everyday. I haven't really seen much from the Kamen Rider series, since it wasn't being broadcast when I was a kid. That's why when I found out that I was going to be in OOO, I was happy, but at the same time, I was worried with, "I wonder what's going to happen?," as there were so many unknowns. It's the first time for me to play a role in over a year, and it's also the first time for me to shoot action and CG scenes. What's more, Kamen Rider is such a "big stage." I was always confused, because I couldn't see how my performance was going to be captured on film. But, it's also a fun way to learn about something you don't know.

First off, there's the character Goto. Currently, The image I had of him in my mind has changed alot. In the beginning, I was told that his set up was a quiet and expressionless former police elite, who's now a cool guy who loyally performs his duties as a subordinate of Chairman Kousei Kougami of the Kougami Foundation. I was trying to be mindful of those characteristics in my performance, but as the story progressed, he started to fall apart as he was being pulled around by Eiji, and saying, "I want to save the world with my own hands, but I can't." He seems to express his desires and dissatisfaction with just his attitude, huh? He's becoming alot more human. Once I realized that Goto isn't a person who feels no emotions, I began to think that both Goto and I need to be more flexible in our performances.

However, his character is still abit of a mystery. My own view of Goto, which isn't depicted in the script, is that he's always had a strong sense of justice, never made any friends, worked hard to join the police, and did his duties without wasting time on a personal life. That's probably why the way Eiji acts is so hard to understand. I don't know if Eiji is passionate or not when it comes to fighting.

Most importantly, while Goto avoids interacting with people as much as possible, Eiji lives his life while always interacting with someone. He's got a different sense of distance from others. I guess they can't easily understand each other, because their lifestyles are so different……What's more, when Goto gets swayed by Eiji, he ends up becoming someone with a comedic side (laughs).

In episode 7, he's struck in the face with cake. I was surprised, being like, "This is going too far for Goto. What should I do?" (laughs). Goto's not trying to be funny, he's just being serious, and I think that makes him even more interesting (laughs).

Around episodes 9 and 10, Goto's gun action started to increase. One word I could use for it is "difficult." Even though I have experience in sports, this is my first time in action, and shooting a gun is something I'd never do in my normal life. Since my body isn't familiar with it, it's difficult just to take a stance. Actually, before acting, I watched a few movies for reference, but I think I made a mistake in my choices……If you watch war movies or mafia movies, the way they shoot is very clumsy. I guess it's because it takes place in an intense world, where everything is life or death. Later, I realized that I should've watched some detective movies (laughs).

Once filming actually started, I was amazed at how much I learned on set. The Action Director taught me every step of the way, from how to handle weapons, to how to get on and off a motorcycle. Rather than being told by the Director, "This is the kind of Goto you should play," I get feedback on Goto that I've personally thought of, and sometimes I notice things myself and make corrections, so I feel like I'm creating Goto together with everyone else. I go into filming with my own idea of, "How I want Goto to be" in advance, but when I actually play him, he becomes something different just by the way he's portrayed. You can't create Goto with just your own ideas alone. I believe that by talking with everyone on set, we're able to present a, "Good Goto" for the broadcast.

It's difficult to look at the broadcast objectively, but regardless, my opinion is, "The story is interesting!" Each character is interesting, and the various combinations of the medals are interesting……Huh? Surprisingly, I'm enjoying it objectively (laughs).

-"Asaya Kimijima" is changing-

When I first met (Watanabe) Shu-kun, who plays Eiji, he told me, "I saw a magazine where Kimijima-kun was a model," and it honestly made me very happy. We had conversations like, "If you have any clothes you don't need, please give them to me," and I'd say, "Alright then," but many people also asked me the same thing, and I wouldn't act on it. Then, every time I saw him, he would ask, "When are you going to give me some clothes?" I realized, "Ah, he's being serious," and so……I gave some to him. That event made me realize that Shu-kun is not the kind of person who tells lies or makes ups stories (laughs). He's exactly like Eiji. Although we've never been alone together due to the filming schedule, (Miura) Ryosuke-kun, who plays Ankh, is someone who's very particular about how he presents himself and is an artistic person. I feel inspired just by looking at him.

(After learning that Watanabe-kun said in the previous issue that he wanted the 3 of them to be in the same dressing room together) Unfortunately, there hasn't been any news of the 3 of us being in the same dressing room yet (laughs). Shu-kun often invites me to go out to dinner with everyone, but we haven't been able to do that because our schedules don't match up…..

By the way, people often ask me, "What kind of things do you talk about with your co stars?" It sounds like something that guys in their teens or 20s would normally talk about (laughs). I'd rather not talk about our performances. As I'm still learning, there's nothing I can say about the performance, and I don't think acting is something that should interfere in personal talk. When Shu-kun saw the broadcast, he said, "Goto's really cool," and, "OOO is interesting, right?," but all I can say is, "It's interesting, isn't it?" (laughs). This is normal for me, because I'm not the type of person who talks alot. On the other hand, Shu-kun is the type who talks all the time, and seems to love it when someone jokes around with him. That's why I'm also making sure to joke around too (laughs).

Considering this project will last a year, the filming and broadcasts have only just begun. I wonder how Goto will change in the future. He works under Kougami, and has doubts about not being able to save the world with his own power. During all of this, he gets involved with Eiji and Ankh, and he's definitely being influenced by them, as he continues to recognize their actions and ways of thinking......His way of life will gradually change, and you'll see a new side to him. I'll do my best to show off Goto's range, so please keep an eye on him in the future. I myself hope to also change for the better through this show. I hope you'll watch over me warmly. _

"Among the elite monsters known as Greeed, who are hostile to Kamen Rider OOO, is Yusuke Yamada-kun, who plays Uva, an insect based monster, and Taito Hashimoto-kun, who plays Kazari, a feline based monster. Not only do they have to play the roles of special monsters, but they also couldn't hide their confusion, as there were alot of first time experiences for them, but it seems that they're quickly discovering their own ways of acting. The efforts of these two are firmly connected to the existence of their characters in the story."

-The gap between the role and what was envisioned?-

Yamada: Taito, have you gotten use to things yet?

Hashimoto: (while smiling proudly) No! I'm new to acting, so there's alot I still don't understand. During the dubbing, I was overwhelmed by the performance of Yukana-san, who plays Mezool. I thought, "She can do such a powerful performance with just her voice!" At first, I was struggling to watch the movements of Kazari, played by Suit Actor (Jun) Watanabe-san, and to check the voice counts. Now that I've got this role, I think I need to increase the variety of my voice for the fighting scenes.

Yamada: It's difficult to get the intonation right, isn't it? I heard the person who voices Yummy do the dubbing, but the Yummy don't talk, so he just goes, "Gwah!" with a human touch. I immediately tried to imitate him, but he got angry and said, "Weak" (laughs). I wonder how you make a strong sounding voice? If you overdo it, it makes me look weak.

Hashimoto: Children watch the show, so I think it's important to act in ways that are big and easy to understand. I think it also depends on how much I can get immersed in the world by watching the dubbing footage. However, lately I've been able to see alot more moments where I think, "Ah, now!," as the footage and my own voice become linked. It feels really good!

Yamada: For me, it was more difficult not being able to approach Uva in the beginning.

Hashimoto: Because he keeps away from others?

Yamada: What I envisioned and what was expected of me didn't work together. The image of Uva I had, was that he was a weak and insecure guy. It's because, Kazari is clever, Gamel acts like a child, and Mezool is full of mystery, so I thought it'd be nice to have at least one character with those traits. But, what the Directors wanted was to have Uva be "tough."

Hashimoto: "OOO" is also the plural form of "King" (Ou-zu). You just need to have more style.

Yamada: That's right, isn't it? I thought too much about it, and at first, I acted in a way where I was still trying to figure things out. But, I was able to change direction by talking with the Director on the set, and I think I've made up my mind. Originally, I had set my methods at 100% from the beginning, but then I tried it at 50% and would gradually add to it, which seems to have been a good idea. I don't know if this is the best way of doing things, but I'm someone who can't give less, so I think it's faster.

Hashimoto: I'm thinking about alot of different things. I try thinking as much as possible before going to the set. If I were to create something different from what the Directors envisioned, the current set up makes it impossible to change. I'm just trying to respond to what was said to me on set.

Yamada: What kind of advice do you get on set?

Hashimoto: Mostly about my movements I guess. In particular, I learned alot about hand movements.

Yamada: Earlier, you were doing it while taking pictures, but do you think about the small movements of Kazari's hands as Taito's?

Hashimoto: Some parts I thought of myself, and some I came up with after receiving the advice. However, I was relieved that none of them were too different from the Kazari I wanted to play.

-On a set full of confusion….-

Yamada: Are you still not getting used to the set?

Hashimoto: Unlike in stage plays, there's alot of on the spot work involved in film production, isn't there? You have to do the rehearsals yourself, and that's something I'm not used to yet.

Yamada: It's confusing because some Directors are very specific when it comes to what they film, while others tell me, "Feel free to do whatever."

Hashimoto: Now that you mention it, there was a time when a "certain someone" broke a bottle on set when he was told, "It's fine to act freely."

Yamada: That "certain someone" was me, and it's something I did because the staff gave me the OK, alright? After all, I only broke one bottle.

Hashimoto: I'll expose you myself then (laughs). After he smashed it, the atmosphere on set included the words, "Did you really break it?!" Then Yamada-kun whispered, "I'm sorry….." I could barely watch~ (laughs).

Yamada: I wanted to break down after that…..

Hashimoto: Everyone understood that you did it as a good way of expressing yourself. But, you learned the horrors of miscommunication (laughs). I've made mistakes too. The first scene we shot was the one where I appeared on a skateboard in the abandoned building where the Greeed hang out. I didn't know that filming started after they hit the clapperboard, so I started before they hit it, and the Director started to say, "H-hey!" Then, the Director said, "Stop! Stop!" so I stopped…..I was riding the skateboard with alot of enthusiasm (laughs).

Yamada: You were (laughs). Furthermore, when the clapperboard is used indoors, the sound echoes and is delayed, making it difficult to count. Sometimes the delayed sounds and our lines overlap, so it's a good idea to wait atleast one beat before starting to act.

Hashimoto: Eh?! I haven't been told that! Yamada-kun, if you know anything else, please tell me! There's so many things that are confusing me right now, and it's really tough!

Yamada: Eh? Really? Like what?

Hashimoto: They'll shoot one scene in one take, so often times I'm like, "I want to say this line after hearing the previous one!" I want to create Kazari's feelings by hearing the other person's words, but how do you act when you haven't heard them yet?

Yamada: You mean you want to act without getting a "trigger line" first? I can't really answer that. After all, we're in the realm of individual performance.

Hashimoto: Then please, tell me everything else you know!

Yamada: O, Okay……I wonder why I'm so upset (laughs).

-Will you try action in the future?!-

Yamada: Yesterday, I heard about various future developments from the Producer.

Hashimoto: I made an appeal, asking for what I wanted Kazari to be like.

Yamada: I couldn't think of anything (laughs). Well, all I want is that if Uva dies, I want him to die an enemy.

Hashimoto: Have him go, "Gwaaah~!," while looking evil.

Yamada: I don't think that'll be conveyed well in the magazine (laughs).

Hashimoto: From now on, I won't take my eyes off future developments, and I think the Greeed side of the story in Kamen Rider OOO is a really interesting. There aren't that many shows that have so many established characters and relationships among the enemies, or that the story develops around only the enemies themselves.

Yamada: I think it's fun that adults and children alike can imagine some exciting developments, like whether all the Greeed's will one day become complete, or what kind of combos OOO will show us in the future. (suddenly) Oh yeah, did you know that Director Osamu Kaneda is JAE's (Japan Action Enterprise) President?

Hashimoto: Really?! (is surprised)

Yamada: I also found out about it yesterday, and I'm looking forward to having him teach me about action. I heard that Director Kaneda almost never uses CG when filming.

Hashimoto: I think I can do all the actions that the Yummy do! Like the backflip belly flop! As the name implies, you do a backflip and land on your stomach.

Yamada: I think so too, so I told the Producer. He said, "That kid can do it." It'd be nice to see more pre transformation action.

Hashimoto: You did?! Thank you Yamada-kun! I'm really motivated now!

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otakusparkle · 1 year ago

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Identity V Stageplay Release

Identity V Stageplay Episode 4 "Phantom Of The Monochrome" will be appear in June - July 2024

The main character for this episode is Wu Chang and Prisoner

Cast

Survivor

- Yusuke Anazawa as Prisoner (Luca Balsa)

- Mirai Tsuboi as Mechanic (Tracy Reznik)

- Chiba Mizuki as Seer (Eli Clark)

- Suga Kyosuke as Prospector (Norton Campbell)

- Takuya Matsufuji as Mercenary (Naib Subedar)

- Kohei Masaki as Gravekeeper (Andrew Kreiss)

- Youta Suzuki as Postman (Victor Grantz)

- Sena Yamashita as Priestess (Fiona Gilman)

- [New] Kodai Miyagi as Painter (Edgar Valden)

- Uchida Ayasumi as Gardener (Emma Woods)

- Hirai Yuki as Embalmer (Aesop Carl)

Hunter

- Kunishima Naoki as Wu Chang (Xie Bian)

- Agata Gouki as Wu Chang (Fan Wujiu)

- Yoshihiko Narimatsu as The Ripper (Jack)

- Keisuke Igarashi as Photographer (Joseph Desaulnier)

- Watanabe Daiki as Axeboy (Robbie White)

- Aimi Nakano as Geisha (Michiko)

- [New] Mashiro Yagi as Sculptor (Galatea Claude)

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obscurecharactershowdown · 2 years ago

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The Contestants Are Here!

Thank you for your patience, I'm now ready to announce our contestants for the Obscure Character Showdown! There are 300 characters, split up into 6 groups of 50.

Here's how the schedule will work: Day 1 is Group A Round 1 Part 1, Day 2 is Group A Round 1 Part 2, Day 3 is Group B Round 1 Part 1, Day 4 is Group B Round 1 Part 2, Day 5 is Group C Round 1 Part 1, and so on and so forth until we reach Group F Round 1 Part 2, and then the next day we'll fold back over for Group A Round 2. I'm splitting up the rounds because tumblr can interpret posting many polls at once as spamming, and each group contains 25 polls, so. 13 one day, 12 the next.

I expect to start polls by Wednesday, May 31, but I may be a little later than that. I'll keep you updated.

The polls will be tagged with 'obscurecharactershowdown,' 'obscure poll,' and their group letter and round number.

Under the cut is the groups and matchups. Thank you all for your submissions, and I'm sorry if your submission didn't get in! If it was a submission for your OC, a mythological figure, a Real Life Thing, an album character, a commercial character, etc, then you may not be out of the running yet. Be patient, I have something else I'm working out!

Please don't come into my inbox, replies, dms, etc, and tell me that a character I chose isn't actually obscure at all. No one's media experience is universal, and from my own experiences, I picked to the best of my ability.

GROUP A

Juan Salvo (El Eternauta) vs The Faceless One (Masters of the Universe)

Leila Vernon (The Magic Misfits) vs Malaya Walters (How to Be a Werewolf)

Rosalia Rossellini (Trauma Team) vs Hotwire (Transformers Universe)

The Blue Electric Angels (Matthew Swift book series) vs The Protagonist’s Mother (Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk)

Syksy (Farragone) vs Chaerin Eun (Surviving Romance)

Miyabi Hanakouji (Persona 2) vs Valier / Reinhardt (The Demon Prince Goes To The Academy)

Merim Felspar (Three of Hearts Podcast) vs Gracefeel (The Faraway Paladin)

Ragna the Bloodedge (Blazblue) vs Shigeru Watanabe (Sakana)

Tragedian (Pathologic) vs Shin Kazama (Area 88)

Morga Eirsdottir (Arcana) vs Shadow Joker (Kaitou Joker/Mysterious Joker)

Rose Red (Ghost Quartet) vs Jacopo Bearzatti (The House in Fata Morgana)

Teardrop (BFB) vs Catherine Winters (Love, Money, Rock'n'Roll)

Nin (Paranatural) vs Naarah (CatGhost)

Rose Hsu Jordan (The Joy Luck Club) vs Seijyu (Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru/Mashin Hero Wataru)

Itakura Akira (Talentless Nana) vs Daryl Zero (Zero Effect (1998))

Tarisa Manandal (Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse) vs Whisper (Golden Treasure: The Great Green)

Isaac Yaga (Thistlefoot) vs Raikou Shimizu (Nabari no Ou)

Kasane Fuchi (Kasane) vs Taïs (Aïnako)

Kozlov Leifvich Grebnev (Biomega) vs Rosa Ushiromiya (Umineko no Naku Koro ni)

Bowie (Ginga Senpuu Braiger) vs Cyber 6 (Cybersix)

Kim Boksil (How to End an Unrequited Love) vs Zolophilia (Disciple of the Lich: Or How I Was Cursed by the Gods and Dropped Into the Abyss)

Kate (Shadow’s House) vs Michael Tutori (Wii Music)

The Guardian (Hyper Light Drifter) vs Salim Condo (La quete d'Ewilan books)

The Queen of Hearts (Fool's Run by Patricia McKillip) vs Jyu Free (Dobutsu no Kuni/Animal Land)

Tom (Deltora Quest) vs The Player Square (Adventure (Atari))

GROUP B

Elliot Hemlock (Devil's Candy) vs Sulfus (Angel's Friends)

Togou Mimori/Washio Sumi (Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero & Washio Sumi is a Hero) vs Fengxi (Legend of Luo Xiaohei)

Shinozaki Yusuke (Shinozaki-kun no Mente Jijou) vs Yellow Tempest/Yellow Storm (Ending Makers)

Hiroki Dan (Brutal: Satsujin Kansatsukan no Kokuhaku) vs Tirsiak (Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion)

Tau-indi Bosoka (Seth Dickinson's Masquerade series) vs Sugar Peace (High Card)

Anima (Why Shouldn't a Detestable Demon Lord Fall in Love?!) vs Rinzen (Avatar Legends)

Walter Walzac (The Brave of Gold Goldran) vs Hoshi or “Star” (Arakawa Under the Bridge)

Lex (Cryptid Crush) vs Marshall (U.B.Funkeys)

Pappy van Poodle (Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball) vs Cockroach Boy (Nekra Psaria)

Denzil and Cuthbert (Count Duckula) vs Mama Fireplant (Super Mario World TV series)

Isaac (Awful Hospital) vs Naki Kokuriko (Ayakashi Akashi)

Tughril Mahmut (Shoukoku no Altair) vs Mark (Galactik Football)

Mistake Bradley (Home Sweet Home (1981)) vs Oopsy Bear (Care Bears (2007 series))

Yin Yu (Heaven Official's Blessing) vs Jinwoo Shim (New Recruit)

Xuanli (Lanxi Zhen) vs Tenna (Johnny the Homicidal Maniac / I Feel Sick)

Ssrin (Exordia) vs Kondou Seiichirou (Isekai no Sata wa Shachiku Shidai)

Hikaru (Hikaru ga Shinda Natsu) vs Dr. Albert Krueger (Therapy with Dr. Albert Krueger)

Chris Wise (Anna and the Apocalypse) vs Chase Beckley (Elevator Hitch)

Cindy Caine (Halloween Horror Nights) vs Uncle Flipping Hades Terwilliger (The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, by Daniel Manus Pinkwatee)

Juliana Valverde (The Hazards of Love) vs Red Savarin (Solatorobo)

Bennett (Hello Charlotte) vs Ruan Nanzhu (Kaleidoscope of Death (死亡万花筒))

Eve (Serina: A Natural History of the World of Birds) vs Senri (+Anima)

Nero (The Boy Who Fell) vs Yee (Outlander Fantastic Princess)

Atl (Certain Dark Things) vs Sheila (Witch’s Heart)

Josh Rumbles (Celia's Journey - a series by Melissa Gunther) vs Queenie (BACK)

GROUP C

Bolt (Crypt of the Necrodancer) vs Mila (The Quest)

Iris (Drawn: The Painted Tower) vs Pearl Forrester (MST3K)

Queen Seles (Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Magic Within) vs Vella (Velouria Beastender Tartine) (Broken Age)

Mr Morris Lessmore (The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore) vs Garrett Miller (Extreme Ghostbusters)

Dr. Anna May (Scott the Woz) vs Ocoho (Radiant)

Bai Lang (My Tooth Your Love) vs Aleida Rosales (For All Mankind)

The Scorched Apostate (A Practical Guide to Evil) vs "Järnarmen" ("The Iron Arm") (Jönssonligan dyker upp igen (1986))

Aliya Elasra (Heaven’s Vault) vs Roc (Xenoblade 2)

Sawamura Tetsuo (Yuureitou) vs Kid Twilight (Story Thieves by James Riley)

Doris Frances Barbara (Blood & Syrup: A Vampire the Masquerade Podcast) vs Mikey McGil (The Skinjacker Trilogy)

Psianop the Inexhaustible Stagnation (Ishura) vs Gu Nanyi (Rise of the Phoenixes)

Sawtooth Rivergrinder (Freefall) vs Katook (The Katurran Odyssey)

Kim Koizumi (Chroma Key) vs NIL (Hyperbolica video game)

Kathryn (Fixation) vs The Spider Core (The Lab - Core Slingshot)

Satyarani (Raven: The Secret Temple) vs Alys Hunter (Prosiect Z/Itopia)

Bamba (Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger) vs Barago (From Far Away)

Grunty (The World Well Lost by Theodore Sturgeon) vs Ink (Going Home)

Rook (Griftlands) vs Rambler (Happy Happy Clover)

Elisabet Grimurdottir (Nancy Drew: Sea of Darkness) vs Felix Iskandar Escellun (Last Legacy)

Nancy Neil (Snowboard Kids) vs THE-MEASURE-CUTS (The Blackout Club)

Nephis (Shadow Slave) vs Rina Shioi (Magical Girl Site)

"good" Tom (El Goonish Shive) vs Tomoe Tachibana (Trauma Team)

Enik (Land of the Lost (1978)) vs Ernő Nemecsek (A Pál Utcai Fiúk (The Paul Street Boys))

Dee Kennedy (Dayshift at Freddy’s) vs Eamon Bailey (The Circle by Dave Eggers)

Bob Sparker (Electricopolis) vs Kirinda (Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger)

GROUP D

Todoroki Kakeru (Chō Soku Henkei Gyrozetter) vs Lelee (Cursed Ones DnD)

Engine (Gachiakuta) vs The Exsurgent Virus (Eclipse Phase)

Therese 'Tess' Dombegh (Tess of the Road) vs Heart (Moonlight Chicken)

Captain Grace (Magical Girl Raising Project: Limited) vs Gongyi Xiao (Scum Villain's Self Saving System)

Es (Milgram) vs Fox (Mirrorworld series)

Kindersnatch (Prey and a Lamb) vs Copen Kamizono (Azure Striker Gunvolt)

Lady Bat (Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch) vs Pepper (Hello From Halo Head)

Marziale (NOISZ) vs Ulala (Space Channel 5)

Soloman (Soloman) vs Diggory Graves (Hello from the Hallowoods)

Matatagi Hayato (Inazuma Eleven GO Galaxy) vs Phon (3 Will Be Free)

Riley (Nexomon) vs Hizame (Amatsuki (Takayama Shinobu))

Brutha (Discworld) vs Colt / Coltia (Monster Rancher 2)

Raven (Gravity Rush) vs Holy Joo (Oh! Holy (Webtoon))

Kit Devlin (Kitty Corner) vs Kusuriuri (the medicine seller) (Mononoke)

Dandelion Tuft-Flores (Soil That Binds Us) vs Tin (Triage The Series)

Sparky & Whoosh / ポチ & タマ (Pochi & Tama) (Ribbit King (Kero Kero King DX)) vs The Biologist (The Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer)

Silver (Oneshot) vs Allumi Niumbirch (Shaman King Flowers)

Kronoculus (Costume Quest 2) vs Raven (Raven (CBBC))

Gary (Faith the Unholy Trinity) vs Appare Sorano (Appare-Ranman!)

Roxis Rosenkrantz (Mana Khemia) vs Abby and Zara (Doctor Who / Graceless)

Shijima Tsukishima/Shimeji (Shimeji simulation) vs Sym (I Was A Teenage Exocolonist)

Oona Wong (Kiki Strike Series) vs Cynthia (Incryptid)

Felix Leiter (James Bond franchise) vs Jefferson (Death's Door)

Gerald McBoing Boing (Gerald McBoing Boing (1950 short)) vs Gruftine (Die Schule Der Kleinen Vampire / The School for Little Vampires)

Nuch (Not Me The Series) vs Sad Ghost (Shattered Pixel Dungeon)

GROUP E

Percy Blakeney (The Scarlet Pimpernel) vs Sarah Collins (Dark Shadows (1966-1971))

Grace Summers/Poppy (Blood for Poppies (An interactive novel)) vs Tangie (The Tangerine Bear)

Pleck Decksetter (Mission to Zyxx) vs Zaknafein Do'Urden (The Legend of Drizzt (Forgotten Realms))

Tusk (Shrine II) vs Richard Conway (Gunpoint)

Zinn (Monstress) vs Detective Victor Spooky (Deep Night Detective)

Teddyco (Sanrio) vs Leonie Beaumort (Aviary Attorney)

Magda (Vapors) vs Yokoe Rei (School Zone Girls)

Mini Kapoor-Lopez (Pandava Quintet) vs Maki (Darker than Black)

Edward Manners (The Folding Star by Alan Hollinghurst) vs Reo Miyao (Bokutachi no Ikita Riyuu (Our Reason For Living))

Cian (Bear and Breakfast) vs Principal Shirley Oddwell (Oddport Academy)

Curse Bringer Angel (Baroque) vs Daniel da Silva (Think of England by KJ Charles)

S.T (Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton) vs The Cashier (Midnight Museum)

Inien (Thrilling Intent) vs Vola ('Pax' & 'Pax Journey Home' by Sara Pennypacker)

Seaweed (Gloomverse) vs Fangus Klot (Oddworld)

Osari Hikaru (B-Project) vs Stag Malinay (Krystar First Fragment)

Randy Rosebud (Maggie's Apartment) vs The Lacewing King (Honeycomb)

Akama (The Idiot (1951)) vs No Significant Harassment (Rain World)

The Nigh Furies (Wen Yan, Mo Xiao, and Hai Die) (The Wolf) vs Libby Day (Dark Places)

Sally Swing (Betty Boop) vs A (Tomorrow Will Be Dying)

Puck Reverie (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes) vs Conrad (The Castle of Otranto)

Monmouth (100 Cupboards series) vs Goo (Inanimate Insanity)

Shrimp (The Upturned) vs Suren Darga (DC Comics)

Kim Jinhyuk (Antique (2008)) vs Cecilia Sylvie (Cross-Dressing Villainess Cecilia Sylvie)

Sullen the Magic Mirror (Barbie as Rapunzel CD-ROM) vs Bea (Brawl Stars)

Zachary Ezra Rawlins (The Starless Sea) vs Dash X (Eerie, Indiana)

GROUP F

Kiyoshirou Ushimitsu (As the Gods Will 2) vs Su Moting (God Troubles Me/Hanhua Riji)

Gabrielle (Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove) vs John Dough (John Dough and The Cherub)

Michiko Hada (Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly) vs Corrun Crosslight (Spell Check)

Moondance k'Treva (The Heralds of Valedmar books by Mercedes Lackey) vs Liv (Spooky Month)

Ibuki Momoi (Dai-Guard) vs Etcetera (Cats (musical))

Li Ching Lung (DNA Says Love You) vs Fumi-ba (Kamen Rider Ghost)

Uguisu Anko (Call of the Night) vs Corona Hoshino (Swans in Space (manga))

Frog (QuickSpot) vs Karl (All Hail King Julien)

Wolfman (Darkwood) vs Kenna De Poitiers (Reign)

Granger (NeverHome game series) vs Chopfyt (oz)

the Doctor/Doc (Boyfriend of the Dead) vs Gaap Goemon (Mairimashita! Iruma-kun)

Magnate Arabo (Stars in Shadow) vs The God of Hunting (A Herbivorous Dragon of 5000 Years Gets Unfairly Villainized)

Iroha Irohazaka (Cipher Academy) vs Mission-chan (Mission-chan no Daibouken)

Forest Friend (Gris) vs Chiitan (Astro Boy)

Simon (Ma vie de Courgette ("My Life as a Courgette")) vs Ellie (Monster Tale)

Melatonin Protagonist (Melatonin) vs Topsy (The Only Harmless Great Thing)

Harp (Star Guardians) vs Dadish (Dadish)

Turnip (Chicory: A Colorful Tale) vs Sha Sheng Shi ("Killing Stone") (Qing Ya Ji (Yin Yang Master))

Guillermo "Dixon" Alverez (Rebelde (2022)) vs Avery (Hellbound Guardian)

Agent (Penguinronpa) vs Sasana (Nekogami Yaoyorozu)

Uhh… these guys? (Rhythm Heaven Fever) vs Fernando Carvalho (Ordem Paranormal)

Mallory (Escam) vs Elle (Starcrash)

Miyauchi Rena (Blue Reflection: Second Light) vs Adelade (A A Prime by Moto Hagio)

Yamabiki (Starving Anonymous) vs Tiger of the Wind (Monster Rancher (1999))

The High Ki of Twi (the enchanted island of yew) vs Malkah (He, She, & It by Marge Piercy)

#obscurecharactershowdown #masterpost #if theres any issue w this post please lmk

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imasallstars · 6 months ago

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THE IDOLM@STER SideM 10th ANNIVERSARY P@SSION TOUR

Further information regarding the SideM 10th ANNIVERSARY P@SSION TOUR live has been revealed! The KUMAMOTO stop occurring in KUMAMOTO CASTLE HALL on the 22nd of December 2024 will be labelled P@SSION SPARKS!!!

The voice actors participating in this stop are as follows:

Yusuke Shirai (Haruna Wakazato), Takeru Kikuchi (Yusuke Aoi), Takuya Masumoto (Seiji Shingen), Yutaka Balletta (Shoma Hanamura), Hiroshi Watanabe (Natsuki Sakaki), Sho Karino (Yukihiro Kamiya), Junta Terashima (Takeru Taiga), Shohei Komatsu (Ren Kizaki), Shunya Hiruma (Kazuki Tsukumo), Jun Kasama (Amehiko Kuzunoha), Masaya Miyakaze (Momohito Hanazono)

#event rundown

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voidcanarys · 1 year ago

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isagi + change

the waves virginia woolf // blue lock ch. 55 muneyuki kaneshiro & yusuke nomura // @/holybeings (tumblr) // blue lock ep. 15 dir. tetsuaki watanabe // i wrote this for you and only you iian thomas // alice in wonderland lewis carroll // blue lock ep. 1 // war of the foxes richard siken // blue lock fandom wiki ep. 15

#blue lock #isagi yoichi #bllk #web weave #change #i love the theme of change in this manga #might make another web weave with nagireo and change because it’s very prominent with them #or maybe just a general blue lock web weave with the theme of change cause there are just soooo many panels and quotes #web weaving #mine #my stuff #changing #poetry #isagi

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best-underrated-anime · 7 months ago

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Best Underrated Anime Group B Round 4: From the New World vs Plastic Memories

#B1: From the New World (Shinsekai Yori)

Coming-of-age story set in a “utopia”

#B4: Plastic Memories

Human falls in love with an android

Details and poll under the cut!

#B1: From the New World (Shinsekai Yori)

youtube

Summary:

In the town of Kamisu 66, 12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her psychic powers and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. However, unease looms as Saki begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers, and the children begin to get involved with secretive matters such as the rumored Tainted Cats said to abduct children. Shinsekai yori tells the unique coming-of-age story of Saki and her friends as they journey to grow into their roles in the supposed utopia. Accepting these roles, however, might not come easy when faced with the dark and shocking truths of society, and the impending havoc born from the new world.

Propaganda:

Shin Sekai Yori is a show about everything. While I cannot fully explain all the themes without spoilers, I will do my best to avoid them. This is difficult because the main twist of the show (which comes in the last episode) recontextualizes the entirety of the show and pulls together the rest of the themes so neatly that, to be frank, it eclipses any other writing decision made within the 21st century.

Shin Sekai Yori is an anime adopted from a novel which ran for 1,000 pages in its original Japanese. Shin Sekai Yori is about the following: gender, sexuality, coming-of-age, children’s rights, eugenics, the corruption and necessity of authority, parenthood, the loss of a child, the cycle of violence, Christianity, Shintoism, humanism and transhumanism, pacifism and at what point the measures taken to uphold it become violence, the dissolving bonds of childhood which come about due to both personal growth and change and outside pressures, nuclear fallout, environmentalism, and whether or not the assumed human authority in the world also covers human authority over other humans.

Principally, Shin Sekai Yori is about a war which doesn’t start until the end. It’s about the benefactors of colonialism and racism being forced to confront the things they have done to people that they never considered to be people. It is about seeing what the previous generation did wrong and wanting to do better, but not knowing how because you were never taught. It is about making that choice anyway. It is about seeing a dead child not as an “other,” but as a part of your community, even if that child did betray your community. While Shin Sekai Yori does conform to the “Fantastic Racism” trope to a degree, it is one of few shows which effectively subverts and inverts it. I will not go into further details on that due to spoilers.

Shin Sekai Yori is also occasionally advertised as “LGBT-Friendly” due to the rules of the society in which our protagonists live. However, this is merely another facet by which Yusuke Kishi examines the control exercised on the lives of children: both in a way of showing the “opposite” of the expected puberty (with opposite-sex couples being banned in sci-fi-hi-school), and in the way that these relationships are seen as mandatory, just as they are in our world. It is impossible to tell if there is real love in any of these relationships, but the ending of two of them results in some of the most miserable M/F sex put to page, so there was at least passion. I could speak further, but I received a warning about the length of my submission in what was once this paragraph. Thank you kindly for your time. [bows]

Trigger Warnings:

Warnings that involve the main characters:

Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse

Animal Cruelty or Death (two dogs die, one by exploding, and the main characters abuse a lot of naked mole rats)

Nudity/Pedophilia (the society in which the children live encourages prepubescent sexual contact and it is shown onscreen)

Kidnapping (of a protagonist’s child)

Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore (there is a great deal of blood)

Then there’s genocide that happens partially in the background.

#B4: Plastic Memories

youtube

Summary:

Eighteen-year-old Tsukasa Mizugaki has failed his college entrance exams, but after pulling some strings, he manages to land a job at the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation. SAI Corp is responsible for the creation of “Giftias”—highly advanced androids which are almost indiscernible from normal humans. However, unlike humans, Giftias have a maximum lifespan of 81,920 hours, or around nine years and four months. Terminal Service One, the station Tsukasa was assigned to, is responsible for collecting Giftias that have met their expiration date, before they lose their memories and become hostile.

Promptly after joining Terminal Service One, Tsukasa is partnered with a beautiful Giftia named Isla. She is a Terminal Service veteran and considered the best in Giftia retrievals, contrary to her petite figure and placid nature. Time is fleeting though, and Tsukasa must come to terms with his feelings for Isla before her time is up. No matter how much someone desires it, nothing lasts forever.

Propaganda 1:

This anime is a heart-wrenching masterpiece. It is slow, tender, and incredibly cathartic. The art is beautiful, and the story is enchanting. Of all the random anime I watched in middle school, this one really stuck with me.

Propaganda 2:

My brother and I watched it together. He ugly sobbed at it so hard, he had to go stand outside and weep down the phone to someone and my mom thought that he’d received news of someone’s actual death. He was okay, though, I promise

Trigger Warnings: [Not Stated]

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form with your revisions, and I’ll consider adapting those changes.

New: Starting round 5, screenshots will be included in the poll post. You can submit screenshots through the form linked above, or through here, via ask or dm.

Guidelines in submitting screenshots:

No NSFW or spoilery images.

Pick some good images please. Don’t send any blurry or pixelated ones.

You may send up to 9 screenshots, but not all may be used.

#anime #best underrated anime #polls #poll tournament #tournament #anime tournament #animation #group stage #group stage round 4 #tournament polls #from the new world #shinsekai yori #shin sekai yori #plastic memories #plamemo #group b

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