#tiger and bunny spoilers . kinda lol

[crehador]

ive looked through your 2023 watched stuff but ive been wondering if youve said anywhere what your favourite animes of all time are ? just curious cus i want more reccs

ooh good question! i am so indecisive and so full of love for so many series that it's always been a bit of a struggle to pick out just a few absolute faves, but here are the first few that come to mind

(i'll try to keep to shorter series here)

and standard disclaimer that everything here is my opinion and my opinion only

best anime of all time: shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu, and for me nothing even comes close

the story is told over the course of two seasons (the second being shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu: sukeroku futabi-hen; 25 episodes total) and it is imo just an absolute masterpiece. it's a somber tale, but executed in such a masterful way. the show is centered around rakugo and rakugo performers, and felt to me like not only an incredible story but an incredible performance of the art of storytelling

i don't rewatch this one very often because it makes me so sad, but i think it's a beautiful and worthwhile sort of sadness to experience

best sports anime of all time: kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteiru (23 episodes), and once again nothing even comes close. which means a lot coming from me because i love sports anime i will watch any sports anime i love good ones i love bad ones i love them unconditionally i'm like sports anime georg so 'best sports anime' is maybe even a more significant crown than 'best anime' coming from me lmao

ahem anyway in terms of objective quality there's just nothing that beats kazetsuyo, and i highly recommend it even as a character-centric piece for people who aren't generally into sports anime. it's just that good

side note 1: while i would call kazetsuyo the 'best' sports anime, my personal favorite is eternally kurobas (though it is on the longer side)

side note 2: honorary mention to megalo box, another of my all-time favorites. it's sports + sci-fi so i typically don't count it solely as a sports anime, but i love it to bits. there is a second season that i haven't even seen yet! i've always heard the second season is even better than the first, so i've been saving it for a special day (also i'm a bit scared of it because i was so happy with the ending of the first season that i'm kinda like resistant to change lol)

best anime i can't tell you anything about: so generally i'm of the belief that spoilers don't ruin much for me, if something is done well then it's done well even if i know it's coming. that said, there are a handful of series where i am so glad i went in knowing nothing, so that every twist and turn caught me completely unawares

and the top two i would recommend in this category are samurai flamenco (22 episodes) and sarazanmai (11 episodes)

definitely do look up trigger warnings if you've a need for them! but otherwise, going in knowing nothing really heightened the experience of these for me

they are... strange, and amazing

this is getting long so i'll just dump a bunch of favorites in a list below (some are Great, some are decidedly Not Great but Very Fun and beloved to me lol, and all are 25 episodes or less)

feel free to ask for details if you'd like to hear more about any of these, or if you'd like recs in any specific genres!

acca: 13-ku kansatsu-ka, appare-ranman!, baccano!, barakamon, cool doji danshi, dorohedoro, fantasy bishoujo juniku oji-san to, gankutsuou, gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun, houseki no kuni, ikebukuro west gate park, kimi to boku, kuragehime, paripi koumei, sabikui bisco, tiger & bunny (and its distant cousin double decker! doug & kirill), uchouten kazoku, wotaku ni koi wa muzukashii, yojuhan shinwa taikei, yuru camp

side note 3: just realized tiger & bunny is actually no longer under 25 episodes because we got a second season after like ten years lmao BUT i couldn't bring myself to remove it because it is phenomenal

[unlimitedhorsepower]

Hey, I absolutely feel your pain over Yuri. I am so so sorry for how devastating this is, that they took such a cruel and lazy route, but I genuinely hope that you are able to recover from this and be okay.

Aw, thank you, even if I'm inherently a little embarrassed that my unhinged reaction to a fictional character is a little worrisome (?) to others. I guess in the sense that I hate to be burdensome to others smfh.

I'm just an extremely emotional person by my nature and I feel everything very strongly and genuinely so it's probably going to be fine, it just has to pass...

On the other hand shit like this may haunt me for a long time. I'm like a horse the emotions get imprinted on my brain within a millisecond. (Ryan voice) I'm a sensitive guy.

Anyhow, there's some other dumbshit happening in my general life so my threshold for negative emotions is lowered.

This entire thing altered my brain chemistry and I'm in bed already (in bed and tired before 6am?..) so I can't doodle a pic right now so imagine a doodle of me giving you a weak thumbs-up with tears streaming down my face.

Here's a picture of my cat jaki lying next to me in bed a day or so ago, inconvenienced by the existence of sunlight. It's so hard to be a cat truly, I can't even begin to imagine how troublesome it must be smh

I hope you feel better soon too! Take care of yourself

[taigertea]

spoilers for the new additional 6 pages of Tiger and Bunny 2 (which you can access through this post (big thanks to TLF and @tnbdirectory), i wrote a less coherent rant about this on twitter but like omg

I believe now this is the 3rd (?) time Barnaby has explicitly shown/said he wants to be with Kotetsu, with it being of his own volition

(The three times I can think of 1. when Barnaby comes out of retirement with Kotetsu end of S1 2. episode 21 of S2, in cour 2 when he wants to be partners with Kotetsu for the last time 3. the new TL'd 6 pages for post S2 ending where he really makes it clear he wants to support Kotetsu by Kotetsu's side, without any snark about it, just really requests that he stay and help even when Kotetsu tells him he doesn't need to stick around)

(I don't really count the elevator scene from S2 ep 18 and the final scene from The Rising because though it's obvious to the audience what Barnaby is thinking, I don't think it's clear enough for Kotetsu to REALLY get it. Though you could debate more with the elevator scene, I'm open to conversation lol.)

But I'm just pulling my hair out at how Kotetsu still just really wants what's best for Barnaby, when he looks at Barnaby's bangle it's feels like he's just about to say something along the lines of "can you really be here?" when he could be doing something "more important" or actual hero work.

But Barnaby doesn't even dignify Kotetsu's attempt to push him away just giving that line (that makes me insane) of how he wants to be Kotetsu's support. Also just the way Barnaby KNEW what Kotetsu was going to say.

It's so wild that it's like a mini version of their Rising situation, but this shows how far they've come. Like Barnaby does not stay silent here. I'm sure he remembers how that went down, and at least this time Kotetsu asks Barnaby instead of making the executive decision to leave him in the dust on his own. Barnaby's just so honest here? No bullshit, little snark, just here it is, all on the table. It does make me wonder if the past couple months not working with Kotetsu has made him not want to not cloak things as much and say it straight. Though this might have been something even spurred on as early as S2 ep 21 when there was real risk of their partnership being over, after his super ernest confession.

But this made me think, Barnaby's made it pretty clear to Kotetsu he wants to be partners, even in non-hero situations, but it made me realize that I don't think Kotetsu has ever reciprocated verbally? Not because Barnaby isn't important to him or that he doesn't want partners, but more because of how Kotetsu views himself as a burden/problem to Barnaby? And also because I don't think Kotetsu's love language is really through words (though I think it's important that Barnaby DOES show love through words occasionally without snark, because Kotetsu's a pretty insecure and dense guy, he needs it spelled out for him plainly).

Like Kotetsu seems more to me as an act of service love language guy, which we've seen (and @abluescarfonwaston has made a great post about here). Which makes sense how he reacts in seeing him being a potential problem for Barnaby and trying to remove himself as the problem. Which would be great... if that actually wasn't causing MORE of a problem in Barnaby's life (in that Kotetsu's not a problem at all AND PLEASE STAY FFS).

The big moments that indicate Kotetsu appreciates his partnership with Barnaby directly are basically just in ep24 of S1. Every other time he's just kinda... gone with the flow? Like it's usually Barnaby initiating or asking Kotetsu, except in the elevator scene which was a question and not really an affirmation. WE as the audience can see how clearly Kotetsu adores Barnaby, but I wonder how it comes off to Barnaby in the show when he can't see how torn up Kotetsu gets at the thought of or actually having lost Barnaby as a partner (Rising and hospitalization).

And yes, we see they can "know what each other is thinking without saying anything" but I don't think that's 24/7, as shown by a couple moments throughout S2.

Despite being the more "tsun" one, Barnaby has been more explicit and straightforward about what he wants from Kotetsu (Kotetsu in his life, whatever form it may take).

Which makes me wonder, man would Barnaby just snap, like all the safeties are off, and just kiss Kotetsu if he ever explicitly told him that he wants Barnaby in his life? The other option is acting tsun but I think the previous option would be infinitely more fun.

also bonus thing I noticed:

Barnaby says "WHY" for the word game and Kotetsu asks if he couldn't choose another word. Barnaby refuses, but the next thing Kotetsu says is "YOU" which works out in this situation lol (dunno if this is a English TL version only thing but thought it was funny how it worked out)

also wondering why Barnaby was so stuck on keeping "WHY" 😆

[emeraldties]

Are you Happy? Cour 2 Review:

This is fine. We're fine.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TIGER AND BUNNY COUR 2 BEWARE.

I'm a changed man after all this I'll tell you that. This is gonna be kinda long so... read at your own peril lol

Chronologically, this is a mess but whatever. I need to get this out there before I explode and accidentally spoil this for my friend.

We're starting off positive because we're making a sandwich right now and I really did enjoy this season. It definitely took a turn that I did NOT expect in a million years.

Fire Emblem. I loved their characterization in the Rising and this season in particular. That scene where they are talking to Keith about their suits was *chef's kiss*. How, despite amassing a successful company, when they became a hero they worried about what it took to be a hero. To have people look to you for protection, to feel safe in your company. It lends credence to the eventual conclusion Kotetsu comes to at the end of the season about what being a hero is. I loved every conversation between FireSky.

I want to know the source of Barnaby's new disability. I just wanna know. Phantom pain? Hundred power putting stain on a weakened knee. I MUST KNOW.

Oh, how the tables have turned. It's Kotetsu's turn to bridal carry Bunny.

Mattia... really had me going there was a second. Jesus Christ. I was sweating. Not again. Not again, please.

Blue Rose. I also really enjoyed her characterization this season especially. We meet her in season one as a hot-headed kid who just wanted to be a pop star, and now, we get to see her become an amazing hero. My little girl has grown up brooooo I'm so proud.

She's become so mature and her outlook on life has broadened in a lot of ways, specifically regarding her crush on Kotetsu (which I think we all, as kids, have had crushes on adults. It's up to those adults to not take advantage of those feelings if they do notice... which Kotetsu doesn't, not that he would ever do anything if he did). She let her feelings wash over her, and made healthy friendships with the other heroes to the point where her feelings for Kotetsu became something in the background. She didn't stop liking Kotetsu, she just accepted that it wouldn't happen. And I don't think season 1 Karina would have accepted that conclusion... you know with the whole "how to bag single dads" thing lol.

Golden Ryan? I'll kiss your boots any day

Kid. I love her. She's my child. It's whatever. Adoption papers signed. Shion hairclip is given. Been my kid for 7 years.

Origami and Bison's relationship is just so funny to me. I don't know why. It just is. They're stupid. They're too smart for their own good. They're buddy heroes.

Me and the homies know the real villains of this season were the Mayor and the police. Ouroboros just played their cards right.

Fuck you Mayor whatever and your approval ratings. Your son's a NEXT but I bet he didn't get shoved into a dingy little camp now did he? Segregation? I can't believe I'm saying this, but if Maverick were here this would have never happened. He had that man's balls in a chokehold. Sorry. Rant over.

I love you Doc Saito and your crowded little coffin of a lab.

Bunny, Tiger, and Lunatic teaming up? When I tell you I screamed. I fucking SCREAMED.

Okay. Now for the... NEGATIVES. Sorry. BIG SPOILER MASSIVE SPOILER TIME.

Yuri Petrov deserved better. I don't know what else to say. But also I knew that his arc would either end in death or reformation. I just wish it was the latter. I probably have more to say, but I haven't fully articulated it yet. But I'm sad.

The Nemochild's (I forgot her name) motive was a bit... lackluster. Hotness can't make up for everything I suppose.

I wish we had more work put into her in Cour 1, like Mugan and Fugan and Brahe, then maybe I wouldn't have felt nothing when she died.

Now, this is the Taibani nitpicker within me, so it's not a genuine criticism, more of a wish than anything else. I wish Kotetsu had gotten his hands on Mattia's drug in the middle of the fight and injected himself with it to save Barnaby. I think that would have been more dramatic and it would have made more sense why he lost his powers in the end. Because the drug would have unforeseen consequences, instead of the All Might "I used up all my reserves of power" moment.

Also, I'm gonna need some answers on this segregation thing. Conclusion? Please?

No drinks? No dinner? I've been robbed. And so has Kotetsu.

Not enough Ben. That's the real fatal flaw of this season. 0/10.

I said this was a sandwich so back to the POSITIVES:

I'm really interested in the way Tiger and Bunny depict abusive parents.

I think we see that with Yuri, Barnaby, and Cat. There is a bittersweetness. A soft underbelly to these incredibly strong characters. Despite all that their respective parents have put them through, there is still the ghost of fondness there. A refusal to treat their parents with the same flippancy toward their feelings their parents had all their lives.

Barnaby still keeps a picture of Maverick on his table, he got what he wanted. His parents' killer is dead. But that doesn't change the fact that Maverick had been his only pillar of support for so many years. Even if it was all fake. It's a trophy of a pyrrhic victory that he can't bear to give up or look at.

I was struck by how gently Yuri treated his mother. In season one, there is love there, but also betrayal in both parts. She blames her son for protecting her, and he blames her for not protecting him or herself. He regards her with coldness and resentment.

In this season, he seemed to have lost his fight. He brushes her hair, he doesn't argue, he agrees with whatever she says, he's attentive. In a lot of ways, he's forgiven her in a way she will never forgive him. But he hasn't forgotten. But he's gentle.

His relationship with his father is different. It's tainted. There's guilt. Grief. Sadness. Relief. Resentment. Love. It's a lot. I'm sure my heartbroken Yuri stans can articulate this better than I can.

Cat, she's the only one with an abusive parent who is alive, but she has shown tremendous strength. For the most part, she talks to a brick wall. Her mom doesn't take no for an answer. She pushed her daughter into a job that is made for adults but continuously treats her like an infant. She is a weird amalgamation of a helicopter parent and a negligent one... she's a beauty pageant mom. except with more guns and life-threatening situations.

Cat exerts her autonomy, she branches away from her mother and rebels against the very ideals that she had tried to instill in her. at the end of the day, your child is not a mini you, don't treat them like they are. And Cat's arc wasn't about admitting her mom was wrong for treating her that way, it was about telling her, putting her foot down, and standing up for herself. No take-backs, no backpedaling. Which is sometimes the hardest thing you can do, especially as a kid.

(still, her mom had every right to insist that she come along with her child to a CAMP filled with random people. She's still 13.)

Tiger found out about Mr. Legend. TIGER FOUND OUT ABOUT MR. LEGEND. And got a bit pissy about the fact that Yuri insinuated that he was anything like his father, and honestly, I think that was a really in-character response from both of them. Kotetsu wasn't tactful, and Yuri was accusatory. I really liked that conversation because it wasn't perfect, in a lot of ways they didn't say the "right" thing. And that made it all the more well-written.

THEY WENT ROGUE. BROOOOOOOOOO. AGHHHHH. TOGETHERRRRR. I'm not crying.

Barnaby is. That goes in positives. I just wish they animated Barnaby's tears because we've established that Kotetsu can really discern Barnaby's emotions with his eyes. It isn't a season end without a few blubbery tears and a bridal carry.

WHEW. I'm done. Holy shit. I feel like I haven't scratched the surface of what I think but I guess that's what ao3 is for.

There are a lot of loose ends, and I don't know if they will be tied. Crossing my fingers for a season 3 or a movie because I think they really have introduced a lot of cool concepts that I would like to see explored.

At the end of the day, I've just got a genuine love for all these characters, and I've loved this show since I was 13. Now I'm older, and a little nostalgia addled. And maybe that makes me see things through some rose-tinted cat frame glasses. But I gotta ask you guys;

Are you happy?

[alypagemage]

SPOILER WARNING FOR TIGER & BUNNY SEASON 2 COUR 1 !!

——————————————————

Finished the first cour of season 2 of Tiger and Bunny and DAMMIT ||WHY DID FUGAN AND MUGAN HAVE TO DIE

Yes they were ‘evil’ and attacked tons of innocent heroes but they NEVER actually KILLED anyone. Despite constantly claiming they’re ‘hero killers’, all they did was put them out of commission. They did exactly as their hero L.L Audun did - Audun was a vigilante, which is a criminal act and yet his M.O was always arresting criminals, not murdering them for sport. With the twins, it’s like a game, a challenge, and though they’re associated with an evil organisation their motivation is helping out their dad, who’s boss gave him an *order* that, if not followed, would get him killed. So the main reason the twins wreaked such havoc is 1. To show their dad how grateful they are that he took them in and cared for them when no one else would, and 2. Keep their dad safe by keeping Ouroboros off his back.

My sweet babies didn’t have to die in the end though!!! It would’ve been SUCH a good twist if they were rehabilitated and turned by the heroes into heroes themselves!! Fugan and Mugan were completely neutral characters - at first when their dad asked them to start taking out the heroes, they said they weren’t interested. It was only when they realized their dad was being forced into said task that they decided to do it for HIS sake.

Plus Tiger and Bunny would be such nurturing mentors. Visiting them in the hospital, bringing them sodas as a peace offering - the twins realize that Tiger and Bunny brought them their *favourite* sodas, and are like, “how did you know?” Kotetsu sheepishly replies that they had to do some profiling checks on them after their arrest. And Bunny gets so embarrassed cos Kotetsu is so incredibly fascinated that the twins are identical, but the twins are fine with it, they actually find it amusing and often play tricks on Kotetsu. Just cute stuff like that. Later on they get to know the twins better, some great bonding happens, etc etc

There have been a bunch of repeated tropes this season - the whole partners argue or have a misunderstanding, then something crime related happens and in the end the partners understand eachother better, yada yada. It was nice to see the inner workings of the new relationships between all the heroes and their situations but it did start to get old kinda quickly.

Haven’t seen cour 2 of S2 yet. I’m gonna let the first cour sink in for a while. But you can bet that there’ll be a TON of Fugan and Mugan fan art coming soon lol||

[sillayplinker]

TIGER & BUNNY 2 SPOILERS

Idk how to do the thing where it hides the text unless you click a button that says “show more” so this’ll do

[ if you are for some reason reading this I apologize for the onslaught of typos I have butter fingers and brain fog 🦭 and don’t reread what I say ]

Sitting with my thoughts and feelings and also looking at what everyone else has to say the season was a bummer and a very very obvious change from season 1. S1 was driving by the characters there actions led the story not the story leading them when they messed up It drove the plot forward. They were interconnected to the villain. The villain and the hero’s story’s were connected but now not really just ouroboros but even then Barnaby has no care for that word anymore I guess that’s how he acts at least he’s healed not or less and they had ample opportunity to give kotetsu more of a connection with the villain but that didn’t happen either..

also going with that the show is called Tiger & Bunny yet we don’t really see anything new about them on screen we’re just kinda told that they hang out and have gotten to know each other more not actually shown it. And WHEN are we ever going to get a understanding of kotetsus past?? What’s with that we are just meant to accept that we are only ever told he is / was afraid of his powers never get to see anything Barnaby never gets to learn all that much about kotetsus past when Ko knows just about everything about bani so we really could’ve had a kotetsu focused season with his powers and stuff leading up to the climax where he gets over thrown by the power or something like that ahhhh I love this show I really do and I wouldn’t have been able to have such interactions with people is the 2 season came out a bit after 1 (I was 5 when 1 came out lol) so it’s a very special situation but for the people who have waited 11 whole years for this and are just left more confused and more concerned than if this came out a couple years after the first even I’m worried will we ever get another season ? Idk no one knows last time they said yes and it wasn’t till 11 years later something came of that. That can’t happen again it’s just no possible I don’t think fans could stick it out that long again not with this seasons story it doesn’t hold as much promise as it’s first.

I will genuinely be nervous up until they announce if they’re gonna do a movie or anything after this the amount of things not tied up cant be just bad writing I don’t think the writers are THAT incompetent no way so I feel they want another season coming closely after this one I will be hopping and manafesting or whatever to have another that can really tell a good story this time.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh idk idk I still feel so strongly about this show nothing has ever made me care this much so that is exciting tho I don’t think a new season is meant to make you want to watch the one before it because you want to see better story telling lol anyway I need to shut up I keep repeating myself. So if this is where it really ends a very mediocre season one that would probably finally calm the fandom down to let it die if we get another season then this was pretty good you can tell the writers just weren’t doing the same good job as last time but it’s not horrible I still love it AND if we get another season that’s the same or worse writing with the same lack of character importance then it will just make everything sadder and not worth the wait .

[magicalgirlsandcerulean]

Episode 9's blog post (Spoilers under the cut!)

This post by Balletta is dated 8th June 2021. It apparently took him 8 hours to write...which is why I took so long putting this post out. (I had to skip a lot of the descriptive stuff and it still took me over 4 hours to do this post...)

There are also some tweets from Hishida below, including one regarding ep. 10. If you don't want any info about ep. 10 until you get to it, skip reading tweet 2.

Due to the nature of the ep., there is a mention of suicide below.

Hishida's tweet 1:

そういえばF蘭９話でゲスな男の久ニさん役で鳥海浩輔さんが出演してくれました。僕にとっては初監督作の陰陽大戦記でタイザン役を演じてくれたとても恩のある方です。ありがとうございました。そして明日放送の１０話でも非常にお世話になった方が登場します。これも逃れられない縁なのでしょうか！？

Now that you mention it, F-Ran episode 9's male sleazebag Kyuji was voiced by Kosuke Toriumi. For me, he had the role of Daizan in my first directorial work, Onmyou Taisenki, so I have a big obligation towards him. Thanks a lot. Also, episode 10, which is airing tomorrow, has a person who's taken extreme care of me. Is this an inescapable fate?!

(Who is this he's talking about? Read on.)

Hishida's tweet 2:

まさか福山潤くんに会えるとはね。りっくん、生まれ変わってギャンブラーになってました…w #フィクションです

Unexpectedly, I was able to meet Jun Fukuyama, huh? Rikkun was reborn as a gambler...LOL #ThisIsFiction

"Rikkun" = Riku Tachibana, protagonist of Onmyou Taisenki.

Hishida's tweet 3:

美梨香ちゃん、プリチャンのルルナ…。僕はキャスティングには関わっていません。

Birika-chan is Pri-chan's Luluna...My casting has not changed.

Pri-chan = Kiratto Pri-chan. Luluna and Birika share the VA Hibiku Yamamura.

On to the post (note Balletta goes backwards and forwards in time a lot in this post, so with that on top of my omissions, it's a bit hard to keep track of):

Post's name: "The Perverted and Slightly Sad Episode 9". (You know why it's perverted, but the "slightly sad" will be revealed later on. Balletta specifically uses a word for "slightly sad" used by teenage girls, ぱおん.)

Balletta starts by giving various greetings (this matches last time's), asks if everyone enjoyed Fairy Ranmaru ep. 9. It's Uruu's second turn, so he's going to give real-time thoughts and comments on the ep.

The ep starts with Uruu painting "blue roses" (according to Balletta). "収録の時に、第3話の時みたいにうるうくんの英語から始まったらどうしよう…と台本貰うまでドキドキしてたのはここだけの秘密です…" - "It's a secret between us that when we were recording, I was nervous until I got the script, wondering what would happen if we started with Uruu-kun's English like in episode 3..."

Balletta goes on to discuss how people call Uruu "Blue Rose" (from Tiger and Bunny). People have been making this connection ever since the key visual (the one with the fairy forms) dropped. Even now, when watching the anime on Nico Nico Douga, he'll think: "Hi, Blue Rose's older brother!").

He skips to Uruu's mother's suicide scene. Her wings are broken like glass and Balletta thinks this is when Uruu's heart was broken too. This is also where he thinks Uruu's ideal of "always be proper" was born.

The blushing Homura, being healed by Bakkun and reading an article on Shiina's manga, is "transcendently cute".

It's at this point where Balletta starts introducing quotes from the discussion with "ワン！トゥー！！スリー！！！" ("One! Two!! Three!!!") (<- For the curious, there are 6 of these in the post, but they're not entirely the same.)

Balletta wonders in small text if there was tongue or not during the CPR scene...

"この時のうるうくんの表情が完全に悪役の悪い顔になってて、正直自分もアニメ見てて「うるうくん！顔わるいなぁー！！」ってなりましたね！" - "That time Uruu's face looked like a villain's, and straight up I also saw in the anime, 'Uruu-kun! You're making a bad face-!!'"

Balletta is relieved Homura has been revived.

The sloth's lump is moving...

Balletta introduces Birika and the plot of the week. "不倫！ダメ！！ゼッタイ！！！" - "Adultery! Don't do it!! Absolutely don't!!!" (he repeats this through the post and counts the times he says it - the editing Chesarka from the future says he ends up with 3 instances of this)

Balletta recaps that Uruu is good at painting, as we know from ep. 1. It seems to be the same painting, but then he puts red paint on top. This made Balle-san think of Homura so much, he couldn't concentrate on the painting. In short, FIRE (insert flame emoji, obviously referencing Homura's shirt).

5 to Heaven synced up on how they thought during recording. When Uruu is talking to Birika and she says "心が清廉だからだよ" ("Because you have an honest heart."), they all thought, "心が清廉、どうも清怜うるうです。" ("You have an honest heart - thank you, Uruu Seiren.") Balletta thinks they increased their bonds as a result. (Note "honest" in this case is "seiren".)

Some descriptive bits later, we get to this sentence: "第1話から今回の第9話までに、うるうくんの心情や見えている世界が大きく変わったことを意味しているのではないかと自分は思いました！" I thought from ep. 1 until ep. 9, the world he is seeing has changed greatly!" A bit further down: "先程も話した、第1話から第9話にかけて、うるくんの心情や見えている世界が大きく変わってきていると言ったもう一つの理由がこの言葉なんです！第1話では世界に対しても常に正しくあるべきと考えていたうるうくんが、第9話に至るまでに色んなことがありました。

過去のトラウマ、火焔族への憎しみ、焔くんに対しての嫉妬。" - "That's another reason why I said earlier the world Uruu-kun sees has changed greatly from ep. 1 to ep. 9! Ep. 1, where Uruu-kun thinks everything should be correct about the world, to the Uruu-kun in ep. 9 who has had various things happen. Past trauma, the hatred of the Ignis clan, the jealousy which he feels towards Homura."

Balletta can't believe how Birika's mother came back and had a kiss mark on her neck. He gets so angered he starts making puns on his own name (bareru means to leak a secret, while barebare means a transparent lie) and ends with "あ、どうもバレッタです。" - more along the lines of "Ah, sorry, I'm Balletta" than the previous "thank you"s - before returning to the previous discussion.

Some more description later, Balletta mentions the appearance of Sirius. "素晴らC！いや！すばらシリウス！！！" - "SubaraC (shii)! No! SubaraSirius!!!" (subarashii = wonderful) He then discusses Sirius's musings.

End A part. Balletta stops for a bit to note "You only noticed all this incredible impressions and comments are [for] the A part? Didn't you see the previous post?" He also comments Hori's post was short and that was fine. "ま、イケメンだからいっか！！！（うるうくん達が）" - "Well, they're handsome, so what?!!! (Uruu-kun and co. are)"

Now to the B part. Balletta notes there's a piece of art that is a pot in the art gallery. Pot quota: check.

Some description (and more yelling about how adultery is bad and unforgivable) later: we get to the kiss scene. This transformation is voiced differently to the one in ep. 3 in terms of the pan upwards part and the sound effect of boots scratching you can hear during the "Taboo rescinded! Love! In abundance!" callout. "自分もリアルタイムで第9話見てて、「あれ！？ボイス変わってるし、音が追加されてる！凄い！！」ってテレビの前でなってました！ありがたい限りです！" - "Even when watching ep. 9 in real-time, I was in front of the TV, going, 'Huh?! The voice changed and a sound was added! Amazing!!' I'm nothing but grateful!"

Hotel Tsubo returns. "なんかもう毎回このアニメをリアルタイムで見るたびに「今回はどこに壺が隠れてるかなぁ〜♪」ってなってる自分がいてビックリしますよ笑" - "Basically every time I watch this anime in real-time, I'll be like, 'Where will they hide the pot this time~?♪', so I'm surprised. LOL"

"そしてそんな「HOTEL壺」では、美梨香さんの母親と久二さんがS○Xしてるシーンが出ましたね。申し訳ないけどもう一回だけ言わせてくださいね…

ふざけんにょ！！！" - "Also, at that Hotel Tsubo, Birika-chan's mother and Kyuji have a scene where they're having s_x. I'm sorry for saying this, but please let me say this once...stop screwing around!!!" (The "screw" pun is intentional on my part.)

Enka scene. Balletta calls Uruu "sexy & beautiful" because of his black lace wings and strong gaze.

Head back to Bar F. "バックンはこのアニメの癒し…

いつもありがとうバックン！" - "Bakkun [being] in this anime is healing...thanks as always, Bakkun!"

Some description later, around the part where Uruu's mother says Uruu is just like his dad...you can see germ-like objects that look like water fleas and Uruu gains some damage from them sticking themselves down his throat. There are various versions of this scene and after all the yelling from recording them, he felt considerably more passionate.

Some more description later, Balletta doubles back to the scene slightly beforehand. where Ranmaru and Chilka are in the same place.

Balletta then continues for a bit about the plot and is at the scene where Kyuji is relieved he's free of the old hag when he goes, "ワン！トゥー！！スリー！！！ 「エヘッ、ぱおーん！」 こんの野郎ーーーー！！！ぱおーんじゃねぇんだよぉー！！！！！ガオーってライオンだらけの檻の中にぶち込むぞぉーーーー！！！となったのはこのブログだけにそっと記しておきますね。" ("One! Two!! Three!!! 'Ehe, that's kinda sad!' These bastards---!!! This isn't 'kinda sad'!!!!! I'll throw you into a cage full of roaring lions----!!!...This blog became a place where I can quietly write this precisely [because I can], huh?")

Balletta discusses the final scene and then draws attention to Takara's scene by going, "「あっちゃー、もう一山残っちまったかぁー」 えっ！？何が残ったの！？" - "'The worst is yet to come.' What's coming?!" (<- Translation using the CR line)

He then tells everyone to look forward to next time's Fairy Ranmaru ep., says he's finished, that was ep. 9's comments and impressions, apologises for his long post again and puts some promotional stuff I've already covered on magicalgirlsandcerulean (in order: character song CD, the live show in Sept., Sweets Paradise, Vivid Army, Otasuke Heaven, BD/DVD 1, the curry plate, Bakkun plush, key necklaces, Fairy Ranmaru's official Twitter + YouTube). He then ends by saying he's done (again) and he's Yutaka Balletta, who voices Uruu.

Takara's comment: "原稿用紙40枚やで～気合い入れて読んでや～" - "You took 40 sheets of genkou youshi~. We read it with effort." (referencing the line where he apologises for his long post: "今回また2回目の当番回だったというのもあって気合い入れまくった結果やっぱり長文になってしまいました！ご容赦くださいまし！！" - "This time was the 2nd time I was in charge [of the post], so the result was, of course, me putting in effort! Please forgive me [for my long post]!")

Update: Minor fixes for accuracy and clarity.

[otomeverything]

NIGHTSHADE

Release Date:  December 20, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Red Entertainment / LANTERN ROOMS Publishers: D3Publisher Platforms:  Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam) ESRB Rating: M (Mature) 17+

  Walkthroughs:

Goemon

Chojiro

Hanzo

Kuroyuki

Gekkamaru

Common Route

  PROLOGUE (from Nightshade’s official site) During the Sengoku Period the two main factions of ninja clans, Iga and Kōga, warred against each other for decades. In the year 1593, Nobunaga Oda started the Tenshō Iga war, decimating most of the Iga ninjas in the process. The very few that survived were absorbed into the Kōga clan, despite their past rivalries. After 17 years the Sengoku Period finally came to an end, and Japan was unified.

Enju (Protagonist), daughter of Kandō Ueno, the Head of the Kōga clan, spends her days training diligently in hope of becoming a full-fledged ninja like her peers. At long last, she is assigned to her first mission but finds herself caught in a dark conspiracy.

  ART AND MUSIC One of Nightshade’s prominent features that’ll easily make an impression among otome fans, is its art style. The game credits non-other than the famous illustrator, Teita who’s fairly popular for her other works such as Norn9, the Juuzaengi  Engetsu Sangokuden saga and the recently released visual novel, Charade Maniacs.

I wish I could say the same for the game’s musical score. The OP theme was nice but wasn’t memorable at all. The END theme (Good End) however, “Taezaru Hana”  by MIKOTO was pretty soothing that I ended up purchasing the track in iTunes. Listen to the full song below:

  Voice Acting Nightshade honestly has the best seiyuu lineup. The voice acting was, in fact, one of the major highlights of the game. The VAs really did an amazing job capturing your emotions. I was already expecting this much from their topnotch VA list, but they did more than stellar performances with this game! Every seiyuu involved were magnificent, even the side character, Ieyasu Tokugawa (voiced by Koki Miyata, who’s famous for his role as Ukyo in Amnesia), did an amazing job portraying his cunning personality.

  Hikaru Midorikawa ♥ “Goemon Ishikawa” – Tamahome (Fushigi Yuugi Suzaku Ibun), Zenya (Sweet Pool), Ayato (Diabolik Lovers), Hanate (7’Scarlet), Yutaka Nabari (Nil Admirari)

Wataru Hatano “Gekkemaru” – Asato (Lamento Beyond the Void), Lindo (Dance with the Devils), Kotarou (Hakuoki), Sakiyama Youji (Sweet Pool), Yuuto (Storm Lover)

Hiro Shimono “Kuroyuki“ – Shou Kurusu (Utapri), Senri Ichinose (Norn9), Sou Kiryuu (Harukanaru Toki no Naka De 5), Ricchie (Black Wolves Saga), Ray Blackwell (Ikerev)

Kenjiro Tsuda “Hanzo Hattori” – Chikage Kazama (Hakuoki), Soshi Amazaki (The Charming Empire), Leonardo Da Vinci (Ikevamp), Nathan Seymour (Tiger & Bunny)

Kosuke Toriumi “Chojiro Momochi” – Hajime Saito (Hakuoki), Kagiha (Psychedelica BB), Poyo-Poyo (Period Cube), Hideyoshi (Ikesen), Lawrence (Psychedelica AH), John Watson (Code Realize)

  MAIN CHARACTERS (Spoiler Free)

I must say, I love all of the characters and their routes that it was hard for me to pick a favorite. If you’re concerned with plot spoilers in your first playthrough, my recommendation would be to play the routes in the following order (from least to greatest in spoiler content):  Goemon – Hanzo – Chojiro – Kuroyuki – Gekkamaru. For enjoyability, I’d recommend playing in the same order. Goemon and Hanzo were the lighter routes, Chojiro was angst from start to finish and the brothers (Kuroyuki and Gekkamaru) had more plot revelations than you’ve expected. I would also strongly recommend saving Gekkamaru’s route for last, trust me when I say, this makes your last playthrough more worthwhile. 😉

  GOEMON ISHIKAWA

The Japanese Robin Hood

ladykiller

True to his name in history books, Goemon Ishikawa is the legendary Japanese outlaw who stole gold and other valuables from the rich to give to the poor. He’s very popular among the townspeople due to his ingenious thieving schemes. He is known to send prior notices to his targets before he robs them off their treasures. Goemon is also a highly skilled ninja who has the wit of a brilliant tactician.

Playing Goemon’s route first was a good choice since his story was the lightest among the bachelors in the game, plus I haven’t fallen in love with Midorikawa’s voice in a while, so there’s also that ha! I find Goemon’s story really refreshing due to his carefree personality and charismatic nature. Because of this, it was so easy to like this character from the get-go. Going down his route will let you discover a few revelations regarding Goemon’s past, where he came from and how he ended up as the notorious thief he is now. His route also offers  a couple of plot twists and although it was a little predictable towards the end, it was executed really well where it didn’t feel awkward nor forced. As far as the romance goes, Goemon is a straight up, ladykiller. It was fun to see his relationship with Enju develop all throughout his route. His playful teasing and his easy-going personality will have you falling for him in no time.

  HANZO HATTORI

Mr. stoic ninja

kuudere

Besides, being Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa’s personal guard, Hanzo is also the Tokugawa clan’s shinobi leader. Because of his resounding title as the strongest ninja history has ever known, he is very popular among all the shinobi clans in Japan. He is normally calm and collected but will not hesitate to become ruthless for the success of his mission.

Hanzo is the oldest among the bachelors (and I absolutely love him!) He is, I believe 33 years old, making quite an age gap between him and the heroine Enju, but LOL this is Toyotomi-Tokugawa (Edo 1600’s – 1800’s) period we’re talking about, where huge age gaps among couples are very common… But age aside, let me tell you… Hanzo’s route completely took me by surprise! I have no words! *Breaths heavily* I guess, I was already eyeing this character from the start since Kenjiro Tsuda voiced him. But I wasn’t expecting his arc to be this good that it literally caught me off guard. He ended up becoming my favorite of the entire game!

At first, he started as the very straightforward stoic kind, who’s only doing his master, Lord Tokugawa’s bidding. But after a few encounters where he teams up with the heroine and helps her survive, he begins to slightly soften up, giving us a glimpse of his true adorable fluffy nature. Both Hanzo and Enju go through tremendous character development in this route, especially the heroine. I just love seeing Enju prove herself time and again how much she wanted to make it as a true shinobi while she constantly faces hardships every step of the way (she’s freakin’ cool!) I also love seeing Hanzo unexpectedly supporting her through her struggles. It’s as if, rather than saving her all the time, he wants her to learn to depend on herself instead; and to me, this relationship was truly very refreshing, not to mention absolutely heartwarming. Expect a lot of badass back to back action scenes in this route, where Hanzo and Enju kick some ninja ass!

  CHOJIRO MOMOCHI

Big Brother

Angst! Angst! Angst!

Chojiro is the son of the late leader of Iga, Tanba Momochi . After losing his family and clan in the Tensho Iga War at the age of five, he joined the Koga clan along with the other Iga survivors. Chojiro is also the heroine’s cousin as well as her mentor/trainer. He is a man of a few words and he completely devotes himself to his missions without questions.

I made a mistake playing Chojiro’s route earlier in the game as I wasn’t ready for a sudden whirlwind of angst! At the start, Chojiro’s personality was very closed off, its almost as if he has built a wall before him to keep others away. Because of his tragic past, he doesn’t want to get attached to anyone, afraid he’d lose them at the blink of an eye just like how he lost his parents when he was young. This makes his relationship with Enju a little less intimate from the beginning. As the heroine tries her best to get a closer reach of him, he waves his feelings off because he’s conflicted between succeeding his missions as a shinobi versus his own desire to help Enju and stay by her side.

Chojiro’s route was also the most tragic in the game!😭 Ya’ll better prepare those tissues! Romantic wise, his story was not my favorite. The drama just out-weights the romance on this one. I do love the writing in his route though. It seriously gave me an emotional breakdown I wasn’t prepared for. 😅I suggest playing his route in the middle to get the angst out of the way. This, also kinda gives you more room to recuperate from the heavy drama before jumping into an even more dramatic finish as you do Gekka’s route last.

  KUROYUKI

clever, cunning

soft yand

Kuroyuki is Gekkamaru’s younger brother. Right after he was born, both boys became orphans and were taken in by Enju’s family. He was sent away on an extended mission when he was eight, by the heroine’s father Kando Ueno, who’s also the leader and head chief of the Koga clan. Kuroyuki is also the same age as Enju (16).

Not much is revealed about this character other than he is Gekkamaru’s brother who was sent on a secret mission when he was eight years old. Where did he go? What was he doing for the last eight years he was gone? It was rather questionable how his character (in other routes) always comes and goes sporadically in the plot.

I couldn’t really expound more on Kuroyuki’s arc without entering spoiler territory but going down his route will let you discover one interesting revelation about him and the game’s overarching plot. It was quite satisfying to play Yuki’s route because finally! we get to fill in some plot holes. I fell in love with his story for the same reasons some people are calling it out for. It wasn’t light nor easy-going as Goemon’s or Hanzo’s, it wasn’t tragic as Chojiro’s or Gekkamaru’s. It was dark and I probably wouldn’t have it in any other way. Kudos to Hiro Shimono for breathing extra life to this character!

  GEKKAMARU

best boi

puppy eyes

true route ish?

After losing his family at the age of three, Gekkamaru was adopted by the heroine’s parents along with his younger brother Kuroyuki. Gekkamaru was assigned to be Enju’s trusted bodyguard when they were young and has proven his loyalty and devotion through time by sticking to his role as Enju’s protector. He is wholeheartedly committed to his master (Enju) to a point where he becomes too overprotective of her.

So after going through all kinds of heaps and hooplas of playing and suffering each of the character routes in the game, I was finally on my last one, Gekkamaru. I know you can just play his route whenever but I chose to do his story last for the experience. ohoho!

…and I have no regrets!😭 Gekkamaru’s route started with pure dramatic fluff as expected. It was just so precious and endearing to see how far this man would go for the sake of the heroine. His loyalty and dedication for Enju was such a pure bliss that it even pains me to see him doing too much😭. His route was a combination of action, romance, a side of humor and a whole lot of drama as he and the heroine struggled to survive by each other’s side. I thought to myself, “This story couldn’t get any better or worse, could it?” but then angst hits the fan through plot twists after plot twists (during the last chapters) and this was where the story really picked up. I was at lost for words. I felt really sad, angry and confused. His route put me through a tidal wave of emotions, I had to pause the game for a while, sit in a corner to get my head straight and my breathing in check! lmao! Gekkamaru’s route is like a slow burn, heart-rending gut punch and I absolutely loved it.

  ENJU UENO (Main Heroine)

Enju is a strong heroine and I adore her to bits. Unfortunately, her potentiality to become an even better shinobi was wasted in some routes because of the whole damsel in distress scenarios, with the exception on Hanzo’s and Gekkamaru’s route ~ these were the only story arcs where the heroine was able to hone her skills as a ninja and show us her true strengths.

Enju Ueno was literally, thrown to the wolves when she got caught up into this despicable game of survival, out of the blue. Not only that, but the ordeal she went through of betrayal, loss, and sorrow was absolutely too much to handle for someone her age. Still, despite all the hardships, she chose to live and survive. I was thoroughly impressed by her determination which I believe was one of her strongest points. YES, this is one badass heroine right here folks!

  Side Characters

Ennosuke (Left) – The fastest ninja in the Koga clan. He’s not romanceable, and I don’t think I’d want him as a dateable character either, heh. I ship him with Kyara though. I love the chemistry with both of their characters.

Kyara (Right) – Proud, graceful, responsible, and badass on the battlefield. Her weapon of choice is a “chigirigi” which is similar to the “morning star” in medieval age weaponry. I ship her with Ennosuke. Also, Saori Hayami voices her, so this to me was a plus!

Kasumi (Center) – the cutest, most adorable ninja…ever! She’s the youngest of Chojiro’s disciples. Looks up to Enju and Kyara as her older sisters. I love her so much! *must protecc*

  SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION I purchased the physical copy of Nightshade (proxy shipped) which lets you choose three language options to start the game with (English, Chinese, Japanese). I can say, that the localization was fairly decent. I didn’t play the PC version, but I asked a few people who owned both PC and Switch copy and as far as their answers go, D3Publisher did not change the English translations for Nightshade on the Switch. They changed the fonts though! D3Publisher is known to deliver decent game localizations. They’re not the best but they’re not disappointing either. I’ve spotted a couple of minor typos in the game, but it’s NOT something that would ruin the whole experience for you.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Switch system was very comfortable and very easy to navigate from the jump. They even offer a “rewind” option for you to backtrack scenarios, which to me, was a saving grace. This way, making the correct save files became a piece of cake. The Nintendo Switch version also contains the game’s DLC “Special Content”. These are extra fluff episodes that happened in the middle of a character’s story. They also come with a special CG (one for each story).

  TRAILER

  OVERALL THOUGHTS? (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ It took me a total of 30 hours to finish the game, and none of these 1800 minutes spent were wasted. Yes, I loved every bit of it.

Although the story was set in the Sengoku “Warring” period of Japan. Instead of the usual cliche battleground premise that’s normally used in Sengoku themed animes and VNs. Nightshade’s story focused more on the darker side of politics during the said period. The indirect “battle royale” theme, I admit, was quite bracing and very well paced. It was something I never expected to actually work in an otome game.

Besides the Nightshade’s gorgeous artwork, I wanted to compliment the game’s stunning special effects, such as the leaves falling in the BG, flower petals scattering about  (whenever Enju uses her ninjitsu), and the moving sprites (which played exceptionally well during fight scenes). The voice acting for Nightshade blew me away and I couldn’t have wished for a better seiyuu lineup. I guess my only gripe here was Enju’s inconsistency as the heroine. In some routes, she’s badass while in others, she’s weak and very dependent. Her characteristics as a whole seem to vary depending on who’s the guy she’s with. I still love her as the main protagonist though!

While I’ve enjoyed playing all the routes in Nightshade and their respective stories, the ones that made an impression on me were Hanzo’s, Goemon’s and Gekkamaru’s. Chojiro’s was good but it was too angsty for my taste and while Kuroyuki’s story drove me to the edge of my seat, this is the route where Enju is at her weakest.

Do I recommend this game? YES This is the first ever english otome game in the Switch that I would no doubt recommend to everyone at the drop of a hat. I’m so glad I’ve waited for this port, despite all the STEAM sales that have gone by the previous years 😂 (laughs). To be honest, I was even quite sad when I finished it 😅 and wished there was more content for me to delve into. If you’re having second thoughts whether or not it’s worth shelling out 48 bux to get this game in your Nintendo Switch Library. Here’s my advice: GET IT! This one’s definitely a gem and imo, almost up to par with the big titles (like Code Realize, Hakuoki, CxM). If you want an impressive storyline and characters you can’t ever get enough of, I can’t recommend Nightshade enough!

  CHLO’S RATING: 8/10

Nightshade Review (Nintendo Switch) NIGHTSHADE Release Date:  December 20, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Red Entertainment / LANTERN ROOMS Publishers: D3Publisher…

[marybatson]

ok i’m gonna talk abt shazam the movie now please leave if you don’t want spoilers or are just like “mars…… we get it ….u like the marvel family…. we’ve had enough”

IT WAS GOOD!! I’d LOVE to watch it again!!! The humor had the best timing! the kid actors were cute!! i’ll just condense things i liked a LOT: darla eugene n pedro!!!! they so easily have my heart on a platter, truly real and lovable. also the first few seconds seeing that glass cage in the rock of eternity had me going MR MIND??? and the tease at the end w him w sivana… monster society of evil when. AND ALSO officializing that when billy split the powers between all of them and they each get a trait from a different name in the acronym!! it really reminded me of ordway’s split percentage power thing and that was an interesting take. the strip club scenes LMAOOOO. any scene when billy as shazam (was abt to write cap....) just did things a kid would do. the supes cameo lol. the seven deadly sins looked so gross and i love tht. also the vasquez couple had perfect casting!! their banter was adorable and the lil prayer rhymes before the meals got me like 😫👏🏽 the whole family has me crying i love thm

things that made me a little sad but can’t be helped ig: what they did to marilyn…. i’m still not over mary being older than them and going to college :( the ages kinda confused me too cuz at one point billy implies that he’s years older than freddy so i’m bummed none of the big 3 are even the same age :( I didn’t expect that uncle dudley would show and he didn’t but still a Loss. the completely new sivana origin was..a choice. also in exchange for not making him scrawny n too weird they took away his hot wife n family sjjsskkdsdjfj but that’s valid honestly. equivalent exchange.

things that made me go kwazy: all the talk of a tiger plushie really made me anticipate …. tawky where 😔

niche things tht don’t matter but still took me tf out in my theater seat: CC BATSON IS ALIVE IN A FLORIDIAN JAIL KDKSKSCJJS

you could really tell that the current shazam run was written probably even after the actual shazam script for the movie which is like.. fine. i don’t really care either way but the movie made it work so i’m goodd.

Im not gonna be negative and nitpick i literally would not have cared if this movie sucked i probably would’ve still loved it hahahaha i’m literally just here liking things that make me happy and this movie is one of em!!!

WAIT i’m not done i watched Us a day before so it’s still fresh in my head n i just wanna talk abt it for a sec but i’m not gonna give big spoilers probably fkkdodkcksndjcjs. god the bunnies. i LOVED the subtleties and the details to everything i only figured out after. there was so much care and dedication put into this movie it was tangible! definitely a bit more creepy-scary than get out was and i loved that. i think it felt so well-rounded and felt complete by the ending so i wasn’t feeling like i was missing much except for maybe a couple plot holes that don’t really matter in the long run. i’ll be thinking abt this movie for a while. ok that’s it. lupita nyongo marry me challenge.

lastly i went into the shazam tag earlier and already there are so many ppl bein nasty! pleaseeee they are children!!!!

[wengoku]

one thing i rlly like abt tiger n bunny is the contrast between kotetsu and barnabys “tragedies” kinda?? barnaby ofc has the full blown tragic backstory revenge plot, his search for his parents murderer that drives the majority of the show forward; in comparison, kotetsus situation is infinitely more mundane. his wife died before the series starts, but theres nothing for him to avenge or blame, because she died of an illness. hes alienated from his daughter because of his job and although its never outright confronted, its heavily implied that hes struggling with alcohol initially.

i really like that both situations are treated with equal respect and reverence!!! kotetsu isnt looked down on for his issues, and we’re never made to feel like barnaby is over dramatic or like he’s unreasonable. we’re not made to laugh at either of them in their vulnerable moments, even when their problems are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. kotetsu connecting with his daughter again is just as important as finding out the truth to barnabys past and even sternbuild’s history. we spend more time on barnaby’s story but kotetsu never feels sidelined; rather, we follow his perspective as he struggles between the immediate pressing issue in the plot and his promises to his daughter, torn between being moral duties to his friends, city, and partner and being a father to kaede.

im being vague cuz i dont wanna spoil anyone whos interested in watching but when we visit kotetsus hometown its SUCH a graceful shift from action packed sternbuild to what feels like a melancholic slice of life. like there’s such an awareness to the differences between kotetsu and barnabys narratives, they even go as far as to completely change the setting when addressing the climax kotetsus familial arc. like its all written with such clear purpose and understanding to when shifts in mood need to occur and how to advance to the next plot point??? im fucking love it.

i kno it seems like im favoring kotetsu here but thats bc itd be way too many spoilers to ramble about barnabys arc but his is just as good!!!! its very twisty and turny and even ties in previous episodes that at first felt like fillers and also makes sure to not leave any side characters out. we also have an unexpected hero towards the end that rlly warmed my heart lol. the development moved everyone in the right direction that makes you want more, but you’re not feeling hollow and unsatisfied.

long story short its a Good Fucking Anime that was my TedTalk

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Merc Storia 7 - 8 | SSSS.Gridman 8 - 9 | Double Decker! 10 | Golden Kamuy 20 - 21 | Zombieland Saga 9 - 10

Merc Storia 7

Oh my goodness, the father (Jeantore) is so adorkable…but I guess this’ll be a temporary fling, like the father from Royal Tutor…

Aww…this episode is too pure. It’s a good day for anime about reunions with fathers.

That was a nice episode, with its morals about dreaming and being a good parent. But it seems we’re back in Furry Territory for the next episode…

Oh! You can see Jeantore (the father) and Cosette in the ending. Jeantore is watching his daughter as she rides on the male angel, while Cosette is…well, I just said what she’s doing.

SSSS.Gridman 8

I believe this is Dancan.

“Sounds like a s***ty band.” – Actually, you’re…right. (LOLOLOL!)

I noticed Akane uses a Windows-type OS…but I tinkered around with my Windows 8 and figured out I couldn’t get rid of the AM/PM on the time…

For some reason, this petition business reminds me of Hyouka…it would be spoilers for an early case if I explained why though.

So many still frames…

I think now that I’ve gotten used to how stupid this show is, I’ve almost started to see this as a comedy. An unintentional one an not as bad as Mayoiga, but a comedy nonetheless.

It seems this finishing move isn’t a beam…huh.

Don’t forget that there’s an end-of-episode segment, even if it only lasts a few seconds.

Double Decker! 10

Oof…there’s a one week break…so just Honda-san next week, huh?

Why do I get the feeling the father (Jefery, sic...?) is going to be, if not is, an Anthem victim?

Oh my gosh, I was preparing for Kirill to suddenly bust out the genius talk from the next ep preview from last ep and I…love it! Now I can bug my biology contact with it! That’s an extra post’s content right there, y’know!

Wait, how old is Apple then? If they’re the same age, Kirill and he, then Kirill would’ve written it when he was 12 or 13, give or take the extra year it takes for academic publication…11 or 12. Yikes! Update: Kirill wrote it 5 years ago, if you remember he’s 20 and you learn Apple is 17. Therefore, Kirill’s paper would’ve come out when he was 15 - 16.

This cartoonist Renoir and the Impressionist painter that sprung to my mind were definitely not the same person…

Oh! I never expected this! It’s an eyecatch of Valery (sic…?)/Milla and Derick!

I just realised Yuki Fujiwara’s voice for Valery is a slightly deeper voice than Kohei Amasaki’s, but Kirill’s voice is overall more masculine. Or at least, that’s how I see it from the audio I’ve listened to of those two.

Just seeing Derick tear up and get shoved away by the landlady was too funny, my laughing almost sounded like choking…okay, I admit that’s a bit grim.

Are they implying because Anthem was used medicinally, that’s how Tiger and Bunny happened?

Uh…if you think that says “rob my dad’s back”, that’s wrong. The Japanese says exactly the sme thing, so “rub my dad’s back” is what they intended.

Oh…I started laughing as soon as I saw the bride come in. Someone mentioned Kirill was dressed up as a bride, and I didn’t know how that was going to come into play…until now. But still, I’m happy they’re acknowledging gay men exist, even as a throwaway line in a comedy. It means the world to certain people and regardless of whether I’m in that group of directly-affected people or not, it’s nice to see nods to it.

Seriously, when is Buntline Special’s official release? I wanna own it. Update: It’s already out on all the big music retailers…including Spotify! Then I check out the lyrics…and it turns out it makes zero sense. E.g. “don’t give a 嫉妬 now i’m just in a rush” (with the characters being “shitto”, or “jealousy”…which I think was at least partially intentional to get the swearing in). See the full lyrics here.

Uh…Pythagoras what now??? “Pythagoras theorem” is the only thing I can think of that works…but a squared plus b squared equals c squared ain’t gonna help me, I think…

Update: I think I saw the police bunny in Tiger and Bunny: The Beginning, which is interesting...

Golden Kamuy 20

A romance between Tanigaki and Inkarmat was definitely not what I was expecting from this show…

Apparently a beach rose fruit is also known as a rosehip.

Interestingly, Wilk’s facial scars look a lot like Sugimoto’s…

I’m laughing so hard! How the heck did they manage to transition from something so serious (for the plot, i.e. discussing Wilk) to the men suddenly doing sumo??? This show never fails to amaze me in the most stupid ways and I love it.

Ah. An aphrodisiac. (I know what that means.) So that’s what that “sumo” was...

“My name is Asirpa. You killed my father. Prepare to die!”…or something like that.

Zombieland Saga 9

Maskutchi: "Maskutchi likes to learn, but it can be cranky and a little mean at times. It has the unnerving habit of staring at you from dark corners." (Geez, I sound like a Pokedex…and this Maskutchi description reminds me of Saki…kind of.)

Apparently there are a bunch of different Tenmangu shrines…so I can’t tell you which one it is. There’s a big one in Dazaifu and one in Osaka…but that’s all you can really learn from one Google.

This Kashima dance reminds me of Tsuritama’s Enoshima dance. Makes me wanna say, “E-no-shima DON!” Hahaha.

I turned on the music to listen to how the Kashima dance goes, then I hear the rock music for the biker babes…whoo-he. That’s some serious rock!

What number leader is Saki? 2nd?

The “?!” gets me…every time.

I assume the pottery the girls are holding comes from the places listed, huh?

Min…wha? Oh, min zi cau dan (minchi)! I love that stuff! I eat it for takeaway dinners sometimes. Gyorokke, on the other hand, appears to be a Saga-specific fried delicacy.

Playing chicken…why do I get the feeling I should know this already? After all, this game is part of game theory and mutual assured destruction…sounds like my kinda thing, y’know?

Is this…Zombieland Saga’s themes?! Facing your past by not fearing death anymore! The undead nature of the idol industry! It’s gonna live with us for a long, long while, ain’t it?!

Wai-waiwaiwait! Don’t die again, Saki!

I expected a slap…but then again, this is Saki’s crew. We’re gonna get another punch whether we like it or not…

That was all a pun on yoroshiku and how, with complicatd kanji, you can get a weird mixture of words including “death” and “bitterness”.

Oh, it’s a No Game No Life pun! I love those, especially because Tower Records’s (anime store) slogan is No Anime No Life so they do things like “No Boueibu No Life” and it’s great!

This episode was a nice parallel to last week’s…I mean, a girl dealing with her dad and a girl dealing with her mother. But it’s nice to remember girls, both living and dead, kick some real butt!

Merc Storia 8

This is just a Mean Girls AU…harpy version. Kind of.

Oh…great. It’s a musical episode…

Why the heck is Lupie a master of tap dancing, anyways…?

I swear I fall for one male side character per Merc Storia episode! This time it’s Lupie!

How did Yuu, Toto and Merc learn Antel’s name??? Update: Wait, it must’ve been Voicia speaking…

Oh…my…goodness! What did Antel do to himself?! (Ah, it makes my transformation-loving heart go doki doki for sure!) I didn’t believe he was a Diva, but…here we are. By the way, if you’re wondering why I don’t collect my husbandos in the game…I don’t want to get Bluestacks again and my phone runs out of space a lot, even though I have a storage card…

I know that singing voice! I just know it! It’s…Takuma Terashima, I think? Update: Nope, it’s Kento Itou. Hmm…he has a nice singing voice! Lupie is Kengo Kawanishi and Yoko Hikasa did triple roles as Voicia, Forna and Serena. The songs are called “The Patricio I Adore” (Akogare no Patricio, Forna’s song), “It’s My Voice” (Watashi no Koe Da, Voicia’s song) and “As Your Oath Decrees” (Chikai no Mama ni, Antel’s song). The songs were composed by Kohta Yamamoto, who also composed the songs for Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga.

You can see the kirin…er, Fokeiron…in the ending credits.

SSSS.Gridman 9

Hmm…the unsettling feel of this show makes this replay with Akane in Rikka’s place feel like a horro movie…

“Aplil” (sic).

Sevendarake…it’s Mandarake and 7-11 in one!

“Sea” = Tokyo Disney Sea.

For some reason, this entire Gridman episode smacks of this quote: “Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a fluttering butterfly. What fun he had, doing as he pleased! He did not know he was Zhou. Suddenly he woke up and found himself to be Zhou. He did not know whether Zhou had dreamed he was a butterfly or a butterfly had dreamed he was Zhou. Between Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction. This is what is meant by the transformation of things.” But I don’t know too much on philosophy, so I’ll leave the debating up to the experts…

Golden Kamuy 21

This blind guy here reminds me of Takezou Ryuuzouji (Planet With)…hmm…

I cracked up laughing when I saw Sugimoto was still wearing his hat in the hot spring…heh.

The mushroom in front of Tanigaki’s naughty bits was…really symbolic, LOL.

“Sorry to interrupt your fun, but we should go.” – LOL…

Why’d they censor Shiraishi and Sugimoto, but have zero idea to censor Cikapasi???

Oh! I read on Golden Kamuy Central that a guy gets stickmen drawn using his moles…this is it! It’s Private Usami’s moles.

Zombieland Saga 10

For some reason I feel like this is going to need a second season to make its plot work properly…

Lord of the Flies, girl zombie version.

Nijino Matsubara.

I get the vibe Tatsumi and Yuugiri are talking about Sakura like she’s their child…but that’s part of the joke, right? Right???

“Be careful around traffic.” – Heh…heh…between Junko and Sakura’s traffic incidents, I think we know why that’s so funny…and now I’m immune to the Truck-kun joke. Thanks a lot (sarcastic).