#understand that what i say is from a neutral perspective as a longtime fan. my takes are rooted in objectivity and flavored with familiarit

[saltomortal]

well gang. i finally got to see a franz ferdinand concert live the other night and boy do i have thoughts about alex kapranos

(the concert was very awesome btw!!!!! i had a lot of fun and i got to meet and get pics with the members afterwards so i had a great time lol dont get me wrong)

[shellfish-honkon]

Perfume: English Translation of the Interview on Ongaku to Hito 2018.09 (vol.2)

Vol. 2 

A personal interview for Kashiyuka

Interview: Kashiyuka  

Since I've been through so many things until here, I feel like I'm invincible, or I'm not scared of anything, I should say.  I simply enjoy the present time so much, LOL!

- First thing first, can I ask you about your impression of the album?

K: I was surprised by the very bright atmosphere.  When I received the master sound source, he wrote a message to us saying "First, I would like you to listen the whole album without looking at the music order.  Do not read the music order before you listen"

 - I guess he wanted you to face the album as neutrally as you can.

K: Moreover, "Listen through the audio system of the highest quality you can get. No PC is allowed"

 - So he was pretty particular about the acoustic elements.

K: And furthermore, "If you don't have a nice audio system, then don't listen to it", LOL!!  I thought like, hey what kind of sound source is that?  I was surprised that Nakata-san said things like that.

 - If I were told things like that, I would feel pretty nervous when I press play, LOL!!

K: I hadn't received any requests or orders like that before, so I thought "I see, this is something"  I was pretty conscious when I took the first listen.

 - I know, you must have been very curious what would the complete album be like.

K: Therefore, I started listening without reading anything.  So I didn't know he put an instrument track "Start-Up" for the 1st song.  The moment I listened to it, I felt as if I started to walk toward a new world, just like the beginning of a story of a fairy tale.  I was so thrilled by that.

 - I know what you mean.  Unlike the 1st tracks of your last albums, it doesn't have that magnificent kind of atmosphere.

K: Then, what came next was "Future Pop"  I was pretty surprised like "What? Did he bring this for the 2nd track?"  But when I listened to it, I felt so glad that I was moved to tears.  In the past, I had goosebumps when I listened to a cool song, or got moved when I listened to a song that made me wistful inside.  But for this time, I somehow felt delightful. I felt as if I was told "You'll have bright future waiting for you from now on"

 - That might be true.  Personally, this album seems to cuddle to the past and the future of Perfume.

K: The world view of "COSMIC EXPLORER" was full of powerfulness and a sense of tension of breaking new ground in uncharted universe and future.  It was so magnificent, you know?

 - And it could be identified with Perfume of that era.  It seemed as if the album encouraged the 3 of you who were about to step into an unknown world, including the world tour.

K: This album is totally opposite of that magnificence.  It's so soft and gentle, and filled with happiness, I felt.

 - That's true.  It might be close to a view the 3 of you watching right now.  The lyrics are pretty real and it seems as if it's for the girls who are about to reach the next big-zero, or the start of the new chapter I should say...

K: Aha, you're talking about us turning 30's? LOL!!

 - ...It seems as if it tells these ladies like "You've come this far, and you can go even further from now on"

K: Yeah, and I'm so glad about that.  If you listen to each singles separately, you can sense that coolness and wistfulness. But when you listen to the whole album, even those songs are dragged to the bright world view this album possesses.

 - That's what is different from the magnificence of "COSMIC EXPLORER"

K: I felt as if the album lightly ran through us without losing its brightness at all.

 - The other thing I noticed, the number of sounds used in the album is pretty limited, right?

K: Yes.  Moreover, in some parts of the tracks, some nostalgic sounds are used.  You can tell if you listen to new tracks recorded in the album.  If you are a longtime fan who knows old Perfume songs, the sounds used behind the melodies would make you feel like "Oh, it sounds kinda nostalgic"  And for younger generations on the other hand, it might sound as a new sound.

 - I thought Nakata-san sent Perfume a message on that point as well.

K: When we started to perform Techno Pop for the first time, all we could say about the music was "It sounds like a sound of video games"  But after experiencing so many things, now I feel nostalgic and my heart twinges when I listen to this kind of sound.  Somehow I can feel warmth within the sound.

 - And you feel it in digital sounds that are supposed to be impersonal and cold, right?

K: Exactly. It's strange, but really amazing.

 - In "Future Pop", you sing "The future is bright"  But in the album, the path you 3 have walked is also illustrated, not only the future.  That might be the reason you felt so.

K: Soundly accepting our past when we move forward, rather than cutting it off, I see.  So for me, this album is pretty close to "Reframe" we performed the other day. Reconstructing the elements we have possessed for a long time and adding our latest elements into them to create something new.  I really, really enjoy doing it.

 - Wow, you sound so confident.

K: How should I say...?  Since I've been through so many things until here, I feel like I'm invincible, or I'm not scared of anything, I should say.  I simply enjoy the present time so much, LOL!

 - LOL! I know that's the mindset you 3 have right now.  So let me dare to ask you, what's the difference between the present and the past?

K: In the past, everything was a challenge for us.  And we also had a stronger sense of vocation and pressure to be accepted and get more people to listen to our music.  But now, we have arrived at the state of mind like "If people with whom we can understand each other understand us, we're just happy"

 - But does that mean you go defensive and play it safe?

K: Oh, I don't think so.  It's pretty difficult to update a vivid impression of a thing you felt when you met it for the very first time, no matter what you met.  It's same for us and people might get confused to see us doing something different from ourselves of that time.  And some people would definitely feel that our music doesn't fit their taste anymore.  I also feel things like that toward other bands sometimes.  But in any field, you just can't keep doing the same stuff and you've got to make changes.  I'd like to create something that we can proudly say "This is what we enjoy most and makes us happy", even if our change is not accepted.  I'd like to tell that to others and it would be my pleasure if we could understand each other.

 - Extremely speaking, you prefer sharing deep understandings with people who have love for Perfume, rather than getting unstable acceptance from many and unspecified audiences?

K: Hmm..., maybe?  I'm not sure. I feel really strange.  As you know, we've been working for a long time since we were young and back then, we thought the longer we continued our activities, the bigger our anxiety would grow.  We also believed that it would get more and more difficult to import elements of newer generations while maintaining our original policies at the same time, but actually we find it's getting less and less difficult to do so. We had never imagined us greeting like "3 of us together, we are Perfume!" at the age of almost 30 years old, but we actually do it, LOL!!

 - LOL!!

K: It's getting more and more fun.  Even if what we do get old, we think we can present the fun of the oldness.

 - That means you think you don't necessarily have to be cutting-edge?

K: People around us can judge whether we're cutting-edge or not, LOL!!  Now we can proudly express "What we enjoy most, what gets us excited most right now is this!"

 - In the early days, I saw you struggling to meet the expectation of the surrounding, rather than pursuing what you'd like to do?

K: We don't have that kind of difficulties anymore nowadays.  It would be our pleasure if we could get more people to listen to our music and we would love to meet the expectations.  But our feeling behind it is more like "We'd like to make your life bright with our music", rather than "We'd like to get more people to love our music"  So, it's more like we'd like to cuddle to everyone's lives, not that we'd like everyone to understand us.

 - Now I see that your perspective has changed.  This is something I told you in the joint interview, the girls in the MV...

K: Oh, you mean "Let Me Know"?

 - Yes, exactly.  In that MV, there are small girls who look like the projections of your old selves. It indicates that you're already in a position to pass something onto those people.

K: Like, this is how we have been through until now, and I believe you can do it, too, right? It's our pleasure if I could be a little help for those people..., hey, isn't it amazing that I can say things like this?  LOL!! Wow, people can change!  LOL!!

 - Yeah, I've heard you saying like that for recent 3 years, LOL!!

K: Right. So, it's never too late in whatever you do.  Nothing can get started if you just give up and say things like "This is who I am so..."  And once you get started, you'll notice a more important thing.

 - The more important thing?

K: Yes, once you get noticed about that, you can start to think things more lightly like "Alright, let's just give it a try!" even the things you feel pressure and anxiety to do and hesitate to try.

 - Hmm, that's true.

K: I thought I was a kind of person who lacked an ability to take action, and was nervous and tended to get distressed over so many things.  But recently, my friends tell me like "You know what, Yuka-chan?  You're pretty active", LOL!

 - LOL!

K: Yeah, and I actually became more active.  For example, last year I heard my friends talking "On this weekend, I'm going to go and ride on a drift ice", and I immediately went like "Ah, I'm free on this weekend!  I wanna go, so, I will go, too!" LOL!!  I've gained the instantaneous force, or activeness I should say, to follow a friend who is up to something I can never imagine doing.  Taking fancy ideas like that into action can make your life more enjoyable.

 - Such attitude might influence your mindset toward Perfume, I guess.

K: It did, actually, in a good way.  Now I don't take things too seriously.  After my teenage and 20's, the big 3-zero is just ahead of me right now.  Since I've spent my most sensitive ages working on a job like this, I have a tons of anxieties and sorrows I felt in those days. But now I feel all of them were beneficial for me and none of them were a waste.

 - That's so true.

K: When I look back from now, I can understand that A-chan and Nocchi were feeling the same back then.  But the time helped us forgive each other and we become even closer than we used to be. I really love the 2, not only their good part but including everything such as tough things and sad memories. As we had so many obstacles to get over, we became much closer now and the bonds between us became much stronger.

 - I feel your growth like that is projected to this album.  As if it's trying to tell us what you have been doing has not been mistaken.

K: I feel this brightness the album possesses is the answer for it.  I'm really delightful if Nakata-san actually senses that.

 - From my point of view, Nakata-san always senses things like that.

K: Isn't that amazing?  We only meet when we have recording or the meeting for the album releases.  We never see each other unless the CD release or recording is confirmed.  But still, he sensitively gets a scent of each members or the changes of Perfume. He must be genius!

 - That's simply because of his pure love, I believe.

K: He started to explain his music by words more and more, like he did when we released "If you wanna"  Now I believe he regards us as people who can communicate, LOL!!  In the early days, we were like "We won't miss any single word coming out of his mouth!!!", LOL!!  But recently, he speaks us more about music and I think that's because now we can have casual conversations.

 - That means you became a grownup.

K: I guess I took one step toward the grownup.  Now I don't think about "I wanna be a grownup, I don't wanna be a grownup" and things like that.  I felt "Ah, I actually became a grownup" since I quit categorizing things as "child" and "grownup"

 - I see.

I realize my motivation in life is to be needed by others, regardless whether they're children or grownups.  If I'm wanted, I can work harder for it.  So, it's like, now Perfume doesn't belongs to the 3 of us alone.  Perfume is more like a living system we create with various people, LOL!!

 - LOL!! A living system named Perfume!

K: Therefore, each one of them affects Perfume and helps it transform.  Though it might be the 3 of us who announce ourselves as Perfume, it is the living system created by our staffs we've worked with, our fans, friends and so many other people, LOL!!

 - And it will transform itself by taking the feelings of so many people into considerations, I see.

K: Even things like that are not definite.  Now it's becoming something without fixed shapes or styles.  And that's exactly why I feel we can do anything now.

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[your-lady-star]

Revealing the Star: Caring Conqueror Corrin

I can’t think of any character that has caused people to become so split on opinions quite the same way Corrin has. I find that there are only two camps when it comes to opinions on him. There are those that see him as the worst lord to ever come out of Fire Emblem, others see him as a misunderstood character that gets way too much slack. I’ve yet to see anyone who would describe their thoughts on him as “Eh, he’s okay”. Well, I’m here to represent the positive camp, as Corrin easily stands as one of my favorite video game protagonist. And this whole analysis will not only serve to show why I think that, but to also offer some perspective to those who don’t see why.

I think one of the biggest aspects that lead me to loving Corrin all hinges on one aspect of his character. No, not his draconic blood, not his God dragon ancestor, not even his incredible cuteness (although that’s a huge plus). No, I’m a Corrin fan because he is Fire Emblem’s

1 and only inexperienced ruler.

One thing that I find really holds me back from becoming invested in a character that has a lot of experience is that I always know that they are going to have a solution to the problem. They know how to handle tough situations and can handle any problem with ease. But because of that, we never see them grow and learn from these experiences. They only show how great they are, not how great they can become. It’s hard to root for them and anticipate how they will come out on top.

Corrin is the different case.

He doesn’t have any experience or practice with how to be a proper ruler. Yes, he knows how to defend himself, but things such as tactical planning, strategic thinking, political correctness and efficient means to create equality are aspects that he isn’t fully knowledgeable of. Being completely sheltered his whole life, only being given the bare bones info on how to survive, with no intentions of ever being let outside left a much greater impact on him. He may be grown, but he has a teenagers undertsanding of the world.

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to change.

Corrin has made it plainly clear that while he refuses to change the person he is, he knows that there are some things about his methods and actions that need to change. He is always open to learning new things and wanting to grow as not only a leader, but as a person. And lucky for him, he has

2 families to help show him the way.

Family is easily one of the best ways to learn how to become a better person, and because Corrin has so many siblings, he has plenty of different influences from him to grow from. Each of them can teach him different things; leadership, efficiency, morale decisions, conflicting choices, tactical battle planning, even simply becoming braver. Each of them play a part in his growth because they aren’t afraid to tell him when some parts of him need to change. Even if they never force him to change, it’s obvious that he’s taking their words to heart and is slowly working to change himself. But they also show him the parts of him that are his strongest points. Particularly, his loving heart and ability to find the good in anyone. His unwavering kindness and lack of judgement of anyone regardless of who or what they are is what helps him to inspire others, enlightened them, set them on a different path. He has the ability to save others. And looking through all his supports, I found the

3 people who Corrin has saved.

All of which are neutral characters. Hmm.

These three characters practically owe Corrin their lives. His influence on them is the sole reason why they are still alive and are the people they are.

Had it not been for Corrin standing up for him and slowly training him, there's no telling what would have happened to Jakob. He was abandoned by his family and was the most incompetent butler around, something that Garon likely wouldn’t want to put up with for too long. Corrin’s determination and empathy for him is what inspired him to get better, going from the worst servant to live to the best in all of Castle Krakenburg. They share one of the best connections between lord and retainer because of the history behind them and how they came to be so close.

Something that also translates perfectly to Corrin’s bond with Kaze.

I’ve already talked in detail before about how Corrin’s kidnapping left a tremendous wound on Kaze and his self confidence. A wound that wouldn’t be healed for a long time. But they took the first step to mending it by cementing their bond between lord and retainer. With Kaze now in a position where it’s his job to protect Corrin, he is now able to make up his past mistake on a daily basis and Corrin can always reassure him that he’s anything but a failure.

Corrin and Shura are a different case. They don’t have any longtime history or connection; the first time they meet in the the games is the very time they ever see each other. Yet despite the short time they have together, Corrin has spent every moment trying to make Shura feel better about himself. Whether it be giving him the hope to continue to pursue his goal or reaching out to others to no longer remain in isolation, Corrin has done everything he can to help him, to show him that you shouldn’t let the past hold you down and prevent you from having a future.

Corrin has shown himself to not only be quite the guardian, but also pretty influential. All of it can be summed up in his level 40 conversation in Heroes:

“We’ve spent so much time together, I’m uneasy when you’re not around. I’ve felt...overprotected my whole life, so it’s a strange feeling to want to do it myself. I’d like to keep you where I can see you, but people would call me overprotective. Heh. You are obviously essential to the realm’s defence, so it’s natural to protect you, I suppose. I guess I’m saying we’ve got your back, so don’t worry about what path to choose. Just keep going.”

This whole conversation complete sums up why Corrin is the way he is. He’s someone who’s been isolated, yet cherished with constant love. He’s been given the encouragement to move forward and make his own path in life. And if Heroes Corrin is meant to be post Revelations Corrin, than it shows he understands that even when a problem is faced with only two choices, it doesn’t mean they’re the only two options. Unlike most of the other lords, he’s seen the harsher sides of life and wasn’t nearly as pampered. So when he speaks out to others and tells them how there’s always a chance for growth, he’s speaking from experience and makes his words more impactful. He can promise the good and warn about the bad.

And boy has he experienced the bad side of things. He’s had the dark side of war drilled into him through his unfortunate

4-time heartbreak.

War has always taught us one major thing; that we can’t expect to come out of every conflict without having lost something. Sometimes you need to give something in order to earn something, and the things you have to give up won’t always be simple little hand me downs that you can easily bear to part with. And in the case of war, you’re going to have to give up lifes. And Corrin has had to give up a lot of lives.

The death of siblings in the separate routes. Watching his mother give up her life to save his. Being forced to eliminate the kitsune or wolfskin out of survival. And watching his dear friend and unknown sister Lilith protect him from certain death.

All of these deaths left a tremendous impact on him, and for two main reasons.

For one, he held a personal responsibility for each one, whether because they gave up their lives for him or he had to be the one to take them away himself. And second, all these deaths are of people he was close to. Watching someone die is painful enough on its own, but when the person who dies is someone that you’re close to, it’s a pain worse than anything. Corrin cherishes the bonds he’s formed with his family and friends more than anything, so it’s no surprise that when they break, it leaves an intense toll on him. He truly is lucky that in these moments he has so many others there to console him. Had Corrin had to face all these tragedies alone, he would have completely cracked. He strives to create a world where no one has to fear their untimely demise, so when he’s forced into a situation where he can’t do anything, he’s left completely powerless and questioning his abilities. These are the darkest moments for him, but they also serve as the moments where his conviction and determination shines through the most. He could’ve opted to completely ignore the words of the others in these moments, but instead he pushes forward and uses these tragedies as a means of reinvigorating himself and push himself harder to achieve his goals.

Because as much as he suffers in these games, I counted

5 big wins in Conquest alone.

These are the moments where he succeeded through his own methods, where his decisions and choices are put to the test and hold up.

Suppressing the Ice Tribe rebellion without taking any lives. Obtaining the Rainbow Sages power. Finally bringing justice to Kotaro’s selfish actions. Earning the respect and recognition of Fuga. And destroying the monster that drove Nohr into dismay and anguish.

The reason why he came out victorious in all these moments was because he stuck to his gun. He refused to be intimidated and stood for what he believed in, sometimes finding ways to resolve the issues by not resorting to the traditional means of solving problems in the Fire Emblem world.

And that’s what I think really separates people’s opinions on him.

Corrin isn’t meant to be a conventional character. He’s the most unique lord to come out of Fire Emblem. And those who come to like him not only are able to accept something new, but are willing to invest the time into learning more about him. Corrin is someone who requires time to completely understand him, if you judge based on just face value, you’re missing out on most of his character. But when you do look into him, you find that there is a lot to unpack. You find someone who not only inspires others to grow and better themselves, but uses every experience to grow himself and become a better person. Corrin still has some growing to do, to make up for all the time he missed out on being locked up in that castle, but he’s ready to face the challenges head on and make an example for everyone.

And I’m looking forward to seeing where the path of this prince will take him next.

Sources for art:

http://scottaphor.deviantart.com/art/NOHR-CORRIN-597738404

http://datnekoashe.deviantart.com/art/Fire-emblem-Fates-16-days-left-588241726

http://shyamiq.deviantart.com/art/FE-Fates-Corrin-578722078

http://sheepskin.storenvy.com/collections/477724-prints/products/16409733-corrin