#…this is NOT another way of torturing Hakon. not ONLY another way.

[dicktat]

Everybody is talking about evil/renegade Aiden. But what about renegade Mia. A monster just as fierce as her brother, she-renegade with animalistic traits of a wolf. Tortured by disease and filled with justified rage, she fights and kills alongside her beloved feral brother🖤🖤🖤

[oliviainjapann]

May 12th- Hakone Day Trip

Today started off super early once again. The journey to Hakone was actually insane. We began by taking two train rides, then switched to a cable car, then took a gondola. The views along the way were impeccable though, and I was really appreciating the nature around me. Seeing the mountains and the lush forests were so beautiful. The checkpoint that we got to see was interesting and gave us an idea of what it was like during the Edo period. The gondola ride to the top of the mountains was very cool, and we got to see Mount Fuji. I thought the sulfur eggs were interesting and it was cool to see how many products in the shop revolved around the eggs. Lunch was alright, but it did the trick. Then it was time for the pirate ship. I didn’t really understand why there was a pirate ship to bring us to the other side of the lake, and honestly I was so cold on the deck and the wind was blowing so hard I thought I was going to be swept into the water. The views were very beautiful though I must say. We did have to walk up many stairs and long paths to get to the actual shrine, and it was so cold and windy that I was dying. The shrine was very beautiful, and I got a charm for traffic safety for my car and a pretty one for good health for my mom. Then came the worst part of the day: waiting for what felt like hours to take a photo in front of the famous Tori gates on the water. I was freezing and so tired and moody, but we persevered and got the group photo. I’m now currently on the journey back to the hotel. We were only able to get 7-11 snacks for dinner while we waited for the train to come because so many places were closed, and I don’t know how many more tuna and mayo onigiris I can consume. They are amazing, but I think I’ve had one every day and I’m starting to feel ill. I miss salads and vegetables in America. I’m going to have to go on a detox when I get back home tbh. Idk how the Japanese stay so fit and skinny. Anyways, I’m defrosting now on this train and will possibly be getting some more food once we get back with my friends.

Academic Reflection

The reading for today prepared me well to see the physical checkpoint replica in our first stop of the day. I thought it was an interesting and disturbing concept to learn about how the checkpoints worked and what they were made for. For one, they were used to keep the daimyo’s wives inside, and two, keep guns out. The daimyo did not want their wives following them when they would travel to Edo, the capital. They needed to travel in order to prevent uprisings from occurring. What was sad to learn was that by keeping the wives inside, they ensured the wives would stay faithful, however the daimyo were not so much. I see so many parallels between the themes shown during this period of time and even now, with double standards and women not having the same freedoms. I’m grateful we don’t have these checkpoints any more, but there’s definitely work to do.

Also, another interesting part of the exhibit was of the three instruments used for torture that the samurai’s would use in order to maintain order within the walls of the city. They appeared very dangerous and scary, and clearly this was the effect that the samurai wanted to have on the commoners. There were many uprising within the cities too due to a low quality of life, including high prices of goods and taxes, and these instruments ensures control over the masses. This made me really appreciate the life that I live now. I cannot imagine the difficulties that commoners had to go through, not just in Japan, but around the world. The pain was unbearable, and it is sad to see the reality we live in and the inhumanity that some people possess.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 12/26/17

Absolute Duo, Vol. 2 | By Shinichirou Nariie, Takumi Hiragiboshi, and You Asaba | Seven Seas – I gave this one more volume, but last time I said that if you didn’t realize there was another released you’d barely care, and if anything I was understating it. Most of the volume consists of the class fighting against each other, showing off their various cool moves. Of course, it all ends up with the characters we’re familiar with facing each other, and the introverted busty girl turns out to have a sword as large as her chest. The trouble is that there are so many other series coming out with magical schools, including many with only one major male character, and this does not have anything that lets it stand out above the pack. The definition of ‘meh.’ – Sean Gaffney

Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Vol. 12 | By Ark Performance | Seven Seas – Most of this volume is dedicated to trying to take out Kongou, the arrogant blonde warship on the cover who sees herself as invincible and whose fate is therefore almost pre-determined. Again, we see the value in not only treating the mental models as real beings with values and feelings, but also trusting others—Iona wins as she trusts the humans on her crew to do things for her so that she can concentrate on this. Even the two chibis who were captured last time, whose names I still can’t really remember, are able to see this and compare it to their own side. That said, Iona does make them wear tracksuits as punishment, so it’s clear that the good guys torture too. An excellent mecha series. – Sean Gaffney

Flying Witch, Vol. 4 | By Chihiro Ishizuka | Vertical Comics – Um… cute! Fluffy! More cute! Seriously, some series I don’t have enough to say about for full reviews, but Flying Witch may be the first series that I genuinely enjoy but don’t even have enough to say for a Bookshelf Brief. Sometimes the focus is magical, as when Makoto meets up with her bike-riding senpai for a status report, or befriends a pokemon-like creature on the beach. And sometimes it’s pure high school slice-of-life, as when they all make lunch in home ec class… and forget to cook the rice. My favorite chapter may have been the apple-picking, which was filled with amusing sight gags and lots of cuteness. There is no plot and no character development, but Flying Witch remains light fun. Very light. – Sean Gaffney

Golden Kamuy, Vol. 3| By Satoru Noda | Viz Media – Everything I said about the second volume applies here. There’s quite a bit of nasty gore, including intestines being used in ways they probably shouldn’t be, much killing of animals, a whole lot of urine and feces, etc. There is also a large amount of what amounts to early 20th century Ainu recipes, as we learn the finer arts of how to kill and eat various animals in the wild. Fortunately, there is also some light relief this time around, coming from some very eccentric side characters, as well as our heroes getting drunk on sake, with all that that entails. I’m still not sure where Golden Kamuy is going with its treasure map, but as long as it has fun characters and delicious (if sometimes gross) food, I’ll keep reading. – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 27 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – So for about two-thirds of the volume, I wondered if Ohtaka was really going to pretend that she had killed off Alibaba after all, as well as sent Judar! Into! Spaaaaaaaace! But not quite, as we now have the separate adventures of Judar and a sort of… Alibaba toy… fighting aliens on another planet. Which is probably for the best, as it puts them away from the war that begins in this volume. The best part of the book is the growth, painful though it is, of Aladdin, who has to come to terms with the fact that Hakuryu is likely correct. “I may be unhappy… but I don’t want YOU to decide how I live.” The fact that it’s done sympathetically makes it even worse, and Aladdin has a lot to think about. Next time: war! – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 27 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | VIZ Media – Despite appearances from last volume’s cliffhanger, Hakuryu actually won his duel with Alibaba, as the latter has had his soul banished to another dimension by Hakuryu’s new djinn. That’s certainly dramatic enough, but Aladdin’s victory over Judar is even more chilling—he casts a permanent spell on him that causes him to continue moving in the same direction forever, “no matter what objects he strikes or what damage he takes.” Cool! Part of me sincerely wishes both of these deeds were allowed to stick, but oh well. I can’t say I am sad to see Alibaba’s spirit and Judar reunited on an alien world. Meanwhile, war is brewing and it’s looking mighty intense. I am already looking forward to one day undertaking a marathon reread of Magi. I suspect it’ll be even more potent when consumed without interruption. – Michelle Smith

Re:Monster, Vol. 3 | By Kogitsune Kanekiru and Haruyoshi Kobayakawa| Seven Seas – I suspect that the readers of Re: Monster fall into two categories: young teenage boys who want masturbation fodder, and older boys (at least at heart) who want to laugh out loud at the pure ridiculousness of this power fantasy. Everything in this volume is the same as the last two, only MORE. Mi becomes a hot dhampir (complete with spectacles, to make her even more of a Rider ripoff), Kichi and E hook up in the most muscley romance ever, the redheaded swordsman eats monster meat and thus also starts gaining weird abilities (and oral skills), and this remains the most hilariously NOT T-for-Teen series Seven Seas has ever released. Recommended if you’re shameless or a young teenage boy. – Sean Gaffney

Say “I Love You,” Vol. 18 | By Kanae Hazuki | Kodansha Comics – Sometimes shoujo series end by simply connecting all the dots, and that’s what happens in this final volume. The hooked up couples get married or have kids (or both), Megumi finally returns to Japan and gets decent work again (and a boyfriend, possibly, though that’s going to take a lot longer than just a pat ending can deliver), and everyone is happy and content. I’ll admit it, it seemed a bit too pat for me at times, but after eighteen volumes of a whole lot of angst, I am willing to see everyone here smiling and married off. This was one of the first Dessert series to be licensed, along with My Little Monster, and we now have a flood of titles from that magazine, so it was a trailbalazer. I’ll miss it. – Sean Gaffney

Yowamushi Pedal, Vol. 7 | By Wataru Watanabe | Yen Press – The end of day one of the Inter-High is in sight! With only two kilometers to go, Imaizumi must help propel Kinjou to the finish line, and struggles mightily to stay even with his counterpart from Hakone. But just as the two aces make their break, who should appear (in a very effective two-page spread) but super-creepy Midousuji, who has saved his energy for this moment! What ensues is a three-way battle for first place, in which you get sequential panels with dialogue like, “Haauuughh!!,” “Rarrrrgh!!,” and “Haaargh!!” All of the racing stuff is exciting, of course, but my favorite moments were Hakone’s Toudou being really complimentary to Onoda, Makishima worrying about his teammates, and Onoda’s insistence on day two that he is not going to leave a struggling Tadokoro behind. I’m sad I have to wait until April for more! – Michelle Smith

By: Michelle Smith

[newtypezaku]

P-P-P-Power Rankings!!

Yowamushi Pedal: Next Generation (Last: 2): Onoda suffered under several weights: the loss of Makishima when he felt he still had more to learn, the pressure of being the Inter-High champion, and the simple difficulty of getting used to his new bike. He wasn't exactly in top condition for his first race with the new team, which could be good or bad with a Hakone spy in the pack.

Gintama (Last: 3): With Utsuro's true identity revealed, the various rebel forces assembled a fleet to reach a rally point at Rakuyo. Odd Jobs, the Joi Rebels, Kiheitai, Kaientai... It would have been convenient if Nobu Nobu had crushed them in orbit as planned, but against the veterans of the Joi War, neither he nor the crew of his flagship could last more than a few seconds.

MSG Iron-Blooded Orphans (Last: 4): Jasley advised Iok to attack the Turbines as a way of weakening Tekkadan, and Iok started by seizing their trade routes and planting a treaty-controlled railgun on a shipping vessel. Naze recalled his past with Amida, the foundation of their group, and fended off questions from a panicked Orga before riding into battle against Gyallarhorn alone.

Tiger Mask W (Last: 1): Following the Masked World Tournament, fans largely abandoned GWM, forcing Miss X to rethink her plan to conquer the Japanese market. Tiger Mask, it seemed, was the only answer. Elsewhere, Takuma elected to join Hell in the Hole to win another shot at Yellow Devil, and Ruriko decided to accept a new job with the Max Dome's medical staff.

Onihei (Last: NR): After being arrested and tortured, thief Kumehachi learned from the chief, Hasegawa Heizo, that a man named Tanbei claimed responsibility for a recent string of sinister murder-robberies. Knowing his former boss to be more honorable, Kumehachi volunteered to help arrest the imposter... who turned out to be the real thing. Kumehachi maintained that he was an imposter for his own sake.

Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Arc (Last: 6): The gang arrived in Kyoto and immediately started relief work at the Suguro family's inn, which was set up as a makeshift field hospital. Rin learned more about Suguro's family and met his father, who was derided as a good-for-nothing. Uwabami, a senior priest at the Kyoto branch and longtime associate of Suguro's, had some ideas about who was trying to awaken the Impure King.

Dragon Ball Super (Last: 5): Cocoa's practice was part of Barry's plan to break up Gohan's family, but after talking about their mutual insecurities, she decided it wasn't worth it. An enraged and frustrated Barry was possessed by the space criminal Watagash, granting him superpowers which he used to kidnap Pan and chalenge Gohan to a fight. One Super Saiyan transformation later...

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju (Last: 7): Yotaro expected a happier life following his promotion and Konatsu's acceptance of his proposal to be a family, but the media dug up his yakuza past and the pressure of succeeding drove him into a slump. His exasperated master, in the meantime, felt age getting the best of him but was depressed by his inability to die.

Aiming for eight each week cuz eighters gonna eight. Full watch lists: [Animu][Dramu]