#恋は世界征服のあとで

[a-titty-ninja]

[anime-cafeteria]

[hopeymchope]

“Love After World Domination” isn’t interested in its own damn premise

“Love After World Domination” isn’t a BAD manga/anime. It’s actually pretty good..... at what it chooses to do. 

It’s just that what it chooses to do is DEEPLY FRUSTRATING. Because it chooses to straight-up IGNORE ITS FUCKING PREMISE.

So here’s what I’m gonna do.

1) I’m going to briefly explain The Premise. 

2) Next, I’ll tell you What We Got Instead. Which will include details of the (minimal) ways in which they explored the premise before just giving the hell up and making this something that doesn’t need the base premise at all.

3) Finally, I invite you to Consider Other Possibilities. I’m essentially going to propose some ways they could’ve tried to dig into this premise without betraying the lighthearted, goofy nature of the show. This section here? This is basically fanfic corner.

THE PREMISE:

“Love After World Domination” is a romantic comedy in which a superhero and supervillain — both considered rising stars in their respective fields — somehow fall in love with one another over the course of repeated confrontations. They begin dating in secret, desperate not to let their respective teams know what they’re up to. And: Antics ensue.

To be more specific about our setup: We are in the realm of Sentai/Power Rangers parody here. Our hero is the team leader, the Red Ranger (a.k.a. Fudō). Our heroine is considered one of the most dangerous lieutenants for the enemy organization — the deadly Reaper Princess (a.k.a. Desumi).

Don’t let this gif make you think this an action show. It is absolutely not.

Who doesn’t love a story about star-crossed lovers, right? This is “enemies-to-lovers” at its absolute purest. I guess love really can bloom on the battlefield, Otacon!

Besides, a love story between a hero and villain is so much more than your typical kind of “star-crossed.” Imagine how much fun we can have watching their opposing goals and morals clash! That’s the entire core of the idea, right?! It’s like having a demon fall for an angel — it’s a notion that’s beautiful, poetic, and fascinating! The most powerful superhero on the side of good hooks up with the first lieutenant on the side of evil? That’s like, Captain Marvel and Ebony Maw falling in love in the middle of the Infinity War/Endgame crisis! (...or feel free to substitute Maw with Proxima Midnight if you prefer.)

Imagine how they might compromise on their individual desires in funny/entertaining ways because they care more about one another than they do about their roles, which gradually makes them (either one - or both!) understand the other side of the conflict better. Maybe they gradually drift to becoming centrists in the fight, or maybe one slowly drifts to the opposite side. Or... maybe we could get some serious, dramatic interludes amongst all the comedy wherein they must confront just how disparate their individual ethics really are, then question whether the relationship is worth it. Hey, I usually enjoy when a series tries to juggle multiple shifting tones! And I think it only enhances a comedy when you can make the emotions underneath the goofiness carry real weight. 

HOWEVER...

The show isn’t interested in exploring a romantic relationship between a hero and a villain. It can barely give a single, solitary fuck about that concept.

WHAT WE GOT INSTEAD:

The relationship between Fudō and Desumi is treated exactly like any other story where the people dating are all “Oh no, my peers/family would so greatly disapprove of this!” They might as well be from competing business or opposing families. They might as well be from the Montagues and the Capulets. They could be Vision and Wanda, for god’s sake. Desumi, the goddamn Reaper Princess, could just as easily be ANY teenage girl who’s trying to date a person of color while dealing a super-racist father.

Although the “hide the significant other” game can be fun in and of itself, that’s... not the promise of the setup. It’s part of the promise, I suppose, but as I said, there are plenty of stories that do that already in various genres. The interesting thing is the thing that’s the most unique - the fact that they’re on opposite sides of an ongoing super-powered conflict. 

I mean, SURE, when the series begins, they’re forced to still pretend to be fighting one another whenever they meet up on the battlefield. Right from the jump — indeed, the first scene of the first ep! — we find our characters in the first stages of their relationship and trying to get some time alone together in the midst of a battle. We quickly learn that they both have basically zero dating experience this before point, and they’re researching such things online to figure out what they’re supposed to be doing — very cute. One of the hero’s teammates comes over the ridge unexpectedly while our couple is hanging out, which requires them to suddenly act as though their date is actually a brutal battle.

This stuff is fun. And we get flashbacks to the development of the relationship that are equally fun. The bits with them acting as though they’re enemies while in public yet simultaneously managing to secretly plan dates or compliment one another? Like I said — best material in the series. 

So naturally, that is all abandoned after two friggin’ episodes.

The only other way the concept is ever explored is through (so far, as of episode eight) just two one-second comedic exchanges. Both of which boil down to: Desumi says she’ll solve a problem by killing someone, and then Fudō quickly interjects to remind her that she REALLY shouldn’t do that. And the whole KILLING PEOPLE subject is instantly dropped, with neither of them discussing the fact that... Desumi wants to murder people and claims she’s quite good at it? And Fudō is clearly (and naturally) extremely anti-murder? So like, how do they square those two approaches between one another? 

.................................... Stop asking. It doesn’t matter. They’re not gonna talk about that.

In fact, Desumi is ultimately not even that evil to begin with! She’s a pure-hearted soul who is just trying to follow in her father’s footsteps by working in the field HE wanted for her. In fact, she didn’t even apply for this job! Her family applied FOR HER! So she’s never even been evil at all! 

She’s not invested in doing evil; she’s just naturally good at it. She can come up with evil plans totally by accident while pursuing wholesome goals. She loves her co-workers enough that she doesn’t intend to leave her position, but she simultaneously has no investment in or interest in the titular World Domination that her boss is pursuing. 

................which undercuts the core premise that was used to get us to come here in the first place.

The Series Asks: “How will two people from opposing sides of an ongoing battle make their star-crossed romance work?”

The Series Answers:

The majority of the series is simply “We’ll be in trouble if our friends/family find out!” and the cover-up antics that ensue. 

Plus SO FAR, THEY HAVE BEEN WRONG TO BE CONCERNED. Admittedly, I haven’t finished the story. (I’m 8.5 episodes into the anime, and I’m not sure whether I’ll go the distance with this.) But at this point, everybody who’s found out about it is totally in support of their relationship! And NOT ONE of them says “Hey, uh, how can you possibly date someone who’s... y’know... like that... ?” 

CONSIDER OTHER POSSIBILITIES:

If you’re like me, the very concept of this series immediately starts your mind racing with questions and possibilities. Straight away, I heard it and thought: “What happens when they meet and face off in public view during a battle? How do they manage to fall for each other while having diametrically opposed worldviews — and how will they confront each other and/or compromise over their conflicting moralities?”

The former question, I imagined, would be fairly easy to address even though it could still be fun to see it play out. I pondered, “Perhaps they could choreograph their combat or signal one another/quietly tell each other their moves, like professional wrestlers?” And check it out: Pretty early on, this idea was proven to be exactly how the series would deal with that issue.

I absolutely *nailed* this!

....but I think the latter question is where the real gold mine lays for comedic potential. Yes, REALLY! I understand that maybe you’re thinking “But this is a show about wacky hijinks which never confronts anything seriously.” But, although my suggestion may sound like fodder for drama, you can definitely just have FUN with it! 

Imagine our leads having to compromise on the most extreme elements of their personal moral compasses in order to make their relationship work. She could be like “I’ll stop murdering people if you stop reporting graffiti artists and jaywalkers to the police” or something. I mean, they’d obviously like each other so much in so many other ways that they’re both willing to work through/overlook their radical differences. That’s heartwarming, and it can also be legitimately funny.

Let me draft one possible example:

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Scenario: Our leads are on the phone together

Hero: Hey, are you free to have dinner tonight? I know it’s short notice, but-

Villain: *delighted* Oh, absolutely! As soon as I’m finished torturing the mayor for information, I can grab-

Hero: *interrupting* Uh, sweetie?

Villain: *realizing* Oh riiiiight. Right, right. *sheepishly* I... said I was gonna stop torturing people, didn’t I?

Hero: *firmly* You did.

Villain: *whining* But it’s so fuuuuuuun...

Hero: *gently* Come on now, honey. We’re both trying to compromise, remember?

Villain: I know, I know. I promise that I’m trying to do better, ok? Old habits just die hard, haha! *murmuring* -and so does the mayor.

Hero: *laughing good-naturedly* I get it, really. Do you think it’s been easy for me to just stand by and try to ignore your public acts of property destruction?

Villain: *grumbling* Kinda seems easy...

Hero: It’s really not! I’m supposed to stand up for truth and justice and all the other stuff! At the end of the day, I can’t stop trying to give the public hope and security any more than you could ever stop trying to make them live in fear. *affectionately* And, honestly? That dedication to your work ethic is something I love about you.

Villain: *blushing* Aww, baby...

Hero: Even so, I think it’s important for us to try and shave off our most extreme edges. Just a little bit, understand? That’s how we’re gonna make this work

Villain: I know. I get it. *clearly nervous* So, um... look. If I stop torturing the mayor, then... after dinner... could you do me a favor?

Hero: Y-yes?

Villain: Can you, y’know... look the other way? While I break into a nice car for us to drive around town in?

Hero: *pauses to think* ....yes. *obviously struggling* I will... I’ll... you... *gritting teeth* you may commit grand theft auto.

Villain: *excited* You’re the best, you know that?!

Hero: .........this is a one-time thing, right?

Villain: *teasing* No promises, ya big dork!

Hero: *speaking softly, almost to himself* I just need to remember: I’m doing this for love. I’m doing this for love.

Villain: Oh my gosh, I’m so pumped! Can we have dinner early?!

Hero: *happily* I don’t see why not!

Villain: Fantastic! Just let me kill the mayor real quick, and I’ll get-

Hero: *CLEARS THROAT LOUDLY*

Villain: *moment of silence as her mistake sinks in* *facepalming* God DAMN it.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Or — and maybe this is better? — our hero and villain could find that they both share a particular hobby, only to find that their motivations are both wildly different AND surprisingly similar at the same time.

In that vein, Side Idea 1: What if they both volunteer at the homeless shelter in their free time? The hero wants to support those in need because he believes kindness will make the world a better place. The villain thinks it’s important to support the poorest among us because the system is utterly broken, keeping them down, and that’s why she wants to tear the system down and start over. And the hero at first is like “Uh, whoa there, let’s step back a whole bunch from that ledge” but realizes the he actually agrees that sustained inequality is kind of baked into modern society. And she’s like “So you get it! You get why we need to destroy the world’s governments and create a new system out of the ashes!” and he’s like “Oooorrrrr, maybe we could just encourage people to support programs that assist the downtrodden and educate the poor on how to vote in favor of their own interests, or something like that? Hm?”

Side Idea 2: Maybe they both love animals and they both have pets, and THAT’S the common ground. So the hero is like “My dog is my loyal companion. She is sweet, smart, and always has my back. I take her out to the dog park every Sunday. We jog, we play fetch together — it’s delightful.” And the villain enthuses, “I love dogs, too! I have three beautiful doggos! And yeah, they’re totally smart. I’ve actually trained them to rip out the throats of my enemies on command! They’re the best!”

*deep breath*

Unfortunately... we have to cope with the anime we got instead of dreaming idly about the one we deserved.

And what we got is... fine. Pretty good, even? Probably! It’s hard for me to separate what I feel it could’ve been from what it is.

It’s a sweet teenage romcom about a couple trying to keep their relationship on the DL so they don’t get in trouble. Friends, family, co-workers, and even the press must be dodged effectively at different times. Some cute things happen as they maneuver around all this. 

And the fact that they’re both so new to love really makes their interactions feel as pure as the driven snow. 

But... there are plenty of teenage romances with similar setups. Two people who’re new to dating? Sure, that’s easy. Two people in a secret relationship? Of course that’s out there.

I wanted then to really dig into the whole “Hero and Villain romance” thing on SOME level, even if it was just a silly one. That, to me, is the elevator pitch — “a romcom about a superhero and supervillain in love.” But they kick that angle to the curb right quick, leaving behind stuff you’ve seen before in plenty of anime romcoms. Though at least there’s a thin Sentai/Power Rangers parody overlaid on top.

[backup-pictures777]

[evemoedesu]

June shipgirl special - Vehement

[rini-nikte-artblog]

Pink Gelato🍑🍦✨

[dangerousglittergalaxy-blog]

[b3crew]

REVIEW | "Love After World Domination" | B3 - Boston Bastard Brigade

There are some questions that have never been asked when it comes to sentai and superhero programming. One of these questions is, “What would happen if the hero fell in love with the villain?” Does the thought of a Power Ranger falling in love with Rita Repulsa send shivers down your spine? Well guess what: it shouldn’t, as this season’s Love After World Domination has proven to work in many wondrous ways!

Based on the manga by Hiroshi Noda and Takahiro Wakamatsu, Love After World Domination focuses on the battle between the Gelato 5 heroes and the villainous Secret Society Gekko. Leading the charge of most of these battles is the “Red Gelato” Fudo (Yusuke Kobayashi) and the terrifying “Reaper Princess” Desumi (Ikumi Hasegawa). Despite them fighting on opposing sides, Fudo and Desumi discover they have a very special chemistry between one another. As Gekko and Gelato 5 face off, the two lovebirds find ways to escape the battle and commence with the dating!

This marks the second time this year the anime world has graced us with a sentai parody, with last Winter gifting us Miss KUROITSU from the Monster Development Department. However, unlike that season’s kaiju-filled comedy, a solid knowledge of this genre of entertainment is not needed for Love After World Domination. If you’ve skimmed through a Power Rangers show or even that Japanese version of Spider-Man, then you’ll know exactly how this anime’s world works.

Most of the show focuses on the growing relationship between Fudo and Desumi, and the wild ways they grow closer as a couple. Because neither have ever dated before, their concepts of a good time can be all over the place. In one instance, Fudo takes Desumi to a gym on a date, followed by a romantic dinner via protein bars and insect talk. Desumi, on the other hand, has a better grasp at setting dating locations, as she suggests theme parks and beaches to Gekko for battlegrounds. And once Gelato 5 and Gekko commence the fight, Fudo and Desumi skedaddle and enjoy their time together.

Click here to read the rest of the review!

[anime-mobile]

相川不動／レッドジェラート

[gonagaiworld]

Si conclude in Giappone il manga Love After World Domination La serie è pubblicata in Italia da J-Pop Manga. Info:--> https://www.gonagaiworld.com/si-conclude-in-giappone-il-manga-love-after-world-domination/?feed_id=305671&_unique_id=633fb7125bc30 #HiroshiNoda #Loveafterworlddomination #Manga #TakahiroWakamatsu #恋は世界征服のあとで

[frogsuper26]

はじめての共同作業🎂 （TAGS） #otaku #manga #game #animegirl #animejapan #animelover #animegirls #animegram #animelife #animemanga #恋は世界征服のあとで #恋せか https://youtu.be/f56b48oHA5w https://www.instagram.com/p/CfQEDAPPtAM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fontedesconhecida]

[hinanbasyo]

[dummy-dot-exe]

恋は世界征服のあとで by eldanosan

[tutai-k]

文学フリマ東京参加します

2023年5月21日（日）、東京・流通センターにて開催される文学フリマ東京36にサークル・ヨモツヘグイニナで参加します。 お品書き↓

新刊は『けものと船乗り』、『ヤールルカ』の二種類です。

★けものと船乗り 船をことごとく沈めてしまうという「魔の水道」を挟んで、島とむきあう街……その街の灯台には、もう一匹のけものが棲みついていた。 街のひとびとには「けもの」と思われているアーシアは、ある日磯で船乗りと出会う。けものに焦がれて水道を渡りたがる船乗りは、それでも、星の読み方も、鳥のことも、航海についての知識をすべて、忘れてしまっていたのだった……。 B6サイズ/42ページの小さな幻想小説です。 ★ヤールルカ 動物写真家とハンター、ふたりの女が出会い撮ることと撮られることについて考えるファンタジー小説。B6サイズよりちょっと大きい、12ページのコピー本です。

通販で予約していただいてるかたは本日発送いたしましたので、週の半ばころには到着するんじゃないかなと思います。

他に持ち込む本ピックアップ ★山梔の處女たち（準新刊） アルファの少女ふたりの物語『首輪とロマンス』、魔法学院に通う少女たちと教師・使い魔の物語『魔女の選択』、人生の岐路にまどう少女たちの恋をすること・しないこと、そして未来についての物語です。 ★浜辺の村でだれかと暮らせば（おすすめ） 田舎で漁師をいとなむ日和。父が死に、自分の収入だけでは生活が心許ない…そんなとき「だれかと暮らす気、ない？」と声をかけられて……。やってきたのは都会の男。人付き合いは得意じゃないし、村に役立つような特技も持ってない。それでも、「この土地」で生きていくことを、ともに選ぶ「ひとびと」の物語。

委託本 ★『征服されざる千年』（鹿紙路さん） 東アフリカ×三つの時代×百合、歴史と物語りの剣呑な関係、歴史実践という切実な営みについての長編小説 5～6世紀 魂の救済を求め沙漠を旅する修道女と元娼婦（シリア～エチオピア） 15～16世紀 漁師の娘に恋い焦がれるムスリマの少女（マダガスカル～エチオピア） 21世紀 共に逃避行する歴史人類学者と考古学者（日本、マレーシア、シンガポール、マダガスカル、ロンドン、タンザニア、エチオピア） ほかに、鹿紙さんのお手製の素敵なブックカバーも委託します！ ★『日々詩編集室アンソロジーvol.1 わかち合い』 31名の寄稿者とHIBIUTA AND COMPANYのスタッフによるエッセイや旅行記を集めた本です。全部リソグラフ！ ★『存在している 編集室篇』 HIBIUTA AND COMPANYに集うひとびとが、どこへ行こうと出発し、どんな道のりを歩いて「ここ」へたどり着いたかをそれぞれの言葉で語るエッセイ集。第一弾は編集室篇。編集室にいる「ひと」のことを知らなくても、「ひとりの人間がどんな軌跡を歩いてきたか」、言語化に長けたひと・出版という選別に勝ち抜いたひとだけでなく「だれもが」語りたいときに語る試みをする本です。

他に↑の日々詩編集室から9月に『ゆけ、この広い広い大通りを』というタイトルの三人の女たちの物語が出るので、試し読みの冊子（ちょっとだけ）とかも持って行きます。よかったらどうぞ。

文フリ東京、お隣は八束さん。

新刊の「アフター・ヘブン」、その書物について書かれた八束さんのブログを読んで、このような目を持つ稀有な作家の書物に手が届く世界は幸福である、と言う思いを強くしました。 『光や風にさえ』もそうなんだけど、権威や能力主義からは取りこぼされてしまう個人（これはフィクションの登場人物であっても、というかフィクションの登場人物であるからこそ、ストーリーラインに載せられず、すくいあげられなかったりする）の物語を、丁寧に、（逃げずに）、決してあきらめずに「描く」姿勢に敬服する。

東京、行くのは実は三年ぶり。鹿紙さんに委託をお願いしていたので、初頒布の本ばかりではないけれど、それでも、わたしがこの本たちを携えて東京へ行く、と言うことは「初」で、どきどきしている。

新幹線の切符、予約を間違えて、東京→名古屋というのを買っちゃった。

今週中に、もう一個くらいお知らせしたいことがあると思うので、そしたらまた、ブログを書きます。

[lilyginnyblackv2]

The Top Recommended Spring 2022 Anime According to Japanese Viewers

The website Anime!Anime! did a poll from April 24th, 2022 to May 1st, 2022. It asked the respondents what their most recommended anime for Spring 2022 was. 

There were 708 respondents, the demographic breakdowns are as follows:

Roughly the same number of both men and women responded. For age, the results skewered younger, with 40% of the respondents being 19 years or younger, and 15% being in their 20s.

Spy x Family came in at #1 with 25% of the votes.

Tiger & Bunny came in at #2 with 18% of the votes.

Ya Boy Kongming! came in at #3 with 7% of the votes.

When looking solely at the male votes the Top 3 ranking is:

1. Spy x Family

2. Ya Boy Kongming! 

3. Kaguya-sama Love is War - Ultra Romantic

When looking solely at the female votes the Top 3 ranking is:

1. Tiger & Bunny

2. Spy x Family

3. Ya Boy Kongming!

For the full Top 20 list, click under the Read More.

[2022年春アニメ、“いま”一番推せる作品は？] 

What is your most recommended anime of Spring 2022?

1位 『SPY×FAMILY』1. Spy x Family 2位 『TIGER & BUNNY 2』2. Tiger & Bunny 3位 『パリピ孔明』3. Ya Boy Kongming! 4位 『かぐや様は告らせたい-ウルトラロマンティック-』4. Kaguya-sama 3 5位 『可愛いだけじゃない式守さん』- 5. Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie 6位 『ラブライブ 』 6. LoveLive! 2 7位 『まちカドまぞく 2丁目』- 7. Machikado Mazoku 2-Chome 8位 『ヒロインたるもの！ 』 - 8.  To Become a Real Heroine! 9位 『カッコウの許嫁』- 9.  A Couple of Cuckoos 10位 『阿波連さんははかれない』- 10.  Aharen-san wa Hakarenai 10位 『トモダチゲーム』 10. Tomodachi Game 10位 『名探偵コナン ゼロの日常』10. Detective Conan 13位 『古見さんは、コミュ症です。』13.Komi-san Can’t Communicate 2 13位 『サマータイムレンダ』13. Summertime Render 15位 『であいもん』15. Deaimon 16位 『盾の勇者の成り上がり Season2』16. Rising of the Shield Hero 2 17位 『デート・ア・ライブIV』17. Date A Live IV 17位 『ラブオールプレー』17. Love All Play 19位 『恋は世界征服のあとで』19.  Love After World Domination 19位 『史上最強の大魔王、村人Aに転生する』19.  The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody （回答期間：2022年4月24日～5月1日）

(Response Period: April 24th 2022 ~ May 1st).