#(well there's sister akiko but women are different)

[megaclaudiolis]

柄本 佑 || 「光る君へ」 (2024) · 第十八回 「岐路」 ​​​

[starglow-xx]

owning a bakery and being discovered by the ada and the port mafia (part 3)

platonic! yosano akiko x f! reader

type of writing: head canons !!

this is part of my head canon series, flour & fluff !!

tag list is open !! go to this google form and fill it out to sign up!

series synopsis: owning a bakery at 20 is tough; even more so when you have to handle members of two opposing organizations! this is your journey to meeting those fools and creating an unlikely bond with each of them. but only at the cost of your peace and sanity.

fandom: bungou stray dogs

content: fluff & platonic stuff but trigger warning!! there may be a sensitive topic for others

*getting grabbed and pulled to an alleyway! alcohol mentioned!*

please remember that yokohama isn’t the friendliest place, especially at night.

previous: part 2 : their beloved president

author’s note: same ages as last time!! (so that means everyone is one year younger than canon; that makes yosano 24)

this one is actually pretty long :0

i got info abt her likes on her wiki page (careful! there’s spoilers!)

and yosano is a queen and no one can tell me otherwise

the doctor is in the house (quite literally)

going grocery shopping was an okay chore in your opinion

it honestly depended on your mood or whatever kind of shit happens when you go shopping

cause like something always, always happens whenever you go do groceries

sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and sometimes it’s just plain weird

one time some weirdo proposed to you in the middle of the store asking for a double suicide

he was good looking you’d admit but it’s not like you’d ever see him again

or so you thought

a n y w a y s

every so often, you’d run out of real person food in your apartment

you mostly survive off all of the leftover bakery treats and ingredients—which works out pretty well actually—but bakery supplies unfortunately also run out quite often

and also unfortunately, one time when both fukuzawa & ranpo took a visit to Sakura’s, fukuzawa argued that “no you can’t live off sweets for the rest of your life”

ranpo was scandalized and scrambled to cover your ears

you guys were at it for a while

in the end you sided with fukuzawa causing ranpo to go off about “betrayal from the people he cared most abt” or smth like that

you guys were okay again after bribing him with sweets :)

for bakery supplies you usually have them delivered bc you order them in large quantities bc ahaha no way were you gonna carry like 15-20 50 pound bags of flour no way

when days like those happen, you close up the bakery early so you aren’t walking home when it’s too dark

you scheduled it to happen every first saturday of the month

on those saturdays, you close at 5 instead of at 8

currently, you were at the grocery store looking for basic cooking ingredients such as proteins, vegetables, fruits, and most importantly, snacks

ranpo’s been rubbing off on you

the sun was starting to set and you were walking home with your two bags of groceries when shit went down

tbh you were kinda expecting it cause your grocery run was peaceful for once

but what you weren’t expecting was a wack-a-do to appear out of goddamn nowhere right when you were opening the side door to get to the staircase up to your apartment

like honestly

let a woman do her own thing

the man who grabbed you tried to covered your mouth so you couldn’t scream but you didn’t exactly make it easy for him

you kicked and thrashed around even using the grocery bags—that were somehow still in your hand—as a weapon and the man struggled but he was still bigger than you and was able to bring you to a nearby alley

he reeked of alcohol and you spotted a wedding band on his left hand

not that you cared about the detail in the moment

you kicked him in the groin and in response he let you go only to fall on broken glass that was in the alley way

using the wall to help yourself up, you grabbed a nearby wooden stick and struck him right on his back

your attacker fell and you immediately turned on your heels to escape only to fall back down on the hard cold ground once again

you lift your face up and look back to see the man holding onto your ankle

grabbing a shard of glass—cutting yourself in the process— you begin to swing it at him only for him to easily grip your wrist and stop you

you get ready try and kick him in the groin again but you’re interrupted as your attacker gets sucker punched and flies to wall

you look up to see your savior and you’re blessed to see a beautiful woman, probably not that much older than you are—she’s probably around ranpo’s age— donning a white long sleeve button up, a matching black necktie, knee length skirt, and gloves, along with tights, red heels, and a pretty butterfly clip in her short black hair

but what you really notice is her eyes

ranpo’s eyes were pretty but you like hers just a bit more

you’ve always liked the color magenta

the pretty lady holds out her hand and you take it graciously and thank her as she helps you up

as that’s happening, your attacker gets himself onto his feet and his groan catches both of your attention

he struggles to stand and the pretty lady simples saunters over to him and delivers an uppercut knocking him out cold

you’re stunned and you breathe out a “thank you” making her turn towards you

she notices the condition you’re in

bleeding scrapes on your hands, arms and legs, small rips in your clothes like your tights, blouse, and skirt, and the ruffled state of your hair and clothing

she asks if you live nearby and you tell her that you own the bakery that’s one or two buildings away

when you tell her that, it clicks in her mind that you must be the bakery girl ranpo’s been talking about and the friend fukuzawa was cat sitting for

it’s been abt two weeks since ranpo and fukuzawa first met you and since then, they’ve seen lucky in the office plenty and the boxes of your signature sweets even more

if those two trust you, she has no reason not to

she smiles at you, holds out her hand for you to shake, and introduces herself as the doctor of the armed detective agency

your eyes widen and you smile back at her shaking her hand

“ah! you must be yosano-sensei then! ranpo-san and fukuzawa-san have talked about you! it’s so nice to meet you! im (l/n) (y/n)!”

“they’ve talked about you too, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you (y/n)”

after that exchange she insisted on bringing you home to treat you wounds which you told her it wasn’t necessary

she gave you a pointed look and that was when you realized what state you were in

you sighed and weakly gave in to which she only grinned at

before leaving the alley she walks over to the unconscious man and pulls out his wallet for some sort of identification and home address as you try to see if there’s any groceries still salvageable

after texting the details to kunikida, yosano turns to you poking around the now ruined grocery bags

she simply rubs your back and tells you that the both of you could go buy more groceries together as she was meaning to get some anyways; she even said she’ll pay for you

you refused obviously but she, unknowingly, used the same tactic fukuzawa used with you

“so you’re saying you don’t need groceries?”

“...”

*cue an eyebrow raise from our resident queen*

“...you agency members don’t like making things easy for me huh.”

you gave in reluctantly and at this point you don’t even know why you try negotiating with them

and that’s only three of them

apparently, she was on the other side of the street on the way to buy groceries for the agency when she noticed different produce items on the other sidewalk leading to the alley and she went to check out what happened

ironically, the way to the grocery store from the agency makes you go past Sakura’s but she didn’t realize it until after the two of you had met

before you know it, the two of you are in your apartment kitchen as she cleans and patches up all of your wounds

as she does so the two of you have a little girl talk

you find it quite comforting bc since you opened up Sakura’s you haven’t really had the chance to connect to many people much less other women

you definitely see yosano as your cool, loving, badass older sister

she thinks you’re adorable and agrees with ranpo’s opinion

yup 

that’s right

the opinion that you’re like a little kid </3

you called it a betrayal and all she did was laugh at you <//3

“awhh that’s really cool yosano-sensei!—MFPH?!?”

*squishing your cheeks the same way ranpo did* “ranpo-san was right (n/n)-chan, your cheeks are squishy!”

“?!”

after that small fiasco, the two of you talked some more and bonded over your love for flowers, japanese sweets, and much more!!

you even made a date to have a girls day to go shopping and eat out!

you’re internally squealing a bit bc it’s been a while since you’ve gone shopping

yosano notices and she giggles behind her hand not saying anything bc she knows you’ll only throw a fit

the two of you came around the topic of ranpo when lucky passed by

lucky quickly warmed up to the doctor and cozied up in her lap

“i wish ranpo-san was able to meet lucky when he came by the first time, but then again, he’d probably throw a tantrum if i don’t pay attention to him for 5 seconds”

she snorted at that and like fukuzawa, she shared stories abt the slightly older male

“ranpo-san doesn’t know how to ride a train?”

“unbelievable right?”

“for someone so intelligent i expected more from him”

“i’ll be telling that to ranpo-san, (n/n)-chan”

“wha—?! yosano-sensei please don’t!”

like ranpo, she’s also a tease </3

but you love her anyway <3

eventually, she finished patching you up and promised to treat you to a new set of clothes when the two of you go out

“you don’t need to lose a good set of clothes just because of a sleazy man (n/n)-chan! you deserve better!”

you were going to argue that the rips in your clothes were fairly small and could easily be fixed—except the tights—but you stopped in your tracks when you remembered that it was practically useless to argue against an ada member

the two of you walked to the grocery store and bought both of your needed supplies—along with some extra goodies—and then she walked you back to your place bc it was already a bit dark out

but even if it wasn’t, she would walk you anyways

besides, if anything happened to you, she’s 1000% positive that ranpo and fukuzawa are gonna flip the fuck out not that she wont cause she most definitely will

speaking of which

you were drinking a bottle of water as the two of made your way back to Sakura’s when all of a sudden

“(y/n) you do realize that i have to tell shachou and ranpo-san about what happened today right?”

you choked on your water

“yosano-sensei you can’t! if you do they’ll freak! they won’t leave me alone for at least two weeks! one if im lucky!”

“exactly the point”

you just accepted your defeat already knowing that you’d lose

but maybe you can simmer down their anger towards the bastard with sweets and lucky

you arrived at Sakura’s shortly after and after bringing groceries in, you packaged a bunch of pastries leftover from today—bc you closed early—and bc you’re well aware that ranpo doesn’t share any of the sweets you send him with

you even gave yosano her own special box filled with goodies she loves, and a thermos of fukuzawa’s favorite, your special hot honey lemon tea

other than the sweets, you prepared lucky to spend the night at fukuzawa’s

you really really hoped that doing these things would make them calm down

you shivered at the thought of what their responses would be

you felt really bad for giving yosano all these things to carry and that you were keeping her very late

she assured you that she was fine and that if someone tried to mess with her she’d kick their ass

and after exchanging numbers, the magenta eyed queen bid you a good night and walked back to the agency with lucky walking by her heels

arriving back at the agency, yosano was greeted with some concerns asking if she was alright bc she came back from her grocery run pretty late

(she usually goes in the mornings but today was pretty busy so she left in the late afternoon but now it was already dark)

she waved off the concerns and plopped a couple boxes of your signature bakery boxes at ranpo’s desk, the one for her at her own, the last few boxes in the kitchen for any other agent or clerk to grab, placed the thermos on the desk fukuzawa was by, and picked up lucky and handed him to the president

the two males were pleased with what yosano had brought them, and pleased that another agency member had the chance to meet you

fukuzawa was rubbing lucky and ranpo already snacking on treats as yosano expected

but here comes the hard part

or maybe it’s gonna amusing who knows

“i met (y/n) today.”

“we could tell.”

in goes another treat in the green eyed man’s mouth

“would you like to know how?”

“you bumped into each other, had girl talk, made plans to go out, went grocery shopping, and you brought me and shachou presents.”

“great job ranpo-san, you’re almost completely correct.”

this caught the attention of basically everyone bc they knew ranpo was never “almost completely correct”

“we ended up meeting bc she got attacked on her way home from grocery shopping, i treated her wounds, then we had girl talk and did all the other stuff”

ranpo and fukuzawa froze right in their tracks

“i sent all the info of the bastard to kunikida”

“kunikida.”

“yes shachou”

“find out everything about that man and bring it to me and ranpo”

“...yes shachou”

“and yosano”

“yes?”

“text (y/n) and tell her that her cat, tea, and pastries aren’t going to work as a bribe”

just as you finished taking a shower you sneezed

<<previous // next >>

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[jhoudiey]

Introducing Ash!

Trying to write the next installment of Loru is hard, so it's about time I introduce Ash! I haven't talked much about him cause he's the same age as Midori and they don't meet until NRC so haven't gotten that far in the story, but ANYWAYS.

Name: Kit

Preferred name: Ash

Age: 16 (well the same age as Midori)

Birthday: Sept 9

Hometown: Nisegami , a small village in the northern mountains of Pyroxene

Race: Kitsune beastman

Dorm: Savanaclaw

Appearance: White hair, with grey on the tips of his ears and tail

Personality: Quiet, shy, unsure of himself.

Unique Magic: "Hide and Seek" - Can make himself invisible and untraceable via sight and smell.

Family: Mother, 5 older sisters, father (deceased)

History: Was raised as a servant to his sisters, and as such never had a chance to explore his own hobbies or interests. He developed his UM as a way to escape from them when they were especially brutal. When the carriage from NRC arrived he happily went along to escape his family, but found himself completely out of his element once he arrived. He's sorted into Savanaclaw and is almost immediately harassed by Midori who thinks his tail looks fuzzy and wanted to touch it. When she learns that his name is "kit" and that he's not an only child to make it funny, she asks what he wants to be called and that's the first time he says his preferred name out loud and is from then on called Ash by everyone except his family.

I'm going to get more into this, but will put it under a cut cause there's a lot going on and i'm sure I'm going to ramble too much. If you have any questions you wanna ask for Ash please send em along!

So basically the village they live in was a regular northern village where the residents weren't super good at magic, so when his ancestors landed and claimed that they could bring prosperity and fortune to their land if they were worshiped the villagers agreed. Due to the families affinity at foresight and elemental magic the village did indeed prosper and was renamed for their new Gods.

The women of the family rose higher in the familial ranks due to their wit and beauty, the men falling to the position of servant to support them. Ash's father was enamored by his mother and was treated like a king until they had Ash, where he was immediately shunted to servant due to his inability to continue providing female children. Ash is the youngest of 6 siblings and once he learned to walk he was tasked with looking after all his sisters every whims. Due to the status change, Ash's father commits suicide when Ash is 5 years old as he no longer wants to be treated like a slave and death is better than servitude, leaving Ash to care for his sisters on his own. Ash is named Kit since he's just a lowly fox and doesn't deserve the honor of a name like his sisters. He hates it a lot.

This is Ash's oldest sister, Hinako her unique magic is foresight and with a persons DNA can see snippets of their future. Often throws hair into a bonfire to make a spectacle out of it to wow the villagers and keep up the illusion that they're doing something more godlike than magic.

His second oldest sister Fuyuko her unique magic is ability to make it snow!

Third oldest sister Haruko she can make it rain!

Fourth older sister Natsuko her unique magic is heat.

Fifth oldest sister, Akiko her unique magic is control of wind!

Basically all of his sisters are shitty assholes who love being doted on and refuse to do anything difficult for themselves instead making their 'pets' do it. They call anyone romantically interested in them pet and reap the rewards of being pretty and untouchable. They're the worst.

Ash himself when he arrives at NRC just quietly lurks around Savanaclaw cause he doesn't know how to integrate himself into conversation with the other rowdy folks. Midori finds him spying on her group of loud ass first years and is like HEY FOX DUDE and pets his tail while telling him that his tail looked fuzzy and she wanted to touch it. She asks for permission to touch his ears with a handful of tail (because the goober didn't ask permission for that).

When he tells her that his name is Kit she laughs and is like AHA THAT'S FUNNY ARE YOU AN ONLY CHILD TOO thinking it's hilarious she met another person with a name that just describes them. When he admits he's got 5 older sisters with pretty names she decides his name is dumb, no longer funny, and asks what he wants to be called. After that she drags her new friend Ash around introducing him to all the other first years, and decides she'll help him find things he likes doing since he's never had a chance before and HELL YEA THAT SOUNDS LIKE FUN. He is both terrified and entranced by her feral energy cause she's completely different from the women he was raised with and they soon become inseparable.

He goes home with Mido over christmas in their second year, and Floyd and Yoru basically adopt him on the spot when they hear about what sort of bullshit his family pulled with him. Later in their third year when Midori goes to his family shrine over spring break it gets dicey, she slam dunks his sisters into the side of the mountain, parents get called, but because Yoru and Floyd are also feral, they end up burning the shrine down before leaving for good. Ash stays with them for every other school break until he and Mido get a place of their own.

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

Whenever commie is no longer busy and have time (and ofc would want to write it), would you be willing to make a complete list of those who would kabedon; and the list of "who would and would not say the f/curse word"?

Oh man, you want a complete list? Well, ok, let’s go show by show here, I’m gonna get really lengthy with it. Like, I can’t go through every character in every show, but I’ll hit what I think are the major points.

Fair warning before you mash the read-more: I did, in fact, go through nearly every show I’ve seen. This post is long.

We will start with Kamen Rider.

Kamen Rider 1号: I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me you heard my grandpa say a cuss. Go on. I dare you.

Kuuga

Godai Yusuke: is capable of saying fuck, but does not, because he’s too polite. He might kabedon, but not for any romantic or sexual reasons, just because he likes to be close to people and he gets excited about stuff.

Ichijo Kaoru: says fuck on a regular basis. I think he would kabedon unironically but only in the heat of the moment.

Ra-Baruba-De: doesn’t cuss because it’s beneath her. She’d kabedon Ichijo, but would follow this up with an attempt to kill him.

Agito

Tsugami Shouichi: does not swear and cannot kabedon, although someone else might do it to him.

Hikawa Makoto: might say fuck in a moment of stress, but rarely swears otherwise. He could and would kabedon, but only in situations where doing so would get a comedic result related to his strength and clumsiness.

Ashihara Ryou, the sexiest man in the world: probably swears like a sailor and would absolutely kabedon. The very thought makes me go weak at the knees.

Kino Kaoru: definitely says “fuck,” but I don’t think he does fuck, and he certainly doesn’t kabedon.

Ozawa Sumiko, however: both says “fuck” and does it. She will kabedon, and she will stand on Omuro’s shoulders to get enough height for it.

Ryuki

Kido Shinji: always wants to swear, but doesn’t actually do it. He could kabedon, but only in anger; the thought of doing so in a romantic or sexual context would make him blush and stammer.

Akiyama Ren: can and will say “fuck” at a moment’s notice. You know he kabedons.

Kitaoka Shuichi: says “fuck” quietly, when no one can hear him except maybe Goro. He would kabedon gently and think himself very sexy.

Yura Goro: is a sweet, sweet man who neither swears nor kabedons.

Asakura Takeshi: is saying “fuck” at this very moment. He would only kabedon as a prelude to stabbing.

Tezuka Miyuki: is on this list because I love him, but he does not say “fuck” and could not be induced to. He could be kabedon’ed.

555 (we haven’t finished this one so I can’t guarantee that all characters will be included)

Inui Takumi: I’m pretty sure he could say “fuck” but I don’t think he’s actually inclined to. Kabedon’ing requires a level of investment in whatever situation that I don’t think he’d want to admit to.

Kusaka Masato: oh, absolutely.

Sonoda Mari: swears all the time. Doesn’t kabedon because she expects someone to do it to her.

Keitaro Kikuchi: is a very nice boy who does neither of these things.

Kiba Yuji: contains vast lakes of suppressed rage, and if he says “fuck” even once it might all come out. Does not kabedon for the same reason.

Osada Yuka: says “fuck,” but only in her heart. Does not kabedon.

Kaido Naoya: says “fuck,” but only when he can’t find a more ridiculous option. Absolutely kabedons at a moment’s notice.

Smart Lady: does not say “fuck.” Will definitely kabedon you, and moreover she’ll do it with her leg to make sure that the situation is just, uncomfortably sexual.

Blade

Kenzaki Kazuma: is breathtakingly earnest but nevertheless does, on occasion, say “fuck.” Doesn’t kabedon because he’s too sad.

Aikawa Hajime: has neither the inclination nor the desire to say “fuck” or to kabedon.

Tachibana Sakuya: can say “fuck,” but mostly doesn’t. Also too sad to kabedon.

Kamijou Mutsuki: would say “fuck” to get someone’s attention. He wishes he could kabedon.

Kurihara Amane: is in so much trouble with her mother for saying “fuck.”

Hibiki

Hibiki/Hidaka Hitoshi: is An Dad, and thus is theoretically capable of saying “fuck,” but if he does then it means the situation’s gotten pretty serious. (Or he’s hit his thumb with a hammer.) He can definitely kabedon, but we’ll never see him do it, because that means the situation’s gotten a different kind of serious.

Ibuki: has too much self-control and dignity to say “fuck,” but said it when he was younger. Doesn’t kabedon because it’s just...not the right vibe for him.

Todoroki: has considered saying “fuck,” but the prospect makes him blush. Cannot kabedon to save his life but desperately wishes that he could.

Zanki: comfortable with the word “fuck” but uses it sparingly. Doesn’t seem like a kabedon type.

The Children: Asumu, Kyosuke, and Akira can all definitely say “fuck” just by dint of being high schoolers brimming with all kinds of messy emotions. Kyosuke would definitely attempt to kabedon someone, although he might not do it well.

The Tachibana Sisters: anyone who runs a restaurant can say “fuck.”

Kabuki: like Miyuki, above, is included because I adore him, even though he’s a movie-exclusive character. Definitely says “fuck.” Might kabedon in the process of tricking someone, but wouldn’t do it seriously.

Kabuto

Tendou Souji: feels that saying “fuck” is beneath him. Wouldn’t kabedon so much as he’d very gently brace himself against the wall and lean in, which, let’s be real, is much sexier.

Tendou Juka: you know that comic that people have done all those redraws of? I think this one is the original? This is an accurate representation of what would happen to someone, possibly Kagami, if Juka said “fuck.”

Kagami Arata: is all the time saying “fuck,” at least in his head, but doesn’t often say it out loud because it would draw the wrong kind of attention. Would kabedon Souji, probably, who would be surprised and then quietly delighted.

Kusakabe Hiyori: unlikely to say “fuck,” and if she did I suspect Tendou would take it badly (see above entry for Juka). Might be kabedon’ed, but would definitely knee the perpetrator in the groin.

Kamishiro Tsurugi: my beautiful son does not know what the word “fuck” means, but would definitely kabedon because he’s excitable.

Yaguruma Sou and Kageyama Shun: get one line because they do things together--imagine, if you will, Yaguruma saying “fuck” and Kageyama echoing him quietly a moment later. They would also kabedon together.

Kazama Daisuke: would say “fuck” very quietly. Does not kabedon.

Den-O

Nogami Ryotaro: cannot say any swear words without suffering a potentially fatal nosebleed. May have kabedon’ed once in a dream, but the thought of him attempting it in real life is actually laughable.

Hana: says “fuck” as an adult. As a child, says it more. Does not kabedon, because why bother?

Naomi: can do whatever she likes and I will support her.

Momotaros: says “fuck” regularly and with gusto. Kabedons as a greeting.

Urataros: does not use any curse words because women find them off-putting--unless the woman he’s with swears, in which case he does too. Will kabedon if it is situationally appropriate for getting laid.

Ryuutaros: see, again, this comic, but this time the person doing the shocked face and then later the punching is me. He does not know what a kabedon is.

Kintaros: is probably asleep. Believes that excessive swearing is unmanly. Doesn’t see the point of kabedon.

Sieg: believes that excessive swearing is unfit for a prince, but will very occasionally say “fuck” if it’ll get every eye in the room on him. Unaware of kabedon.

Kiva

Kurenai Wataru: does not.

Kurenai Otoya: does both, vigorously.

Asou Megumi: says “fuck,” doesn’t kabedon. Would encourage someone else to kabedon her though.

Asou Yuri: absolutely says “fuck” all the time, might kabedon Otoya to shut him up.

Jirou: I actually don’t think he swears? Definitely kabedons though.

Nago Keisuke: says “fuck,” but feels bad about it afterwards. Might kabedon from anger, or if induced to by Megumi.

Nobori Taiga: is far too polite to say “fuck,” but occasionally thinks it. Does not kabedon.

Decade

Kadoya Tsukasa: there is no question that he says “fuck” all the time. Not the romantic kabedon type, much to Daiki’s disappointment. May kabedon in other situations, though.

Kaitou Daiki: says “fuck” only occasionally, but with feeling. Would like Tsukasa to kabedon him.

Hikari Natsumi: says “fuck” regularly and energetically. Will sit on Yuusuke’s shoulders to kabedon Tsukasa.

Onodera Yuusuke: does not say “fuck” at all. Cannot kabedon because he is too busy giving Natsumi a boost.

W

Hidari Shoutaro: believes that saying “fuck” is unbecoming of a true man, but still says it if he stubs his toe. Kabedons unintentionally and then blushes when he realizes what he’s done.

Philip: has said “fuck” a total of once and then went down a rabbit hole looking into its etymology. Kabedons intentionally and with forethought, and then completely loses the thread of things as soon as Shoutaro starts blushing.

Narumi Akiko: says “fuck” just to shock Shoutaro. Definitely kabedon’ed Terui at least once, which he was unspeakably charmed by.

Terui Ryuu: is not open to questions about whether or not he says “fuck.” Only kabedons out of frustration.

OOO

Hino Eiji: neither says “fuck” nor kabedons.

Ankh: both says “fuck” and kabedons, and both are generally directed at Eiji. In fact, since he is only a hand, kabedon is an important part of his physical vocabulary.

Izumi Hina: does not say “fuck.” Would break a wall if she kabedon’ed, and thus it’s fortunate that she isn’t inclined to anyway.

Gotou Shintarou: would blush terribly if he ever said “fuck,” or for that matter if he attempted to kabedon.

Satonaka Erika: considers the word “fuck” an important part of her vocabulary, to be used sparingly. Kabedons Gotou, and at least once Date.

Date Akira: says “fuck,” but not in, like, an aggressive way? Just as an expression of mild distress. It does not occur to him to kabedon.

Fourze

Kisaragi Gentarou: is not legally allowed to say rude words. Would kabedon out of an excess of enthusiasm and then be deeply confused if the recipient blushed.

Sakuta Ryuusei: says “fuck” sparingly and only when it’ll have an impact. Does not kabedon.

Utahoshi Kengo: says “fuck” frequently and with enthusiasm. Doesn’t see the point of kabedon.

Jojima Yuuki: like Gentarou, is not legally permitted to curse. Kabedon would not occur to her unless it could be some way related to space.

Kazashiro Miu: says “fuck” occasionally. Kabedons when appropriate, which is rarely.

Daimonji Shun: wishes he could say “fuck,” but can’t quite bring himself to.  Doesn’t kabedon anymore, but he used to.

JK: only says “fuck” deniably. Strictly a receiver of kabedon.

Nozama Tomoko: doesn’t use curse words, she uses curses. Doesn’t kabedon, but appreciates it when she sees others do it.

Wizard

Souma Haruto: definitely says “fuck” sometimes. Prefers a flirtatious lean against a convenient wall over kabedon.

Nitoh Kosuke: says "fuck," but only if his grandma can't hear him--unless there's a notable archeological discovery in the offing, in which case all bets are off. Thinks he's too slick to kabedon, but he's not.

Fueki Koyomi: no.

Nara Shunpei: absolutely not.

Daimon Rinko: has said "fuck" on occasion and would certainly do it again. I can't imagine a kabedon from her though.

Gaim

Kazuraba Kouta: seems like he secretly swears kind of a lot. Does not kabedon because he is, at base, a deeply non-aggressive individual.

Kumon Kaito: says "fuck" at least once a day. Absolutely kabedons, but mainly because he's annoyed and slapping a person seems tactically unsound.

Kureshima Mitsuzane (Micchi): says "fuck" to sound edgy. Would like to kabedon but no one would take it seriously.

Kureshima Takatora: will use the word "fuck" sparingly, and only to indicate that The Situation Has Gotten Bad Indeed. Does not know what kabedon is.

Sengoku Ryouma: says "fuck" occasionally, and with malicious good cheer. Does not kabedon, but if he would like to give it a shot, I am available.

Takatsukasa Mai: says "fuck" quietly but with frequency. Doesn't see a good reason to kabedon anyone.

Oren Pierre Alfonso: only swears in French. Dismisses kabedon as a thing for callow youths, but despite this he did once have a heated dream of doing it to Takatora.

Drive

Tomari Shinnosuke: says "fuck" if he's hit his leg on a table or something, but in more serious situations he does not curse. I cannot possibly imagine him trying to kabedon, it's impossible.

Shijima Kiriko: doesn't swear as much as one might think; "fuck" is for special occasions. Will use a kabedon to get someone's attention.

Shijima Gou: says "fuck" all the time. Would like to kabedon, but hasn't found the right person yet.

Chase: does not swear. Does not kabedon--he's interested in human behavior but that's just nonsense.

Sawagami Rinna: is a professional engineer and thus uses the word “fuck” as punctuation. Might kabedon, but it’s unlikely.

Mr. Belt/Krim Steinbelt: mutters “fuck” quietly when Shinnosuke isn’t paying attention. Does not have arms.

Heart: has said "fuck" experimentally but didn't like the mouthfeel. Delighted by the very concept of kabedon but hasn't done it yet.

Brain: believes that swearing is a sign that you have nothing constructive, intelligent, or amusing to say. Provided Heart with the comics from which they both learned about kabedon, and since then the thought of Heart doing it to him has occupied his every waking moment.

Medic: has thought about saying "fuck" but isn't sure that she really wants to. Stole those comics from Brain and now she, too, would like Heart to kabedon.

Ghost

Tenkuuji Takeru: the thought of saying “fuck” has genuinely never entered his head. More someone who is kabedon’ed than someone who does it himself.

Fukami Makoto: can theoretically say “fuck,” but mostly doesn’t. Would maybe kabedon if the moment seemed appropriate.

Alain: thinks saying “fuck” is sort of uncouth but does it anyway. Wants to know what kabedon is, please tell him about it.

Tsukimura Akari: does not get enough sleep or lab time for anyone to be able to stop her from saying “fuck.” Has kabedon’ed out of excitement, but never for romantic reasons.

Yamanouchi Onari: tries not to say “fuck” because he’s supposed to be setting a good example, but sometimes it just slips out. Definitely doesn’t kabedon, but that’s more out of cowardice than a sense of restraint.

Fukami Kanon: see the comic previously linked to for reference for what would happen if Makoto found out that someone had taught Kanon how to say “fuck.” Reads comics in which there is the occasional kabedon, kind of wishes Alain would do it.

Ex-Aid

Hojo Emu: doesn’t say “fuck” because he works with children. Doesn’t kabedon because it’s not his style.

Parad: absolutely says “fuck,” if only to see Emu drop something in surprise. Thinks kabedon looks fun.

Kagami Hiiro: is too uptight to say “fuck” and too shy to kabedon.

Kujou Kiriya: uses “fuck” as an expression of low-key dismay. Does his best flirting from across the room, but might kabedon if it seemed like the reaction would be entertaining.

Hanaya Taiga: barely even thinks of “fuck” as a word, it’s just a noise he makes when he’s annoyed. Kabedon’ing would require him to get much closer to people than he wants to.

Dan Kuroto: definitely says “fuck,” are you kidding? Even before he was a cackling supervillain he was, at least partially, a software engineer. Does not kabedon.

Poppy Pipopapo: no.

Saiba Nico: says “fuck” all the time as long as Taiga’s not looking. Will not admit to reading the kind of comics where a kabedon might occur, but definitely does.

Graphite: thinks all of this is human nonsense and yet is, despite himself, intrigued.

Build

Kiryuu Sento: probably says “fuck” more than any other main Rider. Yes, even Tsukasa. Is kabedon’ed.

Banjou Ryuuga: says “fuck” because MMA guys have foul mouths, although he did clean up his language a bit when Kasumi was still alive. Kabedons.

Isurugi Misora: if Misora says “fuck” then something terrible is about to happen. Would laugh at anyone who asked if she knew how to kabedon. Would knee anyone who tried it on her in the groin. Kazumi knows this well.

Takigawa Sawa: considers the word “fuck” an essential part of her vocabulary, to be used frequently and sometimes at a great volume. Knows how to kabedon due to spy training but does not use it in her personal life.

Sawatari Kazumi: says “fuck” all the time, unless Misora is paying attention to him. Thinks that kabedon is very sexy and that he’s very good at it; mileage may vary on whether this is actually true.

Himuro Gentoku: says “fuck” softly and solemnly when something really bad has happened. Maybe he kabedons, I’m genuinely not sure.

Evolt: probably does both, but I’m not getting close enough to check.

Zi-O

Tokiwa Sougo: doesn’t swear because it’s not kingly. Does not kabedon.

Myoukouin Geiz: surprisingly, does not tend to curse. Definitely kabedons, not always romantically.

Woz: doesn’t say “fuck,” because there are more roundabout ways to express his frustration. Kabedons, sometimes for romantic reasons and sometimes just to be weird about things.

Tsukuyomi: specifically uses the word “fuck” to indicate that things have gotten serious. If Geiz isn’t going to get around to kabedon’ing her, she’s going to do it to him.

Zero-One

Hiden Aruto: look obviously I can’t really comment on these characters because I haven’t watched that show yet but just from the clips I’ve seen I think Aruto would spontaneously combust if he said “fuck.”

Saber

Kamiyama Touma: says “fuck” sometimes, especially if he’s very tired. Thinks kabedon is kind of a tired plot device.

Sudou Mei: doesn’t think saying “fuck” is that big of a deal, uses it to express irritation. Agrees with Touma that kabedon is overused as a plot device, but likes it nonetheless.

Shindo Rintarou: oh my god no, definitely not.

Fukamiya Kento: uses the word “fuck” the way other people might use the word “moist”--it’s not a word he likes to say, but it has its place. Not generally aggressive enough to kabedon, but might if it seemed useful.

Akamichi Ren: is a teen edgelord and thus says “fuck” a lot. Talks a big game, but is secretly too shy for a successful kabedon.

Ogami Ryo: has tried to clean up his language since becoming a dad and been pretty successful with it. Doesn’t kabedon anymore, but did once.

Daishinji Tetsuo: says “fuck” when he’s working on things. Kabedon generally involves prolonged eye contact, so no.

Sophia: good heavens no, can you imagine?

Tassel: might be a divinity of some kind, can swear if he wants although he’d probably do it in French, but if he kabedons then I’m a walrus. I love Tassel.

All right, that’s Kamen Rider done! Now on to...

Super Sentai

AkaRed: if AkaRed ever said “fuck” I think something in the multiverse would be profoundly damaged--oh, hell, this is how Zenkaiger happens, isn’t it?

Dairanger

Ryo of the Heavenly Fire Star: doesn’t say “fuck,” but you might when you taste his gyoza. They’re the best in the world, you know. It has never occurred to him to kabedon.

Daigo of the Heavenly Illusion Star: is too gentle to say “fuck,” or for that matter to kabedon. (Besides, anyone who tries to kabedon Kujaku is going to be in for some difficulty.)

Bullet Shoji, Warrior of Love: used to say “fuck,” because he used to be in a gang, but doesn’t anymore. Doesn’t kabedon because he tries not to intimidate people.

Kazu of the Heavenly Time Star: doesn’t say “fuck,” he just kinda makes a hiss noise if he’s irritated. Doesn’t object to kabedon in theory but not interested in doing it himself.

Rin of the Heavenly Wind Star: does sometimes say “fuck,” much to her uncle’s dismay. Does not kabedon.

Kou of the Howling New Star: is a horrible child and says “fuck” regularly. Too immature to be allowed to kabedon.

Kakuranger

Tsuruhime: does not say “fuck,” because if she’s mad she can just smack someone. She is fairly sure that people don’t actually kabedon in real life.

Sasuke: has said “fuck” once or twice but mostly tries not to. Too friendly to kabedon.

Saizou and Seikai: get one line because they’re attached at the hip. They are too goofy to say “fuck,” and would only ever manage to kabedon each other.

Jiraiya: not only does he say “fuck,” he will actually be saying “fuck” and not a Japanese equivalent, because he is more comfortable speaking English. I cannot imagine this man attempting to kabedon.

Ninjaman: is tremendously excited to learn about modern cursing, but never actually uses the words he’s learned because his teachers would be mad at him. Naturally too large to practice safe kabedon.

Hurricaneger

Please know that I’m not very far into this series yet, so this is based on fairly early impressions.

Shiina Yousuke: does not say “fuck” but often wants to. Doesn’t kabedon because it seems really aggressive, especially if you’re trying to kiss someone.

Nono Nanami: sometimes thinks the word “fuck” but doesn’t say it. While she’s read a few comics which contain kabedon, the thought of putting the concept into practice has never occurred to her.

Bitou Kouta: would never say “fuck” because children might hear him. Doesn’t kabedon because he’s a gentle soul.

Kasumi Ikkou and Kasumi Isshu: I just met these boys last night but I know in my heart that they both say “fuck,” and moreover they mean it. They also definitely kabedon.

Furabijo and Wendinu: can call me, please, I’m apocalyptically in love with you both.

Gekiranger

Same as Hurricaneger--I’m not that far in, we don’t even have the extra guys yet, but I sure do have some thoughts about the folks we’ve got so far.

Kando Jan: doesn’t even know the word “fuck,” probably has some cute repetitive term for sex that he uses instead. Doesn’t know what a kabedon is either.

Uzaki Ran: may say “fuck” very occasionally if she sustains an injury during training. Not inclined to kabedon.

Fukami Retsu: will pretend that he’s too in control of himself to swear, but does on occasion say “fuck.” Sees no reason to kabedon.

Mele: says “fuck,” but never when Leo can hear her. Doesn’t kabedon, would like someone else (*coughcoughLeocoughcough*) to do so though.

Leo: says “fuck” like he’s chewing on something and spitting it out. Definitely kabedons, but has no idea that this might have romantic or sexual implications.

Shinkenger

Shiba Takeru: does not say “fuck” anymore, because once he said it in front of Jii, who lost his mind. Could kabedon, he’s capable of it, but he’s a little too wound up in himself.

Ikenami Ryunosuke: would never say “fuck.” Not a kabedon type because it seems rude.

Shiraishi Mako: used to work with children, and thus didn’t say “fuck” for years, but now does occasionally--mainly while cooking. Doesn’t kabedon because she has other ways of getting in your face.

Tani Chiaki: is a Gamer and thus definitely says “fuck.” Nonetheless, respects women too much to kabedon them and the only men he might kabedon he is slightly afraid of.

Hanaori Kotoha: is a sweet, precious girl, very dear to my heart, who certainly does not swear or kabedon.

Umemori Genta: only says “fuck” if he cuts himself while preparing fish, or while arguing with fish vendors. Might kabedon to be goofy, but never seriously.

Kusakabe Hikoma/Jii: definitely had kind of a wild youth. Takeru once heard him say “fuck” to a kuroko while working on the clan accounts and has never recovered from the shock. Doesn’t kabedon anymore, but he did once.

Shiba Kaoru: doesn’t actually know the word “fuck” or anything about kabedon, and isn’t going to learn if Tanba has anything to say about it.

Gokaiger--one of the ones I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for

Captain Marvelous: I think we all know that the answer is yes on both counts.

Joe Gibken: says “fuck” quietly in serious situations, and loudly if Marvelous is deliberately getting on his nerves. Does not typically kabedon.

Luka Millfy: uses “fuck” as a general intensifier. Likes guys she can intimidate a little, so she does kabedon, but she mainly does it to Doc and Gai.

Don Dogoier/Doc: if you hear Doc say “fuck” it’s probably the middle of the night and he’s repairing an engine problem. Certainly does not kabedon.

Ahim de Famille: cursing is unladylike--not that she always tries to be ladylike, but she just doesn’t see the point there. Doesn’t kabedon.

Ikari Gai: probably uses some sort of goofy minced oath like “fudge” unless in the actual throes of passion. Doesn’t really have the poise to kabedon.

Basco ta Jolokia: only says “fuck” when no one is listening, because otherwise he might seem less than poised. Would kabedon Marvelous to get a rise out of him.

Go-Busters

Sakurada Hiromu: seems like he’d probably drop the occasional “fuck.” I’m of two minds on the kabedon thing; I think that he could, but I’m not sure that he would.

Iwasaki Ryuji: says “fuck” if he’s working late on some problem. Doesn’t kabedon because he doesn’t want to scare people.

Usami Youko: says “fuck” specifically because it gets Ryuji to make a shocked face at her. Might kabedon if she found someone short enough. She will never find someone short enough.

Nick, Gorisaki, and Usada: no, definitely not.

Masato Jin: says “fuck” with the casual manner of a man who has definitely not just dropped a wrench on his foot. Doesn’t kabedon, but has joked about doing so.

Beet J. Stag (the “J” stands for “Jueki”): says “fuck,” but doesn’t know what it means. Who would he even kabedon?

Enter: only swears in French. Would kabedon with one of his creepy tentacles.

Kyouryuger

Kiryuu Daigo “King”: is a ludicrously perfect shoujo manga love interest, and thus does not say “fuck” but does kabedon in a sexy way.

Ian Yorkland: says “fuck” on dig sites but not in polite company. Might kabedon if it’d make the girl in question smile, does not kabedon men.

Udo Nobuharu: used to say “fuck” sometimes, but doesn’t now that he’s helping to raise Rika. Too busy and tired to kabedon.

Rippukan Souji: is too uptight to do either.

Amy Yuzuki: doesn’t say “fuck,” just makes irritated noises. Might kabedon if it would get someone to stop screwing around and pay attention to her.

Utsusemimaru: is familiar with neither the word “fuck” nor the concept of kabedon, although he might learn about the latter from some of Amy’s manga.

Yayoi Ulshade: says “fuck” when she’s working. Perpetually disappointed that she will never get Daigo to kabedon her.

Candelira and Luckyuro: my beautiful wife and her adorable son have no knowledge of these things.

ToQger

Right, Tokacchi, Mio, Hikari, and Kagura: are all children and thus are barred from engaging with these things. Although I suppose now they’re all fifteen or sixteen, so maybe some of them have started cussing, but I refuse to contemplate it.

Nijino Akira: doesn’t know the word “fuck,” but if he did he’d use it. Doesn’t know about kabedon either, and wouldn’t use it if he did, because that involves getting way too close to people.

Wagon: much like Smart Lady, would kabedon with her leg, but in her case she’s trying to be cute and fun, not creepy. Does not say “fuck.”

Emperor Zett: can in theory say “fuck,” but hasn’t found an occasion to do so. Would kabedon to intimidate, I think he’d kinda puff up like a little angry wren.

Jyuohger

Kazakiri Yamato: will only say “fuck” if he’s just been bitten by an animal he’s taking care of, and even then only if it really hurts. Doesn’t kabedon.

Sera: doesn’t say “fuck” because there’s always something more cutting available. Would bite anyone who kabedon’ed her.

Leo: says “fuck” as long as there are no girls listening. Has been bitten by Sera at least once as punishment for kabedon crimes.

Tusk: says “fuck” about paper cuts, but nothing else. Doesn’t kabedon.

Amu: doesn’t say “fuck” because there are cuter ways to get mad. Doesn’t kabedon herself, but will take any kabedon from someone else as an opportunity to get them to do something for her.

Mondou Misao: says “fuck” sometimes, always apologizes directly afterward. Far too nervous to kabedon.

Bard: says ���fuck” at least once a week. Isn’t clear on what kabedon is.

Uncle Mario: you leave Uncle Mario alone.

Kyuuranger

Lucky: does not say “fuck.” Might kabedon in a moment of high spirits.

Garu: is a polite man who neither says “fuck” nor kabedons.

Stinger: says “fuck” frequently. Kabedons with his tail.

Hame: says “fuck” quietly but often. Doesn’t kabedon, and would just vanish if someone did it to her.

Raptor-283: says “fuck” very rarely, but at great volume. Dreams of being kabedon’ed, this is canonical.

Champ: doesn’t curse, and thinks kabedon looks dangerous.

Spada: only says “fuck” in the kitchen, where he can say whatever he pleases, grazie. Could be kabedon’ed.

Balance: says “fuck” if he’s panicking, but only then. Might kabedon for fun.

Naaga Rei: doesn’t do either, and would be terribly puzzled if someone kabedon’ed him.

Shou Ronpou: said “fuck” once when he got his finger caught in the Kyuulette. Isn’t familiar with kabedon, but thinks it looks fun.

Kotaro: is ten years old.

Ootori Tsurugi: doesn’t say “fuck” because it’s not grandiose enough. Definitely kabedons, we see him do it at least once in the show.

LupinRanger Vs. PatRanger

Asaka Keiichiro:  might say “fuck” if he’s really angry, but would feel bad about it. Would blush if he kabedon’ed Kairi, but would still do it.

Yano Kairi: has been saying “fuck” on the reg since he was twelve. Would kabedon to make Keiichiro squirm.

Hikawa Sakuya: might say “shit” on occasion, but never “fuck.” Wishes he was the kind of guy who could kabedon.

Yoimachi Tooma: doesn’t say “fuck,” but does think it loudly. Too reserved to kabedon.

Myoujin Tsukasa: could potentially say “fuck,” but chooses not to. Not a kabedon type.

Hayami Umika: mostly has pretty clean language, but will say “fuck” when she’s sewing, especially if she’s just stuck a needle into her finger, which hurts like a bitch. Doesn’t kabedon herself, might giggle if someone did it to her.

Takao Noël: only swears in French, but does so in extensive and exacting detail. Kabedons, but in a chill way.

Zamigo Delma: thinks the word “fuck” is extremely funny. Would kabedon Kairi to make him uncomfortable, but if Kairi’s unavailable then he’s welcome to look me up.

Ryusoulger

Koh: has never said a swear in his entire life. Doesn’t kabedon.

Melto: says “fuck” often, but quietly, so that the others don’t hear him. Seems kabedon’able to me.

Asuna: doesn’t actually know the word “fuck.” Wouldn’t kabedon, like, on purpose? But she’d definitely do it unintentionally, please see this comic for reference.

Towa: will say “fuck” sometimes if his brother won’t catch him at it. Overconfident enough to kabedon, but I don’t think it’d occur to him.

Banba: says “fuck” if things have gotten very bad. Kabedons only rarely, when he needs to be very serious about something. Yes, sometimes that something is “I think about kissing you with such frequency that it’s interfering with my ability to focus.”

Canalo: doesn’t say “fuck” because Mosa Rex would be disappointed in him. Would never kabedon, if he even knows what that is, due to his overpowering Respect for Women. (It has never occurred to him that one might kabedon anyone but a woman.)

Oto: might say “fuck,” and if she did then Canalo would specifically blame Melto.

Nada: uses “fuck” as an expression of dismay, like, “well, fuck.” Not into the whole kabedon thing.

Tatsui Ui: might have said “fuck” once, but then was so embarrassed that she got a case of hysterical giggles. Absolutely does not kabedon.

Super Sentai is done! That was exhausting! Wow! On to...

Ultra Series

I have seen very few Ultra shows, so this section’s gonna be short.

Orb

Kurenai Gai: doesn’t say “fuck,” does curse in some kind of alien language. Doesn’t kabedon, I bet it’d make him blush, although mostly he doesn’t seem like the blushing type either.

Jugglus Juggler: says “fuck” regularly and with relish. Was once described by someone very wise as having “big kabedon energy,” which is to say, of course he does.

Yumeno Naomi: definitely says “fuck” and doesn’t care who hears her. Will kabedon Gai and Juggler simultaneously, one with each hand, and they will both be impressed and maybe a little turned on.

Hayami Jetta: says “fuck” sometimes, but not as frequently as he’d like people to think. Might try to kabedon, although he wouldn’t necessarily succeed at it.

Matsudo Shin: does neither of these things, as they have no relevance to science.

Geed

I can’t really say much about Geed, since we’re not even ten episodes in, but what I can say for certain is:

Asakura Riku: is too nice a boy to say “fuck” and not intense enough to kabedon.

Toba Laiha: definitely says “fuck” on occasion. Would kabedon with her sword.

Pega: is a child.

Igaguri Leito: does neither of these things, he is a sweet man. And I think Zero would disapprove.

Fukuide Kei: says “fuck” with frequency. I think he would, theoretically, kabedon, but there’s no one on Earth he’d do it to.

Belial: I haven’t actually, like, met Belial, but I’m fairly sure his existence is a concentrated dose of the word “fuck,” in the sense of, “oh, fuck, it’s Belial.” If he kabedon’ed he could destroy the planet, please do not let him.

R/B

I’m even less far into R/B, since I’m watching it by myself.

Minato Katsumi and Minato Isami: they do not.

Aizen Makoto: is too weird to do either of these things.

All right, we’re done with the brief foray into the Ultras. Now, last but very much not least, we have...

Garo

Of which I have only watched the original continuity, none of the Ryuuga stuff yet, so it’s a slightly limited take. However, I love all of these characters dearly, so here we go!

Saejima Kouga: is way too upright (and uptight) to say “fuck.” Doesn’t know what kabedon is, wouldn’t do it if he did.

Suzumura Rei: is a man who swears colorfully and at length and uses “fuck” to add a little bit of pep to things. Definitely kabedons, with varying levels of success depending on who he’s trying it on.

Fudou Leo: is a soft-spoken man, but nevertheless does occasionally mutter “fuck” quietly when he’s working on a Madou device. Blushes and stammers at the very suggestion of kabedon.

Mitsuki Kaoru: might say “fuck,” but only in the absolute heights of fury, which are rare for her. Not inclined to kabedon, but even if she was, who could she even do it to? The shortest person she might kabedon is Rei, who is seven inches taller than her, and it only gets worse from there. She’d need a boost to reach, and my dude Gonza’s back is not good enough for that.

Jabi: believes too strongly in the value of language well-used to say “fuck” except when absolutely necessary. Could kabedon with her leg, probably, and would if she thought it’d be useful.

Rekka: says “fuck” sometimes, mostly to express irritation. Most likely to kabedon with a knife or something.

Saejima Raiga, Mayuri, and Crow: I only barely know these kids but I adore them. None of them are allowed to do any cursing. They do not kabedon.

Madou Ring Zaruba: is a ring, so obviously he can’t kabedon, but he can say “fuck,” and I think sometimes he does.

The Moral Of This Story Is: never ask me for a comprehensive list of anything, because I cannot be trusted to do anything but go completely overboard.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Yet another AU

Since I need this fem!HypMic AU to explain how I came up with some assorted headcanons I was planning to post, you might as well have it. (It's SFW, because I don't think I'm capable of writing NSFW.)

Notes:

In my head, this genderswap business is brought about by the psychic powers Gentaro has in this AU.

In MTC's case, the exact storyline I have in my head for this is quite clear - Jyuto gets transformed first by Gentaro, then Samatoki is attacked by a (female) psychic-type user who takes issue with an offhanded comment he makes about fem!Jyuto, then Riou takes an attack from Gentaro meant for fem!Samatoki and fem!Jyuto.

In FP's case, Gentaro transforms himself and his teammates out of curiosity.

BB unapologetically took their names from Gotoubun no Hanayome/The Quintessential Quintuplets, so to distinguish themselves, they changed Jiro’s name to “Nina”…That’s all they did...

Notice that I didn't change a lot about the characters - I wanted to keep them as close to their original characterisation and appearance as possible.

There is one character (more?) used to dealing with women who helps their division members out with the swap: BB help each other out, for MTC it's Samatoki (because of Nemu), for FP it's Ramuda and for MTR it's jacket on!Hifumi or Jakurai where necessary. (I don't know about DH and BAT.)

Due to the swap, BB changed their division name temporarily to "Buster Babes".

Ichiro -> Ichika (一花)

An unapologetic bishonen chaser and former delinquent who likes music (particularly rap), but also otome games, anime and manga. Secretly a fujo (?).

Has the shortest hair of the sisters.

Jiro -> Nina (二奈)

Sporty and outgoing, also an anime and manga fan. Unapologetic fujo who shares shipping content with her sister.

For her appearance, see the ARB event where Ichiro and Doppo become temporary hosts.

Saburo -> Miku (美玖)

Unlike her sisters, Miku is just an ordinary riajuu (normie), albeit a smart, smug one. Likes classical music.

For her appearance, see the ARB event where Ichiro and Doppo become temporary hosts.

Samatoki -> Makoto (誠, which means “sincerity”) (LOL)

A trash-talking, chain-smoking wakagashira of the Katen yakuza with boyish short hair. She wears men’s clothing because women’s stuff doesn’t always fit her and so she only takes interest in vintage men's clothing.

(How a woman got this far in the yakuza…no one will ever know. Maybe she's a dansou wearer...?)

Jyuto -> Touko (桃子, a play on the fact Jyuto was born in spring while also retaining the "to" sound)

A long-haired policewoman, who is never seen without some kind of rabbit accessory, including phone background and phone case (although those don’t really count as “accessories”…?).

Has terrible eyesight. Typically wears pantsuits.

Riou -> Ouka (桜花, the middle name is still "Mason"...like Jyuto's, the name's carrying over sound while changing kanji)

A former navywoman who is constantly seen toting around what appears to be a hunting rifle, despite weapons being outlawed by the H Act.

Hairstyle does not change (pixie cut, probably?). Ouka is significantly shorter than Riou, but tall for a woman her age.

Ramuda -> Kazuko (数子)

A bubbly, short fashion designer who likes to holler at her “oniisans”…much to their consternation…

Might be bi (?) It's hard to tell.

Gentaro -> Akiko (晶子, from Akiko Yosano, much like “Yumeno” may be from Kyuusaku Yumeno)

A demure author, dressed in a school outfit from the Taisho era (red andonbakama, or undivided hakama, as opposed to the black umanori hakama Gentaro wears). Has a design on her hakamashita (the kimono that goes under the hakama), unlike Kuko. Has longer hair than Gentaro does, but only to keep a (red) bow in it.

Constantly procrastinating before deadlines.

Dice -> Nana (奈々, sounds like the Japanese word for "seven")

A gambler who would gamble away everything...but her undergarments.

Jakurai -> Teruko (輝子, meaning “shining child”, playing on both the holy imagery and the “thunder” in "Jakurai")

A genius doctor with a mysterious past. Occasionally ties up her hair when treating patients, but is not known for braiding it. (Therefore, any braiding is probably Kazuko's fault.)

Teruko is shorter than Jakurai, but tall for a woman.

Hifumi -> ひふみ [just change name to hiragana]

A popular hostess at a hostess club. Seen as extremely shy because she can't really handle her coworkers without her jacket.

Hifumi faints upon first seeing the transformation and has a much harder time getting used to the genderswap than the others.

Doppo -> Ayumi (歩) [could also be called Tokiko (国子)] (both are puns on Kunikida Doppo)

A long-haired office lady who has no notable characteristics (see the Delinquent Policeman ARB event for what she looks like).

Sasara -> [no change, because apparently Sasara's name is feminine as it stands]

A manzai comedienne with long hair, pinned up at the back of her head with a large clip. Typically seen wearing gaudy dresses and even gaudier shoes.

Rosho -> Sumire (菫, meaning "violet (flower)", pun on the “azalea” in the surname, since azaleas are normally pink and Rosho is purple-themed)

A maths teacher and former manzai comedienne with Sasara. Looks old-timey, but is actually only 26. Wears round glasses for cosmetic/sentimental reasons.

Rei -> [no change] [could also be called "Reiko" (零子)]

A self-styled “conwoman” and the mother (?) of the Yamada sisters.

Kuko -> 空子 (same pronunciation, one different kanji) [Possible spoiler for the Harmonious Cooperation drama track: if you don't mind overlapping with Hitoya's brother, you could call her "Sora" (空)]

A former delinquent lady, currently in training to be a shrine maiden. Seems like a bit of an airhead (<-pun on her name), but would never be unfaithful to anything she's dedicated to.

Jyushi -> Tsukiko (月子)

A timid visual-kei (dansou-wearing) vocalist who occasionally hams it up with chuunibyou. To the fans of Argo Kushii Gakudan, it’s a secret that she’s a girl…

Hitoya -> Yui (由衣, a pun on 獄衣 gokui (prison uniform))

A money-grubbing lawyer with a bob and a pencil skirt. Seems like a strict obasan, but is actually kind (LOL).

Update: Tweaked various things around to better work with the AU plus to mark a spoiler...Also, I know I changed Kuko's entire raison d'etre, and apparently there are female Japanese Buddhist monks, but...can you see a female Kuko being one? No? Didn't think so. That's why, despite my best efforts, fem!Gentaro and fem!Kuko's outfits overlap to some extent, although a shrine maiden has a haori while a Taisho schoolgirl has a hakamashita.

[sparklyjojos]

THE SAIMON FAMILY CASE recaps [1/13]

These will be full recaps of the latest JDC book, The Saimon Family Case (彩紋家事件) from 2004, which is a prequel taking place in the late 70s. While it’s a prequel, it can be read without any knowledge about the series. (It does spoil one death from Carnival at the end, but I feel like everyone already knows about this particular one).

It won’t be obvious in the recaps, but the book consists of seven parts seven chapters each (similar to Maijo’s Tsukumojuku) with two additional parts at the end.

The novel is light in terms of content warnings (for a murder mystery, anyway), but small kids WILL die in this, and we’ll be talking a lot about a specific type of systemic xenophobic violence near the end.

See that big family tree above? Save it somewhere for future reference. Believe me when I say you will need it. (Also, as always in the recaps, family name will be given first, Japanese-style.)

Well then—has everyone found their seats? Is everyone ready to witness the most splendid illusion?

Let's start the show.

PART 1

A note at the beginning informs us that soon 20 years will have passed from the end of the famous Saimon Family Murder Case, often called the “Crime Revolution” because of its impact on the future of similar complicated incidents. The details of the case have been hidden from the masses, but the time will soon come when everyone will learn the truth.

--

It’s the very last day of the year 1999. The mysterious first person narrator of the framing device is an older gentleman attending a New Years celebration in Las Vegas with his wife. They watch a fairly young blond magician perform close up magic for the guests. The magician borrows a 10,000 yen bill from the narrator, seals it in an envelope, sets it on fire, and it suddenly turns into a rose in his hand. When the narrator is asked to check his wallet, inside he finds a bill with the same denomination and serial number, but of a noticeably larger size… among a few other stunning differences.

“Happy New Millenium!” the magician exclaims.

This little illusion awakens memories from that case in both the narrator and his wife. As the world heads towards the new century, they are the only people left who were so closely involved in those tragic events of old.

--

It's September 19th 1977, and the entire Saimon family celebrates the 99th birthday of their old matriarch, Saimon Tamako. The celebration takes place on a performance stage next to the family's main residence in Tsuwano, Shimane Prefecture. Tamako’s daughter Akiko pushes the matriarch’s wheelchair towards the stage.

A perceptive guest may notice two other old women in the crowd who look astonishingly like Saimon Tamako, though they are a little younger (97). These are twin sisters called—if you can believe it—Tsukumo Tamako and Tousen Tamako. The three Tamakos look near identical, and in fact once used that similarity for their magic acts: all secretly shared the single stage name of Soga Tenju. That was decades ago, of course. The Tamakos no longer look like the beautiful young woman (actually women plural) known from her most famous illusion, Courtisane and Bell.

Once Akiko and Tamako take their place on the stage, all the lights suddenly go out for just a second, and in that brief darkness two things happen.

One: the red-and-white stripes of the celebratory curtain decorating the stage suddenly turn into black-and-white stripes of a funeral curtain.

Two: Saimon Tamako dies.

--

Saimon Tamako is ruled to have died of natural causes, not unusual at her age, and the curtain changing color must have been just someone’s attempt at a distasteful joke.

However, the threat of something darker going on still seems to lurk in the background. There’s a lot of people with bad intentions in this world. As part of the Saimons, Akiko is well aware of that. She recalls what she knows about the family's past.

Back at the beginning of the 20th century, Saimon Tamako made her living performing magic with a traveling circus group. Eventually she met a rich man, married him, and with his financial help established the Soga Tenju troupe.

Of course, the magician Soga Tenju was actually three women, all looking identical, all having similarly unclear pasts and wandering with the same group, all being called simply Tamako because no one even knew their real names.

It happened that three rich men of Tsuwano, who all have been friends—Saimon Taishin, Tsukumo Taigen, and Tousen Taikun—fell for the same “Soga Tenju”, and upon discovering the secret behind the magician decided to marry one member of the trio each. Since this was the era it was, the women didn’t really have a say in the matter. (Akiko hopes for more emancipation in the future and feels sad that she probably won’t live to see it; she’s over sixty herself.)

The tendency for similar names came with all sides of the family, it seemed. The three rich men were themselves a little weird, and that shared “Tai” in their names was something they added intentionally to show their bond. Their respective firstborn children—Tsukumo Haruko, Tousen Natsuko and Saimon Akiko—were given names referring to haru (spring), natsu (summer) and aki (fall). Since the Tamakos were so similar looking, their daughters also looked close enough that one could mistake them for triplets.

Akiko herself has three sons—Taishi, Akio, and Takayoshi—but now that they are all adults, they no longer feel so close to her, especially the youngest Takayoshi, who never felt inclined to stage illusion and broke all contact with the family. He didn’t show up for Tamako’s birthday and even now, a month later, hasn’t contacted them yet.

On October 19th, Akiko is busy sewing new props for a magic routine, the Five-Ball Cascade, in which juggled balls seem to change colors between red and white in mid-air. Remembering her times as the young magician Soga Tenshuu, she attempts the act just one more time. As she throws the balls in the air, she feels a stabbing pain in her chest and suddenly sees familiar faces in the balls—her mother, her husband, her sons—changing from white to red, like a bloody cascade. As they fall to the ground, Akiko does too.

--

A month later, on November 19th, a few members of the Saimon family are combing the Tottori sand dunes in search for young Saimon Yuuta, who went missing the previous day after announcing he’d like to show them something at the site. Everyone’s on edge; it’s barely been a month since Akiko's death.

A rope is found sticking out of Umanose, the famous “horse-back” dune, and several people pulling on it manage to unearth what looks like a giant card—four of diamonds—and Yuuta’s corpse tied to it.

--

--

Not even a few years have passed since JDC’s founding when young detective Ajiro Souji and his wife Mizuki take part in Saimon Tamako’s tragic birthday celebration.

The couple feels at home in Shimane, both because Mizuki was born in the prefecture, and because Ajiro has been friends with the Saimon family ever since receiving their help during the Ajiro Family Murder Case—the experience which prompted him to create JDC in the first place.

That case, as usual, was solved by his grandfater Soujin and mentor Shiranui Zenzou [and if you want to know more about it, read Carnival]. Both of them are splendid detectives, but decided young Souji should be the one to become JDC’s representative instead.

...but we keep saying "JDC" here, and the truth is the tiny group doesn’t call itself by the fancy English name Japan Detectives Club yet. It goes simply by Nihon Tantei Club and occupies the third floor of an office building filled with boutiques, clinics and the like.

Aside from Ajiro the representative, the staff consists of six office workers and twelve detectives (not counting Soujin, who is almost always out on business). The detectives are divided into the Shiranui Section and Kirigirisu Section, named after their respective leaders. There is some tension between the sections: the Shiranui part puts more value on past experience and doesn’t approve of choosing young Souji as their representative, while the Kirigirisu part praises his potential and thinks of the organization’s future.

So far Nihon Tantei Club is pretty unknown, no dramatic and giant solved cases to their name, and everyone has a strange conflicting feeling: at once wishing for the peace to never end and wishing for the inevitable tragedy to just happen already; to just get to the point where what should be unusual becomes the new normal, because everyone knows deep down it has to happen one day.

On November 22nd, Kirigirisu Tarou as usual takes the train to work, thinking about how the world will inevitably change as the new century comes around—though, of course, he can’t be sure he will actually get to see it, as nobody knows what will have happened in over twenty years.

Maybe he’s mulling over the passage of time and worries about the future so much because he's a man without a past. Kirigirisu lost all his memories to head injury a few years ago, at the same time when he was wrongly accused of murder. Fortunately, he was proven innocent thanks to both Ajiros, could begin new life as a detective, and even found a wonderful wife called Kano. He would love it if this usual everyday life could continue indefinitely… although without crime, a detective like him would be out of a job. For now he wants to focus on helping the Ajiros as he can.

Kirigirisu arrives at the office, which is mostly empty this early in the morning. Well, except for the delinquent detective Raiouji Rokenrou, looking just like you’d expect a punk named after rock’n’roll to look like (sunglasses, a lot of hair gel…) and taking a nap on the couch. Apparently Ajiro Souji had a long meeting with him about something last night, and now wants to talk to Kirigirisu.

Ajiro Souji is a sharply dressed 29-year-old man, easy to mistake for a normal office worker in the crowd. (Kirigirisu always flinches a bit seeing his elegant tie; he himself has a strange phobia of wearing anything around his neck, which he suspects has to do with an unknown event forever hidden behind his amnesia).

They each light a cigarette and have a friendly conversation. Ajiro mentions that he recently tried to switch to cigars, but alas, it seems that it’s still “too early” for him to appreciate them; about forty years too early, according to grandpa Soujin. [Seeing as Ajiro is a huge cigar fan in most of the series, grandpa miscalculated by at least two decades.]

Soujin is a thin man of short stature who hardly looks like someone in their seventies, although his hair is just as white as his usual suit, with just a black bowtie breaking the color. He always gives off the air of a mafia boss, his sheer power of personality taking hold of everyone around. Soujin apparently feels constant wanderlust, so he almost never shows up at the office. In fact, Kirigirisu hasn't seen him in over two months now. Who knows what he’s doing.

But back to the situation at hand, Ajiro wants Kirigirisu's help. For the next few days, they will investigate a case together in another prefecture, Rokenrou taking care of Kirigirisu’s section in his absence.

The case surrounds a strange series of deaths. First, Saimon Tamako dying (seemingly) of old age on her birthday on September 19th. Second, her daughter Akiko suffering a (seemingly) accidental death on October 19th, when a misplaced sewing needle stabbed into her heart. And third, a very strange but (seemingly) accidental death of another Saimon family member that has just happened on November 19th. Ajiro and Kirigirisu are to investigate whether or not the perfectly spaced string of incidents may be an act of serial killing.

The case is of personal importance to Ajiro. After all, the person who requested their services is the same man that helped solve the Ajiro Family Murder Case: Saimon Ryuusui, known better as the great magician Soga Tensui.

--

(The third person narration swaps here to a completely different font, and informs us helpfully: but ah, before the two detectives could head to Tsuwano, they would go to Yamaguchi first, to watch the magic show of the Saimon family, a marvelous experience that Ajiro has already had a few times because of his friendship with the family, and that Kirigirisu would witness for the first time.

And from the very moment they were invited to see the show first, they felt uneasiness settle inside them. Only much, much later would one realize just how deep the hidden meaning of the show really was, and that solving all its mysteries was crucial to solving the Saimon Family Murder Case.

You could even say that the show itself, filled with so many wondrous mysteries to solve, was the true Saimon Family Murder Case. If so, then the magician Soga Tensui could be defined as its culprit—and if so, then Ajiro and Kirigirisu have just walked right into a marvelous illusion indeed.)

--

[>>>NEXT PART>>>]

[bustin-a-hazelnut]

So basically @neopoliitan‘s last post has made me feel very strongly about the Amaranth family (the kids especially), so I now need my own post to sort out all the new information.

Let me begin by saying, I used to believe based off this post, that the Amaranth family only boasts five children; today’s comic proved me wrong. I went on to get some clarifications, and well...

Two times more kids - two times more fun, am I right?..

Needless to say, I did some further searching, and this post basically turned into my personal masterlist of Amaranth children. Those are mostly personal opinions and/or speculations, but again, my feelings in regards to them are strong & plentiful. Without further ado, naturally, the list opens with our beloved girl:

1. Akane Amaranth, 19

The oldest of the brood & really needs no introduction from me. A well-deserved favorite of Rain’s fanbase, among other things working on gradually rescuing her sister’s from their toxic household. As of late, her character arc has been (much to my joy) associated with William Lincoln’s, whom I assume will play a part in this encounter. The type of person he is, I wouldn’t put it past him to voice some unsavory truths to the face of Akane’s parents, with unpredictable consequences. With her own emotions & experiences in the mix, as well as the actual purpose of the visit, Akane’s got quite some development ahead of her. Not great for her - but a treat for us as viewers.

Her name in Japanese means “deep red, dye from the rubia plant”.

2. Miyako Amaranth, 18

Having been neither introduced nor mentioned in the actual comic, still a personal favorite Amaranth of mine. She’s gotten a great characterization from another Rain’s fan ( @infinitree )  here, which was approved by Neopoliitan. I don’t loose hope for her to make an appearance & shine somewhere in the future posts.

Even though she may not be too relevant for the plot right now, I see great potential for an inner, personal character arc with her. The idea for her character, from what I can tell, is that she’s always coped with her parents’ harshness & constant demands by becoming more withdrawn, apathetic, to the point of neglecting her own needs. Having gone so far down that path has damaged her in more subtle ways, than outright abuse - she’s basically traded it for neglect, and internalized it to the point of not caring enough to defend her needs & individuality, & eventually sorta loosing herself. This is actually rather dark, when you think about it, but I do believe there’s hope for Miyako. Her connection to her sisters, especially Ayano, whom she’s got a deep bond with, is a sliver of her identity that hasn’t been taken from her. It can also become the reason for her to find herself again & start caring more. She is in a strange place right now, and not in a good way, but I have faith in her.

Her name in Japanese means “beautiful” & “night”.

3. Nanako Amaranth, 17

Much like Akane, needs no introduction, having been a part of the plot for quite a while. Just as her elder sisters, this girl has all of my love, especially for her friendship with Tobin, even though the “wicked poo” line did play a part as well (which I Refuse to treat as anything other, than a reference to TTGOT S2 AU & Alanna Snow). It would be hard to guess by her upbeat personality, that she had to withstand more of her mother’s abuse, than possibly any of her siblings. This encounter is going to be a challenge for her, but I believe, that over the course of her life outside home, she’s gained the means to hold her own. She’s part of a team, a valued & great friend, a warrior, a huntressd & living proof, that neither what you’ve suffered, nor the people who’ve hurt you define you. She is going to overcome this, I have no doubt.

Her name in Japanese means "vegetables or greens".

4. Kasumi Amaranth, 16

A bit of a mystery at our hands, this one. No appearance or mention in the comic, no wiki page & the search through @neopoliitan came up dry. Her mention at Akane’s wiki page is the only indication of this girl’s very existence. There is little more to do than wait for further information on her, but as far as theories go - I wonder if she could exhibit a less positive personality, than her siblings? So far, all the Amaranth children we know of, that got somewhat characterized have exhibited different traits, yet, despite their home situation, I would describe all of them as well-meaning gals, even with their share of quirks & struggles. It’s not unreasonable to assume, that at least one of them would be affected more severely by their toxic parents - and have it shape them into a somewhat troubled person.

Her name in Japanese means “mist”.

5. Akiko Amaranth, 15

Her arrogant demeanor & the status of her father’s protege could lead to mistaking Akiko as someone who’s “sided with the abuser” in their family (a parallel to Whitley Schnee, someone who copes with abuse by submitting to his father). Another characterization post, however, suggests that she is actually far more than meets the eye. There’s this duality in her - outward brightness, determination & desire for leadership, wich is exactly what her parents expected; & hidden intent to use her future position for good, refusal to reject her sisters, who’ve been cast aside by her mother. This kind of characterization is an honest to god breath of fresh air - ambition & confidence, that is treated as a positive thing, not a sign of corruption. By Neo’s own words, she’s like a “good Whitley”, which is a fantastic character concept. I’m looking forward for anything she could have up her sleeve.

Her name in Japanese means “bright, sparkle” & “autumn”.

6. Sakura Amaranth, 14

Another kid we know virtually nothing about - and so far there isn’t much to theorize from. Sakura’s placed near her mother & appears relaxed, suggesting she isn’t in Yukiko’s bad graces. My two main guesses of why could that be are - either she’s just naturally inclined to obey & accept her parents’ way of seeing things; or she’s learned how to bypass them in her own ways. I find the second guess to be more interesting - while she can’t run away like Akane & Nanako, but can’t be up to her parent’s standards the way Akiko is or detach herself like Miyako, she could’ve developed a great ability to lie & manipulate, perhaps even in malicious ways, like shifting the blame onto her sisters in case of a screw up. I know this is really far-fetched, and I’m honestly just having fun coming up with those ideas at this point. One more option is her being a fave of Yukiko for some personal reason & therefore spared from mistreatment. 

I also find it interesting, that other than Nanako, who is shown gradually dyeing her hair throughout the comic, Sakura is the only one not to share the natural Amaranth hair color so far. Who knows if it’s just a reference to her name’s meaning, or some symbolism, like her not sharing the family values deep inside, but not letting it show in her demeanor... Idek, I honestly meant for this to be shorter.

Her name in Japanese means “cherry blossom”.

7. Natsuki Amaranth, 12 

She displays a strong, blunt personality from her first seconds on screen & strikes me as kind of a tomboy. I can’t imagine Yukiko being tolerant of such demeanor - and I can easily see Natsuki fighting back relentlessly against her reign. She probably took Nanako’s place as a punching bag not long after the latter left, and now her relationship with Akane parallels the one latter had with Nan. By the way Natsuki immediately gets to the subject of leaving, it’s clear how much this life affects her. It probably greatly exacerbates her naturally blunt personality - she’s got no time for affection or chatter, getting away is priority number one. I’m not sure how much of it is Natsuki’s “normal” character & how much - emotional damage from her parents, but at this point, it is hard not to assume the worst.

Her name in Japanse can mean “vegetables or greens” & “moon” or “summer” & “hope”. Interestingly, the name is considered unisex, though more commonly used by women.

8. Ayano Amaranth, 9

Getting close to the end here, and moving on to the actually small children of the fam, Ayano is a welcome change as an example of an Amaranth daughter, who’s actually getting to be a kid more (again, according to a previously established characterization). I particularly love the idea of her & Miyako being mutually close - it’s hard to tell which one of them needs it more. It’s also good to know, that Miyako’s efforts to shelter her haven’t been in vain & she actually seems to be okay around her mother, despite having a personality, that would naturally grate on her. Then again, kids can be rather perceptive, so maybe Ayano instinctively holds back her more unruly side in Yukiko’s presence & reserves poking & prodding for her sisters. She may know something isn’t right deep inside, and adjust her behavior, so as not to become another target for her mother.

Her name in Japanese means “of color; from love”.

9. Hana Amaranth, 6

Another mentioned-only character, with no face attached yet; at the age of six, I’d be glad to know that she is kept away from the family’s shenanigans & simply enjoys being a kid. Not much to theorize from here - will have to wait & see if she’ll make an appearance, and what her place in the family hierarchy is going to be. 

Her very existence to me raises a question of why Yukiko would choose to have another child, when there is no need for a specifically male heir, as Akiko has been selected for that role. We get to know, that she has no actual love for her children - so what could drive her to have more? Family’s reputation, desire for more control, or perhaps Aka Amaranth comes into play at last? He’s been barely mentioned here due to my lack of knowledge about him, but judging by his appearance on the poster, he is about to play a big role in this arc. Gonna have to wait and see. 

Her name in Japanese means “flower”.

10. Baby Amaranth, ~1

A literal baby, basically raising the same questions as Hana did a paragraph ago. I’m going to spare this one from my dark theories & let her chill for now, observing the reunion from a safe distance. Being a 10th child is no piece of cake even in most benevolent of families, so let’s all just give her a break for now. She’s still got all the time in the world to grow up & eventually develop her personal brand of the Amaranth Badassery. 

[beccychan26]

Modelpress Interview with Seto Koji

translated by me, beta read by bellfry

Modelpress 2018.01.28 19:00 Drama “Kuragehime” Seto Koji interview: How does this handsome man in women’s clothes become super cute? Does he think about the film version’s Suda Masaki? [Seto Koji / Modelpress = January 28th] Seto Koji (29) is the actor who plays a “heroine” of sorts on Fuji TV‘s drama “Kuragehime” (Monday 9pm). In the same drama there are many girls, starting with Yoshine Kyoko who is playing Kurashita Tsukimi, who are hardcore otaku. It is a work that is full of very unusual characters and the pretty actresses Kinami Haruka, Matsui Rena, Uchida Rio and Tomiyama Eriko are showing a look 180 degrees different from usual. Amongst them, thanks to fashion, hair styling, and makeup, Seto shines as the beauty, a young man disguised in women’s clothing, Koibuchi Kuranosuke. Seto uses his attention to detail and his strong spirit for challenges in order to let the viewers enjoy his pretty-faced Kuranosuke. Becoming a pretty man dressing as a woman in “Kuragehime” The original work (manga) is by Higashimura Akiko who is known for works like “Tokyo Tarareba Musume” or “Omo ni naite imasu” and more. It’s a “Cinderella comedy” where a “otaku girl” falls in love although she thought that this would never happen to her and while being drawn into a complicated triangle relationship she starts to find a new self. Seto who is acting as a “pretty man dressing as a woman” is appearing in a Monday9 drama for the first time and challenges acting while being dressed as a woman for the first time in his life. Even before the drama aired the pictures of him got a lot of attention but after the drama started airing people didn’t only say stuff like “Seto is cute.” or “He is more of a woman than a woman.” but also talked about his fashion and hair “The skirt that Kuranosuke is wearing today is nice. I wanna have it, too.” or “Today’s hair style is so cute!”. Seto Koji, how to prepare for being a man dressing as a woman -I heard that you’re already filming for the fifth episode so did you get used to dressing as a woman by now? Seto: Of course I got used to it! -Every time when the drama is airing there is a lot of feedback. Seto: I’m thankful for it. Preparing Kuranosuke’s looks takes about one hour but I actually can’t look at him from an objective point of view so I’m not so sure what to think of it… When I look at him I only see a man (laugh). That’s why I’m really happy when the cast or the staff members and also the viewers say things like “pretty” and “cute” and I use it for my self-confidence and now I believe that “I’m cute”. Of course we did make up tests and film tests and so on before the filming so the preparation for it was perfect. -Your skin is also pretty, right? Seto: Thank you. But sometimes it’s chapped as well. I have hay fever and depending on the season my face gets itchy. It’s almost time for hay fever now so it’ll be a little dangerous (laugh). -You talked about it in your blog or in the press conference but it seemed that it was hard to prepare for the role because you had to lose 6 kg or get rid of unwanted hair. Seto: You’re right. Getting rid of unwanted hair is still troublesome now. Depending on my role I do need the hair so I can’t get rid of it forever. I went to get hair depilation twice and let it make thinner. Since then I shave it every day. Woman don’t have that problem but I really have to shave every day so it’s really troublesome. -Your nails look pretty, too. Did you do it by yourself? Seto: Because I’m doing a show where I make sweets I already took care of my nails before. But now I chose the nail colour according to Kuranosuke’s fashion and put it on by myself. I got more used to it by now compared to some weeks ago. -I also think that the makeup is cute every time so I wonder whether you discuss it with the staff members before you do it? Seto: The staff that always does my makeup and therefore knows me very well prepares makeup and wig that fit me and shows it to the filming staff. So I’m not involved in the process for my makeup. -I see. So apart from the looks, what did you do for the way of stance and gestures? Seto: About the gesture I was looking at pictures online or studied it in magazines… Since Kuranosuke is more the big-sister type when he’s dressed as a woman I used Yonekura Ryoko and Amami Yuki and others as reference for my way of standing. And also some foreign models. Because there are many that are cute but also have a cool aura so I mixed these images (of foreign and Japanese models). -What feedback have you gotten since the drama started airing? Seto: In my family we don’t interfere with each other’s work (in a positive meaning) so they say “I saw it” and how they found it but they know that I don’t like it if they talk about my acting so they didn’t really say anything (laugh). The only thing is that I really look similar to the younger of my two sisters when I’m dressed as a woman, so many of my relatives or people around me tell me that. Seto Koji had a past where he had a complex about being “cute” -I think you were told “cute” a lot until now. Seto: That’s true… Well, in my teens the only thing I was told was “You are cute” so I always felt the gap between the “myself I want to show to others” and the “myself that other people see”. I had a big conflict with myself because of this gap… But I only had this weapon… I felt really pent-up. But when I finally got 20, I became an adult, gathered a lot of experience in acting and realized that being “cute” is not my only weapon. So I accepted this “cute” part of myself. I changed my thinking from “I’ve been called ‘cute’ again” to “I’m thankful to be called ‘cute’”. -Was there a special occasion that made you change your way of thinking? Seto: There wasn’t anything special. I think I just started to accept many things when I gathered more and more experiences. But it might be that I won’t be able to accept it anymore when I become even more of an adult and get stubborn (laugh). -Maybe (laugh). But that means that you didn’t resist when you got the offer for this “cute” role, right? Seto: Resistance… I might have to dress up as a woman for one scene in other works from now on as well but dressing up as a woman for a whole series, that’s something that won’t happen in my actor’s life anymore I suppose. So I kinda felt that it was fate when I received the offer for Kuranosuke. There is a movie and an anime and the manga was really popular, too, so I also felt some pressure whether I could really do this but my feelings of wanting to challenge this as an actor won against the feeling of pressure. -In the movie it is Suda Masaki who plays the same role so do you think much about it? I think you can’t escape being compared to him… Seto: I don’t think about it at all! Especially because Suda’s face and my face are different (laugh). So I think that we’ll be different Kuranosukes. Besides, a movie has its own good sides but the drama has more time that it can use to show the story carefully so it has different good sides. Of course both have the same origin but they are still two different works in the end. To people comparing them I can only say “it can’t be helped / c’est la vie” (laugh). I don’t feel any pressure because of that. -Recently Shirota Yu and Shison Jun from the same agency as you also had roles where they dressed as a woman, right? Seto: Right! It’s a coincidence (laugh). I also watched those works! But they are completely different I think (laugh). That’s why there isn’t much to talk or think about and I think we should just give our best in our ways. -In the editorial department I heard people that said that you are the cutest of all of them (laugh). Seto: Of course, of course (laugh)! I think among these I’m the cutest (laugh). But I’m really happy being told this. Seto Koji, some parts that are similar to Kuranosuke -Kuranosuke has a strong will. By dressing up as a woman he crushes his father’s plan to make him a politician as well and he can also be involved with the fashion world that he loves so much. Do you have any similarities with Kuranosuke? Seto: I can be thankful about that but I grew up in a family with a lot of love and not in a complicated circumstance like Kuranosuke so I don’t have any rebellious feelings towards my father. But Kuranosuke has very strong feelings towards his mother who he had to be parted from when he was very young and he doesn’t know where she is now. I think that his “dressing up as a woman is my hobby” is maybe also “I want to feel my mother”. Because I came to Tokyo from Fukuoka when I was 17 years old and I could meet my family only about once a year I think I might have similar strong feelings towards my family and my mother. -Strong feelings towards your mother… Seto: I thought more than once about leaving the show business. After all it wasn’t my decision to enter the show business and I thought about giving up several times. I originally wanted to become a veterinarian but entered the entertainment world on the advice of my mother. I think I’m a person who changed his mother’s dream into his own dream. So the reason why I continued working in show business was not only because it was the only thing I had but somehow also because I felt that I didn’t want to disappoint my mother. Modelpress 2018.01.29 21:00 Drama "Kuragehime" Seto Koji interview: The girl talk on location? And 2 hour phone calls! What’s this relationship with Takahashi Issei? [Seto Koji / Modelpress = January 29th] The modelpress interview with Seto Koji who’s appearing in Fuji TV’s drama “Kuragehime” (Monday 9pm). In the second part of the interview he will talk about some episodes with co-actors of the drama and about Takahashi Issei who is “like a real big brother”. He will also introduce the key to make one’s dreams come true. Becoming a pretty man dressing as a woman in “Kuragehime” The original work (manga) is by Higashimura Akiko who is known for works like “Tokyo Tarareba Musume” or “Omo ni naite imasu” and more. It’s a “Cinderella comedy” where a “otaku girl” falls in love although she thought that this would never happen to her and while being drawn into a complicated triangle relationship she starts to find a new self. The man that dresses up as a woman Koibuchi Kuranosuke that is played by Seto is a stylish and pretty man who has a high fashion sense that makes him dress up as a woman. He meets the main character Kurashita Tsukimi (Yoshine Kyoko) and the other otaku girls who call themselves “Amars” and starts to be interested in them. Seto Koji, the transformation into the “Amars” “Despite being so cute girls…” -For this drama you have many scenes with everyone from “Amars” so it’s a location with many women. Do you often talk with everyone else in the lobby like today? Seto: Yes. Because there are many women the location is very cheerful. Kyoko also says that “this location is so much fun” but everyone is very fascinating and I really agree with that. Kyoko is always smiling so naturally everyone around her is smiling as well. Also I think that the staff is creating a friendly atmosphere even before we (actors) come to location. The work itself is a comedy and I really feel being helped by this. -What do you talk about? Seto: The other time Matsui Rena who likes Taiwan brought a guide book about Taiwan and she told us stuff like “This restaurant was delicious~” or “This can be found in Japan as well~” so we were saying things like “Oh, I might go there~” and “Maybe I should go to Taiwan as well~” (laugh). Like that. -Do you rather listen (than talk)? Seto: Yes, I’m the listening type. But I like to talk about some occult stuff and (Uchida) Rio likes it as well. That’s why we’re talking about occult things. Recently Rio talked about something she had heard somewhere but I don’t know whether that was true or not so I won’t talk about it here (laugh). -(laugh). Yoshine and every one of “Amars” is acting very extreme so did you get some excitement through it? Seto: I get some excitement. Everyone gives more than 100% of their power so I feel that I have to follow. On the other hand Kuranosuke has also some kind of overhead view so even when I see every one’s excitement I can’t join them completely but have to try to stay a little calm. But I really think that everyone is great with their acting. You wouldn’t think the actor and the character are the same person. “Despite being so cute girls…” (laugh). Seto Koji, what is the relationship to “big brother” Takahashi Issei? -I’m changing the topic but I heard that your meeting with Takahashi Issei had a big effect on you. Seto: That’s true, Issei is really the person that I would call my best friend. We’re really on the same wavelength. He spoils me a lot and I also approach him as if he was my big brother. There aren’t many people that you open up about everything, right? I don’t want my family to feel anxious so I only say positive stuff and don’t show my weakness. But I can tell Issei negative things as well and I can talk about everything with him. He’s my sempai, my friend and my brother… I feel like describing our relationship with those words doesn’t capture it completely but I really really respect him a lot. But recently Issei is in Osaka so we don’t have opportunities to meet anymore! That’s because, as you all know, Issei is a very busy person. That’s why we’re talking on the phone or so… -You talk on the phone? Seto: Yes! We’re talking like girls. About two hours (laugh). Starting with “How are you these days?” until stuff I can’t tell you about (laugh). Last year Issei said “Let’s make our own bicycle together!” so we both made an order made bicycle. This year we want to cycle somewhere with these bicycles. But we haven’t decided anything yet. -That sounds fun! You’re very active. Seto: I’m not an active person at all but I always think that I want to become active. But Issei is someone whose hobby is mountain climbing and much more so I hope that through this occasion I become an active person as well. How will Seto Koji continue from now on? -You don’t look like it at all but you’ll be 30 years old this year, right? Seto: Yes, I’ll be 30 years old. -Do you feel any changes? Seto: Staff members started to be younger. Until now most of them were older than me but now the assistant director or the staff for lighting, sound and art… there are more and more who are younger than me so I feel old. I realized my old age (laugh). My muscles feel sore later than they used to and when I’m standing next to some young person who bursts with youth and energy like Kyoko I’m not like that at all (laugh). -(laugh). Is there anything that you want to do before you turn 30 on the private side? Seto: Nothing in particular. I don’t really think something like “because I’m 30!”. Woman might think about children or marriage in that age but I don’t think about it. In my early twenties my desire to marry was a lot higher than now. I don’t have this desire anymore. I don’t know the reason why I feel like that now but I think it is because I’m completely taken up by work. I’m happy if things go on like now where I meet good works and good people and can be satisfied with my work. I want to continue this routine. -At the end of this routine what kind of a future would you be happy about? Seto: Definitely one where I continue to be an actor. Although it’s easier said than done (laugh). The good points are that there is no pension in this occupation and I can continue acting until any age. But the show business is a competitive society and I’ve already seen many people giving up and people that had no other way than leaving so I think that it’s a place where I can’t continue with just my own ability and skill. Maybe you could say that I had good luck and one good thing followed another so my situation right now could be called something like a miracle. So my dream is that things will continue like this forever. -I see. Seto: Of course acting is what I mainly do but I also like writing essays and drawing pictures and I’m able to do narrating on TV shows so I wish I can widen my way of performing. Seto Koji, the key to make one’s dream come true -So can you tell the readers at the end a way how you can make your dreams come true? Seto: Well, I think that the young people of today are reading this, right (laugh)? To be honest, I have no idea what I should say (laugh). Maybe… even if you don’t like it so much you should continue. Continuing something is a difficult thing itself. So continuing is one key, the other key is to not carry everything by yourself. Depend on other people. This is not about being spoiled but by depending on other people you can become someone that other can depend on as well and that is important I think. For me, Issei is someone like that. -Continuing… There are many people that give up on the way, right? Seto: There are really many. It might be the thinking that before I get hurt I change my way and start something new. But I think “If you couldn’t continue this way, other ways will be difficult as well”. Many think that by giving up they chose the easier way… Although there is nothing like an easier way. But I guess that young people don’t want to hear stuff like this (laugh)? Deep inside you might have noticed that it’s true and you feel hurt. You don’t want to hear it and think “So annoying~” maybe? But I think that listening to what other people say is really important. -You’re right. Thank you for your wonderful words. Pay attention to what’s going to happen in “Kuragehime” next On that day Seto was interviewed while being dressed as a woman. A small face that many woman lose to, long eyelashes, white skin, a beauty that is really enchanting… On the other hand the staff was fascinated by the gap of his manliness by talking calmly about his job and dream. Kuranosuke who’s not only freely doing what he wants but is also strongly determined and won’t let his surroundings take this away. Seto who looks at his surroundings objectively and has a consistent way of thinking has some traits that are similar to Kuranosuke. How does the heroine change by meeting Kuranosuke and how does Kuranosuke himself change? “Kuragehime” will become more and more interesting. Please pay attention to Kuranosuke who is of course very pretty but is also deeply thought about by Seto.

[hourzmanga]

favorite yuri & shoujo ai

man i’ve been sitting on this for a while now but it’s finally basically finished. I’ve written a short summary along with noted whether there is sexual content, general warnings about content, and length (it always annoys me when i read a good looking synopsis only to find out it’s just a one shot). My favs have asterisks next to them. happy reading!

#

20 Year Old Girl x 30 Year Old Maiden: a young girl falls in love with her former instructor. (short ish; COMPLETED)

A

Ano Musume ni Kiss to Shirayuri o: Girl who just wants to be number one challenges the girl who is naturally the best at everything. Nice development, cute art, interesting characters. Soft and sweet and engaging. (long; ONGOING)

Aoi Hana: A manga about girls in school who navigate their desires and lives as they age and the people around them change. One of my favorite authors who has other series that are definitely worth the read. Has sexual content but not gratuitous if i remember correctly?? (52 chapters; COMPLETED)

Apocalypse: Special items in a video game bring a girl and her crush closer together. No actual concrete relationship starts but definite cute and soft feelings that I liked. (three chapters; COMPLETED)

*Asagao to Kase-san: Girl meets another girl whole watering the morning glories and falls in love. suffers a little from “but we’re both girls!” in the beginning but is pretty temporary. Has sexual content. (longer; ONGOING, but definitely has a good chunk of story finished)

B

*Bright and Cheery Amnesia: girl loses all her memories and wakes up in the hospital to her girlfriend. Though she’s shocked, it seems that spending three years together and being in love transcends any difficulties. SUPER CUTE. Has some sexual content but not graphic. (medium length currently?; ONGOING)

C

*Chatting at the Amber Teahouse: A sweet and slow paced manga about a girl who works at a tea house and is in love with the owner. One of my absolute favorites for its atmosphere and pacing. (21 chapters counting extras and prologue; COMPLETED)

D

*Double House: Trans woman working at a bar and a girl who’s run away from her upper class family become neighbors. I really really like the art and atmosphere of this; it’s very lovely and softly engaging. (it’s by the same artist of pieta, my ultimate favorite) (3 chapters; COMPLETED)

E

*Ebisu-san and Hotei-san: When a woman transfers to her department, the main character feels antagonistic towards her aloof attitude and goes out of her way to make her feel unwelcome. This all changes when she receives insight into the other woman’s life and her feelings become very different. very cute and subtle with a sweet ending. ???????? (6 chapters plus extra; COMPLETED)

*Exciting Feelings (also Fluttering Feelings): girl becomes friends with a popular girl and they slowly develop feelings for eachother. (as of now i’m the translations they have not yet gotten together but the slow burn is realllll goood) (longer; ONGOING)

G

Girl Friends: A classmate approaches a girl who is generally alone in the class and invites her to join her friend group. They end up developing feelings for eachother. Pretty good, not my favorite but definitely worth the read when u can. (COMPLETED)

H

Hide in the Flowers - girls at a magic academy; cute but not story heavy (shorter; ONGOING)

Houro Musuko: About a trans girl who grows up and is both affected by and affects those around her. A little sensationalized imo but has such a great host of characters and that good soft art. Less romance more coming of age but is lesbian or at least girl loves a girl in the long term so .. Read It. Has sexual content but it’s conducive to character development so doesn’t count. (123 chapters; COMPLETED)

Irrational Us: About a lesbian office worker with a sort of off putting, twisted personality (as much as i hate to use that word lol). Super interesting main character. (10 chapters; ONGOING)

K

Kanojo to Camera no Kanojo no Kisetsu: Not completely sure why i like this one so much; the current translations don’t even have the main girls getting together, but i think it has an atmosphere that i really enjoy. It’s about a girl who feels bored and out of place with her usual friends until she speaks to a girl with a camera who she’s always admired and they become close friends. No sexual content (shorter; ONGOING)

Kuchibiru ni Suketa Orange: Beautiful and stylish girl transfers from tokyo and joins the plain friend group of another girl, who harbors a secret crush and longing for the girl from tokyo. Has sexual content and some sort of iffy motifs (like the main character imitating the girl she has a crush on that was kinda… off putting) (6 chapters; COMPLETED)

Kuchibiru Tameiki Sakurairo: A series of cute one shots. By morinaga milk, who a lot of people LOVE, but doesn’t really make my favorite type of content. No sexual content (9 chapters; COMPLETED)

L

*Lesbian-Teki Kekkon Seikatsu: Married couple and their journey to having children. cute style and interesting! No sexual content. (shorter; ONGOING)

*Love My Life: A lesbian woman going through her life and interacting with her friends and family. SUPER interesting story with a main character that i really liked. Has sexual content. (12 chapters; COMPLETED)

M

Magan he Danai: Cute series of loosely connected oneshots about a couple in which one woman is mischievous and often messes with her wife, who tolerates it sometimes and retaliates other times. Cute and fun dynamic and nice art. No sexual content. (11 chapters; COMPLETED)

**Manga no Tsukurikata: A manga artist decides to date a girl she knows from work who has confessed to her in order to write yuri manga. Turns out the younger girl is also a manga artist, and one that she idolizes. Very sweet and slice of life & a relationship that develops slowly but sweetly into something very sincere. This has been one of my favorite series for a long time. (longer; COMPLETED)

Mars no Kiss: rebellious girl who has an older boyfriend and thinks of herself as emotionally and sexually more mature than those around her is seated near honors student and falls in love. does NOT end with mutual feelings, unfortunately, but DOES end on a happy note. has sexual content. (4 chapters; COMPLETED)

More Than Friends?: two girls work out their feelings for each other and experience lots of things together. Very very cute stuff!! currently (as of july 2017) on hiatus. (mid-length?; ONGOING)

MORISHIMA AKIKO (queen)

she has a lot of great stuff that i have to recommend here so enjoy

* Happy Picture Diary: A series of 4-panel comics about life as a lesbian woman and interacting with other non straight people. really cute and fun and i think (?) semi-autobiographical (a note says parts of it are based on the author’s life) ???????? (5 chapters; COMPLETED ((website says it’s ongoing but hasn’t updated since 2011 so))

* A Lapis Lazuli Blue Dream (also Azure Dream): An anthology with office women romance, high school sweethearts who have moved on to college, office women who chase the same girl (honey & mustard), a girl in love with a widow who she’s known since she was young (not wild about this one lol), a continuation of 20 year old girl x 30 year old maiden, a doujinshi author who meets one of her fans at her sister’s school festival (again kinda iffy about this one) has small amounts of sexual content. (10 chapters; ONGOING?)

* Renai Joshika: Office ladies romance!! Has prequels and sequels to stuff in a lapis lazuli blue dream. Has sexual content. (9 chapters plus extras; ONGOING?)

My Girlfriend’s Ex-Boyfriend: While sleeping after having sex, the main character’s girlfriend speaks in her sleep and causes the main character to feel uneasy in their relationship and leads to her investigating her girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend and a few misunderstandings. Has sexual content. (longer; ONGOING)

N

Nanashi no Asterism: Three girls who become friends but end up in a love triangle amongst themselves. No real relationship ever occurs but i think i liked this one for the characters and their friendship and the communication between them. Has a sweet but not romantic ending. (23 chapters; COMPLETED)

O

Octave: Former idol falls in love with a music composer. Not my favorite (a lot of focus on sex, girl cheats on her gf with a man at one point), but has some very good moments, well developed characters, and a heavier atmosphere that u might like if u can get thru the rest of it. I think the reason that it made my list despite its faults is because it’s actually long (which is so hard to find) and bc the relationship between the girls changes and develops a lot. Has a lot of sexual content. (36 chapters; COMPLETED)

*Omoi no Kakera: A lesbian school girl who works at a cafe navigates her life and identity while making friends and affecting the lives of other people in her own way. Has other stories that are connected to the main one in different ways that are also very interesting. (15 chapters ??? (too many extras to count lol); COMPLETED)

OTSU HIYORI

she just has some real cute stuff lol

* Your Cuteness: A series of cute oneshots (by the same author as aqua blue cinema) (COMPLETED)

* *Aqua Blue Cinema: When a famous actress is standing on a cliff’s edge, a local girl assumes that she is going to jump and tries to stop her, but just ends up pushing her in. When the actress loses an important necklace, the other girl becomes her personal assistant in order to pay it off. Love love love this one super cute. ?????? (six chapters; COMPLETED)

* Clover - A series of oneshots by the same author as Aqua Blue Cinema that are super sweet. ??????? (7 chapters plus extra; COMPLETED)

P

Partition: Girl who is obsessed with cute things seems to accidentally capture one of her coworker’s embarrassing moments. To get back at her, her coworker snaps a picture of them kissing for blackmail. After that, both of them gain a new awareness for eachother. Seems cute so far and the art is super lovely. No sexual content. (shorter; COMPLETED)

**Pieta: About a girl with an abusive family who struggles with self harm and abandonment issues. She starts an odd sort of relationship with another girl, who also struggles with mental illness. They bond over this and other things and help eachother work through their issues. A little codependent imo but such a beautiful story with incredible contemplative aspects that had me in awe. Especially love bc their relationship is incredibly deep and emotional and only slightly romantic, with a happy ending and that at no point “but we’re both girls!” or homophobia of any sort plays a role is a great added bonus. No sexual content. ((warnings for suicide attempt, self harm, and familial abuse)) (11 chapters counting extras; COMPLETED)

*Plica: Lesbian woman navigates her (love) life after a close friend’s wedding and contemplates on hers and others sexualities. Really cute. Has sexual content. (132 SHORT chapters; COMPLETED)

*Poor Poor Lips: Poor girl comes to work at the power stones shop of a well off lesbian woman. Super super sweet and slow developing and definitely worth the read. Probably one of if not my favorite series on this list. ?????? (75 chapters; COMPLETED)

Pure Marionation: a robot girl going to school and making friends and navigating the life of a high school girl. The art style of this one is not… super choice, but has cute and original concepts that i enjoyed and let me mostly overlook those huge eyes and weirdly molded faces .. has some nudity and some slightly suggestive content but is overall not sexual. (18 chapters; COMPLETED)

R

*Renai Manga: An aspiring manga editor is in charge of the author whose work changed her life. However, she’s completely different from what she thought and, despite being a little dispirited due to that, she grows to respect and enjoy her personality and company. cute and lighthearted!! (8 chapters plus extras; COMPLETED)

S

*Sasameki Koto: Girl in love with her lesbian best friend but unable to make a move bc her friend only likes “cute girls.” SO GOOD, very sweet, 100% recommend. great development, lots of sweet side characters, and overall a great manga. (53 chapters; COMPLETED)

Sayonara Folklore: At a girls school, there is a superstition that if you touch another girl on monday, you must recite a charm or else risk being cursed by two girls who committed a lovers suicide together. However, when a transfer student comes, she seems to disregard this and pull the main character along with her as they break the rules together. Cute art, great ending. There’s some “i’m in love with my sister!” stuff going on that is super misleading but that’s Not how it is. No sexual content. (9 chapters plus extras; COMPLETED)

[tsunflowers]

I said that for toku ladies week I would make a post listing why I think every main rider from shows I’ve seen could have been a woman from their show instead and I was mostly joking but then I did it anyway

amazon: we know that amazon was made into a remodeled human by chief bagow using the gigi armlet and also some tools made of fucking bones, and he picked amazon bc amazon was running around wild in the jungle after his parents died in a plane crash. all of that is pretty ridiculous, so if it happened to one person it could happen to anyone. if ritsuko’s parents died in a crash over the amazon maybe she would have become a feral child and been given the armlet. ritsuko okamura could be kamen rider amazon

black: kotaro was remodeled by golgom to become one of their kings along with his adopted brother nobuhiko, but what if golgom wasn’t looking for just a king and instead they wanted both a king and a queen? they might have abducted nobuhiko and his fiancée katsumi, turning nobuhiko into shadow moon and katsumi into black sun, kamen rider black. a woman having to battle the love of her life might even be more exciting and tragic than a battle between brothers. katsumi kida could be kamen rider black

black rx: if katsumi was black, the crisis empire would capture her and try to kill her, changing her into black rx. katsumi kida could be kamen rider black rx

kuuga: why is godai kuuga? bc he puts on a belt he found in a cave like an idiot to save someone bc he’s a good guy. sakurako is also a good person and she also had access to that cave. in a different situation, who’s to say she couldn’t have put on the belt? sakurako sawatari could be kamen rider kuuga. also I believe in the kuuga novel mika gets a belt and becomes kuuga. mika natsume is kamen rider kuuga

agito: I’m not very far into agito so I don’t know how or why shouichi is agito and I can’t say how a woman would do it. however here’s something I do know: ozawa made the g3 suit. if she made it, she can use it. sumiko ozawa could be kamen rider g3

ryuki: this is kind of a tough one, I was thinking, remembering the many things about yui that could make it unlikely that she would be ryuki. then I remembered there’s another woman in ryuki who has an investigative spirit and always searches for the truth. it’s shinji’s coworker reiko. since shinji basically just picked up the deck, there’s nothing stopping her from doing the same. reiko momoi could be kamen rider ryuki

faiz: mari can’t be faiz bc she’s not an orphenoch. but listen to this: what if… she was an orphenoch? she could be the wolf orphenoch instead of takumi, or I think it would be cute if she was a less popular big cat like the lynx or serval. anyway faiz should feel ashamed for having mari put on the belt no less than three times and never letting her transform a single time. mari sonoda could be kamen rider faiz

blade: blade riders are just guys who work for a company, no special requirements. hirose works for that company using a computer to search out undead, but she could just as easily use the blay buckle to transform into a rider. shiori hirose could be kamen rider blade

hibiki: all the riders in hibiki have first and last names that start with the same syllable but I’m going to go right ahead and ignore that little rule. to be an oni and hibiki rider all you have to do is know that oni exist and train to be one. there are a couple women in hibiki who have known about oni for a very long time. of course I’m talking about the tachibana sisters. in the show they choose to be supporters for the riders, but nothing would stop them from choosing to train as riders. kasumi or hinaka tachibana could be kamen rider hibiki

kabuto: if you’ve watched iconic masterpiece kamen rider kabuki: god speed love, you know that tendou has the kabuto belt bc he traveled through time to give it to himself as a child in order to save hiyori. this may be the most difficult thing I’ve asked you to imagine yet but bear with me. what if tendou was less of an egomaniac and gave the belt to hiyori so she could save herself? in that case hiyori would grow up with the belt in her possession, ready to use it when the time came, and tendou would just appear as a mysterious benefactor. hiyori kusakabe could be kamen rider kabuto

den-o: to me den-o is one of the most egregious examples of a belt going to a guy when there’s a perfectly willing girl. I think in some ways hana is a better candidate for being den-o than ryoutarou. she’s stronger and a better fighter, and she has a reason to fight rather than just being dragged into the battle. she’s also a singularity point just like ryoutarou, so there aren’t even any in-universe special powers needed she doesn’t have. hana could be kamen rider den-o

w: it’s tricky since w is the two in one kamen rider. I can’t just slap akiko in the suit and call it a day. she has to have a partner. a popular au is for her and wakana to be w, with wakana taking on philip’s role as the gaia library. I’m into that, but I also think akiko taking the place of one of the existing guys has a lot of Comedy Potential. akiko and shoutaro like a pair of bickering siblings who fight over the mysterious boy living in their basement. akiko and philip as a cool crimefighting duo who still aren’t hardboiled enough for their office manager shoutaro. both very funny. akiko narumi could be kamen rider w (with a partner)

ooo: eiji is uniquely able to handle the demands of the core medals bc he’s so selfless. I get it. but we see how well that works out for him, don’t we (dinosaur greed). maybe someone a little more weak of heart could be ooo as long as they were strong of body, like hina. hina izumi could be kamen rider ooo

fourze: like den-o this is another series where the main guy has nothing the main girl doesn’t, imo. yuuki loves space and friendship. what else does she need? I think she also knows about the fourze belt before gen ever does, although I might be remembering that wrong. yuuki joujima could be kamen rider fourze

wizard: koyomi is my choice for replacement rider even though her unique situation of needing other people’s mana to survive might make it hard for her to expend mana as wizard. I have to do a little au magic here but I think it’s pretty well supported by canon. if dragon can stay inside haruto and lend him his power, he could do the same for koyomi and he could probably cover her mana requirements too. from what little we see of his personality I don’t think it’s impossible he would agree to do that. koyomi fueki could be kamen rider wizard

gaim: kouta basically just picked up the belt bc yuuya dropped it (when he died). mai has hands, she could have picked it up too. the best part is if she was the main rider the whole forbidden fruit plotline would be less awful or wouldn’t even exist at all. mai takatsukasa could be kamen rider gaim

drive: kiriko could easily be drive. she even put on the belt in some special only to be rejected bc she “wasn’t strong enough” or some horse shit. that woman vaults right over cars. does shinnosuke ever display that kind of raw physical power? I think not. kiriko shijima could be kamen rider drive

ghost: I know takeru was only able to become ghost bc he died at exactly the right time, after receiving a present of an eyecon from his late father. but he’s not the only person who can die. akari could have been killed, maybe even protecting takeru, and you know that boy would give up his eyecon if it meant akari could come back to life. akari tsukimura could be kamen rider ghost

ex-aid: I was going to tell you why poppy could be ex-aid but I’m not actually sure she could and anyway she’s going to be a different rider. two female riders at once might be unimaginable to some people at toei but to me it sounds wonderful. I think nico could take emu’s place as ex-aid. she didn’t have the same surgery he did but we know she was active in the gaming community at the same time so it could have happened. and if you don’t think nico wouldn’t send a letter to dan kuroto that pissed him off, setting the chain of events that spread the bugster virus in motion, you probably haven’t been watching ex-aid. nico saiba could be kamen rider ex-aid

[patheticphallacy]

IT’S MAY Y’ALL. Even though I’ll still be doing blog posts in May, it’s not going to be as hectic, as I finally finished my second year of university and have decided to take it easy after a very packed April.

I’m also doing things a little different with my wrap up this month by getting rid of star ratings. I watched a video on it, and I just feel like I’d rather people go by my actual comments on the books than look at the rating and decide that covers all my thoughts. I still have star ratings on Goodreads for my own personal use, but I’m doing my best to start writing proper summaries of my thoughts from now on!

READING WRAP UP

  Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan– a solid follow up to the first book, although there’s a startling lack of dragons in a series about a dragon naturalist! Definitely go into this one expecting a lot more politics than book 1, and Isabella starting a lot of Drama.

The Elementals by Michael McDowell– such an amazing horror novel! McDowell is so underrated for a writer who wrote predominantly in the seventies and eighties, and it’s so tragic how young he died. 

Princess Jellyfish Volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura– such a disappointing read. It’s really problematic, to the point where it drastically impacted my enjoyment of the plot, especially when I’ve got so many other more recent manga I could be enjoying more than this. 

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 8 by Hiromu Arakawa– speaking of next tier manga… holy shit. I am so scared of volume 9 and finishing this series, it’s meant so much to me and it’s really helped me immerse myself fully in reading manga. 

Lumberjanes Volume 9 by Shannon Watters– Barney is a precious precious bean and I love them! This is a roller derby volume, and it was pretty great: I’ve been a fan of roller derby since I first watched Whip It, and this volume was super entertaining!

Lumberjanes Volume 10 by Shannon Watters– wholesome volume where the parents come to visit their kids. I do feel really sad for Molly, but it was nice seeing everyone else’s parents! 

Lumberjanes: A Midsummer Night’s Scheme by Nicole Andelfinger– this was a fun bonus one shot comic. However, it does get very cheesy and it’s whole message is just so obvious  that them explaining it was very much unneeded. 

Smut Peddler Volume 1 by Various Authors– this is a fun anthology of smut comics that I super enjoyed reading. E.K. Weaver’s comic is by far my favourite, and it’s only after I realised that it was a one shot about a character in her webcomic! 

Rumple Buttercup BY Matthew Gray Gubler– a very cute children’s graphic novel about loving yourself and finding acceptance! 

Smut Peddler Volume 2 by Various Authors– this wasn’t as good as volume 1, but I still read it really quickly and had a fun time looking at the different art styles and methods of story telling!

Dream Daddy by Various Authors– there are so many good moments in this comic, it’s so great. Highly recommend if you’ve played the game, and if you haven’t, check it out, it’s real fun! Damien and Robert’s issue was by far my favourite as they were my favourites in the game too.

Tokyo Ghoul Volume 5 by Sui Ishida– finally, I’m starting to enjoy Tokyo Ghoul. It took a while this volume to actually understand what the hell was happening, but once I did, it really did become something I enjoyed.

Rick and Morty VS Dungeons and Dragons by Patrick Rothfuss– A decent enough read, although there is way too much dialogue and exposition on every page. The font is really small, too, so reading it was a hassle. 

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero– this book was actually terrible and I have a whole review discussing my issues and how harmful it is!

Jackass! Volume 1 by Scarlet Beriko– This is a funny, sweet manga about fetishes and blackmail. It has an age gap romance between an 18 year old and a doctor, and there is some transphobic bullying/weird treatment of bullying being okay if the person has a crush on you, but the main relationship is great, and the MC has a really lovely relationship with his older sister. 

Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka– Chronicles the Alice Batwoman arc from Detective Comics, as well as giving the backstory for Kate. It’s so great having a badass DC hero who is a lesbian, whose storyline also touches on homophobia in the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ era of the military. Glad I finally got to this!

Sparrowhawk #5 by Delilah S Dawson– a really disappointing series conclusion overall. I knew I should’ve just stopped reading after the first issue and I wasn’t feeling it, and I honestly wish I had after such a dissatisfying conclusion. Others may enjoy this, but it really wasn’t for me.

Assassination Classroom Volume 1 by Yusei Matsui— an amazing series starter! Already really moving with a teacher who spends all his time encouraging his students despite being a threat to the entire world they have to kill within the year. I have a feeling this will become a new favourite.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara– really great non-fiction read written by a journalist who played a massive part in the resurgence of talk surrounding the Golden State Killer. You also get some of her life story, and by the end I was almost in disbelief that the author had already died by the time her work was published. I will say it did drag at points, especially in the parts not written by McNamara that had to be finished after she died, but overall a really thorough look into the cases and the victims.

The Woods Volume 5 by James Tynion IV– this series is- dare I say it- picking up? I still have issues with the representation and the fact that most of the main characters to have died, especially in this volume, were POC while the white characters are in the exact same situation and survive. Will have to see if this carries on. 

Backwards & In Heels by Alicia Malone– this started off strong, and I found out so much about women in film and their presence in the industry since the creation of film in the 1800’s. However, by the end it got so repetitive and formulaic in the way information was presented that I started skimming. This is more of a coffee-table, occasional-read book when you fancy learning more about amazing women! Also, even though there is diverse rep and talk of lack of hiring of WOC and LGBT+ women in the industry, we also get the author praising white women earlier on in the book who took on roles where they did blackface and yellowface, which really dulled down the conversation in the latter half of the book. 

My Love Story!! Volume 6 by Kazune Kawahara– so GOOD. I got so emotional reading this volume, I ended up crying. This is by far one of my favourite manga series, I can’t recommend it enough. It follows tough-but-soft boy Takeo as he enters into a relationship with Yamato, cutest girl in the universe, with the support of his best friend Suna. Truly the PEAK of romantic comedy fiction. 

When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry– emotional, hardhitting read about a group of friends who end up with superpowers after discovering a strange alien object. It’s very reminiscent of the film Super 8 in my head, and if you love stories about not only aliens but found families through friendship, highly recommend!

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle– I just don’t think Sherlock Holmes is for me. I love the retellings and adaptations, and in theory, I’m invested in the murder mysteries, but I just think Doyle’s prose weighs it down and there’s always that underlying racism I don’t think is appropriate to even attempt to shake. 

And my May TBR Jar pick is…. MY HEART GOES BANG by Keris Stainton!

TV SHOWS/MOVIES/VIDEOS

At the start of the month, I started bingeing Dead Meat videos, a channel entirely revolving around horror. My personal favourite series is the Saw kill count videos, and the movies that changed horror podcast episode James (the host) does with his girlfriend Chelsea (who is amazing)!

I finally watched season 2 of Stranger Things! I adore Steve, as always, and it was such a solid season (BOB). However I did have an issue with the needless rivalry that festered with Elle towards Max, season 3 better sort that and stop pitting girls against each other for no reason other than because of boys.

Zoe from Read by Zoe was on FIRE this month with some really great read-a-thon videos! I loved her 24 read-a-thon vlog especially, she read only books she enjoyed growing up and it all felt really nostalgic.

This is very much a personal one, but my favourite streamer returned to a podcast with the company he used to work for, and it was just…. so heartwarming to watch. I can’t believe he left four years ago! I’ve been watching this company since I was about fourteen, so it was so nice watching this, a long-awaited reunion.

Kat at paperbackdreams did an amaaaaazing video rant reviewing After by Anna Todd, and I loved it. In general Kat is a top tier booktuber for me, I highly recommend her videos as much as I can!

MUSIC I’VE ENJOYED

Pressure by The 1975

Old Town Road Remix by Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus

The Black and White and I Spend Too Much Time in My Room by The Band CAMINO

I Got 5 On It  (Tethered Mix From US) by Michael Abels, Luniz, Michael Marshall

Soldiers (From Stranger Things) by Kyle Dixon, Michael Stein

REVIEWS I POSTED

Three Romance Reviews: Kulti, The Hating Game and Sunstone

The Elementals Book Review

Meddling Kids Book Review

OTHER POSTS I’VE DONE 

Spring Cleaning Book Tag

Film Friday: Favourite Campus Films

Getting Through Exam and Essays: ADVICE

DISCUSSION: Reading at University, and how I do it!

Music Monday: OMG This Song Book Tag

Top Ten Tuesday: Rainy Day Reads

Top Ten Tuesday: First Ten Books I Ever Reviewed on Goodreads

  April Wrap Up & May TBR Jar Pick IT'S MAY Y'ALL. Even though I'll still be doing blog posts in May, it's not going to be as hectic, as I finally finished my second year of university and have decided to take it easy after a very packed April.

[hotcupofmucha]

My Favorite YA Reads Thus Far

After joining the library field since February of this year, I have probably tripled the amounts of books I read.  And I definitely have to, the way books come out as quickly as they do.  Although it has been hard to keep up, I feel that I have hit on some great books so far and am very eager to read more.  For those of you new to the YA genre, perhaps you will find these updates valuable.  I really need to get those classics read, but I’m trying to do a mix of new and old to get a good basis.  If you would like to extend your reading knowledge and keep track of everything you’ve read and would like to read in the future, I recommend making an account on goodreads.com.  Here’s my list since February 2017:

1. My Sister Rosa (2016) by Justine Larbalestier - Great if you like creepy, sociopathic characters; rated a 3/5 stars.  Basic premise:  older brother must keep said creepy, sociopathic sister in check.

Detailed and diverse character development, kind of blah on the thrill factor.  Warning to parents: some sexual content.

2. A Good Idea (2017) by Cristina Moracho - Great if you like brash, adventurous characters wrapped up in a murder mystery; rated 4/5 stars.  Basic premise:  girl going into college finds out her friend mysteriously disappeared while she was living away from childhood home.  It’s solely up to her to find out what happened to her friend who had a rather unsavory reputation before she disappeared.

Pretty good character development, interesting premise, but didn’t get my full 5 stars due to it’s slow pace.  It was worth the ending though!  Warning to parents:  sexual content, strong language, violence and drug references.

3.  Food Wars:  Vols. 1-11 (2014) by Yuto Tsakuda - Great if you love food, manga and an egregious amount of fan service; rated 4-5/5 stars, depending on the volume.  Basic premise:  small town cook Soma gets into culinary school and has to battle daily to show he’s worthy of competing with the best.  

This series is probably one of the best manga I’ve read.  I love everything about it, yes even the ridiculous level of fan service.  The illustrations are beautiful - the food could jump off the page (and I wouldn’t hate that!)  It makes me want to watch the anime just to see all the dishes.  The food battles are exciting, the characters are entertaining and the main character is very charming and relatable.  Warning to parents: some near nudity (lots of boobage and under-the-skirt action).

4. Descender Vols. 1-3 (2015) by Jeff Lemire - Great if you love android-centered sci-fi and graphic novels.  If you liked the anime Ergo Proxy or Ghost in the Shell (not that stupid 2017 remake), you will love this.  Rated 5/5 stars.

I wouldn’t say the plot is totally new, but certain aspects were intriguing and I enjoyed this series immensely.  I really like the characters, especially the robots, which you wouldn't expect to connect with the most.  The illustrations are stellar, they tie everything together.  Sadly, my library does not have Vol. 4, but I will have to read the e-book for now because I don’t want to wait!

5. Princess Jellyfish Vol. 1 (2016) by Akiko Higashimura - Great if you love nerdy girls, jellyfish and one particularly charming cross-dressing boy.  Basic premise:  jellyfish loving girl with tragic backstory and a house full of anti-social housemates befriend a charming boy who prefers to crossdress and may also have a handsome older brother.  Rated 5/5 stars for originality.  It’s not as out-there as it sounds, I swear.

This manga broke so many old stereotypes for me, which made it so fresh to read.  The main female characters of the communal house they share were so unique and quirky, not typical at all.  The main male character enjoys dressing like a girl, but it is unclear what his sexuality is, and that’s totally fine!  Yes, there is romance of course, but even that is fun and different.  I look forward to volume two of this unconventional, beautifully designed manga!

6.  Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie (2004) by Jordan Sonnenblick - Great if you love sarcastic, funny high schoolers with the weight of the world on them, but can still manage to make the audience laugh and also cry.  Basic premise:  13 year old finds out his little brother has leukemia and must deal with his own emotions, as well as his family’s.  His commentary is the best part.  And of course the “dangerous pie”.

I wasn’t sure if I would originally like this book.  I’m usually not a realistic fiction fan, but I had to read this for a middle school book discussion.  Stellar!  The main character was believable, hilarious and well-written.  You felt everything he felt and understood why he reacted the way he did.  I’ve been told there is a sequel written from the point of view of his brother - where is it and when can I read it!

7.  Studio Ghibli:  The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (2009) by Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc - Great if you love Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli films and want to learn more.  Basic premise:  pretty much the historical catalogue of pre-Ghibli, Studio Ghibli and smaller projects (which I did not catalogue on my blog).  Rated 5/5 stars, of course.

This book will definitely be dry for some, hands down.  But if you really want to learn more about Studio Ghibli, not just their most popular films, please read this.  I didn’t realize how much work they have actually done and how prolific they are until I read this.  

8.  El Deafo (2014) by Cece Bell - Great if you love cute graphic novel characters with a real story, (seriously, it’s an autobiography of the author’s childhood)! Basic premise:  Young Cece becomes ill at the age of four and loses her hearing - at such a young age, she must learn how to adapt to her new life.  Rated 5/5 stars, definitely one of my favorites so far.

Don’t judge this by the fact that it’s in the juvenile section, or that it’s a graphic novel.  Cece explains the challenges of being deaf through a child’s eyes, but it is relatable to all ages.  I have recommended this to old women and they loved it, it doesn’t matter.  Never judge by genre.  Just read and enjoy.  Cece is charming and relatable - this is great for anyone hoping to understand people facing disabilities since she explains it so well.  I read this for a middle school book discussion - I think it’s so important for kids to understand early how to react to all levels of diversity and be accepting of everyone, no matter what challenge they face.

Here’s what I’m currently working on:

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (just finished)

Food Wars, Vol. 12 (haven’t started)

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm (haven’t started)

[caredogstips]

Beyond Lara Croft: 30 absolutely fascinating female tournament characters- part 1

From mad researchers to stealthy bravoes, we celebrate the video game women who get situations done

Over the years, there has been no shortage of articles about the best female characters in video games. The difficulty is, what theyve usually represent is the sexiest female attributes in video games, which has drawn for some very repetition and occasionally rather creepy-crawly reading.

For this alternative pick, three women recreations writers have chosen 30 interesting and complex samples, who have more to offering than either looking good in an armored bikini or fulfilling the strong female reputation archetype. And as Tomb Raiders Lara Croft has predominated every talk about women around games for the last 20 times, shes been respectfully jettisoned more.

There will, of course, be other omissions, but our aim is to generate dialogue and get readers to propose their own favourites. Who have we missed? Who has inspired you? We want to know.

Anyway, here we go with part one. Oh, and spoilers. Obviously.

Midna( The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, 2006 )

Midna Photograph: Nintendo

Twilight Princess is Midnas story. Yes, Link is a necessary component, but its truly all about this insolent gremlin, whose creepy gibberish usage( actually scrambled English words voiced by Japanese performer Akiko Kmoto) and desperation to save her macrocosm make her one of the most memorable comrades in any Zelda game. The conclusion to her legend will leave many devotees with a single dramatic weeping wheeling down their cheek.

Wynne( Dragon Age: Beginnings, 2009 )

Wynne Photograph: Bioware

Wynne is a very rare example of an elderly lady who is neither a powerless nurturing grandmothers nor a scary wizened old-time crone. She is older, knowing and compassionate, but “shes been” refuses to stand idly by although the world crumbles around her. Behind the gumption lies a past that involves illicit fantasy and a child taken away from her at birth. She also has an in depth knowledge of fine ales. Would make a fascinating addition to being able to any dinner party guest list.

Amaterasu( Okami, 2006 )

Amaterasu, Okami Photograph: Capcom

Sun goddess, primal father and parentage of all that is good, Amaterasu( or Ammy to her friends) is an unforgettable booster. Taking the form of a wolf, she reveals her personality through a variety of lupine looks, tilted heading, wagging posterior, returning her heading away in dislike. Despite being a lady, when she acts the move Golden Fury, she urinates with her leg conjured, a mode more commonly associated with male hounds. Amaterasu then: cracking gender norms since 2006.

Jade( Beyond Good and Evil, 2003 )

Jade, Beyond Good and Evil Photograph: Ubisoft

An inquisitive photojournalist, Jade is competent, courageous and driven by a desire to help those around her. Through the long process of designing the specific characteristics( if you look at the photographs on the ceiling of Jades room you will see they evidence her in the early development stages ), the games chairman Michel Ancel was determined to create a rounded hero. When we are beginning[ Beyond Good and Evil] the first thing we enunciated was, if such projects is different its because its a female attribute who is driving the storey, he said. Shes not like other reputations who look like girls but act like guys … Most women around competitions are cliches.

Ada Wong( Resident Evil series, 1996 – )

AdaWong, Resident Evil Photograph: Capcom

A mysterious snoop working for an unknown busines, Ada Wong appears at random levels throughout the survival fright escapade, sometimes helping the exponent but always seeming out for her own interests first. Highly smart and often numerous steps ahead of everyone else, she is never short of a sarcastic remark at the expense of slower characters. Although she officially first shall be published in Resident Evil 2, eagle-eyed participates will notice that Ada is mentioned in the Researchers Letter file in the original recreation and her reputation is the password to a crucial computer terminal. From the very beginning she has lurked in the backdrop of this serial, with her own amusing agenda.

Bonnie MacFarlane( Red Dead Redemption, 2010 )

Bonnie MacFarlane, Red Dead Redemption Photograph: Rockstar

A rancher trying to hold their own families business together in a predominantly male situation, Bonnie is tough but attending, helping the booster John Marston on a number of opportunities. If you want to know how hard their own lives been, going to see Coots Chapel where youll find the tombs of her five friends. The headstone for one of them speaks: Never milk a bullshit. Wise terms we can all live by.

Tetra( The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, 2002; Phantom Hourglass, 2007 )

Tetra, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker Photograph: Nintendo

Leader of a gang of raiders, despite her young age, Tetra challenges respect and gets it. There are numerous ideologies about the inspiration behind her call. It could allude to the tropical fish of the same name; it could be a tongue-in-cheek including references to terra, the Latin word for district, or perhaps its short for tetrahedron, in reference to the famous Triforce. Whatever it makes, with crossed forearms and a winking, she cuts a sassy figure.

Cass( Fallout: New Vegas, 2010 )

Cass, Fallout: New Vegas Photograph: Fallout: New Vegas game

Tough, smart, but down on her luck, Cass drinks what she requires, sleeps with who she craves and generally does what she requires hence her hate for slave owners and those who take away impunity. Devotees of Fallout 2 acknowledged in her as the daughter of John Cassidy, a potential companion. Both Cass and John suffer from the same hereditary center surrounding, making they shun chems even though it is doesnt applied them off the booze. New Vegas chairman Josh Sawyer originally planned a string in which video games supporter could get drunk with Cass, the two subsequently waking up to discover theyve been married by an Elvis impersonator. Thats our kind of video game romance.

Red( Transistor, 2014 )

Red, Transistor Photograph: Supergiant Games

A young vocalist trapped in a decompose digital world-wide, Red has lost her voice this is why we suffer video games through the mysterious Transistor who acts as a narrator and guidebook. Red often travels against his hopes, though, putting her own safety at risk for what she believes is the best course of action. Reading about this reference almost entirely through her acts is a mesmerizing road to experience a exponent.

Brigid Tenenbaum( Bioshock, 2007 )

Brigid Tenenbaum, Bioshock Photograph: 2K Activity

A vexing examine in motherhood, invention and amorality, Brigid is the technical genius responsible for Bioshocks eerie, genetically modified Little Sisters. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, she was raised by a Jewish lineage, then interned at Auschwitz where she helped Josef Mengele with his experiments, deeming the Holocaust with callousnes. During the game, however, she realises the extent of her misery, simultaneously attending for the Little Sisters and regretting her part in their genesis.

Aveline de Grandpre( Assassins Creed III: Liberation, 2012 )

Aveline brightnes, Assassins Creed III Liberation Photograph: Ubisoft

Born to an African slave mom in 18 th-century New Orleans, Aveline is motivated by the sin of slavery, despite being raised by her prosperous French papa and stepmother. While tracking the templars across America, her ability to change her look, thereby altering how others plow her, is apt for the sequence first dame protagonist. Ubisoft may have run into fus for its posture to female attributes, but at least it didnt become Aveline a mere adore fascinate to Assassins Creed III make, Connor.

Ellie( The Last of Us, 2013 )

Ellie, The Last of Us Photograph: Sony

For most of Naughty Dogs apocalyptic escapade, Ellie is understood through the eyes of Joel, the father figure gradually growing to love her. Thats why the Winter assembly( which is something we gain control over her as she saves his life) is so effective, the ending so grating, and the DLC prequel so welcome. But shes very much her own person throughout: a believably stubborn teenage daughter who fluctuates between foolish comedy and adult decisions, swears like a sailor, and has a crush on her best friend.

Clementine( The Walking Dead, 2012 )

Clementine, The Walking Dead Photograph: Unmistakable Games

Notable for the vast number of survivors she manages to outlive, Clementine is an unbelievably capable young girl, evolving amid the madness of the zombie armageddon. At first shes another daughter representation who needs armour; the developers even adjusted her hasten so that she could be mistaken for lead character Lees biological daughter. But by season two she can and importantly when to usage a gun, how to stitch up a wrap, and how to deal with both the life and the undead.

Vella Tartine( Broken Age, 2014 )

Vella Tartine, Broken Age Photograph: Double Fine

Selected as a human sacrifice to save her village from a being, Vella exists among that class of supporters who provision the only appreciation in a world-wide of amiable gulls. She supports prodigious fortitude and resilience in the seek to escape her determined capacity and save others in the process. Surely more interesting than her sheltered companion Shay Volta.

Faith Connors( Mirrors Edge, 2008 )

Faith Connors, Mirrors Edge Photograph: Electronic Prowess

Well get a new look at sci-fi city courier Faith in the upcoming Mirrors Edge: Catalyst, but we already know that shes a survivor who, despite losing her mom in a rioting and running away from home, still gambles their own lives saving her sister. The attribute was apparently designed to express the elegant minimalism of video games, mixing mode and practicality into an iconic looking that is also perfectly in tune with both narrative and environmental issues. Her reliance on deception and melee combat rather than guns scatters her from a mass of first-person heroes.

Part two tomorrow !

Read more: www.theguardian.com

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My Week in Manga: April 24-April 30, 2016

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga I posted two features in addition to the usual My Week in Manga. First up was the monthly giveaway. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, so there’s still time to enter for a chance to win the first volume of Leiji Matsumoto’s Queen Emeraldas. All you have to do is tell me a little about your favorite space manga (if you have one). Also posted last week was the long-form manga review for April. I took a look at The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún, Volume 1 by Nagabe. The manga was one of my most anticipated debuts of 2017 and it is easily one of my favorites to be released so far this year. Last week was also the first week at my new job so I was rather preoccupied and busy with settling in there and so wasn’t online all that much. However, I did catch an interesting feature on the recent josei renaissance over at Anime Feminist. The article is written by Megan from The Manga Test Drive, one of the manga review blogs that I make a point to follow and particularly like.

Quick Takes

Ghost Diary, Volume 1 by Seiju Natsumegu. My experience reading Ghost Diary was a little odd. I can’t say that I was overly impressed by the first volume while I was reading it, but by the time I reached the end I found that I actually had enjoyed myself and was interested in reading the rest of the short series. The individual elements of Ghost Diary aren’t particularly original, but as a whole it’s horrific fun. In some ways the manga feels like it’s a mashup of other existing stories which deal with the supernatural and the occult. Even the illustrations reminded me of other works, in particular some of CLAMP’s darker series. I was actually expecting Ghost Diary to be much more serious than it actually was. The manga definitely has a disturbing side to it, but to me it comes across as a dark comedy more than anything else. It’s both goofy and grotesque. The story follows Sukami Kyouichi, the youngest son in a long line of exorcists whose older sister (also an exorcist and far more powerful than he is) mysteriously disappears after he angers a god due to his inexperience, ineptitude, and ignorance. Now he’s desperately searching for her which proves to be a very dangerous venture.

Princess Jellyfish, Omnibus 4 (equivalent to Voluems 7-8) by Akiko Higashimura. At this point the Princess Jellyfish manga has progressed much further along in the story than the content that was adapted for the anime series (which was my introduction to the work). So far, my love for the series has yet to diminish. In this omnibus the women of the Amamizukan apartments (along with Kuranosuke) somehow manage pull off a successful fashion show which is intended, in a roundabout way, to save their home from being demolished and redeveloped. However, for that to work, their success will have to extend to actually launching the Jelly Fish brand as well, and reality is much more challenging than a dream. Princess Jellyfish is intentionally outrageous and comedic in the telling of its story but the underlying heart of the manga is believable earnest. I find the manga’s style of humor to be immensely entertaining, but probably what I enjoy most about Princess Jellyfish are its characters and their relationships with one another. I especially liked how Shuu and Kuranosuke’s brotherly affections were developed and portrayed in these two volumes.

Twinkle Stars, Omnibuses 1-2 (equivalent to Volumes 1-4) by Natsuki Takaya. Probably like most people, my introduction to Takaya’s work was through the series Fruits Basket, a landmark title in the North American manga industry. It would seem, then, that Takaya’s next major series, Twinkle Stars, would be an obvious license choice, but the manga only began to be released in English relatively recently. Other than the fact that Takaya was the creator, I actually didn’t know much about Twinkle Stars before reading it. The series turns out to be an incredibly compelling and emotionally resonant work even if some of the story developments do seem a little convenient and trope-worn. The lead of Twinkle Stars is Sakyua Shiina, an endearing highschool third-year whose outward cheerfulness goes a long way to hide her inner struggle with depression and self-worth, the result of a troubled family life. Fortunately, she now has people in her life who care for her dearly. Under some rather peculiar circumstance she meets and ultimately falls in love with Chihiro, a young man who likewise is left dealing with the aftermath of past tragedies. At times Twinkle Stars can be absolutely heartbreaking but this countered by the immense kindness that is also exhibited in the series.

Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky. Before being edited and published in a collected edition with additional content, most of Witchlight had previously been released as a series of individual comic chapters. Described as a shoujo adventure, Witchlight is a delightful fantasy comic about the close bond of friendship and love which slowly develops between two young women as they travel together on a quest. They don’t start out on good terms, though. Sanja is kidnapped by Lelek, a candle witch who demands that she teach her how to use a sword. Lelek is searching for a part of herself that has been lost and magic isn’t always enough to protect her. While being abducted isn’t exactly a promising beginning to a relationship, Sanja is more curious than afraid and her good nature and openness has a positive influence on the untrusting Lelek who has kept her heart closed off from others for so long. Lelek and Sanja’s emotional journeys are the most important aspects of Witchlight, but their physical journey is also wonderful to watch unfold as they encounter other cultures and and types of magic. The characterizations, worldbuilding, artwork in Witchlight are all lovely.

Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa. I find the cover design and even the title selected for the English-language edition of Ogawa’s Kamoku na shigai, midara no tomurai to be somewhat misleading. Revenge, although it does make a few appearances throughout the volume, is not at all an overarching theme. And while there is death and violence, most of the gruesomeness implied by the cover occurs off-page. That being said, Revenge is a marvelously disconcerting work of subdued horror. Everything in Revenge is told from a first-person perspective, giving the collection a surprisingly quiet and contemplative atmosphere which becomes increasingly dark as the volume progresses. The individual stories can all be read and function well on their own, but what makes Revenge such a phenomenal collection is how they are all entangled with one another. Often the connections are tangential–similar turns of phrases and references are used, main characters and plot points from one story appear and reappear in the backgrounds of others, and so on–but sometimes they have a profound impact on the interpretation of the various narratives. A close, careful reading of Revenge is rewarded with the revelation of a complex, strange, and surreal web of the macabre.

Your Name directed by Makoto Shinkai. Originally I thought I would be waiting to watch a home video release of Your Name but the film actually ended up being shown at one of my local theaters and a friend invited me out to see it over the weekend. Your Name is a beautiful film, both visually and thematically, and not quite what I was expecting. (Granted, I’m not entirely sure exactly what it was that I was expecting.) To me it almost feels like three different films have been merged into one. Initially Your Name is about Mitsuha and Taki, two young people who don’t really know each other but who have started to spontaneously and erratically switch bodies when they fall asleep. But when the switching suddenly and unexpectedly stops, the film changes its focus to Taki as he tries to locate Mitsuha, keenly feeling the absence of the close intimacy that the two understandably developed over time. From there the urgency of Your Name increases even more as Taki uncovers the truth and he and Mitsuha struggle to prevent further disaster and loss. In part a romantic comedy, in part a meditation on love and spirituality, and in part (it would seem) a response to the Fukushima disasters, Your Name largely remains cohesive even while bending and shifting between genres.

By: Ash Brown