#Basho theme

[vidmates]

Basho Theme Review: Best Pick for Ghost Users 2025

Basho Theme is a simple and clean Ghost blog theme for writers, creators, and publishers. It loads fast, looks great on all screens, and is easy to customize. You don’t need coding skills just install, tweak, and start sharing your content.

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Introduction to Basho Theme

So, you’re thinking about getting a Ghost theme for your blog? Maybe you’ve scrolled through tons of options and stumbled upon Basho Theme. It looks sleek, modern, and promises high performance. But is it really worth your money?

What Makes It Stand Out?

Basho Theme isn’t your typical blog theme. First off, let’s clear something up, it’s not a WordPress theme. It’s built exclusively for Ghost, a modern publishing platform designed for speed and simplicity.

Here’s what makes Basho Theme different:

Lightweight & Minimalist: It loads fast, keeping your blog smooth and responsive.

SEO Friendly: The clean design ensures search engines can easily crawl and rank your content.

Fully Responsive: Works great on mobile, tablets, and desktops.

Customizable Layouts: Change fonts, colors, and layouts without touching code.

Membership & Subscription Ready: Built-in support for Ghost’s membership features.

If you love flexibility but don’t want to deal with complicated setups, Basho Theme is worth considering.

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Features of Basho Theme

Speed & Performance

Nobody likes a slow website. A slow-loading blog means higher bounce rates and lost readers. Basho Theme is optimized for speed and scores 99/100 on PageSpeed Insights, which is impressive.

With its lightweight structure, it ensures your blog runs smoothly, even with heavy images or multimedia content.

Customization Options

If you like to tweak things to match your style, Basho Theme gives you 15+ font pairs, custom background colors, and different layouts for headers and posts. You don’t need coding skills, just adjust settings, and you’re good to go.

Membership & Subscriptions

This feature is a game-changer. If you plan to monetize your blog through memberships, Basho Theme has custom sign up, login, and pricing pages. Plus, there’s an option to create exclusive content for paid subscribers.

SEO & Readability

Search engines love clean and structured websites. Basho Theme ensures your content is properly formatted, making it easy to read for both humans and search engines.

It also supports:

SEO-friendly URLs

Responsive images

Optimized metadata

Social sharing buttons

Is Basho Theme Easy to Use?

Yes, and here’s why.

Installation is simple upload the theme, activate it, and start customizing. Even if you’re not tech savvy, you’ll have no trouble setting it up. The navigation is intuitive, and everything feels organized and structured.

Want to switch fonts? Change colors? Adjust layouts? You can do all this without writing a single line of code.

Visit Our Official Website

Pricing & Licensing

Let’s talk about cost. Basho Theme offers two pricing plans:

Regular License ($89): For personal blogs or business sites without paid access.

Extended License ($699): For sites that charge users for content.

CHECK OUT BASHO

For a premium Ghost theme with regular updates and strong support, the price is reasonable. If you want a theme that works out of the box without endless tweaking, Basho Theme is worth considering.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Fast & Lightweight – Helps improve SEO and user experience. 

Easy Customization – No coding needed.

Built-in Membership Support – Great for bloggers who want to monetize.

Regular Updates & Support – Ensures long-term usability. 

Optimized for Ghost 5.x – Works seamlessly with the latest version.

Optimized for Ghost 5.x – Works seamlessly with the latest version.

Cons:

Not a WordPress Theme – If you use WordPress, this isn’t for you. 

Limited to Ghost Users – You need to be on the Ghost platform.

Who Should Use Basho Blog Theme?

If you’re running a Ghost-powered blog and want a theme that’s fast, customizable, and supports memberships, then Basho Theme is a solid choice.

Here’s who will benefit the most:

Writers & Bloggers – Looking for a distraction-free and easy-to-use design.

Tech Enthusiasts – Who want a modern, high-performance theme.

Membership-Based Sites – Need built-in support for subscriptions.

However, if you’re using WordPress, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Visit Our Official Website

Final Verdict

If you’re on Ghost and need a theme that’s fast, customizable, and supports memberships, Basho Theme is a great investment.

It’s built for performance, works seamlessly with Ghost 5.x, and comes with all the essential features a blogger needs.

So, should you buy it? If you want a hassle free blogging experience with a clean and professional design, yes absolutely!

Note: You can read more about similar products and explore all other software related reviews available on the Vidmate.

[turtledotjpeg]

silly lil farming sim AU drawn for a discord server event :) i got a little too lazy to include all the characters i had wanted to, so please imagine for me:

linssen quietly surrounded by a flock of chickens on the nostrade farm. only successful chicken whisperer

canary and alluka hanging out at the flower shop/seeds shop and that killua's face looks less wonky

cheadle is the town mayor. we don't talk about the previous mayor.

[noeybroughton]

For week two (theme “friendship”) of the @greedislandchallenge event, Basho’s Greedy Poetry event. Based on a line from “Summer is Coming With a Strawberry in the Mouth” by Caroline Polachek

[akai-anna]

Round 3

Round: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

[progg]

Chapter 402 Thoughts

Here are my thoughts on Chapter 402 of Hunter x Hunter, “Letter”.

Salkov

Salkov has been able to use Nen since birth. Given the discussion in the previous chapter, this all but confirms that he is one of the “strong curse sacrifices” and Beyond’s son.

Halkenburg’s Illness

On Day 10, Balsamilco describes his plan to poison Halkenburg.

At 8:50 AM on Day 11, Melody reveals that Halkenburg has fallen ill. This could be the result of Balsamilco’s poison.

The Plan to Assassinate Luzurus

Kacho discusses assassinating Luzurus with a disturbing lack of empathy.

I felt a bit uncomfortable reading this!

Melody doesn’t flinch, though she expressed discomfort with assassination in Chapter 400. 

Another relevant scene is Oito’s reaction to Momoze’s death in Chapter 368, where she criticizes Babimayna and Kurapika for their lack of empathy in the Succession War.

Despite the grisly discussion about assassinating Luzurus, the prince is portrayed mostly positively in this chapter. He is absolved of blame for Fugetsu’s condition and shows sympathy for Kacho’s death.

In Chapter 362, Nasubi claims Spirit Beasts “cannot directly attack” other people with Spirit Beasts. However, the traps laid by his Spirit Beast may qualify as “indirect attacks”. It’s unclear.

Luzurus also expressed admirable views on rehabilitation to Basho in Chapter 366. Meanwhile, Kaiser is planning to make it look like he overdosed, which—when you think about it—is extremely dark.

On a side note, it seems Kacho was successful in convincing Fugetsu that everyone else mistakenly thinks she is dead—a plan she laid out in Chapter 400:

Covering Up the Truth

In my previous breakdown, I mentioned how I often reference the seemingly unimportant panel of Cheadle talking about the Silent Revolution. Another panel I bring up a lot is this one with Steiner and the IPA Director:

This panel sets up a major theme in the Succession Arc about valuing peace over truth. There are undoubtedly strategic reasons for keeping Luzurus and Halkenburg’s deaths under wraps, but I still believe the Succession War is going to eventually be completely covered up. Kaiser and Balsamilco’s plans echo this theme, as well as Kacho’s plan to conceal her death from Fugetsu.

Benjamin and Balsamilco

I once saw someone liken Benjamin’s character to the phrase “a ship with no compass gets lost at sea.” I think this is a pretty good description of what will happen to Benjamin. Benjamin, while powerful, is heavily reliant on others to steer him in the right direction. Balsamilco says as much:

In this chapter, we receive yet another reminder of how the soldiers around Benjamin elevate him. Kaiser believes he was only able to extract information from Benjamin because Balsamilco wasn’t present.

Kacho’s Letter

The contents of Kacho’s letter (really Kaiser’s) seem extremely important. We get some description about the contents from Luzurus and Melody.

Summarized:

Benjamin has some kind of secret that Luzurus thinks will ‘milk his tears’ and buy Fugetsu’s protection.

Luzurus and Tserriednich are ‘snakes’ and have ‘dirt’ (we already knew this, to an extent).

There is something that Halkenburg can ‘use’ (possibly to exonerate himself).

There is a secret regarding Halkenburg’s birth (I don’t think it's being Beyond’s child).

More information that shakes up the Succession itself (this could include Zhang Lei’s parentage)

It seem each prince’s letter contained different information, while Halkenburg’s and Kurapika’s contained all of it.

Basho

The dark spirits following Fugetsu flee at the sight of Benjamin and his Spirit Beast.

In a cool moment, the spirits also flee from Basho.

This could be because of the good luck charm, but I think it may also be a testament to Basho’s strength and character.

[dizzymoods]

Lots of VC questions recently. Someone emailed about what they should be engaging with to develop their artistic voice. Here's my answer:

In terms of guidance, Werner Herzog, who is admittedly a weirdo, said that the best thing a film student can do is go backpacking cross country, which I would never do. But the point he was ultimately making is that life experience is more important than anything a film school can teach you. Your artistic voice develops more sharply the more intune you are with the world; all the film stuff is superfluous really. So that would be my major advice. Live life! Be open to all sorts of experiences.

Outside of that I would say to read and watch anything and everything you can get your hands on. Especially stuff that has nothing to do with film. Be curious, which is to say non-judgemental. Sitting through stuff that you have no interest in or actively hate is good! It develops your taste in ways that seeking out only what you like can never do. It also expands your horizons and teaches you how much you actually don't know about anything. Keeps you humble. You'll be surprised 5 years on how something that you had no interest in is super relevant to what you're trying to do.

I'll drop some recommendations later but something you are going to run into is paywalls and exorbitant costs. Scihub, Libgen, and PaywallReader can be your friends in this regard. The more niche something is, the less mirrors there are. Investing in an internet audio/video ripper is essential. Rip often and indiscriminately. Nothing is safe unless you triplicate it. And if you can't afford hard drives, dummy alphabet accounts are the next best thing. Also, footnotes and reference lists are treasure troves of breadcrumbs.

The standard VC reading list includes: Reel to Real, The Devil Finds Work, Playing in the Dark, Young British & Black, Ways of Seeing (also a documentary), Orientalism, Film Manifestos and Global Cinema Culture, Questions of Third Cinema, Hollywood & Counter Cinema, Figures Traced in Light, Parallel Tracks, and Basho: The Complete Haiku

Hundreds of films can be found on Solidarity Cinema. Cinema of the World has a deep archive but you need to have space and a nitrofile account to download most films, but you can snipe a few films here and there (or look for them elsewhere). Rarefilmm updates semi-regularly and you can stream the films; they are now more active on twitter and are even taking requests. Some state-sponsored film industries have robust presences on youtube with english subs: Russia's Mosfilm/FUSE Mosfilm, Canada's NFB, the Korean Film Archive, Native People's Media. There's UbuWeb for all your avant-garde needs. There's FIlmmaker's Co-Op (pay-per-view), Paper Tiger Television, and Deep Dish Television for NYC indie stuff. AfroMarxist has a fair amount of political documentaries. NMAHC has an archive that houses the work of Chamba Productions and some of Pearl Bowser's stuff. And of course there's the legendary MikeD of ReelBlack. It's a crap shoot but some filmmakers and/or their estates make work available free online (Leo Hurwitz and Julie Dash come to mind). I'd recommend a Kweli TV subscription for black film, and never be surprised by what you can find on youtube or tubi!

This is probably super overwhelming but the joy of being an autodidact is the thrill of discovery so peruse at your leisurely interest. The internet is your oyster if you know how to use it! Back in my day hardly any of these sites existed and the ones that did weren't as robust as they are now. I've had to frankenstein whole movies from various clips posted in 144p on youtube 😩

I used to do a couple of themed months a year where I'd read and watch as much as possible about a filmmaker, genre, or movement that interested me. I'd spin a globe to learn a little about a random country's cinema. Best of lists/canons don't really mean much but they are good sources of stuff to at least be aware of.

[finn17608]

Who really cursed Fugetsu

Before I write my analysis on 402, I thought of something while reading 401 and it makes a lot of sense to me both narratively and just logic wise.

In Chapter 386, Sumidori shoots himself in Shikaku's body as per Halkenburg's orders. In a sense, I believe Basho's theory was right. He saw this as an attempt for post-mortem nen by Benjamin's guards. He also says that if this was an attempt, the curse should be visible like a Guardian Spirit beast is.

I believe that Shikaku was one of Beyond's children who carried a curse. Perhaps one of the weaker/appetizer ones since it hasn't immediately killed Fugetsu and that they have been described as low level spirits. When Sumidori shot himself in Shikaku's body, it might have triggered hist post mortem curse. We don't fully know how these post mortem curses work when it relates to body swapping, as far as we know Shikaku's consciousness is simply sleeping while Sumidori has control. So my theory hangs on the thread that simply the body's death is needed, not the entire consciousness. There is also the assumption that Benjamin's guards would have curses in it, which I find highly likely. Longhi himself crossed Benjamin off the potential Beyond's children list so having someone in his military wouldn't be a stretch. It's also HIGHLY implied that Babimya is a Beyond child just by that look he gives in the end of 401. So Shikaku being someone who was cursed makes some sense. There is also the assumption that Benjamin's guards would have curses in it, which I find highly likely. Longhi himself crossed Benjamin off the potential Beyond's children list so having someone in his military wouldn't be a stretch. Between Fugetsu's appearance in 383 and her reappearance 400, the only guard who died was Shikaku. Vict had his consciousness taken, but as shown later in 403 his body remains. So the only suspect for Post Morten Nen here would be Shikaku. We should also consider if this makes any narrative sense. I think it would be really ironic for Halkenburg to be causing the death of someone through his experimentation. Would add more to his themes imo. I also think it makes sense in how these storylines have been connected so far. Like Basho was the one who temporarily relieved Fugetsu and yet he is the one "keeping a watchful eye" for a curse. It feels very purposeful that the idea of Have Nots and weaponizing post mortem nen was introduced right after Shikaku's death. I feel people ruled off the idea it could have been a curse and assumed Basho was completely in the wrong because we thought the Have Nots were the only group doing this. Also ironic they plan to kill Luzurus over this (which I believe is a whole sham planned by Kacho and Melody to trap Kaiser as their reasoning for Luzurus is rather weak), the person that Basho is protecting. It just feels very closely linked together to the point where it would make narrative sense as a twist.

There is one more counter, But I think it depends on how you think the curses might work too.

Longhi says these cursed children are made after each prince was born. So wouldn't Fugetsu's curse be too young?? Well, no because of another statement by Longhi that opens this up to more theories:

So there weren't a specific one guard birthed and designated to a prince each time one was born because he made several since he wasn't sure of the final count. So there are my theories on how this would work: Firstly, Longhi was originally referring to the process of making sham marriages as in plural. He would make several children when each prince was born. So the children from say the birth of Benjamin could actually have curses born for the death of an assigned 5th prince. Perhaps this is the distinction between strong curses and weak ones. The original ones made 30 years ago (which I use as possibly a baseline for Benjamin's age) are the strong ones, the others are weaker ones. Or the less time they've had, the less strong they are. Or second theory: Beyond retroactively changes the curse target of an existing curse child to a newer one. So a child born during the second prince could be reassigned to the 11th prince. There are only at least ten strong curses according to Longhi. Either these strong curses can have targets swapped OR the ones that are weak curses are strong ones that had their target swapped once a new prince came in causing there to only be ten strong curses. Idk if I'm making sense here, but my point is that there are lot of possibilities and that Longhi's quote on their birth time doesn't rule my theory out. In any case, I still think a weak curse is being used for Fugetsu. She may already be emotionally drained at this point and weak so why use a strong one? Another issue would be how to even reveal it in the story. How would anyone figure this out? I think maybe who Beyond wants to talk to might tie in with this if it's the case. Perhaps he also wants to use her as a hostage or he wants to talk to someone to know if his curses have been effective so far or whatever. Anyways that's my theory: TLDR Shikaku was a cursed beyond child and when Sumidori killed himself in Shikaku's body it triggered the curse to Fugetsu.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

HxH 402: King Shit

Okay...this is literally the densest chapter of HxH to date and that's saying a lot given this manga had a superpower based on compound interest. Which is a bitch to be fair. Tonight thought we have a huge lurch forward in the Succession Contest itself and let's start with the beginning. Which is where we picked up from last week. Kurapika has gotten Woble into a formal truce. King Nasubi has stated "sole survivor" is up to interpretation so it matters we now have an agreement that #3 wins if only #5/#14 are left standing.

Tsubeppa's fine with this because she more than anyone else wants Kurapika close, and I'd imagine is operating under the idea she won't have to worry about #3 making it to the end. The core theme this time is how they're all playing a very unassuming game. And there are a lot of parallels here like the coin beast mentioned above and Basho getting a great little moment later. Zhang Hei is in a weird position, from the looks of it and his own assumption his Nen Beast is weaker here but potentially great after winning. He curried a strong showing in our poll, but now let's move on to someone who only got one vote. Mine.

Kacho? Kacho? What the hell girl. I dig it. Batgirl over here. Y'all, this chapter broke hard in the direction I wanted to see this contest go. Everything. So let's recap. The twins tried to escape with Melody's help. In the process we saw freaky hands go crazy and Kacho died, revealing her Nen Beast in the best moment of the arc so far. Season of Two - First twin out resurrects to aid the other. Fugetsu's ability is a tunnel to anywhere she's been, but it does require Kacho to shut it. They and Melody are under investigation for the escape attempt...but the Justice Bureau officials have seemingly been on their side. That said, FuuFuu has been getting a little crazy.

That's all well and good, but why would I think that can beat things like the freakish Nen savant or the First Prince with the military edge?

This isn't a fistfight. It is a political battle for succession. Fugetsu is the one no one is worried about. The younger ones are unpredictable and their moms are the real threat. None of the others really even know Woble or Maryam. Fuu's in that sweet spot and seems like the type everyone at least kinda likes.

But the biggest thing is that Kakin has a mostly modern government outside of this. It's the bureaucrats, yet again Melody feels she should be suspicious but nothing Kaiser has said really warrants it. This is the choice that makes sense for someone in his position. And all this scene is laying out that basic theory; Fugetsu's power is the type of thing that allows so much leeway to play this game if you have people willing to get dirty for you.

If you mistrust Kaiser, I want you to consider why. Would you say, mistrust Gon deciding he likes Melody and Fugetsu and he'll fight the bad princes for them? Is it because Kaiser's a G-Man? Oh, see that's exactly why I trust him. If you've ever been around high-level bureaucrats you'll probably know what I mean. If they're good enough to rise to that rank they could have been a politician, military officer, something with more glory. He's just the type of guy who wouldn't balk at the Trolley Problem and is used to making real decisions of that magnitude regularly. Melody's music attracted a lot of people, she's a beautiful soul, someone maybe actually doesn't care about how she looks. King Fugetsu is the type who'd just play the nice figurehead and let the advisors run their own lanes.

And he's already paid huge divdends, just like that. Fugetsu easily waltzes right into most of the other Princes' rooms. No one suspects anything, it all seems above board, Kaiser knows exactly what to do.

But I think it's easy to miss what's important here. Melody and Kurapika both hint the letter truly is a bombshell that'll upend this whole Succession Contest. Once again, of course a bureaucrat of Kaiser's rank just casually has dirt on all of them. You can really see it here with Luzurus but they're all pretty good at playing coy. And Fuu just casually fleeced them all.

[kazooreal]

Hiraeth TL

(i have been translating a LOT recently, pleaaase ask me if u want my google docs folder! most songs in fictions are done + some of my older TLs from other albums! enjoy~)

ヒラエス　斉藤壮馬

hiraesu - saitou souma

Hiraeth - Soma Saito

たとえば、誰かとすれ違い　なぜだか

tatoeba, dareka to sure chigai nazeda ka

For instance, when passing by someone, why is it that

処理落ち　世界の時が止まったり

shori ochi sekai no toki ga tomattari

Unprocessed collapse, and the world’s time stops

どこか��なにかを忘れてきたような

doko ka de nani ka wo wasurete kita you na

As if somewhere, something had been forgotten

予感がふと訪れたら

yokan ga futo otozuretara

After a premonition suddenly visited

あるいは、木の葉が舞い散る季節や[1]

arui ha, hon no ha ga maichiru kisetsu ya

Or, the words of a book scatter, seasons and

風の音　ふとした戯言なんかに

kaze no oto futo shita zaregoto nanka ni

The sound of the wind, and suddenly; nonsensically, even,

どうしようもなくね　デジャヴがよぎる

doushiyou mo naku ne dejabu ga yogiru

It’s hopeless. Déjà-vu passes over,

毒が混ざる

doku ga mazaru

Mixed with poison

美しい記憶だわ

utsukushii kioku da wa

What a beautiful memory

なんて身勝手な

nante migatte na

How selfish

ぬるま湯に溺れて痛いな

nuruma yu ni oborete itai na

It hurts to drown in lukewarm water, doesn’t it

ダーザイン　ゆらいで

daazain yuraide

Dasein; swaying [2]

空を切るQはA

sora wo kiru Q ha A

Slicing the sky, Q is A

答えを求めているよ

kotae wo motometeiru yo

I need the answer, please!

ああ 掌からこぼれた

aa tenohira kara koboreta

Ah, it spilled out from the palm of my hand

幾億の祈りの残滓

ikuoku no inori no zanshi

The leftovers of billions of prayers

二度とは開けない　土の深い底

nido to ha akenai tsuchi no fukai soko

It can’t be opened again, the deep abyss of the soil

タイムカプセルは眠らせたまま

taimukapuseru ha nemuraseta mama

The time capsule has been left asleep

懐かしい場所ごと　星に還したら

natsukashii basho goto hoshi ni kaeshitara

If every nostalgic place were to return to the stars

バクテリアが食べてくれる

bakuteria ga tabetekureru

The bacteria would eat it

もどかしくもあるけど

modokashiku mo aru kedo

Although it can be tedious

不思議とどこか

fushigi to doko ka

In some way, it's fascinating

満ち足りたような気もするから

michitarita you na ki mo suru kara

Since there's also a feeling of satisfaction

さよなら もまたね も

sayonara mo mata ne mo

'Goodbye', and 'see you later',

言わずにこのまま

iwazu ni kono mama

Without saying, just like that

砕け散ってしまえばいいよ

kudakechitte shimae ba ii yo

If they end up smashed up, it's fine

ああ あのころに戻れないなら

aa ano koro ni modorenai nara

Ah, because I can't go back to that time

せめてこの身 焼き尽くして

semete kono mi yakitsukushite

Just, burn this body to the ground

整合性など

seigousei nado

Conformity, compliance and the like

捨ておけ だろ?

sute oke daro?

Cast it away, no? [3]

正当性など

seitousei nado

Lawfulness, and validity [4]

ああ

aa

Ah,

灰にきらめく過去を

hai ni kirameku kako wo

The past, glimmering in the ashes

日常が上書きしていく

nichijou ga uwagaki shiteiku

Our everyday was overwritten

きっと

kitto

Surely

もう二度とはない

mou nido to ha nai

It'll never happen again

名前も失くしてしまうよ

namae mo nakushite shimau yo

You'll get rid of your name, too

もう二度とはない

mou nido to ha nai

It'll never happen again

[Hiraeth: A deep grief or longing for something that feels like home.]

[1] 葉 (ha) means ‘leaves’, which would fit more with the ‘seasons’ mentioned in this line, but I opted for ‘words’ because 葉 is also present in 言葉, meaning ‘words’

[2] Dasein: a philosophical term roughly describing how humans uniquely engage with the world (rather than how objects, plants, etc. do). though it’s much more complicated, so do read on it! i love when souma-san teaches us philosophy!!

[3] a combination of the strong imperative おけ and the expression だろ, which usually conveys uncertainty.

[4] decided to provide two definitions for the 3 kanji words here. the line just feels too short otherwise. stylistic choice.

this song cuts deep :(

if nostalgia or longing is the theme of Fictions, then Hiraeth is the central song of the album (it is, by the way). this song is full of bitterness; memories that were created with joy grow into dull reminders of what once was. it only makes the present seem less like a gift. this song recalls the type of memory that feels so distant, so different from how things are now, and how you are now, that it's no longer something you can connect with.. and it just makes your chest hurt. i'm sure we all have one of those.

side note: I tried to not use pronouns because of how abstract and therefore impersonal the song is (which, paradoxically, means it can apply to a wide range of people), but felt like adding a couple for emphasis :P

thank you for another amazing song, Souma-san! he really is a genius T_Tttt

[technoneko-2000]

☆ EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS SPEED アニメトランス BEST 6 ☆

☆ translation: EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS: SPEED ANIME TRANCE BEST 6

☆ released: march 18, 2009

☆ info: collection of edm covers of various anisongs from 2007-2009

||☆ tracklist ☆||

"motto☆派手にね! (rom. motto☆Hade ni ne!)" (opening theme of Kannagi)

"プレパレード (rom. Pre-Parade)" (opening theme of Toradora!)

"resonance" (opening theme of Soul Eater)

"雨が降る (rom. Ame ga Furu)" (ending theme of Kurogane no Linebarrels)

"Beautiful fighter" (opening theme of Shikabane Hime: Aka)

"MY WINGS" (opening theme of Zettai Karen Children)

"PSI-missing" (opening theme of Toaru Majutsu no Index)

"Pray" (insert song from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS)

"Lilium" (opening theme of Elfen Lied)

"バニラソルト (rom. Vanilla Salt)" (ending theme of Toradora!)

"Catch You Catch Me" (opening theme of Cardcaptor Sakura)

"約束の場所へ (rom. Yakusoku no Basho e)" (opening theme of Kaleido Star)

"ニンジーン loves you yeah! (rom. Ninjin loves you yeah!)" (insert song from Macross F)

"CANDY☆POP☆SWEET☆HEART" (ending theme of Hime-sama Goyoujin)

"乙女はDO MY BESTでしょ? (rom. Otome wa DO MY BEST desho?)" (ending theme of Mai-Otome)"

"ハヤテのごとく! (rom. Hayate no Gotoku!)" (opening theme of Hayate no Gotoku!)

"WORLD END" (opening theme of Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch R2)

"焔の扉 (rom. Honoo no Tobira)" (insert song from Kidou Senshi Gundam SEED Destiny)

"宇宙に咲く (rom. Sora ni Saku)" (opening theme of Rental Magica)

"儚くも永久のカナシ (rom. Hakanaku mo Eikyuu no Kanashi)" (opening theme of Kidou Senshi Gundam 00 Second Season)

||☆ album on youtube ☆||☆ album on spotify ☆||

☆~ album booklet under the cut ~☆

[stirringwinds]

now my mfavourite art hc between Jan and Kiku is Jan going full Vermeer appreciator and drawing Kiku in a contemplative, intimate momement when Kiku is lost in paperwork or doing something mundane. Also Jan is head over heels over the deep blue pigmentation he can find in Japan because back at home rich blues are nasty expensive.

yeah! i definitely headcanon that there's this very reciprocal artistic dimension to their relationship. jan drew kiku a lot—and the latter wrote a lot of poetry to jan. especially since japanese poetry has a very long and old tradition (see waka), plus jan made the effort to become fluent in speaking and writing in japanese. so kiku writes to him in calligraphy, even after he becomes fluent in dutch, because there're certain nuances in japanese that you may not be able to fully translate the same way (while capturing the same poetic rhythm). and in real life, there are 17th century poems by the famous poet Matsuo Basho about the dutch lol.

i need to research more about the origin of japanese blue pigments (there were a few types, and regionally there's "han blue" from china)— but blue is certainly also a colour/theme i definitely associate strongly with nedpan. blue for the sea which is well, how they met. and also the synergistic artistic cross-pollination you see between hokusai and van gogh in some of their most iconic pieces of art. van gogh's inspiration by japanese woodblocks including hokusai is well known— and hokusai used imported blue pigments via dutch contacts to get that deep blue for "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" which is pretty fitting. so yes. blue is their colour.

[arcaladiwoompa]

This haiku has been brought to you by Basho

Stop smoking cigars, Your pipe, and your cigarettes! Don't you dare try vapes! Smoke Clean Leaf instead! No tar, no carcinogens, No coughing, no smell! Who needs tobacco When you're addicted to life? Be healthy! Be free!

~~~ Written for the HxH Greed Island server, card 98, Silver Dog! The theme was giving something up only to receive something even better in the future.

[goddessyonakuromatoki]

As the Hibike! Euphonium anime series is about to end, this isn't complete without one of its iconic songs and to extend, the very theme one of the KumiRei duo.

Here's a rendition of Ai wo Mitsuketa Basho/The Place Where We Found Love as my special tribute to the show. 🎺🎷💕

[juliansiegel]

JULIAN SIEGEL QUARTET UK/IRELAND TOUR SPRING 2024

Julian Siegel tenor and soprano sax, bass clarinet Liam Noble piano Oli Hayhurst double bass Gene Calderazzo drums

CLICK BELOW FOR TICKET LINKS

SATURDAY APRIL 27th MAGYS FARM, DROMARA, N.IRL

SUNDAY APRIL 28th WESTPORT JAZZ, CLEW BAY HOTEL, Co MAYO, IRL

MONDAY APRIL 29th CRANE LANE THEATRE, CORK, Co CORK, IRL

WEDNESDAY MAY 1st CAMDEN STUDIOS, 'SPEAKEASY SESSIONS', DUBLIN, IRL

THURSDAY MAY 2nd CITY OF DERRY JAZZ AND BIG BAND FESTIVAL, BENNIGANS, DERRY, Co. LONDONDERRY, N.IRL

FRIDAY MAY 3rd UNESCO & CV JAZZ WORLD JAZZ CELEBRATION 2024 SpArC THEATRE, BISHOP'S CASTLE, SHROPSHIRE, ENG

FRIDAY MAY 17th RONNIE SCOTTS JAZZ CLUB, SOHO, LONDON, ENG

FRIDAY JUNE 7th VERDICT JAZZ CLUB, BRIGHTON, ENG

With the Julian Siegel Quartet, the BBC Jazz Award winning saxophonist and composer Julian Siegel can be heard alongside some of this generation’s most distinctive voices, creating an in-demand Quartet on the UK and European Jazz scene. The band features inspirational pianist Liam Noble, his fluid touch and dazzling imagination perfectly complementing Siegel’s music and playing, and providing a perfect foil for the many directions the music can turn. With the creative spark of dynamic drummer Gene Calderazzo and the deep groove of bassist Oli Hayhurst dove-tailing perfectly with Siegel and Noble this is unquestionably one of the UK’s most exciting and powerful quartets. Following up from their London Jazz Award winning album Urban Theme Park (Basho Music), 2018 saw the release of VISTA, the second album of the Julian Siegel Quartet and the first on the Whirlwind Recordings label. The album features ten of Julian’s compositions plus an arrangement of Bud Powell's ‘Un Poco Loco’. This acoustic set of music moves freely through varied sound worlds and colours, from undercurrents of bop to searching ballads and joyful melodies. The bands UK/Ireland Tour Spring 2024 will feature music from the bands albums plus new music written especially for the band's upcoming tour.

“Expressive direct music…. tightly wound post-bop, pensive improv. and more.” John Fordham, The Guardian ★ ★ ★ ★ Jazz Album of the Month, February 2018

“A great quartet with an enthralling agility.” ★ ★ ★ ★ In Music

”Exciting, dynamic music with improvisation at its centre.”- London Jazz News

[samuell2]

Nice to have a good comedy in the middle of two pretty dark films. I really enjoyed this film— all the jokes landed, and it was just so fun to watch, especially with the class. The odd sexual tension between Yoshimoto and Shigeyuki was a great bit, and I think Yoshimoto’s actor really sold him as this odd and enigmatic character. Some other good moments: the teacher throwing Shigeyuki and his classmate’s papers out the window (classic), Shigeyuki’s brother going to visit a girl he clearly likes and seeing another man there (I think?) the bit with Basho and “dusk” and of course, the final scene at the dinner table.

Speaking of that dinner table scene, I think it pretty much encapsulates the major theme of the movie. Yoshimoto is a symbol of Japan’s highly competitive education system based on class and university rank, and his culinary assault on the family during dinner (the only time when they are all together) demonstrates the degree to which families allowed this brutal system to bully and separate them. By the end of the film, Shigeyuki’s parents have totally accepted Yoshimoto slapping their kid around, and shooing them out of the room during their study sessions. Mrs. Numata even delegates the task of switching Shigeyuki’s school to Yoshimoto. By the end of the film, Yoshimoto has essentially become a parent himself, and Mr. and Mrs. Numata are totally okay with that, as long as it leads to results. But those results are called into question by the film— sure, Shigeyuki got into Seibu, but his brother’s grades are tanking. And by the credits, the whole family is quite literally exhausted.

[sidworldfans]

Interview on TV Life 08.12.2023

SID's 20th anniversary year is coming to an end... Anime tribute album by splendid voice actors is "an album like a treasure for us as well" [Interview].

In 2023, rock band SID will hold its 20th anniversary concert "SID 20th Anniversary GRAND FINAL Ichiban Sukina Basho" at Nippon Budokan to mark the culmination of its 20th anniversary year on Wednesday, December 27.

Before the event, SID would release its first tribute album "SID Tribute Album -Anime Songs-" and a digital single "Soyokaze" on December 6 (Wed.). The tribute album is a new type of album in which the voice actors who appeared in the works cover the anime tie-up songs that SID has worked on. Meanwhile “Soyokaze (Breeze)”, their first new song in about a year and nine months, is a medium number composed by Aki (Ba.) and written by Mao (Vo.). The song is about looking back at the path they have taken with their fans up to now, and walking forward into the future.

As the band will soon be concluding its 20th anniversary year, we wondered why they decided to release this tribute album and what they had in mind for the single. We also asked them to talk about their bond with the members, their feelings looking back on their past activities, and their outlook for the future.

The tribute album has been a big hit with anime fans since the release of the information. First of all, please tell us how you came to release this album.

Mao: It all started when we talked about how we wanted to make a piece to commemorate our 20th anniversary. As we were thinking about releasing digital singles and various other ideas, we came up with the idea of a tribute album. As we talked about it, we thought it would be interesting to have the voice actors who appeared in the anime sing the theme songs. It was a dream come true that we never thought would come true at first, but it did, and we were able to release it.

How did you feel when you heard that this dream-like album was going to be a reality?

Mao: I believe that SID's current form is the result of working with various anime, so I was genuinely happy to be able to work together again with everyone I have met along the way. Each of us has our own favorite anime, and we feel the power of anime every day, so it was a great feeling to hear the voice actors singing the opening and ending songs that we have worked on.

Many of the songs in this album were composed by you, Aki. What was your impression when you listened to the finished album?

Aki: I thought that the album was finished in such a way that you can not only enjoy the wonderful voices of the voice actors, but also replay the voices and images of the characters in the anime. We are very grateful to them for making this wonderful album, which is like a treasure for us as well.

What is your favorite song from this album?

Mao: Monochrome no Kiss. I'm really into it and I'm so in love with the quality of the song. The lyrics of this song were written with the image of Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) in mind, so I was really happy to hear Daisuke Ono, who voices Sebastian (Michaelis), sing it, and his voice is really beautiful.

Aki: Anniversary. We have performed this song on various occasions, but I think Haruka Tomatsu brought this song back to life in a different way, with a different voice and nuance than SID's "Anniversary". I really like it, and it's a great listen.

Shinji: I would say Uso. Ms. Park sang it with a beautiful voice, different from Ed's, which was unexpected in a good way. Also, a guitarist named Kojun played the guitar for this song. He is an extremely skilled guitarist, and I often watch his YouTube channel. I have been watching Kojun’s YouTube channel for a long time. He happened to play the guitar this time, and I think it is one of the most powerful songs with Ms. Park's singing voice.

Yuuya: All the songs are very nice, but I think I would choose Ranbu no Melody. It is sung in a slightly lower key than the original song, but the band played it in a lower key, making it a profound song that is different from the original. I felt that the way Masakazu Morita sings goes very well with this song.

Next, I would like to ask you about “Soyokaze” (Breeze), which was released on the same day. What is the meaning behind the title of the song?

Mao: “Breeze” is a title that I came up with when thinking of our fans. 20 years of working together, when I looked back, I wondered about what they meant to me, what they meant to the band. It is like a gentle breeze that always gently and softly watches over us. I have written lyrics for songs that capture only a part of the past 20 years, but “Breeze” depicts the past 20 years of SID. I thought I could only write such lyrics for such a memorable year, so I put everything into the lyrics.

Aki, how did you write the song?

Aki: I wrote the song with a simple yet strong melody that people can remember at once. I was told that the lyrics would have such a nuance when I was writing the song, so I was trying to develop my own image as I wrote it. I was moved just by the first line of the lyrics. I thought the song was amazing just from that one line (laughs).

What do you want people to pay attention to about Shinji's guitar and Yuuya's drums?

Shinji: The guitar is quite structured and moves around throughout the song, and I felt while recording that it would be fun to play it live, so I can't wait to play it. Also, as Aki just said, Mao wrote the lyrics straight-forwardly, and I was like "thank you" from the first line (laughs).

Yuuya: The sound of the drums and phrases are basically pop, but I put rock elements in some places. I tried not to make it too rounded.

The first line of the lyrics, which Aki and Shinji have praised so highly, is the phrase "A Hiace that holds nothing but dreams..." This reminds you of the time when you were driving your own Hiace around the country...?

Mao: Yes. We really packed it back then (laughs). We had just enough room for all the people we wanted, and the equipment was cramped and my body ached... I remember that now as I listen to the two of them talking (laughs). But even though it was hard at the time, we can laugh about it now, and I think that is a blessing.

Yes, it's almost time for the Budokan concert to close the 20th anniversary year, starting with the fan club only live in January, followed by the tour with the album "Umibe", fan meetings and many other activities. What kind of year was this anniversary year for you?

Mao: First of all, I felt that we were able to celebrate the 20th anniversary in a way that is typical for SID. SID originally started as a live band, and we have made many memories through our live performances at each milestone, so this year we wanted to perform in front of everyone as much as possible. We started with live concerts at halls, followed by live house tours, fan meetings, and finally at the Budokan, and I think it was the right decision because we were able to make memories with everyone in various ways, and I'm glad that we were able to do so many things because the fans seem to be happy.

Shinji: We were able to perform live, but the audience couldn't speak or raise their hands, and seeing these restrictions made me realize once again that this was not the norm. After 20 years of working in this field, my gratitude to my fans has grown stronger every year, but the corona pandemic made me realize how important it is. When I was younger, I used to think to myself, "I can do live shows no matter what the environment is like," and I would do it out of self-indulgence, but this past year has made me realize that I can work twice as hard with the support of my fans.

Aki: The big thing was that we were able to do a lot of live performances. I had hoped that we could respond to the fans' wishes with our live performances. We only have Budokan left, but I would like to share our feelings with everyone until the end and do my best to close out the 20th anniversary year.

Yuuya: A lot has happened since our 15th anniversary, but I feel that our 20th anniversary was a tailwind for us as the world gradually recovered, the environment for live performances began to improve again, and the audience became able to express themselves. Last year, each of us recharged our batteries and were in perfect condition to perform the "Umibe" tour, which was postponed at the time, so looking at it positively, I think the timing was good. Now I feel that those three years were not all bad.

You have been singing to many fans over the past year, but what did you feel again as a vocalist of SID?

Mao: I think there are two types of vocalists: those who pursue their own unique songs as their career progresses, and those who become more and more greedy, saying, "If I could sing like this more," and in my case, it is exactly the latter. In my case, I am the latter type. Even after I finally get something and think, "This is it," I still want more and more things, and I want this and that. In that sense, I am not satisfied yet, and I think I will continue to enjoy vocal performances in the future. 20 years later, the fact that I am still seeking it makes me feel that I made the right choice in choosing the vocal part.

Shinji, you often say: “Now is the most fun”, but what is the driving force that keeps you motivated even after 20 years?

Shinji: It's simple because I love playing the guitar. Guitar practice can be quite tedious, but even the practice has been a lot of fun lately. For example, I think professional athletes practice every day, and I want to be like them as an artist. And I can't lie that I've practiced the guitar. So I am looking forward to the live performance more and I can't wait for the day of Budokan.

What live performances and events have left a particularly strong impression on Aki and Yuya over the past year?

Aki: The "Umibe" tour. We were not able to do it at the time when we were supposed to do it, so the expressions on the audience's faces when the curtain opened, and the cheering we heard after a long time left a deep impression on me.

Yuuya: It really was a year full of smiles and cheers from the audience through our live performances. Even though I was wearing a mask, I felt like I could feel everyone's voice from their hearts beyond the mask. In that sense, the tour and fan meetings for "Umibe" where I got to hear real voices are especially memorable.

You have been working together for more than 20 years. What are the moments when you feel the bond among the members?

Mao: We recently started a radio show on Sid ("SID×RADIO=" on Bunka Hoso), and actually it has been a long time since the four of us did a radio show together. It is our job, but when we go off on a tangent, it reminds me of the old days and I think to myself, "We haven't changed at all" (laughs). I feel safe when the members are all together, and the radio has helped me remember many things, so I am happy to start again.

Shinji: We have been together for 20 years, so we are like a family now. As Mao mentioned, when the four of us get together to talk on the radio, at live performances, or at events, I can see the unchanged parts of everyone who has grown up and feel at ease. When all the members are together, it feels like coming home and saying, "I'm home!"

Aki: I agree. We've been together for 20 years now, and we still have no trouble talking when we're at work or when the four of us go out for dinner. The atmosphere and time flow when the four of us are together is very comfortable, and I think it's been a great 20 years, and lately I've been feeling a renewed sense of bond.

Yuuya: I don't get to see everyone as often as I would like these days, but even though we have been together for 20 years, I still feel a bit shy when we meet (laughs). But even if I don't have anything funny to say, I can't help but smile when I'm with everyone. I really feel a sense of security when all the members are together, and every time we meet, I realize that there is no other place like it.

How excited are you about the Budokan performance?

Mao: This is the culmination of our 20th anniversary year, so I want to make “The best of SID” out of it. On a personal level, I have always stood on stage with the mindset of scoring 100 points at every live performance, but recently I have become unclear whether that score is really 100 points for me or 100 points for the audience. In the past, I was obsessed with my own 100 points, but at Budokan, I want to give it my all, aiming for 100 points for the fans, the staff, and the members as well. Even if it is less than 100 points for me, if I give it my all, it will end up being 100 points, so I want to stand at Budokan in a natural way with that in mind.

Finally, what are your thoughts for the future?

Mao: We are celebrating our 20th anniversary, and we have had a fulfilling year, celebrated by all of our fans. I think that more important than the number of years is how much time we have spent with the members, staff, and everyone else. I would like to continue to work together with everyone while being even more conscious of these things over the next 10 to 20 years, and I would like to do my best while paying more attention than ever to health management, not to mention improving my individual skills.

Aki: I would like to express my gratitude to all the fans, and I would like to give a live performance filled with hope and energy so that we can show the future of SID. I want to make everyone at Budokan proud to be a SID fan, so I hope you will come to the concert.

Shinji: I hope that at Budokan, I will be able to show what I have not been able to do before as a guitarist, and perform in a way that everyone will feel that "Shinji has changed" and that I have grown. However, I am not in a hurry to do so, and I would like to continue to work hard and hone my skills. I also want to become more interesting in the future (laughs).

Yuuya: I am a little surprised now to know that Shinji-kun is trying to become more interesting (laughs). Putting that aside, in terms of the flow from the 21st year, I sometimes wonder if it is important to find a balance between a sense of excitement and a sense of security. Since we are still an active band, I think we should keep running while letting our fans enjoy that kind of balance. I would like to continue to do what I have to do, including creating an environment and taking good care of my health, so that we can continue to perform well in the future.

Original article with images: