#Fukuoka Art Next

[artbase88]

2024年度のチームアペルト

[causenessus]

love notes

part 0.12. SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES DAY

"trace me onto you."

from title fight, left in saitozaki, fukuoka

prev. | m.list | next

extras <3

INKED AND MY BISQUE BEAU REFERENCES!!! DEFINITELY PLEASE GO CHECK OUT THESE FICS THEY ARE AMAZING <3 (thank u to @eggyrocks and @wyrcan <33)

AND THANK U AGAIN TO EGGY FOR THEIR AWESOME PLAYLIST <33 LET'S GO TITLE FIGHT

atsumu acted so offended when y/n immediately tagged him saying kiyoko was off limits but he was definitely thinking about asking for her phone number...but that's bc he's an idiot

when suna saw y/n's tweets about buying her coffee he texted osamu like "hey what if u dropped off coffee for y/n and ur girlfriend. i'll pay"

osamu is trying his hardest to maintain that they are NOT dating (yet) but he's secretly getting giddy everytime someone calls mbb y/n his girlfriend (SORRY LMAOOO FOR ANYONE WHO HASN'T READ MBB THIS IS PROBABLY CONFUSING THAT JUST MEANS U SHOULD GO READ IT!!!)

he also (pretending to complain about it) agreed to drop off coffee but he's a gentleman and paid for mbb y/n's coffee and suna paid for (love notes) y/n's coffee <3

double dates between the two in the future?? both pairs are so cute 👀

WAIT AND TRIPLE DATE WITH KIYOKO AND INKED Y/N??? hold on i'm cooking

suna and y/n are both fighting for their lives trying to remain casual but they are literally the FARTHEST THING from acting casual

gonna reinforce this again but literally all the art suna sends y/n is actually stuff he's put up with her in mind <3

and suna got too nervous to say anything about how he feels to y/n because the timing just didn't feel right and then she was like "oh i forget we haven't been BEST FRIENDS forever"

he was biting his fist and going thru the five stages of grief trying to interpret the deeper meanings of that text

and atsumu was not sleeping yet while suna was texting y/n (and technically he did not giggle, it was just like little huffs of laughter whenever she said something cute, yk?)

but they both shut off their phones and immediately went to bed after seeing omi's reply they were literally laying in the dark terrified they were going to hear footsteps and banging on their door

i love including my own experiences in my writing (yes i was forced to learn relative tuning before ANYTHING else in a guitar class and then my high e string broke and attacked me </3)

and!! actually the picture suna uses on his twitter (the "i miss you) is a picture i took in new york <3 if u were wondering why it looks so ugly

and an extra note to provide more context for next chapter!! this away game is the last one before winter break <3 y/n mentioned the holidays in her earthen kiln post because next chapter will be about winter break just so everything is clear <3

taglist: @0moonii @iluvmang @bluebeanbee @oyasumeii @froyaoya @gyuijns @nbcvs @milkteade @guitarstringed-scars @makkir0ll @mylahrins @cherrypieyourface @vivian-555 @sharkerino @r0seandth0rns @staileykout @lunavixia @thvvluvr @elliott0o0 @wolffmaiden @rockleeisbaeeee @toges-cough-syrup @cnnmairoll @ryeyeyer @hibernatinghamster @localgaytrainwreck @lemonocity @bows4life @sereniteav @madiexuberant @eclecticeggknightpsychic @phoenix-eclipses @sonicsolos @httpakkeiji @brkfclub @snail-squasher @starry-magicshop @cr4yolaas @kitnootkat @zzzlevislothzzz @iluv-ace @iluvaquaphor @stayyyyyyyyyyyy21 @applepi25 @twiishaa @girlkissersco @sleepystrwbrryy @encrypta

[threepandas]

Bird4Bird Part 3: Yandere Hawks

Did you know? That Fukuoka has the highest concentration of winged Quirks in Japan? Most of them in or around Kyushu. It's a remarkably recent thing too. Used to be farther north, but that slowly died off when the Hero Rising Wing died in action.

Wanna know WHY?

It's because of the fuckin Gyms.

The markets. The specialty doctors offices. The clothing lines that cater to people who have LIMBS sticking out if their backs. All of those? Yeah, they picked up and looked for the next Hero to slap a brand deal on. Because GOD FORBID they serve the community that already existed and needed them.

So folks had to move. Sell their houses.

It was that or take the train for hours each day, after all.

Because? Again. No license? Who CARES if your health suffers! Fucking WALK. Dangerous muscle atrophy and spinal problems? Should have thought about being a HERO! Bleed for the state!

You're not bitter.

You're just routinely pissed enough to spit shards of GLASS.

Doesn't help that YOUR quirk? Oh, YOUR Quirk is one of the BIG ones. One of those "why yes, I CAN bench press a small vehicle, why do you ask?" Sorta quirks. The upkeep is a NIGHTMARE. You live in a god damned SHOEBOX.

You HAVE too! Because FUCKING INSURANCE doesn't cover "frivolous" "luxury" expenses like your Hero-grade gym membership. Which you only NEED because you'd BREAK the normal machines at a standard Avian Quirk Specialty Gym. But good luck trying to agree with the BIGOTS at-!!!

.....breathe. Just.... just breath. In, then out, in, then out.

Not Worth it.

This is workout time. De-stress. Getting to stretch your wings. Work up a swea-OH MOTHER FUCKER!!

Hawks bats his eyelashs, obnoxiously in your opinion, at you and twiddle his fingers in a cheeky lil shit wave. No. NO. This is you day OFF from community service. You were supposed to be FREE of him! How is he HERE?!

You look him dead in the eyes and project MURDER.

His obnoxious grin gets bigger. It's like he WANTS you to fight him! Is... is this bullying? Are you being BULLIED? You're on fuckin PAROLE. The flesh may be so, SO willing to slam him face first through a wall... but the spirit DOESNT WANT TO GO TO JAIL. His ass ain't worth it!

Leave you crimson ass, crow demon! FUCK OFF!

He pouts exaggeratedly at you. Dramatic and fake as shit. "Aaaw, aren't we FRIENDS? Don't you want to hang ooooout~?" NO! I would sell you back to whatever hell dimension you crawled from, for a toothpick I DONT EVEN WANT!

He looks delighted.

Stop that!

You try and ignore him. Finish your work out. But he is so, SO clingy and whiny and LOUD. He's doing on purpose. You know he is. HE knows, you know, he is. You can see it in his eyes. It's the fucking malicious little sparkle.

Is he getting OFF on this? What, does he just LIKE to harrass people? Pick at them?

If he keeps fucking around, he's GONNA find out.

You storm away the second your done. Try to lose him at the changing rooms. Fail. Now he's following you... eating greasy fried chicken... OBNOXIOUSLY. Does he HAVE to FLY while he does that?! The exaggerated noises are COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY!

You spin to rip him a new one, take one look at his smug, victorious expression... and? Actually? Enjoy your fucking chicken. Mama didn't raise a lil bitch. She had a Cutesy Pair Of Angel Wings™ her entire life. Was fetishized to FUCK and back. Learned the fine art of rage and taking no prisoners.

She? She raised a spiteful wrath child with a strong sense of justice.

Fuck yoooooooou.

You hope he CHOKES on that chicken. You begin to turn, but stop. He WAS looking annoyed that his plan didn't work. Why did he just start smirking? He looks entirely too smug and pleased. Not looking AT you. Over your head? Behind-?

"Omg, IS THAT HAWKS~♡?!"

Oh, fuck. You feel the blood drain from you face. His eyes flick down to yours. His PR, fake ass, smile has never been toothier. D...Don't do it. Don't you DARE.

He strikes a photo ready pose. Why YES HE IS~!

You desperately try to get out of the way. You've SEEN the carnage. The poor souls caught in the crossfire. High pitched squeals and thundering feet race closer from behind you. A red feather has by the front of the jacket. You stare down in betrayal. Back up in horror.

You're supposed to be a HERO!

The Fan's cometh. And with a howling curse, you get consumed by the crowd. Hawks laughs, bright and charming above the crowd. His feathers never leaving your body as you get thrown around. Shouldn't have ignored him~

But man, the face you made was pretty cute, too.

Following you was a great idea! He should do it more often~♡

[thenightpool]

rinharu wrapped 2023

We almost can't believe it's already time to bring out the kadomatsu again! 2023 just raced by, didn't it…?! Let's take a moment to look back on everything Rin & Haru (and their fans!) have achieved this year.

🌸 Archive of Our Own

The Matsuoka Rin/Nanase Haruka tag on AO3 now holds 3,674 works!

That means 173 new fics were posted this year. (There might've been more than that, but it's hard to keep track of creators privatising their older fics!)

And the Night Pool's AO3 collection is up to 90 works!

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🌸 The Night Pool

Here at TNP, we revived @sakurathon, a cherry blossom-centric event! This year, the event received 40 works by 19 lovely participants.

Since it was such a big success, we're bringing the event back on April 27th & 28th 2024.

°•. ✿ .•°

We also held the aquatic-themed Unleashed Blue, during which 20 participants created 51 (!!) otherworldly works for us.

With permission of the creators, we lovingly collected them in a 400+ page commemorative zine. You can download it on linktree

°•. ✿ .•°

Writers filled an impressive 35 prompts during our prompt meme Make a Splash! that we held in honor of Haru's birthday.

Read the fills on AO3

°•. ✿ .•°

Rin & Haru's Big Warm-Up, our monthly prompt event, received 16 new works on AO3 across the year & more on socials.

Check out our collection on AO3

°•. ✿ .•°

We also kicked off rinharu fandom's very first bang: MEDLEY!, a mini + reverse hybrid bang that will start posting in March!

(Psst. Sign ups are still open for a few roles!)

°•. ✿ .•°

We held 3 training camps – super fun writing retreat weekends – over on our Discord. We have 4 more retreats planned for 2024!

If you'd like to join us for the next one(s), here's the info

°•. ✿ .•°

We posted 33 new fanart translations!

Here's the link to our masterlist

°•. ✿ .•°

And finally, The Night Pool beat out Harurinralia to win our Ultimate Rinharu Moments Tournament that we held back in April on both Twitter and Tumblr!

.

🌸 Other Fandom Events

It's been a busy year!

In July, @starstarfairy hosted Wave Of Memory (@rinharumemories) to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Free! The event ran in two wave on tumblr and Twitter and combined polls, fan memories, and all types of fanworks.

@sweetheavenfics helped us run the RH-friendly @soumako-week in September!

@ryu-outsider hosted the month-long daily prompt event Free!cember here on Tumblr. It welcomed the entire fandom. The event was promoted by eleanorenchanted and run via hashtag.

And @rinharuweek ran for a full 10 days this year in celebration of the show's anniversary! They are just wrapping up.

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🌸 Official News

Free! turned 10 in 2023. Omedetou gozaimasu!

Free! The Final Stroke Part 2 broke all of the series' previous records in the box office, bringing in over 1 billion yen

It also finally made it to Crunchyroll.com for the US & select others

Miyano Mamoru & Shimazaki Nobunaga fed us (+ fanartists' inspiration) well by shouting "HARU!!" and "RIIIN!!" at each other before hugging passionately during the 10th anniversary event at the Saitama Super Arena

We got tons of amazing new art; including a cover illustration for Free! The Band Live's Ever Blue performance in Yokohama, Animedia's July W-cover, Sweets Paradise's promotional art, and Kyoani's 10th anniversary event's illustration

Rin's ripped jeans (+ THE ANKLETS) in the Matsukiyo & Cocokara's Top Of Summer collaboration launched a thousand fanworks

Matsuoka-senshu, Nanase-senshu, Kirishima-senshu & Yamazaki-senshu represented Mizuno at the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka

Spoon2Di recently restocked volume 78 & 85 on their webshop, and Akiba Pass Shop opened pre-orders for some gorgeous tapestries featuring said art

Karatz, Bikkuriman Choco, Iwami & DECOL all bumped Rin up to 2nd place in character listings (where he belongs!!)

Last but not least, KyoaniShop bankrupted us all by releasing amazing new merchandise (and also did not try to hide that Rin is the Free! series' 2nd protagonist, either…)

--

Thank you so much for being here with us in 2023. We hope it has been a wonderful & creative year for you. Here's wishing you an even more rinharu-filled 2024!

[redsevendiamonds]

OnlyOneOf S Cawaii! Men summer 2022 Interview

Thank you to tiny_ly0n @ twitter for the pics

This one is massive and full of interesting tidbits and insights into the members and their relationships! I really recommend reading the whole thing.

Translation under cut

[comments in (parenthesis) are the original article, comments in [brackets] are from me]

Profile → OnlyOneOf

OnlyOneOf is a boys group that debuted in 2019 in Korea. Their name holds the meaning of "being someone's one person". They're also nicknamed OnOff [in Korea and in Japan] or abbreviated as OOO. Their fans are called lyOns.

Yoojung Birthday: 1997.5.29 Blood type: A Pitch us your charm point: I'm confident in both my coolness and cuteness!

It's embarrassing to say myself, but it's how I'm simultaneously cool and cute. (embarrassed) My special skill is girl group dances! And I'm the alarm clock of the group. I'm the one who wakes up the earliest, so I wake the others. I don't like rushing to get ready so I wake up early so I can take my time. It doesn't mean that I go to sleep early, though. (laughs)

Junji Birthday: 1998.4.6 Blood type: B Pitch us your charm point: Mysterious Guy with the charm of a cat

I don't quite know what my charm point is myself. (laughs) The other members often say that I'm like a cat, so maybe that's my charm? In terms of skills, I'm quick to learn choreography. But my dancing and singing are still lacking, so I study hard.

Rie Birthday: 1996.11.6 Blood type: A Pitch us your charm point: My soft peach-like cheeks

I have twinkling eyes and plump lips so everything about me is round, I think that's my charm point. In the group, the others members help out with this as well, but I often create and arrange choreography, so that could be considered my special skill.

Nine Birthday: 1999.12.13 Blood type: O Pitch us your charm point: My cute and happy smile

It's not something I practice in particular, but when I'm with the other members I'm always filled with happiness and I naturally wind up laughing. I smile a lot in general so even now it seems like I'm smiling for no reason. (laughs) During concerts, fans' smiles have me smiling in return.

KB Birthday: 1992.04.23 Blood type: AB Pitch us your charm point: Muscular hot body — did I answer that too quickly?

My body muscular like Tom Hardy's — it's a hot body. Did I answer that too quickly? (laughs) I'm particularly confident in my back muscles. Even when I'm the one seeing it I think my back looks nice and muscular! I usually train while watching Youtube imparting to me the secrets of bulking up. I do both muscle training and martial arts, so I'll be progressing to Marvel hero next. I'm aiming for the role of Spiderman's best friend! (laughs)

Mill Birthday: 1999.03.30 Blood type: B Pitch us your charm point: A large array of expressions and gestures!

I can do a large array of expressions and gestures, so when you see me on stage you might think, this boy is good at lots of things! I practice in front of the mirror a lot, and study by watching the performances of more experienced singers. Recently I keep watching videos of Justin Bieber's concerts.

Individual interviews

Kyubin

Q1: What is the song you would like someone who is listening to OnlyOneOf for the first time to hear?

→ libidO

That would be libidO, in which both Nine and I participated for the composition and arrangement. It's a song that expresses our concept very strongly, and that we completed after a lot of research and many twists and turns, so it's one I'm very proud of. I'm the type who will record over and over again until I'm satisfied, so I'm confident in the final product.

Q2: Was this your first time in Japan? What are some fun things you did and food you enjoyed?

I've been to Fukuoka and Osaka before. In Fukuoka I went to an onsen. In Osaka I went to the city square in the centre of Umeda, and I went as far as Kyoto and Kobe. I also wore getas [traditional Japanese sandals]. They were extremely painful on the back of my feet, so walking was an effort to the end. The purpose of that trip was shopping, I wasn't too fussed about food. I was actually travelling on the cheap so there was no money to spend on food, everyday was (in Japanese) only gyudon [extremely cheap dish of rice topped with beef]. One bowl, regular size. It sure got tough towards the end. Coming to Japan this time, I was moved by how good the draft beer is! I drank it every day like I've never drunk before. (laughs) The yakitori was also delicious. And there was a dish I liked… What was it? (Nine next to him tells him) Right, that! Stuffed bell pepper and toasted cheese skewers. It was so good.

Q3: Your "I feel happy as long as I have this" top 3?

→ lyOns → cool clothes → muscles (laughs)

lyOns are my driving force. I'm into fashion, so wearing cool clothes also puts me in a good mood. I like clothes with designs that are strange or slightly futuristic. And the third one is muscles! They're essential for exerting strength, right? I feel like my lower body is still thin, so I need to work harder on my glutes and lower body.

Q4: The Korean wave is so popular! Please recommend a Korean movie or drama

→ Vincenzo

The story is interesting, and the side character Nam Joon Su was excellent. (imitates the line "Mr Lawyer ~")

Q5: Please also recommend a Korean food!

→ spam → kimchi → white rice

Spam, kimchi and white rice are a three-ingredient set! When your mom's not home, you've got to figure out a meal for yourself, right? During those times I'd cook some spam and put it on top of rice with kimchi. I'd enjoy it but if I cooked it while my mom was home it would taste less nice. What a mystery. Is it because mom's cooking is the best?

Junji

Q1: What is the song you would like someone who is listening to OnlyOneOf for the first time to hear?

→ libidO

Please listen to libidO! It's powerful, memorable and addictive. When we were performing this song on music shows, I was wearing extensions and my hair reached to my shoulders. So you can tell it's libidO just from looking at my hair length. (laughs) It's much shorter now.

Q2: Was this your first time in Japan? What are some fun things you did and food you enjoyed?

It was my first time in Japan, but it's been full of fun things! But the best among them was to eat all this delicious food. Gyukatsu [fried beef cutlet] and Ichiran ramen were delicious, but my favourite is the draft beer. It was so good! Gyukatsu is also delicious, it's so soft that it feels like you're drinking it rather than eating it, the way it melts in your mouth. But there's still so many foods I've yet to try, I want to know everything that's delicious. Please teach me!

Q3: Your "I feel happy as long as I have this" top 3?

→ lyOns → my ring → draft beer

Thanks to Japanese lyOns, we were able to come to Japan. We strive to become artists that you can all be proud of. The second one is this ring that I'm always wearing. I've been wearing it for about ten years now, so I feel uneasy without it. I bought it in Incheon, the engraving used to be black but it's all chipped away by now. I definitely didn't think we'd be together this long ⁠— even when I think I've lost it somewhere, it always reappears unexpectedly. I always lose my things but this ring is the one thing I haven't lost. The third one is draft beer. (laughs) Draft beer is the best!

Q4: The Korean wave is so popular! Please recommend a Korean movie or drama

→ Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Among the ones I've watched recently, Twenty-Five Twenty-One really left an impression. Two characters have a fated meeting, welcome their separation, and go on to show their memories beautifully… It moved me. I'm not the type to watch dramas, but this one was great. I recommend it!

Q5: Please also recommend a Korean food!

→ jokbal → bossam → mak-guksu

These three are a perfect combo. It's an amount that you can easily eat by yourself, I think. Mak-guksu is similar to bibim-guksu (a cold noodle dish mixed with red pepper and various ingredients) but it's made with buckwheat noodles. When you eat it with jokbal and bossam, it's heavenly. It's so delicious it surpasses rice.

Mill

Q1: What is the song you would like someone who is listening to OnlyOneOf for the first time to hear?

→ dOra maar

I recommend dOra maar. I'd love it if you could watch it focusing on my various expressions, from cool winks to pained faces. To be honest, when I debuted I couldn't actually wink. If you watch our Music Core stage you'll see what I mean. (laughs) Since then I've practised a lot, and it was around that time that I succeeded.

Q2: Was this your first time in Japan? What are some fun things you did and food you enjoyed?

It was the first time! The air is so clear in Japan, it's beautiful. There are so many places that I wanted to take pictures of so every time we had some time I'd take pictures.

Q3: Your "I feel happy as long as I have this" top 3?

→ rice → sports → TV

I love rice! Whenever I eat it with kimchi and jeyuk bokkum (stir-fried pork) I feel happy. What I want to eat right now is my mom's cooking. Her kimchi stew and soybean paste stew are both incredible. The second one is sports. I've played football since I was young, so playing sports makes me feel good. When I go back to Korea, I want to try to start swimming again, which I haven't been able to do for the past 2-3 years. The last one is TV. Dramas, films, variety… I watch all of it. I also watch almost all the popular Japanese animes: Your Name, Tokyo Revengers, Haikyuu, A Whisker Away… Recently, I watched the anime movie Bubble with Junji.

Q4: The Korean wave is so popular! Please recommend a Korean movie or drama

→ Twenty-Five Twenty-One

It's a drama that depicts the youth of two people in 1998 Korea. In 1998, my parents were university students. It's a time when you only had pagers and couldn't contact people easily, right? While watching this drama, I also felt like I was living in that time.

Q5: Please also recommend a Korean food!

→ bulgogi meal set

I recommend Korean meal sets in general. In Korea we call those "baekban", and the restaurants specializing in them "baekbanchip". There are plenty throughout the country. They're cheap and delicious and bustling with taxi drivers. My favourite is the bulgogi meal set from the place near my home. The exact address is a secret. (laughs) If you want to eat something delicious in Korea, I recommend asking a taxi driver for a recommendation.

Rie

Q1: What is the song you would like someone who is listening to OnlyOneOf for the first time to hear?

→ dOra maar

Our debut album "dot point jump" was [first of] the so-called "dot - line - surface" series where dots assemble to form a line, and then become a surface. But at the time, while we had an idea of what we wanted our music to sound like, we weren't really able to explain it in concrete terms. We always said we wanted to make our own music different from others', but if asked "what music would that be?" we couldn't precisely answer "that kind!" Personally I think dOra maar might be what defined the group's colour. So if you're listening to us for the first time, I'd like you to listen to dOra maar. We did our first broadcast performance of this song on January 30 2020 in front of fans, but from the very next day, fans weren't allowed to watch performances anymore. So we also keenly remember how unfortunate we thought it was at the time… Both the song and choreography are good, so it would have made more of an impact if it had been performed in front of people, that kind of thought.

Q2: Was this your first time in Japan? What are some fun things you did and food you enjoyed?

The people are kind, the food is delicious, the views are gorgeous. It was my first time in Japan, but my older sister loves the country and she went a lot before Covid-19. Coming to Japan now, I understood why she loves it so much. She also loves the food and told me to try the egg sandwich from Seven Eleven. I ate it and it really was delicious.

Q3: Your "I feel happy as long as I have this" top 3?

→ lyOns → phone → money

It's because of fans that we were able to come to Japan and do these events, so lyOns are vital to me. We visit many places, learn many things, study Japanese, but there are still many things we don't know, so I also need my phone to make notes and research things later. Lastly, you need money to eat delicious things. (laughs) I think you need at least a little bit of it.

Q4: The Korean wave is so popular! Please recommend a Korean movie or drama

→ In Our Prime

The film "In Our Prime" that was released in Korea recently was really good. I really like the actor Choi Min-sik. Until now he's played mostly bad guys or more intense roles, but in this film he plays a mathematical genius who's a softer kind of person, it made me think he really is an actor who can make you believe any story. When it comes to dramas I recently watched Killing Time, it was also interesting.

Q5: Please also recommend a Korean food!

→ Baekban

a.k.a meal sets. There's rice and various dishes like bulgogi, I love them.

Yoojung

Q1: What is the song you would like someone who is listening to OnlyOneOf for the first time to hear?

→ dOra maar

I think this song is what solidified our image and concept into its current shape, so I really want people to listen to it. The melody and lyrics are both great, but I also think that we perform it especially beautifully. It's a song where our members' vocals stand out. It's also a song where I sing the chorus for the first time, so I'm emotionally attached to it.

Q2: Was this your first time in Japan? What are some fun things you did and food you enjoyed?

Convenience stores were the most memorable part. Japanese convenience stores are a whole new world! I prefer desserts over meals, and the cream-filled breads were especially delicious. I want to eat proper meals too but since I want to eat all the convenience store sweets I just keep eating those. (laughs) The most delicious wasn't a dessert, though, it was the gyukatsu. And the fruit sandwiches were also great. I also eat one of those jello cups once a day.

Q3: Your "I feel happy as long as I have this" top 3?

→ lyOns → vitamin supplements → lavender oil

Thanks to lyOns we're able to promote happily; it's why OnlyOneOf exists, I think. The second is vitamin supplements. You're supposed to take them every day and feel the effects after a while, but as soon as I take them I feel more energetic and less tired. The third one is the lavender oil I carry with me for when I'm nervous and can't calm down. I put 2 or 3 drops in my hands and smell, and my mind calms.

Q4: The Korean wave is so popular! Please recommend a Korean movie or drama

→ Twenty-Five Twenty-One

I don't watch dramas much, but Mill, Junji and I all love this one, to the point where we can talk about it for an entire day. There's many lines that will resonate in your heart, so I hope you'll watch it. I watched it after it was first recommended by a fan. I thought I'd only try the first episode but before I knew it it was the middle of the night and I was watching the sixth episode, and got hooked to the point that I started following it on-air. It's a story that will have you recalling the nostalgic memories of youth, but there are also fencing scenes in it. I've actually wanted to learn fencing since I was a child, these feelings resurfaced while watching this drama.

Q5: Please also recommend a Korean food!

→ Tteokbokki with ssaltteok made from rice flour

There's plenty, but tteokbokki is the one that I want to recommend. Because it's the one I want to eat the most currently. (laughs) When it comes to tteokbokki there's actually miltteok made from wheat flour and ssaltteok made from rice flour, ssaltteok is the one I'd like you to eat. Both of them vary depending on where you're eating it, but ssalteok is more tasty and chewy, so it's the one I like.

Nine

Q1: What is the song you would like someone who is listening to OnlyOneOf for the first time to hear?

→ Please listen to our songs in order!

All our albums are linked by a storyline, from the first to the most recent. So I recommend listening to them in order from OnlyOneOf yOu, the first track of our first album "dot point jump", all the way to re-bidO, the last track of our most recent album "Instinct Part.2". So basically, listen to all our songs! (laughs) You'll get to feel the character of our music as well as our growth as artists, I think.

Q2: Was this your first time in Japan? What are some fun things you did and food you enjoyed?

It was my first time in Japan! When we landed in Japan, while waiting at the airport for our PCR test results, there was a very cool-looking person in front of me, and it turned out to be Akiyama Yoshihiro [also known as Choo Sung Hoon, Korean-Japanese martial artist]. I thought it was an auspicious beginning for our Japanese promotions. Japanese food is all so delicious. I especially liked dorayaki [red bean-filled pancakes]. I've eaten it in Korea, but the one from Seven Eleven is especially good. We also went to a yakitori [grilled chicken] restaurant. I loved the gizzard and thighs in particular. I ate them five by five. (laughs)

Q3: Your "I feel happy as long as I have this" top 3?

→ (in Japanese) sleepy-time → energy drink → members

I want to say lyOns, my family, and the other members… But that would be too obvious so I'll try to think of something different. First is sleep. (in Japanese) Sleepy-time. If I have just five minutes, I can sleep anytime, anywhere. That might be my special skill! Energy drinks are one of the things I always have in my bag. In Japan also I always carried Red Bull or Monster with me. I was surprised by the amount of Monster flavours available in Japan. The pineapple-flavoured Ultra Gold was nice. For the last one, can I say the other members after all? Just being with them is fun and makes me happy. Just for this, I'm grateful for them.

Q4: The Korean wave is so popular! Please recommend a Korean movie or drama

→ Hospital Playlist

I recommend Hospital Playlist, in which Jo Jung-suk and Yoo Yeon-seok star. I like hospital dramas in general, but this one is especially realistic at recreating the medical world, it was very fun to watch. The storyline continues between season 1 and 2, so I recommend watching both.

Q5: Please also recommend a Korean food!

→ Ramyeon → Egg fried rice

Bunsik (light meal restaurant) ramen! But what I really like is my mom's egg dish. You have egg fried rice in Japan too, right? I can't cook so ever since I left home I haven't been able to eat it much, so KB took pity on me and made it for me! After I added soy sauce and ate it, it tasted exactly like my mom's cooking, it made me emotional. I don't know how many times I said thank you. (laughs)

→ Tell us what you like and respect about each member!

Yoojung

→ To KB: He's a thoroughly self-possessed person. And I think the way he's always thinking about how to grow and improve himself is wonderful. → To Junji: His mind is wonderful! He's such a positive person. I'm always fretting over everything, so the way Junji only looks forward is something I want to learn from. → To Mill: He's always cheerful and invigorating the group. I'm jealous of Mill's innate brightness. → To Rie: He has a delicate, soft image. His voice is also beautiful, he's a person with a lot of qualities. → To Nine: He's a boy with so many talents, I also want to learn from the way he's always striving to improve himself.

Nine

→ To KB: All the things that people now praise me for, I've learned from KB. In the past I had a child's mentality and immature sides, but by learning so many things from KB I was able to become an adult. It's not something I'd be able to say in front of him, but I'm very grateful to him. → To Junji: Junji is my hyung that I adooore. Just looking at him makes me want to laugh, or more like, he makes me feel happy. I think Junji's "enigmatic-ness" is one of our group's advantages. → To Mill: He's upstanding and positive. I also respect his selflessness. For example, if someone's carrying a lot of luggage, he'll carry it for them. And then he'll forget his own luggage because of that. (laughs) He prioritises others to that extent. → To Rie: Rie's singing voice is wonderful. If I had to compare it to a colour, it would be sky blue. I love his vocals when singing The Little Prince (by Ryeowook of Super Junior). It really is a heavenly voice! With stronger vocal control, I'm expecting him to progress even more. → To Yoojung: Yoojung is a beautiful person. Especially when he dances, I'm enchanted by the way he uses his body. His forte is copying girl group dances, and he can also memorize dances immediately without practising! When it comes to girl group covers, I think he's incontestably the number 1 in k-pop.

Mill

→ To KB: KB is a reliable hyung who takes care of the other members. When I'm troubled or need to be comforted, I always go to KB to talk. For me, he's a healing presence. → To Junji: We're the fusional friends together 24/7. We understand each other to the point that there's nothing we don't know about the other. I like that no matter what I say, he will understand and acknowledge me. → To Rie: Rie loves eating, so he's my teacher in finding good places to eat. I also like that he treats me when we go eat together. Ahahah. Rie is the one in the team with the biggest gap between his stage persona and his personality. I think he gives off the impression of an animated person, but off stage he's fairly shy. It's cute. → To Nine: Nine is the same age as me but in some aspects feels older, I really respect his musical knowledge. He teaches me about singing, and I teach him about dancing. He's the comrade-in-arms that runs next to me pursuing the same goal. I'm happy that we recently started playing football together as well. → To Yoojung: Yoojung regularly takes care of me! Since we were trainees, we'd play RPG games or FPS games together a lot. Either against each other or as teammates. By the way, when it comes to video games, I'm sliiightly better than him.

KB

→ To Junji: He's great at dancing, it's so cool. I'm a fan of Junji's powerful, dynamic dancing. The way his dancing shines on stage always moves me. In private, I don't know what he's thinking at alll. He's enigmatic? Right, he's an enigma. (laughs) → To Mill: He's a boy so full of energy. On stage his expressions overflow with confidence, he feels reliable. If there's something that both he and I want to use, he'll say "I'm fine, use it hyung!" and give it to me, his selflessness is wonderful. → To Rie: Rie is someone who can dance while controlling his body perfectly. In particular, I'm charmed by how beautiful the lines of his body are while dancing. → To Nine: First of all, before anything else, (in Japanese) his face is amazing. He's already good-looking without makeup, but with stage makeup the sexiness piles on and he becomes lethally good-looking. Also, he's skillful in everything. He's good at singing, his sense of pitch is also good, I wish I had those abilities. → To Yoojung: In one word, he's The Idol. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was born to be an idol. The other members generally have aspects that aren't so idol-like, but Yoojung, he's an idol even in his daily life. And then when he stands on stage the glimmer multiplies, I think that's the strength of an idol.

Junji

→ To KB: He's an idea man. He comes up with various ideas to the point where I think, where did he come up with that? Just one time, I'd like to become KB and take a peek into his mind. → To Mill: He's got a personality that relaxes whoever he's with. He likes playing around. He plays a lot of pranks. Mill and I have a Tom and Jerry relationship. (laughs) → To Rie: He's delicate with a deep sensitivity, and tries to understand the feelings of other people. Even though it's not easy, being able to empathize with people and cry with them is a wonderful thing, I think. → To Nine: Nine is a person of many talents. And he's always helping everyone. He's a member who highly values teamwork. He's competent to the point where I wonder if there is anything he can't do. → To Yoojung: He's interesting to me. He's always playing pranks on me, he likes them to an astonishing amount. He's a bit strange. (laughs) But his way of playing pranks is always kind and funny. He's also charmingly cat-like.

Rie

→ To KB: He's an utterly self-possessed person. The way he has his own clearly defined value system and his own personal path is very cool. → To Junji: He's cat-like, and likes to play around, and there are a lot of ways in which you could say he's a little different, but from the way I see it Junji is the one with the warmest heart. He's not great at expressing himself, you could say he's cat-like in that way, but he always manages to convey the warmth in his heart, so just having him by your side is reassuring. He also gives a lot of feedback to the members. → To Mill: He's a mischevious kid, and the social lubricant between members. You can't get mad at him no matter what kind of prank he plays, or should I say, his cute side is his charm point. He feels very much like a maknae, and he's necessary to the members. For the group to come together as one, Mill turns out to play a big role. → To Nine: He has a strong sense of responsibility, and a strong determination to do his utmost to carry the things he's entrusted with to the end. He's younger than me, but so reliable that he sometimes seems older, I need to learn from him. → To Yoojung: He's got a diligent personality, and pays attention even to things that other people don't notice. It's also the case for other members, but the way he responds to fans is wonderful. He also watches the other members closely, he's someone who will secretly cover for mistakes that another has made without even noticing it themselves.

KB, Mill, Nine interview

Q: What special skill do each of you have?

KB: I'm proud of my sense of humour. I've always liked to make people laugh, but I've become funnier lately. Nine: (in Japanese) Yes, yes, absolutely. KB: I study humour by watching funny movies and various type of comedies. Recently I've been into the American TV show Brooklyn 99. It's really funny, I'm howling while watching it. Mill: He really does howl. (laughs) Personally, my forte is sports. Especially football, I've participated in a national tournament before. Also swimming and bowling… Right, the three of us are the bowling trio. Before Covid-19 we all went bowling together a lot. Nine: Mill really is good at bowling. His average score is around 170, 180 points? Mill: Around 150 points. I feel like there were a lot of games where I was easily winning against KB, only for him to beat me at the end… KB: Right. I suddenly became good. I scored around 200 points, didn't I? Well, my humour level is still higher. Nine: Your humour score is around 280 points? (laughs) As for me, I don't have a special skill… KB: You're being modest again! You can do so many impressions, right? Nine: Which ones… I can imitate the sound of water droplets falling into a bucket. Plop, plop, plop. (KB and Mill are silent for a moment, then start snickering) Nine: Come ooon! That's why it's a skill I'm not particularly proud of! Ah… Why did I do this… (teary-eyed)

Q: What were your impressions of your first Japanese concert?

Mill: A lot more people came than expected, so I was very nervous. At the end, the audience did a surprise event for us. It was so touching, I ended up crying. I cry a little easily. Nine: Even in Korea, we'd never had a solo concert before. So everything about this concert was memorable. Above all I was touched by how the fans waited for us. After all, we told them we were coming to see them, but we couldn't for two years. Not seeing someone for two whole years, in a friendship, that's called ghosting. (KB and Mill burst out laughing) Even more touching were the people who before Covid-19 had come all the way to Korea to see us, and were there at the concert. We recognised them even with masks. Seeing a familiar face is so deeply moving, like, "Oh they're still supporting us after all this time." KB: Right! We were like, "Ah, there's someone over there, there's someone over there as well." We're so thankful for that devotion, Japanese lyOns are (in Japanese) amazing. So cool. Nine: We also pledge devotion to our fans! KB: Yoojung was the most nervous about this concert, wasn't he. Nine: He was so incredibly nervous, so I was teasing him backstage. "What are you so nervous for ~", that kind of thing. I thought it might ease the stress. This said, I was also very nervous.

Q: Your stylish visuals and concept gives you an aloof image. What about your true selves?

KB: We all have bright personalities and love fooling around… So we're completely different from that image. Mill: We've lived together for six years, since we were trainees, but every day at our dorm is still lively like a birthday party or a school trip night. Nine: We're very much not chic people. (laughs) We often seem cool, but if the boiling point of water is a hundred degrees, then we always keep ourselves at ninety-nine degrees. Hot, hot! KB: In our hearts burns a passion hot like magma. Nine: Our fans also have that gap between their public image and their true selves, so they're not very different from us, right? Fufu.

Q: You're also known for having famous Korean composers such as Gray and Boycold write songs for you. Please recount a memorable episode about each of them.

Nine: Each of them kindly acknowledged us as individual artists. While working they kept asking for our opinions, "How is this?", "How do you want to do this?" and I was very thankful for that show of respect. In the behind-the-scenes video of a past recording session, Samuel Seo complimented us warmly saying we were all "great guys", I was so touched watching that. I was glad to be able to work again with him on suit dance. Mill: I have great memories of recording the rap part of a sOng of ice&fire in GroovyRoom's studio. KB: Even during the recording Gray was always smiling and encouraging us saying, "It's okay," "You're doing great." He also listened to the songs we wrote and gave us insights on them, "You should do this that way." He's a really kind person.

Q: You've also received accolades from western media, such as, "They've got an artistic concept" or "They're doing something new".

KB: It's something we've researched very hard, so to have it acknowledged like this makes us very happy. We strive to become a group with a sensitivity to artistic and delicate music, it's what fuels us. We'll study more, do more trial and error. Nine: Just having people know us makes me happy. We always say we want to become #1 on Billboard, but that's a lofty goal, isn't it? It's something we say also as a way to tell ourselves that we always have to do our utmost. Mill: We also talk about our goal all together in the dorms, since it's a shared dream. We want to come across as determined with a fixed goal. Nine: It's something we've talked about since before we debuted. That we have to do our utmost and aim for the top. While always prizing modesty, being grateful for the people who read and hear us.

Q: How do you feel about your sensual concept?

KB: We have an "ubersexual" concept that pursues a soft, genderless sexiness. Each member is sensitive about this being art, and enjoys the sublimation of sensuality into art, so we're happy to be able to do something that we enjoy. Nine: Even if our intention is for our dancing to be sensual, if the person watching doesn't feel that it's sexy, it's pointless, right? To have someone tell us "This is sexy" means that our songs' worldview was properly understood and solidly expressed, it's something to be proud of. To be honest, if libidO or suit dance had been someone else's songs, would they have been that sexy? Even in a bright song like angel (Prod. GRAY), we ooze sexiness. (laughs) Mill: libidO is the first song that we tackled by first training our bodies, with that song we became known as a "visual body group". Our staple food at the time was chicken tenders. That's the only thing we ate, so after that when I ate spicy ramen for the first time in a while, it tasted so spicy. I can usually handle spiciness well, but I became someone who could barely handle eating spicy. We worked hard to the point that even our taste buds changed ~

Junji, Rie, Yoojung interview

Q: How was your first Japanese concert?

Yoojung: I'm normally the type who might be nervous before going on stage, but once I'm on stage the nervousness disappears. But since it was our first time doing a concert in front of so many people, I stayed nervous until at least the third song. After that I felt a lot of happiness. Junji: (in Japanese) Thanks to lyOns we're filled with happiness! Rie: I was looking forward to it, but I also had worries. Because it was the first time we'd be standing in front of our Japanese fans, and because we'd made them wait for a long time so their expectations might have grown and we could disappoint them. But once we got on stage everyone was supporting us, and that roused us. It's a great memory and it made me want to stand on stage in Japan again. Junji: We sang time leap at the end of the concert, the sight of lyOns waving their lightsticks was really beautiful. Yoojung: That they were standing there to watch our concert made a big impression. Rie: We weren't able to hear everyone's voices yet [because of Covid-19 regulations restricting cheering], but just from the expressions of everyone watching us we could tell they wanted to raise their voices or shout, it was moving and we're thankful. I feel that just from looking into everyone's eyes we were able to understand what they wanted to say. Yoojung: Many people were waving fans, I thought, did they make those themselves? They decorated them so prettily, it's so cute that they made them themselves. Rie: I saw one that said "shoot me" [the finger gun gesture] so I did it. The other members also fulfilled as many requests as they could. They made those fans so pretty for us, I wanted to ask them to give them to me. (laughs) Junji: Seeing my name made me very happy. I started smiling without thinking, then I had to change my expression to get back to the song's feeling. Yoojung: Everyone made theirs so pretty, so they all stood out.

Q: OnlyOneOf has stylish visuals and concepts, but the atmosphere around you feels more approachable, what would you say is your true selves?

Rie: On stage we try to attain a chic, mystical, sexy beauty, so the people seeing us for the first time tend to have a first impression of us as a bit scary and hard to approach, but I think that when they see the members talking together, they'll find that we have a bright, childlike side, and that we're good people. Yoojung: I agree! On stage we want to be cool, but once we come off stage we can be that older brother, friend or little brother from the neighbourhood. I want people to know these friendly sides of us. Junji: We're not unapproachable people! Rie: We'll definitely get close! Don't be scared! Yoojung: For example, in the dorms when we're done eating, we always do a game to decide who will clean up. Like we'll take a book and the person who opens it to the page with the most character names does the dishes, or the person who turns on the TV and has the most people on screen gets to pass, or we'll compete on who can throw a bottle cap the furthest. (laughs) We're the type of people who enjoy these little games. (laughs) I think KB loses most of them? Junji: It's often the person suggesting the game who loses. Rie: It's one of our jinxes, when we decide to play a game, whoever's not there also tends to lose. (laughs) So we all stay in our seats until the game's over! Yoojung: When we're reaching the end of the meal, everyone starts exchanging glances. (laughs) Wondering who will suggest a game, or who will leave their seat.

Q: Your sensual, artistic melodies and dances stand out.

Yoojung: In order to make artistic works, we gain inspiration from various sources. KB apparently often gets ideas from films, books or images, but I often get inspired from the trivial things that I lay my eyes on in my daily life, like magazines, books, tissues, phones. Rie: Sometimes we exchange among ourselves, other times the company will suggest things, like, "What do you think of making a song based on this concept?" Inversely we'll also sometimes give our opinion to the company, "What about this kind of thing?" We won't use those inspirations as is, we'll refine those ideas while exchanging together, "If we interpret it that way, won't it become that kind of work?" Junji: Inspiration is something that can come from any kind of place. When KB gets an idea, he'll immediately write a memo. suit dance is a work developed from a concept the company gave us. Rie: suit dance brings to mind the image of a man beautifully suited up, it expresses dandyism and the beauty of someone dressed up to the tip of their fingers, similar to the film Kingsman. This is something that we talked about together while practising. Yoojung: We also give each other a lot of feedback while practising. We tell each other what we did well. And we study while watching the live stages of other seniors. Rie: When we practice, there'll be fun moments and serious moments. For example, even if we're having fun together, if we have to turn on our expressions and start shooting, everyone will switch in an instant and get immersed in the song's world. I think that's also a strength of our group. Junji: In the beginning there were times when we couldn't say the things that came to mind while practising and left it at that, but that only leads to regrets. So if you're going to have regrets you might as well gather your courage and say those things, and so during practice we've come to give up on what doesn't work and try various things even when it comes to gestures and expressions.

Q: Junji and Rie are popular names in Japan, how did they come about?

Rie: When we debuted, someone on a TV show once told us "Junji and Rie, your Korean is very good." (laughs) There's no particular reason behind the name, but there's apparently a superstition that a female idol with a male name will do well, and inversely a male idol with a female name will do well. And on top of that our group has a genderless image, I think that might be why I was given the name Rie. Yoojung: I think we received names that all fit our own individual images.

Q: I think a lot of people remember OnlyOneOf as a group with sexy visuals. Junji's curtain hair had a lot of impact in particular.

Junji: The curtain hair was the result of trying different hairstyles and picking the one that seemed most memorable. For libidO I suggested making my hair purposefully longer with extensions, and with the ones we used it turned out to be a very long hairstyle. (laughs) I leave it to the hairstylist. Yoojung: For me as well, among the various hair styles I tried, we landed on this one that fit me the best. But I received a lot of positive feedback from fans thanks to this hairstyle, so now I want to keep it. I like it a lot too.

[yyh4ever]

Review of Yoshihiro Togashi Exhibition -PUZZLE-

I would like to make a summary of Togashi's Exhibition that is currently taking place at the Mori Arts Center Gallery located on the 52nd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, in Tokyo, from October 28, 2022 to January 9, 2023. After that, it will head to Osaka in Summer 2023 and to Fukuoka from Autumn 2023 to Winter 2024.

Since photos are not allowed in the venue, I will be using photos from the press and from the official catalog to illustrate my review. I focused more on the Yu Yu Hakusho Area.

The press had access to the exhibition one day before the official opening to the public. Even though photos are forbidden, you can buy the exhibition catalog at the official store. It contains the manuscripts, storyboards, original illustrations, and other exclusive materials displayed at Puzzle.

If you type "富樫義博展" (Yoshihiro Togashi Exhibition) on YouTube, you will also find good coverage from the media that will provide you with a general view of the place.

Before entering the exhibition, you can rent for 700 yen a 30-min audio guide voiced by the comedian Bakarhythm and voice actor Daisuke Namikawa (Hisoka and Prince Baka VA).

Bakarhythm is the navigator, and Daisuke is the commentary narrator. The guide includes a quiz, if you solve it correctly, you will hear a message from Hisoka.

The Exhibition consists of more than 350 original drawings distributed in 6 different spaces, plus an official shop.

Prologue

Area 01. Yu Yu Hakusho

Area 02. Level E

Area 03. HunterxHunter

Area 04. World of Strange Creatures

Area 05. Yoshihiro Togashi

Shop

This little map that comes with the audio guide may help you visualize the exhibition layout. The numbers 1 to 14 are also the spots where you can hear Bakarhythm or Daisuke Namikawa talk.

The areas have information panels with explanatory text and english translation. As english is not available in the official catalog, I tried to take notes and copy some of the explanations.

"Prologue"

This space is basically a hallway to welcome the visitors. It introduces the author and the concept of the exhibition: "Puzzle". Several characters from all his works are displayed as puzzle pieces in the walls and hanging from the ceiling, inviting everyone to join the wonderful world of Yoshihiro Togashi.

As soon as you enter the Prologue area, there is a black panel with a greeting from the organizers and Togashi's basic profile:

Profile

Yoshihiro Togashi was born in Shinjo, Yamagata in 1966. In 1987, his one-shot story Tonda Birthday Present was published in the Weekly Shounen Jump Special Edition Winter Special. In 1989, he made his debut as a serial manga artist with Ten de Showaru Cupid, which was published in Weekly Shounen Jump. Following the huge success of his second series, Yu Yu Hakusho (1990-1994), he became one of Weekly Shounen Jump's leading manga artists and went on to publish Level E (1995-1996) and HunterxHunter (1998-present) in Weekly Shounen Jump. Fans of all ages praises his captivating, skillful artwork.

There's also a handwritten greeting from the author himself. Photos are not allowed, but luckily, his greeting is included in the official catalog (scan by: @Vishkujo)

Greeting

Expression of Gratitude I would like to sincerely thank you for visiting the Yoshihiro Togashi Exhibition -PUZZLE-. I hope everyone enjoys the various displays and information that are only available here. My progress is slow due to health reasons, but I intend to continue leaving new footprints.

Next to his dog avatar, there's a haiku poetry. I tried to follow the haiku syllable rule of 5-7-5 for each line.

Tip of my dip pen When it severs the sound is like That of my lower back - Yoshihiro Togashi

And next to Togashi's hips, there's the onomatopoeia "guki" (グキッ), which is the cracking sound of the joints. *crack*

Still in the "Prologue", right before reaching the YYH area, there's an explanation about the "Exhibition Concept".

Togashi's works stand out in terms of "character," "setting," "depiction," and "story," all important elements in the creation of a manga. So, in order to gain a deeper understand of the charm of his series (YYH, Level E and HxH), the exhibition is focused on these 4 points:

Character

Story

Setting

Depiction

Each series also has a fifth point called "special piece", a singularity that is particular to each one. I'll talk more about them later, but they are called:

Yu Yu Hakusho: Punch Line

Level E: An Unexpected Development

Hunter x Hunter: Nen

The handwritten manuscripts are undoubtedly a piece of the puzzle that Togashi-sensei continues to create. The idea is that you appreciate all the precious original drawings, while having in mind the five points and the thought process that goes into the completion of each piece.

After you leave the "Prologue", you will arrive at Area 01 dedicated to "Yu Yu Hakusho".

The 3 main areas "Yu Yu Hakusho", "Level E" and "HxH" begin with general information, including: serialization period in the Weekly Shounen Jump, number of chapters, copies sold, and Togashi's first comment in the Table of Contents.

Area 01. "Yu Yu Hakusho"

Serialization Period: November 20, 1990 (Weekly Shounen Jump 51, 1990) to July 12, 1994 (Weekly Shounen Jump32, 1994). 175 chapters in total.

Series cumulative circulation (including digital editions): more than 50 million (as of September 2022)

Comment at the start of the series: "I went back to the basics and started drawing. I aim to create a story that I myself am satisfied with. I'm hoping for you support." (Yoshihiro)

If you are interested in Togashi's comments from all the 175 chapters, please have a look on my translations: Togashi’s Comments from the Table of Contents (1990-1994)

As introduced in the Prologue, Yu Yu Hakusho is explained and detailed in four topics: Character, Setting, Story and Depiction.

There is also an Introduction section that shows a synopsis of YYH, some colored manuscripts, the cover of the WSJ#51 1990, and an explanation about the production background and how Togashi came up with the name "Yu Yu Hakusho". Actually, it's the same explanation found in the volume 6 of HxH, end of chapter 46.

Synopsis "One day, a delinquent junior high school student named Yusuke Urameshi dies saving a child from a traffic accident. It was an unplanned event in the Spirit World. The Spirit World gives Yusuke a test, and after he passes it, they bring him back to life as a special exception. Then, after becoming a Spirit Detective by order of Great King Emma's son, Koenma, Yusuke joins powerful companions and begins a life of fierce battles with demons."

An interesting panel also talks about his influences.

Influenced Works "When interviewed in 2003, he said that he was influenced by H. R. Giger, who designed the alien in the 1979 movie Alien (directed by Ridley Scott). He has also stated in the first volume of Ten de Shouwaru Cupid that if he were to choose just one manga work as his favorite, he would pick The Drifting Classroom by Umezu Kazuo."

Then, we learn more about the characters, setting, story and depiction.

An informative panel introduces the characters:

Character "There's the delinquent but hot-blooded Yusuke, the chivalrous Kuwabara, the clever Kurama, and the always cool-headed Hiei. With these four at the center, even the enemies have attracted zealous fans, and their popularity has spread to readers of all walks of life around the world. The characters' ranges are broadened by the dissonance between facial expressions that are drawn with a dramatic touch despite their caricature-like look, as well as the dissonance created by words and actions that occasionally provide comic relief in the midst of serious developments, which have heightened the appeal of the work."

There's a colored manuscript of Yusuke facing Toguro after Kuwabara's "death", and an explanatory text:

Yusuke Urameshi "Until this point, Yusuke had been enjoying fighting to some degree. That's when Younger Toguro takes Kuwabara's life (his death is actually temporary) in order to draw out Yusuke's power at the Dark Tournament. Unable to forgive himself, the soft, clear eyes of Yusuke as he stands up are enough to convey to the reader a change in his Spirit Energy and a sudden strengthening of his power."

Then, following this "Character" wall, we learn more about the other main characters of YYH. Kuwabara's highlight is the storyboard of chapter 36 (Byakko's Battle Roar!!) when he fights Byakko's beasts.

The Storyboard for Chapter 36 "The storyboard of an early work that was specially provided for this exhibition as a valuable material of the time. Chapter 36 depicts Kuwabara's battle strategy of using his Spirit Sword to skewer the beasts unleashed by Byakko, which is shocking even for Hiei."

I like that the explanatory texts also include some Togashi's comments taken from interviews and the "Yu Yu Hakusho Official Characters Book".

For example, they mentioned that Hiei wasn't supposed to become an ally, like Kurama, but it was Togashi's editor at the time who suggested it (Togashi mentioned that in a interview with Kishimoto to JUMP GIGA, 2016). A colored manuscript of the second popularity poll is also displayed with a note saying that Hiei won first place twice during the serialization. It's not mentioned, but after the serialization, there was a third poll in WSJ, and Hiei got first place again.

Character Popularity Poll "Hiei topped the character popularity polls conducted twice during the series. Initially, Kurama was drawn with a conscious effort to create a popular character, and Hiei was not even planned to be a part of the group. Hiei was only put in the group after an editor pointed out that he should be, but he eventually grew to become a beloved character with top-ranking popularity."

Other interesting comments taken from the official databook (2005) and "Yoshirin de Pon!" (1994) also appear. Kurama and Hiei weren't named after the mountains in Kyoto, but Togashi came up with their names by himself. Shuuichi's family name "Minamino" comes from celebrity Youko Minamino, and Hiei's model is Skunky from "Patalliro!". If you're interested, I made a post once of Togashi's comments about Hiei and Kurama.

Another example is the text about Toguro in the "Story" section:

Story "The powerful enemies in the story are not necessarily absolutely evil, and the story's ending is not defined by the duality of right and wrong. The reason why Younger Toguro stopped being human, and the reason why Sensui lost faith in humanity was because they were only humans. What awaits beyond the fierce battles are questions posed to the readers by these very human characters." Younger Toguro "In the series, Koenma speculates that Younger Toguro's relentless pursuit of strength was based on his anger at his former powerlessness and his need to redeem himself for his friends. However, Mr. Togashi tell us that Younger Toguro has no remorse for his actions and all his decisions were his own to make."

The last part about Togashi's commentary on Toguro is actually an excerpt from the databook.

The "Story" section also brings a brief synopsis about Sensui, the former spirit detective.

Sensui "Sensui was a Spirit Detective before Yusuke. The dark side of humanity that he encountered during his mission changed him. Sensui, who feels that human existence itself is evil, aspires to join the demons and eventually opens the entrance to the Demon World. Sensui goes to the demon world out of contempt for humanity, and Yusuke is a demon who tries to protect humans. Although they are both Spirit Detectives, we realize that their paths were completely opposite."

I don't know if it was a matter of space, but I wish they also had talked about Yomi and the 3 Kings Arc arc in this section.

I like that on the "Setting" wall, they included a panel of Kurama VS Kaito.

Setting "Yu Yu Hakusho features a number of battle styles, including one-to-ones, battle royale, and tournaments. Yusuke and his companions are often involved in some kind of disturbance or test, whether it is against humans or demons. On the other hand, the battle settings themselves are also wide-ranging, from strength battles to brain battles to videos games, such as the Knife Edge Death Match, a head to head battle; Taboo, a battle of words without physical attacks; and Game Master, a gaming match. Each battle has a betrayal in a good sense, and the satisfying betrayal makes the reader feel even more expectations for the story."

VS Kaito "A prime example of a "brain battle" in this brilliant battle manga is the famous game between Kurama and Kaito. Kurama proposed an unusual rule: every minute, one letter of the alphabet is banned from being spoken. Something not commonly seen before, this battle of intellect highlights Kurama's cognitive capabilities and gave birth to a new type of "battle scene" that was more than a simple clash of power and strength, what's profoundly impacted the manga world."

It is said that Togashi has been inspired by many works, and the "territory" from this chapter was based off a Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel. He actually mentioned that information in an interview with Kishimoto, from Naruto's fanbook.

Yu Yu Hakusho gradually develops to a typical battle shounen, but in the Sensui Saga, it turns into a battle of wits.

The "Depiction" is a small section with some battle manuscripts from the Dark Tournament of Yusuke VS Jin and VS Younger Toguro. It talks about the impressive fights, spreads, and Togashi's skillfulness to guide the viewers between stillness and movement.

Depiction "There are many famous scenes in the series, but the battle scenes are especially impressive. The effective use of the spread, the skillful segmentation of the frame to guide the viewer's gaze, the contrast between stillness and movement that seems to stop time for the reader, and the occasional deliberately clear background are all designed to make the movement look spectacular."

After going through the introduction, and the explanations and manuscripts dedicated to the four points - Character, Setting, Story and Depiction - of the Yu Yu Hakusho series, we reach the fifth point.

When it comes to the "special piece" mentioned in the Prologue, the Yu Yu Hakusho Area has a special section called "Punch Line". The walls are decorated with the characters famous quotes, and there are also many selected manuscripts with famous lines.

Punch Line

"Words are powerful in Yu Yu Hakusho. The work captivates the readers with monologues and explanatory text that are sometimes even more convincing than the illustrations. Famous lines includes, "I'm going to kill you with a double-page spread," "Don't underestimate the power of the evil eye," and "You don't even deserve the death." Togashi says his favorite part of the creative process is by far the making of storyboards. He says the peak of enjoyment is when he is thinking of what to draw just before starting the storyboard. Many of his hard-hitting punchlines are likely to have been created during the storyboard creative process."

I really like this special segment. Yu Yu Hakusho's lines and words have marked a whole generation and continue to attract new fans. I guess we all use some of the characters quotes in our daily lives.

One of my favorite quotes is Kurama's "You don't even deserve death" to Elder Toguro.

After gaining a better understanding of Yu Yu Hakusho, we arrive at a bigger hall, it's finally time to appreciate the original drawings and color illustrations. They are displayed in chronological order, following the arcs of the "Spirit Detective", "Dark Tournament", "Black Chapter" (Door to Makai) and "Three Kings" (Makai Tournament). The walls are also painted and decorated with many scenes from the manga.

The cool thing about the manuscripts is that some words are actually different from the ones published, and we can even see some fine details such as Mukuro's nipples, that were erased afterwards in the comics. You can also buy copies of the manuscripts of the last two chapters in the shop.

In the center of the Yu Yu Hakusho Area, there are those big panels of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama. Behind them, there are original manuscripts called "Battle Scene Selection".

I thought we could take photos of this central area, but they are forbidden. It's understandable, otherwise the fans would form a huge queue and obstruct the flow of people. Be aware to not step on those white/black lines. The staff called me out many times (lol).

This is an example of the carefully selected battle scenes that are behind the central panels. The double spreads of Hiei VS Seiryuu and VS Shigure are my favorite.

The battle scenes of the quartet include manuscripts of:

Yusuke: VS Suzaku; VS Jin; VS Younger Toguro; the famous scene of Yusuke knocking every one of his opponents off of the platform, in the preliminary matches of the Makai Tournament.

Kuwabara: VS Rinku; VS Rishou; VS Elder Toguro; VS Mitarai (seaman).

Kurama: VS Touya; VS Karasu; VS Kaito; VS Elder Toguro.

Hiei: VS Seiryuu; VS Zeru; VS Shigure.

The Yu Yu Hakusho Area ends with the last chapter Act 175. "And so...". Notice the big illustration of the guys, drawn exclusive for the the Yu Yu Hakusho Artbook (2005), decorating the wall.

Now, we head to Area 02 - Level E.

Area 02. "Level E"

Serialization Period: September 19, 1995 (Weekly Shounen Jump 42, 1995) to December 21, 1996 (Weekly Shounen Jump Double Issue 3/4, 1997). 16 chapters in total.

Cumulative circulation (including digital editions): 2,6 million (as of September 2022)

Comment at the start of the series: "I wanted to do everything myself, so I decided to make a monthly series. Each successive chapter will appear when you've already forgotten the last one. Please feel free to read it." (Yoshihiro)

To get a better understanding of the Level E series, there is an introductory panel with a synopsis:

Synopsis "Hundreds of alien species come and go, living their lives on Earth. The only people unaware of this fact are the earthlings living on the planet. One day, Yukitaka Tsuisui, an ordinary high school student, meets a young man who calls himself an alien, and his daily life is disrupted without warning. This science fiction story depicts the strange lives of various aliens through Prince Baka, the first prince of the planet Dogra, who has both the brain of a genius and a devilish personality, and gets everyone else involved in his mischievous escapades with irreversible results."

Production Background "The production of Level E began with the unthinkable idea of creating a work that would not receive votes in a reader survey. As if to say he had drawn enough orthodox manga for his preview work, Yu Yu Hakusho, Mr. Togashi made the most of all the tools in his drawers and wrote it in an omnibus style, drawing what he liked in a monthly serialization."

Then, another panel that merges the 4 themes (Character, Setting, Story and Depiction) into a single explanation called "An Unexpected Development" (想定の斜め上).

The japanese expression "斜め上" literally means "diagonally above", and it means going up at a 45-degree angle (diagonally above) from one's imagination; to describe things that are unexpected or in a way different from what was expected. Because of its relatively widespread use since the 90s, this expression recently got into the japanese dictionary. It is said to be first used by Togashi in the Level E manga, a quote from Captain Kraft. Togashi-sensei is really a genius!

An Unexpected Development "In a sense, the lines of malicious dialogue by Kraft, a character in the work, most accurately express the essence of the work Level E. The series provides fresh surprise and excitement by always taking the least expect turns. As the fifth special piece to showcase the appeal, we have chosen one of these unexpected developments."

Initially, Level E was planned to be a self-contained series that does not need prior viewing of any other chapter to understand. However, Prince Baka was so well received by the readers, that he became the main character of Level E. It was really an unexpected development.

In this area, selected manuscripts from all 16 chapters are distributed in an 8-episode exhibition.

In Japan, Level E is known for its 8 small episodes or arcs:

Episode 1. バカ王子・地球襲来編

Prince Baka: Invasion of Earth Arc (Chapters 01 to 03)

Episode 2. 食人鬼編

Cannibal Demon Arc (Chapters 04 to 05)

Episode 3. 原色戦隊カラーレンジャー編

Genshoku Sentai Color Rangers Arc (Chapters 06 to 09)

Episode 4. マクバク族サキ王女・ムコ探し編

Princess Saki of the Macbac Kingdom: Searching for a Husband Arc (Chapters 10 to 11)

Episode 5. 高校野球地区予選編

High School Baseball District Qualifiers Arc (Chapters 12 to 13)

On their way to the regional preliminary site for Koshien, the entire bus containing the Kisaragi High School baseball team members gets lost in a mysterious space. The baseball team tries to solve the mystery of supernatural phenomena caused by the subconscious mind, and the readers have as much fun guessing the "culprit" as the characters do.

Episode 6. 原色戦隊カラーレンジャー・人魚編

Genshoku Sentai Color Rangers: Mermaid Arc (Chapter 14)

Episode 7. バカ王子・結婚編

Prince Baka: Marriage Arc (Chapter 15)

In this chapter, Prince Baka proposes to Princess Luna. It's said that Togashi got the idea from Goku and Chichi's sudden marriage, from Dragon Ball.

Episode 8. バカ王・ハネムーン編

Prince Baka: Honeymoon Arc (Chapter 16)

This area is the smallest of the 3 series, but it feels like you're in a science fiction movie. Prince Baka's decoration is also too cute.

Area 03. "Hunter x Hunter"

Serialization Period: March 3, 1998 (Weekly Shounen Jump 14, 1998) to present.

Series cumulative circulation (including digital editions): more than 84 million (as of September 2022)

Comment at the start of the series: "Nice to meet you! My name is Togashi Yoshihiro, and I am excited to be able to create my dream Jump series. Please address your letters to "Toga P." (Yoshihiro)

It begins with an Introduction section:

Synopsis Gon Freecss, who aspires to become a hunter in order to find his father, Ging, passes the Hunter Exam, which is said to be extremely difficult, with the help of the friends he meets, and obtain a Hunter License. He then train as a hunter during his journey to find Ging, maturing as he overcomes various challenges. The storyline is unpredictable, and the novel Nen battles, which features both physical and intellectual combat, are just one of the elements that keep readers engaged in the adventurous action.

As explained in the Prologue, and similar to the "Yu Yu Hakusho" Area, the HxH work is also detailed in four points - Character, Setting, Story and Depiction.

I copied the english explanations from the "Character" and "Depiction" sections:

Character "The story centers around Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio. However, in some chapters, characters other than the four are depicted as the focus of the story, and the individual characters have a strong presence that contributes to the distinctive appeal of the work."

Hyskoa "Hyskoa is a magician that Gon meets in the Hunter Exam. He is a combat enthusiast who takes great pleasure in fighting and winning against strong opponents. Mr. Togashi also describes him as a popular character whose next action is always unexpected. He is a master trickster who acts only to satisfy his own desires and becomes both an enemy and ally of Gon and his companions."

Meeleem "Meeleem is born as the king of the Chimera Ants. He is portrayed as the strongest enemy of mankind, who believes violence to be true virtue. However, his encounter with a human girl named Komugi gradually changed his mind, and he appears to grow as a statesman. The conclusion of the emotional exchange between a tyrant and a weak girl becomes a shocking scene that remains one of the most famous in manga history."

Depiciton "Mr. Togashi says that one of the most important aspects of manga portrayal is whether or not what the character is trying to do in that moment is conveyed. Evident in the depicition in HunterxHunter is a sense of confidence in the ability to make the reader understand what is going on without relying on explanatory lines or stage directions."

When it comes to the 5th point, instead of a punch line section, there is a special section called "NEN".

This special exhibition also shows some Togashi's unpublished notes about "nen". It is called Togashi Memo's "Nen Ability Setting Material" (冨樫メモの「念能力の設定資料」). If you're interested, you can see scans of this material and translations on reddit.

My personal opinion: this is probably early notes from when Togashi was still creating and developing the nen system. It doesn't mean you have to follow those memos to the letter. I believe Togashi is still improving his ideas, and making changes over the years.

After immersing yourself in the world of HxH, we arrive at the main exhibition room. The original manuscripts follow a chronological order, beginning with Gon meeting his friends to the current arc. They are divided in 7 parts:

Hunter Exam Arc (ハンター試験編)

Heavens Arena Arc (天空闘技場編)

Yorkshin Arc (ヨークシン編)

Greed Island Arc (グリードアイランド編)

Chimera Ant Arc (キメラ＝アント編)

Election Arc (選挙編)

Succession to the Throne Arc (王位継承編)

In the last arc, there is like this huge chart with all the characters that appear in the succession war. It is explained that Togashi challenged himself by asking, "How many characters can one have in one chapter of the manga?". His goal for the Succession Arc is to surpass the number of characters in Captain Tsubasa's Jr. Youth Arc (excerpt from Jump Ryu interview, 2016). They also added that counting from chapter 340, when the Kakin Kingdom was introduced, over 200 characters have already appeared in 50 chapters.

In the exhibition, the manuscripts are displayed in frames, but when you buy the official catalog or copies of Hunter x Hunter manuscripts, you realize that many of them don't use the standard HxH manuscript paper with the "Yoshihiro Togashi POT" logo, but instead, it's Naoko Takeuchi's manuscript paper. What a cute couple!

In the center of the HxH area, there's the mizumi-shiki glass (water divination glass).

Unfortunately, we can't neither take pictures nor do the test :P

Adjacent to the HxH Area, there's a weird area with manuscripts of bizarre creatures, it's Area 04.

Area 04. "World of Strange Creatures"

This small area is a special exhibition dedicated to the bizarre creatures that appear in Togashi's works. I was happy to see Helen from Yu Yu Hakusho.

World of Strange Creatures "The creatures (?) with bizarre designs that occasionally appear in Togashi's works leave a powerful impression. This special exhibition area features a collection of all the strange and lovable beings depicted in each work. They are an interesting bunch of designs that offer a glimpse into the creativity and tastes of the artist."

Finally, we reach the last area.

Area 05. Yoshihiro Togashi

As the name suggests, this area is dedicated to the author.

It begins with a timeline of his life, from his birth in 1966, the first submission to the Weekly Shounen Jump in 1986, manuscripts from his early works (one-shots and his first series "Ten de wa Showaru Cupid"), to the present day.

"Sensee wa Toshishita" was a finalist of the 20th H☆S Award in 1986. Togashi won a cash prize and got a call from Toshimasa Takahashi who became his first editor, the same who proposed to Togashi that Hiei should become a main character.

Togashi's first submission is displayed in his timeline and printed in the catalog. He used a pen name at the time, Toritome Yomoya.

It was hard to tell the correct reading of his pen name (鳥留 夜母屋), because the furigana (reading of the chinese character) was not printed in the WSJ magazine. But, now, thanks to the exhibition, we know it reads as Toritome Yomoya.

In Yuusuke Murata's book, Hetappi Manga Laboratory Returns, Togashi mentioned that in his first submission he asked for sharp criticism that would kill his enthusiasm of a beginner. The late editor Mr. Takahashi had also mentioned that this particular line caught his attention.

It's funny that Togashi thought that someone else was in charge of creating the titles for the covers. That also crossed my mind. Yu Yu Hakusho, for example, has such a beautiful logo with stars (幽☆遊☆白書).

In the back wall of this area, there are color illustrations of all his works, and in the opposite wall from his timeline, a corner called "Creators Messages".

Creators Messages

To congratulate Togashi for his exhibition, there are a total of 9 messages and illustrations from other manga artists and celebrities.

Messages and illustrations from other mangaka

(to see HD scans, follow @Vishkujo thread on Twitter)

Yusuke Urameshi by Hirohiko Araki (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Gon Freecss, Monkey D. Luffy, and Tony Tony Chopper by Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)

Pakunoda and Hisoka Morow by Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Machi Komacine and Shizuku Murasaki by Koyoharu Gotouge (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba)

Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama, Gon Freecss, Killua Zoldyck, Hisoka Morow, Chrollo Lucilfer, Prince Baka, and Kraft by Sui Ishida (Tokyo Ghoul)

Translated messages by #hxhsource:

Messages from celebrities

(check original scans on @Vishku)

I translated the messages from:

Film director Chloé Zhao

Togashi-sensei, congratulations on your exhibition! "Yu Yu Hakusho" had a great artistic influence on me when I was young, and it continues to inspire my work to this day. I can't forget the emotion I felt when I first read the scene where Toguro bids farewell to Genkai on the bridge of the Spirit World. When he took off his glasses, smiled at her and uttered his last words, I was 14 years old, and cried my eyes out in a crowded bus! Toguro's last words still bring me to tears. I re-read all the volumes every year, but when I see the photo of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei on the last page, it always brings a lump to my throat. The beautiful and complex human nature of the heroes and villains depicted by Togashi-sensei has set the standard for me to tell amazing stories. Thank you, Togashi-sensei!

Actor Kento Kaku

Yoshihiro Togashi-sensei, nice to meet you. My name is Kento Kaku, and I am an actor. I am fully aware that it is very rude for someone like me to have the privilege to comment on sensei's great day. However, allow me to inform you. When I saw sensei's work for the first time, was deeply impressed. By the story, the characters, the development, the structure, everything. Once I came across it, my criteria for "amusing" became sensei's work. I was at a loss. I was no longer excited by other stories. How many times did I practice the Black Dragon Wave (kokuryuuha), in my youthful days? (I also tried to feel like Bui). Why can't become a demon fox (Youko)? Why can't I put out 120% of my power? Sometimes, I spent half a day practicing "ten" (纏) (I also practiced "ten" (点) like I'm supposed to). I also imagined the flow of "gyo". In my Water Divination, the leaf do not move at all. There must be people throughout the world who have had the same experiences. That's how much we're obsessed with sensei's work. Sensei, thank you very much for giving us such exciting emotions. I would like to continue enjoying sensei's work.

T/N:

纏 (Ten): "Envelop"/"Shroud", the first of the Four Major Principles of Nen.

点 (Ten): "Point", the first exercise of the "Nen of the Flame".

TV Producer Nobuyuki Sakuma

Togashi-sensei has been in a different league, since I was a teenager 30 years ago. "This manga is so interesting to me now, but will I find it even more interesting when I'm older? I still don't understand it at all, do I?". With this thought in mind, I put it back on the bookshelf and read it again from time to time. It's entertainment, it's art, a guide, but in the end it's an extremely interesting manga. I'm glad I was born in the world line where Togashi-sensei was born and is drawing manga. Thank you very much.

Writer Yumeaki Hirayama

Despite the position Togashi-sensei holds in the current manga industry, isn't his writing style itself unusual? And yet, even though he sticks to it, there is no sign the reader's enthusiasm will drop at all. This is surely rare, and I have never heard of such a thing. According to his passionate believers, one of the charms of Togashi's work is the basso continuo (severe realism) that lies in his shounen manga style. Sometimes it looks splendidly cruel, sometimes even grotesque. However, I guess it is the outstanding grasp of reality that makes his work so appealing. I believe this is the reason why it has become a bible for modern youth. For me personally, it is as if you're being challenged to play a long, long tens of thousands-moves "tsume shogi". It is always a frightening work where there is no correct answer other than the checkmate. When I think about how much trial and error goes into producing the next frame, I can only shudder and gaze at his work in wonderment. I'm praying from the lowest seat that you may continue to wield a powerful pen for many years to come.

Togashi Yoshihiro Amusement Land

In the center of Togashi Area there's the only spot where photos are allowed, the "Togashi Yoshihiro Amusement Land".

There are big covers of the first volumes of "Yu Yu Hakusho", "Hunter x Hunter" and "Level E". Hanging from the ceiling: Botan & Puu (Yu Yu Hakusho); Color Ranger's Golden Hammer crushing Prince Baka (Level E); and Knuckle's Potclean (HxH).

New illustrations

Behind the big covers of the photo area, the beautiful frame "ALL☆STAR in the PUZZLE", with the exhibition visual key, is strategically placed. So, it's impossible to take any photo. I'm glad the media shared this one. This frame is absolutely amazing, I want it in my living room.

Finally, when you are leaving area 5, there's a message from Togashi, "Thank you very much for visiting us", and one more big surprise:

A totally new illustration of Gon and Yusuke (check HD scan on @Vishkujo)!

Some people have been complaining that Yusuke is red, but Togashi color-coded him red many times during the YYH serialization in the 90s. I guess we all have this strong green image of him from the anime.

Official Shop

Of course, before you exit, don't forget to visit the Official Shop. Depending on the day or time you visit it, you may face a queue to get in. I recommend purchasing the Exhibition Official Catalog. It's just a pity that they didn't include the english text displayed at the exhibition in there.

Moreover, check the official site to see the current status of the merchandise. Many products are out of stock or being back-ordered. They have also changed the limit purchase of some items. And, if you're buying from resellers, take a look at the original price on the site first. Some products are being sold on sites like Mericari for three times more the retail price.

The goods will also be sold after the exhibition ends. So, probably only in 2024, after the Fukuoka tour. Details will be announced on the official site.

Pieces Cafe

On the 52rd floor, next to the venue, there's also the Pieces Cafe. Contrary to the shop, you don't need to have bought a ticket and visited the exhibition to enter the cafe.

I only had time for the Quartet Eternal Bond Tapioca milk/tea drink. The photo of the quartet is precious, I could hardly eat it.

Next time, I want to try the Kurama x Hiei "TWO SHOTS" curry and the Toguro Brothers dessert.

I didn't have much time in Tokyo, so I hope I can spend more time and take down more notes when the exhibition comes to Osaka. I could only stay a few hours, but I would recommend at least four to five hours if you wanna check all the details and properly enjoy the shop and the cafe.

That's all. I want to write more, but this post is already too long and Tumblr only allows 30 photos per post. Maybe, I'll do a second post, talking more about the manuscripts and catalog. It's hard to explain everything without showing photos or videos of the place, so if there's any confusing information, let me know.

[fukuokanodivision]

Yuno’s Thoughts On Kumamoto Divison

Aoba Yamamura-

“Aoba, Kumamoto’s librarian. As I returned to Fukuoka after checking Choten’s show, I knew I just had to figure out what Kumamoto’s team was like, It was this mental urge that kicked at me all day. So, I grabbed my computer and managed to find both the team and its members. After checking out Choten first, Aoba was next on the list. Seeing that they lead the team currently and have a library, I went onto the libraries site and ordered some books. I’m still waiting for them to turn up, But I’ll see if I can figure out more about them soon enough.”

Kunio “Kurome” Choten-

“Choten…Yes, I know him. Similarly to Mai-san, I also partake in Fukuoka locals mentioning the city of Kumamoto, Not only that, A master of mine used to live there as well. From their knowledge, The locals rumours and a small visit, I decided to check the place out. After stumbling upon one of his shows completely by mistake, That was the first time I saw him. The show was great, So I stuck around for a bit. His acting was fluid, But I can’t help but think he has some ulterior motive. Maybe I’m just imagining it, Who knows…”

Natsume Kurome-

“Kurome, Where to start. Hm, Why not here? While on my expedition to figure out Strange Magic, Kurome was the last one I looked at. I really wasn’t paying attention much to their stats, But rather their art instead. However, some of their pieces have a huge amount of detail, So I might’ve got a tiny bit sidetracked. Although, Their work is a spectacle to behold for me. I’ll have to see if I can check out more of their works sometime, Maybe even catch them in action with their 2 teammates.”

Strange Magic-

“So, these guys are an order of magicians of some kind? Wasn’t truly expecting that. They appear to be magical and such, But I’m not seeing anything much else here. Yes, They represent Kumamoto city and are loaded with tricks up their little sleeves…That’s all I’m really getting though. I don’t necessary check out every single team, But even teams like MIHANASA, Literally also representing Fukuoka I knew practically nothing about. I’m starting to wonder if I should get my memory checked out or something.”

[yusuke-of-valla]

Day 9: Like A Fairytale

Written for the Whumptober Day 9 Prompt: "You're A Liar"

Ao3

Sayaka tries to slip into the auditorium as quietly as possible, but the teachers still glare at her for being late.

Luckily, Kimiko’s saved her a seat.

“Sorry! What did I miss?” Sayaka says.

“The principal got up and started going 'I have a massive boner for giving scholarship money to you poor underserved cretins who’ve probably never seen true art before because mommy and daddy couldn’t pay to send you to The Louvre for art camp,” Kimiko whispers back. 

“You can try and pay a little more attention,” Sayaka says. “They wouldn’t call all the scholarship students in JUST to hype themselves up.”

“I have been paying attention, I gave you a perfectly accurate description of him jerking himself off about how great Kosei’s scholarships are.”

“Can you at least be a little less crass?”

Kimiko rolls her eyes and sticks her tounge out, and Sayaka laughs.

“Ahem,” the principal says. “We’re proud to announce yet another special opportunity for our scholarship students. How many of you have heard of Ichirayusai Madarame?”

Sayaka gasps and straightens immediately. Kimiko gives a confused look.

“He’s an up and coming artist who just debuted three years ago!” Sayaka whispers excitedly. “We saw his debut piece, The Sayuri?”

Kimiko’s eyes widen. She always likes to say it’s the art that leaves an impression on her, not the artist, so that gets her attention. “Oh man. I didn’t realize he was old,” Kimiko whispers back.

“Yeah it’s so impressive! He debuted at 50! After struggling for years! He’s an inspiration.” 

Sayaka had grown up surrounded by art works. Her mother owned a gallery in Fukuoka, and as a child Sayaka would stare at the pieces that came in, feeling as though they, and their creators, had sprung out of the Earth fully formed.

She’d sit in front of the pieces every day, furiously doing sketches and studies, and then ripping up the pages of her sketchbook when she got home and saw that they weren't nearly as good as the ideas in her head. 

One day, as she was working on her application to Kosei, she’d been in another slump when her mom showed her an article about The Sayuri.

Even in a printed magazine, it was clearly a masterpiece, and the next page had had a picture of Madarame and an interview about debuting in the art world after he’d turned 50. 

“See,” her mother had said, picking up Sayaka’s discarded sketches. “There’s no rush! Your stuff will be on display eventually! Just keep working on it.”

Sayaka had taken that magazine with her to the dorms, and cherished it the night before critiques, when she was so stressed it left her sick and unable to sleep.

Everything could work out, Madarame-san proved that. And now he’s here! At her school!

“Hey, Sayaka, breathe,” Kimiko says.

Sayaka gulps in air and unclenches her hands from the auditorium seat.

“Thank you so much for the warm welcome,” Madarame-san says. “I recently had a revelation: there are so many new and upcoming artists out there who lack the guidance they need to truly be great. Your fine school–”

“Can old men talk without sucking each other off?” Kimiko mutters.

“Shush!” Sayaka says sternly.

“--am proud to announce that in conjunction with Kosei I will be choosing some of their scholarship students to take on as pupils!”

Sayaka lets out a high pitched squee that none of the adults can hear but makes all the students around her flinch.

Madarame-san’s taking on pupils? She has the chance to learn from her favorite contemporary artist in person?!

“Sayaka, if you pass out from hyperventilating again you’ll miss all the important info,” Kimiko says.

Sayaka takes in another breath and focuses on  committing all the information to memory. They’ll each submit two pieces and an artist’s statement in a month, and then Madarame-san will choose five pupils to move in with him.

Sayaka’s practically buzzing when they're allowed to leave and go to lunch.

“This is amazing! Getting to learn from THE Madarame!” Sayaka says.

“Hey, hold up.” Kimiko grabs Sayaka’s arm and pulls her away from the group back to the auditorium.

“Wait, where are we…”

“We’re gonna find this Madarame guy in person, you’ll feed his ego a bit, and when applications come in he’ll think more highly of you!”

Sayaka gasps. “Kimiko, that’s cheating!”

“No it isn’t, you’re not bribing him or anything,” Kimiko says. “It’s just that we probably have dozens of students applying, including you, who are brilliant artists and would be qualified for the apprenticeship. If, when it comes down to it, he has to pick between you and someone who’s just as qualified and remembers, ‘hey that Sayaka Suzuki really resonated with my work, I think I’d like to work with her,’ that’s just what happens. Not like you’re taking it from someone who deserves it more.“

Sayaka’s about to argue when Madarame-san and the principal turn the corner. 

“Hello, Madarame-san!” Kimiko says before Sayaka can stop her. “My friend here just wanted to say that your work means a lot to her.”

Kimiko nudges Sayaka forward and Sayaka opens her mouth and scrambles to think of words. “Um… yes. T-the Sayuri is, um—”

And then Sayaka turns and sprints as fast as she can down the hall.

~

“Ok, Sayaka, hear me out,” Kimiko says as she watches Sayaka pace their dorm. “What if you took a nap. Maybe took a shower and ate?”

Sayaka has paint smeared over her hands and face, and keeps getting more as she runs her hands through her silky, auburn, hair. “I can’t do that,” she says, pulling at Kimiko’s old hoodie she borrowed and has been using as a smock since they were first years. “This painting has to be perfect! You said it yourself, all things being equal, he’s going to think ‘she’s a massive weirdo and I don’t want anything to do with her’! I have to make something that'll absolutely blow his mind!”

“Ok but you can only afford so many canvases before you’re gonna start dipping into the grocery budget.” Kimiko says, pointing to the discarded pieces. “I thought you had a thumbnail sketch you liked?”

“Yeah but it’s not coming together right! I know how I want it to look but it doesn’t…”

“You could just submit some old pieces,” Kimiko points out. “The teachers loved that one you did from the trip to Tokyo tower.”

“And what if Madarame-san thinks I’m lazy! I’m already submitting one old piece to save time to focus on making this one perfect!”

“Then you’ve forced my hand,” Kimiko says. “We're getting dinner and a movie.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been staring at this for too long, we’re getting out of this dorm even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming.”

“No you can’t”

“I will get the flute out and practice until you leave.”

Sayaka groans, but acquiesces. 

They go to a dingy-looking little Korean restaurant with some amazing home-cooked food.

Sayaka hadn’t realized how hungry she’s seated in front of a Kimchi Stew that she devours.

She finishes the bowl and sees Kimiko smirking at her. 

“See? What’d I tell you?”

“Ugh, why do you always have to be right?”

“I don’t, with you I just am.”

Kimiko orders them dessert, then they walk to the theater. It’s a gorgeous evening, with summer gradually giving away into fall.

Kimiko especially seems to light up in the setting sun, like the golden rays were specifically crafted to make a crown for her.

“Any thought about what you want to watch?”  Kimiko asks, shaking Sayaka from her thoughts.

“Nah, I’m tired,” Sayaka says. “Kimikooooo, carry me?”

“Hmmm, maybe, but if I do I’m gonna take you straight home, tuck you in, and you’re not even gonna touch a paintbrush for the rest of the night.”

Sayaka giggles. “Ok, pinky promise.”

They hook their pinkies together, then Kimiko lifts Sayaka onto her back.

“Kimiko?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks,” Sayaka mumbles. “I needed this.”

“Like I’d let you spiral like that and sit around,” Kimiko says. “I hate seeing you upset like that, you’re my best friend.”

“Yeah, best friends,” Sayaka says, burying her head in Kimiko’s hoodie. “You and I? Friends forever.” 

~

Today’s the day! Madarame-san’s decision will be in the mail today!

Kimiko had promised to get their mail so all Sayaka has to do is wait, pacing so hard she’s probably worn a hole in the carpet.

The second the door opens, Sayaka practically pounces on Kimiko, who pulls out the envelopes.

Sayaka doesn’t even bother with the letter opener, wrecking her envelope in her haste to get to what’s inside.

Ms. Suzuki,

I regret to inform you that…

Oh.

She wasn’t accepted.

It’s like the ground beneath her’s turned into a pool of water and she’s just sinking, deeper and deeper and further away from the light.

“Woah! Sayaka!” Kimiko says, reading her own letter. “I got accepted!”

Sayaka’s brought back to the present. “That’s great!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I didn't get accepted,” Sayaka says.

“What?!” Kimiko grabs Sayaka’s letter and reads it, then reads it again. “No, that’s a mistake. There’s no way I got accepted and you didn’t, you’re the best artist I know!”

“Well, seems Madarame-san disagrees,” Sayaka says.

“Well he can go fuck himself. I’m not moving in to his stupid house if you’re not there too.”

“N-no!” Sayaka says. “You can’t give up on something like this because of me!”

“That old coot started it by giving up on you!”

“Kimiko. Come on, be reasonable. This is your chance to make connections in the art world! Having a foothold like that is amazing! And you could learn so much! You can not pass up on it!”

Kimiko seems to consider it. “Are you sure you’re ok with this?”

“Of course! What kind of best friend would I be if I didn’t help you take the opportunity.”

“But I’ll have to move in with him. We can’t be roommates anymore.”

“We’ll still see each other in class! And we can hang out all the time,” Sayaka insists. “I promise, I’m not letting you give up.”

“...fine,” Kimiko says. “But only because when I get all that old dude’s dumb connections, I’m gonna tell ‘em all about you, and I’m gonna tell you everything he shows me.”

“Kimiko, this is so amazing! I’m so happy for you.”

“And besides, we’re getting an apartment together when we go to college? So you can handle a few months not living with me, can’t you?”

Sayaka laughs.

“There’s my girl,” Kimiko says, pulling Sayaka into a hug. “I love that smile.”

“I really am happy for you,” Sayaka says. “Trust me, this is going to be amazing.”

~

As the weeks pass and the days settle into a chilly October, Kimiko is kept busy taking lessons from Madarame-san.

To make up for it, Sayaka’s determined to spend as much time with her as possible when they have days off, and she’s trying to make it look like she’s not too excited as she waits by Hachiko.

She spots Kimiko in the crowd immediately.

“Kimiko!” Sayaka says, running over, but in the process she almost runs over a little boy holding Kimiko’s hand. “Huh? Who’s this?”

Kimiko sighs. “Sayaka, this is Yusuke. I’m watching him for Madarame.”

Sayaka blinks. What? Madarame-san can’t really be tutoring a child this young. Even if this kid is talented somehow, he’s, what, six? He can’t be old enough to decide to be an artist professionally!

“Are your parents studying under Madarame-san?” Sayaka asks. Seems like a waste of time and space to take in a pupil with a kid but perhaps Madarame-san is simply kind.

“My parents are dead,” Yusuke-kun says.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry,” Sayaka says, stammering. “I– uh–”

“He’s Madarame’s ward or something,” Kimiko explains, “I don’t think he’s adopted adopted but Madarame-san took him in after his mom died, and now that the old man’s out of town someone has to keep an eye on him and everyone had plans so I drew the short end of the stick for having him tag along.”

“Ah, w-well I’m glad to have you along Yusuke-kun!” Sayaka says. “I’m Sayaka Suzuki.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Suzuki,” Yusuke-kun says. “Rikimura-senpai says we’re going to a haunted house?”

“I’m really sorry I had to surprise you with him,” Kimiko says, “but as you can see he’s at critical risk of turning into an old man before he hits ten, so he needs acute exposure to other people and to leave the house stat.”

“Of course! It’s a very important mission,” Sayaka says. “It’s a haunted house for families, so it shouldn't be too too scary for Yusuke-kun.” She leans down and puts her hands on her knees. “I think if you’re brave enough we can get you a little treat.”

“I’ll do my best Miss Suzuki!” Yusuke-kun says. He, kids are so easy.

“Step one: you’ve got to stop being so formal,” Suzuki says. 

“Oh don’t even bother. I’ve been trying to get him to drop the ‘senpai’ thing for weeks,” Kimiko says.

Yusuke-kun does look uncomfortable at the idea of addressing her improperly, so Sayaka pats him on the head. “Well maybe we can get you an extra treat if you’re brave AND you can stop acting like I’m your school teacher, ok?”

“Ok.”

They buy wristbands from the haunted house attendant.

“Now don’t be worried about holding my hand, Yusuke-kun,” Kimiko says. 

“You can hold mine if you’re scared too, Rikimura-senpai.”

Sayaka stifles back a chuckle as Kimiko grins. “I think I’ll be fine, but thanks.”

The haunted house is modeled after a hospital, with bloody smearing the walls and dark red lighting. There’s creepy canned music playing over a speaker as well as they wander through the halls, which have been made into a simple maze.

Kimiko nudges Sayka and wordlessly points to Yusuke-kun. Sayaka nods immediately.

“Hey, Yusuke-kun,” Kimiko says. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Yes.”

“Oh? Then you better watch out, because one might… just… grab you!”

Sayaka reaches out and snatches Yusuke-kun’s shoulder, and he jumps back. 

“Huh? Suzuki-san?” Yusuke-kun thinks for a minute. “Oh, is this a prank?”

Ok, well not the reaction she was expecting. “Yeah, it was. Sorry if we startled you.”

“It’s ok,” Yusuke says before continuing on.

“You were not kidding about him already being an old man,” Sayaka whispers.

“Right? Kid won’t make any friends if we don’t help him.”

“Maybe he’s just bored,” Sayaka suggests. “I mean this place was supposed to be way creepier when I heard about it.”

“Eh, it’s fun. We’ll give the haunted house guys a polite scream towards the end.”

Suddenly the speaker playing canned music shuts down and a voice comes on the speakers.

We’re sorry, there seems to be a malfunction in our system. Please follow the exit signs to the left.

Red exit signs that barely stand out against the other lighting flash, and they follow the instructions.

“This place was really shoddily made, huh?” Sayaka mutters.

The lights start flickering on and off, occasionally leaving them in total darkness. 

“Hey, what’s that scraping sound?” Yusuke-kun asks.

Sayaka and Kimiko stop, and now that they hear it, it’s some sort of sound like someone dragging something along the ground.

“Probably them trying to fix—” Kimiko starts but she’s cut off by the sound of giggling.

 It’s nothing like the other sound effects from before, it sounds like an actual person instead of a cheap tape.

“L-let’s get out of here,” Sayaka says, moving slightly closer to Kimiko.

“Yeah.”

They turn the corner and finally see the white light from the exit door. 

“Thank goodness,” Sayaka says. “We can—”

There’s the sound of creaking behind them, and slowly they turn and watch… something fall from the ceiling and start moving towards them. 

It gets caught in a glimpse of light and turns out to be a gigantic baby with a bloody bag covering its face.

“M-mama!” it cries suddenly, making Sayaka jump and grab onto Kimiko’s arm.

“Let’s go!” 

They turn and run, but they can hear the giant baby scraping the floor behind them.

“M-mama! M-mama!”

They’re about 20 feet from the door when an antique doll pops up right in front of them, it’s porcelain face and empty eyes shining starkly amongst the red lights.

This time Kimiko screams, and she grabs Yusuke-kun and Sayaka by the arms and pretty much drags them the rest of the way through the door.

“We hope you enjoyed!” the attendant says cheerfully as they exit.

“Wow,” Kimiko pants, “I think I’m gonna have nightmares.”

“Me too,” Sayaka sighs. “But Yusuke-kun, you weren’t scared at all!”

“No, I was scared,” Yusuke-kun says. “The baby was really well-made.”

“Really? You didn’t scream at all!”

“Sensei doesn’t like it when I’m too loud, so I’m good at keeping it in,” he says.

“Well, regardless, I think we’ve all earned that treat!” Sayaka says.

~

The next time they go out and Yusuke-kun tags along, they head to the gallery in Ueno. Yusuke-kun might just be the only person as excited as Sayaka in an art gallery, attentive scrutinizing every single painting.

It gives Sayaka and Kimiko a chance to hang back, which Kimiko looks like she sorely needs.

“You don’t want to talk art with Yusuke-kun?” Kimiko asks.

“No. I want to know if you’re doing ok,” Sayaka says. “I mean, your hands…” They covered in cuts and incredibly dry and calloused. Kimiko only seems to just notice and quickly puts her gloves back on.

“It’s pretty dry in that shack, now that it’s getting colder I just need to lotion more, I guess.”

“And the fact that you’ve been falling asleep in class?” It’s only been a few months since Kimiko started studying under Madarame-san, but she’s clearly much more exhausted.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Kimiko says. “Madarame’s just got a real strict policy about getting paintings done. He’s all ‘the more you create the better you get so you have to finish a painting once a week’!” Kimiko does a goofy voice in an impression of him, but Sayaka isn’t laughing.

“That’s a really short time to make a painting and do all your school work,” Sayaka says. “Maybe you can ask him to take a break?”

Kimiko snorts. “Never thought you’d be the one telling me to take it easy,” she says. “Seriously, Sayaka I’m fine. I’m really excited for you to see my next piece, actually.”

“Oh? When can I see it?”

“Once Madarame’s done looking at it and says it’s ok. I really think it’s as good as one of yours.”

“As good as mine?” Sayaka asks. “But it’s probably better isn’t it? You’ve been studying under a master all this time and—”

“Come on, your stuff’s always blown mine out of the water, anyone can see that,” Kimiko says. “I’m pretty sure the old man thought he didn’t have anything to teach you, that’s the only reason I got accepted and you didn’t.”

“You don’t need to lie to me to hype me up, Kimiko.”

“I’m not lying! Sayaka, you’re my only friend. I didn’t have anyone until you walked up to me at school and said you liked my picture. I want to be an artist because of you. I want to be able to go wherever you go. You’re my light at the end of the tunnel.”

Sayaka feels her face blush.

“Kimiko… I…”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all sappy, it’s just—”

“No, I get it. You’re… my light too,” Sayaka says. “I think, if it weren’t for you I’d be so in my own head I… well I don’t know what. But whenever something goes wrong and I feel like my world is crashing down, you’re always there to cheer me up.” She grabs Kimiko’s hand. “Kimiko… I—”

“Stop,” Kimiko says, looking around. The only other person in the gallery is Yusuke-kun, who’s a ways away and intently focused on a statue. “If… there’s any chance you feel the way I feel, we have to be careful.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… Sayaka, I didn't decide to go to Kosei on a whim,” Kimiko says. “My parents kicked me out. Because… because… when I have these feelings, and—”

Sayaka cups her face. “Why did you never tell me?”

“Because I couldn’t take it if you rejected me like they did.”

“Well I’m not,” Sayaka says. “Because I love you, and I don’t care if my mom hates me for that too.”

“Sayaka…” Kimiko breathes, pulling her into a hug. “I love you too. I love you so much.”

They touch foreheads for a bit before Yusuke-kun walks back to them. “Are you guys coming to look?” he asks.

“Yeah, we’re coming!” 

The rest of the day, Sayaka and Kimiko hold each other’s hands, and when they step outside it’s snowing. Once again, Sayaka feels like the weather was made to frame Kimiko like an angel, though maybe that’s Kimiko. She’s so beautiful she forces nature itself to recognize it.

~

Sayaka checks her phone, waiting outside the gallery for Kimiko. The last time they talked it was discussing birthday party ideas for Yusuke-kun in a few weeks, but then nothing but radio silence as Sayaka asked what she should wear to Madarame-san’s art show and where they should meet.

Sayaka shivers in the cold, and sends a quick text that she’d be inside before stepping in. 

The gallery is filled with quite a few people who’re interested in Madarame-san. The artwork on display is amazingly varied, and Sayaka supposes that’s what you get from his “quantity over quality” method. If you simply put your energy into making as much as possible, you’ll end up with a variety of great works.

“Excuse me!” 

Sayaka turns around hoping it’s Kimiko, but instead it’s someone with a press pass. 

“I’m writing a feature on Madarame-san,” the reporter says. “What brings someone as young as you to his show?”

“O-oh I’ve been a fan ever since The Sayuri,” Sayaka says. “I mean it’s really inspiring that he can debut even so late in life. Although, I’m admittedly not here to see just him. I’m friends with one of his pupils.”

“Ah! A Kosei student perhaps?” the reporter says. “I’ve heard he’s been working very intimately with your school to foster young talent— any comments?”

Something catches Sayaka’s eye. “No, excuse me,” she says, leaving the reporter and heading to a piece in the corner.

It’s a creepy, atmospheric piece, centering on a ceramic doll who’s face shines in sharp contrast to the red lighting.

It’s… odd that Madarame-san would spend time going to a silly haunted house. Maybe Kimiko or Yusuke-kun told him about it, but he shouldn’t be able to get the doll exactly, even if he was that good.

There’s a crowd of people gathered around the centerpiece of the show, and Sayaka’s heart stops.

The painting is of her.

Well, not exactly. It’s been touched up a bit, and black censor bar is painted over her face to obscure it in a way that doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the painting, but Sayaka knows it’s her because she can tell.

Kimiko made this.

Sayaka feels a hand on her shoulder.

“Suzuki-san! Thank you so much for coming!” Madarame says. “I’m so happy you could make it.”

“You know who I am?” Sayaka asks, feeling tense.

“Yes, Yusuke’s told me all about how you and Rikimura-san are willing to take him out. I also remember quite liking your application! If I could have taken in more pupils, I would have loved to have you.”

“Where is Kimiko?” Sayaka asks.

Madarame smiles. “She wasn’t feeling well, so she couldn’t come. I’ll be sure to give her your regards.”

Sayaka’s gaze flits between the painting and Madarame.

“Oh, do you like my new piece?”

“Yes,” Sayaka says. “What was your inspiration for it?”

“Ah, as I’m sure you know, I never reveal my muses.”

“Right. Of course.”

“Suzuki-san, can I speak with you privately for a second?” Madarame asks, grabbing her arm and steering her to an empty wing. “You seem upset.”

Sayaka grits her teeth. “You’re a fraud,” she spits out. “You have Kimiko’s work up there with your name on it, and I bet you have others too.”

Madarame’s smile doesn’t falter, but there’s a shift in his eyes to something almost wolf-like. “Of course you of all people would be able to see that my pieces are inspired by Rikimura-san.”

“‘Inspired by?’ That’s outright plagiarism!”

Madarame-san gives a dramatic sigh. “Suzuki-san, I’m not one to judge your kind for your… impulses, however I don’t want you to ruin the potential for a bright career because you’re so blinded by lust you see Rikimura-san in everything.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sayaka say

“Come now, Yusuke’s told me all about how close you two are.”

“We’re just friends,” Sayaka says. “We’ve never done anything in front of Yusuke-kun that would—”

Madarame gives a shark-like grin. “Perhaps you overestimate your own ability to be subtle.  Regardless, for yours and Rikimura-san’s sake, I wouldn’t let your lifestyle get in the way of your careers.”

“How is she supposed to have a career if you’re stealing all her work!” Sayaka snaps.

“That depends on you, I suppose. If you can find it in yourself to stay away.”

Sayaka glares at him.

“Oh, you’re so selfish, aren’t you?” Madarame says. “I got the impression you cared more. Certainly you’d feel something if your mother’s career were in jeopardy?”

“She’s established, you can’t take advantage of her.”

“Oh, my dear.” Madarame says. “I’ve made many powerful friends recently, all it will take is several well-known people saying she sold them false paintings, and she won’t be able to step foot in a gallery ever again.”

Sayaka searches for something to say, but Madarame seems satisfied that she won’t come up with anything. “Now, why don’t you run along. And I suggest you stay away from Rikimura-san. It would be such a shame if her future as an artist was destroyed because you were making baseless accusations. Especially with what happened with her parents, she has nowhere else to go, does she? You don’t want to put her at risk, do you?”

She wishes she had something to say to him, something that would make this old man quiver in his boots, tell her where Kimiko is, and never speak to them again.

But she doesn't and Madarame knows it, so she runs off.

She’s almost out the gallery door when she runs into Yusuke-kun.

“Miss Suzuki? What’s wrong?”

It’s funny. Tears are starting to well up in her eyes, but Sayaka can only see red.

“What did you tell him?”

“Huh?”

“What did you tell Madarame?!” 

Yusuke-kun seems taken aback. “I-I asked him about Rikimura-senpai’s parents. It seemed rude to ask her so—”

“You told him about a private conversation! You told him about me and Kimiko!” Sayaka shouts. “You live with him, you have to know he’s using her! And the rest of them too! Are you in on it or something?”

“Sensei only wants to help—”

Sayaka gives a sharp laugh. “You’re a little liar! Is that your part in this whole con, try and use your cute face to make people ok with being used and spat out?! Or do you just sit back and ignore what happens under your own roof. Either way, it’s your fault this happened to Kimiko.”

Sayaka also knows it’s hers. If she hadn’t convinced Kimiko to take the offer of studying under Madarame…

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yusuke-kun says.

“Yeah, whatever,” Sayaka says, storming off. “Let’s see how long you can keep telling yourself that.”

~

Ten years later.

It’s a hot summer day when Sayaka goes to give her testimony to the prosecutor. She’s been staunchly avoiding anything to do with art for years, so she was surprised to get a call asking her to testify in the case against Madarame.

She’s sure it’s a formality since the man confessed live on television, but she feels a bit of vindictive glee she’s never felt all the other times she relived that night or stewed on the fact that she never saw Kimiko again.

As she prepares to leave the court house, she easily spots a tall young man with blue hair.

“Wow,” she says. “You look exactly the same.”

“Suzuki-san!” Yusuke-kun says.

“I’m surprised you remember me. Are you testifying today as well?”

“No, I heard you’d be here,” Yusuke-kun says, pulling out a card. “A friend helped me with this, it’s Rikimura-san’s number and address.”

Sayaka forces herself to stay calm before taking the card. “Do you think this makes up for what you did?”

“Hold on, what he did?” A white girl standing next to Yusuke-kun speaks up. “I’m sorry?”

“Running around telling Madarame-san everything. Turning a blind eye to everyone who suffered over the years. Kimiko was one of the first and I know from the news reports she wasn’t the last.”

Despite his height, Yusuke-kun shrinks back. “I just wanted to try and take steps to make up for some of it,” he says. “I know you won’t accept it as an apology, but please accept it as a sign of me trying to do better.”

Sayaka simply glares at him.

“Hold on, you are Sayaka Suzuki, yes?” the quiet boy next to Yusuke-kun says. “Yusuke told us about you. You would have known Madarame in 2006. Are you really holding a grudge against someone who was six years old at the time?”

Sayaka doesn’t like the way he’s scrutinizing her from behind those glasses. It’s like with a single look he’s forcing her to dig up things she buried a long time ago and didn’t touch unless she was several bottles of wine in and alone in her apartment.

“I think you should ask your friend how he can live knowing he could have at least tried to do something. Even if it wouldn’t have made a difference, it would have at least shown he wasn’t as callous as Madarame. At least then it would have shown he cared.”

“Lady, he was six,” a delinquent with bleached hair. “The ‘eff is wrong with you?”

“It’s fine guys,” Yusuke-kun says. “I deserve the ire.” He turns to Sayaka. “Suzuki-san, I’m deeply sorry for everything that happened. You and Rikimura-san deserved better. I hope you can at least see each other again after all this time.”

Sayaka’s wall starts to crack a little, so she pushes back the group of teenagers and leaves. “Thank you, Yusuke-kun. I have high hopes you’ll prove yourself better than that man.”

Outside, she takes a look at the number on the card. 

She takes a breath, pulls out her phone, and makes the call.

[magicalgirlsirin]

hi you got me interested in tokusatsu and i was wondering what would be a good one to start with?

[insert sickos yes!!!! meme]

right okay so starting off with the big three series

Ultraman R/B: i admittedly have not watched this, but i consulted with my friend henri who has and this was the top recc for ultras. so yknow! reports say theres lesbians in this. in general seasons of ultraman tend to be shorter so its an easier watch

Kamen Rider Fourze: this is genuinely such a good rider which is why my url is based on it. the setting is just, japanese high school based on american high school but specificially the kind you see in movies about being in high school, starring gentaro who is determined to befriend everyone in the universe, and a very cute space theme + the power of friendship. when i was watching it i kept being like "wow gentaro is literally a magical girl protag" bc he has such infectious cheerful energy :)

Gokaiger: I feel like this is THE quintissential anniversary season. funky space pirate polycule accidentally stumbles into the role of protecting earth. There's a lot of features of past sentais as well as tons of actors reprising their roles for this one, so if you spot a different sentai you think you might like this is imo the best showcase of it. ahim is also #mygirlboss

now this next recc is an independently made toku but its really really good and i'd be remiss to not mention it

Dogengers: Local heroes in the Fukuoka prefecture are left scattered to the wind after the villainous Yabai Kamen manages to take over! It's up to a newly recruited hero, "Rookie", to bring them back together. Dogengers also has a second and third season, being Nice Buddy and High School, respectively.

-

Okay now this section is like "ones I really enjoyed but I wouldn't really consider them incredibly optimal starting points but i like the them"

Shinkenger: Shinken is a bit more of a serious romp, but its done soooo well it makes me go silly mode every time. Featuring a crew of samurai descended from a long line of warriors, they're all just doing their best to finally defeat the evil spirits that enter the human world. Takeru is such a team lead ever and i like how everyone on the team has a different opinion about their duty. yknow.

Gekiranger: GECK GECK!!!! tldr there are two schools of arts in a power struggle, beast arts and evil beast arts. you will never be able to guess who the antagonists belong to based on these naming conventions. starring the most feral man i have ever seen in my life [bc he was taken from the jungle], jan, who is a naturally talented fighter chosen to help defeat the evil beast arts users for the sake of humanity or something. my personal favorite character is mele who is in fact evil but she was really hot while doing it so she gets a pass. her transformation is a chameleon and her suit is designed so that the eyes of the chameleon are positioned directly where her tits are, which is a detail i cannot ignore

Donbrothers: this one is currently ongoing and frankly i dont know how to explain it. its definitely a departure from traditional sentais, featuring the main team in more of an ensemble arrangement since for the majority of the show they dont all know each others identities. theres a lot of major moving parts and its honestly a really wild ride, but i enjoy seeing how the different story pieces unfold. the main character is haruka kito, the most 17 year old high school girl ever who is a disgraced mangaka. she is stubborn and honestly a spitfire, and there is something wrong with her. at one point she gets kidnapped and goes "wow! this will be a great experience to put into my next manga!" even though there is not a single publishing agency that would touch her stuff with a 10 foot pole. she is an inspiration to me to become less normal. donbrothers is technically a sequel to the series right before it, but i dont think you need to watch it because there is exactly one character carried over and he is nothing like how he was in the previous season.

Den-o: oughhh the . with the scrumbly... den-o is genuinely one of my favorite riders as well. the main character Ryoutarou is one of the most sopping wet pathetic 18 year old guys ever and he is being so brave about it. hes a bit of an airhead and definitely a pushover, but its honestly one of the reasons i love him so much. den-o is about ryoutarou becoming a rider with the help of possession from 4 other imagin, which are beings sprung up from the sands of time which seek out people with strong desires to grant their wishes. once those wishes are fufilled, the imagin can enter the past of a person and wreak havoc. the goal of most normal imagin[read: not the ones that hang out with ryou] is to destroy the future, but Ryoutarou and his gaggle of weirdos ride the Denliner to help protect it. It's soooo good okay. den o was super popular so it has a billion spinoff mini series and cameos in other riders but i think it stands best on its own

Exaid: now i want to be clear here and tell you. exaid is not good. exaid is okay and is good in my mind. but it was my first rider so i am attached. It's a part medical drama part video game full time wild fuckin ride where our main character Emu Hojo becomes an intern at a special hospital unit where the staff is able to transform into riders to help fight against the Bugster virus, a special strain of disease that if left untreated allows bugsters [video game entities] to manifest in the real world, killing the patient in the process. The medical drama part is really just a catalyst to the video game stuff, but seeing Emu have his patience tested by the most insane men in the world is worf. Also the nurse Asuna/Poppy is literally sooooo virusgender and I want to steal her gender so bad. i would talk abt dan kuroto since youve probably seen me post abt him before but i feel hes best experienced than explained. just know hes got autism and issues.

Changerion: prolly the oldest toku ive picked up, this one isnt really comparable to anything. its definitely slower paced than the other series ive reccomended so far, and it can definitely feel unfocused. it also suffers from having a reduced episode count [which was cut due to lack of popularity]. in spite of this, i think it was one of my favorite watches ever. The main character, Akira, is a wildly out of control bisexual man. on adderall. He's a detective without work and the first case he manages to land in a while ends up with him in a car crash that grants him the ability to transform. However, instead of being excited with his new purpose in life, he pretty much just tries to slack off and dodge responsibility as much as possible, much to the chagrin of Hayami [the man originally meant to be the one transforming]. Akira very reluctantly fights against the darkzeid, who feast on humanity for power and can open gateways to whats pretty much just a hell dimension. Kuroiwa is a standout character as well, being an antagonist but just so bizzarely charming he ended up as a favorite. He's a darkzeid who wants to integrate with humanity but instead of finding normal ways to do it, he just tries taking over japan. yknow how it is.

EDIT: chewing on glass how could I forget

The High School Heroes: this is only 8 episodes very short but also the episodes are long so it's longshort. Featuring a tokuota (toku otaku) who's obsessed with gorengers(first ever sentai) bringing together his classmates to form a defense club since students keep mysteriously turning into monsters! Also featuring a transfem character who's arc made me cry and she's also my best friend btw. There's a lot of references to gorengers overall but you don't have to know it to go oh it looks cool

-

sorry this is such a long post i wanted to give you a lot of options and also just like. theres a lot of good points to different series and each one offers something different in theme and tone. also i probably couldve recommended more but this is already such a big list. okay glhf

[ayuvogue]

Ayumi Hamasaki's official site has released the logo and official dates for her upcoming 25th Anniversary Live Tour. First announced at her one-night 25th anniversary arena show, the ambitious hall tour will visit all 47 of Japan's prefectures for the first time.

Ticket information has not been announced yet; we will no doubt have more details after TeamAyu is relaunched as an app next month. The tour dates are as follows:

July 8, 2023 (Sat) Chiba: Ichihara Civic Hall

July 9, 2023 (Sun) Chiba: Ichihara Civic Hall

July 15, 2023 (Sat) Saitama: Saitama City Cultural Center

July 22, 2023 (Sat) Aomori: Link Station Hall Aomori

July 23, 2023 (Sun) Iwate: Morioka Civic Cultural Center

July 29, 2023 (Sat) Niigata: Niigata Prefectural Civic Center

August 1, 2023 (Tue) Hokkaido: Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater Hitaru

August 5, 2023 (Sat) Yamanashi: YCC Prefectural Cultural Hall

August 18, 2023 (Fri) Osaka: Festival Hall

August 19, 2023 (Sat) Osaka: Festival Hall

August 26, 2023 (Sat) Aichi: Nagoya Conference Center Century Hall

August 27, 2023 (Sun) Aichi: Nagoya Conference Center Century Hall

September 2, 2023 (Sat) Ibaraki: The Hirosawa City Hall

September 8, 2023 (Fri) Ehime: Matsuyama Civic Hall

September 9, 2023 (Sat) Kagawa: Rexxam Hall

September 17, 2023 (Sun) Yamagata: Shelter Nanyo Hall

September 18, 2023 (Mon・Public Holiday) Fukushima: Kenshin Koriyama Cultural Center

September 30, 2023 (Sat) Tochigi: Utsunomiya City Cultural Center

October 2, 2023 (Mon) Kanagawa: Kanagawa Prefectural Hall

October 8, 2023 (Sun) Hyogo: Kobe International House Kokusai Hall

October 9, 2023 (Mon・Public Holiday) Kyoto: ROHM Theater Kyoto Main Hall

October 14, 2023 (Sat) Okayama: Kurashiki Civic Hall

October 15, 2023 (Sun) Hiroshima: Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall

November 4, 2023 (Sat) Gunma: Beisia Cultural Hall

November 18, 2023 (Sat) Miyagi: Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi

November 19, 2023 (Sun) Akita: Yuzawa City Cultural Center

November 24, 2023 (Fri) Fukuoka: Fukuoka Sun Palace

November 25, 2023 (Sat) Nagasaki: Nagasaki Brick Hall

December 3, 2023 (Sun) Shizuoka: Shizuoka Civic Cultural Center Large Hall

December 30, 2023 (Sat) Tokyo: To be announced soon!!

December 31, 2023 (Sun) Tokyo: To be announced soon!!

January 7, 2024 (Sun) Kagoshima: Hozan Hall (Kagoshima Prefectural Cultural Center)

January 8, 2024 (Mon・Public Holiday) Miyazaki: Miyazaki Civic Cultural Hall

January 13, 2024 (Sat) Shiga: Biwako Hall Large Hall

January 14, 2024 (Sun) Nara: Nara Centennial Hall Large Hall

January 20, 2024 (Sun) Ishikawa: Honda no Mori Hall Rescheduled 4/24 due to earthquake

January 21, 2024 (Sun) Fukui: Phoenix Plaza Rescheduled 4/23 due to earthquake

January 27, 2024 (Sat) Gifu: Toki City Cultural Plaza Sun Hall

January 28, 2024 (Sun) Mie: Yokkaichi City Cultural Hall 1st Hall

February 3, 2024 (Sat) Tokushima: Asty Tokushima

February 4, 2024 (Sun) Kochi: Kochi City Cultural Plaza CUL-PORT

February 9, 2024 (Fri) Oita: Oita Holt Hall

February 12, 2024 (Mon・Public Holiday) Yamaguchi: Shunan City Cultural Center

February 17, 2024 (Sat) Saga: Saga City Cultural Center

February 18, 2024 (Sun) Kumamoto: Kumamoto Castle Hall

February 23, 2024 (Friday) Tottori: Rika Hall, Torigin Bunka Kaikan

February 24, 2024 (Sat) Shimane: Shimane Prefectural Civic Center Large Hall

March 1, 2024 (Fri) Toyama: Aubade Hall

March 2, 2024 (Sat) Nagano: Hokuto Bunka Hall

March 9, 2024 (Sat) Wakayama: Wakayama Prefectural Cultural Center Large Hall

March 10, 2024 (Sun) Osaka: Orix Theater

March 23, 2024 (Sat) Okinawa: Okinawa Convention Center

March 24, 2024 (Sun) Okinawa: Okinawa Convention Center

April 23, 2024 (Tues) Fukui: Phoenix Plaza (rescheduled from January)

April 24, 2023 (Weds) Ishikawa: Honda no Mori Kitaden Hall (Rescheduled from January)

The only dates without a set venue are the New Year's Eve Tokyo dates, suggesting the possibility of a more traditional COUNTDOWN LIVE.

[anam3ii]

-1bitHeart-

Nov, 28,2023,

Hi, I'm new here. I've been wanting to create a blog for a long time now. I wasn't sure how to start a blog, what exactly should I share. I meaan...I have a lot to share but I was thinking to my self..should I just be consistent and stick to one thing or would it be ok to do a little bit of everthing?? Well I guess we'll see since I'm kinda..winging it. lol

Today I'd like to share with you what I've been up to recently. I decided to give youtube a try. I love to game and thought why not..it might be fun. I recently finished a game and posted the short series. I still have a lot to learn about editing so it's not great to be honest but the good thing is I've learned a lot for my first time.Oh yes..from the many mistakes. It was not so fun starting over a lot, I'll tell you that ,yet I hope the next series is much better and maybe I'll even have some commentary.

The game I recently completed and posted on youtube is called 1bitHeart. It is created by, not a very well known, developer Miwashiba. This Japanese dev is from Fukuoka and has illustrated and created various cute and interesting RPG games. Miwashiba is known for creating their own pixel adventure games Alicemare, LiEat series,1bitHeart and the sequel 1BeatHeart.I just found out, while doing some research, that pool of creativity has not run dry just yet. In fact,there is a game in production right now by the name of The Faceless Double. You can find all of the games on steam; all but one,1BeatHeart.The game is available and you can find it here on this link.I have yet to give the game a try but so far the big difference I see between them is the more dull or muted colors and maybe less cuteness? It doesn't seem to be going on steam anytime soon so I'm a little hesitant to give it a go.

So far, all of the games that are available on steam are also published under the same publisher, PLAYISM. They publish a variety of genres. From story-focused games to Horror to strategy etc.

Now, I'll be honest, I didn't dive too much into the dev or the publisher so sorry I have no idea if there is any juicy gossip lol. I do though, want to tell you a little bit more about the game,1bitHeart. As far as I know, the game was released on steam back in 2017. The game is set in Japan, in the near future, where technology has progressed to the point that I'd say it's somewhat similar to now in our lives; it is used pretty much everyday, everywhere. It dominates the lives of everyone.

In the game, we play a young guy by the name of Nanashi, who spends most of his time indoors. He is very intelligent but a bit socially awkward. He meets a young girl by the name of Misane. While out making friends and solving mysteries, he learns of a frightening plot to take control of people via hacking. Together they set out to stop the people behind this evil plot.

I have yet to play the other games myself but I can tell you that this game, compared to the others, it's a 2D side scroller instead of using the top down perspective the others used.This allows for larger side view portraits of the game's many characters which lets the game to emphasize Miwashiba's incredible skill at designing cute characters and more detailed during dialogue. The game doesn't have turn based battles like LiEat, according to some other reviews, and also isn't solely based on exploration like Alicemare.The game has it's own systems. The hints being one, that helped me, which you get to chose to have them on or off in the very beginning. When you come across hackers and they attempt to hack the player, you defend yourself by directional inputs; which are basic. Still, the game is fun when you have to play detective and have the subsequent confrontations. You also progress the story by solving the various cases through the chapters during which you need to gather information and evidence.

Stardew Valley is a game I have played, but not finished but I can tell you that in the same way that you are able to give gifts to the characters that hang around the town in 1bitHeart you do the same. You'll trigger scenes once you become better friends with them but you are not able to romance any of the characters like in SV. This leads to one of the most impressive parts: there are actually about 48 characters in all that are spread across the town. Each with their own story, personality and style. The end goal, depending on what end you want, is of course, for these characters to become the main character's friend. You can see the amount of love and effort that was put into the game. In a review I read that the backgrounds during character's dialogue could use a little work. They probably could but I think it was done that way so the characters and their dialogue was the main focus.

Like I mentioned earlier, you need to give gifts to the characters in order to be friends but you need money or bits to buy gifts. You get bits by playing tetris-type minigames but it'll take A LOT of grinding=time to get enough bits to befriend everyone. Fortunately, the dev was aware of this flaw, as there is a secret in the game to acquire endless bits=endless gifts.

Honestly, I enjoyed the soundtrack. It's ok. One of my favorites its the opening theme.

The biggest gripe I have with the game is that I didn't see the option for borderless windowed or something to prevent the game from minimizing. The game would minimize each and every time I clicked out of the game. It was very frustrating and annoying. Honestly, it's one of the reasons why I'm hesitant to play them to record them.

I wonder if streaming would be easier in this case?? I don't want to totally give up.Anyway..If you made it this far, THANK YOU for taking the time to read my blog today. Let me know what your thoughts are...til next time!

-A

[wilsweb-asientour]

Tag 41. 13.08.2023

Jukjeon. Heute standen wir früh auf, um an einem Gottesdienst in Bundang teilzunehmen. Die Fahrt von Myeongdong über den Han-Fluss in den Süden lief reibungslos, sodass wir Zeit für einen Halt im Starbucks hatten, wo wir mit Kaffein auftankten. Die Kirche (할렐루야교회) war beeindruckend, pompös auf einem Berg errichtet mit einer Tiefparkgarage mit 3 Etagen, Live-streaming der Predigt und eigener Küche, die Teller rauspumpten wie eine Krankenhausmensa. Zudem waren wir die einzigen Ausländer weit und breit. Bewunderung pur.

Nach einer verlängerten Mittagspause fuhren wir in ein Volksdorf (한국민속촌) i.d.N.v. Bungnam. Zwar heute eine Touristenattraktion, früher spielte sich jedoch im Volksdorf ein ganz anderes Leben ab. Wir staunten über ein Amphitheater, ein hölzernes Adelhaus und ein eigenes Dorf-Gefängnis. Wir aßen Haemuljeon (koreanischer Reibekuchen mit Meeresfrüchten), Gamja-jeon (koreanischer Kartoffelpuffer) und tranken Reiswein, der genießbar war. Im Nachgang schauten wir uns einen lebhaften Tanzauftritt an und liefen in verschiedenste Höfe rein, um an Dorfaktivitäten teilzunehmen. Da der Typhoon inzwischen China und Taiwan ärgerte hatten wir wieder schwüles Wetter. Kurzum, wir schwitzten wie Sau.

Im Anschluss fuhren wir nach Jukjeon (죽전), wo wir Shaved Ice (geraspeltes Eis) bestellten, einmal mit Mango (애플망고치즈빙수) und einmal mit roten Bohnen (인절미팥빙수). In umgekehrter Reihenfolge ging’s dann zum Abendessen, wieder Korean BBQ (Gegrilltes), dieses Mal jedoch auf Jeju-Art. Für alle Geografieliebhaber, Jeju Insel ist eine Urlauberinsel südlich vom koreanischen Festland und westlich von Fukuoka. Wir probierten drei Schweinefleischvarianten: koreanischen Speck (ca. 5cm dick), Schweinehaut und eine Tofu-Schweinefleisch Suppe. Die erste Variante gefiel Webster am besten mit Gojujang. Wir liefen dann durch Jukjeon, eine junges und lebhaftes Studentenviertel mit vielen Cafés und Klamottenläden. Auf der Rückfahrt nach Seoul hielten wir am Han-Fluss Ufer, um uns Gangnam und Seoul von einer anderen Perspektive anzuschauen.

Morgen ist ein voller Tag angesagt, wir freuen uns und lassen euch natürlich wieder teilhaben. Gute Nacht!

Day 41. August 13, 2023

Jukjeon. Today we got up early to attend a church service in Bundang. The journey from Myeongdong over the Han River to the south went smoothly, so we had time for a stop at Starbucks to top up on caffeine. The church (할렐루야교회) was impressive, grandly built on a mountain with a three-story underground parking garage, live-streaming of the sermon, and its own kitchen that pumped out dishes like a hospital cafeteria. Furthermore, we were the only foreigners far and wide.

After an extended lunch break, we drove to a folk village (한국민속촌) in the vicinity of Bungnam. While now a tourist attraction, the folk village used to be a completely different world in the past. We marveled at an amphitheater, a wooden nobleman's house, and a village prison. We enjoyed Haemuljeon (Korean seafood pancake), Gamja-jeon (Korean potato pancake), and drank rice wine that was enjoyable. Afterwards, we watched a lively dance performance and participated in village activities in various courtyards. As the typhoon was bothering China and Taiwan by now, we had humid weather again. In short, we sweated like crazy.

Next, we headed to Jukjeon (죽전), where we ordered Shaved Ice, once with Mango (애플망고치즈빙수) and once with red beans (인절미팥빙수). We then went for dinner, again Korean BBQ, but this time Jeju style. For all geography enthusiasts, Jeju Island is a vacation island south of the Korean mainland and west of Fukuoka. We tried three pork variations: Korean bacon (about 5cm thick), pork skin, and a tofu-pork soup. Webster liked the first variation the best with Gojujang. We then walked through Jukjeon, a young and vibrant student neighborhood with many cafes and thrift stores. On the way back to Seoul, we stopped by the Han River bank to see Gangnam and Seoul from a different perspective.

Tomorrow promises to be a busy day, and we're looking forward to it. We’ll of course keep you posted. Good night!

[lgcmanager]

LGC GIRLS JAPAN 004

SCHEDULE TYPE: TRIMESTER ( PART 1 OUT OF 1 ) SCHEDULE RESTRICTIONS: cannot be paired with another trimester schedule, unless stated otherwise. for reference as to whether your muse is eligible for this event, please click over HERE.

early morning on OCTOBER 16, KIM HYUNCHEOL is already waiting for the girls in the meeting room as they come in. a file folder is waiting for each girl in front of their seats. when everybody has found a place, hyuncheol finally speaks: "good morning. the family concert is now behind us, so we can finally share the details of LGC GIRLS JAPAN's SECOND SINGLE and FIRST LIVE TOUR."

SINGLE

"in front of you, you'll find a file with various lyrics sheets. the first one is the TITLE TRACK of your single, called "FIRE TRUCK". the concept is inspired by the famous SAILOR SQUAD, and each of you have been assigned a member. your hairstyles will be changed or refeshed to relect your assign member:

CHA SORI: SAILOR MERCURY (short black hair)

NOH AREUM: SAILOR JUPITER (long brown hair)

PARK JAEKYUNG: SAILOR VENUS (long blonde hair)

PARK TAEHA: SAILOR MOON (long blonde hair)

YANG AERA: SAILOR MARS (long black hair)

since the release of the single is planned for NOVEMBER 21, you'll have the week to learn and practice the song and will record it next MONDAY. the following days will be dedicated to learn the choreography and the music video will be filmed on OCTOBER 30. then from OCTOBER 31 to NOVEMBER 20 focus will be on practicing for the tour. on NOVEMBER 20, you'll be flying to JAPAN and spend the following 3 days promoting the single at various TOWER RECORDS locations."

LIVE TOUR & HANDSHAKE EVENTS

"the following pages in the file are all dedicated to the tour. added to the lgc girls japan songs you've already practiced and the new singles songs, are 3 of your suggestions and 2 additional songs picked by the staff, for a total of 10 songs."

1. BREAKTHROUGH (lgc girls japan) - All [ MC 1: Intro ] 2. TOKYO DRIFT FREESTYLE (cover) - All 3. BZZ BZZ (new single bside) - All 4. GIRLS GOTTA LIVE (lgc girls japan) - All [ MC 2 ] 5. LOOK AT ME NOW (lgc girls japan) - Aeri, Areum, Sori 6. JANKENPYON (cover) - Jaekyung & Taeha 7. HEAVY ROTATION (cover) - All 8. CLAP CLAP (cover) - All 9. Idol (cover) - All [ MC 3: Ending ] 10. FIRE TRUCK (new single title track)

all relevant details of the new single & upcoming tour are available HERE

"the tour will have a total of 14 shows. every show will be preceeded by a one hour GROUP HANDSHAKE EVENT with about 100 lucky fans. furthermore, during the period of the tour, you'll be flying to japan on THURSDAY EVENINGS and come back to seoul on MONDAY MORNINGS. since this schedule will be quite demanding, we only ask you an 8 hour of practice during your time in seoul. you may do anything during the rest of your free time. however, i strongly advise that you spend time working on your stamina if you want to get through the tour without any injury or getting sick. your health needs to be a priority."

NOVEMBER 25: Kanagawa (Harmony Hall Zama Dai Hall)

NOVEMBER 26: Tokyo (Line Cube Shibuya)

DECEMBER 2: Miyagi (Sendai Sunplaza Hall)

DECEMBER 3: Iwate (Oshu-shi Bunka Kaikan Z Hall Dai Hall)

DECEMBER 9: Osaka (NHK Osaka Hall)

DECEMBER 10: Osaka (NHK Osaka Hall)

DECEMBER 16: Ehime (Matsuyama-shi Sogo Community Center Camellia Hall)

DECEMBER 17: Aichi (Nippon Tokushutogyo Shimin Kaikan Forest Hall)

DECEMBER 23: Shimane (Shimane Kenmin Kaikan Dai Hall)

DECEMBER 24: Hiroshima (Ueno Gakuen Hall)

DECEMBER 30: Kagoshima (Houzan Hall)

DECEMBER 31: Fukuoka (Fukuoka Sunpalace Hotel & Hall)

JANUARY 6: Hokkaido (Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater Hitaru)

JANUARY 7: Kanagawa (Harmony Hall Zama Dai Hall)

rooming at the hotel during the tour:

ROOM A: PARK TAEHA, YANG AERA

ROOM B: CHA SORI, NOH AREUM

ROOM C: PARK JAEKYUNG, ACCOMPANYING STAFF (changes almost every week)

SUPER✰NOVA & LGC RETREAT

"finally, most of the debuted artists will that part in a RETREAT in december. unfortunately, due to their schedule, NOVA will be unable to attend. instead, their participation will be done through preparing a meal for the company's artists and staff members. considering the group only has 6 members, they are far from enough to be able to prepare LUNCH BOXES for everybody in a timely manner. so it's been decided that the five of you and some LGC SPRING BOYS members will be assisting the girls in their task, on DECEMBER 6." hyuncheol announces. "the activity will be used as content for NOVA's upcoming YOUTUBE SHOW. i expect all of you to be on your best behavior and do your best on this day."

as explained above, the girls will be assisting the NOVA members in making LUNCH BOXES for their seniors. do not worry, staff of the partnered cafe will also be present to supervise and assist the idols and trainees.

the participants will be divided in three teams, each in charge of different parts of the boxes:

SANDWICH & KIMBAP TEAM: seo minseo, yu milan, baek byeongkwan, kwon hyuntae, noh areum, yang aera

GRILLING TEAM: kim nayoung, watanabe miyu, kurosawa akio, xue yichen, park jaekyung, park taeha

SALAD & PLATING/PACKING TEAM: kwon sena, son nabi, han noeul, park seojin, cha sori

REQUIREMENTS

TOUR: write a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) thread with another lgc girls japan member about anything that happened during the tour for +5 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +6 NOTORIETY !

DVD MENT: write a 300+ word solo of your muse being interviewed and asked about a memorable moment of the tour for +6 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +3 NOTORIETY ! these interviews will be included in the dvd release of the tour

FREESTYLE: write the 8 lines freestyle your muse performs during the tour (see the tour list for more details) for +6 LYRICS WRITING and +6 NOTORIETY !

OFF DAYS: write a 300+ word solo or a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) thread with another lgc girls japan member about anything they've done during their off days +8 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +2 NOTORIETY !

LUNCH BOXES: write a 4 replies (minimum 8 lines) thread with another participant, ideally from your own team, about anything that could be caught by the camera for +6 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE ANYWHERE and +3 NOTORIETY !

**concerning the lunch box threads: since there are a limited number of participants, please be mindful of the number of threads you take for this event, as you might block others from having partners if you take on more than one or two. also, the show is foused on the nova members, so threads between other participants might not make the final cut. finally, there's currently no air date for this or the lgc retreat, so do not mention any of it in your sns.**

make sure to use the hashtag lgc:lgcgirlsjapan for all of the tasks. you have until JANUARY 6, 2024 at 11:59PM EDT to complete the requirements and validate your points. please submit the following form ONCE on the points blog.

MUSE NAME ∙ LGC GIRLS JAPAN 004  - TOUR: +5 ( skill points distribution ), +6 notoriety  [ LINK ]  - DVD MENT: +6 ( skill points distribution ), +3 notoriety  [ LINK ]  - FREESTYLE: +6 lyrics writing, +6 notoriety  [ LINK ]  - OFF DAYS: +8 ( skill points distribution ), +2 notoriety  [ LINK ]  - LUNCH BOXES: +6 ( skill points distribution ), +3 notoriety  [ LINK ]

[kokiafans]

KOKIA in flashback - 2005

After a busy year, 2005 is slightly calmer for KOKIA. There is no full album release this year, although she does release two new singles and features in other projects. She has been performing more often over the last couple of years, and that trend definitely continues from now on. It may be in preparation for next year, which will prove to be a big milestone in her career. There are also some events for the movie Origin: Spirits of the past (Giniro no kami no agito ('silver-haired Agito') in Japanese), for which KOKIA provided the opening and ending songs. But we'll see those again next year!

◆  Lives and events ◆

January 22 Social Welfare Corporation Habataki medical-induced AIDS chairt concert (Aichi prefecture Kinrô Kaikan hall)

February 2 Mizu no oto Vol.10 ('sound of water') (Shibuya O-West)

February 6 Aeon Yono city store KOKIA LIVE (Saitama, Aeon Yono) ※ 2 performances in 1 day

February 11 Zexy Ibaraki/Tochogi/Gunma version  presents Happy Valentine Radio (FM Gunma) ※ Live broadcast by FM Gunma

March 20 NTT DoCoMo presents EXPO LIVE PARK 2005 (Aichi, Oasis 21, Milky Way Square)

March 27 National Junior High and High School Student Selection audition! Ima doki? ('Right now?') idle contest (Shibuya BOXX) ※ live guest performance

April 28 KOKIA Special Live for Mother's Day ※ Live broadcast by OCN MUSIC WEB

April 30 ORC200 12th anniversary, Radio Osaka 47th anniversary, Festival of Thanks song festival (Osaka, ORC200 2F atrium, ORC square)  ※ Live recorded broadcast by Radio Osaka

May 8 VOICE2005 Kikoemasu ka? Chikyuu no utagoe ga... ('Can you hear it? The singing voice of Earth...') (Aichi, Ai-chikyuuhaku ('Love the Earth expo'), Nagakute site of the Ai-chikyuuhaku venue)

May 29 Daido Institute of Technology school festival (Aichi, Daido Institute of Technology, closing party performance)

【KOKIA June Garden (Tokyo, Blue Jay Way)】 June 7 - KOKIA June Garden ~talk talk~ June 9 - KOKIA June Garden ~girl talk~ ※ladies only performance June 10 - KOKIA June Garden ~talk talk~

July 24 KOKIA SEASIDE LIVE with Takeshi Senoo ~crystal sound meets amazing voice~ (Kamakura Prince Hotel, banquet hall Shichirigahama beach)

【KOKIA Summer Live ~Taiyou kara no okurimono~ ('A gift from the sun')】 ※ live tour for people who bought the single time to say goodbye in-store and won the raffle August 22 - Osaka, Flamingo August 23 - Fukuoka, ROOMS August 25 - Tokyo, Shinjuku, Minotaur 2 August 29 - Hokkaido, Kuu August 30 - Aichi, Club H

August 28 7th (21 seiki no mori ('Forest of the 21th century') outdoors musical festival (Gunma prefectural forest park, 21 seiki no mori forest venue)

September 16 KOKIAn 2 year anniversary commemorative performance (Tokyo Metropolitan Teian Art Museum) ※ fan club-exclusive event

September 19 COCOON 1st Anniversary Special Live (Saitama, COCOON new urban center, Cocoon Plaza)

October 18 KOKIA LIVE Aki kana tsukimikai ('autumn moon viewing party') in MANDALA ~hokkori shimasho poku poku no yoru~ ('let's get warm and fluffy for a rhythmical night') (South Aoyama MANDALA) Additional performances on October 19 and 21 for 3 in total

October 22-23 NTT DoCoMo presents MUSIC LIVE IN Okinawa & new musical mobile phone experience event (Mihama multipurpose venue, Carnival Park Mihama) ※ 2 performances on both days, for a total of 4 performances

November 5 Special live talk to commemorate the opening of the mobile site and forest page of Giniro no kami no Agito (Origin: Spirits of the Past) (Shibuya DUO)

November 6 Double GIFT ~Cafe Classics Vol.4~ Genta Utsumi album 'preview' and Yuri Hiranumi album release commemorative live (Tokyo, HAKUJI HALL)  ※ Surprise guest performance of the song Daiji na no wa tsuyoku omou koto (‘the important things are the ones you think about often’)

November 10 Otani University school festival, Shimei festival ~garden party~ (kyoto, Otani University)

November 26 JA BANK Presents LIVE in MIE 2005 ACOUSTIC COLLABORATION 4 (Mie prefecture culture hall, big hall)

November 27 AIR-G' presents KOKIA Talk & Live (Aeon Sapporo Naebo shopping center) ※ 2 performances in 1 day

December 11 Special Christmas ceremony for the movie Giniro no kami no Agito (Origin: Spirits of the Past) (Tokyo, ADK Shouchaku square)

December 12 KOKIA LIVE in Motion Blue ~NY, Manhattan no yoru o mou ichido ('night at Manhattan, one more time')~ (Motion Blue, Yokohama) ※ 2 performances in 1 day.

December 17 DoCoMo×LACHIC SWEET CHRISTMAS KOKIA special live (Aichi, LACHIC 1F passage)

December 20 Xmas Live 2005 KOKIA dinner live. Sparkling Christmas! ~oshii jikan ni kanpai~ ('a toast to a delicious time') (Tokyo, Hotel Grand Pacific Meridian Palais Royal)

◆ Releases ◆

February 23 Release of the single dandelion (Victor Entertainment) ※ end theme for the Nippon TV show Super TV jouhou saizensen ('front line of the news')

July 21 Release of the single time to say goodbye (Victor Entertainment) ※end theme for the Fuji TV show Kinyou entertainment ('Friday entertainment') B-side song Shiawase no hanataba ('bouquet of happiness') is the end them for the Nippon TV show Shin! Dotchi no Ryôti Show ('The New Dotch Cooking Show')

◆ Other releases ◆

February 23 Release of the Hiroshi Ashino album Côte d’azur kara no kaze (la brise de la Côte d'Azur) ('breeze from the Côte D'Azure') (King Records) ※ Composed the song Larme ('tear')

March 30 Release of the DVD Minna no uta best hit collection ('songs for everyone') (EMI Music Japan) ※ Recording of Yuukyuu no mori ('forest of eternity')

July 27 Release of the singe Peace road under the name Roppongi Dansei Gasshoudan Club with KOKIA (Colombia Records) ※ Song commissioned by Samsung Japan for mine clearance on the Thai-Cambodian border. Performed only the title song, Peace road.

November 2 Release of the Yuri Hiranuma album Mada minu eiga no tame no ongaku ('Songs for movies you haven't seen yet') (Dreamusic) ※ Wrote and performed the song Daiji na no wa tsuyoku omou koto (‘the important things are the ones you think about often’)

◆ Books ◆

March Release of the piano score collection Piano hikigatari KOKIA / uta ga chikara + dandelion ('voice accompanied by piano / songs are strength') (Doremi Music Publishing Co.,Ltd.)

◆ Other ◆

Performed the song This is your life for a TV commercial for Olympus China.

[crystal-in-nagasaki]

enjoying the spring flowers in omura and saga

On a sunny day in April of this year, I visited several flower gardens with friends, one in my town of Omura and one in Saga called Mifuneyama Rakuen.

The garden we visited in Omura was up in the mountains called Matsumoto Azalea Garden. There were winding paths through large fields of bright blue flowers and hedges of azaleas. I think we just missed the period of full bloom, so many of the azaleas had darkened or turned green, but it was still breathtaking. I can't imagine how much more beautiful they are at full bloom.

Next we drove about an hour north into Saga prefecture to Mifuneyama Rakuen, which held another large azalea park nestled under the mountain. These azaleas too were not in full bloom, but the rows and rows of flower bushes lined up under the mountain was so beautiful. You could also climb up and walk between the bushes, and it felt like a bewildering maze of color.

The wisteria at the park were also starting to bloom, so we spent some time sitting under them enjoying their color and smell.

After climbing up part of the mountain through the flowers and woods, we saw an overgrown building through a gap in the trees. It looked kind of like a school. As Japan's rural populations shrink and more people move toward the convenience of nearby cities, many buildings are being forgotten and overtaken by nature like this.

The flower garden paths then lead into the forest and you can enjoy a short forest trail leading to a cave. This cave holds the Inari Daimyojin deity and is said to have been visited 1300 years ago by the famous priest Gyoki who carved 500 Arhats.

There was a small TeamLab exhibit at this park as well, so we decided to check it out. TeamLab creates interactive art exhibits that can be found all over the world, and some of the most famous ones are in Japan. I went to one in Tokyo and Fukuoka. If you want to read more about the exhibit in Fukuoka, my blog post is here.

This TeamLab exhibit was incredibly interesting because it was placed inside of an abandoned hot spring bath house. In the first room, we found an abandoned bath area covered in creatures and flowers made of light, which moved around the room. According to the TeamLab website, you can draw a picture of a creature and watch it come to life. In order to represent the process of life cycles, your creature may eat other creatures and multiply. TeamLab exhibits always have some deeper meaning behind their conception which makes you think more deeply about the world and your place in it.

The bath house where the exhibit is located is very interesting because the creators of the exhibit left most of the abandoned building untouched. When you walk through the building between exhibits, you can see rubble and dilapidated walls. It's very interesting and made the exhibit feel much more spiritual, like you are in a place that is forgotten and still stuck in the past.

The next part of the exhibit was a long hallway, lit by lanterns and eerily quiet. When you reach the end of the hallway, there is a simple flame crackling. The eternal flame can be found directly below the old forest above, and represents the everlasting quality of nature.

Next we entered the neighboring bathing room to find many impressive megaliths breaking out from beneath the earth. Each one was lit up and would alternate between different images. Being located in a forest with 3000 year old trees, the megaliths are supposed to represent "a mass made up of compressed space-times where the flow of times varies." According to the exhibit, the images projected on the megaliths are generated in real time by a computer program, never prerecorded or on a loop. Each moment is unique as the images constantly change, and the images will never be exactly the same. It was so beautiful and made me feel like just a speck in the vast space of time.

Next we walked into the attached hotel of the bath house, which still operates today. The lobby was filled with floating lanterns and mirrors, which gave the room the look that it stretched on forever. I honestly got lost walking around trying to find the exit and admittedly bumped into a few mirrors.

Lastly, we went into a dark room lit by only an exhibit of flames. The illusion of flames was created by a huge grid of tiny pinpoints of light. When you get closer to the grid, the flame gets brighter, and when you walk away it becomes smaller again.

Apparently there were more exhibits outside on the grounds of the park, but since they involve light they could only be viewed in the evening and we weren't able to see them. If you'd like to check them out, you can read more about them on the TeamLab website here!

Overall, this was a really fun and magical day, experiencing the beauty of the spring flowers and having an existensial crisis about the flow of time in the TeamLab exhibit. I hope you enjoyed reading <3

[matsukawamatt]

Back into this loop of thinking of the matsukawa apartment. So many sleepless nights listening to lofi and left alone to my thoughts. So much beautiful, natural light coming into the apartment in the daytime. By night, the glow of the city and the alternating of the stop light that shown in my window. The rainy nights, where I would keep my balcony door open, and let the sound of it all drown me away. It was my own little space and I made it all mine. I miss the smell; the distinctive combination of the hardwood floors and concrete & brick walls. The small little bedroom that I barely used, just resting on my couch in the main room most of the time. The shine of the stainless steel in the kitchen that I never used. I had Mira right down stairs to take on a ride to wherever I desired. Or a metro just a few blocks away if it didn’t make sense to drive, and it usually didn’t make sense. I had Paul in Fukuoka to go out and drink with. I had the multiple clubs I would go to and just lose myself, mindlessly dancing into the early (and sometimes late) morning hours. I’d grab some ramen, and I’d hang out for a bit to recover. Later in the day i’d go to that one Starbucks, the reserve one at hakata, and i’d always see Yomogi there. Her smile was so amazing. She was always so excited to see me and, she’d tell me to come sit at the bar, as she hand-poured piping hot coffee in concentric circled into a flask with a filter — it was an art. I’d stop by half-penny and make some friends at the bar. Or the Red Fox. Or.. and oh my god… the sun empire. That fucking bar. I wish I could explain the feeling that place gives me to think about. It brings tears to my eyes. THAT was my place. So many memories. Even if I were to go back, it would not be there. Which brings to mind… what remains? I’m sure theres many places. I need to get back to Fukuoka… and although this is a post about matsukawa, fukuoka is as comforting to me as matsukawa was.

Everything about Matsukawa was so amazing to me. It was the place where I felt safe. A place for me to escape and be my self and on my own.

I will never have a place like that again. But, I do have lofi, and I do have the memories.

These tears are good tears; these bring me warmth and happiness. They bring me back to a time that was, a time that no longer exists. A time where I had friends that I loved and I had a reason to keep going.

Whenever I’m asked about my time in the Navy, I describe it as two extremes. One extreme is a scenario where I absolutely hated my life and was unhappier than I’ve ever been. This was the patriot. The next extreme: i absolutely loved everything in my life and every moment spent with the people that loved me, and with the amazing people of japan. Two extremes. Two polar opposites. Its no wonder im as fucked up as i am now