#I don’t really have the bias towards sub anime really

[yumedoca]

UY Dub cast and release date announced, having plans to watch it in a few days. Hopefully it’s good🤞

[halfcarrotikemen]

So I finally found a way to watch tristamp in English dub (I only ever watched the series in Japanese). I haven’t done any deeper thoughts and analysis, and I’m only halfway through the series but here’s my impression so far:

- I love English dub Vash, especially his gibberish noises, such a chaotic dumbass (affectionate), and although some of his jokes and mannerism didn’t translate as well as I hoped, they did a very good job. They deserved two dozen donuts. (although if you hold me at gunpoint and ask me to choose English or Japanese Vash I will choose the Japanese version with a thin margin because I have personal bias towards Matsuoka Yoshitsugu [he’s from where I live lol, and I’m a big fan])

- I’m also in love with how they play Legato and Roberto, especially Legato, I was surprised by the lack of the feeling out of place (Is that the right word? sorry my brain suddenly stopped working in English) that you usually have when you hear a show dubbed in another language you’re not used to hearing. So smooth. And they nailed the drunkle speech with Roberto.

- I honestly was disappointed with the lack of accent in Wolfwood’s speech (maybe I just didn’t hear it correctly? Idk) because he speaks in heavy Kansai dialect in Japanese, even when he was a child (also casting Hosoya Yoshimasa really emphasized the accent). A huge missed opportunity on the English dub, in my opinion. I was expecting Wolfwood with a heavy Southern accent or something. And on that note they also missed the chance to add some dialect for the worm hunters on episode 4.

- English dub Meryl feels mature and a lot more pulled together to me compared to the Japanese version, which sounds very pristine and innocent until she starts learning about the world. It makes her a little… out of place for me who’s used to Meryl speaking in a very polite formal Japanese to everyone (even when she’s yelling in rage or when she’s cursing people). I think it suits Meryl from ‘98 anime more than tristamp Meryl. Probably because you can’t really translate her distinct way of speaking accurately, it’s not anyone’s fault, just a matter of different language. But I guess I like the Japanese version better for Meryl. I just love the way she speaks, shame there’s no English equivalent to her speech style.

- I don’t like English dub Nai. I’m 100% going with the Japanese version in this. Not the performance, though, I know translations are really hard and I do think the English VA did a great job, but as someone who’s used to how Nai speak in Japanese, the dub just… didn’t feel right. In Japanese Nai speaks in a relatively rougher manner compared to Vash (in how he chooses his words, also the subtle but different way he talks to humans and to Vash) and it didn’t show as much in the English dub. And his pretentious speech that sounds like some people from the church near my house doesn’t get carried to the English dub, I guess. In English he just sounds like a scary villain to me, while in Japanese I can feel his emotions and (warped) love towards Vash just from his words. I saw someone pointing out that Nai refers to the dependent plants with feminine pronouns, and it’s even more prominent and emphasized in the Japanese version. They’re not wrong. Maybe in English it can come across as a bit misogynistic(?), I don’t know, but I like how he does this in Japanese, because to me it feels like he’s always trying to refer to them as “persons” and not “things”, although his treatment towards them is contradictory.

This ended up longer than I expected but overall I enjoyed the English dub and I love analyzing different languages. I wanna know how it feels for people who know absolutely zero Japanese watching the series in English dub and in Japanese with English subtitles. I know that there were differences in the subtitles and the dub but for me I can’t compare English sub and dub because I’d just go with my Japanese interpretation if I watch the subbed version (or I’d rather just ditch the subtitle altogether because sometimes it’s making my brain confused when I speak both languages).

Also to people who write Trigun fanfics in English, where do you base the character speech from? I don’t know how to translate Japanese dialects, so Wolfwood, for example, is very difficult for me to write in English.

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS DARK FATE Animate Tokuten Drama CD “I’m the Strongest! ~Subaru VS Yuma VS Ayato~“

Original title: 最強はオレだ！ ～スバルVS��ーマ時々アヤト～」

Source: Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE Animate Tokuten Drama CD

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Midorikawa Hikaru, Takashi Kondou & Tatsuhisa Suzuki

Translator’s note: Even though I have listened to this CD at least five times by now, it still remains hilarious. Definitely one of my favorites although I realize that I’m biased because of Subaru and Yuma. I also really enjoy the dynamic of Ayato with either one of them as well. He’s an A+ troll in this one and I live for it, haha. It also reminded me of the one sub-scenario in VC where Subaru and Yuma try to decide who is stronger by arm-wrestling, but it ends with a draw when the two of them break the table in the process. I guess Yuma has the physical advantage but Subaru is a pureblood Vampire so he has the edge there, balancing things out in the end. 

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

*Rattle* 

Yuma: …Fuckin’ shithead of a Teacher! Goin’ on forever with their stupid preachin’...!

Subaru: Exactly. And the fact I was in there gettin’ scolded alongside you is what pisses me off the most. 

Yuma: Aah!? That’s my line! ーー Haah…If Ruki finds out I got scolded by a teacher…

Subaru: Heh. Must be rough havin’ a ‘dad’ keepin’ you in check. I’m glad I don’t have to worry ‘bout that in my family. 

Yuma: Nah, you’ve got one of those too, don’t ya? Ya know, Mr. ‘Smarty Glasses’. 

Subaru: You’re talkin’ ‘bout Reiji? I mean, it’s definitely annoyin’ how he’ll always find somethin’ to complain ‘bout. 

Ayato runs into them. 

Ayato: …Hm? Now this is a duo you don’t see every day. What are you guys up to over there? 

Subaru: Che…Ayato, huh? 

Yuma: Why, ya ask? Can’t ya read? Look. 

Ayato: Hm? …’Student counselor’...? Pfft! Lame! Both of you got called in? What did you do this time? 

Subaru: Oi! Don’t make it sound like I’m a regular at this place! Haah…It wasn’t a big deal, really. 

Yuma: …Ah? Not a big deal, you say? Fuck off! ーー Oi, Ayato! You’re this dude’s big bro, aren’t ya? Then make sure to teach him some proper manners! Tell him that you’re not supposed to go ‘round kickin’ rocks into someone else’s garden!

Ayato: Haah…? The fuck…? 

Yuma: This fucker had the nerve to kick a rock right into the vegetable garden I had been secretly growin’ behind the school building!

Subaru: How many times do I have to tell you that’s not what happened!? Your stupid vegetable garden just happened to be right where the rock landed, that’s all! I had no idea it was even there after all. 

Yuma: I mean, I made sure to kick it into the opposite direction before it could hit the garden, but then it ended up breakin’ the glass of the principal’s office. 

Ayato: And that’s why you got called in? Somethin’ along the lines of ‘let’s not fight and try to get along?’ …Lame! Hahaha…

Subaru: Shut up!

Ayato: By the way, which one of you is stronger? 

Subaru: …!? What are you askin’ all of a sudden? 

Yuma: Which one of us is stronger? No point in askin’ that, is there? It’s obviously none other than myself!

Subaru: Aah!? Look who’s talkin’! I’m obviously the stronger one!

Yuma: Nah, it’s me.

Subaru: Are you deaf!? It’s me!

Ayato: Ahーah. We won’t get anywhere like this. How about Yours Truly decides which one of you is stronger? 

Yuma: Bring it on! But don’t ya dare show bias towards this Shut-in ‘cause he’s yer brother. 

Subaru: Who are you callin’ a Shut-in!? 

Ayato: Yeah, no worries. You really think I’d stand up for this guy? 

Yuma: True that.

Subaru: Tsk…You said you’ll decide, but how are you gonna do that? Should we fight or somethin’? 

Yuma: I won’t lose in a battle of fists. 

Ayato: Geez, you guys don’t get it at all. That’s not what I’m talkin’ ‘bout. We’re goin’ to determine your strength in various categories. 

Subaru: …!? It kind of pisses me off to hear Ayato say somethin’ intelligent for once…

Yuma: Yeah, gotta agree with ya there…

Ayato: Well, I guess that just shows the difference between us. Anyway, I’m gonna present a couple of ideas to you two. …First up is physique! What’s your height and weight? 

Subaru: My height is 178 cm and my weight is…67 kg.

Yuma: Wait, your height is 178 cm!? Hah! Midget!

Subaru: Midget!? …How tall are you then, huh!? 

Yuma: Me? My height is 190 cm. And I weigh 70 kg. 

Ayato: Eh!? Subaru…You’re a whole 12 cm shorter than this dude! Wow…Talk about lame!

Subaru: One sec…You’re 174 cm tall, aren’t you? You’re even shorter than I am!

Ayato: My stats don’t matter right now. …Well then, I guess Yuma wins this category. 

Yuma: How’s that? 

Subaru: …!! No, strength is defined solely by one’s physique. 

Yuma: Sounds like someone’s a sore loser.

Ayato: Anyway, we’re gonna test which one of you has the stronger mind next. 

Yuma: How are ya gonna determine that? 

Ayato: Good question. …How about this? Let’s say the two of you did somethin’ wrong. 

Subaru: Sure. 

Yuma: And? 

Ayato: Reiji or Ruki will be on your case when they find out, right? 

Subaru: …

Yuma: …

Ayato: Tell me how you’d react to them. 

Subaru: Ignore him. 

Yuma: Apologize. 

Ayato: Ahー Subaru gets this one. 

Yuma: Nah, that doesn’t make any sense! You’d ignore him, the fuck!? 

Subaru: You really think I’m gonna bother listenin’ to that guy’s lecture? Your route of apologizin’ is out of the question. 

Ayato: Yeah! I agree as well. There’s nobody in our family who actually takes Reiji’s scoldings seriously. 

Yuma: …I feel for the dude. 

Ayato: So? How come you’d choose to apologize? 

Yuma: Ya guys just don’t understand how terrifyin’ Ruki can be! …Aah, I’m gettin’ the shivers just from rememberin’...

Subaru: The fuck happened…?

Ayato: Anyway, Subaru wins this round. 

Yuma: Yeah, yeah, let him have the win. 

Subaru: Che…Why are you soundin’ so confident? Don’t be cryin’ ‘bout it later!

Ayato: Next…You’ll be pitted against each other based on how you wear your school uniform!

Yuma: How we wear our uniform? I don’t see how that’s related to determining our strength? 

Ayato: Nah, that’s not true. I mean, take a look at Subaru’s uniform!

Subaru: Hah…? 

Ayato: The fabric is all ripped up and he’s got some chains hangin’ from it as well. 

Subaru: Oi! Don’t make it sound like I’m the one who ripped it to shreds! It was handed to me in this state!

Yuma: I mean, I guess it looks ‘strong’ in more than one way. Hahaha....

Subaru: Don’t you dare laugh, Yuma!!

Ayato: On the other hand we’ve got Yuma’s uniform…

Yuma: Mine hasn’t been customized all that much. Ruki wouldn’t let me live it down if I added too many accessories to it. 

Subaru: Still, you’ve got quite a few buttons of your shirt open, don’t you? You need to button it all the way up. 

Yuma: Shut up, it’s just fine like this. I can barely breathe when it’s closed to the top. 

Ayato: Hmー 

Subaru: I really don’t see how this’ll tell anythin’ ‘bout our strength. Let’s just not. 

Ayato: I’m decidin’ the winner right now so shut up!

Yuma: You’re actually makin’ a choice? 

Ayato: I’ve made my decision. 

Subaru: Who is it? Who’s stronger? 

Ayato: Yours Truly!

Subaru: …

Yuma: …Hah? 

Subaru & Yuma: Haaah!? 

Ayato: Lookin’ at both of your get-ups made me realize, you see…Both of you look hella lame. 

Subaru: Fuck off! It was never ‘bout clothes in the first place, was it!? 

Yuma: And what do ya mean ‘lame’, haah!? 

Ayato: My uniform is the coolest of the bunch, in other words, I take this round!

Yuma: Hah! This is one fucked up competition!

Ayato: Well then, this is the final round. Right now it’s a draw with each of us havin’ one point after all. 

Subaru: Why are you participatin’ as well…? 

Ayato: For starters, check this out…!

*Thud* 

Subaru: Wha…!? This is…!? 

Yuma: A picture of…the Sow!? 

Ayato: Heh! What do you think? 

Yuma: How did you…? 

Ayato: I stole it from a certain someone. 

Subaru: W-What are you…goin’ to do with this picture…? 

Ayato: It’s easy. I want you guys to confess your love towards the Chichinashi in this picture. 

Yuma: Aah!? It’s kinda creepy to do that when it’s just us three dudes ‘round, don’t you think? Why not just actually bring her here instead? 

Subaru: Yeah! Exactly! Where is she right now? 

Yuma: She’s probably in her classroom, no? I’ll go call her real quick. 

Ayato: Ah, you can’t do that. 

Yuma: And why not!? 

Ayato: She’ll end up findin’ out where I got this picture. 

Yuma: Ah? The fuck? 

Subaru: Find out…? Ayato, where did you get this picture? It’s not from Laito? 

Ayato: Idiot. Who knows what kind of pictures that guy would pull out. I took this one…directly from her own room. If she finds out I’m usin’ it for this, it’ll only complicate things even further.

Yuma: Ahー I guess it can’t be helped then…

Subaru: ‘It can’t be helped’...!? Don’t you think there’s other things we should point out here!? 

Ayato: Anyway, we’re gonna settle things with this round. Whoever takes the win can have this picture. 

Yuma: For real…!? 

Subaru: …!!

Ayato: What do you say? I bet you’re feelin’ a little more up for it now, huh? 

Subaru: W-Who…would even want such an ugly photo!? Hah!

Yuma: ‘Kay. I guess Subaru’s droppin’ out of the competition then. 

Subaru: Wha…!? I-I bet you don’t want this picture either, do you!? 

Yuma: Nah, I want it. I was just lookin’ for somethin’ I could pin to the face of my scarecrow. 

Ayato: Fuck off! Don’t be usin’ the picture which took me blood, sweat and tears to obtain for somethin’ like that! I’ll keep it in that case!

Subaru: H-Hold up…! You were never part of this competition in the first place, were you!? So I guess I have no other choice…but to take it instead. 

Ayato: What’s that? You really can’t be honest with yourself, can you, Subaru? If you want it that badly, then just honestly say so. 

Subaru: …!? I don’t really…

Yuma: Then why bother participatin’...? 

Subaru: Che…Shut up!! I’m in, end of the story!

Ayato: ‘Kay! Now you’re talkin’! You can go first then, Subaru. 

Subaru: Ah!? Me!? 

Yuma: Exactly. You seem rarin’ to go, so I’ll let ya go first.

Subaru: N-No…I…

*Flip* 

Ayato: Here you go. Give it your best shot while lookin’ at the picture. 

Subaru: Umh…Well…

Yuma: Oi, hurry up! We haven’t got all day!

Subaru: …Ugh…Ahー You know…Well…You’re alwaysーー 

Ayato: Oh! Is that Chichinashi walkin’ over there? 

Subaru: Wah!? T-This is…It’s not what you think…!!

Subaru quickly rips up the picture. 

Ayato: Haha, just kiddin’...!

Subaru: …Hah!? 

Ayato: The fuck…Subaru, you lil’ shit! Why did you rip the picture apart!? 

Subaru: N-Not my fault! Maybe if you didn’t say that stupid shit!

Yuma: Oi…What are we gonna do ‘bout this? I’m pretty sure even the Sow will get mad if she finds out ‘bout this? 

Ayato: Not my problem! Subaru’s the one who shred it to pieces!

Subaru: But you’re the one brought it out, right!?

Yuma: Ah, shut up! You’re the one at fault here, Subaru. This means I’m the winner, right? 

Subaru: Hell no! We should have never tried to determine strength through this kind of shitty competition anyway!

Yuma: Heck yeah. A man’s true strength is defined by how he performs in battle after all. 

Yuma cracks his knuckles. 

Subaru: Fine by me. …You’re on!

*THUD*

Yuma: Take this!! 

*THUD*

Ayato: Ahーahー I can’t believe they’ve started fightin’ in the middle of the hallway like that. Not my problem! …So, who was stronger in the end? 

Yuma: Hah! That’s all you’ve got!?

*Thud* 

Subaru: Shut up!!

Ayato: Haah…In the end, the strongest guy has to be Yours Truly! Well then, guess I’ll dip before one of the teachers gets here. 

Ayato walks away.

ーー THE END ーー

[nhinxsworld]

I love pet play so here is me doing pet play scenrios ♡♡♡♡ just some thoughts what pet i think they would have and what they'd do uwu

my list!

Characters: Gojo Satoru x reader ; Megumi Fushiguro x reader ; Toji Fushiguro x reader ; Naoya Zenin x reader and Itadori Yuji x reader

warning: nsfw ; petplay ; dom/sub ; humiliation ; dumbification and idk???

Gojo Satoru

He peaks as the soft/slutty bunny type of guy or a cunning fox

Honestly his white hair just gives me snow bunny vibes, but any kind of bunny would be cool with him.

On one side he likes to corrupt the innocent looking ones, cute little bunnies who get feral horny with him. Pretty costumized bunny ears for his pet, he can afford it. Pretty pillow princesses he fucks stupid, in any position, but it's a plus if he can see that soft pretty tail.

Or maybe just the classic playboy bunny type, model body. Curvy, pretty ones, the nice lips, nice everything with those skin tight skimpy bunny suits. Fishnet or nylon doesn't matter, he'll rip them apart, he loves that clean sexy look, before he messes everything up.

Why fox? He just peaks me as somewhat you know special out of the usual. Foxes are rather rare for pet play since they aren't the average pet either. Though I can imagine a pretty fox, who would tease him back and is playful would keep him interested. He just might put a collar on you and tugs you around for the fun of it.

He thrives at any title master??? fuck yes baby push his ego. Sir??? hell yeah push his authority might as well call him sensei. daddy?? sure as classic he'll call you little one and other sweet nicknames

Really depends on his mood that day or what you'd want him to do, he can do anything, if you're a good pet for him he'll praise you, if you want to be degraded sure he'll call you his slut and spits on your face.

You just want to fuck ? Sure, he'll fuck you stupid and breeds your bunny/fox hole/cunt. You want him to actually treat you like a pet?? Yeah sure he'll put down a water bowl and all that shit down for you to use, he'll give you hella foreplay.

jokes about animal abuse in the end lol

Megumi Fushiguro

He is my baby, but if I had to pick for him? I'd just say puppy's. Megumi is a confirmed dog person, so yep I think he'd like obedient puppy's. Probably blushes when you put on the ears and the tail, at first he was like nah he isn't into it, but now it gets his dick hard.

He is very soft and sweet, so I can imagine that he'd get along with a playful and obedient puppy's. Loves it when the soft fur of your tail brushes against his skin and how the cute puppy ears peak through your hair. He'll praise you and would call you his good pet as he fucks on all fours. Probably wouldn't tug too much on your collar and leash, it just looks pretty on you.

Would get so flustered at the beginning if you want to call him titles, even if his name is girly, he'd probably still likes the intimacy when you call him by his name between titles.

probably thinks it's a bit weird at first, but you can ease him into it, and he'll tell you what he likes or and what he doesn't like

Toji Fushiguro

I'd just like to think the bias towards dogs runs in the family if not I think he's just the basic cat type same shit but calls you kitty

unlike Megumi, Toji isn't soft. He probably wouldn't care if you'd wear gear or not, actually he might tease and bully you, if you want to wear pretty puppy ears and a tail. Would call you slutty and weird, but he'd still fuck you. He is probably older so he'd just might call you childish and the whole 'You want to be a what kid??' Other than that he wouldn't always call you a good puppy, he'd call you his dumb fucking mutt. Just lives to degrade you and call you stupid. If you want to wear a collar and leash he'll fucking yank you with it, piss him off, and he will choke you with it.

He will literally choke you when you call him daddy. It's unknown of whether he likes or he hates it, he'd just allow it. Sir might be too formal for him a lot of people call him that probably since he is a bit older and works at weird places where he doesn't give his name often. Probably doesn't like master as it might be too touchy towards his family issues back when he was a Zenin.

If it's the cat type he probably is an absolute brat tamer, if you're an egoistic little kitty you're fucked. Get down on your knees for him, he'll fuck your throat until you cry. Be a good kitty for daddy, milk him. Behave and he just might help your little drenching pussy out.

He is just here to fuck, but he would humor you a bit with dirty talk, if you do well, and he likes you. Otherwise nah he wouldn't really go deep into petplay. He is an adult man who was married to what it seems a very normal women so he probably doesn't want to do something super wild or new.

Naoya Zenin

hmmmm I think it's a bit difficult because one dogs are obedient, but they're also often considered dirty mutts I feel like he'd rather like something expensive like one of those white beautiful fur blue eye cats (lmaoo gojo) though cats are seen as arrogant, and he wants his to submit to him fully

probably looks and acting wise he'd like cats but he'd go for dogs too

He just seems like the type to degrade you, and it's easier to insult a dog than a cat y'know?

LMAOO FORGET THE GEAR WITH HIM you won't ever get to ask him to put on ears. He is a traditional man, the max he'd put on you is a collar. I just don't see him wanting to take you on your suggestions and I don't see him suggesting it himself.

If you're very, very, very well-behaved he just might call you a good dog. Yep, don't expect him to call you something cute like puppy. Probably the type to not let you wear any clothes, but your collar. Makes you crawl around with a leash attached, he wants to see you suffer, he wants to dehumanize you. He fucking owns you, he does whatever he wants with you. You're here for his pleasure not yours and he gets off to you being embarrassed and humiliated.

Bark back and he'll put a muzzle on you.

Don't even hesitate to lick the floor he walks on, don't look at him, when he doesn't allow it. He will punish you upon misbehaving and his punishments are real torture.

With him, you need to be well-trained and groomed, a dirty disobedient pet isn't going to stay anywhere near him. Be a good pet, and he just might let you sleep next to his bed, if you do very well and present yourself well in front of his family he just might treat you well and allow you to sleep on the bed.

This isn't pet-play to him he is just an asshole. If he makes you eat face first from a bowl like a dog, he does it to humiliate and laugh at you. Calls you pathetic.

Yuji Itadori

lmaooo its said he is mixed between dogs and cats, but I think he'd have a cat lean when it comes to pet-play

it's just the whole catgirl/catboy/catenby on the internet for him, he thinks cat ears are cute

would totally be exited if you wanted to wear cat ears and tail, he'd just be fascinated about them for while, thinks it's super cute nothing weird at all

hell he'd love it if you wore the cat ears outside bedroom activities too

Would coo and praise you, goes pspsp and all the shit like you're a real cat

wholesome sex but would get horny af if you meow while he pounds you

absolutely mad horny when your collar jingles around while he fucks you, it's too cute

Thinks it's super fucking cute would totally be intrested to look further for fun, probably would platonically treat you as a pet too. Calls you kitty outside the bedroom.

Neck scratches !!

Calls you his pretty kitty, would be down to do anything.

He is your biggest simp :)

[scoutception]

Ranking the 5 anime I’ve recently watched: mecha edition

For a while, I was actually pretty reluctant to try out watching mecha anime, only really touching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and the original Mobile Suit Gundam before. Recently, though, I became inspired to dive deeper into the genre, and after going through a little mini binge of it, I can say with confidence, it’s a pretty great genre. Already, many of the ones I’ve watched have been stylish, very entertaining, and just plain unique experiences, with one of them quickly managing to become my new favorite anime, period. This was actually the hardest ranking I’ve done so far, due to just how much I enjoyed most of the shows here, and since I have a lot to say, let’s just jump right in. As usual, this is absolutely bias city.

5. Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ

Number of episodes: 47. Language options: subs only (technically an English dub was made, but it’s mostly lost media). Streaming availability: none.

Produced by Sunrise, a name that is going to show up a lot in this post, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ is the third full Gundam series, the sequel to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and the third series taking place in the Universal Century setting, taking place merely days after Zeta Gundam.

In the year 0088 of the Universal Century, the Anti-Earth Union Group (AEUG), freshly out of a costly victory against the Titans, finds itself faced with yet another opponent: Axis, the remnants of the Principality of Zeon, led by Haman Karn, the supposed regent for Mineva Zabi, the young final heir of the Zabis, the original rulers of Zeon. The Argama, the AEUG carrier ship which proved a key player in the prior Gryps War, limps its way to the decrepit colony of Shangri-La for much needed repairs. While there, Judau Ashta, a young teen who, along with several of his close friends, works as a salvager for a living, attempts to steal the now vacant Zeta Gundam in hopes to provide for his little sister, Leina. However, Mashymre Cello, a romantic and idealistic officer of Axis, soon arrives at Shangri-La as well, and devoid of other options, the crew of the Argama recruit Judau and his friends to serve as mobile suit pilots and fight against Axis.

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ is a weird one, to say the least. In response to how miserable Zeta Gundam got towards the end, ZZ was deliberately made much more lighthearted in comparison, which I don’t think was necessarily a bad idea. Being lighter than Zeta Gundam isn’t hard, and transferring all that depression between series would be a bit too much. Unfortunately, the way they tried to lighten it up consists of pretty flat attempts at humor, usually cheap slapstick, unthreatening villains, and some generally annoying characters, particularly Beecha and Mondo, who quickly do everything they can to try to sell out the Argama, and never face proper punishment. Even if these aspects were handled better, it’s just too jarring a change considering it takes place so soon after Zeta, and that the story still consists of young teens having to fight and kill others on a regular basis. Most of the new mobile suits are pretty forgettable, and the fights aren’t very interesting early on either, mostly due to Judau’s initial incompetence as a pilot. Throw in just plain weird things, like the Moon Moon two parter that just plays like a very by the numbers episode of Star Trek, or the surreal first episode, which consists of a recap for both the backstory and lore, a random mobile suit quiz, and only a tiny bit of actual plot, and it’s easy to see why so many fans shun ZZ.

That said, I don’t think it deserves all its reputation. It definitely gets off to a weak start, in no small part because it takes an absurd 8 episodes for the Argama to even leave Shangri-La and get the plot really started, but around episode 20, the tone starts balancing itself much better. It never quite goes to the depths of Zeta Gundam or even the original series, but it does become much more serious without completely losing its humor, even containing some of the most tense and interesting sequences in the franchise up to this point, I’d say. The soundtrack has some neat songs, and the OPs especially are fantastic and super catchy. The cast isn’t nearly as classic as in the original or Zeta, but there are still plenty of winners. Judau starts a bit annoying, but manages to grow into a surprisingly good protagonist. Haman Karn, who was already very memorable in Zeta, takes a much more prominent role, and gains a surprising amount of depth throughout as well, always making her one of the highlights. There’s also some other decent antagonists as well, such as Mashymre, the wannabe knight who manages to be a strange balance of pathetic and surprisingly sympathetic thanks to a strangely large amount of character development he gets, and is definitely one of the more entertaining parts early on, or Glemy Toto, who manages to be surprisingly memorable by the end. The biggest highlight of the cast to me, however, is Roux Louka, whose first appearance really marks the point the show starts its climb towards improvement. Between making an awesome first impression, being more mature than most of the rest of the new main characters, while still having some quirks of her own, and generally being very competent and witty to a very entertaining degree, she’s easily the coolest character in the series to me, and one of my favorite characters in the franchise so far.

Overall, ZZ is definitely a mixed bag. The low points within the first half are difficult to ignore, and even when it does improve, it’s usually not quite as tightly written as the series that came before it. The climax is cool, but not quite as good as original Gundam’s or Zeta’s, and it’s pretty lousy at handling some of its characters, with instances like Mashymre being absent for most of the series and not really doing anything once he comes back, or several other seemingly meaningful villains vanishing entirely without resolution. That said, I do think the high points of the series generally make up for it. It’s definitely not an awful watch, and is worth a fair try by any fan of Gundam.

4. The Vision of Escaflowne

Number of episodes: 26. Language options: dub and subs available. Streaming availability: Funimation.

Produced by Sunrise, this classic 1996 anime is definitely the furthest from the traditional mecha format than any other I’ve watched as of now. Instead of just being mecha with other elements added on, The Vision of Escaflowne is a more or less equal mix of romance, fantasy, and mecha, all of these elements being quite important to its identity. I don’t even know whether it can be classified as a real robot show, like Gundam, a super robot show, like Gurren Lagann, or something else entirely.

Hitomi Kanzaki is an average high school girl whose only real distinguishing traits are an astonishing talent at reading tarot cards and a strange pendant left to her by her grandmother. One day, an attempt from Hitomi to earn her first kiss from her crush on the track team is interrupted by the appearance by the appearance of a pillar of light, out of which comes Van Fanel, a young man with a sword, along with a dragon. After slaying the dragon with some assistance from Hitomi, the pillar of light returns, taking both Hitomi and Van to Gaea, the world from which Van hails from, and where the Earth can be seen in the night sky. Van, as it happens, is the prince of the kingdom of Fanelia, and was assigned to kill a dragon as part of his rite of ascension. Almost immediately after Van’s coronation, however, Fanelia comes under attack by the forces of Zaibach, a highly advanced empire ruled by Emperor Dornkirk, who, using a device that allows him to see into the future, has enacted a plan requiring the devastation of several other countries, Fanelia among them. In the chaos, Van and Hitomi are forced to escape aboard Escaflowne, a special and powerful mech known as a Guymelef that, as Dornkirn soon discovers, is the largest source of uncertainty that stands in the way of Zaibach’s goals. Soon allying with a knight of the kingdom of Asturia known as Allen Schezar, Hitomi and Van set out to discover a way to stop Zaibach and avenge the devastation of Fanelia, pursued by Dilandau, a psychotic commander of Zaibach who leads the elite Dragonslayers, and Folken, a mysterious traitor to Fanelia who answers directly to Dornkirk himself.

The Vision of Escaflowne is just a plain well made series. It has a solid, well developed, and memorable cast, such as Hitomi, who gets to be surprisingly proactive for a character of her kind, and gets several great moments throughout the series, or Dilandau, who manages to be a villain both very entertainingly crazy and surprisingly sympathetic, something he shares with almost the entirety of the other antagonists. The plot moves at a very fast and unique kind of pace, pretty much constantly being on the move, but never feeling exhausting, and has a lot of very neat twists and turns throughout, especially its fascinating take on the concept of fate, as reduced to a scientific concept. One of the writing biggest strengths, however, is the effectiveness of its examination of the horrors of war, which a pretty typical theme for the genre, differentiating itself by focusing a lot on the sheer destruction that is caused by it, and the aftermaths even after individual battles have ended. It also handles fight scenes quite interestingly, as only a handful of episodes really have big dedicated fight sequences, and while they are quite well made and exciting, they’re also often very disturbing, especially the ones in which Van goes on a rampage, something that you would normally be expected find cool. Indeed, the series as a whole has a lot of gruesome and disturbing sequences or elements that just further the nightmarish atmosphere it likes to put on. It’s all very effective, and sends its messages very well.

Moving aside from the writing, The Vision of Escaflowne’s other aspects don’t drop off either. Both the animation and the art direction are quite good, especially where Zaibach’s creations are concerned. The music, composed by Yoko Kanno, best known for Cowboy Bebop, along with Hajime Mizoguchi, is also quite good and effective. I chose to watch Funimation’s 2016 English dub, and overall, I just found it decent. There’s several good performances, such as Caitlin Glass as Hitomi, Aaron Dismuke as Van, and Joel McDonald as Dilandau, but nothing I thought was outstanding. I’ll probably give this a rewatch subbed in the future. All in all, The Vision of Escaflowne is a pretty unique and solid series, handling all its different aspects quite well, and definitely carving out a unique place in the mecha genre for itself. The only reason it’s lower on this list for me is that I just found myself enjoying the others coming up more. 3. The Big O

Number of episodes: 26. Language options: dub and subs available. Streaming availability: Hidive (first season only).

Here we have one of the big cult classics of the mecha genre, produced once again by Sunrise. This series has a very interesting history, as it was originally cancelled after its first season, comprising the first thirteen episodes, only to get a revival courtesy of, of all things, Cartoon Network, who helped co-produce the second season a few years later. Unfortunately, to my understanding, this probably turned the series into a bit of a licensing hell, so only the first season is available on Hidive. I did watch the second season as well, though, through other means.

The Big O takes place in Paradigm City, the seeming last bastion of civilization in the world whose inhabitants were all inexplicably and simultaneously struck by amnesia forty years ago, depriving them of their pasts. One of the city’s many inhabitants is Roger Smith, a professional negotiator who, on the surface, is merely hired to help secure deals between parties in conflict or ensure they are carried out smoothly. His jobs, however, often reveal themselves to be far more complicated affairs, forcing him to moonlight as a private investigator and, in the event of serious emergencies, serve as the secret pilot of Big O, a gigantic and immensely powerful “Megadeus”. Working alongside his butler, Norman Burg, R. Dorothy Wayneright, an extremely sophisticated android whose creators were assassinated during one especially convoluted case, and Dan Dastun, Roger’s former commanding officer in the Paradigm City Military Police, Roger finds himself forced to rely on Big O increasingly often, as a string of bizarre incidents involving other megadai begin occurring, many of which appear to be connected to Alex Rosewater, the man in charge of the Paradigm Corporation, and thus the effective ruler of the entire city.

The Big O is a very unique series, to say the least, and one with many strengths. It has a very enjoyable cast, from the stylish and extremely entertaining Roger, to Dorothy, who manages to be one of the more effective and memorable characters of her kind, in my opinion, to Dastun, who gets a very interesting arc across the show dealing with his struggle to actually contribute anything in the face of the megadai, to Schwartzwald, an extremely bombastic and psychotic character who manages to be the show’s coolest and most enjoyable villain by far, with any episode he shows up instantly becoming great. The first season is mostly comprised of monster of the week type plots, with the more dedicated story arc occurring across the second season. The Big O pulls this off better than a lot of other series, however, thanks to just how diverse these monster of the week episodes manage to be, such as an alleged ghost assassinating officials from the military police. The plots to them are crazy, but never jarringly so, instead managing to make the setting of The Big O into one where you can accept just about anything that goes on in it. That doesn’t mean the weirdness of the series doesn’t get jarring, as it definitely ramps up as the series goes on, with the first and last few episodes of season 2 being the most obvious with it, complete with an ending that seems out to defy any attempts to understand it.

Moving onto its other aspects, The Big O is an absolute visual treat, taking heavy inspiration from film noir, giving it a very unique look from almost any other anime series, and its cast taking heavy inspiration from that of Batman. The action scenes are pretty fun and exciting, and the music is very good and very memorable. This is all topped off by a plain great English dub, fitting perfectly with the aesthetics and tone of the series, with Steve Blum as Roger, Lia Sargent as Dorothy, and a magnificently hammy Michael McConnohie as Schwartzwald especially sticking out to me. Overall, The Big O is a fascinating and extremely enjoyable watch. Between its heavy sense of style, great cast, and fascinating story, it definitely earns its reputation as a classic. My opinion on it is only slightly below the next one coming up, and is absolutely worth a watch for anyone curious about it.

2. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

Number of episodes: 50. Language options: dub and subs available. Streaming availability: Funimation.

The second full series in the Gundam franchise, produced (shocker) by Sunrise, here we have one of the most important, popular, and influential parts of Gundam as a whole. If not for Zeta’s success after public opinion miraculously granted the original Gundam a much deserved reevaluation, the franchise definitely would have died out, and one of Japan’s biggest media franchises would have never come to be.

In the year 0087, seven years after the end of the One Year War between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon, humanity finds itself deprived of peace once again due to the rise of the Titans, an elite branch of the Federation’s military created to ensure the various space colonies can never form a power like Zeon again. Unfortunately, however, the Titans, unrestrained by the Federation and comprised only on those born on Earth, have become a bullying, oppressive, and elitist force that viciously punishes the colonists for the slightest of reasons. In response to the Titans’ ways, the Anti-Earth Union Group is formed, dedicated to stopping the their abuses and encourage humanity to leave Earth behind entirely in favor of the space colonies. In the middle of all this, Kamille Bidan, a violent, arrogant, hotheaded, and all around troubled teen finds himself in conflict with the Titans, assaulting one of their members, the arrogant rookie Jerid Messa, over an offhanded comment about his name. Managing to escape right as the AEUG is launching an attack on Kamille’s colony, the field base of the Titans, Kamille manages to hijack the Gundam Mk-II, a successor to the original Gundam developed by the Titans, and goes off to join the AEUG and end the tyranny of the Titans.

Compared to the original 1979 Gundam series, which definitely had plenty of rough edges, mostly early on, Zeta Gundam is definitely a much more consistent experience, with many strengths. It has a memorable, complex, and developed cast. Whether it be characters “Quattro Bajeena”, an extremely flimsily disguised Char Aznable, giving a shot at trying to be a decent person and mentor to Kamille after the tribulations of the One Year War, Emma Sheen, a mature and collected Titans officer who quickly deserts upon seeing their corruption, Paptimus Scirocco, a magnificently sinister and manipulative Titans fleet commander who has big plans of his own, or Jerid Messa, Kamille’s almost shockingly sympathetic rival, who undergoes a great deal of character development throughout the series and manages to stand out as one of the most human of the antagonists, there’s plenty of characters to enjoy. Even more minor characters, like Buran, an extremely competent Federation officer who pursues the protagonists for a handful of episodes, manage to leave an impact. The story is even darker than the original series, examining the state of humanity as its central government collapses into apathy in a very interesting way, and most of the goofier super robot elements from the original series, as enjoyable as they could be, are pretty much all done away with, culminating in an infamously depressing ending that hurts even if you’ve heard of it in advance.

The animation is much, much better than that of the original series, allowing for generally much better action scenes, and it has some great designs, both for characters and for mobile suits, and the soundtrack, composed by Shigeaki Saegusa, is much more diverse and memorable than that of the original series, giving the series a pretty epic feel. It’s easy to see why Zeta made an impact, but that said, I do still have a few nitpicks, like the cast as a whole not being quite as classic as that of the original series to me, whether it be Kamille being a much more unlikeable protagonist compared to Amuro, even with him eventually growing out of it, or the Titans generally being much nastier and one dimensional characters compared to many of Zeon’s characters, though several of them still manage to be enjoyable in their own ways, or the tone, which goes for extremely bitter, and doesn’t really do anything to combat it. While it is a large part of the series’ identity, it can get plain exhausting. Still, even if I do prefer some elements of the original Gundam, Zeta Gundam is still a very, very good series otherwise, and my second favorite watch of the franchise so far (the first currently being 0080: War in the Pocket).

1. Eureka Seven

Number of episodes: 50. Language options: dub and subs available. Streaming availability: Funimation.

And now, here we are, the anime that managed to steal my heart more than any other I’ve watched so far and has officially become my new favorite anime not even two weeks after finishing it. For a change, this was produced by Studio Bones, who have officially become one of my most enjoyed studios between this, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Soul Eater.

Renton Thurston is a young teen stuck living with his grandfather in a dead end city known as Bellforest. Renton’s father, Adroc Thurston, years ago sacrificed his life to save humanity during a near apocalyptic event known as the “Summer of Love”, leaving Renton to be raised by his older sister, who herself mysteriously vanished years ago. Perpetually stuck in his father’s shadow, and with seemingly no possible future besides becoming a mechanic as his grandfather stubbornly insists, Renton’s only escape from his depressing reality is his idolization of Gekkostate, an anti-government group whose counter culture magazine Ray=out fuels Renton’s dreams of becoming a professional lifter, essentially one who surfs through the air. One fateful day, however, the Nirvash typeZERO, a mech known as an LFO that was the very first of its kind, crashes into Renton’s home, in need of repairs. Its pilot is a member of Gekkostate, a mysterious, emotionally reserved girl known as Eureka, whom Renton instantly develops a crush on. Soon, however, the military launches an attack in an attempt to capture the Nirvash and its pilot, and in the confusion, Renton is given the Amita Drive by his grandfather, a strange device created by Adroc that allows the Nirvash to reach its full potential. Soon finding that the Amita Drive only seems to work properly when he’s present, Renton is invited to join Gekkostate by Holland, its leader. Soon after accepting, however, Renton slowly finds his idolization of the group crumbling, as he is constantly denied respect from its other members, particularly Holland, who quickly seems to gain a grudge against the boy. As reality seems determined to go against his expectations and ideals, Renton is forced to question his place in the world and true desires, while, all the while, a sinister plot by the military threatens to bring disastrous consequences upon the world.

The big thing that defines Eureka Seven, the thing that separates it both from the rest of its genre and even many other anime series out there, is the focus it places on Renton and Eureka’s relationship. It isn’t merely more prominent than usual, or even just an important element. It is the core, reason, and appeal of the series, period, one that ties into every other element of the plot and defines the focus and tone of the series from the very start. The result is one of, if not the most endearing, developed, well written, and just plain sweet romances I’ve experienced in any media. The series only improves with every step it takes in developing the two’s relationship, and with it their development as people, and what starts as a silly, one sided crush becomes something so adorably innocent and pure that almost every scene between the two in the second half of the series just had me smiling.

Don’t get me wrong, Eureka Seven is a bit of a slow burn series exactly because of that. Eureka really doesn’t get much focus early on, and the often cruel treatment Renton is initially subjected to can make the earlier episodes a bit of a drag. Eventually, though, it does change, and whether it’s around episode 11, like it was for me, or around the halfway point, like I’m sure it was for others, it reaches a point where it stops playing around and never looks back.

As you may suspect from all that ranting, this relationship is a very, very large part of my emotional attachment to this series, but that’s not nearly the only strength it has. The cast, even beyond the eventually fantastic Renton and Eureka, is one of my favorites out there, with many well developed, complex, and sympathetic characters, whether it be Talho Yuki, the pilot for Gekkostate with a unique understanding of Holland, Dominic Sorel, a young intelligence officer in the military who gradually finds himself unfit for the duties he’s meant to carry out, Anemone, a highly unstable and dangerous girl cared for by Dominic, or Charles and Ray Beams, a very charming couple of mercenaries for hire who are the focus of one of the best arcs in the series, there’s so many characters to love. Even the other, less important members of Gekkostate are very colorful and memorable in their own right, especially considering just how many of them there are. The actual plot, setting, and lore are also very interesting and compelling, taking a lot of fascinating, if confusing, twists and turns the whole way through. It’s also very unapologetically super robot as hell, in a way that reminds me of Gurren Lagann, where the sheer sincerity of it just makes it enjoyable.

Even past the writing, Eurka Seven’s other elements hold up. The look of the series is great, between the animation, the genuinely great character designs, and sleek look of the LFOs. The soundtrack, composed by Naoki Satō, is great and distinctive, and the OPs and EDs are some the catchiest I’ve heard. The English dub is great, with many strong performances, such as Crispin Freeman as Holland, Kate Higgins as Talho, Peter Doyle as Dominic, and Kari Wahlgren as Anemone, though the best performances among them belong to Johnny Yong Bosch as Renton and Stephanie Sheh as Eureka, in what I think are definitely some of their best performances out there. That said, I definitely plan to rewatch this series subbed someday, just out of pure curiosity.

All in all, Eureka Seven is a fantastic watch, one I can’t recommend enough. It’s a unique, emotional, and all around very memorable experience, one that’s so warm and positive that it actually just made me feel good and refreshed watching it. It doesn’t go overboard with it, as there’s plenty of depressing or creepy parts throughout, and it deals with some dark subjects throughout. It’s through refusing to push these elements aside and still managing to keep the emotional core of the series intact it manages to work so well. Even as someone who rarely rewatches anything, especially not longer series, this is definitely one I’m going to revisit a few times, if only for the sake of getting friends to watch it.

And with that, this post finally draws to a close. For once, this is a case where I’d recommend every series on this list. I definitely need a bit of a break from anything mecha for now, but there’s still plenty of other series out there that I plan to give a watch eventually, especially within the Gundam franchise. Till next time.

-Scout

[lesbian-octoling]

The After FAQ

Q: I’m not 18, but I’m going to be very soon! Can I still sign up?

A: You have to be 18+ at the time of submitting your form. If you are 18: you can submit a form! If you’re 17, you can’t. If you’re going to be 18 a few months after the start date, you’re welcome to join as a spectator, but it will be too late to join in as a player. Apologies :(

Q: When will spectators be allowed to join?

A: We’re not sure when or how we’re going to open it up to spectators, but it will happen! It’s gonna be a lot less intensive than player apps- basically ‘are you 18 and can you send a social media to verify it’. It WILL be before we start though, and unlike player apps, spectator apps will never close!

Q: What are you looking for in terms of RP quality and length?

A: Answered in detail here! TLDR, we’re looking for quality over quantity. We are still looking for high-quality roleplayers… though high quality doesn’t always mean super active or super long/fancy responses each time- quality means 'fun to roleplay with’!

Q: How many people will you be accepting?

A: This depends on several factors, including if I have a lot of people playing 2 characters vs 1 character, what characters I think could mesh well, and also my mental state whenever the application accepting times rolls around (it's easier to manage less people, though more can be potentially more fun). I'm shooting for around 10-15 people max, and about 20-30 characters max. I'm just gonna eyeball it when the time comes.

Q: How will characters be chosen, and will there be any preference/bias?

A: Players will be chosen on a lot of factors, mostly on their passion for their characters, quality of writing, and if their character is already taken or not. There is no purposeful bias towards OCs, canon characters, etc.

Q: How ‘close do canon’ do my interpretations of canon characters have to be? Can I deviate from canon?

A: Yes, you can deviate from canon! I go into more detail here, but TLDR: Characters are 100% open to player interpretation and even redesigns. The only 'limit' is that they have to be recognizable as their original character to some extent. Otherwise, go crazy go stupid!

Q: Help! I messed something up on my form!

A: That’s ok! You can edit it.

Q: You mentioned these inklings will be partially xeno/bio-based- what exactly is the anatomy here?

A: Yep! The setting is semi-xeno, but not extreme. There’s a visual guide here if you’d like, but I recommend reading the rest of this anyway. Some of the details include the fact that ALL inkfish (inklings, octolings, and any other cepahlopods) are:

Humanoid (no mantles or oddly shaped limbs)

Have (usually white) beaks, not teeth

Often have freckles/colored splotches, and small glowing freckles/spots

Have white ‘meat’ and blue blood, but are supported by pressurized ink in place of bones

Clean water does not kill them- but they have very porous, fragile skin that means they can absorb dirty water/mutagen quickly to make them sick, and their skin can be torn by enough of a pressurized blast of water (think a power washer or high-power hose).

The main differences between inklings and octolings (aside form the obvious like ears and masks) are:

Inklings have purely round/circular pupils, while octolings have pupils that can widen/contract between horizontal and round

Inklings have thin, catlike retractable claws/’hooks’, while octolings have thicker claws that are more of a hard extension of the finger

Inkling hair is NOT prehensile- it’s mostly made of fat. It cannot feel pain, and only bleeds a little bit. This makes them better at storing nutrients. However, octoling tentacles ARE prehensile, can feel pain, and will bleed heavily if cut- but they have little fat storage on them.

For non-inkfish characters, just about anything is up for grabs (within reason).

Q: What if my characters have a feature that isn’t supported by these headcanons?

A: This is sort of a case-by-case basis. Generally, your base character will have to fit the qualifications above just for consistency’s sake across all players. If your character has a unique feature- IE, strangely shaped pupils, tail, etc- that you want to keep, there’s a possibility that they could be already partially mutated, but managed to keep their sanity.

This has a lot of pros and cons- pros include unique features and potentially abilities (tail for balance, good vision, extra long claws, quills)... but it also means they’re only one tiny accident away from becoming fully mutated, while other players have that health buffer. If that happens, you lose control of your character for the duration they’re mutated. This isn’t even bringing up the potential discrimination they may face IC, as many people are wary of partial mutants.

If you want to do this, or aren’t sure, feel free to message me with the details.

Q: Can I play a non-inkling/octoling species?

A: Yes! You can play as any species that fits into the settings of splatoon! Most marine animals are fair game, including marine invertibrates and fishes. Sapient marine mammals are iffy, as they’re technically canon by a one-off line. I will accept fully marine mammals such as dolphins and narwals, but not semi-aquatic animals, such as sea otters. Some ideas of accepted species includes: shrimps, jellies, nudibranches, eels, any saltwater fishes, urchins, salmonids, etc.

I also will not be allowing sapient reptiles, birds, land/semi-aquatic mammals, or land invertebrates. Also, I won’t be accepting ‘magical’ (Ghosts, cryptids, etc) or unrealistic hybrid creatures (An eel/inkling hybrid born naturally, salmonlings), as this is a slightly more realistic as opposed to fantastic setting.

Q: But if I play a non-cephalopod character, how will they fight with ink?

A: Good news! Ink isn’t the main weapon here.

Ink is used as a weapon still, but less offensively and more tactically. Having a small ink gun on hand is useful for making quick getaways, distracting/stalling mutants, and even spraying it in their face as a distraction, deterrent, or to blind them if you do go to attack. For most mutants, however, ink will not kill or ‘splat’ them, as not all mutants are inklings mutants. Plus, it would be unfair to non-inkfish characters.

Physical weapons such as bats, knives, and guns (and even some weirder stuff like swords, bows, etc)  are going to be your go-to, like any apocalypse, though ink weaponry in addition can be a big boon in a battle.

This is also a good time to mention that while we don’t have specific stats or anything, your character’s species will affect how they fight and are impacted by fights.

Inkfish are very fast and can jump very high, are extremely resistant to blunt force trauma, and can use ink... but are very weak to slicing/piercing things and chemicals/mutagen because of their thin skin. Urchins can’t use ink and may be slow, but have potentially toxic spines and hard skin that resists piercing damage. Shrimp might have a fragile exoskeleton and not a lot of natural weapons, but it makes them very resistant to chemical and mutagen splashes. It’s all good stuff to keep in mind!

Q: Can I know more about the mutants?

A: Yes, to an extent! There’s some info on the mutants here.

Q: Can I know more about the mutagen?

A: Yes, to an extent! There’s some more info on mutagen here.

Q: There’s a lot of questionable/offensive/weird content in Coroika. Will this be allowed/what elements of coroika will there be?

A: The short answer is ‘only some minor elements will be taken, and all weird/offensive stuff MUST be retconned or addressed’. We’re mostly going to be supporting the game’s canon, NOT the comic’s canon. I go into this more detail here, which I suggest you read if you plan on playing a Coroika character.

Q: Who are the mods?

A: Myself and @bubblegum-spaceboy​ are the main two mods who will be doing the bulk of the important NPC/world stuff!

However, we have two sub-mods who helped create the server/concepts, and will also be there to help out with little stuff if neither of us are available, and play some minor NPCs. These two are @bombcollar​, and my friend Emmy who doesn’t really use tumblr lol.

Help! My question isn’t answered here!

Feel free to send in an ask or a message, and I’ll respond as best I can :D

[spiffyspuffy]

My Mystic Messenger Opinions

(That no one asked for)

Zen

Character: 8/10 I know a lot of people think Zens annoying but I find him endearing. One of the best things about this game is the complexity of the characters and I love that Zen’s cockiness is actually how he hides his insecurities. Even though he’s egotistical about himself, he’s never shallow with MC. He says multiple times that he doesn’t care about MC’s looks. He loves her for who she is and shows this in how he makes an effort to get to know her and be her cheerleader everyday. An underrated thing about Zen is how emotionally intelligent he is. He’s great at helping the RFA members when they need emotional support (Yoosung’s grief over loosing Rika, Jaehee crying from the stress of her job and MC’s shock at almost being kidnapped). 

Route: 2/10 Zen is a great character and he deserves a better route. The false rape accusation plot is horrible and offensive. Also, his route functions as an introduction to the game’s plot, so it’s exposition heavy and lacks action. The creators said that the lesson of his route is that when our insecurities are handled in a healthy way, they can push us to be better people. I love this message and I wish it had been highlighted more in his route.

Romantic Potential: 9/10 Zen is arguably the most dateable of all the characters. He’s a bad boy without being sketchy. He’s protective without being possessive. He’s kind without being a pushover and he’s smart without being pretentious. His biggest drawbacks are his overconfidence and and how busy he is with working. There aren’t any glaring red flags. 

~ More under the cut ~ 

Jeahee

Character: 7/10 I love this adorable theater nerd! She comes across as formal and stuffy at first, but reveals herself to be passionate and funny the more you get to know her. I gave her a lower score because she does have a strong personality that rubs me the wrong way sometimes (her jealousy of MC in Zen’s route, her lack of sympathy towards Jumin in her own route and her general rudeness towards Yoosung). She is the most mature of the RFA though, so her exasperation is warranted. Being mature and grounded also makes Jaehee the least complex Mysme character. I’ve got a lot of respect for her though!

Route: 5/10 Getting to engage in discourse about capitalism and the patriarchy? Amazing and hands down the best part of her route. It’s really inspiring to see Jaehee stand up for herself and choose to follow her dreams. I think it’s important for every young person to hear that they should have a positive work/life balance and demand that their employer supports that. Other highlights are Seven helping Jaehee by making the Power Point presentation for Jumin’s cat project, getting to fangirl with Jaehee over Zen and the creepy stalker plot. I thoroughly enjoy her route and the only reason the score is so low is because some of the other routes are seriously incredible.

Romantic Potential: 8/10 Jeahee doesn’t have any red flags either. I think she’s perfectly capable of having a healthy, romantic relationship with MC. The biggest issue standing in their way is Korea’s bias against lesbian relationships. As a fellow coffee lover and theater enthusiast though, I could definitely see myself or someone similar having a happy life with her, even if it might have to be in secret.

Yoosung

Character: 6/10 I can’t stand people who aren’t competent. Yoosung is a terrible cook, he barely cleans and he doesn’t pay attention to his studies. On top of that, 80% of his personality is that he’s a gamer AND he’s in love with his “dead” adopted cousin. Yuck. ~ But ~ I understand that he’s depressed and depression can seriously effect someone’s executive functioning. Taking all of those negatives away, we’re left with a young man who’s trying to his best to be taken seriously, which is something I can relate to. It’s nice to see imposter syndrome represented and I admire his loyalty to his friends. 

Route: 8/10 This route is sooo good! Who can forget the night when the RFA starts being aggressively stalked by Minty Eye? And the pic Zen takes of a believer looking at him through his apartment window...chills. His route only gets better from there when he infiltrates Mint Eye with Seven. This is the first time we get to see the twins interact and damn, is it confusing. But in a good way!!   The biggest drawback is that MC is stuck in Rika’s apartment and doesn’t play much of an active role in the story. 

Romantic Potential: 7/10 Despite all the negatives I listed about Yoosung, I do think he’s capable of have a healthy, romantic relationship with MC. Yoosung is also the only true sub of the RFA men, which is a definite plus for some players. Yoosung’s yandere side is a huge red flag though. MC better watch out if she doesn’t dote on him as much as he wants. Once he falls for her, he’s all in. 

Jumin

Character: 5/10 Unpopular opinion, but I hate Jumin. I understand that he’s some people’s guilty pleasure though. Jumin’s good aspects are that he’s intensely loyal, an animal lover and has a dry sense of humor. I appreciate how devoted he is to the RFA and it’s members. He offers to help Zen multiple times (albeit rejected), sends everyone body guards in his route and pays the hospital in the SE to keep Saeran’s identity top secret. What I’m not a fan of is the way he obsesses over MC and traps her in his house. This isn’t the first time he’s shown obsessive tendencies either. Seven explicitly states that Jumin acted this way with Rika in the past. Huuuge red flag.  

Route: 3/10 His entire route is fraught with rich people problems. I’m supposed to sympathize with him for an arranged marriage? All he had to do was say no. His father couldn’t force him. He’s possessive of MC because women have only ever wanted to be with him for his money? Not an excuse. Elizabeth going missing was a vaguely interesting story line, but Jumin’s relationship with his cat was cringey enough to overshadow the drama of it for me.

Romantic Potential: 3/10 Jumin has some serious issues. He’s never had a good female role model which has given him a deep seeded hatred of women. Remember when he tells MC that respecting women goes against his core beliefs? Yikes. Then, after meeting a woman who respects him and he actually likes, he locks her up and tries to change everything about her (cutting her hair, buying her a new wardrobe, teaching her the ‘proper’ way to walk, etc). We’re supposed to believe Jumin learns to be better by the end of his route, but he still proposes to MC after only a week of knowing her! I’m having a hard time picturing Jumin in a healthy relationship. 

Saeyoung

Character: 10/10 I’m not saying Saeyoung is a good person. Far from it actually. But he IS very well written and extremely interesting. In the other routes, Saeyoung is energetic and funny, bringing much needed humor to heavy moments. It’s always a joy being in a chatroom with him. Then you have the reveal that he actually hates his job and that he was faking his personality, all to a sad and slowed down version of his theme song. This plot twist shook me to my core. What makes him so well written is that the devs did a good job dropping hints to his real personality in the other routes that players might not notice during their first play through. 

Route: 9/10 This route is a wild ride from start to finish. This is when the plot threads from the other routes come together and start make sense. This route has secret agents, assassins, a deadly bomb, kidnapping, an evil twin, a powerful cult... It’s action heavy while still carrying enough emotional weight to make me cry every time. Saeyoung’s route is heavy and emotional and sooo worth playing. 

Romantic Potential: 6/10 Saeyoung has a shady job and a complicated past. Choosing to be with him means putting your life in danger every day. If you’re okay with that, he’d be a decent romantic partner. He’s a little rough around the edges, but I do think he has potential to become more like his ideal self (God Seven) after reading his AE. He’ll always have that mean and serious side to him, but I don’t think he’s hopeless. 

V

Character: 4/10 He’s low-key the worst. I sympathize with his trauma from being abused by Rika, but I don’t understand why he feels the need to fix everything by himself. Rika might be the source of most problems in this game, but V is partially responsible for standing by and letting her get away with everything. 

My first issue with him comes from encouraging Saeyoung to join the agency. I know Saeyoung didn’t have many options, but how was encouraging him to train to become a hacker and assassin the best option?! On top of that, he stalked Zen per Rika’s request and took creeper photos of him, failed miserably at protecting Saeran and don’t get me started on how he loves Rika unconditionally. V has some good characteristics but I really don’t care about those when he’s so terrible otherwise. 

Route: 10/10 This route is *chef’s kiss* the BEST. I wouldn’t call it a romance since Vs barely in it but damn is it riveting. Saeran is the perfect amount of loving and unhinged, MC get’s to know Rika on a personal level and V finally gets to be active instead of just reactive like he is in all the other routes. It’s also  satisfying to find out how much V has been keeping secret and to get a glimpse into Rika’s psyche. But what really makes V’s route stand out among the rest is that there are spy action scenes like in Saeyoung’s route, but the player also gets to spend time in Mint Eye.

Romantic Potential: 7/10 I’ll be honest. I don’t think V will ever be able to move on from Rika. He’ll always love her, as evidence in his AE. Besides that drawback, I do think he’d be a good romantic partner for MC. V was never the issue in his past relationship with Rika. She was the abusive one and he was 100% the victim. I think he would treat MC just as well in their relationship as he treated Rika. 

Saeran

Character: 7/10 I know I’m not the only one who loved the suave and cunning Saeran of the main routes who, after getting the therapy he needed, became an adorably shy and awkward man. Sadly, that’s not the character we got in AS. Instead, we met Ray, the split personality of Saeran’s psyche. Ray is charming and sweet as well as possessive and manipulative...which is something I’m into. But it’s not for everyone. Saeran’s real personality in AS is revealed to be angry and abusive and not at all similar to who he was in the main routes. I’ll give Cheritz props for writing a fairly accurate portrayal of disassociative identity disorder, but I think Saeran’s characterization is inconsistent. I get the impression Ray was an afterthought when creating AS. 

Route: 7/10 A mixed bag for me. I really enjoy any chatroom/scene with Ray. He’s undeniably creepy, but those scenes were entertaining in a dark romance kind of way. On the other hand, the Saeran scenes had a lot of unrealized potential. Abuse is never cool. All his route needed to fix this was a scene where Saeran explained to MC that he was pretending to hate her to appease Rika and the other believers. While this fake hatred is implied, I think it needed to be outright stated. It’s also hard to believe that Saeran overcame his DID in the course of one night. I know all routes are limited to 11 days, but this one needed more. Highlights of this route are Saeyoung being kidnapped by his father and of course, dark Yoosung with Elizabun. 

Romantic Potential: 7/10 I truly do believe that Saeran could go on and live a happy life in any of the endings where he escapes Mint Eye and receives therapy. While we only get a glimpse of what an emotionally stable Searan looks like, we know that he was kind and attentive with MC. Saeran is a giver and would do anything to make MC happy. Red flags are that Searan is still clingy at the end of his route. Yoosung makes a comment that he’s always holding MC’s hand when he sees them together. Also, his DID is something that will occasionally return and that’s something MC has to go into their relationship knowing. 

[battle-of-alberta]

OCtober: Cal and Ed

It’s finally over. I’m sorry for the delay but stuff has been Happening. If there’s a tourism site that attracts you more to one city or the other, let me know.

Calgary | Edmonton

Below is some meta stuff about the ‘research’ (if you can even call it   that, it was more of a vibe check) I did for re-doing the profiles. Read  on, if it intrigues you. And I gotta mention there’s a bonus rabbit hole I went down for Calgary’s self-image that is. Well. A Lot.

Major Cities: Calgary and Edmonton

We made it team, the heart of the Battle of Alberta, the major city rivalry that defined generations. Calgary is the largest city in the province and the centre of southern Alberta, a young, fast-paced major city that oscillates wildly between boom and bust and is attracting both attention and employees from the traditional major cities in Canada. Edmonton is the capital of the province and the the most northern major city with a metro population of over one million on the continent, a little older and more blue collar, somewhat more stable economically, and quickly rising to meet the challenges presented by open data and sustainable urban planning. And, as we know, they've been antagonizing each other since the 19th century, but collaborating as well.

Website Round Up Premise

While I was revisiting these character profiles, I took a look at how cities represented themselves on their municipal sites and tourism sites rather than how cities were represented in the news or in stereotypes, as the latter already tend to live in the back of my head. I was interested to see who the target audiences for each city were, what they considered their strengths, and how much effort each city put into putting its own identity on display. I was also interested into what ideas sort of fed into any pre-existing confirmation bias I had about each city's personality as well as interested in what narratives might be used to counteract negative stereotypes.The first thing I tended to notice was the overall information architecture of each city's website. How easy were they to navigate? What kinds of information did they have? How did they organize it? How did they communicate that information?

Out and About

There's a sharp difference between the websites of major cities from other cities. They are very careful to separate the corporation of 'The City of' from the cities we might know, and therefore both websites have a much more business-like tone and more distance from their civic identities. This means no traditional "About" pages as other cities might have.

At the time I'm visiting, Edmonton's page has some ADORABLE art of a nuthatch that's making me very homesick. Calgary has a seasonally appropriate snowy skyline.

Calgary does have an "Our Organization" tab which describes the City as a corporation, and likewise Edmonton has a "City Government" tab that performs a similar function. Edmonton's is in alphabetical order which is only a little annoying and Calgary's reads like a very perfectly chunked business portfolio that doesn't... really say as much as it looks like it does, but it does get bonus points for vision/organization/accessibility.

I have never seen a more concise history of Calgary in my life. It's literally three bullet points and a couple of bracketing sentences, but it does do the job. Calgary is, more or less, what it says it is (although I do take slight issue with its self identification as a trading post - it may have functioned that way but that was not what it was founded for and in fact the trading companies gtfo'd asap in those early days). It goes on to paint a very good sketch of the city in as few lines as possible in the text, and there's a little video at the end that feels like it was voiced over in 1988 even though it's clearly not.

Edmonton's City government page is even vaguer. Let's make a more dynamic and resilient Edmonton shall we, the page suggests. Resilient against What Exactly, I wonder. Winter? The boom-bust? Calgary? who knows. The majority of the sub pages are even more mysterious and essentially paint the picture of a city. It's a normal city. Trust us. We do city things. Here is exactly how government works and how to raise and lower a flag. In Edmonton, which is, in fact, a city.

I'm begging you if you think Calvin is hokey and annoying please read the Our Culture page and see it's EXACTLY how I intended to portray him because it's eXACTLY what it's already like. "The Four C's of Our Culture" give me a break.

Edmonton offers me a picture of the skyline and says "City of Opportunity: City of You". I suppose this is true. I don't know what it means. I fear slightly for its intentions.

I keep seeing "Calgary: A great place to make a living, a great place to make a life" and it's like. Stop! I won't go! You can't make me! (and again the Strong and Resilient Calgary. these kids are always catching colds because they don't eat properly.)

Although Edmonton makes literally zero attempt to define itself (outside perhaps the official symbols page hidden under Facts and Figures), what strikes me is that it is portraying itself as a very future-oriented city, which, when I was growing up we really never were. We were an inward city constantly wishing we were somewhere else which is partially still true, and we were a city with such an intense nostalgia (that unlike Calgary we failed to really capitalize on) that grated roughly against a complete failure to preserve history. It does kind of make me glad that the city is looking towards the future and just like, acknowledging basic realities (like snow) and trying to involve people in urban planning more (and throughout the website the city LOOOOVES to share data which I also called, haha). There's also an adorable animation of the city road map in its strategic planning pages. It's interesting that for a city that leaves itself up to your own interpretation, it does have a LOT of information about itself collected and available.

Tourism

Oddly enough, neither city has substantially changed their tourism homepage to accommodate COVID-related staycation plans, although each does mention that many things may be closed or unavailable as a result of the pandemic.

CaLGARy, Be PaRT of THe EnERGy!!

I like how Edmonton's self-presentation is "original" and "we do things differently". It's like a Keep ___ Weird thing but in an understated self-assured way that makes me laugh a little. Like yeah, I guess we are kind of different, I guess we're just not used to seeing that as a good thing.

In the tourism guides there isn't much to say about Calgary's that isn't just "oh, classic Calgary" but I do think the fact that they have "quick facts" to explain what timezone it's in and what currency they use is adorable to say the least. also the title of the guide is CALGARY (and the canadian rockies) and that sums up Calgary pretty well, which I'll elaborate on more.

I actually can't find Edmonton's guide, if it has one, but that's ok. The website hits all the buttons that I would and I actually use exploreedmonton quite frequently because it has a nicer event calendar than the city website does, which is important in a place nicknamed Festival City. I really appreciate how things are organized by month/season and even down to "what's happening today/tomorrow/this week" because it makes planning trips for my visitors easy, so now you know my secret : ) I wish I could just beam this site directly into people's brains when they mention "oh yeah thats where the mall is" when I say I'm from Edmonton.

Interestingly enough it's Calgary's turn to be vague, which I can only assume is part of its "exactly what it says it is" charm. This desperation to find a shred of self-description outside of things to do and places to stay led me down a rabbit hole I will elaborate on in a moment that truly showed me I Knew Nothing about how deep Calgary's branding goes. Otherwise, the website is very practical and functions more like an answer to questions you had about the what and the how and less so the why.

Also, the "Locals" page on Calgary's site has tips on hosting friends and family from around the province safely during the pandemic which is kind of cute. Edmonton doesn't really have a local page (i guess because if we had a hashtag like #loveyyc we'd ruin it)

Bonus: The Rabbit Hole

I wondered why Calgary's tourism page, which I expected to be the most in your face description of the city possible, fell kind of flat. I learned this seems to be because tourists are not the target audience that Calgary wants to attract. It's companies and corporations, and they get their own page.

Boy oh boy do they get their own page

This led me down this frightening path of getting validation like being repeatedly punched in the face by what On Brand Calgary truly means and I'm frankly quite speechless about it - all I can say is that you need to see it for yourself.

The tourism site gestures to a Billion reasons why you should hold your next meeting in Calgary and here is where the self definition as Big City Energy and Western Hospitality starts kicking the tires and lighting the fires. Likewise with the media-oriented page. Suddenly stuff like the Calgary Bucket List starts popping up and I can't help but go hang on, why not suggest this to tourists?

"It's cowboy spirit, but also refined and cosmopolitan" [sighs into hands]

Suddenly all the "Calgarians love visitors! Calgarians love the outdoors!" stuff is spilling out like water from a dam here. "Where's Calgary?" [Link that reads FIND US].

Like i literally feel like the tourism side on the left is the Kids Menu, it's the corporate stuff on the right that I'm actually finding the type of information I want on. Eventually, I somehow make my way to Calgary's Destination Strategy which is trying to make Calgary a place that... well, people go. Like, internationally. Like the Olympics but MORE of that.

Then I find the Brand Evolution. Then I find Calgary's Economic Development site. The poetry about rocky mountain prairie skies and "where a handshake still means something" starts to reach its peak.

Then back through the tourism site I find the video. And the video makes me shake because it suggests the premise of The Powerpoint.

The Powerpoint. I cannot summarize the powerpoint in any meaningful way or how my emotions were a rollercoaster further and further up and down the longer i scrolled. Everything I know and suggest about Calgary seems to be unequivocally true, including the sense that Calgary as a person is the sort of person who makes powerpoints about his own identity crisis because that's precisely what this is.

And then I get to the part of the powerpoint that suggests I imagine what kind of person the city of Calgary might be (and implied: does that person think about anything other than the mountains???) THEY EVEN DID AN OCEAN PERSONALITY TEST FOR THE CITY I KID YOU NOT

Hi, City of Edmonton, hire me to take an OCEAN test for our fair city. I'm begging you.

[kikithegeek]

An Amateur Review of Ridley Pearson’s Super Sons

Please be aware: This will contain some spoilers for the Super Sons graphic novels written by Ridley Pearson. If you do not wish to be spoiled on plot or character development, please stop reading this and come back once you’ve read through the books yourselves. Otherwise, enjoy this amateur review.

INTRODUCTION

As someone who grew up reading comics from Marvel, DC, IDW, and Archie, it was always fun when legacy characters were introduced or focused on. Characters that were students or the children of characters that my parents grew up with always felt nice to me, and even relatable when they were introduced or shown to be growing up in a similar or the same time period as my friends and I. Taking this into account, it’s no wonder that by the time I was in high school, some of my favorite comics involved Damian Wayne/Robin and Jonathan Kent/Superboy. Yes, I was definitely older than them by the time their series came in, but some of the problems they faced, even the small ones, seemed familiar to my own. Problems such as Jon’s reluctance of moving away from Hamilton County to Metropolis where he’d be leaving behind people he’s known for years into what is essentially a foreign environment for him, or both characters having to live up to the examples their parents have set; something I’m sure many of us can relate to as children are always compared to their parents or successful family members. The growing friendship between them was always a highlight no matter what type of adventure they were on.

In 2019, Ridley Pearson and Ile Gonzalez released the first book in their 3-part series starring Jon and Damian in a sort of rebooted universe. Fan feedback at the time was mixed, with some fans unhappy and others just happy they were getting more content featuring their favorite duo. Personally, I wasn’t paying attention all that much; I was in the middle of college and my focus had drifted away from comic books that year to focus on my studies, but with the recent pandemic and more time to read I’ve fallen back into the rabbit hole of super heroes and villains. I remember there being an outcry against the books when the previews began to be released, but after they did release and finished their run, I didn’t hear anything. No one really actively talked about what the books were about and most of what I heard seemed to come from people who read a handful of pages, if at all, and then never finished it. So, I decided to put my two cents in and read them. I’ll be looking at them as someone who has been a fan of their main-like counterparts for years, and as someone who also acknowledges that this isn’t canon to it and is an alternate universe (or alternate Earth in the cases of the DC comics multiverse), if anything to look at it from a neutral perspective.  

It should be noted that this isn’t the first time I’ve read through Ridley Pearson’s work. In middle school and even through high school, I couldn’t get enough of Kingdom Keepers and Peter and the Starcatcher, even getting tickets to see the touring cast of the latter’s theater adaptation when they came to my state. I’ve read a few interviews on his work with the Super Sons before going into the books themselves, and he doesn’t neglect to say that this series isn’t connected to the normal DC canon (whatever that is these days; any comic book reader knows that reboots, especially for DC in the last decade, usually happen quite a bit). Okay, that’s probably a given, and it makes things easier considering the main target demographic are kids aged 10-14. There’s a lot of content to go over when it comes to everything connected to Damian and Jon, even more so for Batman and Superman, so this makes it less difficult for kids who don’t have much experience with DC outside of the occasional tv show and movie to get into it.

But what about the story itself?

THE STORY

(The majority of the story spoilers are beyond this point since I summarize the books. This is your last spoiler warning.)

The story itself takes place in an alternate future. America is called Coleumbria and the global climate crisis has gotten to the point where it’s a race to find a way to stop the rising temperatures and constant flooding. While Batman and Superman spearhead the projects set to stabilize and then reverse the Earth’s temperature, their sons are moved from Metropolis to a city called Wyndemer with other refugees looking to find somewhere safe from the floods. This causes tensions in the city to heighten as refugees, called “flood runners”, are harassed by locals. Without going too in-depth into the books (otherwise, we’d be here all day), I’m going to summarize them. Certain characters and events might be omitted, but hey, at least it gives you a reason to read them even if I tell you what they’re about.

The first book introduces us to this crisis and shows us how this world’s Jon (who still goes by Superboy in this) and Damian (who is going by Batkid) meet. While there’s some animosity between them at first, with Jon having a not-too-hidden bias against Bruce Wayne, the two eventually start to work together when they realize their individual investigations are connected. Jon and his classmate, Tilly, have been looking into a mysterious illness that’s hospitalized Jon’s mother among many others, and Damian has been investigating sabotages against Wayne Tech dams. They also meet a girl named Candace who is trying to uncover a mystery that’s plagued her since her mom’s passing. After finding clues at a food company called Sage Foods, the group is attacked and manages to escape after Jon is told their attackers were sent by a woman named Arvyc. After finding out that Candace and Damian had set Jon up earlier in the book to be attacked by a few gang members, the group have a short fight before they go to the train station to stop Arvyc’s gang.

The second book opens with the boys helping Candace make it to a boat while escaping a group of girls called The Four Fingers. While they didn’t have as much of a presence in the previous book, had been shown as adversaries of Candace’s. Continuing into their investigations into the virus, Jon and Tilly learn that it was man-made as Candace’s visions lead her toward Coleumbria’s capital. The Four Fingers, meanwhile, are adamant about finding Candace, so they’ve taken to stalking her friends, until they realize they’re “dead ends”, so they choose to follow their own leads. It is revealed that The Four Fingers and Candace all have powers that connects them to certain species of animals; with Candace, she has a connection to birds and she states her grandmother was the same. Tilly comes up with her own vigilante persona, Puppet Girl, and stays behind in Wyndemer as Damian and Jon leave to go to Cinapolis to find the virus’s source. However, the boys get captured and Tilly decides she needs to help them. Candace in the meantime has found an anointing oil her mother had left clues for her to find, which is the key to the throne of Landis, the country she and The Four Fingers come from. It ends with the Super Sons and Tilly saving Candace and helping her get on a boat back to Landis while Arvyc escapes from prison.

The third and final book opens with Jon, Damian, and Tilly trying to track Arvyc down and it’s obvious that they’ve been at this for some time now, but they soon become the hunted. Candace makes it back to Landis and finds one of the rebels her mom had led before she was arrested. As Candace continues on her journey, Jon, Damian, and Tilly are sent by Batman to a LexCorp lab to retrieve a virus sample, only to find it isn’t there. They decide to go to Landis since The Four Fingers were heading there with the virus (and Candace had gone with intentions to stop them), but Tilly needs to stay behind again. The boys and Candace continue their respective journeys through Landis, however a man who’s been pulling the strings from the shadows for the last two books, Sir Reale, has decided to send Arvyc after them along with Talia. Talia and Arvyc attack the boys who manage to outsmart them for the moment, and are reunited with Candace who has been tracking the virus with two warriors named Kizuka and Archer. Tilly, back in Coleumbia, is sent out to retrieve Damian and Jon by Bruce’s assistant, Patience. After meeting up with Tilly, the group find a lab where The Four Fingers have been preparing vials of the virus in order to release it via bombs, and a battle ensues where they learn that sunlight can kill the virus and that Talia is Damian’s mother. Learning that they couldn’t stop all of the shipments, the group gathers the people of the local town to help them in storming the factory. They succeed in killing the remaining virus, save for a vial to be used to create a cure. With Superman’s mission a success and Batman working on a cure, the book ends with Candace being crowned the new Empress of Landis, Jon’s mother waking up, and Batman making Damian Robin.

MY THOUGHTS ON THE STORY

All in all, the story was okay. Personally, I felt like it was rushed in some places, such as how we’re brought from one character or scene to the next with little to no transition or breathing space. The endings were also kind of abrupt, which I feel really brought down the ending for the final book. We don’t really linger on whether or not Superman’s efforts to reverse global worming worked or have a moment where Jon and his dad are able to reunite with Lois. I was also disappointed to see they didn’t go anywhere with the whole “Talia is revealed to be Damian’s mother he had never met before and barely knew anything about” sub plot they had going in book three. People who know me know that the League of Assassins and any character associated with them are among my favorite villains in the Batman mythos, and to see it be brought in only for it to not have anything done with it was disappointing. Heck, you could have taken Talia out of it and the story would have been the same minus Damian being momentarily shaken before getting back to business. At the very least, an ending scene where Bruce confirms she’s his mother would have been nice enough closure for it. This might have been due to there being a page limit (each book was roughly 151 pages long) which lead to things being cut out, but it’s still disappointing nonetheless, especially since I did find myself enjoying parts that had pacing problems.

Pacing and unresolved plotlines aside, some of the things I did enjoy though involved Candace’s story arc. She’s one of the characters made for this series, and watching her figure out her past and come into her own with her powers was really enjoyable. I also felt like small snippets of character interactions between the boys, Candace, and Tilly were really well written. They actually felt like kids.

THE CHARACTERS

Since there are a lot of characters in this series, I’m only going to focus on the four main characters since we’re with them the entire time.

Jonathan Kent is probably the one out of him and Damian who’s the closest to his original counterpart, and I don’t just mean in looks. While he doesn’t have as many powers as he’s come to have in the main DC canon, he does have some of the powers he has early on in his appearances, such as super speed, super hearing, x-ray vision, super strength, and being able to jump high/far. He’s a bit older here though, 12 instead of 10 making him closer to Damian’s age and allowing him to go to the same school as him and Tilly. He holds his dad’s lessons close and seems to be apprehensive about seriously hurting people, mainly in the beginning. Being older though, he’s a bit more mature than his counterpart was before he was aged up, and I feel that this version of Jon is a good blend between the two.

Damian Wayne on the other hand was given the most changes in terms of backstory and how he acts, which goes hand-in-hand. In the original continuity, he was raised by Talia and the League of Assassins, making him spoiled and a literal killer in the body of a child. Here, he was raised by Bruce (how or why, I don’t know. Talia wasn’t brought up until book 3 so I can only assume she gave him to Bruce as a baby and they agreed to never tell him for whatever reason) and Bruce refuses to let him be Robin, leaving Damian to become Batkid (which is a good reference to past incarnations of Batman’s son in older Elseworlds stories). He’s still arrogant and looks for a fight more than he should, but it doesn’t seem like he wants to kill. Beat up a guy who is already out of the fight, yes, but not kill. One thing people who’ve read the books will notice is I’ve been calling him Damian. Well, that’s out of habit; in this series he is pretty adamant about everyone calling him Ian. Why? Again, I don’t know, and part of me is bothered by it because we never find out why he hates his name. I can only assume Pearson had things planned that would explain this a bit more but had to cut them out due to page constraints.

Tilly is one of the characters made for this series, taking the name Puppet Girl as her secret idenity. She’s Jon’s friend and classmate, and is a computer expert, allowing for her to help the team from home until they need her to fly one of Bruce’s machines to them. She hangs around Jon a lot due to going to the same school and because both of them are interning for the Daily Planet. In all honesty, she reminds me of Kathy from before it’s revealed she has powers and is actually an alien since she acts as Jon’s best friend who isn’t Damian, as well as a girl who Jon might have a crush on or vice versa. The blond hair and the purple-pink outfit scheme doesn’t help.

Candace is our final main character and the second character made for this series. We meet her in the books before we meet Jon and Damian, and her story plays a huge role in the overall plot. Candace has been following a string of clues her mother left her shortly before her death, and we learn as the comic goes on that she’s meant to be the next Empress of her home country, Landis, but was forced to flee to Coleumbria when her family was usurped by a general. Over time, she unlocks her power to communicate and control birds, and later to control the weather. I found myself enjoying her story just as much, if not more than the plots that surrounded the title characters, which helps since her story is intertwined with theirs. If I had to compare her to an existing character in the DC canon, I’d say Wonder Woman due to her super human abilities and her being royalty.

THE ART

The art is also good, definitely better than what I can do. However, a complaint I do have is that the characters feel stiff and rigid. It might be the art style, but something felt off at times, mainly with the posing. Again, it’s still better than what I can do, but I feel like it could have been better. I did like how the backgrounds were vibrant and you could tell where the characters were just from a look, and the art is more detailed in general compared to other young reader graphic novels DC has been putting out. Art is pretty subjective, so I’m not going to go into this too much and a lot of these are my own opinions.

The art has come into debate as well, though not for the reasons I mentioned above. When previews for the first book started to be released, a lot of people were critical toward Candace and Damian, particularly toward their skin color. In the preview images, Candace was shown to have a blue-ish-gray tint (you can probably see why this didn’t go over well) and Damian was shown to be paler than Jon (Damian is shown in the original DC canon to be half Arabic and even though he was sometimes shown to have pale skin like Bruce’s, he was also shown to have a tanner complexion due to his mother’s side. Most fan interpretations as a result more often than not have him with tanned skin). After fan outcry, this was fixed with Candace getting a more natural skin tone and Damian’s being brought down to a darker shade than Jon’s. With Damian’s it’s more apparent in the second and third books since in the first one I did notices there were a few panels where his skin tone would be lighter than in others which makes me wonder if it was a last-minute recolor for the first book’s release.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, I’d say it’s okay. It’s not great, it’s not bad; just okay. I honestly think that if Pearson and Gonzalez hadn’t been given a page limit then it could have been better since the pacing wouldn’t be as big of an issue and they would have been able to get through all of the mini arcs they had set up. They obviously wanted to tell a bigger story but were only given so much room to work with.

It’s obviously not for everyone, and it’s definitely not the Super Sons people like me have grown up with, but that’s okay. Some of the kids I used to babysit who fall into the range of “I’ve never really read DC comics and only ever saw a cartoon episode on TV” read these books too and they liked it. Same thing for the few kids who did have prior experience with the Super Sons. What dragged them in was the climate crisis and (for the ones who read them after the world went into a lockdown) the fact the characters were trying to find a cure for a virus that was similar to the flu. Yeah, and these were written way before 2020, so that’s actually an achievement on Pearson’s part.

You don’t have to like them; heck, I didn’t really have any interest in them because of the backlash from people like me until my friends started asking me to make this review. But maybe give them a chance. Find a kid in your family or friend group and see if they’d be interested, maybe you can read it together once the craziness of the last year’s calmed down.

[carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich]

9, 12, 14, 25, 28, 30, 31, 34, 37, 40, 41, 42 and 50 for the Diabolik Lovers Ask Game please! By the way, I love your blog SO MUCH. ♡♡♡

From this ask game.

Thank you for the ask anon, I’m really glad you like my blog :)

This got kind of long so I’ve put my answers below the cut.

9. Do you hate anyone in DL?

Hate is a very strong word, but if you saw my recent post on Shuu’s CL route then you’ll know that I am not the biggest Karlheinz fan. Richter and Cordelia are also fairly awful but I can’t help but feel some sort of pity for Richter as it seems he had a pretty miserable life and while some of the things Cordelia did are just horrible, my negative feelings towards her have somewhat lessened since we got a bit more of a glimpse at her backstory in DF. Menae must have died before Cordelia could really remember her, and we have to remember that she was heavily manipulated by Karl. Like yes, Cordelia is dreadful, but I still think Karl is the big bad of the series. He does so so many awful things and no matter which game you look at, I can’t help but feel that his reasoning is always pretty bleh (even if that probably is just due to not great writing).

Also after that Subaru LE ending Seiji Komori can eat dirt.

12. What do you think of the fandom?

Hmm... While I know some people hold negative views of the DL fandom at large, I don’t think any fandom is entirely unproblematic. My personal experience has generally been pretty good but I will admit I have seen some fairly terrible behavior in the 3 and a half years I’ve been seriously into DL. Then again I also haven’t been this deep in any other fandom and, sadly, I think that is just the nature of the internet.

Still, there are some amazing and very talented people in this fandom, and I feel extraordinarily lucky to have been able to interact with them, so I prefer to focus on that over anything else.

14. Sub or dub?

Sub all the way. When I first started watching anime, I initially just watched dubs, but after I started learning Japanese, I switched to subs to try and pick up some more vocab and now I can’t go back. Also I really like a lot of the Japanese voice actors in DL ^^

25. What do you think of DL haters?

I generally hold the attitude of “live and let live”. If someone doesn’t like DL because of the triggering content (and the way it deals with it) or the sometimes questionable plot then fair enough, it’s not like I think the series is without its problems. The only time I will have any issue at all is if they actively attack fans of the show. If someone is just minding their own business and not hurting anyone then under no circumstances is it okay to blindly attack them over a work of fiction. So yeah, you do you as long as you’re not being a twit about it.

28. Would you ever show your parents DL why/why not?

For anyone who remembers some of the random stuff I post, you’ll know that my mother is indeed aware of Shin’s existence (and Carla’s) which perhaps would have been difficult to avoid given that he’s plastered all over my bedroom wall and I talk about him A LOT (I am just as bad irl folks), but I’ve never gone into the details of the series with her as I feel like she’d be fairly disturbed at some of the content (and it’s for this reason that I would never show her the anime).

You will understand then, why I was slightly horrified when she told me she’d read the wiki because she wanted to know more about the characters I loved so much (like bless her, but also O.o). Apparently Carla is “a baddie” but she thinks Shin is okay.

My parents are also aware of the existence of this blog but, fortunately for me, have no interest in reading it.

30. What do you think of Yui?

I like Yui (I mean what is there to dislike?), she’s a lovely character and has a really good impact on the boys. I’m not as invested in her as perhaps some of the fandom but that’s because I am unapologetically here for the dumpster fire that is the boys.

I prefer writing reader inserts over Yui x diaboy fanfics, simply because it’s fun to see the boys in a slightly different relationship dynamic to that we get in the games (like if you look at my most recent Shin drabble, Yui would never tease Shin like that but I would so reader insert it is).

31. What is your favourite Dialover song and why?

What do you mean I have to pick just one??? Gahhh I love love love Kessen no Dies irae, because it features the Tsukinami bros and it’s just my sort of music but I think my favorite might actually be I.M.I.T.A.T.I.O.N.G.A.M.E. I’m not the biggest Kino fan but Maeno’s singing voice is phenomenal and it also brings back happy memories of when I finished Shin’s LE route for the first time. 

34. Tell us your top three routes! Why are they your favourites?

Hooo boy, this is a tricky one because we all know my bias at this point ^^;; I’ve limited myself to one Shin route because otherwise this list would just be me waxing on about Shin and goodness knows I do that enough already.

1) Shin’s Lost Eden Route

While I like his DF route, I love that Shin’s LE route pays a bit more attention to his feelings towards Yui than his complicated relationship with Carla. I love that it really stretches him as a character and we get to see him relying on Yui, like I don’t know who came up with that plot but BLESS. I think the pacing is very good and the bad endings are just so tragic (and I love really angsty bad endings). And some of the scenario chapters from this route just make me melt.

I also love this route for personal reasons. I’d only just fallen into Shinhell when LE was released and I remember seeing the CGs for his route but there was no information on the plot in the English speaking side of the fandom and it was driving me nuts because I just wanted to know that he was okay. It was at this same time that I had a bit of spare money so I... bought a PSVita and a copy of Lost Eden so I could find out what happened (I was planning on getting a Vita anyway just maybe not THAT soon). I’d only been learning Japanese for 6 months (I am nothing if not horribly ambitious) but I didn’t let that stop me and played through the route. And I loved it (even if I struggled a little with the language) and I was so happy to find out what happened to him. So yeah, I just have warm memories of it.

2) Carla’s Dark Fate Route

While I like Carla’s LE route, I think the pacing and plot of his DF is just a bit better. I love that it gives us the best glimpse at the backstory of the founders (I will take any and all Krone and Giesbach tidbits I can) and I think the progression of Carla and Yui’s relationship is really well handled (even if he is dreadful towards her at times). Also I like Carla, I think of all of the diaboys, he’s one of the ones I’m most similar to so I find it easy to empathize with him.

3) Subaru’s Dark Fate Route

It’s been a while since I played this route but I remember having a really good time when I did. The Vampire Ending is incredibly sweet, as are some of the scenario chapters and I thought the plot was fairly well structured. Plus Carla and Shin are in it so bonus points there.

37. If you could change one thing in your favourite Diaboy what would it be?

I never want to answer questions like this because I love Shin as he is, I don’t want to change him. 

I mean I would like for him to see more value in who he is than just his bloodline and get it into his skull that he is not inferior to Carla but only as gradual changes based on environment (or just idk talking to Carla but goodness only knows that won’t happen unless Carla’s on his deathbed again).

40. Your thoughts on Karlheinz?

See above. But yeah, not a fan, would not be sad if he became the victim of a bizarre fishing accident and never again appeared in the DL franchise but I think that’s a bit too much to hope for. Sorry Karl fans but I can’t get over the stuff he’s done (and also I have had enough of “and it was Karl’s fault all along” coming up in the games).

41. Would you buy the games if they were released in English?

I’m a little torn on this one because I love supporting Rejet and otome game localisations but I own all of the games aside from VC already so there wouldn’t really be any point. I think if I had a LOT of money to spare then I would, but as my finances stand at the moment then it’s a no.

42. If you got to design the 14th Diaboy what would he be like?

Oh this is a difficult one, ideally I’d like to see someone who was a member of one of the other demon races but I don’t think you can really have a diaboy without the blood-sucking, so I guess I’d make them half vampire half adler (as I think they’re the race we know the least about). As for personality... It’s tricky because I feel like the diaboys already cover a pretty wide spectrum. I’d probably make him a cocky jerk because I love cocky jerks and I’d make him fairly witty too but more logic than feelings orientated. I’d have him kidnap Yui because he wants to use her as a pawn against the diaboys in some nefarious plot (that I’m not going to think too much about because this post is not meant to be an OC planning session) and not because he has any interest in her or plans for her himself.  I guess he’d sort of be a cross between Kino and Carla?

I’d give him a vendetta against Karlheinz too because I can :D 

I had to cut this short because I started coming up with a backstory an everything but I think that’s too much ^^;;

50. Do you think Richter should have a route of his own?

Honestly? No. It’s not that I wouldn’t be interested to see the story of Richter with someone who is not Cordelia (even if he is not my favorite dude from the franchise) but more that I can’t see Rejet dropping Yui as a heroine and RichterxYui? No thank you. After all the stuff he’s done in the games and his obsession with Cordelia? I just don’t feel comfortable with that pairing, sorry.

[mingi-bubu]

A Subpar Guide To Unine

I was inspired by this video, their new album coming out on May 6, 2020, and also yanjuniverse saying something about not knowing them and wondering if there was a guide or something so yeah!

anyway please enjoy my nonsense it’s fun and there are a lot of songs and performances that I recommend looking at!

if anything is unclear, send me a message or something!  i just want everyone to love Unine

Unine is the second nine member group to be created by Idol Producer/Youth With You/QCYN/whatever you want to call the competition show.  The group is made up of Li Wenhan, Li Zhenning, Yao Mingming, Guanyue or Guan Yue, Jiayi, Hu Chunyang, Xia Hanyu, Chen Youwei, and He Changxi.

The official fandom name is Nano.  Unine debuted with their EP 《UNLOCK》 on May 6, 2019.  Their album 《U-Night Flight》 will be coming out on their one year anniversary May 6, 2020.

As someone commented on YouTube under one of their videos, I can’t remember which one please don’t ask, they are a more vocal line leaning group whereas Nine Percent was more rap line leaning.  I think it’s neat to see the contrast between what people want to see in any given year and how different their music styles are.

Some members have been in or are currently in other groups as well, so you may see some familiar names if you don’t know Unine (yet ;})

Members:

Li Wenhan

Final Rank: 1

Leader, Center, Main Vocalist, Lead Dancer, Sub Rapper, Face of the Group

‘94 Liner

A Cancer with his birthday being July 22

Yuehua Entertainment boy

Representative Animal: Shiba Inu

A member of the Sino-Korean boygroup Uniq

There his position is Vocalist

He is fluent in Chinese, Korean, and English

His nickname is Hanhan

He is also an actor and owns 2 cats and a corgi

He says that every time he’s working on a new project he adopts another cat or dog

He is very caring towards his younger trainees and is always looking out for them

Neighboring Tarzan was a good performance of his and it also contains 5/9 Unine members so that’s pretty frickin cool tbh

His audition stage was Uniq’s “Monster” and it was a great performance like Minghao and Jolin were jamming along to it

also the flower petals at the end that they then had to clean up killed me it was a beautiful effect but ill planned with the consequences

“gui-ze” meme stemmed from this performance

please let this tired man rest

He studied in the US but then left to focus on his music career

He has a great singing voice and is always ready to help his members and he is just a good leader wow

Li Zhenning

Final Rank: 2

Lead Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Lead Rapper, Face of the Group

‘95 Liner

He is a Scorpio (like me!!) with his birthday being November 5

BG Project boy

Representative Animal: Koala

Nicknames include Shenshen and Black Pearl due to his tanned skin

He has a cat named Aoao who is a little over a year old now I think maybe?

He didn’t get noticed until his Retreat performance where he pulls his tie

He used to be one of those people who was like “this person is actually quite good; nothing’s wrong with him, but I can’t remember him” and like he considered himself like that and him debuting at the no. 2 spot was really well deserved and i am so proud

This is also the performance where he rapped and he spent so much time practicing for it and it was successful and I am just really proud of him bc he leans more as a vocal and was really struggling and wanted to make sure he did it right and i’m jsut really proud i love himso mcuh

His dancing in this stage was unmatched by anyone else there (and this sounds biased because i am)

Li Zhenning vs Li Shenshen

on stage mans is focused and completely undaunted and carries sexier concepts well

off stage mans is baby boy. baby.  he’s goofy and adorable and i love hiim so much

compares himself to a koala because “especially [his] nose shape is similar…and [his] eyes look blurred…[and he’s] sleepy all the time”

we stan a short king (he’s 5′9 which yeah, is taller than me, but still)

He dances so well and just owns any stage he is on

Rebuild is one of my favorite stages hes done and coincidentally has 5/9 members of Unine in it, though they didn’t know at the time of course

He was incredible during this stage like ugh i didn’t have a bias bc he was there, Mingming was there, Changxi was there, i had no way of surviving

Hair Color King

He had a blue-lavender color during Rebuilt, in Unine’s Set It Off mv he had blue, he’s had black and blond and he’s rocked all of them

Yao Mingming

Final Rank: 3

Main Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Sub Rapper

‘97 Liner

He is a Capricorn with his birthday being January 5

One Cool Jasco Entertainment boy

Representative Animal: Cat

He had been a trainee for six, almost 7 years, when he debuted with Unine

He had several near debuts including with Seventeen

Speaks Chinese and Korean

Because of this, he was very closed off at first with the other trainees and eventually had to have a talk with Zhang Yixing PD

The gist of the conversation was that Mingming was sort of…doubting, I guess you could say, his talents and Yixing told him to treat the show as if he were a new trainee

This led to Mingming becoming more open with the other trainees and more confident in his talents and skills and it really showed and I was really happy he was able to debut bc he deffo deserved it

Mingming’s gray and floral suit in the Rebuild stage is something i think about on a weekly basis at least it’s a really good look for him guys

also just the confidence and cockiness he has during this stage i love to see it

He also has an opportunity to really show off his dancing skills and i loved it for him

He can do imitations really well and likes to imitate Hanyu a lot

think Yesungie and Eunhyuk except accurate

He has very feline features

this has nothing to do with anything he’s just really really pretty

is it because i am biased?  perhaps

Guan Yue

Final Rank: 4

Lead Dancer, Lead Vocalist, Sub Rapper

‘94 Liner

He’s a Capricorn with his birthday being January 16

Cast Planet Entertainment boy

Representative Animal: Rabbit

The leader of XII Constellations as a whole and the subunit The Wind

12C is a CPE group with a concept of having four 3-member units, each focusing on a different music style

The Wind focuses on bright and upbeat music and was the first to debut in 2017

Currently there are only six members of 12C

He knows sign language as both of his parents are deaf and when the trainees are allowed to call home, we see him talking with his mother

He has a lot of love and respect for his mother and it shows

His goal in life is to make enough money to support his family so they don’t have to work

I love Guan Yue’s “Turn Up” stage like the cockyness and confidence he has is fantastic i love to see it

his costume is also pretty good esp considering what the trainees sometimes have to wear

also Shenshen and Mingming are in it as well

His performance in Ugly Beauty was incredible also

I loved his Neighboring Tarzan performance bc he was able to include his dialect in his rap part and I love when trainees are able to bring more of themselves into a performance

I want him and Chen Linong to collab bc he was essentially idp2′s Nongnong with the infectious smile and incredible stage presence

the cutie, sweetie, angel, sweetheart, etc. of the group and of the show’s run

Jiayi

Final Rank: 5

Lead Dancer, Lead Rapper, Lead Vocalist, Visual

‘98 Liner

He’s a Cancer with his birthday being July 14

Star Master Entertainment boy

Representative Animal: Bear

Is a member of Mr. Tyger

There he held the roles of Visual, Lead Vocalist, Sub Rapper, and Youngest

One of his nicknames is Little Star

He can play the saxophone

His favorite part of his body are his eyebrows, which, valid

Jolin Tsai’s Xukun

So like y’kno how Yixing was a fan of Xukun the moment he saw him?  Jolin was a fan of Jiayi the minute she saw him

The “Ugly Beauty” performance was certainly something to witness

Jiayi as a blond was a fantastic look and i miss it.  a lot.

like Neighboring Tarzan was very good look for him even tho the stage costumes were a little a lot extra

his dance was great and bitch got them body rolls on lock

Jiayi vs Huang Jiaxin

on stage focused, determined, owns it

off stage he’s a giant goofball and i love him so much

hes like unfairly handsome but thankfully likes to make dumb faces

somehow he still stays pretty its upsetting at times

Hu Chunyang

Final Rank: 6

Main Raper, Sub Vocalist, Youngest

‘99 Liner (like me!!)

He’s an Aquarius with his birthday being February 5

Yuehua boy

Representative Animal: Golden Retriever

Nickname is Yangyang

Was one of those nerds who would rather stay behind in class and finish their work than go and eat or whatever

Mad respect tho bc i am too when i am at campus dkfja;lsdk

At his audition stage, he covered Wang Yibo’s rap in Uniq’s “Monster” and honestly who is doing it better than him?

I want to see him and Justin interact so bad they had to have they’re both YH boys

@ YueHua let me please have this

Yangyang in the Neighboring Tarzan performance really emphasized how great he is at rapping

he seems at first like a shy and introverted guy but is a mean and grouchy little man when you get to know him

i love to see it

older trainees were always looking out for him

he has a really stable rap voice

Xia Hanyu

Final Rank: 7

Main Vocalist, Sub Rapper

‘97 Liner

Gemini as his birthday is June 11

Show City Times boy

Representative Animal: Wolf

He can play the piano incredibly well and also plays the guitar

His first impression was that of “the big bad wolf

However when he gets more comfortable with the group, he becomes a big softie and his smile compels me to smile

Still uses his dark looks to his advantage thoooo

he was being dramatic and mean once and then like after saying his ‘insult’ immediately cracked and started laughing and hiding his face

HIGH NOTE KING

shenshen in response to a performance said he immediately got goosebumps

Neighboring Tarzan was a great way for him to show off his high notes imo

He had red hair one time and I miss it a lot bc it looked good

Chen Youwei

Final Rank: 8

Lead Rapper, Visual, Sub Vocalist

‘98 Liner

He is a Cancer with his birthday being July 7

Ciwen Media boy

Representative Animal: Pig

Attended Zhejiang Sci-Tech University and majored in fashion

He can play the guitar

He modeled and is also an actor, having been in several cdramas

The most notable of these is “Story of Yanxi Palace” where he played 5th Prince

He was greeted as such by the other trainees when he walked into the room

He’s also a scholar and this was shown in a rap he had created during the show

mans is the donghae of unine

in that they’re teased for how they speak

his mandarin is bad and donghae’s korean is bad

his rapping is good and he seems like a real sweetheart

mans also likes to munch, saying he can eat 5 meals a day

He Changxi

Final Rank: 9

Main Dancer, Lead Vocalist

‘97 Liner

He is a Sagittarius with his birthday being November 24

OACA Entertainment boy

Representative Animal: Lesser, or Red, Panda

His English name is Jerry and I deeply hate how much it fits him

His nicknames include Xixi and Yong Ri Didi

He loves a good ginger foot bath

Like it was such a well known fact that Yixing even asked him about it once

He wasn’t really noticed until his performance in Fire which is especially impressive considering that his performance wasn’t filmed in front of an audience but instead one of the practice rooms

there was a competition between two teams for each song and the winning team would get to perform on stage in front of the youth producers

Xixi really looked so fierce and confident in the Rebuild stage I was so proud

He also did a dance cover of EXO’s “Love Shot” and if you’ve been following me for a minute you know that i love EXO’s music and it was great to see

his killing part was also a reoccuring meme

Mingming loves teasing him and it’s so funny

Suggested Videos of their IDP Days: (flashing lights warning)

Wenhan and Chunyang’s Audition Stage

Wenhan + Mingming React to “gui-ze” Trainee Compilation

《后退 Retreat》  – Zhenning Focus

《后退 Retreat》  – Stage Performance  

《重塑 Rebuild》  – Zhenning Focus

《重塑 Rebuild》  – Concept Evaluation

《重塑 Rebuild》 – Mingming Focus

Mingming + Yixing’s Talk

Mingming + Impressions

《 青春有你 Turn Up》 – Guan Yue Focus

《 青春有你 Turn Up》 – Stage Performance

Jolin Tsai + Her Favorite Trainee

《怪美的 Ugly Beauty》 – Mentor Stage

《隔壁泰山 Neighboring Tarzan》 – Stage Performance

Hanyu’s Audition Stage

Hanyu’s Introduction Video

Hanyu Playing Guitar + Singing

《一笑倾城 One Alluring Smile》 – Stage Performance

EXO “Love Shot” Dance Cover – Changxi

《 骑士精神 Chivalry》 – Changxi Focus

《火 Fire》 – Changxi Focus

UNINE Videos: (flashing lights warning)

《春日記憶 Memories of Spring》 – My favorite song by them, this is the lyrics video in Chi/Pinyin/Eng

《春日記憶 Memories of Spring》 – This is the performance from their fan meeting I believe.  The choreo is so beautiful and I want an MV like last week.

《春日記憶 Memories of Spring》 – This is their performance from the Reedit Stage.

《SET IT OFF》 – official MV.  There’s a lot of jumping out of windows, Guan Yue has purple hair, Shenshen has blue hair, and Jiayi and Xixi look great.  The song is a bop, there’s a nautical theme, what more could you ask for?  A coherent plot for an MV???  Overrated.  It’s essentially Unine’s 《RULE BREAKER》.  It’s from their second mini album “Unusual”.

《SET IT OFF》 – This is a live performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.  I have a bone or two to pick with the sound editor of the video  but they deliver a fantastic performance.  I like their choreo a lot and it’s more clearly able to be seen on the live stage.

《BOMBA》 – official MV.  Their first single I believe.  Very colorful and fun, the song matches the vibe of the MV.  Mingming’s iconic holding a geometric hanging light like a pear is from this MV.  Hanyu also spends half the MV wrecking my bias.  If I had more braincells I would do an analysis of the MV but alas.

《BOMBA》 – From the Reedit Stage.

《官方直拍 Like A Gentleman》  – Live performance from their fan meeting.  I really like this song and the costumes for stage are stripey and I love stripes.  The lights and screen in the background are in neons and it kind of gives the performance a nostalgic feeling and it’s just a really cute song.

《官方直拍 Like A Gentleman》 – The lyrics video in Chi/Pinyin/English.  The song is really cute you guys and Changxi and Mingming are great in it.

Videos From the Other Groups the Members Are In:

《 爱的就是你 Love Is You》 – XII Constellations: The Wind ft. Liu Jia

《 燃烧吧，拳头 Burn, Fists》 – XII Constellations: The Fire [flashing lights warning]

Note: this doesn’t have Guan Yue but I decided to put it in here to really exemplify the concept that 12C is about.  Also the song lowkey pops off and reminds me of my emo phase

《Monster》 – Uniq (Chinese version)

《EOEO》 – Uniq (Chinese version) [flashing lights warning]

《 钛戈 》 – Mr. Tyger [flashing lights warning]

《夜空悬浮》 – Mr. Tyger [flashing lights warning]

Sources: KProfiles, [Eng Sub] Intro to UNINE Members, various performances, and the show itself.  If I have given any incorrect information, please let me know and I will rectify it immediately.

[twilightvolt]

Oh, i guess knowing me, y’all probably wanted to know how i felt about the English dub of Beastars, right?

It was actually pretty good! to get it outta the way first, Ben Diskin is Ben Diskin, so there’s really not much to say there. take that however you want, but i ain’t trying to criticize him. i’ve just heard him like, everywhere at this point, so i know what to expect. it’s as good as always, though i felt like he made Jack sound deeper than i was expecting him to. like, it sounded like the voice he would’ve used if he got the role of Legoshi instead......ok, so i guess that IS my critique towards him. lmao

Jonah Scott was great. it was a tad deeper to me than even Chikahiro Kobayashi (Legoshi’s JP CV) but i could tell just how invested he was in the role of Legoshi right from the start. the mumbling, the low monologues, the awkward stuttering when he’s too stuck in his mind, it was perfect. though some scenes could’ve gone differently, i think i’d blame the dialogue changes more than his performance. ^  ^

Ok, i may have a bias cuz of Digimon, but Lara Jill Miller as Haru was great too. sure, some say she’s kinda flat at times, which i get. but her voice just FITS, y’know? and i was SUPER hype when i found out she was in this cuz i haven’t heard her in an anime since Digimon.

I’m gonna be honest, i had trouble telling Louis and Bill apart at times. Griffin Puatu and Kaiji Tang sounded kinda the same in terms of cadences, so once in the 4th episode i actually had a bit of difficulty telling who was speaking. either way though, their performances were good and fit the character’s mannerisms. though, not as good as Legoshi if i’m being honest. Louis felt like he needed a bit more....something. ^  ^’

Also shoutout to Kai’s CV, Damon Mills i think, for nailing that “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT?” line. i could just FEEL the Bakugou in there even though i know he’s played by someone else in English. lmao

Overall, i think things turned out fine. though, Netflix had a bit of a....naming issue. Rouis and Hal? ROUIS AND HAL? EVEN VIZ GOT THAT RIGHT, NETFLIX.

Sure, i find i still prefer the Japanese version as that’s the first cast i got used to, but that’s not to say i didn’t like this version. like, i want to support my English voice actors (as my sister would beat into my skull every time i say i preferred the Japanese voices of literally anything.) but i don’t wanna lie and say i didn’t have any criticisms with it either. like any artist, myself included, it’s important to state what you didn’t like to help those improve. nobody’s perfect, after all.

BUT, if there’s one thing that i know is true, it’s that they all enjoyed what they did. they had fun doing those roles and honestly, if i were a part of that, i would too regardless of how good i did. and whether i prefer the sub or the dub, i can tell they all put their heart into it. and that’s the best thing about it. ^  ^

[medea10]

My Review of My Roommate is a Cat

[natsthinkitythinkthinkthonk]

Interview: The Two Dekus

Here’s the whole interview with both the Japanese and English voice for Izuku Midoriya (Deku).

This Anime News Network interview features the two voice actors behind Deku: Daiki Yamashita (Japanese dub) and Justin Briner (English Funimation Dub).

I just wanted to bring out this interview. But before we begin, I’m just going to say that since I watch Boku no Hero Academia subbed, I hold a bit of bias. Since I did crop a few parts out, you will find that Justin Briner might have said a few additional things in the interview, so if you want to get a few more comments from him, check out the original article! I tried to keep it even for the most part though.

I will also be including some additional posts, sources, videos, etc. of things that relate to this interview regarding the Japanese cast of My Hero Academia. I tried to limit myself to put under ten links and failed... sorry about that! Hopefully, you’ll find something you might like though!

[...] = additional words in their answer that I felt wasn’t crucial

ANN: First, thank you both for your time, I really appreciate it. When you auditioned for this, did you know what you were auditioning for, and did you know what a big deal it was?

DAIKI YAMASHITA: Yes, I was reading the manga before and I knew that this was going to be popular if it was made into an anime.

JUSTIN BRINER: Yeah, we got our hands on it a little later [...]  You can tell, spending a little bit of time with the source material, that it's something special. [...] And after I checked out that first episode I got hooked, so I figured a lot of other people did too.

Did you immediately see yourself as him?

BRINER: No, not necessarily. [...] I didn't want to get my hopes up for anything for this.

YAMASHITA: You auditioned for pretty much all the male characters?

BRINER: Yeah, Deku, Kacchan, Todoroki, Minari, Tokoyami. I wouldn't have been good as many of them.

YAMASHITA: You tried out for so many characters.

BRINER: Yes, uh uh. I just really wanted to be a part of it, it seemed like something special to me.

Now that you're in season 3 and you did the movie, how has your relationship with Deku changed since the beginning? Do you feel like you play him differently now as his character has changed?

YAMASHITA: I think the mental part of it has helped me. At the beginning of the show, Deku seemed to be very weak. Very soft. You feel like “oh, is he okay? Is he gonna make it?” as a viewer, you see that. But once he inherits the power from All Might, the mental part of his character, he's become so strong. As I play him more and more as the seasons went on, I try to gain that strength as well for myself. So when I play against the strong villains, in my acting I try not to back down – I try to convey that mental strength in my acting as well.

BRINER: It's essentially the same answer here. [...]He started out very weak and insecure. [...]you can tell that he's gaining confidence. [...] Just being able to incorporate a little more confidence, a little more heroism every time, that's part of Deku's growing up.

Do you read ahead in the manga? And if so, does it help you prepare emotionally for what's coming?

YAMASHITA: Yes I do, I do. I read ahead and then I regret reading ahead. I was like “All Might—ohhhh, no.” So when I read that All Might and All For One battle in the manga, I was like “oh my gosh, I saw it, I didn't want to see it… I regret it.” It was shocking to me, before I even received the script.

BRINER: Same. I do read the manga, and I feel like I'm pleasantly surprised by every new development. It's so smartly written that I can't find myself not reading it every week.

Do you have a personal favorite scene, or a scene that meant the most to you personally from this show? Or the film?

YAMASHITA: There's so many. It's very hard to choose one scene, but in particular the second episode, where All Might tells him “you can be a hero.” That scene, along with the most recent scene when All Might points to Deku on TV and says “you're the next.” Those two scenes are very, very memorable. For me, myself, as well as for Deku as a character, those two scenes are very pivotal moments for the character, and very important to both myself and Deku as a character. And I think that those two lines and those two scenes are going to stay with Deku forever, and that's going to become a core of his becoming a hero in the future.

BRINER: I love that. [...] there's a moment in the sports festival when Deku and Todoroki are fighting against each other, and in the middle of the fighting he says something to the effect, to Todoroki, of “it's yours, it's your quirk, not his.” That's such a wonderful moment of—because Deku isn't the most confident person of all time. His quirk isn't even necessarily his own, but he's learning to live with it and make it his own in his own way. So to be able to instil what little confidence that he's gained to a friend in need is really beautiful to me, I think.

Deku gets into some guttural screaming, just world-class screaming. How do you prepare for that? Do you have to recover from it?

YAMASHITA: I eat a lot to prepare. I don't do anything particularly to protect my voice, but I feel like if I don't do anything then my throat is gonna get stronger. Like, if you do more—so essentially for me, it's eat whatever I want when I want and sleep when I want.

BRINER: Yes!

So you're playing the main character in a giant, hit show that could potentially run years and years and years and years and years. Do you feel like you're prepared for that, and do you see yourself still relishing the role, if, say, a decade from now you're still playing Deku?

YAMASHITA: Yes. In a narration, where Deku says “this is the story of me becoming the best hero.” So I would like to see him become the best hero. I would like to see that, and I would like to continue playing him as he becomes a hero. So I'll try not to die in the middle, in the process. I might be a grandpa by the end, but I would like to perform this character until he becomes the best hero that he can be.

BRINER: I mean yes, I love Deku, I love the source material so much and so dearly that I'd love to be a part of it for as long as I can. It really means a lot to me that way.

As a brief follow-up, when you were starting your career, did you ever have the aspiration to be like “well, I basically want to be Goku in a series that's as big as Dragon Ball.” You're the Goku of this show. Did you ever see yourself in this position? And was that ever your aspiration?

YAMASHITA: Yes. When I started out, yes that was my hope that I would be able to encounter roles like this. I think that it honestly takes a miracle for this type of encounter to happen, to get a role that can be in a long-running show, and something like My Hero Academia is very, very rare. So I'm very grateful for the opportunity, and I feel like, as I said before, I'd like to stay with it until Deku becomes the best hero that he can be. When he becomes that hero, maybe that's the time that my life ends. That's how I feel, almost. So I would like to continue playing and breathe life into this character until he does, so…

BRINER: All I've ever known that I wanted to do was act or perform in some capacity. I never knew exactly what avenue that would be. But the world of anime has always been something that's been very important to me growing up. I watched Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon before I knew what anime was. It was just another cartoon that I would rush home after school to watch. To be part of something so pivotal and so prescient, especially nowadays, is really special in that way. [...]to be a part of it now is really incredible. Because it feels like I'm working my hardest to be a part of something that's much bigger than me. And I get a lot of satisfaction out of doing my part in that.

All right, I've got two short ones left. One, if you were playing any character in the show that was not Deku, who would you want to play?

YAMASHITA: I can't think of anybody else but Deku to play.

Fair enough.

BRINER: True, I love Deku too. If you make me answer, Froppy.

Perfect!

YAMASHITA: Kero Kero.

BRINER: Kero!

YAMASHITA: Maybe like a villain. One of the villains.

Last question. In your heart, who do you think Deku should wind up with in the show? As a romantic partner.

YAMASHITA: As far as I can tell for now, just by reading the manga and doing three seasons, it looks like Uraraka is very high on his list. But in the movie… I feel (original character from the My Hero Academia film) Melissa Shield has gained… she climbed up the ladder towards the top, the top of the list. So when you think about the future development of the story, there might be a chance that Melissa-chan comes back. In that case, there might be a battle between Uraraka Ochako and Melissa!

BRINER: [...] I feel like Uraraka is… they're just meant to be, somehow. Let me just introduce Tsuyu into the mix, Froppy. I don't know, I don't know.

It's a good pick. It's a good pick.

YAMASHITA: Isn't it that you like that character? Do you just like her—

BRINER: Uhhhh, maybe?

Everyone likes that character!

YAMASHITA: I think it's your taste!

Tsuyu Is Popular With Everyone [video below]

“Who is Best Girl?” [Cast Answer]

BNHA Cast Interview (Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Masuda Toshiki) - Relationship between the characters

Cast Imitating Their Characters

Seiyuu Comic (Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yuuki Kaji, and Kouki Uchiyama) with additional details

Ayane Sakura’s Nickname Origins

Yuuki Kaji Interview on Shouto Todoroki Nobuhiko Okamoto Interview on Katsuki Bakugou Junichi Suwabe Interview on Shouta Aizawa

BNHA Movie Special Event Additional Cast Images

Recording Bakugou - Nobuhiko Okamoto

If you like content like this, I recommend checking out my spam blog! It’s where I post my voice actor, shitpost, fanart, and just about everything else!

[dropintomanga]

I’m Not A Fan and Maybe That’s A Good Thing

2 articles caught my attention this week: One was “Answerman: Is Anime Fandom More Dysfunctional in the Past?” and “Is Fandom Really Worth It?” While the 2nd one focuses more on loving sports teams, you can make parallels to anime and manga in fandom in general. The reason I bring up these fandom articles is because I’ve felt like I’ve “quit” on most of my otaku fandom or maybe I wasn’t really a fan as much as I thought.

While I did grow up watching anime and reading manga, I didn’t know anyone at all who followed the same interests as I did. I didn’t meet any friends who liked the same things until after high school, which was around the time when the manga boom happened. I stuck around friends who weren’t into anime/manga. It was fine because I was interested in other things like sports, etc.

When I started to go to anime conventions around 2008-2009, I was excited as a teenager who finally found a place to express themselves. I had so much enthusiasm and absorbed all the wackiness of conventions. However, I’ve felt that I didn’t make as many friends as I thought I would. I mean, we all like the same things, why couldn’t we connect? 

I wonder if that’s because I’ve always felt inferior to people who knew more about me. I see anime experts on Twitter spout their knowledge on stuff I never really watch (or would bother to). I always thought I knew something, but in truth, I knew nothing. My non-otaku peers have always considered me an expert in anime, but I was a newbie who was actually chunin status.

I did watch a good number of anime over the years, but I feel little incentive to watch lately. I started to dislike Anitwitter and its much-hyped “influence.” The 2nd article I listed talks about how sports fandom does have detrimental effects on fans when their favorite teams lose. They eat unhealthy, start to become unproductive, and may wish ill-will towards rival teams. I know people love to tweet about anime while watching and I did do that at one point, but something felt so strange. I didn’t get the reaction I would get compared to other “influencers.” I wondered what I did wrong. I was starting to compare myself to them. Maybe I was envious. 

It also doesn’t help there’s not many people I can talk to about manga because almost everyone prefers watching over reading. 

There was a statement in the Answerman article that made me think about fandom then versus now,. 

“It's easy to get nostalgic about the old days. Fans used to cooperate more, it's true -- but that's because we HAD to. Anime, manga, information about them and even pictures were rare commodities, and it required a lot of time and resources to get what you wanted.”

In times when things were tough, people would all come together as one despite drama. But when times prosper, everyone does their own thing because of all the newfound opportunities that come. Modernity has a not-so-fun way of telling you that being an individual is much more highly valued than helping someone. 

The one thing I noticed is that there’s a lot of anime and manga being licensed in the U.S. than ever before. There’s something for everyone. It’s a good thing and diversity is something I appreciate, but it separates everything into sub-communities that have potential for conflict. It’s hard to come to a general consensus if there’s too many different opinions when something serious needs to be addressed. Trying to please everyone means you please no one.

Maybe that’s why I backed out of anime fandom. I thought fandom was supposed to be help me feel better about my life. It’s nice to have friends who like the same thing as me and that can help heal whatever insecurities I have in my heart, right?

I’ve gotten to know some good people associated with fandom on Twitter, but my heart still feels uneasy. I wonder if fandom is what I need right now or something else (like another fandom). I had a friend who was part of cosplay fandom for years. I met her through that fandom and I got into cosplay because of her. She later quit and left the scene without telling the people she used to associate with. She told me that it was nothing but drama and that the people were fake. While she still enjoys anime and video games, she’s happy not being a huge part of fandom and/or has gotten selective over who to talk to about her interests.

Something called to my mind when thinking about my status as a fan, it’s about delusions. And boy. fans do get delusional. You see extreme cases of them. Case in point - that picture of Kaneki and Touka from Tokyo Ghoul:re above. There were a good number of fans livid at a certain scene signifying their romance together last year. It showcased how shipping characters together can degenerate into toxic discourse.

I’m thinking that like those fans, I was becoming delusional over what I expected from associating myself with fandom. Sigmund Freud once talked about delusions and its origins related to helplessness. He suggested that no one wants to feel vulnerable and dependent. Because of that, it’s why they turn to ideas like religion to feel in control. Most people are “fans” of something (sometimes in the worst way) because of that need for control in their own lives.

But what about someone like me and other people who admit to being vulnerable? Should I have tried harder? Is basing personalities off of social media the best idea? To be honest, I wish a lot of people on both sides would just shut up on social media. I’m learning to be a lot less expressive on there.

I want to end this by talking about an experience at a local anime shop I went to last month. I talked to the owner, who I’ve known for years, that I was meeting an old friend I hadn’t seen in over 9 years. I told him that she wasn’t into anime and he was asking what was wrong with me. I simply told him that as someone who travels to various cons as a vendor, he should know that sometimes, talking to fans can be so problematic and their drama is frustrating.

I felt much more joy talking to that old friend because I have past experiences that maybe most fans don’t get - a non-geeky friend who truly cared about me. 

I wonder how many fans have close friends who are non-otaku. I had a few before getting into anime fandom and it made me see how nice life is when you’re the only nerd. I think I always wanted to be seen as the expert, which gave me a sense of pride. Maybe I need to stop feeling like I have to compete with others when I’m at cons. I feel that there’s no real sense of unity because of all the fragmented communities at cons and the presence of outsider marketing looking to play to consumers’ personalities. Fandom is NOT immune to bias.

To some of my readers who read this, fandom may not be worth it if you feel lonely and/or crave intimate connection. Core interests are not the same as core values.

I don’t know if I’ll ever find what I want from sticking around otaku fandom because I don’t constitute what is considered a “fan” in this day and age, but I feel there’s something I want to promote more of at cons - being a fan of being a 3D human and all its vulnerabilities. 

[yeonchi]

Dunking on the Undub page one last time

Two years ago, I retired from ranting about English dubs and over a year ago, I unpublished the English Dubbed Game News page (formerly known as English dubs in Japanese games or no buy, aka #NoDubNoBuy) with that same intention of retirement. Though I have since moved on to other ventures, I have recently discovered that the admins of the Undub page (full name I don't buy Japanese games if the audio is only in English) have decided to call it quits. This is my reaction to their announcement.

I really must scoff at them saying that they are “no longer needed in this world”, because aside from EDGN, they were the only page that bothered to collect data on what languages the games are voiced and subtitled in. Maybe some game companies weren’t directly transparent with providing this information ten years ago (which is when they claim they started even though their Spanish and English pages were created in 2012 and 2013 respectively) compared to now, but they bridged the gap when others never thought of it. There is a wiki that lists games that have Japanese voices or dual audio options, but they only list dub-only games on one page instead of on the individual console pages. While I understand that the admins of that page probably have their reasons for quitting their page just as I did, there will still be games that will be released with only English or Japanese voices and without people like us, information wouldn’t have been as easy to find.

For a few years now, the Undub page hasn’t been posting as frequently as they used to because they have been focusing on Own Your Game, a blog where they post about what games are released physically, with voice and text language information included. It’s like the admins of the Undub page started giving up after they discovered how toxic I was on EDGN and my rants. (Own Your Game is still active, so feel free to check out their blog and give them a follow on Twitter.)

In their announcement, they list some IPs that have adopted dual audio over the years, such as Final Fantasy, Nier, Bayonetta, Persona and Kingdom Hearts. They also claim that while there are some games that still only have English dubbing, dual audio is becoming the industry standard. No, you fucking Europoor cucks, that is not it. As a (former) fan of Koei Tecmo’s Warriors games, I know that Japanese game companies will happily forego dubbing a game during localisation if their budget won’t allow it and you along with the NPC sub fans and dub haters would celebrate like you “owned the dub plebs” (we did it, Reddit). I can even name a few more IPs that have gone on this path, such as Atelier, BlazBlue and numerous animes (particularly ones that have received a dub) that have received game adaptations. It’s all in the EDGN post archive (which is still up, by the way). But hey, you’re fans of the original Japanese voices, how was I to know that you only support dual audio in games when it’s the Japanese voices that are missing? So really, at this point, the industry standard is either dual audio or Japanese voices only (if such a standard existed in the first place).

Yes, I know it costs money to dub a game. Yes, I know it costs money to hire voice actors to dub a game. I don’t care if the game has 50 characters or 100, that’s not even an excuse even if it links back to money because it still makes them look lazy. I don’t care if I’ve sounded entitled or snooty, as long as there is a fanbase for dubs, then there is a market for dubs. If the Japanese could do it, why can’t the West do it? (inb4 union bullshit) Oh whatever, I’m too over this bullshit anyway.

Remember when your smoothbrain fans discovered EDGN and called us SJWs, even though looking back it’s more of a right-wing thing even though politics shouldn’t fucking matter in the dub-sub debate? Remember when you admins discovered our page and then decided to not only accuse us of copying your page’s format (even though you should have seen this coming), but also assuming that Admin A (the creator of the page) and I wanted games with English dub only even though we have no problem with Japanese voices, then blaming yourselves for allowing the birth of that “monster” that was EDGN and blocking me from your page? Remember when you unblocked me, claimed that we were fighting when we barely did in the first place and showed me your new project to which I invited you to share my rebranded page to your fans, but then you never did even though I went to the trouble of giving your new project some promotion on one of my posts?

Okay, maybe that last one was a bit personal, but my point is that you claimed that you’ve changed when you barely even did. This is typical of you sub fans - you claim that you’re cool with dual audio but you never have any empathy for dub fans because their preferences don’t align with yours. You never even criticised your own fanbase (enough) for the hate they sent us, which makes you just as complicit in enabling them to do so. You were the inspiration for EDGN and yet, this is how you treat us. This is why I think sub fans like you are the reason why some games (or their sequels) don’t get dubbed.

On a lighter note, even though we agree that dual audio options are good, it’s funny how the Undub page barely made an effort to rebrand themselves to be unbiased in voice preferences. To be fair, I once had plans to rebrand EDGN into Dual Audio Game News and show the voice/text languages under the game covers in the image instead of putting a prohibition symbol on the covers meaning that the game was rejected by our verdict, but I gave up on them when I decided to retire from the page. I wonder if we would have reached more people (and gotten less hate) if we just decided to post about the voice/text language options of games without bias in our names or intent, but I guess we’ll never know.

I know that this fight for dual audio may have been easy for you, being Japanese voice fans, because the original voice track is readily available, but this fight wasn’t easy for us, being English dub fans, because time, effort and money on the part of the gaming companies aside, you people have barely done anything to stand with us when we know that game companies won’t listen to anything we say or the complaints we make.

So in short, I respect the work you admins have done for the Undub page and I wish you all the best, but fuck you and your fans for your attitude towards us at EDGN and all the other English dub fans out there, because in the end, despite your altruistic intentions, you are just a bunch of selfish Europoor cucks, sub fans and dub haters. I came to you with an olive branch and all I got was insults and derision.

I leave you all with this video of Friendlyjordies dunking on an Australian politician of European descent for all the European dunks I’ve made in this post (and possibly once or twice in the past).

Oh, and for posture, here’s a screenshot of their farewell post in case they decide to delete their page: