#I'm sure I could do a better more proper review idk what goes into reviews

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Nikurashii Kare

Title: Nikurashii Kare (憎らしい彼)

Author/Artist: Nagira Yuu

Shop: CD + Manga

Release Date: 2021/07/23

Cast:

Ono Yuuki x Saitou Souma

Morikawa Toshiyuki

Matsumoto Takuya

Matsui Akiha

Maeda Hiroki

Tonozaki Yuusuke

Horie Shun

Sahara Io

Miyama Mari

Kumagai Mirei

Yamane Masashi

Tamano Shouyo

Miki Shinichiro lmaooo so random

Synopsis: Second installment of the series.

Review Proper

My brain too smooth for this. Don't get me wrong—it's good, but I don't have the patience to sit through three CDs of this. 😂 I fell asleep 5 times. A new record!

It would've been better if Hira just stopped talking to me in formal Japanese 'cause it makes my brain crash. He says a lot of deep things when he can't even grasp the shallowest of concepts. I also have a love-hate relationship with Hira's train of thought 'cause how can he jump to all these conclusions but never the right ones? He's still absolutely sad in the head, but idk, I'm here for it lmaooo.

The same goes with Kiyoi. Like boi, you're the only one with half of a functioning brain here, so idk, use it?

Kiyoi: "I don't wanna be with you anymore."

Hira: *leaves

Kiyoi:

Like in the first BLCD, I still can't figure out if I should feel concerned for him or Hira. I mean, if someone I knew had this relationship, I would personally ask both of them to leave each other and see a shrink. 😂 I dare say that their relationship would be the most normal one there is if Kiyoi wasn't such a tsundere and if Hira was just less of a weirdo.

How are we bringing your parents into this already when you have a wack-ass relationship???

But hey, nothing like a good kidnappin' and one mc almost dyin' to solve communication issues, right?

The things you do, Nagira Yuu.

As usual, the voice work is phenomenal. Saitou Souma won as best voice actor for Kiyoi at the chilchil 2023 awards while Ono Yuuki placed 2nd for Hira. There's just something special about Saitou Souma and Ono Yuuki in Utsukushii Kare. Their chemistry is good and so natural! It's like they bring out the best in each other. I especially love hearing Ono Yuuki come undone under Saitou Souma's Kiyoi but immediately get his revenge in disc 3.

I'm already nominating this as Souma's best match up in 2021. Sorry, Makonyan. Let's see if someone else rises to the challenge.

As for the accuracy...

So I've actually tried listening to this back in 2022. Yes, I'm writing this review in 2024, and this is the very CD that caused my burn out lmaooo. From what I read from the trial, it doesn't start the same as the novel, so I was confused. I didn't take the liberty of buying the whole novel, so I'm not sure if they really do have the same content. They do have the same name, though. Idk. Again, Hira speaks in formal/old Japanese, so the struggle made me put this off. 😅 And it just snowballed from there 'cause I'm loyal to my log. I don't keep up with the manga either, but I think the third volume is still at Utsukushii Kare and not Nikurashii Kare.

Long story short, I can't say if it's accurate to the source material, and I won't be able to recommend read-alongs for both Utsukushii Kare and Nikurashii Kare.

The two installments are equally interesting. Both are jam-packed with nicely paced content. I feel more comfortable with Nikurashii Kare, though, 'cause Hira made me uncomfortable in Utsukushii Kare, while it was Shitara who made me uncomfortable in Nikurashii Kare lmaooo. I loved Hira's little character development here, and I wish I could say the same for Kiyoi.😂The comedy and action were also good, and Moririn's presence made it 100 times better. It might not make my 2021 faves, but it's definitely one of the best-produced ones—it won best BLCD at chilchil 2023 for a reason.

Let's pray to god I survive the third installment. 🤞

[ofmermaidstories]

Spoilers for the latest chapter of Something!

I'm gonna go ahead and apologize now because this is long; please feel free to ignore my wordy ass, I just have a lot of feelings about a certain someone that showed up in the new chapter lol.

I am still trying to get my shit together enough to write a proper review, but I did want to come yell at you for making the grape boy somewhat likeable, like...

Firstly, how??? Secondly, why?????!?!

Lmao, in all seriousness tho, it's nice to see him have a personality that isn't just "Mmmm, tits" *drools* I like to think that everyone in the series grows up and (mostly) out of the worst of their habits, and while Mineta is still a bit of a lecher here he isn't nearly as offensive/creepy as he comes off in show. In fact he's actually sympathetic in a lot way. The bit about seeing his first dead body before "getting laid" hit different like... He tries to play it off like a joke, but dude has to have just as much PTSD as the rest of them, maybe even more given that he wasn't able to fight back in the same way as someone like Bkg or Deku would be able to with their super powerful offensive quirks. They were all just kids, but they had to face hell full on from jump, and let me stop before I get too in my feelings lol.

In a lot of ways, he reminds of you the boys from school — crude. Taking for granted the safety from being in a pack, unchallenged. Leering at posters, saying off-colour things because no one corrects them.

That's exactly the way I view him, just a crude little thing that refuses to be put in his place for long lol. Still, with his being a hero I would hope that he keeps a cap on it while he's on the job--in fact I'm sure he does; if he didn't I'm sure that Aizawa would've yanked his licence by now, the likes of Deku and Kiri wouldn't continue to associate with him, and that's saying nothing of the shit that would get posted to social mead and such. I feel like the only reason he says what he says to the Reader is b/c she's a little gremlin herself and he knows he's got a bit more leeway, yanno?

The little hangout session that they had at the end of the chapter was weirdly heartwarming?? I want a friend(???) that I can be a surly little shit with and draw on and that will call my bf that's not really my bf but should be my bf because he's (that is Mineta) got more emotional intelligence than me lmao. Never thought I'd see the day when the grape would make for such an excellent wingman--tho I gotta wonder what that text he sent to Deku said. Probably something along the lines of "come get yo girl, she must be bored/lonely af because she asked to hang out with me" followed by "are you ever gonna close the deal or not? or have you already hit it??? >:)" just to give the guy an extra push (or maybe he's got a better sense of self-preservation than what I give him credit for, idk lmfaooo...)

Okay, this is WAY too long, I just had to get it out of my system lol. I loved the new chapter lots and I cannot wait to see how things play out in the next one!!

LOL, oh Puck, i adore you sdlkfjsdlkfjsdlkfj

me being a shit-stirrer/asking myself questions i don’t have answers for under the cut

Cat asked me this question earlier today, actually — why Mineta. And honestly? Part of it is the challenge he represents — like, how do you write him into a fic and mature him up so that he’s at the very least, tolerable, but also keep the backbone of his character (which is being a little degenerate). Like, is it possible? One of the most popular tags on ao3 for mineta minoru is something along the lines of “mineta minoru is replaced with shinsou hitoshi” LOL so…….. why didn’t I just use Shinsou? Or Aoyama or Iida, as Cat suggested? And beyond the part of me that delights in giving myself perceived challenges, there were two stark reasons that stuck out to me, when i was first mulling over his inclusion.

1) the fact that he can draw. it’s literally as simple as that. ever since the BNHA exhibition opened up in Japan and it was revealed that there was a scene in there with a class blackboard and the kids having their little drawing competition — and that Mineta was objectively the most skilled — i was like, “i have to include that”. LOL. it’s like you say, Puck, our Reader is a little gremlin herself — i thought if I was going to write a Reader that could handle interacting with him (ie, be in a position to pay him out) it was going to be this one. I think being in the manga industry and starting out on this journey of creating and drawing a Shonen manga sort of put Reader in this unique position of… being in what seems like a boys’ club? So she’d be used to the male gaze within her field. I follow Horikoshi’s assistant (former assistant?) on twitter and let me tell you, that man is not shy about the things that he likes to draw LOL.

the 2) thing was the philosophy i’ve sort of accidentally given myself LOL and that’s the fact that — as a Bakugou stan, if i’m giving grace to a character who was a literal violent bully then………. i can use my magic powers and hand it around to the other characters, too, LOL. and like, i would argue that with Bakugou it’s different, like we’re currently seeing in the manga how he has grown and learnt and is actively changing, which is the key to any kind of redemption. do i think Mineta will ever undergo that in cannon? absolutely not lmao, i see him as being being Hori’s idea of comedic relief, he’s always going to be a horrible little degen. but i want it for him…… if only to justify why the boys of Class-A collectively ignore his bullshit, for the most part? Like, none of them actively call him out on it?? i think of the time he tried to climb the wall to spy on the girls in the onsen — and how it was literally only Iida scolding him and how it took a child to stop him. Or the one when he found the stupid hole into the girl’s changing room and while the boys all looked grossed out….. Jirou’s the one that point an end to that?????? I saw a TikTok (derogatory) suggesting how like, none of the girls of Class-A would trust Aizawa, as adults, because he didn’t do anything to put an end to Mineta’s bullshit, and it was a devastating suggesting. None of us want to believe that our favourites would be passively okay with this kind of behaviour, right?? Which means……. Mineta’s gotta change LMAO. And if Hori isn’t going to do it then imma borrow him and do it myself. Does it work? I have no idea LMAO i can’t judge anymore, my meter is broken. but i’m gonna work with what i’ve given myself and it either will, or it won’t LMAOOOO kldsfjlksdjflkdj fic is about having fun at the end of the day. :’)

But it’s like you point out, Puck — Mineta is also a child, when these kids get trotted out to their first War. And he’s also not as offensively built as the hard-hitters like Deku and Bakugou and Shouto are. Even if it’s not explored in the manga, that War is going to change them all somehow.

So, my gameplan for Mineta was to grab ahold of the tiny things about him — the talent for drawing, the like one [1] observation he has about the wreckage of the war/pro heroes during the war arc, his tears for Bakugou when B wakes up afterwards and how he tells Deku how cool he was and how much he admires him, in the current Bring Deku Home chapters — and try to envision a sleaze bag who learns that the bullshit he pulls won’t be tolerated, even if he’s still ultimately a skeeze LOL. i mean, he’s never going to drop that er…. appreciation for the female form. and i mean, hey, live your best life King, i’ve distinctly noticed a hand-fetish floating around on this site lately so i’m not gonna be like “NO men can’t like ANYTHING”. But the thing with him being a sleaze and open with his leering is like, he’s actively made the girls of his class uncomfortable with that in the past — how do you write it so that he’s not doing that in a position of power with the women he works with (and saves!), as an adult?? Maturity only goes so far. How much can I bank on the war and the subsequent bullshit they’re gonna face from it on…. transforming him??? It shouldn’t be up to the girls he’s learning with to police him, they’re just children. I have a vague gameplan for it — whether or not it works will be one thing; whether i can naturally shove it into the fic is another, LOL. Guess we’ll see. 🧐

SAYING ALL THAT,,,,, i’m actually really glad you liked (???) the ending scene with him because it’s my favourite LMAO lkdjflkdsjflkdjfkldsjf. 😭😭 Reader is by no means perfect, and she and Mineta both need to start treating each other with more respect, but her bullying of him was fun to write and I like imagining a Mineta who considers himself to be close with Deku (whether or not Deku thinks the same is up for debate) going along with it. i could see this version of Mineta being enough of a shit-stirrer to say something like, “gotta lock that shit down” to Deku LMAO kdfjlkdsjflkdsfjdklsfj and then getting left on a skyscraper somewhere…. RIP short King.

[stimtoybox]

I've begun to realize I'm dependent on my cat laying on me to sleep. And she no longer wants to do it. Idk if I should get a weighted stuffy or maybe a reborn or even just a weighted lap pad? I haven't slept properly in days and I'm leaving for school soon.

Anon, I am less familiar with reborns and how well they’re weighted or how they compare to weighted products. I know they’re weighted to resemble the weight of an actual baby, but other than that I have no real knowledge, and they haven’t before popped up in stimming conversations. Can anyone in the follower or mod crews advise on this point?

I would, in all honesty, recommend something weighted for you. Not sleeping is a problem in that it massively impacts how you function, and if it might be fixed by something as simple as a weighted product, it is absolutely worth trying. Speaking as a chronic insomniac, if something as simple as weight helps you sleep, pursue it. You don’t need to not sleep!

(Additionally, please don’t annoy your cat by trying to make her lie on you, as that will make her want to do it less and less, as I’m sure you know. Stepping back and not forcing it will likely make her more willing to do so later on, but that will happen as she wills it, when she feels like doing it. Pets can be fabulously stimmy for us, but that always has to happen on their terms, not ours, and as much as we might sometimes need the stim they offer, we need to respect their wishes as regards contact and interaction. Having alternative stim/sensory options for when they don’t wish to engage with us is absolutely vital for our health as well as our pets’ health.)

What you do next depends on what options you have.

If you need something right now, you can get one of the larger-sized ziplock bags, or even a plastic bag or pillow slip with a knot tying it closed, fill it with rice/beans/soup mix and try it out tonight. Or any kind of fabric bag you can close in some way. (I don’t recommend using pins, as they might prick you in your sleep, but you could knot a cord or ribbon around the top to hold the bag or pillow slip closed, for example.) It will rustle if you’re using a plastic bag, so a fabric bag or pillow slip might be better if rustling will disturb you, but it will give you weight, and starting this way will let you experiment with the kind of weight you need. You can start with the approximate weight and length of your cat, if possible, and see if that’s something you can arrange comfortably.

It won’t feel quite like your cat. The grain-type filling will flop more from one side to the other, for example, as this quick job won’t be designed with keeping the bag even. I’m assuming you don’t move much in bed/in your sleep, as your cat did sleep on you, so it may not be a problem if you arrange the bag/pillow as best you can first, but for me it would be a problem, so I’ll mention it.

If the bag contains wheat or rice, and the bag is a non-flammable material like cotton, you might also like to microwave it for a minute or two before using to better mimic your cat’s body heat. (I go to bed at night with a heat bag at my feet because they’re always freezing.) If you do this, always put a glass of water in the microwave while you microwave the bag - this goes for any heat bag - and watch it while you microwave it. Microwave in short bursts, too, at least until you know how your microwave treats the bag. Every microwave varies! The time that worked on my bag at home burnt the wheat and the fabric both in my cousin’s microwave, so I am absolutely talking from experience.

Retailer Options

Wheat Heat Bags often come in plush animal cases, but you could also try just the bag on its own. This post details where you can find them in Aussie department stores Big W and K-Mart, but you are likely able to find something similar in local department stores. These are really great because they don’t require any modification to turn them into a weighted plush toy and they’re full-size, huggable soft toys. (Here’s my review on the robot.)

You can find a broad range of incredibly cute plush heat bag animals on Amazon by manufacturer Intelex, ranging from $16.50 to $22 USD each. There’s a frog, owls, a hippo, an elephant, a cow…

Amazon also stocks handmade weighted lap pads, $40 USD, available in several different colours.

You also might like to check out Etsy sellers Sensory Stuffies and Southern Lites Gifts, both of which stock weighted plush animals. (Both ship from the US.)

Stimtastic has the weighted bunny lap pad, containing two pounds of rice, for $17.50 USD.

@gatikmaverick makes weighted heat bags (link to review) with proper seams for even weight distribution. (PM for ordering information; US-only.)

@lilrabbitssong makes barley-filled teddy bears ($35 USD). (PM for ordering information.)

DIY Options

This is something really easy to DIY, in that you can fill a pillow/cushion case or a store-bought soft toy/plushie with rice, plastic pellets, soup mix, dried beans, aquarium gravel, decorative gravel, glass counters or sand to provide weight. Of course, many of those won’t be washable (you’ll need to unpick seams and remove rice, soup mix or beans in order to wash the outer toy or pillow case) but they’re fairly inexpensive.

No-Sew Blanket Tutorial (could be made smaller, in lap-pad size)

Machine-Sewn Blanket Tutorial (warning: puzzle pieces in website header)

Weighted Lap Pad Tutorial

Weighted Tie Blanket Tutorial

Weighted Plush Toy Tutorial

Weighted Stuffed Animal Tutorial

Fur Monster Pillow Tutorial

You also might like to check out this guide to choosing a weighted blanket and this guide for choosing the weight of your weighted blanket, as an indicator for how heavy you might want to go. I’d think that the weight and size of your cat, since you seem to find that comfortable, is a good starting point for you.

Does that give you somewhere to begin, anon? There’s several different options you can take, but if you have rice in the cupboard and some sort of bag or pillow case, there’s nothing keeping you from trying this out right now.

I wish you luck and lots of sleep!

- Mod K.A.