#especially for Rikka that was very fun to write

[rhysintherain]

I can't remember if I've specifically seen you post about your Tav and/or Durge? But a great way for me to get to know them! 35, 37, and 39 for a Tav/Durge of your choosing. c: (And heck, also for Rikka the Bhaalspawn you told me about, if she was a companion. :D )

Thank you! The only Tav I've put a ton of effort into lately (the one I occasionally write about) is Skye: druid, non-binary disaster, dating Shadowheart canonically. Guild artisan background. A bit more chaotic than most druids would like. Has a lot of history with the legacy companions, since they're Jaheira's protege.

Greeting a player character at different approval levels:

Low: don't you have something to be doing? ANYTHING to be doing, besides this conversation? Because I sure do.

Usually I don't bite, but I'll make an exception for you.

Neutral: need something? I have *sorts through pockets for stray stuff* an empty bottle... Some string... Where did all these gremisha tails come from? Oh, I have cheese! Let me know if any of that sounds useful.

If you're hoping I'll say something druidic and wise I'll give it a go, but it'll probably just sound sarcastic.

High: need a giant feral cat to smack someone for you? Please tell me it's Lae'zel.

You know what my favorite thing about the city is? The conspicuous lack of ankhegs.

Romance: here, I made you something *hands player some little thing made out of odds and ends collected on their travels*

You know, I used to doubt leaving Cloakwood, but with you here I'm sure it was the right choice.

If a player asks them "tell me about yourself":

Born and raised in the Gate, which was... Interesting when I learned to wild shape into a coyote as a kid. Fortunately Jaheira took pity on me and taught me some shapes that get fewer rocks thrown at them.

Spent some time at the Cloakwood circle - the REAL Cloakwood circle, mind you, shadow druids don't count - but there's only so much bug control and giving directions to lost city folks you can do before you'd rather be anywhere else.

Not much more to say, honestly? You already know I can turn into an assortment of creatures and can't stand Ashaba Dusk.

(spoiler alert: there's plenty more to say. Like the last name they refuse to use. And the fact that they learned most of what they know from a handful of legendary heroes. But they're not going to say any of that until The Plot forces them to)

When a player character asks for a kiss: have I ever said no before? Actually, if I ever do just assume I've been dopplegangered.

Of course, I wasn't working on anything important at the moment *que the sound of something falling over/a hiss of a potion eating through the workbench/the growl of a possibly dangerous animal off camera* well, not more important than this...

And for Rikka, the half-orc shaman Bhaalspawn from BG1 and 2. Neutral good, insufferable ray of sunshine, romanced Rasaad.

Greeting a player at different approval levels:

Low: Can I help you? *Under her breath* I mean, can anyone, really?

Oh hey, I've been meaning to talk to you about your questionable decisions lately.

Neutral: whatever you need, I'm on it like ugly on an orc! (This was actually one of the in-game dialogues in BG1 for the voice I chose for her. Didn't know that when I picked the voice, but it was very in character that she'd think it was funny)

We shouldn't linger here, the ghosts of this land are restless... Gods, you should see the look on your face! Admit it, I had you going, didn't I?

High: Minsc just asked me if he'd hurt that tree's feelings... I swear, I've known that man for over a century and he still manages to surprise me.

Need a summoning? An exorcism? I'm pretty sure I know a couple dead dragons who owe me favors, just say the word.

Romance: if it isn't my favorite person, wading through the mud and blood of the adventuring life to come see me.

You know I'd walk straight into the hells for you, right? And I'm not just saying that because I've done it so many times I could justify buying a summer home there, either!

If a player asks them "tell me about yourself":

Oh you know, I'm pretty normal. Daughter of a murder god, raised in the finest library in the realms - which I made much better use of than my sister, for the record - got my soul stolen by an evil wizard, but then who hasn't? They offered me my father's throne at one point, but the family business just sounded like an awful lot of work, you know? I have 15 - no wait, I think it's 16 now - beautiful grandchildren. Okay, maybe my life hasn't been the textbook definition of normal, but I'm surprisingly normal about it!

When a player character asks for a kiss: pretty please?

Oh, my day is getting better already!

[margridarnauds]

14, 19 and 10 for the tav ask game! Any tav :)

10. Was your Tav in a relationship? How did it end?

I KNOW Malla's had flings with women, especially when it could get her an edge. She's very familiar with that side of things, it doesn't surprise her. As you'd expect from a stereotypical Drow, they were relatively brief and ended bloodily. She fell into...well. A little more than lust, a little less than LOVE with Minthara at first sight, being simultaneously impressed by her, disgusted that she had turned away from Lolth, and *interested*, and there was no real hesitation as far as what option she was going to take. (For Kitrye, this would have required three acts of conflict.)

Kitrye...I don't write her as a virgin, I think she's had sex at some point in 276 years, but she's just picky enough and just discrete enough that she never bothered to tell me who. It hasn't been often and, whenever it was, it was a long time pre-canon. It would have had to have been someone who she'd formed a long-term bond with, since I generally think she falls somewhere on the demisexual side of things (she has to patiently explain to Raphael on multiple occasions that she has absolutely no attraction to Haarlep, she's attracted to *him*). Probably another Eilistraeean. Probably while she was still in the Underdark.

Ana has fucked. She is a bard, she is involved in the infernal hierarchy, AND she is Raphael's daughter, now with actual rizz. She has fucked. (My only hope and prayer is that Raphael did NOT follow in his father's footsteps and grant her own personal incubus when she came of age.) (Knowing Raphael, I am not certain that this is the case.) I do not believe she has been in an actual relationship, though -- she's currently sleeping with Astarion because, in her mind, I think it's....a bit of fun. A lot of fun with someone who matches her sense of chaos, but nothing serious. If she ends up going for Wyll, which was the planned trajectory, it will very much be a surprise for her, her kind of falling into a very serious relationship unexpectedly with someone who is very much Not her usual type. (Though Astarion would also be a surprise, since suddenly, she has to decide whether it really IS just fun.) It highlights her going from...honestly, still a relatively NICE hellion, all things considered, to developing a greater sense of responsibility and care, even beyond, say, the tieflings.

14. Does your Tav have any childhood friends?

So, because I FIRST started playing Ana in a multiplayer game with a dear friend (she now has her own single-player game), she has a semi-canonical best friend, Rikka, the barbarian dwarf. Which, given Korrilla's existence, just gives the idea of Raphael at a certain point sitting down and deciding that his daughter needed her own Emotional Support Dwarf. ("What do children want? I know!")

Kitrye and Malla were really one another's closest allies and friends, even if there was always a certain level of uncertainty in that relationship. It really was them against the world and neither one of them can ever fully forget that.

19. Any memories that stick out to you/your Tav pre-tadpole?

Malla will always remember being in the streets of Menzoberranzan, dodging the underbelly of Drow society, learning how to be quick, fast, and quiet. She might not remember the name she used to have, but she'll never forget the day she was given the name that she'd live the rest of her life by.

For Kitrye, the first time she encountered Eilistraee, the feeling of love and comfort, escaping the Underdark, how terrifying and exhilarating it was all at once, sleeping under the stars for the first time. Before that, her memories of her early alchemical experiments, under the supervision of the house wizard, who acted as a sort of mentor figure to her.

For Ana, it's a relatively simple thing, but her violin classes -- her mentor, who was a world class violinist who looked only moderately terrified to be there (they might or might not have faced some outright coercion to teach someone's little hellion as the result of an infernal contract), the first few times she was able to start playing actual SONGS and making MUSIC, feeling proud of the calluses on her fingers as they developed.

[tomedonaki-hakujou]

Koharu Rikka: Original Songs Highlight

I've been following a lot of original song releases featuring Rikka since she's one of my favorite vocalists, and I wanted to highlight some songs you might not have heard before here!

Dissonance and Falling Backwards - Lopes3v (Alissi-P)

This producer uses Koharu Rikka alongside a lot of other SynthV vocalists often, like Saki, SOLARIA, Genbu, and Maki. This is a very recent release that's very atmospheric; a dark and distant feeling. I really like it!

Midnight King - ADVANCE Musics

A catchy Eurobeat song with a really great composition. As I'm writing this, the video only has 14 views and was just released today. It's very good and great to dance to.

Wasurenagusa no Epilogue - Riez

Riez is a producer who regularly uses Koharu Rikka, and always creates such beautiful songs. This is their most recent song,

My Eternity - Vane

This is a very catchy song!! Hearing Vane together with Rikka is really a treat, I feel like R.I.P.'s tuning, Rikka's voice, and Vane's music works very well here.

Devil Girl - XoffyCrisis

Very catchy! This sounds like it uses Rikka's Standard voicebank, and has a cute vibe. I think if you like a lot of recent popular Japanese VOCALOID songs you'll really like this too. Very fresh and trendy.

Pipeng Nabulag - Bebu

A dark electronic Rikka song in Tagalog! So far, Bebu has used Rikka mostly in original songs.

Amphiaster - Jinpyon/Otonari Studio

Jinpyon is a regular user of Rikka, and this song features Natsuki Karin as well! Very stylish, beautiful, and strong!

Blue Days Syndrome - Yori/Sodalite Lab

Very upbeat song with a wonderful melody/lyrics, also by a producer that regularly uses Rikka. This is Yori/Sodalite's most recent release with Rikka. It's a very nice J-pop feeling song.

Mirai Shoukougun (Future Syndrome) - lastscaler

Honestly, I really am a huge fan of lastscaler's works especially with how he utilizes guitar. He's also recently started using Karin, too!

Adam - Kazawara

User of both Karin and Rikka, Kazawara produces a variety of guitar songs from beautiful and serious, to upbeat and fun with Rikka and Karin. "Adam" is one of my favorite works by them.

In the future, I want to highlight more songs I've found as well and continue to support upcoming producers. There's so many hidden gems with these vocalists that haven't really come to the limelight.

(Interestingly enough, I've noticed Rikka originals tend to trend towards J-pop, unlike maybe KAFU or #kzn for example who have a lot of electronic and alternative.)

Here is my playlist with Koharu Rikka originals if you're interested!

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 9/30/20

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 6 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Another series down to “once a year” release—I had to jog my memory at the start to recall what had been happening. Many things are going wrong for our heroine, who is trying to be strong and tough but is also starting to break down, and I felt that the scenes with her and Dean struck just the right balance of comforting and letting the heroine cry without making her seem weaker. This sets the stage for her comeback, which is extraordinary. (And also has a corrupt Church, a constant in Japanese light novels, though at least here there are also honest and good religious people in it.) That said, eventually Dean’s identity will come out, and I do wonder how this very good “villainess” isekai will handle it. – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Jack Flash and the Faerie Case Files, Vol. 1 | By Yu Godai, Mako Oikawa, and Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – A faerie switched at birth for a human child, Jack never fit in in either world. Only in the mortal realm could she earn money for anime collectibles, however, so she decided to make herself into a tough, capable woman like her literary heroes and set up shop as a detective. Together with her fellow changeling, Larry the werewolf, Jack takes on supernatural cases in New York City. In this volume, Lindel tasks them with tracking down a missing dragon egg. I liked the resources Jack uses to obtain information, which include a dapper theatre ghost and a spell with components of rat whiskers and taxi tires because “Nobody out there knows this city better than them.” I still found this a bit hard to get into, though, especially the parts involving a perpetually tearful off-off-off-off-Broadway actress and her pickpocket boyfriend. Still, I will check out volume two! – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 22 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – At long last, this interminable arc comes to an end. I enjoyed a lot of it, but I cannot deny it should have been about two volumes shorter. Most of the book is taken up by shonen battles, with the villain being nigh unkillable, the heroes almost breaking themselves to stop him, etc. Fortunately, the day is saved, and even the Wizard King turns out to be… sort of alive again? Shota fans should be happy. Asta fans perhaps less so—the sheer amount of damage done to the kingdom in this arc means someone has to be blamed, and give Asta has the “dark evil magic” it’s gonna be him, especially when he takes the incredibly obvious bait they use to get him to fight. Oh well, if Asta were smart, this wouldn’t be Black Clover. – Sean Gaffney

Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Vol. 3 | By Nanashi | Vertical Comics – Part of the problem with titles like this and the other teasing works (Takagi-san less so as Nishikata doesn’t fall into the category) is that they are, at heart, the classic “extroverted girl acts overtly extroverted to bring introverted guy out of their shell,” and that’s not really a plot that feels comfortable in the Gen Z days, where you’re more likely to say “why doesn’t she just let him be in his quiet, safe space?” And by she I mean they, as Nagatoro’s two friends appear far more often here, which offers some good two-way teasing action, as they clearly see her crush on him, if not why. It’s still sort of hard to read, but if you pretend he’s more OK with it than he actually is, this is cute. – Sean Gaffney

Failed Princesses, Vol. 1 | By Ajiichi | Seven Seas – The concept of “popular girl meets unpopular girl” is a common one in yuri manga, and we do indeed hit several of its tropes in this first volume. The amusing thing is that Kanade, the shy outcast girl, is perfectly aware of how things are supposed to go, and keeps pulling back a bit to try to save Nanaki from, well, making herself an outcast by associating with the wrong people. The best part of the volume is that Nanaki really doesn’t give two shits about any of that, and seems set on making Kanade her best friend… and also making her over, which backfires a bit as Kanade cleans up nicely. I hear this gets a bit dramatic later, but for the moment it’s a cute and fluffy proto-yuri story. – Sean Gaffney

In/Spectre, Vol. 12 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – The first story in this volume is another “Rikka tries to make people understand Kotoko is an evil Machiavellian schemer,” this time with one of her ex-classmates, but again the response seems to be “we know she’s a manipulative bitch, but she’s a good person anyway.” The larger story, which will continue into the next book, seems to be a chance to write Kuro and Kotoko as an actual romance, as the man we meet here and his relationship with a yuki-onna… as well as his penchant for attracting misfortune… very much parallel them. That said, they’re very cute together, which is why I hope he avoids the murder charge he’s now being investigated for. Still a favorite. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 8 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – The author knows what people want to see, but also knows that the best way to get readers is to drive them crazy by not showing it. We finally get what we’ve been begging for here, as Tetsuo asks Sakie out on a date. (This is after rejecting Kyouko’s love confession, both because she’s his student and also, as he is forced to admit, as he likes Sakie.) The stage is set for the date… and the rest of the book is thus spent with the three main student girls going to Kyouko’s for a fireworks viewing and meeting her family. They’re good chapters, and I really liked showing how difficult Kyouko has it as a dullahan in terms of everyday life, but GOD, please get back to the teachers, I beg you! – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 16 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The series has gotten to the point where the more rewarding chapters are the ones as part of a larger arc. Not that the one-shot chapters are bad—though Maki’s journey to India may be the most pointless thing in this entire series to date, we do get Chika’s iconic “shut up or I’ll kill you” here. But the larger arcs, featuring Miyuki and Kaguya attempting to date without interruptions, and setting up Ishigami and Iino for a romance—though given the number of limbs broken in this book, and Iino’s own horrible lack of self-awareness, it may be a ways out—are better. This series is still hilarious, but we’ve come to read it more for the heartwarming moments. Heck, there’s even some serious drama here. Very good. – Sean Gaffney

Nineteen | By Ancco | Drawn & Quarterly – Although it was translated and released second in English, Nineteen is a precursor to Ancco’s internationally award-winning manhwa Bad Friends. The volume collects thirteen short comics originally published in Korea over a decade ago which absolutely remain relevant to today’s world. While understandably not as polished as some of Ancco’s later work—one can observe her style evolving and growing over the course of the collection (which is fascinating)—the comics still carry significant emotional weight and impact. Nineteen includes diary comics, which tend to be more lighthearted, as well as harder-hitting fictional stories, many of which also have autobiographical inspiration. As a whole, the collection explores themes of young adulthood, growing up, and complicated family relationships. In particular, there is a compelling focus on the relationships among daughters, mothers, and grandmothers. Some of the narratives can be rather bleak, but a resigned sense of humor threads through Nineteen, too. – Ash Brown

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 8 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Shoujo manga that has couples getting together BEFORE the end of the series is inevitably going to have an arc dealing with how far the lead couple should go now that they’re dating, and this is Ran’s turn, as she and Akira and their friends go to a beach house Ran’s family owns and have some beach fun. Unfortunately, the cast gets winnowed down one by one until it’s just the two of them… and her overprotective father, who arrives in time to provide the cliffhanger and no doubt ensure that nookie does not ensue. Not that I think it should—these two kids are even purer than the couple from Kimi ni Todoke, and I think they should mature a bit more before going further. Plus, watching them blush and kiss is wonderful. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – Having spent our first volume establishing that our found family can really come to love each other deep down, this volume shows off how they are also, at heart, fundamentally awkward and unable to socialize normally. This is unsurprising—hints of Loid’s life we’ve seen show him as a war orphan, Yor is a contract killer, and Anya basically grew up being experimented on by bad guys. As the school soon finds, this leads to issues. The second half of the book introduces Yor’s sister-obsessed little brother Yuri, who turns out to be a torture expert for Loid’s enemies. As always, half the fun is that everyone except Anya has no idea who their real selves are, and the cliffhanger tells us we’re in for some hilarious family fun. I love this. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | VIZ Media – After a brief spell atop the waiting list, Anya officially makes it into Eden Academy. Loid is anxious to progress to the next stage of his mission and, believing there’s not much chance in turning Anya into an elite scholar like his agency wants, focuses instead on having her befriend the younger son of his target. It does not go to plan, of course. Anya is very cute in this volume, and I also really appreciated how Loid genuinely listens to Yor and values her input. The arrival of Yor’s brother, a member of the secret police, is going to be a fun complication, and another cast member with a secret, but my favorite part of this series is probably always going to be how much love these three are already feeling for each other. So unique and good! – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Vol. 6 | By Tomo Hirokawa, based on the story by Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – The weakness of this manga is the same as always—it’s written to tie into the games, and features several characters I just don’t recognize, which can be a problem given this is the big final let’s-save-the-world ending. That said, this is still a decent SAO title. Kirito gets to be cool and badass, but because this isn’t written just by Kawahara others do as well, and it’s a nice balanced effort that focuses on heroine Premiere. I also really liked the point where all the NPCs are worried when everyone has to log out for several days for maintenance. While I’ll still remember this as the “SAO only everyone is alive” manga, I enjoyed reading it, when I wasn’t confused. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[the-septuplets-of-chaos]

The Graves Septuplets: Character introductions 

Birthday: July 7th

Ages: 17

Fun fact: No matter how calm or sensible some of them might seem they all cause trouble one way or another :P

Julius (Julie)

Color: Blue

Height: 6'0"

Personality: Julius is a very calm and quiet person most of the time, who enjoys the simple things in life. He's the kind of person you can trust and depend on when you need help. He cares very much about people who are important to him.

Hobbies: Cooking and reading.

Favorite quote: "I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar!" - Prince Zuko

Caesar (C - pronounced sea)

Color: Green

Height: 6'1" ("and a half" - Caesar)

Personality: Caesar is not the sharpest tool in shed but he's big and he's loveable and he's got a laugh worth a million suns. He's a very active guy and spends most of his time outside hangout with friends and his brothers. He often gets brilliant ideas that usually lead to him getting hurt in so many ways but he'll always get up and laugh the pain off.

Hobbies: Basketball, parkour, and drawing on himself.

Favorite quote: "I'm not gay but $20 is $20."

David (Dave)

Color: Red

Height: 5'11"

Personality: David is an dramatic emo theater kid. The way he acts on might assume that he's a *cough* chuunibyou *cough.* Usually he walks around fighting for the dark side doing who-knows-what in the name of avoiding his "troublesome" family. It never works though and underneath the many layers of angst is a sweet boy with the best kind of dark humor.

Hobbies: Doing his evil masters bidding, swimming, watching anime, and rapping with his brothers ((Yea, the Grave Septuplets be a cypher and they all rap for fun and stuff 😂))

Favorite quote: “Reality rejected… synapses shattered… be vanished from this world!” – Rikka Takanashi (his waifu)

Jayce (Jamie)

Color: Purple

Height: 6′3″

Personality: Jayce is the smartest septuplet academically. He’s also the most “sensible” and often tells on his brothers if they do something wrong just for the fun of it. He’s very shy around large crowds and strangers but is very talkative around people he's familiar with, is very clumsy, and has no sense of direction. 

Hobbies: Being a full-time grammar police, showing off his smarts, playing chess, people watching.

Favorite quote: “Not scientifically possible!!” -  Professor Membrane

Rurik (Ricky)

Color: Orange 

Height: 6′0″

Personality: This trickster is always up to no good. If he can’t use words to charm you into giving him what he wants he’ll just steal it from you when you’re not looks. He’s likes causing problems for people, especially the tattletale Jayce. When he’s not causing problems he’s a pretty fun guy to be around. 

Hobbies: Causing mischief, stealing, picking fights with people, being the center of attention.

Favorite quote: “Bad habits never killed anyone.” - His favorite shirt.

Geo

Color: Pink

Height: 5′7″

Personality: Geo is a cute boi. He’s strange, but sweet. He’s a creative genius and often gets lost in his thoughts. He’s very soft spoken and cowardly. Geo is afraid of a lot of things like toddlers, 3rd graders, small dogs, loud noises, and big cats (tigers, lions, panthers, etc.) Tho despite his weak appearance he’s very flexible, quick, and has a love of choke holds and suplexes. He likes dressing up girly cuz he feels comfortable in cute clothes.

Hobbies: Day dreaming, writing, collecting things he finds cute.

Favorite quotes (Geo was told to pick one quote but he didn't): “Based on how I react when toast pops out of the toaster, I will never look cool walking away from an explosion.” - He forgot.

“People change. Now I’m a lamp.” - He forgot again.

“If there were fish in a lake, fishing would make no sense.” - Lech Walesa

Quincy (Quinn)

((I wanted to include him cuz I'd have to put (-1) in the title and I didn't want to do that. Twas too tired to draw the baby so have a picture from Picrew))

Tumblr: @there-is-no-i-in-party

Height: 5'3"

Personality: Quinn suffers from Alexithymia but that doesn't stop him from trying to make people and trying to be there for people. He's a ball of sunshine and couldn't hate a person even if he knew how. He's described as well liked with an infectious energy that brings out the best in people.

Hobbies: Rapping, giving free hugs, skateboarding, hanging out with people

Favorite Quote: "Oh, I never leave home without my party cannon." - Pinkie Pie (What else where you expecting?)

[kanasmusings]

[Translation] SolidS Drama CD Vol. 4 - Kumo no Mukou ni - Track 2

Here’s the second track~ 

Under the cut as usual, enjoy!

SolidS – Kumo no Mukou ni Drama CD Track 2

  (Tsubasa’s humming and drinking coffee)

(door opens and Rikka walks in)

RIKKA: Oh? I can smell the rich aroma of coffee~

TSUBASA: Yep, that’s right! I borrowed Shiki’s most prized possession.

TSUBASA: It’s to get me pumped up before work.

RIKKA: I guess Shiki won’t get mad if it’s for that.

RIKKA: (he puts a bag down) Alright then… I’m done preparing~

TSUBASA: Great work~

TSUBASA: Good luck with your work today, Rikka. You’re going to Kyoto all of a sudden with Dai-chan for work, right?

RIKKA: Yeah. Haiduki-san contacted us this morning and he said he’ll pick us up from here in a while. After that we’ll be riding a bullet train from Tokyo Station.

RIKKA: We’ll be there until the day after tomorrow. I know there were certain circumstances but it really was too sudden, huh?

TSUBASA: I see. Did someone suddenly fall ill or something? You’re gonna participate in an event, weren’t you?

RIKKA: That’s what I heard. There’ll be a kimono exhibition and then an interview. And then after that there’s a photo shoot around the city I think…

RIKKA: He said he’ll explain to us in detail on the bullet train.

TSUBASA: Spring in Kyoto, huh~ I feel like it’ll make for great pictures!

RIKKA: That’s right~ (sighs) I kinda wish I could just go sightseeing though.

TSUBASA: Totally! I wonder if the cherry blossoms are in bloom already~

RIKKA: I wonder. Maybe they’re still buds just like here in Tokyo.

TSUBASA: Ah, Rikka, there’s some coffee ready. Want some?

RIKKA: Yes, thank you.

RIKKA: Your mornings sure are elegant, huh, Tsubasa~

RIKKA: You start work at noon today?

TSUBASA: Yep~ There’s a meeting and a few formalities before the start of the CM filming.

TSUBASA: There’s gonna be a briefing on a lot of stuff so they said we needed to all be there.

TSUBASA: It’s gonna be until night but I think I’ll be back before dinner.

RIKKA: I see. It was a CM for a drug company, right?

TSUBASA: Yeah. It’s a CM for a nutritional drink.

TSUBASA: “A step forward during a crucial moment.” is the concept.

TSUBASA: It seems like it’s a series where people from different jobs will cooperate with each other.

TSUBASA: My partner’s an author.

RIKKA: Eh? An author…? Who?                      

(Tsubasa picks up a book and shows it to Rikka)

TSUBASA: Here. He’s this book’s author.

TSUBASA: “An up-and-coming novelist!” He’s Kuriki Yohei.

RIKKA: Ah, I know him. He’s gotten several awards recently, right? I remember seeing him on the news.

RIKKA: If I remember correctly… He’s being called the number one author preferred by young readers.

TSUBASA: Looks like it~ I’ve read all four of his works, too.

RIKKA: What were they like?

TSUBASA: Hmmm… My impressions are… They’re like charcoal fire?

RIKKA: (chuckles) What’s with that? That sounds like an impression fitting for his books, huh?

TSUBASA: All the subjects you can pick up from his books are really difficult!

TSUBASA: Like, there’s the harmful effect of an internet-centric society or… Something about a family who moved to live in a virtual forest and stuff.

TSUBASA: His composition’s really difficult and I felt like “Woah, what the heck?!” when I first started reading one.

TSUBASA: But, when I resolved myself to read it, I couldn’t put it down.

TSUBASA: Even after thinking it’s difficult at first, it leaves a unique kinda fire inside your heart after you’re done reading.

TSUBASA: That’s why it’s ‘charcoal fire’. Did ya get it~?

RIKKA: It’s a heat that slowly swallows you, was it?

TSUBASA: Yep, yep! That’s kinda how it is.

RIKKA: Hmm~ I feel like reading them now, too. Will you lend it to me next time?

TSUBASA: Of course~

RIKKA: So, going back to the CM topic, you’ll be co-starring with Kuriki-san, huh?

TSUBASA: Yep. It seems like they’ll show me at a crucial moment before a live and they’ll show him during a crucial moment with his deadline.

RIKKA: It’ll be about both of your challenges, right~

RIKKA: I hope that it’ll be a good commercial. I’m looking forward to it.

TSUBASA: Thank you~

RIKKA: It feels like it will be a passionate one, huh?

(door opens)

DAI: Sorry for the wait.

RIKKA: Ah, no, I just got finished [packing] a while ago. Wait, Dai—Is that all you’re gonna bring with you?

DAI: Hm? Yeah, that’s right.

RIKKA: Isn’t that rucksack the one you’re always using?

DAI: Yeah.

RIKKA: Is there… did you really bring stuff that’s for a 2-3 day trip…?

DAI: Of course. This is enough.

DAI: We’ll still be in Japan after all. If I need something I can just buy it somewhere there.

TSUBASA: Dai-chan’s always carried a few things during times like these, huh~

RIKKA: Back during my model days I was always running around here and there so I thought that it’d be better to have a compact case but…

RIKKA: I kinda feel like I just lost.

DAI: That’s a weird thing to be upset at losing about.

RIKKA: (laughs) But, don’t you think it’s kinda cool that you look like you’re used to travelling because you’ve only got a little stuff with you~?

TSUBASA: I feel ya~! You’re still fine. It’s not like Rikka’s carrying a lot of stuff either.

DAI: Shiki’s stuff is even fewer compared to mine, you know?

RIKKA: He’s an exception. His lack of stuff is totally on a mysterious level.

TSUBASA: He does go on overseas trips with only one bag. Like, the other day he managed to survive in Nagoya with only a small bag and his wallet.

DAI: Yeah, he did. I remember that.

DAI: He did buy souvenirs but the paper bag was bigger than his own stuff.

RIKKA: Unbelievable.

TSUBASA: His bag might be mysteriously connected to the paper bag, ya know~

RIKKA: (chuckles) I feel like that’s possible.

DAI: Is it really?

RIKKA: I kinda hold a grudge against Shiki for not needing to bring skin care and hair products.

DAI: Ah… Though he looks like the type to bring coffee-flavoured candy and sake bottles.

RIKKA: Maybe I’ll inspect his stuff next time.

RIKKA: It might be fine for now but in 5 years or so, if he doesn’t take care of his skin and hair, he’ll have trouble with it.

RIKKA: My goal is to be as cool with our personal appearance even when we become “Old Men SolidS”. I’ll have everyone do their best, too~

TSUBASA: Woah~ Rikka’s on fire~

DAI: Anyway… “Old Men SolidS” sounds weird.

TSUBASA: Right~ Specially if Rikka says it, I feel like there’s an underlying omen… Old men…? Or something. I totally can’t imagine it…

DAI: I agree. Everyone aside from Rikka will look different.

RIKKA: Really? Although I’d be happy if that were true~

RIKKA: But, we’re human so we’ll age. There’s nothing negative about getting older.

RIKKA: I at least want to be able to age coolly and be admired a little.

TSUBASA: Oh-ho~ Rikka’s sense is so grand.

TSUBASA: I can’t imagine you as an old man but I can imagine Shiki!

TSUBASA: He’d definitely suit being a part of Old Men SolidS!

TSUBASA: (trying to imitate Shiki’s voice) “I’m Takamura Shiki, 40 years old. I’m still fired up for work as usual!” he’d definitely say something like that!

SHIKI: Sorry for being such a predictable old man.

TSUBASA: …! (in a high-pitched voice) W-woah…!

SHIKI: Though you’re not wrong about the fact that I’ll still be gung-ho about work when I’m in my 40’s.

SHIKI: I’ll stay in this industry for my entire life.

TSUBASA: Y-you surprised me…! Can you please not just appear so suddenly?

RIKKA: I almost spat out my coffee…

DAI: I’d have been soaked if I continued walking forward.

SHIKI: It’s not sudden. I came in normally from the door.

SHIKI: You were probably too excited about Old Men SolidS that you didn’t notice. I think it’s still good but are you sure you’re not gonna be late?

RIKKA: Eh? Ah, it’s already this time.

TSUBASA: Ah, I’ll clean the cups later.

RIKKA: Thank you. Dai, let’s go.

DAI: Sure.

SHIKI: Do your best.

RIKKA: Yes, we’ll do our best at work~ Good luck to you two as well.

RIKKA: Especially you, Shiki. I heard that your deadline’s coming close. Get some proper rest once in a while even though you’re busy, okay?

SHIKI: I’ll try. I’m sure Haiduki will coordinate it just fine. There are lots of times when things don’t always go according to plan. Outside influences might cause a delay on the matter at hand.

RIKKA: I see.

SHIKI: Fortunately, the topics at hand are completely different from each other and I can think freely about what to write. I hope I get something done.

SHIKI: Well, it’s what makes it fun.

DAI: It’s great that it’s for a SolidS song too, isn’t it?

SHIKI: Totally. That’s why I might make you sing more dazzling idol songs again.

DAI: That’s… I hope you don’t…

RIKKA: Eh~? Isn’t that fun? I plan to sing it with all I’ve got though~

RIKKA: Bring it on~

TSUBASA: Me, too!

DAI: He might really make us do it so stop that.

SHIKI: Look forward to it.

RIKKA: (chuckles) Now then… We’ll be on our way for real this time.

DAI: We’ll be on our way.

TSUBASA: Take care~!

SHIKI: Be careful.

(door opens and Rikka and Dai leave)

TSUBASA: I wonder what they’ll bring us for souvenirs~ I’ll look forward to it~

SHIKI: If they had that much free time, it’d be fine. But it looks like their schedule’s packed.

TSUBASA: Eh? Is that so?

SHIKI: It was an irregular request. A few days ago, an old desk worker retired and the one that took over wanted to do a prefecture-specific job and snuck it in. It went by completely unnoticed.

SHIKI: It was found out when the other party called in to confirm.

TSUBASA: Aw man… So that’s why Rikka and Dai-chan were suddenly called to fill in.

SHIKI: Exactly. If those two are there they’ll be able to do most of what’s needed.

SHIKI: They’re very versatile and there’s two of them. Plus, they’re pretty well-known.

SHIKI: The agency’s happy that they can show off talents who are good at not only singing and dancing.

TSUBASA: That’s great, Producer~ Don’t you feel so proud?

SHIKI: I guess.

SHIKI: By the way…

TSUBASA: Huh?

SHIKI: I’m curious about this aroma that’s filling the room.

TSUBASA: Geh…!

SHIKI: Tsubasa, that coffee you’re drinking, could it be…

TSUBASA: (in a slightly panicking tone) Oh no! Looks like I’ll be going out, too~!

TSUBASA: It’s a little early but I guess I’ll go shopping and eat an early lunch along the way~

SHIKI: Hey.

TSUBASA: I won’t be back until dinner so do your best at work, too, Leader! (he blows a kiss)

(Tsubasa opens the door)

TSUBASA: I’ll be going now~

(door closes)

SHIKI: Hey, Tsubasa. Hey, wa—

SHIKI: (to himself) Good grief. They drank such expensive coffee.

SHIKI: (to himself) Do your work properly in exchange.

  ==END==

※ Please don’t re-post these translations without permission.

[akemilena]

SolidS Unit Song Series COLOR -RED-

Soliradi Special Mini mini edition (ver. RED)

Drama || Translation index

Tsubasa: Ehh, SolidS fans from all over the country, sorry for the wait!

Shiki: Thank you always for your support!

Rikka: We are delivering to all of you this live broadcast-style radio…

Dai: … SolidS radio, also known as Soliradi…

Tsubasa: Special mini mini edition… it’s~ sta~rting~!!

Everyone: *claps*

Tsubasa: Well, then! It’s Soliradi time. Everyone in front of the radio, ciao! How do you do? I’m today’s main personality, Okui Tsubasa from SolidS!

Rikka: Hello. Likewise, I’m Sera Rikka from SolidS. Hope we have a good time.

Shiki: I’m SolidS’ producer and leader, Takamura Shiki. Nice to meet you.

Dai: I’m Murase Dai. I’ll do my best today.

Tsubasa: And the four of us together are SolidS! Just kidding. Well well, we’re a unit affiliated to Tsukipro, and we sing songs, but for those who meet us for the first time, hope we get along well! For those who already know us, let’s continue doing so~

Rikka: Let’s have a lot of fun together until the end!

Tsubasa: Okay, so then! We finished introductions quickly, so for the people who don’t know what Soliradi is, let’s explain it very easily! Uuuuum, let’s go with the one who won’t speak even as half as me if we leave him… low calorie boy, Dai-chan! Please explain.

Dai: What’s low calorie boy… it’s because you talk non-stop that I have no gap to say anything. I’m surprised your mouth runs so well.

Shiki: That’s not all, his switching is fast too, and he’s good at making the conversation advance. He’s perfect to be a radio personality. I usually get annoyed at his never-ending talk, but at times like this it’s really reassuring.

Tsubasa: Hey, you two, I don’t know if you’re praising me or badmouthing me, pick one~

Rikka: *chuckles*

Dai: Er, so, explanation, was it. Which should I read?

Tsubasa: *laughs* This, this. The cheat sheet.

Rikka: You gave it to him so proudly…

Dai: Okay, okay. In Soliradi, the members of SolidS become radio personalities and deliver this in public recordings and live broadcasts. It’s a heart-throbbing radio. … heart-throbbing…

From the messages and questions received beforehand, our leader Shiki selects some…

Shiki: I selected them.

Dai: … and we reply to those questions and messages.

Shiki: While replying, we want to get you more interested about us. That’s the objective of Soliradi.

Tsubasa: Yep yep, that’s it~ There are times when we talk endlessly about one topic, but today we’re going to reply a lot! We got many messages piled up.

Rikka: The week before last we talked about Shiki’s lyrics writing, and last week about our recommendations for restaurants around the city. We got really excited. Just with our talk, we ran out of time…

Dai: I think about it every time, but it’s surprising we don’t get scolded, being this relaxed.

Shiki: Tsukipro’s tradition: “let’s be natural” is the basic concept, after all. Light-hearted and comfortable, for the speakers and the listeners.

Tsubasa: No but you know, for the other units’ radio? Tsukiradi? IveRadi? Are also like this, Dai-chan.

Dai: Really… That’s really relaxed.

Rikka: *laughs* The fans said they feel like they’re seeing us talk behind the scenes, and it makes them happy.

Tsubasa: Right, everyone loves back stages and things like that! Eh, wait wait, we’re going off the rails again. Okay, let’s go back! Soliradi’s outline is, like Dai-chan just explained. There might be times when the expressions of some parts of the messages are changed or omitted. Ah, also, if we don’t know how to read a handle name and we say it wrong, I’m sorry!

Rikka: We’ve got a lot of messages. Everyone, thank you very much! Sadly, we can’t read them all, but I saw there are also words of support along with the questions, and it made me really happy!

Dai: For me, especially, since we can’t interact directly… I can’t really get used to it… but, um, getting words of support makes me happy too. Thank you.

Shiki: If there’s another time, please send them again.

Tsubasa: Okay, then, let’s start!

Eh, here, handle name: Homura-san. Thank you very much! “Tsubasa-kun has known Dai-kun for a long time, so if you know any interesting episode from his student days please tell us.”

Dai: Huh?! Hey, Tsubasa, don’t say anyt-

Tsubasa: Ohhh, I have plenty of stock… Aaah!! Something that sounds like a lie but it’s true. You know, a cute girl from his school told Dai-chan “Murase-senpai, please go out with me!” and he said “To where?” so seriously, it’s become a legend. I didn’t think there’d be someone to actually do that!! *laughs*

Dai: Idio- why do you know that?!

Tsubasa: Hehe, don’t underestimate my information network.

Shiki: Living your youth, huh… Dai.

Dai: Don’t say it so heartily.

Rikka: Living your youth, eh, Dai.

Dai: It’s not anything to say so happily either! Tsubasa… you’ll remember this…

Shiki: Handle name: Megu. “Please tell us if there’s something you’re fixated about when brewing coffee”. Hm. I think I’ve talked about it a few times, but I have a different brand for work coffee and after-work coffee. By changing the taste, it also serves like an on/off switch for me.

Rikka: Try not to drink too much, you can damage your stomach!

Shiki: Hm, you’re right.

Rikka: Let’s continue, then. Handle name: Naamin-san. “Rikka-san is SolidS’ conscience, but are there times when you get angry? Also, how are you like when you’re angry?”

Dai & Tsubasa: Ohhh…

Rikka: Shiki…

Shiki: I personally wanted to know the answer, so I chose it.

Dai: Shiki, you’ve known him for a long time. Hasn’t he ever got mad at you?

Shiki: Nope. There are times when I think “maybe he was angry back then?”, though. Ah, a while ago he got angry at Tsubasa. “Stop fighting”, he said.

Tsubasa: Hey, hey hey! He didn’t get angry at me only, you were as guilty! Also, that was… he didn’t get angry, he just scolded me! But still… it was scary…

Dai: Eh… is he scary?

Rikka: I-I don’t think I’m… scary…

Tsubasa: Nonono he’s totally scary! Rikka’s like, silent anger, so it might be difficult to see…

Shiki: That’s it! There’s no mistake about that.

Rikka: Shiki… you’re having fun with this. But, that’s true. Rather than raising my voice and yelling, I think I’m the type who goes silent… probably.

Dai: So gotta be careful when Rikka goes silent. I’ll take care.

Rikka: I don’t get angry that often?

Dai: Um, next. From Takamucchi-san. “Dai-chan can drink alcohol now, so a question. How are you like when you get drunk? I’m very interested. I’d be very happy if everyone tells their drinking habits too”. Uh… I’m the type who gets sleepy when drunk. The others are stronger than me with alcohol, so I haven’t seen them get drunk.

Rikka: By the way, the strength of SolidS members, if we take Dai as the average, starting from the top it’d be Shiki, Tsubasa, and me.

Tsubasa: Shiki goes beyond a strong drinker, so he drinks like a fish with a serious face. At the first drinking party we had, I remember I said I’d crush him but I sank first instead.

Shiki: Well, it runs in the family. The Takamura household is strong with alcohol, it’s in our genes. It also has to do with your physical constitution, so it’s nothing to drink forcefully. It’s best to drink the appropriate amount for each one so everyone has fun.

Dai: I’m a bit envious that you’re strong, though.

Shiki: Really? When you think you can get tipsy with a bit of alcohol, I think your level of tolerance is more efficient. And you’re fun when you’re drunk.

Rikka: Rather than fun, maybe… cute~ That’s why I like drinking with you, Dai.

Tsubasa: Fufufu, that’s true, Dai-chan is so cute~

Dai: Wait, what do I do when I’m drunk other than getting sleepy?

Shiki: Oh no, I won’t tell you~

Dai: No, I don’t understand why you’re trying to act like a cute girl now.

Tsubasa: But… oh no, I won’t tell you~

Rikka: Let me see… it’s a secret!

Dai: Dammit… these guys are so annoying…

Tsubasa: *laughs* Okay, let’s continue! Eh, here, from Cheeta-san! “SolidS Nabe Party looked really fun! Which hot pot is your favourite? I can’t handle spicy food that much, but I like kimchi hot pot.” I like the ones that have a lot of seafood, like yosenabe, hmm, or soy milk pot! Also, how about that? Does ajillo qualify for a hot pot?

Shiki: What’s with that mysterious war cry? AJILLO!!!!!!!

Tsubasa: It’s not a war cry!!! You know, it’s that, from Spanish cuisine, that one where you cook the ingredients with olive oil and garlic.

Shiki: I see, I don’t get it. Cook it next time. So, I like the ones cooked in water, and simmered tofu.

Rikka: I like tomato hot pots. Like pot-au-feu?

Dai: I like sukiyaki, with white rice.

Tsubasa: Hehehe, our tastes are splendidly scattered. But you know, food tastes and personalities are what show our individualities!

Shiki: Hm. From Senju-san. “Please tell us your favourite smells.” I don’t know too much about perfume types, but I like Japanese-style smells. Like incense sticks, or anti-mosquito incense.

Tsubasa: Both of them are incense! I… hmm… if it’s not me who’s wearing it, I like the ones that women would indeed like, floral and a bit sweet. If it’s for me, I like something refreshing. Something that’s not too intruding on last note, that blends in naturally.

Dai: Last… note…?

Tsubasa: Ah… you know, that. That smell when it’s been a while since you’ve put on perfume. For perfumes, there are different types of smells, ways to put it on, where to put it on, and… differences in composition? It’s pretty deep. Did you know, Dai-chan?

Dai: Eh… I didn’t. Like Shiki, I’m not too fond of perfumes in general, and I have no knowledge about them. If you ask me my favourite smell… uh… citrus?

Tsubasa: *laughs* Eh, where did citrus come from?

Dai: Bathing powder.

Tsubasa: *laughs* Ah… um? Yeah… That answer is very like you, Dai-chan.

Rikka: There was a time I was absorbed in aromas, so I was in contact with some of them, but I like the classic lavender the most, it calms me down.

Shiki: Aroma, huh… from the sound of it, it’s really fashionable.

Tsubasa: Okay! And so, time up! Since it’s a mini mini edition, it was a bit short, but I think we answered quite a lot.

Rikka: Yep! We did our best. I hope our listeners are happy too!

Dai: We also discover things about us while answering.

Shiki: See, it was worth doing it, Soliradi. Ehem!

Tsubasa: Shiki, your character really changes… Well well well, but Soliradi was fun, wasn’t it? Let’s do a reply festival again!

Dai: Yep, let’s.

Rikka: Yes, let’s do it!

Tsubasa: Well then, that’s all for today’s Soliradi! Thank you everyone for listening until the end! Let’s meet again at this hour next week~

Shiki: From now on, please continue supporting relaxed SolidS.

Dai: Thank you very much.

Rikka: Thank you very much. See you again~

Drama || Translation index

TL notes:

Soliradi aka the line between the characters and seiyuu gets really blurry. Also where Shiki goes crazy and looks like he’s from another dimension.

The questions and messages are actually real and recieved from the fans via twitter! Soliradi are recorded in almost one take to make them as natural as possible. I’m pretty sure there’s a few ad-libs here and there too. 

Tsubasa mentions Tsukiradi and IveRadi too: they’re, you guessed it, Tsukiuta Radio and ALIVE (SOARA & Growth) Radio. I’m sure the bgm of this track also sounds familiar if you play Tsukipara!

Thanks for reading!

[rieshon]

Best of 2018

Holy shit was this a hard year to write this. There were a few standouts that were always going to be at the top of this list, but that second tier of "really good" shows was really dense this year, and some series I absolutely loved weren't able to make the cut. Here are the ones that did.

10: Mitsuboshi Colors ∥ Silver Link. ∥ Dir. Kawamura Tomoyuki: Even as someone who watches children's anime, I have to say Mitsuboshi Colors was the purest celebration of childhood this year. Not only does this series let you see some of the most adorable girls this side of Ichigo Mashimaro, it really invites you to see their world through their eyes, creating a nostalgic and genuinely wholesome experience not common for anime series featuring little girls. Of course, there is still plenty on offer for the lolicons in the audience: Yui is too pure angel, and Sacchan is one of the best bokes of the year. Just remember: in the end, we're all poop.

9: Zombie Land Saga ∥ MAPPA ∥ Dir. Sakai Munehisa: If you told me a year ago one of the best shows of the year would be about moe zombies, even an anime veteran like myself would have been surprised. Yet here we are, where a show about moe zombie idols is not only one of the best shows of the year, but one of the best idol anime I can remember seeing. For what seems like it is going to be a one trick pony of a gag anime, the character development in Zombie Land Saga is shockingly good, from Junko's discovery of her own aidoru-do to Lily's whole thing with being transgender... This show really throws its weight behind its characters and that's what makes the completely-in-earnest idol anime aspects of it work so well. Moe zombies made me cry real tears, and I love anime.

8: Darling in the Franxx ∥ A-1 Pictures & Trigger ∥ Dir. Nishigori Atsushi: This is probably the biggest 'event anime' of the year on this list and it certainly was an adventure. Darling in the Franxx is an epic robot anime very much in the vein of its great predecessors: genuine sci-fi, attempts to be deep, and of course the always relevant themes of "parents just don't understand" and "puberty is hard." The heroines are wonderful, of course, and the characters' rather significant growth over the course of the series is compelling. It's the kind of show you'd expect from someone who had their hands deep in Gurren Lagann. It also features some great hand-drawn(!) robot action--visually, it's overall one of the best shows of the year. But sorry 57th prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, this will not increase Japan's birth rate.

7: SSSS.GRIDMAN ∥ Trigger ∥ Dir. Amemiya Akira: I'm honestly not sure which of the Trigger robot shows I enjoyed more; Gridman might just be higher because it's more recent, but it's probably fair to say it's the more "fun" show, what with it being an Ultra series spinoff and everything. Even though it gets pretty dark and deep towards the end, the series is definitely imbued with the playful spirit of tokusatsu. Hiding behind that, though, is a thematically solid series boasting a couple of fantastic female leads in Akane and Rikka. You're never going to be able to get me to stop shipping it.

6: Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight ∥ Kinema Citrus ∥ Dir. Furukawa Tomohiro: If I was rating series on style alone, Revue Starlight would probably be my anime of the year on the basis of the digital stage lighting effects alone. This show is both a sharp-edged satire of the cut-throat world of Japanese womens' theater and a love letter to the spectacle of the stage. It seems fitting that it would be a protege of Ikuhara Kunihiko's who would take on this project; the show's style is certainly evocative of Ikuhara, and that sort of ostentatious presentation is also perfectly evocative of theater, which is itself an inherently larger-than-life endeavor. Yeah, it's pretentious as hell, but that just makes me like it more. Style aside, there is also a good yuri anime lurking in the background (Japanese womens' theater is gay as fuck so there had to be) and Hikari definitely earns the right to be called "this show's Homura." Lots of good lesbians in this show.

5: Hanebado! ∥ Lidenfilms ∥ Dir. Ezaki Shinpei: Sports anime are not really my thing--I have no interest in watching Slam Dunk, Tennis no Oujisama, or 'the basketball which Kuroko plays,' but even so, is Hanebado! one of the best sports anime ever made? It's hard for me to imagine a better-executed tale of self-discovery through athletic competition. This is certainly the only sports anime I've seen where the audience is made to root against the protagonist in the sport because we're rooting for her outside of it. It also features stellar animation for the badminton parts that really sells the idea of badminton being 'the world's fastest racquet sport." Erena was the best girl though, and she doesn't even play badminton.

4: Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho ∥ Madhouse ∥ Dir. Ishizuka Atsuko: When the end credits finally rolled on Yorimoi, the first words that came to mind were "what a journey." I don't know if I've watched another show that made me feel so much like I had truly gone 'there and back again' with the heroes. The treasure really is the friends we found along the way, and you accompany these friends from the very beginning to the very end of their journey to and from Antarctica, watching them mature and learn things about each other and themselves... The result is a series that is immensely satisfying in a way few others are. Hanada Jukki's usual brand of sentimental melodrama is pitch perfect for a show like this, and I'd be lying if I said this show didn't make me cry on like four or five completely seperate occasions. Please let Ishizuka Atsuko direct more anime.

3: Yagate Kimi ni Naru ∥ Troyca ∥ Dir. Katou Makoto: I went into detail about what makes Yagakimi so great just a couple months ago, but suffice it to say this show is my favorite yuri anime of all time. The characters' relationships are just so genuinely fascinating, especially in a genre where 'will they or won't they' is often as far as the dramatic tension goes. It is really a show about two girls discovering themselves through each other, and it's just so beautifully done, especially when accompanied by Ooshima Michiru's soundtrack. I liked this story so much that I downloaded the manga to read through, and I don't even read manga.

2: Violet Evergarden ∥ Kyoto Animation ∥ Dir. Ishidate Taichi: Figures that a show I was so certain would suck would end up here. Violet is the only show this year that made me cry even more than Yorimoi, and although it's a little hamfisted about it at times, I love the earnestness with which it pursues its themes about loss and love. Violet is not just the interloper who allows us to experience the various stories happening around this world, but also a fascinating character to watch in her own right as she tries to learn what exactly it means to love someone. It's sappy and sentimental as hell, which is why I love it. It also has probably my favorite soundtrack of the year, courtesy of Evan Call, which I've probably listened to over a dozen times.

1: Yurucamp ∥ C-Station ∥ Dir. Kyougoku Yoshiaki: Cute girls taking it easy? Hell yeah. There's nothing on this Earth more comfy than watching these girls go camping in the gorgeous Japanese countryside and just being the best of friends. Shimarin is the best loner who absolutely knows how to live life, and all I want is to ride scooters and eat instant noodles with her. It's a cute girl anime of the utmost quality, and the only reason I still have a will to live is because a second season has already been confirmed.

1. Yurucamp 2. Violet Evergarden 3. Yagate Kimi ni Naru 4. Sora Yori mo Tooi Basho 5. Hanebado! 6. Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight 7. SSSS.GRIDMAN 8. Darling in the Franxx 9. Zombie Land Saga 10. Mitsuboshi Colors

Honorable mentions... Hinamatsuri is probably the show I feel worst about not including, given its hilarity and its surprisingly well-done themes on poverty and homelessness, but someone had to be 11th. Asobi Asobase was another comedy I wanted to include, another one which was riotously hilarious at times and also included one of the cutest girls of the year, Olivia. As far as joji anime this year go, Aikatsu Friends exceeded all my expectations to finally be the Aikatsu series I stuck with, and Aine and Mio are the ultimate lesbian idols. I also have to give a shoutout to the Seishun Butayarou show, which is exactly the kind of 'snappy dialogue and adolescence problems' show that makes me love series like Oregairu and ef.

The awards go to...

Best Actress: Ueda Reina as Shinjou Akane, SSSS.GRIDMAN. I've been a big fan of Ueshama's since she turned up as the ridiculous Ajimi-sensei in Pripara. She can do some vocal gymnastics and has a great comedic delivery, but it was fantastic to hear her dramatic chops really leveraged to their full potential in Gridman. I think Ueda has one of the sexiest voices going in the business today, and some of the segments in Gridman where her character tries to seduce the male lead were truly yabai... And of course the more emotional segments with Rikka were also immensely impactful. (Credit to Miyamoto Yume for also doing some great work as Rikka in that series.)

(Honorable mention: Touyama Nao as Shima Rin in Yurucamp. Naobou has been one of my favorites for a long time now but her work as Rin is probably my top role of her's. Her aloof delivery is just so perfect for the character and her voice makes the show even more comfy than it already was. It's like a voice you want to hug.)

Best Actor: Miyano Mamoru as the manager from the moe zombie show I guess. I give up on doing the men every year. Kono baka zombi.

Newcomer Seiyuu of the Year: Shiraishi Haruka. Behind pure acting ability, versatility must be the most desirous trait in a voice actor, and it really feels like Shiraishi can do it all. She's had a couple major roles before this year: Motoba Kirie in the Umaru series, and Ruri in Anhapi, but her three main roles this past year really highlight the breadth of her abilities. She was the cool and collected Asirpa in Golden Kamuy, the impudent loli Misha in Uchi no Meido ga Uzasugiru, and the sexy tsundere Kana in Animayell... Yeah, that's some diversity in performances. It seems like I'm seeing this girl's name pop up everywhere recently and it's easy to see why: she seems to be able to excel in almost any role. She has two more major parts lined up for later this year, and I'm excited to see what she can do yet.

(Honorable mention: Hondo Kaede. Man, it felt like this girl was everywhere this year. Wikipedia counts her as having had no less than eight major roles, and that's following on from a 2017 where she had three leading roles. She certainly has a flair for the dramatic: probably my favorite role of hers was as Kanami in Toji no Miko; in a show where the animation didn't often keep up with the demands of the story, strong voice acting from Hondo and her leading partner Oonishi Saori really helped carry the show. I also really enjoyed her as Kohaku in Irozuku Sekai no Ashita Kara... She doesn't get the award, though, because most of her major roles so far have tended to sound the same. I'd really like to hear her branch out beyond her standard voice.)

[frenchibi]

Oh!! Please give us fic recs for each of the authors you mentioned and your personal faves!!! ❤️thank you!

(This was referring to this post, in case you missed it.)

Okay, okay – thank you, anon, for asking me this – it tookme a while to get around to answering, but I am very, very happy to.

Before I get into details, though – the ratings on these ficsvary, and there’s some explicit stuff here. So please check the tags if youclick on any of the links I’m adding, if there a certain fics you want toavoid.Alright, let’s do this!! It’s gonna get long, so it’s going under thecut.

@josai / thunderingskies - god, where to even begin. CJ is avery important friend to me and she is a FANTASTIC writer. She’s probably bestknown for Beam Me Up Hajime, but she has so, so many fantastic works and tbh I’d just recommend you go toher ao3, pick a fandom and just… go through everything xD

Ok, but you wanted specific recommendations. CJ’s IwaOi willalways be my favorite; examples here(soft fluff) and here(more fluff) and here(Fighter Iwa and Interpreter Oikawa – bro) – and also here(you might remember that one post I made about Tooru on the Olympic Team butwith his jersey reading “Iwaizumi”? This is the fic, man. Read it.).

CJ also writes a whole host of rarepairs though, IwaKyou, KyouTeru, IwaTeru, BokuTeruand, most notably, my absolute favorite TeruDai work ever, I will never see TeruDai the same again, I have written a fanfic to thisfanfic ok that is the level of love I have for this.

She’s also written several other fics for those pairings, theseare just examples and I warmly recommend you go… peruse her list of works. Yes.

Also, if you like Kuroko no Basket? May I direct you to herAoKaga here, it is… 10/10.

Overall, just… read her stuff. Also – we may or may not beworking on something huge so keep your eyes open for that :D

@chxngsey / hajiiwa. Jasper is also a very important friend,and he writes *clenches fist* so. good. My personal favorites are FMK(which is cute & funny), this IwaOiMatsuHana, the new Of Fountains and Flowers which is SO. FUCKING. GOOD. GO READ IT RIGHTNOWand… probably one of my absolute favorite iwaoi fics of all time??barely 1k words and so, so many feelings. I’m dead. I’ve re-read it like 60times. Bye.

@marleeb – Emma writes and makes art and you should checkout both. As for concrete recs - I have yelled about this before and I willagain, it is a fucking fantastic fic.

@cheatos / koffein - thisand this, Lou’s got a lotta short but very sweet stuff? I love. Also holler @ her aboutIwaoi lol she’s fun!

@ghost–fox - Mariwrote Scattered Light, which is an absolutely fantastic and devastating kagehina ficand SO worth the read. Also a bunch of other cool stuff?? Including Serial Killer Oikawa which is terrifying and very intriguing :0 Not for the faint-hearted though.

@anyadisee – Aya wrotethis fake dating iwaoi fic that RUINED MY LIFE, go read it immediately – and alsothis very adorable kyouhaba ficand a bunch of matsuhana and more iwaoi?? Her writing is amazing.

@seijouho / Your_Friendly_Neighborhood_Pigeon – Jamie has so,so much good Seijoh 4 content, in any pairings you want, and also in wonderfulpoly ships. There’s a lot going on there, but one of my faves isthis IwaOiMatsuHana fic. Yes.

@queeniwaizumi / qrandkinq – Hayley also writes for Seijoh 4 in a lot of combinations and I LOVE – especially this fic here.

@warmybones – Ula writes for Voltron now (worth checking out if you’re in the fandom bc her writing is A+) but also wrote twoof my favorite iwaoi AUs;this one which is so soft and has poetry and I DIE, and this onewhich hurts but sdjlahdfkjds

@thehibiscusthief – Sara writes for a wide variety offandoms as well – I’m particularly taken by her iwaoi,this one has BUBBLES, this onehas wonderful pining Oikawa and this oneis my new favorite take on Soulmate AUs. Yes.

@astersandstuffs – Rikka is a wonderful friend and her work is extraordinary. Herwriting is so poignant and just… really special? I love this BokuAka AUcollection, and these iwaois: here (SNOW),a relationship study that is just… on point, andthis college AU which is equally amazing. Her writing is an inspiration.

@fairylights101writes – Sky is amazing and has an EXTENSIVE collection offics - I’m embarrassed to say that I am way behind in reading them :’)Various pairings (so many??? SO MANY) and varying from fluff to explicit, Ijust… go open ao3 and take your pick. Seriously. The writing is SO GOOD.Aquamarine is one of my favorite IwaOiMatsuHana fics EVER, it just just… fullto the brim with amazing ideas??? Also Page by Page, which may or may not have made me cry. Yup.

…now these are just the ones I mentioned in that post, and I know I’ve forgotten SO MANY already??? – I doplan on making a fic rec page, though, and soon. Because there is SO, SO muchgood stuff out there that does not get enough recognition.

I just wanna mention a couple more friends here - Lisa ( @lalikaa, how could I forget?? I feel awful) who was my secret santa and is overall amazing - she’s got a BoKuroTeruDai Hogwarts AU which I adore and a very cute TsukkiHina fic :D -- and also Avien ( @cheetahleopard ) who has a lot of KyouHaba content - I love this in particular? - and they also have a lot of experimental stuff and collections of ideas that are cool. :D

Well, I rest my case. For now. Go read these people and LEAVE THEMCOMMENTS. This is the mission I’m sending you off with. Leave comments.

That is all.