#etsuko is inevitable.

[meadowmines]

RGG Tactics/Aoyagi Saga Business Sideplot #2 Battle Chef League

At some point in the story Aoyagi will head to his cat cafe to do a little R&D and find a representative from the Battle Chef League waiting for him with an invitation to compete (and being crawled upon by former feral cats). And so begins the second business sideplot!

The cooking minigame on steroids! Now you have a whole crew of assistant chefs you can assign to various tasks. You also have opponents, judges, and a time limit.

Quantity and quality both matter. One god-tier dish or a full spread of mediocre dishes isn’t enough to win a boss battle.

You can only submit one of any given recipe. You can’t just spam the best recipe you have five times.

 Each chef battle will have a theme, either a type of cuisine or a key ingredient or Oops! All Desserts or whatever. You can submit dishes that don’t fit the theme but it won't be worth full points.

Bosses include the mushroom-loving mafia boss from Y0, wee babby middle-schooler prodigy chef Zhao, and a sweet little old udon cart lady who will wreck your absolute shit if you don't bring your best game. Defeated bosses are added to the assistant chef roster.

Aoyagi’s main area of expertise is baking and pastry but the assistant chefs all have different strengths. Zhao specializes in Chinese cuisine. The mushroom mafioso is your Italian food man. Etsuko does Japanese home cooking like nobody else on this bitch of an Earth. 

New assistant chefs can be added to the roster via substories or pay-to-pull

Etsuko the Obatarian is, I am sorry to say, probably the best non-boss assistant chef you can possibly pull and yes, she does join up whether you like it or not after she terrorizes Aoyagi in a substory.

Completing the sideplot unlocks a new Battle Chef boss in the finale: Ryo Amon. Who is, of course, dressed in an all-black chef outfit and shades and who is, of course, an absolute force of nature. Beating him adds his secret recipes to the cooking minigame. “Oh :/” you say. “Big whoop.” Hello: Ryo feeds the entire Amon Clan. This is food that can fullheal your entire team, max out morale, and revive KO’d units and is a LICENSE TO PRINT MONEY if you put it on the active menu at the cafe. Of course it won’t be easy to cook, and you might have to source some pretty rare ingredients...

[ryqoshay]

Got any comedic NicoMaki headcanons?

Humorous headcanons? Of course, I have plenty. Most of them have already been covered in HtHaN and I’d like to believe many will find their way to HtHaM at some point, though translated to a fantasy theme appropriate version as warranted. However, many are situationally specific, so would only really make sense and/or be at their funniest in the context of the story; I believe reading them there would likely be the best way to experience them, even if that means I’m shilling my own fic.

Also, a lot of what I find humorous in my fics are not necessarily a NicoMaki specific headcanons. I am amused by alliteration and love finding ways to include it in my writing. I also enjoy hiding Easter Eggs in my writing; e.g. references to/lyrics of a song not covered in the anime or maybe not even in the LL franchise at all, movie quotes, inside jokes that only a select group might have a chance at catching – like my fellow denizens of Sukutomo or an old D&D group – or my ridiculous naming methods for some characters.

That all said, I suppose I have a few broader headcanons that I find amusing, so I suppose I can list some of them here. Please bear in mind that humor is by no means universal. Thus, what I personally find amusing may be something some or many readers merely accept as part of my story and are rather indifferent toward it.

I will never cease being amused by my headcanon concerning Maki’s insatiable libido. The idea that being drunk, sick or half asleep does little to diminish her desires amuses me, moreso as I’ve known a couple women actually like that and quite a number of men who claimed to be; whether or not they were is probably debatable. To that end, I see Maki as being more single-target sexual toward Nico while Nico is broader in her fancies of the female form, though unquestionably prefers Maki. I don’t believe I’ve covered that last bit in either of my NicoMaki fics yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s in my notes to address at some point. And I’d like to believe I can present it in a humorous manner.

While not NicoMaki specific, I am highly amused by bachelor-mode Maki. And I like the idea that Nico fusses over it partly because she wants Maki to be more responsible, partly because she was raise to do that kind of work herself and partly because she wants to spoil Maki by being the one to such things for her, as opposed to Maki’s penchant for just hiring help when things get too bad.

I’m amused by the headcanon that over time, both Nico and Maki come to actually enjoy their meaningless bickering. With Nico noticing more consciously and Maki more unconsciously that it helps build trust and establish boundaries and comfort zones while preparing them to better handle the inevitable bigger disagreements life will give them. They come to appreciate that they can both be honest with their opinions on things and can rest assure that no matter how heated their argument may become, they won’t lose their friendship over music, pizza toppings, house chores or whatever. Fears of losing their friendship due to romantic confusion is a different issue of course.

Another non-NicoMaki-specific amusement of mine is the Everyone Can See It trope, which is why I’ve included it in all of my fics thus far, not just my NicoMaki fics. As for HtHaN, Nozomi is likely the most obvious, but even less romantically inclined Honoka and Rin catch on, as do many of their fans and even rivals like Etsuko. Heck, spoilers for those who haven’t read it, but their own mothers had a bet going for years over who would eventually be the one to ask the other. Expect more scenes concerning this trope going forward because I love it.

On a similar topic, I’m amused by Maki being romantically dense, while Nico comes to terms with her feelings much quicker, though remains uncertain as to Maki’s feelings in return. I believe I’ve brought up my reasonings in my Author’s Notes before, but in general, I see Maki as having been raised with many traditional Japanese values and was likely warned about boys and whatnot, and being somewhat literal-minded, there ends up being a disconnect when it comes to her realizing she’s having those feelings for a girl. I’ve read some other cultural differences between Japan and the U.S, but I’m not sure how deep I wish to delve into them in a mostly happy fluffy fic. I also believe Maki is quite good a lying to herself, insofar as convincing herself that she “doesn’t have time to date” despite more-or-less dating Nico. Taken from personal experience, I can easily see a hyper-focused-on-studies, bachelor-mode Maki going a month or two without realizing she hasn’t seen seven of the former members of µ’s or possibly even her parents, but you can absolutely bet she’s still having dinner with Nico a couple times a week and crashing on the couch in Nico and Nozomi’s apartment regularly enough that her parent’s seldom worry about her whereabouts if she’s not home every night. Maki will go to great lengths to ensure that there always room on her calendar for time with Nico, again, all while claiming she lacks time to date. And that dissonance between Maki’s beliefs and reality amuses me.

On Nico’s side of things, I am amused by the deference she gives to Maki, specifically Maki’s opinion of her. Maki calling her gross annoys her far more than the same insult issued by Nozomi or Rin or some random individual on the net. And on the flip side, Nico may preen and pose when being praised for a particular performance or costume or whatever, but all Maki has to do is reach up to twirl her hair, blush and admit Nico might, perhaps, just this one time, be cute to send the twin-tailed girl’s heart into orbit. And when Maki starts being more honest with such admissions, the moon may not be far enough out to catch Nico.

Though I believe I’ve only touched on it in HtHaN at this point, I am amused by the headcanon that Nico is actually the one with a wider, initial appreciation of music. Certainly, she prefers the genres covered by the school idols with whom she is obsessed, but I don’t see her as the kind to openly reject other kinds, or at least not look down on those with different tastes; songs are for everyone, after all. It’s Maki with her initial, likely unintentionally elitist, dismissal of genres she doesn’t like, who has to learn to broaden her musical horizons; joining µ’s helps, but developing the tradition of sharing headphones with Nico does far more in this regard. I’d like to one day write a more in depth discussion/argument/whatever about music between Nico and Maki, and I do hope it ends up at least half as amusing as my ideas for it already are to me.

So there we go, a somewhat decent list of things I find amusing about NicoMaki. As with previous similar lists, this is in no way all-inclusive. Short of rereading all of my own work as well as that of several other authors I enjoy before delving through the depths of my WIP warehouse and notes, it’s what I can come up with on the spot. But here’s hoping it is a satisfactory answer to Anon.

[0813pm]

The Anime That Changed Me

Hello everyone, it’s been a while. Hope you are all okay.

Recently, I stumbled across old songs, songs that brought differences into my life at 2 years ago.

RADWIMP - 夢灯籠 (Yumetourou) and  RADWIMP - 前前前世 (Zen Zen Zense).

These songs were in the anime movie that changed my life:

君の名は。-  Kimi No Nawa. (Your Name.)

“I came to see you. It wasn’t easy because you were so far away.” – Taki Tachibana

If this movie doesn’t ring a bell in you, then I’ll have to tell you to watch it. 

Believe me, it’s worth your time.

This movie came during the time of when I was a bright and happy student who was just starting to be more independent as the modules I picked in school encouraged me to do so.

During happy times, came the sad ones as well.

It was the last movie I watched with a close friend of mine before he migrated.

a scene in the movie (but not the first scene)

As soon as the movie started up, I was blown away, instantly.

So many places in the movie, I’d love to visit.

When I’m older, I’ll do so since I have plans for it.

Do note that, I came back into watching anime recently, and this movie was recommended and popular.

Being curious, I finally understood why.

It managed to bring out feelings that I didn’t think existed in me.

I was happy.

I was curious.

I was crying.

During the climax, I remember crying, terribly.

This movie was one of the few special animes that had made me to do better in life, whether it was in studies, or in character.

It’s moments like this, I realised how life can change a lot in such short timings.

My best friend, seeing me cry, handed me tissues to wipe my tears.

It’s nothing to many, but it means a lot to me.

After that, he left for Canada, and I lost contact with him.

However, I believe he’s alright, and I hope to see him come back someday.

As a person growing up still, I always tried to seek comfort in many people, usually my close friends.

At the end of the day, I wish sometimes I could receive tight hugs from everyone.

To me, it’s better than saying goodbye.

Thinking about my mistakes I made since then, I regretted a lot making time for the people that I realised aren’t worth my time.

However, I have sympathy for them, as if they dislike me, it’s their issue, not mine anymore.

Now, I struggle a lot, but I have it under control.

Though I have a better life compared to last year, my only regret was not spending more time with my best friends.

But the distance between us as they move on to different schools doesn’t stop me from being able to contact them.

So what did I do?

I moved on, and stopped caring about the smallest of doubts.

I was so afraid of moving on, but I know it’s inevitable.

Now and then, I tend to think about the past, but then it only brings good memories no matter how bad they are.

I try my best to be myself in front of everyone, and from what I see, they accept me, and I thank them for it.

When people judge you for watching such things, such as anime, saying it’s pointless, I’ll come up and say that there are some that teaches us things.

For Kimi No Nawa, from my point of view, it’s the importance of cherishing what you have still.

Say thank you to your friends, say I love you to your family, hug everyone that you know.

Be happy even if you don’t have anything at the moment because what you wish for will definitely come to you if you work hard for it.

I hope you enjoyed my blog update today, it’s one where I don’t include personal pictures that I’ve taken.

Recently, things have been rough on me, I have doubts of passing finals, but with your support, I can do it.

I’m really blessed with everyone that still supports me to this day, I’m really shy with your compliments, but I thank you a lot for it.

Till next time!

Love you.

“Treasure the experience. Dreams fade away after you wake up.” – 悦子 (Etsuko Ichihara), Voice Actress of Hitoha Miyamizu, Rest In Peace.)

[maserati-yokota]

AJW SUPER HURRICANE Commercial Tape 4/9/94

Rie Tamada vs. Chaparrita ASARI

This is ostensibly a rookies match but Tamada had been at it since 91 and ASARI since 92 so really this is just a juniors match. Tamada ties ASARI up like a bow in an attempt to keep her off her feet. The crowd couldn’t care less, but despite the wealth of talent on this show, the crowd seemed to all have dosed with Niquil so don't worry about it. This is perfectly fine and easily the best singles match either of them produced in their early days. Don't let the perverts in the audience sway you.

Mr. Buddhaman vs. Tomezo Tsunokake No firecrackers in this one! Lots of spots they worked around the circuit but also some pretty brutal spots. The crowd thinks this is comedy because the crowd is awful people. There are way worse ways to spend your time. These two could've lead a whole goddamn promotion.

Suzuka Minami & Tomoko Watanabe vs. Takako Inoue & Kaoru Ito I think even at this point Suzuka was still under the shadow of her former tag partner Hokuto, so the crowd is expecting a less than fiery performances from her. But everybody here shows the fuck up. Another counterpoint for everybody who says these four never blossomed. Haters never die.

Zen Nihon Senshukenjiai: Mima Shimoda vs. Miki Handa Miki Handa is sadly a footnote of the era. But in reality she was to LLPW what Plum was to JWP; she takes a colossal ass-kicking like an Absolute Girl and makes you love her and want her to win even though you know it ain't likely. In terms of the inevitability of CTE, that sucks a lot; but in terms of the wrestling narrative of the era (and still evident today, i.e. how Tam Nakano is booked in Stardom) it’s fun to have somebody who’s good at chasing and bad at catching. Stan Hansen? Great at chasing; didn't work as a champ. Ya feel me? Handa catches Shimoda with a quick German at the bell. Shimoda responds by doing the rope spot the world was tired of years before it finally stopped happening. Test of strength into finger stomp. Shimoda was LCO from the jump! Suzuka Minami on commentary, per usual. Shimoda doing joint manipulation and folding Handa into an origami frog is PEAK Shimoda. If Shimoda is Hokuto Lite, Handa is Cuty Suzuki Lite. Neither of those things are bad. Most of us will never be anywhere near that good at anything.

Shimoda throws Handa into every metal surface in Tokyo. Handa sells it by being THOROUGHLY peeved, then vertical suplexes her like a frilly Jumbo Tsuruta. Makes no sense but such is televised wrestling. You watch for the glorious moments when things coalesce into something greater than their constituent parts. Shimoda proves she's the WCW Ric Flair of the era by refusing to sell for anyone and just going thru her standard shit. UNTIL Handa gets her in a surfboard and then Shimoda looks like she's recovering from a visit to the dentist's. Weird sell but ok. Handa is def selling her part of the story--that Shimoda sucks on the mat; which we all knew but weren't sure would be enough to put her away. Surprise! It isn't. Mostly cuz Shimoda doesn't really ever wanna do business.

Zenjo vs. LLPW: Etsuko Mita vs. Eagle Sawai I can tell by the opening mat sequence that this is gonna be a 100hrs long. Eagle could go, she just always got mired in the mid-card sludge cuz no one in upper management thought she was photo book material. Mita Etsuko without a bright pink chair to hit folks with is rarely a Mita Etsuko you wanna watch.

Bull Nakano & Sakie Hasegawa vs. Manami Toyota & Kyoko Inoue Holy shit! How is this buried in this largely-forgotten event? Peak era for pretty much everyone involved. Hasegawa in upstart heel mode is a mood for the ages. She jukes Inoue and Toyota, Bull takes one step into the ring, and the crowd goes pale. Bull and Hasegawa take turns turning Toyota into a balloon animal ripe for popping. Hasegawa Tiger Suplexes Inoue into a billion day-glo shards. Hasegawa sells a top-rope DDT like someone everyone knows survived a catastrophic neck injury just a few years before--which is to say, like, "...that's all you got?" Bull doing a vertical suplex with a bridge is the rarest Bull; the crowd is a fog of question marks. Toyota's mouth is dripping blood. Hasegawa's spinning heel kick would still pop a crowd into a froth today. Watching her toss Toyota off when she goes for the lucha roll is so cathartic; no one wants to see a funny move done without a shred of irony. It is to Toyota's career as male pattern baldness is to Shawn Michaels. Why not have fun with it? Toyota does the German Airshow Leap to the outside and eats shit. (She's still bloodied, btw.) Bull figures if they both switch off chipping away at Inoue and Toyota, their combined efforts will rule the day. But twas not to be. The Fringe-Lace alliance get that good good W. Toyota realigns her nose and is back to looking crisp for the post-match interview. Hasegawa let's her shiny rainbow singlet, emblazoned with puff-paint, speak for her.

Aja Kong vs. Reggie Bennett This match wasn't even listed on the tape! I had no idea. This is their first encounter and will presumably last longer than their match from Arsion in 98--i.e., I am allowed to blink. No one will ever have better entrance music than AJW-era Aja Kong. It's inconceivable. Reggie has one giant French braid, cut-off overalls and a hardhat and she is your new fashion GOD. Aja does some Muta bits like spitting mist and doing a flying shoulder block. I'm glad the crowd enjoyed it cuz I think it sucked. Despite her present-day role (giving joshi aces a bog-standard 30min match on a monthly basis), Aja Kong transcends conventional gimmickry. She doesn't need that shit. Her reputation precedes her. It's at this point I notice Reggie Bennett is a beast who absolutely mauls Aja for the first 15min like no one I've ever seen. It's not just the booking; she legit tosses her around like my cat bats a balled-up tissue. Where is the Reggie Bennett shoot interview??? Aja shotays her way out of danger until they go into the crowd segment. Will Reggie blade?? Will she ever do a shoot interview? No and no. She does, however, power through two brutal lariats only to powerslam Aja! Has that ever happened? I cannot emphasize enough how intense Reggie's pace and strength are in this. Reggie takes a diving elbow to the clavicle and immediately dies. That made no sense. Aja spits yellow mist and now I hate her. Reggie Bennett forever. Post-match, Aja talks shit. Reggie commits herself to training harder. I say it again: Reggie Bennett forever.

Zenjo vs. LLPW: Yumiko Hotta & Toshiyo Yamada vs. Shinobu Kandori & Harley Saito I expect a Golden Corral buffet of kicks. A dumptruck full of kicks. A Nor'Easter of kicks descending upon me like I'm some quaint little hamlet. Kandori and Saito are basically the toughest LLPW had to offer. They're ready for Yamada and Hotta, though, and this is up and headed for the first overloaded plate of kicks before the bell has rung. Did Hotta vs Kandori ever happen? Shoulda. Kandori is horngry for AJW BLOOD. Saito is dressed like a tradtional Afghan dancer who has just discovered rave. Hard to say which I love more. Yamada kicks Kandori right in the jaw and...yeah no I've made my decision; I love that most of all. Hotta seems genuinely afraid of Saito. Kandori taunts Hotta, teasing the showdown, then decks Yamada with the QUICKNESS. This rules. Yamada has stepped up the stiffness for the occasion. You love to see it. Why didn't we get a year of these tag matches like All Japan in 91? Kandori dumps Yamada off her shoulders in one of the most wreckless things I've ever seen in a wrestling ring. Unfuckingreal. Hotta tries to smother Kandori but fears her Fujiwara armbar. As do I. They blunder into the finishing stretch with Saito as the speedbag. Saito never got her due. They seriously could've setup a whole year of main event booking around these four. Yamada finally nails her insanely complicated finisher and the streamers rain down. Structurally awkward but radiating more heat than most well-established feuds.

[aneddoticamagazinestuff]

Digital Shaman Project

New Post has been published on https://www.aneddoticamagazine.com/digital-shaman-project/

Digital Shaman Project

Death is inevitable and universal, but the way to mourn our dear ones is not. In Japan, a robot may create a new way to mourn.

The “Digital Shaman Project” revolves around robots for domestic use wearing 3D-printed faces of deceased people, and manipulated with specially developed programs to imitate those people’s speech, behavior and other physical characteristics. The idea behind this is to propose a new form of funeral in which robots spend 49 days after a person’s death with the members of his or her family. While the realm of alchemy and belief appears to be conflicting with that of science and technology, considering the common disposition of assuming and suggesting “something that is not here,” ICHIHARA proposes that both might in fact be very closely related, mutually compatible fields. Based on this idea, this project was conceived with the aim to propose new forms of prayer and entombment in this age of advanced science and technology.

©Etsuko Ichihara

http://etsuko-ichihara.com/

[kilnkin]

👀📝

📝 i’ve thought a little bit before about like, trying to reconcile mischievous pranking boarding school ai with oh so above it all wsc ai and it kinda seems like she’s just bound to chafe against whatever environment she’s put in?? like too special for normie school, too normal/functional for weirdo school. ai doesn’t like being told what to do or where to go, will be petty and do the opposite if possible, and i think unless she’s off really truly doing her own thing she’s always gonna have a bit/a Lot of built up resentment. kinda restless, kinda perpetually unsatisfied, which is also inevitable when she has such high standards for the people around her, and for herself. the ever increasing awareness and kind of eye rolling at these invented idealised versions of everyone is also like, very fun lmao, peaking with her literally renaming fantasy moire?? ai when moire acts like a dumbass: moira would never do this to me. idk she could be having fun and rolling with it all and some part of her will always be like they’re embarrassing themselves actually :/ cause she’s so tied up in perception. obv represented with like, shapeshiting, and also her self image issues, and her slowly dealing with that stuff is also really good actually?? step one: ai learns not to judge ai. step two: ai learns not to judge other people. probably. maybe. at some point. but she’s also so into like what does this person think of this person how do they See them how do they See me. idk!! this isn’t insightful i just love her. shapeshifters are always good who needs a stable sense of self Anyway

👀 honestly?? ai just makes aud act really immature lmao. in the stuck out tongue everything’s a comeback everything’s a contest sort of way, but also like, “look at this weird bug/weird tumblr post/weird thing i did to my own face. cool huh? it’s pretty gross. bet you think it’s gross. haha you totally do!!!”

the more i think about it the more similar aud and ai are, which is just like, really funny, and maybe explains those weird times where they actually get along?? they’re both extra in the same way, cause they’re both very invested in curating like, Looks and concepts and aesthetics, and even if they’re on wildly different ends of the aesthetic spectrum aud sees these funny little overlaps, like weird rocks and overdone femininity and frogs in dresses and eye-arm and other assorted body horrors. she definitely uses the last as a Gotcha to be like, haha you’re not as boring and stuffy as you pretend to be. idk. aud does think she’s pretty boring and stuffy though, which bugs her cause she thinks ai could be cool if she got over herself/was less shallow. it’s super obvious to aud that ai thinks she’s better than her? aud voice it’s true but you shouldn’t say it. aud thinks she’s judgemental, and fake, and a kiss-ass, and like, bitchy but only sometimes in the fun way. and she takes all these flaws kinda personally again bc of wasted potential (ai told her she used to be a menace but wouldn’t cough up any good stories like what a rip off!!) but also cause she’s kinda jealous of her. she doesn’t want to miss ai but she does, in a weird fucky bitter way, so she’s a little bitter about everything. they got on during bodyswap cause ai got knocked down a peg (the immediate mutual acknowledgement that aud got the upgrade there was a highlight tbqh) but now she’s all high horsey and overly suspicious again and aud’s like, shut up omg, i’m not actually conspiring against you all the time, get over it.

literally both of them: why’s she so obsessed with me

👀 clea didn’t think much of ai (like literally didn’t think about her) until i think prom island?? when they were like, genuinely really impressed by her attitude and resourcefulness and thought like, oh shit, she’s cool and always giving out free food, friend material. then the etsuko thing, and ai’s continued weirdness with nick and also daisy, and clea’s just like, oh bummer, she’s a total busybody and probably doesn’t like me. the two biggest clea turnoffs. whatcha gonna do

[dinoparadojico]

Una noche DE TERROR: las recomendaciones para seguir con el espíritu de la noche más tenebrosa del año

En esta Noche de Brujas, te traemos las recomendaciones de nuestros escritores de siempre y nuevas voces se unen para traerte 12 de los materiales favoritos para que sigas festejando.

Pero, ¿cuál es tu favorita?

Sexto Sentido (1999) - Película

Halloween es una oportunidad perfecta para subrayar la importancia del cine de terror para la popularidad del séptimo arte. El género fue por mucho tiempo el sostén económico y popular de esta plataforma, por lo que resulta doloroso ver como es tan menospreciado a nivel de crítica y premiaciones en la actualidad.

Cada década nos ha regalado diversas joyas indiscutibles por lo que seleccionar una película de terror para reseñar en este especial fue un proceso de descarte doloroso. Pude hablar de El Exorcista, Alien e incluso Tiburón; pensando en la producción de una era específica y que jugaba con varios lenguajes. O profundizar en los “clásicos” de hoy como Huye o La Bruja. Pero he decidido  ir hacia un punto medio y revisar un hito llamado Sexto Sentido.

El primer hit de M. Night Shyamalan (no es su primera película pero es el primer gran proyecto que relacionamos a su persona) cumple con una regla básica para identificar a una gran película de terror: más allá de la capacidad de asustar, el filme debe ser sólido como historia y sus personajes deben tener profundidad.

Sexto Sentido no es necesariamente un texto sobre fantasmas, es el relato de un niño que no encaja y el testimonio de un hombre que se niega a dejar el pasado atrás, bajo varias metáforas que giran alrededor del inevitable fenómeno de la muerte.

Esta fortaleza narrativa hace que la película sea inquietante incluso si el espectador ya conoce el famoso spoiler de la cinta que involucra al personaje de Bruce Willis. Si tienes suerte y todavía no lo sabes, este post no piensa arruinarte uno de los clímax mejor trabajados en el cine reciente.

Pero estamos en el contexto de la Noche de Brujas así que hablemos de terror. La fórmula del susto que usa Shyamalan aquí es aterrizar la idea del miedo y lo hace desde varias perspectivas. El miedo a la muerte es el principal enfoque que uno puede analizar, por encima del miedo a los fantasmas o lo inexplicable ya que la cinta propone la idea de que hay algo después del último aliento pero eso no es necesariamente bueno.

Hay otras visiones que explora el director como el miedo que genera en los niños la incredulidad e indiferencia de los adultos, así como la soledad a esa edad que muy pocos autores han tocado con la certeza de usa aquí el director de raíces hindúes.

Todo lo anterior funciona porque Shyamalan reúne uno de los elencos mejor seleccionados para un filme de terror. Con un Bruce Willis dándole un segundo aire a su carrera y un jovencísimo  Haley Joel Osment que evidenció la excelente capacidad del director para trabajar con niños y sacar actuaciones “oscarizables”.

La carrera de M. Night ha sido altamente cuestionada desde entonces pero una pieza tan bien moldeada como Sexto Sentido no puede ser un capricho azaroso. Y desde esta esquina del mundo defendemos fervientemente El Protegido, Señales y hasta La Aldea. Su nuevo regreso a la gloria con el éxito de Split es un buen pretexto para retornar a este “origen” cinematográfico. - Por: Luis M. Santa Cruz (@luis_de_m) El Podcast Infinito

Uzumaki  (Junji Ito, 1998) - Manga

No recuerdo cómo llegué a este manga, pero recuerdo que no pude dejarlo y mi cerebro quedó en 404 por varias semanas. Ilustrado y escrito por Junji Ito, es un manga de horror que trata sobre un pueblo japonés donde comienzan a suceder hechos extraños, todos conectados a la forma de la espiral.

Las situaciones comienzan a escalar, y una tras otra se vuelven más perturbadoras e inverosímiles, hasta tener un final... extraño.

Lo recomiendo sólo a los amantes del horror, dado que yo no soy uno de ellos y tal vez hubiese preferido no leer este manga, es sin duda, uno que recordarás por mucho, mucho... tiempo. - Por Trishh

Suspiria, (Dario Argento, 1977) - Película

Esta película lo tiene todo, sangre, brujas, y bailarinas de ballet y una heroína. Es una película icónica por la parte visual. Su influencia en el art noveau y los colores saturadísimos son una obra de arte. Es conocida también por el fondo musical, susurros, ruidos raros y música de la banda de rock progresivo, Goblin. Vale la pena subir el volumen.

Dato: Neon Demon se inspiró en esta película, esa también es un must. - Por: Daniella (ilustradora)

Silent Hill 2 (2001) - Videojuego

Para mi, uno de los mejores juegos para Halloween tiene que ser mi primer juego de Play Station 2, y uno de mis juegos favoritos de todos los tiempos: Silent Hill 2.

Publicado en el 2001 por Konami y creado por eminencias del rubro tales como Masahiro Ito, Masashi Tsuboyama, Akihiro Imamura y el gran Akira Yamaoka; es considerado uno de los hitos del Survival Horror y Thriller Psicológico.

En este juego acompañamos a su protagonista, James Sunderland, que regresa al pueblo rural de Silent Hill, después de recibir una carta de su supuestamente difunta esposa, Mary.

Si te gustan los acertijos complicados, ambientes melancólicos e inquietantes y terror que te llega a los huesos, no busques más.

Una experiencia completamente inmersiva, gracias a su excelente diseño de sonido y ambiente, con una historia con 6 posibles finales que te dejará queriendo más. - Por: Peluca (conductor de Gamerinos)

I am Hero (2009 - 2017) - Manga

¿Qué pasaría si el mundo en que vives se transforma en un lugar habitado por los zombies más terroríficos y desagradables? ¿Qué pasaría si eres el único ser humano con un arma?

Todas estas preguntas se unen en I am Hero, un manga que mezcla el terror, situaciones inesperadas y humor negro. Explorando la vida de 3 personajes y como luchan por sobrevivir en un mundo invadido por zombies.

Todo comienza cuando una extraña gripe se desencadena y empieza a matar a la humanidad. La exterminación conlleva a la mutación de los seres humanos. Y con ello la lucha de algunos por sobrevivir.

La historia se centra inicialmente en Japón. Empezando por la historia de Hideo Suzuki, un mangaka de 35 años, que vive una vida rutinaria. Tiene problemas de Ansiedad y Ataques de pánico, además de alucinaciones frecuentes con sus propias creaciones. Hideo, deberá superar sus miedos mientras que trata de sobrevivir en un mundo lleno de traiciones y misterios.

Sin mayor spoiler de quienes serán los otros personajes, ya que esa será su tarea. I am Hero es un manga con una trama y final inesperado. Dibujos sumamente explícitos, personajes complejos, diálogos bien formados, criaturas y situaciones terroríficas, además de mucho humor negro. Sí te gusta esta mezcla, entonces este es tu manga. - Por: Ximena (tatuadora en Gum Tattoo & Art)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( Tob Hopper, 1974) - Película

Si, esta es conocida pero, ¿has visto la original del 74? Los remakes no le hacen justicia. Para empezar, en esta no hay música, solo ruido que el mismo director grabó raspando fierros y además Gunnar Hansen, que actúa de Leatherface, visitó psiquiátricos para captar los manierismos del asesino. Es una de las películas que definió el género slasher y el concepto de final girls, donde la mujer es la heroína y puede luchar por su vida sin depender de nadie. Es sin duda la más cruda y auténtica de todas las versiones de Texas Chainsaw Massacre. -  Por: Daniella (artista)

El Lector de Cuerpos (The Body Reader, Anna Fasier, 2016) - Libro

La detective Jude Fontaine estuvo secuestrada por tres largos años. Sin ver el sol, sin salir de su jaula, sin contacto humano excepto el de su captor. Su único contacto en el mundo, su mundo, su todo.

El lector de cuerpos se centra en la vida de Jude luego de escapar de sus captores, cómo su percepción del mundo ha cambiado, mientras que investiga el asesinato de jóvenes mujeres. Por el trauma y el encierro que pasó Jude, le da la habilidad de ver detalles que ningún otro detective puede ver, sobretodo en la cara de las víctimas con las que se cruza.

El libro está calificado como policial/misterio y a veces es bastante denso de leer, sobretodo cuando la protagonista cuenta su vida en cautiverio y cómo sus pensamientos se van transtornando con el tiempo, el estrés post-traumático y el trato de la gente luego de su regreso.

Si eres fan de series policiales y de misterio o thriller, este es el libro para tí. - Por Trishh

Domu (sueños de niño) / Pesadillas (Katsuhiro Otomo, 1980) - Manga

En occidente, el nombre de Katsuhiro Otomo evoca el horror revelado en Akira (1988); el film se desarrolla en un futuro distópico narrado desde el punto de vista de una pandilla de motociclistas adolescentes. Un retrato urbano que buscaba proyectar su mirada hacia el futuro que ya habría forjado años antes en Domu (1980), Sueños Infantiles (lit.), o Pesadillas, como se editó para los lectores castellanoparlantes.

Otomo recurre a la imagen del edificio multifamiliar, el lugar dónde se concentran los valores estéticos y morales de la imagen modernista que constituyó el Japón del "milagro económico" de la post-guerra; y que sin embargo en ésta obra resulta ser una contradicción dónde se critica la decadencia de la sociedad lo anodino de la sociedad de vecinos que la habita. En éste contexto se desarrolla un thriller sobrenatural de suicidios que empiezan a ocurrir sin explicación aparente y en el que se terminan de involucrando los personajes en hechos que van esccalando en gravedad y violencia de una guerra psíquica que se desarrolla en secreto. Inconscientes de que entretenían a la mente infantil de un anciano senil; el villano se camufla en lo ordinario dónde sólo Etsuko, una niña recién mudada,  es capaz de detectar. Ajena a la alienación producida por ése paisaje de departamentos de concreto es la única capaz de plantarle cara y parar de una vez éstos acontecimientos al estar dotada de los mismos poderes que éste.

En el apartado gráfico, las 240 páginas están extraordinariamente ilustradas. Fondos complejos y personajes que, en el estilo de Otomo, se alejan de las convenciones estéticas del manga hacia una descripción estilizada del japonés medio. La narración gráfica en las viñetas se acerca al storyboard con entradas y salidas de plano que le da un sentido más cercano a la cinematografía a la lectura. En fin, una historia de uno de los autores clásicos llena de referencias a trabajos posteriores no solo de él sino del manga y anime más actuales. - Por Gontha

Grave (2017) - Película

Es una película de la directora francesa Julia Ducournau. Una chica de una familia vegetariana va a la universidad para convertirse en veterinaria. Cuando la obligan a comer carne como rito de iniciación, descubrirá un lado nuevo de si misma. La directora juega con lo que consideramos tabú dándonos una protagonista por la que puedes sentir simpatía a pesar de su incontrolable deseo de comer gente. Logra mostrarnos el terror y nerviosismo que viene con esa edad en la que sales de tu zona de comfort que era el colegio y tienes que descubrir quién eres y en quién te vas a convertir. Pero también muestra lo emocionante y divertido de empezar a dejarte perder el control, aunque con terribles consecuencias. Recomiendo no comer mientras ven esta película. - Por Stephanie

El Resplandor (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) - Película

Como miedoso incorregible siempre he tenido una relación de amor/odio con las películas de terror y mi balance perfecto entre apreciación cinematográfica y taparme la cara han sido las adaptaciones de Stephen King. De entre ellas mi favorita es El Resplandor, no solo por sus increíble factura artística y porque la historia de un entorno familiar degenerando en un infierno de locura y violencia es terroríficamente realista si no porque el perfeccionismo de Kubrick ha generado un tapiz rico en simbolismo y lecturas entre líneas. Los análisis alrededor de la pela son increíblemente variados y van desde una alegoría al genocidio de nativos americanos hasta que el alunizaje fue una farsa. Al final, este conjunto textual y metatextual hacen que volver a la película siempre traiga nuevas e inquietantes lecturas. - Por Felipe

Trilogía: The Evil Dead 1, 2 y Army of Darkness (Sam Raimi, 1981) - Película

Las 3 son de culto, conforme avanzan se convierten más en horror comedy, pero son muy buenas y vale la pena hacer una maratón. Todo empieza cuando unos jóvenes encuentran el Necronomicón en una cabaña y accidentalmente despiertan a una entidad demoniaca, las 3 películas giran en torno a Ash, el héroe, y su batalla contra esta. Lo que me encanta de esta película es la exageración en la actuación y en la sangre. Sam Raimi nos enseña que el horror también puede ser gracioso. - Por Daniella (Ilustradora)

What We Do In The Shadows (Taika Waititi y Jermaine Clement, 2014) - Mockumentary

Dentro del mundo del cine, encontramos distintos géneros, y uno de ellos es el Mockumentary. Creado bajo la estructura de un documental real pero con información totalmente falsa, en los últimos años hemos visto más de estos filmes que juegan en la delgada línea entre la realidad y fantasía (como el “documental” de las Sirenas y el Megalodón).

Este documental sigue la vida de un grupo de vampiros que vive en una misma casa en Wellington, siguiendo su día a día y explicando un poco de su historia. Entre los personajes que encontramos en la casa, vemos a Vladislav (que da a entender que es Vlad el Empalador) y a un roomate muy similar a Nosferatu.

Al vivir por cientos de miles de años, los vampiros tratan de vivir modernamente, con resultados tan graciosos como desastrosos. Como cuando tratan de ir a una discoteca y no pueden entrar por que no han sido invitados.

Se usa mucho todos los clichés de los vampiros, para bien y para mal, y con todo es un punto de vista mucho más “real” de lo que sería un mundo con seres sobrenaturales, lo cuál es mucho menos romántico y mucho más patético.

Esta película fue mi introducción al trabajo tanto de Taika Waititi (quién ha dirigido Thor: Ragnarok y la aclamada Hunt for the Wilderpeople) y Jermaine Clement (quien presta la voz para uno de los villanos de Moana). Si desean darle un toque de comedia a la noche más terrorífica y tener una prueba del humor del cuál es capaz este director maorí, What We Do In The Shadows es una película obligada para tu repertorio. - Por: Trishh

De parte de todo el equipo jurásico, esperamos que este artículo les lleve a checar alguna de las recomendaciones.

Además de eso, le agradecemos a nuestros nuevos escritores invitados y esperamos tenerlos nuevamente por aquí!

Y ahora... a disfrutar de la noche más terrible del año

[kafkesquartos-blog]

Pachinko

Pachinko caught me off guard. I expected to struggle through this hefty hardcover, but I got hooked within the first hundred pages. The most addicting aspect of this novel is (as with many great books) the characters. Each character has a unique answer to what I consider the two central questions of Pachinko:

(1) What is home to someone who is told that they belong neither in the place they came from nor in the place they are now?

(2) Is blood – here, meaning inherited identity – malleable? In other words, can one be better than the people from which one came?

Because Min Jin Lee's story comes from interviews that she has staged with real-life Koreans in Japan, her characters have incredible variety and complexity. Details of their individual lives feel intimate in their quotidian nature. They all share a narrative of suffering, but the reaction each character has to their burden is distinctive.

I appreciate how Lee incorporated the Bible into this novel. The advent of Christianity in nations like Korea and Japan reeks of European colonialism. As a practicing Christian, Lee acknowledges this fact but focuses on the Bible as a tool for her characters to alleviate and extract greater good from their suffering. Not all of her characters adhere to Christianity, but their transformations are shaped by stories in the Bible time and time again.

I'd like to believe that Lee depicts her own feelings about being a mother, sister, and daughter in Pachinko. The relationships between Yangjin and Sunja, Kyunghee and Sunja, and Etsuko and Hana (to name some examples) felt so well fleshed out that I cannot see them as fully fictitious. One quote that stands out is the ever-repeated axiom: "a woman's lot is to suffer." I wonder if this "lot" signifies the inevitable inheritance of womanhood in Korean culture, or if it is particular to those who are destitute and discriminated against.

A closing thought: I knew nothing about the injustices borne by Koreans in Japan before reading Pachinko. Though the Korean-born Lee could have easily penned this book with vitriol, she portrays Japanese who are shitty alongside those who have been made outcasts by their countrymen. It would be too simplistic to say that all Japanese are racist, or that only Koreans suffered from the Japanese ideal of conformity. Lee reveals the stereotypes that some Japanese may hold against Koreans and their deleterious consequences, but never makes broad generalizations about Japanese or Koreans.

[tjsunday-blog1]

4 Significant Quotes

“People are rotten everywhere you go. They’re no good. You want to see a very bad man? Make an ordinary man successful beyond his imagination. Let’s see how good he is when he can do whatever he wants.” In this quote, Hansu warns Sunja to know that bad people are everywhere, even in good people if they get corrupted. This, on its own, is an important lesson but grows in significance with the later knowledge that Hansu himself is a bad man who supports the young girl with his wealth to take advantage of her/ trick her.

“Living every day in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity takes great courage.” This quote is told by Isak to his son, Noa in the context of them being Korean immigrants who are looked down upon by the Japanese. However, this theme of being treated as less than human is reflected all throughout the book in other ways, such as Sunja being sexually disrespected and taken advantage of just because was a defenseless girl.

“If life allowed revisions, she would let them stay in their bath a little longer, read them one more story before bed, and fix them another plate of shrimp.” This quote comes after Etsuko reflects on all of the mistakes she has made raising her children, which is a very apparent and recurring theme throughout the novel. This also speaks for all the regrets in life that everybody wishes they could go back and fix, which can either end in guilt or forgiveness.

“To live without forgiveness was a kind of death with breathing and movement.” This quote comes in the form of Yoseb’s thoughts and his regret of not being able to teach his nephew, Noa more lessons after the boy’s own father couldn’t. This quote also pairs very well with the quote above since Yoseb has his own regrets that he cannot forgive himself for, and Noa goes on to live his life hardly able to forgive anybody for the mistakes they bring upon him or even himself for the inevitable mistakes he makes.