#goddess Ran

[drowningwitchdreams]

Another song for the Rán playlist

[sunflowers-n-snails]

The seaside.

My RAN and ÆGIR bless your timeline 💚

[medusaspeach]

Classicstober Day 16: Circe ✨🪄

[incorrecttowerofgodquotes]

Source

[tsukinoshinjiu]

The Goddess Hylia Reborn

[ranchstoryblog]

Ranch Story Community Q&A Volume 3: Igusa Matsuyama Returns!

Igusa Matsuyama, the legendary artist behind the Story of Seasons series since the original 1996 game has once again agreed to a Q&A featuring questions from fans from around the world! A big thank you to all the members of the community who helped make this possible.

Some aspects of the text have been altered to match localization people are familiar with. (Japanese names to English names, for example: Bokujou Monogatari (牧場物語) was formerly localized as Harvest Moon and is now localized as Story of Seasons, etc). Images were not part of the original text and have been added as a visual aid. Though we translated as many questions as we could, we did not include questions involving personal information or regarding unannounced releases. Please understand.

If you would like to read our original correspondence (in Japanese), that will be provided in a separate post.

Additional cosplay photo provided by Foxface from our community Discord.

Translations: @artycharmy (correspondence, outline) Editing and Clean-up: Jerome, @artycharmy, and @regularcelery

——— Anonymous asks: What is the relationship between Jamie and the Harvest Goddess?

Igusa Matsuyama: Jamie was treated as a fairy or spirit. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if there's any points that link them and the Goddess.

Editor's note: the term Matsuyama uses is "妖精."

Tomato asks: I would like to ask about what their inspiration was for the outfits designs in the original release of harvest moon another wonderful life. Since I got reminded of the girl clothing brand Mezzo Piano when looking at the I love Kuma/I love bears outfit.

Igusa Matsuyama: I remember the only thing I thought of was using Spring-like colours! (All designs were made with seasonal colours In mind) When I knew that Daachan, who was planned to be used in a lot of events, wouldn't actually play a big role in the game, I put him on the T-Shirt so he could at least get some attention as a mascot-like existence.

Pansy asks: If you were able to create your own game for the Story of Seasons franchise, with no rules or limitations whatsoever, what do you think it might look like?

Igusa Mastuyama: Since I love dogs, I'd like to try making a Story of Seasons that's set in a world just full of dogs. Though that dream of mine probably won't come true.

Anonymous asks: The look of Story of Seasons has changed a lot over the years! What would you say is more challenging to create - simple designs, where you have to work with very little space, or complicated designs, where you have to consider many little details?

Igusa Matsuyama: A long time ago there were a lot of things you weren't able to replicate in video games. There were constraints for things like the number of colours and patterns for hair styles and clothes. It was difficult to work around those constraints, but at the same time a lot of fun. Nowadays, it's the complete opposite. Now we can design anything with hardly any constraints. And unlike a long time ago, now I'm asked to make more complicated designs, like patterns and decorations. However, if it's a big request, sometimes I run into quite a lot of trouble when designing. They each have had their own difficulties.

Anonymous asks: Hello, Matsuyama! Thank you for bringing the worlds of Bokujou Monogatari to life for many years. Your art has had a huge influence on me!

One of my favorite candidates is “Rock” from “A Wonderful Life.” I’d love to know any particular influences for his character design from 21 years ago, and his new design for the remake.

Igusa Matsuyama: I was told that he was a young, wannabe playboy, so I somehow ended up with that sort of design. For the remake, I made his clothes a little looser without changing his design, so he'd look even more playful. I, too, wanted to avoid changing him as much as I could as there are other people among the staff that also like the original for his “Rockness”. So, he got that makeover after everybody shared and checked their opinions with each other.

Jerome asks: On page 130 of the "Special Comic" manga there's artwork of Super Famicom characters that have never been printed anywhere else. Do you or Marvelous still have these? It would be great to see them in more detail in the future some time.

Igusa Matsuyama: They're all characters that appeared in the SNES version of "Harvest Moon." Nina's parents, Ellen's mother, Ann's father, Maria's parents (The mayor couple). I'm sorry. My SNES illustrations have gone missing...

Raven Bloom, Ryan, and Moth ask: How did you feel when your designs for the men in A Wonderful Life were repurposed to be bachelors? What do you think of the changes made to the bachelors in the remake of A Wonderful Life? I miss the “Bruce Campbell” look Matthew used to have.

Igusa Matsuyama: Matthew (マシュー) is Masshu (マッシュ) in the Japanese A Wonderful Life (Editors note: Charmy made a careless mistake when translating the questions, sorry Matsuyama san 🫣) When I first heard this name, the first thing that came to mind was Evil Dead's protagonist, Ash. You're right. I designed him after Bruce Campbell. I still love Bruce Campbell today. When Wonderful Life was under production, I had heard they weren't going to make a girl version, so I designed him not as a love interest, but as a quirky character. Knowing that he'd appear in the remake as a marriage candidate, I redesigned him as a character that would be liked by many. I hope you can enjoy the game for its nostalgia, as well as for being a shiny, brand new release.

Salmon Axe and Anonymous ask: I personally adore Doraemon x SOS game. Are you interested in working directly with or collaborating with other franchises in the future? And is there a series outside Story of Seasons you would like to work with now as a guest artist? (Could it be Pokemon?)

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved Doraemon manga since I was a kid! Working as a guest artist? Hmm, I'm happier being the main illustrator, so nothing in particular comes to mind. I enjoy a lot of games in my free time, such as Fallout, Far Cry and Border Lands.

Anonymous asks: Even though we never see his face, was there ever a concept of how Woofio would look without his costume?

Igusa Matsuyama: I designed Woofio as the being that is Woofio, so there's no design of him without his costume.

Idris asks: Your style has upgraded a lot over the time to match the trends. Do you think you will ever go for an old school look (early HM) for a SoS game again? What do you think is the secret to your art’s charm?

Igusa Matsuyama: What I'm particular about when designing for Story of Seasons is making characters with head/body proportions and an atmosphere that go well with that release. First, I listen to the client's request then think of a design according to that. These days, game visuals have gotten fancier and fancier, so there's not many opportunities for characters with short proportions to make an appearance. To me, what's important when designing is "playfulness." More so than "pretty" or "cool" and such, I get attached to the character, have fun making the character. I find joy in character creation itself.

MacGyver asks: Yasuhiro Wada has shared some interesting stories about how chaotic the original game's development was. Is there anything interesting you remember from around that time? 

Igusa Matsuyama: Now it's a memory I can look back on and laugh about, but I'm not sure how much I can talk about it so please forgive me. If Wada hadn't been there back then, then "Harvest Moon" wouldn't have become a thing.

Toyberb and Anonymous ask: There’s a lot of different cow designs now, which is your favorite to draw?

Igusa Matsuyama: I've loved drawing animals since I was a kid, so I love all of the cows. Although the easiest one to draw is the cow with the big nose.

Anonymous asks: Were there any games where you made designs for protagonists of genders that did not end up available to play as? (Like a girl protagonist for Save the Homeland/Hero of Leaf Valley or a nonbinary protagonist for any game before A Wonderful Life)

Igusa Matsuyama: There's so many designs that got scrapped, but as far as I recall, there's not really many where that character's setting itself was scrapped. (Excluding Thumbelina, mentioned below)

Koharu asks: Were there ever any character designs made for other older SNES characters like Ellen for 64? Some magazines had Marie with blue hair, like the SNES character, so it made me wonder if she (SNES Maria) was meant to also be there at some point.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm not in the position to make settings or scenarios where characters from other games appear, so I can't say, but I like the idea of older characters making an appearance!

Amina/k0iisu asks: Hello! I really love Hiro’s design specifically. Could you tell me a few facts about him/his design that might not be well known information? Thank you so much! I love your art :D

Igusa Matsuyama: Thank you very much! Hiro is a future doctor, so I tried to make them look as much like a doctor as I could. Also, to make him look friendlier, I designed him as your average everyday boy you'd see in the neighbourhood. He doesn't have a flashy face or hairstyle, but he's one of my favourite designs, too. I wrote this in the guidebook too, but what I like about him is the Asian flair I added to his clothes and the spot of colour around his feet.

Bunbun asks: I'm excited for the Nendoroid that was announced of Claire! I hope there will be ones of HM64 designs too. Since you have a lot of figures on your blog, how does it feel to be able to add one of your own characters to your collection? Are there any of your other characters you hope will get figures of?

Igusa Matsuyama: A nendoroid of Claire! I'm looking forward to it too, but when is it going to be released? If it's possible, I'd like one of Woofio.

Editor's note: Preorders are open for Nendoroid Claire now!

Chickee asks: A purple-haired princess character was rumored to have existed in Harvest Moon 64, but she didn't make it to the published game. Did you create a design for this character?

Igusa Matsuyama: That's probably Princess Thumbelina. Wasn't she Incredibly small? What I designed didn't end up being used. Speaking of HM64 characters, I pushed for them to include a pet turtle, but in the end it only appeared as an ornament. For A Wonderful Life, I asked for a turtle to be included again and designed a tortoise with a scarf, but it didn't make it as a pet and appeared only as a wild turtle that walks around the pond. I'm waiting for the day they finally include a pet turtle in the game.

emery flower147 asks: omg  I saw the pics where the AWL girls are in a team and Muffy has a shotgun and stuff? Do you think any other characters would work in a cool team like that?

Igusa Matsuyama: For the Friends of Mineral Town guide book, I had the five girls, Popuri, Marie, Ran, Elly and Karen work hard as Harvest Sprites. Also, for the guide books, I drew Pete (The old male protagonist), Sarah (The GB version female protagonist), and Claire doing whatever I wanted them to. I don't know if you can call it cool or not, but it was fun being in charge of that.

Ixur asks: A lot of the PoOT character designs for the regular villagers seem more popular than the marriage candidates in my region. Is that something that's been noticed by you/Marvelous in Japan? Lars, Clemens, Beth, and Misaki for example.

Igusa Matsuyama: Marvelous doesn't really talk about that sort of thing so I'm not sure if they're aware of it or not. I don't do social media so I'm also not sure which characters are popular. I'm happy as long as the characters are liked. The design on Lars’s shirt is modeled after my beloved dog, so I’d be especially happy if you like his shirt too.

Anonymous asks: What do you think about people cosplaying your designs?

Igusa Matsuyama: It makes me very happy! I'm no good at sewing, so I really admire people who can make their own clothes. It's an honour having the designs I made be made into real clothes, and I think it's great to have fun acting out the characters.

Afro Fae asks: When creating designs for characters, how do you settle on a specific color palette? Do you take color meanings into account with a character's personality or do you go purely off of feeling?

Igusa Matsuyama: I keep in mind the overall colours the client asked for while designing. Sometimes I propose a new colour when I think there's one that fits better. I'm also careful when choosing colours and everyone's traits to make sure it's easy to tell which character is which when seen from a distance. However, in the cases of families and such, I do the opposite and give them all a common colour to give them a sense of kinship.

———

From all of us at Ranch Story, we'd like to thank Matsuyama from the bottom of our hearts for answering our questions again! Whether a fan has only just discovered the series or has grown up alongside it, so many people have loved these characters and worlds that Igusa Matsuyama brings to life, so it feels truly special to be able to have this opportunity. We'll end this article with Matsuyama's own words, as well as a parting gift.

Igusa Matsuyama: I'm so glad I could answer your questions again. I'm the one that should be saying thank you. It means the world to me knowing that everyone enjoys my illustrations! I added an illustration as thanks. I'll keep up the hard work!

[violet-hearth]

Salt Scrub

Salt scrubs are a great way to incorporate physical cleansing into your routine - they help exfoliate, reduce inflammation, and improve blood circulation whilst also having the cleaning and protection qualities of salt, dried herbs, and oils. The recipe is easy, cheap, and quick making it one of the most accessible recipes I have.

Salt scrubs are not recommended for people with skin conditions or sensitive skin, and salt can dry out your skin so be sure to moisturize after use. As a rule of thumb, you should not use a salt scrub more than 1-2 times a week.

General Recipe:

1 cup of sea salt

1/4 cup of carrier oil

10-20 drops of essential oil

1 tbsp of herbs such as lavender, rose or chamomile and/or vitamin E oil (ensure they are crushed well)

In a bowl, stir together the salt and oil

Add the essential oil and herbs

Store in a sealed glass jar in a cool location until ready to use

To use a salt scrub, apply to damp skin in circular motions gentle for 20-30 seconds before rinsing well.

Weekly Cleanse Scrub

1 cup of salt of choice

1/4 cup carrier oil (jojoba, almond, vegetable, sunflower etc.)

10-20 total drops of lemon balm, tea tree, witch hazel and lavender

0.5 - 1 tablespoon moon water

1 tablespoon of dried lavender and lemon peel (optional)

1 tablespoon vitamin E oil (optional)

Venus-Inspired Salt Scrub

1 cup sea salt

1/4 cup of almond oil

1 - 1.5 tablespoons castor oil

10-20 total of drops of the following essential oils: rose, lavender, cedar wood and ylang-ylang or a attraction/love oil

1 tablespoon of dried rose petals

1 tablespoon vitamin E oil

As always, adapt the recipes as needed for what you have and to your own practice <3

[rottonfishie]

Credits for character desgin: @unlikelylotusagent

TW: Mentions of torture, child abuse, manipulation, burns, mentioned death, the celestial realm treating demons as pets/property.

Nezha - The Demon Child

‐--------------------------------○●○--------------------------

After, The Ten Kings Of Diyu revived Nezha, reconstructing his body with the roots of a lotus flower. He craved revenge against his father after he had burned down the sacrificial temple created in Nezha's honour and expressed his severe distain for Nezha, blaming the child for his misfortunes.

Nezha, with all his anger against his father, grabbed the attention of the Jade Emperor, who swiftly intervened in Nezha's rampage, subduing the demon child before any further damage could be caused. The Jade Emperor dragged Nezha to the celestial realm, kicking and screaming, handing him over to his elder brother, Master Yuzhiqin, in hopes to "tame" the child.

Master Yuzhiqin subdued Nezha's powers by locking bracelets infused with seals around his ankles and wrists that dampened his abilities. He also placed a necklace around Nezha's neck that showed that Nezha is basically owned by the celestial realm. While, Master Yuzhiqin was his "warden," he was his torturer.

Master Yuzhiqin real reason for his torture was because he saw demons as lesser-life forms and wanted to see their limits, and he could achieve that with Nezha's immortality. But, he lied and manipulated Nezha into believing that this was his just punishment for killing Ao Bing and attempting to kill his father.

Master Yuzhiqin attention shifted to Wukong after he was captured by the Celestial Realm, meaning that Nezha's "punishments" lessened. One of these "punishments" was too far, however, and caught the attention of Chang'e and Erlang.

Master Yuzhiqin tested if any fire could burn Nezha, which trial and error led him to find that the only fire that could burn Nezha was Diyu's flames. This left Nezha with permanent scarring, causing Chang'e to agree to take him with her to the moon. Which is where he stays now.

This agreement was done behind Master Yuzhiqin back by Erlang, Chang'e and somewhat Wukong. However, Master Yuzhiqin doesn't seem to care very much with his hyperfixation being on Wukong.

[fornasedensgudar]

Ran.

[thesummerstorms]

The other thing that I think I would want in an Annabeth Wayne AU that I don't think I've seen so far is Bruce being absolutely pissed at Athena.

It was bad enough with Talia and Damian, but Athena is a literal god of wisdom who should know better AND he doesn't even have the "culpability" of having slept with her.

She one hundred percent saw Batman, tactician of the Justice League, was drawn in by her aspect of the Goddess of Strategy, and proceeded to create a child without his consent, a daughter who she didn't even raise before the child became a weapon.

And like whatever else, however fucked up Damian was by his own training to become a child-weapon, at least Talia loved Damian.

Whereas Athena loves Annabeth in the way a Goddess loves, not the way a Person loves, and I don't think Bruce, whose entire identity is so fixated on his relationship with his own parents, would recognize that as love at all.

And, like, Talia put Damian through a lot of shit. I think Bruce would be angry there too. But when push came to shove, she at least at some point brought him to Bruce because she thought it was in her son's best interests.

Athena actively lead Annabeth away from Bruce and into the streets at the age of seven, which Bruce would never see as in her best interest, whatever Athena's godly perspective is, however badly he reacted after Jason's death, even though he couldn't see (and dismissed the idea of) the spiders and the monsters. She was seven. In the streets of Gotham.

Athena let Annabeth fight a major role in two wars back to back without being there to train her or protect her or love her or even advise her. Athena advocated for the cold blooded murder of the other children who had actually tried to keep his daughter safe. Athena sent Annabeth against Arachne when Athena's children have universally died on that quest for a thousand years.

Athena let Bruce think he had gotten Annabeth killed because of his own inability to handle his grief. Let him think his daughter was dead or worse for years. Would have let him keep thinking that if the Fates didn't have other plans.

And just, in true fashion for all of my ideas on a PJO x DC crossover, everyone really comes out more traumatized than before. This includes Bruce.

Because now he wasn't just used unknowingly for a child just once, but twice. And in both cases he's going to have to live forever with the guilt of not having been able to protect his kids from what their other parent wanted to make of them

(On top of all the ways he has directly failed them and made any complexes worse, of course )

[sarafangirlart]

Aglaia when her friend Aphrodite tells her how she was humiliated by Hephaestus in front of all the other gods but it also means that Hephaestus is now divorced and free for her to take:

[drowningwitchdreams]

Rán gets a mention in D'aulaire's Book of Norse Myths (yes, they have a Norse one as well). It refers to her as an "evil witch," which I am not a fan of, but I was surprised she got a mention at all.

[lesbianjodie]

I'm just saying. It's SAUR funny how Ran only ever shows interest in the one (1) guy but in the meantime every time she sees a pretty woman she's like QUEEN GORGEOUS YOU LOOK LIKE A GODDESS CAN I HOLD YOUR HAND AND LOOK AT YOU LONGINGLY WHILE YOU WALK AWAY? 💞😍 while blushing etc etc. Like ok babygirl <3 take this 🏳️‍🌈

[allmythologies]

a-z myths: ran (norse mythology)

ran is a goddess and a personification of the sea. the goddess is frequently associated with a net, which she uses to capture sea-goers

[psychopomparia]

If I had a nickel for Hoyoverse man named after a Goddess, I would have two nickels which isn't a lot but crazy how this has happened twice

[randevotionalblog]

Hymm to Ran

Hail Lady of the ocean deep

Where her chosen sailors sleep

Hail Mother of Ocean Waves

Crossed only by those stupid or brave

Hail Ran of Ocean might

Of power, of death, of golden light

Hail to the sea Devine Mother

May my prayer abate your hunger

Hail and praise to Lady of the Sea

My gratitude to you, I am indebted to Thee

We live at the mercy of Thy power and might

I pray Thou accept my offer tonight

Hail to Ran who sailors do fear

Hail to the Matron of All That Swim

Of the greatest whale, of the smallest fish

Hail Lady of Ocean Deep

My devotion I give to you to keep