#its about Gakkou Gurashi/School-live

[gophergal]

If I had a nickel for every zombie apocalypse story I've seen with a character treated as having a romantic attraction to a shovel, I would have two nickels. Which isn't much, but it's weird it happened twice

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

New Series I can write for!

Now, this is a truly momentous occasion I'm announcing. ESPECIALLY for my older followers before the original Genshingorls came into being.

I can now write for Fire Emblem: Three Houses and AU's for it!

This game means so much to me, it's what led me to some of my closest friends and what got me to love writing after being burnt out.

I used to write for FE3H until 2020ish then it moved onto House Isekai, I didn't want to come back to it until I felt my writing was improved enough.

Thanks to 2-3 years of with you guys, I finally feel like I'm ready.

So much so, that almost the entire cast is joining, even the guys!

That's about the gist of it for those wanting to simp, but if you want to see some of the crackhead energy I've been keeping inside when it comes to crossovers you guys can ask for, take a look below the cut!

And now, with Three Houses finally making its re-debut in my writing, that means The original 3H AU's will be available as well, should you desire them!

Those AU's are the following:

Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Overlord, Konosuba, Gakkou-Gurashi (School-Live!), DOOM, Trails of Cold Steel

And those AU's had some of my favorite interactions to write to date because of how unhinged/funny/great the pairings were! Examples such as:

These interactions are far better if you played their respective games obviously, but most of these interactions I got to write thanks to you guys requesting them. I hope I can do so again!

Of course, now that they're here on this blog, that means things like Genshin Characters in 3H and vice versa is fair game.

But that's if one desires crossover hell, I'm just happy to be writing for one of my all time favorite games/casts again!

Long rant over, thanks for reading if you even cared to!

And for my House Isekai followers, kept you waiting, huh?

[alienssstufff]

i remebered you answering an ask about the last life au at some point where u listed off like 2 inspirations for it but now i cant find it if its real could you link me to that post or just tell me cus im looking for more apocolyspe media

[ PART 2 ] [ PART 3 ] LAWL I couldn't find the first ask that resulted in these two - TLDR the inspirations I mentioned are: Train to Busan, Gakkou Gurashi (School Live!), The Last of Us 2.

I also recommend The Shadows that Run Alongside Our Car - short visual novel, this is also the main inspiration for the Ranchers subplot in the au

Sweet Home (the manhwa NOT the show) - I like the premise of being trapped in an apartment building with other strangers and the formation of different groups, tie in with shtuff about the desires across each character what makes them likely to succumb to the disease. Inspirations of the clashes between the au's factions + the electric spear Tango crafts is the same :]

Will always recommend Charlie Slimecicle's We Spent 100 Days in a Hardcore Minecraft Apocalypse, so much so I added it as a canon spinoff in the au timeline ToT.

I'd love more recommendations! Doesn't have to be zombie apocalypses either wwwww

[dateamonster]

Have you ever read gakkou gurashi / school live? I just finished rereading it + its epilogue and it gut punched me... seems like something you'd like

(whoops sorry ive been neglecting my askbox again)

i havent but ive seen a little of the anime. i def like the more sorta psychological aspects of it but i am extreeemely picky about zombie apocalypse type shows and the characters didnt hit for me so ultimately i wasnt able to stick with it.

its a cool concept i think! id probably enjoy it more if it was more of a slowburn/more from the main girls pov so that the reveal was more like affecting, but maybe thats something the manga handles better idk

[themockingcrows]

School-Live! Volume 1

Series: School-Live! (Gakkou Gurashi!) Artist: Sadoru China Writer: Norimitsu Kaihou (Nitroplus)

To be clear, I've already read this series in its entirety some time ago. Demolished it in fact after enjoying the anime immensely, because I'd hoped to see if there was more than where that story left off. Oh, there was. There was a LOT and I'm honestly heartbroken that we're probably never seeing a season 2 that it deserves.

That said, I decided to finally follow through and write lil tidbits on what I was reading as I did a re-read of my physical volumes. So, here's my thoughts of my re-read of volume 1. Please be aware of spoilers beyond this point.

Upon first starting, the general vibe is that it's just going to be another high school story. The setting is apparently an expansive school with much going on, and the main protagonist we're introduced to, Takeya Yuki, seems to be bubbly and bright spirited. It's only when you realize that the normal school setting appears to entirely be in Yuki's mind that things begin to make more sense for the story, and why the front cover involved a busted up classroom. School-Living club becomes very literal as we realize the scale of the issue involves zombies, and that these girls are on their own in a school building.

Ebisuzawa Kurumi easily slots into a guardian role for Yuki, with Wakasa Yuuri (Rii-chan), the president of this club, acting as a maternal role and solid rock. Sakura Megumi (Megu-nee), a teacher at the school, appears to be a guiding force for the girls as well though only Yuki seems to pay much mind to what she says or does, always interacting with her first and not speaking over her.

Seeing the slow but steady ramp up of just how isolated these girls are, and how dangerous their surroundings are, really plays up how much of a risk Yuki is while not engaging with reality. Yet all the girls dote on her and try to keep her safe, playing along with her ideas and thoughts of this just being a normal school club, protecting her as best they can. When it's proven that her delusions are strong enough to even make up the presence of Megu-nee, at one point losing consciousness because she started to remember something traumatic involving her, it begins to feel more and more tragic.

I don't often see trauma victims portrayed in manga decently, and while Yuki is a bit of an extreme case, I think this is indeed a way that someone could cope with such severe mental stress. When reality is too stressful and scary and makes no sense, it's easier to fall back into a daydream and act like nothing's wrong to keep the stress down. Our minds work overtime to protect us from things we're not capable of handling, and a zombie apocalypse is probably high on the list of things that can't be handled by a high schooler.

Yuki's carefree childish antics, while sometimes a risk for the others to deal with while keeping her safe because she doesn't seem to register there's any danger at hand, often lead to the other girls smiling and lightening the atmosphere. Megu-nee is the one who originally told Yuki about the importance of smiling, of being happy, and it seems that lesson is sticking around quite thoroughly. Being detached from the trauma of what's happening lets Yuki keep things flowing, preventing the other two from getting too caught in their own minds.

But Yuki's not entirely unaware. Even if she's heavily in her delusions, there are times when she can tell something serious is happening, that there's real risk, even if she's not prepared or capable of putting it into words as fact. It's a delicate balance between completely being out of touch with reality, and being just in touch to remember reality but choosing to not engage with it.

Overall volume one was a good read still. It set up the scene, established the risks and gave a general setup for the situation quite well, and leaves you wondering about the true scope of this disaster. What's caused it? What happens when the supplies at the school run out? How are three high school girls going to survive an apocalypse on their own, when one of them isn't able to protect herself properly?

It makes me excited to keep reading for volume two, especially when another character has been teased at the very end of this volume.

As well, in the physical volumes, the details about the school itself are quite interesting, it gives a sense of just how expansive and well built this school is, and explains why it's so thoroughly stocked with everything they'd needed till now. A nice detail.

[kurumis-archive]

Gakkou Gurashi Live Action Announcement 

[hachichimitsu2]

ABOUT ME

Hachi ✨ 20 ✨ She/Her ✨ 🇵🇭 ✨ INFJ 6w5

Hello, I’m Hachi! I'm a full-time freelance illustrator on Fiverr, and I hopefully plan to branch out in other artistic areas in my life! Expect me to dump all of my artistic interests over here : #hachichiart

I also have a children’s picture e-book that I self-published on Amazon. I made it as a requirement for my high school thesis, so while the art there is definitely a representation of my past, I still stand by the message I was trying to send. I hope to eventually branch out this series in a form of a webcomic of sorts, for people who can’t afford to purchase my e-book for financial reasons. These characters are extremely dear to me, and I can’t wait to expound on them when I have the time lmao. Here’s a tag regarding the series: #behindtheartistichand

Some note-worthy things to mention, this blog is generally 15+, but I do make sure to tag any NSFW content and general triggers out there. I often post and retweet adult animation, so I’d say tread carefully if you’re a minor. I’m also critical with the media I consume, but most of the time, I like to talk about why I like something rather than why I hate it. I just find it more fun to expound on the positives of my favorite things. I also don’t take everything seriously.

Please let me know privately if I did or say anything wrong. Sometimes I say things without meaning to, and I’m not the brightest crayon in the box, so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. If you take offense with anything I posted, just send a polite DM and explain why it offended you so I can be educated regarding the subject. I’m also available for any questions, DMs and a genuine chit-chat.

MAIN INTERESTS

1. Character-Driven Storytelling

2. Adult Cartoons

3. CGDCT / Slice-of-Life Shows

4. Pastel Goth / Creepy Cute Fashion

5. Coming-of-Age Stories

6. Magical Girls

7. Psychological Horror

8. Well-Written Children’s Media

9. RPG Maker Horror Games

10. Video Essays & Film Studies

11. Speed Metal / Vaporwave / Shibuya-Kei

12. K-POP / J-POP Girl Groups (Serotonin Babey!)

13. 4LT (MBTI), Typology, Cognitive Functions

14. All Types of Artistic Endeavors (OCs, FanArt, Comics, Film, Music, Fanfiction, etc.)

TOP 5 ANIME SERIES (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

1. K-ON!!

2. Hunter x Hunter

3. Neon Genesis Evangelion

4. Ojamajo Doremi

5. Ouran Highschool Host Club.

TOP 5 CARTOON SERIES (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

1. South Park

2. Bojack Horseman

3. Moral Orel

4. Ed, Edd n Eddy

5. Infinity Train

FAVORITE MOVIES

1. Interstellar (Favorite Sci-Fi Movie of All Time)

2. Nacho Libre (Favorite Guilty Pleasure Movie)

3. Johnny Got His Gun (Scariest movie of all time due to the sheer existential dread)

4. Studio Ghibli Films (Particularly Ponyo, My Neighbor Totoro & Grave of the Fireflies)

5. Perfect Blue (Favorite Anime Movie)

6. One Cut of the Dead (It’s hard to recommend this movie without spoiling it, but it’s an absolute must that you finish it in its entirety before you proceed to make any further judgments)

7. Coraline (I know almost everyone loves Coraline at this point, but it’s genuinely good.)

8. Interview with the Vampire (Favorite Vampire movie of all time that doesn’t seem overdone or cliché. It’s also really gay)

9. Get Out (2017)

10. Us (2019)

11. Up (2009)

12. Toy Story (Movies 1 to 3)

13. Hereditary (2018)

14. The Shining (1980)

15. Audition (1999)

16. Misery (1990)

17. The Green Mile (1999)

18. Shawshank Redemption (1994)

19. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

20. Mommie Dearest (1981)

21. The Others (2001)

22. The Platform (2020)

23. The Lodge (2019)

OTHERS

1. Homestuck (It’s been a good while since I read Homestuck, so my memory of the general storyline is fuzzy. I’ll re-read it once I have the chance)

2. When They Cry (Currently up-to date with the Higurashi anime and watched the live-action movies. Finally started to tackle the sound novels. Have yet to encounter Umineko and Ciconia)

3. Age of Youth (Favorite K-drama of all time.)

4. Squid Game (Battle Royale-type thriller series that tackles capitalism and the illusion of choice and free will? Sign me the fuck up)

5. Majisuka Gakuen (Favorite J-drama of all time. Also, yes, I’m biased because of my love for AKB48.)

6. Flight of the Conchords (Favorite live-action series of all time.)

7. Adult Cartoons (The Boondocks, Camp Camp, Superjail, The Oblongs, Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Home Movies, Beavis & Butthead, Daria, Smiling Friends, Aggretsuko)

8. FilmCow (I absolutely love everything they put out. Currently up to date with VuloLives’s broadcasts)

9. The Eric Andre Show (A good friend recommended me this show, and I haven’t stopped since.)

10. Nathan for You (My humor condensed into one show)

11. CGDCT / Slice-of-Life Shows (Sweetness & Lightning, The Amazing World of Gumball, Spongebob Squarepants, Gakkou Gurashi, Lucky Star, Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight, Koufuku Graffiti, Hidamari Sketch, Pita-Ten, A Little Snow Fairy Sugar, Di Gi Charat, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Yama no Susume, Shirobako, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Saint Young Men, Gunslinger Girl, Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, Osomatsu-san, Hey Arnold, The Peanuts, Arthur, Hibike! Euphonium, Nichijou, Asobi Asobase, Azumanga Daioh, Codename: Kids Next Door, Chowder)

12. Idol Anime (Love Live! School Idol Project, Aikatsu, Revue Starlight, Full Moon wo Sagashite, Pretty Rhythm, AKB600SEC // Will get into IDOLMASTER eventually)

13. Undertale (Will pick up Earthbound and Omori eventually)

14. RPGMaker Horror Games (Mad Father, Misao, The Witch’s House, Ao Oni, etc. Hoping to get into newer released games!)

15. Fictional Children / Adolescents Getting Trapped in Dangerous Scenarios (Digimon Tamers, Made in Abyss, The Promised Neverland, Alice Academy, Code Lyoko, The World Ends with You, Total Drama Island, Danganronpa)

16. Weird, Experimental or Slightly Disturbing Series (Serial Experiments Lain, Kuchuu Buranko, Invader Zim, Flapjack, Salad Fingers)

17. Shounen Anime (Yu Yu Hakusho, Mob Psycho 100, Dragon Ball Z)

18. Magical Girl Anime (Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Tokyo Mew Mew, Mermaid Melody, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, RWBY, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, My Little Pony, Princess Tutu, Powerpuff Girls, My Life As A Teenage Robot, Bee and Puppycat, Star vs. The Forces of Evil, Steven Universe // Will pick up She-Ra & The Owl House Eventually)

19. The Haunting of Hill House / Bly Manor (Don’t let the jump-scares deceive you. It’s a genuinely good character-driven horror series)

20. Sci-Fi Cartoons (Rick & Morty, Solar Opposites, Futurama, Bravest Warriors)

ROLE MODELS / BIASES / OSHIMENS / BEST GIRLS

1. Trey Parker & Matt Stone

2. Gain & Narsha (BROWN EYED GIRLS)

3. Hyuna (SOLOIST)

4. Sooyoung (SNSD)

5. Gyuri (KARA)

6. Hani (EXID)

7. Seulgi & Yeri (RED VELVET)

8. Sana (TWICE)

9. Yves & Olivia Hye (LOONA)

10. Shuhua (G-IDLE)

11. Yena (IZ*ONE)

12. Winter (AESPA)

13. SUZUKA (ATARASHII GAKKOU)

14. Shiroma Miru (NMB48)

15. Yabuki Nako (HKT48)

16. Takahashi Minami (ex-AKB48)

17. Kojima Haruna (ex-AKB48)

18. Shinoda Mariko (ex-AKB48)

19. Sayaka Akimoto (ex-AKB48)

20. Watanabe Mayu (ex-AKB48)

21. Shimazaki Haruka (ex-AKB48)

22. Matsui Jurina (ex-SKE48)

23. Sakura Miko (HOLOLIVE)

24. Natsuiro Matsuri (HOLOLIVE)

25. Oozora Subaru (HOLOLIVE)

26. Inugami Korone (HOLOLIVE)

27. Houshou Marine (HOLOLIVE)

28. Kiryu Coco (ex-HOLOLIVE)

29. Momosuzu Nene (HOLOLIVE)

30. Kureiji Ollie (HOLOLIVE)

31. Takanashi Kiara (HOLOLIVE)

32. VuloLives (INDEPENDENT VTUBER)

CONTACTS

• Instagram: @Hachichimitsu

• Twitter: @Hachichimitsu

• I take art commissions on Fiverr: https://www.fiverr.com/hachichimitsu

• I have a children’s e-book on Amazon. Make sure to download the Amazon Kindle app to be able to read it on your smart device: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Artistic-Erika-Marie-Vargas-ebook/dp/B08789CW3V

[mawaru606]

Animes that are not what they looks like

Some recommendations, (I’ll update it with more someday )

Made in Abyss

13 episodes

Synopsis: Riko, daughter of the missing White Whistle Lyza the Annihilator, aspires to become like her mother and explore the furthest reaches of the Abyss. However, just a novice Red Whistle herself, she is only permitted to roam its most upper layer. Even so, Riko has a chance encounter with a mysterious robot with the appearance of an ordinary young boy. She comes to name him Reg, and he has no recollection of the events preceding his discovery. Certain that the technology to create Reg must come from deep within the Abyss, the two decide to venture forth into the chasm to recover his memories and see the bottom of the great pit with their own eyes. However, they know not of the harsh reality that is the true existence of the Abyss. 

Yakusoku no neverland (The Promised Neverland)

12 episodes

Synopsis: Surrounded by a forest and a gated entrance, the Grace Field House is inhabited by orphans happily living together as one big family, looked after by their "Mama," Isabella. Although they are required to take tests daily, the children are free to spend their time as they see fit, usually playing outside, as long as they do not venture too far from the orphanage—a rule they are expected to follow no matter what. However, all good times must come to an end, as every few months, a child is adopted and sent to live with their new family... never to be heard from again. 

Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (Girls last tour)

12 episodes

Synopsis:  Amid the desolate remains of a once-thriving city, only the rumbling of a motorbike breaks the cold winter silence. Its riders, Chito and Yuuri, are the last survivors in the war-torn city. Scavenging old military sites for food and parts, the two girls explore the wastelands and speculate about the old world to pass the time. Chito and Yuuri each occasionally struggle with the looming solitude, but when they have each other, sharing the weight of being two of the last humans becomes a bit more bearable. Between Yuuri's clumsy excitement and Chito's calm composure, their dark days get a little brighter with shooting practice, new books, and snowball fights on the frozen battlefield.

Gakkou Gurashi! ( School-Live!)

12 episodes

Synopsis:  Yuki Takeya loves her school so much that she does not want to ever leave! Megurigaoka High School is a unique and lively place where Yuki enjoys her carefree life as a third-year high school student and member of the School Living Club. The club, consisting of the president Yuuri Wakasa, the athletic Kurumi Ebisuzawa, the mature junior Miki Naoki, the supervising teacher Megumi Sakura, and the club dog Taroumaru, prides itself on making the most of life at school. However, this illusion of endless bliss is just a bubble waiting to be burst because Yuki is unable to perceive what is truly happening around her. In reality, all is not as it seems—the real purpose of the School Living Club is to escape from the shocking and disturbing truth: the girls are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and have barricaded themselves inside the school as the sole survivors.

Alien 9

4 ovas

Synopsis: Soon after entering middle school, Yuri Otani is coerced into joining the "Alien Party," a single-minded group with one goal: capture any alien attempting to enter school grounds. Terrified of aliens her entire life, Otani is anything but thrilled, and to make matters worse, her kit includes a "Borg"—an alien-like creature tasked with ensuring her safety. Despite this, she finds solace in her two partners: the independent and reliable Kumi Kawamura, and the smart and energetic Kasumi Tomine.

As the Alien Party works to fend off extraterrestrial threats, will their roller blades and lacrosse sticks be enough to overcome the dire challenges ahead, or will they succumb to fear and suffer the grim consequences of defeat?

Others:

Mahou shoujo ikusei keikaku (survival magical girls)

Puella madoka magica (We all know it already, right?)

Happy sugar life (i dropped this one, lol)

[princesshalfdemon]

Emergency one-shot commissions post

Hey nya’ll, its your one and only Mari here hooping to get a li’l help with some bills.

I’m in a bit of a bind: I owed my school $700 due to a snafu with my Summer semester, and my student loan stuff is still processing. While hopefully I’ll be eligible for grants, my university’s student loan office is so slow during this pandemic I can’t really hope on it right now. To make matters more complicated I had to pay $40 to repair a nail in my tire, and $100 I was lent by my father is... gone. I don’t even know how to describe it. I put $100 in my wallet, and when I went to check today, it wasn’t there. This shitty wallet has had things fall out before but this is something else. Maybe when I was getting gas last night? I don’t even know.

But basically, I’m working to make emergency commissions. School is really busy so I can’t drop everything right now and do it ASAP, but, as a fanfic writer of 14 years now I’d love to be able to offer emergency oneshots. I don’t know the rates for this: but I’ll offer to write oneshots of 10 or so pages for $20 right now, or a quick thing for $10 for about 5 pages. Please understand I’m a full-time university student and I haven’t even had time to write my own passion projects during this pandemic: and this is money I need right away, and I will make working on your fanfic a top priority right now. I’ll need money up front but I’ll keep you posted on it. We can discuss the fandom and the like, but my main fandoms I’m most familiar with and thus can write accurately for, but I’ll even take a shot at writing original stuff if you want!

These stories will be primarily written in Microsoft Word, 11x size single space before being uploaded to AO3/ff.net!

Love Live! (Primarily OG and Sunshine, not too familiar with the PDP girls), JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (fully caught up on the manga), Kakegurui, Symphogear, Zombieland Saga, Puella Magi Madoka Magica and its associated spinoffs, Gakkou Gurashi, and Corpse Party (played the original game, BloodCovered, and BoS. Not too familiar with Blood Drive). If you have another fandom please ask me, I just can’t gurantee I’m familiar with it.

I’m open to writing most ships and the like! Romance, angst, tragedy, name it and I’ll probably be game!

Alternatively if you are a roleplaying blog (why I’m posting in RP tags) I also have icon commissions available, although that takes me a bit longer! Rates are available at @melodiusicons​.

If you are interested, please DM me via instant messaging so we can discuss something. If you donate without wanting anything, well, you’re a doll and ily. At the end of the day I think I’ll be OK, but I’m hoping to make some money through this, thank you. My paypal link will be located in the Source of this post, so as to prevent complications with this post appearing in tags.

Thank you all, and may every road take you to a memory of great days.

[spicy-raddish]

So, in my last post I said that I literally hated Japan Sinks 2020, but that I was scared to voice my problems with it, from a writing standpoint, due to so many people genuinely liking the show. It seems I'm not alone at all. A lot of people encouraged me to make this post, so, here we go...

(This is going to be a long one)

Everything Wrong With: Japan Sinks 2020 (and it's a lot):

this post contains spoilers, obviously.

The music doesn't fit the mood of the show, like, at all. Don't get me wrong, the music is actually good, a lot of it is in my study playlist now, but it absolutely doesn't fit the scenes that accompany it. e.g. the dad gets literally blown up by a ww2 bomb leaving only his severed hand behind *happy music intensifies* this just cheapens the entire scene and removes any tiny fragment of emotional response to what you're being shown. And this happens all the time.

The animation... The backgrounds and general scenery look absolutely stunning, but the characters look genuinely awful. At times, I would be legitimately crying whilst watching a scene, not out of sadness, but out of laughter at just how bad the characters look. Extremely lazy drawing, and if the character isn't the one talking, they just freeze their animation for minutes at a time, not even making them blink or move slightly, just... frozen there.

Go and his constant use of cringy Engrish. I get it, he's half filipino and he looks up to an English-speaking YouTuber. But he goes into this broken English way too frequently, and again, it doesn't match the tone of what's happening.

How did Mari survive the first tsunami? Also, why didn't we get to see the first tsunami? Or the plane crash-landing in the bay and hitting the bridge? Why do we never actually get to see these large-scale events that are supposedly impacting our characters? Also, if Mari supposedly was in a plane crash, then ended up in the river where a tsunami hit, and she somehow managed to swim out of the river during a tsunami, how does she then have the energy and strength to walk all the way through the city to the shrine, and doesn't even seem out of breath? Also, if Ayumu was in that changing room which resulted in people being literally severed in half, how is her phone not even smashed? Cracked a lil? No?

THE POLAROIDS. I actually turned the show off the second time Mari pulled her camera out for a group photo, and I had to force myself to go back and finish it. Why on earth do the characters keep insisting on taking these chipper polaroids like the literal apocalypse isn't happening around them? Is Mari emotionally stunted? I don't understand. Is it supposed to be making some kind of point? I don't understand...

The characters seem to have zero reaction to awful events happening around them, or they comment on it and move on immediately.

Random magical cult city growing serious amounts of weed... Literally everything that happens there is just awful writing. So far, everything that has happened has been a natural disaster, and they explain them as being due to the tectonic plate movements. So we're supposed to be believing all of this as possible. Explainable natural events. You can't build a world around this and then suddenly introduce magic out of the blue. Not to mention, what even happened in the end? Did 'Mother' reincarnate herself? How? Why?

The weird nightclub scene and the pensioner sex scene are both two scenes I could do without.

The weird trickster guy who keeps pulling fake eyes/ears/noses out of nowhere. Again, he ruins the tone of the show. Not only that, continuity just doesn't exist with him. He says he's from England, but speaks English with an American accent. And then he says he grew up in Yugoslavia. Like, which one is it sweetie?

Why is this old man just randomly addicted to morphine?

You can't expect the audience to have a legitimate emotional response to character deaths if you introduce and kill off new characters so frequently, whilst simultaneously not really telling us anything about them that would cause us to care that they're gone.

Huh, what do you know, episode 8 was actually kind of good-ish, and the only reason it was good was because we were left with only two characters, the characters we've known right from the start, meaning we have at least some reason to care about them. And there's none of the random happy music. And Go keeps his Engrish to a minimum. And neither of them dies in a freak accident that gives the animators reason to show more body horror out of nowhere for shock value.

THE RAP BATTLE. At this point, I genuinely thought that this show had to be satirical. Like, there is just no way this is supposed to be a serious show. Again, the tone is non-existant now. For some reason this show likes to be really self-deprecating towards Japan at every available opportunity and they just went full speed with this rap battle. Like, I get that maybe the writers thought, oh, we've been showing a lot of bleak scenes, let's give some comedic relief. But that only works if you haven't had happy music blaring this entire time, combined with hilariously out-of-place English phrases and the weird Yugo-Brit-American guy with fake eyes, etc. That only works if this was a serious show to begin with.

I'm making a separate point just for the godawful animation during Kite's weather balloon scene. Jesus Christ.

The fact that they built a new mini-Japan/Tokyo for the surviving Japanese people, knowing full-well that Japan is going to re-emerge at some point, thus destroying this new island and killing its inhabitants in the process.

We're supposed to believe that nobody, not one nation, tried to claim the area that Japan was once in for themselves, supposedly as a good will to the Japanese people, even though it would be a prime location for fishing, etc. And there's definitely not enough Japanese people left to try and contest it.

I forgot to mention the fact that the intro doesn't match the show either.

There is a consistent issue with the show not understanding the tone it's supposed to be having. Combining the happy intro, happy music throughout, characters' lack of response to what's happening around them, laughable animation and random "comedy relief" aspects like the foreigner and the rap battle, you're left with a show that is unable to make you feel the way it wants you to feel. It seems like a joke, you want to see it as satirical, but the show continues to act like these events should be taken seriously. Now, I've seen anime that does this kind of thing before, having the tone of one genre whilst actually being another, but in a good way. An example would be Gakkou Gurashi (School Live). But Japan Sinks 2020 seems to do this unintentionally. It's just... Funny. I don't think I cared that a single character died. And that, in itself, is sadder than the entire show.

If you've made it through this post, congratulations. As someone who is both a writer and a fan of apocalyptic/natural disaster fiction, this show hit a nerve and I needed to speak out about it. Especially since I'm seeing it be praised so much online!

[houseisekai]

House Isekai: Shadowbringers -Interlude 2

House Isekai Shadowbringers AU Masterlist Here

—

Interlude: Megumi Sakura

[Spiderweb - Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST]

It was a quiet night at Derdriu. As usual.

Ever since the outbreak of the war, no one dared go out at night, especially when the reports of Angels reached the Alliance.

Not to mention the unholy creatures that Those Who Slithered used to combat the Church.

Everyone in the city was scared of what tomorrow would bring. The fact their leader had gone out with those strange offworlders brought even less comfort to the people of Dedriu.

The guards had been ordered not to utter a word about Claude’s disappearance, lest they bring suspicion onto themselves from those fighting in the war.

They had heard what happened to Fhirdiad and Enbarr. They were keen on not repeating it on themselves.

Percy sighed to himself as he watched the empty roads, leaning against the wall with his lance on his shoulders.

He just wanted to protect his hometown as a soldier of the Alliance, not get wrapped up in...whatever this war was. If you could even call it a war.

What was going on now felt like ants watching wolves tear each other into pieces.

It had been 5 years since the Empire first invaded the Church, but only 2 since all three nations put a halt on their fighting.

The advent of the Church and TWSITD was fierce and ruthless, to the point where the Alliance had complete neutral grounds and took in refugees from all sides into their territories, by order of Claude.

These thoughts continued in Percy’s head until he thought he saw something move in the distance.

He quickly stood up straight and held tightly onto his lance.

Percy knocked on the door behind him, which he could hear the guards hastily grab their weapons.

They eventually went out the door and stood alongside Percy, readying themselves for trouble.

Over the hill, they saw Edelgard, Dimitri, the Professor and far more behind them.

Percy didn’t sigh in relief seeing these familiar faces. In fact it made him even more anxious. Claude had told the guards that group would arrive. 

He didn’t explain why.

(Percy) “Professor.”

(Lahabrea) “Percy, right?”

(Percy) “Yes sir. We were told to expect you, you can enter.”

(Lahabrea) “Much appreciated.”

Percy and the other guards opened the gates, closely watching around them to ensure they weren’t followed.

His eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw some House Isekai members carry the professor past him.

(Percy) “What in the...?”

(Guard) “H-Hey, didn’t that professor just...?”

(Guard 2) “What the hell is going on?”

The talk quickly began amongst the guards, and eventually the citizens who saw the group outside their windows.

Lahabrea led the group to the main capital building, where Claude’s second in command, Judith stood outside.

(Judith) “Ah, took you guys long enough. Get in before you cause a scene.”

He nodded and everyone followed suit, entering the building as Judith shut the door behind them.

Byleth, the Persona Users, Sharon, and Megumi went to the infirmary. The rest stayed inside the main hall with Lahabrea.

(Kazuma) “So, NOW can we get some answers as to what the fuck is going on?”

(Lahabrea) “Just a little longer. Claude is supposed to be here tomorrow, and it’s then I’ll answer all the questions you have.”

Rean sighed and put a hand on Kazuma’s shoulder.

(Rean) “It’s late anyway, we should probably get some rest. We’ve been travelling for a few days.”

Kazuma mumbled under his breath as he smacked away Rean’s hand.

(Ainz) “I’m assuming we have rooms of our own?”

(Judith) “Yup. All upstairs, prepared for ya.”

Ainz nodded and went up the stairs, the denizens of Nazarick scattering to the rest of the rooms, only some following Ainz.

Class VII, the Blue Lions, and Black Eagles went upstairs as well to get some much needed rest.

The School-Living Club went to the Infirmary to help out, leaving just Lahabrea in the room by himself.

(Lahabrea) “...”

(Sothis) “You’re sure about this?”

(Lahabrea) “No matter how many times you ask, my answer isn’t changing. Even if by the end of all this they hate me, if they’re safe, it’s all that matters.”

He shook his head and went up the stairs.

(Lahabrea) “We’ve lived too many lives trying to stop this. If this plan even has a slightly better chance of working than Plan B, then I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Sothis shook her head, then quickly faded away.

...

Inside the infirmary, the Persona Users laid on the beds resting, with Byleth at the farthest bed.

Sitri was at Byleth’s side while Sharon and the School-Living Club spoke to the healer.

(Healer) “We see no obvious battle scars, so we think it might be exhaustion. The same goes for the other kids.”

(Megumi) “I-I see.”

(Yuki) “Is there anything we can do to help?”

(Sharon) “You do not have to worry, Miss Yuki. I will help her with whatever she needs. You all must be tired.”

(Miki) “Come on Yuki-senpai, she’s right. We have to rest.”

Yuki hesitated at first but nodded.

(Kurumi) “Thank you, Sharon.”

(Sharon) “Of course. Please rest well everyone.”

(Yuuri) “Let’s go.”

(Megumi) “...You kids go upstairs, I’ll be with you soon.”

Yuuri nodded and the students went upstairs.

Sharon began checking the Persona Users as she pulled out her Arcus unit, leaving only Sitri to notice Megumi going outside.

Sitri looked at Byleth one last time before getting up to follow Megumi.

[Yasashii Megu-nee Arigatou - Gakkou Gurashi OST]

Megumi stood out in the plaza, staring into the water falling from the fountain.

(Megumi) “...”

She stared at her hand quietly thinking to herself as she frowned.

(Sitri’s voice) “Megumi, right?”

Megumi turned around and saw Sitri walk up to her.

(Sitri) “Is everything alright?”

(Megumi) “Ye-...”

Megumi looked behind Sitri, and then around her.

(Megumi) “Truthfully? No, it’s not.”

She sat down on the stone part of the fountain, which Sitri sat beside her.

(Megumi) “I have no idea what’s going on right now. With Byleth, with the kids, myself and you...U-Uh, sorry that came out wrong-”

Sitri giggled.

(Sitri) “Please, don’t worry. It must be...odd, seeing someone come back from the dead.”

(Megumi) “Normally I’d agree but...”

Megumi stared at her own arm again.

(Megumi) “You’re not the only one.”

She sighed as Sitri looked shocked.

(Megumi) “Our world is...not what you’d call ideal, to put it gently. There was an infection you got if you were bit by the dead and you’d become one of them.”

Megumi rolled her sleeve and pointed where the mark used to be.

(Megumi) “I was bit saving my students, Yuuri, Yuki and Kurumi. When my vision went dark-”

(Kazuma) “Shit, she looks beat up bad!”

(Byleth) “There’s blood everywhere, what happened to her?!”

(Aqua) “You guys didn’t try to get a healer first?”

(Alois) “We tried! There’s something in her arm that’s spreading and we can’t stop it!”

...

(Kazuma) “Aqua, it doesn’t look like she’s fully infected yet, so maybe it can stop it before it spreads! We gotta do SOMETHING!”

(Aqua) “Damn, TURN UNDEAD!”

(Megumi) “Kazuma’s group saved me. It gave me a second chance, to teach these children, and...It let me see my own again.”

(Sitri) “But, since you’re out here, I assume you have something on your mind?”

(Megumi) “Those flashes we keep getting? They weren’t visions. They were memories. Each catered to us, from our original world, and our time in Fodlan...For example, I have memories when it was just only me here. No House Isekai, and none of my students.”

(Sitri) “But...you’ve been here this entire time?”

(Megumi) “I have no idea what it means, honestly. But that’s not the part that worries me. I have memories of Yuki-chan, and Kurumi, Yuuri, and even Miki. Even though she was not part of my original group, I still see her memories as well. And I saw them leave the school we trapped ourselves in. And how they are now.”

(Sitri) “...You weren’t there, were you?”

(Megumi) “...No. And I’m sure they saw the same thing.”

Megumi held onto her cross necklace, looking down.

(Megumi) “I have no idea if I’m going to survive this, or if things will play its natural course. But if they’re safe, that’s all that matters to me.”

(Sitri) “I can see why the students and staff look up to you so much.”

(Megumi) “Huh?”

(Sitri) “Even though you’re not confident, you’re still willing to defend your students no matter what.”

Sitri smiled.

(Sitri) “I’m glad you were here for Byleth.”

Megumi smiled back.

(Megumi) “T-Thank you.”

(Sitri) “Though...if you saw what happens in the future and that’s where your students appear to be...why are they acting like their past selves?”

The two remained quiet to process that question.

...Why were they acting as their past selves if the memories that were shown to them was were from the present?

(Megumi) “...If...That’s the case with my group...Then, what about the others?”

(Sitri) “...”

(Megumi) “...S-Sorry, we should probably wait to hear answers from Byle-...Lahabrea.”

(Sitri) “Right...”

Sitri walked Megumi back into the building, and both went to bed.

Tomorrow was going to be very confusing...

[This Beautiful Cruel World - Attack On Titan OST]

Your dream is where your heart is

It’s something more fragile than life itself

No matter how many times you throw it away, you still find it

So rest in peace now

Your wish is violated by your pulsing urge

and as much as you forget about it, you recall it again

In this beautiful and cruel world

We only ask “why” we’re still alive…

Ah, what are we going to protect

with our strength and weakness? If reason no longer exists

TO BE CONTINUED IN:

[teapot-deity]

Ive realized Ive been using Tumblr a lot more, so i guess its time to make a pinned!!

Hello! My name is JJ- or Teapot! (most call me Teapot jxxjsnx) I mostly post art, or about Gakkou Gurashi/School-live! I’m not on Tumblr a whole lot and am a lot more active on twitter (@ Teapotdeity )! Here is my Carrd, as im not sure what else to put here!

https://lovecoreteapot.carrd.co/

[nat-geography]

Why More Young People Should Watch Anime

A Blog for Weebs ヽ(ﾟｰﾟ*ヽ)ヽ(*ﾟｰﾟ*)ﾉ (ﾉ*ﾟｰﾟ)ﾉ

Anime is Cool too!

This blog is for anime fanatics, weebs, or simlpy for people how are interested in the world of anime.

Why do people give anime a chance? Is it simply just for nerds and geeks, or is it because you just avoid it altogether because it isn't mainstream? Anime has always been viewed as uncool but in reality, it is cool. Just like regular television shows, anime has a variety of genres; however, anime always relates to being a good friend and building relationships. Through providing quality content anime relates to life, supports gender equality, exposes different cultures and sheds light on social issues while being fun and creative.

How it Relates to Life

When you're at that point where nothing will stand in the way of what you want.  

What do you do?

Anime helps to understand real-life situations as a student in school. For instance, bullying is a constant issue for students for being different or an outcast. 

In the show, My Hero Academia; the main character Izuku Midoriya, was born without superpowers in a world where every human has one. He was always bullied for having a dream of becoming a superhero, especially by his friend Katsuki Bakugo. Midoriya overcomes the bullying by training hard gaining a superpower and getting accepted to the best school for superheroes. Midoriya is an example of persverance that can take you to never give up on being yourself. 

Displaying Gender Equality

There is a wide variety of gender equality, where both men and women are powerful. Gender inequality affects everyone, from stereotypes, discrimination, or rules of how both genders should act. In this generation it affects our behaviour, study choices, ambitions and attitudes about relationships.

This is especially true for the discrimination against women. In Naruto, Sakura is viewed as weak, useless, and always needs protection from her team members whenever on a mission to the point where she thought she was useless. During the chunin exam, Sakura cut off her hair as a symbol of her new vow to be stronger. In the end, Sakura's attitude and behaviours to be equal with her team made her an important part of the war by mastering medical ninjutsu. This shows that women asr tired of being opperessed and need new outlets of adventure and creativity. 

Another example is Mereoleona's from Black Clover, an incredibly powerful woman who uplifts others as a mentor. When Noelle was struggling to understand her power, and was being verbally and emotionally abused by her older siblings. Mereoleona was there to comfort her by telling stories of how incredible Noelle's deceased mother was; also she has the strength to surpass her mother. 

Cultural Representation

Anime showcase different culture, not only Japanese but American as well. As an example, Cowboy Bebop’s "mushroom Mamba" episode is a reference to Coffy, a 1973 African American movie. The title "Bebop" refers to a musical style developed by African Americans closely related to jazz. The scattered sound of bebop with the smooth jazz tunes take the show through its seemingly meaningless moments and other moments when the atmosphere is heavy and nuanced.

A show that exposes Japanese culture is Tamako Market, which is about a daughter working at her family business making mochi; a popular Japanese rice cake dish. It displays real life of a family and their friends.  

Lets Get Serious for a Moment

Social issues such as mental health are important, especially since it's common for young adults. For example, young adults are more likely to have anxiety, social phobias, and depression.

Angel Blast is an anime about dealing with death, in a high school afterlife, people try to understand why they died and why to find inner peace to move on. After the main character Yuzuru Otonashi finds out he's dead, he convinces himself that he must help everyone pass on into a better place. He does this by talking to his friends, asking them how they died and what is keeping them in limbo. By talking to his friends Yuzuru was able to help them get over their anxiety and fear of why they are in limbo. 

In the anime, School-live the character Yuki suffers from PTSD but no one knows because her personality is very energetic, optimistic and positive, she always tries to do her best for people. The show exposes the struggles and mental stress not only for Yuki but her classmates as well. It has a worthwhile element that impactful, showing what mistreated mental health can do to a person. 

Conclusion

In the end, anime is for anyone, but more young adults should take interest in it because of the way it relates to life. anime always relates to being a good friend and building relationships, a take away from watching anime is being able to see situations from a different perceptive that could help a person. 

References 

DecafPixelKat. (2018, April 3). 'Cowboy Bebop': The Movie and TV References You Missed 20 Years Ago. Fandom. https://www.fandom.com/articles/cowboy-bebop-the-movie-and-tv-references-you-missed-20-years-ago.

Ellis, T. J. (2020, May 20). 5 Powerful Life Lessons From My Hero Academia. Anime Motivation. https://animemotivation.com/life-lessons-from-my-hero-academia/.

Ellis, T. J. (2020, May 21). 12 Of The BEST Anime That Accurately Describe Japanese Culture. Anime Motivation. https://animemotivation.com/anime-about-japanese-culture/.

Ellis, T. J. (2020, May 21). 9 Meaningful Anime Shows That Reflect Real Life Problems. Anime Motivation. https://animemotivation.com/anime-that-reflect-real-life-problems/.

FANDOM. Yuki Takeya. Gakkou Gurashi! Wiki. https://gakkou-gurashi.fandom.com/wiki/Yuki_Takeya.

Penn Medicine. (2018, April). 6 Facts Parents Should Know about Mental Illness in Teens – Penn Medicine. – Penn Medicine. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2017/may/teens-mental-health.

Portrayal of Black Anime Characters Throughout History. (2016, September). https://pobacth.tumblr.com/.

Rose, I. (2020, September 14). From Tsunade to Mereoleona: Looking for Shonen Jump's Lady Mentors. Anime Feminist. https://www.animefeminist.com/from-tsunade-to-mereoleona-looking-for-shonen-jumps-lady-mentors/.

VIC. (2018, June). Gender inequality affects everyone. Victorian Government. https://www.vic.gov.au/gender-inequality-affects-everyone.

[alienssstufff]

If you get the time and inclination pls do share with us your beef with the existing zombie apocalypse genre, I have my own feelings about it (I think it overshadows other types of fictional apocalypses a bit too much in most ppl's heads) but I'd love hearing someone else's take on it (and also how you would improve the genre if you like :3 )

oh ABSOLUTELY it does! One way its probably the easiest type of apocalypses to write abt just cuz there’s already so many and such an established I guess wwww scenario and tropes to it (?) In consequence bc of how ‘easy’ it is, it becomes so damn samey and the zombie apocalypse genre (and apocalypses genres as a whole) gets such bad rep for that reason. [The rest atp is me ranting abt zombie apocalypses specifically those are the ones I have beef with]

When I ask ppl why they don’t like apocalyptic stories most answers is just the amount of carnage that’s in them it’s horrible— to put it better: unnecessary violence in an already terrible world is what they think abt. When people think of apocalypse stories they think of the movies made in Hollywood. Muscular, American white man whos good at everything who kicks ass and saves the world singlehandedly. And the rep for zombie-driven games aren’t any better either… Not saying that stories of kicking ass taking names are ALL bad but most of it is very surface level reasoning as to why . That being said I wish there was more focus on mental health in zombie stories, realisations that the world ended and they’ll never go back to how it was before, instances of the struggles of learning how to adapt to this new way of living. There’s many topics that could be discussed and so many themes that haven’t been fully developed (or done poorly) in zombie apocalypses but seldom media’s deliver u_u

I think the zombie stories that stand out to me the most are the ones that revolve around normal people. There’s an vid essay somewhere that talks abt the success of Train to Busan as a movie, it’s still just as action packed as the ones above but it’s also rly freaking emotional as the characters and cultural themes they represent can hit p close to home for the target demographic. Also I cannot recommend enough Gakkou Gurashi (School Live)! It’s almost never talked about solely cuz of Episode 1 and even now I’m trying to be as vague as I can Please watch that anime/manga you will not regret it.

And finally worldbuilding always a sucker for worldbuilding I need more of it. Not how to stop it but more of How The Hell we fucked up that badly to ended up in this situation. Give me zombie stories of patient 0s, pov scientists fumbling in the lab etc I want THAT. I freaking love the worldbuilding in The Last of Us , such a unique way in designing zombies inspirations from real life (I believe funghi that controls dead ants). That freaking hospital part in TLOU2 will always have a lasting impression on me the environmental storytelling of the flooded hospital and the whole backstory of how the Rat King came to be an amalgamation of all the victims of Seattle’s Patient 0 zone forced to fuse because of the such claustrophobic and wet conditions of the basement OHMYFUCKINGVGG its so well thought out.

Overall my frustrations with apocalypses is just - the amount of untouched potential and themes that SHOULD be addressed but aren’t - to get creative with it. And even without mention of the worldbuilding stories of the average joe like u and I trying to do smth as ‘simple’ as going to the store but there are mental and physical struggles along the way would be fine too - u don’t need to fly a jet and shoot a rocket launcher to make things interesting. Relatability and/or creativity is what I wish.

[this was so fun to think abt anon if u have things u wanna share feel free to shoot another ask I’m all ears!]

[writer-and-artist27]

Working Too Hard (Team Minato version)

Inspired by Gakkou Gurashi, also known as School Live in the West, the moe-zombie show I can somehow watch without being scared. Somehow. 

A sacrificial lamb in the show being named Kei, though, made me a bit unhappy. So, fluff seemed about right to cure that. And thankfully, the Narutoverse doesn’t have a zombie-equivalent aside from Edo Tensei, and even that seems mild compared to zombie apocalypses. 

Heavily based on an idea I originally pitched to @langwrites. The rain outside the library accompanies the mood of this rather nicely, I think. And since I cited Gakkou Gurashi as the inspiration for this oneshot thingie, why not use a theme from it too?

Takes place in the S&S verse as always.

---------------------------------------

“Kei, don’t you think we should let her sleep?”

Who…? 

“Normally, I’d agree with you. But a dinner chair is not exactly comfortable, Obito. She’s gotta get up.”

Something was poking me. Something pointy, yet warm. The darkness was slowly ebbing away in favor of soft light, and it took a moment for the urge to blink to set in.

“…Muu?” A yawn left my lips before my vision kicked back into full gear. The poking was still there, persistent and a bit Ow, but the amount had lessened, as if the person just realized I was coming back. “Who hit the timer…” 

The poking turned into two fingers reaching over to pinch my right cheek. “Wakey wakey, Tomo-chan.” 

“Mugu…” Without thinking, I reached up to bat at the pincers holding my face, covering another yawn with my other hand. Slowly blinking my eyes was enough to get any dust out of my vision. The teasing black eyes staring back at me merely confirmed whose hands I just batted away. “Good morning, Kei-chan…”

“Good afternoon, Tomo.” A chuckle left Kei’s lips as she reached over to hold my shoulders in a side-hug. When did it become afternoon? “What have you been doing, snoozing away on a free day?”

“Baking…” Another yawn left my throat before I could think about it. The remaining dust was feeling itchy too, so I reached up with my free hand to wipe it away from my eyes. “There’s muffins in the oven, cooling. Chocolate chip.” What was I doing again before that…? 

Maybe— 

A yawn cut through any thought Hisako could voice and I rubbed my eyes again. “I’m sorry, I’m just feeling tired…”

The presence of someone else quickly became apparent once a palm was resting against my forehead, pushing my bangs back. “No fever, but still a little warm,” Obi’s voice confirmed, sounding a lot more quiet than his usual tone. The hand on my head still brushed my hair, patting my head. “Is that all you did, Tomo-chan?”

“Muuuuu, why does this feel like an interrogation…?” 

Kei laughed again. “Considering we just came home to find you sleeping on your muffins, Tomo, it’s natural we’d be worried. We have questions.”

“Yeah! What Kei said!” With a fwhish of air, it felt like Obi had done a fist pump of sorts, accentuated by his yelling of the words, but he quickly subsided once one of Kei’s hands moved. Was there… a whack? “Whoops. Sorry, Tomo-chan.” 

Oh. So there was a whack. 

The hand on my head merely moved down to my back, patting it. “Want to go to bed, Tomo-chan? Kei and I can go.”

“Noooooo…” It didn’t take much energy to turn around and properly latch onto my friend’s waist in a hug. Even when my muscles felt weak, even when my vision was flickering in and out of reality, I knew I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to be alone. “You and Kei-chan just came home. I can’t be sleepy now…!” 

Obi was warm, snuggly, and alive. Sure, he had stiffened up like a tree from my grip, but he was still alive. 

I squeezed him tighter and shook my head. “Don’t go yet…!” 

Don’t leave me!

Another hand was patting my head. “Tomo, even if you sleep, it’s not like we’ll be gone forever,” Kei said, softer this time. “We’ll come back.”

“But there’s muffins and cake and a lot of other things I could make for you…” So many things, so little time. Why were my eyes so heavy? “You came back okay from the front again, so the least I could do now is play something on the piano to—”

Someone was hugging me back. Obi? 

“Tomo-chan…” There was a small choking noise above my head, but my face was too squished into my friend’s front to really tell if it was him or not. I could only guess that it was from the proximity. “You don’t have to. Even if we go, even if we don’t see you immediately, you don’t have to push yourself. W-We’ll always come back. Promise.”

The words settled into my mind enough for my grip to fade a little. A hand was brushing my hair again, making my voice come out meek and weak. “Promise…?”

“Cross my heart, hope to—” Obito paused, stiffening before moving on with a forced, “not die, stick a thousand needles in my eye!”  

“No needles please,” I said immediately into his mesh shirt.

“Agreed,” Kei added. Her hand was easy to make out even in the sleepy haze, gently tugging at my shoulder to let Obi go. “Now c’mon, sleepyhead, to bed with you.”

“Muuu…” It was hard to ignore the pull of exhaustion as my eyes slowly closed to half-mast, my hands barely staying up to rub at my eyes again once Obi was out of reach. “Neh, Kei-chan…?”

A familiar plush was staring up at me from the corner of my fading vision as someone slowly pulled me to my feet, a blue-sleeve covered hand reaching over to push said plush towards me. Blake. Pretty kitty with her big purple bow. 

It took whatever strength I had remaining to hold her in my right hand, leaving me to be tugged along to wherever else with my left hand, barely walking if not for Kei clearly guiding me. Her response too, came from in front as my feet slowly dragged along the tile of home. “What is it, Tomo?”

“Will you…” A yawn left my lips and Blake the plush cat seemed warmer, bigger even, when I hugged her. “Will you take the muffins out of the oven for me…?”

The hand tugging on my limp left one tensed, just slightly, before tightening its grip. The thumb was rubbing the back of my palm. “Of course I will.”

“Thankie…” It felt harder just keeping my head up. “And, Kei…?” 

“Yeah?”

“Could you…” Another yawn cut me off. Why is it so hard to stay awake… “Could you and Obi tell me how they taste once I wake up…?”

The click of a door barely rang through my ears as the hand tugging on my left one continued leading me somewhere. It took a minute for me to realize the hand was soon gone and my left hand was being covered by a blanket. When did I— 

“Don’t worry, Tomo-chan.” The blanket was covering more than my left hand now and I could feel it brush my chin. “I’ll make sure Kei doesn’t forget.” 

“Yep.” A hand gently covered my eyes. “We’ll tell you all the details once you wake up, Tomo. Now get some rest.” 

“Okay…” My eyes closed without me thinking, the darkness slowly coming back. Wait… not yet… “Love you, Kei… love you, Obi…”

I didn’t get to hear their replies once sleep took over.

[tokumusume]

tokumusume’s list of best and worst movies and dramas watched in 2019:

There’s a new category this year. Inspired by kpopalypse, welcome the Honorable Mentions! Movies that weren’t exactly bad but also weren’t good. Movies and dramas are qualified to enter if I watched them for the first time this year, not that they were released this year. Click on ‘keep reading’~~

Best Movies:

1.      Parasite

Another masterpiece from the director of Snowpiercer (let’s pretend Okja never existed). A poor family con their way to a rich household. Choi Woo-Shik from The Witch (see below) is the eldest son and mastermind, fabulous as always. Definitely the best movie of this year. For me, movie of the decade.

2.      The Witch Part 1 The Subversion

This movie is amazing, hard to describe without spoilers. A perfect mix of Stranger Things and Hanna. Choi Woo-Shik can come to my house and kick my ass anytime. I can’t wait for part two.

3.      Death Trance

Visually stunning, kinda like Amemiya Keita’s style in early Garo or Mad Max. I wish the movie was longer and the characters were better fleshed out, Ryuen the monk and the little girl had so much potential... The most interesting thing about this movie is how sexualized the main male character is compared to the female ones, and apparently, the swords were designed to look like veiny penises (can’t find a source for this info), and yes, they do look like veiny penises. The final showdown is heavy with sexual energy. Have I already said that Ryuen deserved better? #RyuenRights

4.      Gintama 2: Rules are made to be broken

The barber shop scene is a fucking cinematic masterpiece. I never laughed so much like I did with this movie. The way it doesn’t take itself seriously, the meta jokes, everything is perfect. Even better than the first one.

5.      Kingdom

While I think that some fight scenes were way too long (like the bamboo forest one), the dynamics between Shin and Hyou/Eisei were highly entertaining, at least in my shipper eyes. I like that (SPOILER) the King of the Mountain People is a woman and not once they try to call her Queen. She is a King. Hashimoto Kanna is adorable as a Ten, Kanata Hongo does a great job as Eisei’s psycho brother, Sakaguchi Tak waves his sword around, the usual stuff but with added layers of dirt and sweat.

6.      Bravestorm

A movie I lovingly call “Japanese Pacific Rim”. Full of Kamen Rider stars (Hino Eiji! Misuzawa Haruka! That girl from Heisei Generations, the one with a sword! She has a sword in this as well!) and giant robots (god, I love giant robots!), I waited so much for this movie and it exceeded my expectations. I just wish I could’ve watched in theaters, it had a limited showing in my country.

7.      Twelve Suicidal Children

What begins as a murder mystery ends with a twist you won’t see coming. All of the actors are amazing, but special mention to Sugisaki Hana and that guy from that one boy group I forgot the name but can’t be bothered to Google.

8.      Gakkou Gurashi

Four girls and their teacher try to survive the zombie apocalypse trapped inside the school. This one destroyed me for days.

9.      Forest of Love

I’ve watched some Sono Sion movies but nothing prepared me for this. Be aware of extremely gory sequences and sensitive topics. Hinami Kyoko is so amazing as blue-haired, punk girl crush Taeko that I totally didn’t notice she was AkibaBlue in Akibaranger.

10.  The Host

After watching Parasite I decided to go on a Bong Joon Ho binge and watched this horror movie. Not as good as Snowpiercer and Parasite in my opinion but heart-wrenching nevertheless. The little girl is the star of the movie.

11.  The Hungry Lion

A story about the dangers of social media and slut-shaming. I want to punch Mizuishi Atom in the face.

12.  Cromartie High

A little absurd comedy about yakuza-style high school boys (played by middle-aged men lol) forming a club to battle aliens summoned by themselves just because. It made me laugh like a child. A hidden gem.

Honorable Mentions:

1.      River’s Edge

Depressing as fuck. Warning: the cats die. It’s not graphic but it’s traumatizing. Yoshizawa Ryo is a gay boy who sleeps with old men for money. There’s a graphic sex scene (not Yoshizawa, sadly) where my only thought was “That thing is gonna get stuck in there! Use a condom!” Can’t remember much from it except for these three scenes.

2.      The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

Yamazaki Kento has the acting chops of a dead fish but it comes handy for playing a teen with psychic abilities and zero social skills. Hashimoto Kanna is one of the prettiest girls in Japan. Yoshizawa Ryo with white and blueish hair looks more like Sakata Gintoki than Oguri Shun in the Gintama live action. The end is a huge let down but the fun ride is worth it.

3.      Ano ko no, Toriko

Congratulations to Yoshizawa Ryo, he has FIVE movies in my list of favorite movies this year! This is to make up for crowning GIVER as the biggest waste of time of 2018, this list is totally not biased, lol. “Ano ko” could be just another romance movie but the (very) little insight into how the entertainment industry works and not focusing on school life made me love it. Poor Sugino Yosuke being left behind again, when will this boy get the main girl?

4.      Monstrum

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it’s pleasant enough to fill a rainy afternoon with a lot of blood and spilled guts. Hyeri of Girl’s Day is the heroine and Choi Woo Shik is the commander she falls in love with.

5.      Weirdo Go

I confess I watched this one just to see Ji Li (aka my snake son Nie Huaisang) dressed as a woman but it was enjoyable and not that problematic.

6.      Real - Kanzen Naru Kubinagaryu no Hi

Directed by the same guy that did “Creepy” and “Before we vanish”, there are lots of twists you won’t see coming. And a dinosaur. A fucking dinosaur.

7.      Tomodachi Game: The Final

The movie loses its focus halfway through then picks up again minutes before ending. Yoshizawa Ryo delivers again as the sadistic Yuuichi, much like his role in Gintama. The plot twists are the star of the movie.

8.     The Living Dead

Sorry Wen Ning. I saw the plot twist coming in the first 30 minutes of the movie, not very smart of the writer. His personality did a 180° turn for worse and I’ll demote the movie to an honorable mention for it. Gao Han is cute though, I would like to see him as a better character.

9.      Backstreet Girls

Some recycled scenes from the drama to situate the viewers, a completely new story for the movie, it is certainly funny and enjoyable, if you can get past the forced gender reassignment surgery background and transphobic jokes (you shouldn’t get past it btw). I like the soundtrack.

Best Dramas:

1.      The Untamed

Do I need to say more?

2.      The Tale of Nokdu

This Korean romance had everything to be a mess but it wasn’t!!! *claps* I don’t hate the main female character and the whole palace politics actually kept me interested until the end. The complete shift of atmosphere mid-season was strange at first but ultimately very welcomed.

3.      The Naked Director

Netflix original Japanese content is amazing. This one is a look at the life of a legendary porn director in the late 80s, I learned a lot about the history of Japanese porn and censorship (yay pixels!) and went looking for his, erm, works. Very graphic, 69/10 don’t recommend watching with people in the house.

4.      Channel wa Sonomama!

I don’t remember it well but it’s about a news station and what is like to be a journalist and it was very interesting and funny.

5.      SCAMS

Forgettable. Sugino Yosuke with black hair cons old people via phone calls.

Worst Movies and Dramas:

1.      The cat in their arms

The cats spend 90% of the movie in human forms, and halfway through it they simply abandon the cats’ plot to show a fucking long montage of a weird guy painting a picture of a nude girl. It’s also super creepy to see a grown-up man acting like a cat, getting belly rubs and eating cat food from a bowl. Yoshizawa needs to choose his roles more wisely.

2.      Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

A waste of Suda Masaki’s talent. Can Japan stop casting Tsuchiya Tao already?

3.      Samurai Marathon

Almost two hours of dirty men running through a forest. Maybe Japanese History experts will enjoy it, because I certainly didn’t.

4.      Lady Vengeance

While there are legit great moments, I didn’t find this “classic” to be anything special. The animal cruelty was too much for me.

5.      Hot Gimmick

This movie makes Bohemian Rhapsody’s editing look like a work of art. There are more flashing cuts than a T-ARA music video. I have no idea who likes who, who’s banging who, what even are they saying. Too much poetic shit for my like. I wanted to see Shimizu Hiroya naked. I was bamboozled.

6.      The Divine Fury

While some parts were interesting, at the end I still don’t know if the protagonist is possessed by a demon (if yes, then why would he help a priest destroy his friends?) or if he was blessed by God when his father died and talked to him (the glowing hand thing, why and how??). The exorcism parts are really, really scary, or maybe I’m just a chicken, but I had to avert my eyes. The best (only) part is that the protagonists are hot. Hello Woo Do-Hwan, you can sacrifice me to Satan any time…