#kaname voice ( I LOVE THEM )

[metalandmagi]

Underrated Sports Anime Recommendations!

In honor of the summer Olympics, I wanted to make a rec list for some underappreciated sports anime. Obviously we all know the popular stuff: Blue Lock, Kuroko, Hajime no Ippo, Ace of Diamond, Slam Dunk, Haikyuu, Free, Yuri On Ice, Yowamushi Pedal, Skate the Infinity etc. But there are lots of great sports anime out there that go completely unnoticed. And who knows, you might find a new sport to get into. Just FYI, these are all on the newer side, since most of the older sports anime I’ve seen are the popular ones.

I think a big reason that a lot of these have largely gone ignored is because they focus more on interpersonal drama between characters and what is going on in their home lives, as opposed to a bigger focus on the technicalities of the sport itself. Food for thought. Anyway, let's get started:

Stars Align (Hoshiai no Sora): Stars Align is about a boys high school soft tennis team (not to be confused with regular tennis) who are constantly getting out performed by their girls team. Desperate to get people to take the boys team seriously and get results, team captain Touma tries to get a new transfer student Maki Katsuragi to join. Maki eventually agrees ... .on the condition that Touma pays him and covers any club expenses. From there we discover the messy family drama going on in each boy’s life, and I just love all of them okay? They’re my precious angel babies, and sure I had some problems with the show’s pacing at the end, but I still love them and I want another season!!!! 😭

Oblivion Battery (Boukyaku Battery): There are a myriad of baseball animes out there, but this one made an impression on me. Catcher Kaname Kei and pitcher Kiyomine Haruka are a badass, ace duo who dominated the field and made a fearsome reputation for themselves all throughout middle school. They seemed to be completely unstoppable…until Kaname (the brains behind the operation) lost his memory, became a total goofball, and the two ended up going to a no name high school with no real baseball team. So of course, we end up getting a rag-tag team together full of ex-baseball players with dramatic backstories who all help train Kaname up again. I love Kaname and Haru’s friendship, and the cast was very well rounded, each with their own interesting attributes to add to the team.

Re: Main: If I had a nickel for every sports anime where the main character used to be an unstoppable badass until he lost his memory, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. Yeah, it’s exactly the same as Oblivion Battery, but with water polo and the main character isn’t as much of a goofball. I liked the characters, but I wished we focused a little more on the water polo side of things, since it’s not exactly a dime a dozen sport for an anime.

Mou Ippon: A girls high school judo anime from 2023 that nobody fucking watched! When former judo enthusiast Michi Sonoda enters high school, she wants to put judo behind her so she can focus on finding a boyfriend and enjoying her school life. However, after Michi suffers a particularly humiliating defeat in a match against her the prodigy Towa Hiura, the two end up going to the same high school together. Naturally, Michi can’t just quit now that her rival is going to the same school! Cue the judo team shenanigans. This show is so down to earth and realistic. It’s 100% not a “cute girls doing cute things” anime where the girls are all blobs of moe that talk in annoying voices. They have different body types, different motivations, and different styles of combat. It didn’t blow me out of the water, but I liked it way more than I thought I would.

And speaking of different body types…

Hinomaru Sumo: That’s right, it’s a high school sumo wrestling anime. AND IT’S HYPE AS FUCK! You know how in Haikyuu, Hinata is short, and it’s a big deal because middle blockers are always tall? Well this is that multiplied by a thousand, because there’s a minimum weight to sumo wrestling, and our main character Hinomaru Ushio is definitely below it. But he’s not going to let that stop him from spreading his passion for sumo and becoming the High School Yokozuna, the strongest wrestler in high school tournaments…because becoming the Yokozuna is his only chance at going pro with his small stature. It’s impossible to watch this anime without feeling fired up!

Run With The Wind (Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru): Kakeru Kurahara, a former track star, is looking for a place to live after losing his apartment deposit at a mahjong parlor. Luckily, he runs into Haiji Kiyose, a boy who goes to his university, who offers him a spot at his apartment. Little does Kakeru know, Haiji’s apartment is full of other university students who are all members of the Kansei University track team! The story follows the quietly devious Haiji as he tries to get the boys to become a nationally recognized team by running the Hakone Ekiden, an extremely long and grueling relay that none of the boys have ever trained for. This is one of my favorite sports anime ever. Don’t get it twisted, I hate running. I don’t like doing it, and I don’t like watching it in real life, but this anime had me in a chokehold. Animation? Amazing. Characters? A+. Music? Perfect. It’s hilarious. It’s relatable. It’s heartwarming. One of the absolute best sports anime out there.

Welcome To The Ballroom: It’s a motherfucking ballroom dancing anime, and if you didn’t think ballroom dancing could be hype as shit, THINK AGAIN! The animation is great, and I never realized how much actually goes into the world of ballroom dancing. There’s not really much more I can say. High school boy discovers the cutthroat world of competitive ballroom dance. Drama ensues. Just ignore everyone’s oddly long necks.

And speaking of dancing…

Dance Dance Danseur: Okay, this one isn’t quite in a sports competition setting, but I still consider it a sports anime. All his life, Junpei Murao has suppressed his interest in ballet, choosing to follow his father’s path for him in the more “manly” martial art of Jeet Kune Do instead. But when he realizes the girl he likes is a highly skilled ballerina, he hardly says no when she recruits him to train at her mom’s ballet studio. The show follows Junpei as he must balance these two worlds and become a ballet master while dealing with the divisive image of “masculinity.” My only real critique is that Junpei is kind of annoying, and I was actually much more invested in the other characters. There is a big message about the horrors of the competitive ballet world that I didn't think it would dive into.

Overtake: Another show from 2023 that was terribly overlooked. In this anime, we follow disgraced photographer Kouya Madoka, who falls in love with the fast paced world of Formula 4 racing after watching high schooler Asahina Haruka. However, Madoka failed to realize that Haruka’s racing crew, Komaki Motors, is drowning in bills and underfunded as hell. So of course when he finds out, Madoka takes it upon himself to support Komaki Motors himself and get Haruka a place on the podium. This was such a great drama! Each character is so fleshed out and completely relatable. Even the antagonists! Hell, especially the antagonists. There is a great balance of drama and humor that make this feel like it could easily be a Hollywood movie. The longer you watch, the more you root for Komaki Motors and want to see everyone succeed. Madoka is best boy!

And last but certainly not least…

Tsurune: In this anime, we follow Minato Narumiya, a former kyudo (Japanese martial art that involves archery) prodigy who wanted to quit the sport after an incident in a middle school tournament. However, after encountering a mysterious archer one day, Minato ends up joining his high school Kyudo team, despite his fear of failing at the sport again. It’s Free with archery, except there are also girls on the team! It has so many good themes about perseverance and found family and getting in your own head. And there is a massive amount of homosexual undertones. Not to mention it’s made by Kyoto Animation, so you know it’s one of the most beautifully animated shows I’ve ever seen.

I just wanted to add a few honorable mentions too…

Cheer Danshi: A university boys cheerleading anime. I had problems with the pacing, but I still had fun with it.

Ryman’s Club: An odd blend of office anime with a badminton anime. I really liked this, but it’s sort of half sports anime, half The Office. But it’s the only thing on this list that features actual working adults and not students.

Megalo Box: I don’t know if it counts as “underappreciated” but this was a fantastic show all around. It’s a gritty, down to earth, sort of sci-fi take on the fictional sport of Megalo Boxing (boxing with enhanced mechanical arms). 

Ping Pong the Animation: Look, I’m going to be honest. I didn’t really like this show very much, but apparently I’m the odd one out because this is an underground favorite of the sports anime community, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t include it. It’s one part ping pong, two parts character drama.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story: I couldn’t leave this out of the list. It’s the wildest golf anime you could ever imagine. There are lesbians. There are snake ladies. There are underground golfing yakuza. No amount of explanation can do it justice. Grab an age appropriate beverage and watch it.

[thequietkid-moonie]

Can I’m have a romantic scenario for madoka sayaka mami and homura x reader who loves cute things use cute clothes and have a bunny plushie with them all the time and they wish was to be the most cutest most adorable person of the whole universe they use a very cute magical attire and they weapon is a cute bunny staff but unfortunately they turn into a witch they labyrinth familiars even the witch themselves are extremely adorable even had a familiars that looks extremely look like the girls somehow the witch still remember the girls and hug them tighly to let them know reader is still there it remembers them and still loves them headcanons please

Cute S/O still remember them

[ SCENARIO ] [ Madoka, Mami, Homura ]

[ Puella Magi Madoka Magica ]

⚠️ This contain a spoilers

I loved your idea with all my being!!!! Waaaahhh!!! Is so cute and sad and beautiful and angsty and perfect!!! I love iiiiiiit thanks for requesting it <333

Although I wasn't able to think on the scenario for Sayaka, sorry

Madoka Kaname

Madoka and you has always being seen as really sweet and cute couple, Madoka is quite gentle and your own cuteness makes a match way too sweet, the inconditional love was evident, loved or hated by others but that doesn't matter, what matter is that you two have each other

Most of the time Madoka and you go matching even without trying, unconsciously Madoka follows your adorable way to dress, besides her family adores you so obviously her mother would encourage her to match with you! You two even have little matching keychains bunnies (thanks to you)

You two are not only together in the good times but also in the bad times. That one time where you two accidentally end up trapped in a witch labryth just to be followed by Mami you two were together, or when you two decided to carry this burden with your friend and become a magical girl despite knowing the risk you two were together too

You two fight together and comfort each other for the burden, you were always there to cheer her up by finding something positive, like those cute outfit you two wear as magical girls, or how cute Kubey can be, talking about how it reminded you a bunny or even talking to Mami about how you feel about being a magical girl who protect others in the shadows

But as much as all of you wanted to stay positive and enjoy the beautiful ignorance and magic of the situation that wouldn't change your fate, soon or later the burden became heavier and heavier, and, as much as you wanted to tell yourself that as long as you and Madoka were together you would be fine nothing would stop your soul gem to slowly get corrupted, painted in dark tones and turbulent appearance, until no matter what you did you couldn't stop your heart and mind beconsumed by the sorrow, sadness and despair. It took quite a while from the moment your soul gem exploded, to the moment you were reborn in a new body, surrounded by your a labryth that was full of the beautiful and cuteness you used to love, painted by the despair and regret

After hearing the true fate of a magical girl Madoka couldn't think on anything else aside from wanting to save you, getting inside of your new labryth to search for you and try to save you, and, honestly, being there was tortuous, the place was full of colors, all the familiares were quite cute and most of them looked like bunnies, just what you always loved, and that hurt her more, despite your new form you were still you

When Madoka reached the place where the witch was she was quickly greeted by the attack of the familiars, instinctively attacking like any other witch, but that didn't stoped her, Madoka was determinated to bring you back so she started to talk to you as loud as she can, not even trying to defend herself and just dodging the familiars, getting as close as the witch as posible and begging for you to react, what at the end happened, even when your mind was corrupted and full of despair deep down you could still reconize that voice, that person, that little ray of hope that helped you so much in the past

Even with that new form you could still look at her with love trying to reach her and hold her close like you used to do, it was obvious that you were responding to her but only to her, any other magical girl present were attacked, but not her, and even when that made her immensely happy that wasn't enough, your soul gem has become a seed of grief, your human form has being destroyed to born in a new one, there is no turning back now, and, sadly, is Madoka who has to put an end to your new form because it is her duty to eradicate witches

Mami Tomoe

Mami has being carrying a heavy weight ever since she lost everything and became a magical girl, she has being trying really hard to stay composed and calm, even when deep down she is really hurt and anxious about everything having you at her side it has being like a ray of hope for her

Mami is completely in love with you, honestly, even if you dont know it you have done so much for her that she can't even count, your only presence is already comforting but your completely adorable personality is always refreshing for her, everytime you do something cute (wich happens quite often) it gives Mami the opportunity to relax at least for a moment and just enjoy the moment of peace

Mami loves so much your cuteness that she is constantly teasing you and complimenting you, she is always seen with a smile in her lips whenever you are around, even if she constantly teases you she is completely respectful of you, if you ever give her a gift as cute as you she will keep it as one of her more precious treasures

Honestly, the moment you decided to become a magical girl and fight at her side she felt incredibly happy, and yet it took a moment to ask you if you are sure, if you have considerate the aftermath of your desition, even so the moment you finally make the deal with Kubey and first transform Mami wasn't able to hide her happiness

Although, even if you can fight and learn together to be stronger she is still quite protective over you, you being her closest person and the one she loves added to your cuteness it triggers a protective instict on her, wanting to make sure that you are always safe

But even when she was trying to focus on your and her safety and duty Mami couldn't stop the innocent happiness that filled her heart, feeling so proud of you whenever you improved on your fighting style and whenever you manage to take down witches together, her nightmare quickly became a dream, living happily in the lovely ignorance and just enjoying the time and your company when you two still can

Unfortunaly, the dream soon had to came to a end, leaving behind the cruel reality you two were ignorant of, when you didn't manage to get a seed of grief in time to prevent yourself from getting consumed by the inmense despair and sadness as your soul gem got corrupted

Even so, Mami was still in the ignorance, trying really hard to convince herself that your disappearance was because, somehow, you fell in the trap of a witch, getting the labyrinth as soon as posible and running around searching for you, attacking any familiar that came in her way before even a second glance

It took her quite a while to finally notice the fact that the labryth, unlike other labryths, has a quite adorable and pleseant aspect, decorated with bunnies figures all around, something that you probably would enjoy to see, and yet Mami quickly brush off the thought, her mind was already a mess and in a rush, she didn't needed more distraction nor confusion

By the moment Mami reached the witch she was imediatly attacking, not even thinking twice before doing it, her mind was too busy worring about you that she wasn't even able to notice you until by a mistake from her she was captured by the wich, feeling completely anxious and even in shock it took way too long from her to notice that the wich didn't attacked, more like just embracing her, something that felt odly familiar, the thought of you being this thing passed throught her mind just a second and was enough to snap her back and finish her job, too scared of the posibility

Quickly destroying the witch and still without being able to found you she was soon confronted by the cruel truth that Kubey has being hidding from her, that confirmation of that idea that lead her to kill you, and that now it was killing her from the inside

Akemi Homura

Homura's healthy problems have lead her to have dificulties to have a normal life, thanks to that she has become to be shy and with a bad self-seem, she has never being good at anything and yet she managed to date a really adorable and almost angelical partner, she doesn't know how and sometimes she feels undeserving but she is greatful nontheless

Your cuteness is most of the time overwhelming for Homura, but not in a bad way, is just that she sees herself as plain and you are the other extreme around, she doesn't know how someone so beautiful and adorable like you could even notice her and yet everytime you do as much as stand close to her it feels so comforting and even it feels so right that she can't help but let aside her worries for once

You have always being with her, in the good and in the bads, always cheering her up and comforting her when she needed it, and as much as she appreciate she can't help but feel more and more frustrated for not being able to do for you what you do for her, even the moment you two met Kubey she was pretty anxious about it

The moment you finally accepted make the deal with Kubey to become a magical girl hit Homura hard, once again she was being left behind for her cowardice, while she was too scare to make the contract you were already training with your new friends to become a good magical girl, but thats the moment she decided that she wont be a coward anymore, even if she wasn't going to accept the deal with Kubey she would be at your side, doing her best to help you out

Comforting, hearing you vent, being there to cheer you up and even trying to help you find a way around the labryths, Homura tried everything she could do to help you, trying really hard to overcome her anxiety to at least just be there for you, and even when it helped for a while at the end it wasn't enough to fight against the despair that comes with being a magical girl, no matter what she did nothing will save you from your fate

She was there when it happened, last time she saw you was before your soul gem exploted and you disappeared, she tried to explain the situation to your other friends but not even her knew what was happening

Completely scare and worried she got inside of the labyrinth with the others to try to search for you, doing her best to dont just be a nuisance to them nor being reckless, looking carefully around to dont get into danger by accident is when she noticed how familiar the labryth it was, everyhing somehow looked so familiar and somehow comforting too, everything was so cute, so adorable, just like you

Homura felt like going crazy by just seeing it, it was a cruel joke of destiny? maybe life was making fun of her for being so coward, and yet everything became more and more strange as she go closer to the witch, all the familiar were attacking everyone, except for her maybe it was because she wasn't a magical girl or maybe it was just a trap since the familiars seem to be wanting to take her away, as scare as she felt she was still intriged

Everything become even more strange when she found the witch, the familiars around and even the witch were trying to take Homura to them, at first was an attack but quickly became like a silent beg, once the witch had her finally tapped in their embrace it was when both can have a better look of each other, and, as crazy at it sounded, Homura knew this one was you, not knowing why nor how but she was sure it was you, and then is when she felt her entire world crashed down, you were now a witch and she was still the same coward, even in this new form you were trying to keep her close and protect her like always while she was cowering and fearing, but not more, just like before, even with your new form you managed to comfort her and reasure her, this was what finally make her decide to make a deal to Kubey, one that will assure that you will be the real you again

[radioactivemelody]

After a long, excruciating wait, our suffering shall end. I literally woke up with this trailer being shown EVERYWHERE. 

And it is only natural for me to analyze frame by frame because I'm so, so hyped today. So, let's get into it.

Understanding the new trailer

The trailer opens with a phone call and what appears to be a young girl talking to Homura.

The entire sequence makes me understand that the Magical Girls knows, at some point, what Homura did. They are aware she isn't their Law of Cycles, asking if she can accept the risks and responsibilities.

Now, the risks and responsibilities of what? Of being essentially the replacements for what Madoka Kaname, the Law of Cycles, was? The salvation of all Magical Girls?

Which is promptly replied by Homura, who asks if they can fight against the curse of this world? I still haven't understood what she meant with that. The curse of this world? The witches, perhaps? But she says "curse", not "curses" as in plural. It is just one, singular curse.

Walpurgisnacht.

And then, the trailer begins to show a black and white sequence of Homura. Only Homura, from the anime to the last movie, Rebellion. The voice says there is only one thing she can do and that's love. They call her "Akuma-san", which translates to "Devil".

This part here intrigues me the most. They say she is a Magical Girl they don't know. And keep asking to bring hope, just bring hope, release that girl.

Which strengths my previously mentioned theory. The Magical Girls from the new world appear to have some type of acknowledgement that Homura isn't the Law of Cycles from before. They are asking for her to bring hope back. To bring Madoka back, thus, asking, demanding for her to release that girl. Release Madoka back so she can return to being the Law of Cycles.

They know Homura isn't their savior, that she is a false god who took the place from their true, original goddess and savior. And maybe, they might rally to overthrow her and put Madoka back in her place.

Look how Madoka's name is inside quotation marks. We kind of know post-Rebellion Madoka is just a Madoka without her memories of being a goddess, helpless to fight back because Homura keeps beaming her with a memory-wiping laser. This Madoka is not the original Madoka, just a shell, a reflection of what Homura desires her to be.

…A new Magical Girl? She wields Homura's bow after Madoka's divine ascension, her outfit resembles Homura's and has Mami's ribbons. What the hell is going over here? I saw someone saying that it might be an artificially created Magical Girl by Homura in order to defeat Walpurgisnacht but honestly, I have NO idea.

This frame in particular. Homura's uniform is a tad different from what we are accustomed to see. Also, the umbrella. It resembles way too much the bottom part of Walpurgisnacht's dress. I might be reading it in a nonsensical way but look, the movie is called Walpurgisnacht: Rising, everything counts at this point.

And just like Rebellion, this movie will be gorgeous in the visual aspect.

Aside from everyone getting some improvement in their outfits, we have Sayaka. Oh, Sayaka. She has ribbons(?) in her mouth.

When Homura became the Devil, remember who was the first person from the quartet to see her? Exactly, Sayaka did. In a way, Sayaka is the bearer of the truth. She knows the world they're living in is fake. She knows what happened to Madoka. And yet, she can't propagate the truth. Not even to herself because she can't remember.

Those ribbons in her mouth might symbolize the fact Homura silenced her from telling the truth. And if they end up remembering, she is going to be the first.

Everyone talks about a confrontation between Madoka and Homura but let me enlighten you: a confrontation between Homura and Sayaka. Scene absolutely worthy of every Oscar ever known. This is true cinema.

AND THE CLARA DOLLS ARE BACK!!! And in this scene we have three of them. I tried to identificate them but due to the "simplism" of them, it's kind of hard but hey, I tried! I might be wrong but anyways.

From left to right: Manuke (stupid-looking), Usotsuki (liar) e Warukuchi (slanderer).

Considering the Clara Dolls represent Homura's emotions and flaws… Yeah, our girl is suffering. Prepare for another movie that will wrench your heart beyond recognition.

[arimiadev]

recommendations of visual novels on sale for the steam winter sale 2023

steam's winter sale just started and will run for the next two weeks, so if you're looking for a new visual novel to try (or want to get into them), here's a lot that I've played that are on sale on steam.

umineko when they cry

the ushiromiya family returns to the family head's home on an isolated island for their annual conference with the intention of settling how his vast amount of wealth is divided. instead, though, a letter is left from someone claiming to be a "witch". with the ushiromiyas dropping left and right, the mystery behind everything remains to be solved.

I can't make a recommendation list without mentioning umineko. it's life changing. it might even trans your gender. it's hard to describe umineko, but just know that it's absolutely deserving of the "cult classic" tag.

notes:

kinetic/linear - no choices

VERY long

divided into two games on steam - Questions Arcs is the first 4 episodes and Answers Arcs is the last 4 episodes (8 episodes in total, play Questions Arcs first)

created by Ryukishi07, creator of Higurashi

fantasy mystery

ace attorney

follow phoenix wright as he embarks on his career as a lawyer to help people. meet a variety of clients and prove their innocence by collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and exposing lies in court.

ace attorney is one of the classic mystery visual novels, being a blend of point-and-click elements via investigations and visual novel storytelling. the steam port is a massive collection, combining the first 3 games (the original phoenix wright trilogy) as 1 game.

notes:

investigative gameplay segments, a good chunk of the story is point-and-click parts

VERY long for the whole trilogy- each game is around 20 hours long and the steam edition is 3 games

modern mystery with supernatural elements

ai: the somnium files

play as detective kaname date as he hunts down a serial killer using a cutting-edge technology which allows him to "psync" with a person, diving into the memories of others to solve crimes in a limited amount of time with the help of his AI assistant/eyeball Aiba.

aitsf is a lot. it's probably the raunchiest non-eroge game I've ever played and despite my low tolerance for dirty jokes I found most of it to be laughable and a fun experience, though I did play this with friends. if it's a miss for you, it's gonna miss you by a wide margin, but if it's a hit for you, you're going to be recommending it nonstop. either way you'll want to hit kaname date with a car.

notes:

long, around 25-35 hours

this game heavily relies on going back to prior choices via their branching menu to try other options in order to get the full story (and true ending). there are several endings to this game but you're meant to play through them all, not just one or two.

a lot of gameplay and interactive segments

sci-fi mystery

english voice acting

witch on the holy night

aoko aozaki is a highschooler who has to balance her class president, perfect grades life with her secret afterschool life of being a mage—a secret she has to keep at the risk of death. keeping this balance already isn’t easy but one day she gets a wrench thrown into it with the introduction of a transfer student, soujuurou shizuki, a country boy so out of touch that he’s never seen electricity before.

I love witch on the holy night so, so much. it's one of the most beautifully directed visual novels ever made with so much love and care put into each frame. the cast is wonderful (touko my beloved) and it's a must-read for anyone who likes modern-ish fantasy.

notes:

kinetic / linear - no choices

long, around 25-30 hours

originally written by kinoko nasu, one of the co-founders of type-moon and creators of fate/stay night. has some relation to tsukihime and garden of sinners but you don't need any knowledge of those going in

modern-ish (1980s) fantasy with lots of talking about magic

ghostpia

a snowy town filled with "ghosts" is where the young woman sayako finds herself trapped, feeling like she doesn't belong and wants to leave this town where no one dies.

it's hard to describe ghostpia. it's a surreal-ish story about "ghosts" where every character is quirkier than the last but every part is made with so much heart behind it. you never really know where the story is going, but unfortunately only 1 season is currently out on steam.

notes:

medium length, around 10 hours

very innovative and unique use of visuals and paneling

surreal-ish (sometimes violent) fantasy

please be happy

as a shapeshifting fox called a "gumiho", miho has traveled the world in search for a traveler who showed her kindness many years ago. afraid of sticking around in one place for too long, miho has never stayed anywhere for more than a few nights- but all of that changes when she arrives in wellington, new zealand and meets the barista/writer aspen and the vampire archivist juliet.

okay okay I had to recommend at least one visual novel I worked on. please be happy was a labor of love for our team that took over 3 years to make and is a slice of life story about love, trust, and what it means to be human.

notes:

medium to long, about 20 hours

2 romanceable ladies, aspen and juliet, and a plethora of side characters to meet via a map system

modern slice of life fantasy

english voice acting

WE KNOW THE DEVIL

find yourself back at summer camp with all the queer religious horror of it.

WE KNOW THE DEVIL is a short, atmospheric and slightly surreal story about 3 teens at a religious summer camp waiting for the devil. if you want something that feels familiar and otherworldly at the same time, this is right up your alley.

notes:

very short, about 2 hours

3 endings and 1 true ending

isolation, psychological horror

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

this is just a handful of recommendations of visual novels I've played and enjoyed that are on sale right now on steam.

some of these titles, like please be happy and WE KNOW THE DEVIL, are also available on itch.io which is a website for indie games! they're also currently having a winter sale so a lot of indie visual novels are on sale over there too, if you want DRM-free versions of games while also giving a better revenue split to devs.

[heliswife]

AHHHH HIIII may i req a general akito n rui x fem!reader (seperate plz) thats apart of a soft band similar to lamp (if you dont know them they're really good !!) theyre not really quiet but more soft ?? similar to kohane atleast or madoka kaname ?? thx !!!! (please eat sleep n drink well !!)

LAMP IS SO CUTE OMG! I love this prompt so much.. ty for the request! I hope you eat, sleep and drink well too! sorry for the wait! :(

aki & rui w a soft reader!

!︶︶︶︶༉‧₊˚. AKITO

♡-> you def remind him of kohane... he thinks you're adorable (he doesn't grill you like he did in the main story with hane cause you're not pursuing street music idk)

♡-> listens to all your music, loves your voice so so much! something about it relaxes him when he's had a hard day or just needs some cheering up

♡-> he will squeeze you when you two are alone. try cuddling him and he'll never let you escape

♡-> music is bros passion so after listening to songs he loves to give you ideas on what to do next

"you did really good in this song, y/n. maybe you should... [insert whole idea rant here]"

!︶︶︶︶༉‧₊˚. RUI

♡-> like akito, rui also listens to all your songs. When he's working on an invention or ideas for a new show, he has your music in the background

♡-> jokes about wanting to steal your vocal cords and putting it in a robot

♡-> you're so soft he will sneak behind you and hug you. even in public, you're like a teddy bear to him!

"fufu, your voice is so cute! it would be nice if I got to listen to it all the time, right?"

[nymphoheretic]

Synopsis: You asked Kaname to blindfold you and you find out just how sensitive it makes you.

Warnings: Blindfolding (consensual), bondage, vaginal penetration, teasing, Fem!reader

Word Count: 0.6k

Pairing: Kaname Tosen x F!reader

Network: @enchantedforest-network

-0-0-0

Kaname lightly trails his fingers down the middle of your chest, listening to the way your breath hitches in your throat. “Tell me how you feel, pretty one.” His voice rumbles in your ear as he twirls a nipple between his fingers. When you told him that you wanted him to blindfold and tie you to the bed, he was a bit reluctant. Not having his own sight made him self-conscious about taking away yours.

You moan and arch your back so perfectly from him as you tug at your bound wrists. The silk that covers your eyes makes your sense of feeling so much more intense. Every touch Kaname gave you felt ten times stronger than usual. You jolt when his lips close over your pert nipple, his tongue scraping over the pebbled bud. “Kaname!” 

He said nothing as his fingers glided down your body until they reached your core. “That is not what I asked you, my love.”  Kaname gently ran the tips of his fingers up and down your slit, not quite spreading them, but gathering the slick that pooled there and spreading it over your cunt. “I can feel how dripping you are and I’ve barely even touched you. So tell me how you feel?”

Back arching off the bed, the silk tied around your wrists tightening and flexing as you twist and shake your head. “Kaname, please!” You plead with your lover, needing to feel him impale you with his slender fingers. You blink behind the blindfold as you struggle against your restraints to no avail. “Feels good. Like every touch is intensified.” You let out a whimper when his fingers spread your cunt and circled your clenching hole. 

Kaname hummed as he dipped his fingers inside to the first knuckle, feeling just how soaked you were for him. “Does it feel any different from when you could see where I was going to touch you.” He pushed his fingers in deeper, listening to the way your breath hitches in your chest as he curls them to find that spongy spot and rub it firmly.

“Uh huh!” You squeak out, nails digging into your nail as you let out another moan that sounded so loud in your ears. The lewd, wet sounds of your sticky cunt seemed to echo through the room. You never knew that having your vision robbed from you would make everything feel that much more intense. Was this how he felt whenever you touch him, when you stroke his cock or ride him until tears leak from his sightless eyes?

“Then…” Kaname whispers as he covers your body, his cock brushing against your thighs as he slide between them. “What if I were to enter you. Right now. How would that feel?” Reaching down to tap the tip of his length against your swollen clit, he listens to the way your heart races in your chest as you draw in a sharp breath. Kaname smears the slick that pooled at your sticky hole.

“Baby, please?” You begged as your thighs trembled with anticipation for him to fill you with his length. A moan leaves you when he slides the first few inches inside you unexpectedly. “K-Kaname, feels so good!” The intensity of him finally pushing his cock inside of you was enough to make you cum as your nails dug crescents into the fleshy part of your palm. 

Kaname feels a smile curl at is lips when he feels you soaking his cock in your juices. “That good you just had to cum?” His voice was teasing at best as he fucks you through your high. “Although, I’m just getting started with you.”

[touyastearss]

How Kaname would react to reader not feeling good enough?

ASK: how would kaname react to his s/o not feeling like enough for him, even thought she’s completely and utterly in love with him and envying Yuki a bit?

note: just to add, when i write vampire knight x reader fics I usually imagine reader as being in place of yuki? so in my fics she kinda just doesnt exist rip </3 i hope that makes sense haha

Kaname loves you entirely. You belong to him. But you must understand, those women are unavoidable for a vampire of such high status as himself. 

The Day Class students can't be helped; he remains courteous with them, as always, but he keeps an unbreakable distance in his demeanour as he converses with them. His etiquette is common decency, nothing more. He refuses their hand-made gifts, returns their love letters and only politely thanks them for their infatuated compliments.

The Night Class is to be expected, he is a Pureblood, after all. It’s instinct for a Vampire, no matter their rank, to feel a sense of adoration for the select few whose power runs greater than the rest. Aido’s grovelling and Ruka’s defensiveness are instinct, natural. 

Truthfully, he thought his adoration for you was clear. For years he has told you that he cares for you, so softly expressing his heavily guarded emotions. It was your gift he accepted the day of St. Xocolatl’s Day, your hand he held as he lifted you from the ground

You're a weakness to him, no doubt. The Night Class students recognise it. Kiryuu seethes in envy when he sees it. Even the Day Class students protest, with jealous complaints. So why don't you?

"Y/N, a ball is being held this evening in honour of it being Ichijo’s birthday. I'm in need of a date, would you care to join me?"

He brings the topic up as you scour through the bookshelves in his room, looking for one of the many you remember him lending you as a child. Your movements stop as you pause, turning to face him. Your expression is torn.

"Oh..." you hesitate, a nervous look on your face. Kaname watches you think for a second with growing displeasure, heightened only when you say, "I'm not sure, Kaname, I have to patrol this evening and-”

It's rare for Kaname to feel exasperated with you, but it's not at you that his irritation is aimed, it's the way you're acting. Why do you suddenly feel the need to distance yourself from him? Surely he's done nothing but made it clear how he feels about you?

"Y/N, I assure you that you’re permitted a single day of rest. I’m sure the Headmaster would have no complaints of you taking a night to relax. There's nobody else I'd rather have by my side."

Your eyes widen a little at his words, and he urges you to clasp onto them, to ignore the voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough.

You gulp, still unsure. "Oh, o-ok", you nod.

—--

Later that day, you’re in your bedroom, changing into the dress Kaname had gifted you moments ago. He waits patiently outside as you slip into the fabric, adjusting your hair. 

You step forward, gingerly, making your way over to the mirror. Your reflection stares back at you, dolled up in such a beautiful dress, no doubt staggeringly expensive. The colour is just right, it compliments your skin and it fits perfectly, hugging your body. You look pretty, you truly do, but is it enough?

You’re too lost in the details of the gift to notice the door to your room opening, ever so quietly. Kaname steps into the room in silence, watching from behind. He notices the way you frown at your reflection, pulling and adjusting the dress to little satisfaction as you try to make yourself feel better. But you can't. 

You look up when you feel Kaname's chest against your back. His lips are curved up into a gentle smile, and they come down to rest softly on the side of your neck, planting soft kisses up to the bottom of your ear. 

"You look beautiful, Y/N." You turn back to look at your reflection as his hand snaking around your waist. "You're perfect," he places a soft kiss on your head, "I've never loved anyone more."

[cherry-valentine]

Spring 2024 Anime Season

Spring 2024 Anime

Note: I’ve decided to stop writing about new seasons of shows I’ve written about multiple times before.

Tadaima, Okaeri is this season’s soothing, feel-good show. It’s also this season’s “please have babies we are begging you!” show. It follows married couple Hiromu and Masaki and their daily lives raising their adorable children. Something to note is that while the couple here are both men, the series really isn’t about their relationship but rather about their roles as parents. The two of them face discrimination for being together, but not because they’re both men (same sex relationships seem to be common in this world). It’s because Hiromu is an alpha and Masaki is an omega. Alphas can get any type pregnant and omegas (regardless of sex) can become pregnant by anyone. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be any difference between them and regular human beings. The show ends up being fairly realistic (especially if you sub in homophobia for the alpha/omega stuff). Overall it’s a mild, sweet series. The strength of the show lies in just how cute their young children are, the family drama surrounding the couple, and the endearing friendships they’ve built. The animation and art are fine for this type of show, with comforting pastel colors and gentle music. Recommended. 

Oblivion Battery is a baseball sports anime about a battery duo who dominated middle school baseball. They were so talented that all the top schools offered them scholarships. But instead of continuing their path to becoming pros, the catcher Kaname gets amnesia after an injury. This causes him to forget everything he knows about baseball, and his cold, calculating personality reverts to the silly goofball he would have been without the discipline of baseball. He decides to go to a no name school with no baseball team, but his pitcher/best friend Kiyomine follows him, and with the help of some former rivals, they decide to start a new team. The main draw of this series is the unique premise. The amnesia angle is interesting, and the relationship between the two boys in the battery is fun.  Kiyomine is the quiet, stoic type who balances out Kaname’s zany antics well. Kaname himself is saved from being too annoying by being voiced by Mamoru Miyano. The baseball seems reasonably realistic so far, and all the rules are conveniently explained to us via the characters explaining them to Kaname. The animation is nice but the character designs are almost aggressively unattractive. All the characters’ faces look too small for their heads. It’s a strange image, but I guess I’ve gotten used to it. I can’t resist a sports anime with a unique premise. 

 A Condition Called Love is a shoujo anime about a young girl named Hotaru and the boy who falls in love with her, Hananoi. While Hotaru is a fairly average girl, Hananoi is very good looking and popular with girls. The catch is that Hananoi comes on way too strong and has several well-meaning but toxic methods of showing his love. His feelings are very intense from the beginning, and the first episode might leave you scratching your head because he seems to fall madly in love with her out of nowhere. I will only say that this gets addressed later. But right away, it’s clear that Hananoi has several red flags. He’s possessive, gets jealous easily, is self destructive, and has no interest in maintaining any relationships besides the one he has with Hotaru. I appreciate that the series rightfully points out that this is concerning behavior and Hotaru refuses to have a relationship like that. She makes it clear that she will keep all her friendships and she earnestly tries to help Hananoi change. My main issue with the series is that it seems to be a bit wishy-washy with these themes, never taking them quite far enough to have a strong impact. And sometimes Hananoi will do something I think is pretty egregious and Hotaru just doesn’t seem to mind. While watching, I’m often reminded of the manga Love and Heart, which explores similar themes but goes much harder with them. Of course it has the luxury of a college aged cast instead of high school students, but I still feel like this show could have delved a little deeper. I do like the explanation for Hananoi’s behavior and outlook. It makes perfect sense and makes him a much more likable character to have that context. The art and animation are okay, but Hotaru tends to be drawn with exactly one facial expression and I wish she was more visually expressive. Hananoi has a very pleasing design, as do most of the supporting cast. Despite my mild complaints, the show is still very good and at least touches on topics that aren’t often explored in a realistic way in shoujo. 

Wind Breakers is one of my favorite new shows this season. It follows Sakura, a high school boy who excels at and enjoys fighting, starting as a new student at a high school known for its fighting delinquents. He goes there with the intention of fighting his way to the top and taking over, setting up our expectations about what sort of series this will be. Instead, he discovers that the delinquents are more like a team/found family and they’re basically heroes to the small town the school is located in. They patrol the streets, protect the townsfolk, repair damages, etc. Sakura, somewhat surprisingly, finds this all very cool, and is happy to join up. The school is led by the very charming, very cool, and very strong Umemiya, whom many people have compared to Jujutsu Kaisen’s Gojo (they look somewhat similar and even share a voice actor). He’s definitely a highlight of the show. The character designs are varied and interesting, and the animation is nice. The fight scenes look pretty great. The soundtrack is excellent. Highly recommended. 

Yatagarasu is a show I almost dropped after the first episode, but I’m really glad I kept watching because it hit its stride in episode two. This is a court intrigue series about a world where humans can transform into giant ravens. The youngest prince is next in line for the throne, surpassing his older brother due to being born with rare and powerful abilities. This splits the court between supporters of each brother, leading to assassination attempts, betrayals, and various other things. At the same time, a daughter from each of the four great houses is sent to participate in a competition to be chosen as the royal consort. This aspect of the story is the one I thought I would hate, as the idea of multiple women competing for one man just doesn’t appeal to me. But it soon becomes clear that romance has nothing to do with it. At least two of the women have zero interest in the prince himself, and thus far in the series the prince hasn’t even gone to see any of them even once. It’s all political maneuvering. There’s some violence here and there, but overall the story is more about politics than action. The prince himself is an interesting character, not falling easily into one of the usual tropes for a character in his position. The animation looks lovely and the character designs are fantastic. The music is also very good. Highly recommended if you like a good political drama with some supernatural elements. 

Kaiju no. 8 is probably the show I was most looking forward to. I’ve been following the manga since it began and I’m a big fan. It’s set in a world where kaiju attack often and Japan has the highest number of them. The country has created a defense force to fight them, and protagonist Kafka has always wanted to join. The problem is that he’s thirty, and he’s failed the application process several times already. Having pretty much given up on his dreams, he instead works on a kaiju cleanup crew (responsible for cleaning up all the kaiju guts that splatter everywhere following their defeat). After meeting a young coworker who intends to join the defense force, and surviving a run in with a kaiju himself, he decides to try one more time. A complication arrives when a tiny kaiju forces its way down his throat and gives him the ability to transform into a powerful kaiju himself. The best part of this series is Kafka. We so rarely get protagonists his age in this sort of story, and it’s refreshing to see him continue to pursue his dreams and act as a sort of father/uncle figure for the younger members of the cast, even as they outclass him in every way. I also like that some of the most powerful people, ones that Kafka see as his “goal” are women. There’s Mina, a captain in the defense force who is absurdly strong and can take out massive kaiju solo (and also happens to be Kafka’s childhood friend). And then there’s Kikoru, a new young recruit who outperforms every single other applicant and is viewed as a genius prodigy. The battles are a blast to watch, with cool kaiju designs and fun fight choreography. The animation is solid. The music is excellent. If you have even a passing interest in kaiju, this is the show for you. 

Other Shows I’m Watching:

My Hero Academia Black Butler Touken Ranbu Kimetsu no Yaiba 

[kzmeru]

Aha I noticed your reqs were open so um... How would you feel about doing a Kaname/Reader fic where the reader is an idol and was a friend/lover of Kaname before the coma, but Kaname wakes up and they're not sure if Kaname would still love them after such a long time... And they avoid him because they're afraid of being rejected, but he still loves them even if they've changed a lot... And Kaname catches the reader later and re-confesses all his feelings to them, saying he doesn't want them to leave, and the reader accepts it.

HWLP ME THIS JS SO LONG . IM SO EMBARRASSING BYE. but if u happen to write it umm I'm sorry 😭😭😭 ahshahjdjs

- 🦦

i’d rather die than have to cry infront of you

# character : kaname tojo

— notes ; HI ! this took SO LONG IM SO SORRY but i hope this is what you expected .. i haven’t wrote anything in a hot min so it’s probably bad </3 BUT BRO THIS TURNED OUT TO BE SO LONG HELP (also kaname edit is by dailykaname on ig)

warning(s) : angst to fluff :3, idk tears are forming as i write this

"Good work, as usual, [Name]." Anzu cheered, handing you a cold glass of water. You could only return a tired smile at the Producer, as you practically chugged the drink down your throat.

Just another performance, is it not? A lump formed in your throat upon the thought of a 'performance'. Perhaps, it was something that you had wanted to stay far away from. Though, in the back of your mind, you knew that you wouldn't be able to, even if you tried.

"[Name]?" You finally heard the Producer's calls after several attempts of trying to grab your attention. Anzu gave you a look of worry, patting your back in hopes of reassurance.

"Ah, sorry… I spaced out. What's wrong?" She shakes her head, guiding you back to your personal dressing room, only to be greeted by a familiar blue-haired man.

That was Anzu's cue to leave. She politely excused herself with a bow and ran off to report the success of your performance.

"HiMERU," You gave the man a small nod. It was difficult to resist — the throbbing pain in your heart whenever you see him. You knew he isn't the person you love, and he knew that you caught on with his 'mission.'

HiMERU played his role as Kaname Tojo, your lover, the one you failed to protect. Though, all this pretending, and tricking your friends into believing that Kaname is well, felt wrong. The guilt was becoming too much to handle.

"Kaname's awake." Was all he said. Nothing else, no other explanation, leaving you in a state of multiple emotions at once.

Were you relieved? Happy? Of course, you had to be happy, right? But… why does it feel like you're more anxious than excited? Is it because it's been so long, that you're starting to doubt Kaname's love for you?

'Right, that has to be it… it has been quite a long time, hasn’t it? There's no way he'd still feel the same.' You thought, words refusing to come out of your mouth while HiMERU stood by the doorframe. He is just as shaken as you are.

"I'm… sorry, I—" Your attempt to leave immediately failed once your gaze locked with those familiar, bright yellow ones. The gaze that made you feel at home.

"[Name]…" Swearing that you heard Kaname's voice crack a little. You were scared, anxious and confused. The look on his face did not help with the extreme anxiety buried in your chest — though, the expression he had was unreadable.

"I have to go…" You simply said, hastily making your way to the other side of the building, in hopes of avoiding Kaname. 'Maybe,' you thought, 'It's for the best.'

Because things can't go back to the way it used to.

—

Kaname was confused, angry — not at you, but at himself. Why were you avoiding him? Why won't you let him talk? Did you not love him anymore?

He felt heavy. Everytime he tried approaching you, he'd be bombarded with excuses. Avoidance is something that he can't handle, especially when it comes to you.

This time, he isn't letting you get away that easily anymore.

"I'm sorry, Tojo… I can’t today. Huh? W-wait, what are you doing?!"

Kaname didn’t fail to catch the flustered look on your face when he had suddenly pushed you inside an empty room. He surpressed his giggle as your expression turned into a look of distress and panic.

"Hey! Seriously, I have to-.." You slowly gave in, growing silent as Kaname's gaze pierced into your soul. Nervously looking to the side to avoid eye contact, and to save you from the embarrassment, you swallowed the lump in your throat and motioned for the boy to speak.

"Why are you avoiding me?" He asked, with a slight shake in his voice. Was he trying to hold back his tears?

"Tojo—"

"No! My name isn't Tojo. So, stop calling me that It's Kaname, call me Kaname!" He snapped, holding you in place do that you wouldn't be able to escape.

"I just want to know why… you hate me…" Kaname looked down, hiding his face from you. He didn't want to let you catch a glimpse of the beads of tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He just wanted to know, why?

You were left speechless. Words weren't coming out, even if you attempted to speak by opening your mouth.

"…I still love you, [Name]. We loved each other! What went wrong…? Is it because I’ve been gone for so long that you found someone else?" Kaname finally found the courage to look up, tears that he had been holding back threatening to drop.

"Do you not love me anymore? Am I not 'your Kaname' anymore? Did you fall out of love?"

"Kaname,"

"I'm not accepting that! I don't want you to leave!"

"Kaname…"

"What? If you want me gone, just say it!"

"Kaname!"

There, he grew silent. He anticipated your reponse, yet, he felt scared. Are you going to leave him?

"S—…rry…" You choked out, letting the trapped tears escape. Kaname was taken aback. ‘I knew it’ he thought.

"I'm sorry! I was scared too… I didn’t know what to do! I thought you didn't love me anymore, so I avoided you to ease the pain…" You weren't even aware of how fast you spoke. It was silent for a while, until your shaking hands were comforted by Kaname's warm ones.

He scoffed, as if he was mocking you. "Are you stupid? I never even dreamt of leaving you!" A single teardrop escaped his eye, making him bury his face against the crook of your neck, his breath slightly tickling your neck.

"I love you." Kaname's embrace still felt so natural. He was warm, and made you feel so… safe.

"Nothing's changed,"

"So please, don't leave me…" He choked out a sob, relief washing all over his body when he felt your body relax against his.

"Please come back to me, [Name]…"

You sighed, placing your lips ontop of his head, giving him a quick peck before completely collpasing on the ground with his body draped against yours.

"I love you too, Kaname… I won't leave you, ever."

[sylvctica]

Author Portrait

get to know the author behind the blog! repost, do not reblog.

Basics Name/nickname: Aid Age: 26 Pronouns: she/her Years of writing: 10+

Reflection I don't quite remember when I started RPing, but I know I started on devART yearsssss ago, cringe ass days (only cause wow my writing sucked LOL). At some point I ended up migrating to tumblr in the 2012 ... 2013? Era??? And I've been here ever since LOL.

Do you have any writing routines? uhhh massive hiatus??/ LOL no but on serious note it usually is just inspiration striking or making time for it; if I end up making time for it, I tend to play brown noise in the BG while I write (or rain sounds) so i can focus. if i get lost in the sauce i just kinda. Do it.

What's your favorite part about writing? Character development!!!!!! My primary OCs I've had over the years have developed primarily through tumblr/writing/rp partners; Sylvie is one example, then my previous booboo which was Hideki, then my Bleach OC I brought over when I came onto tumblr

Three things you like about your writing:

I second Ash on dialogue cause Sylvie is fucking chatty as hell, so a lot of the personality comes out through how they talk + secondary gestures

I like my voice!! I usually try to write how I think + speak, and I like how it comes out in my writing

I'd like to think it's digestible writing? <:)

A question for the next person! Write a question for the next person to answer. Once you've answered it, leave a new question for someone else to answer. From Ash: Is there a character from media you disliked that you then grow to really like because of a specific mun's portrayal?

Um, I can't say I have any characters I've disliked in particular...? At least not for Genshin, for Bleach I can definitely say ... I didn't dislike anyone there in particular (not counting minor characters that just left weird tastes in my mouth), but I've warmed up a lot to some characters due to writers there.

Especially since a lot of them put a lot of love and thought into their portrayals; Kaname Tousen has a special place in my heart due to a writer in the Bleach RPC that passed years ago due to health circumstances. I didn't dislike Tousen in any way tbf, but she wrote him (alongside the Starrk she had a ship with) in such a way with heart and love that I grew to love him and ache for him.

Same case with Childe—I never disliked him don't get me wrong, I thought he was cool as heck from the beginning, but it's the RPC writers that I associate with him that make me point and remember the portrayals I've seen; I often warm up to characters due to the writers.

My question for you: Is there something you'd like to tell to your past self when you first started writing / getting into roleplaying?

Tagged by: @melodicbreeze

Tagging: you!!!! >:)

[sammyloomis]

2023 completions

welcome to the 2023 edition of my ramblings about video games i completed this year!! including even more unwanted opinions and even less coherency

total games: 37

09/01 - Sam & Max Save the World - 8/10

sam and max, freelance police, begin a long string of investigations involving hypnotised celebrities, sentient computers, and conspiracies that go all the way to the TOP, baby

startin the year off good game wise then!! tbh i started this one in 2022 but it didnt make that list cause i just.. wasnt in a game playin mood towards the end i guess fghj but anyway!! really liked this one, ive seen a few mutuals who like this series so i was excited to play it and it was a lot of fun :] defo an old school point and click game and i rly liked the main characters themselves and the supporting cast!! glad theres another remaster i can jump into right after this one

11/01 - Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me - 8/10

the crew of lonnit entertainment are invited to a recreation of the infamous murder house, the stomping grounds of americans first serial killer, h h holmes. they are hoping the location will help save their documentary, but will you be able to save... THEIR LIVES??

i feel like every dark pictures game becomes my fave dark pictures game as they come out, but this one really was Very Good. i can confidently say this is probably the most scared ive been while playing a supermassive game Ever. the characters, while dysfunctional, grew on me a lot over the course of the game which made keeping them alive even more nailbiting :’] speaking of, the deaths in this one were Particularly gruesome imo, just from a concept standpoint, so big kudos for that too!! my only gripe is that i think the new “features” such as puzzle solving and traversal mechanics just artificially prolonged the runtime without actually adding anything to the experience

15/01 - Sam and Max Beyond Time and Space - 7/10

even more weird shit is afoot in the second sam and max game, this time our duo facing off against T-H-E-M, the bermuda triangle, and satan himself!! ... or was it santa??

2 sam and max games in one month, this may have detrimental effects on my brain :’] but really, i liked this one too!! not as much as the first, but i still liked the characters and overall story, i liked how it all connected to both the previous game and the events through this one. i found some of the puzzles a bit more difficult and obtuse, but they were still fun. another fun point and click game (tho somewhat dated in some cases fghjk)

18/01 - Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments - 5/10

the game preceeding sherlock holmes: the devils daughter, which i completed last year, follows the titular character once more, solving 6 of his cases along with his partner dr john watson

eh, not much to say about this one. i certainly prefered the devils daughter, but that one was also kinda meh fghjk. with this one being an older game, the graphics and gameplay were a bit more janky, and i guess theyd changed voice actors for sherlock since this game cause i didnt like his voice in this one tbh. that being said, mystery wise id say its abt on par with the devils daughter. yeah, again, not much to say really :’]

24/01 - Psychonauts 2 - 10/10

a mole in headquarters, an evil from the past is rising again, and even MORE figments hidden in really obscure places... another day at the psychonauts office :V raz once again must delve into various brains to figure out what the Fuck is goin on

okay this game was literally so fkn good in every aspect. visually stunning, amazing story, brilliant characters both new and returning... GOD!!! what the first game did well, this one blew it CLEAN out of the water, i loved it a lot!! like idk what else to even say, it was just such a solid game i cant think of much to critisise :’]

04/02 - AI: The Somnium Files - 3/10

kaname date works for the police force for a department unknown to the general public, using groundbreaking technology, he delves into the minds of suspects and uncovers clues using their own memories. when a body shows up resembling a victim of a serial killer from a cold case, he begins his investigation

... man... spike chunsoft rly just know how to make characters that grate on me fghjk for starters ill praise the original concept and interesting story (when it finally got around to being revealed), but i disliked/was uninterested in most of the characters and thought the tropes they kept using were annoying and just plain weird. im not fully sure Why this game was a branching path type game since it never really plays into the plot and the main story could have easily been told with a single storyline. overall, didnt rly enjoy this one, but what can ya do they cant all be winners :’]

13/02 - Sly Cooper and the Thievious Raccoonus - 5/10

sly cooper, youngest descendent of the illustrious cooper thief clan, had his familys secrets stolen when he was just a lad. now he sets out to retrive what was taken from him and beat up some bad guys as he does

i gotta commend this game for the humour and the creativity with it, and im defo lookin forward to playing the rest of these games based off this one, but i think this first entry suffers from a lot of Jank that made it quite frustrating to play :’] also, there wasnt any way to mute anything except the music or adjust the volume so it would routinely blow the FUCK out of my eardrums. that bein said tho, still fun, very quick game, but im keepin it a low rating cause im expecting to like the later ones better :’]

26/02 - Hidden Agenda - 2/10

the infamous “trapper” killer makes a final confession while counting down the days on death row, claims he never killed anyone and he can help lead the police to exactly who did. detective becky marney must investige this case one more time and decide if hes lying, or if the killer is still afoot

im so so SO sorry to my friends who like this game but besties.... why fghj for starters i was locked out of playing it for almost 2 years when the app you are REQUIRED to use in order to play this thing just stopped working, and when i finally did start playing the jank didnt stop with just the app. the whole game seems to be a broken mess with textures flickering in and out, characters walking thru solid objects, its MADNESS. the story and characters are so.... not interesting :[ it takes only 2 hours to do a full runthru of the story so i never rly grew to care abt them and theyre so flat anyway that i didnt Want to. if it wasnt so clearly rushed i think itd be good, and some of the acting is actually rly stellar, but overall...... its a no from me

04/03 - Minecraft - minecraft/10

its minecraft

technically i already got the plat ages ago but this year i finally got the coveted 100% so.... yeah ;w; i mean we all know what minecraft is so like...... idk what to say abt it guys, u already know how good it is (tho the console version is Vasty inferior to pc)

05/03 - Death Stranding - 8/10

after a world ending catastrophe dubbed the death stranding wiped out modern life as we know it, humanity is scattered across america. its up to sam porter bridges, post apocalyptic delivery man, to travel across the country and unite those that remain

depsite how confusing this game was, and how slow it was paced, and how fkn damn weird it was half the time, i still had a lot of fun playing it :’] i enjoyed the characters, tho wish certain ones had more limelight, i enjoyed the actual gameplay, tho by the end game i was finding it a bit Too repetetive, and i found the story rly interesting, when i could understand what was going on fghj so basically for every good thing i liked, it was countered by something, tho they are fairly small things. also the ending cutscene is an hour n a half long and i was fkn 3 am when i was finally allowed to exit the damn game so, u know, beware of that

10/03 - Ratchet & Clank - 7/10

young mechanic ratchet, with his new buddy clank, join the galactic rangers in stopping the blargs from destroying countless planets in order to build their own

another game thats been on my backlog for ages, im glad to have this one done and dusted :’] i certainly had fun playing it, but i feel like it was a bit Too kiddy in some places for my personal taste (dialogue and humour wise that is, but since this was also made by insomniac of spiderman fame, it makes sense) and after a certain point the game becomes piss easy with all the upgrades u get, but i still enjoyed it

03/04 - Sly Cooper 2: Band of Thieves - 5/10

sly and his pals return to their thieving ways after learning that the infamous klaw gang have begun reassembling parts for slys arch nemesis; clockwork. they travel across the globe to stop them

man my descriptions are getting worse fghj but anyway, as with the first game, i rly enjoyed the characters!! and the music, and... thats pretty much it. i really dont know what it is about these sly games that i just cant seem to enjoy the gameplay but i Really Really dont have fun while playing them :[ which is a shame cause, like i say, great characters that id like to spend more time with. if this was supposed to be the best in the series, i think im gonna give the 3rd and 4th games a miss for now, but maybe ill come back to them in the future

29/04 - Last Day of June - 7/10

a short game depicting a young couple named carl and june, and the tragedy surrounding their relationship

this game doesnt actually have a plat, which is something im trying not to be too picky about going forward in terms of playing games, but even tho this game was super short i really liked it!! the story is rly simple but incredibly sad, and even though theres a lack of “voice acting” in the traditional sense, there was still a lot of great emotive acting in this. that being said, the fact some of the voices sounded so odd detracted from the seriousness of the plot sometimes, and the actual gameplay was kinda boring, but still a solid short game :]

29/04 - Predator Hunting Grounds - 1/10

DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME

OH THE AGONY OH THE PAIN OH THE HOURS OH THE WASTED YEARS THE WASTED YOUTH THE PRETTY LIES THE UGLY TRUTH

and i dont like it >:[

03/05 - Linger in Shadows - 1/10

this... isnt even a game apparently

i had it on my list of things to check out while i had the ps plus premium thinking it Was a game, but its not. its a strange kind of “art” thing according to the guide i used. i didnt rly know what was going on fghj. certainly a unique experience i suppose but nothing id recommend u go out of ur way to do, even if it takes literally 10 minutes to get all the trophies (no plat either)

08/05 - Kurushi - 2/10

ps1 puzzle game, another one from the ps plus catalogue

not much to say abt this one again fghj seems like these last few games have been kinda duds huh :’] ah well, theres certainly better games on the horizon i suppose. as said, this is just some puzzle game from the ps1, janky controls and all. the music is surprisingly good, sounds almost like disney instrumentals :’] not that fun without assisstance tbh

09/05 - The Gardens Between - 6/10

a very short puzzle game following 2 friends exploring a strange series of islands that tell the story of their friendship

when i say short i Mean short. like even without a guide i got this completely done in 2 1/2 hours, and that included me leaving the game on while i went to get something to eat from the kitchen. that being said, its a very cute game!! i enjoyed the puzzles, the style is nice and Capital-I-Indie, the musics nice and relaxing. the story was also nice, if sad, (can i say nice a few more times??? nice nice nice nice) but i just think this game is Wayyyy too short dfghj i think a lot more could have been done with it :’] glad i didnt pay the full £15 for this as it would have been a bit of a rip off

09/05 - Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent - 8/10

fbi agent tethers is sent out to the minnesotan town of scoggins to investigate the local eraser factory shutting down

damn we’re just flying thru em now huh! ive actually played and 100%’d this game before on steam, as well as its sequel so i suppose im a little biased :’] but i rly like this game!! another short one, and another puzzle one, but i rly love the art style and story, as well as the puzzles being fairly simple but still fun!! its a shame the second game never made it to ps or id complete that one too but yeah, fun and simple puzzle game, defo recommend :] like most games like this tho, i wish it were longer

11/05 - ABZU - 6/10

you are a diver on a journey through the ocean, discovering the creatures that inhabit the waters

short n sweet indie game (anotha one) and this one was pleasant!! i rly liked the style and music, the story was simple but told fairly well, and just overall a nice game :] beyond that, not much to say tho fghj defo a very pretty game, and id recommend if you have an interest in marine life n such, but beyond that its pretty bog standard indie game

11/05 - The Pedestrian - 5/10

a short puzzle game where you traverse various signs as the tiny person within them

pretty straight forward puzzle game with a Weird ending that i dont quite understand fghj but overall it was enjoyable :’] most of these quicker games ive been playing lately have been super quick puzzle games so i might be getting burnt out on them, but even then i can appreciate the creativity of this one. its also another game with no plat which, considering it came out not 3 years ago, is kind of annoying

14/05 - Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - 4/10

two brothers venture on a quest to find medicine for their sick father

another short puzzle game, with a pretty interesting feature!! you control each brother with an analogue stick each, which can make coordination in some parts quite tricky if ur me fghj overall a pretty decent game, the story was kinda meh for me but i thought the gameplay was interesting, not much else tho

20/05 - Bloodborne - 6/10

the town of yharnam is crawling with beasts and hunters alike. fight through the corrupted streets and discover the fetid depths of this city and all the inhabitants trying super duper hard to kill you

im editing this from when i first wrote it after immediately finishing the game because i was cranky and frustrated because i cant in good faith give this game a score lower than 5 (mainly because i know the fromsoft fans would dox and kill me). this game is visually very nice, in the sense that it looks Horrible, which fits the vibe. the gothic style along with the monsters are really unique and detailed to the point where some of them are hard to look at. that being said, i personally didnt like this game. at all. i know on a “technical” level its very good, but i struggled for a Long Time to “git gud” as it were and surprisingly, dying a million times because you cant dodge within a 1/2 second window before being stun locked to death GREATLY decreased my enjoyment of this game. and thats all im gonna say about it :V

21/05 - Black Mirror - 4/10

following the suicide of his father, david gordon returns to scotland from india to inherit his familys estate. however, there are strange mysteries surrounding this house and the family who occupy it

pretty short horror/puzzle game that was pretty light on both the horror and puzzles fghj tho this game had a surprising amount of animation that looks fairly good which was a nice surprise. the characters were fine, and the story started out quite interesting but just felt a bit... weird. especially the ending, the final climax is basically just a bunch of qtes that ends really abruptly with little push back from the villain :’] for a free game i guess i cant complain too much

23/05 - Vampyr - 8/10

dr johnathan reid, recently turned vampire, has just returned home to london after serving as a field medic during the war. the streets are crawling with rogue vampires, and an epidemic is spreading quickly through the city, all while johnathan is searching for his maker

FINALLY A GAME I ENJOYED. GOD. okay so this was surprising because ive heard a lot of people call this game p mid, and maybe id think the same if it wasnt preceded by a whole bunch of Crap ive recently played, but here we are!! i really loved the chracters, i thought they were all fun and interesting, even the ones we dont meet for too long, and i also found the story super compelling!! the game Does have a bit of jank to it, with weirdly long loading times (even on the ps5) and the occassional graphical error, but otherwise i rly enjoyed this one :]

31/05 - Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - 9/10

seperated after dr nefarious begins ripping holes into other dimensions, ratchet and clank must team up with another lombax named rivet and stop the universes from collapsing altogether

man this game was so fun!! i got the whole thing done and dusted over the course of 2 days :’] the writing was still a bit cheesy for me, and as implied the play time is Outrageously low for the steep price (which i thankfully avoided cause ps plus), but the gameplay itselt was Incredibly fun and engaging!! defo a huge step up from the first game in this reboot series. i also rly loved rivet so that certainly helped :’]

02/06 - Lake - 5/10

meredith weiss, a successful programmer, moves back to her childhood town of providence oaks to fill in her her dad at his post office job. deliver mail to the residents of this lakeside town and decide how meredith wants to end her 2 week stint

pretty cute indie game i got through ps plus, i kinda wish the whole thing Was just a post delivery simulator :’] the characters are okay, the storys okay if a little eh.... i wanna say Loose?? like the plot beats (if u can call them that) feel kinda boring n half arsed. theres also a random romance option in this which feels?? out of place and doesnt actully impact anything that much. overall its an okay game, like i say the thing i found the most fun was driving around delivering post but maybe thats just my autism showing :V

13/06 - PowerWash Simulator - 10/10

i mean... kinda does what it says on the tin guys

is a 10 a bit generous?? maybe. do i particularly care?? absolutely not. this game is a 10 if ever there was one. i truly dont know how else to sell this if the idea of cleaning stuff with a powerwasher isnt immeditely appealing to you like, maybe You’re the problem :V this game also has a weird amount of lore?? which is also v fun fghj so do with that info what you will

19/06 - LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean - 7/10

a lego retelling of all 4 pirate movies, with all the usual lego bells and whistles

pretty typical lego game, so the gameplay and stuff is p fun!! ive actually never seen these movies so i didnt rly know what was goin on half the time, especially because this is an Older lego game so theres zero voice acting in this. i also had quite a few crashes and bugs while playing where i had to restart either the level or the whole game, which got annoying during the cleanup grind. overall tho, cant go wrong with a lego game tbh

17/08 - Chicory: A Colorful Tale - 9/10

after all the colour in the world disappears out of nowhere, you must go on a quest across the picnic province to restore it using a magic paintbrush

you may notice the significant time gap between the last game and this one and uhhhh ngl folks i was Not Gamin dfghj i was Tired n a lil Sad but eh what can ya do, but this was a great game to come back with!! absolutely loved this one, super adorable art style and gameplay that reminded me a LOT of toem, very similar vibes but this game is much longer imo. id give it a perfect 10 if the collectibles weren’t so horrid to find fghjk but other than that cant recommend this one enough!!

29/08 - Observation - 7/10

dr emma fisher wakes up after the space station on which she resides undergos a catastrophic failure. take control ships ai, S.A.M., and attempt to reboot the systems and find the crew, who have all mysteriously disappeared...

rly quite liked this one!! the fact u control the ships ai is a pretty interesting feature and made the interface really cool and sci-fi lookin, defo alien inspired on that front. i liked the story, even if it Did get a bit confusing, and the voice acting was also pretty stellar!! gotta dock points for some classic indie game Jank, and the fact that there isnt a whole lot goin on gameplay wise (p much entirely minigames that arent that well explained to you that u only end up doing once) but the story and overall eerie atmosphere rly saved it for me

31/08 - OMNO - 5/10

short indie game where u travel through a mystical world, solve puzzles, and meet extraordinary animals

theres indie games and then theres Indie Games, u know?? this is the latter. and thats not a bad thing!! it just means its kinda... predictable. usual fare of no voice acting, gorgeous music, simple but stylised graphics etc etc. it was pretty cute and the puzzles were fun, but some of the controls felt a bit clunky and like i say, a little boring story wise imo (but maybe ive just played too many of these types of games). perfectly middle of the road :’]

03/09 - Tacoma - 7/10

you have been sent on a mission to retrieve the ai from a ship where all the crew have seemingly vanished (sounds a bit familiar huh?? all sci fi is the same (affectionately)). explore the ship and piece together what happened to everyone

anotha one, anotha sci fi indie game :’] rly liked the story of this one!! and it was an interesting mechanic to be able to view scenes of the crew via an AR system, and then also view their files and such. despite their limited appearances, all the crew members were interesting and unique, and no spoilers but it made the ending and its lead up a lot more exciting and intense. gotta dock points for how Glitchy this game was, it crashed at one point and started stuttering so bad i had to restart it manually, and also for how short it is. still, good story, good characters

06/09 - Chicken Police: Paint it RED! - 8/10

a gritty noir point and click detective game where u play as the infamous sonny featherland, one half of the crime fighting duo, chicken police. after a nervous dame shows up on his doorstep about her mistress recieving vague threats, he realises hes gotta take just one last case

anthropamorphic detective chickens..... played TOTALLY straight, mind you. like i was actually totally blown away by this game fghjk its Completely voice acted for one, and its Pretty Fuckin Good voice acting too, the story and mystery is Really interesting, the world its set in is super gritty and deep despite how little its kinda touched on through the story, i was very surprised!! i think the ending and reveal were a bit uhh.... abelist, not to get too into spoilers, but for a noir story i guess its par for the course. still, enjoyed this one!!

08/09 - The Testament of Sherlock Holmes - 5/10

a mutilated bishop, a deadly poison, and some other shady bullshit, its another sherlock holmes game

this is actually the oldest game in the series thats avilable on ps, ive kinda gone about playing these in the exact wrong order :’] that being said, i do think this is my Least favourite of the 3 ive played thus far. like crimes & punishment, this game also has plenty of jank, and the voice acting is a lil ehhh stiff for my taste. the puzzles were fine, the story was fine, overall just Fine. this game follows 1 case rather than multiple like its sequels do

10/09 - Garfield Kart: Furious Racing - 4/10

basically a mario kart clone but with garfield :]

now i am not one who loves racing games. in fact i suck quite badly at them. so u may wonder why i have a racing game in this list and well?? im ngl i bought this game as a meme and it ended up being so hard i had to put it down for a while dfghj BUT i came back to it and after hours of sweatin and gamer rage i DID IT!!! but at what cost. the game is fun, it looks nice, tho the only real garfield references it Has are its racers, the courses are kinda bland and generic. also the trophies...... my GOD the trophies..... not even a plat btw hhhh anyway if u like racing games check it out but if u Dont then DONT

17/09 - The Last of Us: Part 1 - 8/10

in the fungusy zombie apocalypse, smuggler joel is tasked with taking an immune girl, ellie, to a group of freedom fighters to create a cure. a remake of a remake :’]

obviously its good. i mean cmon. i remember watching a playthru of the OG og game wayyy back when so i kinda knew all the plot beats, but playing it myself in this beautiful 4k ps5 remake was Glorious (dont get me wrong, i think it was totally unnessesary to remake it AGAIN but it do look pretty). i can certaily see why this game has such a cult following and got the reception it did. maybe a Tad overhyped?? maybe a tad. but still good!! gameplay is solid, story is solid, characters are solid, whats not to like?? docking points for the frankly OBSCENE price point (luckily i got mine Mega cheap but go-LLY)

03/10 - The Last of Us: Part 2 - 10/10

after a devastating loss, ellie begins a gruelling quest for revenge and runs the risk of not only losing the ones she loves, but herself as well

i mean. fuck me guys. fuck ME. if the first game is good then this one is straight up glorious. the story is Vastly improved, so much tension and grey morality and Bone Deep Agony, emotionally and physically. its just such a hugely better game, both story and gameplay wise with a Bunch of new features and they arent afraid to take you to Extremely dark places with characters we already love and brand new ones too. this games going to be sitting with me for a long time i feel

and thats it for 2023!!

kinda fell off the gaming wagon in the final few months of this year due to a variety of reasons, but lets hope i can keep gettin games off the ol’ backlog in the new year :]

[eralisse]

Brothers Conflict: Season 1 LN - Ch16, Sec6 & Sec7

This is the penultimate major scene in the Iori/Kaname conflict, taking place at the festival hosted by Club Buddha.

Brothers Conflict Translations Index

???: “Hey, are you by yourself?”

I was sitting on a bench outside the main temple, waiting for Yuusuke-kun and Wataru-chan to come back, when a voice suddenly called out from beside me.

(...... Eh?!)

When I looked over, an extremely flashy man was standing there.

He was in a yukata with a dragon design, and gaudily designed rings, watch, and necklace.

Although he was quite young and beautiful, he also had a bit of a dangerous feel to him.

(Whoa…… Amazing.)

???: “Why haven’t you nominated anyone? Is there not a man you’re interested in?”

(...... N-nominate?)

The person very casually sat down next to me.

???: “Or are you waiting for a good man to come by? …...Heh. If that’s the case, how about me?”

(......?)

At first, I thought he was a pickup artist or something, but his appearance wasn’t quite right for that. 

At that moment, I saw the fan that the man had in his hand.

(Ah!)

“Club Buddha” was written on it.

???: “Won’t you try listening to my prayers? If you wish, you can listen all night long. I’ll fill it with love. … But I’m quite expensive, so be prepared.”

Ema: “Uh, um…”

I said.

Ema: “Excuse me, are you Kaname-san’s colleague, by any chance?”

???: “Kaname?”

Kaname: “Chi-chan.”

I heard a voice call out from behind me. When I turned around, Kaname-san was standing there.

(... Why did Kaname-san call me “Chi”?)

The only ones who called me “Chi” were Juli and Rui-san. Outside of them, no one else called me that.

Not to mention, Kaname-san has not once called me that way.

(Then why…?)

But right after that, Kaname-san said something unexpected.

Kaname: “Oh, Imouto-chan, you’ve come.”

(Eh?)

Meaning that, the one Kaname-san called “Chi”... wasn’t me?!

(B-but, the one here now is…)

???: “Kana-san.”

The flashy man next to us said.

???: “What, you know her? Don’t tell me, is she one of your clients?”

Kaname: “Nah, Chi-chan.”

Kaname-san smiled wryly.

(“Chi-chan” is… this person?!)

Kaname: “Sister. She’s my younger sister.”

???: “Younger sister?”

Ema: “Um, Kaname–san, this person is…”

Kaname: “Ahh, this is Senshuu. Written as ‘chi’ (thousand) and ‘aki’ (autumn). His real name is read as Chiaki, but here it’s Senshuu.”

Ema: “Chiaki… san?”

Chiaki: “What’s this, she’s not a client?...”

Having quickly lost his interest, Chiaki-san got up from the bench.

Chiaki: “I’ve wasted time… Hah…”

Chiaki-san turned to leave.

Kaname: “Ah, hold on, Chi-chan. You should go to the reception hall soon.”

Chiaki: “Eh?”

Kaname: “Looks like you’re up to bat. The parishioners are arguing.”

Chiaki: “Huh?!”

Kaname: “Chi-chan, could it be that this was on purpose?”

Chiaki: “No way. I came here on my own.”

Kaname: “In the meantime, you have to do something. It’s bothering the other parishioners.”

Chiaki: “... Got it. Thanks, Kana-san.”

Chiaki-san walked off towards the reception hall to the main temple. After watching him leave, Kaname-san turned to me.

Kaname: “Imouto-chan, I’m glad you came.”

Ema: “Ah, no, I’m just here by mere chance…”

Kaname: “If it’s by chance, then I’m even more happy. Because something beyond human ken is blessing us.”

Ema: “...... That’s such a convenient interpretation.”

Kaname: “Sorry that you came all this way, though.”

Kaname-san blithely continued as if I hadn’t said anything.

Kaname: “I’ve still got a nomination after this. But I’m free after that. Do you mind waiting a little bit?”

Ema: “Ah, no, please take your time…”

Kaname: “Oh, oh no. I’ve got to go. Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

As if chasing after Chiaki-san, Kaname-san headed toward the reception hall.

There were a lot of female guests in the area, and as Kaname-san went by, calls of “Younin-san~!” rose up from all around.

(Hmm, that was Kaname-san’s professional, no, priest name. Speaking of which, the flyer was… not here!)

When I dug around for it, once again, a voice called out behind me.

???: “... Oh? Are you alone?”

I couldn’t help sighing.

This temple really had some pushy monks.

Ema: “Um, no thank you!”

I said immediately upon turning around.

(Huh?!)

However, it was not one of the temple’s monks like I’d thought.

Iori: “Um? No thank you for what?”

The person standing there was Iori-san.

—

Ema: “Ah… Iori-san.”

Iori: “Good evening.”

Iori-san looked slightly surprised.

Iori: “That was pretty aggressive just now. What happened?”

Ema: “Ah, pardon me! You see, Kaname-san had…”

Iori: “Kaname-niisan?”

I explained to Iori-san about the monk from Club Buddha.

Iori: “Ahh, so that’s what happened. As expected of the temple that Kaname-niisan serves.”

Iori-san smiled wryly.

Iori: “Anyway, did you come by yourself?”

Ema: “Ah, Yuusuke-kun was here until just earlier…”

Then, I told him about Yuusuke-kun and Wataru-chan.

Iori: “That is such a pitiful story for Yuusuke.”

Iori-san’s wry smile grew larger.

(......Oh?)

Iori-san’s mood changed from what it was previously.

Since his hospitalization on the day of the entrance exam, I had been worrying, and although the atmosphere had been that I could not say anything careless, that feeling was different today.

Ema: “Iori-san is by himself?”

Iori: “Yes. I came here on a walk. …Hey, is it alright if I sit?”

Ema: “Ah, yes, please.”

He lowered himself down onto the bench.

Iori-san sat right beside me.

Iori: “The truth is, I was sleeping until just earlier. Last night, I was writing a report and didn’t get much sleep. And when I woke, the house was empty. Ukyo-niisan let me know that everyone had gone to the festival, so I came too.

Ema: “Ahh.”

(Ukyo-san didn’t come after all. He really didn’t like the atmosphere that much, I guess.)

Iori: “Even so, I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Ema: “...?”

Iori: “You see, since a little while ago, I’ve been thinking about talking to you. But, things happened, and there wasn’t much of a chance.”

Ema: “What did you want to speak with me about?”

Iori: “Right. How should I say this… Mm, an apology, I think.”

Iori-san said regretfully.

Iori: “Earlier, I said something strange about the entrance exam, and it’s been bothering me since.”

Ema: “The entrance exam?”

Iori: “Yes, see, I once told you I wanted you to come to Jouchi, remember?”

I remember that, about the time I became a 3rd year in high school, Iori-san strongly encouraged me to go to Jouchi University.

Iori: “At that time, I was speaking completely unilaterally. I’ve been extremely concerned about it.”

Iori-san lowered his head.

Iori: “I’m sorry.”

Ema: “Iori-san?”

I was a bit surprised at the sudden apology.

Iori: “I think I spoke too rudely towards you. Could you forgive me?”

Ema: “W-what, please stop.”

I said frantically.

Ema: “It’s not such a problem that you need to apologize…”

Iori: “I just wanted to convey that clearly.”

Iori-san said.

Iori: “I was super excited for if you could come to Jouchi. That’s undeniable.”

Ema: “...”

Iori: “But, no matter which college you go to, I won’t raise objections.”

Iori-san nodded once then, as if in confirmation of his own words.

Iori: “I will respect your decision. I will absolutely not distort that.”

(Iori-san…)

Iori: “That’s all that I wanted you to understand.”

At that moment, a loud voice came over the PA system from the main temple.

PA System: “Thank you for waiting, now it’s time for the main event!”

A great cheer rose up from the female customers around us at the announcement.

Iori: “... Hey, shall we move someplace else?”

Iori-san’s face contorted slightly.

Iori: “It’s a bit noisy here. Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

Ema: “Ah, alright.”

Behind the main temple, at one corner lined with trees, a path had been built that you could walk on.

We walked in that direction.

Iori: “Mm… It’s quieter now, isn’t it?”

Iori-san said with a relieved sigh.

The area was at the outskirts of the temple grounds, without any stalls, so it was quiet.

Iori: “By the way, about the entrance exam topic earlier.”

Iori-san said while walking.

Iori: “Have you decided where you’re going?”

Ema: “I’m not entirely sure yet… but there are some things I’m thinking I want to take.”

Iori: “I see.”

A little while passed.

Iori: “Hey, you’re definitely not coming to Jouchi?”

Ema: “Eh?”

Iori: “Ah, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to force you. No, it’s just that…”

There, Iori-san paused, trying to pick out his words.

Iori: “I want you to listen for a moment.”

Ema: “Uh-huh…”

Iori: “The truth is, after I heard of that matter recently, I’ve been thinking that I could be by your side.”

Ema: “That matter?”

Iori-san’s expression became gloomy.

Iori: “The matter of your birth.”

Ema: “... Ah.”

Iori-san stopped walking.

Iori: “I was surprised, you know.”

Ema: “...”

Iori: “It must have been quite a shock. To have something that you had trusted without a doubt, suddenly taken away from you.”

Iori-san looked up at the dark sky.

Iori: “At that time, I thought this.”

Then, Iori-san’s gaze returned to me.

Iori: “That you were the same as me.”

Ema: “Eh?”

Iori: “Although it wasn’t about blood relation, I had a similar experience… on that winter day.”

Ema: “Iori-san…”

Iori: “So I thought.”

Iori-san closed his eyes.

Iori: “I can understand the pain in your heart. So I thought I could do something to help ease that pain.”

Ema: “...”

Iori: “To do that, it would be necessary to spend a lot of time with you. That’s why I wanted you to come to the same university as me.”

Iori-san looked at me.

Looking into his eyes, I could tell that his concern was truly from the heart.

Iori: “The pain you feel, no one else can understand. But I… I can share and ease it.”

Then, Iori-san said.

Iori: “Right now, I think you’re struggling alone in the dark. I know that pain well.”

(... Eh?)

At that moment, I felt uneasy at Iori-san’s words.

It is true that I was shocked when I learned that Papa wasn’t my real father. But thanks to my conversations with Papa, Natsume-san, and Rui-san, that shock has mostly abated.

Which is to say, I was not struggling in the dark.

(Could it be… that Iori-san thinks that I’m still in shock…?)

Iori: “What is it?”

Iori-san’s face became doubtful.

Iori: “Have I spoken too bluntly? I suppose my manner of speaking was a bit strong. I apologize if I’ve offended you.”

(Indeed, that’s the case. Iori-san thinks I’m hurting…)

– He’s wrong.

I may have been at the time, but I’m okay now.

(I have to let Iori-san know this.)

For a moment, I didn’t know what I should say. Since Iori-san was speaking out of concern, I didn’t want to dismiss his kindness.

But, right after I thought that, Natsume-san and Ukyo-san’s words arose in my mind.

(The things you need to say… you must say.)

I made up my mind to speak.

Ema: “Iori-san, you’re wrong.”

Iori-san’s face clouded.

Ema: “I am not hurting to that extent. Of course, I was shocked when I first heard it. But I’m alright now.”

Iori-san looked at me without saying anything.

Iori: “You’re… okay?”

A while passed before he asked this.

Ema: “Yes.”

I said this as clearly as possible. 

Then, Iori-san’s face appeared to change.

Iori: “... Is that so.”

Iori-san’s gaze fell to the ground.

Iori: “I was… deceiving myself.”

Ema: “Iori-san?”

Iori-san raised his head slowly.

Iori: “Sorry, I am a coward.”

It was in a flat voice.

Iori: “I deceived myself, and tried to win you over. I know that now. What on earth was I thinking...”

No words came out after that.

Iori-san stayed silent, and after a little while, spoke again.

Iori: “As I thought, I have not yet recovered.”

(Eh?)

Iori: “Just, I stopped remembering, and pretended I didn’t see anything… and assumed I had recovered.”

Iori-san’s eyes turned towards me a second time.

Iori: “The one needing help isn’t you… It’s me.”

Iori-san’s expression tightened.

Iori: “Hey, listen…”

Iori-san stepped forward. The space between us narrowed.

Iori: “I’m not rejecting my past feelings. And I will not forget them, either.”

Iori-san placed his hands on my shoulders.

Iori: “Regardless, I must move forward. I cannot stay frozen in time forever.”

His hands left my shoulders, and then circled around my back.

Iori: “I am still living in the past. I want to stop that and live in the future. But right now, I don’t have that strength.”

I felt a strong pull on my back. I could hear the sound of my yukata brushing against Iori-san’s clothes.

Iori: “I want you to give me that strength.”

Iori-san held my face with both hands.

Iori: “I can’t do this alone… But, if there’s 2 of us…”

His hands tightened on my cheeks.

Iori: “I can endure.”

Iori-san’s lips pressed onto my lips. 

Iori: “... Hm?”

His eyes moved to something behind me.

Iori: “Kaname-niisan…”

When I turned around, a grim-faced Kaname-san was standing there.

(... Ah.)

Kaname-san had his fist pressed up against a nearby tree.

And his face grew grimmer and grimmer.

-----

Comments:

I had noticed this before, but I need to mention this again-- Iori is really really pushy. I understand now a bit of why Kaname explains about Iori in ch17 (link to translation) the way he does. Iori wasn't paying attention/listening to Ema at all! (As in, he was super selfish.) He just steamrolled straight over her and pulled her into a hug and a kiss.

[mirrortouchedsea]

Day 15

“Tatsumi-senpai, have you ever kissed anyone?” Kaname asked, sitting across from the other boy in the catacombs. Everyone else had left for the night leaving the two of them alone. 

“Why are you asking?” Tatsumi replied, confused as he moved one of his chess pieces on the board. Kaname didn’t know anything about how the game worked and was mostly just guessing at where the pieces moved. 

“A-ah it’s nothing, I was just wondering…I haven’t kissed anyone.” Kaname could feel his face heating up. God this was embarrassing, why was he doing this? 

“I haven’t kissed anyone either.” Their game of chess forgotten for the moment. Kaname’s face burned even hotter. 

“Would you--would you like to try kissing?” He barely squeaked out. How was the great Kaname Tojou such a loser when it came to his crush? He should be confident and yet here he was. 

“Can you repeat that, Kaname-san?” He loved the way his name sounded in Tatsumi’s voice. It made him want to die in the moment though. 

“Can I--Can we try…kissing?” His voice was still soft but evidently loud enough for Tatsumi to hear if the slight blush on his face was evidence of anything. Tatsumi gently moved their chess board to the side and slid closer to Kaname. Kaname felt his heart rate pick up at the proximity as Tatsumi leaned in closer. 

How was he supposed to kiss? He tried to remember the movies and how they did it, closing his eyes and letting Tatsumi guide him, his lips slightly parted. The moment Tatsumi’s lips touched his he thought he would fly, and evidently his mouth moved before he could think, as Tatsumi let out a yelp and brought a hand to his lips. 

Kaname bit him. Oh how embarrassing! It wasn’t enough to draw blood but still! 

“I’m so sorry Tatsumi-senpai! I didn’t mean to do that! Oh god--” 

Tatsumi laughed. Kaname stopped in his tracks as Tatsumi continued laughing. He wasn’t laughing at Kaname, though, or at least not at Kaname as a person, but rather at his reaction to the whole thing. 

“It’s okay, Kaname-san. We can try again if you’d like.” 

“Y-yes I’d like that very much.” 

They leaned in again and Kaname clenched his jaw to keep himself from biting Tatsumi again, but he got a little overeager again and felt their heads bump into each other and not where their lips were (which was where he was aiming for). Kaname curses under his breath but Tatsumi giggles again (a heavenly sound to Kaname’s ears) and cups his face before gently guiding him to Tatsumi’s lips. 

Kaname was too in shock to do anything for a moment. He was kissing someone. And not just someone. He was kissing Tatsumi Kazehaya, heartthrob of Reimei Academy. He closed his eyes and relaxed, reaching to grab Tatsumi’s blazer and pull him closer. He felt their teeth clack together but it wasn’t as bad as their first attempt and for Kaname, that was enough. 

They pulled away, panting heavily, and Kaname noticed that Tatsumi’s pupils had dilated. He wanted to pull Tatsumi in for another kiss but held himself back, at least for a moment. 

“That wasn’t so bad,” Tatsumi spoke, breathless and full of affection. 

“No, it wasn’t.” Kaname pulled Tatsumi back in for another kiss, narrowly avoiding bumping their heads together again. He could do this forever, just him and Tatsumi in the catacombs, kissing to their hearts content. 

[eternalpassions]

why would people want HW to reincarnate as a romantic love interest? Kaname doesn't even remember her. He remembers Yuuki. HW doesn't exist even in his memories. We never even got to know her name. Kaname was like a lost child when HW found him and took him in her care and gave him a name. She's like a mother to him. Hino had mentioned his feelings for her were maternal.

Kaname's heart belongs to Yuuki, literally lol.

Either he might succeed in his endeavour to revive yuuki and they will be together as humans.

or he will choose to stay alone till the day they reunite after death. He can hear yuuki's voice when she says I'm right here and that will be enough for him.

Hello,

Oh, he’s never gonna end up with the HW lol. That is the one thing I know for sure lol. There is no indication in vkm that she is even relevant to the plot it’s almost as if she didn’t exist so how could Kaname end up with this woman? He never mentions her, he doesn’t remember her. Which proves she is not his true love.

Yes, the hooded woman helped him at a time he was lost and had no purpose. I believe Hino said it was parental but because she had them kiss in that panel then now people think she’s his true love 🙄 Because of one panel. Even if he did love her romantically that wasn’t really the point of why he met her and that doesn’t mean she is his true love which is seen by how he has no recollection of her at all in vkm. HW was part of his past as a pureblood ancestor vampire. She was almost like a ghost holding him back even tho she did help him at one point.

Now in vkm he is a new man free from the burdens of his past which is how he can be happy. But even so, his love for Yuuki is literally engraved in his soul! It’s a part of him. Which means the HW wasn’t for him. She was merely an event in his past. (Not hating on the ship) A big part of what makes Kaname who he is is his love for Yuuki. It’s so strong it could never be wiped out no matter how much haters wanted it. I read a good story that kind of alludes to this theme. I’ll find the quotes later

From what we saw in the original series is when Kaname wants something he goes after it and gets it. Based on that pattern, that’s what should happen in vkm. Hino laid the foundations. However it’s hard to know if she truly remembers or cares who Kaname really is. Cuz look at what she chooses to make chapters on 😂But that is one thing that is still possible. It ain’t over till it’s over

Logically based on how Hino is writing vkm, the latter will most likely happen. Kaname will not reunite with HW or find another woman cuz Hino made that clear already that his mind is only on Yuuki. He’s probably gonna stay single and love her all his life until he gets to reunite with her in heaven or something. I think for sure they will at least have one final conversation. But yea Hino made it pretty clear as a human he is a one love kind of guy for Yuuki 😂

Plus like. Yume was a big part of this story. It is a central part of the original series and that’s the series we all care about tbh. The story literally begins with Kaname saving Yuuki and Yuuki saying he brought all the colors to her world. Hino spent the whole manga developing Kaname and Yuuki. Why would she just have him end up with HW who took up two pages or a random woman in vkm? Lol. Goes against storytelling and what Hino has told us is important. She has three characters here and two central relationships in the story. In regards to Kaname, his relationship is with Yuuki.

Thanks 😘

[hypn0sssss]

himeru for ask game

Yippee!! Thank you for the ask!

How I feel about this character:

I absolutely adore him! I think he's such an interesting character and I love his voice! Probably one of, if not my #1, favorite enstars characters!

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Rinne! Kind of Arashi too but I don't really ship them I just find their dynamic really fascinating!

My non-romantic OTP for this character:

I absolutely love HiMERU's platonic dynamics with a lot of characters! Maybe his dynamic with Kohaku and Sora (I need them to interact more sooo bad)? Also his dynamic with Tatsumi, I love the "I fucking hate you but the person who is my persona is close friends with you so I have to pretend to like you" thing going on-

I don't know if this actually answered the question

My unpopular opinion about this character:

Not gonna lie to you I don't think I actually have an unpopular opinion for him

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

I don't think it's gonna happen anytime soon but I wish that sometime in the future Kaname wakes up so we can see how HiMERU takes not having to put up a persona and pretending to be someone he's not anymore. Would he even remember who "he" is? Or is "he" lost now?

[dove-da-birb]

Meet Antonio Salieri

Picrew | Picrew does not belong to me

Antonio Salieri

The ‘poisoner’ of Mozart. Antonio is reserved, and cunning, and will do about anything ti make sure he gets his way. Mozart avoids him at all costs. Smells like almonds. Aloof cat, not outright mean, but not friendly. - My OG notes about him but I heavily revised this.

He rolls his eyes at people who insist he’s a poisoner, and also does not appreciate that a syndrome was coined after his name; Salieri syndrome, a person in power who appears to be helping, but is only subverting their success. But he pays them no mind, and continues with his business. “Be careful with him, don’t you smell the almonds? That’s cyanide dear.” No, no it’s not, he was just baking earlier.

He lives in a modest apartment above a bakery which he owns. He does the odd performance now and then, but years of trying for fame has taken a toll on his passion for performing music.

Voice Claim; Kaname Futaba

Birthday; August 18

Height; 176 cm

Occupation; Composer, teacher, and director of the Italian opera

Hobbies; Playing violin and baking

Dislikes; Liars

Specialty; Playing the harpsichord

Weakness; Creative block

Favourite food; Almond thumbprint cookies

Hated food; Grapefruit

Vampire Type; Lesser vampire

Animal Companion; an African grey parrot named Gluck

Some History [wikipedia again; lots of info so I condensed it]

He was taught how to play music by his older brother, Francesco and ran away from home on two occasions so he could hear his older brother play in festivals. Antonio was once reprimanded by his father because he didn’t pay the proper respect to a priest, and Antonio’s reasoning for this is that the priest’s organ playing displeased him. He does not remember much of his childhood save for his love of reading, music, and sugar.

He quickly rose into the opera scene, and his works pushed against traditional opera styles, and added his own style into them. His works were mainly inspired by classic literature and dramas. His first large success in the opera sphere was with his Armida which featured a conflict of love and duty, steeped with magic, and set during the First Crusade. Many of his operas were either large successes or raised little attention.

When Joseph II came into power, Salieri slipped out of the spotlight, as all operas were to be in German, a language that he had truly never mastered. He did find success in the Parisian opera scene with his Les Danaïdes, inspired by the ancient Greek tragedy writer Aeschylus’s The Suppliants. It was so successful that it was kept on the opera scene in Paris for over forty years.

As for the ‘poisoner of Mozart’ title, there is no hard evidence that Antonio murdered Mozart, and the two were most likely respectful of each other. But he has no time for rumours and rolls his eyes at them.

Present

He is cunning, but also painfully honest as he cannot stand lies. He does try his best to achieve his goals, but unfortunately, his work is either a success or never takes off, which disheartens him. At least people seem to enjoy his baking. He and Mozart don't really talk and tend to avoid each other, but Salieri at least gives him a polite nod whenever he sees the other musician out and about. He seems aloof at first, but when he trusts you he becomes a tad warmer and teases you... but he doesn't realize it's teasing.

Tagging; @azulashengrottospiano